Killing Her Softly With His Song... My Review of: "Happiness in Jersey" ... Written by: Jacinta Howard

Happiness In Jersey by Jacinta Howard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After being wrapped up in Jersey’s captivating world, all I can say is that this book was awesome! Not only were the characters well developed & touchable, but the world-building was incredible as well.

Ms. Howard truly has a gift for taking her readers on an emotional roller coaster ride that will leave them happy and truly satisfied. Miniscule errors aside, this book was absolute sheer perfection and a joy to read. And being the persnickety Chica that I am, this book has left a lasting impression on me.

I'm hoping that Ms. Howard will allow her readers to revisit Jersey's World once more, and enable us to enjoy her incredible "gift" for spinning a tale that sure to please.(Hint, Hint, Hint...)

Giving this one: 5 humongous stars for excellence!



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Learning To Love Again .... My Review of: "Post-Romantic Stress Disorder" ... Written By: John Bradshaw

Post-Romantic Stress Disorder: What to Do When the Honeymoon Is Over by John Bradshaw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars




To be succinct this book is necessity for those who are tired of going through the motions after another dysfunctional relationship/breakup. The moral of the story is to deal with your own baggage first and foremost, and after you’ve dealt with it, you can go out into the world and attract someone who has dealt with their stuff as well. And if you do manage to find someone who is an emotional train wreck waiting to happen, you’ll empowered not to “board that train.” By providing a clear cut, no nonsense manual with case histories and tips for better living, John Bradshaw has managed once again, to drag America’s dirty luggage out into the open, so that we can have a better of understanding of the Romantic notions that plague and sometimes threaten to destroy us. While reading this book, one can tell that Bradshaw is clearly an academic who is a therapist with real-life experience. With that being said, he’s not here to make you feel good, he’s here to offer you the choice of doing better, so that in the end, your love life will be stable and not one that appears to be ravaged by a barrel full of titanic monkeys on the loose.
If you’re expecting the down home humor of Dr. Phil, or even the Zen approach of Dr. Wayne Dyer, please keep in mind that you’re dealing with an Academic whose sole purpose is to get to the root of the matter, no matter how hurtful it may be to deal with. Overall it’s better to rip the emotional Band-Aid off now, and let the wound(s) heal, instead of being left to die as a lonely, bitter, pitiful person with nary an ounce of love for neither self nor others….

Giving this one: 4 solid stars…




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Oh Papi!!! .... My Review of " Not Always" Written by: Ancelli

Not Always by Ancelli
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As a persnickety lover of all things Interracial Romance (IRR), I can definitely testify to the fact that Ancelli has definitely grown as a innovative/creative writer. She has a wonderful gift for crafting characters that you will root for, and villains that you will want to slap silly.

My only issues with this book was the small amount of lag, and the issues that Ancelli had writing dialogue for the juvenile characters in her book.

Other than that, I Loved it!

Giving this one: 3.5 stars




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How 2 Love Your Vamp in 50 Shades... My Review of "Betrayed" Written By: D.B. Reynolds

Betrayed by D.B. Reynolds
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reading this tasty novella, reminded me of all the reasons why I love the “Vampires in America” series, written by D.B Reynolds.

Not only was this novella full of delicious drama, steamy sex scenes, and colorful dialogue, but the characters were so well-crafted, it felt as if they had come to life on the page(s).

While reading this book, and not to mention the series, it becomes apparent that D.B clearly enjoys her craft, and has a passion for creating stories that are well written and not to mention, memorable on top of that. I am so thankful to be able to read awesome works of Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy, such as this.

Giving this one: 4 awesome stars.



***ARC supplied courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review***

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This Definitely Ain't Vanilla... My Review of: " First Annual BDSM Writers Con Anthology"

First Annual BDSM Writers Con Anthology by Lori Perkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is the real deal, and it has something for just about everyone, from BDSM light newbies to hardcore kink connoisseurs. In my opinion, the stories were well written and actually makes you hunger for more. Basically, this is a captivating compilation that will satisfy and titillate the newbie and connoisseur.

My only complaint is that this compilation did not come with a heat ratings system. But oh well, I knew the job was dangerous when I took it.

Giving this one: 3.5 stars.

*** ARC supplied by the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review****




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Skinwalkers with Attitude... My Review of "Black Water" Written by: Faith Hunter

Black Water by Faith Hunter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sheer Perfection!

This is one of the absolute best Urban Fantasy series on the market period!

Delicious Drama, Snappy Dialogue, and Well Crafted Characters... Ms. Hunter (with her editor/beta readers) definitely has the goods...


