By Simone Rivers - Bring It On! The Winters Billionaire Brother's

It's been a while...I know, I know. I say that all the time, but truth be told, it's taken me all this time to actually find a book(s) that inspired me to want to do a review. Well, I'm happy to say that all that's changed. How did it happen you ask? Well, I'll tell you.

On this particular day I had become as disgusted with my romance pickin's as I had ever been. Don't get me wrong, there are some incredible romance writers out there that I love and admire, who's books have never steered me wrong. (and this is the point where I lost the entire book review and had to start all over again....this totally ducks, but what can you do) However, it has been a really long time since I'd read anything that actually inspired me to want to write a review. That is until I stumbled onto Simone River's "Mall Santa's Christmas Family". What a breath of fresh air! From the stale "blah, blah, blah" that I had been stuck with as of late, to not one but four serious page turners.

Simone does a wonderful job creating modern love stories. They're not just mundane page after page of  pointless sex. I know, I know, we all love the hot and steamy, but I also need a great story as well. I want to become invested in the characters and what happens to them.  I will definitely be adding more of Simone's writings to my summer reading list.

Many thanks Sister Gurl for helping me get past y dry spell!

Much Love,

Pandora Esperanza

"After being scarred in the explosion that killed my brother, Gabriel Winters asked for my hand in marriage to save my family from financial ruin. In his mind, it was a marriage of convenience. He never saw me as anything but his best friend's little sister. In my mind, nothing was convenient. I'd always seen him as a man.

Gabriel is scarred, but not broken. He's strong, powerful, and kind. I want to be the one to open his heart to love again. On the night he finally summons me to his bedroom, I go ready and eager to give him my body and my soul. Instead, he hands me divorce papers.

I would do anything for this man, but I refuse to give in. If he wants me to sign, he is going to have to give into my demands first.

I want to know what it finally feels like to be touched by a man...

...And I want a baby."

I can’t believe this is happening. After my husband died, I never thought I’d be with another man. But fate has other plans, because the perfect man just fell into my lap. Or, more accurately, I fell into his lap. Because…he’s a Mall Santa.

I know, I know. A Mall Santa. But Pax is amazing. He makes my son happy, he makes me laugh, and beneath that fat suit is the body of a sculpted sex god. It would be a true Christmas miracle if it weren’t for one thing: This Mall Santa is hiding something, and it’s not just presents under the tree.

***

I’ve met the girl of my dreams. She thinks I’m a homeless Mall Santa, but I’m actually a billionaire. I want to tell her, but such a hardworking woman would never accept a playboy like me. Oh, and there’s also the fact that I must keep my true identity secret from my fellow elves.

My brother’s the kind of devil who’s happy to get coal in his stocking so he can feed the open flame he intends to roast you over. After bailing me out when my latest night of drunken debauchery lands me in jail, he gives me an ultimatum: hold down a job and prove myself to be a productive member of society, or lose my inheritance.

This Mall Santa gig is the first job I’ve ever had. I’m supposed to just do my time and go home, but I can’t. Something bad is going down at the North Pole, and I can’t turn my back on it. I will stand up for what’s right and become the man Cadence deserves, even if it means going up against my scrooge of a brother and putting my billions on the line..

My dream is to be an investigative reporter. Unfortunately, all I'm investigating are reality TV "stars" like Keith Jones in karaoke dive bars for a gossip column that's too skeezy to even grace the racks above the rickety conveyor belt in my local grocery store.

Then, I get my lucky break. Keith Jones, that entitled prick, gets aggressive when I rebuff his advances. And the stud who swoops in like a knight in shining armor to bar-fight for my honor is none other than the real estate mogul Nicholas Winters.

Oh man, all I can say is that those muscles he spends hours every week sculpting in the gym are not just for show. Also, he apparently hit his head a little too hard, because he's speaking with a Southern twang and says his name is "Tiny Tim."

One thing is for sure: there is no way anyone would ever call this man "Tiny." Everything on him is rock hard and huge, especially his...

Well, you get the point.

