Audiobook Awesomeness: "Grey" A Twisted Shade Of Love!

Grey (Fifty Shades, #4) Title:  Grey
(Fifty Shades #4)
Author:  E. L. James
Format:  Audiobook
Length:  18hrs.  46mins.
Narrator:  Zachary Webber
Source: Audible
Rating:  5 Stars

See the world of Fifty Shades of Grey anew through the eyes of Christian Grey.

In Christian's own words, and through his thoughts, reflections, and dreams, E L James offers a fresh perspective on the love story that has enthralled millions of readers around the world.


Christian Grey exercises control in all things; his world is neat, disciplined, and utterly empty—until the day that Anastasia Steele falls into his office, in a tangle of shapely limbs and tumbling brown hair. He tries to forget her, but instead is swept up in a storm of emotion he cannot comprehend and cannot resist. Unlike any woman he has known before, shy, unworldly Ana seems to see right through him—past the business prodigy and the penthouse lifestyle to Christian’s cold, wounded heart.

Will being with Ana dispel the horrors of his childhood that haunt Christian every night? Or will his dark sexual desires, his compulsion to control, and the self-loathing that fills his soul drive this girl away and destroy the fragile hope she offers him?

**This book is intended for mature audiences.**

My Thoughts
Disclaimer:  I am NOT, nor have I ever been a fan of the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise in any way!
I have even gone so far as to encourage people NOT to bother reading the series.
A position to which I staunchly adhere, with this singular exception.

Grey, is not pretty, romantic, or made to make maidens mother's line up with their innocent daughters in tow.
What Grey is...
An honest look inside of a broken man.  A man craving love.  A man desperate to give love, but a man who, due to circumstances beyond his control, has no idea how.
This is the story that those who live for the truth of things want.  This is the story that should have been told first.
Because the first three books of the series are told from the POV of a very sheltered, naive,and ignorant young woman, there is a tendency toward vapid romanticism that has nothing at all to do with Christian.  This characterization as the romantic hero is on fact, the last thing that Christian wants.
He is a very tortured soul, trying to find his way out of a very dark place.

His key.
BDSM!

You must understand that the BDSM that we will be exploring here is a far cry from the "furry handcuff special" that most people are familiar with.
What we are exposed to via Grey, is a very disciplined and precise practice.  An art, that if done wrong, or even with the wrong intent, can have very damaging consequences.  
When done right however, BDSM can be a very transcendent experience!
Back to Grey...
 Christian is never in control of much during his formative years.  Which creates a need for control in all areas of his life, as he ages.  This can be seen in all aspects of his life.  His work, his aesthetic, his home, his relationships with members of his family.
Being a dom, which is really a form of service.  Gives the master or mistress a modicum of control, while allowing them to cater to the needs, wants, and desires of another.  Add to this the fact that Christian is a sadist, (one who receives sexual gratification from the pain or humiliation of another.) is the reason that BDSM is such a saving grace for him.
He gets to exorcise his demons in a way that is both non-threatening to his boundaries and that allows him to give and receive affection and care, as per the sub/dom precept.
All of this is of course, thrown out of the proverbial window with the introduction of Anastasia Steele.
She is all sweetness and light.
That unattainable star that Christian wants, but is not allowed to attain.
Only...
She is giving herself to him!
Say what?
And all at once, all of the control that Christian has fought so hard to maintain is shot to hell by LOVE.
The kind of love that is without stain, malice, deceit, or guile, and apparently has no appreciation for the finer points of pain management as a component of bed play.   
In short.
The kind of love that puts Christian completely out of his element.

This is an awesome read!   I highly recommend it in all forms, but especially on audio!
 

Narration Review:  Zachary Webber has a voice that is just made for the tortured, sensual, sadist that is Christian Grey.  His words flow over the reader like the waters of a hot bath.  Managing to both soothe and stimulate, with equal acuity.  Mr. Webber has a natural raw sexuality that is a very necessary aspect to the characterization of Christian.  His female characters are voiced in a very natural and emotional expressive way as well.  Mr. Webber shows himself to be a very versatile, and highly skilled master of his craft!  BRAVO!  

  

Book Blitz: Date With A Rockstar

Title: Date With a Rockstar
Author: Sarah Gagnon
Release Date: June 23, 2015
Publisher: Spencer Hill Contemporary


Only one girl will win the cash prize...and a chance at love with Jeremy Bane.


Monet isn’t just another lust-struck teenager trying to win the heart of Rock God Jeremy Bane--she needs the prize money from his new reality show to cure her illness. 


Monet has Fluxem, a contagious disease that's spread through saliva. It's completely curable if you have enough money, which she and her single mother don't. Now that she's on the show, Monet has to work harder to keep her Fluxem hidden. She only has to keep the secret long enough to woo Jeremy Bane so he picks her as the winner. She doesn't even care about the love part; the prize alone will change her life.

But the real Jeremy Bane is nothing like she imagined. Monet finds herself fighting against feelings that make her want to give in to her attraction and Jeremy's attempts for a kiss. The further she goes in the competition, the more impossible it becomes to resist him--and when the producers turn the tables and start digging up dirt on the contestants, Monet fears her secret will be revealed before she's ready and ruin everything.


The only way to win Jeremy's heart is to tell him the truth, but confessing her disease could cost her the competition, the prize money, and him.



I can’t speak. What lie do I tell to make him stop asking me this question? The camera wheels closer. Please leave me alone. Another hiccup hits me. I try to swallow and say something, but I gag instead. Shit. I jump up and spots float in front of my face. “I’m going to be sick,” I try to mumble as I snatch up my bag and bury my face in it as I run to the door.
“Down the hall to the right!” the interviewer yells as the door closes behind me. I bang into the bathroom and barely make it into one of the stalls. My stomach empties and tears plop down into the mess. It takes a minute for the disaster my interview just became to sink in. I flush away the evidence of my failure and sit back on my heels in front of the disgusting toilet. I ruined my one chance. After all that waiting in line, I blow it in front of the camera.
Minutes pass as I weep in disbelief. I suck. I dig in my bag for breath mints or some reminder of my real life. The stale crust of my vitamin spread sandwich makes me feel worse. Nice reminder.
There’s a knock on the door. “Hey, are you all right in there?” Oh, great. They’ve sent someone to make sure I’m not dying.
“Yeah, I’ll just be another minute.”
The door opens and I see sneakers coming toward me from where I’m crouched by the toilet. “Do you want me to get you a glass of water?”
Wow, nice intern. “No, I’ll be okay. I’m sorry I wasted everyone’s time. I’ll be out of here shortly.” I wipe my mouth with toilet paper and swallow repeatedly to try and make the tears stop. I push the stall door open and smack Jeremy Bane.
My whole world freezes.
Jeremy Bane is in the bathroom. Jeremy Bane just asked if he could get me water. He’s standing next to me. He heard me puke, and wow, he’s just as pretty as the documentary said he was. Even better in person.
But I just puked. I need to just rewind this section of my life and clean up. His hand brushes my arm.
Holy crap, Jeremy Bane is in the ladies room because of me.



Sarah Gagnon grew up in the frigid woods of Maine amidst snow and animal skins and has now moved back home. As a small child she wrote ship-wrecked romances all while being stared down by a taxidermied duck.


She has a BFA in photography and a minor in writing from the University of Southern Maine. She's the mother of two tiny, feral children and two ill-behaved dogs. For fun she’s taken up construction and interior design. Her first project: moving into a dilapidated farmhouse with her computer-genius husband. 


Find Sarah:

Buy The Book:










Enter To WIN!
Giveaway Prize: One DATE WITH A ROCKSTAR T-shirt and one paperback copy of Date With a Rockstar. One winner. US only)
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

"All The Ways To Ruin A Rogue" Has All The Makings Of A Wonderful Happily Ever After

All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue (The Debutante Files, #2)Title:  All The Ways To Ruin A Rogue
(The Debutante Files #2)
Author:  Sophie Jordan
Format:  ERC
Length:  384 pages
Expected Date Of Publication:  July 28th, 2015
Publisher:  Avon Books
Rating:  4 Stars

Lady Aurelia hasn't always hated Max, Viscount Camden, her brother's best friend. In fact, as a besotted girl, she thrived under his kind attention – sure that he was the most noble and handsome man in the land. Until her young heart discovered what manner of rogue he really was. Now, though she enjoys nothing more than getting on his last nerve, she can’t deny Max drives her to distraction—even if she tries to pretend otherwise.

...and a lord who was confounded by a lady.
Max cannot recall a time when Aurelia did not vex him. If she was not his friend’s sister, he would stay far away from the infuriating vixen. Unfortunately, they are always thrown together. At parties and family gatherings…she is always there. Infuriating him, tossing punch in his face, driving him mad...until one night, she goes too far and he retaliates in the only way he can: with a kiss that changes everything.  Goodreads

My Thoughts
One cannot help loving the sparks that fly between these fated lovers from the opening volley of their first youthful feud.
Though the length and breath of said feud lasts an interminable length of time. (Well into adulthood.)  The more that one comes to know about the fiery and passionate temperaments of both Max, and his fistey leading lady, the more one comes to not only expect, but to anticipate their next battle.

This is the couple that fights just to get to the amazing make-up sex that they will have afterward.
The intensity of their battles, coupled with the call to passion that remains so long denied, is in fact a major plot driver.
You just have to know who is going to do that one thing that will push the other to had his or her breaking point.

Lady Aurelia, much to the joy of readers and the chagrin of poor Max, seems to best  him at every turn.  Whether she is leaving her scandalous satiric cartoons where they might delight and confound the gentry, or besting the beasts at cards in infamous gaming hells; Max knows that in this lady he has in deed met his match.

Adversely, the fact that these two waste so much of the story fighting, seems quite the stupid.  Even after they fiiiiiiinaly come to terms with the fact that they must have each other, not only do they still fight, but we also have to sit through pages of Max's 'I want her but I can't need her' complex.  (Insert eye roll here.)

Not to worry though...
After much more after marriage drama, Max does redeem himself;  to become the wonderful loving man that our brilliant lady  more than deserves.

This is a very fast and light read.  The pacing is fast in terms of plot,  but there is little physicality between Max and Aurelia until well past the story's midpoint.
This is a wonderful look at what happens when there are no losers in the battle for love.
 
This book is the second in a series. It may however, enjoyed as a stand alone.


About Sophie 
 
Sophie Jordan Sophie Jordan took her adolescent daydreaming one step further and penned her first historical romance in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History.

A brief stint in law school taught her that case law was not nearly as interesting as literature - teaching English seemed the natural recourse. After several years teaching high school students to love Antigone, Sophie resigned with the birth of her first child and decided it was time to pursue the long-held dream of writing.

In less than three years, her first book, Once Upon A Wedding Night, a 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Nominee for Best First Historical, hit book shelves. Her second novel, Too Wicked To Tame, released in March 2007 with a bang, landing on the USA Today Bestseller's List




Spencer Hill Contemporary Presents: Date With A Rockstar Top 10



Title: Date With a Rockstar

Author: Sarah Gagnon

Release Date: June 23, 2015

Publisher: Spencer Hill Contemporary



Synopsis: Only one girl will win the cash prize...and a chance at love with Jeremy Bane.



Monet isn’t just another lust-struck teenager trying to win the heart of Rock God Jeremy Bane--she needs the prize money from his new reality show to cure her illness. 



Monet has Fluxem, a contagious disease that's spread through saliva. It's completely curable if you have enough money, which she and her single mother don't. Now that she's on the show, Monet has to work harder to keep her Fluxem hidden. She only has to keep the secret long enough to woo Jeremy Bane so he picks her as the winner. She doesn't even care about the love part; the prize alone will change her life.



But the real Jeremy Bane is nothing like she imagined. Monet finds herself fighting against feelings that make her want to give in to her attraction and Jeremy's attempts for a kiss. The further she goes in the competition, the more impossible it becomes to resist him--and when the producers turn the tables and start digging up dirt on the contestants, Monet fears her secret will be revealed before she's ready and ruin everything.



The only way to win Jeremy's heart is to tell him the truth, but confessing her disease could cost her the competition, the prize money, and him.


Sara's TOP 10:  Reasons To Fall In Love With Someone

I’m thinking 3 out of 10 would count. I don’t want to be too picky here. I better go get some chocolate cake.



  1. Attraction. Okay, I know. Looks aren’t all that important, but maybe you would never cross the room to meet the other person if there wasn’t something visually about them that made you interested. I think all the senses are involved in falling in love, and no matter what trait draws you in and keeps you there, looks play a part.
  2. Smell. For me, I love a good deodorant. Melts me.
  3. Hugs. There are some guys that are just so good at hugging, you just want to be absorbed into them. Someone like that is so easy to love.
  4. Sense of humor about themselves. I love when a person can be comfortable enough with who they are to be able to laugh at themselves.
  5. Good in bed - including many sub categories. Desire to please. (hides head)
  6. They listen. To be the center of attention. To be heard. To feel interesting.
  7.  Intelligence. Smart people are the best. I have a soft spot for problem solvers.
  8. Food. If he/she doesn’t cook, they have to at least be passionate about eating, and be cute about it.
  9. Chivalry - more than just opening doors. A good mutual hatred for enemies and a desire to help with hard tasks.
  10. Loyalty. A person you never have to question.



Now that I’ve made this list, I think Jeremy Bane hits all of the numbers except 4 and 5. He’s a little bit more serious and artistic than humorous. I think he has it in him… and number 5 too, just not yet.


 About Sarah

Sarah Gagnon grew up in the frigid woods of Maine amidst snow and animal skins and has now moved back home. As a small child she wrote ship-wrecked romances all while being stared down by a taxidermied duck.



She has a BFA in photography and a minor in writing from the University of Southern Maine. She's the mother of two tiny, feral children and two ill-behaved dogs. For fun she’s taken up construction and interior design. Her first project: moving into a dilapidated farmhouse with her computer-genius husband. 




Find Sarah:


Buy The Book:























 The Giveaway:


a Rafflecopter giveaway