Friday Mini Reviews #22 - Kit Rocha, CD Reiss & Meljean Brook



Beyond Pain by Kit Rocha (Beyond #3)

bought

Synopsis from Goodreads
A woman with no future…

Live fast, die young–anything else is a fantasy for Six. She’s endured the worst the sectors had to throw at her, but falling in with Dallas O’Kane’s Sector Four gang lands her in a whole new world of danger. They’re completely open about everything, including their sexuality–but she hasn’t survived this long by making herself vulnerable. Especially not to men as dominant as Brendan Donnelly.

A man without a past…

Bren is a killer, trained in Eden and thrown to the sectors. His one outlet is pain, in the cage and in the bedroom, and emotion is a luxury he can’t afford–until he meets Six. Protecting her soothes him, but it isn’t enough. Her hunger for touch sparks a journey of erotic discovery where anything goes–voyeurism, flogging, rough sex. He has only one rule: he won’t share her.

In Bren’s arms, Six is finally free to let go. But his obsession with the man who made him a monster could destroy the fragile connection they’ve forged, and cost him the one thing that makes him feel human–her love.
 Amazon  US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK(£2.50) | The Book Depository | Fishpond

7.5/10
* * *
 Usually I'm very happy with Kit Rocha books, but this particular couple failed to draw me in. I was more interested in the dynamics between Rachel, Cruz and Ace or in glimpses of Lex and Dallas. So... *shrugs* it was okay, but not great, unfortunately.
* * *
Обычно Кит Роша я читаю с большим удовольствием, но это книга как-то не удалась. Мне не особо понравились Брен и Шесть с их психологическими проблемами, и я больше засматривалась на Рэйчел с Крузом и Эйсом, а также на мимолётные появления Лекс и Далласа. Так себе, нормально, но по сравнению с предыдущими романами бледнеет.

JOINT REVIEW:



 Spin by C.D. Reiss (Songs of Corruption #1)

bought

Synopsis from Goodreads
***You do NOT need to read Songs of Submission to read Spin***

Mafia capo, Antonio Spinelli blew through my orderly life like a cyclone.

Gorgeous and passionate, with a breathtaking brutality, he put me under his spell the moment he touched me, drawing me into his underworld of risk, violence and betrayal.

And I found, just as this sophisticated savage didn’t trust me, I didn’t trust myself. Something happened to me. Some alchemy from the heat between us.

I discovered I was a savage, too.
 Amazon  US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK(£2.46) 

8.5/10
* * *
Karina:
Phew, Antonio is INTENSE. Raw and straightforward and very honest. He did not f*ck around, ladies and gents! But it's Theresa which surprised the hell out of me. Apparently that quiet pool had a lot of hidden depth. Or maybe Spin brought all the crazy in her to the surface. She was fabulous, and I honestly don't know what to expect from that woman anymore. Great beginning of the trilogy, thoroughly recommended!

Vika:
I’m with you on this one K.! I thought it was a great start to the series and I’m definitely eager to see more, but it’s not quite up to par with Reiss’s Songs of Submission series just yet. I wanted more development, more built up, instead it had a slight aftertaste of insta-love. Having said that, I still enjoyed reading Spin. The story was action-packed, the romance hot, the hero intense, and the heroine certainly a bit… unexpected and unpredictable. Antonio Spinelli might be a mafia capo, but I think even he found himself surprised by Theresa Drazen. And I can’t wait to see where this story takes us next.
* * *
Карина:
Фуух! *утирая пот* Антонио - совершенно невозможный, невыносимо харизматичный, прямолинейный до жути и командирующий внимание всех окружающих итальянский гангстер. Если он что-то решил, времени мужик не теряет! Но именно Тереза удивила меня больше всего. Вот действительно "в тихом омуте..." водятся ТАКИЕ ЧЕРТИ. Наверное, это влияние Спина на неё, однако от этой женщины я совершенно не знаю чего ожидать. Обалденное начало трилогии, очень рекомендую!

Вика:
Я с тобой абсолютно согласна, Карина! И думаю, что это было отличное начало серии, но сравнивать ее с предыдущей серией - Песни Подчинения пока еще рано. Мне хотелось большего развития сюжета, перед тем как наша парочка начала декларировать бессмертную любовь друг к другу, но увы. Несмотря на это, я с удовольствием прочла этот роман и с нетерпением жду продолжения этой истории...
 
