Review: The New Guy by Sarina Bowen

March 12, 2023 by ·

THE NEW GUY
Series: The Hockey Guys #1
Genre: MM Romance
Author: Sarina Bowen
Release Date: February 28, 2023

A new male / male hockey romance from 24-time USA Today bestseller Sarina Bowen!

My name is Hudson Newgate, but my teammates call me New Guy.

That was my nickname in Chicago, too. And Vancouver. That’s what happens when you keep getting traded. Brooklyn is my last chance, especially after my poor performance last season.

But I can make this work. The new guy knows to keep his head down and shoot the puck. The new guy puts the game first.

What he doesn’t do is hook up with the other new guy—a hot athletic trainer who lives in my building. Gavin needs this job with my team. He’s a single dad with responsibilities.

We can’t be a couple. My arrogant agent–who’s also my father–will lose his mind if I’m dating a dude. And my team needs me to score goals, not whip up a media circus.

Too bad Gavin and I are terrible at resisting each other…

AMAZON

Good boy,” he says, and the words slide like butter along my overheated skin.

Truth be told, I’ve sat on my rating of this book for days. Why? I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to rate it. On the one hand, I enjoyed it enough to finish. It was cute, albeit a touch underwhelming. On the other hand, there was nothing unique or incredibly memorable about it. It was your average, run of the mill, middle of the road sort of read. Entertaining? Sure. But not unlike any other romance I’ve read either.

I love a good hockey romance, especially an MM hockey romance. Hudson is desperately trying to find permanence. He’s been traded one too many times and it’s left its mark on him. Now finding himself once more on a new team, he’s desperate to make this one stick, even if it means hiding who he is.

Gavin is the team’s athletic trainer, and a widowed single father. Hudson and Gavin first meet at a bar and sparks fly before they know who the other is. But when Hudson realizes Gavin is also his new neighbor, he runs. Much to his surprise he runs into his almost one night stand the next day at work. Fighting his attraction and desperate to pretend nothing happened.

As much as I wanted to love them together, the romance felt a touch underwhelming to me. Did they have chemistry? Yes. But was it something that really grabbed me and immersed me in them? Not particularly. It didn’t feel forced, but I wasn’t burning in their chemistry either. It’s hard to describe or even fully out my finger on, but it was just ok.

The plot itself felt kist ok and somewhat formulaic. Nothing about it ever fully grabbed me. Ultimately, it was a cute albeit not entirely memorable romance. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Is it something I’d ever come back to? No.

· Filed Under: All Reviews, MM · Tagged With: , , ,

DGRFave & Review: For The Fans by Nyla K

February 23, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

FOR THE FANS
Genre: MM Romance
Author: Nyla K
Release Date: February 23, 2023

Kyran Harbor is everything I’m not.

Rich. Popular. A superstar football player who’s awfully broody for someone who has it all. Basically, he’s a preppy jock who hates me. Oh, and he’s also my stepbrother.

That’s right. We’re stuck together, sharing a school, a house… A bathroom. Honestly, I wouldn’t care… If he wasn’t such an uptight control-freak who messes with me just because we’re different.

I had every intention of avoiding him when we got to college… Until abrupt misfortune forces us both into a compromising position.

Now the grouchy jerk I was hoping to evade might be the only person who can help me out of it.

Avi Vega is everything I despise.

A dreamer. A flake. An artist who smokes too much weed and thinks aliens exist. And by some sick cosmic joke, he’s now my stepbrother, following me on what should’ve been my escape plan.

It was already a disaster. Add a sudden financial disruption to the mix, and let’s just say my options are heavily limited.

If I want to stay an all-star quarterback on the way to the NFL, I’ll need to do something drastic. Unfortunately for me, and my desperate desire for control, the perpetually smiling stoner has a plan.

Maybe we can stop hating each other just enough to pull this off. As long as we remember we’re only doing it… for the fans.

** For The Fans is a full-length standalone MM forbidden romance with an HEA. This book contains sensitive subject matter that could make some readers uncomfortable. Please heed foreword warnings and proceed with caution.

AMAZON

This is for the fans, right?”
He nods again. “For the fans.”
Moaning softly, he whispers, “Suck on my ear.”
A slightly triumphant smirk tugs at my lips while I move them up to his ear. “Say please.”

I am shooketh! SHOOKETH! This was, hands down, my favorite Nyla K book to date. But it was so much more than that, too. It was emotionally charged, packed with feels, banter, and romance so sizzling it was incendiary. And easily one of my favorite enemies to lovers romances I’ve read. It was everything.

