Title: Last Light (Night Owl Trilogy Book #2)
Author: M. Pierce
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Matt Sky is missing. After a solo ascent of Longs Peak that left only a large blood stain, tatters of climbing clothing, and the tracks of an animal in the snow, he is presumed dead.
Hannah Catalano is guarding a secret: She knows Matt is alive. After Matt’s memorial service, she lingers on the East Coast with his family, but it soon becomes clear that his brothers’ motives are less than gracious. Nate Sky is bent on tracking down the author of Night Owl, a book that charts the last days of Matt’s life with uncanny and scandalous accuracy, and which appeared only after his death. Seth Sky is bent on getting Hannah into his bed.
Tensions rise, secrets grow bigger, and passions run deeper—and hotter—as Matt struggles to find himself, Hannah tries to escape Nate’s libel suit and fend off Seth’s advances, and together Matt and Hannah strive desperately to maintain their ruse and their relationship…until Hannah is put in danger and Matt must make a life or death choice.
Have you read Night Owl yet??? It was one of my favorite books of 2013 – you can check out my review here. You can also read Matt’s Love Note to Hannah and read a guest post from M. This series must be read in order and it’s an amazing series!
Title: Night Owl (Night Owl Trilogy Book #1)
Author: M. Pierce
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
“Tautly written, complex, and vibrating with a dark sensuality that will have you at once blushing and anxious. You’ll think you have this book pegged . . . but you’ll be wrong.”—Christina Lauren, New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling authors of The Beautiful Bastard series
From bestselling ebook author M. Pierce comes the first novel in a provocative erotic trilogy where an anonymous online writing partnership turns into an uncontrollable, passionate obsession
At twenty-eight, Matt Sky has the perfect life. He has a beautiful girlfriend, a massive inheritance, and four national bestsellers — all penned under his airtight alias, M. Pierce.
At twenty-seven, Hannah Catalano is a train wreck. Her boyfriend is a deadbeat and her job is abysmal.
Matt and Hannah meet online as writing partners. Their relationship is safe, anonymous, and innocent…
Until Matt sees a picture of Hannah. Hannah’s picture sparks an attraction Matt is powerless to ignore. When circumstance brings Matt and Hannah together, the strangers begin a love story that’s passionate, poignant, unforgettable, and unstoppable.
Title: After Dark (Night Owl Trilogy Book #3)
Author: M. Pierce
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Release Date: March 24, 2015
At twenty-nine, Matt Sky is trying to return to normal, having faked his death and come back to life. He and Hannah move to a simple house in the suburbs, and strive to grow their relationship into something durable and honest. They become more and more entangled, in the best ways possible.
At twenty-eight, Hannah finally has the life she’s always wanted: she’s pursuing her career as a literary agent at Granite Wing Agency, she is writing her first solo novel, and she is living with her hot, passionate lover. For the first time, Matt and Hannah are able to explore intimacy without inhibitions—without lies, secrets, or jealousy—and the results are explosive.
Still life together is not as easy as it seems. Matt is estranged from his brothers in the wake of his cruel stunt; Seth Sky, embittered by his failed pursuit of Hannah, makes a play for Hannah’s sister; and the topic of Hannah’s novel—her relationship with Matt and the Sky family—is driving a wedge between her and Matt. The lovers are devoted to one another, having come through many ordeals, but is their bond strong enough to last a lifetime?
I absolutely love this scene! This is everything I love about Matthew Sky…
Finally, on Friday afternoon, Hannah called from the agency. Could she stop by after work to grab a few things? Of course, I said.
“Are you hungry? I could make us some dinner.”
“Matt, what exactly… would you make?”
“Relax. Let the master chef do his thing.”
She snickered. “I don’t want you to burn down the condo.”
“I’ve unlocked hidden talents in your absence.”
“I’ve been gone for less than a week.”
“I work fast. Hannah, did you get the animal friends I sent?”
“Oh… yeah. I got them yesterday. What… why are you… what are they?”
“Stuffed animals. I thought you would like them.”
“Yes, Matt. They’re cute. Thank you. They’re very… um, whimsical? But… you sent like… twenty of them. Did you realize you sent that many?”
“Hm?” I opened the freezer and frowned at the shapes of meat.
It was true; I ordered a bunch of Posh Tots handmade animal friends for Hannah. I remembered how she gave me the manatee in Geneva and how sweet that seemed. I wanted to make a sweet gesture too, but nothing extravagant. I sent a few of the rabbits, ducks, elephants, squirrels, pigs, owls, and one turtle. A small sampling.
“I wanted you to have a range,” I said. “A range of the fabrics. They’re all unique, you know? They use scraps to—”
“Yes.” Hannah laughed. “I looked them up. Thank you, Matt. I love them.”
I smiled. “Of course. See you in a bit?”
“Yeah, I’ll be over soon.”
I ended the call and extracted a solid whole chicken from the freezer. Geez, I could take someone out with this. I set the meat on the counter and began to pace.
I had a plan. A plan to look so utterly helpless (and so incredibly alluring) that Hannah decided to move back at once.
I placed a wooden spoon next to the chicken. I added a pepper shaker. There.
I took a five-minute shower, tousled my hair, and pulled on a pair of black lounge pants. I studied my shirtless form in the mirror. Irresistible? I rubbed my jaw. I could go with no pants. Just me on the couch in the buff, maybe a book over my junk?
No, fuck. Too weird…
Half an hour later, Hannah knocked. “It’s open,” I called. I wielded the wooden spoon and turned to the chicken, which was still frozen solid and cased in plastic. As Hannah stepped into the condo, I thwacked the chicken.
“Matt, what the hell are you doing?”
I hit it again. I wanted to laugh so fucking hard. “Tenderizing. I read about it online.”
“Baby, you’ve got to be kidding me…”
“Hannah, let me do my thing. I’ll pop it in the microwave after this.” I turned to face Hannah and stalled. God damn… she looked incredible. She wore tight gray dress slacks and a ruffly blue top, both of which accentuated her curves. “Hi…”
Hannah’s gaze lurched from my bare abs to my face. “Uh, hi.”
“You look great, bird. You look…” I pointed at her with the spoon. “All professional, and…” Sexy and fuckable. I swallowed.
“You look great, too.” She licked her lips. We stared at each other as if we’d been apart for ten weeks, not less than one. “I know what you’re up to, Matt.”
“What?” I turned back to the chicken. Ah, fuck.
“I said I know what you’re up to.” She came up behind me and hugged me, her fingers splayed on my stomach. “Poor beautiful Matt, struggling to make dinner, incidentally shirtless.”
I grinned and reached back to tug on her hips. “You got it.”
“You are the strangest, sweetest person.”
“I miss you so much, Hannah. Any more stipulations?” I turned to face her. I tapped her nose with the spoon and she giggled.
“Yes. You have to promise not to lie to me, Matt. Not about major things. You have to understand that if you do, if you lie to me again, I really might… leave you.”
“I can do that,” I said. “I can make that promise.”
I touched the spoon to Hannah’s chin. She lifted her head, a gesture of simple obedience that made me burn. She gripped my wrist, moving the neck of the spoon to her lips, and she took the wood between her teeth like a bit.
“Looks good,” I said. I caressed her cheek and she breathed softly around the spoon. “Hannah, do you remember last year, when I hit you with a belt?”
She nodded.
“Did you like that?”
She nodded again and I smiled.
“I liked it, too,” I murmured. “You know I did. Come back to me. I want us to live together. There are so many things I want to explore with you.”
My words held a promise, and that promise excited Hannah. Her eyes widened. Her breath came faster.
“Let me do it again. Give me this.” I removed the spoon from Hannah’s mouth. The thawing chicken was forgotten, as was our somber conversation. “Turn around,” I said, “and push down those adorable little slacks. Let me hit you.”
Hit. The word tingled on my tongue. I might have said strike or spank or beat, but no word was so simply raw as hit. Hannah turned away—her passivity thrilled me—and unbuttoned her pants. I detected a little tremor in her motions. That thrilled me, too.
With a push, her slacks fell around her ankles.
I touched the tip of the spoon to Hannah’s ass. She inhaled sharply.
“A blow is as intimate as a kiss,” I said.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*
4.5 “little bird” “lord of lies” “Happiness is useless to me.” Kisses
I don’t know what to think or say or feel right now. This series and these characters mean so much to me and I’ve been looking forward to Last Light for a few days shy of a year. Night Owl completely blew me away and obviously, I had very high expectations for Last Light…needless to say, I was not disappointed. For the record…Last Light is the second book in the Night Owl Trilogy…a trilogy that absolutely must be read in order…and trust me…you need to experience Matt Sky.
Matthew Robert Sky Jr…oh my goodness where do I even begin with this man. Why is it that I find all of his negative traits adorable and endearing? I mean, he’s surly…brooding…at times rude…he has jerkish tendencies, can say some pretty mean stuff and at his worst, he’s really a complete asshole. And yet…I love him. I love him because of those things and in spite of them because while Matt is a very complicated character, I’ve seen the capacity of his heart and that is what makes it possible for me to see past all the negative. Matt isn’t a ‘bad guy’ by any stretch of the imagination…he’s definitely an acquired taste but…I get it. He has two loves in his life…his writing and Hannah. That’s all there is…and it blows my mind how truly simple Matt is, once you break him down.
‘“Hannah-“
“No, listen. I’m okay with that, Matt. I don’t…” She traced her fingers over my knuckles and pursed her lips as she thought.
Reflexively, my fingers stirred against her thigh. We should turn in early. Yeah…right. Hannah was wearing a tiny turquoise nightie and I was in nothing but lounge pants. And after almost two months of living with Hannah, I still felt crazy when I looked at her.
“I don’t want to be the sun in your sky,” she continued. “Do you get what I mean? I’m happy being the moon. I’m happy coming second to your writing. I don’t want to be your whole life. And if this-” she kissed my shoulder. The imprint of her lips burned on my skin. “If this crazy thing we’re going to do is what it takes to protect your first love, then I’m game. We’re in this together, Matt. You can count on me.”
“Hannah.” I spoke her name slowly. I dragged my fingers up her inner thigh. “You’re stronger than I am. Do you know that?”
She shivered. “We’re different…”
“Night and day,” I murmured. The air between us was charged. A few touches, a kiss – that was all it took.’
Hannah Catalano…oh my dear sweet little bird, if it was possible, I grew to love Hannah more… I always thought Hannah was brave and strong…much more than I think she was given credit for, but she blew me away in Last Light. I feel like I got to experience Hannah in a different light…she is and always will be a more submissive woman, at least where Matt is concerned but it’s very interesting because I think being with Matt has made her stronger…more confident…it’s almost like he fuels her. With all that is going on and what she is having to do throughout Matt’s absence, in a way, Hannah blossomed. She had to be strong for both of them…do things she may have not liked…and all the while missing and longing for Matt in a way she couldn’t really express to anyone else. The sacrifices she made for him…because she loved him…made me love her a million times more…she truly is an easy to love character. At least for me.
‘“Great,” I said. “Perfect. I can’t wait…”
“Me either,” she murmured.
“I can’t wait, Hannah.” I pressed the point of my pen against the page. Black ink bled out. “You’re home. I’m glad.”
“Me too. I don’t…want to wait.” Whenever Hannah got embarrassed, which happened often and easily, her voice softened. I grinned and tilted my head. Mm, Hannah’s shy side delighted me. It made me feel like a devil.’
