My 5 of 5 stars is based on original story-telling, character depth, plot, editing and "that something extra" which I call completion of all. That something extra is how the other four come together and make you feel at the end of the story. Elizabeth delivers a story that progresses with every line, making you want to read more. The dialogue is fantastic. The premise is delivered with unique realism. The story draws you in. When the secondary character, Cindy, takes stage she almost overshadows our heroine. But as Samantha--our heroes sweet, strong, compassionate love interest continues on, I couldn't help but fall in love with her along with Derek. I have a snippet below in which I think captures what the story is about. BlurbWhen a man tells you who he is, believe him Billionaire entertainment investor Derek Damon Wright learned at a young age women were trouble. He’s unprepared for dancer Samantha Rose who walks into his thirteenth, Washington DC nightclub opening with an authenticity and passion for life that quickly rocks his jaded, albeit privileged, world. Samantha, an aerial artist and dance studio owner, hasn’t been lucky in love, and falling for the charismatic and resolute bachelor Derek won’t draw her closer to her greatest dream of having a baby. Yet she’s helpless to resist his charm and sophisticated world of private jets, Caribbean islands and the sexual pleasures of dominance and submission. As their whirlwind romance progresses, past mistakes rise up to threaten their future. Only when they rely on each other for safe haven do they find the answer to their dreams. "Gentle may not be in my repertoire." ~ And yet, I found Derek very much the gentle Dom for most of the ride. These two characters lend themselves to lovability. I love the tag line ~ When a man tells you who he is, believe him yet I found Derek bending his bachelor ways in spite of himself. He's the bachelor that didn't know what he wanted until it twirled above his head like a star just out of reach. Samantha was the ultimate "whatever" girl. A Whatever girl doesn't fret about later. She's in the now. While she wanted a baby and it was her biggest dream, she didn't let it stop her from enjoying what she had with Derek in the moment. That is how many a man has faltered from the single life. A woman who has her shit together and doesn't press demands is a woman who gets to pick her way to the right guy. That's Samantha. Courageous, loving, charitable and sexy. I dare say she's what a lot of men want. I applaud Elizabeth on her real-to-life characters, her every-woman's-fantasy vacation and the book boyfriend we will talk about for weeks. Real-world, noble man--that would be Derek. He's giving but uninvolved, kind but doesn't think about motives, rich, flashy but broken in many of the same ways as Samantha. They are a good match. I remember talking to Elizabeth SaFleur about her characters and she mentioned Samantha felt she was un-lucky. A curse to men. But I remember thinking, Samantha might think that but there was so many good things about her that I feel as though only the douchebags flocked to her because the decent guys felt out of their league. But then came Derek. Elizabeth SaFleur always has birds in her books for headers and I'd consider Derek a peacock but that bird I think might be reserved for one of the other characters. I see Samantha as a white raven. I highly recommend the book. It's a wonderful read and has a real Elizabeth SaFleur flavor of Doms, exotic destinations, light BDSM elements and powerful men treating their women right. Here are some of my Favorite Lines:“I’m afraid I’ve said too much.” “No, please. Tell me more.” Her voice sounded overeager even to herself. “One minute he’s lavishing me with trips and diamonds, and then the next he pulls back. And, why his aversion to family? Do you know anything about that?” Alexander’s lips tightened. Yes, there most definitely was a story there. “Samantha, these are conversations that you both need to have. You are right to keep prodding him to open up, gently, of course. I believe you may be the only person in the world who could.” “It hasn’t worked so far.” “Keep trying.” “Derek, I should have said something the day I bailed you out of that police station.” “Don’t get caught again?” “No. I should have told you, you aren’t special.” Wow, that was some cold shit. “Never said I was.” “Yes, you do. By the way you live. As if you’re above it all. None of us is above love.” “Not interested. And, besides, you’re single.” “Right now, yes. By choice. But you’re not choosing anything. You’re letting your past do the choosing.” “Man, this place has turned into a therapy center.” He scrubbed his hair and almost stood but something in Alexander’s eyes made him stop. Jesus, the man could freeze Medusa. “Swim back to me.” “What if I don’t?” “I’ll march you downstairs, strap you to the spanking bench and tan your ass with my bare hand.” He wouldn’t, really. At Accendos, whenever a guest was involved, a third party not involved in a scene must witness the guest’s consent before any serious play could ensue. He could still threaten a spanking for effect. “Promise?” She threw him a smile that could only be characterized as daring. She lifted herself from the pool. “Catch me .” Little devil. Samantha Rose was sex-on-silks. He had always seen women as something to put into the cracks of his life—like flowers bursting through flaws in the sidewalk. They weren’t part of his real life. Opening properties, amassing a fortune and a fortress, making sure no one could get inside—that was his reality. He saw now what an asshole thing that was to believe. Derek fisted her hair. “Don’t test me, ballerina.” Test him? Wasn’t that what he’d been doing to her? Binding her with silks in her studio and taking her to the rigging hut in St. Thomas were not enough—not for him, not for her. They’d had fun but she was left with nothing more than postcards in a scrapbook of experiences. She looked up at him. “It’s like they’ve been loved all the way through to the other side.” He cocked his head. “Interesting way to put it.” “It’s something my grandmother used to say to me. I love you all the way through.” "I lost someone important to me a long time ago, and she gave me the perfect advice to help me through the grieving process. Live the life that would make him proud." "We all eat lies when our hearts are hungry.”
