I have a New Year's present to share! Want a free reading journal designed specifically with romance readers in mind? I did, too. That's why I designed one! (It will also work for YA and NA readers.)
Read moreMy Top Reads of 2015
It's that time of year again when all the Best Of lists start showing up. So I figured I'd stick with my annual tradition and select my top reads of 2015. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean that the books were published in 2015, just that I read them this year. And my criteria for picking my favorites is very simple. I keep track of everything I read on Goodreads. This year, I've read 60 books. (Here's the full reading list.)
So I scanned through my list and chose the ones that I can still remember the characters and plot. There are lots of books I enjoyed this year, but they kind of passed from my mind after I was done reading them. Wait, what was that one about again? My memory isn't the best, lol. So the ones that stick with me stand out from the pack. Now, sometimes something stands out for bad reasons, so I weeded those out, lol. What was left was the list of top contenders that I had to narrow down and pick my faves from. So these are books I enjoyed, that stuck with me, and that I was compelled to tell other people about.
Here's my 2015 list in no particular order. Click on the covers if you want to see the Amazon page for the book. I've also linked to my reviews if I reviewed the book on the blog.
LGBT Fiction:
Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg (my review) - This one is the lone YA pick of the year. For some reason, I didn't read a lot of YA this year. But this was a great one.
Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson (my review) - I love a road trip book and friends-to-lovers storyline, so I was all over this one. This is New Adult.
Erotic Romance:
Hmm, there may be a theme here. I seem to be drawn to erotic romance that has a darker edge/premise to them. Two of these have dark heroes/anti-heroes (One Cut Deeper and Love the Way You Lie.) And two have outside the box kinks to explore (cuckholding in Crosstown Crush and force fantasy in Asking For It.) All four are fantastic.
Asking For It by Lilah Pace (my review)
One Cut Deeper by Joely Sue Burkhart (my review)
Crosstown Crush by Cara McKenna (my review)
Love the Way You Lie by Skye Warren (my review)
Horror (sort of):
Non-Fiction:
Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD by Susan C. Pinsky (my review) - I'm not ADHD but boy did these tips resonate with me. I think anyone who is a visual learner could benefit from this book. It's changed a lot of how I organize myself and my household.
Thug Kitchen - I have a cookbook addiction and this is my favorite one I bought this year. Great recipes and just hilarious to read. If you're offended by cursing, skip this one. They don't hold anything bet. But that's the beauty of it. :) Plus, the recipes are delicious and healthy!
What was your favorite read or reads of 2015? I'd love to hear!
Disclaimer: I have not been asked by the authors or publishers to feature these books. All books were purchased with my own money. Some of these authors write for the same publisher I do (Berkley/Penguin), but that had no bearing on my selections. Amazon links are affiliate links.
LOVING YOU EASY Blurb Reveal!
Some of you have been asking me when the next Loving on the Edge book will be out and who it will be about. Well, I have your answers! I don't have a cover yet, but LOVING YOU EASY will be out in September 2016. And you're going to meet new characters in this one. The heroes are former members of the Ranch and you'll see a cameo by Andre (from Melt Into You) but these guys and the heroine will be new to you. : )
Want to know what the story's about? Here you go!
About LOVING YOU EASY:
Cora has an amazing sex life. She’s beautiful, daring, and the most popular submissive in Hayven. Too bad none of it’s real...
IT specialist Cora Benning has figured out the key to her formerly disastrous love life—make it virtual. In the online world of Hayven, she’s free of her geek girl image and can indulge her most private fantasies with a sexy, mysterious master without anyone in her life discovering her secrets. Until her information is hacked and she finds herself working to fix the breach under two very powerful men—one who seems all too familiar...
Best friends and business partners Ren Muroya and Hayes Fox were once revered dominants. Then Hayes was wrongfully sent to prison and everything changed. Ren wants to get back to who they were. Hayes can’t risk it. But when they discover the new IT specialist is their online fascination, and that she’s never felt a dominant’s touch, the temptation to turn virtual into reality becomes all too great…
The ebook is up for pre-order only on Amazon right now and the paperback isn't up there yet. So more links will be coming as soon as the retailers get everything into the system. But I wanted to release the blurb as soon as I was allowed to share it. : )
So who's excited?
And I know September is a long time away, but don't forget that OFF THE CLOCK, book one in my new Pleasure Principle series, is coming in January. I'm thrilled to be doing two series at the same time and I hope you'll enjoy the world of The Grove in OFF THE CLOCK as much as you enjoy The Ranch.
Friday Read: LAND OF THE BEAUTIFUL DEAD by R. Lee Smith
It's been a while since I've done a Friday Read. I was in the throes of deadline hell finishing my book, so time for reading has been slim. But I got the chance on a recent trip to read a big one. If you've read anything by R. Lee Smith before, you know the books are GIANT and cross all kinds of genres. These books aren't for everyone. The heroes tend to be non-human and grotesque--which sounds bizarre, I know. I remember someone talking about the alien lizard hero in The Last Hour of Gann and I was like--uh, no. But then the buzz was too much to ignore and I picked it up. Turned out to be one of my favorite reads that year. (See my review here.)
