Awakening by Serena Grey

Awakening (A Dangerous Man, #1)
Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-A Dangerous Man #1
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
50 pages

Wow! This is a really short story that’s a teaser to the continuing series. It was free on Amazon so I thought I’d give it a try. I don’t know what spoke to me about it but speak it did!

Sophie is a girl whose mother died giving birth to her. She was raised by her aunt who was a total hateful bitch. She was very hard on Sophie and constantly told her that she killed her mother by being born. She was über strict and very emotionally abusive. Always telling Sophie shed end up like her mother, pregnant and discarded.

Sophie works in a gift shop owned by her aunt’s lawyer, who took her in after her aunt’s death. Sophie loves to draw but was never encouraged by her aunt to pursue it. She knows she needs a change in her life and is going to move to a nearby town.

A wealthy, attractive man comes into the shop after seeing Sophie on the street. This starts a very fast courtship. I mean mind bogglingly fast courtship.

I totally buy into love at first sight. I’m not sure that’s what this is but I’m going with it for now. It was steamy even though Sophie is only eighteen and innocent. I don’t care, I’m all in.

                      

M/M Monday – Good Boy by Anne Tenino

Good Boy (Theta Alpha Gamma, #4)
Grade: B+
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: Mild Kink
Genre: Contemporary, M/M
Series: Theta Alpha Gamma #4

Published: 10/7/13
Reviewed by Anne
83 pages
 
Brad (a college student) and Sebastian (a grad student) have been together for 9 months now.  They love each other very much, but Sebastian’s writing his thesis and stressed to the max.  Unfortunately this shows itself in him taking Brad and everything he’s doing for granted.  This is especially concerning because Seb and Brad have a D/s relationship.  It usually works very well, but when the story opens, it’s not working, and in fact, Seb is feeling entitled and Brad is feeling like a pet begging for attention.  
 
Tenino does such a good job writing this initial set up, I truly wondered how she would redeem Sebastian!  In the end though, I really enjoyed reading a dom who was NOT psychic!  It was interesting to see them work through things.  Oh, and I should mention it was super hot, too!  Their relationship is presented as one that has always been physical, so it’s no surprise that working through their issues involves more sex than it does talking.  The sex and the talking were both well written, though and I enjoyed the whole thing!
 
This book is the 4th in the series and only the 2nd I’ve read.  It’s even a novella follow up to the first book in the series, (Frat Boy and Toppy) which I haven’t read.  All this means that I can testify that Tenino’s writing can stand up to being read out of order.  I really enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more!

Ivan by Roxie Rivera

Ivan (Her Russian Protector, #1)
Grade-C+
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Her Russian Protector #1
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kate
99 pages

Erin has been solving her druggie sister’s problems for a while. Now her sister’s missing and Ivan may be the only one who can help her. But Ivan’s rumored to be a part of the Russian mob. Will Erin end up making a deal with the devil?
 
I struggled with this read a lot. I understand that Erin loved her sister more than anything else in the world. I’m just not sure that I can believe she would jump into a sexual relationship so quickly with such a shady character, especially since it wasn’t part of a deal to find her sister. Ivan was one of those heroes who is rumored to have been involved in anything and everything secretive and dirty. And I know that it is a personal preference of mine, but I have trouble falling for a hero who is/was a mob boss and drug dealer.
 
Personal preferences aside, I liked the writing. It was sharp and the plot moved quickly. I wouldn’t hesitate to read more by Roxie Rivera, but probably not more of this series.
How about you? Is there such a thing a too bad of a bad boy?