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Showing posts with label skye warren. Show all posts
Showing posts with label skye warren. Show all posts

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Caught For Christmas by Skye Warren (Review)

Title: Caught for Christmas
Series: Stripped 3.5
Author: Skye Warren
Release Date: December 7, 2015
Format: Ebook received for review
Pages: 93 pages per Amazon

I’ll be home for Christmas…

The plan is simple. Break into the club and steal the money I need to save my father. The ex-military bouncer isn’t going to stop me, even if he is hot as hell.

If only in my dreams…

Except he has a curious knack for knowing my next step.

And there’s something dark underneath his desire, something dangerous. If he catches me, he might not let me go.

As a personal general rule, I stay away from Christmas books.  I'm not even sure I have an exact reason, I just don't like to really get inundated with that seasonal...mush. However, this is Skye.  If anyone could make me like a Christmas romance, it's her.  So did I?

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Pretty When You Cry by Skye Warren (Review)

Title: Pretty When You Cry
Series: Stripped #3
Author: Skye Warren
Release Date: October 20, 2015
Format: Ebook received for review

I came from a place of dirt floors and holy scriptures. They told me the world outside was full of sin, and the first night I escape, I find out it’s true. Ivan saves me, but he does more than that. He takes me. He makes me his own girl.

My conditioning runs too deep. Ivan sees what I am.

That’s the thing about showing a mouse to a cat. He wants to play. And it’s terrifying, even for me. Because the only thing darker than my past is his.




You all know I love Skye Warren.  I do.  No way around it.  Pretty When You Cry continues the Stripped series, and brings another new dimension to the men and women at The Grand.

Monday, September 28, 2015

Even Better by Skye Warren (Review)

Title: Even Better
Series: Stripped #2.5
Author: Skye Warren
Released: September 20, 2015
Format: Ebook
Pages: 91 per Amazon

A story about how coming together can break us apart…

An old military friend of Blue’s comes to stay with us, and suddenly I have two muscled men surrounding me. Before I can take a breath, we’re diving into something dirty together—something dangerous. Dangerous because three is a crowd.

This is Blue’s best friend, and one of us will have to leave.


We met, and consequently fell in love with, Blue and Lola in Better When It Hurts.  Theirs is a complicated relationship, and still very new.  However, I believe they are as rock solid as any couple could be.  That is, until I read the blurb for Even Better.  Was it true?  Was Skye Warren going to rip apart one of my favorite couples?? There's no way I could just let this sit.  I had to find out!!

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Wild by Skye Warren (Review)


Title: Wild
Series: Chicago Underground #4
Author: Skye Warren
Release Date: June 30, 2015

Once upon a time I was the girl who had everything, the clothes, the car. The rich dad who spoiled me. But the truth was, the only thing I had was my body. I used it to buy my way out.

I took a bite of the apple knowing full well what would happen.

That’s how I became a call girl. That’s the story of how I ended up in hell.

There’s only one man who makes me wish things had been different. One man who could never be with a girl like me. Luke is a cop. Untouchable. Unbreakable. And dangerous in his own way.

When I end up on the run, he’s the only one I can turn to.

And he just might be my downfall.

Last week I got the pleasure of reading Wild, which is book 4 in the Chicago Underground series.  To be fair, I've only read one other book in this series (Allie's book, Rough - loved it!) but I did not feel lost or like I was missing out on anything.  So yes - first and foremost, I would say you could read this as a standalone if you wanted to jump right in.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Better When It Hurts by Skye Warren (Review)

Title: Better When It Hurts
Series: Stripped #2
Author: Skye Warren
Published: June 4, 2015
Format: Ebook received for review
Pages: 179 per Goodreads

Five years ago we lived in the same house. He was the ultimate bad boy. And my foster brother.

Now he’s back. Tougher, harder, meaner. All of it aimed at me, because I was the one who sent him away. It’s payback time. He wants his pound of flesh, and I am helpless to say no.


Better When It Hurts.... holy shit.  So I read Love The Way You Lie, the first book in the Stripped series, but Better When It Hurts blew it out of the water.  I hate to get all fan-girl all over Skye Warren, but seriously - the woman has such a way with words, I don't even think I could write a review to do it justice.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Love The Way You Lie by Skye Warren (Release and Giveaway!!)

Love The Way You Lie
Skye Warren

A dark romance about the lies that lead us down… 

I’ll do anything to get safe, even if that means working at the scariest club in town.

I’ll do anything to stay hidden, even if it means taking off my clothes for strangers.

I’ll do anything to be free. Except give him up. When he looks at me, I forget why I can’t have him. He’s beautiful and scarred. His body fits mine, filling the places where I’m hollow, rough where I am soft.

He’s the one man who wants to help me, but he has his own agenda. He has questions I can’t answer. What are you afraid of?

You.

So today I am sharing Love The Way You Lie - but also a giveaway, AND I want you to go to AMAZON right now (no, actually, I mean after you read my post!!) and get Tough Love for FREE.  I've read Love The Way You Lie, and let me tell you - it is amazing.  Kip and Honey are such wonderful and multidimensional characters, I know you will fall in love with this story just like I did!!

