Review: Nicky The Driver by Cate C. Wells

September 7, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

NICKY THE DRIVER
Series: Underboss Resurection #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mafia
Author: Cate C. Wells
Release Date: September 2, 2022

He can’t take his eyes off me.

I remember Nicky Biancolli from school. Back then, he was always staring. My cousin warned him off, and after that, he faded into the background.

Now, ten years later, he’s in my mother’s kitchen at two in the morning, and there’s a dead man in a pool of blood on the floor. Lucca Corso—the rat who killed my father—says that if I don’t marry Nicky to make peace between our families, the little brother I raised is next.

I don’t have a choice.

I have to go with the man who looks like he wants to eat me alive, and I have no idea whether this is about following orders or something much darker.

All I know is that Nicky isn’t stalking me anymore. He owns me now, and no one is going to stop him from taking what he wants.

Nicky the Driver is a dark mafia romance. It’s the second book in The Underboss Insurrection series, but it can be read as a standalone. Intended only for adult readers. HEA guaranteed.

NOTE: This story contains scenes that may be difficult for some readers. Please check the Look Inside for details.

AMAZON

Some men have Jesus. God and country. A dream. Ambition. I have Zita.

I became instantly obsessed with this world when I first read Run Posy Run. And when I saw that it will be a series? Sign me up immediately!!! And when I read the blurb to this book, I had to have it! I love me a good stalker, and beyond the cold blooded killer for hire persona, Nicky is a dang cinnamon roll. He’s completely and entirely obsessed with Zita beyond all reason, and when I tell you I was here for it, I mean I WAS HERE FOR IT. Oh and an arranged marriage? Yes please!

Is this when you rape me?” I squeeze my balled fists tighter, so hard my knuckles ache.
He rolls onto his back and stares at the ceiling, his mouth twisting in the corners. “Not tonight. I got a headache,” he says.

Zita is a mafia princess who grew up in the life and no stranger to the darkness of it. After the death of her cold and brutal mafia boss father, she’s still dealing with the fall out. Her only desire is to keep her family safe, especially her younger sibling. She’s happily engaged to her high school sweetheart, but the sins of her father still hang over her family. So when their life is on the line and she has the choice to keep them safe in exchange for marrying her stalker from school, she’s not thrilled, but she agrees.

She’s beautiful. Her smile fucks my heartbeat up. Her body haunts my dreams. I know she doesn’t see it that way, though.

I loved the build up of this book. I loved how obsessed Nicky is with Zita yet he handles her with kid gloves. He will literally do anything for her and my heart swooned. Zita in turn took a bit to warm up to. She’s a complex character and watching her deal with her ED was very painful, particularly when you see how aware she is of the toll it takes on her and yet unable to stop. At times I wanted to scream at her for the way she pushed Nicky even though you can see the man would sell his soul for her. But given that she was happily engaged and forced into the marriage, I understood it too.

Up until the end this was a solid 4 star read for me. But then the lackluster rushed ending brought it down. It felt like there should have been half a book left when I finished. It didn’t feel satisfying nor complete. We literally go from 0 to 60 to come a screeching halt to 0. There was so much that was left unresolved, but the main part was the relationship. I just didn’t buy it. They spend the entirety of the book with Zita pushing Nicky away. We don’t get the satisfaction of seeing her fall for him. We didn’t get the satisfaction of the love. It just felt very surface level. I also felt like for the big chunk of the book that Zita’s ED made up, it was also left not dealt with. I did see that Cate will have a bonus epilogue in her newsletter, but I can’t help but feel this book needed more. It could have easily been twice longer and not suffered for it. I would have loved more of these two and felt so much was left unresolved by the time we hit the end, that I couldn’t felt a pang of disappointment.

Did I enjoy the story? Absolutely! Was it my favorite, not quite, but you can’t love them all. Ultimately this was one of those middle of the road reads that I enjoyed but just didn’t love.

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Review: Force of Nature by Skye Warren & Amelia Wilde

September 6, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

FORCE OF NATURE
Series: Deserted Island #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance, MMF
Author: Skye Warren & Amelia Wilde
Release Date: September 6, 2022

Carter Morelli survived a dark childhood and dangerous missions. But when he emergency lands a small aircraft on the ocean, he faces something worse: having someone depend on him. He has to keep innocent June Porter safe on the deserted island.

Except they aren’t alone here…

A man hides among the broad leaves. He’s almost feral.

There are secrets in his cabin. Desire, too.

Carter doesn’t want to care about beautiful June. He doesn’t want to care about the mysterious and sensual man who’s almost part of the wilderness.

Scorching chemistry draws all three of them deeper.

They already survived the plane crash, but will they survive the fall?

Welcome to the Midnight Dynasty world… The warring Morelli and Constantine families have enough bad blood to fill an ocean, and their brand new stories will be told by your favorite dangerous romance authors.

WARNING: This book is intended for readers eighteen years old and over. It contains material that some readers could find disturbing. Enter at your own risk…

AMAZON

Envy is a sin, and I’m sick with it. I’m jealous of his hands on her skin when I could be touching her. And I’m jealous of his hands on her when he could be touching me.

Welp, it’s officially official, I AM HOOKED. This is like espionage meets Tarzan and I am here for it because holy hotness, batman!

I’ll kiss her, if that’s what it takes to stop her panic. I’ll drag her into the jungle and hold her naked in my arms, if that’s what it takes to keep her warm. I’ll suffer through being painfully hard every time I look at her until I’m dead, if that’s what it takes to survive.

First of all, friends, Carter mother effing Morelli. This man. Dare I say I may have met my favorite Morelli brother of the series. I know, I know, big statement. Especially considering he’s related to Leo Morelli. But professor Carter is now a proud owner of my ovaries and I don’t want them back. He’s such a fascinating enigma. There’s the professor part of him that kicks in one particular scene and let me just tell you. HOLY SIZZLE. When Professor Carter’s class of sexual education is in, it’s IN. But I digress.

If you’ve read the prequel novella than you’ve already been introduced. And if you haven’t, then don’t worry, because the book starts with that story. Carter is a professor by day but beneath that veil, he’s also a secret government agent. When a routine flight that should be nothing more than a stopover on his way to his true mission gets tempered with, he and the photographer he’s flying crash land on a deserted island. Only it’s not as deserted as they think.

After reading the novella, I was dying to meet the man who inhabits the island. But nothing prepared me for Theo and the instant fiery chemistry that sparks to life between these three.

We get enough of a taste to get the reader completely hooked only to be slapped with a cliffhanger so painful, I’m not sure I’d survive the wait for the next book. GAH.

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Review: Hide & Seek (novella) by H.D. Carlton

September 6, 2022 by ·

HIDE & SEEK
BOOKS: Dissent Anthology
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: H.D. Carlton
Release Date: September 6, 2022

For National Read a Book day, DISSENT will be releasing in eBook and paperback!

DISSENT is a charity romance anthology with NEW, never before published content from over 150 authors of all romance genres. All proceeds from the eBook and paperbacks will be donated to organizations benefiting reproductive rights in the United States, particularly in areas where people need them more than ever.

DISSENT will only be available for a very limited time, so grab your copy today!

We are not affiliated nor endorsed by any of these charities. We are simply a community bound by a single cause: protecting the basic human right of body autonomy.

