Burying the Ex
Genre: Comedy/Horror
Summary (IMDB): A guy’s regrets over moving in with his girlfriend are compounded when she dies and comes back as a zombie.
Burying the Ex is a fun film that combines zombie’s and romance with gorey fun. It might not be a laugh a minute but there are a handful of scenes that will make you laugh out loud.
I’ll admit the acting could have been better but it’s worth a watch just for the gross bits.
View the trailer here
NoisyGeek Rating: 4 out of 5
Cinderella 2015 Review
Genre: Fairytale/Romance
Summary (IMDB): When her father unexpectedly passes away, young Ella finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother and her daughters. Never one to give up hope, Ella’s fortunes begin to change after meeting a dashing stranger.
A decent remake of a well-loved classic, Cinderella pleasantly exceeds expectations. The casting is well done: Cate Blanchett pulls of the stepmother flawlessly while Helena Bonham Carter is a delightfully weird fairy godmother (I actually wish she had more screen time).
I enjoyed the extra details added to the story, Ella’s childhood and the development of her abuse at the hands of her stepmother really gives a depth to the story while the initial meeting with the prince gives a firmer foundation for the love story.
This film is undeniably great for anyone who loves a good romantic tale but for me doesn’t quite outshine the original animated version.
You can watch the trailer here
Full cast listing Cinderella (2015) on IMDB here
Pioneer Woman: Girl Meets Cowboy – A True Love Story
by Ree Drummond
Summary: New York Times Bestseller
Wildly popular award-winning blogger, accidental ranch wife, and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Pioneer Woman Cooks, Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman) tells the true story of her storybook romance that led her from the Los Angeles glitter to a cattle ranch in rural Oklahoma, and into the arms of her real-life Marlboro Man.
I absolutely adore this book. It’s not just an emotion packed love story, it’s a hilarious and eye opening look into country life. Ree Drummond has written her story with an honesty that is wonderfully refreshing.
As a big fan of Ree’s cooking show I was really intrigued to learn how her and her husband met. It certainly hasn’t been a smooth ride but like all the true love stories they’ve worked through the hard times to come out stronger.
NoisyGeek: 5 out of 5
Corrupted Hearts
by J.E. Keep, M. Keep
Summary (Goodreads): After all, even demons deserve a chance at love: With her angelic wings and his demonic horns they were never meant to come together. But his red eyes trap her and her seductive wings lure him. Their hot demon blood clashes. What starts as one night of carnal pleasure turns into an adventure of epic portions.
Shades of Dungeons and Dragons twisted in wicked ways: Within days of meeting Lilah and Glaurakos fall across the path of an evil sorceress who traps them in a strange and dangerous “other world” The threats in the new world are perilous, yet their lust for each other is far more frightening. Will their bond be strong enough to make it out alive?
Against all odds of the damned, can love grow between two half demons?
I really liked this book – It’s a steamy tale of adventure and attraction between two very different beings. I was hooked from the first couple of pages and read through the entire thing in one sitting.
The sex scenes were delicious and really well written – I could picture exactly what was happening. An obviously big plus when reading erotic stories. I’ll definitely be looking up more from these authors
NoisyGeek Rating 5 out of 5
Radiance (Wraith Kings Book One) by Grace Draven
Genre: Paranormal / Romance
Summary (Amazon): THE PRINCE OF NO VALUE: Brishen Khaskem, prince of the Kai, has lived content as the nonessential spare heir to a throne secured many times over. A trade and political alliance between the human kingdom of Gaur and the Kai kingdom of Bast-Haradis requires that he marry a Gauri woman to seal the treaty. Always a dutiful son, Brishen agrees to the marriage and discovers his bride is as ugly as he expected and more beautiful than he could have imagined.
THE NOBLEWOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE: Ildiko, niece of the Gauri king, has always known her only worth to the royal family lay in a strategic marriage. Resigned to her fate, she is horrified to learn that her intended groom isn’t just a foreign aristocrat but the younger prince of a people neither familiar nor human. Bound to her new husband, Ildiko will leave behind all she’s known to embrace a man shrouded in darkness but with a soul forged by light.
Two people brought together by the trappings of duty and politics will discover they are destined for each other, even as the powers of a hostile kingdom scheme to tear them apart.
Grace Draven has created a wonderful new fantasy romance novel. Radiance brings together two people from different species who are being used to forge alliances for their respective families.
The main characters Ildiko and Brishen do not follow the standard love at first sight cliché. Their story was one of slow building trust, humour and love, bridging the gap between their different cultures. Ildiko was a good strong female character and Brishen was a clever match to her personality.
There were sections which made me smile and some which made me tear up. Mixed in with decent world building and a handful of nice sex scenes and I was a happy reader.
I’m a sucker for a believable romance and look forward to reading the next book in the series
No downsides with this!
NoisyGeek Rating: 5 out of 5
Dark Awakening (Dark Dynasties: Book One) by Kendra Leigh Castle
Genre: Paranormal / Supernatural / Romance
Summary (Amazon): For centuries, shapeshifting vampire Tynan MacGillivray has prowled the night as an outcast, valued only for his ferocious hunting skills. When a feud among the immortals escalates into all-out war, he is ordered by his ruthless queen to locate a Seer-a human woman with a special gift-who can secure victory for their clan. Ty’s search leads him to a quiet New England town, but once he has the Seer in his grasp, her touch awakens within him a hunger like he’s never known . . .
Lily Quinn has always been different. Since childhood, she’s had vivid nightmares and an eerie sixth sense. When a sexy, silver-eyed stranger demands her help, Lily plunges into a new world of danger and sensuality. With Ty, she discovers sizzling passions she cannot deny and powers she cannot control. Soon, it is clear that Lily is much more than a Seer-she holds the key to ancient secrets and unthinkable destruction. But will a vampire’s vow of eternal protection stop these evil forces . . . or unleash her dark destiny?
Dark Awakening is a mash up of new and old ideas, I really struggled on where to rate this but settled on 2.5 out of 5. It’s a generic read, nothing spectacular but decent enough if you are stuck for something else and it’s raining outside.
DA felt like an unnecessarily drawn out story although I did read it in one sitting (*Ahem* while watching some Batman movies). The pacing was off for me, brief action sequences which didn’t fully break up the long talking scenes.
The general idea had a lot of promise, the different factions and the age old feuds were interesting but the execution just missed the mark. I liked the cat shifters and the substory that they are basically used as slaves was a good foundation for the main story. My main problem with the plot was the idea of the tattoos appearing just because people had turned into a vampire, it would have made more sense for the tattoos to be added as part of some welcoming ritual for each group. It might be ridiculous to say considering this is a paranormal fiction book but it didn’t seem believable to me.
The only bit in the entire story that made me smile was the below quote
“I’m not the stupid girl who always dies first in horror movie,” she told herself “My boobs aren’t big enough.”
Sadly it gave me false hope that Lily was going to be a kick ass heroine.
In general the characters personalities were middle of the road. Lily is a typical “more-beautiful and more-powerful-than-she-knows” heroine, she’s not the worst character I’ve read but I couldn’t find myself caring about her. Her romantic interest Ty was a let down for me, he had a lot of potential but was too whiny and self-depreciating. I wanted him to get over it and stand proud but that didn’t happen.
Overall a semi-decent start to a series but a let down when compared to other works. I am tempted to read more in the series to see if the writer has developed their writing style but they will have to go to the bottom of the list for now.
NoisyGeek Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster
Genre: Paranormal Historical Romance
Summary: Most people avoid the dreaded Whitechapel district. For Honoria Todd, it’s the last safe haven. But at what price?
Blade is known as the master of the rookeries—no one dares cross him. It’s been said he faced down the Echelon’s army single-handedly, that ever since being infected by the blood-craving he’s been quicker, stronger, and almost immortal.
When Honoria shows up at his door, his tenuous control comes close to snapping. She’s so…innocent. He doesn’t see her backbone of steel—or that she could be the very salvation he’s been seeking
I wouldn’t class this as a steampunk novel, its more of a Paranormal Historical Romance. That’s not a negative, I’m a big fan of paranormal and historical romance books but i was expecting more steampunkesque.
At 423 pages Kiss of Steel is a decent sized read, i got through it in one sitting. I enjoyed reading through, its nicely paced and the ideas behind the world were interesting but seemed confused. A little more clarification during the world building would have gained this an extra star in the ratings.
The sex scenes were hot and i thought McMaster wrote them very well. My favourite character unsurprisingly was Blade. He’s a tough guy who takes care of his family and dependents. His soft side was lovely to see and he’s definitely the kind of guy you’d happily swoon for.
I have to say i wasn’t a fan of the heroine Honoria (whats with the name? *sigh*) in this book, i struggled with her as a character in general. She just irritated me with everything she did. I got that her history with blue bloods was pretty awful but she was the one asking for Blade’s help and she knew there was something between them but she still resisted it for what felt like ages. I like a good bit of sexual tension but I’m tired of these damsels in distress who hum and ha over what is clearly either the love of their life or at the very least a hot bit of action waiting to be enjoyed.
Despite the meh heroine and slightly confusing world building this book is still an enjoyable read, ideal for people who like a bit of hot with their historical romances
Head over to the authors page here to check out her work
NoisyGeek Rating: 3 out of 5
“A touch of Midnight” by Lara Adrian – Review
4 out of 5 stars
This is a midnight breed Novella and the backstory for Gideon and Savannah. I’m glad the author had written it as i was curious about this couple after reading the other books.
Although i did enjoy it, i wish there was more of Gideon’s nerdiness. He came across as a typical alpha male and one of the things i originally liked about him was his nerdiness.
Some of the wording seemed to be a bit off as well – One line i highlighted was “Gideon couldn’t keep from dragging her deeper against him, testing the seam of her lips with the hungered tip of his tongue” Hungered tip of his tongue? Hmmm.
If you are a fan of the Breed series, then i think you’ll like this. It is a short easy read so probably ideal for traveling
I think its only right to talk about one of my favourite book clubs for my first post – Vaginal Fantasy!
This is a monthly online hangout via Google+ and the Goodreads forum. Its hosted by four hilarious ladies: Felicia, Kiala, Bonnie and Veronica. Each month they pick a Main book and Alt book which they then discuss on the forum and a hangout on G+
The books they pick are romance fantasy based and can range from Vampires and Historical to Cthulhu erotica (one of the weirder ones)
The thing i love about this group is the interaction between the forums. There is always some hilarious topics created while discussing the books and there is such a variety of members. I’m a big fan of Romance and Smut as you will see in future posts and this book club ticks all my boxes.
Check it out – Vaginal Fantasy Goodreads
Noisygeek 