There’s a new deputy in town, and she’s a law unto herself. 

Jeremiah Church is still aching for justice to be served after his father’s murder. Though the killer has been caught, the authorities are no closer to knowing why the Churches were targeted—and if the family’s still at risk. When Miah receives an anonymous letter hinting at a darker conspiracy, he decides it's high time he seeks justice on his own terms, with the help of his fellow Desert Dogs. 

Patrol Deputy Nicki Ritchey is new to Fortuity, and hoping to make a clean start for her and her son. Involved in the Church’s case, she's kindled a friendship with Miah that's evolving into something more. But Miah is crossing lines with his personal vendetta, and Nicki’s attraction is making it tough to tell right from wrong…

Review

This was a long-awaited but fitting end to a great romance suspense/crime series which I enjoyed a lot. I've loved Miah all through the series and was so happy how it all turned out for him in the end. It was a struggle, not what he planned or expected but oh, so worth it and happy making.

We kept getting glimpses of his characters throughout the series and we got more insight into his character in the novella, Drive It Deep, his brief but passionate affair with Raine which left him shattered.

I loved Miah's character arc, the change of perspective he underwent. He was a man with a plan, girlfriend-marriage-kids and things were not happening for him for various reasons.

His grief felt real, his loss of direction felt real to, his desire to desire to get his life back on track felt real. And his relationship with Nicki, from friendship to love felt real and easy to relate to.

Nicki was a back female deputy, newcomer from the big city to the small, mostly white Fortuity. She was divorced single mom, as far away as possible from Miah, yet she was the perfect fro him. They stated as friends, helping each other through grief and Miah's sense of hopelessness.

Ii liked how the story was very much grounded in everyday life. They had to put efforts to make their relationship work and it was not because of their own feelings/insecurities but because life was happening around them and they had obligations and responsibility. They couldn't leave everything and just be together, it was a lot more complicated for both of them In the midst of a murder investigation which concerned them both they had to take time to be together.

I liked how the intimacy between Miah and Nicki took place, tentative, exploitative at the beginning, always open and honest. I felt Miah's claustrophobia was better handled in Drive It Deep, while here it seemed to easily 'cured'. Still, I very much enjoyed the intimacy between them.

I loved seeing the rest of the gang and the story had the sweetest epilogue. I don't need marriage and kids in every romance but here they were fitting considering Miah's character.

On the whole, I can recommend the whole Desert Dogs series as a well crafted, smart and sexy contemporary romance with a side of crime plot series. And do not miss the prequel novella about Miah and Raina which is not a romance per se since they don't end up together but it's an intense, emotional story about passion and love and well worth a read!

Author: Cara McKenna
Genre: Erotic romance
Release Date: 21 June 2016

Author's links:
Website / Twitter / Tumblr / Goodreads

My rating: 5 Stars
Add on Goodreads

Review 

I love Cara McKenna's writing and her erotic stories push many of my boundaries in reading. This romantic suspense series is tamer in terms of sex scenes but it still has the depth of exploring relationships and the human mind/emotions which I consider typical of Ms Mckenna's romances.

While I liked this story it is not my favourite in the series. The premise of a single mother and a wayward but nice guy who finally gets his stuff together is one a usually like but I had some issues with the heroine here.

I liked Casey, he really grew up in this story, his struggle what to do with his life felt real. We see more of the rest of the gang and their relations and I especially enjoyed this aspect of the story. The author managed to create a real sense of community and friendship without turning the what the characters have into the typical, semi-illegal, violent biker club.

We see Casey as a brother, a bar owner, being responsible, trying to break up with his past. His desire to be needed, to be useful, appreciated was presented really convincingly.

My main problem in this story was Abilene. I understood a lot about her, being a young, single mom, hiding from the father of her daughter who is violent criminal, yet there were a lot about her that annoyed me. She was not honest with or about her baby's father - leading everyone around her to believe is a danger to her and her kid. I felt it was a strong point in the story that he is a criminal, yet he cared about his kid and wanted to change, to be a good dad, give Abilene and Mercy what they needed.

I was most angry with the way Abilene rejected Casey because of  his criminal past. Like, she is the one to talk, when she was keeping her own (no less grave) mistakes a secret. I understand her desire to move on, to be better, to provide the best possible future for her daughter but I felt she was unfair to Casey. She didn't value his efforts to change, to become someone worthy of love and trust.

The chemistry between them was strong, their physical coming together was done with the intensity and depth typical for Ms McKenna's writing. The intimacy was real and moving and I loved it. In a way, Abilene's (unforgiving and dismissing) attitude after that was even more hurtful and unacceptable for me because of that.

Ms McKenna once again creates multi-layered, complex characters dealing with their past and present to the best of their abilities, often failing but never really giving up

There is a common suspense plotline running through the whole series and it gets further developed here though some questions still remain unanswered. We get some hints about Miah's potential HEA and I'm really looking forward to it in the next and final book in the series.

Overall I'd say this book is a good addition to the series, with a wonderful Casey and slightly annoying Abilene.

This is my first author interview I've done on the blog and I'm both very excited and very nervous about it. I read Badger by C. M. McKenna (aka Cara McKenna) back in September and this story with all its intensity and darkness and just a sliver of hope has stayed with me ever since. I had so many thoughts about it which I tried to express in my review but I also had so many questions I wanted to ask Cara. I gathered my courage (and wits) and approach Ms McKenna who was wonderful and agree to my request for interview. 

So, this happened. 

I’d like to welcome Ms McKenna on my blog today answering some questions about her non-romantic love story Badger, which she published earlier this year with Brain Mill Press.

Ellie: Welcome, Cara and thank you agreeing to do this interview. Badger left a lasting impression and I have many questions about this story, so I’m diving right in. 

Badger is unlike anything I’ve ever read, stunning, raw and genre-defying. What inspired you to write this story?

Cara: Why thank you! I actually wrote it way back in late 2011, fairly early in my writing career, at a point when I was feeling restless and unsettled and unsure what to do next. I’d gotten some shitty medical news, and one gloomy September morning I was riding the train into Boston on my way to a minor surgery, feeling pretty gloomy myself, and I was watching the graffiti-peppered overpasses slide by as I approached North Station. I remembered a story a good friend had told me about a friend of hers. He was a young man with some mental health issues who would occasionally go online, posing as an underage kid, and invite creepy old men to his house, like DIY To Catch a Predator. Once the pervert would arrive he’d assault them from his balcony with a paintball rifle. This struck me as both horrifying and strangely charming, though by the time I was riding that train I hadn’t thought about it in a few years. That anecdote was the seed that Badger grew out of, watered by my own strange mental forecast that autumn. I never did meet that friend of my friend.

Ellie: This is such a curious tale! You did make a much deeper and darker story out of it and I really like how it is all grounded in real life. 

Badger is not a romance in the strict sense of the word but still I’d say it’s a story about love (and abuse and hurt). I’m curious how you would define/describe this book.

Cara: These days I tell people it’s lit fic, for lack of a better term, and a fucked-up love story, but no, definitely not a romance. Romance, as a genre, requires that a few specific promises be kept to the reader regarding how the story is going to unfold, and Badger breaks some of those promises. My publisher calls it “neo-noir,” though I’d never heard that label before. I think that just means it has a gritty, grimy, urban, almost comic-bookish feel about it, which fits, I’d say.

Ellie: The story is as much about Badger as it is about Adrian. Do you have a favourite of the two/ Who was easier to write?

Cara: Well, the book’s written entirely from Adrian’s perspective, and I found her easy to inhabit. I’ve never been addicted to Vicodin or fallen in love with a mentally ill bicycle vigilante, but we both went to MassArt, both lived in Jamaica Plain, both floundered our fair share and abused Nyquil on occasion. She came very naturally for me, as a narrator. Badger would have been a far more challenging point-of-view to maintain. His perspective, if I pulled an E.L. James and wrote a companion book in his POV, would read completely differently from Adrian’s version. He’s very visceral, very much locked in the present, very reactionary. He possesses almost zero self-awareness. His dialogue and actions were intuitive to write, but I have almost as little understanding of what goes on in his head as Adrian does. It’s not a place I’d relish spending an entire book in.

Ellie: I guess this means there won’t be a story from Badger’s POV? I personally feel we leave Adrian at a good place, hopeful for her future, yet I’m wondering if you have any plans to write more of her story.

Cara: I don’t, no. Often when people ask me that question about a book, my answer has to be “Never say never,” but with this story I know for sure it ends where it ends. I love Adrian, but a sequel to Badger without Badger himself…? I just can’t see that having the same dynamism of the original.

Ellie: As a follow-up to the previous question, what was the easiest/most difficult thing about writing this story? Did you have to do a lot of research and what kind?

Cara: The book was fairly easy. Or rather, it poured out of me very quickly—110,000 words in about three and a half months, with zero halts in the inspiration department. It wasn’t easy, per se, because it’s a pretty rough book full of ugly emotions, but it did flow, probably as much as any other story I’ve written. It certainly flowed the easiest of any book of that length that I’ve written. I didn’t have to do much research; I know Boston the way you know a fond ex-lover’s body. I researched substance abuse queries, mainly. Random things like whether or not drinking cough medicine can fuck up a drug test (pro tip: it can.)

Ellie: That’s a good tip :) Will keep it in mind.

This book is a big departure from your other works. Were you worried how your romance fans will take it?

Cara: Sort of. I mean, my romances range from sweetly dirty all the way through dark and gritty, so I knew my readership was up for a high-ish level of angst and some pretty kinky sex. Still, Badger takes all that to a much starker place. There’s some quite gnarly sex scenes and dubious consent at times, and just some real meanness, in some of the sex. I was prepared to publish it under my usual pen name, provided it was made clear it wasn’t a romance, though in the end I decided to tweak my name to add a little extra distance. I mean, I’d hate for someone who’d just read and loved, say, my vacation-fling novella for Cosmo to go and pick Badger up, thinking it’ll be another fun, dirty romp like that then wind up in therapy.

Ellie: Do you have any plans to write more books like Badger, closer to general fiction than romance?

Cara: I do. No immediate ones, though; I have contracts to fulfill first, and I need to keep making money. Romance pays, and it’s fun, and those aren’t facts I can easily ignore. While I suspect Badger might be the strongest and most genuine book I’ve written so far, I also suspect it won’t be one of my bigger commercial successes. But all that said, I do have an idea for a series I want to explore when I’m no longer under contract, something that I imagine would land somewhere between After Hours and Badger in terms of tone and genre. Women’s fiction, I think it would probably get classified as. Not quite a romance, and messy and homely, with raw, realistic sex and a deeply flawed female narrator…if not a Badger-level train wreck.

Ellie: Oh, that is some exciting news. I will definitely be on the look-out for this new series. 

I have a final question, unrelated to Badger and concerning your future books. I have been reading a lot of LGBT books lately, have you thought about writing one yourself?

Cara: I already have! A few of my backlist titles are male/male, or ménages where the men have their way with each other. I love writing male/male. All three of my Sins in the City books for Penguin feature three-ways in which the men have contact, the second book in particular—Downtown Devil. That’s out next June. I’ve not written lesbian or trans romance yet, though I could imagine going there someday, if the right story grabbed me.

Ellie: Thank you for answering all my questions, Cara. It was a pleasure having you as a guest on my blog. Badger is one of the best books I have read this year and strongly urge people to read it because it tells an important story. It may not be the easiest of books to read but it is definitely worth it. 

Cara: Thanks very much for having me! It was a pleasure.

*** *** ***

Author Bio and Links

Badger was released 31 August 2015 by Brain Mills Press. 

Blurb

C.M. McKenna’s compelling voice has earned a devoted audience and multiple awards for her erotic fiction (as Cara McKenna.) Her page-turning literary debut, Badger, disturbs and titillates with the story of a recovering pill addict whose compulsive fascination with a Boston antihero spirals out of control.

