Author: Lexi Blake, Suzanne M. Johnson
Series: Masters & Mercenaries
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance, Cookbook
Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated
Release Date: November 28th 2017
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):
From the creators of Master Bits and Mercenary Bites, New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake and Southern food expert and USA Today bestselling author Suzanne Johnson, comes a new look at the Masters and Mercenaries world—Girls Night.
Join us for easy to cook, delicious recipes and stay for the stories of the women of McKay-Taggart. From slow cooker special dinners to cocktails that will elevate your game, Suzanne will show you that easy can be delicious.
Lexi dives into what happens after happily ever after. Charlie and Ian try to have a night out—but their kids prove that anything can happen when Taggarts are involved. Faith and Ten get a gift they never expected. Karina and Derek go on a stakeout. And Serena finds the meaning of Bliss. All these stories and more explore what it means to be a wife, a mother, a woman navigating love and responsibility.
Good meals, good times, good friends.
Bon appétit!
*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.
The awesome authors Lexi Blake and Suzanne Johnson have done it again! After the amazing short stories/cookbook they released last year, they've once again managed to blow my mind with this new book.
Let's start with the short stories. I LOVED them. First of all, they offer readers a way to catch up with some of their favorite couples. The stories were short, sweet, funny, sexy, and all around amazing. I was giggling like a loon at some of the stories, while fanning myself at others, and okay, wiping my eyes at most of them. I said this in a tweet right after reading the book, that these are my favorite kind of short stories, because they truly warm my heart. And I loved that they focused on the women. It showed powerful, strong women being amazing mothers, amazing partners, sexy and feminine, kickass, happy and sad, and everything in between. I loved it!
Next are the recipes. Now... There are some that use a crock pot, which I have never used in my life, but now I just might if I can find one, and some for regular cooking. There were quite a few that had me drooling and taking mental notes, because I am definitely trying them out. AND, the best part, there were some cocktail recipes in there. If there's anything I love as much as cooking, that would be cocktails. The ones in this book sounded divine. Now I just need to find an excuse to make those cocktails.
I am truly, truly hoping that there will be more of these books coming out in the future, because I'm having an amazing time reading them. All in all, I loved this book and I recommend it to anyone who loves finding out new recipes, combined with some great sneak peeks into the life of already established couples.
Excerpt from Rough Night
“You taste better than any pie, my Charlie,” Ian whispered against her lips. His hands tightened on her and she felt one of those big palms stroke her thigh. “Why don’t you straddle me and let’s see what happens.”
She knew what would happen. She placed the tray of treats on the table beside them and gingerly shifted, twisting so she straddled her Master’s lap. Yes, there it was. His cock was right against her pussy. All she had to do was…
Ian groaned as she rolled her pelvis. “That’s right, baby. Now give me some of that sweet, sweet lemony goodness. Ride me and feed me. That’s what I want. Let me watch you come.”
“And if I can make you come?” It was a fun little game. She would try to see if she could get that big dick of his to go off before she did.
“Then I’ll walk around for the rest of the night a bit on the uncomfortable side,” he replied, his hands finding her hips. He shifted and she found herself with her clitoris in the perfect position. “But that’s not going to happen. I know exactly how to make you moan, Charlie baby.”
She felt her phone vibrate. Charlie winced. “It’s another text.”
He pumped his hips up against hers. “Answer it. If it’s anyone except Malone telling us one of the children is missing, I’m texting them a dick pic and asking them to leave us alone. Let’s see if you can text while I do this.”
His erection slid over the perfect place and Charlie could feel the orgasm starting to build. How could he still do this to her? All he had to do was start touching her, using that deep Dom voice on her, and her whole body was ready to comply to his any and every whim.
Did she have to answer? It probably wasn’t anything important. Was anything in the world as important as the way this man made her feel?
“Give me a taste of that tart, baby. Or better yet, pull those pretty nipples out and let me taste them. Let me lick and suck and bite on those sweet nipples.”
Her vision was going soft as he hauled her close.
And her phone vibrated again.
“Ian,” she started.
“Do what you need to,” he replied as he licked her collarbone. “I’ll do what I have to.”
She was going to kill whoever was texting her. It was probably Malone, trying to figure out where the damn marshmallows were.
She bit back a groan and reached for her phone. It better be so good because she was getting close, and the minute Ian started sucking on her breasts she wouldn’t be able to hold…
Do you have a fire extinguisher?
“What?” Charlie shifted, trying to get a better grip on the phone.
And the chair under Ian kind of exploded.
Charlie hit the floor, her knees knocking on the tile. Ian had gone backward but he’d managed to twist his body so he landed on his shoulder instead of knocking the back of his head against the windowsill.
Panic flooded Charlie’s veins. She scrambled to find her phone. “Ian?”
“I’m fine,” he groaned. “Call him. Damn it. Can’t we have one fucking night out without the world coming to an end? Ah, yeah, this is going to hurt.”
Had he thrown out his back again? She couldn’t stop and find out. Sarah Stevens was here somewhere and she was a nurse. Surely she could help.
Charlie grabbed the phone from the midst of the now fallen lemon tarts. The tray had turned over, but there were still several that had landed on the table. She would have to shove those in her purse if they were about to flee home. With shaking fingers she dialed the number for Michael.
“Hey, Charlotte, I think I got the fire out. Boomer stopped, dropped, and rolled on it. That did the trick. The girls thought it was hilarious, but we’ve got another problem now,” Michael was saying.
“There was a fire?” She practically screamed the question.
“Tell Boomer to sit on it,” Ian said from the floor. “Put him on speaker.”
She didn’t need his sarcasm, but he had the right to listen in. She clicked to go to speaker. “Where was the fire, Michael?”
“Well, you see when I told the girls we could have a campout in the living room, I kind of thought we would build a fort made out of sheets, you know what I’m talking about,” Michael continued, his Texas drawl slow and steady. “Damn, Charlotte. I didn’t think the girls would take it so literally.”
Her girls took everything literally. “The girls tried to start a fire? In my living room?”
“It was minor,” Michael promised. “Mostly because they couldn’t take apart the furniture to burn. That was their plan. Apparently Ian taught them how to use whatever’s around to stay warm in case they find themselves out in the woods at night. I saved the sofa, but they did manage to get that wicker basket of yours to burn. Kala said she had to use it because she couldn’t get to the hatchet.”
Charlie turned to her husband. “Why would our daughters know how to use a hatchet?”
He was a nice shade of pale and his shoulder seemed weird. “You told me to teach them some life skills.”
She was going to kill everyone.
About Lexi Blake:
NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog int eh world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.
About Suzanne Johnson:
Suzanne Johnson is family-trained, a south Georgia native who’s been cooking all of her life, creating not only some really unique food, but precious memories that re-occur every time she smells something simmering in the oven. In all of her books, Suzanne shows that making a delicious meal doesn’t have to be complicated — it just has to be made with love. So go ahead, don’t be bashful, dive right in. Who knows? You might just make a few memories of your own.
