Sunday, January 26, 2014

S.E.C.R.E.T and S.E.C.R.E.T Shared by L. Marie Adeline


Title: S.E.C.R.E.T and S.E.C.R.E.T Shared
 
Author: L. Marie Adeline


Publisher: Broadway Paperbacks

Published Date: February 5, 2013 and October 15, 2013

Buy on Amazon:  Paperback 

Author Website: http://www.secretnovels.com/

 


Synopsis of S.E.C.R.E.T: 

In S∙E∙C∙R∙E∙T there are…
No judgments. No limits. No shame.

Cassie Robichaud’s life has been filled with regret and loneliness since the death of her husband. She waits tables at the run-down Café Rose in New Orleans, and every night she heads home to her cat and solitary one-bedroom apartment. But when she discovers a notebook left behind by a mysterious woman at the café, Cassie’s world is forever changed. The notebook’s stunningly explicit confessions shock and fascinate Cassie, and eventually lead her to S∙E∙C∙R∙E∙T, an underground society dedicated to helping women realize their wildest, most intimate sexual fantasies. Cassie soon immerses herself in an electrifying ten-step journey through a series of rapturous fantasies with gorgeous men who awaken and satisfy her like never before. As she is set free from her inhibitions, she discovers a new confidence that transforms her, giving her the courage to live passionately. Equal parts enticing, liberating, and emotionally powerful, S∙E∙C∙R∙E∙T is a world where erotic fantasy becomes reality.
 
Synopsis of S.E.C.R.E.T Shared: 

Still wounded from a recent heartbreak over her boss and lover, Will, Cassie Robichaud throws herself into service with S.E.C.R.E.T., the mysterious organization that changed her forever by bringing her deepest sexual fantasies to life, one step at a time. Now, it’s Cassie’s turn to guide the group’s newest candidate, Dauphine Mason, recruiting men to execute a new set of fantasies. 
 
At thirty-one, Dauphine is the proprietor of a New Orleans vintage clothing store. She’s been harboring a crush on Mark Drury, a local rock star, but is too shy to put herself out there with him. She turns to S.E.C.R.E.T. to reignite her sexual flame and find the confidence to risk her heart again with another man.   
 
As Cassie worries that the right time will never come for her and Will, she finds inspiration helping Dauphine in S.E.C.R.E.T. Both women navigate the rocky path between their hearts and their passions, hoping to discover what they truly want in life and in love. S.E.C.R.E.T. Shared is a romantic, adventurous, and sexually charged sequel to one of the hottest new series in erotica. 
 
My Thoughts:

S.E.C.R.E.T and S.E.C.R.E.T Shared is the new enthralling erotic fiction trilogy by author L. Marie Adeline.  L. Marie Adeline did a fantastic job of pulling me into the New Orleans world of S.E.C.R.E.T, so much so that I started and finished the first two novels, S.E.C.R.E.T and S.E.C.R.E.T Shared, in just two days. That's not easy for this Mama of a 5 year old and 4 month old, but it really shows just how much I enjoyed these two books and the characters.

S.E.C.R.E.T revolves around widower Cassie, a waitress who has lost the essence of who she is.  She drifts along in life, doing just enough to get by but not enough to make any real connections.  Cassie's loneliness is noticed by a special customer who starts the process of recruiting Cassie into a secret group of women who make it their job to help women open and find themselves.  Something is ignited within Cassie as she throws herself into the new and exciting world of S.E.C.R.E.T, where her deepest sexual fantasies can come true.     

S.E.C.R.E.T takes place over the length of a year which finds Cassie coming back to life and becoming more empowered.  After meeting several very unique and special men, Cassie realizes that there has always been a special man in her corner, waiting for her.  However, she was so lost in her own world that she blocked him at every turn.  Now that she has come into herself, will he still be there waiting for her?

S.E.C.R.E.T Shared is the second novel in this addictive trilogy.  It not only revolves around Cassie's new role in S.E.C.R.E.T, but it also introduces readers to a Dauphine, a brokenhearted young woman with major trust issues. When Cassie meets Dauphine she sees much of her old self reflected in the younger girl.  Wanting to help Dauphine, Cassie recruits Dauphine into the world of S.E.C.R.E.T in the hopes that it will make her whole.  Dauphine finds herself in many situations that she never dreamed of and starts to remember just who she is. 

