Review: Wall by Cate C. Wells

WALL
Series: Steel Bones Motorcycle Club #4.5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Cate C Wells
Release Date:
 June 30, 2020

What’s more dangerous than a second chance?

Wall

I want my wife back, but I lost the right to go after her one drunken night four years ago. She’s moved on, but I’m not going anywhere. I’m gonna be right here. And when she finally comes to me? I ain’t letting her go again.

Mona

John Wall wrecked my life, but I’ve put myself together again. I’m not the broken woman whose husband betrayed her. I can fight my own battles.

Then a favor for a friend backfires, and I run into more trouble than I can handle. I need backup, and John is still the biggest man I know. But he won’t help me for free. He wants something in return.

I thought I knew what tore us apart, but when I let John back in, I realize the past isn’t always how you remember. And second chances? They can heal you–or break you forever.

Wall is a 43,000-word novella set in the Steel Bones Motorcycle Club World. It takes place before the action of Charge and Nickel’s Story, and it can be read as a standalone. Wall is a second chance, redemption romance that deals with infidelity and pregnancy loss.

HEA guaranteed.

AMAZON

And so we’re clear. This ain’t me leaving.”
“It’s not?”
“Nope. ‘Cause I guess you don’t know this, but my heart’s right there.” He nods to where I sit on the bed. “Has been since I first laid eyes on you.”

Alright, so elephant in the room, this book is certainly not for everyone. But as a reader that loves a good redemption and the angst of cheating, I was all over it. Cheating in romance is hard to pull off. It has to be a reason where you can buy the redemption arc. And as ridiculous as it is for me to say, note I’m talking about fiction. So please don’t come at me with morality lectures, kay? But anyhoos.

I first discovered Cate with her PNR series and then her mafia Run Posy Run. This was my first MC read of hers and yes I know I read it out of order, but I had no issues diving right in. John (Wall) and Mona have been together since they were teens, but then life and tragedy happened and John made a decision that cost him his marriage and the love of his life. When he fessed up his one night mistake, Mona kicked him out. Now it’s been four years and neither have moved on. Wall protects her from afar while Mona has been in a state of limbo.

This was an entertaining read albeit a little fluffy for my taste. I wanted more grit considering the subject matter but it packed more sweet. I also can’t say I loved Mona. She didn’t annoy me but she wasn’t a memorable FMC either. So while it didn’t blow me away, I did read it in one sitting and plan on reading the rest of the series.

Review: Lexi, Baby by Lynda LeeAnne

LEXI, BABY
Series:
This Can’t Be Happening #1
Genre:
Contemporary Romance
Author: Lynda LeeAnne

Release Date:
November 15, 2012

Alexis Sky Martine thinks of herself as the average girl-next-door who does what she has to do to get by, have fun and enjoy life.

She is madly in love with her sexy, drop-your-panties-at-first-sight, hottie boyfriend who is equally in love with her; more like downright obsessed. He treats her like she is his heart; like he needs her to exist; like he would do anything in his power to make her happy.
Lexi knows Landyn James loves her just as much as she loves him, if not more. Deep down, she also knows high school sweethearts aren’t expected to last, but their relationship is different. They are soul mates. Their connection is unbreakable.

What could possibly go wrong when you have love like that…?
Everything.
What will the future hold…?
Only time will tell.

Author’s Note: Contains Adult Content – Namely, a teenager-turned-woman with a very dirty mouth and fiery temper that may or may not know how to throw a punch. Also includes hot and steamy scenes, and a small glimpse into physical/verbal abuse.

AMAZON

I hated him with every fiber of my being. I would always love him, but I hated him with so much passion that I knew I would never be able to forgive him.

I recently fell down the KU rabbit hole and binge read on all of the books that I’ve been wanting to read for a few years now. This was at the top of my list. Why? The cheating. What? I’m weird like that, okay. I love me some cheating angst. But the cheating has to be written well. Like really well. There has to be a reason I can connect with. There has to be a grovel. Like epic grovel. Like a grovel to beat all grovels. And this book? Well….
I love alpha males. I love imperfect, broody, alpha holes. But toxic men? Not my cuppa. And Landyn felt toxic to me. He was possessive and broody, sure. But beyond that? Meh.

All things considered, I could have still liked it. But then there was Alexis. Annoying heroines are my kryptonite and I simply couldn’t stand Alexis. Spoilers to follow
(view spoiler)
Suffice it to say, I really disliked her for that.

Then there’s her toxic boyfriend that seriously spirals out of control and all of the victim blaming that happens. Oh he had a right to manhandle me because this happened and he was mad.
There was really no dealing with things between her and Landyn. Just a whole lot of sex. And I don’t mind me some sexy times, but a little less freaky deaky and a little more conversation wouldn’t have been amiss.

Between that, the amount of over the top ridiculous drama, grammatical errors, and really juvenile characters and dialogue and I completely checked out of the story. Though it did still hook me enough to be curious to read the next book to see how Trish and Tony’s story plays out.

Maybe if I read this book when it first released, I would have felt differently? But my reading tastes have changes quite a bit over the years and I’ll admit my expectations got different for my books. Sadly this one wasn’t my cuppa.

Review: ★Break Even★ by @LisaDeJongBooks

Review-Break EvenBreak Even
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Lisa De Jong
Release Date: December 27, 2015add-to-goodreads-button-2

2015-12-30-1451490427-6445778-BreakEvenhigh

My story isn’t a love story … not the typical kind anyway.
As a lawyer, I’m used to discovery, but I never saw this one coming.

Every day, River gives me ten reasons to stay away, and then eleven reasons why I can’t. Our relationship was to remain strictly business, or at least I tried.

Four years of marriage, and everything with Cole has changed. I never knew two people who lived together could be so distant. But I’m not ready to give up on him.

One man wants to break me.
The other is just trying to get even.

Both are lying to me.

**This is a standalone!**

Buy-Links10AMAZON / iBOOKS

Review4.5 stars

Break Even teaser 2 @DGR

To an outsider, I have it all- the job, the husband, and the house- but inside I’m nearly empty.

I’m not a reader that has many hard limits in books, but damn if this didn’t take me out of my comfort zone in the best way possible. Evocative and unpredictable, Break Even crossed many lines, but written in the flawless and gripping way it is; it just worked. See I’m one of those rare readers that doesn’t mind cheating in books so long as I feel that it fits the story. I’m not saying that I condone it, but I don’t see romance in black in white with books. I can appreciate that fictional characters, much like real people are not perfect and mistakes happen. If the author can endear me to the MCs, I can look past a lot; cheating, love triangles. So long as I have a connection to the characters and I understand the why’s of their behavior, I can overlook their imperfections. To be frank, that’s the best part of reading for me; for something to take me out of my comfort zone and make me think. I don’t want perfect characters and idealistic situations. I want them real. I like the grittiness of imperfection. With that being said, I can see that this book won’t be for everyone. But if you decide to venture out of your comfort zone I can also tell you that you will not regret it.

I love him. I truly, deeply love him, but sometimes I have to search forever to remember how I feel in the first place.

Break Even is the story of a woman that’s torn. A woman that loves her husband but has also felt herself drift apart from him though the years. Marley is a strong, independent and professional woman, but she’s not perfect by any means. In a vulnerable point of her life she meets a man that changes everything…

River is unlike anyone I’ve ever met. He’s untouchable-unobtainable- and I’m married.

River Holtz is a sexy enigma. He entices Marley and threatens her control, yet beyond him being her new client she knows nothing about him. River was easily my favorite part of the book. He’s magnetic. His words, his mere presence effected me with every page. He’s a character that you don’t soon forget.

Every inch of your perfect little body is aching to know what my hands would feel like. Every. Fucking. Inch. You hold a shield up, thinking it will keep me away, but there’s nothing I don’t see.

Break Even-TeaserThis is a book about imperfect people dealing with an impossibly imperfect situation. What do you do when you see your marriage falling apart? When you’re vulnerable and in need of simple attention and affection. Do you strive to make your marriage work or do you give into one moment of weakness that can cost you everything? Those are just a few of the questions addressed and none of them have a simple answer.

Break Even was unpredictable and filled with the sort of twists that will send your mind reeling. You think you know what’s happening, but you don’t. You think you know where it’s leading, but you don’t. It’s evocative and erotic, and yet it has that touch of emotion that will make you understand the characters and their decisions even if you don’t agree with them.

I hate him.
I want him.
I loathe him.
I need him.

