Review ~ Unmaking Marchant ~ Ella James #ShelfLove #TakeControl #TravelingtotheTerminus

Unmaking Marchant by Ella James
Love Inc #3
Release Date: February 12, 2014
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased on Kindle
Rating: 4 Bookworms
Challenges: #ShelfLove, #TakeControl, #TravelingtotheTerminus
Goodreads

Synopsis
Marchant Radcliffe, owner of the exclusive Love Inc. brothel, is no stranger to darkness. He lost his parents in a plane crash and since college has harbored a secret almost too terrible to bear. He keeps his head above water by pouring his energy into his business - and he's thrived, despite the dark blot on his soul.

Then, after ten years of good fortune, Marchant's skeletons start to peek out of the closet, tossing him down a trail of ruin that begins with arson and could end with murder. Because he's kept his struggles private, he has no one to pull him back from the brink.

After a breakup with her longtime fiance, Suri Dalton, daughter of one of Silicon Valley's tech tycoons, has nowhere to go except her BFF's new penthouse in Las Vegas. The last thing Suri is looking for is a man, but after drowning her woes in wine on the flight over, she stumbles into a torrid make out session with a beautiful stranger - who just so happens to be Marchant Radcliffe, playboy and literal pimp.

Despite an immediate attraction, Suri writes Marchant off as exactly the sort of guy she should avoid. Until Love Inc. goes up in flames, Marchant winds up at the bottom of a swimming pool, and Suri is the only one around to pull him out.

What happens when what you see isn't what you get? What do you do when destiny is too alluring to resist and too dangerous to survive?

Marchant is an interesting character - one who's been difficult to get a read on - so I was eager for his story. I'd met him, or more accurately seen him, in the previous installments but he's sort of an enigma. I'd also met Suri previously and when I realized she was going to play a role in Marchant's story I was excited. If anyone needed some happy in their life, it's Suri. Fortunately, or unfortunately, she got Marchant - or they got each other. The result? A compelling read.

Marchant is action erratically when the story begins. He's drinking and smoking pot and gambling...all seemingly in an effort to deal with an anniversary of some sort. It remained difficult to get into his head - to understand him - for quite awhile but what I did understand is that he carries a lot of guilt for several events and feels unworthy of love. But Marchant is just broken. He's fixable and definitely lovable. He only needs someone to get through to him.

Suri is one of those people who want normal and thrives on taking care of people. She's shown that with Lizzy and with Cross. She's even aimed at getting her normal while also taking care of her alcoholic fiance. When she realizes normal isn't going to happen with him - that maybe normal doesn't even really exist - she dumps her fiance and heads to Las Vegas where Lizzy and Cross are...and meets Marchant.

I found Marchant and Suri's story riveting. Not only do they deal with Marchant's behavior but also the tragedy at Love Inc, the brothel Marchant owns, and the fallout as well as the danger coming from an unknown source. is it the gambler whom Marchant owes money? Or someone from Marchant's past? We don't know. And unfortunately I didn't find out as EJames left me hanging. And equally as unfortunate, the final chapter in Marchant and Suri's story isn't available. :(

Unmaking Marchant was fascinating and suspenseful. EJames did well in dealing with a few touchy topics (I'm being purposefully vague here), the ramifications of dealing with these topics on all those involved. I don't typically mind a cliffie but I went into this story thinking this was the final chapter in these characters' lives (it was the final book in the Love Inc boxset I purchased), so it was disappointing that it wasn't. However, I think Unmaking Marchant is my favorite in the series despite the cliffie because Marchant and Suri are so well developed. And so I'll anxiously await the rest of their story...

#COYER Review ~ Taming Cross ~ Ella James

Taming Cross by Ella James
Love, Inc #2
Release Date: August 19, 2013
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased on Kindle
Rating: 4 Bookworms
Challenges: #COYER, #ShelfLove, #TravelingtotheTerminus
Goodreads

Synopsis
For twenty-three years, Cross Carlson was a playboy. You know the type. Tall, dark, and wealthy. Blue-eyed. Charming. He seemed to have it all so easy. But Cross was harboring a terrible secret - one that helped ruin the life of an innocent girl and almost ended his own.

Finally out of the hospital, Cross is flailing, scarred in both body and mind and stifled by the weight of the secret he still keeps. The only way to absolution lies in a Mexican convent, and going there could cost him everything.

If there's anyone who knows what it's like to screw up big time, it's Meredith Kinsey. Just a few years ago, Merri was an ordinary girl with a job at her college newspaper and white picket fence kind of dreams. Now she's holed up in a Mexican convent, hiding from a drug lord who thinks he owns her.

What happens when the only way out of hell is with the son of the man who put you there? They say love conquers all, but does it really?

It's been awhile since I read the first in this series - where I met Cross Carlson - but WOW! EJames pulled me right back into this world. Taming Cross was gripping and suspenseful...and a little bit romantic. :)

Highlights:

• Character Development
  Cross did a lot of growing up. His dad is the governor of California and he's always lived a privileged life even if his parents didn't appreciate him. Following some events from the first book, he's changed. And his transformation continued in Taming Cross, where he risked everything to right a wrong. Meredith matured a lot as well. She'd endured quite a bit over the last several years but she realized she'd made mistakes in her past, wanted to/was making amends, and was grateful for the second chance she was offered.
• Suspense
  I was impressed with the level of suspense EJames was able to maintain. It was pretty intense and when a lull occurred I was drawn into a false sense of security...then BOOM! Something else would happen. Cross and Meredith were dealing with a Mexican drug cartel so...
• Romance
  There were reasons - very sound, logical and BIG reasons - that Cross and Meredith shouldn't even think about being together. But they couldn't seem to help themselves. Of course, there's nothing like some danger to ratchet up the sexual tension. ;) In all seriousness though, neither Cross nor Meredith felt worthy of the other and yet were constantly proving they absolutely were. There was attraction but they both denied themselves, making more of a slow-burn romance which worked so well for their story.

Taming Cross made for a compelling read and a worthy installment in the series. I like the common thread of redemption EJames has woven between the first two books and I'm looking forward to Unmaking Marchant to see how it's carried through there.

#ShelfLove Review ~ Selling Scarlett ~ Ella James

Selling Scarlett by Ella James
Love, Inc #1
Release Date: April 13, 2013
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased on Kindle
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Goodreads

Synopsis
Elizabeth DeVille doesn't belong at a party like this--one where the gowns cost more than her Camry and cigars run higher than her grad school utility bills. Dragged out of seclusion by her best friend Suri, Elizabeth is merely playing dress-up, rubbing elbows with a crowd that banished her troubled family years ago.

Hunter West is tired. Tired of parties, tired of pretending, and tired of trying to right a wrong that haunts him every day. Bourbon heir and professional poker player by day, by night Hunter is gambling with his life in a high-stakes game of crime and blackmail.

When Elizabeth stumbles into Hunter's den of vices, she's a light in the darkness, a flame in the void. And, just like everything he touches, Hunter mars her in record time. To rectify the damage done, Elizabeth needs money she doesn't have, and she's come up with a foolproof way to get it.

Follow Elizabeth--code-named Scarlett--to the lush Nevada brothel where she'll auction her virginity and risk the only thing that's not for sale: her heart. The highest bidder is a familiar face, with wicked hands and the devil's mouth. And a secret so dark that it could cost her life.

***Recommended for Readers 17+ due to sexuality and mature language.***

I'm a fan of Ella James, having read and enjoyed several of her fairytale retellings and a YA PNR. And all those previous reads always gave me a little something unexpected. Why, then, did I think Selling Scarlett would be any different? Who knows? But Selling Scarlett was much more than what I was expecting.

Elizabeth DeVille is a young woman, who despite being an heiress, has had anything but a pampered life. Thank goodness she has good friends. So good, in fact, that she'd do anything for them. So when one of her very best friends needs help, Elizabeth decides to cash in the one card she's been hanging on to - her V-card.

Hunter West has so many demons, it's amazing the man can function. He does everything with determination though, so when he becomes embroiled in a scandal, he does his damnedest to figure out who's really pulling the strings - not only to protect his neck but to protect Elizabeth's as well.

Hunter and Libby, as he refers to Elizabeth, first met when she was only 16. Libby has had a prolific crush on him since then and Hunter, though he is loathe to admit it, was affected by her as well.

All three of these elements combined with a cast I'm quite eager for more of, created a compelling story of love, lust, greed, and maybe a touch of crazy. The mystery and suspense was the more I hadn't been expecting and it made what could have been a good but ordinary story an extraordinary one. The only thing keeping this from being a 5 bookworm read is the ending. I thought it was a little too neat and quick. But if you're looking for something a little different in an NA read, Selling Scarlett will fit the bill. I'm anxious to start Taming Cross, the second book in this series.

**Release Day Blitz & Giveaway ~ Hansel Part 4 ~ Ella James**

NOW AVAILABLE

Amazon

*Hansel Part 4 is the final installment in this erotic fairy tale. Full disclosure: it's a dark read. If you don't enjoy mind-bending stories with disturbing twists, this story may not be for you. *

RELEASE DATE:  December 1st, 2014

Cover

Hansel #4 by Ella James

Hansel.

Gretel.

They were captives who shared a wall, and cut a hole in it so they could hold each other's hands. Until he killed their captor, Mother. Then he disappeared, and as the world swooped in to save the Children locked away in Mother's house, the girl called Gretel became...lost. No breadcrumbs.

Finding Hansel, years later, is the shock of Leah McKenzie's adult life. Finding out how far she'll go for him - that's no surprise.

Leah's given Hansel - Lucas, he says it is - every piece of herself. And he's been both cruel and kind.

What they share is dangerous.

What they feel is dark.

Their history is twisted.

Their hearts already broken.  

And that's before the secrets are revealed.

Excerpt

My pulse quickens as I see a long lump on the bed farthest from where I’m standing.

For a moment, I think I hear him talking in his sleep.  

For a moment, I think of sliding under the covers with him, just to enjoy the irony. We’re sleeping with a wall between us tonight, but instead of a hole he sawed, there’s a door he left propped open. For once, we can actually reach each other.

But he said he didn’t want your company.

I exercise my will power and tip-toe slowly around the hotel bed, so I’m standing right beside his sleeping form.

At least I think he’s sleeping.

His cheek is pressed against the pillow, and his unhurt hand is curled into a fist up near his chin.

I’m fighting the urge to touch him, battling the forbidden desire to lean down close enough so I can brush my lips over his damp hair. From where I’m standing, I can smell the shampoo he used. It’s fruity; sweet. It’s so at odds with his big, rugged body. As if to make me want him more, he shifts his hips a little, and the sheet covering his chest slips down, revealing huge shoulders, smooth, hard pecs, and the upper portion of his incredible abs.

Oh my.

That’s a lot of muscle there.

I take a step back, feeling exhilarated because he’s beautiful, and I’m a bad, bad girl for sneaking in to watch him sleep.

That’s when his hand shoots out and grabs my wrist.

I let out a little cry as he jerks me toward the bed. Then he’s sitting up. His hands close around my waist and I’m dragged atop his sheet-covered lap. He strokes up from my hips, over my sides, and over my bare shoulders, tickling my neck before he gets a firm grip on my face.  

“What did I tell you,” he hisses, “about coming into my room?”

The Hansel Series Reading Order

HANSEL (Book One)

FREE

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/1ptAjrx

B&N: http://bit.ly/1z1xnCt

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1vqL9y5

HANSEL #2  (Book Two)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1uOOSld

B&N: http://bit.ly/127QYpA

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1yiHh3i

HANSEL #3 (Book Three)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/11zwo1e

B&N: http://bit.ly/1AXLJb8

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1twUGzt

HANSEL #4 (Book Three)

NOW AVAILABLE

Amazon:  TBD

B&N: TBD

iTunes: TBD

About the Author:

Ella James

Ella James is a USA Today bestselling romance author. Her books have appeared on numerous bestseller lists, including the Movers & Shakers list and the Amazon Top 25 overall; two were listed among Amazon's Top 100 Bestselling Young Adult Ebooks in 2012. To find out more about Ella's projects and get dates on upcoming releases, you can stalk her on the following social media sites:

Website | Facebook | Twitter  |  Goodreads

Subscribe to her newsletter HERE

GIVEAWAY

Hansel swag pack including a necklace, lip gloss, and a key chain

Hansel 1-4 paperback (book four not to ship until January)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

THANK YOU!

**Release Day Blitz ~ Hansel Part 3 ~ Ella James**

Happy Release Day, Ella James!
Hansel Part 3 is out, y'all!
I haven't started this one yet, but I sure have enjoyed Ella's previous fairytale retellings. 
I just know Hansel is great! ;)

Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1xxA6ov

Haven't started reading the Hansel series yet? 

Free on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1td3gaG

One boy. Mother calls him Hansel.

One girl. Mother named her Gretel. 

Locked in little rooms, in the mountainside mansion of a crazy woman. 

Until he saws a hole into the wall dividing them. 

Then at least, they have each other’s hands.

It doesn’t end well at Mother’s house. 

Everything gets…broken.

Ten years later, they meet again in an exclusive Vegas sex club. 

Whips. 

Chains. 

And most of all, a mask. 

What happens to love when it gets twisted?

Fairy tales are cautionary tales, remember?

About Ella James

Ella James is a Colorado author who writes teen and adult romance. She is happily married to a man who knows how to wield a red pen, and together they are raising a feisty two-year-old who will probably grow up believing everyone’s parents go to war over the placement of a comma.

Ella’s books have been listed on numerous Amazon bestseller lists, including the Movers & Shakers list and the Amazon Top 100; two were listed among Amazon’s Top 100 Young Adult Ebooks of 2012.

To find out more about Ella’s projects and get dates on upcoming releases, find her on Facebook at facebook.com/ellajamesauthorpage and follow her blog, www.ellajamesbooks.com. Questions or comments? Tweet her at author_ellaj or e-mail her at ella_f_james@ymail.com.

Website       Facebook      Twitter    Amazon Author Page

**Reviews ~ Beast Parts 3 & 4 ~ Ella James**

Beast Parts Three & Four

Release Dates: September 7, 2014/September 22, 2014

Genre: Erotic Romance, Fairytale Retelling

Source: I purchased ecopies from Amazon

Rating: 4.5 Bookworms (Part 3)/ 4 Bookworms (Part 4)

Goodreads Part 3 ~ Goodreads Part 4

Serial Synopsis

FROM HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY...

At twenty-one years old, third-generation movie star Cal Hammond was on top of the world. He had more money than God and more women than any man could need. But when a night of debauchery ends in tragedy, he forfeits a life of luxury for a ten-year prison sentence at La Rosa, California’s most violent prison.

TO BRUTAL BEAST.

Eight years later, a ruthless, cunning man runs La Rosa from the inside. He is known simply as Beast. All the wardens fear him. All the gangs obey him. He speaks to no one but his inner council. What he says is law.

ONLY SHE CAN SAVE HIM.

Annabelle Mitchell’s stepfather is the warden at La Rosa. He deals as dirty as his trustees, and after years of smooth relations with Beast and the gangs he runs, Holt lands on the powerful prisoner’s hit list. That very afternoon, Annabelle pays a surprise visit to La Rosa, hoping to use her new counseling license at a place she thinks she could make a difference. When Beast sees her, he releases the warden and grabs the nameless girl who played a starring role in the worst night of his life. The price for the warden’s error is not death. It’s his precious Belle.

**If you missed my reviews of Beast Parts 1 & 2, you can read them here. My reviews for Parts 3 & 4 are as spoiler-free as possible.**

Annabelle continues to impress me with her mettle. She is not meek. And her bond with Beast...

"I think sometimes you can know someone even though you haven't been around them very much. Certain souls, when they encounter one another, throw out anchors, and their ropes get tangled and the anchors get hooked all together in a messy barb. And it holds. It doesn't make sense, but it just holds."

it isn't going to allow her to stand by and let whatever will happen to him happen. Maybe, along with her feelings for him, Annabelle fights for him because it's something she can control? There are so many things in her life currently that she can't control, from her mother's illness or its impact on her little sister. With Beast, she can try.

Beast - it hurt to see him so defenseless, vulnerable, and beaten. That his captors would prey upon his nightmares the way they did was disgusting. They played upon his guilt and remorse making him more sick with guilt than he already was. At this point, just as with the night of the accident that began his nightmare, he needs his angel.

The new players introduced add another layer to the complexity of this story. I'm intrigued to see how the game will play out.

This last installment really had my adrenaline pumping. It was exciting as well as steamy. And although the ending was a tad predictable, the journey to that ending wasn't...at all.

Part Four finds Beast and Annabelle on the run. Beast is creating a plan to get them out of this predicament - one which he feels will protect Annabelle. That's important because he believes he's failed at that so far. Annabelle, although worried about her little sister and her mom, wants to protect Beast as well.

And so we follow along as they do what they can to avoid the police, try to put Beast's plan into action, and feed their passion for one another...a lot!

It really was an action-packed ending and I quite enjoyed it. I do wish we could have had a little more development with Annabelle's family - it would have give the story more emotional depth. But besides that and the ending, this was a great conclusion to this spin on my favorite fairytale.

**Release Day Blitz & Giveaway ~ Hansel Part Two ~ Ella James**

Happy Release Day, Ella James!
Hansel Part Two is now available!!

Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1zOGuLe

He was Hansel. 

She was Gretel. 

Once upon a time, they shared a prison wall inside a crazy woman's house. When they meet again, he has a whip. She wears a mask. And fear runs high - for so many reasons. What will happen when the mask comes off, the walls come down?

Fairy tales are cautionary tales, remember?

Haven't started reading the Hansel series yet? 

Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1td3gaG

One boy. Mother calls him Hansel.

One girl. Mother named her Gretel. 

Locked in little rooms, in the mountainside mansion of a crazy woman.
Until he saws a hole into the wall dividing them.
Then at least, they have each other’s hands. 

It doesn’t end well at Mother’s house. 

Everything gets…broken. 


Ten years later, they meet again in an exclusive Vegas sex club.
Whips.
Chains.
And most of all, a mask.
What happens to love when it gets twisted?

Fairy tales are cautionary tales, remember? 

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Ella James

Ella James is a Colorado author who writes teen and adult romance. She is happily married to a man who knows how to wield a red pen, and together they are raising a feisty two-year-old who will probably grow up believing everyone’s parents go to war over the placement of a comma.

Ella’s books have been listed on numerous Amazon bestseller lists, including the Movers & Shakers list and the Amazon Top 100; two were listed among Amazon’s Top 100 Young Adult Ebooks of 2012.

To find out more about Ella’s projects and get dates on upcoming releases, find her on Facebook at facebook.com/ellajamesauthorpage and follow her blog, www.ellajamesbooks.com. Questions or comments? Tweet her at author_ellaj or e-mail her at ella_f_james@ymail.com.

Website       Facebook      Twitter    Amazon Author Page

**Release Day Blitz ~ Something Blue ~ Ella James**

Something Blue

A Love Inc. Novella

Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1ry1sZk

Return to the Love Inc. ranch in this steamy, suspenseful followup novella, where all three couples get a satisfying happily ever after.

***

Haven't started reading the Love Inc. Series? 
Selling Scarlett is currently FREE!

Elizabeth DeVille doesn't belong at a party like this--one where the gowns cost more
than her Camry and cigars run higher than her grad school utility bills. Dragged out
of seclusion by her best friend Suri, Elizabeth is merely playing dress-up, rubbing
elbows with a crowd that banished her troubled family years ago.

Hunter West is tired. Tired of parties, tired of pretending, and tired of trying to right
a wrong that haunts him every day. Bourbon heir and professional poker player by
day, by night Hunter is gambling with his life in a high-stakes game of crime and
blackmail.

When Elizabeth stumbles into Hunter's den of vices, she's a light in the darkness, a
flame in the void. And, just like everything he touches, Hunter mars her in a record
time. To rectify the damage done, Elizabeth needs money she doesn't have, and she's
come up with a foolproof way to get it.

Follow Elizabeth--code-named Scarlett--to the lush Nevada brothel where she'll
auction her virginity and risk the only thing that's not for sale: her heart. The highest
bidder is a familiar face, with wicked hands and the devil's mouth. And a secret so
dark that it could cost her life.

**Mature Content Warning** Not recommended for readers under the age of 17 due
to mature language, sexual content, and violence.

Free on Amazon: http://amzn.to/100b6td

Free on B&N: http://bit.ly/1mzOUQH

Free on iBooks: http://bit.ly/100bo3g

About Ella James

Ella James is a Colorado author who writes teen and adult romance. She is happily
married to a man who knows how to wield a red pen, and together they are raising a
feisty two-year-old who will probably grow up believing everyone’s parents go to
war over the placement of a comma.

Ella’s books have been listed on numerous Amazon bestseller lists, including the
Movers & Shakers list and the Amazon Top 100; two were listed among
Amazon’s Top 100 Young Adult Ebooks of 2012.

To find out more about Ella’s projects and get dates on upcoming releases, find her
on Facebook at facebook.com/ellajamesauthorpage and follow her blog,
www.ellajamesbooks.com. Questions or comments? Tweet her at author_ellaj or email
her at ella_f_james@ymail.com.

Website       Facebook 
  Twitter    Amazon Author Page