Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: Iron Crowne by CD Reiss

November 20, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

IRON CROWNE
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Author: CD Reiss
Release Date: November 15, 2019

A new enemies-to-lovers standalone.

Byron Crowne is a charming liar and a gorgeous monster.
I detest him.
I can’t resist him.
He’s awakened desires I didn’t know I had.
When he touches me, I need to fight him . . . and I need him to win.
Our one night stand bruises my skin and leaves dents in the walls, but the sheets aren’t the only thing we shred that night.
And suddenly, the stakes are higher than ever.

Olivia Monroe lights a fire in me that died a long time ago.
I’m a different man when I’m with her. I need to own her, take her, mark her as mine.
Everything changes when she might be pregnant and for the first time in my life…I’m powerless against this stubborn, untamable woman.
She’s the one in control and I have an impossible job:
Prove I’m worthy to be a father.

Download your copy today read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

AMAZON | AMAZON PAPERBACK

Listen now on Audio: https://amzn.to/2qPXcfY

Narrated by: Elena Wolfe and Sebastian York

“Why should I sleep with you?” I cross-examined the witness. It was the only way to manage Byron.

He considered his cup as if committing to his goal, then studied the way my finger tapped the counter as if choosing a strategy, then pondered my face as he decided on his tactic.

“Because you’re wet already,” he said with a deep knowledge of what aroused women looked like. “Because you want what I can give you. Your head hasn’t even acknowledged it, but your body knows.”

“That’s—” I was going to end in a denial, but my nipples were hard. “—not relevant. You and I don’t make sense.”

“That’s correct.” He gulped tea. I left my cup on the counter, refusing the challenge. “We are a disaster. You despise me too much to want a relationship and just enough to turn you on. And from what I can tell, you don’t want to get involved enough to force an ethical quandary. So, if you agree in principal, I have a proposal.”

Agreeing in principle meant revealing how badly my body ached for him.

Disagreeing meant never satisfying that ache.

“I agree in principal.”

“My proposal is one night. One full night…”

I could commit to that, and I was about to when he continued.

“…where I own your body.”

“Wait.”

“You let me own you when we fuck. You come when I say. You obey me without hesitating. That’s what you want and you know it.”

My cheeks prickled, radiating the heat of my shame.

“No, then.” I pushed my cup away. “It’s never been like that. I’ve had three long relationships and a couple of flings but never—”

“—really enjoyed it.”

It was all lies… even when he spoke the truth, he lied.

He was a mixed message. A loophole in a rock-solid contract. The coexistence of lies and truths.


*looks around the room desperately*

Oh, excuse me. I can’t write my review right now. I’m too busy looking for my ovaries. Those suckers exploded about 40% into this book and I haven’t seen them since. I don’t know whether to send CD Reiss a thank you or my medical bill. I’m leaning towards the former, though, since the woman did give me Lord Byron. And oh hubbah hubbah! *insert drooling emoji here*

Oh how I’ve missed CD Reiss books. It’s been way too long since I indulged and this book really served as an incredible reminder about what made me fall in love with her writing in the first place. The woman can take pure filth and write it with poetic prose. She can also create some of the most enigmatic alpha men I’ve read to date. And let me tell you, it just doesn’t get more enigmatic than Byron Crowne.

Flattery is such a blunt tool, Mr. Crowne.”
“Call me Byron. Please.”
“You can call me Ms. Monroe.”

It’s no secret that I love me a good enemies to lovers romance and this one seriously delivered. You have two sharp witted adversaries pitted against each other in the line of their work. Olivia and Byron had an instant chemistry the second they appear on the pages together. Byron is everything I love in a good alpha; arrogant, demanding but with a shadowed painful past. Olivia is a woman after my own heart. She’s rabid when it comes to winning and pitted against the likes of Byron, the sparks fly immediately.

Friends, this story was hot. And I mean it was SERIOUSLY hot. Granted some of the descriptions were a tad out there for my persona tastes. But I couldn’t care less considering the story was riveting. Everything about this story sizzled; the characters like live wires drawn to each other while they both stand to lose everything.

But if you’re thinking there’s only one Crowne, you’re mistaken. There’s siblings. And I’m already rabid to get my hands on Logan’s book. But I digress. This book? Everything I could hope for from one of my favorite authors. A sizzling page turner that I absolutely devoured from beginning to end. I’m so here for this series, it’s not even funny. I can’t wait for more!

CD Reiss is a New York Times bestseller. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn’t pick up she’s at the well hauling buckets.

Born in New York City, she moved to Hollywood, California to get her master’s degree in screenwriting from USC. In case you want to know, that went nowhere but it did give her a big enough ego to write novels.

She’s frequently referred to as the Shakespeare of Smut which is flattering but hasn’t ever gotten her out of chopping that cord of wood.

If you meet her in person, you should call her Christine.

 

Connect with CD Reiss

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2iwpkPQ

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cd-reiss
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CDReiss.writer/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cdreisswriter
Instagram: https://instagram.com/cdreiss/
Website: www.cdreiss.com
Stay up to date with Christine by joining her mailing list: https://cdreiss.com/cd-reiss-mailing-list-signup/

Sign for new release and sale alerts: https://cdreiss.com/NewReleaseSaleAlerts

Sign up to hear exclusively about audio releases and sales: https://cdreiss.com/AudioAlerts

For Text Alerts: TEXT “CDREISS” to 77948

*standard text messaging rates apply*

ENTER TO WIN a $100 Amazon Gift Card

Giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9624c9da38/?

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Dirty Talkers, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: , ,

Review: In The Unlikely Event by LJ Shen

November 19, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT
Genre: Contemporary
Author: LJ Shen
Release Date: November 19, 2019

????????? ??? ???? ?????? ?ℎ? ??? ??? ?? ?ℎ?? ?????, ?? ??? ???? ?ℎ?? ? ???? ?? ?????.

A one-night stand born from vengeance in a foreign land.
An explosive chemistry neither of us could deny.
We signed a contract on the back of a Boar’s Head Pub napkin that said if we ever met again, we would drop everything and be together.
Eight years and thousands of miles later, he’s here.
In New York.
And he’s America’s music obsession.
The intangible Irish poet who brings record executives to their knees.
The blizzard in my perfect, unshaken snow globe.
Last time we spoke, he was a beggar with no intention of becoming a king.
But a king he became, and now I’m his servant.
I’m not the same broken princess Malachy Doherty put back together with his callused hands.
I have a career I love.
A boyfriend I adore.
An apartment, a roommate, a life.
I changed. He changed, too.
But Mal kept the napkin.
Question is, will I keep my word?

AMAZON 

All is fair in love and war, and I’m certainly prepared for battle

This book came out of left field and slapped me over the head with all of the feels. This is so completely different from anything I’ve read by LJ to date. A unique and angsty emotional roller coaster that was addictive from beginning to finish.

If there’s one thing that I’ve come to expect from LJ Shen, it’s her knack for the unexpected, and ITUE was definitely unexpected. If you’re fans of second chance romance that offers up angst with a splash of humor, this will deliver on all fronts.

Malachy Doherty came into Rory’s life like a silent storm. She didn’t see him coming. They shared a steamy short-lived romance and a promise on a napkin that would be put to the test years later when they crash into each other’s worlds again. Malachy was an enigma that I couldn’t get enough of. He goes from sweet and enigmatic to aloof and cruel in the span of the eight years they spent apart. But when he sees Rory again, it doesn’t matter that she has a new life and a boyfriend. He’s determined to make her hold up her end of the bargain that she signed away on a napkin in a pub years ago. If they see each other again, all bets are off.

In The Unlikely Event blends quirky humor with emotion and angst flawlessly. It gives us a brooding rockstar and a sassy heroine that will bring him to his knees. It delivers on a second chance romance full of feels that I adored from beginning to end; addictive in a way that LJ Shen has now perfected in her writing.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Spun Out by Lorelei James

November 5, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

SPUN OUT
Series: Blacktop Cowboys #10
Genre: Contemporary, Western Romance
Author: Lorelei James
Release Date: November 5, 2019

New York Times bestselling author Lorelei James returns for another wild ride in Wyoming with a new Blacktop Cowboys® novel.

Years in the Army equipped Bailey Masterson for many things: target shooting, rappelling off cliffs, dodging grenades. She’s lived through horrors that still give her nightmares. But nothing in Bailey’s life-or-death training prepared her for caring for the tiny terror that is five-year-old Olivia Hale. Or how to control her raging attraction to Olivia’s father, Streeter, the rugged, green-eyed cattle rancher who undermines her every move even when he stars in her dreams.

Streeter Hale has room for only two things in his life: his daughter and his job. He doesn’t date. He doesn’t get attached. Not anymore. So not only is Streeter stunned by Olivia’s improved behavior after just a few days with Bailey, he’s downright floored by his immediate attraction to the woman. But with secrets in her eyes and a body that doesn’t quit, Streeter begins to worry that Bailey Masterson might just be the one woman to heal his fractured family and broken heart.

One thing’s for sure–these two wrecked souls are spinning out of control as they desperately try not to fall in love…

AMAZON


You can show me those dark corners of yourself and I’ll help you shine a light on them, deal with them, chase them the fuck away without you havin’ to fear that I’ll abandon you when you need me the most. Ain’t happenin’, sweetheart. Ever.”

Oh.
My.
Heart.

This beautiful romance completely captured my heart and I never want it back. If single dads are your catnip, prepare to hand your heart and ovaries to Streeter Hale. There’s something so incredibly sweet and endearing about this man. And it’s not just his love for his adorable and rambunctious little girl. Streeter isn’t a man that’s been around the block. He married his high school sweetheart only to lose her in the worst way possible. Years later, the shadow of her death still follows him and his daughter’s inability to connect to anyone but him is a daily reminder of everything that’s he’s done wrong. My heart broke for this man and everything he’s been through. There’s this quiet intensity to him that you can’t help but fall in love with.

Bailey is a soldier that used the army to escape her not so sunny childhood. She may have a good relationship with her sisters, but even they don’t know all of the secrets that she’s determined to hide. Steeter and Bailey immediately clash, but underneath the glares and barbs, there’s an undercurrent of attraction.

When it becomes evident that the rambunctious kids in their circle of family and friends can use someone like Bailey to give them some structure and discipline, Bailey sticks around longer than she expected to run a summer camp. It doesn’t take long for her to fall for the sweet little girl with too much energy and sass right along with her sinfully sexy daddy.

I mean, y’all. This book. I don’t even have words. Sexy. Swoony. Emotionally gripping. Touching. Heartwarming. Tearjerker. Ok, so maybe I do have words?. But seriously. This romance was just everything. I loved the slight role reversal of Bailey being the one that really pursues Streeter and is more sexually experienced. I loved Streeter’s sweet side and the way he peels back Bailey’s layers effortlessly. I loved watching their hot and short-planned affair bloom into something neither of them expected.

This book touches on several deep and highly emotional subjects and I thought that the author handled them perfectly. She didn’t shy away from the ugly details and the ramifications of them. She takes the issues head on and throws the reader right in with the characters. It was perfectly written. There’s plenty of sizzle in typical Lorelei fashion, but it was so much more than just a romance. It was a beautiful story about second chances and finding love when you least expect it. It was yet another amazing addition to one of my favorite series and just another reason why I will never tire of this woman’s writing. Ten books into the series and they just continue to get better and better!

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Cowboys · Tagged With: ,

Review & Giveaway: Hold On To Hope by AL Jackson

November 2, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

HOLD ON TO HOPE
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: AL Jackson
Release Date: October 28, 2019

A best friends-to-lovers, stand-alone romance from New York Times Bestselling Author, A.L. Jackson . . .

Evan Bryant wasn’t your typical hero.

But he was mine.

Broken by the worlds’ standards, he was still the strongest boy I would ever know.

My best friend. The boy I’d given everything to. My heart, my body, and the promise of forever.

The day I’d needed him most, he walked away.

He left me shattered and questioning the love I’d thought we’d shared.

 

Three years later, I wasn’t prepared for him to return to Gingham Lakes.

It wouldn’t have mattered if he wasn’t the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.

My fingers still would have ached to caress his skin.

My body still would have begged to get lost in his touch.

And my heart . . . it would have always sung his name.

But time changes things. With it, secrets that could ruin everything.

Can we find a way to love again, or have the fears of our past stolen the hope of our forever…

AMAZON PAPERBACK | AMAZON EBOOK | AUDIBLE

I don’t know how to be in your space and not want you, Evan. I don’t remember how not to be yours.”

Poignant. Powerful. Gripping. And utterly heart wrenching. AL Jackson knows how to create words that get into her readers souls. I swear. There’s just something about stories that just stick with you. And there is no better example of it than with this book.

Evan first stole my heart a sweet little boy that was battling for his life in Follow Me Back. As a grown man, he was absolutely devastating. He and Frankie Leigh have been thick as thieves since they were just little kids. They were best friends whose love for each other soon evolved from children’s adoration to something so much deeper. But when Frankie thought they would be together forever, Evan broke her heart by leaving town with nothing more than a note.

Now three years later, Evan is back, and all those feelings that Frankie thought she’s finally moved on from come roaring back.

While emotional and angsty, this is very much a sweet friends-to-lovers/second chance romance. Admittedly, sweet isn’t really my thing when it comes down to preference, but there was something so charming about this book that it just worked for me. Maybe it’s the fact that Evan wasn’t your stereotypical hero. He was sweet and intense all at the same time. The love that he had for Frankie was devastating and heart warming all at the same time. I loved watching them find their way back to each other and seeing Evan fight for her. There’s something so incredibly endearing about Evan. His health struggles and all the pain that it brought along with it wasn’t easy to read about. He went through so much as a little boy, and so much of it follows him into adulthood.

There’s one particular plot device that was present here that I typically shy away from, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t diminish some of my enjoyment of this book. Unfortunately, I struggled with this piece of the story for a while. I equal parts understood it and hated it all at once.

But then somewhere around the second half everything just grew on me. And when the plot twist hit? I was all in! It came entirely out of left field and I didn’t see it coming at all. It brought everything in a full circle and just made the book for me.

This was another emotional and beautiful romance from one of my beloved authors that tugged at every heart string I had. I can’t wait for more!

A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.

Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, BLEEDING STARS, FIGHT FOR ME and CONFESSIONS OF THE HEART novels. Grab A.L. Jackson’s latest novel, HOLD ON TO HOPE, a best friends-to-lovers stand-alone romance.

If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.

Be sure not to miss new releases and sales from A.L. Jackson – Sign up to receive her newsletter http://smarturl.it/NewsFromALJackson or text “aljackson” to 33222 to receive short but sweet updates on all the important news.

 

Connect with A.L.

Newsletter | Facebook | Reader Group | Amazon | Bookbub
Twitter: @aljacksonauthor
Instagram: @aljacksonauthor

Don’t miss the awesome giveaway for the Hold on to Hope release!

Enter Here: https://smarturl.it/HOTHReleaseGiveaway

 

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: , , ,

Review: Half Truths by Claire Contreras 

November 1, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

HALF TRUTHS
Series: Secret Society #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Claire Contreras 
Release Date: October 21, 2019

You’ve heard of these groups – the secretive ones that only the crème de la crème are invited into, the ones outsiders speculate about for centuries – I’m the second in my family invited to attend, but to them, I’m fresh meat. New blood. New money, too.

They think they’ll elbow past me, that I’m here for their amusement, for them to walk all over, they’ll find out soon enough that I’m not.

I may look like one of them, with my designer bags and clothes straight from the Parisian runways, but I’m not. I’m here for answers, to take revenge for blood spilled on their centuries-old Persian rugs.

I transferred here in search for answers about what happened to my older brother, who hightailed out of here, and my friend who seemingly disappeared into thin air. I certainly wasn’t here for the attention of the star hockey player, regardless of how much he willed my eyes his way. I wasn’t here for his scrutiny or his judgment or to read into his mysterious aura. I was here for the society, because only they held the answers I needed. That was, until I found out that in order to get those answers, I needed to to go through him. He’s saying if I want in, I have to play by their rules, follow their lead.

It’s a game I’m willing to play.

I may be the second person I know of to be invited into their society, but I’ll be the first to make it out intact.

AMAZON 


I adore Claire Contreras books and the second I read the blurb for this book, I was itching to get my grabby little hands on it. Secret society, deadly secrets, and plenty of twists and turns? Sign. Me. Up.

Claire doesn’t wait to get the reader immediately drawn in with the jaw dropper of a prologue. I was immediately enraptured in this world and these characters.

Amelia Baston is a young woman that’s used to the world of privilege. But even her family’s money won’t get her the answers she desperately craves. A woman disappeared and presumed dead and her brother’s life changed forever. Amelia is left to pick up the pieces and determined to get answers. She transfers to a new school in the hopes of getting to the secret society that she believes hold the answers. There’s just one problem, you don’t find them, they find you.

Logan is one of the most popular guys at school and a star hockey player. Logan and Amelia immediately clash and form an antagonistic sort of relationship with an undercurrent of sexual tension that utterly sizzle. The relationship between them was a slow burn and a delicious one that I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the first half of this book, but then somewhere around the second half, that enjoyment began to sizzle. The biggest selling point of the story for me was the secret society, but we barely graze the surface of it here. I get that it’s a series, but I still felt a bit underwhelmed with it here. It just felt like we were taken in circles and then inevitably taken nowhere. That would have still been fine until the ending. That ending was just entirely too cliched for me. It completely killed the enjoyment of the book I had and entirely took away from the rest of the story elements that were building up to it. Would I read the next book? Absolutely. The hook that we get for the series is ridiculously enticing. So while I didn’t quite love this book, it still hooked me on a new series. Hopefully the next one will get me the answers I’m dying for.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: ,

Review: Desperate Measures by Katee Robert

October 31, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

DESPERATE MEASURES
Series: Wicked Villains #1
Genre: Erotic Romance
Author: Katee Robert
Release Date: May 28, 2019

My Savior… Or My Ruin?

One night, and my entire life went up in flames. All because of him. Jafar.

As my world burned down around me, he offered me a choice.

Walk away with nothing but my freedom… Or rise to his challenge and win my fortune back.

I bargained.

I lost.

Now Jafar owns me, and even as my mind rails against his rules, my body loves the punishments he deals out when I break them.

But a gilded cage is still a prison, I’ll do anything to obtain my freedom.

Even betray the man I’m falling for.

AMAZON 

I want Jasmine confined…
My collar on her neck, its chain never far from my hand.
I want her on her knees in subservience.
I want to fucking ruin her.

Sweet mother of ovaries, what did I just read? How did I not know that Katee Robert had such a dirty side to her? I felt like I should go to confession after reading this, because this was sinfully good.

The premise is delicious; a different take on your favorite disney story but with a deliciously kinky twist. What if the villain got the girl? That’s what you get with Jafar and Jasmine. Except instead of a royal kingdom, Jasmine is the daughter to an crime king. And instead of a goofy and somewhat bumbling good boy, she ends up with the intense, broody, and dominant Jafar.

This was more erotica that romance, and even though I don’t typically gravitate to this genre, this totally hit the spot for me. And to be honest, for the amount of hot kinkery that happens here, there was a surprisingly satisfying amount of story to it. Fans of dub con and the baby girl/daddy thing would totally eat this up. I’m more of the former than the latter, so the daddy thing didn’t quite hit the spot for me so much. However, this was still a highly entertaining and hot as sin read that I devoured from beginning to end.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dirty Talkers, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Gypsy King by Devney Perry

October 29, 2019 by · 2 Comments

GYPSY KING
Series: Tin Gypsy #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Devney Perry
Release Date: October 29, 2019

The former Tin Gypsy motorcycle club has everyone in Clifton Forge, Montana convinced they’ve locked their clubhouse doors and ripped off their patches. Everyone but Bryce Ryan. There’s more happening at the club’s garage than muscle car restorations and Harley rebuilds. Her instincts are screaming there’s a story—one she’s going to tell.

As the new owner of the small town’s newspaper, Bryce is hungry for more than birth announcements and obituaries. When a woman is brutally killed and all signs point to the Tin Gypsies, Bryce is determined to expose the club and their leader, Kingston “Dash” Slater, as murderers.

Bryce bests Dash match after match, disappointed her rugged and handsome opponent turns out to be an underwhelming adversary. Secrets are exposed. Truths defeat lies. Bryce is poised to win this battle in a landslide.

Then Dash breaks all the rules and tips the scales.

One kiss, and she’s fighting to save more than just her story. She’s fighting to save her heart from the Gypsy King.


AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO | AUDIBLE

Regret was the driving force behind this Tin Gypsy story. Remorse was the reason it was so, so important.

I interrupt this very important review to bring you this breaking story:
“Blogger currently kicking her own butt for only now discovering the brilliance of Devney Perry”

Blogger was no available to comment as she was too busy mumbling about living under a rock and being a complete and total idiot. We assume that her next plan of action is to immediately purchase author’s entire backlist and plan a binge. More to come on this story later.

But all joking aside, holy moly! How is this my first book by this author? Because color me totally addicted. This series has completely hooked me and I’m desperate for more!

The second I saw the blurb for this book, I knew it would be my first book by Devney Perry. And let me tell you, I was not disappointed. There’s just something about a strong and sharp witted heroine that just does it for me. Bryce is back in her hometown after discovering that her career as a reporter wasn’t what she truly wanted. Her passion as a journalist returns working for her father’s newspaper. When she learns that Tin Gypsy, shut down their illegal doings years ago, she’s like a dog with a bone to learn the reason why they went legitimate. And when the president of Tin Gypsy is suddenly the main suspect in a brutal murder, she’s determined to break the story.

Dash is happily making a living as a mechanic and leaving the illegal life of Tin Gypsy behind. But then his father is arrested for murder and a sexy journalist is hounding his every step trying to learn his every secret. So what’s a man to do after going head to head with her doesn’t deter her? Work with her.

Dash and Bryce were absolutely sizzling together. The chemistry is instantaneous the second they meet. Bryce is sharp witted and determined and when her and Dash go head to head, sparks fly. What starts as an antagonistic relationship soon sparks into something much more as they investigate what really happened together.

I absolutely LOVED Dash. He’s this wonderful combination of alpha but with a sweet vulnerable side that you can’t help but connect with. Bryce may be tough, but she also hides a soft center that was incredibly endearing. I loved that she gave as hard as she got.

The mystery of the murder unfolds slowly, with plenty of twists and secrets along the way. The story is a bit slow paced in parts, and while it was a touch too slow for me in the mid mark, it picked up enough in the final half to more than make up for it. There’s quite a bit that happens here that doesn’t get fully resolved, so there’s definitely a continuous story arc in the series. I do wish that we got the closure here to make it a true standalone, but I can’t complain too much since I definitely plan to read the series religiously.

I fell in love with Devney Perry’s words and I’m a new fan! I plan on fully binging on her entire backlist, starting with Dash’s brother story in The Clover Chapel. Because second chance romance, YUM!


Devney is a USA Today bestselling author. 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 husband and two sons. 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. Devney loves hearing from readers! Connect with her on social media.

Facebook | Amazon | Instagram | Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest: BookBub: 

 

2 Comments · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: ,

DGRFave & Review: Calico Descending by Keri Lake

October 28, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

CALICO DESCENDING
Series: Juniper Unraveling #2
Genre: Dystopian Romance
Author: Keri Lake
Release Date: October 29, 2019

Sequel to Juniper Unraveling.

I was fourteen when I was sold to the men in black uniforms. Too young to understand I served a purpose beyond that of the other girls they’d taken.

For the greater good.

Now, after four years in Calico, I’ve seen more death and suffering than during my days of surviving out in the Deadlands against the threat of Ragers and famine. I didn’t think this world could get any bleaker. Didn’t think it could take any more from me than it already had.

Not until I finally learned my purpose.

That same day, I walked the dark halls in the bowels of this hell, where the suffering is in silence, and ghosts of the dead whisper through the walls. A place where nightmares are real.

A place where I met my Champion—the most revered Alpha in S-Block—locked away in his dark cell.

For the greater good.

He’s their weapon, their only line of defense against the mistakes of the past: the mutations that could wipe out all of what’s left of us.

Me, I’m his whipping girl. His reward for good behavior.
And his punishment for acts of defiance.

AMAZON 

He is pain and agony wrapped in fire, but his lips are sheer bliss.
He’s the flame that burns inside of me, the single spark that ignites my soul.

I simply cannot describe to you the sheer brilliance that is this book. It’s not your run of the mill romance, it’s so much beyond that. It’s a gripping and vivid tale of pain and survival in a brutal world the likes of which only the evil genius mind of Keri Lake can create. Think Resident Evil meets romance.

Keri Lake created a dangerous, violent and desolate world that’s so vivid, the entire book is like a movie reel unfolding behind your eyes. I thought I loved Juniper Unraveling but Calico Descending absolutely blew me away. The romance that blossoms in the very pits of hell is one of the most stunning stories I’ve read to date. It was torturously beautiful and heart breakingly emotional. Even if you’ve never read Dystopian Romance before, Calico Descending will make a new fan out of you. It’s an absolute must read.

If you’ve read Juniper, then you’ve already been introduced to this dark and evil world that shows the worst of human ambition, survival and depravity. And if you didn’t, I’m not sure what you’re waiting for. But also, you wouldn’t be entirely lost starting with this book. The timeline of the books runs parallel. But where Juniper shows the world outside of Calico, this takes you into the very pits of its darkness.

We get introduced to Cali, a woman that’s been surviving her situation day by day while enduring one terrifying experience after another. Then you also get taken deep into the heart of the Alpha project and meet Valdys, Cadmus and Titus. I don’t want to tell you too much about this story, but prepare yourself for a gut wrenching read. Much like Juniper, this starts as an ember and soon ignites to a fiery conclusion. It’s a slow building, character driven story with plenty of action and a sizzling romance to boot. It was everything I could have hoped from a sequel to one of my all time favorite books and so SO much more!

PRE-ORDER KINGS OF CARRION

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, DGR Favorites · Tagged With: , , ,

Excerpt & Review: Reaper by Larissa Ione

October 20, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

REAPER
Series: Demonica #19
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Larissa Ione
Release Date: October 15, 2019

For love, he’ll watch the world burn.

For revenge, he’ll light the match.

New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione returns to her fan favorite Demonica Series with REAPER, available now!

THE DEMONICA SERIES RETURNS…

He is the Keeper of Souls. Judge, jury, and executioner. He is death personified.

He is the Grim Reaper.

A fallen angel who commands the respect of both Heaven and Hell, Azagoth has presided over his own underworld realm for thousands of years. As the overlord of evil souls, he maintains balance crucial to the existence of life on Earth and beyond. But as all the realms gear up for the prophesied End of Days, the ties that bind him to Sheoul-gra have begun to chafe.

Now, with his beloved mate and unborn child the target of an ancient enemy, Azagoth will stop at nothing to save them, even if it means breaking blood oaths and shattering age-old alliances.

Even if it means destroying himself and setting the world on fire…

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

Lilliana woke to someone tap dancing on her bladder.

Groaning, she rolled over and bumped into Azagoth. Pleasantly surprised that he was still in bed, she ignored her need to pee and curled up against him.

She’d missed this so much while she was gone.

“Good morning,” he murmured, his husky voice even more gravelly than usual.

“Morning.” She snuggled into his shoulder. “I’m surprised you’re not working.”

He yawned. “You wore me out last night.”

Smiling against his skin, she trailed her fingers along the hard ridges and deep valleys of his abs.

“I wanted to show you how grateful I was that you threw me a baby shower.” And she’d done it without getting too active. Eidolon couldn’t begrudge her one orgasm, right?

“Mmm.” He pressed a kiss into her hair. “You must have been very grateful.”

She slid her hand under the sheet and meandered her way to the curve of his hip. She might be a million months into her pregnancy, but her sex drive didn’t care in the least.

“I’m still grateful.”

He hissed as her knuckles brushed his shaft. “Not complaining.”

It truly had been sweet of him to gather together the denizens of Sheoul-gra for a big celebration of food, drink, and games in the traditions of people from the human, demon, and angelic cultures. She’d suffered two more bouts of intense nausea and some cramps, but they’d passed quickly. What hadn’t passed was Azagoth’s concern.

Which was probably why he was still in bed with her.

It was cute the way he hovered. Annoying at times, but cute.

“I just want you to know that you’re my life,” he said. “Without you, I’m a monster.”

“And what are you with me?”

He gave her a rare, boyish grin, made even more playful by his mop of bedhead. “A happy monster.”

“I’m very happy about the happy.” She rubbed her eyes and yawned.

“Things are good, Lil,” he said. “I never thought much about being a partner, let alone a parent, but I want to do these things with you.” He settled his hand on her belly and smiled with wonder. “This will be my first child born without a predetermined future. He or she can be anything. Do anything.”

“Incredible, isn’t it?” She pushed up on one elbow and leaned in to kiss his chest. She’d kissed every inch of him last night. Maybe she’d lick every inch of him this morning. “And our baby will be born to parents who love each other.”

Determined to show him how much she loved him, she kissed her way lower. Her lips whispered over his nipple, but before she could taste him, a cramp wrenched her insides. She sucked in a harsh breath, her hand going to her belly.

“What is it?” Azagoth jackknifed up, his expression dark with worry. “Is it the baby?”

Fierce heat swelled beneath the surface of her skin as her abdomen tightened. “I think it might be Braxton Hicks,” she said between panting breaths.

“What?”

“Cara had them.” Closing her eyes to stop the room from spinning, she eased back onto her pillow. “They’re like practice contractions.”

She didn’t remember Cara complaining about being hot and sweating buckets, though. Another cramp streaked through her, and she moaned. Cara had said they were painful, as if someone were squeezing her intestines.

This was more like someone was driving a red-hot blade through them.

“You’re white as a ghost, Lilli.”

Something’s wrong.

No, nothing was wrong. She was being paranoid.

Azagoth rested his palm on her forehead, testing her temperature. “Are these Hicks things supposed to be like this?”

She heard the panic in his voice but not the words. Her ears were buzzing. Her head was pounding. And, suddenly, a wave of agony wrapped around her and squeezed so hard she screamed. Vaguely, she heard Azagoth call out her name as a warm gush spread between her thighs.

“Lilliana? Lilliana!” His voice droned in and out as the room began to tilt. There was shouting. More pain. Her thoughts fragmented.

And then, finally…nothing.

 

For love, he’ll watch the world burn.
For revenge, he’ll light the match.

Holy christ on a cracker, that was intense!!! Wowza!

Admittedly I’m not a fan of additional books for characters that have already received their HEA, no matter how much I loved them. But that rule of mine goes out the window when Larissa Ione writes one. See, her and I have an understanding. If she writes it, I read it. Period. No exceptions. So when I saw that Azagoth will be getting another book, I don’t think I even blinked once before I jumped on it.

This is SO much more than just Azagoth’s book, though. If you haven’t read any of the other books in this series, I really don’t recommend starting with this one. It reads more like a saga and is not meant to be a standalone. There’s a lot of continuing story arcs that you get here and while the author does a great job reminding of past events for the reader, you simply won’t have the same appreciation for the events that happen here if you haven’t read the previous books and been introduced to some of the characters.

This was one epic book. It marks a somewhat story arc conclusion for one thing while launching a brand new story arc for what I’m hoping will be a brand new series (because OMG I need it to be!). If you’ve read Azagoth, then you’re familiar with Azagoth and his beloved mate, Lilliana. Throughout the last few books we got to see many things come to a head as Satan attempts to break free from his prison. Many of Azagoth’s children (Memitim) have been getting killed by a traitor that they can’t seem to identify. Well, the conclusion is one epic showdown with plenty of familiar faces making a cameo. There’s quite a few POVs but of course, the story arc of Azagoth and his mate is the center. A very pregnant Lili gets kidnapped by a dangerous enemy and Azagoth will do anything, kill anyone, and break every rule in Heaven’s handbook to get her back.

There’s so much that happens here that I can’t even begin to describe. But if you’ve read Azagoth’s book than you need to read this one. It’s an action packed thrill ride from beginning to finish. And that conclusion? Holy mother of mackerel! I am DEAD. If that’s the beginning of a new series, I’m desperate for more because GAH!!!!

Fans of Ione will not want to miss this epic conclusion!

Air Force veteran Larissa Ione traded in a career in meteorology to pursue her passion of writing. She has since published dozens of books, hit several bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today, and has been nominated for a RITA award. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her retired U.S. Coast Guard husband, her son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhounds, a King Shepherd named Hexe and a Belgian Malinois named Duvel.

 

Facebook | BookBub |  Twitter |  Amazon | Goodreads |  Instagram |  Pinterest |  Website

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, PNR · Tagged With: ,

Review: The Second We Met by Maya Hughes

October 17, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

THE SECOND WE MET
Series: Fulton U #2
Genre: New Adult, Sports Romance
Author: Maya Hughes
Release Date: October 17, 2019

Dear Jerk Across the Street, sorry for accidentally walking in on you and catching an eyeful of your—equipment. And hard pass on the open invitation to join you in the shower “anytime”, A-hole.

That’s the note I should’ve written. Instead I sent a pleasant and apologetic version.

Had I known Phoenix “Nix” Russo would’ve been the neighbor from hell, I’d have told him right where he could shove my words.

Nix is the big man on campus with everyone lined up at his games to make sure he knows it. Sure, he’s got piercing blue eyes, abs that don’t quit and a smile that could set fire to a set of panties from a hundred yards away, but he’s also the biggest pain in my ass.

Dear Pink-Haired Menace, learn how to take a joke and stop being such a kill-joy…

Elle Masterson called the cops on one of my parties—again. My sweet talking usually gets me out of trouble, but this time it got me into a nice pair of silver handcuffs. Now I’m on a reputation rehab tour with a stop at a spring break community service project.

Guess who’s my new boss?

Now we’re shoulder to shoulder, sweaty, tired and…she’s not anything like I expected. There might just be a heart under that hardass exterior. She’s invading my dreams and I can’t shake the feeling she’s the key to unlocking a piece of me that I’ve hidden away.

It’s only a matter of time until she finds out why I’m really here.

Maybe I can break through her walls and into her heart before that happens…one screw at a time.

**The Second We Met is a standalone new adult romance**

AMAZON 

READ CHAPTER ONE HERE:
https://www.mayahughes.com/blog

He was all my mistakes wrapped up into one bright, shiny package. 

I’m a sucker for a good enemies to lovers romance and this one checked every box for me. I was dying for Nix’s book the second he appeared as a secondary character in The Perfect First. The charming quarterback with the cocky smile was sure to hit the spot for me, and I was not wrong. What I didn’t expect was for him to be as multi-layered as he was. Nix’s entire life has revolved around his father’s demands and football. As the son of a football player, the stakes are that much higher for Nix. But while his father sees the draft as his future, Nix isn’t so sure. Sustaining multiple injuries and his recent jolt to his shoulder have made him question his future, but it’s hard to move himself off of a path that’s been set for him.

Elle is the not so nice girl next door. Their enemy status has been paved ever since she accidentally walked into the wrong house and saw Nix in all his glory. Now they have an antagonistic relationship living next door to each other and Elle constantly calling the cops on their house. What’s a girl to do when she’s trying to sleep and it’s a non stop party next door? Elle is a bit of a workaholic. When she’s not in school, she’s volunteering for numerous charities and working in order to make ends meet and get a covetous award that’s the answer to all her financial woes.

But then when Nix shoes up at her latest community project, and suddenly she’s forced to realize that she’s grossly misjudged the guy and there’s much more to him than first meets the eye. What starts as enemies, soon turns into an unlikely friendship, and then something so much more.

Elle was gun shy when it came to men after being cheated on by her two boyfriends. But her judgmental and quick to think the worst of men nature did get a tiny bit grating for me. I loved how patient and sweet Nix was with her in turn. Eventually Elle really grew on me too. I loved their sassy barbs almost as much as I loved their chemistry. And these two had a ton of chemistry. This was another fantastic addition to the series and I can’t wait for more!

Maya Hughes can often be found sneaking in another chapter while hiding in the bathroom from her kids! 🙂 I’m a romance writer who loves taking inspiration from everyday life, namely my husband and biggest fan. Inspiration also strikes when I hear a song, meet someone new or daydream while at soccer practice.

I’m the mom of three little ones, the wife to an amazing husband and also work full time. Some of my favorite things are cinnamon rolls, white wine, laughing until I can’t breathe and traveling with my family. 

Instagram | Bookbub |  Goodreads |  Amazon

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Sports · Tagged With: , , ,
Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

%d bloggers like this: