Review: There With You by Samantha Young

August 23, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

THERE WITH YOU
Series: Adair Family #2
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance
Author: Samantha Young
Release Date: August 23, 2021

For Regan Penhaligon, there’s no better place to run to than the exclusive Ardnoch Estate in the remote Scottish Highlands. Her impulsive behavior has finally caught up with her and Regan’s visit with her sister, Robyn, is an opportunity to hide from someone who has grown dangerously obsessed with her.

Determined to make amends for her mistakes, Regan plans to repair her relationship with Robyn by staying close. And when an offer of help comes from Thane Adair, Regan gratefully accepts.

Widower, Thane, needs a new nanny housekeeper for his two young children and when they bond with Regan Penhaligon, he offers her the job. But as the weeks pass and the complex American reveals who she really is, Thane struggles with his growing attraction to her.

Regan never expected to feel so intensely for Thane, but she can’t deny her passion for him or her love for his children. When someone from Thane’s past threatens his family, Regan wants to be his pillar of support. However, his continued inability to trust her might just destroy their chance at future happiness… and the person who drove Regan to Ardnoch might snuff out her chance for any future at all.

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Regan Penhaligon had seduced him past the point of no return.

I had mixed feelings about this book if I’m being honest. While I couldn’t wait to read about
widowed daddy Thane, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Regan. But at the same time, I needed her redemption and to understand her reasons. I’m happy to report that not only did I get that, I loved her even more than I did Robyn, which I didn’t think was even possible. I highly recommend reading this series in order to truly experience the full effect of the story and all of the secondary characters. And while I can tell you that I really enjoyed Here With Me, I loved this one even more.

His nanny. His brother’s soon-to-be sister-in-law. His employee, thirteen years his junior.

That up there is basically a summary of all of my favorite things. Forbidden romance, age gap, brooding grumpy alpha and sunshine heroine. GAH. Give it to me.

Regan was relatable the second you meet her on the pages. She has a sunny and fluffy shell, but beneath that fake exterior is a bit of a damaged soul. My heart hurt for her. And even though I wanted to judge her for leaving her sister at a time she needed her the most, I also understood it from her perspective.

Regan shows up unannounced, hoping to mend fences with her sister. Falling in love with the absolutely adorable kids of her sister’s fiancé’s brother give her the opportunity to stay. She has to do some convincing to Thane to talk him into being the nanny. Thane is desperate for a nanny but also hesitant to take on who he originally thought is Robyn’s flighty sister. But his kids absolutely adore her, he’s desperate and has no time to waste, so an arrangement is made.

The sparks between these two were immediate. And while Regan has no problem going after what she wants, Thane fights it with everything he’s got. His way of fighting it make him be a brooding, intolerable a-hole, and I ate it right up. I loved the push and pull dynamic between them. I loved watching Thane screw up over and over, Regan give him the cold shoulder, and him trying to get into her good graces again. I loved Thane’s adorable children, who were my favorite secondary characters. But most of all, I loved watching the chemistry between Thane and Regan get too incendiary to fight off.

Go wait for me in the annex,” he demanded. Her eyes widened slightly. “Clothes off. Keep your underwear on because I want to take it off. And lights on so I can see you. When I get there, I expect you on the bed with your legs spread.”

There was a bit of a suspense element to this book, which I also enjoyed, though it was a touch predictable. But the romance was so delicious and the main characters were so good, that I just couldn’t find it in me to care.

I’m so gone for this series, it’s not even funny. It just keeps getting better and better with each book and I can’t wait to see what the next one brings.

Samantha is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over forty books, several of which have been nominated for Goodreads Choice Awards. She writes adult contemporary and paranormal romance, YA urban fantasy and YA contemporary fiction. Her books have been published in 28 languages in 30 countries. She resides in Scotland.

For more information visit http://authorsamanthayoung.com

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Review: Time Stamps by K.L. Kreig

August 17, 2021 by · Leave a Comment


TIME STAMPS
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Author: K.L. Kreig
Release Date: August 17, 2021

Time stamps.

Our life is marked by them.

Significant milestones to the seemingly mundane. All of them have a place. A purpose.

Moments and chapters stacking on each other, building scars and memories.

Creating stories that are only ours to tell.

But those stamps are finite, pre-determined. And eventually our allotment runs out.

This is our story. Our collection of time stamps. The culmination of our love, our struggles, our redemption and our heartbreak. This story isn’t always easy, but it is real.

A genuine account of utter devotion, where every page is crammed with pure emotion and truth and the gift of loving another person more than yourself.

Share with us in our dreams, our laughter. Cry with us in our sorrows, our pain.

Take this journey through our time stamps with Laurel and I, and I will meet you at the end.

~ Roth Warren Keswick

AMAZON

The love we have lights the darkest of spaces.

This review is brought to you from the comfort of my bathroom, where I have locked myself for the past 20 minutes, sobbing uncontrollably so that my family don’t think I’ve lost my mind.

Actual footage captured below
Now look, books like this are not my usual reads. I don’t gravitate towards stories that hurt my heart. But when I tell you this was one of the most beautiful, mesmerizing and unforgettable stories of love I’ve read, I mean it was IT. It was that book for me. It was a book that I will never forget and yet will never put myself through reading it again. Because it broke me. It was this ying and yang sort of dynamic. Beauty with pain. And you really can’t have one without the other.
KL Kreig sets the stage right away. This story doesn’t sneak up on you with the feels. It’s a steady build up and I’m not going to lie, I spent most of it in tears. Do I regret reading it? Absolutely not. Would I read it again? Absolutely not. Do I recommend it? ABSOLUTELY.

I love stories of a once in a lifetime love and this one was incredible. It was beautiful and heartbreaking. It was flawlessly written. Perfectly paced. Utterly magnificent. Laurel and Roth were two of my favorite characters. I loved Laurel’s sweet quirkiness and shy nature. And I absolutely lived for Roth and his big love. This is a man that loves with his entire heart. Everything from the day they met to their present just made me fall harder and harder for them. A story of such pure, selfish love that’s just beyond words. Laurel and Roth will forever stay with me because I swear, this book ingrained itself into my soul. I just cannot deal.

I simply cannot tell you anything else about this story because you just have to experience. Word of advise, have a box or 5 of tissues on hand and don’t read it in public unless you want people to think you’re having an emotional breakdown. Because here I am at the end, my hear hurting, my eyes burning, and so devastatingly in love with this book that it’s painful.

As a USA Today Bestselling author, K.L. Kreig writes stories that are deeply emotional with flawed characters, because humans are flawed and she loves experiencing the gratification of redemption.

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Review: Ruthless Crown by Amanda Richardson

August 17, 2021 by · Leave a Comment
RUTHLESS CROWN
Series: Ruthless Royals Duet #1
Author: Amanda Richardson
Genre: Reverse Harem High School Bully Romance
Release Date: August 17, 2021
Their names are whispers in the hallways.
Hunter, Ash, Ledger, and Samson.
The Kings.Four of the most beautiful men I’ve ever seen, with cruel agendas and an even crueler reign over Ravenwood Academy.Wreaking havoc in our small, New England town, no one asks questions.
For the most part, people ignore or avoid them.
After all, they’re royalty here.Because one of them—the cruelest one—is the headmaster’s son.
And my new stepbrother.They can try to torment me.
They can try to break me.
But they have no idea what I’ve endured.They’re used to getting whatever their ruthless, little hearts desire.
Maybe I should keep my mouth shut.
Maybe I should let them win.But I’m not afraid of getting my hands dirty.
Lord knows I’m used to it by now.My name is Briar Monroe, and these Kings are about to find out just how fucked up this Queen can be.

Part Mean Girls, part Cruel Intentions, Ruthless Crown is full-length high-school bully reverse harem romance. It is book one of the Ruthless Royals duet, and while it doesn’t end with a true cliffhanger, there are unanswered questions. Book two will be releasing in a month. It is advised to read them in order. *Please note Ruthless Crown contains explicit language, bullying, and flashbacks of abuse/trauma. It also features four hot AF guys who would do anything to protect their feisty Queen. The duet will have a HEA.

AMAZON
 
Free in Kindle Unlimited

“Shit,” Jack whispers, glancing at the row of lockers in front of us. “We have company.”
I look up and notice Hunter leaning against a locker, glaring at me.

Something fiery shoots through me at that gaze, and I notice Ash, Ledger, and Samson against the other wall of lockers.
“Let me guess,” I murmur to Jack. “That’s my locker?”

“I told you,” Scarlett hisses. “They’re not going to leave you alone.”

I grind my teeth together and clench my fists. “This is ridiculous,” I whisper. “I’m putting my foot down.”

I stalk over to where Hunter is standing, arms crossed. “Excuse me,” I order, not breaking eye contact. There’s truly nothing kind in his expression, and his jaw ticks ever so slightly. A few people stop to watch us, their expressions stunned.

“You’re excused,” he muses, his face dripping with disdain.

My pulse speeds up, and anger flares through me. “This is my locker.”

He tilts his head, and his eyes flash with amusement for a split second. “Yeah. I thought that was obvious.”
Looking over his shoulder, I see his friends watching me haughtily. Okay, so they truly think of themselves as the rulers here, then? They have the arrogance to match it.

“What do you want, Hunter?” I sigh, crossing my arms.

