Book Tour, Guest Post and GIVEAWAY: SEDUCED – Cari Quinn & Taryn Elliott

Thanks so much for having us, Dawn and Amanda. I’m here to talk about the guys from the band Oblivion, aka the series Lost in Oblivion written by myself and Cari Quinn. We met five years ago and one of the first things that brought us together…well, besides Nora Roberts LOL…was music. We both LOVE music, so it was only natural that it would end up being the facilitator to our first published series together.

And like the guys we write about, we got a little rebellious about how we went about writing this series. Our Introductory story is a true-blue set up. It showcases the best and worst of our characters in the hopes that you—the reader—will be intrigued enough to want to know more.

But beyond that, the book is about the romance/relationship of the band as a whole. We didn’t want to bog down book 1 with so much of the band creation process. It would have taken away from the romance aspect of the books. We really wanted a good foundation before people read the individual stories.

It does make for a different sort of book. Some will like it, some will be indifferent, and some will hate it. I think that’s the best part of the self-publishing game. If we tried to sell this to an editor we’d get a serious side-eye about it. But here and now we were able to take a chance on a story we needed to tell. And that story is made up of quite the diverse set of people.

We have Simon…the narcissist. On the outside he looks like a good-time Charlie, a boy that’s never grown up. But if you dig a little deeper you’ll see that he’s values his friends and the band much more than it seems.

Then there’s Deacon…the peacemaker. His one job has always been to hold everyone together. Through the addictions, the breakups, the laughter, and the fights…Deacon is their one constant.

Gray…the wildcard. He’s nearly silent in all but his music. He’s a new addition to the band and in love with Jazz, their new drummer. They came as a package deal. Gray is locked up in his own demons based on a shared past between himself and Jazz. They come into the band with enough baggage for six people

Then there’s Nick…the born musician and co-founder of the band that locks his talent in a cage. He hides crippling stage fright under anger and sarcasm. The band is his life—seriously. He can’t live without it.

And finally…Jazz. She is the temptress, the confidante, the glue, and the lynchpin. Her effervescent personality brings life and joy to the group, but she also brings conflict and pain. Two men fall for her, but only one truly owns her heart.

I did mention diverse when it came to the members of Oblivion. Just wait until you see who we match them up with in their individual stories. 😉

TOUR GIVEAWAY:
One lucky winner that follows the tour will receive the following prizes:

Sterling Silver earrings (attached jpg)
$10 GC to iTunes
$15 GC to Starbucks
paperback of Seduced.
paperback of Cari Quinn’s Unveil Me: http://www.amazon.com/Unveil-Me-Cari-Quinn/dp/1419969080

Please click on the LINK below to enter the TOUR GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Host GIveaway:

To enter to win a eBook of SEDUCED please leave a comment with your email address ( format: seduced (at) letsgetromantical (dot) com )

SERIES SPOTLIGHT – LOST IN OBLIVION

SEDUCED

A PREQUEL to the NA rock star series Lost In Oblivion.

AVAILABLE NOW:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | All Romance eBooks

Warning: get ready for a testosterone overload. The guys are in the driver’s seat in Seduced – and the ride’s gonna rock.
Twenty-three year old Nick Crandall has one focus in his life: Oblivion, the band he formed with his best friend Simon Kagan. With gigs coming up and the band members lacking focus after losing their drummer to rehab, they’re out of ideas. Until Oblivion’s bassist, Deacon McCoy, poses a surprising suggestion.

Bring in someone new. Two someones.

One You Tube video gone viral later, Oblivion is poised on the brink of stardom. With their new hot drummer chick — who comes in a package deal with a talented guitarist who happens to be head over pick in unrequited love with her – it seems like everything’s falling into place. Or will the band Nick and Simon have fought to keep together disintegrate before their eyes?
Four guys & one woman + more success than they ever bargained for = trouble, of the sexiest kind.

Get Seduced by this novel-length introduction to the band Oblivion. This preview occurs before the four forthcoming books about each of the band members. Sometimes getting lost means finding yourself…

Add to your Goodreads Shelf: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17454336-seduced

LOST IN OBLIVION Website: http://www.lostinoblivion.com

ROCKED

Book 1 in the NA rock star series, Lost in Oblivion
Coming in September

Onstage he’s Demon, the unsurpassable bassist.

Offstage he’s the Peacemaker, the mastermind who keeps his volatile band from imploding.

