Archives for category: Bookish

This is the tale of an accidental empress…

June 17, 2023 //

Overall: I love this series. The author designed it all masterfully and it stayed with me pretty hard in between reads. Individual reviews for each title are as follows.

The series as a whole:

4 stars.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thanks to @pinkflamingoaudiobooks for the codes and ultimately helping me figure out how great this author is. They issued me a code for book 1 and when it ended I felt like I absolutely NEEDED book 2 and got another code from them and … this went on for all 4 books.

Book 1: Psychos

This started out fun, with a very relatable, likable lead female and the book is all in her POV. It quickly escalates, but then is very slow-paced, but still intriguing … I ended up getting really into it, after the halfway mark, even though I didn’t find it plausible. (Some dark reads, you can understand where everyone’s coming from and start to believe it all … this one … I actually think will get there, it seems to be a slow build.)

There’s a bunch of ‘shock-value’ scenes, some violence, a bit of action and just when things really start to heat up, it ends on a wicked cliffhanger. Well played, author. And fun. Hoping to read on into the next installment.

4 stars.

Audio:

Amazing production, high-quality sound, crisp, clear narration. And the narrators sound epic. 5 stars.

Book 2: Heathens

After finishing book 1, I immediately had to get my hands on this installment.

This one picks up right where its predecessor left off … meaning the reader is instantly thrown into chaos, action, danger, death, actual torture and more. Before long though, it does become very slow-paced … but it also gains a sense of humor. (I might be twisted, judge me all you want but … I found some of the banter in this installment to be hilarious!)

^ On that note: “ … stockholm warrior…” 🤣🤣🤣

Moving on … it’s faster-paced than book 1 for the most part, though some of it was a bit slow. For much of it, I wasn’t sure if I’d read on into the series but it picked up and ended on a wicked cliffhanger, and I’m invested all over again. I hope to read book 3 in this series and I’d definitely explore other works from this author.

4 stars.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Audio:

A dual cast which sounds absolutely brilliant throughout. And the overall quality is expert-level.

Book 3: Savages

IYKYK –

OBVIOUSLY, I had to start this book immediately upon finishing book 2, with that ending! And this one doesn’t disappoint, picking up pretty much right where that one left off. Well, 2 days have passed, but they’re on it.

This gets off to such a bloody, violent start and all I have to say about this is I loved it, experiencing it was almost cathartic. Also … I’m going to put this down lower juuuust in case you’re reading this before you’ve read the first 2-3 books in this series …

Other than that, this installment was PACKED with drama, action, danger and steam—a fun combination as the stakes are still perpetually escalating.

4 stars.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Audio:

Such crisp, clear sound quality throughout, along with brilliant narrators. Perfect.

I had to admire the author’s skills early into this one, as I felt like I just KNEW the instant Shayne realized she belonged in this world and might have a dark/twisted new … uh … therapy dupe? She knew it too, and it was just so well done. I’m officially a fan of this author and will read anything she ever writes, just based on this one scene.

And I’m sorry, judge me all you want but the scene that followed … I’ll just say ‘the calf discussion’ cracked me up.

Book 4: Maniacs

This is the tale of an accidental empress…

“We’re just three people against a f$&!ing storm.”

Starts out right where book 3 ended—what a cliffhanger!

I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll simply say … there’s lots of drama and back & forth and I felt at one point, ‘Does this author absolutely hate her female lead or what?’ because it seemed like she could never catch a break.

In true Shane fashion though, she takes matters into her own hands and things get … messy.

This was very well done, both on its own and as a conclusion to this absolute rollercoaster ride of a series. This is the series that officially made me a fan of Sheridan Anne and I’m grateful—because I’ve still got the whole rest of her catalog to binge.

I do recommend this read—but in order. Book 1 started a little bit slowly, but it was needed for the world overall and it was 1000% worth it. I could do without the daddy aspect, but it fits. One thing I noticed about this author is they never took the easy way out—many times they could’ve ended things right as they stood and chosen convenience. The fact they didn’t do this made for a better read and packs more integrity.

I had been assuming this is just a 4-book series, but the way this one was left, there could be more if the author felt so inclined. 👀

4 stars.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Audio:

Truly perfect, not only with the overall sound quality, but this narrator! I couldn’t help but notice how absolutely, perfectly fitting her emotions were during Shane’s various trials. Kelsey Navarro is officially a favorite of mine.

