Review: Redemption by Karin Tabke

REDEMPTION
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Karin Tabke
Release Date: January 9, 2017

A bad boy cop bargains his way out of hell—and back into his ex-fiance’s heart—in Redemption, a novella from international bestselling author Karin Tabke.

After a fatal car crash, bad boy cop Zach Garret’s descent into hell is interrupted by an unusual deal for redemption. All Zach has to do is return to earth as a warrior sworn to defend his ex-fiancée Danica Keller, the unknowing keeper of a power coveted by the forces of darkness. But even harder than keeping Danica alive that long is convincing her to give a second chance to the man who once betrayed her.

AMAZON

 

God, she tasted sweet. His body ached for more, his heart for all. But he had nothing to give in return. He was a cold-blooded killer, and every time she looked at him he could see the horror of his deeds reflected in her eyes.

I’m a sucker for a second chance romance. There’s just something about it that does it for me every single time. Maybe it’s the angst. Maybe it’s the groveling? Whatever the case may be, I can’t get enough of it.

As a long time fan of Karin Tabke’s I was thrilled to see she has a new book coming out. And as a huge fan of PNR, I was even more thrilled when I read the synopsis. With an abundance of vampire and shifter books out there, I find myself craving something different in my PNR at times and this book definitely delivered on that end. The world building is an intriguing mix that I haven’t read before.

Zach was a hero you couldn’t help but love, even his broken pieces, and the man had plenty of them. He hadn’t exactly been a saint in his life or his career. He’s made his share of bad decisions and wrong choices, but none haunt him as much as what happened between him and his ex-fiancee, Danica.

When a choice after his death is to fall into hell or become the guardian for a woman that quite literary holds the fate of the world in her hands, it’s really no choice at all. But unfortunately for Zach, the woman also happens to be his ex-fiance whose heart he didn’t just break, but he destroyed her life. She wants nothing to do with him and now he has to prove to her that she needs him just as much as he’s always known he’s needed her.

For a novella, there was quite a lot of character development and plot expertly packed in. There are a couple secondary characters that piqued my interest quite a bit. So much so, I’m hoping this will be the start of a new series. The romance was equally satisfying, though I didn’t have quite enough time to truly get invested in it, hence my lower rating. I liked Danica’s strength. This is no damsel in distress, and I appreciate that in my books.

All in all, I enjoyed this one quite a bit and hoping there’s more to come in this intriguing new world.

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Vicious by LJ Shen

VICIOUS
Series: Sinners of Saint
Author: LJ Shen
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 1, 2017

Emilia

They say love and hate are the same feelings experienced under different circumstances, and it’s true.

The man who comes to me in my dreams also haunts me in my nightmares.

He is a brilliant lawyer.

A skilled criminal.

A beautiful liar.

A bully and a savior, a monster and a lover.

Ten years ago, he made me run away from the small town where we lived. Now, he came for me in New York, and he isn’t leaving until he takes me with him.

Vicious

She is a starving artist.

Pretty and evasive like cherry blossom.

Ten years ago, she barged into my life unannounced and turned everything upside down.

She paid the price.

Emilia LeBlanc is completely off-limits, my best friend’s ex-girlfriend. The woman who knows my darkest secret, and the daughter of the cheap Help we hired to take care of our estate.

That should deter me from chasing her, but it doesn’t.

So she hates me. Big fucking deal.

She better get used to me.

AMAZON

“You’re pissing me off,” she said quietly, her eyes still searching my face.“And that’s turning me on,” I retorted, my voice flat. “So you might wanna tone down the hate glares if you don’t wanna find yourself being fucked on this desk with the blinds still open.”

I was still staring at my screen, working on the merger deal I was eager to get signed before Christmas, but I could see from my peripheral that she had paled. I liked how—once again—I’d gotten under her skin. Quickly.

“You’re disgusting,” she muttered, still staring at me—but not in a way that suggested she was appalled.

I cracked my neck, opening my browser and checking the stocks on the screen, skimming through the greens and the reds. “That may well be, but I’m balls deep in your fucking head, Help, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Her eyes glittered with rage, and fuck, I was so hard, and fuck, she was so beautiful. This was so on. I was going to fuck Dean’s ex-girlfriend, use her for my personal needs, and toss her away when I was done.

And after choosing the wrong guy, there was no doubt in my mind, she deserved it too.

“You just gave Floyd a lecture about the inter-office fraternization policy. No mixing business and pleasure.” She leaned forward. Her elbow touched my finger accidentally, and she jerked it away.

I met her halfway, erasing the space between us across the desk. “Correction—guys like Floyd won’t give you pleasure. Men like me would. Besides, the man likes Arrow,” I drawled, as if this alone was a reason to fire him.

To me, it was.