Opening for their idols on their first ever tour, Oblivion is living the dream. That dream becomes a nightmare when Oblivion draws more attention than the headliner and egos clash. Frustrated at being shoved out of his mediator role by their new manager, Deacon McCoy loses himself in brutal workouts only coming up for air long enough to refuel—and that means hunting down the catering truck at odd hours.
Especially the deliciously cute chef who excites his taste buds as much as his body.

The child of roadie parents, Harper Pruitt has heard every pickup line twice. To her, musicians are one step above the scraps on her cutting board. All she wants is to get enough experience to run her own catering company, but Deacon and his bottomless and surprisingly gourmet stomach is too tempting to resist. Before long, she finds herself wanting to experiment with him outside the kitchen.
When Harper sees that Deacon’s sense of responsibility is doing him serious damage, she realizes he’s far from the typical rock star. But as the band’s fame grows, she wonders if she can love a man who doesn’t know how to let anyone in—even her.

You met Deacon McCoy in SEDUCED, now you can watch just how far a big man can fall.

Add to your Goodreads Shelf: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18140422-rocked

LOST IN OBLIVION Website: http://www.lostinoblivion.com

BIO: Cari Quinn

USA Today bestselling author Cari Quinn wrote her first story—a bible parable—in 2nd grade, much to the delight of the nuns at her Catholic school. Once she saw the warm reception that first tale garnered, she was hooked. Now she gets to pen sexy romances for a living and routinely counts her lucky stars. When she’s not scribbling furiously, she can usually be found watching men’s college basketball, playing her music way too loud or causing trouble. Sometimes simultaneously.

Website: http://cariquinn.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cariquinn

FB: https://www.facebook.com/cari.quinn.1

FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/CariQuinnAuthor

Cari Quinn & Taryn Elliott’s FB Group – Word Wenches Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/346424552124487/

BIO: Taryn Elliott

I’m from the great state of New York–upstate NY, thank you very much. My family consists of a brother who takes care of keeping the snarky side of me alive and a dog that is more spoiled child than mutt. My writer-friends are the glue that keeps my crazy ideas more in the sane category, and my non-writerly friends are the reason I’m not a complete hermit. I can’t go a day without laughing and I truly do fall in love with each and every one of my leading men as I write their book. Music is life and every story has its own soundtrack.

Website: http://www.tarynelliott.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TarynElliottFic

FB: https://www.facebook.com/TarynElliottFic

FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/TarynElliottAuthor

Cari Quinn & Taryn Elliott’s FB Group – Word Wenches Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/346424552124487/

