Saturday, January 26, 2019

Whatcha Reading? (January 26th)




Don't move! But I think I found my reading mojo again.


I'll let you in on a little secret: throwing out the "review lists" and the "I should read this book" guilt and just focusing on reading what YOU want to read, when you want to read it? That leads to a very happy reader.


Oh, sure, I still might hit on a dud or two. But I've enjoyed so many amazing books this week alone, and they were all books that I wanted to read, not books that I thought I *had* to read.


Don't worry, I'm not giving up on ARCs completely, or whatever popular book is being talked about at the moment. Sometimes there's overlap between "things I really want to read" and "things I should be reading". But for now, I'm focusing on just reading what I want. And it's making me so damn happy.



First up, I finished PRIVATE EYE by Katrina Jackson, which was a fucking delight from start to finish, 5 Stars.


A sex positive, queer friendly, body positive, and diverse sexy spy rom-com that you need in your life. Trust. Me.


I didn't start with book one, because I'm horrible like that, but I am positive that it is also an amazing read and would probably give you a better insight into some of the characters (especially, of course the throuple for that book, Monica, Lane, and Kierra).


I can't say enough good things about this book. It's just . . . perfect. It's so hot and sex positive (yes, that also means sex-worker positive, remember, because she's a cam girl and it is literally NEVER A PROBLEM, amen). And I loved that Jackson filled it with great sexual tension and teasing and everything, but there's no PIV sex until literally the last few chapters. But I was okay with this because the build-up was hot AND there was still plenty of other sex throughout the book. Mutual masturbation, sexy videos, oral and fingering/handjobs, oh my! It's alllll good.


I fell in love with the crazy-fun, crazy-horny cast of characters in this book and I cannot wait to read their stories and see them pop up again in future books.


I will note that while I LOVED this book, yes, it needed a bit more editing, as far as some grammar and punctuation. But that's okay, I'll take those errors if it means I continue to get Jackson's fun voice and writing.



Favorite quote:


Um, all of them?! Seriously, I highlighted too many, just go scroll through my Twitter feed HERE.



Private Eye by Katrina Jackson
Contemporary (with some action/suspense)
Kindle (KU Title)




Then I quickly devoured INDECENT...EXPOSURE by Jane O'Reilly, which was a super hot novella that Amanda recommended to me (and thanks again for gifting it, Heather!). This one is getting a solid 4 Stars.


Honestly? The only reason it's not a higher rating is the ridiculous price. Maybe that's an odd reason to lower the rating, but I just can't put a "GO BUY THIS NOW IT'S SO AMAZING 5 STARS" stamp on a 90 page novella for $4. That's insane. I wish the publisher would lower the price.


We've got a little voyeurism fun going on, by means of erotic photography, an office quickie, and an alleyway BJ, just to name a few highlights. It's so good.


Find all the quotes I shared HERE.


Favorite quote:


But it’s the quiet ones you have to look out for. They’re the filthy fuckers.



Indecent...Exposure by Jane O'Reilly
Contemporary Erotic, Novella
1st POV (heroine only)




. . . So good, in fact, that I immediately bought the rest of the trilogy and devoured them. Starting with INDECENT...PROPOSAL by Jane O'Reilly, which I'm giving 5 Stars to because it has my favorite kind of heroine: the kind most reviewers call "slutty".


A gives-no-fucks heroine with ALLLLL the sexual agency is tired of being seen as the "slutty blonde with big tits", secretly wants something more than just sex, and finds it in her best friend's stiff (but secretly dirty) brother.


Gah, this novella was so hot and perfect. I loved seeing Amber take charge of her sexuality, fuck who she wants to fuck, when she wants to fuck, and to hell with what anyone thinks. Hell, she even answers the phone (it ends up being the hero) while she's being eaten out by her current fuck buddy. AND I LOVED IT. The book starts with orgasms at a wedding and ends with it as well, but in two very different ways and I loved both.


Find all the quotes I shared HERE.


Favorite quote:



"What else do you like?" 
"Women who know what they want." 
"You mean slutty women," I say. It doesn’t offend me. I’m used to it. Something about the combination of blonde hair, big boobs and high heels makes people think I’m easy. I don’t have a problem with that. I’ve never bought into the idea that it’s wrong for women to chase sex, to want it, that we’re somehow dirty if we want lots of sex with lots of different people and we don’t need it to mean anything.




Indecent...Proposal by Jane O'Reilly
Contemporary Erotic, Novella
1st POV (heroine only)





Obviously I had to finish up the trilogy with INDECENT...DESIRES by Jane O'Reilly, which also earned a solid 5 Stars as well. Lucas, Amber's fuck buddy, gets his story and it is delicious.


Divorced 30-something secretary + 20-something IT guy, aka the man across the street that she's been watching jerk-off for weeks. Um, yes, please! BUT WAIT. It gets even better. This is a femdom story. He craves submission and being punished, loves being watched. She's always been told she's too controlling, too bossy, too cold. Until Lucas shows her how to embrace her desires. And his.


Listen, there's some ass spanking. Some "you can't come until I tell you". Fun with a giant vibrator (which she uses to tease him to orgasm at one point). And she even bends over in the kitchen, eating ice cream, and tells him to eat her out while she does so. I MEAN: GOALS.