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Prisoner by Skye Warren and Annika Martin (Review)

Title: Prisoner
Series: Criminals & Captives #1
Authors: Annika Martin & Skye Warren
Published: October 23, 2014
Format: Ebook received for review
Pages: 310

He seethes with raw power the first time I see him—pure menace and rippling muscles in shackles. He’s dangerous. He’s wild. He’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

So I hide behind my prim glasses and my book like I always do, because I have secrets too. Then he shows up in the prison writing class I have to teach, and he blows me away with his honesty. He tells me secrets in his stories, and it’s getting harder to hide mine. I shiver when he gets too close, with only the cuffs and the bars and the guards holding him back. At night I can’t stop thinking about him in his cell.

But that’s the thing about an animal in a cage—you never know when he’ll bite. He might use you to escape. He might even pull you into a forest and hold a hand over your mouth so you can’t call for the cops. He might make you come so hard, you can’t think.

And you might crave him more than your next breath.

 So this week I read Prisoner, which releases TODAY.  Trust me when I say "Buy this book RIGHT now."  If you like it dark, sexy and dangerous - this is the book for you.  Annika Martin and Skye Warren deliver a crazy hot story - the first in a series, and it's not to be missed.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

On The Way Home is a hard hitting and exciting novel! (Skye Warren)

Title: On The Way Home
Series: standalone
Author: Skye Warren
Published: May 2014
Format: Ebook received for review

Clint
For eight months I’ve been deep under cover as a special operator in the Army. On the plane ride home, all I want is a hot shower and a long sleep. But a Dear John text message leaves me stranded. I need a ride and a place to stay, and the pretty stewardess is more than willing.

Della
It’s supposed to be a simple trade—the passenger in seat 34B for my sister. But the sexy soldier is more than I can handle in all the best ways. He trusts me, but I can’t save him. No one can. Sometimes trouble has a way of following you home.

On the Way Home is a dark new adult romance intended for readers over eighteen.

I read this book a couple weeks ago and I absolutely fell in love with it.  I mean, not only is Skye Warren one of my top 5 favorite authors ever, but this book is a perfect example of why.  First, its New Adult...but not just that, it's dark.  And this one kind of puts the heroine in the power position, which is not something I always go for.  But Skye made this book dangerous, steamy, intense and emotional all in one fell swoop.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Review: The Hostage Bargain - Annika Martin (From MAKE ME)

Take a trip to the dark side with 12 books by some of the hottest names in edgy romance, including USA Today Bestselling authors CJ Roberts, Eliza Gayle, and Aleatha Romig!


Pam Godwin: Beneath the BurnSkye Warren: WanderlustClaire Thompson: EnslavedCari Silverwood: Take Me, Break MeAnnabel Joseph: Comfort ObjectAleatha Romig: Consequences Shoshanna Evers: The Man Who Holds The WhipAnnika Martin: The Hostage Bargain Jasmine Haynes: Take Your PleasureEliza Gayle: Play With MePepper Winters: Tears of TessCJ Roberts: Captive in the Dark

These e-books would cost over $40 if purchased separately. This set will only be available for a limited time, so order your copy now!


 Title: The Hostage bargain
Series: Taken Hostage By Hunky Bank Robbers #1
Author: Annika Martin
Published: April 2012, also in MAKE ME
Format: Self Purchase in MAKE ME boxed set

When small town girl Melinda Prescott is taken hostage by three hot bank robbers, she quickly discovers that a life of bank heists, luxury hotels, and kinky menages is way more exciting than working on the family farm. She should be scared of her dominating, fierce captors…but there’s something wicked inside her that’s craving to obey their every dark desire.

Melinda eagerly throws in with her three smoldering fugitives…and soon realizes that these are no ordinary bank robbers—and that bad guys aren’t always who they seem. But will her delicious captors overcome their own demons enough to let her in? And can these underdogs fight an evil conspiracy that’s larger than all of them?

Warning: This book contains a sexy bank-robbers-and-their-captive sandwich, light bondage, spanking, teasing hints of domination, and a little play-time in a hot tub. Oh, and some all-too-delicious alpha heroes who bend the heroine to their will.


So this weekend I cracked into MAKE ME, which is by far one of the very best boxed sets I’ve seen. Of course, any follower of mine knows I’ve already 5 starred and favorited Wanderlust from Skye Warren. Well, this weekend I read The Hostage Bargain by Annika Martin.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Make Me - Twelve Tales of Dark Desire - Excerpts & Giveaway


Ok, so I TOTALLY already pre-ordered this - and you'd better too.  Right now it's 99 cents, but that price won't last after the book is released.  So read through and go order yours.  I've read a few of these books included, and they are AMAZING.  You will not be disappointed!!

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Review: Don't Let Go by Skye Warren


Title: Don't Let Go
Series: Dark Erotica #4
Author: Skye Warren
Published: November 11, 2013
Format: Ebook provided for review

Junior FBI Agent Samantha Holmes is assigned the case of a lifetime, along with an enigmatic new partner, Ian Hennessy. She's determined to prove herself to the bureau legend, but late nights and stolen moments lead to more than respect. They lead to desire, and soon she's fallen for the one man forbidden.

Together they hunt for the FBI's most wanted man. A criminal. A psychopath. But when they get close, Samantha may end up prey instead. She must face her dark past to stay alive--and to protect the man she loves.

Don't Let Go is a dark erotic novel that contains dubious consent and captivity. Not intended for those under eighteen or those uncomfortable with the subject matter.

Don’t Let Go by Skye Warren has blown me away. Skye’s ability to make me feel like I am part of this dramatic, dark, and twisted story is so fucking fantastic I can only sit here and beg for more.


Don’t Let Go is the story of Samantha, who is pretty much a nobody with the FBI. Her boss, Agent Brody, has just changed her life in a matter of seconds and put her on the biggest case in the country with one of the toughest agents in the country – Ian Hennessy. The case? Carlos Laguardia. Oh yeah, if you are a fan of Skye Warren, you know exactly who Carlos is. We really got to know him back in book two, Trust In Me, when he was ruthlessly shoving his cock down Mia’s throat, and keeping her very captive. You got to see exactly how bad of a guy Carlos is, and even though you might have felt a bit Stockholm-y of him, too, you knew he was the big bad. So now Samantha and Ian are on the case.

“I’d only ever wanted to be normal, prayed for it, but it had always been too late for me. While other children had backed away from white vans, I’d looked at them with longing. I wanted to be special enough to be taken. I wanted to matter that much.”

So Samantha has had a fucked up childhood. As it turns out, her single dad was one of the worst when it came to bad guys. Rape, murder, beatings… you name it. With children. It’s really messed with Sam’s head, and you can see in the way she thinks about things that something isn’t quite adding up to “well adjusted young woman”. But hey, we all have quirks, right? That’s how good this story is, because even though you know what Sam is thinking and feeling about all of these different things, you still like her. You still want the best for her. And in some small, dark way, you want to be her.

And when Sam meets Ian there are some definite sparks. And I’m all like “hell yeah!!!” The very first touch between them, a handshake, brings out this chemical reaction that is just tangible. And from that moment on, I’m counting down til something happens with them. Ian is a tough guy. He’s determined to bring down Carlos, and he’s none to thrilled about having the rookie being his partner. It’s hard to get a read on him, but I still like him. I mean, I can understand his point of view. But Sam is no ordinary rookie, and he will find out. She stands up to him, she shows him that she is smart, and that she pays attention. And I love every fucking minute of it.

“He cupped my face, his eyes searching mine. I felt infinitely delicate when he held me like this, as if I were made of porcelain and spun gold instead of flesh and blood. As if I mightbreak. His thumb ran along my cheek, softly, gently, the callused pad of his thumb catching my skin, tugging it, abrading it, sandpaper against silk.


He leaned toward me, and this time our kiss was slow, like the long incline of a warm beach with lazy waves, with languid caresses of his mouth on mine. His tongue nudged my lips, and I opened for him. Relaxed against him, submitting myself to the sweet torture of an unhurried kiss.”

Yes, there is heat in this book. There is raw, sexual, needy heat. And it is divine in every syllable you read. It’s fueled by the adrenalin of the hunt for a worldwide criminal, and supported by this superior electricity between the two characters. I can’t say enough things about the sex and tension in this book.

And while all of this is going on, you don’t even realize what’s happening. You don’t realize that Skye is about to throw a grenade at you and change everything. But she does it, damn it. She does it and it worked out so well – and I CAN’T TELL YOU!!! Gah!!!! I know, it’s killing me! But you really have to read for yourself and see what all of these plot twists are about. Because trust me, if you are a fan of dark erotica, this is definitely the fucking book for you.

And one more quote, because this one just killed me and then killed me again. Sublime happiness here, folks. Read the fucking book.  But read Trust in Me first.

“Is that all I am to you?” I whispered. “A piece of flesh? Of meat?”

“Yes, “ He said, and the conviction in his voice didn’t allow it to be an insult. “You’re the meat when I’ve been fucking starving my whole life, so fucking accept it. You’re mine.
Mine. Got it?”



Fictional Candy

(I'd totally give this more than 5 stars if I could!!!)

Review: Don't Let Go by Skye Warren


Title: Don't Let Go
Series: Dark Erotica #4
Author: Skye Warren
Published: November 11, 2013
Format: Ebook provided for review

Junior FBI Agent Samantha Holmes is assigned the case of a lifetime, along with an enigmatic new partner, Ian Hennessy. She's determined to prove herself to the bureau legend, but late nights and stolen moments lead to more than respect. They lead to desire, and soon she's fallen for the one man forbidden.

Together they hunt for the FBI's most wanted man. A criminal. A psychopath. But when they get close, Samantha may end up prey instead. She must face her dark past to stay alive--and to protect the man she loves.

Don't Let Go is a dark erotic novel that contains dubious consent and captivity. Not intended for those under eighteen or those uncomfortable with the subject matter.

Don’t Let Go by Skye Warren has blown me away. Skye’s ability to make me feel like I am part of this dramatic, dark, and twisted story is so fucking fantastic I can only sit here and beg for more.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Fictional Candy loves them Bad Boys of Romance!

herding cats & burning soup


Woohoo!!  I've not been part of a hop in so long, it feels good to be back in one!  And what one would be better than the Bad Boys of Romance?  This one totally has my name written all over it!  Today's hop is hosted by:
Herding Cats & Burning Sheep
author Blue Remy
and
Rantings of a Reading Addict!
So make sure you stop by and see all of them.

For my stop, I'm giving away a choice of 3 books - all with some of my favorite Bad Boys.  BUT there is also a MASSIVE (oh yes, I do mean MASSIVE) tour wide giveaway.  Yikes!  That one blows my mind!

So the 3 books I'm offering up are your choice, from BN or Amazon
Click the links to view my reviews of them!

Wanderlust - Skye Warren
Holy Cow.  I can not stop thinking about this book.  Even weeks later.  That's how I know it's perfect!






Down To You -- M Leighton
This book was ridiculously hot.  I loved it.  And come on, it has bad boys right in the series name (Bad Boys).  So it obviously fits in with the theme.  








Decadent Deceptions - Keta Diablo
This book was superb!  I don't normally go for historical, and this one had me in hook, line and sinker!  And Morgan is some definite Bad Boy material!







a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Quote-Tastic - Wanderlust by Skye Warren

Welcome to Quote-Tastic!  This meme runs every Monday and is hosted by Herding Cats & Burning Soup.  So far it has been oh-so-much fun!  

Maybe you've heard me say this, maybe you haven't - but a good kiss in a book will win me over more than almost anything.  Seriously.  More than the action, more than the sex, more than anything - I just need that ONE moment to make me do a dreamy sigh and wish I was in their place.  That is what will get me every time.  

Last week I reviewed Wanderlust by Skye Warren.  You can read that post HERE.  It was a five star read for me.  And while there were tons and oodles of moments I loved in that book, there was this one that I'm going to post today.  Evie and Hunter are at a waterfall, and they are having a tender moment where the reality of their situation is forgotten for just a moment, and they are able to just be

Just enjoy this.

I leaned forward and kissed him - right on his nose. A little silly maybe, but he didn't laugh. He looked startled at first, then his eyes darkened. He held me still, steadily kicking to keep us afloat. But he made no move t pull away or to initiate another kiss. Just holding steady for my exploration, if I wished to continue, and I did.

His eyelids, his forehead, the rough cheeks and much softer lips. I stayed there, sending small kisses along his mouth, from one corner to the other and then back again. It was a thank you for bringing me here, for convincing me to do this. More than that, the jump had given me permission to do this thing I'd wanted, to kiss a beautiful man who held me. One who seemed to want me but was unable to express it except in the harshest of ways.

"What next?" I whispered, expecting him to do something obscene and maybe painful. For the first time, I thought I'd welcome it. It was crazy, but so was this.

His lips curved knowingly, as if he guessed the direction of my thoughts.

He raised his eyebrow. "Wanna jump again?"

Please note this is an Amazon Associates link.  All purchases made through this link help support this blog. 


So what do you think?  Can you get lost in a moment and think, "This is it, this is what I've been waiting for!" This book was so good, I urge you all to read it.  It's a bit dark, a bit sexy, a bit dangerous, and all together wonderful.  

So how about you?  Did you join in on Quote-Tastic this week?  Leave me your links and I will come visit you!




Quote-Tastic - Wanderlust by Skye Warren

Welcome to Quote-Tastic!  This meme runs every Monday and is hosted by Herding Cats & Burning Soup.  So far it has been oh-so-much fun!  

Maybe you've heard me say this, maybe you haven't - but a good kiss in a book will win me over more than almost anything.  Seriously.  More than the action, more than the sex, more than anything - I just need that ONE moment to make me do a dreamy sigh and wish I was in their place.  That is what will get me every time.  

Last week I reviewed Wanderlust by Skye Warren.  You can read that post HERE.  It was a five star read for me.  And while there were tons and oodles of moments I loved in that book, there was this one that I'm going to post today.  Evie and Hunter are at a waterfall, and they are having a tender moment where the reality of their situation is forgotten for just a moment, and they are able to just be

Just enjoy this.

I leaned forward and kissed him - right on his nose. A little silly maybe, but he didn't laugh. He looked startled at first, then his eyes darkened. He held me still, steadily kicking to keep us afloat. But he made no move t pull away or to initiate another kiss. Just holding steady for my exploration, if I wished to continue, and I did.

His eyelids, his forehead, the rough cheeks and much softer lips. I stayed there, sending small kisses along his mouth, from one corner to the other and then back again. It was a thank you for bringing me here, for convincing me to do this. More than that, the jump had given me permission to do this thing I'd wanted, to kiss a beautiful man who held me. One who seemed to want me but was unable to express it except in the harshest of ways.

"What next?" I whispered, expecting him to do something obscene and maybe painful. For the first time, I thought I'd welcome it. It was crazy, but so was this.

His lips curved knowingly, as if he guessed the direction of my thoughts.

He raised his eyebrow. "Wanna jump again?"

Please note this is an Amazon Associates link.  All purchases made through this link help support this blog. 


So what do you think?  Can you get lost in a moment and think, "This is it, this is what I've been waiting for!" This book was so good, I urge you all to read it.  It's a bit dark, a bit sexy, a bit dangerous, and all together wonderful.  

So how about you?  Did you join in on Quote-Tastic this week?  Leave me your links and I will come visit you!




Thursday, May 16, 2013

Review: Wanderlust by Skye Warren


Title: Wanderlust
Series: No
Author: Skye Warren
Published: April 2013, Smashwords
Format: Ebook provided for review

Can love come from pain?

Evie always dreamed of seeing the world, but her first night at a motel turns into a nightmare. Hunter is a rugged trucker willing to do anything to keep her—including kidnapping. As they cross the country in his rig, Evie plots her escape, but she may find what she's been looking for right beside her.

Wanderlust is a dark erotic novel which explores dubious consent, captivity, and power play. Not intended for those uncomfortable with the subject matter or under eighteen.

I was going to review this book next week, but I couldn’t wait anymore. I have to share it, and my thoughts about it, with you! Wanderlust is the third book I’ve reviewed by Skye Warren, and it deals with captivity. Hear Me and Trust In Me both dealt with captivity also, but all three books deal with it in wildly different ways. Before I even began this book I was excited. I know that Skye is a fantastic writer, and the concept of this book really sounded like an enthralling storyline. When I read a book from Skye, I feel like she is able to totally immerse me in the story. I lose track of time. I am Mia from Trust In Me, I am the slave from Hear Me, and now? I am Evie.