Tags audiobooks, bookreview, captivity, darkreads, darkromance, darkromancebooks, mafiareads, pelicanfreak, pelicanfreakreviews, pinkflamingoproductions, reverseharem, reverseharembooks, reverseharemreader

Categories Bookish, PRODUCT REVIEWS

NEW RELEASE: Retreat by Anne Conley is live!

November 29, 2019 //

Today is release day for Retreat, Anne Conley’s latest. It’s actually the first in a new series, Rocco Securities, a spin off of Pierce Securities. So if you love her Pierce Boys, wait until you meet the Rocco team!

Introducing, Rocco Securities:

When their vacation turns into another crime to solve, Evan and Jordan Rocco jump on the case. With the bad guys locked away, they’re ready to head home. Then, the unthinkable happens, forcing them to make a decision.

The brothers have struck out on their own—new team, new office, new city.

Join the Pierce Securities men as they write a new chapter in their lives: Rocco Securities.

Retreat, Book One (Special release week sale price of .99!)

Indie lives in hell. Her life is nothing like she expected it to be, so when Evan Rocco and his wife Paige offer to take her away for a while, she jumps at the chance.

Montana is just what she needs: mountains, streams, wide-open spaces … and Cash.

Cash’s life isn’t anything like he’d planned … until Indie shows up at the ranch where he works.

There’s something about her that tugs at his protective instincts, and he simply can’t resist her.

Unfortunately, finding each other doesn’t mean life is going to go the way they expect it to.

This book has triggers. Lots of them. That’s your warning.

Excerpt (without the triggers):

Indie awoke to sunlight streaming through the rafters and a rough horse blanket tucked over her. She was still in the corner of the stall, covered in kittens. The mama cat sat in the corner opposite her looking with lowered lids as if to say, “What the hell do you think you’re doing with my babies all over you?”

She’d slept here. In a barn. All fucking night.

“Indie!” Evan called from the yard.

If she’d slept out here all night, they were probably worried about her. She gingerly stood, trying to replace the kittens without dumping them, creating a raucous chorus of mewls.

Her back and neck were stiffer than she’d ever felt before, but even with that, she felt amazing. Maybe it was sleeping in the outside air? Under moonlight? No blue screens? No TV in the background?

She didn’t know, but Indie suddenly didn’t feel like Montana for a month was a mistake.

Indie managed to make it out into the sunlight, still holding the horse blanket.

Folding it, she called out, “I’m over here, Evan. Sorry.”

Evan trotted to the barn entrance, and she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Glancing over, she saw Cash and the horse in the round pen next to the barn. He watched her closely but didn’t say anything.

“How long have you been out here? When did you wake up?”

She shrugged, not sure if she wanted to admit she’d spent all night there. “I’m sorry for worrying you. I was exploring and found some kittens.”

Evan grinned, relief written all over his face. “Kittens are good medicine. You want some breakfast? Mom and Flo have cooked enough food to feed a million people.”

“I’ll be inside in a minute.” Indie didn’t relish the thought of that many people around a table, not this early in the morning.

“Hey, I get it. This place can be overwhelming. Just let me know what I can do to help, okay?” He touched her shoulder but knew she didn’t like to be touched, so Indie was grateful it was just a graze. Evan was good at reading her and never touched her more than necessary. Paige was the same way. “The ladies are going to be canning later this afternoon. If you’d like to see how pickles are made, you’re more than welcome to join in.” His smile dropped. “No pressure, Indie, but don’t disappear again. I don’t have the Wi-Fi to enable your tracking device.”

She blanched. “You have a tracker on me?” His answering grin revealed he was joking. “Sorry. That was stupid.”

“Not stupid. It was a joke. I do that sometimes. You’ll like them. I promise.” With a wave to Cash, Evan trotted back to the house.

“Indie?” A low, deep voice came from her side, where Cash suddenly stood, blocking the low-slung sun as it ascended into the sky.

She involuntarily took a step back from the massive man. “Yeah?”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to—” he began, his hands absently curling a rope between strong fingers. “Um, did you sleep well in the barn?”

He tugged the loops of rope in his hands, and Indie reminded herself it was a tool for him, not a sadistic thing. Not every man she met was him, and this guy was not about to tie her to anything.

She swallowed as his question filtered through the terror in her veins. “How did you know?” The words came out a choked whisper.

He motioned to the horse blanket she clutched to her chest, a barrier against the world. “You were in there when I came home, and I put that on you.” His low chuckle filled her tummy with lava, uncomfortable yet enticing. “You were still there when I came in to work this morning.”

She looked up to see his lips quirked into a small smile. It was a nice smile. His mouth was a bit too large by conventional standards, but nice lips, a dimple in one cheek, great teeth. Indie had yet to see his eyes—he had his back to the sun and the wide brim of his hat pulled low, but she imagined they were dark like him.

“Oh. Yeah. I did. Surprisingly so.” Her words didn’t work around this guy, but she spilled them out anyway. “Something about the barn was comforting to me last night. I didn’t mean to sleep there. I was just playing with the kittens. There was too much noise inside. Too many people.” Her fragmented thoughts vocalized themselves, and to her mortification, his smile got bigger.

“Definitely too many people. I get that. If you want, there’s a cot in the bunkhouse I can set up in that stall so you can sleep there more.”

Cash shuffled his feet, and when she looked up at him, all she saw was hat as he dipped his head to watch his feet. Was he shy around her?

“Uh, I don’t think I should make a habit of it.” Even if she wanted to. She’d slept better last night than she had in months. But the idea of people knowing she was sleeping in the barn kind of took away the anonymity of being there, which Indie thought had helped things.

Cash took a step toward her, invading her space as he lifted his hand to her hair. Indie froze as his scent overwhelmed her. Jesus Christ, did a man have to smell so good? Her body heated as the aromas of leather, some sort of body wash, and earthy man filled her. When he touched her hair, she flinched, but he didn’t move, continuing his assault on her senses. He twirled a piece of her hair with his fingers, and she stared at his chest covered in a long-sleeved button-down shirt with pearl snaps. It was worn at the cuffs and frayed at the collar, and yet another piece of evidence of how real cowboys wore clothes.

She closed her eyes and inhaled, trying to still her spinning thoughts as this man’s presence quickly stunned and frightened her. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she inadvertently took another step back, hitting the side of the barn door with her shoulder.

“You have hay in your hair,” he muttered, holding up a clump of the offending material.

Her hands immediately flew to her head. “Crap. Of course, I do.” She started running her fingers through her hair, trying to remove as much as she could before she went inside.

“You want me to distract them all while you sneak in the back?”

She looked up at him. “Would you?” She had no idea how to explain the bed was too bed-like for her to sleep in it and she’d spent her first night outside at these accommodating people’s house.

“No worries. They’re overwhelming on a good day. I get it.” He started to reach for her again, but she shied away, so he spun around. “Come on.”

His long legs took them around the back of the house to a door nestled in the corner between some giant flowering shrubs. He opened the door and let her in.

“I hope you made me some gravy to go with those biscuits, Ma!” he hollered before gesturing to some stairs she hadn’t seen. “These go up to the second floor, the opposite end of where your room probably is.”

“Thanks.”

But he’d already strode through the mudroom and to wherever the door led, so she followed his directions and made it to her room.

Buy it everywhere! Did you catch the part about the release week sale price of .99?

https://books2read.com/u/mBOXyR

What? You haven’t read the Pierce Securities series? Your bestie hasn’t? Your sister hasn’t? Get on this! The first one is always FREE!

And great news! Audio books are happening! The first two stories, Craze and Wire, are already in audio, and Click is in the works as we speak. Anne has a tenth book in the series coming in a few months, so in the meanwhile, check in on the Roccos and see what they’re up to.

Anne has written her entire life and has the boxes of angst-filled journals and poetry to prove it. She’s been writing for public consumption for the past several years. Currently, she has five romance series and one in the works. Stories of Serendipity explores real people living real lives in small-town Texas. The Four Winds chronicles God’s four closest archangels—Uriel, Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael—falling in love and becoming human. Pierce Securities is comprised of nine books that follow a crew of misfits who come together to fight crime and also find love along the way. The Book B!tches is all about a group of women in Mystic, Texas, who get into all sorts of shenanigans while trying to dodge the serial killer targeting the town. Playing with Fire is filled with sizzling-hot firemen and plenty of suspense and mystery with an arsonist on the loose. Rocco Securities, a Pierce Securities spinoff, is coming soon.

She lives in rural East Texas with her husband and children in her own private oasis, where she prides herself in her complete lack of social skills, choosing instead to live with the people inside her head.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anneconleyauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnneConley10

Website: https://www.anneconley.com

Newsletter Signup: https://www.anneconley.com/newsletter

Pierce Securities Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MenOfPierceSecurities/

Tags #anneconley, #getpierced, #newrelease, #RoccoSecurities, #romance, #romanticsuspense, #western

Categories Bookish

New AUDIO Release from R.E. Hargrave !

November 23, 2019 //

Haunted Raine

Author: R.E. Hargrave

Narrator: Penny McPherson

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Length: 1.3 hours

Distracted by the everyday routine of raising children, being a wife, and keeping a home, Lorraine Morrissey let life pass her by. Her wake up call comes when she realizes that with their children gone, her husband Richard is rarely home, and she’s filling her solitary days with trivial tasks. A crazy idea to save her marriage leads to a summer beach vacation unlike any she’s ever taken; one that involves unknowingly buying a haunted house.

Amazon / Audible

“This is a terrific story that pulls you right in. Great characters.”

“This was certainly not what I expected. I absolutely loved it.”

“The whole story was skillfully told in so few words and it was a really good one.”

99c/Kindle Unlimited

Also available in audio… by R.E. Hargrave

GIVEAWAY!

Tags #99pennies, #audiobooks, #giveaway, #kindleunlimited, #newrelease, #ReHargrave

Categories Bookish

New Release from Anne Conley

August 16, 2019 //

Hunt for Love is LIVE!!! The Book B!tches, book #3 is HERE!

A haunted town. A murder mystery. The find of the century.

Kristie Hunt has it all: her dream job, a fiancé she loves, and her b!tches to keep her sane. The ongoing mysteries of Mystic have forced her to push her job to the back burner. When her life flips upside down, Kristie snaps. Thankfully, there’s somebody to help hold her together.

Jessie Burgess has come to Mystic to translate a diary Kristie found. It’s the discovery of a lifetime and will help lend him legitimacy in a family that has become a cliché. Of course, the sexy blond goddess in charge of the exhibit isn’t hard to look at, and he doesn’t mind being the shoulder Kristie leans on while she sorts out the mess with her ex.

They’re just messing around—Kristie’s come off something serious, and Jessie’s not looking for another woman to try to change him—but when Kristie’s life is targeted, he realizes how much he truly cares for her.

Welcome to Mystic, Texas, where the past stays alive in more ways than one.

Here’s an excerpt, for you reading pleasure!

“Comanche regard valor and bravery above all else. When we see something we want, we take it, and we fight like hell to keep it.”

The intensity in his eyes as he spoke those words sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine, leaving a pool of heat in her panties. She crossed her legs and ignored the tingles erupting across her skin as his eyes continued flashing at her.

Kristie could read into his words but decided not to. She chose to believe he was speaking about the woman who’d written the journal and the man who’d taken her. She didn’t want to believe that Jesse had seen her, wanted her, and was going to fight like hell to keep her. That would complicate things. A lot.

Kristie swallowed against the rising lust in her throat. Feeling awkward, she shifted in her seat, touching his thigh. A self-satisfied smile flickered across his features and he lowered his head.

“Well, did you get anything translated last night?” Eager to change the subject, she watched him shuffle some sheets of paper.

Ignoring the brush of his hand against hers, she took the proffered papers as he pulled a pair of glasses from his satchel. He read aloud from the document and paused to transpose it onto his laptop.

Okay, Jesse in glasses? She was doomed. Truly doomed. She desperately tried to come up with a reason not to launch herself at this man and finally managed to remember Shane coming out of the room where he’d fucked his secretary at a funeral.

But the glasses. And the biceps. And the long, dark hair. And the air of power.

Jesse was talking to himself. And it was wholly distracting.

The words were a husky murmur in a language of harsh consonants and excessive grunting. Coming from Jesse, it was pure eroticism washing over her skin and leaving her flushed.

Holy shit. She honestly didn’t see how she was supposed to actually work like this.

Swallowing and hoping her words weren’t about to sound rude, she cleared her throat. “Do you have to read it aloud?”

His eyes twinkled. Did he know his voice reading in Comanche was disintegrating her panties?

“You said it yourself. This woman isn’t Comanche. Our alphabet only has eighteen letters in it, and some of those aren’t in the English alphabet at all. So yes, I do have to read it out loud to hear it and know what I’m saying. Is it a problem? I can work in another room if it would be easier for you to read.”

His eyebrows rose. He was offering to take his laptop and the book and go elsewhere so she could read in his room in peace?

“No. That’s all right.”

Dropping her eyes to the pages, Kristie forced herself to focus on the printed paper in front of her and not his delicious voice. In time, the Comanche murmur was a pleasant backdrop and added a flair of authenticity to the diary.

If you haven’t read this series, jump on it now! The first in the series, Power of Love is FREE for a limited time: http://bit.ly/2Z5jPNa

Welcome to Mystic, Texas, where the past stays alive in more ways than one.

Vanessa Power, a budding Indie Romance author, believes the town is calling her name, being the new life and fresh start she’s craving. She’s met an amazing group of women who have a regular book club, reading only Indie Authors. Unfortunately, her new house is in worse shape than she thought and holds more mysteries than she’s prepared for. And then there’s the handyman.

Linc Ward holds more mysteries than her house and the town combined, with a past he won’t reveal in a package which is built for nothing short of sin.

Linc is captivated by his new boss, the only person in town who will give him a job, but only because she doesn’t know he’s an ex-con. Can he keep his past locked away, while at the same time indulging in his fantasies with the pleasantly curvy and deliciously sexy Vanessa? Probably not.

They are both looking for a new start in life. Will they be able to find it together? Or will something sinister keep them apart?

https://books2read.com/u/31gXew

A captivating contemporary gothic romance…

Mystic, Texas has a serial killer on the loose, and Tiffany appears to be on his list.

After the loss of her husband, Tiffany Masters finds herself in Mystic, a town with a past more haunted than hers. The local book club, The Book B!tches, gives her the courage to be herself without worrying about adult things, like bills, parenting, and supper. However, her new boss may be more than she can handle.

Nick takes pride in his business. Being the only bar owner in town has its challenges, the biggest being his new employee. Tiffany’s a fireball–sexy as hell, with a temper to match–and off-limits. She’s got kids; he’s been there, done that, didn’t care to get the t-shirt. But she brings out buried urges in him he doesn’t know how to deal with.

When their heated attraction sparks a spat, the sheriff gives them an ultimatum: settle their shit or go to jail. He’s got a crime to solve–a woman’s dead, Wren’s still missing, and there’s another possible victim.

**Welcome to Mystic, Texas, where the past stays alive in more ways than one.**

“The more I get of Mystic, the more I want!!”- Tami Czenkus, Amazon Review

Add it to your Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46760562-hunt-for-love?ac=1&from_search=true

About Anne Conley:

Anne has written her entire life and has the boxes of angst-filled journals and poetry to prove it. She’s been writing for public consumption for the past several years. She lives in rural East Texas with her husband and children in her own private oasis, where she prides herself in her complete lack of social skills, choosing instead to live with the people inside her head.

Currently, she has five romance series. Playing with Fire explores the trials and tribulations of a small team of fire fighters in the fictional mountain town of Pamona Gulch. In Pierce Securities, she gives us Ryan, Evan, Miriam, Zack, Quinten, Jordan, Hollerman, and Simon. Her favorite series, Book B!tches, is all about a group of women in Mystic, Texas who get into all sorts of shenanigans. In Stories of Serendipity, she explores real people living real lives in small town Texas in a contemporary romance setting. In The Four Winds, she chronicles God’s four closest archangels, Uriel, Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael, falling in love and becoming human.

Reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1346696508686306/

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2NYhw62

Website/newsletter/blog: www.anneconley.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/anneconleyauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnneConley10

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/anneconley

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6907845.Anne_Conley

Follow on Instagram: anne.conley https://www.instagram.com/anne.conley/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/anne-conley

Tags #action, #anneconley, #art, #books, #ghosts, #gothic, #newrelease, #romance, #smalltown, #smalltownromance

Categories Bookish

Book Review: A rare 5-star read for me!

October 18, 2018 //

The book: Amazon

Note: It’s free to read for Kindle Unlimited members.

Cover_BeneathTheFallenCity

I’ll get right to the point. Here’s my review:

This is the kind of book that swoops in and restores my faith in the arts. In a dull, dull world where everyone is just putting their own spin on things that already exist and trying to make a buck, Waters comes in and gives us a whole new world to get lost into.

Beneath the Fallen City has complex characters who will prompt all kinds of emotions; some you’ll love, others you’ll love to hate. Others, you might even go back and forth on as more details emerge or they show their true colors.

I had resorted to re-reading old favorites like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games when I really need an escape, another world to get lost in. With this series, I won’t be needing to revisit past reads for a while. The reader gets a world that, while foreign, has plenty we can still relate to and dive right into. Nothing needs further explanation; it’s all made to make perfect sense and be comprehensible, without any long-winded or far-fetched explanations.

There’s action and fighting and various types of drama from romantic to vengeful to plain old greed and there’s adventure; all of it has a bit of a paranormal aspect, but nothing inconceivable. There’s some good versus bad or right versus wrong, but not in the same old, done-to-death way we always see. The reader is also treated to a love triangle of sorts, but not the usual, been-done-to-death type. I don’t want to give too much away, so I’ll just say it’s well done, really fun and I definitely have my steady favorite to root for.

Every time I stepped away from this book, all I wanted to do was get back to it. Not much holds my attention these days, let along sucks me in this extremely anymore. It’s so refreshing.

Also, if you want a good, strong female lead or role model, Kayla is a total badass. Read it, buy it for your daughters, nieces, etc. as that front is also covered. Carl is a good male role model, while we’re on the topic: a guy with good intentions and a pure heart. I feel like there is something for everyone to relate to in this complex, action-packed, adventure-filled read.

5 stars. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Get it here: Amazon

BeneathTheFallenCity

Tags #5starreads, #AlternativeHistory, #AltHistory, #amreading, #books, #bookstagram, #dragons, #dystopian, #JamieWaters, #kindle, #kindleunlimited, #myth, #pelicanfreakreviews, #romance

Categories Bookish, PRODUCT REVIEWS

NEW RELEASE: Spin the Bottle, Playing With Fire Book 3, from Anne Conley

October 9, 2018 //

Blurb:

Zane has his sights set on the odd little woman with her funny rules. When their first kiss doesn’t end well, he can’t understand why she won’t give him a second chance. Now he’s seriously determined to make her see they can be explosive together.

Lettie has always believed a kiss will determine how the relationship will go. Her disastrous lip-lock with Zane is a strong indication she’s not moving forward with him. He won’t take no for an answer, though, and does the sweetest things to change her mind, including opening his home to over fifty animals while she cleans up the smoke damage at the local shelter.

Sparks fly as Lettie does her level best to extinguish their attraction to one another. At the same time, Zane is doing all he can to fan those sparks into flames.

Spin the Bottle, Playing with Fire #3, is HERE!!! Grab your copy now at the following links…

Amazon-https://amzn.to/2MEWQCo

Amazon UK-https://amzn.to/2BmRSFF

Nook-http://bit.ly/2Mj7EGZ

iTunes-https://apple.co/2vDxPh5

Kobo –http://bit.ly/2vLrMa6

Excerpt:

Lettie had a theory about men. So far, the theory had served her well. All she had to do was kiss Zane, and however he kissed was what sort of boyfriend he would be. She had ignored Thomas’s lackluster kiss. The carelessness of it should have been a warning for her because that’s exactly what sort of boyfriend he’d been.

The theory had developed in high school. It was a good theory, but she’d had to test it out and actually date the guys she’d kissed to carry the experiment through. Thomas had been a careless kisser, as well as a careless lover, and had certainly been careless with her financial well-being. She wasn’t even going to think about her emotional stuff during their relationship.

Before Thomas had been Cedric. He’d been a sloppy kisser. And a sloppy man. She’d never had sex with him but could only assume he was an equally sloppy lover.

Before Cedric was Ian. Ian’s kisses had been prim and proper, his hands never straying far.

As they’d done in all things.

The list didn’t go on forever because it was exhausting, and she was Lettie and hadn’t tested it as extensively as a more outgoing woman would have. Since Thomas, she’d vowed to let the kiss do the telling, so how Zane kissed would be how he would be. And she wouldn’t do the dating thing to figure it out this time. She would save herself the trouble.

If she ended up with his damn chewing gum in her mouth, she was done. There was no way.

After Zane’s shoot was finished, he went to a meeting in some back room and was gone for most of the day. By the time they were finished, Lettie was packing up the dogs and cats to go put them back for the day.

“Sorry. You got the paperwork for Otis?” He jogged back to where she was, making it look effortless. It made her a little sick. If she’d jogged through this building, her face would be red, her hair would be flying out of her bun, and she’d have sweat stains in her pits. As it was, Zane just looked gorgeous.

“Yeah.” Lettie dug around in her backpack and came out with a clipboard and an attached pen before looking away. “Fill out the top three pages, and then the bottom two are yours to keep. I’ve got his shot record in my truck. We can get that after I get these guys taken care of.” Which was now. She gathered the remaining dogs’ leashes, having already put the cats and half the puppies in the truck.

It was awkward, walking five dogs at once, but she’d almost made it when Zane met her outside. He took three leashes from her, relieving her burden.

“Can I ask you out again? I really want to take you to dinner.” The heat from earlier was gone from his face, replaced with an earnestness. It was hard to say no.

She sighed. “One thing first.” It was now or never. Raising herself on her tiptoes, she leaned forward, resting one hand with the leashes wrapped around her wrist on his shoulder. His eyes lit up and he lowered his head but stayed still, clearly wanting her to broach the distance.

Strike one. He was making her do the work. It was pretty obvious she was coming in for a kiss, so the least he could do was meet her halfway.

She gently caressed his lips with hers, his cinnamon gum overwhelming her with spicy sweetness. That sort of undid his strike of making her make this move. Hygiene was super important, and Zane seemed to take care of himself. He certainly tasted good.

Lettie went to back up to end the kiss, but Zane’s hand went to the back of her head, holding her in place.

Strike one. Again. Since the first strike was erased with the nice breath, this was the first strike. Right?

Now she didn’t have control over the kiss anymore. So yeah. Strike one. Definitely.

His soft lips molded perfectly to hers as he moved his mouth across hers. That was nice. It might undo the first strike again. He angled her head so he could slant his mouth over hers, and his tongue pressed against her lips.

Pushy. Strike two.

But her body didn’t seem to agree. Her breasts were doing that tingly thing again, and Lettie realized she was pressing against him. Or were the leashes wrapping around them, pressing them together?

He licked the seam of her lips, and Lettie gasped. Taking advantage, Zane swept his tongue in effortlessly. That would be another strike, except Lettie couldn’t think anymore. His cinnamon flavor was spicy and sweet and completely overwhelming. She’d lost count of which strikes had been overridden and which ones stuck, and what were the strikes for anyway?

His tongue was doing unspeakable things to her mouth, and Lettie realized she was clutching his hair as if it were a lifeline. They were tangled in leashes as the dogs danced around them, but neither of them seemed to care. His mouth closed around her bottom lip and suckled, nipping it softly with his sharp teeth.

This was a nice kiss. Better than nice. Her insides were completely exploding, and she was tempted to wrap her legs around him and grind until she got off. She was surprised. Nobody had ever made her lose it like this.

She pressed against him, a gurgle of approval sounding in the back of her throat at the impressive length against her hip. Lettie couldn’t help herself. She squirmed, his answering groan making her skin erupt in gooseflesh.

And then, as if they were reenacting the scene from 101 Dalmatians, the dogs tightened the leashes at the same time someone yelled, “This isn’t the goddamn Love Boat, Romeo!”

Zane’s head snapped back, and they both lost their balance, crashing to the ground in a tangle of arms, legs, dogs, and leashes. Their heads banged together, and Zane crushed Lettie underneath his massive body.

“Jesus! Sorry!”

That was three strikes in one move.

~*~*~*

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