Steamin' Hot New Cover: Never Enough by Lauren Dane

I like it, BUT...

all the elements don't mesh well. Know what I mean? I think it is the over digitized background and the weird shading. However, the guy is almost exactly how I pictured Adrian. YUMMY!

Never Enough is out September 2011.

ALL THE RIGHT NOTES…

Gillian Forrester spent most of her life running from who and what she came from. Until Miles came along. From the moment she held the tiny newborn her older sister didn’t want, Gillian stopped running and began to build a life for herself and her adopted son. Now, thirteen years later, as Gillian’s sister lay dying, she reveals the father’s identity and makes Gillian promise to find him.

Adrian Brown is the epitome of the successful rock star. He’s seen and done it all, with few regrets. It takes a lot to shock him—but the bombshell that he has a thirteen-year-old son rocks his world. And Adrian is even more surprised when the buttoned-up, elegant woman who’s raising Miles snags his erotic and romantic attention.

The last thing Gillian expected was to find herself getting hot and heavy with a person like Adrian. But as much as she wants to open up and give herself fully to this amazing man, she’s afraid the secrets of her past and Adrian’s problems with trusting people may keep them apart for good. If love isn’t enough can they find the trust they need?

Waiting on Wednesday: A Holiday Romance Collection (Jaci Burton, Lauren Dane, Shannon Stacey, & Megan Hart)

On December 6th, Carina Press is releasing A Holiday Romance Collection which features 4 short stories from Jaci Burton, Lauren Dane, Shannon Stacey, & Megan Hart. What makes this collection extra special is that you can either buy each story individually or buy the whole collection for a discounted price. They all sound so good that I don't know why you wouldn't want to buy the whole set!

PS: I think it's kind of funny that Jaci Burton named her female lead Riley Jensen. Wonder if she's read any Keri Arthur? Hehe.

Big Star, Small-town Christmas...
Country singer Riley Jensen would never have returned to her small Missouri hometown if her publicist hadn’t come up with the scheme to tape a Christmas special there. So she never would have known that the man who broke her heart at eighteen—causing her to flee to Nashville—was now a widower with a seven-year-old daughter. Riley has ten years of angst-filled hit songs and Grammy awards to prove she doesn’t need Ethan Kent. But suddenly, she can’t help thinking of all she gave up by running away…
Ethan Kent knew Riley had the talent and the drive to make it as a singer. He also knew she wasn’t going anywhere if she stayed in their nowhere town for him. Then one night and one huge mistake sent her running on the road to fame. Which doesn’t mean he ever stopped loving her…
But with so much separating them, can Riley and Ethan find their way back together one magical country Christmas?

Their First Christmas, Bound Together…
All Jude wants for Christmas is Rori, all to himself. It’s their first holiday season as a couple, and staying home, seeing friends and family, means they’ll be surrounded by the memory of Rori’s late husband. It’s time for Jude and Rori to create their own traditions. Time for them to fully explore their most intimate desires to dominate and submit...
Rori is thrilled when Jude whisks her away to a luxury resort in the mountains. Spending Christmas away, just the two of them, is the perfect time to show him she’s ready to give herself to him completely…

Newlyweds Leah and Brandon Long are finally taking a honeymoon. But just two days into their Christmas-in-Vail vacation, Leah gets run down by an out-of-control snowboarder, severely spraining her ankle. Being stuck indoors isn’t so bad though: the luxurious chalet boasts a hot tub and cozy fireplace. Besides, sitting with her feet up while Brandon serves her in every way a man can serve a woman is exactly how both of them like to spend their time...
Leah would be in heaven, if only Brandon didn’t insist on bringing up the idea of a family. She knew that kids were part of the package, but she’s not ready to make any plans just yet. Still, with kinky sex and deep conversation the only things on the agenda for the next week, Leah can’t avoid the discussion for long. Will she be ready to take her marriage to the next level in the New Year?

House-sitting for her parents seemed like a good idea, until the microwave blew up and the lights went out...
Now Chloe Burke thinks upgrading the electrical system of her childhood home while they are away would make the perfect Christmas gift. Fortunately, there’s an electrician in town who can get the job done by the holidays...
Scott Quinn has wanted to get his hands on the Burkes’ wiring for almost as long as he’s wanted to get his hands on their daughter. Chloe didn’t notice Scott back in high school, but she’s noticing him now, and soon they’re indulging in a little festive fun: no strings, no expectations. After all, Chloe plans to get out of this goldfish bowl of a town and back to her real life in Boston by New Year’s...
But Chloe and Scott discover they enjoy each other’s company just as much out of bed. Could their holiday fling turn out to be the real thing?

Review: Inside Out by Lauren Dane

Inside Out by Lauren Dane
Brown Siblings #3
Erotic/Contemporary Romance
November 2, 2010
Trade Paperback, 306 pages
Berkley Trade
Source: Purchased book from Amazon.com

Ella Tipton is a survivor. In the wake of an attack that left her nearly dead, she’s spent each day putting her life back together. Once vibrant and outgoing, she’s needed to reclaim the best parts of who she was while retaining the hard won lessons. There hasn’t been room for any romantic entanglements, even if she were ready. Still, it didn’t mean she had to stop sneaking looks at Mister Tall, Dark and Tattooed himself...
Security professional Andrew Copeland isn’t quite sure when his jones for the lovely and decidedly skittish Ella developed. He’s known her for years, has watched her triumph over the pain she’d been dealt. Cope is no stranger to women, but he knows the nervous flush he gets every time he talks to her is different than any attraction he’s had in the past. Determined to get Ella to let him in, Andy does the one thing he can think of to get close: he offers her hands-on training in self-defense...
While Ella’s sure he’s just being nice, the prospect of being able to touch him and gain the tools to push away the last vestiges of her fear is more than she can resist. Soon enough, Cope shows Ella his feelings are far more than friendly and re-ignites something deep inside her. Before long desire and love turn them both inside out...

Lauren Dane is the master of having the reader become emotionally invested in her characters and her stories. Thus, while reading Inside Out, I was an emotional basket case! At some parts I wanted to ball my eyes out, while at other times I was so angry I needed to punch a pillow. Sorry pillow. That’s what Lauren Dane does to me. She breaks down the barriers between the book and the reader. I become so absorbed in her books that I abuse my furniture, haha.

I also love how Dane redefines what a family can be. Although there are some non-traditional relationships in the book, there is so much love between the characters I could feel it radiating from the book. I wanted to wrap myself up in the big ol’ love blanket that is the Browns and their extended family. However, Erin, Todd, and Ben’s relationship is still a sore spot for some family members, ie Cope and Ben’s father. Although most of time I was so frustrated with the father, I was amazed at how realistic the family dynamics were in the book. In the real world, not everyone would be accepting of the type of relationship that Erin, Ben, and Todd share. As a reader, I appreciate that Dane incorporates that fact into the Brown Siblings series.

Oh Cope. How I love thee. At first I was a little put off that Adrian’s story was not next in the series but Cope is just as delicious as Adrian. In the other books, Cope comes off as sweet and lovable but a total womanizer. With Inside Out, however, we get to see the other side of Cope that loves poetry and takes pride in fixing up his home. He really matures in this book and I loved seeing the transition.

Ella also experiences her own transition throughout the book. Unlike Laid Bare and Coming Undone, we know from the beginning what happened to Ella. As the book progresses, we get to see how Ella is slowly coping (no pun intended) with the aftermath of being in an abusive relationship and getting badly beaten. I liked how in the beginning Ella thinks she is completely unworthy of Cope’s attention but slowly opens-up to being confident in herself and her sexuality. One of the best scenes in the book is when she confronts Ben and Cope’s father in the hospital. I wanted to pump my fists in the air right along with her!

The thing I wasn’t so much a fan of was how Ella’s cartoony voice kept getting emphasised. For me, a cartoony voice isn’t really my cup of coffee. I kept thinking that Ella’s voice sounded like one of Kristen Wigg’s characters on SNL. The one that the boys think is uber sexy but does really hilarious and disgusting things. That’s what I heard in my head and it distracted me from Ella’s character.