Are they strong enough to be her men? Cunning. Everyone uses the word to describe Katy. In Quarterz, the virtual reality world where men and women compete as hunter or prey, Katy has never been captured. At least, not until the bear clan arrived in the game. Powerful, smart, and straight out of her fantasies, Katy can't always outmaneuver the tests they create. When the clan challenges her to take their team on in a real game of hunters and prey, she can’t resist the lure. Is she strong enough to be their woman? Grizz, Oso, and Kodie are Pantherian bear shifters, born into a culture where men have learned to share and protect their species’ most limited resource—females. They’ve accepted they will never have a Pantherian female as their shared mate. But can a human female handle a Pantherian, mating trio. If so, will she still want them when she knows what they are? Are any of them strong enough to outsmart fate? When the game puts hearts and lives on the line, taking a loss is the only way to win. I was hooked at the first line... My Review:This little read was awesome for me. Katy is a deeply wounded character with reason to have parent issues.
There's something about older siblings protecting their brother/sister that makes my day. While this is the third book in the world, it was the first I read and I can tell you, it stands alone. I didn't find it hard to go back to read the other books after this one and have everything make sense, even reading it out of order. It might be helpful to be a gamer or know what virtual reality is -- no offense if you haven't done the google glasses thing, but this book totally gets gamers. This story happens both in and off line, is sexy, an amazing read, fun, adventerous, and intelligent. I love smart books. They can teach you things. This book not only fulfills fantasies, and is entertaining, but even if you aren't a gamer, it's worth the read!
“It’s not that I don’t love you, and my tears are yet to dry. But you can’t go back and forth forever and we’ve already said goodbye.”
Through these words, a young poet unearths his musical soul while severing ties with the woman he loves after her stunning betrayal. Unknowingly, in writing this ballad of liberation, he will soon evolve as one of the fastest rising stars on the pop music landscape. The year is 1991; the place, New York City. Here we meet Johnny Elias, a college student from Brooklyn with boundless adoration for two things in life: timeless popular music, and the heart of a sweet, complicated young woman who is clearly out of his league. Megan Price not only is the object of Johnny’s affection, but also the only daughter of New York’s most powerful PR woman: the indomitable Katherine Price. Projecting that her daughter’s boyfriend will never live up to the family standard, Katherine cleverly perpetrates a series of duplicitous schemes to rid Johnny from her high-class world. But in her callous disregard, she inadvertently sets him on a determined course to his improbable musical destiny - while sending her own daughter spiraling down a path of devastation. Poet of the Wrong Generation tells the symmetrical story of a lovable underdog and his meteoric rise to stardom, his humiliating downfall and his unprecedented attempt to reclaim his place as the unlikely musical spokesman for his generation. At the heart of Poet is a tale of star-crossed lovers and their struggle with unforeseen success and disillusionment, in an attempt to rediscover lasting harmony. Uniquely integrating a variety of original song compositions, Poet projects the epic clash between true contentment and the fable of stardom’s rewards; a nostalgic journey through the major events of the 1990s, with a cherished cast of characters and a stunningly unpredictable conclusion. Click the "Read More" for my review... Yearning for a normal life, assassin Karmen-Marie has had enough. Enough of surviving contracted hits, and enough of the post-apocalyptic world. Forced to take one last job, Karma sets out across the frozen landscape of Earth. Rea MacBain's job is to ensure the safety of Earth's precious few water purification plants. He believes his abusive past must stay buried under the snow that encases his domain. A single bullet will send Karma and Rea in a direction they’d never expected. Ice cold assassin's blood drives the woman sent to kill him, yet it ignites the fire which thaws Rea's heart. Read more for my review. Blurb: Jason King was presented the opportunity of a lifetime: assume control of Guardian Security from the billionaire who had built the world renowned agency. As CEO, Jason would manage the best security resources in the world. Former SEALs, Rangers, Recon, Green Berets, agents from every alphabet agency in the nation, not to mention law enforcement stand outs, flocked to the organization he’d control. But the offer came with a painful stipulation. Jason King must lay to rest the demons haunting him. Faith Collins' half-brother rescued her and her infant son from a hideous life, then died overseas in a black ops mission gone tragically wrong. Faith knew how to pick up and go on when things got bad. So she'd made peace with losing him--until Jason King arrived. Neither expected their meeting would tilt the world on its axis–and offer them the solace they both desperately craved. My Review: "Jason", the fourth book in the Kings of Guardian series is about the "F'ed-up" brother. Okay, they all are little crazy, but Jason has major survivors quilt on his mind. And that's major, corporal, general in the line of work he's in. There is, of course, sex and more sex, but Jason is the striving addict to be better. It's hard going for Jason until the love interest, Faith, and her little boy, Reese, enter his life. I loved the fact that Reese, Faith's boy, had an important role to play in the story. In my travels and experiences in research, it's been proven that addiction is the result of being unhappy and separated from people and society. In this story, Jason's struggle with drugs melts away as he becomes driven to keep Faith and her son safe and with him. Thus finding his people that love him and that he loves in return. A family of his own if you will. Not that he doesn't have family, just that he's dealing and doesn't want to burden them. Which in my experience is how you get addicted to drugs. By feeling worthless and alone. A few times in the story, I thought Jason might send Faith and Reese away to protect them, but of course -- the safest place is right by his side. And he keeps them there. I want to point out that this key fact is different from the "norm" and I loved it. I roll my eyes and close the book when the hero wants to send their love interest away as if they are incapable, especially when it's their job as a body guard. It's like--here's this plot point I have to do to make it easy for the villain to gain access to the love interest. But Kris Michaels doesn't do that. No, she makes it awesome by keeping my interest and keeping the two main characters together. The guardian series gets darker in the book and an underground war is hinted at. Okay, big time hinted at. I'll be looking forward to Jared's story. The next in the series. As usual, the military flavor is ever present and always spot-on. I do love these books and am always on board for the next one!
Blurb:When a woman who loves too deeply meets a man who doesn’t love at all, something's got to give. 32 year old photographer, Jillian Ingram, fills the emptiness in her life with single-minded commitment to work. After the death of her dominant husband, she avoids all reminders of her past and denies her yearning to submit to another man…but when masterful Nick Colton promises to fulfill three of her deepest fantasies, it’s a temptation she can’t refuse. He’s the perfect Dom – hardcore, generous, and temporary. His offer of a weekend affair suits her perfectly, because for a long-term relationship, Jillian needs the one thing that Nick can’t give…love. 37 year old Nick Colton doesn’t want romance. Burned by a recent divorce, all he requires now is a night or a weekend with a woman who likes cuffs, clamps, and hard sex. No talk of long-term relationships and especially love. He’s given up finding that one special submissive who’s strong enough to surrender to his control—until he meets Jillian, the woman of his hottest fantasies. But Jillian’s commitment to her career is as strong as Nick’s aversion to relationships, and when their weekend ends, they must each decide if a commitment to temporary should be a commitment to forever. My Review:Wow. Stone Wear is the second book in the Hot Alpha Billionaire series. It is more hard core than Hard Wear by maybe one index on the hot meter, but still sweet in it's delivery.
Jillian is a darker type of submissive, meaning--she needs more hard core and yet she can only give up those tendencies to someone she loves. Nick, half owner of the HARD WEAR clothing line, is our hot alpha dom this go 'round and he's hot and hard. In so many ways :) I enjoyed Stone Wear, but it might not be for the vanilla's. If you like your sex sweet, soft and tender with no hard bangings, the sex scenes might be a tad rough. But the love story is beautiful. The attraction was subtle and always present. The story had me hooked. It was one of those that I started and then realized a hundred pages went by without so much as a blink! It really moved along. I love that about the writing. It just gets better and better! By the end it looks like there will be another sequel, but this book is no cliff-hanger. It's complete in Jillian/Nick story but it is a world where doms and submissives can know each other by the clothing label they wear. I would suggest starting at "Hard Wear", not because you have to, but because you'll want more. I hope more books come soon! This is a wonderful series with hot sex and a sweet story. Wimps may wnat to lightly read over the hard core scenes. Of course, I have my favorite lines:
Excerpt: Warning! Explicit Content!
There are about 15 more days to get four books and a pair of Sylvia Day sunglasses! Here's what you get:
Holiday Submission Synopsis: Caro Anderson feared two things. The wrong kind of sexual dominant—and never finding the right one. In her search for a loving yet severe master, a disastrous experience taught her to protect her body and emotions. Yet she longs for a stern master to love. Encouraged by a friend, Caro takes a chance with a handsome British Dom and agrees to spend one weekend exploring their darkest fantasies. Rhys Devlin believes he's finally found a submissive who desires the same sexual extremes he does. But when he get's perfect girl tied down for the weekend, he discovers he wants more than her body. He wants her carefully guarded heart. Together they discover how much is enough, and what they truly need. Here's my review of Holiday Submission...
Other Praise for Holiday Submission:
5.0 out of 5 stars Hot, Hot, Hot, July 29, 2014 By S. H. "Elizabeth S."
Wow. What a hot, hot, hot story. The action starts on page one. Caro Anderson opens the door to find the Dom of her dreams--Rhys Devlin, and he's fully prepared to give her what she's always wanted. "She dreamed of belonging to a man like this, of being his sole focus, of serving him in the most base, carnal way. Slowly she rose and untied the wrapped belt, letting the skirt slip to the floor." Rhys knows exactly what Caro needs and gives it to her early and often. But in the end they discover a weekend might not be enough. If you like harder erotica but still with much heart and romance, you'll love Holiday Submission. Plenty of romance balances the more erotic scenes, too. I'm going to re-read this one many times.
5.0 out of 5 stars Phenomenal Short Story!!, July 29, 2014 By Kris
Hot and OMG sexy! Demanding read and deserving of your time! Where has this author been hiding? A phenomenal short story packed with hard core BDSM told by a brilliant story teller! This story could have plummeted into the abyss of mediocrity as seen in so many attempts to write cutting edge BDSM--but Ms. Lakewood's clean compelling writing stands out like a beacon! I demand more from this writer! Available at:Super Sexy Book Trailer!! ***18+ ONLY!! Mature Content!!
*********** Mature audience ONLY!! 18+ ***********
About Marilyn Lakewood:
Marilyn writes stories with hot, alpha males to inspire her during the long Northwest winters. She loves creating XXX romances with protective, hard-lovin' heroes and sexy fantasies.
Diving into Sugar Kink Ink, her debut novel "Chase's Hard Wear" is expected to be released December 2014. This new series revolves around light bondage and BDSM themes that tantalize until you scream! "Chase's Hard Wear" will be the first of three and maybe more in the series!
Snow Blood by Carol McKibben
My rating: 5 of 5 stars Our main character, Snow Blood, is the best vampire guard dog ever!! If I turn into a an undead, I want Snow Blood covering my back! This story is along the lines of unconditional love like the author's last book "Luke's Tale" but "Snow Blood" is more epic! We get to see things through the eyes of a dog watching the love of Brogio's life walk in while the jealous god that cursed him tries to rip the lovers apart. Snow Blood has none of that and seeks to help Brogio and Selene be together! Fun, fast read! View all my reviews The Good Life Detective Kyle Anderson is a man of simple tastes and reasonably low expectations. Give him a juicy steak and no homicides, and he’d call it good. When his sister Katelyn got engaged to his best friend Dominic, he’d figured the worst of the unnecessary drama in his life was over. But that was before Dom’s free-spirited, twig-eating, exasperating sister Demetria came back to Nebraska and completely hijacked the planning of the wedding, starting with inviting Dom’s ex-wife Isabel. Now Kate’s so determined to prove Isabel is up to no good that she insists Kyle date her to keep her away from Dom. Soon Kyle is so knee deep in Anderson-Valentini dramatics, he’s thinking of changing his name and moving to Tibet. If he could just get Demi the impossibly sexy granola-flake off his mind long enough to do it… The Good Life Excerpt “I can’t stay with you!” “Why not? It’s not like we didn’t start the evening in bed together. All joking aside, I’m not in the habit of molesting my girlfriends while they sleep.” “Kyle! That’s not—Err…” Demi growled, flailing her hands as she paced. “How—I mean why—I just…” she stopped and drew in a large breath. “How did you go from thinking I’m an idiot to deciding to hound me for a relationship?” “Correction, I have never thought you’re an idiot. I think you are the farthest thing from an idiot. You are an intelligent, successful woman with an incomprehensible hatred of bacon who occasionally pretends to be a flake. Hence the nickname granola-flake. Which is way worse than actually being an idiot.” She huffed. “That’s my point though. Underneath all this,” she waved her hands again. “…is still that undercurrent of disapproval from you.” “So change my mind. You’ve already proved me wrong on one major thing. I’m more open minded than you give me credit for. You seem determined to still see me as a narrow-minded bigot. This is a two-way street, woman,” Kyle growled. “What was that one thing?” she asked, blinking in consternation. “Let’s put it this way… I can tell when a woman hasn’t had a lot of sexual experience. Either that or you have shitty ass taste in men who are selfish in bed. But you deliberately cultivate this flower child, free love, come-and-get-it, sex goddess persona.” Her mouth worked for several seconds. “I have too had a lot of sex!” She cringed and looked side to side, then spoke in a lower tone, “I mean, not a lot…but plenty.” Of course, most of it had been in the same calendar year, but he didn’t need to know that. “So shitty taste, then,” he shrugged. “Alright, fine. Mystery solved.” “Uh,” she huffed. “What’s that say about you?” “Nothing, since I picked you.” “No, you didn’t.” “Yes, I did. I am currently the only person in this relationship who’s done any conscious picking.” “We are not in a relationship!” “Says who?” “You are a maddening man…” she replied, utterly flabbergasted. “It takes two people to be in a relationship. You can’t just wake up one morning and decide you’re going to be with someone.” “Sure you can. Technically speaking, it was you who made the first move.” “No, I didn’t!” “I guess that’s just how us Andersons roll. When we decide to do something, or change our minds about something and go in a different direction we just…” Kyle skipped his hands together, making a clapping sound, “…do it. Some, like Kate, take forever to get to that decision, but there’s no hesitancy on the course of action once the decision’s been made.” Demi narrowed her eyes, mouth slightly parted. “You wouldn’t be saying that if you’d participated in any of the wedding planning with her.” “That has never been about doubting her decision to marry Dominic and everything about Kate’s bad habit of trying to please everyone even knowing it is simply not possible to please everyone at the same time,” he said, then stood up and grabbed her again, scooping her off her feet. She gasped and reflexively grabbed his shoulders. He sat back down on the chair and tucked her head with his again. She sighed with a sudden realization, “You’re just trying to distract me, aren’t you?” He smiled at her, “Maybe. A little bit.” She reached up and gently traced his swollen lip again then laid her head back against his shoulder. “That’s what boyfriends do,” he continued. She laughed and smacked his chest, “Are not.” “She says while sitting on my lap… hours after having exchanged bodily fluids—” “Stop!” she laughed and smacked him again. He chuckled and squeezed her. “Thank you,” she whispered after a moment. He answered with another kiss to her head. She was willing to admit the ‘solid, dependable type’ did have its benefits. She sighed and squeezed him back. “You’re a good man, Kyle Anderson.” “Eh, I’m alright,” Kyle kissed her again. “I just wanted to let you know… I mean, I try to ease my girlfriends into this, but… my family’s sort of insane. Just so you know.” She laughed so hard she started crying, and that seemed so silly that it made her laugh some more. He rocked her a bit and it wasn’t long before she dozed off again, held tight in his arms. --The Good Life © 2014 by Genevieve Dewey, All Rights Reserved.
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Thanks for taking a look at my little hodgepodge of a blog. The format and subjects of my blog has changed through the years as it's my log of S.N.McKibben's writing journey. You've now been sufficiently forewarned, happy reading! Categories
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