I’m glad I didn’t look at the ratings on this one first! Bad Reputation by Emma Barry a (very) slow burn, loRomance on a historical romance film set.
I’m glad I didn’t look at the ratings on this one first! Bad Reputation by Emma Barry a (very) slow burn, low spice friends to lovers story about two really good humans. It’s mostly about starting over and redemption and standing up for yourself and for your sense of what’s right.
I loved the insider’s view of a historical romance TV show’s production. It felt authentic, except maybe everyone was too nice. I believed I was there.
Barry gets other things right, too: She writes about what it’s like to be a former child star signing posters at a fan convention 20 years later, understanding the fan PoV but also his ambivalence about the early part of his career when he was a teen and got famous too fast. She tells the story of a great drama teacher who is accused of corrupting her students and loses her job. Those are the two points at which the story begins and they both felt spot on.
Most of the story, tho, is how the filming of the show helps them find themselves and each other. I had never heard of an intimacy coordinator, and it was fascinating to see how the tv show’s sex scenes were negotiated and choreographed.
Cole is an absolute sweetheart and we get to watch Maggie bloom and gain confidence in her new role on the set. They’re both calm, articulate, mature people who can’t act on their attraction for most of the book.
Great stuff. Ivy is a powerful witch but cannot cure her sister’s advanced cancer. As a last resort she makes a deal with the Incubus Silas Grey, a plGreat stuff. Ivy is a powerful witch but cannot cure her sister’s advanced cancer. As a last resort she makes a deal with the Incubus Silas Grey, a pleasure Dom, to be his primary food source.
He doesn’t realize he needs her powers too.
I read it on KU but liked it so much I bought it....more
“‘Come here, beautiful,’ I say. My tone is a caress, but the command in my words is unmistakable.”
Oh loHart is a master of the language of seduction.
“‘Come here, beautiful,’ I say. My tone is a caress, but the command in my words is unmistakable.”
Oh lort what a book.
Most notably? Well, aside from vivid characters you will fall hard for, it’s the intensity of the irreverent British dirty talk (holy cow), and the ridiculous chemistry that Adam and Nat have. Few authors can capture the intoxicating language of seduction so well. It’s off the charts.
In their first crash together at the club I basically highlighted the whole thing (39 highlights), it was as that good.
The ragged breathing. How moments together are gifts.
The other thing about Elodie Hart is that she is as much a master of the language of luxury as she is of seduction. The rooms, the buildings, the clothing, the art. Read the scene where Adam schmoozes one of Nat’s suppliers and you’ll see an author absolutely nailing the art of the business hustle. In the afterword Hart reveals that she herself ran a small fashion house. The first-hand experience in the fashion biz shows.
Honestly, it’s one of my biggest pet peeves about “millionaire” romances, that what counts as luxury is so cliché and boring. We always hear about the watch, the Lamborghini, the multiple mansions, the servants, and the bespoke suits. I get that’s it’s as much a fantasy world as the regency romances where every guy is a duke, but give me some depth here. First, describe this world with rich, knowing details, then give me something anguished but believable to balance out the excess. Or maybe just self aware cheeky humor.
“‘You know what would be awful?’ she muses. ‘If your staff forgot to fold the end of your loo roll into that little triangle one day. Can you imagine if you had to hunt for the end of the paper all by yourself? God knows what those lost two or three seconds of your time would cost the British economy.’”
As funny and filthy Unbind is, Elodie also understands the language of tragedy and absolution, and how people learn to forgive themselves and others. There’s an emotional honesty here that makes her stories all the more irresistible.
This book is now my favorite of an already terrific series.
Nicknames for Adam’s equipment: Empire State Building, Loch Ness Monster, ohmyohmygod, and my new favorite dildo. Also, his “tent” is the size of a wedding marquee. Heh....more
If I could give it more stars I would. I saved 33 highlights, y’all.
This was a terrific read from a new-to-me author, and one of my best of the year.If I could give it more stars I would. I saved 33 highlights, y’all.
This was a terrific read from a new-to-me author, and one of my best of the year. I loved how emotionally intelligent and irrepressible April is. Liam “will it fit” Gunn does his billionaire alpha thing and his growing respect for her is his undoing.
The dirty talk is filthy and gorgeous and never cliché, and April and Liam’s chemistry is intense from the very start. By the end, their love scenes are both raunchy and deeply romantic, which is a tough thing to pull off.
What to expect: —Liam is an unapologetic BDE alpha; the “little girl” talk isn’t constant and seemed to me to be playful (wink wink) and not demeaning. —April sees him clearly and doesn’t hesitate to push back when he crosses one of her boundaries. —The author never undermines April’s professionalism. Her sense of herself and fierce protectiveness of her career is so so welcome. You can see why she’s the youngest in her field. —Found family of the best kind. —A bestie who is a genuinely hilarious and someone I *must* have more of. —Millionaire trope without the worst of the clichés. He doesn’t surprise her with a complete wardrobe, for example. He knows her too well. —The consent is always enthusiastic and always adds to the heat of the scene. —Did I say it’s funny?
Shorter version of review: I may have your next favorite book. Especially if you love alpha BDE, books where he’s the match and she’s the fuel, probably the best dirty talk you’ve ever read, characters that can actually articulate how they feel, a FMC who knows who she is and pushes back when he crosses one of her boundaries, secondary characters you MUST have more of, and copious over the top bedroom (car, wall, closet, office) scenes. Highly recommended....more
Highly recommended if you love romance with some kink; the (S&M) love scenes are both tender and intense.
I expected the high heat but not the cheekinHighly recommended if you love romance with some kink; the (S&M) love scenes are both tender and intense.
I expected the high heat but not the cheekiness or how fun it would be to watch Eddie and Jeff discover each other. Their growing love and Jeff’s bi-awakening seem as honest and authentic as the S&M way they crash together. The spice is real; the S&M is loving but it is *not* soft-pedaled. The lovers have these really great conversations about coming out as bi in a gay relationship vs coming out as a couple who enjoy giving/receiving pain.
So this one was a welcome surprise. Or maybe I just need to read more gay kink romances ...more
“That’s right. Every thought, every breath, every heartbeat, every pulse of blood, every whisper, every sigh, every gasp of pain, every moment belongs“That’s right. Every thought, every breath, every heartbeat, every pulse of blood, every whisper, every sigh, every gasp of pain, every moment belongs to me. I’m pushing you to the place where negative thoughts don’t have any hold on you and you are exactly as you were meant to be. So you will let me do this. To you. For you.” He paused. “And for me.”
Lorelei James’ Bound is wonderfully intense and erotic. Jujitsu Master Ronin is a potent and compelling lover, a sensual Shibari master who is more about exquisite rope work and tactile control than pain. Picture a stern praise Dom who makes your willing body a part of his art: that’s Ronin.
Amery, a struggling graphic designer, is swept away, but behind the excitement fears start sneaking in. It’s clear that Ronin is totally gone on her, but what’s behind the mask that he still wears? What secrets does Ronin’s demand for privacy hide? Does the violence he’s mastered come from dark source?
I loved everything about Bound, and look forward to reading its second half. Yes, there’s a bit of a cliffhanger. ...more
Oh Alastair. My cold hard kinky heart just melted.
I dare you to read this and not fall in love with a Mothman.
Alastair is not the terrifying cryptidOh Alastair. My cold hard kinky heart just melted.
I dare you to read this and not fall in love with a Mothman.
Alastair is not the terrifying cryptid you normally meet in books and movies. What I adore most about this book is how Winters re-imagines what a Mothman could be like. Shy, dorky, awkward, persnickety, loving, and an expert on pollinating apple trees. Pollinating. Right?
Its details like the fact that he leaves powdery pearlescent scales from his wings everywhere, or that he appreciates a “really good” lamp, or that he hates bugs. “I’m not an insect, it’s called divergent evolution.”
Lilith (she’s elvish) was never put off by his exoskeleton or claw-like hands, in fact she loves his feathery ruff and thinks his antennae are adorable. There’s such a diversity of creatures in Winters’ Boundlands world that it’s no big deal. Alastair is just himself.
For those wondering, Alastair’s male bits are spectacular and lovingly described. And enjoyed enthusiastically.
Live, Laugh, Lurk is going to be one of my favorite books of the year. My only complaint is that it’s too short.
Highly recommended to anyone, even readers who think they’re squeamish about insectoid lovers. By the end you will want your own Alastair too.
Is there such a thing as cinnamon roll Dominants? Why yes ma’am, there are.
To my complete surprise (I usually stay away from westerns), I’ve fallen iIs there such a thing as cinnamon roll Dominants? Why yes ma’am, there are.
To my complete surprise (I usually stay away from westerns), I’ve fallen in love with Lorelei James’ Rough Riders series. Centered on the McKay family of Wyoming ranchers, the guys are all bedroom Dominants. Some are kinkier than others. The women are hold their own and come from many walks of life. They’re all articulate women who know what they do and don’t want, and don’t feel stereotyped. Most are MF but there are also MMF and MMMF groups.
What I love: humor, kink, praise, coaxing, sweet talk, dirty talk, colloquial language, inclusion of strongly-written gay love, mature (older) characters, and the setting....more
It’s like a BDSM Cinderella story. What happens when Christiana, an engineer for Caltrans, stumbles upon a posh clandestine 3-night-only kink club. ShIt’s like a BDSM Cinderella story. What happens when Christiana, an engineer for Caltrans, stumbles upon a posh clandestine 3-night-only kink club. She’s fascinated by the whole dynamic of the club, is mistaken for a bonafide visitor, and given clothes. Once on the floor she is noticed by one of the Masters who sensually tortures her and sweeps her off her feet for the three nights that the club exists.
He’s ready to offer her the world but she knows she must disappear because she doesn’t belong with people with obscene amounts of money. ...more
If reading about shibari gives you a thrill, you love stories about second chances, and you think having an experienced Dom who pines for you is the bIf reading about shibari gives you a thrill, you love stories about second chances, and you think having an experienced Dom who pines for you is the best thing ever, then this is the book for you. (I’m yes, yes, and YES, in case you couldn’t tell.)
Kaye is another new author for me, and I’ll definitely be reading more. ...more
If you read monster romance you know that prehensile tails, multiple shafts, and coiled serpentine embraces are a thing. If youI am SO here for Asan.
If you read monster romance you know that prehensile tails, multiple shafts, and coiled serpentine embraces are a thing. If you’re not squeamish, the fantasy is obvious.
Fae’s Guarded by the Snake is, well, gripping, and monstrously sexy. Asan and Kim have such delicious chemistry and the writing is so good that this book rises above most of the rest of the other snakey romances. I especially appreciate how Fae avoids so many of the monster relationship cliches, like “you were made for me.” Clearly Kim wasn’t, but with care and praise and excellent dirty talk Kim and Asan make it work.
“Just an inch, sweetheart. What’s an inch?”
Sure, you might read it for the monster sex, but you’ll also be swept into a great story too....more
Seriously, read the warnings. If anything they understate what a sexual wildfire of a book this is.
“You’re hurting me,” I pa“Make me feel something.”
Seriously, read the warnings. If anything they understate what a sexual wildfire of a book this is.
“You’re hurting me,” I pant. Our eyes lock. “I know, redbird,” he says.
Have you read Adderly’s Bass Ackwards? This book is a high protocol BDSM Montana ranch version of it, with all of the coercion and dubious consent and more. There’s murder, revenge and an even more twisted, possessive, emotionally unavailable hero. Keira is his “redbird,” a bright spot of color in the winter, and a symbol of hope.
“Interesting contract,” I say. “What’s free use?”
The whole book is structured to create an ominous sense of isolation. No internet, no TV, no neighbors, no parents or family. Just the ranch house and the harsh vastness of the Montana wilderness. You only meet the ranch’s property manager and the housekeeper and rarely any of the ranch hands or household staff. And his relationship contract with her: free use, weekly “maintenance” spankings, collars, etc. Will his control snap? Will he destroy her? Break her heart? Betray the weird trust they develop between each other?
Sovereign is her wildfire and she is his phoenix, a bird destroyed and reborn by his flames.
CW for stalking, noncon, dubcon, and sadism....more
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