Book Review: Mystery Man

Mystery Man (Dream Man #1)
Kristen Ashley

Release Date: December 11, 2012

Book Description:
Night time is the right time...

Gwendolyn Kidd has met the man of her dreams. He's hot, he's sexy, and what started as a no-names-exchanged night of passion has blossomed into a year and a half-long pleasure fest. Sure, it's a little strange that he only appears in her bed at night, but Gwen is so sure he's the one, she just can't turn him away...

Hawk Delgado knows more about Gwen than she could ever imagine. She's gorgeous, headstrong, and skittish about relationships. But Hawk is facing his own demons, demons that keep him from connecting with anyone. Yet when Gwen is drawn into Denver's lethal underground scene, Hawk's protective nature comes out full force. The problem is, when Gwen gets a dose of Hawk's Alpha attitude in the daylight, she's not so sure he's the one anymore....

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
3.5 stars

I'm struggling a bit here with how to honestly rate and review this novel... On one hand, I was pretty engrossed with the story. On the other, I had major issues with some plot details and characters' behavior. So I decided I needed a list to sort my feelings:

Good:
There were many great moments throughout the book, both touching and emotional, as well as humorous. I always enjoy humor and sarcasm - you have to be able to laugh at yourself and situations you are in. (I even noted a bit of self-promotion from the author on her other series, and it was done in a good, fun way. As Gwen would think it: "Nice!").

If you are a big fan of the Hot Alpha man trope then this book is certainly for you! There were plenty of alpha men here (yup! multiple alpha men, lots of them). Although, I think they might've be a tad too alpha for my taste.

Add hot, steamy sexy time galore! There was palpable chemistry on these pages. Gah!

It was an addicting read - my first KA, and I'm afraid aside all the problems I had with both hero and heroine, I would still read it. (Towards the end of the book I started thinking of it in terms of Ward's BDB series except without the paranormal [I used to roll my eyes at that series as well and look where it got me!])

Bad:
Did I mention? Hot alpha men everywhere - the testosterone was a little suffocating. Major control issues, caveman attitude with a bit of stalker syndrome mixed in. Yikes! -- Rein it in MM, would you!?

The heroine was a major problem for me. First, I don't really have a problem with one-night-stand turned epic-love storyline, but when that one night stand turns into [a year-and-a-half long sex-only relationship on a I-don't-need-to-know-your-name basis] I got an issue with that. Also, can someone please tell me what was so extra special about Gwen that everyone wanted to be with/save her? Can you say: damsel in distress?

And I can't even go into all the ridiculous nicknames, and over-the-top descriptions. It felt a bit cheesy, but again, when I started to think of it in BDB terms it seemed somehow okay...

***
So, would I read another KA book? I think the answer is "yes" - I am really tempted to know what happens to all the other alphas.

Proceed with caution! Fair warning: If phrases such as, "my woman"and "Badass World" make you cringe and throw away your beloved reading device/book, perhaps this book is not for you. *winks*

Dream Man Series:
Mystery Man (Dream Man #1)
Wild Man (Dream Man #2)
Law Man (Dream Man #3)
Motorcycle Man (Dream Man #4)
Merry and Bright (Dream Man #4.1)
Law Man Short Story (Dream Man #4.2)

Book Review: Dreamfever

Dreamfever (Fever #4)
Karen Marie Moning

Release Date: August 18, 2009

Book Description:
MacKayla Lane lies naked on the cold stone floor of a church, at the mercy of the erotic Fae master she once swore to kill. Far from home, unable to control her sexual hungers, MacKayla is now fully under the Lord Master’s spell.…In New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning’s stunning new novel, the walls between human and Fae worlds have come crashing down. And as Mac fights for survival on Dublin’s battle-scarred streets, she will embark on the darkest—and most erotically charged—adventure of her life.

He has stolen her past, but MacKayla will never allow her sister’s murderer to take her future. Yet even the uniquely gifted sidhe-seer is no match for the Lord Master, who has unleashed an insatiable sexual craving that consumes Mac’s every thought—and thrusts her into the seductive realm of two very dangerous men, both of whom she desires but dares not trust.

As the enigmatic Jericho Barrons and the sensual Fae prince V’lane vie for her body and soul, as cryptic entries from her sister’s diary mysteriously appear and the power of the Dark Book weaves its annihilating path through the city, Mac’s greatest enemy delivers a final challenge.…

It’s an invitation Mac cannot refuse, one that sends her racing home to Georgia, where an even darker threat awaits. With her parents missing and the lives of her loved ones under siege, Mac is about to come face-to-face with a soul-shattering truth—about herself and her sister, about Jericho Barrons…and about the world she thought she knew.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
In light of Saint Patrick's Day, it seemed appropriate to share my thoughts (so far) on the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning, which I've been enthusiastically reading for the past month. Happy, happy! *winks* 
 
Caution: If you are not into epic cliffhangers DO NOT READ this series! Cause OMfG - fecking cliffhangers are really starting to annoy - lucky for me - I'm so late to this series that 9 of the series books are already published (i.e. no wait time for me to discover W T F happens next).

Now that we got this over with... Finally!!! I'm so, so happy to see Mac thinking for herself and doing some a$$ kicking, at least occasionally. Don't get me started on the whole repercussion of the previous book's cliffhanger though; at least Mac got some special skills for her ordeal - I guess... *(Btw, so sorry for swearing so much, it is so not like me at all, but having spent half the night reading, only to discover that at 87% in, I was at the end of the book, not 2-3 chapters away from it -- I do not have other tools to express all the feels this book left me with.)* Which brings me to our favorite anti-hero *read: jerk*, - Jericho Barrons, who makes me want to throttle him with every entitled comment of his! He makes me so, so mad, with all the omissions and mysterious aura, but I do love to hate/love him - he's such a fascinating although frustrating character.

Book Review: Separation Games

Separation Games (The Games Duet #2)
C.D. Reiss

Release Date: January 3, 2017

Book Description:
The stunning conclusion to the New York Times Bestseller.

These are the unbreakable rules in the game.
Stay collected. Compartmentalize. Think your next move through. Never let your heart dictate your tactics.

The heart is impulsive.
The heart makes bad decisions.
The heart doesn’t see the long game.

Because the heart may have decided to get Adam back, but when the endgame comes, the heart’s going to be the first thing to break.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
If I had to pick one adjective to describe the feeling this novel invoked it would be "exasperating".

I know I will probably get some backlash from all the Reiss' fans (and I do count myself among them) but I couldn't bring myself to find anything redeeming in either Diana nor Adam throughout this novel. And as they went on and on, in the angst-drenched mess of a relationship my irritation and dislike of these characters grew exponentially stronger.