♥♥♥♥♥♥: Cosmo's Steamy Sex Games

Cosmo's Steamy Sex Games
Cosmopolitan

Release Date: July 1st, 2007

Publisher: Hearst

Card Count: 240

Source:  As a Babeland affiliate, I received one free box of Cosmo's Steamy Sex Games in exchange for an honest review (thank you!). I was not paid, compensated, nor sponsored in any way to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are purely my own

ARE YOU READY TO PLAY?

WHAT'S INSIDE: Twelve sizzling, couples-only bedroom games, complete with fun, easy-to-use tear-out cards. Heat up your mattress action with these challenges:

• The Sexy Scavenger Hunt

• Dirty Truth or Dare

• Finish the Fantasy

• Titillating Trivia

• Call of the Wild

...AND MORE!

 PLUS  The perfect, handy box to store these red-hot games in... so you can play them over and over again.

What Stephanie Thought: Cosmopolitan is hands-down, my favorite magazine (YES, it even beats Fitness and Interview; they would be runners up, however) which is why I was eager to get my hands on Cosmo's Steamy Sex Games. I will admit, my love for Cosmo is probably directly correlated with my love for sex... but to me, Cosmo is way more than just a sex magazine. It's a health, beauty, self magazine that knows how to make you feel your best and your partner pretty damn good too.

That being said, I am slightly disappointed at how this box of cards doesn't do the magazine justice. Many of the "sexy" suggestions attempt to be flirty and risqué, and almost all of them fall flat. Out of the 240 cards, I'd say only about 40 were really original. The rest, I could have easily come up with myself.

Here's an example I laughed at from the Dirty Truth or Dare segment: dare — I'm a sexy stranger at a bar. Pull out your best on-the-prowl tricks and try to pick me up for a one-night stand. First of all, can you say awkward? Can you imagine roleplaying a "sexy stranger in a bar" in your very own bedroom? Would you use make-believe the alcohol too? Let's say you and your partner both really inventive and could imagine the fantasy clearly (something I still can't do with a straight face); too bad it's too creepy of a scenario to continue with.

A lot of the cards in the box are annoyingly repetitive. I came to a card from the Titillating Trivia section I liked a lot: What's the kinkiest thing we've ever done together? Get the answer right — We act out your lusty wish. Get the answer wrong — We act out my lusty wish. I mean, that's really creative and it's a win-win situation. Either way, you get to have fun sex! However, this was the next card in the deck: What's my all-time favorite sex act? Get the answer right — We get to do your favorite act. Get the answer wrong — We get to do my favorite act. I soon discovered with dismay that there were at least two more cards that went on like this, just with slightly different wording. Who is Cosmo trying to fool? They're all the same thing, just with "sex act" replaced by the words "sex position"!

The book isn't a complete letdown, though. Like I said earlier, there are lots of clever ideas available. In particular, I enjoyed the Kama Sutra section because it has imaginative positions with diagrams and descriptions to guide you along. 

I was entertained by this book for a fun night, I'll admit, but I feel I would get sick of it after a first skim of all the cards. This is mostly due to the fact that many of the games aren't even steamy, but also because all the activities are cute, playful ways to get to know your partner. If you're already intimate with your partner (which I am), this one might be sort of a bore.

Stephanie Loves: "Late-Night Lust

For Her: Set the alarm for 2 am (with the volume low). When the alarm goes off, catch it before he totally wakes up. Then light the candles and place them around the bed. Roll him onto his back, hold onto his member, and move your hand up and down. Then shimmy down and take him in your mouth, sucking very gently until he's completely hard. When he's moaning in pleasure, move back up, rub some lube on his member, and put him inside you.

For Him: Make slow, sweet, dreamy love to her. Then blow out the candles and wrap your arms around her as you both drift off to sleep." — a card with A Night of Naughty Adventure (card five) that I find so romantic!

Radical Rating: 6 hearts: Satisfying for a first read, but I'm not going back. ♥♥♥♥♥♥

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥: Shattered Trust by Stacey Joy Netzel

Shattered Trust
Stacey Joy Netzel

Release Date: March 3rd, 2011

Publisher: Crimson Rose (The Wild Rose Press)

Page Count: 280

Source:Complimentary copy provided by author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you!)

Sweet twenty-seven and never been kissed. Well... no one's ever accused Marley Wade of being sweet. Raised in the world of construction by her rough-and-tumble father, Marley knows what it takes to succeed as a general contractor in a man's world. The last thing she needs is an employee who makes her feel soft and feminine.

New co-owner of Hunter Construction Justin Blake goes undercover on Marley's crew to discover the truth behind his grandfather's death. But he didn't count on an instant attraction to his boss—or for it to develop into deeper emotions. When a blackmailer threatens to expose the twenty-five-year-old secrets that link his family and Marley's, Justin realizes the truth could not only destroy a future with Marley, but his entire family as well.

In a world where nothing is as it seems, can Justin and Marley trust a love that appears as elusive as a mirage?

What Stephanie Thought: I'm truly beginning to enjoy the romantic suspense more and more. When I first started reviewing, I tried to stay away from the genre because it made me think too much, and quite frankly, too much thinking makes a book more difficult to enjoy. However, I find that I'm the kind of person who thinks too much to begin with, so whether I'm reading a steely thriller, or just some sweet fluff, in the end, my reviews tend to pen out the same way.

In Shattered Trust, placid, everyday life twists into the revelation of unimaginable secrets, as well as long-masked lies that are so irregular, they start clouding up the once-clear lines of reality. What would you do if everything you knew, everything you've been told, became one big fabrication? That's how Marley Wade's life is beginning to unravel, thanks to the suspicions of her new (sexy) co-worker, Justin Blake. Secrets about her past and her family are beginning to surface, and soon, it becomes hard to determine whether Justin is trying to help her, or if he's been the enemy all along. The fact that she just might be falling in love with him doesn't help either.

The sexual tension between Marley and Justin is explosive. Throughout the book, they each begin to discover a little more—maybe a little too much—about the other's identity, making it certain that their relationship should not have worked out from the start. But sometimes, one time, you see a person, and you automatically know you're going to spend the rest of your life with them; it just takes a while to dawn on you, though.

I appreciate how there's definite chemistry, but no emancipated sex scene until the very end, after I'm desperate for Marley and Justin to just get together. Stacey Joy Netzel's way of composing honest, amiable characters, but not consummating their love for each other until the final pages, keeps my heart, as a reader, skipping beats.

The electrifying action is a whole nother story in its entirety. Marley risks her own life to find the criminal who's attempted to take her brother, Nate's, life and in the process, discovers those she trusts the most can be the ones who betrays her the worst as well.

Packed with climactic anticipation, and heartfelt, head-over-heels emotions, Shattered Trust is my kind of story. One that I think too much about, even after finishing, and one I look forward to reading all over again.

Stephanie Loves: "She nodded as his thumb skimmed the pulse at the base of her throat. When his touch returned to rest over the throbbing point, she felt a steady increase and knew he did too.
Curiosity killed the cat, Marley.
Cats have nine lives."

Radical Rating: 9 hearts: Loved it! This book has a spot on my favorites shelf. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥: Wedding Cake to Turin by Lynda Renham

Wedding Cake to Turin
Lynda Renham

Release Date: February 18th, 2011

Publisher: Lulu

Page Count: 204

Source: Complimentary copy provided by author, via Romancing the Book, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you both!!!)

When Charlotte is sent by her boss to deliver a wedding cake to Turin little does she know what she will be letting herself in for. Torn between feelings for her boyfriend and a new man that she meets at the airport, she embarks on a journey of hilarious situations, finding herself mixing with the rich and famous and the Italian Mafia. Charlotte has to decide just how much she is prepared to do for love but does the man she love truly love her? Charley's journey to find love is both hilarious and touching.

What Stephanie Thought: I once again, received the opportunity to review another title by a British author and sure wasn't let down!

Wedding Cake to Turin is absolutely adorable. Both the scenarios and speculations of Charley are laugh-out-loud-worthy and in the most delightful way. The wacky situation—having to deliver a wedding cake to Italy?—and Lynda Renham's simple, but to-the-point writing style both contribute to my fondness of this novel. Maybe it's just me, but I think British people have such a cute way of observing things; even their swear words are cuter than ours! I say fuck, you say bugger! So precious.

The main dispute of Charley's story is centered around her incredibly charming but incredibly douche-bag boyfriend, Nigel—whom she discovers, is cheating on her with her best friend, Sam. Make that ex-best friend, Sam. With a freshly wounded heart and the determination to not let it ruin her completely, she enthusiastically accepts an offer from Nigel who—oh yeah, is also her boss—to accompany a very expensive and very important celebrity wedding cake to Turin.

It's only her luck to get tangled into a Mafia theft in the process, as well as involved with the sultry and charismatic Michael Carlotta. Charley's mishaps, whether they happen at her cozy flat in England, or the chic urban streets of Turin, are cringe-worthy and totally hysterical, as well as completely moving and honest. A lot of the situations seem unrealistic, but that's what makes them so funny. Very Bridget Jones-esque in style, but set in a scenario where things actually happen, Wedding Cake to Turin is a definite winner that will leave you with a smile on your face by the time you've flipped the last page.

Stephanie Loves: "'This is Francesca; she is like a mama to me. Cooks and cleans, how do you call this in England?' asks Michael.

'Slavery,' I joke.

They both stare at me and I blush profusely." 

Radical Rating: 9 hearts: Loved it! This book has a spot on my favorites shelf. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥: Carrie's Story by Molly Weatherfield

Carrie's Story
Molly Weatherfield

Release Date: July 26th, 2002

Publisher: Cleis

Page Count: 220

Source: Complimentary copy provided by Naked Reader Book Club in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you!)

"I had been Jonathan's slave for about a year when he told me he wanted to sell me at an auction. I wasn't in any condition to respond when he told me this..."

So begins Carrie's tale of uncompromising sexual adventure. Imagine Story of O starring a Berkeley PhD in comparative lit (who moonlights as a bike messenger) with a penchant for irony, self-analysis, and anal sex. Set in San Francisco and the Napa valley, Carrie's Story takes the reader on a sexually explicit journey into a netherworld of slave auctions, training regimes, and human "ponies" preening for dressage competitions.

The first thing I want to tell you is that your impressions of this book are nothing what it actually is like. The cover is haunting, and the blurb rather raunchy, but even as a novel encompassing the infamous human slave auction, or even further, human pony camps, Carrie's Story is more than a work of erotica, more than literary pornography; it is truly a work of art.

I'd never read an BDSM novel before, and quite frankly, I'd never wanted to. But being a Naked Reader Book Club member, I decided I would have to face my discomforts, and give Carrie's Story, one of the monthly selections, a chance. Sometimes, you discover the best things in life by taking the highest of risks. And in this case, that's exactly what happened.

I'm not saying I love S/m now. No. The thought of it still makes me a little queasy. But this book has brought me into a whole new world of literature, one that I find myself craving. BDSM—bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism—is a taboo subject of nature itself. Flogs, chains, gags, and leather aren't even the extremest of it in this neo-Victorian novel. Think ponies. Human ponies. Think bridles and reigns on human bodies, think whips and saddles on human flesh. Think tails, attachable only through a plug through the anus, and think of modern slavery. All very frightening concepts that I have been introduced to, and am no longer disgusted with. Don't get me wrong. Carrie's Story doesn't downplay anything, oh no. You get the rawest of humiliation, the ugliest of flaws, and the most painful of experiences. You also get unblemished emotions, ranging from homeliness, to loss, to desire, and a love story that is so untraditional in doctrine, that it makes you want to be a part of it.

Jonathan is every literature geek's dream. Handsome, obscure, slightly older. And Carrie is just the right girl to fall for him. Little does she know what she's in for... well, aside from the fact that he asks her to be his slave within hours of acquainting. "Meet me at 3 pm," he says, handing her a folded note with an address. Obviously, Carrie won't take up on his offer; he is a stranger, after all. Miraculously, she does, though. And so begins their long, but surreptitiously short-lived relationship.

The horrors of being beaten as a sexual fetish have always dawned on me. I've never found it arousing, or even amusing in the least. Carrie's Story hasn't changed that in me, but I still admit many of the sex scenes are mind-blowing. The fact that one could love the person who beats and whips them until bruises brandish, and permanent welts form, is beyond my perception. Molly Weatherfield however, does an extraordinary job convincing me.

A question arises while reading this novel: How is the fine line between two lovers and a slave and a master determined? I always thought it would be difference in inclination of emotions, but after reading Carrie's Story, I've learned that the way you as a woman, feel about your lover, is not too distant from the way you as a slave, feel about your master. And that is the message Carrie tries to bear.

Stephanie Loves: Jonathan's parting letter to Carrie that made me cry:
"Dear Carrie,
You will continue brave and beautiful, I know. In a year, you'll be much more so than you are now. I sold you at this auction because I wanted to see if I—and you—could pull it off. But I also did it because if I hadn't done it, I would have wanted to call the whole game off and see if we could become friends. Or lovers. Or something. Go to the movies and see if we liked the same ones. I still want to and this is both surprising and disturbing ...
Salut, J."

Radical Rating: 9 hearts: Loved it! This book has a spot on my favorites shelf. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Update—March 2013

Nearly two years in this original review's wake, I've revisited the newly reissued 2012 edition of Carrie's Story, which can be found here. Enjoy!

there's a reason i hate cameras

Eh...ahaha. Tried doing a weekly meme; probably won't do it again for another year. Originally posted at My Chaotic Ramblings :)



What did you get in your mailbox? Comment below with your links and I'll come over and see. I'll try to follow everyone's blogs too!

❤,
Stephanie

❤author: Jamie Magee Interview and Giveaway!

I'm so happy to be hosting Jamie Magee, with her debut novel, Insight at the blog today. Jamie has always believed that each of us have a defining gift that sets us apart from the rest of the world, she has always envied those who have known from their first breath what their gift was. Not knowing hers, she began a career in the fast paced world of business. Raising a young family, and competing to rise higher in that field would drive some to the point of insanity, but she always found a moment of escape in a passing daydream. Her imagination, through her writing, would take her to places she’d never been and introduce her to people she’s never known.

So let's get started with this interview.

Welcome to ¡Miraculous!, Jamie! Tell us a little bit about Insight.

I want to say first of all that it is absolutely amazing for me to be here today and share not only a little bit about myself, but introduce you to my debut novel!

Willow Haywood by all outward appearances was a normal teenage girl; the only talent she openly displayed was her love of art. Her entire life she had struggled with a six sense, one that allows her to feel others emotions as her own. At times this sense caused images of people to appear in front of her, with a touch she was taken to wherever they may be in this world. She had the power to change their emotions, to make them happy, or at the very least she brought them to peace.  Beyond this strange characteristic she had vivid dreams. Each night she dreamt of a breathtaking blue eyed boy, the dreams were silent but her gift of emotion told her that he loved her as intently as she loved him. On the night of each new moon she struggled with a painful nightmare – her gift of sensing emotion was taken from her and she battled a suffocating weight on her chest.  All of these odd characteristics came into play when a nightmare marked her wrist with a star and Willow learned who she really was and had no choice but to outrun a fate that was chasing her.

What inspired you to write this book and then how did you get published? Tell us your call story.

The inspiration to write came from more sources than I could ever clearly explain. I love to tell the story of how Insight was a New Year’s resolution.  At that point in my life I was looking at what I had accomplished, and what I felt was left undone. Like most people, I’d followed the flow of life: school, marriage, children, and a career, but I was missing something. I was missing the part of me that was unique to myself – my voice – something that would remain once my time was over. I strongly believe that each person on earth has a gift/ trait that’s unique to them, something that gives them passion – that can invoke emotions in others. I’d yet to find my trait – beyond the life I’d created I was simply a daydreamer …and what could a daydreamer possibly create? I told my husband on New Years Eve of 2008 that I had three resolutions: to run every day, learn to play the guitar, and to write a book. So far – two years later I’ve only managed to keep one of those resolutions – and I could not be happier with my choice. I cannot explain how elating it is to see a daydream come to life in a word document – then to have others read and understand what you saw…first.

I would love to tell you about this amazing query letter that I sent to an agent/publisher – to tell you that they fell instantly in love with every word I wrote and then I signed this huge deal and I lived happily ever after – well I did/am living happily ever after but the rest of the story remains unwritten. After Insight was complete I researched every way there was to bring my work into the light of the day, and in the end I decided to outsource what I could not do on my own. Then I prepared Insight for release across the globe!

Describe your writing in three words.

I want to say: compelling addicting love-story….but I’m too shy, so I will leave this to the readers.

We'll talk readers, then! What do you think is the most interesting comment you have ever received about your book?

Every comment that I read about my Insight is absolutely fascinating to me. I love to connect with my readers and hear how my characters reached them – to see Insight through their eyes.  If I had to pick just one comment it would be that Insight was a breath of fresh air – for a debuting author those words are priceless.

What's next for you?

I’m excited to announce that I plan to release Embody the second novel in the Insight series on June 7th 2011. I am diligently working on the remainder of the series at this point. The first four are complete, and ideas for countless more stories are stirring in my over active imagination!

Where can you be found on the web?

Oh how I love the web ~ these are the sites I make sure I stop by each day (I admit that most of my announcements are posted on my Facebook page first!)

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Thank you so much for having me here today :)!

You are very welcome, Jamie! I loved getting to know you and your book better -- congrats on the big release!

