New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews)

Some pretty exciting reads made their way onto my bookshelf this week.

First up are some books I purchased when Chapters had a sale on romance reads for the summer. I picked up a few of my favourites that I didn't have a copy of yet, and the next in a series I have been really enjoying. 

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne (goodreads)

Dirty Rowdy Thing by Christina Lauren (goodreads)

Dark Wild Night by Christina Lauren (goodreads)

Penguin Random House Canada sent me a summer reading packing filled with some thrillers and I am so excited to read some of them. My favourite summer reads are either romance or thrillers so this is perfect.

Gone Without A Trace by Mary Torjussen (goodreads)

So Much Love by Rebecca Rosenblum (goodreads) 

The Child by Fiona Barton (goodreads)

A huge thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for these reads. 

Let me know what bookish goodies made their way on your shelves this week!

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!

Dirty Rowdy Thing by Christina Lauren

Dirty Rowdy Thing by Christina Lauren (Wild Seasons #2)
Release Date -  November 14, 2014

Publisher Website - Simon and Schuster
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages -  326 pages
My Rating - 5/5
**borrowed from a friend**

**SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

It doesn't get better than ex sex... unless you fall in love.

Unlike her best friends Mia and Lola, Harlow Vega has a reputation for always being up for a fling. Twelve drunk and wild hours in Sin City married to the ridiculously hot and rugged Canadian fisherman Finn Roberts, who (no surprise) is amazing with his muscular hands–and his lips and the rest of his body–was just her speed.

But it was just a thing: dirty, rowdy, and easy... until Finn turns up in her hometown on business. Harlow's not ready to be tied down, but when the whole crew is hanging out together, there's just something about him. It may not be love (hell, it may not even be like), but their exciting, tension-filled hookups provide the perfect distraction from the scary life changes they're both facing–challenges neither is sure how to handle, let alone fix. One night together turns into two, and soon Finn's mysterious business trip has gone on for weeks. They agreed on the sex–wild, wet, kinky–but now their border-crossing booty call is starting to feel like the real deal. And for two people used to being in control, taking the ultimate plunge by falling in love feels a lot more like flat-out falling.

Christina Lauren is quickly becoming my go to author for romance reads. They offer up books that are fun and yet offer a seriously aspect to them as well. The Wild Seasons series was pretty much my introduction to this author, and I loved Sweet Filthy Boy, and was eager to read the second book in this companion style series. I ended up loving Dirty Rowdy Thing even more, and predict it'll be my favourite of the series.

Having told Mia and Ansel's story, the next novel in this 'series' focuses on Harlow and Finn. Harlow may be looked at as a party girl with a bubbly personality and not much smarts, but she is anything but that. Harlow is fiercely loyal, smart, and just so happens to also enjoy shopping. I loved how she defied expectations (especially Finn's) at every turn. It showed that you can be fun and bubbly but that doesn't mean you're an airhead. Finn is the stoic, rugged fisherman who hides a sweet side underneath his quiet demeanor. He's the kind of guy who likes to be in control, and is protective of those he loves. I love each of them as individual characters, and loved them even more together.

While the first novel dealt with a lot of sexy role play, this novel focuses on light BDSM elements. It is one of the few novels I have read that included BDSM where I felt it was handled correctly. They include the importance of aftercare which many novels don't bother to discuss or acknowledge most of the time. It was a small addition that made all the difference in how these scenes were handled. These scenes also played into Finn's personality perfectly, which his quiet, take charge demeanor adding something extra to these steamy scenes.

The romance is one of my favourites. Harlow and Finn really bond and the author's allow the relationship to be built slowly. The lust they feel for each other is the stuff of instant gratification but once they scratch that surface stuff, the real love story begins and it is perfect. They are each complicated people, who are both very strong willed and this makes they perfectly matched. Their love story, from lust to friendship, to something deeper and real, is the heart of this novel and is a love story I would read again and again.

The relationship Harlow has with her family was really sweet. It is not often in a novel like this that they parents are such a focus, and when they are the relationship tends to be one of conflict. Harlow and her father's bond is especially shone in this book. Finn's relationship with his family was also great. Neither were a source of tension in the novel and it was a nice change.

If you're looking for a sexier read to spice up your to be read pile, I highly recommend this series (and this book in particular). This series is the perfect addition to your beach bag this summer as they offer up some seriously sexy reads with some endearing characters. These books offer the perfect mix of storyline and steamy scenes so you end up getting the best of both. You'll immediately be charmed by these books and want to grab the next installment (along with any other books this written) as soon as possible.

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews).

I borrowed two books from a fellow bloggers this week and I cannot wait to read them!

Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren (goodreads)
Dirty Rowdy Thing by Christina Lauren (goodreads)

A huge thank you to Katie for lending me these. I've heard they are super sexy!

What books made their way into your mailbox this week?

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!