Review: Descent by Natasha Knight

DESCENT
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Natasha Knight
Release Date: January 20, 2020

Persephone Abbot is in my debt.
Exactly the way I want it.

The sins of the father should not be inherited by the daughter. It’s unfair, I know, but since when has life been fair?

The events that brought us here began on Halloween night more than five years ago in that chapel ruin. I saved her that night. Carried her home through the storm that was the omen warning of what would come.

I didn’t know it then, but I do now.

Her father destroyed something precious. Someone innocent.
I don’t believe in an eye for an eye. I won’t just balance the scales of justice, I’ll tip them so far in my favor his legacy will topple.

I’ll take that which is most precious. His daughter. I’ll own her. Make her mine.

But I’m not the only monster lurking in the dark corners of her world. She’ll sleep in the bed of the beast but I’ll keep her safe. Protect her fiercely.

And maybe I’ll keep her.

Set in the Benedetti Mafia World, Descent is a brand new Standalone Enemies-to-Lovers Romance.

AMAZON

Persephone Abbot belongs to me. She always has. And now, she belongs in my bed, too. And I’ll make sure she stays there no matter what I have to do.

Natasha Knight books are like crack for me. I devour them in one sitting and can never get enough. Her stories are sexy and addictive, and Descent was no exception. It was deliciously sinful, gritty, and with a dark undercurrent that I was immediately hooked on.

Hades.
He was my savior once.
Twice.
Now he’s become my tormentor.
And I don’t ever want him to let me go.

Persephone is reeling in the aftermath of her beloved father tragic accident and trying to hold together the pieces of his crumbling empire. Hayden “Hades” is a boy that she was enraptured by in her past, but is now the man that threatens everything she holds dear. He now holds the key to her father’s company, house, and he’s not above making her beg for it. A deal is struck, Persephone, in exchange for her continuing to live in her family house that Hades now owns, and keep the name of her father’s company that now lies in Hades’s ownership as well.

Hades has a clear axe to grind with the Abbots, and Persephone is a convenient collateral. He’s wanted her for years, and now he intends to have her. Even if he has to buy her to do it. He knows something that Percy doesn’t about her father. But Percy also has secrets of her own. Dark secrets that could unravel everything.

Descent was a page turner full of secrets, plot twists, and sizzling romance. It was sinfully sexy and deliciously dark. There’s plenty of secrets that get unraveled here, but it also left me with quite a few questions. I’m not sure if the plot just wasn’t finished and may be continued in the next book, or if it was meant to be that way. It felt a little…rushed towards the end and there were some gaps that I had hoped would be addressed. But that aside, I enjoyed this story thoroughly. And can’t wait for more in this world!

New & Upcoming Releases: January 20-26

New releases coming at ya this week!


AVAILABLE NOW


THE CRUELEST STRANGER by Winter Renshaw- buy link TBA

The first time I saw him was at a bar called Ophelia’s on a misty Thursday night. I was there to drown my sorrows after a trying day, he was there to escape the storm. After a brief yet incredibly cruel exchange, the handsome stranger bolted before I had a chance to tell him off. Incensed and two cocktails deep, I followed him out the door, determined to give the audacious Adonis a piece of my mind—and the umbrella he left behind.

Tearing after him in heels and barely able to keep up in the freezing rain, I ended my chase when I realized where he was going.

They say never to judge someone unless you know their story.

I never could have anticipated his…

And I never could have anticipated the way our paths would cross again—or that I would one day find myself falling for a man with a hollow cavity where his heart should be, a man as callous as he was beautiful, as complicated as he was mesmeric.

They say never to judge someone unless you know their story.

This one’s ours.


CROSSING THE LINE by Kendall Ryan

Recovering from a pulled groin muscle isn’t exactly how I planned to spend my much-needed summer vacation. But being nursed back to health by my gorgeous friend Bailey, who’s just graduated from medical school, doesn’t exactly sound like a hardship.

We spend a week together at my family’s beach house, a week of swimming and barbecues, a week of entertaining my little cousins and sleeping right across the hall from each other. A week of watching Bailey grow closer with my mom and sisters, and my wacky but lovable grandma. A week of enjoying Bailey tending to me—which is saying something, because it involves a lot of shoving ice packs into my underwear and taping up sore muscles.

She’s funny and kind, and after just being myself for the first time in a long time, I find my walls come tumbling down. But when Bailey says she’s not looking for a relationship, I’m bound and determined to be more than just the fun hookup who sprained his groin a second time—this time with her.

Your favorite hot jocks are back with an all-new standalone novel. If you like sexy, confident men who know how to handle a stick (on and off the ice), and smart women who are strong enough to keep all those big egos in check, this series is for you!

(Books can be enjoyed in any order.)


HEADLINERS by Lucy Parker

Sparks fly when two feuding TV presenters are thrown together to host a live morning show in Lucy Parker’s latest enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance.

He might be the sexiest man in London, according to his fan site (which he definitely writes himself), but he’s also the most arrogant man she’s ever met.

She might have the longest legs he’s ever seen, but she also has the sharpest tongue.

For years, rival TV presenters Sabrina Carlton and Nick Davenport have traded barbs on their respective shows. The public can’t get enough of their feud, but after Nick airs Sabrina’s family scandals to all of Britain, the gloves are off. They can barely be in the same room together—but these longtime enemies are about to become the unlikeliest of cohosts.

With their reputations on the rocks, Sabrina and Nick have one last chance to save their careers. If they can resurrect a sinking morning show, they’ll still have a future in television. But with ratings at an all-time low and a Christmas Eve deadline to win back the nation’s favor, the clock is ticking—and someone on their staff doesn’t want them to succeed.

Small mishaps on set start adding up, and Sabrina and Nick find themselves—quelle horreur—working together to hunt down the saboteur…and discovering they might have more in common than they thought. When a fiery encounter is caught on camera, the public is convinced that the reluctant cohosts are secretly lusting after one another.

The public might not be wrong.

Their chemistry has always been explosive, but with hate turning to love, the stakes are rising and everything is on the line. Neither is sure if they can trust these new feelings…or if they’ll still have a job in the New Year.

This book is approximately 96,000 words

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!


INAPPROPRIATE by Vi Keeland

From #1 New York Times Bestseller Vi Keeland, comes a new, sexy standalone novel.

Terminated for inappropriate behavior.
I couldn’t believe the letter in my hands.
Nine years. Nine damn years I’d worked my butt off for one of the largest companies in America, and I was fired with a form letter when I returned home from a week in Aruba.
All because of a video taken when I was on vacation with my friends—a private video made on my private time. Or so I thought…
Pissed off, I cracked open a bottle of wine and wrote my own letter to the gazillionaire CEO telling him what I thought of his company and its practices.
I didn’t think he’d actually respond.
I certainly never thought I’d suddenly become pen pals with the rich jerk.
Eventually, he realized I’d been wronged and made sure I got my job back.
Only…it wasn’t the only thing Grant Lexington wanted to do for me.
But there was no way I was getting involved with my boss’s boss’s boss. Even if he was ridiculously gorgeous, confident, and charming.
It would be completely wrong, inappropriate even.
Sort of like the video that got me into trouble to begin with.
Two wrongs don’t make a right.
But sometimes it’s twice as fun.


FACE THE MUSIC by JB Salsbury 

Pastor Ben Langley is irresistible.

His wife died giving birth to their daughter six years ago. His tragic past doesn’t keep me from wanting to unravel him, strip away his buttoned-up goodness, and discover what kind of man lies beneath. If that makes me evil, so be it. I’m far beyond redemption anyway.

Ashleigh Kendrick is freedom personified, an unpredictable wind I want to grasp hold of.

Every Sunday she watches me preach from the front row, wearing her halter tops and tiny skirts, a dangerous temptation. Her favorite words are the four-letter variety, and her smile lights up the darkness inside me. I vowed to love one woman forever. I never realized that vow would be impossible to keep when confronted with a chance to love again.

Face the Music is an opposites attract romance with emotional ties to the past that run so thick they feel impossible to overcome.


DESCENT by Natasha Knight

Persephone Abbot is in my debt.
Exactly the way I want it. 

The sins of the father should not be inherited by the daughter. It’s unfair, I know, but since when has life been fair?

The events that brought us here began on Halloween night more than five years ago in that chapel ruin. I saved her that night. Carried her home through the storm that was the omen warning of what would come.

I didn’t know it then, but I do now.

Her father destroyed something precious. Someone innocent.
I don’t believe in an eye for an eye. I won’t just balance the scales of justice, I’ll tip them so far in my favor his legacy will topple.

I’ll take that which is most precious. His daughter.

But I’m not the only monster lurking in the dark corners of her world. She’ll sleep in the bed of the beast, but I’ll keep her safe. Protect her fiercely.

And maybe I’ll keep her.

Set in the Benedetti Mafia World, Descent is a brand new Standalone Enemies-to-Lovers Romance.


THE BELLE AND THE BIKER by Kenzie Reed

“Hop on the back of my bike, girl. If you can unclench those knees, that is.”

You can take a girl out of the South, but you can’t take the South out of the girl.

That’s why Crash McClanahan, ruthless enforcer for the Iron Ride bikers, is all wrong for me.
I never wear white after Labor Day.

He never leaves the house without his leathers. I’m monograms and minivans. He’s bar fights and Harleys. You get the idea.

I’m glad he vanished after our one night together, because he’s a distraction I don’t need. I’ve laying low in Manhattan, trying to turn over a new leaf after a lifetime of bad behavior.

Unfortunately, it looks like karma’s caught up to me. I accidentally witness an incident of shockingly rude behavior – murder! – and now I’m in a killer’s cross-hairs.

And the one man who can keep me alive? The man who gave me the ride of my life and then left me by the roadside – Crash McClanahan.


RELEASING JANUARY 21


TOXIC VENGEANCE by Kaylea Cross

A past poisoned by lies.

Toxins expert Eden Foster was trained never to get close to anyone. She’s only broken that rule twice, and each time it ended in heartbreak. Her mentor was murdered in front of her, and now the man she was forced to deceive and leave behind has suddenly become a threat. She wants justice, but the only way she’ll get it is by joining forces with the only man to pose a threat to her guarded heart—the CIA contractor tasked with capturing and turning her in.

Risking a second chance could cost them everything.

Zack Maguire has spent his entire adult life serving his country, but this time, he’s torn between duty and his heart. Eden might not be the woman he thought she was, but he refuses to accept that everything between them was a lie. If she’s being hunted, he’s all in. He won’t sit back and do nothing when her life is on the line. As the danger mounts, he’ll do anything to protect her. And when their enemies close in, the only way they’ll live long enough to have a second chance is to let go of the past and learn to trust each other.


THE DAWN OF THE END (AUDIBLE ORIGINAL) by Kristen Ashley

From the unparalleled imagination of New York Times best-selling author Kristen Ashley comes Book Three in The Rising, an enchanting new fantasy romance series that will sweep you away! 

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….


GHOST OF A CHANCE by Cynthia Eden

How well do you know the lover in your bed?

It was the hottest hookup of her life. When Tess Barrett spent the night in the arms of the too sexy to be real stranger, she knew she was walking on the wild side. Sex with James Smith was the best EVER. How was she supposed to walk away from that? From him? So…she didn’t. They planned secret dates. More body-melting hookups. The white-hot sex should have been enough.

So why does she start wanting more?

But they have rules. She has rules. No emotions. No ties. She has a past that is dark and twisted, and she’s worked hard to become a new person. She’s a doctor now. Respected. Controlled. Except…there is no control when she’s around James.

