The Proposition by Katie Ashley

The Proposition
Grade-A
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-None
Series-The Proposition #1
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
316 pages

This is actually the second story in the series, the first part was a novella. Aiden Fitzgerald wanted Emma Harrison so bad. He wanted her so bad that he agreed to be her baby daddy just to get her into bed. Emma wanted a baby so bad she agreed. A contract was drawn up and the baby making began. What neither of them expected was to fall in love. Both try to fight it but you know what happened.

I love this series. I love the characters. Even Aiden the man-whore. Even Aiden the frustrator (okay, that might not be a word). Even Aiden the douche. I love Emma. I love Nate, Casey, Connor, Patrick and all the rest of the characters. I loved finding out more about Aiden’s past.

I highly recommend this series. It fun, hot, sweet and easy to read. Oddly enough, my favorite character in this series is dead. Travis. I wish he would have gotten his HEA but not with Emma. My only dislike, this was a cliffhanger.

Short Rides by Lorelei James

Short Rides (Rough Riders, #14.5)
Grade-B+
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-Moderate
Series-Rough Riders #14.5
Reviewed by Kay

Let me start by saying that this will be a joint review between Kate and I. We have each done a review with Anne but not one together. I’m super excited about it! We’ll each give our reviews, a list of our faves of the series and our not so much faves. I hope you enjoy the review as much as we enjoyed the book and writing it.

This novel has three separate parts-

The King Of Hearts is about Cam McKay who is the deputy of this hometown since his discharge from the armed services. He was badly wounded and ended up with part of one leg and hand amputated. On Valentine’s Day there is a murder suicide committed and he is on the scene. It was very disturbing because of the nature and brutality of the crime. It also talked about PTSD and getting treatment for it. It was okay for me but a little preachy about gun control. I did enjoy his scenes with the kiddos.

Rough Road was about Trevor, Edgard and Chassie Glazner. They are a committed triad. If you are unfamiliar with that, it means they are all lovers in a committed relationship. They all have children together and raise them together. This story deals with prejudice against their lifestyle involving their son. He’s bullied by a child at school and he questions his parents about what the “F” words means.
I do want to point out that the parents of the bully were worst case opinion people. Not every one who disagrees with someone’s lifestyle is a jerk about it. I loved the support they got from their extended family and the lovely vacation they got to take.

All Knocked Up is about Jack and Keely Donohue who are awaiting the arrival of baby number one. Between work schedules and pregnancy hormones it’s a wild ride. The bonus to this story is that we get multiple babies!

I enjoyed all three stories and can’t wait for the next installment in this wonderful series.

My personal favorites in order are (I didn’t rate the novellas):
Raising Kane
All Jacked Up
Cowgirls Don’t Cry
Chasin’ Eight
Rough, Raw and Ready
Kissin’ Tell
Branded As Trouble
Cowgirl Up And Ride
Tied Up, Tied Down
Long Hard Ride
Shoulda Been A Cowboy
Rode Hard, Put Up Wet
Cowboy Casanova
Gone Country

Don’t get me wrong, I liked them all but some more than others. Now, on to Kate.

What does a series that already has 14 full length books (#15 is slated to be released on 6/18) and 2 novellas need? *waiving hand in the air* OOH, ooh, pick me. I know. An anthology containing a short story and two novellas!

King of Hearts featuring  Cam and Domini left me feeling a bit flat. It gives a glimpse of their home life, but it was lacking the heat that I’ve come to expect from a Rough Riders book.   D, blaze

Rough Roads revisits Chassie, Trevor and Edgard as they celebrate their anniversary and deal with issues their oldest son is having at school. I loved this one.  B+, inferno

All Knocked Up follows Jack and Keely through the end of her first pregnancy. This one made me laugh out loud. B, inferno.

For those of us waiting for the next installment in the Rough Riders series these stories will help fill the void and pass the time. I’m curious to find out how many of you are riding the Rough Riders train? What was your favorite book so far?

Kate’s favorites in order:

I’ve not listed them before and it was funny because some of them I actually felt my lip curl just reading the title. And Kissin’ Tell would have been a few spots lower on the list except for Lorelei James’ masterful use of a trampoline 🙂 Makes me smile every time I think about it. I’m curious to know what your favorites are.

1. Rough, Raw and Ready
2. Raising Kane
3. Tied Up, Tied Down
4. Branded As Trouble
5. Cowgirl Up and Ride
6. Strong, Silent Type
7. Cowboy Casanova
8. Kissin’ Tell
9. Should Been A Cowboy
10. Cowgirls Don’t Cry
11. Gone Country
12. All Jacked Up
13. Long Hard Ride
14. Rode Hard, Put Up Wet
15. Chasin’ Eight

Eyes Wide Open by Raine Miller

Eyes Wide Open  (The Blackstone Affair, #3)
Grade-C
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-Mild
Series-The Blackstone Affair #3
Reviewed by Kay

This novel continues the saga of Ethan Blackstone, a security mogul and Brynne Bennett, a model and art student. They have a very passionate love affair going on. This installment picks up right where the last one left off. There’s still her stalker that’s on the loose and creeping closer and closer. After a near attack, they flee the city and try to figure out the best course of action to deal with him. When they are gone they gain knowledge of something else that could change their relationship.

I really don’t want to say too much since this novel is very much anticipated by many people. I will say that there’s a lot of gratuitous sex. The story itself seems to be the filler which I don’t really care for. The sex is descriptive and hot, but too much, even for me. I had kind of hoped she’d stop with this book but I saw on another review site that there’s a part four at least.

I didn’t hate but I sure didn’t love it either. It is worth reading if you’re fully vested in the series though.