I decide to help him get to the bottom of this. As more and more synchronicities pile up, I start to wonder if Nicholas Winters has a long lost twin...and fear what would happen if the heartless billionaire woke up one morning to discover that a cowboy was the true heir to the Winters empire.

Sometimes, after your demanding boss has relentlessly worked you into the ground, you decide to let off a little steam. So you get a little drunk, and maybe even do something a little crazy.

Like crash your boss' New Years Eve charity ball and f*** him like the world's going to end.

Oops.

This is bad. Really bad. As his personal secretary, we're together 24/7. Luckily, it was a masquerade ball so he has no idea that mystery woman was me. Unluckily, as the person he trusts most in this world, he wants me to find the mystery woman who stole his...well, I wouldn't exactly say heart, but she definitely "did a few things" that "got his attention."

Oh, it is dangerous to have a powerful man like him focus all his attention on you. Especially when you're pregnant with his heir.

How is my workaholic asshole of a boss going to react when he learns he'll soon be a dad?

Maybe all this would be easier if I gave him my two weeks notice...

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

Untitled Love, by Olivia Gaines - A Must For Your #TBRList

I don't think I'll ever get tired of coming across a new author that I just fall in love with. Such is the case with Olivia Gaines. Author of at least 33 distinct works, Olivia is right up there with the best of them.

The first book that I came across of Olivia's was "Thursday's in Savannah". As usual I was scrolling through my eBook search on my Kindle App, and there is was, so I thought I'd give it a go. A few hours later I was left breathless and wanting more!

When I saw that Olivia was releasing the new title "Untitled Love", I was ready! Phone in hand, and my Kindle "Buy Now With One Click" finger was twitching. With my new title in hand, I tucked in with a nice glass of sweet Marsala, my blanket, and I was ready to go. I was not disappointed.

"Orlando Flynn wasn’t beyond calling in the debt Jacquetta Mason owed him to get what he wanted. The love shared between them had always been untitled and he was ready to change it to something more concrete. Orlando knew exactly the label he wanted on his relationship with Jacquetta. He wanted her as his wife."

Not only is "An Untitled Love" full of love, romance, and yest plenty of steamy "good good", but it's full of humor as well. I don't do spoilers, but I will tell you this, there is one character in this book that stole my heart with their sharp tongue and quick wit.

Seressia Glass - Sugar and Spice and Everything Hot and Sexy

If you're a legit, die hard romance/erotica reader, you're always going to have those authors that will forever and always be on on your #TBRList, Seressia Glass is one of my top 10.

The most recent series of Seressia's is the Sugar and Spice series. This two book series is the story of four friends, who are all in recovery and looking for balance in their lives. They've been working so hard on their recovery and their new business, that they haven't made time for love. The first book, Spice, introduces us to all of the characters; but focuses in on the two main characters Nadia Spiceland, and Siobhan "Sugar" Malloy.

The main story in Spice belongs to Nadia Spiceland, and the main story in book two, Sugar, is the story of Siobhan "Sugar" Malloy.  I don't do spoilers so there's only so much that I can tell you about the books. What I can tell you is that Seressia has taken the subject of addiction and recovery and dealt with it on a very real level. It's refreshing to see all the sides of these women that are portrayed as not just beautiful on the outside, but on the inside. Their true beauty lies in the fact that are flawed, they know they're flawed, but despite all of that they make the choice to live.

I'll be honest with you, there were quite a few times that I found myself shedding tears for these women.  I came to care for them so much, that I found myself becoming anxious when I knew their stories were about to take a turn for the worse.

Seressia has definitely stepped up her story telling game, BUT, she has also stepped her erotica game. The Good Good in these two books will make your toes curl, literally. The best part is that the love making styles in each book is as unique as the characters themselves. What I'm trying to say is that you're not going to feel as if you're reading the same sex scenes over and over like their on a loop.

Each story can be read separately, but you would be better off reading them together and in order. 

Well done Seressia!! I'm looking forward to a book three, perhaps?