Nearly twelve months sober, Adrian Birch feels like a nobody. But when her wrist is broken in a hit-and-run accident, she’s avenged by the Badger, a secretive street vigilante. Instantly obsessed, Adrian takes to staging suicide and constructing chance meetings to get his attention. Their resulting affair is harsh and needy, wrought with McKenna’s signature dark eroticism—until the connection gets out of hand and ignites the violent passions of the city.

Hailed for her “evocative,” “intense,” “deftly drawn,” and “engrossing” stories by reviewers at Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and Jezebel, McKenna now establishes herself as a rising star in neo-noir. Badgerchallenges the reader to imagine how an impulsive young man is killed, offering only the perspective of the fascinating and unreliable Adrian Birch.

Author: C. M. McKenna
Genre: Dark, erotic, fiction
Release Date: 31 Aug 2015

Author's links:
Website / Twitter / Tumblr / Goodreads
Add on Goodreads

My rating: 5 Stars

This is the first book by cara McKenan under her new pen name and it's very different and at the same time still similar to her previous erotic romance. 

Review

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Title: Burn it Up (Desert Dogs #3)
Author: Cara McKenna
Genre: Contemporary romance, Bikers

Release Date: 3 Nov 2015
Add on Goodreads

Pre-order links: Amazon / Kobo
After a decade spent chasing shadier pursuits, Casey Grossier has come home to the badlands to settle down in Fortuity. Vowing to put his days of dirty money behind him, he’s cleaned up his act and become co-owner of Benji’s Saloon. But despite his efforts to be a better man, he can’t shake his crush on his sweet-faced bartender, even though the woman screams trouble.

Abilene Price hopes she can outrun her mistakes and build a safe, respectable life for herself and her baby. So she’d be wise to keep her distance from her boss, Casey, and the rest of his roughneck motorcycle club, the Desert Dogs. But she just might need their help. The return of a violent figure from Abilene’s past ignites a powder keg—and it’s only the beginning…\


Why am I waiting for this? - I'm a big fan of Cara McKenna's books and I have been following this series from the start and enjoying it very much. I'm looking forward to Miah's story (which will come last) but in the meantime, Casey is so cute and totally lost soul and I'm excited to see things work out for him.


Check my reviews of the previous books in ths series:
Drive It Deep (Desert Dogs #0.5) - 4 Stars
Lay It Down (Desert Dogs #1) - 5 Stars
Give It All (Desert Dogs #2) - 4.5 Stars

Title: Drive It Deep (Desert Dogs #2.5)Author: Cara McKenna
Genre: Romantic suspense, Bikers
Release Date: 16 June 2015

Author's links:
Website / Twitter / Tumblr / Goodreads

My rating: 4 Stars
Add on Goodreads

Synopsis

Jeremiah Church and Raina Harper have been close since they were kids, back when life was all about hot Nevada summers spent running wild on the backs of their motorcycles with their friends. Now in their thirties, their lives are changing, and so is the way Miah looks at Raina—a sizzling tension has begun to smolder, impossible to ignore.

Miah is a man of simple pleasures—after a long day overseeing his family’s cattle ranch, a cool drink in his hand and a barstool under his backside are all he needs. Except lately, Miah’s begun looking at his bartender differently. Raina is Miah’s polar opposite—she’s as hot-headed as he is self-possessed, as wild as he is steady. And though they’re a recipe for disaster, the mutual attraction brewing between them is too tempting to deny.

But when bottled-up desires hit this hard, this fast, after so long, the results are positively explosive. And while the affair is hot enough set the badlands on fire, when the flames burn out, will their lifelong friendship survive, or go up in smoke?

It's a novella telling Miah and Raina's story set two years before the events in the book 1 and 2. It was slightly weird reading it, because I knew there won't be any HEA for the characters, yet I was curious about them and their relationship. 

The best thing in this short novella was Miah. I can't love the guy more, it's uncanny how close I felt to him, to his views on life, love, family. He is not perfect by any means and his little quirk (I wouldn't call it an issue) worked perfectly in the story, made him real and human. 

We already know so much more about Raina, since Ms McKenna told her story in book 2, yet it was nice seeing her fall for Miah. At first it felt easy and natural and then it grew bigger and more passionate. Two life-long friends becoming lovers, having tons of chemistry, yet ultimately breaking up because they are not compatible in the long run. I respect Raina's honesty and strength but I also hated her for hurting Miah so much. 

There was a lot of anger and hurt in this story. It was not a regrettable affair for both Miah and Raina, in a way it seemed a necessary part of their lives' journey but it was painful nonetheless. 

This is a very vivid, well drawn story. I appreciate the insight we got into Miah's character, he was more elusive so far. Now I'm even more excited about his book which will be the last in the series, after Casey's story coming later this year.

Please welcome, Ms Cara McKenna as my guest at today's Friday Favourites. She writes intense romantic/erotic stories with complex characters exploring their emotions and desires.

Friday Favourites

1. Favourite place

I've got a few mismatched answers for this one, including Powell's City of Books, the front steps of my childhood home in Maine during a thunder storm, Boston's Public Garden, any bar with fried pickles on its menu, and Wellington, New Zealand.

2. Favourite food and drink

Guess I'd better say fried pickles, now! See also: really good clam chowder (New England-style, not Manhattan—Manhattan clam chowder is not chowder, legally speaking), Anjou pears, scallops, cheese balls / curls / puffs. To drink, a nice tart lemonade. And once this baby falls out and I can do alcohol again, a strong IPA in the cooler months, pilsner in the summer. I've also invented a cocktail that consists of equal parts prosecco and pineapple juice, which I call the Easy Cara.

3. Favourite music/genre/artist/song

Hardest question ever. My all-time idol is Elvis Costello, particularly the albums "Spike" and "Punch the Clock." Nine Inch Nails got me through high school, Tori Amos got me through college. Kylie Minogue or Missy Elliott if I'm exercising. My favorite song of late is "The River" by Son Little.

4. Favourite movie/TV series

No contest on the movie front—The Shawshank Redemption, all the way. TV-wise…tough one. What shows would I never change the channel on, even if I've seen the episode a thousand times? Weird mix—Kath & Kim (the original), Hoarders, Absolutely Fabulous, certain seasons of Top Model, Bob's Burgers.

5. Favourite hobby besides writing, if you consider writing a hobby

I like exercising! When I'm not hugely pregnant I enjoy kickboxing and vinyasa yoga and hiking, though these days I'm mostly walking. I do lots of other creative things somewhat well, on an irregular basis—cooking, knitting, sewing, painting. Reading, of course! I especially love memoirs by people in the entertainment field, comedians in particular.

Favourite books

The two books I reread nearly every summer are The Long Walk by Stephen King / Richard Bachman and Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann. Some recent favorites have been The Bedwetter, The Boys in the Boat, Chasing the Scream, and 11/22/63. Anything and everything by Mary Roach and David Sedaris.

Cara McKenna writes award-winning contemporary romance and smart erotica, sometimes under the name Meg Maguire, and has sold more than thirty-five novels and novellas to Penguin, Harlequin, Samhain, and Signet Eclipse. She's known for writing no-nonsense, working-class heroes with capable hands and lousy grammar. She is a 2015 RITA Award finalist, a 2014 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award winner, a 2013 and 2011 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award nominee, and a 2010 Golden Heart finalist. Cara writes full-time and lives in the Pacific Northwest with her own bearded hero.

The author of Give It All and Lay It Down reveals a glimpse into the past in this blistering new Desert Dogs prequel about love gone wrong.

Jeremiah Church and Raina Harper have been close since they were kids, back when life was all about hot Nevada summers spent running wild on the backs of their motorcycles with their friends. Now in their thirties, their lives are changing, and so is the way Miah looks at Raina—a sizzling tension has begun to smolder, impossible to ignore.

