Tag: Maggie Ryan

Alta Hensley & Maggie Ryan-Prima

Before I get started, I am going to fully admit that I am totally biased toward the heroine of Maggie and Alta’s new book, Prima. Not that I’ve ever been a ballerina or anything, even though I kinda wanted to be, back in the day. I have too many left feet and I am quite literally the person who trips over air. So, let’s talk about this one, shall we?

Clara was a prima ballerina. She was one of the world’s top ballerinas, but she walked away from it. She was melting down, drinking, drugging, and screwing a member of the Bratva. When the ballerina she is the understudy for gets hurt, and not just hurt, but has her legs pretty much destroyed, the dance world turns against Clara, prompting her to walk away, go to rehab, and move in with her babushka. Now, a few years later, she teaches a few children in her garage, takes care of her grandmother, who was a dancer herself, back in the day, but now has a severe case of arthritis. It’s not the life of a prima ballerina, but overall, Clara is happy. Ish.

That is, until the day that Alek Volkov pulls into her driveway and tells her that he and his brother Yuri are now running their mother’s ballet company there in Chicago. And not only are they now running it, they want her to come dance for them. Alek challenges her by saying things like maybe there are some younger ballerinas who could dance circles around her. Alek really wants her to show up. He knows some of her backstory, but not all of it. He just knows that they need a star to make sure that their ballet company continues to be successful. Plus, his brother Yuri is an amazing choreographer, and he needs to have someone who will do his steps justice. So, when Clara shows up, he’s so happy, and he gives her a contract. Having her being a ballerina for their company is great, but now they have to deal with the attraction in between the two of them.

I like Clara, and not just because we have the same name, lol. She has guts, determination, strength, and a lot of love. She has very good reasons for having done the things that she did in her past. I understand why she did them, even as they hurt her badly. I also understand why she didn’t really want to go back at first too, especially as we find out more about her past and her reasoning. I love her passion and her drive when it comes to the ballet, and her devotion when it comes to her babka.

And speaking of Olga, she’s just a wonderful lady. I fell a lot in love with her, and it’s no surprise that Yuri and Alek were willing to do anything she asked. There’s just so much charisma there.

Alek is intense. Intense good, I think, but there is definitely intensity there. And I think it’s a good thing, because he needs to be, especially when it comes to Yuri, who is a diva. If he doesn’t stand up to Yuri, and with the same level of intense, then I think that Yuri would just go completely off the rails. He is also a deeply caring person. Alek wants to take care of his whole company, not just Clara, although he has special pants feelings for her. He’s also very strong. I think that he’s had to be in his life, and he uses it quite well as an adult.

OK, that’s all there is for this one. There isn’t anything under the picture again today. Go check this one out. Happy reading!

Anthology-Dirty Daddies

So, last year, a bunch of Daddy authors got together and started a party room on FB. There’s a lot of parties, jokes, posts, and so forth in there. There’s also a pretty damn awesome anthology that came out of it. And I was the lucky one to get a full ARC of the whole Dirty Daddies anthology. Rayanna Jamison asked me if I wanted it, which I feel like was some kind of test, because, like I’m going to say no?

There are 12 stories in here by 13 authors, since Rayanna and Allysa teamed up on their story. All of the authors have written Daddy stories before, and I had read all but two of them, and they were both on my TBR. But, shall we talk about what my TBR looks like on any given day?

There are a lot of reasons that I like to read anthologies like this. One is that you get a lot of takes on the theme, and there is quite a range in here. Another is that you can get a good flavor of authors you aren’t familiar with, which in my case was Laylah Roberts and J.M. Dabney. Some of the stories in here, like Golden Angel’s Little Leigh, Pepper North’s Sylvie, and Katie Douglas’ Daddy’s Precious Little Girl belong in established worlds, while others are new stories in new worlds. And then you get Brianna Hale, who got her inspiration from a thread on FB. And Brianna? I think I read that thread too. I probably said that it would be the only way that I would exercise too. LOL.

All 12 stories are good stories and I like them all. And I would really like to have any one of these 12 Daddies, because they are so yummy and Daddy-licious. But, like with any anthology, there are going to be stories that I like more than others. Because that’s just how it is.

If you have read my blog, you can probably guess that Lindsay’s Secret by Emily Tilton is one of my favorites, because yeeeeeaahhhhh. We all know how I feel about Emily and the way that she writes about erotic humiliation, because it’s just so dirty the way that she does it. I mean the language around it. I know, I know, every time I talk about Emily, I say that, but that’s because every time I read her books, I’m struck by it. The only way for it to get hotter is to listen to an audiobook. I can’t listen to her audiobooks while I’m driving. It’s a rule. But, I liked watching Lindsay and Rick figuring things out.

