#DGRFave & Review:Requiem of the Soul by Natasha Knight & A. Zavarelli

March 24, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

REQUIEM OF THE SOUL
Series: The Society Trilogy #1
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Natasha Knight & A. Zavarelli
Release Date: March 23,  2021

A Brand New Arranged Marriage Dark Romance Series by A. Zavarelli and Natasha Knight.

I was born with noble blood in my veins.

Heir to a powerful dynasty.

Wealth. Power. Aristocracy.

Temptations too dangerous to resist.

Until someone tried to steal it all.

Scarred and broken, I emerged from the flames.

Now I’ve returned to take what’s mine.

Revenge.

The first item on my agenda?
Make Ivy Moreno my wife.

Second?
Bend her until she breaks.

AMAZON

I’m your worst fucking nightmare, wife of mine. It’s about time you realized it.”

Tell me a book completely owned you without telling me a book completely owned you.
When two of your favorite authors come together to write a trilogy, you just know you’re in for something good. But when I tell you that nothing prepared me for this story, I mean NOTHING prepared me for this story. It. Was. EVERYTHING.

She will be mine to do with as I please. Mine to take. Touch. Torment.

I devoured this book in one sitting and was left rocking myself in a corner while nursing the book hangover to beat all book hangovers. GAH. I still just can’t, but I’ll try to get my sh*t together long enough to write this review.

A secret society of secrets, duty and power. A revenge years in the making. An arranged marriage between a ruthless man and the beautiful woman stuck in the crosshairs of his deadly plans. Sound intriguing? IT WAS EVERYTHING!

Santiago and his sister are the last remaining in their family line. He’s spent years waiting for his revenge, and now Ivy will become collateral damage in his plan. I don’t even know how to describe the feelings this story brought out in me. There’s just this aura of darkness with a doze of spine tingling danger that hooked me from the first page and kept me riveted until the last one.

Santiago is the ultimate tortured and brooding hero. Or an anti-hero, if you will. Because the man is the furthest thing from decent. He’s set on his revenge at any cost, and his new bride is the ultimate collateral damage. Her family cost him everything and he will make them pay, starting with her.

Ivy was an incredible heroine. She’s strong, fierce, but also with just the right amount of vulnerability that just makes you connect with her from the second she appears on her page.

This book had everything; incredible chemistry, a dark undercurrent of mystery, a dangerous revenge, and romance brewing in spite of everything being stacked against it. And then that cliffhanger? I honestly don’t even know what to do with myself until the next book. But what I do know, is this is easily one of my favorite books from both of these authors and I DIED for it. DIED FOR IT I TELLS YA!

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Review: Distorted by Nyla K

March 18, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

DISTORTED
Series: Alabaster Penitentiary #1
Genre: Dark, MM Romance
Author: Nyla K
Release Date: March 18,  2021

This is Alabaster Penitentiary…
Where they send you when the world thinks you’re dead. And trust me, you’ll wish you were.
We’re the stain on society. The freaks, the creeps, your favorite Netflix documentaries come to life.
They lock us up and throw away the key, because we deserve it.
But not me. I’m just a lowly bank robber. I don’t belong here, surrounded by psychopaths and killers with no remorse… At least, I don’t think I do.
Getting by unscathed is my top priority. Unfortunately for me and my fellow prisoners, those in charge are more dangerous than we are.
You see, the guards run the show, and I seem to have caught the attention of the most twisted one.
He has a name, but it might as well be Officer. We move around one another like a sun and a moon, revolving in an axis of confused lust and torment until the truth is distorted, and the thing I once feared becomes that which I crave; my vile addiction, somehow so exquisite.
Reality warps in the dungeon, and I’m left wondering which prison is worse… the one holding my body, or my mind.

**Distorted is the first book in the Alabaster Penitentiary series. It is a full M/M romance, with HEA. Each book in this series is technically a standalone, though they are interconnected, so it will be recommended to read in order, as references to this story will be made in future books.

Distorted is intended for mature audiences and open-minded readers ONLY! If you prefer the same old story, this book won’t be for you. This story is dark, probably darker for some than others, so please proceed with caution, and if you’re easily triggered, steer clear.

