ARC Review: Hot and Haunted by Megan Hart, Lauren Hawkeye and Saranna DeWylde

Hot and Haunted

by Megan Hart, Lauren Hawkeye and Saranna DeWylde 

Nothing Else Matters by Megan Hart - 3.5 Stars

This story was not so different from what I would've expected to see in a post-apocalyptic paranormal erotic story from Megan Hart.  Even in a short story, the romance is never simple.  I don't want to spoil things and tell you what happens :) just that I found this story was sexy but gruesome at the same time.  Megan's zombies are pretty disgusting as they spread the "virus" by having spots on their faces explode.  If you breath those spores in then you turn into a zombie.  It's almost a believable scenario.  Our heroine Lira is kick ass, she goes out looking for, hunting and killing zombies.  But she is also jaded.  I think through this story she does grow a little and starts "feeling" but there's more ahead of her.  I am giving this a 3.5 because I was not as connected in all the "hunting for zombies" scenes and maybe wanted those to be shorter or less descriptive or maybe they should've included more people and interaction.  Overall I did enjoy the story.  It was dark and sexy.

"She spent her days with death; fucking made her feel alive."

Pick Me Up by Lauren Hawkeye - 3 stars

Honestly this story was the spookiest of them all.  From beginning to end you don't know if you are watching a train wreck of a girl with maybe mental problems who is a tad unstable and crazy but maybe finds love in the most unexpected of place, or if she's just a crazy lunatic serial killer.  And I'm going to leave the story at that.  I really had no connection with the characters of this story, but I think the author did her job in pulling my emotions in all different directions and giving me goosepumps at the end.  This one was also the most erotic one of them all in my opinion.

Little Red's Big Bad by Saranna DeWylde - 4 stars

Now this was my favorite story.  I liked the heroine from the get-go.  US Marshal Miranda Garrick has been working on the case of a serial killer who was supposed to be behind bars.  But he's escaped and he's made it known that he's got it bad for her.  Rumor has it he's a werewolf, and she's his little red riding hood.  I loved the play on the fairytale!  Miranda was kick ass but vulnerable.  When she has to work with hunky FBI agent, Aden, sparks fly in a major way.  But he's got more than one secret.  For a short story, this was incredibly engaging, intriguing and sensual.  There's a bad guy, a great story, some mystery, some action, and plenty of *waggles eyebrows* hot stuff happening.  I will be checking out the rest of Ms. DeWylde's work.  I've been meaning to from before and this just convinced me I HAVE TO.

Excerpts included from The Forbidden Lady by Kerrelyn Sparks and Turn to Darkness by Jaime Rush

*ARC provided by publisher

Purchase Links: Amazon

Interview and Giveaway with Author of the Month Megan Hart

The moment we've been waiting for!  Our author of the month is finally here today. *cue fangirl squees* We recently had the chance to ask Megan Hart some questions and would love to share them with you.  She has a hot new release out this month and another one following close behind next month, HOT AND HAUNTED .  Now please help us welcome Megan Hart to UTC again!

Welcome back to Under the Covers. I am so excited to finally have another full length novel coming out that we've made you our Under the Covers Author of the Month!!

Thanks so much for having me. :)

What can you tell readers about THE SPACE BETWEEN US?

Well, for one thing, it's my first erotic book for Harlequin that doesn't have a one word title. I don't know why, but that just makes me laugh. I came up with the title first, actually, but don't ask me how/why, because I don't remember. The Space Between Us is about Tesla, who falls for Meredith, and then Meredith's husband Charlie. 

Now that we had a little bit over a year between COLLIDE and THE SPACE BETWEEN US, do you have another project you are working on that we may have sooner? I know I'm greedy.

I have two upcoming erotic books from Mira -- Flying and Tear You Apart. Both should be out in 2013. Flying is about a woman who picks up men in airports, at least until she meets the one guy she can't get out of her head. Tear You Apart is about a woman who turns around one day and unexpectedly meets a man who changes her life. I also have a couple short stories from Cravings coming out, as well as a futuristic erotic romance novella in a duology with Lauren Dane, due out in 2013 or 2014.

Your novels are not really a series, however they are best read in a certain order to enjoy the character cameos by previous couples. Could you share with us what you would consider is the best order to read them in?   

I can't. Because they're written to be read in any order -- every character is the hero of his or her own story, you know? So sometimes those minor characters are the main characters in another book, or vice versa, and it's all part of a big timeline, but it's not necessarily chronological.

Basically, I can't tell you the "best" order to read them in, because I can't judge what each reader would like best!

You usually have a wonderful playlist to go along with your books. Can you share with us some of the playlist for THE SPACE BETWEEN US, and why is music so important for your writing?   

Music is so important for me because I use lyrics and melodies to set a mood. I always write to music. Some of the songs featured on the playlist for The Space Between Us are:

Ghosts -- Christopher Dallman
A Girl Like You -- Edwyn Collins
Nicest Thing -- Kate Nash
Use Somebody -- Kings of Leon
3 -- Britney Spears
Journey -- Jason Manns

Alex Kennedy is one of my ALL-TIME favorite heroes. What do you think it is about him that sets him apart and makes readers want more of him?   

I guess a lot of women want to "fix" a damaged hero. ;) Seriously, I'm not sure. He's sexy, but wow, is Alex Kennedy a mess in Tempted. People tell me all the time how much they want an Alex of their own, and I always say, "no, you really don't." I mean, not really. Not for real life. Which is why in Naked, I tried to show that he'd grown and changed a lot, so that he really could be the sort of man you would want to settle down with. Having said that, I am partial to Alex Kennedy myself.

If we were unforgivably rude and pulled at random five things from your hand bag, what would we find?

First, I'd have to be carrying a bag, which I don't always. But you'd find my wallet, handcream, lip balm, sunglasses and Coke Zero. 

Many authors get their ideas from everyday life. Do you have a story to share where your real-life experience has influenced your writing?   

Umm...well...sure, I *could* but that might get me into trouble. ;) Actually, it's no secret that Deeper is pretty much lifted quite a bit from some of my real-life experiences. Not the paranormal part. But a lot of the rest. It's a combination of two not-quite-relationships I had when I was much younger. Some doors stay open, that's all I can tell you. And if you're a writer, you get to close them.

If you were to attend a conference and were given the opportunity to set up your own panel with authors of your choosing and you could talk about anything... What would that panel look like and what would happen?   

Hmm. I would ask all of my friends to sit around being served champagne from handsome men, and we'd talk about how awesome that is. Also snacks. Because snacks are important. And we'd share them with the audience, of course.

And to end this on a sexy note...can you give us a little teaser of THE SPACE BETWEEN US?   

Sure!

Everyone has a story.

Here’s how this one ends.

Charlie’s mouth.

That’s what I want on my body now. His hands and mouth. Tongue, teeth, fingers. I want the crush of him on top of me, the silken brush of his hair against my flesh, the whisper of his eyelashes as he closes his gaze when he kisses me.

I want Charlie’s mouth, and yet something turns my face when he moves in close. Charlie sighs and presses his forehead to mine. His eyes shut, but I can’t seem to close mine. I have to see him, even this close. Every hair and pore, every scar. Every blemish and flaw that makes Charlie so perfect.

“If I’d known,” Charlie says. His hands are heavy, one on my shoulder, the other my hip. His breath smells of whiskey and smoke. He looks like Charlie, but he doesn’t smell like him.

I don’t want Charlie to wish he’d made a different choice. Please, Charlie, I think. Please don’t tell me you wish you’d missed all of this.

Charlie sighs. “It’s just...there’s this space between us. This big wide space. And I don’t know what to do with it.”

We fill it, I want to tell him but say nothing. The words won’t come. If I can’t kiss him, how on earth could I possibly tell him that I love him? That it doesn’t matter where Meredith’s gone or if she’s coming back. All we need is right here. The two of us will find a way to make things work. That it will all be okay.

I could tell him that, I think as Charlie pulls away. His back is toward me. His shoulders slump. The jutting lines of his shoulder blades urge me to reach and touch, but my fingers curl in on themselves instead. I touch myself because I won’t touch him. I could tell Charlie it will all be okay. It will all work out. But though I can’t say I’ve never told a lie in my life, none of them have been to Charlie. I’m not about to start now.   