This was my first book by this author and I can certainly tell that it will not be my last. This book was exactly the sort of different I was looking for. It took me out of my comfort zone and kept me reading well into the night. I loved every word of it. It’s not black and white. It’s firmly rooted in that gray area. But the fact that Lisa De Jong truly made the reader connect with the heroine made it work.

Each character drove the plot in a meaningful way and the end result was a twist I never saw coming. It was utterly delicious. If you’re looking for a book that’s not your typical every day romance, I can’t recommend this one enough.

You ruined me, Marley. You fucking ruined me.”

Review: ★Hindrance★ by Angelica Chase

Hindrance
Series: The Excess #3
Author: Angelica Chase
Genre: Erotic Romance (trilogy)
Release Date: April 27, 2015

Nina Storms are a funny thing. Most people ignore the warning signs: a strong gust of wind, a lightning strike on the horizon, the distant rumble of thunder.

My head and heart had been at odds for the last two years because of Devin McIntyre, and my relationship with Aiden had only complicated matters. Still, I craved both men. Just when I thought the decision was taken from me, a choice between the two became inevitable. The two men I had attached myself to emotionally and physically had already told me everything I needed to know.

Although the dark clouds were gathering overhead, I ignored the lightning, played deaf to the thunder, and let the tempest push me toward them both. I ended up in a whirlwind of secrets, a vortex of deception and depravity I never imagined possible. I was drowning again, but this time … this time I would be ready.

Or so I thought.

Nothing could have prepared me for the coming storm.

If you are not a fan of cursing, erotic and extremely explicit sex, cheating, immoral behavior, dysfunction or sexual scenarios that may make you feel uncomfortable this is not the series for you. FILTHY EROTIC ROMANCE

Book 3 of 3.

Review

I wanted her to scream it, to realize her need for me on both levels. I had to have her confirm she felt the same, and that I hadn’t completely lost her. I was asking too much when I had given so little, and I didn’t give a fuck. This woman had consumed me.

Holy. Fucking. Shit. Of all the ways I saw this love triangle and the story playing out, never in a million years did I think it would be like this. I am flabbergasted. Good shocked or bad shocked? I can’t even tell you. I’m that fucking shocked. My poor puny brain is still playing catchup with all my emotions because WOW. Can’t say that the author didn’t warn me with that preface of her, but still…damn.

How do I even begin reviewing a book where any possible details could be a spoiler? I’ll give it my best college try, but don’t expect anything too coherent. If you haven’t read the first two books DO NOT read my review because it will contain minor spoilers of the first two.

Oh what a tangled we we weave…when first we practice to deceive.”
Walter Scott

When Nina met the intensely sexy and captivating Aiden after finally severing ties with her toxic relationship with Devin, never did she suspect that the two men are connected (view spoiler). Now that Devin has made his feelings for her clear, she’s even more confused. As much as she loves Devin, their relationship has been damaged by one too many lies. Then there’s also the fact of his crazy wife that clearly has it in for her. When Nina’s life gets threatened she knows she has no other choice but to sever her connection with Devin totally and completely.

I was an ambitious, determined, wealthy woman with a strong insatiable, sexual appetite who needed to take control of her life.
And so I did.

Aides may have taken off when he realized who Nina’s ex was, but now he’s back in the picture and making her decisions even harder. She craves him but she still loves Devin, and the fact that they happen to be (view spoiler) is a weight that will always hang over her. With Aiden back in the picture and Devin refusing to give her up, Nina has one hell of a battle on her hands.

You see, I know how to fuck, and I know how to please a woman. But I’ve never been so fucking satisfied as when I had your perfect cunt trembling around my cock.

If you think things are clear cut, think again, because this book comes with a major whammy of what the fuck. And when it hits? It will hit you with the impact of a two by four. You’ll never see it coming and it will leave you absolutely reeling. Bravo to Miss Chase for writing something so unpredictable. Truth be told, if every love triangle I read was resolved in such a matter, I’d probably read them a whole lot more.

This was a jaw dropping conclusion to an addicting series and offered a little taste of the next series and Taylor’s story. Angelica Chase is a new to me author, but I can tell you that she’s one that I will read all future books from without a second thought. I’m eagerly anticipating Taylor’s books.

If you’re not sure if you want to read this because of the love triangle, trust me and take the dive. You’ll know exactly why after finishing the series. This was an erotically charged, unpredictable story filled with twists and turns. I loved it from beginning to end.

READ THE SERIES IN ORDER

Opulence (The Excess #1)
Reverence (The Excess, #2)
Hindrance (The Excess #3)

Review: ★Reverence★ by Angelica Chase

Reverence
Series: The Excess #2
Author: Angelica Chase
Genre: Erotic Romance (trilogy)
Release Date: April 27, 2015

Devin

I was a prick, but I never hurt anyone that didn’t deserve it.

Well … until Nina. I was a very smart man who made a very bad decision, but the mistakes I was paying for were not just my own.

My behavior toward her, no matter how unforgivable, had always been about protecting her—from me, from my wife, and from the long line of mistakes I would never be able to rectify.Nina was finally done with me, and I knew it was for the best. I could finally keep her safe from depraved people like me. I needed her as far removed from the situation as possible.

I tried to force myself to be content with her decision to move on … until I found out whom she was moving on with.
Nina

My unyielding love for a corrupt man might have cost me the affection of someone worthy. With Aiden, I had finally discovered a version of myself I could tolerate; then he dropped a one word bomb that ruined my new sense of self. Instead of listening to my voice of reason, I blocked it out, until it became a scream that refused to be ignored. Now, I would give anything to quiet that voice.

If you are not a fan of cursing, erotic and extremely explicit sex, cheating, immoral behavior, dysfunction or sexual scenarios that may make you feel uncomfortable this is not the series for you. FILTHY EROTIC ROMANCE
Book 2 of 3.

Review

The whore in me celebrated my luck in finding two men capable of sating my appetite.

It’s official. I’m completely addicted to this series. Who thought I’d ever say that about a love triangle, and yet here I am, absolutely devouring these books and never wanting them to end.

Kissing her was my undoing. Just a kiss in the middle of the harbor had ruined me. Her pussy would cripple me.

Reverence gives us the one thing I’ve been craving and that’s Devin’s POV, and I just knew it was going to pack a punch. If anything is true about these books is that looks are definitely deceiving and nothing is ever as it seems. Devin is the epitome of this, because beneath the cold and ruthless man that he was in book 1, Reverence reveals the wounded heart beneath the cold exterior of the man. Anyone that may have had doubts about him in the first book, I guarantee they will all fade in the blink of an eye in this one.

I couldn’t let her walk away. I needed to let her go. The realist in me knew it was for the best. I was forcefully married, she was newly divorced and had trust issues. We were a ticking time bomb….

We already know that Devin’s wife is one conniving bitch, and it was strongly reaffirmed here. There’s this inevitable sense of doom that keeps circling Devin and Nina’s relationship and yet you can’t help but still continue to root for them…especially with the turn of events and the revelations that Reverence brought.

…I was insatiable. No matter how hard I came, I would always want more. I was addicted.

Nina is firmly stuck in the middle between two men. One that’s toxic for her and everything that she doesn’t need but still craves with every fiber of her being, and one that’s his polar opposite and everything that she needs. The problem seems to arise in the figuring out of her wants and needs.

Aiden is everything that Nina needs in her life; he’s not married, he clearly wants her; and his intensity is more than satisfying in the bedroom.

The man was brilliant, beautiful, talented beyond words, and had a cock that could silence a porn star.

But there’s also a connection between the two men that Nina never saw coming that may be the downfall to them all.

This yet another review that’s almost impossible to write without giving anything away and this series is definitely one you want to go into knowing as little as possible. What I can tell you, is each book is better than the last and there was not one dull moment. I tend to struggle with serials/trilogies with the same couples since I usually tend to get bored. This is especially true with the 2nd book in a trilogy. It’s always that feeling of the story being stretched out or thinking that it could have easily been accomplished in two books. Shockingly, that was not the case for me here. I never found myself bored or feeling any part of this story is filler. You can truly see why this story needed to be split into the three parts that it was and it’s all the better because of it. Yes, those cliffhangers are painful but with every book in the series already being released, that’s not a problem at all. I loved it. And even though my poor cold and black heart still isn’t sure how it will handle this love triangle business, I’m eagerly anticipating the conclusion to this erotically charged trilogy.

READ THE SERIES IN ORDER

Opulence (The Excess #1)
Reverence (The Excess, #2)
Hindrance (The Excess #3)

Review: ★Opulence★ by Angelica Chase

Opulence
Series: The Excess #1
Author: Angelica Chase
Genre: Erotic Romance (trilogy)
Release Date: April 13, 2015

 

When I was twenty-eight years old, I wrote my own winning lottery ticket. A simple idea thrust me onto the fast track to wealth, and into a world I had only ever dreamt about. I submerged myself in the unfamiliar, a life that seemed all too alluring … until it lost its appeal.

I made my fortune, built my castle, and then exiled myself within its comforts once reality set in.

Far too late, I discovered I was drowning in a sea of hungry sharks. Given the choice to sink or swim, I chose the latter … and it cost me everything.

Devin McIntyre, the most dangerous shark of them all, was the last nail in my naïve coffin. His beautiful smile and amazing cock tainted me in ways I could have never imagined.
I craved him. I needed him. I loved him.

Miserable with the outcome of my prosperity, I set out to change what disgusted me most—the first decision being to rid myself of Devin. Little did I know that taking that first step would make me a slave to a man far more tempting … or that my addiction to Devin would threaten to ruin it all.

If you are not a fan of cursing, erotic and extremely explicit sex, cheating, immoral behavior, dysfunction or sexual scenarios that may make you feel uncomfortable this is not the series for you. FILTHY EROTIC ROMANCE

Buy Links

…that’s exactly what Devin was: poison packaged in a gorgeous smile and a mouth-watering cock. Our beginning was false and our end was inevitable.

Clearly I’m late to the party as always, since most of my Goodread’s friends have already read and loved The Excess series. Truth be told it was the love triangle that always made me weary. Oh who am I kidding, I avoid love triangles like a venereal disease; it just isn’t good for my health. But after recently taking a dive into Love Triangle city with a different book and liking it, I thought, what the hell? Besides, the book was calling my name after reading this:

If you are not a fan of cursing, erotic and extremely explicit sex, cheating, immoral behavior, dysfunction or sexual scenarios that may make you feel uncomfortable this is not the series for you. FILTHY EROTIC ROMANCE

This particular pervert reader will never pass up a good filthy erotic romance. Nope. And if there’s a great story to top it off? I’m sold! Which is exactly why I absolutely binged on this series and read every book in a matter of 2 days, back to back. But let’s talk about Opulence for now…

Nina Scott is a thirty-one year old self made millionaire, coming off of a bitter divorce. She didn’t grow up with money, but she saw what it did to her mother to never be accepted by the inner circle of the rich and influential. Being new money herself, she hasn’t exactly had it easy; especially when she realized that she was the other woman for a man that she thought herself in love with but who’s married to a woman very much established within the society.

Now she’s the woman that knows she’s the mistress but just can’t seem to break the hold that Devin McIntyre has on her.

I was lovesick and disckstruck. Judge away, but unless you’ve been the center of Devin McIntyre’s attention and the woman underneath him, you could never understand. Self-respect took a back seat to those few moment with that perfect cock.

Devin is gorgeous, rich and successful, and an asshole of epic proportions. There’s no love lost between him and his wife, but he doesn’t spare his contempt for Nina either. The sexual relationship between them is one of anger at this point. Neither can stay away from the other but they know they’re toxic for each other. The one thing that I really loved about Devin is that there’s this undercurrent of something beneath the sharp tongued insults. You want to hate him and yet you can’t feel like there’s just something more to him. I can’t say that’s an easy feat for an author to pull off, but Angelica Chase certainly did.v

Nina knows their relationship is toxic and she needs to sever all ties but Devin will always have his hold on her simply because she will always crave him. When she finally makes the cut she meets a man that’s the complete opposite of Devin but whose sexual intensity draws her in just the same.

Your misery makes you beautiful.”

I wish I could tell you more, but it’s just one of those things that’s best experienced absolutely blind.

Opulence was an erotically charged ride filled with unpredictable turns and dark secrets that made for one unputdownable read. I absolutely devoured this book and couldn’t wait for more. And after that cliffhanger? Forget about it! Thank goodness I waited for all the book to be out because if I had to wait for the release of book 2 after the ending here, I may have had to cut a bitch. True story.

If you’re looking for filthy hot sex, a heroine that owns her sexuality and makes no excuses for it, two men that will pull you in different directions with how you feel, and a great story as the icing on the cake? Clearly you’ve just found your next read.

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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