Geri’s Review: Three Little Words by Jenny Holiday

January 31, 2019 by ·

THREE LITTLE WORDS
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Jenny Holiday
Release Date: January 29, 2019

 

Gia Gallo is officially in bridesmaid hell.

Stranded in New York with her best friend’s wedding dress, Gia has six days to make it to Florida in time for the ceremony. And oh-so-charming best man Bennett Buchanan has taken the last available rental car.

Looks like she’s in for one long road trip with the sexiest – and most irritating – Southern gentleman she’s ever met…

Bennett’s pretty sure that if there was ever a woman to break his “no flings” rule, Gia would be it. Sure, she’s stubborn. She’s also funny, smart, and the attraction between them is getting hotter with every state line they cross.

While Bennett doesn’t do casual, Gia doesn’t do “relationships.” But if they break the rules, this unlikely pair might discover that their impromptu road trip could turn out to be the best ride of their lives.

 

AMAZON

The setup was perfect to ask for something dirty. That’s what you did when you played truth or dare in the dark with boys, right?

 

Jenny Holiday delivered another delightfully swoony romance in the final installment of her Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series. I adored all the previous couples in this series but Gia and Bennett might be my favorite. ?

I’m not a huge fan of models, actors or entertainment persons in books so I was wary because Gia is a model. Tall, beautiful & unattainable. Something that I always find hard to relate to. But Ms. Holiday proved me wrong because I ended up loving Gia. She’s complicated, pricky, high maintenance & in Gia’s own words, unlikable. But I adored her. She has no illusions about herself and what other people thought of her. Despite that, she’s very loyal to her friends.

Bennett as a sweet, charming Southern gentleman, always atoning for his past mistakes was the hero we all deserve. At first glance, they couldn’t be more opposite. But as the book progresses, we get to see them in their element and realize that they actually fit. Bennet might be sweet but he was no pushover. He had to deal with his own issues in the book, and I must say that some of the most emotionally charged scenes come from Bennett.

Overall, this book was a delight from start to finish. The romance was top notch & steamy. I highly recommend this whole series not just for the romance but also for the friendship between the four women!

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

Review: Not A Hero by Cherise Sinclair

January 30, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

NOT A HERO
Series: Sons of the Survivalist #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Suspense
Author: Cherise Sinclair
Release Date: January 29, 2019

In the Alaska wilderness, four streetwise boys became men—and brothers

Now the crazy ex-military survivalist who plucked Gabriel and three other boys from an abusive foster care home has died. But the sarge leaves them a final mission–to revive the dying town of Rescue.

Gabe is done with being a hero.

Wounded in body and soul, the retired SEAL simply wants to remain holed up in his isolated cabin. He sure doesn’t want to be chief of police in some defunct town. But he has his orders.

Audrey needs a place to hide

After the Chicago librarian discovers a horrendous crime, she wakes to an assassin in her bedroom. Injured and terrified, she flees, covering her trail every inch of the way. New name, new ID. New home. As Audrey learns to survive in Rescue, she begins to fall for the town…and the intimidating chief of police who protects it.

Can the shy introvert and the deadly police chief find a life together?

Despite the discord in town, Gabe is finding his own peace…with the quiet young woman who seems to have no past. She’s adorable and caring and so very lost. But how can he trust someone who lies to him with every breath she takes?

AMAZON

Ever since I met the four foster brothers in Defiance, I’ve been itching to get my grabby little hands on this brand new series. Four boys that grew up hard and were finally rescued by a tough as nails ex military survivalist and grew up into incredibly fascinating yet broken in their own way men? Yes, please, and thank you! Sign me right up for that! I will say that while it helps to read Defiance to get an intro into this series, you don’t have to. You can easily jump right into this book if you wish.

Gabe is the more serious and grounded of his brothers. After a mission gone wrong costs him his life and the life of almost his entire team and leaves him with as many internal scars as external, he retires from the mercenary life to live a peaceful existence away from everyone. But when his beloved foster father dies, he leaves his boys with a letter of request to revive the dying little town in Alaska that they grew up in. Now Gabe finds himself as the chief of police, begrudgingly serving the citizens of a town that enjoys their seclusion as much as he does.

Audrey has never been good with people. A shy introvert, her job as a librarian was everything to her. A skilled researcher, she finds herself running for her life when her research unearths a criminal underbelly that she never expected to target her. A secluded town in Alaska seems like the best place to hide when a ruthless hitman is after you. Too bad a grumpy and too observant for his own good chief of police now sets his eyes on her.

I have to admit, shy introverted heroines are not at all my cuppa. But there was just something so incredibly endearing about Audrey. She’s honest to a fault and so sweetly vulnerable that you can’t help but like her. But beneath the shy exterior is an understated strength and the soul of a warrior. I love seeing her unassuming personality turn fierce and protective when it came to those she cared about.

The relationship between her and Gabe was a slow burn filled with plenty of sizzle. If you’ve wanted to read this author but aren’t a fan of BDSM, you’ll definitely need to check this out. But while there’s no kink, there’s plenty of action, suspense, and steam to keep you turning the pages.

Not A Hero was a deliciously suspenseful read with a swoony romance tied in. I loved the slower pacing and the relationship development. I loved getting a taste of the other brothers (especially Hawk), and I loved the vividly quirky citizens of this little town. Everything together turned this into a perfectly blended contemporary and suspense romance. I can’t wait for more in this series.

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

Review: 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne

January 29, 2019 by · 2 Comments

99 PERCENT MINE
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Sally Thorne
Release Date: January 29, 2019

Crush: a strong and often short-lived infatuation, particularly for someone beyond your reach…

Darcy Barrett has undertaken a global survey of men. She’s travelled the world, and can categorically say that no one measures up to Tom Valeska, whose only flaw is that Darcy’s twin brother Jamie saw him first and claimed him forever as his best friend. Despite Darcy’s best efforts, Tom’s off limits and loyal to her brother, 99%. That’s the problem with finding her dream man at age eight and peaking in her photography career at age twenty—ever since, she’s had to learn to settle for good enough.

When Darcy and Jamie inherit a tumble-down cottage from their grandmother, they’re left with strict instructions to bring it back to its former glory and sell the property. Darcy plans to be in an aisle seat halfway across the ocean as soon as the renovations start, but before she can cut and run, she finds a familiar face on her porch: house-flipper extraordinaire Tom’s arrived, he’s bearing power tools, and he’s single for the first time in almost a decade.

Suddenly Darcy’s considering sticking around to make sure her twin doesn’t ruin the cottage’s inherent magic with his penchant for grey and chrome. She’s definitely not staying because of her new business partner’s tight t-shirts, or that perfect face that’s inspiring her to pick up her camera again. Soon sparks are flying—and it’s not the faulty wiring. It turns out one percent of Tom’s heart might not be enough for Darcy anymore. This time around, she’s switching things up. She’s going to make Tom Valeska 99 percent hers.

AMAZON

If I can just get Tom Valeska to lose his mind over me, I can die happy.

Alright. I have a confession to make before I dive into the review for this book.
*whispers*
I haven’t read The Hating Game yet.
*hides*
*pokes head back up*
Are you still judging me? Because quit it! I bought it immediately when I started this book, ok?! From this author’s magical writing style, I can clearly see what I’ve been missing. But I digress here. What I’m going to be doing, is reviewing my very first Sally Thorne book. And spoiler alert, I adored it!

I’m a scary bitch. He’s a bashful sweetheart with pink cheeks.

Now here’s the thing. Nice guys aren’t usually my thing. And there you go, judging me again. What did I tell you about that? Back to my review, though. So while the bad boy alphas are typically my thing, I couldn’t get enough of Tom Valeska, the alpha male with the beautifully wolfish eyes, sweet tenderness, and understated sexiness. I fell in love with this man through Grace’s eyes. The entire book is in the heroine’s POV, and yet you get such wonderfully developed characters through her eyes.

The first touch of his tongue loosens my knees and I’m grateful that he’s holding me up. I shudder a breath out. He breathes it, changes our angle, exhales it back to me. Air is better from his lungs. Life is better with his kiss. The word mine is now something I need to make him understand.

Darcy is spunky and enigmatic. This is a girl that doesn’t stay in any one place for long. She craves adventure and hasn’t dated any guy seriously. Admittedly, she can come across as brash at times. The way that she almost rabidly lusts after Tom was a touch much at times. She’s loved Tom since they were kids, but the one time she could have had him, her teenage thoughtlessness cost her that chance. And while he’s been as strong a staple in her life as her twin brother, he’s also been engaged to another woman. But now the renovation of her recently passed grandmother’s house that her and her twin inherited bring them together again, she’s not about to waste another opportunity with Tom. Especially since he’s now surprisingly single.

This was a deliciously character driven slow burn of a romance. I loved learning about Tom and seeing him through Darcy’s experience. He’s such a sweetheart that you can’t help but fall completely head over heels for him.

No one else is kissing you anymore,” he tells me in a conversational hush, not breaking our contact. “Your mouth is mine.”

I have to say that only being in Darcy’s head did get a bit exhausting at times. This is a girl that’s always at a ten, and I wanted her to bring it down to an 8 or 7 at times. But there’s also something oddly endearing about her. She loves her friends and she’s completely in love with Tom. I also loved the way that Tom cares for her. I struggled a bit with the relationship she had with her twin brother, but they did win me over in the end.

But one thing is for sure, I fell so hard for this wonderfully quirky and sweet romance. I adored Tom and Darcy together. I adored the friends to lovers trope. I loved their love and couldn’t get enough of it. 99 Percent Mine was a perfectly paced, feel good and lighthearted romance. It was endearingly sassy and swoony. A definite rec for any slow burn lovers out there that love their alphas sweet and their heroines edgy.

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

Review & Giveaway: Deal With The Devil by Meghan March

January 15, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

DEAL WITH THE DEVIL
Series: The Forge Trilogy #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Meghan March
Release Date: January 15, 2019

“You can put that man in a suit, but he’ll never be tame.”

 

One look at Jericho Forge and I knew the rumors were true.

 

He was a predator, and he had set his sights on me.

 

I knew better than to bet more than I could afford to lose that night.

I knew better than to bet myself.

But desperation leads to bad decisions, and I thought there was no way I could lose.

I was wrong.

Now I have no choice but to make a deal with the devil.

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

PRE-ORDER

LUCK OF THE DEVIL | HEART OF THE DEVIL

What do you want?”
One eyebrow rises. “From you? For $10 million? You should already know the answer to that.” The corners of his mouth lift until his expression is the picture of sheer triumph. “Every-fucking-thing.”

Sweet mother of ovaries, the woman did it again. Each time I think March wrote her best alpha yet, she outdoes herself with the next one. And Forge is sure to make ovaries flutter all over the world. Add into that one of the best heroines I’ve read in the longest time, and stick a fork in me. I’m on book cloud 9!

I’ve said this about Meghan’s books before, and now I’ll say it again: Welcome to your next addiction!

He’s a marauder, plundering just like the pirate I thought he was the first time I saw him. He takes without permission or apology. And I love it.

There is nothing I love better than an uber alpha. And let me just tell you all, Forge is that and more! This is a man that’s driven by forces that we only get a peek into. Driven by a revenge that he’s so close to having now that he can taste it. And the beautiful woman that has unknowingly stumbled into his web, will be the conduit for him to get it.

As always, Meghan gives just enough to tantalize the reader but also leave them with plenty of questions. Deal With The Devil was all of the things; suspenseful, and sexy. It was full of amazing banter, humor, and enough sexual chemistry to spark fire to your kindle. I absolutely loved the heroine, India. Here’s a woman that’s full of fire and sass. She doesn’t take things lying down and gives as good as she gets.

Blessed mother of all things holy. He’s naked. Totally, completely naked. And his dick is massive. And the ocean can’t be super warm. Which means . . .
“It’s like someone unleashed the Kraken,” I whisper as he moves toward me, his dick bouncing from side to side with each step.
…
“Are you going to look at my face or just stare at my dick?”
“I’ve seen your face before,” I tell him, not looking up. I got caught staring; I might as well make the most of it.

I’m hooked, line and sinker, and cannot wait for the next installment!

Making the jump from corporate lawyer to romance author was a leap of faith that New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Meghan March will never regret. With over thirty titles published, she has sold millions of books in nearly a dozen languages to fellow romance-lovers around the world. A nomad at heart, she can currently be found in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, living her happily ever after with her real-life alpha hero.

You can find her online at: MeghanMarch.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Review: Ruthless King by Maya Hughes

January 10, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

RUTHLESS KING
Series: Kings of Rittenhouse #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Maya Hughes
Release Date: January 10, 2019

A STANDALONE second chance, enemies to lovers romance.

My dick never got me in half as much trouble as my heart…

We were high school sweethearts. I was head over heels for her and no one could tell me we weren’t going to last forever. College? Going pro? My family’s money? None of it mattered. She was all I needed.

Then she ripped my heart out. But I’m not going to let that happen again.

She’s back. Invading my life and acting like she was the wronged one. The pain is still there, but I can’t keep my eyes off her. I can’t stop thinking about her and how much was left unsaid between us. Being this close is making me question everything I thought I knew about her.

This time everything will be on my terms. Everything…

AMAZON

I never stopped loving you. Even when I hated you with all of my being, even when I hated myself for it and wished I could carve my heart out of my chest, I still loved you.”

The second I read the blurb to this book, I knew this would be my first Maya Hughes read. I’m a sucker for a good second-chance romance, and this one checked all of my boxes.

Avery Davis had dismantled me and left me as a shell. Even knowing the pain she’d caused, every night I closed my eyes, it was her I dreamed about.

I dove into this book without having read the previous two in this series, and while I had absolutely no problem enjoying it as a standalone, I’ll definitely be reading the other books if only because I’m intrigued by the characters and loved the author’s writing style.

As for this book? It was a mildly angsty read with plenty of feels that I fell in love with from the very first pages.

Emmett and Avery were high school sweethearts. They were everything to each other, and even though they were young, their love was one that should have been a forever kind. The reader doesn’t know what happened to rip them apart, but you know it was enough to plant a seed of resentment into Emmett that even years later he can’t get over.

When fate and circumstance throws them together once more, they are forced to acknowledge everything that happened between them, though it’s certainly not a smooth road. I’m not typically a fan of the continuous misunderstanding plot device in my books, but it actually worked here. I understood why Avery was hesitant to shed light on everything that happened in high school. And while I wanted to smack Emmett for his reaction to the bumps on their path to a HEA, I also couldn’t help understanding him either. These characters are both flawed in their own way, but in a very endearing way. Avery is extremely loyal to her family and I loved her fierce protectiveness and care for her sister. I understood why she did what she did.

Emmett, while being a successful pro-hockey player and having his pick of any woman he wants, is like a lost boy when it comes to Avery. She was the only woman he ever loved and he never got over her breaking his heart. I loved this vulnerable side to him.

I really enjoyed the secondary characters and the pacing of this book. I wished there was a little more angst beyond the constant misunderstanding between Emmett and Avery, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Maya Hughes is a new to me author that is now going straight to my auto-buy list and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

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

Review: Third Strike by BJ Harvey

January 10, 2019 by ·

THIRD STRIKE
Series: Chances #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: BJ Harvey
Release Date: January 10, 2019

Falling for your best friend’s sister has never felt so bad yet so damn right.

From USA Today Bestselling author BJ Harvey comes the third and final standalone in the Chance series, this time it’s the much anticipated story of Drew and Ashley.

***
I have a long history of acting first and thinking it through later. In fact, I’m the definition of a screw up.

Case in point – I’m having a baby with a woman I can’t stand, my ex is now my best friend’s wife, and I’m in love with a woman I can never have.

My biggest secret is falling for my best friend’s sister twelve years ago.

My biggest mistake is thinking I could live without her.

And now my biggest regret is the look on her face the moment I tell everyone I’m already married to the woman they hate most.

AMAZON

You’re my beginning, middle, and end, Ash. 

Oh.
Oh wow.
Oh my heart.
Oh the feels.
Oh the everything!
I simply loved this book.

There is nothing I love more than a flawed but completely redeemable hero. And it just doesn’t get more flawed than Drew. He’s so perfectly imperfect and with a heart of gold. The fact that you spend the entire book inside his head was one of my favorite things. You really get to see the heart of gold beneath the well-meaning intentions that turn out to be disastrous decisions.

Drew has always thought of his best friend’s family as his own after the loss of his mother. So he’s always known that Millen’s little sister is entirely hands off. There’s just one problem with that; he can’t stay away from her. The odds are stacked against them and there’s every reason why they can’t work, but sometimes love happens when you least expect it.

Third Strike is a romance that spans 12 years; through heartbreak and devastation, life takes Drew and Ash through the ringer. I have to admit, had I not been inside of Drew’s head, I probably would have not loved this book as much as I did. This is a man that makes his fair share of mistakes. But understanding the root of them and his intentions, you can’t help but fall for his bumbling ways. He’s successful, sexy and sure of himself in every aspect of his life…except when it comes to Ash.

This story is no walk in the park. It’s painful, and tragic, and downright infuriating at times. But it’s also beautiful and emotional and a book that sucks you right in and doesn’t let you loose until the very last page. It owned my heart. It made me cry, it made me rage, it made me swoon. And there’s one scene in particular that I’m fairly certain made me spontaneously ovulate…

But I digress. If you read the first book in this series, you may have some thoughts on Drew’s character. But let me tell you, if you have doubts that you’d like him, you need to read this. He struggles with loyalty to his best friend and his love for his best friend’s sister. Every painfully beautiful memory between him and Ash owned my hear.

I still haven’t forgiven BJ for bastardizing my name with the twat of a character that she decided to name Lana, but man, even dealing with her was worth it for the experience of this book.

I’ve loved BJ’s romcoms, but she’s definitely stolen my heart completely with this beautifully angsty read. I loved it from start to finish and didn’t want it to end. I devoured it in a day and can’t recommend it enough!

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

#DGRFave & Review: The Kiss Thief by LJ Shen

January 9, 2019 by · 2 Comments

THE KISS THIEF
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: L.J. Shen
Release Date: January 10, 2019

They say your first kiss should be earned.

Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky.

They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred.

Mine were broken before we left church.

They say your heart only beats for one man.

Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end.

I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit.

Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage.

They say that all great love stories have a happy ending.

I, Francesca Rossi, found myself erasing and rewriting mine until the very last chapter.

One kiss.
Two men.
Three lives.
Entwined together.

And somewhere between these two men, I had to find my forever.

AMAZON

Our hearts were tarnished. Stained. And guilty. Unpredictable to a fault. And bound to break.

I got two words for you here: Must. Read.

I know I say this each time I finish a book of hers, but this was my favorite LJ Shen book to date.

I was born into a glided cage.

If you like a modern day arranged marriage trope, welcome to your next addiction. This book? GAH! It had an anti-hero that only Shen can write; brutal and hard but completely redeemable. This is someone you won’t be able to help rooting for! This was like if Vicious and Sparrow had a baby, and that baby threw down the gauntlet of delicious angst and grit. A clashing of a ruthless politician and the mafia, and a young beauty used as a pawn that gets caught in the crosshairs of political agendas and blackmail.

Francesca Rossi was such a breath of fresh air. For someone so young, she had this endearing naiveté to her that was beneath her hardened persona. She’s not a doormat, even when dealing with an extremely dominant man. This is not a woman that takes things lying down. She’s sharp-witted and smart-mouthed. I absolutely loved her.

The Kiss Thief was a book that kept me riveted to the pages from beginning to end. It was unlike any book I’ve read in a long damn while and it was absolutely everything. EVERYTHING, I tells ya!

I know you’re thinking, Lana, you’re being vague as hell right now. But trust me, you don’t need or WANT to know more. This is a book that you NEED to go into absolutely blind, or you’ll do yourself a great disservice. So, you’re welcome 🙂

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

#DGRFave & Review: Faking It by K. Bromberg

January 8, 2019 by ·

FAKING IT
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: K. Bromberg
Release Date: January 8, 2019

Faking it never felt so good in this red-hot new standalone by New York Times bestselling author K. Bromberg—available in audio first!

Zane Phillips mistook me for his dog walker. It shouldn’t surprise me that the man with a suit more expensive than my rent would assume that I was there to serve him. The positive? I put him in his place. The negative? I missed my job interview because of it.

Now I find out he’s a rich Australian entrepreneur, and he wants to make up for tanking my interview. Yes, he’s impossibly hot – but he’s also an arrogant jackass—so . . . no thanks.

But after a little white lie I tell spirals out of control, I’m somehow offered the chance to play Zane’s girlfriend to help promote his new dating website – and the best part? He can’t say no because he’ll get caught in his lie too.

Little did I know this would entail sharing a tour bus with him for the next few months. The fact that the bus has just one bed isn’t the most ideal of circumstances, but this spokesperson gig might be the kick in the pants my career needs, so why not take a chance?

Famous last words.

Now I’m crisscrossing the country–and sharing that bed—with the one guy I can’t stand. And even worse, my traitorous body is wondering at every turn what it’s like to be down under the gorgeous Australian. But as the miles unfurl, so does our passion…and if I’m not careful, I might end up believing that fairytales really do come true.

AMAZON

Just face it, Harlow . . . you can’t resist me.”
“Resist you?” I laugh. “I can barely stand you.”

That hot cover and enticing blurb don’t even come close to doing this book justice. And that’s saying something because that cover and blurb are EVERYTHING. But this book is also so much more than just a relationship of convenience trope. It’s a swoony, humorous, perfectly paced, deliciously blended romance cake with plenty of sexual chemistry as the sprinkles on top! I loved the ever loving EVERYTHING out of this book. EVERYTHING!!!!

Harlow Nicks spells trouble for me in every sense of the word. She has my every wire crossed. And she’s made me hesitate to step over a line I thought would be a no brainer to cross: sleeping with her.

K. Bromberg has long been an automatic one-click for me, and Faking It just solidified why. The woman can write her heart out to deliver a bad boy hero that you can’t get enough of and a bold and smart-mouthed heroine that you’ll never stop rooting for. It’s an opposites attract romance that’s effortlessly developed and impeccably paced to deliver a one-two punch straight to the feels and have the reader hooked from beginning to finish.

Everything about Zane Phillips rubs me the wrong way. Even when I’m thinking about how good he can probably rub me the right way.

Now I love me a bad boy. Make that bad boy a self-made millionaire womanizer with a cockiness to boot? DROOLING! But then also make that bad boy something so much more? I’m putty in your hands. And that’s exactly what Zane was. He’s an irreverent womanizer. But there’s something more than meets the eye to him. There’s a depth to him that you only get glimpses of as the author sucks you deeper and deeper into his orbit. You begin to see there’s some much more to Zane than a bored playboy that’s trying to make his new business venture a success. A matchmaking site launched by a man that doesn’t believe in love? Color me intrigued.

As for Harlow? What’s not to love about a heroine that’s not afraid to put this bad boy in his place every chance she gets. This is a woman that doesn’t get played. She’s not afraid to throw the gauntlet and boy does she!

From their very first meeting, I was instantly hooked on this couple. I loved their banter, I loved the hate lust that was sparking out of every barb they threw at one another. I also loved the way that Harlow went after what she wanted. This is a woman that isn’t afraid to to play the player at his own game. But what starts out as a mutually beneficial agreement of a fake relationship until the successful launch of the business, soon begins to turn into something more. The lines get blurred and even when both of them do their best to try to ignore their feelings, it’s not long before they realize the chemistry that’s been slowly building between them from the start is about to become explosive.

I think the pacing was my absolute favorite part of this romance. It was a slow, delicious build up. The banter between Zane and Low serving as foreplay and I couldn’t get enough of it. I loved the fact that Harlow never shied away from being herself and saying what she wants. This is a woman that called Zane on all of his bull, and it was AWESOME.

If you’ve never read a K. Bromberg book before, you couldn’t find a better one to start with. Faking It was EVERYTHING! A light hearted, swoony romance with plenty of depth. It brought a goofy smile to my face for the entire time I was reading it, and I never wanted it to end. I devoured this book and loved every minute of it!!

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Untouchable by Sam Mariano

January 7, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

UNTOUCHABLE
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Sam Mariano
Release Date: December 16, 2018

The bully isn’t supposed to win.

Senior year was off to a rough start: lube in my locker, panties on my front porch, unimaginative name-calling. See, I got a player suspended from the football team for harassing me, and in my small Texas town, you don’t mess with the football players—even if they mess with you first.

I didn’t care if it was an unpopular thing to do; I stood up for myself… and in doing so, opened Pandora’s Box.

I never dreamed I would attract the attention of locally worshipped star quarterback, Carter Mahoney. Never imagined his coveted attention would turn out to be such a nightmare. Beneath his carefully constructed façade lurks a monster, a predator looking for the perfect prey to play with. Now, since I’m the girl no one likes or believes, I guess I’m the perfect target for his dark games and twisted desires.

After surviving my first encounter with his casual depravity, all I really want is for Carter to leave me alone.

But all he seems to want is me.

Warning: This book is provocative. It is categorized as DARK ROMANCE for a reason. It will not be for everyone. If you are a reader with certain triggers or sensitivities common to the dark romance genre, please heed the author’s note at the beginning of this book.

AMAZONSpoilers to follow…

It’s terrifying, his disregard for right and wrong. The pleasure he gets out of making me powerless.

I have sat on the rating for this book for a solid week, totally and completely conflicted. On the one hand, the writing is solid and the story interesting enough to have me continuing after the HOLY SHIT DID I JUST READ WHAT I THINK I DID in the first 5%. Yes, the warning does a good job of preparing the reader and making them understand that this is not a typical angsty high school romance. It’s dark (but not in the usual sense). Yes, the author does an incredible job of painting two very well developed characters that you can’t help but be curious about. Yes, it had me reading well into the night to see how it all ends.

But…and this is a big BUT. I’m talking about the but of all buts here, people. You may argue with me that this is fiction. You may argue with me that you have to suspend your disbelief because you’re reading a darker book. But here’s the thing, no matter how you spin it, FOR ME, this book romanticizes sexual abuse. It is not, I repeat, NOT a dub con. It is sexual abuse. Pure and simple. And there is nothing dark, interesting, captivating, or intriguing about the hero to me. He’s a rapey asshole. No matter how much the author tries to justify him, or explain his actions (and she does) at the end. He’s not an anti-hero I can get behind, because there is just nothing redeemable about him to me.

I’ll be honest, this is a book that you will either love, or hate. There is no middle ground. No gray area.

HIGHLIGHT TO VIEW SPOILER This “anti-hero” forces the heroine to give him a blowjob as part of sexual blackmail/bullying in the first 5% of the book. And no, it’s not the kind of blowjob where she secretly wants it but he can see through it. She hates it. She doesn’t want to do it. And he forces her into performing the act in front of his two other jock buddies that have been making her life miserable in high school after she reported one of them for touching her inappropriately and getting him kicked off the football team. END SPOILER

I’ll let you think on that for a second here. Is that a character you can read about? If so, you’ll fall into the side of readers that would love this book.

And if you’re like me and couldn’t see past this for the entirety of the book? Welp. I’ll tell you that this book just isn’t for you.

And here’s the thing. He CONTINUES this behavior for the entire fucking book.HIGHLIGHT TO VIEW SPOILER [He takes her virginity because HE decides that she’s ready even after she repeatedly asked him not to and told him she wants to wait. He repeatedly fucks her without a condom even when she begs him to wrap him up and is scared to be a teenage pregnancy statistic. END SPOILER

And the heroine? No matter how smart, sassy, strong willed, or backboned she is…just takes it all.
Again, you’ll say to me, but Lana, it’s fiction, calm your tits.

And I’ll say to you that what it is, is tone-deaf. It spins a tale of a completely fucked up rapey asshole and shows that all he needs, is to find a woman that “understands” him and doesn’t want to change him. Because that’s just who he is, and so long as she “gets him”, it’s all ok. And it’s all ok because he only does that to her. He doesn’t feel those urges towards any other unsuspecting female victims women. Just her.
And in the midst of the #MeToo movement, I’m quite honestly shocked that a book like this is written.

I’m not a delicate snowflake. I LOVE a dark romance and I’ve read my fair share. Just take a look at my shelves. But this book is just not one I can get behind. Nor do I even consider to be a dark romance. Aside from the rapey aspects of the book, there is nothing dark about it. Perhaps if it was written as a true dark romance, it would have been a different case entirely. The author is clearly a talented writer, and I’ll be trying some of her other books. Sometimes a character just isn’t for you, and this was that case for me. Again, it’s a matter of taste. And as I’ve said, you’ll either love or hate it. So read it and judge for yourself.

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

Review: Absolution by Keri Lake (found in Outlaw Anthology)

January 6, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

ABSOLUTION
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Keri Lake
Release Date: January 8, 2018

 

Absolution is part of Wanted An Outlaw Anthology.

According to canon law, it is forbidden for a priest to betray the penitent for any reason. Even murder.

The consequences?

Excommunication.

For years, I’ve listened to your confessions. I know your darkest secrets, and have swallowed your sins in silence. In return, I’ve offered you forgiveness in His name. But behind the partition that separates us, I’m nothing more than a man who has long questioned his own faith.

Your contrition is my invitation: to mete out the kind of justice you pray will never come. I’m neither pious, nor merciful, despite what you see. I’m an imposter, an abomination to all I represent. A quiet executioner who’s kept below the radar.

Until her.

She’s seen what I’ve done. She knows the man beneath the cloth and my every mortal sin. She has witnessed the uncontrollable vices she hopes to use against me in order to get what she covets most.

Yet, I know her sins, too. Ones she doesn’t bother to confess. The kind, for which, there is no absolution.

AMAZON

C’mon, pécheresse, let me hear you scream.”
“Oh, God!”
“There is no God here, Ivy. Only me.”

Bless me, father, for I have sinned. Oh how I’ve sinned! I’ve sinned So. Freaking. Hard. And I’m not even a little sorry. Absolution was a deliciously thrilling ride that skirts the edge of propriety and was so good, it was downright sinful!

Moans muffle into the pillows, while she rolls her head and claws at the bedding as if possessed by demons. Maybe she is. Surely, God isn’t present here, while I f*ck her with the kind of reckless abandon that’ll land my soul in hell.

If you’ve never read anything by the immensely talented Keri Lake, then this is the story you need to start with to get a good taste of her addicting story telling. And if you’re a fan of taboo romance, that you definitely need this book in your life!

Father Damon is not all that he seems. There’s a dark undercurrent to this man of the cloth and a history riddled with demons that have followed him into his present. When a man steps into his confessional to describe a crime that’s horrific beyond words, it sends Damon into a tailspin of repressed anger and vengeance. Then a a beautiful woman with her own dark secrets puts his faith to a true test.

Absolution is a sizzling story full of grit and a dash of darkness with a heavy layer of taboo. It was a page turner from beginning to finish. A high paced thrill ride of vengeance with a deliciously sizzling romance.

Ivy is a character that I wasn’t sure I’d like at first but boy did she grow on me as the story progressed. Her reasons for getting to Damon aren’t exactly altruistic. This is a woman with a hidden agenda, but one made out of utter and complete helplessness. She’s desperate to get away from a demon of her own past and she’ll do anything to escape him. Even make a sinner out of Damon…

With plenty of mind-blowing twists and turns that I’ve come to love and expect from this author, Absolution was one unputdownable read that I recommend for any fans of gritty taboo romance.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: , , ,
Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

%d bloggers like this: