Fictional Candy

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Review: Coward's Way Out by Kallysten

Title: The Coward's Way Out
Series: Ward of the Vampire, #4 (Serial)
Author: Kallysten
Published: October 28, 2013
Format: Ebook provided for review

When she was first trapped in the Ward mansion, an unwanted guest to millionaire and vampire Morgan Ward, Angelina could think of nothing else but how to break the compulsion that kept her prisoner. Her reluctant warden was certainly sexy and intriguing, but his standoffish behavior was outputting to say the least.

After a couple of weeks, however, after several ‘mind-trips’ into a fantasy reality in which Morgan is a perfect gentleman – and perfect lover – Angelina finds herself falling for him and struggling to understand why he tries so hard to push her away. How can a man be charming and attentive one minute… and yet deliberately infuriating the next?

A visit from Irene, this time more interested in a stroll down memory lane than in murder, starts to explain Morgan’s fears. But can Angelina break down his barriers before it’s finally time to leave, or will his past prove to be too deep of a wound to heal?

I’ve only read a few serials before, and I think this one is definitely among my favorites. Every time a new one comes out, my fingers are itching to grab the kindle and read away.

So in this edition Angelina is trying to recover from her visit with Irene. She’s getting closer to Stephen, and even – dare I say it – Morgan. Let’s take Stephen, for instance. I feel like he is getting more comfortable around Angelina. Yes, he is a bit on guard, both of himself and of Morgan. I find this so endearing, and it really draws me to his character more. But now Stephen gets a bit talkative with Angelina at one point, and he lets her in on a bit of his own past. I could cry for this man. He has been through so much, but for his stoic demeanor, you’d never know it. There are some points in this part of the book where I feel Angelina is a bit thoughtless in her care of him. It did bring her down a notch in my book, but I am still digging her overall.

Irene is back too, and she isn’t done with her dirty, manipulative ways. The woman is scary, no doubt. Even as a reader, I can feel her power from across the room. She’s playing her cards close to the chest, but Angelina still thinks she is figuring it out. I’m very anxious to see if she’s right in her assumptions. Even Delilah is back, and I’m just not finding anything I really like about this woman. Time will tell though, I’ve not given up complete hope. I think that they both want Morgan to be happy, ultimately, so that’s something.

This time, he turned fully toward me, and I perused his lovely abs as he slipped on a white shirt and started to do up the buttons, starting from the bottom.

"Enjoying the show?" he asked, that same eyebrow arching again.

"Are you enjoying giving it?"

His answer was only a twisted half-smile before he turned away again, this time to hunt for pants in the closet.

We get more sexy heat in this book!!! I just love the way Kallysten brings her characters together in her books. She doesn’t just throw them together and see what parts fit. There is work involved. Love, and its priviledges, is a treasure… a gift. And even though Morgan is more than a little hard-headed, all is not lost on this man. He is indeed a myriad of many things, kind of like a vampy sexy kaleidoscope. As always, I wait anxiously for every page he is on. And with Angelina’s determination to make him see things as she feels they are, well, there is definitely some drama brewing.

Something happens at the end of this book – and for the first time, I’m truly disappointed in Angelina. I understand she is young and naïve, and her emotions are all over the place – but man! I just want her to think about her actions, and how they could possibly play out in the future!! Morgan is a man who has already proved he has a wall around his heart, and it’s not like she has broken that down completely. One hole in that dam won’t destroy it, ya know?

There are some other scenes in this book that just made my heart break. In particular I’m talking about a bathroom scene with Morgan and Angelina. How my heart breaks for this man… so much as happened to him, and he got consumed by grief. The way it all affects him now is just enormous.

The story is progressing rather well. I’m anxious for each new part to come out, and I want to yell at Kallysten for her serial punishment LOL. No, really, I think it’s a great way to read a book. A tease here, a nip there, and I’m hooked. Now I’m hooked and waiting.

Find Kallysten Online...

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Previous Kallysten Posts:
Demons & Lullabies Excerpt
The Edge for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Review - Bodyguards

Review - Ward Of The Vampire

Review - On The Edge

Review - My Reluctant Warden

Review - Awkward Holidays

Review - Blurred Nights

Previous Installments

Review: Coward's Way Out by Kallysten

Title: The Coward's Way Out
Series: Ward of the Vampire, #4 (Serial)
Author: Kallysten
Published: October 28, 2013
Format: Ebook provided for review

When she was first trapped in the Ward mansion, an unwanted guest to millionaire and vampire Morgan Ward, Angelina could think of nothing else but how to break the compulsion that kept her prisoner. Her reluctant warden was certainly sexy and intriguing, but his standoffish behavior was outputting to say the least.

After a couple of weeks, however, after several ‘mind-trips’ into a fantasy reality in which Morgan is a perfect gentleman – and perfect lover – Angelina finds herself falling for him and struggling to understand why he tries so hard to push her away. How can a man be charming and attentive one minute… and yet deliberately infuriating the next?

A visit from Irene, this time more interested in a stroll down memory lane than in murder, starts to explain Morgan’s fears. But can Angelina break down his barriers before it’s finally time to leave, or will his past prove to be too deep of a wound to heal?

Tuesday! Time for another feature of Tuesday Jams, hosted by Sharonda at Salacious Reads

Have a song you can't get out of your head? That tune that just sticks with you? Join along in the fun. Tell me your song, or even embed the youtube! If you really want to have some fun, go to Salacious Reads and join in on the linky!

So today I picked a song that I just LOVE. You know, I listen to everything: rock, country, rap, r&b, motown, classic rock. I've seen Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Eminem, and 50 Cent (among others!) I've rocked out at Lords of Acid and partied like a rock star at the Detroit Electronic Music Festival. Music is just GREAT. I'm sure you all agree. Like a good book, a good song can transport you to a whole new place.

This song today sticks with me every time I hear it. I don't know anything else by this singer, and I've only heard it on Spotify and Youtube. But I LOVE it. And it fits my mood today :)

Ko - The Prize

So what song is sticking with you today??

Tuesday Jams - KO "The Prize"

Tuesday! Time for another feature of Tuesday Jams, hosted by Sharonda at Salacious Reads

The Kinkery - A Book Club For Your Dirty Side!

So about a month ago my friend Anna ( herding cats & burning soup ) and I started a book club on Facebook. We wanted something for the kinkier, dirtier side of books, since we both loved our erotic reads. So was born...

The Kinkery

We do multiple reads a month, one free and one paid. Last month we discussed Club Shadowlands by Cherise Sinclair and Laid Bare by Lauren Dane. This month it is Masters At Arms by Kallypso Masters and The Dom Who Loved Me by Lexi Blake. If you aren't interested in the book chats, we have plenty of other chat in the "lobby" part of the group!

We also run giveaways for participants. Prizes are swag and even the next month's paid book!

In under a month we've gotten over 240 members, I think that's pretty awesome. They are readers, bloggers, and even authors. But the good news is that we are still accepting new members!

If you want to join, just click the link!

The Kinkery

The Kinkery - A Book Club For Your Dirty Side!

The Kinkery

Excerpt/Giveway: A Risk Worth Taking by Heather Hildenbrand

A Risk Worth Taking

Heather Hildenbrand

When 22-year-old Summer Stafford’s parents split halfway through her senior year at college, Summer’s world is rocked. Everything she thought she knew—heck, everything she thought she wanted for her own life—feels like a lie. The truth is love is a risk. And the true kind, the kind that lasts, might even be a fairy tale.

Reeling from the divorce, Summer derails her own future by breaking up with her parent-approved boyfriend and giving up her lifelong plans for a big-city career. She moves back home, business degree in hand. Dad needs her to fill the gaps her mother left behind; Summer needs to find who she is outside of the cookie-cutter life that failed so miserably for her parents.

Ford O’Neal’s future involves one person: himself. He doesn’t have a permanent address and he definitely doesn’t commit. To a place or a person. Raised by hippies, he plans just far enough ahead to secure his next stop, this one landing him at a work-study program at Heritage Plantation where he can grow his own herbal and medicinal creations.

Summer is gorgeous and smart and fun to be with, the perfect way to pass five months. It won’t be love—Ford’s got too many things to accomplish, too many places to go, before he settles down. Yet Summer pulls him in, challenging him to rethink his own philosophy.

When Ford’s five months are up, each of them must decide if love is really worth the risk.

I'm super excited to share today's post with you - it's an excerpt from A Risk Worth Taking by Heather Hildenbrand. I love Heather!! I read her book, Imitation, not too long and I just picked this one up for myself. Hope you enjoy!
*Liz

Excerpt & Giveaway: The Right Temptation by Diane Escalera

The Right Temptation

Diane Escalera

Can a childhood crush mature into the real thing? Kayla Martinez has recently landed an RN position at a prestigious hospital in her hometown. The new job is everything she's hoped for, especially when one hot specimen shows up in the ER. She hasn't seen her childhood crush in years, and considering how much hotter he's gotten over time, she almost ends up needing resuscitation. The last thing Nico LaCosta needs is a broken arm. Now his pal's kid sister wants to soothe his pain, but he'd rather keep his distance so her big brother doesn't break his other arm. Kayla's no child anymore, though. She's one hot-blooded woman, determined to remind him of a mind-blowing kiss back when they were teenagers. Leave it to Kayla to drop by his house unannounced and play Nurse Seductive. A guy has to follow the buddy code, or face the consequences. Still, sometimes giving in to temptation is worth it...

CONTENT WARNING: Racy Language, Hot Sex, Lusty Latin Lovers A Lyrical Press Contemporary Romance

Hey everyone! I've got a saucy bit of a post for you today, an excerpt and a giveaway! Hope you like it, and have a wonderful Halloween!

The Right Temptation

Excerpt

Kayla ambled to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and perused it. Not bad. He had a few things she could work with. “What do you normally eat?”

“Grilled chicken, brown rice and broccoli,” he said without missing a beat.

Kayla laughed at his bland regimen. “I had a feeling.”

“Well, I try to take care of my body.”

“So I see.” Her gaze skittered over his physique. Whatever he did worked magically delicious.

“Although lately, I’ve been pigging out like a fat kid,” he said, with a disgusted look. “That’s what happens when you’re bored to death.”

She had a cure for his restlessness. The thought made her thighs go up in flames. Kayla shoved her head inside the cool refrigerator and peered into several plastic containers. “Some of this looks good.” She could’ve taken the easy way out, but she preferred to make something fresh, show off a little bit.

“It is. But I had so much of it already.” He puffed out his cheeks.

How adorable. She found everything he did entertaining. Kayla shut the fridge and, without asking, opened the cupboards. She found one with canned goods and food staples. “Hmm,” she mumbled, scanning the contents. She’d have to improvise. “You like omelets?”

Nico’s face lit up. “I love me some eggs.”

“Cool. I’ll whip up some veggie omelets.”

“You don’t have to cook for me, you know.”

She had a weakness for nursing people back to health. She had a weakness for one man named Nico. The combination of the two pulled on her heartstrings. “I want to,” she said, setting aside her personal agenda.

“Don’t you have something better to do than hang out with an invalid? I’m not a barrel of laughs right now.”

Good time to gauge his interest. She locked eyes on him. “Why? You want me to leave?”

“It’s not that,” he said. Nico strode to the kitchen. He took one of her long curls and tugged on it. “I just don’t want you to waste your free time.”

She wanted to close her eyes, bottle his woodsy scent. Kayla palmed his solid chest. The touch sent a shocking bolt through her already-charged system. She kept her hand there, reveling in the feel of his potent masculinity. “Who says I’m wasting my time?”

Nico closed the space between them. Too bad his bulky cast kept their bodies from totally connecting. Several inches taller, he stared down at her with pure intensity. The heat level shot up so fast she thought they’d set off the smoke alarm in the kitchen. Kayla titled her head back and shook her wild curls off her face. He helped by sliding a few fingers into her hair. Her heart practically jumped out of her chest. Kiss me. She’d waited years for this.

His body trapped her against the counter. Kayla shifted her position so she could feel the full force of his strength without the barrier of his injured arm. Oh God. He had an erection. Her hip acted alone and pressed up against it. She swore she heard him moan. Wait. That was her.

“Kayla,” he muttered, in a voice huskier than before.

Kiss me. She tried to send a telepathic message.

Born and raised in the Bronx, NY, Diane Escalera makes her home in sunny South Florida. The sultry paradise is a steady source of inspiration for her hot love stories. Diane is married, has two children and a super cute dachshund she can’t get enough of. She writes contemporary romance and is published with Kensington Publishing and Lyrical Press.