Daddy’s Little Sweetheart by Lila Fox


Daddy’s Little Sweetheart by Lila Fox
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Kyla has been on her own pretty much her whole life. When a handsome and intriguing man takes an interest in her, she gets her hopes up. But she’s mistaken when he looks right through her, acting as though he detests the sight of her. Since no one seems to care if she’s around, she decides it’s time to find her own life. Why not? Nothing’s holding her back.

Duncan’s first glance at the beautiful petite woman is enough to get his heart racing and his desire to soar—until he overhears her with her friends. He’s done with women who are out for money, and he doesn’t need another gold digger, no matter how sweet she is.

When he realizes his error, it’s too late. She’s already left and isn’t planning on coming back. Is it too late for them to find happiness together, or will he forever regret his mistake?

Kyla is immediately attracted to Duncan when they are introduced by mutual friends. For years now she’s wanted a daddy – someone she could love but who would also take care of her. Duncan had also been attracted to Kyla from the moment he set eyes on her, but overhearing her talking to the other girls Duncan jumped to the conclusion Kyla was only interested in a wealthy daddy had him backing out without even speaking to her. By the time Duncan realizes his mistake it’s too late and Kyla had already been hurt and moved on. Can they reconnect and make things work?

This is a sweet and short read. I was annoyed by the fact Duncan only eavesdropped on a few sentences and somehow managed not to overhear more of the conversation. Kyla explained her comments that so outraged Duncan in her following sentence, which made it rather implausible to me that Duncan couldn’t have heard that she continues speaking and didn’t bother to listen. Since this miscommunication was the crux of the conflict aspect to the story, I realize it was a plot device the author needed to set up the story – but it was probably my least favourite aspect to the story as a whole and had I not been committed to performing a review, I might possibly have stopped reading right there and then.

I was really pleased that quite a bit of the story is Duncan earning Kyla’s trust and patching up the hurt he caused her in the beginning. I would have found it completely unrealistic had they jumped immediately into bed or been intimate as soon as Duncan found her. Watching them interact together and learn about each other and share their thoughts helped me feel more comfortable with their blossoming relationship and made the entire romance seem a lot more realistic and believable.

While Kyla and Duncan are into the kink of Daddies and littles, I thought that this story wasn’t as heavily into it as some of the others I’ve read in this series. I found the lighter touch enjoyable as it left room for other relationship issues – like the miscommunication and trust issues – to be shown more rather than just the fleshing out of another Daddy/little dynamic. Readers who want a story heavily invested into this plotline might not find this story one of their favourites, but there are another steamy and interesting elements I feel most erotic readers should find this a good read.

His Mistress by Arabella Sheen


His Mistress by Arabella Sheen
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Review by: Fern

Anna is horny, and when her best friend suggests they paint the town red, Anna goes along with the idea. Her seven-year-old son is away at a sleepover, and it could be her only chance to get laid.

Anna isn’t after a serious relationship or a romantic involvement with a guy. All she wants is a one-night stand and plenty of sex, and Dan Holland, a handsome stranger she meets at a bar, might be the solution to her problem.

Can Dan fulfill Anna’s physical needs or will he invade her emotional safe space and become entangled in her life?

Anna has one precious night in which to indulge in her very grown up fanasties and enjoy a quick fling. One night, no strings and definitely no morning breakfasts. Dan didn’t usually bring women home with him, he knew himself well enough to know he wasn’t the long-term commitment type. But something about Anna struck him and they each decided to take a chance on the other. Will their policy of strictly one night hold or could more flourish between them?

I found this to be a refreshingly modern and interesting short story. I really enjoyed how both Anna and Dan appeared to be fairly regular, relatable characters. Anna a single mother and Dan committed to his job. Yet each of them yearns for something a little more and when they seem to find it with each other I enjoyed watching them each carefully and gently stretching the other’s boundaries. While a small suspension of disbelief is needed in relation to the plot – what are the chances that Dan is the new headmaster at Anna’s son’s school? – everything else in the story felt realistic to me and clicked into place really well.

Readers who enjoy a slower bloom to their romance but still plenty of spice in the bedroom should find this short story really suits their tastes. I enjoyed how Dan and Anna connected so well right off the bat and had a lot of chemistry, but also how they each were prepared to be open to a little bit more when their world collided once again. With a slightly different – but certainly Happy For Now – style of ending I found this to be a quick and sexy story.

Fun and sexy this is an enjoyable short story that I really liked. I’ll definitely be open to reading more by this author.

The Conjure Supper by Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy


The Conjure Supper by Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A dozen years ago, three teenage cousins held a conjure supper on Halloween to summon the men they would someday marry. The supper didn’t quite go as planned and the results were not what they expected. Although they seldom spoke about it again, Annie Hatfield, now a professional photographer, is haunted by the supper. The man who joined her at the table haunts her in sexy dreams. When he shows up in the flesh, she’s not sure if he’s man or ghost or demon. Will falling in love be dangerous or delightful … and can it last?

Annie, Catie and Macy were cousins and on their sixteenth Halloween they decided together to hold a Conjure supper – an old story their Granny had told them about a ritual to help them learn who the man they would marry was. Will they listen to Granny’s caution of danger or will their youthful desires push them further than they expected to go?

I found this to be a really unique and slightly spooky romantic story. With a faint hint of paranormal and a healthy dose of teenage curiosity I thought this was a really fun read. I thought this tale was short enough to be read in one sitting and readers looking for an intense or deeply plotted story won’t find that here and might be a little disappointed. There wasn’t a lot of time for the author to draw out the romance aspect to the story, particularly since Annie had to wait quite a number of years until she met the fated man she first saw in that Conjure supper, but I feel that added to the mystical quality and slight spookiness to the tale.

Readers who like a slightly mystical, slightly paranormal and different flavour to their romance should find this an enjoyable, quick read with interesting characters and a good plot.

Rejected Mate by Sam Crescent


Rejected Mate by Sam Crescent
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Humiliated.

Alone.

After going through her first transition, Constance finds her mate—who publicly rejects her. The pack wants her to leave, but Gage, the alpha, tells her to stay. His son may have rejected her, but he wants her to stay. At a meeting, Gage declares he will be the unmated male to claim her. She will be his.

All her life, she’s had a crush on the softly spoken alpha, and now he intends to be her mate. Is he doing it out of pity?

He has watched her flourish into a beautiful, curvy wolf, and since his son doesn’t want her, he craves her. He’ll stop at nothing to claim her for his own.

He loves her. He will mate with her.

But he couldn’t have anticipated what would happen when he finally leaves his mark on her.

Will he save her before it is too late?

Constance hadn’t had her first turn until the very late age of her twenty first birthday. While she loved her pack and her small town she had often felt like an outsider and this feeling had only grown significantly since her destined mate had rejected her. The alpha’s son hadn’t cast her aside in private or quietly, but he rejected her in front of the entire pack, cementing Constance’s humiliation. With her suitcase packed and on her way out of town – unable to bear the cold and rejection of the whole pack – Constance is surprised when their Alpha, Gage, insists she stay another three days until the town meeting. When in that meeting he publicly claims Constance as his own mate, her world is turned upside down.

I found this to be an interesting and highly sexy story. While there wasn’t anything too fresh or different to the plot of the story, I found Gage and Constance’s characters interesting and relatable, and Gage’s young and egotistical son, Tanner, a good area to show the conflict in the story. I was exceptionally pleased that Gage didn’t immediately jump into bed with Connie. While their age difference didn’t bother me too much, the fact he was her Alpha and a lot more mature emotionally than her and the fact Connie had a crush on him all meshed together to make me feel Gage was a little too much of an authority figure for them to be intimate immediately after he claimed her. I was really relieved the author allowed them both – and me as the reader – a bit of time to see Connie and Gage get comfortable with each other emotionally and in their day-to-day lives before becoming sexually intimate.

That said, there was plenty of steamy sex throughout much of the story so readers looking for a spicy and extremely erotic story should definitely find this fits the bill in that respect. I thought there was a really good balance in this story between the paranormal world building and with the regular sticky emotional relationships between a new couple and dealing with rejection and petty jealousy. I thought the author did a good job and I found myself eager to read more as Gage and Constance build their trust and relationship together. With a good amount of plot – especially surrounding the intricacies of a shifter who turns a bit later in life and the fine lines between what true mates were and claiming a mate who becomes yours I thought this book was a lovely blend of solid plot and very sexy shenanigans.

Hot and spicy, this is an interesting and good read.

Stoking The Fire by Megan Slayer


Stoking The Fire by Megan Slayer
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Men Wanted—because sometimes love matches need a little magic.

