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.

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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.

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˃˃˃ 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:

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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?

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R.E. Hargrave's Review:

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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.

BOOK REVIEW: Jace (Bodyguards for Hire) by T.A. Grey

Summary From Goodreads: 

One fateful tail-bender leaves Mara Colgen with a hard-on for Jace Mathews which is not how Mara anticipated meeting the hottest man alive. Or, rather, one crappy afternoon bodyguard Jace gets a rude awakening when some cutesy blonde rear-ends his beautiful truck. Now he’s really in for it. Mara’s pretty, funny, and has the greatest job in the world… 

She is a sex toy operator.

Just those three words send Jace into a dream-like coma plagued with erotic imagery featuring the spunky sex toy operator. As luck would have it for Jace, nothing’s easy. Mara comes to him with a problem…one he cannot refuse to help her out with. Someone strange keeps calling Mara, she thinks someone’s been in her house, and worse Jace might be thinking the same thing. Mara needs help and Jace finds he’s the right man to lend a (strong) helping hand—so long as they seal the deal with more than a kiss.

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R.E. Hargrave's Review:

* * * *

The summary for this fairly quick read tells it all. From the first page, Grey gets into the action and will have you turning the pages; I was able to read the book in two sittings.

Jace Mathews (a security specialist with a dark past) and Mara Colgen (a tester of sex toys with her own dark past) are a feisty pair. I enjoyed the characters, but would like to have seen a bit more from Jace himself. I believe this is the first book in a series, so perhaps that’ll come in later installations? The story is complete enough to end here, though, so don’t worry!


Jace is a perfect example of what I like to call “junk food for the brain.” If you go into the story knowing that it’s fiction and meant to be a fun read, then the fast pace of the relationship won’t bother you; nor will the predictability of some of the plot twists. Written well-enough (not too many mistakes to distract from the story), it has an adequate plot and heated love scenes which fans of the erotica/adult contemporary genres will be pleased with.

If you like sassy attitudes, sexy leads, action - both intimate and aggressive - then go ahead and give Jace a try. You just might end up squirming. ;)

Tantalizing Tuesday Thoughts: The Erotica Trend

*The following was originally a guest post from the A Divine Life (edition 1) Blog Tour; 8/15/13 R.E. Hargrave's tour stop with Mich Book Reviews*

How do you feel about the sudden “trend” in erotica and BDSM books that have come onto the market?

Well, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care or thought the trend was overrated, considering I do write erotica —BDSM erotica at that. Of course, from a career standpoint, I’m thrilled about the trend. Trending means selling after all, right?

Except . . .

I never set out to be a career writer. I don’t, in fact, expect to ‘get rich quick’ from my books. I discovered a passion for writing once I gave in and started putting my ideas down. The need to write has only grown with each day that has passed since.

What it boils down to, is that I love creating and sharing my worlds with people. When I read reviews stating that people enjoyed a story of mine, or that they ‘got’ what I was trying to do, it delights me to no end.

Case in point, allow me to share part of a recent review I got for To Serve is Divine, book one of The Divine Trilogy.

I love finding a really sexy BDSM story that isn’t glammed up to make it more of a contemporary romance with some kink to it. To Serve is Divine takes a realistic look into the erotic world, while dealing with the emotional and physical turmoil that Catherine (Erin) suffered and the healing that Jayden’s devotion brings her. Jayden was the epitome of the sexy, strong, practiced Dom, exactly what Catherine needed to help her return to the life that had both freed her and broken her. But when the boundaries started to be crossed and lines blurred, Jayden’s rules had both of them questioning if what they had was going to work out in the end.

This is a probable explanation for why I’ve not attached myself to a single genre; erotica just seems to be my primary one at the moment. It’s nice to have the freedom to write whatever I’m inspired to, without worrying about betraying readers who expect one thing out of me. Those who follow me, know that it’s always up in the air what my next ‘plot bunny’ will be.

For years, men have been able to buy their ‘girly’ magazines while women have had to pretend they weren’t interested in sex. Now, the anonymity afforded one by being able to purchase a book online, and then read it on a handheld device, paired with the increasing acceptance of all things sexual, results in a market hungry for the genre.

The bottom line is that woman ARE interested in sex, and are the more likely of the genders to purchase books. Where the trend becomes blurry, is in the quality of the books being churned out. Some are porn, plain and simple, and then there are the rare jewels; the ones that fall under ‘erotica’ as an art form.

