Review & Giveaway: Turning Up the Heat Blog Tour

Title: Too Wicked To Wed

Series: Lords of Midnight #1

Author: Cara Elliott | Website

Available: Now

Genre: Historical Romance

Reading Level: Adult

Description via Goodreads:

Outspoken and independent, Lady Alexa Bingham enjoys the heady freedom of making all her own decisions, even though the challenges of overseeing her family's country estate are daunting. But when a chance encounter with London's most notorious rake awakens a secret longing for adventure, she accepts her aunt's invitation for a Season in Town . . . only to find that breaking the rules of the ton has serious consequences.

The Earl of Killingworth uses his rakehell reputation to hide the fact that poverty has forced him to work for a living. As the owner of a gambling den and brothel, Connor has no time for glittering ballrooms or innocent young ladies. But after a reckless wager leaves him with a new business partner, he is forced to take a risky gamble . . . Will the cards fall in their favor? Alexa and Connor begin to play a dangerous game of intrigue and deception as they seek to outwit a cunning adversary who wants to put them permanently out of business. But if they are not careful, it is the flames of their own fiery attraction that may destroy them.

My thoughts:

Loved it! Too Wicked to Wed starts Cara Elliott's new series off amazingly. Main characters Connor and Alexa meet in a brothel where they engage in a steamy kiss up against a very erotic painting. With the story starting out on such an intense note I was worried the author would be hard pressed to continue the momentum. I had no reason to worry. They had a chemistry that was palpable from page one, and it just kept getting better and better. I couldn't get enough of them together. Alexa was so sassy and brave. She is exactly the type of character I hope to encounter when picking up a historical romance novel. Connor was also unbelievably sexy. Wow, wow, wow! He had me swooning. It was easy to see why Alexa became so easily smitten with the man aptly nicknamed "The Irish Wolfhound".

Too Wicked to Wed also offers a healthy dose of suspense. Someone is out to get Connor, and Alexa is eager to help him solve the mystery much to his dismay. I was flipping through the pages of Too Wicked to Wed at a rapid pace eager to discover the "bad guys" as well as to witness more steamy (and a few heartwarming) moments between Alexa and Connor. 

We also meet Connor's closest friends, Cameron and Gryff. I think it is safe to assume we will get to know them better as this series continues. I for one can't wait! This was a superb start to a brand new series. Cara Elliott did a great job of creating an engaging story that will leave readers pining for more.

My Rating:

Title: Deliciously Sinful

Author: Lilli Feisty | Website

Available: 11/22/2011

Genre: Romance

Reading Level: Adult

Description via Goodreads:

Things are cooking in the kitchen...and the bedroom.

Restaurant owner Phoebe Mayle thought she had it all under control. Sure, her new chef has a bad-boy reputation - and a chiseled body to match - but she's positive she can whip him into shape.

But from the moment Nick Avalon roars into town in his Hummer, he makes her whole world sizzle. Now Phoebe has lost control of her kitchen, and Nick has taken over her mind and her body. His insatiable appetite for pleasure leaves her breathless with carnal cravings only he can satisfy. Yet can their hunger for each other be a recipe for a love that lasts?

Quotable quotes:

"Out of all the women in all the world, he had to go and slather chocolate on this one."

My thoughts:

Holy hotness, Batman! Deliciously Sinful almost started a five-alarm fire in my living room. Wowzers! I've become a bit of a romance junkie since starting my blog, but erotic romance isn't something I've read much of. After experiencing Lilli Feisty's, Deliciously Sinful, I have to ask myself why that is. I totally loved this story! 

Nick is a badass chef from L.A. After getting wrapped up in a scandal, he takes a job working for Phoebe at the small-town cafe she inherited from her aunt and uncle. Nick is 100% bad boy and carrying a massive chip on his shoulder. Phoebe is a temper wielding control freak. Both main characters possess very dominant personalities. This causes them to be at each others throats from day one. Their shared anger quickly dissolves into an undeniable attraction and leads to some less than professional behavior in the storage room, on the beach, at his house. Well, you get the picture.

I fell in love with setting of Deliciously Sinful. The "hippie" community of Redbolt, California is exactly the type of place I envision myself (hopefully) living someday. The writing was also beautifully descriptive. The time and detail dedicated to exploring tastes, textures, and smells had my mouth watering. I love food centric books. Food played a huge (at times unorthodox) role in Deliciously Sinful. There were several scenes involving food and kitchen tools in ways I don't think my mind would be capable of conjuring on its own. I'm blushing just thinking about it ;) This book is seriously HOT no question, but it is also paired with perfectly developed characters who evolve and change so much over the course of the novel. Deliciously Sinful is much more than just sexy time (no worries there is plenty of that as well). Utterly fabulous! I do wish the ending had been stretched out a bit more. The tension and emotion that built up while reading was so strong and intense that the ending left we wanting just a little more. I'm a sucker for a drawn out dramatic ending. What can I say :)

The author also took the time to introduce several secondary characters including Phoebe's niece and brother-in-law who I'm eager to learn more about. I truly hope she considers revisiting the town of Redbolt in forthcoming novels. Regardless of where she takes reader next, I will definitely be picking up more of Lilli Feisty's books in the future.

My Rating:

Giveaway:

I have 3 sets of Too Wicked to Wed & Deliciously Sinful up for grabs.

Open to residents of the U.S & Canada

No P.O Boxes please

Ends 11/22

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Review & Giveaway: To Tempt A Rake by Cara Elliott

Title: To Tempt A Rake
Series: Circle of Sin #3
Author: Cara Elliott
Available: Now
Genre: Historical Romance
Reading Level: Adult


2.5 out of 5 Stars












Description from Goodreads:


Kate Woodbridge has spent most of her life sailing to exotic ports around the globe, acquiring an expertise in botany, along with a few less ladylike skills. So when a deathbed promise to her parents brings her to London to seek reconciliation with her grandfather, the imperious Duke of Cluyne, she feels like a fish out of water. Her outspoken views and fiery temper tend to set off sparks in Society-especially with the rakish Conte of Como.

A devil-may-care rogue, Marco finds the alluring and mysterious Kate a tempting target for his flirtations. But when murder strikes at the duke's country house party he begins to suspect that she's hiding a dark secret. He has his own clandestine reasons for offering to help her prove her innocence . . . And so begins a journey of dangerous deception that leads from England to the glittering ballrooms of Vienna, where Marco and Kate must duel with a deadly villain . . . and their own explosive attraction.


My thoughts:


To Tempt A Rake is the 3rd book in the Circle of Sin series. I had no issues reading it even though I haven’t read the previous two books. The book primarily focuses on Marco and Kate. Marco plays the role of a man who enjoys to partake in a life of drinking and womanizing. While these are most definitely hobbies of his, he also has another very important responsibility. 


Kate is the daughter of an American man, some would consider a pirate, and an English mother. She made a promise when they were dying that she would attempt to form a relationship with her judgmental English grandfather. This has brought her to England, and placed her directly in the sights of Marco. He finds Kate fascinating and familiar, but he can’t figure out why. He pursues her, and she refuses to fall for a man like him. When they find themselves wrapped up in a murder mystery they have no choice but to become allies. The close contact just might spur something more.


I have mixed feelings about To Tempt A Rake. I absolutely adored Kate, but Marco was setting off my sleazeball radar in a major way. While I usually have no problem forgiving the male characters in books for past discretions, Marco’s behavior was unprecedented. I had difficulty finding any redeeming characteristics in him. When he finally revealed the haunted past that lead him to lead the life of a rouge, I found it very anticlimactic. Yes, it was sad, but didn’t seem to be enough to take away his ability to love and be loved like he claimed. Kate’s past seemed much more sordid, and she wasn’t nearly as emotionally damaged. My lack of love for one of the main characters, paired with a very slow start to the first half of the book made it hard for me to want to continue reading. I also felt it was bogged down with too many characters. I had trouble keeping track of who was who, and felt the need to take notes to keep the large cast straight. 


The plot did pick up after a murder that made me think of the board game Clue. Not a bad thing at all, as I love me some Clue. The second half of the book focuses more on Marco and Kate, and their quest to bring down the bad guys. This gave Marco a chance to redeem himself a bit, and I found the ick factor he provoked diminished slightly. Kate was really the driving force that kept me reading. She is everything I love in a heroine, but I’m just not 100% sure how I feel about her being paired with a scoundrel like Marco. 


I’ve heard so many wonderful things about this series, and went into this book with high hopes.  I’ll still consider giving earlier books in this series a try. 

Cara Elliott on the web:

Author Photo and Bio

Like Cara Elliott on Facebook

Visit CaraElliott.com

Books in this series:

Giveaway Time:

I have three copies of To Tempt A Rake up for grabs courtesy of Hachette Book Group.

Rules:
Open to residents of the US & Canada
No P.O Boxes please
Winners are subject to the one copy per household rule
Ends 2/28
Please fill out the form to enter. Comments are always appreciated, but will not count as an entry.

Source: Publisher

Blog Tour & Giveaway: To Surrender To A Rogue by Cara Elliott

An expert in antiquities, Lady Alessandra della Giamatti arrives in Bath to excavate newly discovered Roman ruins-only to find herself caught in a web of evil intrigue by a blackmailer threatening to expose her scandalous past. The one man who can help her is Lord James "Black Jack" Pierson, a fellow member of the expedition and a sinfully handsome rogue whose tempting presence ignites a different sort of danger. 

Jack has clashed with Alessandra in the past, so when she suddenly surrenders her body he can't help being suspicious. Is she a scheming temptress? Or is she truly a lady in trouble? As desire and deceptions swirl around them, Alessandra and Jack must find a way to win each other's trust. For if they don't work together to uncover a shocking truth, their enemy-and their own simmering passions-may destroy them and everything they cherish.

Five Fun Facts about To Surrender To A Rogue

Cara Elliott’s Author Page on HBG

Cara Elliott on the web:

Website | Facebook | Word Wenches Blog | Twitter

Thanks to Anna with Hachette Book Group I have 5 copies of To Surrender To A Rogue up for grabs.


THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!

Rules: 

Open to U.S and Canadian Residents

No P.O Boxes please :)

Book ships directly from publisher
Ends July 10th 11:59 CST
Fill out the form to enter.