  
 The Kraken King Part I: The Kraken King and The Scribbling Spinster (Iron Seas #4.1) by Meljean Brook

Egalley thanks to InterMix

Synopsis from Goodreads
A former smuggler and thief, Ariq—better known as the Kraken King—doesn’t know what to make of the clever, mysterious woman he rescues from an airship besieged by marauders. Unsure if she’s a spy or a pawn in someone else’s game, Ariq isn’t about to let her out of his sight until he finds out…

After escaping her fourth kidnapping attempt in a year, Zenobia Fox has learned to vigilantly guard her identity. While her brother Archimedes is notorious for his exploits, Zenobia has had no adventures to call her own—besides the stories she writes. But when she jumps at the chance to escape to the wilds of Australia and acquire research for her next story, Zenobia quickly discovers that the voyage will be far more adventurous than any fiction she could put to paper…

Amazon kindle US/UK

  The Kraken King Part II: The Kraken King and The Abominable Worm (Iron Seas #4.2) by Meljean Brook

Egalley thanks to InterMix

Synopsis from Goodreads
 As they continue their expedition across Australia, Ariq is determined to stay close to Zenobia and figure out what kind of game she’s playing—even as his admiration for the enigmatic woman starts to override his suspicion.

For Zenobia, revealing her identity to a man who once made his living outside of the law is out of the question—even though Ariq’s dashing looks and blunt manner are distractingly appealing.

But before anyone’s secrets or desires can be exposed, an unexpected attack threatens to destroy them all…

Amazon kindle US/UK 

9.5/10

* * *
Karina:
What an amazing beginning of the serial! I honestly do not mind paying more for the excellent writing like that - sharp, tantalizing, vivid and humorous. Zenobia and Ariq are going to be a powerful mix, one of the best couples in Iron Seas if the first installment is any indication of how it's going to proceed. *grinning* This is just their first meet and the beginning of the journey, and it's choke full of adventure and excitement. Get ready for airship, pirates and plenty of sexual tension, - it's going to be a bumpy ride!

Vika:
These were a total tease!

Now, I haven’t read Meljean Brook’s books before. *looks ashamed* I should have, I know. If anything, it would’ve been helpful to have some background on the fictional world of Iron Seas, which is clearly complex and interesting; instead I was feeling a bit lost. But, aside from my lack of familiarity, the characters really grabbed me. They splashed on the scene and were instantaneously vivid. The tension between the main couple was palpable and I couldn’t help but smirk and giggle over their banter. I too, as Zenobia, loved Ariq’s blunt style – he was not wasting any time, but making his desires known upfront, which both appalled and attracted Zenobia to him.

Overall, it was a great, action-packed read, and I’m definitely curious to know more!

"Your husband isn't with you."
"No."
"Is he a fool?"
"No. He is dead." Zenobia expected some response to that announcement - sympathy, surprise - but she hasn't anticipated the governor's smile. "That pleases you?"
"Are you still in mourning?"
"No."
"Then it pleases me. I feared I was too late."
"For what?" she had to ask. Her heart thudded when he stepped closer.
His voice lowered. "On the flyer, I liked the feel of you against me. Now I'd like to feel you beneath me."

* * *
Карина:
Шикарное начало новой книги от Мелджин Брук в сериальном формате. Я просто пищала от восторга! Зенобия и Арик скорее всего окажутся одной из лучших пар в этой серии, если их отношения продолжатся в том же духе, что и начались. Готовьтесь к воздушным кораблям, пиратам, приключениям и густому сексуальному напряжению между главными героями. Будем ждать следующей короткой истории.

Вика:
Отлично! Я была приятно удивлена. Хотя, не буду скрывать, что до этого была наслышана о мастерстве Мелджин Брук, однако не читала ее книг. Но, спешу вас уверить, что пишет она замечательно. Так что, если вы тоже не знакомы с ее творчеством, рекомендую обратить на неё внимание.

Зенобия и Арик - отличная пара и я уверена, что в будущих книгах у нас будет шанс в этом убедиться. Пока что это только начало их отношений, но Арик уже успел заинтриговать и привлечь внимание, не только Зенобии но и моё. Так что, я с нетерпением жду продолжения!

Comments