Review: The Proposition by Jennifer Lyon

The Proposition (The Plus One Chronicles #1)

by Jennifer Lyon

Purchase Links: Amazon  Barnes & Noble

Blurb by Goodreads

Rich, sexy and volatile, Sloane Michaels has a dark agenda that keeps his heart on ice. His extreme wealth gives him the control he craves and his skills as an ex UFC fighter the tools he’ll need to extract his ultimate revenge. But when the woman he never believed he’d see again crosses his path, Sloane is caught between the vengeance he needs and a sexual conquest he craves.

Kat Thayne has been in survival mode for six years, hiding behind the sweet creations for her bakery. But when a random carjacking brings her face-to-face with her darkest fears and hottest fantasy, Kat is forced out of hiding and offered a dangerously passionate proposition. One she knows she isn’t strong enough to refuse.

Spoil Free Review

I am not going to lie I seriously have the hot's for the sexy tattoo, ex UFC fighter Sloane Michaels. He is caring, sweet with an alpha male attitude. His alpha male attitude is not over the top but he can be bit overly bossy at times but does know when to back down when it comes to Kat. Really Kat knows how to put him in his place to get him to take it down notch. Due to an incident from his past he has to always be in control of himself. He wants Kat and he wants her bad but due to a bad incident in her life she needs to learn to be a fighter.  He agrees to teach her to fight as long as she becomes his "Plus One" his bed buddy and that also means joining him for dinner events etc. They do not rush into the bed buddy part so quick as she has panic attacks due to a bad incident from her past and her last lover she was a basket case. Her panic attacks are not over the top just a fear in certain areas she needs to overcome. This is where his control really comes into play. While he is teaching her to defend herself it is making it harder and harder for both of them to keep their hands off each other. I love these steamy-cold shower-needed scenes especially when it comes to "Tap Out". 

The layers about their past is well done, paced out nicely through out the novel. The writing is smooth and everything from their first meeting to being interested in each other flow nicely. It does end in a semi cliffhanger but nothing that I was 'OMG I need the next novel now". But I do want more of Sloane and after reading this I already bought the next 2 in the series.  I enjoyed Jennifer Lyon writing style and to my surprise I have one of her paranormal novel Blood Magic (Wing Slayer Hunters #1) on my bookshelf. I also look forward to see how she writes in the paranormal department.

I got my copy free at amazon. Do not know how long it will be so if interested grab your copy now.  Highly recommend if looking for a well written contemporary romance. Amazon.

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ARC review (NA): True by Erin McCarthy

True (True Believers #1)

by Erin McCarthy

Publisher: Penguin Publishing

Blurb by Goodreads

When Rory Macintosh’s roommates find out that their studious and shy friend has never been with a guy, they decide that, as an act of kindness they’ll help her lose her virginity by hiring confident, tattooed bad boy Tyler Mann to do the job…unbeknownst to Rory.

Tyler knows he’s not good enough for Rory. She’s smart, doctor smart, while he’s barely scraping by at his EMT program, hoping to pull his younger brothers out of the hell their druggy mother has left them in. But he can’t resist taking up her roommates on an opportunity to get to know her better. There’s something about her honesty that keeps him coming back when he knows he shouldn’t…

Torn between common sense and desire, the two find themselves caught up in a passionate relationship. But when Tyler’s broken family threatens to destroy his future, and hers, Rory will need to decide whether to cut her ties to his risky world or follow her heart, no matter what the cost…

Spoil Free Review:

The blurb for True automatically caught my attention with  friends hiring a tattoo bad boy to help their friend Rory lose her virginity with out her knowing. To me this screamed lies and betrayal and usually with that kind of mixture get an intense read. To my disappointment that did not happen.

The books started off with me already disliking Rory and her girlfriends. The inner thoughts going through Rory head while almost getting raped and the fact that her girlfriends did not even go back to the dorm with her to comfort her was a big turn off. Before all this Rory annoyed to me no end with her negative inner thinking about herself and everything around her. I guess I should of known I was not going to like her friends I mean after all what kind of best friends would hire someone to take away another friend virginity. I get she is insecure and had almost everyone crap on her, whole entire life. But she did not grow with the novel.

