Review: Where We Promise by Ashley Munoz

April 26, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

WHERE WE PROMISE
Series: Stone Riders MC #3
Author: Ashley Munoz
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 26, 2024

In a tangled mess of betrayal and chaos, I was moved almost overnight onto rival territory under the protection of the one man I never wanted to be a burden to.

Jameson King.

In order to keep me safe, he handed me a ring and told me I’d become his wife. It’s a marriage made of convenience, but there’s a thread of truth neither of us want to examine. The past we’re ignoring, the almost we could have had if our lives were different.

If I hadn’t chosen wrong.

I keep trying to convince myself it doesn’t matter, not when we hold hands, or sleep in the same bed. Because Jameson has always held me at arms length, and my ex is coming for me…we’re just biding our time before this all comes to a messy end.

This is where we promise to hold, to honor and cherish…but what are vows made from lies?

Jameson will stay long enough to ensure I’m safe, and then he’ll let me go, just like he always did before.

AMAZON

He’d given me the world today, only to remind me it was manufactured and on loan. One day he’d belong to someone else, and I would simply be a fulfilled promise, checked off a list.

Truth be told I had conflicting emotions starting this book; equally anticipating a new installment in what’s come to me a favorite series of mine and also dreading it because I wasn’t sure this trope would hit for me. I am not a fan of a baby with another character trope. I love the single parent trope, but something about the baby with another character who’s still very much in the picture just never worked for me. That is, until this book.

You’re a tragedy in your own way, just hanging around in my chest like a poison, slowly infecting my heart.”

One word of advice is that you definitely want to read this series in order. Because while each character has their own standalone romance per book, there is very much an overarching story arc throughout each book that you would appreciate much more reading in order. We get a good peak into Jameson and Penny’s story in Where We Belong as secondary characters and they absolutely stole my heart with their own story.

Penelope and I had a complicated past. One full of unspoken truths, missed chances, and stolen moments. I’d hurt her. She had hurt me. It was fate’s twisted sense of humor that we were now thrown together in some odd, domesticated role. The irony was cruel.

Penelope has been in love with Jameson for as long as she’s known him. He went from the alluring teenage boy to strong and brooding man, but in all of those forms, he’s never given her the time of day. He struggles with his own emotions and so he pulls hot and cold, until Penelope finally has enough and gives up on any hope of anything with him.

There, on a cold October night, Jameson King stole my first kiss in the middle of the street. I wish he hadn’t.

But when her boyfriend and Jameson’s former club VP throws her out when he learns she’s pregnant, she’s left with nothing but tatters of her former life. And Jameson is determined to help her and protect her from his old club. Best way to do that? A marriage in paper only so she has his protection. The problem? He’s been secretly in love with Penelope as long as she has, but he’s been fighting his feelings just as long. Until he is not able to and gives into the fiery chemistry between them.

Admittedly, at first I struggled to understand why Jamie was so adamant to push Penny away when they were young. But the more I read and the more layers that were peeled back, the more I understood the heart of this man. And oh my god, he was everything. The way he loves fiercely and protects fearlessly. This book packed an absolute punch in emotion and good dash of grit that just hit the spot so right.

I devoured this book in a sitting and couldn’t believe that a trope I once hated, I loved oh so much in this story. And the set up for the next book? OH.MY.GOD. The desperate level of need I have for that story is unreal!

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Review: The Wildflower by JL Beck

April 26, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

THE WILDFLOWER
Series: Oakmount Elite Book 2
Author: JL Beck
Genre: Dark, New Adult Romance
Release Date: April 26, 2024

Lies. Betrayal. Loss.

They’re all I know, see, and feel.

I don’t know what is true, or a lie. I don’t know who to believe or who what is real.

Broken and grieving I find refuge in an unlikely foe.

A man who claims to be my brother, who vows to protect me, and destroy those that hurt me.

But not even he can’t protect me from the nightmare that is Drew Marshall.

Deranged. Psychotic. Immoral.

He broke my heart, and publicly humiliated me. Leaving me shattered and broken when I needed him most.

I should hate him, and I do, but a sick twisted part of me craves him as well.

The harder I fight to escape him, the deeper he digs his claws into me.

They say the truth will set you free, but ours didn’t do that.

It locked us inside the cage, and tossed away the key.

AMAZON

Hard-edged and cutting, or soft and sensual, it doesn’t matter… I’m always his willing victim somehow. His voice ignites the embers of desire deep in my gut.

After the jaw dropping cliffhanger in book one, I was chomping at the bit to get my hands on the conclusion. And it did not disappoint! Because even groveling Drew is still in top form and while he may have caught feelings, he didn’t lose any of his edge.

You want me to take it from you so you don’t have to admit how much you wanted me in the first place, and that’s fine. You can hate me for it, hate me as you come all over my cock, because to me, your hate and love taste the same.”

There is quite a bit that happens in this book and I found myself falling even harder for Sebastian, seeing him as the uber protective older brother. I also really enjoyed Bel’s growth in this book. She went from unassuming and shy to fierce and fiery with a backbone and a mouth to go along with it. It felt like a switch was flipped for her and I was totally here for it.

The story itself was fun, steamy and entertaining. The ending, while I thought I knew what was coming, managed to catch me by surprise, which I really appreciate.

And the set up for the next book? Utterly delicious.

If you read and enjoyed the first book, you’ll definitely appreciate the fiery conclusion. Bel and Drew are incendiary together and while their romance is all kinds of toxic, that’s what I loved most about them.

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Review: Puck Block by SJ Sylvis

April 25, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

PUCK BLOCK
Series: Bexley U #3
Author: SJ Sylvis
Genre: New Adult, Sports Romance
Release Date: April 25, 2024

Ford Collins is my brother’s best friend and Bexley U’s favorite defender on the ice. Unfortunately, he feels the need to block much more than the puck.

Namely, ME and any chance I have with a guy.

Encouraged by my older brother, Ford has ruined every single date I’ve ever had. With his hot smirk and sly maneuvers, he has made it his mission to make me the most unattainable female college student in the world—that is, until I have a brush with death, and I beg him to help me.

After all, he owes me. And I’ve come to collect.

Determined to rid himself of the guilt, Ford promises to help me score a boyfriend—or two—and swears he won’t interfere.

But the more time I spend learning from one of Bexley U’s most desirable playboys, the more I start to question the real reason why he’s been sabotaging my dates over the years.

With the lingering touches, heated stares, and sizzling chemistry between us, we both know we’re playing with fire. What happens when our game of “practice” and Ford’s spicy lessons become something real that we not only need to hide from my older brother, but from each other?

Puck Block is book #3 in the Bexley U series and CAN be read as a standalone in this interconnected series.

AMAZON

because tonight you’re not my best friend’s little sister.” Her wrists are trapped in my hand, and I pin them to the pillow. “Tonight, you’re mine.”

Best friend’s little sister trope is one of my favorites. And when you combine that with a steamy hockey romance? I. Am. PUTTEH.
This was Ford and Taytum’s story, Taytum being Emory’s sister. And when I tell you that Ford was impossible not to fall in love with, I mean I was obsessed with this man.

She has me in the palm of her little hand, and I’m not even sure she knows it.

The way he cares for Taytum and the way he takes care of her even when she fights him tooth and nail on it was perfection. But Taytum took me a minute to warm up to admittedly. While I understood her struggle with the Type 1 diabetes diagnosis, I couldn’t understand her petulant and almost blasé attitude to it at first. She does everything, it seems, to not take it seriously at first. Until a hospital visit forces a much needed dose of reality. And Ford comes to the rescue.

What begins as Ford helping Taytum experience college dating outside of her brother’s strict sheltering, soon turns to something much more. But boy did I love their fumbling through this experience. Taytum is desperate to get out from the shadow of her big brother’s overprotectiveness that has foiled all male interest and dating prospects in high school. She doesn’t want her diabetes to stop her life and she wants to experience going out and getting guys and hooking up. Her brother’s best friend is her unlikely partner in crime. The only problem? The chemistry that just so happens to brew between these two.

Why her? Why now?” I peer over my shoulder at my best friend. “How could there be anyone else when she exists?”

And while I’m not usually a fan of seeing the MCs dating others, it just worked for me here. Yes Tay had some chemistry with a certain secondary character who I hope will get a book later in the series, but it was nothing in comparison to what sizzles between her and Ford. And the more each of them fought it, the more invested I became.

This was a slow burn that had me wanting to shake both Ford and Tay at times, but when it finally happened, WOWZA. It was worth every agonizing minute of the wait. I’m seriously so obsessed with this series and can’t wait for the next book!

 

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/

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Review: Cage of Ice and Echoes by Pam Godwin

April 23, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

CAGE OF ICE AND ECHOES
Series: Frozen Fate #2
Genre: Dark Romance, Why Choose
Author: Pam Godwin 
Release Date: April 23, 2024

Frankie’s story continues in this second book in the Frozen Fate trilogy by Pam Godwin.

Frankie and her ruthless protectors conquered unspeakable evil. But their fight to escape the hills of shivers and shadows is far from over.
Stranded in Alaska, survival becomes paramount against starvation, hypothermia, and the dangerous predators lurking outside their isolated cabin.
Sharing precious body heat with her viciously possessive men presents another challenge. She must navigate not only the brutal arctic tundra but also the intricacies of polyamorous love to ensure they make it out alive.
Tensions rise as the ice thickens, and their only hope rests on a plane they can’t fly.
Unless they unlock the secrets hidden beneath its wings in a cage of ice and echoes.

Tropes: Adult Romance, Age Gap, Alpha Hero, Angsty, Band of Brothers, Billionaire, Boy Obsessed, Close Proximity, Enemies-to-lovers, First Love, Fish out of Water, Forbidden Love, Forced Proximity, Found Family, Heroine in Danger, Menage, MFM, One Bed, Poly (3+ people), Protector, Romantic Suspense, Scars, Stalker, Starting Over, Stranded Together, Survival, Taboo, Touch Her And Die, Tragic Past, Troubled Marriage, Unrequited Love, Virgin Hero, Why Choose, Will They or Won’t They

AMAZON 

I’m bound by heartstrings to two souls, brothers in name, family in blood, rivals in love, united in their resolve to protect one thing. Me.

How? How does Pam Godwin do this? Every. Single. Time. She manages to weave pure addictive magic into her words and fully captivate her readers in a story that’s as gripping as it is unforgettable.

After the painful cliffhanger in book one, I was itching to get my hands on the second installment of this trilogy. I think my hands were legit shaking when I started this book because I was both eager for answers at the same time that I almost dreaded them.

Made by God and raised by the devil, he’s a formidable force of nature, devastatingly handsome, looming over me, stealing all my air.

Now book one was thick, and I mean THICK. And this book was no shorter. And yet, every word packed a meaning. There wasn’t one wasted sentence, page, or chapter. All of it weaving an intricate tale of survival, love beyond all odds, and a dark undercurrent that practically vibrates with the energy hidden within these pages.

Here, in their embrace, I have the entire world wrapped around me. Because my entire world is them.

There is an additional POV added into this book that I am wholly obsessed with. But I also have no idea what end is up any longer. Every time I think I fugue out something, I’m left with even more answers. The intricate details of this story are simply unparalleled. Kody, Leo and Frankie are stranded, starving, and in a desperate bid to survive the brutal elements of the arctic. Amongst the frozen and bare land, desperation, and starvation, the bond between these three continues to grow. And god but I loved the fierce protectiveness these men have for Frankie. Almost as much as I loved how fierce Frankie is in everything she survives and does for these men.

When I tell you I love you, it isn’t out of habit or because I think you need to hear it. I say it to remind the world that you’re irreplaceable, and it will suffer my eternal goddamn wrath if anything happens to you.”

As long as this book was, I devoured it. I couldn’t put it down for even a minute. I was desperately turning the pages only to get to the end with my jaw firmly rooted to the floor. I am shooketh. I am unwell. I am DESPERATE for the conclusion.

If you’re looking for an incredibly well written dark romance that is weaved with suspense, beautiful propose, and a story so additive that you will actually see it unravel behind your eyes as you read, you need this in your life. TRUST ME.

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Pam Godwin, lives in the Midwest with her husband, their two children, and a foulmouthed parrot. When she ran away, she traveled fourteen countries across five continents, attended three universities, and married the vocalist of her favorite rock band.
 
Java, tobacco, and dark romance novels are her favorite indulgences, and might be considered more unhealthy than her aversion to sleeping, eating meat, and dolls with blinking eyes.
 
Facebook Reader Group: here
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Review: The Villains We Make by Natasha Knight

April 23, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

THE VILLAINS WE MAKE
Series: Heroes & Villains Duet #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Natasha Knight
Release Date: April 23, 2024

You can’t marry him if you’re already married to me.

That was how Silas Cruz proposed to me—more like demanded, really. He didn’t exactly give me a choice.

He’s dark, jealous and incredibly possessive.

And he’s just one of the villains in my story.

I used to think he was my hero.

Still, there’s one thing I know for sure. Whenever I need him, whenever I’m in danger, he comes for me. He’s proven that time and time again.

Now, the game has changed, the stakes life and death.

But loving Silas may be the most dangerous thing for me. Because he’s the man who holds my heart in the palm of his hand.

AMAZON 

I don’t need you to rescue me anymore, Silas.”
“I will always rescue you, Ophelia.”

I couldn’t think of a more perfect conclusion to this stunning duet. Natasha Knight is forever and always the queen of the “my wife” romance. Fight me on it.

The Villains We Make takes off immediately where the jaw dropping cliffhanger of The Heroes We Break ended. Silas is determined to protect Ophelia at all costs, even if it’s from herself and she believes him to be the villain in her story. The way I fell head over heels for this fiercely protective man is not surprising. Silas may have a dark and brooding intensity to him that makes him dangerous, but the man also has a heart of gold that makes him irresistible. The way that he fights for Ophelia melted my cold black heart.

Ophelia really came into her own in this book. She may be younger than Silas but she’s not naive or foolish. She’s fierce and protective in her own right. And the way she rides for her man made me love her so much more, especially with that ending.

The mystery of Ophelia’s past finally unravels and while parts I was able to predict, a particular plot twist caught me completely by surprise and left me with my jaw on the floor. This duet was addictive with enough steam to set my kindle on fire. I binge read it in one sitting, both needing all the answers and dreading being done with these characters.

This duet is exactly why Natasha is my auto buy author; absolute book crack!

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Review: Learn Your Lesson by Kandi Steiner

April 19, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

LEARN YOUR LESSON
Series: Kings of the Ice #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kandi Steiner
Release Date: April 19, 2024

My mother only wanted me to learn one lesson growing up…
Men are trash.

Her father left her, and then my father left us. Being raised by her and my grandmother, I was surrounded by the reminder to be independent and guard my heart.

After my one and only experience with a boy in college fell flatter than a pancake, I realized they were right — and I was content to live the life of a twenty-six-year-old cat lady.

Until Will Perry blew my quiet world to smithereens.

Starting goalie for the Tampa Bay Ospreys and the kind of hot that scrambles your brain, all I was ever supposed to be to him was his daughter’s kindergarten teacher. Then, in a twist of events, his temporary nanny.

But temporary turns to permanent, and when I move into his pool house, everything changes.

He’s impossibly grumpy and focused on only two things: hockey, and taking care of his daughter. I’m only focused on using this new income to pay back my student loans.

But in that house, I feel his heated gaze beneath that permanent scowl, the way it lingers and warms my skin. And though I know my mother would lose her mind if she knew, my dreams have become midnight fantasies about my long-haired, muscle-lined mystery of a boss.

When the tension becomes too much, we break, and we make a deal.

He still needs a nanny. I still need a paycheck and for my matriarchy to not disown me. But Will agrees to teach me everything I’ve always wanted to learn, and I’m all too eager to be his student.

I can do this. I’m a grown woman. I can explore my sexuality with the hottest goalie on earth and still remain one-hundred percent professional. And I can definitely do it all without catching feelings.

I have to.

Otherwise, I’ll end up heartbroken in my mother’s arms while she shakes her head and asks me if I’ll ever learn my lesson.

___________________________________________

TROPES:
Pro Hockey Romance
Single Dad/Nanny
Forced Proximity
Spicy Lessons
Grumpy Sunshine
Age Gap
Opposites Attract
Found Family

___________________________________________

Learn Your Lesson is book three in the Kings of the Ice series: a series of interconnected standalones following a team of professional hockey players and the women who bring them to their knees. They do not need to be read in order, but you will gain glimpses of future characters/couples in each book.

AMAZON 

What do you want to learn?” he mused, skating the back of his knuckles along my neck before tracing them across my collarbone.
My eyelids fluttered, breath catching in my throat, nipples hardening to a point beneath my sweater. “Everything,” I breathed.

My. Whole. Heart. Right. Now.

OMG! This was the perfect combination of delicious spice with heart fluttering romance and I am in love with Daddy P and Chloe!!

“I’ll walk you to your car.” I waved him off as I stood upright again. “That won’t be necessary.” “I apologize if that came out like a question,” he said, and the way he was looking at me, I knew better than to argue.

Now first of all, I am wholly embarrassed to admit that this was my first Kandi Steiner book. And I plan on rectifying my oversight immediately by binging on her entire backlist, starting with the rest of this series. I am a sucker for a spicy hockey romance and this one just hit the mark at every turn of the page.

Will Perry, aka Daddy P stole my entire heart. This grumpy professional hockey player and goalie, widower, and single dad was tugging at every heart string I have. I fell head over heels from page one. There’s just something about his quiet brooding and closed off heart that just spoke to me. After losing his best friend and wife tragically, his little girl and his job are his world. He’s not looking to put himself out there again.

Chloe is a quirky and sweet school teacher who’s not looking for love either. Growing up with a single mother and grandmother who taught her to always rely on herself and that no man can be trusted or relied on, she’s learned to be a fiercely independent woman. But one very forgettable sexual encounter also made sure that she wasn’t all that curious either. Until a grumpy hockey player and her student’s father made her experience a yearning she’s never known.

Will has cycled through one unreliable nanny after another. So when Chloe comes to the rescue after yet another nanny leaves him high and dry, he decides to ask her for help, which she happily offers. She’s already enamored by his little girl, so becoming her nanny and the ridiculous pay that Will offers is definitely no hardship. But living in his house, seeing him every day, and the undeniable attraction she has to the man who couldn’t be more unavailable is not as easy to deal with. SO when he offers they give into their mutual attraction with no strings attached, she jumps at the chance. And finally experience what all the hype is about when it comes to sex and passion. And the silent and broody man? Has a dirty mouth of a sex god. MY GOD.

When I tell you that devoured this book and yet tried to savor every page, I mean I equally couldn’t turn the pages fast enough and yet dreaded being done. I loved these two together. I absolutely adored Ava and seeing her relationship with Chloe and seeing her coming more and more out of her shell. I love watching Chloe break through Will’s hard shell and seeing him smile and open up. And I absolutely loved watching Will unwillingly fall harder and harder for Chloe.

If you’re looking for a spicy hockey romance with plenty of depth, emption, and a sizzle, this is sure to hit the spot. 

She had to know I was holding back. She had to understand that I wanted her so fucking badly I was making myself sick trying to refrain from giving in. And if she didn’t know, if she was waiting for me to say it… How could I tell her the truth, when I wasn’t even ready to admit it to myself?
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Review: Pirate Girls by Penelope Douglas

April 12, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

PIRATE GIRLS
Series: Hellbent #2
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: Penelope Douglas
Release Date: April 12, 2024

She’s the daughter of Jared Trent. He’s the son of Madoc Caruthers…

Kade and Hunter Caruthers.

Brothers. Twins.

My cousins.

In a way, they’re my family. Protective. Indulgent. My best friends. But there was something else there, too. That ever-present whisper that reminded me more as I got older that we didn’t actually share any blood.

They used to be inseparable. We all were, but not anymore. I don’t know why Hunter left or why he joined a rival team in Weston—that Rebel town across the river—to stand on the opposite side of the field from his brother, but Kade is out for blood now and Hunter has finally decided to engage.

Rivalry Week.

Parades. Parties. Pranks.

And the Prisoner Exchange.

Weston will send a hostage to our school, and they’re taking me. I’m Hunter’s for two weeks. In a dilapidated brownstone on a nearly abandoned street with almost no supervision.

Ten days in an enemy school. Fourteen nights in a town full of bullies with no curfews and no rules.

And Hunter has no intention of protecting his little cousin anymore.

The Pirates will come for me. How can they not? A Pirate never sits out on the fun.

But I never needed protection or rescue, because a Pirate never runs, either.

*PIRATE GIRLS is a new adult romance suitable for readers 18+

AMAZON 

 

You were never anyone else’s but mine,” I tell her.

What is it about Penelope Douglas books that always feel like coming home? I loved Falls Boys but I was head over heels with Pirate Girls.

Now if you haven’t read Falls Boys yet, trust me and read it first. This is a series that absolutely must be read in order because while each couple has their own book, there is an overarching story arc that continues throughout the series, much like Penelope’s Devil’s Night series. But better yet, do yourself a favor and read the Fall Away series first. You would appreciate the spinoff that much better. Trust me on this.

So considering that Jared Trent (Bully) and Madoc Caruthers (Rival) were my favorite guys from Fall Away, you better believe I couldn’t wait to get to their kids stories. Watching Jared Trent go through the trials of being a girl dad? Delicious. But I digress.

All Dylan dreams of is following her father’s racing footsteps. But her overprotective father wants none of it. And is it any surprise that Jared’s daughter is just as hard headed as her father and as spirited and tenacious as her mother? I think not. All of her life, she’s loved the Caruthers twins. Kade and Hunter may be identical in looks, but they couldn’t be more different. When Hunter leaves to join a rival school, Dylan doesn’t understand why. She’s been trying to get in touch with him for months, for Hunter to leave her on read. But when Rival week rolls around, suddenly Dylan finds herself as the captive in the game and on Hunter’s new stomping grounds.

This book was THICK but when I tell you I binge read it, I couldn’t stop. The slow burn with Dylan and Hunter was absolutely everything. I love the two of them together. Dylan’s fierceness with Hunter’s sweetness was perfection. I adored Hunter and his heart of gold. He feels everything so deep, including rivalry, revenge, and the love he tries to deny for Dylan. It’s a breath of fresh air to get an MMC who isn’t a f-boy, though his twin will surely make up for that in his book.

I want her in my arms, smiling at me. She’s the place I feel most alive.

I love the combination of sweet and dirty talker. I cannot gush enough about Hunter. He was absolute perfection.

My gaze darts between him and the vibrator. “What are you doing?”
“I owe you a birthday present.” He runs the vibrator under the scalding hot water, and maybe he’s warming it, but he’s definitely sanitizing it. Is he…? My mouth falls open.
“And what are you giving me?”
He turns off the water and uses the towel to dry off the shaft. Then he closes the distance between us. “A really good memory.”

There is an overarching mystery that continues from book one and when the plot thickens, it thickens. And omg does Pen drop a plot twist with this one. My jaw was on the floor reading it.

For those who have read Credence, you’ll appreciate the cameo of Noah in this book and I sincerely hope his book will be part of the series because I need it. But I digress.

If you’re looking for an addictive New Adult romance with multilayered, incredible character, an unputdownable story, and a romance that will own your heart from page one, read this book. Pen’s books are my crack and the sneak peak into the next book? I’m not sure how I’ll survive the wait because I’ve been waiting for this story for years. YEARS. 

Penelope Douglas is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Her books have been translated into fifteen languages and include The Fall Away Series, The Devil’s Night Series, and the stand-alones, Misconduct, Punk 57, Birthday Girl, and Credence. Please look for Tryst Six Venom and Motel, as well as the Hellbent series, coming next!

She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and their daughter.

     
AUTHOR LINKS
 
Website: http://natasha-knight.com
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/natasha-knight
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natashaknightauthor
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1752075498339742
Newsletter: http://natasha-knight.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natashaknightromance

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Review: Forgive Me For My Sins by Angel Anders

April 12, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

FORGIVE ME FOR MY SINS
Series: In The Carolinas #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Angel Anders
Release Date: April 12, 2024

A married socialite escaping her husband.
A tormented priest running from his past.
A forbidden love that will consume them both.

Avery’s husband has been unfaithful. While trying to come to terms with her new reality, a man hidden in the shadows of her church catches her attention.

It turns out the man is the new priest everyone’s been expecting, Father Lachlan O’Connell. Only he’s nothing like what she thought he’d be. He is sin personified, and her every fantasy come to life.

They both know there’s a palpable attraction between them that they can’t act on. He’s off-limits, and she’s trying to divorce her husband. Working on the upcoming church gala together is going to be the ultimate test.

What happens when they give into temptation?

AMAZON 

I don’t think having Avery be just my friend is an option anymore. I think I’d like to keep her for myself.

Look, if you know me, you know I love a good taboo/forbidden read. And when a bookish friend releases a book that has a priest falling for his parishioner? I’m all over it.

Now have I read my fair share of this trope, without a doubt. But I did love the unique spin that Angel put on this story with both Father Lachlan and Avery. Avery is an unfulfilled trophy wife who thought she was marrying the man of her dreams, only to realize that she ignored every red flag that showed his true colors. Now she finds herself in a loveless marriage to a narcissist and to add insult to cliche injury, she finds out he’s cheating on her with his assistant.

Lachlan is a man running from his past and has found salvation in priesthood. But when he spots Avery for the first time, it shakes the very foundation of him. She becomes temptation personified and when she doesn’t shy from admitting her connection to him, she becomes his damnation.

Now the story itself could have used a little bit more polish. But with this being a debut, I didn’t dwell on this much. My one quibble is the repetitive nature of the taboo element. When I’m reading a forbidden romance, I want to feel the forbidden elements. But here, the amount of times we get reminded of Lachlan’s priesthood did begin to wear on me after a while. I also wished there was more relationship development. While the characters are well developed and multilayered, I couldn’t help but feel that their connection was more driven by sex than anything else. The spice was great, but at points of the story it also began to be more of a distraction.

For a debut novel, this was fantastic and I can’t wait to see Angel grow into her own because she definitely has a a great start to a series with this book. If you’re looking to dip your toe into the forbidden genre but want it a bit lighter, this a great book. If you’re looking for a spicy romance with a dirty talking priest, this will definitely hit the spot.

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Review: The Heroes We Break by Natasha Knight

April 9, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

THE HEROES WE BREAK
Series: Heroes & Villains Duet #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Natasha Knight
Release Date: April 9, 2024

She doesn’t belong to me.

I am the illegitimate son, unwanted and despised.

Ophelia Hart is the girl next door. I’ve watched her grow up. And rescued her countless times from my half-brother.

I’ve been gone from her life for two years and when I run into her again, she’s no longer a girl.

Only problem is, she’s wearing his ring on her finger.

But there’s always been something between us. I’ve always been her protector. Especially when it comes to him. And that pull is stronger than ever.

She no longer thinks me the hero of her story, though.

But I know something she doesn’t. A secret from her past. And she’s in danger.

She’ll fight me.

I’ll fight for her.

If she hates me for what I have to do, so be it.

Because there is no way in hell I will let my half-brother have her.

AMAZON 

“I used to think you were some kind of hero growing up, you know that?” she says, voice sad, tears streaming. “But heroes break. And you’re broken, Silas. You’re so broken that you’ve become the villain of your own story.”

What is it about Natasha’s writing that is total book crack each and every single time? And this book was certainly no exception. I devoured it in a matter of hours and am now at a loss of what to do with myself until the conclusion.

At first I was a little worried after reading the blurb that this would be a love triangle. But it’s the furthest thing from it and I’m so invested.

Ophelia Hart is the sweet girl next door. When her family moves next door to the Fox’s, two boys come into her life; Ethan Fox, the toxic, selfish, rich boy and Silas Cruz, his illegitimate half brother that the family doesn’t claim. The tension between the two boys is evident, and it only grows worse through the years. The story is told in numerous flashbacks from present adult Ophelia, to the progression of her relationship with the two boys over the years from her teens.

The adult Ophelia finds herself in a strange situation of being engaged to a man who doesn’t love and her beloved father behind bars for what she never imagined him doing. And Silas Cruz? He’s determined to save her despite the mysterious animosity he carries for Ophelia from years past. As the reader turns the page, you learn more about what took place between these two and you fall more and more for them even when the odds are stacked against them.

Adult Silas is no longer the boy who was willing to take abuse from his father to protect his beloved mother. He’s a man who found success and money on his own and is so desperate for revenge against those who wronged him, that he can practically taste it. And Ophelia? She’s the key to it all.

The chemistry is incendiary and the story is suspenseful with a splash of grit and I am wholly obsessed! I can’t wait for the conclusion because that cliffhanger was absolutely painful.

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Review: Wild Love by Elsie Silver

April 9, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

WILD LOVE
Series: Rose Hill #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Elsie Silver
Release Date: April 9, 2024

Rosie Belmont has been driving me wild for years. The good kind of wild. The bad kind of wild. But mostly the kind of wild that comes with wanting your best friend’s little sister and knowing you can’t have her.

After living in the city, she comes blasting back into Rose Hill like a storm. Beautiful, messy, and chaotic.

And one wide-eyed desperate plea for a job is all it takes for me to hire her.

Forbes may have labelled me the World’s Hottest Billionaire but all I care about is opening my new recording studio. Something that comes to a screeching halt when I end up face-to-face with a young girl who claims I’m her biological father.

Now I spend my days balancing business with parenting a sullen twelve-year-old all while trying desperately to keep my hands the hell off my best friend’s little sister.

I vow to keep Rosie at arm’s length. I try to stick to scowls and grumpy one-liners. But with her verbal sparring is merely foreplay—friction that turns to blistering heat.

I know damn well I shouldn’t cross that line.

But shouldn’t and can’t are two very different things.

And the only thing I truly can’t do is resist her.

AMAZON 

I’m unaccustomed to not getting what I want. And I want Rosie Belmont. It has become downright torturous pretending I don’t.

The way I have been waiting for this spinoff and I can hardly believe it’s in my grabby little hands. Did I love it? YES. Am I already dying for more in this series absolutely!

Now if you’ve read Elsie’s Chestnut Springs series, you’re going to be obsessed with this spin off. And the MMC is Willa’s brother from Heartless (my favorite in that series) so obviously I immediately loved him. This is a bit of a different and unique spin on the single dad trope but I’ll get to that in a second.

Ford is the quintessential nice guy. A boy who took his awkward teenager years and made himself a successful billionaire in adulthood without losing any of the wonderful qualities about himself. Rosie is his best friend’s little sister and his teenage crush. He hasn’t seen her in years but when she shows up in his town, it brings all those feelings right back for him. And oh my god the pining! The pining was so good.

Rosie moved to the city to make herself a success. But when she stands up for herself to her grabby boss, she finds herself jobless and licking her wounds in the small town she grew up in. I absolutely loved Rosie. I loved her tenacity, her perseverance, and her sass. She things that her and Ford hate each other and no one knows about her pining. But turns out the pining is quite mutual and their chemistry is incendiary. I loved their sassy fighting almost as much as I loved when they gave into the inevitable.

Stop playing that game with me. We’re not kids anymore.”
“What game?”
“The one where we pretend to hate each other.” S
he tips her chin up defiantly. “You do hate me. That’s our safe place. You have to hate me. It’s easier that way.”
I shake my head, molars grinding. “I definitely don’t hate you, Rosie. Not even close. But I can fuck you like I do if that’s what you need.”

When Ford offers Rosie a job at his label, this only brings them closer together and suddenly their sassy barbs turn into something so much more.

The single parent part of this book was rather unique and I really loved the way that Elsie wrote it. I adored Cora; she was such an endearing secondary character who brought everything together so flawlessly. She was the perfect addition to an already wonderful story and I loved it!

If you’re an Elsie fan and enjoyed her Chestnut Springs series, you will certainly fall in love with Rose Hill. And if you haven’t had the pleasure of reading this author yet, this is a perfect book to start with. A sassy heroine, a sweet and caring man with a dirty mouth and a heart of gold, wonderful secondary characters, small town feel, and a swoony romanced with plenty of sizzle. What more could you want?

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