REVIEW: LOVE AND OTHER GAMES by ANA BLAZE, MELINDA DOZIER, ARIA KANE, AND KARA LEIGH MILLER

Genre: Contemporary Romance (Anthology)
Publisher: Swoon Romance
Publication Date: 10/1/13
Format: ebook
Pages: 242
Source: Received from publisher for review
Rating: 3.5 stars

LOVE AND OTHER GAMES is a collection of four sexy new adult stories centered around athletes competing in the Winter Games by Ana Blaze, Melinda Dozier, Aria Kane, and Kara Leigh Miller.

Worth More Than Gold by Ana Blaze

Amy Pierce, the klutzy sister and manager of America’s Skating Sweetheart, is used to being invisible. But when a friend drags her to a party near the Olympic Village, Amy catches the eye of a sexy Norwegian ski jumper. It’s a magical night, but an awkward next morning has her running.

Everyone knows Erik Andresen’s best shot at an individual medal was back in 2010, before an injury pulled him from the competition. He’s there for his team, but a hot night and a remarkable final training session have him wondering if a gorgeous good-luck charm could give him another chance at the podium.

With a little bit of luck, these two might have a shot at something worth more than gold.

Trouble with Gold by Melinda Dozier

US snowboarder and notorious prankster, Ty (Trouble) Madsen is only getting a taste of his own medicine when his Olympic teammates shackle him to a fence wearing nothing but his boxers.

Reception and protocol volunteer, Nadia Hoffman, gets up close and personal with the sexy snowboarder to rescue him, but she's not the kind of girl who lets her hormones get in her way. A professional performance could help her land her dream job at Olympics Committee Headquarters, but her new assignment supervising the rambunctious US Snowboarding Team is making that difficult. Can she see behind the snowman in the community center bathroom and into the warm heart of the man everyone calls Trouble?

The Girl behind the Gold by Aria Kane

Greek aerial skier Lia Milonas’s parents are about to lose the family farm. Saving it means medaling and landing a huge sponsor. While her no-nonsense attitude has her well on her way to a medal, it hasn’t won her a place in fans' hearts.

“Come back with a story that will make readers cry, or don’t come back.” This is what Brandon James’ boss told him before he left New York to cover the Winter Games for Moment Magazine. With a wink and a smile, he can charm his way into any invite-only party, but that career-making story is nowhere to be found – until he meets Lia.

The two strike a deal that should get them both what they want - but neither would have guessed they’d also find what they need.

Ice Gold by Kara Leigh Miller

Colton Campbell thrives on the fast paced, adrenaline rushed lifestyle of being an Olympic hockey player.

Despite Brenna Jessup's abhorrence for the games and the athletes, she's hand-picked as the official photographer for the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team.

When a faux pas by Brenna almost costs Colton his career, she owes him. Too bad for her, Colton doesn't want apologies -- he wants retribution! And he knows just how to get it -- and her -- in the process.

I love the Winter Olympics so much; more than the Summer Games. I've always been fascinated by the skaters, dancers, skiiers, jumpers....And the fact that this anthology is set around the Winter Games made reading this a no brainer. The Olympics are coming next month (!), making this the perfect time to read Love and Other Games.

After the 2012 Olympics, I remember hearing about the insane amount of hook-ups and condom useage in the Olympic Village. Thousands of hard bodied athletes, not to mention all the extra people, in close proximity is sure to cause heightened and fast-paced feelings and actions. Taking that into account, the insta-lust, if not the love, is an easier pill to swallow. In Love and Other Games, we get four stories of these elite athletes having intense encounters with non-athletes, encounters full of raging lust that leave them wanting more, headed towards love.

All the stories in the anthology were fast-paced (duh) and sexy. They were also fun and charming. My very favorite story was Worth More than Gold, featuring a fun heroine and a dead sexy Norwegian. That one was sexy and made me laugh out loud several times. I would recommend the entire anthology based on that story alone. I also really enjoyed Trouble with Gold, which opened with a funny and humiliating prank. I did enjoy the two other stories as well, but the two mentioned really stood out in my mind. I really liked that all the stories were tied together by the superstition surrounding the lucky torch. That aspect gave a sense of cohesion that I appreciated.

If you're looking for a set of fun and sexy stories that will get you in the mood to watch hot athletes in spandex, give Love and Other Games a shot.



