Release Day Review! Wilt by Nikki Rae

Wilt (The Order #2) by Nikki Rae 

Genre: Adult Fiction (Dark Romance/Erotica)
Expected Release Date: June 30, 2018
Publisher: Self

When she was sold to Master Elliot Lyon of House Chimera, Fawn could have never imagined he was the same person as Elliot, the man beneath a well placed mask. A victim. Just like her. She would have never thought he was grooming her for the Wolf she’d already escaped once. That he planned to deliver her to the beast’s jaws in exchange for his wife. Master Jäger will stop at nothing to have her—even if that means using others as collateral. With more than just their lives on the line, Fawn must become someone else, and Master Lyon distances himself further from Elliot as her transfer looms. 

The roots of the Order run deep within them, but Fawn is beginning to realize another bond has formed between her and her Owner, a man she vowed to destroy along with the rest of their tangled branches. 

In a world where trust is just a tool and love isn’t meant for people like them, Fawn is determined to beat the powerful at their own elaborate games of make-believe. Even the man who Owns her.

Wilt is the second book in The Order Series by Nikki Rae. 

Poor Fawn has this Stockholm-ish situation going on with Elliot. It's cyclic with them. She loves him, or thinks she does, because he gives her just enough love and the feeling of safety she needs. Then he does something to show his true colors once again, completely obliterating the safety net. She wisens up. He's sorry, and charming, and lures her back in. I think some times he really was sorry. A lot of abusers are, until it starts all over again. It was like the cycle of a real life abusive relationship, except Fawn is literally owned by him. So, she's trapped. 

Any excuses I may have made for Elliot's behavior in the last book are out the window now. I don't like him. I officially wrote him off with the whole Mia situation. Just no. Everything after that only further cemented my feelings towards him. There is no excuse for certain things he said and did, and there's definitely no excuse for things he allowed to be done to Fawn. None of the reasons presented were a good enough excuse for his behavior. Ultimately, Fawn and Elliot may want the same thing, but a part of him likes the power. A part of him likes hurting Fawn physically, emotionally, and mentally. A part of him simply likes being evil. Maybe he wants to be the good guy. I'm not sure. I think he wants to want to be the good guy, but he enjoys the power and control more. I get it. It's all he's known. He has his own demons to fight because of his past, but he's not in the past anymore. You either marry it or become it. He's become it. That's how I see him anyway. I just can't see him as a potential good guy. Not anymore.

This is one of those books where I'm just not sure how I feel about it. I'm still so mad at Elliot right now for so many things. I'm mad at a lot of the characters, but we've known their nature. We're supposed to hate them. Elliot is more complicated to explain. 

Anyway, so it definitely brings out many strong emotions. That's a talent this writer has. She really makes you feel. You can hate the character, but you're going to have all kinds of other really strong feels as well. She's truly gifted with her words. Also, love it..hate it...I still couldn't stop reading it, so there is that too. Morbid curiosity maybe? Probably, but it's not just that. I've grown genuinely attached to Fawn. I want to see her take them all down. (Except for maybe Marius.)

Warning: There is rape within this story, which I hate reading. I know it happens a lot within this particular world. I was hoping we wouldn't have to see it though. On the upside, it's not graphically written. 

The ARC of Wilt by Nikki Rae was kindly provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.

Master Lyon looked more than comfortable with her in his arms, fingers digging into her thighs through her dress. When I looked at his face, he still held the same grin. I wanted to wrap my hands around his neck. “Did you like watching, Doe?”
Next to him, his cigarette sat in a crystal ashtray on the arm of the seat, smoking down to nothing but a trail of dust. He hadn’t touched it once since that woman had returned to him. “No, sir,” I whispered, afraid if I used any more force I would scream.
Master Lyon cocked his head to the side and Mia gave me a mock-frown. “No?” he asked.
I stared back at him. “No, sir. I’m sure.” I could have left off the last part, but the small amount of control it made me believe I had was worth it.
His grin only widened as he leaned into Mia’s shoulder so her could coo in her ear, “I’ve trained her to be very loyal to her Owner.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and she closed her eyes and smiled as his fingers lingered on her chin. “But I’m afraid it makes her quite possessive of me.”
Mia stared down at me. It wasn’t until now that I could see the glint of evil all Members had in their eyes. The higher up they were on the food chain, the less human they were. Sooner or later, they all turned into sharks with dead black eyes. Her legs dangled off his thigh as she kissed his cheek. “I don’t blame her.” She didn’t look away from me even as her lips remained on my Owner’s skin. “I can see why she would be protective of you.” She ran her fingers through his hair.
 “I’ve told her many times that she’s to be transferred,” he said, “but I think you and I can teach her that I am not the one who belongs to her.”

Have you read the first book in this series yet?

Have you read Nikki Rae's other books?

Nikki Rae is an independent author who lives in New Jersey. She explores human nature through fiction, concentrating on making the imaginary as real as possible. Her genres of choice are mainly dark, scary, romantic tales, but she’ll try anything once. When she is not writing, reading, or thinking, you can find her spending time with animals, drawing in a quiet corner, or studying people. Closely. 

To learn more about Nikki Rae and her books, visit her website & blog.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter.

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Release Day Review! Bloom by Nikki Rae

Bloom (The Order, #1) by Nikki Rae 
Genre: Adult Fiction (Dark Romance/Erotica)
Expected Release Date: February 28, 2018
Publisher: Self

Given to The Grimm Order as an infant, Fawn was raised in a world shaped by the rich and powerful. When she was sold at the age of nine to a Suitor, Fawn believed he would protect her from the “Mainworld”, where those who know nothing about the Order live. Living with the cruel man who bought her freedom, she finds just what the Order is about: money, control, and status for the Owner and humiliation and abuse for those they own. 

Unwilling to accept the expectations of being Owned, Fawn goes from golden girl to maid, content to live in the shadows of the Order as long as she isn’t Owned again.

It’s been ten years since she disgraced her former Owner’s name, and now the brooding Frenchman Elliot Lyon wants her. Master Lyon is kind, smart, and unlike any man she’s met. She doesn’t want to admit it to herself, but Fawn is drawn to him despite constantly planning her next escape. 

Even the prettiest flowers have thorns, and Master Lyon is hiding secrets that will uproot everything she thinks she knows about him. 

Bloom is the first book in The Order series by Nikki Rae. You can always count on something out of the box with this author, and that's one of the things I love about her stories. Fawn's world is pretty much a nightmare, literally. She isn't free. I'm not sure yet how the "outside world" is within this story, but I get the impression it's pretty much like our world. Then you have people like Fawn who are sold or stolen into the Order, much like, if not just like human trafficking. The rich and elite within the Order buy these children and young adults and do pretty much whatever they want to with them. Fawn's new owner seems different in many ways. He lost my loyalty pretty early on, but as I learned more about him, I found out the reasons behind his actions. I still don't excuse him. Fawn fights her feelings. She knows better, and the girl has some inner strength, let me tell you! She has to. It's how you survive in her world. These characters are complex, complicated, and feel so alive... it's easy to forget you're reading a book.

The ARC of Bloom by Nikki Rae was kindly provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.

“Fawn,” he said suddenly, his voice soft but still making me jump in my seat. “Were they out of flower names?” he asked, a smile in his voice.

He let on that he knew about the inner-workings of the actual Compound more than my last Owner. Then again, my last one only cared about one thing. He didn't play these mind games this guy seemed to like.

Master Lyon sighed, convinced I wouldn't answer, but for some reason I couldn't keep my mouth shut.

“I was one of the originals at the California Compound.” I hesitated almost too long before I brought my eyes back to his face. He was staring, waiting for me to say more. “We all had animal names,” I said, trying and failing to hide the disgust in my voice.

“Fawn,” he said. “With those eyes?”

 I blinked, wondering what he meant.

“They’re so large and expressive,” he explained. “You’re more of a Doe to me.”

So this would be my new name? Not Dog or Whore, but Doe?

He smiled like I’d said something funny but I wasn't joking. “Do you not like it?”

I didn't know why he cared if I did or did not like something. It shouldn't matter to him. I didn't like any of this and it was obvious. He was asking to toy with me, get me to talk. I was done talking. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep the words from spilling out.

Check out my review of the next book in this series!

Have you read Nikki Rae's other books?

Nikki Rae is an independent author who lives in New Jersey. She explores human nature through fiction, concentrating on making the imaginary as real as possible. Her genres of choice are mainly dark, scary, romantic tales, but she’ll try anything once. When she is not writing, reading, or thinking, you can find her spending time with animals, drawing in a quiet corner, or studying people. Closely. 

To learn more about Nikki Rae and her books, visit her website & blog.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter.

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Cover Reveal! Bloom by Nikki Rae

Bloom (The Order, #1) by Nikki Rae 
Genre: Adult Fiction (Dark Romance/Erotica)
Expected Release Date: February 28, 2018
Publisher: Self

Given to The Grimm Order as an infant, Fawn was raised in a world shaped by the rich and powerful. When she was sold at the age of nine to a Suitor, Fawn believed he would protect her from the “Mainworld”, where those who know nothing about the Order live. Living with the cruel man who bought her freedom, she finds just what the Order is about: money, control, and status for the Owner and humiliation and abuse for those they own. 

Unwilling to accept the expectations of being Owned, Fawn goes from golden girl to maid, content to live in the shadows of the Order as long as she isn’t Owned again.

It’s been ten years since she disgraced her former Owner’s name, and now the brooding Frenchman Elliot Lyon wants her. Master Lyon is kind, smart, and unlike any man she’s met. She doesn’t want to admit it to herself, but Fawn is drawn to him despite constantly planning her next escape. 

Even the prettiest flowers have thorns, and Master Lyon is hiding secrets that will uproot everything she thinks she knows about him. 

Ice clinked in his glass as he took another gulp and then set it back down. “He wasn’t supposed to touch you,” he finally said.

I knew it was impossible, but it sounded almost as if he was apologizing. Angered by his audacity—that he thought I would buy one word he refused to say—I couldn’t bite my tongue. “Why does it matter?”

My tone was ice; I had to wrap my arms around myself again.

I heard him inhale, but he still didn’t face me. “Of course it matters.” The edge to his voice sounded as appalled as I had felt the moment he’d tied my hands behind my back and made me even more helpless than I already was.

Anger flared in me even brighter. “Why should it?” I asked. “I’m only here for what men like that want to do with me. He’s just more honest about his intentions than some.” I wanted to sew my mouth shut. No one ever spoke to their Owner in such a way. I knew better, yet I couldn’t stop the truth from spewing out of my mouth. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the impact of his open palm across my cheek, still damp from the condensation on his glass, but it didn’t come.

He casually took another drink of amber liquid, leaving just enough remaining in case he decided he wanted more. “Dry off.”

Have you read Nikki Rae's other books?

Nikki Rae is an independent author who lives in New Jersey. She explores human nature through fiction, concentrating on making the imaginary as real as possible. Her genres of choice are mainly dark, scary, romantic tales, but she’ll try anything once. When she is not writing, reading, or thinking, you can find her spending time with animals, drawing in a quiet corner, or studying people. Closely. 

To learn more about Nikki Rae and her books, visit her blog.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter.

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Book Review: Becoming Blue by Angie M. Brashears

Becoming Blue (Chubby Chasers #1) by Angie M. Brashears
Genre: Adult (Contemporary/Fetish) 18+
Date Published: January 15, 2016
Publisher: Self

Every single thing I’ve been taught not to do…I just did.

Talk to a stranger? Check

Get in a car with a stranger? Check

Go to a second location? Check

Go into a stranger’s house? Check

Take candy from a stranger? Check

If this is a kidnapping, it’s the kindest one I’ve ever heard of.

I’m living a fat girl fantasy. Snatched from a Weight Watcher meeting by a powdered-donut eating stranger, was by far the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me. Who knew I didn’t need to make appointments or attend meetings to have someone to talk to. A Friend. Two Friends. A dark, intense stranger. Secrets. 

Everything I ever wanted, and something’s I didn’t. Not every tasty treat is for eating.

To each his own….right?

Becoming Blue is the first book in the Chubby Chasers series by Angie M. Brashears. Well... count me in with the many other reviewers who said this book wasn't what they were expecting. It really wasn't. Not at all. I like that the story was trying to empower heavy women. I think that's what it was trying to do anyway. I also think it failed. It was more about the feeder culture fetish. The writing provided some graphic mental imagery. These are beautiful women, and more often than not, I found the going ons to be more... I don't know.. degrading and insulting. Certainly not empowering. I was sad and embarrassed for the characters, especially Sara. The other characters sure are interesting though. I'll give them that, and Sara feels like she belongs somewhere for the first time in her life. So, whatever makes you happy, I suppose. The book comes up in the romance genre, but I really wouldn't call it a romance. Which reminds me, Sara's love interest is disturbing too. Is he a serial killer in training? Why is she attracted to him? When you tossed in his behavior and baggage on top of everything else going on, it just seemed like it was all a little much. You know? A little too unreal. Needless to say, this isn't the book for me. I really wish the blurb would have mentioned something about it being a fetish type thing. I would have known ahead of time that this type of story wouldn't interest me. I absolutely love the cover though!

Becoming Blue by Angie M. Brashears was kindly provided to me by Xpresso Tours for review. The opinions are my own.

Angie M Brashears is a lover of everything books. When not writing, she’s reading anything she can get her hands on. She grew up in Southern California, and loves the mountains, hiking with her dogs, the beach, and of course, Disneyland! She loves music, and loves singing along to the radio, loud and off-key, performing for anyone unlucky enough to be in the passenger seat.

Angie loves dark and twisted, which she refers to as Dark Ever After books, but is known to read an occasional HEA story as well. When she’s not writing, she working, saving lives. A busy Trauma ER nurse for over twenty years, she gets enough reality in her life, and is always looking for a story to take her away from the harsh reality of Emergency Nursing.

If there’s football on, she sure to have a huge party going on to cheer her team on…Go Patriots!

As a new author, she’d love to hear from you!

To learn more about Angie M. Brashears and her books, visit her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

Spotlight! Becoming Blue by Angie M. Brashears

Becoming Blue (Chubby Chasers #1) by Angie M. Brashears
Genre: Adult (Contemporary/Fetish) 18+
Date Published: January 15, 2016
Publisher: Self

Every single thing I’ve been taught not to do…I just did.

Talk to a stranger? Check

Get in a car with a stranger? Check

Go to a second location? Check

Go into a stranger’s house? Check

Take candy from a stranger? Check

If this is a kidnapping, it’s the kindest one I’ve ever heard of.

I’m living a fat girl fantasy. Snatched from a Weight Watcher meeting by a powdered-donut eating stranger, was by far the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me. Who knew I didn’t need to make appointments or attend meetings to have someone to talk to. A Friend. Two Friends. A dark, intense stranger. Secrets. 

Everything I ever wanted, and something’s I didn’t. Not every tasty treat is for eating.

To each his own….right?

This is my third first meeting at Weight Watchers in as many weeks. If I don’t get myself on track now, I might as well buy a hospital bed and an XXXL muumuu, become a shut-in, and pay someone to throw a loaf of bread and a dozen eggs in a day. Maybe a couple burgers, some ice cream, oh, and baby wipes. I’m serious!
Looking around, I can’t even figure out why some of these skinny Minnie’s are even here. Pretty sure the skeleton in a dress next to me is anorexic. Newsflash! You have nothing left to lose! I might have a Snickers in the bottom of my bag that I could force-feed her. Does lint have any protein?
Besides the Blue-Haireds that belong to this women’s club establishment, complete with pastel cafeteria smocks and disapproving looks, glaring at all the rest of us like we might steal a plastic bouquet arrangement, there’s a gay couple canoodling in the back, which makes me jealy. I can’t even get a man to eat noodles with, let alone canoodle with me. Even the Rexie Queen held together by skin has a much skinnier friend, if that’s even possible.
Maybe I’m a sizeist. None of my acquaintances from my old life were bigger than me. Not one person I knew growing up could even swap clothes with me. ‘One size fits all’ is a myth!
I’m the only one sitting by myself, having my very own pity party—without the cake of course. No one to talk to, share my inner thoughts with. I look down at my iPhone; it’s dead, but no one here needs to know that, so I pretend to text. Really trying to sell it, I smile at the black screen.
Seeing my round face reflected back at me in the blank screen brings me down another peg. I thought I looked pretty good when I walked out of the apartment today. I’m fat, obese even, but my mom always called me ‘cherubic.’ Ugh. More like chubby in all the wrong places. Big fat boobs with the always-charming pink, silver dollar nipples, a bloated Buddha belly with arms and legs to match.
I’m a 27-year old loser, but not of pounds. Never been considered, kissed or picked first in a kickball game, that’s me. A Weight Watchers dropout, never making it past the first week, always looking to score those elusive five pounds that are promised to be dropped immediately. All my life all I’ve ever wanted to be was a normal weight. That’s it. Not a supermodel, an astronaut, or even a star. I’d just like to be able to look at one of those charts in a doctor’s office, slide my finger across the 5’5” column for a normal, average, American woman and see my weight is the same or slightly under the guideline. Not double, I’m not a wildebeest, for f***’s sake. Not much to ask for. I’ve starved, exercised, drank a pool’s worth of water, never all at the same time mind you, but nothing ever removed the rolls around the middle. Those I can suck in. Well, when I’m not holding water, that is. There is no sucking in my fat ass. Hell, my trunk has so much junk in it, the lock is broken and being held together with frayed rope! And my thighs, ‘thundery’ would be one word—times two. That about sums up those ham hocks.
Lost in the mental berating of my temple, I’m startled away from my pity party by a pack of white-powdered donuts, the sleeve kind, my favorite, which fall out of the sky and land on the above mentioned thighs, smack dab in my lap.
“Important text?” I’m embarrassed to see an unknown face, peering over my shoulder, reflected back at me on the dark screen. I can see her eyes searching it, looking for the meaning of life I’ve been smiling at and contemplating for the last five minutes. My face heats at being found out.
“Uh, my phone uh...it just uh.” Why can’t I even make polite conversation?
“Died?” she fills in for me. “It’s okay. Didn’t mean to creep on you. Just looking for fresh recruits.” An Amazon of a woman bends her six-foot frame into the plastic chair next to me. Bright green eyes, made up like she’s draggin’ on the side, twinkle at me. I’m at boob height when she’s folded herself in. Two torpedoes clothed in a tight, pink sweater. She could be a linebacker if she went on a diet and started exercising today. And there’s no way she got into those skinny jeans by herself, unless a crowbar, a pack of gum, and duct tape were involved.
Wait…did she say ‘recruit’?
“I’m Sasha Berlin.” I shake the hand that is extended, careful of the long black nails filed to points.
“I’m Sara, no H.” No H? What? Is she corresponding with me? Why would I say it like that? Mentally, I smack myself.
Looking down, not wanting to lose my first WW buddy, I spy the pack of donuts nestled between my thighs.
Nodding down at them, “I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to bring Hostess into the room.”
I try to hand them back discreetly, palming them, always mindful of the watchful rheumy eyes of the blue-haired group that runs the place, but Sasha isn’t having it.
She takes them alright, and makes a big production of ripping them open with her teeth! Dropping two in the process. Plop! Right on top of those torpedoes! And commences with the crinkling of the cellophane like her life depends on it, before popping two of those powdered goodies between her scarlet lips. Powdered sugar is everywhere, coating her lips, dusting her sweater, raining down on her lap. “And I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to force luscious ladies, such as yourself, to listen to this ‘points’ bull****!”
At least that’s what I think she said. There may have been something about ‘Scale Nazis’ too, couldn’t make that part out, but I sense the canoodling in the back has ceased. The gays recognize one of their own. Commence flamboyance!
I’m staring, along with all the other skinny rejects, as she chews loudly, and unbelievably, stuffs a third in, crammed into the mashed pile on her pink tongue. Her mouth is so full she can’t even chew with it closed. Everyone, including myself, gets a view of the train wreck.
She catches my eye—not hard, since my eyes haven’t left her face—and tears open a second pack of donuts. My eyes widen. She couldn’t, wouldn’t shove any more in there, would she? Her eyebrows wiggle as she snorts loudly. You know, the sound pigs make when someone’s uncurling their tail? Yep, that’s the one.
A tiny, unused, weak, and pitiful giggle escapes before I can stop it.
“What kind of laugh was that?” she says around a mouthful of sugar, spraying me with donut in the process as she throws back her own head and belly laughs.
How is she not choking? And do I remember the Heimlich? That does it. I’m laughing now too, wiping donut from my face, just as the Grand Poohbah of the Blue-Haireds approaches, hands on her aproned hips, glaring at both of us. “Ahem.” Before she can even begin to berate us, Sasha’s up, towering over the little lady on her black, stiletto-heeled, Cat woman boots, white donuts rolling everywhere, grabbing my hand in a death grip, exclaiming for all to hear, “I’m here to save my sister in chub from the brainwashing! You won’t win this one! Come to the dark side!” And then we’re running.
Yes, full-on running. Me, who hasn’t run since someone stood counting my laps in high school. I think I hear a cheer from the gays in the back, but I can’t be sure. My left arm is busy trying not to drop my phone and simultaneously support my flopping boobs, since she’s got a death grip on my right one.
 We hit the double doors right in the middle, fling them to the winds, and race—well, as ‘racy’ as two fat girls can be—to the parking lot beyond, laughing the whole way.
“C’mon Thelma! We’re busting out of here!”
“Okay Louise!” I giggle back.

Angie M Brashears is a lover of everything books. When not writing, she’s reading anything she can get her hands on. She grew up in Southern California, and loves the mountains, hiking with her dogs, the beach, and of course, Disneyland! She loves music, and loves singing along to the radio, loud and off-key, performing for anyone unlucky enough to be in the passenger seat.

Angie loves dark and twisted, which she refers to as Dark Ever After books, but is known to read an occasional HEA story as well. When she’s not writing, she working, saving lives. A busy Trauma ER nurse for over twenty years, she gets enough reality in her life, and is always looking for a story to take her away from the harsh reality of Emergency Nursing.

If there’s football on, she sure to have a huge party going on to cheer her team on…Go Patriots!

As a new author, she’d love to hear from you!

To learn more about Angie M. Brashears and her books, visit her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway