I loved the first book in the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning, and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that it would suck waiting each year or more for the series to be completed. I had known that each book had ended on a cliffhanger — and cliffhangers need to die a painful death. I’ve always disliked them, but since watching Lost I now loathe them.

At this very moment, my glomming self is full up. I gorged entirely on the Fever series within a couple of days. And I thank the lucky stars I waited because the waiting would have keeled me. I loved EVERYTHING about this series. The characters – good and bad – the world building, the erotic romance, and Barron. Oh Barron, you mysterious broody son of a bitch. You turned out be something that I would have never had imagined from the first book, and I still don’t even know what you are entirely. Mac was a character that I really liked, and half of the time I didn’t understand or like the decisions she made, but she was a character who held her own no matter what was thrown at her.

I don’t want to reveal any spoilers because I’m sure there are readers out there who haven’t read the series yet. Fever is a series that’s definitely not a romance and I wouldn’t want it to be. But this post isn’t really about the Fever series – though I can’t express how excited I am that Iced will becoming out this year, a continuation of other other characters from the Fever series.

I wanted to ask other readers, are you glommers? Have there been series where you’ve refused to buy until the entire series is completed?

I know for a fact I’m going to wait until the new series by Moning will be completed. It’ll probably keel me more in the waiting stakes this time, but the glomming makes it oh so worth while.

Book Glomming is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

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Our journey began in fire…

Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness—beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I’d never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily…

Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other’s most private wounds… and desires.

The bonds of his love transformed me, even as I prayed that the torment of our pasts didn’t tear us apart..

*blurb taken from Goodreads*

*Review contains minor spoilers*

Lou: For the past month, I’ve been trying to ignore the book that I shall not name because I was so sick to death of hearing about it. But when Has told me about this book, and told me that it’s very similar to the book I shall not name, but better written with more fleshed out characters, I instantly became a sucker and read it.

Has: I first heard of this book on twitter with KatiD, and then Jane’s review on Dear Author made me check it out because I was curious — and also I did like the premise of Fifty Shades, although its execution and plot was a lot to be desired. I have to say that despite the similarities and there was definitely quite a few that raised my eyebrows, I really enjoyed the book because it what Fifty Shades should have been with better well drawn out characters.

Lou: I’ve never felt this way after reading a book before, but after finishing Bared to You, I felt jaded. There was nothing wrong with the writing — in fact, I would tell people to read this instead of 50 (ok, I said it). Yet all I could think of was oh, another fucked up hero in a dom/sub situation. Gideon is domineering, has major control issues, has family issues, and looks to have been abused in the past. Eva, the heroine, also has an abusive past and she worked hard to get where she is now. Yet I couldn’t enjoy Eva’s and Gideon’s romance — and I don’t think I could call it a romance. There is raw lust and fucking until they both grew to love one another, but the issues they experienced and had to deal with was way too heavy for me. Yet…you’re all going to kill me for saying this, but I think I got suckered in. It’s the familiar feeling of book crack!

Has: I totally agree with you about recommending this book instead of Fifty Shades trilogy because it was tightly plotted and better written, although I was slightly disconcerted with the similarities. However, both Gideon and Eva were totally different characters and I think Sylvia Day created a different approach and premise. And this also had the same CRACK factor. I disagree with you that this isn’t a romance. I think it is the beginning of one and it had a grittier and realistic edge to other erotic contemporaries, and I liked that aspect! But I did get tired with the pushing and pulling with Eva when issues arose and she would run away from it, it got a bit too forced angsty for me but the strength of the writing and characters really sucked me in.

Nonetheless it ended way too abruptly for me but I suspect that we will find out more about Gideon’s past and probably issues with Eva’s too. I think how this was incorporated into the main plot was seamless and I loved the subplot with Eva’s best friend and flatmate Cary and his own emotional issues and relationship with his boyfriend and how he kept messing that up. It added a real emotional connection and I could see early signs of the characters learning from their mistakes.

