Naomi's Reading Palace

The Queen by Tiffany Reisz~ Early Review & Quote-tastic

The Queen releases tomorrow, and I had to read the final book in the series!! It has been an eventful ride and I'm a little sad now that the series is over.

Title: The Queen

Author: Tiffany Reisz

Series: The Original Sinners #8

Genre: Erotic Romance

Published: October 27th 2015

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Once upon a time, Nora and Søren made a fateful deal—if he gave her everything, she would give him forever.

The time has finally come to keep their promises.

Out of money and out of options after her year-long exile, Eleanor Schreiber agrees to join forces with Kingsley Edge, the king of kink. After her first taste of power as a Dominant, Eleanor buries her old submissive self and transforms into Mistress Nora, the Red Queen. With the help of a mysterious young man with a job even more illicit than her own, Nora squares off against a cunning rival in her quest to become the most respected, the most feared Dominatrix in the Underground.

While new lovers and the sweet taste of freedom intoxicate Nora, she is tempted time and time again by Søren, her only love and the one man who refuses to bow to her. But when Søren accepts a new church assignment in a dangerous country, she must make an agonizing choice—will the queen keep her throne and let her lover go, or trade in her crown for Søren's collar?

With a shattering final confession, the last link in the chain is forged in The Original Sinners saga. It's the closing chapter in a story of salvation, sacrifice and the multitude of scars we collect in the name of ecstasy—and love.

The final book in the The Original Sinners series is here. These final four books have told us stories from the past and showed us how each character became so dominating. The Queen begins after the events and stories told in The Virgin.Nora, Kingsley and Søren are together for a wedding, but there’s something else going on. To pass time Nora tells Søren a story of how Eleanor became Mistress Nora, the top dominatrix in New York, and how she almost returned to Søren.

Nora’s rise to the top was just as sizzling and entertaining as I expected. She moved away from her submissive ways and learned to become a strong, authoritative mistress. Together with Kingsley, she learned the ins and outs of becoming a dominatrix, learning to use every tool in the trade and mastering the whip, with the help of one controlling priest. A few of the characters that I have come to love made appearances, like Griffin, but there were a couple of other’s that played a huge part in the path that Nora would take.

I loved every moment of reading this book and seeing the struggles that they all had to deal with, especially Nora. She was conflicted about her love for Søren, but wanted to stand up for herself and become her own person out from under Søren’s shadow. I loved her determination and her witty ways as she made herself into the woman I have come to love throughout the series.

I love the way that Tiffany Reisz brought this series to a close. She gave me the insight to these characters that I have always wanted to know about. She also showed me how big of a piece Søren is in the overall story and that he was determined to get everything he wanted. The Queen was a scorching hot read and I am sad to close the book, but satisfied that I have all the answers I need. I am looking forward to what Reisz is going to deliver next!

Complimentary copy provided by the Publisher, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this moment where Kinsley's heart was breaking and he's trying to get across what he wants to Nora.

“It’s him. It’s us. It’s our friendship. No, not that.” Kingsley looked up at her with sorrow in his eyes. “He’s all the family I have. If he leaves, he’ll take my family away from me.”

Kindle Arc Loc 4106

Hosted by Anna @ Herding Cats & Burning Soup

Tiffany Reisz is the author of the internationally bestselling and award-winning Original Sinners series for Mira Books (Harlequin/Mills & Boon). Tiffany's books inhabit a sexy shadowy world where romance, erotica and literature meet and do immoral and possibly illegal things to each other. She describes her genre as "literary friction," a term she stole from her main character, who gets in trouble almost as often as the author herself.
She lives in Portland, Oregon. If she couldn't write, she would die.

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Other reviews featuring Tiffany Reisz

The Original Sinners series

The King #6
The Virgin #7

Misbehaving

Naomi’s Weekly Wrap Up 160

I've been busy running around after the kids this week! I've had dental and doctor appointments, school meeting, the middle child's birthday, the youngest two kids had a fun night/sleepover at the school, and the school BBQ fundraiser I had to go and help with.

I've read a little bit this week. Finished The Queen, almost finished Surviving Ice, and have been reading Reap the Wind whilst on the treadmill!

Enticing Interlude by Michelle Mankin ~ Review & Quote-tastic
Maybe This Time by Chantal Fernando ~ Review & Teaser Tuesday
Waiting On Wednesday # 163 – Sweet Nothing / Reap the Wind
Manwhore by Katy Evans ~ Review & Swoon Thursday
Stirring Up Trouble by Andrea Laurence ~ Excerpt & Giveaway

The Queen by Tiffany Reisz~ Early Review & Quote-tastic
Reckless Abandon by Jeannine Colette ~ Release Day Review & Teaser Tuesday
Waiting On Wednesday # 164
Manwhore +1 by Katy Evans ~ Review & Swoon Thursday
Wicked Restless by Ginger Scott ~ Excerpts, Teasers & Giveaway

Pucked and Rafe were just 99c... I've had my eye on Pucked for ages, so I was happy to pick it up. Thanks for the heads up Christy's Love of Books! And The Air He Breathes caught my attention... had to get it.
Pucked (Pucked, #1)

Pucked (Pucked #1)
by Helena Hunting
Rafe (Inked Brotherhood #5)
by Jo Raven
The Air He Breathes (Elements #1)
by Brittainy C. Cherry

I have been dying for this one... everyone's been getting paper arc's and I've been sitting here cursing everyone!

Tough Enough (Tall, Dark, and Dangerous #2)
by M. Leighton

I got an arc through Edelweiss!!! This is big, I usually get rejected!!

To the Stars (Thatch #2)
by Molly McAdams

Naomi’s Weekly Wrap Up is a combined meme with the Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Bought, Borrowed and Bagged hosted by Braine @ Talk Supe and Stacking The Shelves hosted by Tynga’s Reviews.

read more "Naomi’s Weekly Wrap Up 160"

Stirring Up Trouble by Andrea Laurence ~ Excerpt & Giveaway

Today I have an excerpt from the third book in Andrea Laurence's Rosewood series. Maddie sounds like a feisty girl who takes her baking seriously. She has found her match in Emmett, the banter soon takes a turn!

Title: Stirring Up Trouble

Author: Andrea Laurence

Series: Rosewood #3

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: October 12th 2015

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When a prim and proper baker and a laid-back bartender have a neighborly disagreement that gets them both in trouble with the law, a sweet reconciliation is stirred up in the playful third romance in Andrea Laurence’s sexy Rosewood series.

Maddie’s life is perfectly sweet. Her bakery’s tasty treats are rising to the top of every must-have list in town, and her commute is just a block away by foot. She loves everything about her little downtown Victorian bungalow—except for her unbearably noisy neighbor, Woody’s. The bar’s obnoxious and sexy owner, Emmett, seems to live to aggravate Maddie. But he mostly thinks she could use a stiff drink to dislodge the stick up her ass. He’s just trying to run his business. Bars stay open late, they play music, they serve alcohol. If she doesn’t like it, why did she buy a house across the street?

When Maddie and Emmett’s battle lands them in front of the local judge, they’re ordered to do several weeks of community service cleaning parks and painting over graffiti. As they scrub away the latest works of art by the town’s anonymous “Penis Picasso,” the baker and the bartender slowly begin to see there’s more to each other than meets the eye. So what happens if they wave the white flag and surrender into each other’s arms?

“You know, Fancy Pants, that’s your problem.”

Her eyes widened as he used his new favorite nickname for her. He didn’t know why it would offend her. She was a fancy pants, through and through. “I don’t have a problem.”

“Yes, you do. You think you’re so much better than everyone else, but you’re not. So what? You studied in Paris. Estelle was a self-taught baker using her grandmother’s recipes, and her chocolate chip cookies were better than yours.”

Maddie gasped. “My chocolate chip cookies are made with vanilla beans from Madagascar and chopped milk and dark chocolate from Switzerland!”