When I first started talking about this series on Twitter, a few people compared it to Charlotte Stein. And I can definitely see the comparison! But as much as I love Stein's erotic novels, she has a very particular writing style, one where it's so very deep into the heroine's POV (1st person, always) that we're TOLD a story almost completely through her inner monologue only. It's . . . actually a bit limited and frustrating at times. My point is, I can see some similarities between O'Reilly and Stein, but O'Reilly doesn't have that frustrating POV thing going on.


If you haven't picked up this trilogy yet, you really should. I know book 1 is a crazy stupid price ($4 for less than 100 pages, and it's been out for nearly 5 years, ugh), so if you want to wait for a sale on that, I totally understand. But 2 and 3 are more reasonably priced ($1.99 each) and they are well worth it!


Find all the quotes I shared HERE.


Favorite quote:


I wonder what he would do if I told him to get under my desk and put his mouth on my pussy and stay there until I tell him to come out.



Indecent...Desires by Jane O'Reilly
Contemporary Erotic, Novella
1st POV (heroine only)




And because I just can't get enough dirty reads in my life, I decided it was past time to read PRIEST by Sierra Simone. This book won't work for everyone, obviously. But for me? A solid (filthy) 4 1/2 Stars.


I don't know where to start with this one. It's just so, so good. Dirty AF, yes, but also emotional and so beautifully written. Honestly, Mel and Jenny recap my thoughts on this book perfectly in the Heaving Bosoms episode for it (go listen, seriously!).


Pussy eating over a piano, altar fucking, phone sex, and a little role-playing in the club . . . it's all hot. Damn.


You know the drill: find all the quotes I shared HERE.


BTW, book 2, which follows the hero's brother, is currently on sale right now!


Favorite quote:


“You did not take advantage of me. Yes, I’ve got some shit going on in my life right now, but I am my own person, capable of making my own choices. I’m not damaged, I didn’t grow up unloved. I’m not a blank slate for males to exert their agency on. I chose to sleep with Sterling. I chose to let you go down on me. I wanted those things, and you don’t get to tell me that I didn’t. You don’t get to tell me that I was nothing more than an unwilling bystander.”



Priest by Sierra Simone
Contemporary Erotic
1st POV (hero only)




I decided to pick up THE D.I.L.F. by Amy Andrews next, which just came out this week and she'd described as her "hottest book yet" (which is a total TBQ Bat Signal, obviously!). And I would have to agree that it was pretty damn hot and enjoyable. 4 Stars


What happens when a 35yo nurse falls for her younger brother's 25 yo best friend, aka the new doctor at the hospital? Oh, and he has to stay at her place for a few weeks until his apartment is ready? Well, there's some masturbation going on through the thin walls they share. Then there's a nooner BJ in the supply closet at work. And later on, there's some fantasy fulfillment (hers) involving a suction-to-the-wall dildo and a face fuck.


I will say, there were a few not-so-hot moments that kinda pulled me out of it a bit. Like the mention of him eating Pop Rocks out of her pussy (NO! bad, don't do that) or describing his cock as a 'stiffy' at one point. But otherwise, there was still plenty of good, dirty action in this novella.


BTW, this DILF = Doctor I'd Like to Fuck


Check out all the quotes I shared HERE.


Favorite quote:


“I could put you on your ass.” 
I chuckle at the irony. Stef doesn’t need to wrestle me to the ground, I’ll go down for her whenever she wants. I prefer my knees to my ass, but I’m flexible like that. “I’d be up for that.”



The D.I.L.F. by Amy Andrews
Contemporary Erotic, novella
Dual 1st POV
Kindle
$0.99 / KU Title





And finally, I finished up my audiobook, NOT THE DUKE'S DARLING by Elizabeth Hoyt. I'm usually a big fan of her books. Unfortunately this one was just . . . okay. 3 Stars


I can't even explain to you *why* it was "just okay". It just . . . was? I don't have anything to complain about. But I also don't have anything to rave about. Which leaves me stuck in the "meh, it was fine" territory. The writing was fine. The story was fine. The romance was fine. Now the narrator for this audiobook was lovely, as always, so the performance was higher than 3 stars.


Hell, even the sex, when we finally get to it, was okay. I mean, there's a scene where she's grinding away on his lap and gets frustrated that she's not getting there, that she needs something more, and he helps her to start riding him, and ends up putting his thumb in her mouth at the end so she can bite down and not make a noise. That was pretty hot. But that's about the only thing that really stuck out to me about this entire book, sex or otherwise.



Not the Duke's Darling by Elizabeth Hoyt
Historical








I decided to start HEXBREAKER by Jordan L. Hawk, which is still only $0.99. A queer para-historical with a NYC cop hiding his witch abilities and a cat shifter (familial) he has to team up with to solve a mysterious curse/spell/whatever that's affecting people.




Hexbreaker by Jordan L. Hawk
Paranormal / Historical -- Queer, M/M
Only $0.99!





And I'm listening to another title from the Audible Romance Package -- FRESH CATCH by Kate Canterbary. Also a queer romance, contemporary this time, about a reclusive fisherman (excuse me, lobsterman) and the rich techie hero who is trying to hide from his latest failure. I'll let you in on a little secret -- there's some mutual masturbation fun in this one, and it's hot. ;)




Fresh Catch by Kate Canterbary
Contemporary -- Queer, M/M
Dual 1st POV
Kindle (KU Title)
Audible Romance Package Title








So what are YOU currently reading? 



Enjoy!



Until Next Time,










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