Madelynne Ellis

Come Undone, the first novel in Madelynne Ellis's addictive Rock Hard series, is a delectably steamy erotic romance. But it is also an emotional story that will tug at the heartstrings as Xane Geist, lead singer and co-founder of Black Halo, is dealt a devastating blow by not only his lover, but his bandmates as well. Meeting Daniella "Dani" Fosbrook on the heels of the band's break up, Xane is charmed by her refreshing interest in the man behind the rocker, but will her insecurities and show more personal demons withstand the revelation of his deepest secrets?

Dani is a good girl who is still trying to break free of her deeply religious upbringing. One of her biggest rebellions is her longtime devotion to the metal band Black Halo. She is drawn to Xane and his raw, heartfelt lyrics have helped her through the darkest times in her life. Despite her x-rated fantasies about Xane, Dani is not the typical groupie and when she first meets him, her concern for his emotional well-being overrides her attraction to him. Although she knows she is taking a big risk getting involved with him, Dani cannot resist the rakishly sexy rocker when he implores her join him as he tries to avoid the press.

Xane is an incredibly complex and multi-layered character. Estranged from his siblings, Black Halo is his surrogate family but it is his childhood friend and bandmate Steve that he is closest to. Their close friendship is complicated by their relationship with their keyboardist, Elspeth, and their shocking news sends Xane reeling. But what hurts Xane the most is the lack of support from his fellow band members and he just cannot keep pretending that he is ok with their treatment of him. This also coincides with Xane's need for a more normal life and some downtime from their hard rocking lifestyle.

The relationship between Xane and Dani is a fabulous mix of intensely erotic interludes and genuine emotion. At first, Xane is cynical of Dani's motives but he quickly realizes her interest in him extends beyond who he is. Of course he is also intensely attracted to Dani, but their connection is just as emotional as it is physical. Neither freely gives up their secrets and while there are hints dropped along the way, it takes most of the story for them to reveal their respective issues. Their sex scenes are scorching hot and plentiful, and Xane does a wonderful job drawing out Dani's sexually adventuresome side but he never pushes her farther than she wants to go.

The secondary cast of characters is mostly made up of Xane's band mates and it is hard to like them because they are so dismissive of Xane's feelings. They are pushy and unbelievably self absorbed, but once about the entire truth is revealed, they become a little more likable and sympathetic. Dani's friend, Ginny, is vivacious, carefree, fun and much more experienced than Dani and she convinces Dani to give her relationship with Xane a chance.

Come Undone is an exciting rollercoaster ride that is full of strong emotions but all in all, it is mostly angst-free. The characters are deeply flawed but sympathetic and their inner demons are believable. Madelynne Ellis's brings the novel to a shocking conclusion that will leave readers eager and very impatient for the next installment of the Rock Hard series. show less

Lord Robert Darleston ends up at Field House in an effort to escape the rumors his vile harpy of a wife, Lucy, is spreading about him in London. Little did he know that on the country estate he would cross paths with the one man he always loved even after he’d lost him.

Not only is Lyle Langley overjoyed to see his former lover, he’s more than willing to take up where they left off nine years previous. However, after everything that Robert has been through, he doesn’t want to cause show more problems or scandal for Lyle or his wife Emma. Besides, Robert isn’t just enamored with Lyle. While he’s had men as well as women for lovers, Emma draws him like no other woman has. When Lyle informs him that Emma knows of his sexual orientation and makes no protest and then they catch her watching them during a tryst, Robert thinks that maybe he just might have found the long term relationship he’s been searching for. If he plays his cards right they could be a happy threesome. If he doesn’t…well, harpy Lucy will be the least of his worries.

Love, love, love this story! I’ve always enjoyed historical romance, but when you add erotica to a time that is seen as so stiff and proper it just adds to the enjoyment of the story. Well-written with well-developed characters the emotions of Robert, Emma and Lyle flow off the page. Yes, the erotica makes for some steamy reading, but the emotions of the trio are what make it stick with me long after I’ve finished it.

Not one to normally read a book in the middle of a series, the blurb for this story grabbed my attention and I decided to take a risk. I’m happy to say that I had no feeling that I missed anything that came in previous books. This book, for me, is a standalone though after reading it I do want to go back and see what the other stories are about since this one was sooooooo good, delicious decadence that pulls at the heart.

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Mischief and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page on my blog. show less

Sex Bomb by Clara Leigh
Forbidden Bad Boys #3

Dylan Drake is the ultimate heart throb and everything that Kira Carter-Wells once lusted after. At least he WAS until he came out and destroyed her dreams. When she is sent in to be Dylan’s security when his life is threatened her boss is sure that she is the perfect person for the job because…well…Dylan is NOT into women. And yet, Dylan IS attracted to Kira and he is clueless and in denial for most of the book while trying to deal with the show more interest his body is showing when he knows his preference for partners has always been 100% male oriented. Throw into the mix a whack-job that is threatening him, a bomb, some shots fired and more threats not only to his body but to his mental wellbeing and you have an interesting book indeed. I think my major takeaway (besides the heat factor) was that sometimes there is no rhyme or reason for why two people are attracted to one another and it behooves a body to take relationships that could be special, though different, one step at a time and explore them carefully rather than closing the door on something just because…

Thank you to NetGalley and Crush Star Media LLC for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4.5 Stars show less

I am struggling with how to rate this boxset. If half star ratings were available I would give this 3 ½ stars but will settle for 3 stars as a whole and I’ll provide individual rating for the stories and let the reader decide whether they want to purchase the set or not.
First the Good: If I read these books individually I would probably give them 4 stars:
To Score or Not to Score by Angela Quarles – although not what I would consider a Geek Story it did have a case of mistaken identity show more and two wounded people trying to get over their past.
The Adorkable Girl and the Geek by Sidney Bristol – this was truly the story of 2 geeks who had known each other from childhood and were in love but never admitted it to each other. This story didn’t need to include some bondage to make it work but it is a sweet story of friends becoming lovers.
The Girl Next Door – C. Jordan – probably my favorite story in this set. An Ex-Navy SEAL is working security at a sci-fi convention where his neighbor has a jewelry booth. He knew she was hot but couldn’t resist her after seeing her Wonder Woman constume.
Play – Olivia Devon – A Virtual Reality creator meets one of his best users/world-creator and their hook-up in the virtual world moves over into real life.
I would have given In the Spotlight by Ally Decker 4 stars also but it needs some editing. The hero’s name switches back and forth between Greg Abrams and Greg Adams – sometimes on the same page. Therefore, I am deducting ½ a star for annoyance.
I would give Fall Quiet by Zoe York a 2 ½ to 3 star rating. It was okay but more kinky than geeky and even then the kink was more talk than action.
Finally, I would only give Bath Bomb by Clara Leigh 1 star. It’s a story about a three-some but the first 2 chapters were so long-winded and boring I didn’t even get to the girl. It’s not often that I don’t finish reading a story but I couldn’t go any farther with this one.
I received an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review. show less