bondage

Highlander Taken by Juliette Miller

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Highlander Taken (Clan Mackenzie, #2)
Grade-C
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-Moderate Kink
Series-Clan Mackenzie #2
Reviewed by Kay

Let me explain the hotness level thing first for this book. Inferno is our hottest rating and for good reason but you generally don’t find it in historical romance. At least, not in the historicals I read. I have very specific guidelines for historical romance and erotica has no place there for me. There were multiple sexual situations in this book but no penetrating sex until the end of the book but scenes of non-penetrating sex were explicit as well as some bondage and spanking with a leather strap. That’s where the inferno rating comes from.

Kade Mackenzie has to wed for an alliance to strengthen his clan’s army and holdings. He is a third son. His oldest brother is widowed and not ready to remarry yet. His second brother was all but betrothed and then met his meant to be bride, so his betrothal to a Morrison daughter had to be broken. In come Kade and Stella Morrison to fill the vacancy spot the broken engagement left. Kade has desired Stella even before he met her because she had a feisty reputation. When he sees her, he falls for her beauty. He accepts the fact they have to get married and looks forward to his marriage bed.

Stella Morrison has been abused by her father or his men physically for years. She looks like her dead mother and her father for some reason takes his grief out on Stella. She doesn’t want the marriage but wants to protect her clan. She has heard her husband is a beast, so she is apprehensive to say the least.

I liked this book but not as much as I wanted to. I wanted to love it. It drug a little in the middle for me. Good story telling otherwise. My big problems with it were no full blown sex until the end of the book and in one sex scene he used a leather strap on her. The later is not my cup of tea. Personal preference but I rate based on what I like and I did not like that part. Good voice of the author and she’ll probably get better as she goes on.

Exotica by Eden Bradley

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne


Grade-C
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-None
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay

Seven Days of Kama Sutra

Lilli DeForrest’s former marriage was a disaster and she is still trying to heal from that. She was given a week pass at her friend, Caroline’s resort called Exotica. Exotica has themed fantasy rooms, something for everyone. Lilli is a nervous wreck and very apprehensive due to self image issues caused by the ex-husband. When she arrives Caroline tries to soothe her nerves with a tour. After that, she goes to her room and meets Rajan, her lover for the week. Rajan is a companion saving up money to open his own luxury spa. When he and Lilli meet there are instant sparks and they fast become lovers. But there are real issues here that they will have to face in the end if they decide to stay together.

I enjoyed this first story in this novel. It was very sweet, tender, raw and sexy. Boy, was it sexy! great chemistry and smoking hot love scenes. The story was well written and flowed nicely.

Caroline Winter is the manager for Exotica. She helps fulfill other people’s fantasies but not her own.
She was hurt in the past and hasn’t let her self sexually relax in a long time. After a talk with her friend, Lilli she decides to do just that with the help of a newly hired employee. Kian, no last name, is the newest hire of Exotica and he has a secret. I won’t tell you the secret but it’s a big one. He agrees to Caroline’s proposition and their fling starts.

I liked this story also but I liked the first one better. I had issue with Kian’s not being honest with Caroline when he knew she had trust issues. Trust and fidelity are tied for the most important things in a relationship in my opinion, so with the abuse of her trust I couldn’t totally warm to his character. Otherwise, this is a good book with blistering love scenes. I’m glad I got the chance to read it.

Fever by Maya Banks

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Fever (Breathless, #2)
Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-High
Series-Breathless #2
Reviewed by Kay

This installment of Maya Banks’ Breathless trilogy is my favorite so far. I really enjoyed it. Great heroine, pretty good hero. Good supporting cast also. I’ll let you know what I liked and disliked in just a moment. Let me summarize first.

Jace Crestwell  sees Bethany Willis across the room at his sister’s engagement party and something happens. The world shifts on it’s axis and he is almost overcome with a sense of possessiveness. He’s never had that kind of reaction to a woman before. And he’s had plenty of women. Plenty. He knows he wants her but he usually has his best friend, Ash along for the ride(pun intended). Bethany is different. She’s special and he can’t understand how she can be since he has just seen her. Ash sees his interest and against Jace’s wishes approaches her and propositions her.

Bethany is taken aback at first but due to the attraction she feels for both of them but Jace especially, she agrees. She does negotiate dinner in the deal though. The reason I bring that up is that Bethany is homeless and works odd jobs when she can find them. She’s part of the wait staff at this engagement party. She feels a little at odds with her decision to go home with them but takes the chance. They spend the night together and she ditches them in the morning.

This encounter has changed everything for Jace, Bethany and Ash. Jace has met the woman for him, Bethany has possibly met someone who will have her back and Ash realizes that his best friend’s priorities have changed. There is a lot of emotions in this book. Relationship evaluation too. What place you play in different people’s lives.

What I did like: Jace’s immediate realization that Bethany was his. His acceptance of this and of her and her past. Bethany as a character. I love the tortured heroine trope. Life was never kind to her but she always came out swinging. Ash’s acceptance of how things should be.

What I didn’t like: Jace’s extreme BDSM stuff but that’s more of a personal preference. His numerous doubts of trust with the people he was supposed to love. Jack pretty much was annoying and useless.

You got a small glimmer of life on the streets and a bad example of the foster care system. I know that not all examples of the foster care system are bad and that needs to be pointed out. This was a solid addition to the series and I eagerly wait Ash’s book. I want it NOW!