And its Evie who begins this book, and she is twenty years old. She lives at home with her mother who is basically a shut in. But not only is her mother a shut in, she is verbally and emotionally abusive to Evie at times. Her fear of being alone makes her act horribly to Evie, to keep her near, I suspect. But Evie wants more than living in that house can offer her, and so one day she decides, “This is IT.” And then she leaves. She has a destination, and somewhat of a plan.

I like Evie. She is naïve and brave and hungry to see what life is going to throw at her. She doesn’t let her mother’s fears control her, not any more. She doesn’t let horrible events from her past control her, not any more. So on her first night out, she gets a hotel room, crosses over the lot and goes to the diner. And it’s not long before she meets Hunter, Hunter Bryant. As the waitress says, nobody says no to Hunter Bryant.

How do I explain Hunter? Trucker, thirty years old, rugged and sexy cowboy. Damaged, and not exactly making the best decisions at this point.  He's got a colorful history that comes out throughout the book, and it totally endears him to me.  He takes Evie, and then they are off in his truck.

Their time together turns into a road trip, and they grow and learn more about each other. They end up acting more like a couple rather than a kidnapper and his captive, save for the sex. They are having sex regularly, but it’s not the tender touch of a couple falling in love. It’s rough and hard and screams of anger, and it’s wildly exciting. I couldn’t believe how hot it was at times. This book can definitely speak to that secret side of your darkest desires.  Wanderlust isn’t for the everyday romance reader. But if you like things a little dark, and a little …well, wrong, then you will love this book!  But don't be mistaken, this also isn't all hearts and roses.  Evie is still dealing with her internal struggle about actually being kidnapped, its not something she has just swept under the rug, as it were. Escaping is still a goal, even if she does her best to enjoy her time while she's there.

“I had traded one prison for another, this one mobile but absolute. Inescapable even as it sliced through the countryside. Neither my mother’s home nor this eighteen-wheeler were gilded, but I preferred the view in this cage.”

This story gave time to the characters to grow. Hunter is a criminal, yes. But there is a vulnerability to him. I don’t know if I should be excited, but I was. I wanted them to fall in love, I wanted them to be together. I fell for both of these characters. I fell in love with the damn truck! Every experience they had together, whether positive or negative kept me glued to my Kindle like it was my lifetime. I started this book in the evening, and a couple chapters in I decided I wasn’t going to bed until I finished it, and that’s exactly what happened. I have a feeling that if you like Skye Warren, this book will be at the top of your favorites. It’s definitely a five star read for me, and hey, now I get to use my new graphic for the first time!

So have you read Wanderlust? What did you think? Or is it on your TBR? Tell me what you thought of other books by Skye!



Find Skye Online





Please note this is an Amazon Associates link.  All purchases made through this link help support this blog. 



Fictional Candy

Review: Wanderlust by Skye Warren


Title: Wanderlust
Series: No
Author: Skye Warren
Published: April 2013, Smashwords
Format: Ebook provided for review

Can love come from pain?

Evie always dreamed of seeing the world, but her first night at a motel turns into a nightmare. Hunter is a rugged trucker willing to do anything to keep her—including kidnapping. As they cross the country in his rig, Evie plots her escape, but she may find what she's been looking for right beside her.

Wanderlust is a dark erotic novel which explores dubious consent, captivity, and power play. Not intended for those uncomfortable with the subject matter or under eighteen.

I was going to review this book next week, but I couldn’t wait anymore. I have to share it, and my thoughts about it, with you! Wanderlust is the third book I’ve reviewed by Skye Warren, and it deals with captivity. Hear Me and Trust In Me both dealt with captivity also, but all three books deal with it in wildly different ways. Before I even began this book I was excited. I know that Skye is a fantastic writer, and the concept of this book really sounded like an enthralling storyline. When I read a book from Skye, I feel like she is able to totally immerse me in the story. I lose track of time. I am Mia from Trust In Me, I am the slave from Hear Me, and now? I am Evie.

And its Evie who begins this book, and she is twenty years old. She lives at home with her mother who is basically a shut in. But not only is her mother a shut in, she is verbally and emotionally abusive to Evie at times. Her fear of being alone makes her act horribly to Evie, to keep her near, I suspect. But Evie wants more than living in that house can offer her, and so one day she decides, “This is IT.” And then she leaves. She has a destination, and somewhat of a plan.

I like Evie. She is naïve and brave and hungry to see what life is going to throw at her. She doesn’t let her mother’s fears control her, not any more. She doesn’t let horrible events from her past control her, not any more. So on her first night out, she gets a hotel room, crosses over the lot and goes to the diner. And it’s not long before she meets Hunter, Hunter Bryant. As the waitress says, nobody says no to Hunter Bryant.

How do I explain Hunter? Trucker, thirty years old, rugged and sexy cowboy. Damaged, and not exactly making the best decisions at this point.  He's got a colorful history that comes out throughout the book, and it totally endears him to me.  He takes Evie, and then they are off in his truck.

Their time together turns into a road trip, and they grow and learn more about each other. They end up acting more like a couple rather than a kidnapper and his captive, save for the sex. They are having sex regularly, but it’s not the tender touch of a couple falling in love. It’s rough and hard and screams of anger, and it’s wildly exciting. I couldn’t believe how hot it was at times. This book can definitely speak to that secret side of your darkest desires.  Wanderlust isn’t for the everyday romance reader. But if you like things a little dark, and a little …well, wrong, then you will love this book!  But don't be mistaken, this also isn't all hearts and roses.  Evie is still dealing with her internal struggle about actually being kidnapped, its not something she has just swept under the rug, as it were. Escaping is still a goal, even if she does her best to enjoy her time while she's there.

“I had traded one prison for another, this one mobile but absolute. Inescapable even as it sliced through the countryside. Neither my mother’s home nor this eighteen-wheeler were gilded, but I preferred the view in this cage.”

This story gave time to the characters to grow. Hunter is a criminal, yes. But there is a vulnerability to him. I don’t know if I should be excited, but I was. I wanted them to fall in love, I wanted them to be together. I fell for both of these characters. I fell in love with the damn truck! Every experience they had together, whether positive or negative kept me glued to my Kindle like it was my lifetime. I started this book in the evening, and a couple chapters in I decided I wasn’t going to bed until I finished it, and that’s exactly what happened. I have a feeling that if you like Skye Warren, this book will be at the top of your favorites. It’s definitely a five star read for me, and hey, now I get to use my new graphic for the first time!

So have you read Wanderlust? What did you think? Or is it on your TBR? Tell me what you thought of other books by Skye!



Find Skye Online





Please note this is an Amazon Associates link.  All purchases made through this link help support this blog. 



Fictional Candy

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Hear Me by Skye Warren: Review, Guest Post, Excerpt, and Giveaway


Title: Hear Me
Series: Dark Erotica #3
Author: Skye Warren
Published: September 2012
Tour: Yes
Format: Ebook provided by author for review

She doesn’t remember her past, only her training. She can’t talk, not that a good slave should speak out of turn. None of that matters when she wakes up in the warm, rustic room. Her new master is distant but kind. There’s only one problem: he doesn’t want her.

Longing for the shackles of safety, she pulls from the last dregs of her will to prove her worth as a slave. It seems to be working. He responds first to her body and next to her submission. The secrets of his past haunt the cabin, fraying the tightening bond between Master and slave, but it is her own memories that may finally unravel it.


This book contains a bonus short story Escape, set in the same dark erotica world.


WARNING:
This book contains explicit scenes of sex, including dubious consent and captivity situations. The BDSM does not conform to literary conventions, making it sometimes more realistic, and other times not. This is a work of fiction not appropriate for anyone uncomfortable with these situations or anyone under the age of eighteen.



“Even if only to drift down to the bottom, entombed in sand castles and chained in seaweed.”

Skye Warren is one of those authors that quickly made it to my favorites list.  Her writing is dark and captivating, and it can haunt you long after the last page is turned.   Her words have such beauty, she can make the scariest and ugliest thing seem precious.

The first chapter jumps right into it.  There is a woman who can’t speak.  She can’t remember anything before her captivity, but she knows she is a slave – a sexual slave.  It doesn’t take long before my heart is just breaking for her.  I can’t even imagine what kind of things have to happen to someone to make them forget everything other than how to serve you. 

“Her fragile happiness lay on the floor of the kitchen in shards, plowed again and again by the fierce iron cock of her Master.”

This book has some brutal situations in it.  This woman isn’t just a submissive, she is a shell of a human.  She has no choice to make for herself, no decision is her own.  Kneeling with her nose to the ground is nothing but an everyday effort for her.  And its taken over.  This makes her feel safe.  But now she has a new Master, and he is rewriting the rules.  She feels safe. She feels cared for.  But just as soon as you begin to feel that with her, just as soon as you exhale – BAM! Skye rips it all out from under you and you are floundering, wondering what is happening.  How can this woman survive this??

Right from the first page I was drawn into this story.  It was exciting to see the slave struggle to discover who she is, while trying to learn about her new Master and his wants and needs.  As the puzzle starts to come together, and new facts come to light, I was shocked over and over.  To say that this story had surprises puts it lightly. 

If you like stories about power exchanges, dubious consent, some hot sex and BDSM, you will like this story.  There is a heart here that has been broken by a series of people who took control of a young woman who got in over her head without even realizing it.  And it cost her everything.  But the question you are wondering throughout the story is will she make it or not? Will she be happy?  And just whois she anyway?  Well, I know. I read the story.  Now its your turn, so hop to it!

*******
Guest Post
*******

How Dark is Too Dark
By Skye Warren

Thanks so much for having me on Fictional Candy! I’m Skye Warren, author of the Kindle bestselling Dark Erotica series. I’m here to share with you guys my latest release, Hear Me, which early reviewers are calling “disturbingly arousing” and “beautifully written.”

I write dark erotica, which means that there’s plenty of sex, explicit acts. I also write about taboo or kinky acts. I can choose to be more detailed or less. Include a certain act that thrills or disgusts me, or not. But already I am out of some reader’s comfort zones.

Of course the warnings should clue readers in, but how far is too far? When should I pull back?

All of my warnings are pretty strongly worded to scare off the undecided, although some still slip through the cracks and end up shocked. I even put “erotic nonconsent” right there on the cover!

Dark erotica often depicts immoral acts, like dubious consent. But the point isn’t that these things are okay. In fact, part of what dark erotica is about is exploring the (often negative) effect that these events have on the people who commit and receive them. For me, that is the appeal. And in my opinion, insisting no one writes about these issues is just putting our heads in the sand. It doesn’t make them go away. It just makes it easier to get away with and to shame victims.

When I’m daydreaming in the check-out line, my mind travels to darker places. If I didn’t write, I would continue to dream, but I have found it to be so fulfilling to share my work with like-minded readers.

So back to the question: where do I draw the line? The truth is, I don’t. The distributors and credit card processors (aka. Amazon and PayPal) do it for me. While there are certain things I wouldn’t be comfortable writing, I would do anything to tell the story. That doesn’t mean that I enjoy every kink. I don’t. Sometimes I may write about something in a positive light that I find disturbing, just to explore. Other times I may write about something that I am perfectly fine with in a negative light, because that is right for the characters.

Dark erotica is about exploring, thinking, learning about sex. Yes, it’s also often hot. And the romance can be sweet, depending. But I think there is a power in knowledge, and that’s what really drives me to write and read dark erotica.

If you like dark and erotic books, I hope you’ll consider my new release Hear Me. You don’t have to read any of the previous series, it stands alone. And if you do decide to read Hear Me, I’d love to hear what you think on twitter or Facebook.

Skye Warren


Excerpt

Even the earth conspired to keep her. Branches grabbed at her skin like talons; the beach was quicksand, dragging her down. Hope was too abstract to compete with the sound of men shouting behind her. Even her fear was drowned by the ragged beat of her heart.

“Melody!” The voice sounded closer than the thrashing of leaves and branches.

Run, run away, don’t look back.

Her eyes, already stunted by lack of food, filled with grit and precious moisture. If she made it to the water, she could float away. Even if only to drift down to the bottom, entombed in sand castles and chained by seaweed. They would take her prisoner; they would keep her safe.

A battered person was cracked soil, but dreams were like weeds. She could survive this. That was the goal she set for herself, huddled in the cold, damp cell. She had clung to it as they touched her, beat her. Trained her.

The line of frothy water was in her sights, but disappointment seared her. She was too far away, the sand too thick.

An extra burst of energy propelled her two more stumbling steps. Her legs gave out. She clenched and released fistfuls of sand, not even sure she was actually crawling forward.

Coolness lapped at her fingertips, surprising her. Her mind, tired and rusty, turned that information over. She had made it. Water. Safety? No, freedom.
A slow, steady thwapping noise drew her gaze upward. A small green boat bobbed in the shallow water. Gentle waves flicked its hull, almost soothing, like the caress of a flogger. The rhythm thrummed through her. Even without the sting of impact, her mind began the slide.

No. Subspace meant security but not today. Right now it meant death, and she refused to die.

She blinked away the salt in her eyes and clawed through the water to the boat. With a strength that surprised her, she climbed over the edge, tumbling into the grimy bottom. It rocked gently with her weight then settled back into the gentle bob.

The boat wasn’t tied down anywhere, but there wasn’t an oar. Not that she had the strength to use one or a place to go.

Never mind. Her wish had been granted. She would drift out to sea, like a message in a bottle.

Her head lolled against the rim of the boat. She breathed in the pungent smell of earth and moss. Her last thought before she drifted off to sleep was fanciful. She imagined a giant plucking her from the water, unfurling her like a scroll, and reading the lines slashed into her skin.

She wondered what they would say.

Read HEAR ME Now

 

Giveaway


Skye Warren is giving away a $100 Amazon gift card and four $25 Barnes & Noble gift cards on this tour. Enter to win by leaving a comment below. What do you enjoy about reading dark books?









Hear Me by Skye Warren: Review, Guest Post, Excerpt, and Giveaway


Title: Hear Me
Series: Dark Erotica #3
Author: Skye Warren
Published: September 2012
Tour: Yes
Format: Ebook provided by author for review

She doesn’t remember her past, only her training. She can’t talk, not that a good slave should speak out of turn. None of that matters when she wakes up in the warm, rustic room. Her new master is distant but kind. There’s only one problem: he doesn’t want her.

Longing for the shackles of safety, she pulls from the last dregs of her will to prove her worth as a slave. It seems to be working. He responds first to her body and next to her submission. The secrets of his past haunt the cabin, fraying the tightening bond between Master and slave, but it is her own memories that may finally unravel it.


This book contains a bonus short story Escape, set in the same dark erotica world.


WARNING:
This book contains explicit scenes of sex, including dubious consent and captivity situations. The BDSM does not conform to literary conventions, making it sometimes more realistic, and other times not. This is a work of fiction not appropriate for anyone uncomfortable with these situations or anyone under the age of eighteen.



“Even if only to drift down to the bottom, entombed in sand castles and chained in seaweed.”

Skye Warren is one of those authors that quickly made it to my favorites list.  Her writing is dark and captivating, and it can haunt you long after the last page is turned.   Her words have such beauty, she can make the scariest and ugliest thing seem precious.

The first chapter jumps right into it.  There is a woman who can’t speak.  She can’t remember anything before her captivity, but she knows she is a slave – a sexual slave.  It doesn’t take long before my heart is just breaking for her.  I can’t even imagine what kind of things have to happen to someone to make them forget everything other than how to serve you. 

“Her fragile happiness lay on the floor of the kitchen in shards, plowed again and again by the fierce iron cock of her Master.”

This book has some brutal situations in it.  This woman isn’t just a submissive, she is a shell of a human.  She has no choice to make for herself, no decision is her own.  Kneeling with her nose to the ground is nothing but an everyday effort for her.  And its taken over.  This makes her feel safe.  But now she has a new Master, and he is rewriting the rules.  She feels safe. She feels cared for.  But just as soon as you begin to feel that with her, just as soon as you exhale – BAM! Skye rips it all out from under you and you are floundering, wondering what is happening.  How can this woman survive this??

Right from the first page I was drawn into this story.  It was exciting to see the slave struggle to discover who she is, while trying to learn about her new Master and his wants and needs.  As the puzzle starts to come together, and new facts come to light, I was shocked over and over.  To say that this story had surprises puts it lightly. 

If you like stories about power exchanges, dubious consent, some hot sex and BDSM, you will like this story.  There is a heart here that has been broken by a series of people who took control of a young woman who got in over her head without even realizing it.  And it cost her everything.  But the question you are wondering throughout the story is will she make it or not? Will she be happy?  And just who is she anyway?  Well, I know. I read the story.  Now its your turn, so hop to it!

*******
Guest Post
*******

How Dark is Too Dark
By Skye Warren

Thanks so much for having me on Fictional Candy! I’m Skye Warren, author of the Kindle bestselling Dark Erotica series. I’m here to share with you guys my latest release, Hear Me, which early reviewers are calling “disturbingly arousing” and “beautifully written.”

I write dark erotica, which means that there’s plenty of sex, explicit acts. I also write about taboo or kinky acts. I can choose to be more detailed or less. Include a certain act that thrills or disgusts me, or not. But already I am out of some reader’s comfort zones.

Of course the warnings should clue readers in, but how far is too far? When should I pull back?

All of my warnings are pretty strongly worded to scare off the undecided, although some still slip through the cracks and end up shocked. I even put “erotic nonconsent” right there on the cover!

Dark erotica often depicts immoral acts, like dubious consent. But the point isn’t that these things are okay. In fact, part of what dark erotica is about is exploring the (often negative) effect that these events have on the people who commit and receive them. For me, that is the appeal. And in my opinion, insisting no one writes about these issues is just putting our heads in the sand. It doesn’t make them go away. It just makes it easier to get away with and to shame victims.

When I’m daydreaming in the check-out line, my mind travels to darker places. If I didn’t write, I would continue to dream, but I have found it to be so fulfilling to share my work with like-minded readers.

So back to the question: where do I draw the line? The truth is, I don’t. The distributors and credit card processors (aka. Amazon and PayPal) do it for me. While there are certain things I wouldn’t be comfortable writing, I would do anything to tell the story. That doesn’t mean that I enjoy every kink. I don’t. Sometimes I may write about something in a positive light that I find disturbing, just to explore. Other times I may write about something that I am perfectly fine with in a negative light, because that is right for the characters.

Dark erotica is about exploring, thinking, learning about sex. Yes, it’s also often hot. And the romance can be sweet, depending. But I think there is a power in knowledge, and that’s what really drives me to write and read dark erotica.

If you like dark and erotic books, I hope you’ll consider my new release Hear Me. You don’t have to read any of the previous series, it stands alone. And if you do decide to read Hear Me, I’d love to hear what you think on twitter or Facebook.

Skye Warren


Excerpt

Even the earth conspired to keep her. Branches grabbed at her skin like talons; the beach was quicksand, dragging her down. Hope was too abstract to compete with the sound of men shouting behind her. Even her fear was drowned by the ragged beat of her heart.

“Melody!” The voice sounded closer than the thrashing of leaves and branches.

Run, run away, don’t look back.

Her eyes, already stunted by lack of food, filled with grit and precious moisture. If she made it to the water, she could float away. Even if only to drift down to the bottom, entombed in sand castles and chained by seaweed. They would take her prisoner; they would keep her safe.

A battered person was cracked soil, but dreams were like weeds. She could survive this. That was the goal she set for herself, huddled in the cold, damp cell. She had clung to it as they touched her, beat her. Trained her.

The line of frothy water was in her sights, but disappointment seared her. She was too far away, the sand too thick.

An extra burst of energy propelled her two more stumbling steps. Her legs gave out. She clenched and released fistfuls of sand, not even sure she was actually crawling forward.

Coolness lapped at her fingertips, surprising her. Her mind, tired and rusty, turned that information over. She had made it. Water. Safety? No, freedom.
A slow, steady thwapping noise drew her gaze upward. A small green boat bobbed in the shallow water. Gentle waves flicked its hull, almost soothing, like the caress of a flogger. The rhythm thrummed through her. Even without the sting of impact, her mind began the slide.

No. Subspace meant security but not today. Right now it meant death, and she refused to die.

She blinked away the salt in her eyes and clawed through the water to the boat. With a strength that surprised her, she climbed over the edge, tumbling into the grimy bottom. It rocked gently with her weight then settled back into the gentle bob.

The boat wasn’t tied down anywhere, but there wasn’t an oar. Not that she had the strength to use one or a place to go.

Never mind. Her wish had been granted. She would drift out to sea, like a message in a bottle.

Her head lolled against the rim of the boat. She breathed in the pungent smell of earth and moss. Her last thought before she drifted off to sleep was fanciful. She imagined a giant plucking her from the water, unfurling her like a scroll, and reading the lines slashed into her skin.

She wondered what they would say.

Read HEAR ME Now

 

Giveaway


Skye Warren is giving away a $100 Amazon gift card and four $25 Barnes & Noble gift cards on this tour. Enter to win by leaving a comment below. What do you enjoy about reading dark books?