Review: The Prey by JL Beck

THE PREY
Author: J.L. Beck
Series: Oakmount Elite #3
Genre: Dark Romance, New Adult
Release Date: August 9, 2024

Filthy rich. Monstrous. Vile.

He calls me prey.

I call him a bully.

Sebastian Arturo isn’t just cruel, he’s downright terrifying.

With piercing green eyes, a body made for doing very bad things, and a charming demeanor, it’s no wonder everyone thinks the world of him… everyone except me.

When I wake up with pieces of my memory missing he’s the only one who can give me answers.

But he doesn’t give me answers, instead he tells me to stop asking questions, or else…

I heed his warning and do my best to avoid him but since he’s my boss and I live in his house that’s kinda difficult.

Then one night his hate for me reaches its breaking point… and the lines blur.

Hate twists into lustful obsession.

His cruel words become seductive praises.

One touch sparks a raging inferno of desire, and I find myself burned to ash beneath his fingertips.

Just when I think I’ll finally find happiness my memories return bringing with them a vicious truth.

Turns out the man I’m falling for isn’t who I thought he was… and escape isn”t an option.

He has me right where he wants, caught in a trap, just like prey.

** This is a standalone, however for better reading enjoyment please consider starting with The Wallflower before reading The Prey. Again this is a dark romance novel, but does contain a happily ever after. It also contains triggering material, and adult content. Please do not start reading till you check the trigger warning at the beginning of the book. **

AMAZON

Sebastian isn’t the gentleman the world thinks he is…

Well, Elyse, I definitely already knew that much. Sebastian was a deliciously intriguing secondary character in The Wallflower & The Wildflower. But as an MC, this man is in a league of his own and I worship at his alter.

Now I definitely liked Drew and Bel’s book, but I went absolutely FERAL for Sebastian. When I tell you that the first chapter grabs you by the throat, I mean brace yourself. Because holy moly! But I digress. I loved seeing Sebastian’s protective big brother side in The Wildflower, but seeing his dark and deranged side in his own book wa s an experience unparalleled.

We don’t quite know the full details of how, but Elyse ends up working as a maid for Sebastian to work off her father’s debt. Her past is shrouded in mystery as are the full circumstance of how she came to work for Sebastian. All you know is that he hates her as much as he wants her, and the more he wants her, the harder he pushes her away with his a-hole behavior. And this reader was here for every second of it.

Now Sebastian is one fascinating, multilayered character that I couldn’t get enough of. He may be an entitled a-hole to Elyse, but beneath the suits and the money is the dark soul of a man who went through hell himself. And while we only get snippets of what made him the way he is, you. just know that when the full history is revealed, it will hurt so good.

Sebastian fights his attraction to Elyse at every turn, until it becomes unbearable and her past comes knocking on his door. There is still a lot of unknown and I ended the book with more questions than answers, but I can tell you that I absolutely devoured this story.

Elyse is a perfect dichotomy of silent strength and vulnerability. Her circumstance puts her in an impossible position where she will never come out the victor, but she is no pushover, and I loved that about her. When we finally get more morsels about her past, I was absolutely rabid for more. But in true JL Beck fashion, she leaves on a cliffhanger so painful that I dang near cried when I finish. So off to stalk her for the next book I go and I have no regrets!

Review: Northern Twilight by Samantha Young

NORTHERN TWILIGHT
Series: The Highlands Series #5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Samantha Young 
Release Date:
August 8, 2024

She’s the girl he left behind. He’s the boy she tried to forget. But after seven years apart, one passionately reckless night will tie them together forever …

As teenagers, Callie Ironside and Lewis Adair were inseparable. So much so, Lewis still can’t work out where it all went horribly wrong, or why he’s spent the last seven years in London away from the love of his life.
Callie knows exactly where it all went wrong and while she tried to move on—learning pastry techniques in Paris and dating French men—returning home to Ardnoch to work in her mother’s bakery only reminds her of the future she lost with Lewis.

But when a visit to London brings them unexpectedly together, the passion, pain and animosity between them leads to a one-night stand. For Lewis, it’s the beginning of winning Callie and his life in Ardnoch back. For Callie, it’s a mistake that’s shaken up the devastating heartbreak she fought hard to forget. However, Lewis is determined to fight for her, and proves it when their night together results in more than just unresolved feelings.

AMAZON

I was still in love with Lewis Adair. And it was terrifying because now I knew what it felt like to lose him.

You know, every time I finish a book in this series, I say that it’s my favorite in the series. And now, 5 books in, I get to say it for the 5th time. This was my absolute favorite in the series and the fact that it only just gets better with each book is a true testament of the talent that is Samantha Young.

What’s funny is this was also the story I was looking forward to the least and I don’t even know why. Maybe because Lewis and Callie seemed too fluffy for my taste? Boy was I wrong…

You’re too much of a gentleman for me, Lewis. I like my sex more adventurous now. A little rougher. I like …” I sucked in a breath as he closed the distance between us, his body touching mine.
“You like what?” His expression was fierce with fury. And desire.
“In…in bed… I like a guy to take control.”
Surprise lit Lewis’s eyes and then something darkened them. “Noted,” he growled. Then his hand was on my nape, bringing my mouth to his as he bent his head to take it.

A cinnamon roll with a filthy mouth and demanding tendencies in bed? Yes please and thank you.

Now if there’s one trope that I absolutely adore, it’s a second chance romance. But the reason for the separation has to work and that’s not always easy to do. Callie and Lewis were high school sweethearts until things fell apart and now they haven’t seen each other in 7 years. When fate brings them together again, Lewis knows that he will stop at nothing to get the love of his life back. And man oh man the way that he worked for her. The lengths that he went to. The absolute devotion and adoration that he harbors all these years later. I fell head over heels for him. I adored his father’s book but Lewis just went and topped even that book. GOD this was amazing.

I fell in love with you a long time ago, and I never got that part of me back.

Callie was a girl who loved Lewis with everything she had, until she lost him and never recovered. She’s been going through the motions ever since, refusing to give herself like that again. Their reason for falling apart was also so incredibly relatable and the way they come back together was heart meltingly beautiful.

To say that I loved this book was an understatement. I loved every word, every page and every chapter. It was romantic, beautiful, emotional, and completely unforgettable. And even this reader with the cold black heart found herself crying over numerous “it’s so beautiful” moments. If you’re looking for a beautiful romance with plenty of steam and all the heart, look no further!

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.

 

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Review: SALT by L.A. Ferro

SALT
Author: L.A. Ferro
Series: Summer Nights #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Age Gap
Release Date: July 25, 2024

At eight, he gave me roses. At fifteen, he gave me butterflies, and at seventeen, he gave me sanctuary.

I wasn’t a damsel in distress. He wasn’t Prince Charming waiting to whisk me off my feet. We didn’t meet by chance. He’s been part of my life for years, and for most of that time, I’ve been under his spell.

Everett Callahan isn’t just the most attractive man I’ve ever laid eyes on: stoic, tall, dark, and handsome, the stuff fantasies are made of. He’s more than that. Beyond his looks, he’s loyal to the core and wears virtues like duty, honor, and respect as armor. He’s the kind of guy you’d be proud to bring home to meet your dad.

If he wasn’t also your dad’s best friend.

I wasn’t just charmed. I was completely and utterly smitten, and he wasn’t interested.

That’s why I put aside childish things, like my crush on an off-limits man who could never be mine.

Until he fell into my tent on my twenty-first birthday, and I saw a man instead of the untouchable God, I’d made him out to be.

Men are flawed, even Everett Callahan, and now that I know he’s not immune to weakness, I plan to be a hellion ready to exploit it.

Publishers Note: This is a forbidden, slow-burn, age-gap romance with a happy ever after.
Author’s Note: This book is meant for readers 18 years and older.

AMAZON

You are the most beautiful gift I never saw coming..

I love an angsty age gap romance when it’s done right, and it definitely has to be done right when the age gap is 20 years. This one was definitely done right because I was instantly sucked in.

How do you just walk away from something that you want with your whole heart?.

Cameron Salt has been crushing on her father’s best friend for as long as she was old enough to recognize the feeling. Now twenty one, she’s living with Everett after the tragic death of both of her parents. Everett is forty six, divorced and fighting his attraction to Cameron with everything he has. Not only is she too young for him, but his best friend trusted her in his care so suffice it to say the guilt of their connection is eating him alive. Especially when Cameron takes every opportunity to push his buttons and push him to the limit.

I’m not the girl he took in five years ago. I’m a woman who knows exactly what she wants. HIM..

I have to say I loved Cameron. She’s a free spirit and mature beyond her years. I loved the way she pursued Everett but also didn’t take his sh*t when the uber grump came out. She pushed him until she wore him down and when he finally gives in, FIREWORKS.

I catch my breath and open my eyes to my new reality: obsession. My obsession is dangerous. My obsession is her..

It did take me a bit to get into the book because it felt like I was starting halfway into a series. There’s so many subplots and secondary characters that felt like I should have already known their stories of that it got very confusing. I should have definitely read Fade Into You (Everett’s son’s book) first because I feel like many of these subplots may have been introduced in that book. Don’t get me wrong, it was intriguing, but there was so much going on with so many people, that it took me a minute to wrap my head around all of it. I did ultimately figure it out at the end, but all of the details made it a bit of a slower read for me at times.

The romance was absolutely sizzling and I loved the angst, chemistry, and slow burn romance these two had.

My head drops to the crook of her neck as I fade in and out and let go. She’s it. This is it for me. It’s her, or it’s no one. I kiss her neck and pray. If it can’t be this life, let it be the next..

There is a heavy suspense element that added a little oomph to the romance with plenty of twists and turns that I thoroughly enjoyed. If you love slow burn, angsty age gaps, definitely give this one a read.

Review: Meant For Her by Natasha Madison

MEANT FOR HER
Author: Natasha Madison
Series: Meant For #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 26, 2024

From Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon Bestselling Author Natasha Madison comes new A billionaire, marriage pact, opposites attract romance.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Unless you end up married!
From The This is Series and the Southern Wedding series comes Meant For Love

Zoey
When I first met him, I got butterflies in my stomach.
I thought it was silly and pushed it aside. Avoided him.
Besides, I was taken—unavailable. Or so I thought.
That was before he hired me to take over his company’s PR.
Now that we were working with each other, that meant he was completely off-limits.
Until one night in Vegas.

Nash
They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
Unless you ask the woman of your dreams to marry you while you are both drinking tequila.
And she says yes.
She thinks it’s a mistake.
She’s wrong.
Now I have ninety days to show her we’re meant for love.

AMAZON

Give me ninety days for you to fall in love with me. For us to fall in love with each other.”

Now sweet romance with cinnamon rolls isn’t usually my cuppa but boy did it hit the spot for me with this book. It was one of those light hearted, feel good sort of romances that are easy on the drama and heavy on the swoon. This was my first Natasha Madison book and it certainly won’t be my last.

Now if you like the accidentally on purpose marriage trope, this one is sure to hit the spot.

Can we focus on one conversation at a time?” I tell him, trying not to get sucked into his charm.
“Yes,” he says, “we aren’t getting divorced because we are going to be dating.”
“Again,” I huff, “that makes no fucking sense.”
“It makes all the sense in the world, baby.” He bends to kiss my lips. “Besides, who dates their ex-wife?” He shakes his head. “Now that’s just weird.”

Nash has been obsessed with Zoey from the first time he laid eyes on her. But she’s taken great care to avoid him at every turn and had a boyfriend. So when Nash has a need for PR, there’s no one else he wants for the job, and he makes a call with an offer.

Zoey has just broken things off with her boyfriend only to get a call with a tempting job offer from a man who has tempted her from day one. So what’s a girl to do? Fly out to meet the man and let him try to convince her to take the job. But one night in Vegas suddenly has her waking up married. And her new ‘accidental’ husband refuses to take their Vegas marriage as anything other than dead serious.

I love a man obsessed and Nash was all those things and more. I love the way he pursues and fights for Zoey, even as she fights their connection. This book had a little bit of everything; humor, swoon, steam, and plenty of “my wife” vibes.

Review: The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey

THE AU PAIR AFFAIR
Series: Big Shots #2
Author: Tessa Bailey
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 16, 2024

A sports rom-com about a burly, surly, single dad who falls head-over-hockey-stick for his quirky live-in nanny…

Tallulah is smart, vivacious, and studying to be a marine biologist. She’s also twenty-six and broke. So when Burgess, a battle-scarred hockey veteran and newly single dad, offers her a job as his live-in nanny, she jumps at the opportunity to get paid while living in a super fancy neighborhood and being around Lissa, his cool but introverted tween.

Her tween charge isn’t the only one who could use some help fitting in, though. According to…well, everyone except Burgess, he needs to get back on the dating scene, and adventurous Tallulah is just the girl to show him how. But as boundaries are slowly crossed and Burgess finds himself pulled between his daughter, who wants her parents back together, and his insane chemistry with Tallulah, a huge rift is formed, and Tallulah does the “right” thing—breaks her own heart and walks away.

Though Burgess knows it’s for the best—he’s too jaded, with too much baggage—a chance meeting, and a new push from his daughter, forces him to put everything on the line and fight to prove he learned his lessons well and is worthy of a happily ever after with Tallulah. 

AMAZON

One measly lunch had led to months of staring off into space trying to remember the exact shade of her eyes.

An MC who is singular and wholly obsessed with the FMC? yes, please and thank yew! Sign me up immediately.

Why should you read this book? Let me tell you
Burgess, who is:
– A single dad who is trying to navigate raising a preteen
– a Pro hockey player
– A big ole’ marshmallow who is wholly obsessed with Tallulah after one meeting
– A dirty beast in the sack with a dirty mouth to beat
– Still maintains cinnamon role status throughout

The inked skin/thick butt/muscle trifecta was really bringing home the fact that she was not simply working for a single father. She was working for a snack. A DILF. A big boy. The most eligible of bachelors. How was this man—this hot


Oh and I did I mention the pining? And the age gap? And OMG the pining!

The weekend starts tomorrow,” he said, his focus very intent on her mouth. “What do we have planned?”
“Me and my bodyguard?” she murmured.
“That’s me.” He looked her up and down. “I’ll guard it well.”
“Better than you guard your goalie?” she managed choppily.
“Yes. And that’s saying something, considering I’m a beast on defense.” He dragged his bottom lip through his teeth, a low sound leaving him. “I’m a beast everywhere, Tallulah.”

Oh and let’s add heartwarming, laugh out loud funny, and deliciously sexy to the mix too, mkay?

But also, the pining! THE PINING, people!

When you’re ready to call me your man, I’m going to spit on this hot little c*nt and call it mine before I f*ck it. Go ahead. Lie and tell me you don’t want that.”

No one likes a liar, Tallulah. But I digress once more.

Tallulah gets the job of a lifetime as an au pair for a pro hockey player. A big, giant hockey player who intimidates her with all his bigness. Still reeling from a traumatic event in her past makes her skittish but she’s determined to work through it. The instant chemistry and undeniable attraction to the man certainly doesn’t help things. She wants to experience life and Burgess wants nothing less than a commitment and determined to break through all her walls for it. And who doesn’t love a determined man.

What starts of as Burgess volunteering to be her buddy as she experiences the thrills of her bucket list, soon veers into some dangerous territory. Well, if banging your hot boss is dangerous anyway. But I digress once more.

This was such a cute, funny and deliciously sexy romance that I simply couldn’t get enough of. I loved Burgess and his big teddy bear ways. Almost as much as I loved his dirty mouth and beastly tendencies in the bedroom. There was plenty of laughs along the way and a yummy grovel to boot. And who doesn’t love a good grovel, I ask you?

Anyhoos, if you’re looking for a fun read with plenty of steam and terrific characters, look no further.

Review: If You Want Me by Helena Hunting

IF YOU WANT ME
Series: The Toronto Terror #2
Author: Helena Hunting
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 11, 2024

There’s no one more off limits than my best friend’s daughter.

Peggy Aurora Hammerstein. The Toronto Terror’s unofficial team princess. I would never do anything to mess with our team dynamics this late into the hockey season, but seeing her work in the front office changed something for me.

I see her as she is now: a powerful woman with ambition for miles. When I hold her against me, she fits perfectly.

Her little flirts and taunts push my buttons, if she doesn’t stop–my control just might break. But I can never cross that line. I can never know what it could be to call her mine.

I’ve never wanted anyone more than Aurora and no one can ever know.

* This is Hollis Hendrix’s standalone novel. If you want to meet Hollis before you read this book, check out If You Hate Me, Rix and Tristan’s story.

AMAZON

 

I’ve never wanted anyone more than Aurora and no one can ever know.

If there is one thing I love more than a hockey romance, it’s a hockey romance with an age gap/forbidden element added. And nothing is more forbidden that your father’s best friend, eh?

If she was five years older, if she wasn’t still in university, if she wasn’t my best friend’s fucking daughter. If I wasn’t more than a decade older than her with enough relationship baggage to fill a dump truck.

Though it sounds worse than it is because the age gap is only 13 years. Aurora is 20 and Hollis is 33. Aurora’s father was a teen dad, and Hollis is a bit younger than him, but I digress. I read this in my usual back-asswards way, which is to say that I hadn’t read book one first. But look, in my defense, the blurb to this one was calling my name and I couldn’t help myself. So get off my back, gawd!

I want things I shouldn’t. Things I should erase from my brain, but I don’t. I can’t. Won’t.

Have you ever read a scene that gave you second hand embarrassment that your entire body feels? Because wowza was that the opening scene for me. Aurora looks after Hollis’s kitties (like the actual cats, ok? get your mind out of the gutter) while he’s away for hockey. She’s also had the hots for him for a while and so she decides that it’s a good idea to have a bit of a self help sesh with her vibrator in his bed…and then forgets her vibrator on his night stand. Yes, he finds it. Oh and I did I mention he also has kitty camps in his bedroom? Awkwaaaaard. But I digress again.

The chemistry and tension between these two was through the roof. I loved watching Hollis try and fail at fighting their growing attraction. Especially when he encourages her to date and then his possessive and jealous side rears its head when he walks in on said date. Aurora is also not shy about going after what she wants. She had her moments where she definitely showed her age, but she was also easy to like. And when these two finally give into the inevitable? SIZZLING.

It did take me a hot minute to wrap my head around all the secondary characters and even the main ones with all the different names. It almost felt like too much at times. Like Aurora is Peggy (Aurora is her middle name). Her dad call her Peggy and Hollis calls her Aurora and Princess, but then she’s also called Hammer, which is short for Hammerstein (her last name). Same for some of the other characters and I found myself quickly losing track of who is who. But I also have the attention span of a rodent, so do take that with a grain of salt.

In any case, I really enjoyed this sizzling hockey romance. It brought the laughs, the swoons, a little bit of the cringey, and plenty of the spice. It put a smile on my face and kept it there until the end. Definitely recommend for all my hockey romance loving readers out there.

Review: Storm by Abbi Glines

STORM
Series:
Georgia Smoke #4
Author: Abbi Gaines
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 26, 2024

Briar

Falling in love with a man you can’t fully trust isn’t just unwise, it’s a constant battle. Storm Kingston had busted into my life, shattering my well-maintained walls. He claimed I was his, promising to fulfill all my dreams. But I had already caught him in a lie that I couldn’t confront him about. To do so would mean the death of an innocent person. One would think that knowing his deceit and manipulation would be enough for me to shield my heart, but it wasn’t.

I was afraid the man also owned my soul.

The lies I don’t know… they’re the ones that will shatter me, the ones that could be my undoing.

Storm

Most might consider me unhinged, possibly psychotic, but Briar wasn’t someone I was willing to lose. Ever. I did what needed to be done to protect, take care of, and keep her. She loved me and wanted to be with me. If I had to do some frowned-upon things to make sure she didn’t leave me, then I’d do them. Besides, not everyone deserves to live. Especially those that did anything to make her life less than perfect.

I would keep my secrets because the truth wouldn’t be pleasant for her. And I wanted to keep my girl smiling. She wouldn’t understand the things I’d chosen to do to protect her. If she ever found out, she would try to leave me. Try being the operative word.

She had no idea the twisted things I would do to make sure that day never came.

AMAZON

We weren’t perfect, but in all the wrong, there was this intense perfection that would either save me or ruin me.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I don’t know what sort of book crack Abbi laces this series with but I am obsessed and I will never get enough!

This is the conclusion of Storm and Briar’s book and you absolutely need to read Sizzling first as their story is a duet. If you don’t love your fictional men walking red flags, fully unhinged, possessive and jealous than this ain’t the series for you. As for me? I will devour it whole and lick every finger.

“I think the word you’re looking for is unhinged,” I said.
“Oh, it is. It’s also real.”

What’s funny is that I could probably sit here and pick apart Briar’s easy giving in to Storm at every turn but I just can’t find it in me to care. The series before this and this spinoff have become comfort reads to me that just hit the spot. They’re one of those stories that you can shut off your brain and just enjoy. Ya know? It’s just pure book crack with toxic men and the women that fall for them and I am so here for it.

Storm definitely stays on brand with his stalker tendencies and crazy possessiveness of Briar and I spent the entirety of the book just waiting for the other shoe to drop and Briar to see the extent of his secrets. And while I wanted Briar to make him work for it a bit more, I still love that she gave it back and made her feelings and boundaries known…even though Storm continues to steamroll right past them.

The spice was spicing as only Abbi knows how. I love her brand of dirty talkers. But can we just talk about my absolute FERAL need for Thatcher’s book? because if Storm is unhinged, Thatcher is an absolute psychopath and I’m half in love with him already.

The story as the rest of this series was a binge read in one sitting; satisfying, spicy, and so much fun! I love this series!

Review: So This is War by Meghan Quinn

SO THIS IS WAR
Series: The Agitators #5
Author: Meghan Quinn
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 25, 2024

Did I think I was going to fall for my coach’s daughter?

The answer would be no.

I’m still unclear on how I got into this predicament in the first place. A year ago, I was a man with one thought on his mind, the redhead I met at a hotel bar. Twelve months later, I found her.

Unfortunately for me, she not only happens to be my very off-limits coach’s daughter, but also . . . my new assistant and roommate.

I don’t even need an assistant, but Coach Wood doesn’t take no for an answer. Add in him writing up tasks for his daughter, Wylie, to complete for me? Well, it’s his own form of sweet torture. We are talking tasks that I would never ask her to do.

Tasks that make her despise me.

Hate me.

That make her utter four words that cause a shiver to crawl up my spine . . . Posey, this is war.

A coach’s daughter, workplace, forbidden standalone sports romance featuring the hockey men you can’t get enough of. This steamy, roommates-to-lovers romantic comedy will bring all the laughs while burning up the pages at the same time.

AMAZON

Her eyes bore into me, the same fucking eyes as her father, but whereas his are scary . . . hers are mesmerizing.

If you’re looking for a lighthearted, sweet and swoony romcom, look no further. This book was everything I didn’t know I needed and I spent the entirety of it with a goofy grin on my face.

Quite the vibration,” she says as the vibrator’s buzzing fills the silence. “Feels strong yet not too powerful where it could cause your innards to turn inward.”
I look up at her. “Is that a thing?”
She shrugs. “Feels like it could be. Is that supposed to hit the G-spot?”
I glance down at the flat side that is, in fact, supposed to massage the G-spot. It’s currently massaging the tip of my toe. “Yes,” I answer.
“Fascinating. And that piece on the end there, is that for the clit?”
“The one that is currently sucking my pinky toe?” I ask.
“Yes, that one.”
“Yeah,” I answer. “That’s for the clit.”

When I tell you the banter was on fire, I mean it was EVERYTHING.

I did myself a bit of a disservice by reading this first but I plan on rectifying that mistake by reading the rest of the series immediately. In my defense, the blurb to this book was simply too good to pass up NOT reading it first. And I am not sorry! Also to add, it is easily enjoyed as a standalone to which I am a true testament of.

Levi Posey and Wiley first meet at a bar and have instant chemistry. But while he has no idea who she is at the time beyond his wild attraction to her, she knows exactly who she flirts with. Flash forward a
year later and these two cross paths in the most interesting of ways. Wiley is determined to prove to her dad that she can pursue her dream career vs the one he claims she needs and they strike a bargain. She works a regular job and if she can survive it, he’ll support her. But he’s not about to let nature take its course. Nope. He’s determined to make her job a living hell. So what’s a hockey coach to do? Bully one of his star players to be the employer from hell for his daughter who will work as a personal assistant. Enter Levi Posey and the shock of a lifetime.

But the fun doesn’t really start until Wiley figures out the game and is determined to drive the man out of his ever loving mind and use their chemistry in her favor. I loved this woman and her take charge attitude. And Posey? OMG. The man is an absolute cinnamon roll and I loved him for it. He’s also a dirty talking beast in the sack and definitely knows how to take charge in the bedroom. But when Wiley makes him suffer, he definitely breaks a sweat and it was hilarious.

The humor was humoring and the steam was steaming. I loved their banter and I loved the slow burn. Admittedly I did want to junk punch Wiley’s father for basically the entirety of the book. The man was a tyrant and while he did take a positive turn, it was difficult to digest by then. But Levi and his friend gang is really what made this book for me. I love the friendship he has not only with his teammates but their women. And I absolutely loved the banter of their group text messages.

If you want a fun, steamy romcom, this is sure to hit every spot, even those you didn’t know you had 😉 

SA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.

Never miss another NEW RELEASE, text READ to 474747.

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#DGRFave & Review: Honey Cut by Sierra Simone

HONEY CUT
Series:
Lyonesse  #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance, MMF
Author: Sierra Simone
Release Date:
June 18, 2024

I have one job in this arranged marriage, and that’s to seduce my husband.

It should be easy; I’m the heiress to a transatlantic fortune, bred and raised to make a good match. I’ve spent a lifetime building up my endurance, my discipline, my dedication to my god and my church. The danger lies in falling for the devil who put his ring on my finger—a mistake I made years ago, and can’t afford to make again.

There is one more danger: handsome and green-eyed, emotionally wounded. Tristan Thomas, former soldier and my new husband’s bodyguard. A hero who stole my heart with salt-soaked kisses on the sea.

But Lyonesse is not like other places, and this isn’t like other marriages. Soon Tristan, Mark, and I are tangled in a knot of vicious jealousy and gorgeous wickedness, where suspicion is an aphrodisiac and secrets and vows are one and the same.

And there is something far darker at play than my real purpose, than the machinations of the Church I serve. Darker even than the twisted longings of my own heart. Because my husband has secrets of his own, and the reason he’ll stop at nothing to possess me could slice my soul deeper than the honeysuckle-hilted knife he gave me once upon a time.

Because when it comes to Mark Trevena and his games, the first cut is more than the deepest—it’s the sweetest.

And he always leaves you begging for more…

Honey Cut is the second book in the Lyonesse Trilogy.

AMAZON 

You will be mine until you no longer wish to be so; I will be yours forever.”

Masterful, poignant, erotically sinful, and full of twists and turns. I thought I loved Salt Kiss but this book? Wow. This book completely blew me away. So much so, that I can also say that it has taken the place of Camelot Trilogy as my favorite of this author. And really, this is now easily my favorite MMF romance to date, period. And that’s not spoken lightly.

In this installment, we get a peak into the enigma that is Isolde. She’s a character that only gets introduced in the first book, and in this one we get immersed in her POV and what a POV it was. Even the POV is masterfully written to unwind a tale full of twists and turns. We now add Isolde’s POV in addition to Tristan, while desperately awaiting a deeper peek into the dark abyss that is Mark.

I want him as wild as he was on the sea; I want to see, over and over again, the rupture between his inherent goodness and his surrender to sin.

When we last left Tristan, he was chartering a yacht with Mark’s fiancé, Isolde. What we learn is that during that time at sea, he falls hard for her and she for him. But of course, when she’s engaged to his boss who he is still in love with, let’s just say that things are messy.

On one side of me, I have a hero; on my other side, a devil. One I want to fuck. The other I’ll have to.

Isolde and Mark’s union is not one of love but of business and partnership. Though knowing all that didn’t stop Isolde from loving the untouchable man either. And Isolde is an enigma in her own right. The second her POV is introduce, you’re instantly sucked into her world and it was impossible not to immediately connect with this broken but fierce woman.

because even though they have meant for you to be made of gold, you are made of shadows and glass instead, and I am too.

The feel of the forbidden of being in love with two men; one who is your husband to be but offers nothing of himself beyond surface level, the other with a heart of gold who is forbidden to you. But Isolde is no simple woman and she’s not a prize in the arrangement. She has a plan of her own and the more than unwinds, the more obsessed it made me to learn more details.

His voice is his devil’s voice tonight, seductive and cruel. Oh, how he makes us fall in love with him. We should hate him for it.

What I will tell you is that no one, and I mean absolutely no one can write such erotic filth like Sierra and fill it with so much poetry and gorgeous prose. It’s deliciously sinful and masterfully written. It’s not purple prose by any means, but it’s just perfectly written. I don’t even know how to describe it to you, you simply need to experience it for yourself.

Oh God. Oh my God.” Mark licks my mouth, like he wants to eat the words off my lips. He’s still smiling, evil and tyrannical and amused. “Sir will do for now.”

This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time; loving Tristan, loving Isolde, and desperate for more details of Mark. The man is a dark and erotic enigma that I will never get enough of. It’s this amazing balance of the sweet cinnamon roll Tristan and the dark storm that is Mark, with Isolde at the center of it all.

Because it hurts, loving Tristan. And I’ve always craved things that hurt.

And that ending? I’m not even sure how I can survive the wait for book three. Talk about your jaw dropper! 

Sierra Simone is a USA Today Bestselling former librarian (who spent too much time reading romance novels at the information desk.) She lives with her husband and family in Kansas City.

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Review: My Royal Showmance by Lexi Blake

MY ROYAL ROMANCE
Series:
Park Avenue Promise #2
Author: Lexi Blake
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 4, 2024

From New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake, discover The Park Avenue Promise Series…

Three young women make a pact in high school—
to always be friends and to one day make it big in Manhattan.

My Royal Showmance

Anika Fox knows exactly where she wants to be, and it’s not on the set of a reality TV dating show. She’s working her way up at the production company she works for and she’s close to achieving some of her dreams. The big boss just wants one thing from her. She’s got a potential problem with the director of The King Takes a Bride and she wants Anika to pose as a production assistant and report back.

As the king of a tiny European country, Luca St. Marten knows the world views him as one of the pampered royalty of the world. It couldn’t be further from the truth. His country is hurting and he’s right there on the front lines with his citizens. When he’s asked to do a dating show, his counselors point out that it could bring tourism back to Ralavia. It goes against his every desire, but he agrees.

When one of the contestants drops out at the last minute, Anika finds herself replacing the potential princess. She’s sure she’ll be asked to leave the first night, but Luca keeps picking her again and again. Suddenly she finds herself in the middle of a made-for-TV fantasy, and she’s unsure what’s real and what’s simply reality TV.

AMAZON

After midnight I become a raccoon with smudgy eyes and a desperate need to eat some trash. I can hear my stomach growl. It’s not cute.

This series is not what I’m used to from Lexi but it still never fails to hit the spot. This series is a combination of sweet and steamy and with a female friend group that you’ll absolutely fall in love with.

This book brings Anika Fox’s story and man did I love this woman. She’s career driven but not a pushover. She’s not afraid to stand up for herself and she doesn’t mince any words doing it. A night at a bar with her friends, she meets a stunning man who she spends the evening getting to know. But when she hopes it will end in a memorable night, he bids her farewell. So imagine the surprise of a lifetime that Anika has to find out that the endearing Luca she met at a bar is actually Luca St. Marten, the eligible royal bachelor on a brand new reality show that she’s an assistant for. And to add another fun surprise to the mix, when a contestant drops out suddenly she finds herself thrust into a much different role as a contestant herself.

This was such a cute and fun story. I loved Luca’s reason for doing the show was an altruistic one. He hoped the publicity will bring the much needed publicity to increase tourism in his small country. But when he sees Anika on the show, no other woman would do. There’s a poignant story that runs parallel to the romance that hit on a dose of reality with a powerful punch. I loved the way it was resolved and the way it was written.

If you’re looking for a sweet contemporary romance with a hero who falls hard and a fierce heroine, look no further. There’s just a touch of spice to make it that much more satisfying. I can’t wait for the next installment in this series.

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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