Mini Reviews: The Billionaire's Paradigm by Cerys du Lys, Rush by Nyrae Dawn, & Burnin' Up Memphis by Delilah Devlin

Title: The Billionaire's Paradigm: His Absolute Purpose
Author: Cerys du Lys
Published: January 3rd 2014
Source: Copy given by author for honest review
Genre: Contemporary Romance
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Caution: May contain spoilers

Trapped in a library during a blizzard, Elise finds herself forced into isolation with Lucent Storme, the untoward magnate who's rumored to have more than a few forbidden desires and darker passions. Both appalled and allured by his sordid sophistication, struggling to come to terms with what she knows and what she feels, she finds herself drawn to this man who seems both powerful and fractured all at once. Lucent's secrets and dominant obsessions may be more than Elise can handle, though, and her gentle curiosity is just as likely to cause her pain and heartbreak as it is to bring her happiness...

My Thoughts:

This one intrigued me too much to pass up, despite my inkling that it may not be up my alley. And while it wasn't quite up my alley, and I had moments of not liking it, I couldn't stop reading!

Elise was the stereotypical girl of the genre, complete with impulsive behavior and random crying. And Lucent was obsessed with Elise to the point of practically stalking her. Despite these major character annoyances, I just kept reading because I wanted to see where everything ended up, to see where THEY ended up.

It had a little bit of steam, and I was intrigued by that. I think that's what kept me going, waiting for them to get together. I cringed a bit at errors/other issues, but the fact that I kept reading has given it the three star rating.

My Rating:

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Title: Rush
Author: Nyrae Dawn
Published: May 6th 2014
Source: Copy given by author for honest review
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
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Caution: May contain spoilers

For the love of the game.

Brandon Chase has always defined himself by one thing: football. Tough and athletic, he is a great college player who enjoys the hard hits and the sweaty grind of the gridiron. But when Brandon is injured, only one person can help him get back on track-a forbidden love he's desperately tried to put behind him.

Alec Andrews has never quite forgiven Brandon for walking away when their friendship turned into something more. But he can't deny help to one of his closest friends. As the two spend the long, hot summer working together, their old attraction comes flooding back.

Now as Alec thinks about coming out to his conservative family and Brandon considers revealing he's a gay football player, the two men must be strong to fight for a love that could be the greatest rush of their lives.

My Thoughts:

I was very surprised by how much this story sucked me in and kept my interest. There was SOMETHING about Brandon and Alec, especially when they were together. I loved how the story went deeper than just the relationship. There was a lot about their past, learning from it, growing from it, becoming mature adults. And not only that, but also how they handled the reactions of the people they loved, friends and family.

Rush was VERY well written, and it makes me wonder why I haven't picked up another novel by Nyrae Dawn. I think this must be remedied soon, don't you? If you're looking for a great romance, definitely pick this one up. It might not be something you usually go for, but believe me when I say it is worth trying it out at least.

My Rating:

 

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Title: Burnin' Up Memphis
Author: Delilah Devlin
Published: December 9th 2014
Source: Copy given by author for honest review
Genre: Adult Contemporary
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Caution: May contain spoilers

She’s the one fire he may not be able to control.

When a roof collapse kills his best friend and his girlfriend clears out his apartment and leaves, firefighter John Cooper knows he shouldn’t sit alone in his empty apartment. But when he accepts an invitation to Club LaForge, his feet get colder with every step he takes inside.

The sights, sounds and smells of the BDSM club make him sweat, and not because he’s turned off. Yet he can’t bring himself to admit—to himself, or to his luscious guide, Moira—that this lifestyle might just be what he needs.

An experienced BDSM trainer, Moira senses that Coop is not only a Dom in the making, but exactly what she’s been looking for. A man to be her lover and her Dom. The only problem is, Coop isn’t looking for anything complicated.

Moira’s willing to start slow and easy, but even once there’s enough trust to bring Coop into her world—and to her Dom—she’s still worried he’ll look for the nearest exit.

My Thoughts:

This was a quick read, but a nice one as well. I liked seeing John and Moira getting interested in each other, watching them try to figure each other out. She's trying to convince him to step out there in her world and John is trying to deny that he wants it. She finally starts to coax it out of him, and the two of them discover a new side to each other.

Burnin' Up Memphis is a good start to this series. Even though I wasn't super impressed by the storyline, I still find Delilah Devlin's writing to be very good. I might be interested in taking a peek at some other books, and maybe even more of this series to see what happens next.

My Rating: