Review: Beautiful Exile by Catherine Cowles

March 18, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

BEAUTIFUL EXILE
Series: Sparrow Falls #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Catherine Cowles
Release Date: March 18, 2025

I should’ve known Lincoln Pierce was trouble from the moment I held my knife to his throat.

I’ve been running for most of my life, hiding away in a small town and hoping no one discovers who I truly am. The only problem is that I can never let anyone know the real me. Or at least that was true until my brother moved his best friend onto our shared property.

Now, I’m stuck trying to avoid the nosy billionaire’s probing questions and piercing stares. And it doesn’t help that I almost killed him the first time we met.

Oops.

But when all my carefully crafted lies come crashing down around me, it’s Linc stepping in to shield me. And when it looks like the person hunting me for all those years is back, Linc will do anything to keep me safe.

Only it’s not just my safety at risk. It’s my heart. Because when Linc touches me, I lose all sense. And when I truly get to know the broken billionaire, he’s so much more than a ruthless business tycoon. He’s the man showing me that it’s time to really live.

But I’m not the only one with secrets. Linc has them, too. And when the forces from our pasts emerge from the shadows, it’s with only one goal: to end the new life we’re building together. For good.

AMAZON 

Lincoln Pierce was a good man. The best kind. And it scared the hell out of me.

It’s official; Catherine Cowles books are my happy place. Full stop.

Now first I have to tell you that she calls him “Cowboy” and he calls her “Vicious” and I was kicking my feet and giggling like a school girl each time I read it. But on to the review, shall we?

I hope you don’t mind a clingy boyfriend.”
My mouth quirked. “Boyfriend, huh?”
Linc chuckled, the sound skating over me. “Ridiculous term. But it’ll have to do until you let me have husband.”

I swear, there is just something about a Catherine MMC that just hits in all the best ways. She writes some of the most amazing, fiercely protective, and make you swoon until you’re a puddle on the floor sort of men. And man oh man did I fall hard and fast for Lincoln. The man was perfection and I could’t get enough of him.

Arden was a survivor through and through and I loved her fierceness wrapped in vulnerability. This is a woman who took charge of her safety and I love the way she was. As a cane corso owner, I love seeing this breed featured in books and I absolutely loved the bond between her and her pup.

Can I pet him, or will he rip off my hand?”
I looked down at my dog. “He’ll only do that if I tell him to.”
Linc’s dark brows lifted at that. “And are you going to tell him to, Vicious?”

For those of you who loved it when the man falls first and HARD, like me, then you’re definitely going to love Linc. He didn’t fight his connection to Arden for even a second. Even while she fought it at first and even with him being her brother’s best friend, he didn’t let it distract him from his path. I absolutely loved the way he fought for her in the same way he fought WITH her. And man oh man but did I love them together. Their chemistry was absolute perfection.

The suspense had me turning the pages well into the night and I finished this book in one riveting, pulse pounding, edge of my seat, reading. Catherine has quickly become an auto buy author for me and this book is a perfect example why. I can’t recommend it enough for all my fellow spicy romantic suspense loving readers out there!

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Review: For Wrath And Redemption by Brit Benson

March 14, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

FOR WRATH AND REDEMPTION
Series: The Hometown Heartless #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Brit Benson
Release Date: March 14, 2025

 

This temptation is my punishment.
His redemption is my penance.

Jonah Hendrix is the bad boy of the music industry.
As lead guitarist of The Hometown Heartless, negative press follows him like a scorned lover,
And even his fans fuel the flames of his torched reputation.

Despite his permanent residence in the media,
He’s never been on my radar.
Not until my boss comes to me with a
Join The Hometown Heartless on tour to redeem Jonah in the public eye,
and finally get the promotion I’ve been working toward.

I’m not a PR specialist, and it’s not my career ambition,
but I’m determined to see this job through.
As long as I treat the surly rock star like a brand,
I’ll succeed in rehabbing his reputation and survive the tour with my sanity intact.

The problem?
Jonah and I have more in common than either of us realized.
And that desire for connection?
It’s proving to be irresistible.

***

For Wrath and Redemption is the third book in The Hometown Heartless series and contains a crossover character from The Next Life series.

