Sinful Book Reviews

I absolutely loved this book. It was sexy, but still incredibly sweet. I nearly a whole day reading it because I just couldn’t get enough of the characters and Cornick’s superb and sensual writing. There were hot scenes a-plenty and they that perfect tension and eventual satisfaction. There was also romance that had me smiling full on.

I loved Devlin. He has a little of that dominance that I find attractive in men. He knows what he wants and he’ll do what he must to get it. There’s also some compassion there, though it takes a little time to show itself. Dev is so mischievous. I love the description of his wicked smile and the gleams in his eyes. It makes him sound so sexy. It makes Susanna come apart at the seams. What more could you ask for in a man?

Susanna is great. She’s tough and keeps up some fun banter with Dev in the beginning. Toward the end she becomes a little more vulnerable. There’s some sadness and hardship in her past. I was surprised to find myself connected enough to be bothered by these things when they come to light. There are some really sad moments. But the romance between Dev and Susanna really brightens things up.

Okay, okay. I’ll get to what you really want to know. The sex. It’s wonderfully written, and there’s a good bit of it. Dev can barely control himself around Susanna, and she’s not immune to him either. There’s a passion between them from the very beginning that neither of them can deny, and it’s written so well. And the scene with the pearl? Whoa. Being pleasured by a pearl is not some that’s ever crossed my mind. Very inventive.

One of my favorite romances. I do so love historical settings. I haven’t read any of the previous books in the series, but I’m planning to. The first one is a about a couple of characters that make a few appearances in this book. It will be nice to have their story.

Good paranormal romance, and could turn out to be a good series. I’m not sure how many she’s planning to write, but as long as she doesn’t drag it out too long, I might be into this series. I’ve tried to get into the fallen angel/nephilim thing with other books, but this is the first time I’ve really enjoyed that part of it. Nash gives it the history something like that would require. She throws in her own quirks, which make the book feel like something new. That was really nice. I like Cade a lot, and I sort of wish she’d stretched the romance between him and Maddie out during the series. I imagine the other members of Cade’s clan will all have their chance to fall in love. I have to say I am anticipating that for Artur. He needs to get his shit together.

Anyway, there’s not too much to say. The characters are good. I connected with the characters enough to feel distress when there was conflict. I definitely want more of Cade and Maddie, but I’m also eager to get a little more of the other characters. There’s a couple of nice twists. I really enjoyed the way everything was slowly revealed in Maddie’s dreams. Overall, Nash has built a good world with a couple of good characters and the potential for a good paranormal series. Bravo!

I had a hard time getting into this one. After reading the synopsis on the back, I expected the events outlined to progress quickly, but I had read half the book before the accident causing Merryn and Garrick to marry even happened. I think that deviation from my expectations caused me to like this book less. Sometimes I wish I had never read book blurbs.

Another thing that made this book the mediocre one of the bunch was that I saw what was coming from a mile away. There were a few suprises, including Tom’s parentage and the actual accident that were nice ones, but I knew what Garrick was hiding the whole time. I would much rather be surprised. For the most part, the plot didn’t win me over.

Fortunately, Merryn and Garrick saved the book. Though I would have liked a tad more development from Garrick, I liked him. He was likable and just honorable enough. Merryn was perfect. She was clever and naive at the same time. I adored her. Their romance wasn’t on par with the rest of the series, but it kept me interested enough to keep reading. I also really enjoyed the appearances of Joanna, Alex, Tess, and Owen. I’m glad I’ve already read the last book because I don’t think I would have appreciated Tess quite as much.

All in all, it’s a good historical romance novel. It just didn’t live up to the others in the series.

I decided to read this one before The Siren. I’ve heard great things, but also things that have made me a little wary. I thought this would help me get a look at the Tiffany Reisz’s style. There was a lot of sex, but a little depth too. I really liked Daniel, despite his sadness. There was a small peak into his personality, which is difficult to achieve in an erotic short story. Also, he was a librarian, and that always gets bonus points from me. Eleanor was witty, and I loved that about her. The ending wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but I think it worked. It was appropriate. Bring on The Siren!