AMAZON

If you’re stuck in Hell for eternity, it’d be wise not to poke the Devil.”

Oh.
MY.
GOD.

What in the ever loving hell did I just read? Why am I only now discovering this author? And how the hell are more of you not reading her?

Because holy hell. HOLY HELL Y’ALL!!!!

First of all, if you like a dark, taboo MM read with an epic mind fuck thrown in, READ THIS BOOK!
Oh my god! Why are you not running to grab this immediately?
I’m about to go violent recommendation on all of your asses here, people! DO IT!

But I digress. First of all, I’m seriously kicking myself for not discovering this author sooner and super grateful to my lovely friend Francis for telling me she’d be right up my alley. And being a huge lover of all things dark and twisted, I couldn’t agree more. This was one of the most epic mind fucks I’ve read in a long while, and I’m already desperate for my next hit in this series. But I digress.

This book. THIS BOOK. A convict falling for a prison guard with plenty of dub con thrown in. GAH. Be still my heart. I can actually feel my ovaries fluttering. But I digress again.

Dash is the furthest thing from normal as you can get. He has his issues and plenty of them and he’s no stranger to criminal activities. But one risky robbery finally lands him in prison, and it’s a hell unlike any other, reserved for the worst of humanity, and he’s convinced it’s a mistake. As days begin to bleed together, the one sanity that he realizes he has, is his personal tormentor who he knows only as Officer.

Now let me tell you guys, this book is dark. Like seriously DARK, okay. There’s triggers for a good reason, so if you’re sensitive to those things, you’ve been warned. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart. It’s twisted. It’s perverse. It’s DELICIOUS. What else it is, is completely unputdownable. It’s 450+ pages of unpredictable story with a romance so delicious, you don’t even see it coming. To say I’m hooked on this series is an understatement. This series is crack and Nyla K just became my favorite dealer.

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Review: Mafia Bride by CD Reiss

March 17, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

MAFIA BRIDE
Series: The DiLustro Arrangement #1
Genre: Dark, Mafia Romance
Author: CD Reiss
Release Date: March 16,  2021

 

An epic mafia romance trilogy that sets a new bar for just how dark a hero can get, from NY Times Bestselling author CD Reiss.

 

Some girls dream of marrying a prince, but I never imagined I’d be sold to a king.

Santino DiLustro.

The king.
The monster.
The keeper of secrets.

When he forced me to marry him, I cried for love I’d never know.

When he locked me away, I cried for the freedom I lost forever.

Every other tear I’ve shed is for my soul, because I’m falling for the devil himself.

AMAZON

I’m a prisoner of a man too beautiful for human eyes and more evil than I can comprehend.

This was the book that I never even realized I was waiting for CD Reiss to write. My obsession with all things CD began with her Songs of Submission series waaaay back. And while I’ve loved all of her books since, they haven’t quite given me the tingles of SoS variety. Until this one. THIS ONE. GAH. This is how you write a mafia romance. You know those traditional mafia romances with the virgin heroine that’s essentially sold to her husband? The books that I don’t typically care for because well…virgin heroine. I am happily eating my words when it comes to this story. Because this story? SO STINKING GOOD.


He is a predator. I am his prey. I am his property, and he is my master.

This story was utterly delicious. Violetta Moretti is a 19 year college student that suddenly finds her life turned completely upside down. Having lost her family at a young age, she’s lived the last few with her aunt and uncle in America. But suddenly finds herself thrust into her Italian roots and the bride of the mafia king, Santino DiLustro, whose mere name sends fear shivering down men’s spines.

A debt that’s to be paid.

A marriage that she never wanted.

A husband that’s determined to own her and her submission.

And a deliciously twisted story full of mystery and secrets.

The story was a bit of a slow start, and I found myself skimming through a few details. But then when it took off, it really took off. I was hooked. Completely captivated. Santino is the ultimate alpha hero. He’s magnetic. Domineering. Uber protective. And has sexual chemistry basically oozing from his every pore. GOD but I loved this man.