“It’s a cookie, not a piece of art that needs provenance to display in a gallery. Some people just want what’s familiar. Nobody’s grandma used vanilla beans from Madagascar. Importing all that fancy stuff might make you feel special, but it doesn’t make you better. Frankly, I think it would hurt your bottom line. You think you’re going to pay back your daddy for this place while you blow money on embossed pink pastry boxes and imported chocolate? This isn’t a patisserie on the Champs-Élysées, Fancy Pants. You might think it sets you apart, but to be successful, you need to know your customer. People around here don’t care where Madagascar is, much less if that’s where your vanilla comes from.”

“People want high-quality products, and that’s what I’m going to give them. My clientele is a little more sophisticated than yours. I suppose you’re well versed in your customers and what they want, right? Beer and football.”

“Damn right, and that’s what I give them.” Emmett turned to face her and leaned down so she heard every word he said. “They want a place to relax and unwind. They want to watch sports and listen to music. You might think that I started bringing those bands in just to keep you up at night, but you’re giving yourself a little too much real estate in my brain, Fancy. It doesn’t have anything to do with you. You’re just an unwelcome distraction.”

Maddie looked up at him, her full bottom lip trembling slightly as he railed at her. “Earlier you said I was beautiful—a sadist—but beautiful. Am I distracting because I drive you crazy or because I’m beautiful?” she asked in a breathy voice that made his chest and his pants tighten at the same time.

Those pouty lips made him want to run the pad of his thumb across them and kiss away her frown. It was a ridiculously unhelpful thought, but like he’d said, she was a distraction in a variety of ways. He wished she wasn’t so attractive because that just crossed the wires in his brain. He’d much prefer her outsides matched her annoying insides, then it would be easy to ignore her.

She had the shiniest hair he’d ever seen. It was always up in a ponytail or a bun, which was a shame because it was like shimmering chestnut silk. He wanted to know what it would look like if it fell free around her shoulders. He wondered how it’d feel to run his fingers through it. Her skin was like porcelain and her eyes like the shells of a robin’s egg. Maddie’s every feature was delicate and feminine, rousing a protective nature in him he wasn’t used to.

And then she opened her mouth and ruined everything.

“Both,” he said.

Andrea Laurence has been a lover of reading and writing stories since she learned to read at a young age. She always dreamed of seeing her work in print and is thrilled to finally be able to share her special blend of sensuality and dry, sarcastic humor with the world. A dedicated West Coast girl transplanted into the Deep South, she's working on her own "happily ever after" with her boyfriend and their collection of animals including a Siberian Husky that sheds like nobody's business.

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Manwhore by Katy Evans ~ Review & Swoon Thursday

I'm a fan of Katy Evans and waited until the second book came out before jumping into this series... I am so glad I did, because I picked up the second book immediately after reading this one!

Title: Manwhore

Author: Katy Evans

Series: Manwhore #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: March 24th 2015

Buy Now - Amazon | B&N

Is it possible to expose Chicago’s hottest player—without getting played?

This is the story I've been waiting for all my life, and its name is Malcolm Kyle Preston Logan Saint. Don’t be fooled by that last name though. There’s nothing holy about the man except the hell his parties raise. The hottest entrepreneur Chicago has ever known, he’s a man’s man with too much money to spend and too many women vying for his attention.

Mysterious. Privileged. Legendary. His entire life he’s been surrounded by the press as they dig for tidbits to see if his fairytale life is for real or all mirrors and social media lies. Since he hit the scene, his secrets have been his and his alone to keep. And that’s where I come in.

Assigned to investigate Saint and reveal his elusive personality, I’m determined to make him the story that will change my career.

But I never imagined he would change my life. Bit by bit, I start to wonder if I'm the one discovering him...or if he's uncovering me.

What happens when the man they call Saint, makes you want to sin?

I have wanted to read this book for ages, and I managed to snag a copy from the library (which was a funny story in itself!). I am so glad that I grabbed it, because I have loved Katy Evans writing since I read the Real series. She creates strong, dominant male leads who crumble once they find their perfect girl. Manwhore is about Rachel, going after her dream, not realising that she would have a new dream by the end of the book.

