Raising the Bar by Lucy Felthouse‏

Title: Raising the Bar
Author: Lucy Felthouse
Genre: Erotica
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Format: Ebook
Words: 5181(appx. 19 pages)

Purchase: Decadent Publishing | Amazon UK | Amazon US | ARe | B&N | BookStrand | iTunes | KoBo |

When Kayleigh takes a gap year before starting University, she decides she’s going to stay away from guys and just concentrate on having fun and experiencing life. That means going through a lot of batteries, but she’s happy and satisfied.

That is, until she gets to Spain on her travels and meets her new co-worker, Luciano. The scorching hot Spaniard soon has Kayleigh’s knickers in a twist— literally—and the time they spend together seriously raises the bar for her sex life. How will any other man ever compare?

Raising the Bar by Lucy Felthouse‏ is part of The Edge Series by Decadent Publishing, these are short novella length books that well, push the edge when it comes to steamy. Raising the Bar is no exception to that with wild sex from beginning to end.

The story in Raising the Bar starts with no real backstory about Kayleigh other than she is a student with a year before she starts at University. We are taken along over the course of her short relationship with Luciano that is mostly sex scene after sex scene. I felt this fell more into the genre of Erotica and not so much Erotic Romance, so as an erotic story I felt it was good, I would say this is good for fantasy material or getting you in the mood but it isn't going to feed your HEA addiction.








Follow the tour HERE
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Excerpt:

My first shift at the restaurant passes in a blur of flirtatious glances. My pussy swells and my clit throbs, desperate for attention. It’s all I can do to resist disappearing into the bathroom for a sneaky wank. Even better, I’d like to drag Luciano in there with me and ride him until his teeth rattle. Instead, I console myself with the fact that once I get back to my apartment, I can do whatever the hell I like. And I know for a fact it’s going to involve an orgasm.

I take a taxi back to my apartment rather than walking the dark, unfamiliar streets alone. It also means I can get there quicker and relieve the tension that the sexy Spaniard has caused. I pay the driver as fast as possible then rush inside and slam the door behind me. I heave a sigh of relief as I lock myself in.

Undressing, I drop my clothes by the washing machine and head to the bathroom, desperate to get clean. It’s not work that’s made me feel dirty, though. The flirting with Luciano have left me seriously wet. The panties I’ve just discarded in front of the washing machine are sodden.


Stepping under the shower, I groan with pleasure as the hot water caresses my fevered skin. I stand there for a few seconds, letting the heat and the water relax me. My tension slips away and runs down the plughole. I grab the shampoo and give my hair a wash, digging my fingers into my scalp and massaging it. Now I’m calmer. But by the time I’ve rinsed the suds, he’s popped into my head again. Damn him

About the Author:

Lucy is a graduate of the University of Derby, where she studied Creative Writing. During her first year, she was dared to write an erotic story - so she did. It went down a storm and she's never looked back. Lucy has had stories published by Cleis Press, Constable and Robinson, Decadent Publishing, Ellora's Cave, Evernight Publishing, House of Erotica, Ravenous Romance, Resplendence Publishing, Sweetmeats Press and Xcite Books. She is also the editor of Uniform Behaviour, Seducing the Myth, Smut by the Sea and Smut in the City.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Lucy Felthouse Newsletter |

The Angry Woman Suite by Lee Fullbright‏

Raised in a crumbling New England mansion by four women with personalities as split as a cracked mirror, young Francis Grayson has an obsessive need to fix them all. There’s his mother, distant and beautiful Magdalene; his disfigured, suffocating Aunt Stella; his odious grandmother; and the bane of his existence, his abusive and delusional Aunt Lothian.

For years, Francis plays a tricky game of duck and cover with the women, turning to music to stay sane. He finds a friend and mentor in Aidan Madsen, schoolmaster, local Revolutionary War historian, musician and keeper of the Grayson women’s darkest secrets. In a skillful move by Fullbright, those secrets are revealed through the viewpoints of three different people–Aidan, Francis and Francis’stepdaughter, Elyse–adding layers of eloquent complexity to a story as powerful as it is troubling.