Thank you so much for letting pick your brain for a bit and spending time with us today!

And if that wasn't enticement enough, Megan has 5 copies of THE SPACE BETWEEN US to give away, and she's making this an international giveaway.  Hurry and enter!

Tesla Martin is drifting pleasantly through life, slinging lattes at Morningstar Mocha, enjoying the ebb and flow of caffeine-starved customers, devoted to her cadre of regulars. But none of the bottomless-cup crowd compares with Meredith, a charismatic force of nature who can coax intimate tales from even the shyest of Morningstar's clientele.Caught in Meredith's sensual, irresistible orbit, inexpressibly flattered by the siren's attention, Tesla shares long-buried chapters of her life, holding nothing back. Nothing Meredith proposes seems impossible—not even Tesla sleeping with Meredith's husband, Charlie, while she looks on. After all, it's all in fun, isn't it?

In a heartbeat, vulnerable Tesla is swept into a spectacular love triangle. Together, gentle, grounded Charlie and sparkling, maddening Meredith are everything Tesla has ever needed, wanted, or dreamed of, even if no one else on earth understands. They're three against the world.

But soon one of the vertices begins pulling away until only two points remain—and the space between them gapes with confusion, with grief and with possibility….

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Meet Alex Kennedy

Alex Kennedy is, still to date, one of my favorite characters.  He's the tortured guy every woman wants to fix, he likes both men and women, he's passionate and loves deeply, he's a giver and a fixer.  And he's one hot as hell man!  So why is Alex Kennedy one of the best male lead and secondary characters EVER, no question about it...

Reason # 1 - He makes a great first impression.

The first time I saw Alex Kennedy, it was with the thud-thud of my fast-beating heart still pounding in my ears and throat.  He stood in the kitchen doorway, one hand on the doorjamb at a point high enough to stretch his lean body.  He leaned slightly forward, one foot balancing his entire weight while the other leg bent as if I'd caught him in the act of taking a step.  I saw faded jeans, low-slung but with a black leather belt holding them snug on his hips.  A white T-shirt.  Very James Dean, though instead of a red cloth jacket he had a black leather coat tucked into the hook made by his hand shoved into his front pocket.  He wore sunglasses, and the big dark lenses covered most of his face. 

It was a picture perfect moment, like something out of a movie, and for a moment we merely stoof and stared at each other like we were waiting for an unseen director to shout "Action!"

Reason # 2 - He's charming and irresistible

"Does anyone ever say no to you?" I was already putting down my glass.
He looked over his shoulder at me.  "No."

Reason # 3 - He's a great kisser

Alex moved down my body with his mouth, his hands tugging the pajamas down my hips and thighs.  He bared me to him, and parted my legs.  He knelt in front of me and put his face between my thighs.  I covered my mouth to mute the cry when he kissed me there.

Reason # 4 - Because I'm dying to dance with him

We moved in perfect time, one step leading to another and the next without hesitation or bumbling.  The music played on as we swayed.  We danced in silence.  Not because there was nothing to say, but because we didn't have to speak aloud to understand each other.  We didn't have to talk to explain ourselves.  Right then, there was nothing wrong.  We had nothing to fix. 

I had everything a woman could want…My husband, James. The house on the lake.

My life. Our perfect life.

And then Alex came to visit.

The first time I saw my husband's best friend, I didn't like him. Didn't like how James changed when he was around, didn't like how his penetrating eyes followed me everywhere.

But that didn't stop me from wanting him. And, surprisingly, James didn't seem to mind.

It was meant to be fun. Something the three of us shared for those hot summer weeks Alex stayed with us. Nobody was supposed to fall in or out of love. I didn't need another man, not even one who oozed sex like honey and knew all the secrets I didn't know, the secrets my husband hadn't shared. After all, we had a perfect life.

And I loved my husband.

But I wasn't the only one.

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READ ALEX'S SIDE OF THE STORY.
Everything Changes is TEMPTED from Alex's POV

In Tempted, Anne gave in to her passion for both her husband, James, and his friend, Alex. Now it’s time for Alex’s side of the story…

When Jamie tells Alex he wants him to sleep with his wife, Alex thinks it will only lead to trouble. Sure, Alex thinks Anne is hot and they’ve talked about sharing a woman before, but that was a long time ago. Before Jamie knew what Alex really wanted.

Still, Alex can’t resist the pleasure of being with Anne– and with Jamie….

Reason # 5 - Because there's nothing hotter than Alex sitting on a chair taking pictures

This was not the sort of picture I normally took.  Yet here we were, him before me with his hand ready to unsnap his jeans, and my camera ready.  I licked my mouth.  I raised the viewfinder to my eye and made it all not real.
"Yes," I told him in a hoarse, low voice I wished didn't shake. "Do it."

Reason # 6 - He likes boys too

Two silhouettes appeared in the doorway.  Men.  The smaller one shoved the bigger one against the wall.  Oh. I got it.  I was ready to clear my throat and announce my presence when the taller man turned his face toward the light.

How could I have ever thought him commonly, regularly handsome?  Alex Kennedy's profile made me want to weep, if only because there are too few people in this life who are so beautiful while also being so real.  In full light everything on his face lined up just right.  Here, now, with shadow splitting him in half, I could see his nose was too sharp, his lower jaw a little too undercut for perfection.  His hair fell over his forehead, and he grimaced as the man in front of him dropped to his knees and unzipped Alex's trousers.

Reason # 7 - He can make even cigarettes seem sexy

"Dammit," I whispered.  "It's midnight."
"Happy New Year," Alex said.
Then he tossed aside the cigarette, pulled me into his arms and kissed me.

"I'm the only prince you'll ever need, baby"

No strings. No regrets. And no going back.

I didn't think he wanted me. And I wasn't about to get involved with him, not after what I'd heard. Sure, Alex Kennedy was tall, dark and unbearably hot, but I've been burned before. When I solicited him to model for my erotic photography book, I didn't expect such a heated, passionate photo session. And now that we've crossed that line, our bodies aren't the only things that have been exposed.

But I can't give my heart to a man who's so… unconventional. His last sexual relationship was with a married couple. It's enough that my ex-fiancé preferred men, I can't take that chance again no matter how much my body thrives on Alex's touch. I can't risk it, but I can't resist it, either.

Alex can be very convincing when he wants something.

And he wants me.

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I HEART MEGAN HART

Don't know where to start reading our Author of the Month?  Her novels are mostly standalones however some characters make quick cameo appearances or play bigger roles in other stories.  So this is a suggested reading order that in no way limits you to how you should read the books in order to enjoy them.

This is what happened... I met him at the candy store.

He turned and smiled at me and I was surprised enough to smile back. This was not a children's candy store, mind you--this was the kind of place you went to buy expensive imported chocolate truffles for your boss's wife because you felt guilty for having sex with him when you were both at a conference in Milwaukee.

Hypothetically speaking, of course.

I've been hit on plenty of times, mostly by men with little finesse who thought what was between their legs made up for what they lacked between their ears.

Sometimes I went home with them anyway, just because it felt good to want and be wanted, even if it was mostly fake.

The problem with wanting is that it's like pouring water into a vase full of stones. It fills you up before you know it, leaving no room for anything else. I don't apologize for who I am or what I've done in--or out--of bed.

I have my job, my house and my life, and for a long time I haven't wanted anything else.

Until Dan. Until now.

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This month my name is Mary. My name is different every month—Brandy, Honey, Amy…sometimes Joe doesn't even bother to ask—but he never fails to arouse me with his body, his mouth, his touch, no matter what I'm called or where he picks me up. The sex is always amazing, always leaves me itching for more in those long weeks until I see him again.

My real name is Sadie, and once a month over lunch Joe tells me about his latest conquest. But what Joe doesn't know is that, in my mind, I'm the star of every X-rated one-night stand he has revealed to me, or that I'm practically obsessed with our imaginary sex life. I know it's wrong. I know my husband wouldn't understand. But I can't stop. Not yet.

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I had everything a woman could want…My husband, James. The house on the lake.

My life. Our perfect life.

And then Alex came to visit.

