Jane Eyre Laid Bare: The Classic Novel with an Erotic Twist by Eve Sinclair
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book through Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.

Would I have liked this better or worse if I had first read the original classic? I'll probably never know, because I have no interest in reading its predecessor. I have nothing against books that are dark & twisted (though I much prefer those qualities in films, not in the books I read), but this was also dull & plodding. Add to that the fact that it can hardly be considered a romance, and there really isn't much to recommend it. I didn't care at all about any of the characters or their happiness or suffering (and of the latter, there was a surplus). I finished the book only because I had agreed to review it.

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Erica's Choice by Sami Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Supernova hot M/M/F erotic contemporary romance that manages to be a panty-melter and still delivers great story and character development. This is what happens when you pair an excellent author with a top-notch publisher. Keep a glass of ice water handy, and maybe some battery-operated friends. :)

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Hunk for the Holidays by Katie Lane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I won a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads, and here's my honest review:

Despite the fact that the conflict came from "a big misunderstanding" (James is mistaken for her paid escort & doesn't tell Cassandra otherwise), this was still pretty good. Usually I want to throw things at the characters in books like that, because everything could be easily wrapped up with basic, honest communication. But here, if James had been completely honest with Cassandra right from the start, I doubt she would have given herself the chance to get to know him. And he really did try to come clean several times, but his sex drive sort of got in the way. Plus I think he knew their connection would be toast if she knew who he was, and he really did like her for more than just sex. I think both characters were very likable, and neither did anything to annoy me (which is a very positive point, despite how it may sound). The angst was kept to a minimum, which is a plus for me.

This was a light, quick, fairly hot read (nothing too extreme), almost fluffy in that it didn't tax my brain too much, but with enough substance to keep my interest. Winner. :)

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Flirting with Forty by Jane Porter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Meh. The ending was a little surprising, even though I should have expected it and would have been rather put out if it hadn't ended the way it did. I think the happy ending made me add a star to the rating here. But I think this is a good example of why the first-person POV doesn't work so well in romances. Too much from one person's perspective (and in this case, waaaaay too much - I ended up skipping big chunks of her repetitive inner dialog) and absolutely nothing from the other person's POV. I think romance readers prefer (and deserve) the emotions and thoughts from both characters.

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More Than a Fling by Crista McHugh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Delicious. :)

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Friends With Benefits by Cat Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Friends-to-lovers is always one of my top favorite themes. Really satisfying for such a short story because the emotions were very genuine.

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Her Five Favorite Words by Gina Gordon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hot & very quick - kind of wished it had been longer than just a taste.

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The Lady is a Vamp by Lynsay Sands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I gobbled this one up just like I did the rest of the books in this series. Not too heavy, brain candy.

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Her Best Friend by Sarah Mayberry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not the best friends-to-lovers I've read, but not the worst, either. The angst did seem to drag a little and I was hoping for a little more fire & spark between them as they decided to finally get together.

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Wicked Ride by Gina Gordon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a delicious little slice of erotica. :)

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Laced with Desire by Jaci Burton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked this anthology a whole lot better than the previous anthology by these authors ('Unlaced'). I almost skipped this book because that one left me feeling... meh. I'm glad I gave it a chance. The first three stories were outstanding, and Joey W. Hill's story was especially power-packed with emotion and detail. I didn't get into the last story, but that's just my personal taste.

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