Fired Up by Amy Briggs Review

Title: Fired Up
Author:  Amy Briggs
Series: The Brotherhood of District 23
Genre: Contemporary Firefighter Romance
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date:  June 1, 2016
Edition/Format:  1st edition/eBook
Source:  Amazon Purchased
Rating:  4.5 Stars

Blurb: Jo Meadows did what she always dreamed, following her father’s footsteps and becoming a career firefighter. Still reeling from his sudden death, Jo attempts to settle roots where he had been the Chief. However, the new cocky Fire Chief, makes it difficult to stay focused on her goal, just like he has since they were kids.

Brian Cavanaugh is doing what he does best, taking command. After the Chief, his only father figure, passes away, he convinces Jo to come back to the department where her family is. While he’s always had his pick of the ladies, he quickly realizes what he’s been missing out on with Jo and what he’s been giving up for his career.

Torn between their responsibilities and their attraction for each other, their history ignites a spark that neither can deny. But Brian’s reputation for being a ladies’ man and now becoming her new boss challenges their scorching chemistry. Will he be able to prove to her he’s changed before Jo’s past comes back to haunt them both?

**Book contains adult themes, graphic sexual scenes and language. Not recommended for readers under the age of 18**

Review:  In book 1 of this trilogy, we meet Jo who has grown up with Brian.  There’s always been a chemistry between the two families that sets the pages of this book on FIRE.  Both characters are strong individuals, and Brian is the HOT alpha male yet a gentleman who makes no qualms about it.  Jo isn’t a pushover either.  Both Jo and Brian have a “no BS” type of attitude and are finally at a place in their lives that they can finally admit to what they’re feeling. 

Will their pasts’ get the best of them?  Can Jo look past Brian’s ways?  Will Brian be able to solve the mystery surround Jo?

This would have been a 5* book for me if it weren’t for the similarities between the names used in this book and that of other, more widely known books, and the somewhat predictable nature of this book.  I did LOVE LOVE LOVE the communication and familiarity we see between the two main characters. All in all, great book, great storyline, and I can’t wait for book 2!

Purchase Links

Amazon

Don't miss any of the other books in this series

Fully Involved and Controlled Burn

Also, Check out my reviews for Book 2 and 3 here!!!

Review Restrained Under His Duty by Stacey Kennedy

Title: Restrained Under His Duty
Author: Stacey Kennedy 
Series: Dirty Little Secrets  Book 3
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Suspense, BDSM
Publisher: Loveswept
Release Date: April 4 2017
Edition: eBook
Source: Loveswept via NetGalley
Rating 4.5 Stars
Blurb/Synopsis:

An uninhibited politician’s daughter falls for her loyal bodyguard behind closed doors in this scandalous novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Bound Beneath His Pain and Tied to His Betrayal.

As the chief of security for a prominent senator, Ryder Blackwood is stunned when an anonymous source sends him a compromising photo of his boss’s twenty-five-year-old daughter getting down and dirty in an underground sex club. If it gets out, the media firestorm could ruin her father. More troubling for Ryder is how arousing he finds the whole situation. He’s known Hadley Winters since she was a kid. And now she’s the woman in all his most private fantasies.

Wild behavior helps Hadley get through those painful, lonely nights, but she’s been waiting a long time for a man like Ryder to protect her from herself. Ryder is raw. He’s real. And he makes her feel safe. Now that they’ve both become pawns in a blackmailer’s dangerous game, there’s more at stake than her father’s political career. As the intimate threats tear apart a tender new love, Hadley is forced to trust Ryder with her life—and her heart.

Thoughts

Danger, Intrigue and Totally HOT
Restrained Under His Duty is the third book in Stacey Kennedy’s series entitled Dirty Little Secrets, and it takes us into the erotic BDSM world of the Dominants’ Council, four men who are not only friends but also own the four sole sex clubs in the city. Though this is the third title the first two titles Do NOT need read though I highly recommend it because the main story is slowly unfolding in each installment.

The chemistry between Ryder and Hadley is off the charts hot even if it is a little forbidden in Ryder’s eyes, he tries to live by the rule that you don’t mix business with pleasure but the heart wants what it wants, and Ryder’s heart wants his boss’s daughter. Everything about her is what he craves and wants and it becomes impossible to not cross those boundaries and break every rule he set for himself. This story is filled with mystery intrigue and a little danger just enough to keep you flipping those pages, but at its core it love that keeps us engaged as we watch two people fight against what they really really want and that is each other until it all becomes too much and those self-imposed boundaries are crossed and once crossed it can’t be undone.

I love this series. I was looking forward to this one (and dying for the next one)...and as a book, it did not disappoint, but as a part of the series, I wanted more. The buildup in each story answers just enough to satisfy but leaves us craving so much more. Come on Nov I need Gabe’s Story.

**** Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and the Author/Publisher with the hope that I will leave my Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising". *****

Purchase Links 

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

iBooks

Kobo

Don’t miss any of Stacey Kennedy’s seductive Dirty Little Secrets novels:

BOUND BENEATH HIS PAIN | TIED TO HIS BETRAYAL | RESTRAINED UNDER HIS DUTY  |  CUFFED BY HIS CHARM

Review Tied To His Betrayal by Stacey Kennedy

Title: Tied To His Betrayal
Author: Stacey Kennedy 
Series: Dirty Little Secrets  Book 2
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Suspense, BDSM
Publisher: Loveswept
Release Date: Nov 15 2016
Edition: eBook
Source: Loveswept via NetGalley
Rating 4.5 Stars
Blurb/Synopsis:

In a dazzling novel of passion and power from the bestselling author of Bound Beneath His Pain and the Club Sin series, a commanding man gives up his most prized possession to win back the one that got away.

Darius Bennett can’t live without supreme control. A self-made billionaire, he’s rich enough to get anything—and any woman—he wants, yet he’s still haunted by a broken relationship. Five years ago, Darius let Taylor Erikson go because he knew he could never give her what she truly wanted: his heart. But the moment Taylor walks back into his life, bruised and beaten, Darius blames himself. To make good on his betrayal, he vows to help her heal—in and out of the sheets.

Once upon a time, Darius was Taylor’s world. Now his fierce embrace is exactly what she needs to get back on her feet. But Taylor pays a heavy price for her sizzling nights with Darius. As the emotional ties become stronger than ever and the paparazzi hunt her down for their next juicy story, Taylor must face some hard truths. They can’t go back. And to move forward, the key to loving Darius isn’t about keeping his secrets—it’s about exposing them.

Tied to His Betrayal is intended for mature audiences.

Thoughts  

“The sex is dirty-sweet, with a dark lick of dominance and the tantalizing potential of redemption.”

This book was about second chances, heartbreak, and most of all, Love. Books like this remind me of why I absolutely LOVE reading. Books like this that grab me, hold me captive, envelop me in the story, leave a mark and have me begging for more even when the story is complete.

Hot. "Sexy, intriguing, suspenseful and heartwarming, Tied to His Betrayal will grab hold of readers' and leave them wanting more. Darius is a broody, swoon-worthy alpha male, and Taylor is a beautiful, courageous heroine. These two characters will pull at your heartstrings in this emotional and gripping tale.

I loved the hot and steamy scenes between them but what really got me was the slow development of feelings between them as they reconnected 5 yrs. later. The fighting against it. The feeling that neither of them deserved the happiness they had found in each other and the realization that they couldn't live without the other and the drive to fight for what they wanted. There were a number of twists that made the whole book richer and an outcome that made me sigh and smirk!! I really suggest that you read this wonderfully written book! And Don’t Forget to Check Out Book 1 in the Dirty Little Secrets Series Bound Beneath His Pain. Micah and Allie’s Story.

**** Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and the Author/Publisher with the hope that I will leave my Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising". *****

Purchase Links

Amazon 

Barnes and Noble 

iBooks

Kobo 

Don’t miss any of Stacey Kennedy’s seductive Dirty Little Secrets novels:

BOUND BENEATH HIS PAIN | TIED TO HIS BETRAYAL | RESTRAINED UNDER HIS DUTY  |  CUFFED BY HIS CHARM

Review Bound Beneath His Pain by Stacey Kennedy

Title: Bound Beneath His Pain
Author: Stacey Kennedy 
Series: Dirty Little Secrets  Book 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Suspense, BDSM
Publisher: Loveswept
Release Date: July 5 2016
Edition: eBook
Source: Loveswept via NetGalley
Rating 4.5 Stars
Blurb/Synopsis:

The USA Today bestselling author of the Club Sin novels kicks off a deeply sensual new series by introducing readers to Micah, a man who takes what he wants—until he meets the one woman he needs.

Real estate mogul Micah Holt exerts absolute control over all aspects of his life. He keeps his dark side hidden away from the press, who will chase down any hint of scandal. He’s always in command of his world, careful to expose his closely guarded secrets only to those he knows he can trust. Then Allie Bennett shakes his legendary discipline. She’s beautiful, pure, untainted. But is Micah willing to sacrifice her innocence for his own selfish obsessions?

When that sexy smile makes her body burn, Allie tries with all her might to ignore it. For one thing, Micah’s her new boss. For another, he’s as complicated as he is devastatingly handsome. Still, Allie can only fight so much before she gives in to his dangerous games. She knows he’s got dark secrets. But when she discovers the true depth of his pain, Allie must decide how far she’s willing to go to light the way for love.

Bound Beneath His Pain is intended for mature audiences. 

Thoughts 

Full of Intense and Emotional Scenes Micah and Allie are about to take you on a ride of your life where the heart desires what the heart desires and all else be damned. These two have an intense soul deep connection that either one can understand, but when together it is explosive.  Two broken souls that mend each other in an intense and hot way. Not all is what it seems in this deliciously hot read that will scorch the pages and melt the panties.

In a sense this is a Beauty and a Beast Story without an actual beast. Micah believes himself to be a beast a monster because of his secret desires and all the while the beauty holds her own secrets.
Can Micah’s two separate worlds coexist alongside each other or will his darker desires destroy a future he wants.

If you are looking to read a really intense and hot book make sure to Grab a Copy of Bound Beneath His Pain because this book delivers. I Highly Recommend It. It does leave off on a bit of a cliffhanger but not one that will leaving you angry just enough to set up the next book with new characters.

**** Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and the Author/Publisher with the hope that I will leave my Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising". *****

Purchase Links 

Amazon 

Barnes and Noble

iBooks 

Kobo

Don’t miss any of Stacey Kennedy’s seductive Dirty Little Secrets novels:

BOUND BENEATH HIS PAIN | TIED TO HIS BETRAYAL | RESTRAINED UNDER HIS DUTY  |  CUFFED BY HIS CHARM

Review The Dom Vs. The Virgin by Alice Ward

Title: The Dom Vs. The Virgin
Author: Alice Ward
Series: The Beasts of Baseball (Book 5)
Genre: Sports Romance, Humor
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: May 12 2017
Source: Hidden Gems ARC Service
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Blurb/Synopsis:

I'm a Dom. She's a Virgin. But not for long.

Living life as a recluse, I’ve quietly built my wealth under the radar of public attention. Then I followed my dream and created the New York Beasts, a bunch of MLB misfits who just won the f’ing World Series. I’m not under the radar now. In fact, everyone wants a piece of me.

How the hell I allowed myself to be part of a reality show, I’ll never know. But here I am, facing nine single women who see only two things — fresh man meat and big dollar signs.

Except her.

Beautiful, young, innocent Emery Rose didn’t plan on being here either. She’s flown under the radar too. But that won’t stop me from hunting her. Or from her hunting me.

She doesn’t know what she’s in for. Yeah, I might be the Beasts' Daddy, but the real beast is me.

Thoughts 

Dirty, Delicious, and just the right amount of Sass

This was my first read by Alice Ward and I guarantee it will not be my last. The heart melting sweet and panty dissolving hotness were on point and with a good dose of sass added into the mix I couldn’t put this one down! The characters were all on point even downF to the snobby and vindictiveness from some of the secondary characters.  

"Rhett Hamilton, swoon, that man is sex on a stick!"

"Rhett and Emery’s Story kept me burning from page to page. The chemistry between the two of them was undeniable and hot"

I loved this story plot as well it was fresh and fun. So many books lately all revolve around the same thing and this one just stood out amongst the sea of so many titles and books that are so alike. It was fresh reading a title that was not similar to so many others.

I enjoyed this title so much I went back and purchased all other titles in The Beasts of Baseball Series.

**** Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book from Hidden Gems and the Author/Publisher with the hope that I will leave my Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising". *****

Purchase Links
Amazon 

Excerpt Found Here

The Beasts of Baseball

(All Links Go to Amazon)

Rookie Mistake Book 1

Ace's Wild Book 2

Hard to Catch Book 3

Winning Streak Book 4 

The Dom Vs. The Virgin Book 5