Also, nothing truly dramatic happens in the story. By this I mean there was no major event that had me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. The premise of the story was verily similar to the last two books, but I don’t think that is necessarily a bad thing. You don’t need to have something crazy happen all the time. Actually, the biggest thing that had me shivering with anticipation was waiting for Erin to have her baby!

Furthermore, if you’re looking for the classic Dane dirty smexin’ you won’t find it with this book. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of smexin’, just not as much as the previous books.

That being said, Inside Out is still a wonderful read. I loved reading about the relationship between Cope and Ella and watching them grow as a couple and as individuals. The Brown Siblings series is my absolute favourite contemporary series and Inside Out just reinforces why the series is at the top of my list. Can’t wait for Adrian’s story!

Favorite quote(s):

"She came so hard the neighbors would probably avoid her eyes at the mailboxes for a while."

"You are mine, and I don't think I know all the words to tell you just what that means. Only that when you breathe, I do, when you smile just for me everything inside me stills and knows it's found the key."

Really liked it! It was mmm mmm good.

Other Opinions:
~Goodreads
~Fiction Vixen - 4/5
~Pearl's World of Romance - 8.1/10

Other books in the series:
Laid Bare
Coming Undone

Teaser Tuesdays: Inside Out by Lauren Dane

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme; hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This weeks teaser comes from Lauren Dane's new book Inside Out. If you haven't noticed yet, I have a serious obsession with this series. I squealed like a little girl when Inside Out came in the mail yesterday. I'm already a third of the way done so expect a review soon. Cope is so smokin' hot!

(This is when Rennie gives a speech during Elise and Brody's engagement party. Totally brought tears to my eyes. You really feel the love.)

"Mom and I had a good life before Brody came. But it's way better now. Brody reads me ten princess books when I ask, and he lets me paint my toenails if it's only very light pink or crazy colors like green. He even plays Barbie with me. We got a good family, and I just wanted to say thank you to Brody and Uncle Adrian and Gran and Pops. And Ella, who made me a peanut butter marshmallow sandwich to eat tomorrow morning because she loves me and knows they're my favorite."

Brody when up and swooped Rennie high into his arms and kissed her cheek. He spoke to her softly, and she giggled, hugging him tight.

-pg. 80

Waiting on Wednesday: Inside Out by Lauren Dane

I know that Inside Out is out next week but I've been dying to get my hands on this book ever since I finished Coming Undone (the second book in the series) back in January. Lauren Dane's Brown Sibling series is just that addictive! If you are looking to read something that has a little bit more steam and is wonderfully written, I highly suggest this series. It will have you laughing, crying, and wanting to take a few cold showers.

Inside Out is out November 2, 2010. However, I found out last night that Amazon.ca has it in stock already! I bought my copy last night :)

Here's the Blurb:
Ella Tipton is a survivor. In the wake of an attack that left her nearly dead, she’s spent each day putting her life back together. Once vibrant and outgoing, she’s needed to reclaim the best parts of who she was while retaining the hard won lessons. There hasn’t been room for any romantic entanglements, even if she were ready. Still, it didn’t mean she had to stop sneaking looks at Mister Tall, Dark and Tattooed himself.

Security professional Andrew Copeland isn’t quite sure when his jones for the lovely and decidedly skittish Ella developed. He’s known her for years, has watched her triumph over the pain she’d been dealt. Cope is no stranger to women, but he knows the nervous flush he gets every time he talks to her is different than any attraction he’s had in the past. Determined to get Ella to let him in, Andy does the one thing he can think of to get close: he offers her hands-on training in self-defense.

While Ella’s sure he’s just being nice, the prospect of being able to touch him and gain the tools to push away the last vestiges of her fear is more than she can resist. Soon enough, Cope shows Ella his feelings are far more than friendly and re-ignites something deep inside her. Before long desire and love turn them both inside out.