Posts Tagged ‘erotica challenge’

Title: Laid Bare (Brown Siblings, book 1)
Author: Lauren Dane
Release: August 4th, 2009
Purchase this book: Amazon | Book Depository | Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Genre: Erotic Romance, Menage
Rating: 4.5 Stars

After reading a couple of heavy hitting Urban Fantasy books I wanted some light sexy books, I looked through my library and settled on the Lauren Dane books I had been hoarding. FictionVixen loves herself some Lauren Dane and she hasn’t steered me wrong yet, so it was settled. Of course I had some reading comprehension issues that day and mistakenly read Coming Undone before Laid Bare, but no harm was done as they stand on their own. Laid Bare and Coming Undone are not a series, but they are related as they are focused on a small group of friends and family. You can read one without the other, but why would you? They are too good to pass up on.

Laid Bare focuses on Erin Brown, a tough non nonsense sort of chick who has been put through hell and is somehow still standing. Erin struggles to get through each day pushing the loss she has suffered down and out of the way. The fates have plans for her tho and one day strong, sexy, dominant Todd Keenan walks back into her life after more than 10 years have passed. Todd Keenan has returned to his hometown after 10 years and a divorce, finally ready to be comfortable with who he is. When he walks into a small cafe to find the only woman to ever accept his dark desires sparks fly and the two embark on a wicked path of burning hot sex and unexpected emotional twists and turns. Things are only made more exciting, and complicated, when the couple find themselves intrigued and interested in adding Ben Copeland to their bed.

I absolutely loved Laid Bare. Words can not express exactly how much I loved this book. Lauren Dane blew my socks off and clear out of my house with the dominating and sexy Todd Keenan, and later Ben Copeland. To say that the sex scenes in this book were steamy is an understatement… they were an inferno unlike anything I have read so far. But Laid Bare is about more than just sex, Lauren Dane has a talent for creating endearing characters you wish you knew in real life. The sense of family and friendship she writes into this story compliment the plot perfectly and give the characters added dimension and depth. The emotional development between all three main characters was a joy to read.

My one complaint is that I felt the ending dragged on a smidge. I felt like I had my happy ending a good 50 pages before the end of the book and the rest could have been cut and I would have still been happy. Those last 50 pages do have value, i just wonder if they should have been rearranged to happen sooner.

I’m convinced Lauren Dane somehow downloaded all of the things that make me tingle from my head and put them into this book… Erin even has pink hair! If you like steamy sex scenes featuring dirty men and their dominating ways, you will not want to miss Laid Bare – just make sure you have a high speed fan nearby to cool you off.

Title: Coming Undone (Brown Siblings, book 2)
Author: Lauren Dane
Release: January 5th, 2010
Purchase this book: Amazon | Book Depository | Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Genre: Erotic Romance
Rating: 4 Stars

Coming Undone focuses on Brody Brown, Erin Brown’s (from Laid Bare) brother. Brody is the ideal big brother, if you can still say that about a sexy 40 year old tattooed biker guy. He took up the reigns raising his siblings when he was just 17 and has been their protector for all of his life. He runs a successful tattoo shop and has little time for more than a casual fling here and there. His world is reshaped when he starts up a casual relationship with his new neighbor, Elise Sorenson. Elise is a single mom who has to worry about her daughter first and foremost, she has no time or desire for a full time boyfriend….. but that doesn’t mean she can’t have herself a piece of man candy here and there. Famous last words in any romance novel….

Just like Laid Bare, Coming Undone will have you wishing you had a strong breeze blowing through your living room… or maybe a cold shower. Brody is strong, admirable, loyal, and devoted to his family. He is also sexy and confident enough to turn any woman into a melted pile of goo. I really enjoyed this book, tho not as much as Laid Bare. That isn’t because the writing or story isn’t as good, but it is solely based on the male leads…. Todd is just more my kind of guy than Brody is…. but Brody is a very close second.

The growth of relationship between Brody and Elise is sweet and timed perfectly. I really enjoyed the way Lauren Dane incorporated Elise’s daughter into the story, giving her just as much importance as the other characters and doing so realistically. As with Dane’s previous book, the theme of family and friends is a strong support to the plot and only adds the depth of the story. There were a few time when I felt scene transitions were a bit off or done too quickly, but it was easily overlooked.

Lauren Dane writes erotic romance novels that feel realistic. The characters deal with real problems, real threats, and do it with real courage and bravery…. yet they get smoking hot love making to go along with it. If Lauren Dane isn’t on your auto buy list, she should be. Excuse me while I run off and stalk her mercilessly on twitter.

FTC Disclaimer: Books were purchased by me

Title: Lion’s Heat
Author: Lora Leigh
Release: April 6, 2010
Purchase this book: Amazon | Book Depository | Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Genre: Erotica/Paranormal Romance
Rating: 3.5 Stars

Lion’s Heat is probably one of the most anticipated Breed books from Lora Leigh. Jonas Wyatt has been meddling in the lives of Breeds everywhere for years and everyone wants to see him meet his match one way or another. This latest installment in the series definitely delivers on the “heat” but left me wanting a bit at the end.

Jonas is a Breed, a man ingrained with Lion DNA, created and bred within scientific labs to be the perfect killer. Lora Leigh’s Breed series chronicles the fight for freedom and safety by this race of Breeds, both men and women. Jonas is every bit the prickly, growly, manipulative, alpha male we expected him to be. He is all business and the Breeds safety and survival are most important. What I didn’t expect where the reasons behind his actions. I didn’t expect him to be the manipulator because he cared whether his fellow Breeds were happy. He cares whether they can get past the torture they all endured and find a life they can smile about.

Fans of the series will be happy to know that Jonas is brought to his knees by his mate Rachel. She is every bit as stubborn and stoic as he is. She knows how to say no to him and does it with a smile on her face. I really enjoyed her character, she made me grin and giggle with evil delight.

“I know a volcano hungry for a sacrifice” he muttered behind her. “You’d make the perfect candidate.”
“Hungry volcanoes only accept virgin maidens,” she informed him tartly. “That leaves me out of the running.”
She almost grinned at the disgruntled growl that sounded behind her.

The tension between Jonas and Rachel was off the scales hot. Neither of them are willing to give in to the “mating heat” and I was surprised by just how far Jonas would go to resist his instincts. Every interaction between the two of them was a rolling boil of sarcasm and sexual tension – it kept the story moving and me turning the pages.

Before he could stop himself, and God knew he wished he could have stopped himself, he gripped her shoulders, spun her around and pressed her against the door. Her soft cry was lost as his lips parted and his teeth gripped the side of her neck in sensual warning. The animal knew what was going on with the man. It knew he was fighting a battle he was going to lose, and he couldn’t stop himself.

“Jonas!” Shock and arousal fueled the needy, breathless sound of her voice.

Gripping her hips Jonas held her still as his knees dipped, his hips pressing against her rear as a harsh growl tore from his throat.

Considering the sexual tension outside of the bedroom, I was surprisingly disappointed in the actual “mating” (yes, i mean the actual sexing). The heat that Leigh put into their interactions and the few scenes of physical foreplay before the mating seemed to fizzle a bit when it came down to doing the dirty deed. No doubt Jonas was all alpha power and loss of control, but there was no real build up within the actual scene and for once it seemed to be secondary to the rest of the story. Not to mention the phrase “living mercury” to describe Jonas’ eyes was overused to the point that I rolled my own eyes.

I would talk about the plot of the book and the politics of the Breed world, but really…. is anyone reading this series because of the subplot? And if you are, can you send me a flow chart explaining the timeline of these books because I still get confused and I have read all 21 stories. The action involving the groups opposing the Breeds were just there, background noise to the growth of Jonas and the realization that he doesn’t have to be alone.

Lion’s Heat is a surprisingly quick read for over 300 pages, and a great addition to the Breed series. Next up in the series is Styx, a Scottish wolf breed we first met in Dawn’s Awakening. A scottish alpha wolf? I am tingly already.

FTC Disclaimer: Book was passed on to me for review by a fellow bloger

Title: Nauti Deceptions (Nauti Boys, book 5 )
Author: Lora Leigh
Release: February 2nd, 2010
Purchase this book: Amazon | Book Depository | Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Rating: 4 Stars

Lora Leigh is my guilty pleasure. Her books are candy for my smut loving self. But even I have been left feeling a bit “blah” over her last few releases. They were ok, but something was missing for me. I went into this book expecting the same and expecting to be bored because Zeke and Rogue never really appealed to me in the previous books. I was also a little wary of the ongoing terrorist suspense plot. While Nauti Deceptions isn’t perfect, I was surprised to find I really enjoyed it.

In previous Nauti books Rogue was never very interesting to me. I can’t explain why, but I actually thought she was older than she actually is. I always thought of her as a bit standoffish and brutish and I wasn’t really sure what we would get from her story. This is one of those books I am so thankful for multiple points of view. I really loved getting into Rogue’s head and found myself liking her almost immediately. She is smart, tough as nails, stubborn, sarcastic, and yet vulnerable – something I never expected.

Zeke, oh what can I say about Zeke. He could be my favorite “nauti boy”, he was definitely the most alpha so far. He is very overprotective and totally aggravating at times, but somehow I was able to overlook that. It probably has something to do with his dirty mouth and tendency to growl – it’s a weakness of mine.

The romance between Rogue and Zeke was intense. I was on the edge of my seat more than once, my stomach in knots as I wondered if this would be the time they really connected or not. The romantic tension between them was some of Leigh’s best and the loving was so hot I had to check my breathing to keep from hyperventilating.

My only complaint is the suspense plot, it was weak and felt overdone. I feel like the terrorist organization in this tiny town plot is being dragged on and on and on through book after book in this series. If there is another Nauti Boy book I hope she finds a new angle to work the subplot through because this one can’t take another novel.

Overall, Nauti Deceptions showcases Lora Leigh’s sizzling romantic tension at it’s best. If you are a fan of the series, definitely do not skip this one.

FTC Disclaimer: Book purchased by me.