The Swirled Cafe of Love... My Review of: "Monster" written by Francette Phal

Monster by Francette Phal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After reading the initial sample via Kindle, I couldn't help but to buy this book... Not only was it chock full of delicious drama, but it was captivating as well...

For me, the best part of story was the evolution of the relationship between "Eden" & "Dominic"...

At first, it seems as if "Dominic" was formed and fashioned in the tradition of that infamous misogynistic jerk, "Christian Grey," but the background of this character manages to give some clue as to why "Dominic" is such a major "tool," and most important of all, it doesn't make excuses for his foul behavior.

I'm so glad that the author dealt with the issue of emotional abuse in the relationship between the 2 characters, because if the character of "Eden" had not made the decisions that she made for herself and her family, I would have been seriously ticked off.



Thankfully, Ms. Phal gave Eden a well-timed shot of self-esteem and self-realization, because in this day and age, we need more female characters to decide to stop being the perpetual doormat and actually "grow a pair."



Other than that, this book was well worth the money spent, and I'm looking forward to the next great adventure that the decides to grace her readers with.

Giving this one: 4 awesome stars....

Side note regarding some recent reviews:

While reading the reviews of this book, I managed to take notice of a common theme amongst some of the reviews.. That being, some issues with the writer's continuous description of the biracial character's caramel skin tone...

Being the observant Social Researcher that I am, I'm curious to know whether or not if the main source of the dissatisfaction is due to a lack of exposure to interracial/multiethnic romance fiction/relationships, or if it is due to some hidden issues regarding the Interracial/Multi-ethnic Romance genre at large.

Considering the fact that we live in a progressive society and not to mention a world community, I believe that a dialogue regarding this issue should be explored... Because overall, our society is supposed to be going forwards, and not backwards...

If we can accept MMF/MFM/FFM/MM/FF/(hardcore) BDSM genres without much reserve, then what the heck is so wrong about accepting Interracial/Multi-Ethnic fiction on it's own merits?












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Bikers with Bite... My Review of: "Under Locke" Written by Mariana Zapata

Under Locke by Mariana Zapata
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After I read the sample for this novel, I was hooked... In a way, this book reminded me of the raw energy exuded by the old KA, before her books became sanitized and synthesized by her publisher. Although it was 400 pages, taking the journey with Iris, Dex, and Sonny was an awesome thing, for which I am grateful..

With all of the biker stories on the open eBook market, sometimes you get to witness moments of brilliance, and sometimes you crap out.

Fortunately, not only was this book captivating, but it was well written with characters who were colorful and unique.

When you find yourself being fully engaged in book that takes 3-4 hours to consume, you can definitely say that you're onto something good.

As far as the sexual angst was concerned, I absolutely loved how Ms. Zapata developed the relationship between Iris & Dex. Trust me when I say that I love reading sensual novels, but I also love those that detail the thrill of the chase, and not just the wham, bam, thank u ma'am style of insta-luv that's so prevalent amongst today's authors.

Give me a great story any day, and I am one happy Chica..

Giving this awesome story, 4.75 stars...



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How D.B Got Her Groove Back... My Review of: "Lucas" (Vampires in America #6) written by D.B. Reynolds

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

After reading this latest installment in the "Vampires in America" series, I believe that D.B. is amongst the top tier of PNR/UF writers currently on the scene.

Not only was this book captivating, but the Mystery and Erotic elements were out of sight.

Loved the characters, the sex, the mystery (that lasted until the last few pages were left), and everything about this awesome book.

The only drawback was a minimal amount of lag at the beginning, but that within itself was to establish the setting for the characters.

Giving this one: 4 Solid Stars



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Freaky Fairies Worth Fighting For... My Review of: "Fighting Destiny" (The Fae Chronicles #1) written by Amelia Hutchins

Fighting Destiny by Amelia Hutchins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Although this book had it's editing quirks, I absolutely loved it. The only thing that I wasn't exactly wild about was the sex scenes, which seemed a little overdone... Other than that, this is a great beginning to an awesome series..

Giving this one 3.5 stars.

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Natural Sistas on tha Move... My Review of: "Natural Beauty" written by Leslie DuBois

Natural Beauty by Leslie DuBois
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There are times when after I've read something that's incredibly hardcore (I.e. sexually explicit, freaky, nasty, too naughty for words), that I need something that will cleanse my palate.

In my opinion, this book was very good. Not only was the story evenly paced, but the characters were multidimensional, and the natural haircare advice was awesome.

My only issues (with this book) were the following; a few moments of lag, and an abrupt ending that cheated the reader out of a proper Epilogue.

Other than that, this is a stand alone book that won't leave you in a funky state of withdrawal until your next installment fix... Err, the next installment.

Giving this one: 3 well-deserved stars.

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Indie Authors to Rave About... My Review of: "Lingus" by Mariana Zapata

Lingus by Mariana Zapata
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's Official... I am so hooked on Mariana Zapata's books until it is absolutely bananas!!

Not only was this book awesomely captivating, but it was well written with loads of passion for the story as well.

After reading this, I really do feel Ms. Zapata is in the same league as the incredibly awesome Aurora Belle and Kenya Wright; because all three authors care more about the quality of what they produce, rather than just the quantity.

The thing that I really liked about this book is that before any scenes of gratuitous sex popped up on the horizon, I was able to witness the birth and development of an actual friendship/relationship 1st... Besides that, this book was chock full of so many funny lines, that I found myself snickering throughout most of the book...

By the time I finished reading this book, I was ready to 1-Click all of her books.. But unfortunately, after having read & this book, I've read everything that she's written to date.

Note to Ms. Zapata:... "Time's a wastin'! You need to publish a new book, and Pronto!" (Just Kidding...)


In my opinion, this awesome "standalone" book should have been at least $5.99, because it was just than good!


Giving this one: 5 stars




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Political Heat.... My Review of: "Off the Record (Record, #1)" by K.A Linde

Off the Record by K.A. Linde
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

When I first began to read this seductive tale of an alpha-male political candidate chasing after a student reporter with chutzpah, I was hooked. But that only lasted for the first 30% of the book, but then... I ran into some lagg, and then became disenchanted with the story. Thankfully, the storyline began to gather steam after a few pages, but yet and still, I believe that this book could have been better than it was. Hopefully, Ms. Linde will make up for it with the sequel.

Giving this one 3 stars.



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"Sexy & Ya Know It" Vamps... My Review of: Duncan (Vampires in America, #5) by D.B. Reynolds

Duncan by D.B. Reynolds
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

Before I begin, let me say this... I am totally hooked on D.B's "Vampires in America" series... I love the writing, I love the characters, and I love the romance. Now, with that being said, I have to say that although I love the series, I wasn't totally geeked about this installment. I liked it, but I didn't love it. The story was good, but there was a bit of lag, and the female character's level of emotional intelligence was ridiculous. Also, I couldn't understand how a vampire as sophisticated and powerful as Duncan would want someone like Emma. Oh well, wonders will never cease to amaze me..

Overall, this was a fairly good read, but it could have been better.

Giving this one 3 stars.



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