Cari Quinn and Taryn Elliot’s SEDUCED Blog Tour

July. 28 – August 31

7/28- Miscellaneous Thoughts of A Bookaholic

http://miscellaneousthoughtsofabookaholic.blogspot.com/

7/28- KT Book Reviews

http://ktbookreviews.blogspot.com/

7/29- Scorching Book Reviews

http://scorchingbookreviews.blogspot.com/

7/30- Reading Between the Wines

http://www.readingbetweenthewinesbookclub.com/

7/31- United by Books

http://unitedbybooks.blogspot.com/

8/01- Book Monster Reviews

http://www.bookmonsterreviews.com/

8/02- Book Lovin’ Mamas

http://booklovinmamas.blogspot.com//

8/03- Ramblings from This Chick

http://ramblingsfromthischick.blogspot.com/

8/04- Kelly P’s Blog

http://kellyatx.blogspot.com/

8/05- Inside the Pages of A Book

http://www.insidethepagesofabook.blogspot.com/

8/06- Mama’s Reading Break

http://www.mamasreadingbreak.blogspot.com/

8/07- Why I Can’t Stop Reading

http://whyicantstopreading.wordpress.com/

8/08- Scandalicious Book Reviews

http://www.scandaliciousbookreviews.com/

8/09- True Story Book Blog

http://truestorybookblog.com/

8/10- Literal Hotties Naughty Book Reviews

http://literalhottiesnaughtybookreviews.blogspot.com/

8/11- Mythical Books

http://mythicalbooks.blogspot.com/

8/12- Books, Books and More Books

http://booksbooksmorebooks.blogspot.com/

8/13- Babbling About Books

http://kbgbabbles.blogspot.com/

8/13- The Reading Cafe

http://thereadingcafe.com/

8/14- Sassy Book Reviews

http://sassybooklovers.blogspot.com/

8/15- Mad Hatter Reads

http://madhatterreads.blogspot.com/

8/16- Lily Element

http://lilyelement.blogspot.com/

8/17- Manga Maniac Café

http://www.mangamaniaccafe.com/

8/18- CS Maxwell Blog

http://www.csmaxwell.blogspot.com/

8/19- Wicked Readings by Tawania

http://www.wickedreadingsbytawania.blogspot.com/

8/19- Let’s Get Romantical

http://goodromancenovel.blogspot.com/

8/20- Bibliophile Mystery

http://bibliophilemystery.blogspot.com/

8/21- Salacious Reads

http://www.salaciousreads.com/

8/22- Inner Goddess

http://www.innergoddessforum.com/

8/23- Books-N-Kisses

http://www.books-n-kisses.com/

8/24- Cocktails and Books

http://www.cocktailsandbooks.com/

8/24- Salacious Reads

http://www.salaciousreads.com/

8/25- Literal Addiction

http://www.literaladdiction.com/

8/26- Romance Junkies

http://www.romancejunkies.com/rjblog/

8/27- Flirting with Romance

http://flirtingwithromance.blogspot.com/

8/28- Dalene’s Book Reviews

http://www.dalenesbookreviews.blogspot.com/

8/29- My Secret Romance

http://www.mysecretromancebookreviews.com/

8/30- Toot’s Books Reviews

http://tootsbookreviews.blogspot.com/

8/31- Close Encounters with the Night Kind

http://closeencounterswiththenightkind.blogspot.com/

8/31- Reader Girls

http://www.readergirlsblog.com/

ARC Review: Olivia Cunning – Wicked Beat

The Sinners On Tour:

Book 4:

Wicked Beat: Eric Sticks and Rebekah

Purchase on Amazon:  Wicked Beat (The Sinners on Tour)

Summary:

From goodreads.com

From the moment he lays eyes on Sinners’ new front of house soundboard operator, drummer Eric Sticks knows he has to make Rebekah his. Unfortunately, she’s too busy trying to seduce guitarist Trey Mills to pay him much attention. Rebekah never planned to fall for the tall, goofy drummer with the weird sense of humor and a heart the size of the galaxy. But Eric makes her laugh and his constant attention makes her feel sexy and irresistible–exactly what she needs after the things her last lover said to her. A woman who gives as much as she takes, Rebekah makes Eric feel like a total stud–exactly what he needs after surviving a decade of watching the incredibly talented members of Sinners from the wings.

Review:

So I’m sad for the end of this series. It’s been a crazy ride but alas all good things must come to the end and since we are out of band members it time to move on, thankfully we still have Exodus End and they are on tour with the Sinners, so we’ll still get glimpses of our guys!

Eric, up until now has been a bit of a mystery we don’t know that much about him. We know he is the creative genius of the band, yet probably the least celebrated as the drummer of the band, oh and we know he LOVES to watch! We probably saw the most from him in Jace’s book and I think my heart broke a little for him when he was so despondent. I think of most of the guys, he’s the one that wanted someone to love the most. As an orphan who was bounced around the system he never really had any love and he is more than ready for it. Who would have thought that goofy Eric is really a hopeless romantic? I didn’t really see it coming, but he turns out to be such a sweet one he had me in tears at the end of the book which is why this one gets a five! (if I hadn’t cried, I would have given it a 4 or 4.5 but I have a rule!) I really enjoyed Eric! He’s not my favorite Sinner, but he definitely moved up the list after this book.

Rebekah may be my favorite Sinner chick of the series, which truthfully isn’t really saying that much. The women of this series are not my favorite heroines of any series but Rebekah she was fun and spunky. After she almost lost her life she has such a zest for life and to live it to its fullest. She attacks things head on and really goes for it. She’s a bit of a tomboy and a car enthusiast. When she first goes on tour with the Sinners its Trey she has a thing for, but as Eric makes her laugh he quickly turns her hear in his direction which makes me happy. Trey would have been all wrong for her. At first I had a bit of a problem with how she just started the job and she is messing around almost immediately but whatev’s I decided to take it all in the spirit that its intended. Rebekah is very patient with Eric, he is a bit quick on the trigger, be she is more than willing to work with him on it. In fact she likes his excitement. When we meet Rebekah I am sad to say her self-esteem when it comes to her sex appeal was in the toilet. After what her ex said to her, I don’t blame her. Eric’s enthusiasm goes a long way to healing those hurts.

As a couple, I really enjoyed Eric and Reb. They are all sorts of fun, I loved all the costumes and role play, it adds a bit of humor to an act that tends to not lean towards humor but I think every couple should have a bit of fun in the sack. I am afraid we have to live through some insta-love in this book. I will say it wasn’t obnoxious like a lot of other insta-love situations and it sorta worked since both characters are pretty loved starved, but I would have preferred that they held off a bit on the exclamations on love. The sex was hot hot hot, which was the main plot of the book. For as much as this book centered around sex, I’m surprised we knew the characters as well as we did, but there wasn’t much else that happens in the book. Don’t get me wrong it’s still entertaining and I highly enjoyed this book. Overall, it’s not the best book in the series but it is a solid one. It was a good way to end the series. Now I want to re-read the entire series in order.

