18 AND OLDER BOOK BLOGGER FOLLOW

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a weekly feature that begins on Fridays and runs through the weekend, hosted by Crystal from Reading Between the Wines. This is a Friday blog hop with the objective to find and visit other book blogs that share the same interest as you, namely books geared towards the 18 & over crowd, and make some new friends!

How to join in:

• You should run a book blog that features and reviews mostly adult reads.  Some Y.A.’s are okay but 18 & over adult reads should be your majority.
• Make a separate post for the 18 & Over Book Blogger Follow on your blog.
• Copy the button above and place it at the top of your post.
• List & answer the ‘Question of the Week.’
• Place your name and blog title in the linky over at RBtW's blog post and the url for a direct link to your post.
• Visit the other blogs on the list and say 'Hi!' Following each blog is not mandatory but I know it is always appreciated, and if someone comments saying they’re a new follower it’s polite to follow back. :) It’s always nice to spread the 18 & Over Book Blogging love!
• Contact Crystal at readingbetweenthewines10@gmail.com with any questions!

Question of the Week: You just walked into your bedroom to find your favorite book boyfriend lying on your bed with three naughty gifts. Who is it and what are they? 

Answer:  First off, if you know me, I have a very hard time narrowing my fave fictional boyfriends down to one. It is something that just can't be done. 

So, in this scenario, I'll have to pick out my favorite (okay, ONE of my favorite) and kinkiest one. Hmm...

Vishous --BlackDagger Brotherhood Series--JR Ward--Lover Unbound. 

And his naughty gifts: 

1.  Blindfold.

2. Nipple clamps

3. Flogger 

Now, it's your turn? Who would you choose --Leave me a comment and let me know! 

SINFUL SIRENS GIVEAWAY HOP

Sinful Sirens is hosted by

Under The Covers

&

Guilty Pleasures 

 For this hop, I wanted to give away the last few books that really steamed up my contacts and made me whimper.  

Winner's choice of one of the following 

(ebook) :

After Hours ~ Cara McKenna

Try Me, Tempt Me, Take Me: One Night With Sole Regret

 Anthology ~ Olivia Cunning

The Stillness of You ~ Julie Bale

Seducing Cinderella ~ Gina L. Maxwell 

Simply fill out the rafflecopter below to enter!

Have fun and enjoy hopping ~ 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ARC BOOK REVIEW ~ THE AWAKENING: AIDAN BY ABBY NILES

Title: The Awakening: Aidan 

Author: Abby Niles

Release Date: April 21, 2013

ARC provided by NetGalley

Is the gift of eternal love a blessing or a curse? 

After years of counseling grieving shifters, psychiatrist and half-shifter, Dr. Jaylin Avgar has become jaded on shifter mating. She wants to marry a human and forget about the love for eternity crap. Then she meets Aidan O’Connell, an infuriatingly laid back shifter who represents everything she doesn’t want. Yet, the more he pursues her, the more she craves a future with him. Only one thing stands in her way: death. Can she overcome her fear of losing Aidan to the one guarantee in life? 

Millionaire consultant, Aidan O’Connell knows he’ll one day meet a woman who’ll awaken an unrelenting mating instinct. Unfortunately, that woman is Jaylin, who has no qualms about telling him that he and his so-called eternity can shove it. When she pushes him away, he takes a drastic step so she can no longer escape. The close proximity throws the instinct into overdrive. Can he control the need ingrained in him until he’s certain she will reciprocate the bond, or will a moment of weakness doom him to hell on earth?

Book Review

Jaylin Avgar is a half-shifter and a psychologist, who, until recently counseled grieving shifters. But the torment that they suffer when their mate either dies or deserts them has left its toll on her. And she refuses to let its claws sink into her own heart. She is through with alpha shifters. 

Aidan O'Connell knows that Jaylin is his mate and he is determined to have her. But he cannot understand why Jaylin would refuse him. Why would she consider a human as a possible mate, when he would do anything for her? 

Abby Niles does a fantastic job of world building with this paranormal series. It isn't overwhelming or confusing. There are terms that when you take a second look at them, make complete sense.

Dsershon--when a mate leaves or is abandoned by his unbonded mate.

Fewshon-- a "buzzing" sensation--the overwhelming urge to bond with your mate.

Wydow--a death of a mate leaving the living one waiting to be reunited after death.

Bahrraj-- (yeah, that one is a little bit more difficult, lol)- an episode that is like a trance, where the shifter is "stuck" inside his own head, connected to his mate. Very difficult to return from. 

Aidan's buddy Liam is suffering from dsershon after he has bonded with his mate. She was unable to accept the fact that he was a shifter. She was human. He is experiencing a bahrraj episode and no matter what he does, Aidan cannot reach him. He calls for Dr. Avgar for help. 

Jaylin is sympathetic to Liam's peril but she tries to keep her distance from Aidan. Even though there is a very obvious attraction, she refuses to leave herself vulnerable or Aidan vulnerable to the fewshon. She knows the horrific psychological damage that dsershon brings upon a shifter. 

But Aidan wants her and he uses everything in his power to make it happen. Even a bit of trickery. 

What follows is Aidan basically trying to woo Jaylin. Court her. Make her see how wonderful things could be between them. Fate has chosen them as mates for a reason. 

Jaylin cannot help but fall a little for Aidan. He is charming, loyal, protective, and they do seem to fit like pieces of a puzzle. But she tries to keep him from falling susceptible to the fewshon--something that could make Aidan lose control and bond with her. 

But when a storm engulfs the island, fatally injuring Jaylin, Aidan's attempt to save her puts him at risk to lose everything. Even the connection to the animal inside him. 

Although the tug-of-war between Aidan and Jaylin was a bit vexing at times, I could understand why Jaylin kept rejecting his endeavors. The Awakening put a unique twist on the whole mating ritual in shifter romances and I look forward to reading more. 

Hopefully, poor Liam will find his HEA in a possible upcoming book? Inquiring minds want to know, Abby Niles. 

WINNER OF WHO'S YOUR WICKED LOVER GIVEAWAY HOP ANNOUNCED

Congratulations

--divavixenqueen--

You won your choice of ebook from Shayla Black's Wicked Lovers Series.  Please contact me via email, as you did not leave your email in the comments. You have 72 hours to contact me before another winner will be selected. Thank you to everyone who made this such a fun hop! 

SEXY SNIPPETS: TWICE TEMPTED BY JEANIENE FROST

Tuesdays have never been so sexy!

Sexy Snippets is a weekly feature hosted by Reading Between the Wines for the 18+ crowd. To join in just grab the button, post a sexy paragraph or two from your current read and share the author & title so other participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like. Then add your post to the linky over at RBtW's blog post so everyone can follow along. Have a sexy good time!

"What are you doing?" I managed.
His expression was nothing short of ferocious, and if his gaze grew any hotter, I'd burn beneath it. 
"You've never had angry sex. I'm about to show you what you've been missing."
At those words, the throbbing between my legs became painfully intense. In spite of that, I stopped him when he swooped down to kiss me again. 
"You said you'd never take an ex-lover back."
His mouth descended to my neck with devastating effect. "You've proven to be the exception to my rules." 

WOW--Vlad speaks and I whimper.  I love this book, this series, and this author. AMAZING. 

Now it's your turn to show me your Sexy Snippet! 

ARC BOOK REVIEW ~ SLAMMED AND POINT OF RETREAT BY COLLEEN HOOVER

Title: Slammed (Slammed, Book One)

Author: Colleen Hoover

Release Date: January 5, 2012

Reviewer purchased own copy of audio book

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

Book Review

One of my besties highly recommended Slammed to me. And being that she rarely, if ever, steers me wrong, I purchased the audio version of Slammed, narrated by Heidi Baker. 

And I LOVED IT!

First off, let me just say that the poetry in this book sucker-punched me in the gut. (Blue Sweater, in particular). There was such an emotional element with each word--I wanted to go to my own slam and listen to people pour out their souls. 

Layken Cohen has an old soul, in some respects, and I could immediately relate to her. She has suffered the loss of her father and she, her younger brother (Kel), and mother pack up and move to Michigan. 

Kel is nine and he is just freakin' adorable. He's sweet, imaginative and close to his big sister. . 

Layken's life takes a drastic change when she meets the new neighbor, Will and his little brother, Caulder, shortly after she moves in. Will and Layken have that instant connection that blossoms from their first meeting to their first date. 

Will is charming, cute, and you can't help falling for him. Neither can Layken. He takes her to a club for a poetry slam--where you get up on stage in front of an audience and "preform" a poem. At the slam, Will performs his own piece--one that has Layken in tears and further solidifies her feelings for him. She is floored by his maturity, his passion for poetry, and his own devotion for his little brother, Caulder. 

Will has had to grow up fast after the death of his parents. He is the only 'parent' to Caulder and has sacrificed everything to take on this huge responsibility. 

But things quickly go awry when Layken starts school the following week and meets Will outside her elective poetry class--and discovers that Will Cooper is the teacher. 

Will makes it clear that he cannot and will not risk his job. He has to put Caulder first in his life. No matter how much they connected or how strong their feelings, they cannot continue having a personal relationship. 

Of course, Layken is devastated. And at times, her immaturity shows. But she is only eighteen. A fact that I had to remind myself several times of in this story. 

Slammed has other great secondary characters: Eddie and Gavin, which provided some serious laughter during some emotionally tense moments. 

I could rave about Slammed all day and wouldn't know where to draw the line. There were just so many epic moments for me: the poetry, the emotion--all of it touched me, made me laugh out loud, and cry. Really hard. 

Favorite quote:

“So you keep your ocean, I’ll take the Lake.”

Title: Point of Retreat

Author: Colleen Hoover

Release Date: February 25, 2012

ARC provided by NetGalley

Hardships and heartache brought them together…now it will tear them apart. 

Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge…how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop ‘carving pumpkins.’

Book Review 

Point of Retreat pick up with Will and Layken together, struggling to pick up the pieces after the death of Layken's mom. Layken is going to college as well as Will, and they are very much involved in Kel and Cauler's lives. And somehow they make it work. 

We see this great "family" made up of the four of them, plus Eddie and Gavin, who occasionally show up (and don't knock) for dinner and hang out. 

But despite their closeness, their commitment, and their obvious love for each other, Will and Layken still haven't taken that "big step" yet--sex.  They want it to be perfect. 

But someone shows up from Will's past that causes everything to fall apart. And now Will is fighting to prove his love for Layken. And Layken wonders if what they have is real and not just a relationship brought together by their unique, yet similar circumstances. 

Point of Retreat was another heart-wrenching story, but told from POV, which I enjoyed tremendously. Sometimes, it's just great being inside a guys head and seeing how they think, lol. 

Before Layken's mother died, she had created these messages and folded them into stars. All of these special notes were then put in a huge jar--with instructions to only open one note at a time, and only when they felt that they needed it. 

Those little notes play a pivotal role in providing the right message at the right time for both Will and Layken. Yes, one can say that can come across as cheesy or hokey--but somehow it just works. 

There are so many fantastic moments in Point of Retreat that have stuck with me, they were that compelling and brilliantly written. For example: Suck and Sweet. Whenever all of them would gather at the dinner table, everyone had to share their suck of the day and their sweet of the day.  I now have implemented Suck and Sweet at my own dinner table.

There is also an introduction of two new characters--A mother (Sherry), and her young daughter, Kiersten, who have recently moved into the neighborhood. They are hilariously entertaining. Kiersten is this old soul who gives the boys and girls a run for their money. 

Another epic moment was when Caulder and Kiersten did their own version of a poetry slam for the school talent show. Simply.Phenomenal.  

And when Will does his poem to express how he feels for Layken? SWOON.  His words are honest, hopeful, funny, and full of love for this girl who has become his entire world. 

Simply put by Colleen herself, Point of Retreat is the story of how Will and Layken had to "fall apart to realize how much they need to fall back together". 

LUSTING FOR COVERS ~ SPREAD YOUR WINGS BY JAYNE RYLON

Lusting for Covers is a weekly meme, held on Sunday, that allows bloggers to share their current cover obsession with fellow book lovers.

This meme is hosted by TBQ @ TBQ's Book Palace.

To view complete instructions on how to participate, as well as grab the HTML code for the graphic, see this page first!

Once you are ready to join the fun, 

please fill out Mister Linky over at TBQ's Blog post with 

your name/blog name and the direct 

link to your Lusting for Covers for this 

week!

Title: Spread Your Wings (Men In Blue, Book )

Author: Jayne Rylon

Expected Release Date: October 15, 2013

She’s through playing it safe…

Waiting. Watching.

Jambrea was patient long enough. After nearly ten years pining over a man with whom she’d spent a single night, her job set her on a collision course with two sexy cops who turned her head…and ignited her passion.

More agonizing. Debating.

When it became clear that Matt and Clint would never admit to the bisexual attraction making an equilateral relationship possible, she couldn’t choose a favorite. So she had to turn away and move her life forward—without them. Jambrea approaches Mistress Lily and Master Jeremy to arrange a wild night at their sex club—never expecting her friends would pull a bait and switch.

Time’s up.

Just when happily ever after dangles within reach, it becomes clear someone has Jambrea in their crosshairs. Is it one of her lovers’ old cases coming back to haunt them, or a ghost from her military past? One thing’s for certain. Now that they’ve made the leap, they’d better learn to soar…or they’ll all crash together.

Why I picked this--Well, it's really very simple. 

1. Tatts

2. Two smexy men sandwiching me...er...the heroine.

3. Jayne Rylon

What about you? What cover are you lusting over? Leave me a comment, I'd love to know!