Guest Review: Moonlight Temptation by Stephanie Julian

Stephanie Julian
Moonlight Temptation, Lucani Lovers #4
Ellora’s Cave, 2011

Backblurb:
Book Four in the Lucani Lovers series.

Evie Simmons has magical powers she can’t control, she’s living in a house that isn’t hers, and her best friend is a seventeen-year-old werewolf. It’d be hilarious if it weren’t just so damn depressing. Add in the sexy shifter she can’t keep out of her mind and his hot-as-hell friend and it’s a recipe for disaster.

Dr. Dane Dimitriou knows Evie has had a hard time adjusting to her new life as part of the Etruscan magical community—almost as difficult as his denial of his feelings for her have been. And he’s got the perfect cure—his best friend, Ryan Maguire. Easygoing Ryan is the complete opposite of stick-up-his-ass Dane. He can act as a buffer. Dane can get close, but not too close. Yeah, good luck with that.

Together, these sexy men may be just what the doctor ordered for Evie. And the doctor himself may discover the cure for what ails him has been waiting all along.

Genre & Keywords:
Romance, Paranormal, Ménage a trois, Witches

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Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 2 out of 3 flames
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Guest review by Lis:

Ladies and gentlemen! May I have your attention please? In the right corner we have Evie Simmons, a witch with baggage stirring in a cauldron and in the left corner we have Dr. Dane Dimitriou and his best friend Ryan, both known to share their women. All three have it bad for each other, but will it work out?

Evie is a woman with a past and she’s been through a lot in a relatively short time. Kidnapped by a bat-shit crazy lady she’s thrust in an unfamiliar world with powers she can’t really control, yet. Luckily there is her best friend to help her out – so what if said BFF is a seventeen year old werewolf and basically comes with the house? Then there is Dr. Dane Dimitriou (Yum). He’s wanted Evie since he first laid his gorgeous eyes on her. But things are never this easy. Luckily there is Ryan to help them both out! (Can I have him?)

This is the fourth installment in the Lucani Lovers. I’m not familiar with the series – this is actually the first book I’ve read in the series. It’s possible to read it as a stand-alone, but more fun to read as part of the series. There were things that I missed. Evie made several appearances throughout the series and the way she was seen by the other characters was apparently different than who she really is. They, including Dane, saw her as more fragile while in fact Evie is a very strong person. It was interesting to see the different between what people thought of her and who she really is. Of course, after what she’s been through it would throw a lesser woman of her rocker – hard!

Ryan is the more easygoing where Dane is rougher and Evie strong. They definitely have chemistry going on. I would have liked to see more of the story – it was pretty short – but overall it worked. Despite Evie's background and Dane's doubt, things move quickly to the bedroom and between the sheets!

While the story was short, it was worked out nice and the characters are well-developed. I found myself liking the story despite not having read the previous three books. So if you’re in the mood for something hot to read then Moonlight Temptation is definitely for you!

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Buy Moonlight Temptation here | Author's website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
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Review of Size Matters by Stephanie Julian

Stephanie Julian
Size Matters
Ellora’s Cave, 2010

Backblurb:
Carrie Benton’s got the best job in the world working as a reporter for the Weekly News Journal. Chupacabra picnicking at the Jersey Shore? Check. Aliens in the White House? Absolutely. Bigfoot stalking the forests of northern Pennsylvania? Well, okay…but Bigfoot is so Left Coast.
Tim Sattazahn can’t believe his luck. The six-foot redhead who crashed into his forest during a snowstorm is gorgeous, funny and hot for him. Everything would be perfect except for the fact that she’s looking for Bigfoot.
And, unfortunately for Tim, she found him…

Genre & Keywords:
M/F, Paranormal, Shapeshifter, Big Foot

Why I read it:
I received a review copy from the author

My opinion in short:
Size Matters is a fun read, not only is it sexy as hell, it also made me laugh out loud several times. This novella has all the ingredients I love, packed in an incredibly small amount of pages. It has humor, very steamy scenes, a kick-ass heroine, an uber hot and strong male protag, sweetness, magic, a little bit of conflict, an interesting supernatural world and a happy ending. And let’s not forget the easy, compelling and fluent writing that makes you finish the book in one sitting, because you’re engrossed from the first sentence to the last. Of course, things all happen fairly fast, due to the length of the book. The hero and heroine fall in love in only a few days and the heroine accepts the magic quite quickly. But these things were rather logical and explained within the story, so they didn’t make me enjoy this story any less. Size Matters is a wonderful first installment of a series that promises to keep me enthralled.