For Wrath and Redemption DOES contain spoilers for The Next Life duet and The Hometown Heartless series.

Reading the The Next Life duet and The Hometown Heartless series prior to For Wrath and Redemption will enhance your appreciation of this story as well as provide a better understanding of the depth of the character dynamics, personalities, and backstories.

For clarification, For Wrath and Redemption takes place chronologically as the next story in both The Hometown Heartless series and The Next Life series.

AMAZON

Claire Davis could be my penance, but I’ll be damned if I admit my sins out loud. They’re mine and mine alone to contend with. No atonement, then. Just pain.

No one and I mean NO ONE can tug at their readers’ heart strings quite like Brit Benson. She gives angst and emotion like no one else and the way I physically experienced this book is a testament of that. Because I didn’t just read this story, I experience it, I felt it. It broke me, shattered me, and then put me back together in the best kind of way.

Now if you’ve read Next Life duet, then you’ve already met Claire. And if you’re like me, you already hated Claire. The dichotomy of her character in the two books was not lost on me. You want to hate her, and yet you also want to forgive her. The Claire in book one is not quite the Claire in book two. But I still left that duet feeling a certain sort of way for Claire. And if there’s one thing I can tell you, Brit writes a redemption arc like nobody’s business. Because the Claire of this book? Never have I loved a character’s growth as much as I did here.

If you haven’t read that duet yet, I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend read this series in order to truly appreciate everything that is Jonah Hendrix.

Every surface. Every position. Every country. I’m going to own every fucking orgasm from now on, Trouble.

I love the care that Brit took with his character. Jonah is the epitome of tortured rockstar. But nothing can prepare you for the true depth of who he is and what he has been through. When the layers of his past and his present begin to peel back, you get a live wire of a character that you can’t help but fall for. The story doesn’t shy away from the dark themes of addiction and a few other topics that I don’t want to spoil by mentioning. But Claire is far from perfect herself, and I loved the way she’s written so much.

But let’s get back to Jonah for a second.

That’s right, baby. Even with my hands tied, I can make you scream.”

The last thing he wants is a babysitter, but that’s what he gets when Claire is sent in to help clean up his image after a particularly disastrous visit he takes back home that almost lands him on the wrong end of a jail cell. To say that these two butt heads is an understatement. Jonah is determined to get rid of Claire at any cost. He’ll undermine her at every turn and he’ll make her job a living hell. And Claire, well she doesn’t take anything lying down. This woman has her own share of demons and I loved the way she fought with him.

Jonah Hendrix is my penance. I meant it when I said he would regret it if I left. What I didn’t admit was that I would regret it, too.

Theirs is not a perfect romance. It had its ugly and dark side and I loved the way they both fought for each other and themselves. It was a story of redemption and forgiveness and full of so much emotion that I felt every chapter to my very core.

If you love angsty rockstar romance with incredible multilayered characters and a story that will stay with you, then you need this book in your life!

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Review: Call me Teach by S.J. Sylvis

March 11, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

CALL ME TEACH
Series: Wilder U
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult Romance
Author: S.J. Sylvis
Release Date: March 5, 2025

The deal is simple: my brother’s best friend–who just so happens to be my new roommate–shows me the ropes in the bedroom, and I owe him a favor when the time comes.

No big deal, right?

Except that the favor he asks for is something I never saw coming.

Call Me Teach is a spicy lessons hockey novella that takes place in SJ Sylvis’s upcoming series: Wilder U (coming 2026).

 

 

This title was previously in an anthology but it has a couple of added scenes and a glimpse of upcoming characters!

AMAZON

I no longer want to be called Teach. Instead, I want to be called hers.

Sometimes all you need is a spicy hockey romance novella from one of your favorite authors to make you happy. The only thing better is when said novella also introduces a brand new series from said favorite author. And Call Me Teach checked all the boxes for me!

It’s short, spicy and oh so satisfying.

After breaking up with her boyfriend who was less than satisfying in bedroom, Hannah moves in with her brother and his hot hockey teammates. And let me tell you, I am an absolute wh*re for a brother’s best friend trope! But I digress.

When one is said teammates overhears Hannah tell her friend on the phone that she’s never reached the finish line with any of her boyfriends, he’s determined to teach her. So what’s a little sneaking around among friends with some extreme benefits? Nolan will be happy to have Hannah call him teach, until he realizes he wants more.

This was such a fun read, and while it was short, it was no less satisfying. It packed a deliciously sexy punch and whetted my appetites for the Wilder U series like nothing else! I can’t wait for more with this new series!

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Review: The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy

March 10, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

THE CHARLIE METHOD
Series: Campus Diaries #3
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult Romance
Author: Elle Kennedy
Release Date: February 25, 2025

The third in the steamy, hilarious Campus Diaries series by New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy, set in the same world as Off Campus and Briar U.

College senior Charlotte Kingston is living two lives―and she’s nailing both of them. By day, she’s the perfect sorority girl, a STEM student in biomedical engineering, and the adopted daughter of an overachiever family. At night, she’s Charlie: a risk-taking daredevil looking for fun who finds herself chatting on a dating app with two anonymous hotties.

Will Larsen may seem like the breezy boy next door, but his congressman father is a constant thorn in his side. After a scandal hits another Division 1 hockey program, Will’s dad is determined to distance his son from it, hiring a journalist to prove how squeaky-clean Will and his team are. Which means the last thing Will wants is for anyone to find out he and his best friend Beckett Dunne―a laidback Aussie shielding secret heartache―sometimes share girls in the bedroom.

When Charlie finally meets them in person and realizes she’s been chatting with two gorgeous Briar U hockey players, things get steamy―fast. But all their messy secrets are piling up, and real life soon threatens to shatter the fantasy. With Charlie, Will, and Beckett all coming to terms with what they want and what others want for them, difficult decisions will need to be made.

Especially when lust starts to look a lot like love.

AMAZON

Because… falling for one guy? Fine. But two? That’s a mess I’m not ready for.

Ummm…I beg your finest pardon? We have a hockey romance from one of my favorite authors with not one but TWO hot hockey boys? Yes, please and thank you! This reader loves a good MFM and this one hit the spot like nothing else!

I am and will forever be an obsessive nerd. Yet I also hook up with football players in parking lots.

Now if there’s something I love more than two hot hockey men, it’s a sex positive FMC. It’s just always such a refreshing change of pace when you get a heroine who not only enjoys sex, she’s not ashamed of it. Petition for more heroines like Charlie. But I digress.

Charlie is the perfect student, the perfect daughter, and the perfect sorority sister. She also likes to hook up with hot jocks. Nothing wrong with that. Girl likes to release her tension in the best of ways. While swiping on the campus hookup app, she stumbles on a profile that instantly catches her attention because of the two hot and faceless bodies and the joint profile is simply too intriguing to pass up. And when she matches them? Game. On.

The fun part is that Charlie has no idea who the two men are or their close proximity to her. Because one is the hockey jock she loves to hate in one of her classes, and the other is her hot new project partner. And the boys have no idea either. So when they finally figure it out, fireworks!

I loved the banter and the dynamic between the three of them. Will is a politician’s son who bears the weight of his father’s high expectations. Beckett is the fun loving one who’s quick with a joke. And Charlie is their perfect fit. I simply loved the three of them together.

Considering that this is Elle’s first MFM, I was wondering how she’d pull it off and she did so seamlessly. The three of them just fit. While I do love me some Elle Kennedy steam, it did seem quite a bit here for the story and while I can’t say that it overpowered it, it did come close to being that at times. I really enjoyed the story but I did want a bit more from the end. I wanted to see more with Charlie and her family and a few other things that I found myself wishing were a a bit more fleshed out. However, it was still a fun and super steamy read that I enjoyed thoroughly and highly recommend for any hockey romance lovers.

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Review: Save Your Breath by Kandi Steiner

March 7, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

SAVE YOUR BREATH
Series: Kings of the Ice #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kandi Steiner
Release Date: March 7, 2025

THIS JUST IN: HOCKEY BAD BOY AND POP STAR EXTRAORDINAIRE ENGAGED!
That was the headline we’d wanted. If only I’d known the cost to get it.

Aleksander Suter has been my best friend since high school—and the only man who’s ever been able to truly get under my skin. With his reputation for trouble and a smirk that could melt ice, he’s also the NHL’s favorite bad boy.