Giveaway!

Thanks to Jamie's tour publicist, NURTURE Virtual BOOK Tourz™, one lucky reader will win a print copy of Insight. To enter the giveaway, all you need to do is comment on Jamie's interview or ask Jamie a question that hasn't already been asked. No need to follow my blog -- though it is appreciated :)

This giveaway is open internationally and will end on May 31st, 2011 at 11.59 EST. Good luck!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥: Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda

Here, Home, Hope
Kaira Rouda

Release Date: May 1st, 2011

Publisher: Green Leaf Book Group

Page Count: 310

Source: Complimentary ARC provided by publicist, BookSparks PR, via Romancing the Book, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you both!!)

Desperate Housewives meets The Middle Place in this absorbing, witty story about one suburban mother's journey from a midlife crisis to reinvention with the help of her husband, friends, and neighbors.

Kelly Mills Johnson becomes restless in her thirty-ninth year. An appetite for more forces her to take stock of her middling middle-American existence and her neighbors' seemingly perfect lives. Her marriage to a successful attorney has settled into a comfortable routine, and being the mother of two adorable sons has been rewarding. But Kelly's own passions lie wasted. She eyes with envy the lives of her two best friends, Kathryn and Charlotte, both beautiful, successful businesswomen who seem to have it all. Kelly takes charge of her life, devising a midlife makeover plan.

From page one, Kelly's witty reflections, self-deprecating humor, and clever tactics in executing that plan—she places Post-it notes all over her house and car—will have readers laughing out loud. The next instant, however, they might rant right along with Kelly as her commitment to a sullen, anorexic teenager left on her doorstep tries her patience or as she deflects the boozy advances of a divorced neighbor. Readers will need to keep the tissue box handy, too, as Kelly repairs the damage she inflicted on a high school friend; realizes how deeply her husband, Patrick, understands and loves her; and ultimately grows into a woman empowered by her own blend of home and career. 

Here, Home, Hope will surely appeal to readers of chick lit and other women's fiction titles who are ready to transition into something new in their own life.

What Stephanie Thought: Some people observe objects and places and things. Some people observe people, and some people observe life. Kaira Rouda is one author who knows how to observe life, and it is clearly portrayed through the main character, Kelly Johnson, of her debut contemporary novel.

The perfect time to take in a troubled teenage girl whose parents act like she doesn't exist, even when one of the parents (the mother) is your best friend, is right amid your midlife crisis. I mean, what else could be better? 

Kelly Johnson is just beginning to re-evaluate her life as a full-time stay-at-home mom, suddenly realizing she has the potential to be something greater. With the determination to take on a job in real estate, but still be the same loving mother to her two preteen sons, Kelly thinks she has it all figured out. Until Melanie—fifteen, unsatisfied, and anorexic—walks into her life.

Kelly has never encountered a situation as big or as serious as this. As she begins to realize the truth about adult selfishness and the power of the helping hand, Kelly learns more than to take care of a distant teenage girl; she learns to take care of herself.

It was really touching how Kelly managed to really affect Melanie. The character progression was astounding; Melanie starts off snooty and unlikeable, but evolves into a sweet, understanding young lady who knows more than she leads on. 

Kelly's voice is fresh, but there is nothing really fascinating about her daily life. Rouda has a style of more telling than showing, so while reading, I was never at the edge of my seat. Things just happen throughout the novel, but I wish Rouda had done a better job of really portraying everything that occurred. 

I also feel Kelly's character is supposed to be very funny and likable, but she is the opposite of that. There is plenty of attempted wit and dry humor that, at a psychological level, should make the reader laugh out loud, but it just didn't work for me. For instance, Kelly constantly nags about herself and her life with "self-deprecating comments" (as quoted in the blurb) but at the same time, she calls herself "a great friend" and "really pretty", which just negates everything humble and likable about a character. 

The story itself is enjoyable—fast-moving plot with a plethora of Wisteria Lane characters and a heart-wrenching climax—but Rouda's style just falls flat for me. More dynamic characters and better usage of imagery and other figurative language expressions could have gone a long way with Here, Home, Hope. But overall, I'm glad to have gotten the opportunity to read and review it.

Stephanie Loves: "I ... tend to indulge in shopping sprees that fill my closest with assorted clothes and accessories I don't need. A check of my closet right now would already reveal a few hangtags. I rationalize that if I keep the tags on, I can always take the clothes back."

Radical Rating: 7 hearts: Not without flaws, but overall enjoyable. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