This always seems to happen to us. It’s like something about our molecules in close proximity melts hate into desire, and I just don’t get it. It makes no sense, but it feels good. And I hate that it does, because he’s such a raving jerk.

Kyran and Avi are as polar opposite as they get. Avi is the easy going stoner, who loves art and has no interest in most things school related. After losing his father at a young age, his mom became his best friend, and the relationship Avi had with his mom was easily one of my favorite things. Then Avi’s word gets turned upside down when he learns his mom is engaged and he’s going to have a stepbrother. Except the second they lay eyes on each other, the hate and animosity between them is instant.

Kyran is a typical jock. The popular kid, the people pleaser, the one with daddy issues that hide a dark pain. He’s a football star who is well on his way to his NFL dreams and his new stoner stepbrother is the last thing he needs, with his stupid backwards cap, ever present smirk, and irreverence.

They meet in high school but then fate puts them in the same college, still hating on each other. Until a family revelation leaves them reeling and desperate to make ends meet. And Avi decides to put his good looks and chemistry with his stepbrother to use on his OnlyFans.

Fuck, I don’t know what it is about his dominant side that destroys me so damn good. Maybe it’s because he’s not like that in regular life… So it’s like there’s a side of him that only I get to see. His regular cockiness is turned up to the max when we’re alone, and he becomes this demanding, growly, filthy-talking beast with a huge dick who orders me around. And something about it calls to my submissive side I never let out… For anyone but him.

I loved watching these two guys discovered themselves in their on way. Avi who embraces his bisexuality with the easy nature that he has, and Kyran who has a more troubled road to his own sexuality.

While Nyla knows how to write one heck of a sizzling love scene didn’t hold back on the emotion and boy did this story pack it. Kyran may be the football college superstar, but his wounds run deep. And the more you learn, the more your heart hurts for him. The more his animosity and hate to his stepbrother makes sense too.

Maybe the reason I’ve been fighting this so hard is because I knew it was inevitable… The chemistry of hate was never strong enough to overpower the hunger of want.

Yes this book is long. Like super long. Like crazy long. But there’s not one wasted page. I devoured this book and dreaded finishing it because I didn’t want to leave these two.

I fell so hard and fast for Kyran and Avi. There was something so vulnerable about Kyran beneath his typical jock persona. And the way Avi loves him and helps him melted my cold black heart. I swooned, I sweated, and I cried. I loved absolutely every single page of this book and cannot recommend it enough. And if Nyla doesn’t give us a book for Theo and the coach next, I will riot. That is all.

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Review: The Dom Who Came In From The Cold by Lexi Blake

February 21, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

THE DOM WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD
Series: Masters and Mercenaries: Reloaded Book 5
Genre: Romantic Suspense, BDSM
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: February 21, 2023

Kyle Hawthorne once believed his future would be a job in the private sector—a simple, normal life. Fate had other plans and he wound up in the military. Some newly discovered talents caught the eye of the CIA, and in no time he was working with a covert team. He found himself in a relationship with fellow operative, Julia—until she turned out to be the enemy. When her betrayal was uncovered, things got bloody and Kyle returned home broken, searching for a chance to walk the road not taken.

MaeBe Vaughan has never been interested in normal. Her happy place is a dark corner of the Internet, where she disrupts all the bad guys. She has a great circle of friends and a full life. She doesn’t need a man. Until Kyle Hawthorne walked into her life. He’s all wrong for her. Surly. Damaged. His uncle is her boss. But she couldn’t help getting close to him. When his past threatened her safety, Kyle walked out without saying good-bye.

Kyle will do anything to keep MaeBe safe. He faked his death, hid in the middle of nowhere, and watched over her from afar. But when Julia resurfaces, he knows that to protect MaeBe, he’ll have to get close. So close that if they manage to survive, he will never let her go.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO | SMASHWORDS | PRINT | GOOGLE PLAY

You are not an itch I want to scratch, MaeBe Vaughn,” Kyle said, his eyes solemn on her. “You’re a blanket I want to pull around me because I think you might be able to keep me warm for the rest of my life.”

I have spent years waiting for this book. YEARS. Kyle has been a predominant secondary character for far too long and I couldn’t wait to finally get my hands on his book. Particularly after the way No Time to Lie.

And while this book is technically a standalone with a new couple, I highly recommend you read the series in order because the story arc for this couple begins early in the series and you really need to understand all the nuances between them through the year to really appreciate this book. It does cover most of the basics, but glosses over some that have been covered in previous books (like the pining. GOD but I loved the pining)

People in love discuss their problems. Dumbasses fake their deaths.

Kyle has been in love with MaeBe from the moment he saw her. He may have fought their connection but his fall was inevitable, no matter what his inner demons said. But when Kyle’s psycho double agent ex comes back from the dead, he knows he’ll do anything to protect MaeBe, even fake his own death. Though his “death” is honestly like the worst kept secret and everyone pretty much knows he’s on a mission to catch Julia, including MaeBe.

When circumstances allow him to reveal himself to MaeBe, she’s no longer the woman he left behind. Her edges are sharper, and she’s also not afraid to drop him on his ass. And she does.

I really liked parts of this story, but admittedly, parts of it did drag a bit for me. The suspense plot sort of overrode the romance for me. I would have loved to read more about these falling for each other to appreciate their reunion even more. But on the flip side, I loved the progression of their relationship. I loved the way Kyle cares for Mae and the way he finally proves it with his unwavering trust. I loved watching Mae grow into a field agent in her own right. And while this wasn’t my favorite book in the series, it still hit the spot just right.

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Review: A Stop In Time by RC Boldt

February 21, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

A STOP IN TIME
Genre: Romantic Suspense, PNR
Author: RC Boldt
Release Date: February 21,  2023

I’ve been an outcast my whole life. If my scars don’t scare people away, my attitude certainly will.

I don’t know what I am or how I got the power to stop time. What I do know is, there are far too many questions I need answers to.

When I cross paths with a local gang member, his presence unravels a part of my past I never knew existed.

At every turn, danger leaps closer, and I realize that stopping the killer will mean losing everything—including the first man I’ve ever loved.

But I should’ve known better. We were never meant to be anything more than a brief stop in time.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

 

Damn him. No man has ever made me want to punch him in the junk while simultaneously turning me on.

I have been obsessed with RC Boldt’s romantic suspense for years. There’s just something about her stories that immediately grab me and suck me right in. But this new world that she created that combines a spark of paranormal with the suspense? I cannot get enough.

While this book shows to be a standalone (and it is), you’d do yourself a favor by reading Beyond My Darkness first. While each book is a standalone, they are set in the same world, and you get the introduction to each character throughout the series. We get introduced to Daniel Madrano in Beyond My Darkness as a secondary character, best friend and second in command to the notorious leader of the gang, Scorpions. We also get a sneak peek into the beginning of his journey at the end.

I’m not gonna sugarcoat this for you; I’m losing my patience with you, Danny.”
The edges of his mouth twitch. “It’s Daniel.”

When Daniel’s sister gets violently murdered, he’s left desperate for answers and vengeance. The final words shared with him through the help of his friend’s woman who speaks with the dead helps guide him in a vague direction with nothing but a name…Mac.

The way this book is written reminded me a bit of the movie Memento. Not in the way that it goes backwards, but there’s a vein of intrigue there that I also felt with the movie. Mac suffers black out episodes where she wakes not remembering anything that happened. She’s left deeply scarred from a traumatic event that skirts the edges of her memory, but never making themselves knows. She finds mysterious notes that hint at the truth and written in her own handwriting but she has no idea what it means. Desperate for answers of her own, she undergoes hypnosis therapy in her search for answers. But the answers are more troubling than she suspects.

Suddenly, Daniel ends up at her door with questions that she doesn’t have answers to. But something about him draws her in. Mac is not a woman that wants a relationship, and Daniel has never sought one out himself. And yet they’re drawn to each other like moths to a flame. But neither of them are prepared for the incendiary flame that the truth will bring.

I binge read this book as desperate for answers as these characters. It was magnetic, suspenseful, mysterious, and completely captivating. You know those books that seem to be like a movie reel behind your eyes as you read them? This was definitely it. Spine tingling good and unputdownable. Everything about it worked; the story, the romance, the chemistry, the mystery, and the jaw dropping ending. I was a woman obsessed. Now I’m desperately hoping we get a mysterious someone’s book next because OH MY GOD!

RC Boldt is a USA Today bestselling author currently living in part of the Costa Rican jungle with the love of her life and her mini-me.

If you’re in the mood for some killer mojitos or can’t recall the lyrics to a particular 80s song, she’s your girl.

Connect with RC Boldt 

Website: http://www.rcboldtbooks.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14543027.R_C_Boldt

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Kq1H9C

Facebook: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtFB

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BBBReaders/

Instagram: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtIG

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtBB

Verve: https://bit.ly/3jEf18z

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DGRFave & Review: Powerless by Elsie Silver

February 10, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

POWERLESS
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Chestnut Springs #3
Author: Elsie Silver
Release Date: February 10, 2023

Two childhood friends. Two broken hearts. One impromptu road trip to get away from everything. That’s all this was supposed to be. Afterall, I’ve been living in the friend zone for years now.

