Sunday, January 31, 2016

The Sunday Post/It's Monday, What Are You Reading

Hey, ladies!


The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a fun weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date where we share what we've read and reviewed over the past week and what we plan to read next. 

I can't believe it's the last day of January! This month has flown by. 


A very laid-back week around here! The weather's warmed up quite a bit, unfortunately, but it's not too hot yet, even though I was in shorts and a tank top yesterday. Sigh. Winter in Florida is only three weeks long.

I watched the movie Straight Outta Compton this week, and I can definitely see what all the fuss was about! It was a very well acted, well shot movie and seemed true to story. A little long, but overall I really enjoyed it!

Not the best step or yoga week, though I did meet my 10,000 step goal each day, and only skipped two days of yoga. I don't know how anyone manages to do more than a gimpy shuffle when they have cramps, truly I don't.

Sunday - 10,010
Monday - 10,122
Tuesday - 13,688
Wednesday - 11,289
Thursday - 15,519
Friday - 15, 610
Saturday - 14,242

Total - 90,480



This Week's Recap








Coming Up

January Recap

Top Ten Tuesday: Historical or Futuristic 

Waiting on Wednesday

{Book Review} Nuts by Alice Clayton

Cover Lust, No. 12


Read This Week



5 stars!
I really enjoyed this side of Mercy and Adam's relationship, discovering more about Mercy's heritage, and the more one-on-one monster takedown. 

4 stars!
Enjoyable and addictive as always, but suffered a bit from some odd pacing. 

4 stars!

I do love me some Curran (Kate Daniel's leading man). I can't wait for the next book!



Currently Reading

This is laugh out loud funny!

I couldn't get into this when it first came out in October, but now it's just what I need, and I'm devouring it, confusing as it may be. 



What Will I Read Next?



Fucking hell, maybe I should've saved this one for "Cover Lust".
I don't usually do sports romances, much less football ones, but I couldn't pass up that oh-so-promising package - I mean cover.  



Friday, January 29, 2016

Cover Lust, No. 11

From New York Times bestselling author Alice Clayton, the first in a brand-new romance series telling the humorously sexy tale of Roxie, a private chef who gets a taste of love—but is it to stay, or to go?

After losing almost all of her clients in one fell swoop following an accident involving whipped cream, private chef to Hollywood’s elite Roxie Callahan gets a call from her flighty mother, saying she’s needed home in upstate New York to run the family diner.
Once she's back in the Hudson Valley, local organic farmer Leo delivers Roxie a lovely bunch of walnuts, and soon sparks—and clothing—begin to fly. Leo believes that everything worth doing is worth doing slowly…and how! But will Roxie stay upstate, or will the lure of West Coast redemption tempt her back to Tinseltown?
 



I get such a kick out of this cover! I just think it's hilarious, and hey, I'm never one to complain about a nice set of abs. ;)
This is a wildly entertaining romance with plenty of humor and food. Good god, I was so hung while eating this. Review will be up this coming week!



Thursday, January 28, 2016

{Book Review} Never Never, Part 3 by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher


From Goodreads (all three book summaries)

Book 1

Best friends since they could walk. In love since the age of fourteen.

Complete strangers since this morning.

He'll do anything to remember. She'll do anything to forget.

Book 2


Silas races against time as more truths unravel, while others twist tighter together. And now, the stakes are higher as Silas’ control slips and others begin to point fingers. Charlie is in trouble and he must be the one to bridge the chasm between their past and their present. Because somewhere between I love yous and Never Nevers and Never Agains, a truth they can't imagine, beckons to be found. 

Book 3

Together, Silas Nash and Charlize Wynwood must look deeper into the past to find out who they were and who they want to be. With time ticking down, the couple are in a race to find the answers they need before they lose everything. Can they regain what they once had? And will it restore who they once were?


My Thoughts

3.5-4 "I am so conflicted" Stars



I read the first Never Never book just a week or so after its release this time last year. How could you not with the gorgeous cover? 
I absolutely devoured that novella; it was such an unusual plot with compelling characters, great flow, and kept the viewer constantly guessing. Despite its shortness, it was never crammed or rushed. I slapped a 5 star rating on it, and it quickly wormed its way onto my "Favorites Shelf  Bookcase" as I not-so-patiently waited for the second installment that May. 

While book two was a touch slower paced and fumbled in a few places, I still throughly enjoyed it. My theories on what was going on kept circling around in my head, each one more outlandish than the last. I've been dying to read the final installment and see if any of my farfetched ideas were correct, and it finally released earlier this month. 

I immediately downloaded the sucker, and read it in a single sitting. 
And... I am unsure of how I feel. 

I'll try and keep this as non-spoilery as possible!



"Trust your gut. Not your heart, because it's a people pleaser, and not your brain, because it relies too heavily on logic."



I loved the beginning of the story; the reader is left high off the effects from the end of book two, and we're slammed back into where we left off. Things have drastically changed for our couple, and they're even more anxious and confused by these new circumstances. They begin searching for any sort of answer, and their journey leads them back through old memories. This part was so interesting to me - getting to see who the were in the beginning, who they were then, and the core of themselves now was so neat to watch.



Maybe it has nothing to do with anyone else, and everything to do with us.



Then...then things started going a little weird for me. Things really started unfolding, and I was underwhelmed by it. Perhaps it was because I went so long between part 2 and part 3, but it felt rushed to me. All my theories on what would happen fell flat, and I had questions left unanswered (what about the Shrimp? Their previous lifestyles?). 



I somehow have more feelings for this girl than will fit inside of me. 




Other than that though, I really enjoyed it. Silas has always been a favorite of mine, and he shined in part three. It was gorgeously romantic, and well written as always. I will definitely be doing a reread of this series soon! 

I've heard murmurings of another book collaboration for Hoover and Fisher in both their author Facebook groups, and I am beyond curious to see where that goes.

Overall, this is a 4.5 star series for me, and I highly recommend binge reading them.









Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and is a fun way to see what books other bloggers just can't wait to get their hands on!


Damon Atwood was Hollywood’s golden boy. Having won an Oscar at the tender age of thirteen, he had the life many could only dream about. But his success came at a price, and after a short but fruitful film career, he chose to live a life of obscurity on a remote Scottish island. Thirteen years later he’s finally ready to make his return, starting with a lead role in a musical on London’s West End.

As a choreographer’s assistant, Rose Taylor has always faded into the background. She watches shows come to life from the side lines, but has never craved the attention of stardom. When rumours begin circulating of Damon’s involvement in her latest gig, she doesn’t predict how she will be thrust into the limelight, nor how the mysterious and strangely introverted man will need her to teach him how to be a star again.

Rose knows that show crushes don’t last. Actors fall for each other during the intensity of a production, often losing themselves in their roles. These kinds of affairs burn bright and then they fade. The question is, should Rose let herself shine with Damon, or guard her heart from being broken after the final curtain call?

Release Date: May 16th




I am so excited for this one! L.H. Cosway is one of my top favorite authors, and this book releases just before my birthday. Can't wait!







Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Book Tropes I Want To See More Of

Hey, ladies!




It's time for The Broke and The Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday! This week is a freebie, so you can pick whatever you like. I'm sharing ten book tropes I'd like to see more of, as sort of a companion piece to the TTT back in October for Ten Tropes I'm Tired Of Seeing. Let's get to it!


In no real order...


10. A Family That Doesn't Suck

I'm so over the absentee parents and the oldest sibling stepping in for them. This is extremely prevalent in young adult, but it's almost a requirement for new adult as well. 
Not my favorite Hoover book, but I absolutely loved how present and involved Lake's mom was! 



9. Long Term Couples!
I wish more series focused around couples that have been together a while. I love seeing the relationship progression, love seeing people that just get each other, and I think the plot of the story tends to be stronger when you're not banking on unresolved sexual tension and indecision. The sex is usually better, too.
For example:
Cat and Bones - Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost
Kate and Curran - Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews
Mercy and Adam - Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs
I can't wait for the next Kate book. This is my favorite in the series so far; may be time for a reread, audiobook style! 


8. Bitches With Backbone

I want to see more heroines that stand up for themselves, that have their own ideas, and aren't sniveling little children. I'm over the doormat chick. My sympathy is short to begin with, and adding in a woe-is-me woman just sets my teeth on edge.
Alexis was a fantastic example of a heroine with backbone! Smart, sassy, and opinionated. Like yours truly. ;)
My Review



7. Hilarious Banter

Sexual tension is fine and dandy, and much needed in romance. BUT...give me banter! Give me light and funny flirting! I want to see that this couple can have fun together. If you can't have fun, I don't feel too terribly inclined to fawn over the romance.
This will forever and always be one of my favorite contemporaries. Hilarious, sexy, and so fun!


6. Smart Relationships

You can love each other. You should love each other. However, it saddens me to see these characters get so wrapped up in their romance that they lose themselves, or the people who are too stupid to get out of their toxic relationships. 
This couple wound up having a great relationship, especially for new adult. The heroine says:
"I love him more and more each day, even when he's not here. But I can't let him be my everything."
That's a healthy relationship!
My Review


5. Heroes with Dogs

You sexiness goes up 10 points if you're a dog lover. *makes grabby hands*
The love interest in this story, Lachlan, made me completely swoon with how he was around his dogs. #AllTheFeels
My Review


4. A Total Lack of Angst Wallowing

Life happens. Sometimes it's amazing, sometimes it's heartbreaking or scarring or just plain unfair. It's fine and even healthy to acknowledge it, fine to have it as a part of your passed that's shaped you into who you are. But for the love of fuck, please don't wallow in your own sorrow for the entire novel.
L.H. Cosway is a great example of a writer that doesn't douse their characters in unnecessary angst. This book in particular does a great job of that!
My Review 


3. Romantic Suspense...That's Romantic 

I actually really like romantic suspense, but I don't read much of it. It's almost never romantic enough for me, and tends to feel a bit...dry, and this is nearly always pertinent for books in the adult genre. I can't even explain why! 
This is my favorite romantic suspense ever, and my favorite Tucker book! Sexy, action packed, romantic, mysterious, engaging, and kept me on the edge of my seat (and 1st person perspective. I need that.). That's what I want with romantic suspense.
My Review


2. More Series!!!

I'm binge reading the Mercy Thompson series right now, and I love that I read a book, and another is waiting for me. Series make me happy! 
My favorite binge series, by far.


1. Interesting Plots

I've read Twilight, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and 50 Shades of Grey. I don't need to read the same thing slightly switched around. Please and thank you. 
Give me new plots, controversial ideas, and something fresh, such as:

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma (ugly cry warning)
Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher
Love, in English by Karina Halle
Lawless by T.M. Frazier
The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent
The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle

This was a refreshing take on new adult, and one I really enjoyed!
My Review

What about you? What would you like to see more of?

- The Bibliophile Babe

Monday, January 25, 2016

Phallic Fumbling: What's Wrong With Erotica, Part 2

Hey, ladies!


Back in November, I wrote a post called A Dick By Any Other Name (Or, What's Wrong With Erotica). It was about my little annoyances when it comes to romance, especially erotic romance, and focused mostly on the absurd names for genitalia. It's my most popular post to date, and one I had a ton of fun writing! So fun, in fact, that I'm doing another one!

I almost titled this "The Twat Thickens: What's Wrong With Erotica, Part 2". I decided against it. You're welcome. 
 If you can't tell, this post is very much adult content. Let's jump right in!



How Not To Describe His Junk

There's dozens and dozens of ways smut authors have described the wonders of the cock. Some are tolerable, some are cringe worthy, some are completely laughable, and some make me wonder if the author had the foresight of Googling the definition of the word they used. Here are a few of my "favorites". You'll see why.

Ropy - 
Perhaps I've been reading too much porn, but the only thing I can picture is some BDSM bound dick.

Veiny -
Ugghhhhh. This one is usually used during a blow job, often with teeth grazed along "pulsing veins". Hope you don't knick that thin skin, darling.

Swollen -
I picture a swollen bug bite on this poor man's penis.

Tumescent -
It sounds like either antacid medication or a paint color.

Slick-
Ew.

Springy -
He dick springs from his boxers! His penis sprang forth! His manhood springs up! We might as well call his dick Tigger.

Bulbous -
I can't even describe how furious this word makes me. It's worse than moist.
 photo giphy_zpssivbdsdu.gif




How Not To Describe Her Junk

I covered most of these in the last post, but I've come across (yes, I will use that pun until the end of time) a few more since then.

Muffin -
Wrong on so many levels.

Canal -
Oh look, her pussy comes equipped with its own gondola ride. 



Honey pot -
*immediately quits the book*

Liquid heat -
This just sounds weird, like something that goes in a car.



Getting Down and Dirty: How Not To Describe It

Some of these just leave me shaking my head in a mixture of horror and total awe that someone is using it, and okay with it. 

Shagging -
Okay, I actually find this one hilarious and don't mind it at all. Perhaps it's because of one of my favorite British book boyfriends uses it. Bones can make anything sound good....

Bumpin' uglies -
Not only does this sound vile, the stars of these little trysts are always absurdly attractive. It just doesn't make sense.

Doing the deed/the nasty -
I have no idea why, but "doing the deed" sounds like you've completed a hit on someone.

Piercing through her flesh -
Are you getting fucked or having your clit pierced? Enlighten me, please.

A chorus of heated moans -
Smut so often ventures into the purple prose field.

Stroking/stabbing/sliding through her walls -
Walls are vertical, and form a box shape. Your vagina is not box shaped.



There will be a part three in the next week or two! Share your best (or worst!) smut segments below!

- The Bibliophile Babe 

Sunday, January 24, 2016

The Sunday Post/It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Hey, ladies!



The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a fun weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date where we share what we've read and reviewed over the past week and what we plan to read next. 



I hope everyone is staying warm in this frigid weather! Our north Florida temps may seem summery to those buried under snow, but these low 50s to low 40s days and low 30s-upper 20s nights are arctic here. I like it though, for the most part. It helps to have the brilliant blue skies and warm sun, for sure!





I've still done well with exercise, including walking and yoga every day. Sunday was a very low step day, since it was spent almost entirely in the car, but otherwise I hit my 10,000 or more step goal each day.

Sunday - 3,972
Monday - 14,161
Tuesday - 12,658
Wednesday - 13,986
Thursday - 19,210
Saturday - 13,654

Total - 94,990


This Week's Recap







Coming Up*

Phallic Fumbles: What's Wrong With Erotica, Part 2
Top Ten Tuesday: Freebie week
W...W...W...Wednesday
{Book Review} Never Never Pt. 3 by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher 
Cover Lust, No. 11



Read This Week

A great reading week at almost a book a day!

4 stars!

3 stars!

3 stars!
This was an...interesting smut read, haha. 
5 stars!
This one and Iron Kissed are my favorites so far. I love this series.
4-4.5 stars!
So conflicted on this one!
4 stars!
A very satisfying conclusion and a well deserved happy ending.
Audiobook.


Currently Reading

Can't. Stop. Reading. The series is wildly addictive. 



What Will I Read Next?

Yep, steadily working my way through these. January is the Month of Mercy. 

I started this a few days ago (before getting sucked back into Mercy's series), and it's so hilarious!




- The Bibliophile Babe

Friday, January 22, 2016

Cover Lust, No. 10

I wanted to jump. 
He made me fall.

As a celebrity, I lived in the public eye, but somewhere along the way, I’d lost myself in the spotlight.

Until he found me.

Sam Rivers was a gorgeous, tattooed stranger who saved my life with nothing more than a simple conversation.

But we were both standing on that bridge for a reason the night we met. The secrets of our pasts brought us together—and then tore us apart.

Could we find a reason to hold on as life constantly pulled us down?

Or maybe there’s only one direction to go when two people fall in love at rock bottom—up.


This is one of my favorite covers of 2015! I love the flipped bridge, the colors, and the mismatched font. The book was fantastic, too!





Thursday, January 21, 2016

{Book Review} Priest by Sierra Simone

This is a revised review from earlier this year; should be new to most of you!



From Goodreads:

There are many rules a priest can't break. 
A priest cannot marry. A priest cannot abandon his flock. A priest cannot forsake his God.

I've always been good at following rules. 
Until she came. 
My name is Tyler Anselm Bell. I'm twenty-nine years old. Six months ago, I broke my vow of celibacy on the altar of my own church, and God help me, I would do it again. 
I am a priest and this is my confession.





My review:


(If you couldn't tell by that scorching cover and summary, this is an erotic romance. Some of the direst smut I've read all year. You've been warned.)

Fucking. Filthy. Hot. Porn. With. Plot. That's the sum of this review. 


I stopped seeing a penitent. 
I stopped seeing a child of God. 
I stopped seeing a lost lamb in need of a shepherd.
I saw only a woman in need - ripe, delicious need.




Ah, Priest. As one of the most buzzed about erotic romance releases of this year, this book caught my attention right off the bat. The cover, early reviews, and synopsis brought up every sordid, deviant fantasy my bored, oversexed agnostic mind has ever came up with when I accompany my very Catholic family to Mass, though I've never encountered a priest like Father Bell. ;) 

This kind of kinky, forbidden smut is my weakness, and Priest was a very satisfying read. My expectations were surpassed in some aspects, and in other places the book fell a little flat. Let's jump right in. 




I wasn't just desperate to fuck her. I wasn't just happy to help her find her faith. I was well and truly on my way to being in love with her. 




Tyler Bell is  29 years old, and isn't at all who you'd picture for a priest. Before taking his vows, he led an intense sexual lifestyle. When tragedy strikes his family, he decides to become a priest in attempted atonement for his sins and those surrounding the event's circumstance.

I personally was not a fan of the way the "event" was played out in the book, or how it dictated Father Bell's choice of priesthood. I didn't see how the two connected, and the effect of his choice on his family made his decision make even less sense. I could see what the author was trying to do, but it didn't pan out as intended.

Other than that though, I enjoyed Father Bell's character. He was well developed, sexy as sin, and I thought his emotions revolving around breaking his vow of celibacy were realistic and heartfelt. He managed to be a non-preachy, shove-it-down-your-throat (well...his view on religion. Other things are fair game. ;)) priest, which I really appreciated. 



"You're a good priest, Father Bell. But you're also a good man, and doesn't a good man deserve a little indulgence every now and then?"



Poppy is the love interest, and I just...didn't like her. She was two dimensional, vapid, and I didn't connect with her. 
She was from a rich upper crust family with parents who pushed her to follow every rich women's footsteps, so she leaves it all behind to become a stripper. Okay.....
 photo 658a6713a3c1cf8da1e9e7a5ba5b4dde_zpspavciou2.gif

She feels the need to confess her sins, and what starts as a cathartic experience soon turns into a bit of an obsession with our good Father. 



The story fell a bit flat for me, as pretty much every character besides Father Bell isn't fleshed out at all. It gave the story a very introspective feel. That was to the book's benefit in some ways, and its downfall in others.
The ending was a bit overused and predictable, but was still a nice finish to the book.



Sacred and profane were blending and blurring together, fussing and welding themselves into something new and whole and singular, and if this was what love was, then I didn't know how anyone could bear the weight of it.



I was a bit surprised at just how much religion is in the story. I know that sounds odd, given the book is about a priest, but I wasn't expecting the level of detail and angst over the Catholic religion. Once I got used to it though, I appreciated and even enjoyed Father Bell's musings on the topic.

There's a lot of info given to help the reader better understand the workings of the Catholic church.
Having a very Catholic family myself, I could skim pass those parts, but I can definitely see the merit of it for a viewer unfamiliar with Catholicism. 


I couldn't lose her, and I couldn't keep her. 



The writing was engaging, thought provoking, and very, very sexy. It's more than just a pornfest, and I really appreciated that aspect: sex scene after sex scene after sex scene can get really repetitive and diminishes the quality of the sex in my opinion. It's fabulous to have an actual story with hot sex, rather than just a porno. It made the sex scenes all the better, as the anticipating leading up to each was the best kind of book-foreplay. 




The sex scenes....holy shit. The sex itself is 5 star. Sinfully sexy, descriptive, dirty, and panty-melting. The bits of kink and the forbidden aspects just sweetened the deal, and being in Bell's head was spectacular. The author has such a way with words, and wove the pictures in vivid detail. It really was some of the best smut I've read, and I'm looking forward to reading more from Sierra Simone.



Overall, I recommend Priest for anyone who likes their erotica forbidden and dirty. It has a few issues, but was a highly enjoyable and smokin' hot read.





Stats:

Rating: 3.5 stars as a story, 5 stars for smut
Genre: Adult, erotic romance
POV: 1st person, single perspective
Steam/sexual content: It's porn with a plot, and hotter than hell
Warnings: Rough sex, anal sex, light bondage, plus the whole sexy priest angle ;)
Series: Standalone
HEA: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
My own copy


- The Bibliophile Babe




Wednesday, January 20, 2016

W...W...W...Wednesday

W… W… W… Wednesday, hosted by Taking on a World of Worldsis a weekly meme showcasing what you just finished reading, what you are currently reading, and what you plan to start reading next.




What Did You Recently Finish?
This one was a big flop. After the epic filth that was Priest , this one was a bit...tame? Maybe I'm just a dirty tramp, because there's definitely a fair bit of kink to it, but nothing like with Priest.

We are told that God will punish the wicked. That sinful men will reap what they sow. We are told to scourge our souls with prayer and pain to become clean once again.

Well, here I am. Wicked and sinful. Desperate to become clean…even though it feels so good to be dirty.

But even I never expected what came next.

Even I never expected my punishment to come so soon.

***Midnight Mass is a novella and a sequel to Priest. It’s intended for mature audiences only.***
 


What Are You Currently Reading?
65% in, and holy crap I love this one.  The series is pure crack, I tell you. Mercy is definitely up there with Cat and Kate for my favorite PNR/UF heroine. And Adam....*shivers*

Being a mechanic is hard work. Mercy Thompson, for instance, just spent the last couple of months trying to evade the murderous queen of the local vampire seethe. And now the leader of the werewolf pack, who's maybe-more-than-just-a-friend, has asked for her help. A book of fae secrets has come to light and they're all about to find out how implacable - and dangerous - the fae can be.

OK, so maybe her troubles have nothing to do with the job. But she sure could use a holiday...
 


What Will You Read Next?
I can't wait to start this and have all my theories tested.
New York Times bestselling authors Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher are back with the much-anticipated final installment in the Never Never novella series. 
Together, Silas Nash and Charlize Wynwood must look deeper into the past to find out who they were and who they want to be. With time ticking down, the couple are in a race to find the answers they need before they lose everything. Can they regain what they once had? And will it restore who they once were?


- The Bibliophile Babe