Showing posts with label 2013 Book Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2013 Book Review. Show all posts

Monday, December 2, 2013

Book Review: The Billionaire Banker by Georgia Le Carre



The Billionaire Banker 

(The Billionaire Banker #1) 
by 


Georgia Le Carre
Published November 1st 2013 
by Author Self Pub 
ARC for review 

Summary
When Lana Bloom learns the devastating news that her mother is dying, she is faced with a terrible dilemma. The one thing that can save her is the one thing she does not have. For young and Innocent Lana, The unthinkable is her only choice. 

When she walks through the door of that exclusive restaurant she has no idea of the seismic shift her life is about to take, for the highest bidder will not be the rich man she has accompanied. 

Fate drops her at the feet of the deeply mysterious and dazzlingly gorgeous American banker, Blake Law Barrington. Throbbing with raw masculinity and arrogance, this is a man who owns all that he pursues. 

And now he wants her. 

Lana cannot deny she is both intrigued and intoxicated by the world Blake inhabits and the smouldering passion he stirs in her body, but she is also fearful for this man is addictive and right now she is very vulnerable. She knows she should focus only on the arrangement, but how can she? 

When he has opened a door that cannot be closed








The way I see it 

The Billionaire Banker was a fun and intriguing read. This one is a real page turner, its 50 shades meets Pretty Woman meet Bridgette Jones Diary it was truly fun. Its rare when a book plays out like a movie but Ms. Le Carre does a fine job of making it happen. This was a real page turner, warning it will consume your afternoon the writing flow was seamless and engaging so for a delightful evening of fun I highly recommend this book.

T-ime, is limited Lana must do something soon or she will lose the thing she loves most.
H-elp, Lana doesn’t know who to turn to she is lost and has nothing to bargain.
E-nsnare, a cruel and greedy man will trap her and offer her a way out.

B-lake, an unsuspecting beautiful woman crosses his path he will pursue her using the power he knows is at his disposal.
I-nnocent, trapped like a mouse Lana does not know the world she is about to collide with.
L-ove, there isn’t anything that Lana would not do to save her mother.
L-ove, Lana will sacrifice herself to ensure the well being of those she cares for.
I-llusion, dressed in pretty things wont change the way she feels about what she is about to do, Lana will walk down a dark alley.
O-wned, like a lamb she has no choice everything is written clearly before her.
N-aive, feelings she never knew existed she knows she cannot pursue.
A-ir, it seems Lana has gotten passed his carefully calculated walls he needs her as much as she needs him.
I-mportant, an appointment is met and Blake seems to be taken by Lana he knows not when he will tire of her.
R-eassured, Lana’s brother and her friends know what she is embarking in and understand the circumstances behind her decision.
E-vade, an evening meant to introduce Lana into Blake’s world becomes too complicated and he must retract.

B-illionaire, his family and his legacy all stand for one thing... to continue their riches and ensure the family money is safe.
A-lone, Blake has never known anyone like Lana her presence warms him in a way that is alien to him.
N-eglect, after a close call all Blake can do is keep Lana close to him. His feelings unknown to all.
K-in, Blake shares his feelings with his brother and in a brash moment may lose everything.
E-clipsed, Victoria the one who was promised to Blake will act without his consent. Getting rid of Lana will be her main goal.
R-esigned, not knowing what to do about her current situation all she knows is to protect and Lana will risk everything to care for those she loves.

Holy MOTHER EFFIN H! Yep you GUESSED it! It’s happened again, the dreaded CLIFFHANGER! Gah! Its not CRAZY cliffy but for me it was like What.The.Hell. REALLY?!! OMG yea that WAS the Last page. Insert overly dramatic sigh____ I will certainly be looking forward to the rest of this series I’m an auto-FAN!!


My Wish
Lana-I want her to grow an awesome pair like be all protective and stuff. She has done nothing wrong and her innocence is endearing but its time to let the talons out! Go Girl! Protect whats yours!


My Rating
4.0 Orange Platforms, Party Invitation, Bathroom Hurling, New Proposition, Dinner Date, Sleep Over, White Lace, Grand Hall, Speeding Car, Scorned Proposition, Broken Heart Filled Stars! for an entertaining and intriguing read I highly recommend this bad boy!







Purchase Through






About The Author 

Georgia Le Carre lives in England, in an old 19th century romantic cottage surrounded by a magical garden filled with fruit and walnut trees. When she is not feeding words into her laptop, she is either curled up in bed with a box of chocolates and a good read, or lost in a long walk in the woods. Especially on moonlit nights. And often with the man of her dreams.












Sunday, October 27, 2013

Book Review & Spotlight: By Referral Only (Whitman University #2) by Lyla Payne


To Add to Goodreads Click HERE
By Referral Only
Whitman University #2
By:  Lyla Payne
Published:  July 1, 2013
Source:  Author


GR's Summary:

After being unceremoniously dumped freshman year because of her family’s “new money” status, Ruby Cotton has taken care not to put her heart on the line. No matter how enticing Emilie and Quinn make it look, relationships are scary and hard—while a string of flings is easy and fun. That’s what Ruby wants. Easy and fun. The only problem is, when it comes to satisfaction in the sack, most of the boys at Whitman are nothing but pretty window dressing and false advertising.

Ruby takes it upon herself to make campus life more fulfilling, creating a referral database that allows female students to rate their sexual experiences, thereby informing girls of what they’re getting into before agreeing to a date.

When her acting partner, Liam Greene, finally shows some interest, Ruby figures she won’t need to utilize the helpful gossip. He’s handsome, fun, and most importantly, not a guy she’d ever fall for hard enough to let him break her heart.

Not only that, but dating Liam gives Ruby the perfect excuse to say no to Cole Stuart.

As a star swimmer and heir to honest-to-God Scottish royalty, Cole sits at the top of Whitman’s A-list—but he’s also the lowest rated referral on Ruby’s website. The ratings make rejecting his repeated requests for a date a no-brainer, but her real reason for avoiding Cole runs deeper than a string of unsatisfied exes.

He’s gorgeous, he oozes sweetness and charm, and the electricity between them could power half of Whitman, but Ruby knows it will only last until his family or friends convince him she’s not good enough. 

Before she knows it she’s falling anyway, waiting for the other shoe to drop but clinging to a tentative hope that Cole might be as different as he seems. When the secret behind his low ratings comes to light, that hope is torn apart, and Ruby wonders if she was right to give him her heart…and whether she has the strength to let him keep it.










Whitman University Series:


*To Read My Review on Broken at Love Click HERE










My Thoughts:


I am excited to feature and spotlight Lyla Payne on A Bookish Escape today.  I was part of her Broken At Love Tour and enjoyed the first segment in the Whitman University Series. Now that I have also read, By Referral Only, which is the sequel and is Ruby's story, (Emilie's best friend), I look forward to continuing with this great series.  Ruby attends Whitman University, belongs to the Delta Epsilon Sorority, and has ambitions of moving to New York and pursuing acting after she graduates from college.  Her heart was broken her freshman year of college when she was rejected after her boyfriend's parents didn't approve of her because she came from "New Money."  Ruby came from a family that had poor beginnings, but then became wealthy through the innovation of her father in the computer industry.  She constantly feels judged, and like she is looked down upon because of her background.  So, she just has flings with guys, and has no intention of having a serious relationship until she graduates.  When one of her sorority sisters takes the "walk of shame," one morning and complains about her date, Ruby begins discussing, along with other sorority sisters all of the shortcomings they've had to deal with as part of their dating and sexual experiences.  Ruby gets the idea that in order to help other women at her college she should start a referral system where women anonymously rate the men from 1-5 stars and then answer yes or no to if they would give them a referral for their sexual prowess.  


When Ruby is checking her referral database, the one man that comes up with the worst ratings, and least amount of referrals is Cole Stuart.  Ruby ends up meeting Cole in her required speech class.  They are instantly attracted, and can't stop staring into each others eyes.  After class, Cole asks Ruby out.  She is attracted to his beautiful green eyes, swimmer's body, scottish accent, and charming demeanor, but turns him down based on his lack of referrals and low ratings.  She decides to have a fling with her co-actor Liam Greene who she has been attracted to for quite a while.  Unfortunately, Liam is a total disappointment. In the meantime, Ruby's director, Geoff, has her volunteer to teach Shakespeare and acting to a group of kids at the Coterie.  The board of directors includes professionals that can help Ruby's acting career.  Cole is also on the board.  Pretty soon Cole and Ruby are around each other constantly, whether from school, volunteering to teach acting to kids, or when their sorority and fraternity get together for social gatherings.  The more Ruby gets to know Cole, the more she can't understand his poor ratings, and the more she realizes that she is falling for him.  It becomes evident that Cole harbors a secret, and Ruby is scared to let her guard down, and get her heart broken.


