Review: The Rivaled Crown by Holly Renee

March 18, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

THE RIVALED CROWN
Series: The Veiled Kingdom #3
Author: Holly Renee
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Release Date: March 18, 2025

I swore I would never return to this palace. Never kneel before my father again.

But I have been dragged back into his gilded cage, trapped beneath his rule, and bound to a fate I had tried to escape.

My body is his to break, my magic his to wield. And no matter how many nights I dream of Dacre storming these halls, of his hands pulling me from the darkness—dreams are nothing against the greed of a king.

Even if my mate comes for me, even if I am freed from my father’s grip, I’m not sure there will be anything left of me to save.

The kingdom is dying. The land withers beneath the weight of stolen magic, and my father’s reign will not end without bloodshed.

But I have lived in the dark for too long.

And I was not made to wither, I was made to burn.

AMAZON

If you put her in a cell,” Dacre snarled, his voice thick with something dark and dangerous. “If any of you lay a single finger on her, I will burn this city to the ground.”

Oh Dacre, the man you are. *swoon*

I have been (im)patiently waiting for this conclusion for what has felt like forever. Ok, so it was a few months and I’m dramatic, so sue me. My point is, I devoured the first two books and couldn’t wait for the final one. This is what I would call a fantasy light read. Meaning it’s a steamy romantasy but the magic system and world building isn’t overly heavy. There’s just enough to hook and real you in and I enjoyed it immensely.

My poor Verena has survived hell and when I got to the ending of book two, I had to brace myself for what I knew would come in book three. And oh my heart, I wasn’t prepared. I’m grateful that Holly didn’t go into too much detail on what all she goes through at the hands of her father, because I don’t think I would have survived it.

Then we have Dacre who has fully entered the touch her and die phase of his love. And the man is prepared to burn the world down for his beloved mate. And me? I was so here for it.

The story is quick paced with plenty of action and several twists that hit me over the head like a two by four. It was deliciously addictive and with just the right amount of steam as the cherry on top. A great conclusion to a fantastic trilogy that I recommend for any steamy romantasy lovers out there!

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Fantasy · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Beautiful Exile by Catherine Cowles

March 18, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

BEAUTIFUL EXILE
Series: Sparrow Falls #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Catherine Cowles
Release Date: March 18, 2025

I should’ve known Lincoln Pierce was trouble from the moment I held my knife to his throat.

I’ve been running for most of my life, hiding away in a small town and hoping no one discovers who I truly am. The only problem is that I can never let anyone know the real me. Or at least that was true until my brother moved his best friend onto our shared property.

Now, I’m stuck trying to avoid the nosy billionaire’s probing questions and piercing stares. And it doesn’t help that I almost killed him the first time we met.

Oops.

But when all my carefully crafted lies come crashing down around me, it’s Linc stepping in to shield me. And when it looks like the person hunting me for all those years is back, Linc will do anything to keep me safe.

Only it’s not just my safety at risk. It’s my heart. Because when Linc touches me, I lose all sense. And when I truly get to know the broken billionaire, he’s so much more than a ruthless business tycoon. He’s the man showing me that it’s time to really live.

But I’m not the only one with secrets. Linc has them, too. And when the forces from our pasts emerge from the shadows, it’s with only one goal: to end the new life we’re building together. For good.

AMAZON 

Lincoln Pierce was a good man. The best kind. And it scared the hell out of me.

It’s official; Catherine Cowles books are my happy place. Full stop.

Now first I have to tell you that she calls him “Cowboy” and he calls her “Vicious” and I was kicking my feet and giggling like a school girl each time I read it. But on to the review, shall we?

I hope you don’t mind a clingy boyfriend.”
My mouth quirked. “Boyfriend, huh?”
Linc chuckled, the sound skating over me. “Ridiculous term. But it’ll have to do until you let me have husband.”

I swear, there is just something about a Catherine MMC that just hits in all the best ways. She writes some of the most amazing, fiercely protective, and make you swoon until you’re a puddle on the floor sort of men. And man oh man did I fall hard and fast for Lincoln. The man was perfection and I could’t get enough of him.

Arden was a survivor through and through and I loved her fierceness wrapped in vulnerability. This is a woman who took charge of her safety and I love the way she was. As a cane corso owner, I love seeing this breed featured in books and I absolutely loved the bond between her and her pup.

Can I pet him, or will he rip off my hand?”
I looked down at my dog. “He’ll only do that if I tell him to.”
Linc’s dark brows lifted at that. “And are you going to tell him to, Vicious?”

For those of you who loved it when the man falls first and HARD, like me, then you’re definitely going to love Linc. He didn’t fight his connection to Arden for even a second. Even while she fought it at first and even with him being her brother’s best friend, he didn’t let it distract him from his path. I absolutely loved the way he fought for her in the same way he fought WITH her. And man oh man but did I love them together. Their chemistry was absolute perfection.

The suspense had me turning the pages well into the night and I finished this book in one riveting, pulse pounding, edge of my seat, reading. Catherine has quickly become an auto buy author for me and this book is a perfect example why. I can’t recommend it enough for all my fellow spicy romantic suspense loving readers out there!

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: , , ,

Review: The Venom We Bleed by Lucy Smoke

March 14, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

THE VENOM WE BLEED
Series: Scorpion Kings #1
Genre: Dark, Why Choose Romance
Author: Lucy Smoke
Release Date: March 14, 2025

Silverwood Public: Home to liars, thieves, and worst of all … the Scorpion Kings.

I was the Queen at my old school.
Born into wealth and power.
Now, thanks to my family’s deceit, I’m a pariah and a target.

I’ve got no friends. No parents. No money. And no fucks left to give.

If the Scorpion Kings want to damage the new outcast of Silverwood, they’ll soon learn that anyone can be a killer if you give them the right incentive.


*This is a Dark Enemies to Lovers WhyChoose Romance*
*Trigger Warning: If you are sensitive to content common in dark romance (content such as SA, graphic depictions of violence, murder, drug and/or alcohol abuse, physical abuse, mental and/or emotional abuse, traumatic events, unhealthy coping mechanisms, dubious consent etc.) then this book may not be for you. Please read responsibly.*

AMAZON

Love? Hate? It doesn’t matter anymore. What we feel can’t be described by the written word or a simplified emotion. What we feel transcends conscious thought and all that’s left is fire and ice.

You ever added a book to your TBR based on the cover alone? Because, guilty. But the second I saw the title and the cover to this book, I knew it would be my first Lucy Smoke book. And clearly I have been sleeping on this author, because the way I devoured this book obsessively was no joke.

Need convincing? Because I can save you the review by this quote alone:

What’s my name?”
“W-what?” I stare at him, confusion pushing aside the panic.
“What is my name?” he repeats the question calmly.
“Lex.”
He nods. “Good. Remember that when I make you come so hard you forget everything else. I want to hear you screaming my name when you see God so he knows who sent you.”

I mean, what else do you need here? But I suppose I’ll give you more.

I am a sucker for the rich girl and boy(s) from the wrong side of the track trope. But this one is made even juicer because the rich girl has a dark fall from grace when her father is sent to jail and she’s left to pick up the pieces of her life and to bear the brunt of the blame of the people that her father ruined.

Juliet was once the princess in her school, albeit it was all an illusion and she wasn’t truly happy. But now, she finds herself on the other side of the tracks, where fights are fought with fists and not money, and her father’s name is nothing but a stain that she wants desperately to shed. All she has to do is skate under the radar, survive one year, get her diploma and get the heck out of dodge. Easier said than done when she lands in the crosshairs of everyone.

Juliette was impossible not to love. The girl has brass ones on her. She’s no society princess. She’s a fighter through and through and she doesn’t take any shit from anyone. Rather than take the easy way out and except the help from anyone, she ventures on her own. But the last thing she needs is to get in the crosshairs of the Scorpion Kings, the trio who rule the school and get whispered about for their criminal ties; Nolan, Gio and Lex.

