Reviews: Cracks in the Armor (Clipped Wings #2.5) by Helena Hunting / Burned (Miller Sisters #2) by Sarah Morgan

Series: Clipped Wings #2.5
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Series: Clipped Wings #2.5
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Pocket Stars
Publication Date: 6/23/14
Format: ARC
Pages: 72
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 stars

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Chris, a sexy tattoo artist, tries to win the heart of Sarah, a grad student with little interest in him, in this second e-short and follow-up to Helena Hunting’s gripping love story, Clipped Wings—“twisted, dark, incredibly erotic…a love story like no other” (USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton).

Part owner of the Chicago tattoo shop Inked Armor, Chris Zelter is a talented artist who decorates skin with gorgeous designs. He might look the part of the typical jacked-up, inked-up bad-boy, but underneath is a fiercely loyal, complicated man. Kicked out at sixteen, Chris has had to fend for himself for the last twelve years, making his Inked Armor crew as much family as they are business partners. For him, it’s enough—until he meets Sarah Adamson.

A grad student waitressing at the local strip club, Sarah is used to propositions and crude comments. The job is a means to an end—finish her MBA, pay off the tuition loans, and get a good job. Then she won’t have to rely on anyone to take care of her. So when brawny, tatted up Chris begins hanging out at the club, she rebuffs his advances. At first. But Chris isn’t like her usual clientele: despite his hard exterior, he’s almost…sweet.

Sometimes, the people with the roughest edges have the biggest hearts.

 

 

My Review 

I think it's well-established that I am a huge fan of the Clipped Wings series. I love Hayden. I love Tenley. I love the writing and all the characters. I love it all. I have been so anxious to get more of Chris and Sarah, so obviously I was pumped to start Cracks in the Armor.

It was great! I liked the brief glimpses of life since the end of Inked Armor, where Tenley and Hayden are now and how they're coping. I was both impressed and slightly sad to see that those two still struggle daily to grab a better life. It smacks of realism, which I love.

But on to Chris and Sarah! Cracks in the Armor gives us a picture of where Chris and Sarah are now. Sarah has gone back to waitressing at The Dollhouse, and Chris isn't happy. He wants more, but can't assume Sarah does. He pines for her. In Sarah's point-of-view, we see she isn't happy at The Dollhouse either, but doesn't see another choice. And....she wants more from Chris too. The ending leaves us in limbo, almost feels like a mid-scene break.

A couple of my friends read Cracks in the Armor on release day and immediately told me "I really loved it, but I need more!" I assumed they meant that they loved it and more would always be appreciated, but they most certainly mean I NEED MORE. I honestly thought Cracks in the Armor would be a cap to the Clipped Wings series, but having read it, I feel ninety-five (ish) percent certain that there will be more for Chris and Sarah. Please, please publishing decision-making people and Helena Hunting, give us more Chris and Sarah!

 

Favorite Quote 

  "You said she wasn't going to be home for a while. It's not like she doesn't know you watch it, right?"

  "That's not the issue." Heavy bass blared through the surround sound as a music video flashed on the screen.

  "Then what's the problem?"

  "How would it look if she walked in to find the three of us hanging out watching chicks get banged" Don't you think that comes off as a little disrespectful?"

  "He's got a point. I mean, if I'm going to watch porn, it's either going to be by myself or with Lisa," Jamie added.

  "Thank you," Hayden said, as if Jamie being on his side made it okay they'd both had their balls cut off.

 

  The Clipped Wings Series

      

(covers lead to GoodReads page)

My Reviews

Cupcakes and Ink and Clipped Wings   |  Between the Cracks  |  Inked Armor

About Helena Hunting

 

Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She’s putting her degree in English Lit to good use by writing contemporary erotic romance. She is the author of Clipped Wings, her debut novel, and Inked Armor.

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  GoodReads

 

Series: Miller Sisters #2
Genre: Contemp Romance

Publisher: Cosmo Red Hot Reads from Harlequin
Publication Date: 6/17/14
Format: eARC
Pages: 83
Source: Publisher
Rating: 3.5 stars

GoodReads  |  Amazon  |  B&N

 

 

Trainer and martial artist Rosie Miller's zen is seriously compromised when Hunter Black—her former coach and lover—becomes her new boss. And with all the sexual energy still crackling between them, her poor little zen doesn't stand a chance. So this time, Rosie is determined to play by her rules….

