Review: In Too Deep by Skye Jordan

July 14, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

IN TOO DEEP
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Wildfire Lake #1
Author: Skye Jordan
Release Date: July 6, 2020

A fresh and sexy new series from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Skye Jordan

I’ve got one hell of a life–the business of my dreams, a close-knit family, and the title of elusive but most-eligible bachelor in town.

The only thing I’m missing now is my heart. I gave it away as a teenager and never got it back.

I didn’t think I’d see that girl again. She was my best friend, my first love, the person I couldn’t wait to see arrive in June and couldn’t stand to see leave in September. But the summer she turned eighteen, she flew off to Paris and never looked back.

When she resurfaces twelve years later, I don’t want to want her. I don’t even want to care. I really just want my fucking heart back so I can move on with a normal life–marriage, kids. Hell, I’d settle for a cease-fire in my romantic life.

It turns out we’ve got a shared interest in her grandfather’s land. This could be the perfect opportunity to settle the past. Or it could be the biggest mistake of my life, the one that destroys my heart for good.

Books in the Wildfire Lake series can be read as stand alone novels.
IN TOO DEEP
GOING UNDER
SWEPT AWAY

AMAZON

Kissing her now after all this time only confirms what I already knew—she ruined me for other women. I gave my heart away as a teenager and never got it back.

Y’all know I’m a sucker for a second chance romance. Mix it with a scenic small town and a group of girlfriends with an unbreakable bond and I’m so here for it!

My best friend. My first love. She’s the only thing I’ve ever truly wanted in life.

Growing up Laiyla wanted for nothing; except the unconditional love and acceptance of her parents. She’s spent her entire life aspiring to be what her parents want her to be. Her career, her life, nothing feels like her own. The only time she knew peace and belonging is when she spent time with her grandfather in a small scenic town. It’s where she met the love of her life, and then walked away from him to continue the path laid out by her parents.

On a birthday trip, Laiyla meets two women and their bond is formed through a circumstance none of them will soon forget. They form a quick and immediate bond over a shared birth date. They couldn’t be more different, yet their bond is immediate. I adored this aspect of the story because I love a good girlfriend bond vs the cattiness that you find in a lot of books. Empowering females that are there for each other rock! But I digress.

Laiyla hasn’t been back to the small town that she cherished since she walked away from the town and the man she loved as a teenager. Now with her grandfather’s passing, she’s back and determined to revive the beloved home that has fallen to shambles in her absence. The only trouble is, the town and the residence aren’t exactly thrilled to see her. And the man that she never forgot? He’s still there and carries a mean grudge. And he’s no longer the boy she remembers. He’s so much more.

This was such a sweet and steamy romance full of great banter and plenty of sass. The chemistry between Laiyla and Levi was undeniable. The second they’re back in each other’s orbit, you can practically feel the sizzle. I loved the two of them together. Levi doesn’t play games, but he also doesn’t want to open his heart again to the woman that broke it years ago, knowing she’ll just be walking away when she’s done. I loved watching Laiyla’s growth throughout the story and seeing her finally find her voice with her parents. Granted, she probably should have found it before she turned 30, but better late than never.

As for the colorful town residents? I couldn’t get enough of them. The set up for he friends’ books sound equally as delicious. I can’t wait for the next one. Bring on Dr. Delicious and K.T.

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New & Upcoming Releases: July 13-16

July 13, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

New releases coming at ya this week!

AVAILABLE NOW

THE RIVALS by Vi Keeland

A new, sexy standalone from #1 New York Times Bestseller, Vi Keeland.

The feud between Weston Lockwood and me started at the altar.

Only neither of us attended the wedding, and the nuptials happened decades before either of us was born.

Our grandfathers had been best friends and business partners, at least up until my grandfather’s wedding day—when his bride-to-be blurted out she couldn’t marry him because she was also in love with Weston‘s grandfather.

The two men spent years fighting over Grace Copeland, who also happened to be their third business partner.  But in the end, neither man could steal half of her heart away from the other.

Eventually, they all went their separate ways. Our grandfathers married other women, and the two men became one of the biggest business rivals in history.

Our fathers continued the family tradition of feuding. And then Weston and I did, too.

For the most part, we kept as much distance as possible.

Until the day the woman who started the feud died—and unexpectedly left one of the most valuable hotels in the world to our grandfathers to share.

Now I’m stuck in a hotel with the man I was born to hate, trying to unravel the mess our families inherited.

As usual, it didn’t take long for us to be at each other’s throats.

Weston Lockwood was everything I hated: tall, smart, cocky, and too gorgeous for his own good.  We were fire and ice.

But that shouldn’t be an issue. Our families were used to being at war. There was just one minor problem, though. Every time Weston and I fought, we somehow wound up in bed.

TWISTED CIRCLES by Claire Contreras

 

From New York Times Bestselling author Claire Contreras comes a new mysterious, sexy, STANDALONE secret society novel . . .

When someone tells you who you are, do you believe them?

The first question the cops asked me was if anything out of the ordinary happened to me lately.

When I woke up this morning in the room of a mental institution I couldn’t remember a thing – not my name nor how I got there. Not how I left or how I ended up in that interrogation room.

The only thing I knew came from the contents inside my bag. A wallet, a student ID, a key that opened an unknown door, and two notebooks.

They tell me my name. It matches my IDs.

They tell me my story. I shut my eyes and try to piece it together, but can’t.

They tell me why they picked me up in the first place. They thought I was my sister. My brain stays stuck there. I try to rewind and fast-forward, as if my memories were on a videotape, but it’s no use. I can’t recall having a sister.

They put me back in the car and drop me off in front of a mansion they call The Manor and I discover what the mysterious key in my backpack opens the front door, and just as quickly wish I’d never unlocked it at all.

This is a 100% standalone in the world as Half Truths.

BEAUTIFUL CRIMINAL by M.N. Forgy

As the son of the infamous boss of the DeAngelo family, I have merciless duties expected of me. The public labels me a monster, a man without a soul, and one hated by many.

They’re not wrong, and I’m not sorry for it.

When my father orders me to marry a longtime enemy’s daughter to settle a score between our families, she did what any smart woman with a beating heart would do.

She ran.

So, I found her.

She tries to negotiate for her freedom, but despite being inexplicably drawn to the deviant woman, I refuse her pitiful bribes with pleasure.

I still have a job to do, and I’ll make her tell me her family’s secrets, turning a treacherous situation into a game of hatred.

A code of silence will be broken.

Lines will be crossed.

I’ll promise her freedom to get the answers I need, but I’ll burn this city to the ground before I let her go.

RELEASING JULY 14

THE PLAN COMMENCES by Kristen Ashley

Once upon a time, in a parallel universe, there existed the continent of Triton. The land was filled with beauty, but it was also splintered by war. Out of the chaos grew a conspiracy to reawaken the Beast, a fearsome creature who wrought only tragedy and devastation. The only way to stop him was to fulfill an ancient prophecy: Triton’s four strongest warriors must wed its four most powerful witches, binding all nations together and finally bringing peace to the land.

This is the story of their unions: the quiet maiden Silence and the savage king Mars.

The cold warrior Cassius and the fiery witch Elena.

The steadfast soldier True and the banished beauty Farah.

And the pirate king Aramus and the mysterious queen Ha-Lah.

Their unions will not be easy, but each couple must succeed, for the fate of their world is at stake….

HOME TO ME by Catherine Bybee

A brave woman’s flight from the past leads her toward new love in a novel about courage, hope, and second chances by Catherine Bybee, New York Times bestselling author of My Way to You.

After Erin Fleming escapes from her controlling and abusive ex, she finds refuge in the heart of Santa Clarita, California. Eager to start over, she has a new name, a new look, and a new career. Settled into a private guesthouse, Erin can breathe free. Far from the shadows she’s outrun, Erin is finally learning to live for herself. Her new unexpected friendship with her landlord starts to crack open the armor Erin’s enclosed herself in. But it’s Matt who speeds up the pace of Erin’s heart and makes her wish for things she believes she can never have.

Matt Hudson, a firefighter in one of California’s wildfire epicenters, has a passion for danger. He lives for the adrenaline rush his profession awards him. But his protective instincts take over once Matt meets Erin. So does an attraction he can’t deny. Above all else, he’s determined to prove to Erin that she can trust him. As the sparks between them ignite, so does a real-world danger. Erin’s past is not letting go. It’s just in hiding.

Before Erin’s ex finds her, she and Matt have to find him. And finally put an end to everything that’s becoming a threat to their love, and to Erin’s life.

RATE A DATE by Monica Murphy

From New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy comes a fun story about a dating app bringing two very unlikely people together…
Eleanor Murray is tired.

Tired of going on awkward dates. Tired of meeting men who just aren’t that into her. Tired of being set up on blind dates by her well-meaning friends.

She is a believer of true love, of finding that happily ever after, and she wants it. She deserves it. But at the rate she’s going, she’s pretty sure it’s never going to happen.

Until a friend creates a profile for Eleanor on a new dating app. At first, she’s reluctant. Dating apps aren’t the way to finding true love, are they? But then she makes a connection on Rate a Date, and this gorgeous, confident guy almost seems too good to be true…

Mitch Anderson has a secret.

He’s just moved to Las Vegas for his high profile job and after years of playing the field, he’s looking for a serious relationship. He wants to find a woman who likes him for who he is, not what he does. Meeting Eleanor on the dating app, he’s intrigued. Meeting her in real life while she’s in town for a bachelorette weekend, he completely falls for her. Now he’s in way over his head.

Their chemistry is combustible. They can’t keep their hands off each other. But will Eleanor forgive him when she finds out who he really is?

The Dating series are standalone romances with interconnecting characters. Each novel features a new couple and can be read in any order, but you’ll enjoy reading them as a series!

Save The Date
Fake Date
Holidate
Hate to Date You
Rate A Date Wedding Date (coming soon)

STEALING SUMMER by Lexi Blake

From New York Times and USA Today bestseller Lexi Blake comes a new epic-length story in her Thieves/Hunter world…

A daughter lost

Summer has spent her whole life wondering about the family she left behind. On the night she came into being she only had a few moments with them. In that brief time, she reached out to her father, looking deep into his soul, and gifted him the will to go on. But now she is the one in need. Once a child made of pure magic, she is forced to live as a mortal. Her power caused great harm, and she has sworn never to let it happen again. With her friends beside her, she tries her best to help those she can. If that requires her to do a little thievery, well, she is her mother’s daughter, after all.

Everything changes when a woman falls from the sky and Summer meets the handsome vampire named Marcus Vorenus. Just as her past begins to catch up with her, she might have finally met her future.

A mother discovered

Kelsey Owens went searching for Dev and Marcus but all she found was a trap. She was pulled through a magical painting and thrown smack into the middle of a battle on a foreign plane of existence. Luckily she’s good in a fight. Saving the woman targeted by the horde of brutal soldiers, Kelsey is shocked by her resemblance to her queen. As Kelsey investigates the mystery surrounding Summer Donovan-Quinn, she also hunts for a way back to the husbands and son she just claimed.

A queen exiled

Zoey Donovan-Quinn is not happy. The wizard Myrddin is back, her marriage is troubled, and she is sure those two problems are connected. But nothing is more worrying than Dev’s sudden disappearance. When she and Daniel go looking for him, they are drawn into a world thought lost to the Earth plane. Danger awaits them there, but so does the daughter they thought they would never see again. She hopes they survive their reunion.

Three heroines. One mystery. And an ending that will change the Thieves world forever…

THIS LOVE HURTS by W. Winters

USA Today Best Selling Author, Willow Winters, brings you an all-consuming, sizzling romance featuring an epic, anti-hero you won’t soon forget.

Some love stories are a slow burn. Others are quick to ignite, scorching and branding your very soul before you’ve taken that first breath. You’re never given a chance to run from it.

That’s how I’d describe what happened to us.

Everything around me blurred and all that existed were his lips, his touch…

The chase and the heat between us became addictive.

Our nights together were a distraction; one we craved to the point of letting the world crumble around us.

We should have paid attention; we should have known that it would come to this.

We both knew it couldn’t last, but that didn’t change what we desired most.

All we wanted was each other…

AFTER ALL by Kristen Proby

The last sizzling novel in Kristen Proby’s Romancing Manhattan series finds a widower falling deeply in love again with a woman who has scars of her own.

When Carter Shaw’s wife died five years ago, he was left to pick up the pieces not only of his own broken heart but also that of his devastated eight-year-old daughter, Gabby—leaving him with no time for anything else, let alone dating. But recently, Carter has noticed women again and soon even begins dating. No one has stuck around for long, mostly thanks to one very angry Gabby.

Nora Hayes has worked as Carter’s assistant for years. Recently divorced herself, Nora spends many hours at the office and helping Carter with his daughter whom she adores. Despite loving her job and being wrapped up in the Shaw family, Nora’s never given her handsome, kind workaholic boss a second thought, especially in the romance department.

But then the snowstorm of the century hits, and Nora finds herself stranded at work with Carter overnight. And suddenly, she sees Carter in a whole new, sexy light. The sadness that’s lived in his eyes for so long has now been replaced with pure, unadulterated lust—and Nora isn’t quite sure what to do about it. For after the pain of her divorce, she never thought she would give love a second chance.

Carter and Nora have always believed in never combining business with pleasure. But how can they possibly deny the all-consuming chemistry between them…?

ENGAGEMENT AND ESPIONAGE by Penny Reid

Jennifer Sylvester made her deal with the devil . . . and now they’re engaged!

But all is not well in Green Valley. A chicken choker is on the loose, 61 dead birds most “fowl” need plucking, and no time remains for Jennifer and her devilish fiancé. Desperate to find a spare moment together, Jenn and Cletus’s attempts to reconnect are thwarted by one seemingly coincidental disaster after another. It’s not long before Cletus and Jenn see a pattern emerge and the truth becomes clear.
Sabotage!

Will an undercover mission unmask the culprit? Or are these love-birds totally plucked?

‘Engagement and Espionage’ is the first book in the Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries series, is a full-length cozy mystery, and is a spin-off of Penny Reid’s Winston Brothers series. This novel is best read after ‘Beard Science,’ Winston Brothers #3.

A SWEET MESS by Jayci Lee

Jayci Lee delivers “a perfect balance of impeccable wit, laugh out loud hilarity, and off the charts chemistry. A Sweet Mess is a sinfully decadent romantic comedy.”—New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting

Aubrey Choi has been content running her highly successful bakery Comfort Zone and with its first expansion taking up all of her time, dating has been the least of her priorities. Then a one-night-stand with gorgeous Korean hunk Landon Kim makes her want things she didn’t think she had time for. Too bad it turns out he’s a celebrity food critic whose scathing review of Comfort Zone goes viral and nearly destroys Aubrey’s business—and her fond memory of their night together.

Landon tries to clean up the mess he made by offering Aubrey a spot on the new celebrity cooking show he’s producing. She agrees to use this as a way to save her bakery and her reputation—no thanks to him—but vows to guard her heart. Now Aubrey and Landon find themselves sharing a villa in California wine country, which is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. For the next three weeks, baker and critic will tempt each other as they struggle to resist admitting that they have all the necessary ingredients for love.

“A rich, vibrant romance that’s a feast for all the senses.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely

Includes Delicious Dessert Recipes!

THE EXTRAODINARIES by TJ Klune

An Indie Next Pick!

Some people are extraordinary. Some are just extra. TJ Klune’s YA debut, The Extraordinaries, is a queer coming-of-age story about a fanboy with ADHD and the heroes he loves.

Hardcover edition comes with an exclusive, reversible jacket!

Nick Bell? Not extraordinary. But being the most popular fanfiction writer in the Extraordinaries fandom is a superpower, right?

After a chance encounter with Shadow Star, Nova City’s mightiest hero (and Nick’s biggest crush), Nick sets out to make himself extraordinary. And he’ll do it with or without the reluctant help of Seth Gray, Nick’s best friend (and maybe the love of his life).

Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl meets Marissa Meyer’s Renegades in TJ Klune’s YA debut.

At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

ALONG FOR THE RIDE by Casey Peeler

Belle Montgomery is a small town Carolina girl who is destined for the country music stage. She leaves her simple life, family, and friends behind to open for the one and only country music megastar, Jake Bryant.

With a break in their tour, sparks are bound to fly when Jake visits the small Podunk town of Lattimore.

That is until Belle’s long-time friend Chase McSwain makes his feelings known.

But after an adventurous weekend, it’s time to hit the road. Who will leave town with Belle?

Will sparks fly between Belle and Jake, or will Chase find a way to extinguish them before they start?

**Along for the Ride is a full-length clean and wholesome boy next door, friends to lovers romance novel inspired by Our Song: A Country Music Novella by Casey Peeler**

RELEASING JULY 15

FLIRTASAURUS by Erin Mallon

My name is Calliope and “I bone for a living.” Kidding. I am studying to be a paleontologist though.

It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to be, and I have finally landed the perfect museum internship to make all of my dino-loving dreams come true.

Trouble is, everyone wants me to be a gentle, loving sort of creature, but I’m more of the T-Rex type by nature – the kind who is determined to stomp and tear her way through any obstacle in order to get what she wants.

But when a sexy, rumbly-voiced astronomer plummets into my orbit and threatens to break open my hard little heart, my career and my whole way of looking at the world is suddenly on the line.

The dinosaurs didn’t see their asteroid coming.

And I sure as hell wasn’t prepared for mine.

RELEASING JULY 16

THE PROPOSAL by Maya Hughes- buy link TBA

When I envisioned Zara Logan dropping to her knees in front of me, this wasn’t what I had in mind…

I was expecting a lot less glaring and a lot more moaning.

Instead, she’s proposing an enticing deal that I can’t bear to walk away from.

To land one of the city’s biggest clients, she wants us to put our differences aside and play fake fiancés for the next thirty days.

So, I slip the diamond ring onto her finger and agree to play the perfect fiancé. How hard can this be?

A hell of a lot harder than I thought…

She’s infuriatingly stubborn and she thinks I’m a cocky jerk with an enormous ego. (She’s right, but I can definitely back it up…)

As our long days stretch into even later nights, it’s getting harder to remember we’re only playing pretend, which means one thing.

She won’t be faking it for long…

KEEPING YOU AWAY by Kennedy Fox

I never planned on returning to Alabama, but circumstances brought me here after years of being gone. Though Lawton Ridge is my hometown, I was hesitant to go back because of her —my sister’s best friend. The last time we were together, she was eighteen, and I was a broken soldier transitioning to civilian life.

Gemma wrote to me while I was overseas and we developed a bond I hadn’t anticipated. I crushed her heart the day I left, something I’ve never forgotten. But now that her dad is my new boss, life just got way more complicated.

Too sweet, too innocent, too good for a guy like me—I should walk away again.

After serving five years in prison for something I didn’t do, I trust no one, but Gemma gradually breaks down my walls and exposes the pain I’ve hidden underneath. For her own sake, I should keep my distance, but it’s nearly impossible when I hear her sweet humming while I work and she slowly draws me back in. It’s a battle I didn’t train for, and one I’ll lose if I don’t keep my restraint—especially since she’s engaged to another man.

KEEPING YOU AWAY is a slow-burn, angsty romance wrapped up in an intense love story. It’s book 1 in the Tyler & Gemma duet and must be read first.

MATTERS TO ME by M.E. Carter

My name is Heath Germaine.

As the starting cornerback for the Southeast San Antonio University football team, all eyes are on me.

Under such crushing pressure, there’s no room for error in my bid to reach the NFL and help support my large family.

With stakes this high, who can afford distractions? Not me, which is how I ended up in a fake relationship with the most irritating woman I know – Lauren Bagley.

As a competitive gymnast, her only focus is securing a spot at the college nationals competition.

If being her pretend boyfriend helps keep the idiot guys on her team off her back and the cleat chasers off mine, it’s a price I’m willing to pay.

Nothing is real. We’re only pretending. Everything’s a game. So why does she suddenly matter to me?

VICIOUS PRINCE by Rina Kent

He’s prince charming. Just not hers.

I have a secret.

I stole a heart, or rather a marriage contract.

It wasn’t mine to own, to look at or to even consider.

But it was there for the taking so I took it.

Huge mistake.

Ronan Astor is a nobility in this world.

Arrogant player.

Heartless bastard.

Vicious prince.

Now, he’s out to destroy me.

What he doesn’t know is that I’m out to destroy him too.

My name is Teal Van Doren, and I’m where princes go to die.

Vicious Prince is part of Royal Elite Series but could be read on its own. For better understanding of the world, you might want to read the previous books first. This is a mature new adult and contains situations that some readers might find offensive or triggering.

RELEASING JULY 17

GHOST NOTE by Vicki James

Six years.
Seventy-two months.
Over two thousand days.
That’s what I’d dedicated to that guitar-playing a*sehole, Danny Silver.
Now I, Daisy Piper, was left to pick up the wreckage of his love while he ran off with the band to find fortune and fame.

Life went on without him, and a new man soon rescued me from the ashes of Danny, but a part of my heart remained a little broken, no matter who tried to fix it. First loves can’t be forgotten so easily, and when Danny returned to our small hometown in Devon—famous and adored by millions—I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to get a glimpse of the man I’d once laid beside, to see how much he’d changed.

The smallest actions make for the biggest mistakes, and a single look into Danny’s eyes was all it took before I ran. I ran because the spark that came to life inside felt dangerous, and I wasn’t the kind of girl who enjoyed getting burnt twice.

But running from a rock star isn’t as easy as I thought it would be, and with Danny’s sights now firmly set on me again, all I could do was pray that he got bored of the chase. That he thought life in Devon was too slow for him, and that he craved the bright lights of the city, as well as the noise of the stadium.

If he didn’t, I was about to ruin everything for everyone.

Especially myself, and my stupid little Silver-lined heart.

 

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Review: Diamond in the Rough by Skye Warren

July 8, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

Diamond In The Rough
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Suspense
Series: The Diamond Trilogy #1
Author: Skye Warren
Release Date: July 7, 2020

Finding yourself has never been so dangerous…

Diamond in the Rough by New York Times bestselling author, Skye Warren, is available now!

I’m stepping off a nine hour flight when it happens.

A white van.
A dark hood.
Every woman’s worst nightmare.

Now I’m trapped in an abandoned church.

The man who took me says I won’t be hurt.

The man in the cell next to me says that’s a lie.

I’ll fight with every ounce of strength, but there are secrets in these walls.

I’ll need every single one of them to survive.

 

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH is a new dark romance from New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren.

 

This is a trilogy with cliffhangers.

 Amazon | Amazon Worldwide | Apple | Nook | Kobo

The dream comes to me before death.

I’ve seen it before. It comes to soldiers taking their last ragged breaths. They see their mothers kneeling over them in the middle of the godforsaken desert. They see a beloved wife holding their hand. I don’t have a mother or a wife. So it makes sense that the angel would come in the form of a stranger.

Except my angel begs me to let her go.

“I have money. And my family, they’ll pay a ransom.”

I walk through the conversation as if it’s a forest, touching the leaves and searching for animals beneath the foliage. She’s a puzzle, this angel, but she’s mine. I won’t give her up to die alone.

Adam comes downstairs. You can last seven minutes.

That’s when I know this is no strange dream. There is a woman in the cell with me. Christ. “Don’t listen to him,” I tell her, my voice low. The words echo off the damp stone walls. “Don’t fucking listen to a word he says.”

“You don’t want water?” Adam asks, taunting.

It’s painful how badly I need that goddamn water bottle he’s flaunting. But I have no illusions about my injuries. I’m going to die in this old French prison, and the part that pisses me off the most, the only thing that I really regret, is not taking Adam down with me. “He’s fucking with you.”

“I’ll do it,” the woman says, her voice brave and wavering at the same damn time.

I try to sit up, to stop her, to save her, but pain lashes my side. It blinds me. Ludicrous, the idea that I could save anyone in this state. “Don’t trust him. God, don’t let him—”

Don’t let him touch you.

If he kidnapped this woman, he’s going to do more than touch her.

There’s a squeak as the old metal protests its use.

Shuffling. Movement. The sounds filter through my haze of pain and hunger and the never-ending knife of thirst. They filter through with a bolt of goddamn outrage.

How dare he touch her? She’s my angel of death. Mine.

I shake my head against the cold concrete. No, that’s the blood loss speaking. She’s a real woman. Flesh and blood. And she’s going to get hurt.

“Let’s bring you into the light,” Adam says with his flawless, fake French accent.

It’s pitch-fucking-black down here, but somehow he finds a tiny shaft of light. The door is open a crack. Hope surges through me. No matter how unlikely escape, the human spirit won’t give up.

The woman cries out as she stumbles over something. Her back hits the bars with a clang. And then I can actually see her face in more than monochrome shadows. The delicate bridge of her nose, the eyes wide with fear. Blue. They’re blue. Her lips are a full, flawless pout, and my hope rips to shreds.

She’s beautiful. Incandescent, even in this hellhole. How will she ever survive?

“There we are,” Adam says, sounding very pleased with himself. He’s crowding her, one arm holding the bars, the other cupping her jaw. His perfectly tailored suit was made for this moment. It could be the picture of any man flirting with his date after dinner, stealing a kiss outside the restaurant.

Except he didn’t date her. He kidnapped her.

It’s something deeper than affection. Darker than love. She’s mine.

So who’s the idiot that completely missed that this is a trilogy because she didn’t even bother to read the blurb before diving in on a new Skye book?
Yeah.
Suffice it to say, there was a lot of colorful language and feet stomping that happened at the end.
Le sigh.

But guuuuuurl. I haven’t been this invested in one of Skye Warren’s stories since The Pawn. And I loved me some of that trilogy. And I swear to you, this one is even more delicious. There’s a dark thriller element to this that I gobbled right up and was left with a mind f*ck to end all mind f*cks.

Holly grew up in the shadow of her sister’s beauty, if only by her own insecurities. But one time when she’s a young girl, her heart gets stolen by a mysterious boy, only for it to be shattered. The encounter, although brief, leaves an unforgettable imprint on her heart, and a jaded after taste.

Now Holly is no longer the naive young girl she used to be. But the one constant, is her constantly running to her sister’s rescue. And when her sister goes radio silent, Holly’s fear finds her on a plane, and landing straight into hell. Kidnapped. Imprisoned. She has no idea what to believe or who to trust. There’s a man beaten half to death in her cage that tells her she can trust him. And a man keeping her in the cage that says he’s a liar. What begins is a mind game Holly never saw coming and doesn’t know how to get out of.

Now, if you’ve read Sonata, you’ll see quite a few welcome cameos here. And if you haven’t, you MUST.

As for the story, I simply won’t give you more than that. The blurb is vague AF and there’s a reason for it. You want to go in completely blind to experience the mind f*ck to it’s fullest. Trust me here. I loved Holly’s fierceness and fight. And the hero? Sweet baby jesus! Here! Hold my ovaries! But seriously. The man is intense with a capitol I. My only quibble is I wanted a little more detail with the sex. What? Stop looking at me like that. It was the mother of all sexual tensions and I wanted more, ok? Call me a greedy pervert here, whatever. I am what I am. But I digress. Aside from that one very minor quibble, I was completely invested and addicted to this story. I’m not sure if I’ll survive the wait for book two, but NEED!

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.

Connect with Skye

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Review: Hart To Handle by K. Bromberg

July 2, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

HARD TO HANDLE
Series: Play Hard #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: K. Bromberg
Release Date: June 30, 2020

At first, the request seemed simple—sign a new athlete to the agency.

Then I found out the new athlete was none other than the most wanted man in hockey today: Hunter Maddox

Gifted. Sexy. At the top of his game. And the only man who has ever broken my heart.
If signing him will help save our family business, I’ll swallow my pride and do what’s asked.

But when it becomes clear his uncharacteristic antics off the ice are a hint of something deeper, keeping things strictly professional between us becomes more than complicated.

But I know better than to cross that line.

I’ll never date a client. Not even for him.

***
Win the Stanley Cup and do it before time runs out.

Not a small feat, but it’s what’s motivated me since the start of my career.

And time is running out.

Enter Dekker Kincade.

Feisty. Dogged. Damn gorgeous. The one I let get away.

I have no idea why she’s traveling with the team, but hell if resisting her is going to be easy.

But I have a job to do, and I refuse to lose sight of that end game. Even if she confuses me. Even if she sees parts of me I’ve hidden from the world.

I can’t lose focus. Not even for her.

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I stare at Hunter. At his shirt plastered with sweat and how it clings to his body, despite the chill of the ice his skates are standing on. He has his warm-up pants on and is without a helmet, his hair curling at the ends from the sweat.

And all I see in his eyes is anger I didn’t put there. Or maybe I did. Rejection can do that to a man . . . but there’s something more here. Something I walked in on that doesn’t make sense.

“Don’t give me that look, Kincade,” Hunter mutters as he skates over to the penalty box where his electrolyte drink sits.

“What look?” I ask.

He half laughs, half snorts and meets my gaze across the distance. “Disappointment. Disproval. Disdain. I’m the king of all of them, so save your breath—or in this case—your glare, because it’s not going to work with me.”

“Are we working on emotions that start with the letter D today?” I ask. A hint of my embarrassment and anger over how I acted last night creeps into my voice, but I mask it with sarcasm. “If that’s the case, I’m more than impressed with your answers thus far.”

He clenches his jaw in response and then skates back over to line up more pucks so he can shoot them. And he does, one after another, each shot taken with laser precision and a healthy dose of fury behind it.

He goes through the first ten lined up and then stops to catch his breath.

His talent and skill are undeniable, but so is the beer bottle in my hand.