Miah is a man of simple pleasures—after a long day overseeing his family’s cattle ranch, a cool drink in his hand and a barstool under his backside are all he needs. Except lately, Miah’s begun looking at his bartender differently. Raina is Miah’s polar opposite—she’s as hot-headed as he is self-possessed, as wild as he is steady. And though they’re a recipe for disaster, the mutual attraction brewing between them is too tempting to deny.

But when bottled-up desires hit this hard, this fast, after so long, the results are positively explosive. And while the affair is hot enough set the badlands on fire, when the flames burn out, will their lifelong friendship survive, or go up in smoke?

Title: Give It All (Desert Dogs #2)
Author: Cara McKenna
Genre: Romantic suspense, Bikers
Release Date: 3 Feb 2015

Author's links:
Website / Twitter / Tumblr / Goodreads

My rating: 4.5 Stars
Add on Goodreads

Synopsis

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer....

Bar owner Raina Harper can’t say for sure what Duncan Welch is to her. With her small Nevada town under siege by a ruthless casino development and still reeling from a spate of murders, she knows that trusting the public face of the corporate invaders is risky to say the least. Though, damn, it’s one fine-looking face.…

Duncan may be a mercenary when it comes to getting the job done, but he’s no villain. In fact, the calculating fixer soon finds himself in the bad guys’ crosshairs, framed and facing professional ruin. To clear his name, he’ll need help from Raina and her roughneck motorcycle club, the Desert Dogs. Gaining their trust won’t be easy, and the molten sexual tension between Raina and Duncan only makes things more complicated—especially since Miah Church, Raina’s friend and ex-lover, would sooner strangle Duncan than shake his hand.

One thing’s certain, though: If they don’t deal with their incendiary attraction soon, the whole damn town might go up in flames.…

This is the second book in the Desert Dog series of romantic suspense biker stories by Cara McKenna and it's an addictive read with great characters and a twisty suspense plot. 

The hero, Duncan, oh, boy, he was something else - I really hated him in the first book and when I learned that the sequel will be about him and Rain, I was anxious if and how the authro will developed his character in a convincing way for me to accept him as good enough/right for Raina. I needn't have worried. Ms McKenna not just made me accept Duncan but she basically made me fell in love with him, with his weirdness, his obsessions and pretences.

It's a very character driven story and the focus is on the journey/transformation of Duncan from the perfect emotionless almost robotic man in book 1 into a real human being with weaknesses and messy emotions. I felt deeply for Duncan and loved the person he was deep down and just let himself be in the end of the end. The relationship with Raina seemed impossible, illogical, they had nothing in common besides hot chemistry and they acted on it without too much expectations. He needed love and acceptance and the feeling of being wanted, valued, needed and Raina was not the most nurturing woman out there, at she was unwilling to open up to needing anyone, giving them more of herself than just sex. The love scenes were passionate, both rough and tender at the same time creating a sense of true intimacy, something Ms McKenna is a true master of.

Duncan and Raina went by trial and error in their relationship and there were some spectacular errors made by both sides. Apparently, a diamond bracelet given as a gift can the absolute thing to do, go figure :) On a more serious note, Ms McKernna examines the human heart, how difficult is to open up, to let ourselves feel any emotion since they could hurt us.

The suspense plot was not my favourite and I think it was the weakest element of the story. the characters and their interactions were much more interesting and well developed. I loved the glimpses of Miah and Casey.

I'm excited about the next book in the series and I hope it will be about Miah (he deserves his own HEA), though it might be about Casey, since we saw a lot of him in this book and by the looks of it things with him are pretty messed up. Meanwhile, Ms McKenna shared that she is working on a novella on Raina and Miah (back when they were together).

Recommended read for fans of romantic suspense with strong characters and focus and human relationships and matters of the heart!

