REVIEW: Feel the Rush by Kelsie Leverich

Feel the Rush by Kelsie Leverich (Hard Feelings #2)
Publisher: InterMix
Publication Date: August 20, 2013
Source: Publisher*
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N

The New York Times bestselling author of The Valentine’s Arrangement continues her sizzling series with a new novel of a plan that goes awry—in the arms of a soldier…

Picking the wrong men is a talent Meagan Mitchell has perfected. She’s sweet, confident, beautiful—and single. With her thirtieth birthday sneaking up on her, she needs a new plan. No more Mr. Wrongs or Mr. Bads, it’s time to find Mr. Safe…

Army Captain, Reed Porter, lives for the thrill—he’s an Airborne Jumpmaster with a rush addiction. He’s sexy and playful, and he quickly tempts Meagan with his rich Southern drawl and sinful looks. But slowing down and settling down are not in his agenda, making him exactly the type of man Meagan wants to avoid…

As their undeniable attraction heats up, Meagan has to decide if she’s willing to risk everything on a chance at love with a reckless charmer. Is she brave enough to bet her future—and her heart—on Mr. Thrill? Or will Reed finally learn that the feeling of a safe landing is just as addicting as the rush of the fall?

My thoughts, feelings, and reactions

The first book in the Hard Feelings series made me a Kelsie Leverich fan. With this second book, I am completely hooked and addicted to this series for sure. There was just something so compelling about Feel the Rush that I couldn’t put the book down. I have so many good things to say about this book.



Meagan


She was this sexy confident woman who was just so comfortable in her skin. She had a fun side that was not afraid to come out. And what I liked most about her was how she didn’t let anyone intimidate her. Meagan could be comfortable around girls and guys, she could be playful and teasing, but she was absolutely caring too. While Meagan was all sass, she had worries and fears to ground her.



Reed


Now he was the opposite of the Mr. Safe Meagan was looking for in a man to settle with. He was the walking, talking, definition of thrill. Reed was an adventurous and adrenaline loving type of person. At times he was too cocky and smooth, but he rivaled this with the concern and care he had for his soldiers. He wasn’t the type to slow down and though he had a lot to prove, he cared about Meagan and it showed immensely. I also have to mention that he had a sexy mouth in and out of bed, but you didn’t hear it from me. 



Their Romance


The attraction and sexual tension between Meagan and Reed was strong from the start. However, I liked that they “tried” to be friends and hang out together because it gave them a different bond and allowed them to grow. They were pretty mature about it even under the the confusing circumstances. I liked that even when they did step over the friendship boundaries, they were never cruel and still remained respectful. But sweet baby biscuits, did they have some explosive chemistry! They really couldn’t heat up anymore than they did.



Supporting Cast


I have to mention them because they were amazing. They were just funny and super cool. While Reed and Meagan were entertaining all on their own, their friends brought in the banter, the humor, and true fun side of the book. It’s very rare when such characters stand out and these do. They don’t overshadow the main characters, but enhance them. Even better, they all made an impression.



The Plot


I thought it was very well developed because there was background on both the main characters. Their romance heats up every single time and there was enough conflict and angst to keep any reader going. What really made this book was the roller coaster relationship (and I mean this in a good way), the sadness and heartbreak included, and most especially, the shocking twists I never suspected or imagined. Leverich totally sold me there.

All in all, I adored this book so much and I can't wait to get my hands on another book in this series.

*Received a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

REVIEW: The Dominant by Tara Sue Me

The Dominant by Tara Sue Me (The Submissive Trilogy #2)
Publisher: NAL Trade (Penguin Group: Berkley, NAL)
Publication Date: August 6, 2013
Source: Netgalley via publisher*
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N

Nathaniel West doesn’t lose control.

As the playboy CEO of West Industries, he governs the boardroom during the day; as a strict dominant with exacting rules, he commands the bedroom at night. He never takes on inexperienced submissives, but when Abigail King’s application comes across his desk, he breaks his own restrictions and decides to test her limits.

Abby’s combination of innocence and willingness is intoxicating, and Nathaniel is soon determined to collar her as his own. As long as she follows his orders and surrenders herself fully to him, no one will get hurt.

But when Nathaniel begins falling for Abby on a deeper level, he realizes that the trust must go both ways—and he has secrets which could bring the foundations of their entire relationship crashing down...

My Review

I’m going to start off by saying that I actually read The Dominant (along with its predecessor and sequel) when it was still a fanfiction story. While I did enjoy it as a fanfiction, I didn’t enjoy it so much as a published novel even with the similarities I originally fell in love with.

What can I say about Nathaniel? He’s a controlling, demanding, possessive, but has a touch of compassion and kindness somewhere in there. He was a Dom who loves the Dom lifestyle, but feels like something is missing. He sees that missing something in Abby. However, Nathaniel didn’t believe their worlds would ever cross until Abby’s submissive application is set in front of him. Throughout the book, Nathaniel struggles with his feelings for Abby, wanting to be her all while trying to separate his Dom tendencies. 

The romance was not entirely there since it was mostly sexual from the beginning, but it does grow into more later on. And I must say that their sexy times was way more than sexy. It was effing hot up in here, is all I’m going to say. I did like that both Nathaniel and Abby took their time to be reacquainted to one another and gave each other a chance to be more.

I’m new to BDSM type of books. I don’t know much about it, but I definitely got a more eye opening experience from this book. Possibly a more understanding view on this lifestyle. I don’t see it as something deviant or something not normal so I sympathized with Nathaniel and his confusion on wanting to be a lover or Dom or both. 


I think the problem with this book was the lack of description on the characters, especially Nathaniel and Abby. I couldn’t visualize what they were supposed to look like in my head. There was some character growth for both of them, but I believe it would have been better if The Submissive and this book were joined into one book with dual POVs. There would be more development on both sides instead of just one or the other. My main issue with this book was basically it being almost identical to the fanfiction. There was not much difference besides the changed names and a few minor scenes here and there that were tweaked. I guess I was expecting more change from fanfic to the published book. I was mostly disappointed by that front. 


*Thanks to Penguin Group: Berkley, NAL for sending a copy for review purposes

I was not compensated for my opinion