My Review of Ripped

 

 

 

 

 

My Review

 

My first Sarah Morgan read was Ripped, the first novella in the Miller Sisters series. Ripped contained a winsome heroine, a swoony hero and so many laughs. Needless to say, I was anxious to start Burned.

 

Burned follows Rosie Miller, a trainer and martial artist. I love that Rosie was so kick-ass. The story opens with Rosie being dumped by her boyfriend for being too strong. Can you believe that? The idiot literally wants someone more fragile to help his poor wittle ego. So what's even better than getting dumped in a restaurant? The fact your first love is at the next table and hears every word. Yeah. But luckily for Rosie, Hunter Black is back and he wants her back. Rosie is still angry at hurt at the way Hunter left her, but he's not having the dismissal and sets out to win back her heart. What follows is a sweet, sexy story about two people who were not right for each other in the past, but are perfect for one another now.

 

I enjoyed Burned. Like Ripped, my favorite aspect was the humor. Any story that makes me smile as much as it makes me swoon earns a solid thumbs-up.

 

 

Favorite Quotes

  A roomful of people enjoying an evening. People who were in relationships.

  And then there was me.

  Rosie the rejected.

  I could hold water in my hands longer than I could hold a man. Not that I wanted a long relationship but hanging on to him until the end of dinner would have been confidence building.

 

 

  "I'm proud of my scissor kick. I work hard on my scissor kick."

  "For the record, the last girl I dated liked baking and book club."

  Baking and book club?

  I stared at him, wondering whether to kill him now or wait until after dessert.

  It was chocolate brownie, my favorite, so I decided to wait. I wasn't hungry, but no woman ate chocolate because she was hungry.

 

 

 

 

The Miller Sisters Series

 

 

About Sarah Morgan

USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes hot, happy contemporary romance and her trademark humour and sensuality have gained her fans across the globe. She has been nominated three years in succession for the prestigious RITA© Award from the Romance Writers of America and has won the award twice, in 2012 and 2013. She also won the RT Reviewers' Choice Award in 2012 and has made numerous appearances in their 'Top Pick' slot.

As well as writing for Harlequin Presents, her first full length novel, Sleigh Bells in the Snow will be published by HQN in October 2013 and Ripped, her first title for the Cosmo Red Hot Reads from Harlequin programme will be out in November 2013.

Sarah lives near London, and when she isn't reading or writing she loves being outdoors, preferably on vacation so she can forget the house needs tidying

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  GoodReads

 

 

 

{GUEST POST} EVERYDAY ROLE-PLAY from MINA VAUGHN

I'm excited to welcome author Mina Vaughn to the blog today. Mina is the author of the upcoming book, The Schoolteacher and the Submissive will be releasing this summer from Pocket Star. In the meantime, Mina has some helpful advice regarding role-play. (It's hilarious!)

Everyday Role-Play: It’s Not Just Dressing Like a Cheerleader

By Mina Vaughn



I’m here today to talk about role-play. Not the dungeons and dragons kind.

Well, OK maybe the dungeon part. No, that’s another post.

Ahem. Sexual role-play is a totally underrated way to bring some serious fun into a relationship. I think it takes a back burner to other kinks mainly because it has a stigma.

Several stigmas, actually.

First off, a lot of people think it’s cliché—dressing up like a french maid or a cheerleader and getting freaky.

All you have to do is take a look at costumes lately and you’ll see you can pretty much be a slutty anything for Halloween. Hmm, so many options. Dentist. Plumber. Slutty Ninja Turtle.

The second problem with role-play is that people feel silly getting into another character to have sex. Some feel like it’s creepy, others feel it’s almost cheating to pretend to be someone else. Why do you want me to dress like a nurse? Do you have a thing for a nurse? My sister? You bastard!

So those are the things that could go wrong. But there’s so much that can go right.


In my upcoming debut, THE SCHOOLTEACHER AND THE SUBMISSIVE, my protagonist Cerise has a real role-play fetish. But Cerise and William doesn’t do the stereotypical roles, not by a long shot. Some of their scenes include a pianist and opera star, a servant and a famous geisha, a paparazzi and a bombshell actress, the list goes on.


Think about your favorite TV shows and movies. Maybe have your man strip like Magic Mike and put dollars in his pants?

Does your partner watch superhero movies? Time for the XXX Men!

Sometimes you don’t even need costumes! What if you pretended to be strangers meeting at a bar? He could be a new neighbor who brings over a bottle of wine. Hell, throw on some hot yoga pants and see how far you can stretch.

The possibilities are endless if you just let go of the embarrassment-factor and lose yourself in a role. You can thank me (or spank me) later.

 

The Schoolteacher and the Submissive
(cover coming soon)

Cerise Norrel, Type A substitute teacher by day, is ready to quit
being a domme. Despite her best intentions, none of her partners can
keep up with her scene fetish and attention to detail—let alone her
demand that they have a costume and set waiting every afternoon by the
time she’s home from school.

Over a dozen potential subs have left her in the past year, but just
when Cerise thinks it’s impossible—that she’ll have to go back to
vanilla relationships, or be alone forever--she meets William, who
wants to make all her fantasies come true. He turns her home into a
geisha’s dream apartment, a concert hall with a grand piano (which he
uses to play an original composition while wearing a tuxedo), and even
rents an abandoned loft for a zombie apocalypse scene—complete with
canned goods.

But there's something strange about William. Well, a lot of strange
things. He must be absurdly rich, since he can afford to provide
extravagant costumes and props on a daily basis without having to
leave work early. He must be insane, since he puts up with Cerise's
over-the-top demands. And most importantly, he doesn't redden when
he's spanked, and his skin is as cool as satin sheets. When Cerise
discovers she's become domme to the infamous "Chilly Willy," as he's
known throughout BDSM urban lore, she begins to find out there's a
whole lot more to her handsome submissive than a creative mind and a
hard body.

And when it’s William, ironically, who starts pressing Cerise to give
him the kind of commitment she’s never given anyone, it’ll take
everything she has to work through her issues, confront her past, and
learn to be vulnerable.

 EXCERPT

 

In this segment, Cerise attends a BDSM speed-dating event and meets her match: William.

Then, I saw him.
An absolutely beautiful specimen was making his way towards my little table.

I sipped the soda again, careful to not smudge my lipstick. Typically, Dommes were easy to find at mixers—the redder the lipstick, the stricter the rules. Mine was crimson on the border of downright arterial. I had hoped that my selection would weed out the weaklings in the pack. I touched it up just in case it had faded and bent down to put the compact back into my bag. By the time I leaned back up, he was in front of me.

"Hello," he said sheepishly, eyes downcast.

This was a good sign. Subs ought to act their place at events like this—unlike that last jackass. Please, please be up to my challenge.

"Sit," I said to him, gesturing. His posture was erect, but guarded. This man was very stylish—a corduroy blazer over a graphic tee, paired with perfectly fitted dark jeans. Urban, hip. Thank God no leather—I didn't care how long I’d been involved in this sort of thing, I would never get into leather. Unless it was required for a scene...then it would be acceptable. He folded his hands neatly in his lap, and began the conversation in a surprisingly self-deprecating manner.

"I have something," he said, eyes still downcast, "I should tell you before we begin."

I leaned forward, ready to berate him for speaking out of turn, and not letting me begin our conversation. The nerve of these guys.

Then again, this was speed dating and I didn’t want to waste time with a lecture, so I allowed him to begin.

"I've never been kept by a Domme. I have been advised to tell you in advance a few of my qualities that have been turn-offs. Firstly, I can tolerate any kind of pain.”

Odd, but not a deal-breaker. I did the "go on" gesture, rolling my pointer finger.

“I flinch at nothing, nor do I bruise or redden. Many women have found this off-putting, if you like that sort of thing."

"Um, I'm a substitute teacher. I dish out pain all day. I'm not that kind of Domme," I explained to him, trying to put him somewhat at ease. His posture relaxed somewhat.

I probably shouldn’t have disclosed my occupation to this guy, but what was he going to do? Show up at every secondary school in the Seacoast region wearing assless chaps?

"I also have very cold hands," he said, trying to hold back his smirk. "It's been problematic in nearly every encounter I have had. Here, feel." I reached out my hands and touched his.

Freezer burn.

I recoiled slightly, but caught myself and steadied my hand. I said nothing. His eyes remained downcast.

He was stunningly handsome, I appraised, examining his face. Strong jaw, straight nose, blue-black tousled hair, and lips full enough to almost be considered feminine.

Almost.

"I don't mind cold hands. I'm from Nevada-- I love to feel the cold compared to the heat I grew up in. It's refreshing," I said. Oh boy, here comes the hurt, I told myself as I handed him my list of needs and wants. "I do, however, have a very long list of requirements, and I'm afraid I've scared everyone off, too. I'm just as used to rejection as you seem to be," I laughed. Half the local community thought it was great that I was a strong woman who won't settle for anything less than what I want, and the other half thought I was an insane bitch. "In fact, they call me the deal breaker." He smirked again, a small dimple forming in his chin.

He was wickedly handsome. If the room was less well-lit, I’d be tonguing his earlobe right now.

"Alright," he said, glancing at the dossier. "Hit me." He laughed at his choice of words for the situation. I did, too.

I shifted into uber-Domme mode and breathed in deep, ready for my long-winded explanation.



Last chance, Cerise.



"The requests I make of my subs are simple. Show up at my house Monday through Thursday at 2:00 pm sharp. On Monday through Wednesday, I will give you role play prompts. You must come up with the details, props, and costumes. You will email me details about the scenarios while I'm on my lunch break so I can arrive home in character. When I get home at three, you will be in costume and in character. Whatever outfit you may have for me will be hanging in my bathroom. We will perform the scene from three o' clock until whenever I feel it's over. You will then eat dinner with me and return home. On Thursdays, you will create an original scenario. You have free reign on those days, but please be creative. I may not be a Dominatrix in the traditional whips and chains sense, but I want your full subservience when you are with me. You will have three-day weekends to yourself." My voice was strict like a smack on the wrist with a wooden ruler. I hoped he understood that just because he was creating one scene per week, he was not in charge of where it went. I knew my methods were unconventional, but hey, whatever gets you off, right?

He listened intently, head cocked to the side, eyes still not leaving the table.

"Is that all?" he asked.

I gasped to myself. A taker? Usually guys weren't down with the hours AND the financial demands of coming up with new costumes and props four days a week. Then again, judging by this guy's clothes, he could afford it. Don't think I didn't notice the curvy R's on his Rock and Republic jeans. That cut retailed at $259 at Nordstrom.

And yes, in addition to being a Domme, I was a serious denim whore.

"No, that's not all," I said, worried that this will be the deal breaker. "You must come up with our first scenario right now. Don't let me down." I expected him to either tell me to fuck off, or to walk away in a daze after spending several minutes blathering his way through a half-assed attempt to come up with something that may excite me.

Of course, when hearing I was a teacher, nearly every potential sub told me the scenario where he was failing my class and wanted extra credit.

And would do "aaaanything" for it.

So, the men who usually made it to this round never made it out. Unoriginal pricks.

"I think I have one you’ll like, if I may," he said politely.

I must be dreaming. "Proceed," I said, both anticipating and dreading what was going to come out of his lips next. Please don't be a student scene…

"I'm a vampire who has endured decades of loneliness. All I want is a woman who I can worship—who will look past all my flaws. I need a fearless Dominatrix who will punish me for all my past misdeeds."

This guy was either insane, or a fucking genius.

And to be perfectly honest, I didn't care.

 

 

About the author

Mina Vaughn is an international woman of mystery and a shoe whore with a heart of gold. When she's not writing her unique brand of silly smut, she's plundering Sephora for any pin up girl makeup she can find. Mina's debut novel, an erotic comedy entitled THE SCHOOLTEACHER AND THE SUBMISSIVE is about a punishment-seeking vampire who meets a quirky Domme with a serious role play fetish, coming out in 2013 from Simon and Schuster's Pocket Star.

 

Connect with Mina at:

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