Tag: Erotic Romance

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Book Review: Total Surrender

The “Beauty and the Beast” trope is one that gets lots of action, especially in romance novels. Who doesn’t love a story where the bookish, nerdy gal tames the beastly, hunky guy, amiright? The problem is that it is SO popular, it becomes difficult to find a new way to use the trope.

Erika Wilde does an excellent job in Total Surrender, the first in her “Dirty Sexy Fairy Tales” series.

No plot spoilers here, but Arabella attends an annual charity ball put on by Maddux and his siblings. She’s excited to do something new; little does she know that her father was only invited so Maddux can settle an old score between him and Arabella’s father (and his sidekick Gavin, who is an awesome up-to-date version of Gaston).

I liked how the author continued the set-up between Arabella and Maddux, and how it wasn’t an instantaneous thing. The build of the story was well-paced. The struggle Maddux had with himself seemed real, and I loved Arabella’s attitude toward the whole situation. (Her conversations with the cameras had me giggling along with her).

I did think that the whole story wrapped up rather quickly, and I would have been happy to keep reading more about how Arabella charmed Maddux. And I really would have liked to have seen more repercussions for her father and Gavin (especially him, because he was slime). On the other hand, I appreciated that the author didn’t draw things out unnecessarily, and got right to the point.

A scene between Hunter (brother of Maddux) and Arabella reminded me a lot of the scene in “Pretty Woman” when the lawyer confronts Vivian about Edward’s attention. But it worked for the story here as well. I can’t wait for his story next, and I am really looking forward to Tempest’s story – mainly because I can’t quite figure out which fairy tale that one is going to be yet.

Oh, and the sexy times are super-sexy!

I definitely recommend this new series. It’s a quick read with interesting characters and a unique twist on a familiar theme. Looking forward to the rest of the series

Total Surrender (Dirty Sexy Fairy Tales Book 1)Total Surrender by Erika Wilde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is one of the best “beauty and the beast” novels I have read in a long time. The characters were realistic, the set-up was plausible, and the action moved right along. I was drawn in especially by Arabella’s nature – even though she was the bookish “Bella,” she was still a strong female who knew herself. It was refreshing to see her go toe to toe with the beast (Maddux). I also enjoyed how the author set up the siblings’ stories and can’t wait to read Hunter’s, which looks to be “Cinderella” based. It was a quick read, but it kept me engaged the entire time. For more thoughts, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. This review was based on a complimentary pre-release digital ARC of the book.

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Book Review: Just Past Two

Holy helluva hot book! Seriously, this book needs a warning on it, because it is hot, hot, hot and just about melted my Kindle.

The author deftly explores a marriage in which two people finally realize that they have desires that each can fulfill…they’ve just never thought to explore them. Abby has tried to forget her wild college days and make herself a better person, while Sam has always been straitlaced.

An interesting encounter at Abby’s college reunion (which was interesting on its own, because I would not recognize a single person from my college) leads the couple to question their interests. In turn, they decide to “experiment with fantasies.” And they have no idea what they have gotten themselves into.

The sexy times in this book were some of the hottest that I have ever read, but they were unique in that they were between a couple who had the ultimate trust in each other, due to almost a decade of knowing each other. It was such a refreshing change from the usual combustible 20 somethings who have no experience at all.

(Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it’s kinda been done to death.)

I really loved that Abby and Sam approached their exploration from a base of mutual trust, and that they remained solid in their commitment to each other as each new experience made them question the foundations of their relationship.

The secondary characters were well done as well…the only person I could have used more of was Angela (the Home Depot scene was great). She kind of seemed to appear only when needed, and it would have been interesting to see more of her.

I liked how all of the characters (main and secondary) were truthful in their commentary. Mitchell’s descriptions of his life were not just there for titillation; it seemed based in honesty and reality.

I also appreciated how the author built each of Sam and Abby’s experiences on the previous one. This allowed for a very natural flow to the story, which was enhanced by the characters’ thoughts and feelings about each event.

Truly, you should grab this book. It’s a fascinating exploration of what may lie beneath the surface of a marriage.

And did I mention it’s hot as hell?

Just Past Two (Comes in Threes, #2)Just Past Two by Elia Winters
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don’t even know where to start with this book. I loved the characters, I loved the character development, and I loved the entire plot. It was very evenly paced and incredibly realistic. The way the author allowed the characters to explore their feelings and emotions felt natural and was very unlike many romances of this genre. Abby and Sam were so real and honest that they could be anybody going through the same issues. I appreciated that the author wrote about main characters who were older and married (instead of the usual young and inexperienced). The author hit the nail on the head with this one. I truly enjoyed reading about their growth and experiences, and I look forward to reading more from this author. Visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews for some more detailed (and dirtier) thoughts on this book. Thank you to Entangled: Scorched (via NetGalley) for a pre-release digital ARC.

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