“You know what your problem is, Vicious? You still haven’t decided if you hate me or like me. That’s why you act like this every time I’m around other men.” There wasn’t a trace of embarrassment in her voice. She owned up to this.

What she didn’t know was that I knew exactly how I felt about her.

I hated her, but was attracted to her. It was really that simple.

“You know what I feel right now, Ms. LeBlanc? I feel like you need to pack a fucking bag and start making the necessary arrangements. You’re coming with me to California, whether you like it or not.”

My obsession. My muse. My enemy.

It’s official. L.J. Shen is a witch. How else could the woman possibly crawl inside my mind and create a story that seriously felt custom written for me?
Uber angst? Check!
Hot alphahole hero? Holy hell, CHECK!
A heroine that’s the perfect blend of innocent but with a steel backbone? Check!
An enemies to lovers story that left me practically salivating? CHECK!
A sexual chemistry and a burn so good it makes you want to slap yo mama? CHECK!
An addicting, obsessive read from cover to cover? ABSOLUTELY FREAKING CHECK!!!

This guy is going to break my heart if I let him.

The Four HotHoles rule All Saints High. All the guys want to hang out with them and all the girls want to sleep with them. It doesn’t matter that women are more disposable to them than a pair of socks, they’ll gladly give up their dignity for a night…or a few hours in their bed. Vicious is the most brutal of the four. He’s a coldblooded asshole that practice bubbles over with barely surprised rage. And the target for the brunt of his anger is Emilia, his classmate and daughter of the hired help living at his father’s mansion.

Vicious was vicious. It was too bad that my hate for him was dipped in a thin shell of something that felt like love. But I promised myself I’d crack it, break it, and unleash pure hatred in its place before he got to me.

Emilia was a heroine you can’t help but like. They say the line is thin between love and hate and that’s definitely the case here. She wants to hate Vicious and he surely gives her plenty of reason to…and yet, he’s like a magnet drawing her in.

Shen did a phenomenal job with character development, that you don’t just read what they’re feeling, you feel it. That couldn’t be more true with Emilia. I clicked with her from the very first page. Here’s a heroine that’s down on her luck, down to her last penny, barely making ends meet working two jobs to support herself and her sick sister, but she still has this undercurrent of strength that you can’t help but respect.

Intersected with flashbacks to their high school years, the story develops in the present. Years after Emilia left All Saints High and Vicious behind. But circumstances soon bring her face to face once more with a man that made her teenage years a living hell.

I want to fuck you and watch your face while I do. To see how you drown in me as I hurt you as much as it hurts me to have to see your goddamn face every day.” 

Now if you’re an angst lover like me, you will gobble up everything about this book and be left begging for more. The sexual tension between Vicious and Emilia crackles with electricity. I loved that added burn of hate lust between them. The woman definitely gave him a run for his money and for all his thinly veiled insults that he throws her way, you can see just how much he craves her underneath it all.

You’re pissing me off,” she said quietly, her eyes still searching my face.
“And that’s turning me on,” I retorted, my voice flat. “So you might wanna tone down the hate glares if you don’t wanna find yourself being fucked on this desk with the blinds still open.”

The writing was absolutely brilliant. Shen simply gets better and better with each book she writes and she truly outdid herself with this one. She gave us four heroes that you not only click with but obsess over. Sure, this book is focused on Vicious and I loved every page of it. But I also loved the three other HotHoles and if the set up for two of them is anything to go by, I already know I need their books.

As for this book? This is what obsession is made of. This book. These characters. This romance. It was too delicious for words. Simply. Addicting.

This is not a relationship. It’s two people fucking the obsession out of each other.”

L.J. Shen resides in sunny California with her husband, son, chubby cat and wild, wild dreams.

Her passion is to write badass stories, sushi, UFC and her awesome family and friends (not in this order, though. Obviously, sushi comes before writing. Oh, and also the family part.)

She spend the first half of her twenties traveling the world and is now paying all the fun with extra shifts in front of her MacBook. Feel free to contact her on her Facebook page. She loves to hear from her readers.

https://www.facebook.com/authorljshen/

Social Media links:

Amazon ➜ http://amzn.to/2jKBd1l

Pinterest ➜ https://www.pinterest.com/authorljshen/

Email ➜ msleighshen@gmail.com

Newsletter Sign up ➜ http://goo.gl/FwfMzr

Facebook➜ https://goo.gl/fKCSo4

Twitter➜ https://goo.gl/ceV3RQ

Goodreads ➜ https://goo.gl/T4YU71

Website ➜ www.ljshen.com

Instagram➜ https://www.instagram.com/authorljshen/

 

Also Available On Sale (Limited Time)

Tyed

Sparrow

Blood to Dust

 

Head over to LJ’s Facebook Page for multiple giveaways

https://www.facebook.com/authorljshen/?fref=ts

 

New Release & Review: Menace by @JMDarhower

MENACE
Genre: Dark Romance, Mafia
Series: Scarlet Scars #1
Author: JM Darhower
Release Date: January 16, 2017

Once upon a time, there was a guy who got so fed up with life that he resorted to murder and mayhem just to feel alive.

Lorenzo Gambini is bored. So fucking bored. Most people either annoy him or avoid him, afraid to face him. Figuratively. Literally. With his face partially disfigured, scarred, he looks every bit the monster the stories make him out to be: the notorious menace they call Scar. They say he’s a sociopath. Maybe he’s a psychopath. Whatever path he’s on, people tend to stay far away from it.

Until one day, a young woman bumps right into him–a woman just as fed up with life, but for much different reasons. With a Scarlet Letter inked on her wrist and secrets buried deep in her soul, Morgan Myers is running from something… or maybe somebody. Lorenzo isn’t quite sure.

You can bet your ass he’s going to figure it out, though.

AMAZON

He’s excitement. He’s adrenaline.
He makes my heart do stupid shit.
Shit my heart shouldn’t be doing.
Because everything that turns me on about him could also snuff me out.

Want to know a recipe for a whole lot of awesome?

Take one part heroine that’s snarky, sarcastic, as strong as she is broken, can stand her own with anyone, has enough sass and backbone to make her awesome from start to finish.

Take one part anti-hero that’s as hot as he is totally f*cked up. Make him have an internal monologue that will have your cringing one minute and cracking up the next. As a matter of fact take one part Deadpool sort of snarky humor…

I’m starting to understand what everyone says about you.”
“And what, pray tell, do they say? Don’t leave me in suspense here.”
“That there’s something seriously wrong with you.”
“Oh, well, I could’ve told you that. There’s a lot wrong with me.”

and mix that with some mafia bad*ss!

Mix in a part of mystery.

Add a splash of plot twist.

Sprinkle in some super f*cked up secondary characters.

Get the beyond amazing JM Darhower to blend it all together with her signature mix of grit and sex.

And now, my friend, you got yourself one addicting little cocktail. Uhem.

If you’ve read Target on Our Backs, you’re already familiar with Lorenzo and his particular brand of crazy. And make no mistake, the man is definitely NUTS.

I seem to forever exist in a gray area of life, caught in a web somewhere between homicidal and suicidal

He’s violent, screwed up, borderline sociopath. His past demons don’t haunt his present because they’re probably scared shitless of a man that doesn’t fear death. Does he have a backstory? Absolutely. And it’s as devastating as it is f*cked up. Will you be panting for him throughout the entire book even knowing all that? Abso-freaking-lutely!

He stares at me, not a flicker of emotion showing on his face. There’s almost something inhuman about it.

Morgan aka “Scarlet” was easily my favorite heroine that this author has written to date. This is a woman that’s running but with a purpose and using any means possible to get what she wants. She’ll pick pockets, lie, and use her body if she has to. She’s full of nails and vinegar. She’s sassy, sarcastic, snarky and everything I love. She’s broken but not defeated. If anything her weakness just make her that much stronger. She was a fascinating combination vulnerable and deadly.

This is not a story of insta lust or insta anything. These two have a rocky start and an explosive continuation. And by explosive, I mean that in all sense of the word.

Holy fuck. This man and those hands… he doesn’t play fair. At all. He presses buttons he’s got no business pressing.

I loved her internal monologue almost as much as I loved Lorenzo’s

He curves his fingers, hitting that sweet spot deep inside. The unicorn found the fucking Holy Grail.
Didn’t even need a map.
He navigated right there.

Yeah. See what I mean?
This was told in dual POV and I gobbled it up! It was violent and gritty, taking you right into the underbelly of the worst sort of criminal organizations. It’s sexy with just the right amount of humor mixed it. I loved it is what I’m trying to tell you here. I’m already itching for the conclusion. ITCHING I tells ya!!!

I just think about how fucked up it is to realize that heroes are make-believe but monsters are real. That’s the world we live in. There’s no knight in shining out there. It’s just me, trapped in a world filled with fire-breathing dragons.


GRIEVOUS, book 2 in the Scarlet Scars and the conclusion, releases in February

Add it to your Goodreads now!

Review: Rival by Penelope Douglas

RIVAL
Series: Fall Away #2
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: Penelope Douglas
Release Date: August 26, 2014

From the New Adult sensation and New York Times bestselling author of Until You

Madoc and Fallon. Two estranged teenagers playing games that push the boundaries between love and war…

She’s back.

For the two years she’s been away at boarding school, there was no word from her. Back when we lived in the same house, she used to cut me down during the day and then leave her door open for me at night.

I was stupid then, but now I’m ready to beat her at her own game…

I’m back.

Two years and I can tell he still wants me, even if he acts like he’s better than me.

But I won’t be scared away. Or pushed down. I’ll call his bluff and fight back. That’s what he wants, right? As long as I keep my guard up, he’ll never know how much he affects me….

AMAZON | iBOOKS

That beautiful girl hated me, and I hated her, but – goddamn it – I loved how we hated, because it was raw and real. It didn’t make any sense, but yeah – it was real.”

Why the hell did it take me this long to read this book?! Why? WHY I ASK YOU?! I’ll admit that reading a few reviews made me a little nervous to pick this one up. I should have known better. Other people’s pet peeves tend to be my catnip. What? I never said I wasn’t a lot little crazy? But I digress.

As you may already know from my reviews, I love enemies to lovers. And you already probably know that my love for all things Penelope Douglas know no bounds. I LOVED and I mean LOVED Bully and Until You. So why did it take me so long to read this book? I have no freaking idea! But I’m so happy to rectify that grand error in judgement.

Madoc was everything I had hoped he would be. A goofball hiding a lot of depth beneath the easy jokes and quick smile. He’s a downright asshole to Fallon at first, and as more and more of their history comes to light, the puzzle pieces begin to click together.

Fallon is exactly the sort of heroine I love to read about; smart mouthed, sassy, and with a spine of steel. This girl sure knew how to dish it, and she could take it just as well.

You’ve always wanted me. You know why? Because I don’t try to kill your demons. I run with them.”

Her family life isn’t exactly ideal and her mother is downright kaka for coco puffs. Her father is the only solid influence she’s had in her life, and I’ll admit that I loved reading about their unconventional relationship.

Nothing that happens on the surface of the sea can alter the calm of it’s depths.”

Did I love this as much as Bully? No. But nothing compares to that book. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the hell out of this one. Because I did. I really REALLY did. It had everything I love in NA; great banter, hate lust, and the sexy times were downright SIZZLING.

I devoured this book in a day. It reminded me all over again why I love this woman’s writing. She does it for me every time. Every. Single. Time. Now to just finish the rest of this series!!!

But breaking was beautiful. It hurt, and it was an uphill climb back to sanity, but you came back stronger, fiercer, and more solid than you were before.”


THE FALL AWAY SERIES

BULLY | UNTIL YOU | RIVAL | FALLING AWAY | AFLAME | NEXT TO NEVER

Blog Tour & Jennifer’s Review: Rock Chick Reawakening by Kristen Ashley

rock-chick-reawakening-tour-banner-silver

From New York Times Bestselling author Kristen Ashley, comes ROCK CHICK REAWAKENING, the long awaited story of Daisy and Marcus, brought to you by 1,001 Dark Nights! Be sure you grab your copy today!

A Message from Kristen:

Dear Reader,

I’m beside myself with glee that this prequel to my Rock Chick series has been unleashed! There was some time when I never thought I’d write it. When I couldn’t be in that terrible place with Daisy. But I’m oh-so glad that she called to me, demanding her story be told so she could give it to me and now I can give it to you! I loved every moment spent with Daisy and Marcus. And I hope you do too!

~Kristen Ashley


 

 

From New York Times bestselling author, Kristen Ashley, comes the long-awaited story of Daisy and Marcus, Rock Chick Reawakening. A prequel to Kristen’s Rock Chick series, Rock Chick Reawakening shares the tale of the devastating event that nearly broke Daisy, an event that set Marcus Sloan—one of Denver’s most respected businessmen and one of the Denver underground’s most feared crime bosses—into finally making his move to win the heart of the woman who stole his.

 


AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON CA | AMAZON AU

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Kristen Ashley. The Queen. The Goddess. The Castle-Builder.

This book is ALL Daisy and Marcus. If you are a Rock Chick super fan (like muah), you know these characters well. You meet Daisy and Marcus early in the Rock Chick series. This is meant to be a prequel so you can read this one first if you haven’t started the Rock Chicks. And if you haven’t started the Rock Chicks, this is the perfect time to do it!

My Daisy & Marcus:

 :
Daisy is a southern gal, through and through. She has got the twang and was taught to be a lady, but not by her mother or father. She actually had a rough upbringing and by the grace of god, had a couple people show her love. She is a GOOD person, deep down. The type of good that makes you feel all warm and cozy after a full meal.

Marcus is everything I’d hoped he would be….and MORE! Gah! To be honest, I could have had more of him, and it still wouldn’t have been enough. He is Daisy’s prince, in every way a criminal prince can be.
à la Mode St. » fashion

In terms I hope you’ll understand, darling, in fairytales, the prince vanquishes the wicked queen. The evil stepmother. The malicious goblin. In real life, Daisy, to avenge wrong done to his princess, if the need arises, the prince puts a bullet in somebody’s brain.

à la Mode St. » fashionMarcus sees Daisy at the strip club where she works and in every Kristen Ashley alpha male fashion….immediately decides that she is his. I looooved this whole part where he claims her without her even knowing.

Then, tragedy strikes. I can’t even talk about it, but it’s so sad! And now Sadie & Hector’s story makes even more sense! The healing and growing that Daisy has to go through. And how Marcus is…..THERE. He is her prince and saves her in every way.

I loved Daisy’s backbone of steel, in every Kristen Ashley heroine fashion.
à la Mode St. » fashion

I’d been knocked down. Again and again. I just kept getting up. And I was still standing, in platforms, with great hair.

à la Mode St. » fashionAnd now I’m off to re-read ALL of the Rock Chick Hot Bunch!


Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA and nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorize and she hadn’t taken her first breath!). Her mother said they took Kristen away, put her Mom back in her room, her mother looked out the window, and Gary was on fire (Dr. King had been assassinated four days before). Kristen’s Mom remembered thinking it was the end of the world. Quite the dramatic beginning.

Nothing’s changed.

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana and has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus, she’s blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her family was (is) loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write. They all lived together on a very small farm in a small farm town in the heartland. She grew up with Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing, it keeps getting better.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | NEWSLETTER | GOODREADS | PINTERESTINSTAGRAM

 

 

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Review: Dirty Sexy Sinner by Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde

DIRTY SEXY SINNER
Series: Dirty Sexy #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Authors: Carly Phillips & Erika Wilde
Release Date: November 8, 2016

Are you ready to get in bed with a SINNER?

After a lifetime of lies, deceit and betrayal, Jackson Stone isn’t a man who trusts easily—with women being at the top of the list. Now he’s all about control in every aspect of his life. Especially between the sheets. Hot, mutual pleasure with a woman? No problem, as long as he’s in charge. But there’s something different about sexy bartender Tara Kent that he finds irresistible, in bed and out. Something that has him willing to compromise his principles and bend his rules. Let the sinning begin.

ALL BOOKS IN THE DIRTY SEXY SERIES can be read on its own, or as a companion to the other book in the series:
Dirty Sexy Saint (Clay)
Dirty Sexy Inked (Mason)
Dirty Sexy Cuffed (Levi)
Dirty Sexy Sinner (Jackson)

AMAZON

Let’s put it this way, sweetheart,” he drawled in a tone of voice that was infused with pure illicit sex. “If you knew all the filthy, explicit things I’ve fantasized about doing to you, there would be no doubts in your mind that I’m a sinner in all the ways that matter.”

Firstly, this is getting a star simply for including a cameo from two of my favorite guys; Tate and Logan from the Temptation series. Raaarrrrr!

This was fun and so sexy, it almost set my kindle on fire. Sure the ending was a little too cheesetastic, but I didn’t even mind. I loved the long lost twin thing. Jackson Stone is the sinner to his twin’s saintly reputation. Coming off a bitter divorce and still reeling from the revelation that his family is all a lie, he’s not looking for a relationship. Walking into his brother’s bar to meet the brothers that he never even knew he has is already rocking his world enough, he’s not expecting the carnal and primal reaction he instantly has to the beautiful bar manager, Tara.

Tara is a wounded soul, with her own past demons, but the temptation of Jackson is too much to resist for her.

This was a fun and sexy romp that I read in one sitting. It hit the spot just right and I can’t wait for the spin off with Jackson’s best friend.
review

Review: Torture To Her Soul by J.M. Darhower

TORTURE TO HER SOUL
Series: Monster in His Eyes #2
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: J.M. Darhower
Release Date: September 29, 2014

Don’t say it unless you mean it…

It’s a simple concept, one I’ve said time and again, but something people don’t seem to comprehend. You should choose every syllable carefully, because you never know when somebody will hold you to your word.

Somebody like me.

I’m not a good man. I’m not. I know. I have enough darkness inside of me to rid the world of every stitch of light. But there’s one I could never harm, one light I couldn’t bring myself to snuff out.

Karissa.

She thinks I’m a monster, and maybe I am. I taunt her with my touch, get a thrill out of torturing her soul. But I’m not the only one. The world is full of monsters, and I’m not the most dangerous one out there.

Not even close…

God help me, I love her.

I do.

And God help anyone who tries to take her from me.

AMAZON 

We’re a tragedy in the making. The game of tug-of-war we’re playing will end up destroying us, because she doesn’t have it in her to surrender, and I can’t let go. It’s something else I love about her. There’s a fight in her. But it’s a fight that’ll be our downfall. Because I have that same fight in me. 


Can I just say how much I LOVED getting the conclusion entirely in Naz’s POV? Because NAZ!!! FREAKING NAZ!

Tell me how you want it to be. Tell me what you need from me.” I’ll give her anything. I’ll tear my fucking chest open with my bare hands, rip out my heart and hand it to her, if that’s what she needs. All she has to do is tell me. All she has to do is ask.

Sometimes the line between good and bad isn’t so black and white. Sometimes it’s somewhere in the very depths of gray. And that’s exactly what you get with Naz. This is a man that’s done plenty of bad things and makes no apologies for it. He fully accepts who he is and what he’s become. He’s a man driven by pain and revenge. A man that’s sold his soul to the devil for a chance at vengeance. But Karissa has changed him irrevocably. He’ll still go to war and cover the streets in blood, but now it’s all for her.

She’s trying to be unbreakable but I’m unshakeable. She’s going crazy, and I’m already goddamn insane. I clipped my jailbird’s wings so she couldn’t fly away from me, and then I wonder why the fuck I can’t make her soar.

Being inside his head was an experience of dark and darker. And while you know it’s wrong, you just can’t find it in you to care even a little bit.

Torture To Her Soul was exactly what I hoped and so much more. J.M. Darhower knows how to weave one hell of a story and she’s a master of words. She’s given me some of my favorite mafia anti-heroes and I hope she never stops.

Second chances don’t come easily. Most people don’t get them. Most people don’t know what it’s like to come back from the brink of death. It changes people. It certainly changed me.


DON’T MISS THE FIRST BOOK IN THIS SERIESAMAZON | MY REVIEW

Review: Satisfaction by Lexi Blake

SATISFACTION
Series: Lawless #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: January 3, 2017

The sizzling second novel in a sexy new contemporary romance series featuring the Lawless siblings—from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.

Brandon Lawless is a man on a mission: obtain the information that will clear his father’s name. He’s willing to do whatever it takes—even seduce his enemy’s personal assistant, the beautiful and innocent Carly Hendricks. But with her beguiling smile and captivating intelligence, Brandon soon realizes he doesn’t want to deceive Carly, he wants to win her over—both in the boardroom and the bedroom.

Then a twisted crime leaves Carly vulnerable and Brandon finds himself reeling. The stakes of his mission are now life or death—Carly’s life. And Brandon realizes he’s lost his heart to an amazing woman and his plan must succeed, because the stakes are no longer just revenge, but a once in a lifetime love.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

He got his hands on her, covered her mouth with his. And all the dark voices that seemed to whisper to him all his days quieted. She was his peace.

It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with all things Lexi Blake, and ever since I first met the Lawless siblings in Master No, I’ve been eagerly anticipating their story. Suffice it to say, I was utterly hooked from book one. Ruthless sets off the series with Riley’s story. Mia’s story was a crossover in Dominance Never Dies. If you haven’t yet read the Masters and Mercenaries series by Lexi, you’re seriously missing out. But as always, I digress…

Satisfaction brings the story of the broken Lawless sibling, Brandon. We got a peak into his hidden demons in the first book; Bran has a hero complex a mile long, but you don’t know why. You know it stems from an event in his childhood which left him forever scarred, but you don’t know what. All we know is that if there’s a damsel in distress somewhere, whether stripper or hooker, odds are, Bran is right there trying to help her. He’s also the sibling that seems to hide the most scars from his past. When the Lawless siblings were torn apart and thrown into the system after their parents’ death, Bran took the brunt of the luck and barely aged out of it intact. Now he fights his demons with his fist and a barely repressed anger and a violence that quickly boils sits below the surface.

Watching the pain his brother’s now wife went through in their quest for revenge, he’ll be damned if he does that to another woman. So when the Lawless siblings set their sights on Patricia, the 3rd partner that they suspect was behind their parents murder, Bran breaks the plan and unveils the plan to Patricia’s assistant who they hope will be the person that helps them bring her down.

Carly Hendricks is coming off of a brutal divorce during which her husband took her for everything. A shy little mouse, her barely existing confidence took a real beating and she has a hard time understanding how a sexy man like Bran could hold even the slightest bit of interest in her. What begins then is a game of push and pull. Bran wants her, but he’s not good enough for her. Carly wants him, but doesn’t think he wants mousy little her.

As much as I loved the first book in this series, I’m a little bummed that this one paled in comparison. I think my main issue was the couple. I felt zero connection to either Carly or Bran. While I liked Bran as a character, I just had a hard time disconnecting his hero complex from his true feelings for Carly. She was just too much of the stereotype that he would typically try to rescue, so I suppose I had as hard a time as Carly really buying his love for her.

Carly was just too much of a mouse for me. While she does have a backbone that comes out later in the story and I could certainly sympathize with and understand her lack of self esteem, her constant questioning of her appeal wore me down. She was a heroine that unfortunately I’d forget about as soon as I read her. As a couple, they lacked a certain sizzle for me. Sure the sex was hot, but I just couldn’t click with their connection.

I found the suspense a bit boring at times too. The beginning and middle sort of dragged if I’m being honest. What DID keep my attention, as always, was Drew. And it didn’t hurt that his love interest is introduced here and boy does that set up already crackle with sexual tension. There’s a twist at the end that I never saw coming, which definitely added a great punch to the story. I can’t wait to see how everything concludes with Drew’s book next.

All in all, while it wasn’t my favorite in the series, the book at least helped tide me over until my next Lexi Blake fix.


DON’T MISS THE FIRST BOOK IN THE LAWLESS SERIES!

AMAZON | MY REVIEW

PRE-ORDER REVEVENGE!
(Releasing June 20, 2017)

DGRFave & Review: On Broken Wings by @ChanelCleeton

ON BROKEN WINGS
Series: Wild Aces #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Chanel Cleeton
Release Date: January 3, 2017

The author of Into the Blue and Fly with Me returns with the newest, hot and high-flying Wild Aces romance…

A year after losing her husband, Joker, the squadron commander of the Wild Aces, Dani Peterson gets an offer from his best friend, Alex “Easy” Rogers, to help fix up her house. Dani accepts, and their friendship grows—along with an undeniable attraction.

Racked by guilt for loving his best friend’s widow, Easy’s caught between what he wants and can’t have. Until one night everything changes, and the woman who’s always held his heart ends up in his arms. Yet as Easy leaves for his next deployment, he and Dani are torn between their feelings and their loyalty to Joker’s memory.

But when Dani discovers something that sends them both into a spin, the conflicted lovers must overcome the past to navigate a future together…

AMAZON | iBOOKS

I could drop a bomb without breaking a sweat, had been to war, nearly died more times than I could count, but she was the scariest thing I’d ever faced, my feelings for her sending me into a spin.

Do you know that feeling when you meet a secondary character in a series that steals your attention from the second he appears on the pages? That was Alex “Easy” Rogers for this girl. Now it’s no secret that I have a weak spot for the unrepentant manwhores, but there was also something much more to Easy. He was the goofball of the group, the easy going one always quick with the jokes and a smile, but you knew that beneath that is the heart of a man much more complex that he first appears. I’ve been slowly dying in my wait for his book since first meeting him in Fly With Me, and all I can tell you after finishing this book is he was absolutely worth EVERY SECOND of the wait. Every. Second.

I don’t know what to do anymore. She needs me to be her friend; I can’t stay away from her. And I can’t stop loving her.”

If you’re expecting your typical manwhore hero, think again. Alex is such a complex character. His jokes and smile a facade to the deep feelings he hides, but his love for his fallen friend and brother in arms is his worst kept secret. Alex has been in love with Dani Peterson since he first laid eyes on her… as the loving wife of his best friend. Dani has been an unreachable and unattainable dream for him, so he drowned himself in easy and forgettable women, but nothing erased his feelings.

A year after the tragic accident that took Dani’s husband from her, she’s still trying to pick up the pieces of her life. Her one constant has always been Alex. Unlike everyone else of their friends, Dani is absolutely ignorant of his feelings for her. He’s never made a move, always respecting her boundaries and their friendship while being her rock. But soon Dani’s feelings begin to take a turn from the friendly camaraderie she’s always had for Easy to something much more. But will the guilt they both have over their feelings get between a love that may save them both?

For a moment I stopped pretending everything was okay, that loving her wasn’t broken glass slicing through my veins, leaving me bleeding out, that the sheer fucking torture of wanting someone I couldn’t have wasn’t a constant ache that brought me to my knees and made me feel as though I’d broken an unspoken promise. “Don’t you get it by now? There is no one else. There never will be anyone else. There’s just her.”

Can I just say how much I loved this book? Words can’t describe all of my feels for it. It’s so poignant and sweet, emotional and gutwreching. I absolutely loved the way that Alex is with Dani. There’s no one else for him. He doesn’t try to deny it, or spend his time on meaningless hookups. He’s well past that point. The man was just perfection. He’s patient, understanding, sweet beyond words.

Dani struggles with her building feelings for Alex and her memory of her beloved husband. My heart simply broke for her. I respect the fact that this author didn’t go the easy route and try to make light of her relationship with her husband. She still loves him immeasurably but her feelings for Easy are not discounted either. It’s no small feat to pull that off. To make the reader truly invested in their relationship and BELIEVE it, while still honoring the memory of her husband.

I get scared with romances with a dead spouse because so often an author will try to discount that relationship in order to more easily sell the present one. That was not at all the case here and man but I loved it.

This was no typical or cliche; it was a story that will stay with me for a long LONG while. The feelings between Dani and Alex wasn’t less or more…it just was. It was a different kind of love but a love nonetheless. There’s no stereotypical drama at the end; just two people dealing with a hard past in order to build a future.

I’m happiest with my feet planted firmly on the ground. But my heart—It flies.

On Broken Wings was a poignant and beautiful romance packed with emotion and meaning. It was full of swoons and steam. There was no clutter to take away from what Dani and Alex go through on their way to their HEA and I loved it. I loved every second of it. I loved every page of it. I. Just. Loved. It.


WILD ACES SERIES

FLY WITH ME | INTO THE BLUE | ON BROKEN WINGS

DGRFave & Review: Vicious by LJ Shen

VICIOUS
Series: Sinners of Saint #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: LJ Shen
Release Date: December 27, 2016

Emilia

They say love and hate are the same feelings experienced under different circumstances, and it’s true.
The man who comes to me in my dreams also haunts me in my nightmares.
He is a brilliant lawyer.
A skilled criminal.
A beautiful liar.
A bully and a savior, a monster and a lover.
Ten years ago, he made me run away from the small town where we lived. Now, he came for me in New York, and he isn’t leaving until he takes me with him.

Vicious

She is a starving artist.
Pretty and evasive like cherry blossom.
Ten years ago, she barged into my life unannounced and turned everything upside down.
She paid the price.
Emilia LeBlanc is completely off-limits, my best friend’s ex-girlfriend. The woman who knows my darkest secret, and the daughter of the cheap Help we hired to take care of our estate.
That should deter me from chasing her, but it doesn’t.
So she hates me. Big fucking deal.
She better get used to me.

AMAZON

My obsession. My muse. My enemy.

It’s official. L.J. Shen is a witch. How else could the woman possibly crawl inside my mind and create a story that seriously felt custom written for me?
Uber angst? Check!
Hot alphahole hero? Holy hell, CHECK!
A heroine that’s the perfect blend of innocent but with a steel backbone? Check!
An enemies to lovers story that left me practically salivating? CHECK!
A sexual chemistry and a burn so good it makes you want to slap yo mama? CHECK!
An addicting, obsessive read from cover to cover? ABSOLUTELY FREAKING CHECK!!!

This guy is going to break my heart if I let him.

The Four HotHoles rule All Saints High. All the guys want to hang out with them and all the girls want to sleep with them. It doesn’t matter that women are more disposable to them than a pair of socks, they’ll gladly give up their dignity for a night…or a few hours in their bed. Vicious is the most brutal of the four. He’s a coldblooded asshole that practice bubbles over with barely surprised rage. And the target for the brunt of his anger is Emilia, his classmate and daughter of the hired help living at his father’s mansion.

Vicious was vicious. It was too bad that my hate for him was dipped in a thin shell of something that felt like love. But I promised myself I’d crack it, break it, and unleash pure hatred in its place before he got to me.

Emilia was a heroine you can’t help but like. They say the line is thin between love and hate and that’s definitely the case here. She wants to hate Vicious and he surely gives her plenty of reason to…and yet, he’s like a magnet drawing her in.

Shen did a phenomenal job with character development, that you don’t just read what they’re feeling, you feel it. That couldn’t be more true with Emilia. I clicked with her from the very first page. Here’s a heroine that’s down on her luck, down to her last penny, barely making ends meet working two jobs to support herself and her sick sister, but she still has this undercurrent of strength that you can’t help but respect.

Intersected with flashbacks to their high school years, the story develops in the present. Years after Emilia left All Saints High and Vicious behind. But circumstances soon bring her face to face once more with a man that made her teenage years a living hell.

I want to fuck you and watch your face while I do. To see how you drown in me as I hurt you as much as it hurts me to have to see your goddamn face every day.”

Now if you’re an angst lover like me, you will gobble up everything about this book and be left begging for more. The sexual tension between Vicious and Emilia crackles with electricity. I loved that added burn of hate lust between them. The woman definitely gave him a run for his money and for all his thinly veiled insults that he throws her way, you can see just how much he craves her underneath it all.

You’re pissing me off,” she said quietly, her eyes still searching my face.
“And that’s turning me on,” I retorted, my voice flat. “So you might wanna tone down the hate glares if you don’t wanna find yourself being fucked on this desk with the blinds still open.”

The writing was absolutely brilliant. Shen simply gets better and better with each book she writes and she truly outdid herself with this one. She gave us four heroes that you not only click with but obsess over. Sure, this book is focused on Vicious and I loved every page of it. But I also loved the three other HotHoles and if the set up for two of them is anything to go by, I already know I need their books.

As for this book? This is what obsession is made of. This book. These characters. This romance. It was too delicious for words. Simply. Addicting.

This is not a relationship. It’s two people fucking the obsession out of each other.” 

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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