A bad guy…might be falling for the good girl.

James can’t keep his hands off his sexy little doctor. She’s buttoned down for everyone else but goes absolutely wild for him. Sure, she doesn’t know his history. Doesn’t know that the man she lets touch every inch of her body used to spend his days working for Uncle Sam and doing some seriously dirty deeds. What she doesn’t know can’t hurt her, right? And if she ever did learn the truth about him, he knew it would terrify his sweet doc right to her core. Terror would make her run. He doesn’t want her running. He just wants her in his bed.

But then…something happens. Danger sneaks up on Tess. She needs help—a very particular expertise and protective skill set. She needs someone lethal and strong…and James is just the man for the job. After all, lethal is his middle name.

Hello, dangerous times.

When James steps in, Tess doesn’t know if she should be grateful or scared to death. Because her gorgeous lover? Turns out he has plenty of mad and dangerous skills. She’s been hooking up with a superhero or…maybe a super villain. It’s sort of hard to tell the difference.

For the moment, she’s going to go with feeling grateful…but as she learns all of his secrets, Tess wonders what will happen next between them. Will they crash and burn? Burn, baby, burn. Or maybe, just maybe, they’ll actually have a GHOST OF A CHANCE at getting a happily ever after ending.

Author’s Note: James Smith is one mad, bad, dangerous guy…but sometimes, bad guys fall hard for good girls. GHOST OF A CHANCE is super hot, charged with lots of feels, and, it’s got some pulse-pounding action for you. Dirty words and dirty deeds are dead ahead. Oh, and there’s plenty of fun thrown in, too. Mystery, humor, sexy times, and danger—all of my favorite things in a book.


KINGPIN’S PROPERTY by Julia Sykes

Carmen Ronaldo is my enemy, an influential player in a rival cartel. She’s also been the object of my twisted obsession for years. Her wickedly sharp mind and fierce demeanor have fascinated me for over a decade, but it’s her carefully concealed, sweetly innocent nature that I’ve come to covet. The thorny contempt she displays for me is nothing more than armor, a means of protecting her gentler soul from the monsters that inhabit our cruel criminal underworld.

Monsters like me.

When I decimate her organization, I’m not merciful enough to spare her. She’s my trophy, my prize of war.

Carmen is no longer my enemy.

She’s just mine.


LEAVE ME BREATHLESS: THE BLACK ROSE COLLECTION

Introducing the darker side of Leave Me Breathless…

When the daylight fades and time stands still. The feeling of flying from just one touch. Moving slowly, kissing softly. The flash of fever, becoming lost in the flames. Surrendering. Going under. These are the moments that leave us breathless!

The Black Rose symbolizes rejuvenation or rebirth, but it can also symbolize death and farewell. This collection of romance books can all be read as stand-alone books and are guaranteed to give you a happily ever after that leaves you breathless! What will it take to tempt you?

THIS COLLECTION INCLUDES:

Master of Control by Sienna Snow (Dark Romantic Suspense)
I’m a prize, a treasure, something to cherish. Or so I’ve been told.
But I know the truth. I’m a commodity recently sold to the highest bidder.

The Sound of Silence by Dakota Willink (Dark Romantic Suspense)
There’s a common expression I remind myself of every day: that which does not kill us, makes us stronger. I’ve learned to accept what is, but I won’t let it destroy me. Instead, I do the only thing I can to survive—I run.

Forbidden Love by Elizabeth Knox (Irish Mafia Dark Romance)
Caprice DiGiovanni has made the decision to run from her father, who runs the Italian Mafia. He’s arranged for her to marry a Russian arms dealer. Only, she’s not going to. She’s running to the only place where she feels that she can be safe – Ireland, straight into the territory of the Mackenzies.

Crimson Dahlia by Patricia D. Eddy (Dark BDSM Romantic Suspense)
His failure cost a good man his life. Now, years later, he has one chance at redemption. Kidnap the man’s daughter.

The Bullet Theory by Sonya Jesus (Dark Romantic Suspense)
There’s a theory about a bullet and a tortured heart: when both exist, the only variable is opportunity—which The Bullet Man willingly provides. The killer carefully chooses Ellie and manipulates his way into her heart. When he gives her a chance at revenge, will she take the shot or turn him in?

Marked by Cayce Poponea (Mafia Romantic Suspense)
Doing the right thing should never leave a scar…
Can Kristine follow the three simple rules for working in the Family? What happens when her loyalty is questioned by the one she trusts the most?

Dare Dark by Pepper North (Dark BDSM Romance)
Are there some dreams that should never come true? Some fantasies that should never be pursued?

Precious Gems by Sierra Hill (Dark Romance)
She has what he wants, but in order to give it to him, she’ll pay the ultimate price.

Dark Desires by Jo-Anne Joseph (Dark Psychological Romance)
The woman in the mirror looks and sounds like Layla Murphy, but it isn’t. She’s been lured by dark temptation, her husband’s best friend, Bradley Carter. He’s devious and cunning, and one taste of this dark desire will never be enough.

Insidious Love by Crimson Syn (Dark Romantic Suspense)
When Rose Blackthorne witnesses a heinous murder, her only choice is to run. Jake Cavanaugh has been hired to find Rose and keep her quiet. His rules are simple: get the job done and never get too close. But what happens when his obsession for this woman blemishes his plans?

Mia by Sin Silverfall (Dark Romantic Suspense)
Venezuelan drug lord, Dantes Belisario, is no stranger to high-risk rewards. Running drugs and weapons is just another day’s work. But Mia Bernard is a prize that’s not only out his league, but she’s also off-limits. She’s gorgeous and vulnerable, and just so happens to be the city Sheriff’s daughter. Just the kind of trouble he doesn’t need.


BITTER FALLS by Rachel Caine

An Amazon Charts, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling series.

She’s investigating a cold case no one else could—by going places no else would dare.

In spite of a harrowing past still haunting her, Gwen Proctor is trying to move forward. Until a new assignment gives her purpose: the cold-case disappearance of a young man in Tennessee. Three years missing, no clues. Just Ruth Landry, a tortured mother in limbo. Gwen understands what it’s like to worry about your children.

Gwen’s investigation unearths new suspects…and victims. As she follows each sinister lead, the implications of the mystery grow more disturbing. Because the closer Gwen gets, the closer she is to a threat that looms back home.

In a town that’s closed its ranks against Gwen; her partner, Sam; and her kids, there’s no bolder enemy than the Belldene family—paramilitary, criminal, powerful, and vengeful. As personal vendettas collide with Gwen’s investigation, she’s prepared to fight both battles. But is she prepared for the toll it could take on everyone she loves?


HUNGRY HEARTS by Julie Hoag

For fans of “The Boys Next Door” by Jennifer Echols and “Holding Up the Universe” by Jennifer Niven.

When an amateur chef attempts to use food as his love language, Landra, who struggles with anorexia, finds his approach off-putting. In fact, she finds Brian to be rather annoying.

Undeterred, Brian snags Landra in a friendship that eventually grows into something else, as she finally trusts him enough to sample some of his homemade gourmet treats.

But things have not evolved to the level Brian would like, and soon he realizes Landra’s issue isn’t only with the food he makes. She’s into the football team’s hottest player. But Brian isn’t about to get one-upped by a jock. He decides to ask Landra out at the same time that Landra manages to snag a date with the football star.

As if dating isn’t hard enough, Landra must battle her anorexic impulses and self-esteem issues if she is to find the boy of her heart. When the voices of self-doubt and shame drown everything else out, Landra will need to give herself permission to be happy. And Brian? Well, he will have to find a way to Landra’s heart, even if it isn’t through her stomach.


TWEET CUTE by Emma Lord

“A witty rom-com reinvention … with deeply relatable insights on family pressure and growing up.” – Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of Always Never Yours and If I’m Being Honest

“An adorable debut that updates a classic romantic trope with a buzzy twist.” – Jenn Bennett, author of Alex, Approximately and Serious Moonlight

A fresh, irresistible rom-com from debut author Emma Lord about the chances we take, the paths life can lead us on, and how love can be found in the opposite place you expected.

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming — mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account.

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.

All’s fair in love and cheese — that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life — on an anonymous chat app Jack built.

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate — people on the internet are shipping them?? — their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected.


DREAM WITH ME by Kristen Proby

From New York Times Bestselling Author Kristen Proby comes Dream With Me, an all-new addition to the series that has sold more than
a million copies to date, her beloved
With Me In Seattle Series!

Kane O’Callaghan knows what it is to have his work shown all over the world. His pieces are on display in palaces and museums, including the O’Callaghan Museum of Glass just outside of his beloved hometown of Seattle. Kane is a bit of a recluse, spending time on his farm alone and committed to his art. His life is full.

Until the day he meets her.

Wandering through museums is Anastasia Montgomery’s favorite way to spend her time. Not only does art feed her soul, but it inspires her own art of designing wedding cakes. When her muse seems to be gone, she finds her again among the beauty in the museums of Seattle, and the O’Callaghan Museum of Glass is her favorite. She’s never met the artist, but he must be absolutely brilliant, if he can make such beautiful things out of glass.

Bumping into a grumpy stranger at the museum wasn’t in Anastasia’s plan. And then discovering it was Kane himself was absolutely humiliating.

But when she sees him again at a charity fundraiser, and ends up spending an incredible, unforgettable night with the mysterious glass smith, Anastasia finds herself thinking of Kane and little else, even her precious work. Will this relationship bloom into the romance of a lifetime, or will their dreams of success get in the way of true love?


RIVEN KNIGHT by Devney Perry

Genevieve Daylee didn’t expect to be standing in front of a judge on her twenty-seventh birthday. But ever since her life became entangled with a former motorcycle gang, she’s learned not to expect anything but trouble.

Her mother, a woman she once admired and adored, is gone, leaving behind a trail of secrets and lies. She’s living in a tiny apartment above a garage owned by her brother, a man who loathes her very existence. And the father she met beside her mother’s grave is as much of a stranger as Isaiah Reynolds, the broken man with soulless eyes standing beside her in front of the judge.

Isaiah is her protector from the murderer at large in Clifton Forge. Though he’s more like a riven knight in dented armor than a prince on a white stallion. She knows next to nothing about him, other than he works as a mechanic. As of tonight, he’ll be sharing her bathroom.

And, according to the judge, Isaiah is now her husband.


THICK & THIN by Tabitha Vargo

Book 3 in the Chubby Girl Chronicles, a series of standalone novels with hot alpha males and curvy heroines.

Joshua Black.

What can I say about him?

He was my best friend until he wasn’t.

He was my childhood until I was no longer a child.

Now he’s something else entirely.

A man instead of a boy—a soldier instead of a high school quarterback.

He’s forbidden thoughts and secret desires.

Our situation has changed and so have I.

I’m no longer the love-sick tomboy he left behind. I’m a woman with needs, a secret, and an extra fifty pounds.

We promised through thick and thin, but I’m not sure how thin the lines are or how thick he’s willing to go.


NEVER TRUTH by Jill Ramsower

Sofia

My life fractured when I was only five years old.

I thought I’d never be whole again, but a boy helped piece me back together, one day at a time. Nico Conti became my world—ten years later, he shattered my heart.

He took away the light, so I learned to see in the dark.

Now he’s come back, trying to explain away his absence and pick up where we left off. He doesn’t understand everything’s changed. I’m not the same girl he left behind, but he doesn’t seem to care. He wants all of me. That’s more than I’m willing to give.

Nico

They say you don’t know what you’ve lost until it’s gone, but that wasn’t true. I knew exactly how devastating it would be to lose Sofia, and I did it anyway. I thought our separation would be permanent, but I’ve suddenly been forced back into her life. Walking away once was hard enough; I’m not strong enough to leave her again. Now that I’ve seen her, tasted her, I have to make her mine.

Seven years ago, I made the biggest mistake of my life.

I plan to do everything in my power to correct that mistake, even if it means coming clean about the past. There’s a chance the secrets I carry will push her further away, but that’s a risk I’ll have to take. Sofia Genovese was made for me, and I’m determined to win her back.

**Never Truth is the second book in The Five Families Series but can be read as a standalone novel.


FOREVER FREED by Kathleen Brooks

Jackson Parker has seen evil first hand as a Tier 1 government asset with the FBI Hostage Rescue Team. After months of black ops work overseas, he’s finally coming home for a break. But with Keeneston’s wedding of the century, a stowaway on the run, and a plot that could kill thousands of civilians, Jackson gets anything but rest and relaxation. Especially when the stowaway turns out to be the love of his life and is in the sights of a mass killer.

Evie Scott is running from evil. She’d tried to warn the authorities, but now it’s too late. Her only option is running. But he found her like he always did. She had never felt safe before. But being in Keeneston and with a man she’d fallen for might do the trick.

One escape. One chance to live. One man who will do anything to protect her. And one chance to love.


WHEN HOPE ENDS by Freya Barker

It’s the best day of his life–the worst of hers.

She left her soul behind in the dead silence of a hospital room.
He is bright with hope after being so close to losing faith.

One moment in time leaves their paths unavoidably entwined.

An invisible connection held by one heart beating between them.

***Previously part of the anthology; Then There Was You.


ALMOST JUST FRIENDS by Jill Shalvis

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Wildstone with the touching story of finding your place in the world—and the people who make it home.

Piper Manning’s about as tough as they come, she’s had to be. She raised her siblings and they’ve thankfully flown the coop. All she has to do is finish fixing up the lake house her grandparents left her, sell it, and then she’s free.

When a massive storm hits, she runs into a tall, dark and brooding stranger, Camden Reid. There’s a spark there, one that shocks her. Surprising her further, her sister and brother return, each of them holding their own secrets. The smart move would be for Piper to ignore them all but Cam unleashes emotions deep inside of her that she can’t deny, making her yearn for something she doesn’t understand. And her siblings…well, they need each other.

Only when the secrets come out, it changes everything Piper thinks she knows about her family, herself…and Cam. Can she find a way to outrun the demons? The answer is closer than she thinks—just as the new life she craves may have already begun.


WHATEVER IT TAKES by Krista & Becca Ritchie

I HAVE A BAD REPUTATION.

Call me what you want: Bad Boy Next Door. Trouble. That Kid Who Can’t Do Anything Right.

When Willow moves into my neighborhood, nothing should have happened. She’s geeky. Shy. A true wallflower.

Willow is a good girl.
Too good for me.

And how the hell was I supposed to know that she’s related to Loren Hale—yeah, that douchebag celebrity that lives on my street. The same guy I’ve been pranking by spray painting vulgar words on his mailbox and worse. Much worse.

Don’t ask me why I do the things I do.
Don’t ask me why it had to be her.

I’m cursed. Simple as that. But here’s the thing about people who are cursed—they break everything they touch.

And yet. . .I still want to touch her. ​

Whatever It Takes is the first book in the Bad Reputation Duet and can be read and enjoyed without reading any of Krista & Becca’s other novels.


HERO’S HAVEN by Rebecca Zanetti

He’s her darkest fantasy. . .
 
After years of struggling, Haven Daly has finally accepted that she’s nuttier than a fruitcake. Why else would she see visions of a beautiful but tormented male every night . . . and actually believe she can talk to him, even feel his touch?  But thanks to those dream journeys, she can paint images nobody else on earth can duplicate. In each brush stroke, she captures the blatant masculinity and raw desire in his eyes that promise he’s coming for her…and soon.

She’s the light that keeps him going. . .

Quade Kayrs has already suffered a lifetime of pain and torture. Completely isolated, he kept his sanity  thanks to one beautiful female, a vision with kind emerald eyes. In the end, her soft voice led him out of hell. Now, naked and alone, he’s in a strange world that bears little resemblance to the one he left behind. All he knows is Haven.  All he wants is Haven.  His final mission? To protect her from the evil hunting them both—whether she likes it or not . . .


RELEASING JANUARY 22


WHISKEY MOMENTS by Emily Bowie

What happens when the legend you love, becomes the man you hate?

Camilla:
Do I love Rhett Steele? Absolutely not.
Do I like Rhett Steele? Not even close.
Do I hate Rhett Steele? Yes.
This is the man who destroyed my world, shattering my dreams the very first time I met him. It’s like he purposely pushes buttons I don’t even realize exist. I wouldn’t live with him if he were the last man on earth. Then how did he end up being my newest most hated roommate?

Rhett:
My singing career is tanking, my fans are turning against me, and I’m told I need to clean up my image. I should have done it with America’s sweetheart on my arm. But what’s the fun in that? Instead, I turn to the woman who hates me more than anyone. I’ve already hit rock bottom, I can only go up from here, or so I thought.


MAKING YOU MINE by Melissa Foster

Discover the magic of New York Times bestseller Melissa Foster’s writing and see why millions of readers have fallen in love with the fiercely loyal and sassily sexy characters in the Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. Love in Bloom novels are written to stand alone or may be enjoyed as part of the larger series, so dive right into this fun, sexy romance featuring Graham Braden’s business partner, Knox Bentley!

In MAKING YOU MINE…
Knox Bentley never liked the pomp and circumstance that came with being wealthy. He’d distanced himself from his pretentious family and their fortune as a young adult and found his own path to success. But even with the world at his fingertips, he realizes something is missing, and after a long stay overseas, he finally knows exactly what it is. His no-strings-attached hookups with Aubrey Stewart, an exquisite and stubbornly independent blonde, are no longer enough for him. They connect on every level, but Aubrey is a fierce businesswoman with a new movie channel on the horizon and no time for much else. She is the deal he can’t close, the precious jewel even his billions can’t buy. Now that he’s back in the States, he’s determined to show her that what they have goes beyond the bedroom and finally make her his.

**

Love in Bloom novels feature alpha male heroes and sexy, empowered women. They’re flawed, funny, passionate, and relatable to readers who enjoy contemporary romance and women’s fiction. For avid readers of the Love in Bloom series, you may have met sexy and hilarious Knox Bentley, Graham Braden’s business partner, in Trails of Love, and Aubrey Stewart, one of the badass billionaire founders of the Ladies Who Write (LWW), in Anything for Love.


RELEASING JANUARY 23


LOVE ACCORDING TO SCIENCE by Claire Kingsley- buy link TBA

For psychology researcher Hazel Kiegen, science is everything. Her decision to swear off dating? Totally backed by her own calculations. Just don’t ask about her missing orgasms. She hasn’t been able to science her way out of that little conundrum.

But her biggest problem? Corban Nash. He’s frustrating. Infuriating. And deliciously adorable, but that’s neither here nor there. He claims to have cracked the code to falling in love, and Hazel is determined to prove him wrong.

Corban Nash created the theory of accelerated intimacy after numerous successful tests on his friends and family. Every couple who used his questionnaire fell in love, until Corban found himself the last single guy in his social circle, and a groomsman in dozens of weddings.

The only problem is, it’s never worked on him. And science hasn’t explained why.

Despite being the lone aberrant data point, Corban believes in his research, and with his new job, he’ll have the resources to prove it. Verifying his theory right under the nose of his nemesis, Hazel Kiegen? Even better.

There isn’t a theory in existence that will make Hazel fall in love with Corban. Not even with his sexy half-smile and temptingly muscular body. But from the moment these two rivals meet, sparks fly. And when they put his questionnaire to the test, the results aren’t what either of them expect.

Author’s note: Stand-alone romcom featuring a hot nerdy hero in hate-lust with his sworn enemy. A heroine with book smarts and a fluffy cat named Erwin. So much awkwardness and geeky banter. Super hot hate sex. Badass lady friendships with a widening circle of trust. And an HEA that will leave you swooning with happiness and your heart exploding with glitter.


SILVER PLAYER by LB Dunbar

Billy Harrington is the biggest player in Blue Ridge, only his wild card is about to be tabled by a feisty silver vixen.

Billy Harrington.
A young girl walks into a bar…
I’d like to say this is the start of a bad joke, but it isn’t really.
It’s my life.
Can you be called a baby-daddy if the secret baby shows up as a teenager?
I don’t know anything about raising a teen.
And the one person who could help me the most is my nemesis.

Roxanne McAllister.
I should hate him for being her father.
Only I don’t fault him for sleeping with my sister.
This is the story of my life.
I’ve always been runner-up to my older sibling.
Then tragedy strikes—again—and I’m left with a dilemma.
Can I count on the person I despise the most in Blue Ridge?


RUTHLESS KNIGHT by Ashley Jade

Welcome to their kingdom.

Cole Covington is the most popular heartbreaker at school.
Every guy wants to be him and every girl wants to screw him.
Except me.
His devastatingly good looks, golden arm, and flirty smiles don’t do it for me anymore…because I know what’s lurking underneath the star quarterback’s gorgeous armor.

At least I thought I did.

Sometimes the most beautiful people…hide the ugliest truths.
And sometimes the only way to save someone…
is to walk beside them through hell.

Sawyer Church is the bible-thumping nerd of Royal Hearts Academy.
Girls pick on her and guys don’t notice her.
Except me.
Sweet, curvy, and sarcastic, she’s impossible to ignore.
No matter how much I try.
Everyone at school has her pegged as the chubby, Jesus loving geek, but unlike them—Sawyer’s real and never pretends to be someone she’s not.

Until I ask her to be my fake girlfriend.

Sometimes the most beautiful souls…hide the greatest pain.
And sometimes the only way to save someone…
is to fight for them.

This is book 2 in the Royal Hearts Academy series. Please note: Although this is Cole and Sawyer’s book, Cruel Prince (Jace and Dylan’s book) should be read first for a better understanding of the family dynamic.
WARNING: Royal Hearts Academy is a New Adult/High School series of standalones filled with drama, a touch of angst, and boys who are bad to the bone. The characters are flawed. If you’re looking for a safe, sweet romance with nice heroes and heroines who are perfect all the time, this series is NOT for you.


BOSS MAN BRIDEGROOM by Meghan Quinn

“Will you do me the greatest honor of all time and be my bridegroom?” she asks, hope in her eyes . . .

How did I get here? My assistant, bent on one knee, holding my hand, her expectant face waiting for an answer.

Just . . . how?

How did I go from being insulted by Charlee Cox to hiring her to be my assistant? How is it that she’s chaos in color – making me crazy and my life better at the same time?

I never thought I would be staring down at her bright blue eyes begging me to go along with this ridiculous scheme I suggested.

Yes, I suggested. Like the idiot I am, I thought hey, why not start an HR nightmare and have my assistant ask me to marry her?

Confused? Don’t worry, so am I.

But try to follow along, because this is how I became Boss Man Bridegroom.


MIX TAPE by Jane Sanderson

You never forget the one that got away. But what if ‘what could have been’ is still to come?

Daniel was the first boy to make Alison a mix tape.

But that was years ago and Ali hasn’t thought about him in a very long time. Even if she had, she might not have called him ‘the one that got away’; she’d been the one to run away, after all.

Then Dan’s name pops up on her phone, with a link to a song from their shared past.

For two blissful minutes, Alison is no longer an adult in Adelaide with temperamental daughters; she is sixteen in Sheffield, dancing in her too-tight jeans. She cannot help but respond in kind.

And so begins a new mix tape.

Ali and Dan exchange songs – some new, some old – across oceans and time zones, across a lifetime of different experiences, until one of them breaks the rules and sends a message that will change everything…

Because what if ‘what could have been’ is still to come?


REBEL SOUL by LK Farlow

West Larson comes from old money—the kind of wealth that comes with expectations steeped in archaic traditions. So, it’s not surprising when he learns the conditions of his trust fund: produce an heir before he turns twenty-five.

Enter Stacia Kellan. Her lowkey personality makes her the perfect baby mama…without the drama. And thanks to her wild-ass hair, colorful tattoos, and smart mouth, she’s exactly the kind of girl his parents would never approve of. Add in the fact that she’s a total smokeshow…knocking her up certainly wouldn’t be a hardship.

Stacia lives her life fast and loud. The idea of settling down isn’t on her radar. So, when her long-time friend asks her to have his baby, her immediate answer is a big, fat hell-to-the-no. Seriously, is he crazy?

West pulls out all the stops in wooing her and with every heated encounter, Stacia finds herself falling a little more for his charm and wit. Oh, and his forearms…yum.

Obligations. Lust. Friendship. Love.

The lines begin to blur as emotions enter the equation and besides, everyone knows you can’t deny your rebel soul


ROCK STAR, UNBROKEN by SM Shade

I knew better and I let it happen anyway.

I was drawn in by her kindness and the way she sees into people.

The way she looks through their motivations, their fears, into the heart of them where the good waits.

One glance and she’s stripped away the layers we wrap ourselves in to keep from being unique.

She saw into me.

Then used it to her advantage.

Now, my son is in danger and if she’s behind it, there won’t be a hole deep enough for her to hide in.

I broke my own rules for Naomi.

My son will not pay the price.


OVER THE TOP by Rebecca Sharp

From bestselling author, Dr. Rebecca Sharp, comes a sexy, winter sports romance with a flurry of suspense that will heat up the slopes and keep you on your toes …

Jac
Ice Princess. Cold Queen.
The best skier in the world who only cares about winning.
It’s what the media claims. It’s what I let everyone believe.
My fiancé’s betrayal taught me not to care about anything except the mountain. Especially not men. Or love.
Kyle Masters was only supposed to be a distraction.
A one night wonder before the Alpine Ski World Cup.
It doesn’t matter if I can’t stop thinking about him.
He wants more. I see it in his eyes.
He wants to be my White Knight.
Too bad for him I don’t need saving.

Kyle
Everything in my life was great.
Great job. Great friends. And the great alone.
Who would’ve thought it would be so hard
to find a woman who wanted a serious relationship?
And serious was the last thing Jaclyn Blanchard wanted from me. Or so she says.
But after one night, she’s mistaken if she thinks I’ll give up on my stubborn Cinderella.
Especially when danger lurks on the mountain.
She wants more. I see it in her eyes.
But she hides her warm heart behind a frozen shield.
Too bad the Ice Princess can’t help but melt under my touch.

Over the Top is the fifth standalone in the Winter Games series.


RELUCTANT TO LOVE by Rebecca Gallo

I don’t believe in love, fate, or second chances.

But Roderick Payne just might make me a believer.

Years ago, his stunning betrayal shattered my heart.

Unexpectedly, he comes to my rescue, leaving me no choice but to accept the help he’s offered.

When we’re forced to share a room, more than just secrets are revealed in the dark.

Old flames reignite and scars finally heal.

But even after truths are told, there is still one more secret I have to share.


RELEASING JANUARY 24


THE FOREVER CREW by CM Stunich

The secret is out.

I’m officially dating the entire Student Council, but that’s not the only thing that’s outside the norm at Adamson All-Boys Academy.

Nah, I think the murders are a bit more remarkable, although my dad might disagree. He’s not exactly thrilled with my fake fiancé or the other four boys that make my pulse race.

With two current students dead, and three attackers on my tail, it looks like I’m next. The fact that I’m a target isn’t in question, but are the people closest to me involved somehow? Everyone’s a suspect—my family, my classmates, even my new boyfriends.

Okay, that’s it. I’m going to do it: I’m going to attend Adamson in a fucking skirt, and kick some ass.

Follow the clues, catch the bad guys, secure my future. Because, murder-mysteries aside, this is my final year of high school, and nothing lasts forever, right? Not even a forever crew.

***THE FOREVER CREW is a 120,000 word lighthearted reverse harem/high school/murder-mystery romance novel with a bully/suspense twist. This is book three of three in the series (with a fourth book crossover coming, titled “Orientation”, that connects this series with my “Rich Boys of Burberry Prep” series). Contains foul language and sexual scenes; any sex featured is consensual.


THE ART OF HOLDING ON by Beth Ann Burgoon

Life happens, whether you’re ready or not. All you can do is hold on and go along for the ride.

That’s the motto Hadley Jones lives by, and for good reason. Most of the women in her family have repeated the same pattern. Single motherhood. Working two jobs just to scrape by. For Hadley, wanting more is not an option.

Which is why her friendship with Sam Constable was doomed before it even began. He was sweet, popular and destined for great things outside their small town. But when he risked one kiss, and told her he loved her, Hadley refused to believe they could ever stand a chance. Hurt and angry, Sam moved to his father’s place in Los Angeles, leaving Hadley alone.

Now, a year has passed. Sam is back and more determined than ever to convince Hadley they’re meant to be. But Hadley can’t forget how Sam deserted her. And when Sam learns of the mistake she made while he was gone, she’ll have to decide whether to let him go again, or finally take a stand and fight for the future—and they boy –she wants with all her heart.


THE REALIZATION OF GRAYSON DESCHANELLE by Nancee Cain

Despite a high-profile clientele, fashion photographer Grayson Deschanelle prefers being behind the lens, away from public scrutiny. After his movie star girlfriend dumps him, he flees to his stepbrother’s remote cabin to hide from the paparazzi.

Related to Grayson by marriage, Lissy Carlton decides his plan to run from his problems might work for her, too. And perhaps he can help her out of the predicament that tanked her grades this semester of college as well.

Caught by surprise, Grayson finds Lissy much different than the girl he’s known for years. She’s no longer a child—though her teenaged crush is still very much intact. Snowed in with her, he tries to fight his growing attraction. But being with Lissy brings what his life is lacking into sharp focus.

The ice melts, and they return home. When their families discover their secret, Grayson must decide what kind of life he truly wants—and whether he’ll fight to keep Lissy by his side.

Review: Twisted Hearts by Cora Reilly

TWISTED HEARTS
Series: The Camorra Chronicles #5
Genre: Dark Romance, Mafia
Author: Cora Reilly
Release Date: January 7, 2020

Savio Falcone has a few non-negotiable rules when it comes to girls.
They need to be hot as f*ck.
Spread their legs without much prompting.
And leave as soon as the fun is over. Preferably minus any bitching or tears.
With his easy-going bad boy attitude, a last name that rules over Las Vegas and a body to die for, girls have always been at Savio’s disposal.
Unfortunately, the hottest girl in Vegas comes with a price Savio isn’t willing to pay. For Savio to get Gemma he’d need to seal the deal and put a ring on her finger. Settling down is out of the question, no matter how hot a piece of ass waits at the altar.
Gemma Bazzoli has had a crush on Savio from the first moment she came face to face with his arrogant smile, but for him she was always his best friend’s annoying little sister—until her hard-earned curves catch even his attention.
But Savio likes it easy, and Gemma is anything but. When she’s promised to another man, Gemma resigns herself to the fact that the man she’s wanted all her life, doesn’t want her badly enough.
Savio has to decide how much work he’s willing to invest, because bending the rules in his usual style might not be enough to get the girl that haunts his wet dreams.
– Can be read as a standalone-

AMAZON

Gemma was the hottest girl in the city and didn’t even realize it. She was the girl I wanted most and couldn’t have.

Ever finish a book and you struggled to feel any which way about it? This was that book for me. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. It was something of that middle of the road story that I don’t enjoyed reading, but also would never be something I’d come back to either. Does that even make sense? I hope it does, because there’s no better way for me to describe how I felt about Twisted Hearts.

I love mafia romance. I love unconventional love stories with imperfect characters that make their fair share of mistakes. And it just doesn’t get more imperfect than womanizing Savio. Savio and Gemma have known each other since they were kids. Savio was Gemma’s older brother’s friend and a boy that she crushed had on. Her crush was so obvious and at times desperate when she was a teen, that it was almost uncomfortable to read at times, admittedly. Luckily, she doesn’t carry that into adulthood either. Gemma lives in a highly traditional world of old-world mafia family where the women are kept innocent and naive and marriages are a contract and not of love. That doesn’t stop her from hoping beyond hope that Savio will ask for her, since his family is one of the most powerful business alliances her father can make. But Savio is much too concerned with sowing his wild oats with every single available woman out there to even think of marriage. That is, until Gemma is promised to another.

Now I loved the fact that the author stayed true to her character with Savio and didn’t have him turning a complete 180 the second he decides he wants Gemma. He’s not a perfect character and I loved that about him. What didn’t gel for me was the lack of everything else outside of the back and forth he and Gemma go through. The world, the suspense, the story all kind of fell sideways and got lost in the frustrating back and forth of I want you but I can’t have you and I’ll have you but won’t give you all of me. It started off so strong and then all just sort of fizzled for me. I was skimming parts and growing more bored with each page. And while Gemma did grow a backbone in her adulthood, I did also found myself wishing that she made Savio work for it in a different way than she did. Although, I do respect the hell out of her for the way she did handle their relationship.

Ultimately, the romance just didn’t grab me. I didn’t fully buy into it and I just didn’t love Gemma and Savio. They were entertaining, sure, but just not memorable characters for me. Did I enjoy the book? Sure. Most definitely. Was I glued to the pages reading it? Not really. A fun read, but ultimately not an entirely memorable one. But hey, different strokes for different folks right? Give it a read and judge for yourself.

Review: The Fight For Forever by Meghan March

THE FALL OF LEGEND
Series:
Legend Trilogy #1
Genre:
Contemporary Romance
Author:
Meghan March
Release Date:
January 14, 2020

New York Times bestselling author Meghan March concludes the Legend Trilogy.

You can only keep what you can protect.

That’s all I’ve ever known.

It’s the way I’ve lived my life.

Now, everything I never knew I needed is at risk, and I’m not letting anyone take it from me.

I won’t let anyone take her from me.

They say love is a battlefield, so I’m ready for war.

This time, it’s the fight for forever.

 

The Fight for Forever is the third book in the Legend Trilogy and should be read after The Fall of Legend and House of Scarlett

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


You aren’t broken. You never were. You don’t need me, Scarlett. But it’s the greatest privilege of my life to be with you.”

How does she continue to do this? How does she create an immensely satisfying conclusion for a story while leaving me a salivating mess for more with intriguing secondary characters? I don’t know and I don’t care. All I know is that I need it all! ALL OF IT!

I live for Meghan March alphas, but Legend’s book was different for me. Having read her entire backlist, I can attest that no one can create a sinfully sexy alpha male quite like March. And Gabriel Legend was definitely an alpha male. And while he’s got that edge that all of her male characters always have, he also had a softer side to him which I adore. You know that saying about the bigger they are, the harder they fall? Well, that saying couldn’t fit Legend any better. Because when this man loves, he loves HARD. And the way that he loves Scarlett made my heart happy. I love how supportive, sweet, and protective he is with her without also losing that delicious edge that he always has.

The conclusion of the trilogy brings with it plenty of intrigue and many answers. I was at the edge of my seat turning each page because I was desperate for answers. The mysterious Moses gets his page time here, and I’m so conflicted with his character it’s not even funny. Only Meghan can give us a villain while also leaving her readers desperate to know more about him.

There were plenty of secondary characters introduced in this trilogy that I’m desperately hoping will be getting their own books. *Cough* Q *cough*

But beyond that, it was a thrilling and riveting conclusion to a deliciously addictive trilogy. While answering plenty of questions, it also left one big one wide open. Which leaves me thinking that March will definitely be doing a spin off where we may get those answers. Or at least I’m being hopefully optimistic because I NEED THAT BOOK. But I digress. This was the perfect conclusion to Scarlett and Legend’s story, and I couldn’t have hoped for a more satisfying ending for them.

Making the jump from corporate lawyer to romance author was a leap of faith that New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Meghan March will never regret. With over thirty titles published, she has sold millions of books in nearly a dozen languages to fellow romance-lovers around the world. A nomad at heart, she can currently be found in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, living her happily ever after with her real-life alpha hero.

Sign up for Meghan’s newsletter and receive exclusive content that she saves for her subscribers:
 http://meghanmarch.com/subscribe

To get the inside scoop on a daily basis, search Meghan March’s Runaway Readers on Facebook and join the fun!

FACEBOOKWEBSITE | INSTAGRAMAMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | TWITTER | BOOKBUB

Review: The Maddest Obsession by Danielle Lori

THE MADDEST OBSESSION
Series: Made #2
Genre: Contemporary, Mafia Romance
Author: Danielle Lori
Release Date: April 15, 2019

She fears the dark.
He rules it.

Her dresses are too tight, her heels too tall. She laughs too loudly, eats without decorum, and mixes up most sayings in the book. Little do most know it’s just a sparkly disguise, there to hide one panic attack at a time.

Nobody can crack Gianna’s facade . . . no one anyway, until hecomes along.

Most see a paragon of morality; a special agent upholding the law. In the New York underworld, others know him as a hustler, a killer, his nature as cold as the heart of ice in his chest. Christian Allister has always followed the life plan he’d envisioned in his youth, beneath the harsh lights of a frigid, damp cell. With a proclivity for order and the number three, he’s never been tempted to veer off course. But perhaps one should never say never . . .

One winter night and their lives intertwine. She hates him—his stone-cold demeanor, his arrogance and too-perceptive eye—but over the years, even as their games consist of insulting each other’s looks and intelligence, she begins to live to play with him.

Nowhere in Christian’s plans had he ever prepared for Gianna. She’s chaos embodied, not his type, and married, but none of that can stop his eyes from following her wherever she goes.

All along, she doesn’t even know that she’s his—his frustration, his fascination.

His maddest obsession.

AMAZON

If you ran, Gianna . . .” The words were malicious yet somehow as soft and desperate as sex in a war-torn field. He pressed his lips to my ear. “I would find you.”

Where has this book been all my life?!!!! I’m talking about all of my favorite book crack in one story here, people! And it’s amazingly written. And it’s set in a world that I can’t get enough of. And it had Russian that was 100% correct. So for me, this was the holy grail of reads. Because let’s be honest here, I’m a ridiculously picky shit when it comes to Russian in books. But I digress.

Now I thought that I loved The Sweetest Oblivion, but nothing could prepare me for how obsessed I was going to be with this book. Ha! See what I did there? Ok, that was weak, but whatever. You see where I’m going here. The Maddest Obsession was addictive, enrapturing, and all consuming. One of those stories that you read that stay with you.

His eyes were what nightmares were made of, ice and fire, and filled with secrets no one wanted to know. He could only pass as normal because of his too-handsome face—otherwise, he’d be locked up somewhere, the world seeing him for what he really was.

A story with characters that are so vivid and unique, that they’re impossible to forget. And Gianna and Christian were definitely impossible to forget.

We all searched for strength in life. Unfortunately, mine just happened to lie at the end of a line of powder.

First of all, I highly recommend that you read The Sweetest Oblivion first. There are parts of the story here that run parallel to the events in the first one that are spoilers. You would certainly have a better appreciation for all the characters, if you read the series in order.

I was making a deal with the devil. And I couldn’t even find the grace to save myself.

If you read book one, then you definitely remember Gianna. Gianna grew up in the mafia life, and as such, she’s certainly been quickly broken of her innocence and nativity. She used to be Nico’s stepmother, while young enough to be his sister. Her husband’s infidelity and inability to care for anyone other than himself has ultimately broken her. She’s disillusioned by life and her role in it, and finds her oblivion in the additional hit of coke. But in her world, you don’t marry for love, and she’ll never put her heart on the line again.

He was cool, icy control. But something burned hot beneath the surface. Something shrouded by ice for so long. I wanted to watch it melt. To unravel him until I understood every layer. I knew it was dangerous. I even knew I wouldn’t win. But sometimes, even the best gambler doesn’t know when to quit.

If you thought Nico was intense, nothing can prepare you for the full effect of Christian. The man is a dark enigma. He’s cruelty and obsession all wrapped in one of the most deceptively handsome packages. A crooked fed that’s a law onto himself. He takes orders from no one, not the FBI, not the mob, and definitely not women. He has a rule of three when it comes to his lovers, and no one has ever tempted him to break his icy control.

It’s immediate sparks when Gianna first notices Christian. Their story spans many years, from her first husband to ultimately her second. Their relationship is complex game of cat and mouse, chock full of sexual tension, and witty barbs. They hate each other, seemingly. But beneath the glares and insults, there brews something intense and fiery.

I loved this story beyond words. Gianna was such a broken and imperfect heroine, and I couldn’t get enough of her. She may appear broken, but she has the heart of a lioness. She’s smart, strong, and gives as good as she takes. The woman has been through hell and back in her young life, but she doesn’t let it break her. She’s just shattered in parts.

Christian was just….GAH. My god. The man was everything. Intensity oozes from his every pore, almost as much as his sexuality does. And the two of them together? Sweet mother of all that’s holy. They’re incendiary.

The story was twisty, dark, and full of grit. It was a page turner, edge of your seat sort of read that I couldn’t bear to put down for even a second. This is a book that I would recommend for all mafia romance lovers out there. If you haven’t been introduced to Danielle Lori’s brand of awesome, you’re definitely missing out.

#DGRFave & Review: Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey

LOVE HER OR LOSE HER 
Series: Hot & Hammered 2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: January 14, 2020

New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey returns with a unique, sexy romantic comedy about a young married couple whose rocky relationship needs a serious renovation.

Rosie and Dominic Vega are the perfect couple: high school sweethearts, best friends, madly in love. Well, they used to be anyway. Now Rosie’s lucky to get a caveman grunt from the ex-soldier every time she walks in the door. Dom is faithful and a great provider, but the man she fell in love with ten years ago is nowhere to be found. When her girlfriends encourage Rosie to demand more out of life and pursue her dream of opening a restaurant, she decides to demand more out of love, too. Three words: marriage boot camp.

Never in a million years did Rosie believe her stoic, too-manly-to-emote husband would actually agree to relationship rehab with a weed-smoking hippy. Dom talking about feelings? Sitting on pillows? Communing with nature? Learning love languages? Nope. But to her surprise, he’s all in, and it forces her to admit her own role in their cracked foundation. As they complete one ridiculous—yet surprisingly helpful—assignment after another, their remodeled relationship gets stronger than ever. Except just as they’re getting back on track, Rosie discovers Dom has a secret… and it could demolish everything.

AMAZON

I’ll do anything you ask me to do,” he said in a gravelly voice. “Except walk away.”

*Flails happily*
Y’all. This book. I can’t even right now.
I think this may be my favorite Tessa Bailey book to date. And that’s something something considering I’ve devoured the woman’s entire backlist.

The second Rosie and Dom appeared on the pages of Fix Her Up as secondary characters, I could practically taste the tension between them. I was dying to get my hands on their book, so the very second this landed in my grabby little hands, I devoured it in one delicious sitting. I couldn’t bear to put it down for even a second.

This was…I don’t even have words. Perfection! Swoony, sexy, and brimming with feels. It was everything I wanted in their story and yet so much more.

Rosie and Dominic are high school sweethearts. They fell in love fast and hard when they were teenagers. But as adults, that love is no longer enough to hold the pieces of their marriage together. Lack of communication, too many things left unsaid, too many assumption have all come together to leave Rosie feeling empty. She misses the man her husband used to be. Their marriage is crumbling around them and she has no idea how to hold it together.

All Dom ever wanted was Rosie. This is an inevitable fact and something that’s a constant in his life that will never change. So when his beloved wife tells him he’s leaving, he knows that he’ll do absolutely anything to save their marriage, and he’s not above fighting dirty. Withhold their physical connection until she agrees to come back to him? Check! Agree to see a quirky and borderline crazy marriage counselor? Check! Take every opportunity to remind her just why the fell in love? Check and CHECK.

GOD. You guys. I don’t even know how to begin to describe this to you. Dom was easily one of my favorite Bailey heroes. He’s a little troubled and a lot obsessed with his wife. He’s a dirty talking god, even if he doesn’t have much to say in his day to day. He’s quite, broody and intense. But the man is captivating and practically sizzling with sexual chemistry.

Rosie was perfection, too. This is not a woman that blames their crumbling marriage on her husband only. She takes full accountability for her faults as they fight to work through their issues. Add into this a kooky counselor, favorites from the previous book, and a brand new hero introduced to drive Bethany insane and I was HOOKED. Line and sinker. I was glued to the pages. Riveted. Captivated. And utterly charmed. I loved this story from beginning to finish. With the glimpses of the hate lust between Wes and Bethany, I’m already gagging for the next book. But if you’re looking for a swoony, sexy, and totally charming second chance romance, look no further. SO GOOD.

New & Upcoming Releases: January 13-16

New and upcoming releases coming at ya this week!


AVAILABLE NOW


CODE OF SILENCE by Shantel Tessier

Dangerous and feared.

Those words describe my future husband. Who just so happens to also be my ex-boyfriend.

It’s complicated. Two years ago, he broke my heart when he left me to do his father’s bidding. After months of crying, I finally accepted he was gone and wasn’t going to look back. That maybe he’d never loved me at all. I never wanted to see Luca again.

Now a cruel twist of fate has signed me over to him in a heartless deal. I’m his. He thinks he did me a favor, but I feel like I’ve been given a death sentence. He doesn’t want to get married because he still loves me. No, he did it for money. More power.

I’m going to be a mafia wife. And there’s only one way out of it. Death.

But as it turns out, someone else doesn’t want me to marry the ruthless Luca Bianchi. And if he has his way, I’ll see that early grave.

Due to mature content and themes this book is recommended for readers aged eighteen and over. Code of Silence is an arranged marriage and a complete standalone. This novel may contain triggers.


BOURBON LOVE NOTES by Shari J Ryan

In a split second, life can steal a last breath … and derail all future plans.

While flying home after a phone call that left me heartbroken, a row to myself would have been ideal. Instead, I was unknowingly sitting shoulder to shoulder with a strikingly attractive single dad and ex-Marine. I could have pretended not to notice the man, but there was something familiar about him.

It didn’t take long before I pieced together where I knew him from or why he was back in my life.

With chaos holding me hostage, I wanted to hide but couldn’t avoid Brett Pearson, our old family friend, and my teenage crush, because he kindly offered to help out with my family’s business—The Barrel House.

Handling my father’s distillery would be a distraction from my brutal reality. Except, I never paid close attention to the art of making bourbon, unlike Brett, who was full of bourbon knowledge. He offered to teach me a thing or two, but all I could focus on was the way his lips moved when he spoke to me.

I needed to grieve, and my head was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but my heart was splitting at the seams.

Bourbon was spilled, drinks were shared, but could passion ignite from a dying last wish?

*Bourbon Love Notes is a small-town second-chance angsty romance.


HERE AND NOW by Mary Wasowski

My life is divided into compartments.
Husband.
Father.
Son.
CEO of our family business.

On the outside, my life looks pretty great. But on the inside, I feel suffocated and in need of air. Life was easier back when it was just me and my girl. What else did we need when all we had was each other?

Fast forward twenty-five years and I think…where did all that time go? I’ll tell you…Life got busy. We made a family. We built our careers. We remained in love. But, if that’s true, why do I feel like it’s the last place I want to be?

I made a mistake and hurt my wife with four words that I never meant to say. How do I take them back? How do I undo the hurt I caused? Time heals wounds. Distance gives you time for reflection.

I have the past.
I jeopardized our present.
I want the future.
I want the Here and Now.


TOUGH GUY by Rachel Reid

They have nothing in common—so why does Ryan feel most like himself whenever he’s with Fabian?

Pro hockey star Ryan Price may be an enforcer, but off the ice he struggles with anxiety. Recently traded to the Toronto Guardians, he’s determined to make a fresh start in the city’s dynamic LGBTQ Village. The last thing he expects to stumble upon in his new neighborhood is a blast from his past in the fabulous form of Fabian Salah.

Aspiring musician Fabian loathes hockey. But that doesn’t stop him from being attracted to a certain burly, ginger-bearded defenseman. He hasn’t forgotten the kiss they almost shared back in high school, and it’s clear the chemistry between them has only intensified.

Fabian is more than happy to be Ryan’s guide to the gay scene in Toronto. Between dance clubs and art exhibits—and the most amazing sex—Ryan’s starting to feel something he hasn’t experienced in a long time: joy. But playing the role of the heavy on the ice has taken its toll on his body and mind, and a future with Fabian may mean hanging up his skates for good.


EXPOSED by Willow Aster

It was never a question of love.

I knew I loved Elias Lancaster and that he loved me.

At least I always thought he did.

But for some reason, he always found an excuse not to be with me.

The pain I felt as my childhood love rejected me, again and again, after promising me the world when we were kids…

Well, it just wouldn’t go away.

No matter how hard I tried.

Desperate times called for desperate measures, and I never wanted to be considered desperate, but I knew if something didn’t change soon, I’d lose Elias for good and die of a broken heart.

No one told me how many times my heart could break in the process.


CONCEAL by Ava Harrison

From USA Today bestselling author Ava Harrison comes a billionaire romance full of witty banter and a jaw-dropping twist!

I ran.
Escaped the man who wanted to hurt me.

I got in my car and drove.
No destination. No direction. No help.

I hid in the one place I would never be found.
Now in New York with no job, I didn’t know what to do.

Then I met him.
Jaxson Price.
The enigmatic devil who wasn’t only above the law, but played it like a puppet.

He might be the answer to all my problems.
Too bad he’s asking for something in return for his help….
My heart.


RELEASING JANUARY 14


LOVE HER OR LOSE HER by Tessa Bailey

One of Oprah Magazine’s 22 Romance Novels That Are Set to Be the Best of 2020 + Marie Claire’s Best New Books of 2020

New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey returns with a unique, sexy romantic comedy about a young married couple whose rocky relationship needs a serious renovation…

Rosie and Dominic Vega are the perfect couple: high school sweethearts, best friends, madly in love. Well, they used to be anyway. Now Rosie’s lucky to get a caveman grunt from the ex-soldier every time she walks in the door. Dom is faithful and a great provider, but the man she fell in love with ten years ago is nowhere to be found. When her girlfriends encourage Rosie to demand more out of life and pursue her dream of opening a restaurant, she decides to demand more out of love, too. Three words: marriage boot camp.

Never in a million years did Rosie believe her stoic, too-manly-to-emote husband would actually agree to relationship rehab with a weed-smoking hippie. Dom talking about feelings? Sitting on pillows? Communing with nature? Learning love languages? Nope. But to her surprise, he’s all in, and it forces her to admit her own role in their cracked foundation. As they complete one ridiculous—yet surprisingly helpful—assignment after another, their remodeled relationship gets stronger than ever. Except just as they’re getting back on track, Rosie discovers Dom has a secret… and it could demolish everything.


REVEREND OF SILENCE by Pamela Sparkman

A coming of age story about faith, love, and overcoming society’s prejudices during the American Antebellum period.

In 1810, Lucy Hallison suffered from a severe illness at the age of three, and later recovered, a deaf-mute. Unable to relate to the world in which she lives, she’s often ignored and sometimes treated with cruelty. Until a boy, Samuel Burke, steps into her life at the tender age of seven, coloring her world and showing her what it means to be seen, to not be invisible, to be understood.

The two become inseparable childhood friends, and as they grow and mature, there is the promise and hope of something more that also grows between them. But the hope of something more is put on hold so she can attend The American Asylum at Hartford for the Deaf and Dumb, the first of its kind, requiring her to leave the only home she’s ever known and the only boy she’s ever loved.

But while she is away, tragedy strikes, and Samuel is now the one unable to relate to the world in which he lives, unable to find his own voice, and withdrawing from everyone and everything he’s ever known.

When Lucy returns home from school, she has one goal in mind—to put color back into his world the way he had once put color into hers.

Because Samuel Burke had been her voice when she had needed him most.

Now, she is determined to be his.

Note: Inspired by real people and true historical accounts.


THIS IS FOREVER by Natasha Madison

From USA Today Bestselling Author comes the fourth book in the This Is Series.
Caroline
Becoming a teen mom at sixteen was not what I expected, but then again, neither was being a single parent. Still, I wouldn’t change my past because that boy is my world.

Hockey is the only thing my son seems to care about, so I work two jobs to make sure he can play. I’d do anything to make sure he doesn’t suffer because of the bad decisions his father made.

When he won a whole summer of hockey training, I knew in my heart he was going to have an amazing time.

What I wasn’t prepared for was meeting his new summer coach.

He was magnetic, powerful, and a player—in all forms of the word.

If my life had taught me anything up to this point, it was how to avoid making bad decisions, and Justin Stone was the definition of a bad decision.

I could never be a woman his family approved of. Even if I wished I could be.

Justin
Growing up as the son of a hockey God is one thing. Growing up as the brother of a second hockey God is another. I had big skates to fill, so it was a good thing I loved every second of it.

Summer was my off time, my time to let loose, but when they ask me to coach a hockey camp for underprivileged kids, I couldn’t say no.

But when she walked in holding a little boy’s hand, my heart stopped beating. Or maybe it started for the first time.

They were a package deal, and I knew this—wanted it more than I’ve ever wanted anything. It didn’t take long to realize that no matter what happened,

I would do anything to protect them.

She is the only one I want to be with.

When push comes to shove, I have to prove to everyone that this is my choice, and This is Forever.


NOW OR NEVER by Stella Rhys- buy link TBA

He’s ten years older. My brother’s best friend.
And for the next two weeks, he gets to have me in all the ways he’s ever wanted.

HOLLAND
The last time I saw him, he still called me kiddo.

But fast-forward five years, and more than a few things have changed.

He’s still Iain Thorn. He’s still my brother’s best friend and the painfully sexy man I clearly never stopped wanting. But me?

Apparently, I’ve grown up in more ways than he can resist.

IAIN
I’m going to hell for looking at her like this.

She’s too young for me. Too sweet and naive.

She has no idea what I would do to her.

But since the day she walked back in my life in that tight little dress, I’ve felt myself caving. I said I’d never in my life get involved with Holland Maxwell.

But since I’m already going to hell, I might as well make it worth it.


THE FIGHT FOR FOREVER by Meghan March

NewYork Times bestselling author Meghan March utterly addictive Legend Trilogy concludes in The Fight for Forever.

You can only keep what you can protect.

That’s all I’ve ever known. It’s the way I’ve lived my life.

Now, everything I never knew I needed is at risk, and I’m not letting anyone take it from me.

I won’t let anyone take her from me.

They say love is a battlefield, so I’m ready for war.

This time, it’s the fight for forever.

The Fight for Forever is the final book in the Legend Trilogy and should be read after The Fall of Legend, book one and House of Scarlett, book two of the utterly addictive Legend Trilogy.


A LONGER FALL by Charlaine Harris

#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris returns with the second of the Gunnie Rose series, in which Lizbeth is hired onto a new crew, transporting a crate into Dixie, the self-exiled southeast territory of the former United States. What the crate contains is something so powerful, that forces from across three territories want to possess it.

In this second thrilling installment of the Gunnie Rose series, Lizbeth Rose is hired onto a new crew for a seemingly easy protection job, transporting a crate into Dixie, just about the last part of the former United States of America she wants to visit. But what seemed like a straight-forward job turns into a massacre as the crate is stolen. Up against a wall in Dixie, where social norms have stepped back into the last century, Lizbeth has to go undercover with an old friend to retrieve the crate as what’s inside can spark a rebellion, if she can get it back in time.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse mysteries and Midnight, Texas trilogy) is at her best here, building the world of this alternate history of the United States, where magic is an acknowledged but despised power.


THE LAST SISTER by Kendra Elliot

Three sisters’ secrets collide in a shocking novel of suspense by the Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author of the Mercy Kilpatrick series.

Twenty years ago Emily Mills’s father was murdered, and she found his body hanging in the backyard. Her younger sister, Madison, claims she was asleep in her room. Her older sister, Tara, claims she was out with friends. The tragedy drove their mother to suicide and Tara to leave town forever. The killer was caught. The case closed.

Ever since, Emily and Madison have tried to forget what happened that night—until an eerily similar murder brings it all back. It also brings FBI special agent Zander Wells to the Oregon logging town. As eager as he is to solve the brutal double slaying, he is just as intrigued with the mystery of Emily’s and her sisters’ past.

When more blood is shed, Zander suspects there’s a secret buried in this town no one wants unearthed. Is it something Emily and Madison don’t know? Or aren’t telling? And Tara? Maybe Emily can’t bear to find her. Because when Tara disappeared, she took a secret of her own with her.


GETTING OFF EASY by Erin Nicholas

A sexy opposites attract, single parent romance!

New Orleans firefighter, James Reynaud’s true love is hanging out in the jazz clubs on Frenchmen Street and playing piano with some of the best musicians in the city. But driving his cute, bookworm neighbor Harper Broussard crazy is right up there on his list of favorite things.

The buttoned-up linguistics professor across the hall is a little older, a lot smarter, and way too good for him. And she knows it. But wow is she beautiful when she blushes.

She’s equally gorgeous when she’s saving his butt. Because now things just got serious. A baby has been, literally, dropped off on his doorstep and to say he’s in over his head is an understatement. Not that Harper knows anything about babies either. But at least they now have something in common.


THE BISHOP by Skye Warren

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Skye Warren comes the next installment in her Tanglewood series.

A million dollar chess piece goes missing hours before the auction.

Anders Sorenson will do anything to get it back. His family name and fortune rests on finding two inches of medieval ivory. Instead he finds an injured woman with terrible secrets.

He isn’t letting her go until she helps him find the piece. But there’s more at stake in this strategic game of lust and danger. When she confesses everything, he might lose more than his future. He might lose his heart.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**


MISADVENTURES WITH A FIREFIGHTER by Julie Morgan

Cara Murphy is a New York City kindergarten teacher with a bright future and tenure on the horizon, and she won’t let anything—any man—distract her. She’s had her heart broken before, and she won’t make that mistake twice. She’s got her career to focus on, and being single has many, many advantages.

Noah Hughes is a firefighter with a charred heart who heats up every room he enters, but he lives solely for the happiness of his five-year-old son. When he crosses paths with Cara at a club, sparks fly, and they share a hot night of passion. But that flame is quickly doused during a surprise second encounter.

Continuing to see each other would truly be playing with fire, but Cara and Noah can’t stop. Still, Cara’s career is in jeopardy, and Noah’s heart is locked in guilt. Is there really a chance they could build a love that forever burns bright?

*****
Misadventures is a romantic series of spicy standalone novels, each written or co-written by some of the best names in romance. The stories are scandalous, refreshing, and, of course, incredibly sexy. They’re the perfect bedside read, a ‘quick blush’ for the reader who loves a page-turning romance.


THE ECHOES BETWEEN US by Katie McGarry

Echoes Between Us is bestselling author Katie McGarry’s breakout teen contemporary novel about a girl with everything to lose and the boy who will do anything to save her.

Veronica sees ghosts—more specifically, her mother’s ghost, thanks to the blinding migraines that consume her whole life and keep Veronica on the fringes. But the haunting afterimages make her wonder if there is something more going on….

Golden boy Sawyer is handsome and popular, a state champion swimmer, but this All-American is hiding an adrenaline addiction that could kill him. Drawn to each other after a chance meeting, can they help each other battle the demons that haunt their every step or will they push their luck too far and risk losing it
all…including their lives?

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


BAITING HIM by Aurora Rose Reynolds

From New York Times bestselling author Aurora Rose Reynolds comes the second book in the steamy, witty, and hilarious How to Catch an Alpha series.

Chrissie doesn’t have time for guys, hot or otherwise; most days, she barely has time to sleep. With a thriving bakery that demands her attention and plenty of proof that relationships aren’t worth the trouble, she’s content to go it alone. Too bad she’s unwittingly baited Mr. Tall, Dark, and Way Too Gorgeous—and he’s just waiting for a chance to bite.

Gaston is used to getting what he wants, but he also knows nothing good ever comes easy. From the moment he meets Chrissie, he realizes that this woman who makes him laugh, smells like cupcakes, and looks like a tasty snack is going to be his greatest challenge. And if he’s lucky, she’ll be his biggest reward.

But someone else wants to catch Gaston at all costs—even if it means endangering the lives of the people he loves. Somehow Gaston must thwart danger and convince Chrissie that he’s the perfect catch.


SPARK by Aleatha Romig

“From a little spark may burst a flame.” ~ Dante Alighieri

A simple ember to dried kindling can ignite a raging fire.

I’ve made my mark and proven my loyalty to a man, a city, and a way of life. That loyalty has provided me with all the spoils of success. For the longest time, that hasn’t included a woman at my side.

There is only one beauty that can bring my untapped desire to life.

I shouldn’t have opened the door. Cracking open the stone and striking the flint is my doing. What follows is hers.

With something so intense, will this spark lead to a blazing inferno? Will we make it out of the ashes before everything I hold dear is ravaged?

From New York Times bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a brand-new dark romance, Spark, set in the same dangerous world as Secrets and Twisted. You do not need to read the Web of Sin or Tangled Web trilogy to get caught up in this new and intriguing saga, Web of Desire.

SPARK is book one of the WEB OF DESIRE trilogy that continues in FLAME and concludes in ASHES.
Have you been Aleatha’d?


CREDENCE by Penelope Douglas- buy link TBA

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Douglas comes a new standalone…

Tiernan de Haas doesn’t care about anything anymore. The only child of a film producer and his starlet wife, she’s grown up with wealth and privilege but not love or guidance. Shipped off to boarding schools from an early age, it was still impossible to escape the loneliness and carve out a life of her own. The shadow of her parents’ fame followed her everywhere.

And when they suddenly pass away, she knows she should be devastated. But has anything really changed? She’s always been alone, hasn’t she?

Jake Van der Berg, her father’s stepbrother and her only living relative, assumes guardianship of Tiernan who is still two months shy of eighteen. Sent to live with him and his two sons, Noah and Kaleb, in the mountains of Colorado, Tiernan soon learns that these men now have a say in what she chooses to care and not care about anymore. As the three of them take her under their wing, teach her to work and survive in the remote woods far away from the rest of the world, she slowly finds her place among them.

And as a part of them.

She also realizes that lines blur and rules become easy to break when no one else is watching.

One of them has her.

The other one wants her.

But he…

He’s going to keep her.

*Credence is a new adult standalone novel suitable for readers 18+.


RELEASING JANUARY 15


BOSSY BROTHERS by JA Huss

Read as book five in the Bossy Brothers series or as a standalone book.

TARA
Lonnie Derringer is a filthy-mouthed, dirty-talking, long-distance fling.
(That’s been going on for two years.)
I know, I know. That’s not a fling. This might be getting serious.
I think about him all the time. I look forward to our quickie lunch dates and the way he whispers in my ear every night from two-thousand miles away.
He’s the best boyfriend I never had.
Until I find out his name isn’t Lonnie, it’s Alonzo.
Until I find out he’s not some boring accountant with a dead-end job, he’s a six-foot-four, yoked-out, tatted-up fisherman who never wears a shirt!
That’s right, girls. He’s been catfishing me online for twofreakingyears!
And then he becomes more than just the best boyfriend I’ve never had.
He becomes my target.

ALONZO
Tara Tanner is the perfect long-distance girlfriend who lives in the Land of Far, Far Away.
She’s a blonde, bookish bundle of sexy-overachiever. A wicked little siren with a filthy mind and an eye for pencil skirts. And every time I ask her to ‘send-me-a-pic-or-it-never-happened’ she goes above and beyond.
She is, quite simply, the most perfect woman I’ve ever had the pleasure to never meet.
I didn’t set out to lie to her and I didn’t expect to meet her.;
But one day she shows up at my house, and guess what?
She wasn’t the only one being catfished for two years.
Because she’s not who she said she was either.

Bossy Brothers: Alonzo can be read as book five in the Bossy Brothers series or as a standalone story and features a sexy game of guess-who between a librarian obsessed with pencil skirts and a fisherman tatted up with mermaids. It’s long-distance fling filled with dirty-talking, sexy selfies, and safely-hidden secrets… until it isn’t.

Until the day they meet and realize… Love in the Land of fake Far, Far Away can’t ever compare to the real thing.


RELEASING JANUARY 16


WHEN THE SAINT FALLS by A.D. McCammon

Thatcher Michaelson is a bully.
Arrogant. Cruel. Ruthless.
And the most attractive guy I’ve ever laid eyes on.
He’s the rebel of Westbrook High, and I’m merely the annoying goody two-shoes he dubbed the saint.

There must be something wrong with me. After nearly two years of dirty looks and constant humiliation, I’m still crushing on the guy who hated me on sight.

Then he kissed me and instead of the ice-cold gaze I was accustomed to, I saw passion burning behind his dark molten eyes.

Violet St. James doesn’t belong in my world.
Good. Kind. Pure.
She’s everything I’m not.
She doesn’t just look like an angel, she is one. And I’ve fought every impulse to make her mine.

But all my efforts went up in flames the second I tasted her sweet lips. My inability to stay away has changed everything.

She’s determined to break down all my walls, but my little saint doesn’t understand the consequences of her actions.

She tells me she’s not afraid of the fall.
But she should be.


FIGHTING FOR RAIN by BB Reid

The world was supposed to end on April 23, but Rainbow Williams’s world ended days before that. The mass hysteria caused by the impending apocalypse claimed everything she’d ever loved. Her family. Her city. Her will to live.

Until she met him.

Wes Parker didn’t have anything left for the apocalypse to take … he’d already lost it all by the time he was nine years old. His family. His home. His hope of ever being loved.

Until he met her.

Brought together by fate and bound by a love that would last lifetimes, Rain and Wes were prepared to die together on April 23.

They were not prepared for what would happen on April 24.


BUILDING BRIDGES by Lia Fairchild

“A captivating new series packed full of emotions, and a strong family bond.” NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author Kaylee Ryan.

Former soldier Logan Bridges never imagined he would go from serving his country to helping raise a house full of children after a devastating family loss.

Dealing with his rowdy siblings and cousins proves to be almost as treacherous as the battlefields he left behind. And though he’s committed to making it work, he soon finds he’s in over his head.

Until someone from Logan’s past, steps in to help.

Mollie has always been independent, but finds herself growing attached to the family, including Logan, and discovering there’s more to life than working and solitude.

Logan and Mollie quickly form a strong bond, and when attraction brings them closer, they agree getting involved wouldn’t be good for the children. But when they both struggle to keep the blurry line of friendship between them, Mollie won’t take that step unless Logan can open up and face his painful past.

* * *

Bridges Brothers series follows four brothers as they attempt to navigate life and love after a tragic family loss. Each book can be read as a standalone but is more enjoyable read in order.


THE EDGE OF THE WORLD by Garrett Leigh

Shay Maloney is living his dream—on tour with his pirate/folk-rock band. But you can’t know where you’re going until you know where you’re from, and that’s where moody filmmaker and researcher Ollie Pietruska comes in.

The band’s management persuades Shay to let a television company film a documentary about his roots beyond his adoptive Irish family, and Ollie comes into his life knowing more about Shay than Shay’s ever known about himself.

But while Ollie holds the key to Shay’s past, he’s also hiding deep scars. Even as the hardships of the tour bring them closer, Ollie’s demons threaten the blossoming romance. They might both reach the breaking point before Ollie realises he’s been standing on the edge of the world for too long, and it’s Shay who holds the key to his future.

A friends-to-lovers, rock star, road-tripping romance, with a guaranteed happily-ever-after.


PROTECTING WHAT’S MINE by Lucy Score

If you can’t stand the heat, don’t fall for a firefighter…

Fire Chief Lincoln Reed is known for his heroics in the fire department and in the bedroom. Life is a never-ending good time. Until she lands in the middle of the accident scene he’s working…and then his backyard. Too bad she’s immune to flirty first responders.

Flight trauma surgeon Mackenzie O’Neil is on a crash course with burnout. She’s got a scar on her face and a shake in her hands. A temporary job as a small-town family physician is just the prescription. She’ll learn to meditate. Sleep more. Take up gardening.

She definitely won’t take her shirtless, firefighting neighbor’s hot body for a test drive.

But Linc and his tattoos are very persuasive. What’s a harmless little adrenaline-fueled fling between neighbors? It’s all naked fun and games until the shadows from Mack’s past find their way into her present. Can Linc be her hero when she needs him the most or will their scars ruin everything?

One thing is certain: Someone is going to get burned.

Author’s Warning: This small-town happily ever after is smokin’ hot, sweetly hilarious, deliciously suspenseful, and a one-two punch to the feels. One-click for a disaster dog, precocious kids, a good ol’ fistfight, nosy neighbors, high-adrenaline first responder heroics, firefighter bromance, and kitchen sexytimes.


ALMOST PERFECT by Claudia Burgoa

Olympic medalist and X-game sensation Alex Spearman thinks he’s perfect.

He’s not. I know his kind.

Rich, famous, and emotionally unavailable.

Well…He’s perfect enough to hook up with on the weekend of his sister’s wedding.

His sister is my best friend. This is a disaster in the making.

Did I mention he’s also hot, sexy and funny?

How can I resist?

After a steamy weekend, I agree. We have chemistry.

But it just won’t work out in the long run.

He’s just a fond memory. That is…until he moves next door.

When I’m in need, the almost perfect man offers to help.

On a “friends-only” basis.

“Just friends,” he said. Yeah, right.

Suddenly, Alex is getting too close for comfort.

Things are becoming heated … becoming too real for me.

Is this the real deal or am I another medal to him?

Review: Wait for Me by Tia Louise

WAIT FOR ME
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tia Louise
Release Date: December 17, 2019

Dear Taron,
I should have told you this a long time ago…

Dear Taron,
Is there a time-limit on forgiveness?
If there is, I haven’t reached it…

Dear Taron,
I still love you…

A letter never sent.
Heck, I never even finished it.

Taron Rhodes was my brother’s best friend.
He was sexy as sin.
But he was more than that…
He was ponytail-pulling, ice down your shirt teasing, throw you in the lake screaming…
Strong, tanned arms and blue-green eyes over a heart-stopping, naughty grin…
Did I mention his tight end?
I gave him my first real kiss, my heart, my everything.
I said I’d wait for him…

I’m still waiting, because Taron Rhodes is still the man of my dreams,
And I have a secret that has his blue-green eyes.

Noel LaGrange stole my heart when she was only eighteen —pushing me off a flatbed and calling me a city slicker.
Her brother Sawyer would kick my ass if he knew how many times we made out that summer, how close we got.

Everything changed when Sawyer and I joined the military.
We were honorably discharged, but I didn’t go to her.
Instead, I went back to the city… where no amount of money, no amount of pills can heal this wound.
Only her whiskey eyes and dark hair, her slim arms and her sweet scent, give me hope.
I broke her heart just as surely as I broke mine, but I’m going back to make it right.
If she’s still waiting…

(WAIT FOR ME is a STAND-ALONE small-town, second-chance romance with a guaranteed HEA. No cheating. No cliffhangers.)

AMAZON

Heaven is finding the thing you can’t live without and being able to hold it. Hell is knowing you’ll have to let it go.

I love an emotional second chance romance, and when I read the blurb to this book, I was immediately hooked. Tia knows how to pack one heck of an emotional punch in her writing, so I knew I was in for plenty of feels.

Wait For Me is told in two halves; the first half telling the sweet and steamy story of Taron and Noel meeting and falling in love. Taron is best friends with Noel’s older brother and finds himself in their small town in the short interim before he takes off for the Marines. Noel is eighteen years old but really has an old soul to her. It doesn’t take long for these two to fall head over heels with Noel promising to wait for Taron. But unfortunately fate has other plans for them, and as beautifully as things first came together for them, they fall apart in a devastating and fiery crash.

As much as I loved the premise of the story and both Taron and Noel, I found myself wishing parts of both the first and second half were further fleshed out. I couldn’t help but feel like I was getting a very surface level of what this story could have been. I loved the first half of this book, but also wished for Taron’s characterization to take me a little deeper. Yes, they’re both young, and I can totally buy into their quick connection because of it. But I also wanted more. I can’t quite put my finger on what exactly, but something felt missing.

The second half is ultimately where it really fell short for me, though. The story moved quickly and I wanted parts to be more fleshed out; Taron’s issues being the epicenter of this. I felt like this was really just grazed over and couldn’t help but wish we got a deeper dive into what he went through. The second half of the story ultimately felt rushed and too quick paced. I wished it were flipped and we got to spend more time with them in the present rather than their past. This was such an emotional and touching part of their story, that I really wanted more from it. Ultimately, I still really enjoyed this story that still delivered on the emotional punch I was hoping for. There was plenty of steam and feels to make it for a page turning read.

Review: The Sweetest Oblivion by Danielle Lori

THE SWEETEST OBLIVION 
Series: Made #1
Genre: Contemporary, Mafia Romance
Author: Danielle Lori
Release Date: June 20, 2018

She’s a romantic at heart, living in the most unromantic of worlds . . .

Nicknamed Sweet Abelli for her docile nature, Elena smiles on cue and has a charming response for everything. She’s the favored daughter, the perfect mafia principessa . . . or was.

Now, all she can see in the mirror’s reflection is blood staining her hands like crimson paint.

They say first impressions are everything . . .

In the murky waters of New York’s underworld, Elena’s sister is arranged to marry Nicolas Russo. A Made Man, a boss, a cheat—even measured against mafia standards. His reputation stretches far and wide and is darker than his black suits and ties. After his and Elena’s first encounter ends with an accidental glare on her part, she realizes he’s just as rude as he is handsome.

She doesn’t like the man or anything he stands for, though that doesn’t stop her heart from pattering like rain against glass when he’s near, nor the shiver that ghosts down her spine at the sound of his voice.

And he’s always near. Telling her what to do. Making her feel hotter than any future brother-in-law should. Elena may be the Sweet Abelli on the outside, but she’s beginning to learn she has a taste for the darkness, for rough hands, cigarettes, and whiskey-colored eyes. Having already escaped one scandal, however, she can hardly afford to be swept up in another.

Besides, even if he were hers, everyone knows you don’t fall in love with a Made Man . . . right?

This is a standalone forbidden romance.

AMAZON

I wanted to fuck her and ruin her for anyone else. I wanted to crush her wings and then put them back together again so she’d become dependent on me. I wanted her to need me. That dark, possessive, and dangerous feeling crawled through me every time she crossed my path. Elena Abelli was my vice, and fuck if I’d let it kill me.

How is this the only time that this book is hitting my radar? I’m very hesitant with new to me authors, because let’s face it, I’m a picky asshole. So I’m always scared to step out of the comfort zone of my tried and true authors. But boy am I kicking my own ass for waiting this long to read this. This book was recommended to me several times by someone in my Facebook group, so I finally took the plunge and one-clicked. And the rest, as they say, is history. I was immediately enraptured in this world and completely hypnotized by the words.

His presence soaked through my skin with each inhale. His touch and taste and smell sank so deep they filled the cracks of my heart. He was becoming a drug, an addiction I would have to feed every day.

I’ve read my fair share of mafia romance, so believe me when I say it takes a lot to hook me. I need those feels. The intensity. An alpha that will give me goosebumps. And this story had all of it. In spades!

Elena grew up in the mafia. She’s no stranger to the dark underbelly of made men and everything this life means for the women in their life. She’s the oldest daughter in a highly traditional family, but a mistake caused her to fall from grace. Now her younger sister is being promised to one of the most notorious and brutal dons while secretly in love with someone else. Elena is supposed to hate everything Nico means to her and her family now. But beneath the illusion she puts on, Nico makes her burn like no one else. His indifference and cold looks hide a sultry and dominating nature, but it’s a dangerous game they play with their intricate dance they play around each other.

Nico is just….GAH. Intense is an understatement. He may look indifferent to Elena, but he’s anything but. She tempts him and he hates her for it because he can’t have her. That doesn’t mean that he’d allow anyone else to have her, either. The man is possessive with a capital P. I loved his intensity almost as much as I loved the way he oozes sexuality from his every pore.

I wasn’t expecting to like Elena as much as I did. Docile heroines aren’t particularly my jam, but looks are deceiving with Sweet Abelli, because she’s certainly not as sweet or docile as she lets on. She’s not quite a tigress, but she’s not passive either. She gives as good as she takes when it comes to matching Nico barb for barb.

I suddenly knew I would lie, cheat, and steal for this man. I would burn the world for him. He was King of the Cosa Nostra. And he was all mine.

The sexual tension is off the charts here. A slow burn to beat all slow burns. GOD. It hurt so good. What I loved the most is that the author didn’t shy away from giving a dark and captivating view into her mafia world. The romance only added an intricate layer of appeal to an already captivating story.

The only quibble I had was a little too much repetitive internal dialogue from the heroine for my particular taste. But that aside, I was complete enraptured in this book. I am hooked, line and sinker on this series, and will be diving right into book two!

Review: Siren Reborn by Lexi Blake

SIREN REBORN
Series:
Texas Sirens #8
Genre: Erotic Romance, MMF menage, Suspense
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: January 7, 2020

Re-released in a second edition. Re-edited but no substantial changes.

Cole Roberts and Mason Scott loved each other since childhood, but they needed something more to make them whole. They searched for a woman who could complete them, but a terrible accident tore them apart. Their perfect life shattered, they were each left angry and alone.

Kitten Taylor’s past is filled with heartache. She yearns to be part of a family she can call her own. When Cole takes her in, she hopes to finally find the place she belongs, but quickly realizes something is wrong. There is a chasm between them and every day it seems to get worse. When they are alone together, she can sense the wonderful bond they could share, but they can’t seem to find a way to connect.

Everything changes when Kitten meets Mason for the first time. She instantly feels a connection and realizes how perfect their lives could be if Mason and Cole could look beyond the past.

When a killer puts the trio in their crosshairs, Cole and Mason will have to put aside the betrayal and hurt they allowed to consume them in order to forge a future with the woman they love.

AMAZON

Kitten was the picture of innocence and Mason of decadence. His. They were fucking his. His to command. His to protect. His to fuck and pleasure. His to love. His to lose.

This was easily my favorite book in the series. Seriously. A sizzling hot MMF menage, a second chance romance, and a sweet wounded soul finally finding love with two men. This story was EVERYTHING.

Now as much as I love everything Lexi Blake writes, I was a little worried jumping into this book. Kitten, while a sweetly endearing secondary character in the previous books, just didn’t sell me as a heroine. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about her. This is a woman that was almost broken beyond repair at the hands of an horrible man and she’s still dealing with it. Taken, beaten, raped, this man didn’t just steal Kitten’s innocence, but ultimately her identity. But this book was the story of her finding her voice and her identity and I loved that!

Mason and Cole, though. GAH. These two simply stole the show for me. I loved them so much. They were each other’s everything at one point. But then instead of a woman bringing them together, one ripped them apart. Cole walked away and he hasn’t been the same since. Mason is still dealing with Cole’s abandonment and everything that Cole doesn’t know or realized years after.

Kitten has been living with Cole as they test the boundaries of a potential contract and relationship. But Cole’s treatment of her with kid’s gloves is starting to widen the already big gap between them, no matter how much sexual chemistry they have together. When Kitten takes a call that turns out to be from the hospital because Mason still has Cole as his only emergency contact, she believes she’s doing right by her master to pick him up and take care of him. Suddenly Mason is back in Cole’s life and forcing him to deal with everything he caused those years ago with walking away. Mason is a wounded man seeking revenge, and what better one than to take his previous master’s girl.

But it doesn’t take long for them to realize that there’s something much deeper between them. Mason and Cole is everything that Kitten needs, and Cole begins to realize the depth of his mistakes and becomes desperate to right his wrongs with Mason. Mason is a switch to Cole’s Dom, and kitten is the ultimate submissive. Together, they’re absolutely incendiary. I loved this book from beginning to finish. A sizzling and emotional read, the way only Lexi Blake can write.

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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