{Review} Undressed by Avery Aster

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The Blurb

Milan’s notorious playboy, Massimo Tittoni, seems to have everything–Lamborghinis, exotic women, palaces throughout Europe and business success. Ramping up his fabric company to go global with a new apparel brand, he ruthlessly stops supplying fabrics to the American client who inspired the collection. But once they meet, what’s he willing to give to get her in his bed?

Upper East Side designer Lex Easton will be damned if she’ll let an Italian stud muffin knock her down. So what if she named her favorite vibrator after him. With Fashion Week approaching, she’ll do whatever it takes to secure the fabrics she needs to become the next Diane von Furstenburg– even sleep with her rival. But when she arrives in Europe the paparazzi chronicles her every move and she finds herself in a situation never imagined. Lex’s Louboutins stilettos are dug in deep to win this war. All’s fair in love and fashion!

Avery Aster’s super-glossy debut novel is loaded with passionate escapism, pitting American ambition against Italian tradition. Erotic romance fans who appreciate extended sex scenes, witty banter and glamour mustn’t miss Undressed.

Inside Scoop: Though the hero and heroine remain monogamous, their Prada-wearing friends indulge in a ménage a trois and other fashionable sexual fun and games

My Review

4 Outrageously Sexy Stars!!

First off, I will say that this book was a real surprise for me. This was marketed as erotic romance, and while it is indeed graphic -- with a token menage a trois thrown in for good measure -- there are actually fewer sex scenes in this book compared to your standard erotic novel.

The second thing that was a surprise to me was the humor. It's brash, in-your-face and yes, often crude brand of humor, which not everyone might appreciate. If you're the type to get offended by this type of humor, then this book might not be for you.

That said, I really enjoyed this book. It has a lot of laugh-out-loud and "Oh no, she-did-not-just-say-that," moments throughout the book. The banter between the main characters, Lex, a fashion designer and Masi, a prince and CEO of a large Italian textile company, are fun to read and their romance was actually very sweet. Both are well developed and I was happy that the author did provide us with a believable back story of Lex and Masi. The ending was a bit cheesy for my taste but I think it worked out well.

I will say that this book is not for everybody. If you're looking for something dark and has a lot of angst, this book isn't for you. This book is escapism in its purest form. So if you're looking to slip into another world where it's full glitz and full of fashionable and beautiful people, then you would really enjoy this book. I know, I did.

Amazon / B&N

*This ARC was provided by Avery Aster through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Chasing Mrs. Right

Chasing Mrs. Right by Katee Robert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We have all read that book where boy-meets-girl, fell in lust/love but the hero tries to keep the heroine at arms length because he has commitment issues right? Right. Well, this book has that same trope but only this time, it's the heroine, Roxanne, who has an issue with commitment. No, she's not flighty, nor does she hops from one bed to the next but she's just wary of men because past experiences taught her that they never stay for long.

So she meets, Ian, who happened to be her best friend's brother (though she doesn't know it at first), had a one-night stand with him, felt the connection but as was her MO, she bolted.

Ian, who has his own issues as well, has just returned from his second tour in Afghanistan a broken man. But he was taken enough with Roxanne and tried to make the "relationship" work. From what you might have gleaned from the title, it was actually Ian who did most of the chasing and Roxanne did most of the running away. The running away was mostly happening in her head though since despite her protests, she keeps ending up in his bed.

Overall, I like the pacing of this book. There were plenty of smexy scenes and the chemistry between Ian and Roxanne was believable. My only comment is that Ian's issues with PTSD was never really explored. Sure they were mentioned and I felt that they were never fleshed out. It was mostly about Roxanne's inability to commit and her flitting from guy to guy because she wasn't into love, commitment and marriage, which was disappointing because Ian as a character had great potential.

But it did work out in the end. I loved the big gesture that Roxanne did in order to prove her love for Ian. Although, the grand gesture didn't quite go as planned, which I thought was funny, it was a satisfying ending. I'm definitely looking forward to Nathan's book.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars!!


*ARC provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

View all my reviews

Speaking of book releases....

April is a great month for book releases! I'll tell you now that there are three books that I can't wait to get my hands on. I am practically salivating over these books. Two of them will be released on April 2nd and then one will be released on April 9th.

You are already know about Own and the Wind and Love Irresistibly because I've talked about them for a while now. But there is one book that literally has my stomach in knots -- and that is Blind Obsession by Ella Frank. Frankly, I haven't read any of her works. I have a couple of her books on my To-Be-Read shelf but I haven't started on any of them yet.

Then I saw this blurb on Goodreads...

"Obsession, defined as the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image or desire....

Chantel Rosenberg's passion for music and life had never shone brighter than the time she spent in Bordeaux France. It's a time when feelings arose and desires ran deep, a time that fundamentally changed her life.

A man living in seclusion, Phillipe Tibideau is haunted and plagued by memories he cannot disregard. Choosing to live a quiet life in his Chateau surrounded by the vineyards of France, he's left his passion for art behind.

However, the time has arrived to tell his side of a tale. A tale that has depicted him as a 'beautiful monster' and he's finally allowing someone close.

Close enough to ask questions. Questions he's not sure he wants to answer. Questions about her.

For up and coming journalist Gemma Harris, the pursuit of truth is what drives her and when a job of a lifetime presents itself there is nothing in the world that will stop her from taking it.
Even if it does mean leaving her home for several months to stay at Chateau Tibideau, with him.

This is a story of what happens when three passionate lovers collide and the desire for truth, art and music merge.

Chateau Tibideau is a place full of unanswered questions, dark sinful desire and a beauty so hauntingly sad it will have you wondering how you will ever leave the same....."

I was intrigued. My curiosity is piqued.

Then I saw the video trailer...

And then I saw the early "spoiler-free" reviews  (I can't post them here because they're not mine)....

Then I became obsessed with getting my hands on Blind Obsession that I tracked down every giveaways, basically stalked certain blogs including the author's in hopes of having this book before the release. (I know, I have no shame whatsoever admitting that!) I am so sold out on the premise of this book that, yes, I will gladly wait until April 9th in order to get my hands on it.

So I will wait. Patiently, albeit lightly obsessively (I'm actually scouring forum boards for spoilers!) for this book. I mean, good things do come to those who wait, right?