The Three Gentlemen of Verona: The Lovelife of London Society - Gianni Ventura

Although presented as a work of fiction, this relentless account of the irresistible progress of three rampant Italian brothers through the grand dames of London society — with occasional hunting trips to New York and Paris — reads more and more like fact with each turning page.
Is it?
Or isn't it?


I was asked to review this for Netgalley.

It's about 3 brothers who's sexual experiences with women. How they look at women and sexual things that they like to do to them and have done back.

I couldn't understand half the scenarios and wondered where it was all leading. I had no clue to the book and what it was meant to say.

Surrender (The Dining Club #8) by Marina Anderson

Welcome to the final Dining Club. Pass this last challenge, and a world of pleasure is yours to keep...

Grace has completed her introduction to the highly exclusive Dining Club and enthralled her demanding lover, David. But now she wants to know the secrets behind Table Five - the very last table.

Available only to elite members, making it to Table Five would change Grace's life entirely. Facing a decision that could ruin everything, or ensure David never bores of her, Grace will have to prove her worth to the men that will decide her fate. A furious, agile Amber makes for a formidable opponent, but Grace's sexual power is now at its peak, and she is ready for one last challenge...

I was asked to review this for Netgalley.

When book 8 comes into play, you are seeing Grace go up against Amber for the title of Hostess of The Dining Club. Grace has all the background she needs to beat Amber at this game as she is needed to become a slave. Amber on the other hand has all the sexual power from being challenged three times and can she do it a fourth. All will be revealed when you Surrender yourself.

What is Amber and Lucien up to? Will Grace and David live happily ever after? Will Andrew bring Fran to The Dining Club?

Submit (The Dining Club #7) by Marina Anderson

Welcome back to the Dining Club. Pass the challenges we set, and a world of pleasure awaits...

There is one more task to pass. One more until Grace can become a full member of The Dining Club, and ensure she holds on to David's love and lust indefinitely. But she knows it isn't going to be easy - there are several determined to see her fail, and with David torn over what her success would mean for his lifestyle, Grace must do this for herself.

They will test her on everything she has learnt - pushing her body to the limits and into entirely new realms of discovery. But if she doesn't pass, this world, and David, will be closed to her forever.

I was asked to review this for Netgalley.

How far would you go for the man you love?

Book 7 sees Grace start a new part of the tasks, one she will question how she feels about David and is all these tasks worth his love. I am not sure I am in complete contrast to what is happening with the poor woman. David has had her tied up, bound, gagged and used to his own satisfaction. Then you have the lovely and ever manipulative Amber, who sure wants Grace to fail. In their attempts to get her to fail, Grace certainly lives up to the unexpected.



Now what lies in wait for the final task and will Grace take it and have David for herself or will Amber finally win David? All will be revealed in the concluding part of The Dining Club.

Caress (The Dining Club #6) by Marina Anderson

Welcome back to the Dining Club. Pass the challenges we set, and a world of pleasure awaits...

Giving in to the handsome Andrew's charms, Grace agrees to hear his warnings of what could lie in wait for her at The Dining Club. But what could he need to tell her so urgently? And why is he so convinced it will change what she thinks of David, her dazzling yet deeply secretive lover?

Andrew also reveals a crucial element to the next trial - the final trial - that David has held back from her. Realizing it is going to require all of her seductive powers, stamina and wits, Grace faces her last weekend at the Dining Club with sensuous trepidation. And then someone lets slip that there could be one more stage, for the truly elite...

I was asked to review this for Netgalley.

This is book 6 of the Dining Club series.

I am getting rather frustrated at the way David, Andrew and Amber are treating Grace. One moment David is all nice to her and wanting her, then he is using her body to get back at her for having Andrew in the apartment. Andrew on the other hand, ought to know better than to lead the poor girl on. I don't like Amber as she is too spiteful and manipulative in her ways of keeping David.

Now to see what Grace gets up to next on her task in Submit (Book 7)

Touch (The Dining Club #5) by Marina Anderson

Welcome back to the Dining Club. Pass the challenges we set, and a world of pleasure awaits...

In the depths of The Dining Club, its passionate members surrounding her, Grace faces her third trial. But she is confused by her lover's behavior. David is cold, controlling and almost seems to make the task as challenging as possible.

Amber, Grace's rival, sees things very differently. Desperate to keep Grace away from her hard-won throne at the head of the Club, Amber plots to get Grace out. But quiet, beautiful Andrew has his own agenda - he wants Grace to himself and he will do anything to seduce Grace away from the man that has so bewitched her, even reveal some of David's darkest secrets...

Reviewed for Netgalley.

TOUCH is a follow on from SEDUCE. 

Grace is a lovely woman, who wants to love and hold her man David. But David just has other ideas with this dark side to him. He wants to CONTROL, MANIPULATE and USE her. I am so frustrated that he is doing this. I feel like I want throw something at him. Amber on the other hand, I want to strangle her. She is another 1 who is manipulative and is out for Number 1. Then we have Andrew who is madly in love with Grace, but it's more than his job's worth to have feelings for her.

It's just stopped in the middle. Now what happens next with Grace and David? Does Andrew get what he wants? Does Amber get David? All will be revealed in the next book of The Dining Club which is CARESS.

Seduce (The Dining Club #4) by Marina Anderson

Welcome back to the Dining Club. Pass the challenges we set, and a world of pleasure awaits...

As Grace travels further into the world of the Dining Club, both she and David face their own private dilemmas. While Grace questions how far you should go just because you love someone, David faces his oldest insecurities: can he finally let someone succeed all the way into the Club, and into his heart?

Jealousies are coming to a head. Grace is shocked to see David out at a glamorous event with his beautiful PA, and Amber and Andrew conspire to shut Grace out of the Club for good. The next weekend, and Grace's new challenge, await...

Let yourself indulge in the sumptuous delights of The Dining Club: Part Four.

Reviewed for Netgalley.

SEDUCE is a follow on from CRAVE. We see Grace and David in the second half of the second month's Dining Club antics and about to get ready for third month of Dining Club. What is Amber and Andrew concocting now for the sweet and innocent Grace. What is David's secret that won't let him love a woman as much as he thinks he loves Grace.

This was a 27 page short book that ended too quickly. It's left me hanging in the air with no knowledge of what will happen to Grace and David. Does Grace actually know David as well as she wants or is this going to be the end of their relationship? Why did David choose Grace to come with him to The Dining Club and is Amber going to get her comeuppance.

All will be revealed in the next installment called TOUCH.

Crave (The Dining Club #3) by Marina Anderson

Part Three: Crave

Grace has had her first taste of the Dining Club...and she's already addicted. Now, as she counts down the days until her next erotic challenge at the Club, she can't stop thinking about David's stamina and the earth-shattering pleasures that await her.

When a stunning red dress arrives from David, Grace feels more ready than ever to meet the Club's next test. But the new challenge that awaits her is more dangerous than decadent - dazzling club member Amber is more eager than ever to win David's affection, and Grace must do whatever it takes to keep him.

I was asked to review for Netgalley.

This book Crave carries on from where Bound left. Grace is very disturbed of her feelings and what happened at The Dining Club that month. Her anticipation at what is going to happen at the next monthly Dining Club experience leaves her feeling vulnerable. She defends her relationship with David against her friend Fran, who she thinks is dangerous. David has been doing what he does best and that is avoid the unavoidable with Grace (his feelings for her). Amber is just soooo argh, I want to get hold of her and throw her out the door.

Now the ending has me worried to what will happen next to Grace as the other person has left the dungeon of doom. Now I need to know what happens next. So off to sort out Seduce next.

Bound (The Dining Club #2) by Marina Anderson

For fans of New York Times bestselling authors E. L. James, Sylvia Day, and J. Kenner comes the second part of international bestselling author Marina Anderson's erotic series The Dining Club.

Part Two: Bound

Grace has surprised herself by falling hard for the breathtaking financier David. But now she knows that in order to keep this man, she will have to explore his darker side.

Grace is shocked by her body's instinctive response to the private club David has introduced her to: the Dining Club - a secret society where members can explore their most forbidden fantasies. David got her through the Club's exclusive doors - but to stay she must pass a series of erotic trials.

Wrapped in a luxurious dress of chiffon and lace that David gave her for her first challenge, Grace is anxious and excited to enter into the heart of the Dining Club. Little does she know that one of its members, the dazzling and domineering Amber, has every intention of keeping David all to herself...

I was asked to review this for Netgalley.

This book follows on from Desire (Book 1). Grace and David have entered the exclusive Dining Club. Grace finds out how far she is willing to go. Amber wants David to herself. Grace meets the twins Laura and Amy, Amy explains what The Dining Club is in a sense.

You get to know what goes on in The Dining Club and what they want to do you. 

Can't wait for book 3 now.

Desire (The Dining Club #1) by Marina Anderson

For fans of New York Times bestselling authors E. L. James, Sylvia Day, and J. Kenner comes the first part of international bestselling author Marina Anderson's erotic series The Dining Club.

Part One: Desire

Young, ambitious theatre director Grace has no time for distractions, but she just cannot resist enigmatic city financier, David. Alluring, charismatic and an incredible lover - David never lets Grace get too close. So when he invites her to a weekend at his private club, Grace is thrilled.

Arriving at the secluded location, and excited by her nerves, David reveals the truth behind the Dining Club: a place where guests are taught to open their minds, and their bodies to erotic challenges. If she passes the tests, she is promised ecstasy beyond her wildest fantasies. If she fails, she's forbidden to ever set foot in the exclusive club again. But even as David's seductive commands make Grace feel more daring than ever before, she begins to fear for their future. What if she fails one of the Club's tantalizing trials? Will David still want her or will she lose him forever?

I was asked to review this for Netgalley.

The characters are lovely when you meet them at the beginning. The 1st line grabs you to where the characters are in the throes of the moment. I am liking the way the story is unfolding with the main characters. The scenes are interesting and sometimes I feel like I am part of the story. Makes me feel like I want to be there to experience the feelings and things Grace is feeling too. I am not too keen on Amber and the way David is stringing both the girls on at the moment. I hope this series carries on and we get to know the characters more.

Secret Shared (Secret #2) by L. Marie Adeline

"I, Cassie Robichaud, solemnly swear to serve S.E.C.R.E.T. to the best of my abilities. I will do what is necessary, what is right and what is within my power to assist in the execution of sexual fantasies for our participant(s)..."

And so begins S.E.C.R.E.T. II, which opens with Cassie's initiation into this mysterious organization, one that helps women experience their most potent sexual fantasies. Cassie spends the next year as a "S.E.C.R.E.T. member-at-large," not quite a guide, she'll assist Committee members (including two new ones, Kit DeMarco and Angela Rejean) in recruiting men and helping to execute a new inductee's fantasies. After a false start with the first potential inductee, Cassie makes the acquaintance of Dauphine Gray, a 31-year old who works at the Funky Monkey vintage clothing store on Magazine Street in New Orleans. Geeky, gawky and easily distracted, Dauphine has no idea how attractive she really is because her face is forever in a book. Reading is her passion, music is her pleasure, and Dauphine's all but given up on sex, especially after a painful rejection that still haunts her. Then Cassie and the women from S.E.C.R.E.T. show her it's possible to reignite that flame.

Meanwhile, Cassie must work through her resentment over losing Will to Tracina and their future baby. But when paternity questions surface, Tracina threatens to expose Cassie's S.E.C.R.E.T. membership to the one man both women love. Will Tracina expose Cassie to Will, and if she does, what will he make of his secret love's S.E.C.R.E.T. life?

This is the 2nd part to the SECRET story. I found this not as good as S.E.C.R.E.T. as we kept going back and forth with Cassie and Dauphine. Also I wasn't able to completely get into the storyline as the characters wasn't as good as the previous. We don't know much about Dauphine and why she needed the men (how she got from 5-9 charms just for dealing with 1 person). I wasn't keen on Tracina as she was a bit spiteful and stringing Will along wasn't good. What shocked me was the way Will was with Cassie before he knew what she did and afterwards.

S.E.C.R.E.T. (Secret #1) by L. Marie Adeline

A young widow, Cassie's life is filled with sadness and regret. She waits tables at the rundown Café Rose in New Orleans, heading home each night to her solitary one-bedroom apartment. But when she discovers a notebook left behind by a mysterious woman at the café, Cassie's world is changed forever.

The notebook's stunningly explicit confessions shock and fascinate Cassie, and eventually lead her to S.E.C.R.E.T, an underground society dedicated to helping women realize their wildest, most intimate sexual fantasies. Cassie soon immerses herself in an electrifying journey through a series of rapturous fantasies with gorgeous men who awaken and satisfy her like never before. As she is set free from her inhibitions, she discovers a new confidence that transforms her, giving her the courage to live passionately at last.

Enticing, liberating and emotionally powerful, S.E.C.R.E.T is a world where fantasy becomes reality.

Reviewed for Netgalley.

A young widow, Cassie's life is filled with sadness and regret. She waits tables at the rundown Café Rose in New Orleans, heading home alone each night, yearning for more from her life and wishing she could make it happen.

When Cassie discovers a notebook left behind by a mysterious woman at the café, her world is changed forever. The notebook's stunningly explicit confessions shock and fascinate Cassie, and eventually lead her to S·E·C·R·E·T, an underground society dedicated to helping women realize their wildest, most intimate sexual fantasies. At the heart of the society is three rules:

NO JUDGEMENTS. NO LIMITS. NO SHAME.

As Cassie is set free from her inhibitions, she is transformed by the confidence and passion she's kept buried deep inside. But can she find the courage to reveal this new side of herself to the one man she never thought she could have?

I found this book very enticing and loved watching and reading Cassie's journey to her secret desires and letting go of the past. Can't wait to read the next part of her story.

Roomies by Sara Zarr

It's time to meet your new roomie.

When East Coast native Elizabeth receives her freshman-year roommate assignment, she shoots off an e-mail to coordinate the basics: television, microwave, mini-fridge. That first note to San Franciscan Lauren sparks a series of e-mails that alters the landscape of each girl's summer -- and raises questions about how two girls who are so different will ever share a dorm room.

As the countdown to college begins, life at home becomes increasingly complex. With family relationships and childhood friendships strained by change, it suddenly seems that the only people Elizabeth and Lauren can rely on are the complicated new boys in their lives . . . and each other. Even though they've never met.

National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr and acclaimed author Tara Altebrando join forces for a novel about growing up, leaving home, and getting that one fateful e-mail that assigns your college roommate.

I was asked to review this for Netgalley.

This is about 2 girls emailing each other, who are going to be room mates for Freshman year at Berkley College. It starts off introducing themselves, while going about their day to day lives. EB aka Elizabeth who lives in New Jersey with her mum, her dad is gay and has moved to San Francisco. LoCo aka Lauren who lives in San Francisco with her mum, dad and 5 siblings.

They tell each other in emails of what's going on in their lives and what they should take for the room.

A very interesting look into what 2 roomies talk about in the run up to the Freshman Year at College.

A Child is Torn “Innocence Lost” by Dawn Kopman Whidden

When dependable Evan Madison fails to show up for work, police are dispatched to his home. His ten-year-old son, Brad, is discovered inside, unharmed and seemingly alone. He is stoic, sitting in front of the television playing his favorite video game, Super Mario—and he’s covered in blood.

Veteran Police Officer Marty Keal is the first on the scene. With his many years of experience, he thinks he’s seen it all. That is, until he discovers Brad’s not really alone after all. Upstairs in their bedroom lies the brutally bludgeoned and deceased bodies of both his mother and his father. When questioned, Brad confesses to the horrific murders.

When Brad is transferred to a local mental health institution for children, Dr. Hope Rubin is brought in to evaluate and treat the child. A preliminary investigation shows no evidence of any kind of mistreatment in his past. She must determine the disturbing truth: Is Brad telling the truth? Or is he covering for someone else?

Detective Jean Whitely rounds out the investigative team; and she suspects there is much more to the case than what meets the eye. The happily married mother of two in unwavering in her determination to uncover the real truth about Brad. Was he abused? Or is he the product of an evil seed born to kill?

As the layers of truth about Brad are systematically peeled away, you will be compelled to ask yourself, Which is the more dominate factor in contributing to who we are—NATURE or NURTURE?

I was offered the book in exchange for a review.

Well, where do I start. When I started this book, I had visions of PD James meets Ruth Rendell with a bit of James Patterson thrown in lol. Well I still thought that way til I was about 90% of the book read and BAM, there it was all to do with DNA. 

When you start reading the book, it looks like any other normal thriller. You think you know what is going to happen and then it changes. I actually thought the Uncle had done it, but as I got further into the book, it became apparent that maybe he didn't. Then you have the strange grandparents (father's side), who I thought was a bit standoffish with the Detective and Doctor. I was correct and loved that 2 of the characters got together. But I would never of guessed about twins and DNA that could separate what they do. It never once entered my head. 

If you never read another thriller, I URGE you to read this. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to look inside the heads of a thriller with a massive twist.

Can't wait to read Dawn Kopman Whidden's next novel FACELESS.