Hard Rules (Dirty Money, #1) ~ Lisa Renee Jones

Wall Street meets the Sons of Anarchy in the smoldering, scorching first novel in the explosively sexy new Dirty Money series from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones.

How bad do you want it?

The only man within the Brandon empire with a moral compass, Shane Brandon is ready to take his family's business dealings legitimate. His reckless and ruthless brother, Derek wants to keep Brandon Enterprises cemented in lies, deceit, and corruption. But the harder Shane fights to pull the company back into the light, the darker he has to become. Then he meets Emily Stevens, a woman who not only stirs a voracious sexual need in him, but becomes the only thing anchoring him between good and evil.

Emily is consumed by Shane, pushed sexually in ways she never dreamed of, falling deeper into the all-encompassing passion that is this man. She trusts him. He trusts her, but therein lies the danger. Emily has a secret, the very thing that brought her to him in the first place, and that secret that could that destroy them both. 

What a fantastic opener for what's to come!

SO many moving parts, every character seems to have their own story to tell but they're doing it in bits and pieces.. Everyone of them has captured my attention and I need to know what comes next.. 

There are secrets that need to be unraveled.. Allies to be made.. Shane Brandon ruthless and all will still have his work cut out for him.. Not knowing who to trust while trying to do the right thing for his families empire, Shane will have to be on alert at all times.. But really whats a story with out the romance & steam?

That's where Emily comes in.. Trying to run away from her past which we know nothing about.. She's been consumed by Shane in every way conceivable.

He's pulled the Total Alpha card and they've been burning up them sheets from the start!!

The kicker of course is that it ended on a cliff hanger!!

With the suspense, the characters being strategically placed and the brewing - Off the charts HOT - romance although they were driving me to drink with their back and forth should I shouldn't I.... I need the next one ASAP!!!

BRING IT!!!

AMAZON

The Full Domain (Nice Guys, #3) ~ Kindle Alexander

Honor, integrity, and loyalty are how Deputy US Marshal Kreed Sinacola lives his life. A former SEAL now employed by the Special Operations Group of the US Marshal Service, Kreed spent most of his life working covert operations and avoiding relationships. Never one to mix business with pleasure, his boundaries blur and his convictions are put to the test when he finally comes face-to-face with the hot computer geek he’s been partnered with. Hell-bent on closing the ongoing case for his longtime friend, he pushes past his own limits and uncovers more than he expects.

Aaron Stuart strives for one thing: justice. Young and full of idealism, his highly sought after computer skills land him a position with the National Security Agency. Aaron’s biggest hazard at his job is cramped fingers, but all that changes when he is drawn into the middle of a dangerous federal investigation. Aaron gets more than he bargained for when the FBI partners him with a handsome and tempting deputy US marshal. His attraction to the inked up, dark-haired man provides another kind of threat altogether. Aaron tries desperately to place a firewall around his heart and fight his developing feelings, knowing one misstep on his part could ultimately destroy him. 

The solution isn’t as easy as solving the case, which is treacherous enough as it is. But the growing sexual attraction between them threatens to derail more than just Kreed’s personal convictions as he quickly learns temptation and matters of the heart rarely fit easily into the rules he’s lived by. Will Kreed be able to convince Aaron to open his heart and face the fact that sometimes the answers aren’t always hidden in code?

I have to admit it took me a bit to get into the story for the first 30% Aaron was just acting way to childish for my liking and I got the whole keep your distant logic and I definitely understood he had secrets he needed to guard tightly but STILL with those excuses under his belt he was just plain annoying which is not the Aaron I fell for from his past appearances..

Kreed was his usual cocky self.. He's what kept me going through those rough bumps with his need to protect and his professionalism.. Even though he did let down his guard quiet a bit around Aaron.. Only to be put in his place more times than I would have liked.. 

50% into it we finally get the action and steam I've loved from this series..

Things start to unfold and unravel and even when you think something has been handled some other heart stopping obstacle comes into play..

And once Kreed and Aaron let their attraction for each other take hold there was no holding back.. There were so many sides to both these characters that kept me on my toes from speaking their minds to heroism..

So happy I stuck with it because we finally got to see them close the case!!

and was a part of Kreed & Aaron's HEA!!!

Nice Guys Series

The Darkest Frost Vol 2 ~ Tanya Holmes

The job seems simple enough at first: go undercover and catch her best friend’s killer. But psychic detective Denieve Knight gets more than she bargained for when she enters Dr. Braeden Frost’s estate as a “housekeeper.”

She's supposed to be sleuthing, not falling under the spell of the enigmatic doctor and his irrepressible, hellion of a brother, Xavier.

Now after two months of working for the man known as “Dr. Death,” she's entangled in a web of secrets and lies. Each discovery only leads to more questions. Though faced with declining health and a storm of confusing feelings and simmering passion for both brothers, Denieve is determined to uncover the truth---consequences be damned. Yet the truth may prove deadly once she discovers just how deep the rabbit hole goes.

So happy to reacquaint myself with Braeden & Xavier. Volume 2 picked up right where we were left off... Continued taking us for a ride and answered all of my questions.

Xavier was the leading man and hero in this installment.. A wonderful brooding asshole!!! Just how I like them..