He chuckles, and the sound is both terrifying and thrilling. He reaches into his back pocket, pulling out a few folded pieces of paper. Handing them to me, he gives me a monstrous smile before I look down and take them. Willing my hands not to shake, I open the paper, and then my heart thumps against my ribs, and a flush works its way up my neck.

Snapping my eyes up to him, I narrow my eyes. “You went through my diary?”

My diary—detailing the inappropriate dream I had about him the other night.
He crosses his arms and shrugs. “If you wanted me so badly, why didn’t you just

Oh, the nerve…
“You wish,” I growl, getting ready to turn and walk away.

Just as I move, he grabs the hand with the papers and tugs me into his hard body. Leaning down, I feel his breath fan against my forehead.

“Tell me, just how wet did you get for me in that dream of yours?” To my horror, he raises his other hand, a pair of pink, lace undies dangling on one of his fingers.

My mouth goes dry, and my heart wallops against my chest as I close my eyes.

No. No, no, no.

Grabbing my underwear, I twist away from him and turn to walk away. Tears prick at my eyes, but I take a deep breath.

I refuse to give them the satisfaction of knowing they got to me.

COMING SOON

#2 Ruthless Queen – Releasing September 14

AMAZON

We used to be the Kings of Ravenwood. I guess I never realized until Briar Monroe showed up that we needed a Queen.

I don’t generally read a lot of New Adult RH. But when I saw the blurb to this book, I knew I’d be changing that.

This being my first book by this author, I didn’t go into the story with any expectations. What I definitely didn’t expect was to binge read this in one sitting. But binge read it I did.

People are still terrified of the Kings, but I’m about to pull a checkmate. Hunter, Ash, Ledger, and Samson are about to witness how this Queen attacks—slow, premeditated, and lethal.

Briar has just moved to a new city after her mom married her stepfather. Suddenly she’s thrust in a world of wealth and privilege, attending the prestigious Ravenwood Academy where her stepbrother rules with an iron fist along with his 3 best friends.

Briar may have a dark past but she’s no pushover. She’s fierce and takes no shit. And when she first arrives, Hunter is determined to drive her out. Public humiliation, bullying, there’s no lines there. And this girl? I was so here for it.

Now look, this is a read you have to suspend your disbelief for. There are some plot developments and character developments that could have used a little more fleshing out or just didn’t make sense. But did I care? Nope. Because it was also deliciously smutty while also having an addictive plot. There’s a bit of suspense with a splash of dark mystery and secrets. Each of the guys have their own unique personalities. You have the sweet quiet one, the tortured bad boy, the tatted one, and the ring leader. So suffice it to say it checked all of the boxes for me. It also happened to be hot as all get out, and I was so here for that too.

Bottom line, is this was an entertaining, guilty pleasure sort of read that I thoroughly enjoyed even while it wasn’t perfect. Will I be reading the second one? You’re damn right I will. I need more in this world!

Amanda Richardson writes from her chaotic dining room table in Los Angeles, often distracted by her husband and two adorable sons. When she’s not writing contemporary and dark, twisted romance, she enjoys coffee (a little too much) and collecting house plants like they’re going out of style.

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Review: Claimed by JR Ward

August 16, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

CLAIMED
Series: Laird of the Wolven #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: JR Ward
Release Date: July 27, 2021

A heart-pounding new series set in the Black Dagger Brotherhood world, with a scientist fighting to save the timber wolves—and getting caught in a deadly trap herself…

Lydia Susi is passionate about protecting wolves in their natural habitat. When a hotel chain develops a tract of land next to the preserve, Lydia is one of the most vocal opponents of the project—and becomes a target.

One night, a shadowy figure threatens Lydia’s life in the forest, and a new hire at the Wolf Study Project comes from out of nowhere to save her. Daniel Joseph is both mysterious, and someone she intrinsically wants to trust. But is he hiding something?

As the stakes get higher, and one of Lydia’s colleagues is murdered, she must decide how far she will go to protect the wolves. Then a shocking revelation about Daniel challenges Lydia’s reality in ways she could never have predicted.

Some fates demand courage, others require even more, with no guarantees. Is she destined to have true love… or will a soul-shattering loss ruin her forever?

AMAZON

He’d gotten it wrong. She wasn’t his. It was the other way around. She owned him.

I have been sitting on my rating of this book for almost a week now, struggling to figure out how I felt. Ultimately, while there were definitely things about this book that didn’t really work for me, it did hook me enough to want to read the next one, but just not enough to rate the book any higher than I did.

Now for the story. If you haven’t read the BDB series, you may find yourself a little lost here. This is set in the same world as BDB with an overarching story line for Xhex from Lover Mine as well as events spanning from those that happened later in the BDB series. While you get some explanations, if you haven’t read BDB, you may find yourself a bit confused.

Additionally, this is not a standalone. This caught me completely off guard. I was expecting a standalone in an interconnected series, not a cliffhanger. I wish this was made clear to the reader and the cliffhanger here doesn’t catch you unaware.

But those things aside, let’s talk about the story. I love Ward’s brand of story telling. She’s written some of my favorite PNR books. When I saw she’s taking a step from the vampire world to dive into werewolves, I was so here for it. Now usually book one in a new world, does read slower. You have a whole new world to introduce. But while I expected slower paced, I didn’t quite expect to feel as disconnected from it as I did. I found myself bored, skimming the pages. The mystery is what kept me going, but everything else felt lackluster. I found myself struggling to connect to the romance. I never fully felt the chemistry here. It all just felt a bit…bla to me.

Now don’t get me wrong. While the story didn’t blow me away, it still kept me engaged enough to keep turning the pages. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. It was just very bland compared to what I’ve come to expect from Ward. I will say that even though I didn’t expect the cliff, the last 20% off the story is what won me over slightly. That’s when the action really began to take place and the story began to pick up at least a little pace. It hooked me enough to want to read the next book and desperate to see how everything ends. Though it’s still not clear if the next book is the conclusion or if it will be a series focused on one couple.

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Review: The Sinner by Emma Scott

August 15, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

THE SINNER Genre: Paranormal Romance Author: Emma Scott Release Date: August 15, 2021

Shy, introverted Lucy Dennings lives a quiet little life in New York City, working for a nonprofit and keeping to herself. Every afternoon, she goes home to her empty apartment and Edgar, her houseplant, and every night, she loses herself in the pages of her beloved romance novels. Her lonely heart seeks solace in tales of passionate, enduring, all-consuming love, but more and more, Lucy feels she’s not just reading for pleasure but searching for a lost piece of herself in the pages. As if she once touched something beautiful but it’s been ripped away. Until one day Lucy discovers a dead body in the alley behind her apartment. Even if it’s too late, her first instinct is to help. Her second is to run. Because the dead body isn’t so very dead, and suddenly, her little world isn’t so little but one in which dreams feel like memories, “inner demons” actually lurk in dark alleys, and a beautiful creature of darkness with amber eyes and wings like night might hold the key to what her heart has been aching for…if she doesn’t fall down the path of eternal damnation first. From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Emma Scott, comes an emotional paranormal love story of passion, sacrifice, and the soul-deep love of a lifetime…more than one

AMAZON

I should stop inflicting myself on her, but I can’t. She is my weakness. The sweetest vice.”
This was one of the most beautiful, touching, and all encompassing paranormal romances I’ve read in a long while. I’m ashamed to admit it was my first Emma Scott book. I know! I know! Stop glaring at me. I clearly see what I’ve been missing out on. PNR was my first love. It was the genre that got me hooked on romance. So to say that I’m picky when it comes to it is putting it mildly. For that reason, I’m usually weary of contemporary authors trying their hand at paranormal. Because more often than not, world building turns into a data dump. But this was the furthest thing from the truth with this story. It was like a movie rolling behind my eyelids as I was reading it. I loved this world of demons and angels. And the set up of this story was absolutely delicious. You have a beautiful introvert, who is still dealing with the grief of losing her beloved father. When she finds a naked man with wings outside her apartment, she thinks she may be dreaming, but is actually something closer to her nightmares. Lucy is impossible not to love. She’s shy, sweet, and would give the shirt off her back to a stranger. She lives vicariously through her romance novels while wishing her handsome coworker would notice her. But she’s a wallflower that doesn’t mind fading in the background. Caz was….gah. EVERYTHING. The ultimate tortured hero…or anti hero. Whatever. The man was a demon, and not just a demon, but the ultimate demon. His secrets are dark and they run deep, and the more that gets revealed about him, the more desperate I was to learn more. I loved the way they just fit. Like light to dark, ying to yang, they were like two puzzle pieces that just fit. And the more you learn, the more epic it becomes. This was the ultimate story of soulmates and love everlasting. It was beautiful, emotional, and completely unforgettable.

Emma Scott is a USA Today and Wall St. Journal bestselling author whose books have been translated in five languages and featured in Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, New York Daily News and USA Today’s Happy Ever After. She writes emotional, character-driven romances in which art and love intertwine to heal, and in which love always wins. If you enjoy emotionally-charged stories that rip your heart out and put it back together again, with diverse characters and kind-hearted heroes, you will enjoy her novels. Visit www.emmascottwrites.com RECENT RELEASES Someday, Someday (M/M standalone) A Five-Minute Life (standalone) Bring Down the Stars (Beautiful Hearts #1) Long Live the Beautiful Hearts (Beautiful Hearts #2) “At Santa Cruz Central High, we called them the misfits, the outcasts, the weirdos. But most of us knew them as the Lost Boys.” The Girl in the Love Song (Lost Boys #1) : http://bit.ly/2MLnYhU

When You Come Back To Me (Lost Boys #2) : http://bit.ly/37BsCHh

The Last Piece of his Heart (Lost Boys #3) : http://bit.ly/2QeVlfa

You can follow me at all the places…  

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Review: Wild Card by Ashley Munoz

August 14, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

WILD CARD
Series: Rake Forge University #1
Genre: New Adult, Sports Romance
Author: Ashley Munoz
Release Date: August 12, 2021

This was it…I could see it in my editor’s eyes.

This was the last straw. One more misstep and I was going to lose my coveted internship.

I decided right there in my room, lime-flavored tortilla chips in hand, that I would do whatever it took to write the story of the century.

And I had my target in sight—the undefeated Devil’s baseball team. They were RFU royalty, and completely untouchable.

Their parties were impossible to get into unless you were handpicked, and I was not.

Even still, I had a solid plan.

I would not get caught, definitely not seduced, and absolutely wouldn’t die. That is until I was stopped and rendered totally speechless by a pair of mossy eyes.

He lured me in, close enough to feel the press of his mouth against my skin and the heat of his hands on my body. Undoubtedly, I was a sheep headed straight for the slaughter, which only proved true when he called my bluff. 

With him holding all the cards for my future success, and in order to salvage what remained of my dream, I did the only thing I could.

I made a deal with a devil.

AMAZON



…he was mine and I was going to be his. Even if it broke me to let him in, even if it ruined me. There wasn’t much left of my heart, but whatever there was I’d shove into his massive palm. Then I’d just let him decide what to do with it. Maybe he’d realize that our tattered pieces matched.

Clearly I have been sleeping on Ashley Munoz, because after reading this book, I’m an insta fan. I’m a sucker for a steamy college sports romance, and this one hit all of the spots I had and some I didn’t even know of.


When I look at you, you’re not just some girl I like. You look like you’re already mine.

What I liked about it most was that it wasn’t exactly your typical sports romance. There was a bit of suspense and mystery, a dash of angst, and a romance so good that I was immediately hooked.

Mallory is the sort of heroine that sneaks up on you. She’s a bit reserved and unassuming, focused on her dream internship and the article she needs to write that will either make it or break it for her chances. Refusing to rely on her rich and successful father, she’s determined to make it on her own. But when the article idea she had is torn to shreds by her editor, she’s desperate for a story and her stepsister just may hand it to her on a silver platter. A secret game that’s held by the college baseball team that involves cards, pre-arranged hookups, and willing females is just the thing she needs. And when her step sister is invited for the ultimate place on the totem pole, gets sick, and allows her to go in her place? Well, how’s a girl to pass that up.

I have to say, I loved Mallory. She knows who she is but she’s still vulnerable in her own hang ups. She’s tough and not afraid to go after what she wants. I also seriously loved her friendship with her two besties and how they’re there for each other.

As for Decker? My god. I died for this man and his poor, tortured soul. Decker is desperate for revenge and will go after it at the expense of everything in order to make the person that stole his dream from him pay. As we get his story, piece by piece, you can’t help but fall further for him. The chemistry between him and Mallory was immediate and incendiary. I loved the slow burn and I especially loved their frustrating push and pull. He fights his attraction to her with everything he’s got because he can’t afford a distraction and Mallory holds the key to his revenge.

My one quibble with the book is the twist at the end seemed a bit…far fetched. I struggled to fully wrap my mind around it and all of the messiness of it. But then once I did, I was all in, even if I didn’t fully buy it. Which is strange but true.

Wild Card was everything I love in a sports romance; angsty, steamy, and a hero with a heart of gold and a dirty mouth. I devoured this book in one sitting and desperately waiting for more in this series. I loved the step sister’s redemption and can’t wait to see how her story plays out. Talk about your HOOK LINE AND SINKER at the end there. Dang.

Ashley resides in the Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her four children and her husband. She loves coffee, reading fantasy, and writing about people who kiss and cuss.

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Review: The Spy by Sophie Lark

August 13, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

THE SPY
Series: Kingmakers #4
Genre: New Adult, Dark Romance
Author: Sophie Lark
Release Date: July 28, 2021


I’ve waited three long years for this…

Hiding. Lying. Spying.

Waiting like a spider for her to wander into my web…

Now she’s here, and I have to get even closer to her. I’ll help her. Befriend her. Seduce her, even.

The only thing I can’t do is fall in love with her.

Her father took everything from me: my money, my family, my life.

He has to pay for what he’s done. And she’s the only thing that can hurt him…

The Lark Notes:
I’ve been planting clues and Easter Eggs all the way through the first three Kingmakers books — now it’s time for the secrets to be revealed, and the mysteries to find their conclusions. The moment you finish “The Spy”, you’re going to want to go back and read the whole series all over again! – Sophie

“The Spy” is the final installment in the epic dark mafia Kingmakers series. It’s a forbidden romance, full of mystery, betrayal, and an explosive conclusion that will give you the biggest book hangover of your life!

AMAZON

Not all predators hunt in the open.

This series has been a guilty pleasure for me. It’s one of those suspend your disbelief sort of reads that manages to hit the spot even if it’s waaaay out there. I think I saw the comparison of Hogwarts school for criminals and it’s definitely apropos.

I’ve been waiting for this one with bated breath. I couldn’t wait for The Spy to be revealed because I just knew it was going to be crazy. And man, was it. The Spy was a character I fell for immediately. I was desperate for the details to his past and the more that got revealed, the more hooked I became. Nix was a bit of an acquired taste, that admittedly, I just never acquired a taste for. She was…just okaish. She seemed a bit two dimensional. I get her father’s story, but she just didn’t add up for me.

The other thing that lowered my rating was the romance. I hate to admit it, but I just never connected with the romance here. Admittedly, it’s something I’ve experienced with some of the other books I’ve read from this author. The romance just seems to come out of nowhere, with no real build up. For my tastes anyway. This is entirely a personal tastes thing, so don’t take my word as gospel here because I’m clearly in the minority. But for me they just seemed to go from 0 to 60 in the span of a chapter, and considering their history and who they are to each other, I just couldn’t wrap my mind around that. Nix’s choice in the end was also mind boggling. I just couldn’t believe her quick turn face and how easily she forgave and condemned.

I have to say my favorite part of the book was the secondary suspense story. Or not really secondary, but one that runs parallel to the romance and has some flashbacks. I lived for these two.

All in all, this was an entertaining read, but just not something that I’d come back to or find myself thinking about later.

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Review: Acquisition by Celia Aaron

August 3, 2021 by · Leave a Comment
LUCIUS
Series: An Acquisitions Series Novel #4
Author: Celia Aaron
Genre: Dark Romance
Release Date: August 3, 2021

Lucius Vinemont ruined my life.

It was a long time ago. It feels like yesterday.

I haven’t let it go, and I won’t. Not until he’s dead. Lucius is the bogeyman, the shadow under my bed, the nightmare that wakes me in my sleep.

I loved him once, in the foolish way of a teenage girl. Those feelings are buried deep, soaked in blood and covered in a fine ash. Because Lucius was never just a bad boy, he was so, so much worse.

When you shoot a man through the heart, he’s supposed to die. But Lucius isn’t a man. He’s a monster. One who promises pleasures wrapped in pain.

But the closer I get to him, the more I realize he’s not the only evil lurking in my past. . .


“Don’t lie to me, Evelyn.” His nostrils flare. “Never lie to me. The devil always knows.” His smirk returns as I try to push him away.
His other arm goes around my waist and he holds me tightly against him.
“Your heart is beating faster than a rabbit’s. Afraid?” He grips my jaw, his gaze darting to my lips.
“I’m not afraid of you.” I feel the tension in my body, but it’s different now. Not the sick, sinking feeling from what happened on the elevator. Lucius makes me feel more. He always has, ever since I saw him when I was still a girl, when Red was still alive. Handsome and oh-so-bad, the cocky Lucius Vinemont was my teenage fantasy. Because I didn’t know what bad was back then. Not really.
I do now. I know evil. I’ve seen it. And right now, the most evil man I’ve ever known has me crushed to his chest, his gaze darting to my lips. No, this fear is not the same as in the elevator, but I wish it was. I wish I had only fear and revulsion for him.
I wish I’d never set eyes on Lucius Vinemont.
“Not afraid of me?” He tsks. “If that’s true, then you aren’t as intelligent as you seem.” He strokes my cheek with his thumb. “Because I will find you out, Evelyn Delacroix. I will learn your secrets and use them to destroy you. Soon enough, you’ll be begging me for mercy, but I won’t give you any.”
“If you’re done threatening me, I’d like to leave now.”

“You sure?” He slides his hand to my throat and rests it there like a collar. “My offer from last night still stands. That prim little suit you’re wearing would look even better on my bedroom floor.”

This woman—fuck, the brass balls she has. She wants me dead, and I want to know what she tastes like.”

Did I read the blurb to this book and know immediately this would be my first Celia Aaron book?
Did I want to read it bad enough that I decided to dive right into it without having read the rest of the series?

Do I regret this decision?

Because spank my @ss and call me Rosy, this was a delicious little story that I simply inhaled.

I mean, the story begins with our heroine shooting the hero in the chest. With zero regrets. Thinking she killed him and being proud of it.
Actual footage of me reading it?
I’m a sucker for a good enemies to lovers book. And when you throw in revenge and a secret society? I’m putty in your hands. PUTTEH I tells ya.

Now clearly I missed a continuing story arc regarding The Acquisition, but we’re given just enough details in this book that you don’t feel like you missed much. Also, kindly suspend your disbelief here, because it’s all kinds of OTT and almost crazy at times, but man I loved that about it.

Evelyn is desperately craving revenge against the man that took everything away from her in the most brutal of ways. All she’s known for the past years is her drive for her vengeance and she won’t rest until Lucius is dead.

Lucius is just the kind of anti hero I love; he’s an irreverent manwh@re who seems like he gives zero f*cks yet has all of the intensity. He’s a rich businessman and a ruthless killer all in one. And when he discovers the stunning woman who wants him dead? Well, let’s just say he wants other things.

I loved the banter, the chemistry, and the crazy OTT story. These characters were nuts. Truly. Especially the villain. Dude was NUTS. Like kaka for coco puffs sort of crazy. But I devoured it. I did feel like the love entered the chat a little soonish. But Evelyn and Lucius do have a connection that spans years. All the same, it did feel a bit too quick for me considering they quite literally go from “want to kill you” to “paint me like one of your French girls” in the span of a few chapters. Do I hate that? Absolutely not. But I would have wanted more of a burn there. That aside, I inhaled this story and I’m completely hooked. I need more of this series and I’m also really hoping Teddy, the younger brother gets a book next because NEED.

Celia Aaron is a USA Today bestselling author and recovering attorney who loves romance. Dark to light, angsty to funny, real to fantasy–if it’s hot and strikes her fancy, she writes it. Thanks for reading.

AUTHOR LINKS

Website: https://www.celiaaaron.com
Newsletter: https://www.celiaaaron.com/newsletter.html
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Celia-Aaron/e/B0129AR52O
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorceliaaaron
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celia_aaron
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorceliaaaron
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/celia-aaron

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Review: Storm by Serena Akeroyd

July 29, 2021 by · 4 Comments

STORM
Genre: Contemporary, MC Romance
Series: Dark and Dirty Sinners’ MC #8
Author: Serena Akeroyd
Release Date: July 29, 2021

STORM

You hate me.

I deserve it.

The day I betrayed the love of my life was the day I lived up to every messed-up thing my haters say about me.

But I’m tired of feeling like a POS.

I’m tired of being broken.

I’m tired of life not being worth living.

It’s time now to make amends, and to earn my woman’s love back.

To be the father my kid deserves,

the Old Man I should always have been.
Join me for the ride as I become worthy of my family.

Maybe, just maybe, I’ll surprise you.

This book deals with infidelity. If this is a trigger for you, but you loveA Dark & Dirty Sinners’ MC series, please be assured, that this is the ONLY book that can be skipped in the reading order.

AMAZON

I was trying to live like a fucking priest, but I was a sinner. There was no hiding from it. No evading it.”

I’m speechless right now.
Ruined.
Wrecked.
Completely overwhelmed with feels.

This book. THIS. BOOK. I don’t even have the words for all that I feel right now.

I have never read this author. I also haven’t read any of the other books in this series. But when I read the blurb to this book, I had zero chill. I had to read it and I took a chance to read it completely out of order without having read the rest of the series. And you know what?
I’m a sucker for a redemption story. I’m an even bigger sucker for a gritty MC. And I’m absolutely gone for a cheating redemption story. So long as it fits the story, of course. And this story? It was all of the things.

So you’re just being possessive?”
“No.”
“What is it then?”
“I want what’s best for her. I just wish that were me.”

This story was a kick straight to the feels. Storm was emotional, gritty, unapologetic, and completely unforgettable.

Now let’s address the elephant in the room. This series is not really read as standalones. But you can easily read this book and enjoy it without having read the others because there’s perfect amount of background given.

Let’s not address the other elephant in the room. Cheating. If that’s not your thing, don’t read this book. Seriously. But I happen to love the angst of a good cheating story. The book starts out with Storm and Keira already separated following the events of his f*ckups. The story is told in part present and flashbacks to the past. You’re taken deep into the heart and soul of an incredibly broken and damaged man. You get to wade throw his pain, his regrets, and ultimately his redemption.

Now you’re probably saying to yourself, cheating is never acceptable. Well, in the case of this book, I disagree. I love reading redemption stories and I love seeing the ugly side of love. And Storm’s story is not a light one but man was it good. He’s not a perfect man. He’s not even a good man. But he’s a man that would do anything for his family and would break himself apart for his estranged wife. Including tattooing “Property of Keira” and piercing his dick with a padlock that only Keira has a key to. Even though they’re not together and he has no hope they ever will be.

