Release Day Review ~ The Sexpert ~ JA Huss & Johnathan McClain (@JAHuss @MisterJMcClain) #2018NewRelease

The Sexpert by JA Huss & Johnathan McClain
Tall, Dark & Handsome #1
Release Date: July 24, 2018
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy
Source: I received an eARC from the authors. This did not affect my rating and I voluntarily provided a review.
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2018NewRelease
Goodreads

Synopsis
EDEN

I'm just a simple girl who likes dessert. And sexy men. And social media. So starting an anonymous video channel call The Sexpert as a side hustle to make up for my low-paying marketing job at Le Man Magazine seemed like a perfectly sensible career decision. Until we went viral, my boss accused my anonymous personality of stealing his idea, and now my super sexy new boyfriend, Andrew, is out to get me.

Her. Me. Whatever.

ANDREW

I don't want it to be her. I do not want this... sweet, delicious, shy social media nerd working at my best friend's magazine to be the face behind those perky cupcakes on the Sexpert channel. I don't want it to be her... because I like her. A lot. She's funny, and quirky, and smart, and creative... and... I really, really like her. It just can't be her.

But it is.
And now I have to choose.
My best friend?
Or... The Sexpert?

I met up with JA and Johnathan - actually met Johnathan for the first time - at Book Bonanze the night after I finished The Sexpert. The first think I did was ask JA if the TDH (Tall, Dark & Handsome) neighborhood was real. Okay, I actually first said how much fun the book was but I seriously was dying to know. It's not real. Phew! I know I'm out of the loop but I was hoping I wasn't that out of it. ;)

Anyway, Huss and McClain's foray into the world of romantic comedy was a fun time. It was the perfect blanace of comedy and romance and it dealt with relevant topics as well as taking us along for the ride for the journey of self-discovery both Eden and Andrew found themselves on.

Eden meets Andrew on a day that's seeminly indicating her life is changine...and all for the better. Then things take a downturn when she finds out Andrew - this guy she could really, really like, is tasked by her boss to figure out who the person behind The Sexpert is so he can sue her for intellectual property theft.

Andrew meets Eden on his first morning in town and he thinks Denver is looking mighty nice. The shine begins to fade a little when he starts thinking that the girl he just met - a girl that he could really, really like - might be the person behind The Sexpert and therefore his best friend's nemesis.

Y'all, the premise hooked me and the characters reeled me in. I adored Eden's awkward quirkiness and I enjoyed Andrew's artistic and compassionate way of looking at things. Their interactions were entertaining no matter what they were doing - looking at art or mountains, discussing work or sex. That they couldn't ignore the pull they felt despire knowing they could each make life messy for the other was fun and compelling. And I appreciated how they each learned so much about themselves in the process of trying to figure out how to do the right thing - decide what the right thing even was. Sigh. So good.

I look forward to more in this series and hope to see more of Eden and Andrew. Huss and McClain impressed me here. RomCom from this duo seems promising and I'm excited.

Release Day Review ~ Passion Rising ~ JA Huss & Johnathan McClain (@JAHuss, @MisterJMcClain) #2018NewRelease

Passion Rising by JA Huss & Johnathan McClain
Original Sin Series #4
Release Date: May 8, 2018
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Source: I received an eARC from the authors. This did not affect my rating and I voluntarily provided a review.
Rating: 4 Bookworms
Challenges: #2018NewRelease
Goodreads ~ Amazon

Synopsis
Old demons are back.

Maddie's dealing with the fallout of her choices. Safety and happiness are relative, elusive things she's desperate to have. But they will forever remain out of reach until the demons of her past are laid to rest.

Tyler's mistakes resurface to haunt him and he's just beginning to understand that money can't fix a broken relationship. He must open his heart and search for answers he'd rather not find.

She wants peace in a world made of chaos. 

He wants to rid himself of a lifetime of guilt.

They're soul mates, but that's no guarantee.

They'll need to rely on each other to find their happily ever after.

Because the fight never ends - it just gets easier with someone at your side.

Wow. Passion Rising was honestly the perfect ending for this series as well as the perfect way to wrap up Huss & McClain's first foray into being writing partners.

Passion Rising did a one-eighty and went from being more action to more...cerebral. And that wasn't a bad thing. At least not for me. It made me stop and think - really examine the story as a whole. And I appreciated that. Maddie and Tyler have been through so much in their young lives. Things that would have broken lesser individuals. But while they were both damaged, the each continued getting up each day, putting one foot in front of the other because they felt there had to be something more. They've been through quite a lot since they reconnected as well. They were both in very dark places and I don't know why they had to experience even more "bad" together except to say that it couldn't have worked in any other way. They've endured tragedy before but in experiencing it together they realized that together is better...or at least makes handling it easier. And in each other - or maybe simply with each other - they found what they needed to fill in the cracks of their damaged selves and they maybe, just might have found purpose...which is something I think we all long for.

