Life and a lack of reading

Hello friends I know its been ages between visits but life has conspired against me. Add into the mix my string of bad luck in the book department and well I just need August to get here so I can sit down with Pepper Winters next book The fourth debt in the Indebted Series. OMG if you have not tried Ms. Winters or even if you have and did not fall in love(I am talking to you Monsters in the dark) please give her a chance, or a second chance. Grab yourself the first book Indebted from Amazon its free!

I can not say enough good things about this series. If you are a fan of the dark and twisty variety you will fall in love with Jet and Nila. There are still so many questions and theories swirling through my mind as I most impatiently await the release of the Fourth Debt. Each book leaves you on a cliff hanger, this will have you racing off to purchase the next book. There are two more books in the series set to release in August and then the final book sometime before the end of the year. Just be warned you will devour these books and then be left to suffer with the rest of us until August. Its a good kinda hurt, I promise.


I have a few reviews to post later today but sadly they are not the glowing, gushing variety but rather me banging my head off the wall wondering how in the world some of them managed to be published. On the up side I have a couple of really tasty recipes to share that helped comfort me  through the great book drought of late.

Now that life has settled back into some warped version of normal I will be more consistent with my posts and with any luck the next book I read will blow me away and I can race on over here to share it with you!

Stand by for some tasty treats.

Only Trick By Jewel E. Ann with a side of Pink Squirrel

This book-what can I say other than holy smokes we are going to need a drink. Once you start reading the drink makes even more sense-The Pink Squirrel an easy enough drink to whip up that tastes like summer in a glass. So mix up a glass or pitcher and get ready to sweat because Patrick "Trick" our leading man is going to melt your panties off.


Trick oh my with one word I am melting "come" Something has happened in Patrick "Trick" past that leaves him with a deep mistrust of women, it does not help that due to an accident Trick is missing 5 years of his life.

Darby comes crashing into Trick's life declaring them breakfast soul mates and BFF's. After a lifetime of Doormat Darby she has had enough. There is something about Trick that keeps pulling her in and leaving her unable to walk away.

Trick is not one to waste words and all to often has Darby chasing after him with the simple word "come", but don't mistake Darby for a pushover the woman is a physicians assistant and damn good at what she does. It just so happens that Trick can turn her into a puddle of warm pudding with a look and one word.


Reading this book I got so much more than I bargained for, based on the synopsis I thought I was getting a somewhat dark read but what I got was a well rounded story that had romance, passion, mystery, action, and amazing supporting characters who really helped bring the whole book to life.

This is story of two unlikely people finding love, family, and acceptance in each others arms.

My only real criticism is that Darby goes into things knowing about Tricks missing past, knows about his trust issues when it comes to women and yet at every turn she is pissed at him for being himself. Some of their issues could have been avoided if she would have acted like an adult and talked to Trick rather than run, be sarcastic or just ignore him. More than once I wanted to shake some sense into Darby. As annoying as it was I could relate, haven't we all jumped to conclusions at one time or another? Relationships have a way with turning the most logical person into a crazy messy.

Perfect Chaos By Nashoda Rose

This book, Perfect Chaos will leave you feeling as if that is what you have walked into the middle of. I do not mean this in a bad way, but rather Deck will leave you hot and bothered while frustrated as all get out.

 

 

Georgie will pull you in every direction from sympathy for a young girl who losses her brother to frustration that she does not listen to sound advice but rather places herself and others in danger. Just when you are ready to slap some sense into her your heart will break into a thousand pieces for her.

 



Have you ever read book and think you have it all figured out within the first few pages only to later learn you are so very wrong?

Georgie is only 15 when her brother dies. It is Deck that breaks the news and spends the next ten years looking out for Georgie from the shadows. That is until Georgie needs saving from herself. Before Conner was killed in Afghanistan Georgie was a good girl, always playing by the rules, focused on school and grades rather than friends and boys. The day Deck broke the news of Conner's death something snaps inside Georgie and in a fit of rage and despair she turns her room upside down. Deck does not stop her but simply watches. This will be their pattern for the years to come, Georgie lashing out while Deck stand by and watches her back.

Georgie comes across as the party girl, drinking way to much and sleeping around. Always depending on Deck to be there if she goes too far. More than once Deck has to carry her out of a bar and brings her home. Always the gentlemen Deck tucks her into bed and leaves water and aspirin on the nightstand. Georgie can only dream of what his lips would feel like pressed to hers.

They  both fight their attraction to each other but a series of events force them to face what they have been running from for all these years. When they finally come together it is explosive and perfect. Life is not perfect and their story is no different, they both hold secrets that can either destroy them or bring them closer together. Will they trust each other or will their secrets rip them apart.

In between all the hottie hotness some real action takes place that will leave you emotionally ripped to shreds. It is not until the last 25% of the book that the story really takes a turn and plays with your emotions as the action really starts to take over the story.

This one started out as a fun and frustrating unrequited love story that unfolded like a flower blossoming in the summer rain only to find a vicious meat eating killer has been hiding in the middle. Give this book a chance you will not regret it. You will be rewarded with lots of steamy hot sex, some action and mystery filled in with heart shredding emotions.

Being Emerald by Sylvia Ryan

What can I say about this amazing book? I laughed, I cried, I argued with Rock on Laila's behalf. As the resistance against Morgan and all he stands for continues on Laila and Rock have their parts to carry out, missions made even more dangerous as their love for each other grows.

As we know from reading being amber and being sapphire Morgan is a big ole bag of crazy with a side of madness. This madness runs deep and in this rollercoaster of a book we see just how deep it runs.

Rock has shown us his Dominate side from the start of Being Amber but here in his own story we see not only the hard dom Rock but also the lover Rock. As his story unfolds be prepared to grieve and let go along with Rock as he figures out life without Emily and learns to forgive himself of the burden he carries feeling he failed the woman he loved.

Sweet Laila, after 5 years living as a sapphire isolated from the physical affections that ambers crave and need will face a daunting task in loving Rock. Laila has her own mission when it comes to the resistance  and she will carry out her part with or without Rocks blessing.

As I sit here with my book hangover I cannot help but become a little emotional. These characters have made a special place in my heart and Ms. Ryan only cemented them in with her emotional and touching epilogues. With only a few paragraphs she will have you crying like a baby.

Into His Dark by Angel Payne

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.

I love Angel Payne and I wish that the same can be said for Into His Dark. The first chapter made me feel as if I walked in on the middle of a conversation, as if I was missing something. The writing style took me some time to get used too.

 I am glad that I pressed on as the second half made up for a rocky start.

Camilla "Cam" has a real adult job that pays the bills but a phone call from an ex-boyfriend/college friend has Cam packing her bags and flying off to the private world of "Arcadia" where Cam's fantasy man is the king.

Evrest is the ruler of his own world but he could not be more trapped. A vow to not "share his seed" until he finds a wife, 12 women have been hand selected to compete for the job of wife. One small problem, years ago while visiting America Evrest caught a glimpse of Cam on a college campus and she has filled his mind and fantasies for years.

Lightning only strikes once, right? Wrong, after years of fantasizing about the alluring American girl there she stands in the ballroom. King Evrest is ruler, expected to marry one of the 12 distinct selected to rule beside him but it is Cam that captivates him mind and heart.

Their attraction to each other can only end in disaster but no matter the consequences they cannot keep away from each other and their desires for one and other.

What happens when lightning strikes the same place twice? Sparks will fly but will everyone survive?

 

I just got dumped brownies and the perfect book

If these brownies do not have you drooling check yourself for a pulse, you might be dead. Seriously,these brownies are so decadent you will wonder where they have been all your life. With a brownie this good the only thing missing is a copy of Secrets of the Heart by Willow Sanders.





recipe by

 

 

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Layer

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup white granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup chocolate chips

Oreo Layer

• 15 Golden Oreos

Brownie Layer

• 10 tablespoons (1 and ¼ stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Chocolate Ganache

• ½ cup chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon shortening
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• caramel sauce, garnish on top

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8x8 baking dish with aluminum foil. Lightly grease with shortening. Set aside
2. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Layer - In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, light brown sugar, and white granulated sugar.
3. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add in the all-purpose flour ½ cup at a time and mix thoroughly.
4. Add in the salt and baking powder. Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Spread the cookie dough layer on the baking dish and spread all over. Make sure the layer is even.
6. Add the Oreos on top of the cookie dough layer.
7. Brownie Layer - Wash and dry the large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, eggs, and cocoa powder. Mix together.
8. Add in the vanilla extract, flour, and salt.
9. Spread the brownie layer on top of the Oreo layer and make sure it is even.
10. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the middle and if it comes out clean it is done.
11. Allow the brownies to completely cool.
12. Prepare the chocolate ganache layer by melted the chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time until the chocolate chips are melted. Stir in the heavy cream. Spread on top of the cooled brownie bars. Drizzle caramel sauce on top.
13. Slice and enjoy! 

Secrets of the Heart by Willow Sanders

Now that we have the perfect indulgent treat I would like to introduce you to a wonderful, emotionally indulgent treat-Secrets of the heart by Willow Sanders. This is a continuation of Dirty Little Secret but can be read as a stand alone. I would encourage you to read Dirty little secret first as it will introduce you to many of the characters in Secrets of the heart.

Dirty little secret introduced us to Ivy, she is Hillary's best friend. In Secrets of the heart we get to know Ivy and by the end we find there are so many more amazing layers to who Ivy is and what makes her so special.


Genevieve "Ivy" Hursch seems to have her life all together, great job, sexy boyfriend, a wardrobe to die for. Underneath her valentino and Louboutin's life is not so perfect-Ivy's relationship with her father and new step mother are strained at best and an old secret could make or break what little ties they have. As Ivy tries to come to terms with family skeletons her career and relationship take a hit.

Ivy is a fighter but what can a girl do when hit from all sides? Read Ivy's story to find out. Have the tissues and chocolate  ready because Ivy's story is a wild ride.



Venomous By Penelope Fletcher

Venomous is a tricky one to classify as there are so many genres that it can fit into: Science Fiction, Romance, Erotica, and Menage just to name a few.

Lumen Young is a twenty three year old woman formarly from Earth, that was until she was kidnapped by aliens and sold into intergalactic slavery. Considered weak and useless by the L'Odo, a lizard like alien race they toss Lumen to the slaves as a prize in a fight to the death.

Venomous One was once a fierce warrior of his people the Ra until his ship was attacked by space pirates known as the Dei San. Venomous One has spent many years held captive as a slave forced to fight in gladiator type events when not working in the mines.

The second Lumen is tossed to the slaves Venomous knows that she is meant to be his.

From the start there are challenges to over come, some as simple as a language barrier on through a space pirate attack, other males and a home world closed to strangers.

The Ra are born gender neutral and do not mature into a specific sex until they meet their soul mate, it is their other half that awakens their gender and sexuality. Lumen soon finds her self with more than one Ra awakened and fighting for her favor.

Lumen starts as an average earth woman who is soon shaped by a variety of events that could break anyone's ability to survive. Rather than crumble under the weight of said events Lumen soon blossoms into so much more than just a survivor and become a warrior in her own right.

Ms. Fletcher weaves a wonderfully detailed world with a variety of different species and cultures. Even at 600+ pages you will wish for more and be sad to come to the end. One can only hope that Ms. Fletcher is currently working on a second book.

Wine Wednesday

What can I say I love wine. Really any adult beverage that tastes good is a win with me. If I am going to waste calories filling up on booze it has best be worth it! So in honor of summer I bring you summer time punch, this yummy cocktail is great with a fun and flirty romance novel or something a little hotter as it is sure to cool you down. The fun of this drink is that you can mix up what fruits you use to make it all yours.

 Grab a bottle of your favorite moscato wine, don't worry the cheap stuff works just fine. Now pour that beauty into a punch bowl or a large pitcher and add in one bottle of simply lemonade raspberry and half a liter of sprite. Give it a little mix and then toss in some frozen berries. Super easy and super tasty! If you are not making drinks for a crowd or you are trying to control yourself you can mix this up by the glass. For individual servings just mix half wine half lemonade with half a can of sprite and fruit to taste.
Personally I like to mix up a whole big batch, why waste time mixing it up one glass at a time. It will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days ( I think it never lasts that long around here).

Happy Drinking! A couple of books that go well with this are Secrets of the heart by Willow Sanders and Karma.

Dirty Little Secret by Willow Sanders

Let me start this by saying how much I loved this book. After a string of let downs I was in desperate need of a good book that pulled me in, Dirty Little Secret did not disappoint. I laughed, cringed and cried all while remembering my own 20 something mistakes and triumphs.

Do you remember what life was like right after college? The thrill of being free of school, officially an adult who is working their first "professional" job, this is it your time to make your mark on the world...your job sucks, you are broke, living on ramen noodles, trying to find love and feeling on top of the world. Yeah, ok so the world topping is not quite there yet.

This is Hillary's life, like any other twenty something she is still in the process of finding herself and along the way some bad choices are made. Hillary ends up in more than one 'sticky' situation that could have easily been avoided, but then again who has not made a few bad choices? Learning more about herself and those around her through these mistakes change how Hillary see's herself and her future.

I don't want to give away any of the fun and surprises that Hillary will face, just give Dirty Little Secret a chance. You will not be sorry you did, Willow Sanders gives you characters to love who are real enough to feel for.

