1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Nine Kindle Edition

A wonderful selection of romance stories, ranging from okay to great, but overall well written and worth reading. One of my favorite characters was a man with obsessive compulsive disorder who also suffered from anxiety.

This bundle was incredible, I read a few of my all time favorite writers and fell head over heels with some new ones I've never seen before. I would happily recommend this to anyone who loves a great romance and us looking for their next book boyfriend. ;) I just love getting my HEA {happy ever after} thanks for delivering that and more.

What's better than one story by one author that you love? A whole bundle of them, together in one book. The 1001 Dark Nights series is a take on the Arabian Nights, where tales were told for 1,001 nights to keep the heroine from a horrible fate. Bundle 9 in this series is a compilation of some of my favorite authors, and a great way to find several really great stories bundled. Below are just a few of the stories you'll find in this bundle.

SEARCHING FOR MINE by Jennifer Probst:
Connor Dunkle wasn't looking for a lesson on women when he enrolled in teacher Ella Blake's English class. No, what Connor wanted was to ace the class so that he could graduate and get on with his life. But Ella isn't settling for anything but Connor's best, and she'll get it from him no matter what. And when the two find themselves far more involved in each other's live than they'd anticipated, both Connor and Ella find out things about themselves that they weren't expecting.

Author Jennifer Probst is a favorite of mine. Her stories are always so full of heart, of self-discovery, of learning to trust the safe place offered by someone completely unexpected. Written as part of the 1001 Dark Nights novella series, SEARCHING FOR MINE is a story in Jennifer's Searching For series, and is a sweet and sexy addition.

There were times that I just wanted to pinch Connor. He comes across as sort of superficial, especially where women and relationships are concerned, something that really drives Ella crazy. For her part, Ella has been disappointed by life and love, and doesn't do much to mask her disdain for Connor and the way that he's living his life. She refuses to let him skate by or take the easy way out, and ends up teaching him far more about life and himself than he ever expected when he signed up for her class.
I love the back and forth between Ella and Connor, and Ella's son, Luke, is both sweet and snarky, completing the circle of family that is built in this story. SEARCHING FOR MINE is an easy 4.5 stars for me, and I recommend it for fans of Jennifer's books.

MAGNIFICENT BASTARD by Lili Valente:
Got an ex that needs to be taught a lesson? Need a love connection intervention? Look no further: Sebastian 'Bash' Prince, head honcho and Magnificent Bastard extraordinaire, is your man. With the help of his Girl Friday, Penny, Bash will help you have the last laugh as you leave your former Prince Charming in your rear-view mirror. But what happens when the master of the art of magnificent bastardry falls hook, line, and sinker? Ah, the tangled web of love...

There isn't one book that Lili Valenti has written that I have not absolutely loved. Stories filled with intrigue, white-hot passion, and angsty characters never fail to satisfy my yen for a darker read. But, guess what? Lovely Lili has outdone herself with this one. MAGNIFICENT BASTARD is, and I do not say this lightly, probably one of my favorite of her books to date, hands down, and one of my favorites of this year.

While I love a darker angstier read, it's no secret that I am also a huge fan of the books that leave me with a light heart, where everything comes together just like I hoped that it would, where everyone ends up just where they should be, and all is right with the world, a feel-good book, if you will.

I was not prepared for how much I would adore Bash and Penny. These two, well, they are wonderful. The chemistry and connection, the humor, the passion, all come together to create a story that had me at the first paragraph. This story, like all of Lili's, is one that sucked me right in and kept me turning pages until the very end, completely captivating me along the way.

I really love that MB is written from Bash's point of view. It's always interesting to me to see how the man views things, especially in a romance, because, let's face it, we're like polar opposites when it comes to love so much of the time. Lili nailed it here, writing the unfolding of events completely engagingly, while managing to stay true to a male perspective.

And, Penny. It's impossible not to love Penny, in all of her madcap perfection. That she's able to maintain her sense of humor after having a mother like Anastasia, an ex like Phillip, and the childhood that she had, makes her all the more lovable, and strong as heck. She's just what Bash needs, even though he takes a while to realize it. There really ought to be more Pennys in the world.

Kudos to Lili for this gem of a book, with its lovable kookiness, its wonderful secondary characters (everyone needs a Francis and Eddie in their lives, for real, and, Aidan, yum!), and lots and lots of ice cream. 5+ stars for this one, lady. It's simply magnificent.

DANCE OF DESIRE by Christopher Rice:
Telling her how he really felt should have been the last option. The absolutely dead-last, nuclear apocalypse option. And touching her? Well, that was beyond the nuclear option. That was a "zombies are breaking down the front door and the only way out is through the nearest window" kind of option.

Amber and Caleb have known forever that their feelings for each other were something special. But just when they were beginning to let each other know, life events changed everything, making anything other than a platonic kind of love unacceptable. True love, though, cannot be denied, and sometimes the heavens smile down on lovers after all.

I was lucky to happen upon one of Christopher's earlier books in the 1001 Dark Nights series, and really enjoyed it, so when DANCE OF DESIRE came along, I put it right at the top of my TBR list. This little book was a true delight to read. Christopher's combination of humor, steamy sexiness, and heartfelt emotions, along with great characters and a realistic story line made this one of the most enjoyable, feel-good books I've had the opportunity to read lately. The relationship between Amber and her mother had me laughing out loud, and Belinda, Dora, Amanda, and all of the supporting characters are just great. I enjoyed every single bit of this book, and would be happy to see more of these folks in future. 4.5 stars for DANCE OF DESIRE; add this one to your reading list, because you will thoroughly enjoy it.

Magnificent Bastard by Lili Valente

Magnificent Bastard is magical and, well, MAGNIFICENT. Lili Valente has pulled out all the stops with this extraordinary story replete with chapter after chapter of one-liners that will make you laugh out loud not to mention the mass of hot, sexy knows-no-bounds love and connection of the souls shared between two superlative characters. The hilarious banter and conversation between Bash and Penny was delightfully entertaining. This is Ms. Valente’s first full-length novel and with it she definitely aimed for the stars and covered the entire galaxy.

Sabastian Prince (Bash) runs Magnificent Bastard Consulting, a business designed to help women attain revenge on men who have broken their hearts. After having his heart shattered himself, Bash has strived to keep his safely protected and under lock and key. But he is fantastically brilliant at playing the role of his clients’ new love interest using his body and mind, and yes his “bastard” capabilities to make their ex’s rue the day they dared to break a woman’s heart. With the help of his longtime virtual assistant, Penny, though they have never actually met face to face, together they have created a lucrative business of revenge. But when Penny unexpectedly shows up with a broken heart of her own and seeking his help, Bash can’t say know. After working together for the past two years, they have developed an undeniable connection between employer and employee, but as Bash and Penny now begin working together in close proximity, the virtual connection they shared begins to develop into reality. But will Bash realize his bond with Penny for what it truly is or will his fear of heartbreak force him to keep his heart sheltered and locked away forever?

Magnificent Bastard is told from our hero’s point of view which makes this story interestingly fun and an undeniable change of pace. One of the best parts of this book for me is the text message and email exchanges between Bash and Penny which are absolutely laugh-out-loud hilarious. Although they’ve made a mutual agreement to maintain a “strictly friends” arrangement, the sexual escapades shared between them are sexy and scorching hot, hot, hot making you quickly realize (and hope) that with such an undeniable connection, friendship is never going to be enough.

In my eyes, Lili Valente is the queen of eroticism, and she once again maintains that title with Magnificent Bastard. She has definitely travelled far beyond her prior writings leaving me with moments of a jaw-dropping ache in my heart and then brilliantly mending that ache with amazing fervor and a love that ultimately never surrenders. Bravo Ms. Valente. I’m in love.