See? Cerebral. But don't worry. It wasn't all contemplating life's purpose, love, etc. There was an injection of suspense as well as plenty of steam. But again, Passion Rising made me take a stap back and look at the entire picture of Maddie and Tyler's story...put all the pieces together...and I was just pleased as punch with how it all came together.

As a sort of an aside, going into this book as a longtime fan of Huss, I think I had certain preconceived notions of what I'd get from this series despite her partnering with McClain. Passion Rising pushed home the point that this series is not a Huss book, it's a Huss-McClain book and therefore I got something a little different. And I must admit to enjoying the experience. I look forward to seeing what these two come up with next.

Release Day Review ~ Flesh into Fire ~ JA Huss & Johnathan McClain (@JAHuss @MisterJMcClain) #2018NewRelease

Flesh into Fire by JA Huss & Johnathan McClain
Original Sin Series #3
Release Date: April 17, 2018
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Source: I received an eARC from the author. This did not affect my rating and I voluntarily provided a review.
Rating: 4 Bookworms
Challenges: #2018NewRelease
Goodreads ~ Amazon

Synopsis
Payback is owed.

And Maddie Clayton is going to collect. This time Carlos and Logan have gone too far. People are dead, lives have been changed, and she's had enough. Plus, she's got the Devil on her side, so when an enemy turns into a friend with an idea of how to take Carlos down, she's in.

Tyler Morgan has been fighting back his whole adult life. He's ready for anything when it comes to payback. But endangering Maddie can't be part of the deal. Unfortunately for him, once Maddie gets an idea in her head, there's no stopping her.

Her debt has been paid in blood and she wants revenge.

His fight is still there, but now he's got more at stake than himself.

The end is coming.

But even if they win against Carlos, they can still lose each other.

Flesh into Fire reignited my interest in Maddie and Tyler's story. I felt like there was quite a bit of character growth on both Maddie's and Tyler's parts and there was more action and, um, less sex in this installment. The plot moved forward although I still have no idea where Huss & McClain are going with this story. But I'm once again delighted to be on the ride. Here are a few highlights and observations:

• I found it interesting that Tyler always saw Maddie as his angel - even dreaming of her in this way and how she's letting her "devil" rule. Because of him? Or has Maddie always been this way? I think the dreams are important...I just can't figure out how. LOL
• Of course there would be a curve ball I never saw coming which changed the trajectory of the story - not that I'd figured out the trajectory but I feel certain this curve ball changed it.
• There's a new catch phrase in use in this installment and I'm not really a fan. It wasn't used in the earlier installments and now everyone is saying it. *frowns*
• When we're in Tyler and Maddie's heads, their voices are distinct but sometimes in the dialog they sound very similar. It kinda took me out of the story when I'd be reading Maddie saying something and it sounded so much like Tyler that I had to double-check who was speaking.

At times I wanted to shake Maddie and Tyler for their decisions and there were times when I was rolling my eyes at the over-the-top-ness in certain situations. The twists in the plot though made things exciting and I'm going to mention again the character growth because I *liked* it. Both Maddie and Tyler had some very insightful moments where they realized some profound things about themselves and each other as well as themselves as a couple. I'm still speculation as to where they're headed - I really have no clue. But Flesh into Fire had more action, more excitement, more humor, and *ahem* the character growth so I'm thrilled to learn where Maddie and Tyler are going and I'm grateful I only have a few more weeks til I find out.

New Release Review ~ Angels Fall ~ JA Huss & Johnathan McClain (@JAHuss @MisterJMcClain ) #2018NewRelease

Angels Fall by JA Huss & Johnathan McClain
Original Sin Series #2
Release Date: March 27, 2018
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Source: I received an eARC from the author. This did not affect my rating and I voluntarily provided a review.
Rating: 3.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2018NewRelease
Goodreads ~ Amazon


Synopsis
Sometimes angels fall.

Maddie doesn't really owe drug lord, Carlos Castillo, money. So she hadn't taken his threats seriously. Until now. He wants it, whether she owes it or not. And if she doesn't have it in six weeks he's gonna take her as payment instead.

Tyler would save the world if he could. That's a fight that lasts forever. And if there's one thing he's good at, it's fighting. So if Maddie thinks she's gonna deal with an insane drug lord on her own, she's crazier than he is.

She's got a debt she can't pay. He's got more money than he needs.
She's not gonna fall for his charm. He's gonna make sure that happens.

They're destined to be together. Even if Maddie doesn't know it yet. 
Sometimes your soul mate isn't who you'd choose, it's who you need.

Good thing you don't get to choose.

While Angels Fall didn't resonate quite as strongly with me as Sin With Me did, I'm still completely invested in Maddie and Tyler and eager to see where they go from here.

Angels Fall, well I think it suffered a little from that sophomore slump. It did some character building, which was important, but not a lot happened. There was more angst than action in this installment. The angst was courtesy of a very stubborn Maddie and while I appreciate her fierce independence, sometimes it's smarter - proves your intelligence - to ask for and/or accept assistance. She spent a great deal of time digging in her heels and I wanted to shake some sense into her. Tyler spent a great deal of time doing everything he could to earn her trust and that made me fallfor him that much more.

So this time around Huss and McClain pulled me along on Maddie and Tyler's journey and I trust they know where they're going...I just didn't enjoy the ride as much. However...that ending!! OMG!!! It has me chomping at the bit to see what Maddie and Tyler do next. I'm certain there will be more angst, more *ahem* steam, and more action. I'm vibrating in anticipation.

Release Day Review ~ Sin with Me ~ JA Huss & Johnathan McClain (@JAHuss @MisterJMcClain ) #2018NewRelease

Sin with Me by JA Huss & Johnathan McClain
The Original Sin Series #1
Release Date: March 6, 2018
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Source: I received an eARC from the author. This did not affect my rating and I voluntarily provided a review.
Rating: 5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2018NewRelease
Goodreads ~ Amazon

Sin with Me is the first book in a four-book contemporary romance series by New York Times bestselling author, JA Huss, and veteran actor and writer, Johnathan McClain. Each full-length novel will release three weeks apart starting March 6, 2018.

Synopsis
Two broken people in a city fueled by sin.

Maddie isn't looking to be saved. She knows the only person you can count on is yourself. Her moral compass might not point true North these days - but at least she's still standing.

The Military taught Tyler about loyalty. Being there for your brothers is the only thing that matters - but when it mattered most, he wasn't.

She's got a ticket straight to Hell. He's already been there and back.

Some sins scar your soul so deeply, you'll never be the same.
But this Devil in disguise might just be the angel he needs to forgive himself.

Omigoodness! You know, I've read and reviewed nearly everything Huss has written and it was starting to get difficult to come up with something fresh to say about her work. I mean, she gives good stories...good characters. And then. And then she gives me a break. She decides to collaborate with Johnathan McClain. And y'all. The result is going to have me waxing poetic!

In this first installment in The Original Sin series we're introduced to Maddie (aka Scarlett) and Tyler (aka Ford Aston). As an aside, I loved the nod to Huss' Rook & Ronin series.) Maddie is sort of down on her luck, working as a stripper to make ends meet while trying to her her latest business venture off the ground. Problem is, she's in debt to a kingpin, her strip club boss doesn't like her much, and she has some sort of anniversary looming that she can barely hold herself together just thinking about. Tyler on the other hand, is rich beyond his wildest dreams but is carrying a huge stone around his neck. He seems to believe he gets people killed. In fact, he's been dreaming about his own personal angel. And then he meets her.

Honestly, I don't know all the details of how Huss and McClain went about writing this story from dual POVs but what I do know is that each character has a distinct voice and the story flows together seamlessly. Tyler - he keeps a running dialog in his head and I kinda feel like it might represent what Huss' mind looks like but still... Another thing I know? I'm captivated. I love their separate stories and I adore how their stories converge. I knew the thing they had in common - I don't think it was meant to be a secret - but I was shocked to discover the real reason behind Maddie's fall down the rabbit hole. And I was even more shocked at the reaction both Maddie and Tyler have to the reveal. Add to that the movie references and I have to mention it again - Tyler's internal dialog which is reminiscent of Vince Vaughn's character's rapid-fire speech in the movie Swingers which makes you question his sanity, as well as Maddie's internal dialog where she rationalizes every decision she makes in a clear attempt to prove, if only to herself, she's not crazy - it all made for compelling reading. 

These two have some serious issues. You want to fix them, starting by giving them the hugs they so clearly need. And you want to get to the root of their issues, help them be whole and happy. Because fate certainly seems to be at work here bringing them together. 

Great character development, a solid plot line, and enough little reveals to keep me riveted, Sin with Me has me charmed and anxious for the next installment.