chemistry – Z. Elizabeth

BOOK TOUR: Indelible – Bethany Lopez

Posted on July 18, 2013July 14, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Today is the tour stop on The Book Lovers for Indelible – Bethany Lopez. I will be giving you my review of the book.

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Synopsis

After a year of partying, Sam decides to buckle down and focus on college. Things are going great until a one-night stand leaves her pregnant and alone. Raising a child while going to school isn’t easy, but Sam is determined to be strong for her daughter. She doesn’t have time for guys or relationships, and takes great care to protect her child and her heart.

Judd doesn’t fit the mold of a college ballplayer. His long hair and tattoos may fit the life he’s created for himself, but baseball is the one thing he takes seriously. When he meets Sam, he’s immediately drawn to her curves and refusal to put up with his crap. When Judd learns the truth, can he handle the responsibility that comes with loving a single mother?

Sam yearns for the fire that Judd fuels in her, but her child’s needs have to come first. Can two people at different stages in their life find a way to make a life together?

3 / 5 stars

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My Review

Indelible is the first book I have read by Bethany Lopez. I do have the Friends and Lovers trilogy on my Kindle but I have yet to get to it. When I had see this book on GR and read the synopsis, I just had to add it to my TBR list and when I saw there was a tour for it, I really wanted to be a part of it.

I actually read the book in a day. It was an easy read, I pretty much flew through the pages. Bethany writes with an ease, a way in which you don’t stop reading and suddenly you are right at the end, wondering where the time has gone because it only felt like a few minutes since you started the book.

The reason for my three stars is due to my confusion. It probably is crystal clear to other people but my confusion is over the timeline of the story. When everything happened. Was it over a few weeks? Especially when Judd was meeting Sam’s daughter, Karrie for the first time. After everything Sam said about not introducing anyone to Karrie or letting them know about her because she didn’t want guys coming in and out of her life, she certainly introduced Judd to her so soon. Or was it so soon? To me it was, but perhaps to you, it was weeks later. See, I couldn’t get my head around the timeline.

The other fact was the insta-love. One minute Sam doesn’t want anything to do with Judd then the next it’s all rainbow and glitter. But I dont read a lot of books about insta-love so is that what is it?

But despite all my confusion, I did enjoy the book. I liked the strength of Sam – the young mother. The single young mother, whom not only has to care for her two year old daughter, Karrie but she takes classes and is determined to become an art teacher. I was in awe of her, at juggling her daughter and school but she did a great job in doing so. Add in trying to have a relationship too, and you just felt so proud of her for everything she has accomplished in her life. It must be so hard to be a single mother, but she was brilliant. She had help off her parents and her friends so it wasn’t like she was alone in raising Karrie.

Bethany really showed us (Who have no children) just how it is like to deal with a two year old. The tantrums, the tiredness, the not knowing what is wrong with your child. It really puts into perspective just how hard it is for single mothers/fathers bringing up their child(ren) alone. I applaud every single parent out there.

There is a point near the end where i was so proud of Sam. For doing what she thought was right for her and Karrie and for Judd too. She was so courageous in what she did despite the hurt it caused her but what she did was the right thing to do no matter what either of them wanted to do.

Judd was pretty much amazing too. Not your typical baseball player, he has long hair, tattoos and a motorbike yet baseball is something that he cherishes and its important to him. You see him go from a bit of a player to falling in love and being responsible. One night he spots Sam in the local bar with him friend James (a girl) and he knows there is something about her. But she rejects him. The second time is much more nicer and that’s when he wants something more with her. Something that isn’t just a onetime thing. Despite not wanting a relationship – the same as Sam, they pretty much fall into one. As someone who doesn’t read a lot of insta-love stories, I just couldn’t really get my head around the fact that neither of them wanted a relationship yet it ended that way pretty damn fast, but who am I to say what is right or wrong?

He is a sweetheart when introduced to Karrie and you can instantly see how much she will and is becoming a big thing in his life. He treats her with respect and plays with her and you just fall in love with him that little bit more over the fact that although its not his kid, he treats her like his.

Although I didn’t understand why he went from not wanting a relationship to wanting one, I could see him transform throughout the book, as I’ve already mentioned. He turns into someone who is extraordinary. Who is always there for Sam and Karrie and always will be. It was actually really nice to see.

There is a twist in the book that I actually didn’t even guess and I suppose you might not either. But I was so proud of the way Sam and Judd handled it. Albeit they were both angry, they spoke about it, and dismissed this person right away for the way they acted. It was very brave of Judd to do that.

Molly and James – both Sam’s friends were such great characters. They were funny, gave great advice to Sam and Judd (James did) and were there for the two of them, especially little Karrie who was a doll. It’s great when you have friends who will support you and be there for you when things get tough, especially when you have a kid to look after too.

Although I did give this book 3 stars, it is a cute love story. A love story about finding someone who won’t disregard you because you have a kid, who will change because they have found that one they want to spend their life with and the one who will treat someone else’s kid as their own.

Judd and Sam and Karrie are such a cute family that it’s hard to not love the three of them.

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Follow the tour here
http://wp.me/p20ttU-1Na

Teaser Tuesday: His Risk To Take – Tessa Bailey

Posted on June 25, 2013June 23, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My Teaser

“I like it. Having your marks on me.”
His cock swelled against the front of his pants, begging for the stroke of her hand.

52%, Loc 1085, His Risk To Take – Tessa Bailey

Romance

The Kissing Coach – Mimi Strong

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Feather Hilborn is a style and dating coach. Despite what you may have heard, she is not a “kissing coach.”

Devin Nelson is confident and suave, not the kind of guy you’d guess has never kissed a girl. He’s cute, too, which is making it even more difficult for Feather to resist trying to kiss him.

Her first attempt sends him running. The second attempt doesn’t go much better. But you know what they say … third time’s the charm.

Coaching Devin is fun. The only problem is, once Devin “graduates,” some other girl will be benefiting from his new-found kissing skills.

3.5 / 5 stars

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My Review

Feather Hilborn is in no way a ‘kissing coach.’ Her job is a style and dating coach and she does a damn good job at it.

When Devin Nelson gets in contact, the confident and sauve guy has a little problem. He’s never kissed a girl before. And at 22, he wants to rectify his phobia. And he wants Feather to help him out.

It doesn’t help the fact that he’s cute and Feather is attracted to him, but she tries to stay professional and help him out.

Her first attempt makes him run away, the second isn’t that much better, but the third time…well it goes too well.

But what happens when Devin ‘graduates’ and some other girl gets the benefit of kissing him?

The Kissing Coach is a fairly quick and light read. I picked it because I wanted something fun to read and from the synopsis, it sounded like a great short book to pass a few hours with…okay, like an hour and a half, but you know me by now, I get sucked into good books and need to finish them asap.

This is the first book I have read by Mimi Strong and it won’t be the last. I actually have For You on my kindle too, which will be getting a read very soon. Ms. Strong had me laughing, swooning, crying, frustrated and over all enjoying every page of her book. Her writing is easy-going and will have you turning the pages wanting to know more about the story. Never once did I put the book down – I read it straight through, wanting to get to know what was going to happen next.

The Kissing Coach is about Feather Hillborn. She’s a style and dating coach, who gets paid for helping people out who come to her. She gets paid to dish out advice that could be given for free, but you’re more likely to listen to someone if you pay them…right?

Then along comes Devin, her new client and all of a sudden she feels this attraction to him. He’s confident and good looking but he has a phobia. He’s never kissed anyone and he wants to change that. He wants to be able to not be scared to kiss a girl so he comes to Feather for help.

Feather tries to keep her attraction to herself whilst helping Devin. But it’s obvious that there is chemistry between them as well as their fun banter between them both.

Feather has a rule that she won’t start a relationship when coaching a client, although she really wants a relationship or something with Devin. But she is perfectly find with coaching Devin on kissing, if it means she gets his lips on hers. But as she tries to ease him into the whole kissing situation, things get a little out of hand and he flies.

This happens another time after but the third time is the lucky charm. But then what happens when Devin isn’t so scared to kiss anyone anymore?

Feather is 22, she hasn’t been in a relationship in a long time and this never really bothered her. She was doing well with her job, liked dishing out advice and helping other people get into relationships but then Devin arrived and it changed her whole perception on everything. She wanted a relationship, she wanted a guy to call her own and she wanted to be loved.

Feather to me, seemed old beyond her years, maybe due to what happened in her past (You’ll find out). She was cocky, and knew how to banter along with Devin. But you could see her vulnerable side as well, the side where she is still a 22 year old woman who can be upset, who can make mistakes and sit in front of the TV with ice-cream and your pjs wallowing in self-pity. Despite the shortness of the book, you do see her journey. Journey through keeping her secret from her mother, see her bond with her mother, see her feel all these emotions she has hidden away, see her grow up and fall in love. I really like Feather as a character.

Devin is also 22. He’s a manager at this parent’s hotel. Hes confident, he’s cocky and cheeky but he’ also has a phobia of kissing. He doesn’t know what it’s stemmed from though but he gets anxious over it. This is why he wants Feather to help him. I really liked Devin. You could see just how afraid he was to kiss, how much he really wanted to though, and I could understand his freak-outs the first two times when he ran from Feather, yet he kept coming back. He was determined to get over this fear. Once he kissed Feather, he was like a different man, like a weight had been lifted and he couldn’t stop once he started. Wanting to take it all the way – ahum.

You do find out what made him have this phobia and I felt so sorry for him but I just couldn’t understand why he pushed Feather away. They could have saved the pain of not being together all those months if they had just spoken about it.

But of course, there is a HEA – well they should be or I wouldn’t be reading it haha. It was a great ending, one which had me giggly and pretty much summed up their fun and bantery relationship.

There are some sex scenes involved in this book. They aren’t heavy but they do notch up the steam factor a smidge. Their first time is funny – it was to me. I didn’t know if it was believable though (You’ll understand) but then maybe it was? Oh I don’t know but you can see how much they like one another; their chemistry and need for one another, especially the last sex scene where I was swooning over what Devin was saying to Feather. So sweet!!

Okay, now my favourite scene. I have to say it’s a part where they were role-playing in Feather’s house. When they were helping Devin and they pretended they were on a date and Feather was showing him around the house. Just the start of the role-playing had me chuckling and it was a perfect playing field to make Devin relaxed and kiss Feather whenever he wanted to without feeling anxious.

So if you are looking for a fluffy, fun and funny (Ooo alliteration ;)) book, then The Kissing Coach is definitely the book for you. You will love Devin, you will love Feather and generally, you will love this book too!

New Adult, Romance

Real (#1) – Katy Evans

Posted on April 23, 2013April 22, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

A fallen boxer.
A woman with a broken dream.
A competition…

He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting…

Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life.

He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong–but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents . . .

But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.

I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.

If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?

5 / 5 stars

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My Review

Brooke Dumas is dragged to an underground fighting match by her best friend Melanie one night and the eye of Melanie’s crush is aimed at one fighter in particular – Remington Tate.

Remington, or Remy, is the desire of females across the country. But during this fight and one of Melanie’s many screaming fits to Remy, he flicks his eyes over to the place where he heard Mel shout and catches Brooke’s eye. In that moment, he’s hooked.

Following Brooke after one fight, he has a proposition for her. Join him and his team on the last three months of the competition as his sports rehab specialist. Her attraction to Remy is at an all time high and after mulling over it, she accepts. Now shes touring with this sexy beast of a man and no matter how much she wants him, does he want her that way she needs and wants him?

Brooke is going crazy over the music and the little smiles and interactions she and Remy are sharing and it comes to a point where she needs him before she explodes but Remy is much more reserved, wanting to take things slow until she truly knows who he is and then she will always be his.

When everything is spilled about Remy, Brooke still wants him, still cares about him and will do whatever to keep him. But what happens when a fight goes wrong and Remy is put in danger? Her heart is breaking to tipping point and she doesn’t know what to do anymore. This man, this man who she loves with everything is breaking her and maybe now is the time to walk away?

Will Remy let her walk away or will he fight to keep her his?

I had seen the buzz on Twitter about Real and how everyone was raving about this book and about Remy. So I shifted my butt over to Amazon, clicked the 1-Click button and boom-ya. I’ve mentioned how scared I get to read angsty books but reading snippets of Real just made me decided to man up and open the file up. BY JESUS how glad I am that I read this book. I was sucked in, captivated by every sentence and every page. I felt every emotion from Brooke, especially the first half where I was desperately needing Remy to just have sex with Brooke, but I will come to that later on in my review. I laughed, I was frustrated, I cried, I grinned and I cheered and shouted throughout the book. Make me feel all sort of emotions in your book and make me feel all over the place and it’s an instant love for you and your book – and that is definitely what I feel about Real and Katy Evans.

Real is pure, its raw, it’s dangerous but it’s powerful and you will become hooked with it.

As mentioned, Brooke meets Remy at one of his fights. He catches her eye at the end of one of his fights and when Brooke decides she needs the bathroom; Remy suddenly runs after her and confronts her, demanding to know her name. This is the beginning for both of them.

A few days later, Remy and his team propose to Brooke that she come on the last few months of the competition as Remy’s rehab specialist. This means spending a lot of time with Remy, touching him when all she wants to do his jump his bones. She agrees.

During the months, she becomes closer to Remy, develops deep feelings for him but she wonders if he feels the same way? She thinks he does with the music he chooses for her to listen to, but she doesn’t fully know until one night at a club they all attend. Although Remy wants Brooke, he won’t have sex with her until she knows the real him, all of him and if she still wants to be with him, then she has to be HIS because he doesn’t just want a one-night stand with her, shes stiring emotions in him that he didn’t think he would ever feel.

When she sees and finds out the real Remy, it doesn’t make her leave. She loves Remy and will help him through his illness. As much as she is his, he is definitely hers. But when Brooke does something behind Remy’s back – to try and help her sister out – Remy’s mind is anywhere but on the fight with the snake that is Scorpion and what happens after that causes Brooke to leave. Her heart is broken.

Yet Remy and Brooke are soul mates, they have find the missing piece to their puzzle. Will Remy fight for the love of his life?

I firstly have to say how much I loved that music was an important part of Real – a way that Remy and Brooke could show each other their feelings for one another through the music and lyrics. Each song choice from both of them played a huge part in sharing their feelings without voicing them and music, to me, is a great way to express what you are feelings. Whether happy, sad, angry, there is music for every emotion and Remy and Brooke certainly knew the right songs to play to each other. Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls is one of my favourite songs and every time it was mentioned I would put it on and read that part with it playing. Music really does make a scene more powerful.

Remy is a quiet guy. His life hasn’t been the greatest and music is his release and his way of showing his feelings. No one gets to see this caring, loving side to him apart from Brooke, who brings it out in him. To everyone else, he is primal, animalistic (is this even a word? it is now), protective, a man that women want to sleep with and a man that men want to be (and perhaps sleep with), but despite this side of him, his fighting side, he has a vulnerable side, a caring and a warmth to him. He wants Brooke more than he’s ever wanted anyone and it scares him that he’s feeling these unknown feelings but that is why he is trying to make her see the REAL him, this side that no one apart from his team know about, because he’s scared she only wants him because he is Riptide. He wants her to see him and know all of him, Remy, not Riptide.

He is the typical Alpha-male but despite what is wrong with him; you can obviously see his protection towards Brooke. See how much he loves her through his attentiveness and his music and how much he needs her. He will do whatever to make sure she is protected, wanted, needed, cared for and make sure she is his. You do see his other side, and while it is scary, having Brooke there calms him down, makes him less’ speedy’ and you can tell she has a positive effect on him that no one in his team have even seen. Brooke truly is the girl for Remy.

I also loved that he always looked for her before a fight and smiled a secret smile for her, a smile that heightened their connection and told her that this was for her, this win was all for her.

I am totally on the Remy bandwagon, you so should you!!

Now Brooke. She is a tough cookie, but also fragile at the beginning. We find out that her dreams of being an Olympian were shattered when she not only tore her ACL one, but twice (and the fall is on Yotube) and so now she is a specialist at a sports rehab centre. If she can’t be an Olympian, she will help out teenagers recover and follow their own dreams. This, in my eyes, makes her admirable.

From the moment she laid eyes on Remy at the fight, something inside her sets alight. She’s never had this feeling before, never been so attracted to someone that they make her feel all these emotions. When she goes on tour with him, she realises that Remy isn’t a big communicator and so their commutation is through lyrics and music, picking the perfect songs to express their feelings. But I did love her spunk. She seems a bit shy, but with Remy and her overpowering feelings towards him shes frustrated that he won’t touch her or have sex with her – yes, it is enough to blow up – and that’s exactly what she does. She fronts him and shouts at him asking him what is wrong with her.

Her confidence in what she wants and loves is brilliant to read and she really is a great heroine.

The more time they spend together, whether it’s prepping his body after his coaching or fights or just listening to music, the higher the sexual tension builds for her (and him). I felt every emotion that Brooke was during this period. I felt the longing, the nervousness of touching him, of wanting him or picking the perfect song for him. I went on a journey with her, wanting him, wanting to protect him, caring for him and falling in love with him. Although she’s got broken dreams, she knows that this is where she is meant to be, with Remy.

You see Brooke love fiercely. Not just love for Remy, but love for her best friend Melanie and her sister Nora. She will fight and protect and do whatever for her friends. Her protection and love pours off the kindle and she truly is a strong character. You’d expect Remy to be protective, but just wait until you see Brooke’s protectiveness coming out. Holy hell!

Got to be said, Remy and Brooke got me so hot under the collar and frustrated for the first half of the book before they had sex. As much as Remy wanted Brooke, he wanted her to know all of him and want to want him, not Riptide and find out about him before giving himself to her and giving her what she so desperately wanted. I have to say I really admired that about Remy. Normally the guy would jump straight in but he wanted her to be sure that she would be his when they finally had sex and that she knew what she was getting into with him before he took anything further even though it was killing him to hold back from her.

Also when they did finally have sex, it got my all frustrated once again and stupid me, I read the first sex scene before bed. Yeah I really needed to be hosed down after that. Katy Evans certainly knows how to keep you on your toes with Remy and Brooke being sexually charged for one another. It literally pours of the kindle and into your body. Steamy is such an understatement that I cant even think of a word to describe how I felt reading the two of them together. If anyone can think of a word, please let me know!

Slight spoiler now!

I have to say, picking a favourite scene is pretty hard but there was one part that completely made my heart swell and that is when Remy is ‘speedy’ and he and the team are in the car and he is resting on Brooke, who is running her fingers through his hair and keeping him relaxed. His team have never seen this happen ever, and it just made me feel so many emotions that Brooke had this effect over Remy, to make him act this way for the first time during his ‘episode’. It truly was amazing to read this part and the part after.

Katy did an awesome job with Real. She portrayed the characters brilliantly, wrote them in a way where you see their journey, from start to finish, see them fall in love, see their vulnerable and protective sides and just see them find that piece that has been missing. They found each other and despite their tribulations, they just know that this is the end game for them both. They found that person who they completely fell hard for and who they need next to them.

I will recommend Real a thousand times over. It’s one book that will stick with you for days after (hence why I needed to be in the frame mind to write this review) and Remy will definitely take a piece of your heart along with him. Don’t skip this book; make it a book you read RIGHT NOW!

Whilst writing this review, a song on my Ipod came on. I’m not sure if you are aware of Emeli Sande and Labrinth (If you are American) but they sing a song called “Beneath Your Beautiful” and this song just made me tear up and think about Remy and Brooke’s relationship and their journey. Take a listen to it below. (So lyrics not fit, but the majority – to me – do)

Erotica, Romance

Hearts in Darkness – Laura Kaye

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Makenna James thinks her day can’t get any worse, until she finds herself stuck in a pitch-black elevator with a complete stranger. Distracted by a phone call and juggling too much stuff, the pin-striped accountant caught only a glimpse of a dragon tattoo on his hand before the lights went out.

Caden Grayson is amused when a redhead literally falls at his feet. His amusement turns to panic when the power fails. Despite his piercings, tats, and vicious scar, he’s terrified of the dark and confined spaces. Now, he’s trapped in his own worst nightmare.

To fight fear, they must both reach out and open up. With no preconceived notions based on looks to hold them back, they discover just how much they have in common. In the warming darkness, attraction grows and sparks fly, but will they feel the same when the lights come back on?

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My Review

Before I start this review, I’ve just realized the last three books I have read have involved guys who are heavily tattooed and have piercing someplace or another. I have a major problem.

Anyway back to the review.

Hearts in Darkness is about two strangers, Makenna/MJ and Caden who become trapped in an elevator, or lift, if you’re British for a number of hours, encased in the tiny metal box in complete darkness.

It starts when MaKenna, or Red to Caden as he had no idea who she is, literally falls at his feet into the elevator. His amusement at the situation suddenly takes a turn for the worst when the lift jolts and stops and they are thrown into darkness. For a heavily tattooed and pierced guy, hes trapped in his worst nightmare, the dark and confined spaces from the secrets of his past.

Makenna seems fine with this situation, doubling over in laughter as her day has just gotten worse for her. Trapped with a stranger, the only thing she saw of him before everything happened with the Dragon tattoo on his hand.

Throughout their ordeal, they begin to talk, first with the game 20 questions and it suddenly flies into their past, with Caden sharing his scars especially now as MJ has helped him through his fear of confined spaces and the darkness by just being there with him.

The pitch black darkness hides their imperfections and insecurities and allows them to be themselves, without the other person knowing what they look like and being rejected. They can express themselves emotionally to one another. This only fuels their chemistry and you can literally feel the sexual tension steaming from the book.

But once out of the elevator, will their chemistry and soul baring closeness remain when the lights are back on?

The author did a great job in writing both characters, especially the POV from Caden and MJ as you got a feel of what they were both thinking throughout the darkness and about each other, which carried on once they were free. She also backtracked a conversation or action so we could see what the other person was thinking while it has happening.

You got to see that Caden wasn’t your ‘tough’ guy, as you would expect from his appearance, he was actually complete sweet and shy and at times he was vulnerable, especially when he had an panic attack in the lift and when he kept asking MJ how far he could go or if it was okay to do this or that. He was such a sweet character to read, and it was a major great turn of events that he never lets anyone in, but around MJ, she had this aura to her that he just needed and wanted to be around her all the time.

MJ was a great read as well. She has an amazing sense of humour, which helps Caden out in the worst of it all. From having the worst day of her life, with the elevator topping it off, she’s attracted to Caden, despite not seeing his face until they get out of the lift. She’s intrigued by his tattoos and she absolutely loves his piercings, which turns Caden on as he was afraid they would turn her off. It was so nice to read that MJ was the one helping Caden through everything, as normally it’s the damsel in distress being rescued, but it showed her soft side and her caring side which was lovely to read.

Now this book doesn’t come without a lot of sexual chemistry and tension in the lift and of course you get drawn into it too. Although they don’t have sex in the lift, stuff does happen and you’ll have to wait and see what happens after they are released from the lift, but hello, tell me where to get one of these men!

Such a different book than I read, but it was great to read something where the characters can’t see each other but they are definitely attracted to one another literally based on being stuck together, their answers and the little touches they give that really heats up the situation.