I was so excited when I realized Forbidden was part of the Scandalous Women of the Ton series. I’ve read them all and loved every single one. They make up my favorite Regency romances. I had not expected another book, but I think it perfectly lives up to the rest in the series.

Margery’s story is quite different from most of the women’s tales. She’s spent her life in poverty and working as a lady’s maid. When she finds out about her inheritance, it’s a shock and she finds it difficult to make the transition. I think this gave Margery a lot of room for development as a character. Henry has his own issues with emotion and has taught himself to hide them. He finds that to be quite the battle when he meets Margery. There is the usual immediate sexual tension between the two, but I’m glad that love takes time to develop. Love has a tendency to creep into romances too early and I always appreciate it more when an author gives it time to build.

Nicola Cornick is a master at the Regency romance. I’ve read this entire series and enjoyed every second of it. She deals so well with the language and she builds perfectly intriguing plot lines. I always love every single second of reading her books. I think her lovable characters are what stand out the most, though. I’m a little sad that this is the last of this series. Fortunately, Cornick has written plenty of other romances I haven’t read yet.

Forbidden is an excellent conclusion to the Scandalous Women of the Ton series. It promises lovable characters, intrigue, and, of course, scandal. If you enjoy Regency romances, I highly recommend this series. The first book is called Whisper of Scandal.

Historical romance, why have I ignored you so? What was I thinking? You bring me such joy! You make me smile while I’m reading clever dialogue. I have to fan myself when things get hot and heavy (don’t judge, you know you do it too). I get a little rush of excitement when things come together in the end after all that the hero and heroine have been through. It’s so nice to have you back!

Seriously, this book was so good. It’s one of the best historical romances I’ve come across. Let me explain why Nicola Cornick’s books are so amazing. She gets it. That’s it. She understands the language, the society, the politics. It just clicked with me in this novel that she does such a great job because she knows what she’s talking about. Also, she writes some pretty sexy love scenes.

I loved Tess and Owen from the get go. The way they run into each other is just beyond perfect. It’s the forshadowing of naughty things to come. When I got to where they start courting, I feel in love with them. They’re both so tender, but also have a lot of passion. Owen even has this edge of violence that comes off more sexy than scary. They had the right amount of depth and though their courtship didn’t last long (whose does in a romance novel?), it never seemed rushed. The timing felt perfect. I loved this one more than the last book in this series because of the characters. I kind of want to read it all over again, which is seriously rare for me with romance novels. There are only a million of them out there!

I feel like I’m gushing a little, so I’ll try to get back to the point I wanted to make. This particular book has a good bit of politics involved in the plot. I’ll go ahead and admit to knowing absolutely nothing about British politics, but this felt so authentic. It really added to the book. I also love her grasp on the language. It was perfect! Sometimes when I’m reading historical romance I get thrown off because the language is too modern, but I never feel that way when I’m reading Nicola’s books. I think it’s time for a romance read-a-thon. I’ve got to read the rest of her books.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical romance.

I’m so excited to finally have Alex and Joanna’s story. Until now, I had only read the fourth and fifth books in this series. Alex and Joanna were small parts in those books, but I didn’t know their story. After I finished the last one, I just had to go back and read the rest. These really are some of the best historical romance novels I’ve read.

I mentioned in my review of Desired that I think what makes Nicola Cornick’s books so great is her grasp on the language and her obvious knowldge of the time and places her stories are set in. She even threw in an author’s note about how she had taken some liberties with her section set in the Arctic. She does her research and it shows in her work. It got me to thinking about how much work really goes into every book, even romance novels that many refer to as trash. My boyfriend says that about the romance novels I read, but I have come to a point where I can really appreciate romance for what it is. It can be predictable and cheesy and that’s what is so wonderful about it. I can count on the hero to be masculine and charming. I can count on the heroine to be intelligent and passionate. And I can usually count on them to hate each other and still fall madly in love in a ridiculously short amount of time. It’s what I’m looking for, going in.

