My Ten Most Anticipated Contemporary Romances for the First Half of 2016

The Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge is hosted by Gone with the Words and Love at First Page. As part of the challenge they are setting a different topic every month that participants can choose to join in with which I think is a brilliant idea so you can expect a post like this to appear at random most months throughout the year.

The January Prompt is:

Ten Most Anticipated Contemporary Romances for the First Half of 2016

(Links below will take you to the book's Goodreads Page)

1. Sweet Little Lies - Jill Shalvis
2. Hard Ever After - Laura Kaye
3. One With You - Sylvia Day
4. Emergency Engagement - Samanthe Beck
5. All Chained Up - Sophie Jordan
6. Naked - Gina Gordon
7. Submissive Seductions - Christine d'Abo
8. Against the Wall - Jill Sorenson
9. Listen to Me - Kristen Proby
10. After Love - Kathy Clark

Are any of these books on your list? Which other contemporary romances should I be adding to my wish lists?

Review: Recipe for Temptation - Gina Gordon

She's the woman he loves to hate.

Penn Foster wants a lot of things. She wants a spot on the board of a charitable foundation. She wants to win the stupid, plastic family trophy. And more than anything, she wants her tall, hot, and brooding boss naked in her bed. Now, on a Hawaiian vacation with her family, she's desperately trying not to think about how he'd sound whispering dirty things in her ear.

He's the man she can't have . . . or can she?

Cole Murphy keeps himself locked down, away from the press and out of the spotlight. Still haunted by a traumatic childhood, his ability to trust has been decimated. Penn, with her sexy body and confidence, is the only person able to drag him out of his shell. Which is why he crashes her vacation and accepts her proposition for no-strings sex. But is the inescapable heat building between them a delicious temptation, or will it end in total disaster?

Madewood Brothers Series:
Recipe for Satisfaction
Recipe for Attraction
Recipe for Seduction
Recipe for Temptation

Visit Gina Gordon's website for more information

Review:
Cole and Penn have been dancing around each other for the entire series so I was really looking forward to finally seeing them get their happily ever after. I have to admit I ended up feeling a little disappointed with Recipe for Temptation though, possibly because I had such high hopes. Don't get me wrong it's not a bad novel but it was missing some of the things that have made this series so much fun to read.

I think my main issue was Penn's family, they hadn't played any part in the previous books so I was curious to meet them. Penn is such a fantastic character and I thought her family was going to be a lot of fun but it turned out that they were absolutely horrible to her. The entire family is obsessed with the family trophy, they go on holiday as a group once a year and have all sorts of couples competitions to see who is the best. It's all organised by her father who is a retired gym teacher and and who runs the contest like an army general, her brothers and sisters-in-law are all highly competitive and seem to take great joy in running Penn down at every possible opportunity. The Penn we've come to know and love is pretty much absent for most of the story, she acts like an entirely different woman around her family and I can't really blame her for that considering how judgemental and critical they are of her but I missed the bubbly, fun loving woman that we've seen throughout the series.

Cole knows about the family contest and has decided that he wants to help Penn win for once and I have to admit it was nice to see that someone had her back and was there for her. I really enjoyed the interactions between the main couple, they have been working together a long time and have a strong friendship even though they often disagree with each other. They also have fantastic chemistry that has been building for a long time and was bound to be explosive when they finally gave in to their desire. I was glad that Penn was able to be herself around Cole but I think I needed to see more of the couple spending time together and less of the competitive drama with her family.

This story takes place mostly outside of Toronto as the family holiday is in Hawaii and although I liked the new setting I found myself missing the previous couples, the banter between the Madewood brothers and their respective partners has always been something I loved about this series and I missed it a lot here. We do get to catch up with the others towards the end of the story but since this is the final book in the series I just felt that I wanted to see more of them and this could have done with a much longer epilogue that let us see how everyone was doing. In spite of the issues I had with this book I still enjoyed the romance and I have found the entire series fun to read. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from Gina Gordon in the future.

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Review: Recipe for Seduction - Gina Gordon

Veronica Whitfield feels like a frumpy old maid. After ten years of raising her younger siblings, she’s desperate to get her sexy back. And why not find it with the man she’s been in lust with since she was twelve years old—her brother’s best friend, Finn O’Reilly?

Finn is looking for love. And not any love—true love. Complete with the white picket fence, two children, and a dog. He’s just been a little unlucky finding it, and he sure as hell isn't about to consider his best friend’s little sister for the job, no matter how badly he wants her in his bed.

But then Veronica propositions him with a game of dark, delicious seduction. Finn is tempted to indulge his hidden need for kink, but at what cost? Following through could very well ruin their friendship, but maybe—just maybe—helping Veronica rediscover her sexy side is exactly what he needs to find love at last…

Madewood Brothers Series:
Recipe for Satisfaction
Recipe for Attraction
Recipe for Seduction
Recipe for Temptation

Visit Gina Gordon's website for more information

Review:
As much as I've enjoyed the previous books in this series I have to confess that Finn and Cole have been the two brothers who I've been most looking forward to getting to know so I was really excited to start reading Recipe for Seduction. I had a feeling that Finn would be something special and I was right - this is definitely my favourite book in the series so far!

Finn is the most low key Madewood brother, he doesn't seek the spotlight of fame and he doesn't care about awards but that doesn't mean he isn't just as committed to charity work and his restaurant as the other brothers - he's just more subtle about it. Finn knows that the most important thing is helping others and giving back to society just like his adoptive mother would have wanted him to. Finn is a people pleaser who wants nothing more than to have a family of his own to love and care for. Growing up in foster care made him into a peacemaker, he always felt that if he could just do what everyone wanted him to do and keep the peace between his brothers then they wouldn't be kicked out of their new home. That need to please has followed him into adulthood and he always puts his desires and dreams on the back burner to support everyone else. I've possibly made it sound like Finn is boring but that couldn't be further from the truth - he may do whatever it takes to keep his family running smoothly but he's just as alpha and competitive as the others and I think he might be the kinkiest of the lot in the bedroom!

Veronica has been half in love with Finn since they were children and met in a foster home. Finn is her brother's best friend though and has only ever treated her like his little sister. Veronica gave up her 20's to be a mother to her younger siblings but now they're growing up and heading off to college she thinks it's finally time for her to have some fun and get her life back on track. She's determined to continue to build up her wedding planning business but she also wants to have fun dating and re-discover her inner vixen. More than anything she would love to explore her feelings for Finn but she knows they have completely different life goals - Finn is looking for love, he wants to marry and have children while Veronica has already raised her siblings and has no intention of starting another family. The chemistry between them is hard to ignore, especially after they discover how well matched they are in the bedroom, but how could they ever find a compromise on their completely opposing desires for the future?

I loved the fact that Finn and Veronica's relationship is built on a strong foundation of friendship, they have a long history together and it's easy to see how important they are to each other. I really admired Veronica and her desire to find herself again, she's spent so long putting everyone else first that she really deserves to have what she wants for a change. I felt exactly the same about Finn though, I so badly wanted to see him fulfil his dreams and I was really worried that there wouldn't be a way for them both to get what they wanted without someone getting their heart broken. They are perfectly matched both in the bedroom and out of it and I loved seeing them spend time together. If you like your books on the hot and spicy side then you're going to enjoy this whole series but Recipe for Seduction was definitely the hottest in my opinion.

I've said before that I'm not a huge fan of big gestures but I absolutely loved how things turned out in this one. I'm going to keep it vague because I don't want to give spoilers but one of the characters does something so perfect that it brought a tear to my eye! The epilogue that follows is a little cheesy but it works so well for these characters that I didn't mind it in the slightest. Although each of these stories works as a stand alone I did really enjoy getting the chance to catch up with previous couples and here we get to attend the wedding of Jack and Story (the stars of Recipe for Satisfaction). The next book in the series is Cole's story and that is one I've been looking forward to from the beginning so I can't wait to get my hands on Recipe for Temptation.

Source: Received from Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Review: Recipe for Attraction - Gina Gordon

She'll go to any lengths to keep his demons at bay...

Bad boy Neil Harrison may have sexy body and an even sexier smile, but there’s no way in hell architect Carson Kelly is falling for the elusive bachelor. For starters, he’s her boss, and getting intimately involved with the infuriating alpha male could be a career-killer. And secondly, he’s battling personal demons in one of the most dangerous ways possible: illegal street racing. After a friend’s tragic death years ago, Carson swore she’d never get involved in that life again.

Neil knows Carson’s keeping secrets and he’s determined to uncover all of them…even if he has to seduce them out of her. But as their antagonistic work relationship ignites a passionate affair, Carson must decide if protecting Neil from his need for speed is the perfect outlet for her own restless desire, or if they’re on a one-way path to destruction.

Madewood Brothers Series:
Recipe for Satisfaction
Recipe for Attraction
Recipe for Seduction
Recipe for Temptation

Visit Gina Gordon's website for more information

Review:
Neil is the oldest of the Madewood brothers and as such he's always felt it's his job to look out for the rest of the family. He's struggling to cope with the death of their foster mother but he doesn't want to burden any of the others with his problems when he knows they're finding things just as difficult. Although he is focusing on building his new restaurant he needs a way to blow off steam and that has come in the form of illegal street racing, speeding on his bike gives him a sense of freedom and helps him momentarily forget about all of his problems. Carson is the architect working on the new restaurant, she knows all about the dangers of street racing and she is worried for Neil's safety when she finds out what he is up to. She has been attracted to him for months so she offers him a no strings attached fling telling him that every time he feels the urge to race he should come to her instead. Carson may have a dark past but she's spent years trying to rebuild her reputation and get her father to respect her again so the last thing she needs are rumours of her affair with Neil getting out - sleeping with her client is not the way to get respect in her industry. Can they keep their time together separate or will Carson lose everything because she tried to help Neil?

Recipe for Attraction is the second book in the Madewood Brothers series and just like the first it is full of plenty of hot sex! Neil and Carson have fantastic chemistry so even though I'm not a fan of the way their fling started I enjoyed seeing them spending time together. The story starts with Neil at a street race so I expected the racing to play a more prominent role in the story and was disappointed when we don't see much of that side of things. I loved the idea of Neil as a badass, tattooed biker and wanted more of that side of him. I also would have liked a better explanation about why he got into racing in the first place, I found it hard to believe that he would be able to give it up so quickly if it was something that he really felt that he needed to do and I ended up just thinking he was being selfish by putting his life at risk for no real reason.

In general I liked Carson, I was annoyed at the way her father pushed her around and was glad to see her finally stand up for herself towards the end of the book. I do think the reasons he gave for treating her so badly were a bit flimsy though and the story could have been improved if there was more time spent on the confrontation. I liked the way Neil was so happy to give his time to his mother's charitable foundation but I found he could be a bit too bossy and overbearing towards his brothers. There were a few moments when he reminded me of a five year old throwing a temper tantrum because he couldn't have what he wanted immediately too and I have to say that isn't something I find attractive in a man. I liked him most of the time and he certainly knows his way around a bedroom (or kitchen worktop LOL) but he wasn't my favourite hero ever.

Both of the books in this series have been quick, fun reads with plenty of sexy scenes and nice characters. I really love the remaining two brothers (Cole and Finn) so I have high hopes for their books. If you're looking for a short and steamy story then it would definitely be worth giving this series a try.

Source: Received from Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Review: Recipe for Satisfaction - Gina Gordon

Mixing business with pleasure has never been so sexy...

Being the financial caretaker for her deadbeat parents isn’t the life professional organizer Sterling Andrews dreamed of. Tired of being the dependable—and boring—daughter, Sterling decides to have a little fun. And what could be more fun than seducing rich bad boy chef, Jack Vaughn? Except, after one scintillating night together, Sterling’s not only lusting for Jack, she’s working for him. And remaining professional becomes harder every day.

Already a major success thanks to his exclusive restaurants, Jack Vaughn is looking for something more. Ultra responsible Sterling is unlike anyone Jack has met…but she’s his employee. Unwilling to give her up, Jack makes Sterling an offer she can’t refuse—for four sexy weekends, he’ll indulge her most wicked fantasies with no professional strings attached. But will mixing business with pleasure spell disaster? Or will they find the recipe for satisfaction?

Madewood Brothers Series:
Recipe for Satisfaction
Recipe for Attraction
Recipe for Seduction
Recipe for Temptation

Visit Gina Gordon's website for more information

Review:
While I enjoyed Recipe for Satisfaction I have to admit I didn't love it as much as I expected to and I'm having a hard time figuring out why. Technically it had everything you want from this kind of story - there is plenty of hot sex and a few sweet moments between the main characters, I also enjoyed meeting the other brothers and would definitely like to read more about all of them but in spite of all of that there was still something missing from this book.

I think it's partly because everything feels so rushed between them, Sterling and Jack have only met a couple of times when they both start thinking of how perfect they could be together and dreaming of the future. OK it takes them a while to express it and the "I love you" declarations don't come until right at the end but I would have liked them to spend more time getting to know each other outside of the bedroom before they start picturing forever. There is a lot of sex, almost too much, and at times it made me feel more uncomfortable than turned on because it just didn't feel natural to the characters. The scene at the nudist beach in particular was just weird and I couldn't imagine Sterling going along with it.

I would also have liked Sterling's family situation to have been expanded on more. Her parents have obviously been bleeding her dry financially for years and she just lets them get away with it because she feels like she has to protect her younger sisters. I could kind of get why she felt like that but her parents lie, cheat and outright steal from her making it practically impossible for her to provide for herself after she's paid their mortgage and covered their bills and gambolling debts. I wanted to see her stand up for herself and tell them that she wouldn't let them walk all over here any more. There is a brief mention of her making changes towards the end of the book but we don't get to see the confrontation with her family which was disappointing.

The other thing that irritated me was Jack's grand gesture at the end of the book, I've never been one to be persuaded by that kind of public display so I know that this won't bother other people as much as it did me, but I think after the way he treated Sterling she deserved a proper one to one apology. I would have liked to see him grovel a bit rather than have her falling into his arms quite so easily after he'd treated her badly and then left her hanging for a week thinking he'd walked out of her life forever. I would have found it more satisfying if they'd actually had a proper, grown up conversation about her family situation and worked out a solution together. He could even have helped her confront her parents and I'm sure he is the kind of guy who would happily have helped her look after her sisters.

I know I've had mentioned quite a few things I didn't like about the story but it wasn't all bad and I did like it enough to want to carry on reading the series. Both Jack and Sterling are likeable and Jack is definitely the kind of guy any woman would be happy to fall for. I think the other characters we've met all have a lot of potential and I loved the set up of four foster brothers who have all come such a long way from their humble backgrounds. They are all chefs (and there is something incredibly sexy about a man who knows how to cook!) but they also give back to the community through the Madewood foundation that their adoptive mother set up. I'm just hoping that future books in the series will spend more time showing the characters getting to know each other outside the bedroom as well as in it.

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Release Day Blast: New books from Amanda Usen & Gina Gordon (+ International Giveaway)

If you like your heroes hot, the sex hotter, and a swoon-worthy romance to swoop in and save your happily ever after, Brazen has the story for you. Sinfully sexy soldiers. Alpha cops who demand control. Sweet guys with a naughty side in the bedroom. At Brazen, they've got the hero destined to melt your... heart. Visit the Entangled website, the Brazen Blog, follow them on Twitter, Like their Facebook page, and follow them on Pinterest.

Introducing Brazen's May 26th releases:

Work Hard, play harder...



Find out more!     



Special $0.99 Introductory Price!     

Let the game of seduction begin...



Find out more!



Special $0.99 Introductory Price!

Plus don't miss the Brazen Seduction Party

a Rafflecopter giveaway