A Diamond in the Dark

Title:  A Diamond in the Dark

Author:  Sassie Lewis

Publisher:  Beachwalk Press

Publisher URL:  http://beachwalkpress.com

ISBN/BIN:   9781940744834

Genre:  {M/F} Erotic Contemporary BBW

Rating:  4 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer:  Amethyst Nymph

Before he did something stupid, Axton had to get laid.  Erotic dreams about the woman he’d known since she was 2 years old was driving him bananas.  Axton practically felt like a pervert, but he just couldn’t help it.  Maybe a weekend away would give him a chance to get Tia out of his head.  Well, it might have worked if Axton didn’t wake up to find the delectable woman straddling him.

Tia has been in love with Axton for as long as she can remember.  Her first orgasm as a teenager happened when watching him skinny dip in the lake.  The more she did to gain his attention, the more annoyed he seemed to become.  Tia was tired of watching from the sideline while Axton took off with another trashy woman.  She had to try a new tactic to get Axton to see her as more than family. 

The dynamics of Tia and Axton’s relationship is complicated in A Diamond in the Dark.  The strikes they have working against them might not necessarily be issues, the age difference and the family.  Tia has no doubt that they should be together but Axton tries his best to fight the losing battle.  He’s torn and people around him are starting to notice that something is wrong.   Eventually Tia and Axton take their relationship to the next level but decide to keep it a secret for a while.  Secrets seem to always come out at the worse times, and this one was no different.  What could have torn the family apart actually brought everyone closer together.  Axton was a bit too noble for his own good sometimes and Tia seemed like a puppy on his heels.  That led to some sexually charged scenes that readers will appreciate.  I loved the history between the couple and found them both easy to relate to.  Their family made me jealous and left me feeling comforted at the end of the story.

Solstice Heat

Title: Solstice Heat
Author: Leila Brown
Publisher: Loose Id
Publisher URL: http://www.loose-id.com/
ISBN: 978-1-60737-909-6
Genre: {M/F} BBW, Multicultural, Shape-shifter
Rating: 4 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Amethyst Nymph

Giovanni Odell isn’t about to let her little sister fall victim to some pervert on the computer. After reading some of the e-mails her sister received from this stranger, Gio decides to issue him a warning in person. Things go from bad to strange the moment she arrives at his remote cabin. One minute Gio is arguing with a man in a wheelchair and the next, she’s being pinned down by a wolf.

After months of talking online, Jason has a chance to have a woman look at him again with something other than pity. The women in the pack no longer did that. Just because he couldn’t walk any more didn’t mean he’d given up the hopes of finding a mate. Jason’s anger takes over and now if Gio can’t come to terms with their unexpected situation, her life could be at risk.

An accidental bite complicates things for Gio and Jason. She is forced to trust a man she doesn’t know and he is forced to outwit the new Alpha of the pack, who’s looking for any reason to get rid of Jason, once and for all. Throw in the fact that Gio is going into heat and fighting it every step of the way.

Solstice Heat isn’t your typical shifter romance and Jason isn’t your typical guy. Once, he was Alpha but an accident made him give that all up. One common theme that Jason and Gio share is that they both try fighting the inevitable. Sometimes in life you get what you need, not what you want. I was glad to see the couple’s need turn into want. The scenes where Jason shifted and was forced into immediate physical action made me happy and sad at once. In the end, I was glad that he had more fight left in him than I thought. And with a strong willed woman like Gio around, Jason would certainly need that. Gio’s reaction to the entire situation was very realistic and I enjoyed the fact that she wasn’t a cowering wallflower. This story has plenty of action, and not only in the bedroom, which will keep readers engrossed from beginning to end.

Raen

Title: Raen
Author: Michelle Hasker
Publisher: Changeling Press
Publisher URL: http://www.changelingpress.com/
ISBN: 978-1-60521-475-7
Genre: {M/F} Paranormal, Shape-shifters, BBW
Rating: 4 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Amethyst Nymph

The shirtless photo from her online cowboy is the only thing that brightens Raen’s days. Meeting Dru unexpectedly has Raen torn between running into his arms and making a mad dash in the opposite direction.

Before knowing her name, Dru’s dragon is aching to claim the cheeky Raen as his mate. Even the possibility of frightening her away doesn’t keep Dru from laying all of his cards on the table. Hopefully, he gambles and wins.

Raen has her reasons for doubting Dru’s sincerity about his feelings for her, which are easy to understand. She has moments of self-doubt, but Raen is still a strong woman who knows how to hold her own. Readers will find it effortless to relate to her.

Raen, the latest installment in the Dragon Kin series, is a wonderful reminder of why I love reading about dragons. They never give up and will go to any length to win their mate. I doubt there’s a woman alive who can resist this kind of charm. Dru and Raen’s accelerated story ends more abruptly than I assumed, but it did leave me curious about what will happen next. Michelle Hasker has done an admirable job.

Possessing Eleanor

Title: Possessing Eleanor
Author: Tessie Bradford
Publisher: Resplendence Publishing
Publisher URL: http://www.resplendencepublishing.com/
ISBN: 978-1-60735-133-7
Genre: {M/F} Contemporary Erotic BDSM, BBW
Rating: 3.5 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Amethyst Nymph

Choosing not to date didn’t bother Eleanor one bit because life was good. She’s financially stable and has great friends, so what more could she want? Just as she was thinking things couldn’t be better, Eleanor meets a man who makes her tingle from just the thought of him.

Jackson knew how to read people, especially women, and he knew Eleanor wanted him. There was no doubt in his mind that the sexy lady crawling under her desk was the perfect submissive for him. All that was left to do was claim Eleanor and show her all the pleasures he had in store for her.

Even though she was drawn to Jackson, Eleanor was a bit put off by Jackson’s archaic attitude. Jackson, being the man that he was, saw nothing wrong with his actions. Stubbornness creates a misunderstanding in this spontaneous romance, but finally both parties realize the depth of their feelings.

One particular disagreement between Jackson and Eleanor had me questioning Jackson’s appeal. I was shocked and angered by his reaction. Fortunately, there was a scene that showed Jackson’s concern for not overwhelming Eleanor and that made my anger disappear. No matter what, that man was over the moon for his woman and he never let her forget it. The desire between the couple almost jumped off the pages. Tessie Bradford created two passionate characters that took me through a range of emotions and made me glad I picked up Possessing Eleanor.

Charly’s Chocolate Factory

Title: Charly’s Chocolate Factory
Author: Celia Kyle and Lizzie Lyn Lee
Publisher: Changeling Press
Publisher URL: http://changelingpress.com/
ISBN: 978-1-60521-371-2
Genre: {M/F} Interracial, BBW
Rating: 4.5 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Amethyst Nymph

Selling sensually delicious chocolate treats at her shop, Charly’s Chocolate Factory, has definitely made Charlene’s business quite the cash cow. As much as she loves her work, Charlene has to admit that it’s been a long time since she encountered a man she actually wanted to lick chocolate off.

Linc has avoided his job as long as possible, but there is no way around it. Wagner and Sons wants Charly’s Chocolate Factory booted from the building and they chose Linc to do their dirty work. He expected it to be less than pleasant, but Linc didn’t expect to be attracted to the owner.

One night of knee buckling sex could turn into more if the couple actually finds a spare moment to talk. Charlene and Linc are so drawn to each other that I practically saw steam rising from the pages. There’s something wonderfully wicked about strangers who can’t keep their hands off each other that catapulted this story to another level for me. Charlene isn’t the wallflower I initially assumed and that made me like her more. She has an adventurous side that I think every woman should have. I felt Charly’s reaction to being evicted was realistic. Linc was placed between a rock and a hard place but I was glad he never gave up trying to make things right for Charly. The authors did a fantastic job of not labeling Linc as a bad guy, even though there was one second I had my doubts about him. Thank goodness I was wrong. The ending of this impulsively erotic story feels like a beginning and left me hoping for more about this couple in the future.

Fire in the Sky

Title: Fire in the Sky
Author: Michelle Hasker
Publisher: Changeling Press
Publisher URL: http://changelingpress.com/
ISBN: 978-1-60521-326-2
Genre: {M/F} Paranormal, Interracial, BBW
Rating: 4 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Amethyst Nymph

Working for a boss who is drop dead handsome and grumpy-as-all-get-out is driving Selena over the edge. She wants to hear Kyden scream her name while he’s taking her on the desk, instead of screaming for her to get into his office. Staying calm and keeping her mouth shut is getting harder by the minute.

Kyden’s dragon wants its mate and is tired of waiting to claim her. He has four secretaries at his disposal, but he always chooses Selena. After seeing the fire in her eyes, Kyden purposely pushes her buttons, hoping to make her lose control. So far, nothing made her break so Kyden decides to step up his game.

As if working for the boss from hell isn’t bad enough, Selena has the misfortune of having an extra obstacle thrown into the mix. Even I wanted to strangle Kyden at first. But if any boss could get me jazzed about Monday mornings in the office, it would be him. Michelle Hasker brings the heat on the pages of Fire in the Sky, her contribution to the Dragon Kin series. Readers will fall in love with this passionate dragon tale, just as I have.

Chocolate Covered Cheri

Title: Chocolate Covered Cheri
Author: Marteeka Karland
Publisher: Changeling Press
Publisher URL: http://www.changelingpress.com/
ISBN: 978-1-60521-288-3
Genre: {M/F} The Fetish Club, BBW
Rating: 5 Nymphs
Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Amethyst Nymph

Just the sound of her boss’ voice made Cheri Dodson want to quiver. Apparently, he had decided it was his mission in life to get on her nerves. On top of that, he was just too damn hot for his own good and that was really driving Cheri crazy. She just had to avoid him as much as possible to keep her resistance from slipping.

Jedadiah Blackheart knew Cheri was special from the moment he hired her and he was ready to make his move. Work was the only opportunity he had to get under Cheri’s skin so Jedadiah decided to use work as an excuse to get her right where he wanted her, in his arms.

Sex and chocolate are an unbeatable combination that left me whimpering for more in Chocolate Covered Cheri. The things that man does to Cheri are so wonderfully wicked that I had to stand up and applaud literally. Marteeka Karland has a way with meshing dessert and desire like no other author, and I pray she has more such stories waiting in the wings. The banter between Cheri and Jedadiah is perfect foreplay because this couple really brings the heat, even before they become intimate. Once they each come clean with their feelings, things get even more erotic. This one is a must read that will leave you hungry, in more ways than one. I now see chocolate in a whole new light.