Review: Dreadful by Greer Rivers

November 12, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

DREADFUL
Series: Tattered Curtains #3
Author: Greer Rivers
Genre: Dark Romance
Release Date: October 19, 2023

? ????, ??????, ???????? ????????? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ? ?????? ????? ??? ? ????? ???? ?????.

????? ??????? ?? ?????… ????? ???? ?? ????????.

Fifteen years ago, a girl sacrificed her life for mine. I’ve wanted only justice ever since.

Then Talia entered the stage.

I’m the barber’s son. The Don’s nephew.
A prince without a throne and only revenge to fuel me.

She’s the bakers’ granddaughter. Sweet Tallie.
Their ?????. My ??????.

My desires have always stopped at vengeance. She’s made me want more. But my vendetta will destroy everything in my path, and I won’t risk bringing her into my world.

I never suspected she’d snake her way in on her own.

I craved a bite of her sugar and spice, but my little ?????? is fangs and venom.
Now all I want is to be bitten.

???????? ?? ? ????, ??????? ????? ????????? ?? ??????? ????, ??????, ??? ??????, ??? ?? ??????-??? ?????? ??? ? ???????? ?????????? ?? ??? ???????? ??????? ??????. ?????????? ???. ???? ????? ???? ???? ???????? ?? ?????? ????? ??? ??????’? ??????? ??? ??.

AMAZON

I’m the heroine in my story and the villain in everyone else’s.

Ummm, exsqueeze me, but where have I been? Clearly sleeping on the brilliance that is Greer Rivers obviously. Because this book? Total binge read.

I saw a few book friends reading this and the cover peaked my interest. Then I read the blurb and thought Medusa and Sweeny Todd? What an interesting mix. Then I grabbed it on KU, read the first page, and was instantly hooked! I am a SUCKER for a good revenge plot. And when you have a fierce FMC with a hit list? I am SO on it.

This is a dark mafia romance with two characters that I became OBSESSED with. We have Severino, a Don’s nephew who survived hell. But the only reason he’s alive is because a little girl paid with hers 15 years ago. And now he will stop at nothing by seeking revenge on those responsible.

Talia is hiding in plain sight. With a hit list of her own, she’s systematically making her way through that list with bloody precision. And she will not stop until everyone responsible for her past pay. Then Sever walks into her bakery. He has no idea who she is, but she does, yet not in the way you think. Look, I know I’m being vague, but trust me here. You want to know as little as possible here.

This gave me a touch of Mind*ck vibes, which I have been desperately seeking for MONTHS. But in its own very VERY unique ways. The pacing, the romance, the suspense, all of it was deliciously perfect. I binge read the first 85% of this book. I couldn’t get enough of it. I was desperately turning the pages just waiting for that other shoe to drop. AND OMG when it did! SO GOOD.

The ending was satisfying, but for some reason felt a bit fluffy. Don’t judge me. I’ve read some dark shit, okay? But all in all, this was an absolutely addictive dark mafia romance that I devoured in one sitting and will immediately be binging on Greer’s entire backlist, spank you very much.

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Review: Love Redesigned by Lauren Asher

November 11, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

LOVE REDESIGNED
Series: Lakefront Billionaires #1
Author: Lauren Asher
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: November 7, 2023

Julian
If I ever caught on fire, Dahlia Muñoz would fan the flames with a smile.
So, when she returns to Lake Wisteria, I fully intend to avoid the interior designer.
At least until my meddling mother exploits my savior complex.
The faster I help Dahlia find her creative spark, the sooner she will leave town.
But while I was busy getting rid of Dahlia, I overlooked one potential issue.
What happens if I want her to stay?

Dahlia
People say the devil has many faces, but I know only one.
Julian Lopez—my childhood rival and family frenemy.
I vow to steer clear of him while recovering from my broken engagement, but then the billionaire makes an irresistible offer.
Renovate a historic house together and triple our profits.
Our temporary truce becomes compromised as we face years’ worth of denied attraction and mixed emotions.
Giving into our desire is inevitable…but falling in love?
That isn’t part of the plan.

Love Redesigned is a steamy, small town romance about two family friends-turned-childhood rivals. It is the first book in the standalone Lakefront Billionaires series and has a happy ending.

AMAZON

Once upon a time, we were friends with a healthy competitive drive. Then puberty hit during middle school, and a new rivalry was formed, driven by hormones and immaturity. But now, we’re nothing but strangers.

I’m a sucker for a second chance romance with some rivals and enemies to lovers vibes. The blurb for this book immediately hooked me and I knew this would be my first Lauren Asher book.

All this time, I thought you hated me…”
“I never hated you, Dahlia. Not for a single second of a single day.”

It was also a refreshing twist to have the FMC be the one who’s down on love after having her heart broken.

Love Redesigned was a cute read full of swoony moments and a delicious slow burn. I loved the history between Julian and Dahlia almost as much as I loved their meddling moms. Dahlia and Julian grew up together. But then one fateful kiss in college changed everything. Dahlia left town and make a career for herself as a famous designer. While Julian stayed back and became successful in his own right on the developer side. Now Dahlia is back after a painful breakup with her fiancé, and all the long repressed feelings for Julian come roaring back when they decide to work together.

This was a sweet romance, that was almost a touch too sweet for my particular tastes. But my main quibble was it was entirely too long. There simply wasn’t enough meat to the story or tension to justify it being over 500 pages. It could have easily shaved off about 200 pages and not lost anything in the process. I couldn’t help but feel it was too stretched out and struggled to keep my attention. I found myself skimming heavily from 20%-80% of the book. All that said, it was still a cute and satisfying ending with no third act breakup. However, with the lack of tension throughout the book, I wouldn’t have minded the breakup.

It was an enjoyable albeit a bit of a forgettable read for me. I liked the characters and I loved the setting. It hooked me enough to continue with the series. It just didn’t grab me the way I had hoped it would.

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Review: Master of the Wilderness by Cherise Sinclair

November 10, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

MASTER OF THE WILDERNESS
Series: Mountain Masters & Dark Haven #7
Author: Cherise Sinclair
Genre: BDSM Romance
Release Date: November 7, 2023

Auto mechanic Erin Lockwood is not only newly divorced; she’s practically penniless.

When her emotionally-abusive ex flees the country to escape arrest for blackmailing other politicians, it’s actually a relief—a chance to reclaim her life. But retreating to the mountain house gifted by her mother, she’s met by hostility from the nearby town. The locals blame Erin for her ex’s corrupt actions that led to the construction of a private prison, drawing gangs, violence, and death.

Wilderness guide Wyatt Masterson lives by one Don’t Date Locals.
It’s a rule he’s followed effortlessly until Erin moves to town, and the city girl gets herself lost in the unforgiving woods. He doesn’t want to like the politician’s ex, but how can he resist the little mechanic’s chin-up attitude, her fortitude, and her unwavering honesty?

Erin finds Wyatt devastatingly attractive.
The big, rugged cowboy is tough and confident. An unshakable shelter. However, it’s too soon to get involved with anyone. Look what a mistake she made with her marriage. She needs time to heal and rediscover herself.

But time is the one thing they don’t have. Her ex’s crimes have born violent fruit, and no one in town is safe.

Master of the Wilderness is part of a series of interconnected, stand-alone, romantic suspense novels. The long, more-than-spicy romance has a protective hero, a stand-up heroine, and an endearing girl gang. Don’t you deserve a sigh-worthy, happy ending with no cliffhanger and no cheating?

AMAZON

Because I’m going to make you whimper… and I’ll enjoy it.”

Oh how I’ve missed Cherise’s Masters. It’s been a hot minute since I read her books and I can’t even tell you why. This author is the queen of BDSM. She’s able to combine, heat with heart and write heart wrenching stories full of thigh clenching spice. She’s one of my comfort reads.

This story had it all, romance, suspense, action, and all of the feels. Erin is healing from a divorce to her abusive ex who recently ran from the country and cleaned out her accounts. The only escape she has is her mother’s house but it’s in a town that unfortunately she’s infamous in due to her husband’s bribe taking to built a corrupt prison. This prison brought a crime wave to the small town that the people haven’t yet recovered from.

Wyatt is coming back from a volunteer mission in Africa. He’s a man who suffered horrible loss and doesn’t want to put himself on the line again. But there’s something about Erin that brings him peace and reels him right in.

Erin was this endearing combination of strong but vulnerable. She’s gone through so much in her life and she’s just looking for someone to really see her. She just doesn’t expect that someone to be the beautiful man in the cowboy hat and the soulful brown eyes. I loved these two togeher. I loved Wyatt’s quiet intensity. I loved how they didn’t fight their feelings for each other even with their pasts. I also loved the added suspense and action packed ending.

Admittedly though, this one just didn’t suck me in like the others in this series did. It was an enjoyable read, don’t get me wrong. But it also took me a few days to finish because I kept getting distracted.

Ultimately, it was still a great read that I would highly recommend to any readers who enjoy a well written, steamy BDSM with plenty of feels and a splash of action.

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Review: Ice Bet by SJ Sylvis

November 9, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

ICE BET
Series: Bexley U #2
Author: SJ Sylvis
Genre: New Adult, Sports Romance
Release Date: November 9, 2023

She’s the coach’s daughter and his rival’s newest target.

Aasher Matthews is everything I detest. Arrogant jock: check. Coy smirk: check. Too hot for his own good: check. To make matters worse, he plays hockey. Unfortunately for him, my father is his coach. Fortunately for me, I’m deemed untouchable.

The only common ground I have with hockey players is our love of the ice, so staying away from them will be easy-peasy.

Until I overhear their bet—who can get Coach’s daughter in their bed first?

I’m ready to bring the entire Bexley U hockey team to their knees. Instead of fleeing, I flirt. Instead of hiding, I run just so they’ll chase me. Luring my father’s players into a trap has a certain appeal to it.

Except, Aasher isn’t fooled by my feigned temptation. He has too much riding on a perfect season and has plans to join the NHL after winning the Frozen Four.

So he proposes our own bet.

If he wins, I stay away from his teammates and stop messing with their heads.
If I win, he tells my father—his beloved coach—about his teammates’ dirty plans for me.

But the more Aasher crosses the lines we’ve carved into the ice, the more I find myself letting him. The only problem is, someone else is in on our gamble, and they aren’t willing to concede.

Ice Bet is a spicy coach’s daughter college sports romance. It is a complete stand-alone. The other books in the series do not need to be read in order, but you will see glimpses of future characters in each book.

AMAZON

You’re mine, and I’m done pretending that you’re not.”

I’m a sucker for a hockey romance and the blurb to this one totally hooked me. This was my first SJ Sylvis book and it definitely will not be my last. I fell hard and fast for her writing and characters. And this story? Deliciously addictive.

I’m not trying to win the bet, Ry. I just know kissing you won’t fuck with my head like it will theirs. So if you want a hockey player, I’m the only one you can have.”
It totally fucked with my head.

Aasher has his eye on the goal, literally. He has everything riding on his successful hockey career in college to make it to the NfL. And he has zero chances left after what happened in his previous school. So when his coach asks him to look after his daughter who is moving on campus and keep her away from the horny hockey players, he unwillingly says yes. What he doesn’t expect is the daughter to be the ice queen who challenges him at every turn.

Riley is dealing with her own damage. Once a promising figure skater, she can’t seem to so much as bring herself to be on the ice again. And when she overhears her father’s l=players make an ice bet to get into her pants? She’s planning on putting them through hell. Even when Aasher is running interference at every turn. He may not be in on the bet, but he’s not her friend either. Until it changes, and he becomes something else entirely.

When his hand crept up my back and his fingers tangled in my hair, keeping my face pressed against his body, I felt something I never expected. Safe. And how ironic was it that I felt safe in the arms of a stupid, arrogant, over-protective hockey player that I refused to trust.

This was a delicious slow burn with the satisfactory moment when he finally goes “f*ck it” and I may or may not have squealed like a teenage girl when he finally says it. And the aftermath? MAMA. So good.

Eyes on me.”
He knew I was back. He knew I was remembering where we were and why he was touching me. I nodded shakily.
“Open your legs.” Our eyes met, and my stomach hollowed. Aasher pushed the inner part of my knee, releasing himself from the vise grip I had on him.
“Good girl,” he whispered. “Now I’m going to need you to come for me.”

I loved the push and pull dynamic between them. I loved how he was there for Riley and helped her get back on the ice. I love how he stood up to her ex and I loved the way that Riley gave as good as she got herself.

My only quibble is the on the page sex scenes Aasher had with another girl. I am not a reader that gets bothered by the MC being a f*ck boy or being with other women before the heroine. I just don’t particularly enjoy the detailed accounts of it because it just doesn’t feel necessary to the story. Like it didn’t add anything. It didn’t take away from it either, but it just felt unnecessary to me.

Luckily this was just a small blip in what was a highly enjoyable read and it didn’t phase me too much. Because once Aasher was all in with Riley, he was ALL in. The second their relationship takes a turn, he had eyes only for her.

This was such a fun, steamy, and satisfying read. I need to immediately read the first in this series and I already can’t wait for the next one. Highly recommend for any fans of steamy hockey romance!

 

S.J. Sylvis is an Amazon top 50 and USA Today bestselling author who is best known for her angsty new adult romances. She currently resides in Arizona with her husband, two small kiddos, and dog.

She is obsessed with coffee, becomes easily attached to fictional characters, and spends most of her evenings buried in a book! 

 

Connect with SJ

Website | https://www.sjsylvis.com/

Goodreads | https://bit.ly/40mP8yW

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Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/42pdvhj

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#DGRFave & Review: Because of Her by Jewel E Ann

November 2, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

BECAUSE OF HER
Series: Jack & Jill #6
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Contemporary
Author: Jewel E. Ann
Release Date: November 2, 2023

“If sin weren’t pretty, it wouldn’t be so tempting.”

I was an accomplished music professor.
Happily single.
Perfectly content.

Now, I’m unemployed.
Pining for a dark, brooding guy named Jack who lives in a garage with a piano.
And I’m plotting to seduce a married man because his daughter is responsible for my nephew committing suicide.

I don’t know why teenage girls are so mean.
I don’t know why rich men cheat on their wives.
And I don’t know why Jack has serial killer vibes, even though he leaves me speechless every time he speaks.

All I know for sure is that I feel safe in a stranger’s arms and understood by someone I don’t understand.

“You should be a little scared of everyone because humans are unpredictable.”

How far will I go for revenge? More than that …
How far will he go to save me?

*This book contains material involving sexual assault and suicide. Reader discretion is advised.

 AMAZON 

Revenge won’t fill the holes. But a new chapter can begin because the previous one has ended. And he will do it all … because of her.

First of all, if you haven’t read this series yet, what are you even doing? And second of all, if you have read this series, this book is the most perfect conclusion you can ever imagine or dare hope for.

I’ll scream,” she whispers. Jackson’s lips twitch while his fingertips skate up her bare arms. “I don’t doubt that.”

Frankie is easily one of my most favorite FMCs I’ve read to date. But I’ll get to that in a second. What I will say is you want to go into this book blind. Trust me. If you’ve read this series, do yourself this favor. Do not read the reviews. Do no look for spoilers. Just read it knowing that it will fix every hurt and pain that Out of Love may have caused. If you haven’t read this series, I highly recommend you read it in order. Or at the very least, you start with Out of Love. You simply need to appreciate the full circle moment of perfection that is this story, and you can’t do that if you don’t understand the backstory of Jackson.

I have a Ph.D. I don’t get on my knees for anyone. I’ll sit on the bed.” He ducks his head and kisses me. It’s good. Really good. But a woman needs standards and limits. I undressed and played his piano yesterday. That’s my limit…
Again, he kisses me. “A goddamn queen,” he murmurs along my jaw to my ear.
I lower to my knees, but I don’t look at him. “I’m only doing this because someone has to guard the door.”
My feminism is still intact. Sort of.

Frankie is in town to settle the affairs of her brother and his family. A terrible tragedy to lose your brother to suicide. But the debilitating pain to lose your nephew and sister in law to the same is something more. To learn that your nephew’s girlfriend may have driven him to his fate? Well that’s something else entirely. Frankie is dead set on revenge and making the girlfriend and her family pay. What she doesn’t know is just how dark and deep the roots of this family and their influence really go.

Frankie is in her early forties and is a career driven woman who never wanted marriage and a family. But when she meets the mysterious man living in the garage with his piano, the connection between them is instantaneous. The unspoken connection driven from a shared pain of loss is even more so. Jack has dark secrets and everything about him is a mystery. Frankie is undeniably drawn to his dangerous allure. But she’s no naive ingenue, this is a woman who knows what she wants and goes after it.

When I tell you I loved this book, I mean I lived and breathed this story as I read it. I mean, it will become my entire personality for the foreseeable future now as I finished it. I mean it was one of the most unforgettable stories of suspense, second chances, loss and love that I have ever read. It was beautiful. It was emotional. It was unforgettable. It was everything I didn’t know I needed and MY GOD did I need this conclusion. The intricate details woven in to the story were everything. I also found myself falling in love with some previous characters all over again. If you know, you know.

But I digress. I’m pretty sure I didn’t get a wink of sleep because I couldn’t put this book down for even a second. The beginning to end was a complete blur of tears, happiness, pain, and nail biting, edge of my seat suspense. I loved every page, every chapter, and I simply cannot recommend the series enough.

Jewel is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today best selling author a with a quirky sense of humor. When she’s not saving the planet one tree at a time, you can find her role modeling questionable behavior to her three boys, binge-watching Netflix with her husband, and writing mind-bending romance.

Connect with Jewel 

Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Facebook | Facebook Group | Instagram | Twitter  |Bookbub | Pinterest

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Review: HOT Honor by Lynn Raye Harris

October 29, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

HOT HONOR
Series: Hostile Operations Team® – Strike Team 2
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: Lynn Raye Harris
Release Date: October 24, 2023

Waking up with a wife is not how black ops soldier Zane “Zany” Scott pictured his first trip to Las Vegas ending. Forever isn’t in his vocabulary anymore. So why did he marry a woman he just met?

Nerdy Eden Hall isn’t the kind of girl people notice. She’s always lived in her twin’s shadow, always been plain and sensible compared to her sister’s big personality. But when her sister gets engaged to the man Eden secretly loves, it’s inevitable she’ll drink too much at the bachelorette party.

It’s not inevitable that she’ll impulsively marry the hottest guy she’s ever laid eyes on, though. Of course they’re going to divorce, but it takes more time to do that than it did to get married. Time in which they’ll discover they’ve got more in common than simply burning up the sheets together.

Just when they think they might have something worth keeping, it all goes wrong and Eden becomes the target of a killer. Zane will have to risk everything to save his wife. Because if he doesn’t, he could lose the woman who, against all odds, kickstarted his heart into beating again.

 AMAZON 

 

Zane Scott was an addiction. And he was her husband. For now.

It’s been a hot second since I read a Lynn Rate Harris book and I totally forgot how addictive they are. Why has it been a hot minute? I have no idea and I plan on having a small binge on the rest of this series because I honestly can’t believe I haven’t read it yet considering how much I’ve loved all her other series.

I was immediately drawn in to this story, even though this is the first book I read in this series. Zane is in Vegas for his little sister’s 21st birthday. While there, he meets a woman that immediately enraptures him. The surprise is that after a wild night together, they end up married. Whoopsy!

Eden has spent most of her life in the shadow of her vivacious sister. Her insecurities have insecurities, but there was something so endearing about her, that something that would usually bother me, barely blipped my radar. Eden has been secretly in love with her sister’s now fiancé for as long as she’s worked for him. But when she meets the enigmatic Zane who oozes danger and sex appeal, she’s basically all Mitchell who? And I don’t blame her one bit.

She’d thought her life was bad a little over a week ago when she’d believed she loved a man who loved someone else. Turns out that wasn’t nearly as bad as loving a man who couldn’t love at all.

Zane is shut down to love because a woman who he believed was the love of his life broke his heart years ago. And now he’s trying to make sense of the fact that she wants him back. But he’s also accidentally married to a woman who much to his effort otherwise, draws him in like no other. And when Eden’s life is in danger, he’ll stop at nothing to protect her.

This was a quick read full of action, suspense, and all the steam you can wish for. I read it in a sitting. And while I had moments where I wanted to shake the insecurity out of Eden and slap the “love isn’t for me” out of Zane, I still enjoyed the story quite a bit.

Highly recommend for any fans of steamy romantic suspense with uber protective alphas and females who bring them to their knees.

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Review: Twisted Obsession by S. Massery

October 25, 2023 by ·

TWISTED OBESESSION
Author: S. Massery
Genre: Dark, Hockey Romance
Release Date: October 25, 2023

My name is Melody Cameron…
Or so I’ve been told.

When I wake up in the hospital with no memories, I’m shipped off to Denver to live with a distant cousin who knows nothing about me.
If family can’t help me remember my past, who will?

I don’t expect it to be a gorgeous hockey player ten years younger than me. He knows things about me he has no right to know.

Yet, he still keeps secrets.
He makes me work for every answer while he unlocks my desire—and fear.

Still. I’m blind. Naive.

And when his twisted obsession becomes apparent, it’s too late. For both of us.

AMAZON

Once caught, she’s never escaping me.

Every time I think S Massery has written her most unhinged hero yet, she goes and proves me wrong. And Jacob Rhodes? This man is on a whole other level.

Somnophilia? Check.
Degradation kink? Check.
Crazy possessiveness? Check, check AND CHECK
Reverse age gap? Check

Now if you haven’t yet read the prequel, Twisted Obsession Prequel: Meeting Melody, it’s an absolute must read prior to diving into this book. The prequel is what really lays down the foundation of the relationship between Jacob and Melody. Well, if you can call their twisted union a relationship anyhow. Considering that Jacob is a student and she’s a professor and he goes after her with singleminded intent.

Now the absolute mind f*ck that this book was, and pun most definitely intended, is insane. Jacob hasn’t seen Melody since she up and disappeared without a trace back in college. Now he’s surprised to see her in the audience of the NFL game he’s playing in. What he expects even less is that she has no recollection of who he is, or her life before.

Melody work up in the hospital after with no memory of who she is or was. All she knows is that her traumatic injuries show signs of attempted murder but she has no idea who would even do that. When a handsome NFL stranger offers an insight to her prior life, she grasps it with both hands. But the man isn’t all he seems.

Oh what a twisted tale this was. The mystery of what happened to Melody is a dark webbing that wraps itself around everything else. And while I can usually see the plot twist coming, this one took me completely by surprise. Like jaw on the floor shocking. Jacob is twisted and toxic in all the best ways. If morally gray is your favorite, you’ll love him. I know I did. This man is all kinds of deranged. SO if you’re expecting a Prince Charming, this isn’t the book for you.

But if you want a morally gray man who is wholly obsessed with his woman beyond all reason and will do anything and everything to keep her, then prepare yourself to be obsessed.

And that preview into Knox’s story?
Oh.
MY.
GOD.

I need that book so bad I can actually taste it.

S. Massery is a dark romance author who loves injecting a good dose of suspense into her stories. She lives in Western Massachusetts with her dog, Alice.

Before adventuring into the world of writing, she went to college in Boston and held a wide variety of jobs–including working on a dude ranch in Wyoming (a personal highlight). She has a love affair with coffee and chocolate. When S. Massery isn’t writing, she can be found devouring books, playing outside with her dog, or trying to make people smile.

Connect with S. Massery
Website | http://smassery.com
Goodreads | https://bit.ly/smassery-gr
Amazon | https://amzn.to/3T64F2s
Facebook | https://bit.ly/3fRud4N
Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/3T3kl6C
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· Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark · Tagged With: , , ,

Review: One Chance by Lena Hendrix

October 23, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

ONE CHANCE
Series: The Sullivan Family #3
Author: Lena Hendrix
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 23, 2023

Fake dating my best friend? Total disaster.

With his cocky grin and devilish charm, firefighter Lee Sullivan makes every woman in our small town swoon. Every woman except for me.

Which is why I’m shocked when he steps in at the town’s Matchmaker’s Gala and outbids my crush during the charity auction, committing us to six prearranged dates.

Six dates where we, very publicly, pretend to be falling in love.

Despite my objections and our efforts to set each other up with other people, Lee is convinced pretending to date each otheris the perfect opportunity to get the women in town off his back (and out of his bed), while also helping to nudge my non-committal crush in the jealousy department.

Stupidly, I agree.

After the disastrous blind dates he set me up on, what’s a few months of letting Lee worship the ground I walk on? He owes me.

Trouble is––every fake kiss, every lingering touch, every filthy word he whispers when no one is around––is starting to feel very, very real.

We know everything about each other––from my orphaned past to his irrational hatred of dolls. The only secret I have ever kept from Lee spans all the way back to his time in the Army and it’s the one thing that could ruin our friendship forever.

Because where Lee is concerned, I have learned to guard my heart. Suddenly, he’s asking for the opportunity to feel something real. He’s asking for the one thing he wouldn’t want if he ever knew the truth: one chance.

AMAZON

There was something between Annette and me, whether she wanted to admit it or not. And I had six dates to prove it to her.

Friends to lovers? Small town? Fake dating? Humor and steam? Say. Less.

I thought this was supposed to be fake.” I leaned down to whisper. “Nothing about the way I feel about you is fake. It never has been.”

After reading my very first Lena book with One Touch, I was instantly hooked on the town of Outtatowner and the quirky residents. And when I saw the firefighter and resident playboy Lee will be getting his book next, suffice it to say I was all over it. There’s just something so satisfying about seeing the playboys fall and fall hard. And boy did he fall hard. For a woman who has been with him from childhood and he never thought he’d have. His best friend, Annette.

So it’s you and me, huh?” His lips pressed into my hair. “Glad you’re finally catching up.”

As much as I loved the budding romance between Lee and Annette, I loved their history more. There’s so much love between these two best friends. And each one filled in a gap for the other that no one else could have. There’s a touch of pining and a splash of assumed unrequited love, since Annie has been secretly in love with Lee all these years. Then a date auction has him getting his sh*t together and bidding on 6 dates with his best friend. But Lee doesn’t need 6 dates to know he wants forever with her. Even if it may take some convincing.

But what I love even more about this series is the fun secondary character. The rivalry between the Kings and Sullivans. And of course, horny Henrietta, the ruckus hen. This book put a smile on my face at the same time it gave me all the feels and swoons. And I seriously enjoyed the heck out of this story. I’m so hooked on this town and these two families and I’m already desperate for more.

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Review: You Said I Was Your Favorite by Monica Murphy

October 19, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

YOU SAID I WAS YOUR FAVORITE
Series: Lancaster Prep #5
Author: Monica Murphy
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date: October 19, 2023

Daisy Albright. Incredibly beautiful. Painfully shy.

Nobody in our class pays attention to the groundskeeper’s daughter and I think she likes it that way. Moving through the halls like a ghost, wandering across campus unnoticed. Am I the only one who actually sees her? Little Miss Daisy sitting in the front of the classroom, always the model student. Little Miss Daisy reading her romance books with the cute covers and hot content inside…

I’m considered the reckless Lancaster so when I get in trouble on the first day of school, my punishment is having to work in the headmaster’s office every day, stuck with Daisy. Staring at her pretty face, hearing her sweet voice, making her laugh.

The more I get to know her, the more obsessed I become. And I think she feels the same way.

The problem? She’s not part of my crowd. Daisy is the scholarship kid and no one approves of us together. Not my friends, not my parents and not her father. But I don’t care what anyone thinks. I’m going after what I want.

I’m going to make Little Miss Daisy mine.

AMAZON

You own my heart, Daisy Albright. You can kick it, throw it in the trash, do whatever you want to it, but it’s yours. Whether you want it or not.”


I didn’t think anyone can come close to my love of Whit Lancaster but then I went and fell head over heels for Arch.

Arch and Daisy have a bit of a rocky start. He’s Lancaster royalty, she’s a scholarship student and daughter of the groundskeeper. She’s also his main rival for the number one spot academically at their school. He’s the school’s golden boy, she’s the hermit who keeps to herself. He loves the spotlight and she avoids it at all costs. What starts as a curiosity for Arch, soon turns to something more as he peels back the layers of quiet and studious Daisy. Daisy may be shy and keep to herself but she’s no pushover and she holds her own with Arch. Their animosity soon turns into an unlikely friendship that quickly turns to something much more.

I loved these two together. This is opposites attract catnip. They were the perfect half to the other. Daisy and her unassuming fierceness. Arch and his quiet insecurities. Neither is what they allow others to see. We get a cast of new characters introduced here that I’m curious to hear more about. But Daisy and Arch certainly stole the show. There’s chemistry, there’s swoon, there’s all the feels, and of course there’s an amazing romance. I love the school drama and the mean girls who Daisy doesn’t bend for. I love an FMC who doesn’t need a man to fight her battles.

This was another super satisfying installment in one of my favorite series and I can’t wait for more.

 

 

Monica Murphy is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling romance author. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and have sold over two million copies worldwide. Both a traditionally published and independently published author, she writes young adult, new adult and contemporary romance.

A native Californian, she lives on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere with her husband, son, their goofy dog, and three cats. When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing. Or reading. Or binge watching something.

 

Connect with Monica

Website | Goodreads  | Amazon | Facebook | Facebook Group | Instagram | Twitter | Bookbub | Pinterest | Verve Romance | Tik Tok 

 


 

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Review: Hopeless by Elsie Silver

October 13, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

HOPELESS
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Chestnut Springs #5
Author: Elsie Silver
Release Date: October 13, 2023

Beau Eaton is the town prince, a handsome military hero with a tortured past.

I’m the outcast bartender, a shy girl from the wrong side of the tracks.

He’s thirty-five and all man, and I’m twenty-two and all . . . virgin.

He’s also my fiancé. Correction: my fake fiancé.

We start out as a bet. He doesn’t believe that anyone holds my last name against me. So he offers me his to prove a point.

It’s win-win. He gets a break from his concerned family’s prying, and I get a chance to shed my family’s reputation while I save up to ditch this small town.

He says all I have to do is wear his ring, follow his lead, and pretend I can’t keep my hands off of him in public.

But it’s what happens between us in private that blurs all those carefully drawn lines.

It’s what transpires behind closed doors that doesn’t feel like pretending at all.

This engagement was supposed to be for show. This agreement? It has an end date.

He once told me he’d never fall in love.

And yet here I am, head over heels for my fake fiancé.

AMAZON

You’re relentless, you know that?”
And I just give her a salute and a wink. Because yeah, I am. No one has ever showed up for Bailey, but she’s about to get the full experience.
“No, sugar. When it comes to you, I’m downright hopeless.”

Beau has been one of the most anticipated Eaton brothers for me especially after Jasper’s book in Powerless. There’s just something about this wounded soldier who comes back from his mission a bit more broken that just called to my heart. I couldn’t wait for him to get his HEA.

Now admittedly, the fake dating/fake engagement trope isn’t my favorite. But if Elsie writes it, I read it. Period. And from page one, I was absolutely sold.

Sugar, put your hand back in my pocket.”
Bailey doesn’t even move her eyes my way when she says, “Why? I think she’s buying it just fine.”
My lips dust over the shell of her ear. “I don’t give a fuck about her. I just like it.”

Bailey is the town’s black sheep. The girl from the wrong side of the tracks if you will. Her family is notorious for their drunken escapades and she’s been lumped in with them all her life. My heart broke for her and everything she had to go through because of her family and judgmental town people. All she wants is to leave the place, go to school, and leave everything behind her. But then Beau Eaton offers her a solution; pretend to be his fiancé. It gets the town’s women off his back and gives her the Eaton name backing to improve her chances of finding work. Win win. Except Bailey is nothing what he expects. She may be quiet and unassuming to the town, but this is a girl with a spine of steel and not afraid to give him hell while also soothing his wounded soul.

That’s what I like about her. She’s not a kiss ass, she’s not a pushover, and she doesn’t tiptoe around me. She also might not be as sweet and quiet as I thought.

This is very much a slow burn and I thought I may explode if these two didn’t finally get together. But the burn also hurt so good. Beau tries to be the gentleman while Bailey has no problem speaking her mind. And I loved the dynamic between them.

“If you hadn’t known I was a virgin, would you have fucked me?”
He fidgets now, hand scrubbing at his beard as he groans. “Jesus, Bailey.”
“Would you?”
He looks away, down river, before turning back to me. Slowly. There’s a sudden predatory vibe in the way he carries himself, in the way he moves. “Thoroughly.”

While I expected Beau to be more grumpy and gritty, this man really had a heart of gold. He may hide his pain from everyone including his family, but not from Bailey. And I loved how he allowed her to be there for him.

I know you’re scared of losing control around me.” Her chin tips up as though she’s told me something that will make me back down. Run me off. It doesn’t.
“No, I’m scared of you becoming something I can’t live without.”

Now while I did enjoy this book, it also didn’t fully enrapture me like the other books in this series. Don’t get me wrong, it was still fantastic and I loved Bailey and Beau. But it also wasn’t my favorite in the series. But considering I’ve 5 starred all the other books, take that with a grain of salt. If you love a fake dating trope with a broody hero with a heart of gold and fantastic down on her luck heroine who doesn’t lose any of her sass to her circumstance, do yourself a favor and read it.

Elsie Silver is a Canadian author of sassy, sexy, small town romance who loves a good book boyfriend and the strong heroines who bring them to their knees. She lives just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband, son, and three dogs and has been voraciously reading romance books since before she was probably supposed to.

She loves cooking and trying new foods, traveling, and spending time with her boys-especially outdoors. Elsie has also become a big fan of her quiet five am mornings, which is when most of her writing happens. It’s during this time that she can sip a cup of hot coffee and dream up a fictional world full of romantic stories to share with her readers.


Connect with Elsie
Website | www.elsiesilver.com
Goodreads | https://bit.ly/3WSjFlR
Amazon | https://amzn.to/3BR6HwY
Facebook | https://bit.ly/3YIJwia
Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/3YJuOYk
Instagram | https://bit.ly/3VeTlS3
TikTok | https://bit.ly/3VifDCH
Twitter | https://bit.ly/3PIekMb
Bookbub | https://bit.ly/3jnBTh9
Pinterest | https://bit.ly/3Vi25ai
Newsletter | https://bit.ly/3BU0sbN

 

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