Temptation comes in many flavors…

Nadia Spiceland works in the business of temptation. The confections she crafts at the Sugar and Spice Bakery and Café lure in the locals. But one customer is interested in more than just her delectable sticky buns…

Kane Sullivan teaches human sexuality at the nearby college, where coeds are clamoring for seats in his lectures. Nadia is reluctant to his advances, yet she also has needs. Who better to fulfill them than the man who’s referred to as “Dr. Sex” by his female students?

Soon Kane creates a hunger in Nadia that nothing can satiate. It weakens her, and that’s something she cannot risk. Not again. But Kane’s masterful touch might just be powerful enough to melt her heart—and free her to trust again… Excerpt

Uninhibited passion is all she needs to turn her life around…

Siobhan “Sugar” Malloy, co-owner of Sugar and Spice Café and part-time burlesque dancer, believes that love is for the young and foolish—and at thirty-five years old, she is neither.

But a new business venture with the sexy twenty-something owner of Crimson Bay Couriers is quickly changing her mind. Charlie O’Halloran is beyond charming—and his flirtatious manner is an unexpected breath of fresh air for Siobhan. Soon an explosively steamy affair begins, and Siobhan discovers that she loves making up for lost time.

When Charlie comes clean and admits he wants a relationship, Siobhan is struck with memories of the troubled past she is desperate to forget. But when her estranged daughter makes a surprise appearance, Siobhan must choose between the family she left behind and the new life—and new love—she’s always wanted…
Excerpt

Lisa Medley, Taking Dark and Sexy To A New Level - The Reaper Series (Book Review)

I never go anywhere without something to read, NEVER. Yes, you know about my love affair with my Kindle App...it's really the "One Click" option that gets me, as well a the "Kindle Unlimited" feature. For a small monthly feel you can check out many books as you like and return them when you're finished! Perfect for a book junkie such as myself. I'll tell you what else is feeding my addiction these days, Twitter. Oh yes, if you follow the right people they will turn you On and Out to some amazing writers that you may not otherwise have heard of.

For me, one of those authors is Lisa Medley. I was scrolling through my Twitter feed and someone had re-tweeted a post of Lisa's promoting the third installment of her reaper series, Reap and Reveal. I took one look and my "One Click" finger started to get twitchy. So I purchased it, but not before buying the first and the second installments,  Reap and Repent, and Reap and Redeem. You know I have to read all of a series, I'm quirky like that.  I didn't know what I was going to be in for. I was hoping I didn't waste my money. Every penny counts when you're a book junkie. Needless to say I was hooked by the end of the first chapter of book 1 in the series, Reap and Repent.

I don't indulge in spoilers so, I'll just re-print the series synopsis that Lisa has on her website.

The Reaper Series Synopsis: 

"The only thing worse than having nothing to live for…is having everything to live for.
A small group of reapers and supernatural beings in Meridian, Arkansas are all that stands between humanity and the apocalypse when a fallen angel stages a demonic invasion. In their battle to save the world, each will meet his or her match, discovering the power of love…and the importance of risking everything to protect it."

When you're an avid romance reader you can tell relatively quickly if you're going to like a book or not. Some books you start reading and they quickly become unremarkable. By the middle of chapter one, you already know how the story is going to go . Not so with Lisa Medley's Reaper Series.

Lisa pulls you into the darkly magnetic world of The Reapers and she keeps you guessing. This series is chock full of non-stop action as well as steamy toe curling "Good Good" that is a romance must have! Each book is full bodied and the characters and plot lines are so well developed they they have the strength to stand alone. Lisa gives a smooth transition from one book to the next. You have a need to keep reading about the lives of the Reapers and all that they must endure to save not only humanity, but the ones that they love as well.

Please visit Lisa Medley's website to read more about each of the books in the series. They are all available on Amazon.com and Kindle Unlimited. If you identify yourself as a lover of Paranormal Romance then treat yourself to this series. I PROMISE you, you won't regret it.

