#BookReview The Dark and Other Love Stories by Deborah Willis

Deborah Willis has crafted one lovely group of stories in The Dark and Other Love Stories.

This collection is full of humor and intriguing content. No, seriously. I was thoroughly impressed by not only Deborah’s incredible writing style but the imagination behind these stories. Some of them were just wild! The weirdest yet most interesting was a girl falling in love with a man who wants her to be a bird. Like… what? How does one come up with THAT idea? Impressive.

My favourite was the story about a woman going behind her boyfriend’s back and trying to go to Mars. It was funny and yet really moving. My heart ached for the poor man as we watched the scenario unfold. But my gosh, so good! It’s hard to get emotions like that for a book!

I would highly recommend this book. Not only is it not your typical anthology full of love stories and dark and twisted humor, but it’s also just really well written. Deborah has a real talent and it’d be a waste for this book not to find a bigger audience (also, she’s Canadian. ReprIndigoesent!).

I do think this book may fit into a niche category for some readers, since it’s not purely about love and romance. This book is not a romance book, it is a contemporary novel written with love themes. That being said, if you go into it understanding that this isn’t a romance novel and it’s purely based on theming and creative stories, you’ll love it. I sure did! I thought it was a fun ride and I’d love to pick up more by Deborah in the future.

Overall, I’m thoroughly impressed by this book. I will continue to recommend it until my dying days, because it’s a real, secret, Canadian gem!

Four out of five stars!

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

 

Add this book to your TBR:
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Your TBR still need some love and affection? Pack it on with these delightful reads:
#BookReview The Heirs by Fran Hawthorne
#BookReview The Perfect Fit by Mary Jayne Baker
#BookReview Law and Addiction by Mike Papantonio

 

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#BookReview Michael James by Lisa Andrew

If you’re looking for a hot erotica that will leave you steaming up your house, pick this book up!

Michael James is a purely hot erotica following the Queen and her husband Michael James. The Queen is a CEO and she just got back with her husband, another prominent business figure with intriguing tastes. They have a Dom-Sub relationship, and tend to get into very naughty scenarios. This relationship isn’t easy, especially with Michael spying on his wife and her escapades. Michael is having some issues in the sex department (erectile dysfunction) which is causing problems in their open relationship.

This book is about domination and control in a celebrity like marriage. The couple explore various kinks and constantly tease each other. Michael crosses some lines, which the Queen is none to happy about, but they eventually get back to getting hot and heavy with each other. Boundaries are pushed and pulled and rubbed and everything in between. But there are secrets in this relationship too, which slowly unfold over the course of the book.

There’s lots of aggression in this book, and thankfully Lisa Andrew put a little disclaimer at the beginning of the book about consensual sex. People need to realize this is a work of fiction and for people’s fantasies, and it is not recommending being mean to your spouse and flogging them because you had a bad day. To add to the realness, there is sex therapy and the two deal with their problems.

This book is going to be in a niche market – you need to like erotica and BDSM relationships in books to enjoy it. I’m not the biggest fan of BDSM anymore, but I can totally appreciate it for what it is and shout to the hills that you need to read this book if you love erotica. It’s a lot more sex than plot, but that’s what some readers desire.

Overall, this book is a pure fantasy for erotical overs. I’d highly recommend it if you’re looking to add another erotica to your TBR shelf. Lisa Andrew has crafted a wickedly wild book!

Four out of five stars.

I received this book for free from the author, Lisa Andrew, in exchange of an honest review.

 

Check out this book on:
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Amazon.ca
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Find out more about the author, Lisa Andrew, on:
Goodreads Author Page
http://www.lisaandrewerotica.wordpress.com/
Twitter – @thewife101

 

If you love erotica, you might enjoy these books too:
#BookReview At Mother’s Command by Kay Brandt
#BookReview For Her Own Good by Tamsen Parker
#BookReview Safe Landings by Kay Brandt

 

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#BookReview Naked 2 by Kay Brandt

Oh boy, they’re back!

Cadence has a chance to go back on the naked survival show that she survived last time around. She’s very tempted, especially since there seems to be something between her and Jackson, but her boyfriend and job might be left behind. Chris, her boyfriend, isn’t too comfortable with Jackson and Cadence’s closeness from the previous time around which makes this more difficult.

This book is a great sequel in this series, and it leaves me grasping for more. I’m truly intrigued if they will go back for the show or if something more will develop between Jackson and Cadence. It left on a bit of a cliffhanger though, which is going to drive me mad! I am so invested in these characters and I need to know what’s going to happen! That only happens when you’ve got some good quality writing, so kudos to Kay. Either way, I’m one hundred percent going to be sitting around and waiting for book three! Gimme more, to quote Britney Spears.

Kay is great at writing sexy erotica scenes, and this book is no different. The book is littered with erotic sex that will make you melt in your seat. Add in there’s a great plot that makes it not just a book of sex and you’ve got a real winner! This is how erotica should be – a great story to pull you in and some super hot scenes to keep you hanging on.

Four out of five stars!

I received a free copy of this book from the author, Kay Brandt, in exchange of an honest review.

 

Pick up this book on:
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Amazon.ca
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You can find out more about Kay Brandt on:
Goodreads Author Page
Amazon Author Page
Twitter – @MsKayBrandt

Here’s some other books by Kay Brandt featured on my blog. If you liked this book or review, you’ll love them too:
#BookReview Hotwives and their Dirty Desires by Kay Brandt
#BookReview At Mother’s Command by Kay Brandt
#BookReview At Mother’s Command 2 by Kay Brandt
#BookReview Safe Landings by Kay Brandt
#BookReview Naked by Kay Brandt

 

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#BookReview Seeing Colour by Amber Faucher

If you’re seeking a fun and flirty romantic comedy, then Seeing Colour is the perfect fit!

Welcome to Scotland! Evie, a young adult from good ol’ Alberta, Canada, packs her things and moves to Scotland as a bit of a rebellion against her troubles. She’s an Optician (a person who makes the lenses for glasses), and manages to find a job working for an Optometrist named Mara, and with a sexy Scot named Connie. Did I mention that she manages to hook up with Connie on night one without knowing he was her co-worker? Oh yeah, it’s awkward. And it looks like Mara and Connie are or were married? Just great! Things are getting better! Her luggage gets lost, her new living arrangements fall flat and life just seems to be giving her the book.

But don’t worry! Her internet bestie has her back, Connie is the hottest Gaelic man you’d ever see and Scotland is… well, Scotland! It’s super cool! But, things are only going to get more confusing, dramatic, funny and romantic along the way…

This book was such a fun ride! It has comedy, romance and drama all laced throughout the book. It’s hard to believe this is Amber’s first published novel because it’s so good it seems like she’s been doing this forever! I seriously need more books from Amber ASAP!

So, why did I like it?
1. There is nothing hotter than a man asking if he can have you. Go Connie for being decent!
2. “Gaelic god” kept autocorrecting to garlic god in my notes, and I kept laughing at myself and kinda wishing he would have been Italian or a vampire instead for a really funny joke in my review.
3. LGBT friendly! Yay! I won’t give it away, or else it ruins the book!
4. The ending was surprising! It was the kind of plot twist I had thought I saw coming, but was still surprised by it nonetheless! There were really two fun twists to follow, but I won’t tell you which one surprised me more. Comment or message me to find out which!

My only negative about the book was Mara. I wasn’t entirely sure if she was supposed to be a sympathetic bad guy, if she was just mean, or if she was doing everything out of the kindness of her heart. We don’t see her side of things often, so it’s hard to tell. I’m an analytical person, I like knowing these things!

Regardless, I love this book! I highly recommend it to those who want a romantic comedy on their TBR. It’s sugary sweet, sitcom level funny and by an indie author! Support the Indies! Insert joke about Indiana Jones here….

Five out of five stars!

I received a free copy of this book from the author, Amber Faucher, in exchange of an honest review.

Side note: The cute picture Amber drew in my book gives it a sixth star. IT WAS SO CUTE! Personalized books always make it on my office shelf! I can’t wait to show it off! ❤

 

You can find this book on:
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Kobo
B&N
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com

Check out Amber Faucher on:
Goodreads Author Page
Facebook Page
Twitter @FaucherAmber

If you love romance and comedies, check out these other reviews recently featured on my blog:
#BookReview After the Sack by Savannah Adams
#BookReview Barefoot Beach by Debbie Mason
#BookReview The Perfect Fit by Mary Jayne Baker

 

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#BookReview Donut Disturb by Melissa Williams

Donut Disturb is an absolutely delightful romantic comedy by Melissa Williams!

This book is sugary sweet, absolutely adorable and utterly cute! I always love a good romantic comedy, but this one just hits the spot.

We follow Cassidy Daniels, a Torontonian baker at Bake, Rattle and Roll. She owns the place with her brother and works mighty hard to make donuts there, while her brother specializes in cupcakes. She runs into Baxter DeCavhalo at the grocery store and then finds out he is her next door neighbour. How did she find this out? He basically broke in while she was blasting her music and baking donuts. The following budding friendship and romance is fun, thrilling and romantic! There’s Tangled frying pan to the face vibes, MMA fighting, a thrilling side plot and some hot sex scenes littered throughout this book.

I can relate to Cassidy. She’s a hard working woman who would die for her craft. She’s stubborn, intelligent and knows it’s hard to find a good guy sometimes.

But… be warned… this book will 100% make you hungry. The donuts sound AMAZING. It’s super not fair that Melissa would torture us with such marvellous descriptions of food. It’s truly cruel.

I love this book! It was a fun yet quick read that made me remember why I love romantic comedies so much. Melissa Williams has created a wonderful book and I can’t wait to grab more by her! I would highly recommend picking this book up if you want a fun and light read, love romantic comedies, or want to expand your TBR to include some more indie authors.

Five out of five stars!

I received a free copy of this book from the author, Melissa Williams, in exchange of an honest review.

 

Check out this book on:
Goodreads
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com
Kobo
B&N

You can find Melissa on:
Goodreads Author Page
Twitter – @ReadMel6

If you’re looking for more romance to add to your TBR, here are some other books recently featured on my blog that you’ll love:
#BookReview After the Sack by Savannah Adams
#BookReview The Perfect Fit by Mary Jayne Baker
#BookReview Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead

Give me a shout out on Twitter if you read this review! #briarsreviews @ReviewAlholic

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#BookReview Love, All by Tamsen Parker

It’s that time again… I get to read another book by my fave! Tamsen Parker’s writing style has always vibed with me in a way I cannot understand. Whatever jedi mind tricks she is playing, I’m totally into it.

I managed to buy this beauty a while ago but lost it among my kindle library (what do you expect, Bookbub these days is killing me with those freebies). I marked it down on my TBR because I HAD to read it. I couldn’t not read a beautiful, little romance by my fave. So yes, I am 100% biased in my review. Beware!

Nate is an engineer who is also a tennis instructor (we’ve already got a winner folks), and he stumbles upon Ruby, who is a single mom looking for a good time. At first, this seemed like an easy one night stand sort of deal, but things get steamier. Ruby doesn’t want anymore time with him, but Nate is head over heels and wants some more!

The chemistry in this book is ON FIRE (totally a pun in reference to another Tamsen book, just saying). I totally loved the relationship between these characters and how Ruby’s daughter perfectly fit into the situation as well. Chloe was actually quite spunky and funny, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My biggest negative was I wish there was a little bit more. I understand this book was not meant to be very long, but I wanted to see their relationship grow and change just a bit more. Maybe two or three more chapters? The issues were fixed quite quickly for my tastes. Other than that, I think they were quite the pair! Not perfectly matched right away, but they totally grow on you.

Honestly, I adored this book. If you’re looking for a quick read where a relationship builds hot and fast yet actually faces real issues, grab this book! It’s super sweet and worth the read.

Five out of five stars.

 

Check out this fabulous book on:
Goodreads
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com

 

You can find more books by Tamsen Parker littered throughout my blog. Give one of these reviews/books a try:
#BookReview If I Loved You Less by Tamsen Parker
#BookReview For Her Own Good by Tamsen Parker
#BookReview Hot for the Holidays by Marie Force, Tamsen Parker et. al

 

Find out more about my fave author, Tamsen Parker, on:
Goodreads
http://www.tamsenparker.com/
Twitter – @tamsenparker

 

Give me a shout out on Twitter if you read this review! #briarsreviews @ReviewAlholic

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#BookReview Love Comes for the Rock Star by Savannah Adams

Love Comes for the Rock Star is another fabulous addition to the Magnolia Grove romance series by Savannah Adams!

This series is absolutely my guilty pleasure series. I sink into these books and am whisked away into a beautiful, romantic world. I couldn’t put the book down and totally binged the whole thing, all the while making notes of the cutesy things that happened along the way!

This time around we have Rick Miller, rock star extraordinaire who just wants some time away from the spotlight, and Macy Cooper, a music teacher and conductor who just wants her students to succeed. These guys met back in vacation bible school when Rick pulled the cute little Macy’s hair and ran away – over and over and over. Flash forward twenty years, and these two soulmates bump into each other… and as it is said, the rest is history.

There are so many amazing things about this book, but let’s just settle on a few of my personal faves:

1. Star Wars themes for ringtones? YES PLEASE! My inner nerd got so thrilled! The Imperial March from Empire Strikes Back and The Darth Vader theme? Heck yes!

2. I thoroughly enjoyed thinking that Rick was strutting around like Mick Jagger on stage. That had me giggling.

3. “Smart aleckey” – I thought I was the only one to use this kind of lingo? Apparently I am not!

