Hurricane Crimes by Chrys Fey

This story of murder in the midst of a deadly hurricane certainly packs a punch. And in just 43 pages!!

What’s it About?

After her car breaks down, Beth Kennedy is forced to stay in Florida, the target of Hurricane Sabrina. She stocks up supplies, boards up windows, and hunkers down to wait out the storm, but her plan unravels when she witnesses a car accident. Risking her life, she braves the winds to save the driver. Just when she believes they are safe, she finds out the man she saved could possibly be more dangerous than the severe weather.

Donovan Goldwyn only wanted to hide from the police, but the hurricane shoved his car into a tree. Now he’s trapped with a beautiful woman while the evidence that can prove his innocence to a brutal crime is out there for anyone to find. As Hurricane Sabrina wreaks havoc, Beth has no other choice but to trust Donovan to stay alive. But will she survive, or will she become another hurricane crime?

First Impressions

I started this book before leaving for work one morning, thinking it’d be a somewhat low stakes novella to start and leave without finishing. Lemme say, bad idea! I read just 10 minutes of this before walking out the door, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it all day long. I seriously considered whipping my Kindle out during my lunch break to finish the rest of it all up in one sitting. Unfortunately that would have left my coworker to just watch me eat and read at the same time, and may have been slightly awkward. No talking allowed!!

I was completely shocked at how much story the author was able to pack in here in just under 50 pages. Overall it was an absolute perfect blend of romance, suspense, and mother nature trying to knock down the front door. It’s not just a story of two strangers waiting out a storm together. We have the added drama of Donovan being framed for his brother’s murder, and it becomes a fascinating tale of trust. Beth has no reason to believe this stranger when he declares his innocence, but when she sees the desperation shining through his sultry violet eyes? Who could say no to that?

A Bathtub Fit for Two

Although it was short in length, I never felt like any part of the story was rushed, or that any key plot points were left out. Did Beth and Donovan become intimate rather quickly considering the time frame? Sure, but hell, you can’t blame ’em! It’s an intense situation, and quite possibly their last moments alive as a deadly hurricane passes over them. And seriously, the dude has violet eyes. I say go for it! The only question I have is what the hell kind of bathtub did this woman have in her house where it could not only fit two people, but they had a bit of extra room to remove their jeans for some sweet, sweet, lovin’? (Note: as someone with a ridiculously shallow and narrow tub, this is just pure jealousy).

Beth, Donovan, and Sabrina

The key players in this little novella are Beth and Donovan. However, through the brilliant use of metaphors, Hurricane Sabrina becomes a third main character in her own right. The descriptions or her rapid approach and violent wrath can practically be characterized as poetic. My favorite scene would have to be at the beginning when Beth struggles to make it to Donovan’s car which has crashed into a tree outside her house as the hurricane ravages on. You’re transported into the moment with Beth. You can feel the wind and rain lashing upon your face, feel the gravel digging into your hands as you crawl along the ground. Feel the tightening in your stomach from fear wondering if you’ll ever make it to this man before the storm carries you both away. For all of you authors out there wondering how to craft the perfect novella, I say use this as your template. Honestly, I really don’t have any criticisms! A rarity indeed 😉

*A copy of this novella was provided for an honest review*

Series: Disaster Crimes, book 1. I officially want to read this whole series.

Should you read it? Yes! It’s less than 50 pages, you’ve got nothing to lose. Normally with novellas I make the comment that I wish it were a full-length novel. Is that the case here? Kind of. I loved the characters, the story, the drama of the storm and our murderous side plot. A full-length novel would have just given me more to enjoy. What can I say, I’m greedy at times 🙂 However!! I can honestly say that having a full-length novel was in no way a necessity. It’s perfectly wonderful as a novella, and I didn’t feel for one second that I was missing out on anything. Who needs extra fluff when you can just get to the meat of the story? Maybe instead of having a longer version I’ll just have to give it a second read!

Smut Level: We get some sexy kisses, but no details for the act itself. Considering the short length, probably a wise decision to use every bit of limited space towards the plot rather than the naked times. Never thought I’d say that!

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $1.99 Kindle Price. The Wild Rose Press, Inc. 43 Pages.

Adore Me by Darcy Lundeen

This novella was so darn sweet it made me wanna go out and buy a box of Valentine’s Day candy hearts…and eat them off a half-naked hunk of man. Tee hee, giggle giggle.

What’s it About? 

A hacker is targeting Meredith Crismis’s struggling new dessert company. But when the tech firm she depends on sends hunky computer expert Vlad Wiznitsky to fix the problem, things begin improving for Meredith, both personally and professionally. First, her relationship with Vlad heats up to the sizzling point, then Meredith’s given the chance to snag a wealthy customer who could put her company’s bottom line permanently into the black.

It seems like a dream come true, until the persistent hacker turns her “Divine Desserts” website into an X-rated marketplace, the wealthy customer demands a discontinued decorative item or else no sale, and her relationship with Vlad begins to unravel under the pressure of her obsession with professional success. For a woman who deals with creating intricate wedding cakes and luscious muffins, life has suddenly become the ultimate recipe for disaster.

First Impressions

What I absolutely loved about the romance in this book was that it felt so unbelievably real! Meredith and Vlad meet, they have an obvious attraction, and they decide to act on that attraction by going out on actual dates. They go to concerts, the movies, dancing, dinner, etc. It takes about 3 dates before they kiss and almost a month before they engage in some marathon sex. Meredith sees their relationship as a whirlwind, whereas if you compare this with other romance novels out there it’s probably considered to be moving at a glacial pace. Personally, I found it refreshing that they didn’t just jump right into bed, but instead took some time to actually get to know each other while still developing a sexual connection.

Real World Problems

Meredith is having some business problems with her new dessert store, and a computer hacker turning her website into one that sells edible sex desserts. Oh my! These real world problems invade the amount of time she can spend with Vlad, and they have the tendency to fight about that.

Again, it was refreshing for a couple to have a realistic argument about something affecting the time they can spend together rather than something outlandish like the BDSM lifestyle, vampires, or ex-girlfriend stalkers. Don’t get me wrong, I still like romance novels with those components, but every once in a while it’s nice to read about a relationship that has a sense of reality to it.

*A copy of this book was provided for an honest review*

Series: A Candy Hearts Romance

Should you read it? A great Valentine’s Day read, with an interesting story behind an adorable romance. I also want Vlad for myself.

Smut Level: Their relationship takes some time to develop, and I wasn’t sure how much sexual detail we’d get, but these two are pretty creative when it comes to using candy hearts in the bedroom. Yummy!

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $2.99 Kindle Price. The Wild Rose Press, Inc. 76 Pages.  

 

Only Yours by Nancy Fraser

The time of poodle skirts and letterman jackets is over. Let the sexual revolution begin!

What’s it About? 

Everyone expects Rebecca Winston to marry her high school/college sweetheart, Garrett Langley. The problem is, the flame’s gone out on their romance. They’re still best of friends, but only friends. When Garrett’s father has a heart attack, his older brother Wyatt (an L.A. attorney) returns home for the first time in years. The attraction between Rebecca and Wyatt is immediate. Can Rebecca expect her family and, especially, Garrett to understand that her desires have changed and turned toward Wyatt? Can Wyatt get past the feeling that he’s poaching his younger brother’s girl?

First Impressions

Ok, so it might not be as outrageous as a sexual revolution, but the plot of the story is pretty scandalous for the time period. Although it reads like a contemporary romance, this novella is set in the early 60s. As the attraction for her boyfriend Garrett wanes, Rebecca finds that she starts to have feelings for his brother, Wyatt. Gotta say, definitely a ballsy plot for a romance! We as the readers will either sympathize with the lovebirds, or view them as cheating hypocrites. When it comes to this particular novella, I found that you do end up rooting for Rebecca and Wyatt to get together. They just have all the chemistry which her relationship with Garrett is obviously lacking.

Attraction: Old and New

So why is it that we hope Rebecca will leave her current boyfriend for the man’s brother? Simple, she and Garrett have clearly grown apart these last few years, and it seems they’re just sticking together because it’s familiar. Even though their respective family members are all hoping they’ll finally get engaged, it’s blatantly obvious to the readers that there’s really nothing between them anymore except friendship.

Then Wyatt comes to town, and it’s like, “Well hello spark of attraction!” Now, is it possible that Rebecca is drawn to Wyatt because she identifies in him all of the excitement and passion that she used to have in her relationship with Garrett? How the hell should I know? I’m not a therapist! It’s possible though. I will say I still did like Rebecca and Wyatt together. They share a love scene that is described in such amazingly slow detail that you can’t help but be entranced. That being said, I imagine family dinners in the future could get kind of awkward. Not to mention the bedroom. I mean, is it really a good idea to start a relationship with someone when you can actually say, “Oh, that’s not how your brother does it.”

*A copy of this book was provided for an honest review*

Series: A Candy Hearts Romance. I kind of wish the candy hearts and Valentine’s Day aspect of this series would have played in a bit more, but still a good read!

Should you read it? Now, spoiler alert that Rebecca and Wyatt do share a passionate kiss while she is still dating his brother, but that’s as far as they go. I get that this might bother some people but overall it’s still a sweet romance with a happy ending for all parties involved. Even Garrett.

Smut Level: Nothing too graphic. There are some kisses, touches, and clothing removal though.

Get it on Amazon: Click Here– this novella just came out today! $1.99 Kindle Price. The Wild Rose Press, Inc. 59 Pages.

Text Me by Erin Bevan

If my office had a Valentine’s Day dance I think I’d have a chat with HR. It’s not that I don’t like the idea of fun, it’s just that the idea of standing awkwardly around an empty dance floor and making small talk with colleagues that I only somewhat get along with fills me with anxiety. Hostile working conditions!

What’s it About? 

When Erika’s ex becomes her boss less than a year after dumping her by text, she gets desperate to find a date to the corporate Valentine’s dance so he doesn’t suspect she still has feelings for him. Though not a fan of texting for the obvious reason, she doesn’t have much choice but to tap the keypad in order to gain the attention of the only viable candidate from the classified ads.

Grayson made the mistake of listening to his brother a year ago and has regretted what he did to Erika ever since. But his brother’s next suggestion just might be his salvation when he takes out an ad for a Valentine’s date…and Erika answers. Using a pseudo name and keeping contact to text messages only, Grayson’s plans to make Erika fall back in love with him appears to be working…until the date of the dance draws near, and she pushes a meeting—face to face.

First Impressions

What an awesomely unique concept for a romance novel! I mean, it’s not every day that you read about how our romantic lead is the ex-boyfriend who broke up with our heroine in a pretty piss-poor way. Both Erika and Grayson are trying to move on from one another, but when she answers his personal ad for a date to the office party, he sees it as a sign that they belong together. The author does a really good job of making us see Grayson’s text message break-up as an extremely unfortunate mistake, and you’ll be surprised to find yourself rooting for the guy to succeed in winning Erika back.

A Silly Premise

My absolute favorite part of this novel, aside from the unique concept of having exes falling back in love with each other, was the fact that Erika is a positively terrible liar. The premise of the book is kind of silly when you think about it: she wants to find a date for the office Valentine’s dance to make Grayson jealous. Sort of like a high school drama. However, her inability to lie about her fake boyfriend, Sunny Flowers, who works in a staple factory sort of poked fun at the whole situation rather than take it too seriously.

*A copy of this book was provided for an honest review*

Series: A Candy Hearts Romance

Should you read it? Do I think these two will live happily ever after forever and ever? Probably not, but it’s still a sweet, light-hearted read which will make you giggle.

Smut Level: We only have one passionate kiss.

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. $1.99 Kindle Price. The Wild Rose Press, Inc. 64 Pages.

Seven Sinners Anthology: Seven Sizzling Stories!

This collection of short stories all relate to a different deadly sin, and they are all sexy as sin! See what I did there? Sexy as sin? Gotta love it!

What’s it About? 

Can’t get enough of hot contemporary romance? For a LIMITED time buy this sexy, EXCLUSIVE anthology with seven ALL NEW stories from top authors, including USA Today Bestsellers, and discover your favorite sin today! All seven sins are represented: Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Wrath, Sloth, Pride and Greed. USA TODAY bestselling authors Amy Andrews and Natalie Anderson, and Rock and Roll romance authors Robin Covington, Avery Flynn, Michele de Winton, Carmen Falcone & Talia Hunter have brought together a sizzling, lip-smacking anthology.

First Impressions: 

I don’t know why, but for some reason I love anything and everything related to the seven deadly sins, and this anthology was no exception. From start to finish, it was an entertaining read, and I’ll admit I had a lot of trouble putting it down! When one story ended I immediately wanted to go on to the next. They just suck you in. Sure, some were better than others, but I loved that every novella had an interesting story or connection between our main characters, not to mention some passionately descriptive sex scenes. Even though each story represents a different sin, you can’t ignore the fact that lust runs rampant through them all. What’s not to like?!

The Benefit of the Format

Novellas can be both a blessing and a curse. They’re short, so you can get through them quickly, but more times than not you are left wanting more in regards to the story. In my opinion, that wasn’t really an issue with any of the novellas in this anthology. Each one had some kind of interesting back story or new-found chemistry between the characters, and I think there was only one that I felt was too short. All of the others were the perfect length, and left me more than satisfied. Just like the lovers. Tee hee. Also, because each novella was so short, you didn’t have to worry about waiting around forever for our couples to come together and get to the good stuff.

My Favorites

There were two stories that were my absolute favorites, and surprisingly they were actually the first two novellas of the anthology. The first was surrounding the sin of envy, “Blaze for Me” by Natalie Anderson, and told the story of a female skier and her sinfully sexy sports doctor. She was envious of the love and passion that other couples had, and wanted to experience it for herself. He was more than happy to give it to her. Multiple times. I must say that if this novella was ever turned into a full length series, I would definitely be a reader.

My second favorite was the story of gluttony called “Glutton for Punishment” by Amy Andrews. When I first considered what each sinful story would be about, I was kind of hoping that gluttony would deal with food. You know what I mean. Strawberries, whipped cream, maybe some chocolate sauce. But alas, this was actually the BDSM novella of the bunch, and I must say it was freakin’ hilarious! By far the best BDSM story I’ve ever read. Why, you ask? Because the heroine insists that she wants to try some BDSM elements for the first time, but after a few good spanks from her lover she can’t help but jump up and rub her bottom from the pain. Turns out BDSM isn’t exactly her thing. But that doesn’t mean their sexual relationship is purely vanilla! They can dirty it up pretty quickly. So ironic and awesome!

*A copy of this book was provided for an honest review*

Series: Nope, just an anthology of short stories.

Should you read it? I think the order in which the stories were presented could have been switched up, and at times the link between the story and the deadly sin was a bit of a stretch. That being said, this would be perfect for all of you out there looking for some short, sexy reads. Especially if you don’t have the time to sit down and read a full length novel, and want something you can leave and come back to later.

Smut Level: We’ve got naughty talkers, dirty talkers, and downright filthy talkers.

Get it on Amazon: Click Here. The Kindle version is only $0.99, and it came out today! Amazon Digital Services. 426 pages. Also check out http://sevensinsbook.com/.