BOOK REVIEW: Unsurpassed (No Rival, #1) by: Charity Parkerson + Author Q&A and Giveaway!

Title: UNSURPASSED (No Rival, #1)
Author: Charity Parkerson
ASIN: B00JPEB876
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Erotic Romance
Length: 85 pgs
Binding: E-book
Published: 16th April 2014; Ellora's Cave Publishing
Buy: Amazon, Ellora's Cave

Synopsis:

Book 1 in the No Rival series

Aubree is infatuated with two men, Max and Ryan. The two former Marines have been her close friends ever since she made her first misguided attempt at joining their kickboxing classes. When the pair invites her to join them at a weekend party thrown by Drew, a famous MMA champion, she has no idea what they have in mind. After spending one hot ménage night with the pair, Aubree learns the men’s intentions are not all about her. Feeling betrayed, Aubree turns to Drew who is also tugging at her heart. She must choose between the two men who have been the center of her fantasies, and the one man who could make all her dreams come true.

Inside Scoop: This sexy tale includes a ménage and male/male encounters that may leave you wishing for an alpha male fighter of your own.

A Romantica contemporary erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

My Rating:

Like menage? How about a little m/m action? What about a possessive alpha male that doesn't want to share? Well, I don't know how the hell Charity Parkerson did it, but the extremely talented author was able to cram all of these elements and more in UNSURPASSED, the first book in her new No Rival series which is only 85 pages. (my kindle actually says 79, but who's counting? :) I'll be honest, I usually steer clear of novellas (anything under 100 pages), mainly because more often than not they leave something to be desired. Most of the time shorter novels suffer from lack of character development, rushed plots, which in turn causes the actual love story to feel implausible. But something drew me to UNSURPASSED. Maybe it was the careful wording of the synopsis that had me intrigued. There was just something about the book blurb that hinted this story was somehow going to be different from the rest. Oh, how I love to be right! This review may be a little shorter than some of my others mainly because I want to avoid spoilers. Part of the appeal of UNSURPASSED is the twists (and there are quite a few!) so I will try my hardest to stay away from any major plot points.

Here is what I liked. UNSURPASSED starts off like any other typical menage story.  Ryan and Max, co-owners of a gym, seem to have one thing on their mind-- to finally possess their friend Aubree, the sexy blonde that walked into their establishment months ago. At the time, Aubree was looking forward to trying out a kickboxing class their gym offered, never expecting to gain Ryan and Max's friendship along the way. While she savors their closeness, she can't help but yearn for more...and working out at their gym is sending her hormones into overdrive. Who wouldn't get all hot and bothered watching two sexy alpha males pump iron? However, being equally attracted to two men at the same time is foreign to Aubree and fears their rejection if they should find out about her dirty little fantasy.  After all, how can she choose just one? There is Ryan, the kind of guy who always has a smile on his face and a good sense of humor. Then there is Max, the brooding silent type. Best of both worlds, right? It's not until they show up at her apartment for dinner when she starts to realize that maybe the attraction she feels isn't so one-sided. Could they BOTH want her? When she agrees to go with them to a weekend party/charity event hosted by famous MMA champion Drew Alexander, Aubree never expects her wildest dreams to come true...and then shattered.

Up until the party, the plot was going in the direction I had expected. Ryan and Max are a pair of hot alphas that compliment each other and fit into the typical mold of the kind of men I expect in a menage story. Usually one is the easy going guy, the other is the more serious one. But then something unexpected happens. Once Drew Alexander enters the picture, all of my preconceived notions went right out the window. At first I was on guard, just like Aubree was. Drew is the kind of man that can melt the panties off of any woman with his looks alone. Then he opens his wicked, sexy mouth and automatically you get the sense that this is a man that is a player and is used to getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants with little effort. Aubree thinks she knows Drew's "type" and has him neatly put into a box. But she can't deny his outrageous sense of humor and provocative banter and is surprised how much she enjoys the harmless flirting. Here are a couple of my favorites:

"Just think," he said, allowing a bit of devilry to show. "If you hadn't shown up this weekend, you wouldn't have met me. That would've been a real shame for you."

Aubree narrowed her eyes, but her grin gave her away. She was ready to play along. "How do you figure?"

"You would've missed your chance to seduce me, and although I'm not easy, I'm totally worth every moment...You'd better get started." He made a show of looking at his watch. "I don't know what time you usually go to bed, but I've only got a few hours left in me. Wine me, dine me," he paused and smiled roguishly. "Well, you know the rest."

_____

The look on her face was priceless. It was a mixture of flattered and exasperated. She raised her hands and dropped them back to her sides as if she had no idea what she should say. "You make me want to scream."

He nodded his understanding. "Don't worry. You will. I can hear my name on your lips and reverberating off these walls already."

Again, I was really worried that Drew was trying to take advantage of Aubree, but once his true nature is revealed and her involvement in bringing out this different side of him, I was a goner just like her. You think Ryan and Max are alphas? Well you haven't met Drew yet :)

"I'm fighting my nature here as we speak. I want to throw you over my shoulder and steal you away from this place. I want to hide you away while I show you every pleasure your body is capable of enduring. I don't intend to let you come up for air until I've touched, tasted, explored, and penetrated until you've accepted you are mine."

Ryan and Max...playboy Drew...a shocking betrayal...who will Aubree end up with? Usually, it doesn't take rocket science to answer this kind of question in romances like this. It's always quite apparent. But by the time I got to the end of UNSURPASSED, I realized this story doesn't follow the typical formula. Parkerson kept throwing in twist after twist that constantly left me asking "what if". I so wish I could get more into detail, but I will have to leave it at that!

For those wondering about the sex scenes...SCORCHING hot and perfectly paced. The scenes weren't so overpowering that it felt like it took away from the story. Nor did they feel contrived. They were well written and satisfying yet at the same time leaving you wanting more more MORE.

So why only a 4.5 rating instead of the full 5 stars? Sometimes I annoy myself with my attention for detail. After reading the story in one sitting, I noticed some questions I had jotted down along the way. These are very minor things, but I have to wonder if the story had been a tad bit longer, if these questions would have been absolved.  Why did Aubree want to join the kickboxing class at Ryan and Max's gym? Was it just for fun or did she have a life threatening experience that caused her to want to take it as a form of self defense? The obvious answer is wouldn't she have just taken an actual self defense class if that were the case? I'm probably over-thinking it. That leads me to question number two: why does Aubree seem to have a low self esteem? Yes, as women, we are constantly criticizing ourselves. But there are quite a few times in the story where she doubts her appeal, first with Ryan and Max, then later with Drew. So I was just curious if this self esteem issue stems from previous bad relationships. Lastly, in the synopsis, it states that Max and Ryan are ex-marines yet I don't remember this being mentioned once in the story. Maybe I am wrong or my eyes were moving faster than my brain, but I wonder how this connects to the story.

UNSURPASSED is a refreshingly well written erotic romance that packs a lot of punch. Charity Parkerson is at the top of her game and it is no wonder that she is a multiple award winning author. To be able to add in the erotic elements on top of well developed characters AND unexpected twists to keep you guessing til the very end all within an 85 page novella is no easy feat. I wait with bated breath for UNDAUNTED, book 2 in the No Rival series.

best wishes,mia

Author Interview

1. UNSURPASSED is definitely a refreshingly unconventional menage erotic romance, meaning, it doesn't follow the typical formula that most readers of this genre are used to. What inspired you to write about not two, but THREE uber sexy alpha males?

CP: I'm incapable of writing sex without love, even if it's unconventional love. I went into this book thinking I would try this one time to write a no-strings-attached story, but it's not me. The story began with Max and Ryan, then along came Drew. He was supposed to stay on the side, but as my characters tend to do, he refused to behave. I love an alpha and MMA is a testosterone filled sport packed with confident men. The idea of bringing three spectacular men to their knees was too good to pass up. I hope readers agree.


2. I read somewhere that UNSURPASSED is the first novel in a planned 5 book series. I have an idea who will be the main characters in book 2, then again, you are sneaky, based upon the unexpected twists in book 1! Can you give us any kind of teasers? Or any kind of tidbits about what we can expect from the rest of the No Rival series?

CP: I have signed for five books in the series, and I already have an idea for book six. Everyone comes back for book 2, Undaunted, but the main heroine is Mandy. She made a couple of short appearances in Unsurpassed. Max's father has passed away. His death brings together a few characters and reveals several secrets. I have an unofficial blurb I can share with you-- to the horror of my editor, I'm sure-- along with the cover, if you'd like a sneak peek. (See sneak peak of the cover and unofficial blurb for Undaunted below)

If you fall in love with a character along the way, and I hope that you will, they're coming back. I've almost finished book 5 and I haven't given any up yet. I'm a sad case when it comes to my characters. I don't want to let them go.

Here's a list of the series: 

Unsurpassed 

Undaunted 

Unequaled 

Unbalanced 

Unattainable 

I've had more fun writing this series than anything I've ever written. I've shared hilarious emails with fighters while doing research, laughing uproariously at their extremely candid answers to some of my uncomfortable questions. Not to mention, the hours spent searching through pictures of hot men in an attempt to find models who meet the image in my head. That was grueling, lol. This series is close to my heart and I'm thankful beyond measure to everyone who takes the time to check it out. I truly appreciate the interview.

Sneak Peak...

Unofficial blurb:

Brothers, Rhys and Knox, have been in love with the same woman for years. While Rhys has been open about his feelings toward Mandy, he’s kept her firmly locked in the friend zone. That is, until a night filled with too much alcohol explodes into passion.

Unfortunately, while Rhys doesn’t remember a minute of it, Mandy remembers every detail all too well. As secrets and betrayals begin to unravel their friendship, Knox seizes his chance to—finally-- claim her as his own.

With two sexy fighters willing to square off to win her heart, which will Mandy choose, the charming reprobate who’s been the center of her desire-- yet always wrecks her life-- or the merciless bad boy who wants to give her the world?

Rhys and Knox are coming soon. Summer 2014.

About the Author

Charity Parkerson is an award winning and multi-published author with Ellora's Cave Publishing. Born with no filter from her brain to her mouth, she decided to take this odd quirk and insert it in her characters.

*2013 Readers' Favorite Award Winner

*2013 Reviewers' Choice Award Winner

*ARRA Finalist for Favorite Paranormal Romance

*Five-time winner of The Mistress of the Darkpath

*Named one of the top 10 best books by an Indie author in 2011- Paranormal Reads Reviews

*Best Paranormal Romance of 2012- Paranormal Reads Reviews

Connect with Charity:

Website | Facebook (Author) | Facebook (Fan) | Twitter

Giveaway

WORLDWIDE Giveaway! Anyone can enter. Ends 5/17.

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good luck,mia

Book Review: Severed Angel (Severed MC, #1) by: K.T. Fisher & Ava Manello + Giveaway ~Book Tour~

Title: Severed Angel (Severed MC, #1)
Author: K.T. Fisher, Ava Manello
ISBN: 978-1497412217
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: New Adult Romance
Length: 183 pgs
Binding: E-book, Paperback
Published: 31st March 2014; KBK Publishing
Buy Links: Amazon.com, BN.com, Kobo.com, iTunes Bookstore

Synopsis:

Eve could never have imagined that her trip to Australia, where she is set to be maid of honor for her best friend's wedding, could turn from exciting to deadly so quickly.

Her sheltered and boring vanilla life comes to a screeching halt when she arrives in Australia and witnesses a shocking MC murder putting her life in extreme danger. The Carnal MC are a dangerous and savage motorcycle gang who want Eve and will stop at nothing to seek their revenge.
Just when it seems her nightmare fate is sealed, Eve is rescued by the Severed MC and quickly falls for the club's Vice President Gabe aka "Angel". This could be just the diversion she needs. With her new protectors, Eve faces a whole new life she never could have imagined...

Gabe never wanted an old lady. One look at the beautiful Eve cowering at the hands of the enemy changes all that. Starting a war with the Carnal MC and having Eve in his bed is just the beginning.
When Gabe stakes his claim, he goes all in. War with Carnal MC is just the price of making Eve his, and only his. But love invites blood and tragedy in an MC's life.

Just when it's looking up for his MC and his new woman, a savage attack blows the lid off everything. Revenge possessed and determined can the hot tattooed biker save her from the danger that lies ahead?

Book one of a two part story.

My Rating:

Ever since the hit television show Sons of Anarchy  came roaring into my life, I have been fascinated with MC culture. Obviously, I'm not the only one. Suddenly, the image of what a biker used to look like has a new face. Not all bikers must have long grizzly beards, fat beer bellies, and smell as if they haven't bathed in days. SOA helped reinvent the biker image and has given many authors inspiration to write about motorcycle clubs. While these hardened men may have the tats and sport a beard, underneath the leather cut is hot, sculpted muscle. I recently took a break from reading MC romance, mainly because the genre had become oversaturated with the same old story lines. It almost seemed like authors were trying to purposely make their novels more edgy, more twisted as if that is the key to writing a successful romance now. Anyway, I found myself getting irritated, so I decided to turn my attentions to something else for a bit. Then I came across the yummy cover for Severed Angel by K.T. Fisher and Ava Manello. Was it a book about angels? Demons? Imagine my surprise when I read the blurb and realized it was going to be a book about an Australian MC. That caught my interest and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to give this one a shot.

So here are some of the things I enjoyed about Severed Angel. As much as I wanted to give one whole star just for the drool worthy eye candy on the front cover, I was obviously looking for something different in the overall story and plot and thankfully the authors delivered the goods. First, you have Eve, a British girl who is traveling to Australia to visit her best friend, Teresa, who she hasn't seen in years and to participate in her wedding. Teresa's father is a member of the Severed  MC, an Australian motorcycle club, and the man she is betrothed to, known as Prez, is the President. Angel (aka Gabe), our hero, is the VP of the club. But we will get to him later >=) Also, our heroine Eve has a 2 year old daughter. Since she will be visiting her best friend and helping her prepare for the wedding for a whole month, she decides it's best to let her mother watch little Elizabeth, as the travel alone may prove too much for a 2 year old. I like this unique twist. It's very rare to see a heroine with a child in novels like these, so I give Fisher and Manello credit for trying to portray a realistic female character. My curiosity was piqued just by the set up of the story alone.

At a glance, the Severed  MC is not that impressive, nor are the members terribly scary guys like in some of the other MC novels I've read. While this may sound like a negative thing, I kind of found it refreshing. Like I said before, it seems like authors are trying to purposely make their novels more violent, more over-the-top on purpose to get a reaction, create a buzz whether positive or negative. While the men in the Severed  MC may look the part, with their tattoos and everything, they are relatively decent guys. This particular MC is pretty clean cut; they don't sell drugs and try to run a legal operation. This may sound boring, but what they lack in illegal activity they make up for in their sexual appetites. WHOA. These guys are HOT. Eve gets quite an eye full during her stay, such as when she walks in on a foursome (3 guys on one girl). Then she sees Dragon and his old lady Diane partaking in some light  BDSM...and they don't mind being watched. So yeah, while the men of the Severed  MC may like to live on the right side of the law, they sure do know how to have a good time between the sheets. Or on the pool table. Or against the wall. You get the point!

Then you have the complete opposite with the Carnal  MC, whose Vice President is Angel's twin brother, Satan (gotta love these names!). The Severed  MC and the Carnal  MC also serve as a sort of metaphor for good vs. evil because as laid back as the Severed  MC is, the Carnal  MC couldn't be more corrupt. Not only do they rape women and kill people (which is what got Eve in trouble in the first place), they consort in all kinds of illegal activities. And Satan, Angel's brother, is the head of all the trouble. It's almost like a classic Cain and Abel tale. I'm not trying to get all biblical here or even suggest that authors Fisher and Manello were trying to go there, but it's an interesting connection. There is one little instant where I kinda felt bad for Satan, when his and Angel's childhood was discussed. But my flicker of compassion was snuffed out quickly. The man is just evil, or has let anger and jealousy eat away at any kind of humanity he may have had, especially when you learn some of the horrible things he has done.

Back to the Severed  MC guys, I thought K.T. Fisher and Ava Manello did a great job with Angel's MC "brothers". Ink, Dragon, Disney, Cowboy, Prez-- I absolutely loved their names and enjoyed learning how they got them through Eve's perspective. Like most MC's, they were a true brotherhood and had each other's backs. I especially appreciated the way they treated Eve.

I am assuming everyone wants to know about our hero and heroine, so I will get right to it. The chemistry and sexy time between Eve and Angel was SMOKIN' hot. There were quite a few hot scenes, like when Angel walks in on Eve pleasuring herself. WOW. And you gotta love his reaction:

He takes the vibrator from me, tossing it aside. "You won't be needing this anymore," he smirks.

Sweet Mary mother of God, Angel is one sexy alpha male! I loved the flirting between Ink and Eve and how it made Angel jealous. Sometimes adding in the third wheel or the "competition" can be annoying, but there is something really sensuous and sweet about Ink that sets him apart from the other guys. I definitely would like to see him get his own novel later down the road, but considering this is a 2 book series, I'm not sure if that is going to happen. We will just have to see.

Last, but not least, the cliffhanger ending. I promise to keep this spoiler free, but I do have to make a quick comment on it. First, I understand readers' frustrations at cliffhanger endings, especially authors that get in the habit of writing books that are under 200 pages. Sometimes readers feel strung along and it can get annoying. But I think the ending of this book is a perfect example of when a cliffhanger ending works. To be quite honest, I was at a solid 3 stars before I reached the last stretch of the story. But once I got there...the twist at the end was what made me give Severed Angel that extra half a star in my rating. I won't say any more then that, but if I could give Fisher and Manello a fist bump, I so would right now!

So here is what I struggled with. While there is definite chemistry between Eve and Angel and I do find them to be an interesting pairing, the story suffers from lack of character development as a couple. I originally thought this could be because of the length of the novel, that perhaps if they had made it longer, they could have added more. But then I remembered Eve was supposed to stay for a month in Australia and to be quite honest, the way her time there was described, it felt more like days, maybe a week or two at the most had passed. So the timing definitely felt off. Anyway, what bothered me the most was that not once, other than Eve telling Angel she misses her daughter, do you get a conversation where they talk about their pasts, to really get to know each other. All the hang-ups Eve has about her ex? I was waiting for her to open up and tell Angel about what an asshole her ex was, how she never had an orgasm with him. How he walked out on her and their daughter. She tells more to Ink then she does to Angel. Actually, it's sad that I can remember the scene where Eve talks to Ink about her horrible ex, yet I can't think of one conversation between her and Angel in those regards. Maybe there was an unspoken conversation that the authors decided not to add, but it was sorely needed. For example, Eve got mad on several occasions because Angel would leave in the middle of the night while she was asleep, leaving her to wake up alone in bed the next morning. Maybe if she explained to him about her hang-ups in regards to her ex, Angel would understand and not make those mistakes. Also, when things start to get serious, I was waiting for "the speech". You know, how her and her baby girl are a package deal. Does Angel even like kids? Yeah, he thinks to himself at one point that Eve should get her daughter and move permanently to Australia, but it's never a spoken conversation. They never had the kid talk. It felt like it was a lot of hot sex, but not enough was spent on building their emotional relationship to make it feel more believable.

I also was not thoroughly convinced or thrilled with the plan the Severed  MC comes up with to take down the Carnal  MC. I really can't say any more for fear of spoilers, but it was a weak part in the plot. Enough said about that.

I know this is kind of a trivial thing to complain about but there was one paragraph that irritated the hell out of me because of the repetitive use of the phrase "I don't think":

"I don't think she's really given Sue a chance. Whenever we've talked on the phone, she's always dropped in a complaint or a moan. I don't think she's fully gotten over her mother's death, and until she does, I don't think she'll be able to accept Sue in her life or her dad's."

Lastly, Eve's best friend Teresa really pissed me off. Again, I am refraining from spoilers, but something happens and she blames Eve for their misfortunate circumstances. I get what the authors were trying to do and the reason behind Teresa's behavior, but it was just wrong. First of all, Teresa is the one who has lived in the MC world and decided to marry the Prez of Severed. Yes, they are a relatively laid back MC compared to others, but still. You will always have a rival. What ticked me off more is the fact that SHE was the one who just HAD to throw a fit and whine to get her way to go out shopping when the whole compound was on lockdown. If anyone should be blamed, it should be her, not Eve. And I don't care if she was my best friend or not, it would take a lot more than an apology to get me to forgive her for the accusations and cold shoulder.

Severed Angel by K.T. Fisher and Ava Manello was a pleasant surprise. It has some refreshing qualities that will help make it stand out from other MC romances. This is a perfect example of a story that didn't need all the extra bells and whistles in order to achieve what it was set out to do. Although, I'm not gonna lie. The cover did serve its purpose. It definitely caught my attention and gave me something to drool over for awhile. This book could have been the full package if the authors would have found an equal balance between the physical side of Eve and Angel's relationship and the emotional one. But they still have time to redeem themselves as they are busy writing book 2 in the series, titled Carnal Desire. And thankfully it doesn't look like we have a long wait as the tentative release date is May 31st.

   

best wishes,mia

   

Book Trailer

All credit goes to JaneDramaQueen for making this lovely fan made trailer.

   

Teasers

 

   

Giveaway

K.T. Fisher and Ava Manello are giving away one $10 Amazon GIft Card and one $5 Amazon Gift Card.  2 runners up will receive signed Severed Angel postcards. Giveaway ends 4/13.

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