Spotlight on the Wildflowers of Montana. Ms. Vale will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN card and a $25 Amazon/BN gift card at the end of her tour. Make sure you enter the Rafflecopter drawing below.

Rose by Vanessa Vale

Publisher & Release Date: Self-published, August 6, 2015

Time and setting: Late 19^th Century, Montana

Genre: Historical Romance/Western

Length:  152 pages

Heat Level: 4 Flames

Rating: 4 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Rose Lenox has grown up to be more comfortable on the back of a horse than wearing ribbons and bows like her seven adopted sisters. For years working the land was enough, but lately, Rose finds herself wishing for something different. She wants her own ranch and freedom from her overwhelming and unorthodox family. Rose is determined to strike out on her own and forge her own path.

Lenox neighbor, Chance Goodman, has watched Rose grow from a spitfire of a girl to a beautiful and fiery woman. For years, he's waited patiently and watched her struggle to find her place in the world. When she leaves the Lenox ranch alone, determined to abandon her former life and to say good-bye to him, he knows the time has come to claim her. Letting her walk away isn't an option. Chance knows exactly what she needs...and he's going to give it to her.

Follow the eight Lenox sisters through this historical erotic series that's as big and bold as the Montana Sky. The Wildflowers of Montana begins with Rose and her hot, Alpha cowboy.

Buy Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Rose-Wildflowers-Montana-Book-1-ebook/dp/B013KWCLGA/

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26059670-rose

Vikki’s Musings

One of my favorite sub-genres in romance is western historicals, so when I received an offer to read the first book in the Wildflowers of Montana series, Rose, in exchange for an honest review, I eagerly accepted. The book is a delightful read, and I liked Rose and Chance a great deal.

When Rose strikes out on her own, Chance follows her to town, determined to rein her in. When he rescues her from a drunken cowboy who has mistaken her for a lady of the night, he realizes it’s time to take her as his bride if he’s going to be able to keep the little spitfire out of trouble. But, can he possibly tame her before she ends up getting hurt?

Rose’s character is not your average young woman in pioneer times. She likes to ride her horse, wear pants and roam free. She is a delightful character, and I found myself laughing often at her antics.  At times, she’s her own worst enemy because her fearlessness lands her in trouble. Thank goodness Chance followed her and saved her before anything truly bad could happen to her.

Chance’s character is a take charge kind of man, and he knows what he wants and it’s Rose. He is determined to keep her safe no matter what, and he does. I loved how protective he is of her. He’s a strong, determined man, and oh, yeah, he’s sexy and not afraid to teach Rose a lesson for her hoyden ways!

Rose is definitely not your typical western historical romance. While this tale is pure erotica, this book has a lot more plot than you normally find in erotica and the pacing is very good. The reason I read is to be entertained, and I found this book very entertaining from the first page to the last.

If enjoy a rousing good sexual romp, with a good bit of action mixed in, then you will love Rose.  I have the next book in this series, and I look forward to reading it as well. I’m sure I will find Hyacinth as enjoyable as I did Rose. Happy reading!

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Book Review: First Touch by Laurelin Paige

First Touch by Laurelin Paige

Publisher & Release Date: St. Martin’s Griffin, December 29, 2015

Time and setting: Present Day, U.S.A.

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Erotic/BDSM

Length:  384 pages

Heat Level: 4 Flames

Rating: 4 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Emily Wayborn is finally her own woman.

After a string of shameful relationships and reckless partying with her best friend Amber, she's now a successful voiceover actress, her wild past and everyone in it firmly behind her. Until she receives a cryptic voicemail from her former friend that sends her spiraling into the darkness she thought she had outrun. One thing is clear from the message, Amber is in trouble.

Determined to track down her friend, Emily follows a chain of clues that leads her to Reeve Sallis, a gorgeous and equally dangerous hotelier known

for his power games and shady dealings. Now, in order to find Amber, Emily must return to her playgirl ways to uncover his secrets and track down her friend. But as she becomes more entangled with him, she finds she's drawn to Reeve and his depravity despite her growing conviction that he may be the one responsible for Amber' s disappearance.

Buy Link:

http://www.amazon.com/First-Touch-Novel-Last-ebook/dp/B00UFS7C1M/

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25223801-first-touch

Vikki’s Musings

Recently I stumbled upon Laurelin Paige’s Fixed trilogy and thoroughly enjoyed all three books. I found them spell-binding. If you haven’t read them, please do. When I received an offer to read First Touch in exchange for an honest review, I gladly accepted.

This is definitely a novel that is not for anyone who is faint of heart. The story is very dark and quite twisted. The pace is exceptional and so is the writing, and I had a hard time putting it down when life events interfered with my reading!

Emily Wayborn is on a mission to find her best friend. After years of estrangement, she gets a message from Amber that sets her on her quest. Since she has seen pictures of Amber with the notorious Reeve Sallis, she put herself in his way, hoping to solve the mystery of her friend’s disappearance.  

Reeve Sallis is not a nice man. He is depraved and ruthless when it comes to his dealings with women. Emily is drawn to him as she becomes entwined in his dark world. Will she fall back into her old ways as she tries to learn Reeve’s deepest secrets?

While I found this book compelling, I can’t say I actually liked Emily or Reeve. At times, his behavior is abusive toward Emily, and even if she likes his very rough play, for me it goes a bit too far. I have read BDSM books before, but this is not patterned off that life style. There is no tender care after an encounter, no helping Emily to come back from her subspace. These terms are not used in this book.

Emily’s character has few redeeming characteristics and while I felt deep emotion for the ordeal she had suffered that tore her and Amber apart, I was repulsed by it at the same time.  I can’t imagine wanting to reconnect with a woman who virtually turned her back on her at what was the worst moment of her life. There is no doubt of her loyalty, though, perhaps, to her detriment.

Reeve is not a hero, and I had a difficult time finding any redeeming qualities in him as well, and there was nothing in his back story that can explain his why he is so cruel to women. Now, I did feel his raw emotion when Emily tells him what happened to her six years ago, and that did redeem him a bit.

Nonetheless, even though I did not truly like either the hero of the heroine, I did enjoy First Touch. However, be prepared and aware of the extreme darkness of the book. I will definitely read the next one when it comes out. First Touch does end on a cliff hanger, and I have to know how this will play out for them. Happy reading!

His Gift by Aubrey Dark

Publisher & Release Date: Self-published, June 29, 2015

Time and setting: Present Day, NYC

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Erotic/BDSM

Length:  286 pages

Heat Level: 3 Flames

Rating: 4.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description:

It wasn’t supposed to be me.

I was just delivering a cake for a friend - I sure as hell wasn’t a birthday gift to a billionaire. But now that I was here, I didn’t dare leave.

Even if I wanted to, he wouldn’t let me.

Lacey Miller is two days away from being kicked out of her apartment when her best friend offers her a job for some quick cash. Easy as cake, right? Wrong.

Billionaire playboy Jake Carville has been looking for years for the perfect submissive. On his birthday, he's looking forward to a special gift: a girl who can satisfy his every dark craving.

But when Lacey walks through the wrong door and into Jake’s arms, she’s everything he’d hoped for... and nothing he ever expected.

How can he lose himself, heart and soul, to a girl he was never supposed to meet?

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B010OEMH2A

Audible: http://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/His-Gift-Audiobook/B018SS3EUS

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24682887-his-gift

Vikki’s Musings

I found this book through the Kindle Unlimited program and borrowed it. I also downloaded the audio version for $1.99. I have not read a book by Aubrey Dark before, but the book description sounded great, and I love to find new authors, so I took a chance. I thorough enjoyed His Gift and plan to read the next book in this series.

When Lacey Miller agrees to deliver a birthday cake for her BFF, the last thing she expects is to be mistaken for Jake Carville’s gift. On her way to the what she believes is the kitchen, she stumbles upon a fantastic art galley with painting by one of her favorite artists.

Not used to high heels, Lacey trips and the $2000 birthday cake ends up on the most gorgeous man she has ever seen. Can a case of mistaken identity lead to a forever kind of love?

His Gift is very fast paced. The story line is compelling and the BDSM elements are extremely well-written. In fact, the entire book is well-written. It is written in the 1^st person POV of Lacey, the heroine. While I am normally not a huge fan of 1^st person, Ms. Dark is able to engage me, even though I didn’t get the hero’s point of view.

