A Whole New Meaning to Playground

A Deliciously sexy read about the emotional side of submission...

Midnight Playground by Eliza Gayle is a scorching hot read! Though short, Eliza created an indulgently sensual (and quite emotional) story with all my required ingredients for deliciousness… sexy alpha heroes (bonus points for more than one!), a strong heroine, a troubled past (uniquely more from the hero than heroine), angst, sex (bondage, more bonus points!) and romance. Okay, admittedly, I didn’t get so much of the romance but it all still fit so nicely together.

The story itself is fairly simple. Eve Blake is a long-time employee of Altered Ego, a fetish photography studio. She watches everything kinky going around her, curious but remains just a voyeur. Until a custom order comes in for a plus-sized (loved that bit of detail – real women unite!) model and she sees her chance. Maybe pretending to be a sexual submissive for Chase’s camera will get her noticed by the men who she can’t help but notice.

When Eve volunteers for the job, her very sexy boss Chase accepts despite his rule not to get involved with employees. Though he tries to seem aloof, he also knows this is his chance to get to know his receptionist just the way he’s been (wet) dreaming of.  Then add in Murphy, Chase’s “business” partner and the photo shoots with Eve get downright steamy.  The two men are both dominating males but aside from that, they are night and day. Their personalities are complimentary, making them a great team in giving Eve everything she needs. Lucky, lucky Eve.

Okay, now, something that surprised (but quite delighted) me… these fetish photos set the models right into a scene. While Chase works the camera, Murphy works Eve *cough* – I mean, he serves as the male model/ assistant. The shoots are more like scenes right out of the most erotic romance novels (like this one!). So much more than getting the woman into the role Chase is photographing, the scenes were intense. It’s mostly bondage with such descriptive scenes crafted by Eliza that will leave the reader feeling as if they have actually seen the photos. 

Once they begin to play, no matter how hard Chase fights it, there is no turning back. This triad is perfection. The BDSM scenes between the three characters are indulgently delicious and so well written – kudos to Eliza. The most important factor in making this more than “just erotica” is the fact that with each new scene, their relationship evolves and more of the characters’ depth is revealed.  And I won’t even get started on the whole playground scene except to recommend a glass of water. This is that moment in the book where the heroine is absorbed into the moment and finds that place of ultimate surrender that only BDSM can take someone.

Everything about this book screams REAL – it could’ve happened, it could’ve been me *sigh* or it could’ve been any average reader. Eve finds trusting and the loss of control stressful – a challenge for any strong woman to let go of these things. And Eve has a normal body type with all the self doubt women package into ourselves. But we can feel encouraged by Eve’s bravery. She steps it up to work with Chase and Murphy, seizes what she wants and allows herself to enjoy them. And lucky for her, they take her completely past what she wants and all the way to what she really needs. Delicious.

5 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

This book was given to us by the author. A BIG thanks to Eliza Gayle.


CONTEST ALERT!
Eliza Gayle is giving away one reader's choice ebook. 
COMMENT any/ all days this week to be entered into the contest! 
Come on... enter... you know you want to...

Humpday Hello to my Submissive Beauty!

Greetings and salutations Humpday Nation - half way through!!!! We have officially survived the month of Tyra and Jenn and April Fools Day but I am once again about to become a baseball/soccer widow as my friends all start spending their evenings at the ballpark or driving to the various soccer tournaments....poor me. Guess I'll have to suck it up and read! Doesn't that sound like a tragedy. While I sit here feeling sorry for myself, allow me to take you with...to the dark side! We like things a little dark here at Guilty Indulgence - dark chocolate, red wine, things that go bump (or bump you) in the night....while you snicker away on that last bad pun, have a little snack on some eye candy and join us for some more of our spotlight author this week: Eliza Gayle.



Eliza Gayle, Submissive Beauty, Resplendence Publishing, 2011

Eager to understand her secret desires, Gabrielle enters “The Sanctuary.” Inside she’s immediately torn between fear of the unknown and a craving to learn more, until the lights dim. From the first sound of Thomas’ calm and controlled voice, she is mesmerized. With an underlying need in her emotional spirit that requires more than sex, she is easily seduced into a world of dominance and submission under false pretenses.

