Love Gives You Wings

"Easy answer...You."

--Tiffany Reisz, Michael's Wings

My Thoughts

The Belle
It's no secret that Michael has a huge place in my heart since meeting him in The Angel. His vulnerability and sensitive soul won me over immediately. In this new novella, we get to see so much more of Michael and the man he has become.

A Deal With the Devil

"The devil doesn’t smile...The devil smirks."

--Tiffany Reisz, The Red

Genre: Adult Contemporary Fantasy Erotica

Publisher: 8th Circle Press

Pages: 249

Publication Date: July 11th, 2017

Source: ARC provided by publisher

Find on: Goodreads | Amazon

My Thoughts

The Belle 

When I heard Tiffany Reisz was writing an erotica I immediately added it to my TBR. Her Original Sinners series changed my life in so many ways that I'll be here all day if I had to list them. The Red is an erotic fantasy which is something I had never read before. I don't even know if there are any books in this sub-sub genre (heh, sub, get it?) but I digress. This Erotic Fantasy is about a woman whose art gallery is way in the red...that is named The Red. A man comes to her and offers to save the gallery by paying her in expensive paintings and in return she will give him one night a month with her in the biblical sense. She agrees.

Take The Chance

"Bruises fade. Broken bones heal.
Life's too short, kid."

--Elle Kennedy, Addicted

Genre: Adult Dystopian Erotica

Publisher: Signet

Pages: 368

Publication Date: June 28th, 2016

Source: ARC provided by publisher

Previous Books in Series: Claimed
Find on: Goodreads | Amazon

My Thoughts

The Belle

Wow. Just wow. I read Claimed, the first book in the series, last year and loved it. I was beyond ecstatic when Addicted showed up at my door. I made Claimed my next re-read and Addicted my next read. I legit read both these books in ONE day, people. Once I started Addicted I could not stop...pun intended. Here's why.

War Is Coming

"O'Kanes didn't bend, didn't break.
They were stronger than steel because they held one another up."

--Kit Rocha, Beyond Ruin

Genre: Adult Dystopia Erotca

Publisher: Self-published

Source: ARC provided by authors

Previous Books in Series: Beyond Shame & Beyond Control & Beyond Pain & Beyond Jealousy & Beyond Addiction & Beyond Possession & Beyond Innocence & Beyond Ruin
Find on: Goodreads | Amazon

My Thoughts
The Belle
This latest book in one of my favorite series, Kit Rocha brings it. War is coming and the battles have begun. Picking up where Beyond Ruin left off, my favorite part of this series as if recent has been the ongoing tension between Eden and the Sectors, especially our beloved 4. I loved the continuing plot of the war against Eden. THINGS happen and I was so completely engaged in this story that I could feel my heart racing. I have a thing for books and storylines when the characters are plotting war or rising up against an oppressor. Turns me on. This was no exception.

We Know We Love It

"What I know is, if you can wait in bureaucratic offices alongside another human being and then stand in line with him for hours, some of those without air conditioning, and never once regret being by his side?
That's love."

--Lilah Pace, Asking For More

Genre: Adult Contemporary Erotica

Publisher: Berkley InterMix

Publication Date: March 15th, 2015

Source: ARC provided by publisher

Previous Books in Series: Asking For It & Begging For It
Find on: Goodreads | Amazon

Goodreads Description 

The incendiary author of Begging for It and Asking for It again plunges readers into the shadowy depths of love, pain, pleasure and peril...

How far is too far?

Finally sure of each other's strength and love, Jonah and Vivienne continue to explore their darkest fantasies together. However, what should be a night of ecstasy takes a dangerous turn, injuring Vivienne. She shrugs off the incident, but Jonah is haunted by it, particularly by the fear that others may believe he abuses her, or even glimpse the truth of their erotic obsession.

Then Jonah receives a call from his younger sister, Rebecca, who's dealing with trouble of her own in South America. When Vivienne travels with him to aid Rebecca, she learns yet more about his tortured history—and Jonah opens up to Vivienne as never before.

Can Vivienne help Jonah cast off the shadows of his past forever?

MATURE AUDIENCE

When I got a surprise email from Berkley telling me there was a novella about Jonah and Viv sitting in my NetGalley I screamed out loud causing my mother to ask what was wrong. The struggle was real. I was SO fucking excited to read this, I finished my current read and started immediately. Jonah and Viv are one of my favorite couples ever and their unconventional fantasies make my heart beat faster. Love them times a million.

This novella takes place after Begging For It and we get to see Jonah and Viv, still playing, but Jonah continues to deal with his fear of actually hurting Viv. While it's a component and a legitimate fear of his, it wasn't the main focus of the story. Jonah's sister gets into a situation in Belize and they fly down to help her. We get to see them work together in a crisis and how they understand and complement each other is just perfect. What I appreciated about this novella was while there was conflict, if you will, between Jonah and Viv it was minor. I liked that this wasn't a drama-filled story, rather we get to see Jonah and Viv together and happy and work together even when there are bumps in the road between them.

It felt great to be back with the characters I've come to know and love and if you loved Asking For It & Begging For It, this is def a great and drama-free novella to add to your TBR. 

Reserved Seating
If you love Jonah, Viv, and their love story...this book is for you.

Since My Last Confession...

"Love is never a sin.
If it's a sin it's not love.
And if its love it's not a sin."

--Tiffany Reisz, The Confessions

Genre: Adult Contemporary, Erotica

Publisher: 8t Circle Press

Pages: 140

Publication Date: March 15th, 2016

Source: ARC provided by author

Previous Books in Series: The Siren & The Angel & The Prince & The Mistress & The Saint & The King & The Virgin & The Queen
 Find on: Goodreads | Amazon

Goodreads Description 

Three Sinners. Three confessions. And all the dirty little secrets you could possibly desire...

Father Stuart Ballard has been Marcus Stearns’ confessor since the young Jesuit was only eighteen years old. He thought he’d heard every sin the boy had to confess until Marcus uttered those three fateful words: “I met Eleanor.”

So begins the 40-page “The Confession of Marcus Stearns,” a moving coda to the RITA® Award-winning Original Sinners series. Originally published as a limited-edition paperback for the 2014 RT Booklovers' Convention, and available worldwide for the first time.

This collection also includes “The Confession of Eleanor Schreiber,” a companion 36-page story written exclusively for The Confessions.

And, finally, all secrets are revealed in “The Confession of Tiffany Reisz,” an exclusive, in-depth interview.

Listen. I love The Original Sinners. If you don't know this, you must be new here. Welcome. These characters and one other series, in all the books I have read in my years, are my family. Søren and Nora and Kinglsey, I love more than almost anything. They are my people. When I found out Tiffany was publishing The Confessions of Søren and another confession of Nora, I was SO excited. AND we get to meet the infamous confessor of Søren's, Father Ballard.

The Confessions of Marcus, Father Ballard only knows him by Marcus, were everything I wanted them to be. This confession takes place 6 months after he meets Eleanor so you can imagine how that went. What I loved about this was hearing Søren's feelings about her right after he met her. We get to see how intense Eleanor feels for him but we never really get an inside look as to what he was feeling. It was phenomenal. His feelings are so deep and pure but more than that, the advice Father Ballard gives him is perfection. It makes so much sense and gives a lot of insight into things that have happened throughout the series and their relationship. More than these revelations of Søren's feelings, the banter with Father Ballard is on another level. He's freaking awesome. He's funny and a little bit crass and I couldn't get enough. He was THE BEST!

The Confessions of Eleanor are equally hilarious with the banter with the Father. When he finally gets to meet her what he says is just too funny. And as per usual, her response is just as good. Their slightly flirtatious conversations was so adorable. More than that, we get to dig a little deeper in the psyche that is Nora and while it was slightly emotionally painful, it hurt so good.

If you are a fan of this series, you will not be disappointed in The Confessions. They are a beautiful little piece to the puzzle and answer questions I've had since closing the final pages of the series.

Reserved Seating
If you love the OG Sinners, Nora, or Søren...this book is for you.

The More, The Merrier

"You don't throw away someone you love.
If you do, you're not worth having someone to love."

--Kit Rocha, Beyond Ruin

Genre: Adult Dystopian, Erotica

Publisher: Self-published

Publication Date: February 23rd, 2016

Source: eARC provided by authors

Previous Books in Series: Beyond Shame & Beyond Control & Beyond Pain & Beyond Jealousy & Beyond Addiction & Beyond Possession & Beyond Innocence 
Find on: Goodreads | Amazon

Goodreads Description 

Adrian Maddox fled his royal life—and tragic past—in Sector One, choosing instead to join up with the O’Kanes. For years, he’s lived by one rule: love fast, love hard, and always be willing to walk away. He’s managed to guard his heart, keep it whole and untouched—until now.

They couldn’t be more different—Dylan, the brilliant, burned-out doctor from Eden who drowns his pain with drugs and self-destruction. Scarlet, the sensuous, sexy rocker from Three, a woman unafraid to embrace the world. And Jade, the whore turned spy from Sector Two, who battled addiction and came out stronger than anyone he’s ever met.

Separately, they make Mad long to open his heart, to tumble head-first into a sea of possibilities and wild love. Together, they make him burn, inside and out, with lust and unbearable, unimaginable pleasure.

Then one fateful moment shakes their world to its foundations—and leaves the sectors on the verge of all-out war with Eden. It’s the biggest fight the O’Kanes have ever faced, and Mad and his lovers are at the dead center of it. They could end up with everything they never knew they wanted—or lose it all. Including their lives.

I'm obsessed with this series. It is no secret here that I have loved this series since its inception. While I didn't particularly get on with the last book, this book felt like home in Sector Four. And I won't lie, I went into with trepidation. I'm not into polyamory, I don't really buy it and you guys know I don't bullshit here, I didn't love the menage polyamory deal in Beyond Jealousy. Loved the book overall, don't get me wrong. With that said, I was skeptical with four people. I was pleasantly surprised.

I'm going to start off with the one negative criticism I have to get it out of the way and move on. While I really liked how the Mad, Dylan, Jade, and Scarlet complemented each other overall...if I'm being honest, Scarlet didn't work for me. She just didn't seem to complement the others as they did for each other. I can actually really see how the interconnections of Jade and Mad and Dylan fit together but Scarlet just didn't do that for me. I felt like she wasn't as vital to the dynamic as the other three. I might be the black sheep on this but she just didn't work for me.

Overall, though, I liked it. I loved the dynamic between Jade and Dylan especially, and even more than that the characterization of Jade specifically. She is so incredibly complex and I loved how Rocha developed her characters. I was impressed and shocked in the best way. Jade is probably one of my favorite females to date because she is feminine yet powerful and NOT one to fuck with. Fucking adored her. She is the shit. She was the most fascinating and favorite part of the book for me.  Dylan, Doc, was my other favorite character. Him and Jade together were on another level of hot but Dylan in the group setting was inferno status. Holy. Fucking. Shit. Doc McSexy is more like it. Or maybe McBossy. Rawr. The Best. Mad was, per usual, fantastic. I love his hero complex as the fallen prince from Sector One and thought how his story progressed was on point.

The conflict between the sectors and Eden continues and shit really starts to go down. I loved the progression of this plot. It's brutal and dark and scary. And at the core of all this rebellion is love. The quiet moments between the O'Kanes and what they will die for and who they will stand up for is beautiful. It melts my heart, it makes my chest ache, I love them all so hard that I just want to dive into this war with them. #OKaneForLife

This series is one of my favorites, I can't get enough and I am SO excited for the next book! OMG the tension between Hawk and Jeni ALREADY is so thick! The small vignettes we get of them have me more excited than I've been since probably the beginning of the series for the next book. I have a good feeling, can't wait to see them fall for each other. *le sigh*

Reserved Seating
If you love hot, dirty sex, rebellion, and rising up from your own past...this book is for you.

