RELEASE DAY REVIEW: Total D*ck (Bad Bitch #3)

Total D*ck (Bad Bitch #3), by Christina Saunders
Publish Date: July 5, 2016
Publisher: Swerve
Format: e-ARC, provided by Netgalley
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 STARS

(Synopsis) I’m your classic skirt chaser. A womanizer. A total d*ck. My reputation is dirtier than a New Orleans street after a Mardi Gras parade. I take unwinnable cases and win them. Where people see defeat, I see a big fat paycheck. And when most men see rejection, it’s because the sexiest woman at the bar has already promised to go home with me.

But Scarlett Carmichael is the one person I can’t seem to conquer. This too-cool former debutante has it all—class, attitude, and a body that begs to be worshipped. I’ve never worked with a person like her before—hell, I’ve never played nice with anyone before in my life, and I’m not about to start with her. This woman wasn’t meant to be played nicely with. It’s going to be dirty. It’s going to be hot. She’s about to spend a lot of time with the biggest d*ck in town. And she’s going to love every minute of it…

Total D*ck wraps up the Bad Bitch trio, about the Granade brothers - Lincoln, Washington and Kennedy - all lawyers in New Orleans. I read all three of them back-to-back-to-back in less than a week. Luckily, you can too since all three of them release today. 

Christina Saunders saved the black sheep Granade brother, Kennedy, for last. He really is a total dick. Like his brothers, he's a lawyer, but instead of an Assistant US Attorney like Lincoln or a prominent criminal defense lawyer like Washington, Kennedy is a self-proclaimed ambulance chaser and skirt chaser. He's okay with that. He makes enough money to buy himself a nice car and house and to keep his tabs paid at his favorite watering holes. But, when straight-laced debutante Scarlett Carmichael comes asking for his help with a case her firm has taken on, the dollar signs associated with the case make him extra excited for the challenge. 

I have to be honest with you - although Kennedy was tough to love in the beginning, he did grow on me (and on Scarlett), to where I was as much in love with him as I was with his brothers by the end. Scarlett - not so much. She was pretty much mean and nasty to Kennedy for the entirety of the book. Admittedly, Kennedy did not make it easy for her to be pleasant. (See my aforementioned comment about him being a total dick.) But, she never made it a secret that she thought Kennedy was a complete idiot. She thought of herself as a better lawyer, better member of society, and all-around better person than he was. Even when Kennedy was doing the right thing and trying to protect her and care for her, she thwarted his attempts and spurned his advances. 

Kennedy and Scarlett definitely had this love/hate thing going on for most of the book. As they were working on trying to put their case together, they were constantly slinging insults and innuendo at one another. It definitely made the sex pretty freaking hot, but I always was disappointed when they would part ways with a snarky comment immediately after it was over. No - there wasn't much cuddling on the menu for this couple. Their relationship is anything but sweet and tender, but it does seem to work for them. 

As in Bad Bitch and Hardass, there's a mystery that Kennedy and Scarlett have to get to the bottom of together, in relation to their case. This one is a cybercrime, so there's not as much legwork to do as there was in the first two books. Also, there's not nearly as much legal wrangling and courtroom drama as there was in the first two books. 

But, as Total D*ck does wrap up the series, the ending is poignant and perfect and exactly the way I wanted to see these three couples end up. This series is smart, intriguing and ridiculously sexy. I can't wait for more from this author. 

Early Review: Hardass (Bad Bitch #2)

Hardass (Bad Bitch #2), by Christina Saunders
Publish Date: July 5, 2016
Publisher: Swerve
Format: e-ARC, provided by Netgalley
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(Synopsis) I cave in to no one. My hardass exterior is what makes me one of the hottest defense lawyers around. It's why I'm the perfect guy to defend the notorious Bayou Butcher serial killer - and why I'll come out on top.

Except this new associate I've hired is unnaturally skilled at putting chinks in my well-constructed armor. Her brazen talk and fiery attitude make me want to take control of her and silence her - in ways that will keep both of us busy till dawn. She drives me absolutely 100% crazy, but I need her for this case. I need her in my bed. I need her to let loose the man within me who fights with rage and loves with scorching desire...

These Granade brothers are what it's all about. They're smart, sexy and difficult when they want to be. And Washington Granade is the most difficult one of the three. He's unrepentant, relentless and demanding. He's a total hardass. And he has absolutely met his match in Caroline Montreat. 

Caroline is an associate fresh out of law school. She may not have been the best student, and she may not dress or talk like a high-power lawyer, and she may take every chance she can to check out Wash's ass, but that doesn't mean she can't do her job well or that she doesn't deserve this chance. So, she's going to take full advantage of this opportunity to both work very closely with the object of her affection, but also get some good experience assisting a big time criminal lawyer. 

My favorite part about Hardass is Wash's reactions to Caroline's completely uncensored way of life. She speaks her mind (no matter how inappropriate her comments might be), she goes after what she wants and she doesn't care what anyone says about that. And that attitude throws him for a loop time and time again. Wash is used to structure and conformity, and in the beginning he tries to fit Caroline into the box he thinks she belongs in. She flusters him and frustrates him and delights him all at the same time. And he refuses to have reactions like that to an associate of his. 

Eventually, though, Wash sees what a wonderful addition to both his personal and professional life Caroline is. With Caroline's mouth and unfiltered way of living, it's no surprise that they burn up the sheets (and the desks and the walls and...). There's just that pesky no fraternization policy at work...

I can tell that Christina Saunders has a background in law. The way she weaves legal terminology and procedure into this book is pure mastery. Even I understood all the legalese, which is saying something. There is tons of courtroom drama and legal investigation as Wash and Caroline try to figure out how to get their client exonerated. The ending is exciting and had me up reading into the wee hours of the morning just so I could find out what would happen next. The epilogue came a bit abruptly from - so much so that I suspect that perhaps a chapter was missing from my ARC copy. But, even if that isn't so, the other 98% of the book is so wonderful that it didn't even matter much to me. 

If you enjoy a hot a sweet romance between an unlikely pair, you will love Hardass. If you love courtroom romance books, you will love Hardass. If you like to laugh a lot in between swooning, then you will really love Hardass. I did. 

EARLY REVIEW: Bad Bitch (Bad Bitch #1)

Bad Bitch (Bad Bitch #1), by Christina Saunders
Publish Date: July 5, 2016
Publisher: Swerve
Format: e-ARC, provided by Netgalley
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 STARS

(Synopsis) They call me the Bad Bitch. A lesser woman might get her panties in a twist over it, but me? I'm the one who does the twisting. Whether it's in the courtroom or in the bedroom, I've never let anyone - much less a man - get the upper hand.

Except for that jerk attorney Lincoln Granade. He's dark, mysterious, smoking hot and sexy as hell. He's nothing but a bad, bad boy playing the part of an up and coming premiere attorney. I'm not worried about losing in a head to head battle with this guy. But he gets me all hot and bothered in a way no man has ever done before. I don't like a person being under my skin this much. It makes me want to let go of all control, makes me want to give in. This dangerous man makes me want to submit to him completely, again, and again, and again...

Bad Bitch was my first book by Christina Saunders. Rest assured, it won't be my last. I'm a big fan of books that feature lawyer shenanigans, both in the court room and out. And in Bad Bitch, the shenanigans were plentiful. 

Evan Pallida is an absolute shark of a lawyer. She defends the worst of the worst, and is happy doing it because these degenerates of society have paid her very well. She is difficult, exacting and demanding. And just a little bit slutty. And she has just landed, quite possibly, the biggest client of her career. 

Things are complicated for her when the opposing counsel is an AUSA from New Orleans, and he's the most intense man Evan has ever met. While that excites her one one level, on another it's really freaking inconvenient since she needs to have her entire head in the game when it comes to her client. 

Evan was a difficult woman to love in the beginning. She's really mean to her employees. She happily defends the lowest of the low, as long as they're rich. She doesn't care what crimes they committed, only that they can pay her bills. She will do what she has to do and sleep with whoever she needs to sleep with as long as she stays on top. It's hard to respect a character like that. 

Now Lincoln, on the other hand, is exactly the kind of character I love. He's hot and smart and lawyery. He has a checkered past and a strained relationship with his brother. He's on a crusade to take down Evan's client, plus a few other big fish. And he doesn't take any crap from Evan, which is the best part. He's exactly what she has needed this whole time - someone who has bigger balls than hers. 

My favorite part of this book is all the courtroom drama. Many times in lawyer romance books, there is little to no lawyering. In Bad Bitch, not only is there a lot of lawyering, but there's lots of subterfuge to go along with it. There's danger and wiley courtroom craziness. It was a perfect backdrop to the super hot romance between Lincoln and Evan and Evan's crisis of conscience. 

If all the books in this series are like this, then this is not the only review of a Christina Saunders book you will see here.