I love that the author gives us a peek inside each of the guys’ heads though the predominant POV is Juliette’s. The story is deliciously gritty, violent, and full of dark secrets that we just get the surface of. The romance is a slow burn that I couldn’t get enough of. And the ending left me a shaking mess, desperately anticipating the next installment because I need answers!

If you’re looking for a steamy, dark and gritty why choose romance, look no further!

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark, Why Choose · Tagged With: , , , ,

Review: For Wrath And Redemption by Brit Benson

March 14, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

FOR WRATH AND REDEMPTION
Series: The Hometown Heartless #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Brit Benson
Release Date: March 14, 2025

 

This temptation is my punishment.
His redemption is my penance.

Jonah Hendrix is the bad boy of the music industry.
As lead guitarist of The Hometown Heartless, negative press follows him like a scorned lover,
And even his fans fuel the flames of his torched reputation.

Despite his permanent residence in the media,
He’s never been on my radar.
Not until my boss comes to me with a
Join The Hometown Heartless on tour to redeem Jonah in the public eye,
and finally get the promotion I’ve been working toward.

I’m not a PR specialist, and it’s not my career ambition,
but I’m determined to see this job through.
As long as I treat the surly rock star like a brand,
I’ll succeed in rehabbing his reputation and survive the tour with my sanity intact.

The problem?
Jonah and I have more in common than either of us realized.
And that desire for connection?
It’s proving to be irresistible.

***

For Wrath and Redemption is the third book in The Hometown Heartless series and contains a crossover character from The Next Life series.

For Wrath and Redemption DOES contain spoilers for The Next Life duet and The Hometown Heartless series.

Reading the The Next Life duet and The Hometown Heartless series prior to For Wrath and Redemption will enhance your appreciation of this story as well as provide a better understanding of the depth of the character dynamics, personalities, and backstories.

For clarification, For Wrath and Redemption takes place chronologically as the next story in both The Hometown Heartless series and The Next Life series.

AMAZON

Claire Davis could be my penance, but I’ll be damned if I admit my sins out loud. They’re mine and mine alone to contend with. No atonement, then. Just pain.

No one and I mean NO ONE can tug at their readers’ heart strings quite like Brit Benson. She gives angst and emotion like no one else and the way I physically experienced this book is a testament of that. Because I didn’t just read this story, I experience it, I felt it. It broke me, shattered me, and then put me back together in the best kind of way.

Now if you’ve read Next Life duet, then you’ve already met Claire. And if you’re like me, you already hated Claire. The dichotomy of her character in the two books was not lost on me. You want to hate her, and yet you also want to forgive her. The Claire in book one is not quite the Claire in book two. But I still left that duet feeling a certain sort of way for Claire. And if there’s one thing I can tell you, Brit writes a redemption arc like nobody’s business. Because the Claire of this book? Never have I loved a character’s growth as much as I did here.

If you haven’t read that duet yet, I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend read this series in order to truly appreciate everything that is Jonah Hendrix.

Every surface. Every position. Every country. I’m going to own every fucking orgasm from now on, Trouble.

I love the care that Brit took with his character. Jonah is the epitome of tortured rockstar. But nothing can prepare you for the true depth of who he is and what he has been through. When the layers of his past and his present begin to peel back, you get a live wire of a character that you can’t help but fall for. The story doesn’t shy away from the dark themes of addiction and a few other topics that I don’t want to spoil by mentioning. But Claire is far from perfect herself, and I loved the way she’s written so much.

But let’s get back to Jonah for a second.

That’s right, baby. Even with my hands tied, I can make you scream.”

The last thing he wants is a babysitter, but that’s what he gets when Claire is sent in to help clean up his image after a particularly disastrous visit he takes back home that almost lands him on the wrong end of a jail cell. To say that these two butt heads is an understatement. Jonah is determined to get rid of Claire at any cost. He’ll undermine her at every turn and he’ll make her job a living hell. And Claire, well she doesn’t take anything lying down. This woman has her own share of demons and I loved the way she fought with him.

Jonah Hendrix is my penance. I meant it when I said he would regret it if I left. What I didn’t admit was that I would regret it, too.

Theirs is not a perfect romance. It had its ugly and dark side and I loved the way they both fought for each other and themselves. It was a story of redemption and forgiveness and full of so much emotion that I felt every chapter to my very core.

If you love angsty rockstar romance with incredible multilayered characters and a story that will stay with you, then you need this book in your life!

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: , , ,

Review: Call me Teach by S.J. Sylvis

March 11, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

CALL ME TEACH
Series: Wilder U
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult Romance
Author: S.J. Sylvis
Release Date: March 5, 2025

The deal is simple: my brother’s best friend–who just so happens to be my new roommate–shows me the ropes in the bedroom, and I owe him a favor when the time comes.

No big deal, right?

Except that the favor he asks for is something I never saw coming.

Call Me Teach is a spicy lessons hockey novella that takes place in SJ Sylvis’s upcoming series: Wilder U (coming 2026).

 

 

This title was previously in an anthology but it has a couple of added scenes and a glimpse of upcoming characters!

AMAZON

I no longer want to be called Teach. Instead, I want to be called hers.

Sometimes all you need is a spicy hockey romance novella from one of your favorite authors to make you happy. The only thing better is when said novella also introduces a brand new series from said favorite author. And Call Me Teach checked all the boxes for me!

It’s short, spicy and oh so satisfying.

After breaking up with her boyfriend who was less than satisfying in bedroom, Hannah moves in with her brother and his hot hockey teammates. And let me tell you, I am an absolute wh*re for a brother’s best friend trope! But I digress.

When one is said teammates overhears Hannah tell her friend on the phone that she’s never reached the finish line with any of her boyfriends, he’s determined to teach her. So what’s a little sneaking around among friends with some extreme benefits? Nolan will be happy to have Hannah call him teach, until he realizes he wants more.

This was such a fun read, and while it was short, it was no less satisfying. It packed a deliciously sexy punch and whetted my appetites for the Wilder U series like nothing else! I can’t wait for more with this new series!

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: , , ,

Review: The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy

March 10, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

THE CHARLIE METHOD
Series: Campus Diaries #3
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult Romance
Author: Elle Kennedy
Release Date: February 25, 2025

The third in the steamy, hilarious Campus Diaries series by New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy, set in the same world as Off Campus and Briar U.

College senior Charlotte Kingston is living two lives―and she’s nailing both of them. By day, she’s the perfect sorority girl, a STEM student in biomedical engineering, and the adopted daughter of an overachiever family. At night, she’s Charlie: a risk-taking daredevil looking for fun who finds herself chatting on a dating app with two anonymous hotties.

Will Larsen may seem like the breezy boy next door, but his congressman father is a constant thorn in his side. After a scandal hits another Division 1 hockey program, Will’s dad is determined to distance his son from it, hiring a journalist to prove how squeaky-clean Will and his team are. Which means the last thing Will wants is for anyone to find out he and his best friend Beckett Dunne―a laidback Aussie shielding secret heartache―sometimes share girls in the bedroom.

When Charlie finally meets them in person and realizes she’s been chatting with two gorgeous Briar U hockey players, things get steamy―fast. But all their messy secrets are piling up, and real life soon threatens to shatter the fantasy. With Charlie, Will, and Beckett all coming to terms with what they want and what others want for them, difficult decisions will need to be made.

Especially when lust starts to look a lot like love.

AMAZON

Because… falling for one guy? Fine. But two? That’s a mess I’m not ready for.

Ummm…I beg your finest pardon? We have a hockey romance from one of my favorite authors with not one but TWO hot hockey boys? Yes, please and thank you! This reader loves a good MFM and this one hit the spot like nothing else!

I am and will forever be an obsessive nerd. Yet I also hook up with football players in parking lots.

Now if there’s something I love more than two hot hockey men, it’s a sex positive FMC. It’s just always such a refreshing change of pace when you get a heroine who not only enjoys sex, she’s not ashamed of it. Petition for more heroines like Charlie. But I digress.

Charlie is the perfect student, the perfect daughter, and the perfect sorority sister. She also likes to hook up with hot jocks. Nothing wrong with that. Girl likes to release her tension in the best of ways. While swiping on the campus hookup app, she stumbles on a profile that instantly catches her attention because of the two hot and faceless bodies and the joint profile is simply too intriguing to pass up. And when she matches them? Game. On.

The fun part is that Charlie has no idea who the two men are or their close proximity to her. Because one is the hockey jock she loves to hate in one of her classes, and the other is her hot new project partner. And the boys have no idea either. So when they finally figure it out, fireworks!

I loved the banter and the dynamic between the three of them. Will is a politician’s son who bears the weight of his father’s high expectations. Beckett is the fun loving one who’s quick with a joke. And Charlie is their perfect fit. I simply loved the three of them together.

Considering that this is Elle’s first MFM, I was wondering how she’d pull it off and she did so seamlessly. The three of them just fit. While I do love me some Elle Kennedy steam, it did seem quite a bit here for the story and while I can’t say that it overpowered it, it did come close to being that at times. I really enjoyed the story but I did want a bit more from the end. I wanted to see more with Charlie and her family and a few other things that I found myself wishing were a a bit more fleshed out. However, it was still a fun and super steamy read that I enjoyed thoroughly and highly recommend for any hockey romance lovers.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, New Adult · Tagged With: , , , ,

Review: Save Your Breath by Kandi Steiner

March 7, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

SAVE YOUR BREATH
Series: Kings of the Ice #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kandi Steiner
Release Date: March 7, 2025

THIS JUST IN: HOCKEY BAD BOY AND POP STAR EXTRAORDINAIRE ENGAGED!
That was the headline we’d wanted. If only I’d known the cost to get it.

Aleksander Suter has been my best friend since high school—and the only man who’s ever been able to truly get under my skin. With his reputation for trouble and a smirk that could melt ice, he’s also the NHL’s favorite bad boy.

When my publicist’s plan to fix my image collides with his need to clean up his own, we find ourselves in a fake engagement that feels too real from the start.

Now, I’m releasing my new album, putting on a show for the paparazzi I usually try to dodge, and falling too fast for a man who never falls for anyone. Every stolen glance, every heated touch blurs the lines between us until I’m wondering where the lies end and the truth begins.

And when a hurricane traps us together in his high-rise condo, all my carefully built walls collapse, and resisting the pull between us becomes a losing game.

Suddenly, the stakes are higher than just headlines, and the risks feel more personal than ever.

But as our past resurfaces and old feelings reignite, I realize the biggest risk isn’t losing my career—it’s losing my heart to the one person I thought would never be mine.

AMAZON 

Because my best friend, the woman I’d been sick over since I was sixteen, the one woman I knew I could never truly have… She’d just proposed that we pretend to date each other. No, that we pretend to be engaged. And just the thought of her being mine, even if only for a publicity stunt, had my insides twisted into an unholy knot of anticipation.

This series just gets better and better, I swear! Because the level of obsession that I now have with Aleks is simply unrivaled. I mean, I knew I would love him already when he was a secondary character in Learn Your Lesson when he finally let Will see beneath that bad boy mask of his. But actually being inside his head? OHMYGOD.

I wanted her so badly, I’d risk being her mistake.

Aleks is the resident bad boy of NHL with a reputation that precedes him. But after one fight too many, he’s at a risk of losing it all.

Mia has been crushing on Aleks since they were in high school but never recovered from his rejection those years ago. She’s moved on, or at least she tried to. But when her ex from over a year ago is still determined to smear her in the media, she needs a PR plan. And who better to make the world think she moved on than the bad boy of NHL and her high school best friend? But when the chemistry between them is this incendiary, they can only “fake it” for so long.

It was surrender and assassination in tandem.
He wanted to ruin me. I was desperate to be ruined.

The way I loved these two, I can’t even tell you. I loved the raw vulnerability that both of them had with each other. Even if their lack of adult communication made me want to shake them at times, I also understood why they were they way they were. Aleks feelings like he’s not good enough for Mia and Mia still stinging from his rejection when she laid herself bare for him all those years ago. But when Aleks decides that he’s going to risk it all, he really goes all in, and oh my god I was so here for it.

You’re so full of yourself,” I said breathlessly, the bite of my rebuttal weak. “You’ll be full of me soon, too.”

It was a slow burn with sizzling chemistry and the type of friends to lovers that I will always devour. I loved everything about their story; their history, their connection, their emotion, and their chemistry.

If you love a hockey romance with a bad boy/good girl vibe, friends to lovers, and plenty go angst and feels, then you need this book on your TBR!

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: , , ,

Review: Wild Side by Elsie Silver

March 4, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

WILD SIDE
Series: Rose Hill #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Elsie Silver
Release Date: March 4, 2025

I’d always dreamed of my wedding day. But not like this. Not looking into the eyes of the man who betrayed me.

But when my nephew’s guardianship is contested, I decide I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him in Rose Hill. Even if it means marrying the enemy.  

Rhys Dupris.  

A man who is secretive, broody, and completely infuriating. A man whose work takes him away for weeks on end and brings him back covered in mysterious bruises—ones he won’t talk about. In fact, we barely talk at all. 

Which would be fine, except when he’s not talking, he’s staring. And the way he looks at me is borderline indecent. 

The tension between us has always been palpable. But living under the same roof is a dangerous temptation. 

I swore I would never forgive him. But that was before I knew the man behind the mask. The one who’s fierce and protective. The one who’s gentle and patient. The one who shows up for us when we need him most. 

He’s not at all who I thought he was.

And that makes hating my husband so much harder… and loving him just a little too easy.

AMAZON 

How fucked up do I have to be to get all horny over a man who is here to make my life miserable and looks at me like he wants to kill me?

I don’t know what sort of crack Elsie sprinkles into her books but I hope she never stops. Because I liked Wild Love, I loved Wild Eyes, but I fell head over heels for Wild Side.

I was already intrigued by Rhys as a secondary character in the previous books. The quiet and mysterious stranger who just has an electric presence. We know next to nothing about him and I for one was rabid for every morsel. And after the tease in Wild Eyes? I was feral for this book. FERAL.

Tabitha is an FMC that I was immediately connected with. There’s just something so raw and so real about her. After the tragic loss of her sister, he beloved nephew is all she has left of her memory. She loves the boy beyond reason and would do anything for him. And when she finds out that her sister left the guardianship of her nephew to her grumpy neighbor, she realizes that anything would also be a marriage in name only to ensure her nephew gets everything he needs. She knows next to nothing about Rhys, except that he broke his promise to her, he’s grumpy, and he has a mysterious job that no one knows about.

And Rhys? The level of obsession that I have with this man knows no bounds. The more you find out about him, the harder you fall. And when you realize the lengths he goes to in order to protect Tabby’s memory of her sister, I fell that much harder. He’s selfless and beneath that grumpy exterior is the mushy sweet center that you can’t get enough of.

I lived for their banter. Tabitha was such a ballbuster with Rhys, but he didn’t take any of it lying down. Their banter was full of tension and so much chemistry that I thought my kindly would combust.

I don’t know why you’re so obsessed with me being a porn star. If you want to see me fuck someone, the bathroom is right there. Drag me in there right now, and you can watch in the mirror while I bend you over.”

And did I mention their chemistry? Because OHMYGAWD

Rhys has always given off big dick energy. But I know now it’s not so much energy as big dick knowledge. Big dick surety? Big dick guarantee.

There was a delicious slow burn romance that was full of tension and so much emotion. When I tell you that I loved Rhys and Tabitha together, I mean I never wanted this book to end.

And when you find out what it is that Rhys does for a living? PERFECTION.

If you’re looking for an MMC that you will fall head over heels for, look no further. Because Rhys was everything and I mean EVERYTHING.

I wish you weren’t seeing me like this.”
My brow furrows. “Like what?”
“At my worst.”
I tip my head toward her. “Then it’s all uphill from here, baby. It’s going to make seeing you at your best so damn special.”

This series just continues to get better with each book and I absolutely cannot wait for the next installment.

If you’re looking for a small town romance with all the feels, plenty of spice, and characters that you simply won’t stop thinking about then look no further. This book was simply perfection.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: , , ,

Review: The Misfit by JL Beck

February 28, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

THE MISFIT
Author: J.L. Beck
Series: Oakmount Elite #5
Genre: Dark Romance, New Adult
Tropes: Misunderstood hero / He falls first / Dark romance / Fake dating / “Who hurt you” / Playboy VS Grumpy heroine / OCD/ADHD REP / Frienemies to lovers
Release Date: February 28, 2025

Golden boy. Party king. Trust fund brat.

That’s what they call me – Lee Sterling, Oakmount University’s favorite disaster.

Everyone thinks they know me, but they only see what I let them.

I’m the guy who can charm his way out of anything and never takes life seriously. But it’s all a ruse. They don’t see the mask I wear or the cage of family expectations slowly threatening to suffocate me.

Three months. That’s how long I have to find someone “suitable” to present at the Sterling New Year’s Gala, or it’s over.

I tell myself I can handle it, like I handle everything else – with a smile and a shot of bourbon, but deep down, I know I’m inching closer and closer to the edge.

Then I meet Salem Masters in a dark pantry at a party, and suddenly, nothing feels simple anymore.

They call her crazy, and broken. The girl who wears latex gloves and counts her steps.

I call her beautiful, careful, haunted.

One encounter and I’m obsessed. I need to know more about her. I need to know if she’s just like me.

When I discover we share a common interest, I convince her to be my fake girlfriend. She could use the protection, and I need to convince my family I’m normal…but when our fake relationship turns real I discover just how close to danger I am.

Because for the first time in my life, I want something that I can’t have, that I don’t deserve.

AMAZON

Who knew obsession could ignite so quickly?

The way that I have been waiting for Lee’s book I cannot even describe to you. And considering that he was the broken troublemaker of the group, is it any wonder? I have a thing for those broken bad boys.

Now I do have to admit that I had hoped this would be an MM or an MFM. But the more I read, the more I connected to him with Salem. Two broken souls healing each other.

If you’ve read this series, then you already know Lee and the trouble he’s caused. You know that this is a guy with an easy smile and quick humor that he uses as a mask to hide something. And in this book we get to the true depths of what that something is.

Salem is dealing with her own trauma as she’s trying to get some semblance of her normalcy back after something tragic. A fateful meeting in the pantry of a party changes the trajectory for both of them when Salem lands in Lee’s sight. He feels an instant connection with the girl who for the first time seems to see behind his mask to the man beneath. And when his parents start breathing down his neck about settling down and finding an appropriate wife, he decides they have a mutual benefit. He’ll help her find her new normal and protect her on campus and she pretends to be his girlfriend. Only there’s not much to pretend with their chemistry.

There were definitely some heavy themes in this story that I found the author handled really well. Lee and Salem are both broken in their own way but Lee’s past damn near broke my heart. This was a fake dating trope with plenty of spice that I enjoyed quite a bit. The ending was satisfying though a touch heavy on the sweet, though I didn’t mind all that much. While this has dark themes, it was more of a gray romance. But if you’re looking to dip your toes in the genre, this is a great one to start with.

JL. Beck writes steamy romance that’s unapologetic, meaning it makes no apologies for the way it rips you open and makes you crave more. Her heroes are alphas who take what they want, and she pairs them with heroines that bring them to their knees.

She loves writing about darkness, passion, suspense, and of course, steam. Leaving her readers gasping and asking what the hell just happened is only one of her many tricks.

Her books range from morally grey to dark and spicy but always end with a happily ever after. She loves to write across numerous tropes, but her favorite is enemies to lovers.

She started her writing career in the summer of 2014 and hasn’t stopped since. She lives in Wisconsin and is a mom to two, a wife, and likes to act as a literary agent part-time.

Visit her website for more info:
www.beckromancebooks.com

Connect with JL Beck:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJLBeck/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjlbeck/
Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@authorjlbeck
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2srbge9
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2tOVZl8

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8425041.J_L_Beck
Unapologetic Romance Book Club FB Group: http://bit.ly/2sWljZG

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark, New Adult · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Pretty Little Threats by Daria Quinn

February 22, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

PRETTY LITTLE THREATS
Genre: Dark Romance
Series: Princes of NYC #1
Author: Daria Quinn
Release Date: February 20, 2024

A dark secret. A corrupt marriage. And a beast who might just fall for the beauty.

DARE
Power. Control. Darkness.
I’ve built an empire with those three things, and I’ll destroy anyone who tries to threaten it.
When Rose Miller’s father announces her arranged marriage to a man far worse than me, I step in. She needs my protection. But she doesn’t know the price of my help.
We share a secret, one that could ruin us both. A crime that ties us together in ways she doesn’t understand.
I’ll marry her, keep her safe, but make no mistake, she won’t just be my wife. She’ll be mine, body and soul.

ROSE
I’ve spent my life following every rule my father set. But when he tries to give me to a monster, I realize I’ve been trapped in a gilded cage.
Dare Richardson might be the only one who can protect me, but he’s ruthless. A dangerous beast I’ve always despised.
The truth is, we’re both running from something darker than either of us, and when he offers me a way out, I can’t help but accept.
The man I once swore to hate is now my husband.
And the beast within him? He’s the only one who can set me free.


This is a dark contemporary MF romance. It is the first standalone in the Princes of NYC series

AMAZON 

 

She’s the daughter of my enemy, and I’ll fu*ck her like she’s one.

In my constant search for new to me authors to obsess over, the blurb to Pretty Little Threats immediately had my attention. And now that I’ve finished, I’m already desperately anticipating the next release in this series.

I love a good hate to love romance and boy do these two fiery characters bring that trope to life.

Can’t keep your hands off me?” he asks.
“If you wake up one morning without your tongue, don’t be surprised.”
Dare laughs—like he thinks I’m joking, when I’m already planning how to do it. I glare at him. His lips press into a wider grin. I almost trip, but years of practice in heels and Dare’s hand on my waist keep me steady. That smile is disarming. Beautiful. Dangerous. “I like it when you threaten me.”
What? Is he insane?

The story of Dare and Rose was full of delicious banter, hate lust, and a marriage of convenience with a bit of bribery and blackmail thrown in.

Rose is the daughter of Dare’s biggest adversary and to say that there is no love lost between these two, is a mild understatement. Dare is a cold and ruthless business man who is known as the Beast of NYC for good reasons. Rumors of murder and dark secrets circle around him.

Rose is a woman who is desperate for her father’s approval. But when her father locks her into an arranged marriage with a man she despises, she realizes that her freedom was nothing more than a hopeful illusion. And the answer to her problem may be a deal with the devil himself.

If you’re looking to dip your toes in the darker romance, this is a perfect gateway book. It’s gritty and has plenty of darker themes but without going full black. Definitely morally gray and with plenty of suspense thrown in.

The writing was quick paced and I found myself easily enraptured by the story. I also really loved both characters; Rose may have grown up as the daughter of a rich businessman, but she’s no naive or sheltered woman. There’s a bite to her that I really enjoyed. Dare immediately had my attention because the man simply draws you in with his magnetism that just jumps off of the pages.

I devoured this book and loved the chemistry between Rose and Dare. I would have loved a bit more meat to the ending, because it seemed like Rose got over the shock of what she learned a bit too fast. But it definitely didn’t take away from my enjoyment.

If you’re looking for a super spicy hate to love romance with plenty of banter and all the chemistry, you need this book on your TBR!

Meet Daria Quinn:

Daria Quinn is a pen name for a USA Today Bestselling Author who realized her story telling passions stray a little in the morally grey. 

Daria Quinn love cats, dark chocolate, earl grey tea, and heart stopping romance. 

Connect with Daria Quinn:

https://www.instagram.com/dariaquinnauthor/



Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark · Tagged With: , , ,
Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

%d bloggers like this: