Elizabeth's Review~The Lessons~Elizabeth Brown~Contemporary Romance

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The Lessons is an upbeat romantic comedy made complete with quick-witted dialogue and in-depth characterization. Elizabeth Brown brings a common dilemma to the table ("the curse of the 30 year old virigin") and explores it through unconventional means. If the plot alone hasn't captured your attention, be assured that the racy scenes between the two main characters will bring you to your knees and leave you begging for more.

Natalie is a planner. (You know the type!) She has meticulously strategized a plan for her life and makes every endeavor to stick to the plan. 

"I got out a big red pen. It was time to make some edits."-Natalie

Unfortunately, as in most cases, life doesn't always happen the way we expect (or hope) it to. Natalie has just approached her 30th birthday.  

"Thirty. Nothing like a milestone birthday to make you take stock of things. And me? This birthday made me realize how ashamed I was and how far my life had swung off course."-Natalie

Natalie is unmarried, alone, and despite her attractive physical features and successful career, she has somehow managed to maintain "virgin status". At this point in her life, her virginity is weighing her down and causing her severe anxiety. Natalie bravely makes a "new plan". She decides to leave her current life in New York and venture to San Francisco where she will continue her professional success at a new job and turn in her V-Card!

"It's time to get off my ass and get my life back on track."-Natalie  

What does one do when they want to safely rid of their virginity? Simple, they hire a sexual surrogate. Natalie is confident that once she has sex she will be able to move forward with her life and get back to "the plan". Things are bound to get better for her now that she is literally "open to business"!

"A sexual surrogate helps patients to fix sexual problems by serving as a stand-in partner with whom to share physical and emotional intimacy. The therapy may or may not include sexual intercourse. Surrogates are frequently certified in fields such as counseling, psychology or sexuality and they often work in conjunction with psychologists and other therapists to help the patient."-LivestrongHealth.com 

Natalie settles in quickly to her new home. However, the anticipation of meeting her new therapist and sexual surrogate looms over her like a black cloud. When she finally meets her therapist, she does her best to shield her insecurities. The fact that Natalie is a product of the foster system and has recently lost her adoptive mother to cancer, has left her on the defense regarding her emotions. Natalie is gifted at self control and compartmentalizing her emotions. When she meets her teacher Ryan, her sexual surrogate, the line between lust and love blurs into one colorful mess. The lessons he has in store for her will demolish her self control and expose her to a completely different category of schooling!

"Uh, yeah, my patnies are wet and I need an infusion of Ryan Andrews cock, stat."-Natalie

Ryan is an upbeat successful guy. He has been working on his doctorate in psychology and in order to make some extra money he works as a sexual surrogate. He has never struggled maintaining professionalism and yet, when he meets Natalie everything he has ever experienced is thrown at the window. He quickly falls for her and begins to want more then the standard sexual surrogate relationship. He wants a genuine relationship with her.

"She was so soft, so delicate...! My new client was so f*cking hot it was messing with my brain."

"Natalie was such a puzzle to me. Coarse and rough one moment, with a tomboyish sass, and then innocent and unsure the next. It both confused and enticed me-it kept me on my toes, like a puzzle I needed to solve."-Ryan

Natalie and Ryan, who were brought together through unconventional means, form a quick friendship. They have so much in common and the sexual chemistry between the two is off the charts. Ironically, Natalie has nothing to compare it to, which allows the reader to enjoy each sexual experience through her eyes. Let's just say "the magic of the first time' never felt so good! Although the two try to maintain a professional "patient/doctor" relationship, their paths are continuously crossing and the notion of "sex without emotions" is quickly cast off.

"Yes, I called him mine. He'd put his mouth on my vagina, and I was a feeling a little territorial about the whole thing. Sue me."-Natalie

I throughly enjoyed the journey that these characters took together. Ms. Brown has an irrefutable ability to describe every detail with amusement, sensuality, and class. My heart broke for Natalie and Ryan who were both striving to find the good in life. Their journey is littered with rocky terrain as Natalie and Ryan grapple questions of morality, their past hurts, and their ability to admit their feelings for each other. It is when they come together emotinoally, that true happiness is found.  

