Boy Toy Auction by CA Harms

What was meant to be a fun evening to benefit charity, suddenly became so much more…

They were both volunteered into attending the Boy Toy Auction.

One as a contestant. 

One as an attendee.

Emerson lost an internal battle the moment Nicholas stepped onto the stage. 

As soon as he started moving his hips to the rhythm of the music, she was captivated. Suddenly, the timid girl became a warrior as she fought to have the highest bid. 

There was no way she was leaving without him at her side. 

From the moment Nic saw her, Emerson became his focal point. 

The beautiful woman in the silver dress. 

The one that held his stare.

He needed her to win.

He needed her.

He’d make sure this was the best money she’d ever spend.

Or the worst…depends on how you look at it.

Because sometimes, it doesn’t matter what you want, life has a way of throwing you a curve ball that you aren’t prepared for…

Boy Toy Auction is super fun, sweet and unexpected, for both Emerson and Nic. It was supposed to be a night of entertainment and possible bragging rights. What these two didn't expect was the magic that was created that night. 

Both Nic and Emerson are enamored with each other from first sight. They can't look away. And there is no way anyone was going to win Nic that night besides Emerson. She is almost as shocked as her friend is that she actually bid on a guy....and WON!

Insta-spark and chemistry. Insta-infatuation and sexual tension. These two totally burn up the pages until Emerson's controlling father gets in the way. This man is vicious. He's controlling and manipulative. He is disgusting. Luckily Nic isn't afraid of him, but unfortunately, Emerson is. 

A series of events leaves Emerson homeless and jobless. She and Nic are on the outs and it all has to do with  her father. Gah! I despise this man. All bad things seem to circle back to him. But Nic is not going to give up. He's not giving up on Emerson or their love. The question was always if Emerson could handle that. If she was done with her father's controlling ways. You'll have to read to find out. 

I love CA Harms' writing. She is a one-click author for me and I always enjoy her characters. They are relate-able and real. There's just enough angst and drama to keep you on the edge of your seat, but not too much where its unbelievable. Just fantastic!

Confessions: Robbie (Confessions Series Book 1) ~ Ella Frank

Relationships are complex.

Love ever-changing.

And when it comes to rules of the heart,

they were made to be broken…

That’s what Robert Antonio Bianchi was telling himself, anyway.

Otherwise, he really had no excuse for what—or who—he’d done.

No excuse, except for his lonely heart, a pitcher of margaritas, four Bitter Bitches, and the apparent need to confess all his weaknesses to the two men he knew would bring him nothing but trouble.

But trouble was nothing new.

Just ask his crazy sisters or any of his friends, and they’d be the first to tell you:

If there was a bad decision to be made, Robbie always had a knack for making it.

And thus begins the story of the priest, the princess, and the prick.

After Logan and Tate, I wasn't sure if I would have more room in my heart. I always loved Robbie's character and was super excited for his own story. Ella did not disappoint. These three are hot, sexy and complicated. 

I wasn't always a fan of Priest. Nothing bad about the guy, but he was always very standoff-ish, blunt and brutally honest. That being said, this story has changed my feelings about him. I get him a little more now. I am super excited to dive in more though.

Julien is smooth, suave and a complete teddy bear. I only saw a glimpse of the "Prick" he was regarded as. Learning and understanding a little of his back history completing puts that attitude in to perspective though. 

Robbie is still lovable and fabulous. He had me smiling through the whole book. His heartache was palpable after Tate and Logan got married, but I think now he realized that there are others that are willing to give him "everything."

I really enjoyed these three. I was super shocked by the reaction that some had for their arrangement. Surprised is more like it. But when I read more I realized that it was guilt and protectiveness fueling that reaction. Priest, Julien and Robbie are doing what is best for them. They are following their hearts. I'm super excited to see how things go as more wrenches are thrown in their plans. 

"Regrets only happen when you aren't brave enough to try something that scares you." ~Robbie

Up in Smoke: A King Series Novel ~ TM Frazier

Amazon US 

I’m a man without a conscience. 

I deal in murder and mayhem.

I’m the best at what I do. 

Frankie Helburn is supposed to be an easy job. 

A means to flush her father out of hiding.

Simple. 

Except there isn’t anything simple about Frankie or the secrets she’s keeping. 

She’s stubborn as hell and the sexiest god damn thing I have ever seen, sending dark, dirty animalistic desire coursing through my veins. 

