BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Hot for the Fireman (Boston Heat #1)

Hot for the Fireman (Boston Heat #1), by Gina Maxwell
Publish Date: March 27, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Select
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author and Inkslinger PR
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(Synopsis) Ex-Army Ranger Erik Grady lives for the job. So when his chief at the Boston Fire Department offers him two choices—mandated therapy for supposed PTSD or a permanent desk job at the station, he reluctantly agrees to see a shrink. Only this doctor is unlike anything he expected. Female and curved in all the right places? Check. Hotter than a four-alarm fire? Check. The kind of woman that can heat his blood in and out of bed? Check, check. And oh, yeah, he just happens to have first hand experience...

Of all the men to walk into psychologist Olivia Jones' office, why did it have to be him? Her one-night stand isn't playing by the rules of just. One. Night. She’s had her heart broken in the past, and no way is she going there again. And now he's blackmailing her into three dates? Well, if that's what it takes to make him see a different therapist, fine. She can handle it. So what if the chemistry between them is combustible? She's a professional, damn it. She'll date Mr. I'm Too Sexy For My Bunker Pants. But it won’t end in the fun he expects.

It’s time to see how much heat this fireman can take...

Hot for the Fireman is another sexy winner from Gina Maxwell. It has all the deliciousness of a forbidden romance with a strong alpha hero, like Gina Maxwell does so well.

Erik is a Boston firefighter, and he loves what he does. Unfortunately, a recent fire call triggered PTSD from his time in the Army, so he has to go to mandated therapy before he can go back out on calls. The night he learns he's going to be riding the desk for a few months, he runs into a woman that stirs something in him he hasn't felt in a long time. And when she's gone the following morning, he is really disappointed that he'll never see her again. Until he realizes that she's his new therapist.

Olivia is still recovering from her previous relationship and a string of really bad dates when she runs into Erik. After her awesome night with him, she doesn't want to tempt fate, and decides to just leave it at that one wonderful night. Imagine her shock when Erik walks into her office (what a great scene that was). Erik gets a new therapist and three dates with Olivia out of the deal, which is all he needed in order to show her that they could be awesome together.

Initially, I have to say that Olivia wasn't my favorite person. She wasn't always very nice to Erik, even though he was always good to her. It took awhile for him to wear her down and to get her to trust him, and during that time, I found myself pretty frustrated with her. But, Erik was a persistent man, which is just one of about a million things I loved about him.

One of the best parts about this book is the relationship Erik has with his fellow firefighters. They also served in the Army with him, so they have a uniquely brother-like relationship. They're super close - they would die for each other without a hesitation. And that kind of camaraderie and friendship is really special and endearing. We see lots of these guys, which is great because they'll each get a book at some point. It was a fantastic introduction to all of them.

Olivia grew on me though. What really won my affection toward her was the fact that, once she made up her mind that she was going to give it a go with Erik, she never, ever wavered. She gave him her time, her attention, her support and her love. She stood by her man, even when he asked her not to. And I loved that about her. I hate it when characters waffle back and forth and back and forth.

And of course there was Gina Maxwell's amazing brand of sexiness. Erik and Olivia had awesome chemistry and they acted on it frequently. It was hot and sweet and romantic - I loved everything about these two.

I can't wait for the rest of these guys to get their stories, now. 

BLOG TOUR REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Sweet Victory (Fighting for Love #4)

Sweet Victory is here! Check out my review and enter the giveaway!

Sweet Victory (Fighting for Love #4), by Gina Maxwell
Publish Date: February 27, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author and Inkslinger PR
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 STARS

(Synopsis) Sophie Caldwell might not like asking for help, but help is what she needs if she’s going to save her family business from her uncle. Her grandma left one rule for Sophie if she wants to gain sole ownership before she’s thirty—get married. Yeah, fat chance of that happening since she hasn’t had a boyfriend in years, and now she can’t get her uncle off her ass.

British-born MMA fighter Xander James has never lost a fight, and he’s not about to start now. He’s on the brink of a comeback that could make him a UFC champion, but his landlord wants to take away his last chance by shutting down his gym. Hell, no. Fortunately, his landlord’s niece has a problem of her own. Time for a proposal she can’t refuse.

Gina Maxwell has become one of my new go-to authors when I want a quick, steamy story complete with a perfect, swoony HEA. Her heroes are alpha in all the ways I like the best, and her heroines can stand on their own two feet. None encompass these qualities better than Xander and Sophie. 

Sophie already marches to her own beat. Her green hair, tats and piercings set her apart from all the other women out there. She's fiercely independent after having lost her parents and now her grandmother is ailing from Alzheimer's. She owns her own bakery that was a dream she and her grandmother shared together, so she is determined to make it successful no matter what. But, her positively hateful uncle will do all he can to get her to give up her bakery so that he can build a strip mall.

Xander is in much the same boat. He has bought his own gym where he teaches MMA and trains to become the next UFC champion. He's just started feeling good about his chances when Sophie's uncle tells him he has to shut down for the aforementioned strip mall. After talking with Sophie, Xander learns that they just need two businesses to not give in, and the deal will fall through. Unfortunately, Sophie doesn't own her building, and she won't be able to until she's thirty or married. So, independent Sophie and commitment-phone Xander decide to get hitched. 

It's crazy that I love these spouses-to-lovers stories so much, but I totally do! There's something wildly romantic about falling in love with your husband or wife. In this case, both Sophie and Xander were crazy attracted to each other even before all this mess with their businesses. But, for their own reasons, they never pursued anything. This was the catalyst they both needed (although they didn't KNOW they needed it) to go after each other, and once they're married and living together, I loved how they were both shocked at how much they liked it. Which, was completely adorable. 

Xander is such a protector. He came up with this idea to protect Sophie from her uncle. It completely disrupted his life, but he did it because he knew this was something she needed. And then, when Sophie slowly integrates him into her life - like when she takes him to meet her grandmother - oh my sweet goodness. That man was so utterly wonderful, I found myself audibly sighing. And Sophie brought a lot to Xander's lonely life too. She gave him someone to come home to after a long day of training and someone to cheer him on from outside the cage. They complemented each other so well, and of course, they both fought that realization until it was nearly too late. 

Sweet Victory was told in dual POV. It was a quick read for me - it was easy to get into the story and stay there. It was fast-paced and super sexy. It also had a completely perfect finale featuring all the couples from this series in a spectacular way. It really was the perfect story for this sappy romance lover. 

Gina L. Maxwell is a full-time writer, wife, and mother living in the upper Midwest, despite her scathing hatred of snow and cold weather. An avid romance novel addict, she began writing as an alternate way of enjoying the romance stories she loves to read. Her debut novel, Seducing Cinderella, hit both the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists in less than four weeks, and she’s been living her newfound dream ever since.

When she’s not reading or writing steamy romance novels, she spends her time losing at Scrabble (and every other game) to her high school sweetheart, doing her best to hang out with their teenagers before they fly the coop, and dreaming about her move to sunny Florida once they do.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BLOG TOUR REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Ruthless (Playboys in Love #2)

Gina Maxwell is a brand new favorite of mine, due solely to her Playboys in Love series. I absolutely loved both Shameless and Ruthless, and now they're both out, so you can check them out for yourselves. Read my review to learn more.

Ruthless (Playboys in Love #2), by Gina Maxwell
Publish Date: January 30, 2017
Publisher: Entangled: Scorched
Format: e-ARC, provided by the publisher and Inkslinger PR
Genre: adult erotic romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) People call me Ruthless for a reason.

Whether I’m in the court room or in the bedroom, my reputation is well-earned. I’m either working hard, working out, or working my way into some woman's panties. But none of them share my particular kink, and I walk away feeling unsatisfied.

Until I met her.

She’s a friend of a friend, which makes her off-limits in my book. But then temptation had me by the balls and I had her up against a wall. She literally fucked my world off its axis, but it can’t happen again.

My plan was avoidance, but that got blown to shit when my firm hired her as a new junior attorney. Now I’m her boss, and I’m supposed to act like I don’t want to bend her over my desk every five minutes.

But I’ve never held myself back with anything before, so consequences be damned, it’s time to show her how damn good it feels...to be ruthless.

Oh my goodness - can this series get any better? After reading - and loving - Shameless (Playboys in Love #1), it was a foregone conclusion that I'd be reading Ruthless as soon as I could get my grabby hands on it. I didn't presume to think I'd like it even more. 

Roman "Ruthless" Reeves was introduced in Shameless as one of three BFFs (Chance and Austin are the other two) who all work as strippers on the side and enjoy their own brand of kink. When he's not stripping, Roman is a top-notch lawyer who has earned his nickname by being ruthless in the courtroom.

We also met Addison Paige in Shameless, as she's Jane's BFF and the one who orchestrated Chance's dancing into her life. Now Jane's and Chance's friend circles have blended, which means that Roman has declared Addison off limits, even though he's seriously attracted to her. Addison is my kind of heroine though who doesn't accept that answer and goes after what she wants. It's great thing and it gives them both what they want... until Addison finds herself employed as a junior associate at Roman's law firm. Oopsies.

Have I mentioned how hot this series is? In addition to the boys working through their own issues with love and commitment, they're also searching for women who can accept their brand of kink as well. For Roman, it's menages - specifically, he, Austin and a lucky lady. And, Addison is more than happy to indulge him in that. There are plenty of super hot scenes in Ruthless, which I certainly appreciated.

But, there was also a ton of substance to this book as well. Between their sexual compatibility and the genuinely good time they seem to have together with their clothes on, Roman starts to get freaked out because he likes Addison so much, and in his past, women who he likes try to change him, when he's happy the way he is. Meanwhile, Addison has learned to be second best in all things. No one has ever picked her to be the most important thing. And she's hoping with everything she has that Roman will be the guy that puts her first.

Gina Maxwell is an incredible writer. She includes the perfect blend of funny, sexy (Roman is a fantastic dirty talker), and emotional in her stories so that it's wonderfully balanced. I feel like I got a little bit of everything I needed in Ruthless, which makes for a great book.

We got a little hint at what's to come with Austin's book, and I have a feeling it's going to be extreme. I can't freaking wait.

Gina L. Maxwell is a full-time writer, wife, and mother living in the upper Midwest, despite her scathing hatred of snow and cold weather. An avid romance novel addict, she began writing as an alternate way of enjoying the romance stories she loves to read. Her debut novel, Seducing Cinderella, hit both the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists in less than four weeks, and she’s been living her newfound dream ever since.

When she’s not reading or writing steamy romance novels, she spends her time losing at Scrabble (and every other game) to her high school sweetheart, doing her best to hang out with their teenagers before they fly the coop, and dreaming about her move to sunny Florida once they do.

Connect with Gina:
Author Website: www.ginalmaxwell.com
Author Twitter: @Gina_L_Maxwell
Author Facebook: www.facebook.com/ginalmaxwell
Author Street Team/Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/themaxwellmob
Author Instagram: www.instagram.com/ginalmaxwell
Author Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ginalmaxwell
Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6446604.Gina_L_Maxwell
Newsletter: http://bit.ly/GLMnewsletter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

REVIEW: Shameless (Playboys in Love #1)

Shameless (Playboys in Love #1), by Gina Maxwell
Publish Date: May 30, 2016
Publisher: Entangled Scorched
Format: digital copy, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult erotic romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(Synopsis) People say I'm shameless. They're right.

I like my sex dirty. It takes a hell of a lot to tilt my moral compass, and I always follow when it's pointing at something I want. That goes double when it points straight at the one girl in all of Chicago who's not dying for a piece of me.

She's all I can think about, and that's a problem, because she wants nothing to do with me. But I've seen her deepest secrets, her darkest fantasies, and they match mine to a fucking T.

I want her. Bad.

Now I need to show her how good it can feel...to be shameless.

Reading is one of my favorite pastimes because it takes typical fantasies that most girls have and forms a (hopefully) realistic story around them. It enables readers to put themselves in place of the heroine (or hero) and relive these fantasies in their mind every time they open the book. Fantasies like the prince falling in love with the common girl, the billionaire falling in love with the pauper and... the hot stripper falling in love with his client - they're all ones we've had from time to time, and Gina Maxwell brings the last one to life in amazing ways.

Shameless tripped every one of my triggers. It had a quirky heroine in Jane. Even her name is different. Jane is smart, self-reliant, a workaholic and a closet sexual deviant. A private stripper show from Chance, a.k.a. "Romeo", allows Jane to explore her freaky side and feel okay about it. Even though he's a stranger, she finds safety in his presence, and that release starts to affect all other areas of her life. 

Shameless... What would it be like to let go like that? To not worry about what others might thing and just... be. 

Jane was the perfect blend of dorky, sexy, sassy and sweet. I loved how she was so silly at times, and the banter she enjoyed with Chance and with her BFF Addison made me laugh a lot. But, when Chance flipped his sexy switch, she changed. Her worries about her masters thesis, about her five extra pounds, about her sexual dry spell all fall away. He also switched from the romantic, sweet Romeo to alpha dominant Chance, and he was thrilled to finally meet a woman who matched him in every way that counted. 

This was my first Gina Maxwell experience, and what an incredible experience it was. I love her writing so much! Not only does she tell a really good story, but she does it with flair. I finished Shameless in one day. It was something I just couldn't put down until I reached the end of their story. 

Thankfully, there's a lot of hottie strippers at Playboys 4 Hire, which hopefully means a lot more fantasies to be fulfilled the only way Gina Maxwell knows how.