Review: Private Property by Skye Warren

March 9, 2021 by ·

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

Private Property by Skye Warren is now live!

 

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

Or a brooding billionaire who resents his new role.

 

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

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

I have to.

I need the money to finish my college degree.

 

 

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Connect with Skye

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Review: Dotted Lines by Devney Perry

March 2, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Connect with Devney

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Review: Once We Were Starlight by Mia Sheridan

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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Review: I Thee Take by Natasha Knight

February 24, 2021 by · Leave a Comment
I THEE TAKE
Series: To Have and To Hold Duet #2
Genre: Arranged Marriage Mafia Romance
Author: Natasha Knight
Release Date: February 23, 2021 

Scarlett

Cristiano is my enemy. He’s also the only man with whom I’ve ever felt safe. Protected.

But I have to remember that he married me with one purpose in mind. Revenge. I would be the bridge to his real enemies.

I can’t let myself forget that he isn’t the hero of this story. His hands are covered in blood. I saw that with my own eyes.

Cristiano

I thought I knew Scarlett’s past, but I didn’t know anything.

I thought I knew the worst of monsters, but I hadn’t seen anything yet.

Sometimes you have to lie to yourself to survive.

Sometimes it’s those closest to you who will bury their knives in your back.

Too many times it’s the innocents who pay for your mistakes. For your refusal to see.

I can’t let Scarlett pay for mine.

But I may be too late to stop it.

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He pulls the blankets around us and I feel safe for the first time in too long to care that I’m lying in the arms of the man who should be my enemy.

Talk about ending on a bang! This was a heart racing, non stop thrill ride that I devoured in one engrossing sitting.

I Thee Take was the epic conclusion to what’s come to be my favorite duet from Natasha Knight! Revenge, betrayal, secrets, and a marriage of convenience? Yes, please and thank you!

I fell hard for Scarlett and Cristiano in book one. Cristiano spent the majority of the first book as the hard and untouchable surviving member of a rival mafia family. And he really showed his ass at the end of the book only to regret it severely in this one.

In this one, we finally get to see his softer, fiercely protective side towards Scarlett. When her life is in danger, he stops at nothing to save her. His single minded intent and devotion towards her really explodes here, and I couldn’t get enough of it. There’s just something about a hard and ruthless mafia boss that has a soft side for the woman he loves that just does it for me. And what I love is seeing that softer side towards Scarlett without having him lose any of his edge. Because he never did.

Scarlett was even better in this book than the first one. The woman is a survivor. SHe’s been through hell and she never stopped fighting, even when all of the odds are stacked against her.

There’s so much to unpack with this book. But while I saw the ultimate reveal coming a mile away, there’s a plot twist that came out of left field that left me reeling and hoping we get more in this world. Because holy hook batman!

If you’re looking for a steamy and thrilling mafia romance, look no further. This one had it all!

Natasha Knight is the USA Today Bestselling author of Romantic Suspense and Dark Romance Novels. She has sold over half a million books and is translated into six languages. She currently lives in The Netherlands with her husband and two daughters and when she’s not writing, she’s walking in the woods listening to a book, sitting in a corner reading or off exploring the world as often as she can get away.

 

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Review: The Architect by Nikki Sloane

February 23, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

THE ARCHITECT
Genre: Erotic Romance
Series: Nashville Neighborhood #3
Author: Nikki Sloane
Release Date: February 23, 2021

He’s drafting plans to seduce you.

The Architect by Nikki Sloane is now live!

On the surface, my new boyfriend is a stiff, buttoned-up architect. He plans every detail of his life while carefully maintaining the walls he’s built around his heart. But when the biggest project of his career pulls him away, Clay’s solution is both temporary and unconventional. It even comes with a name–Travis.

This handsome stranger is sweet and thoughtful. He’s only meant to be a stand-in, to fulfill my sexual needs under Clay’s watchful direction, yet these two men couldn’t be more different. The one thing they share? Well, I guess that would be me.

One gets off on my pain, the other on my pleasure, and it awakens a desire none of us knew existed. But it can’t last.

Eventually I’ll have to choose.

And it’s going to destroy us all.

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You want to be punished, don’t you?”
When I nodded, he grinned.
“I hope you’re not fragile.”

Is it hot in here or am I getting menopause early? I’m having hot flashes. My ovaries tingle. They tingle, I tell you!

Nikki Sloane is the queen of smut. The woman writes some of the hottest erotica, but she manages to infuse it with just the right amount of feels and story to make it that much more satisfying. Now if you’re looking for some fade to black, this is not the book for you, my pearl clutching friend. But if you’re looking for some hot and I mean HOT and kinky f*ckery, well better get some ice for those ovaries. Because hot damn! I say HOT DAMN.

You know what I love in my romance novels? A woman that can own her sexuality. Enough with the blushing virgins and ingenues. I’m over it. But a woman that knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it and has no shame in her game? Bring it on.

Lilith is not a girl that settles. And when she sees her sinfully sexy neighbor, she knows she wants him. He may be buttoned down, but she sees the dark sexuality that brews so close to the surface. But don’t let the glasses and orderly life fool you, because still waters definitely run deep with Clay. He’s got kinks that run a mile long, and the man is really fitting for his job. He’s an architect by day, and an architect of pain and pleasure by night. When he brings the mysterious Mr. E into their dynamic, things really take a turn for the dark and spicy and I was so here for it.

I love a good poly dynamic, and this one was delicious. There’s just enough angst and push and pull to make it incredibly intriguing. The spice? Scorching! The romance? SO satisfying. The story? Incendiary. READ IT!

USA Today bestselling author Nikki Sloane landed in graphic design after her careers as a waitress, a screenwriter, and a ballroom dance instructor fell through. For eight years she worked for a design firm in that extremely tall, black, and tiered building in Chicago that went through an unfortunate name change during her time there.

 

Now she lives in Kentucky, is married and has two sons. She is a three-time Romance Writers of America RITA© Finalist, a Passionate Plume winner, a two-time HOLT Medallion finalist, and couldn’t be any happier that people enjoy reading her sexy words.

Connect with Nikki

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Review: Ruthless Creatures by J.T. Geissinger

February 19, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

RUTHLESS CREATURES
Series: Queens & Monsters #1
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Suspense
Author: J.T. Geissinger
Release Date: February 19, 2021

An explosive new novel of love, lies, and obsession from bestselling author J.T. Geissinger

Five years ago, my fiancé disappeared. Left me with a wedding dress I’d never wear. Left me with the kind of scars that can’t be healed. The man I built my future on vanished like a ghost. All that remained were my broken heart and unanswered questions.

Until a mysterious stranger arrives in town.

Tall, dark, and dangerous, Kage is as full of secrets as he is sex appeal. Though I know he’s hiding something, I’m drawn to him like a moth to flame.

The intensity of our connection is addictive, unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. Heat crackles between us with every look, desire flares into passion, and I fall hard, helpless to resist.

But when I discover how he’s tied to the darkness in my past, I learn what happens when you fly recklessly into fire:

You get burned.

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People say time heals all wounds, but those people are assholes. Wounds like mine don’t heal. I’ve just learned to control the bleeding.

I have an obsession with JT Geissinger’s words. The woman has created some of my absolute favorite alphas and some of my favorite heroines. She’s the queen of banter and uber alphas. And I love me some uber alphas.

Ruthless Creatures is the start of her brand new Queens & Monsters series and I was so here for it. Mafia bad boys meet their match with fierce heroines? Yes please and thank you!

Let’s start with what I loved. Nat and Sloane. I am a sucker for a sassy and fiercely loyal BFF dynamic, and these two had it in spades. I couldn’t get enough of them.

He said that?”
“Verbatim.”
“Holy shit.”
“That was pretty much my reaction, too.”
Sloane pauses. “And you didn’t throw yourself to your knees, rip open his zipper, and latch onto him like a sucker fish?”
Rolling my eyes, I sigh. “And they say romance is dead.”

I lived for glimpses of Sloane in all her sassy, maneater glory. I love a female that owns her sexuality and is not one to settle. I can’t wait to meet the man to bring her to her knees. But I digress.

Nat met the love of her life, only for him to disappear on their wedding day. Five years later, she’s still moving on from the loss. The worst of it is the not knowing what happened to him and whether he’s alive or dead.

She’s been living in limbo all these years, keeping her heart in check, and not able to commit to any man. Until a mysterious stranger with an aura of danger changes everything.

Kage was absolutely DELICIOUS. When I tell you that the man has presence, I mean he has PRESENSE. He practically oozes sexuality and badass. But he’s also hiding something dark and dangerous with Nat in the front and center of it. He tries to deny their chemistry for as long as he can (which wasn’t that long) until his need for her turns desperate. Now I’m not one for the insta-love vibe, but it actually worked for me here.

What kept this from being a five star were a few things. One, while the sex was hot, there was just too much of it. I found myself skimming sex scenes, and when I admit to doing this, you know it’s a lot. This was a lot more erotic than what I’m used to from JT’s other books. And don’t get me wrong, I’m a girl that loves a good sex scene. But when it begins to detract from the plot, it’s too much. I wanted more character development. I wanted more meat to the story. I felt like the focus was on the sexy times rather than the seriously intriguing plot. There’s so much to unpack here with the rival mafia families, and I would have loved to spend more time with that. As it was, I found the primary focus to be on the sex. The other, because the focus was primarily on the plot, the characters were more forgettable then what I’m used to from this author as well. I won’t find myself going back for a re-read of this one.

Now that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, because I really did. I finished it in one sitting. Did I love it? No. But I did like it quite a bit. I’m complete hooked on the series, and the set up for the next book? I’m drooling.

If you’re looking for a super spicy book with a bad boy, mafia, suspense, and the hottest dirty talk, you need to check this one out.


J.T. Geissinger is a bestselling author of emotionally charged romance and women’s fiction. Ranging from funny, feisty rom coms to intense, edgy suspense, her books have sold more than one million copies and been translated into several languages.

She is the recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book, the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, and is a two-time finalist for the RITA® Award from the Romance Writers of America®. She has also been a finalist in the Booksellers’ Best, National Readers’ Choice, and Daphne du Maurier Awards.

Her first novel was published in 2012. Since then she’s written eighteen more novels. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, drinking wine, surfing the internet, and daydreaming about all the things she’s going to be when she grows up. She lives near the beach in Los Angeles with her husband and deaf/demented rescue kitty, Ginger.

Connect with J.T. Geissinger

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Review: Hard to Score by K. Bromberg

February 16, 2021 by ·

HARD TO SCORE
Series: Play Hard #3
Genre: Contemporary, Sports Romance
Author: K. Bromberg
Release Date: February 16 2020

I’ve signed numerous players to my family’s agency—I assumed winning over my next client would be just as easy.

The last thing I expected was to run into the boy who took my first kiss and broke my heart: only now Drew Bowman is all grown up.

Sexy. Scandal-tainted. Second-string. The crush I never got over.

I tell myself work is the reason I can’t get him out of my head. I tell him his talent far outweighs his position, and I know I can help. I lie and lie, because admitting that I want a second chance at my first love is impossible.

Some lines cannot be crossed, and ours was drawn in the sand years ago.

***

I’m supposed to hate her.

I’ve been told so time and again for ten years – her father ruined our family, smeared my name before my career even began.

But that’s not what I’m feeling now.

Brexton Kincade just strode out of my memories and onto my field.

Driven. Determined. Grown up. The Capulet to my Montague.

Being with her would be an unforgivable sin against my father, but I can’t resist the pull between us. Even if it means hiding what we have. Even if it means confronting the secrets I’ve always feared were lies.

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He tastes of anger and longing, and every ounce of pent-up frustration I feel toward him I sense it back from him.

I’ve been devouring this series one book at a time and the addiction stays strong. There’s just something about the premise to this series that just does it for me. The sisterly bond, the female sports agents, each one dealing with their own internal struggles on their road to their HEA.

Now don’t let my rating detract from anything here, because this was all personal tastes at play. But I’ll get to that in a second.

Brexton and Drew practically grew up together. And while Brex had the biggest crush on Drew when they were teens, she never thought he saw her as anything more than a friend. The friend zone was hard. Years later, she’s sent on a mission to steal a starring QB from a sports agent they all love to hate, and stumbles upon the immensely talented backup QB that also happens to be her childhood crush.

Drew lives and breathes football. It’s his biggest love and all he’s ever wanted to do. but most of his adult life has been spent living in the shadow of his father’s major scandal. There’s some bad blood between Drew and Brex’s families, that adds a new layer of complexity to their renewed chemistry.

But enough about the summary, let’s talk about the book. If you’re a fan of sweet but emotional friends to lovers romance, you’ll love this. I’m a reader that prefers a little less sweet and a lot more turmoil and angst, so admittedly I did find myself a little bored in parts. There’s still turmoil, but it’s mostly internal with Drew working through his family secrets and scandal. There’s plenty of complex layers, emotion, and steam to keep you turning the pages. We also finally see a human side to Finn that I’ve been waiting to see for three books now and was so happy to get here. I can’t wait for the next installment!


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

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

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

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

Connect with K. Bromberg:

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Review: When We Met by Marni Mann

February 9, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

WHEN WE MET
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Moments In Boston
Author: Marni Mann
Release Date: February 9, 2020

If you knew beyond all doubt that one chance encounter would change the course of your future, what would you choose?

There’s nothing like a spring day in Boston to make your heart sing. I’m out with my girls, having drinks in a bar, enjoying the bright pulse of our beautiful city, when I see Caleb. The second my eyes meet his, I know this is the moment when everything will change. All I have to do is choose him.

I meet Whitney on the worst day of my life. I’ve always been an adrenaline junkie, but I never knew how fast things could change. Her soft gaze melts my cynicism, makes me forget the bitter man I was becoming. She makes me want to be the version of myself that I see in her eyes. All she has to do is choose this life.

When We Met takes Whitney and Caleb on the ride of their lives, hitting every note on the scale of beauty and tragedy along the way. USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann will make you question everything you thought you knew about love and fate, and this unforgettable story will leave you certain that destiny always finds a way.

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Narrated by: Aiden Snow, Savannah Peachwood, and Ava Erickson

Even though there was only silence in the room, words were being shared between us, ones that I’d never felt so loudly before.

How have I not read this author since Seductive Shadows. Seriously. Like what on earth is wrong with me? Because after reading this book, I went and one-clicked on pretty much her entire backlist. My GOD. I’m seriously kicking my own @ss right now. But I digress.

This book is told in three parts and I can some them up for you in the following emotions:

1. Part I: I am emotion

2. Part II: I am confusion

3. Part III: I will cut you if you interrupt my reading

Having said that, that is the entirety that you’ll be getting out of me about the plot. My advise is that you go in absolutely blind. Trust me on this. Whitney and Caleb’s story is full of pain and heartbreak and was one of the most unique plots I’ve read in a while. It was unlike anything else I’ve read lately, and I love a book that can take me there like this one did. I devoured this in one day because I simply couldn’t wait to turn the next page and understand everything.

A major part of the timeline happens during the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and while I rarely get emotional in books, there’s a part where I was weeping like a baby. I won’t tell you where or when and I won’t tell you how it all ties together, but just prepare yourself for this story to wring emotion and tug on heartstrings you didn’t even know you had.

I devoured the first part, and then Part II was a tad bit slower. I found myself skimming some parts though I was still 100% invested in the story. The first part was a solid 5 stars and the second part was along the lines of a 4. I really wanted a bit more at the end to really bring it all together, though. I really felt like I needed more than the chapter at the end to really close this out. Don’t get me wrong, it was still highly satisfying. It was an incredibly story about fate, choices, and timing. If you’re looking for something different, gripping and full of emotion, definitely give this a read.

USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann knew she was going to be a writer since middle school. While other girls her age were daydreaming about teenage pop stars, Marni was fantasizing about penning her first novel. She crafts unique stories that weave together her love of darkness, mystery, passion, and human emotions. A New Englander at heart, she now lives in Sarasota, Florida, with her husband and their yellow Lab. When she’s not nose deep in her laptop, working on her next novel, she’s scouring for chocolate, sipping wine, traveling, or devouring fabulous books.

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Review: Don’t Kiss The Bride by Carian Cole

February 7, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

DON’T KISS THE BRIDE
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Carian Cole
Release Date: February 1, 2020

I guess you could say I was a damsel in distress, and he was my knight in shining armor.

But more accurately, I was a girl with a lot of bad luck, and he was a guy with a lot of muscles and tattoos.

Jude “Lucky” Lucketti wasn’t just a sexy, brooding construction worker. He was my own personal hero who seemed to be in all the right places at the right times. Like when my car broke down and I needed a ride home, and when I face planted on the sidewalk right in front of him and had to be taken to the emergency room.

Those weren’t exactly my best moments, but they were his.

We became friends, and it didn’t matter that he was sixteen years older than me. We had a lot in common—like our love of old rock music and vintage fast cars, and our aversion to relationships.

When he approached me with a crazy idea to help me out, I couldn’t say no.

The arrangement was supposed to be temporary. A marriage on paper and nothing else.

It should’ve been easy, but it wasn’t.

Because here I am, eighteen years-old, still in high school, and married to a man I was never supposed to fall in love with.

We had just one rule—no kissing the bride.

But we broke that rule, and it sealed our fate forever.

AMAZON

Somehow, she’s squirmed her way under my skin, and surprisingly enough, I don’t want to dig her out.

Carian Cole is one of those authors for me that I don’t even bother to read the blurbs of her books. There’s no point because it’s an auto read for me no matter what. She’s the master of writing poignant, beautiful and emotional romance that sticks with me. As an avid romance readers, I can’t say I remember every book I read, but somehow, each Carian Cole book I’ve read, does. And this one certainly won’t be the exception.

Now if you love a good age gap romance, you won’t want to miss this one. Age gap for me can be a tricky one, because when you have a pretty young heroine, there’s a line where it can skate on the line of…well…meh. Ya know? And considering the heroine here is 18, I knew that I wouldn’t have to worry about that because this author just manages to hit the mark every time.

Skylar is an 18 year old high school senior who hasn’t exactly had it easy in life. Her home life is anything but happy and her living situation even more so. She makes the best out of the crappy hand she’s been dealt, but luck has never really been on her side.

Jude is a thirty four year old, tatted up construction worker and high school drop out. His teenage years are riddled with plenty of regrets, but when he sees Skylar lose consciousness and learns of her situation, he knows he needs to help her. So he offers her a solution; marriage, but in the most nutritional sense. She gets his insurance and puts herself on her feet, and he gets to know that he helped her. Nothing more and nothing less. But the feelings between them and the chemistry is not easy to deny.

Now admittedly, I struggled a bit with the first half of this book. It was very slow paced and quite detailed in parts that I felt maybe shouldn’t have been. I found myself skimming some chapters, waiting for things to pick up. It was most definitely a SLOW burn. But then when things pick up? I couldn’t put it down. I loved the progression of Lucky and Skylar’s relationship. I love how he struggles with his feelings for her and I love how Skylar fought for him. The age gap is significant, but I never felt Skylar’s age. Outside of her being in high school (though fair to note she was held back a year so she’s a touch older senior), her age never felt like 18. She’s wise beyond her years because of the life she’s lived. She was forced to grow up fast and I loved her strength. Lucky’s past comes back to really haunt him here and my heart broke for him in so many ways.

This was such a beautiful, gripping story full of emotion and romance. I adored Lucky and Sparkles together. Theirs was one of the most satisfying slow burns I’ve read in a while and I can’t recommend it enough. And there’s a surprise cameo by a certain character that I absolutely LOVED but won’t give away because it’s the best surprise.

Carian Cole has a passion for the bad boys, those covered in tattoos, sexy smirks, ripped jeans, fast cars, motorcycles, and of course, the sweet girls who try to tame them and win their hearts.

Born and raised a Jersey girl, Carian now resides in beautiful New Hampshire with her husband and their multitude of furry pets. She spends most of her time writing, reading, and vacuuming.

 

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Review: The Bluff by Willa Nash

February 5, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

THE BLUFF
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Calamity, Montana #2
Author: Willa Nash
Release Date: February 4, 2020

From USA Today Bestselling Author Devney Perry writing as Willa Nash comes a small town Montana romance.

As Calamity’s newest resident, Everly Christian thought life in small-town Montana would be dull and tame—and she needs a little mundane after the last few chaotic years. But one night, boredom drives her to the local bar, where she finds herself sitting beside a handsome and mysterious artist.

The man is anything but dull and tame, especially in the bedroom, and when she steps out of his shower and overhears his conversation, life gets interesting again.

Reese Huxley needs a wife.

And why shouldn’t Everly be the bride?

She’s got her reasons for agreeing to the hasty nuptials—reasons she’s keeping to herself. As long as she can stop herself from falling in love with her husband, she’ll make it out of this sham marriage in one piece. But Everly has a weakness for wayward men, and the more Hux pushes her away, the more she realizes this bluff is anything but a lie.

AMAZON

I surrendered to his kiss. I dropped my guard. I let myself pretend. For tonight, I was his. For tonight, he was mine.

Is it too soon to announce that I’m completely in love with this series? Because while I really liked the first book, I seriously adored this one. I mean, what’s not to love?

A grumpy hero? CHECK!
A heroine that owns her sexuality and confidence? CHECK
A marriage of convenience? CHECK AND CHECK
Wonderful secondary characters? CHECK
Small town setting? CHECK

The second the quiet and intimidating Hux made an appearance in the The Bribe, I was immediately curious about this brooding artist. The man clearly had some demons and I couldn’t wait to unearth them all. He’s a successful artist with a painful history, trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter after she was taken from him by his vindictive ex. The last thing he needs is another entanglement after his disastrous marriage.

Everly is still dealing with the aftermath of what happened with the stalker in book one. She’s looking for something in her life, but still hasn’t found it. She struggles with her own place and finding who she is outside of who her parents always expected her to be. Hux was only supposed to be a one-night distraction. Soon it turns into a recurring night with no strings attached, until an offer changes everything. Marriage. One that may help him with his reputation in the small town and fight the legal battle to get visitation rights to his daughter.

Man but I loved these two together. They’re so imperfectly perfect in their own way. Hux is jaded and broken, and Ev is lost. But yet together, they make so much sense. Hux fights his connection to her at every turn but of course soon the inevitable happens and feelings are involved.

I loved the budding romance with Ev and Hux almost as much as I loved the connection between him and his daughter. There were some red herrings that were thrown in about his ex that I was almost thinking we’d get more of a resolution with, but it was still satisfying. And while the plot twist at the end was not my favorite and a touch predictable, I loved the grovel that followed it.

Yet another fantastic book in what’s come to be an addictive series and I can’t wait for more!

Willa Nash is USA Today Bestselling Author Devney Perry’s alter ego, writing contemporary romance stories for Kindle Unlimited. Lover of Swedish Fish, hater of laundry, she lives in Washington State with her husband and two sons. She was born and raised in Montana and has a passion for writing books in the state she calls home.

Devney loves hearing from her readers. Connect with her on social media!

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