‘Locke and Key’: a soldier hurt by a tenacious reporter collide with a fiery passion

Synopsis

Locke is a military man who lost a group of his men in Iraq years ago. To him, there is one person solely responsible for the tragic night 26 soldiers were killed.

Cassidy is the reporter Locke blames for the fateful night in Iraq. After that night, Cassidy lost her place has a high standing reporter and is working to make her way back to the top.

Several years later Locke and Cassidy collide when Locke is on a Titan rescue mission in Russia. The two butt heads, but soon discover there is an explosive chemistry between them. Locke and Cassidy soon find temselves working together and uncover Russian mobsters putting together a sex trafficking network.

Locke and Cassidy must work through their differences to help uncover the truth, save lives and find love.

Thoughts on the Book

                Ever since I started the Titan series, I have loved each new book Cristin Harber has released. “Locke and Key” is no exception.

Locke is a sexy sweetheart! The man knows how to make a girl swoon. I am one of those girls who loves when a guy comes up with nicknames, and Locke comes up with not one, not two, but several. I won’t reveal all of them, especially the one he sticks to for Cassidy (you’ll have to read the book to find that one out), but a few include Red, Flamethrower, Riding Hood and Strawberry Shortcake. See a theme here? Cassidy is a red head with a fiery personality and Locke roles with it.

When these two get together for a hot and steamy scene, Cristin Harber definitely went all out. The entire book was great, but the scenes where Locke and Cassidy got a little down and dirty were wow. Harber does a fantastic job of conveying the passion and chemistry between the two in the process. Take a look at the below snippets from “Locke and Key,” provided by Cristin Harber and her publicist Tara Gonzalez, to see what I mean.

 

Trust me, it gets better as you read. This is only a taste of what occurs between Locke and Cassidy when they are together.

Throughout the entire book, I was on the edge of my seat. My heart was constantly going crazy throughout the entire book, as well. Between the chemistry Locke and Cassidy have, the steamy sex scenes, and the stomach clenching fear induced from interactions with Russian mobsters, you won’t be able to get off the rollercoaster ride that is “Locke and Key.”

One thing within the book that I questioned was how fast Locke flips from hating Cassidy to lusting after her. It seemed all of a sudden to me. I get that he didn’t have all the facts before his “intel-therapy” on the night in Iraq where 26 of his men died, but I felt there could have been a smoother transition. Maybe it also felt this way to me because I had to pause in my reading a few times. I’ll have to read it again to see if that is the case, but for this first round, it felt like it needed a smoother transition from a hate relationship to a love relationship. However, I did like that they resolved their issues from that night and that there was a build up before they jumped into bed together. The build up aspect wasn’t rushed and seemed to flow just right.

Overall, I would definitely recommend you read “Locke and Key.” Honestly, I would recommend you read the whole series if you are looking for an amazing military romance series. You won’t regret it. No two stories are ever the same, and you just can’t help falling in love with each and every one of the sexy and strong men that make up Titan.

Check out my book cover reveal post for “Locke and Key” to see the official synopsis for the book and my release day post to read a full excerpt from “Locke and Key.” Also check out my review post on “Garrison’s Creed,” the second book in the Titan series, to see what other Titan books are like and to find links to free books to get you started on the series.

 

‘Club Shadowlands’: a sexy erotic novel more realistic than what you read in ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’

“Why they think everyone should be alike in making love when no one can even agree on what ice cream they like, I’ll never know” -“Dark Citadel”(Masters of the Shadowlands Series Book 2)

                With the release and popularity explosion of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” erotic romance novels have become increasingly present in stores.

Although the genre of erotica and BDSM novels can be controversial at times, I feel I should provide you with reviews on all types of romance novels. If you are wondering if reading these types of novels says something bad about you, my response to you would be “Hell no, it doesn’t.” Some people read the erotic genre simply because they like to. It doesn’t necessarily mean they participate in such activities, but if they do, so what? There is absolutely no shame in it.

The quote above sums up what Cherise Sinclair’s series, “Masters of the Shadowlands,” a series solely focused on Dominant/submissive members of a private BDSM club, is focused on. We don’t all have the same opinions, thoughts, likes, dislikes or even sexual preferences. You don’t have to fall into what people think the status quo is for a certain aspect of life. And that is exactly what Sinclair’s characters do. They don’t follow the status quo. Do what you want and what makes you happy and, in some cases, make sure you do it in a safe and consensual manner.

Book synopsis

                Jessica Randal, an accountant, becomes stranded during a storm with the only hope for shelter being a lone mansion in the middle of nowhere. The mansion isn’t just a rich family’s home, though. Jessica discovers she has stumbled upon a private BDSM club.

Master Z, owner of the “Shadowlands,” caters to all varying types of sexual preferences in his club, as long as it follows his golden rule of safe and consensual.

Z hasn’t found a submissive he is willing to commit full time to until Jessica, drenched and covered in mud, walks into his club. Jessica, though, is used to the straight-laced life of being an accountant, all of which doesn’t involve the kinky lifestyle of a Dominant/submissive relationship.

“Club Shadowlands,” the first novel in the Masters of the Shadowlands series, brings to realistic life the lifestyle of BDSM in the form of a master dominant opening the eyes of an abruptly introduced submissive to the lifestyle.

Bonus! It’s FREE!

What more do I need to say? Free is always good! Without spending a dime, you get a taste of the erotic world Sinclair has created, and you can see if it intrigues you enough to venture further into the series. Z and Jessica do appear in the novels following “Club Shadowlands” conclusion.

Thoughts on the book

                Overall, I wasn’t disappointed with this book. It introduced the characters and the different facets of the club and lifestyle smoothly without overwhelming you. The sexy scenes are steamy, and Master Z definitely shows he is in control and knows what he is doing

It is a bit fast paced at times, and I felt at one or two points there could have been something added between the fast jumps from one occurrence to the next. But it didn’t bother me to the point of being annoying.

                One strange thing I originally didn’t like was the fact that Master Z can sense a person’s thoughts/emotions.

“Within a short distance, I can actually read minds. Emotions, rather, and limited to what the person feels”

This added character trait of Master Z’s threw me off and made me think I had stumbled upon a supernatural novel set in a BDSM club. I soon, however, accepted it as a unique character trait for him. After a while, it grows on you. Z is the only character throughout the series, though, with a unique ability. It makes Master Z quite effective as the owner of the “Shadowlands” who endeavors to watch over and protect all his members. And it helps him in his meddling attempts to find the perfect and permanent submissive for other dominants.

The series and the author

                Sinclair does a fantastic job in opening your eyes to the realistic aspects of a BDSM lifestyle and a Dominant/submissive relationship. She comes off as very informed on the subject of BDSM. Check out her website and see what I mean. She has written several articles about different aspects of participating in BDSM, which show how knowledgeable she is.

Sinclair doesn’t simply explore dominant and submissive relationships in her series, though. She also incorporates into her series the varying types of Dominant/submissive relationships. Some of her books explore the aspects of a relationship between a sadist and a masochist, a female dominant and a male submissive and two dominants sharing one submissive. She explores it all.

So, check it out if you are interested. Remember this is a work of fiction, and if you choose to explore outside of just reading, be careful.

‘Garrison’s Creed’: a sexy sniper and fierce CIA agent reunite

Synopsis

Cash Garrison is a sniper working for Titan Group, a black ops organization. He fell in love with his best friend’s sister back in college, believing she died his senior year. However, one fateful mission destroys what he believes happened to the girl of his dreams and brings them back into each other’s lives.

Nicola, an undercover CIA agent, thought she would never see her family or the love of her life ever again, but things change when a Titan mission collides with the mission she has been working on for months.

Confused and unsure of how to proceed, Cash and Nicola try to sort out their feelings and the new situation of reunited lovers they find themselves in.

Cash and Nicola are put together to catch a mole in the CIA and deal with a mobster seeking revenge. Cash learns he must accept that Nicola works in the field as a CIA agent, which places her in precarious situations. At the same time, Nicola looks to show she can go toe-to-toe with the bad guys and doesn’t need a man to protect her.

“Garrison’s Creed” is a military romance rollercoaster filled with action, steamy love scenes and a long sought for happily-ever-after.

Thoughts on the book

                 Full disclosure: Cash is one of my top five book boyfriends. With his endearment of “sweet girl” for Nicola, Cash is a sweet gentleman who isn’t afraid to let his alpha male attitude show.

“Stop your sweet ass one second, and turn around, Nicola”

“I trust you to make the right move. But if something happens, I’m there, itchy trigger finger and all. You’re mine to protect and possess.” Processing his words….The seconds ticked by. “I’m yours?” “Was there some confusion about that?”

And boy is he not afraid to lay it all out for Nicola.

“Screw that. Here’s the truth. I lost you once… I like this. I like us. And I liked last night. A lot. You’re more than a fun fuck, and I don’t want to lose you again, so there you go sweet girl. Maybe I’m all lost in nostalgic malarkey, but not only do I want you in bed, I want you out of bed. Which, as you’ve been clued in to, isn’t my MO. So shit’s different with you.”

At the same time, Nicola is a warrior woman who can hold her own and can run with the big boys.

…slammed her against the wall. Her head lolled to the side, but rights. Her eyes locked on Cash’s. A fucking smile danced across her face, mouthing “hi.” She was insane. He loved a crazy woman

Cristin Harber, author of the Titan series novels, does an amazing job bringing the characters and the world they inhabit to life. The story doesn’t drag and you fall in love and sympathize with the characters completely wishing you could be a part of the Titan world, especially if it means you are surrounded by sexy warrior men.

FREE books to look at alongside “Garrison’s Creed”

                Who doesn’t love free books? Not only is there one free book, but two you can add to your Kindle or iBooks library.

“Sweet Girl” is the prequel to “Garrison’s Creed,” telling the story of how Cash and Nicola fell in love back in college. You get to see who Cash and Nicola were before they became the kickass Titan sniper and CIA agent and discover what tore the two apart for 10 years. I absolutely fell in love with Cash and Nicola through this book, which made me buy “Garrison’s Creed” immediately when I discovered their story continued. Then, it was up hill from there in buying every book in the Titan series. I cannot tell you how much I have loved this series from day one and continue to with each new book released.

The second free book is the first novel in the Titan Series, “Winter’s Heat.” Military psychologist Mia Kensington collides with Titan operative Colby Winters. Start from the beginning, and a free one at that, to discover what the Titan Series is all about. It only gets better and better after this one.

WARNING about one book in the Titan series

                I want to warn you about one of the books, “Savage Secrets,” if you do delve into the Titan series. “Savage Secrets” includes a detailed sexual assault scene. I did not see the warning on Amazon stating “book includes violent scenes” (which isn’t very clear as to what “violent scenes” fully entails) when I first bought and read the novel. I love the series and have reread the books several times, but I never reread this one because of how disturbing the sexual assault scene is. I love Rocco and Caterina’s story, but I can’t make myself reread it because of this one disturbing aspect.

Titan World

                Be a part of Titan world through Facebook. Cristin Harber has a personal Facebook page and a Team Titan page where you can connect with her and the amazing, fierce and strong readers who love the series. It’s an amazing group of people, which I am a part of, and Cristin Harber is great at interacting with all her readers

Enhancing your reading experience, showing your love of books

As a book lover, we not only buy and collect books. We also possess other items to enhance our reading experience and to show off our love of books.

For this post, I want to show you some of the items I have collected over the years, and continuously collect, to add to my reading experience. Also, I wanted to give you some shopping items to add to your shopping list.

So, first the items I love and use to enhance my reading experience with items both big and small.

1. BookBub is a website for readers who are looking for great e-book deals or new books to discover. The website has you choose the genres you enjoy reading, and then every day they email you their daily deals of free or discounted e-books based on your preferences
2.  Of course, what does it mean to read a book without a bookmark? You may be a reader who burns through a book in a few hours without stopping with no need for a bookmark, and that is awesome! However, if you are like me, you are constantly busy and have days where you can only fit in 30 minutes to an hour of reading time. P.S. these are only the ones I currently have at school with me. I assure you my collection is much larger than just three!
3. If you find yourself reading at night, then you might find it beneficial to invest in a reading light. I personally bought one because 1) I used to share a room with a roommate and stay up late reading 2) now that my roommate and I have separate rooms, I prefer dimmer lighting and 3) I don’t feel like rolling out of bed just to flip the light switch off. It’s late at night and I am tired, so don’t judge.
4. This is a new discovery of mine. Sometimes you find holding a book open through a reading spree can cause your thumb to hurt, especially with smaller books with stiff binding. This is where “Thumb Thing Book Page Holder” is great. The only drawback I have found is it is plastic and it tends to dig into the top of my thumb, but there are other options out there. I still use it, though, and it is very helpful.
5. This little gem is called “The Book Seat” and is my favorite new thing in the world to use when reading. I tend to use it more when utilizing my Kindle. You just rest it in your lap and it holds the book up for you! It has annoyed me slightly with paper books when I need to turn the page, but it’s definitely useful with e-readers. I would recommend this for avid book lovers who want something to help prop their books up while sitting or lying on their side when reading.
6. When setting up a peaceful environment while reading, usually I like to have dim lighting, occasionally turn on my mini essential oil diffuser and soft, mellow music in the background. Spotify has several great playlists for this. I usually go to the “Focus” or “Sleep” category when browsing or to the coffeehouse playlists in the “Mood” category.

Now, book accessories are great, but a true book lover takes it further and buys many items, showing how much they passionately love books, aside from the bookshelves full of books or, in the case of my future home, a whole room (or two) full of books.

1. Clothes! Nothing says I love books like clothes saying it loud and proud.
2. Of course, we can’t always hold a book in our hand, especially when we need them for other activities, like eating. So, to continue to convey to the world what an amazing booklover you are, you eat/drink in style.
3. My mom found these for me and obviously knows me well enough to know my favorite classical romance novel is “Pride and Prejudice.” Find some temporary tattoos, or permanent ones, to show your love of books.

What are some of your favorite book accessories or apparel?