The first time I saw my husband's best friend, I didn't like him. Didn't like how James changed when he was around, didn't like how his penetrating eyes followed me everywhere.

But that didn't stop me from wanting him. And, surprisingly, James didn't seem to mind.

It was meant to be fun. Something the three of us shared for those hot summer weeks Alex stayed with us. Nobody was supposed to fall in or out of love. I didn't need another man, not even one who oozed sex like honey and knew all the secrets I didn't know, the secrets my husband hadn't shared. After all, we had a perfect life.

And I loved my husband.

But I wasn't the only one.

READ OUR REVIEW

 

I pay strangers to sleep with me. I have my reasons....But they're not the ones you'd expect.

For starters, I'm a funeral director taking over my dad's business. Not exactly the kind of person you'd expect to fork over cash for the lust and urgency only live skin-to-skin contact can create. Looking at me, you wouldn't have a clue I carry this little secret so close it creases up like the folds of a fan. Tight. Personal. Ready to unravel in the heat of the moment.

Unsurprisingly, my line of work brings me face-to-face with loss. So I decided long ago that paying for sex would be one of the best (and arousing) ways to save myself from the one thing that would eventually cut far too deep.

But Sam was a mistake. Literally. I signed on to "pick up" a stranger at a bar, but took Sam home instead. And now that I've felt his heat, his sweat and everything else, can I really go back to impersonal?

Let's just hope he never finds out about my other life....

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Some lovers never leave you...

Twenty years ago she had her whole life spread out before her. She was Bess Walsh, a fresh-scrubbed, middle-class student ready to conquer the design world. And she was taken. Absolutely and completely.

But not by Andy, her well-groomed, intellectual boyfriend who hinted more than once about a ring. No. During that hot summer as a waitress and living on the beach, she met Nick, a dark haired, local bad boy. He was, to put it mildly, not someone she could take home to Daddy.

Instead, Nick became her dirty little secret - a fervent sexual accomplice who knew how to ignite an all-consuming obsession she had no idea she carried deep within her.

Bess had always wondered what happened to Nick after that summer, after their promise to meet again. And now, back at the beach house and taking a break from responsibility, from marriage, from life, she discovers his heartbreaking fate--and why he never came back for her. Suddenly Nick's name is on her lips...his hands on her thighs...dark hair and eyes called back from the swirling gray of purgatory's depths.

Dead, alive, or something in-between, they can't stop their hunger.

She wouldn't dare.

The bestselling author of "Dirty" and "Tempted" is back with another erotic novel about a woman who submits to the commands detailed in an anonymous note. Original.

Don't think.
Don't question.
Just do.

The anonymous note wasn't for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not in the habit of reading other people's mail, but it was just a piece of paper with a few lines scrawled on it, clearly meant for the apartment upstairs. It looked so innocent, but decidedly-- deliciously--it was not.

Before replacing the note--and the ones that followed --in its rightful slot, I devoured its contents: suggestions, instructions, summonses, commands. Each was more daring, more intricate and more arousing than the last... and I followed them all to the letter.

Before the notes, if a man had told me what to do, I'd have told him where to go. But submission is an art, and there's something oddly freeing about doing someone's bidding...especially when it feels so very, very good.

But I find that the more I surrender, the more powerful I feel--so it's time to switch up roles.

We play by my rules now.

No strings. No regrets. And no going back.

I didn't think he wanted me. And I wasn't about to get involved with him, not after what I'd heard. Sure, Alex Kennedy was tall, dark and unbearably hot, but I've been burned before. When I solicited him to model for my erotic photography book, I didn't expect such a heated, passionate photo session. And now that we've crossed that line, our bodies aren't the only things that have been exposed.

But I can't give my heart to a man who's so… unconventional. His last sexual relationship was with a married couple. It's enough that my ex-fiancé preferred men, I can't take that chance again no matter how much my body thrives on Alex's touch. I can't risk it, but I can't resist it, either.

Alex can be very convincing when he wants something.

And he wants me.

READ OUR REVIEW

A childhood accident left Emmaline vulnerable to disturbing fugue states that last only minutes, but feel like an eternity. The blackouts are unsettling but manageable…until she meets Johnny Dellasandro. The reclusive painter gained notoriety in the '70s for his debauched lifestyle and raunchy art films. His naked body has achieved cult status, especially in Emm's mind—she's obsessed with the man, who's grown even sexier with age. Today Johnny shuns the spotlight and Emm in particular…until she falls into a fugue on his doorstep.

In that moment she's transported back thirty years, crashing a party at Johnny's place in his wild-man heyday— the night is a blur of flesh and heat that lingers on her skin long after she's woken to the present.

It happens again and again, each time-slip another mind-blowing orgy, and soon Emm can't stop, though every episode leaves her weaker and weaker. She's frightened by what's happening to her, but she's even more terrified of losing this portal to the Johnny she wants so badly. The one who wants her, too, and takes her—every chance he gets.

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Tesla Martin is drifting pleasantly through life, slinging lattes at Morningstar Mocha, enjoying the ebb and flow of caffeine-starved customers, devoted to her cadre of regulars. But none of the bottomless-cup crowd compares with Meredith, a charismatic force of nature who can coax intimate tales from even the shyest of Morningstar's clientele.Caught in Meredith's sensual, irresistible orbit, inexpressibly flattered by the siren's attention, Tesla shares long-buried chapters of her life, holding nothing back. Nothing Meredith proposes seems impossible—not even Tesla sleeping with Meredith's husband, Charlie, while she looks on. After all, it's all in fun, isn't it?

In a heartbeat, vulnerable Tesla is swept into a spectacular love triangle. Together, gentle, grounded Charlie and sparkling, maddening Meredith are everything Tesla has ever needed, wanted, or dreamed of, even if no one else on earth understands. They're three against the world.

But soon one of the vertices begins pulling away until only two points remain—and the space between them gapes with confusion, with grief and with possibility….

READ OUR REVIEW

Some of our other Megan Hart review include:

• Selfish is the Heart (Order of Solace # 3)
• All Fall Down
• Out of the Dark
• Naughty and Nice
• Three To Tango
• Indecent Experiment
• Seeing Stars
• Friendly Fire

Suggested reading order of Megan Hart's novels from Maryse's Book Blog.  You can find more information on their post about all the cameo appearances in different books of certain characters as well as some fun trivia.

Review: Broken by Megan Hart

Broken

by Megan Hart

Megan Hart is not your typical erotic romance.  Megan Hart is not just erotic romance.  And if there was ever a great example of that, that is BROKEN.  This was the first book I ever read by Megan Hart and quite frankly it was my first erotic book after I got back into reading all the time about four years ago.  This book moved me and tested my limits on what I thought was right and wrong.  This book broke my heart over and over again.  I remember lying in bed at 2am crying and sobbing.

What can I say?  This is not an easy or pretty story.  It's gritty and sad but sexy and engaging.  In a nutshell, Sadie is married to Adam whom she met and fell in love with in college.  We have a few flashbacks to their relationship but the main focus of this story is that Adam is now tragically quadriplegic after a skiing accident.  Sadie continues to live, work and take care of her husband.  Then she meets Joe and even though their relationship is platonic in a way and friendly, he's hot and she can't help but to be attracted.  Joe and Sadie start meeting up once a month for lunch dates and during those Joe always tells her about his sexcapades.

Their friendship and connection are well developed, the characters have so much emotion and the writing is just superb.  This book will suck you in and make you feel.  And yeah, even though it's sad and maybe even a bit depressing, I think it's a testament to an amazing author that can truly make me feel so deep.

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Stranger by Megan Hart

Stranger

by Megan Hart

Grace is young but she's not like any other normal young girl out there.  For one, she's taken over her father's business and is now a funeral director.  Second, she's not big into friends and doesn't have a lot of girlfriends around to hold her hand and help her have fun and unwind.  And third, she pays strangers to have sex with her.

I've always said I wanted to know where these services are that you can call them up and tell them what you want and they just tell you where to show up and how much $$$ to bring.  And I mean that as in for women.  Grace doesn't really do relationships because of the finality of death that she deals with day to day.  One night stands with strangers are better for her and the safest way to do that is by paying someone.  Picking up a random guy at the bar has risks.  This way she controls everything from her safety to what she wants to do.

Except one night she picks up the wrong kind of stranger, a real stranger.  After an amazing night, she leaves some money and walks out.  Except she finds Sam in her funeral home shortly thereafter.  Sam, given a second chance with the girl that completely captured his attention doesn't let it go to waste.

This turns into a bit of a triangle when you bring into the mix one of the "real" strangers she hires who becomes a regular for her.  I have to admit that this story was very original.  I loved the characters, every single one of them.  Starting with Sam, whom you might know as Dan's brother from Dirty. Then there's Grace who is a tough chick and goes after what she wants or thinks she wants at the time and is confident in her sexuality.  And then there's Jack, from Dirty as well, who just needs to get his own HEA.  Pretty please?

Even though this book wasn't as emotional as Hart's previous novels, it wasn't without the angst I come to expect from her books.

Purchase Links: Amazon

ARC Review: The Space Between Us by Megan Hart

The Space Between Us

by Megan Hart

The wait between when we get a novel from Megan Hart is terrible for me, so when I saw that she was releasing this book I did my "hell-yeah-we-are-getting-a-MH-book" happy dance.  Quite frankly, I hardly ever read the blurbs and I stay away from any spoilers or excerpts because I want the book to speak to me.  Megan Hart's writing is one of those rare voices that can tell a a sad and oftentimes hard story beautifully.  It sucks you in and grabs you because you have to know what happens, how it ends.  THE SPACE BETWEEN US was no different.  I couldn't put the book down even when I thought the storyline was going places I didn't think I wanted to go.

I'll be honest here and say that I was not too thrilled to find out this book had a f/f/m menage.  I don't read f/f and I wasn't sure if I wanted to but I trust the author so I just went with it.  Our heroine, Tesla, has had a rough life.  Nothing ordinary or normal, more like crazy and sometimes wild.  Even though she doesn't see herself as wild.  Her parents were I guess swingers and, during the summers, they would take her and her brother, Captain, to a type of sex commune, The Compound.  There kids were even encouraged to explore and learn sexualy, either by themselves or with other kids.  She also met Vic there, who happened to be the rock to support her and get her out of that situation.  They bonded and a sort of love formed, even though he was older than her and they never really had sex.

Fast forward and now she's living with Vic.  Vic is married and has two kids and another on the way.  Tesla is in her mid twenties and works at a coffee shop (the same one where Johnny from COLLIDE goes to get his coffee).  She has a sort of crush on one of the customers, Meredith.  Meredith wants to be Tesla, she wants to be wild and free, to experience things.  So, she asked Tesla to have sex with her husband.  That slowly develops into Tesla, Meredith and Charlie being a part of a threesome.  And then the reality of that sets in.

I did not like Meredith.  I know her character is meant to be the way she is but I thought she was a bit of a lost soul and wanted to slap her around and smack some sense into her most of the time.  

Tesla on the other hand, you can't help but feel for her.  You get her present story but also some of her past.  And now she has to deal with a lot of changes and different emotions.  This book was really the evolution of Tesla for me, from what she had to live through, her teenage years to now.  Her conflicting relationships with her family and that is in big part Vic, who has always been there for her.  With Meredith and her attraction to her but also her attraction to Charlie.  Changes and emotions and pain.

And then there's Charlie who seemed to be the glue holding everything together.  The things he did and how he knew just what to say to make Tesla, and even Meredith, feel comfortable and happy.  How he went out of his way so that everyone would be happy.  He felt real if not the ideal of an alpha male we are so used to read about.

I enjoyed the few cameo appearances in this book by Johnny from COLLIDE and most of all Sadie and Joe from BROKEN.  Sadie is now pregnant and Joe is still in love and devoted to her.  So nice to see them and know what they are doing.

I kept waiting for the waterworks to start, because I always cry when I read a book by this author, but I have to say the tear jerker factor in this one was lower than others.  I did still cry at the end.  And I was happy at the end, although I guess I would've wanted to have more, maybe even one more chapter or an epilogue.

Favorite quotes:

"I would bang that man like a screen door in a hurricane."

"Can't say I've buffed my muffin over it or anything."

*ARC provided by Netgalley

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