Violette for being a young and somewhat sheltered heroine was FIERCE. I loved this woman and her spine. She was spitting fire the entire time and never backed down. You seriously gotta love a female like that.

As for the rest? It was one of the most delicious slow burns I’ve ever read. And when that cliffhanger hits you? MOTHER OF ALL SANITY! I’ll go crazy waiting until the next book.

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#DGRFave & Review: The Isle of Sin & Shadow by Keri Lake

March 16, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

THE ISLE OF SIN AND SHADOWS
Genre: Gothic Romance
Author: Keri Lake
Release Date: March 16,  2021

This island alone boasts more ghost stories than all of Louisiana combined.
And I’m one of them.

In the Louisiana swamplands, ghost stories are as much a part of childhood as chasing fireflies and crawfishing. They never much scared me, though, nor the possibility of evil out to do me harm. Until the night I watched shadows come to life and butcher everything I loved.

With a stranger’s help, I managed to escape to an isolated place miles north, and, in time, became my own ghost story. A cautionary tale for the locals.

Nearly a decade passed, before I returned to my birthplace, in hopes of unearthing long-awaited answers. Instead, I found something I wasn’t looking for. Someone. A remedy for my loneliness.

Or so I thought.

Turns out, Thierry Bergeron is no elixir. He’s a deadly poison, cursed by the demons of his past, and feared by those who call him the elusive Rougarou of the bayou. A devious rogue, whose seductive whispers and rough hands haunt my dreams. The big bad wolf that defiles me without apology, or remorse.

I should resist him, but I can’t.

And when the shadows return to stake their claim on me, his darkness is the only safe place to hide.

AMAZON

This island alone boasts more ghost stories than all of Louisiana combined. And I’m one of them.

Spine tingling, suspenseful, and utterly mesmerizing. The Isle Of Sin and Shadows was unlike anything I’ve read and a story I won’t be forgetting any time soon.

When Keri Lake announced that she’s writing another gothic romance, I knew I was in for a treat. But nothing, and I mean NOTHING prepared me for the absolute thrill ride that was this book. I mean MY GOD.

This unbearable ache inside of me has a name: Thierry Bergeron. He’s what I desire more than anything. The exquisite poison that’s sure to destroy my heart this time.

If you want a mystery that will send chills down your spine, possibly cause a few nightmares, and own you from beginning to finish…well, look no further.

Céleste has spent years both running from her past and seeking answers. Her mind is a jumbled mess of broken memories and horrors that haunt her living nightmares. After barely escaping with her life when she’s a little girl, the grown woman needs answers. She’s back to the town and her childhood home and all of the haunting memories that come along with it in her desperate search for answers about her family’s gruesome death. She’s fierce, feisty, and everything that I would expect from the brilliant mind of Keri Lake.

Thierry Bergeron is a mystery wrapped in barbed wire. He’s the owner of an exclusive adult club and a cold blooded killer for hire for a ruthless cartel. His history is shadowed at best, but one thing is for sure. This is not a man that you want to cross. And when the young Céleste stumbles into his crosshairs, he’s determined to learn her secrets. But nothing prepares him for the dark web that spins around this woman’s past and just how dangerously close she is to his own present.

The romance is flawlessly and effortlessly interwoven into the dark mystery and suspense. It’s a slow burn that hurts so good and when it finally explodes, it’s downright incendiary. But beyond the romance, the story is completely unputdownable. The mystery unravels piece by agonizing piece, and nothing prepares you for the plot twists that hit you over the head like a two by four. Keri is the queen of dark suspense, I swear, but this was something altogether ELSE. I can’t even begin to describe it to you. All I know is that it played out in my mind like a movie and at times left me completely shell shocked.

This was a book unlike any I’ve read in a long LONG time and if you’re looking for a dark, gothic romance to take you out of your comfort zone and stay in your memory, look no further!

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Review: The Art of Falling For You by Maya Hughes

March 11, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

THE ART OF FALLING FOR YOU
Series: Falling #1
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult Romance
Author: Maya Hughes
Release Date: March 11,  2021

 

“Are you stalking me?”
“We live right next door to each other, New Girl.”