I’m also looking for witty dialogue. The dialogue is what truly makes me love or hate a historical romance. There has to be a good medium between the language of the time and the way we speak now. Let’s be honest, the way people spoke in the Regency era can be daunting to read sometimes. At the same time, a historically set book needs to be authentic. That’s why I love Nicola Cornick’s writing. It feels authentic, but I don’t need to re-read something five times to understand what’s going on. She’s really becoming a favorite. After I finish this series, I might have to move on to another of her series.

Alex and Joanna fill their roles perfectly. He’s the manly adventurer who can be both intense and utterly charming. She’s the intelligent woman acting flighty to keep everyone from seeing the despair locked inside her. They overcome the tragic circumstances of the past together and find love again, and also manage to have an adventure together. Oh! and manage to have some very sexy alone time. It was the perfect recipe for a perfect romance.

If you like Regency romances, you’ll love this! Good news is, I already know that the others in the series are just as good since I’ve read two of them. Two more to go!

I downloaded this one for free a while ago and I finally picked it up because I was looking for something short to read in between my longer books. This was perfect and adorable. I loved Sweetness and I think I need to read the full-length books in this series soon.

I think what makes or breaks a short story is the connection. There has to be some way to immediately connect with either the characters or the plot quickly, otherwise everything seems rushed or I end up not caring about what happens. I was immediately connected with this story. I’m not sure if it was the characters or the plot, but I knew I would enjoy it right away. I did like Emory though. I wouldn’t mind reading more about him so I hope he shows up in the other books. I wasn’t terribly invested in Shelby. There just wasn’t enough of her. It didn’t matter to me though.

The conflict in this book never feels rushed. It’s because there’s back story. Emory and Shelby have known each other since their childhood. They’ve loved each other for years. It’s the perfect setting for a short story. Even the problems with Shelby’s father have been going on for years. I think that’s a big reason that I loved this story. I was never left needing more from it.

There were a couple of other small things that made me love this story. First, I love the small Southern town. I thought the workings of a small town were displayed perfectly. I also loved how the tornado was dealt with. Since Alabama suffered two very bad tornadoes in one year, I’ve seen some of the devastation that they can cause. It’s jarring to see emptiness where there was once an entire street of stores or a small town. It’s crazy to believe something you’ve seen a million times can be wiped out in a matter of minutes. I think Stephanie Bond really captured that.

In short, Baby, I’m Yours is a perfect example of a well-written short story. It establishes good characters, good plot, and an authentic Southern setting in less than fifty ages. It’s just enough to get me interested in the rest of the series.

Wow. Just wow. In my experience as a reader, second books in a series are usually not as good as or better than the first. It happens every now and then, but it’s rare. I think what happened with The Original Sinners is that The Siren took me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting what I got and honestly I might have been in shock by the end of it. By the time I began reading The AngelI was settled in Tiffany’s Reisz’s world (well, as settled as you can get with that bunch). I was completely, totally, 100% blown away. I loved every freaking sentence. I read it in a span of 48 hours. Two days later I picked it back up and read it all over again. Just take all of this as a warning that I will gush like crazy and I might not make myself get around to looking at this book critically.

There’s something about every single character in this world that is undeniably intoxicating. I love all of them, even when I hate them. If I’m being honest, I rarely hate any of them no matter what they do. So, Søren’s a priest who has sex and also happens to be a sadist. That doesn’t bother me in the least. He’s also terrifyingly sexy. I wasn’t sure what to think about him when I finished The Siren, but I’ve made up my mind that I actually like him a lot. Don’t ask me to pick sides though because I adore Wesley and I was hungry for more of him at the end of The Siren. What really got to me was the dynamic between Griffin and Michael. I absolutely love them. I could read about them forever because they’re so freaking sweet.

It was reading The Angel that I found I totally agreed with those calling it a thriller. The investigation that Søren is under is really exciting and allowed me to learn so much about him, and actually a lot about Kingsley and Nora. There was a constant anticipatory feeling that I usually only feel on the rare occasion that I read thrillers. I wasn’t kidding when I said I loved every sentence of this book. Normally, when I’m reading a highly energized scene I have to keep myself from reading ahead and skipping details. There’s just something so engaging about Reisz’s writing that keeps me locked in. I read every single word because I know that even though she’s driving me crazy with the tension that she’ll provide the perfect climax. There’s something to be said about delayed gratification, even in books. I assure you, Ms. Reisz is a master at it, not only in the book itself, but throughout the series. At the end of The Siren I wanted to know more about Søren. I wanted to know more about Wesley. She delivered, but quickly left me with a million questions about Kingsley and even more questions about Søren. It’s safe to assume I’ll be practically bursting at the seams by the time I get my hands on The Prince.

The Angel is a stellar second installment to The Original Sinners series. I was, once again, totally blown away by the character depth and the thrilling turns. This book caused my heart to race and the occasional tear to fall. I highly recommend this to any reader who enjoys their erotic content with a side of suspense.

Though I’ve enjoyed all the books I’ve read in this series, this one felt a little different. I don’t mean that in a bad way either. I was immediately intrigued when I began and remained that way throughout the entire book. I also found myself wanting to squee a little because there were some seriously touching moments in this book. Those came off much more sincere than most love scenes in romance novels do.

I love the plot. It’s what really interested me. I went in disliking Lottie for her actions in the first book, but I was hooked by the plot. There was just something about the two characters and thier lack of morals that promised some nice intrigue. Though there was plenty of that, I was a little moved by their romantic development. While two months doesn’t sound like a long time, it might as well be a century in romance novels. Most often, characters fall in love in a matter of days. Though, I’ve always found this unrealistic, I’ve chosen to overlook it. It was pretty refreshing for it to take them a couple of months. Some of it was still stereotypical romance, but that’s okay. I like romances. The scene where Ethan declares his love was actually really sweet. One of my favorites ever!

The thing I really love about Nicola Cornick’s books is that it’s not all about sex and romance. That’s there, but the character always have something deeper going on within themselves that they have to get through. It’s where the romance comes in. They get through these things together. They get support from one another and their romantic connection. Lottie and Ethan are both hesitant to give their hearts away because of the possible hurt. They both have experience in abondonment, and though that is what keeps them from giving their hears away so easily, it’s also what binds them together. There’s development and some complexity, something that I can’t always find in romance novels.

I also really love Nicola’s style. She always creates a perfect balance in her dialogue. the characters speak in the language of their time, but it’s still easy to understand. I’m excited to get more of her style when I pick up the next book in the series.

I highly recommend this to historical romance lovers. I do suggest you read the first book in the series though. You don’t really have to, but I think it helps to understand how Lottie’s character changes.

This is most definitely the best book in this little trilogy. It’s definitely a close race, but I think Black Jack really outshines his brothers. I was positively riveted throughout the entire book, and only a little deterred by a little plot confusion.

Intrigue and cunning games can be confusing. I think any author writing about them needs to be very careful. While, I really enjoyed the book, the plot could get a little daunting and I had to spend a little time working through it. I will say that the confusion also kept me very interested in that part of the plot. I was eager to see how things with Tess’s father and the Gypsy would turn out. I did see some of the plot twists from a mile away though, and while it’s nice to say “I knew it,” I think I’d rather be surprised and blown away. But you know what, at least it had a good plot to begin with. Sometimes historical romances get too caught up in themselves to bother with that, and they end up just being about sex and fancy words. Fortunately, that was not the case in this book.

It’s really something to have the mystery of Black Jack revealed and realize that he’s just as likable and compassionate as his brothers. He’s just a little rougher around the edges, and he has a lot of ghosts from his past hauting him. Actually, it’s pretty simple to see why his story is the best. There’s a lot more to it. Tess was his rock. He would never admit it, but she’s the reason he developed. It took a lot of nagging and fighting to get him there, but she put in the effort. She is in love with him, after all. The two of them make quite the team and I really loved their banter. It was always entertaining.

I think Kasey Michaels perfectly executes regency language. It’s not too much. It’s easy to understand, but also not too current. Conversation is one of my favorite things about reading historical books. I love how witty people could be without being rude. You could cut someone down and still seem like a perfect gentleman. It’s pretty awesome.

This is a great one for historical and regency romance lovers, especially if you like intrigue.

I’ve been meaning to read something by Kristan Higgins for quite a while. I even have two of her books on my Vox that I haven’t read yet. I got this one from NetGalley so that put a bit of time limit on when I could read it. I’m so glad I read this because now I want to read all of her books. I wasn’t sure about it when I started, but once I got into it, I couldn’t stop reading.


I like Parker for the most part. She has some traits I’m not fond of. She’s quick to judge and her inner dialogues with her book characters really annoyed me at first. I learned to ignore it, but I thought the idea was pretty silly. James, on the other hand, won me over immediately. He’s such a sweet guy. He has the ability to become a rich snob, but his background and his past keep him from taking that road. The supporting characters were awesome too. This is just one of those books where I either loved everyone in it, or loved to hate them. It was light so there wasn’t a ton of growth, but there was just enough.

I loved the romantic development. It helped that Parker and James had a little history. I’m huge fan of that in romance novels because it makes it seem less sudden. This isn’t one of those books where they meet and a week later they’re ready to get married or something. They’ve known each other for years. I appreciated that. Though it was pretty formulaic, for the most part, Higgins did throw in a few surprises.

In short, Somebody to Love is sweet and entertaining. It has solid characters and a believable romantic development. I highly recommend it to contemporary romance lovers.

After reading everything released in Tiffany Reisz’s Original Sinners series, I decided to read this short by her. I’ve become a very fast fan so hopes were high. I wasn’t let down at all. This short managed to be both sexy and incredibly sweet. It also included one of my favorite characters, Kingsley Edge. He only had a few appearances, but I loved that connection to the Original Sinners. Derek has just about given up on women when he meets Xenia, a young virgin who works in one of Kingsley’s elite night clubs. Most of the short is Derek telling the story of meeting Xenia to his friends, so it doesn’t go into detail about their relationship, but it’s apparent they spend a lot of their time talking since they can’t have sex. It gets super sweet at the end and I really loved it. I think I might be a super fan now. I highly recommend this to lovers of erotic romance.

I’m a huge fan of Karen Marie Moning. I love both her Highlander and her Fever series. When this short story was re-released I had to have it. It wasn’t quite what I expected, but it really took me back to the Highlander series. I adored those books from first to last, and I remember why now. Moning is such a wonderful writer, whether it’s romance or urban fantasy.

Jane was so cute and funny, just like all of Moning’s heroines. Aedan was just the dose of big alpha-male I needed. I loved how clueless he was at first. There wasn’t a lot of room for growth, but Moning set up a good prologue so nothing felt rushed.

I also enjoyed the few scenes that demonstrate the darker writing she implemented in the Fever series. This one gives the reader a good taste of both worlds. So, if you’ve never read anything by Moning and you want to try it out I suggest this story.

The book also includes deleted scenes and a previous version of The Dark Highlander. I wouldn’t suggest reading those before reading the books themselves, as they may include spoilers. For Moning fans, they’re pretty interesting reading. The graphic novel preview at the end had me so pumped.

Into the Dreaming is a perfect taste of both Moning’s Highlander series and her Fever series. It’s perfect for newbies to see how they like her writing or for fans to get a little more of her writing before Iced comes out.

There was no way I was going to miss out on Tiffany Reisz’s next book, The Prince. I checked NetGalley weekly for it. With ever book or story I read by Reisz, I become a more solid fan. There are few authors out there that I will read immediately, no questions asked. Tiffany Reisz has become one of them. Her Original Sinners series has sucked me in deeper than any series ever has. I feel like an annoying fan girl gushing over a boy band or something, but these books are seriously amazing on so many different levels.

There’s just something about Norah. While I adore every single character, Norah is the rope that ties them all together. I’ve seen the team shirts, but I just can’t find an allegiance to any of the men. I love them all equally for different reasons. I was skeptical about Søren in the first book, but I’ve come to really love him, even when he’s at his most brutal. Hell, especially then. I’ve always loved Wesley and his sweetness. I’ve also always loves Kingsley, but the Kingsley that is revealed in this book is not quite what I was expecting. It only made me love him more. They’re all amazing because they’re complex. They feel so real and I always appreciate that in a character. I have the feeling Reisz puts her soul into those characters.

I loved the structure of this one. There was a recurring pattern of Kingsley & Søren’s past, Kingsley & Søren’s present, and Norah’s present in Kentucky with Wes. This allowed for plenty of cliffhangers at the end of chapters. Sometimes I wanted to flip to the next corresponding chapter, but I resisted. Reisz implements her mastery of suspense again. I get such a rush reading her books. It’s addicting. It’s like a drug in book form. I think my favorite thing about these books is that they’re so unique. I was trying to explain it to my boyfriend, but I have a hard time putting it into words. There’s eroticism and suspense and a little romance, but she doesn’t use the usual formula for a romance novel. It’s closer to the formula of a thriller. On top of that, her prose compliments the story. It’s written so well, and that is so hard to find these days. I have a tendency to skim when things get boring, but I read every single word of this book, just like I read every single word of the last two.

Recommendation: I highly recommend this book and this series. It may push your limits, but I promise it’s worth it.

The psychology behind BDSM has always fascinated me, especially concerning sadism and masochism. To get a little personal, while I may be of the submissive persuasion, I am, by no means, a masochist. In fact, my pain threshold is pretty low. I understand that the line between pain and pleasure can sometimes be very thin, but there are plenty of people that take it to extremes and I’ve always wanted to know what makes them tick. What better place to start than the very novella that inspired the term masochism? Also, I really like the song of the same name by The Velvet Underground.

I’ll admit that Severin and Wanda are characters I won’t soon forget, but they were also flat in the sense that they just fell into their roles. The only time that wasn’t true was in the beginning when Wanda genuinely liked Severin, maybe even loved him. She was extremely hesitant to fulfill his wishes of domination. I liked this because it would have been surprising and confusing in that time. Women were the submissive sex. They grew up, got married, and had babies. Their husbands ruled over their house. Her hesitation would be expected. Some of the bullshit she spouts once she agrees was a little much for me. By the end, I hated her for her abuse of their relationship. She warns Severin that she is fickle and may cast him away at her whim.

While Severin brings some of this on himself by allowing her to dominate him completely, even kill him if she wishes, he still doesn’t deserve the kind of betrayal she dishes out. In short, they’re both pretty difficult to like, but there are moments when I feel sorry for Severin.Severin, maybe even loved him. She was extremely hesitant to fulfill his wishes of domination. I liked this because it would have been surprising and confusing in that time. Women were the submissive sex. They grew up, got married, and had babies. Their husbands ruled over their house. Her hesitation would be expected. Some of the bullshit she spouts once she agrees was a little much for me. By the end, I hated her for her abuse of their relationship. She warns Severin that she is fickle and may cast him away at her whim. While Severin brings some of this on himself by allowing her to dominate him completely, even kill him if she wishes, he still doesn’t deserve the kind of betrayal she dishes out. In short, they’re both pretty difficult to like, but there are moments when I feel sorry for Severin.