GRR Reviews Choose Me by Donya Lynne

NOTE: HFN ending, continues for 2 more books

Greyson is rich and so well-endowed, most women cower in fear when they... uh... see how big he really is (down there). And he refused to date any engaged or married women. Which seriously restricted him to mostly... his own hands. So he spent most of his efforts on growing his sports equipment empire... and next on the list to acquire is Freedom Cycle. // Katherine has two kids whom she just sent off with her ex (and his new wife) to California for the next two months. She had an annual tradition of going on a "Manhunt", to find a boyfriend for the summer... and break up just before her kids come back. She's also about to become the new CEO of her family bicycle company, Freedom Cycle, when her father retires VERY soon. // Katherine and Greyson met at a club, and the attraction is instantaneous. But neither knew of the other's full identity. Katherine sees Greyson as her perfect summer fling, and Greyson sees Katherine as the only women so far who can take him full-on, and enjoy it, practically "made for him". Then they discovered that he's trying to buy her company, which she won't agree in a million years...

Sex is hot, if in a very cavalier way, and let's just say they seem to enjoy making out in public restrooms more than in beds. It's a bit off-putting at first, until you get into it. 4/5

GRR Reviews Legal Affairs: McKayla's Story by Sawyer Bennett

McKayla graduated from law school and joined Connover & Crown LLP. She was completely surprised when her then boyfriend took her to dinner, not to propose, but to dump her. With a bit of prodding by her bestie, she joined a "one-night-stand" club where members agree to meet members for one-night-stands. And "178" is a sinfully good guy in bed. Two weeks later, McKayla found out 178 is no stranger at all... He's Matt Connover, and her new boss. This is McKayla's story... on how she eventually captured Matt's heart. But it's a long one...

At over 400 pages, cut up into six "volumes" (each with a mini-cliffhanger) there are certainly quite a few twists and turns. This is erotic romance, so there is a LOT of sex. 4/5

GRR Reviews Filthy Vows by Alessandra Torre

Elle and Easton are happily married, except for one thing... no kids yet. Elle tried some fertility treatments... and this drug... is making her having some very... randy thoughts, but that's fine, as Easton is VERY well endowed and makes her VERY happy in bed.  But sometimes Elle can't help herself... she's starting to have fantasies about having a threesome. And to be totally honest, she told him. He's confused (huh?), angry (how can she...), possessive (how dare she...), delighted (I'm glad she's honest with me), happy (so that's what it was...)... Now she's embarrassed... But what if he wanted to make her dream come true?

Okay, not exactly my cup of tea, as there's a bit too much sex here. The romance never really seems to be at stake, so this feels more erotica than romance. 3/5

GRR Reviews Stupid Hearts by Kristen Hope Mazzola

Jolene "Joey" loves sex with a bit of an edge... she has a drawerful of sex toys and is not adverse to a little bondage or rough play... Until she found that she's "the other woman" and her regular sex partner is married and his wife is expecting... So she left, vowing not to risk her stupid heart for another man. She works as a photographer in NYC but she's a Southern Belle at heart... sorta. The dirty kind. Then she met Finn, who's Irish working in the US as a model, and he really wanted her, and she'll take him any way she can...

There sure are a lot of sex here so expect that, and it's pretty good, no BDSM here, it's just rough but sensual play. pretty good.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Con Artist by Alexa Riley

James "not Jamie" is a pickpocket and a cat burglar that works for an underworld father figure. Her life changed when she picked the pocket of Bennett, a very powerful man, who's rich and always gets what he wants. When Bennett realized James took his wallet, he wanted her... not just her head, but her, in every way possible. He will claim her, body and soul...

If you want a "filthy" read, this will do, but there's really not much plot. He plays catch-n-release with her, and she lets him play with her. He then seduces her, and takes her to bed. And he's thinking filthy thoughts like to "breed" her, and put a baby in her, and blah blah blah. Plot? What plot?

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 2/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below.

GRR Reviews Lumberjack by Jenika Snow

Jake left the city after his woman betrayed him. Now he's a lumberjack working in the forest, and keeps to himself, and hadn't had a woman in five years. Until Vivian, lost in the woods, found him... // Vivian had enough city life and decided to take a week-long vacation in the mountain... Until she got lost on a hike and ended up at Jake's door. // Vivian never had met a mountain man before, and Jake hadn't had a woman on five years. But he won't do anything she didn't want... and she wanted everything...

It's basically sex, and lots of sex. And not much else. This is basically a "mountain man" erotic romance. Kinda boring. Sex is not bad, but not that good. Add to lack of much of a plot, it's just porn.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 2/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Cowboy Heat by Sable Hunter

Libby has leukemia in remission. Her doctor told her to live life to the fullest, and her wish was to bed Aron McCoy, the oldest McCoy brother. She had always admired him from afar. When their housekeeper is going on vacation for a few months, it's the perfect chance. Libby moved into Tebow ranch and became the new temporary housekeeper, and Aron was smitten... Until he found out Libby still has her v-card... But when Libby admitted she wanted only him... It is time for Aron to step up to the challenge... Even if she is not disclosing her secret... For Aron does not know she has cancer...

The twist is simple enough, and sex here is quite hot that it's basically erotic romance. There's also a bit of 4th wall breaking joke about how Libby learned all her moves from reading erotic romance. Hahaha. 4/5

Category: Contemporary / Western / Erotic

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Because of You by Mari Carr

It has been eight months since Jessie became a widow. Everybody said her husband's death was a "freak accident"... slipped on the ice in the parking lot and struck his head. But she can't let go... Because he called her that day, hinting at discovering something, but said there's nothing to worry about. Then she found him dead that night... To get away from it all, she took a vacation and met ER doc Caleb. But she can only do a one-night stand, no matter the chemistry, because she felt something was left undone. And Caleb was not willing to let her put herself at risk... When it became obvious that she was right... something is OFF about her husband's death, and the mugging, the break-in, the arson at the accounting firm... are all connected... And that someone is close... Very close...

"Erotic romantic suspense" as it's basically romantic suspense with a hefty dose of hot sex. The plot is good, and sex is hot.

Category: Contemporary / Romantic Suspense / Erotic

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Menage A Cowboy by Jenny Klaire

Grace wanted to be a veterinarian because her father was one. She is going to vet school, but in the summer she's back home to help. When she helped a mare with breech birth at Scott's ranch, she felt elated, and kissed the cowboy after coming out of the shower, only to realize she kissed Scott's twin brother Adam instead... Moreover, the twins don't mind sharing at all... However, the twins have an evil ex-GF Cindy out there that trying to entrap them... and Grace has an evil ex Jake out there not accepting her "we're over"...

Practically erotica, it's about a "cowboy sandwich," ahem. The plot was pretty basic... and who's heard of letting someone out of jail after only a week for a VERY serious crime, without at least a protective order? (Not going to tell you why, because that'd be spoiling the plot).

Category: Contemporary / Western

Primary Plot: New female veterinarian fell for twin hot brothers, but they have respective evil ex's to deal with

Overall Rating: 3/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Strong Silent Type (Rough Riders) by Lorelei James

Strong Silent Type is an erotic contemporary Western romance that is deeper than you first suspect, but also played into tropes, but not quite subverting them.

Libby and Quinn McKay have had a good marriage... until the issue of children tore them apart (with some help from his mother). Now she's living in the house, and he's living in the horse trailer... and nothing has changed in three months. Libby is tired of the detente... why isn't Quinn, the stubborn ass that he is, fight for her? When Quinn realized this is not a "phase" he can wait out, he switched back to "woo mode" and offered Libby a whole weekend of decadence, sexual and otherwise. to rekindle their love and hash out their differences. But just sex is not enough for a relationship... Will there be enough to hold onto when Monday came?

At 150 pages, this is actually quite good. There's enough sex to satisfy, yet not too much to become erotica. It's clear the two aren't over each other, but he's the kind of "strong silent type" that broods rather than talk things out, and it's frustrating for the wife. And that's just trope as heck. On the other hand, the emotional push-pull is good.

Category: Contemporary / Western / Erotic Romance

Primary Plot: Can a couple, with their relationship on the rocks, spend a weekend together for fun and sex, to fix their marriage?

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Beyond Shame (Beyond series) by Kit Rocha

Beyond Shame is an interesting mix of post-apocalyptic dystopia and erotic romance that sets up a very interesting world that's an odd mix of scifi, MC, and different worlds tropes about self-discovery and redemption, and it was certainly interesting.

Noelle Cunningham wanted to rebel against her prim and proper role as councilman's daughter in a closed post-apoc dystopic society, Eden, that turned against immorality so far, pre-marital sex is illegal. After a conviction for fornification, she was dumped out the gates of Eden, with just the clothes on her back, into the gang-controlled sectors that she only read about. Stalked by low-life, she was barely rescued in time by an unlikely savior... // Jasper "Jas" McCray is a bootlegger and cage fighter for Sector 4's boss Dallas O'Kane. He fought his way up from nothing to be the right-hand man of the boss, and sworn into the gang... all for one and one for all. He did not expect to deal with a sheltered innocent city princess who literally fell into his arms. And Noelle is so snow-white innocent... she's still a virgin, and intensely curious about sex. And soon she and Jas will explore every one of her fantasies, with a little help from O'Kane's band of misfits, including Lex, O'Kane's squeeze, to nurture, and accept her own power of sexuality... and embrace it...

The world-building was virtually seamless. You can read the subtext AND the context simply through the actions of the characters, no info-dump needed. There *are* some info-dumps, but not a lot, and the sex scenes are frequent, that this could be termed erotic romance, but the point is outside of Eden, anything goes, and sex is nothing to be ashamed of, except that society tells you. I don't quite get the reason for such extreme morality, but that's why it's a dystopia. I look forward to reading the future volumes. So why 4/5?  It's just a little shy of perfection, as it's a bit too obvious bodyguard story.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: In a dystopic future, a councilman's daughter was dumped out the gates for trying to have sex, and was rescued by gang's top fighter...

Overall Rating: 4/5

NOTE: Tropes are now in the "Labels" below. 

GRR Reviews Jingle Boots (Rope 'n Ride ON Series Boo by Em Petrova

Jingle Boots is an erotic romance (lots of sex) with a big of Christmas magic. Basically, it's a woman who decided to "step out" to Vegas and have a great time.

Veronica is spending Christmas alone on the ranch. Her family members are all over the country on their own. So she grabbed her bestie and headed for Sin City... Las Vegas. Cutter was there to help his brother, even though he'd prefer to be anywhere else. Doing a bit of dirty dancing with a sexy filly on the dance floor is just the perfect thing to get family drama out of his mind. And it seems Cutter, the big cowboy with the rough hands, is exactly what "Ronnie" had in mind... And Cutter can do a LOT of naughty things to Ronnie... everything that Ronnie craved. But what happened in Vegas... stays in Vegas... right?

Ah, the everlasting question... Does she want whatever happened in Vegas... to stay in Vegas? Or is this big handsome cowboy, the real deal, not someone playing dress-up, the solution to both of their problems? It's fling to a thing... and a lot of sexy times. Em Petrova delivers on the sex content, even if it's a bit on the short side.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Does a young woman looking for some good times in Las Vegas want the handsome cowboy she found to stay in Vegas?

Tropes: holiday, fling to a thing, cowboy

Overall Rating:  4/5

GRR Reviews Cowboys for Christmas by Jan Springer

Cowboys for Christmas is about sex, and lots of sex. It is basically erotica with just a bare hint of romance, and all about the sharing. Don't expect much of a plot. The sex, on the other hand, was pretty hot.

Jennifer Jane (JJ) Watson spent 10 years in prison for killing her abusive father who had just killed her mother. She never expected to get an early parole... or to spend the winter in the frozen north at a secluded cattle ranch serving Christmas dinner to three sexy cowboys... Rafe, Brady, and Dan thought they're getting a male ex-con to help with labor around their secluded ranch in Northern Ontario. What they got is a pretty girl fresh out of prison, who haven't had sex in ten years. Good thing the three like to share... and she doesn't mind sharing either. This Christmas will be special indeed.

This is known as an MFMM erotic romance, and yes, there's a lot of bonking. Not too much there except the sex. It's not really about much character development, but more like a girl after 10 years of drought getting an all you can eat buffet. She takes the one at a time, then all at the same time. Ah-hem. Stil, the sex scenes are okay. You read this for the sex, not for the characters.

Category: Erotic Romance / Western

Primary Plot: Woman released from prison gets three sexy cowboys for Christmas... who are very much into sharing!

Tropes: fish out of water

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews Pushin' Buttons (Boot Knockers Ranch) by Em Petrova

Pushin' Buttons by Em Petrova is a Western erotic romance with a lot of sex, and even some MFM action, though there really wasn't that much of a plot beyond that.

To recap... Sybill had somehow never gotten the big O, despite having been through many relationships... that she had been described as frigid. Desperate, she signed up with Boot Knocker Ranch for one week. The ranch has twenty hard muscled cowboys and no women ever leave unsatisfied... Hugh had planned to sit out that week's session, but when he spotted the sultry Sybill, he pulled rank as Sybill pushed one of his buttons. But even his skills came up shy against her body... and his heart crashed when she blurted out a mind-blowing request... she wants a threesome with Hugh... and Riggs. What she didn't know was both Hugh and Riggs are actually bi... and they had gotten it on with each other before. Now this may truly be a triangle of epic proportions... but can this last? What are they willing to give up to share a woman?

Somehow, Hugh and Riggs come more across as gay than bi, and Sybill doesn't seem to have much of a personality other than her desperation to experience the big O, despite having "sultry curves". Something doesn't fit within those descriptions. I can't give this more than "okay".

Category: Western / Erotic Romance

Primary Plot: Woman desperate to experience the Big O went to a ranch where fantasies come true, and picked two bi-cowboys for MFM

Tropes: no good for you, insta-lust, triangle, resort

Overall Rating: 3/5

GRR Reviews Filthy SEAL by Amy Brent

Filthy SEAL is a contemporary erotic romance that actually managed to include a proper subplot romantic suspense that were almost blended into the background amidst raunchy sex. The attempt to inflate page count by including a ton of "bonus content" did not endear me to the author and actually dragged down the overall rating.

To recap just the main story... Ex-SEAL (now a 'contractor') was pulled home from the Middle East: his estranged wife died in a car crash leaving him a widower and a single father. His next door neighbor is a single mom raising a 19-year old sexpot named Lolita. Care to guess what happens next?

Despite the raunchy sex, which happened plenty of times, there really is a mystery as the death of the wife was NOT an accident, and it will take the guy a bit of investigating (and sexing up you-know-who) to figure it all out. The main story was actually 4/5 but the sex can be tuned down a notch, IMHO. But all the "bonus content" diluted the rating forcing me to drop it back to 3/5.

Category: Contemporary / Erotic Romance / Romantic Suspense

Primary Plot: SEAL is back home investigating his wife's death, and fell for Lolita next door who's a 19-year old sexpot.

Tropes: SEAL, conspiracy, widower, May / September

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Reviews Outback Princess (Farpoint Creek Cattle Station) by Lexxie Couper and Mari Carr

Outback Princess is an erotic romance featuring insta-lust and a rom-com worth switcharoo that had the FMC falling for the twin instead. The switch was not fully believable though.

Annie Prince is the sensible sister that wanted a real job as a reporter/writer, not one her billionaire father simply bestowed upon her (like buying her the entire newspaper!) One drunken night with her bestie Monet lead to her establishing an online dating profile and chats with an Australian cowboy Dylan. Dylan soon captured her heart, and she sets out to visit him. However, she and Dylan seems to have crossed wires, as she landed in Sydney just as he left for New York (to meet her there!) fortunately, Dylan's twin brother Hunter saved the day and brought her back to the station ("ranch" to you Yanks) where she's to follow him around to learn how to run a station... and Annie fell for Hunter, head over heels, and vice versa. Hunter would never consider poaching his brother's girl, but Annie is just too sexy. And Annie was delighted in that there are no paparazzi's here to ruin her day. But her assignment only lasts two weeks, and what happens when Dylan finds out?

As you can probably guess, instead of Annie / Dylan pair up, you actually have Annie falling for Hunter, and Dylan went to NYC and fell for Annie's bestie Monet, which is Book 2 in the series. But really, Annie was in love with Dylan, but since Hunter's around, she fell for Hunter instead? So... fickle! Eh... Well, at least the sex is hot.

Category: Erotic romance / contemporary

Primary Plot:   A rich girl who doesn't want the attention found the perfect escape in Australian Outback... with a hot Aussie Cowboy as a companion!

Tropes: fish out of water, different worlds, ranch, twins, fling to a thing

Overall Rating:  3/5

GRR Review Tell Me You Need Me (Search and Seduc by Joya Ryan

Tell Me You Need Me can be appropriately titled Sex Wars, as the two characters, Chloe, and Gage, are each trying to get the other to give in with sex.

Gage is a search and rescue guy who wanted more than just hot sex with Chloe, but Chloe is perfectly fine with the short-term sex with Gage between Gage's training and missions. Gage, knowing he needed to do something special to change Chloe's mind, is perfectly willing to use sex as a weapon... and so is Chloe. Who shall win the battle of the sexes?

Given that this is a romance, it's pre-ordained that Chloe eventually gave in, but you'll have to read the book to find out how Gage managed to accomplish that, including some sex in some very unlikely places that this book almost reads like erotica, given the amount of... raunchiness in the book. Still, it's a sizzling read, if a bit a bit... melodramatic, but that's part of the flirting, right?

Category: Erotic Romance

Primary Plot:  Woman commitment-phobe meets hot man who wants long-term; each is willing to use sex as their weapon to win...

Tropes: commitment-phobe, search and rescue,

Overall Rating:  4/5 (rounded up from 3.5)

GRR Review Curing Doctor Vincent: The Good Doctor by Renea Mason

Curing Doctor Vincent is a surprisingly complex erotic romance between Elaine, a PR advisor, and Doctor Xavier Vincent. It was very kinky, and it involved some interesting conspiracy that will lead to further explorations in later volumes.

Doctor Xavier Vincent was a genius with some serious baggage from his childhood, and responsible for developing cancer-beating drug as well as have been a psychiatrist. Elaine comes with her own baggage (having a sister who was cured of cancer by Dr. Vincent's drugs) and a serial killer father in jail. Elaine, in a bit of hero-worship and gratitude, fell for the doc, who indulged her in some VERY kinky sex. Elaine learned the reason behind his kink, and decided to learn the truth behind his trauma. When the truth was revealed, it will flip both his and her world upside down.

Both characters came heavily loaded with baggage which I will not reveal, and this book is about how Xavier was... cured of his fear and doubt. that lead him to his kink. Eliane, on the other hand, was surprisingly strong yet vulnerable to Xavier. Ever heard of interrogation via ice cubes? No, it doesn't involve pain or freezing a limb. I told you it's kinky.

And the plot, while it had been done before, was surprising in an erotic romance.

My only nit to pick was how can a doctor be a practicing psychiatrist, then somehow convert himself to a cancer researcher that lead to a cancer cure breakthrough and practical owner of the company. and be an eccentric billionaire. But that doesn't distract that much from the novel.

Category: Erotic romance Primary Plot: woman fell for kinky doctor, discovers conspiracy about his origins Overall Rating: 5/5

GRR Review: Red Card by Lucy Blake

NO LONGER AVAILABLE ON AMAZON  (Goodreads profile)

Red Card, an MFM romance, can be summarized as two fraternal twins going after the same lady reporter.

First problem was the cover. WHO made up that STUPID picture which had NOTHING to do with the book? The book is about SOCCER!!!!! Not American Football! And the two main stars are one white (well, Latino), one black! This sort of generic cover was stupid. I had hoped they'd have fixed this stupid cover, but really, it's a joke.

Second, I have no problem with MFM romance, but this book treats sports like a parody. The new sports network has the initials SIN? Hilarious. Then the keystone cop moment that ended book1? The trio escaped because they're next to the helipad and flew off in their helicopter while a dozen cruisers surrounded the estate. Doesn't anybody take down helo's tail numbers? Don't helos file flight plans and talk to towers? No! Let's just jump in and wave at the keystone cops! Nonsense situations like this are all over the three volumes.

And you pretty much know that in the three volumes, the girl will go from one, to the other then there's going to be a huge fight, and they'll make up. There's a twist at the end that I didn't see coming, but again, it's pretty much (bleep) sports, let's go do the most outrageous thing instead, MFM, on camera. For a sports romance to treat sports so cavalierly is just "bleh".

At least the creepy evil photog got his karma, and there are lots and lots of sex.

As for the bonus content? I hate dark romance, as there's always some non-con involved, and it's seriously mind (bleep). Viewer discretion is advised.

Category: Erotic romance

Primary Plot: Lady report falls for fraternal twins, both soccer stars on different teams

Overall Rating:  2/5

GRR Review: Arouse by Nina Lane

Arouse by Nina Lane is an interesting book to review. One does not often get tales of two people who are ALREADY married, but this book managed to pull it off and show us an couple with secrets.

Medieval history professor Dean West, and his younger and more innocent wife Olivia "Liv" West have wonderful chemistry and are great in bed together, but both held secrets kept so long from each other that it will likely tear them apart.

The sex scenes in this book are numerous, almost one per chapter. And this couple can have sex when they are angry with each other too, as well as screw the mood right after the sex. And jealousy / inadequacy was a major part of the secrecy as they started suspecting each other of being unfaithful. I was also surprised that the book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, though the plotlines in this particular book are resolved, so I guess it's a big flashing neon light for the next book in the series. It just seems... so... petty...

Category: Erotic Romance

Primary Plot: Older man and younger woman married and deeply in love; then secrets threaten to tear them apart...

Overall Rating:  4/5