Carries Book Reviews

Dragon Splendor
Ophelia Bell
(Immortal Dragons, #3)
Publication date: April 7th 2017
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Nobody said finding your fated mates would mean an instant happily ever after. But for Aurum, an immortal gold dragon gifted with the power of psychic empathy, love has never been simple.

Night after night, she has endured prophetic dreams about her pair of lovers, but finding them brings her no respite—the beautiful satyr, Calder, abandons her upon their first meeting, forsaking love for revenge, while royal ursa Nicholas…

Well, he looks nothing like the dark-haired man Fate promised her. So why does she find him so irresistible?

As war between ancient allies darkens the horizon, Aurum realizes the long-lost prince may hold the key to solving both her and Calder’s problems, bringing together the fated mates for good—as long as he doesn’t get them all killed first.

Their Fated connection doesn’t make things easy. But for Aurum, Calder, and Nicholas, victory might just go hand in hand with surrender where matters of the heart are concerned.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

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EXCERPT:

“Almost finished,” Aurum said, dipping a spoon into a bowl, scooping out a huge dollop of creamy chocolate, and spreading it on top of a large, brick-shaped cake she’d just finished building, layering each tier with an assortment of fillings.

Nicholas swallowed a fresh mouthful of saliva to keep from drooling.

“I can’t wait.” He really couldn’t, and finally gave into the urge to interfere. The multitude of platters and trays that were now arranged around her counters, piled with delicious-looking confections, looked so good. He stood and wandered over to her, inspecting each item, wondering where she’d let him begin. He stopped behind her, peering over her shoulder into the bowl.

Her hands were streaked with the different substances she’d cooked with, and when his nose hovered near her neck, he smelled her familiar citrusy scent beneath all the other aromas that clung to her now.

“Only a few more minutes,” she said.

“I might need a bite of something to tide me over.” He dipped his head lower and inhaled, not even trying to disguise his hunger. His stomach rumbled just as he brushed his lips down the side of her neck, darting his tongue out for a taste.

Aurum twisted away from him, turning, but he gripped the edges of the counter, caging her in his arms and bending his head to chase her movement. Before he could reach her neck again, she shoved a spoon into his face.

“Here,” she said, laughing. “Have a bite of this, you hungry bear.”

She turned fully in his arms and he leaned back slightly, looking down at the proffered utensil, the sweet, chocolaty scent filling his nostrils. He opened his mouth and she inserted it, the flavor exploding on his tongue like an orgasm.

Nicholas growled low in his chest. Pleasure had never in his life originated from his mouth to such a degree, except for the moments when he had Calder’s cock between his lips, or just recently tasting his own juices mixed with Aurum’s between her thighs. But even then, the tangy taste of sex didn’t compare to the sensations of ecstasy he experienced now.

He sucked the spoon clean and opened his eyes. Aurum beamed at him, her cheeks flushed pink.

“You like?” she asked.

“Mmm,” he murmured, taking the spoon from her hand and dipping it into the bowl again over her shoulder. He scooped as much as the spoon could hold, bringing it to his mouth. On the way up, a dollop of the delicious concoction fell, landing with a little plop on the swell of Aurum’s breast.

“Hey, you’re making a mess, and spoiling your lunch. Save room for the meal before you fill up on dessert.”

The spoon was already in his mouth, being sucked clean for the second time when he saw her grab a cloth and move to wipe the fallen chocolate from her skin. He dropped the spoon into the bowl and grabbed her hand.

“Mine,” he said, swiftly bending to lick the chocolate off her breast. It had begun to run, a trail of it arcing over the curve toward her sternum. Aurum gasped when he darted out his tongue, trailing it over her bare skin and in between her breasts to make sure he caught every last drop. The chocolate tasted even better licked off her than it had coming straight from the bowl.

Hungry for more, he looked into the bowl, then down at her. Aurum was still smiling, but had a bewildered look of amazement on her face, her mouth open and the breath of a laugh escaping her.

“What are you thinking?”

“That I want to do a cooking experiment. See how good the rest of you tastes with chocolate.”

Author Bio:

Ophelia Bell loves a good bad-boy and especially strong women in her stories. Women who aren’t apologetic about enjoying sex and bad boys who don’t mind being with a woman who’s in charge, at least on the surface, because pretty much anything goes in the bedroom.

Ophelia grew up on a rural farm in North Carolina and now lives in Los Angeles with her own tattooed bad-boy husband and four attention-whoring cats.

If you’d like to receive regular updates on Ophelia’s publications, freebies, and discounts, please subscribe to her mailing list: http://opheliabell.com/subscribe/

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Fox
Nana Malone
(The Player, #4)
Publication date: April 11th 2017
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Sports

Money, power, prestige…washout. Fox Coulter is…the Player.

There is no Plan B for Fox. All he has is hockey. All he’s ever had is hockey. That and his best friend, Sasha. So when she’s up rent creek with no roommate, it’s Fox to the rescue. But, with the opportunity of a lifetime on the line will his hotter-than-sin-best friend be more of a distraction than his lucky charm?

Sasha Tenison believes everyone should have rules. Rules like:

· Don’t ogle your best friend while he works out shirtless. It doesn’t matter how many muscles or tattoos he has.

· Don’t fantasize about what he tastes like, even if it’s been years since anyone’s kissed you.

· Don’t sleep with your best friend just because he’s hot, sexy, and the only one to ever believe in you.

Breaking even one of these rules will ruin everything. But one toe curling kiss from Fox and she’s ready to change her name to Rule Breaker.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks

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EXCERPT:

This is just a kiss. Fox’s thoughts swirled in his head. Liar.

He gently brushed his lips to hers. There was an immediate spark.

What the hell?

Instead of pulling back, Fox chased that spark. Sasha parted her lips in a gasp, his tongue sliding into the warm depth of her mouth, asking hers to play. When she stroked her tongue against his, he moaned. He couldn’t help it. He deepened the kiss while his hand slid from her jaw into her hair.

Sasha reached up, her arms winding around his neck. Her fingers teased the hair at his nape.

Oh, hell, Fox thought. This was not supposed to—

Sasha arched her back into the kiss, pressing her breasts firmly against his body, and Fox lost total control as he continued to chase the spark as if it were pulling her further and further into him. He dove headfirst into the abyss.

The two of them had just entered completely uncharted territory. It started from something silly. Now it was all too serious. He leaned her backwards, both of them shifting and sliding until she lay along the length of the couch, Fox over her, his hips nestled between her thighs. His lips never leaving hers.

His dick rested against her burning heat as he pressed against her, begging her to let him in. His mind sought any remaining shred of control, but it was long gone. Sasha, his best friend, tasted fucking incredible. He couldn’t help but gently rock his hips against her, and what do you know, Sasha widened her legs to give him more room.

He held himself slightly above her, so as to not crush her with his full weight. All the while she rocked her hips up, seeking more of him, and he couldn’t help himself. In the matter of a minute they had gone from friendly kissing to desperately pawing at each other and he slipped his hand under her tank top.

She’s so damn soft. I just want a taste of her belly button, and up along the bottom of her ribcage.

Sasha arched up as if inviting him. God, yes. He wanted to slide his hand up farther still, cupping her fullness in his palm. He wanted to see how well they fit together. The thought had been clawing at him for so long. The alarm bells blared, but the devil on his shoulder just shouted over the din. Go on. Cup her. You know you want to. She wants it too. She wants your hands on her. Your thumbs on her nipple. But somehow rationality prevailed, and he just barely managed to keep from sliding his palm up over her full curves.

It took his lips longer to get the memo though. When they finally did, they staged a small mutiny before he dragged them away from hers as gently as he could. He kissed along her jaw-line and had to force himself to sit up and back away…all the way over to the far side of the couch. Whatever the hell had happened here was very dangerous. Destructive.

He couldn’t live without Sasha, he needed her like he needed to breathe. He knew what he was like, so he wasn’t going to ruin this by taking it to a point of no return. He took her hand and tugged her into a sitting position.

“Now that’s how that dipshit should have been kissing you.” he said before settling back against the couch like she hadn’t just rocked his whole world upside down.

Author Bio:

USA Today Best Seller, Nana Malone’s love of all things romance and adventure started with a tattered romantic suspense she “borrowed” from her cousin.

It was a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana, and Nana was a precocious thirteen. She’s been in love with kick butt heroines ever since. With her overactive imagination, and channeling her inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before she started creating her own characters.

While she waits for her chance at a job as a ninja assassin, in the meantime Nana works out her drama, passion and sass with fictional characters every bit as sassy and kick butt as she thinks she is.

Want to know when the next book is coming? Hit up her Newsletter here. You’ll only get updated when there is a new release or a special promotion for her Sexy, Sassy Readers. http://eepurl.com/2PeXb

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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GUEST POST

5 Elements of Steampunk & Why You Should Add it to Your TBR List

1. Beautiful World-Building – Gif – http://gph.is/2cWUDl8

Steampunk is science fiction which takes place in the past. An alternate history where inventions, gadgets, and personal conveniences do not belong, and yet, are there. Often these inventions are powered by steam, hydraulics, clockwork, gyroscopic action, or pretty much anything but gasoline. The author has to create a beautiful Victorian setting where mechanical items exist that shouldn’t in Victorian history.

2. Strong Female Characters – Gif – https://media.giphy.com/media/l0HlzsBr1ItdlhWYE/giphy.gif

It was in the Victorian era that feminism grew by leaps and bounds and the suffrage movement gained major traction. Because of the strong influences of women in the time period in which steampunk has its roots, they tend to take centerstage in the interpretation of this genre. Who doesn’t like a woman who steals the show or takes charge?

3. Action and Adventure – Gif – http://gph.is/1yx3IFz

What would inventive fiction be without an inventive plotline? In Steampunk you will find a bit of drama, a bit of fantasy, a tad of mystery, but generally, you’ll find adventure that expands the horizons of your imagination… often viewed from an airship or mechanical animal.

4. Fun Fashion and Costumes – Gif – http://gph.is/1Q2OnRm

Not many genres can boast an entire theme of Cosplay. People love to dress in steampunk fashions for Comic Cons, book conventions, Halloween, and parties. Even the high fashion world has runway shows dedicated to this style of dressing. Go to Etsy and search “steampunk” you’ll find all sorts of fun things to wear while you read.

5. It’s More Familiar Than You Think

The gifs in this post are all from movies or shows you may have watched: Wild Wild West with Will Smith, Stardust with Claire Danes, the animated film, Howl’s Moving Castle, and episodes of Dr. Who. If you’ve loved any of these shows, you’ve already gotten a taste of Steampunk. Don’t pass up the chance to read a book or watch a movie just because of the clever combination of past and present themes. Give it a try and you may find yourself a new fan of the genre!

By Pauline Creeden
http://paulinecreeden.com
http://facebook.com/PaulineCreeden

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27 Revelations
Harlow Hayes
Publication date: April 11th 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary

Mara Goodwin is a professional keeper of secrets, or that is what she intends to be. As a counseling psychology student at Northwestern, Mara’s ambition is unrivaled. She has the grades, the compassion, and the dedication, everything she needs to gain entry into the clinical psychology program.

However, after a traumatic experience leaves Mara in a state of mental distress, she finds herself keeping more secrets than she intended, most of them her own. Finding herself in trouble with the law, her dreams of being a therapist are jeopardized and as a consequence, Mara is ultimately forced into group therapy. While in therapy, Mara holds on to her secrets with a death grip, but when life comes full circle, her past is revealed and with it the potential to destroy her future career, her friendships, and ultimately herself.

Mara is a fighter, even if she doesn’t know it yet, but with each attempt to salvage what she can of her broken life, she is met with a consistent punch to the gut. After being pushed to the edge by meddling roommates, a persistent ex-boyfriend, and a potential new boyfriend, Mara comes to the precipice of her destruction. Yet with her destruction also comes her rebirth, and revelations of love, pain, and growth.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

“Have a seat, Mara,” she said. She directed me to an empty chair across from her desk.

The chair next to it was occupied by a firm-looking man with a serious demeanor. Dr. Bradley moved with grace across the room to her desk. She was a small woman, and when standing, I towered over her a good six inches. She had to be in her late forties, but she looked younger. She had a gentle appearance to her face, and her blonde hair cascaded softly onto her shoulders. She dressed like I used to. In heels, nice fitted skirts, and blouses varying in color from pastels to rich reds and blues. She

was nothing like the other professors, who seemed to be permanently glued to their khaki pants.

I took my seat, and the man in the chair leaned back and assessed me as if he was taking inventory. I want to punch his gut for looking so hard. He wore some gray dress pants, tennis shoes, and a powder-blue polo with a badge dangling from his neck that had a number and read Probation Officer. In his lap was a manila envelope that read MARA J. GOODWIN.

“Shall we get started, then?” Dr. Bradley spoke as she adjusted herself in her seat. “Mara, this is Officer Chad Lowe.”

I reached out to shake his hand and the roughness of it made me cringe inside. They were calloused, and pieces of dry skin were flaking away.

Dr. Bradley started to speak again so I glided back into my chair, subtly rubbing the hand he had shook on my skirts to remove any skin remnants.

“He is the probation officer that the courts have assigned you. We were meeting before you arrived to discuss whether or not you will be graduating with us and continuing your education here after the events that transpired in April.”

I tilted my head down in shame like a five-year-old being told to go to the corner.

Dr. Bradley continued. “Because I am familiar with you and the circumstances regarding the medical and legal troubles that you have had this semester, I have taken it upon myself to work with you and Officer Lowe to determine whether or not you, me, and the courts can work towards a solution that allows you to finish the counseling psychology program with us and move forward as you had planned.”

I was overcome with joy. The most I had had in a very long time. They were going let me finish my degree, even after what I had done. I was certain that the decision was made out of pity and not mercy, but I didn’t care. My body became giddy with excitement.

“However, Mara, I do believe the first question that needs to be answered is whether or not you want to finish this program.”

I leaned forward in my chair. “Yes,” I said without hesitation. “I’ve worked for this my entire life. I’m not a quitter. I want to finish, I do.”

“All right,” Dr. Bradley said as she sat up in her chair with delight. “That settles that, but there are a few things that we need to discuss before we proceed. First, Mara, you need to understand that you are the exception and not the rule. We do not condone violence in any form, and most students would have been removed immediately. Physical assault on a classmate, or anyone, for that matter, is not and never will be tolerated in this program or academic institution. However, the circumstances regarding your attack on Erin and Jason played an important role in our decision and the decision of the courts.”

I nodded my head in agreement.

“In order for you finish this program and secure your future position in the clinical psychology program you will need to agree to a few terms and conditions.”

“Absolutely. Anything,” I said.

“Officer Lowe will explain in more detail next week when you meet at his office because we are short on time today, but you will need to abide by the rules of your probation as it is set by the courts. Also, you will need to make up the clinical hours that

you missed this past semester this summer and fall in order to graduate on time to be eligible to start classes second semester. Officer Lowe, is there anything else you would like to add?”

I looked over at him, sitting in the chair, fingering the pen in his hand.

“Ms. Goodwin, as Dr. Bradley has stated, I am your assigned probation officer. She has spoken highly of you and has informed me that you are tenacious, gritty, and dedicated to your studies. I trust that you will do what is necessary for you to remain a student here.” He opened the manila folder. “According to her and other character witnesses, you are a model student and your records show that you have had no previous encounters with the law, no priors and such.” He closed the envelope. “So I am hoping that you will continue being a model student and citizen. Make the right choices and things will be easy.”

“You will be required to meet with me once every two weeks to discuss your academic progress,” Dr. Bradley said.

“And according to the judge,” said Officer Lowe, “you will also be required to complete three hundred hours of community service, but the judge was lenient and arranged for your clinical hours to count towards this. You’re a lucky girl, Ms. Goodwin, very lucky.” And as the word lucky left his mouth, my smile turned to a frown. Lucky is not what I would describe the unfortunate event that got me in this mess in the first place. Dr. Bradley knew what he said struck a nerve.

“Lucky, huh?” I said as I stared at him. I could feel the hardness in my face.

“Thank you so much, Officer Lowe,” Dr. Bradley said hastily as she reached out to shake his hand. “I know Mara will be on top of things.”

“Yeah, thanks,” I said, still hearing the tension in my voice as he stood to leave.

“Thank the judge,” Lowe said. “I’ll see you in my office next week.” He walked toward the door and grabbed the door knob but paused before he opened it. “And Ms. Goodwin, there is one more thing.”

I turned in the chair so I could see him.

“You must also attend a weekly support group.”

The sweats were back. This time with a vengeance.

“Yes, Mara, I almost forgot,” Dr. Bradley said. “Dr. Moore has started a therapy group for some of the clients she’s been working with, she believes that having you there would be a nice addition.”

Group therapy? I was going to kill Dr. Moore.

“I will be in contact with Dr. Moore to make sure that you are meeting the conditions of your probation. Good luck.” He walked out and shut the door behind him.

I was glad he was gone. I needed to speak to Dr. Bradley alone.

“Dr. Bradley, I like Dr. Moore and I am glad you recommended her to me, but I don’t think I can—”

“Mara, she wouldn’t want you there if you couldn’t handle it. It’s all a part of getting you better, and now it’s part of the deal so…” She threw her hands up in defeat.

I couldn’t fight it. I couldn’t say anything. That was the deal. Not doing it wasn’t worth putting my education on the line. Finishing this master’s and ultimately my Ph.D. had been my dream for the past seven years. Besides, I had accumulated too much student loan debt, so I needed that Ph.D. salary coming out. I stood up and made my way to the door and Dr. Bradley followed.

“Thanks again,” I said, dazed as the storm cloud seized my mind again.

She patted me on my back. “You need to heal.”

I knew she was just trying to help, but I didn’t want to hear that soppy crap. I had to go to group and share with strangers. Just more mess inserted in my life against my will. My own knowledge and seeing Dr. Moore once a week was fine. I didn’t need a third intervention. I could take care of myself. Just me in my own little corner, minding my mind, minding my own business. I didn’t need anybody.

Author Bio:

I have loved writing ever since I was a young child in school and after years of procrastination I finally decided to go for it and write my first novel. When I’m not writing or reading I love spending time with my puppy, listening to music, and binge watching shows on Netflix.

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Dangerous Behavior by Nancy Bush
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sam Ford has had a bit of a rocky relationship with his brother Joe for years now since Joe ended up marrying Julia, Sam’s ex-girlfriend. Sam and Julia had been sweethearts back in school but had a falling out pushing Julia to rely on Joe through some tough times in her life after which she accepted his proposal.

Now Sam has received a text from Joe asking for him to meet him at his dock which seems a little suspicious but when Sam arrived to find Joe’s boat gone he begins to worry. Soon after Sam hears of a boat on fire and just knows that Joe and Julia are involved. Julia ends up being rescued but unfortunately Joe’s body is recovered. Sam vows to find out just what happened and who had taken his brother’s life.

I was a bit torn on my feelings towards Dangerous Behavior the entire time I was reading this book. The mystery/thriller side to the story wasn’t bad at all but I still had my own hesitations to enjoying this one. I am unfortunately not a huge fan of relationships with siblings and the fact that the book kept focusing on how in love Sam and Julia had been when Julia’s husband has just been murdered was a bit of a turn off. Just my opinion on this one but I feel it would have read much better not focusing so much on the past and then not pushing a new/old relationship popping up between the main characters after such a tragedy.

Without the relationship focus between Sam and Julia I think I would have really gotten invested in the story with this book. There was an obvious serial killer couple that the reader would get glimpses of while reading. Intrigue and suspense with the boating accident and plenty to keep a reader guessing. For me though being disconnected with the romance part of the story I didn’t get as invested in the book as I would have liked.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.