REVIEW: Hidden Away by Maya Banks

Hidden Away (KGI #3) by Maya Banks and Buy at Amazon!

4 Floozies

GoodReads.com Blurb: Most people would take an all-expense=paid trip to the beach in a heartbeat. Garrett Kelly only accepts to keep tabs on Sarah Daniels, who's in hiding after witnessing a murder committed by her half brother-a personal enemy of KGI. But Garrett hadn't planned on falling for Sarah. When he glimpses her dark past, he feels an urgent desire to keep her safe-even as she disappears, running for her life.


I was so jazzed for this book.  Garrett is my favorite brother and he is so scrum-dilli-umpcious!  I enjoyed the plot twists, like how the heroine is Garrett's enemy's sister, and how not only does Garrett have to worry about her brother but a monster who wants her dead.  What turmoil!  And Sarah . . . Again, Maya Banks paints her characters in such vivid detail I had a hard time not rooting for them!  Garrett, goes on his undercover, nab the bad guy, mission only to find sweet, smart, strong Sarah.  I enjoyed the non-sexual interactions between Garrett and Sarah so much, another Bank's gift.  Sarah falls for this retired, injured, Marine and in an attempt to save him, cut's bait and takes off.  All the while Garrett is distressed because he's falling for too and he's supposed to be keeping an eye on her and she got the drop on him.  And WOW, what a turn of events when he starts respecting Marcus' actions after Sarah's ordeal.
dun dun dun . . .


Lots to love about this book!  But it fell a Floozy short for me because of a couple, not super important but worthy, reasons.  1) There seemed to be a lot of tangents.  Like, that Garrett's story was not strong enough on it's own so let's throw in a ransom kidnapping and a scary intruder.  All the tangents are interweaved beautifully, thank you Ms. Banks, but it just seemed too much.  2)  No heavy petting!!  I get that Sarah had to get herself straight before she could venture into bonking, but at least some heaving petting to get us fiends by till the fireworks!  Anyway, when the fireworks did fly it was the Grand Finale part of the show :D
Are pickin' up what I'm puttin' down?


I liked that Rusty and the brothers had their moment and I loved how Sean stepped up for her, and I still think they are going have their HEA later :D  I CAN NOT wait for her book.  I really wanna read Rio's book too, what a latin lover, yummy!! But the MOST suckiest thing is next book won't be out until later this year! And Donovan!  What a hunky, geeky, teddy bear!!


So, overall, I loved the book but it was not as cohesive as The Darkest Hour and No Place to Run.  I did not feel the connection with Garrett and Sarah, as a couple, as I did the other brothers.  Garrett is still my favorite brother, but my son's name is Joe and Joe Kelly is hurt and I wanna kiss his hurt parts, it's the mother in me ;D   Again, Rusty is awesome and I am patiently waiting for her HEA(to Sean)!!  The one thing this book did accomplish is it's making me salivate for the next installment.  There were some many "OMG! I can't wait to read about that!" moments.  A whole year?!?  Really, Maya?

REVIEW: Corralled by Lorelei James

Corralled (BT #1) by Lorelei James and Buy at Amazon!

3 Floozies

GoodReads.com Blurb: First in a new series about some hard-riding rodeo cowboys...and the women who can rein them in.

Sports therapist Lainie Capshaw has been rehabilitating injured cowboys long enough to know that a charming western drawl combined with a fine physical form doesn't mean you fall for the man.

So no one is more surprised than Lainie when she finds herself involved with not one, but two different men: Hank Lawson, a bullfighter, and Kyle Gilchrist, a bull rider. Lainie feels guilty about her two-timing, but it doesn't keep her from doubling her fun-that is until Hank catches her with Kyle.

She's shocked that Hank isn't mad. But she's more shocked to learn Hank and Kyle are hometown buddies. But when the men offer to share her-in every way-she knows that she's going to have to choose the one man who can give her the ride of her life...



Man, what a disappointment!  I love me some Lorelei James and her Sexy Wyoming Up-for-Anything Cowboys AND their ropes but this one just fell short!

I read this book because I want to read Saddled and Spurred.  I know, I can just read Saddled and Spurred but I have a OCD problem where I HAVE to read to the books in order.  I read the Black Dagger Brotherhood books out of order and was confused as all get up.  I read the Rough Riders series out of order and was beyond confused as to who was married to whom and yada yada yada.  So, I read them in order now.

And this book did NOT live up to the expectation I have for Ms. James erotic novels.  Oh, don't get me wrong, there was a lot, A LOT, of eroticism, but, (are you sitting down?) too much!  The book failed to give a decent background story of the guys in proper timing.  You learn a lot about Laine but not enough about Kyle and Hank.  I just don't get the "Hey, we're hot cowboys and wanna take you on a 3 week sex session, wanna cum?  I-I mean come?"  There was little plot and when you throw in so much sex, no matter how hot, I feel like I'm describing hustler magazine to blind person.

I liked Laine.  I liked the dichotomy between her past and her profession and the growing she does during the book.  The incident at the EBR tent towards the end of the book and the subsequent events that take place really brought the book up a few Floozies.  I was prepared to give this book 1 Floozy *shakes head in shame* but, when Hank gives the boss man a What For after all that went down then follows Laine and his heart to Cheyenne I fell in love with them.  I love a good menage but when there isn't a decent background and/or plot it gets old and I just want the bonding between the hero and heroine to start.  It was a shock for me to get all the way through 80% of the book before I was invested. Definitely not the norm for a Lorelei James book!

I LOVED Kyle, and wanna read more about my Norse God Cowboy, maybe that could be the title of his book.  Will it be with Celia?  One can only hope, she is such a spitfire, I love her!  And regardless of my feelings of this book, I will read Saddled and Spurred.  I can already tell by the great excerpts floating around that it has a stronger plot and more in depth characters!

Tasty Tuesday #1 - Do you need a loofa?

My weekly eye candy outlet!


Wow!  I'm not even into hair but who could resist!!

Thanks for sharing Lorelei James!

REVIEW: No Place to Run by Maya Banks

No Place To Run by Maya Banks and Buy at Amazon!

5 Floozies

GoodReads.com Blurb: The last person Sam Kelly expected to save was Sophie Lundgren. Once they shared a brief, intense affair while Sam was undercover and then she vanished. She's spent the last few months on the run, knowing that any mistake would cost her both her life and that of their unborn child. Now she's resurfaced with a warning for Sam: this time, he's the one in danger.

Ohh . . . smokin' older brothers gonna be a daddy!!  You didn't think of that when you failed to use a rain coat, Sam Kelly?  After reading The Darkest Hour that last person I thought would be a brand new poppa was Sam.  He is definitely the more aloof brother.  Not that he lost his aloofness, it was just knocked down a few pegs.  He is rightfully suspicious of Sophie after she explains her lineage, but one thing he does not dwell too much on is the truthfulness of her child's paternity and I am happy for that.  It would have hurt my heart to see Sophie have to convince him after all she went through just to protect herself and her baby.

And what a trooper is she?  I am heart broken about what happened to her mom, and how things evolved after her escape from her father.  She is strong and courageous, sometimes to a detriment.  But she prevails and her baby is nestled safely in her womb.  I was rooting for Sam and Sophie from the first pages of the book.  And boy, were they steamy.  Sexy from the start . . . my kinda book.  Oh, big brother knows how to heat up the sheets.  He is hot like fire!!

The suspenseful parts were in perfect harmony to the lovey-dovey parts.  The conflict of Sophie in the boat, then subsequently over board, was so intense I stayed up late just to make sure she was safe.  And when Sam realizes it's Sophie on his dock, talk about a rising action!  Ms. Banks is great at making you need to read Just One More chapter.  Like ending the chapter with Sophie hanging on to the log for dear life in the middle of the night!  Yeah, just one more chapter!!   And Rusty's growth was so touching.  I cried through that whole conflict.  I'm not even gonna give you guys a little hit, you have to read it!!  Rusty is my girl and I am happy she is on the road to her happily ever after!

I always look forward to Maya Bank's talent of creating such a wonderful connection between the hero and heroine.  She has a special ability of making their time together, whether knockin' boots and just getting to know each other, so intimate.  You almost feel like you are prying in on a private moment.  If there is one way I love to get lost in a book, it's to feel like I am apart of these people's lives while I am reading.  I want to be at their table for dinner and laugh with them at their jokes.  I read because I love getting involved in a story, and hunky operatives are a major bonus!  Maya Banks has delivered every time and No Place to Run is another winner.  Hidden Away comes out tomorrow and I can't wait!!

I will, I promise!!

I WILL finish No Place to Run and Correalled by Tuesday.  And then I'll read both sequels by next Friday for sure!!  Love for my TOTL(To Go To Ladies)! James and Banks . . . have I mentionedI love you lately?  And you NEED to come to BOISE!!

REVIEW: The Darkest Hour by Maya Banks

The Darkest Hour (KGI#1) by Maya Banks and Buy it on Amazon!
5 Floozies

GoodRead Blurb: Intelligence: high. Body: hard. Mission: what no one else can do.

It's been a year since ex-Navy SEAL Ethan Kelly saw his wife Rachel alive. Now he's received an anonymous phone call claiming Rachel is alive. To find her, Ethan will have to doge bullets, cross a jungle, and risk falling captive to a deadly drug cartel that threatens his own demise.


This was a GREAT book!  One of the best suspense/romance novels I have read in while.  I stated in a previous blog that I was  surprised by the length of time it took to get down to business.  AND I WAS!!  Maya Banks usually delivers, and delivers hard, fast, strong, etc . . .  Well, The Darkest Hour was not like books I've read from her before but it suited.  It had the best build up v. nookie ratio I've read in a long while.  I grab Maya Banks for erotica but this was definitely romance/suspense.
I hold a special place in my heart for Ethan and Rachel.  I cried on Ethan's shoulder when he was hurting.  I just go gaga over a man that cries!!  But he was a douche bag and screwed up a great relationship.  He regretted his mistake and hoped to make it up to Rachel when she returned from her trip.  He did not get the chance because she died in a plane accident, or so he thought, for a year!!  My mom always told me to say your "Goodbye's" and "I Love You's" because you never know if you will see that person again.  And Ethan is literary proof.  Rachel ends not being killed, but held captive in the jungle where she was doing her missionary work.  They get her back and the work to rebuild her sanity and their relationship is an uphill battle.
I liked Rachel and her struggle and determination to remember life before she was held captive and to gain her strength back.  As always with Maya Banks, the characters are well-defined, relatable, and the men are hunky beef cakes.  I always love a good family series, and I can not wait for the other brothers books!  And who would not love Marlene and Frank Kelly.  What a great matriarch!  Strong and soft, exactly what a mother of 5 boys would have to be.  And Garrett . . . *sigh*  Such a softy!  He cares for Rachel and would protect her over his brother any day, gotta love having that in your corner.
I gonna make a prediction . . . Rusty and Sean are gonna hook up later on down the road!  He's only 10 years older than her and is already starting that bristling attitude thing that guys do when they shouldn't find someone attractive but do!!  Give it 7 KGI years, Rusty will be 23 and Sean will be 33.  Can't you just image all the delectable interactions to come!  Maybe throw in a marriage for Sean and then a divorce giving him a woe is me, I'm never marrying again attitude.  Then walks in pierced and dyed Rusty to complement his straight laced sheriff demeanor . . . maybe I should start writing books :D
Don't be swayed by me Ms. Banks, you keep doing your thing, cause it's working!!

REVIEW: Play Fling by Amber Scott

Play Fling by Amber Scott and Buy it on Amazon!

3 Floozies

GoodReads Blurb: Playing cupid isn't a reward; it's Millie's punishment. If she doesn't find repressed, divorcee, Brooke, true love in the next thirty days, Millie'll lose the one thing in this life sentence worth fighting for, her partner. Just two problems: First, Millie sucks at matchmaking. Second, too young, too hot, Elliott keeps getting in Millie's way.

(This book was recommend by Best Seller for a Day.  It was part of a Valentines Day special along with two other books.)

This plot is so sweet.  I was happy to see Brooke set her sight on a younger man.  It gives me hope in case my husband trades me in for a newer model.  And Elliott is head over for her too.  When Amber Scott was on, she was ON!!  It was sporadic, though.  Sometimes it was like pulling teeth to get to the next page and then I'd be so engaged I lost track of time.  I loved the character descriptions.  You got a sense of who and what they were.  Loved the interaction between Brooke and Elliot.  When they got together I could actually see sparks fly on my Kindle.  The comedy was genius, new spin on old stuff, I throughly enjoyed it.  I really like Elliot.  I wanted to be his friend.  He's a good guy with a good heart, and he truly overlooks Brooke main insecurity, her age.  I can hear Aaliyah sing now, 'Age ain't nothin' but a number.'  True True!

I did NOT enjoy Millie.  I wanted her to take a long walk off a short pier.  She drove me crazy with the I-know-better-than-you shtick.  I tend to lean more towards free will, as opposed to the fate, so I was not surprised by my reaction.  Millie took her job way to seriously.  I hope she puts her big girl panties on an makes a play for AJ, cause she seriously needs to get laid.

Overall, the book was unnecessarily long with too many tangents, but it all came together well at the end.  The characters were great, the interactions wer awesome, and the comedy was fabulous!  For the cost it was a good read.  I will read more from Amber Scott, I hear her paranormal is really good. I got Love Lust from the Best Seller for a Day special and it's high on my TBR list!