Review: Heart of Thorns by S. Massery & S.J. Sylvis

January 6, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

HEART OF THORNS
Series: Shadow Valley U #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: S. Massery & S.J. Sylvis
Release Date: December 27, 2024

As the number one quarterback in college football, my only dream is to make it to pro.

My richer-than-sin parents have a different goal.

Their plan is for me to score a trophy wife whose trust fund can hold its own against mine, then join the family empire after graduation. The latter half of that plan means giving up my dream of professional football. The first part means sitting through excruciating dates with girls who already have their wedding vows written.

In an attempt to free myself from one of my perpetual nightmares, I announce that I’m already in a serious, long-term relationship.

Which is a great excuse to get out of a date–if it were true.

To save the lie, I talk the intriguing campus black cat, Briar Hart, into pretending to be my girlfriend. She has a prickly heart, and she’s made it clear that she hates jocks.

But after I offer her something she can’t refuse, we’re suddenly faking our happily-ever-after to everyone.

If I’m not careful, I may start to believe it too.

AMAZON 

Now I need to convince the girl with the heart of thorns to pretend to date me.

Know what I love more than a fake dating trope? A fake dating trope written by two of my favorite authors!

I love a black cat FMC and Briar Hart is black cat vibe personified. Her promising hockey career was ripped away from her in one terrifying moment when she was forced to escape a fire by jumping out of a second story window. And her life hasn’t been the same since. All she remembers from that fateful night is a guy locking her in and the realization that faceless stranger is on the school’s football team. Her dreams of hockey have faded to a dull ache and she keeps herself occupied with her art.

Thorne may look like the quintessential rich boy from the outside, but still waters run deep with him. He may be the school’s star quarterback, but with demanding parents that are basically planning his life out and the women he should be with, he struggles under the pressure. And when the dates get to be too much, he decides that a girlfriend is a solution…a fake one that is. And what better girl to proposition to fake date you than the one who can’t stand the sight of you. I mean, it is rather refreshing when the rest of the school’s female population falls at your feet.

You can stick to your guns, kitten. Pretend you hate me, claw my back, run just so I’ll chase after you—” My head flies backward with a harsh tug on my hair. “Because I will, Briar. I’ll fucking chase you.”

This was a slow burn with all the tension and I loved the chemistry between Briar and Thorne. I loved the way they healed each other’s broken pieces and their unwilling falling for each other.

There’s the whodunnit mystery that keeps you turning the pages while the romance keeps you glued to them. I devoured this in a day and if you like the fake dating trope and sports romance, this will hit the spot for you too!

S. Massery:

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

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

Author Links:

Website: http://smassery.com

Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/smassery

Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/smassery

Facebook: http://facebook.com/authorsmassery

Facebook Group: http://facebook.com/groups/smasserysquad

Instagram: http://instagram.com/authorsmassery

TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@smassery

Bookbub: http://bookbub.com/author/s-massery

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/authorsmassery

S.J. Sylvis:

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!

Author Links:

Instagram: @authorsjsylvis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sjsylvisbooks/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorsjsylvis

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Review: Oh, Hell No by Abbi Glines

December 31, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

OH, HELL NO
Series: Mississippi Smoke #3
Author: Abbi Gaines
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Release Date: December 29, 2024

Taking her was a means to an end. The task was to weed out the man who had stolen millions from us. He may have succeeded, but he’d pay with his life. Hiding from us was a grave error he’d regret soon enough because once he found out that we had taken the one thing he cared for as repayment- he’d show up. When a man had a weakness, it was foolish to make a mistake like this. He would come for her, and when he did, he wouldn’t walk away unscathed, nor would the sister he adored.

This was my fault. I hadn’t seen his scheme. It was my mistake, so I had to fix it. However, it seemed the joke was on me. What I had thought would be an easy job proved more difficult than I’d imagined. I had underestimated the power of her big brown eyes, full lips, and sweet, sultry voice. Keeping my focus on torturing information from her- when what I really wanted to do was touch her, have her, own her- would not only be a painful obstacle but possibly my biggest failure.

Except she hated the sight of me.
But I couldn’t blame her.
I’d walked out of her nightmares as her own personal monster.

