Spencer’s Chance by Dominique Eastwick

Spencer’s Chance
By: Dominique Eastwick
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Published: October 22, 2015
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: Novel
Heat Level: Spicy
Reviewer: Toni
Date: November 2, 2015

 

Spencer Sherman knows how to run a billion dollar business; he understands his employees, and the market around him. But he has lost his way when it comes to love and family. With a rift with his younger brother and unrequited love of his sister in law, Spencer has taken a wrong turn somewhere and it just so happens it might lead him to his heart’s desire.

Chance McKinney is content with her simple life. She is adored by her family and friends and no one can turn down her apple pies. Yet being the friend has worn thin and this virgin doesn’t see anything in the area that will change things. Until a tall, gorgeous stranger walks into her shop and turns everything she once thought on its head.

Can two people from different worlds find the love they both desperately crave or will mistakes from the past prove too much to overcome?

Since the beginning of this fabulous series I have wanted Spencer’s story. Finally it has been told and I’m not quite sure how I feel about it.

Spencer screwed the pooch in book two of the Spencer Family series, Tony’s Haven. While his heart was in the right place, his act of trying to capture his brother’s love interest, Haven, it pretty much blew up magnificently in his face. He lost the girl and he lost his brother with one act of what he saw as kindness and misplaced love.

Chance is a woman known around town for her baking. Well her baking skills and her unselfish heart. Her friends and family come first and she will sacrifice her own happiness for them. She doesn’t even see what she is doing, because at the end of the day she is happy in her life.

Spencer stumbles upon Chance accidentally. Upon first glance, he is intrigued by Chance. By his first taste of her apple turnover, he wants a taste of her. By their first date, he knows that he has been given a second chance at love.

So why am I so unsure how I feel about Spencer’s Chance? I can't quite put my finger on it and that is why it took so long to write this review.  It's a very cute love story, but it gave off a kinda of teddy bear stalker feel to me. What could I possibly mean by “teddy bear stalker”? Well, I can’t really say without giving a bit of the story line away. Let’s just say, you got this big beautiful man who suddenly wants you, will do anything to have you and isn’t afraid to tell you. Screw the consequences. It basically had me flashing back to his brother’s story, the one that started this whole Tony-Haven-Spencer triangle. I didn’t feel like he learned from his past mistakes and that he jumped on the first girl that….Nope I can’t say, it will give it away.

I still love, love, love Spencer and I adored Chance and found her fabulous, but I wanted more for Spencer. He has been through hell. His heart was stomped on. He had become enemy number one and he had lost friends and family because of what he did. Not to mention he had to constantly put on a smiley face around the happy couple. My boy deserved more, more, more dammit.

That being said, I’m so very happy he found Chance. She was actually perfect for him and there lies my confusion. I was disappointed in the behind the scenes story line. It gave off a needy feeling, but I still loved her for him. The story line did complete the loose ends from several stories ago, but it felt borrowed to me. Ms. Eastwick had big shoes to fill, because I fell so hard for Spencer. She still wrote a wonderful story and after a second read through I liked it even more, but not as well loved as prior installments.

No more dwelling. Now bring on the Trent. I’m feeling good about the next story. Don’t leave a girl hanging!

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Lady Serena Gets a Man of Her Own by Marie St. James

Lady Serena Gets a Man of Her Own
By: Marie St. James
Publisher: Secret Cravings Publishing
Published: November 10, 2014
Genre: Historical, Erotic Romance
Content: M/F, F/F
Length: Short Story
Heat Level: Scorching
Reviewer: ReadingPatti
Date: August 6, 2015

 

For Lady Serena there is nothing more embarrassing than being run out of the Wynthmere townhouse because she offered her bountiful breasts to the newly married Treymont Hunt, Earl of Wynthmere. His little wife was a terror! And to add insult to injury, when she’d released her glorious boobs to offer Trey the sustenance he was not getting from his flat-chested wife, she thought she saw him smile!

But all is put to rights when Lady Serena meets the mouth watering Lord Pembroke, gets a lesson in love and passion from the new Countess Annette Wynthmere and finally learns it’s best to have a man of your own

Lady Serena Gets a Man of Her Own, is a historical novel but the sexual content was not what I expect to find in a historical romance but it was still good. 

It begins with two people who were looking for something but they didn't know where to find it. Then Lady Serena meets Lord Pembroke. It didn't take them long to get over societies obstacles. 

Lady Serena Gets a Man of Her Own was a surprise in regards to the sexual nature. I didn't expect the sexual content to be so strong. While I normally don't read erotic romance, which it was, it was not too bad. 

What I really enjoyed about their story was how Lady Serena and Lord Pembroke eventually came together. It was so great how they each found the person that they were meant to be with. Especially when they least expected it. They can't stop thinking about each other. Lady Serena wants him but on her own terms and Lord Pembroke wants to know how he can make Lady Serena marry him.  I also like how they each talked to someone about each other, asking for advice and suggestions on how they could come together. That part was funny.

While I enjoyed Lady Serena Gets a Man of Her Own, I'm not sure I would recommend it to my normal historical reading friends, but if someone wanted to add a lots of spice to their normal reading genre, then this book is for you.

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Pet by Rosina Scott

Pet
By: Rosina Scott
Publisher: Secret Cravings Publishing
Published: October 21, 2014
Genre: Contemporary,  Erotic Romance
Content: M/M, BDSM, D/s, Anal Play, Anal Sex, Toys
Length: Short Story
Heat Level: Scorching
Reviewer: Gabrielle
Date: July 28, 2015

 

The Pound, is an exclusive BDSM club in downtown Los Angeles where submissives can go to seek out Dominants able to fulfill their every need, in the safety of the club’s strictly monitored playrooms, where anything goes.

It is here that sinfully submissive Damien hopes to find a Master who will dominate him and fulfill his desires. Damien longs for the day when he will find a Master he can willingly submit to in every way and cater to his Master’s every whim while exploring his own needs.

Could a chance meeting lead to more, when Damien meets the seductive and sexy dominant Gareth? In Gareth, Damien hopes he has found a Master who will respect his limits and his needs.

Could Gareth be the Dominant to fulfill the role of Master that Damien so desperately desires, and give him the collar he craves?

This short story is an engaging read about two men who are looking for more than just a hook up. Could Gareth be the man that Damien has been looking for? Has fate finally brought Damien what he has longed for? Play can be fun but will their times together bring more than just fun?

I enjoyed meeting Gareth and Damien. The two make a great couple; each man getting just what he needs from the other. Gareth is a good Dom and he understands what Damien needs and is more than willing to give it to him. Damien gives with all of his heart and only wants to please Gareth. Seeing their attraction quickly turn to more made for a nice read. As much as I liked these two men I would have liked them to be a little more fleshed out and maybe see a bit more of how they interact together. They are hot together and make you want to know and see more of the two men. More of their time in the club would have also been nice. What we see of the men only wets our appetite and had this reader longing for more.

These two men prove that you never know where or when you might find that one person who is right for you and when you do you had better not let them slip away. Gareth is not about to let Damien get away without letting him know how he feels first. It was nice to see Gareth take that step and show Damien how much he means to him. Both men endeared themselves to this reader and I hope that we get to visit their world again.

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Blind Ecstasy by Desiree Holt

Blind Ecstasy
By: Desiree Holt
Publisher: Secret Cravings Publishing
Published: July 3, 2012
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Content: M/F, BDSM, Spanking, D/s, Anal Play, Oral Sex
Length: Short Story
Heat Level: Scorching
Reviewer: Dana
Date: March 3, 2015

 

When Johanna Devlin fell in love with Sean Devlin she thought she had it all—a man who loved her as much as she loved him and the perfect Dom for her submissive nature. On her birthday when he asked her to marry him, to wear his collar, she was sure she had it all. But the next day he disappeared and four years later he’s still missing from her life. Except for rare visits to Club Fantasy she’s retreated from the D/s lifestyle. Then her sister insists she accept the gift of a night at Club Fantasy with a Dom who knows just how to satisfy all her sexual needs. She accepts with some reservation, especially when the dungeon master blindfolds her before taking her to the private room. Before the night is over she finds a lot more than hours of intense sexual delights.

In the first book in Ms. Holt's new Club Fantasy series, we are introduced to Johanna, who hasn't indulged in her submissive tendencies since her Dom, Sean, went missing years ago, the night after he proposed marriage to her. Jo shut down when Sean went missing, making her work as an event planner her life. When her sister Kira proposes that she go back to Club Fantasy for her birthday, Jo is sure that she won't be able to play well with a Dom who isn't Sean, but agrees to try it.

Jo is still nervous upon her re-entry into Club Fantasy, but when she is blindfolded and starts a scene with her new Dom, Jo remembers how much she loves being a submissive. Only problem is that she keeps remembering her times with Sean.

What Jo doesn't know is that her Dom is Sean. His disappearance is very quickly explained and he, along with Kira, set up a night that Jo will never forget.

I have to say that while this was a very enjoyable story, it was a little too short for me to really get into it. I also felt that there were a few inconsistencies in the story- Jo states that she hasn't celebrated her birthday in 10 years, since Sean left. Then two pages later, it has been 4 years since she last celebrated. Kira also went from Jo's sister, to her friend, and then back to her sister. I actually had to read the first 5 pages twice to make sure I wasn't reading this wrong. Other than that, this was a steamy, short read, that if you are in the mood to be turned on, and quickly, then this is for you.

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Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts

Whiskey Beach
By: Nora Roberts
Publisher: Berkley
Published: April 16, 2013
Genre: Contemporary, Action/Adventure, Mystery, Romance, Suspense, Thriller
Length: Novel
Heat Level: Spicy
Reviewer: Suki
Date: January 24, 2015

 

For more than three hundred years, Bluff House has sat above Whiskey Beach, guarding its shore - and its secrets.

To summer tourists, it's the crown jewel of the town's stunning scenery. To the residents of Whiskey Beach, it's landmark and legend. To Eli Landon, it's home...

A Boston lawyer, Eli has weathered an intense year of public scrutiny and police investigation after being accused of murdering his soon-to-be ex-wife. And though there was never enough evidence to have him arrested, his reputation is in tatters as well as his soul. He need sanctuary. He needs Bluff House.

While Eli's beloved grandmother is in Boston, recuperating from a nasty fall, Abra Walsh has card for Bluff House, among her other jobs as yoga instructor, jewelry maker, and massage therapist. She is a woman with an open heart and a wide embrace, and no one is safe from her special, some would say over-bearing, brand of nurturing - including Eli.

He begins to count on Abra for far more than her cooking, cleaning, and massage skills, and starts to feel less like a victim - and more like the kind of man who can finally solve the murder of his wife and clear his name. But Bluff House's many mysteries are a siren song to someone intent on destroying Eli and reaping the rewards. He and Abra will become entangled in a centuries-old net of rumors and half-truths that could pull them under the thunderous waters of Whiskey Beach...

Passion and obsession, humor and heart flow together in a novel about two people opening themselves up to the truth - and to each other.

Whiskey beach starts in a way that had me checking that I didn’t miss a book before, perhaps a sister or family member of the Hero because when we start the story so much has already happened. Eli, who not an Alpha male I adored, has spent the last year in a state of depression because he is the main suspect in his wife's murder. So I think we were supposed to feel invested in him in the beginning. He has returned to the family estate after a long absence to feel and take care of the place for his Gran, Hester who I also adore.

In walked our heroine, Abra. Note I did not state I adore her. Because to be honest I had a hard time liking Abra. Abra who does a little bit of everything to perfection, who (Spoiler alert) seems to only carry around a ‘small carryon bag” of baggage from a past of tragedy. So even healing, she does perfectly. She, as Eli also wonders in the book, must own stock in little post it notes, which she posts like a mother all over the house and they drove us both crazy. She came off as meddling, holier than thou, and mothering. Not what I personally want from my heroines. I just couldn’t relate to her.

This is one of NR’s Romantic Suspenses and I pretty much figured out who killed his wife in the first few chapters. Who threw his Gran down the stairs took a bit more. That didn’t change the fact that I enjoyed the mystery part of the story. Though I would have liked to see the reactions to his innocence and some comeuppance from those who hounded Eli… I am speaking to you Officer Wolf.

Let me say that if you are a Nora Roberts fan, this one has all the things you love in a Nora book but I believe you will find much of the story, you have seen before in other books. Perhaps it is a case of kicking out too many books too fast, I don’t know. Overall I enjoyed it and don’t regret picking it up. To me if you are looking for a good NR Romantic Suspense try Carnal Innocence.

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Conquering Zeus by Cerise DeLand

Conquering Zeus (SEALs On Fire #7)
By: Cerise DeLand
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
Published: May 03, 2013
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Content: M/F, Oral Sex
Length: Short Story
Heat Level: Spicy
Reviewer: Toni
Date: December 12, 2014

 

Getting in the party mood for a weekend away with his SEAL teammates is no easy deal for “Zeus” Calderon. He’s hung up on a woman he saved from terrorists months ago, but he should be able to forget a gutsy blonde reporter who showed resilience and humor under fire. Shouldn’t he?

Kim Stansfield got the instant hots for the hunky Navy SEAL who led her out of harm’s way—and she’s got proof Zeus feels the same about her. He’s stubborn, but she’s devised a plan to conquer him.

When she shows up in Key West and surprises him on the beach, Zeus learns that once in a lifetime a man meets a woman he can’t forget—and every day without her is no easy day.

Conquering Zeus is a very sexy story. Zeus and Kim have been dancing around each other for ages. It’s now their time, but will one steamy night in Key West be enough?

Zeus has been battling his desire for Kim since the moment he rescued her. He has to find a way to purge her from his system, but his body isn’t cooperating. The weekend away with his buddies should have cured his thoughts of her, with the countless women available to him in Key West, but Zeus is discovering even sexy hot women will not take away the images of Kim in his mind.

Kim is a strong woman who has taken life by the horns. Reporting in war torn countries doesn’t terrify her, but thoughts of losing the man that has haunted her dreams does. In a last ditch effort, she is going to claim the main that owns her heart. This past prisoner of war is going to capture her soldier, one way or the other.

Unknown to Zeus, Kim has followed him to Key West. They both have jobs that can alter their lives in an instant. Neither knowing where their passion will lead, but they both decide that life is too short and take the chance. Thank goodness they did!

Conquering Zeus is a story that I enjoyed as a novella, but I think I would have devoured as a novel. Zeus and Kim had a back story that intrigued me. While I enjoyed how they finally came together, I really wanted to know about their past. Ms. DeLand set up an amazing back story for these two and I wanted more of that and still do. Their adventure was meant for the pages, not our imagination.

This story is still very good. I enjoyed how, once they decided to go for it, they went in full board. These are two very strong people. They have to be considering their professions. Zeus has found the right woman for him in Kim and the epilogue is such a wonderful treat that it may have been the best part of the story for me. Conquering Zeus is as hot as a balmy Key West night and shouldn’t be missed if you love stories built upon very strong characters and smoldering sexy nights.

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