Bookworm Brandee: CD Reiss

Showing posts with label CD Reiss. Show all posts

Saturday, September 2, 2017

My TBR List ~ September ~ Polling is Open!

My To-Be Read List is a meme hosted by Michelle @Because Reading. I think it's a fabulous idea because it gets y'all in the game and it helps me knock off some of the many, many books on my TBR list. You're more than welcome to join in the fun! I've included the basic rules below but you can click on the graphic above to hop over to Michelle's site where you can find all the details.

Here's how it works:
On the first Saturday of each month, I will make a post with three books from my TBR List (these books can be already on your ereader or bookshelf OR books you might want to purchase) and add your link on the linky that will be provided on Michelle's post. Y'ALL will help me choose which book I will read next. The following Saturday, I will announce which book won. Then the last Saturday of the month, I'll post my review.

Fun, right?!?

***

I'm continuing my quest, and working at one of my Bookish Resolutions to catch up on series (since I'm behind in 148 series) I'm once again having y'all decide which series I'm going to work at catching up on this month! :D

FYI, this will be my theme all year. And since I'm letting random.org choose from the list of series I'm behind in, you might see books show up more than once. ;)

Your Choices Are:

Use
Songs of Perdition #2

Synopsis
In the end, did I stab him to be free of him? And free to what? Fuck? Snort? Party? Or free to be normal?

"It was a very interesting situation, up there on Maundy," Elliott said.

"Nothing like it in the world. It's a safe place for people like me."

"People like you? Can you be more specific?" He ran his finger on the edge of his blotter, and a chill went up my inner thighs.

"People like me means, I don't know. Fuckers. We fuck because it's what we do. Bus drivers drive. Accountants account. Policemen police. I'm a fucker. I fuck."

The Departed
The FBI Psychics #2

Synopsis
A LIFELONG OBSESSION

FBI Special Agent Taylor Jones has made it his mission to save those in harm's way by any means necessary-including employing psychic agents like Desiree "Dez" Lincoln, who can communicate with the disembodied spirits of the dead. Taylor is haunted by his own ghost, his kid sister, gone missing at age six. For a quarter of a century he has been tortured by her loss and the mystery of her disappearance.

A NIGHT'S INDISCRETION

When Dez is seriously wounded, Taylor can no longer hide his feelings for her. Getting involved could spell disaster for both of them-not to mention those who rely on them for help-but once Dez lays her hands on him, he can't resist the fierce attraction. But after giving in to his desires, Taylor pulls back, and Dez strikes out on her own.

AN INESCAPABLE PASSION

Responding to the call of another anguished spirit, Dez is led to Taylor's old hometown. As the two are forced to come together to save a girl in peril, Dez may be able to help Taylor finally find the answers he's been looking for...

Impulse
Mageri #3

Synopsis
"You are the only female I desire, the only water that will quench my thirst, the only sun that will warm my skin, the only lips that were made for mine."

Almost a year ago, a Mage attacked Silver and changed the course of her destiny. Immortals exist, and now she is one of them.

Within the dark and supernatural city of Cognito, Silver is living under the watchful eye of her Ghuardian and dating her mortal enemy. Neither man can protect her from a dark secret, one buried within the contents of a box. As rival factions struggle to gain control, she finds herself in the middle of a centuries-old feud that threatens to drive a wedge between her and Logan Cross, the man who intends to seduce her.

In an explosive turn of events, one life is saved and another is forever altered. Can Silver trust those around her, or are they hiding a dark secret of their own?

Okay, now vote! And thanks! :D

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Wednesday, September 16, 2015

#COYER Review ~ Shuttergirl ~ CD Reiss

ShutterGirl by CD Reiss
The Hollywood Project #1
Release Date: May 16, 2015
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased from B&N on nook
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N

Synopsis
ONE movie star on the cusp of greatness
ONE broken girl who touched him
TEN years to forget her
A MILLION stories in Hollywood
----------------
I am not hurt.

I don't need a second chance with him, or a life I thought I had.

While he was out forgetting me to become a movie star, I was building a career out of nothing. A career as a paparazzi, but a career. For a foster kid who bounced around every home in Los Angeles, that wasn't easy.

This camera is all I have.

He's nothing to me. Every time I take his picture and sell it, I remind myself that I did it all without him or his approval, his cinnamon smell or his clear green eyes. He lights up the screen like a celestial body, but he's nothing but a paycheck to me.

He can throw my camera off a balcony, and nothing has to change. We can stay king and queen of the same city, and different worlds.

Except this is Hollywood, and here, anything can happen.

It's no secret I'm a fan of Reiss' writing. I know that when I open up a book from her I'm going to get beautiful prose, a well-conceived and wonderfully wrought story, intense emotions, and amazing characters. ShutterGirl is set outside the Drazen family, so it's different than any of her previous works. But Reiss delivered on all counts.

Laine and Michael come from two different worlds. He's an A-list Hollywood actor. She's the bane of every celebrity - a paparazza. He was born into privilege. She was born into the system. His life was mapped out at birth - a rising star. Her life seemed destined for a downward path. They couldn't be more different. But a year spent at a prep school together - a year when Laine's foster parents were rich - left an indelible mark on each of them. A mark that sparks when they happen to meet again.

Reiss does an excellent job of making sense of these characters who don't make sense - at least on the surface. That their second chance at love accompanies them each learning so much about themselves was a treat. Laine is such a survivor. She picked herself up off the ground and made a decent life for herself. But she had to learn to accept all the parts of herself and she had to forgive herself to move onto the next chapter. Michael, who's spent a large portion of his life pretending to be someone else - pretending at life - has to figure out who hs really is and own it. Being witness to it all was addicting - kinda like tabloids. I couldn't stop watching as it all played out.

ShutterGirl left me in awe. It's a riveting, entertaining Hollywood story with a side of second chance love. Go ahead and grab a copy. You know your enquiring mind wants to know! ;)

Thursday, August 20, 2015

That's What HE Said #35 ~ Thirsty Thursday & Hungry Hearts #14

That's What He Said is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely ladies @Chapter Break. Here's the deal: every Thursday, post a line from your book boyfriend to his heroine. Keep in mind, these are direct quotes from dialog in the books. The quote doesn't have to be romantic - just something our hunky hero said to his lucky lady. Be sure to link up over at Chapter Break as well.

My pick this week for That's What He Said is from:

Shuttergirl by CD Reiss

*ha* I've been on a CD binge lately, too.

***

"Laine, I want you. I care about you. You give me something I've never had before. You're a devil in high heels, but you...God, I want you. You. Your body, yes, but everything else too. I want ot make everything in your world right. I can't help it. Let me in. Just let me in."

*~*~*~*~*~*

This is a scene where Laine is trying to get her brother, Tom, to go talk to a girl. Tom is, um, shall we say socially awkward. ;) So he needs a little liquid courage. I liked the dynamic between Laine and Tom a lot. Reiss conveyed the closeness of the relationship well.

Tom tapped his fingers, looked at Leo, then Sparkly Shoes, then back at Leo. "Three shots of tequila. One, two, three. Line them up right here with a beer at the end."
"There's a man who knows how to party!" Leo shouted.
I sighed into my glass, disappointed. I had the feeling that despite my best intentions for Tom, I'd be driving the Exploder home.

Monday, August 17, 2015

#COYER Review ~ Spin ~ CD Reiss

Spin by CD Reiss
Songs of Corruption #1
Release Date: March 10, 2014
Genre: Adult, Dark Romance, Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased on Kindle
Rating: 5 Bookworms
Goodreads

Synopsis
***You do NOT need to read Songs of Submission to read Spin***

Mafia capo, Antonio Spinelli blew through my orderly life like a cyclone.

Gorgeous and passionate, with a breathtaking brutality, he put me under his spell the moment he touched me, drawing me into his underworld of risk, violence and betrayal.

And I found, just as this sophisticated savage didn't trust me, I didn't trust myself. Something happened to me. Some alchemy from the heat between us.

I discovered I was a savage, too.

I like a book that grabs me by the throat and throws me into the deep waters to struggle in the waves of the characters' story. Reiss does just that in Spin. In fact, she threw me into the deep, with waves crashing and sharks circling. In other words, the story was a roller coaster of emotions - thrilling and terrifying, where I watched as Theresa and Antonio found out exactly what they were made of.

Theresa, recently publicly humiliated by the betrayal of her now ex-fiance, is coping by continuing her work while trying to figure out how to deal with loving him still. She's very good at compartmentalizing. She's a girl who's always prepared. An evening out with her sister leads to a chance encounter with Antonio Spinelli. With one look, and a few words, she was a goner.

"His words had fingers, and as he spoke, they drifted down my body, fondling me and arousing me."

Antonio makes her feel things she's never felt before. This leads to an affair and Theresa learning far more about the mafia and herself than she'd ever anticipated.

Antonio sees Theresa and knows he wants her. Problem is, she's not a part of the life and therefore not privy to their ways. In many ways, Antonio prefers this. It may even be a part of the attraction. But as he and Theresa get more deeply involved, important choices must be made - life-altering choices.

Spin is dark - darker than Reiss' Songs of Submission, in my opinion. It's violent and yet sexy. Reiss always amazes me with her ability to take a raw, gritty scene and paint it in a way to make it sexy and beautiful. With Theresa and Antonio, this is quite a feat as the subjects dealt with their story are not always pretty.

After ruminating on this for awhile, I've decided that at its heart, this is a journey for both Theresa and Antonio. I think neither really know what's in their hearts. But with each other, they're learning.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

That's What HE Said #30 ~ Thirsty Thursday & Hungry Hearts #9

My pick this week for That's What He Said is from:

Spin by CD Reiss

(I'm maintaining lazy and taking photos again)

To say the chemistry between Theresa and Antonio is intense would be an understatement. :)

***

*~*~*~*~*~*

If I hadn't already fallen for Antonio, I certainly would have here.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Review ~ Coda ~ CD Reiss

Coda

The Songs of Submission Series #9

Release Date: March 18, 2015

Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance

Source: Purchased on B&N

Rating: 5 Bookworms

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N

Blurb

I almost committed murder for him. I almost tore us apart to save him. How do you get back on the horse after that? Because, I promise you, nothing is the same. Nothing.

I’ve earned our happily ever after. Now I have to survive it.

To have this extra installment in Monica and Jonathan's story is a gift. Their story couldn't end with sunshine and rainbows - their story was never those things. But through all the anxiety, the tragedy, the triumphs and celebrations, 'the end' is exactly the end for them.

I liked getting this glimpse into life for Monica and Jonathan following the events in ____. What they each experienced, both individually and as a couple leaves me speechless. Even though they love each other enough to move mountains for the other, they're each living with fear, worry, and anxiety of what they stand to lose. They are each so much more cognizant of that now. Because of the fear, they're each holding back to a certain degree. What I enjoyed most was watching as they realized this and each took the necessary steps to ease and soothe those fears so that they committed and submitted completely to one another.

Coda wrecked me and then filled me with hope...much like Jonathan does with Monica -- destroying her, then soothing her, loving her. I don't think I realized until just now how similar the experiences were. Monica and Jonathan's story has been real, raw, complicated, and beautiful. I've loved being along with them on their journey. And I'm worn out, sated, and blissful over their end.

Teaser Tuesday ~ #61

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

***

Coda

Submission Series #9

Blurb

***Teaser***

"He was my sky. Through blood and breath, sin and sorrow, I was his sea, and wherever the horizon was and the world ended, we were there, together."

Friday, March 20, 2015

Release Blitz & Giveaway ~ Coda ~ CD Reiss

Will Jonathan and Monica get their happily ever after?

Find out in CD Reiss’s newest release!

Coda is NOW AVAILABLE!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1AOmNxF

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1wR1kJ0

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1FgI478

Nook: http://bit.ly/1EkPwju

Google: http://bit.ly/1LvqUXl

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1LsmYVo

Blurb

Did you want a pat little ending about Jonathan and I riding off into the sunset? Did you want flowers and stars? Man, I wish it was all soft filters and violins. I wish we could fight about who cleaned the bathroom or who was cooking dinner. But I knew I was never destined for simple contentment.

I almost committed murder for him. I almost tore us apart to save him. How do you get back on the horse after that? Because, I promise you, nothing is the same. Nothing.

I’ve earned our happily ever after. Now I have to survive it.

Excerpt

FROM CODA (RATED NC-17)

“You know what, Monica, you don’t even know yourself. Look at you. I haven’t seen you this relaxed in months. The only time you let your worry go is when you give me control. And your worry is what keeps you from being honest.”

I swallowed. Blinked. A torrent of wetness welled behind my eyes, “I don’t want to break the scene.”

“Stay still. Stay naked. Speak your mind.”

“I almost died with you a hundred times. That recovery room, they had you in this induced coma and you looked dead. There were bags of blood. Bags, hanging over you and you were all opened up. And, I’m sorry, I haven’t said this because you’re the one who went through it.” I swallowed a gallon of tears. “I don’t want to see you like that again. But I think about it all the time. I dream about it. I see it when I close my eyes. I want you to live, so I do what I think is going to make you happy and I always get it wrong. Stay or go. I give you attention or none. It’s always wrong.”

“What about your happiness?”

“It doesn’t matter. Not as much as yours. It’s not life or death.”

“It is, Monica. It is.”

I shook my head. “You can’t convince me of that. We can do this hurtful honesty thing all day. You’re the priority and I’m okay with that. Deal with it.”

He nodded, looking down for a blink, then up at me. He reached for my wrists.

“These go behind your back.”

I did as instructed.

“Now, get on your knees.”

I bent them. With my hands behind my back, it was hard to balance.

“Do you need some help?” he asked.

“Yes.”

I thought he’d take me gently by the elbow, but dragged me down. He was right. I was relaxed, totally submitting and trusting him, loving every bit of discomfort he dished out.

“Spread your knees apart.”

I did, too slowly for him. He kicked them wide.

“Do you remember your safeword?” He asked, unbuckling his belt.

“Yes.” A tingling rush went down my spine with the promise of his dominance and the way it made me forget how fragile he really was.

His cock was out in the next second. “Open. Your. Mouth.”