Review: Temptation's Edge by Eve Berlin (Pleasure Dome #3)

Publisher - Black Lace
Publication Date - 23rd May 2013
Paperback - 336 pages
Genre - Erotic Romance

Source - Received from publisher for review

Rating - 3 out of 5: I liked it

Reviewed by - Chrissie

Book Info - What happens when you let yourself fall…
Mischa Kennon isn’t one to take it lying down, at least not until she meets sexy Connor Galloway , a green-eyed Irishman with an air of authority she finds hard to resist. While performing duties as maid of honor to her best friend, Mischa indulges in a casual relationship with Connor. She’s surprised by the thrill of his dominance, and lusts for more feisty battles before surrender.

…over the edge
It’s all fun and games in the BDSM Pleasure Dome Club, until Mischa realizes Connor could master her heart.

…and into temptation?
If she gives in to desire, will it be too much to handle, or will it open her to a kind of love she never thought possible?

My Thoughts - I have read the first two books in this series already and I really enjoyed the first one, liked the second one a little less and, if I'm honest, liked the third one the least in the trilogy. I think the problem is that they all feel a little bit the same to me so by the time I got to the third book I was already bored of the regular format.

I like how the characters in the book are strong. Mischa and Conner have both had a tough time of it through their lives but they have managed to pull themselves up and become successful people in life and in their chosen careers. And I like that it shows that the submissive partner can also be strong with a personality of their own, as well as just the dominant partner. What did irritate me a little bit, and this has been becoming more of an issue as the series has progressed, is how all of the characters seem to believe that love is a weakness and something to be avoided at all costs. I understand that there has to be some kind of conflict in a romance novel otherwise the Happy Ever After will happen too soon and there will be no story. But I just wish there could be more variety with what that conflict is. It just made all the books feel much the same and even now they are all starting to blur into one another a little bit.

I did enjoy the steamy scenes, as I always do with any of Eve Berlin's work. They are always well written and in this one I found that she pushed things a little further in terms of the kink aspect and didn't just stick to spankings, which has been a complaint of mine of the previous books in the series. So because of that, the power play between Mischa and Conner felt a little more real than it had in the first two books. I also really enjoyed the ending, but I can't say a whole lot about that as I don't want to include any spoilers.

Summary - Overall, Temptation's Edge was an enjoyable read with likeable characters and a more believable sense of the power play than the previous books in the series. However, some elements of the books were all very similar so by book three I was starting to get a little bored. But still well worth a read for fans of the erotic romance genre.

Other books in the series:
1. Pleasure's Edge
2. Desire's Edge
3. Temptation's Edge

Waiting on Wednesday: Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week Chrissie has a "can't-wait-to-read" selection for you:

Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando

It's time to meet your new roomie.

When East Coast native Elizabeth receives her freshman-year roommate assignment, she shoots off an e-mail to coordinate the basics: television, microwave, mini-fridge. That first note to San Franciscan Lauren sparks a series of e-mails that alters the landscape of each girl's summer -- and raises questions about how two girls who are so different will ever share a dorm room.

As the countdown to college begins, life at home becomes increasingly complex. With family relationships and childhood friendships strained by change, it suddenly seems that the only people Elizabeth and Lauren can rely on are the complicated new boys in their lives . . . and each other. Even though they've never met.

National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr and acclaimed author Tara Altebrando join forces for a novel about growing up, leaving home, and getting that one fateful e-mail that assigns your college roommate.

It's Monday! What are you Reading? (9th December 2013)

This is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey that gives us all a chance to list the books that we read last week and what we hope to read this week.

Books We Read Last Week:

Temptation's Edge by Eve Berlin (Pleasure Dome #3)

All She Wants 4 Christmas by Jessica Lee

Books We Reviewed Last Week:

A Dark Kiss of Rapture by Sylvia Day (Renegade Angels #0.5)

Books We're Currently Reading:

An Unintended Journey by Catherine Gayle (Cavendish Brothers #1)

The Proposal by Tasmina Perry

Books Up Next:

No idea.... but something festive!

Stacking the Shelves (7th December 2013)

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

For Review:

Atlantis: Revelation by Marcus Blake

Following in the tradition of Clive Cussler and Dan Brown comes Atlantis: Revelation, a rip-roaring adventure thriller by Marcus Blake, which takes us on a hunt for the legendary lost city.

1945, a German submarine makes an astonishing discovery. Within hours the crew are dead, the final entry of the captain's log the only evidence of their find. It seems they have stumbled upon a remarkable and ancient secret.

2012, a young man is found, washed up on the shore of Cuba. He has no idea who he is, or where he is from. But soon he will find himself at the centre of a deadly game between two civilizations.

Meanwhile, a classified governmental agency launches a top-secret manhunt. Their target: the young man. And so begins a clash of worlds.

This is Atlantis Rising.

Vampire Seeker by Tim O'Rourke (Samantha Carter #1)

Samantha Carter believes that a vampire is responsible for the brutal deaths of four women in Whitechapel, London, England. Each murder is identical to those committed a hundred years before by a very different serial killer.

Desperate to prove the killer’s identity, Samantha follows him onto a late night tube train. But Samantha doesn’t reach the next station and finds herself on a very different journey, where she discovers vampires are very real and far more dangerous than she had ever imagined. To stay alive, Samantha needs to figure out why things have gone so terribly wrong for her – and more importantly, why she is out of time?

Knight's Mistress by CC Gibbs (All or Nothing #1)

Katherine Hart is thrilled to be recruited by Knight Enterprises, the most prestigious venture-capital company in the world. That is, until she makes the acquaintance of the company’s infamous CEO, Dominic Knight.

At thirty-two, Dominic is a self-made billionaire with a fearsome ambition and a temper to match. He is also impossibly attractive and dangerously charming when he wants to be.

To Kate, Dominic seems like the perfect predator, and she resolves to be cautious despite the obvious chemistry between them, telling herself she can always leave if Dominic grows too demanding. What she doesn’t know is that the decision isn’t hers to make…

Dominic Knight has found a new plaything, and Mr. Knight always gets what he wants.

Knight's Game by CC Gibbs (All or Nothing #2)

When her tryst with handsome billionaire Dominic Knight gets out of hand, Katherine Hart resolves to cut all contact for good. But Dominic won't let his object of fascination escape so easily: when they cross paths in a plush hotel in Singapore, their steamy affair is reignited.

But can such exquisite pleasure last?

Kate knows her lover is a man who lives entirely for the chase. Is this reunion a rushing climax before an inevitable fall, or could Kate possess the keys to finally taming the untamable Dominic Knight?

Knight Takes Queen (All or Nothing #3)

Katherine Hart has come a long way from the day she accepted a position as codebreaker for Knight Enterprises, glittering domain of playboy CEO Dominic Knight.

With his wicked reputation, nobody could have imagined Dominic Knight sated by just one woman . . . until green-eyed Katherine captured his sole fascination, and stirred his fiercest desire.

Now, newly pregnant with his child, Kate has never been so pampered, nor so very, very satisfied. But when tragedy strikes and Dominic and Kate are forced to reassess, the lovers must ask themselves if such pleasure is ultimately worth the pain.

Series Spotlight: Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Reynard

Series Spotlight is a new weekly feature here on Once Upon a Series, where I will be highlighting a series that I would either like to read if I get a chance to, or would like to finish reading at some point. Hopefully it will give you all some ideas for other series to read... or if you've read something similar that you think other fans of the series featured would like, then please do mention it in the comments.

I read the first two books of the Gabriel's Inferno series last year and absolutely loved them, although it was during a break from blogging so I didn't get around to writing reviews for them. And the third book is due for release any day now and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a copy. This is definitely a series that I highly recommend.

1. Gabriel's Inferno

Enigmatic and sexy, Professor Gabriel Emerson is a well respected Dante specialist by day, but by night he devotes himself to an uninhibited life of pleasure. He uses his notorious good looks and sophisticated charm to gratify his every whim, but is secretly tortured by his dark past and consumed by the profound belief that he is beyond all hope of redemption.

When the sweet and innocent Julia Mitchell enrolls as his graduate student, his attraction and mysterious connection to her not only jeopardizes his career, but sends him on a journey in which his past and his present collide. An intriguing and sinful exploration of seduction, forbidden love and redemption, "Gabriel's Inferno" is a captivating and wildly passionate tale of one man's escape from his own personal hell as he tries to earn the impossible...forgiveness and love.

2. Gabriel's Rapture

Professor Gabriel Emerson has embarked on a passionate, yet clandestine affair with his former student, Julia Mitchell. Sequestered on a romantic holiday in Italy, he tutors her in the sensual delights of the body and the raptures of sex. But when they return, their happiness is threatened by conspiring students, academic politics, and a jealous ex-lover. When Gabriel is confronted by the university administration, will he succumb to Dante's fate? Or will he fight to keep Julia, his Beatrice, forever? In Gabriel's Rapture, the brilliant sequel to the wildly successful debut novel, Gabriel's Inferno, Sylvain Reynard weaves an exquisite love story that will touch the reader's mind, body, and soul, forever.

3. Gabriel's Redemption

Professor Gabriel Emerson has left his position at the University of Toronto to embark on a new life with his beloved Julianne. Together, he’s confident that they can face any challenge. And he’s eager to become a father.

But Julianne’s graduate program threatens Gabriel’s plans, as the pressures of being a student become all consuming. When she is given the honor of presenting an academic lecture at Oxford, Gabriel is forced to confront her about the subject of her presentation – research that conflicts with his own. And in Oxford, several individuals from their past appear, including an old nemesis intent on humiliating Julia and exposing one of Gabriel’s darkest secrets.

In an effort to confront his remaining demons, Gabriel begins a quest to discover more about his biological parents, beginning a chain of events that has startling repercussions for himself, Julianne, and his hope of having a family.

Waiting on Wednesday: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week Chrissie has a "can't-wait-to-read" selection for you:

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

Review: A Dark Kiss of Rapture by Sylvia Day (Renegade Angels #0.5)

Publisher - Self-published
Publication Date - 6th October 2011
Ebook - 72 pages
Genre - Paranormal Romance

Source - Kindle freebie

Rating - 4 out of 5: I really liked it.


Reviewed by - Chrissie

Book Info - Of all the Fallen, Raze's hungers are some of the darkest and most insatiable. His brazen seductions cost him his wings, leaving him soulless and immortal, the most dangerous of seducers. He has roamed the earth for eons, hunting the rogues of his kind and protecting the humans who provide him with blood and sex. He is content with his life and the transient pleasures that flow through it... until one night and one woman change everything.

Kimberly McAdams is smart, beautiful, and wealthy. She can have any man she wants, but the moment she sets eyes on the lethally stunning Raze she knows he's the man she needs. As one searingly erotic night burns into something deeper and far more vital than either of them expected, an adversary from Raze's past sees a chance for revenge. Twisted by hatred, she will take from Raze what was taken from her—the precious gift of love.

My Thoughts - Although I've heard a lot about this author, with this Renegade Angels series as well as her more popular Crossfire series, I haven't actually read any of her work before. Although I have been wanting to for a while because of all the high praise her writing seems to receive. And now, after reading A Dark Kiss of Rapture I can see why she always comes so highly recommended.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the world created by the author with the Fallen and the Sentinals and vampires and lycans. It was different to the usual vampire stories and I enjoyed the mythology behind it. However, because it was such a short story and an introduction to such a rich and complex world, I did feel that there were certain parts of the background that were glossed over and I would have had a better understanding of the characters and how they all linked together if more information had been given. But I do have the first two novels in the series sitting on my review shelf so I am looking forward to reading them now as I'm hoping it will give me a better insight into the world of the Renegade Angels.
 
There is a good balance between the romantic elements and the suspense in the storyline, and I enjoyed both. The characters are likeable but I did feel as though I didn't get to know them as well as I would have liked, although I think that is more to do with the fact that it is a novella rather than anything else. I got a feeling that the author could have gone a lot deeper into the characters if it had been a full length novel and I would have liked to know more about them.

My one complaint is that this doesn't really come with a Happy Ever After... more a Happy For Now. And although it did work, it also left me with a lot of questions about their future together. As this is the start of a series I'm hoping that the reader will learn more about the relationship between Raze and Kimberly as the series progresses, even if it's just as background characters.

Summary - A great start to the series that left me wanting to know more about the characters and the world they live in. I am now really looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Other books in the series:
0.5. A Dark Kiss of Rapture
1. A Touch of Crimson
1.5. A Caress of Wings
2. A Hunger So Wild
 

It's Monday! What are you Reading? (2nd December 2013)

This is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey that gives us all a chance to list the books that we read last week and what we hope to read this week.

Books We Read This Week:

Private Paradise by Jami Alden (Private #2)

A Dark Kiss of Rapture by Sylvia Day (Renegade Angels #0.5)

Books We Reviewed Last Week:

Private Paradies by Jami Alden (Private #2)

Books We're Currently Reading:

Temptations Edge by Eve Berlin (Pleasure Dome #3)

Books Up Next:

The Proposal by Tasmina Perry