Review: Safeword: Matte by Candace Blevins

Title: Safeword: Matte
Series: Safeword #3
Author: Candace Blevins
Published:  March 2012 by Excessica
Format: Won in a giveaway

Matte, pronounced mah-tay, is the word used in some forms of martial arts to stop a fight. It’s the Japanese word for stop or wait. Sam (short for Samantha) has made a hobby out of learning the various fighting disciplines, but she also happens to be a sexual submissive. What better safeword than matte?

Sam wants to find someone to submit to who she can’t beat in a fight. She’s tried to make it work with men from the scene who know nothing about fighting, but it doesn’t feel real to her – she needs someone who can truly control her. However, after dating from the fight scene and discovering not all guys like to spank their girlfriends, she’s decided to just back away from the whole dating thing for a while… until Fate decides to step in.

Safeword: Matte is a stand-alone book. You do not need to have read the previous books in this series.

Warning: This title contains graphic language, consensual BDSM, bondage, and use of toys including crops, clamps, canes, and floggers.

I was completely blown away by Sam and Ethan. Seriously, I was not expecting their story to go the way that it did. Safeword: Matte is definitely one to read if you enjoy BDSM stories!

First we meet Samantha. And you know, at first I didn’t really like her. I felt like she had “issues”. To start, she describes her sexual preferences as “warped and twisted” and she seemed to have a thing about people being grown up. It kind of irked me. But then once she starts spending some time around Ethan she softens a bit. She shows this vulnerable side that really made her a more real character for me. And by the end I was in appreciation of her quirks and attention to detail, her strength in general. It just took giving her a chance to show herself.

As for Ethan, well, I liked him right from the start. He was cocky and a bit arrogant. And a 6’5” brick friggin wall. Oh yeah, this man is a cage fighter. Niiiiice. And you know what, he has green eyes!! So many stories I read lately seem to have the male with blue eyes, just the fact that he was green eyed stood out to me. LOL, I don’t know, call it my own quirk, I suppose. Ethan also has some um, ahem, rather impressive attributes. But his attractive qualities don’t end there. The man is a sexy dichotomy. Hard yet tender; demanding yet generous. Honestly, he’s my favorite type of leading man, and I bet you will like him too.

Sam and Ethan both have a secret, and their secrets are about to crash into eachother. And what comes after is sublime. The standout scene in this book that will have everyone talking involves a thunderstorm. Let me say just three words about that scene: OH.MY.GOD. Seriously.

All in all, this story was a magnificent surprise. It was rough and sensual and tender and hot. If you are into this genre, I definitely think you should check it out. As for me, I’m racing to my next Safeword book. I have a couple up on deck, now its just to choose which one is next…

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Kinky Ever After

Review: Safeword: Matte by Candace Blevins

Title: Safeword: Matte
Series: Safeword #3
Author: Candace Blevins
Published:  March 2012 by Excessica
Format: Won in a giveaway

Matte, pronounced mah-tay, is the word used in some forms of martial arts to stop a fight. It’s the Japanese word for stop or wait. Sam (short for Samantha) has made a hobby out of learning the various fighting disciplines, but she also happens to be a sexual submissive. What better safeword than matte?

Sam wants to find someone to submit to who she can’t beat in a fight. She’s tried to make it work with men from the scene who know nothing about fighting, but it doesn’t feel real to her – she needs someone who can truly control her. However, after dating from the fight scene and discovering not all guys like to spank their girlfriends, she’s decided to just back away from the whole dating thing for a while… until Fate decides to step in.

Safeword: Matte is a stand-alone book. You do not need to have read the previous books in this series.

Warning: This title contains graphic language, consensual BDSM, bondage, and use of toys including crops, clamps, canes, and floggers.

I was completely blown away by Sam and Ethan. Seriously, I was not expecting their story to go the way that it did. Safeword: Matte is definitely one to read if you enjoy BDSM stories!

First we meet Samantha. And you know, at first I didn’t really like her. I felt like she had “issues”. To start, she describes her sexual preferences as “warped and twisted” and she seemed to have a thing about people being grown up. It kind of irked me. But then once she starts spending some time around Ethan she softens a bit. She shows this vulnerable side that really made her a more real character for me. And by the end I was in appreciation of her quirks and attention to detail, her strength in general. It just took giving her a chance to show herself.

As for Ethan, well, I liked him right from the start. He was cocky and a bit arrogant. And a 6’5” brick friggin wall. Oh yeah, this man is a cage fighter. Niiiiice. And you know what, he has green eyes!! So many stories I read lately seem to have the male with blue eyes, just the fact that he was green eyed stood out to me. LOL, I don’t know, call it my own quirk, I suppose. Ethan also has some um, ahem, rather impressive attributes. But his attractive qualities don’t end there. The man is a sexy dichotomy. Hard yet tender; demanding yet generous. Honestly, he’s my favorite type of leading man, and I bet you will like him too.

Sam and Ethan both have a secret, and their secrets are about to crash into eachother. And what comes after is sublime. The standout scene in this book that will have everyone talking involves a thunderstorm. Let me say just three words about that scene: OH.MY.GOD. Seriously.

All in all, this story was a magnificent surprise. It was rough and sensual and tender and hot. If you are into this genre, I definitely think you should check it out. As for me, I’m racing to my next Safeword book. I have a couple up on deck, now its just to choose which one is next…

Find Candace Online

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Kinky Ever After

Review: Off The Shelf by Lucy Felthouse

Title: Off The Shelf
Series: No
Author: Lucy Felthouse
Published: May 30th 2012 by Xcite Books
Format: Ebook provided for review

At 35, travel writer Annalise is fed up with insensitive comments about being left on the shelf. It’s not as if she doesn’t want a man, but her busy career doesn’t leave her much time for relationships. Sexy liaisons with passing acquaintances give Annalise physical satisfaction, but she needs more than that. She wants a man who will satisfy her mind as well as her body. But where will she find someone like that? It seems Annalise may be in luck when a new member of staff starts working in the bookshop at the airport she regularly travels through. Damien appears to tick all the boxes; he’s gorgeous, funny and intelligent, and he shares Annalise’s love of books and travel. The trouble is, Damien’s shy and Annalise is terrified of rejection. Can they overcome their fears and admit their feelings, or are they doomed to remain on the shelf?

This story turned out to be a really fun read! It wasn’t overloaded on sexual content, but there was definitely enough to keep it interesting! I really enjoyed Annalise and had fun on her trip through this story. Damien is also quite the treat, and in more ways than one!

First of all, Annalise has the dream job of travel writer. I mean, who wouldn’t want to travel the whole world and do exciting things and write about them…. And get paid for it! Seriously, that alone gave her big bonus points. And then she meets Damien in the airport and he is shy and sweet, yet completely not shy about wanting to get to know her. Their initial meeting was very sweet, and definitely put her brain into Damien mode.

When you find that certain someone, you just know. They set you on fire, and the last thing you want is water to put it out. Even when you are confronted with sexy Portuguese men who would normally light another fire for you, you can only focus on the one your heart desires. And that really made this story, and Annalise, special.

Find Lucy Online

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Previous Posts On Fictional Candy

Review - On The Prowl

Off The Shelf Blitz

Release Blitz - Lucy Felthouse and Victoria Blisse

 Amazon UK

 Amazon US

Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. 
Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at:http://eepurl.com/gMQb9

Review: Off The Shelf by Lucy Felthouse

Title: Off The Shelf
Series: No
Author: Lucy Felthouse
Published: May 30th 2012 by Xcite Books
Format: Ebook provided for review

At 35, travel writer Annalise is fed up with insensitive comments about being left on the shelf. It’s not as if she doesn’t want a man, but her busy career doesn’t leave her much time for relationships. Sexy liaisons with passing acquaintances give Annalise physical satisfaction, but she needs more than that. She wants a man who will satisfy her mind as well as her body. But where will she find someone like that? It seems Annalise may be in luck when a new member of staff starts working in the bookshop at the airport she regularly travels through. Damien appears to tick all the boxes; he’s gorgeous, funny and intelligent, and he shares Annalise’s love of books and travel. The trouble is, Damien’s shy and Annalise is terrified of rejection. Can they overcome their fears and admit their feelings, or are they doomed to remain on the shelf?

This story turned out to be a really fun read! It wasn’t overloaded on sexual content, but there was definitely enough to keep it interesting! I really enjoyed Annalise and had fun on her trip through this story. Damien is also quite the treat, and in more ways than one!

First of all, Annalise has the dream job of travel writer. I mean, who wouldn’t want to travel the whole world and do exciting things and write about them…. And get paid for it! Seriously, that alone gave her big bonus points. And then she meets Damien in the airport and he is shy and sweet, yet completely not shy about wanting to get to know her. Their initial meeting was very sweet, and definitely put her brain into Damien mode.

When you find that certain someone, you just know. They set you on fire, and the last thing you want is water to put it out. Even when you are confronted with sexy Portuguese men who would normally light another fire for you, you can only focus on the one your heart desires. And that really made this story, and Annalise, special.

Find Lucy Online

Goodreads

Website

Twitter

Previous Posts On Fictional Candy

Review - On The Prowl

Off The Shelf Blitz

Release Blitz - Lucy Felthouse and Victoria Blisse

 Amazon UK

 Amazon US

Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. 
Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at:http://eepurl.com/gMQb9

Cover Reveal! Unbeautifully Loved by Emma Grayson

On the run from her dark and painful past, Lexie Todd is finally forced by her best friend Mollie into settling into a new place for the first time in months. Having been hurt in more ways than one in the past, the last thing Lexie is expecting or wanting is to meet someone as persistent and annoying but incredibly gorgeous as Lukas Gunn.

When an incident leaves Lexie banged up and rattled, Lukas knows there’s more to her than meets the eye as something is haunting her to the core making him nothing but determined to make her his and protect her from whatever it is that casts the dark painful shadow behind her eyes.

But when her past shows up and pulls Lexie back into the nightmare she already once escaped while leaving her closest loved ones in danger it’s up to Lukas to save her from her darkest nightmare relived.

Will Lukas be able to save Lexie? Or will Lexie succumb only having known what it’s like to be Unbeautifully Loved?

Unbeautifully Loved

(Unbeautiful Life # 1)

by

Emma Grayson 

Emma Grayson Online

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Cover Reveal! Unbeautifully Loved by Emma Grayson

On the run from her dark and painful past, Lexie Todd is finally forced by her best friend Mollie into settling into a new place for the first time in months. Having been hurt in more ways than one in the past, the last thing Lexie is expecting or wanting is to meet someone as persistent and annoying but incredibly gorgeous as Lukas Gunn.

When an incident leaves Lexie banged up and rattled, Lukas knows there’s more to her than meets the eye as something is haunting her to the core making him nothing but determined to make her his and protect her from whatever it is that casts the dark painful shadow behind her eyes.

But when her past shows up and pulls Lexie back into the nightmare she already once escaped while leaving her closest loved ones in danger it’s up to Lukas to save her from her darkest nightmare relived.

Will Lukas be able to save Lexie? Or will Lexie succumb only having known what it’s like to be Unbeautifully Loved?

Unbeautifully Loved

(Unbeautiful Life # 1)

by

Emma Grayson 

Emma Grayson Online

Twitter

Facebook

Guest Post: Cathy Yardley, author of Temping Is Hell

Temping Is Hell

Cathy Yardley

WORST. JOB. EVER.

Kate O'Hara can't wait until this temp assignment is over. The woman who hired her is a psychotic pageant queen, her coworkers are convicts-turned-clerks, and it's so boringly corporate it makes her skin crawl. Even her sexy-as-sin boss, famed billionaire Thomas Kestrel, isn't enticement enough to keep her there. Once she makes enough to pay off her bills, she's out. Or so she thinks...

WHAT THE HELL?

Next thing she knows, she's accidentally signed over her soul. Literally. And she's discovered Thomas's real mission: to kill thirteen bad guys in one year, in order to get his—now his and Kate’s—souls back.

IT'S NOT JUST A JOB. IT'S A MISADVENTURE.

From learning to boost the morale of some paper-pushing demons to navigating her way through blood-red tape, Kate has to work closely with her super-hot supervisor and get her flaky act together, before somebody clocks her out—permanently!

TEMPING IS HELL:  The Perfect Cast

by Cathy Yardley

I’ll admit:  I don’t always have a perfect “cast” in mind when I start writing.  I can mentally picture the characters, sure, but I don’t go so far as to clip images or anything.  That is, until this novel.

Temping is Hell is the first book in the Necessary Evil series.  It’s about Kate O’Hara, down on her luck temp, who gets a job with Fiendish Enterprises and their sexy CEO, Thomas Kestrel. What starts out as a distasteful job at a “soulless corporation” suddenly becomes dire when she inadvertently signs her soul to save her life – and now needs to spend the next year helping Thomas kill thirteen people, to get back both their souls.

You might read it and have your own thoughts of who would be perfect (I know I usually do when I read – I totally see Charlize Theron as Eve Dallas, for example) but here are my takes on the people inhabiting the strange world of Fiendish Enterprises…

Thomas Kestrel.  Think Richard Branson of Virgin Enterprises – but hotter, and Southern.  He’s a natural born charmer, a computer genius, and a fiercely independent risk-taker.  I automatically saw Matt Bomer from White Collar – although originally, I was thinking Timothy Olyphant from Justified.  So probably a mix of the two, sexy drawl and kick-ass competence, with a sophisticated flair.  Is it any wonder Kate gets mixed up with him?

Kate O’Hara.  I. Love. Her.  She’s probably my favorite character, of all the ones I’ve written.  She’s branded a screw-up by most of her family because of her inability to conform quietly to pretty much anything. And temper?  That red hair’s no lie.  She’s geeky, funky, completely irreverent… lacks a verbal filter and generally is fearless.  She says what I wish I could say, and stands up for what she believes, despite the consequences.  I see her as Felicia Day, from Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog, or Amy Adams from Enchanted and Julie & Julia.  She’s definitely the type to do the wrong thing for the right reasons.

Yagi.  Thomas’s supernatural consultant, bodyguard… and ninja.  He’s got a healthy mix of Zen and bad-ass, wrapped in an Armani suit.  I see Ken Watanabe, of The Last Samurai and Memoirs of a Geisha, as the ultimate Yagi.

Prue.  Kate’s best friend and a supernatural powerhouse in her own right – not that Kate knows this initially – Prue is half black, half Japanese, and no nonsense.  In my mind, I see Shanola Hampton, who plays Veronica on Showtime’s brilliant show Shameless, as the perfect Prue. 

Nan Temper.  Prue’s grandmother.  An unstoppable voodoo priestess – and not someone you want to ride along with as she races around in her huge “Oldsmobuick Land Yacht.”  Don’t let her peanut-with-dreadlocks body fool you: like Yoda, she can kick the ever-loving crap out of you, before hobbling off with her cane.  Who else could play her but the late, great Eartha Kitt? 

I’ve got most of my thoughts on casting, as well as some great “demotivational” posters and cards for inspiration, on my Pinterest board for the Necessary Evil series:  http://pinterest.com/cathyyardley/character-board-for-the-necessary-evil-series/

So – what about you guys?  Do you “cast” your favorite books?  Who do you see as your favorite hero and heroine?   

Find Cathy Online...

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Entangled Publishing

Guest Post: Cathy Yardley, author of Temping Is Hell

Temping Is Hell

Cathy Yardley

WORST. JOB. EVER.

Kate O'Hara can't wait until this temp assignment is over. The woman who hired her is a psychotic pageant queen, her coworkers are convicts-turned-clerks, and it's so boringly corporate it makes her skin crawl. Even her sexy-as-sin boss, famed billionaire Thomas Kestrel, isn't enticement enough to keep her there. Once she makes enough to pay off her bills, she's out. Or so she thinks...

WHAT THE HELL?

Next thing she knows, she's accidentally signed over her soul. Literally. And she's discovered Thomas's real mission: to kill thirteen bad guys in one year, in order to get his—now his and Kate’s—souls back.

IT'S NOT JUST A JOB. IT'S A MISADVENTURE.

From learning to boost the morale of some paper-pushing demons to navigating her way through blood-red tape, Kate has to work closely with her super-hot supervisor and get her flaky act together, before somebody clocks her out—permanently!

TEMPING IS HELL:  The Perfect Cast

by Cathy Yardley

I’ll admit:  I don’t always have a perfect “cast” in mind when I start writing.  I can mentally picture the characters, sure, but I don’t go so far as to clip images or anything.  That is, until this novel.

Temping is Hell is the first book in the Necessary Evil series.  It’s about Kate O’Hara, down on her luck temp, who gets a job with Fiendish Enterprises and their sexy CEO, Thomas Kestrel. What starts out as a distasteful job at a “soulless corporation” suddenly becomes dire when she inadvertently signs her soul to save her life – and now needs to spend the next year helping Thomas kill thirteen people, to get back both their souls.

You might read it and have your own thoughts of who would be perfect (I know I usually do when I read – I totally see Charlize Theron as Eve Dallas, for example) but here are my takes on the people inhabiting the strange world of Fiendish Enterprises…

Thomas Kestrel.  Think Richard Branson of Virgin Enterprises – but hotter, and Southern.  He’s a natural born charmer, a computer genius, and a fiercely independent risk-taker.  I automatically saw Matt Bomer from White Collar – although originally, I was thinking Timothy Olyphant from Justified.  So probably a mix of the two, sexy drawl and kick-ass competence, with a sophisticated flair.  Is it any wonder Kate gets mixed up with him?

Kate O’Hara.  I. Love. Her.  She’s probably my favorite character, of all the ones I’ve written.  She’s branded a screw-up by most of her family because of her inability to conform quietly to pretty much anything. And temper?  That red hair’s no lie.  She’s geeky, funky, completely irreverent… lacks a verbal filter and generally is fearless.  She says what I wish I could say, and stands up for what she believes, despite the consequences.  I see her as Felicia Day, from Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog, or Amy Adams from Enchanted and Julie & Julia.  She’s definitely the type to do the wrong thing for the right reasons.

Yagi.  Thomas’s supernatural consultant, bodyguard… and ninja.  He’s got a healthy mix of Zen and bad-ass, wrapped in an Armani suit.  I see Ken Watanabe, of The Last Samurai and Memoirs of a Geisha, as the ultimate Yagi.

Prue.  Kate’s best friend and a supernatural powerhouse in her own right – not that Kate knows this initially – Prue is half black, half Japanese, and no nonsense.  In my mind, I see Shanola Hampton, who plays Veronica on Showtime’s brilliant show Shameless, as the perfect Prue. 

Nan Temper.  Prue’s grandmother.  An unstoppable voodoo priestess – and not someone you want to ride along with as she races around in her huge “Oldsmobuick Land Yacht.”  Don’t let her peanut-with-dreadlocks body fool you: like Yoda, she can kick the ever-loving crap out of you, before hobbling off with her cane.  Who else could play her but the late, great Eartha Kitt? 

I’ve got most of my thoughts on casting, as well as some great “demotivational” posters and cards for inspiration, on my Pinterest board for the Necessary Evil series:  http://pinterest.com/cathyyardley/character-board-for-the-necessary-evil-series/

So – what about you guys?  Do you “cast” your favorite books?  Who do you see as your favorite hero and heroine?   

Find Cathy Online...

Goodreads

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Entangled Publishing