Tamed (Club Sin #5) by Stacey Kennedy

 Porter Marshall has nearly achieved his goal of becoming a Club Sin Master, but his new sub poses a much bigger challenge than he anticipated. Despite their mutual attraction and red-hot dungeon sessions, Kenzie Hart plays her own games. Her bratty, you-can’t-break-me attitude masks terrible personal hurt—pain that only the exquisite touch of a skilled Dom can release. But when Porter suggests taking their connection to the outside world, Kenzie denies him . . . which only makes him want her more.

Kenzie can’t ignore the raw, fierce bond she has with Porter. But she can’t give in to his dangerous demands, either. Is the passion they share real, or is he using her to solidify his status at Club Sin? And yet, who else can she trust with the shattering secrets she holds within? As Porter expertly brings her to the point of no return, Kenzie surrenders her body—and, piece by piece, her heart.

Tamed is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.

I have been looking forward to Kenzie and Porter’s story for a long time! As a HUGE Club Sin Series fan (and an even bigger Stacey Kennedy fan), this story did NOT disappoint me!

Kenzie is Club Sin’s resident submissive. She loves to push the limits with the Masters and is not afraid of their punishment. She is bratty and does not want to get close to anyone. Including any Master. Porter wants to be a Master at Club Sin and has some difficult work to do in order to pass the others’ test – tame Kenzie and get her to truly sub to him.

Like any other book in this series, the “scenes” are scorching HOT!! But, what sets this story apart is that Kenzie is so hurt and damaged, yet she won’t let anyone close enough to comfort her. She uses her attitude as a shield to push everyone away. But, Porter pushes past and she begins to submit to him.

While this story can be read as a stand-alone, I HIGHLY recommend you start at the beginning of the series. Each couple/character is featured in more than one book, creating an amazing world in Club Sin. They are all well worth the time to read!

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The Moon Tells Secrets by Savanna Welles

 "Don't trust nobody. Not family. Not friend. Don't let it get him like it got my son, not until he is ready to meet it. And remember that blood must pay for blood. A debt must be paid. Your boy can never forget. That is his destiny."

Raine is at her wits' end. Her eleven-year-old son, Davey, whom she has raised by herself, has the power to shapeshift into any animal—a "gift" from his dead father. As Raine struggles to control his abilities that are so clearly out of her realm, a darker threat moves closer—a skinwalker bent on killing Raine and Davey. But even if the skinwalker doesn't succeed, someone closer to Raine will become just as vicious…

Cade, still grieving the brutal murder of his wife, finds solace in Raine's companionship. But as the savage details of her death mirror the powers Davey is soon to have, Raine will have to fight to protect her son…

I’m not sure how to word this review.  I tried to like this book, but it just didn’t work for me. The switching POV from 1^st to 3^rd is one of my pet peeves.  So, that made it hard for me to want to read this book.

The good points about this book are the character development - seeing Davey’s transformation as he gains power and knowledge was great.  I love the tie in between the paranormal world and the Navajo History. That sets this apart from other paranormal/Urban Fantasy books.  I felt sadness for Cade and Raine’s losses. I was scared and concerned for Davey and his future. I was never on the edge of my seat, though, and couldn’t stay focused on the story until the end.

If you’re looking for a unique story with Native American History in an Urban Fantasy world, give it a try. 

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Over the Hill and Through the Woods by Leah Grant

 A Witch advertising her heat cycle by scenting out can only lead to trouble, especially for Lothar Kaltenbrun. This time it isn’t the Witch burning—it’s him!

Lothar Kaltenbrun is trying to keep life on an even keel for himself and his younger brother, Telfor. After the murder of their parents, they are the only two pure bloods left of their Clan. A new scent is in the air—a Witch is advertising her heat cycle. Only very powerful Witches do this and it can only lead to trouble. Lothar knows that scent is an open invitation and may bring uninvited guests onto Kaltenbrun territory.

Lothar finds himself unable to resist the sexual pull of Jesse the Witch. When he ends up at her cabin, she asks him to drink her blue potion, ending the torment of her heat cycle, but he shifts and runs into the woods. Everyone knows never to trust a Witch.
But as Jesse’s magic captures his heart, he worries whether it’s a spell or true love…

After the death of their parents, Lothar and Telfor must protect the pureness of their familial line. But, it’s hard to ignore the strong heat/sex scent a witch is broadcasting. Lothar goes to investigate and the Witch named Jesse invites him in to help her take the “edge off”.

Unfortunately, the first sex scene leaves a lot to be desired. More technical than sensual or sexy, it’s not the kind of thing that makes me want to continue reading.  During their romp, Lothar has to remove a stick in his ass! (Why? Was that part really necessary?). The sex was a failure and so he goes home and leave the Jesse still needing to be satisfied.

The sex scenes do get better and the rest of the story gets good. It’s a quick read with suspense, clan history, and brotherly love woven throughout. I hope this isn’t the only one and the author makes it into a series. I really want to know what happens with Jesse and Lothar

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The Hunt For Snow (Fairytale League #1) by S.E. Babin

 Every ten years a convention is held in a neutral location where people from all the realms come together and reunite. This is no ordinary conference, though, because everyone who shows up holds a place of honor in the legends of old. But there’s one person who doesn’t care that Earth is neutral territory. The Evil Queen, Naomi, is out to settle a score, and she’s brought along one of her most talented henchman to teach the one who got away a harsh lesson.

Snow’s past is shrouded in mystery. Mild cryptozoologist by day, private investigator by night, Snow is dead set on one thing — staying far away from the Huntsman who haunts her dreams. When she shows up to the conference with her two best friends in tow, things start going awry right away. Mere minutes after arriving, they find themselves thrust back into the world they’ve tried so hard to avoid. Now, along with the help of her friends, Snow is struggling to stay one step ahead of the queen who wants to destroy her — and the Huntsman who wants to possess her at all costs.

The hunt for Snow is on. But who will find her first?

Set in the modern world, The Hunt for Snow is a twist on the fairy tale we all know and love. After the Huntsman was sent by her stepmother, Naomi, to kill her, Snow flees to Earth to escape. With nothing but the silk dress on her body (and a bag of jewelry from her father), Snow creates a new life for herself.

I really like how the author turned an old fairy tale into a new one. Snow is now a PI at night, living with her best friends Belle (yes, that Belle) and Cyndi (aka Cinderella). She is not a wall flower or wishy washy character, but a kick ass heroine who knows how to defend herself. I love that about her!  She receives a personal invitation to the Magical Convention and her roommates make her go. Once there, she finds out that she has 72 hours to return to the Castle that was once her home or lose her inheritance. Of course, she has to avoid the Queen (Naomi) and the Huntsman who want to kill her.

What I loved about this story – Snow’s attitude, the appearances by other fairy tale characters, the action and suspense in the story, and the writing. What I did not like was the ending cliffhanger!!!

This is an amazing and fun story that is well worth the time to read! 

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Losing Ground by Sasha L. Miller

 Carter Bellwood's family has Earth-claimed the Bellwood territory for generations and they've always had an excess of Earth energy to back it up. Until Carter, whose energy is barely a fraction of that his mother has. But he's the only Earth wizard in his generation and set to inherit the territory—if there's anything left of it. The territory is being ravaged by a disease that kills all plant life it comes into contact with. They can't cure it, can barely contain it, can only watch as their territory turns into a barren landscape.

Then a new Earth wizard shows up. Tai is everything Carter is not when it comes to the strength of his magic, and more importantly he knows how to cure the disease. But he's also terrified and clearly on the run from something, and Carter's not sure Tai's help is worth the risk of him trying to stake his own claim on the territory—or the risk that whatever he's running from finds him...

Carter and his mother Rebekah are Earth Wizards trying to protect the territory they live in. A disease is spreading throughout the area, killing all the plants and trees. The Wizards feel a power surge and Carter goes to investigate.  He discovers the mysterious Tai, another Earth Wizard, who is even more powerful than mother and son.

This story was a bit slow moving for me. The writing was great, but the story dragged in areas. I did enjoy the growing friendship between Carter and Tai. With that said, the epilogue was a shocker because the rest of the story was not as graphic. It could have worked without the one-time sex scene.

While the Wizard World was creative, it was chaotic and confusing in parts. The suspense party of the story worked well, even though it dragged. All in all, this was an ok story that left me not wanting more. 

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Riding Steele (Ready to Ride #3) by Opal Carew

 Being kidnapped by bikers is a harrowing experience, but for some reason, Laurie doesn’t feel as terrified as she should.  The leader’s steely eyes soften when he looks at her, and the others in his gang clearly know she’s hands off.  But does that include Steele's hands?  Her brain resists him, but her body insists she wants those big hands all over her.

Steele doesn’t know how he wound up in this mess—with a kidnapped woman on his hands and the police hot on their trail.  Now he and Laurie are in hiding at an isolated cabin, and Steele has to figure out how to extricate himself...and steer clear of his accidental captive whose tight, slinky clubbing attire is making him think all kinds of dangerous thoughts…

Laura has been kidnapped by bikers.  Big, mean, smelly bikers. Kidnapping tends to change your life a bit, but not how Laura thought it would.  Not when she meets the sexy leady Steele.  Will the captor fall for the captive?

This is a short story that is part of a six-part series.  It is pure and absolute fantasy because I can’t imagine this scenario working out in real life on any level at all.  But, for what it is I found it to be intriguing.  It’s a sexy book with a lot of very sexy scenes that really pushes the vanilla envelop.  I don’t think this book is for the faint of heart because this a pretty hard core story that has some, um, wild sex acts involved in it.  But it’s also a story of a woman’s self-discovery, which is an interesting layer to the story.

I’ll just put it out there that I am not a fan of serials.  This has nothing to do with the quality of the story, but I feel like it’s just a marketing ploy.  I don’t understand why it can’t just be one book or even two.  That always annoys me. 

I had some issues with the pace of the story, but with such a limited amount of space to work with I suppose it’s unavoidable.  The MC in this book didn’t really seem very realistic to me either.  Of course, my expertise is limited to other MC books I read, but the lines in this club were very blurred between who was supposed to be in charge and the other members.  Not very gang like.

Overall, I did like this book but I had some issues with it.  I have to give it 3 stars.

Wow! This was a HOT and fun read!! Steele and his MC gang are recruited to kidnap a friend’s sister to protect her from her sketchy boyfriend. Donovan, the boyfriend, is controlling, manipulative, and abusive to Laurie and shows his true colors when confronted by Wild Card (one of the gang). Steele just wanted to keep an eye on the girl, but Wild Card has no choice but to save her from further abuse and takes her to a deserted cabin the guys are all staying at.  She tries to escape multiple times to no avail.

Steele comes home from celebrating his birthday and thinks the girl in his bed is his present. But, no, it’s Laurie and she is handcuffed and scared to be alone in the room with the big, sexy biker. The sexual tension between the two is off the charts!! Steele tries to prove that he is not going to hurt Laurie, but she doesn’t believe him.  On one of her escape attempts, she goes to the swimming hole where Raven, Rip’s girlfriend (but everyone is allowed to play with her) and thinks Raven is being attacked by 2 men. She runs to Steele for help and the scene turns SPICY! LOVE that particular scene the most in this book!

Steele has to keep Laurie safe until her brother gets back to town. While, this may seem like a typical good girl/bad boy love story, their chemistry is off the charts and they eventually have some fun while waiting.

This is a fantastic read! I recommend it to anyone that loves a quick, spicy, fun story! 

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