4. Music teacher + Rock Star = Love? It’s just too darn adorable.

5. The connections to the other stories was super sweet. Thankfully, these books can be read as a standalone. It’s more of an easter egg than a necessary evil to read the other books. You can understand these easily without any prior information.

Overall, this book was just amazing! I’m so glad I picked up another book in this series. I hope it continues so I can binge more, and I hope that many other readers come to read and love this series just as much as I do!

Five out of five stars!

Thank you to Savannah Adams for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

You can find this book on:
Goodreads
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com

Find out more about Savannah Adams:
https://www.savannahadams.com/
Twitter @HEA_Romance
Goodreads

Here’s a review I did for the other books in this lovely, little series!!
#BookReview Love Comes for the Bodyguard by Savannah Adams
#BookReview Love Comes for the Army Ranger by Savannah Adams

 

Give me a shout out on Twitter if you read this review! #briarsreviews @ReviewAlholic

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#BookReview Love Comes for the Army Ranger by Savannah Adams

Yet again, Savannah Adams has crafted a beautiful, little, love story that will set your heart on fire.

This series is totally in my obsession list. I can’t get enough of the characters and the sweet relationships that are built among them. Not only are we introduced to new characters, but we get to see our faves from the last book as well! Tyler and Brianna make an appearance as Chase and Lori steal the show!

Chase is a veteran who lost his leg in Afghanistan. Him and his dog Bear are back in town, and lucky him gets to see his sister Brianna marry Tyler. Little did he know that his dog would bring him back with the girl of his dreams… Lori the veterinarian. Lori is still hurting from the loss of her husband, and has a piece of her past that haunts her. Meanwhile, Chase is dealing with PTSD due to his incident in Afghanistan. These two are made for each other, but will they end up with each other?

This book is under 200 pages and it just flies by. It’s super sweet and totally addicting, to the point I binged it in one sitting and wanted to continue on with the series (but I held back, because I want to savour the taste of these delicious books).

Also, Bear the dog is super cute. Seriously, animals are so sweet. Bonus points for the pups! And kitties!

I really like the dynamic between these two characters. They have difficulties and their own pasts but they come together and learn to accept each other. Over the course of this book, we get to watch the characters develop and change, and it’s really miraculous. To top it off, the romance is super, duper sweet and totally PG. This is almost the perfect New Adult romance that wants a little more adult relationship but not R rated content.

Overall, this second chance, HEA romance is exactly what I needed in my life right now. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a sweet romance, wants a quick and addicting read, and doesn’t want to jump into erotica.

Five out of five stars!

Thank you to the author, Savannah Adams, for giving me a copy of this book to review in exchange of an honest review.

 

Check out this book on:
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com
Goodreads

Find out more about Savannah Adams:
https://www.savannahadams.com/
Twitter @HEA_Romance
Goodreads

Here’s a review I did for the first book in this lovely, little series!!
#BookReview Love Comes for the Bodyguard by Savannah Adams

 

If you love romance books, here’s some other reviews and books featured on my blog that you might enjoy:
#BookReview The Perfect Fit by Mary Jayne Baker
#BookReview Prisoner of the Highlander by Kate Robbins
#BookReview Chain Reaction by Tara Wyatt

 

Give me a shout out on Twitter if you read this review! #briarsreviews @ReviewAlholic

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#BookReview Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead

Hot diggity dang, I love this book!

Richelle Mead was one of my many high school guilty pleasures. I’d sneak off to read Vampire Academy over and over without a second thought. I always knew I wanted to read this series but it either continually slipped my mind or my local bookstores would sell out (and online bookstores wouldn’t have it available). So, I finally caved and remembered this book existed when I found book #4 at a local charity book sale. I bought this book full price (which is SUPER rare for me, I’m a deal hunter) and I do not regret it in the least! Especially since I am already hooked on this series. AND, I just ordered the second book FULL PRICE. Yes, ladies & gentlemen, I love this series so much already I’m buying the books FULL PRICE.

So, off to the review races:

Georgina Kincaid is a succubus. You know, the types of mythical creatures that lure men in with sex and intrigue. She’s sassy, a total book nerd and is totally the type of character I want to read about. She does have her flaws, her food source is energy from humans, but who doesn’t?

So, we meet Ms. Kincaid as she works at her local bookstore and learn that she is TOTALLY OBSESSED with Seth Mortensen (an author of her favourite book series that kind of sounds like Bones but sexier). One day, a man comes into the bookstore and she begins to rave about how she would totally be Seth’s book slave. And, wouldn’t you know it, SHE SAID IT TO SETH.

My gosh, I already was giggling because I totally saw it coming BUT IT WAS STILL FUNNY.

To keep moving along the plot: There is also many other immortal creatures hanging around – vampires, angels, demons, etc. Some of these are her friends, some are her bosses and some are just strangers on the street. Humans don’t know about them though, so SHHHH. Everyone seems to live in perfect harmony…. you know, until they don’t. Suddenly immortal creatures are dying and Georgina is pulled into the turmoil of figuring out who, what, why, when and how.

Meanwhile, Georgina is kinda into Seth but a hot guy Roman also comes into her life and chases her around the city. She eventually gives in, because he’s hot, and they dance (literally and sexually).

This book is absolutely marvelous for me as a reader. I totally dig Richelle’s writing style and tone, her books move at a relatively fast pace, and they are funny AND romantic AND sexy. This style might not be for everyone, but it is totally for me!

I could see some of the plot twists from a mile away, but I didn’t come to this book for some Dan Brown style mystery. I came for the love triangle, the sassiness and the fantasy. It felt like Vampire Academy but 18+, meaning more sex, more adult-like themes but all the drama and intrigue the YA universe gave me.

Is there negatives? Absolutely!
Georgina made some poor drinking decisions, couldn’t see some of the bad guys (even though it was painfully obvious) and has a bit of a ‘poor me’ complex. It’s been centuries since you’ve been in love darling, get over the mistakes you made and LIVE.

Other notes: for Georgina being a succubus who has sex with lots of men, this book is not the erotica you might think it’d be. It seriously felt like a good mix of New Adult and Adult romance novels. It’s more romantic comedy with fantasy than erotica.

Overall, I love this book. It was a fun ride that let me enjoy it. As long as you don’t take this book seriously, you’ll enjoy the ride to. I’d highly recommend it to any Richelle Mead fans (especially Vampire Academy fans).

Five out of five stars!

 

Check out this book on:
Amazon.ca
Goodreads
Kobo
Indigo

Love fantasy? Here’s some other books you might like to!
#BookReview Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey
#BookReview Scarlett by Marissa Meyer
#BookReview Avalon Hall by Ruth Miranda

 

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#BookReview Barefoot Beach by Debbie Mason

Barefoot Beach by Debbie Mason is a lovely romance novel filled with suspense, a sexy firefighter and one headstrong female lead.

I honestly wish I had read the full series before I got to this book. Even though it works as a stand alone, I felt like I wanted to know more of the background story. For one, there’s a ghost in this story that made me really want to know how the supernatural made it into this book. There’s also so many other romances that are hinted at that I would have love to see come together. Either way, the book is still good but I highly suggest reading the full series to make it to this book.

Theia and Marco are the two leads – a headstrong pilot who finds out more about herself in this journey and a sexy firefighter who does not want to have his family play matchmaker for him. Well, turns out that whole matchmaking idea is thrown out of the window when he meets Theia. We learn a fair bit about Marco’s ex in this story too, which had me wondering if there was a previous book about her.

The duo definitely have a sexy, slow burn romance story. When we do get to the romance, it’s pretty darn hot and suggestive. It honestly felt like the best of both worlds for me – I like slow burn where their relationship builds over time but I also love the sexy and steamy romances. Also, they weren’t the “typical” couple (let’s be honest though, this type of couple is becoming more common…) where he doesn’t want a relationship and she is headstrong, secure with her life and doesn’t need no man. Well, until they meet each other and spend a lot of time with each other. But who doesn’t want a sexy firefighter/paramedic with rock hard abs, amazing cooking skills and a sweet heart?

There’s also this fun “side story” with Theia being related to one of the major families of this series. I’m sure there’s a lot more to this story line throughout the series, especially with the whole ghost thing, but I found it interesting. It’s something I would have loved to know the back story for. The book does give you enough information to get along though.

Overall, this book is full of fun banter and witty comments. I really enjoyed this novel and hope to read more in this series. Debbie knows how to make an entertaining romance book that moves fast enough to keep you interested but slow (burn) enough to leave you grasping onto the novel.

Four out of five stars!

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

 

You can find this book on:
Amazon.ca
Indigo
Kobo

 

Here’s some other books you might enjoy if you love Barefoot Beach:
Book Review: Happy Ever After in Christmas by Debbie Mason
#BookReview More Than a Feeling by Sara Richardson
#BookReview For Her Own Good by Tamsen Parker

Check me out on:

Twitter: Briar’s Reviews – @ReviewAlholic #briarsreviews

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