Rating:

*This book was provided to me through NetGalley for an honest review; no other compensation was provided.

Review: Rachel Cross – Rock Her

Rock Her: Alec Sawyer and Kate Gibson

 

 

Expected publication: June 17th 2013

Purchase on Amazon: Rachel Cross – Rock Her (Crimson Romance)

Summary:

From goodreads.com

She’s a small town nurse who had to grow up fast. He’s rock music’s most infamous guitarist. When a day at the beach turns life or death, their worlds collide, and no one will ever be the same.

Kate Gibson’s life has been all about family. She spent her high school years taking care of her dying mother, and her college years raising her younger sister.

Alec Sawyer’s past was an excess of everything: drugs, parties, rock, sex, and money. His downfall had been long, spectacular, and public.

Thrown together by fate and the media, Kate and Alec find themselves falling in love. But dating in the spotlight has its downside, and some secrets are better left in the dark.

Review:

I really did enjoy this book; I pretty much consumed it in one sitting. It was a face paced with a lot going on. Both characters were pretty likeable. Basic our hero and heroine were thrown together when a surfer was drowning. Kate was jogging by and ran to the rescue. Alec was nearby and helped Kate with the victim. Due to Alec’s semi celebrity status the media got wind of it and created a hailstorm.

The attraction between Alec and Kate is instantaneous. Of course Kate is predictably a virgin and the attraction scares her on one level but on the other she finally feels alive. Kate is a virgin but she’s not to naïve so it wasn’t annoying that here we have the worldly womanizer male with the naïve sheltered virgin…again… I thought the characters were believable. Kate was too busy raising her sister to really date seriously and flings when you have a teenager to raise in a small town and have an example to set is just not feasible. Alec is a former rock star and a recovering addict. The recovering aspect was pretty believable it is portrayed as a constant struggle. It is a constant balance that he has to maintain. He went from alcohol to drugs to a workaholic which is a different sort of addiction. Alec is aware of his flaws and struggles to overcome them. Of the two I probably liked Alec a bit better but not by much. Kate is a sweetheart so it is hard to dislike her.

What I don’t particularly understand is why Kate didn’t explain to her sister about their finances and father a long time ago. I understood the concept of money way before I was 18 and Kate’s not talking about it really just makes the situation all that worse as we saw here. I don’t know its kind of a pet peeve of mine to let teenagers clueless when it comes to finances, this is what leads to bad financial decisions when they are in college and then they have destroyed credit by the time they are 19. LOL. Sorry occupational hazard and I digress. Lol So I guess it’s not a bad thing that my biggest bone to pick with this book is a financial pet peeve of mine.

Overall it was a good entertaining book, that I would have no problems recommending to readers. It is steamy, fast paced with likeable characters. I was originally going to give this one a 4.5 but had to lower it a bit to 4 due to memorability. I kind of forgot I even read the book; I enjoyed it while I was reading it and even after for a while but then it slipped my mind.

Rating: 4 Romanticals

*This copy was provided to me by the author for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

ARC Review: Olivia Cunning – Hot Ticket

The Sinners On Tour:

Book 3:

Hot Ticket: Jace Seymour and Aggie/Mistress V

 

 

Releases on: February 5th 2013

Purchase on Amazon: Olivia Cunning – Hot Ticket (The Sinners on Tour)

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

There are things in bassist Jace Seymour’s past that he is unwilling to share with anyone. To cover his guilt and anguish, he seeks dominatrix Mistress V (Aggie) to temporarily placate his inner turmoil. Aggie doesn’t have much use for men–besides the power rush she gets when they’re begging for mercy at her feet–but Jace isn’t like her usual clients. His cool defiance and unexpected dominance in the bedroom drives her to distraction and quickly steals her heart. When circumstances threaten Jace’s position in Sinners, Aggie must help him regain his rightful place in the band while showing him that time and love can heal all wounds.

Review:

I freak’n LOVED it! Best Sinners book yet! Jace almost had me in tears, the only thing holding me back is bc I was reading in public! LOL It’s emotional, its sexy, its funny and it features rock stars! Seriously can you beat that combo? I don’t think so!