J.M. Dabney’s An Odd Little Girl is another one of my favorites. They wrote a fun little story about a Daddy finding his little girl, and a little girl finding the Daddy she’s always needed, but never knew she needed. I really like Via because she really just exudes sweetness and light, and I could totally feel that. I like how Donavan accepts everything about Via, including the rest of her family. And frankly, I think her family is just ridiculously wonderful.

Aubrey Cara’s Cry for Daddy is another favorite of mine. It’s darker than the rest of the stories, but it’s not totally dark, just darker than the others. Her story is about Lily and Maximus, and how they fit together in each other’s lives and with the world in general. I felt sorry for Lily, but also I felt like she kept a core essential of who she was hidden. Maximus wasn’t the entire hardass that he wants to believe he was. Not to say he isn’t a hardass badass, but he has a soft marshmallowy center.

OK, if you want 12 smoking hot Daddies, then this is definitely the anthology that you need to get. Of course, I’m willing to fight you for several of the Daddies, and spoiler, I fight dirty. I enjoyed each and every story, and I will definitely reread the stories when I need a quick Daddy pick up.

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Anthology-Black Light: Celebrity Roulette

It’s Valentine’s Day again, which means it’s the start of the 3rd season of Black Light, and as usual, we are starting it off with a Roulette anthology. This one is a little different though. Instead of being at Black Light East, we’re in LA, and instead of random drawings to match Doms and subs, we have a celebrity auction. A number of celebrities, both dominant and submissive types, put their name into the ring, and members got to bid for them. Once they get to the event and all the celebs find out who has purchased them for the night, then the subs roll for the activity. The rules of Celebrity Roulette say that they have to do the rolled activity for at least 30 minutes, and they are welcome to roll for something else after that. If they finish the night, they get a free month, if someone calls Red, everything is done. And oh yeah, no staff gets involved this year, or else. So, without further ado, let’s spin the wheel and find out where we end up, shall we?

As always, since this is an anthology, and there are 9 stories, plus the beginning and end bumpers, you are just going to get my basic impressions and feelings about each story, otherwise I’d be writing for the next 3 days, and I’d like to sleep sometime. Probably.

Guarded by Renee Rose

Scarlett A is a rock star. She’s also a sub. Once upon a time, she had a bodyguard named Lincoln, but a year ago, he ended fired. In that time, he’s learned a whole lot of new tricks, and he’s just waiting to show Scarlett. There is a lot of connection there between them, but of course, they have history. I think that Lincoln makes a great Dom for so many reasons, but one of them is that he really pays attention to Scarlett, and he has for a while. He might not say a lot, but it’s obvious how he feels about her from the very start.

Hooked by Jennifer Bene

By day a principal ballerina, by night a sub, Vanessa is the one who Wyatt really wants to win. He’s obsessed with her, but in a good way. There’s the typical Jennifer heat, but it’s not your typical Jennifer story. It’s sweet and light. It’s just so beautiful. There’s something about the way that these two connect and interact. They fit each other’s weird edges, and it’s perfect. Plus? I’m totally never going to be able to look at the ballet the same way again, because who knew toe shoes and tutus were sexy AF? The barre was just inspired.

Switched by Livia Grant

This is a first for Black Light. We have a Domme, Mistress Ice. Then there’s Nolan, the Dom who wants her, so he buys her and will submit to her for a night. I don’t know that there are a lot of Doms out there who would submit like that, even for 3 hours. Of course, I don’t know that many in person, so who knows. It was a really interesting dynamic to watch. I’ve read other Domme/sub books, and I’m pretty sure that this one was slightly unhealthy. But, Livia is mean. She’s a meanie meanie head. I need more. I need to know what the past holds.

Determined by Maren Smith

This is one that I really hope that Maren expands, because it really seems like there could be more to the story. So Maren, if you’re reading, take mercy on me and let me out of my suffering sometime in the nearish future, please and thank you? Out of a book full of some seriously hot scenes, I think that the scene between Claire and Adam is really the totally hottest one in the book. It’s just wow. I’m surprised my Kindle didn’t melt down. I figured it would’ve. I love the power struggle that goes on between Claire and Adam, which just makes the whole thing even hotter.

Pressure by Measha Stone

Michele thought about signing up for Celebrity Roulette. She had everything ready to go, but then stopped. Of course, she has that well-meaning friend who decided to submit her application for her and just not tell her. That’s how Michele ends up with Egan for the night. I felt sorry for Michele because she has such a hard time letting go and she has to try to stop her brain from thinking and worrying about if she’s doing the right thing. I can totally get that. I have the same problem, but no Egan to help me.