She’s cocaine with legs. A f*cking addiction that makes me question things I’ve never questioned before. Want things I’ve never wanted before. 

I might have her, but she isn’t mine to keep. 

If her father doesn’t show his face, she will be mine. 

To KILL.

 I was super excited to read about Smoke. How he left in "All the Rage" had me asking, what happened to him? Don't get me wrong. I get why he left, but I still wanted to know about him. He is definitely a force to be reckoned with .

Smoke is ruthless and lawless. She is the judge, jury and executioner when it comes to getting his revenge. Frankie was something he never saw coming. Smoke's sole focus was to find the person who wronged him. The one that took from him. Using Frankie to get to Frank was supposed to be easy. This book shows, with a strong and smart woman, it's definitely not easy. 

I love how smart and defiant Frankie is. She stands toe to toe with Smoke. She's not afraid of him. Well, she is, but she's not going to show him. While she's trying to hate Smoke, she can't deny the electric current that sparks between them. Her mind says "no," but her body says "hell yes!" 

These two are electric together. They are both stubborn and hard headed, which makes for some fun adventures. The angst building up to where Frankie's father is and the lies leading up to that point are nerve wracking. The end result is bloody, explosive and glorious. 

Remember Me When (The Unforgettable Duet #2) ~ Brooke Blaine

My worst nightmare and your greatest fear became a reality:

You don’t remember me.

You don’t remember the accident, or the weeks afterward.

You don’t remember my bed as your safe place,

or when, against all odds, you fell for me.

You remember me only as the casual acquaintance you saw as you grabbed your daily coffee.

Three sugars, two creamers.

Perhaps an acquaintance is all I’ll ever be to you now.

Maybe I can shoulder the heartbreak and the loss of you, if it means you’ll be happy.

Unless…

You remember me when.

Remember Me When is the second and final book in The Unforgettable Duet and should only be read following Forget Me Not.

I just love Reid and Ollie. So much so, that I didn't want their story to end. The angst and heartbreak, along with the love and emotion hit me right in the feels. I'd say the only downside to this book was that it was the end. 

I have always been a fan of Brooke's and the Unforgettable Duet did not disappoint. The flashbacks and memories were easy to follow and you could understand the timeline. Even though Reid suffered memory loss, his "visions" replayed had me gushing all over again at how sweet these two characters are. 

I was so proud of Reid's mom and her cry for help. It takes a lot to try to do what was best for your child, but really not know what that is. She always had his best interests at heart, even if she wasn't sure what would make Reid's confusion better. 

I was pissed at Ollie a bit, but of course he redeemed himself. He truly is one of the good guys. He is someone that should be snatched up and held on to, to mirror Holland's words. ::wink wink:;

I can't say enough about these two. I wish their story didn't wrap up so quickly. I wanted more. Great characters and a great finale to the duet. 

Gentleman Nine ~ Penelope Ward

Growing up, the three of us were friends.

He was the nerd.

I was the playboy.

She was the beauty.

Deep down, I only ever wanted her. I kept it inside because Rory and I made a pact that our friend, Amber, was off-limits.

He lied.

I went off to college, and he got the girl.

Amber never knew how I felt.

They were together for years—before he broke her heart.

Through it all and across the miles, she and I casually stayed in touch.

When my job sent me to Boston for a three-month contract position, Amber let me stay in her spare room.

Still reeling from her breakup, she’d sworn off men.

One night, I opened her computer to find the shock of my life. She’d hesitantly contacted a male escort company. Afraid to date and get her heart broken again, she was looking for sex with no strings.

Every emotion imaginable ran through me: protectiveness, jealousy—curiosity.

Amber had chosen Gentleman Number Nine and sent him a message.

She opened up to him, confessing, among other things, her physical attraction to her friend—me. But she considered me off-limits—and she thought I was a manwhore. (Ironic, considering the circumstances.)

Eventually, she set up a date to meet Gentleman Nine at a hotel. 

When she showed up several nights later to meet him, she was stunned to see me standing there—with an offer I hoped she wouldn’t refuse.

Channing is the stereo-typical womanizer. Or at least Amber thought he was. Their past had a lot of feelings, emotions and "pacts" that neither seemed to know about. Whether it was one was totally oblivious or the other tried so hard to hide their feelings, they both wanted each other, but neither never knew it. 

