Real by Katy Evans

Title: Real
Author: Katy Evans
Genre: New Adult/Contemporary Romance
Series: Real, Raw & Ripped #1
Publisher: Katy Evans
Number of Pages: 266
Source: My Copy 













Synopsis: 

A fallen boxer.
A woman with a broken dream.
A competition…
He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting… Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life. He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong–but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents . . .
But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.
I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.
If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?



Confession: I have no idea why this is considered a New Adult book when both the main characters are out of college and one has a masters degree. To me, this was an adult book with adult situations even though it did manage to read a bit like a young adult book. This is one of those rare books that I both loved and hated at the same time.


Reasons why I loved it: 

• Remington. I am a sucker for a tortured alpha male, and Remington tore my heart out. 

• Brooke-She had friends!! Friends who didn't disappear! She was a lot naive, but strong at the same time. I loved how she became stronger as the book went on.

• The Romance-I liked how they didn't rush into things and that Brooke was the one ended up wanting more. 

• Chemistry-You could feel the sizzle between Remington and Brooke. I loved it when they played each other music from their ipods. 

Reasons why I didn't love it: 

• Contrived Drama: About halfway through the book a character shows up just to cause trouble and I believe to be a character in a future book. This made the ending pretty predictable and honestly, thought the story could have done without the conflict it caused. 

• Unprofessional Work Ethic:  I've got to be honest here, I don't know why it bugged me so much that there was a romance between a boss/employee when I normally eat it up. To give Brooke credit, she does try to fight it, but fails miserably...however, I think what annoyed me the most is how shocked she is when other coworkers try to talk her out of the romance.

•  Belivability:  The biggest trouble I had with this story was I had trouble believing that an underground boxer could make so much money or have such a big following. 

•  Rushed Ending: I felt like I needed more closure because the drama happened so fast that there was barely time for a H.E.A. 

This is the third or fourth New Adult book I've read, and I've got to say I'm not entirely sold on the genre yet. It just makes me feel old for some reason! 

Giveaway & The Top 10 ways to tell if your best friend is a super spy by GIni Koch

Please help me welcome Gini Koch, one of my favorite authors back to A Buckeye Girl Reads! She's here today with a great guest post and giveaway.

Top 10 Ways to Tell That Your Best Friend is a Super Spy

By Gini Koch

Katherine “Kitty” Katt-Martini thought her best guy friend from high school was just a super genius who was also a self-made millionaire twice over. Well, he is. But Charles “Chuckie” Reynolds is more…so much more. And Kitty was, as it seems is always the way, the last to know.

In honor of the release of Kitty’s latest exploits, chronicled in Alien in the House, here’s her good go-to list for how to figure out if your best guy friend is actually more awesome than James Bond.

10. He lives half the year in Australia and half in the U.S.

9. He’s considered one of Australia’s most eligible bachelors

8. And yet, he’s in the U.S. whenever he needs to be, which is a lot

7. He’s a conspiracy theorist who’s always right

6. He’s still a nerd, but he’s a nerd who can kill someone in a lot of interesting ways

5. He’s actually got the reflexes to be able to take out an alien moving at hyperspeed

4. He tells you he does something vague, and yet he knows every person of interest in political circles…personally

3. Your mother listens to his opinions before she takes action

2. Your boyfriend/fiancé/husband has some major jealousy issues in regards to your BFF, and not just because said BFF used to be in love with you, but because said BFF gets to tell your boyfriend/fiancé/husband what to do…and he has to do it

1. He’s a super-genius who’s also a self-made millionaire twice over in both business and the stock market…and his third career is running the Extra-Terrestrial Division of the C.I.A. (Yeah, this one’s kind of the giveaway.)

Title: Alien In The House
Author: Gini Koch
Genre: Sci Fi Romance
Series: Book 7 in the Katherine "kitty" Katt series
Publisher: DAW Books
Number of Pages: 524
Release Date: May 7, 2013













Buy Links:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | DAW




Jeff and Kitty Katt-Martini have learned the ins and outs of Washington politics, not to mention how to prevail in intergalactic war and foil dangerous plots. But, in the aftermath of Operation Destruction, the Gower girls’ powers are burned out, the entire A-C population has been “outed” as the aliens living on Earth that they are, and, worst of all, ACE is nowhere to be found. Then murder and mayhem are served up at an important dinner party at the American Centaurion Embassy, and when the dust settles Alpha Team and the Diplomatic Corps have more problems than just a dead Congressman. Is there a single criminal mastermind—or multiple enemies—behind all the conspiracies that want Kitty dead and the A-Cs gone or co-opted to become the War Division? The return of the best assassins in the business, the reappearance of two individuals long-presumed dead, Agent Malcolm Buchanan felled by something no one can identify or cure, and new technology that can block even the most powerful empath on Earth … all of this means the game’s officially afoot. Then Vance Beaumont comes to Kitty with a wild theory that someone is systematically killing off the House of Representatives…

