Review Friday: A Blue Man, Telepathy & Psychic Sex - Meet Keir

Today it is my pleasure to review Keir, by Pippa Jay. I'm going to start by saying that I highly recommend Keir for anyone who would like a fun, fast-paced read. Here is the summary from Goodreads:

Outcast. Cursed. Dying. Is Keir beyond redemption?

For Keirlan de Corizi--the legendary 'Blue Demon' of Adalucien--death seems the only escape from a world where his discolored skin marks him as an oddity and condemns him to life as a pariah. But salvation comes in an unexpected guise: Tarquin Secker, a young woman who can travel the stars with a wave of her hand.

But Quin has secrets of her own. She's spent eternity searching through space and time with a strange band of companions at her back. Defying her friends' counsel, Quin risks her apparent immortality to save Keir. She offers him sanctuary and a new life on her home world, Lyagnius.

When Keir mistakenly unleashes his dormant alien powers and earns instant exile from Quin's home world, will she risk everything to stand by him again?

Author of Keir, Pippa Jay

Pippa Jay starts out the novel with a haunting scene of Keir, beaten and near death, being rescued by Quin. That opening scene haunted me and drew me in for more. I immediately like Quin, a strong woman with a penchant for getting herself into trouble. And Keirlan is immediately sympathetic.

The story unfolds and we learn more about each character - and their demons. Quin may seem like she's got it all together, but she's hunted and on the run. At first she is saving Keir, but by the end she is leaning on him as well.

I enjoyed the romance aspect of this book very much. Generally, I avoid romance novels because they too frequently follow a pat formula that is not to my liking. Keir was a breath of fresh air.

Brooke Shields & Christopher Atkins
in The Blue Lagoon. Keir is is what this
movie could have been if it was good!

The book is worth the read, in my opinion, just for the section where Quin and Keir are stranded together on a desert island. Remember the movie Blue Lagoon with Brooke Shields? Pippa Jay's version is a steamy, hot adult version. The scenes contain sexual content, but it is not X-rated or pornographic. Because the characters (Quin and Keir) have had a sort of mind-meld thing, they are connected not just physically, but mentally as well. I've never read sex scenes where the characters were telepathically connected. Steamy!

Keir is a fun, satisfying read with an ending that left me wanting more - more of these characters, and more of the world that Pippa Jay has created.

I highly recommend Keir. You can pick it up at Amazon by clicking this button.

And to learn more about author Pippa Jay, check out my fun interview with her by clicking here.

I give Keir 5 Hawks, and can't wait to read the sequel.

Book Review Friday: Sexy Fun Reading - The Darlings Of Orange County

I was fortunate enough to recently snag a Skype interview with author Jennifer Devore, a charming and witty Southern California gal and authoress. In addition to writing novels, Jennifer writes for Good to Be Geek and her own blog. Whatever Jennifer is writing, you can be sure it will be funny and smart. I highly recommend her blogs. Jennifer's posts never disappoint and I am continually amazed at her vocabulary in several different languages. If you missed my interview with Miss Jenny, check it out here.

Having become a fan of Jenny's writing via her blog, I eagerly snagged a copy of Ms. Devore's The Darlings of Orange County for my e-reader. The description promises "salacious and comical" and this book delivered. I had downloaded a sample of Fifty Shades of Grey: Book One of the Fifty Shades Trilogy and did not find the book compelling enough to hit the "buy" button. A lot of people must disagree with me, because the book sits atop the bestseller list!


But I was in the mood for a read that is a bit naughty. Nothing too serious. I wanted a break from gritty, moody, YA fiction. If Fifty Shades wouldn't fit the bill, would The Darlings of Orange County?


My answer: Yes! 

Let's get some deets on the book. Here is the description from Goodreads:

The casually-cashmere, sexy beaches of Orange County and San Diego aren't always what they seem. The dirty little secret here is what it takes to make it. Everybody has a trick up their silk sleeve. Veronica Darling is smart enough to know what it takes and is willing to soil her soul to bring Hollywood to the California Riviera. 

The Darlings of Orange County is a salacious, comical and harrowing romp chock full of eco-terrorism, horse-racing scandals, weed deals and the obligatory lipstick-lesbian affair that inevitably leads to murder. It all builds to a mind-shattering, white-knuckled climax in a glitzy, celebrity-stacked Laguna Beach Film Premiere that spells success for Veronica Darling and trouble for her friends and family.Others who like The Darlings of Orange County also like Absolutely Fabulous, Arrested Development and The Real Housewives of Orange County.

The Darlings of Orange County is a laugh-out-loud romp set in Southern California. Jennifer Devore's formidable powers of descriptive detail create a setting so rich, you'll swear you've been there. They say, "Write what you know." It is clear that the author knows the California setting - and people - that fill the pages of this book.

Author Jennifer S. Devore,
photo by Magali deVulpillieres

When I interviewed Jennifer, she admitted that it was her goal to write a sexy book (as opposed to her previous historical fiction). The age old moniker - sex sells (just witness Fifty Shades of Grey). But Ms. Devore is a witty and smart writer. Thus, while the Darlings is certainly filled with sex (and wine drinking and occasional dope smoking), it is also smart, witty, and does not shy away from commentary on our culture when it fits the storyline.

The main character, Veronica Darling, is a likable character. Veronica is an author of historical fiction. She watches in stupefied amazement as her own, serious, historical fiction books are backseat to her agent's recent find - a book called My Vagina Loves You by female author Raina Schein, who bares her own nether region for photos that are in book. No surprise, the salacious book flies off of the shelves.

To add fuel to Veronica's growing fire, her lovable but dumb-ass husband, Ryan, goes head to head with a shark during a round of ocean fishing with his friend, Pardo (the fact that Pardo is into naked, Encino Man fishing adds hilarity to the scene). When Veronica's husband makes the Today show for his ill advised shark fishing, Veronica is pushed to the edge.

What ensues is a funny, sexy and witty tale set in the Southern California sun. The Darlings of Orange  County is a perfect summer read for your e-reader. But be careful where you read it. In some places, laughing out loud while reading may be embarrassing.

Note: This book is for adults. Due to strong sexual content, I do not recommend or endorse this book for those under the age of 18.