“Just because you’re the captain and star of this team, doesn’t mean management won’t frown upon this,” I say, unable to let this go.

“Screw the management.”

“No one likes a player who’s hard to handle and honestly, Hunter, you’re becoming hard to handle.”

“No one likes unsolicited advice from someone who has no bearing on his career, either,” he counters, the rebuke stinging but deserved.

The problem is, I do care about him. Doesn’t he get that’s where my hostility stems from?
And only a crazy person would say that, Dekker.

I put my hands up in surrender to both him and my own thoughts. “You know I only want the best for you.” I take a few steps in his direction in the first row of the stands. I’m close enough to catch the hitch of his movement and to see uncertainty flicker in his eyes. It’s almost as if he needs to talk but doesn’t see me as someone he can trust. I hate that. “What is it, Hunter?”

“Nothing. It’s . . . never mind.”

But I see it, and he knows I see it. The question is what do I see, though?

I knew that the minute I laid eyes on him. I knew that there was going to be a casualty in all of this. And most likely, it was going to be my heart.

GOD. Rip my heart out, why don’t ya, K. Bromberg. Holy hell. This story was a one two punch straight to the feels. I was expecting another amazing book from one of my favorite authors. What I was not expecting, was to blubber my way through every emotion it seemed to wrangle out of me. And oh my GOD, the emotion!

The premise of this new series is addictive. Four sisters who barely get along and couldn’t be more different are brought together by a common goal to save their father’s failing sports agency. First on the docket is Dekker who is assigned to win over a hockey super star from an agent that keeps stealing their clients out from under them. The only problem? The man she’s assigned to go after is also one that turned out to me more than she bargained for 3 years ago with what was only supposed to be sex.

Hunter Maddox is a hockey god. Captain of the team, he battles demons that no one knows about that are quickly causing him to spiral out of control in a cloud of rage and guilt. He may be an incredibly talented professional hockey star on the surface, but on the inside he’s burned out and hurting. He hasn’t seen Dekker since she walked out of his hotel room three years ago. They were only supposed to have hot sex between them, but it didn’t take long for it to become something more for him. He doesn’t know why she’s back in his orbit now, but he’ll be dammed if he’ll let her walk away before rekindling the fire that burned so hotly between them before.

I was instantly hooked on the story. I’m a sucker for a good second chance romance, especially one between a tortured pro hockey player and a ballsy sports agent. I loved Dekker’s smart mouth and stiff spine. Although admittedly, the longer she went without admitting to Hunter’s question on why she was there, the more frustrated I became with her. She was stuck between doing her job to sign him and save their agency and knowing she’s barely resisting the temptation of the man that stole her heart. It was a torture dance of frustration and wanting to shake her to just admit it to him.

Hunter was impossible not to love. My heart hurt so badly for him. Especially as we got more and more details on all that transpired to bring him to where he is today. His relationship with his family and his brother broke my heart. I blubbered like a baby through a good chunk of it.

This was the start of what is definitely going to be one incredible series, if this book is anything to go by. I was glued to the pages, put through the ringer of emotion, and SO FREAKING INVESTED. If you love a good sports romance, welcome to your next addiction! Seriously. This one is not to be missed!


New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary romance novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines and damaged heroes who we love to hate but can’t help to love.

A mom of three, she plots her novels in between school runs and soccer practices, more often than not with her laptop in tow and her mind scattered in too many different directions.

Since publishing her first book on a whim in 2013, Kristy has sold over one and a half million copies of her books across eighteen different countries and has landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists over thirty times. Her Driven trilogy (Driven, Fueled, and Crashed) is currently being adapted for film by the streaming platform, Passionflix, with the first movie (Driven) out now.

With her imagination always in overdrive, she is currently scheming, plotting, and swooning over her latest hero. You can find out more about him or chat with Kristy on any of her social media accounts.

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Review: Absolute Power by Jeana E. Mann

July 1, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

ABSOLUTE POWER
Series: Absolute Power Duet #1
Genre: Dark, Suspenseful Romance
Author: Jeana E. Mann
Release Date: June 30, 2020

The devil in my nightmares is the man of my dreams.

For the past three years, I’ve been running from a man I’ve never met. A man who carries a grudge. A man who specializes in revenge. I thought I had it all—a career and a new home in a sleepy small town. My world comes crashing down when a sexy gang member from the city arrives at my job, wrapped in tattoos and sinful smiles. Beneath his flirtatious facade beats the heart of an angry man. I’ve committed the one sin he can never forgive. I stole from him, and he won’t be satisfied until he’s repaid with the money or my life.

They say there are two kinds of power: power derived from fear and power obtained by acts of love. Cash Delacorte holds them both over my head. He’s everything I never wanted: dark, deceptive, and dedicated to a life of crime. He’s determined to pull me into the darkness with him, and the thing is—I want to go. Every kiss, every lie, every punishment propels me into a future I never dreamed possible.

Start reading today for only $.99!

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The devil in my nightmares is the man of my dreams.

Oh Mr. Delacorte, I’ve been REALLY waiting for you.

If you’ve read Nicky and Calliope’s story in The Ruthless Knight, the name Cash will sound very familiar to you. Because he’s the bad boy boyfriend that Calliope stole from and skipped town. If you haven’t read it, no worries, because you will easily pick things up here.

Jagger is Callie’s younger sister. Just like her sister, Jagger is a talented thief, but she’s also one that’s trying to turn her life to the straight and narrow. She used the money her sister stole from Cash to restart her life, but it’s not long before her sister’s debts start calling int he form of a sinfully sexy and tatted up stranger that’s intent to turn her world upside down.

If there’s one thing that this author can do phenomenally well, it’s craft one intense alpha male. Cash is brooding and mysterious with an aura of dangerous that’s a one-two punch straight to the ovaries. I was instantly drawn to him and starving for every little detail of who this man really is. The secondary character, Gage, his friend, was equally magnetic. Cash is rich criminal with a dark history. He knows he can’t get to Callie so he’ll take his pound of flesh from her sister. The chemistry between them is instant and sizzling.

This is a quick read, and while I devoured every page, I also wished it was longer. The pacing was great, but there were some integral parts that were missing in both Jagger and Cash’s characterization. I would have loved for some of the story to be further fleshed out. As it was, the puzzle pieces and the why’s just didn’t quite click for me. One of my most anticipated scenes was when Jagger finally gives into Cash, but I felt like that chapter was taken out and instead we get diluted flashbacks. I couldn’t help but be frustrated with that. I suppose I just needed a little bit more from this story to fully connect to the why. It felt like chunks of the story were missing.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Heck, I read it in one sitting. It was quick-paced and entertaining. I’m definitely curious to see how everything ends, especially with the plot twist at the end here. If you’re looking for something quick but satisfying, this will certainly hit the spot.


Jeana is a USA Today and Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author from Indiana. She gave up a career in the corporate world to write about sexy billionaires and alpha bad boys. With over twenty books and several awards beneath her belt, she’s never regretted her choice to live out her dream. She’s a free spirit, a wanderer at heart, and loves animals with a passion. When she’s not tripping over random objects, you’ll find her walking in the sunshine with her rambunctious dogs and dreaming about true love.

You can follow Jeana here:

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Text Alerts: Text the word “Jeana” without quotations to 21000

The author is giving away an EPIC giveaway of a Michael Kors purse, a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a signed set of Absolute Power and Absolute Trust. Stop by her page to enter! https://www.facebook.com/JeanaEMann/

 

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Review: Pawn by TM Frazier

July 1, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

PAWN
Series: The Pawn Duet #2
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: TM Frazier
Release Date: June 25, 2020

Born into hell. Baptism by betrayal. 


His life revolves around violence.

 

Pawn, the highly-anticipated conclusion to The Pawn Duet from USA Today bestselling author T.M. Frazier, is available now!

 

My life is on the line.

I’m trapped both physically and emotionally. A pawn in a game I didn’t know I was playing.

Until I met him.

Pike acts without emotion, but I know he feels something for me.

I see it in his eyes when he looks at me. I feel it when he’s close.

I know it’s real because I feel it too.

Lust. Desire.

It complicates everything.

I know that I’m part of Pike’s plan for revenge.

He doesn’t know he’s part of mine.

 

Pawn is book two of The Pawn Duet. Pike is book one.

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Start the duet with Pike!

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Pike bends me over the sink. I grip the edge to prevent falling face-first against the porcelain. I glance up at him through the mirror to where he’s standing behind me, appraising my body with fierce heat in his fiery eyes. He molds his body against mine. I close my eyes at the sensation I’ve been dreaming about feeling since the last time I saw him. I relish in his scent, his heat.

“Open your eyes, Mic,” he orders. “I want you to see this. To see us.”

My only response is a whimper. I have no words.

Only need.

As ordered, I open my eyes.

Pike grazes the back of my neck with his lips. “I want to see your reaction in the mirror as you take my cock. I want you to see mine as I give it to you. I’m not just going to fuck you. This is a message. One I want you to hear loud and fucking clear so that there will be no more misunderstandings between us.” He reaches between my legs under my skirt, cupping my pussy over my damp panties.

I push back against him with a loud groan. Pike holds me in place, pushing my panties down my legs before resuming his touch, this time against bare and soaking wet flesh.

He groans when he feels what’s waiting for him. “This belongs to me.” He wraps an arm around my shoulder, closing a hand over my throat, biting at my earlobe. His next words are both a statement and a warning, delivered while the shaft of his thick cock presses against the cleft of my ass.

“You. Belong. To. Me.”

The only person who can hurt me right now, is you. It’s your fucking move, Mic. Make sure you make the right one.”

How does this woman do it? She creates the most damaged and screwed up characters and makes me love them? OK rhetorical question, but still. I was itching to get my hands on the conclusion of Pike and Mickey’s story but dang, I was no expecting all this!

I already fell head over ovaries for Pike in the first book. Mickey, while being a genius, definitely had some screws loose, but in the most endearing of ways. This woman is damaged in every sense of the word. She’s survived what most people would get broken by, and while her coping mechanism isn’t the healthiest, it’s what makes her tick. That comes out in spades in this story as we jump further into the rabbit hole that is her brain.

Pike is just as delicious in this installment as he was in the first, except now he’s come to make peace with his growing feelings for Mic and his protectiveness comes out in full force. And this girl was SO HERE FOR IT.

There’s quite a few revelations and jaw dropping plot twists that I didn’t see coming in a million years. I literally had to pick my jaw off the floor after the first, and the second made me stare at the wall utterly dumbfounded with a holy shit moment. I love a story that can take me by surprise, and this one totally did. It was one revelation after another and this kept me glued to the pages from beginning to finish.

It was fast paced, suspenseful, sexy, and utterly messed up in parts. But I gobbled it up with a spoon. Not to mention the cameos from all of my favorites here, and I can happily say that this totally hit the mark for me.

T.M. (Tracey Marie) Frazier never dreamed that a single person would ever read a word she wrote when she published her first book. Now, she is a five-time USA Today bestselling author and her books have been translated into numerous languages and published all around the world.

T.M. enjoys writing what she calls ‘sexy wrong side of the tracks romance’ with morally corrupt anti-heroes and ballsy heroines.

Her books have been described as raw, dark and gritty. Basically, what that means, is while some authors are great at describing a flower as it blooms, T.M. is better at describing it in the final stages of decay.

She loves meeting her readers, but if you see her at an event please don’t pinch her because she’s not ready to wake up from this amazing dream.

Connect with T.M. Frazier

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Twitter: @TM_Frazier

Stay up to date with T.M. by signing up for her mailing list: http://bit.ly/TMFrazier Website: http://www.tmfrazierbooks.com

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Review: Fraud by Lily White

June 30, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

FRAUD
Series: Antihero Inferno #2
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: Lily White
Release Date: June 24, 2020

Eighth Circle.
Fraud.
Also known as Gabriel Dane.

He is a ray of sunshine that warms your heart with kind eyes and a dazzling smile.

Don’t let him fool you with that silver tongue or lure you in with a body that draws every woman’s eye. This man is fluent in deception and a devil who only offers pretty lies.

Gabriel is my old nemesis.
I’m the girl that always fought back.
He has every reason to hate me as much as I hate him.

Now that he found me, he’s determined to make me pay for our past.

Except, there are two small details Gabriel doesn’t know that will be his ultimate downfall:

There are no rules when it comes to our war.
And I’ve learned to lie just as good as him.

***Each novel in the series depicts a unique romance, but the plots through each book connect in one world. For the best experience, read the series in order.

Nine ruthless men. Nine unrepentant sinners. Nine irresistible manipulators.

AMAZON

I hate to break this to you, Ivy, but payback is a bitch.”
Smiling at that, I turn my head just enough that the corners of our mouths touch. “I hate to break this to you, Gabriel, but so am I.”

This series has quickly become my book crack of choice and I’m officially obsessed. I’ve said it after reading the first book, and I’ll say it again, because these books are seriously crackalicious. Like finger-lickin’ good. You need to read these damn books is what I’m telling you here. Seriously. Stop whatever else you’re doing and read it. READ IT. You’ll thank me after. Trust me.

A broken prince. The spoiled princess. And a war where the players had two different objectives.

Gabe is the epitome of a broken prince. He hides a wealth of pain and dark secrets behind his charming smile and lethal lies. The man lies as easily as he breathes and is the go-to when it comes to the inferno boys needing someone charmed into their bidding. He’s handsome, cunning, and the ultimate liar. Where the rest of the Inferno men look their part, Gabe is deceiving. Because he looks like the easy going one, when he’s anything but.

He’s just a monster disguised in gorgeous wrappings. A man that wouldn’t know the truth if it slapped him in the face.

Ivy has been his favorite pawn to play with for years. Their back and forth begins when they were just kids and Ivy saw something that Gabe punishes her to this day. But Ivy is so beyond a pawn. This is a woman that gives as good as she gets. I’m saying the woman is fiendish in her own right and I absolutely loved how much hell she gives Gabe. She doesn’t take any of his BS lying down and when he hits with one of his twisted games, she makes sure to hit back twice as hard.

The war we have is a drug, and I’ve always been an addict.

Ivy is impossible not to love. She’s fierce and takes no sh*t. She’s beautiful but vulnerable with plenty of daddy issues the daughter of a powerful yet corrupt aspiring politician can have. She wants to be the good girl her father needs and leaves behind her party girl ways in the past. But Gabe also brings out the worst in her. And when he comes calling for an old bet, well, the gloves definitely come off on their games.

We’re two opposing forces, strong enough when we’re together that lightning cracks the pristine skies, and the earth shakes beneath our feet. We’re destructive. Disastrous. The blinding chaos of a tempest storm.

Ivy once went to Tanner for a favor and now years later, the Inferno is here to collect. But Ivy is faced with an impossible choice of doing the right thing and betraying her father or running from the truth that keeps creeping its way up.

This is most definitely not meant to be read as a standalone. There’s an continuing story arc that continues through each book. So while each book is a new couple, the story line continues. Secrets continue to emerge regarding the truth behind Luca’s father’s death and the involvement of the guys’ fathers. It’s a dark and twisted game full of twists that I couldn’t get enough of.

Gabe and Ivy burn up the pages together. Their chemistry is incendiary. I loved their hate lust almost as much as when they give into the temptation and burn up the sheets together. I loved how Ivy’s fierce nature balances out Gabe’s twisted charm. She makes him work for everything. For every little morsel of trust she grudgingly gives him with time. I’m so invested in this series, it’s not even funny. Every time I finish a book, my need for the next one is rabid. I just can’t get enough. Of course the man I’m absolutely dying for (Jase) will be second to last. But I’m absolutely giddy to get my grabby little hands on Ezra’s story next.

If you’re looking for a deliciously twisty and sexy romance with plenty of angst, chemistry, and all of the banter, you need this book in your life!

Lily White is a romance writer who likes to dabble on the taboo side of eroticism. She is most known for her Masters Series, Target This, Wishing Well, and Asylum. In addition to dark romance Lily writes contemporary romance, taboo romance, and psychological thrillers. Lily enjoys stretching her writing muscles by continuing to challenge herself with each book she publishes.

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Review: Seducing The Enemy by Shayla Black

June 29, 2020 by ·

SEDUCING THE ENEMY
Series: Forbidden Confessions #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Shayla Black
Release Date: June 25, 2020

Seducing the Enemy, an all-new sexy, must-read forbidden romance from New York Times bestselling author Shayla Black is available now.

Once he takes his pound of flesh from her, will she steal his heart?

I’m Jett, self-made billionaire.
I have everything I could ever want—except revenge.
Eight years ago, my best friend and I planned to start a business together…
Until I fell for his little sister.
After he found out, he stole my idea and made a fortune.
She took his side and stabbed me in the back.
Now he’s in financial straits, while I’m richer than I ever dreamed.
So I made Whitney a bargain: forty million dollars in exchange for a week of her body.
But now that she’s in my bed, what if it’s not animosity I feel?
What if I fall for her again?

Enjoy this Forbidden Confession. HEA Guaranteed!

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Dallas
4 p.m.
Jett

She’s late.

Maybe she’s not coming, a$$*#!%.

That’s a distinct possibility.

What did you expect? You’re the enemy.

I am, and she’s too smart not to realize I’m springing a trap. She also knows I’m powerful enough to destroy her and all she holds dear.

But I’d rather not. Does she know that, too?

I shove the thought away. What’s in Whitney Chancellor’s mind—and heart—now shouldn’t matter. She made a choice, and I’m going to make her regret it.

You made a choice, too. And she probably hates your guts for it.

But that doesn’t change anything. If she doesn’t show today, I’ll keep coming at her. I have ways to bend her to my will.

She will give me what I want.

I tap an impatient thumb on the charred wood of the handscraped bar. The faux-rustic room is designed to be a “laid-back” watering hole, but since it sits in the middle of a horribly pretentious hotel in an exclusive, five-star part of town, I’m calling bullsh!t.

I’ve been here ten minutes, and I already despise this place.

You’re just nervous.

No sh!t. But this site is less than two miles from her house, so I’m here.

It’s been eight years, and I traveled halfway around the world for this. For her.

That doesn’t mean she’ll come, especially since you ordered her to.

In hindsight, that may not have been my best strategy, but cushioning my approach would have been counterproductive. It’s best if she understands I’m a world-class bastard, and nothing—not even her—will soften me.

Whitney has probably discerned that. After all, I’ve put her in a terrible position. One of two things will happen next: she’ll sweetly capitulate like she seemingly did all those years ago…or she’ll tell me to go f*ck myself. With her, I’ve got a fifty-fifty shot.

I’m almost hoping she chooses the latter.

At the sound of heels clicking across the tile floors in the otherwise empty bar, I snap around.

And I nearly drop my jaw.

I’ll send a car to pick you up at precisely nine o’clock. Bring nothing with you. Anything you need, I’ll provide. When you arrive, the front door will be unlocked. Once inside, you will strip. And you will kneel. Then you will wait for me. You will be completely mine. While you’re with me, you will forget two things: any other man who’s ever fucked you and the word no. You will do anything I desire with, to, or for me during our week together. Am I clear?”

*dirty shiver*

Well, then. Wasn’t this just utterly delicious? Dare I say, this was one of the most satisfying novellas I’ve read in a while. Is it a little cliche? Sure! Did I care? Not in the least. Shayla Black is my go to for yummy uber alphas and the heroines that give them hell. What can make it better? A second chance romance with a deliciously dirty revenge plot.

Whitney has just made a deal with the devil. When Jett was 21 years old, he fell fast and hard for the beautiful younger woman. They shared a stolen kiss that ultimately cost him everything. Now, years later, he’s back to exact his pound of flesh. Whitney’s brother betrayal is still a fresh wound. And when he can use the woman that he used to love to exact revenge on the man that cost him everything? Well that’s even better. He offers Whitney a deal; a week submitting to him, and in exchange he’ll bail out her brothers $40 MIL mistake.

Whitney is not about to give in so easy and is content to give him hell. Jett thinks that his feeling are long ago buried, but everything floats back to the surface the second they’re back in each others orbit. This was sexy and oh so fun. It was quick paced and oh so satisfying. I devoured it with a giddy little smile on my face.

Shayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly eighty novels. For over twenty years, she’s written contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances via traditional, independent, foreign, and audio publishers. Her books have sold millions of copies and been published in a dozen languages.

Raised an only child, Shayla occupied herself with lots of daydreaming, much to the chagrin of her teachers. In college, she found her love for reading and realized that she could have a career publishing the stories spinning in her imagination. Though she graduated with a degree in Marketing/Advertising and embarked on a stint in corporate America to pay the bills, her heart has always been with her characters. She’s thrilled that she’s been living her dream as a full-time author for the past eight years.

Shayla currently lives in North Texas with her wonderfully supportive husband, her daughter, and two spoiled tabbies. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading, and listening to an eclectic blend of music.

Connect with Shayla

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

Review: Make Me Hate You by Kandi Steiner

June 25, 2020 by ·

MAKE ME HATE YOU
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kandi Steiner
Release Date: June 25, 2020

If he kisses me right now, I’ll drown.

Every sip of air is shallow and burning, because in the arms of my best friend’s brother, I’m the closest I’ve ever been to sin.

His eyes flick to my lips, and I remember the first time I tasted him, seven years ago before I left this town and vowed never to return. His hands grip my waist, and I remember the pain when he rejected me, when my entire world crashed down at his command. His jaw clenches, and my senses come alive with one stinging reminder.

I’m not his to kiss, and he’s not mine.

I tried to stay away from Tyler Wagner, putting an entire country between us. But when his sister’s wedding brings us back to the same town, to the same house, I can’t avoid him, no matter how hard I try.

He’s always there, his dark eyes bewitching, luring me into their depths. The memory of us pulls me under like a rip current, and when he flashes that smile, I lose my breath, along with my will, unable to escape his grip and find the surface.

Now, hours before our plus ones arrive for the wedding, I’m in his arms, begging him to make me hate him, knowing he never could.

If he kisses me right now, I’ll drown.

And I’ll take him down with me.

Make Me Hate You is a best friend’s brother romance that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

AMAZON

Seven miles and an hour later, and all the anxiety I’d felt the night before was completely gone.

At least, until I rounded the foyer into the kitchen and saw I wasn’t the only one up early on Sunday morning.

Tyler sat at the kitchen island, still in his navy blue sweat pants and simple white t-shirt, with one foot planted on the ground and the other hooked casually on the lower bar of his stool. His hair was an absolute disaster, the boyish waves sticking up this way and that. He had both hands wrapped around a mug of hot tea, his eyes focused on the iPad he had propped up in front of him, and BlueTooth headphones in his ears.

At first, he didn’t notice me, and I slowed my steps, standing silently at the entry of the kitchen and watching him. I’d done everything I could last night to avoid his gaze, to not look at him, and now that I had a stolen moment to observe, I found my chest tightening again, my mouth dry and sticky.

His brown eyes were hidden beneath bent brows, expression serious as he watched whatever was on the screen. Small lines creased the edges of his eyes — lines that weren’t there when we were kids. He’d grown into a man somehow, overnight, it seemed. Then again, it had been years.

I’d seen him on social media, watched from afar as his YouTube channel took off. I’d seen pictures of him on Instagram — traveling through Europe, hiking in Australia, swimming in hot pools in Iceland. I didn’t follow him, of course, but his profile was public, which allowed me to flip through picture after picture on the nights when I was a pathetic mess.

But, pictures and videos didn’t do justice to the actual man who sat studiously at that kitchen island.

He was something between the boy I used to love and the man I’d never know, familiar and unreachable all at once.

Tyler shook his head at something, letting out a frustrated sigh and kicking back the bar stool a little before taking a sip of his tea. His eyes flicked to me then, back to the screen, and then, he did a double take, this time fixing his gaze on me and leaving it there.

Something changed in his eyes when he looked at me, like a shadow passed over them and held him captive. I was dressed in jogger shorts and a modest tank top, but from the way he watched me, I might as well have been completely naked.

That’s what his gaze did to me, what it always had done.

It stripped me bare.

It’s you who brings me pain. It’s you who is killing me. It’s you, and us,” I added, motioning between us. “It’s this thing that never was, but always is, that never will be and will never not be.”

I have a confession to make: *whispers* I’m a Kandi Steiner virgin *looks around for side eyes*

Clearly I’ve been living under a rock, okay? Quit judging me. I finally rectified my mistake so better late than never, right? RIGHT? But I digress. The second I read the blurb and heard whispers of angst, I was all over this book like a fly on poop. What? Bad analogy? OK, let’s go with white on rice here then. Jeez. What I’m trying to say is this angst whore was all over it. A second chance romance with best friend’s older brother and all of the feels? SIGN ME UP.

Jasmine and Tyler grew up together. And while Jaz was best friends with his sister, Tyler being just 11 months older became an escape for her and one of her closest friends as well. She longed for the sort of family her best friend had while dealing with the shambles of her own. Then one night of comfort and passion lead to the irreparable break of her and Tyler’s friendship. Jasmine ran as far as she could from their town after graduating high school and hasn’t turned back. Now, years later, she’s back in town for her best friend’s wedding and forced to deal with all of the things that were left unsaid between her and Tyler.

The chemistry and pull between her and Tyler is there the second they set eyes on one another again. But Jasmine has a wonderful boyfriend she’s in love with and Tyler is dating someone as well. The pull between them is undeniable, but the chasm of all the things that were left unsaid is too wide.

Admittedly, this wasn’t as angsty as I was expecting considering the dynamic between the two of them. It’s emotional, yes, but the angst that I was craving that would make me into an anxiety driven mess wasn’t quite there.

I enjoyed the story and was rooting for Tyler and Jasmine. I loved that Tyler had this sweet and vulnerable side to him. It was refreshing and endearing. Jasmine also had a good head on her shoulders and I loved that she knew what had to be done the second she realized her feelings for Tyler were not as resolved as she thought they were. They still went on a merry-go-round of push and pulls, but I was so here for it. While I enjoyed the story, it didn’t have as glued to the pages as I had hoped. I was invested, but I was also hoping for a little more oomph. Don’t get me wrong, this definitely brought plenty of feels. I suppose this angst addict just wanted a little more HURT. God, I’m such a masochist. If you’re looking for a second chance romance with an emotional punch, this will certainly deliver.

Kandi Steiner is a bestselling author and whiskey connoisseur living in Tampa, FL. Best known for writing “emotional roller-coaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal.

An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. She started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed it to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.” She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die-hard hopeless romantic, and likes to highlight all the challenges of love as well as the triumphs.

When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys live music, traveling, anything heavy in carbs, beach days, movie marathons, craft beer, and sweet wine — not necessarily in that order.

Connect with Kandi:
Mailing List
Facebook
Facebook Reader Group: (Kandiland)
Instagram 
Twitter
Pinterest
Website

Kandi Steiner may be coming to a city near you! Check out her “events” tab to see all the signings she’s attending in the near future:
www.kandisteiner.com/events

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

Review: Wild Highway by Devney Perry

June 24, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

WILD HIGHWAY
Series: Runaway #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Devney Perry
Release Date: June 23, 2020

From USA Today Bestselling Author Devney Perry comes a small town, second chance romance.

Gemma Lane built an empire. Not a small feat, considering her home as a teenager was a makeshift tent in a California junkyard. She’s dedicated her life to turning pennies into millions. She has power, fortune and prestige.

And she’s leaving it all behind.

Gemma is headed across the country in her best friend’s Cadillac when a detour in Montana reunites her with old acquaintances and a man who hasn’t changed. Easton Greer challenges her every word and tests her every limit because he doesn’t believe she’s really abandoned her riches. She ignores his snide remarks and muttered censure—until the day she’s ready to return to the wild highway, and Easton taunts her to stay.

She’ll prove to him she’s not just running back to her wealthy life, that she’s more than her money. She’ll unlock her guarded heart and hope that this time around, he’ll treasure the key.

AMAZON

That man . . . grr. I wanted to strangle him and kiss him and kick him and lick him all in the same moment.

I simply adore this series. I cannot get enough of it. I was immediately hooked the second I read Runaway Road, and it seems to only get better with each book!

If you know me or follow my reviews, then you already know I’m a sucker for a second chance romance. So suffice it to say that I gobbled this story up with a spoon and licked my fingers after for good measure. It was delicious!

If you’ve read the first book, then you know the premise already. If you haven’t, it’s about a group of teenage runaways that chase their happy as adults in the fixed up cadillac that they slept in as kids. Now it’s Gemma’s turn and I couldn’t wait to get beneath this woman’s layers. Gemma is the uber successful one of the group. She’s put everything into building her business and her empire. So much so, that she’s left every other aspect of her life on hold. Nothing gives her meaning anymore. She got her success but she still feels numb. So she sells her business, gets the cadillac from her friend, and drives to the sleepy town that was once a stopover that left an imprint on her soul.

Easton and Gemma shared one night together before she left him and the town in her rearview. But it was so much more. So much, in fact, that neither forgot about the other. And one Gemma is unnerved to see the handsome man again, Easton appears flat out mad and eager to chase her out. A dare causes her to stay and soon the chemistry between them doesn’t take long to rekindle.

I loved the push and pull between the two of them. Gemma has plenty of scars left on her soul from her past. And nothing was more satisfying then watching her let Easton in, little by little, until he fully gets through all her walls. Easton was as stubborn as they come and Gemma’s leaving hurt him more than he wants to admit.

Everything about this story was fantastic. The small town feel and its inhabitants. Easton’s family and the way they so easily bring Gemma back into their fold. Gemma’s reunion with her best friend that she left behind and making things right. And the romance between her and Easton? Perfection.

I’m obsessed with this series and I’m already craving the next book. Unrequited love? SIGN. Me. UP.

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