Category Archives: SAFE

5 star reads, Erotic Sex Scenes, Review, SAFE, Science Fiction Romance

The Pulse Between Us – B. K. Brown

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The Pulse Between Us
B. K. Brown

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Debut Author Delivers a Slow-Burn Sci-Fi Romance with a Thrilling, Intimate Core

Blurb:

Across light-years, two strangers are forced into the deepest intimacy imaginable—and hunted for it.

Dr. Mira Tian has built her career on discipline and control. A scientist aboard Aris Station, she has mastered the art of keeping her emotions contained, her focus sharp, and her private longings buried beneath layers of precision.

Rafe Anders has built his exile on silence. Living on the remote mining outpost Sigma-9, he has resigned himself to isolation, convinced that distance is the only way to survive his past mistakes.

But when a violent solar event ripples through deep space, something impossible happens. Through their neural interfaces, Mira and Rafe make contact—mind to mind, thought to thought, feeling to feeling. At first it’s fragile, like a whisper in the dark. Soon it becomes undeniable. Addictive. Irresistible.

For Mira, the connection is the most profound intimacy she has ever known. For Rafe, it is the first chance at redemption. Together they share memories, regrets, and hopes as if they are two halves of the same soul. Yet every moment of closeness leaves traces in the system—traces that the wrong people are trained to find.

Cognixis, the corporation that built their neural technology, sees the bond not as intimacy but as opportunity. To them it is a resource—something to isolate, dissect, and replicate. Under the scrutiny of Camille Thorne, Director of Neurodevelopment, and Vosk, Head of Applied Neurosecurity, Mira and Rafe’s secret lifeline becomes the center of a ruthless corporate campaign. To survive, they must hide their tether, maintain the façade of normality, and outwit a surveillance machine designed to expose them.

But hiding isn’t enough. The deeper the connection runs, the harder it is to conceal. Mira and Rafe are pulled into a high-stakes struggle that tests not just their survival, but the very definition of self, trust, and love. If discovered, they won’t just lose each other—they’ll lose their freedom, their identities, and perhaps even their lives.

The Pulse Between Us is a gripping blend of sci-fi romance and psychological suspense. It explores what it means to be truly known by another person, the risks of radical vulnerability, and the lengths we’ll go to keep the one person who sees us fully.

Perfect for readers searching for:
sci-fi romance adult stories that blend intimacy and suspense
star-crossed lovers romance where connection is both salvation and danger
telepathy romance that explores what happens when two minds—and hearts—collide

If you love star-crossed lovers navigating impossible odds, if you crave sci-fi romance that balances futuristic ideas with raw human intimacy, and if you want a slow-burn bond that feels both dangerous and irresistible, The Pulse Between Us is for you.

In the ink-black void of space, they found each other. But in a universe built on control, love may be the most dangerous anomaly of all.

Set in a corporate-dominated dystopia, The Pulse Between Us delivers one of the most unique sci-fi romance concepts I’ve read in years. While telepathic connections in fiction aren’t new, B.K. Brown takes it to an entirely different level—one that feels intimate, immersive, and emotionally real.

Instead of exchanging thoughts like text messages, Mira and Rafe share physical sensations, involuntary emotions, and even memories. There’s a visceral richness to this portrayal that’s deeply engaging. When Rafe feels the rough scratch of his uniform, Mira instinctively sends back the sensation of her soft lab coat. Their connection quickly evolves beyond intentional messages, and their deepest, most private experiences begin to bleed through.

What happens, his thoughts came slowly, deliberately, when we can’t tell the difference between your sensations and mine?

The question hung between them, unanswerable. Neither spoke the obvious follow-up:

What happens when we can’t tell the difference between you and me?

This slow emotional burn is incredibly well-crafted. There’s vulnerability and fear, but also recognition and trust. One of my favorite moments beautifully captures the raw power of being seen:

He’d stepped into her most vulnerable moment and simply stood beside her, offering neither judgment nor pity. Just recognition.

I see you.

The structure of the book mirrors this deepening connection. It begins with alternating third-person chapters focused on Mira and Rafe individually—standard for romance. But as their bond intensifies, chapter breaks disappear. The POV shifts seamlessly without formal cues, brilliantly illustrating how their minds (and lives) begin to merge. It’s a subtle, masterful storytelling device.

While the sci-fi backdrop is rich and well-developed, the emotional core always stays front and center. When romantic tension finally surfaces, it’s tender and awkward in the most human way—more like best friends tiptoeing toward something more than lust-driven passion. This makes the eventual intimacy feel earned and powerful.

There are broader thematic undercurrents too: corporate surveillance, digital ownership of identity, and the commodification of connection. Mira and Rafe’s fight to stay hidden—when even their thoughts are no longer private—echoes real-world concerns about data privacy and digital autonomy. Their rebellion is quiet but desperate, and it had me rooting for them every step of the way.

Additional Notes:

  • Pacing: Excellent. A fast, immersive read without feeling rushed.
  • Tone: Emotionally grounded with a strong sci-fi framework.
  • Genre Blend: Sci-fi romance with psychological depth and slow-burn tension.
  • POV & Tense: 3rd person close (alternating), past tense.
  • Editing: Very clean. A few small errors were noted and reported to the author.
  • Steam Level: Contains sex scenes, but they’re tastefully blurred rather than explicit.
  • Language: Occasional mild cursing.
  • Tropes: Star-crossed lovers, forced proximity (mental/emotional), neural connection, dystopian surveillance, slow burn.
  • Length: 233 pages
  • Release Date: November 5, 2025
  • Price: $2.99 (Amazon)

Bottom Line:
If you’re craving a sci-fi romance that dares to explore what happens when two people are truly seen—flaws, traumas, desires and all—The Pulse Between Us is a must-read. It’s a love story that is equal parts cerebral and soulful, and it lingers long after the final page.

I loved this book and highly recommend it. It’s SAFE (no cheating, no triangles, no abuse), emotionally satisfying, and delivers a true HEA. I look forward to seeing what B.K. Brown writes next—because I’ll be first in line to read it.

I was given an advanced review copy by the author and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

4 star reads, Erotic Sex Scenes, Paranormal, Review, SAFE

How to Ruin a Librarian – Tansy Applewood

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How to Ruin a Librarian
The Hollow Heart Series: Book 2
Tansy Applewood

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Very cute, whimsical romantic comedy fantasy

Blurb

A cozy spicy monster romance with small town autumn vibes, found family, and a gnome book club.

I’m Roslyn Vellore. Librarian. Lorekeeper. Emotionally repressed human-shaped disaster.

I do not have time for monsters who flirt with their eyes and unpack your trauma with cocoa-dusted confidence. I especially do not have time for Santos Wildmere, Wren’s Hollow’s dangerously tender Velvarkin chocolatier whose magic-infused truffles taste like everything I’ve tried to forget.

My boundaries are ironclad. My wards are gnome-certified.

And I’ve never once accidentally made out with a man behind a bookcase.

Until now.

Because the soulbond between us? It’s real. It hums beneath my skin every time he looks at me like I’m made of sugar and starlight. And when ancient tomes go missing from the Loreloft, stirring long-buried magic in Wren’s Hollow, I’ll have to work with the one monster who makes my knees weak and my shields glitch.

Together, we’ll chase down forbidden magic. Unravel the mystery. And I absolutely will not kiss him in the back of the library.

Or the chocolate shop.

Or… okay, listen. This is getting very inconvenient.

A spicy cozy monster romance about a feral librarian, a chocolate empath Velvarkin with wreck-me eyes, and the most dangerously sweet soulbond Wren’s Hollow has ever seen.

This is filled with very whimsical similes and metaphors that mean we can only guess what. But I like them. It makes me feel immersed, like I’m part of this world, so I should know what they mean. For example, “Sharp with cinnamon want. Laced with spice and sorrow.” And, “And it tasted like library dust and bare skin, whispered arguments and pressed spines.”

This is a very sweet romance and is SAFE. No cheating, Other Person Drama, or coercion. Santos is very patient and waits for Ros to come to him.

Because he’s patient and tender and absurdly respectful and I HATED HIM. (Not really. Just enough to want to climb him again and set myself on fire.)

Ros takes an emotional journey to get to Santos, cheered and jeered along by a great many gnomes, small creatures that can hide within bread boxes or ride dogs. They have a Smut Book Club and provide commentary. I feel like the gnomes are us readers. “your gnomes are reading reverse harem again.”

“You’re the future star of this week’s reading,” Letty said cheerfully.

“I am not in the book,” I said immediately.

Every gnome screamed like they’d been hit with a romance novel cliffhanger.

It’s filled with terrific humor. I highly recommend this for a feel-good, entertaining read. I really liked it and will definitely read more in the series. But I don’t think it’s a future re-read for me, so 4 stars.

Contains graphic sex scenes.

Occasional foul language.

1st person past tense from Ros and Santos.

Errors: 10 – 3 punctuation, 1 spelling, 2 tense changes, 1 inconsistency, 1 transposed words, 1 missing space, 1 missing word. Totally readable.

I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

270 Pages

$3.99 at Amazon and part of Kindle Unlimited.

5 star reads, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Sex Scenes, Review, SAFE

Beginning of the End AND End of Story – Kylie Scott

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Beginning of the End, the prequel,
and End of Story
Kylie Scott

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Hilarious contemporary romantic comedy with a cat!

Blurb for Beginning of the End:

When her boyfriend announces he’s accepted a yearlong contract in London, Susie’s relieved that Aaron suggests a long-distance relationship. But then it makes her think. Is it her imagination, or does he seem just a little too eager to leave? Is she reading too much into his excitement to hit the British pub scene? And all relationships cool off after a while…right? As Aaron’s departure approaches, Susie confides in her favorite aunt and best friend to help her figure out—is this the beginning of the end or just the beginning of something even better?

This is a short story prequel to “End of Story”.

Susie has no filter, which makes her snarky and humorous – something Kylie Scott writes so well. It starts off with Susie dating Aaron. But it is obvious Susie and Aaron are not meant for each other. Susie has a heavy case of denial. Even the sex has gotten bad.

“He came, and I did not. Or, at least, I didn’t come until later when I could take care of business alone.”

Lars is Aaron’s best friend, “lumberjack hot” and a contractor. But he has a seemingly great girlfriend that Susie really likes. Susie and Aaron have a very public break up at Aaron’s going-away party. But it was a good thing that needed to happen.

At the end, Susie’s hoarder aunt died and left her a house, which is the setup for…

Blurb for End of Story:

When Susie Bowen inherits a charming fixer-upper from her aunt, she’s excited to start living her best HGTV life. But when she opens the door to find that her contractor is none other than her ex’s best friend, Lars—the same man who witnessed their humiliating public breakup six months ago—she isn’t exactly eager to have anyone around whose alliance is with the enemy. But beggars can’t be choosers, and the sooner the repairs are done, the sooner she can get back to embracing singledom.

Things go from awkward to unbelievable when Lars discovers a divorce certificate hidden in a wall and dated ten years in the future—with both their names on it. It couldn’t possibly be real…could it? As Susie and Lars work to unravel the document’s origins, the impossibility of a spark between them suddenly doesn’t seem so far-fetched. But would a relationship between them be doomed before it’s even begun?

Lars shows up to work on the house Susie inherited when Susie expected a different contractor from the firm. Awkward. We quickly learn that he is no longer with the girlfriend he had in the prequel.

“Lars went through various girlfriends during the year I’d been with what’s-his-face. Neither he nor his friend were down with commitment. Which was fine if you just wanted to have fun. But Jane was a keeper, smart with a wicked sense of humor. Lars definitely had a type. All of his girlfriends were petite, perfect dolls who behaved in a ladylike manner. The opposite of buxom, loudmouthed me.”

The best friend of my ex is not my friend. Confucious probably said that.

After pulling away a section of sheetrock, Lars finds a very old piece of paper. But, upon reading it, discovers it is a divorce decree for him and Susie, dated ten years in the future. Crazy!

Finding the divorce certificate raised about a billion questions. But it also made Lars and me look at each other in a new, different, and unwelcome way. It brought hearts, flowers, and sexy times to mind, rather than a you’re an okay human being whom I don’t object to spending time with mind-set. The idea that someone might be your everything was a lot. Same went for finding out in advance that a relationship would fail. Messages from the future weren’t as helpful as you’d think.

There is a cat that visits the house. I always adore the addition of a cat in a story!

The cat was crouched at the other end of the porch with the bowl of milk I’d left for her. It seemed rude not to offer her something to drink too. We discussed the weather for a while, but she didn’t have much to say. She mostly flicked her tail, watched the occasional car go past, and kept an eye out for birds.

It was clear to me that the cat was Aunt Susan, and she devised this whole scheme to get these two together. But this is never said or hinted at in the story itself. See if you agree with me or not.

I really loved the way the relationship grew out of friendship. It was organic, sweet, fun, and humorous. I really felt like I got to know the characters, and they had both great qualities and flaws that they accepted about each other.

I’ve never been accused of being deep. My talents consisted of having great style and saying weird shit.

This is a slow burn, with the intimate scenes not starting until about halfway through the book. But they are worth the wait! Foreplay is in no way skipped like I see too much in movies and TV these days. Has anyone else noticed that? It seems to go straight from a hot kiss to penetration and it’s over in 2 minutes. That is not good sex! But here…

His past lovers and girlfriends deserved thank-you notes. And cupcakes, maybe?

The humor in this is what really makes it so great. I love the snark! Some of my favorite quotes:

“Are you saying she was correct when she said we’re horny for each other?”

“There’s no way in hell I’m answering that.”

“You’re smarter than you look.”

“Thanks.” He laughed. “Why are you always picking on me?”

“Why are you always picking on me?” I asked. “It’s like that old nonsense about how the kid in third grade who pushes you over is secretly crushing on you. They’re not. They’re just an asshole. And yet we cannot seem to stop poking at each other.”

He grinned. “Maybe we’re both assholes.”

“Maybe,” I said. “Isn’t it nice that we have things in common?”

Wait a minute. That was not me getting poetic about a male. Heck no. Wash my mind out with soap.

Overthinking things was such a joy.

He grinned down at me. “Thank you for holding my man feelings in such high regard, Susie.”

“You’re welcome, Lars.”

How dare he not manhandle me. This was outrageous.

…he glared at my cute black sleep shorts and tank. Never had my sleepwear been so maligned. The lack of a bra seemed to particularly upset him.

If only people had mute buttons. That would be so useful.

“He should press charges,” hollered the evil witch. Though that was being too mean to witches. Even the ones that were evil. Like I’m sure they had their reasons.

Read this for a cute, feel-good story with a lot of laughs! And come back for more great books by Kylie Scott: Wildflowers, Flesh, and Skin.

Contains graphic sex scenes.

Occasional foul language.

Both the prequel and novel are 1st person past tense from Susie.

Errors: 1 repeated word in the novel “Make sure it hasn’t been accidentally been tucked away…”

195 Pages

$14.99 and $1.99 at Amazon.

I borrowed both of these from Hoopla, a terrific source of free books and audiobooks likely available to you if you have a library card.

Hoopla – Beginning of the End

Hoopla – End of Story

5 star reads, Apocalyptic or Post-apocalyptic Romance, Erotic Sex Scenes, Review, SAFE

Wildflowers – Kylie Scott

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Wildflowers
An End of the World Romance
Kylie Scott

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Hot apocalyptic romance, no zombies, with fantastic snarky humor!

Blurb:

There’s only one person Dean Wallace wants to save from the end of the world: sunshine girl from across the street. She’s always smiling. Who knows, maybe she can teach him a thing or two about how to live? But saving her against her will is harder than he expected.

Astrid Hardy doesn’t know what to think when she wakes up in her hot neighbor’s basement. He says he wants to protect her from the deadly virus threatening to collapse society. But that sounds like paranoid conspiracy theory nonsense, and losing her sh*t seems like the correct response.

As they watch the downfall of the world play out online, hear approaching gunshots, and smell smoke from nearby burning buildings, it all starts to seem horribly realistic. With almost everyone they know dead, and law and order gone…how will they navigate this new world together?

Wildflowers starts off with Dean drugging Astrid, and Astrid waking up in a makeshift jail cell in Dean’s basement. On first glance, this may say “Dark Romance”, but it’s not. There is no forced touching, nothing sexual or evil about this captivity. Dean is saving Astrid from catching a virus at the real end of the world.

I absolutely adore the snarky humor in this!

My current position isn’t exactly one of strength, what with me sitting in an enclosure. Seems spending all of those hours watching cute animal videos and contouring tutorials instead of learning negotiation tactics and tips and tricks from escape artists might have been a mistake.

I never did like zoos as a child. All of the watching wild animals pace back and forth behind the bars. Having now been on the receiving end of just such a situation, I can confirm it is complete and utter bullshit. Zero stars. Do not recommend. Big jungle cats mauling their keepers makes so much more sense to me now. I am surprised it doesn’t happen more often.

It is exceedingly realistic with the credible speed at which society and all our modern civilization would break down. In a little over a week, Dean lets Astrid out of the cell, and it seems prudent to stick with someone who knows what they’re doing. At least for a while.

Dean is such a great character. He’s exactly the sort of man I would want at the end of the world – skilled with guns, knowledgeable on prepping, can cook, and he’s a contractor, so he knows about construction. All this, and he’s a genuinely good guy. He agrees to saving a child, instantly accepting a lifetime of responsibility, and agrees to saving a lap dog, not the kind of dog he wanted. He never forces Astrid to do anything romantic or sexual.

He stares down at me… and huh. He really is a prime example of a man. Tall, strong, and handsome. When I dreamed of meeting “the one,” he looked a lot like Dean. Guess the whole tall, dark-haired, and handsome ideal has always had me in a chokehold. Half-intelligent things often come out of his mouth. He can cook and shop. Ignore the whole kidnapping-and-caging thing and the man’s a miracle. I bet he even knows what to do with his dick.

But after everything he’s done, I do believe I have officially shelved all of the lust I previously felt for him. Which would honestly be the smartest decision to come out of me in forever.

There’s no expression on his face, but there’s this kind of knowing in his gaze. This all-consuming awareness of me. Like I am the only thing in the world that matters to him. The only thing he is thinking about and all that he’s living for.

I don’t know how to describe it. But it’s as if someone finally sees me, all of me, and is willing to accept me for who I am. The good and the bad. Including the frequently weird and occasionally cranky. Not a thing I honestly thought would ever happen. And the way this knowledge settles inside of me is honestly staggering.

Of course, he couldn’t just leer at my breasts and eye-fuck me. No. He had to go straight for my soul.

“That’s cheating,” I say.

And Dean is funny too!

Astrid: “I hate guns.”

Dean: “You wouldn’t believe the shit I heard it saying about you earlier. Some of it was downright mean and petty. I was surprised.”

Astrid’s philosophy on the end of the world and her sense of humor really endeared her to me. She’s hilarious and kicks arse when needed. She says what’s on her mind, which means no game playing or silly week-long fights from not communicating. She does a great job of teaching Dean how to live and be in an adult relationship.

I highly recommend this to everyone! It is SAFE.

Contains graphic sex scenes.

Occasional foul language.

1st person present tense from Astrid.

Errors: Zero! Brilliant!

262 Pages

$4.99 at Amazon.

4 star reads, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Sex Scenes, Hate To Love, Review, SAFE

Hate Notes – Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

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Hate Notes
Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Fun bickering in this hate to love contemporary romantic comedy

Blurb:

It all started with a mysterious blue note sewn into a wedding dress.

Something blue.

I’d gone to sell my own unworn bridal gown at a vintage clothing store. That’s when I found another bride’s “something old.”

Stitched into the lining of a fabulously feathered design was the loveliest message I’d ever read: Thank you for making all of my dreams come true.

The name embossed on the blue stationery: Reed Eastwood, obviously the most romantic man who ever lived. I also discovered he’s the most gorgeous. If only my true-love fantasies had stopped there. Because I’ve since found out something else about Mr. Starry-Eyed.

He’s arrogant, cynical, and demanding. I should know. Thanks to a twist of fate, he’s my new boss. But that’s not going to stop me from discovering the story behind his last love letter. A love letter that did not result in a happily ever after.

But that story is nothing compared to the one unfolding between us. It’s getting hotter, sweeter, and more surprising than anything I could have imagined.

Something new.

But I have no idea how this one is going to end…

The best part of this is the bickering the main characters get into.

I sat up straighter in my chair as Reed closed the door behind his brother. Unlike Max, he didn’t take a seat on the couch. No, this brother preferred to stand with his arms crossed while looking down his nose at me. And I wasn’t putting up with it anymore. I stood, kicked off my heels into the air, and climbed up on top of my chair.

“What do you think you’re doing?” He squinted at me.

Mimicking his posture, I folded my arms across my chest and glared at him over my nose. “I’m looking down at you.”

“Get down.”

“No.”

I loved how Charlotte stood up to Reed at every turn, pushing him past his fears. He’s not commitment-phobic, but he a burden to carry that he doesn’t think is fair to share with a partner. I don’t want to give any spoilers, so I can’t give any more specifics on that. It was a good twist that added depth to an otherwise sweet, light read.

Overall, it’s a feel-good romantic comedy that kept me turning the pages quickly. If you like to keep it light or need a break from drama and gore, I highly recommend it.

4 stars – It doesn’t get 5 because I don’t think it will stick with me and make me want to read it again. But well worth my time!

Contains graphic sex scenes.

Occasional foul language.

3rd person past tense from Charlotte and Reed.

I found one missing word, so fantastic editing!

306 Pages

$4.99 at Amazon (Included with Amazon Prime)

4 star reads, Erotic Sex Scenes, Paranormal, Review, SAFE, Shifters

Walk On The Striped Side (Big Bad Bite Series Book 2) – Jessie Lane

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Walk On The Striped Side
Big Bad Bite Series Book 2
Jessie Lane

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Paranormal shifter romance, better than Book 1

Blurb:

Does he have his claws in her for good? Or is she just yanking his tail?

Elena Demos’s life has been turned upside down. Her mother has passed away, leaving Elena and her two half-sisters to deal with their mother’s will and the crazy stipulations it contains. For the three sisters to inherit the substantial amount of money left behind, they have to go to work with two aunts they’ve never met in a family business—Amazons Inc.—they know nothing about. If that isn’t bad enough, Elena runs into the man who once broke her heart, and it’s only their first day on the job.

Gage Ivanov is a stupid beast. He let the woman who should be his mate go because she couldn’t be told of his Other identity. Now Elena’s back, but she refuses to give in to his demands for her to be his mate. The timing for all of this couldn’t be worse, either, because Gage and his circle of friends are trying to subdue a rogue pack of wolf shifters in Germany who threaten to out the Others to the world of humans. Will he be able to juggle the oncoming conflict and win back his mate?

Claws, love bites and handcuffs – OH MY!

We met Gage in Big Bad Bite. He is a hot alpha tiger shifter who is 262 years old. Gage and Elena dated for a while, but he ran because he was getting too attached to the fragile human who he couldn’t tell about being shifter. Two years later, Elena just found out she is an Amazon, and now she knows what Gage is.

…Amazons, which was a species of human that was genetically superior to those around them. As a result, while they still lived an average human life span, everything else in them was wired for survival. They were literally born and bred with unique traits that made them the ultimate fighters. Every single one of them had been endowed with either a unique understanding for strategizing, an uncanny ability with fighting and the use of weapons, or extreme intelligence. It was Mother Nature’s way of taking the next step in human evolution.

I liked this one a lot better than the first because it didn’t have all the infodumps of the first and it had a lot less errors! No problems with the formatting here.

I liked both Elena and Gage. There was a lot of great humor.

I didn’t like that we didn’t progress very far into the overall plot that started in the first book. The action was very quickly completed, and there was lot less of it than in the first one.

There are a couple of graphic sex scenes, but sex is not a big part of this novel.

It was hot! Here’s a snippet:

Needing to do something—anything—to stop this manipulation of her body and hopefully get him away from her, Elena said the very thing she had to convince herself of. “I wouldn’t fuck you again if you were the last man on Earth.”
Gage stopped grinding his cock against her and Elena felt both relief and regret. Her relief, however, was short lived. He leaned into her, completely covering her body with his own so that she felt him everywhere. Placing his lips against the shell of her ear, he whispered, “It’s a good thing I’m not merely a man then, isn’t it, my little wildcat? Since I’m more animal than man I can smell how much you want me right now. The scent of your pussy weeping for me is making my mouth water. I can’t wait to taste it again, and I will be tasting it because I’ll be eating you for a meal, Elena. I’m going to bury my face between your thighs and lick all of that sweet cream because it belongs to me, just like you do. I may have pushed you away once, but I realized my mistake a long time ago. You. Are. Mine. If I have to tie you to my bed and fuck you senseless until you’re unequivocally addicted to me, I will.”

Occasional foul language.

SAFE – no cheating, OM/OW drama, or abuse.

3rd person past tense from both Elena and Gage.

Errors: 13 (wrong words, missing words, subject-verb agreement, words switched around, several words that are one work broken into two like sidearm)

Favorite Quotes:

He really didn’t want to have to lower himself to the disgusting practice of a date to get her in bed. It was ridiculous and unnecessary. Not to mention he had better things to do with his spare time; there had to be a way around all of that.

Curious as to what had riled her lover up, she tiptoed to the closed bedroom door and convinced herself it was not wrong to eavesdrop on the man you had elevated to boyfriend status, a fact she planned on informing him of shortly. Being someone’s girlfriend gave you rights to snoop a little. It was written down in the women’s laws somewhere, she was sure.

Delta looked at her and deadpanned, “You’re like the Amazon version of RoboCop with your ridiculous mission speak and small armory hidden away in your bedroom. I watch movies like Friday and asked a vampire once if I could rub his fangs all in the name of research. Are any of us normal?”

What they found was Delta laying stunned and confused, sprawled on the ground on her stomach. Lulu had collided into her and then landed with her face down in Delta’s derriere and the rest of her body pinning poor Delta’s legs down so she couldn’t move. The tigress’s nose was buried right in the crease of Delta’s backside, creating a sight neither Chloe nor Elena would be forgetting anytime soon.

When you loved a woman who had the heart of a warrior, you couldn’t try to wrap her in bubble wrap and put her on a shelf. You had to let her be who she was or you’d end up suffocating her fiery spirit. Gage refused to do that to his mate. Besides, he had ways to protect her from the potential dangers.
“Don’t worry about Elena. By the time I’m done outfitting her with weapons, she’s going to be a one woman army. If I were you though, brother, I’d stay away from her after she has fire power. I can’t guarantee she won’t shoot your annoying ass.”

5 star reads, Apocalyptic or Post-apocalyptic Romance, Paranormal, Review, SAFE, Shifters

Wolf Hollow (Wolf Hollow Shifters Book 1) – Nikki Jefford

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Wolf Hollow
Wolf Hollow Shifters Book 1
Nikki Jefford

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Paranormal shifter romance set in a post-apocalyptic world with unique shifter lore. Currently free on Amazon.

Blurb:

Breed or die off.

The future of Wolf Hollow is in the hands of their single shifters to claim mates and rebuild their pack after a devastating attack leaves them vulnerable.

Sasha is the only surviving female pureblooded wolf in her pack and feels the pressure to claim the pack’s only pureblooded male . . . until he runs off rather than claim her. The elders have chosen a new male for her with no concern for her feelings on the matter. None of her packmates appear to care who mates her, except for one.

An attraction that threatens the future of the pack…

Tabor, a hotheaded half-breed, is the hollow’s only wizard shifter. Constantly overlooked despite his strengths, Tabor believes Sasha is as shortsighted as the rest of the pack until she proves there’s more to her than a blindly obedient lapdog.

Unable to resist the proud and sensual pureblood, Tabor would risk everything to claim her.

Despite her vanishing bloodline, Sasha can’t resist the charismatic half-breed, even as the elders set her up to breed with another pureblood.

Predators are closing in, threatening to eliminate their pack permanently, and there are shifters within Wolf Hollow willing to do anything to prevent the pair from claiming one another.

It’s a savage, Mad Max kind of world where only the strongest survive. Meet the Wolf Hollow Shifters in Nikki Jefford’s dark and addictive dystopian romance series for adult readers.

Wolf Hollow has unique shifter lore I haven’t come across before. There are four different kinds of wolf shifters: pure-bloods who always lived in the wilderness; non-pure-bloods whose ancestors lived among humans and perhaps mated with them – I’m not clear on that point; werewolves who shift into the monster form we’ve seen in movies; and half-breeds who are a mix of wolf shifter and another magical race – the only one we know of is wizards.

This shifter world does not have fated mates. They choose their mates just like humans do. And they can cheat, having sex with other people than their “mate”, which I don’t like. Both male and female claim each other with a bite to the neck, but it doesn’t have to be during sex (as I often see).

“Wolf shifters, in both animal and human form, could only become pregnant during the full moon. The closer to the exact second, the better their chances.”

“Once a female shifter reached her second trimester, her body became incapable of shifting into wolf form until after she gave birth. With pure-blooded native wolf shifters, the opposite was true. When two purebloods mated, the female was stuck in wolf form the moment she became pregnant until she gave birth. Purebloods were considered the strongest wolf shifters in existence, but they were a dying breed.”

I loved Sasha. She is strong, fierce, and honorable. Tabor is the same but fighting against the prejudice and exclusion of his pack growing up. They both grow throughout the novel.

This was a fast paced read with a lot of action and emotion. I only found one error in this novel, so it is extremely well edited. I’m eager to read more in this series.

There are a few sex scenes, but they aren’t detailed.

SAFE – no Other People drama, cheating, or abuse.

3rd person past tense from Sasha and Tabor.

293 pages. Currently free on Amazon. There are 4 more in the series, $3.99 each.

4 star reads, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Sex Scenes, Review, SAFE, Western Romance

Her Reluctant Rancher (Return to Stone Creek Book 1) – Anne Marie Novark

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Her Reluctant Rancher
Return to Stone Creek Book 1
Anne Marie Novark

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Sweet western contemporary romance – Currently free on Amazon

Blurb:

Trevor Callahan’s grandfather is dead. As a kid, living with the stern old man had been a pure living hell. Trev returns to Stone Creek for one reason and one reason only: To sell the Rocking C Ranch. Maybe then he can put his past behind him and move on.

Beth Evans once confused lust for love and vows never to let it happen again. The bookmobile driver is trying to raise funds to build a new library. The late Hank Callahan bequeathed one million dollars for the project, but he attached one stipulation: Do not let his grandson sell the ranch.

HER RELUCTANT RANCHER
Contemporary Western Romance Novel
65,000 words/204 pp
Heat Index: Hot and Steamy

Listed on Amazon as 301 pages.

Currently free – May 2021

Beth is 24, so Trevor is 36.

Beth has a 5-year-old daughter.

Several detailed sex scenes, but they aren’t truly graphic. Sensual language is used (I wouldn’t call it flowery) instead of slang for body parts. The F word is never used.

It’s sweet, a good, fast-paced read. The characters are likeable. Both Trevor and Beth grow emotionally, which they have to do to really let someone in. HEA. SAFE. Very good grammar.

3rd person past tense from Trevor and Beth.

Head-hopping within the same chapter/section.

Errors: 9

5 star reads, Clean Romance, Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Police, Review, SAFE, Young Adult

Going Too Far – Jennifer Echols

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Going Too Far
Jennifer Echols

Rating: 5 out of 5.

A delinquent and a young police officer – clean romance

Blurb:

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO?

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far…and almost doesn’t make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won’t soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won’t be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge — and over….

This is about two teenagers 17/19 who face fears, grow, and heal. It’s clean – there is only making out on camera. It’s funny, sweet, and has a great, dramatic story. It is very well written and fast paced. I read it all in one go. 5 stars – this is the second time I have read it.

The book ends at 75%. The last 25% is a sneak peek at two other novels.

1st person past tense all from Meg.

Errors: 10

Favorite Quote:

I didn’t quite dare, because I didn’t want him to tell me no. But I got very close to touching The Place Prisoners Should Not Touch Policemen.

4 star reads, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Sex Scenes, Reverse Harem / Menage, Review, SAFE, Sports Romance

Triple Play: A Sports Reverse Harem Romance – Cassie Cole

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Triple Play
A Sports Reverse Harem Romance
Cassie Cole

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Baseball reverse harem romance

Natalie is hired on as the assistant pitching coach for a major league baseball team. Raphael and Joel are pitchers. Darryl plays first base and is a star hitter.

I actually like baseball, so this was much more my speed. The many baseball details and the suspense in the game descriptions were terrific. It was a great story about baseball as well as a romance. The sex scenes were hot, and there was a good amount of humor in this.

The only thing I didn’t like was how quickly Natalie fell into bed with Raphael. This happens early on, so it’s not a spoiler. It felt like a cheesy porno set up like the hot guy delivering a pizza and suddenly they are having sex. I wasn’t a fan. I definitely wanted more chemistry in their interactions and getting to know one another before they had sex. But the novel got much better from there!

There is a cute little bonus epilogue chapter online set 15 years later.

SAFE – no cheating, Other People drama, love triangles, or non or dubious consent.

Graphic sex scenes both one-on-one and group. No touching between the men.

Occasional foul language.

1st person past tense from Natalie and all three guys.

There are some unnecessary dialogue tags, but not so many as to detract from the pacing.

Alright is not a word, it’s all right. Mom/Dad should be capitalized like a proper name. Aside from that, I only found 8 errors, so this is very well edited.