Rachel is a reporter at The Edge. The company is on the brink of being shutdown, but she is offered a huge expose on Chicago’s playboy billionaire, Malcolm Saint. Rachel was excited about this piece and took every chance she good to get close to Malcolm. But this story was more about Rachel finding herself too; she has never let a man get close before, she lost her father when she was so young she cannot remember him. She has a huge passion for the ‘End the Violence’ campaign that’s run in Chicago, and attends the sleepouts and any other events that bring attention to the cause.

Malcolm… well, he always gets what he wants! Most of Rachel’s research was the opposite of what I learned of him through Rachel’s eyes. Sure he’s a successful and driven businessman and women flock to him, but he’s also a person with insecurities. Rachel intrigues him, and uncharacteristically he pursues her, even though she turns him down constantly.

I enjoyed watching the relationship grow between Rachel and Malcolm. Rachel is focused on her job in the beginning and tries to keep Malcolm at arm’s length, but he’s a persistent man. The sexual chemistry between these two was intense and once they hit the sheets, it was sizzling! They want to be successful when it comes to their work, and have a different view on the world around them. They have both suffered loss and didn’t realise how huge of a hole they had in their hearts until they met one another.

I liked all the secondary characters too! Wynn’s the friend who enjoys falling in love and encourages Rachel to look for that guy. Gina is the sceptic since she had her heart broken and one of the reasons why Rachel holds back. Callan and Tahoe are Malcolm’s closest friends, they are laid back and fun, but notice the change in Malcolm once Rachel enters the picture.

Katy Evans is an amazing romance writer. These characters are going to stick with me for a long time after their story is finished, just like Remy and Brooke have. Manwhore was a difficult journey personally for the characters as they discovered a happiness they never knew existed. It was a read I found difficult to put down and even now I want to pick up Manwhore+1 to continue their journey (ok, I did once I finished my review). If you haven’t read a book by Katy Evans, you need to try this series and become hooked like me.

This is the moment where Rachel realises what Malcolm really wants!

I put my hand on his thigh playfully. “You make my world spin a little faster.”
“I’d like to rock it even more,” he rumbles, and I laugh.
He looks at me, his grin, his eyes, all of him mischief to the tenth power. Mischief and sin.
“What’s your idea of rocking a girl’s world?”
“You tell me.” He trails his eyes down my body.
“Me?!” I cry. “What do I have to do with it?”
“I’ve never wanted to rock a woman’s world the way I want l to rock yours.”

Paperback Page 165

Hosted by YA Bound

Katy Evans grew up with books and book-boyfriends until she found a real sexy boyfriend to love. They married and are now hard at work on their own happily ever after. Katy loves her family and friends, and she also loves reading, walking, baking, and being consumed by her characters until she reaches “The End.” Which is, hopefully, only the beginning…

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Other reviews featuring Katy Evans

Real series

Real #1

Mine #2

Remy #3

Rogue #4

Ripped #5

Waiting On Wednesday # 163 – Sweet Nothing / Reap the Wind

I love the sound of Sweet Nothing, and from a couple of authors I've read before. Reaping the Wind, I have waited along time for this instalment!

Title: Sweet Nothing

Author: Jamie McGuire & Teresa Mummert

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Expected Publication: November 1st 2015

When you think you know what's happening, you're only half way there.

It is enough to break any man: watching what could have been my future slip away before it was ever in my grasp. The possibility of losing someone I loved before she was even mine is something I never would have imagined—certainly nothing I'd ever wish on anyone. I went to her every day and waited. Waited for the impossible, for a sign, for her to look at me ... hoping sinners are granted miracles, too.

Just one glimpse of him was all it took. In the next lane, at a stop light, was the man I would fall in love with and marry. People talk about love that takes time—the kind you fall in to. We were more like a crash and burn. When our lives intertwined, I knew I would never be the same. He was the man I would cherish the rest of my life, who would father my children. In an instant our life together began, and in an instant it would end. The late nights; the excuses; the lies. And in the blink of an eye, it was like we never were.