Giving this one: 5 stars

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Vamps Just Wanna Have Fun... My Review of "Bitten" Written by Morgan Black

Bitten by Morgan Black
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As a persnickety lover of PNR & Urban Fantasy books, I am seriously picky when it comes to books that involve my favorite “Supe” of all time, that being, the sensual but deadly vampire. In my opinion, Ms. Black does a fairly good job with crafting an introduction to a series, that has a lot of potential.

Although I found the beginning to be a little choppy (i.e. editing issues, lag, flat dialogue), I later became captivated by this story, and after it ended, I scoured Amazon.com to see if I could obtain any info/pre-order links for Book 2.

Personally, I want to see what happens to the Chica who was TSTL, because any normal person with common sense would have picked up on certain "vibes," and ran away like their panties were on fire. Also, the metaphysical aspect of this story makes me hungry for more as well.

Normally, cliffhangers don’t bother me, but only if I become wrapped up in the story. In a way, I suppose that’s a good thing. Hopefully, Ms. Black will take some time to perfect her love of writing, because I believe she has a potential winner in her possession.

Giving this one: 3 solid stars




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Healing The Healer.... My Review of "Hybrid" Written by BN Toler

Hybrid by B.N. Toler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was simply fantastic! Not only was it captivating with multidimensional characters, delicious drama, a plot with more twists and turns than a Texas Tornado, but all of this wonderful delicious stuff was wrapped up in an ever expanding world that became more interesting by the minute.

My only issues with the book was a small amount of lag and a character (Aldo) who at times acted like she was TSTL. Since she's in the process of growing up, I can understand the immaturity, but still one wants to jump through the pages and ask her, "what the heck is your friggin problem?"

Oh well, when a book is captivating and inspires you to talk back to the characters, one just knows that they're onto something good...

Ms. Toler has done an excellent job with crafting a highly inventive story, and I look forward to seeing what she'll surprise us with next....


Giving this one: 4 solid stars...





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"One Fine-Ass Man"... My Review of "Outlander" ... Written by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

To be succinct, this book was "practically perfect in every way." Not only was it captivating, but it also compelled me to feel deeply about these characters (especially Jamie). Personally, if I could have done so, I would have reached through the pages and slapped the crap out of Captain John Randall (aka "that sadistic little narcissistic bastard).

Its not often that a writer does such an awesome job with world building and character development, that I literally experience a wide range of feelings along with the characters. Now that is a sure sign of brilliant writing.

Giving this one: 5 humongous stars for a job well done.



(view spoiler)[My apologies to those who saw my commentaries & were the unwitting victims of my temporary but wacky HTML coding (hide spoiler)]

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Colorful Conclusions.... My Review of: "Inked Armor" written by Helena Hunting

**ARC provided by the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review**


The beginning of my literary love affair with Ms. Hunting’s books began with a novella that came after this amazing read. After I read that novella, I was left feeling like I’d missed something very important, so therefore I decided to read any and everything that I could get my hands on, concerning this series.

After having read Cupcakes and Ink (0.5), Clipped Wings (Book 1), Between the Cracks (1.5), and now this most recent installment, I must say that I am thoroughly impressed with Ms. Hunting’s passion for her craft, and her consistency in presenting a well-crafted story to her readers.

With this book not only was I thoroughly captivated, but so much so to the point that I wished that I could have taken a special day off from work, just to read this awesome book in just one uninterrupted setting. Not only were the characters multi-layered with a myriad of emotional issues, but the drama was incredibly delicious, and the world-building was awesome as well.

For the most part, the storyline flowed well except for a small glitch at the 86% mark, other than that, it was smooth sailing. All-in-all I loved the fact that these two damaged people were able to find each other, and thereby move forward into a place of stability and harmony.

Now I’m looking forward to Chris & Sara’s story.. Oh how delicious it will be!


Giving this one: 4 stars

Wounded Birds in Love... My Review of: "Clipped Wings" by Helena Hunting

I just finished reading this amazing book about 5 minutes ago, and I am absolutely overjoyed at how awesome it was. 



This was a captivating read that left me with a myriad of emotions that I will not soon forget. In this book, Hayden (the rebel son, who is dealing with some serious catharsis resulting from a tragedy in his early adulthood), meets Tenley (the emotionally fragile braniac), and the sparks fly. This book takes this perfectly imperfect couple from first blush all the way to passionate love in full bloom. I could go on and on, like some reviewers do, but let me say this; the writing was excellent, the world-building was amazing, and the characters were incredibly multidimensional until it was just crazy.


This author is to be commended for the passion that she has for her craft, because this girl hit it out of the ballpark. The only thing that annoyed me about this book was the cliff hanger. Call it being greedy, but I wanted to lie in bed and read the entire history of this quirky couple from start to finish. Why? Because this author had me on the edge of my seat, for three hours straight, waiting to see what happens next. As soon as I finish posting this review, I’m logging onto Amazon.com to see what other titles this amazing author has in her repertoire. 

Giving this one: 4.5 stars





*****ARC provided by Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review*****

Love at First Blush pt. II... My Review of "Between the Cracks" by Helena Hunting

This was a nice snack to enjoy before the next installment in the series .

This novella just proves that Ms. Hunting really does have the "gift" for writing a series that's captivating and imaginative.

Giving this one: 4.5 stars

Love at First Blush... My Review of: "Cupcakes and Ink" by Helena Hunting

Considering the fact that I am now an avid Helena Hunting fan, I absolutely had to read this book. This novella gives the readers a taste of the beginnings of angst and play between Hayden and Tenley. While reading it, one gets the sense that something very interesting is going on with and between these two, but you just can’t put your finder on the whole thing. Being a persnickety reader who loves a great combo of romance, mystery, and suspense, this series is very satisfying, but it also fuels my hunger for more. 


Although it was a short read, it was well-written and not to mention captivating. 

Giving this one: 4.5 stars.




*** ARC supplied via Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review*******

Doms in Transition.... My Review of: "My Hunger" written by Lisa Renee Jones

This novella was just a taste of an intriguing series, that takes the reader into the masked world of the upper stratifications in the world of BDSM players. Although it wasn't pitch perfect (ex. lag, issues with flow, dialogue), this was a perfect read for a lazy Sunday afternoon. 

As a Sociologist and Connoisseur of (high quality) BDSM/Erotica books, I have a feeling that Mark will be going through some interesting changes in future installments... With that being said, I'm looking forward to reading how the author conveys his transformation. 

Will Mark simmer down and find true love, or will he continue to dwell in the coldness of BDSM relationships that are devoid of true intimacy?



Hmmmm... Now that will be very interesting to witness...

Giving this one: 3 solid stars

My Favorite Things for the Week of.... June 9, 2014

Here is a list of books that are competing for a share of my eBook budget:

Girls Just Wanna Be.... My Review of:"Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore" by Walter Mosley

****ARC generously supplied by DoubleDay/Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review****


Whenever I find myself being so enchanted by a story, to the point that I just can't stop reading, I know right then and there that I'm onto something awesome...



"Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore" was so amazing, that words can hardly describe how good this book was. Not only was it amazingly captivating, but the characters were absolutely phenomenal. Debbie/Sandra herself was a bright star in a universe full of oddball and shady characters. 

Amazingly enough, it isn't until she comes hard, and he leaves hard, that she begins to question the system that has literally held her bound for years on end. 



To be succinct, this book was a perfect mix of Mystery, Suspense, Delicious Drama, and Erotica, that reminds one of Mr. Mosley's talent for composing a thought-provoking tale involving misfits and miscreants, who have their own tales of love, lust, regret, and utter woe to contend with...

It doesn't get anymore real than this...


Giving this one: 4.5 well deserved stars...

My Favorite Things for the Week of May 26, 2014

Here are the list of books that are competing for a share of my Kindle budget...

Indescribable DOM's.... My Review of:"Dom Wars.. Box set for 1 & 2" by Lucian Bane

Dom Wars: Round 1 & 2 by Lucian Bane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Within the last 5% of this book, I found a sentence that defines the entire book.... That being, "I can have sex with meaning."


Translation? When the D/s relationship is real and authentic, it's not about pain, degradation, and humiliation. When it's pure and true, it's about trust and intimacy (into me you see).



As a Sociologist, I've researched the BDSM culture along with it's growing influence on the publishing industry, and found that the success/acceptance of a lot of erotic/BDSM authors (published since 2011), can be attributed to the wildly popular FSOG.


A decade or two before FSOG's success, BDSM/Erotica books were considered to be somewhat deviant in Popular Culture. (I should know, because I spent 10 years in the bookselling industry.)


Even though this author and others strongly dislike , they'd better thank E.L James for taking this genre and mainstreaming it for consumption amongst Popular Culture. Better yet, thank "Twilight."


(Yeah, I said it!)

Other than that, this book could have named "The Dom & The Switch."


It wasn't pitch perfect, nor was it without its moments of corniness and over-the-top antics. I don't know who Lucian Bane is, but I can definitely see some autobiographical elements interwoven amongst the pages.


Basically, it was good, but it needs more polishing.

Giving this one: 3 stars

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