Savor by Maggie Ryan

Carnegie ends up with Ronan, a celebrity chef. I love her name, BTW, it’s just an awesome story behind it. They have a really sensual scene in here, and one that is really different to anything else we’ve ever seen in any of the Black Light stories. In fact, I think it’s the first scene like it I’ve seen in any BDSM book. It was hot but in a more lowkey kind of way. And fan paintbrushes? I will never look at them the same way again.

Cherished by Sue Lyndon

Once upon a time, Serena met Trenton right after she dumped her boyfriend. He held her during the countdown for NYE and kissed her on her forehead. Now she gets to bid on him. Sue gets a first for the Black Light books too. I’m not saying what it is, because I don’t want to spoil it. But it’s a great scene, and Serena really gets into it. I wonder how much she’s role-playing and how much she’s actually into the scene. Either way, I think it works perfectly. And I saw Trenton as Jason Statham the whole time in my head.

Jazzed by Lesley Clark

I think that this is Lesley’s first Black Light story, but I hope it won’t be her last. And it’s another one that I would love to see expanded out. Jazz is a rock star and Michael is a psychiatrist. Together, they are going to go back to school. The picture that she would’ve presented while she was sitting at a school desk was ridiculously sexy. Their whole story was really connected and really lovely.

Control by Dani Rene

Kaelin’s father, who seems like a super-prick, just sayin’, is Jed’s agent, so Jed feels that she’s off limits. She’s pretty sure that he hates her. But, when they get together, it’s definitely a match in S&M heaven. I love the chemistry that they have together. Of course, they have years of history behind them so it’s no wonder they have such a connection and such chemistry. They are another one that I would like to have more of.

And of course, as always, we have the bumpers about planning the event and the conclusion of the event, written by Livia and Jennifer. We get a little look at Emma, Chase, and Jaxon, which is always nice. I love them so much. We also get to see Madison volunteer to be the MC. And if you haven’t read a Valley Girl MCing at a bondage club auction, you are like totally missing something. I have a feeling that we will be seeing more of Madison in the future.

OK, that’s all I have to say on this one. The nice thing about short stories is that you can work them in whenever you have time, so go check it out. Happy reading!

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Alta Hensley & Maggie Ryan-Kings and Sinners

Oh, Alta and Maggie, how I love thee. Kings and Sinners is a box set of 3 of their books, Maddox, Stryder, and Anson. I think that Maddox might’ve been the first Maggie Ryan book that I read, and it was close to the first book of Alta’s I read. I got it through a freebie, a newsletter or Instafreebie back in the day, but it’s been a while, so don’t quote me on that.

The books can all be read as standalones, but they are all related. Maddox, Stryder, and Anson are brothers, who work with their father Drake Steele. They help out people in the underground and help protect innocents. Their ranch is a working ranch, but it’s also a safe house of sorts. The house is built with the back right up to a mountain, which allows them to have control rooms and a *ahem* playroom down in safe areas. They all live together in the house with their housekeeper Jennie, who is basically their surrogate mother, as well as a hippie vegetarian who keeps her boys healthy and happy, and keeps them away from meat.

Jennie is a pretty awesome character. She dances with bees and the bees seem to like it. She has this kind of all-mother vibe around her. She just makes everyone happy and if they are scared, she helps them feel better. I really like her.

Now, remember how I said that Maddox, Anson, and Stryder are all brothers? Well, they aren’t brothers by blood. Drake is Maddox’s father, but there was an incident in which the rest of their family was murdered. Anson and Stryder both came to be parts of the family in different ways, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t any less Drake’s child than Maddox is. They are definitely family and they all love each other fiercely.

Maddox.

It’s obviously Maddox’s story, but it’s also the story of Adira. The book starts out with a horse auction in Dubai that Adira’s father is putting on. Maddox and Drake are there to bid on horses, but that’s not the only reason that they are there. They owe Hadi, Adira’s grandfather, a life debt and he has asked them to come and save his family because they are threatened. Sadly, the only member of his family they are able to save is Adira, and only because they manage to pull her out of the Persian Gulf after a yacht with her entire family on it blows up. They manage to smuggle her out of Dubai and into Texas, where she and Maddox start to come together while they are figuring out who wanted all of her family dead.

Adira is strong, feisty, and really smart. Her family was celebrating her graduation with her doctorate. However, she’s also been fairly sheltered because she hasn’t been able to go anywhere without security. She knew that her father and grandfather were into the darker side of the law, but she didn’t know exactly what, and she really didn’t want to know. Maddox is definitely protective and kind of Domly. He’s really good for Adira, I think, because she needed someone steady and protective as she was trying to deal with what happened to her family. And if he paddled her ass, tied her down, and made her come, she wasn’t going to argue with that.

Stryder

This one starts out in very cold Moscow. Using information that they got while looking for the culprits behind what happened to Adira’s family, Stryder and Anson are there to track down a Russian who is involved in human trafficking. They get two tickets to an auction where the evil man is selling off women. When Stryder sees Zoya on the dais about to be sold, he knows that he has to be the one to have her. He needs to save this poor young Russian woman who had spent her whole life on the farm before she came to Moscow and ended up abducted so that she could be sold. After Stryder buys her, and before they can leave, he has to whip her. Luckily, he’s a genius with a whip and he and Anson whisper to her to scream and make it look like it hurts while Stryder whips her gently, but makes it look like he’s doing it hard. The Steele boys smuggle her out of Russia and into Texas, where she settles into life in the Steele household.

I thought that Zoya was pretty awesome. I mean, she’s able to use her art skills in order to help out all the other women who Poplov had kidnapped and sold off. It couldn’t have been easy for her to remember everything that she had been through, but she was bound and determined to do it. Zoya sees things that happened to her and the people who were involved in what happened in one particular way, which is only normal, I would too. But Stryder has a different perspective, and it makes it hard for Zoya sometimes. But, the Steele family are all there and all willing to help the two of them out.

Anson

Anson, working from Zoya’s art and his computer research is in Argentina, searching out Natalia, who was Zoya’s friend, and who has been sold to Juan Montez at the same auction where Zoya was sold. He’s pretty much nose-to-nose with a fer de lance snake when the book opens, so there’s that. But he’s there to get Natalia, and he’s not going to let that snake stop him. Meanwhile, Natalia is dealing with her own snake, only it’s not nearly as lively as the one Anson sees. Montez may have bought her for a sex slave, but he can’t get it up. That doesn’t stop him from doing other things to her. But, she has a plan. Montez destroyed her entire family, and she’s going to take him down. She spent a lot of years training in nasty ways so that she could kill him and at the auction, she did what she could to get his attention to get him to buy her. Eventually, Anson and Natalia manage to help each other and they escape out into the jungles of Argentina. Of course, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Natalia doesn’t want to be rescued because she wants to kill Montez and Anson doesn’t want to not rescue her.

All three of the women in these books are strong, but I kind of think that Natalia is the strongest. Yes, Adira lost all her family too, and Zoya was also sold off as a sex slave, but Natalia had a plan. She had revenge on her mind and everything she did for years was for her revenge. Plus, she had to actually go through months and months of brutalization that Zoya was saved and Maddox was right there for Adira. Natalia went through all that without the hope of someone being there to help her out and get her safe, anyone other than herself, and that, to me, makes her really strong. I felt sorriest for Anson for having to deal with her stubborness, but that same stubborn comes in handy, later in the book.

I really enjoyed reading this series and each of the books. I think that Anson is my favorite of the brothers. I can’t tell you why that’s true, but it is. It’s nice to have the whole series in one handy place, making it easy for me to read. Go check them out! Happy reading! No spoilers today, but have a pretty picture of a horse.

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Maggie Ryan & Alta Hensley-Bride to Keep

I’ve been looking forward to this one since like January. The release got pushed back for reasons, which meant I had to wait and wait and wait. But yay! It finally released today and we’re all happy. So, let’s talk about dark and sorta scary bad boys, the woman they take, and their sister in Bride to Keep, shall we

We have the 4 O’Shea brothers, Cal, Derrick, Nolan, and Rogan. (Pro-tip: always highlight the names of the guys in RH books so that you can keep them all straight.) They are connected with the Irish Mob, and they have just burned down everything that Dallas Callaghan has because he killed their parents and traumatized their beloved baby sister, Alana. Then they are off to the witch’s den so that they can confront her about their sister.

Monet is not a witch, but she is very much into natural healing, holistic healing, herbalism, and all that. She sells all of those things plus crystals and such in the tea shop she inherited from her grandmother. She knows that she’s not a witch, but the mystique and ambiance help her bottom line, so she will make people think that she’s a witch. The boys show up and warn her to stay away from Alana. They don’t want her to take advantage of their baby sister.

Alana was with her parents when their boat blew up. She was out on the waterskis while they pulled her around. When she came to after the accident, she was terribly devastated. When she woke up the next day, she was slightly less connected to the world. She was happy. She figured out a way to live in the world but not of the world. She found Monet’s shop by accident, but she kept going back because she loved it and Monet so much.

After sneaking off to see Monet again, Alana gets found out by her brothers. They come up with a plan. They’re getting ready to move to Ireland, so they’ll just kidnap Monet and take her with them so that Alana has a friend and more help to get their farm up and running.

