EARLY REVIEW: Filthy Rich (Blackstone Dynasty #1)

Filthy Rich (Blackstone Dynasty #1), by Raine Miller
Publish Date: November 15, 2016
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Format: e-ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 STARS

(Synopsis) Billionaire Caleb Blackstone lives in the glamorous world of wealth and success, with every material luxury. But the moment he sees Brooke Casterley, none of that matters. Caleb is filled with a raw, undeniable need that he can’t ignore…for a girl who is so completely different from everything and everyone he’s ever known.

Only Brooke isn’t looking for love. She knows all too well just how much damage the wrong guy can do. Still, what sane, broke British girl can resist the charms of an incredibly sexy, chivalrous billionaire? What starts as flirtation quickly turns into all-consuming passion. Nothing could have prepared her for the searing heat of Caleb’s touch—or just how much she craves him.

Their whirlwind romance is the stuff of high-society fantasy—but for every moment of pleasure, there is a cost. Past mistakes and tragedy shadow them both…and falling for him might be the kind of trouble she can’t afford.

Raine Miller is back, as well as the Blackstones in the first book in her new Blackstone family spin-off series, Filthy Rich. The Boston Blackstones are interesting, indeed, and we get a good look at all five of them in book 1, but the real story here is about the oldest Blackstone sibling, Caleb as he comes to terms with his newfound desire to give up his bachelor ways, thanks to a single encounter with Brooke Casterley. 

We've seen Caleb's type before - the billionaire playboy who has all the toys and no desire to commit. It's not a lack of desire to settle down, but rather, he just hasn't found a woman he can stomach for much more than a few dates and some fast screwing. But one meeting - scratch that. One sighting of Brooke Casterley at a party does him in, though, and soon Caleb finds he's the one trying to convince her to make a commitment to him. 

Nothing was familiar when it came to Brooke. Each new thing we shared together felt to me as if I'd never done it before, and more importantly, as if I never wanted to do it again with anyone other than her - ever.

Fasten your instaloving seat belts, because this is one sexy ride. If instalove is a hard pass for you, you might want to think twice about Filthy Rich. But, if there's even a small possibility that you could put aside your feelings for the trope, I encourage you to do so. Especially if you love a good alpha male who flexes his protective nature regularly and treats his woman like a queen. Because Caleb may have fallen for Brooke at one glance, but their relationship is anything but easy after that. 

For one thing, Brooke is very easily spooked. She's got a lot of demons in her not-so-distant past that she's still trying to overcome. Luckily, Caleb is a very, very patient man. And, while he's waiting for her to give him her heart, he's contented with her body in the meantime. If you've read Raine Miller's books before, you know that she knows how to do sex well. So, it's no surprise that Caleb and Brooke have crazy awesome chemistry and smoking hot bedroom (and shower and wall and office...) scenes. 

I'm guessing that this is the first of five books in the Blackstone Dynasty series - one book for each sibling in Caleb's family. Caleb is the oldest with twin brothers Lucas and Wyatt behind him and twin sisters Winter and Willow behind them. Now that Caleb has been paired off, it seems that the next book will belong to Winter and Caleb's BFF James. In addition to their groundwork being laid, we also learn a little bit about each of the other Blackstone siblings, and everything we've seen tells me that this whole series is going to be fantastic. 

RELEASE DAY: Priceless

Ivan Everley, 13th Baron Rothvale, would admit he's the last person on earth who should have custody over a priceless collection of art. British law affords him the title of 'Lord,' but underneath all the trappings he's just a regular guy, despite being a world champion in archery, and certain...proclivities of a private nature. But Ivan's public celebrity is merely a sham--a carefully guarded secret borne out of the pain of betrayal. Even his cousin Ethan Blackstone doesn't know the truth behind the man he considers a brother. 

Lord Rothvale has a plethora of problems piled up to his aristocratic eyeballs, but that doesn't stop him from complicating his world further when a beautiful art conservationist shows up to appraise his inherited collection of paintings. Once Ivan gets a taste of Gabrielle Hargreave, mistaken identity or not, he can't think of anything but how good the green-eyed beauty felt in his arms. 

The chase is on, and Ivan's dominant side isn't taking 'no' for an answer--but yet, Gabrielle might just teach our discontented lord a thing or two about life, and about himself, and help them both discover the undeniable truth in what it means to find something genuinely... priceless.

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About the Author

Raine Miller has been reading romance novels since she picked up that first Barbara Cartland book at the tender age of thirteen. And it's a safe bet she'll never stop, because now she writes them too! Granted Raine's stories are edgy enough to turn Ms. Cartland in her grave, but to her way of thinking, a hot, sexy hero never goes out of fashion. A former teacher, she's now writing sexy romance stories full time. She has a handsome prince of a husband, and two brilliant sons to pull her back into the real world if the writing takes her too far away. Her sons know she likes to write stories, but gratefully have never asked to read any, thank God! Raine loves to hear from readers and to chat about the characters in her books. You can contact her at raine_miller@ymail.com or visit www.RaineMiller.com to sign up for updates and her newsletter with links to upcoming books. Also, you can text RAINE to 96000 if you prefer.

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REVIEW: All In (The Blackstone Affair #2)

All In (The Blackstone Affair #2), by Raine Miller
Published November 9, 2012
Publisher: self-published
Format: e-book, obtained from NetGalley
Genre:  adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  3.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) The second part in The Blackstone Affair series! Looming danger. A love worth fighting for. A man who’ll go all in.

Ethan Blackstone has a problem on his hands. He’s broken Brynne’s trust and she’s left him. He’s unwilling to live without her and isn’t giving up—he’s dead-set on getting his beautiful American girl back. The passion between them was explosive, but the secrets they hid from each other are dark and chilling and are powerful enough to destroy their shot at a life together. With political threats now directed at Brynne, Ethan is running out of time and he’ll need to gather all his strength and agility to protect her from the dangers that could take her away from him forever. Will Ethan be able to save Brynne from a past that keeps her locked in fear? Will he ever feel the warmth of her touch, the solidity of her trust again? This is a love-struck man who is willing to do whatever it takes to possess the heart of the woman he loves. He’ll go to any lengths to protect her. He’ll go all in.

Here is the fiery story of what happens when two people surrender to a love so great it can heal the scars of the past and give way to a life of pure, rapturous ecstasy.

I wasn't totally sold on The Blackstone Affair after reading Naked (The Blackstone Affair #1). I liked Ethan well enough, even though I wasn't totally sold on his character being all bad ass at first and completely whipped as soon as he sees Brynne. But, something started happening during the course of reading All In. The guy really started growing on me. I don't know if it was his over protective self or his very pretty words, but somewhere along the way, I started rooting for Mr. Blackstone. 

"I don't know what I'm doing most of the time, but I do know how I feel about you. And even if you hate me for what I did, I'll still love you. If you won't see me, I'll still love you. I'll still love you because you are mine. Mine, Brynne. In my heart you are, and nobody can take that away from me. Not even you."

All In picks up literally the second after Naked ends. The REALLY cool part is that we've switched POVs. While Naked was told from Brynne's, All In is told entirely from Ethan's. It surprised and delighted me. It was cool getting inside Ethan's head. We already knew that most of his thoughts were consumed by Brynne. Most of his other thoughts were spent trying to figure out who was targeting her. He's got a complex mind and I enjoyed his thought processes. 

Brynne was commendable. She tried to remain as independent as possible while being slightly smothered by her domineering boyfriend and targeted for death by persons unknown. Me? I probably would've locked myself in my basement for weeks on end with a pile of good books and my coffee pot. But, Brynne tries to keep her jobs and most of her daily routine while handling Ethan in the best way she knew how. You go girl. 

The writing is good and the plot was carried along at a nice pace. The mystery surrounding who was trying to kill Brynne and why was so engaging. You think you know exactly who the bad guy is for awhile, and then you see signs that you might not be right. It kept me guessing, and I like that.  

There are some pretty big hints as to the direction the story will take in the third book of the series. Hints about where things might go between Ethan and Brynne and about who might be trying to hurt her. Thankfully, at least one big mystery was solved in All In - we do learn exactly what it was that happened to Brynne in her past - the event that sent her to England in the first place. And, it was something nasty. 

I love books set in England. I swear, I will visit there one day. And then I will visit all the bookish places that I've been introduced to and take pictures of all of them. Watch for that blog post. Someday, my friends...
 

REVIEW: Naked (The Blackstone Affair #1)

Naked (The Blackstone Affair #1), by Raine Miller
Published August 25. 2012
Publisher:  Raine Miller Romance
Format: e-galley, provided by NetGalley
Genre:  adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  3 STARS

(From Goodreads) Brynne Bennett is living the good life. An American art student at the University of London and part-time photographic model, she’s putting her life back on track with school and lots of hard work. When ultra successful London businessman, Ethan Blackstone, buys her nude portrait, he isn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer. He wants Brynne in his bed and makes plans to keep her there no matter what. His dominant nature captivates and ensnares despite the demons she carries inside her. But there are secrets in this relationship. Huge ones. Can Ethan free Brynne from the past that has marked her? Will Brynne let him or will the specters tormenting her resurface to destroy them both…

I have a problem, or rather, problems. Their names are Christian Grey. And Gideon Cross. They are my markers for all other hot rich billionaires who seduce quiet, innocent girls and fall in love with them. They have set the bar high. And I'm having a hard time finding their match. 

Domineering Ethan Blackstone has set his sights on Brynne Bennett after buying a photograph of her. Although she tries to deny him, she soon finds out that denying Ethan Blackstone anything is futile. There is obviously something in Brynne's past, though, that she is running from. And, Ethan finds himself just wanted to help her and love her. 

My main issue with Naked is that Ethan rolled over way too easily. One of the reasons why I love Christian and Gideon so much is that they never make it easy for their women. They are men of habit and don't apologize for it. They certainly don't change easily either. Love doesn't come easily - their women have to earn their love, and the payoffs are incredible. It's unusual to see insta-love in an adult contemporary/erotica book, but believe it or not, it's here. 

And, I'm not talking about the instant attraction that always happens in these books - that kind of instant lust is to be expected. And, that's present here too. Ethan sees Brynne's picture and is instantly attracted to her. Then he sees her in person, and it seals the deal for him. I do like that part. 

But, honestly, after that, it's like Ethan's hot, domineering side disappears and all he does the rest of the book is fawn over Brynne. Some parts of that are sweet, but sometimes I just want to ask him where he put his man card. I think that Brynne took it, because there comes a time when she seems to have more power in their relationship than he does. 

There are some women out there that will love that. I'm not one of them. I like my alpha males. My control freaks. My type-A personalities. I think that's what Ethan is supposed to be. But, he's not quite there. He does have some pretty words, though. 

“I want to be with you so badly right now. i want to take you home with me, and put you in my bed and have hours and hours with your body wrapped up in mine and to do with as I wish. I want to have you in the morning so when we wake up I can make you come, saying my name...I want to watch some crap TV show and have you fall asleep against me on the couch so I can watch you and hear you breathing.”

There is one similarity between Christian Grey, Gideon Cross and Ethan Blackstone - their women all leave them because they are idiots and go temporarily insane. Naked ends on a crazy cliffhanger reminiscent of Fifty Shades of Grey and This Man. Brilliant. Because now I can't wait to see what happens next.