Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Bits & Nibbles Reviews--The SEAL's Secret Lover by Anne Calhoun & Boiling Point by Tessa Bailey

The SEAL's Secret Lover (Alpha Ops #1) by Anne Calhoun


Sweet and sexy! The SEAL's Secret Lover was such a fun read as Rose and Kennan (her brother's best friend) chaperone three little old ladies (her grams and her best friends) on a tour around Turkey. Hitting all the major sites (and bathrooms) along the way and maybe letting temptation get the best of them too (yay!)


Alright so this one was quick (8 chapters) but so fun! I smiled for most of it. I loved that Rose was spending time with her grandmother and elderly friends and making sure the trip was fun for them and that Keenan--who really didn't know any of them other than having served with her brother jumped in when he needed a replacement--doted on all of the ladies. He's a big Navy SEAL and all kinds of hot and alpha and he was just the sweetest thing with the older ladies. It was fun watching him handle all their quirks and keep them on schedule.
Grannie waved back with a hand clutching a small thicket of flowers plucked from the field.

"She's going to want to identify those flowers. What do you know about Turkey's flora?" Rose asked, eyes still on the group.

"Not a goddamn thing," Keenan said, "You?"

"I kill cacti," Rose said.

He stared at her, incredulous. "You kill the only plant you don't have to water?"

"Yes."

"Well, shit," Keenan said. 
The romance between Rose and Kennan was entertaining too. The attraction and chemistry pretty instantaneous. The sex scenes were HOT and, okay, a little awkward there at the start with the whole one night stand type vibe. It was interesting to see that change as they got to know each other during the two week road trip. I loved how things ended, too. For a novella it worked perfectly and was very satisfying.

Overall, cute, sexy, fun! I want more!
Logistics director Rose Powell agreed to chaperone her grandmother on a guided tour of Roman ruins on one condition: her brother Jack would come with her. But when Jack backs out, his best friend and fellow SEAL Keenan Parker takes his place. Without a working cell phone, Rose's orderly world drifts into dreamy days and hot, secret nights in Keenan's bed. Keenan left the Navy but never made it any farther than Istanbul, much less to a viable future. Until he does, he'll show Rose things she didn't know about herself. Can he give his heart and his future to the woman he promised his best friend he'd never touch?

  
Challenges: Pick Your Genre (contemporary) | New to You (series)
Pervy Girl (sleeping w/ a stranger) | Goodreads


Boiling Point (Crossing the Line #3) by Tessa Bailey 


Love me some Tessa Bailey! Boiling Point was an interesting one. A group of misfit criminals atoning for theirs sins by working as undercover agents for the police department. Hells yeah! That'll be interesting for sure. And I enjoyed it. Sizzling and steamy! Exactly what I expect from Bailey.

Alright the quick of it is that Polly is working on a side gig. The con-man who ruined her family is in town and she's going to put an end to him. Austin though? He knows something is up with the delectable Polly and he's determined to keep her safe and watch over her until he figures it out. And maybe join in when he does figure out her game.

Alright, I liked Polly and Austin quite a bit. They have an interesting chemistry and drive each other crazy but at the same time are drawn towards each other. Polly a spot more reluctantly than Austin. She's not down with con-artists and Austin? He's one of the best there is. It was fun watching them butt heads, scheme and become a team in their efforts as he slowly wore her down and she got to know the man behind the disguises.
"My life's plan starts and ends with getting my cock inside you."
Now on the heat.  The two had amazing chemistry and, whew, when they go at each other it's pretty explosive. I so don't kid when I say sizzling and steamy. Bailey can write a nicely filthy scene (yay!) that'll have a girl squirming. Whew! This was the first time, though, that I wasn't totally in love with the sexy side of things and that had a lot to do with Austin being submissive...but not exactly pulling it off. It was the first Bailey hero that has been marked as submissive and while in certain moments the submissive side came though it felt like she didn't quite have a grasp on the submissive personality/dynamic and kept wobbling out of that. It felt like an alpha male trying to play at being submissive and topping from the bottom kind of? I'm not sure exactly how to explain it but it felt off and left me with a wobbly feeling where the sexual side of things was concerned. Individual scenes were great (seriously) but as a whole it just wasn't quite solid as I expect from her.

On the suspense and group side of things I really loved meeting all of the ex criminals in their group. They're an interesting and eclectic group and all have so much attitude! They had a sparkle to them and totally made me want all of their stories. The suspense was emotionally messy and the bits behind it tugged at my heart. I liked seeing it all come together and how they used their talents for criminal activity to try to set things to right.

All in all, while it wasn't my favorite Bailey read it was still a Tessa Bailey and those are pretty damn good no matter what. I'll definitely read more from the series and plan on going back to books one and two.

Con artist Austin Shaw’s been in disguise so long he’s not sure where his fake identities end and he begins. Now that he’s been strong-armed into working for a specialized undercover unit working with the Chicago police—criminals with unique “skills”—the last thing he needs is to risk his iron control. Especially when it comes to a certain stunningly sexy hacker who tempts him with every look of disdain.

Polly Banks will never, ever trust a con man. On the trail of a ruthless crook who destroyed the only family she’s ever known, Polly is unnerved by the shadow who follows her every move. The one who makes her pulse pound and breath short with lust. Austin. He’s infuriating, enigmatic, and pure sex appeal, and she’s determined to resist him.

But an untrustworthy man of disguise can become anyone he wants…including a man that Polly must trust if she’s to escape their dangerous game alive.

   

Challenges: Pick Your Genre (contemporary) | New to You (series) | Pervy Girl (submissive male) | Goodreads

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