S.E.C.R.E.T Shared ends on a bitter note for Cassie.  Just as it seems that loves timing is finally working out for her, a bump in the road lands Cassie on her back and struggling to know what to do next.  I am eagerly awaiting the third novel, S.E.C.R.E.T. Revealed (which will be released this Spring) to see what is next for Cassie and the ladies of S.E.C.R.E.T.  If you are looking for a sexy new triolgy that has romance, erotica, friendship, and thrills then L. Marie Adeline's S.E.C.R.E.T. novels are definitely for you.   
 



L. Marie Adeline
I have been provided with a complimentary copy of S.E.C.R.E.T and S.E.C.R.E.T Shared for the purpose of review.



Wednesday, January 1, 2014

The Days Lost by Shannon McCrimmon

Title: The Days Lost
 
Author: Shannon McCrimmon


Publisher: CreateSpace

Published Date: November 20, 2013

Buy on Amazon: Kindle & Paperback 

Author Website: http://shannonmccrimmon.com

 






 
 
Synopsis: 

On the heels of her high school graduation, Ellie Morales is spending her summer vacation in the mountains of Western North Carolina with her dad and brother, Jonah. Having lost their mother only months earlier, all of them are trying to cope with the loss in their own way. 
 
Part routine, part escape, running is Ellie's way of dealing with her grief. Shortly after sunrise each morning, Ellie and her dog, Bosco, set out for a lengthy run on the path that passes by her house and leads deep into the woods of the Blue Ridge Mountains. One fateful morning, Ellie is lead off of the trail and discovers a secret that will change her life, as well as the lives of the family she meets, forever. One member of this mysterious family is Sam Gantry, who seems unlike any guy she's ever known. 
 
This meeting sparks a series of events, causing Ellie to question everything she's ever known and believed. The more she learns about Sam and his family, the more she wants to help him find the missing puzzle pieces.
 
My Thoughts:

Shannon McCrimmon is a wonderfully talented author with which I have had the pleasure and opportunity to review for.  I instantly fell in love with her first two books, The Summer I Learned to Dive (my review can be found at: http://endlessdaysofbooks.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-summer-i-learned-to-dive-by-shannon.html) and it's sequel, The Year I Almost Drowned (my review: endlessdaysofbooks.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-year-i-almost-drowned-by-shannon.html.)  I became very excited upon learning that Shannon McCrimmon had a new book coming out, The Days Lost.  

The Days Lost is a novel that is very unique and differs greatly from McCrimmon's prior books.  Based in present day North Carolina, The Days Lost focuses on college freshman Ellie, who is grieving the loss of her mother.  Ellie, along with her father and brother Jonah, have left their home in Florida to vacation and heal at their mountain retreat.  One morning while running off of a beaten trail Ellie stumbles upon a strange family whose cabin is well hidden from hikers.  Instead of turning around and leaving, Ellie's curiosity gets the best of her when she observes Sam, a beautiful male with an angelic voice.  Ellie soon finds herself in the home of Sam and his old fashioned family and discovers a secret that seems unreal.

The Days Lost features a heartwarming friendship that morphs into a romance between Ellie and Sam.  Sam, in his own gentle way, helps Ellie deal with the grief that she has been bottling up.  In return, Ellie sets off with Sam to solve a mystery that has the potential to turn his family's life upside down and inside out.  The Days Lost also has a shocking twist that literally left me reeling.    

I especially loved reading about the relationship between Ellie and Jonah.  They constantly bickered and fought but were hugely protective of each other when it counted.  Having suffered through the loss of their mother, each were dealing with issues but still managed to be there for one another when no one else was.  You could easily see how much they loved and counted on one another. 

Shannon McCrimmon's The Days Lost is a well written, suspenseful and romantic young adult novel that is a quite a page turner!  I would love to see a sequel that deals with Sam's family acclimating into modern society as well as exploring Sam and Ellie's blossoming relationship.  If you are looking for an interesting read, The Days Lost is the book for you!                         



Shannon McCrimmon
The author has provided me with a complimentary copy of her book, The Days Lost, for the purpose of review.