Title: Reap the Wind

Author: Karen Chance

Series: Cassandra Palmer #7

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Expected Publication: November 3rd 2015

You’d think that being Chief Seer for the supernatural world would come with a few perks. But as Cassie Palmer has learned, being Pythia doesn’t mean you don’t have to do things the hard way. That’s why she finds herself on a rescue mission skipping through time—even though she doesn't entirely understand her dimension-bending new power.

Rescuing her friend John Pritkin should have been an in and out kind of deal, but with the near-immortal mage’s soul lost in time, Cassie has to hunt for it through the ages—with Pritkin’s demon dad in tow. He’s the only one who can reverse Pritkin’s curse, but with the guardians of the time-line dead set on stopping anyone from mucking about, Cassie will have to figure out how to get her friend back without ruffling too many feathers—or causing a world-ending paradox or two...

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine where I have the chance to spotlight upcoming releases that I’m eagerly anticipating.

Maybe This Time by Chantal Fernando ~ Audiobook Review & Teaser Tuesday

This was my latest audio read, and I think I've found a new world to be swept away in. I'm looking forward to more from this world!

Title: Maybe This Time

Author: Chantal Fernando

Series: Maybe #1

Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

Published: October 14th 2013

Buy Now - Amazon | Amazon Audible | B&N | Kobo

Moving in with my half-brother Xander, I had no idea what to expect.
But nothing could have prepared me for this.
My brother’s friends are wild, protective, secretive, always around.
And drop dead gorgeous.
Out of all of them, there's something about Reid Knox.
Brooding, temperamental, guarded…
And I want him more than anything I have ever wanted in my life.

After reading the first two books in the Wind Dragons MC series, I decided it was time to read something else from Chantal Fernando. So I decided to grab Maybe This Time for my next audible read. It was a good story with plenty of secrets and twists to keep you guessing.

From the first chapter, when Summer first met her half brother Xander, I thought this was going to be an entertaining read. She had just arrived in town to move in with him, and had to pick him up first. He’s quick to dismiss the incident, but ready to build a bond with her, despite her strained relationship with their father.

I liked how Summer could see past Reid’s rough exterior to the good heart underneath. He was hiding things from her, but I could see how much he cared for her. He was over protective and wanted the best for her. He feels damaged and doesn’t believe that Summer would fall for him too.

Meeting Xander’s friends was pretty amusing; none of them hold back and they treat her as one of their own. They have their secrets though, and soon she’s beginning to believe her mother’s stories. I liked how Summer formed a strong friendship with Reid’s brother Ryan, and they supported each other and couple vent their thoughts and feelings without feeling judged.

There were plenty of twists in Maybe This Time that I didn’t see coming. Most of them turned their worlds upside down. I didn’t like how quick Reid was to dismiss Summer, and at times she was really quick to forgive Reid (one certain issue at the bar when Ryan told her not to come, made me cranky!!). I was glad they were able to work through their issues, though, and not let things stew for too long.

I enjoyed the narration by Eva Kaminsky; she switches between male and female voices flawlessly and I could feel the passion in the words. Chantal Fernando has become an author that I cannot get enough of. I like how easy I am swept away in her writing, world building and she creates character’s that feel real. I am looking forward to continuing this series and meeting the girls who can tie these boys down.

Here is a bit of the tension between Summer and Reid.

“You called women bitches, and if you haven’t noticed, I’m a woman, and I don’t fucking appreciate being called a bitch!” I sneer at him.
“Oh , trust me, I know you’re all woman,” he says in a smooth tone, staring at my breasts and then my hips.

Kindle Pg 59

Hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm

New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Chantal Fernando is twenty six years old and lives in Western Australia.

Her published novels include four books in the Resisting Love series – Chase, Kade, Ryder and James; the New York Times Bestselling novel Maybe This Time and its follow up, This Time Around. Her latest releases include Toxic Girl, Saxon, and a USA bestselling biker romance novel Dragon’s Lair.

When not reading, writing or daydreaming she can be found enjoying life with her three sons and family.

Represented by Kimberly Brower from the Rebecca Friedman Literary Agency.

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