I wasn't sure how Rory played in to this little "friendship" until I read the entire backstory. Penelope did a great job of having the characters discussing the past or having a flashback, while maintaining my interest. I didn't become bored and each look in to the characters's past had to do with their future or possible future. 

I give major props to Amber for even thinking of meeting with Gentleman number nine. I completely understood her inner turmoil, but hey! A woman has needs too.  I mean what's the motto? Get over a man by getting under another, right? Just sucks that she had to tip-toe around that with a man she had wanted since she was younger, but was always "off-limits." 

The twists of this story are things I definitely didn't see coming. While Channing called one of them, the reason behind it shocked me. The other, well I had hoped for some type of clarity of Amber, but I didn't want her getting hurt to have it. 

I'm doing my best to not include spoilers, because I want you to read it and have the same surprises I did. Gentleman Nine was well written and had developed characters with content that hits you right in the feels. As well as some super sexy and hot sex scenes. Wow. Definitely one-click worthy.  

El Santo (Saint-Sinner #1) ~ M. Robinson

I didn’t know darkness and evil lurked inside me until I had to murder in order to survive. Forced to become my own worst enemy. With so much blood on my hands, I was surprised I could still see my own skin.

I killed.

I tortured.

I loved…

I played God while I was rotting in Hell. Thriving on control and power was the only way I knew how to live. There were no other options.

If you weren’t my friend, you were my foe.

If you weren’t with me, you were against me.

Traitors, as I called them. There were no imaginary lines. I’d crossed them all. No boundaries. No second chances. No redemption.

Not for me.

For them.

For anyone.

Only for her…

She loved me. Always convinced I was a saint, never believing I was just another sinner.

A fucking monster.

Until it was too late.

Except, I didn’t choose this life. It. Chose. Me.

Damien, Damien, Damien. What are we going to do with you? He seriously makes me want to hate him, but at the same time I feel sad for him. It's true he didn't pick this life. His father lived a lie and expected his son to grow up different. Instead, Damien just became more ruthless. Trained as a soldier and scared at the age of 18, there was no turning back.

Amira....sweet, innocent Amira. She gave Damien everything she could.She defended him, admired him and loved him. Never did she fear him, even after he continuously broke her heart. Damien warned her, he was not a good man. He told her, he could never give her what she wanted. Yet, she held out hope and continued to love him. 

I can't even get in to Emilio, or I may give too much away. I will say this: He's a sleezy, scumbag. I hate him and everything he stands for. Once, you read the book, you'll understand what I mean. 

Amira brings out the best in Damien, but he knows she deserves better He continuously goes hot and cold since he is always at war with his emotions. The angst and suspense of their story had me flying through the pages. I really enjoyed it and I need to know what happens!!

Monster (A Prisoned Spinoff Duet Book 2) ~ Marni Mann

“Because I came from you, does that mean I’m capable of killing? That I’ll be addicted to blood? That I’ll get off on torturing people?”

The kid had questions.

I didn’t blame him.

He’d only heard one side, and it wasn’t mine.

“Why did you hate my mother?”

Now, that was a story worth telling.

But, to do that, I had to bring the kid back to the very beginning. 

When the killing and the blood and the torture had all started.

When I was truly happy.

When I was first called a Monster.

Monster is a follow-up to Animal. Animal must be read first.

 Dark and Twisted is exactly what this story is. But it is also gripping, suspenseful and crazy, in a good way.  This is definitely a great follow up to Animal and I agree that you have to read Animal first. 

This characters are messed up. All of them. Getting in to their minds and figuring out who is who is all part of the draw. The story sucks you right in and you have to find out what happens next. I have a lot of questions and they were all answered at the end. I guess I just wanted more. 

Shank is one self-centered, messed up man. His raw and brutal honesty is painful at times, but also necessary to get a feel for who this man is. His mind is all sorts of crazy and yet, he finds himself completely rational. Its fascinating really. 

Kid is probably the most main stream, if you can call it that. His desires to learn more about Shank are understandable, but at the same time, its almost like he's a glutton for punishment. He keeps going back for more no matter how grotesque or dark the responses may be. 

I really enjoyed Shanks book, but I still want more. I want to know what happens with Kid and if he every fully figures things out. Once you read this book, you'll know exactly what I mean. Mind blown for sure!