He showed us all his sides and they ALL won me over.. 

We got all of the background, learned about their kind and all this while watching Denieve struggle with her emotions and not own up to what she truly felt!! Denieve was a mess up until the end, she had to have things literally spelled out for her and kept making the wrong choices over and over again.

 Not until the very end did she realize all would weave into One nicely wrapped package..

Would have loved an Epilogue but I guess in some way due to Caryn we know whats in store for them!

This was such a unique world to read about.. The Duo-logy had a great vibe, steady plot and tons of twists and turns that left you glued to your seat through out!

Definitely a Must read for anyone that loves paranormal romance with a heavy emphasis on mystery and jaw dropping surprises!

Broken Lens (Through the Lens, #2) ~ Shannon Dermott

Although this book is the second in the series, it’s been written to be read as a New Adult Stand Alone novel. You do not have to read book one, which is a young adult novel, to enjoy. 

No one said love is ever easy. And for Jess, he would ride his Harley to heaven and back for an eternity with her arms wrapped around him. That makes leaving her that late summer day to head to separate colleges the hardest thing he has to do. Still, he thinks that they could beat the odds and prove everyone wrong, until one drunken night and one sober confession.

Through the jagged edges of a broken lens, he’s faced with the reality of his choices. And fixing the pieces of Jess’s broken heart may be impossible. Without her, he’s left with only a mother who hates him and marks him as a dead man walking. And that’s not the only truth that has the potential to destroy his life.

The upcoming trial will reveal the defendant’s motivations for the crimes committed against the people he cares about. But that guy’s not the only one who’s guilty of something. With a cloud of mistrust hovering around him, can he keep Jess safe from his past? Can she or anyone forgive him for his secrets? Will he win the one girl he’s ever loved back or will he lose her forever?

*WARNING* This book is rated a New Adult book, which means it can contain foul language and sexual situations. Please be warned in advance.

This was an easy paced story taking place right where Through the Lens ended.

This one can be read as a stand alone but I did enjoy having the back story and knowing 

how Ethan and Jessa came to be.. We get Ethans POV in Broken lens and get flashbacks 

into his past relationships with Carly, Allie, his parents as well as his first thoughts on 

when he met Jessa. 

Ethan is damaged, he has mommy issues since his mom has it out for him and we find 

out why, he's been through so much but somehow manages to keep it together as long as 

he can.. Women just throw themselves at him and he seems to stick his foot in his mouth 

just about every time he's around Jessa which is funny since that was never the case 

before he met her!!

Jessa has always been insecure and it doesn't help that her boyfriend is a chick magnet. 

No matter how much Ethan tries to reassure her.. She's it for him ~ 

Jessa just always seems to jump to conclusions - I guess it's more the age aspect of it 

that accounts for her immaturity,

and is really the only thing that annoyed me a few times.. But One thing she did do 

right was always tell him how much she loved him.. Which is all Ethan ever wanted!!

SO much starts to unravel towards the end, secrets are confessed, questions are 

answered and mysterious events are solved. Some jaw dropping but thankfully all

 providing closure..

A read I recommend but it's definitely more on the YA side..

Instigation (Clandestine Affairs, #1) ~ Tessa Teevan

Three years after her life changed forever, Gabriella Latham finally has it all. Killer job [if working for her boyfriend counts]. Killer closet [even if she doesn't technically own any of it]. Killer boyfriend [who refuses to let her leave him, even when she tries]. Unfortunately for her, the last part isn't hyperbole. She just doesn't know it yet.

Adrian Morningstar was a dream come true. No one had ever loved her more, and for the first time, in longer than she could remember, she was no longer alone. He was the Prince Charming to her Cinderella, until suddenly he became the Beast with whom she could not escape.

Until him.

When Rafe Matthews is hired to oversee the guest home construction of one of the most powerful businessmen in the country, he finally has his in. Nothing will get in the way of what he sets out to do. 

Until her.

Watching from the shadows, he's drawn to the beautiful, isolated woman of the house. His curiosity is piqued and he has to have her. She may be taken by the boss, but that's not enough to stop him. Or her.

Nothing is quite as it seems, and this is only the beginning. 

Passions ignite. Tempers flare. Secrets kill. 

WOW so this one came totally out of left field!!

Plot, Style of writing and Vibe..

Definitely unexpected... I caught myself trying to continue scrolling to the next page when I realized I was left hanging.

The beginning was a whirlwind we get introduced to Gabriella we can see she's somewhat of a recluse and we find out it's due to events that quickly are unraveled as the story progresses.

 We are just as quickly introduced to Adrian and get the "He 's up to something!" feeling...

We get snippets of how they met and crucial signs that were missed through their relationship!

Then BAM!!! 

We are flung into the present and meet Rafe!!!

 Yummy in the how many licks will it take to get to the - well you get where I'm going with that... Only Issue I had was the Insta~"TRUST" 

The story line does touch on a Topic that may be a trigger to some regarding domestic violence (remember it doesn't always have to be physical mental abuse is ABUSE.)

So many questions, so much left to the imagination 

When we finally thought we got a grasp of who might be the villain we get blindsided 

and ultimately are still left wondering!!

&

That ending Yeesh!!

Need Escalation STAT!!! Who is Rafe Matthews???