Tyler was okay nothing to swoon over.  Yes he said the right things that were sweet but where was that tatted up bad boy. Yes he loved his brothers and tried his hardest to take care of them since their home life really sucked. Yes he is pierced down below and that is sexy but the outcome of the sex scenes were boring and nothing to get all hot and bothered about. Do not get me wrong I have read many NA novels that have somewhat lacked in the sex department but at least the sexual tension was hot enough or the plot execution was good to at least outcome the bad sexing. There was no build up or sexual tension.

As the story progress it dealt with a lot of real issues lies, betrayal, drug addiction, almost rape. But the outcome for all was rushed and unbelievable. I did not get to feel their pain and heart ache. I will admit I did feel a little for Tyler when he brought Rory home to deal with his drug addict mother. He did break my heart when he was trying to comfort his mom and the terrible things she said to his younger brother who has Down Syndrome, but then it was rushed.

I almost did not finish at 50% when Grant who almost rapes Rory wants to apologize and everyone is okay with it even Tyler. I was so disappointed by the outcome when Rory found out about her friends paying Tyler to sleep with her. Because of this I  needed to find out how, when and reactions were going to be like when Tyler finds out Rory knows. A another huge disappointment. The ending was also rushed.

True should of had some angst and drama with all the issues it had going on but the execution for all was poorly done. For me when reading a NA story that is going to have real issues I need the angst and drama that comes along with it,  sadly this series is not for me

Quote-Tastic: Branded By Fire by Nalini Singh

Quote-Tastic is a meme hold on Mondays by Herding Casts & Burning Soup.  Join them  every Monday and share a favorite quote that's grabbed ya for one reason or another.

One of my favorite for shifter novels is mix breeds. If done right you will be in for a good novel getting a Feline and Wolf. Nalini Singh nailed it with Mercy (Cat shifter) and Riley (Wolf Shifter) in Branded By Fire. They are one of my favorite book couples. Love their banter through out the novel.

Quote: 1

Fun Banter

 

“I don't need a mate,” she muttered, staring up at the bright circle of the early autumn moon. “But can't you send me a nice, sexy, strong male to dance with? Pretty please?” She hadn't had a lover for close to eight months now, and it was starting to hurt on every level. “He doesn't even have to be smart, just good between the sheets.” Good enough to unsnap the tension in her body, allow her to function again. Because sex wasn't simply about pleasure for a cat like her—it was about affection, about trust, about everything good. “Though right this second, I'd take plain old hot sex.”

That was when Riley walked out of the shadows. “Got an itch, kitty?” .......................................................................................

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“So what, you followed me hoping I’d lower my standards and sleep with a wolf?” She intentionally made “wolf” sound about as appetizing as “reptile.”

Riley’s jaw tightened under a shadow of stubble a shade darker than the deep chestnut of his hair. “You want to claw at me, kitty-cat? Come on.”

 

Her hands clenched. She really wasn’t this much of a bitch. But goddamn Riley had a way of lighting her fuse. “Sorry, I don’t beat defenseless puppies.”
 

He laughed. He actually laughed. She hissed at him. “What’s so funny?”

“We both know who’s the dominant here...and you’re not it.”

 

Quote: 2

Sexual Banter

 

A hand in her hair, wrenching back her head. "What's my name?"

She scratched trails down his back. He didn't even wince. "My name, kitty. Say my name."

"Mr. Mud Stick, Muddie for short," she said, even as she rubbed herself against the hard thrust of his denim-covered erection, the roughness of the fabric an exquisite sensation. She would've liked naked skin even more, but he wasn't budging.

"Say it, or no cock for you today."

Her mouth fell open. "Fuck you."

"You'll be doing that shortly.”  

 

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Book Info:

Branded by Fire (Psy-Changeling #6)  

by Nalini Singh

 

Blurb by Goodreads

 

Though DarkRiver sentinel Mercy is feeling the pressure to mate, she savagely resists when Riley Kincaid, a lieutenant from the SnowDancer pack, tries to possess her. The problem is not simply that he pushes her buttons; the problem is that he’s a wolf, she’s a cat, and they’re both used to being on top.

But when a brilliant changeling researcher is kidnapped from DarkRiver territory, Mercy and Riley must work together to track the young man—before his shadowy captors decide he’s no longer useful. Along the way, the two dominants may find that submitting to one another uncovers not just a deadly conspiracy, but a passion so raw that it’ll leave them both branded by fire…