They met when Keira was just 19 and the growth they both go through is painful and uplifting all in one. Storm is a man with vices. He’s a recovering addict and so far from perfect, but man my heart just went out to him. Watching these two slowly find their way to each other again is one of the most painful and fulfilling experiences I’ve had from a book in a long while. I also loved the way the cheating is handled. Look I get that it’s not everybody’s cuppa, but if someone was going to write a cheating hero and redeem him, there is no better book than this one. And that extra epilogue? Wrecked me.

Keira and Storm’s love story is not a pretty one. It’s definitely not a smooth one. These are both incredibly broken and damaged characters. They’re not perfect and they’re not innocent. But watching the growth they both go through was incredible. And watching them find their way back to each other while facing all the odds against them was an experience unlike any I’ve had in a long while.

I could probably write an entire novel for my review with all the feels I have for this book, but I won’t. What I’ll tell you is this is a book that you simply need to take a chance on. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read. It’s a slow burn. A painful and beautiful second chance romance that owned me from beginning to finish. The last time I had this many feels with a book, I was reading Undeniable. Serena just got herself a new stalker….erm…fan. Because I just grabbed the rest of this series on KU and see a binge on the horizon.

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Review: Devil In Disguise by Lisa Kleypas

July 27, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

DEVIL IN DISGUISE
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: The Ravanels #7
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Release Date: July 27, 2021

New York Times bestseller Lisa Kleypas returns with an enthralling and steaming romance between a Scot with a mysterious past and strong-willed lady looking for adventure—and love. 

“The devil never tries to make people do the wrong thing by scaring them. He does it by tempting them.”

Lady Merritt Sterling, a strong-willed young widow who’s running her late husband’s shipping company, knows London society is dying to catch her in a scandal. So far, she’s been too smart to provide them with one. But then she meets Keir MacRae, a rough-and-rugged Scottish whisky distiller, and all her sensible plans vanish like smoke. They couldn’t be more different, but their attraction is powerful, raw and irresistible.

From the moment Keir MacRae arrives in London, he has two goals. One: don’t fall in love with the dazzling Lady Merritt Sterling. Two: avoid being killed.

So far, neither of those is going well.

Keir doesn’t know why someone wants him dead until fate reveals the secret of his mysterious past. His world is thrown into upheaval, and the only one he trusts is Merritt.

Their passion blazes with an intensity Merritt has never known before, making her long for the one thing she can’t have from Keir MacRae: forever. As danger draws closer, she’ll do whatever it takes to save the man she loves . . . even knowing he might be the devil in disguise.

AMAZON

Your name is carved so deep in my heart, a million years could no’ erase it.”

Oh Lisa, I see what you did with the title there, you genius you, and I love it!

With just a few words, she had taken ownership of him from head to toe.

Lisa Kleypas was THE author that began my obsession with historical romance, and it all started with Devil in Winter. So the particular plot twist in this book seriously hit the spot for me and just brought things a full circle. Also helps that we’ve had quite a few books in between, because I’m not sure I would have felt the same had I read this sooner. *sheepish grin* But I digress.

Now look, I’m not typically a reader that enjoys insta anything; insta love/connection mostly. And this book had it. In spades. But much such is the genius that is Lisa Kleypas writing, because just when you think you’re neck deep in a super syrupy sweet romantic story, she turns it on its head. And this girl? I was so here for it.

It’s impossible not to love Merritt from page one. She’s a widow who now runs her late husband’s shipping business and does so well. She’s strong willed, smart, and has a heart of gold. It’s hard not to love that about her. Keir MacRae is a rough around the edges whisky distiller who feels he’s not good enough to be the dirt beneath lady Merritt’s feet.

What I loved about this story was Merritt. This is a woman who knows what she wants and even though she has a skittish Scott who’s determined to fight the attraction between them, she doesn’t shy away from going after it. I loved this. But just when you think this is all there is to a book, an attempted murder and some amnesia get thrown into the mix and suddenly you have the plot twists to beat all plot twists. Someone wants Keir dead, my beloved Sebastian makes a lengthy cameo, and I can’t put the book down.

The first 30% of this book was a bit slow, but then it took a twist and I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough. There’s a mystery, a stunning love story, and an epic revelation that I simply inhaled. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this world or the spin offs. If you loved Lisa’s Wallflowers series than you’ll definitely appreciate the cameos here. And if you loved Devil In Winter, you definitely don’t want to miss this one.

It was a dreamy romance with steam and heart and I can’t recommend it enough.

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