I’ve spent a lot of time researching the Lifestyle and working really hard to include a storyline that is not second to the sex scenes. If reviews are anything to go by, I seem to be succeeding.

The perfect mix of sex, romance & just good old fashioned love story make this book a MUST READ. I could not put it down and am eagerly awaiting the next in the series. Bravo, R.E. Hargrave, for creating a world where limits are everything, but made to be shattered. ~A Divine Life ARC review~

In conclusion, to more specifically address your question about the erotica trend, I’d blame the current success of the genre on technology, and as much as I hate to admit it, the success of Fifty. Let’s face it, Ms. James’ windfall certainly shined a light on the BDSM world, and raised the curiosity of not just a country, but a planet. Publishers, writers, and readers alike can’t get enough right now.

I’ve stepped up to the trending plate with what I hope is a BDSM series that can stand on its own. One that has romance, a realistic portrayal of the Lifestyle (surprise, it’snot all about sex), and has the reader wanting to cheer on Catherine in her healing and Jayden in his realization that he is capable of love.

BOOK REVIEW: Pearl On Cherry by Chanse Lowell

 Clarissa Stone never thought she had a chance to make it on stage, but a strike in 1907 at the music hall in New York City opens up a door, and she races to it. The path isn't easy, and especially not after catching the eye of William Berling Ferrismore III. Money and power have gone to his head, and he uses that to his advantage, sating his sexual appetite with the women on stage. Clarissa won't be caught so easy, but William doesn't play by the rules. How can she prove her worth as an actress with his defaming ways?

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R.E. Hargrave's Review:

* * * *

I’m in an odd place as to where to begin with this review. Up front, I want it clear that this piece is well-written, the errors few and far between. Because of the author’s attention to this, and the unfortunate lack of proper-editing in the recent world of publishing, I want to firewall my rating; but I can’t. There was something about the story that just didn’t pull me in and keep me there; it took me about a month to read. You can tell Lowell did her homework, which is another huge point in her favor. However, this may be where my hesitancy comes from. There is almost too much going on the story, as weird as that sounds.

Pearl On Cherry takes place during 1907, and more specifically, is built around the Knickerbocker Crisis. For the most part, Lowell does an excellent job in keeping the reader’s mind in the time period, but there were areas where the text became more modern, and I, for one, was yanked out of the story. 

The hero is a wealthy rake, a railway heir, with his hands in the theatre and a side-project of designing naughty lingerie. William Ferrismore has dark desires that he doesn’t understand. Until he meets his ‘cherry girl,’ Will is always left feeling remorseful when he tries to act upon them. He also holds some dark secret from his past which is revealed later in the book.

Clarissa Stone is a fiercely independent woman with aspirations of performing, her special talent being a singing voice unequaled to the actresses of the day. The catch is that she belongs to the wrong social class. When she first catches William’s eye, she is the stage hand of his current mistress. What follows is a tumultuous union of two people from separate social classes, brought together by their singular need and understanding of what lies in the deep recesses of a person’s psyche, theirs in particular. 

Above all, the reader needs to remember this a BDSM erotica story so that you aren’t caught off guard at the . . . nature, of the sex. As a fellow BDSM writer, I tip my hat to Lowell for writing beautifully detailed scenes that are sexy in addition to being educational.

Clary did get on my nerves after awhile with how manipulative she can be; the girl does not like it when she doesn’t get her way. However, in balance, William who is typically strong and demanding, has plenty of ‘whiny’ moments that just don’t seem to fit his overall character. As a couple, these two were strongest during the intimate “scenes.” 

Returning to my worries that there is too much happening in the book, I felt there were numerous characters and subplots to keep track of. If you don’t, you might reach the ending not understanding everything that transpired. (My head is busy enough tracking my own storylines! I will be the first to admit that this makes the ‘too much plot’ issue mine, and possibly mine alone.) 

What I can conclude with, is that Pearl On Cherry deserves to be read and judged on an individual basis. Especially if you like historical romances. It is quite clear that the author put time, care, and pride into creating it. 

*I was provided with an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.*

New Release from R.E. Hargrave: Unchained Melody, a novella

Summary

Marshall Chandler is a true American who grew up wanting nothing more than to serve his country to the best of his ability, by becoming a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. On the eve of his first assignment, he meets the woman that will haunt his dreams and change his life.

A single night to connect, but a decade to realize it . . . when one man is torn between the love of his country and what might have been the love of his life, how does he stay sane? How does he cope? And will he ever get a second chance at love?

Sometimes fate works in mysterious ways.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

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