Hot Picks For Your Holiday Stocking Stuffers -Weatherspoon, Newton, Lucas, and Lindemann

Happy Holidays to all my Lovely Bibliophiles! If you're anything like me, you've waited until the last minute to start your holiday shopping. (Confession - I'm late doing my shopping EVERY SINGLE YEAR! Don't judge me) Well, I'm about to give you what I think is the ultimate book list to warm up these cold nights.

I won't be doing a book review, as some of the titles I haven't yet read myself; however, all of the authors listed have not ONCE failed in delivering work that deserves recognition in the world of romance. I hope that you're able to find something yummy off this list to help fill the stockings of your friends as well as yourself. So here we go!

1. REBEKAH WEATHERSPOON - WRAPPED
GENRES: CONTEMPORARY, EROTIC ROMANCE, ROMANTIC COMEDY | SERIES: FIT TRILOGY | COMING SOON
Following a painful divorce, all pastry chef Shae Kenney wants for Christmas is one good date that doesn’t end in disaster. When Aidan Meyer, a smoking hot hunk from her past, matches with her on a dating app, Shae asks Santa for the strength not to screw it up. But when one perfect date with Aidan rolls into a second date, then a third and a fourth, Shae’s fear of heartbreak might just sabotage one of the best gifts she’s ever received—real love.

***This sweet Christmas novella features are plus-size beauty who is a master of all things cupcakes and tarts and a bespectacled tech guy who just wants to sweep her off her feet.***

~I just need to add, if you haven't read the other books in the Fit Trilogy, you neeeeeeed to add them to this list! You have been duly warned *wink*

2. LETISHA NEWTON - ****A 2-Book Collection for a Fierce Price****** GENRES: CONTEMPORARY, EROTIC ROMANCE, PARANORMAL

A Wolf Like Mine

Ayana Morris, with her friends Sean and Fonda, who happened to be the same person, built Morris Communications from the ground up. When famed designer Missy Clove offered them an exclusive job on a privately owned island resort they knew they were making it to the big times. They just didn't know what was in store for them. 

Ethane Hemming, multi-billionaire, recluse, and brothe to Missy Clove took his job as the alpha of the Southern Clan seriously. That for the last three months he had been able to lay with a woman succesfully irritated him to say the least. His mating heat was upon him and his chosen mate, Grace Alder, was on her way to appease his needs. He claimed her irrevocably, only to find the woman in his arms was Ayana Morris. 

Collin found the situation laughable until he caught sight of Fonda. As beta and historian of the clan he was never to have a mate. But something in him wanted the man in front of him, no matter if he was in Drag or not. 

Sean found himself in the middle of a paranormal storm and only he seemed to have the whereawithal to take it on head first. Now all he had to do was make Ayana ready for the ball and she'd have her happily ever after too. A Fairy Drag Mother's work was never done!

Howl at the Moon

Tatiana has been in love with her boss Clyde since the moment she met him three years ago, but when she finally has him, she realizes her fantasies were much better than reality. She’s slipped into friends with benefits mode, and he’s no Prince Charming.

Sleeping with Tatiana has awakened Clyde’s dormant wolf, and now they both have to come to terms with his new side, and the unimaginable desire brewing between them.

It’ll take a Fairy GodMother, and some help from a smart mouthed angel, to make this couple see Happily Ever After!

~LeTeisha is my GURL!! This Lady right here can writer her butt off!! Sister Gurl, if you get a chance to read this, I looooove your PnR!! Much Love!

3. I.T. LUCAS - DARK STRANGER THE DREAM (CHILDREN OF THE GODS SERIES) - GENRES: EROTIC ROMANCE, PARANORMAL

Syssi's paranormal foresight lands her a job at Dr. Amanda Dokani's neuroscience lab, but it fails to predict the thrilling yet terrifying turn her life will take. Syssi has no clue that her boss is an immortal who'll drag her into a secret, millennia-old battle over humanity's future. Nor does she realize that the professor's imposing brother is the mysterious stranger who's been starring in her dreams.

Since the dawn of human civilization, two warring factions of near-immortals – the descendants of the gods of old – have been secretly shaping its destiny. Leading the clandestine battle from his luxurious L.A. high-rise, Kian is surrounded by his clan, yet alone. Descending from a single goddess, clan members are forbidden to each other. And as the only other immortals are their hated enemies, Kian and his kin have been long resigned to a lonely existence of fleeting trysts with human partners.

That is, until his sister makes a game-changing discovery – a mortal seeress who she believes is a dormant carrier of their genes. Ever the realist, Kian is skeptical and refuses Amanda's plea to attempt Syssi's activation. But when his enemies learn of the Dormant's existence, he's forced to rush her to the safety of his keep. Inexorably drawn to Syssi, Kian wrestles with his conscience as he is tempted to explore her budding interest in the darker shades of sensuality.

Kian and Syssi’s story culminates in Book 3 of the series: Dark Stranger Immortal, and the characters embark on a new adventure in book 4:Dark Enemy Taken

~I will tell you, this is my first go round with I.T. Lucas, and I am in love! I just downloaded book three and as soon as I finish this post, I'm diving back in!

4. RENEE LINDEMANN - JAX'S HOLIDAY - GENRES: CONTEMPORARY, EROTIC ROMANCE

Holiday Titus is a busy nurse practitioner of an in-patient hospice at an upscale nursing home. As the creator of the program, she wears multiple hats to provide her patients with top notch care at the end of life. There is zero time for love or dating. 

Jax Pierce is the devastatingly handsome son of terminally ill Emma Pierce. He visits his, Me-Me everyday, much to the delight of the female facility staff members. He is polite, gentle, and brooding. His dark blue eyes conceal a painful past but that pales in comparison to losing his beloved Me-Me.

Emma Pierce is dying. The cancer is robbing her body but her brain remains sharp. She can see the attraction between her nurse, Holiday and her son, Jax. She wants nothing more than to have the unlikely duo confront their fledgling feelings before she takes her last breath. Jax arrived late into her life but he is a most treasured son. She won’t be around to help him fight the demons. However, Holiday’s strength and love could help her son process his grief while keeping the demons at bay.

Can Holiday remain professional in spite of her growing need and desire for Jax? Can Jax grieve for his mother and allow his feelings for Holiday to blossom into something wonderful? Will the demons allow him the love of a good woman? Or will moral obligations and a haunted past ruin their chances at love?

~Renee Lindemann is another author that's new to me, but I will definitely be reading more of her work.

Lovin' It! E.V. Evergreen - The Awakening (Divine Essence Chronicles) Book 1

The "Kindle Shuffle" is one of the best tools that I've found to this point for finding new authors, but I think I just scored big time on Twitter.

I've been on Twitter since just about the beginning, first with Pandora's Caja, then with the one that I created for my blogger personal Pandora Esperanza. While I try my best to follow others that have the same interests as me, the one thing that I always do is cruise through the accounts of people that follow me, like, or re-tweet my tweets. Recently I connected with an new author E.V. Evergreen. We hit it off and I do what I do best. I went to my Kindle App and downloaded her romance novel The Awakening (The Divine Essence Chronicles Book 1).

I'll be honest with you, this is going to make a beautiful series! It has the potential to be very powerful. For this to serve as book one in the series, it serves it's purpose, it lays down a fabulous foundation for all that it to come. It gives a good look into the heroine, Celéste, and the hero, Marcel. BUT it doesn't give so much away that there won't be goodies to discover in subsequent books. I also have to tell you that Celéste's character is all that and then some to me because...Oh, noooooo, I'm not going to give away any spoilers!!

I loved the book from the first page! It's a fairly quick read, fast paced action with a hint of the steamy "good good" that with more than likely occur in Book 2, Branded (The Divine Essence Chronicles). 

E.V. has one other book to her credit, Their Forbidden Rose. (Which I downloaded already *wink*). 

Bravo to E.V. Evergreen!!

To Sister Gurl E.V. - I LOVED IT!!! I Cannot wait to read the sequel! I'm a die hard PnR junkie, and I could see this being a movie or a television series. If this is your first work it is a killer first work. Brava! Brava!

Here's a sneak peak into The Awakening (The Divine Essence Chronicles, Book 1)

Much Love, 

Pandora Esperanza

"No one can choose their bloodline.
No one can choose their destiny.
In this world there was true evil, evil that only a select few could see.

Marcel was one of those few. Though his beginnings were less than ideal, the 22-year-old Hunter quickly made a name for himself. With a vow to protect the weak, hunt all that goes bump in the night, and silver axe clenched in his fist; Marcel seemed unstoppable. That was until he met Her.

20-year-old Celéste de Chevalier always thought her parents didn’t want her. Reared by her grandmother in the city of New Orleans since she was a newborn, ancient blood runs through her veins.


But there was something more here." E.V. Evergreen

Siren Allen - Erotic PnRomance With Just Pinch Of Pixie Dust

My faith just might have been restored in my Kindle App. If you read a post that I put up a few weeks ago, you know that I was NOT at a very good place with my Kindle App...yes our relationship had hit an all time low. I decided to try a query that I haven't tried in a minute, "BWWM Paranormal Romance". IR PnR is one of my favorite genres. The search yielded a book titled Cinderella and The Wolf Prince.

To this point I hadn't come across any works by Siren Allen; I'll have to tell you, this is a great place to start!

Allen puts a truly beautiful spin on a very familiar fairy tale. What struck me most about Allen's version of the tale is that she was written her heroine with way more bite that in the original. Yes, there have been quite a few romance/dark romance re-tellings of popular fairy tales, but this story is one of the few worth reading.

There will never be any spoilers on this site, but I can tell you that Allen writes complete story lines with very well developed characters. The pace of the story is pretty quick, but it will hold your interest.

THE PRINCE

Wulf St. Jamison is a cursed prince who’s finally found his princess. Or, at least, he thought he had. After spending one night in his masked woman’s arms, he awakes to find her missing from his bed and from his life. No one seems to know who she is or where she came from. Was she real or just a creature his broken mind conjured up?

HIS PRINCESS

Cinderella Dupont only has two more weeks of servitude before she’s free to claim her inheritance and leave her hateful stepfamily behind. After playing the role of obedient daughter for so long, she craves one night of pleasure. She finds that in the arms of a handsome stranger, only to find out later that he’s the prince.

THE HUNT

When he shows up at her door, she assumes he’s figured out she’s the woman behind the mask. That’s not the case. He’s there to hire her – the most powerful tracker witch in the land, to help him find the woman he’s searching for.

Unable to say no to the prince, she pretends to help him search for the woman he claims he’s unable to let go. Working by his side, day after day, she finds herself falling for him and toying with the idea of telling him who she really is.

Will he forgive her for her deception?
Or will her stepmother’s vile declaration turn him against her forever?

Allen's work in Cinderella And the Wolf Prince was so good to me, I have to confess that I went on...ok...I'm still on a Siren Allen "Book Binge".

From Cinderella and the Wolf, I moved on to Into The Darkness. (This is a spin on Rip Van Winkle) I continued to be happy with Allen's writing. You know sometimes you get lucky with one book, but the next one isn't very good, not so here. Siren's characters are neither all good, or all bad. She allows them to embrace both sides of themselves, the Yin and Yang, the light and the dark. Her heroes and heroines compliment each other, especially in their shortcomings.

"Once Upon A Time…

There lived a witch by the name of Celeste Dubois, who was tired of her sister witches disturbing her eternal slumber with their cries. Lately, they all called out to her with the same plea, ‘stop Rip Van Warren, the witch hunter’. Unable to ignore their cries, she lures Rip into her world, where she keeps him as her prisoner for twenty years. She had every intention of torturing him for those twenty years. But the heart wants what the heart wants.

For twenty years Rip Van Warren is held captive by a beautiful bayou witch. He should hate her. However, their time together has made him rethink his vendetta against witches. All of his life he thought magic was evil. Celeste has taught him that it’s a gift to be treasured, almost as much as he treasures her.

When an unexpected threat enters their lives, Celeste is forced to send him back to his own world in order to protect him. He awakens in the middle of the swamp, confused and dazed. His memories of the last twenty years are foggy. Yet, there’s one person he’ll never forget, the witch he left behind. He’s desperately seeking a way back to her. However, the witches of New Orleans aren’t willing to help a famous witch hunter.

Will the dark witch and the dark hunter have their happily ever after?
Or will he return too late to save the witch he loves?"

We're coming up on the Christmas Holiday so of course I moved onto Allen's Fantasy Diary Series, that begins with Christmas Fantasy. This was it, I was done! At this point I knew that no matter how many books were in this series, I was going to read all of them!! I'll leave excerpts from all three books in the series down below. All I can tell you is that this series is about demons and the women who love them.

If you're looking for a special gift for your friends who love to curl up with a glass (or a bottle, after all it is the holidays) of wine and a great read, do them a favor and get them this series!

To Siren Allen - Please please tell me the next book in the series is Adora's story and maybe one of the "Winged Ones"! I know which one I want!! But I won't say it here!

That's all for now Ladies and Gents! I'll hit you up later with more reviews!!

Much Love,

Pandora~

From Book 1: One bite was all it took. 

It’s that time of year again. Alyssa Blakely is busy writing in her fantasy diary, filling it with all her forbidden, sexual fantasies. The star: her very sexy boss, Devin Jordan. Too bad for her, he’s never given her a second glance. 

Or so she thought… 

After a steamy kiss under the mistletoe and a night of wild sex, Alyssa has the bite to prove just how wrong she was. 