Bay Bishop aka The New Girl is my new neighbor. Glasses, stage crew black clothes and a knack for fading into the background.

She’s probably the only one who rolls her eyes when I walk past instead of cheering on my last touchdown play. But before I can shove her into the recesses of my mind filed under “Not my problem” she lands herself smack dab in the middle of my dreams.

I catch her singing with a voice unlike any I’ve heard before that taps into feelings I shouldn’t have for the girl who avoids me at all costs. I need to know why she hates me.

With three months until graduation, the final play is on. Only it’s not for more points. It’s for Bay.

Unlike my success on the field, this win is anything but assured. But I can’t stop myself from taking the risk.

There’s no flashing scoreboard.
There’s no cheering crowd.
There’s only her and me.

The countdown clock is ticking. The only thing scarier about finding my first love will be losing her.

The Art of Falling for You is the first book in the new Fulton U universe sports romance, Falling trilogy.

AMAZON

CHECK OUT THE FULTON U SERIES

#1 The Perfect First | #2 The Second We Met | #3 The Third Best Thing | #4 The Fourth Time Charm

Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited

 

He was chiseled, in an ‘I’ll sweet talk you with bloody knuckles’ kind of way. He was the epitome of the boy from the other side of the tracks, only instead of a motorcycle, he drove a muscle car.

I’m obsessed! I’m absolutely blown away! This story owned me from beginning to finish and is one of my favorite Maya Hughes books to date. When I tell you that this is going up there with my favorite NA romances, I mean the last time I was this obsessed, was when I was reading the Tristan and Danika trilogy.

She was absolute trouble. Who’d have known my late-night bike riding, guitar playing, stage crew maven neighbor could be so dangerous to my sanity? But here I was, and I wouldn’t change a thing.

Now look, when I learned this was a trilogy, I was hesitant to pick it up. I have the worst ADD when it comes to trilogies. But the second I started this book, I knew I’d be desperately awaiting each installment because the story OWNED me.

The way that Maya decided to write this angsty second chance romance is absolutely brilliant. We get a glimpse into Bay’s present, only to be thrown right into the past four years ago and watch as she falls for the boy next door. All the while knowing that their slow burn romance is meant to blow apart in the most painful of ways. But I’ll get to that in a second.

He’d demolished me. I’d been so worried about fixing him, but I should’ve been preparing to fix myself when he shattered me. Cruel. Violent. Vicious.

Bay and Dare are neighbors, but there’s no love lost between them at first. While Dare is utterly captivated by the girl next door, Bay can’t seem to give him the time time of day. If you’re a fan of the good girl meets tortured boy trope, prepare yourself for one addicting read.

While Bay is the social outcast of their high school, Dare is the golden boy tight end with a tragic story that he struggles to hide from everyone. This is the ultimate opposites attract story, and the most delicious slow burn. Bay is just looking to survive her final year of high school and the last thing she wants is the spotlight from the attention of the football team’s golden boy. Dare can’t seem to stop chasing her, and eventually the attraction between them blooms into a friendship that ultimately becomes a love that neither expected or was prepared for.

The feels! OH MY GOD THE FEELS of this book. The sweet, delicious angst. The emotion. I lived for it. Watching them fall for each other, all the while knowing what looms ahead was the sweetest sort of torture. It was like you knew that train wreck was coming, and you knew it would demolish you, but you couldn’t look away. And oh my god did it demolish me. But nothing and I mean ABSOLUTELY NOTHING could have prepared me for the last lines of this book.

If I thought I was obsessed with this story before, the last line OWNED ME. I won’t spoiler it for you, and I highly recommend you avoid reading too many reviews and just go into this book absolutely blind. TRUST ME.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to rock myself in a dark corner while I wait for book two. Because GAH. JUST GAH.

Maya Hughes, that’s me!, can often be found sneaking in another chapter while hiding in the bathroom from her kids! 🙂 I’m a romance writer who loves taking inspiration from everyday life, namely my husband and biggest fan. Inspiration also strikes when I hear a song, meet someone new or daydream while at soccer practice.

I love writing stories that capture the possibilities of the paths less travelled and enjoy experiencing life through my characters’ eyes. 

I’m the mom of three little ones, the wife to an amazing husband and also work full time. Some of my favorite things are cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, white wine, laughing until I can’t breathe, traveling with my family and Jeff Goldblum. 

AUTHOR LINKS

Goodreads | Instagram | Facebook | Bookbub 

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Review: Strong, Silent Cowboy by Lora Leigh & Veronica Chadwick

March 10, 2021 by ·


STRONG, SILENT COWBOY
Series: Moving Violations #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Lora Leigh & Veronica Chadwick
Release Date: March 9, 2021

He Will Do Anything…

Sallie Hamblen had three incredibly hot, sexy nights with Jacob Donovan, an undercover CIA agent, before he disappeared, leaving her broken hearted and forever yearning for the man she lost. Years later, Jacob doesn’t know that the beauty he’s about to seduce in a small town bar is the woman he held in his arms all those years ago… and that she’s on the run from her past.

 

To Keep Her Safe…

Former CIA agent turned cowboy, Jacob Donovan wants nothing more than a simple life. Just the ranch and occasionally someone warm and sweet in his bed. Until Sallie comes back into his life and all of a sudden he wants to be in her bed every night…all night. When he discovers that her life is in danger, he swears he’ll protect her.

 

Even when secrets are revealed that threaten everything between them, he will lay everything on the line to keep her in his arms.

AMAZON

This man was dangerous, and she knew it. Something about him warned her that he rarely played, but when he did, he played to win.

Lora Leigh books have been a guilty pleasure for years and will always be what I reach for when I want a super sultry story with an uber alpha.

This is book two in the series, but easily enjoyed as a standalone. I didn’t love book 1, but I did enjoy this one quite a bit.

I won’t spend too much time on the plot, because you can really gather most what you need from the blurb. Years ago, Sallie gave her virginity to a man that owned her, body and soul. They spent an unforgettable night between the sheets, only for him to disappear from her life. Sallie is also running for her life from a dangerous enemy while struggling to figure out why they’re after her. Hiding in the small town, she comes face to face with the man that stole her heart all those years ago. The problem? He doesn’t remember her.

Now if you’re looking for a super hot story, look no further. If there’s one thing that Leigh can write is one hot sexy scene. I also live for her uber alphas, and a CIA agent turned small town sheriff and with a filthy mouth is right up my alley. Sallie took me a bit to warm up to. She’s a bit hot and cold. She won’t give her heart away, but she can’t turn him down when he kisses her. She wants him, she can’t have him. She can’t put him in danger by sharing her secret, but she continues to sleep with him.

Ultimately, where the story dwindled a bit for me were on the details. Or really, the consistency of them. The years were jumbled and jumped all over the place. Three nights spent together or one night spent together. She spent 2 years on the run or 3 years on the run. It’s been 6 years or 3 years. I mean, it was all over the place and made me wonder if the published version will have this fixed.

There’s also some details that are left unanswered at the end that left me hanging. I had hoped the epilogue may touch on them, but ultimately, they were just left mostly unresolved.

All that aside, I did still enjoy this. The added suspense element kept me turning the pages, and the chemistry between Sallie and Jacob kept me invested. If you’re looking for a super steamy, suspenseful read, this one may do the trick.

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

Review: Complicate by Pam Godwin

March 9, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

COMPLICATE
Series: Deliver #9
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Pam Godwin
Release Date: March 9, 2021

The heart-pounding conclusion of the DELIVER series.

Cole Hartman is a mystery.
He works alone, sleeps alone, and satisfies his aches…alone. He hasn’t touched a woman in seven years.
No one will ever compare to the one who broke his heart.
Until he stares into the seductive eyes of his enemy.

He finally meets his match in the redheaded Russian spy.
But she’s a dangerous risk. His obsession with her leaves him only one choice.

If you love something, let it go.
If it doesn’t kill you, hunt it down and take it.

——

This is Cole Hartman’s story.
But it’s not his beginning.
The saga of Cole, Danni, and Trace starts in the TANGLED LIES trilogy.

You don’t have to read TANGLED LIES, but if you want to read it, do so before reading this book.

RECOMMENDED READING ORDER
ONE IS A PROMISE (#1) (FREE)
TWO IS A LIE (#2)
THREE IS A WAR (#3)
DELIVER (#1) (FREE)
VANQUISH (#2)
DISCLAIM (#3)
DEVASTATE (#4)
TAKE (#5)
MANIPULATE (#6)
UNSHACKLE (#7)
DOMINATE (#8)
COMPLICATE (#9)

The books in the DELIVER series are standalones, but they must be read in order.

AMAZON

 

I’m addicted to you,” she breathed.
“I don’t want to be an addiction. I want to be the love of your life.”

Reading this book was the most bittersweet moment. I’ve spent years completely obsessed with this series. And I’ve spent what feels like forever waiting for Cole Hartman’s book.

Now if you haven’t read the Tangled Lies trilogy yet. I highly recommend you do it before reading this book. Trust me. I remember the devastation of Tangled Lies and also the sense of understanding with how it ended. I also remember hoping beyond hope for a HEA for Cole, even though it didn’t seem there would ever be a woman that would help him move past the love of his life. So I was equally excited for this book and utterly terrified that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations.

The second Lydia appeared on the page, I knew I was in for a hell of a ride. It is no small feat to take a love like what Cole had for Danni and give him a HEA that feels right. What’s even harder, is keeping that love for Danni but giving him a woman that is so much more fitting for him without diminishing what he had with Danni. For that alone, I bow down to the brilliance of Pam Godwin.

Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m going to fuck you. I’ll fuck you so completely that shit on your face will smear and drip off. You’ll lose the fake eyelashes like the piercing in your lip. I’m going to fuck you until there are holes in your stockings, tangles in your hair, and bite marks marring those creamy tits. I’m going to ravage you, ruin you, and I’ll do it all while my hands are still bound in rope.”

Now I will say that the romance really took centerpiece of this book for me. This being the final book in the Deliver series, of course there’s a dark suspense element that also plays out. And in true Pam Godwin fashion, it was filled with plenty of jaw dropping plot twists that bring the story to a full circle.

Lydia and and Cole’s story spans over quite some time and full of pain and heartache. And I was so here for it! I will say that the ending did feel a little anticlimactic to me as a lot of it happened off the pages. However, the romance was so satisfying, that I couldn’t really find it in me to care. And the epilogue? SO. STINKING. GOOD.

In all my expectations, I didn’t think of a HEA this satisfying for Cole. If you’re thinking of reading this as a standalone, do yourself a favor and don’t. This series is meant to be read in order for the truly fulfilling experience. And you absolutely should read the Tangled Lies trilogy for the true one two punch of feels.

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Pam Godwin, lives in the Midwest with her husband, their two children, and a foulmouthed parrot. When she ran away, she traveled fourteen countries across five continents, attended three universities, and married the vocalist of her favorite rock band.
Java, tobacco, and dark romance novels are her favorite indulgences, and might be considered more unhealthy than her aversion to sleeping, eating meat, and dolls with blinking eyes.
Join my Facebook Reader Group: here

Other Books by Pam Godwin

Tangled Lies Series
ONE IS A PROMISE (#1) – FREE
TWO IS A LIE (#2)
THREE IS A WAR (#3)

Deliver Series
DELIVER (#1) – FREE
VANQUISH (#2)
DISCLAIM (#3)
DEVASTATE (#4)
TAKE (#5)
Manipulate (#6)
UNSHACKLE (#7)
DOMINATE (#8)

Trilogy of Eve
HEART OF EVE – FREE
DEAD OF EVE (#1)
BLOOD OF EVE (#2)
DAWN OF EVE (#3)

Stand-alones

? STUDENT-TEACHER ROMANCE ?
DARK NOTES

?️ ROMANTIC SUSPENSE ?️
DIRTY TIES

? ROCK-STAR DARK ROMANCE ?
BENEATH THE BURN

? CELEBRITY ROMANCE ?
INCENTIVE

 

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Review: Private Property by Skye Warren

March 9, 2021 by ·

PRIVATE PROPERTY
Series: Rochester Trilogy #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Skye Warren
Release Date: March 9, 2021

Private Property by Skye Warren is now live!

 

When I signed up for the nanny agency, I didn’t expect a remote mansion on a windswept isle.

Or a brooding billionaire who resents his new role.

 

His brother’s death means he’s now in charge of a moody seven year old girl.

She’s lashing out at the world, but I can handle her.

I have to.

I need the money to finish my college degree.

 

 

As long as I can avoid the boss who alternately mocks me and coaxes me to reveal my darkest secrets.


AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

It isn’t right for a man so hard to look almost beautiful.

Every single time I tell myself I’m done with trilogies, Skye Warren makes a liar out of me. And you know what? I’m not sorry. Well, actually, I am slightly sorry. Because that cliffhanger was PAINFUL. Like what in the ever loving sanity?! How am I supposed to be patient after that? But I digress.

I am a sucker for dark, broody, and mysterious heroes. And Beau Rochester is all of those things and more. A brooding and reclusive billionaire playboy that I was dying to get more details on but who remained elusive until the very last page.

Jane Mendoza arrives to the gloomy town in Maine for a year long nanny contract. But nothing prepares her for the man of the manor or the broken little girl he has become the guardian for after the tragic death of her parents. Jane is the sweet and innocent to Beau’s hard and jaded. A product of the foster system, she’s seen the worst of humanity in her young years, but still managed to hold onto this endearing air of innocence. She doesn’t hesitate to stand up to Beau and his mercurial mood swings, even if at times she did give in too easily to the sexual chemistry between them.

The story is told in dual POVs with more time spent in Jane’s head, though I’m hoping that will change in book two because I’m dying to know more about Beau. There’s a dark mystery that slowly unravels about Beau’s family history, but just as you think you know, Skye hits you with a cliffhanger to beat all cliffhangers. I’m pretty sure I sat there in a numb stupor for a solid five minutes, attempting to go to the next page, before finally accepting that there WAS NO MORE. GAH. But I digress again.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to stare longingly at Goodreads, hoping that the second book will magically appear with a release date immediately. *deep sigh*

Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of dangerous romance such as the Endgame trilogy. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, sweet dogs, and evil cat.

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

Review: Dotted Lines by Devney Perry

March 2, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

DOTTED LINES
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Runaway #5
Author: Devney Perry
Release Date: March 2, 2021

Clara Saint-James is completing a journey started by an old friend. She’ll return a Cadillac to California, a place she’s avoided for more than a decade. But it’s time for closure and to put old ghosts to rest. And it’s time to find out if the feelings she’s cherished for the boy from her past are just fanciful memories—or if there’s a chance they are real.

Timing was never on her side, especially when it came to Karson Avery. The two of them lived in a junkyard as runaway teens, and though she wanted more than his friendship, he always belonged to another—until that one night when he was hers.

When Clara finds Karson living in a small, coastal town, she’s not surprised the beautiful boy from her past grew into a stunning man. His smile is as captivating as ever. His eyes have the same roguish glint. But timing is still working against her.

Clara must decide how far she’s willing to go to battle for Karson’s heart. Or if it’s time to let him go and surrender to the dotted lines that have always kept them apart.

 AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO

The boy I’d loved before his life had gone one direction and mine had gone the other. And between us streaked those dotted lines.

It was such a bittersweet thing to read this book. I fell so hard for this series and as much as I was anticipating Karson’s story, I hated to see it come to an end.

She made me feel like I could move mountains. Like I could swim across the ocean and back.
She was . . . she was my Clara.
Maybe that was why it had been so easy to fall for her, even when I’d known I shouldn’t. Twelve years ago. Today. Here I was, still hanging on her every step. Clinging to every word. Every smile.

Now I’m not usually a reader that loves sweet romance, but something about this one just grabbed me. Maybe it was the emotional punch of the second chance romance? Maybe it was the innocent love that formed between two teens that have been through hell and found safe haven in one another. Whatever it was, it just worked. And I devoured it.

It’s finally Clara’s turn with the Cadillac in this book and her journey takes her back to Karson, the boy that she once shared a tent in a junk yard with. Clara loved Karson as a young girl but she never thought he’d return her feelings. I loved getting a glimpse into young Karson and Clara and watching their sweet friendship bloom to something more.

Older Clara hasn’t changed much. She’s a little wiser, and now with an adorable son. But one thing that hasn’t changed, was her feelings for Karson. But their reunion doesn’t go as she planned and timing has never been on their side. It seems like their reunion still isn’t the right time.

There’s so much emotion that’s packed into this book. I especially loved the deeper insight into Lou through the memorabilia and notes. I cried like a baby at one part in particular. Karson is not my typical alphahole. He’s sweet and caring, and he loves DEEP. He’s just a genuinely nice guy that never stopped loving Clara but their timing just never seemed right. I loved their slow burn journey to a HEA. And that epilogue? OMG it was perfection!

Devney is a USA Today bestselling author who lives in Washington with her husband and two sons. Born and raised in Montana, she loves writing books set in her treasured home state. After working in the technology industry for nearly a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to enjoy a slower pace at home with her family. Writing one book, let alone many, was not something she ever expected to do. But now that she’s discovered her true passion for writing romance, she has no plans to ever stop.

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Review: Once We Were Starlight by Mia Sheridan

March 1, 2021 by · Leave a Comment
ONCE WE WERE STARLIGHT
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Mia Sheridan
Release Date: March 1, 2021

A bed posed on a stage under a dazzling spotlight. An audience of hungry eyes. And him, the other half of my soul, our supple bodies moving as one . . .

 

Sundara: the lush and forbidden oasis in the desert where men travel to watch acts of sexual deviancy, and the only existence seventeen-year-old Karys has ever known. But despite a life where secrets and sin are in high supply, and freedom remains far beyond their reach, Karys and her partner Zakai find safety in each other, their passionate love the light that helps them both survive the darkness.

 

Very suddenly, Karys and Zakai find themselves in the bright and confusing world of New York City, navigating separation, school, and relatives who are all but strangers. If they’ve been found, why do they still feel so lost? As their new lives threaten to drive them apart, and Zakai spins out of her grasp, Karys must figure out who and what can be trusted in this strange city, seemingly filled with more venom than the desert they once called home.

AMAZON 


We are two halves of the same beautiful star, broken in the heavens. We fell to earth, separate, yet yearning to be together.”

Once We Were Starlight was an incredibly poignant, beautiful, and captivating story that I don’t think I’ll be forgetting any time soon.


Once we were starlight. But now, now we were a universe.

The story is told in separate parts of past and present and nothing prepared me for the emotional roller coaster that was this story.

At one point Zakai and Karys were each other’s everything. The desert setting of Sundara, all young Karys having ever seen. She’s sheltered, uneducated, and with her wings clipped but without really realizing it. Zakai is older and seems more jaded. He understands what the outside world holds while Karys has no knowledge of anything outside of Sundara. As the story progresses, you’re taken on an emotional journey of Karys realizing what her life really is. It covers incredibly poignant subjects like sex trafficking and handled flawlessly. Karys and Zakai are as much in love as two young people who only have each other could be. They’re also part of a sex show for rich visitors of Sundara. But Karys doesn’t realize just how wrong this is for her. Yet she yearns to be with Zakai, while Zakai dreams of escape.

When they’re rescued from Sundara and thrust into a brand new world in New York, their lives have a ripple effect that pulls them both in separate direction. You’re taken on the journey to witness ultimately how they tragically fall apart, only to be reunited years later.

Mia Sheridan is a master with crafting one incredibly emotional and unforgettable story. I spent parts sick to my stomach and in tears. Most of the book is spent with their time in Sundara and focused on their lives when they fall apart. Having said that, I would have loved to get more time from their reunion at the end. If you’re looking for a beautiful and emotional story of second chances and survival, this is an absolute must read.

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