When my publicist’s plan to fix my image collides with his need to clean up his own, we find ourselves in a fake engagement that feels too real from the start.

Now, I’m releasing my new album, putting on a show for the paparazzi I usually try to dodge, and falling too fast for a man who never falls for anyone. Every stolen glance, every heated touch blurs the lines between us until I’m wondering where the lies end and the truth begins.

And when a hurricane traps us together in his high-rise condo, all my carefully built walls collapse, and resisting the pull between us becomes a losing game.

Suddenly, the stakes are higher than just headlines, and the risks feel more personal than ever.

But as our past resurfaces and old feelings reignite, I realize the biggest risk isn’t losing my career—it’s losing my heart to the one person I thought would never be mine.

AMAZON 

Because my best friend, the woman I’d been sick over since I was sixteen, the one woman I knew I could never truly have… She’d just proposed that we pretend to date each other. No, that we pretend to be engaged. And just the thought of her being mine, even if only for a publicity stunt, had my insides twisted into an unholy knot of anticipation.

This series just gets better and better, I swear! Because the level of obsession that I now have with Aleks is simply unrivaled. I mean, I knew I would love him already when he was a secondary character in Learn Your Lesson when he finally let Will see beneath that bad boy mask of his. But actually being inside his head? OHMYGOD.

I wanted her so badly, I’d risk being her mistake.

Aleks is the resident bad boy of NHL with a reputation that precedes him. But after one fight too many, he’s at a risk of losing it all.

Mia has been crushing on Aleks since they were in high school but never recovered from his rejection those years ago. She’s moved on, or at least she tried to. But when her ex from over a year ago is still determined to smear her in the media, she needs a PR plan. And who better to make the world think she moved on than the bad boy of NHL and her high school best friend? But when the chemistry between them is this incendiary, they can only “fake it” for so long.

It was surrender and assassination in tandem.
He wanted to ruin me. I was desperate to be ruined.

The way I loved these two, I can’t even tell you. I loved the raw vulnerability that both of them had with each other. Even if their lack of adult communication made me want to shake them at times, I also understood why they were they way they were. Aleks feelings like he’s not good enough for Mia and Mia still stinging from his rejection when she laid herself bare for him all those years ago. But when Aleks decides that he’s going to risk it all, he really goes all in, and oh my god I was so here for it.

You’re so full of yourself,” I said breathlessly, the bite of my rebuttal weak. “You’ll be full of me soon, too.”

It was a slow burn with sizzling chemistry and the type of friends to lovers that I will always devour. I loved everything about their story; their history, their connection, their emotion, and their chemistry.

If you love a hockey romance with a bad boy/good girl vibe, friends to lovers, and plenty go angst and feels, then you need this book on your TBR!

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Review: Wild Side by Elsie Silver

March 4, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

WILD SIDE
Series: Rose Hill #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Elsie Silver
Release Date: March 4, 2025

I’d always dreamed of my wedding day. But not like this. Not looking into the eyes of the man who betrayed me.

But when my nephew’s guardianship is contested, I decide I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him in Rose Hill. Even if it means marrying the enemy.  

Rhys Dupris.  

A man who is secretive, broody, and completely infuriating. A man whose work takes him away for weeks on end and brings him back covered in mysterious bruises—ones he won’t talk about. In fact, we barely talk at all. 

Which would be fine, except when he’s not talking, he’s staring. And the way he looks at me is borderline indecent. 

The tension between us has always been palpable. But living under the same roof is a dangerous temptation. 

I swore I would never forgive him. But that was before I knew the man behind the mask. The one who’s fierce and protective. The one who’s gentle and patient. The one who shows up for us when we need him most. 

He’s not at all who I thought he was.

And that makes hating my husband so much harder… and loving him just a little too easy.

AMAZON 

How fucked up do I have to be to get all horny over a man who is here to make my life miserable and looks at me like he wants to kill me?

I don’t know what sort of crack Elsie sprinkles into her books but I hope she never stops. Because I liked Wild Love, I loved Wild Eyes, but I fell head over heels for Wild Side.

I was already intrigued by Rhys as a secondary character in the previous books. The quiet and mysterious stranger who just has an electric presence. We know next to nothing about him and I for one was rabid for every morsel. And after the tease in Wild Eyes? I was feral for this book. FERAL.

Tabitha is an FMC that I was immediately connected with. There’s just something so raw and so real about her. After the tragic loss of her sister, he beloved nephew is all she has left of her memory. She loves the boy beyond reason and would do anything for him. And when she finds out that her sister left the guardianship of her nephew to her grumpy neighbor, she realizes that anything would also be a marriage in name only to ensure her nephew gets everything he needs. She knows next to nothing about Rhys, except that he broke his promise to her, he’s grumpy, and he has a mysterious job that no one knows about.

And Rhys? The level of obsession that I have with this man knows no bounds. The more you find out about him, the harder you fall. And when you realize the lengths he goes to in order to protect Tabby’s memory of her sister, I fell that much harder. He’s selfless and beneath that grumpy exterior is the mushy sweet center that you can’t get enough of.

I lived for their banter. Tabitha was such a ballbuster with Rhys, but he didn’t take any of it lying down. Their banter was full of tension and so much chemistry that I thought my kindly would combust.

I don’t know why you’re so obsessed with me being a porn star. If you want to see me fuck someone, the bathroom is right there. Drag me in there right now, and you can watch in the mirror while I bend you over.”

And did I mention their chemistry? Because OHMYGAWD

Rhys has always given off big dick energy. But I know now it’s not so much energy as big dick knowledge. Big dick surety? Big dick guarantee.

There was a delicious slow burn romance that was full of tension and so much emotion. When I tell you that I loved Rhys and Tabitha together, I mean I never wanted this book to end.

And when you find out what it is that Rhys does for a living? PERFECTION.

If you’re looking for an MMC that you will fall head over heels for, look no further. Because Rhys was everything and I mean EVERYTHING.

I wish you weren’t seeing me like this.”
My brow furrows. “Like what?”
“At my worst.”
I tip my head toward her. “Then it’s all uphill from here, baby. It’s going to make seeing you at your best so damn special.”

This series just continues to get better with each book and I absolutely cannot wait for the next installment.

If you’re looking for a small town romance with all the feels, plenty of spice, and characters that you simply won’t stop thinking about then look no further. This book was simply perfection.

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DGRFave & Review: On Loverose Lane by Samantha Young

February 20, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

ON LOVEROSE LANE
Series: Return to Dublin Street #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Samantha Young 
Release Date: February 20, 2025

Imagine my surprise when my new neighbor turns out to be one of Scotland’s most famous (and hottest) professional footballers, Callan Keen. I’m even more shocked to discover that the brooding player is still holding a grudge for something that happened (or didn’t happen) between us years ago.

Too busy trying to take my social media management company to the next level, I don’t have time for this gorgeous blast from the past. Or at least I shouldn’t. Yet whenever I see him, I can’t help but engage in a battle of wits with the grump upstairs.

When a huge client opportunity arises, circumstances force me to enlist Callan’s help. I require a fake date and Callan needs me to facilitate a meeting with my dad to further his own business interests.

The deal between us should be simple. Except, of course, the blazing chemistry we’ve shared since the moment we met. We can’t deny it, we can’t control it, and soon we’re agreeing to six weeks of no-strings-attached, mind-blowing, steamy shenanigans.

I told myself I was too smart to catch feelings. But when Callan finally finds out the truth about our past, he becomes the guy I used to know. And that man is way too easy to fall for.

The problem is that Callan has vowed to never let another person close enough to break his heart again.

It just might prove impossible to show my stubborn Scotsman I’m worth the risk, especially when old wounds are re-opened and threaten to wreck any chance of a future together…

The #1 International bestselling author is back with this emotional and steamy sports romance in which ambitious entrepreneur, Beth Carmichael, meets her match in the grumpy football captain who moves into the apartment above hers.

AMAZON

I barely knew her, but somehow I knew even then at sixteen, Beth Carmichael would ruin me. Either in a good way … or the worst way imaginable.

On Dublin Street was the first Samantha book I ever read and it was also the book that made me fall in love with her writing. So it really should come as no surprise that I loved this book as much as I did because not only is it set in the same world but it also features the next gen with the daughter of Braden and Jocelyn. And dare I say that I think I may have loved Beth’s story even more than her parents? And considering that On Dublin Street is still one of my absolute favorite books over 10 years later, that’s saying something.

I want all of you to be mine. Every fucking inch of you, Beth, inside and out. Until we don’t even know where I begin and you end.”

Prepare to fall head over heels for Beth and Callan because I know I did. When Beth walks out of her apartment to three guys bringing up a couch, she’s not entirely prepared for the blast from the past in the shape of Callan. But while it’s clear that these two have a past, you don’t entirely know the depths of it or why there’s such animosity between them now. Well, the animosity is mostly from Callan, but animosity nonetheless. And beneath that animosity is the most sizzling chemistry that you can’t wait but for them to give into.

Beth is the daughter of two well known parents and while she grew up with everything, she takes none of it for granted and determined to pave her own way in building her company. She’s impossible not to love with her easy wit, quick humor, and endearing personality. Much to Callan’s displeasure, she also has the immaculate skills to quickly befriend all the one night stands he brings over.

Callan is no longer the poor boy with nothing to his name. He’s the next hot thing in sports and a professional footballer whose name everyone chants on the field. A blast from his past is the last thing he needs, especially when it’s one of Beth. And as the story progresses, we get snippets into their past to see just what happened between these two. I personally loved the pay that the flashbacks were so shameless woven into the story.

The chemistry between them is immaculate and I was on bated breath for the inevitable to happen. When an opportunity presents itself for a mutually beneficial arrangement, Beth and Callan agree to fake date. Callan needs an in for a meeting with Beth’s father, and Beth needs the illusion of a boyfriend to get a potential big client’s handsy son to get off her back.

It’s mutually assured destruction, Captain.

But of course with the more time they spend together, the harder the tension and chemistry between them becomes to ignore. While the chemistry between their teenage selves was hot, as adults, it’s absolutely incendiary.

I loved absolutely everything about this book; the characters, the romance, and especially the cameos of some of my favorite Samantha Young characters. If you haven’t read her Dublin Street series, I can’t recommend it enough. And if you haven’t yet read a book of hers, there is no better one to start with than this one.

I fell head over heels for Callan and Beth and their story is forever engraved in my memory banks. I am so excited for the rest of this series because it’s simply one of my favorite worlds from Samantha and everyone needs to experience it. I loved it beyond words!

Samantha Young is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. She’s been nominated for several Goodreads Choice Awards. Samantha writes adult contemporary and paranormal romance, YA urban fantasy and YA contemporary fiction and is currently published in 31 countries.

She resides in Scotland.

 

Connect with Samantha

Website: http://authorsamanthayoung.com

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Review: Hide and Keep by A. Marie

February 20, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

HIDE AND KEEP
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Villains of Lore #1
Author: Jasmine Mas
Release Date: November 26, 2024

Ever Munreaux is everything I’m not:
Wealthy
Flawless
A cheerleader
She’s also everything I hate:
Arrogant
Untrustworthy
Cruel
And I just moved in with her…as her bodyguard.


Crue Brantley’s everything I want to be:
Honest
Thoughtful
Free
He’s also everything my father says he is:
Disposable
Clueless
Off-limits
Despite spending every day—and some of our nights—together, I can’t let him know who I really am…or what he’s protecting me from.

AMAZON 

 

You need taken care of in every way.”
“That’s what our valet’s for.”
“Edwin doesn’t do for you what I do.”
“Ruin my life?”
“Make you so wet your thighs look like they’re crying.”

Confession time: the second I saw this cover, I knew this would be my first A. Marie book. Yes, the blurb definitely helped seal the deal but I am absolutely feral for a man in a ball cap. Swoony sigh. But I digress.

If you like a good hate to love situation, this one hits the spot so good. Let me paint the scene for you. You have Ever Munreaux, the daughter of the mogul owner of Munreaux motorcycles. On the surface, she has it all; wealth, popularity, looks, a talented flyer on her cheerleading team. But behind the veil, she craves independence, she craves acceptance, and she craves just one night of anonymity. All of which she can never have because of her despicable father. And oh the ways I LOATHED this man.

In a bid to get his daughter even further under his thumb and to stop her acting out, he hires her a babysitter in the guise of a bodyguard. Enter Crue Brantley.

Crue is everything that Ever is not. He comes from a happy home but with none of the wealth. Mostly stumbling his way through life, he takes gigs here and there, until an offer too good to pass up comes to him. Watch a wealthy man’s daughter and last through her tantrums to get him to quit long enough to collect a paycheck that can change his life.

To say that these two butt heads is an understatement of epic proportions. Ever is a downright b*tch to him, who I wanted to hate in parts, if we also didn’t get her internal monologue and understand how much it cost her to say and do the things that she does. I also loved the way that Ever was possessive and jealous over Crue just as crazed as he was for her. Admittedly, her penchant for saying “oh Goddess” took me out a bit, but this is also I recently came off of a romantasy binge. So this was a quirk that took me a bit to accept but it did grow on me with time.

Their chemistry was incendiary and I loved the slow burn romance that went from hate to lust to something so much more. This was a thick book but it read super quick and I didn’t find it dragging or slowing down. I enjoyed the character and especially the romance development.

Having finished this, I’ll be going back to A Marie’s backlist because her writing definitely clicked hard for me and I enjoyed this quite a bit. If you’re looking for a fun and steamy hate to lust, bodyguard, new adult romance, this one will definitely hit the spot.

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Review: Under An Endless Moon by A.L. Jackson

February 10, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

UNDER AN ENDLESS MOON
Series: Moonlit Ridge #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: A.L. Jackson
Release Date: February10,2025

I should have known I’d break the oath I made when I offered to let my best friend’s little sister move in with me…

She’s the sweetest woman on the face of the planet.

And to my great misfortune, the sexiest one, too.

She’s been living under her brother’s roof her entire life, and she’s ready to spread her wings.

And I’m the masochist who offers she stay at my place until she can find an apartment.

When I hear her having a nightmare, the only thing I can do is go to her. Hold her so she knows she’s safe from her demons.

The second she’s in my arms, the attraction I’ve tried to hide sparks to life. I know better than to push past the boundaries I’ve set for us, but when she begs me to touch her in a way she’s never been touched, I can’t resist.

And with my name on her lips as I send her soaring for the first time, I know there’s no going back.

I’m willing to break every rule and oath I’ve ever made to keep her.

Accept every consequence.

Only she and I have a dark, dangerous history that no one knows about.

And I’m afraid the consequences of loving her have just caught up to us…

AMAZON

You are the light inside of me, Raven. Only thing that could ever lead me out of the dark. Gonna love you through it all. Under every endless moon. And when dawn finally breaks, I will watch you rise.”

Oh Otto, the man you are. This fictional man right here is the reason I read romance. I don’t know how AL Jackson does it, but the woman weaves absolute poetry with her words. She has written some of my favorite fictional men to date, and Otto just jumped all the way to the top of my list.

He’s a man who can bring the sweet:

Gonna write myself on every inch of you.” My teeth clamped down on my bottom lip. “That’s where I want you. Everywhere. In every way. Forever.”

And then follow it up with the spicy:

Good girl,” he choked. “Such a fucking good girl with my cock stuffed down your throat. Like you were meant to do it.”

This is a deliciously gritty and suspenseful brother’s best friend romance and oh the forbidden angst of it all. I loved Raven and Otto’s relationship. Yes, Otto is River’s best friend. But he’s also been Raven’s shelter from the storm. A constant in her life for as long as she can remember and a forbidden fruit for just as long. These two have some painful history and as you get morsels of their backstory fed in flashbacks, you begin to realize just how interwoven these two are.

Raven has wanted Otto for as long as she was old enough to recognize the feeling. And Otto has been fighting it for just as long because he knows he’s not good enough for Raven or what she needs after everything she’s gone through. I loved his quiet support of Raven. The way he just knew exactly what she needed when she needed it. And I loved the way that she fought for him just as hard.

The romance was absolutely beautiful with just the right amount of spice to add the perfect cherry on the top.

There was no forgetting Raven Tayte because no matter how painful it was, this woman was carved on my heart and written in my soul.

Their story was a gorgeous and painful thrill ride of loss and redemption and man oh man did I gobble it right up.

If you’re looking for a book to hook you on Jackson’s writing, you can’t go wrong with this one.

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.

Newsletter: https://geni.us/ALJacksonBookClubB

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Twitter: @aljacksonauthor 

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DGRFave & Review: Skate The Line by S.J. Sylvis

February 6, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

SKATE THE LINE
Series: Blue Devils Hockey #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: S.J. Sylvis
Release Date: February 6, 2024


⁣A grumpy/sunshine, single dad/nanny, hockey romance by Amazon Top 50 and USA Today bestselling author, S.J. Sylvis.
I’ve been making rational decisions my entire life.⁣
⁣
If someone is in need, I’m there. My Nana needs help with the bills? I’ll drop out of art school and secure a well-paying job. Someone needs the shirt off my back? They can have mine.⁣
⁣
When the league’s most desirable bachelor and single dad needs a nanny that can look past his star power and won’t end up in his bed, I’m the perfect choice.⁣
⁣
Except, Rhodes Volkova isn’t the easiest to get along with. He’s grumpy, blunt, and cynical from past women and their inability to do their job and nothing else. It doesn’t matter that he has a serious soft spot for his daughter and is irresistibly good-looking.⁣
⁣
It doesn’t affect my ability to be the best nanny, and it surely won’t lure me into his bed like the rest.⁣
⁣
Rhodes is skeptical of me, fearful I’ll turn out like the rest with dollar signs in my eyes or just wanting a fling with someone rich and famous. But what he doesn’t know is that I’m distrusting too. I’m done with men and have issues of my own. He doesn’t have to worry about me crossing a line.⁣
⁣
No one said anything about skating the line, though.⁣

AMAZON 

What started as something temporary is turning into something that I want to make permanent.

I didn’t think it was possible for me to love a book more than I did Play the Game but OHMYGOD this book has me in such a chokehold that even a day after finishing I can’t seem to stop thinking about this story and Rhodes and Sunny.

Rhodes Volkova is every bit intimidating as he is attractive.

Rhodes was a secondary character who I fell in love with in book one. A jaded singe dad who can’t keep a nanny to save his life because they’re more interested in him than they are his adorable daughter? Yes please and thank you.

Just looking at her can thaw any man’s cold heart. Except mine, of course.

Sunny is recovering from a trauma and the last thing she wants is another nanny job, but then she gets an offer that just be almost too good to be true. An adorable little girl and her professional hockey father that has a strict professionalism clause for his nanny? She’s all for it. But neither one of them is prepared for the chemistry that will quickly blaze between them no matter how much they try to fight it.

Rhodes was an MMC who I fell hard and fast for. He loves two things only; his daughter and hockey. In that exact order. Having run through too many nannies to count because they’re more interested in seducing him than watching his daughter, he’s given up hope. Until a nanny who seems too good to be true comes into their life and immediately enchants both him and his daughter. And when I tell you that I absolutely adored the grumpy sunshine trope, I mean I was reading this with a goofy grin on my face and kicking my feet the entire time. GOD it was good.

This was a delicious slow burn and I was on pins and needles waiting for these two to finally give into the chemistry between them. I also loved the way they both help the other heal but I won’t spoil anything here and you’ll have to read it to get the details. But trust me when I tell you that it was EVERYTHING.

Damn,” he mutters. Then his mouth is on mine, and I suddenly feel like I’m his.

I spent the last few weeks in a terrible slump thinking that I will never be inspired to read a book in one sitting again, until I turned to page one of this book. And I immediately knew this would be a five star read. And you know what? I was not wrong.

Skate the Line had everything I love; emotion, chemistry, and a story that was addictive from beginning to end. I fell so hard for both Sunny and Rhodes and I never wanted this story to end. I five star loved book one, but this one just simply blew me away. I loved it beyond words and can’t recommend it enough for any hockey romance lover out there. Trust me when I tell you that this book is just not to be missed.

S.J. Sylvis is an Amazon top 50 and USA Today bestselling author who is best known for her new adult romances. She currently resides in Arizona with her husband, two small kiddos, and pets! She is obsessed with coffee, becomes easily attached to fictional characters, and spends most of her evenings buried in a book! 

Connect with S.J. Sylvis

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

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