Andrew ‘Duff’ Wagner goes straight to the gods to get his love match made. He relies on Men Wanted, the matchmaking service run by Apollo, Artemis, and Eros to find his perfect match. He’s in love with a certain lawyer, but there can’t be enough magic in the cosmos to get them together, right?

Christian Foley knows exactly who he wants as his match, but he works with Men Wanted to find the perfect partner. He’s got a thing for Duff Wagner and won’t rest until he gets a date. Christian and Duff might have a chance if only Duff’s ex would stop butting in. When he finally hooks up with the sexy shop owner, they have to decide if their passion will go up in flames or start the fire to last forever.

Christian and Andrew had both been attracted to each other when Christian was the lawyer helping to deal with Andrew’s mother’s estate. With the serious business linking them though they both let the opportunity slip away. When they are both matched together on Men Wanted – a matchmaking site – they each feel the second chance given to them was too striking to pass up.

I found this a fun and interesting explicit romance. I enjoy second-chance style stories and this was no exception. Each man had let the opportunity pass them by the first time for their own reasons, but I enjoyed watching them reconnect. There is a very loose paranormal element with the matchmaking company being run by Apollo, Artemis and Eros which I found to be a hoot.

I really enjoyed the burn between Christian and Andrew and found the rekindling of their relationship a fun and interesting read. I thought the smaller subplot revolving around Andrew’s previous weekend fling was a good bit of extra tension and conflict in the story and was pleased that while a little predictable it was different enough that I still found the addition to the storyline interesting.

Readers looking for a slightly fanciful, steamy hot second chance romance story should find this really suits their needs. I enjoyed this story and will definitely be happy to read more by this author.

Daddy’s Little Hellion by Lila Fox


Daddy’s Little Hellion by Lila Fox
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

All her life, Jenna has fought just to be seen. She never thought she would find someone to love her the way she is. She knows she can be difficult, but underneath, she’s a scared little girl in need of a daddy.

Trey has been looking for a little. With his dominance and height of six and a half feet, it seems impossible to find a woman strong enough to put up with him. When he sets his eyes on Jenna for the first time, he’s instantly attracted, but she’s so timid, hiding behind other people. He doesn’t think she’ll be able to deal with a man like him.

As he realizes she’s not timid but bruised and in need of help, he steps in to protect her. It takes losing someone close to them to bring them together, but will another act of violence tear them apart again?

Trey had finally finished with his government work overseas and was ready to settle back home in the States with his friends and enter the next chapter in his life. Trey is surprised but pleased so many of his friends have found their perfect woman. The group of women have been harboring a secret and when a number of the Daddies band together to wrangle it out of them Trey is surprised when they learn the secret about Jenna, and he’s even more shocked at the strength of the protective feelings it rouses in him.

I found this to be a very explicit and steamy story. While a lot of the secondary characters clearly have their own stories in the series I felt this book could be read on its own with both Trey and Jenna’s characters well introduced and their relationship established throughout the course of this story. While Trey has been a Dom most of his life he is new to the Daddy/little dynamic and so a lot of information about this kink is explained so readers new to this aspect shouldn’t feel too out of their depth.

I felt like it took me a while to warm up to Jenna’s character. Part of me felt like her aggression and stubbornness pushed the boundary a little past pride and independence and into stupidity. While I totally understood she’d been hurt in the past and she lashed out to protect and defend herself, it seemed pretty silly for her to purposely antagonize one of the few people actually trying to help her. I could see that the author worked hard to explain Jenna’s outrageous rudeness and behavior but it really was a struggle for me to like her for quite a bit of the story.

With an explicit group-sex style of scene and plenty of BDSM (Daddy/little) elements to the numerous relationships readers who are looking for an intense and explicit story should find this story delivers on all that. I was pleased with the plot revolving around Jenna – finding it refreshing and different as she attempts to deal with an ex harassing her with some independence.

While this story has extremely strong willed characters and a solid plotline, it also has a fair bit of Daddy/little kink and I feel this book won’t suit all readers’ tastes. But for those who enjoy this element of BDSM, or those looking for an edgier, stronger style of erotic romance story this should be a refreshing change of pace.

Hansel & Gretel: To Have and to Hold by Rose Wulf


Hansel & Gretel: To Have and to Hold by Rose Wulf
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Erotic Romance, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Dicentra

For nearly two hundred years, the Hansel and Gretel Academy has trained young adults to fight and protect the rest of humanity from the magical threats of the land.

After a decade of partnership, the Hansel and Gretel team of Katz and Chessa are going strong. They’ve never met a monster they couldn’t kill. When Chessa’s twin brother, Declan, finally writes her back after numerous months of one-sided correspondence, it’s with barely a note of acknowledgment. So Katz makes a surprise decision, bucking the tradition which insists upon keeping distance between different teams. He vows to Chessa they’ll track her brother down, just so she can have a face-to-face conversation with him.

As their journey begins, unbeknownst to them, they set off the first part of an ancient prophecy threatening the destruction of the very establishment that supports them….

Before they can learn about that, they have to survive some dangerous situations unlike anything they’ve encountered before. And when one momentary lapse forces Katz to reveal a dark, intimate secret he’s kept from Chessa for years … Chessa offers him an ultimatum. He can have her body, or he can pursue random strangers from whatever village they land in when he’s in the mood. But he can’t do both.

It’s a no-brainer for Katz, but will Chessa understand what their changing relationship really means? Or will her insecurities get the better of her, and ruin their blossoming romance?

Rose Wulf’s Hansel and Gretel: To Have and To Hold is not some tale of two naïve children wandering through the forest. Instead, the author takes readers into a world where hunting pairs train at the prestigious Hansel and Gretel Academy. Graduates are then sent out into the world to deal with all sorts of foul creatures, constantly moving from job to job. For one Hansel and Gretel pair, will their feelings for each other get in the way of stopping an ancient prophecy?

Katz and Chessa, who go by Hansel and Gretel when on a job–as tradition demands, have been a hunting pair for over 10 years. Chessa is great at being diplomatic and dealing with the townspeople who request their aid. On the other hand, Katz is a total hothead which makes him seem prickly. This trait serves him well – the monsters, not so much.

I love a book where the love interests are friends first before they end up in bed together. The tension and romance between Katz and Chessa have been developing for years by the time we meet them in the book. When they finally stopped resisting and allowed their relationship to develop into more, it was palpable and hot. Ms. Wulf left me hooked and wanting more – I couldn’t stop reading until she delivered all the spiciness she had been teasing readers with. I am happy to report those scenes were worth the wait once they arrived.

Fairytale retellings can be hit or miss. An author should use enough of the original story so it’s recognizable but put their own spin on it such that it doesn’t feel stale or repetitive. I was quite happy with the direction that Ms. Wulf took the Hansel and Gretel story in. I prefer stories where Hansel and Gretel are not siblings. However, despite my love of the idea, the plot execution fell flat for me at times. One issue I had while reading was the lack of knowledge on how the Academy operates. I was eighty percent of the way into the book before the author started revealing details like how the academy is structured, how pairs are matched, and who directs the hunters in the field. The magic system was also a big question mark for me. As a die-hard fantasy fan, there wasn’t quite enough detail for me to be satisfied with how everything worked. As a result, I didn’t appreciate some of the plot twists until well after the event had taken place –which took the fun out of it. This aspect may be off-putting for some fans who are looking for books that involve more fantasy and fairy tale references.

Mature erotic romance fans who enjoy books filled with action-packed adventure and paranormal elements will find themselves fans of this book. Despite some minor issues, I’ll definitely be checking out other books by Rose Wulf in the future when I have a free moment.

Hero’s Quilt by Cooper McKenzie


Hero’s Quilt by Cooper McKenzie
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Injured in Afghanistan, Michael Alan Carlyle III ends up at Fort Hood, Texas where he receives a quilt with a letter tucked into a hidden pocket. Once discharged, he goes in search of Jordan Potter, the quiltmaker.

Jordan Potter’s shyness has grown so severe he lives with his grandmother and makes quilt art in his attic studio. When Mac arrives, Jordan finds himself intrigued and wanting to push beyond his self-imposed boundaries in order to become a man Mac might be able to love.

Will Mac return to Texas? Will Jordan be able to overcome his shyness to grow into a man Mac can be proud of? Will Mac be able to admit he feels more than friendly feelings toward Jordan?

Wounded vet Mac’s life had been turned upside down with the loss of his lower leg, but even with his newly broken body Mac knew he wouldn’t be returning to Chicago to work in his father’s company. While recovering in hospital Mac is gifted a hand-sewn quilt, one with a note from the creator, Jordan, offering Mac a meal and their personal thanks should Mac ever be nearby. Not knowing the new direction he wanted for his life, Mac decides to take Jordan up on his offer, an exchange which will change both men’s lives forever.

I really enjoyed this slower paced, steamy romance story. I found Mac and Jordan’s characters to be interesting and not overly cookie-cutter, which each loosely fit a stereotype (the wounded vet and the small-town country guy) I loved how the author made their characters deeper and more complex than simply what they first appeared to be. I also liked how Mac and Jordan initially began their friendship by writing to each other. I definitely thought this helped solidify a solid foundation for Mac and Jordan together and considering both their personal circumstances at the time this felt like an interesting and well suited way for them to both get closer and learn more about each other while they were each in their own difficult circumstance. It also lent the story an air of old-fashioned-ness which I personally really enjoyed.

Different but still absolutely modern, I thought the slower pace of the romance along with the exchange of letters through the first part of the story gave this book a refreshing outlook. Readers who enjoy modern but slightly different stories should really find this suits their tastes. While the romance blossomed slowly between Mac and Jordan I thought it was extremely emotional as both Mac and Jordan each overcame their own obstacles. Readers looking for a strongly sexual and explicit story probably won’t find this suits what they’re wanting – though there are a small number of intimate scenes towards the end.

This strongly emotional and slower paced story is a delightful read that I enjoyed. With very strong characters and a lot of emotional and vulnerability I feel this is a good story a wide range of readers should find satisfying.

Not His Mate by Jade Marshall


Not His Mate by Jade Marshall
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Moonflower

When a wolf shifter finds their fated mate their entire world changes. There is nothing on earth they wouldn’t do to keep their mate by their side. But what happens when your fated mate is already mated to someone else?

Calum Beckett, Beta to the Katu wolf pack, has finally found his fated mate in Talon Quinn. The only problem is that she already has a mate. Trying to stay away from Talon is pulling him apart and driving his wolf to the brink of insanity. But what choice does he have?

Talon has moved to the Katu Pack with her mate Parker, but Parker isn’t her true mate, but someone she was forced to mate by her previous Alpha. When she finds her fated mate her life is thrown even further into chaos. Difficult choices lie ahead, and no matter which path she chooses, pain is inevitable.

How much pain are you willing to cause? How will either mate react to choices that Talon makes? Can anyone have their happily ever after?

You’ve got a mate, but it’s the wrong one!

That’s what happens to Talon when she is mated to a shifter called Parker in her previous pack. He is not her mate but was ‘given’ her as a reward for being loyal. So when that pack is taken over and some of them integrate into a new pack, you can be sure of trouble when her real mate shows up.

This was a quick read with all the parts I love in a shifter story. There are fated mates where the path is anything but smooth, humour, steam, and most importantly for me, a HEA! I just wish there had been more of it!

This is the second book in the Katu Wolves series and although I read this as a standalone, I’m not sure if reading book one would have been more beneficial to me. At least then I would have had some idea about Slade’s pack and how the takeover worked. Still, maybe that’s me wanting more… again!

On the whole, this was a great read for a coffee break. If you like shifter romances, I see no reason why you won’t like this!

Devour Me by Amma Cerise


Devour Me by Amma Cerise
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Moonflower

Eighteen-year-old Mandy dreams of graduating from high school and getting as far away from home as possible. Then a chance encounter leaves her deeply drawn to her gorgeous and mysterious neighbor. But Antek is no boy next door. He’s a man with too many scars and self-destructive tendencies.

Their age difference alone makes them an unlikely pair, yet Mandy quickly finds herself pulled in to his world of hot nights and gourmet food. Can a high school senior really find love with a jaded restauranteur? And when Antek’s past catches up with him and takes aim at Mandy, will either of them decide that falling in love is worth the risk?

Sometimes, what you want is the hardest thing to get.

Mandy finds this out when she becomes friends with Lena and her brother, Antek. She starts off being envious of Lena and her clothing/life/you name it, but her attention quickly moves onto Antek. He is twice her age and has baggage, more so than some people. Mandy is happy with the way he is and wants him in her life.

Told from the first perspective, this allows you an insight into what Mandy was thinking and feeling. However, I would have liked to have heard from Antek and his past, as it has direct relevance to who he is today. They went through so much together and yet he was voiceless. I was left with questions about this once I had finished, although I did enjoy the story. There was also the relationship with the mother that I needed more about as that was odd from the beginning.

There is on-page rape in this story, so please take notice of the trigger warning.

If you are after a not-to-deep, dark romance with an age gap then this may be the one for you.