New Contest Winners!

May 24, 2013 | 1 Comment

There have been a few giveaway contests at Book Savvy Babes, and the winners have been selected.

First, help me congratulate Heather (not me Heather, a different one) for winning the The Winemaker’s Dinner Trilogy Set (Appetizers, Entrée, and Dessert)! Contemporary Romantica readers, I definitely recommend this series, so if you didn’t win, you can check the books out at amazon: (book 1, Appetizers, is only $2.99 on kindle right now)

Secondly, help me congratulate the 3 winners of Blush by Lauren Jameson!

• Shelley Summers
• Meghan Stith
• Joanne Balinski

The three winners have not been confirmed yet, so if your name is listed, be sure to check your email!

If you didn’t win Blush and still want to check it out, you can find it at Amazon as well:

Contemporary Erotic Romance #Review: Ours to Love by Shayla Black

May 23, 2013 | No Comments

Ours to Love

by Shayla Black

*Source: ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review*

Rating:

Between two brothers…

Xander Santiago spent years living it up as a billionaire playboy. Never given a chance to lead his family business in the boardroom, he became a Master in the bedroom instead. His older brother inherited the company and worked tirelessly to make it an empire. But while the cutthroat corporate espionage took its toll on Javier, nothing was as devastating as the seemingly senseless murder of his wife. It propelled him into a year of punishing rage and guilt…until Xander came to his rescue.

Comes an irresistible woman…

Eager to rejuvenate Javier’s life, Xander shanghais him to Louisiana where they meet the beautiful London McLane. After surviving a decade of tragedy and struggle, London is determined to make a fresh start—and these sexy billionaire brothers are more than willing to help. In every way. And London is stunned to find herself open to every heated suggestion…and desperately hoping that her love will heal them.

And inescapable danger…

But a killer with a hidden motive is watching, on a single-minded mission to destroy everything the Santiago brothers hold dear, especially London. And as fear and desire collide, every passionate beat of her heart could be her last.

Book Savvy Babe’s Review:

Shayla Black has a talent for writing characters who get under my skin.  They pull me into their story where they make mistakes and prove to be imperfect but good people.  When Xander was first introduced a few books ago, I thought he was a fun character, but I didn’t see a lot of depth to him.  I saw him how he presented himself, a carefree playboy.  But, in the last book, Mine to Hold, Xander started to show more of his true self, the side that wanted to help and be part of something, and his loyal side that kept him trying to help his emotionally wrecked brother.

Javier, Xander’s brother, is a mess.  He harbors guilt over his wife’s death and drowns his sorrows in alcohol.  His downward spiral started affecting his life and company, and Javier was too stubborn and controlling to let Xander help.  Xander forces Javier to Louisiana, where Xander’s friends can hopefully help him pull his brother out of his funk.  The brother’s are constantly at odds with each other, both harboring resentments and allowing those resentments to rule their relationship.  But then comes London.  London is a woman who is just getting a new chance at life.  She has some past terrors and major insecurities to overcome, but she is determined to get her life back.  When Xander and Javier meet her individually, they both want her and sense that this woman is much more than she appears.  The brothers will have to let her choose between them, or put their resentments aside and both have the girl of their dreams.

While Ours to Love is an erotically charged romance story, there is depth to the story.  The three main characters each have their own issues, hangups, and insecurities that need to be addressed and dealt with.  London is a tough cookie, but she is also very innocent in matters of lust and romance.  She has very good reason to be innocent, so it works with this story.  The brother’s come on to her pretty strong, they push her and her boundaries, and they sometimes forget that she is far out of her comfort zone with them.  The brother’s have a lifetime of issues between them.  They have let their upbringing dictate how they see each other instead of trusting each other and getting to know each other.  London helps bridge the gap between the brothers, and together, they help Javier wade through his grief and guilt.

Personal issues are not the only problems for this sexually charged trio.  Javier’s business is facing some serious deadlines and the company needs to come back fast or be lost.  When Javier is down, Xander steps in, with London’s help, and starts finding and resolving problems.  The company’s problems are much more than they ever could have imagined, involving corporate espionage and even assassins.

Ours to Love is a story that kept my eyes glued to the pages.  The sex scenes were incredibly hot, full of menage and BDSM steaminess.  Xavier and Javier are two dominant men who work together, share, to be with London, the woman who grounds them and helps them connect.  The trio, while a little cheesy at times, are made for each other.  I am very happy at how their story worked out, even when the characters made poor choices.  I connected to the characters, understood their situations, and felt their mixed emotions right along with them.  Balanced in with the sensual, sexy scenes, there is also a touch of suspense with the corporate espionage involved in this story.

All together, with sexy menage scenes, complex characters that get under your skin, and a sense of anticipation and suspense throughout the book, Ours to Love is an outstanding erotic romance read.  Contemporary romance readers, if you like your books super sexy and stimulating, you do not want to miss Shayla Black’s Wicked Lovers series.  I fall more in love with this series with each book, and I can’t wait to read what comes next.

For those of you who are curious about this series here is the book order and links to the reviews that I have published:

1. Wicked Lovers
2. Decadent
3. Delicious
4. Surrender to Me
5. Belong to Me
6. Mine to Hold
7. Ours to Love

Urban Fantasy #Audiobook #Review: My Life as A White Trash Zombie

May 22, 2013 | 4 Comments

My Life as A White Trash Zombie

by Diana Rowland

Narrated by: Allison McLemore

Rating:

Angel Crawford is a loser

Living with her alcoholic deadbeat dad in the swamps of southern Louisiana, she’s a high school dropout with a pill habit and a criminal record who’s been fired from more crap jobs than she can count. Now on probation for a felony, it seems that Angel will never pull herself out of the downward spiral her life has taken.

That is, until the day she wakes up in the ER after overdosing on painkillers. Angel remembers being in an horrible car crash, but she doesn’t have a mark on her. To add to the weirdness, she receives an anonymous letter telling her there’s a job waiting for her at the parish morgue—and that it’s an offer she doesn’t dare refuse.

Before she knows it she’s dealing with a huge crush on a certain hunky deputy and a brand new addiction: an overpowering craving for brains. Plus, her morgue is filling up with the victims of a serial killer who decapitates his prey—just when she’s hungriest!

Angel’s going to have to grow up fast if she wants to keep this job and stay in one piece. Because if she doesn’t, she’s dead meat.

Literally.

Book Savvy Babe’s Review:

I am not usually a zombie reader.  I am totally cool reading books that have zombies as monsters, but when it comes to a book where a zombie is the protagonist, I have my reservations.  I have no problems with vampires drinking blood or shifters tearing into things, but the thought of surviving off of brains…that creeps me out.  However, so many people recommended this book to me, both in print, and in audio.  In fact, people LOVED the audio so much that I figured I should give My Life as A White Trash Zombie a try.  Surprisingly, to me, I found myself enjoying this book.

Angel is a mess of a protagonist.  She doesn’t take care of herself, doesn’t think much of herself, and doesn’t really try to better herself.  When she wakes up in the hospital after suffering an “overdose,” her life takes a whole new turn.  She gets a job working for the coroner’s office, finds that she’s not overly disgusted by dead bodies, and suddenly her staple drugs don’t have the same effect on her.  Angel has somehow been made into a zombie.  She struggles to understand and accept her new circumstances and she starts growing into a real person, more than the loser girl who was numb to life.

I loved the story line of this book.  I liked Angel’s transformation, how she started to see herself differently and want more from life.  She started putting in effort and making new friends.  She is far from a perfect person, she makes bad decisions all the time, and can be a little slow to put things together, but she really does try and I came to like and respect her.  However, it took me awhile to get into the story.  It’s the zombie thing, I was fairly disgusted at times by the brains and dead bodies (there were times while listening when my face was a definite grimace).  It took some time for me to acclimate to the “eat brains to not decompose” thing.  I did, slowly, get used to it, and I wound up enjoying the story.  The characters were very well-developed, as was the setting.  I was curious about who was behind killings and turning Angel.  I became hooked on the story, and by the end of the book, I found I wanted more.

The narration was done really well.  The voices were consistent, and the delivery was consistent with the characters.  Allison McLemore did a fantastic job with the narration, and I will definitely listen to audiobooks narrated by her in the future.

Thank you to all you readers who recommended this book to me.  I really don’t think that I would have given this one a try and stuck it out otherwise.  I have found a new author and series to follow, I’m looking forward to listening to book 2, Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues, on audio.  For any of you other readers hesistent like I was, give this book a go.

Happy reading and listening,

Teaser Tuesday: Time Thief by Katie MacAlister

May 20, 2013 | 13 Comments

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.  This meme is simple and fun, you just pick up your current read, flip to a random page, and choose 1 or 2 teaser sentences to share!

Katie MacAlister recently debuted a new Paranormal Romance series, Time Thief.  I am just starting this one, I’ve been eager to read it.  I hope you enjoy the teaser, and keep in mind that my teaser comes from the advanced reviewer copy and is subject to change in the published copy. 

Time Thief Summary from Goodreads:

FIRST IN A NEW SERIES FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE DARK ONES NOVELS!

Outcast due to their ability to manipulate time, shunned by the mortal and immortal worlds alike, a Traveller’s life is anything but easy.

Peter Faa is a member of the Watch tracking down a murderer, and unfortunately, all clues seem to point toward his own estranged family of Travellers. Any of his cousins could be guilty, but which one? They’re all experts in the art of stealing time…

After surviving a lightning strike, Kiya Mortenson is determined to get just one thing in her life right. And if that means taking a job as nanny to five pugs on a campsite in the Oregon wilderness, then so be it. It doesn’t hurt that the job comes with some spectacular male eye candy, including her new boss’s gorgeous grandson. If only she didn’t keep having this strange sense of deja vu…

When Peter discovers his own family is stealing time from Kiya, all bets are off. While she may drive him crazy at times, it’s clear that it’s not just lightning that’s creating some serious sparks between them. And he’s not going to let secrets, lies, or a devious murderer keep Kiya from where she belongs: at his side.

Do you have any book teasers to share?  Let me know in the comments, or leave your teaser in the comment section.

Happy Reading!

Paranormal #Review: Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris

May 20, 2013 | 2 Comments

Dead Ever After

by Charlaine Harris

Source: *I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Rating: 

There are secrets in the town of Bon Temps, ones that threaten those closest to Sookie—and could destroy her heart…

Sookie Stackhouse finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene when she wants her job back at Merlotte’s. After all, Arlene tried to have Sookie killed. But her relationship with Eric Northman is not so clearcut. He and his vampires are keeping their distance…and a cold silence. And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated.

Then a shocking murder rocks Bon Temps, and Sookie is arrested for the crime.

But the evidence against Sookie is weak, and she makes bail. Investigating the killing, she’ll learn that what passes for truth in Bon Temps is only a convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what passes for love is never enough…

Book Savvy Babe’s Review:

Dead Ever After is the last book of the Sookie Stackhouse series.  The series has had ups and downs, but in the end, I have nothing but love for Charlaine Harris who created a series that hooked me onto paranormal books and inspired me to continue to branch out in my reading adventures.

The Sookie Stackhouse series is the very first adult paranormal/vampire series I ever read.  I started reading this series years ago, I have invested a lot of reading time in the Southern vampire and supernatural filled world that Charlaine Harris created.  I’ve loved Sookie from the start, she is a southern, down-home girl who becomes embroiled in supernatural drama because of her unique “extra” talents.  Sookie is a telepath, she is unique, she is cute, and fiercely loyal.  Through the series, Sookie made some good decisions, some terrible decisions, and her life took all sorts of turns.  In Dead Ever After, Sookie’s story finally comes full circle as Sookie starts making real decisions about her future.

At the end of Deadlocked (book 12), it became clear that Sookie was on-the-outs with the vampires, including her vampire boyfriend Eric.  That theme is continued in Dead Ever After.  The vampires play relatively minor roles in this book in comparison to earlier books.  I missed Eric, but his character has changed through the series, and the allure of the vampires dwindled.  Other than Eric and Bill, the vampires are as over Sookie as she is them.

There are several dangers to Sookie in this book, she has been framed for the murder of her former best friend, Arlene, and mysterious enemies are out to kill her.  Sookie’s friends come to her side to bail her out,  have her back, and help her stay alive.  I loved getting to see so many characters again, from Quinn the weretiger to Bob, the former cat.  There have been so many characters through the previous 12 books who had an impact on Sookie, and Charlaine Harris did a very good job bringing them together for Dead Ever After to help tie the series up.

As for the outcome, the finale to the series, it was fairly predictable.  There was no huge surprise for me, no “I can’t believe Sookie did that,” or “What the hell?”  There were a few head-scratching moments (mostly including Eric and Sam), but, I could see the direction Sookie was heading a few books ago, and I believe that this was the right path for her.

The Dead Ever After finale was not epic, it was simply an end.  I am satisfied with this last book though.  I know that there is no way for Charlaine Harris to make every reader happy, but I felt that this last book was fitting to the series.  I think that I will always want more Sookie, but all good things must come to an end at some point.  Sookie Stackhouse will always be a favorite character of mine and I will always be grateful to Charlaine Harris for introducing me to the spectacular world of paranormal romance and urban fantasy.

*On a side note* For those of you who are curious, my favorite book in this series is book 4, Dead to the World.  I have read and re-read Dead to the World at least 10 times now *

#Romantica #Review: Mine to Hold by Shayla Black

May 18, 2013 | No Comments

Mine to Hold 

by Shayla Black

Published by: Berkley Heat

Rating: 

A friend’s duty.

Tyler Murphy was an LAPD detective, single and happy—until a near-fatal tragedy crippled his friend, fellow detective Eric Catalano. While Tyler supported Eric, he also became a shoulder for Eric’s wife, Delaney, to lean on. But with one naughty suggestion from Eric, a drunken night with Delaney spilled into erotic abandon. Before it was over, Tyler saw his best friend’s wife as a woman and yearned for more. When Eric struggled to deal with the aftermath, Delaney begged Tyler to leave. Crushed, he fled to Louisiana, hoping to escape his longing for the one woman he could never have again…and unaware of what he’d left behind.

A lover’s desire.

After two years of living with regret, Tyler finds Delaney on his doorstep, her husband having abandoned her long ago. She’s protecting a shocking secret and desperately needs refuge from a stalker determined to see her dead. As they fight to stay alive and catch the killer, they struggle to resolve the guilt of their past pleasures. But they can’t deny that what was once a spark is now a flame burning out of control. To possess Delaney—body and soul—Tyler must heal her pain and thwart the evil that’s a mere breath behind her…

Book Savvy Babe’s Quickie Review:

I LOVE Tyler. I am declaring Tyler my new book boyfriend. Tyler is a big, protective male with a heart of gold. He was dealt some life-changing surprises, and has made his share of mistakes, but he mans up and sets out to take care of his own and make things right.

It took me awhile to really like Delany. I was irritated with her for her decisions and for keeping so many secrets from Tyler. However, she went through some very difficult times and the woman has mettle. I came to really like her character as well. Delany and Tyler had excellent chemistry, their sexual encounters are super hot, but also emotional.

This Wicked Lovers series gets better and better. Shayla Black has a talent for writing characters that get under my skin, for better or worse (I have been caught yelling at the book characters while reading..). I always find myself wrapped up in the character’s stories and I love seeing how each of these enigmatic, alpha, sexy men find happiness.

For readers who like contemporary erotic romances (which I call romantica), the Wicked Lovers series is a series you should not miss.

*my review of book 7, Ours to Love is will be up next week!*

Happy Reading–