I  really enjoyed By Referral Only.  It was an entertaining, simple, sweet, and fast paced story about falling in love, not prejudging others, and taking chances.  The story was romantic, fun, and true to life.  It reminded me of how horrible being in the dating circuit can be, getting your heart broken, and the process of finding yourself in the college years.  I was glad to see how great Emilie and Quinn's relationship continued to be, as well as how close of friends Emilie and Ruby were.  My favorite secondary characters in this story were Cole's siblings Audra, Gavin, Law, and Nox, and one of Ruby's little acting pupils, Caroline.  They added to the story, and made me relate to my own siblings, how close and overprotective we can be, but also how we love teasing and embarrassing each other.  This story was light hearted, and I would read it, if your looking for a non angst filled book that is fun, romantic, and easy reading.  


My Rating:


I give By Referral Only 4 charming, romantic, sweet, and dreamy stars!  You will fall for Cole, a gorgeous, sweet, and romantic guy with a sexy Scottish accent.  He teaches Ruby about self love, confidence, and how special she is.  He makes Ruby see things in a different light, question her own prejudices, re-evaluate her beliefs, and how she lives her life.  He frees her, and the love he gives her is empowering, and beautiful.  





My Favorite Quotes:


"I think, Ruby Cotton, that you should expect everything from any man who spends time with you with romantic intentions.  A man who will please you and be proud of you."  (eARC, Loc. 2222)

~Cole


"My heat pounded.  I knew now that I hadn't ever been in love.  I'd never felt the way I did in Cole's arms, or when I saw him waiting for me after class, or just the way being with him made me feel worthy of my own skin."  (eARC, Loc. 3094)


~Ruby

"No.  There are no other girls, as far as I'm concerned, and there never will be.  When I look into the future, all I see is you, and us, and a million more moments like this."  (eARC, Loc. 3713)

~Cole


Book Excerpt:


“You know what’s sad, is that I have a better story than that,” Ginny interrupted, rescuing her roommate from yet another lecture from me about the follies of saving herself for a someday guy who would not fucking appreciate it.

“I do not see how that’s possible. I just made out with a twenty-one-year old guy whose penis doesn’t work.”

“Hear me out. Freshman year I was having sex with this guy and he quit in the middle. Like, didn’t finish, just stopped, said he was really hungry, put his clothes on, and left.”

“That is an unprecedented turn of events,” Larissa mused. “Did you hear from him again?”

“He texted to tell me some dumbass story about the person in line in front of him at Taco Bell, but other than that, nope.” Ginny pulled her long, dark brown hair into a bun. “Like, what is that? He didn’t even finish.”

“And it goes without saying that you didn’t either,” I observed dryly.

Larissa snorted. “You do not even want to know how long it’s been since a guy coaxed an orgasm out of me. You’d think it was easier to wrestle a Coachella invite away from a Kappa.”

“Where did you find this loser?” I wanted to make sure and steer clear, not that I hadn’t managed to find plenty of dick nuggets at Whitman on my own. Guys who slobbered, or came before I could even think about it, or thought it was cute to sneak out before dawn.

“Frat party. Seemed totally normal until he ditched sex for fast food at one in the morning.”

If I really thought about it, none of this seemed all that funny. Emilie and Quinn apparently had some kind of mind-blowing sexual connection that I needed to hire Gandalf to find. Guys had it so easy; they needed somewhere to stick it for five minutes and they got off, went home, and bragged to their friends over cheap beer or whatever. I would bet my mother’s entire fitness empire that they weren’t sitting around the frat house whining about how disappointing any of us were in bed.

“I ran into Chaney doing the walk of shame a few minutes ago, and she looked like she’d been through a horror show at the hands of that Scottish Lambda Phi she’s been out with a few times.”