Devin Jordan has found his mate. The only problem: she’s human. He’s not. Can he prove to her that his inner beast can be both naughty and nice? Or will her fear of the unknown and a threat neither of them saw coming keep him from claiming her? 

~Christmas Fantasy Excerpt~ 
#TeamDevin 

Devin took a deep, calming breath. Alyssa was off limits. Even if she were single and interested in him, he still couldn’t have her. It was too risky. She made him feel things he wasn’t used to. He didn’t know if he could handle touching her without hurting her. 

Hurting Alyssa was something he would never do. He would just have to endure her presence. He would take pleasure in the shy smiles she cast his way every now and again. He would enjoy the laughs they shared while working late some evenings. He would maintain the professional relationship they had, even though he yearned for a taste of her. 

Devin turned and placed his back against the window. He stared at the door that separated him from the woman he desired. A piece of metal and space was all that separated his body from hers. It would only take a couple of strides for him to reach the door. 

One pull on the door knob and he could send it flying across the room. Then he would be face to face with the one woman in this world that made him wish he wasn’t a beast with a conscience. If he had no conscience, he would take her, now, against his desk, against her desk, against the wall, on every damn hard surface in this building. 

He would make sure she enjoyed it. He would make sure he pleased her so thoroughly that she wouldn’t even think of leaving him, even when she found out that he was not the man he pretended to be. Devin sighed, but that would never happen. Because though he was a beast, he did indeed have a conscience 

That conscience kept her safe from him… for now. 

~Dark Fantasies: Book 2 of the Fantasy Diary Series.~

One kiss was all it took.

Between work, family and her ex-boyfriend, Ashley Blakely is completely stressed out. She doesn’t have time to write in her fantasy diary or compete in the annual ‘fantasy wish’ competition her and her sisters have going. The only thing she wants for Christmas is normalcy.

All hope of a normal Christmas… or life… fly out the window the moment she’s kissed by Kelan Grant. Now she’s swept up in a whirlwind of romance, seduction and danger. She wants no part of this new life. Yet once she finds out that her sisters and her best friend are in jeopardy, she will do whatever it takes to keep them safe. Even allow herself to be kidnapped and handcuffed by a devil in disguise.

Dr. Kelan Grant always keeps his word. The moment he lays eyes on Ashley, he vows she will be his for eternity. He doesn’t care that his brother is mated to her sister and wants to keep their real heritage a secret from the Blakely family. Kelan will do whatever it takes to claim his bride.

Kidnapping her is the easy part. Winning her heart is going to take some strategic planning. But between the dark angels stalking him and Ashley’s constant need to break every item in his home, Kelan is having a hard time romancing the woman who he feels already belongs to him.

Will he get the eternity with Ashley he’s envisioned? Or will his enemies snatch her from his grasp and awaken the monster he tries to hide?

***A look into book two – Dark Fantasies: Ashley and Kelan’s story.***

Dear Diary, 

I haven’t written to you in a long while. I’ve been so busy with, well, life. But now I have something juicy to share and I’m not allowed to tell anyone else. Of course Alyssa knows, but she’s going through a few changes right now so my new protector won’t let me see her. My protector is who I’m writing to you about today. 

You see, I’ve been kidnapped. No, don’t panic, it’s not anything to get upset about. At first I thought it was. When he first took me I was pissed. But I’m slowly learning that this beast who calls himself my mate is simply a big softy, who wouldn’t harm me no matter how many times I tell him to f**k off, and I do tell him that a lot. 

Anyway, we’re kind of hiding from these angel assassins right now so I figure, why not take advantage of this situation and use it to do some research for my erotic romance column. I already have the title for the column picked out: ‘How To Seduce A Vampire.’ My readers are going to love it. 

Of course, my protector isn’t talking to me right now, the big baby is mad at me for breaking his brand new television. In my defense, I did tell him I was going to tear sh*t up if he didn’t release me. He actually tied me up, can you believe that? 
Oh, well, I guess in order to get what I want I’ll just have to walk around the house naked. 

I’m sure he’ll pounce. He’s a predator and I’m going to pretend to be the prey. Once we get rid of all these pesky assassins, I am going back to my regular life. Mr. Big Bad Vampicus – that’s what I call a mix between a vampire and an incubus by the way. Anyway, Mr. Big Bad Vampicus is just going to have to find himself another mate. An independent girl like me and a domineering beast like him would never work out. 

Xoxo Ashley 

One look was all it took.

Their eyes met and at that moment, she knew she’d have to kill him.
He’s Jackson Nolan, a playboy demon. She’s Tinsley Dubois, a demon-killing witch. Killing him should be easy. Problem is, there’s a chance he might be her mate. And every time he stares at her, she has an insane urge to show him that she can be just as wicked as he is.
Unfortunately, she doesn’t have time for that. The world is falling apart around her. To save it, she has to do what she was created to do: kill Jackson and his brothers. But, when allies become enemies, Tinsley realizes that Jackson may be the only one she can depend on.

He’s never wanted a mate.
And though he’s found his, his feelings hadn’t changed. He doesn’t want Tinsley as his life partner. But, he’d gladly accept her as his mistress. Underneath him, she won’t be able to kill him and his brothers like she’s prophesied to do. Underneath him, she won’t be able to lead her squad of dark angels to his doorstep.
Underneath him, she won’t be able to utter curses that could destroy him and his inner beast. However, when he finds her all alone, bruised and battered, having her under him is the last thing on his mind. He wants to protect her, avenge her. He wants to destroy those who seek to hurt his witch. Even if it means destroying those he once called friends.

Finding a mate hadn’t been his plan. Now that he’s found her, he’s not letting her go.
Problem is, how does he convince a demon-killing witch, that he’s a demon worth loving?
** For adults only! **

Madhuri Pavamani Makes Death Beautiful - Keeper Series Book 3

BRAVA! BRAVA! BRAVA! I thought I was going to perish in the wasteland of a pointless amalgam of words, when MY GIRL Madhuri Pavmani's book #3 in the Keeper Series - Death was released.

Before I get too deep into Dutch and Juma, I need to start by telling you that if you've never heard of Madhuri or read any of her work, then as a bibliophile you have yet to begun to live. Have you ever got to the place where everything you read is just so so and you're desperately wanting to read something moves you in such a visceral way that you can feel it crawling beneath your skin? When I get to that place Madhuri is one of my go to writers that I know will never fail me.

Madhuri's writes from the gut as well as the heart. She get's down and dirty with her characters. **WARNING - If you have delicate sensibilities then Pavamani's writing is not for you...but if you delicate sensibilities want to take a backseat to the gritty, sensual you that you keep locked up, keep reading...you'll thank me!

I need to reign in my love fest and get to the review! I have been a willing and eager participant in the journey of Juma and Dutch since book #1 in the series Dutch. Then came book #2 Juma, and now FINALLY book #3 Death.  In the event you haven't read Dutch or Juma, I don't want to give away too many of the juicy details, so I'm just going to leave you with this excerpt.

"I am Death. I run this show. I have many at my command, people love and fear me in equal measure.

But I am almost out of time.

Juma Landry and Dutch Mathew have a love that is strong and sharp, wild and soothing. They would go to the ends of the earth—and beyond—to save each other from the hell of this world. To put a smile on each others’ face day after day. But danger is coming, dark forces that will push Juma to her capacity, evil that will rip away her lives.

One.

By.

One.

I know Dutch can’t bear to lose this woman—the darkness that always lives inside him will swallow him whole. But I’ve got plans for Juma. She’s always been my favorite, my sweet, my beautiful, my light. And now, I need her more than ever, one last time…" - Madhuri Pavamani

The only thing that I can tell you is that from page one, and I do mean PAGE 1! You will be drawn into the dark, gritty, violent, and sexy world that Madhuri has created for her characters. There is no stone that is left unturned. Death is a stunning conclusion to the Keeper Series.

I highly suggest that you start with book one and move through the series, BUT, in the event that you want to start with Death, please go to the back of the book (at least on the e-version) and there is a glossary of terms that should help pull this world together for you.

Madhuri - What can I say! My Gurl! You are word magic personified!

Much Love,

Pandora`

Bonus Stories, The Death Nell For A Book (My Rant to Romance Publishers)

*I actually started this post quite some time ago, but I wasn't able to finish it then, and I', just getting aback around to it. The thought is just as relevant today as it was then, so I decided to get back into it*

I don't even know where to begin with this post. I am so disgusted right now! For the last 4 days, I've been trying to find a good steamy romance to sink my teeth into, but my search had been a BUST! Usually my Kindle App will do it's shuffle thing and produce a selection that yields at least one book that's appealing. I've stumbled across so many great authors through random searches that never in my wildest dreams would I think that I would come across one the worst books that I've ever tried to read. I try to live by the motto, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Which is why, I won't publish the name of this particular book. Truth be told, this isn't the first time this has happened to be, this is just the first time that I decided to vent about it.

So here's how it went. I did the Kindle Shuffle, and I see a book that I think looks pretty good, it was free with my Kindle Unlimited subscription, so what the heck. (The cover art was suspect...I should have known!) Anyway, I get the book and start reading...it took me 20 minutes to read the title story just to find out that the 90% of the book was comprised of some of the THE MOST TERRIBLE bonus stories that I have every read! There were like 30 of them!.... If I had paid money for this book, I would have had to call Amazon Customer Service and ask for my money back!


via GIPHY

Part of me gets it. Publishers are trying to take a bunch of really short works and pack them in behind the title story, hoping that if you read them, you'll like them and purchase more stories from the author. This might work if it's one or two novellas tucked in after the main story, but if there's more that that, I guarantee you they're going to SUCK!

I don't begrudge any writer from trying to get their stories published, but DAMN, can publishers please put a warning label on these books and say, "Beware going forward! Reading this book bay cause you to want to slap somebody."



via GIPHY

So publishers, if any of you happen to read this, please for the love of Almighty God stop this practice. We just really, really great reads, long, short, it doesn't matter as long as their good. Thank you for your time.

And thank all of you for listening to my rant. This will be the last one for a while, I promise *fingers crossed behind my back*

Much Love,

Pandora

BBW Romance Is What You GET What You SEE?

Hola to all my beautiful bibliophiles! As of this writing, I'm currently reading a BBW romance and so far so great! With just one draw back, the  cover art would never give away that it was a BBW story. Why is that anyway?

When this random book came up on my suggestions from Kindle. I looked at the title and the cover art and thought, "This looks like a good one!" The cover art is of a beautiful, sexy couple in a passionate embrace.The leading man is a Michael Angelo work come to life and the woman looks like she was created from stardust and desire, of course she's the standard model build. The problem came in when I start reading the story. From the very first description of the leading lady, the reader knows that she's a BBW.

The name of the book shall remain anonymous because I'm really vibing with the story thus far; but I would have never been able to guess from the cover art that this was a BBW romance; the cover art and the story just didn't go together. So why doesn't the cover art reflect what the story's about.

I started thinking back on all the other romance's I've read that were supposed to be from this same genre, and I realized that they all had the same short coming. I'm going to be transparent with you, I myself am an AA/BBW. I'm not going to say that I don't struggle with self image from time to time, more often that I would actually like; however, how cool would it be to see a BBW represented by the cover art on the very genre that bears her name?

Is it that publishers think that BBW don't want to see a realistic representation of themselves on their covers? Well, in my opinion as a BBW I think their wrong! Do publishers even know WHY BBW read this genre? Because they want to read about women finding love that they can identify with.

In a world that's obsessed with the notion that all women should look like they just stepped off the runway of Fashion Week, there are so many women that struggle with seeing themselves as desirable. BBW are strong, beautiful, sensual, and sexual beings. We're not just relegated to being the side-kick BFF.

To all of the authors of BBW romance, please do your demographic a favor, insist that the cover model reflects the leading lady in your book. Hopefully you decided to write this genre because you saw a need. Part of filling that need is making sure that the cover reflects what's inside.

With all that being said, the next time I pick up a story that's supposed to be from the BBW genre I hope and pray that I see a BBW on the cover along with her Cover Hottie Man! Thank you in advance for talking the time to listen to my rant.

Much Love ~

Pandora

Guajira Gurl For Life! Chayanne Fangirling (Again!!)

Good sunny afternoon from Philadelphia, The City of Brotherly Love! What brings me to you today? One word.......Chayanne!

It's been a really long time since I've written about Papi Chulo, but I just had to write this one! If you've been keeping up with "Mr. Sexy Fine" himself, you know that he not too long ago dropped a new song and video Qué Me Has Hecho ft. Wisin. Which is POPPIN'! (I'll leave the video embedded in the post down below). But what made me dust off my Pandora's Caja Chayanne skills was his recent feature in Mexico's Moi Magazine.

#Repost @revistamoi ・・・ Nos metimos a la cama con @chayanne (casi) al desnudo, para hablar de relaciones duraderas: #MoiOctubre

A post shared by Chayanne™ (@chayanne) on Sep 29, 2017 at 9:26am PDT

via GIPHY

OMG!!!!! Chayanne shared pics on Instagram...

all I could say was DAMN! This perfect specimen of  an erotic dream turned flesh, just keeps getting better and better!!

Celia Aaron Acquisition Series - The Best Dark Romance That You're Not Going To Want To Read

Today wasn't the best of day for me, (courtesy of seasonal allergies) but I couldn't let the day come to and end without getting through this book review. My last review touched on book one of this series, Counselor, but now I've finished the entire series and it's without a doubt been one of the toughest reads that I've had in a very, very long time; but not for the reasons that you might think.

