Sunday, July 21, 2013

REVIEW: THE MINE BY JOHN HELDT

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Blurb:

In 2000, Joel Smith is a cocky, adventurous young man who sees the world as his playground. But when the college senior, days from graduation, enters an abandoned Montana mine, he discovers the price of reckless curiosity. He emerges in May 1941 with a cell phone he can't use, money he can't spend, and little but his wits to guide his way. Stuck in the age of Whirlaway, swing dancing, and a peacetime draft, Joel begins a new life as the nation drifts toward war. With the help of his 21-year-old trailblazing grandmother and her friends, he finds his place in a world he knew only from movies and books. But when an opportunity comes to return to the present, Joel must decide whether to leave his new love in the past or choose a course that will alter their lives forever. THE MINE follows a humbled man through a critical time in history as he adjusts to new surroundings and wrestles with the knowledge of things to come.
Review:
Being a fan of sci-fi was a big plus when it came to reading The Mine. After all, the reader is asked to suspend a belief in reality and assume time travel is not only plausible but totally doable. The sweet romance element was a refreshing touch. At first it conjured up images from the Christopher Reeves movie Somewhere In Time (1980). As I read the story, I really hoped a similar ending wasn't in my future.

Heldt does a good job working out a college kid from 2000 manages to get along in 1940's Seattle. Everything about Joel was off. His clothes, his cell phone, the money in his pocket, and even his mannerisms screamed outsider. Being the cleaver boy Joel is, he uses his knowledge of the past to get ahead by gambling on sports. His friends consist of a collection of college students, including his grandmother.

At this point, I wasn't sure this wasn't going to be one of those grandfather paradox moments. Either he did something that lead to his grandmother never meeting his grandfather or he was his own grandfather. Luckily, it turns out neither are the case. The anticipation of the non-existent paradox actually added to the suspense of the ending.

I'm not a kiss and tell sort of reviewer, but I will say Joel gets his happily-ever-after. The past catches up with him and provides the promise of a contented future. After, all nothing else will do for our reluctant time traveler.

I enjoyed this book. I think if you are the sort of person who is into science fiction, this would be an entertaining read to add to your collection. The romance is sweet and not always the main focal point of the story. There is an interesting plot twist to the ending. As the language is suitable for any audience, there would be no problem taking this book to the poolside or the beach. A story for any age group, this would make a good book club selection.

An excerpt can be found on Amazon.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

REVIEW: WIND AND SHADOW BY TORI RIDGEWOOD

"Wind and Shadow" by Tori L. Ridgewood



Blurb:

Rayvin Woods, photographer and natural witch. She just wanted to start her life over again after a series of misadventures. She didn't count on rekindling a lost love when she came home to Talbot...or battling a malevolent vampire and his coven for her life.
Grant Michaels, police officer. He thought Rayvin was a murderer. He will do whatever it takes to protect the community he loves from danger...but will he learn to trust his heart, and the word of a witch, before it's too late?
Malcolm de Sade, cunning vampire, imprisoned underground for a year by Charlotte Fanning and Pike Mahonen ("Mist and Midnight", Midnight Thirsts). His accidental release unleashes his hunger and ambition on a small, sleepy town...

Review:

There are so many things  going on I'm not sure where to start! A wrongfully accused witch shunned from her home town returns to find she's still not welcome. The tension between Rayvin and the townsfolk is really well described. It makes the other problems she faces even more suspenseful. I found myself all but begging our hero to just kiss her already! Enter the vampire.
I don't want to give anything away. All the details make the suspense and the tension all the more real, and the point, dear readers, is to recommend a book, not spoil it. Tori Ridgewood gets two thumbs way up for Wind and Shadow. When I got the end, I was ticked not to have book two already in my hands. There was a full minute of silence before I said, "Oh, that can't be all!"
This book would make a great poolside or beach read. The suspense and tension are there but the language isn't excessive or graphic. There would be no need to worry about someone looking over your shoulder with this one. I'm looking forward to book 2!

Excerpt:


The sun was just beginning to set when Rayvin’s beaten red Plymouth Horizon passed the sign indicating the exit for Talbot. Several suitcases and boxes were tied down to the roof and covered with a secure tarp. They weighed down the hatchback, causing the vehicle to fishtail slightly in the thin slush coating the highway as it swerved to make the turn. The loaded small trailer covered with a second tarp and a web of bungee-cords followed suit, wavering from side to side for a moment as Rayvin adjusted her speed. Reaching back to rub the nape of her neck, the back of her hand pushed against the carved hairpin keeping her long, curly auburn hair in its bun; the pin slid free, falling somewhere behind her seat, and the locks spilled down around her shoulders. Sighing with irritation, she changed hands, keeping one firmly on the wheel while the other gingerly patted the boxes and bags crowding the backseat, searching for the hairpin. Her eyes stayed on the road, though she wasn’t concerned about the route. No matter that half a lifetime had passed since she had last travelled this road; she still knew exactly where each hill would be, the precise moment when a curve began and when the pavement straightened again.

Time seemed to have come to a standstill in this relatively remote corner of northeastern Ontario. The environment seemed unchanged in spite of the decade that had gone by after she had thumbed her final ride on the shoulder of this road, determined never to come back to Talbot. Memories came wandering unbidden and unwelcome to the forefront of her mind, as she gave up on the search for the hairpin and draped the length of her hair around the back of the headrest to keep it out of her way.

When Rayvin had hitch-hiked her way out of Talbot, ten years earlier, she had vowed to cut her hair as soon as she had settled. It would be part of her fresh start, her new life; she would change the colour, bleach away the red to platinum blonde, trim the curl down to a sleek pixie. Anything but the straggly, flaming mane that, she felt, marked her so clearly as different. It had been a banner, attracting attention. She had felt clearly the hostility on people’s faces as she passed them on the main street for the last time, chin high, heading for the beginning of the highway and whichever motorist would be kind enough to help her begin her journey to a new life. She had walked away from the only home she’d ever known with nothing but her backpack, filled to bursting and carving painful red marks into her shoulders. The whispers from onlookers peering out of open shop doors had followed her like the malevolent humidity, both urging her on and dragging her down. Her chest had felt so tight, and her eyes had been dry and burning, when she had passed the boy with the deep brown eyes. If there was anyone who would have believed her, she liked to think it would have been Grant Michaels.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

REVIEW: LYNDEE'S SAVIORS BY EILEEN GREEN



Lyndee


Blurb:
 [Ménage Amour: Erotic Ménage a Quatre Romantic Suspense, M/F/M/M, bondage, spanking, flogging, HEA] After escaping certain death by her psychotic captor who is a cop gone bad, Lyndee Dwyer, an undercover agent, is discovered by Montana ranch owners Storm and Trey Goodall and their cousin Austin Lighthorse, the most gorgeous men she has ever seen. Suffering from amnesia and the idea of a disrespectable career, her body responds to them, not just sexually, but emotionally as well. None of the men believe she is who she thinks she is and will do everything they possibly can to prove her wrong.
The three men introduce Lyndee to their ménage lifestyle while helping her regain her memory. Once she remembers who she is, they and their men have an old-fashioned showdown with the cop and the Russian mob that want her dead. Can they protect her from the dangers that plague her along with convincing her to stay with them forever?
Note: There is no sexual relationship or touching for titillation between or among the men.

Review:

I enjoyed Lyndee's Saviors. To be honest this was my first menage book with more than two men. I wasn't entirely sure how I would feel about the set up, but Eileen Green made it work beautifully. The scenes were sensual and yet explicit. Nothing was left to the imagination, but you get the sense that Lyndee will be cherished by her three suitors.
The story line was interesting, a lost woman suffering from amnesia and being chased. Three caring men willing to play nurse-maid, even if for self-serving reasons, was a nice touch. Seeing a frightened, damsel-in-distress turn back into a confident in-charge women was fun. The dialog flows and the conflicts, both internal and external, make for an interesting read.
Because of the nature of the book, I'm going to recommend this one for some alone time when no one is likely to be looking over your shoulder. It's definitely not safe for work. Curl up with your glass of wine in your favorite reading spot and give Lyndee's Savior a try.

Excerpt:

Leaning up, Austin tipped her chin up with a finger and captured her lips in his. His tongue plied for entrance, which was granted as her mouth opened to his. His tongue swept the inside of her mouth, not missing an inch as if he was trying to memorize her. Behind her Trey’s mouth left the rosebud of her ass and warm lube was being applied to the area generously. A finger slipped in through the tight muscle and moved in and out several times before another one was added. Austin absorbed her moans in his mouth as he wrapped his large arms around her waist, holding onto her tightly.

Being held in this large man’s arms made her feel so secure, and she loved how all of them were so protective of her but also so tender and loving. They made love to her as if she was the only woman in the world, and after watching prostitutes getting screwed by man after man she cherished their attention and love. She only wished every woman could feel like this.

Lyndee’s tongue danced with Austin’s as Trey’s fingers disappeared from her rosebud, and she felt the hard tip of his cock at her entrance. Knowing now what to expect, she bore down on him as he slipped through the pink ring of muscle that was exposed after his ministrations with his fingers. Inching his way in, she pulled from Austin’s mouth and arched her back, savoring the feeling of her dark channel’s invasion.

Trey inched his way in as his hand grasped her cheeks, holding onto them tightly. When he was fully seated Storm raised her slightly in his arms as Austin held his thick, hard cock up to line up with her weeping pussy. Letting her down easy, he still held her so she wouldn’t take him fully at once, letting her get used to the full feeling of two hot cocks in her. When each cock was filling her beyond belief, she sighed contentedly as she laid her hands on Austin’s defined chest to hold herself up while Trey grasped her braid and pulled on it.

The men began to move, seesawing in and out of her holes while Storm pulled her head over and ran his hard cock across her lips, painting them with his pre-cum. Licking her lips of the proffered taste of Storm, she heard him growl as the other two fucked both her nether holes. Her tongue shot out and caressed the V of underside of the mushroom head at her lips before moving upward to the hole at its tip. He hissed at the touch of her tongue as it tried to dig into the hole before she pulled back and let her tongue run down the length of his hot swollen cock.

“Oh, geez,” Storm hissed before he aimed his dick at her mouth and shoved it in until it touched the back of her throat. Surprise registered on her flushed face and she swallowed around the girth of it and she heard him hiss again. Glancing up at him, she saw that his head was thrown back in his ecstasy, his eyes closed. Moving her head back and forth, she fucked his dick as Austin and Trey moved in her tight holes.

Her pelvic bone felt as if it was being split but the pressure and the heat there began to build as the men moved within her depths even faster. Panting was coming from all four of them as they were building toward that epic release. Austin reached down and found her clit, squeezing the swollen nub. The dam burst within Lyndee’s pussy first as her climax rocketed through her body, causing it to become rigid, her cunt clamping down on their cocks as she screamed out around Storm’s dick.

Austin shot his seed deep within her pussy, scalding her depths with the heat of it. Trey was next to cum as he shot hot streams of jism into her forbidden hole. The heat of both men’s seed caused her orgasm to continue as Storm released himself, his thick cum flooding her throat. She tried to swallow as much as she could as she rode the tidal wave of orgasm, though some leaked around her lips.

Pulling himself from her mouth, Storm collapsed onto the bed next to his cousin as Trey lay upon her back, his sweaty chest and abs covering her nakedness. Austin pulled her down gently to lie on his chest, holding her as close to him as possible with his cousin still on top of her, surrounding her with his body, arms, and legs.

Trey laid kisses along her shoulders and neck. Austin covered her lips with his gently, licking at them while Storm played with the nipple that was closest to him. Lyndee felt surrounded by their love and knew that she was going to miss all of them when she had to go back to Denver. Sighing, she laid her head on Austin’s chiseled chest.

“Are you all right, little one?” Austin asked, kissing the top of her head.

Lifting her head to look at him, she smiled. “Yes. I was just thinking how much I was going to miss all of you when I have to go back home.”

All three men stilled, Trey in the midst of pulling his flaccid cock from her ass. When no one moved, she looked from Austin to Storm and glanced back at Trey, each one wearing a solemn look upon their faces. Storm was the first to come out of the shock she sent them into as he leaned up on one elbow and reached out to cup her cheek.

“You are coming back, darlin’. Aren’t you?” he asked, frightened of what her answer would be.

Friday, July 5, 2013

REVIEW: LOVING SARAH BY JULIE SHELTON



 Loving Sarah (MFM)

Blurb:
[Ménage Amour: Erotic Consensual BDSM Ménage a Trois Romance, M/F/M, public exhibition, spanking, food play, sex toys, HEA]
Eight years ago Jesse Colter fled his small town, leaving behind eighteen-year-old Sarah Marshall. Now a retired Navy SEAL, he’s back and he wants only one thing—Sarah Marshall—bound, naked, and kneeling before him.
Sarah has never forgotten Jesse, the object of all her sexual fantasies since she was fifteen, as well as the star of nightly dreams that have become increasingly erotic over the years. So when he suddenly reappears in her life, she warily agrees to let him introduce her to his world—the world of BDSM. When he also introduces her to his best friend, Adam Sinclair, Sarah faces the challenge of submitting to two powerful, Dominant men.
But Sarah has an even bigger challenge. A stalker. Someone from her past, determined to destroy any chance she has at happiness. Can Adam and Jesse love and protect her? Or will her world explode in betrayal and violence that will destroy them all?

Review:
Two words: It’s hot! When this repressed, small-town, good-girl is finally convinced to let her hair down she becomes quite the vixen! It takes two experienced Doms to do it, but hey, everyone needs a goal.
I really enjoyed the intrigue. The who’s-the-bad-guy part was just as entertaining as the steamy bits. There is quite a bit of head-hopping. I really had to slow down my usual reading pace to ensure I understood whose thoughts I was reading. 

Overall, Loving Sarah was an interesting and entertaining read. The heroine is hot and willing. The Doms are sexy and firmly in control. There’s plenty of molten lava sex. The ending is satisfying and sets up the next book very well. It has a sextreme rating for a reason. You’re not going to want anyone reading over your shoulder for this one! 

I recommend this one with a glass of wine and your favorite, cozy spot.

Excerpt:
“Count, Sarah.”
“O-one. Sir.She sounded like she was being strangled.
“What else?”
“Um, th-thank you, Sir.” Ragged sobs shredded her throat, nearly choking her as she struggled to push away the pain pounding through her in waves. Sweat plastered her hair to her head and shoulders, her bangs to her face. It dripped from her chin, her nose, her nipples. It stung her eyes. Snot dripped from her nose, drool from the corners of her mouth. Tears streamed unheeded down her cheeks as she heaved air into her famished lungs.
Still cradling her face between his palms, Adam pressed his lips against her forehead.
“Keep your eyes open, love. Concentrate on me, on my hands touching you.”
A whistling sound warned her the next blow was coming, but by the time she tensed up, it had already struck her “sweet spot,” the crease where the curve of her ass met the tops of her thighs. Her muscles clenched and unclenched in a futile attempt to move away from the horrific pain. She grunted, but didn’t scream, and even managed to say, “Two, thank you, Sir,” in a voice that trembled. God, she was going to die from this!
Blow three struck midway between the first two, blow four across the tops of her thighs, barely giving her mind and body time to process the one before the other fell. Blows five and six followed in rapid succession, angled expertly across her ass cheeks, marking her with a fiery red X on her smooth, creamy skin. She went rigid, tight as a fist, as her entire body shook with silent screams of agony. Yet, somehow, she managed to keep count and thank Jesse for each and every one.
Sobs wracked her slender body. She heard the cane rattle on the floor as Jesse threw it from him. Hands mercifully released her restraints as she sought to assimilate what had just happened to her. Pain. Piercing, searing, forbidding pain. Battering her. Brutalizing her! Setting her ass on fire, as if she’d been dipped in a river of molten lava!
And yet…even through the fiery conflagration she could feel her inner core clenching and unclenching with unfulfilled desire. Blazing with a need that roared through her like an avalanche, threatening to swallow her alive, she lifted her head and stared at Adam, glassy-eyed and disoriented from the irreconcilable sensations ripping through her.
“Adam,” she begged, her voice tight with the hunger that threatened to unravel her. “Jesse.” She turned her head to look over her shoulder. “Please, Master, Sir, I need—I need—” She was fighting for every breath, her lungs heaving with desperate effort. Never had she been so overcome with need. It rampaged through her veins, white-hot and destructive. It wrapped around her, threatening to suffocate her in its insidious embrace.
Abruptly, Adam straightened, his hard fingers beneath her chin lifting her face, lifting her entire upper body. He knew what she needed. He’d been waiting for it, because he needed it, too. “Open,” he commanded harshly, barely giving her time to do so before thrusting his cock into her mouth all the way to the back of her throat. She choked before finally managing to suppress her gag reflex, her throat muscles tightening around his tip as she swallowed convulsively.
The motion wrenched a hoarse cry out of him as a ferocious pleasure gripped him. Jesus Christ on a cracker! Her mouth was sheer ecstasy! Wet. Tight. So fucking hot! Discipline shot all to hell, he began thrusting ruthlessly in and out of her mouth.
Jesse grabbed her hips and slammed his cock into her fiery cunt, thrusting deep, as if he were trying to pierce her very heart. The slam of his pelvis against her ass struck the newly raised welts, causing her to loosen her mouth around Adam’s penis, howling as pain resonated through her, straight to her cunt, her clit, her tortured nipples, where a perverse kind of pleasure awaited it.
The dual sensations met, joined, spiraling and twisting deep within her core, blending together until all she felt was a pleasure so excruciating she thought she was going to die. Both men began thrusting in unison into her mouth and cunt, driving up her excitement until she was hovering right on the edge, needing just that little touch more to tip her over. Then Jesse reached around her and rasped his thumb across her clit.
She shrieked, her entire body going rigid as she poised right on the edge, about to tip over. So close…So close.
“Not yet, Sarah.”
Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh—“Please. Please. I need…”
“Look at me, sweet pea.”
Her gaze flew up to meet the deep, deep blue of Adam’s. But there was no blue. It had been swallowed up by a lust so fierce, there was nothing left but black. The expression on his face stopped her heart, leaving it stumbling blindly around, seeking its normal rhythm. She couldn’t look away as release mounted within her like molten lava rising in a magma chamber—a release that hovered just beyond her reach.