Sunday, December 21, 2014

The Phoenix Candidate by Heidi Joy Tretheway

If you're looking for something new and different in the adult romance genre, this book is it. Full of strong women, powerful men, politics, subterfuge, deception, current issues, sexism, flowers, kayaking, hot sex, and a burgeoning love story; Grace Colton's story has a lot for you to enjoy. 





Having suffered the loss of her husband and her only child five years ago in a moment of horrific violence, Grace enters the world of politics to make change in the world. She's not a big name, and her state isn't one with a lot of clout or controversy, but Grace is determined to make America safer, better place.

A casual night out results in a one-night stand for Grace and a sexy stranger. What transpires from that point on is a wild political ride that will leave you wanting the rest of the story. I try not to give away plot in my reviews, but suffice it to say that Grace and Jared both need to learn that the past doesn't have to keep you from having a future, and that love may not always come along at the best time, but it always comes along at the right time. They also need to learn not to make out under street lamps!

The writing here is top-notch. Heidi Joy Tretheway is also the author of the Tattoo Thief romance series, which I've also reviewed, and every book she publishes is better than the last. All of her stories are well-plotted, believable, romantic, and realistic, and she's always written well, but she gets sharper and better with every outing. Her humor and her ability to amp up the intrigue are huge in making this story not just good, but interesting and absorbing. You really won't regret reading this.

Grace Colton is Tretheway's newest, best, strongest heroine. Jared Rankin is one of the sexiest, most complex men she's created. The political story is well thought out and researched, and Grace's backstory is true-to-life. Oh, and so is the smoking hot sex!

This is a serialized story right now, so there's more to come beyond this first installment. It's something to look forward to, because I think this is the beginning of a really great political story as well as a terrific love story. Which means you need to get this installment, and then you need to be ready to get all the rest of this story as it's released.

Click on the picture, above, to buy part 1.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Love Notes by Kendall Grey: The Hard Rock Harlots Ride Again


I love the Hard Rock Harlots series. I love the attitude, I love the foul mouths and hot sex, I love the characters, and I love the stories. This novella did not disappoint.

Kendall Grey has created an over-the-top, insane group of young, hot, horny rockers who, in the end, are just like everyone else; they're just a little more honest about who they are than the guy you meet in line at the grocery store.

This little peek into one of my favorite series features Jinx and Toombs, alternately known as Gianna and Jeff (when they're alone) who love one another intensely, but who are learning that love isn't all that matters and, while sex and love are not the same things, sex is important, too. A holiday getaway begins their journey toward resolving some issues standing in the way of making this relationship - important to both of them - work. We also get a teaser that this is not the last we've heard on the subject.

I'm not going to get into detail here. If you've read the other three books in this series, you know what to expect. If you haven't, you should. Before you read this, actually, because there's reference to older stuff in here.

Kendall Grey gets it. She is not of the generation that refused to accept change. She understands what it is about rock and roll that frees us, she understands what it is to write a song or give a performance that lays your heart and soul out on the stage for the world to see. She recognizes that sex for the sake of sex is as valid a concept as love and marriage and that these are not diametrically opposed positions. She can take filthy language, kinky sex, deep love, and familial angst and put it all together in a way that makes you feel, makes you laugh and then cry and then breathe. Heavily. Kendall Grey writes the truth and throws in the love, the sex, the conflict, and the music to provide the context for what she's trying to tell you. You ought to give a try at listening to her.

This novella is definitely worth the 99 cents. It's also worth the price of the first three books, Strings, Beats, and Nocturnes, to get into this world and fall in love with Grey's wild rock stars and their romantic escapades.

WARNING: Reasons to NOT read this story:

1. You are opposed to hot, nasty, kinky sex between unmarried people just for the sake of having a good time.
2. You are currently living in a morally repressive and misogynist theocracy where owning such literature would be punishable by death, dismemberment, or stoning.
3. You tend to faint at the liberal dropping of the F-bomb.
4. You don't believe that the female orgasm, the G-spot, or subspace are real.
5. You are a pearl-clutching, poodle-permed, blue-rinsed, granny-panty wearing biddy who will have conniptions over this stuff.
6. You're a judgmental, chauvinistic, moralistic, self-impressed moron who fails to understand the very truth of what Grey is trying to tell us: That we all need to be loved, and we want to be loved just as we are.

If you don't fall into one of those categories, get this book.

I realize this is a lot of rhapsodizing over a pretty short story, but that ought to tell you something. So jam your inhibitions, your purity ring, and your moral compass down the garbage disposal and let 'em grind while you read the best rocker romance series ever.

Amazon US: http://bit.ly/JinxNToombs

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00QU30I7Q
Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00QU30I7Q
Amazon Australia: http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00QU30I7Q
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/love-notes/id949960896
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/love-notes-17