While Francis realizes his dream of forming his own big band in the 1940s, his success is tempered by the inner monster of his childhood, one that roars to life when he marries Elyse’s mother. Elyse becomes her stepfather’s favorite target, and her bitterness becomes entwined with a desire to know the real Francis Grayson.

For Aidan’s part, his involvement with the Grayson family only deepens, and secrets carried for a lifetime begin to coalesce as he seeks to enlighten Francis–and subsequently Elyse–of why the events of so many years ago matter now. The ugliness of deceit, betrayal and resentment permeates the narrative, yet there are shining moments of hope, especially in the relationship between Elyse and her grandfather.

Ultimately, as more of the past filters into the present, the question becomes: What is the truth, and whose version of the truth is correct?

Lee will be giving away a $100 Amazon gift certificate to one randomly drawn commenter at the end of the tour, you can follow the tour HERE the more often you comment the better your odds.

EXCERPT:

“I’ll tell you what I’m ready for, Aidan. I’m ready for the top floor.” His eyebrows shot up.

“I beg your pardon?”

“The third floor of Grayson House. I’m ready for it. I’m really ready.”

“I don’t think I understand—”

“Please, Aidan.” I emphasized each word: “I’m ready to meet Jamie.”

I turned and walked out of that parlor then, and into the foyer and up the ten steps to the landing where the grand staircase turned direction. I ran up the first flight, then paused at the second landing, waiting for Aidan. When I glimpsed him behind me, I turned and ran up the next flight, to the third floor, straight for the door at the end of the hallway, next to the door that opened onto the outside stairs.

I’d been able to pinpoint this door as the one by the soft thumps I’d heard when I’d sneaked into Papa’s room on the second floor—things nobody thought I’d hear—and by watching from my spot across the road: the quick deliveries and arrivals, the things and people nobody thought I’d see.

I hesitated, not feeling anything, I was now so empty. No more anger. Instead I was in tune with senses: the steady tick-tock of the clock at the end of the otherwise soundless hallway, the wallpaper’s perfectly vertical stripe, even an aromatic odor reminiscent of the appendectomy I’d had when I was six—was it ether? And then, finally, Aidan’s ragged breathing when he caught up with me. We were ready, in position—and it was understood I’d assumed leadership: I’d go first.

I turned the doorknob. My opponent had just run through his resources.

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Lee Fullbright, a medical practice consultant in her non-writing life, lives on San Diego’s beautiful peninsula with her writing partner, Baby Rae, a 12-year-old rescued Australian cattle dog with attitude.

The Angry Woman Suite, a Kirkus Critics’ pick, 5-starred Readers Favorite, and a Discovery Aware winner, is her first published novel.

LINKS:
Goodreads

Facebook page

Blog/website

Amazon

#cblspromos Blood Spirit (Sons of Navarus #3) by Gabrielle Bisset

Blood Spirit (Sons of Navarus #3)
by Gabrielle Bisset
Erotic Paranormal Romance (Action)
Self-Published/Indie
Heat Level: Sizzling
Word Count: 65,000

I am everything you seek. I am vampire.

Blessed with the gift of telepathy, Terek always knows what a woman wants. His gift has afforded him nightly sensual pleasures and exotic treats for centuries, but beneath the surface he yearns for much more.

Ilona can give him what his soul craves, but only if he trusts his heart. One fateful choice made out of desire puts all he cares for in danger. With a civil war and the threat of Archon hunters at every turn, this Son may lose everything if he can't find the balance between heart and mind.

Available at…
Amazon
B&N
iTunes
Kobo
Smashwords


$5 Amazon GC and swag pack from Sons of Navarus series (bookmarks, cover flats, trading cards). Contest is tour-wide, open internationally and ends Feb 5. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Other stops on the tour can be found HERE

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Excerpt(Adult):

Ilona sighed. "Terek, I don't seem to be like any of your other vampires."

She was right.

"I have thousands of vampires, Ilona. You've just seen the ones who live here."

"Are they all women?"

Shaking his head, he laughed. "No. Not all of them. Does that matter?"

He saw it did matter by the way her bottom lip quivered ever so slightly. "Ilona, what's wrong?"

She closed her eyes and turned away so he couldn't see her face. "I've never been like this. I don't know what's wrong with me. I barely know you and my head tells me I have every reason to hate you. I know this. But I'm consumed by jealousy at the thought of you with these women and thousands I haven't even met."

Terek stared silently at her, unsure of what to say. It was perfectly natural she would be attracted to him. Vampires were sensual beings, and the pull of a sire to a vampire was common. Everything she was experiencing was exactly as it should be.

Before he could tell her this, she turned toward him. "I don't want to feel this way toward someone who doesn't feel anything for me."

The shame in her voice bothered him. Why did she think he felt nothing for her?

"I care about you as I care for all my vampires."

That wasn't exactly the truth. In fact, he cared much more for her after only such a short time.

"Chattel. Or worse, as a plaything. Somehow you've made me care for you, and I'm simply the latest addition to your collection."

"Ilona, you're not a plaything or part of a collection. I didn't choose to sire you. You were dying because of another vampire's choice and begged me to save you."

"Even worse then. I'm a mistake you're saddled with."

Terek winced at the pain of her words. Mistake. She believed she was unwanted and unloved. She had no idea the effect she had on him and how much he struggled against the growing feelings for her inside him.

He let his desire control him and leaned toward her, taking her in his arms. A need to feel her mouth yielding to his overtook him, and he kissed her hard, needing her to understand how much he wanted her.

But she didn't yield. Instead, she met his desire with her own, snaking her tongue past his lips to tease the tip of his tongue. Such a common act he'd experienced countless times before with women now excited him more than he could believe, and his cock sprang to life, pressing hard against his hipbone.

She tasted like some exotic fruit Jasmine seldom found at the market—a treat he rarely got to enjoy but relished so much more when he could. She clung to him by the neck as she pressed her body to his, leaving him in no doubt as to what she wanted.

He wanted it too.

"Ilona..." He stopped, unsure what he'd wanted to say as she slid her hand down the front of his pants.

Looking at him, her eyes wide, she said, "No, don't say anything. I need this. I don't want to think about who you are with the others. Even if you have to pretend, then pretend. Just let me have something about being a vampire that brings me happiness."

Her hand felt like silk as she slid it up and down his stiff cock, grazing the tip just enough to make his hips come up off the bed. His mind was nowhere else but right there with her.

Groaning his desire for more, he tugged a fistful of hair, pulling her head so she looked into his eyes. "No pretending."

About the Author

Gabrielle Bisset's first book was released in June 2011, and since then readers have fallen in love with her paranormal stories with just the right amount of history thrown in. From her own creations, the Aeveren, to her vampires of the Sons of Navarus series, Gabrielle blends the genres of urban fantasy and paranormal romance in her own unique way. Her stories are sexy and smart, transporting the reader to another world.

When she's not writing, she loves to relax with family and friends making great food and memories. Find out more about Gabrielle and her books at http://gbisset.blogspot.com/.

Connect with Gabrielle Bisset
Website
Blog
Sons of Navarus Website
Facebook Fan Page
Sons of Navarus FB Fan Page
Twitter
Pinterest

Revenge of the Mad Scientist by Lara Nance

When Lady Arabella Trunkett’s father, the High Lord Minister of Urbannia is kidnapped, all clues point to the mysterious country of Gandiss and the world is thrown into political upheaval.

Arabella is convinced the more sinister nation of Carabarras is to blame, urged on by a mad scientist seeking revenge. So, she sets out on a perilous airship journey across a variety of exotic locales to save him, and halt the potential world war.

But airship pirates, secret assassins and slave traders aren’t her only trials. The fickle hand of fate has made the captain of the only airship available for charter, the man who left her at the altar. For eight years she's wished him dead. Now he's her only hope.

Lara will be awarding an autographed original map of Arabella's steampunk world to a randomly drawn commenter at each stop, and a $50 Amazon gift card and an original steampunk necklace to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Follow the tour HERE

If you sign up for her newsletter on her website from Jan 29 - Feb 3, they will be entered for an autographed copy of her book as well as an original steampunk necklace.

Excerpt:

“Oh!” She jumped up, put a hand in her purse and withdrew the handkerchief. “I forgot to tell you about this. I found it on the floor in the room from which Father was taken. I’m positive he left it as a clue but I’m not sure what it means.”

Benji took the piece of cloth with the stick pin and his youthful face screwed up in concentration as he examined it, then he bolted to his feet “D, d, dash it all, Belle. Do you know what this is?”

She shook her head and her heart raced at his tone.

“It’s a ceremonial j, j, jewel given to the Sarcs of Carabarras.”

Her eyes widened. She’d heard of the secret group of assassins but didn’t know any more than the general public. She hoped her adopted boy genius had more details. “You’d better explain.”

“The Sarcs are t, t, taken as children and trained within the secret organization. When they finish their t, t, training, they’re given a task to fulfill. Usually that means k, k, killing someone. If they're successful, they’re given the t, t, title of Sarc and one of these.” He held up the gold and ruby pin. “They wear it on the inside of their c, c, cloaks and never take it off until they die.”

“Or until it falls out of their cloak while they’re kidnapping someone…or…that someone steals it as a clue.” Belle hadn’t really examined it, so she reached out and took it from him. She turned the pin around seeing it in a new light. The golden head resembled some type of flower and the large ruby was planted in the middle of the blossom. She looked up at Benji.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lara Nance grew up and lived in many cites throughout the South. She loves to write in a variety of genres, but the basis of all of her stories is a great tale that will take you on an adventure of imagination.

If you want to escape and lose yourself in a novel, you've come to the right place. Choose your genre and settle in to be entertained. From thrilling mysteries and steampunk tales, to paranormal romance and adventure, she's willing to explore a variety of compelling stories full of danger and suspense, along with a touch of romance.

Having been on the fencing team in college and now living on a sailboat convinces her that she was a pirate in another life, or possibly kin to Errol Flynn… However, due to the unfortunate demise of the romantic pirates of the past, she lives out her fantasies, thrills and adventures in her stories. Lara loves to weave interesting true historical tidbits into her fiction which invite the reader to explore further after the novel is finished.

Currently docked in Norfolk, Virginia (until the wind changes) Lara enjoys living on her sailboat and spends time reading, of course writing, indulging a variety of artistic endeavors, cooking and sailing with her husband, Joe and their Yorkie, Rio.

Link to Website: www.laranance.com

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Lara_Nance

Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lara-Nance-Author/164262596944196?ref=hl

NetGalley Review: Dream Seeker (Blood Bites #1) by Storm Savage

These men don’t drink female blood to survive—they need it to regain virility and for the sexual high!

Gorgeous rock stars sweep into major cities and seduce women of their choosing. Commoners call them vampires, but they see themselves as cursed men, not vampires. They don’t need blood to survive. They drink female blood to reverse a spell cast upon them by a scorned lover who took her own life decades ago. While deep-sea diving in Spain, they were attacked by a vicious creature and rendered impotent by her bite. Women’s blood is a sexual enhancement aid to them.

Blackmailed into a marriage of convenience at eighteen, Angel deems herself the world’s oldest virgin living outside a convent. Her thirty-year fantasy involving a special rock star leads her into unexpected territory. Savaant is everything she dreamt of and more. His sweet and sexy ways are irresistible and she surrenders to his powerful seduction. Can she accept what he is when the truth unfolds about his curse? Will she be able to hold her own in his precarious world and travel with him to his tropical island home?

Dream Seeker is a unique and sexy read and at 118 pages quick enough to read in one afternoon, Dream Seeker is part 1 of a 2 part story about a 48 year old virgin who has been trapped in a marriage to a man she hates for 30 years and a blood dragon/rock star.

Ms. Savage has created her own mythology for these books that include vampire like men know as blood dragons who happen to be rock stars. We also have the being who created the blood dragons by biting them while they were diving off the coast of Spain.

So the good, this has put a new spin on an old paranormal idea and created men/creatures that only have to conform to the rules created by this author and they don't have to fit into the stereo types of vampires that have been written about for years.
The could be better, the sex scenes are numerous and while they do an alright at being sexy there are inconsistencies in how they are written, the story has a good premise but I would have liked to see a little more character development.






From Storm Savage's Goodreads page:
Storm is a multi-published author in many different genres with Extasy Books.

Her novels feature her many diverse interests from vampires to rock music to her love for animals, Harleys and whatever else sparks her muse at the time.

Writing has never been a hobby to her. Writing is a way of life and a coping mechanism to deal with what comes her way.

Her wish for you, the reader, is that she can sweep you away to the better worlds she creates in her novels. Her characters are edgy and dark, sweet and hot, tough and full of passion. You just never know what lurks around the corner in Storm's books so prepare yourself for the unknown.

And most of all... enjoy the ride!


and part 2

NetGalley Review: Leandros by Celia Jade

Vicky’s plan was a hiking expedition to Mount Olympus. Ending up in an unearthly villa with a Greek demigod was not on the agenda.


When the Greek demigod flashed his law enforcement badge and accused her of carrying STX, Vicky almost laughed. In reality, she all but swooned as she took in his powerful build and azure eyes. He looked a lot like the men in her erotic fantasies, but he was no ordinary man. He was a fearsome immortal with a dark sexuality. A dangerous man.

Her few relationships with conservative men hardly translated into the image of a sexual tigress, so why did this demigod invite her to a private villa on Mount Olympus? She was a rational woman, except for this moment, when her reaction to him frightened her in a way that was too tempting to ignore.

Currently available through Extasy Books, coming soon to Amazon.


Leandros is a short novella that has all the build up and story to be the first 5 chapters of a much longer book. We meet Vicki and her (wild)twin, we meet Leandros and are introduced to the idea that Demi-Gods walk among us, we hear about the introduction of a new drug made by immortals and sold to humans and we have a weekend of steamy hot sex between Vicki and Leandros.

I really enjoyed the story that this started and I am extremely hopeful that this is an introduction to a new series or at least a prequel to a book about Leandros and Vicki. If this had continued into an actual novel I am sure it would have been a 5 with no problem however the way things were left to much was just left hanging to rate this any higher than a 3, still liked it A LOT but it felt like someone just took the first 5 chapters of a book and published them. I will be on the look out for a future continuation of this story by Ms. Jade.






From Celia Jade's Goodreads page:
Celia Jade has been in love with writing and reading ever since she can remember. As a teenager, she wrote poetry and tons of short stories, many of which ended up in the garbage bin because she didn’t think they were good enough. Soon after acquiring a BA in English, she traveled to Europe where she taught English in private schools. A couple of proofreading jobs followed and somewhere along the way, she decided to pursue writing professionally. Her efforts paid off and she broke into the ebook market with her very first erotic romance.

She currently lives in her hometown, Montreal, a city whose rich culture and vibrant energy has inspired many of her stories. Celia also devotes time to family and friends and enjoys tranquil moments in the garden as well as spontaneous adventures. She’s a gym-addict and a foodie who often gives in to chocolate cravings.

Edelweiss Review: A Most Scandalous Proposal by Ashlyn Macnamara

A Most Scandalous Proposal
Author: Ashlyn Macnamara
352 pages
Expected publication: February 26th 2013
Publised by: Ballantine Books

After watching her beloved sister Sophia pine over the ton’s Golden Boy for years, Miss Julia St. Claire has foresworn love and put herself firmly on the shelf. Unfortunately, her social-climbing mother and debt-ridden father have other ideas, and jump at the chance to marry Julia off to the newly-named Earl of Clivesden…the man of Sophia’s dreams.

Since resigning his Cavalry commission, Benedict Revelstoke has spent his time in London avoiding the marriage mart. But when he discovers that the Earl of Clivesden has set Julia in his sights, Benedict tries to protect his childhood best friend from the man’s advances—only to discover more than friendship driving his desire to defend her. He surprises them both with the force of his feelings, but when she refuses him and her father announces her betrothal, he fears he’s lost her forever—until Julia approaches him with a shocking scheme that will ruin her for all respectable society…

…and lead them into an exquisite world of forbidden pleasures.

A Most Scandalous Proposal is the story of sisters Julia and Sophia.
Sophia has been in love with a man who doesn't give her the time of day for 5 years, she has turned down several marriage proposals because she is hoping he will one day see how much she loves him and ask her.
Julia is scared to love because of a childhood trauma and so she has turned down proposals because the men might expect her to love them.

I enjoyed the story line of this novel telling the often intertwining stories of both sisters and the three men who would be their husbands. You love to hate the girls mother because she doesn't seem to care about the girls or the feelings they have she is more about position and prestige. I felt this was a historic romance where the heroine(s) are given a more modern way of thinking so if that is a turn off for you be aware. That being the case Ms. Macnamara tells a good story with a splash of steam and a plot that twists and turns but in the end it ends up where you expected it would.





From Ashlyn Macnamara Amazon Page:
They say that once you reach your forties, you undergo some sort of mid-life crisis. That must have been what happened to Ashlyn Macnamara when she finally made up her mind to set down some of the stories that had been accumulating dust in the dark recesses of her brain for years. As space becomes available, other plots and characters have developed the pesky habit of moving in to take their place.

Ashlyn lives in the wilds of suburbia outside Montreal with her husband and two teenaged daughters. When not writing, she looks for other excuses to neglect the housework, among them knitting, reading and wasting time on the internet in the guise of doing research.

Accidental Sex Goddess by Lexi Ryan

Lexi is awarding a "pamper your inner sex goddess" gift basket (bath products, books from her backlist and candles - US ONLY) to one randomly drawn commenter, and a $25 Amazon or B&N gift card, winner's choice, to another randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Follow the tour HERE

Promotions director Reese Regan isn’t a sex goddess and doesn’t want to be. But the job of her dreams requires enrollment in the renowned Sex Goddess 101. To avoid a trip to the unemployment line, Reese must pass the program and become Chicago’s next seductress—or at least fake it convincingly. Her best friend, the ruggedly sexy contractor Ben Hawk, helps her “fake” her way through the program, and the heat between them flares. When trust is broken and secrets are revealed, it appears they’ve traded years-long friendship for temporary passion. Will faking something so important cost them their chance at something real?

Accidental Sex Goddess is a fun, funny, sexy and heartwarming read. With Reese who does a great job at being a promoter hides her insecurity in her own self worth with snarky comments and to big clothing. Ben is Reese's best friend, he is attracted to Reese but is afraid to take the step beyond friendship. Add to the mix "Hawk" Ben's older brother, a sex goddess seminar, phone sex and a bubble bath and you get this charming read.

I found Reese easy to relate to and I love Ben and Hawk and the sibling rivalry, I thought that Ms. Ryan did a fantastic job showing multiple sides of each character and each plot point. I loved the friendship that Ben and Reese shared and watching the feelings that had always been there surface and evolve. I think that there could have been a couple fewer misunderstandings on the parts of both Ben and Reese but overall it was a smooth read that I read from beginning to end in one sitting.






Excerpt:


“Me? A Sex Goddess? Seriously, can you picture that?”

You have no idea. “Fake it,” he said with a shrug. When she scowled, he grabbed her hands and squeezed. “I’m serious, Reese. It’s five steps, right?”

“Ten.”

“Okay, so you’ll do ten things, pretend you’re one of her Slut Hotness converts, and you’ll have the job of your dreams.” He shrugged again. “Fake it.”

She took a deep breath and some of the tension left her face. “Are you sure you’re not just saying this so you can see me wear skimpy clothes?”

“It’s an added bonus.”

She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. “Thank you, Ben.”

Ben shut his eyes and resisted the urge to pull her body close. “Sure thing.”

Tucking his chin, he buried his nose in her hair, taking a hit of her scent, that soft and feminine smell that haunted him.

She drew away. “You seem different lately. Is something wrong?”

“Work stuff is getting to me.” And it was the truth, if only part of it. “I have big plans and dad—” He cut himself off with a shake of his head. He didn’t want to talk about Hawk Construction right now. He didn’t want to talk about anything. He wanted to keep her in his arms for as long as he could get away with it.

She studied him silently for a minute. “You want more,” she said simply.

She had no idea. And for the first time since he had knocked on her door six years ago, Ben let himself consider the possibility of taking what he wanted.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Author of both contemporary and paranormal romance, Lexi Ryan writes smart, spunky stories that sizzle. She enjoys reading, sunshine, a good glass of wine, and rare trips to the beach with her husband and children.

Lexi lives in Indiana where she divides her time between her family, her writing, and her job as an English professor. You can find her at her website: lexiryan.com

Contact Links:

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

E-mail

Newsletter