Purchase links: Amazon / B&N

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Author: Cara McKenna
Genre: Contemporary romance, Bikers

Release Date: 3 Feb 2015
Add on Goodreads

Pre-order links: Amazon / B&N

Website / Twitter / Tumblr  /Goodreads

My rating: 5 Stars - Recommended Read

It's been a while since I've done a Teaser Tuesday post but I'm back in the game today. I'm sharing an excerpt from Lay It Down by Cara McKenna. It's a contemporary romantic suspense and I absolutely loved. It releases on today, 5 Aug. I'll be posting my review later this week.

Lay It Down

(Desert Dogs #1) 

Synopsis

Backbreaking days, wild nights, and the hard hum of steel between your thighs...

That’s a life well lived, according to the Desert Dogs—four friends who call Fortuity, Nevada, their badlands home.

Vince Grossier is the self-crowned outlaw king around here. But when Fortuity’s slick new mayor invites a casino development to town, greed isn’t far behind—and it claims Vince’s good friend as its first casualty. With the law turning a blind eye to the mysterious death, Vince must seek his own brand of justice. The pretty photographer hired by the developers might be the key to uncovering the truth. And she’s a temptation too good to pass up.

Finally free of a controlling ex, Kim Paget’s not looking to be taken for a ride—not on the back of some tattooed roughneck’s bike and definitelynot in his bed. But when she uncovers evidence supporting Vince’s suspicions of murder, Kim must entrust her safety to a man whose body threatens danger of a whole different kind.

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Author: Cara McKenna
Genre: Romance, Bikers
Release Date: 5 August 2014


Pre-order: B&N / Amazon

*** *** *** 

Why am I waiting for this? - One, I've a couple of Cara McKenna's previous books and I really enjoy the way she writes erotic romances. Second, I have a soft spot for biker stories and I hope this will be a good one. I already have an ARC for review and I can't wait to get to it.

Title: Hard Time

Author: Cara McKenna

Date of publication: 15 April 2014

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotica 

Author's links: Website / Twitter / Tumblr / Goodreads

Purchase links: Amazon / B&N / iTunes / Kobo

My rating: 4 Stars

In this all-new novel from the author of Unbound, a woman with a rocky past finds romance in the last place she’d ever expect...

Annie Goodhouse doesn’t need to be warned about bad boys; good sense and an abusive ex have given her plenty of reasons to play it safe. But when she steps into her new role as outreach librarian for Cousins Correctional Facility, no amount of good sense can keep her mind—or eyes—off inmate Eric Collier.

Eric doesn’t claim to be innocent of the crime that landed him in prison. In fact, he’d do it again if that’s what it took to keep his family safe. Loyalty and force are what he knows. But meeting Annie makes him want to know more.

When Eric begins courting Annie through letters, they embark on a reckless, secret romance—a forbidden fantasy that neither imagines could ever be real…until early parole for Eric changes everything, and forces them both to face a past they can’t forget, and a desire they can’t deny.

Review

This is my third book by Cara McKenna and to describe it I'm borrowing the definition given to her books by another reviewer - smart erotica, adding romance, since this one was all about romance plus great sexual chemistry.

It's easy to turn the main premise of this story of a love affair between a librarian and prisoner into a cliched version of a shy, sexually repressed woman and a bold, domineering, aggressive prisoner. I'm glad to say that it's nothing like this.

It's a complex story of love, lust and what it means to be with someone, to accept them for who they are and to share freely all your dreams and desires.

Ms McKenna creates a beautiful love story, a passionate romance, a realistic novel exploring issues such as abuse, violence and possibility of change.

I'm not a big fan of stories told via letters, but the love/lust letters between Annie and Eric were something else - so passionate, so open and honest, they reveal how two strangers can get to know more about each other than anyone else knows about them all through the exchange of words on paper without any physical contact.

The unique positions of Annie and Eric make their romance a curious mix of impossible love and unrequited passion allowing them both to be completely uninhibited and to indulge in their deepest secrets and fantasies.

Around the middle of the story reality came crashing in and things changed dramatically. Annie and Eric were given a chance too act on their attraction but at the same time they were faced with a whole new set of issues. After one abusive relationship year ago, Annie had great difficulties accepting the violence in Eric. He was always gentle and caring with her, responsive to her wishes, yet his repentance about the violent act that led him to jail and his determination to resort to violence again if necessary put a strain on their relationship.

This is where my issues with the plot come out. I feel like they went in circles in their disputes, Annie was appalled at the violence Eric was capable of, he was adamant in not sharing the reasons behind his behaviour. They went on and on without anyone of them changing their position.

I didn't particularly like the plotline with Eric's family. The issue with his sister was far too easily resolved. I also felt the ending was lacking. I would have also loved to see her family's reaction to him. It would have been nice to see Annie and Eric actually trying to work things out as a couple - they have so many obstacles to overcome.

The love scenes were hot, hot, hot. They completely unraveled me with their honesty, openness. He was adoringly shy, always trying to please her, deriving his pleasure from hers, in a way he was the perfect lover. Annie was adventurous, excited to explore, to try new things, rediscovering passion and pleasure.

Ms McKenna has created amazing characters - he was a delightful combination of shy and considerate, a perfect gentleman, yet ready to do violence for the person he loves/cares about - he had a strong sense of loyalty, justice. His writing disability, his care for his plants came in sharp contrast with his readiness to resort to violence for his loved ones. 

Annie was quite interesting, as well - she was strong enough to get away from an abusive relationship, strong enough to cope with the prisoners, she trusted Eric despite her fear of violence, she was willing to face his family, her family, to stand by him. 

Overall this book explores some complex issues in the lives of realistic characters involved in a true romance with great sexual chemistry. Despite some issues I had with the plot, it's another winner for Ms McKenna which I can recommend.My reviews of some of other books by Cara McKenna:

Unbound
Her Best Laid Plans

Title: Her Best Laid Plans

Author: Cara McKenna

Date of publication: 15 April 2014

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotica, Novella

Author's links:

Website / Twitter / Tumblr / Goodreads

Purchase links: Amazon / B&N / Kobo

My rating: 5 Stars

Experience Ireland—the dramatic beauty, the warm hospitality...and the smoking-hot local guys!

Imagine nursing a pint in a cozy, authentic country pub, far from Cork City’s busy pulse. Getting here took you a plane, bus, taxi, and...erm, bicycle. But just as you’re resigning yourself to drinking beside gray-haired farmers, you see him—a man with the looks and charm to soothe any heartbroken girl.

He’s your bartender. Your really, really gorgeous bartender.

For American Jamie Webb—recently dumped and housesitting for two weeks—Connor Kelleher is like a six-course feast after a 23-year starvation diet. But it’s gotta be casual. She’s just begun re-routing her life after an extended, man-related detour. Still, a sexy romp (or twenty!) with Sexy McBartender? 

But what about when Jamie's best-laid plans for no future plans with any man begin to change?

It's my second book by Ms McKenna after Unbound (my review) which I greatly enjoyed, and I really, really liked this one as well. It's the perfect erotic romance novella. 

I'm getting to like Ms McKenna's writing style a lot - her stories flow smoothly, the characters are well developed and real. This was the case with this book, as well. Two ordinary people dealing with normal issues come together and something extraordinary happens between them. They are very likable and easy to relate to.

The story is told from Jamie's POV - an American visiting Ireland in an attempt to lift her spirits up after a being dumped by her boyfriend. Enter Connor - super sexy and sweet local Irish guy willing to show her good time. Things happened almost instantly between them but for once the instalove didn't bother me. It worked well because both of them were aware how unusual it was to feel so at ease with each other in such a short time (10 days).

There is no melodrama or grand declarations of eternal love. Just a strong chemistry, growing into something more. The love scenes were sensual and real with Jamie and Connor being completely open and honest with each other. 

Being a romance, it has a happy ending but I won't say more in order not to spoil the story for you. I'll just admit that I didn't see the twist in the end coming, probably because we are given only Jamie's perspective and it was unexpected for her as well, or it could be just that I was not paying enough attention. Either way, I'm very happy how things turned out in the end for Jamie and Connor.