Review: Hollywood Lies

Title: Hollywood Lies
Author: N.K Smith
Publication Date: June 20, 2013
Source: Publisher
Summary (from Goodreads): In a world where make believe is a multibillion dollar industry, it’s hard to know where the fantasy ends and real life begins. When Collette Stroud, an influential Hollywood actor and director, takes a chance on two young actors for her romantic teen movie, three lives converge in a complicated web of publicity, passion, lust, and lies.

The web is cast when Stroud, a woman with a few skeletons in her closet, hires two young artists in her low-budget film. She handpicks Liliana Addison and Devon Maddox to be Hollywood’s next big stars. Former child star Liliana has had limited success with her previous roles but hopes to take the world by storm under Collette’s tutelage. While Devon is an out of work actor, he never stops dreaming about making it big. The director’s interest in him assures Devon his dreams are about to become reality.

Sparks between Collette and Devon set their lives ablaze, but the studio has other plans. Executives concoct a fictitious romance in order to drive box office sales and launch careers between Devon and Liliana. When the studio offers to make the young actors into bona fide stars, will the price be too high to pay, or will the deal be too sweet to pass up?

Can the trio handle the pressure of a hidden romance coupled with a phony public relationship? Will love be enough to conquer the promise of fame, fortune, and a lasting legacy, or will it be an easy sacrifice?

All three will tread the thin line of Hollywood Lies and genuine passion on the most important red carpet walk of their lives.

When it seems like every blog I follow is featuring one book and raving about it I know it’s a book I need to get my hands on. Especially when it promises hot sex. C’mon, I’m a smut whore. Of course I’m going to want to get my hands on a book that has reviewers panting and running for cold showers.

After readers have dried off and taken care of their needs, they’ve found time to give N.K. Smith’s Hollywood Lies rave reviews. So I quickly logged into my email, sent the fabulous ladies over at TWCS a note and virtually batted my eyelashes to get a peek at this novel.

Now I admit the one thing that made me hesitant to request it before now was because of all the sex that was said to be in it. Obviously I’m no prude since I love my erotica, but I don’t love reading books that has sex thrown in just for the sake of having sex thrown in. In that case there is a thing as too much sex. I get bored with the repetitiveness of it and instead of finding it hot I just find it blah. I want it to be part of the plot, not just something tossed around to fill up pages.

But I’m getting a head of myself. Let’s look at the characters and story before I jump right into bed.

The novel is done in first person POV of both main characters Devon and Collette aka Cole. I’m not a fan of first person but the author made it work for me. Devon is the struggling actor, while Cole is the superstar who has been around the block a few times. And by that I mean she has been around every kind of block you can imagine. Sex, drugs, abuse, abduction…you name it, this character has experienced it. I loved that she had such a twisted past, although there wasn’t a whole lot of detail given about the horrible things done to her. I get why the author wouldn’t want to go into that kind of gore, but her past was the reason she was the way she was. It formed the person she become and it was hinted at and talked about so much in the novel I just feel it should have been more detailed out when she finally opened up to Devon about it.

But you’ll learn that Cole is a very private, shut off person who trusts no one and expects everyone to leave and disappoint her. And let’s face it, millions of women can relate to that and usually have enough past experience to feel that way. There were times I wanted to smack her and scream, “What the fuck are you doing?!” But at the same time I got why she was acting the way she was and I think she was justified in doing so.

Devon is the sweet, somewhat naïve, newcomer to Hollywood. He’s down to earth and intelligent (most of the time) and talented, even if there were many times he let his dick do the thinking. But that’s men, right? He falls fast and hard for Cole and seems to have everything he’s ever wanted—so why does he do the shit that he does? Again, another one I wanted to kick in the nuts. But alas, a story wouldn’t be a story without drama thrown in, right?

N.K Smith did a good job at mixing the sex with the plot, although sometimes I felt like the characters were just getting it to show how sexual they were and how many different ways they could make each other come—and to lengthen the book. I also found it kind of funny how both Devon and Collette gushed about finally being with someone who they could talk to about real, intelligent things, yet all they seemed to do was fuck. You want to gush about all those deep convos? I want to read about them!

Aside from that, I thought Hollywood Lies lived up to all the hype surrounding it. It’s another winner for this publishing house, in my opinion.

 

Review: Beatiful Bastard

Title: Beautiful Bastard
Author: Christina Lauren
Publication Date: February 12, 2013
Source: Bought
Summary (from Goodreads): An ambitious intern.
A perfectionist executive.
And a whole lot of name calling.

Whip-smart, hardworking, and on her way to an MBA, Chloe Mills has only one problem: her boss, Bennett Ryan. He's exacting, blunt, inconsiderate—and completely irresistible. A Beautiful Bastard.

Bennett has returned to Chicago from France to take a vital role in his family's massive media business. He never expected that the assistant who'd been helping him from abroad was the gorgeous, innocently provocative—completely infuriating—creature he now has to see every day. Despite the rumors, he's never been one for a workplace hookup. But Chloe's so tempting he's willing to bend the rules—or outright smash them—if it means he can have her. All over the office.

As their appetites for one another increase to a breaking point, Bennett and Chloe must decide exactly what they're willing to lose in order to win each other.

You know what I liked about this book? It owned what it was right up front: fan fiction. Right there in the first few pages among the praise for Beautiful Bastard was a section praising its original version as The Office. There was no skirting around the issue where these words had first been. There was no pretending like it wasn’t a used copy, a story first built on someone else’s characters. Yes, most FF turned OF is obvious and if you don’t know where it originally started someone else does and you’ll soon be filled in. But, in my opinion, once an author decides to publish their fan fiction it’s as if most of them want you to forget where it originally came from. That’s not the case. Whether it’s the most amazing piece of work anyone can ever read it still started as FF, and it seems like (some) authors don’t want to be reminded of that.

These authors? They owned that by putting it right there in their book. Of course everyone and their grandmother knew about this story in the FF world so there really would have been no way to hide, but still. Because of that simple fact they have my respect. Maybe they were made to, who knows. But I can count on one hand the number of FF turns OF that I have read that have ever acknowledged it the way this book did.

That being said…the book was just okay for me. It was the same story I’ve read hundreds of other times. There was nothing special about it. There was nothing to make it stand out as a must read for me. Sure there were some funny parts, one or two touching moments, but overall it was the same assistant/boss plot that has been used over and over again.

I think the thing that bugged me the most was the sex. Yes, fine it was hot—at the start. But then it got boring. It felt like the sex scenes were thrown in there just for the sake of being able to write sex scenes. I’m all for a hot book filled with sex—when said sex is actually part of the plot and not just there for the sake of horny readers. I need it to mean something, to be a part of the story. I don’t need to read about just to the authors can write their own version of 101 Places/Ways To Get It On. Panty ripping? Hot. Panty ripping every single time? Boring and predictable and no one wants that in a book—or their sex life.

It also kind of got on my nerves how they always referred to each other as Miss/Mr—especially in their own thoughts! Yes, he’s your boss. But she’s also your assistant that you’ve been secretly jerking off to for a year. You’d think every once in a while first names would slip in there somewhere.

I do think these two authors are a great writing team, however. The book was well written and you can tell each brought something of their own to the table. I would be interested in reading something truly original from them in the future. 

.5

 

Review: The Satyr's Curse

Title: The Satyr's Curse
Author: Alexandrea Weis
Publication Date:  June 1, 2013
Source: Author
Summary (from Goodreads):
Gruesome murders are rocking New Orleans.

But Jazzmyn Livaudais is too busy running her restaurant to pay attention to the sensational headlines. And when the charismatic Julian Devereau enters Jazzmyn’s life, she becomes even more distracted by the handsome stranger.

Seduced by Julian’s charm, Jazzmyn is swept up in a passionate romance. Then she learns the horrific truth about Julian and the murders. Cursed to an unending life where no woman can satisfy his lust and no wine can quench his thirst, Julian needs Jazzmyn’s love to free him from his torment.

But Jazzmyn is in love with someone else. And Julian isn’t very happy about it.

He vows to keep on killing until Jazzmyn submits to his will.

For Jazzmyn Livaudais the nightmare is just beginning.

No one can ever break The Satyr’s Curse.

I know a great book is about to hit my email inbox when I get a message from this author! 

The Satyr’s Curse did not disappoint.

I love how all her books are set in New Orleans. I’m a huge fan of the South—whether it’s the food, the culture, the hot accents, I love everything about it. So to be able to read a great book set in my favourite location makes me oh so very happy.

If you read the summary for this book it pretty much gives away exactly what the book is about and what happens. Or so I thought. There’s enough little surprises along the way that made the summary not as simple as it seemed.

Love. Lust. Voodoo. Curses. This book has it all.

And can I just say how much I love Kyle. *swoon* Adding him to my list of book boyfriends. Yes he was hot tempered and acted like an ass at times, but he was also sweet and adorable and just wanted what was best for Jazzmyn and sure that made him act like a jealous dick sometimes but that’s okay. We forgive Kyle.

The most surprising thing for me was the ending. I thought for sure it would turn out totally different than it did and everyone would have closure in some way—even if it wasn’t in a good way. I don’t want to give too much away, but I definitely saw something different happening to Julian. But the ending does leave an option for a sequel. I would love to see what happens with these characters x amount of years down the road.

Another winner from Ms. Weis

 

**I received a free copy from the author in exchange for a honest review.

Review: Last Chance

Title: Last Chance
Author: Michelle Birbeck
Publication Date: May 30, 2013
Source: Author
Summary (from Goodreads): With her race saved from the brink of extinction, Serenity’s life could not be better. Married, finally, to Ray, and back in London for the first time in a century, retirement isn’t coming easy. Being a housewife was never in her make up.
But when Lizzy calls to say the Keepers’ records have been stolen, retirement is preferable over the danger they now face.
Targets once more, Serenity’s isn’t inclined to sit back and let her brothers and sisters face the losses she witnessed, but the order to move an entire race comes at a price.
Whoever is behind the threat, they show none of the mercy The Seats once did. No broken families left to suffer the loss of parents, aunts, uncles. This time they’ve gone too far, and when they take the lives of the race’s children, Serenity’s mind is made up.
This time they will be no threats, no mercy.
This time there’ll be no survivors.

 I really enjoyed the first novel in this series, The Last Keeper, so when I was asked if I wanted to be part of the blog tour for Last Chance I jumped to read the sequel. I didn't like it as much as the first, but it was still a very well written, interesting story. 

I liked how fast paced it was--although I felt it didn't really get going until after 60 pages or so. And I really liked the bond that was formed between Serenity and Poppy in this one. Two strong, kick ass females coming together to save the ones they love? What's not to like about that? I get so tired of reading books where it's always the guy that saves the girl and the day. Authors who switch it up and make the leading lady--or ladies in this case--the one who saves the day gets a ton of cool points. We're not all helpless females waiting to be rescued by the muscles. Sometimes we're the muscle.

I think what made me enjoy this a little less than the first is I felt like it was kind of a repeat. The Last Keeper was basically along the same lines as this. Keepers are in trouble, families are being killed off, etc. I felt like I had already read this version and I was slightly disappointed by that.

Still, it's a book worth checking out. The twists keep it interesting and there are a few surprises along the way. 

1/2

Review: Fixer

Title: Fixer
Author: Gene Doucette
Publishing Date: March 21, 2013
Source: Publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):

What would you do if you could see into the future?

As a child, he dreamed of being a superhero. Most people never get to realize their childhood dreams, but Corrigan Bain has come close. He is a fixer. His job is to prevent accidents—to see the future and “fix” things before people get hurt. But the ability to see into the future, however limited, isn’t always so simple. Sometimes not everyone can be saved.

“Don’t let them know you can see them.”

Graduate students from a local university are dying, and former lover and FBI agent Maggie Trent is the only person who believes their deaths aren’t as accidental as they appear. But the truth can only be found in something from Corrigan Bain’s past, and he’s not interested in sharing that past, not even with Maggie.

To stop the deaths, Corrigan will have to face up to some old horrors, confront the possibility that he may be going mad, and find a way to stop a killer no one can see.

Corrigan Bain is going insane . . . or is he?

Because there’s something in the future that doesn’t want to be seen. It isn’t human. It’s got a taste for mayhem. And it is very, very angry

 

I loved his Immortal series, so when I discovered a new Doucette book, you better believe I snatched it up as quickly as I could.

Fixer is another one of those books that you will not be able to put down. I love the way Doucette spins a tale—his writing style is just so fresh and new. The creativity that goes into his books is just something that makes you sit there and wonder how one man can be so bloody brilliant.

It’s not a romance novel by any means, yet I fell head over heels for Corrigan. I want a Corrigan. Big, strong, burly motorcycle riding piece of yum. Sure he might be a little crazy, but it’s the insane ones that will always keep things interesting.

But is Corrigan really insane?

No. Absolutely not. He’s as sane as I am….um, well that might not be a very good comparison. Okay, so maybe he’s slightly insane, but really it’s an insane that means well. Corrigan is a fixer—he uses his ability to see the future to stop life threatening accidents from happening. So you can understand how the man might feel a little loony when he’s living seconds ahead of everyone else in time.

The story is faced paced which is always good, but beware: you’re thrown back and forth into past and present flashes so fast that if you’re not paying attention you’re left wondering “wtf just happened?” Paying attention to this book shouldn’t be a problem though so you’re confusion level should be just fine.

As entertaining as the book is, once it was over it really made me stop and wonder about the concept of time, and if it’s really that easy to manipulate it. You’ll know what I mean when yhou read it for yourself. And trust me, you HAVE To read this book. If it’s the only book you read in 2013  make it Doucette’s. You know you’ve just read a truly amazing book when not only do you finish it feeling more than satisfied but you walk away from it pondering huge questions.