Wilson sets out to steam up bookshelves, but she ends up running off with hearts. There's no denying there's plenty of alpha behavior, but beyond the hormonal overload is an emotional dynamic that will intrigue. From dangerous curiosity, to heartstopping temptation and delightful humor the Panty Dropping boxset serves up some wicked fun.

Wow! This woman, Ms. Kresley Cole, can write anything. I began reading her action packed-under and above the covers- Immortals After Dark series many years ago. I read quite a few, then put her books on hold for a while. I came back last year and have nearly completed IAD. As we Geminis love to do, we read at least five books at one time (depending upon our mood). In doing this, I thought I would try Ms. Cole's earlier works after having recently completed her new-amazing-contemporary erotica series, The Game Makers. Knowing how great she handled Contemporary in addition to Paranormal Romance, I had faith that her earlier works-The MacCarrik Brothers trilogy- would be fantastic. Well, I can honestly say that I placed my faith in good hands because this series, so far, is really wonderful. For those who like non-paranormal romance, don't mind period pieces with minimal historical details, and more detailed erotic scenes with brawny, sensual, loving, alpha-males who happen to be Kilt wearers, then this is your series. This book of three, is well written, has a good story line, is erotic but tasteful, and is an easy read! I highly recommend it. There is just a special way that Ms. Cole, and only Ms. Cole, writes sex scenes that are the most unique and erotic in general romance. I have never read anyone else that writes them like she does. It's strange because the scenes are so normal and vanilla, but they make you puddle on the floor every time. And oh yeah, did I mention there's an actual plot that takes up most of the book! I know, right?! Amazing how now we can get a two-for-one deal in today's literature. This book is indeed a "kilt lifter" not a " bodice ripper." Just to clarify ;) But not a cheesy Harlequin; one of few genres I detest vehemently. Yes, there is a clear distinction. So, check this first book out via Overdrive, it's free! You can't go wrong with that, especially if you are new to her works. Enjoy what's under the kilt, I mean cover ;)

FOUR AND A HALF STARS!

When I first met Archer in Allure, I was immediately captivated, wanting to bask in my glorious feels that only a reformed asshole could erect in me. I had found him so interesting that I was literally begging for Nina Lane to write his story, and wonders of all wonders, I got my wish.

Break The Sky is the story of two reformed souls struggling to escape the mistakes of their pasts. Professor Kseniya "Kelsey" March knows what is expected of her, knows how to be a "good girl", knows to stay in control at all times so as not to fall into the uncontrollable downward spiral that almost ruined her. So when Archer West rides into town and batters against that formidable control, she fights it, knowing that the heat sparking between them is too wild, too consuming, too temporary. But the pull is irresistible, and Kelsey is unable to withstand Archer' s intensity, the storm brewing between them raging strongly and absolutely beautiful in its destruction.

There were so many things that worked brilliantly for me that I'm still trying to come to terms with it all. Archer, my goodness. Let me tell you about Archer freaking West.

I didn't think that anyone could surpass Professor Dean. He does it for me, an academic with a body to die for and so possessive that it makes me giddy just to think about it. But then Archer West comes along and I'm whimpering pathetically and my ovaries are all "Dean who?" If you've ever wondered if a tatted guy could be bad ass and drink chocolate milk at the same time, I'd say hell yes and pour that milk all over me so he could drink it. He's so unabashed in his desires, so direct in his dealings, so devastating in his efforts to reach out towards family that its absolutely too much. What really had me though was the heart break in him.

"Mom and Dad gave you everything they gave me and Paige," Dean said.

"No, they fucking didn't."
"Oh, yeah?" He whirled around, his arms spread. "What, Archer? What the fuck did you not have that Paige and I did?"
"A family!" I shouted. "A goddamned family, okay?"

I can't quite express just how brilliant he is but suffice to say, this is one book boyfriend that has forever ruined my expectations for men in real life.

Kelsey March was a good character for me. She's so stubborn which was frustrating at times, her character somewhat different from what I had expected from the Spiral series. Despite this, there were aspects of her story which I could identify with. For one thing, the differences between her and Archer academic wise. I'm not going to lie, with a double degree in Med Sci and Arts, I have never been able to imagine myself with anyone who hasn't done the same amount of studying as I have. So when this issue was brought up, I found I was both ashamed of myself and of Kelsey for (briefly) thinking less of Archer simply because he's a high school drop out. I've always valued education but I didn't realise how uncharitable I've been to others, and its not a great feeling. The other thing that I could relate to was Kelsey's parents. I'll be honest, I absolutely cried when I read about their journey and struggle to find a better life for their Kseniya. Their story was an absolute reflection of ours and I balled my eyes out when I imagined Alexei with my own dad's cracked and work-roughened hands or Vera with my mum's arthritic hands.

The love scenes between Archer and Kelsey were definitely steamy. Archer's alpha male side came to the fore and that delightfully wicked mouth of his was to die for. But what did it for me the most was the emotional aspect of their relationship and their struggle to reconcile themselves to the fact that they mean so much more to each other than they're willing to admit.

I yanked my arm from Archer's grip and slapped his face again. A red imprint spread over his jaw. Grim satisfaction filled me.
"You want more?" Archer released me and yanked open his leather jacket to expose the damp white T-shirt underneath. "Go ahead. I'll take it."
"You sonuvabitch." I flew at him, hissing and scratching. My fists connected with his chest, his face, his abdomen. "How dare you? How fucking dare you come here and turn my world upside down and then leave? How dare you think I would fall in love with a man I thought was less? You've never been less, Archer! You've always been more...so much more...too goddamned much..."
The impact of my fists barely moved him, but I felt his unleashed pain. I could hardly see his expression past the blur of tears. I slapped him again. His hand closed around my wrist to stop another blow.
"Goddammit, Kelsey," he whispered. "I surrender."

So, why not five stars? While I loved almost everything in this book, I have to admit, the beginning was kinda slow. Don't get me wrong, I could totally enjoy a book based off the simmering heat between mcs, but the emotional roller coaster ride that started for me at about the 65% mark and the intensity that it brought had me wishing that it started a little earlier. While the second half of the book is almost enough to smash through to the five star threshold, my frustrations with Kelsey and my desire for a little more forces me to hold off on the five star rating.

I would definitely recommend this book to others, especially to those who loved what little of Archer they got during the Spiral series. For me, this book was definitely worth the wait!

***Currently free on Amazon!***

THREE STARS!

I had previously read Legal Affairs: Objection and enjoyed it so I was happy to try another book from Sawyer Bennett, thinking I would definitely love this read. And I was both right and wrong. Right in the sense that there were genuinely awesome, feel good sections to the book, and wrong in the sense that when parts were bad, they made me want to beat the ever loving hell out of my kindle.

On the Rocks starts with a kiss between long time family friends, Gabriella Ward and Hunter Markham. The kiss is made awkward by the fact that Gabby has always had a huge crush on Hunter and is dreaming of a happily ever after while Hunter is crowded with guilt for kissing his sister's best friend whom he has always seen as another little sister. Hurt from his rejection, an antagonistic relationship blooms between the two for the next five years, before necessity brings the two together, forcing them to finally confront their feelings for the other.

The Good:

* Its a nice, steamy read. If nothing else, Sawyer Bennett knows how to make enjoyable love scenes that fills out that requirement in a good adult read.

* When the two characters have their shit together, it is awesome, the relationship between them very sweet. Gabby with her support and steadfast loyalty to Hunter and his family, and Hunter's overprotective instincts towards Gabby, not to mention his "girly" emotions. I like a guy that can get in touch with his "feminine" side every now and then.

* The Dual POV. I love getting the male point of view, the contrast always helps make for a great read.

The Bad:

Unfortunately for me, there was just more bad than good in this read. The main negative in this book would have to be Gabby. Bloody Gabby. In the first half of this book, I was ready to yank my hair out. She is an absolute bitch and she knows it, readily confesses this fact for readers. I wasn't a fan of her wanting to hide her relationship with Hunter either when they finally get it on. (Like honestly, what are you, twelve?) Its not until everything is finally out in the open that I actually started to like her, started to enjoy the relationship between her and Hunter. They're talking with each other, they're acting like an awesome power couple, their relationship is really working so you can't help but wonder what all that bloody drama was about in the first place.

That is, until you reach the 90% mark. My goodness, if you'd ever wondered what a stupid plan made by a stupid person for absolutely stupid reasons looks like, then look no further, you've absolutely found it. Don't believe me? Well just read it for yourself. And if you're not convinced, have a quote from Hunter himself:

"Gabs...you cannot unilaterally decide what's best for me. This whole charade was stupid and nearly destroyed both of us."

There are other parts and other characters that didn't work for me but for the sake of time and the fact that I can't be bothered to list it all, I'll just leave it at this.

Would I recommend it? Not really. If its your thing, go for it. Personally, I'm glad that I got it for free from Amazon because in the end, there weren't enough good parts to really pull this off for me.

THREE AND A HALF STARS

As a set up novella, its a pretty solid effort. The story is simple and straightforward, the two mcs are likeable and the sexy times are sexy, though the fact that its a novella rather than a full blown novel works against it, in my opinion.

Objection begins with McKayla Dawson carrying out her drunken promise to her best friend of hooking up with a stranger via an exclusive sex club. An incredible night of bliss proceeds with the ever so gorgeous, number 134, but its not long before reality crashes in and its back to the daily grind for Mac, a newly established litigation lawyer. She finds out that the firm that she works for has been bought out and on the day that she meets her new bosses, she comes face to face with number 134 himself. They're both determined to keep their relationship professional, but intimate knowledge of each other's bodies can be the very devil.

I liked this novella for the most part. Mac is smart, speaks her mind and is quite confident. I found her likeable though I couldn't help but scrunch my nose at her penchant for relying on her best friend's money for things. I can certainly appreciate times being tough and the economy being bad, but there is such a thing as living within your own means and I thought it was somewhat at odds with her hardworking background. Matt Connover (aka number 134), is pretty decent for someone with his authority and power. He apologises when he's in the wrong and he's not afraid to speak his mind, all traits I find likeable. Though despite all this, I found it hard to connect with the characters because the story was just too short. Once I started sinking into the story, it was over and done with and I found that I just couldn't quite make that connection with the characters. What also didn't work for me was Mac's final thoughts on Matt:

He's an asshole. There is no doubt about that. But I have a feeling he's a pathetically damaged asshole, and something has made him this way. That makes me feel sorry for him, even though his words cut pretty deep.

I guess this is suppose to open up an avenue of exploration in later installments for why Matt is so anti-relationships, but having Mac glean this "truth" without there being anything to indicate it to be true, other than her adamant belief that he wouldn't go down on her if he was adverse to relationships. Not to mention, her thoughts come not long after his utter rejection of her confession of liking him, which makes her thoughts seem more of a butthurt reaction to the rejection rather than showing true insight into his character. Or at least it was to my way of thinking.

Despite these issues, I did still enjoy the story overall and definitely want to continue with the series. If you like office romances as much as I do, then I'm sure you will like this as well (though you may want to get your hands on the box set and read it all in one go)!