Much Love,

Pandora ~

P.S.  - Lisa told me on Twitter that there will be a book 4!!!! I'm so in my happy place *sigh*

Dutch: Keeper Series Book One By Madhurie Blaylock - Alchemy of Words At It's Finest

Let me start by reminding you that I don't believe in spoilers. So this won't be a play by play of the the book. With that being said, Dutch: The Keeper Series Book One is the fourth book by Madhuri Blaylock. Dark, gritty, carnal, and passionate.

From the very first page, Blaylock paints with her words on the blank canvass of your mind taking you on a journey with Dutch Mathew and Juma Landry. First page to the last you will be completely consumed by  Dutch, Juma, The Gate, Keepers, and Poochas. Leaving no stone unturned, Blaylock carefully crafts a a world that will draw you in and hold you captive.

Truth be told when I first started reading Dutch, I thought I was simply going to be reading another paranormal romance. I couldn't have been more wrong. The romantic part of the relationship between Dutch and Juma is a catalyst for the characters, but they are not defined by or bound by that alone. If you're an avid romance reader you will be drawn to the romance piece, but you will quickly find yourself digging into the suspense aspect of the story as well.

Dutch and Juma are both emotionally scarred by events of their individual pasts, and from the day to day gritty grind of the life that they live. What I found fascinating was that its through their damage that they are brought together.


There is ABSOLUTELY nothing formulaic about Dutch. I thought that I would be able to predict the path that the characters were going to take, but I was wrong Blaylocks writing is not for the faint of heart. But I promise you that when you finish, you'll want to start all over again.

For a list of Madhuri's other works see her website Madhuri Blaylock Writes

Look for Dutch: Keeper Series Book One to release on October 12, 2015 

Who Knew That Sinn Could Be This Good! D.J. Parker Dipping Into Sinn 2 (Dipping Deeper Into Sinn)

The Kindle App on my phone and I have a very special relationship, my Kindle App keeps me supplied with the romance novels that I crave, and I.....ok, so it might be somewhat of a one sided relationship right now, but eventually I will find something really nice to do for my app, I promise! In the meantime, I have to tell you about my most recent "Hot Find". One week ago exactly I did  search on BWWM romance and one of the books that came up was Dipping Into Sinn by D.J. Parker.

Let me just start by saying that the relationship with a good book for me starts with the cover. We feast with our eyes first. This cover jumped out at me, it looked delicious! So of course I did what I do best and hit the "one click" Kindle option and bought it. ( I really need to put myself on a book budget. PSYCH) 

There are some books that take several chapters before you become invested in the characters, not so with D.J. Parker. She captures your attention from the first page. DJ makes you become emotionally invested in the characters. This is the story of Simone and Andriano. Simone Sinn is a sweet natured, intelligent young woman going off to college to pursue her dreams of becoming a doctor. On one night out with you new room mate, Simone catches the attention of smokin hot Andriano Balducci, little does she know he is set to become the next Don of the Mafia. You can read more about the book here https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25402057-dipping-into-sin

I'm not into spoilers so lets just say that Simone and Andriano may have fallen in love, and have some earth shattering sex, but things go bad before they get better. The "getting better" is where Dipping Deeper Into Sinn picks up the story. But before Simone and Andriano get to the better, they go through some major bad.

It's Even Better The Second Time Around - Grey by EL James

I'll never forget the day that Fifty Shades found me.

I say it found me because I had never heard of the books. They had been round for a few years by then. I had just finished a 6 year marathon of working on and obtaining both my Bachelor's and Master's degrees, and on top of that I was going through a divorce (See 46 and Starting Over - Finding Life After Divorce Re-Mix) No worries that was long ago in a land far away. Any way, I finally had some time on my hands, way too much time, so I hit the pleasure reading. I have always loved fantasy, some science fiction, even horror. But what I needed was some romance. Not just any romance, but the hot and steamy kind.

I had just finished a book and I was grieving, you know that period when you finish your book and you don't have another. Any way one of my older sons told me about a romance book that he heard about that was supposed to be pretty, good. That book was Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James