Book Review: Loving Luki Vasquez (Vasquez & James, #1) – Lou Sylvre

Loving Luki VasquezBlurb: Reclusive weaver Sonny Bly James controls every color and shape in his tapestries, but he can’t control the pattern of his life—a random encounter with Luki Vasquez, ex-ATF agent and all-around badass, makes that perfectly clear. The mutual attraction is immediate, but love-shy Sonny has retreated from life, and Luki wears his visible and not-so-visible scars like armor. Neither can bare his soul with ease.

 While they run from desire, they can’t hide from the evil that hunts them. After it becomes clear that a violent stalker has targeted Sonny, Luki’s protective instincts won’t let him run far, especially when Sonny’s family is targeted as well. Whether they can forgive or forget, Sonny and Luki will have to call a truce and work together to save Sonny’s nephew and fight an enemy intent on making sure loving Luki Vasquez is the last mistake Sonny will ever make.

***

I actually find the story a bit odd yet very endearing. Odd because Sonny’s supposed “recluse artist” persona contradicts his actions in the book. He’s not withdrawn, he’s quite socially functional and he’s got a smart mouth which was pretty funny.

There was also the twist that was so out of nowhere I felt that the back-story wasn’t enough to support the whole premise. See, before our couple met, Luki was (supposedly) already under surveillance from his somehow very devious and smart half-brother Mariano Royce who’s already surmising that Luki will end up with Sonny James. Assuming much? Coincidence? Nah. That was just one of the weakest parts in the story.

I am however very much in love with the great chemistry between Luki and Sonny. The story telling was shaky but our couple is solid enough to merit this first book in the series 4-stars rating.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Published June 20th 2011 by Dreamspinner Press

Book Review: Healing Hunter’s Heart (A Little Bite Of Love #2) – Charlie Cochet

Healing Hunter's HeartBlurb: Months after being forced to leave his lover and mate Ari Jannsen behind, Hunter Devin settles into his role as Enforcer for the newly formed Deagan Clan under the rule of his new Alpha and best friend Tristan “Trip” Hagan. Along with Hunter’s brother Boone, their nephews, sister, and mother, Hunter finally has the family he’s always wanted, but without his little rebel Ari, his heart is incomplete.

The Hagan Clan is unable to accept the Deagan Clan’s betrayal for walking away and taking the clan’s pups with them. War looms. As both clans plan their attack, a greater enemy plots against them. But Hunter is determined to get his Ari back. Bonds are put to the test and unexpected alliances are made as Hunter and his clan set out to protect their own and end the spreading heartache.

I would like to say that I absolutely enjoyed this the way I enjoyed the first book An Intrepid Trip to Love but unfortunately, it just went flat for me.

Hunter and Ari’s love story lacks that vibrant flare we’ve seen from Trip and Boone. There weren’t enough dialogues as well. In all fairness to Hunter and Ari, the first book was injected with so much humor while this one just fell short with it. It was obviously more subdued but there ya’ll know that there is a good kind of subdued right? This story isn’t one of them though.

To sum this up, I thought there are just so many things happening in it, too many names to remember and too many contrived scenes. I am very sad that this didn’t go well for me. I will still be getting the next book in the series though because I loved me some Charlie Cochet and she’s a great author – this one just didn’t work for me.

Published April 24th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 3 Episode 6 – The Girl Who Ran Out Of Luck

This week’s episode was rather uneventful. Eight girls are still in the competition and as per usual, the girls are feeling the pressure and started really throwing shades at each other *cough* tahlia *cough* gani *cough*

As for the challenge, they would have to work as a pair and style themselves with each pair getting a fashion theme.

The winner of this week’s challenge was Tahlia who donned a boho look with Aimee and as for her prize, she was given extra five minutes for the next photoshoot and was then asked to  take five minutes from any of her competition and surprise! surprise! She chose Monika citing the latter’s success from the last two elimination. Unfortunately for Tahlia, it didn’t really work in her favor at all.

GaniGani looks amazing! That jaw! Gawd! Asian fierceness at its finest baby! Commercially Fierce!

AmandaAmanda’s still struggling keeping her eyes open. Ugh, baby A – what’s happening? I honestly loved the results though so boohoo judges!!! I thought her looks are to die for! >_<

AimeeI loved Aimee’s looks the most but I’m kinda distracted with the bangs…uhhmm no. Just no.