AUTHORS INCLUDE: Brighton Walsh, Nicole French, Kennedy Fox, A.M. Roark, A.R. Hall, Aarti V Raman, Aidy Award, Alexis Anne, Amanda Richardson, Amelia Wilde, Amie Knight, Amy Quinton, Anna Michael, Aria Wyatt, Ashley Lane, Autumn Jones Lake, B. Celeste, Blair Babylon, Brenda St John Brown, Brenna Aubrey, Bri Blackwood, Cara Dee, Carmen Jenner, C.L. Matthews, Cassie Graham, Celia Kyle, Charity Ferrell, Claire Wilder, Claudia Burgoa, Dakota Willink, Dani René, Daniela Romero, Dee Garcia, Dee Lagasse, Deidre-Ann Anderson, Donna Grant, Echo Grayce, Elena Aitken, Elle Thorpe, Ellis Leigh, Emily Colin, Emily Goodwin, Erica Alexander, Erin Parisien, Eva Charles, Eva Moore, Evelyn Adams, Glenna Maynard, H.D. Carlton, Haley Jenner, Heidi McLaughlin, Holly Mortimer, Hope Jones, Ines Johnson, Iris Morland, J. Saman, J. Sterling, J.H. Croix, J.L. Beck & C. Hallman, J.M. Walker, Jane Blythe, Janet Berry, Jasmin Miller, JD HOLLYFIELD, Jen Stevens, Jenika Snow, Jenna Hartley, Jenna Lynn, Jennifer Sucevic, Jessica Florence, Jillian Liota, Julia Kent, Kait Nolan, Kat Latham, Kat Savage, Kate Canterbary, Kate King and Jessa Wilder, Kate Meader, Kathy Coopmans, K.B. Cinder, K.D. Proctor, Kelly Maher, Kim Loraine, Kym Grosso, Lainey Davis, Laramie Briscoe, Laura Hall, Laura Lee, Lauren Stewart, Lea Coll, Len Webster, Lili Valente, Linnea May, Lisa Shelby, Lissanne Jones, Lucy Lennox, Mary Ann Marlowe, Max Henry, Megan Ryder, Melissa Andrea, Melissa Marino, Melonie Johnson, Mia Harlan, Mignon Mykel, Molly O’Hare, Monica Corwin, Morgan Jane Mitchell, N.A. Moore, Natasha Raulerson, Nicole Blanchard, Nina Levine, Pamela DuMond, Patricia D. Eddy, Persephone Autumn, R.L. Kenderson, Rachel Brookes, Raven James, Rebecca Paula, Rebecca Yarros, Regina Kyle, R. Castro, Roxie Noir, S. Cinders, Sade Rena, Saffron A. Kent, Samantha Lind, Sarah M. Cradit, Scarlett Cole, S.E. Rose, Shaw Hart, Sydney St. James, S.J. Sylvis, Skye Alder, Stephanie Anne, Suzanne Baltsar, Sylvie Stewart, T.K. Leigh, Tabatha Vargo, Tamara Lush, Taryn Quinn, Tawna Fenske, T. Gephart, Toni Aleo, Tracy Krimmer, Tricia Lynne, Trish Milburn, V.F. Mason, Vanessa Booke, Vivian Wood, Zoe Ashwood, and Zoe York

AMAZON

Oh my God,” I breathe, shuddering as he sinks deeper, his palm sliding up to my breast and cupping it tightly.
I feel him grin against me before he whispers, “I am your God, and you, little mouse, are my favorite creation.”

The amount of pure giddiness that this novella gave me. You have no idea. NO IDEA. Now I am not usually a reader who likes bonus content for characters who already got a satisfying HEA. Unless these characters are Adeline and Zade. Because I swear to god, these two can spend the entire book reading off their grocery list, and I’d read it. Because Adeline and Zade!!! And if you haven’t yet read the Cat and Mouse duet, you haven’t lived. Trust me on this. If you’re a fan of dark romance with psycho stalkers who would burn the world down for their woman, you will fall head over ovaries for Zade. But I digress.

Hide and Seek is a bonus story for these two and when I tell you it was incendiary, I mean my loins are on fire. This was the hottest freaking novella I have read. And when I tell you it hit the spot just right, I will say it was one of the most satisfying novellas I have ever read. Pun intended. Because holy mother this was hot! It was bonus content I didn’t know I needed but I am so happy to have! SO. FREAKING. GOOD.

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

Review: Never Look Back by A.L. Jackson

August 29, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

NEVER LOOK BACK
Series: Redemption Hills #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: A.L. Jackson
Release Date: August 29, 2022

From NYT and USA Today bestselling author A.L. Jackson comes an enemies-to-lovers, close-proximity, second-chance romance…

Logan Lawson won me in a bet.
The second I saw him sitting at the illegal card table, I knew I was in trouble.
Years ago, he sealed my fate and condemned me to a life I didn’t want to lead.
Yet he’s filled with untamed fury and thirsting for vengeance against the husband I hate.

Aster Costa is everything I never should have wanted.
The second she showed with her pompous, prick of a husband, I should have gotten up and walked.
But there’s no looking away from the woman who wrecked me.
Worse, I can’t stop myself from plotting to get her back.

I want nothing more than to be free of my husband.
I’m afraid Logan Lawson is the only one who can make that happen.
He might hate me for our past, but now it’s me on my knees begging for help.

Finding each other in the middle of it wasn’t supposed to be part of the bargain.
But once Logan touches me, I’m gone.
A torch is rekindled. A fire is lit.

Aster Costa has always been mine.
And this time, no matter the cost, I won’t give her back…

Read Amazon or Free with Kindle Unlimited | Listen to the Audio Narrated by Zachary Webber and Erin Mallon | Order a Signed Paperback or Hardback

You’re going to make me regret this, aren’t you?”
“It seems fair since I’ll be regretting you for the rest of my life.”

If there’s one thing that AL Jackson knows how to do, is to hit her readers right in the feels with the force of a Mac truck. And this book? Well, it didn’t just hit you in the feels. It ran them over. Then backed up and ran over them again for good measure. And this girl? I was so here for it!

I hate you. You’d do well not to forget it.” It sounded of pain. A rush of regret. Hurt that slayed. My arms curled tighter around his neck.
“I hate you, too.” I guessed we were both good at tellingeach other lies.

I love a second chance romance. There’s just something so utterly delicious about the angst of a second chance. And Aster and Logan’s journey to a hea was a special kind of emotional torture that I couldn’t get enough of.

I fell hard for the Lawson brothers the second I met them in Give Me a Reason. And I never thought I’d love an MC more than the uber intense Trent. But Logan definitely made a liar out of me. The youngest brother is a genius when it comes to numbers, and it makes him a dangerous man to sit across a card game from. Especially when the stakes are as high as what he plays for. When a man from his past walks to the table, he knows immediately what he wants. His wife. And what’s a girl to do when your husband bets you in a poker game and then loses? Take the chance to run and grasp to a better life that you didn’t dare dream of. Even if the man you dreamed of it with now wants nothing more to do with you.

I loved this emotional story so much. Logan hates Aster for what he thinks happened years ago. But nothing is at it seems, and the life that Aster had been forced to endure made my heart hurt reading about. Especially seeing Logan’s contempt to her. But that contempt didn’t take long to disappear in the midst of their explosive chemistry, no matter how much they fight it. Though I did wish they fought it a bit harder and longer. What can I say? Angst addict problems, right?

This is probably my favorite book in the series so far. It was packed with steam, emotion, secrets and betrayals. I love Jackson’s way of weaving just the right amount of suspense into her romance to keep you eagerly turning the pages. Her signature prose gave it a bit of the lighter tone at the end, and I didn’t mind because it needed that. I can’t wait for more in this series. Particularly her sister’s story because YES!

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.

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Review: Blackmail by Amelia Wilde

August 2, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

BLACKMAIL
Series: Controlling Interest #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Amelia Wilde
Release Date: August 2, 2022

Bristol Anderson will do anything to protect her younger siblings.

Even if it means embezzling from the company where she’s a temp.

No one will find out.

And the wealthy owner of the investment firm will never notice.

Except Will Leblanc doesn’t miss a thing.

He could call the police, but he has more interesting plans for her.

In the copy room.

On the conference table.

Under his desk.

The coldhearted venture capitalist will make her pay back every last cent.

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

Bristol Anderson is a beautiful young woman who made a terrible mistake and I’m barely human. I just want to fuck her. And hurt her. And destroy her.

The second the LeBlanc showed up as secondary characters on the pages of Dark Reign, I was immediately enthralled.

If you thought Emerson had baggage from their youth, Will puts him to shame with his brand of damage. This is a man with some serious demons, and I couldn’t wait to peel back the layers on this man. After all, it takes a special breed to blackmail his temporary assistant to sell her body when you find she embezzled $50k from your company.

Bristol Anderson is as down on her luck as she gets. With a con artist father who constantly lands them in some form of trouble, she’s forced to be the caretaker of her younger twin siblings. When her father’s latest scheme leaves his family vulnerable for payback, Bristol is forced to do something she’d never thought she would…steal. The last thing she expects is for her dangerously sexy rich boss to find out, and then demand she pays him back…but not with money.

I have to admit, I wasn’t thrilled to see this turn into a trilogy for a standalone. I find myself really burned out on trilogies that don’t have enough meat on the bones of the story to warrant being stretched out into 3 books. I’m curious how this would get enough steam to call for more than 2 books. Ultimately, I did like this, and binge read it in one sitting. I also couldn’t help wishing it was longer. But that’s my own personal bias at play.

If you like damaged heroes and down on their luck sassy heroines, this will hit the spot nicely.

Amelia Wilde is a USA TODAY bestselling author of dangerous contemporary romance and loves it a little too much. She lives in Michigan with her husband and daughters. She spends most of her time typing furiously on an iPad and appreciating the natural splendor of her home state from where she likes it best: inside.

 

Connect with Amelia

Website: https://awilderomance.com

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Review: The Night Blossoms by Leylah Attar

July 28, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

THE NIGHT BLOSSOMS
Genre: Romantic Thriller
Author: Leylah Attar
Release Date: July 28, 2022

 

New York Times bestselling author Leylah Attar returns with a page-turning romantic suspense/thriller that careens down an emotional highway toward a chilling finale. Dark, thrilling, and ingeniously unpredictable.


“Do you ever really know someone, or do you just know the parts they want you to see?”

When her husband goes missing after a heated argument, Vee Roza finds herself caught in a dangerous web of deceit.

Not only must Vee clear her name and uncover the truth about Rafael, but also survive a high-risk pregnancy while guarding secrets of her own.

Is Rafael’s disappearance the ultimate betrayal or the ultimate sacrifice?

A full-length standalone based on a supporting character from the New York Times bestseller, The Paper Swan.

AMAZON

Memories had teeth, and sometimes they took a big chunk out of you.

Years ago, I read The Paper Swan and fell in love with Leylah Attar’s words. When I saw she’ll be releasing another standalone in this world, to say I was giddy with excitement is an understatement. I was desperate for this book.

Now if you’re expecting a book in the same vein of Paper Swan, this isn’t it. While it has dark undertones, it felt all encompassing for a completely different reason. This is a romantic thriller with a mystery that has you questioning your sanity, gripped to the pages, and not knowing up from down. It’s a suspense that leaves you with your heart in your throat, an erratic pulse, and desperately turning the pages to figure out how it all ends. And when the end comes? You’re left absolutely reeling.

Leylah Attar masterfully crafted a page turner of a thriller full of twists and turns you never see coming and a love that spans years. It jumps between past and present, giving you morsel by morsel of details. It’s perfectly paced and it’s incredibly written in a way where it gives you not enough and yet just enough. It was sucked me in from beginning to end.

If you’ve read The Paper Swan, you’ll remember Rafael. And if you haven’t, I highly recommend you do. Interestingly enough, where the Paper Swan felt all encompassing for the romance, The Night Blossom felt all encompassing for the mystery. As much as I loved both Rafael and Vee as individual characters, their romance didn’t fully reel me in. I loved it, don’t get me wrong, but it also didn’t feel like the romance is what took center stage. Which is funny to say, because the romance was there. I think for me, I just didn’t feel that same gravitational pull to the romance as I did the story itself, if that even makes sense.

Did I love it? Absolutely. Will it stay with me? Without a doubt. Do you need to read it? Right now! My one recommendation? Do yourself a favor and go in absolutely blind!

Leylah Attar is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. A recipient of the Writer’s Digest Award (for Moti on the Water) and the Indie Reader Discovery Award (for Mists of The Serengeti), Leylah writes unique, emotionally compelling stories that range from rom-com to dark romantic suspense.

 

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Review: Misfit by Elle Kennedy

July 26, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

MISFIT
Series: Prep #1
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: Elle Kennedy
Release Date: July 26, 2022

Welcome to Sandover Prep, where the delinquents roam…and you can’t trust a soul.

Finding out your mom is marrying some rich dude you’ve never met is enough to make any eighteen-year-old guy’s head spin. But for RJ SHAW, it only gets worse: he’s being sent to Sandover Prep for senior year. If there’s one place a misfit hacker like RJ doesn’t belong, it’s an ivy-covered all-boys boarding school for rich delinquents.

RJ knows his stay at Sandover will be temporary. Which means there’s no point making friends or trying to fit in. But the plan to remain antisocial goes awry when he meets a gorgeous girl in the woods on campus. SLOANE TRESSCOTT is pure temptation, with a sharp tongue and an ice princess attitude RJ’s determined to crack. Except there’s a catch. Sloane is the one girl he is forbidden from touching.

The headmaster’s daughter.

Good thing RJ doesn’t believe in rules. Sure, Sloane insists she’s swearing off guys this year, but their connection is impossible to deny. He wants her bad, and he’s going to win her over if it kills him.

Unless her ex-boyfriend kills him first.

The ruling king of Sandover will stop at nothing to get rid of his competition. Luckily, RJ’s unwittingly made some friends—his new stepbrother FENN, a pretty boy with a self-destructive streak; LAWSON, self-proclaimed agent of chaos; and SILAS, the All-American Good Guy who can’t actually be as nice as he seems.

If RJ wants to survive prep school and win Sloane’s heart, he’ll need to adapt—and fast.

AMAZON

What,” I say innocently, “you’re not confident about your dick game? Pity”
RJ’s gaze transforms from hot to molten. “Sweetheart, my dick is always the most confident motherfucker in the room.”

Having read and obsessed over Paper Princess, when I tell you I may have peed a little in excitement when Elle Kennedy announced this new series may be an understatement. There’s just something about rich kid drama that takes me back to my obsession roots of Cruel Intentions, Gossip Girl, and 90210. This book was like a mashup of all of them and I was HOOKED.

It’s been a long time since I read a book that hooked me so thoroughly within the first few pages. But not only did this book hook me, it kept me glued to the pages until the very end.

Now usually I’m not a fan of the multiple POVs in romance books. And most books I’ve read that had this lost the romance along the way. The multiple character POVs got confusing and watered down the plot. This was definitely not the case here. If anything, the additional character POVs enriched and added to the plot to make it all the more delicious. Particularly the hedonistic Lawson with his evil intentions. God, I can’t wait until his book. But I digress.

While it sounds cliche, outcast loner meets the headmaster’s daughter, forbidden romance thing. This book was anything but. RJ and Sloane were such charismatic personalities that I couldn’t get enough. I love reading about females in NA romance that own who they are and they’re also not shy virgins. I seriously loved how confident Sloane is with her sexuality and appeal to men. She knows she’s attractive and she makes RJ work for it. And god did I love how he chased her.

RJ’s flighty mother marries a rich guy and suddenly he’s immersed in an entirely different world of prep school, private schools, and a new step brother. A loner by his own admission, RJ doesn’t like to form ties because he knows it won’t last. After all, the guy has switched schools 5 times in the last 3 years due to his mother’s moving around. He’s a rebel without a cause and I fell head over heels for him immediately.

We get introduce to the cast of enigmatic characters like his step brother Fenn, his friends Lawson and Silas. As well as Sloane and her sister Casey. Did I also get intrigued by Sloane’s douchey ex, Duke? Yes, yes I did. But that’s a discussion for another day.

Misfit was a finger licking mix of drama and romance and man was I here for all of it. If this book is any indication we’re in for a heck of a ride with this series, and I can’t wait for more. We get Fenn’s story next and after the jaw dropper of an ending to hook his book, I’m absolutely dying for it. This is a full standalone romance with what shows to be a continuing story arc that will go into the next book. I’m totally and completely hooked!

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Review: Be With Me by Samantha Young

July 12, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

BE WITH ME
Series: The Adair Family #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Samantha Young 
Release Date: July 12, 2022

It was the friends-with-benefits proposition he never saw coming…

While Arran Adair might have followed the call of wanderlust in his younger years, it isn’t the reason he stayed away from Ardnoch. Home now, desperate to put the sins of his past behind him, and rebuild his life in the Scottish Highlands, Arran could never have predicted Eredine Willows. The Ardnoch Estate Pilates instructor is a complicated mystery and one Arran can’t help but want to solve.

Eredine has spent the last eight years hiding in Scotland and building walls between her and the people she cares about. Arran is the first Adair who doesn’t treat her as if she’s fragile and demands a genuine friendship. Yet, the attraction sizzling between them is undeniable. So when she realizes she trusts him, Eredine surprises them both by offering Arran one night of no-strings passion.

Arran knows one night will inevitably lead to a desire for more and he’s willing to stay by Eredine’s side for as long as it takes to convince her there’s something real between them. However, just when Arran thinks they might build a future together, Eredine’s past returns to stalk her. And Arran won’t just have to battle her demons to keep them together. He’ll need to battle his own.

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For so long, I was not the guy people trusted. I needed to be that guy for her.”

I’ve been loving the Adair series since book one. And the second the mysterious and shy Eredine appeared on the pages as a secondary character, I was immediately intrigued.

This was a sweet and spicy friends to lovers romance with a mystery subplot. I’ve been waiting four books to find out about Erendine’s past, and I have to say, I never saw it coming quite this way.

Admittedly, the book felt slower than the others in the series. I found myself skimming through parts, and disengaged in others. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly why, until I saw another reviewer say that while these two worked as secondary characters, as main characters they weren’t as captivating. This pretty much summarized my thoughts exactly. While I loved both Arran and Erendine in the previous books, they lacked a little something to shine as main characters. So much so, that even the suspense plot running parallel to their romance felt a touch lackluster and anticlimactic.

Having said that, I still read this from beginning to finish. And while I didn’t fall in love with it like the others in the series, I still liked it. I loved getting more of this unique family and seeing some of my favorites appear on the pages. Plus the set up for Brogan’s book was utterly delicious. So while this book didn’t blow me away, it was still an enjoyable read to spend a summer evening with. Now I’m eagerly anticipating the next installment in this series with Brodan’s book.

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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Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1520019958258238/

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Review: Beyond My Darkness by RC Boldt

July 12, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

BEYOND MY DARKNESS
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: RC Boldt
Release Date: July 12,  2022

USA Today bestselling author RC Boldt delivers a seductively unique romantic suspense with a paranormal twist in Beyond My Darkness…

Twelve years ago, I fled, vowing to never again use my power. But everything changes when I break that vow and bring two bodies back to life in the morgue.

It sends me spinning directly into his orbit.

Arrogant. Menacing. Enigmatic. That’s Bronson Cortez, the notoriously violent gang leader who remains elusive to authorities.

He breaks the law at every turn and answers to no one. But when he offers me an alluring glimpse of what lies beneath that iron-clad exterior, I realize there’s more to him than meets the eye.

The man who fiercely guards his heart somehow manages to claim mine.

But he doesn’t know the truth about me.

I wonder if he could be the first to accept me for who I am—what I am.

I wonder if he’ll be the first to see beyond my darkness.

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I’m prepared to rain down hell on anyone who tries to hurt her.

It’s official: I’m addicted to RC Boldt’s romantic suspense. Her stories are pure book crack, full of action, mystery, and incredible multilayered characters. But this book? Well, this book may have been my favorite of hers to date.

I do want a nice guy.”
“Yeah?” There’s a hard edge to his voice that sends unease tiptoeing along my spine. “I can be nice.” He dusts his lips over mine in the barest caress, and I know when he says the word nice, his meaning differs greatly from mine. “I can be real nice.”

This, while in a similar vein to her romantic suspense, packed a paranormal gritty edge. It was unique and completely unputdownable.

If you like anti heroes, prepare to fall fast and hard for Bronson Cortez. This is a dangerous man with blood on his hands, but with a heart of gold. He’s a man that does bad things to protect his community and his people. And he’s a man with a lethal reputation that is justly earned.

Georgia Danvers is a medical examiner with a dark secret. She’s a woman with a painfully dark past and a secret that haunts her present. Her job in the morgue is where she feels most comfortable. People are complex, but the dead aren’t, and she loves what she does. But Georgia carries a dark secret that could cost her everything like it once almost did. When a body that ends up in her morgue sends her in the path of the town’s most dangerous man, she doesn’t try to overthink it. She just needs to give him a message and move on. But you know what they say about best intentions?

Bronson and Georgia together were absolutely incendiary. The chemistry between them is just as fiery as it is dangerous. These two were INTENSE. But nothing was more intense than Bronson. God but this man had me by the throat in the best possible way. He practically oozed danger and crackled with electricity off the pages. I couldn’t get enough of him. And while Georgia is a little awkward and quirky, she’s not a pushover. This is a woman full of sass and passion. She’s a woman that gives as hard as she gets, and doesn’t let Bronson steamroll her. There’s just this endearing quality to her that I couldn’t get enough of.

Now this isn’t your typical romantic suspense, and I personally loved the paranormal element to this. I was glued to the pages from beginning to end and devoured it in one sitting. And when I saw that Bronson’s friend is getting a book next? Beyond excited.

If you’re looking for something unique and addictive, you need this book in your life.

RC Boldt is a USA Today bestselling author currently living in part of the Costa Rican jungle with the love of her life and her mini-me.

If you’re in the mood for some killer mojitos or can’t recall the lyrics to a particular 80s song, she’s your girl.

Connect with RC Boldt 

Website: http://www.rcboldtbooks.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14543027.R_C_Boldt

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Kq1H9C

Facebook: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtFB

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BBBReaders/

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Review: Queen of Hearts by Alta Hensley

July 5, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

QUEEN OF HEARTS
Series: Wonderland #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Alta Hensley
Release Date: July 5, 2022

No matter how far I run, Nick Hudson finds me

I’m a pawn in a twisted game of power and revenge. And he’s a masterful player.

He’s going to hold me and hurt me, protect me and punish me. In a dangerous world of wealth, decadence, and sin, I have no choice but to sink into to the arms of my enemy.

There’s a price to be paid, though. I must surrender control to enter this new wonderland of seduction. And I must learn to find strength for the fight that’s coming. Being a Morelli has never been so dangerous.

The warring Morelli and Constantine families have enough bad blood to fill an ocean, and their brand new stories will be told by your favorite dangerous romance authors.

WARNING: This book is intended for readers eighteen years old and over. It contains material that some readers could find disturbing. Enter at your own risk…

AMAZON 

 

Nick Hudson is my addiction. An addiction far greater than any junkie could experience. I know this. I can feel it. But I have no desire to fight the urge any longer.

I’ve been greedily anticipating the second installment of this trilogy since the painful cliffhanger in book one. I fell hard and fast for Nick in King of Spades. What can I say? I love the slightly psychotic types. Lyriope was super intriguing as the bastard Morelli child. And I couldn’t wait to see how everything unfolds.

In book one Lyriope agreed to a contract with Nick to save her life, and then she ran. And I for one couldn’t wait to see what happens when Nick caught her. Now admittedly, this piece of the plot felt slightly anticlimactic for me because it resolved itself super quick. I wanted Nick to have a painful search, but as it was, Lyriope didn’t plan it well. But given the spiciness of their reunion, I won’t be complaining about it much.

While book one brought lots of plot development and kept me at the edge of my seat, this one was slower. It focused on the character development, primarily Nick’s, and though intriguing it also felt stretched in parts. All that aside, I still read it in one sitting and was left reeling at the end. While I mostly saw that coming, it was still delicious nonetheless. I can’t wait to see how it all concludes.

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