It’s up to Kitty and the rest of the gang to find out what’s really going on and why. But will they be able to stop the killer or killers before the rest of the U.S. House of Representatives become casualties? And will the replacement Representative for New Mex


Where to find Gini:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Pinterest

Author Bio:

Gini Koch lives in Hell’s Orientation Area (aka Phoenix, AZ), works her butt off (sadly, not literally) by day, and writes by night with the rest of the beautiful people. She writes the fast, fresh and funny Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series for DAW Books, the Necropolis Enforcement Files series, and the Martian Alliance Chronicles series for Musa Publishing. As G.J. Koch she writes the Alexander Outland series. She also writes under a variety of other pen names (including Anita Ensal, Jemma Chase, A.E. Stanton, and J.C. Koch), listens to all kinds of music 24/7, and is a proud comics geek-girl willing to discuss at any time why Wolverine is the best superhero ever (even if Deadpool does get all the best lines). She speaks frequently on what it takes to become a successful author and other aspects of writing and the publishing business. She is also the Lead Editor at Raphael’s Village, an online, nonpaying ’zine. Because she wasn’t busy enough, Gini’s added on featured guest columnist, reviewer, and webcaster for Slice of SciFi and It’s Comic Book Day. She can be reached through her website at www.ginikoch.com.

Winners choice of:

Book Two: (My favorite in the entire series) 

Book Three:

or Book Four: 

A complete set of magnets and postcards are also in the giveaway! The giveaway is open internationally and the winners book will be signed. Open until 12:00am est on May 22, 2013.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Knight & Play by Kitty French

Title: Knight & Play 
Author: Kitty French 
Genre: Erotica Romance (Contemporary) 
Series: Knight #1
Number of Pages:  211
Publisher: Kitty French 
Source: My copy 







CEO of Knight Inc. Lucien Knight is catch-your-breath gorgeous and damaged by his troubled past in Norway. All grown up and relocated to London, he's built his empire of adult clubs from the ground up to become the gorgeous patron saint of the sex industry. No one knows the dark childhood secrets that have given Lucien a backbone of steel and a heart encased in ice. No one until Sophie Black, that is...From the moment girl-next-door Sophie accepts the job as Lucien Knight's PA, she understands how Alice must have felt when she tumbled down the rabbit hole. Lucien takes her safe, vanilla life away and plunges her head first into a huge dish of fantasy flavours. Rich, spicy chocolate covered with dark, oozingly lickable sauce? Check. Tutti-frutti with indecently red, glistening cherries on the top? Yes please. Lucien strips away all of Sophie's inhibitions, and when he instructs her to select three new toys, she soon realises he has more than a game of Monopoly on his mind...  He's opened the door to a whole new pleasure packed world without limits, and Sophie is utterly intoxicated. But how far is she willing to go? And what happens when she has to step back into reality again? Lucien & Sophie's is a story of star crossed love and forbidden passion, a sexual odyssey that spans the globe and changes both of their lives forever. Let it change yours, too.

This book should not have worked for me, but it did. Maybe it was because the last few romances I read where just so predictable and meh but I just couldn't stop reading this novella. I loved the innocence of Sophie with the totally not innocent Lucien. As a heroine, I should not have been able to relate to Sophie at all. She's married, and her marriage is failing.  She's in a dead end job with a boss that tries to cope a feel all the time. She decides that she's had enough, and applies for a job in a field that is totally alien to her-working as a P.A. for the owner of a sex club/toy owner Lucien Knight. It's instant lust on both sides, and Sophie does try to fight it, even though she's pretty sure her husband is cheating on her and knows her marriage is at an end. Lucien though, breaks through her defenses. He teaches her that there is more to life then what she is living, and breaks her out of her comfort zone. I know this sounds like a typical erotica romance, but it's not....maybe because Lucien is just soooo......alpha male and Sophie is so not. 