"I'd never wanted something, someone, so much in my life. I'm not ever going to make that mistake again. You make me so happy; you make me laugh."-Ryan

Overall, I cannot rave enough about this read. This fresh perspective on sexual norms and issues of the heart will leave you breathless. I laughed, I cried, and I swooned with these characters through each and every page. The dual POV gives you a clear panoramic view of each scene as the plot unfolds. Additionally, the glimpses into Ryan's past intensifies your empathy for his character. The supporting characters were intriguing and I hope that we will see more of this scooby crew. If you are looking for a unique romantic comedy, look no further. I anticipate amazing things to come from this author. I look forward to reading more of her work and I for one, hope that there will be more lessons to learn. If Elizabeth Brown is teaching, this student will be never be late to class.

~BR with Mer and War! Thank you ladies for learning some lessons right along with me!~

~ARC graciously provided by Elizabeth Brown in exchange for an honest review.~

~The Lessons was read as part of a special Author Indie Star Chat on SHH at https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... Thank you Elizabeth for spending a week talking with us about your work. It was an amazing experience chatting with you while reading your bookl!~

Elizabeth's Review~Ruthless People~Contemporary Action Romance~J.J. McAvoy

5 LIVIN*LOVEN*BLOODY*SEXY STARS!

"The Giovannis are one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful family in Italy and most of the west coast. My father wants an end to the rivalry between the Irish and the Italians."-Liam

Two households brought together to tear down the world! This is one mafia romance you will never forget!  

Liam Callahan is the reigning prince of the Irish Mafia. In order to strengthen their power, Liam's father has arranged a marriage with Melody Giovanni the reigning Italian Mafia Princess. It should be so easy. He will take on a sweet wife to attend tea parties and keep his bed warm.

"With her family’s power added to my own, I would own it all before I was thirty."-Liam

Alas, Melody is NOT a princess. Melody is the queen. She has been running the family business for many years. She has no intention of baking and birthing babies. Melody wants to take over the world. She has no concern for others. She has no friends. She only has her kingdom and she RULES! She doesn't answer to anyone.  

“Boogeyman of the East,” and I was the unknown “Wicked Witch of the West.”

Mel and Liam's first meeting is quite explosive. They begin a brutal push and pull. There is a battle of advance/retreat. The volatile spirits of these main characters can only be compared to a Sams club box of matches and a super sized gallon of gasoline! Although they both hold the keys to the kingdom, who will reign?

"Do not kill. Do not kill. Melody, stay calm and do not kill him."

"But I would not let him win. I would not bow down to him. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever."

-Melody 

"With that one shot, she had proven that breaking her was not possible. She would never convert to what I needed her to be. She was a ruthless savage, and if you cannot break a ruthless savage, you need to figure out how to tame them."-Liam

Liam comes up with a plan...

"Step one, accept she was a damn boss. Step two, hide all the knives, guns, and maybe the pillows, too."-Liam 

He is able to woo her with his charm. After all, he is a sexy Irish God! He holds the ability to show her love. He just has to win her over first.

“You are mine, as I am yours. But for this to work, you need to stop seeing me as a goddamned enemy and more like your husband.”-Liam

Liam and Mel come up with their own vows. With one goal in mind (dominate the human race) and the only probability to consider is to win or die trying. Kill or be killed.  

“May we forever be rulers, may our enemies tremble at our feet, may we never forget our great love that is the family. Which we will rule with an iron fist. May we be ruthless and have no regrets. May we take what we want, when we want it, with the world at our feet.”-Mel

In addition to their truce, they find that they enjoy each other's bodies VERY MUCH! These two have passion. When they kill, when they go to bed, when they go to church, when they go for dinner, they do it with passion! They are both killers and lovers.

"No matter how many times I had her, it only made me want her even more."-Liam

Mel and Liam are violent and will stop at nothing to take down their enemies. Once these two have come together, hell hath no fury. They are focused on world domination and yet find time for tenderness with each other.  

"God created her and then shattered the mold afterward, for the world could not handle two of her.”-Liam

Ruthless People is not a book for the weak hearted. It is over the top and the furnace is set on high burn for the entire read. Told in multiple POV, you dive deep into the souls of these characters. The witty banter and colorful text make this read beyond enjoyable. Once I started, I could not put it down. I love a read that evokes "the rainbow" of emotions! Mel was such a strong heroine. Even with her psychopath tendencies, I admired her. Was she crazy? Absolutely! I couldn't wait to see what she was going to do next.  

Liam Callahan is her perfect match. He is just as motivated to take on the world. But with Mel, his primary motivation becomes teaching her to love. He is the ultimate protector. He is able to heal her.  

The secondary characters made this story complete. The diversity in each family member weaved tenderness, tension, happiness, joy, and peace within the chaos. How can I not fall in love with these people?  

There is a moment in this book where my heart broke. I had to put it down to catch my breath. I was amazed at how quickly J.J. McAvoy was able to reengage my drive to continue the story. The heartbreak was painful but the healing was beautiful. The fury that followed still has my mind spinning.

I cannot rave enough about this book. I know many readers that did not enjoy living in this world. As for me, my bags are packed and I'm ready to move in. I will be on to the second book very soon.  

BR IN HONOR OF OUR STRONG MAFIA QUEEN Sasha Elle with the ladies of Shh… [Smut, Heroes & HEAs…].....Thanks for inviting me to the party!

LOYDA'S REVIEW ~ RUTHLESS PEOPLE BY J.J. MCAVOY

4***Bloody Mel Stars 

TITLE: Ruthless People

AUTHOR: J.J. McAvoy

GENRE: Mafia

TYPE: Book 1 of 3 Series

POV: Dual

“She was mine. She was all fucking mine….I was the king of the jungle, and the woman beside me was my queen.” Leam

This story takes place in the city of Chicago. Were three families stronger than all the rest in the mafia world are fighting to take control of their city. The Callahan, the Giovanni, and the Valero. 

Leam Alex Callahan was a cocky, gorgeous twenty seven year old man. His family had arranged his marriage when he was young with the Giovanni’s only daughter. The Callahan’s ruled Chicago and when they combined two of the most powerful families they were going to be unstoppable. Liam had green eyes, dark brown sex hair and a charming smile that melt every girl panties. His family was Irish and they could drink every day from dusk until dawn and still walk a straight line . Many feared Leam because he made himself well known. He was ruthless and cold blooded killer and wanted to earn the title his father was giving him. He was going to take over his father’s position once he marries. He was known as the “boogeyman of the east” because he was heart less and didn’t care what he had to do to get what he wanted. He had never met his “to be bride” before and he was not worried about it, just maybe a little bit but he just assumed she will be the shopping kind of girl that will stay at home. 

“Rule One: You kill for family. You die for family. Because you can’t trust anyone.” 
“Rule Two: Take no prisoners and have no regrets about it.” 
“Rule Three: Just because you sell drugs for a living isn’t an excuse not to dress well.” 
“Rule Four: No bloody divorce.”

Melody Nicci Giovanni was the only daughter of the Giovanni’s family. They were the most powerful family in Italy in the mafia world. She was the unknown “wicked witch of the west” but her man nicked named her “Bloody Melody” they all feared her. The world didn’t know she had stepped up and taken over her father’s empire. Her father was Ill with cancer and was going to die soon. He wanted to make sure she was married before that happened so they rushed the wedding. She was ruthless and savage and had been training since early age. She knew how to play the game and no one even thought what she was until they were put in front of her. She was twenty four years old with wavy black hair, flawless olive skin, deep brown eyes, and a bad as body to kill for. All the man drooled and lusted over her. 

“You, ma’am, are ruthless, and not a soul on this planet would dare cross you. You would put a bullet in our heads if we were ever disloyal to you or the family. You are the Boss,” Reply one of her man

Leam and Melody met each other just few days before their wedding. It was super hot because they fought like savage animals. At first he thought she was an ugly duck and when he saw her he knew he wanted her. He thought he could rule and controlled her but he was so damn wrong. She fought him as he stopped her killing and they had a ruthless kissing scene but he ended up with a shot on his leg, and both ended up with bruises, it was awesome really haha. They had to go to battle before the wedding and they ended up hooking up, like Damn! it was freaking hot. They got married and their sex was even hotter every single time. At first it was lust that they found on each other however the more time spent together the more they realized they are both lonely and they have been searching for someone like them the entire time. It was like they were both just meant to be because they both has no remorse of what they did for living and were ruthless that did not hesitate to kill whoever gets on their way. They both have found their perfect match. It was Leam who had to teach Mel how to love because she honestly had never felt love before so she was struggling, he handled her amazingly. Prompts to him to put up with her bossiness but again they were just both made perfectly for each other, I absolutely loved these two.