So when I saw that Smith had a new book out and people were talking it up again, I knew I had to pick it up. This one is a mix of romance and horror and dystopian and a little science fiction? I never know how to label these books, lol. All I can say is that there IS a romance and an epic one at that. If you don't have patience for long books, this won't be for you. The story stays interesting throughout, but it's over 700 pages so you're signing up for a long story.
And I'm always short on reading time and have a huge TBR pile, so a big book takes a commitment from me. But when a long story is well-written, there's an epic factor to the story that I so enjoy. So that's what these books do for me. You feel so much more invested and the story stays with you because you've been with the characters so long.
These books aren't for everyone but they're filled with fabulous world-building, heartbreak, flawed characters, adventure, and romance. The Last Hour of Gann will remain at the top of my list as my favorite by this author, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. And even if this isn't your normal thing (it's not mine!), I suggest you give it a try.
About the book:
SHE WOULD DARE ANYTHING TO SAVE THE WORLD FROM HIS RULE.
EVEN HIS BED.
He ascended from the darkness years ago—Azrael the Eternal, Azrael the Undying, Azrael Who Is Death—bringing with him the black rains, the fires, the souring of the sky, and the Eaters. Now he rules in the walled city of Haven with his favored Children and his dead court, while all that is left of the living struggles to survive in the ruins of a world that used to be their own. But even as extinction looms, humanity will never surrender to their monstrous conqueror.
For Lan, this brutal life has been the only one she’s ever known, but she still believes it can change. If the war can never truly end until the Eaters are ended, she will go to Haven, to Azrael himself, and demand he end them. To her surprise, she does not immediately die the hero’s death she expected. Instead, Azrael offers her a chance to convince him, and all she has to do is submit herself to the chill embrace of the lord of the Land of the Beautiful Dead.
From the author of The Scholomance and The Last Hour of Gann comes a new vision of erotic horror! This book contains explicit sex and gore and is intended for mature readers only.
Buy the book: Amazon (This one's an Amazon only book and is also in Kindle Unlimited)
What are you reading? What good books have you read lately?
BREAK ME DOWN is here!
It's release day! Whee!!!!
So many of you asked for Gibson and Samantha's story and even more of you have asked me when I'm going to write a full story with a female domme and submissive hero. Well, I'm so happy to finally bring it to you both in one package. : )
This was a story I was a little nervous to write because I like my heroes uber alpha and I knew Gibson was an alpha kind of guy. But he also had all these secret submissive desires. How was I going to incorporate both of those sides of him in a story? Well, turns out, I just needed to trust the characters. This story was more than a little fun to write and these two had chemistry in spades (something I as the author can't always control. Some characters don't mesh. But these two were hot for each other on page one, lol). And don't be fooled by the "novella" designation. This is a 55k word story, which is the length of a short novel not a novella. :)
So I hope you'll pick it up and let me know what you think even if you think--hmm, I'm not the the male submissive/female domme story would be my thing. :) Here's what some reviewers are saying:
"...well written and intense" --Heroes and Heartbreakers blog
"I need more FREAKING STARS dammit! WOW! Just wow." --Shayna Renee's Spicy Reads
"A deliciously kinked out treat. Loren, once again, simply wowed. If you're looking for a series that perfectly captures the beauty and passion of erotic romance at its absolute best, this is the series to grab. If you haven't picked them up.... Go. Go now!" --Anna, Herding Cats Burning Soup book blog
About the book:
The New York Times bestselling author of Call on Me invites you to discover the thrill of control as one couple wrestles for power in and out of the bedroom…
Samantha Dunbar needs to forget Gibson Andrews. When he trained her to be a domme, she experienced just how hot things could get with the sexy executive. She was ready to hand him everything—including her heart. But Gibson backed away, declaring them incompatible. He’s a dominant, and Sam’s no submissive.
But after an attack shakes Sam to her core, Gibson tracks her down at her family’s rundown farmhouse and makes her an offer. He’ll stay the week and be hers in every way—a helping hand for the renovation and a willing lover in her bed. He swore he’d never give up control to anyone again, but he hasn’t been able to touch another woman since Sam. Maybe a week alone with her will cure him of his relentless craving.
But one taste only makes them want more, and Sam and Gibson are drawn in deeper than ever. The man who won’t give in has just met the girl who won’t give up…
BUY THE EBOOK: Nook | Kindle | Kindle UK | Kindle Canada | Kobo | iBooks | Google Play
Note: The UK Version will be out Nov. 12 since it is being released by a different publisher.
Happy reading! And thank you!