Review: Guarded Desires (Uniform Encounters #4) by Morticia Knight

A sexy young National Guardsman, a snarky bear of a DEA Agent and a vicious Mexican drug cartel. Someone’s going to be sorry.

Special Agent Stephen Morris thought his home life had settled into a pleasantly dull routine. Hanging out in his yard and barbequing is a typical weekend for the brawny mid-thirties man—and his partner Rigo from the DEA office is usually there with his family to keep him company. Being assigned to a main border crossing in Nogales, Arizona, keeps him busy enough at work, so he doesn’t have time to worry about love. However, that doesn’t mean he’s not lonely.

Twenty-two year old PFC Guardsman, Joseph Pirelli, is on an active-duty-for-training mission to help support border patrol and the DEA. The Vasquez drug cartel has become even more vicious than ever—going so far as to target civilians on both sides of the border. Joseph and Stephen are thrown together in a direct conflict with the cartel and a part of Joseph’s dark past is revealed.

Joseph is incredibly attracted to Stephen, even though he doesn’t typically go for older men. He longs to find love, but is still recuperating from an abusive past. The idea of becoming close to a man who could physically harm him brings up fears that may ruin his chances at any kind of relationship with the big teddy bear agent.

Sometimes love shows up when you aren’t looking for it and gives you a chance you shouldn’t ignore. Both men will have the opportunity to wonder what it would be like to lose the other and to decide what they’re willing to risk to be together.

Crazy fast-paced! That's the first thing that came to mind when I finished this in one afternoon. Whew. A whole lot happened in it's short 150 pages. I'm not normally into the 'suspense' part of a romantic suspense, but I just couldn't look away until I turned the last page. 

Joseph and Stephen meet and are instantly attracted to each other.  They meet and sparks fly! But Joseph has a troubled past with an even more troubled ex. There was a hurt/comfort theme going on and, I have to say, it made me like Stephen even more than I already did with how he handled it. He was very sweet and loving when it came to Joseph and his insecurities. He never pushed for too much and waiting for Joseph to voice his readiness in the next steps of their relationship.

I was shown and could see their chemistry and the feelings they had for each other, but I didn't feel it too much. I didn't feel the love they had for each other after only being together for a short while. I felt enough to be satisfied with their HEA, but I still found myself wanting more.

The suspense plot-line was very well done and I was completely consumed by the story. I loved all the action and how fast everything moved. I normally get lost in all the 'technical talk' that's in a suspense novel, but everything was so quick that I didn't have time to get lost. Whew. It felt like a whirlwind.

I really liked Guarded Desires and would like to read the rest of the series. I did read this one without reading the first three *pauses for gasps* but it read perfectly fine as a stand alone.

A copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Jenni Lea's Guilty Pleasures

Ahhh, guilty pleasures.  We all have them.  Those books that cause you to blush embarrassedly when you purchase them and you hesitate before letting anyone know you’re reading them, if at all.

I have two guilty pleasures.  The first is shifter fluff.  The second… Mpreg (I know!).  I couldn’t even begin to tell you why I love these types of books so much.  Just that they are good escapism and they leave me with the warm fuzzies.  And when I come across a book that has both?  Hoo boy!  I’ve died and gone to heaven!  

I want to share a couple of them with you.  Who knows, maybe you will like them too.  Maybe you will even share them with your friends.  No need to be ashamed.  C’mon, I told you my guilty pleasure. 
 What’s yours?



SHIFTER FLUFF

Two years ago, the small Southern Ohio town of Isherwood seemed to change overnight. Businesses were abandoned or sold and townsfolk just up and moved away. Now, those who were left behind are trying to keep their lives afloat on the hope that things will improve someday.

Finn Webb is one of those people. His construction and remodeling company he runs with his sister is one of the largest employers left in town. He’s felt his world teetering on the edge of failure for so long, that saving an injured dog is a bright spark of life he’s happy to hold onto.

Cas Maine has come to Isherwood because that’s where the road led. He’s tired, hungry and desperate for the acceptance and safety he once had in his birth pack. But crossing into town sees him shifting into his wolf form and unable to shift back. Then he’s hit by a car only to be rescued by his one true mate.

What follows is a series of events where a job outside of town lets Cas and Finn grow closer while also leading to the uncovering of numerous secrets held by several inhabitants of Isherwood. Everyone has a stake in this. And the stakes are high...

You know, this book surprised me.  I started reading this expecting it to be the everyday normal shifter fluff but it wasn’t.  Oh yes, it was fluff, but with a twist.  I thoroughly enjoyed the new and refreshing spin on the classic shifter that Missy Welch has created.  

I liked the fact that although we have Alphas in the story they weren’t the all-powerful beasts that you normally read about.  They had flaws and weaknesses too.  

I also liked the fact that everyone was so completely normal.  There were a lot of different personalities showcased but none of them were over the top and it really made the storyline flow smoothly.

I did have a few niggles though.  The villain in the story wasn’t, in my opinion, very fleshed out.  We never learned why he did what he did and what was different about him.

But!  There was a lot of good feels in this story.  There were quite a few times I laughed out loud and even a moment or two I had tears in my eyes.

All in all this was a very enjoyable read and a nice surprise. 


MPREG

 When his children are taken away from him without living at all, Merin is at the end of his rope and still has to save Rin from the clutches of sorrow. But not even in his grief can he find peace, because the attacker is plotting and his newly united kingdom must prepare for war against a vicious invading army.

Will working together save the kingdom—and their family—from giving in to the continuing challenges? Can love truly conquer all or will their enemies finally achieve victory? 

What a surprisingly wonderful story!

With as much antipathy as I felt towards the first book, King’s Conquest, I feel an equal amount of enthusiasm for this little gem. The difference in the writing between the two is so great it almost seems as though they were written by two separate authors. The words flowed with an eloquence that reflected the maturity of not only the main character Merin, whose point of view we get firsthand, but that of the author as well.

For those of you that quit this series after reading the first book I say give this one a try. You may be pleasantly surprised at what you find.

 

Happy Hour Chat: "Claimings, Tails and Other Alien Artifacts" by Lyn Gala

Welcome to the March 2014 Happy Hour Chat with the BMBR unicorns! Today we're chit chatting about an alien sci-fi story by the incomparable Lyn Gala.

In case we've managed to keep this a secret all this time, we should let y'all know that we're an international unicorn mafia spanning three countries and eight time zones, and it's only through the miracles of technology that this wonderful happy hour can take place each month. Alas, we regret to report that, due to the atrocious weather in certain areas of the USA recently, our very own Bracken Rainbow Stallion (a.k.a. Justin) took shelter in the stables rather than visit the clubhouse for March's happy hour. Stay safe, Stallion!

The rest of us managed to mosey our way into the clubhouse and pop open the champagne, cocktails, and ginger ale (for some of us non-drinkers). Lyn Gala will be BMBR's featured author for March, so keep an eye out for more reviews of her work this month!

March's Happy Hour Chat book is Claimings, Tails and Other Alien Artifacts by Lyn Gala.

Ann of Ween Gaybles: I gotta get a cocktail refresh BRB 

Sunny: are we ready to talk tail sex? 

Jenni Lea: TAIL SEX! 

SRAL: ready. 

Natasha: I love tail sex 

Breann: yup! 

Sunny: There wasn't enough, though 

Jenni Lea: It was my first time. I was a tail sex virgin. Lyn Gala popped my cherry. ;D 

Audrey: Oh, poor J, having to miss out on this due to technical difficulties. ^__^ I'm sure he's weeping. 

Breann: no, there certainly wasn't 

Lorix: Me too JL: 

SRAL: Same here Jo. 

Sunny: hey, there was tail sex in HHW! 

Lorix: I know Audrey!! 

Natasha: I loved HHW *sigh* 

Ann of Ween Gaybles: TAIL SEX and I'm back 

Want to hear more about aliens, tail sex, and lovey-dovey D/s? Hop into our pillow nest and check it out after the jump!

Guest Review: Fear (The Copper Horse, #1) by K.A. Merikan

London
1907, twenty years into the Zombie Plague

Reuben is a baker living in the slums of London, sharing a room with his father and an extended family of cockroaches. Poor, uneducated, and repressing all his sexual desires, he leads a life of misery, only sometimes sprinkled with gin and a rough tumble in a filthy back alley.

But when he is abducted into Bylondon to be the slave of a wealthy crime family member named Erik Dal, his values are put to the test. His new master is obsessed with all things equestrian, and Reuben soon learns that if he obeys and performs well as Erik's horse, he might just get everything he yearns for: pampering, foods he never even dreamed of, and shameless sex with a demonically handsome young man in leather riding boots.

As Copper, Erik's treasured dun stallion, Reuben must submit to his new master's obscene fancy of possessing another man completely. That is, if he yearns for treats and not the lick of a riding crop. Fake tails, harnesses, and a new haircut to his ginger mane help Reuben transform into Copper, but the fear of losing his dignity in the eyes of society might just prove to be a bigger restraint than any bit, bridle, or handcuffs.

All that for the small price of his freedom. Though at times, Reuben feels it's his soul that Erik is after instead.

YOU WANT PONIES?

Yes, yes…YES! Pony Play. Real pony play, not alluded to or teased about or bait and switch. All the goodies guaranteed. This isn't one of those fizzle and duds, but a live firecracker--Pop…Pop…POP!

Set in an alternate universe where the plague has given way to the rise of zombies and the fall of civilization. Safety keeps people behind the walls of London for only the brave or the stupid wander beyond. Or those looking to make a good profit.

Reuben has been looking for something better. He wants things and he either can't have them or can't find them. He puts himself in some dangerous situations, but then the bottom rung pretty much assures that anything or anyplace else would be a step up and taking a chance, he gambles.

And loses.

He never had many choices, but now even those few are gone. Suddenly, finding himself in world he couldn't even imagine Reuben starts on the journey to become Copper. There are perks and struggles he faces as he learns to be Master Erik's show stallion--to accept his role, his place and his desires.

While the setting and some of the scenes are gruesome, the story itself has a sweetness to it. Copper is a prized stallion and therefore treated as such, but he is expected to be an obedient one. So while this is a story that becomes more loving as it goes on and Copper and Erik bond; it is not a gentle one. Erik is firm, but never unduly cruel. In fact, there are several instances where you realize how gentle of heart Erik truly is.

To be honest, it's pretty darn hot. There's a couple scenes that definitely turned my crank and Reuben's from the way Erik played him. Erik's a hedonist and he takes his pleasures, but he gives them, too. HAWT. You know, like take a personal break or maul your significant other HAWT. That's the only willing reason to stop reading.

This story ends at point where Copper has cleared a hurdle and is ready to progress to the next stage, one that's been hinted at. So the HFN is great, but I really want the sequel, now. Trust me there's some pretty tempting things waved in front of us.

There are some kinky elements, but they are moderate. No extremes. This is more forced submission with dub con moments than non con. There is also pony play, mild humiliation, fisting, and caning.

Favorite quote:

"There's no shame in pleasure. We need to use every bit of time we've got, Copper."

~A Guest Review by Vivian~ 

Review: Floodgates by Mary Calmes

Tracy Brandt considers himself a lucky man. He has a wonderful family, good friends, and a dependable job. His love life, however, features a cheating ex who, though out of the house, is not yet out of the picture—with a past that just might get Tracy killed.

Homicide inspector Cord Nolan wants nothing more than to show his best friend’s little brother that he’s a reliable man, but to do that he’ll have to get Tracy to look past the player he used to be. It'll be a tough sell; reputation is everything, and Cord's is tarnished by his past indiscretions.

Tracy and Cord have spent five years trying to suffocate their fiery attraction under a blanket of grudging antagonism. When Tracy finds himself with a target on his back, Cord finally has the chance to ride to the rescue and break through the dam of Tracy's reserve. But he’d better be careful: if Cord is breaking the floodgates to wash away the past, he's going to have to hold tight to Tracy to make sure they're still standing when the tumult recedes.

Alright, I’m just gonna come right out and say this…

I have an addiction..

I’m addicted to Mary Calmes books.  It doesn’t matter what this woman writes, I’m gonna read it and enjoy it and cherish it and adore it.  I can’t help myself.  I HAVE TO read her books!

Floodgates is no different.  When I first saw that it was coming out soon I broke out into a sweat and I swear I began having heart palpitations.  The anticipation was killing me!  I think I need professional help.

So many people were disappointed that it seemed just like her other books but me - I liked that.  I wanted that.

I want the formula.

I want the insta-love.

I want the Jory/Stefan/Jin character.

I want the Alpha male.

I want the kidnapping.

I want the perfection.

There were parts to this book that irritated the ever loving shit outta me.  But I loved it nonetheless.  

Once again I will say:  this woman could rewrite the damn phone book and I would read it.  

This is my crack.  This is my addiction.  

I don’t wanna be cured.

Review: Max and Finn (Men of Smithfield #2) by L.B. Gregg

When I walked out of his office after the hottest sex of my life, I thought I’d left Max Douglas behind me forever— along with my favorite argyle socks and my self-respect. The last thing I need is the too-serious, too-sexy former Marine living across the hall from me while he acts as a bodyguard for one of my students. Especially since he fired me from my job tutoring his brother—after we hooked up.

I shouldn’t want him. I should despise him after the way he treated me. But he’s exactly my type: older, experienced, in control—and it’s obvious the lust is still mutual. While I may not be able to keep our relationship strictly professional, I’m determined to keep it purely physical. But when the stalker threats escalate, it looks like Max is going to be sticking around the school for a while—and the more I get to know him, the more I’m in danger of losing my heart.

Pure entertainment. 

Between L.B. Gregg's humorous writing style and Shannon Gunn's ...erhm... enthusiastic narrating, I found my self laughing more often than not. I know that was L.B. Gregg's intention in her writing, but was that Shannon Gunn's intention with the narrating? I'm not sure, but I found him to be freaking hilarious.

It all starts when Finn decides he likes the older brother of the boy he's tutoring. What's the next, logical step in a situation such as this?

Step 1: Go to crush's office
Step 2: Take off your shirt
Step 3: Check to make sure said crush has a hard-on
Step 4: If no - ABORT OPERATION SEDUCTION
If yes - continue to, oh so arrogantly, undress
Step 5: Let him bend you over that desk and have his hard, dirty way with you

I wrote it all out for you, in case you find yourself in a similar situation. Just a public service us unicorns like to offer. *tips unicorn horn*

Anyway, back to Max and Finn. That all happened, but there was a little fallout and they split ways. Then, uh-oh, Max is working private security at the prep school where Finn works. They meet again and there is tension. Finn is remembering how hard Max likes to give it and how hard he likes to take it. *bites lip*

I especially enjoyed Finn and his inner dialogue. Being inside his head, on audio, was so completely amusing and I just fell in love with him. Max was meh. It took a while for him to warm up and become a likeable character to me. Yeah, he's supposed to be a hard-ass, but that whole charade lasted too long for me. I felt the chemistry in a lust kind of way, but not so much in an HEA kind of way. I think I need more time with them as a couple to buy the forever deal with Max and Finn.

It was fun and pretty darn hilarious. I liked the little mystery that went along with their romance and that it was secondary. I will definitely be picking up the third on audio.

Shannon Gunn. *chuckles* I just can't get enough of that guy.

Blog Tour & Group Review: Double Blind by Heidi Cullinan

OR . . . In which all the Unicorns change their last names to Jensen because of the ridiculous amount of love they have for Randy.

DOUBLE BLIND Release Date: March 4, 2014 Book Two in the Special Delivery Series

Know when to show your hand…and when to hedge your bets.

Randy Jensen can’t stand to just sit by and watch as a mysterious man throws money away on the roulette wheel, especially since Randy’s got his own bet going as to the reason this guy is making every play like it’s his last day on earth. The man’s dark desperation hits Randy right in the gut. Half of him warns that getting involved is a sucker’s bet, and the other half scrambles for a reason—any reason—to save the man’s soul.

Ethan Ellison has no idea what he’s going to do with himself once his last dollar is gone—until Randy whirls into his life with a heart-stealing smile and a poker player’s gaze that sees too much. Randy draws Ethan into a series of wagers that leads to a scorching kiss by midnight, but he isn’t the only one with an interest in Ethan’s vulnerability. Soon they’re both taking risks that not only play fast and loose with the law, but with the biggest prize of all: their hearts.

Warning: This story contains high-stakes poker, gangsters with a weakness for kittens, foursomes, and kinky consensual sex.

Available March 4, 2014 from Samhain Publishing and wherever books are sold.

This book has been previously published and has been revised from its original release.
Buy from these sellers: Samhain, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads

Excerpt on Heidi’s website

So, no huge surprise, the love in the clubhouse continues for this series. Just like Special Delivery, this was a re-read for a couple of us and a new read for the others. Being that we are all Randy Sluts and we wear that moniker with great pride, our collective rating for Double Blind is:

And now, straight from the Unicorns themselves, we have . . . . .

#1 Queen Randy Slut – Jenni Lea

For all the world that I loved Special Delivery, I loved Double Blind even more. Holy crap, did I love this book! I can’t even… I mean… just… Gah! I don’t even know where to begin!

Randy, Randy, Randy. Sir, I sure do love you. You are the most irritating, rambunctious, courageous, annoying, loud, hilarious, crafty, sexy crazy-ass motherfucker I have ever met. You are wonderful. I want to push Ethan out of the way and marry you instead. Except, I love Ethan too. He is certainly your other half, flip side of your coin, the yin to your yang. In other words, he is perfect for you.

I lurve this book. I lurve it so HARD.

Randy Harlot Numero Dos - Lorix
(she's a harlot onacounta she's the classy one)

Randy, Randy, who-fore art thou Randy?

So you read Special Delivery and loved Randy (you did, come on, EVERYONE loves Randy...right?), then you read Hooch & Cake (great title huh!) and loved him just a little bit more - yeah? You all agreeing with me? Well pick up Double Blind and hold on tight because here we see all of Randy and I ain't just talking up a naked bod (though of course we see that too).

I loved Double Blind because it filled out Randy's character. I thought I knew him, he was the kinky all knowing, super cool, don't give a fuck third person to Mitch and Sam's couple. That was Randy right? Yeah it is but in Double Blind we saw more of him - all of him, the whole person - and we learnt what makes him tick, what scares him and so much more. Kinky, sexy, no holds barred Randy is ever present in this story, he is still able to read people like a book....most of the time....but we see the other side to him as well and I LOVED it.

We also are introduced to some amazing new characters and a demon statue with a lucky knob, all it needed was a little stroke to bring you luck. {Hmm, we'll have to see about installing one of those in the clubhouse}. So if you haven't read this book yet and loved Special Delivery, what are you waiting for? Tough Love is out soon and I for one can't wait to get my hands on it!

Miss Slutty Sunny Sunshine, Randy Slut # Trois - Sunny

I loved Randy. I loved his compassion mixed with pragmatism. I loved his self assurance and openness to different experiences...and how casual and unapologetic he was about those experiences. Most of all, though, I loved his vulnerability.

He was so good at reading people, knowing what made people the way they were, what they needed. He was not so good at accepting what he needed. The counseling sessions with Sam broke my heart.

I liked how Ethan was such a good match for Randy. A little naive at first, but he was smart and it didn't take him long to catch on. Once he got his bearings, his confidence came through and he was able to hold his own...with both Randy and Crabtree. And...it was really hot when he got "...all elegant and strong and in control."

Even though this story was about Randy and Ethan, and I loved them as a couple, two of my favorite lines were about Randy's feelings for Sam: "Sam is from Iowa. Despite what he can do with his mouth, he's pretty innocent."

This was what he loved most about Sam, how he managed to be so sweet and innocent and absolutely depraved all at once.

Side note: I heart Crabtree

Bringing Up The Rear Randy Slut 4 - Ann
(because that's how I likes it)

I think I liked my re-read on Double Blind even more than the original read. Not because of any changes but because there is just so much story and so many amazing characters, they can’t possibly be digested the first time around. While this is Randy and Ethan’s story it is really so much more and getting sucked into a world that is “so much sin wrapped up in so much pretty” is a damn fine ride.

While Randy and Ethan are definitely the main characters and their romance is a major subject line, obviously, this is so much more than a sequel to Special Delivery. You know the kind of sequel/series thing where the next book is just the next two characters in line for a romance with a passing nod to previous couples? This is not that. This is a character study of fascinating people, circumstances and settings. Sam and Mitch are back and aren’t just mentioned in passing, they are an integral part of Randy’s life, just like loved ones are in real life, and seeing all their relationships grow and change was just as good this second time around and I think I appreciated all the subtleties in dialog and action even more.

Going back to the “romance is a major subject line” thought, Ethan and Randy were just so perfect for each other. As heartbreaking as Ethan’s story was, he and Randy never would have ended up together without it. I don’t mean just logistically either. Ethan really had to be at his “lowest Ace” point to see Randy and be open to his special brand of wisdom. I got the feeling that each one was the others first to really see the other, faults and all. In fact, I think they loved each other more for the perceived faults. It may have taken them each awhile to fully admit ALL their feelings, but they both knew from early on they needed each other and they really had been looking for each other forever, they just didn’t know it.

“Because Randy is the strangest, most wonderful thing I’ve ever seen and right now he’s the sun I can’t otherwise seem to find, even when it’s right above me in the sky.”


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