The Forbidden Series by Priscilla West

“What gives you a thrill Kristen?”

The minute I saw Vincent Sorenson, I knew he was trouble. Billionaire. Bad boy. And dangerously sexy. He was everything I craved, and nothing I needed.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t just avoid him. The higher ups at my company decided they needed his business, and I was on the team to bring him in. Vincent Sorenson didn’t seem as interested in business as he was in me, but I knew that was a door better left unopened. If I got involved with him, it would only unearth the pain I spent years trying to bury.

I thought I had it under control, but I seriously underestimated Vincent’s seductive charm and silver-tongue. I would soon find out how delicious it would feel to let myself fall into this forbidden surrender.

In the first book of the Forbidden series by Priscilla West entitled Forbidden Surrender, I was introduced to Kristen Daley, a Harvard grad who works in wealth management and Vincent Sorenson, a billionaire surfer. Kristen is on a team to secure Vincent as a client and after a very interesting first, second, and third meeting, Vincent convinces Kristen to go out on a date with him. She wanted discretion and boy did he provide it for her. Vincent has all of the luxuries his money could afford, but at the end of the day he is truly a simple guy at heart with expensive toys and such at his disposal. With a budding romance between these two on the horizon, Kristen has a troubled past that is threatening to disrupt her carefully reconstructed life.

 "What gives you a thrill Kristen?"

I knew that giving in to Vincent Sorenson was a risk, but it was one I was willing to take. I had hidden my heart for so long and for the first time in a long time, Vincent was close to breaking down the walls.

When a trip to Vincent's exclusive private island revealed the real Vincent underneath the layers of suave nonchalance, I thought we were close to the start of something special.

Just when things were looking up for us, I would discover the one secret that Vincent never intended for me to find.

The Player by J.D. Chase

Feisty redhead, Isla Hamilton, is the ambitious Assistant General Manager of a luxury Kensington hotel. When the hotel is sold, she is desperate to become the new General Manager. There’s just one problem standing in her way, and it’s standing over six feet tall - the king of arrogance and inappropriateness, Xander Rhodes. Her mind hates his obnoxious, godlike presence but, no matter how hard she fights it, her body reacts to his distinct style of directness, particularly his dirty mouth, and maintaining a professional distance soon becomes difficult.

Events from the recent past haunt her, forcing her to swear that she’ll never give another man a chance to hurt her. But Xander isn’t interested in commitment, he’s too busy battling his own demons that are shrouded in secrecy so he can’t hurt her, right? When he warns her that spending the night with him would only make her crave him like an addiction, she is sceptical and determined to prove him wrong. If anything, she’d make him crave her.

But will she be ready to handle the fallout if she succeeds?

Warning: adult content - dirty talk and hot sex may offend the prudish

I wasn’t too sure if I wanted to read this one and at some points I didn’t think I would finish it, but The Player by J.D. Chase was packed full of dirty talk between Isla Hamilton, Assistant General Manager of a luxury hotel and Xander Rhodes, the new owner. I must say that I have never read some of the word combinations before in my life. The phrase, ‘clutching my pearls’, cannot adequately explain my reaction to the words I read.

Deeper In Sin by Sharon Page

Passion Lost
Memories of a dark past have left the Duke of Caradon disinclined to have any fun. But at the urging of friends, he finds himself attending a Cyprian ball in the hope that some woman will attract his attention. And one certainly does. A stunningly sensual woman who reawakens feelings of carnal desire he thought long lost. . .

Desire Found
Sophie Ashley knows little of the courtesan life except what she's read in a book. A quick learner, Sophie makes her debut at the Cyprian Ball hoping to find a wealthy protector. And when she makes the acquaintance of the reclusive Duke of Caradon, she's most eager to test her talents in the art of erotic seduction. .

I have to say that I liked this novel better than I thought I would. Deeper in Sin by Sharon Page was an interesting tale in the Wicked Duke series where Sophie Ashley, who was a single mother, who had dreams of moving to London to become Victorian aged THOT. Sophia believed that with the aid of a journal her mother had written and abandoned, much like she did Sophia as a baby, would be all the instructions she would need to trick for treats and support herself. Conversely, the Duke of Caradon, or Cary, was a man needing to get his groove back after several horrendous events that had occurred throughout his life. From being kidnapped as a small child to being a prisoner of war, Cary has his demons to battle conquer in order to move on with his life.  

Absolute Lovers by SJ Hooks

 

Professor Stephen Worthington has been schooled in the bedroom by free-spirited student Julia Wilde. But what started as a casual arrangement has turned into so much more—at least for Stephen.

Head over heels, Stephen is tired of being just “sex buddies.” Julia’s resisting, but her blithe attitude towards keeping it casual may just be a front. Can he prove to her that their amazing sexual chemistry can mix with romance and ultimately win her heart?

In this eagerly awaited sequel to S.J. Hooks’ successful first novel, Absolute Beginners, readers will find themselves riding alongside Stephen and Julia’s highs and lows as their friends-with-benefits relationship reaches a crossroads. Absolute Lovers’ humor and romance will tease and delight both dedicated fans and new readers alike.

 Absolute Lovers is the final installment in the Absolute Novels series.

*This novel contains mature content.

Absolute Lovers is the second novel in the Absolute series written by SJ Hooks. This story picked up right where Absolute Beginners left off, with Julia and Stephen apart a horrible misunderstanding between the two of them. Stephen is literally, lovesick and is moping around while Julia is simply trying to hold on after the death of her grandfather.

This installment had all of the supporting characters as book one, but took a deeper look into the lives of both Stephen and Julia. However, their back stories did seem a bit shallow and could have used a little more depth. I mean, maybe it’s just me, but I wanted to know a little bit more about the how and why Stephen had his boudoir complex besides his one encounter with what’s her face.  Also, I wanted to learn more about the how and why Julia was able to take off around Europe at such a young age. You also get a glimpse of how smart Julia really is as a student.

Absolute Beginners by SJ Hooks

Professor Stephen Worthington’s life makes perfect sense.

He teaches classes on Tuesdays and Fridays. He has dinners with his parents on the weekend. He goes to the gym with his comically crass stepbrother, Matt, a few days each week. And every night, he heads home at a reasonable hour, alone.

There’s only one thorn in Stephen’s perfectly organized side: Ms. Julia Wilde. Never has Stephen dealt with a more unruly student. She’s rude, provocative, infuriating—and she dresses in a way that is completely unbecoming for a lady. Stephen can’t wait for the semester to be over, and then he’ll never have to see her again.

That is, until Stephen finds himself out of the classroom and in Julia’s apartment. Suddenly, the student/teacher roles are reversed, and the professor receives a much-needed lesson between the sheets. Stephen thought his life made sense, but after his tryst with Julia, he finds himself changed in more ways than one. Maybe he’s coming down with something.

Or maybe, something a little out of the ordinary is exactly what this stuffy professor needs to really live.

*This novel contains mature content*

I have to say it really took me a while to read this book on my Netgalley shelf. I wasn’t too sure how it would play out. I mean, would it be too much, or too little? Would it be just another cliché? Well, it was none of that, Absolute Beginners by SJ Hooks was a pretty good read that I actually enjoyed. This was the tale of how a shy college professor, Stephen Worthington and his seemingly bright, yet antagonistic student, Julia Wilde.