Last Light is very different from Night Owl…we get to see Hannah and Matt’s relationship be tested…we see Matt and Hannah more as individuals, away from their relationship and how they handle being apart…this was both a good and bad thing for me. I loved the angst that the separation brought…and the way it in some ways strengthened their relationship…it was a whole new dynamic and stage for them to get to know and understand each other. The devotion that these two have completely captivated me…granted, Matt has his own unique way of showing it, I couldn’t not love the way they expressed themselves. Matt and Hannah are a very passionate couple…that’s one of the things I enjoy about their relationship…their physicality, their chemistry, it’s part of what makes them unique and it only strengthened over the course of Last Light. And thus that leads to my struggle…I love them so much together…and given the situation that we’re faced with, that’s just not possible.
‘“Do you…like it?” I whispered.
How did this work? Matt’s desire seemed to suck the sound out of the room, and the breath out of my body. And he was only staring. I peeked at him through my lashed.
The look I found on his face is with me forever. It was need mingled with satisfaction. A hunger in his eyes, a thin smile on his lips. Matt wanted me, and Matt already had me. I was his.’
I really cannot get over how much more connected I felt to Matt while reading…I felt like I got to understand him so much more…see him in a different light…he was elusive and untouchable in NO and I feel like in LL everything is laid out on the table…flaws and all and it’s either time to accept him and love him for who he is or…move on. He’s unapologetically who he is…the good, the bad and the ugly…insanely talented, massively arrogant, blunt and crude…but he does have this deep and unyielding passion for the things he loves and seeing that come alive is what draws me to him the most. I love how different he is from other book boyfriends….his surely attitude and sinfully sexy mouth. I also enjoyed getting more of the other Sky boys…Nate, of course, is still the same resilient and reliable older brother. And we also get to meet Seth…I have thoughts on Seth. While I never disliked him, I really never knew what to think about him. I wanted to like him, but there was something about him that made me uneasy. He’s hard to get a read on…he’s a little bit like Matt but with a lot of unpredictability.
‘I should have known better, but I never learned, and I wondered at myself as I waited for Hannah to say more. Why did I always do the worst things? Why did I always arrange my life so that it was on the brink of collapse? That answer came to me as if it had only been waiting for the question. Because happiness is useless to me. Because I need agony and heat in my life.’
I went into Last Light with no expectations…no predictions…and no idea what M. Pierce was going to do to me…and I was pleasantly surprised with the directions it took. It could have been predictable and cliché…but it wasn’t. At all. I’m not going to lie, the beginning is slow…at least it was for me because that’s when Matt and Hannah are apart the most. Because they have to be and…there is purpose behind it. That purpose doesn’t make a lot of sense until towards the end of the book…but there is reason and cause behind everything that happens and I appreciated that very much. Because I went into it not really knowing what might happen…I didn’t figure it out until it smacked me in the face. It worked very well for the characters…it was completely necessary as far as character development, although it brought out some particularly choice emotions on my part…but I should expect nothing less from M. NO and LL are very different books and I mean that in a good way. NO is so passionate and electric and emotionally charged…LL is a little bit more subdued, the intensity is there but in a different way…but it still worked for the flow of the story line.
‘I want this, Matt said. Don’t hold back. Do your best…
Matt always wanted me to abandon reason – in sex as well as in life. That’s what he did. Why couldn’t I? He lived without fear of what others thought. I lived like a normal person, in my self-imposed restraint. But Matt was free, I knew, and I was not, and the double edge of his freedom was his incredible instinctive selfishness.’
Something I loved from NO that I felt was stronger in LL was…the writing. M. has a very distinctive style…and I am a huge lover of basically every word. It’s very crisp and clean with a slight edge…it’s descriptive but not to the point of being over the top or flowery. It’s hard hitting and emotional…but not sappy…it feels raw and real. The connection I feel to the characters in this series just defies words…I didn’t think it was possible for me to love Hannah and Matt more, but somehow M made it happened. I enjoyed seeing a different side to both of them, as well as their relationship…it made me appreciate them more as characters and brought me closer to understanding who they are.
‘“Always,” he whispered. “You feel it, too, don’t you? You always want me. I always want you. We belong together, Hannah.” His fingers dug into my bottom and I squeaked. It hurt just enough to feel good.’
Alright…so the end…it might be considered a little cliffhanger-ish. On the cliffhanger spectrum it is towards the lighter scale…but…it’s there. There are a lot of things still left unanswered IMO…which is a good thing because now I’m dying for After Dark. I know it will be worth the wait because LL was…and I have no doubt, Hannah and Matt will get the HEA they so richly deserve.
M. Pierce is the bestselling author of Night Owl, book one in the erotic Night Owl Trilogy. The author lives in Colorado and owns a rabbit named Laurence.
Cheating and abuse are on the top of my list
Cheating is the dealbreaker. and lying! big no nos.
A deal breaker for me in a relationship is infidelity and disrespect.
Thanks for the chance! I’ve been DYING to read this one!
No idea – probably nothing. I’ve only ever been in this one relationship – I might leave hubby if he decides to color his hair red!!! ☺
Infidelity for sure. Also dishonesty and disrespect.
I have a couple of dealbreakers… Mine are abuse and cheating.
What a fantastic deleted scene! I would say cheating is a dealbreaker.
In a relationship, a deal breaker would be emotional, mental, and/or physical cruelty. I don’t mean the playing around, consensual stuff; I mean the ugly, no remorse, destructive stuff.
lying and cheating !!!
Cheating is the biggest deal breaker for me! Thanks for this awesome giveaway <3
Thanks for giveaway! Physical violence is a deal breaker for me.
Cheating, followed closely by lying……Thanks for the chance!
Cheating is a deal breaker for me. I don’t think I could ever forget or trust again.
Hard to say. We’ve been together for a long time.
A deal breaker for me is cheating. That’s something I couldn’t forgive.
Abuse of any kind would be a deal breaker for me.
Cheating!!! That’s the ultimate deal breaker for me. OMG that deleted scene is perfect! I’m rolling laughing!
Cheating! Thanks for the giveaway!! Hope to win! LOVED the first book!
Lies are a deal breaker for me.
Cheating is a really big thing for me because you just literally gave your love away and now it’s being treated like dirt!
Lying 100%
Trying to kill me is a bad thing and um being high maintenance.
The breaking point for me would be cheating because once that Trust has been broken it seems like you can never get it back. You will always be doubting them. Thanks for the give away
deal breaker? hmmm. dirty. messy. unclean. apathy. selfishness.lots…
cheating and no communication
lying is always a deal breaker
Cheating and abuse
Cheating is a deal breaker for me!
Cheating, lying, physical and mental abuse.
lying and cheating
cheatng
Cheating is the deal breaker for me.Lying is also hurtful.
Cheating and abuse would be deal breakers for me. Thanks for this opportunity!
Violence & infidelity are my deal breakers.
For me, cheating is a deal breaker in a relationship.
I think cheating and abuse are the main deal breakers for me! Thanks!
Lying and smoking are big NO’s for me.
For me, it’d be unfaithfulness.
Cheating and smoking.
Cheating & lack of respect.
Love this series! <3
A deal breaker for me is breaking my trust.
Physical Abuse…
Once you break my trust, I can’t go back.
Cheating!
Cheating
Thanks for a chance 🙂
Cheating,disrespect.no communication.
Love the scene 😀
Thanks for the great giveaway 🙂
Cheating, done and goodbye!
Cheating and lying are big deal breakers for me. There needs to be trust in the relationship as well for it to work for me, I can’t be with someone I can’t trust.
Cheating is a deal breaker for me. Thanks for the chance!
I have several … lying, cheating, cruelty (humans and animals)
A definite deal breaker for me is lying and cheating – nope nope nope!
Cheating and any and all abusive behavior
a deal breaker for me is cheating.. any kind of cheating. And Dishonesty