#Review: The Grail Court (The Thalo Series) by Kasey Grantham

Spark of a Great Series But Falls Short

2 1/2 hearts ♥♥

Normally I post reviews of the more adult genres since that's what makes up the bulk of my TBR lists on my Kindles. I do read YA too so I thought I'd give this one a go. The blurb really didn't tell me much at all, but I was still intrigued enough to try it. 

Blurb

What if the infamous "other side" was real? What if you could escape your high school existence just by closing your eyes? 

Would you? 

What if pure evil and the fate of the rest of the world was waiting for you on the other side of your eyelids? 


Would you choose: The ordinary... or extraordinary?



Overall, I have to give this 2 1/2 stars. While the premise of the story has promise, the delivery falls flat. The formatting issues alone made it difficult to read. I have three different types of kindles and on each one the layout of the paragraphs looked terrible and choppy. I'm not sure if the use of mixed lower case and capital letters in the chapter titles ( sORT oF lIKE tHIS) was meant to be artistic or cute, but it was extremely jarring and pulled me out of the story. Multiple grammatical and style errors fill the pages in this one and could have been avoided with the help of an editor...one who knows fantasy in particular.

The teenage heroine Cassie seemed to have some spunk but she was never fully developed. None of the characters were taken further than the superficial. The author made sure we knew exactly what color hair and eyes all of them have, but never gave any insight into what makes them tick. As a reader, I couldn't get invested in the characters enough to care what happened to them...but the spark is there. The author just needs to develop her skills as a storyteller further. She has a potentially fabulous fantasy series here but as it stands now, it's lost in a world that's TOLD to us instead of SHOWN. Telling me Cassie is sitting outside listening to the night sounds is rather boring, but if the author would have described those sounds in detail, I could have pictured it all as her characters were living it.

I'd be willing to read this book again if it's rewritten and edited properly to bring out the story I know is there. Bring me into the world so I can see it in my mind and don't just assume I can see what's in yours.

My advice to this author is to invest in the cost of professional editing, join a few author groups where they critique her work so she can learn and improve her writing style, and either take the time to learn how to format a file to upload to Amazon or hire someone to do it.

I do not recommend this book as it stands now nor will I read the rest of the series if they're written like this one. 

#Review: Andrea at the Center by J.P. Kansas

There’s Something for Everyone in This Tale of Explicit Erotica

Find this on AMAZON

4 Hearts ♥♥♥♥

The author takes the reader on such a wild ride of so many sexual encounters that at times it’s hard to follow or understand why one minute the heroine is upset and talking of breaking out of The Center, and the next is writhing in ecstasy. Some of the scenes shocked me—that’s saying something!

Andrea does allow herself to explore some of her deepest fantasies in order to become who she’s meant to be sexually. As with all true erotica, it’s about the sexual journey of the main character.  J.P. Kansas takes us on one hell of a journey with Andrea.

Blurb

"You're going to here at the Center for a few months. It's going to be the most enlightening experience of your life. When it's over, you'll be returned to where you were taken from—a different woman."

Young and beautiful Andrea is, without warning, whisked away to a secret location, where a mysterious group devotes itself to the pursuit of sexual enlightenment through the use of many sensual techniques. Gradually, she's introduced to the ways of the Center by the people that gladly occupy it. Her sense of self and her understanding of sexuality are profoundly challenged, leading her to a new understanding of herself and the deepest sexual satisfaction.

Now after reading that blurb, I immediately thought of another series of books dealing with the same premise: heroine is taken against her will and “forced” to participate in some of the most outrageous and titillating sexual encounters in order to become a better person.  Ann Rice’s Sleeping Beauty trilogy is what came to mind, but this is nowhere near that caliber.  Where Rice gives us mind-blowing sex, BDSM, and appealing characters you root for throughout the books, Kansas gives us only raw, unadulterated sex—almost too much of it. 

Yes, I know you’d never thought you’d here that from The Vixen, but even I have my limits as does the human body.  There's a point your body just simply cannot have another orgasm and needs to rest, regroup and recharge the sexual engines. Same goes for readers of erotica. 

Your eyes can only take just so much before it all starts to look the same.  Before you now it, you end up skimming through to the next scene to see if there’s anything new.  I didn't want to skim any of it.  In order to give a full and honest review, I had to put it aside in order to let my eyes and mind rest a bit.  I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but it's something the reader should be aware of when they delve into this one.

Andrea at the Center details the experiences of one abducted woman as she has sex with just about anyone she comes in contact with.  You have a fetish or curious about one? It’s in there. Wonder what it would be like to be a collared slave to a bunch of women? It’s in there.  Same sex, multiple partners, urine play, food play, voyeurism, prostitution…the list goes on and on.  This is definitely not a book for those faint of heart or who get offended by any sort of detailed sex scenes. While I prefer a bit more raw language in the erotica I read for pleasure, the author did a fantastic job detailing every encounter. There was no question at all what was going on! LOL!

My only real criticism is that the author didn’t expand upon the characters fully. I wasn’t drawn in enough by the heroine, Andrea to care whether or not she ever left The Center.  The whole idea of why The Center existed isn’t explored and we never get to find out why some are there voluntarily while others, like Andrea are there involuntarily.  If there was more to the story to chop up the endless sex scenes, I’d give the book five hearts right off the bat. 

Maybe we can convince the author to write a sequel to Andrea’s story and give us the details we’d all crave. To me, having a well written STORY with characters we can connect to—along with the mind-blowing sex is what erotica is all about.  While entertaining, Andrea at the Center left me a tiny bit unfulfilled. 

With that said, I still recommend this book for those who are exploring the wonderful world of erotica and all the many subgenres.  If you want tons of hot, descriptive sex, this book's for you!

#Review of Anything You Want by @MadisonSevier

Fantasy Turns into Reality with this Brand New Series

5 stars ♥♥♥♥♥

Cheers to Madison for the debut of this new series. Not only did she tackle the life changes of her heroine with class and style, she portrayed her as a strong, independent woman not afraid to show her vulnerable side. Too often in the world of romance we have heroines hell bent on being the top bitch instead of being REAL.  Sylvia is a real, modern woman full of lust and passion just aching for the chance to erupt.  And boy does she ever!

Madison tackles the topic of adultery with ease. Life isn't over when one partner breaks the vows. Portraying the real emotions of betrayal, denial, and then finally acceptance gets the little devil kudos. Where many other authors would let their heroine play the victim, this one makes her move on to bigger and better things. 

I can't WAIT for the next book in this series! I'm so looking forward to more adventures at the River Jewel Resort and for my reunion with the hero and heroine from this book. Nothing like leaving me begging for more! This couple is HAWT!

From the above extra rating icons, you can see I really enjoyed this book. It's a fast read and right from page one it doesn't disappoint. We're introduced to Sylvia Blake right after she's separated from her lying, cheating husband. Of course the slime ball tries to convince her it will never happen again but once a dirt bag, always a dirt bag.  Our poor Sylvia has the wind knocked right out of her.

Don't count her out so fast! Giving herself just a wee bit of time to mourn the loss of a marriage she realizes wasn't all that, she takes her best friend Lexi's advice and gets out of town to an exclusive—and very expensive resort catering to your every need.  And I do mean EVERY need.  hehehe  You'll have to read this and the next books to find out exactly how they do this but it's the manager of the resort that has his eye on our Sylvia. He caught mine as well!

Manager Mark Willburn is the perfect eye candy and sets Sylvia's blood a boiling and her panties a meltin'! As she takes Mark's challenge to give the resort a try, even just for one night, we're swept away by the beauty of the resort and how happy everyone is being there...including our heroine.  When Mark checks up on her extending a bit more of a, personal touch to the hotel amenities, sparks continue to fly. Of course they hit it off, but can Sylvia overcome her hesitation and let her guard down long enough to enjoy all the resort has to offer? 

Brava, Madison Sevier! You've grabbed my attention with the start of your series, now hurry up and write more stories set on this marvelous place. I wish I could visit there for just one weekend with Mr. Vixen! :)

Blurb 

Sydney Blake thought she had the ideal life. A dashing, successful husband and dream home were all she ever wanted. But everything wasn’t as perfect as she believed. When Sydney catches her husband, Roger, screwing another woman, Sydney files for divorce and falls into a deep depression.

Her only friend, Alexandra, does everything she can to cheer Sydney up. Lexi even suggests a weekend getaway and ‘sex with a random stranger’ to get over her slimy cheating husband’s ways. But Sydney has always believed in marriage and everything it stands for. Besides, she wasn’t even divorced yet and Sydney still hoped that Roger and she would reconcile.

It became apparent Roger would never change and Sydney needed to go somewhere far away from her small town for a little while. Little did she know, she was destined to be a guest at the extravagant River Jewel Resort. After meeting the charming manager of the beautiful hotel, Mark Willburn, Sydney might just learn to let down her guard and find more than she ever knew she needed.

Fated: Erotic Vampire Fantasy from Alexandra Anthony

Very EROTIC Vampire Romance 

(originally posted on Amazon July 21, 2012)

  ♥♥♥♥1/2

The hero and heroine take very little time to get down to business! While some stories it makes you wish there was a bit more foreplay, but it works well with these two. Their connection is that powerful and yes believable. 

Okay so I've had that sort of attraction too...so sue me! ;)

At the time of this post, the author now has two more books of this series out and I have them both on my Kindle to dive into and see if the questions I have about Josie's past are answered. Oh and I want more hot sex!

If you are looking for a "sweet" vampire romance, this is not for you. The sex scenes are absolutely SMOKING hot. The action takes off right from the start when vampire Stefan finally finds his fated mate Josephine after a very long two hundred year wait. The chemistry between them is explosive and the amount of sex they have to me is about right for a new relationship...especially if you're dealing with a 900 year old vampire who's waited 200 years for his soul mate to come into his life.

The secondary characters are also fun to have on screen. Josie's ever present and overly protective friend Georgia is a hoot even when she's ruffling Stefan's feathers with her behavior toward them as a couple. I agree with another reviewer in that I hope the author shows us a bit more of these secondary characters in future books.

The only criticism I have is the editing mistakes. There were several repeated words and phrases that were distracting at times, enough so to pull me out of the story a few scenes. Overall that didn't kill the story for me because I was drawn to Josie and Stefan right away and wanted to follow each moment with them to the end.

I enjoyed the book and can't wait for book two to find out more about Josie and her past. I recommend this book for anyone who loves vampire romances that are hot enough to melt your kindle!

(Available from Smashwords, BN, and Amazon)

Tyler Robbins Delivers in Beyond Honor

BRAVO! 

(originally posted June 30, 2012)

5 Hearts ♥♥♥♥♥

Cheers for introducing me to the world of M/M romances!

This is the first book from this new author and I cannot wait for the next one whether it's a stand alone or part of a series.

I've never read a M/M romance before and I chose this one by Tyler Robbins (the alter ego of author Robin Badillo) to be my first. To be honest, I didn't understand how this particular genre appealed to women. Personally, I like to put myself as one of the characters in the story and get lost in it. I wasn't sure I could do that when the love interests were two men. Boy was I wrong!

Right from the first scene I was pulled into the story and into the heads of both Jared and Michael. The tension and the attraction between the two of them was so palpable, I could almost taste it. Their attraction to each other is undeniable and their close friends can see it even before they do. It takes a natural disaster to get one of them to finally realize and accept the fact that he is in love with another man and willing to do whatever it takes to keep that new love in his life.

Beyond Honor delivers both tender and steaming hot love scenes between two people destined to be together. You won't want to miss one moment of their journey. Thank you, Tyler Robbins for taking us along for the ride! 

(Available from All Romance Ebooks, Amazon, BN, and Evernight Publishing)

Flesh Fantasy by Maya DeLeina Rocked The Vixen's World!

Who knew finding your fated mate could be so...EXPLOSIVE?

(originally posted on Amazon August 8, 2012)

5 Hearts ♥♥♥♥♥

This book get's the drink icon for the spider web scene alone. You'll have to read it to see why!

The immediate connection between the hero and heroine is palpable. There is no pussy-footing around here. These two belong together and you know it right from the start. The sex scenes leave you panting and you feel every touch, every kiss. No holds barred!

I need more of these vamps!



I'm always drawn to stories about hot vampires, but truth be told most are variations of the same themes. There's nothing wrong with that, but Flesh Fantasy is a whole other creature all together. Right from the start you fall in love with both Rhys and Rain. They're two forces of nature in their own right, but when they come together...well, let's just say your kindles will melt from the fire generated between them. 

Their attraction is all consuming and you feel it in your own soul as the story unfolds. The author weaves a fast paced, heart pumping tale that leaves you breathless and begging for more. I can't wait to learn more about the Ambrose Heights vampires! 

Well done! 

 (Available from Bookstrand, Amazon, BN and other major outlets including iTunes!)

My Kindle is on Fire! Review of Whips and Wax by Bonnie Bliss

( posted originally on Amazon January 28, 2012)

5 Hearts ♥♥♥♥♥ 

This was the very first book of BDSM I picked up and have been begging for more every since.

This gets the little devil for the sex scenes alone. SMOKING HOT

What can I say? The author grabbed my attention from the first paragraph and never let go!


Right from the moment I opened this book on my Kindle I was hooked! This is the first novella I've read by this author and I have to say I will be checking out more of her work as soon as possible. In Whips and Wax we are introduced to a couple new to "the lifestyle." The story begins with Marie opening a package that has arrived for her husband, Neil. Knowing full well he will not be pleased if he catches her, she goes ahead and puts on the sexy thong and leather corset setting off what is to be an afternoon and evening full of pleasure and punishment when Neil comes home early.  

Ms. Bliss is able to tell this story from the viewpoint of both the Dom and Sub and keeps you begging for more. I felt like I was there in their playroom and experiencing it all with them: the pleasure, punishment and tender care Neil administers to Marie during their play sessions. Read it and see for yourself. You will not be disappointed! (Available from Smashwords, Amazon, BN and many other outlets) 

Welcome to Reviews by The Vixen

What? The Vixen is reviewing books?

That's right my sassy ones. I've decided to jump right into the crazy world of a book reviewer. I know what you're thinking. Do we really need another smart-ass posting their opinion about someone else's writing? Can't you just stick to blogging, promoting yourself, your alter egos, and other authors? 

Yes we do and no I can't.

How's that for being a smart ass? LOL

All kidding aside, I thought it would be a great idea for me to start putting the reviews I've written in one place. I'll still copy them to Goodreads, Amazon, Smashwords, or wherever I purchased the book, but this blog will be one stop "shopping" for authors and readers alike. The posts can be linked to, referred to, copied and reposted as long as I'm given credit for the review, it can be used as you see fit. Well, unless you start chopping it up and completely altering what the original review said. Now, if you just use snippets, that's fine. But if the content of the review is turned on it's ear...Houston, we'll have a problem. A BIG one. 

What kind of books will be reviewed?

As you know, I write poetry, erotic romance and erotica. I read everything I can get my hands on across all genres, from YA and mainstream fiction to the smoking hot erotica. This site will have an adult warning because I will post reviews of books that are meant for those over 18 years of age. That doesn't mean I won't post a review of a YA book. Those may be few and far between for a bit since I do have many adult content novels waiting to be read. 

What will be the rating system?

I'm going to use hearts for the symbols. I tried to find something like flames or hot peppers, but I can't figure out how to make the image repeatable in blogger. I can get one image, but when I try to put another next to it, blogger won't let me. LOL  So we are going with the hearts since I can make that symbol without a problem.

♥ Yes there are some books out there that need a 1 heart rating because they are that awful, but you won't see those posted here. I'll just choose to say nothing at all. 

♥♥ This would be the books that I finished but would not read again unless some serious revisions were done to it. I also wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. This would have to be one that has no clear cut direction or plot, characters I just can't follow or care about or those books out there that are so full of editing nightmares I want to bang my head against the wall.  Have I received a two star rating before? Yep. Do I know why? Yes. The person who rated my book preferred M/M erotic romances and this particular book of mine was M/F. The person NEVER READ THE BOOK!!! They just gave it a 2 because it didn't appeal to them. You won't get that from The Vixen!

♥♥♥ Now for this site, a three heart is a good book! It's one that entertained and I rooted for the characters. There's a plot and the story moves along. To get a three and not higher, there have to be some things I just couldn't ignore. Usually these things would be repetitive phrases, head hopping, switching from 1st person to 3rd person and then back again in the same scene. 

♥♥♥♥ These are great books that I would pick up again and definitely recommend to a friend. There are probably a few things that didn't sit well with me, but overall a fun read. I would recommend the book for others to give a try. Four hearts from The Vixen means overall you did your job well, author!

♥♥♥♥♥ Five hearts from The Vixen means you rocked my fantasy world! I was transported to the world you created easily and grew attached to your characters. I cheered them on, wanted to shake them when they did something stupid, and overall I could see myself in your story. You made your characters REAL to me. I would highly recommend a 5 heart book and read it over and over again just to see if there were any details I missed from the times before.  Five hearts means TELL ME MORE!!!

So that's the site in a nutshell. I'll post my first set of reviews soon.