Jace has been the most quite and elusive of the Sinners. Coming into this book we know next to nothing about Jace other than he’s into bondage from what we can tell. What we got, I never expected from the shy Jace. His past is quite simply heartbreaking, I could not remain unemotional when it came to Jace, just thinking about him brings a slight tear to the eye. He is quite possibly one of my favorite characters that I have read this year and I have read over 200 books so far in 2012. He’s so sad and lonely, he grew up knowing he wasn’t wanted. His mother dies in a car accident, and then his abusive father in a fire and was then shipped off to a group home. He has never known love and doesn’t think anyone could love or like him as he is. The only thing that Jace has had, is his music and his place in the Sinners. When something occurs that makes him unable to play his bass for several concerts the Sinners bring in Jon their former Bassist and Jace feels even more insecure than ever. He feels like his place in the band is in jeopardy, after all why would they want him, whose not a performer when they can have Jon who rocks the stage like Jace has never done. All around him he feels like his world is falling apart, the only thing tangible to him right now, is Aggie. His sweet Aggie gives him everything he ever wanted but he has a hard time accepting it. He has never felt like a woman could love him with all of his issues and his need for pain. He finds that Aggie likes to give him pain, but she is used to men that submit and submitting is something he will never truly do. A masochist he may be but a submissive he will never be, even his father couldn’t beat submission into him.

I also LOVED Aggie. She has been my favorite of the Sinner’s ladies so far, with Reagan a pretty close second. Aggie is hard, yet soft. She is a dominatrix that loves to bring men to their feet, for her there is nothing better than a submissive her specialty is making grown men cry. She meets Jace in the strip club where she works, he asks her to give him pain. Pain she can do, but its his refusal to submit and the fire in his eye grabs her attention more than inflicting pain could ever do. Aggie is so bad ass, she just bulldozes her way into Jace’s life. I get a chuckle just thinking about it. Talk about taking what she wants, she decides she wants Jace and she gets him. She knows that he has deep seeded issues, but lucky for him she doesn’t mind that. She knows with some time, patience and pain, she can help him through those issues. She showers him with love, knowing that he hasn’t had much love in his life; she knows he may never be able to return her love but she has enough for both of them. With each beating and every time she showers her love on him she gets a little more out of him, she begins to break down his wall and get through the defenses. She even manages to get the other Sinners in on some of her plans. Aggie manages to help Jace become closer to his band, without her he never would have been able to come out of himself to make the initiative.

This book is one of my favorites that I have read this year. It almost brought me to tears, the only reason I didn’t cry was because I was on an elliptical machine at the gym and I refuse to cry in public! LOL. It was incredibly emotional especially for a book in the erotica genre. Olivia Cunning knows how to weave emotion and sensuality seamlessly within a novel. The story is draws you in enough that you forget that technically this is erotica and shouldn’t be bringing you to tears. Olivia Cunning in turn will also have you laughing out loud. She has such a fun sense of humor and always injects it into her stories. I love to laugh in a novel so this is always welcome. O. Cunning has become one of my favorite authors and after reading Hot Ticket I am anxiously awaiting Snared which is Eric’s book. We get a more in depth look at Eric in this book as well and I am really looking forward to it! And then once Eric’s book is out I am going to re-read the series in order as it was meant to be. I know I warned you in Double Time but I’ll mention it again, I really suggest reading these books in order. Double Time is the last book of the series but was released third, which I am still not sure what the reasoning was on that.

*This title was provided through NetGalley for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Rating: 5 Romanticals

A double review: All Over You and Devoured – Emily Snow

 

Ok, so I’m doing a double review because All Over You is the short novella that is the prequel to Devoured. It’s not really long enough to get its own review but packs enough punch to be mentioned. Where All Over You leaves off you pick up Lucas and Siennas almost two years later.

 

Purchase All Over You: Emily Snow – All Over You (Devoured)

Purchase Devoured: Emily Snow – Devoured (Devoured 1)

Summaries:

All Over You:

Before Sienna was devoured, before Lucas was consumed, they were all over each other . . .

Lucas Wolfe is used to getting what he wants—from everyone but one person, that is—so when he meets the wardrobe assistant hired to work his band’s newest video, he’s got to have her. From the moment Sienna first obediently whispers “Yes, Mr. Wolfe”, he knows she’s perfect for him.

Three days.

And he’ll have her stripped down and bound to his bed.

Set two years before the events of DEVOURED, ALL OVER YOU is the story of Sienna and Lucas’s first encounter

Devoured:

Sienna Jensen had no plans to return home when she graduated college last spring—after all, her dreams lie in California. But when she discovers her grandmother’s Nashville home has been foreclosed, and the new owner has started the eviction process, Sienna has no other choice but go back to Music City. And she comes face to face with the flawed, gorgeous man she never thought she’d see again. The man who now holds the deed to her grandma’s estate.

When millionaire rock star Lucas Wolfe finds the outspoken redhead glaring at him from across a courtroom, he’s both infuriated and intrigued. He still can’t get the night Sienna almost spent with him out of his mind, and the chemistry between them is as undeniable as it was two years ago. He craves Sienna more than ever. And just like everything Lucas hungers for, he’s determined to have her.

Now, Lucas will do whatever it takes to lure Sienna into his bed, even if that means making a deal with her: ten days with him, playing by his rules, and he’ll hand over the deed to her grandmother’s home. Though she agrees to the arrangement, Sienna is conflicted. Because of her duty to her family. Because of promises she’s made to herself and a past that still haunts her. And as Lucas’s game of seduction continues, and Sienna is introduced to his dark, erotic world and even darker background, she realizes that at any moment, she could be devoured.

*This novel contains adult situations and content*

Review:

You can kind of consider All Over You as a long prologue to Devoured. It’s less than 60 pages but it packs quite the punch. We get to see how Lucas and Sienna get their start and the attraction is intense from the beginning. Devoured was released first so I read it before I got to read All Over You, I kind of liked reading it after Devoured because we get to go back in time and see where these two went wrong, in the beginning. After finishing All Over You, I of course had to go back and re-read Devoured! In All Over You we get Lucas’s perspective as well as Sienna’s. In Devoured it is strictly from Siennas perspective. After reading All Over You I kind of missed reading from Lucas’s perspective. He adds an interesting POV, I always like to get into the males mind a bit and his mind is a fun place to be even for a short time. In Devoured all we know is that Lucas was pretty much a complete douche when he tells Sienna to “get the fuck out”. I mean who does that?! With All Over Me we get some definite insights into that night. And Lucas is not as douchy as we once thought.

Rolling into Devoured the attraction between Sienna and Lucas is as intense as it once was, only now Lucas has to work a bit harder for it. Sienna is pissed at him, even after two years. I honestly don’t blame her. There is just something that gets your back up when a douche tells you to “get the fuck out” or as in personal experience “put out or get out”. Especially with Lucas it was an about face as we now know with All Over You, he was all about it in or out of bed so kicking her out, was a shitty ass move!

I would have loved to have had Lucas’s thoughts when he sees Sienna again after two years. It’s obvious he still wants her, even enough to give up a house to have her. Not having Luca’s perspective is the only thing that I had a problem with after the re-read after reading All Over You, it was like something was missing and it was Lucas’s voice. But even without Lucas’s POV Devoured was still a great read. Lucas and Sienna are just one of those couples that sticks out from the crowd.

Lucas is ultra-sexy musician who happens to have a kink for being a dominate; there is nothing he wants more than Sienna submitting to him. Sienna might be quite and keeps her head down and lets people walk over her, but she is pretty damn sure she is not a submissive and it gets her back up when Lucas basically points out that she is. It definitely brings out the feisty in her. She refuses to submit to his dominate behavior which makes for some interesting clashes! While she is not submitting to Lucas she learns that she has a back bone and starts sticking up for herself with other people as well. I liked how Sienna grew throughout the books. From a human doormat to someone who throw down and stick up for herself and she has Lucas to thank for that.

Lucas, has a life destroying secret that if it got out could destroy everything he has created; but what he doesn’t really get is that it is destroying his life anyway. Because of what person has over him, his life is out of his control so he seeks to control everything else. Finally he has found someone that he wants, but he can’t have her, not the way that he truly wants. And he may never be able to stand up to that one person to get what he really wants, and he may lose it and everything else forever…

DEVOURED and ALL OVER YOU are two whirlwind books that leave you wanting more. Devoured leaves us unresolved with unanswered question but worry not, there is a second book releasing soon. I have been sitting on edge waiting for Consumed to come out and whenever it is coming out it’s not getting here soon enough.

I also really loved Lucas’s sister Kylie! She is such a great character and I really hope that she gets her own book and finds her own HEA!

Rating of both books:

4.5 Orchids

ARC Review: Olivia Cunning – Double Time

Sinners on Tour Series:

Book 5:

Double Time: Trey Mills, Reagan Elliot and Ethan Conner

Release Date: November 6, 2012

Order on Amazon: Olivia Cunning – Double Time: (The Sinners on Tour)

Summary:

From Goodreads.com

Olivia Cunning delivers the perfect blend of steamy sex, heartwarming romance, and a wicked sense of humor in this menage story featuring the hottest guy in the Sinners band.

Trey Mills, the notoriously sexy Sinners rhythm guitarist, gives up his bisexual lifestyle and is swept into a hot, heady romance with Reagan Elliot, a female rock star sensation. But when Trey encounters Reagan’s sexy bisexual roommate, Ethan Conner, he can no longer deny who he is or what he wants. Reagan heartily agrees to a solution that opens up a hot new world of sexual experience–and love–with the two men she wants the most

Review:

Man do I love this series. It is one of my favorite series in existence! It blends two of my favorite loves, reading and rock n roll! I have always had a weakness for musician’s in real life, but they make such awful boyfriends I had to long ago swear off of them. So with the Sinners I can indulge in my musicians without actually dating one. LOL

So I am going to get my two negatives of this book/series out of the way so I can gush the rest of the review. First thing… What in the world was the publisher thinking when they released these books out of order?! This is technically the fifth book and final book of the series but it is being released third. There are little tidbits on this book that you would not have been small spoilers if the books had been released in order. Now granted the tidbits aren’t that big but spoilers they still are especially when it comes to Eric’s lady love. We’ve been waiting over a year for the Sinners I think that we could have managed a few more months so that we could have gotten them as they were supposed to have been read. So even though I LOVED this book I do encourage readers to wait to read the books in order if at all possible. I know waiting will really suck, but Jace’s book comes out approximately 3 months after this book (February). It would be rough but if you can manage it, I recommend it.

Second, now I liked Ethan, I really did, he’s hot sexy and an alpha male. Totally smexy! I loved the interaction between him and Reagan, but when it came to his interaction and reaction to Trey it felt rushed. It was like from lust to love in 0.2 seconds. Trey and Ethan had no history like Ethan and Reagan did, so the love comes too quickly. We meet Ethan fairly early in the book where he has basically one interaction with Trey and it’s quick. Then we don’t have any Trey and Ethan interaction again until over 50% of the way through the book. I wish they had more time together interacting, I kept thinking when is Ethan going to pop up again??

So that being said, I still LOVED the book! Olivia Cunning is one of the best in my lowly opinion of weaving a story around all of the smexy passionate love scenes. A lot of Erotica is a lot of sex with a weak plot and/or little character development. This is not the case with this book. The plot is strong, the emotional connection is there and the characters are well developed. We know who they are as characters. Trey we came to love early in the series, I think he quickly captured everyone’s hearts. His love for fellow band mate Brain is well known and heartbreaking. There is little worse than loving someone with everything you are but them not returning the feeling. You feel for Trey, you really do. He had loved Brain for over 10 years and always hoped that Brain would return the feelings but Trey can finally no longer pretend. This ongoing plot line comes to a head in this book. Trey is still struggling with his feeling for Brain when he meets Reagan. I think Olivia Cunning picking a woman for Trey to fall for first was a smart decision. I don’t think it would have been nearly as believable if it had been a male who Trey had fallen for with lingering feelings for Brian. With the exception of Brain, Trey has never had any sort of emotional connection to any of his lovers. He never even wanted any sort of emotional connection with a lover until Reagan. She demands his attention, respect and demands more from him then any past lover. He’s putty in her hands! Even though he his putty in her very talented hands he can’t get everything he needs from her. He tries and struggles with his need for men, he cares enough about Reagan that he really does try. You can feel how badly he wants her and how badly he wishes he could turn that part of himself off. But, alas it is not to be, especially when Reagans roommate is so incredibly sexy, bi-sexual and hitting on Trey at every opportunity.

Music is Reagan’s life and when she enters the Exodus End competition she didn’t know it was going to change her whole life. Reagan is chosen to be the new rhythm guitarist for Exodus End, it is there that she meets Trey. They immediately find an easy banter between them. Reagan gives Trey as much shit as he gives her and it becomes a very easy going and quick connection. Reagan ended up being a great heroine for Trey; she is actually a lot like him only in female form. Olivia Cunning does not shy away from letting Reagan feel, Reagan actually has a bit of emotional turmoil, mostly feelings of not being good enough as a guitarist for Exodus End. She goes from being a nobody with no band to being a guitarist in one of the most well-known bands in the world. It’s a lot and she doesn’t always take it in stride which I felt to be realistic and gave Reagan more depth as a character. Despite, her close connection to Trey, it is Ethan she finds herself turning to a lot for emotional support. As her ex-boyfriend and roommate she is used to leaning on him for emotional support and he has always provided it. There is a bit of tension with Trey, because she does still turn to Ethan and Trey wants to be that emotional support. Reagan does want to turn to Trey but the feelings are new and Ethan has always been there for her, even after she caught him in the shower with someone else, a male at that. Convinced Ethan is gay she closes her romantic love for him off, but when she comes up with her plan for Ethan and Trey she never expected those feelings to is still be alive. Turning to a solution that she never in a million years thought she would be ok with, she at first has mixed emotions but those quickly change, when two gorgeous men are bent on seduction.

Since his betrayal of Reagan, Ethan has been doing whatever he could to still remain in her life. He knows how bad he messed up but having a Reagan as a friend is better than having no Reagan. He has been scaring off all of her potential boyfriends to keep her to himself. When she brings home Trey Mills, he is floored. Never has he felt instant lust for a male before. Ethan is torn. On one hand he wants to scare Trey off from Reagan, because she is his! On the other, Ethan wants a taste of Trey. Ethan recognizes Trey for what he is a bi-sexual male, just like Ethan is. The temptation of Trey is almost more than Ethan can bare. As previously mentioned, Ethan isn’t in this book nearly as much as Reagan and Trey but he is still a force of presence. He is free with his emotions. We always know exactly how Ethan is feeling, no holding back. His fiercely protective and has a big heart. He loves quick and he loves big. His love for Reagan is never a questions but when he comes to care for Trey so quickly it is a force to contend with. Trey never had a chance against Ethan. Ethan gives Trey all that he needs from a male even without Trey really realizing what Ethan is giving him. Ethan demands and he takes and eventually gets what he wants. Reagan and Trey as his!

I recommend this series to every romance and erotica lover! It may be considered erotica but this series at the heart of it is for the romanticals! There is plenty of romance to love to be had, but Olivia Cunning never skimps on a love scene, there is no holding back. Ms. Cunning can sure write a damn book! And she is definitely on my auto-buy list!

Rating: 4.5 Romanticals

Review: Jolyn Palliata – Connected

Twists of Fate:

Book 1:

Connected: Addison Calomino and Rhys Alexander

Order on Amazon: Jolyn Palliata – Connected (Twists of Fate)

Summary:

From goodreads.com

A rock group’s rhythm guitarist, Rhys Alexander, dies and finds himself bound inside the body of a woman he’s never met. Can she help him move on to the other side, or will he end up finding the love of his life…after his has already ended?

Review:

I am so glad I didn’t read the summary before I read this book, otherwise I may not have read this title. I picked this book up on Amazon purely from a recommendation of a Goodreads friend.  She had seen that I liked the Sinners on Tour by Olivia Cunning and told me I would love this title too and she was right! I did!

From the beginning you are sucked into the story. We start out in a haze where Addison’s energy meets Rhys’s energy in the afterlife. Rhys not wanting to be left behind grabs onto Addison’s energy as she leaves the haze and she takes his essence or soul back with her into life, well her into life, and him as a voice or essence in her head. Addison wakes up from surgery finding out that she had died and has a voice in her head. Of course she thinks she is going crazy, it takes Rhys a little while to convince her otherwise but once she is on the same page as him they really get entertaining.

Rhys is a total smarta$$, his comments will have you cracking up. Addison in the past wouldn’t have kept up, but something about Rhys allows her to let go and give as good as she gets. Being in each other’s head leaves little room for shyness and secrets so they get past normal boundaries really quickly. After a little while they learn to block each other but they mostly remain open to each other. This forced intimacy causes feeling to develop between these two that they have no business developing. Rhys is certain he is dead, so he doesn’t have a life to give Addison, but that doesn’t seem to matter.

We quickly find out that Rhys is actually a famous guitarist and a popular band, which adds a fun rock and roll vibe to this tale. I love when Rhys sings to Addison to help her sleep. When Addison is researching Rhys’s death for him, they find that his brother Xavier is planning on ending the band. This gets Rhys’s really upset, he knows that the band is his brother’s life and it would kill him to not have his music any longer. Rhys realizes that his brother is his “unfinished business” and sets Addison on Xavier to convince him to keep the band together. We meet Xavier and his heartache for his departed brother is tangible.

Towards the end of the book, I was literally crying! Addison and Rhys had me so tied up that I was moved to tears. This doesn’t happen often but when it does it shows me how much I had come to care about the characters and story. I am so glad I gave this story a try and I cannot wait for the next in the series. I hope that it comes soon and we aren’t left hanging.

Rating: 5 orchids

*this review can also be viewed on my other blog www.paranormalromancenovel.com .