Pour a glass of wine, sit back in your comfy chair and remember what it was like to be in your early twenties, when mistakes are expected and just a part of finding yourself. Enjoy Hillary's choices and maybe remember one or two of your own. 

 

Cheers to life, love, and adventure!

Safeword Arabesque(Safeword #9) By Candace Blevins

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is book 9 in the safeword series but each book can be read as a stand alone.

There are some authors that struggle to give me a story with two well developed main characters the thought of trying to make 4 work while giving each one their own voice had me nervous. Yet Candace Blevins manages to give me a detailed and well rounded relationship between 4 people, 2 Doms, one female submissive and one male slave.

Each character has a clear voice and personality that stands out from the rest. She hits every combo of how the 4 would interact within this relationship, while doing this she does not leave out the difficulties that a relationship like this would face, there are some bumps in the road, mistakes are made and addressed, leaving me feeling like a naughty voyeur peeking in the window.

 

 

 

 

 

Beyond the sexy fun true love and compassion are shown when the four must trust each other and work towards healing.

I don't want to give any spoilers this book is worth your time, grab a glass of wine and get comfortable because you will be up all night. As always Ms. Blevins brings some wonderfully naughty ideas to what can be done between kinky consenting adults while also giving us a story worth reading.

Sold (Keeping her in the dark #1)

The first few pages of this book had me worried I mean a 22 year old virgin?

As the story progresses Norah's reasons for remaining untouched are brought to light, making her v-card status understandable. Don't worry Norah will grow on you or you will want to slap her, possibly both.

Moving on it gets even better-Liam has been a Dom for 8 years, his wants and desires have become increasingly darker(i think as we do not get any details on the matter). Wanting to take things a step further he goes to an auction to find a slave. Hold on to your hats folks, Liam does not realize his friend Will has taken him to a real life slave auction. You know where the girls have been kidnapped. At one point he wonders to himself if the money goes to charity.


So after paying 1.5 million for a slave he starts to ask questions like "Why does her file say can be difficult at times?" and "taken from..." hmm might not be the brightest crayon in the box there Liam.
Fast-forward a bit Liam is now concerned with saving his own ass, he did buy a woman illegally. He decides to keep her while he figures things out.

Around page 42 things start to get good, I love this part "Please, I can't see anything. I hate not knowing where I am. I feel like I'm not in control." He leaned in close to her. "You're not," he breathed in her ear."
Liam decides that while Sarah is with him and he is working out what to do with her that she might as well be treated  like his slave. From there he quickly realizes that he has feelings for her and does not like to hurt her.

Ok here is where the book really frustrates me, Liam is supposed to be this Dom who is all into the "Dark side of BDSM" then this girl comes into his life and "poof" no more need for BDSM other than needing respect from her. He does not want her to kneel, no kinky sex, no flogger, whips or chains. Other than being a controlling asshat Liam shows no interest or need in being a Dom or BDSM in general.


Even with all the stuff that made me crazy and fear for my kindles life(the urge to throw was strong) there was still an underlying something that kept me reading. I just wish I could figure out what that was.
Liam's friend Will also purchased a slave at the auction, Jane. I want to read more about their story as Jane makes the comment "He takes what he wants, when he wants" Now that sounds more like my kind of dark non-con kinda read.

This book could use a good editor there are multiple errors that are slightly distracting from the story. Overall if you can get past spotty editing, a wishy-washy main man and a virginal 'slave' with a temper not a bad read.
I wanted to like this book, I wanted to love this book, but it left me luke warm and desperate to smack some sense into Liam.
Reading this book is like taking a hot shower and having someone repeatedly flush the toilet on you.
Its hot and steamy then *bam* you are slapped in the face with ice cold water...the heat starts to come back, the pressure is returning and the next thing you know there is a trickle of ice water running down your back. Without warning that icy trickle turns to a screaming jet of boiling hot water only to cool mid-stream seconds later.
Having said all that as I finished the final page of the book my curiosity is peaked on what will happen in the second book. I am still unsure if on if I liked this book or not...

Welcome to the Asylum book lovers

Hello and welcome friends,

This is my safe place, my asylum to indulge my love of all things print. There is no shame here in book hoarding, daydreaming about book boyfriends, and blowing off house work to finish just one more chapter.

I am an avid reader who enjoys all genre's, but if I am being completely honest dark erotica and mystery thrillers are my favorite. Please bare with me as I get things up and running over the next week or so. My goal is to get all my book reviews for the year posted. Thank you for stopping by and I hope to see you back again :)

Until next time,
Mrs. McReader