(E) His to Possess by Opal Carew

Jessica wants to start over - new job in a new city - to escape the broken heart she left in her hometown.  She never expected that a brief encounter, and a ride to a career fair, would lead to a one night stand with a hot billionaire.  When she receives a job offer weeks later, she is shocked to learn that her new boss is the same man she slept with.  Worried about mixing business with pleasure, she is relieved when he tells her that their relationship will be dictated by her and he will abide by her wishes.

Dane Rainer wants Jessica back in his bed, despite what he tells her.  Although he is a man of his word, neither of them can deny the attraction they hold for each other.  Knowing Jessica is still broken hearted over the man she left behind, they agree to move forward on a purely physical relationship.  But when Jessica's ex walks in, everyone is shocked to see that Jessica's "Storm" is actually Dane's prodigal brother, Rave.

This book held SUCH promise for me!  The beginning was phenomenal.  Filled with hot sex and great dialogue, I was eager to see how the author would sort out the love triangle between Jessica and the two brothers.  Both men want Jessica happy more than anything else, despite the fact that they both admit they are in love with her.  Dane, wanting to repair the relationship with his brother, pushes Jessica away and back into the arms of his brother.  However, he realizes that his own happiness is just as important as his relationship with his brother.

And then the book goes downhill for me.  Maybe it was because I felt like the book couldn't find its identity.  Its marketed as a D/s book but with only one line at the beginning of the book and two sexual scenes where being tied up (amongst other things in the later scene!) is used.  I felt like it was just a run-of-the-mill erotica book with some bondage thrown in.  Dane's line of wanting Jessica to be in a full-on Dom/sub relationship really held no bearing in the book.  I kept waiting for further scenes to increase in the Dominating aspect of sex but it was never there.  Until the end, where things just got plain WEIRD.

Maybe it was because they were brothers.  Maybe it was because suddenly, Jessica is into full on Dom gear with swings and being strapped into a leather contraption.  I don't know.  But when Dane and Rave both have M/F/M sex with Jessica, I was just confused.  Like I said, maybe it was because they were brothers and that just seems sick to me (I have nothing against M/F/M in books - I'd just like to point that out).

And then there was the actual ending.  Rave has spent all this time saying he's in love with Jessica and then suddenly he's not.  He has this sudden epiphany that he was, what?  In love with being in love?  Get serious.  Rave was supposed to be this bad boy who fell in love - not some softie who just shakes his head and lets Jessica go.

This book held such promise for me!  The beginning was great.  But the end... it just fell way too short for me.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

(E) The Education of Victoria by Angela Meadows

An open letter to the author...

I would first like to direct your attention to the definition of the word, plot (as defined by dictionary.com):  "Also called a storyline.  The plan, scheme, or main story of a literary or dramatic work, as a play, novel, or short story."

Now, I have read a great many books in my time and there are only two books that, until now, I have not finished once I began.  The first was Woman in Red by Eileen Goudge and the other was Consequences by Aleatha Romig.  You now have the distinction of being added to that list.  Why, you may ask?  I refer you back to my opening statement, the definition of the word "plot" - of which your book does NOT have one!

If I wanted to spend my time reading about nothing but sex, give me something that makes me want to push forward in the book; that makes me want to turn each and every page.  Give me characters that I relate to and that I want to see succeed.  Even Fifty Shades of Grey had a plot, despite the countless pages of sex that was within it.  We wanted to see how Ana and Christian achieved being in a relationship together despite his massive faults.  We wanted to see the characters grow because we knew that underneath it all, they loved each other.  Your characters were just a bunch of silly young girls who had a bunch of random sex with each other (by the way, I get the whole "you need to figure out how to please yourself before you please a man" part but why throw in all the F/F sex if they're figuring out how to please a man?).  You didn't give us a likable character in Victoria, who seemed nothing but a silly, air-headed aristocratic daughter who wanted things handed to her.  You didn't even give us a love interest for crying out loud!!

I even skipped to the end of the book, hoping against hope that there was something that would keep me reading.  "Just maybe she'll have achieved something - a love interest perhaps or even finding a dark secret about the school that she and the other girls need to figure out."  But, alas, I did not.  Next time you write a book, give us characters we want to cheer for and give us an actual PLOT to keep us interested.

Thank you.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

(R) The Fireside Inn by Lily Everett

When Brit Lord Leo Strathairn is asked to do a reading at his best friend Miles' wedding on the small Sanctuary Island in Virginia, he agrees even though he is hiding a secret from his friends.  Wanting to keep them in the dark, he goes to the local library and meets head librarian, Serena Lightfoot.  Using all of his charm, he gets Serena to agree to help him - all without revealing his secret.

Serena has always been unlucky in love.  She was always attracted to men who only wanted her brain more than her body and once they had what they needed, they dumped her.  She was wary of Leo at first but when the sparks between them fly, she is hopeful that she will finally meet someone who wants every last bit of her.  But when she discovers Leo's secret, Serena realizes he is just like every other man who has come into her life.

She and Leo realize they are perfect for one another in this sweet little novella.  This book is the perfect read for anyone looking for a wonderful, light romance.  There is no sex, although it is alluded to, and yet these characters still manage to make you swoon.  Leo is the atypical alpha male who thinks doesn't want anyone to know his weakness.  And Serena was a nice change from the "men only want to screw me and then leave me" female character that we normally see in these books.  The way Leo manages to make Serena know just how much he loves her really makes this book complete.  I loved this novella and I am looking forward to reading more by Ms. Everett!

An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.