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

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.

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

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! 

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Review: Smooth Sailing by Kristen Ashley

SMOOTH SAILING
Series: Wild West MC #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kristen Ashley
Release Date:
February 4, 2025

She lives life to the fullest.

He doesn’t know what hit him. 

Smooth Sailing, an all-new page-turning forced proximity, opposites-attract MC romance from New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley is available now!

When the Chaos Motorcycle Club came to call, Harlan “Hugger” McCain wasn’t ready to be welcomed into the fold. They said he was a legacy. He felt like an outcast. 

But he patched in anyway.

And he was all in to be a part of their not-quite-outlaw missions. 

This takes him down to Phoenix, right into the orbit of Diana Armitage, a beautiful, green-eyed woman with a heart of gold and a scarily honed tendency to sacrifice for pretty much everyone she cares about, and some people she barely knows.

Hugger has been existing. Life has never given him much, now, he expects even less.

Diana lives life to its fullest. And she doesn’t keep it a secret she wants to drag Hugger right along with her.

But Hugger is certain he’s got bad blood. He’s got one foot in Chaos, one foot out. One foot in Diana’s life, one foot out.

Diana and his brothers in Chaos have their work cut out to show Hugger who he is.

That he belongs.

And he’s worthy to be loved.

 

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

We doin’ this, baby?” he whispered against her lips.
“If we don’t do it right now, I think I’ll never forgive you.”

UGH. The feels of it all. The way I teared up reading this book and loved every emotionally impactful part of it. It was so much more than an MC romance in a way that only KA can write. But I digress.

Now if you haven’t yet read her Chaos series, I can’t recommend it enough. And I love that her OG characters will always get a cameo. Heck, who am I kidding? I live for these cameos. But I digress again.

Now we all already know that no one writes an alpha quite like Kristen, and Harlan was no exception.

Why would he do that?”
“Babe,” was all he said.
“Is that an answer to my question?”
“Uh… yeah.”

But she also writes some of the most amazing FMCs and boy did I fall fast and hard for Diana. Like all KA heroines, she’s feisty and sassy but she was also incredibly courageous and fierce. There are some very sensitive topics (particularly SA) referenced in this book and KA does it flawlessly. Diana and Hugger come from two different worlds, when a mutual danger puts them in each other’s past.

I absolutely loved the way that Diana lives her life to the fullest. This is a woman who paved her own way and cares so deeply. In her effort to help, she lands in the crosshairs of a dangerous criminal who is also on MC’s target list. So now she has herself some fierce bearded bodyguards and she’s not exactly mad at it.

Hugger’s past always made him feel like he’s less than and so he fights his connection and attraction to Diana something fierce. But it doesn’t take long for her charm and sunny personality to work its way past all his defenses. I loved the slow burn element of the romance that allowed us to know and understand these characters separately and I absolutely loved the relationship development.

I especially loved the journey between Diana and her father. But I’d be lying if I tell you that Pig Petey didn’t steal most of the show for me. Man but I loved this character.

The story was beautiful, gripping, and oh so emotional. It reminded me all over again why I fell in love with KA’s writing to begin with. Definitely recommend for all my MC romance loving friends out there.


For more information on Kristen Ashley, visit: 

https://www.kristenashley.net/

 

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Review: Texting Dr. Stalker by Pepper Winters

TEXTING DR. STALKER
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Pepper Winters
Release Date:
January 16, 2025

From New York Times Bestseller, Pepper Winters, comes a green-flag stalker standalone romance

Now a #1 bestseller in Medical Romance!

I have a stalker.
A masked man who watches me from the shadows. A guardian who says he’s there to protect me—to help me heal from almost dying at the hands of another man.
He says he’s willing to do anything to help me move on. That I needn’t be afraid of him.
I agree to keep him my secret and share how much I’m truly struggling.
In return, he guards me. Even if it means guarding me from himself.