Favorite Quotes:

  The guy with the big hands and the sexy voice was named Erik and he was a skier. If the giant flag tacked to the ceiling was any indication he was a Norwegian skier. He was a Viking. She'd had Viking sex. That certainly explained the soreness in places she didn't know she had muscles.  ~ Worth More than Gold

  "Are you really going to 'Alexis' me when you spent the afternoon banging a giant on a train...in the bathroom? I love that part the best. How did that even work? He's huge. It was like seeing a clown car emptying when you came out.  ~ Worth More than Gold


  If this is what being bad felt like, she was ready to take a new notion in life. Words fell through her head as quickly as she skied down a bunny slope. Bad. Frivolous. Naughty. Fun. Trouble. If this was what it entailed, she wanted more. More of Ty. More Trouble.  ~ Trouble with Gold

 

 

  The instant their lips met, Lia's eyes slammed shut. His lips were full and warm against hers. A heady feeling flooded her brain, leaving her seemingly without conscious thought. His hand slipped over her shoulder to cradle the back of her head and the heady feeling exploded into a whirlwind of color and sensation.  ~The Girl Behind the Gold

 

 

  Cole trembled beneath her caress. "You really shouldn't have done that," he whispered against her lips before claiming them once more, deepening the kiss until he stole the breath from her body, making her weak and dizzy. It was a damn good things she was sitting because if she'd been standing, she would've collapsed.   ~Ice Cold

 

 

 

 

Purchase Love and Other Games

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About Ana Blaze
Ana lives just outside Washington DC with her very supportive husband and three rather demanding cats. She loves the ocean, Indian food, Ikea, and cooking. Ana admits to watching too much television and she swears that someday she’s going to learn how to play the guitar resting on the bookshelf in her office.

Blog  |  Twitter  |  GoodReads


About Melinda Dozier
Melinda lives in Guatemala, Central America with her husband and three boys. She teaches English to middle schoolers during the day and finds time to write at night. Melinda has always been an avid reader and writer, enjoys watching reality tv, blogs, and relaxes with Zynga games.

Website  |  Twitter  |  GoodReads



About Aria Kane
Aria Kane is a recovering mechanical engineer and romance writer. As a military brat, she grew up all over the country, but now lives in sunny Florida with a 60 lb mutt who thinks he's a chihuahua. She's the author of ONCE UPON A DARKNESS and A TITAN FOR CHRISTMAS.

Website  |  Twitter  |  GoodReads


About Kara Leigh Miller
Born and raised in the small town of Mexico, New York, Kara was an only child who was forced to find ways to entertain herself. Playing make believe with her Barbie dolls and stuffed animals was her first real taste of storytelling before she became old enough to develop a love affair with the written word.

In early 2010, Kara picked up her very first erotic romance novel, and she was instantly hooked. She loves to write contemporary romance, erotica, and young adult romance. Currently she has several full-length novels in the works, a series of novellas, and a handful of short stories. Kara is an active member of the CNY Creative Writers Café and the CNY Romance Writers.

Today, Kara resides in New Haven, New York with her husband, five kids, and three cats. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s thinking about reading and writing. And when she’s not doing that, she’s spending time with her family and friends.

Website  |  Goodreads

REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY: CHRISTMAS ON MAIN STREET, A HOLIDAY ANTHOLOGY

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Holiday Antho.
Publisher: Signet
Publication Date: 11/5/13
Format: Paperback
Pages: 416
Source: Received from publisher
Rating: 3.5-4 stars

‘Tis the season to fall in love in these four small towns.

In “Christmas in Shelter Bay,” New York Times bestselling author JoAnn Ross returns to Shelter Bay, where Kelli has long tried to keep her feelings for her friend Cole a secret. But when the local matchmakers conspire to send them to a secluded lakeside cabin, the two friends soon discover that a little love will keep them warm.

TV producer Nathaniel Ravelle knows the Bayberry Island mermaid legend is a joke— how could a statue grant a wish for true love? But when a Christmas Nor’easter lands him in close quarters with local Annie Parker, they see magic at work in matters of the heart in New York Times bestselling author Susan Donovan’s “A Seaside Christmas.”

In LuAnn McLane’s “Mistletoe on Main Street,” Clint isn’t sure how to rekindle his romance with high school sweetheart Ava—until his father bows out of playing Santa at the annual Cricket Creek holiday parade and Clint gets the chance to make this Christmas one to remember.

And in Alexis Morgan’s “The Christmas Gift”, business is booming at Bridey Roke’s pastry shop. Everyone in town stops in to sample her holiday treats. But in her spare moments, she’s perfecting a special recipe to charm the handsome new neighbor—who has his own surprise gift for her come Christmas Eve!

I debated on how to review Christmas on Main Street. I wasn't sure if I should review each story separately, or on the whole. But then I realized that if I reviewed these individually, each review would read basically the same. Put simply, each novella was sweet, funny, and charming.

I am a fan of novellas, but an even bigger fan of holiday novellas, particularly Christmas and New Years. In these novellas, we get a piece of holiday spirit, set in small town America. You will get a reporter and an author, or new neighbors, neither couple looking for love, but finding it among magic. Happily, there are also stories involving one of my all-time favorite tropes, the "coming home" story, one involving a rekindled romance, another with a heroine who's in love with her brother's best friend. Despite the obvious similarities, all the stories read as unique and special.

Christmas on Main Street was a treat for me, despite reading it way too early in the season. Or more accurately, before the Christmas holidays begin. If you're looking to be put in a festive mood, give this anthology a try.

 

Purchase Christmas on Main Street

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GIVEAWAY
In an effort to help spread the holiday cheer, I'm giving my copy of Christmas on Main Street away.
To enter, leave your name/email address in the form. For an extra entry, tell me your favorite Christmas movie or song. My favorites are "Love Actually" and "All I Want for Christmas (Is You)" by Mariah Carey.

Open to US only. Must be 18+ to enter.

 

 

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About JoAnn Ross

New York Times bestselling author JoAnn Ross has written around a hundred novels for a bunch of publishers. Two of her titles have been excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine and her books have also been published by the Doubleday, Rhapsody, Literary Guild, and Mystery Guild book clubs.

A member of the Romance Writers of America's Honor Roll of best-selling authors, she's won several awards, including Romantic Times's Career Achievement Awards in both category and contemporary single title.

Currently writing for NAL, JoAnn lives with her husband (her high school sweetheart, who proposed at the sea wall where her Shelter Bay book are set), and three rescued dogs, who pretty much rule the house, in the Pacific Northwest.

 

Website  |  Twitter  |  GoodReads

 

 

 

About Susan Donovan

I grew up in the Cincinnati suburb of Milford, Ohio and spent my formative years in the cineplex, the mall, the drive-in, and the convertible MG of some guy named Gary. My mother claims I was destined to be a writer. As a kindergartner, I reported that I’d just seen a giraffe, elephant and rhinoceros at the bus stop. When Mom told me I was a good storyteller, I assured her that it was not a story, but the absolute truth! (See the rest of Susan Donovan's bio here)

 

 

Website  |  Twitter  |  GoodReads

 

 

 

 

 

About LuAnn McLane

LuAnn McLane writes southern bent romantic comedy for NAL and is currently penning her third novel in her Cricket Creek book series.  Her books have appeared on best selling lists including Barnes and Noble, Rhapsody and Doubleday Book clubs. She recently collaborated with country superstar Wynonna Judd with the novel Restless Heart. She lives in Florence, Kentucky and when she isn’t writing… she enjoys family, friends, cooking, reading, music, travel and University of Kentucky basketball.

 

 

Website  | Blog|  GoodReads

 

 

 

About Alexis Morgan

Alexis Morgan grew up near St. Louis and received a B.A. in English from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She and her husband have made the Pacific Northwest their home for more than thirty years, where she launched her career as a writer. She is published in paranormal romance, fantasy romance, American West historicals, and most recently, contemporary romances with her new Snowberry Creek series.

 

 

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  GoodReads

 

BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE BLOG TOUR ~ REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

Welcome to The Bookish Babe's stop on the last day of the Baby, It's Cold Outside Blog Tour! This book is an anthology from Entangled Publishing's Indulgence line, and features four amazing authors. You can find the complete tour schedule at the home page. I also have two giveaways for you!

Four novellas from four of the biggest names in romantic fiction!

Kate Hardy's 'TIS THE SEASON TO KISS SANTA

With the help of a sprig of mistletoe and some snow angels, a recently single pastry chef teaches a highly successful and sexy Scrooge the true meaning of the holidays on a snowy Christmas Eve that quickly heats up.

Heidi Rice's 'TIS THE SEASON TO GO SHOPPING

When a Christmas Day blizzard strands an up-and-coming marketing manager and her boss's very off-limits, very hot playboy son in his department store, the two toe the line between naughty and nice as they unwrap their holiday presents—and each other!

Amy Andrews’s ‘TIS THE SEASON FOR KISSING

A down-on-her-romantic-luck kindergarten teacher plans to drown her New Year’s Eve sorrows in a gallon of spiked eggnog, but the arrival of her best friend's sexy brother threatens to melt the snow piling up outside the tiny Vermont cabin.

Aimee Carson’s ‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE TEMPTED

After the worst year ever, a jilted music manager rings in the New Year alone, swearing off men forever. But things get complicated when her brother's best friend, the perfect man with the perfect body, tempts her to break her vow—if only for one hot night!

 

 

 

Kate Hardy's 'TIS THE SEASON TO KISS SANTA

 This was a sweet story of two lonely people who find themselves together, snowed in, on Christmas Eve. Ellie and Mitch meet while volunteering at a hospital, giving the siblings of terminal patients gifts and moments to forget what their families are going through. Both are basically alone in the world, planning to spend the holidays alone. Though the initially do not like one another, close quarters force Ellie and Mitch to take a closer look and they discover that the only Christmas gifts they need may be right there in front of them.
 

 

Favorite Quote:

  He actually smiled then - and Ellie discovered that he was breathtaking when he did. He had a mouth that promised sin and made her libido sit up and start begging.

 

 

Heidi Rice's 'TIS THE SEASON TO GO SHOPPING

It's Christmas Eve, and Kate is stuck at her job at an upscale department store with the boss' son. Not a bad prospect when the store has everything you could possibly need and the son is a world-traveling hottie. It's always been a dream of mine to get locked in a cool department store overnight (yes, I've watched many 80s movies with that scenario!). But not only was it super fun, it was also super steamy. Let's just so that alpha male Ryder knows how to thaw Kate out. And though their lives may seem worlds apart, these two will find a way to make it work.

 

Favorite Quote:

  "Food first, fornication later."
  She laughed, a little breathless as she raced to keep up with him.
  "I happen to know, he added, "it takes stamina to do Santa's naughty list justice."

 

 

Amy Andrews’s ‘TIS THE SEASON FOR KISSING

<happy sigh> This was my favorite story in the anthology! Tamara and Luke were funny, sexy, and sometimes funny while being sexy. Here's what you need to know about this story: Tamara has abstained from sex for a year. Luke has been deployed overseas for nine months. A snowed in cabin on New Year's Eve. You do the math. This was a slow burn build-up and I enjoyed every second. Loved it!
 

Favorite Quote:

  His hand stilled as her intoxicating scent wafted toward him. Damn, but she smelled good. With the mint from the mouthwash mixing with the nutmeg and rum from earlier, she didn't smell like Christmas anymore. She definitely smelled like New Year's Eve. With a pinch of Halloween and a large dose of crazy. But after nine months and a strangely arousing non-striptease, his body had decided that Christmas was overrated.

 

 

Aimee Carson’s ‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE TEMPTED

  Wes and Evie are opposites. Wes is the total package, perfect body, job, life. Things aren't going so well for Evie. Her career and love life are not where she'd hoped. Wes has always considered Evie off limits, she's his best friend's little sister. But when they're snowed in on New Year's, Wes and Evie can fight that feeling no longer. I loved that Evie was wild, a non-conformist who is loud and proud. I also liked Wes, that though he exudes perfection, when he's finally pushed to the limit, Evie causes him to unleash years of pent-up attraction. This was a sweet story of a long-awaited connection between two people who seem all wrong for one another, but turn out to be just right.

 

Favorite Quote:

  Wes was just what she craved. A man she could trust, who was dependable. The kind of guy who watched over her when she was at her most vulnerable, but who burned with a passion so powerful it slayed all thoughts of treating her with kid gloves. He took her to places she'd never been before. Pushed her to the very edge of her limits. Protective when he had to be protective. Fierce when she needed him to be fierce.

 

You can purchase Baby, It's Cold Outside at:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble 

 

 

Follow Kate Hardy

Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

 

 

Follow Heidi Rice

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

 

Follow Amy Andrews

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow Aimee Carson 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GIVEAWAYS

 

I have one ecopy of Baby, It's Cold Outside up for grabs. Just enter the form below.

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Aimee Carson is giving away one $10 Amazon Gift Card. Hurry! It ends today!

 

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FRISKY FALL SATURDAYS, #22 -HOT AND HAUNTED

Summer is over, but just because the temperature is dropping, doesn't mean we have to stop reading scorching hot books! Frisky Fall Saturdays is our new weekly post created by The Autumn Review, The Bookish Babe, Hackaroo's Reviews, and Sim-Sational-Books. Feel free to join in. (let us know so we can add a link to your post) As those leaves start piling up in the yard, ignore them and pick up a sexy book!

**The books featured on FRISKY FALL SATURDAYS are for adults. If you are under 18 years of age, or do not like smexy books, please stop here. **



Series: Stand alone anthology
Genre: Erotica
Publisher: Avon Red
Publication Date: 10/23/12
Format: eARC
Pages: 100
Source: Received from publisher, via Edelweiss

True Halloween pleasures don't come from sweets . . .

Indulge yourself with some tasty tricks and treats from three popular erotica authors as they serve up tales of chilling, thrilling passion.

Megan Hart's Nothing Else Matters

After surviving the zombie apocalypse, Lira wants nothing more than the sense of life that only lust can bring. Suddenly torn between two irresistible lovers, Lira must choose: the one who brings her carnal fantasies to life? Or the one who sets her ablaze again and again?

Lauren Hawkeye's Pick Me Up

Sure, hitchhiking is dangerous, but Holly just had to get away. Now soaking wet and stuck in a downpour with her roadside savior, she's ready for a little window-steaming and some role-play. It's all fun and games until Holly realizes she's met her match . . .

Saranna DeWylde's Little Red's Big Bad

Hunting werewolves and being snowbound in a remote cabin with a sexy FBI agent are all in a day's work for U.S. Marshal Miranda Garrick. But when business mixes with pleasure, can she stay in control? Or will she be tempted by unrestrained passion . . . and tantalizing danger?

Three sexy, creepy stories to steam you up!

Nothing Else Matters, by Megan Hart, is the story of Lira, a survivor of the apocalypse. The world has gone to hell and the only way Lira knows to escape the terror is through sex. Anthony, a fellow survivor, is the man she turns to when she needs to turn her brain off and her body on. The author did a fantastic job of writing very steamy and easy-to-visualize scenes. This story definitely makes me want to read more from Hart.


Pick Me Up, by Lauren Hawkeye, was the story I was most excited to read. I am a huge fan of her book, My Wicked Gladiators, so my hopes were high. I did like this, but I spent the first chapter or so completely confused as to what was going on. Regardless of what the situation was, the sex was great, as I've come to expect from the author. Once the big shocker was dropped, the twist that made Pick Me Up so creepy, I was hooked. To read a story with alternating dread and being turned on was an interesting experience.


Little Red's Big Bad was such a mind trip. It started out like a freaking scene from The Silence of the Lambs and I did NOT think I was going to enjoy it at all. But then the focus switched to Miranda and Aden, two Federal Agents trying to capture a serial killer. The scenes between these two were fantastic. Miranda was basically panting after Aden from the moment they meet, not even able to keep her hands off herself while thinking of him. OH, and I learned about an iPhone app that I never even dreamed existed! As you might have guessed, there were elements to Little Red Riding Hood, and I loved it! So even though Little Red's Big Bad started out iffy for me, the awesome sexual encounters and the surprise ending made me love it.

Hot and Haunted is three short, sexy stories that will leave you surprised and breathless.

Favorite Quote:

"So she gave herself up to it and let him do what she wanted. Slow, slow, and sweet. It went on forever, and above her, the stars seemed to move across the sky. She closed her eyes, ignoring the stars to focus instead on the tension curling and twisting inside her."  -Nothing Else Matters  (eARC, 24%)

You can purchase Hot and Haunted at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble   - The ebook is only $0.99/Print is $3.99