“You stand at my side. I stand at yours, and together we rule the East and the West, so much so that they’ll rename cities after us.” Leam

“May we be ruthless and have no regrets…May we take what we want, when we want it, with the world at out feet.” Mel

There was so much action and suspense going on through this story. A lot of deaths, fights, and the entire city were in chaos. People were dying front and right because the police was trying to catch The Callahan’s family and lock them down on top of that the Valero’s family was after them too. So the war was real. This book kept me on the edge constantly not knowing what was coming up next. There were so many surprises and secrets and I was speechless by the time I was done. The author was able to get you to love the entire Callahan family.

The story was told in Leam and Melody’s POVs however, we got multiple POVs from the family members, not much but I really enjoyed knowing a little bit more about them. After reading Declan (Leam’s cousin) and his wife Cora’s thoughts, I felt more understandable to what they were going thru. Also his brother Neal and wife Olivia, now they really touched me and I really wish they had their own book because I couldn't help hurting for them. Leam’s parents were awesome; I enjoyed learning about them a little more thru the father’s POV. We also get to know Mel’s private pro-filer Adriana; her story was crazy she was a total bad ass. I really liked her a lot and after reading what she went through and how Mel helped her out I had so much more respect for them both. I felt so attached to all these characters at the end of the book that I just can’t get enough. I will most defiantly be continuing this series. 

“The Family that mourns together survives forever.” J.J. McAvoy

BR In Honor of our FriendSasha Elle Shh

Book series order:

Elizabeth's Review~All He Wants~ C.C. Gibbs~Contemporary Romance

  

"Moments mattered in life; they zipped by too fast, or you were looking the other way when you should have been paying attention. Either way you missed them."

When it comes to a modern romance, All He Wants offers a truly cinematic view of pleasure. The combination of descriptive writing and complex characters made this read a sheer delight!

Kate is a highly educated young professional. She has been recruited by Knight Enterprises to investigate losses in the company's financials. When Kate meets Dominic Knight, she is instantly put on alert by his domineering personality and kurt speech. Despite her reservations in accepting the job, she concedes and she takes off for Amsterdam in order to complete the work.  

"Dominic Knight in all his dark, sensual beauty was standing there, up close and personal, his quick raking glance so casually assessing she should take offense, not feel a shocking rush of pleasure."-Kate

Dominic is a womanizer. After the passing of his wife, he has found pleasure in anything that he wants. He is taken by Kate but only because she represents innocence that he is desperate to taint and tantalize!  

Dominic doesn't waste any time trying to seduce his young employee. After much uncertainty, Kate agrees to a relationship with Mr. Knight of JUST SEX for a few days. The two share and experience some highly charged moments of sexual pleasure together. 

"This holiday was about sex and games of mastery and submission, power and control. Nothing else."-Dominic

They explore Amsterdam, Shanghai, and Hong Kong together. As in most cases when sexual chemistry is evident, these two begin to develop feelings for one another. Kate is terrified of getting her heart broken. Dominic has spent so many years keeping himself guarded from love and yet, Kate begins to spark a deep feeling of longing deep in his soul.

As the clock is ticking, I felt more and more love for these characters. Of course, I will have to continue the series to see what happens next.

"He was the only man she'd ever wanted, perhaps the only man she'd ever want. How would she survive without him?"-Kate

"It was like reaching home after an endless journey. Or finding safe haven from a storm. Or perhaps, finding love for those with an open mind."-Dominic

Overall, All He Wants was a very good read. At first, I found myself very frustrated with Kate. She was so uncertain about herself and what choices she should make. I thoroughly enjoyed observing the transformation that takes place in her as the story progressed. Dominic is no doubt a typical "alpha male" who is taken down a notch or two when Kate dishes out some highly charged verbal banter. I can honestly say once the book took off, I couldn't put it down. I did find the POV in the text to be a bit confusing at times. It shifts rather abruptly and if was slightly problematic to sift through especially during highly charged moments in the story. The sexual encounters between Kate and Dominic were off the charts! Ms. Gibbs is quite gifted at evoking every drop of emotion and sexual tension from these two. However, what makes this read so remarkable is the authors ability to paint the settings so vividly. Her descriptions of each location made me feel like I was on vacation enjoying the sights, smells, and sounds right along with the main characters. That, my friends, made this read a true winner for me! I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a modern romance that is staged in stunning locations. Although this was a slow starter for me, once the conflict was in place, I couldn't stop reading! I will certainly be following up with Kate and Dominic in the next installment of this series.

~BR with my girls at SHH! In preparation for an upcoming Indie Star Chat!~

~ARC graciously offered by author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Ms. Gibbs for sharing your work with me.~