Category Archives: Must Read Series

ARC Review: Ruby

RUBY

Author: Jeffe Kennedy
Publication Date: May 13, 2013
Publisher: Carina Press
Description:

Book three of Facets of Passion
Danielle Sosna has no problem denying herself in order to achieve her goals—after all, that attitude landed her a dream job at Vogue Paris. But in New Orleans for one last assignment before heading overseas, she’s faced with the most decadent of temptations. Seductive Cajun chef Bobby Prejean takes Dani’s strength of will as a challenge, and offers her a night of wild indulgence—if she will agree to obey his every command…

Dani can’t resist Prejean’s invitation to join him in a world of carnal desire, complete with fetish costumes and masks. Determined to keep her emotional distance, she gives Prejean everything but her name. A night becomes a week, as she spends Mardi Gras suspended…in the delicious space where pleasure meets pain.

Too late, she realizes the cloak of anonymity has not protected her—and that chasing her dream might come at the expense of her heart.

For more Facets of Passion, check out Sapphire and Platinum, available now!

My Thoughts:

I have been a big fan of Ms. Kennedy (at least these Facets of Passion books) since I happened to be lucky enough to win a copy of Sapphire, the first book in the series (which I may have mentioned when I reviewed Platinum, found HERE), Tragically, I lost Sapphire and would love to read it again because it was a great book.

Ruby was no less a great book than Sapphire and Platinum were, though I think if I had to rate the three books in order of preference, it would be Ruby, Sapphire and then Platinum.

Dani is a successful woman, about to go off to Paris for a job she’s been dreaming of her entire life. Prejean is a very successful chef in New Orleans, where Dani is having her final shoot before going off to her Paris job.

Prejean spends a lot of time working with Dani and her food issues (because she works in the fashion magazine industry, she believes she needs to be stick thin like the models she works with), and introducing her to some sinfully yummy food (I got hungry multiple times while reading this book – well, hungry AND horny. Yes, I’ll be honest about that part). The BDSM was done very well (IMO), with newbie Dani getting worked into it by very experienced Prejean.

In the end, we got to see Dani become far more comfortable with who she is and while I didn’t (and continue to not) like the particular choice she makes (it’s a personal preference of mine regarding heroines), I can respect that she fell in love with Prejean and he her.

The only truly downer point was the spectacular tantrums both of them have toward the end. I really didn’t care for his assumptions regarding what she’d do regarding her life.

The secondary plot with her truly evil editor (the one she’s leaving for the job in Paris) and the editor’s reaction to Dani’s lovely magazine shoot idea. I think it would have made a great cover and not obscene (obviously the Paris editor thought so even if bad things happened because of the layout).

So – great book, hot sex and delicious food. Another spectacular book from Ms. Kennedy. Can’t wait for another one in the Facets series.

Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

–Review by Victoria

ARC Review: The Seduction Hypothesis

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The Seduction Hypothesis

Author: Delphine Dryden
Publisher: Carina Press
Publication Date: May 6, 2013
Description:

(1 Curious Sub + 1 Dom in Denial) – Inhibitions = 4 Naughty Nights
Wildlife biologist Lindsey thought attending a fan convention with her new boyfriend Ben was a great idea—until their relationship imploded. Lindsey still lusts after her ex—but if he wants her, he’s going to have to prove he can give her what she needs.

Ben will do anything to win Lindsey back, and when he sees her in her skimpy black vinyl convention getup, he realizes what she’s been craving all along. And he’s inspired to finally give in to his own dark desire to take complete sexual control…

Lindsey is surprised by her reaction to Ben’s kinky new seduction techniques, and suddenly sees the brilliant but boring code guru in a different light. After several erotic encounters in hotel rooms and stairwells, she’s falling for him all over again. And wondering if the intimate connection will last once they head home…

My Thoughts:

I fell in love with Delphine Dryden with the first book in her Science of Temptation series with Callie and Ian. I mean, c’mon, what’s not to love in that book? I’m a HUGE Big Bang Theory fan and Ian clearly resembled Sheldon (well, if Sheldon was a closet Dom…and trust me, I’ve never looked at Sheldon in quite the same way since reading that book, esp. after a particular November 2012 episode of the show when Sheldon spanks Amy).

The Seduction Hypothesis is a very different, yet just as fabulous book from Ms. Dryden. Not only does she switch from first person POV (as in Theory of Attraction) to third, but the set-up was different. Lindsey and Ben had been a couple, but broke up not long ago. There’s some angst there, both with regrets about the demise of the relationship, and Ben not understanding quite why Lindsey broke it off with him.

Lindsey is really into a particularly kinky manga series and planned on dressing like one of the characters for one of the events at the convention the friends all travel to. As it turns out, she’s a dead-ringer for the character and is asked by the crew to stand-in as their regular player had to cancel out on showing up at the convention (yeah, a little suspension of disbelief here, but it worked for me). Ben sees her all duded up and suddenly comes to realize there might be something to the kink thing that, in part, was what had led to their break-up.

He turns to Ian and Callie for some advice (with a quite amusing Cyrano DeBergerac-like scene) and then leaps into some pretty heavy-duty research into the lifestyle, discovering he can get into the whole kink thing. I love that neither one of the pair, but ESPECIALLY the dom, had very little experience with the lifestyle, so they both got to learn together. The new-dom thing isn’t explored very often (at least in my limited BDSM reading). It’s usually the sub being drawn into the lifestyle by an experienced, sexy Dom. Add in the fact that Ben really wanted to get back with Lindsey and ends up discovering a whole new side to himself, and I was absolutely in love with this book.

And, of course…the sex was awesome. Completely, wonderfully, awesome.

Can’t wait for another book in this series!

Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

–Review by Victoria

Must Read Series: Spindle Cove by Tessa Dare

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Spindle Cove, nestled in a peaceful corner of Regency Era England, has long been known as “Spinster Cove,” due to its preponderance of unwed ladies of “delicate constitutions”–and that’s the fictional setting for a delightful historical romance series by Tessa Dare.