BOOK REVIEW: Roulette: Love is a Losing Game by Sam JD Hunt

From Goodreads:

"You might call me a Dominant or a Top, but really I’m just a very successful woman in my 30s looking for sexy role-play without the complications of a relationship. I need control. Love has never been on my agenda. Until, of course, one day the much younger Thomas Hunt came into my life. He broke down my walls and taught me to let go; he made me feel alive for the first time. I might even be capable of loving him if lies and betrayals don’t tear us apart first." Samantha Drake

Roulette: Love Is A Losing Game is the first book in The Thomas Hunt Submissive Series. Set in Las Vegas, it’s a contemporary love story that incorporates light BDSM themes with modern, steamy role-play.

The modern, sizzling sexual content and language used in this book is intended for mature audiences only.

ADD it on GOODREADS / BUY it on AMAZON

R.E. Hargrave's Review

* * * *

A budding romance. Intrigue. Kinky sex. Murder.

Welcome to Las Vegas, and the life of Samantha Drake: lawyer by day, Domme by night. Except that Vegas is the city that never sleeps and it doesn’t take long for her two worlds to begin blending. 

With her defenses locked up tighter than Fort Knox, Sam faces her biggest challenge when she decides to let Thomas Hunt inside her armor. Little by little, she starts relinquishing control to her playful young submissive as he takes his fledgling steps into “Domhood.” What she isn’t prepared for, is exactly what that means or how to separate her growing romantic feelings from the possessive, domineering ones.

When things start going wrong in her professional life, it’s unclear who Sam can really turn to for help. Does she follow her heart, or her head? It seems every decision she makes leads to pain for someone else. Only time will tell when her own life ends up on the line.

Roulette will sweep you up and take you an adventure across the pages. Don’t trust anyone, and be prepared to be left chomping at the bit for more when you reach the end. The next installment in this series is due out in September I believe, and I can’t wait to see where Hunt takes us next.

BOOK REVIEW: Testing the Submissive by Al Daltrey

From Goodreads:  

Abby stood nervously before her Master in the classic submissive pose: fully nude, legs apart, wrists placed behind her back; deeply ashamed of her evident arousal. Worse, she had to recount in exact detail the proceedings of her last whipping. The whipping had been severe; as was the case with most of the clients she was commissioned to serve. Most of these clients were men, some were women, on occasion a couple, or even a group. Nevertheless her body reacted like that of a wanton whore as she retold of the sadistic punishments and extreme sexual use inflicted upon her body.

How far would her Master push her with these ‘tests’? How far would Abigail go? How many times could she stand before him blushing; yet with that unmistakable tingle? Their relationship was surely headed for a collision course. Or was it?

This story contains STRONG BDSM. While fully consensual, it includes submission, dominance, sadism and masochism. Please do NOT buy or read this if you are offended by graphic sexual descriptions including sexual violence. All characters are aged 25+, and it is recommended for an adult audience ONLY (aged 21+). This story is pure fiction and the author does not condone any violent behavior.

ADD it on GOODREADS / BUY it on AMAZON

R.E. Hargrave's Review

* * * *

Told from Abigail’s POV, Testing the Submissive is the graphically explicit story of a woman recounting how the pull of darker desires affected the consequences of her life. This is Abby’s journey as an employee of a private network catering to high-paying clients with out-of-the-ordinary sexual fetishes. 

As the summary disclaimer warns, this book is not for the faint of heart.  

Consent. Daltrey's tale drives home the importance of it. Without it, it’s abuse; with it . . .  you find people like Abigail who are aroused by deep, thorough beatings. For them, the more severe the pain, the more heightened their need becomes. If they want to make extra money while they have their own physical needs met, is that so wrong? And isn’t it better that obscure clients with specific tastes seek out a service like the Network, getting their own “fix” with a willing partner who is a masochist. A pain slut. A "whipping bitch."

The Network is an elite group of business partners who ensure that each of their employees, i.e. whores like Abigail, have a sponsor. This person is responsible for handling the security and financial aspects of the pre-arranged sessions. Additionally, the sponsor conducts a very intimate interrogation following each appointment to ensure the employee is not hurt, provide aftercare, and most importantly, that they are still conscientiously willing to go on the jobs.

Enter Lewis, Abigail’s sponsor. 

He sees her sooner than she realizes and fights his own inner control in his need to have her. Lewis watches. He tests, sending Abigail on progressively more challenging assignments~ones that take weeks instead of days to recover from; for all the bruises to fade. Will there ever be a client he deems too harsh to send her to? Will the time come when he stops tap-dancing and claims Abigail as his own?

Testing the Submissive is a page turner, in its own fascinating way. Some readers may be appalled by what lies in the pages, others may find their own inner 'bitch' waking up. Minor editing issues and just a tad too much sex in place of the development of the romantic story line held me back from giving this five stars, but I would not hesitate in recommending this to anyone with an open mind.

DOUBLE BOOK REVIEW: Jason Luke's Master series

From Goodreads: 

It's the interview like no other.
It's the interview of a lifetime.
It's THE Interview with a Master.
When Jonah Noble reveals details of his life within the world of BDSM, the tale he tells is intensely erotic, profoundly sensual, and brutally honest.
This is His world. His way.
There is only one question the man will not answer…
(BDSM erotica from a man's POV, written by a man. Contains some explicit language)

ADD it on GOODREADS / BUY it on AMAZON

From Goodreads:

How high a price will one man pay to know love?
For Jonah Noble, life has always been his world - his way. But now, confronted with his own mortality, and staring certain death in the face, he realises his one regret...
Will Leticia be his last chance? He knows she has feelings for him, but can he ever feel the same strength of emotion for her?
Can Jonah make the leap of faith that will put his heart in danger?
It's his world. His way. But now his life is on the line...

ADD it on GOODREADS / BUY it on AMAZON

R.E. Hargrave's Review

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Beyond five stars. Why? Because since delving into the world of Jonah Noble, I’ve been in a daze. I haven’t decided yet if its a good thing I waited to read Interview with a Master, timing it so I could overdose on Luke’s prose with the release of In Love with a Master within hours of reaching Interview’s end, or not. I battled sleep until about five a.m. the night I took on Interview, before I had to concede and give my eyes a break. A short nap and I was back at it. This is a hauntingly beautiful read that I have no doubts I will revisit time and again.

In the limited time I had to wait for the sequel to go live, I couldn’t stop thinking about what I’d just read. In trying to put my thoughts together knowing I would be penning this review, I could only grasp at words: titillating, profound, daring, erotic, educational, heartwrenching . . . brilliant. 

The storyline, which spans both installments, is fairly simple; the magic of these books is in Luke’s hypnotic yet bold way of stringing words together which lure the reader in . . . like a fly to a web. And once you’re stuck, well, if you just submit to the experience, you won’t be disappointed. You may even like it. If not for the fact that I’m already submersed in the BDSM lifestyle, these books would have me wanting to know more. The cold honesty of the text resonates with my inner submissive without question.

Through Jonah Noble’s candid reflections and erotic demands, be prepared to be swept up in a rush of anticipation, desire, and heartache. You will probably get mad, its likely you’ll cry, but I promise these books, along with Jonah and Leticia, will stay with you for quite some time.

BOOK REVIEW: DOM Wars Round 1 & 2 by Lucian Bane

From Goodreads:

Lucian Bane’s inner Dom is out of control and hungry for things he can’t name. When he signs up for Dom Wars, he meets Tara who is naive to the BDSM world. Her reckless dominance and puritan heart fascinate him. But when he discovers the pain in her past, it unleashes his true Dom within. 

Lucian and Tara make it to round two in the DOM WARS. The challenges now revolve around trust, and while Tara's inhibitions in the world of BDSM are slowly being crushed by Lucian's passion, her deep rooted fears become the real obstacle he must dominate.

ADD it on GOODREADS / BUY it on AMAZON

R.E. Hargrave's Review

* * * *

Are you ready to sizzle? Then let’s get the pesky negatives out of the way so we can get to the good stuff!

What I didn’t like:

• Mr. Bane has an unhealthy obsession with the ellipsis. (Any of the authors I edit for would’ve been flogged by me over the sheer amount ;) )
• There were some minor issues with formatting, i.e., extra indents and such, which were distracting while reading.
• The pacing of the story, in particular the budding romance between Lucian Bane and Tara Reese felt rushed. Given that the DOM Wars series is a serial--multiple, short installments--it would’ve seemed more plausible to have the ILYs wait until at least Round 2. The sex scenes also seemed hurried; just as they get take-your-breath-away-steamy, they’re over. (Patience and buildup are a virtue, Mr. Bane) I can’t attest to whether or not the intimate moments seem over before they’ve begun because, like most of Mr. Bane’s readers from what I’m gathering through social media, I found myself unable to stop reading once I started. There is something about this series that draws you in.

Which leads me to what I love about this series so far . . .

The writing is raw and real, the underlying emotional impact forgiving the usual ‘rules of structure' while the concept of an extended ‘top Dom’ contest with a variety of challenges is brilliant and unique. Each test not only takes Lucian and Tara further on their romantic journey, but serves to educate the reader about the true nature of BDSM . . . IN LAYMAN’S TERMS. The Lifestyle is not all sex and mindgames, and I find it refreshing to come across authors who can get it right.

Bravo, Mr. Bane, and thank you for helping to get the truth out to the public.

Though I dove into DOM Wars after downloading it on a recent free sale weekend, I’ve already gone back and purchased Round 3. I can’t wait to see what’s next for this complex pair, or what future tasks they have to undertake. To you, the reader, I’m fondly borrowing Lucian’s phrase: It’s time to Dom the f**k up and start reading. Round 5 is coming June 20th so you'll want to be up to speed!

BOOK REVIEW: Monster in his Eyes by J.M. Darhower

From Goodreads: 

Ignazio Vitale is not a good man.

I suspect it, the first time I see him, sense the air of danger that surrounds the man. He has a way of commanding attention, of taking control, of knowing what I'm thinking before I even do.

It's alarming and alluring. It's dark and deadly. It's everything I've ever wanted but the last thing I truly need. Obsession.

It doesn't take him long to draw me into his web, charming me into his bed and trapping me in his life, a life I know nothing about until it's too late. He has secrets, secrets I can't fathom, secrets that make it so I can't walk away, no matter how much I beg him to let me go. I see it sometimes in his eyes, a darkness that's both terrifying and thrilling. He's a monster, wrapped up in a pretty package, and what I find when I unmask him changes everything.

I want to hate him.

Sometimes, I do.

But it doesn't stop me from loving him, too.

ADD it on GOODREADS / BUY it on AMAZON

R.E. Hargrave's Review:

* * * * *

Ignazio Vitale to those that fear him, but Naz to the one person who should fear him most: Karissa Reed. Except she doesn’t, she’s fallen under his spell instead.

J.M. Darhower will take you on a breath stealing ride that is both emotional and tangible. You won’t want to put the book down. Told from Karissa’s POV, the reader gets to experience falling hard and fast for the enigmatic and older hero~or is he the villain? Not all things are as they seem, and this heart pounding first installment ends with you wondering just how there can be a happy ending for either one of these ill-fated lovers, but rooting for it to happen.

An excellent read.

*Thank you to the author who gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.*

BOOK REVIEW: Captive by Samantha Jacobey

Summary from Goodreads: 

Captive - A New Life Series 

To what lengths would you go to break away from a life filled with pain and suffering? 

Tori Farrell has lived a dangerous life. When you grow up with a Motorcycle Gang of Mercenaries and Drug Lords like the Dragons, a normal life is more like a fairytale. For years, she accepted her dark reality, a world consisting of drugs, sex, violence and murder. In the end, she learned the most valuable lesson: survival. 

After years of being ruled by the Dragons, Tori uses her skills of seduction and assassination to free herself from the grasp of the people who vowed they would never let her go. Taken in by the FBI, she fears not everything is what it seems, and soon finds herself lost in a web of lies and deceit. She thought getting away from the Dragons would put her on a path to a new and better life, but now she must face the “cold hard truth” ~ there is always a price to be paid.

ADD it on GOODREADS / BUY it on AMAZON

˃˃˃ WARNING: GRAPHIC SCENES<<<

This book is intended for readers 18+ and contains scenes that may cause distress to some readers: Domestic Abuse, Kidnapping, Rape and Substance Abuse are described in detail.

R.E. Hargrave's Review:

* * * *

Wow. Where to begin? 

Let’s get the negative stuff out of the way first: the editing could have been a bit cleaner. There was the occasional tense slip, abrupt POV shift, and some other minor issues, but their occurrences were rare enough that they didn’t detract from the great story being told here, just caused the random stumble in reading flow. I’m enough of a stickler, however, that these did keep me from giving Captive a five star review.

That said, the storyline ~ OMG!

You hear it said time and again, “There are no more original ideas, only new ways to present them.” Well, friends, Captive has a nice, fresh feel to it. Within the first few pages, Ms. Jacobey pulls you into Tori’s tale, and you find yourself invested in her well-being~past, present, and future. Due to the graphic content, both violent and sexual, which happens within the story makes this a read for mature audiences. Some of the subject matter is not for the faint of heart; the heroine has been to hell and back, and her story is not an easy one to hear, but you won’t be disappointed in this action packed, emotional read.

Excerpt from Goodreads:

"Quietly, he explained to her that he was going to arrange for another group to kill the Dragons and send her to live with someone who would take care of her. Not understanding, she asked why she would have to go with someone else. If the Dragons were dead, why couldn't she just go with him? He refused to explain, and simply said, "You are going to have a different life, baby girl. A life I cannot give you. You must be strong and willing to do whatever it takes to make this happen. Promise me you will do this...."

A note from the author:

˃˃˃ Book 1 of 7 in A New Life Series<<<

This is the first in a series that chronicles the life of a young woman who is raised by a group of men who work as freelance mercenaries in the dark world of drug trafficking and murder for hire. They acquired the young woman at a very young age, as she has no memory of life before them. The book opens as she has broken free and moves through a series of current events and flashbacks that explain the beginning of her story. It is very dark with an unfinished feel, because in the end, the past is not the real story - the real story is what happens from here.

Book Review: This Man by Jodi Ellen Malpas

Summary from Goodreads:

Young interior designer Ava O’Shea has an appointment for a first consultation at The Manor with the owner, Mr Jesse Ward. She is expecting nothing more than an overweight, cravat wearing, well-to-do countryman, and on arrival, nothing would suggest otherwise. How wrong could she be? This Man is devastatingly handsome, charming and confident. He is also a conceited, hedonistic playboy, who knows no boundaries. Ava desperately does not want to be attracted to him, but she can’t control the overwhelming affect he has on her. Every instinct is telling her to run, so she does, but Jesse Ward is not so willing to let her go. He wants her and is determined to have her. She knows she is heading for heartbreak, but how can she run when he won’t let her?

ADD it on GOODREADS / BUY it on AMAZON

R.E. Hargrave's Review:

* * *

Last week I was in Target and on an impulse, splurged and bought all of the This Man trilogy because I've heard nothing but good things for months. Now that I've finished the first book, I can say I wish this was one time I hadn't been impulsive. I’m not overly interested in continuing to read the series, but since I've bought them, I probably will at some point.

Jesse Ward is the mysterious playboy who owns The Manor, a posh country hotel he inherited from his Uncle Carmichael when he was twenty-one. Rich, handsome, great in bed: how could anyone not want him? Enter Ava O’Shea who has been hired to do the interior decorating on the newest additions to the establishment. From the moment she arrives at the remote country ‘hotel,’ the questions and odd behavior start racking up as the few people she is allowed to meet are polite, but evasive. Mr. Ward finds himself inexplicably drawn to Ava and sets a course to make her his, no matter how many times she says to leave her alone. 

What follows reads like a Twilight fanfiction, and this is where I have my problem. 

Overall, the writing was decent (although there were way too many adverbs), but I just couldn’t get past all the similarities to Twilight. If you’ve not read the Saga, then you can probably jump on in and enjoy this trilogy, maybe. As someone who has read the Saga multiple times, and gone on to write my own fanfiction and original fiction, I can’t not see the parallel themes. This story is what Twilight could have been had it been all human and set around a sex club. 

• Edward, I mean, Jesse Ward becomes possessive of Ava and obsessed with her safety to the point of following her so that he can swoop in and save the day anytime she finds herself in a rough spot. 
• As mentioned earlier, she is put off by his forceful insertion of himself in her life and tells him to leave her alone, which he refuses to do. Except for once; and when he does listen and disappears for four days it leaves her a frantic mess, because, well, how dare he?! (This whole story arc reminded me of Edward going to Denali~ just saying).
• The Manor was left to Ward by an Uncle Carmichael. Erm, or was it Carlisle?
• Ward drives an Aston Martin, and rides a Ducati for side fun. Coincidence?
• Apparently Ava is often dazzled by Ward’s piercing green eyes and his sexy smirk. *coughs* Good news here is that Ward is the lip chewer, not Bella, I mean, Ava. 
• Why is Jesse so evasive with his age? At the end of book one, we still don’t know how old he is!

As a fanfiction, the storyline would’ve been one I’d have followed. Presented as an original collection, however, I’d like to be able to read the story and not find Twilight reminders every other page. All the Twilight-isms aside, the development of the story itself was also lacking. The sex scenes soon felt like A sex scene on repeat (Jesse rolls his hips and thrusts … a lot. Oh, and I guess vertically, up against a wall, is his favorite position since that's where they always get busy.) His aggression also bothered me. In the real world, if a man forced himself on a woman like he does to Ava, and then used sex to ‘remind’ her they have to be together, well, that woman would be filing a restraining order. 

The book ends with a pretty big cliffhanger and several loose threads, but yet, there is something about it that keeps you turning the pages.