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 2.5 out of 3 flames
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What’s more to know about this book:
• Characters
Carrie is by no means afraid; she’s not afraid to do some research in the middle of nowhere, she’s not afraid to take charge in a sexual encounter with a stranger, and she’s not afraid when she sees a man shift to an animal form. That’s basically who she is, a kick-ass chick. And she happens to be tall and beautiful. All characteristics Tim feels very attracted to. He’s not a small man himself, close to seven feet, and rather muscle-bound and strong, which explains the attraction Carrie feels for him. It’s rare for her to encounter a man who's taller than her. What's more, he’s very gentle and ...uhm... naked when they first meet.
The character development in this novella is nominal, the focus is more on the physical attraction between the two protags.
A few of Tim’s friends are introduced as well, Fry and Andy, a fairy and a Yeti, who probably will play a role in one of the future installments of this series, because they are both so-called Fringe.
• POV
The point of view alternates between Carrie and Tim (in third person), starting out with Carrie, who immediately captured my attention with her open, honest and humorous string of thoughts. The switching between the two POVs is done smoothly and keeps the story interesting.
• Plot
Although events progress rather quickly, the plot is well-paced and has a pleasant unity of action. A few twists and turns had me raising my eyebrows in wonder, such as the fact that Tim thought it wise to undress Carrie and himself after he found her in an unconscious state. I did get that he’d stripped them both to warm her better in front of the fire, but why he’d tossed their underwear as well, puzzled me a bit. Another thing that felt a little too convenient was Carrie’s easy acceptance of the Fringe and Tim’s lack of restraint in telling her his secret. But I was willing to suspend my disbelief for the sake of the pace of the story.
• Smexing
M/F. The smexy scenes were excellent and thoroughly enjoyable, partly because they were written as if we were in one of the characters’ heads. The sexiness of the main protags didn’t hurt much either. Especially Tim’s physical characteristics are rather appealing, that is if you like your heroes big! Carrie does like her man oversized and she wholeheartedly thanks “whatever goddess handled huge guys with accessories to match”. She’s definitely one of those women who believe that size does matter. One way or the other, Carrie and Tim’s erotic encounters form an important part of the story and therefore it’s no hardship that they are well-written and scorching hot.
• Writing style
The most eye-catching element of Ms Julian’s writing is her sense of humor and the ability to convey her characters’ thoughts and dialogues in a natural, authentic way, which makes you feel instantly connected to the protags. Her writing style assures you of a light, pleasant read with lots of chuckles and laughter and some very expressive and colorful scenes.

A few favorite quotes:

Sure, she’d come across one or two things she couldn’t explain.
Cold spots, disembodied voices, Lady Gaga.
Unfortunately, Bigfoot was not one of them. (p. 4)

She wished she knew his name but didn’t want to embarrass herself or him by asking for it. Later, after she satisfied this urge to jump his bones, she’d figure it out.
Right now… not caring so much.
Especially when she wrapped one hand around his cock and realized her fingers didn’t meet.
Thank you, Goddess of…well, whatever goddess handled huge guys with accessories to match. (p. 9)

Damn, the guy was sexy as hell. Even his feet turned her on. They were lean and long and… Oh, for chrissakes, she was lusting after his feet. (p. 25)

Linking:
Stephanie Julian’s website | weblog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy Size Matters here
Read an excerpt here

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Monday’s Hot Couple & Sexy, Smutty Scene from Size Matters by Stephanie Julian

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I’m still reading Jet Mykles’ Heaven Sent series. I’ve almost finished the fifth book, Genesis, which will be the last for me, because I’m skipping the sixth book, which is a ménage (m/m/f) with the band’s manager Gretchen. And I just don’t feel like reading her book. I’ve read all the extra short stories though, and I will continue later on with the spin-off series Indigo Knights.
But after finishing Genesis I’ll first read some books for review, starting with Size Matters by Stephanie Julian which came out a few weeks ago. Today’s smutty scene is from this novella.
Enjoy!


“
With one hand, she traced his lips, pushing the other into his hair. The guy had lots of it. Down to his shoulders, at least.
Another point in his favor. She must‟ve thought she‟d hit the lottery last night. Wherever that had been.
And who cared about that now? Shifting around was a little difficult in the dark and she didn‟t want to hurt anything vital—namely that gorgeous erection—but with a little help from him, she wound up with her knees on either side of his thighs as he sat upright, her hands on his cheeks and her mouth descending on his.
He seemed surprised at first, his body freezing into stillness, but when she licked at his lips, he got with the program and kissed her back. And great freaking Jesus, the guy could kiss.
His tongue dove into her mouth and twined around hers while his hands grabbed onto her hips and pulled her even closer.
God, he was huge. And she didn‟t just mean his cock. Pressed against him the way she was now, she got a better sense of his size.
Her breasts were cushioned against a chest so broad and muscular, the guy had to be built like John Cena, the professional wrestler one of the girls at the Journal had a crush on.
His abs felt like a washboard, which she discovered when she pressed forward to rub her mound against his cock, looking for some relief for the tension in her body.
He broke away from her kiss, but his hips rose slightly, rubbing his cock almost where she needed it to go. Just a little to the left and he‟d rub against her clit.
“Whoa, Carrie.” His hands tightened on her hips but didn‟t push her away. “Are you sure you‟re feeling okay?”
Hmm, maybe she’d had more to drink last night than she remembered. But he was so nice to ask.
”

Stephanie Julian’s website | on Goodreads
Buy Size Matters here

Backblurb Size Matters:

Carrie Benton’s got the best job in the world working as a reporter for the Weekly News Journal. Chupacabra picnicking at the Jersey Shore? Check. Aliens in the White House? Absolutely. Bigfoot stalking the forests of northern Pennsylvania? Well, okay…but Bigfoot is so Left Coast.
Tim Sattazahn can’t believe his luck. The six-foot redhead who crashed into his forest during a snowstorm is gorgeous, funny and hot for him. Everything would be perfect except for the fact that she’s looking for Bigfoot.
And, unfortunately for Tim, she found him…


Happy Monday!