BarbaraBarbara looks her age in this shoot. Really, not a good thing. She’s no Jessica after all so she really needs to work on that. This was a bad week for her. Plus that attitude – tons of girls will kill for that spot baby! ugh

MonikaMonika’s having a hard time due to the time constraint but I thought she did okay although her shots are really mediocre. I’m kinda 50% agreeing with
Tahlia about her though. Plus there’s something too studied about her. Sorry boo.

KBKB was wonderful but I’m not really feeling much from her.

MelissaI love Melissa and she’s still one of my favorites in the competition but this is playing safe from her. Gotta agree with the judges though, this was more editorial than commercial! Cmon’ girl you gotta keep it up!

TahliaTahlia’s shots as I mentioned were okay but I’m not really loving the catty attitude.

First Call Out: Gani -yay! and winning a Zalora campaign no less!!!
Aimee
Melissa
KB
Tahlia
Amanda

Bottom Two: Barbara and Monika
Eliminated: NONE.

So there you go peeps! What can you say about the non-elimination episode this week?

pictures via asia’s next top model

Book Review: Painted Faces (Painted Faces #1) – L.H. Cosway

Painted FacesBlurb: Dublin native Freda Wilson considers herself to be an acquired taste. She has a habit of making offensive jokes and speaking her mind too often. She doesn’t have the best track record with first impressions, which is why she gets a surprise when her new neighbour Nicholas takes a shine to her.

Nicholas is darkly handsome, funny and magnetic, and Freda feels like her black and white existence is plunged into a rainbow of colour when she’s around him. When he walks into a room he lights it up, with his quick wit and charisma. He is a travelling cabaret performer, but Freda doesn’t know exactly what that entails until the curtains pull back on his opening night.

She is gob-smacked and entirely intrigued to see him take to the stage in drag. Later on, Nicholas asks her if she would like to become his show assistant. Excited by the idea, she jumps at the chance. Soon she finds herself immersed in a world of wigs, make-up and high heels, surrounded by pretty men and the temptation of falling for her incredibly beautiful employer.

In this story of passion and sexual discovery, Nicholas and Freda will contend with jealousy, emotional highs and lows, and the kind of love that only comes around once in a lifetime.

***

 Nicholas Turner is a straight and fabulous drag queen called Vivica Blue. He’s not your ordinary love interest. Upon meeting Freda, his world became brighter saving him from the dark abyss of his painful past. But will love be enough to battle his demons?

I’m all good with some good sexual tension with characters and all but at 66%, I’m like screaming internally “Fucking do it already!” It was kind of frustrating at times. The slow burn was a big part of Freda’s internal battle against her insecurities and Viv’s – well, I’m kind of hoping that there will be more resolution regarding his past.

The pacing was a bit slow for me and although I absolutely loved their chemistry, I feel like there are so many unnecessary scenes that do not add much with the development of the story. I do not hate it but it was just flat for me from start to finish.

Published December 16th 2012 (first published December 14th 2012)

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Book Review: Spectacularly Broken – Sage C. Holloway

Spectacularly BrokenBlurb: Turns out naked and hungover on the floor is not the most strategically sound place to be when your dad comes home early. Take it from someone who learned the hard way: nineteen-year-old Lysander Shepherd – son of movie stars, spoiled brat, enthusiastic proponent of drugs and orgies… and now, unwilling resident of Oak Hill Manor, a retreat for troubled teenagers.

Before he knows what’s happening, his designer duds have been switched for tie-dye shirts in therapy team colors, and he is surrounded by an assortment of misfits: a timid nerd, a mute girl, a hyperactive kid… and captivating loner Cai Fields, who is admittedly pretty hot, but seems to hate the world in general and Lysander in particular.

Soon Lysander struggles with lies, withdrawal, and several uncomfortable revelations that he never intended to make, but he also gains surprising amounts of support right in the middle of secret late-night parties, fisticuffs over doing the dishes, and, of all things, croissant blackmail. Even as Cai and Lysander finally give in to the irresistible attraction between them and make a grasp for happiness, their darkest secrets remain – secrets with the power to destroy everything they’ve fought so hard to have.

This is Sage C. Holloway’s first novel and it’s nothing short of spectacular! It was very much like the kids from “The Breakfast Club” were transported into a retreat facility and with some twist and turn with the characterization; you’ve got yourself this wonderful novel!

I absolutely adore Cai and Lys here because they really do complement each other. I also loved the dynamics of their group as they became closer and started to bond and eventually became friends. I loved that you can easily picture each character and really root for them. Aside from the main couple, I find Nicky especially adorable.

Their issues are the typical troubled young adult issues – angst and all so that is nothing new in the story. The main pull of the novel though is the likeability of each character. Despite their rather troubling situation, the author makes it possible for readers to easily love them.

As typical as the story goes, I still end up loving every minute reading it. I would really like a follow-up from this spectacular debut! Congratulations Miss Holloway!!!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Published March 3rd 2015 by Loose Id

Book Review: Stripped With the Vampire (Austin Immortals #1) – Jax Garren

Stripped With the VampireBlurb: Shy vampire Charlie never intended to see Vince again after the bad boy human broke his heart. But when Vince turns up beaten and marked for sacrifice to an Aztec God, Charlie will do anything keep him safe.

Vince has never forgiven himself for the lie that ended things with Charlie. The spark between them is as hot as ever, and Vince would risk body and soul to make it a fire again. But as they hide deeper in Austin’s supernatural society—a world of lies, dark magic, and warring immortals—he finds the path to reconciliation more twisted than he’s ever imagined.

***

I’m a big fan of vampire stories because I’m always fascinated with how each author creates their version of these creatures. This one though isn’t straying too far from the mainstream vampire that we’ve come to know – their fear of sunlight, the vampire royalties, their creation, beauty, wealth, fangs and all. So there’s really nothing new in that regard.

While I appreciate the interchanging POV between Charlie and Vince here, I honestly didn’t feel that much connection from Charlie – like he’s not there at all. When I read the blurb about Charlie being a shy vampire – I thought that would be cute for the story but on the onset of his introduction, the shy vampire was actually a spineless one. So needless to say, it’s a good thing that he’s almost invisible in the story. He’s adorable but annoying at the same time.

I also didn’t get Vince’s logic about his job. It’s almost too immature, IMHO. The interesting part is that he’s actually diabetic and that gave the story a unique take on becoming a vampire or not. I loved that he was very adamant with his decision. And that one is rather refreshing If I may say.

Overall, the story was kind of messy if not predictable. It was also too long for such a premise. I still think that this couple needs a second book because their HFN story isn’t very appetizing for the series.

Given that this is the author’s first foray into the MM genre, I really do commend her effort. It needs some work on the man-on-man action but otherwise, the romance was still there.

I’d read the next book in the series only if I’d get to read more of Charlie and Vincent.

Published March 11th 2015 by Valkyrie Books

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Book Review: Hearts of Fire (Hearts #2) – L.H. Cosway

Hearts Of FireThere’s just so much beauty and raw honesty in this second installment of Hearts series. “Hearts of Fire” is the story of Jack and Lille. Yep, Jack McCabe is Jason Fields’ little bro from the first book who supposedly died along with his parents when he was a kid. He obviously survived and is now working at Circus Spectakular as a fire-breathing and knives-thrower entertainer. Lille meanwhile is a 21 year old college student who’s still living with her uptight mother and whose life seems to be pre-planned for her. An opportunity to join the circus was something Lille never thought of ever doing but in order to get a hold of her own life, she took the courageous decision to leave her “black and white” life behind.

Jack doesn’t trust easily but with Lille, he was left reeling and unable to resist. But when that his trust was betrayed, will they be able to keep their hearts of fire burning?

I absolutely adore Jack! He was such a gentle yet broken soul. My heart broke for him when it was reveal what happened to him after the fire incident. And man, that letter he wrote for his brother Jay was just about the saddest thing I’ve ever read! I was a blaberring mess during that scene!!!

The story sort of reminds of Water for Elephants only because of the circus and all. The Jay Fields angle was the most interesting part for me because I was really curious on how the author will spin that one out and it was truly amazing how L.H. Cosway got around with it.

I find Jack’s fetish for burning/fire during sex a bit uncomfortable. I get why he developed that but I deemed it almost unnecessary for the story. As a whole, the story was solid here and fans of Jay Fields from the first book would really enjoy this one as well and will fall for Jack the same way they did for him. I know I did and I cannot wait to read the next series’ next installment!

Published March 9th 2015 (first published March 1st 2015)

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Book Review: Six of Hearts (Hearts #1) – L.H. Cosway

Six of HeartsSix of Hearts is a delicious combination of magic, tragedy, vengeance and love.Renowned illusionist Jay Fields has return to Dublin to do something he’s been planning for years connected to his past. As he set upon settling for a while he got to know Matilda Brandon whose sweet innocence has charmed Jay from the very beginning. As his carefully laid out plans started to unveiled, he knows that he’s got to push Matilda away in order to protect her but will Matilda allow him?

There’s just something so beautiful about this book. It was feel-good and has very low angst which I think fans of such romance would thoroughly enjoy. There was also this amazing chemistry between Jay and Matilda. Jay is such a perfect leading man yeah? I also thought the minimal sex scenes works well with the story.

Just a tiny bit of criticism though would be the anti-climactic conclusion. There was no illusion of surprise there but as a whole, it was still a lovely and well written story. I’d definitely recommend this one and will get a copy of the next book in the series!

Published July 26th 2014 by CreateSpace

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Book Review: Belonging (First & Forever Series #8) – Alexa Land

BelongingBlurb: Can two damaged men build a future together from the shattered pieces of their lives?

Gianni Dombruso’s life was altered forever at the age of four, when his parents were murdered and he and his brothers went to live with their grandmother, the irrepressible Nana Dombruso. Now almost thirty, Gianni has spent his life bouncing from relationship to relationship, seeking but never finding the security and stability he so desperately craves.

Alexzander Tillane was one of the biggest pop stars in the world when he walked away from it all in the middle of a concert in 2002. Almost destroyed by the pressure of fame, Zan retreated to a life of quiet solitude in an effort to heal. But the cure backfired, leaving him with more issues than answers.

Zan knows he can’t give Gianni the stability he’s looking for, not with all his problems. He can’t even imagine why the beautiful younger man would want to get involved with someone so damaged, but the heat between them can’t be ignored. Giving in to it could be a huge mistake. Or maybe both men might end up right where they belong.

My wish came true when this eight installment of the First & Forever series happened to be Gianni Dambruso and Zan Tillane’s story. Yay! Back book 7 featuring Zan’s son Christian, there was already a brewing story bound to feature Gianni and I was hoping then that he would be paired with Zan! Lo and behold, we’ve got Belonging!

By continuously reading this series, I knew I was signing up for something outrageous and totally over the top. This book has it all from the crazy-ass Dambruso family with Nana as their ring leader to the ever-growing extended family! It almost felt like incest! LOL

The story has no angst whatsoever. Gianni’s confession of his insecurities was a pleasant surprise – seeing that he’s actually capable of such sensitivities. His low self-esteem was rather charming being vulnerable and shit – I know it shouldn’t be charming but with him – being all perfect and having that was just swoon-worthy in writing.

I would’ve given this a higher rating but the last three chapters totally destroyed it for me. The last scenes were predictable and way too forced for me. But like what I’ve said, outrageous and over-the-top right?

Published April 15th 2015

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Book Review: Doubleback – Lissa Ford

DoublebackBlurb: After a tragic shooting left him wounded and in disgrace, all that remained of former deputy sheriff Jude Anderson’s life was a shattered femur, the standard disability package, and a host of issues. Jude seeks sanctuary in a remote upstate cabin and tries to get his life back on track.

Life has other plans when Jude finds a dead man draped across his front doorstep. The victim is the first hookup Jude’s had in, well, ever. Once Jude processes that shock he gets another when he learns that the homicide detective sent to investigate the murder is Rowan Muir, Jude’s ex. Their split was ugly, and Rowan isn’t the forgiving type.

Now Jude is drawn back into a world he left behind: murder investigations and fighting the undeniable attraction he has for Rowan. Rowan is still holding onto a substantial grudge. But both men need to figure out how to cope with being thrown together again, because it’s becoming increasingly clear that Jude is being targeted by a murderer – one who may have come from Jude’s past for revenge.

What I loved most about this story is the great chemistry between Rowan and Jude. For some reason, they reminded me of the duo from Josh Lanyon’s Holmes & Moriarity series. I also loved the unpredictability of the first half of the book especially when the author tried to pin the case against several suspects – I thought that was really good. Halfway though, I was easily clued in on whom the culprit is in the case. When I read that part, I thought that was a total giveaway. Won’t spoil it for you but it was really very easy to guess. The suspect’s motives though were a bit surprising if I may just say.

Pacing is always an important part of storytelling. It’s almost always dependant on the mood of the story. In this case, I find it a too fast for the mood. Although some may disagree, I thought the “way too quick” pacing led the story development to suffer a bit. This could be a good thing though for the series as it opens a lot of doors for improvements and unpredictable plot points for future books.

With all these, I’d say that it was pretty solid overall. I’d definitely wait for the second book to come out.

Published March 27th 2015 by Lissa Ford Books

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars