Unwound by Lorelei James

"In this conclusion to the Mastered series by New York Times bestselling author Lorelei James, a man’s need for control is tested by the one woman he’ll risk everything for…

When sensei Ronin Black first encounters Amery Hardwick, the fire in her eyes ignites a sexual spark a thousand times better than the primal rush he used to get from mixed martial arts matches. She accepts his darker edges and admits to him that her desires aren’t as wholesome as he believed. And before long Ronin is grappling with emotions he’s never felt before….

Yet despite demanding Amery bare her body and soul to him, Ronin holds a part of himself back. When she learns Ronin’s secret and walks out, his life begins to unravel.  To regain her trust he must let go of his pride and prove to her that it’s more than passion binding them together. But after their private pleasures are made public, Ronin is unsure if he’s the right man for Amery. Can they face the consequences together? Or will their differences rip them apart?"

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Unwound is the second book to the Mastered series and conclusion to Amery and Ronin's story. You can read my review of Bound here. The first book is told from Amery's POV. Which is prefect in my opinion. It lead to a lot of the mystery on Ronin and what the 'hay' was going on. The last chapter of the book was told from Ronin's POV which got me really excited for book two. I wondered if we would have an entire book from his POV or would it be split?

Unwound starts with Ronin showing up at Amery's place and passing out. Then we go back six weeks in time. Which sounds confusing but was played very well. From there we learn that we will be reading the book in both Amery and Ronin's POV. This duel POV added a nice spin to the story. From Ronin's POV we can see he's thinking way more than is being outputted in spoken word. We also get to see his struggle to put his feelings for Amery in words even though he feels everything for her.

The duel POV also gave us nice insights to different characters that have played more minor roles to the book. From Ronin's sister to Amery's parents to the nasty ex that won't let go to Ronin's own mother. I also loved that we got to see the differences between the two families and they're acceptance (or not) of each character.

Before purchasing the book, I had read a few review online that complained about Amery not being strong or able to make a decision. I think it was just the opposite, she was very strong and wanted to play it close to her heart since she was hurt once by an old boyfriend and of course, the hurt from Ronin. Which also leads me to the best beat down scene every, in a bar, against the ex. It was a real beat down but it was nice to read about a girl standing up for herself in a self-defense mode. Very empowering!

I'm actual afraid to get to much into the story for fear of dropping spoilers everywhere. This review is sparse but the book is not. It was a wonderful follow-up to the Bound. I will say that this book is just as sexy as the last and that I loved the focus on rope art.

A third book in the Mastered series is going to focus on Shiori Hirano and Knox Lofgren. Let's say that sparks were flying between these two in Unwound and I cannot wait to read about the new couple in book 3!

I liked this series so much that I bought copies of Bound and Unwound to donate to our local library. Both copies are now cataloged and ready for readers! Make sure to stop by your local library to see if a copy is available.  

 

 

Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren

"One-night stands are supposed to be with someone convenient, or wickedly persuasive, or regrettable. They aren’t supposed to be with someone like him.

But after a crazy Vegas weekend celebrating her college graduation—and terrified of the future path she knows is a cop-out—Mia Holland makes the wildest decision of her life: follow Ansel Guillaume—her sweet, filthy fling—to France for the summer and just…play.

When feelings begin to develop behind the provocative roles they take on, and their temporary masquerade adventures begin to feel real, Mia will have to decide if she belongs in the life she left because it was all wrong, or in the strange new one that seems worlds away."

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When I heard that Christina Lauren were coming out with a new series, Wild Seasons, I might have fangirl screamed. Before their new series hit the shelves I was excited to read more from the writing team but nervous that the first series was a fluke. I have had many favorite "freshman" writers, than read a second series or book and lose that love. I didn't want to lose love for Christina Lauren. I LOVE the Beautiful Bastard series. Each book with their unique style of writing showcasing different characters facing different problems. Nothing like the formulaic books out there that I've read before. So, maybe that was where my fear cam from. Having to read the same formula over and over again (like some very famous mainstream authors who I love).

So, luck for me and for you a future reader that this wasn't the case. Which brings us back to Sweet Filthy Boy, very much like it's title, sweet and filthy. This book surprised me on many levels. For one, it was nothing like the Beautiful Bastard (BB) series. In the BB series, the men are well established and in the 'high' season of their careers. The women all know where they're going and what they want from life. The men in this series were also extremely rich.

In Sweet Filthy Boy the first characters we meet are Mia and Ansel. Mia has just graduated from college with her two best friends. She plans to go to business school but really doesn't want to go. She's undecided, or I would say resigned to the cards she has to play in life. Ansel has graduated and working as a lawyer in Paris. He's in a job that is non-stop busy but it very junior in the firm. He knows what he wants out of life and is keeping the focus on the long-term goals. I loved that this was different from the BB series. Not only are they in different places in life, they're realistic in the money department. Living in a small apartment in Paris to me was way better than being in some fancy, large apartment in Paris. It gave the story more reality to the situation.

Another reason I loved the book was for the couple themselves. They're learning how to fit into each other's lives while in Paris. As Mia pointed out, one was hiding from the past while the other hiding from the future. So, they were living in the present together. Like any new couple, they had their moments of not communicating or feeling awkward around each other. I loved reading about how the characters evolved with each other and themselves over the series. I also wanted to note that this story is told from just Mia's POV. I think if Ansel had a POV in this story, we would have lost some of the mystery and shock of what he was hiding from.

As a friend would ask, how sexy is it? I would say it's sexy! Fans of BB know these writers can be very sexy in their descriptions. I would say this book had many sexy moments. There was also a fun to the sexy, the characters enjoyed each other and getting out of their own heads (you'll see).  However, BB still outranks it for most sexy I have read, which is up there with 50 Shades and Bared to You. So, if you were a little put off by BB very "descriptive world", I would still give this one a chance. There's no angry stairwell incidents to speak of.

I was lucky enough to get my copy from the New Ulm Public Library. If a new book is out of your budget, make sure to check-in with your local library to see if they have a copy. If they don't, you can always have them order you one from a different library! You can also find this book at all the usual places...Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, etc.