Nocturnal Journal–Mandy M. Roth

Rob Thurman’s Cal Leandros Series

Nightlife
Moonshine
Madhouse

This is one of those series that I devour. From the end of chapter one in book one, I’ve been hooked on Cal’s and Niko’s adventures. The action is intense, the plot thick/rich and the characters are flawed yet totally loveable. I love the dialogue its snark at its finest.

Whitechapel Gods by S.M. Peters

On the lookout for something new and different? Something that breaks the molds, is high action and holds you to the very end? If so, Whitechapel Gods by S.M. Peters may be for you. Set in Victorian London, this steampunk fantasy novel did not disappoint. Not only are the gold clocks/black clocks a unique spin on it all, it also tells the story through multiple heroes.

I’ll let you all be the judge but I’m happy the cover caught my eye and that I stopped and bought it.

Barbarian Prize by Deanna Ashford

Blurb

After a failed uprising in Britannia, Sirona, a princess of the Iceni, and her lover, Taranis, are taken to Pompeii and sold as slaves. While Taranis is used to satisfy the demands of a rich Roman lady, Sirona is confined at the home of a lecherous senator until his step-son, General Lucius Flavius rescues her.

The lovers are briefly reunited but their situation takes a turn for the worse. Sirona finds herself in the clutches of the erotic cult of Dionysis and Taranis must fight for his life as a gladiator in the arena. Meanwhile, beneath Mount Vesuvius, there are forces gathering that even the power of the Romans cannot control.

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Let me first start off by saying Deanna Ashford is an absolute delight in person. She truly is. Funny, charismatic and boy can the woman pen a sex scene. Is it hot in here or is it just me? After having the pleasure of meeting Ms. Ashford at RWA Nationals, I brought home the book she kindly offered me—Barbarian Prize. I’d never read a historical Black Lace novel before so I was skeptical at first. By page ten all my doubts were out the window. Wow. That about sums it up. Let me repeat that… WOW! Ms. Ashford can write not only sex but she captures the details and accuracy of the time period with ease, weaving them in a way that makes you forget about everything but her characters and their dilemma. I’m a sucker for an HEA and she had me wondering if it was going to happen. I won’t give any spoilers but I will say, she didn’t disappoint me. I’d also like to say… I want Taranis all to myself.

I had the pleasure of meeting Eden Bradley in Dallas at the RWA conference. She was charming and beautiful. I couldn’t wait to get home and dig into The Dark Garden. The tasteful erotic cover grabbed me the blurb held me.

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(Blurb)
Rowan Cassidy likes to be in charge—especially in her personal life. As a mistress at Club Privé, the most exclusive bondage/S & M club on the West Coast, Rowan can live out her dominant fantasies safely, and with complete control—until the night Christian Thorne walks in. Self-confident and sophisticated, he’s a natural dominant if Rowan’s ever seen one. Yet she can’t stop thinking about him and imagining his touch.

Christian has returned home, hoping to break free from his dissatisfaction and malaise—and discovers the cure in Rowan. He’s dying to get his skilled hands on her and watch her surrender, to unlock the mystery of her that captivates him. Determined to be her master, he makes Rowan a daring proposition: give herself over to him for thirty days.

Rowan finds Christian’s offer terrifying—and impossible to resist. But abandoning herself to Christian’s power might be more than she can handle…. Or it might be the realization of her true nature and the dark garden within her. There will be only one way to find out. And once the game has begun, there’s no turning back.

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The heroine’s journey to better understand herself and her needs was done with taste and elegance. The combination of two strong leads and fiery passion had me hooked from the page one. The secondary characters held my attention as well and I found myself rooting for all involved, hoping it would all work out in the end. BDSM for me is hit and miss. Eden Bradley handled it with finesse and in a way that has me on the edge of my seat awaiting her next book—The Darker Side of Pleasure.