Lacey is a spunky kid heroine. She is street smart, feisty, determined, and yet naïve at the same time. Jake doesn’t know what hit him when he accidentally thinks she is his birthday gift. Surprisingly, Lacey turns out to be the perfect submissive for him.

Jake Carville is a tortured soul, my favorite kind of hero. Again, even though, I do not have a chance to read/hear his introspection, Ms. Dark clearly shows his pain and anguish over the tragic loss of his family.

Personally, I can’t begin to understand why a person would enjoy pain and find it a turn on, but I am fascinated by BDSM elements, as long as they don’t go too far. There were a few scenes that did make me twitch, but again, still riveting.

I listened to the audio version performed by Stephanie Rose, and I really enjoyed her narrative. She reads with a wealth of emotion and did a fantastic job with Jake’s voice, which is rare with many female narrators. I will definitely look for other books narrated by Ms. Rose.

If you find romances with BDSM elements as intriguing as I do, then you will love His Gift. This book also has a great romance. I can’t wait to read the next installment in this fabulous series. Unlike many contemporary series, that are continuing, this book does have a happy for now ending, which I loved. Happy reading!

Book Review: Rebel Bride by Elizabeth Moss

Rebel Bride by Elizabeth Moss

Publisher & Release Date: Sourcebooks Casablanca, December 1, 2015

Time and setting: 1536, England

Genre: Historical Romance/Erotic

Length:  304 pages

Heat Level: 3 Flames

Rating: 3.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description:

HE IS UNDER HER SPELL...

Hugh Beaufort, favored courtier of King Henry VIII, likes his women quiet and biddable. But Susannah Tyrell is neither of these things. She is feisty, beautiful, opinionated and brave. And Hugh is fascinated by her-despite himself.

When Susannah pulls an outrageous stunt and finds herself lost in the wilds of England, Hugh must go to her rescue. Neither of them is prepared for the dangers that lie in wait. But most deadly of all is their forbidden desire for one another. Hugh has long held himself in check, but even his iron will has its limits as they remain alone together in the forest, far from the restraints of court...

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://smile.amazon.com/Rebel-Bride-Lust-Tudor-Court-ebook/dp/B011SPAIV6/

Audible: http://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/Rebel-Bride-Audiobook/B0187WY7LA/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1451403534&sr=1-1

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26257597-rebel-bride

Vikki’s Musings

I read Wolf Bride about six months ago and totally fell in love with that book. When I saw Rebel Bride was available on Net-Galley, I immediately requested it in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this one as much as I did Wolf Bride. While the story is as well-written as Wolf Bride, I did not like Susannah very much. One of the things I liked most about the first book was the intrigue within the Tudor court. That was another thing missing in Rebel Bride.

When Susannah finds out her father is determined to marry her off to his elderly friend, she runs away and becomes lost in the woods. When two men discover her and take her to their overlord, he is determined to take her virtue, which puts her in a very dangerous situation.

Hugh Beaufort, a courier for Henry VIII, is sent by Lord Wolf to find his wife’s unruly sister. He had recently met Susannah under less than desirable circumstances. But, nonetheless, he would do his duty.

When he finds Susannah, he doe not know whether to spank her for her willfulness or love her for her feistiness.

The pacing is steady and the vivid descriptions of the scenery and the court are well done. The story line is interesting and the sexual scenes are definitely erotic. If I had liked Susannah’s character, I would have enjoyed this story more.

Susannah’s character is willful, immature and cannot make up her mind. One minute she wants Hugh and then the next she does not. I find it difficult to believe that a genteel young woman would make the choices Susannah makes. She is her own worst enemy. I became quite irritated with her throughout most of the book.

Hugh’s character also had some issues. While I did like him, I had a difficult time with the way he took her during their first sexual encounter. The scene seemed forced by the BDSM element, and while I do realize this is supposed to be erotic, for me I like a bit more emotion written into the sexual scenes. I will say, Hugh had the patience of a saint with Susannah, not sure why he fell in love with this extremely immature young lady.

Nonetheless, I did enjoy the historical detail, just would have enjoyed a bit more of it. This is an okay read, just not riveting like Wolf Bride was. That book may have set the bar very high. I am glad I took a chance on this one because I got to see more of Wolf and Eloise. Happy reading!