OK, I have to say that I didn’t like the guys for a chunk of the book. I looked at my husband and told him that I thought they were dicks. But, I did love Monet and Alana, and they were more than worth getting through the boys’ prickishness and they do get better. And yeah, this is a RH romance, but that’s not all it is. There’s also the journey of friendship between Alana and Monet. Some of the stuff that Alana said just kind of sticks with you and makes you think, it’s really deep and really important. There were a couple of points where I cried. It was terribly sad and very sad. And I can almost guarantee that when I read the book again, I will cry again at those parts. But, it was a great book and the O’Shea boys won me over, so it’s all good.

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Alana! No! I do not accept this version of reality.

And those jerks. How dare they do what they did? I mean that was just a shitty thing to do after everything they’ve been through. Seriously, I liked them by that point, but I wanted to smack each and every one of them. Dicks.

OK, I loved this book. Go check it out. Happy reading!

Maggie Ryan & Shanna Handel-The Wolf’s Demand

A few months ago, I wrote a review of a book called Princess of the Pack by Haven Handel, which is a nom de plume for Shanna Handel. It was a good book that I enjoyed. It featured wolf shifters, evil spirits, and domestic discipline. It was low on the steam scale, but it was a sweet, lovely read. Well, Shanna decided to pull the book and partner with Maggie Ryan to do some reworking on it. It’s still the same basic story, but has a definite steam factor added in, and has been fleshed out.

So, let’s get into The Wolf’s Demand. Here’s our story. Cassandra and Deo Ambrosia are married. They’ve been going through a difficult stage of their marriage, and it’s been very hard and cold at their house. They are either arguing or ignoring each other. Right up until the night that Cassandra comes home and tells Deo that she’s leaving. There are all kinds of reasons that this isn’t a good thing. Deo basically says the hell you are, and takes her into his office and spanks her. She didn’t really want to leave, she just wanted to get his attention, and that was the only way she could do it. Turns out, she really, really likes him spanking her and it worked out well for them.

The next day, she walks into her law practice late, on purpose, so that she didn’t have to sit down at the partner’s meeting, after all, her ass was still tender. Her friend Cynthia asked her about it, and Cassandra told her about it. Then Cassandra goes out to lunch with Andrew, another lawyer at the practice. He has a thing for Cassandra, it’s pretty obvious. When Deo shows up where they are having lunch, Andrew tries to get all alpha male with him, but the problem is, Deo is the Alpha, and it’s hard to out-alpha the alpha. When Cassandra gets back to work, there is a strange man there who tells her that Deo sent him and that she should come with him.

Deo and his family are Greek. Their names all have special meanings, and when you meet them, they are more than happy to tell you the meanings. Deo means godlike. Balthazar, AKA Baal, means protector of the king. Draco means dragon, but also means guardian, and he’s there to protect Cassandra. Alekos, who is Deo’s little brother, means protector of mankind. And Xander means protector. Yeah, it’s important to know all those things.

So, the Ambrosia family is hiding a secret. Hundreds of years ago, back in Greece, an ancestor was cursed. They have to fight against evil and they shift into wolves. Most of the time, the evil spirits they have to fight against stay away. But, every now and again, when an Ambrosia breaks a solemn vow, like oh, telling her husband that she’s leaving, the evil spirits are able to break through. That’s what has happened here, and that’s why Deo sent Baal to pick up Cassandra from her office. Deo has Baal take Cassandra to a castle in upstate New York, where the Ambrosia family has gathered. Deo also tells Cassandra that their marriage is going to change. He knew that she was begging for him to control her and he’s going to do that know.

OK, here we go. Like I said, the basic story is the same from the original book. Or, at least the bones are. There are some changes, outside of the added sexy times scenes. There was a cheating storyline which is now gone, which I like. The storyline wasn’t as fleshed out as it could’ve been, so getting rid of it made the story better, IMO. The ending is also different, and I like the ending a lot better. I liked the original, I like the rework better.

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One of the changes I like a lot is the fact that we’re going to have a menage situation. I thought that there was a point in the original book where we were headed for a reverse harem, which would’ve been an interesting setup, but it didn’t go there, so I’m very pleased to see the menage set up in this book. We really didn’t see much of it in this book, just the setting up of it, and Cassandra agreeing to it, but the next book looks like we’ll have the full thing going on then.

So, that’s it for this one. Go hit up King Zon for it. Happy reading!

Black Light Roulette Redux

The party in this book is the kind of Valentine’s Day party I’d like to attend. Participating would be even better. But since I don’t have $2.5K/month and Black Light doesn’t exist in my world, I’ll just have to make do with the sexy books that come out of the club.