“Cole Stuart?” Ginny nodded. “He’s hot, and that accent makes my panties just evaporate into thin air, but it seems like I’ve heard other girls complain, too.”

Girls knew all the dirty secrets. If campus relationships were a stage production, we were definitely in charge of casting. We should be auditioning these idiots, or at least asking for resumes. “Life would be so much easier if guys had to wear nametags with their shortcomings printed on them so we all knew what we were getting into.”

They all laughed at my suggestion, trying to one-up each other adding to my stupid idea.

“Fucks like a rabbit.”

“Doesn’t go down.”

“Nipple abuser.”

“Slobbers in ears.”

Ginny shrieked. “That sounds like a Native American name!”

The potential monikers grew sillier until none of us could talk over the sound of our laughter, only Brooke sitting quietly, gaping at us in horror. Clearly, the guys at Whitman were totally slacking in the bedroom pleasure department, probably because they were all rich and mostly good-looking, which meant they’d never had to work for it. I, for one, wasn’t interested in increasing my number or saying another twelve Hail Marys without some kind of assurance.

That thought gave me an idea. It might have been as stupid as the nametags, but this one didn’t require a method for tackling boys and forcibly attaching stickers bearing their relationship failings. No one knew what belonged on those tags better than the girls who had been forced to endure their sloppy advances, and if I knew one thing about girls, it was that they loved gossip.

If flings were what I had to look forward to, why not expect them to be decent?



I said goodnight and wandered across the hall to my room, gears grinding in my brain as I brushed my teeth and slipped into my pajamas. The best approach seemed to be going with what I knew, which meant starting where I started every time an audition announcement went up for a new production, either in the school theatre or community—a résumé. Complete with referrals.




Purchase At:











About the Author:


Lyla Payne is a USA TODAY bestselling author. She has long had a love of stories. A few years ago she decided to put them down on the page, and even though Lyla has a degree in film and television, novels were the creative outlet where she found a home. When the idea for Broken at Love (her first New Adult title) arrived, Lyla couldn’t wait to try something new – and she’s hooked.  In her spare time, Lyla watches a ton of tennis (no surprise, there), plays a ton of tennis, and dedicates a good portion of brain power to dreaming up the next fictitious bad boy we’d all love to meet in real life.

Lyla Payne is represented by Kathleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. 







Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Monday, September 23, 2013

Book Review: Bound By Night (The Moonbound Clan Vampires #1) by Larissa Ione



To Add to Goodreads Click HERE
Bound By Night
The Moonbound Clan Vampires
By:  Larissa Ione
Published:  Sept. 24, 2013
Publisher:  Pocket Books  
Source:  Publisher
Mature Content:  18 & Up


GR's Summary

The first installment in a sexy new paranormal romance series by Larissa Ione, author of the bestselling Demonica series!

A WOMAN OUT FOR BLOOD
Nicole Martin was only eight years old when the vampire slaves rose up in rebellion and killed her family. Now she devotes her life to finding a vaccine against vampirism, hoping to wipe out her memories—along with every bloodsucker on the planet. But there’s one thing she cannot destroy: her searing, undeniable attraction for the one man she should hate and fear the most . . .

A VAMPIRE OUT FOR REVENGE
A member of the renegade vampire MoonBound Clan, Riker is haunted by demons of his own. When he recognizes Nicole and remembers how her family enslaved his loved ones, his heart burns for vengeance. But when he kidnaps Nicole and holds her in a secret lair, his mortal enemy becomes his soul obsession, his greatest temptation, and, perhaps, his only salvation—a hot-blooded lover who could heal him with her touch . . . or bury him forever.








My Thoughts

Bound by Night, by Larissa Ione gripped me and took me for one hell of a ride!  As I began the story, I was introduced to a world were vampires existed and were slaves to humankind.  They were treated like second class citizens, that were forced in to the roles of nanny, chef, gardner, and other roles of servitude to the wealthy.  They were experimented on against their will, beaten, and treated like animals.  The world building in Bound By Night was phenomenal!  The world Ms. Ione created felt eerily real, dark, and full of danger.  The story begins with Nicole as a young girl experiencing "a vampire rebellion," in which all of her family members are brutally murdered, and where she herself almost dies at the hands of the family's vampire servants.  


