Club Rook: Episode 2: Temperance Burning by Noel Meredith, Erzabet Bishop, Skye Montague, Brianne DiMarco, Jennifer DiMarco (Editor)

Demons. Angels. And strippers... Oh my! Enter the exclusive world of Club Rook, an erotic women's club... built over a portal to hell. Demons walk the streets but angels do, too, and which is which may surprise you. No other 500+ page novel is released in weekly installments accompanied by a music video and original EDM/dubstep song. Watch and listen every Monday at http://clubrook.angelsofanarchy.com or buy the soundtrack now at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K2DM7SS/ 

***

This is the second episode to the Club Rook serial. Be warned, if you have yet to read the first installment, you may encounter some spoilers. Also, it's best to start with the first part. These books are written in episodes and they take off where the previous one left off. That being said - this will be a short review as it is a short read and I really don't have much to say about it.

Following the attack on Temperance, we see how shaken she is at what she went through and what she saw. We see just how much of an impact Temperance has made on all the characters in the short amount of time she's been there; everyone is worried and doing their best to soothe her. But the (strip) show must go on, and Temperance is going to perform the following night as she officially becomes a member of Club Rook. But danger is lurking as a brand new creature is introduced to the readers. A creature that is hungry and feeds on human.

Aside from the new creature, nothing worth mentioning happens in this episode. I felt a little bit cheated out of the sex scene - can't tell you who has sex, of course. That would be a spoiler. :P But the scene should have been longer. It didn't really do anything for me truth be told.

Oh, I did enjoy the flashback scenes in this episode though. Probably my favorite parts of the book.

Dark Side Of The Sun by Belinda Burke

An ancient pact was once broken by the theft of Summer’s prince. Now, the Red King has found him. To live, to love, they seek the dark side of the sun… A thousand years ago, Milesian invaders gained ownership of Ireland from Summer’s Queen through trickery. Since that day, the green isle’s native sidhe have been imprisoned in their hidden kingdom, bound by their ancient pact with the Milesians. Now, the treaty has been violated. The Milesians have stolen Bran Fionnan, the son of Summer’s queen. Trapped in the human world with no way of returning home, Bran is held under a death threat that forces him to work for his captors. He must forge weapons the Milesian huntresses can use to slay their new foe—the Red King. The Red King is Macsen Cadoc, a vampire—a hunter who cannot stand being hunted. He seeks vengeance for the Milesian attacks in spilled blood—Milesian blood, and the blood of the sidhe traitor who has forged their weapons. When the one he finds is a victim, not a traitor, everything changes. Bran Fionnan is the Milesians’ most valuable prize, but from the moment Macsen sees him, he wants him…and the Red King is not accustomed to being denied—by anyone. What begins with desire may end in extraordinary ways, but first there are questions that must be answered. What is love? Can it help Bran overcome lost ties and a lifetime’s worth of anger? Can it help the Red King gain more than the satisfaction of his lusts?

***

 This is a book unlike any other book I have ever read. It shocked me that a book like this would have caught my attention as it has. I will say I was thoroughly surprised, and strangely pleased by it's contents. A story about a prince who was stolen from his immortal home to forge weapons in our human realm, to be used against people of his own realm is usual enough. What made this book different from what I have previously read is that I have never encountered a man on man romance. The romance is between the stolen child, now a man, and the ruler over one of 8 immortal kingdoms.The red king, Macsen Cadoc, the ruler of a winter kingdom where the sun does not shine. He is a strong vampire who has lived hundred and hundreds of years but has grown bored of the redundant happenings of his kingdom. He starts to dream of a blue eyed gorgeous man. Unsure if what he is dreaming is real, Macsen finds himself looking for him, the blue eyed stunner, and is successful. I felt myself rooting for Macsen, even though I am not sure that I should. His character, being a vampire, gives off the ruthless killer vibe from page one, but I couldn't help but think to myself that I hope he gets his guy. Finding myself glad that he did was short lived as what ensues had me on my toes. 

I have yet to explain Bran, as the stolen Summer's Prince, he doesn't remember much of his childhood, and what he does remember was of living with the people who abducted him. The way the author explains him leaves me feeling like he is very innocent almost timid. And although devastatingly handsome, never really had reason to think so. Definitely the role of someone who needs saving. Throughout the whole of the book he seems to be very out of place in the mortal world, understandably, since he was made to feel like the ultimate outcast by all of the Milesians. They didn't want him to grasp how powerful he was. I believe they were successful since they were able to keep him for so long. Until Macsen's arrival, Bran was completely at their will, but started to find a strength and courage that was buried inside. The turn of events that directly follows their night together had me wondering, worried, and waiting on every word that followed to see how their relationship would play out. I admit, it kept me on my toes. I wasn't worried for Macsen because I know he can hold his own, but for Bran who ends up being captured and punished for his affair. Especially when he reveals who it was he was with; makes the whole situation worse. 

Belinda Burke did a great job on this book. I love the details. You can imagine yourself in her character's shoes by how she describes them. This book is set to be a series which caught my attention right away since I live for series, and it's the first book. I like what this novel is about, it completely took me out of the norm and put in me a vivid world filled with creatures and concepts only imaginable. I define a novel by how deep I can be transported into another place while still living and breathing in my own. Since this is a series, I won't say that there are negatives yet since there is so much more literature to come, but I can say that I hope to see strength in Bran in the next installment and would love to see how he and Macsen's relationship matures. Gosh I want to know what happens. 

I give this novel 4 1/2 stars for being surprisingly hot for something I can't relate to :) I can't wait to read more of her work. 

Club Rook: Episode 1: Temperance Dancing by Noel Meredith, Erzabet Bishop, Skye Montague, Brianne DiMarco, Jennifer DiMarco (Editor)

Demons. Angels. And strippers... Oh my! Enter the exclusive world of Club Rook, an erotic women's club... built over a portal to hell. Demons walk the streets but angels do, too, and which is which may surprise you. No other 500+ page novel is released in weekly installments accompanied by a music video and original EDM/dubstep song. Watch and listen every Monday at http://clubrook.angelsofanarchy.com or buy the soundtrack now on Amazon.

An erotic hybrid of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Lost Girl," "Club Rook" is drenched in secrets, sex and monsters. Hunter Echo Abeje may own the Rook, but witch/seer Shanti set the wards; alchemist/dealer Jules brews the potions, and musician/dominatrix Heather is a fierce fighter. And don't forget Temperance Ruiz, the newest dancer at the Rook and so much more. 

***

This is a very unique format of story - at least for me. As the description says, Club Rook is a weekly serial which just started last week. The first episode, Temperance Dancing kicks off the story right - with murder. You're not sure what you witness, except that it was supernatural in nature. You're then taken to Club Rook, where you're introduced to a handful of characters - all women, all gay, most of them strippers. 

The story progresses just like a television show, no chapters, only scene changes. Just like the pilot of any new show, you meet lots of characters, but aren't sure what their story is yet. We've got Echo, who is a hunter and the owner of the club, but not everyone that works there knows she's a hunter, or that supernatural beings exist. We were also introduced to Shanti, who is a witch of all trades. She doesn't work at Club Rook, but did set up wards for the establishment. Heather does the music for the club, but also has a certain arrangement with Echo (won't really get into details about that, saving some good stuff for when you guys read the book). Temperance is the newest stripper and everyone is enamored with her. And Jules showed up towards the end; she has a lab at her place and makes LSD and such.

I can't really get into details, seeing as it is a short read and don't want to spoil it for everyone. But I do highly recommend you pick this up. It's really interesting, it's short, and it's pretty sexy. The series is written by a group of writers, each one in charge of a different character. I'm excited to see how this story unfolds and what these ladies have in store.

 

"...debonair dyke with harness-for-hire." Ha! Loved that!

The Sum Of All Kisses by Julia Quinn

HE THINKS SHE'S AN ANNOYING KNOW-IT-ALL 

Hugh Prentice has never had patience for dramatic females, and if Lady Sarah Pleinsworth has ever been acquainted with the words shyor retiring, she's long since tossed them out the window. Besides, even if Hugh did grow to enjoy her company, it would'nt matter. A reckless duel has left this brilliant mathematician with a ruined leg, and now, unable to run, ride, or even waltz, he could never court a woman like Sarah, much less dream if marrying her.  

SHE THINKS HE'S JUST PLAIN MAD 
 
 Sarah has never forgiven Hugh for the duel he fought three years earlier, the one that forced her cousin into exile, nearly destroying her family. But even if she could find a way to forgive him, it wouldn't matter. she does not care that his leg is less than perfect, its his personality she can't abide. But when the pair is forced to spend a week in close company, they discover that first impressions are not always reliable. And when one kiss leads to two, three, four, the mathematician may lose count and the lady may, for the first time, find herself speechless.

 ***

Reading this book, I found it to be really sweet. Two people, who are complete opposites, and completely separated by the after affects of a silly duel (when you read it, you will understand why I say its silly) find themselves drawn to each other in a way neither had expected. Even though Sarah cannot forgive the past, She finds herself drawn to Hugh and before she even realizes it, finds herself defending him and also reveling in his company. Hugh, who would have otherwise found her annoying, had instead found her intriguing and discovers that although most times she is fairly dramatic, there is a depth to her that until then went unnoticed. There are challenges to this new love that have them both at the height of anxiety and at a point their love seems almost doomed. Wait till you read how they overcome this almost disastrous circumstance. It will leave you smiling and with a sense that sometimes imperfections are the real character traits that make a person, instead of taking away from them.

Although the book is really sweet, I do find it a bit average in the grand scheme of novels. It caters more to true romantics then it would the average lusty novel reader.

The Seer's Lover by Kat De Falla

For years, Calise Rowe has been able to sense unusual energy from people, making her believe she is different. Pulled into an ancient war raging for centuries between demon hunters and seers, she's about to find out she's right.
Her search for the truth leads her to Lucas Rojas, a seer of angels and demons who walk the earth shrouded from normal human eyes. He's hidden his gift for years and refuses to endanger Calise by sharing it with her.
In the sultry Costa Rican Jungles, their worlds collide. As their passion and desire ignite, so does the ancient war between demons and seers. Will their combined efforts be enough to save themselves and the entire human world, or will their new found love be their downfall? 

***

The Seer's Lover was a bit of a difficult read for me. I went back and forth between enjoying the book and getting bored or annoyed. The storyline I liked; seers, demons, angels, artifacts - it was all intriguing. I liked that demons and angels could be born from any combination of parents (angel/human, human/human, demon/human, etc.) I also - for the most part - enjoyed Calise. She had a bit of diluted seer in her and could sense angel and demons. She was told all her life she was imagining things, to not talk about them because she was coming off a little nutty. Calise, however, is a girl who wants answers; and when the opportunity arises for her to get the answers she has always wanted, she goes for it. She's determined, and stubborn, and those are good qualities in a heroine. Unfortunately, I don't feel like Calise lived up to her personality all the time. For someone who knows martial arts, she sure didn't use any of her skills - ever. I was very disappointed with that. I felt Calise wasn't as strong in the second half of the book as she was in the beginning.

I had a similar, albeit flipped response to Lucas. I wasn't too fond of him in the beginning. Specifically in the scenes without Calise. I found him to be sniveling and rash. All this talk about his training and confidence that he can take on demons, and he seemed to fail at every turn. Honestly, I'm not sure why he thought he could fight them to begin with - why was he so confident? When he was with Calise I liked him a lot better. Maybe because it was just about the man and woman relationship and not about his seer/fighting skills. I will say, he does redeem himself in my eyes towards the end of the book. Love sure made him into that kick ass guy hero he thought he was in the beginning.

My two favorite characters in this book were not the leads. It was actually Shane and Ellen. Ellen is one of Calise's best friends, and that's all I can really say without spoiling the story. She doesn't appear till the second half of the story but I loved her character from the moment she did show up.

Shane I loved because I felt he was the perfect bad guy. I disliked him from the very beginning, although I did feel sorry for him. As the story progressed I felt less sorry for him and ended up being disgusted with him. I really liked the journey he went through in the story and where he ended. His progression as a character was by far the best one.

The author also has music that goes with the book, and I really dug that. There are three tracks which you can check out on Amazon (click here). They go with chapters 2, 6, and 12. The last track, the one for chapter 12 is by far my favorite - I could play the beginning of it on loop for hours. 

Uncensored comments straight from Kindle:

• "Sure we know Carmen." - It can't be THAT easy to find Carmen, too common of a name. even with her last name...did Calise even know her last name at that point? Anyway, Carmen is a very popular Spanish name. I've met several of them in my lifetime, including my mother. At least it was acknowledged later that Carmen wasn't the only Carmen on the island. :P
• Too many scene changes too quick! Didn't let me get into the character or the scene. Just kept popping from place to place.
• “Your hair smells like strawberries,” he murmured, pulling her tight against him. “Suave.” - LOL! Hey, I've used that one before!
• We already know a certain somebody kills themselves...so the scene where they go into detail about how they died didn't do anything for me. The surprise of knowing what happened to them might have made this a better moment/scene.
• I love that Calise is better at sparring than Lucas.
• *groans* Oh, she called it a pearl!!! Ugh.
• Let me get this straight - this man has only had sex once his entire life (when he was like 18) and he's supposed have all this self control and be oh so good at oral? A++!? I call bullshit.
• His sly smile told her he would take all the time in the world to make sure she climaxed with him. - Not in a million years - not when this is his second time, EVER!

This is part of a series (The Seven Archangels) - I'm not sure if I'll read the next installment.

Fangs Of Anarchy - Forbidden Alpha (Part 1) Alpha Down by Dakota Cassidy

Irish McConnell would give his immortality for a taste of Claire Montgomery. But the Fangs of Anarchy leader can’t risk his biker club, his vampire clan, or his tenuous truce with werewolf Gannon Dodd, Claire’s pack alpha—and her intended mate. Nope. Vamps and weres don’t mix, and Irish has managed to keep that in mind for five long, lust-filled years.

But now Claire’s gone and done something really, really (really!) bad, guaranteeing her doom if she’s ever found out. Truce be damned, Irish won’t leave her unprotected, despite the fact this is one murder-filled bundle of trouble he doesn’t need.

And unfortunately for Irish, the trouble’s just beginning… 

***

This is a new serial by Dakota Cassidy. The first installment of Fangs of Anarchy is a very short read, and jam packed with pure awesomeness. In a world where the government rules over not just humans but the paranormal, otherworldly beings are segregated into their own communities away from the humans where they are free to govern over their packs as they see fit. All the while trying to survive on the little sustenance that the government provides.

The story takes place in a small town in Maine where a pack of werewolves and a clan of vampires have been exiled into living for the last decade. In order to survive, these two unlikely groups form a tentative truce and build a community together while remaining weary of one another. This truce has been on its hinges for a while now - ever since the werewolf pack got a new alpha - and it looks as if things are about to get worse between the weres and vamps.

Irish is in charge of the vampires, and helps run the community with the werewolf alpha, Gannon. Irish has fallen for Claire, the town librarian, and a werewolf. Claire, who has also fallen for Irish has been chosen to be the alpha's mate. Not only is it taboo for vampires and werewolves to be together, but for Irish and Claire it is also dangerous. If anyone were to find out of their feelings for one another, with Claire being the alpha's mate and all, it would mean the end of the truce, and the end of Irish's life.

If that weren't dangerous enough for the two, Claire has just murdered Gannon, and Irish has decided to help her hide what she has done.

Such a passionate story - and I don't just mean that in a sexual way, although the sex scene was pretty damn great. These two characters really love; they love each other, they love their community, and they are fierce about it. I really enjoyed that. They do their best to think of others before themselves and their personal desires, even though it's pretty damn hard for them. A modern day paranormal twist to Romeo and Juliet; 'cept these two are more mature and less selfish than Shakespeare's 13 year old couple.

Loved it. Wonderful. Nothing bad to say about it whatsoever! Highly recommend!

Warning: This story ends in a heck of a cliffhanger. As Dakota wrote in her book, Cue evil soap opera music.

Balustrade by Mark Henry

A couple on the verge of divorce begrudgingly agree to an unorthodox marital retreat. Despite warnings and portents, Hilary and Jack travel to the remote Washington scablands, braving a strange religious demonstration to arrive at Balustrade, an oddly voyeuristic couples program.

Under the tutelage of Chantal, a harsh mistress, and Ludo, a brooding sex surrogate, the couple find their most intimate relations under discomfiting scrutiny. The therapy is ritualistic, sensual, wearing away their inhibitions to lush, orgiastic ends. For a while, Hilary luxuriates in a slippery, sensual descent into wickedness. But when time begins to disintegrate in dream-like fugues, sexual awakening takes a turn for the sinister.

Clandestine cabals whisper behind closed doors. Robed figures congregate in the dark cavern at the apex of the strange building’s courtyard.

Nothing is quite as it seems. And a question looms…

Is it the intention of Chantal and Balustrade to help mend their failing marriage or are their minds and bodies being groomed for more sinister, carnal purposes? Hilary must strive to unlock the secrets behind Balustrade before it pushes her to the brink of insanity and ignites her darkest urges.

***

I don't even know what just happened. I don't know what I just read. All I know is it was amazing. I've never read anything like this before. Erotic, paranormal verging on horror. This couple, on the verge of a divorce, agree to a couples retreat; at first I really disliked Hilary, the wife. I thought she was just a bitch, plain and simple. I felt so sorry for her husband Jack, who was doing everything in his power to make their marriage work, and she wasn't even appreciative. That first sex scene with them was so sad; I could feel her indifference, her disdain, and Jack's sadness and desperation. But as the story progressed, I could understand her reluctance to participate in the retreat and her suspicion that something evil was lurking nearby. I began to dislike Jack, as he started to come off more selfish than I originally thought, more self-centered...but then my feelings started to change again! Things got really sexy and murky, and just plain weirdly creepy. By the end of this book - which is a freaking cliffhanger! - I didn't know what to make of the whole thing. I didn't know whose side I was on, if I was even on a side. Who was good, who was bad, or how I felt about any of the characters. In a way, I kind of feel like Hilary felt when she first started giving in to the "lessons" or "counseling" or whatever you want to call them - thoroughly satisfied, but wanting more, and kinda feeling dirty about it.

If I had to use one word to describe Balustrade, it would be "bewitching"...I was literarily seduced...the pacing was sublime...like foreplay...then fucked senseless...and then discarded like a piece of meat - the wrong meat.

Uncensored thoughts straight from my Kindle:

•  The cubed building with knobless doors made me think of the movie Cube.
• It protruded from the wall like a panic switch, in case of fire push this and fuck. - LMAO! One of the funny lines/moments from the book. There's a bunch of em hidden throughout; think of them as Easter eggs.

If you're into dark stories, and/or erotic scenes, I strongly recommend this book. It will blow your mind. And please have something or someone nearby to scratch the itch you're going to get while reading this.

Rebound by Sabrina York

Kristi Cross has had the hots for
her friend, Cameron Jackson as long as she can remember, but she knows she's
not his type. She's nothing like the women he dates. So when he suggests they
play for a kiss over a game of Hearts, Kristi can't resist. Even if she loses,
she wins. Because she's finally going to taste him.

Of course, one kiss can quickly
become something altogether steamier, especially when both parties are on the
rebound...

***

Rebound by Sabrina York is the first installment of her Tryst Island series. She is known as 'Her Royal Hotness' and now I can see why! I devoured this book - and not just because it was a novella. There are numerous reasons why I read/enjoy certain authors; some authors I read just for the storyline, others for the characters, others for the sex scenes. Sabrina York has it all! The premise of the story I really enjoyed - who hasn't had a crush on a friend and hoped it would lead where Kristi and Cam's friendship led? The characters came to life for me, and I loved their banter. I'm so enamored with this bunch. They are awesome together. Cept Bella...I could do without Bella.

The sex scenes were smokin' hot too! And I really liked that, even though they were explicit, it wasn't just porn - the characters' emotions were there, and it was more than just fucking.

And on top of all this, the whole book itself was very well written. Sabrina York is very intellectual, and it made this story an even better experience for me! Rebound was sweet, hot, and funny as hell. It always snuck up on me, the laughter, all the way till the end. A perfect ending, and funny to boot!

And now for my random comments from my Kindle:

• His battery ram was primed and ready to go. - LMAO!
• Holy. Fuck. is right! Do I have any long time male friends? *Goes in search of male friends.*
• Cam, Holt, AND Drew!? Sheesh, Kristi of the golden pussy.
• His cock swelled. His hips churned. His body wept. Sanity fled. -My gawd, it's a freaking poem!!! My favorite line(s).
• Incontrovertibly - My favorite word in the whole book. Told ya, smart cookie!

Royal Hotness indeed!

Something To Talk About by Dakota Cassidy

Emmeline Amos is sick of her ex saying she's boring and prissy. After all, she works for a phone-sex company! (As general manager, but still.) On a rare girls' night out, fueled by blender drinks and bravado, Em accepts a shocking dare—to handle a call herself. But it's tipsy Em who gets an earful from an irate single father on the other end of the line. Awkward. 

But not as awkward as discovering that same mad dad is Call Girls' gorgeous new programmer. Jax Hawthorne is still upset that his daughter called the "girlfriend store" on his behalf, but he can't deny he'd choose a hot-librarian type like Em if he were looking for love. Which he's not. 

Em wants to do more than just talk the talk. So she makes a bawdy bargain with Jax. They've both been burned before—this time, they'll keep it strictly physical. Except as soon as they settle on no strings attached, things start to get tangled….

***

 I received an ARC of this book for an honest review.

Something To Talk About is the second (or third if you count the prequel) installment to the new Plum Orchard series by Dakota Cassidy. The main character Emmaline Amos is introduced in the previous book, Talk Dirty To Me.

I was very excited to find out it was her story, I really dug her in Talk Dirty To Me, and she stole all the scenes she was in. We learn that Em used to be (and usually still is) a pushover, who was more concerned with not making a scene than standing up for herself and those she loved. I think the combination of her divorce and the cause behind it, and the dread of having to interact and be cordial to former mean girl Dixie was the catalyst for Em's change in attitude. Something To Talk About picks up right in the middle of Em's change.

Though I was very excited to read Em's story, I must admit I was a bit disappointed. I think Em makes a better secondary character than main character. I wasn't fond of her internal monologues - very wishy washy in nature and I think her thoughts made me like her a little less. As a secondary character we're not privy to those thoughts so we only get the dialogue from her and we can create our own inner monologues. I guess I had created her a little differently in my mind.

I still enjoyed the story as a whole. A lot more explicit sex than the other stories, which also took me by surprise seeing as this was uptight Em, but the scenes were hot, and they do vary from tame to sizzling. I will give you guys a heads up, the story is slow at first. The first 40 pages or so I had a hard time getting into; a lot of things getting set up for the real story. But trust me, things get interesting after that. And can I just tease and say there's a BIG secret that gets revealed in this story. Well, there's a few secrets, but I kinda saw all of them coming, except for one. This one dropped me on my ass!

And now for some random comments:

• Lusty goo - *giggle* eww that sounds so wrong! Don't ever use that again, Dakota!
• Oh my god, that first kiss!!! That scene was amazing! If there had been a guy around, I would have just grabbed him and kissed the shit outta him. That's how inspiring (and hot) that scene was.
• "Your couch is awful. My back will never be the same." Neither will my vagina. - Oh my god, I almost died laughing!
• Jax has a whole conversation with Jake in his mind - schizophrenic much? LOL.
• "Did we just have angry sex?" Hahaha gotta love Em!

Overall a nice story, but I will admit I did not cry, I didn't even get teary eyed, and that's a little disappointing considering the amount of tissues I've already used up on this series. 

 3.5 Stars