Review of Go Hard

As promised, I'll be continuing reviews. Here's a long delayed review of a sports romance which the author kindly sent me an ARC of.

Title: Go Hard

Author: B.B. Hamel

Plot in a snap: Owen Rack is starting out as the rookie running back for a respected team, the Philadelphia Eagles, which is looking to revive their flagging performance. And the female protagonist Taylor Jones  is a new physiotherapist trainee/ physical therapist and trainer working for the same team. Through a series of fortuitous events, primarily her boss' pregnancy, she is promoted and becomes a dedicated therapist for Owen. Taylor struggles with the ethics of dating a team member, realising that her job is on the line if they were exposed. Owen, on the other hand, struggles with his problematic knee and a past that has come back to haunt him in the form of a member of the Mafia, Tony. Read to find out how the couple overcome their fears and problems before that HEA!

What triggered the huhs? : The rapid switch from player out for a good time to serious boyfriend material. And the mafia part seemed a little questionable too, looking undecided and a little weird. Granted the criminal mind is unpredictable and unfamiliar to the reviewer but really?? The resolution of that threat, given the fact that they seem to control several players on the team seemed a tad unrealistic.

What worked: The hot sex; B.B. Hamel doesn't disappoint!

What was learnt: Never to go in some communal hot tub - seriously, did Taylor never wonder how much DNA  from the rest of the team was there - ok, this was just the reviewer projecting the eww factor 😵

Amazon rating: 4*

Blog rating: 3*

Here's the Amazon link for the book  https://www.amazon.com/Go-Hard-Bad-Sports-Romance-ebook/dp/B01JDQ4J62

Go get a copy!

I'm gonna go enjoy the Google Fruit games - it's a lot more entertaining than the Rio games despite the latter's drama.

Review of Bull by BB Hamel

Disclosure: I received an ARC in return for an honest review.

Title: Bull

Author: BB Hamel

Story in a snap: Charley, a rookie journalist with a sports network, wrangles a chance to interview the bad boy of football, Bull. Along the way, after getting to know the real Bull in all senses of the word, she changes her mind. But she is exposed and Bull pushes her away. After battling the mafia bunch who threatens both of them, Charley and Bull pulls a coup using the article she was intent on writing. Read to find out the twist.

What puzzled/didn't work: Why the secret baby tag? Secret babies are by definition secret? Charley told Bull about the baby fairly quickly after she found out. The pace was also rather slow at the start. Fortunately, it picked up after that.

What worked:  The dildo twist worked well haha! Not the first time this was used, but it was pretty funny LOL

What made me go duh: Why are most heroines reduced to incoherent capitulation by a bad boy with a huge dick? Seriously!

Still, it's a pretty decent and entertaining read. And no worries if you're not a sports fan, even for someone who knew so little about American football that she didn't know tight end was not just a compliment, it was fairly easy to follow.

Blog rating: 2.8*
Amazon rating: 4*

Read and decide for yourself! Here's the Amazon link!

Summer Madness

It may be the heat or a brief moment of illogical generosity (frankly, the preference is for the latter) but I've decided to offer readers the chance to win up to 10 times the price of each of the two books featured in the events in Amazon vouchers during 2 author takeover sessions. There will be 5 winners in the session on 22 August (event banner to be revealed tomorrow) and 3 winners in the event on 29 August. All answers to be submitted during the event on the relevant contest posts. If there is more than 1 correct answer, there will be a lucky draw.

There are 3 easy steps to winning:

1  Buy and read these two books  http://goo.gl/S5yK7O and http://amzn.to/1MaR8Bz

2  Get your invite to the 2 events in Facebook

3  Answer the questions in the contest posts

Once the winners are announced, winners please PM your email to me - it's necessary for the vouchers to be emailed to you.

Good luck and see you all at the 2 events!

Surprise Gift

Big thanks to all who downloaded during the freebie period! A Step Into Darkness Part 3 reached top 100 during that time. Actually took screenshots! Hey, newbie excitement!

So here's the surprise giveaway promised. The first three readers who send in the right answer to the question below by 0001 PST on 14 July 2015 (Tuesday) will each get a US$5 Amazon voucher. Yes, it's a tiny prize and really just a way to thank readers who take the time to read.

The question: What is the one word in Part3 that appears in a different colour and which chapter is it in?

Answers must be sent in to this email, please do NOT submit answers on any other channels. Early readers are not allowed to take part and the copies you have do not have the same identification point, you have a item/gift, so don't pout! 

Post at the end of a crazy week

Been a crazy week ending in an awful cold. Curling up with my favourite kinky reads and continuing to weave the journey into dark desire. Hint: Jamie takes over Victoria's senses after initiating her in Part 1 and signing possession in Part 2

The Original Sin Story arc continues its serialization on http://t.co/M5LiVf0TyM

And while I hate to throw complications in the lovebirds' way but all this will only make it sweeter and hotter later on!

Enjoy the week ahead!

Goodnight, goodnight

About to start a new job tomorrow, so a fond adieu to the free time that allowed fairly frequent posts and writing. However, I will still try to post regularly and keep to schedule!

Here's the link for chapter 2 of Marguerite's story which will be serialised in a manner similar to chapter 1 http://eroftasy.blogspot.com/2015/05/aftermath.html  Chapter 2 is more "traditional romance" in style. Enjoy!

Leaving all with these lines from Ophelia via Eliot:

Good night, ladies, good night, sweet ladies (and gentlemen), good night, good night.

Wine And Erotica

It's Friday! Hope all readers are having a good one. Finally managed to have a glass of wine and relax before the "super" work weekend. Plus crackers with peanut butter. Ok, weird combinations, but it's sparked off a thought about Food Play ~ expect to see that in the works soon!

The serialization continues as well, the violent part is today, so heads up for those who are a little more sensitive. Link is here http://eroftasy.blogspot.sg/2015/04/purgatory.html

Once the serialization of Chapter 1 is done, there'll be a fun contest: the first 3 readers who can point out the paragraphs from the book which are missing from the serialization will get to read the first chapter of part 3 before it's published! Details of that contest will be announced at the end of the serialization.

Have fun this weekend! Preferably ordering and reading a copy of  A Step Into Darkness Part 1 and 2 available in Amazon  , Barnes and Noble , iTunes , Google Play and BookRix . LOL Well, you can't blame me for trying!

Heat Rising

And it isn't just the weather! Moving on all 3 fronts with short story collection, the contemporary romance plot and A Step Into Darkness.

Just realised that Part 1 and 2 are available through Google Books/Play as well:

For A Step Into Darkness  Part 1, click here 

For A Step Into Darkness  Part 2, click here

Have fun with the samples! Enjoy the heat!

And a link for my secret indulgence: Luis Mario in Gata Salvaje. The drama was a hot mess but it's fun, fun, fun! And no one, I repeat, no one pouts like this guy lol.  youtu.be/dCiyQDA8z-Q

Rape Trope and the Part One controversy

When A Step Into Darkness was first conceptualized, it was not intended to be a bodice ripper, though I’ve read a fair number of them, including some of the more infamous examples, particularly Christine Monson’s Stormfire.

As Part One was released, I braced myself for the backlash though precautionary measures were taken that included reducing the details in the description of the rape of Marguerite, Mary and Cicely by the Brotherhood. That rape scene was intended to show the misogynistic thought processes of male characters such as William Wentworth in the 1700s, where the only desire that counted was that of men. Hence, the exercise of power in terms of desire and sexuality was male-centric, the most extreme example being the Brotherhood, which some astute first readers have realised takes inspiration from the Hellfire clubs of Wharton and Dashwood.

That Marguerite’s son goes on to rape Victoria Wentworth in an act of revenge that ironically echoes his mother’s ordeal is as much revenge trope as it is rape trope. What disturbed readers most was perhaps Victoria’s physical reaction. To clarify, she is not experiencing rape fantasies and the scene is not meant to express that trope either. Rather, it expresses the male view of sex and desire as power over the female. Victoria’s reaction reflects her identity at the time, a young single lady who has been closeted within the confines of social regulations for much of her life, expected, in most circumstances, not to have sexual encounters or experience. The awakening of desire and the journey it takes female protagonist 1 (yes, there is at least one other who does not appear till Book 3) on will be the exploration of desire from the female perspective within a male-centric social structure. That is in essence the direction of the narrative for the series. Hopefully, this resolves most questions and will allow readers to enjoy the books.

A Step Into Darkness is Book One in the Darkest Before Dawn series , which has a total of 5 books.
For readers who would like to have a copy of the books:

A Step Into Darkness Part One is now out on
iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-step-into-darkness-part-one/id985919142?mt=11
Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-step-into-darkness-part-one-judith-loewe/1121748210?ean=9783736887084&isbn=9783736887084
Amazon Kindle version http://www.amazon.com/Step-Into-Darkness-Part-One-ebook/dp/B00UYFSJ3G

A Step Into Darkness Part Two is also out on
iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-step-into-darkness-part-two/id985105771?mt=11
Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-step-into-darkness-part-two-judith-loewe/1121727028?ean=9783736887138&isbn=9783736887138
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Step-Into-Darkness-Darkest-Before-ebook/dp/B00VMQUIN0/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429273605&sr=1-5&keywords=a+step+into+darkness .

Do read and rate! Personal or private responses are welcome as well, email me.

For readers who loved Marguerite and wish to read more about her, please follow The Original Sin series  by outofshadows on Literotica. The offshoot was inspired by reader requests for more of Marguerite’s story arc.

Have a great weekend reading!

Of Hookup Conversations and Book Availability

Attended the Forever Romance Historical Hookup and it was more fun than anticipated! Would have been a lot more fun if silly me hadn't gotten lost on the wrong platform! You can still see snippets of it on the Facebook page for the event and on my Twitter wall @judith_loewe . Many thanks to Forever Romance who hosted the event as well as Lily Dalton and Elizabeth Hoyt who kindly responded!

Thanks to the folks over at BookRix for their patience and help in getting the books out. Here are the links for part 1 on BookRix and iTunes  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-step-into-darkness-part-one/id985919142?mt=11 

Have fun reading!

Am off to download Bumble for some fun!

It's Live!

Yeess!!! Part 2 is out!

Please check it out on:

Barnes and Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-step-into-darkness-part-two-judith-loewe/1121727028?ean=9783736887138&isbn=9783736887138

iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-step-into-darkness-part-two/id985105771?mt=11

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W1738SG/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=boo0d5-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325

Leaving you with another snippet before I go do a little dance, no rain but dancing is always fun!

The room was filled with the scent of their lovemaking and the rasps of harsh breaths as they recovered from their wild coupling...

Alternative storyline for Marguerite

Marguerite proved more popular than I had expected, hence, an alternative storyline was created for her that looks beyond the attack. In chapter 2, Marguerite deals with the consequences of the attack and experiences healing with her fiance. The revenge angle will return from chapter 3 onwards and warning: it's not pretty, not by any stretch of the imagination.

Here's the link for the Literotica post :
The Original Sin Ch. 02 https://www.literotica.com/s/the-original-sin-ch-02

One further note before the work week starts proper: Literotica is the only free site online that I post previews or stories on, any other posts on other sites are not mine.

Happy reading!