Kate

Bonds of Need by Lynda Aicher

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Bonds of Need (Wicked Play, #2)
Grade: B
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: BDSM, high kink
Genre: Contemporary, BDSM
Series: Wicked Play #2
Reviewed by Kate

Kendra, a masochist, has escaped an abusive relationship with her self-esteem in tatters and has decided to never give someone the power to hurt her like that again.  That means she will ignore her sexual desires and needs instead.  But when she attends an open night at a sex club (as a way to prove to herself that she no longer needs the pain), she realizes she can’t bury her needs forever.  Deklan, co-owner of the sex club, has met Kendra before, but when he sees her at the club he thinks he might be able to help her accept her needs.  And Deklan is always a giver and helper.  Deklan and Kendra enter into a two month Dom/sub contract, but both make discoveries about themselves that change everything.
 
This book was a little more intense, pain-wise, than most other BDSMs that I have read.  A masochist as a heroine was a new experience for me and I enjoyed Kendra’s character a lot.  She is a strong woman who has lost herself and is fighting to get back to some sort of normal.  Deklan is a wounded hero who has failed to help too many times in the past.  He struggles with allowing Kendra to find her own way, not helping too much.  I loved watching Kendra and Deklan change during the course of their contract.  I look forward to reading more of this series (the first book is now added to my TBR list) and more by this author.
 
 

Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl by Gina Lamm

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl (Geek Girls, #1)
Grade: B
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary, time travel
Series: Geek Girl #1
Reviewed by Kate

When Jamie, a video game junkie and self-proclaimed geek, touches an antique bureau, she is transported to 1816 and lands in the bed chamber of Lord Micah of Axelby, Earl of Dunnington. The bureau (unbeknownst to Micah) had been enchanted to bring Micah’s one true love to him. Jamie is quickly taken under the wing of the housekeeper Mrs. Knightsbridge, who knew about the enchantment and helps teach Jamie how a proper lady should act in 1816. Micah quickly believes Jamie’s story of being from the future after she shows him her smart phone. (After all, who can argue with Angry Birds?) But, can modern girl Jamie really fit in back in Micah’s time?

I found Geek Girl filled with lots of snort and snicker moments. I appreciated that the not-so-nice parts of living in 1816 (chamber pots, no tooth brushes, etc.) were not glossed over as they were in some other time travel romances I’ve read. By the time I finish reading a book, it is typically filled with tons of highlights and notes. Geek Girl sucked me in quickly and kept me so into the story that when I finished I only had 2 notes written. My only complaint is that the ending wasn’t the ending I was expecting. Yes, it is a HEA ending, just not what I was expecting (and that’s more of a reflection on me than on the book).

Tucker’s Fall by Eliza Gayle

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Tucker's Fall (Purgatory Masters, #1)
Grade: B-
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: BDSM
Genre: Contemporary, BDSM
Series: Purgatory Masters #1
Reviewed by Kate

When Maggie is arrested in a raid of a sex club, she also ends up fired and divorced, all very publicly. So she retreats to her parents’ empty cabin to regroup. Tucker escaped his hometown as early as he could, only returning after his father died. Tucker has been denying his inner Dom ever since. He’s been waiting for Maggie to return. When Maggie and Tucker meet, sparks fly and they enter into an intense Dom/sub relationship.

I enjoyed meeting both Tucker and Maggie. Tucker seems to be a tortured soul with a tiny bit of stalker (he’s done extensive research about Maggie before they get together). A dominant who is actually looking for a commitment was a nice change of pace. Maggie is an extreme case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. She is left with a few issues involving public places that Tucker deals with very respectfully.

I knew going in that this was not an HEA. There is a mysterious sub-plot about the scandal surrounding Tucker’s father’s death that appears as if it will be continued through the rest of the series. However, if you ignore the epilogue, there can be a satisfying conclusion for Tucker and Maggie. I look forward to the next installment.