I need to take a minute to tell you a little about about me in order for you to get the jist of where I'm going to go with this review. I'm the kind of person that loves to ride the highest, fasted roller-coaster that you have, but I'm going to scream the entire time. I love suspense films, but I'm going to cover my eyes and the intense parts. I've even been known to hit pause on a film just to take a smoke break to calm my nerves down! With that said, Celia Aaron's Acquisition Series was better that any roller coaster that I've ever been on!


via GIPHY

Ready to Light Some Fall Fires! Rebekah Weatherspoon, Celia Aaron, Brittany Adams

The last official holiday of the summer has come and gone, the first day of fall rapidly approaching. This is the time of year that makes you want to pull out your favorite throw blanket, change your adult beverage of choice from wine to something that provides a bit more bite. You want to fire up by the fireplace and curl up with a few reads that will get those internal thermostats rising. This is where I come in. I have three excellent reads for you to add to your Fall TBR List.

We're going to start with my top pick for your list, Rebekah Weatherspoon's Sanctuary. This is book two in her Beards & Bondage Series (Book one is titled Haven). If you've been reading my reviews you'll know that I am a HUGE fan of this young lady. In my opinion she's a rising star in the romance genre. Her Beards & Bondage series is a really beautiful expansion of her already dynamic story telling abilities.

This series is a slightly darker turn from earlier works that I've read of hers. The moments of humor that are a hallmark in my eyes for Rebekah, are at times replaced with s slightly cruel irony that you find yourself smiling at any way. I also have to take just a sec to add that WHOEVER she gets to designs her covers deserves some kind of  award! There's got to be one out there somewhere, because DAMN! Now I shall digress.

This is a series that you can read as "stand alone", but my suggestion is that you read it as intended. It will make your journey that much sweeter.

Summer's Coming To A Close, But The Hot Reads Keep Coming! Heather Killough-Walden, LaShawn Vasser, and Chevelle Allen

Shout out to all my bibliophiles out there! It's time for me to catch you up on what I've been reading and my picks for I really, really think should be added to the infamous #TBRL. So here we go! Let's start off with some Heather Killough-Walden.

A few days I got the shock of my life! I was sitting on my porch reading my most recent Kindle eBook, and out of the blue the name Heather Killough-Walden came to mind. Heather is the writer of one of my favorite paranormal romance series, the "King Series". I had read up to book 5 and much to my chagrin, what I thought was book 7 was really book 8! I had totally missed several installations on the series and now a new was had just been released. I automatically warmed up my Amazon One Click finger and purchased book 7, 9, 10, and 11. Then it was time to get to work!

I wish I had time to walk you through all of the books that I just read, but that would be a bit much; however I am going to talk about The Nightmare King, book 11 in the series.

First, let me start by saying that if you're a series kinds of reader, then Killough-Walden is an author that you need to keep in serious rotation. One of the things that I enjoy about her series is that each book can be read as a stand alone. The min characters story lines are complete, even though there is a cliff hanger that leads you into the next book in the series. From the first book she tells us that there will be 13 Kings and Queens, but trust me when I say that each story is a fresh look at so many of the types of characters that you may come across is the realm of the paranormal. I'm not going to give away any spoilers, but if the Nightmare King as as Killough-Walden has created Him then bring on the Nightmares!!

Susannah Sandlin's Penton Legacy - Giving The Black Dagger Brotherhood A Run For It's Money

Listen, you know I have this thing going on with my Kindle where I submit a query, it spins its little Kindle wheels and spits out choices for me. Once again I put in a search for interracial paranormal and one of the titles that it gave me was Absolution by Susannah Sandlin. I was riveted from page one!! This is one of the first PnR that I've ever read that I think is on par with J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood and that's saying something.

For those of you that don't know me, you wouldn't know that J.R. Ward was one of the first PnR writers that I got into. In my opinion she sets the standard for PnR writers. You know have some frame of reference for the gravitas of me saying that Susannah Sandlin's Penton Legacy is on par with J.R. Ward's BDB.

Anyhoo!! My only problem was that Absolution is book two in the Penton Legacy series. So as soon as I finished with book two, I had to turn around and grab book one Redemption. Again, I was not disappointed. Reading book one let me know that Susannah was not just a "One and Done", she's the real deal. And yes I have already downloaded book three in the now five book series, Omega.

So what is it about these books that I enjoyed so much? I enjoyed that they are a fully thought out, well crafted series of stories that only leave you wanting where the author wants to leave you wanting. This PnR has all the steamy "Good Good" that we've come to associate with the romance genre, but the "paranormal part of it is written so beautifully that we forget that it's "para" and it just feels "normal".

Do yourself a HUGE favor and start reading this series if you haven't already. Here's and excerpt from all of the books in the series.

Susannah, thank you for this series! I just downloaded book three and I'm over the moon to see what's going to happen next!! P.S.  - this is purely personal, I have fallen in love with this series, but...could you please put an Africa American female as the love interest in one of them? Please! Please!

Happy Reading All!

Much Love!

PENTON LEGACY #1 REDEMPTION

For vampire Aidan Murphy, life has never been so desperate. The vaccine used to treat a global pandemic has rendered human blood deadly to his kind, leaving them on the brink of starvation and civil war.

In tiny Penton, Alabama, Aidan establishes a peaceful community of vampires and unvaccinated human donors. He dares to hope they can survive—until his estranged brother descends upon Penton and begins killing the humans. Determined to save his town, Aidan kidnaps an unsuspecting human doctor—and finds himself falling in love for the first time in nearly four centuries.

Dr. Krystal Harris thought she was coming to Penton for a job interview, but Aidan Murphy has other plans. Infuriated by his high-handed scheme to imprison her in the small town, Krys can't ignore the attraction between them. But is it love? Or does her dangerous, charismatic captor want only to bend her to his will?

The Weather Is Finally Heating Up And So Is The Romance!

It has been TOO long readers, and for that I have no excuse. Life if just like that sometimes, BUT I have finally found some time (when I'm not exhausted, you know, working full time, taking care of an elderly parent, my kids, and a house. It takes a toll) to sit down and catch you up on all that is good out there in "Alphabet City".

The weather is finally getting warmer and so is the romance! There were actually a few surprises out there! So of course I had to share them with you.

I'm going to start with Rebekah Weatherspoon's Haven, the first book in her new Beards and Bondage series. As you know, Rebekah is one of my favorite authors, and while I haven't read all of her work, the ones that I have read I've thoroughly fallen in love with. Haven is no exception.

One of the main reasons that I enjoy Rebekah's work is her award winning ability to blend lovable characters, humor, and steamy sex into a story that's a true page turner. Haven was something that I just didn't expect. Like I said, I haven't read all of her work, so maybe Rebekah has other works similar to this; but Haven is a much darker type of romance than the other works that I've had the pleasure of reading.

Beards and Bondage falls in the  BDSM, Contemporary, Drama, Erotic Romance, Romance, Suspense genres.

*Personal Note* To Rebekah, thank you for what you bring to the world of romance, especially interracial romance. So many books in the BWWM realm seem to just be some thrown together, from who knows where, story where all the female character can do is simply be grateful to the billionaire boyfriend and "oops" somehow end up pregnant. Thank you for writing two characters that are strong even in their "brokenness".

Starting The Year Off Right! My Faves (List 1)

I know we're almost to the end of the first month of the new year, but there's still time for me to give a list of books that will keep your TBR List fat and happy for the next few months. I'll start with my top picks and then follow-up with my honorable mentions.

1. Rebekah Weatherspoon's
    So For Real

Let me start by saying Rebekah! Gurl! I love you and your writing!!! Please, please don't ever STOP!
*Whew* with my "Fan Girl" rant now over let's talk about Rebekah Weatherspoon's So For Real.

So For Real is the third book in the Sugar Baby novella series. This book went live on November 1, 2016. There are very few series that make me bite my nails while I'm waiting for it, but this is one of them. I just had to find out what was going on with the main characters Kayla and Michael! We have gone on a funny, sexy, loving journey with them and of course I wanted to see that happy ending. As expected Rebekah did not disappoint. Her writing is filled with well placed humor, pop your ovaries "good good", as well as creating characters that you will cry with and root for. Well done Sister Gurl!!

"Even the best laid plans can go completely off the rails…

After pulling off the perfect wedding, Kayla Davis, now Kayla Bradbury need only sit back and enjoy her wonderful life with her amazing husband, internet billionaire and NBA franchise owner, Michael Bradbury. The two are so head over heels for each other that finding creative ways to extend their honeymoon a whole year seems like the only logical next step in their fool-proof plan for happiness.

Too bad life has other ideas for the newlyweds. With personnel hiccups in her small business, a husband balancing dual CEO responsibilities, and news that there will be not one, but two unexpected additions to the Bradbury crew, Kayla needs to totally reconfigure her life if she has any hope of keeping things afloat." - Rebekah Weatherspoon