She reflects back on her vampire nanny, Therese, who she loved like an older sister, but who she believes was murdered before her eyes by her mate Riker.  After she survives the vampire attack upon her family, she comes to hate and fear most vampires, except she believes Therese was a good vampire.  She goes to live in Paris, and her half brother who wasn't at home when the vampire attack took place runs the family business, Daedalus, until Nicole comes of age and can take over.  The family business profits off of holding vampires in captivity against their will, doing medical research on them, testing weapons on them, and other top secret procedures.  Nicole has studied vampire physiology, and is an expert in the field.  When she returns home to Seattle, she works in her family's business to try to come out with ways to cure human disease and make life better for all humans.


Riker is the second in command in The Moonbound Clann.  His leader, Hunter is well respected, and Riker has become close with Myne, a vampire he rescued from death, along with the rest of the vampires in his clan.  The enemy clan, Shadowspawn, lent their vampire, Neriya, a gifted midwife to the Moonbound Clan.  Unfortunately, Neriya was captured for Daedalus, and unless she is returned in the alloted time frame, Shadowspell will declare war on The Moonbound Clan.  So Riker, captures Nicole, and threatens her to turn over Neriya, or she will be killed.  However, what Riker and Nicole could not anticipate was that they would both learn to let go of the stereotypes and prejudices that they had held on to for so long, become attracted to each other, care about one another, and eventually fall in love.  However, Riker can not bring himself to move on from Therese's death, and feels like he is betraying her by having feelings for another woman.  As the story progresses, secrets come to light, things between Nicole, and Riker become more complex, and everything that they feel for one another will be challenged to the maximum.


Bound by Night was such a fascinating story!  The characters had many steamy, swoon-worthy moments.  I grew attached to the secondary characters, and cannot wait to get Hunter and Aylin's story, as well as Myne's story!  The plot of the story was intricate, and flew by!  The world building was vivid and detailed, and Bound By Night has helped me to discover a great new series that I am excited to continue !



My Rating

I give Bound By Night by Larissa Ione 4 Powerful, Sensual, Magical, Alpha Male Stars!  If you enjoy a good paranormal romance, with a ton of sensuality, passion, action, and suspense, then read Bound By Night!  I believe fans of authors such as Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Shelly Laurenston will enjoy this gripping story!  



My Favorite Quotes

"I can feel you running through my veins, he said.  I can taste you on my tongue and smell your sweet spice.  But more than that, I can't stop thinking about you..."  (eARC, Loc. 2470)

~Riker


"She licked her lips, and his gaze dropped to her mouth.  Kiss me, she thought.  Kiss me, and make me feel safe here.  When he lowered his head in agonizingly slow motion, she nearly wept with both relief and impatience.  Then his lips were on hers, warm and soft, and so very gentle.  A wonderfully shivery sensation spread through her insides as he licked and nibbled, alternating light pressure with firm kisses.  Oh, but he was amazing at this.  He blew away the memory of every man she'd ever kissed.  Hell, no one could compare to him.  Ever."  (eARC, Loc. 2470)

~Nicole



Purchase At






About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Larissa Ione penned her first novel at the age of 13 and hasn't stopped writing since. She has been a U.S. Air Force meteorologist, an EMT, and a professional dog trainer, and you never know when one of those interests will pop into her novels.

She lives a nomadic existence with her U.S. Coast Guard husband and son, so her writing career has been a blessing -- a job that moves easily.

She writes dark paranormal romance for Grand Central Publishing (formerly Warner Books,) and contemporary romance for Red Sage and Samhain. Under the pen name Sydney Croft, she writes erotic action adventure romance with partner Stephanie Tyler.







Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Thursday, September 19, 2013

Book Review: A Terrible Love by Marata Eros



To Add to Goodreads Click HERE
A Terrible Love
A Terrible Love #1
By:  Marata Eros
Published: April 26, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Source:  Publisher
Mature Content:  18 & Up


GR's Summary:

Jess Mackey is living a meticulously fabricated lie of necessity. She's left the secret tragedy of her past behind along with who she was and is forging ahead with a clean slate. But Jess soon discovers that passion can't be left behind—neither her own, nor that of the one man who sees who she really is…and whose unexpected presence may breach the peaceful life Jess has painstakingly created for herself.

Devin Castile didn’t expect to meet a young woman who may be the missing puzzle piece to his existence…and who is also the victim of a heinous crime. Devin convinces himself that he can remain emotionally distant even while indulging his physical desire for her. But when Jess’s lies begin to crumble in the face of their undeniable attraction and the truth is revealed, one of them might pay with their life.










My Thoughts:


A Terrible Love by Marata Eros starts off with a bang!  It is gripping, traumatizing, and spiked my curiousity as to what was going to happen next.  The story is told by the female lead, Jewell.  She is on the run from her sociopath stepbrother, who has been traumatizing her, along with innocent animals, for years.  Thaddeus (Thad) is very sinister, dark, and scary.  Jewell comes from the upper socioeconomic class, has a passion for ballet, and has attended top notch private schools her whole life.  Her mother is married to the Senator of South Dakota, who is running for the presidency.


Jewell relocates to Seattle, and reinvents herself as Jess Mackey.  She dyes her auburn hair blond, puts in blue contacts to cover her green eyes, and keeps a low profile.  However, no matter how hard she tries to blend in, she still ends up making friends with the wild and friendly Carlie, and her sidekick Amanda.  Carlie tricks Jewell, (Jess) into trying out for the fledgling Cooperative Program, which will be training to try out for the Seattle Pacific Ballet.  She befriends Shelby, who is also a part of this program, and the two grow close.  She also meets a variety of guys her sophomore year of college, Brad, who she befriends in her Biology class, Brock, who harasses her repeatedly, along with the charming and sexy Lacrosse Player Mitch, and  the hot, and intense bad boy, Devin Castile (Cas).  Jewell (Jess) starts dating Mitch, and at the same time, has a "strictly sex" arrangement with Cas.  She uses logic to tell herself that Mitch would be the better choice for a relationship, because he appears to be easygoing, and less complicated than Cas.  However, the intense electricity between Jewell and Cas continues to build, and her heart only wants him. Then, girls start turning up dead at Jewell's college, and the question becomes, who is the killer?  Not everything is always as it appears...


I enjoyed the storyline of A Terrible Love, because the story was fast-paced, had so many twists and turns, and was packed with suspense.  I enjoyed reading about the various characters and trying to figure out who was responsible for the deaths of the girls on the college campus.  However, I did have some trouble connecting with the main character.  I loved  Cas' character, but felt like their was something missing in his and Jewell's relationship.  It appeared to be strictly sex and attraction, so I wondered where the love part came into play.  I really look forward to reading A Brutal Tenderness, which is the companion novel to A Terrible Love, and told from Cas' point of view.  I'm hoping that some gaps will be filled in for me, some information clarified, and the story enhanced.  I think A Terrible Love is an entertaining read and I liked it! 



My Favorite Quotes:



"Castile is like an unmovable force.  A hurricane on its own course, its destination known only to it.  The trajectory likely to change at any time.  Taking anything or anyone in its path.  As I look into those dark eyes, I know I am in the eye of the storm that is Devin Castile."  (ARC, pg. 80)


"But who ever said that love makes sense?  That it's healthy...that it's right?  Love is inexplicable..."  (ARC, pg. 210)


"My eyes flick to Cas, then away.
I don't like what I see there.  It doesn't look like what he's told me.
His words said he doesn't want me.
But his body loved mine, it did.  I felt the flames of his feelings consuming me.
Right now, his eyes say he loves me."  (ARC, Loc. 214)



My Rating:


I give A Terrible Love 3 Secretive, Suspenseful, and Sexy Stars.  It is pretty complex, has a lot of different characters, and elements in the story.  If you like stories that combine sexy love scenes, danger, surprises, everything not being as it seems, you might enjoy this story.  It was fast-paced, intriguing from the start, and I can't wait to read the companion novel A Brutal Tenderness, from yummy Cas' point of view!  I look forward to trying out more dark erotic romance by Marata Eros.








Purchase At:













About the Author:


Tamara Rose Blodgett is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of dark, romantic new adult novels, including A Terrible Love and its companion novel A Brutal Tenderness under the pen name Marata Eros. A passionate writer who loves interacting with her readers, Tamara lives in South Dakota with her husband.





Giveaway:


*Win a Copy of A Terrible Love by Marata Eros!


a Rafflecopter giveaway