Livia Grant originally gave us Jax, Chase, and Emma who started and own Black Light. It’s the most exclusive, most private, and hottest sex club in Washington, D.C. People come from all over to come play in the dungeon. Last year, for Valentine’s Day, Black Light put on a Roulette event which matched random Doms and subs and random kinks. It went so well last year, that they decided to put on another event this year.

This year, they decided to open it up to more participants and open it up to M/m, F/f, and F/m couples, so everyone can play. We don’t see any of their stories, which I would’ve liked to, especially the F/m couple and Sybian orgasm torture. That would’ve been a fun show to watch.

Black Light: Roulette Redux is made up of 9 kinky authors who have gotten together to write 9 hot, sexy stories that are brought to you by the letters BDSM, the number 69, and the color pink.

We get to see a little bit of everything from our players and get to enjoy all the dark and delicious things that happen. The book starts and ends with Jax, Chase, and Emma, written by Livia Grant and Jennifer Bene. That ties each of the stories together and makes it a cohesive whole, and turns 9 stories that all take place in one 3 hour time slot into one book. One of the things that I like about these stories is that the introduction gets all the couples set up and certain events happen, and in the stories, you still see those certain events happening, but you get them from the POV of the featured couple. It really emphasizes that all these stories are happening simultaneously.

Jennifer Bene and Livia Grant-Introduction and Conclusion

We get a nice set of bookends with the intro and conclusion. The intro sets us up for the upcoming event and the conclusion wraps everything up quite nicely. Make sure that you read everything before you read the end because you there are spoilery spoilers in it and you don’t want that. Trust me on this.

Jennifer Bene-Unrestrained 5*

You know how I feel about Jennifer Bene and her stories, right? Well, I got to read this one in beta and told her how much I loved it. It was hot then, and it’s even hotter now.

Bianca is really excited about this year’s Roulette event. She wasn’t around for the previous event but has heard that it was fantastic. She’s looking for the right Dom, one who can give her what she needed, and one who can control her. Meanwhile, Silas is looking for the perfect and elusive sub. He likes to deal out pain and he wants someone who can handle the pain that he wants to give them. He’s not expecting anyone who can stand up to what he likes to do, but he’ll be happy if he can get a good scene. When they get together, will they realize what they have together?

This is a filthy story that will leave you aching on Bianca’s behalf. It was very hot and very sexy. I’d love to see more of Bianca and Silas, because I think they have so much more to show us.

Livia Grant-Brat 4.5*

Gabriella is used to getting her own way. She’s a socialite who is always in the public view and has gotten into trouble more than once. When she needs more money than she gets from her allowance, she just goes to see her “uncle”, who is the trustee of her trust fund and wheedles more money out of him. The only problem is that he’s now retired and left it to his son, Connor. Connor has resented Gabriella for years. His father was always running out to clean up Ella’s messes, and he’s not about to fall for her tricks. While she’s waiting to prove to Connor that she’s an adult, she sees an invite to a party that she decides she’s going to take and go to.

Livia is so devious with this story. I love the scenes she gives Connor and Ella, and how well they fit into the existing dynamic that the two of them already have. I thought that it worked really, really well.

Renee Rose-Forced 5*

Mariana has decided that she’s going to go visit her little sister in D.C. for V-Day. When her little sister tells her that they won’t be able to sit around and watch romcoms because she’s going to a sex club and is hoping for a good spanking. Mariana isn’t about to let her little sister go to a sex club without her, so she signs up for Redux too. Victor is standing outside waiting to go into the club when he sees a very confident woman saunter up to the entrance. He talks to her for a minute and is fascinated by her. When he rolls her name in the event, he’s quite delighted. Mari doesn’t know what she’s in for when she leaves the stage with Victor.

I loved reading Renee’s story and the three-hour tour that Mari takes in the world of BDSM. Victor was really careful with her and really did pay attention to what she needed and had no problem doing what was necessary.

Sue Lyndon-Doctored 4.25*

Natalie discovered 5 years ago what it feels like when all your secrets are poured out to the public. When kinky pix of her show up and ruin her chances of a beauty queen title and possibly mess up her father’s political career, she decides that she’s going to hide. The only thing that made any of that bearable was Hunter Knox. He was running against her father and he was nice to her and told her that he wouldn’t use her against her father. She’s had a crush on him ever since. When she shows up at Black Light for Roulette Redux and finds out that he’s there and rolls her name, she can’t quite believe it.

I’m sure that you can guess what kind of kink they get on at least one roll. If you’ve never thought about medical play, Sue may change your mind with this. And the pump that gets pulled out? Yes, please. I need one.

Maren Smith-Shameless 5*

In the real world, there are a lot of “doms” who take advantage of subs who just want to find their place in the world. In Maren Smith’s world, there’s one too. Hadlee had the bad luck to run across one and spent months in a very bad, very abusive D/s relationship with him. When things went sideways, she called Gareth, a DM at Black Light. He came and got her and has watched out for her since. She decides to go to the Roulette event to try to get back the joy of submission. When Noah rolls her name, he decides to ask Gareth to help him with the scenes.

There is a lot in this story. There are several layers going on, which is really impressive on Maren’s part since it can be hard to pack all that stuff into a short story. She’s a tease though, and when you read it, you’ll see why she’s a tease.

Alta Hensley-Edge 4*

Once upon a time, Melinda spent a lot of time at Black Light. She ran a successful business, and was pretty happy. Then she ran away from it all and got married. Now, less than a year later, she’s divorced and decided she’s going to go back to Black Light. Dean was her Dom and when he sees that she’s playing, he arranges it so that they are partnered up. He wants answers and he’s determined to get them.

OMG, while the sex is hot here, the real part of the story is the exploration of submission and trust. That part is breathtaking and makes the entire story. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the sex, but I loved the rest of it.

Measha Stone-Confessions 4*

Dani’s beloved brother was killed in action. His friend Grayson promised to watch out for Dani. The problem is that Dani doesn’t always want Gray to watch out for her or tell her what to do, especially when he tells her to stop going to sex clubs. So, she decides to sign up for Black Light’s V-Day event. She knows that’s where Gray plays, so surely he can’t disapprove of it. Except he does when it comes to her. Gray wants Dani to go home, but she refuses. When he draws her name. he’s prepared to make sure she listens to him.

I got a real zap out of this story. Measha is very creative when it comes to her Doms and their devious plans for their subs. She’s written some of my favorite D/s stories, and she brought that to Dani and Gray.

Maggie Ryan-Surrender 4.5*

Marty is a returning player. We met her last year and we discovered that she likes to top from the bottom. She hasn’t gotten over that habit. She knows how she wants a scene to go and heaven help the Dom who doesn’t listen to her. Owen, Black Light’s rope master, has been telling her that that’s not how you treat a Dom. This night is the night when he decides that enough is enough and decides to put his money where his mouth is.

I love the scenes they do, and I love that we get to see a master shibarist at work. Too bad we don’t have pictures of his work, because that would be totally awesome. Marty takes some hard lessons, but Owen makes it worth it for her.

Jane Henry-Taken 4.5*

Della is a type A person. She’s very controlled, very regimented, and makes sure that everything is done just so. She’s also a sex columnist and has decided to try the Black Light Roulette Redux event this year. When she gets there, she sees a person she never expected. Brayden, one of the Doms, looks over the subs and recognizes Della. She’s his ex-wife. He doesn’t know whether to hope he gets her or to hope that someone else gets her. There is a lot of history between the two of them and a lot that has to be worked through.

I have a deep and abiding love of second chance stories since I was divorced and then years later remarried my ex. It’s possible to be the right person at the wrong time. This is a great second chance story, and the epilogue really made it.

These are great stories, and a good way to get ready for Valentine’s Day, no matter how you are spending it or who you are spending it with. You’re going to be able to read it any time though, and I’m planning on reading it back to back with the first anthology, and really hope that there is another one next year.

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Maggie Ryan-Daddy Commands

Maggie Ryan has written some utterly delicious stories. I enjoy reading her stuff. She’s shown up in several anthologies I’ve read and/or own. I also have several of her books in my library. So, today, she had a new one drop, Daddy Commands. And it’s as good as I expect anything I read of Maggie’s. (almost put the wrong book link on there! Yikes! Good thing I always double-check.)

I’m betting that with a title like Daddy Commands that you can tell that it’s a DD/lg book. Although, it’s not the most Daddy Dom book I’ve ever read. In the book, it’s explained that Hannah calls Brett Daddy because as a Major in the Army, he gets called Sir all the time and Daddy would be something special that’s just theirs. I think that makes a lot of sense and it does make the Daddy term have more meaning. When you are called Sir all the time by people around you, I would expect it would lose its impact.

OK, here’s the story, morning glory. Hannah and Brett have been married a year. Brett is a Major in the Army, Hannah is an Army wife. She has jumped into that life with both feet. She’s joined every committee, signed up for every everything, and managed to end up either doing everything on her own or doing all the work anyway. She has a whole bunch of things that are in various levels of doneness. Her house and husband are starting to fall by the wayside. She’s stressed out to the max. Hannah goes to Brett, says oh hey, dear, can you help me? He’s all like yeah, babe, I can totally help you.

Together, they come up with an agreement and enter into a Domestic Discipline relationship. That means that Brett will set out rules and establish consequences. There are also other things when it comes to sex. They also set up a Maintenance Night. Those are nights that happen on the same night each week. Brett will give Hannah a spanking every week, whether or not she’s earned it, to help keep everything working out well.

Anyway, that agreement starts on their anniversary, which happens to be a Friday, which happens to also be their Maintenance Night. When they are out for their wedding anniversary dinner, Hannah is disrespectful to Brett and he tells her to take off her panties. (Hawt, right?) She keeps going and he reminds her of their agreement, and she keeps digging a hole. When they get in the car, Hannah thinks that she’s figured it out, Brett’s just playing a super-sexy game with her. Except… Whoops, he wasn’t. And she figured that out pretty damn quick.

The next morning, she figured out that he was going to make her exercise every day. And I mean, who increases their runs by a 1/2 mile a day? Well, a Major in the Special Forces I guess. Anyway, he got her up and running and exercising daily, and blowjobs if she wasn’t ready on time, so win/win for him?

OK, you know what time it is. I loved Brett and Hannah. He really cared about her so much, and he really wanted her to be all that she could be (in the Arrrmy) (am I the only one who remembers that commercial?), and he pushed her to do that and supported her in her choices. Brett also helped her figure out what she could and couldn’t do and helped her figure out how to delegate and how to see how her actions made others feel. You could tell that everything he did came from a place of very deep love for Hannah. You can see why Hannah is doing all that she is. She’s trying to support Brett and help his career. She figures if she’s the PERFECT ARMY WIFE ™, it will help Brett get further in his career. But… Great story, some fantastic sex scenes, great romance and relationship, and strong characters. Go check it out.

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The whole garden store and gardening adventure is just super cute, super romantic, and in the Garden of Eden, super hot. I swear to heaven, I will NEVER look at zucchini the same way again. Ever.

I have friends who ran a mudder run. I know from them how hard they are, so the fact that Hannah managed to run one with her friends and with Brett is pretty cool. I love how she handled some of the obstacles. I actually laughed loudly about it. My husband asked why, and he just rolled his eyes when I told him why. He’s a silly man. I also loved that Hannah decided to do that on her own, without Brett pushing her, and that she wanted to surprise him with it. The fact that he had helped her get her life more under control let her make friends who could help her with getting ready and the confidence to know that she could. I loved that. You won’t see me on one of those runs, and if you do see me running, be scared because it’s the end of the world, but good for Hannah!

OK, that’s all for today. Really, go read this book. It’s a good book and you will like it.

Royally Mine

 

Powerful kings. Dirty-talking princes. Insatiable dukes. They’re ready to rule your heart.

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Royally Mine is a sexy collection of bad boy romances featuring HOT royal heroes, brought to you by twenty-two New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling authors. This deliciously naughty bundle of ALL-NEW standalone novellas stars panty-scorching kings, princes, and dukes who are used to being in command. Charge up your e-reader, clear your schedule, and put on your best tiara, because these royal bad boys are ready to conquer your heart while making you blush oh so hard.

Featured authors: Susan Stoker, Annabel Joseph, Katy Regnery, Nikki Sloane, Renee Rose, Molly O’Keefe, Alta Hensley, Nora Flite, Natasha Knight, Sue Lyndon, Jenika Snow, Maggie Ryan, Celeste Jones, Lee Savino, Livia Grant, Alexis Alvarez, Rayanna James, Ava Sinclair, Addison Cain, Jennifer Bene, Becca Jameson, Mikey Lee

Publisher’s Note: The stories included in this smoking hot box set are MF and MFM pairings. Some contain kink. All will leave you breathlessly panting for more.

22 Royal BAD BOYS are only 99c!
GRAB THIS AMAZING ANTHOLOGY NOW!
http://www.royallymine.com/
Amazon → http://amzn.to/2sE7o7r
iBooks → http://apple.co/2u6yuZo
Nook → http://bit.ly/2uFaeud
Kobo → http://bit.ly/2u0tTqv

 

33 Free Books

Everyone loves free books! Thirty-three authors have gotten together to offer up 33 free books!  The offer is good through the 12th, so check it out, especially if you like smexi romances.

The books include Born to Be Bound, the first book in Addison Cain’s Alpha’s Claim series, The Invitation by Jennifer Bene, who I love and it’s a book I enjoy, and Wicked Ways by Cari Silverwood. Cari is a new author to me, but I really enjoy her. She just put out a steampunk, dark erotica, science fiction story called Acquired Possession. (Check out my review!)

There are also other authors I enjoy, Skye Warren, Maren Smith, Maggie Ryan, Alta Hensley, Lee Savino, and Meredith O’Reilly. Honestly, I can personally recommend about 1/2 of the authors and their books, either because I have read them or have read other books by the various authors.

If you like your romance with a dash of spice (or maybe a little more than a dash), check out the giveaway.

 

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