But hockey heartthrob Jasper Gervais isn’t looking at me like a friend anymore. And he isn’t touching me like one either.

To his fans, he’s the handsome, talented athlete on TV. But to me he’s still the lost boy with sad eyes and a heart of gold.

The man I’ve loved in secret for years.

So when my life falls apart on my wedding day, it only makes sense that he’s the one to swoop in and save me. And when his world comes crashing down around him, I’m there to return the favor.

But the more time we spend alone, the more Jasper doesn’t feel like a friend at all. He feels like everything I’ve ever wanted and thought I could never have.

Our feelings aren’t straight forward though. They twist and turn around the pain of his past and the reality of my present.

Jasper Gervais acts like he wants me.

But after years of turning me away, he’s going to need to prove it.

AMAZON

I can’t ever lose you,” he growls.
“You won’t,” I reply quietly, right as the tip of his nose traces the shell of my ear.
“I might.”
“Nev—” Before I can say never, he cuts me off with, “Because I think I’m about to fuck everything up between us.” And then he kisses me.

OHMYGAWD! The level of obsession I now have with this series known no bounds. NONE. Obsessed is an understatement.

Let me start off by saying I’m not really a friends to lovers girly. This trope has always been meh to me. Like I don’t gravitate to it but I will read it from select authors. But after Heartless, I knew that Elsie can write a grocery list and I’ll read it. And you know what? I think I’ve changed my mind on the friends to lovers trope. Because this book? It was EVERYTHING.

Jasper Gervais and I are friends. Good friends. He’s made that clear a couple times over now. And I’m not enough of a masochist to go for the hat trick.

I was already obsessed with Jasper before reading this book. But now? I bow down at his alter, because the man is a god. He’s everything I didn’t know I needed and I will never have enough. Jasper and Sloane (Sunny) have been friends since childhood. Jasper is the epitome of tortured, with his brooding and his troubled childhood. Sunny has always been his happy place (with his found family of course) but he never looked at her as more than a friend, while Sunny has been in love with him for most of her life. When Sunny finally has a wake up call about her douchebag of a fiancé and leaves him shortly before their wedding, Jasper is right there to help her escape. The escape leads to a journey neither of them expected.

Times have changed, Sloane. I’m not scared anymore. You’re not my fucking friend. You’re just mine.”

Sloane soon learns that she hasn’t been beyond his notice, he just hadn’t dared to really look. Never feeling good enough and he hides a secret of what made him back down. But when I tell you that this man is obsessed with Sunny, I mean you can see that the sun rises and sets with her for him.

But what I really loved about this is that Sunny doesn’t immediately jump for joy to have Jasper’s affections. She makes him work for it. And even though she accepted her douchebag ex’s treatment, she’s no pushover when it comes down to it.

They’ve always felt this way for me!” she explodes, arms flung wide, eyes shining with emotion. “And you’ve never noticed. But now you do? What am I supposed to do? Jump for joy and say thank you for blessing me with your interest?”

And when I tell you that still waters run deep with Jasper, I mean the man caught me completely by surprise. The mouth on him. And did I mention the intensity? Good lord!

I point at the floor beneath my feet and say, “Lose that fucking ring and crawl.”

Yeah. Uh huh. Exactly.

This book was everything. It was swoony, heartfelt, heart breaking, heart warming, and with enough steam to set your kindle on fire. These two were incendiary together and I couldn’t get enough. Their friendship, their bond, their love for each other was almost as amazing as their chemistry.

Jasper may have a dirty mouth but the man has a heart of gold. He loves and he loves hard and he would move mountains for Sloane. God but I melted for him. Goo. Pure goo I tell you.

And if you haven’t yet read this series, I simply cannot recommend it enough. Trust me. Do yourself a favor and read it!

Elsie Silver is a Canadian author of sassy, sexy, small town romance who loves a good book boyfriend and the strong heroines who bring them to their knees. She lives just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband, son, and three dogs and has been voraciously reading romance books since before she was probably supposed to.

She loves cooking and trying new foods, traveling, and spending time with her boys-especially outdoors. Elsie has also become a big fan of her quiet five am mornings, which is when most of her writing happens. It’s during this time that she can sip a cup of hot coffee and dream up a fictional world full of romantic stories to share with her readers.


Connect with Elsie
Website | www.elsiesilver.com
Goodreads | https://bit.ly/3WSjFlR
Amazon | https://amzn.to/3BR6HwY
Facebook | https://bit.ly/3YIJwia
Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/3YJuOYk
Instagram | https://bit.ly/3VeTlS3
TikTok | https://bit.ly/3VifDCH
Twitter | https://bit.ly/3PIekMb
Bookbub | https://bit.ly/3jnBTh9
Pinterest | https://bit.ly/3Vi25ai
Newsletter | https://bit.ly/3BU0sbN

 

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Review: The Phantom by Gena Showalter

February 7, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

THE PHANTOM
Series: Rise of the Warlords #3
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Gena Showalter
Release Date: February 7,  2023

“One of the premier authors of paranormal romance. Gena Showalter delivers an utterly spellbinding story!”—Kresley Cole, #1 New York Times bestselling author

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with The Phantom, the third book in her pulse-pounding Rise of the Warlords series, featuring a vengeful harpy and a callous torture master locked in a battle to the death. 

As the son of a war god, Roux Pyroesis has suffered unending pain—he’s caused it, too, dispatching his foes with alarming ease. Now he’s tasked with cutting out the heart of a powerful queen who rules an ancient prison realm inhabited by the most vicious immortal females in existence.

Blythe the Undoing is a decorated harpy warrior determined to annihilate Roux, the invader who killed her beloved consort. Nothing will stop her. Even if she must trap herself for eternity by sneaking into the brutal realm and taking the crown, pitting herself against the merciless male she’s sworn to despise.

Having never known desire, Roux is ill prepared for the stunning beauty who challenges him at every turn. For the survival of his army, duty comes first. Always. But what happens when the flames of Blythe’s hatred burn out and she craves him, too…but only one of them can live?

Rise of the Warlords

Book 1: The Warlord
Book 2: The Immortal

AMAZON

This is not the time to toy with me, she-beast.” The harshness of his voice nearly melted her bones.
“Now that’s a lie, Warden,” she purred, jumping onto his lap. “I’ve discovered always is the time to toy with you.”

You know when you’ve been obsessed with an author for years, and the obsession only continues to grow? It’s a rare one for me, mainly because I have the attention span of a fly and generally find myself growing out of an author after a certain amount of releases. But Gena? I will never grow tired of her words. This woman can write banter like no other. Her rich world building, unique characters, sassy heroines and tortured heroes will do it for me each and every single time. Without fail. And this book was certainly no exception.

You’re telling me our Roo Coo lost his manginity?” He looked to Silver, his brow wrinkled. “That is what the harpies call it, yes? Manginity?”
Silver scratched his jaw. “I think they prefer the term popped his ejacucap.”

An immortal virgin warrior? Yes, please and thank you. I mean, how often do you read that in PNR?

I was immediately intrigued by these two when they were introduced as secondary characters in the previous books. A harphantom who possesses the warrior who killed her consort and father of her child? I mean, how do you even come back from that? But I knew I was desperate to find out. And while a part of me was nervous on how this romance would work, I knew Gena wouldn’t let me down. And she didn’t. This romance was EPIC. Full of twists and turns, secrets and battles.

Blythe is the sister of Taliyah Skyhawk from The Warlord and also a harpy phantom. When an Astra warrior suddenly appears in her world and kills her consort, in the effort to shield her daughter, she posses the Astra with her daughter and travels with him. And when she finally leaves his body, she’s set on revenge, painful and bloody.

Roux is unreasonably drawn to Blythe, even while she’s determined to draw blood whenever they see each other. But beneath her desire for vengeance, is an inexplicable connection to the Astra warrior. Roux is the definition of tortured. This is a man who survived horrors upon horrors and completely incapable of tolerating any sort of touch…until Blythe.

This was a super slow burn romance which was oh so satisfying. I loved these two together and the enemies to lovers vibes. I will never get enough of Gena’s fierce heroines, and Blythe was absolutely unstoppable. She’s a warrior in her own right and doesn’t let anyone fight her battles. While it took be a bit to fully get into this, once I hit the 30% mark, I was fully invested and couldn’t stop reading. If you’re a fan of Gena’s LotU series, then you’ll love her Warlords!

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Review: Rivals by Piper Lawson

January 24, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

RIVALS
Genre: Rockstar Romance
Author: Piper Lawson
Release Date: January 24, 2023

When the biggest rockstar in the world invited me into his home, there was one rule:

Don’t touch his daughter.

For a kid from the wrong side of the tracks with no future, the offer should have been a dream come true.

Classy new digs.

A fancy prep school.

Someone who cares what happens to me.

Except for that rule.

The rich pricks at my new school worship me. I couldn’t care less.

She’s the one person who makes me feel worthwhile.

I want to save her from the turmoil eating up her picture-perfect world.

But she thinks I’m her rival: for her friends, her future, her father’s love.

I should keep my distance.

Avoid rescuing her from the assholes at school.

Definitely pretend I can’t see in her bedroom window from the pool house.

There are only two obsessions my life—music…and her.

All I have is my talent to set me free.

But my future will burn if I can’t stay away.

Rivals is an epic, angsty romance featuring two people from opposite sides of the track forced together by a forbidden love that could cost them everything. One-click today and find out if the damaged boy in the pool house can be the happily ever after she’s looking for!


Note: If you have previously read A Love Song for Liars, A Love Song for Rebels, and a Love Song for Dreamers, the new RIVALS ebook also contains an extended epilogue short story.

AMAZON

A man who’s seen heaven is more dangerous than one who only believes. And I’ll never forget how it feels to have you need me.”

Did this book take me a full week to finish? Yes, yes it did. Did I enjoy it all the same? Yes, yes I did.

Admittedly, this was my first book by this author, and inevitably won’t be my last. At first, the pacing of the story threw me off, but then I realized that this was first released as a trilogy and it made a bit more sense. The relationship between Tyler and Annie spans years and full of first love, heartbreak, and angst.

Annie, the daughter of a famous rock star, dreams of a life on the stage. Her father, who knows the dark pitfalls of that life wants to do shelter her from it. Tyler is a young protege who he moves into their poorhouse and is getting the side of Annie’s father she only dreams about. When we first meet Tyler and Annie, its years into their relationship, but still when they’re young adults in high school. Annie has crushed on Tyler, but he’s the reigning bad boy of their school. Once friends, their relationship is now strained because he took popularity over her, or so it seems anyway.

Now, I think if I had read this as individual books in the series but not as one, I wouldn’t have taken issue with the pacing. But I couldn’t help but feel it was a bit stretched out for my personal tastes. It wasn’t boring by any means, but it also didn’t immerse and grab me either. Instead of the usual final act break up, we get three, which was a bit frustrating. Though they weren’t all big ones and some was just life and them pursuing their own dreams.

This was emotional with a splash of steam and plenty of feels. I would have loved to been deeper immersed in the music side of Tyler’s career, but it was still entertaining. Having now met his daughter, I need to read her father’s book in Good Girl. This was a heartfelt story of first love, first heartbreak, and timing being everything. I loved that Annie never stopped pursuing her dreams and I loved how both of them melded this together. It was immensely satisfying in the end.

Piper Lawson is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of smart and steamy romance.

She writes women who follow their dreams, best friends who know your dirty secrets and love you anyway, and complex heroes you’ll fall hard for.

Piper lives in Canada with her tall and brilliant husband. She’s a sucker for dark eyes, dark coffee, and dark chocolate. 

Connect with Piper

Website: https://www.piperlawsonbooks.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13680088.Piper_Lawson

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/piperlawsonbooks

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/piperlawsonromance/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/piperlawsonbooks

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/piper-lawson

    

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Review: The Choice by Ashley Jade

January 22, 2023 by ·

THE CHOICE
Series: Star-crossed Lovers Duet, #1
Genre: Second-Chance/Enemies-to-Lovers/Off Limits/Rockstar Romance
Author: Ashley Jade
Release Date: January 19, 2023

From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ashley Jade comes a gritty, off-limits standalone romance about mistakes, choices, and love conquering all.

The world thought I belonged to another man…
they were wrong.

He was the mysterious dark knight always swooping in to save me when I needed it most.
I was the troubled girl with scars and a bleeding heart.

He was the gifted guitarist destined for big things.
I was the small-town girl battling her demons.

He was my earth….always keeping me grounded.
And I was his sky…always just out of his reach.

Our love was everything I wished for.
Until I destroyed it.

I never thought I’d see Memphis Payne again after I broke his heart, but the stars had other plans.
Because here he is…needing me to clean up his mess this time.

Only problem is…
Doing so will break both our hearts.

They say only the strongest love can survive an apocalypse.
That if two people are meant to be, they’ll find their way back to each other.

I hope they’re right.

Please note: This duet is an angsty, spicy, dark romance with flawed characters and contains material that may elicit a strong emotional response for sensitive readers.

AMAZON

They say life is a series of choices, and a single one can change the course of your life forever. Last night, I had to make a choice between good and bad. Right and wrong. I chose her.

Well…hell. I knew this cliffhanger would hurt me down to my soul and boy did it. It hurt bad. SO BAD. I have absolutely zero chill until book two. NONE whatsoever. But I digress. Let’s talk about this book.

The Words is hands down one of my top reads of 2022. And I had a love hate relationship with Memphis and Skylar as secondary characters in that book. And if you’re reading this book without having read The Words, I highly recommend you read that first. Yes, this is a standalone duet with a new couple, but it’s the same universe, and The Words really gives you the best intro.

I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge fan of doormat heroines, and I really thought Skylar was on in The Words. How else can she tolerate her man constantly cheating on her. The tension between her and her fiancé’s bandmate, Memphis, was always palpable. This duet takes you deep into the why. The core of what laid the foundation that molded them and their future.

The Choice takes you all the way to the beginning. It introduces you to Josh, Memphis and Skylar when they were just kids and their years together into adulthood. This is the before Memphis hit his fame. This is is the foundation of who they are and what made them that way. And I can say that I now understand Skylar in a way I never thought I would. And she couldn’t be furthest from weak or doormat. This girl is a survivor. My heart absolutely broke for her and what she’s been through. You also get a front row seat to the toxic beginning of her and Josh. And now I really understand how they stayed together all these years. And if possible, I hate Josh even more than I hated him in The Words.

Memphis was…GOD. This man was everything. Quiet intensity. Raw magnetism. Electric. You get to see him and Josh and understand their relationship and connection. You also get the glimpse of Memphis before he hit rockstar fame and this man owned my heart in all the best ways. The pining in this book was on a whole other level and I was so here for it.

I really don’t want to give you any more information because you simply need to experience it blind. But if you had any doubts about Memphis and Skylar in The Words, this book will demolish them. You’l hurt for them. YOu’ll root for them. YOu’ll want to shake them both.

I flipped between hurt and anger so many times, I didn’t know which end was up. Ashley Jade took me on an emotional rollercoaster of wanting to chuck my kindle at the wall and begging for more. I’m ruined. Utterly ruined and completely desperate for the next book.

Ashley Jade is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and top 20 bestselling Amazon author who craves tackling different genres and tropes within romance. Her first loves are New Adult Romance, Contemporary Romance, and Romantic Suspense, but she also writes everything in between including erotica and dark romance. Her characters are flawed and complex, and chances are you will hate them before you fall head over heels in love with them.

She’s a die-hard lover of oxford commas, em-dashes, music, coffee, and anything thought-provoking…except for math.

Books make her heart beat faster and writing makes her soul come alive. If she’ not paying off student loan debt, working, or writing a novel—you can usually find her listening to music, hanging out with her readers online, and pondering the meaning of life.

Check out her Amazon page and Facebook page for future novels. She loves connecting with her readers—they make her world go round.

~Happy Reading~

Connect w/Ashley:
Website: | Facebook | Twitter |  Instagram | Goodreads | Bookbub | Amazon: 

 

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites · Tagged With: ,

Review: Good Girl Fail by Roni Loren

January 17, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

GOOD GIRL FAIL
Author: Roni Loren
Genre: Erotic, MMF Romance
Release Date: January 17, 2023

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Loving on the Edge and the Say Anything series comes a new steamy standalone MMF romance that proves good girls can have fun too…especially when she’s their good girl.


O’Neal Lory has been taught that one mistake can undo an entire life of right decisions. That it doesn’t matter if a person has been good ninety-nine percent of the time. One misstep, one snap judgment, can derail everything. So, she’s taken a lot of right steps on the straight and narrow path. Eighteen years of them, in fact. Perfect grades. No rules broken. And definitely no boys.

Until she kisses him.

Auden Blake knows he shouldn’t touch his little sister’s best friend, knows that innocent girls like her should stay far, far away from him and his roommate Lennox—especially when she could reveal their behind-closed-doors activities to his family. But when sheltered O’Neal goes rogue, ditching her scholarship to a conservative all-girls college and showing up at Bennette State—his school—instead, it’s going to take everything Auden has to keep his and Lennox’s hands off the curious good girl whose teach me vibes could unravel them both.

Good Girl Fail is a full-length standalone MMF romance with lots of steam, two heroes who like to share and get a little bossy, and a good girl heroine who’s about to break every rule that’s ever been placed upon her.

AMAZON

 

I would’ve happily taught you anything you wanted to know too.” He gave her a full smile, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Feel free to reach out later if you want. You can get your bachelor’s degree with Auden. When you’re ready for your master’s, come and find me.”

I have spent years waiting for Roni to get back to her erotic romance/BDSM roots. I first discovered and fell in love with her writing with her Loving On The Edge series. So when she announced this book, I was giddy with fangirl excitement. A New Adult MMF poly romance? Yes, please and thank you!

It’s funny because third person POV used to be all I read back in the day. Now I struggle to read anything outside of first person. I can’t help but wish this was written in first person POV because I would have loved it that much more. But while it took me a minute to get used to the third, it never detracted from the story.

O’Neal Lory is the definition of sheltered. She grew up in a deeply religious household with two very strict grandparents who didn’t allow her to do much of anything. And generally, this sort of naiveté is not my cuppa when it comes to my MFCs, there was something so endearing about O’Neal that I couldn’t help but like her. Was she super sheltered, yes. But she also recognized that and rebelled against her strict upbringing in a smart way. She made the difficult decision to follow her own path and attend the university of her choice that her mother had attended, against her grandparents’ wishes, causing them to essentially disown her.

O’Neal has been crushing on her best friend’s older brother for as long as she’s been aware of boys. But even though they shared one fiery kiss, Auden knows he’s not for her. She’s too sweet and naive for him. But when O’Neal ends up at his university, the chemistry between them is too much to deny. But the Auden that he is at home, is not the same man he is at school. Auden hides his sexual cravings from his small town, so no one but his best friend and roommate knows about his dominance and desire to share.

When O’Neal all but dares him to teach her, he’s up for the challenge. And so is his sinfully sexy best friend, Lennox.

This story was fiery hot, and I loved the dynamic between Auden and Lennox. I loved their bond and friendship, but especially their chemistry. I loved the way O’Neal added to their dynamic and her innocence wrapped in passion. This is a girl that doesn’t live by her past and doesn’t shy away from her desires. I loved that about her.

My one quibble with this book is the story arc of O’Neal’s mother. There’s so much attention given to this and quite a lot centered around it, yet it ultimately felt highly anticlimactic and unresolved. The romance was amazing, and I loved these three together, but I also couldn’t help but feel something was missing. Maybe a longer epilogue? Maybe another book? I can’t quite place my finger on it, but something was missing to make this a solid 4 for me.

I can’t help but hope this will be the start of a new series because I want more of this world from this author.

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

Review: Blood Orange by Karina Halle

December 29, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

BLOOD ORANGE
Series: The Dracula Duet #1
Author: Karina Halle
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: October 16, 2022

From New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle comes a dark and delicious Dracula retelling filled with secrets and lies, dangerous liaisons and a forbidden, student-teacher, second chance love story with a twist.

“My heart will always find yours.”

Dahlia Abernathy has only known revenge. When her parents were killed at an early age by vampires, Dahlia spent the rest of her life under the thumb of the Witch’s Guild being trained to kill them. Her latest mission sends her undercover to a prestigious music academy in Venice, Italy. Her goal? To kill Professor Valtu Aminoff, her teacher and the notorious vampire who inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

But getting close to a dangerous vampire like Professor Aminoff is one thing. Falling for him is another. With Dahlia’s appearance disguised under a glamor spell, Valtu has no idea that the woman who has become his new dark obsession is actually the reincarnation of the woman he loved and lost twice before.

And Dahlia doesn’t remember that the very man she has been sent to kill is the love of her life.

Will their love come through and transcend time once again? Or are the fated lovers destined to let history repeat itself?

Blood Orange is a modern-day Dracula retelling about the “real-life” Dracula that inspired Bram Stoker. This is a dark vampire romance with plenty of content warnings (please check interior of book for extensive list as it is +++++spicy) and while it is a spinoff of The Dark Eyes Duet, you do not need to read any other books before Blood Orange.

AMAZON

To forget her would be to forget what it’s like to be human, and I’m dangerously close to losing myself all together at times. And so I will write down all I remember of her, in hope that our love might bring about my humanity.

I have a confession and I don’t need you judging me for it, okay?

…This is my first Karina Halle book…
I said not to judge me! What are those judgy eyes? I see them! But anyhoos

I was in the mood for a spicy PNR and boy did this deliver. A fresh take on the story of Dracula, this brought together two of my favorite things; soulmates and dirty talk. *dreamy sigh* Oh and a bit of my Buffy/Angel fetish with the whole vampire, and vampire slayer thing. *another dreamy sigh* But I digress again.

Dahlia Abernathy is in Venice on a mission. Posing as a student, she’s determined on her mission to kill the elusive Dracula…who happens to be her new professor. Oh and he’s also sexier than sin. Dahlia is a witch, who after the gruesome death of her parents by vampires, has killed many in her search for revenge. But nothing prepares her for her encounter with Dracula, Valtu Aminoff.

For my girlies who love their MCs kinky and with plenty of dirty talk, prepare yourself for the experience that is Valtu. I’m obsessed with this man…erm…vampire. Unwillingly, Dahlia finds herself quickly drawn to the one she’s been sent to kill. He’s not at all who she thought he was. She also soon finds herself questioning everything she’s been told her entire life and just how clearly she sees things.

This was an addictive page turner that I devoured in two days. And that cliffhanger? Painful! Desperately need the next book.

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