For Thomas, an experienced Master, Gabrielle is an interesting mix of defiant, naive and submissive. Her sharp mind and wit appeal to him as much as the curves of her lush figure. He accepts the challenge to help train her despite the danger she represents. Long term anything for him is out of the question. If he does his job right, his protégé David will end up the perfect Dom for her and Thomas will move on with his armor intact.

Their journey puts Gabrielle at the mercy of two men who teach her how to embrace her darkest needs within a tight bond of trust. Unfortunately, betrayal lurks on the path to total surrender.


I know that Rebecca reviewed this piece last fall, but I was dying to have the opportunity to check it out for myself. Allow me to tell you what I discovered: Having read several of Eliza Gayle’s books over the past couple years, I was pretty excited to see what she'd come up with outside the paranormal (Love her Pentacles of Magick and Black Cougar series!) and knew she had some pretty hot menage to her credit as well. I now definitely place Submissive Beauty on the "keeper" shelf not simply because it is smokin hot, which it is, but because it is actually very well written.

I am a big fan of encouraging people to do things outside their comfort zone, trying new things is about freedom. Ms. Gayle helped me to elucidate my perceptions by honing in on the aspect of freedom is really about Trust. There are alot of D/s books out there - some good and some not so good. The good ones are consumer wise, reminding folks about "safe, sane and consensual" and practicing safe sex. The really good ones provide something more - characters that make you feel for them.

That being said, I immensely enjoyed the heroine Gabrielle being a curvy, intelligent woman with a past including divorce and finding the nerve to explore her darker side by going to a BDSM demonstration at a local club. Oddly enough, it was the mystery of Master Thomas that captivated me and kept me riveted to the story line. This Dominant man was intriguing, frustrating, sexy and sometimes sweet - a complete dichotomy really and nicely offset by his counterpart and trainee, David. 
The self discovery voyage all three take was a roller coaster ride of testing personal limits and scorching hot sex. A true M/F/M menage storyline emerges as their trust levels build and their relationship evolves into something new and not very common. It was gratifying to note that no real inherent change took place in anyone's personalities - Gabrielle continues to be a strong, independent woman, just one who learns also how to embrace a true submissive lifestyle. Master Thomas remains every inch the Dominant male he begins as, but he too learns a thing or two about trust as he begins to contemplate a life with this pair. While David is an integral part of the story, his character isn't quite as fully developed for me, but just like Gabrielle, I can't imagine them not having him as a part of the "them" that they become. 
Ever the jaded soul that I am, I was in tears during a tender collaring ceremony at one point in the book as it became completely self-revelatory for all three characters as they pondered how to move past their pasts. Perhaps it is moving past that past, relying on that ultimate Trust that allows one to surrender completely and find something greater than just submission...Love. I didn't know whether to sigh with envy or fan my rising temperature on any given page - Ms. Gayle has mastered the art of some tantalizing BDSM erotic writing for sure. She writes the kind of stories that makes you want to know what happens after that last page!

RATING: I give Submissive Beauty a spanky delish 5 chocolate-dipped strawberries. Please have Masters Thomas and David deliver them to my house - I'll wait patiently!

This book was given to us by the author for an unbiased review. Many thanks.

Make a comment for a chance to win a free e-book from Eliza Gayle!!!

Power Play - Eliza Gayle

Happy Tuesday everyone!! I can't believe it is already April and the month of Jenn and Tyra is over. How is that fair??? My children are on Spring Break this week and while my daughter is in South Carolina with friends my son is home and is "bored out of his mind" and thinks he needs to call me 15 times a day so that I can entertain him. Aaaahhh children they can make you smile one minute and want to rip your hair out the next. LOL

This week is all about submission and the Doms that make us wanna. I know everyone has been hyped up about the 50 Shades of Grey book but it's not  likes it's the first...or even the best in that genre. This week we are bringing you, Eliza Gayle, an author that has been writing in the BDSM genre for a while and she does it oh so well. For me when I go into a book of this ilk I have to feel the emotional attachment that the main characters have for each other. I don't know that I would enjoy a book as much if it was just about a sub that was with a different Dom each time or vise-versa. For me there has to be that trust and the trust has to come from an emotional/love feeling. It might just be the romantic in me or it could be the skeptic....cause Lord knows if I didn't love a man there is no way in hell I am letting him tie me up!

Power Play, Eliza Gayle, Loose Id

Jennifer Croft is at the peak of her career. As a bondage model at Altered Ego, she’s become the crème de la crème of the fetish world, ensuring herself a top spot in her profession. The world is her oyster. Her personal life on the other hand… It’s not pretty. Only her fascination with pain play keeps the ghosts of her past at bay. After tragedy sends Daegan McKenna to the South for a much needed change of pace, the last thing he expects to find is a closet submissive hiding in plain sight. She’s hot-tempered and in denial — a heady combination that brings out the dominant looking for a challenge. He’s already loved and lost more than one man should, but the haunted look in her eyes prompts him to make her an offer. He’ll indulge her darkest fantasies, if she’ll agree to give up control. Then he’ll let her go. Unfortunately, the past never stays in the past and old insecurities cause complications neither of them wanted. Now temporary is not enough.


Ok so at this end of this book I needed my own subbie blanket. The emotions that Jennifer deals with are exhausting and heart-breaking. I wanted to crawl into this book and shake her family and give her a hug. I don't know that I have read a book that better expressed a sub knowing what worked for her but wanting to deny it so strongly. Reading the parts from her point of view drew me deeper into the story line, she comes off as such a strong person but as the story progresses we get to see her insecurities.

Daegan was one of those bigger than life characters that if you ever went into this kind of lifestyle you would want him leading you. That's not to say he didn't have faults of his own...because he did, but for me that just made him more real. You know from the start that they will work great together but you just don't know if they can admit it to each other and themselves that they want and need forever.

There are a lot of very interesting secondary characters that I am hoping get books of their own. Tammy and Gabe are right at the top of my wish list.

This is actually the second in the Pleasure Playground series and after reading this I HAVE to go back and read Eve, Chase and Murphy's story in Midnight Playground! I know many of you are gasping right now because I read a book out of order but in my defense I didn't know this was the second book in the series and it's all Rebecca's fault cause she assigned this book to me this week. LOL

Make a comment for a chance to win a free e-book from Eliza Gayle!!!

RATING: 5 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries.  This book was given to us by the author. Many thanks.

WELCOME GUEST Author Eliza Gayle

Welcome to Eliza Gayle.
Eliza Gayle lives a life full of sexy shapeshifters, blood boiling vamps and a dark desire for bondage…until she steps away from her computer and has to tend to her family.

She graduated Magna Cum Laude (which her husband translated into something very naughty) from Park University with a dual degree in Human Resource Management and Sociology. That education, a love of the metaphysical and a dirty mind comes in handy when she sits down to create new characters and worlds. The trick is getting her to sit still.

…Join her in her world. The door is always open and the next red hot adventure is just a page away.

www.elizagayle.net

CONTEST ALERT!!!

For now, here's excerpts from both of her Pleasure Playground books - both to be reviewed this week here on our site! And... for a LUCKY COMMENTER, your choice of either of her books. FOLLOW, COMMENT and WIN!

Midnight Playground - Pleasure Playground, book one

With Eliza Gayle

Eve’s desperate denial only means one thing…she has a lot to learn.
Eve Blake has been working at Altered Ego, a studio specializing in fetish photography, for three months when a custom order comes in for a plus-sized red head. Ready for an adventure, she volunteers for the job and Chase, her boss, reluctantly accepts. Maybe pretending to be a sexual slave for Chase’s camera will get her one step closer to the two men she thinks can satisfy even her darkest needs.
Chase can’t believe he’s agreed to this deal. The cardinal rule in any business is not to get involved with your employees and that includes your sexy receptionist. Something he and Murphy learned the hard way. And he has a hunch the first time they touch their rope to Eve’s creamy flesh, there will be no turning back. They’ll have to have her.
One shoot leads to another and Eve finds herself in the midst of a playground at midnight. When the scene takes a dark turn, Eve sinks deeper into sensation at the hands of two masters who push for her ultimate surrender. Will she reach the limit of how far she can go? Or will the ties that bind form bonds of love?