I’ve known her my entire life.
She’s the girl next door who I share a childhood betrothal with thanks to our two grandmothers wishing to turn their lifelong friendship into family.
I’m also the doctor who tended to her in the ER after her ex tried to kill her. I want to help her in any way I can, but I also know she’ll never accept my help because I’m the reason he tried to kill her in the first place.
But I can’t stand by and see her suffer, so…I come up with a plan.
A highly illegal plan that ends with me breaking laws, rules, and my own heart…

Doctor/girl next door, childhood friends to lovers, green-flag stalker, hidden identity, lots of texts, masked protector, would do anything to keep her safe, standalone, he has a motorcycle, he does things to her in the dark…

AMAZON 

I wasn’t just falling for this girl. I’d fallen. And I was petrified of losing something I’d never had.

I am so used to Pepper Winters brand of dark romance and morally gray antiheroes that I was wholly unprepared for the green flag that was Dr. Alexander North. And you know what makes a green flag better? Make him wholly obsessed with the heroine, with a dirty mouth and a penchant for some kinky fun. But we’ll get to that part in a second.

This was very much a slow burn romance and I loved that about it. Alex “Zander” and Sailor have been neighbors since they were kids, and their grandmothers were obsessed with matchmaking them and planning their future marriage when they get older. Of course, as kids they laughed it off. But they remained neighbors. When Sailor’s boyfriend goes on a psycho jealous rampage and tries to kill her, she lands in the hospital that Zander works for. Unbeknownst to Sailor, Zander is completely obsessed with her and is determined to help her heal from the super traumatic event. But he knows that she’d never give him the time of day and needs a faceless hero, so what’s a guy to do? Why dye his hair, put in colored contacts, don a deliciously sexy mask, and stalk the shit out of her to make her feel safe. I know, I know, it sounds crazy, but it worked. Just trust me on this.

Mine. She’s always been mine. My voice lowered to a growl. “Or I’ll take you into the house and show you exactly how furious I am.”
She quaked with a full-body shudder then shoved my hands off her. Her eyes flooded with heat. “No, you won’t. You would never lay a finger on me and that’s the damn problem!”
“I remember laying three fingers on you if I’m not mistaken,” I hissed, uncontrollable lust arcing through me. “And a tongue.”

I loved the way that Zander is just a quintessential good guy and tries to resist his need and desire for Sailor to help her. Even when she begs and makes it impossible for him to say no. But when he does finally give in? EXPLOSIVELY good.

This book was such a good time. It was emotional, sweet, and when the spice finally hits BOY WAS IT SPICING. I loved Zander and Sailor together. And I loved Sailor finally find herself again with his help. I also loved the way she takes the power back towards the end.

If you’re looking for a hero who would do anything for the woman he’s obsessed with, including disguising himself so he can help her heal anonymously, look no further. This was deliciously good.

Review: Misfire by Rachel Robinson

MISFIRE
Genre: Dark, contemporary Romance
Author: Rachel Robinson
Release Date:
January 6, 2023

I never wanted to rule an empire. I was a housekeeper. A hooker. A wrecked woman with a past full of scars and secrets. A chance encounter with an Astor swept me into the hurricane of their glamorous, organized crime world. Then, I met the other Astor brother, and nothing will ever be normal again.

One brother saved me but under false pretenses.

One brother is madly in love with me, but it’s complicated.

I’ve fallen for both men for different reasons, but there’s only one way this can end—in messy, tragic destruction.

Everyone tells you playing with fire is dangerous, but they never said it would be this intoxicating.

For readers 18+

AMAZON 

I feel like all I’ve seen you do is kill people.” He laughs. “Sometimes I paint in between.”

I’ve been eyeing this author for some time and when I saw the blurb to this book, I just knew it would be my first from her. And after finishing, I can definitely tell you that it will not be my last.

As a long time romance reader, it’s hard to find something that is truly unique. Not just different but unique, and boy was this story unique. It was unlike anything I’ve ever read and it had me on pins an needles from beginning to finish constantly trying to figure out where it’s going and always being wrong. It was unlike any other mafia romance I’ve read.

Now you may be thinking this is an MFM, which I will tell you that it isn’t. But it also isn’t a love triangle either. What it is, is a very complex and unique relationship that one woman has with two men.

Drew “Destiny” is a woman who has never had it easy in life. With nothing else available to her, she is forced to sell her body to survive as she watches the talented painter next door to escape reality. Then one chance encounter gives her an opportunity she could never so much as dream of but lands her in the middle of the dangerous world of the Astor brothers.

Jesse and Riley are not brothers by blood, but they are brothers by choice. They are two sides of a coin; one dark and dangerous, and the other sunny but with a hidden danger. Neither is safe to Drew’s heart.

I won’t tell you much more about this because you really need to experience this book blind. Trust me on this and don’t seek out spoilers. I will say that I spent the majority of the book waiting for the other shoe to drop but nothing could prepare me for the moment that it did. The twists and turns had me reeling, never knowing which end was up. The ending was satisfying in a way I couldn’t imagine and I keep finding myself thinking of the story days after finishing.

If you’re looking for something that’s a bit different with plenty of danger and steam, definitely give this one a try!

DGRFave & Review: All The Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles

ALL THE MISSING PIECES
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Catherine Cowles
Release Date:
January 7, 2025

Sometimes the last thing you expect is exactly what you need, the final missing piece. And sometimes it comes in the form of a towering, broody sheriff, determined to get in your way at every step.

Ridley Sawyer knows what it’s like to miss someone, to feel like a piece of her vanished—because it happened to her the night her twin sister disappeared.

Now, Ridley channels that loss into hope, traveling the country covering cold cases for her true crime podcast. She might not have found justice for her sister but that doesn’t stop her from finding it for others.

Until Sheriff Colter Brooks gets in her way.

Colt knows what it’s like to have reporters descend on his town in the wake of a tragedy, and he’s not about to let a fiery podcaster stir up trouble. It doesn’t matter that her haunting blue eyes tell him there’s more to Ridley’s story or that he can’t stop imagining what it would be like to touch her.

But when Ridley’s cold case turns hot and she’s thrust into the crosshairs, Colt has no choice but to step in. Suddenly, Ridley’s living at his house, drinking his whiskey, and stealing his dog’s affections. But she’s also proving that she’s so much more than his first impression.

And as they get closer to the truth, the game they’ve been playing might just turn deadly…

AMAZON 

As if Ridley had a radar for my emotions, her gaze cut to me. “Law Man,” she started cautiously. “You okay?”
“Who. The. Hell. Did. This. To. You?”

When a book brings you to tears at just the dedication, you know you’re in for a 5 star. And you know what? I was not wrong. This book had me in a full chokehold from the minute I picked it up and to the minute I finished it. I loved every bit of this story, from the main characters, the small town, the suspense, the fun secondary characters, the sweet pets, and everything in between.

I knew from the second Ridley appeared on the pages that I would love her. This woman is the epitome of strength and I loved how she used the most unimaginable tragedy to drive her to help others find peace. For the past 5 years, her paid has fueled her purpose. And her latest purpose drives her to a town that she is convinced holds the missing piece to finally unraveling a 5 year old tragic mystery.

Colt is the town sheriff who from the second he meets Ridley, manages to put his foot in his mouth at every turn. I loved the antagonistic chemistry between these two almost as much as I loved their bickering. And boy was there bickering. This was only made better by Ridley’s adorable three legged cat with a penchant for biting her affection.

Don’t be a baby,” I said, grinning. “It’s just one of her tooth hugs.”
Colt stared at me, jaw going slack. “Tooth…hugs?”
I nodded. “It’s how she shows affection.”

I loved the slow burn chemistry between Colt and Ridley. I love Ridley’s tenacity and Colt’s protectiveness. And god did I love them together.

I tore my mouth away from hers, taking in those wild blue eyes.
“Don’t,” she whispered.
“It’s a bad idea,” I rasped. “We’d be playing with fire.”
Those ocean eyes sparked. “Then let’s watch it burn.”

The romance was seamlessly woven into the suspense plot and it was sheer perfection. It amplified everything about the story and I couldn’t get enough of these two together. The story kept me glued to the pages, eager for answers but also dreading to be done. I was instantly enraptured by this town and its citizens and I was so sucked into the mystery that I was completely incapable of setting the book down for even a minute.

If you’re looking for a romantic suspense with just the right amount of spice, you need to check this one out.

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

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

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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:

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Review: Oh, Hell No by Abbi Glines

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.

Review: Bourbon & Secrets by Victoria Wilder

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

Review: Back in the Saddle by Kristen Ashley

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!

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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