Lucien and Sopie have sizzling chemistry together, and the love scenes between them are a need a fan kind of hot. I found myself really kind of yelling at Sophie to open her eyes up when it came to her husband, because really he did not deserve her loyalty. It surprised me that I felt that way because normally I don't like plots with cheating spouses.   I know I'm rambling on, but honestly I loved how this book was sizzling hot, and while it compares itself to fifty shades, it's really not like that at all in my opinion and I liked that about it. While I enjoyed this book, the second and final book in the series blew this one out of the water. Knight & Play is just a fun, quick, hot read that is perfect for a summer read. 

Bout of Books May 14-19th

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog.
--From Bout of Books Blog 


I love Bout of Books even though I never do well with it!! As usual, I'm starting super late.

Goals: 

• Read at least 4-6 books and or novellas 
• Try to comment on at least 5 blogs per day 
• Take part in one twitter chat
• Write 4 reviews (I'm so behind!!!) 

Books to read: 

• Finish Easy by Tammara Webber
• Finish Aire by Lena Goldfish
• Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
• Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Lani Taylor 
• Dare To You by Katie McGarry 
• Bitter Enchantment by Shawntelle Madison 
• Start Deadly Sting by Jennifer Estep 

UPDATES:

Monday May 13th: 
Didn't know it was bout of books time already! 



Tuesday May 14th: 
What I read today: Started Aire. I'm about 70% through it. Not feeling the love. Also not feeling the love for Easy, which I put down for a kindle read-Aire. 
Number of books completed today: 1
Total number of books I’ve read: 1
Number of pages read today:  350
Number of pages read total:  350
Books Completed: 1-Aire by Lena Goldfish. This was a beautiful YA Fantasy Romance-just not my cup of tea.
Thoughts:  I think I might be in a book funk. How else do you explain me not loving Easy? Everyone else I know adored it.  I totally blame this on devouring the Mortal Instruments series last week. 
Reviews:  0
Blogs visited:  0



Wednesday May 15th: 
What I read today: I finished Easy by Tammara Webber, yay!
Number of books completed today: 1
Total number of books I’ve read: 2
Number of pages read today:  150
Number of pages read total: 550
Books Completed: 2
Thoughts: You know those books that everybody loves but you? That's how I felt about Easy. Didn't understand all the hype.
Reviews:  0
Blogs visited:  0


Thursday May 16th: 
What I read today:  A Virgin for Two Brothers and The First Time by Jenika Snow and I started Ascension by Caris Roane
Number of books completed today: 2..well these were actually novellettes. I had both read in under an hour. 
Total number of books I’ve read: 4
Number of pages read today:  80
Number of pages read total: 630 or so
Books Completed: 2, plus 2 novellettes 
Thoughts: I really enjoyed the two eroticas I read today. I have to read more by this author now! I think I'm really going to enjoy Ascension, but the world building is a bit confusing right now. 
Reviews:  0
Blogs visited:  3

Challenge:
I did the Acrostic Poem Challenge  from Harley Bear Book Blog. It was a lot of fun! 

Friday May 17th: 
What I read today: Ascension by Caris Roane. I am 280 pages into it and am loving it!!
Number of books completed today: 0
Total number of books I’ve read: 4
Number of pages read today:  200
Number of pages read total:  lost track....
Books Completed: 2
Reviews:  4
Blogs visited:  0 today, but three yesterday! 


Saturday May 18th: 
What I read today: 
Number of books completed today:
Total number of books I’ve read: 
Number of pages read today:  
Number of pages read total:  
Books Completed: 
Reviews:  
Blogs visited:  

Sunday May 19th: 
What I read today: 
Number of books completed today:
Total number of books I’ve read: 
Number of pages read today:  
Number of pages read total:  
Books Completed: 
Reviews:  
Blogs visited:  

Review: One Night of Misbehavior by Shelley Munro

Title: One Night of Misbehavior 
Author: Shelley Munro 
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Number of Pages: 185
Publisher: Shelley Munro 
Source: Netgalley 








Charlotte Dixon ignores her stepmother’s edict and, in an act of disobedience, attends one of the social events of the year—a masquerade costume ball. Charlotte’s naughtiness escalates when she dances and smooches with a sexy mystery man. The night of anonymous passion that follows makes her yearn for a different life, but the next day she’s back to her dull routine of household management.
Advertising tycoon, Ash Marlborough is about to set a private investigator on the trail of his nameless princess when she waltzes right into his place of work. Charlotte is shocked to meet her masked man in the flesh, and even more perturbed when he asks her out on a date. Despite craving another night of sexy loving, she doesn’t have time for a man, not when she wants to reinvent herself and grasp a new, improved life with both hands. But Ash knows what he wants, and he’s determined to win the heart of his princess. Let the dance of seduction commence. Warning: Contains a conniving stepmother, selfish stepsisters, a grandmother with fairy godmother tendencies and a sexy masked man who is willing to face them all for the love of a good woman.


This was an enjoyable, if not slightly predictable re-telling a few fairy tales all rolled into one.  I really liked Charlotte, and I really loved Ash, and thought the evil stepmother was really unlikable and the grandmother who was a bit of a fairy godmother was wonderful. Here's my main problem with the whole thing: I'm not sure if the whole Cinderella aspect can be done in modern day society. 

I kept wanting to shake some sense into Charlotte. I  just didn't understand why she stayed in that situation when there were so many more options available.  That aside though, I loved watching her grow from someone who was afraid to stand up to herself to someone who was independent and true to herself.  However, the road there was pretty rocky-mainly because she calls the voice in her head that is telling her to be independent Ms. Fesity, and just threw me off each time it was used and I don't know why.  Despite that, this was a pretty delightful read because of Ash.    I'm pretty sure that I would have stopped reading this book halfway through if it weren't for him. He's just all types of wonderful. He's one of my favorite contemporary romance heroes. He is vulnerable because of the scars on his face, yet he is super protective of Charlotte and somehow these two traits just endeared me to him. 

One Night of Misbehavior had it's faults, but was still an enjoyable read and I loved the mash up between Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. I can't wait to try more by this author. Thanks to netgalley for a copy of this book. 

Otherkin by Nina Berry

Title: Otherkin
Author: Nina Berry 
Genre: Young Adult/Urban Fantasy 
Series: Otherkin #1 
Publisher:  Kensington 
Number of Pages: 320
Source: My Copy 







Synopsis: 
Dez is a good girl who does as she's told and tries not to be noticed. Then she rescues a boy from a cage, and he tells her secrets about herself. Now inside her burns a darkness that will transform her. Everything is about to change--and neither Caleb, nor the Otherkin, nor those who hunt them, are prepared for what Dez will unleash.

I read this for Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-thon back in April.  I loved this one!! It's your typical Young Adult book: A young girl all of sudden gets powers she doesn't know she has and works to figure out why she is so different then everyone else while falling in love with the one boy she shouldn't be falling for. Caleb stole my heart and I can see why Dez totally fell for him. I love that they get each other out of trouble and the banter between the two is great. They were just a lot of fun together because even though there was the normal angst of "oh we shouldn't be together" it worked with this one because it didn't take over the entire story line. 

 What set this one apart from the crowd was the world building. I loved that there were different type of shifters and that no group gets along with the others, even though they face a common enemy. I also loved that even the Dez didn't really know what was going on with her, she dealt with it well, and was able to connect to those around her and make them see that they didn't have to be so different from one another. This was a great start to a new series, and I can't wait to see what will happen next. 

Review: Gone With The Wolf by Kristin Miller

Title: Gone With The Wolf
Author: Kristin Miller
Genre: Paranormal Romance 
Series: Seattle Wolf Pack #1
Publisher: Entangled Covet
Number of Pages: 208
Source: Netgalley 








CEO and alpha werewolf Drake Wilder has given up the search for his one true love. When he discovers that she’s a secretary in his company, Drake’s primal instincts kick into overdrive. What he wouldn’t give to have her fingers rake over his body instead of the keyboard…  Free-spirited bartender Emelia Hudson wants nothing more than to make her Seattle-based bar succeed. But when profits decline, she slips into a dress suit and secures a nine-to-five. After learning that her bar has become property of Wilder Financial, Emelia is determined to get some answers. Two can play the ruthless business game. If only her attraction to the boss wasn’t so intense… When Drake’s twin brother senses that Drake has found his match—and now inherits their father’s billion dollar estate—he hatches a plan to take Emelia out. Drake vows to protect her at all costs, but he might have to pay with his own life.


This book had such a great premise,  and I love shape shifter romances. I'm a sucker for them-especially when the heroine is hell bent on revenge.  However, I had a lot of trouble feeling the romance between Drake and Emelia. I just didn't understand how she go from hating him to loving him so fast with no real reason for the switch expect for a hot drunken  make out session.  

Drake and Emelia have all of the qualities I normally love in a paranormal romance couple: both are independent, headstrong and  unforgiving to each other, but I never really connected to the romance being told. I think a huge part of the reason why I didn't connect to was that it was predictable and read more like a contemporary romance then a paranormal one.    I think my hopes were just a little to high for this one. This is a great romance for someone who hasn't read a lot 0f pnr, but for me sadly, it just didn't take and I really wanted it to.