BUY LINKS:

Loose ID

Amazon

Excerpt:

Becoming a Peeping Tom had not been part of Eve Blake’s job description when she took the receptionist position at Altered Ego. Yet that’s exactly what she’d become. She’d thought working for a fetish photographer might help her get out of the shell she’d been hiding in, but this was ridiculous.
Eve stood in the dressing room, staring at the thin white curtain that hid the main photo studio from her view. Her nipples tightened just thinking about what she’d see. When today’s model had arrived, she’d confirmed on the schedule that Chase and Murphy had booked Jennifer for one of the hard-core assignments. All three had disappeared into the studio hours ago, and the urge to witness what happened behind the curtain drove her back here.
Unfortunately, this watching had become a habit.
The studio, depending on the props and lighting Chase used, could be transformed from a lush den of seduction to a full-on BDSM dungeon. Today would be the dungeon.
In the interest of full disclosure, Chase had been up-front with her from the beginning. He shot photos of any and all types of sensual fantasies, from what some labeled erotic art, all the way to what many classified as porn. She’d seen some of those pictures, and on one level they were explicit beyond belief, and on another the most tantalizing sexuality she’d laid eyes on. Sometimes when she studied them, she’d grow jealous of the models and long to be in their position. Especially the photos that included Murphy.
Eve shuddered at the fresh wave of arousal flooding her sex. Everything about this place had turned her into a needy, “desperate to be fucked” woman. No, that wasn’t quite right. It was more than simply being fucked. Sex was easy, and if all she wanted was to have some guy shove his dick in her, it would be easy enough. No, what Chase and Murphy did to a woman went far and above plain old sex.
They demanded. They manipulated. And they took whatever they wanted.
What would it be like to be helpless under their control? Sure, both Chase and Murphy were professionals and much of what they did wasn’t done for personal pleasure. Yet models begged for more jobs, and it wasn’t exactly a secret when Chase or Murphy dated one of the girls.
The knots in Eve’s stomach tightened further, and the flesh between her legs ached to be touched. She couldn’t take the anticipation another second. She had to see for herself what lay behind the curtain.
She reached up and brushed the flimsy fabric a few inches aside and peered inside the darkened room. With the only wash of light in the large dungeon space spotlighted in the center of the room, Eve’s gaze was automatically drawn to the two people in the midst of a scene. Jennifer, the skinny blonde model who’d arrived earlier, had been stripped of clothing except for red thigh-high latex stockings and red shoulder-length latex gloves. The bright color contrasted strongly with her oh-so-pale skin and nearly white hair, striking Eve with the sheer beauty of the woman.
The model’s arms were pulled behind her body and tied at the wrists with a matching dyed rope, which was strung through a hook in the ceiling, stretching and suspending her arms behind her. Around her waist and thighs, they’d roped her with a simple harness and attached the rope to another hook in the dungeon wall at the back of the room.
In this position she could move quite a bit from left to right, but moving forward would be impossible. Jennifer’s large breasts were bare and her shaved pussy completely visible as she stood with her legs spread wide.
Chase had explained their specialty in bondage, and every time she watched them tie a woman, it damned near drove her insane. Eve wanted to know everything. Did the rough rope abrading the skin hurt? Or was it a sensation that aroused a woman? Did the knowledge of being tied and helpless fuck with your mind? Or did knowing that Chase and Murphy had complete control to do whatever they wanted excite them? She’d bet her entire paycheck every model they touched wanted them.
A few feet in front of the model, Murphy stood wearing only black leather pants and combat boots. With his back to Eve, she got a good look at the tattoos that covered his skin. The tribal markings were inked in solid black in a series of swinging arcs and powerful curves. She had no idea of their meanings, if there were any, but they struck her as powerful and dominating. Especially when he moved.
Fascinated by the soft light on his tanned skin, she barely noticed him move forward. The room they were in had been soundproofed, so unless Jennifer started really screaming, Eve would never hear a sound they made. It was easy to see why Chase used Murphy for his male model. With his midnight black hair and dark eyes that seemed to see clear through to a person’s soul, there wasn’t a woman alive who didn’t respond to the aura of power that surrounded him. The thick muscles that flexed and bunched in every pose didn’t hurt either.
A few minutes later Murphy moved from in front of Jennifer, and Chase and his camera took up his place. Chase’s tousled brown hair stood on end, shooting in every direction. She easily pictured him pushing his hands through it in between shots, while he waited impatiently for Murphy to set up the next scene. His hard-to-read emerald eyes would be focused through the lens, and even though she couldn’t see them, she imagined the heavily lashed, hooded gaze staring at her with lascivious intent. Never before meeting Chase had she really understood the phrase “bedroom eyes.”
She’d admired the erotic portraits hung around the studio and reception area, and she’d scoured Chase’s Web site, studying each and every picture. The sensuality he captured through a camera lens took her breath away each and every time until she’d begun to fantasize herself as one of his models.
Eve caught the flash of silver out of the corner of her eye and turned her head to investigate. Murphy had apparently attached huge clover clamps to Jennifer’s breasts, and a heavy chain dangled between them. The heat and arousal she spied in the model’s eyes could not be faked. She clearly enjoyed the pain of having her nipples clamped.
Curious, Eve unbuttoned her own blouse and pushed her bra out of the way, baring her sensitive tips to the cool air of the dressing room. Already tight from arousal, they went positively rock hard when she touched them. But it was the pain of a clamp she wanted to feel. So with two fingers of each hand she pinched tight, first absorbing the pressure and then letting it edge into a stronger bite. When she thought she’d hit the limit of what she could take, she squeezed harder until she took her own breath away.
Keeping the pressure steady, she watched Chase move around Jennifer, taking a series of pictures. She moved and swayed each time he spoke to her, and Eve imagined him barking out directions. He tended to get lost in his work sometimes and had no idea the effect his demanding tone had on a woman. Or maybe he did.
Eve had sat at her desk many times, taking orders from Chase and praying she wouldn’t embarrass herself by having an orgasm from his voice alone. She shook her head at her ridiculous thoughts. Her reactions to him made her crazy. How could anyone sane be so influenced by a little thing like a voice? Her boss would probably be appalled if he ever clued in to her thoughts.
Through the glass she saw Murphy move forward again, this time standing in a position that gave her a clear view to the model and him. He reached for the dangling chain and the model’s mouth formed a little O. Jennifer’s eyes widened as Eve imagined Murphy told her what he was about to do. He tugged on the chain and she scooted forward scant inches before the ropes that held her stopped her movement.
A smug smile crossed Murphy’s face, and he pulled hard on that chain. Jennifer tried to move her arms, but she had nowhere to go. Her breasts stretched, she flung her head back and her mouth opened wide on a long scream Eve heard clearly through the glass. Her own fingers pulled, and heat rushed through her, making her breasts tingle and her thighs ache.
For a few precious seconds, she squeezed her eyes shut tight and reveled in the ecstasy building inside her. When she finally blinked her eyes open, Murphy had picked up a small black whip and moved behind Jennifer. He spoke to the woman and she nodded, leaving Eve to wish she could hear them as well as see them. Was he coaxing her through the shoot with reassurances, or did the scene take on a more realistic tone with commands any Dom would issue a submissive?
Either way, when he flicked his wrist and the small tail of the whip hit her backside, Jennifer’s entire body jerked against the restraints and her face registered shock. All of course captured by Chase’s camera. Murphy swung again and again, and Eve stood mesmerized by the facial expressions of the model. If she wasn’t really into what they were doing, then she should be an actress, because the pain and pleasure she experienced was written all over her face.
Chase picked up the chain between her breasts and tugged while Murphy continued to whip her. The bulge at the front of his jeans made it clear how turned on he’d become by the beautiful submissive as the scene progressed. Eve’s own panties had soaked through, and she longed to remove them. Releasing her grip from one of her nipples, Eve slid her hand down her rounded stomach and into the waistband of her silk underwear. Moisture clung to the small patch of hair covering her sex, and the first glancing touch across her swollen clit made her legs tremble with need.
Everything logical said she should be offended by the scene in front of her, but clearly her body had a mind of its own. Suddenly the desire to be the one tied and standing helpless between Murphy and Chase consumed her faster than a flame to dry timber. She plunged two fingers between her sopping folds and into her wanting pussy. Rough and fast. God, how she needed more than fingers to fill her. Still, even at her own hand the visual of Chase and Murphy torturing the blonde beauty became too much.
She continued to thrust her fingers as the knot in her lower abdomen wound tight. She hovered on the precipice of release.
A sudden shrill ring sounded in her ear, and Eve froze in place.
An incoming call.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Power Play - Pleasure Playground, book two
With Eliza Gayle

She wants the escape. He wants control. They both need love.
Jennifer Croft is at the peak of her career. As a bondage model at Altered Ego, she’s become the crème de la crème of the fetish world, ensuring herself a top spot in her profession. The world is her oyster. Her personal life on the other hand… It’s not pretty. Only her fascination with pain play keeps the ghosts of her past at bay.
After tragedy sends Daegan McKenna to the South for a much needed change of pace, the last thing he expects to find is a closet submissive hiding in plain sight. She’s hot-tempered and in denial — a heady combination that brings out the dominant looking for a challenge. He’s already loved and lost more than one man should, but the haunted look in her eyes prompts him to make her an offer. He’ll indulge her darkest fantasies, if she’ll agree to give up control. Then he’ll let her go.
Unfortunately, the past never stays in the past and old insecurities cause complications neither of them wanted. Now temporary is not enough.

BUY LINKS:
Loose ID
Amazon

EXCERPT:

Jennifer licked her lips and nodded. When the door closed behind Murphy, she retreated back to the fantasy she’d begun. This time Daegan pushed a thigh between her legs and brushed against her hot spot for a brief second, her keening cry of need slipping from her lips. He took a knee and placed his face at pussy level where he teased her with hot puffs of air directed across her quaking flesh before dragging a thick finger through her sopping folds.In the distance she heard someone say something, and then her legs were lifted and bent behind her so they could be attached to the rigging at her wrists. Daegan disappeared from between her thighs, and her pussy squeezed in protest. Reality and fantasy swirled in her head while Murphy lifted her in place. She wasn’t in a scene with Daegan. This was her job. She was about to be on display in front of every single person of influence in the industry. She’d already overheard Chase talking about how many organizations and media outlets were represented tonight.“Last piece, Jennifer. Are you ready?”“Yes.” She pushed the word through her lips. Anything to take her mind away from its insane direction.Murphy wrapped his hand with the long, single braid of her blonde hair and pulled. “You know the drill. The more you move, the more it will hurt. Although this crowd will appreciate any pain you experience from your predicament bondage. So let’s give them a show…”“Go ahead,” she urged. She no sooner said the words than pain exploded in the tender skin under her hair. Tears sprang to her eyes and threatened to fall. Jennifer relaxed, letting the painful sensation wash over her. This was what she wanted. This distraction. The reminder of who and what she was. Daegan wanted a submissive to shape and bend to his will, and she was simply a pain slut looking for a fix.“Open your eyes, Jennifer.”The words were whispered at her ear, Murphy’s hot breath bathing her skin. She lifted her lids and blinked at the eerie glow of the black light filling the room. The Dark Room had been transformed into the sensational play space it was meant to be. People mingled in nearly every inch of the small area, and the energy and excitement rushed over her, leaving her light-headed and thrumming for more. Her pulse pounded in her ears.And then she saw him.The crowd parted, and there along the black wall stood her sexy Irishman. Dark hair hung loose around his broad shoulders, which framed his strong jaw perfectly. The tailored shirt and slacks he wore fit in all the right places, reminding her just how hard he felt standing against her. Despite the many men and women standing around him, his gaze was all over her, drinking in every inch of her glowing skin. All the emotion and aching need from the last hour came crashing down on her. All she could picture was him taking her. Pushing his cock between her legs where she was wet and more than ready to take him.Instead his hot stare said it all. He wanted her, and he would have her. She didn’t have a doubt in her mind it was what he thought. And for the first time in several years, a paralyzing fear seized her. What if she never survived?

Artistic Pursuits by Andrew Grey

No this is not an April Fools Day joke, I am really posting on a Sunday!! There are just times when I get to post twice in a week and this in one of them. I know...I have such a rough lot in life, I have to read books and then I have to come here and tell you all what I think about them. LOL The people that know me personally are rolling over and laughing right now because they know I am not one to hold back my opinion about a book when I have one. Heck most of the time you don't even have to ask, I'm just gonna tell ya.

Today I am here to tell you about the latest in the Artistic line from Andrew Grey. Artistic Pursuits is the third in this series(7th in the Bottled Up series) and they just keep getting more interesting. I always walk away from one of these books feeling like I have learned something new. I am not really an artsy person myself....I CANNOT draw a straight line and my children will never wear homemade Halloween costumes unless it's a ghost. So I always feel smarter when I finish one of these books. I enjoy learning something new about a subject that I know nothing about. So thanks Andrew for classing me up a bit!

Artistic Pursuits, Andrew Grey, Dreamspinner Press
Frank Jennings is an FBI agent looking for redemption. Leslie Carlton is an Interpol agent looking for a thief. Attraction flares from the moment they meet on a case searching for a stolen triptych of unique Tiffany windows, but after a single night of stunning passion, Leslie is called back to London to continue his search there. When the case heats up again, Leslie returns to the States—and to Frank—but their investigation is complicated by their tumultuous feelings. Is it possible for two dedicated detectives to pursue each other while they’re tracking down stolen art and the unscrupulous man who steals it?


Frank is one of those character's that you just hate, he is arrogant, abrasive and wants everything done his way, of course those are also the reasons you just gotta love him. As you delve deeper into the story some of the reasons why he is the way he is come to light. I'm not saying it makes his attitude ok, I am just saying it makes it easier to forgive him. Reading about Frank and the way this character grows and changes was nice.

I loved Les from the beginning, what can I say I am a sucker for an accent. He is man with strong convictions and is completely dedicated to his job. Watching these two alpha males butt heads while trying to deny to their attraction to each other was funny. I loved that they both thought the other wasn't aware that he was being checked out....HELLO one of you is an FBI agent and the other is an agent with Interpol, you are  supposed to have mad observation skills. LOL

The sexual chemistry between these two men was off the charts!

"I'm going to fuck you until you forget your own name."


Seriously one of the hottest lines I have read in forever. When these two men come together for the first time  I kept waiting for the sheets to catch fire they were so hot.

The mystery part of the story line was intriguing and kept the story moving at a fast pace. I love when I walk away from the book and know that the author took the time to research what they are writing about and really give it a true feel.

A cast of interesting secondary characters really added a lot of depth to the story line. I loved Franks Nana and Les' mom, but my favorite character was Karl. Watching him gain confidence as Franks partner  and call him on his bullshit was great to read. I really hope he gets his own book. I also enjoyed the cameo of Brian, Nicolai, and Zoe from  Artistic Appeal.

This is very much a book that can stand on it's own but I would greatly encourage you to read the whole series. Thanks Mr. Grey for another fabulous story that had all the elements you want in a book, mystery, laughter, strong characters and HOT sex.

RATING: 5 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries.  This book was given to us by NetGalley. Many thanks.