Lou: It would have been awesome to have a hero who was perhaps a cheerful dom! One who doesn’t have issues that would make you run far and fast away. And this is where I feel jaded because I sure hope that this sort of trope doesn’t become prevalent in the erotic romance genre. Nothing wrong with fucked up heroes, but don’t make them fucked up because it’s the ‘in thing’ to do at the moment.

Has: I think this formula is cracktastic with fucked-up heroes and heroines. They have always appealed to the reader, and it’s definitely one element that I enjoy. If you look at scarred or emotionally damaged characters who fall in love, they learn to live with their issues. I think that’s a good thing although I am a bit leery on the formula of the rich powerful hero and the naive heroine who falls under his spell, but that’s the whole Harlequin Presents trope, and I think combining this with hawt smexy action, it’s a powerful draw to romance readers. It helps to reignite tired tropes, and this is why books like Bared to You, and Fifty Shades trilogy is garnering a following.

But I would love to have an intense erotic romance without the scarred or emotionally damaged hero or heroine. I think using that as a focus and a basis to explain why the characters are into their kinks is getting way too cliched and I think it will be a good thing to just have a fun character who loves to get down and dirty in the bedroom but will make you laugh outside it.

Lou: There wasn’t a HEA at the end; more of a HFN. Gideon’s issues from his past were never revealed and Eva still has to deal with what happened in her past, and deal with her mother who suffers with neuroticism — and sadly aims it all towards her daughter by tracking her on her mobile phone. The secondary characters were well developed but they also had major issues, especially Cary her room mate. Despite my issues with this book, I’m going to give it a B because despite what I think of the trope of fucked up heroes, this book had great writing and compelling characters.

Has: I see this as a first part of the story/romance and agree its HFN. I’m not really keen on waiting for sequels, especially if the ending leaves you hanging — and I felt I was really getting into the story until it ended so abruptly. But this was a well written and sexually charged romance with characters who have real depth, although there was certain issues and like Lou said, I felt it was definitely similar to Fifty Shades Trilogy. If you are planning to read a book with this premise then I would highly recommend Bared to You, because it’s what Fifty Shades should have been.

I also give Bared to You a B.

Kindle eBook

Joint Review: Bared to You by Sylvia Day is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

This review contains minor spoilers

Three months ago, governess Serena Barton was let go from her position. Unable to find new work, she’s demanding compensation from the man who got her sacked: a petty, selfish, swinish duke. But it’s not the duke she fears. It’s his merciless man of business—the man known as the Wolf of Clermont. The formidable former pugilist has a black reputation for handling all the duke’s dirty business, and when the duke turns her case over to him, she doesn’t stand a chance. But she can’t stop trying—not with her entire future at stake.

He cannot give in…

Hugo Marshall is a man of ruthless ambition—a characteristic that has served him well, elevating the coal miner’s son to the right hand man of a duke. When his employer orders him to get rid of the pestering governess by fair means or foul, it’s just another day at the office. Unfortunately, fair means don’t work on Serena, and as he comes to know her, he discovers that he can’t bear to use foul ones. But everything he has worked for depends upon seeing her gone. He’ll have to choose between the life that he needs, and the woman he is coming to love…

*blurb taken from Goodreads*

I say this with the honest truth. I do believe I’m actually falling a little in love with Courtney Milan’s writing. Bar one title of hers, I’ve loved each and everyone — and I’m going to stop myself before I turn this into a squee fest.

This GEM (ok, I’ll stop now. I promise) of a novella is the prequel to the start of Milan’s new The Brothers Sinister series. Hugo Marshall is an ex pugilist and coal miner’s son who ‘works’ for the Duke of Clermont. He’s his man of business, and he ties up Clermont’s loose and untidy ends. Hugo doesn’t do it for Clermont, but for himself where he has Clermont in a tidy box. But things become very untidy when Serena Barton appears, causing trouble for Clermont. Hugo has been instructed by Clermont to get rid of Barton, but what Hugo wasn’t expecting was Serena’s stubborn nature, and the attraction that flares up between them.
Serena Barton wants justice for herself, and she’s going to get it one way or another, and the Wolf of Clermont is not going to stop her. Serena I just loved. Milan has a way of making each of her characters unique and they always have depth and originality. Serena was a woman who had been taken advantage by the cruellest of way by men as a governess, but what Clermont did to her didn’t break her. It made her stronger and I admired Serena so much. When she stood outside Clermont’s place of residence, she was resilient, she was brave, and she didn’t let Hugo best her in any way.

The courtships between Milan’s heroes and heroines are always full of meaning, and Hugo’s and Serena’s spar of wits was incredibly entertaining. Hugo made threats to Serena in the form of making life uncomfortable for her and her sister, but he hated doing it. It’s not until he falls in love with her – even if he doesn’t realise it at the time – that he asks her to marry her.

Serena and Hugo’s romance was delicious, and their love scene was so full of trust and acceptance that it was utterly romantic. How Hugo was so patient with Serena, and how he let her control things…It was wonderful. I could have hit him over the head, though, when afterwards he leaves her, and tells her they are better apart. When Serena was begging him with her eyes for Hugo not to leave her… that part got me a tiny teary.

I didn’t understand after learning about what Clermont did to Serena, how could Hugo not kill him straight away. Also, when he found out about Serena’s true situation, I was then a little worried that nothing would happen to Clermont. But shame on me for thinking that. Milan ties up that plot in a very satisfactory factor, and you know I hate violence in my books, but by god I cheered when Hugo smashed his fist into Clermont.

The ending was more than satisfactory for me, expect that I want more Milan books! All in all, this was a damn good read with intelligent characters and writing that leaves you wanting more.

I give The Governess Affair an A+

Review: The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Prepare to turn up the heat with the final book in the sizzling “Rising Star Chef” trilogy from romance author Louisa Edwards.Henry Beck thought he’d already faced the toughest kitchen challenge of his life. After all, what could top sweating it out as a Navy cook on a submarine? But when he learns his competition for the title of Rising Star Chef is the sweet hippie girl he married…and left…ten years ago, the heat is on.

Now Beck and Skye Gladwell are going head to head in the finals…and sparking up old flames every time they touch. But Skye wants more than a win over the man who abandoned her when she needed him most—she wants a divorce! Then her sexy almost-ex makes a deliciously dangerous proposition. He’ll give in to her demands, but if his team wins the RSC, he has a demand of his own…one last taste of the only woman he ever loved.
*Blurb from Goodreads*

I was not ready for the Rising Star Chef series to be over, but also so incredibly excited to find out more about the reclusive Beck!

Beck’s long estranged wife is the one he is going head-to-head with in the finals of the Rising Star Chef challenge. The two make a bet: if Beck’s team win, he gets one last night with Skye before giving her a divorce, and if Skye’s team wins she gets a divorce right off. The more time they spend together, the more they realize they still have feelings for each other. But sometimes feelings are not enough.

Skye needs more from Beck than he has ever been able to give her, and the fact that he hides so much of himself is enough to drive her crazy, despite the fact that she is still head-over-heels in love with him. But unless he opens up to her a little more, Skye just doesn’t see how they can move forward.

*hangs head* I have to admit that I might have skipped the second book in this series because the heroine didn’t appeal to me after reading the first book. So there were a few parts in the beginning of this story that I felt a little lost having missed out on a few key moments between Beck and Skye. However, once the story got going, it was easier to follow along. I also will probably go back and read the second book, because the heroine did seem to be more likeable in this book.

I was so anxious to find out more about Beck! He has been this enigma since the first book. He was sexy and dependable and mysterious and quiet and never really willing to let anyone into his life, but as his back story came out, I found myself falling deeper and deeper in love with the guy. He was tortured from a horrific event in his past and just when he got his life to a point where he was happy and settled, he has to join the Navy to provide for his growing family. Once Skye goes through a heartbreaking event, she asks him to stay away, and he does for ten long years.

There were times I wanted to smack both Beck and Skye for staying away from each other for long, especially since it was obvious they still had feelings for each other. On the other hand, I could understand why they separated. They were both so young, and Skye didn’t seem to know how to handle her loss. When she asked Beck to stay away, he honored her wishes, even though he didn’t always want to.

I have to admit that the end of the book, when Beck really opened up to Skye and cooked the five course meal story of his life, I was in tears. Although his big gesture wasn’t a typical one, it was beautifully written and so incredible to read. I loved that he not only opened up to Skye, but that he also went outside of his comfort zone to cook a meal that explained the story of his life, that talked about what his happy memories and the sad ones. It was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.

All in all I was so happy with the conclusion of the Rising Star Chef series. I loved getting to know Beck and Skye, and watch as they dealt with all the buried emotions of their past and came together to build a future. I wish that Edwards would someday write a novel or novella around her gay characters as well, because I think they add so much to the story. I can’t wait to find out what Edwards has in store for us next!
I give Hot Under Pressure a B+

 Kindle ebook | Amazon

Review – Hot Under Pressure by Louisa Edwards is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

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Mary Robinette Kowal stunned readers with her charming first novel Shades of Milk and Honey, a loving tribute to the works of Jane Austen in a world where magic is an everyday occurrence. This magic comes in the form of glamour, which allows talented users to form practically any illusion they can imagine. Shades debuted to great acclaim and left readers eagerly awaiting its sequel. Glamour in Glass continues following the lives of beloved main characters Jane and Vincent, with a much deeper vein of drama and intrigue.

In the tumultuous months after Napoleon abdicates his throne, Jane and Vincent go to Belgium for their honeymoon. While there, the deposed emperor escapes his exile in Elba, throwing the continent into turmoil. With no easy way back to England, Jane and Vincent’s concerns turn from enjoying their honeymoon…to escaping it. Left with no outward salvation, Jane must persevere over her trying personal circumstances and use her glamour to rescue her husband from prison . . . and hopefully prevent her newly built marriage from getting stranded on the shoals of another country’s war.

*blurb taken from Goodreads*

When Tor sent me Shades of Honey and Milk back in 2010 for review, I couldn’t help but rave about this author and her debut. Glamour in Glass returns to the world of glamour and our heroine, Jane, who is now married to Vincent. Jane is a glamourist which is a form of illusion that comes from the Ether. With Glamour, it can be used to create objects, artwork, and it can even be used upon people. Jane is very accomplished, but now she’s learning more about glamour after marrying Vincent, whom she met and fell in love with in the first book.

Jane and Vincent have not been married for very long, and Jane believes they’re going on a Honeymoon to Belgium. But things are not what they seem when Vincent becomes very distant and secretive with Jane. And things become very dicey when Napoleon escapes, and Jane and Vincent are stuck in a foreign and now hostile country where not only are their lives in danger, but so is their marriage.

I enjoyed Glamour in Glass, but I had some issues with the book that brought down the grade for me. Firstly, I love it when a series centers around a married couple and explores their journey and relationship. It’s a favourite setting of mine, so I was incredibly happy to see that this is a series that follows Jane and Vincent. So whilst I was happy to see Jane and Vincent again, I had problems with the pace of the plot and the emotions from the characters. I enjoyed seeing another facade of Vincent that hadn’t been shown before when he meets his mentor and friend in Belgium, another incredibly talented glamourist. We learn more about Vincent’s past with his family, and how his Father hated him for being accomplished in what he thought was a ‘woman’s art’ which explains why Vincent is incredibly tight lipped about his past and emotions.

Jane…I have to admit, I wasn’t that enamoured of her in this book. Sometimes I felt that her responses to Vincent came off a tad immature, and the tension between them felt too forced. I can’t say what the big reveal is as it’s a major spoiler, but when it’s revealed why Vincent is so secretive, I found it to be a letdown. It felt like too much of a ploy for Jane and Vincent to be apart. Another issue I have is once again, the Ether is not explained in much detail. It’s just…there, and in that aspect there was the same problem that I had in the first place.

The pace of the story is quite slow, then suddenly towards the end it picks up speed and I admit, I didn’t like the ending at all.

Big spoiler revealed:

I thought it was a rush job done in the last chapter, that the emotion of what Jane and Vincent lost felt incredibly superficial. That Jane felt relief that she could do glamour again just came off as odd. It seemed she got over it so quickly, and I couldn’t understand why bring this into the plot into the first place if it’s not going to be something that is dealt with in a lot of emotion. I was also hoping to see more of Melody, Jane’s sister after the events of the last book, we saw one glance of her in the beginning and that was it.

All in all, I enjoyed reading Glamour in Glass but it had nowhere near the impact the first book had. The pacing was off, and the emotions were lacking towards the end which disappointed me.

I give Glamour in Glass a C.

Amazon Book
| Kindle eBook

Review: Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

This week’s prize is a copy of Concrete Savior by Yvonne Navarro and a deck of romance trading cards.

Comments:
World Building:
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Just one night? Yeah, right. Pippa Laingley should have known better. When an unplanned evening of passion with Cameron Hollingsworth results in unplanned pregnancy, she’s at a crossroads. She knew going in that the enigmatic entrepreneur had built a fortress around his feelings. What she’s just discovered is that he’s loved and lost before—wife and child. Tragically.

Now Cam stands to lose it all again. If he lets Pippa get too close. If he pushes her away with loveless arrangements of financial support. Either way, he’s doomed…unless he can let himself love again.
*Blurb from Goodreads*

When I first read Pippa in Tempted by her Innocent Kiss, I was excited to get her full story. While I absolutely loved Pippa to death, I was not a fan of her hero. At all.

Pippa is trying to get her business off the ground with the meager savings she has and the desire to success. After she spends on very steamy night with Cam, she figured life would go back to normal. That is until Cam calls to tell her that one of the condoms broke. Now Pippa is working to get her business running, and dealing with an unplanned pregnancy from a man who wanted nothing come morning.

Cam isn’t ready to love again. The one time he did before, it hurt too much when he lost everything. Now that Pippa is pregnant with his child, all those memories are being brought up and he is forced to face his past. As the baby’s due date grows closer, Cam becomes more and more unstable. If he can’t find a way to move on from his past, he might lose both Pippa and the baby forever.

I was anxious to see more of Pippa, and she really was the saving grace for me in this book. I loved that she was so full of life and optimistic despite being in circumstances that were not within her plan. I loved that she took life as it came and ran with it, making the best of it with what she had. I love people like that, and Pippa was one that I definitely enjoyed. I was hoping for Pippa to have a wonderful hero. One that challenged her and helped her realize her dreams. While Cam did help with her dreams, he definitely didn’t challenge her in any good way.

Cam was one of those heroes that I knew would be tortured. I knew he would be hung up on something from his past, and because of that unable to commit; especially when he took time out of some pretty heavy foreplay to make sure Pippa understood their night was a one-time thing only. I wasn’t, however, prepared for Cam to be a total jerk. He constantly belittled Pippa’s feelings and threw little hissy fits whenever he was placed in a situations where he couldn’t deal. He acted more like a four year old toddler than a grown man, and toward the end he was annoying me more than anything.

I wanted to love the relationship between Cam and Pippa, especially when I still held hope that Pippa could help Cam really grow from his past. Instead, I found that as the story continued, I kept getting more and more frustrated with Cam and wondered why Pippa stuck around. I get that it was for their child, but after awhile I wondered why Pippa would continue to be treated like crap, regardless of Cam being the father.

Toward the end, I felt as if Cam screwed up big time. His words and actions towards Pippa were so hurtful, and yet when it came time for the big apology, I didn’t think it was all that grand. I wanted more. Needed more from him. I felt as if Pippa gave in much too quickly given the way he treated her. I  could have used some begging and groveling.

All in all I wasn’t thrilled about the final book in the Pregnancy & Passion series. I expected a bit more from my hero and was a little disappointed that he didn’t live up to my expectations. Thankfully Pippa was a shining star, carrying me through and leading me to the end twinkling the whole way.
I give Undone by Her Tender Touch a C

Kindle eBook | Amazon

Review – Undone by Her Tender Touch by Maya Banks is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter