Karen Stivali
LEGAL BRIEFS
When organizing a naked charity calendar puts Rose’s tenure bid in jeopardy, the last person she wants help from is Michael, the gorgeous, arrogant lawyer she butted heads with during his shoot. He’ll defend her for free, but if their secrets come out they could both pay with their hearts.
karen stivali
eBook Review: Decadence by Karen Stivali
Decadence is from the Spice Rack series from Ellora’s Cave. I was intrigued by the premise for this series when I heard about it, and I have very much enjoy Karen Stivali’s books, so I jumped at the chance to read this one.
This novella tells the story of married couple, Jessica and Eric. It begins one morning with Eric going out of the door without kissing Jessica goodbye – something he’s never done before. She’s understandably upset, and when she gets a phone call from him a little later on to say that he thinks he left the toaster oven on: could she go and check, she’s not happy at all.
However, on arriving home, she discovers that Eric has told a little white lie, and is in fact at home and has a surprise for her. He’s purchased a Spice Rack – a new adult novelty – and it told him to “spend a decadent day indulging all your senses.” What follows is a day of sensual pleasure for the two of them, which helps them to reconnect, remind themselves what’s important and have a great deal of sexy fun. The best part is that Jessica has a sexy surprise for Eric, too.
I really enjoyed Decadence. The premise of the Spice Rack is fascinating and intriguing, and I look forward to seeing what the other series authors come up with.
Karen’s writing is engaging and fun, her characters relatable and her storylines sexy and make you want to turn the pages to see what happens next. She’s fantastic at writing both emotion and eroticism, which is what makes this novella such a delicious read.
It’s a quick read, ideal for when you haven’t got much time, but want to get lost in a good story for a while. Well done, Ms. Stivali!
Available from:
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eBook Review: Decadence by Karen Stivali
A guest review by Lily Harlem.
Decadence by Karen Stivali is a real treat of a book, which is exactly what the plot is about—treating a lover’s senses. It starts off by throwing the reader straight into Jessica’s day, and it’s not a good start, her not being kissed by her gorgeous but work-stressed husband as he goes out the door throws her into a spin. But before, as a reader, you have time to worry about this the day’s events begin to unfold in the most delicious of ways. And yes, it gets hot, hot hot!
There is an absolute realness to Eric and Jessica that brings them to life from the page and makes them easy to relate to as a married couple. I liked how their sex life was just one part of their history and present situation, and they were still close despite a lack of bedroom action.
But that lack of action soon changes. By opening one of the Spice Rack jars they stir up their desire for each other anew and find the time to be decadent not just in the bedroom, but also the laundry and the… you get my drift.
Ms Stivali writes smokin’ sex scenes that are not always predictable and contain great dialogue between the characters which I really liked. With a little bit of bondage, some racy dancing and naughty photographs definitely not suitable for work, this story romps to a happy ever after that had me cheering for a very likeable and sassy heroine and a hunky hero who can cook me waffles any day!
Available from:
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Ellora’s Cave
More about Spice Rack:
When word gets out about the Spice Rack, a new adult novelty item that’s guaranteed to spice up your love life, retailers can barely keep them on the shelves. Each jar holds a suggestion on how to add some zip in the bedroom. Or the kitchen. Or wherever passion strikes. Couples everywhere clamor to get their hands on a rack and see what happens. Whether they try one jar or try them all, one thing’s for sure—with the Spice Rack around, sex will never be bland again.
eBook Review: Holding On by Karen Stivali
Article first published as eBook Review: Holding On by Karen Stivali on Blogcritics.
I adored the first novel in this series, Meant To Be, so I was eager to read this second instalment. I was definitely not disappointed. It’s not quite erotica or erotic romance, but there are enough hot and sexy moments that I still think fans of those genres will enjoy this.
Daniel Gardner finally has everything he ever wanted – a wife he worships, a stepdaughter he adores, and a child on the way. He’s naturally delighted about the new baby, but can’t help worrying about his wife, Marienne’s, health, because she had trouble when she was carrying Ella. Not wanting to unload his worries onto Marienne, he takes his stress out on his computer keyboard and starts a screenplay. He never intends for it to go anywhere except his hard drive, but when a colleague of his reads it and hands it to a TV producer, things change fast. He’s offered a production contract. At the same time, he decides to transfer his teaching position, hoping that small town living and a shorter commute will simplify his life. For the most part, it does, but when he receives a letter from Roger, the father he never knew, a spanner is thrown into the works.
Marienne wants him to give Roger a chance but Daniel wants nothing to do with the man he thinks abandoned his mother. As they struggle with their thoughts and opinions, other problems niggle at their marriage, and they must work together to ensure that nothing can break them apart, and destroy the powerful love they have for one another.
This was another superb read from Karen Stivali. An intense romance, it tells a very realistic story about the life of a couple that love one another dearly, and how even that bond can be shattered by outside influences. It’s a page-turner for sure, and one that I recommend to hot romance fans.
Available from:
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Kobobooks.com
eBook Review: Meant To Be by Karen Stivali
Article first published as eBook Review: Meant To Be by Karen Stivali on Blogcritics.
Meant To Be is an erotic romance with an emphasis on the romance. There are sex scenes, but they’re not overly graphic, but this is the perfect tone for the book, which is beautiful and happy-sigh-inducing throughout.
This is the tale of two couples who are neighbours. NYU professor Daniel Gardner has recently moved to the suburbs with his wife, Justine. He hopes this is going to be the next step in his marriage – children. However, instead of things going in that direction, he finds Justine becoming increasingly career-obsessed and apparently dissatisfied with her lot in terms of their relationship.
Fortunately, his budding friendship with his neighbour Marienne Valeti is a saving grace. She lives with her husband, Frank, and loves her freelance design job. However, Frank, too, grows increasingly obsessed with his career – working all hours without telling her, being indifferent towards her, and so on.
These acts, and the fact they have more in common with each other than their respective spouses pushes Daniel and Marienne closer together. In each of their minds, things go far beyond friendship, but they remain faithful. Their close relationship helps both of them through every hardship, from divorce to widowhood, but even when they’re both single, will they act on their feelings?
This was an absolutely amazing read. It was incredibly romantic, yet realistic. Not to mention very well written. I grew very quickly to like Daniel and Marienne, and became very interested in their journey throughout the book. It has everything; love, loss, friendship, deceit and much more. Meant To Be was a real page-turner, and I can’t wait to read the next book so I can find out what happens next. So if you’re a sucker for a beautiful romance, you should definitely check out this book.
Available from:
Amazon UK
Amazon US
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Barnes & Noble
Guest Blog: Karen Stivali
A lot of people ask me how I manage to be on Twitter so often and still get my work done. “Isn’t it a time suck?” they ask. My answer is always “not for me.”
Do I spend a lot of time on Twitter? Yeah, I do. But for the most part I think it’s time well spent. First off, I have met countless really awesome people. I’m a very social person but writing is an extremely isolating profession, so for me this is huge. Many people who I originally met on Twitter are now people I consider friends. Some I’ve gone on to meet in real life and others I hope to meet in person someday soon.