 

AMAZON

I had always enjoyed art, and she was a masterpiece. One that I needed to see every night.

I don’t know what sort of crack Abbi laces her books with but I gobble them up each and every single time. Southern mafia? Yes, please and thank you. And this 3rd installment of the series spinoff may have been my favorite so far. I absolutely loved Oz and Winslet!

Now if you’ve read any books in this series, then you already know Abbi’s formula of sweet souther females with their absolutely unhinged and morally grey men. And you know what? It works and it works well. If this series is 10586 books with 209485 spinoffs, I will never tire of it. But Oz? I think Oz just flew straight to my favorite MMCs of Abbi’s.

Winslet may be the quintessential good girl, but she’s not a pushover. This is woman who cares about others and does so deeply. But she doesn’t allow herself to be stepped on either. Growing up with an abusive alcoholic of a mother, her life has been anything but easy. She’s spent years protecting her younger brother from her mother’s drunken wrath, even at the expense of her own safety.

Perry, her younger brother, and now an entrepreneur genius is apparently not all who he seems. And when his counterfeit money lands him on the wrong side of the souther mafia, Winslet finds herself kidnapped and held in a basement for answers. And her kidnapper being the sexiest man she’s ever seen certainly doesn’t help matters.

Now when I tell you I loved Oz, I was obsessed. Sure, he kidnapped her. But when he was forced to torture her for answers, the man just couldn’t do it. The way he struggled to so much as withhold food from her and then gave her all the chocolate cake was seriously the most endearing thing. And then when he lets her go and essentially stalks her for weeks as he waits out her to have the time to forgive him was just adorable. He was this perfect combination of sweet and crazy, and I loved his unhinged possessive behavior towards her.

The story was quick paced, addictive, and a slow burn that sizzles so hard. I do recommend you suspend your disbelief with this series and just accept it for the good time that it is.

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Review: Bourbon & Secrets by Victoria Wilder

December 8, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

BOURBON & SECRETS
Series: The Bourbon Boys #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Victoria Wilder
Release Date: December 6, 2024

In Fiasco, Kentucky, there is one rule: never fall for a Foxx brother.

Any woman who did, ended up dead. It wasn’t just a rumor. It was my reality. I buried my wife along with too many secrets surrounding the night she died.

Now, I’m a single dad with two priorities above everything else: raising my two girls and making great bourbon.

But when Faye Calloway returns after I ran her out of my small town—looking like a fantasy on stage and nothing like the cop she was trained to be—I know for a fact that she’s hiding more secrets than the one she blackmailed me to keep.

While everyone is focused on the teasingly beautiful burlesque dancer, I’m distracted by the woman with a hidden agenda. The smart-mouth, who says what she wants. And the instigator, who prefers a very specific way to drink her bourbon.

But as secrets begin to unravel, I realize she’s fiercely protective of the ones she loves. When she puts herself in danger to right the past, the rules stop mattering.

Only two things have the power to keep my family from falling apart and losing the woman I love—bourbon and secrets.

Romantic Suspense
Single dad
Small town
Secrets & Blackmail
Hate-to-love
Returning home
Found Family
Bourbon “Tasting”

AMAZON 

I started falling in love with Faye Calloway on the edge of a cornfield, on a stage, over a bottle of bourbon, and every time she’s been in my arms since.

Did I add this book for the cover aline? Absolutely I did. The intriguing blurb was just the cherry on top. Did I also do things in my usual back @sswards way and read book 2 in the series before reading book one? I did indeed and I have no regrets! But also, I will immediately be reading the first book. But I digress…

You sound so pretty when you’re pissed off and moaning for me.”

As a lover of small-town romance, suspense, dirty talking MMCs, kickass FMCs, single dad and hate to love tropes, boy did this book hit the spot for me. And it hit it so hard!

The second Lincoln and Faye appear on the pages together, I was instantly sucked in! And when Faye comes back to the town she grew up in and no longer welcome in for a secret job, I was completely enraptured. This woman was so fascinating with her sass and strength. She was impossible not to love. And even though there was no love lost between her and Lina, he couldn’t stay out of her orbit for too long either. No matter how he tried to fight it.

Oh my god,” I moan. He smiles up at me. “Yeah, Peach, I can be that for you too.”

The suspenseful plot and the mystery that unravels in parallel to the romance was perfectly paced. And the romance was perfectly sprinkled in so you get a great dose of both story and spice. And let me just tell y’all, the spice was SPICING.

Don’t you fucking stop, Foxx. I want to hear you moan like a man.”

Did I mention that I absolutely loved Faye?

I really enjoyed this story and especially the secondary characters of Linc’s daughters. The family dynamics are fascinating and the story managed to also take me by surprise in parts, which rarely happens to me these days.

I’m definitely hooked hard on this series now and can’t wait for Ace’s book next. These Foxx boys are so addictive!

Connect with Victoria Wilder:
https://beacons.ai/authorvictoriawilder

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Review: Back in the Saddle by Kristen Ashley

December 3, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

BACK IN THE SADDLE
Series: Avenging Angels #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kristen Ashley
Release Date: December 3, 2024

Jessie Wylde is on a secret mission. She’s trying to find her brother. She hasn’t told her friends; this is about family.

She doesn’t think it’s dangerous.

Eric Turner disagrees.

Eric is a member of the Nightingale Investigations and Security team. Therefore, Eric knows what he’s talking about.

Eric isn’t only badass, he’s also a seriously gorgeous guy, and Jessie has a huge crush on him. She doesn’t think he knows she exists…until now.

Eric steps in, and so do Jessie’s besties, the Avenging Angels. Soon, the Angels and the Hottie Squad are on the case to find Jessie’s missing sibling.

There’s more happening when it comes to Eric, though. Jessie’s so worried about her brother, she’s not paying attention. Eric sets about changing that, and just like all the Hot Bunch before him, when he finds his one, he doesn’t mess around.

However, something is afoot in Phoenix. And as the Angels uncover the sinister workings behind people going missing, and Eric and Jessie unpack their emotional baggage, the Angels dive deeper into the dark underbelly of the city…

Finding heroes, more hot guys, lots of hijinks…and heart.

AMAZON 

Kristen’s Rock Chicks was one of my favorite series. Reading it is like putting on a pair of fuzzy socks and cuddling up with comfy blanked for the night. It’s the ultimate comfort read. And I didn’t think anything could ever top it for me. So when the first book in Avenging Angels came out, I didn’t immediately read it because I was terrified that the spinoff would just not hit the same. But I simply couldn’t hold off anymore and had to read book two. And now I am seriously kicking my own butt for not reading this series sooner. Because I AM IN LOVE!!

This series has absolutely all the feels of the original Rock Chicks but with new and amazing characters while also giving cameos by series favorites. And having Mace and Stella featured in this one? OBSESSED.

I immediately fell in love with the FMC, Jessie. who is desperately searching for her brother who fell off the radar. And of course there is a new brand of Hot Bunch, this time with the older and absolutely delectable, Eric, previous FBI now turned PI, who is obsessed with keeping her safe. Jessie is perfectly ignorant of him feeling her, of course, which made it that much more fun to see the realization slowly dawn on her.

I loved Eric’s understated intensity and the way he just casually courted Jessie without her being non the wiser. Which was also pretty entertaining considering the man was throwing some serious vibes her way.

Everything about this story just hit the spot, the suspense, the slow burn romance, the suspense. Admittedly, I did have a moment where I wanted to drop kick Jessie’s brother, but he did redeem himself for the most part. But I also loved their sibling journey in this story.

I can’t believe I slept on this series for so long and definitely won’t be missing the next installment because I am desperate for that story!

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Review: Hotter ‘N Hell by Abbi Glines

November 29, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

HOTTER ‘N HELL
Series: Mississippi Smoke #2
Author: Abbi Gaines
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Release Date: November 29, 2024

Saylor
Was it a sin to hate the dead?

It was something I had pondered many times over the past ten months. Although it wasn’t why I required medication to sleep at night. I wasn’t truly concerned about the level of darkness that resided in my soul. It was the images of the night I had watched a bullet take down the boy I had loved most of my life. Seeing the life leave his body, the way his eyes had gone void. It haunted me. Even now that I knew he’d betrayed me. That what I thought had been real had all been a lie. Crosby Cash had been in love, alright, just not with me.

Those closest to me, the ones who were supposed to love me, all accused me of being dramatic. Because that made sense. I just loved the panic attacks that robbed me of my ability to breathe. And the passing out from lack of oxygen was the best. Looking in the mirror and not recognizing the girl looking back at me was my favorite.

Perhaps that was the reason I sought solace in the last place anyone would think I’d go. We weren’t religious people. I’d been born into a family of organized crime. The day I walked into the catholic church seeking… forgiveness, closure, something…anything to find the girl I had once been, I hadn’t expected him. The man ordained by God to lead his people to salvation. Well, that man in the sky so many believed in made a grave mistake allowing a man who looked like Jude, or rather Father Jude, to wear that white collar.

I could lie and say I found what I was looking for standing in front of the altar, staring up at the crucifix, but even those with tarnished souls have their limits. I found something alright, but it wasn’t forgiveness. My answer wasn’t going to come from the one they called their Savior but the one they referred to as Father.

Jude

Temptation comes for all of us. I had thought I could overcome whatever Satan placed before me. This life had held little meaning for me after the day I lost the girl I loved. My first and only love. Too young, sweet, and beautiful for this world. But men are often fools. And I would soon learn just how weak I was – when a pair of bright blue eyes stood in my sanctuary staring back at me.
She was lost. Hurting. Seeking comfort.
She was the one temptation I never expected and would never regret.

Hotter N’ Hell features mature themes and content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Reader discretion is advised. TW include: religion, death of a loved one, mental health, sexual content, and some violence.

AMAZON

The hunger in his eyes went beyond lust. It was desperate, uncontrolled, and so intense that everywhere his gaze touched me, it felt like an electric current..


Truth be told, the way that Saylor was described in Tore Up, I wasn’t exactly sure about having her book and story. Interestingly enough, while Saylor herself didn’t feature in that book, you get a lot of secondhand impressions and the impression is one of a spoiled mafia princess. But when I saw the blurb to this book, I knew I would tolerate a spoiled mafia princess for a forbidden romance.

I love a forbidden romance, and it just doesn’t get more forbidden than a mafia princess and a priest. But let me just tell you, I loved how Abbi wrote her story and finding out that her not being featured as a character but only getting her story from others in the first book was very much on purpose. Because Saylor is definitely not at all what she seems. Yes, she’s a mafia princess, but she’s far from spoiled. She’s also a woman nursing a broken heart after losing her fiancé not only to death, but also to another woman. Once she only found out about after his death. And now she finds herself spiraling in anger and resentment, desperately seeking purpose and finding it inside the walls of a church.

Father Jude is not a man who is easily tempted. He’s dedicated himself to his church and his vows due to his own tragic past. But the more he gets to know Saylor, the harder it is to resist the growing chemistry between them.

This was a slow burn that was full of emotion, tension, and all the forbidden vibes. Though Jude does go from 0 to 60 in the span of one forbidden look, I didn’t mind it. Give me a dirty talker and I’ll forget all the improbabilities. Admittedly, while I love how protective Saylor’s friends and family are, I did hate them for what they pulled at the end. I just didn’t understand the extreme reaction. But I also loved seeing Jude’s strength and love of Saylor shine through in those moments.

If you’re looking for a quick and steamy forbidden romance that has all the feels, definitely give this one a shot…

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Review: Wrath of an Exile by Monty Jay

October 29, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

WRATH OF AN EXILE
Series: River Styx Heathens #1
Author: Monty Jay
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date: October 28, 2024

In Ponderosa Springs, this version of Romeo and Juliet isn’t a tragedy. It’s war.

Jude Sinclair is West Trinity Falls’ favorite exiled loner.

Cocky. Insufferably hot. Family foe.

Raised across the tracks in a rival town, he reeks of trouble. Which is the one thing I’ve always had a problem avoiding and now that he’s just down the hall, it’s harder to resist the pull.

My father made one rule when Jude moved in, never trust a Sinclair.

The last thing I need is for my new foster brother to make me question my loyalty with his filthy smirks and poet tongue. But with every forbidden kiss and secret hookup, I quickly find myself faced with two options.

Betray my family? Or betray my heart?

AMAZON

The Capulets and Montagues may have been Shakespeare’s famous foes, but in Ponderosa Springs? It was the Van Dorens and Sinclairs.

I feel like I have been waiting for this book for my entire life. It was pure, dark tinged and grungy poetry and man but I loved every page of it.

Now if you haven’t yet read Monty Jay’s Hollow Boys series, do yourself a favor and read that series first. While you can definitely still enjoy this without having read that series, you would have a much finer appreciation for these characters having met the first generation. This is the next gen spinoff as it is. Plus Hollow Boys is simply a deliciously addictive series that I can’t recommend enough if you need another reason.

Now if you have read Hollow Boys, then you already know the history between Sinclairs and Van Dorens. Rook (The Truths We Burn) was one of my favorite characters and books in that series and I couldn’t wait to meet his daughter, Seraphina, who I just knew would be as lethal as her parents.

You see, I’ve got this thing. This appetite for boys’ hearts. It’s impossible to survive my brand of chaos. I like bad decisions. Fast cars. And sex. Anything that makes me numb.

Now as a self proclaimed enemies to lovers connoisseur, a true enemies to lovers romance is hard to come by. But boy did this one deliver. And if you love the whole star crossed, Romeo and Juliet vibe? Well, it’s extra delicious. Because Jude is not just the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. His last name carries a dark cross that isn’t his to bear but bear it he does. Jude just so happens to be the son of Easton Sinclair, who also happened to be Sage’s horrible ex from The Truths We Burn. But let’s talk about this book, shall we. Because when you highlight this much in a book, you just know you’re reading a five star. And the level of obsession I now have with these characters knows no end.

Phi’s misery tastes like it could sustain me for an eternity.
“I hate you.”
“Right back at ya, sweetheart.”

To say that there’s bad blood between the Van Dorens and the Sinclairs is putting it mildly. But the amplifier to that is the particular history between Phi and Jude personally. This is a mystery that slowly unravels during the course of the book and had me in a complete chokehold.

Seraphina is not known for her soft heart. She’s known for her love them and leave them mentality. But deep down, this is a girl who has some dark scars and even darker secrets. Jude is the quintessential tortured bad boy who I fell for instantly. He lived through hell with his father, and the stain of his family’s last name carriers into his every day. And when his father suddenly dies and suddenly he’s the foster of the Van Doren family, let’s just say things get sticky. And the hate lust between him and Phi certainly doesn’t get better when they’re living under the same roof.

You think you like it rough ’cause a few guys tugged your hair, Van Doren?” I whisper. “You’ll carry my bruises for a goddamn lifetime.”

And did I mention the hate lust? Because oh my god the tension between these two was everything. EVERYTHING.

How long do you think it’ll take before you give in and let me fuck those pretty little lies out of your mouth, sweetheart?”

I loved everything about this book; the characters, the pacing, the mystery, the secrets, the history. All of it was effortlessly and masterfully intwined for an absolutely unputdownable reading experience. And that’s what this book was; an experience.

You’re a goddamn tragedy, Van Doren. But fuck, you’re beautiful.”

I devoured the book in one sitting. I was both rabid for the ending and dreading it because I didn’t want this book to ever end. The story was perfectly paced with a haunting romance full of pain and second chances. And the new generation characters already have me rabid for their books…especially Ezra. If you’re looking for a dark and gritty new adult romance, you simply need to read this one. Full stop.

We’re not made for soft endings. We’re made for catastrophe, for the kind of connection that leaves scars, the kind that haunts you long after the final page is turned.
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Review: Tore Up by Abbi Glines

October 23, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

TORE UP
Series: Mississippi Smoke #1
Author: Abbi Gaines
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 23, 2024

Calculating, cold, often without emotion was how I was described by those closest to me. I had thought perhaps there was truth to their depiction until this endless searing pain took the place in my chest where my heart used to be. Vengeance now ate away at my soul. The wrath I planned to unleash would make the demons in Hell appear mild.

At least, that was until…

The twisted crux came in the form of eyes bluer than the sky on a warm summer day, a slightly upturned nose with a scattering of freckles, a pink cupid bow mouth, and a smile that made a man’s knees weak.

The events that brought us here meant I should loathe her existence for eternity, yet my need for her grows with each passing day. She’s too young, she’s vulnerable and broken, but somehow, she’s not damaged. She was the cause of what had left me with this raging agony, and yet, the balm that eased my soul. Still, I can never forgive the destruction she caused me and those I love.

I had become a mockery of my revenge because holding her at night while she slept was the only thing keeping me sane. She’ll pay the price through my cruelty, never knowing that while she dreams, I find my solace.

My story begins with my worst nightmare.
And she’s the reason behind all of it.

AMAZON

There were only so many things I was willing to do when it came to her. Forgiving her was not one of them.

If you’ve read Abbi’s Smoke and Georgia Smoke series, then you will definitely love the Mississippi branch spinoff.

Abbi’s formula just always hits the spot for me. She writes some of the best toxic, walking red flags of alpha MMCs and I am so here for it. And while the super forgiving and at times overly innocent heroines would grate on me anywhere else, in her books it just works. Don’t ask me why or how. It just does, ok.

Those eyes of hers were a weapon. The damn sky on a clear day couldn’t even compete.

This is the Mississippi branch of the souther mafia so expect some cameos from past favorites as well as the introduction of plenty of new and intriguing characters. If you’re expecting a lot of mafia elements, it’s not really that. They’re more like morally corrupt, Yellowstone kind of ‘mafia’. Ya know? And this girl has no complaints.

Now the premise of this story is a HUGE spoiler, so I won’t tell you much but I will say that my jaw was on the floor on chapter one. And it takes a lot to catch your girl by surprise.

Our MMCs is the type of morally gray fictional man that I love. He’s ruthless, cold, unfeeling, and as homicidal as they come. The man is a walking red flag if there ever was one, so naturally I fell for him. Fictionally speaking of course. Halo is her name personified. This girl is innocent and sweetness all wrapped up into one eager to please FMC. And she was the perfect balance to the MMCs craziness.

She wasn’t mine, and I had no right to do this, but I couldn’t seem to stop it.

This is a forced proximity so it also had a slow burn element to it which I loved. It burned so good, even when there were moments that I wanted to c*ck punch our MMCs. But I digress.

This pull she had on me was owning me.

There is just something about Abbi’s books that are just pure book crack for me. I read them in one sitting and while there’s definitely a formula to them, it just always hits and hits the spot. It’s quick paced, spicy, with just the right amount of grit.

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Review: From Here To Eternity by AL Jackson

October 15, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

FROM HERE TO ETERNITY
Series: Moonlit Ridge #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: A.L. Jackson
Release Date: October 15,  2024

I should have known everything was going to change when she walked into my tattoo shop…

Timid as hell and gorgeous to the extreme. I knew better than even thinking about touching a woman like that.

My life is dangerous.

My calling wicked.

Willing to cross any line to protect the innocent.

I thought I’d never see her again until my little boy tumbled and busted his lip, and I found her working at the doctor’s office.

The woman who’d taken possession of my thoughts.

When it becomes clear she’s in trouble, I offer up a deal.

Twenty questions to earn her trust.

Too bad trusting me is the last thing she should do.

With one kiss, I’m addicted. With one night, we’re falling into a passion greater than either of us has ever known.

The voices in my head warn I can never keep her. She can’t know the secret life I lead.

Only she’s keeping a secret, too.

And I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe, even if it means losing everything…

AMAZON

You don’t have to run anymore, Charleigh. You can rest in me.”

As a long time fan of AL Jackson, the woman never disappoints with writing some of the most amazing and swooniest heroes I have ever read. And River Tayte? The man was absolute morally gray perfection. Not to mention possessive, protective, and with a dirty mouth to boot.

Gonna mark myself on you as deep as that tat on your arm. Permanently. Make you remember exactly what you want. What you need.”

Now if you’ve ever read a book by this author than you already know that she has the most unique writing style that I for one can never get enough of. It’s just the right amount of lyrical prose that just engrains her stories with something more. An oomph if you will.

River and Charleigh meet by chance when she stumbles into his tattoo shop. And knowing that he has a waiting list at least 6 months out, there’s something about the woman that calls to River and has him agreeing to tattoo her. And then when another chance meeting brings them together again, he’s not so willing to walk away. To say that the man falls and falls hard would be an understatement.

Don’t you think we’re taking this a little fast?” His thumb brushed the angle of my cheek. “How could it be too fast if I’ve been waiting on you my entire life?”

Charleigh is running. Her past shrouded in darkness and pain. And the more that the layers get peeled back on what this woman has been through, the more your heart breaks for her. She’s in constant fear and looking over her shoulder, but something about River just calls to her. She trusts him even if she can’t tell him the full extent of her past.

There is a strong suspense element that is intertwined in this story and even though I thought I knew where it was all heading, the story still managed to catch me completely by surprise. And I love when a book is able to do that because who doesn’t love a good plot twist. Especially when it’s done right. And boy was it done right. I do wish that we got perhaps a bit more details on the bad guy at the end, but it didn’t take anything away in the long run. It was such a satisfying conclusion and the most amazing epilogue.

I absolutely devoured this book and fully obsessed with this new series. I can’t wait for the next book!

It’s you and me, Charleigh. From here to eternity.”

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, CONFESSIONS OF THE HEART, FALLING STARS, and REDEMPTION HILLS novels. Get her latest enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance, NEVER LOOK BACK, available now!

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 https://geni.us/ALJacksonBookClubB  or text “aljackson” to 33222 to receive short but sweet updates on all the important news.

Connect with A.L.

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Review: Brutal Bargain by Laurelin Paige

October 9, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

BRUTAL BARGAIN
Series: Brutal Billionaires #4
Author: Laurelin Paige
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 9, 2024

She needs a husband. He won’t let anyone else have her.

Ax Morgan has played many roles in my life: My brother’s best friend. The most notorious member of the Sebastian News Corp executive team. My enemy with benefits.

But my husband?

No thanks.

Our after hours scenes are simply a convenient way for me to blow off steam while I plot my exit from my toxic family’s company.

But when I need a groom so I can claim my inheritance, he presents me with a choice that’s more like blackmail—marry him, or he’ll sabotage me. So between the devil and the deep blue sea, I let the devil put a ring on it.

Turns out this is the role he plays best of all.

The worst part of pretending with Ax is how real it’s starting to feel.

Now my future is in his hands. And if he finds out what I’m planning, he’ll be the one with the impossible choice. Who loses everything—his best friend or his fake wife?

AMAZON

Whatever you think you have planned,” he continues, “whatever scheme you’re up to, this doesn’t end until I say it does, so let me make this clear right the fuck now: You’re mine.””

I have loved Laurelin’s Brutal Billinaires series since book on. But this book? Ax and Adly? Hands down my absolute favorite in the series and so deliciously addictive, I cannot recommend it enough.

Now while you may read it as a standalone, you would appreciate the dynamics of this family so much more if you read it in order. Adly is the only female Sebastian sibling and while she has the wealth, she dreams of a career that is her own and not in the shadow of her family and her fairly high handed father who believes women should focus on having a family. Desperately needing to find her path, she sets her eyes on a business with her siblings. The only problem is the cost of the business has gone up and the only way to get to more funds is to access her trust fund that only pays when she gets married. So what’s a girl to do? Shop for a fiancé of course.

Ax has been part of the executive team of Sebastian News Corp for years. He’s also best friends with the black sheep of the Sebastian family, but we’ll get to that later. Ax and Adly grew up together and have had years of a contentious relationship that finally comes to a head one night…and I mean BOOM. Suddenly, they find an escape from reality with each other in the form of role playing and these two play hard. Oh my god I loved their role playing.

…when Ax texts me with the start of a new scenario, I don’t ask questions. I just come. Literally and cliterally.”

And while they’re only hooking up, when Ax learns of Ally’s plans to find a husband on paper, he refuses for it to be anyone but him.

So basically, I should marry my bully so he can continue to bully me under the umbrella of the law.”
“I’m going to bully you either way, so why not make it legal? Though I prefer the term torment.”
“Terrorize is more accurate.”
In one fluid motion, he’s on his feet, his hands propped on the desk, leaning over with his face so close to mine that I can feel his breath on my lips. “Doesn’t matter what you call it, darling, as long as it gets you wet, and we both know that it does.””

When I tell you that I loved these two, I mean I was absolutely obsessed with them. Their chemistry, their banter, their role playing. Did I mention their role playing? I swear, Laurelin just reached into my head to pull out the pure fantasy that was Ax. He’s wholly obsessed, slightly mean but with a heart of gold, and when he falls, he falls so hard. I loved the way he fought for Adly as much as I loved the way that Adly fought him.

Why can’t you take everything I want to give like you take my cock? Is this the only form of attention you can accept?” “I don’t… I don’t know.” It’s truer than I want to admit. “Then I’ll tell you—you were made to be fucked like this. Fucked by me, Adly. And I alone know what you need. No one else. If I tell you you’re the fucking sun in the sky, then you’re the sun in the sky. If I tell you that you deserve more, then you take more. You take what I give. You understand yet?””

Brutal Bargain was pure romance perfection, full of heart, emotion, and enough chemistry to set your kindle on fire. Ax and Adly were incendiary together. I loved them so much! 

With millions of books sold worldwide, Laurelin Paige is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author. She is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. 

When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Killing Eve or Letterkenny, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She’s also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn’t do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio. 

She is represented by Rebecca Friedman.

Connect w/Laurelin:

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Review: Bull Rush by Maggie Rawdon

September 27, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

BULL RUSH
Genre: Dark Western Romance
Author: Maggie Rawdon
Release Date: September 27, 2024

Still married.
Those words change everything.

Now my should-be ex-husband, Ramsey Stockton, the former pro football star turned felon and hero who left this town—and me—behind years ago, is at my door offering me a deal with the devil.

If I let him stay and play his wife again for ninety days, he’ll give me a quiet divorce and his family ranch—the one my inn is on. When I scoff at the idea, he offers a million-dollar bonus to help my business float through this rough patch, but only if I’m his.

Then he’ll walk away, and I can walk down the aisle with my fiancé. Or I can say no and watch everything I’ve worked so hard for fall apart.

There’s only one answer I can afford to give him. But he knows everything about me—every hurt, every secret, and every single weakness I have, including him.

While Ramsey might want me, his brothers want him back in the family business. If there’s one universal truth in this town, it’s that Stockton men stop at nothing to get what they want.

AMAZON 

You remembered,” she says, and it’s quiet, so quiet I read the words on her lips more than I hear them over the music and the roar of the bar. I smile slowly, half afraid to do anything to mess this moment up. “Sugar, when it comes to you, I remember every single thing. Like you were branded on my soul.”

Well now, this is going to be a roller coaster of a series if this book is anything to go by. Because, what a ride! This was full of twists and turns and so much dirty talk that set my loins ablaze. Did I just age myself by typing that? I think I may have, but I digress.

The second I read the blurb to this book, I knew I had to have it, and it definitely delivered on that blurb and then some. I love a second chance romance and when that second chances is with your ex spouse that you thought you were divorced from? Color me all over it.

Hazel has finally moved on from her ex husband. It’s been years since Ramsey left to pursue his football career and left her his family’s inn. Hazel is engaged and happy, but then gets the shock of a lifetime. Turns out her divorce never went through. And her ex husband is back in town after he’s paroled from prison and making her a deal. He’ll give her the money she needs to fix the inn and grant her the divorce if she gives him 90 days as his wife. Now, the second Hazel’s fiancé agreed, I fully wrote him off. Bye Felicia! But I digress again.

Admittedly, Hazel took me a minute to warm up to. I knew there was definitely more than Just Ramsey and his family history that led to their falling out. But at times she came off as childish and petty. The way she chooses to punish him just rubbed me wrong even if I loved Ramsey’s reactions to her little rebellions. Luckily she did mature throughout the course of the book and definitely grew on me. But Ramsey? Ramsey definitely stole the show. This man was absolute fire with a dirty mouth to boot.

There’s some mystery about his family legacy and his siblings that develops throughout the book that I can’t wait to learn more about in the next ones. There’s some grittier and darker elements of suspense as well, which I definitely enjoyed. I wouldn’t call it dark, but it wasn’t light either.

I loved seeing these two find their way back to each other against all odds. And I also definitely need to go back and read Mine to Gain because there’s definitely an appearance by Ramsey in that book that I want to know more about.

This was a fun page turner with plenty of spice and sizzle. But the set up for the next book? SALIVATING.

 

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