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TheBookNympho

TheBookNympho

Goodbye Booklikes ... For Now

Some of you that follow me on Facebook and Twitter may already know that I'm going back to college in the Fall. That means I'll have to cut back on a few things like some of my reading and social media time. Since my main blog is TheBookNympho.com and Booklikes has been a companion of sorts to the blog I won't be updating my account here in the near future. It's just more work for me. 

 

So if you want to continue to see my reviews and other posts please follow me in other ways if you are not already doing so.

 

 

Blog  | Twitter  |  Facebook

 

 

DNF

Stealing Rose - Monica  Murphy

DNF Stealing Rose. I couldn't get into the story or the narration.

TALKING BETWEEN READS (TBR): THE BOOK NYMPHO DOES ORLANDO

 

TBR

 

 

Talking Between Reads (TBR) is a weekly discussion post where we talk about different topics from books to blogging and anything else we think you guys might enjoy. Stop by on Mondays for new topics.

 

 

The Wonderful Wizarding World Of Harry Potter…

If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen most of the pictures in this post. But for those of you that don’t sit back and enjoy the photos of our trip to Orlando, FL to Universal Studios.

 

 

Universal Studios Orlando is split into two parks; Universal Studios and Universal Islands Adventure. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (the happiest place on Earth, sorry Disney!) is broken into two parts; Hogwarts (Universal Studios) and Hogsmeade (Islands Adventure). You can buy a park-to-park ticket and ride the Hogwarts Express (so cool!) between the parks.

My favorite area was Hogsmeade because there were more things to see and do, which included Knockturn Alley and Diagon Alley.

Things To See At Hogwarts

  • HoneyDukes Sweets Shop
    • Chocolate Frogs
    • Fizzing Whizzbees
    • Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans (saw a kid try one and heard him say it tasted like dog poo, and it was dog poo flavored. LOL)
    • Candy counter with fudge, candied apples and  more
  • Three Broomsticks
    • restaurant (we didn’t go inside)
  • Dragon Challenge
    • rollercoaster (we didn’t ride)
  • Flight of the Hippogriff
    • rollercoaster (we didn’t ride)
  • Ollivander’s / Owl post
    • Wand shop – you can stand in line to see the “show”. They pick one kid from the group once you’re inside and do the whole stick about the wand choosing the wizard. It was fun and lasted about 10 minutes and then you were let into the shop where you can buy wands and other merchandise.  If you enter the Owl post you go straight into the shop but if you are a big fan you should see the little “show”.
    • They have two different sets of wands. The interactive ones ($50) that comes with a map of the park labeling areas that you can use your wand. It’s cool but they only work in the park. So if you’re not into interacting with them then you can save some money by getting the non-interactive wands for ($40). We bought two interactive wands the 1st day, Professor Snape (mine) and Hermione (son/hubby’s). The 2nd day we bought a non-interactive wand, Luna Lovegood (mine 2nd choice and son’s as well). My son wanted to collect them all (ok I did too) and by the time our visit was over he could look at about 80% of the wands on display and tell you who they belonged to which impressed my hubby since he didn’t know that many and he’s read the books over and over. LOL
  • Dervish and Banges
    • Another gift shop – it was net to walk in and see The Monster Book of Monsters from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. It was motion sensored and in a cage.
  • Hogwarts
    • You get to walk through some halls of Hogwarts and see the moving and talking paintings on the wall, Dumbledore’s office and Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. It was all very well done with some nicely placed screens showing Dumbledore and Harry, Ron and Hermoine talking as you make your way to the interactive ride…
    • Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey – this ride doesn’t move fast like a rollercoaster but when they warn you about motion sickness… BELIEVE them. I had to close my eyes under a minute of the ride. The motion of the ride paired with the all around you screen was just too much for me. Which was a real shame. My husband went back on it the 2nd day without me and our son (we both get motion sickness).

 

 

 

Let’s Ride The Hogwarts Express To See What Hogsmeade Had To Offer.

 

 

 

 

  • The Leaky Cauldron – Restaurant,  nothing really especial about the OVER priced food but it looked cool on the inside.
  • Escape from Gringotts – I didn’t ride this one because of my motion sickness but my husband did and he loved it.
  • Knockturn Alley – Dark alley that included Borgin and Burkes , where I got my Sirus Black mug (it’s were you could get all your “bad guy” merchandise). There were also some pretty neat places to use your interactive wands.  And it was a great place to get out of the sun and cool off for a bit.
  • Diagon Alley
    • Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes – gift shop
    • Madam Malkin’s – clothing shop
    • Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment – gift shop also where you exit from the Escape from Gringotts ride
    • Gringotts Wizarding Bank – you can exchange your muggle money for Harry Potter money that can be used anywhere in the park.
    • Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor – yummy ice cream treats, they had butterbeer ice cream but I didn’t try it.

 

 

My Favorite Areas Was The Hogwarts Express And Knockturn Alley.

 

Tips For Visiting Universal Studios:

  • Sunscreen! If you burn easily you might even want to bring a hat to wear.
  • Water! They allow outside drinks and food in the part. We carried a backpack with frozen waters to help keep us hydrated and to cut down on the cost of buying bottled water in the park.
  • Comfortable walking shoes I know it’s summer and you want to look cute with your sandals or flip flops but really sneakers are the way to go since you’re be walking a lot. Especially if you are going to see the Harry Potter parts since they are in the BACK of the theme parks.
  • Order your tickets online if possible. You’ll save a little money vs paying at the gate and you can straight to the gate. As long if you want to see both sides of the park and ride the Hogwarts Express you’ll need to get the Park to Park ticket. We got the 2 day pass with the 3rd day free. We didn’t use the 3rd day but it was nice to have the option if we choice to go back a 3rd time.
  • Get there early! The park opens at 9am but people show up earlier than that and you have to walk from parking through the City Walk (restaurants and shops) to get to the gate for the actual park.
  • Shopping If you stop at the shops in City Walk before going into the park keep in mind that you can buy stuff from them on your way out to keep from carry a ton of stuff while in the park. They have tons of Harry Potter stuff in one of the shops including wands. So if you don’t want to wait in line at the other areas in the HP parts then you can find things when you leave. They even had a few things in the shop outside the park that they didn’t have in the actual HP parts.
  • Brings lots of money! First you’ll pay for parking, then tickets (if you didn’t pay online) Even if you bring in outside drinks and snacks be prepared to spend some money in the park. And no you don’t need cash.
  • Butterbeer – Get it frozen! It’s basically cream soda with a butterscotch flavored foam and the foam is the best part. LOL (I hate cream soda). I tried some for my hubby’s class and was not impressed with it but on our second trip to the park I got my own and got it frozen and loved it. It’s like a margarita, on the rocks vs frozen. I prefer frozen for both.

 

 

I’ve always been a fan of the Harry Potter movies and I read books 1-3 but after visiting the park I want to read the whole series with my son.

 

Oh and we did a few other things on our long weekend in Orlando like visit the Kennedy Space Center.

#COYER RED, WHITE & BLUE READ-A-THON

 

REDWHITEBLUE

 

Celebrate The 4th of July with the Americans in the group by reading a book with red, white, or blue on the cover or the words red, white or blue in the title. Read-a-thon is from July 4th – 10th.

 

Red, White & Blue Read-A-Thon Rules

 

  1. All books must meet COYER Requirements (so basically no library books and legally obtained)
  2. Red, White, OR Blue must be on the cover – either the cover or the words
  3. Sign-up on the linky below by 11:59 PM July 10th. No link required, just give us your name so we know you’re joining in.
  4. Sometime between now and 11:59 PM July 10th, post on your blog, twitter, FB, Google+, Booklikes (you get the idea… somewhere!) that you’re participating. That’s the link you’ll need for the Rafflecopter
  5. When you finish a book, give it a mini-review on goodreads. 2-3 sentences is all you need for this giveaway! Go back and write the full review for COYER when you’re ready. Easy right?
  6. Bonus Round Points: Enter books read in the Scavenger Hunt Giveaway, located on the kick off post IF they qualify for BOTH a scavenger hunt item AND the read-a-thon. The bonus round point will only be available in the giveaway widget July 4th – 11th. You may enter 1 book per day.
  7. Have Fun!

 

 

Books I Plan To Read For The Read-A-Thon:

 

Afternoon Delight Stars and Strips  Second Chance Summer Caged 
 

Second Change Summer – #43 Read a book that takes place during the summer. 3 points
Caged – #2 Read a book with a cover that is at least 51% blue. 1 point
Afternoon Delight – #4 Read a book with a red item on the cover. 1 point
Stars and Stripes – #24 Read a book that fits in the LGBT genre. 2 points

Review + Giveaway | Hard to Let Go by Laura Kaye

 

 

Hard to Let Go by Laura KayeHard to Let Go by Laura Kaye
Series: Hard Ink #4
Published by Avon on June 30th 2015
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Format: eBook
Source: Library
Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Goodreads
four-stars
four-flames

Beckett Murda hates to dwell on the past. But his investigation into the ambush that killed half his Special Forces team and ended his Army career gives him little choice. Just when his team learns how powerful their enemies are, hard-ass Beckett encounters his biggest complication yet—a seductive, feisty Katherine Rixey.

A tough, stubborn prosecutor, Kat visits her brothers’ Hard Ink Tattoo shop following a bad break-up—and finds herself staring down the barrel of a stranger’s gun. Beckett is hard-bodied and sexy as hell, but he’s also the most infuriating man ever. Worse, Kat’s brothers are at war with the criminals her office is investigating. When Kat joins the fight, she lands straight in Beckett’s sights . . . and in his arms. Not to mention their enemies’ crosshairs.

Now Beckett and Kat must set aside their differences to work together, because the only thing sweeter than justice is finding love and never letting go.

 

Icon Library Book  icon smart funny  icon TEAR JERKER  icon SEXY
 

 

Hard to Let Go by Laura Kaye is a prefect ending to her Hard Ink series.

 

If you haven’t read Kaye’s Hard Ink series you should start with book 1, Hard As It Gets since the series focuses on the story arc of the guys clearing their name from an event that happened while they were in the army together. And with the series being a relative short one you can play catch up quickly.

 

We’ve followed the guys and gals of Hard Ink through action, danger and mystery to get to the collective HEA of everyone. And in Hard to Let Go Laura Kaye pulls out all the stops. I’d have to say that Kat and Beckett are my favorite couple and relationship of the group.

 

They fight like cats and dogs that translates into some serious attraction smoking hot sexy times. Really I don’t remember the other books being this hot. Oh the whole series is super sexy but dang Kat is one lucky lady with Beckett. He’s known in the group as the quite one and comes off as an ass but it’s all the mask he wears to hide what’s going on in his head. But when is his soft and sweet to Kat it just melts my heart and his back story makes me what to just hug him until I get massive paper cuts (cuz he’s a fictional character in a book).

 

The trade mark humor is very present in Hard to Let Go. I love how Kaye lightens the darker notes of the series with the funny as hell one liners and zingers these guys through at each other.

 

“Glad he’s not,” Charlie said, humor and embarrassment mixed in his voice. He crossed his arms. “He’d probably wear his ‘I’ve got a pole you can dance on’ T-­shirt just to spite me.”

Marz burst out laughing. “Charlie Merritt! I didn’t know you had that in you,” he managed, still laughing.

Charlie gave Beckett a Did he really just say that? look, his embarrassment easing in favor of amusement.

“Dude. Think about what you just said and remember you’re talking to a gay man.”

 

 

What’s not to love about a tough as nails alpha hero with a heart of gold in need of some major snuggling to get over his low self-esteem. And a smart and sassy heroine that needs some snuggling herself.

 

“Stay,” he said, closing his arms around her back. He pulled her in tight.

 

And as they stood in the dark holding each other, Beckett had a goddamned ridiculous realization.

 

He could count the number of ­people who had hugged him before this moment on one finger—­Becca, when she’d apologized to him for what they’d all thought her father had done. Before that, Beckett couldn’t ever remember being hugged. Not once.

 

Hard to let go is how I felt finishing Hard to Let Go by Laura Kaye. I can’t wait to read the spin-off series that will focus around The Ravens, the motorcycle gang that came in earlier in the series to help the Hard Ink gang take down the bad guy and finally find out the truth. Here’s hoping we’ll get some cameos from our soldiers and their gals.

 

      

 

 

 

 

Head over to The Book Nympho to enter the GIVEAWAY

 

 

 

About Laura Kaye

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

JUNE IS AUDIOBOOK MONTH (JIAM): FAVORITE FEMALE NARRATORS

 

JIAM

 

I started Audiobook Month off with my favorite male narrators now it’s time to close the month with my favorite female narrators. This list will be longer because I’ve listened to more female narrators than males. These ladies can bring it!

 

 

Fun And Sassy

 

These ladies will have you laughing your butt off!

 

  • Amanda Ronconi – Amanda is the reason I listen to all of Molly Harper books instead of reading them. Ronconi is the voice of Molly Harper. They two are a great team wither it’s PNR or Contemporary Romance. If you want to laugh while a couple falls in love you should list to a Harper/Ronconi book. “They’re back…. The team of Molly Harper and Amanda Ronconi never fails to entertain me. Between Harper’s witty writing and Ronconi’s spot on narration,  A Witch’s Handbook to Kisses and Curses is full of flirty fun between an out-of-town witch, Nola Leary and a sexy handyman, Jed Trudeau.

     

  • Lorelei King –   Lorelei is want keeps me coming back to theCharley Davidson series on audio. “I have to start off with saying how much I love the narration of this series. After listening to all the other books in the series I can’t bring myself to read the new releases even when I have a chance at an ARC. Lorelei King just brings Charley to life in such a great way that I now have her voice in my head and cannot enjoy reading the books.” – (from my review of Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones) (Interview from 2014)22596109

     

  • Allison McLemore – “Angel is on my auto-buy audio book list and it’s all due to Allison McLemore. I LOVE Allison’s narration of this series. It is one of the best southern accents I’ve heard. And being from the south I’m very peaky about the “fake” ones. I was surprised when I looked up Allison to find that her NOLA accent might be put on it’s not that far of a stretch for her because she is a native of my very home state, Arkansas.  I enjoy Allison’s narration so much that I plan to check out other books she narrates.”  – (from my review of White Trash Zombies Apocalypse by Diana Rowland)

     

  • Grace Grant – “She did a great job with Chloe and a pretty good job with the male voices. She truly performed the stories, not just read them. She made me feel the emotions of the characters while I listened.” – (from my review of Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren) Grace does a great job in the Contemporary Romance genre. “She pulls off the female leads perfectly and the sassier they are the more Grace makes them shine. I love Grace’s work on the Beautiful Bastardseries and she’s the reason I requested Manwhore on audio. I wasn’t even going to read it but when I saw Grace was the narrator I knew I had to give it a try. Grace Grant is quickly becoming one of my favorite narrators.” – (from Manwhore review)

     

  • Amy Landon – “Her timing and pinch was right on the spot and she managed to pull out the emotions that the characters were feeling in turn making me feel them even more than I’m sure I would have just reading the book.” – (from my review of Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett) I’ve listened to Amy narrated Jenn Bennett’s Roaring Twenties series and Bound by Night by Larissa Ione. I really enjoyed her performances and plan on listening to more of her in the future.

 

Smoking Hot

 

These ladies have the best voices for those steamy scenes. They can melt your ear buds. And they’re really good at delivering the male voices to make you swoon.

 

  • Jill Redfield – “Jill Redfield is a great narrator. She is Sequence Onethe main reason I keep coming back to The Phoenix Pack series. Redfield can deliver both the female and male characters in an enjoyable way.  Not many female narrators can pull off the male voices so well and still make the female voices sound feminine. And she really gets into those sex scenes.” – (from my review of Dark Instincts by Suzanne Wright)

     

  • Jo Raylan – “Jo Raylan brought C.D. Reiss’s words and characters to life perfectly! Jo’s voice and Reiss’s writing totally sucked me in within the first 20 minutes of the audio. Jo Raylan is a new name but she’s not new to the narration game. She narrates under another name (don’t ask because if I told you, I’d have to kill you. LOL) but even though she’s a pro under another name I’ve got to tell ya it was like listening to another person.” – (from my review Sequence One by C.D. Reiss)

     

  • Justine Eyre“I don’t know what else I can say about Justin Eyre. She totally nails this series and the characters. She does a wide range of accents (very well). She makes me feel like I’m listening to more than one narrator. Her voices for previous characters are exactly as they were in their own book and yet she manages to make the “new” character distinct from older characters.” – (from my review of Ecstasy in Darkness by Gena Showalter)

 

Jack (Or Should I Say Jane) Of All Trades

 

These ladies can narrate anything!

 

  • Lauren Fortgang – I started my love affair with Fortgang by listening to Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassin series and it grew even more with her work on Shannon Stacey’s Kowalski Family series. Lauren is great at both Urban Fantasy and Contemporary Romance. I plan to find out if I love her just as much in the Young Adult genre soon. (Interview from 2013)23237578

     

  • Khristine Hvam – Khristine is much like Fortgang in that she does a great job in different genres. She does fantastic work on Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock series.  She can bring Jane and Beast to life-like no one else and I adore her child voices for the kids in the series. I’ve also listened to Hvam narrate the YA series, Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready. Hvam does a great teenage Scotsman that made me feel like a cougar. LOL (Interview from 2014)

     

  • Renée Raudman – Renée is the reason that all Ilona Andrews’ books are a must listen for me. Her voice is the prefect match for Andrews’ writing. She’s another female narrator that can deliver male voices just as well as her female voices. I also enjoyed her performance of Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas. (Interview from 2014)

     

  • Marguerite Gavin – Marguerite is Rachel Morgan from Kim Harrison’s The Hollows series. She delivers all the voices to perfection. And because I loved her performance I’ve picked up a couple ofaudios in the KittyNorville series by Carrie Vaughn.

     

  • Nicole Poole – “Nicole Poole is climbing up my list of favorite narrators! Her voice is prefect for the Seven series. She delivers both male and female voices to perfection. She has the kind of voice that makes the heroines strong, sweet and sassy while still making the males swoon-worthy. Another thing I love about Nicole Poole’s narration is that I know when she is smiling, you can hear it in her voice.” –  (from my review of Four Days by Dannika Dark)

 

Great YA Voice

 

  • Emma Glavin – “Emma Galvin’s voice really brought Evie to life for me. She has a raspy voice that lends itself to the darker feel of the book.” – (from Poison Princess review) Emma has a great young sounding voice that lends itself to the Young Adult Dystopia genre very well. I’ve listened to her perform Kresley Cole’s YA series, The Arcana Chronicles and Divergent by Veronica Roth.

 

 

Source: http://thebooknympho.com/2015/06/june-is-audiobook-month-jiam-favorite-female-narrators

Audio Review: Dark Heir by Faith Hunter

 

Dark Heir by Faith HunterDark Heir by Faith Hunter
Series: Jane Yellowrock #9
Narrator: Khristine Hvam
Published by Audible on 04-07-15
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Format: Audiobook
Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins
Source: Purchased
Audio | Goodreads
three-half-stars

Shapeshifting skinwalker Jane Yellowrock is the best in the business when it comes to slaying vampires. But her latest fanged foe may be above her pay grade…

 

For centuries, the extremely powerful and ruthless vampire witches of the European Council have wandered the Earth, controlling governments, fostering war, creating political conflict, and often leaving absolute destruction in their wake. One of the strongest of them is set to create some havoc in the city of New Orleans, and it’s definitely personal.

 

Jane is tasked with tracking him down. With the help of a tech wiz and an ex-Army ranger, her partners in Yellowrock Securities, she’ll have to put everything on the line, and hope it’s enough. Things are about to get real hard in the Big Easy.

 

icon AUDIOBOOK    Icon INFURIATING

 

 

Dark Heir is the 9th book in the Jane Yellowrock series and I still hate Leo! Why Jane doesn’t just stake him is the most infuriating part of the series.  Leo is one of those “gray” characters, he’s not 100% good and not 100% evil. In fact all the vampires are pretty much in the same area as Leo. Oh sure some are more evil than others but Faith Hunter’s vampires are not the cuddly kind, not even the “nice” ones.

 

Like many of the vampire troubles Jane finds herself in is due in big part to the Master of New Orleans, Leo. Jane and her partners, the Younger brothers are trying to stop a crazy old suck head that Leo had chained up in his basement. There’s a lot of vampire politics involved keeping Jane from just staking the dangerous vampire.

 

As Jane and the gang work to bring down the vampire there’s a lot of emotional and relationship stuff going on for Jane. She and the Younger brothers are becoming more of a family than just partners. Molly, Jane’s BFF and witch is walking the line between being a good witch and a bad witch and their friendship is still not back on solid ground. Then there’s George aka Bruiser. He and Jane seems to be heading in the right direction for their relationship when I really enjoy seeing now that I’m back on Team George.

 

One thing I could have done without was a phone call with Ricky. But at least it was short and Jane had the right reaction to it.

 

Dark Heir is not to be missed by Jane Yellowrock fans. While it was not my favorite book in the series it was still an enjoyable listen and I can’t wait to see where Faith Hunter task Jane and Beast.

 

 

 

 

 

COYER Scavenger Hunt – #40 Read a book featuring a strong female protagonist. 3 points

 

 
 
 

 

About Faith Hunter

New York Times bestselling author Faith Hunter writes dark urban fantasy and paranormal thrillers, including the Skinwalker series, featuring rogue-vampire hunter Jane Yellowrock, and the Rogue Mage series, a post-apocalyptic, alternate reality series, featuring Thorn St. Croix, a stone mage. She has a new series under wraps.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Goodreads

 

Cover Reveal and Ebook Sale

Cover Real repackaging of Kresley Cole's phenomenally popular Immortals After Dark series and ebook sale:


$1.99 from June 29th – August 2nd

 

 

The Book Nympho's photo.
 
The Book Nympho's photo.
 
 

Reading progress update: I've read 125 out of 400 pages.

Spider's Trap - Jennifer Estep

Reading progress update: I've read 60%.

Dark Heir - Faith Hunter

Audio Review: Beautiful Secret by Christina Lauren

 

Beautiful Secret by Christina LaurenBeautiful Secret by Christina Lauren
Series: Beautiful Bastard #4
Narrator: Charlotte Penfield, Jonathan Cole
Published by Simon & Schuster Audio on 04-14-15
Format: Audiobook
Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
Source: Purchased
four-stars
Audiobook | Goodreads
AN UPTIGHT BRITISH EXECUTIVE. AN ADVENTUROUS AMERICAN NEWBIE. A SEXY INTERNATIONAL SCANDAL IN THE MAKING.

When Ruby Miller’s boss announces he’s sending her on an extended business trip to New York City, she’s shocked. As one of the best and brightest young engineers in London, she knows she’s professionally up to the task. The part that’s throwing her is where she’ll be spending a month up close and personal working alongside—and staying in a hotel with—Niall Stella, her firm’s top urban planning executive and The Hottest Man Alive. Despite her ongoing crush, Ruby is certain Niall barely knows she’s alive…until their flirty overnight flight makes him sit up and take notice.

Not one for letting loose and breaking rules, recently divorced Niall would describe himself as hopeless when it comes to women. But even he knows outgoing California-girl Ruby is a breath of fresh air. Once she makes it her mission to help the sexy Brit loosen his tie, there’s no turning back. Thousands of miles from London, it’s easy for the lovers to play pretend. But when the trip is over, will the relationship they’ve built up fall down?

 

icon AUDIOBOOK icon hot icon refreshing
 

 

Beautiful Secret brings the story of Naill, Max from Beautiful Stranger and Beautiful Beloved younger brother. And Naill is painfully British. He comes off as aloof and very proper. He’s always in a suit and nothing is ever out-of-place.

 

While Max has been living in New York for a while running a business and getting married Naill’s has been over in England running a business and getting divorced. But a business trip brings him to New York for a bit so we get to see some of our old favorites from other books, which is always fun.

 

Naill and one of the other guys from the company were to travel to NYC but something has come up and instead of Andrew coming along with Naill, Ruby, Andrew’s intern is coming with.

 

Ruby has had a huge crush on Naill ever since she laid eyes on him 6 months ago. But Naill’s has just started to notice Ruby. But when he takes notice things really start to heat up.

 

The thing I like the most about Beautiful Secret is that Naill’s is the one that’s inexperienced with relationships instead of a play boy. He’s only been with one woman, his wife. Ruby is the one with the experience and she helps Naill’s get out of his comfort zone. While Naill’s is older, Ruby is his match in every way from the bedroom to the meeting room. The two really work well together on all levels.

 

The dual narration that Charlotte Penfield and Jonathan Cole brought to the series was amazing. I already love Cole’s work as Max and now Naills. I love his performance of the two Stella brothers and look forward to listening to more of his work. Penfield is new to the series and she was perfect for Ruby. She delivers a great performance with the right mix of sexy and innocent that Ruby brings to the story. I’m not new to listening to Penfield, I listened to her work on one other audio book, Twisted by Emma Chase and like Cole I look forward to listening to her work again.

 

Now that I’m all caught up on the Beautiful Bastard series I’m going to listen to Christina Lauren’s Wild Seasons series while I wait for the next book in the BB series to release. I wonder who it will be about. Christina Lauren has mentioned that Will and Hanna from Beautiful Player will get a novella so maybe that will be next.

 

 


 

NSFW 

This First Sample Is Of Charlotte Penfield Performance

This Sample Is Of Jonathan Cole’s Performance

 

 

About Christina Lauren

Christina-Lauren

Yes, there are two of us! Lauren (on the left) and Christina (on the right).

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners/besties/soulmates/brain-twins Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced nine New York Times bestselling novels. Their books have been translated into 23+ languages.

WebsiteBlogTwitterFacebookGoodreadsTumblr

Source: http://thebooknympho.com/2015/06/beautiful-secret-by-christina-lauren/#comment-137608

Review and Giveaway | What Piper Needs by Amanda Abbott

 

What Piper Needs by Amanda Abbott

 
 

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. No compensation was provided and all opinions are strictly my own.

 

 

 

What Piper Needs by Amanda AbbottWhat Piper Needs by Amanda Abbott
Series: Pushing the Boundaries #2
Published by Amanda Abbott on June 1st 2015
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Format: eBook
Pages: 276 pages
Source: Author
four-half-stars
Amazon | B&N | Goodreads
Piper and Michael Collins have it all. They’re in love, both have successful jobs, live in a nice neighborhood, and have a great sex life—that is, up until recently. Over the past six months everything has started to drag. Even though they’ve led an “extracurricular” lifestyle for a long time, things have gotten boring.

It’s up to Piper to liven her marriage up, which she does with a little encouragement from her pal Caroline at their weekly STD happy hours. She jumps in without pause and sparks between she and Michael fly. First with hot selfies, office sex, and later with some much needed risk-taking.

From there, Piper and Michael make a Top Ten Sex List and start ticking off their wildest fantasies. Piper is fearless, but when they both arrive at Michael's number ten, is Piper really ready?

*This book is super steamy hot, filled with out-of-the-box moments. The book contains: explicit sex, hardcore toys, and group sex.

 

icon ADULTSONLY  icon hot  icon kinky
 

I’ve loving the Pushing the Boundaries series by Amanda Abbott so much! Why? Because it focuses on married couples that are trying to reconnect in their sexual needs and wants after being together for a few years. And each couple is at a different point in their relationship and it’s gratifying to see what happens with a couple after they’ve had their HEA. Marriage is all about work to keep things interesting. And boy are these marriages interesting!

 

What Piper Needs followings Caroline and Jace from book 1, What Caroline Wants, neighbors, Piper and Michael. Through Caroline and Jace’s eyes, Piper and Michael seemed to have the sex part of their marriage figured out and where old pros at the lifestyle. Piper was freely giving out advice to Caroline but as Piper’s story unfolds we find out that she and Michael’s marriage like everyone else’s is not perfect.

 

In fact Piper hasn’t had an orgasm in a long time and even though she is very out spoken about sex she has closed herself off to it in many ways after a bad experience a few years ago when she and Michael had a night with another couple.

 

Michael and Piper are both worried about the slump they’ve been in but neither really knows how to fix it. Their biggest issue is not communicating with each other. Piper is afraid to talk about their issues for fear of making Michael unhappy and Michael only wants to make Piper happy but he’s not sure that is anymore.

 

Even though some of the sex is over the top (but really, really hot) I connected with Piper and Michael like they were real people. The issues they have are real issues that you would find in any marriage and it was great to see them work through their issues to be a better couple by the end of the book. I felt all the emotions that they were feeling from loneliness, lust and finally enjoy. Amanda Abbott does a remarkable job bring these couples to life and making me care about their happiness. I can’t wait to read more on the other couples that are introduced in pieces in series so far.

 

I highly recommend What Piper Needs to all those married romance readers out there. I think you will really connect with these characters and their problems. You don’t have to be in the lifestyle of group sex, sex clubs or the like to get what Piper and Michael are going through. Sure the series has tons of sex involved but at the heart of it, it about working on ones marriage and getting to that place where you are open and honest with your partner.

 


Book 1, What Caroline Wants is currently FREE for Kindle and Nook. Act fast because it’s for a limited time.

 

 

 

GIVEAWAY

10 digital copies of What Piper Needs by Amanda Abbott

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FREE for Kindle

http://www.amazon.com/What-Caroline-Wants-Pushing-Boundaries-ebook/dp/B00VR14J9O/ref=dp_olp_1

and Nook

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-caroline-wants-amanda-abbott/1121945720?ean=2940152197396&isbn=2940151272872

What Caroline Wants by Amanda Abbott

Reblogged from TheBookNympho:
 

CHECK OUT EXCERPT AND GIVEAWAY AT WWW.THEBOOKNYMPHO.COM

 
 

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. No compensation was provided and all opinions are strictly my own.

 

What Caroline Wants by Amanda AbbottWhat Caroline Wants by Amanda Abbott
Series: Pushing the Boundaries #1
Published by Amanda Abbott on May 18th 2015
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Format: eARC
Pages: 234
Source: Author
four-stars
Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Goodreads

Caroline and Jason Stratton have always been hot for each other. Married right out of college, they’ve had a great sex life. But when they discover that their best friends and neighbors, Piper and Michael Collins, have experimented with a few extracurricular adventures during their ten year marriage, Caroline and Jace’s sexual world is rocked.

The Strattons quickly find that inviting others into their bedroom might be something they want to explore. But getting Caroline to reconcile her Southern guilt is another matter altogether. So they decide to take it deliciously slow, exploring every avenue.

Their adventures lead them to Emma and Pete, and after a fun, sexy dinner date out, and an incredibly hot car ride home, they’re in. But once they decide to scale that mountain, all bets are off. In the end, Caroline must make a decision—and it’s one she’ll have to live with forever.

*This book is ridiculously sexy, filled with high-octane moments between the couple as they figure out what makes them tick. The book contains: explicit sex, voyeurism, and light couple swap. **There is no cheating, everything is consensual between all participants.

 

 

 icon PAGE TURNER  icon kinky  icon refreshing

 

 

what drew me to what caroline wants?

 

It’s about a married couple! I’ve not read many in fact I can only think of one book I read about a married couple. Most romances (at least the ones I read) are couples getting together and working toward a HEA. So What Caroline Wantswas a refreshing read for me. I loved seeing how a happily married couple worked through their sexual needs as a couple.

 

After being married for so long your sex life can get a little boring if you don’t work at it. And Caroline and Jason really worked!

 

why i read what caroline wants in one sitting?

 

After I was pulled into reading What Caroline Wants, I kept reading until 1am because of the characters. I really connected with Caroline and Jason. Here you have a married couple that’s been together for nine years and married for five of those years. They love each other so much and it comes through in Abbott’s writing.

 

Caroline was brought up in a very religious house and has all kinds of guilt about sex. Even after being with Jason for nine years he is still having to slowly bring out her sexuality. Jason is much more open about sex so he balances out Caroline very well.

Like many people Caroline has fantasy that she thought would never be played out. But through her loving relationship with Jason her needs are met and she is brought to a whole new level of living but it’s an emotional ride for the couple as they deal with their guilt after one amazing night with another couple.

 

who i would recommend reading what caroline wants?

 

I won’t spoil you but just so you know there is no spouse swapping or group orgies in What Caroline Wants. So if you are looking for a romance between a married a couple that’s seeking a little supplement in their sex life then you will enjoy Caroline and Jason’s journey into a new world of pleasure. And if you enjoy hot sex scenes with real emotion you should give What Caroline Wants a read.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fandemic by Jennifer Estep

 

I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. No compensation was provided and all opinions are strictly my own.

 

Fandemic by Jennifer EstepFandemic by Jennifer Estep
Series: Bigtime #5
Published by Self Published on June 2nd 2015
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Format: eBook
Pages: 129 pages
Source: Author
four-stars
Amazon | B&N | Goodreads
Piper Perez has always wanted to be a superhero. Always wanted to wear a cool costume, have amazing abilities, and save the day. There’s just one problem—Piper doesn’t have any superpowers.

So she focuses on other things. Facts, figures, memorabilia. Piper knows and collects it all, about both the superheroes and the ubervillains who roam the streets of Bigtime, N.Y. Piper’s friends jokingly call her a fandemic—someone who is a superfan of all things superhero. The nickname is truer than anyone knows, especially since Piper can’t stop thinking about Swifte, the speedy hero who broke her heart months ago.

But someone has been killing off Bigtime’s heroes and villains. When one of Piper’s friends is murdered, she vows to do whatever she can to help bring the killer to justice, superpowers or not. All the clues and information she gathers lead her to believe that Swifte is the killer’s next target. Piper has always wanted to be a hero, and now she’ll have to use all of her fandemic knowledge to save the man she loves—or die trying….

 

icon FED-THE-NERD  icon ROMANCE  icon smart funny
 

Piper is a big fangirl when it comes to superheroes, her friends call her Fandemic because of her obsession with them. She collects all their merchandise and knows all their powers, fight stats and even most of their real identities. But when she let’s it be known to her boyfriend that she knows his secret superhero identity that’s when the relationship hits a road block.

 

The struggle between Piper and Kyle is a real one and it’s heartbreaking to see these two be apart when it’s clear they love each other. But Kyle has trust issues when it comes to his superhero identity. He thinks that Piper only wants to be with him because he wears a mask and spandex.

 

Fandemic is a great addition to Jennifer Estep’s Bigtime series, showing us that not only do the superheroes get their HEA but the everyday gal on the street does too. Piper started out doing whatever she could get her own super powers like taking an annually trip to the Bigtime Nuclear Power Plant in hopes that a core reactor would melt down and give her powers through a radiation leak. But by the end of Fandemic, Piper was happy just being her, no powers included.

 

If you’re a superhero fan and looking for a fun and quirky series you should give Bigtime series by Jennifer Estep a go. Each book could be read as a stand alone but they are more enjoyable read as a series in order. Start with book 1,Karma Girl.

 

 

 

Love when authors can poke fun at themselves:
 
“I’m talking to you, hot mama,” the guy crooned again.
“Really?” I asked. “Hot mama? That’s your line?”
The guy frowned. “What’s wrong with hot mama?”
I shrugged, “For starters, it sounds like some cheesy book title.”
 
 

About Jennifer Estep

Jennifer-Estep-4-240x300

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times bestselling author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea. Jennifer writes the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series for Pocket Books and the Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series for Kensington. She is also the author of the Bigtime paranormal romance series. For more information on her books, visit Jennifer’s website at www.jenniferestep.com.

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Source: http://thebooknympho.com/2015/06/fandemic-by-jennifer-estep

#Audio #Review The Unidentified Redhead by Alice Clayton

 

The Unidentified Redhead by Alice ClaytonThe Unidentified Redhead by Alice Clayton
Series: Redhead #1
Narrator: Keili Lefkovitz
Published by Simon & Schuster Audio on 07-16-13
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Format: Audiobook
Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
Source: Gift
four-stars
Audiobook | Goodreads
WATCH OUT, HOLLYWOOD!

Grace Sheridan is back. Ten years after discovering that looks and talent are a dime a dozen in Los Angeles, she’s wriggling into a pair of badass jeans and ready to show the film industry that there’s way more to her than just a head of gorgeous red curls. And Hollywood’s newest Brit super-hunk Jack Hamilton certainly sees a lot to like. Grace is trying to restrain herself from jumping a man who is nearly a decade her junior, but Jack is making it clear that he personally has zero problems with that idea.

While Grace and Jack are still swapping innuendo-loaded quips and text sex though, the paparazzi have caught up with them, headlining the “unidentified redhead” who’s been photographed trysting at a restaurant with the heartthrob of the year. Now Grace is in stuck in a double bind. She’s head over heels in lust with Jack, but there’s her own career to think of as well. A sizzling romance with the newest “it” boy may garner her industry attention . . . but is it the kind of attention she’s always dreamed of?

 

Icon Read It Track It  icon AUDIOBOOK  icon smart funny  icon hot

 

read it, track it is a way for me to track books for my reading challenges and they will be super short.

 

 
I was on the fence about Keili Lefkovitz narration. I loved her performance for all The Unidentified Redhead once I let it go that she didn’t even try to change her voice for all the characters or tried to voice Jack with his British accent. Normally this would have bugged the shit out of me but Keili really was the right voice for the tone of the novel.

 

The Unidentified Redhead is a no brain needed, fun, sassy and very sexy listen. I’ve not laughed or smiled so much while listening to a romance like I did with this one. Seriously I got some funny looks from people at the gym when I was LOLing on the elliptical.

 

scene that had me lamo:

 

“Yeah, she’s right here. She’s in the shower, in fact…Oh, Jack! I told Grace the funniest joke about the British invading her hoo—Wait, what?…Hold on…Grace, Jack would like you to know that he has seen the pictures and he thinks you were pointing that shrimp at him far too aggressively…No, she isn’t acknowledging you. She’s now banging her head against the shower tiles…Oops, now she’s glaring at me…she’s turning off the shower, Jack…she’s coming towards me…she’s naked, Jack…and angry…she’s naked and angry, Jack…you would probably love angry, naked Grace. It’s something to see. She’s hitting me, Jack…I think she’s going to take the phone away from…”
 

 

NFW SAMPLE

 

 

 
 

About Alice Clayton

Alice Clayton

Novelist Alice Clayton makes her home in St. Louis where she enjoys gardening but not weeding, baking but not cleaning up after, and is trying desperately to get her long-time boyfriend to make her an honest woman–and please buy her a Bernese Mountain dog.
After working for years in the cosmetics industry as a makeup artist, esthetician, and educator, Alice picked up a pen (read laptop) for the first time at 33 to begin a new career: author. Having never written anything longer than a grocery list, she soon found writing to be the creative outlet she’d been missing since walking away from the theater 10 years before.

She has a great time combining her love of storytelling with a sense of silly, and she was shocked and awed to be nominated for a Goodreads Author award in 2010 for her debut novels, the first two installments of The Redhead Series–The Unidentified Redhead and The Redhead Revealed. Her latest novel Wallbanger is a return to her trademark comedic erotica, or funny smut, that Alice has become known for.

Additionally, Alice loves spending time with her besties on Not Your Mother’s Podcast (check them out on iTunes) and has recently partnered with actor Greg Grunberg, blogger Brittany Gibbons, and actress Keili Lefkovitz on a new travel show that will begin filming in January.

Alice enjoys pickles, Bloody Marys, eight hours of sleep and a good pounding.

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Source: http://thebooknympho.com/2015/06/the-unidentified-redhead-by-alice-clayton

3 Reasons to Read Shattered Duty by Katie Reus

 

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. No compensation was provided and all opinions are strictly my own.

 

Shattered Duty by Katie ReusShattered Duty by Katie Reus
Series: Deadly Ops #3
Published by Signet on June 2nd 2015
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Source: Publisher
four-stars
Amazon | Audiobook | B&N | Goodreads
When his wife was murdered two years ago, Special Agent Levi Lazaro turned his back on everything he cared about. Ever since, he has thought of nothing but vengeance. Now he's finally uncovered the identities of those who killed his wife—and he's ready to destroy them at any cost. He won’t let anything stand in his way—not even a beautiful NSA agent on a mission of her own.

Special Agent Selene Wolfe prides herself on being the best. Her fearlessness and quick-thinking make her the perfect person to take down a deadly terrorist cell. But she needs Levi’s help, and the moment he shows up, Selene knows her objectivity—and her heart—are in trouble.

As the two strike an uneasy alliance, Levi finds himself tormented by his desire for Selene—a feeling he thought long dead. But when their mission takes an unexpected turn, he finds himself faced with an impossible choice: either put aside his need for revenge, or save the woman who’s reawakened his soul…

 

icon HEARTBREAKING icon PAGE TURNER icon hot
 

Shattered Duty is the third book in Katie Reus’ Deadly Ops series but it’s my second book to read in the series. I know, I know. I need to go back and read/listen to book 1, Targeted. It’s on my reading plan.

 

 

Three Reasons You Should Read Shattered Duty By Katie Reus:

 

  1. Special Agent Levi Lazaro – Who doesn’t love reading about a special agent / military, yummy alpha type?! Then add a horrific loss that sent Levi off the grid for two years looking for vengeance.
  2. Special Agent Selene Wolfe – Selene is a hardcore chick. She had a big loss in her past as well and had to grow up fast. She’s super smart, she hacked in the CIA at age fifteen and then later became an agent and trained to work in the field as The Wolf. She’s great with a sniper rifle and a computer. What’s not to like?
  3. The Romance –  Levi and Selene had and instant-a-lust from the moment they saw each other. They both know it and want it. But as they work together to take down an evil terrorist their bond moves beyond lust to love.
  4. The last few chapters – (yes I know I said three reasons…) The last two chapters and epilogue made it worth staying up super late to finish Shattered Duty. Oh it wrapped up Levi and Selene’s relationship so well and it made me sniffle. It was so sweet and the best ending to their story!
 

I highly recommend Katie Reus’s Deadly Ops series to Romantic Suspense readers. They are a great balance between romance and action. You could start with Shattered Duty but you might miss a few connections on some of the secondary characters if you don’t start from the being with Targeted.

 
 
 

 

About Katie Reus

Katie Reus

Katie Reus is the New York Times, USA Today, & IndieReader bestselling author of the Red Stone Security series, the Moon Shifter series and the Deadly Ops series. She fell in love with romance at a young age thanks to books she pilfered from her mom’s stash. Years later she loves reading romance almost as much as she loves writing it. However, she didn’t always know she wanted to be a writer. After changing majors many times, she finally graduated with a degree in psychology. Not long after that she discovered a new love. Writing. She now spends her days writing dark paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense.

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