#DGRFave & Review: The Villain by LJ Shen

December 16, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

THE VILLAIN
Series: Boston Belles #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: LJ Shen
Release Date: December 16, 2020

Cruel. Coldblooded. Hades in a Brioni suit.

Cillian Fitzpatrick has been dubbed every wicked thing on planet earth.

To the media, he is The Villain.

To me, he is the man who (reluctantly) saved my life.

Now I need him to do me another, small solid.

Bail me out of the mess my husband got me into.

What’s a hundred grand to one of the wealthiest men in America, anyway?

Only Cillian doesn’t hand out free favors.

The price for the money, it turns out, is my freedom.

Now I’m the eldest Fitzpatrick brother’s little toy.

To play, to mold, to break.

Too bad Cillian forgot one, tiny detail.

Persephone wasn’t only the goddess of spring; she was also the queen of death.

He thinks I’ll buckle under the weight of his mind games.

He is about to find out the most lethal poison is also the sweetest

 AMAZON 

It’s never too late to change the name of the prince in your story. Just as long as you don’t end up with the villain.”

No one, and I mean NO ONE writes a true alphahole quite like LJ Shen. And she seriously outdid herself with The Villain. Because this alphahole? GOD. I loved to hate him and hated to love him and just plain wanted to have his babies. What? I like my fictional men mean, ok? Like MEAN. Gah. Makes my ovaries go all aflutter.

Nothing will prepare you for the delicious angst ride of this romance. It was heart wrenchingly good and tear your hair our frustrating. An unputdownable and mesmerizing story from beginning to finish. It hurt so good that I never wanted it to end. It was everything I adore about Shen’s books and so much more.

Now if you know me or follow my reviews, you know that I love my heroes mean. Like so mean it makes me want to punch them while also wanting to have their babies mean. And Cillian? The man is cold, calculating, unfeeling, and blunt to the point of rudeness.

Welcome to the dark side, Persephone. Leave your heart at the door.”

Now allow me to address the elephant in the room.
*cough*
Persephone
*cough*
When I tell you that she couldn’t have been a better heroine for Cillian, I mean she couldn’t have been more perfect for him. She was perfection. Seeing her growth throughout the book from infatuated belle to a woman that really stands up for herself and what she deserves was deliciously satisfying. And seeing Kill unwittingly fall for her, even more so.

The tension was absolute perfection. What I simply adore in Shen’s books is her ability to really stay true to her characters while giving them so much heart. This was the epitome of Kill for me. The man is calculated and unfeeling, yet you see him slowly thaw for the woman he never saw coming. His fall is realistic and it makes it that much more satisfying. I thought I loved Hunter, but that was nothing in comparison to my feelings for Cillian and Persy. This book was everything I hoped for and nothing I expected. A flawed hero, a blooming wallflower that comes into her own heroine, and a love that is absolutely EPIC. I loved this HARD.

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Review: Blame It On The Champagne by Fiona Cole

December 15, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

BLAME IT ON THE CHAMPAGNE
Series: Blame It On The Alcohol #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Fiona Cole
Release Date: December 15, 2020

There’s only one thing to do when you wake up, married to your brand new boss, whom you hate but can’t resist: You blame the champagne.

I blame the bubbles for my wild night with a masked stranger.

Who cares if it’s nothing this good girl would normally do–with a man that turns out to be my horrible boss?

Who cares that I’m promised to someone else?

I blame the alcohol for agreeing to marry him.

As long as my new husband keeps his mouth shut, I can survive five years of our little arrangement. It’s too late for anything else.

But our impromptu wedding leads to so much more than I bargained for. His dirty promises warm me. His kisses make me lightheaded. His respect slips past my best defenses. The hate turns to friendship, and makes me dream of more. He’s like the most dangerous kind of champagne.

That’s why I blame him for making me fall in love with him.

But when I find out our marriage was nothing more than revenge, what’s to blame for my broken heart?

  Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
AMAZON

Sometimes Prince Charming is everything you need when you didn’t know you needed it.

Who just read their very first Fiona Cole book and is now kicking their own @ss for waiting this long?
Clearly I’ve been living under a rock all of this time. But better late than never, right? *grins sheepishly*

This book was so much fun. It’s a marriage of convenience trope with a splash of enemies to lovers and enough sexual tension to make your ovaries clench. Side note: I don’t think ovaries actually clench. But if they did, I would imagine the tension in this book would make them do it. But I digress.

First thing is that I absolutely loved the heroine. As the only daughter of an extremely old school Italian family, tradition is everything for Vera. She grew up knowing that ultimately she’d have an arranged marriage just like her parents did but dreamed that she’d also get to work for her family’s shipping company. Unfortunately, her father is truly old school and her only use to him is through marriage. Vera is an extremely bright and fierce woman, so she doesn’t exactly take her fate sitting down. Even if it’s a small rebellion, she needs to feel a little freedom before it gets taken away from her.

Nico is man that’s used to being chased for his good looks and money. So when Vera gets a job at his company, he’s convinced a woman attractive as her has ulterior motives. Suffice it to say that they don’t exactly get off on the right foot. The tension between the two of them is EVERYTHING. And it soon becomes apparent Nico is a man with an agenda of his own when he offers Vera the answer she didn’t know she was looking for with a marriage of convenience.

I devoured this story. DEVOURED it. First of all, I love a strong female friendship bond in books, and this one had it in spades. Nova and Raelynn were fantastic secondary characters who I can’t wait to know more about. Vera was everything I love in a great heroine. She fights for respect and doesn’t take things lying down. She’s fierce, smart, even if a little sheltered through her upbringing. I loved the way she made Nico work for it. And Nico? Holy dirty talk, batman. The man opens his mouth and my ovaries quiver. The dirty talk was on point. Nico is just a hair shy of being domineering and is just the kind of dirty talking alpha I love in my romance. So good!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to binge on Cole’s backlist as I eagerly await Nova’s book next.

Fiona Cole is a military wife and a stay at home mom with degrees in biology and chemistry. As much as she loved science, she decided to postpone her career to stay at home with her two little girls, and immersed herself in the world of books until finally deciding to write her own.

 Connect with Fiona

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New Release: About Tomorrow by Abbi Glines

December 14, 2020 by · Leave a Comment
ABOUT TOMORROW
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: Abbi Glines
Release Date: December 14, 2020
About Tomorrow…I close my eyes as I hear him speak. I take one very long and deep breath hoping to calm the immediate butterflies that take flight in my stomach and hope to slow down the racing of my heart. The voice was slightly deeper but the timbre was one that was achingly familiar.

My actions did little to help, but then who was I kidding? A deep breath wasn’t going to fix the effect he had on me and my body’s inevitable reaction. Even the memories that would forever haunt me couldn’t keep my emotions from triggering at the nearness of him once again.

I used to pray that I’d find the strength to move on from him, from the pain that the end carried, from the emptiness in my chest, but ultimately move on from—the loss of Creed Sullivan and the death of his sister, Cora.

The Sullivans had been the best part of my summers in New England.

Deep down, I knew my ache for all that I had lost was the reason I returned…

But I hadn’t expected to see him again—especially not like this.

AMAZON

DEC 8 ABOUT TOMORROW TEASER 2

Watch the Trailer HERE!

Creed had put on a pair of faded jeans and a vintage Def Leppard tee shirt but he’d not brushed his hair. It worked for him but then Creed was the kind of sexy that could wear anything and still turn heads. As a little girl, I’d loved playing with him and as a teenage girl I had fallen in love with him. “Hello,” I said so softly- it was almost a whisper. “Their coffee is shit,” he said as he walked toward the kitchen. I turned my gaze back to the fire. Pretending like we were strangers was difficult. Once there had been so much I wanted to say to him. I’d wanted to ask him why? What had I done wrong? Why had he turned on me without a reason? Now, he was here. We were in the same room and I had no words. I couldn’t think of one thing to say. I heard him in the kitchen and as much as I wanted to not care that he was here my body was attuned to his every move. Maybe it was my nerves or uncertainty. It couldn’t possibly be more than that. His footsteps were soft and I realized he must be barefoot. The cold wouldn’t affect him like it did me. He was a New Englander. He sat down in the chair across from the sofa and his gaze was on me. I didn’t want to look at him. The fire was less confusing and unsettling. I didn’t have to pretend with the fire. Creed however was a different story. How did he expect me to act like we were strangers when there was so much in our past?

Read the First Chapter HERE!

4872191Abbi Glines is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Rosemary Beach, Sea Breeze, Vincent Boys, Field Party and Existence series. She never cooks unless baking during the Christmas holiday counts. She believes in ghosts and has a habit of asking people if their house is haunted before she goes in it. She drinks afternoon tea because she wants to be British but alas she was born in Alabama. When asked how many books she has written she has to stop and count on her fingers. When she’s not locked away writing, she is reading, shopping (major shoe and purse addiction), sneaking off to the movies alone, and listening to the drama in her teenagers lives while making mental notes on the good stuff to use later. Don’t judge. You can connect with Abbi online in several different ways. She uses social media to procrastinate.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | AMAZON | NEWSLETTER | GROUP | BOOKBUB

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Review: Dream Chaser by Kristen Ashley

December 14, 2020 by ·

DREAM CHASER
Series: Dream Team #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kristen Ashley
Release Date: December 15, 2020

In this steamy, addictive contemporary romance spinning off the New York Times bestselling Dream Man and Rock Chick series, Ryn Jansen must put her trust in the one man she wants — and the one man she can’t let herself have.

Ryn Jansen has no interest in taking a risk on Boone Sadler. Thanks to a long list of men who’ve done nothing but let her down, Ryn vows to stay far away from the caring, protective commando. And when Boone confronts Ryn with evidence that her loved ones are conning her, Ryn is less than thrilled — with her family and Boone. But even as Boone proves he’s the kind of guy to meet her every need, she doesn’t trust him to stay when life gets hard . . .

Boone Sadler’s never been one to back down from a challenge. He’s determined to show the funny, sexy Ryn that the irresistible connection between them is worth exploring. But caring for Ryn’s heart and body becomes a matter of life and death when Ryn’s beloved niece and nephew are put in danger and dirty cops begin gunning for Ryn. Soon Boone realizes their romance is in danger of more than heartbreak — and to have any future together, they’ll have to put their trust in each other.

 AMAZON 

Baby, I want you,” he whispered back. “And if the happy birthday cookie doesn’t win you, I’ll find something that does. So tear down the walls, Ryn, I want in, I’m getting in and we’re gonna see where this goes.”

When I read Dream Maker, I fell instantly and hard for this new band of badass commandos and sassy women (that also happen to be strippers. rawwr!). It gave me those vintage KA vibes that I’ve been craving for years. And I’m happy to report that I enjoyed this book just as much as the first and so hooked on this series. I’m already chomping at the bit to get my hands on the next one. But I won’t get ahead of myself here. Let’s talk about Dream Chaser.

Kathryn, or Ryn to her friends is trying to make ends meet as a stripper while dreaming of getting her property flipping business off the ground. In usual KA fashion, she’s perfect. Perfectly sweet, perfectly giving, and perfectly there for her family. She gives her every last spare dime to support her alcoholic brother’s ex and their adorable children while barely scraping by herself. She’s also a sub with a rocky history with men, starting with her deadbeat father.

She’s instantly attracted to Boone when she first meets him, but his Dom presence intimidates her and forces her to push him away. And when Boone first gives up on his pursuit, he comes back all the more determined to get her and she doesn’t know what to do with it. Now if you’re like me, the D/s element made you salivate when you got a taste for it in book one. But if you’re also like me and a loyal reader of the BDSM genre, lower your expectations here. What you’re getting is the KA version of BDSM here. As in, BDSM-light, if you will. As in a dominant man that likes to meet out a spanking and tie his girl up every now and then. But was he a true Dom? Meh. Enough to hit the spot, but not enough to truly sell it for me.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved him. But the kinky beoch in me was expecting a little more. What? Stop judging me! THere’s a difference between kink and BDSM, and I didn’t quite get the distinction here.

That small quibble aside, I really did love this story. I loved when Boone finally got his head out of his @ss and went after Ryn and gave her no room to push him away again. I loved how fiercely protective he was and how he still had his very deep rooted insecurities from his past. I loved Ryn’s sweet nature and the way she grew a spine and stood up to her family.

Of course would it really even be a KA book without some crazy shenanigans and a bad guy that’s not truly a bad guy and has a sweet spot for the women? NOTHING. So of course I loved the suspense element of this story as much as the romance. And that’s partly because we get a cameo from some of my favorite KA couples that I will never get enough of. I’m obsessed with this series. And the set up for book three? DELICIOUS.

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

Review: Not What I Expected by Jewel E Ann

December 8, 2020 by ·

NOT WHAT I EXPECTED
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Jewel E. Ann
Release Date: December 6, 2020

Are humans meant to mate for life?

After four kids and an unfortunate but fateful end to her twenty-two-year marriage, Elsie Smith meets the new guy in town.

Kael Hendricks is … a little younger, a lot sexy, and too confident for his own good. He also doesn’t believe in marriage and all that goes with it.

And …

He’s just opened a new business that threatens the livelihood of Elsie’s family’s store—just in time for the holidays.

The problem?

There’s an undeniable attraction that leads to out of control situations, a loss of inhibitions, and a lot of small town gossip.

As Elsie tries to redefine herself and convince her family she isn’t having a midlife crisis, she’s forced to answer the biggest question of all …

Can she love an enemy who will never surrender?

 AMAZON 

He made me feel like a horny teenager. He made me feel drugged without a reason to ever be sober again. He just made me feel

Wow. I’m going to get super corny for a second and just say, this book was not what I expected. Ha! See what I did there? Oh whatever! My humor has a COVID delay. Leave me alone. GOD!

It’s charmingly unique, realistically poignant, and triggering in a way any married person would relate to. As a matter of fact, I recognized myself in so many of the hilarious and sometimes hard to swallow situations depicted here. If you’re a female, this book would speak to you in a way that will make you feel both understood and uncomfortable. I loved that Jewel actually pulled from readers actual experiences and you really recognize that here. This was unlike anything I’ve read in a long while. It was so different but yet so relatable. A charming, emotional, and unforgettable story of falling out of love and finding yourself again. It’s about personal growth and inner strength. It’s all of the things and so much more. It’s definitely not your typical older woman younger man sort of romance. Add a little bit of spice to that, and that’s what you get here.

Elsie Smith is a heroine that’s impossible not to relate to or love. Her quirks and insecurities are something any woman has experienced at least once in her life. After her marriage of 22 years comes to an end, she’s left discovering herself. She’s been a mother and a wife, but somewhere along the way she lost herself and her needs and desires took a backseat to her life. She’s a wonderful mother and a loyal friend. But as a woman, she’s discovering she’s grown in what she wants.

Kael is younger and a free spirit. He’s been the complete antithesis to what Elsie’s life has been. He doesn’t believe in marriage. He doesn’t settle in any one place for too long. And he doesn’t deny himself. When he sets his eyes on Elsie, she fights their connection with everything that she’s got…until she can’t deny it anymore.

He willingly became my addiction—the needle, the narcotic.
He fed it. He jumped off every cliff with me. He was my highest high … and my lowest low.

This was not your typical romance. It was more. It was a little raw and a lot real, and oh so good. It’s a bit out of the box and I loved it for that reason. Jewel painted a romance as messy and real as life is, and my god, it just spoke to me.

I loved the banter between these two and their push and pull. I loved Elsie’s inner strength and seeing her grow into her own and allow Kael to help her discover herself. She’s independent and fierce and so relatable. Kael is charming and sweet. Everyone in town loves him. He’s a free spirit and cares deeply, and it’s impossible not to fall for him. I loved watching him bring Elsie out of her shell.

If you’re looking for something unique and different, look no further. This book will speak to you in a way not many others could.

Jewel is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today best selling author a with a quirky sense of humor. When she’s not saving the planet one tree at a time, you can find her role modeling questionable behavior to her three boys, binge-watching Netflix with her husband, and writing mind-bending romance.

Connect with Jewel 

Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Facebook | Facebook Group | Instagram | Twitter  |Bookbub | Pinterest

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

#DGRFave & Review: The Revenge Pact by Ilsa Madden Mills

December 7, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

THE REVENGE PACT
Series: The Kings of Football #1
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult Romance
Author: Ilsa Madden-Mills
Release Date: December 3, 2020

River Tate is a god on campus.
The king of football.
A tattooed bad boy with gunmetal eyes that see right through you.
The only chink in his armor is her, the girl he pretends doesn’t exist, the forbidden one with the shy smile and lavender hair.

Anastasia Bailey is a nobody.
The queen of nothing.
An outsider with the face of an angel and a body made for sin.
The only chink in her armor is him, her boyfriend’s frat brother, the football player who hates her.

But when Anastasia’s life comes crashing down, River’s the one who sweeps in and picks up the pieces.
Torn between loyalty, lies, and secrets, he battles the temptation to take everything from her when they make their revenge pact.

He can’t tell her no.
Because revenge (or love) is, sweet, and once you get a taste, the craving never ends.

The Revenge Pact is first in a series about three college football players.

 AMAZON 

There’s something real between us… The question is, what am I willing to do about it?

When I tell you that this book owned me. When I tell you that this story was absolutely EVERYTHING. When I tell you that River Tate is the ultimate book boyfriend that you will never be able to move on from. When I tell you this was easily my favorite book I’ve read from this author. When I tell you that this book is an absolute must read. BELIEVE. ME.

River Tate is a dangerous man. And the best thing I can do is stay away from him.

The second I started reading this story, I knew it would be different. River and Anastasia are going down as one of my favorite New Adult romance couples. It was THAT good.

I’m a sucker for a strong female and a tortured male plot, but this was so much more than that. It was all things forbidden, angsty and packed with enough emotion to make you turn each page with bated breath.

Anastasia and River’s relationship is tumultuous to say the least. He pretends that he hates her and she pretends like his presence doesn’t effect her. She also happens to be dating his frat brother. But if you’re thinking this is a love triangle or cheating book, think again.

River is a god on campus but he’s so much more than his image. This is a man with so many layers, you feel like every chapter offers more depth. He’s such a beautiful soul that I couldn’t help but fall for him immediately. His perseverance and honor make him one of the most beloved people on campus. He’s always there for his brothers and teammates. So it doesn’t matter how much he wants Ana, he can never go there.

Ana is a bit of a black sheep with lavender hair. She’s beautiful and smart, but her family is anything but conventional. She struggles to find a place for herself in the midst of the expectations from those around her. And when everything comes crashing down on her, the one person there for her is the last one that she expects.

This was an incredibly emotional and poignant slow burn romance. I fell so hard for both of these characters. Their imperfections and strengths, their pain and happiness. All of it was blended together so flawlessly that I couldn’t set the book down for even a second. You know when you read a book and you just have this feeling, like this power punch of emotion that goes through you like electricity? I had that the entire time reading this. These characters were so incredibly memorable and their romance was so incredibly powerful, that I felt a sense of loss when I finished because I couldn’t part with them.

If you’re looking for a new adult romance that’s packed with feels and a book boyfriend that will own your heart from the very first page, you need this book in your life!

Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is best known for her angsty new adult romances and romantic comedies.

Eight of her eleven novels have placed in the Amazon Top 10 Best-seller List: Dirty English #1; Fake Fiancée and I Dare You #2; I Bet You, Filthy English, and Very Bad Things #6; Boyfriend Bargain #8; The Last Guy, her collaboration with Tia Louise, #4.

A former high school English teacher, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.

She’s addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online.

Connect with Ilsa:
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Stay up to date with Ilsa by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2ZWaTYh

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Review: Hard To Hold by K. Bromberg

December 2, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

HARD TO HOLD
Series: Play Hard #2
Genre: Contemporary, Sports Romance
Author: K. Bromberg
Release Date: December 1, 2020

The contract with Major League Soccer was supposed to help repair my damaged reputation.

Then I discovered that I’d made a deal with the devil: the player I’m supposed to recruit is none other than the bad boy, star Premier League footballer, Rush McKenzie.

British. Tattooed. Sexy. A man currently at the center of a huge scandal.

The goal? To convince him to stay in the States.

But what’s wrong with a little fun in the meantime? No strings. No sweet nothings. Just a way to pass the time while we’re both struggling to prove our true selves to the world.

If someone found out our relationship was anything more than professional, it would only serve to prove all our critics right.

***
I never should have agreed to take the fall.

But I did and I’m a man of my word.

Even if it means risking everything I’ve worked for.

The only bright side is Lennox Kincade.

Gorgeous. Defiant. Rumor-tainted. Totally off-limits.

Sharing a house with the gorgeous sports agent should have been a fun distraction from the turmoil. Someone to help pass the time while the tensions back home die down.

But what started as nothing, ends up as something I never saw coming.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

Rush would be a terrible mistake. A terrible, gorgeous, satisfying mistake.

If you’re looking for an addicting sports romance series, look no further. Welcome to your next obsession, friends. Because this series? It. is. EVERYTHING. I thought I fell hard with the first book, but this one? This one was even better. And y’all. I LOVED the first book. If you haven’t read it yet, you must. But you can also enjoy this one as a standalone. Though there may be some nuances to these sisters that may be a little lost on you if you dive into this one without having read the first.

Four sisters who barely get along and couldn’t be more different are brought together by a common goal to save their father’s failing sports agency. Dekker got her HEA in Hard to Handle and now it’s Lennox’s turn. Lennox is the beauty queen with everything to prove. She’s a hard working businesswoman, but she’s always struggled to prove herself beyond her look. She’s easy to write off as not having to try too hard because her beauty will seal the deal. But there’s so much more to Lennox. She has a bit of a chip on her shoulder when it comes to wanting to prove herself. This is also how she lands herself in a bit of a pickle of having to recruit soccer’s golden boy and current star of a major scandal, Rush.

Rush is facing an impossible situation while in the midst of a scandal that can cost him everything. But this tatted up brit is not what he seems. Beneath the sexy exterior and charming personality is a vulnerability from a devastating history he’s still trying to move on from. I fell so hard for this man, it’s not even funny. There’s just something so incredibly endearing to him. He’s loyal to his own detriment and with a heart of gold. Bromberg seriously created some of the most unforgettable male characters with this series. Dare I say that they may be my favorites of hers.

Just when I swore off men, one worth breaking the promise to myself comes waltzing right in—and naked at that.

Lennox was a heroine that was impossible not to love. She’s trying so hard to prove herself in a male centric industry that constantly devalues her because of her looks. She’s strong willed and sassy but she loves and she loves hard. I also loved that she didn’t work against Rush to prove herself and move her career along. She’s a woman with a strong moral compass and I loved that about her.

The chemistry between the two of them was INCENDIARY. I seriously couldn’t get enough of them together. Something that started out as pure chemistry and lust, soon begins to bloom into something so much more and I was so here for it.

What I absolutely adore in this series are the feels. And the feels were so strong here. The characters were vivid and multilayered. The story packed with emotion and passion. I loved this book to pieces and can’t recommend it enough.

 


New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary romance novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines and damaged heroes who we love to hate but can’t help to love.

A mom of three, she plots her novels in between school runs and soccer practices, more often than not with her laptop in tow and her mind scattered in too many different directions.

Since publishing her first book on a whim in 2013, Kristy has sold over one and a half million copies of her books across eighteen different countries and has landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists over thirty times. Her Driven trilogy (Driven, Fueled, and Crashed) is currently being adapted for film by the streaming platform, Passionflix, with the first movie (Driven) out now.

With her imagination always in overdrive, she is currently scheming, plotting, and swooning over her latest hero. You can find out more about him or chat with Kristy on any of her social media accounts.

Connect with K. Bromberg:

Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Bookbub | Website
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Review: Blacklisted by Jay Crownover

October 27, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

BLACKLISTED
Series: Loveless, Texas #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Small Town
Author: Jay Crownover
Release Date: October 27, 2020

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men series comes an irresistible and suspenseful romance between a doctor who plays by the rules and the outlaw who breaks them in order to protect her.

Dr. Presley Baskin has always lived a quiet, calm life. Unfortunately, nothing about her life in Loveless, Texas—especially not the wild, rowdy, and impossibly close-knit Lawton family who’ve claimed her—is quiet or calm. Which is how loner Presley finds herself roped into patching up local bad boy Shot Caldwell against her better judgment. Presley wants nothing to do with the dangerous, brooding leader of the local outlaw motorcycle club. But when someone starts stalking her, Shot is the only person she trusts to help. Plus he owes her one…

Palmer ‘Shot’ Caldwell has always known his life isn’t made for relationships. At least until shy, secretive, Presley reluctantly pulled a bullet out of him. He’s oddly protective of the pretty doctor, so when she comes to him for help, hard-hearted Shot suddenly realizes there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to keep her safe.

 AMAZON

I’d never been able to walk away from the search for retribution. My soul was restless until the proper price was paid.

I feel like I’ve been waiting FOREVER to finally have my hands on Shot’s book, and after the ending in Unforgiven, that need went dang near rabid. Now first of all, if you’re reading this as a standalone, you’re doing yourself a huge disservice. Read the first two books. Even though each book focuses on a new couple, there’s a continuing story arc that continues through each series and is concluded here. Everything that was set in motion in Justified finally gets brought to a head here.

If you’ve read the first two books, then you’re already familiar with the suspense of the murder of Lawton patriarch. Presley is the half sister that her three siblings had no idea they had. After finding out that her best friend is a psychopath that’s responsible for making her life a living hell and losing her mother, Presley’s quiet existence imploded in a fiery blaze. Her stalker is still out there and wants her dead, and the Sons of Sorrow are in her debt for saving Shot’s life.

After the peeks we get into SoS and Shot Caldwell, I was dying for more of the MC. However, if you’re expecting a biker book, this is not that. The author made it clear that biker romance is something that she struggles with, so this book is in the same tone as the rest of the series. However, Shot is very much a biker and not a cowboy. He’s the epitome of a bad boy. An outlaw that lives his life on his own terms and answers to no one. Presley is the opposite of him in every way, but he can’t seem to stay away from here. Their chemistry is incendiary. These are two characters that always felt like outsiders in their own life, and their bond on that is strong. I loved the way they were there for each other.

There’s quite a bit of suspense happening here with both Shot and Presley’s life in danger by different people. Presley is still trying to figure out having siblings for the first time in her life and a man that’s pursuing her that is the epitome of everything that she doesn’t go for.

While I had hoped for more time and focus on the MC and the characters there, I still enjoyed this one quite a bit. I may have set my expectations on the MC a bit high, but I can’t say I’m disappointed. This still hit the spot quite nicely and was a satisfying conclusion to a series that I’ve been invested in for some time.

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Review: The Bribe by Willa Nash

October 17, 2020 by ·

THE BRIBE
Series: Calamity Montana #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Willa Nash
Release Date: October 15, 2020

Duke Evans didn’t expect to interrupt a beautiful woman in a staring contest with a bison on his favorite hiking trail. He also didn’t expect to see her again after rescuing her from the surly beast. As the sheriff in Calamity, Montana, he’s had his fair share of surprises but none as pleasant as pulling over a shiny black car and finding his mysterious hiking companion behind the wheel.

Only, she lied to Duke. She gave him a name as fake as her hair color. According to her driver’s license, her real name is Lucy Ross, the famous country music singer whose sudden disappearance has been a hot topic in the media over the past two weeks.

He’s not sure why Lucy lied about her identity or why she’s in Calamity. And she’s not talking. Instead, she offers him a bribe to keep her secret.

But Duke doesn’t want her money. He wants to know why this woman is on the run. And as long as the star shines on his badge, he’s going to find out.

 AMAZON 

In public, you’re Jade. But behind closed doors, you’re—”
“Lucy?” she breathed.
I shook my head. “Mine.”

I have a love affair with all things Devney Perry, so when I saw she’s releasing a new series under a pen name, I was beyond thrilled. I live for her small town romances. The Bribe was a sweet romance with a swoony hero and a country singer in hiding set in the charming town of Calamity and plenty of amazing secondary characters.

I was a woman running through a storm, searching for a haven against the onslaught of rain.

Lucy is a famous country singer that left her entire life behind in Nashville to disappear as Jade in Calamity. She first runs into Duke when he rescues her and her BFF on a hiking trail. She never expects to run into the handsome stranger again, especially not as the sheriff in the small town where she’s trying to hide. And this sheriff won’t let her hide and is determined to get her every secret.

Duke was….*swoony sigh*. Gosh. This man was everything. I love me an alphahole, but every now and then a girl needs a dose of a good guy, and Duke hit the spot just right. The man is protective, loyal, and persistent. He’s determined to get all of Jade’s secrets, even if he has to pretend to take a bribe to keep them. The sparks between these two were instant and potent. I loved the tension between them as much as I loved their instant connection. There’s a dash of suspense that’s thrown in that helped spice things up a little which really comes to a head at the end.

Jade and Duke’s romance wasn’t full of angst. It wasn’t easy either but there were no games, no stupid misunderstandings. It was just so immensely satisfying watching these two fall in love. Duke, the quintessential nice guy, and Lucy the famous singer just made sense together. The Bribe was a butterflies in your tummy sort of romance that you finish with a smile on your face. I love me some angst, but I never missed it here. The suspense gave it just the right amount of zing that the story needed. And the preview of the next book? I die for it. DIE FOR IT. I can’t wait for Everly’s book next.

Willa Nash is USA Today Bestselling Author Devney Perry’s alter ego, writing contemporary romance stories for Kindle Unlimited. Lover of Swedish Fish, hater of laundry, she lives in Washington State with her husband and two sons. She was born and raised in Montana and has a passion for writing books in the state she calls home.

Devney loves hearing from her readers. Connect with her on social media!
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

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

Review: Muses & Melodies by Rebecca Yarros

October 7, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

MUSES & MELODIES
Series: Hush Note #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Release Date: October 6, 2020

If I can keep Hush Note’s leading guitarist, Nixon Winters, on the straight and narrow for the next six months, I’ll finally get my own band to manage—assuming we don’t kill each other first.

The egotistical, irritating rock star is fresh out of rehab, but it’s obvious his demons followed him home—and now I’m sleeping down the hall. I’ve watched him self-destruct every summer, and with album deadlines and tour dates looming, I can’t let it happen again. My career is in his hands.

But tattoos can’t cover every scar, and I’m starting to see through his trademark, irresistible charm to the damage beneath.

Everyone wants the rock star.
I’m falling for the man.

If he doesn’t let me in,
he’ll never break the cycle—
And when these six months are up,
I might be the one left broken.

 AMAZON | iBOOKS | KOBO | NOOK

…he kissed like he played guitar—like nothing else mattered on the planet, and in that moment, nothing else did. He wiped away the rest of the world and altered the universe so it centered around.

An emotional and highly poignant story to end a fantastic series with. Muses & Melodies really closes it out with an emotional bang. Nix’s story was everything I had hoped for and so much more.

I wanted the only woman on the planet I couldn’t have.

The lead guitarist of Hush Notes has been spiraling for years. In and out of rehab, Nix’s favorite brand of self medication is sex, drugs and alcohol. You know that there’s something dark in his past that not even his closest friends know, but it’s not until the layers begin to be peeled back that you realize the full impact of his hidden pain.

Zoe is eager to make a name for herself in the music industry. But where Nix is center stage, she likes to be the talent behind the screen. She loves music and she loves the industry. And now her big break relies on her ability to keep Nix out of trouble. Babysitting a rockstar isn’t quite what she had in mind, but she’ll do it. It’s not just about the job for Zoe. She truly cares for Nix, which truly makes their journey to each other that much more potent.

Zoe has always been in the background of Nix’s world but now their forced proximity is making him deal with an attraction he didn’t even realize was there. The sparks between these two were so deliciously hot. But it was so much more than chemistry. I loved how Zoe gives as good as she gets, and a defensive Nix gives quite a bit. Zoe is always there for him no matter how angry he gets or how he lashes out. But you can see the pain he hides beneath that rockstar exterior and that just makes him that much more endearing no matter how broken he is.

This was a story that was full of passion and emotion. There was so much feeling packed in that just made me that more invested in this. A perfect romance to end the series with.

Rebecca is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of over fifteen novels, and is always ready to bring on the emotions. She’s also the recipient of the Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence for Eyes Turned Skyward from her Flight and Glory series.

She loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for eighteen years. She’s the mother of six children, ranging from kindergarten to law school, and is currently surviving the teenage years with two of her four hockey-playing sons. When she’s not writing, you can find her at the hockey rink or sneaking in some guitar time. She lives in Colorado with her family, their stubborn English bulldog, and a feisty chinchilla. Having fostered then adopted their youngest daughter, Rebecca is passionate about helping children in the foster system through her nonprofit, One October.

Visit her website at www.RebeccaYarros.com for more!

Connect w/Rebecca: 

Website | Facebook | Facebook Group | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Bookbub | Amazon

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