Review: Play The Game by SJ Sylvis

PLAY THE GAME
Series: Blue Devils Hockey #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: S.J. Sylvis
Release Date:
September 26, 2024

As a little girl, I dreamed of becoming many things. A twenty-five-year-old photographer struggling to make ends meet with a mountain of legal fees wasn’t one of them. Making questionable decisions wasn’t either.

After hanging up my camera, I start a job I loathe that has me questioning my morals on a daily basis.

Until I run into Chicago’s newest bad-boy goalie whose reputation is a trainwreck—???????????????????? ????????????????????.

In a desperate effort to rid my debt, I corner Emory and try to exploit him. When my plan backfires, I not only have a new enemy with steely blue eyes and a talent for the game but a man now on a mission with his own insane plan in mind.

The terms are simple: I marry Emory and act like his doting wife in front of the press to clean up his image, and he’ll pay off my debt when the job is done. But now, instead of my bills keeping me up at night, I find myself fantasizing about my fake husband and his devilish stare.

He tells me to play the game, but when lines start to blur and his touches linger, I’m not sure what’s real or fake anymore. The sizzling attraction and fiery chemistry between us can’t be contained.

Emory Olson says he never loses, and by the end of our marriage game, I’m pretty sure I’m no exception.

AMAZON 

I think my fake wife just became my vice.

This is my favorite book from SJ Sylvis that I have read and if I can’t convince you that it needs to be on your immediate TBR, I’m not yelling at you hard enough!!

She’s undeniably beautiful, and I can’t stand it.

Emory Olson was a secondary character who I loved to hate in Puck Block. He was Ford’s best friend and Taytum’s extremely overprotective older brother. So overprotective in fact, that he was overbearing. And when I heard that he was getting his own book, I couldn’t wait to meet the woman that was sure to bring him to his knees.

He’s an animal on the ice but resembles a Calvin Klein model off of it.

This book takes place several years after the ending of Puck Block, with Emory now a professional hockey player and the new goalie for the Chicago Blue Devils. And if you haven’t read that other series, not to worry, because while I highly recommend it, this definitely reads as the start of a new series.

Emory is a man with a reputation and his most recent PR problem lands him being traded to Chicago. So he’s not looking for any more trouble, especially of the woman variety.
But nothing, and I mean nothing could have prepared me or Emory for the storm that was Scottie. When I tell you that I immediately loved her character, I mean I couldn’t get enough of this woman and her sassy mouth.

Scottie is a girl with big dreams but struggling to make ends meets working as a stripper. And can I just say that I loved the camaraderie that these girls had without any cattiness. So refreshing. But I digress. Scottie is as sweet as they come, but desperate times cause some drastic decisions. And the one that lands her in the crosshairs of Emory is one she instantly regrets because it’s not who she is. But then Emory sets his sights on her and has an idea that would benefit them both. She gets the money she desperately needs and he gets a fake wife to clean up his image.

I’ve gotta admit, this is probably the most romantic way anyone has ever asked a woman to marry them. A forced lap dance in a strip club, with a prenup, NDA, and a contract waiting to be signed in my car. What can I say? I’m a romantic at heart.

And while that set up sounds pretty cliche, it was anything but. The story and the characters just brought this story to life and oh my god how I loved it. It was a delicious slow burn that was so full of chemistry, I felt my fingers singe every time I turned the page.

Emory and Scottie were incendiary together. Their banter, their connection, their everything just did it for me and I loved them so hard. This story gave me all the feels. It made me laugh, it made me swoon, and boy did it make me sweat. Obsessed is an understatement and I desperately need more in this series!


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

Connect with S.J. Sylvis

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

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Review: Wicked Dreams by S Massery

WICKED DREAMS
Series: Fallen Royals #1
Genre: Bully Romance
Author: S. Massery
Release Date:
September 19, 2024

He once swore he’d marry me—but now he’s desperate for my ruin.

Caleb Asher has everything he could ever want. He’s rich, hotter than sin, captain of the hockey team and king of the school.

My return to Emery-Rose Elite derails him.
I am the walking reminder of everything that went wrong in his childhood and mine.

While I long to be invisible, to slip through school unnoticed, he forced the opposite.
He wants my fear, my fight, my pain, all out in the open.

The more I resist, the worse his obsession becomes. He won’t stop until even my dreams are filled with him.

But even royalty have their weaknesses, and Caleb? He’s just been reintroduced to his.
Me.


Author note: this book was previously published, and has since undergone major edits and changes while remaining true to the original story.

AMAZON 

How can he destroy me and make me feel better at the same time? We’re fucked up.

Having had read the original version, I was so excited to see S Massery announce that she will be releasing a revamped version of this story. And oh boy, it hit just as well the second time around, if not better.

Now if you don’t like bully romance, this is not for you, my friend. But if you’re a self professed bully romance addict, you will gobble this one right up. And while I prefer college bully romance, if S Massery writes it, I’ll read it. So a high school bully romance it was.

Also, fair warning, if you don’t like deranged MMCs who hate the heroine as much as he wants her and you especially don’t like teenage drama, this is definitely not for you. But me? Finger licking good. But I digress.

This was a wild ride of a story. We have Margo, who finds herself back in the town she grew up in after a new foster family takes her in. But to say that she’s excited about being back is certainly a stretch. The town comes with memories of everything she lost; her family and her reputation being a few. And the boy who was once her best friend wants to make her pay for something that she doesn’t understand or remember.

She really is like a lost lamb, standing waiting for a predator to devour her. Me. I’m her biggest predator.

Caleb is the king of the campus. He and his best friends rule the school. And I love that Massery switched him from Lacrosse to hockey star in this version. Caleb is determined to make Margo pay for everything she cost him. We just have no idea what it is, and seems like Margo doesn’t either. But Margo doesn’t take any of it sitting down, even when no one but her new friend Riley seem to be on her side. I loved her backbone and tenacity.

The story is crazy and I loved every deranged page of it. The more the layers get peeled back, the more questions I had. And thet cliffhanger? Thank goodness the wait for the next book isn’t long because I need it! 

Review: Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver

WILD EYES
Series:
Rose Hill #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Elsie Silver
Release Date:
September, 2024

A rugged mountain town seemed like the perfect escape from a life in shambles. But on day one I ran full tilt into the world’s hottest single dad and now all my plans are ruined.

As a chart-topping country singer with a recent streak of bad press it’s hard to find any peace. But I find it in Rose Hill. With a little boy and a little girl who steal my heart just as thoroughly as their dad.

Weston Belmont.

The man is a shameless flirt. He oozes confidence and masculinity in a way that’s downright distracting. And in bed? He’s addictive.

Everything with him is wild and impulsive and I’m desperate to regain some control.

But no one has supported me like West does. And no one has ever made me feel as loved as he does either.

So, while my brain says settling down with a small-town horse trainer is impossible… my heart says I’m right where I belong.

Still, my life as a celebrity haunts me. It has the power to pull us apart.

I can see in his eyes that wants me to stay. And I want that too.

But I know better than anyone that we don’t always get what we want.

AMAZON 

Breathing is overrated. I’d rather be drowning in you.”

This series just continues to get better and better! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Elsie Silver books are my happy place. And this swoony romance is a perfect example why.

I’m done pretending that being your friend is enough.” I grip her thighs. “Now spread your legs.”

I just knew that I would be fully obsessed with West the second he was introduced as a secondary character and Rosie’s brother in Wild Love. But to say that I fell head over ovaries for him as a main character is a mild understatement. I fell so hard for this cinnamon role eternal bachelor and single dad with a heart of gold and a filthy mouth.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Skylar considering she’s introduced. I mean, it’s not every day a singing superstar stops in the middle of a road for a selfie with a grizzly. Suffice it to say that their meet cute was more than memorable.

That’s a goddamn grizzly bear. You need to get back in your car,” I hiss, hiking a thumb over my shoulder toward her car.
She shakes her head and continues glaring. “You know what I’m fucking sick of?”
“Is it living?” I bite out as instinct takes over and I step out of my truck.

But man oh man did this woman grow on me and fast. The more the layers were peeled back on Skylar, the more I loved her. But what I loved more was seeing the budding friendship between her and West that was amplified by their fiery chemistry.

Skylar is a music superstar who has never known life outside of fame. Desperate to bring together the shambles of her life, she makes the drive to Rose Hill, hoping that Ford Grant, the famous producer, will be the answer to what she needs. The last thing she expects is for her temporary room to be in the house of the handsome stranger who rescued her on the side of the road.

Weston Belmont. GOD. This man. The eternal town bachelor who doesn’t do serious but is the most amazing single father with a super healthy coparenting relationship stole my heart. He fights his attraction to Skylar with everything he’s worth. But man oh man did I love not only his inevitable fall but I also loved the budding relationship Skylar formed with his two adorable kids.

The chemistry as always was through the roof and I absolutely loved the slow burn. The personal growth of both of these characters was amazing, but there was something so completely satisfying about Skylar’s specifically. I loved watching her come into herself, outside of her Hollywood image. And I loved the way that West was a part of it without being the entire part of it.

I simply adore this series and already chomping at the bit for the next book. 

DGRFave & Review: Alone With You by Aly Martinez

ALONE WITH YOU
Author: Aly Martinez
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 22, 2024

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of From the Embers comes a new jaw-dropping standalone romance.

Pain trapped me in this house. Can love set me free?

Death had been chasing me my entire life. I survived the horrors of war, but it was the aftermath that truly destroyed me.

People called me a recluse, but the only time I didn’t feel like I was suffocating was inside that house.

For my daughter, I kept some semblance of normalcy by implementing a rigid routine. Once a week, I forced myself to walk to the diner at the end of the block—a ritual I despised but relied on as my last anchor to the real world.

Until the day a “Closed” sign on the door shattered my fragile existence. Worse, the new owner was the most haunting ghost from my past.

It had been years since I’d laid eyes on Gwendolyn Pierce. She hated me—and rightly so. But when a film crew arrived in town to dig into my past, she became my only ally.

With my secrets threatened, I leaned on Gwen, forging a connection neither of us could deny. But with a past as dark as ours, I feared it would eclipse any hope for a future.

I always said that when Death finally came for me, I would be ready, eager, and alone.
Always alone.

But for Gwen, maybe I could face the world again as long as it meant I could be alone—with her.

AMAZON

My life started that day when I slid my ring on her finger. And years later, when she dropped that same ring at my feet, my life ended.

This was, hands down, one of my favorite books of 2024. It was everything I’ve come to expect from the phenomenal talent that is Aly Martinez; poignant, emotional, unputdownable, and completely unforgettable.

Have you ever read a book and thought this NEEDS to be a movie? Because when I tell you that this story unrolled like a movie reel behind my eyes, I mean it. If this isn’t made into a movie, I will downright riot. But I digress.

I will go so far as to say this is one of my favorite second chance romances I’ve read to date. I don’t remember the last time a book wrung this level of emotion out of me, but I SOBBED my way through the last 30% of this story and still can’t stop thinking about it.

I would have loved you for the rest of my life. But, now I will hate you for the rest of yours.”

Gwen is recently divorced from her toxic and narcissistic ex and finds herself starting over. She buys a diner in town with the hopes of renovating it to be her dream. The last thing she expects is to find a blast from her past, playfully coined “the hot gargoyle” sitting in the diner’s booth.

Truett has been a shell of man, living in his past, unable to move on in his present. As the full extent of his past comes to light, you find yourself both completely enraptured, heartbroken and devastated for this man. And when you learn the full extent of his history with Gwen, you find yourself fully invested in their present. I loved everything about them; their chemistry especially so.

This story deals with some very sensitive subject matter and I found myself living it right along with these characters. The book had me in a chokehold from cover to cover. And Aly seriously knows how to give a twist, because let me just tell you, this one had my jaw on the floor with one I never saw coming.

I deserve every bit of hate and anger and resentment you feel for me. But make no mistake, I have never, not ever, not for one fucking second of my entire god-forsaken life, stopped loving you.”

If there is one book that you need to read this year, make it this one. If you want to feel every emotion that the characters experience, read this book. If you want a book that completely enraptures you and keeps you glued to the pages until the end, read this book.

It was, in a word, unforgettable. I will be thinking about these characters and this story for moths to come and this book will be my Roman Empire because WOW. Just WOW.

Notice how I barely tell you anything about this story? Trust me when I tell you that you need to experience it completely blind.

Originally from Savannah, Georgia, USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez now lives in South Carolina with her four young children. 

Never one to take herself too seriously, she enjoys cheap wine, charcuterie boards, and her mildly neurotic golden retriever. It should be known, however, that she hates pizza and ice cream, almost as much as writing her bio in the third person.

She passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a super-sized tumbler of wine by her side.


Connect with Aly Martinez:

https://linktr.ee/AuthorAlyMartinez 




Review: Of Heartbreak and Harmony by Brit Benson

OF HEARTBREAK AND HARMONY 
Series: The Hometown Heartless #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Brit Benson
Release Date:
August 16, 2024

He burned me once.
This time, I won’t be the one consumed by the flames.

Torren King is rock-and-roll’s broodiest bachelor.
Mysterious, moody, and coveted by nearly everyone.
But to me, he’s just the sad boy who set fire to my heart,
then reduced me to ashes in the desert.

For four sweltering nights, I burned for him,
and he conquered my heart one whispered lyric at a time.
But on the fifth night, he shattered me in the way only a flawless rock god can:
irreparably, and with devastating finesse.

Four years later, the last place I expect to be is sitting before him,
reading through a contract with a pen poised in my fingertips.
A favor for a favor, he says.
A US tour and a fake relationship in exchange for the answer to all my problems.

I hate him. I hate that I need him.
And what I hate the most?
He doesn’t remember me. At all.

But despite the burning chemistry between us,
the rapidly blurring lines and the suffocating attraction,
he’s still the rock star who ruined me,
and I refuse to let myself forget.

****

Of Heartbreak and Harmony is the second standalone in The Hometown Heartless series. It has a guaranteed HEA. It is not necessary to read Between Never and Forever before reading Of Heartbreak and Harmony.

AMAZON

He was my harmony when all I heard was dissonance. He’s my love song.


You know what I love about Brit’s books? Her unnerving ability to wreak havoc on my emotion. And this book? Was a two by four hit of emotion and angst that I devoured in two days with a mix of rage, tears, wanting to hug my kindle and then wanting to chuck it against a wall. Suffice it to say, I loved this story.

You intrigue me, Firebird,” he says finally, his voice a sensual rasp. “And I think I might be a bit of a pyro.”

Now, if you haven’t read Between Never and Forever, I highly recommend you read that first for the best experience. But if you haven’t, you can also easily read this as a standalone.

Torren and Callie’s story is not for the faint of heart. It’s brutal and painful, but it’s also beautiful and unforgettable. While I’m not a reader that reads many rockstar romances these days, Brit Benson is always a must. And this book reminded me everything that I love about a good rockstar romance; the angst, the feels, the absolute epicness.

Torren and Callie have a history that only one of them seems to remember. And I loved the way their story unraveled with strategic flashbacks to their past that is seamlessly interwoven into their present. Four years ago, Torren came into Callie’s world like lightning but these days she hates the mere thought of him. So when the man himself appears back in her life with a proposal that she can’t pass up and no memory of their time spent together, she’s conflicted. A PR relationship with a man who she hates is the last thing she needs. But the money he offers in exchange is too good to pass up for her struggling family. So she agrees. But nothing prepares her for the shock of being in his world again or the attention from the man she can’t seem to forget.

When I tell you this book put me through the wringer, I mean it. I wanted to hate Torren, and truth be told, at one particular part of the story, I absolutely did. But I also hurt for him and by the time the truth revealed itself, I was too deeply intwined in his web that I simply couldn’t care less. I loved Callie and her fierceness. This is a woman that is no groupie and no pushover. And I loved the way she was with Torren.

The romance is a slow burn, but when it ignites, it’s absolutely incendiary. I loved everything about this book; the story, the music, the romance, and did I mention the romance? Because oh my god, it was epic. Absolutely epic.

If you’re looking for an angsty and unforgettable rockstar romance with all the feels, look no further.

Review: Five Brothers by Penelope Douglas

FIVE BROTHERS
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Author: Penelope Douglas
Release Date:
July 30, 2024

One woman learns the secrets of the five Jaeger brothers in the new romance from New York Times bestselling author Penelope Douglas.

On the other side of town, in the dark glades, under the rain…

Macon is the oldest. Thirty-one. Ex-Marine. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile.

Army is twenty-eight. A single dad with the most beautiful green eyes. He has no idea who he is, if not a Jaeger brother.

Iron will be in prison soon. You’d never think it to meet him. He’s a nice guy, actually. But he can’t stop reacting to everything.

Dallas is the one I hate. Twenty-one, cruel, and selfish. He takes and then throws away whatever’s left.

And Trace is mine. Or he was for about two seconds. No one can tame him for long.

Not that I ever wanted to. It was fun, but now I need to go home. Back to my side of the tracks. Away from the swamps and these men. To my parents’ big house. On my clean street. Where I’m never dirty or messy or hot. And I will. I’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning. I just want to crash on the couch tonight.

Their house is dark and quiet, everyone else is asleep. Except for one. He sees me crying and comes at me from behind. I let him wrap his arms around my body and hold me tightly. His breath is on my neck, his fingers are in my hair, and he doesn’t stop there.

I don’t think it was Trace.

AMAZON

Clay fell in love with Liv, the bad girl from the wrong side of town, and I fell into insanity with one of that bad girl’s brothers.

When I tell you that I have been rabid for this series and this book ever since I finished Tryst Six Venom would be a mild understatement. I was ready to part with a kidney for this story. True story. And did I love it? Absolutely. But did I also struggle with my rating, also yes.

Rich girl, poor girl,” I taunt her, kissing and biting her neck. “Y’all look the same when you’re naked.”

Now if you really want the full experience of this story, I highly recommend you read Tryst Six Venom first. While you do get the highlight reel of the background information, there’s also some story arcs that simply need to be experienced in Tryst. Trust me on this. Now as for this book, this was a bit different. I’ve seen people compare it to Credence and it certainly has that vibe. But as someone who has read Penelope’s entire backlist, the way it’s written reminded me a bit of their Devil’s Night series. As in, it reads very much like a saga. And while each character will have their own book, their story arc begins very early in the series. And as for this story, that was what I slightly struggled with as well.

I wanted you under my skin and your scent in my head. I couldn’t think. I did what we do when we’re dying. We rage, and I felt it on you, too. I had to hold you.”

I loved the first 20% and adored the last 30% of this book. But the middle was a bit different. What I mean by that, is that we get only abut 35% of the book with the actual main couple. Which isn’t a bad thing, because the development and story arcs of the other brothers were fascinating. But it’s also a struggle because the main couple themselves are so multilayered that I wanted more. Especially the MC. I could have easily read at least 200 more pages of him.

If you’ve read Tryst, then you remember Krisjen as Clay’s best friend. I was very intrigued by her character, but I also feel like we didn’t get to the full core of her. Admittedly, I struggled with her character in the beginning because while she was intriguing she was also coming across like a simp at times.

The story arc was fascinating in a way that only Penelope can do. These brothers definitely pack a heck of a punch. But I would have loved to spend more time with the main couple. As it was, I couldn’t help but feel we spent the majority of the book on the set up of the series rather than the romance. Now don’t get me wrong, I still devoured it, but it wasn’t quite what I expected.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Am I excited for the rest of the series? Without a doubt. So I supposed I wasn’t all that bothered with my minor quibbles because I still enjoyed the heck out of this story. 

Review: The Bodyguard and the Bombshell by Lexi Blake

THE BODYGUARD AND THE BOMBSHELL
Series: Masters & Mercenaries: New Recruits #2.5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date:
August 6, 2024

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake comes a new story in her Masters and Mercenaries series…

The Bodyguard…

Nate Carter left Australia’s elite SASR unit after a tragic accident. Shattered by the experience, he thought taking a job in the States might be a good way to start over. His father’s former employer, McKay-Taggart, has a position for him in the bodyguard unit. He never imagined himself risking his life for celebrities and the wealthy, but it will do for now. It will also give him a chance to reconnect with old friends, including the girl who’d been like a little sis to him ten years before.

These days, however, his feelings for Daisy O’Donnell are anything but brotherly.

The Bombshell…

Daisy O’Donnell is a girl on a mission, and it does not include falling for one of her brother’s best friends. She has plans, and while chaos always seems to follow her, she’s determined to see this through. Daisy finds herself in need of a bodyguard when a job goes terribly wrong. She’s sure her dad will find someone suitable, but she didn’t expect a big, gloriously masculine Aussie to show up ready to take a bullet for her. Maybe spending some time with Nate Carter won’t be so bad after all.

An explosive match…

Thrown together by danger, Nate and Daisy can’t resist the insane chemistry between them. But when his past and her present collide, they must decide if they can hold it together or go their separate ways forever.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

AMAZON

The danger’s never over with you, love. I said you needed a keeper. Looks like it’s going to be me.”

This book was everything I didn’t realize I needed and hit every spot I didn’t know I had.

If you’re looking for a quick but vastly satisfying romance, this one is sure to please.

Now I am not usually a reader who enjoys bumbling, overly quirky heroines. And Daisy O’Donnell taking a selfie as she accidentally walks into a drug ring and posting it to her socials, is definitely on the quirky side. But her father is also Liam O’Donnell and one of my favorites. If you haven’t read his book, you must: A Dom is Forever. But I digress. Poor Daisy has grown up in the shadow of her overprotective father and brother and the proof is definitely in the pudding with this one. She’s too sweet and too innocent, almost naively so. But she’s also so incredibly endearing that I couldn’t find it in me to care.

Daisy has also spent her childhood crushing on her brother’s best friend, Nate Carter. And now Nate is back in the states and finds himself on bodyguard duty for the gorgeous woman he is suddenly noticing in an entirely different light. And I think what I loved the most about Nate, he doesn’t even bat an eye lash at this new revelation nor does he fight it for even a second. He is all in and he will stop at nothing and I loved that for Daisy. While it could feel a bit insta love, it didn’t. It was full of chemistry and humor and I enjoyed every page.

I simply adore this series and now I’m desperately anticipating Daisy’s brother’s book because I need answers!

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.

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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