Sun, Sand, Sex w/ Linda Lael Miller, Shelly Laurenston & Jennifer Apodaca

I officially bow down to each of these ladies because damn they put together a fine anthology. I don't give 5 stars out easily and like never to a short story but they so earned it. They each have very unique and different voices and really created some stand out short stories/novellas that all had a little something to do with Sun, Sand, Sex. They had me tearing up one minute and laughing out loud the next. Between the three they're heart felt, sexy and funny as hell. If you like beachy reads this is one to grab. It won't disappoint...

One Last Weekend by Linda Lael Miller

College sweethearts Teague and Joanna Darby, once passionately in love, are on the brink of divorce. When a ferry strike leaves them stranded together at their beloved beach cottage, it could be the most awkward weekend ever. Or the perfect chance to fall for each other all over again-one steamy encounter at a time...

You Give Love a Good Name by Jennifer Apodaca

Lexie Rollins is a wedding planner on the lam. All she did was defend herself (with a staple gun) against a sleazy groom-who knew the Assault and Battery charges would stick? Now Lexie's "vacation" at an exclusive resort has put her at the top of gorgeous bounty hunter Nick Vardolous's list. And Nick always gets his woman-every which way imaginable...

My Kind of Town (The Long Island Coven #1) by Shelly Laurenston

Deputy Kyle Treharne of seaside Smithville, North Carolina, hates Yankees-even exotically beautiful ones like Emma Lucchesi. The sexy New Yorker's got trouble written all over her, and she knows more than she's telling about the increasingly strange goings-on in his town. But if the lady's got a few tricks up her sleeve, so does the lawman. And it's high time for every wicked thing to be deliciously revealed...

Type: Contemporary Romance & Paranormal Romance (shifters)
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 5 out of 5

Amazon B&N Goodreads

One Last Weekend by Linda Lael Miller

This was my first contemporary from Miller and ooo right from the start she grabbed my emotions and had me invested in Teague and Joanna's relationship. Near divorce the two agree to one last weekend away together and whew things get explosive. In the bedroom and out. Miller had my heart aching for these two and really hoping they'd find a way to actually see each other again and not the misunderstandings that have plagued them. It's a little serious but there are also some really sweet and funny things included. Like everyone from their grown daughter to their divorce attorney fretting over their dog and what will happen to him if they divorce. Since, you know, he'd be from a "broken home". It was really endearing and had me smiling.



My only real complaint was that they pretty much sexed each other up into staying married. I would have liked a little less sheet time *le gasp! I know!* and a little more actually talking it out but in the end it worked out nicely and I enjoyed seeing these two come together and realize what they'd been missing the last couple years.

"This is hard," Joanna whispered.

Teague propped his chin on top of her head. "Somehow," he said, "I don't think that's a comment on my manly virtues."

~~*~~*~~ 

You Give Love a Good Name by Jennifer Apodaca

Ahh if only every time you stapled a guys penis into his pants..then missed your court date... you got chased down by a bounty hunter like Nick. Because omg he is delicious!

You Give Love a Good Name had the fun and sexy going on but also a little suspense which I loved. It was a tad predictable towards the end but very entertaining and had fantastic characters with a great fiery chemistry. Nick had a tendency to put his foot in his mouth and lose his cool whenever he was around Lexi and I had a blast watching it happen. The two were great together though and made me aw a few times. She's never had anyone really in her corner until him and man I loved that he believed in her and was protective over her from the start.

Apodaca definitely has a new fan. All around, this was a fantastic read... from the humor to the sexy bits to the light dusting of danger and mystery and just the way it all flowed so easily. I. Loved. It.

"I'll buy the next round."

He refused to let her bait him. No woman had ever turned him into a stark raving butthead before. Not even Ellen. Ellen had made him feel needed, powerful, strong. Lexi made him crazy. The kind of crazy that drove him to act like a Neanderthal, just as Shelly had accused him of being. He wanted to claim her as his and kill anyone else who looked at her.

Sunstroke was a distinct possibility.

My Kind of Town (The Long Island Coven #1) by Shelly Laurenston

Simply put. Shelly Laurenston is utterly fucking brilliant. She has the best shifter series out there and never fails to make me laugh until I cry. And I loved her novella. It's fun and silly and sexy and holds true to her style. She always combines multiple species and Yankees and Southerners and does so in a way that I swear your cheeks will hurt from smiling so much. She pulls all those stereotypes out in the open and makes them really work for her characters in the funniest damn way.

Emma is a witch on a mission and that did not include wrecking her car and catching the Deputy of Smithville's attention. But oh does she catch this kitty shifters attention and he is determined. I really enjoyed the two. The banter back and forth is stellar, the chemistry will singe your fingers and make you squirm. And the town all together is just hilarious. They don't hold anything back, have that kind of sibling rivalry behavior where they pound on each other and tease but really love each other and are just fun. Everything about this one worked for me.

"Have you been thinking about me this morning?"

Had she been thinking of anything else?

She nodded, not sure she should risk speaking.

"Did you touch yourself while you were? Did you make yourself come?"

"I haven't done that with my hands since I gave myself carpal tunnel a couple of years ago."

He stood there for a second, his mouth so close to her clit she thought she might burst out of her skin if he didn't touch it, or stroke it, or something. But then he started laughing. So hard, he finally laid his head on her stomach, his arms resting on the table.

Confused, she stared at him. Then her eyes widened and she said, "No, no! I got carpal tunnel from typing too much at my job!"

Kyle laughed harder. He hadn't laughed this much in a long time. And never with a female he'd been sleeping with.
...
"Come on, darlin'." He wiped tears from his eyes, then slipped his hands under her body and lifted her into his arms. "Let's take this to the bedroom."

And since they all are set on the water I thought we'd go beachy for our man candy treat today...

Have you read Miller, Apodaca or Laurenston? 

Have a favorite story/character/etc?

Did ya enjoy the quotes?