If you haven't started the series yet, you have a chance to win the first 3 books below! You don't want to miss out on starting this awesome series!

May the odds be ever in your favor.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Talk Techy To Me

"I’m not a princess. Or a dirty maid. OR a call girl. I’m not any of those things. 
I’m Chloe Talley and I’m a mess. I read romance novels and I wear really ugly gaucho pants in my apartment and I usually have stained shirts from cooking…
And I’m not strong. I’m not strong at all. 
In fact, I let people down. I’m not charming like you and I don’t like social places unless I can wear a costume and pretend to be someone else. 
The reason is because I don’t like what I see. I don’t like Chloe. And everything was fine until you made me want to give you more. 
And I can’t give you that. "

--Megan Erickson, Changing His Game

Genre: Adult Contemporary, Romance, Erotica

Publisher: Entangled Brazen

Pages: 128

Publication Date: August 11th, 2015

Source: Bought

Find On: Amazon | Goodreads

Previous Books in Series: Changing His Game

Goodreads Description 

He controls the game, but she’s rewriting all the rules…

Marley Lake is no stranger to awkwardness, but getting caught watching a dirty GIF by the company’s hot new IT guy exceeds even her standards. That is, until she realizes he's as turned on by it as she is. But with a big promotion on the line, she refuses to let her current dry spell be her downfall. Maybe.

Austin Rivers has no business lusting after the irresistible editor of Gamers Magazine. He's a secret partner in the business—and technically Marley’s boss. One look at that GIF, though, and he’s ready to install a whole lot more than just software…as long as she never finds out who he really is.

But reality’s not as virtual as it seems, and when Austin’s identity jeopardizes Marley’s promotion, he has to change his game or risk losing the only woman with the cheat code to his heart.

I immediately went into this book upon finishing Changing His Game because I completely fell in love with the first one. The banter, the sexy times, the tech talk, I fell in love with it all...especially the cosplay sex. I cannot talk enough about this component but I don't wanna be a total creep so I'll also talk about some other things. This story starts right where Changing His Game left off but zeroing in our focus on Grant aka Breck--cosplay, guys, cosplay--spotting Chloe aka Sari. They both are attracted to one another and after some amazing medieval/video game verbal foreplay, they hook up. Chloe is painfully introverted and can only really be social when she is in consume pretending to be somebody else, so she sneaks out after their night together and plans to never see her Breck again. But of course, life doesn't work out that way.

Grant is business partners with her brother Ethan and they end up meeting again at a dinner. Ethan plays the big brother card before Chloe even gets to dinner so when she shows up Grant is understandably in fear of his genitals. They pretend they don't know one another but they keep finding themselves thrown together and end up continuing their role playing sexual escapades.

Ok, let me talk about the sex first and "get it out of the way." The role playing sex is just out of control hot. Reading this in public was one of the worst ideas I've ever had...ever. I was shifting and feeling hot and needed to start breathing at a normal rate again. It. Is. So. Hot. Megan needs to get out of my head because I just can't with how on point and hot the fantasies she wrote about are. It is just on another level.

I adored Chloe. Her insecurities broke my heart and I wanted to hug her something fierce. She doesn't like herself. She just doesn't have any confidence in who she can be on her own without the help of costumes. It seriously hurt my heart how afraid she was of being herself and owning who she was and loving herself. When she is in a situation to help mentor a young girl interested in computer programming, it made me so happy! Her drive to want to make a difference in the life of a young girl when she herself was terrified of screwing up was simply heart-warming, uplifting and inspiring.

Grant is used to getting what he wants because of his charm and his ease with social situations. His relationship with his daughter Sydney is too cute for words. Sydney is so mature and Grant himself will tell people she is the parent and he shames her. I die laughing. Their dynamic is amazing and I loved the scenes with him and his daughter.

The romantic relationship between Grant and Chloe is not easy. She wants nothing outside of the role play fantasies and he wants everything and anything. I loved how Grant didn't give up on her and helped her through her insecurities. He recognized her strength before even she did and I find that beautiful. She didn't need him to fix her but she did need a kick in the ass to realize what her actual hang up was. The respect he paid to Ethan was also so sigh-inducing. I loved how they were with one another and how they both opened up to each other when they previously were BOTH closed off and not open to long-term relationships.

I absolutely love this series. Not only do the sexy times give me a list of things I need to do, but the characters just melt my heart! I am obsessed with them and their banter and their nuances and insecurities and quirks, I love them all because of them not in spite of them. I cannot wait to get the next book because ETHAN!!!!!!! Omg I'm already dying for it!!!! Seriously, read these books, read them now, you need these in your life.

Backstage Pass
If you love cosplay, real characters, and broken heroines...this book is for you.

Chain Me, I'm Yours

"I don't just want to belong to someone.
I want someone to belong to me."

--Lauren Smith, The Gilded Chain

Genre: Adult Romance, Erotica

Publisher: Forever Romance

Pages: 297

Publication Date: November 3rd, 2015

Source: ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley

Find on Goodreads
Find on Amazon

Previous Books in Series: Gilded Cuff & Gilded Cage

Goodreads Description 

Explore a hidden world of erotic fantasies, where the greatest pleasures are stolen and the fiercest passions are untamed. . .

For years, Callie Taylor has been obsessed with two things: a man she can never have and escaping to Paris where she can follow her artistic passions. But everything changes when Callie meets Wes Thorne, a wealthy, mysterious art collector and famous dominant. Despite all the nights she's spent dreaming of another man, it is Wes's predatory gaze that suddenly consumes her every thought and sets her body on fire. One touch from him promises unforgettable passion, but Callie knows that passion often comes with a price...

From the moment he sets eyes on Callie, Wes is intrigued by her artistic talent and her delightful innocence of all things erotic. A stolen kiss leaves him aching and desperate to claim her in a way he's never wanted any woman. But first he must convince her to surrender her control. And what better place to seduce an artistic soul like Callie's than Paris?

*sigh* Before I started this book I had previously DNF'd two books in a row. I needed something that would get me out of this bad book funk. Lauren Smith, Wes, and Callie got me back into my groove. Here's why..

The Setting
Circumstances bring our main duo, Wes and Callie, to Paris. This. Was. Amazing. The sights, the food, the art, it all came to life in my head. I loved walking the streets of Paris and reading about the meals they ate, it was completely brought to life. Reading about Callie experience this city and all it has to offer was beautiful.

The Romance
Reading about her seeing Wes in a whole new light was even more beautiful. Her vulnerability was my favorite part. Combine that with her fiery nature and it makes for some great plot points. My favorite part of the entire book is after a very poignant and important moment and things happen, words are exchanged, and this bitch hauls back and slaps the shit out of Wes. It is legit my favorite part of the book. What she says to Wes at this moment is some of the most honest and best communicated words to her feelings I have ever read. She doesn't let the gray area invade and intimidate her actions, she says exactly what she's feeling and tells it like it is. It's fucking amazing. I loved every second and I read that part approximately 5 times.

Beyond that, their courtship is fantastic. I loved how Wes knew her heart was with another but waited patiently for her to realize that what she felt for Fenn would be nothing compared to requited love with a partner who loves her. The journey isn't smooth and isn't easy but it is so worth it in the end. I loved how devoted he was to her and made it his job to make her feel comfortable in her new surroundings. Another favorite part of mine is when he takes her on a shopping trip in Paris. Oh, holy fucking swoon. I was so hearts in eyes at this moment. It was amazing. Not to mention that Wes is protective as all fuck and it is so freaking hot. When people try to put their relationship down, he goes ape-shit and it's freaking brilliant. Hot hot hot.

The Mystery
Mystery/thriller books are not something I really gravitate towards but when I do find one that works for me, I absolutely love it. Lauren has the amazing ability to weave in a mystery without overpowering the story or making it seem unrealistic. I had no idea this would even be an element with how the second book ended and this one was integrated perfectly. She is the Mistress of my thriller heart in that she gives me exactly what I need without me even asking for it...see what I did there?

The Sex Frequency
My only complaint is that I felt the sex was a little excessive. I KNOW! Who am I right now?! I love the sexy times but with Callie being a virgin, the number of times she and Wes copulate seemed a bit over the top. They were hot, don't get me wrong but it seemed to overpower that section of the book.

Backstage Pass
If you love accurate BDSM, Parisian settings, and protective alphas...this book is for you.

I Was Born A Queen

"She says you are like Alice in the Looking-Glass world.
First a pawn and then a queen."

--Tiffany Reisz, The Queen

Genre: Adult Erotica, Contemporary

Publisher: Harlequin MIRA

Pages: 400

Publication Date: October 27th, 2015

Source: eARC provided by publisher

Find on Goodreads

Previous Books in Series: The Siren & The Angel & The Prince & The Mistress & The Saint & The King & The Virgin

Goodreads Description 

Once upon a time, Nora and Søren made a fateful deal—if he gave her everything, she would give him forever.

The time has finally come to keep their promises.

Out of money and out of options after her year-long exile, Eleanor Schreiber agrees to join forces with Kingsley Edge, the king of kink. After her first taste of power as a Dominant, Eleanor buries her old submissive self and transforms into Mistress Nora, the Red Queen. With the help of a mysterious young man with a job even more illicit than her own, Nora squares off against a cunning rival in her quest to become the most respected, the most feared Dominatrix in the Underground.

While new lovers and the sweet taste of freedom intoxicate Nora, she is tempted time and time again by Søren, her only love and the one man who refuses to bow to her. But when Søren accepts a new church assignment in a dangerous country, she must make an agonizing choice—will the queen keep her throne and let her lover go, or trade in her crown for Søren's collar?

With a shattering final confession, the last link in the chain is forged in The Original Sinners saga. It's the closing chapter in a story of salvation, sacrifice and the multitude of scars we collect in the name of ecstasy—and love.

My Family
We have come to a conclusion. After 7 previous books the end is finally here. I can't say I'm happy about it but all good things must come to an end. As I have said before, these characters have come to feel like part of my family. I love them, get angry with them, want to hug them, want to smack them. All the feels for these characters I have come to know and love so well. It has not been long since I met the Original Sinners but sometimes when you fall in love you just know and that is how I feel with these books. It was an instant connection, a recognition that these books were something special. While I sometimes dread the final books in series, The Queen exceeded my expectations in so many ways.

The Story
While I thought I was walking into a 400 page book about how Eleanor became Mistress Nora, there was so much more involved. The plot kept me on my toes with the fantastic addition of a villain I loved to hate. Nora was in her element in defense of her people and I loved these scenes so incredibly much! I love sassy, badass, snarky Nora and we definitely get to see a lot of her. Speaking of snarky--how can we forget Kinglsey? We can't. King continues to steal my heart and make me want to drop my panties for him because...he's French...did you know? Seriously, I love King. I loved seeing him rule his Kingdom as well as help guide Nora. Their dynamic is never dull and their conversations jump off the page and make me laugh out loud constantly. I love them so hard, you guys.

The Love
As I said above, I expected the focus to be on Nora and Kingsley's relationship and how he taught her everything. What I did not expect...what I did not expect was to see so much of Søren. I was overcome with so much emotion in this book in regards to Nora and Søren in the best ways. I love Søren, don't get me wrong. I love him so, so, so incredibly hard but I felt like he was always still a step apart in regards to really seeing and feeling his emotions. I don't mean this in a bad way but he is such a complex character who holds his emotions so tight to the chest that I felt like in this book Tiffany brought down all of his walls. I felt like I was seeing Søren for the very emotional creature he is because when he loves, he loves hard and deep and forever. I liked seeing him a little broken, not gonna lie. It made him seem more human. And the interactions with Nora. Holy. Fucking. Shit. Like...I can't...I just cannot even describe how my heart felt reading the scenes between them. This was something I did not expect to get in this book so reading it felt like fucking Christmas, my birthday, and a new travel designation all wrapped up in one. For real. I had tears just running down my face because I didn't think it was possible to feel the depth of Søren and Nora's love any further but I did...oh, my gosh I did. They are on another level of intensity and I will consider myself the luckiest woman in the world if I find somebody to love and who loves me even a fraction for what I believe they feel for one another. It is beautiful and pure and selfless and everything that love should be. *le sigh*

Seriously. I cannot say enough about how much I love this series. I am sad to see my beloved Sinners go and hoping I see more in the future but this book was a perfect ending to the series. Crossing my fingers we get more, particularly maybe a book  (or 4) during the years when Nora is Søren's sub. She can call that series The Golden Years...see what I did there?

VIP
If you love amazing character development, snarky banter, and the deepest, purest of loves...this book is for you.

Talk Nerdy To Me

"At the end of the day, in bed, she wanted a man to strip her of the exhausting control she needed to keep at work.
She wanted someone else to make the decisions, to be responsible for her pleasure."

--Megan Erickson, Changing His Game

Genre: Adult Contemporary, Romance, Erotica

Publisher: Entangled Brazen

Pages: 172

Publication Date: April 28th, 2015

Source: Bought

Find on Goodreads

Previous Books in Series: First in series of companion novels

Goodreads Description 

He controls the game, but she’s rewriting all the rules…

Marley Lake is no stranger to awkwardness, but getting caught watching a dirty GIF by the company’s hot new IT guy exceeds even her standards. That is, until she realizes he's as turned on by it as she is. But with a big promotion on the line, she refuses to let her current dry spell be her downfall. Maybe.

Austin Rivers has no business lusting after the irresistible editor of Gamers Magazine. He's a secret partner in the business—and technically Marley’s boss. One look at that GIF, though, and he’s ready to install a whole lot more than just software…as long as she never finds out who he really is.

But reality’s not as virtual as it seems, and when Austin’s identity jeopardizes Marley’s promotion, he has to change his game or risk losing the only woman with the cheat code to his heart.

After meeting Megan Erickson at the Baltimore Book Festival and falling a little in friendship love with her, I knew I had to get my hands on her books because 1. She's fucking awesome 2. She's good people and I usually hate people 3. She's hilarious 4. We spent more than a socially acceptable amount of time talking about cyborg porn, er, romance novels about cyborgs. I knew I wanted read what she wrote and holy fucking hell am I glad I did. After discovering she has books with cosplay (costume play) sex in it THAT was the series I needed to start with and wow is all I can really say. This book immediately grabbed my attention with Marley's POV and her thoughts. She works as one of the few female employees at Gamers, a magazine focused on video games and software aaaaaand I hope I'm saying that right because I am so far away removed from the tech world I could have that all wrong but anyways. Marley's computer is frozen and a new guy from IT comes to help her and in the midst of fixing her computer, tumbles on a GIF she has up on her Tumblr page. What GIF was it? Porn. Dominating porn. Cue mortification. I was laughing my ass off at this, though because...reasons. Lord help me if anyone ever finds my phone, that's all I'll say so I could empathize with Marley.

From there, she encounters Mr. IT several more times and both parties are more than intrigued. The sexual tension between these two is off.the.charts. Marley is sick of feeling ashamed for her need and desire for a man to take charge of her in the bedroom. Austin is a man who has always held back in the bedroom for fear of being too rough. These two are so sexually compatible and their interactions show that. The dirty talk of Austin Rivers is on another level. I was so engaged with their banter and romance that I felt physical swoon--same thing with the next book but we'll get there soon.

Austin is the secret part owner of Gamers where Marley works, and unbeknownst to her, also her boss. Austin is also the creator of the mega-popular and successful Aric's Revenge video game and a totally anti-social. The man has zero game beyond his dirty talk and simple social niceties are lost on him. It was SO freaking adorable how clueless he was with everyday conversation and how hyper-focused he was when taking Marley out on a date that he "do it right." I just couldn't handle how socially awkward he was because it was so, so endearing.

The conflict is obviously the fact that Austin is her boss technically and she doesn't know. This wasn't drawn out of made to be unbelievable. It was handled realistically and really well. And the ending make-up?...Fucking hose me down because I need not only a cold shower but an actual firehose to cool me down. It. Was. So. Hot.

Add to this the periphery characters of Grant, Sydney, Chad, and Ethan and I am 1000% sold on the rest of this series and cannot wait to read more!

I am so freaking obsessed with this book and if you have not read Megan Erickson or this series you NEED to add it NOW! Go go go, enjoy! 

Backstage Pass
If you love dirty talk, tech innuendos, off the charts hot sex, and great characters...this book is for you.

Claim Me

"No shame, no fear,
just people letting go of their inhibitions and gong in to...
everything."

--Elle Kennedy, Claimed

Genre: Adult Dystopia, Erotica, Post-Apocalyptic 

Publisher: Signet

Pages: 368

Publication Date: October 6th, 2015

Source: Bought

Find on Goodreads

Previous Books in Series: First in series

Goodreads Description 

The bestselling author of the Killer Instincts novels “knows how to write scorching sexual tension” (USA Today). Now she really sets it on fire in a new series about men and women living on the edge of violence, sex, and life and death.

After a devastating war decimated most of the world, Hudson Lane has only known the oppressive life under her own father’s tyranny. She finally escapes, branding herself an outlaw and hunted by the Enforcers. Her best chance at survival is Connor Mackenzie, an aggressively sensual fugitive who opens her eyes to the wicked possibilities of a world without rules.

As the leader of a band of outlaw fighters, Connor can’t resist the beautiful stranger who asks for his protection. Despite his reservations, he agrees to introduce her to a whole new way of life. But when Connor discovers Hudson’s connection to the enemies of liberty, he wonders how far he can trust the woman who has abandoned all inhibitions to challenge every forbidden desire.

After reading this book, there is something seriously lacking in the book world. That being adult dystopia erotica. FOR REALZ! I am obsessed with the Beyond series by Kit Rocha which has a similar genre so I was beyond excited for this book and it did NOT disappoint!

CLAIMED is a world ravaged by war and natural disasters and a totalitarian government has risen up in its demise. There are people who follow the government and there are people who live outside called 'outcasts.' Connor is reluctant leader of a band of 5 men on the outside who are trying to survive and stick it to the government whenever they can by raiding their supply outlets for food. Connor also has a vendetta against a certain high ranking official that drives him to stay alive in order to one day seek vengeance. Hudson is woman also on the outside...but has she always been there? Her story unravels piece by piece but it is clear early on she is not an outsider.

This outside world is harsh and...overt. There's no such thing as privacy and people take pleasure when they can. Hudson learns this fact quickly when she encounters more people and how Connor and his band of merry men live. It's enlightening and awakening for her to finally be able to feel free to explore her sexuality. I LOVE stories like this! Love love love adore obsess can't get enough of. Women's sexuality is so oppressed and forced down in our culture that I love reading about world's where it is celebrated.

Speaking of sex...uality. This book is hot. I'm talking 5 alarms, take a cold shower, put the kids to bed early kinds of hot. Connor and his boys don't shy away from taking pleasure and very graciously always are in the mood to give it. While this book focuses on Connor, you can't help but notice Pike (mine, bitches back off), Rylan, Xander, and Kade. I already cannot wait to see what shenanigans and type of women these men find to knock them on their asses.

But like I said, this story focuses on Hudson and Connor and I ADORE THEM!!! Hudson is so totally kickass and smart and a NURSE! Holla at ya girl! What starts off as a purely physical relationship *cough* we all know these two are drawn to each other for more than their bodies. Both are stubborn mules, well no, Connor is a stubborn mule and refuses to acknowledge his feelings and Hudson knows she has feelings and is trying to play by his rules the right way. I liked that she didn't seek out trying to change his mind, she just did because she was herself.  Their dynamic is hot and sarcastic with the best side helping of dominance.

The end of this book had twists I didn't see coming and I LOVED how it all came together. Character reveals, emotional declarations, maybe even a stolen helicopter or two brings to you a wild ride at the end. I loved every second of reading this book and I legit read it in one sitting in about 4 hours. Can't stop, won't stop. Connor can claim me any time, day or night. Mine mine mine. 

Backstage Pass
If you love hot as hell love stories, dystopian worlds, and hot men...this book's for you.

I Know I Want It

"We don't get all better;
we don't fix everything that's broken.
We just learn how to work around the broken bits.
How to do the best we can with what we have, and who we are."

--Lilah Pace, Begging For It

Genre: Adult Contemporary, Erotica

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 352

Publication Date: September 1st, 2015

Source: ARC provided by publisher

Find on Goodreads

Previous Books in Series: Asking For It

Goodreads Description

The provocative author of Asking for It once again explores the dark side of erotic obsession, and the secrets that make it as dangerous as it is irresistible.

Some secrets should only be shared in the dark.

Jonah and Vivienne’s erotic bond—living out raw scenarios of captivity and force—began as no-strings sex between strangers who shared the same desires. Now the intimacy between them is turning into love, but it’s a love built on fantasies so extreme that exploring them makes guilt inescapable. But the risks they're taking are far more dangerous than they'd imagined.

A stalker is terrorizing the city, and one of Jonah’s ex-lovers names him as a potential suspect to the police. Standing by a man under suspicion could cost Vivienne everything. But when Jonah’s stepfather takes advantage of the scandal to seize control of the Marks family fortune, Vivienne is drawn into her lover’s broken family and twisted past. Only then will she learn how dark the truth really is...

As you may or may not know, I read and fell in love with Lilah Pace's Asking For It a few months ago. When Begging For It showed up in my mailbox, I ACTUALLY screamed out loud. That is how excited I was. I honestly didn't know what to expect from Begging For It, it's always a little nerve-wracking when the next book comes out but this book, once again, took me by surprise.

Begging For It has a different feel than Asking For It but in the best way. The games that Jonah and Vivienne play that once bound them together is the component that now holds them apart. While there are a lot of revelations and dramatic situations because of their equally dysfunctional and horrible families, what stuck out most to me was the communication. These two people struggle with a very deeply rooted issue that cannot be spoken to many people for fear of ostracization but this was not the case between the two of them. I was so impressed with who open their lines of communication were, even when what they had to say to one another was painful and hurtful. When you also add in the mystery of a serial rapist running amok in Austin, we get suspense as well as honest conversation. Sidenote: I loved this element of the Stalker. It brought conflict in just the right way and opened our characters up to conversation and confrontation with decades old feuds.

Now that's not to say that all is rainbows and butterflies in fantasy land, their relationship was a constant push and pull, give and take of figuring out their own boundaries while struggling with their very real and deep feelings for one another. Pace builds these characters from the outside in and we know a lot about them and because of that, all their interactions and how their relationship progress and falters felt very organic and real to me. Their lives and pasts are not easy but they do the best they can and overcome so much. It never ceased to amaze me how truly awful their families, especially Vivienne if you can believe it, can be. But we do get a peep into the love the siblings of Jonah share for one another. This was another surprise while reading that I just loved. We got to see a new side of him that we most definitely weren't privy to before.

And while I love Jonah, more than words could say, Vivienne is a light in the darkness she doesn't believe she can ever escape. She is a truly phenomenal and complex characters. What I love about Vivienne is that her strength is a quiet one and I don't even think she knows she has it. She is a great friend, a thoughtful person, and a passionate woman. Her ability to be so straightforward with Jonah when discussing their relationship and sexual needs is refreshing. To see a woman really own her sexuality, while also being afraid of her desires to an extent, is really powerful. I know that she feels disgusted by herself at some points but it was honest and I loved the honesty.

Vivienne may objectively be my favorite but the love I felt for these characters was a subtle burn into full-fledged obsession. I found myself reading Begging For It and not wanting to stop or for it to end. I've come to really know and love Vivenne and Jonah and the people she surrounds herself with and I was not disappointed with how this second book at all. These books are so much more than dark sexual fantasy and 'depraved' content, they are about strength and owning yourself and not letting anybody force you to do anything. 

Backstage Pass
If you love complex characters, honesty, and amazing characterization...this book's for you.

Asking For It Blog Tour// Interview with Lilah Pace

Hey y'all! Welcome back to another stop on the ASKING FOR IT by Lilah Pace blog tour!! I had the great fortune of being able to ask Lilah a few questions and cannot wait to share them with you. This book has been one of my favorite reads of the year, hands down. Intense, emotional, dramatic, psychologically deep, it is so many different things and cannot be categorized into just one genre of book. But let's get onto the good stuff aka the interview! Don't forget to check out my review as well as enter the giveaway below! 

Hi Lilah!! Welcome to Belle of the Literati! I am SO honored to have you here to answer some questions because I L-O-V-E LOVED your book! Let's get started!

Can you summarize ASKING FOR IT for readers who don’t know what the book is about:

Lilah: Vivienne dares to roleplay her most forbidden fantasy -- rape -- with the enigmatic Jonah. What he does to her body is wild, brutal and hot. But she wasn't prepared for him to touch her soul ...

That small summary already makes me want to re-read it...but I digress...I absolutely love quotes so what’s your favorite line from the book?

Lilah: My absolute favorite line comes near the end and is pretty spoilery. But another one I like is Vivienne's mental description of Jonah:

“He looks like the work of a sculptor who didn’t believe in polishing rough edges, who wanted you to see exactly where the chisel had struck.”

.......Oh, damn, I'm sorry I started daydreaming about Johan...my bad *coughs*...When you sat down to write this book, were you excited and the words were bursting forth? Were you nervous to write about such a sensitive topic?

Lilah: Both! I was totally into the characters, their story and the fantasy--and freaked out that everybody was going to judge me. Or that nobody else would find it hot. Even though we all know rape fantasies are pretty common, we talk about them so seldom that I bet a bunch of us wonder, "Is it just me?"

I love your answer to that because it is one I've been dying to know! I love that you took a topic/subject that is common but unspoken and gave it a voice. With that said, what kind of research did you do to write ASKING FOR IT? Was there anything you discovered that particularly stuck with you?

Lilah: I talked to a couple of counselors and did some reading up on rape survivors who have found themselves drawn to this kind of role-playing. What struck me the most was actually how difficult playing out this scenario can be for the men taking the "rapist" role. A lot of guys who would have no trouble with domination, bondage, etc. will balk at scenarios that explicitly mimic non-consensual sex. It's not that I thought every guy would be into it, but I hadn't realized how profoundly some men reject it even as a fantasy.

Oh, wow. While it makes sense that men would be hesitant to also play a role in this I never would have that SO many would be a against it, same as your thought. I thought Vivienne and Jonah were so amazingly developed so can you tell us a little about them? What’s something we wouldn’t learn about them just by reading your book? Weird quirks or hobbies? Favorite food or guilty pleasure music?

Lilah:Vivienne never orders buffalo wings when she's eating in public because she will basically inhale every single one like she's never going to see food again. Jonah once thought he'd like to learn how to brew craft beer, but his first couple batches went so disastrously wrong that he wound up stashing all the equipment in the back of a closet.

Yum. I feel that way about cake and french fries. Stay away from the area in front of my mouth, I will eat your hand by accident. Let's get to some of the swoon! Describe the First Kiss in five words:

Lilah: First taste of the forbidden...

Ooooh, I love that! What have you learned about your own writing process/you as an author while writing ASKING FOR IT?

Lilah: I learned that my pseudonym really helps me, because I could never really let go like this for the sex scenes unless I knew for sure my mom would never read them! (That's such a dorky answer, but it's the truth.)

That makes so much sense! I don't think I want my mom knowing what I read let alone if I wrote it. And I won't lie. I'm dying to know if I've read your YA stuff! My online name is a play on Gossip Girl and that's how I feel your pseudonym is..."I'll never tell....." Hehe, love it! 

We know ASKING FOR IT has some heavy content but there were some really happy moments too. So tell us, what scene was the most fun for you to write. Please share a little snippet of it here:

Lilah: Honestly, the scene that made me laugh the most was one between Vivienne and her ex-boyfriend, Geordie. He just screwed up at a party when he got too drunk, revealing some very intimate secrets about her, and she's pretty angry. So he shows up to apologize with a poem:

“I am a complete and total shit / sometimes I act like a stupid git/ when I become a blabbermouth / all my relationships go south / forgive this lowly wretched wanker/ or I’ll be sad, nothing rhymes with wanker.”

Ah, I loved that part! Oh, my heart and stomach just dropped when that scene was going on! Let's talk theme songs: When Jonah walks into a room, what song is playing? For Vivienne?

Lilah: For Jonah -- definitely PJ Harvey's "To Bring You My Love." And so long as he's a seismologist, Vivienne's theme song here might be the Lizz Wright cover of "I Feel The Earth Move."

Ahh! I LOVE that choice for Vivienne, too funny! Because this book's subject is not your typical fantasy, what is one thing you want people who read this book to take away from it?

Lilah: Don't be afraid to speak your truth to someone you trust. Someone's going to hear you; someone's going to understand.

That is so powerful, I'm in love with that. Speaking of truth, I found Vivienne to be a phenomenal female heroine. Strong yet vulnerable, smart, and driven. Who are some of your favorite female characters or real life women who inspire you?

Lilah: Thanks for the Vivienne love! Some of my favorite female characters -- oh, gosh, there are so many -- Katniss Everdeen, Elinor Dashwood, Sydney Bristow, Bridget Jones, Olivia Pope, Maisie Dobbs, anybody Katharine Hepburn ever played, and as of a couple weeks ago, Furiosa from "Mad Max: Fury Road." Some inspiring real-life women: I'm this close to buying a "Notorious RBG" shirt with Ruth Bader Ginsburg on it. Noor Inayat Khan, who was an intelligence operative for the British during World War II. Laverne Cox. Eleanor of Aquitane (who was once played by Katharine Hepburn, which I guess gives her a double whammy on this list.)

Yeeeees! Katniss Everdeen and Eleanor of Aquitane are on my list, too! Love those women! Now let's talk boys. Duh. Because this is the home of Book Bangin’ and I love talking about hot guys, especially the tortured ones, I wanna know who are your favorite book boyfriends?

Lilah: I've stuck to the tortured ones, or at least the highly moody guys. :D Though I have a whole list of funnier, more lighthearted book boyfriends I love just as much...

Mr. Darcy. I know he's on everyone's list, but that's okay. I am willing to fight for him. If he is unable to serve, either Captain Wentworth or Colonel Brandon are acceptable alternatives from the Jane Austen canon.

Vespasian from THE COURSE OF HONOR by Lindsey Davis

Mr. Rochester from JANE EYRE by Charlotte Bronte – I know he's a handful, but I'd try

John Blackthorne from SHOGUN by James Clavell

Randolph Henry Ash from POSESSION by A.S Byatt

Arius from MISTRESS OF ROME by Kate Quinn

And if you count comic books? Magneto from the X-Men joins the party!

Ok, now I have so many so many more book to read! I have MISTRESS OF ROME on my TBR list and now it's moving up on my list! I cannot wait to read BEGGING FOR IT but after that, what are you currently working on?

Lilah: I'm currently working on a proposal for some new books. We'll see how that turns out!

Oh, good luck! I cannot wait to read everything and anything you read! You are so fanastic and I loved interviewing you and reading your book so for people like me who also love you, what are the best places for reader to get in touch with you?

Lilah: Readers, please come chat with me at Twitter or Facebook. And at my website, lilahpace.com, you can sign up for my newsletter, which will have news, some exclusive contests, etc.!

Thank you SO much for stopping by and answering my questions! I am foaming at the mouth for BEGGING FOR IT, cannot wait for this to come out! ((JONAH!!!!)) 

If you haven't yet, don't forget to enter the giveaway! You want this book!

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About the author:
Lilah Pace is a pseudonym for a New York Times bestselling YA author. This is her first adult novel.

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Cage Me, I'm Yours

"It reminded him of that saying about roses having thorns.
She was just as beautiful and certainly as prickly,
but he sensed she wasn't always like that.
The way she acted was more of a defense mechanism than a real part of her personality."

--Lauren Smith, The Gilded Cage

Genre: Adult Contemporary, Erotica, Suspense

Publisher: Forever Books

Pages: 384

Publication Date: June 2nd, 2015

Source: eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Find on Goodreads

Previous Books in Series: The Gilded Cuff

Goodreads Description

Passion that takes no prisoners, and love that tests the limits of ecstasy . . .

Fenn Lockwood comes alive in the shadows. Though he might have physically survived the kidnapping that stole his childhood, the trauma and pain he lived through have marked him forever. Now the only place where Fenn can be himself is within the walls of his private BDSM world—a place of erotic obsession, where desire isn't just captured . . . it's bound.

Hayden Thorne knows that behind Fenn's hardened exterior is a man worth fighting for. Yet to save him from the past that still haunts him, Hayden will have to abandon every inhibition she's ever had and venture into Fenn's intoxicatingly sensual world. Each tantalizing second she spends in Fenn's searing embrace is more delicious than the last and soon Hayden begins to think that she may never want to leave such torturous bliss . . .

It is no secret I love this series. The Gilded Cuff was the first erotic novel I ever cried while reading. The emotions are high and the suspense/mystery of the story is compelling and horrifying, and with The Gilded Cage we get just as much emotion and more, including a resolution to that mystery. This book continues our story right where the last book left off. Hayden has flown to Colorado to get to Fenn first and sparks fly almost immediately but I never got the sense of insta-love. Both Fenn and Hayden are cautious with one another and don't believe the other could ever be in it for the long haul. While this sounds like it could be irritating with the mixed communication, it is anything but.

The Romance
The dynamic between Hayden and Fenn is hot as all hell but it still builds in anticipation. Fenn is more hesitant to start anything with Hayden because of where she comes from and Hayden, while completely infatuated with Fenn, doesn't push him. I loved that they started to become friends and then circumstances brought them even closer together.

The Story
The drama of this story does not abate at all. Somebody is still after the Lockwood brothers and even the backwoods of Colorado does not keep this killer away. I'm not usually into romantic suspense but THIS is a huge hit! I couldn't wait to see what would happen next and who would be behind it and how it would resolve. The climax of this conflict is brutal and made my heart pound with trepidation and fear. I had so many emotions while reading these scenes because I LOVE these characters so incredibly much and they love one another just as much.

The Love
SPEAKING of emotion and love for these characters, there are so many moments of such pure love that, AGAIN, I found myself crying. No spoilers, but let's just say a few reunions happen and oh.my.heart. could not take it. It was SO heartfelt and emotional and so, so, so well done. I want to lay out in detail SO BADLY what was going on but I refuse to give spoilers. I will give a mild spoiler and tell you my favorite interactions by far were between the two Lockwood brothers...*le sigh*. 

The Set-Up
What I love about these books is the perfect balance between the mystery and the romance. I love that the romance isn't the total focus of the book and while it is not overshadowed by the killer in their midst, the balance between the two kept me invested and nowhere near bored. I also loved  the glimpse and beginnings we get into our next couple...where the hero actually kind of scares the shit out of me...but in the best way. CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK!!! (And hopefully a few more after that one *fingers crossed*)

The Gilded Chain
The fact that I don't have this book in my hand right now is a major 'Beast' and problem for me...*sigh*...

Backstage Pass
If you love a romance with a mystery, all the feels, and hot hot hot guys...this book's for you.