Review: Slay by Abbi Glines

March 25, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

SLAY
Series: Georgia Smoke #1
Author: Abbi Gaines
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 25, 2024

Rumor

There are moments in life when you make a decision. Accept who you are. What you have become. This was one of those times…The fairytale I thought I’d found had become a nightmare so quickly after I said, “I do.” Which was the reason I ran when I had the chance. Not thinking about the consequences. Just knowing I had to get free before it was my life that was taken.

I never expected to end up finding a haven. A place where people were willing to help me hide. It was as if I had walked into my own perfect daydream.

King

“Don’t believe every pretty face you meet, sweets. You should know by now that’s a terrible f—-g idea.”

She was my job. I was to make her feel safe and do whatever I had to in order to make sure she didn’t run. Underneath the abused and broken exterior, there was a fighter. It was in her eyes. I lived for the moments when she let me see that spark.

I had been headed straight to Hell years before I met Rumor, but letting her fall in love with me was going to reserve me a room in the darkest pit available. One day soon, she was going to find out I was the monster she was running from and the family she had come to trust was the mafia that had killed her husband.

*Please be advised that this is book one in a duet and is a standalone in the Georgia Smoke Series.

AMAZON

Monsters could come in pretty packages. I knew that only too well.

Abbi Glines has been an auto buy author for me since 2012. There’s just something about her stories that are total book crack for me. The Georgia Smoke series is a spinoff of her Smoke series. Think mafia meet Yellowstone. And yes, it is as delicious as it sounds. This is the Georgia branch of The Family, and while you can easily start with this series, I highly recommend the Smoke series first, especially now that the series is all on KU. But I digress.

Abbi has a winning formula that just does for me each and every singe time, and it starts with her uber alphas and the sweet souther belles that they fall for. She writes some of the most deliciously borderline toxic alpha men and it just hits every time. Slay brings the story of King and Rumor.

Rumor has been stuck in a marriage to her abusive husband with no way out. With no family and no resources, she has has no choice but to survive one day at a time. But then an opportunity she never saw coming presents itself, and she doesn’t think twice before running, leaving her life in the rearview mirror. But with barely enough money to get her through the week, she doesn’t have a lot of choices at her disposal. So when a kind stranger offers to drive her to a bus station with a stop at his grandmother’s house along the way for meal, she takes it. Rumor is skittish but she’s a survivor through and through. She’s lived through so much in her young life but it doesn’t take away her sweet demeanor or generous nature. It was impossible not to fall for her.

And King? Sweet baby Jesus. This man. The hints towards his dominance and kinky penchants was enough to make me giddy with excitement. And the secret and ulterior motives that he hides from rumor made me eager to turn the next page. Rumor thinks she’s found a temporary safe haven, but King and his family are much more than they seem.

I devoured this in one sitting, just waiting for that other shoe to drop. Because I just knew that when it did, the story would take an exciting new turn. After years of abuse, it takes Rumor some time to warm up to King and even longer to accept the chemistry between them. The romance is a slow burn, but when it finally burns, it IGNITES. And I was so here for it.

The story was a delicious page turner with plenty of cameos from some of my favorites from Smoke. And that cliffhanger? Jaw droppingly painful. I need the next book immediately and luckily the wait isn’t long because I have zero chill for this conclusion.

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#DGRFave & Review: The Love You Fight For by Brit Benson

March 16, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

THE LOVE YOU FIGHT FOR
Series: Next Life #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Brit Benson
Release Date: March 15, 2024

The mask she wears for the world is flawless.

But I want the mess that she hides underneath.

Samantha Harper is untouchable.



She’s the closest thing we have to royalty in my small town.

Daughter of a senator.

Richer than sin.

Classy, elegant, and

Ice cold.

She’s my polar opposite.

And unfortunately,

She’s exactly my type.

Too bad royalty doesn’t fraternize with peasants.

Until one night,

Samantha Harper finds herself at my mercy,

and the temptation to dirty up her flawless facade is too great.

When her perfect mask slips,

It’s not an ice princess I find beneath,

But a warrior in war-torn armor.

A snake in queen’s clothing.

All it takes is one night, and I’m determined.

She will never have to fight another battle alone.

***

The Love You Fight For is the third book in the Next Life world. 
It has a guaranteed HEA.
While The Love You Fight For can be read as a standalone, it is recommended that you first read the Next Life duet to fully appreciate the story.

AMAZON 

I know you want to fight your own battles. Fine. Then let me be your peace. Let me be your place to rest.”

I never thought another book can top the Next Life duet for me. Macon and Lennon’s story still lives rent free in my head to this day. But this book? This poignant, beautiful, emotional and unforgettable book? This was easily my top book of the year. The love I have for Sam and Chris’s story is beyond words.

I want a resilient, fearless, timeless kind of love. The kind people write books about. The kind people fight battles over. The kind of love that guides and grows and never wavers. I want a true north kind of love.

Now if you’ve read the duet, then you will definitely remember both Chris and especially Sam. Sam, Macon’s ex situationship and now Lennon’s best friend. One of the things that made me fall in love with Sam in This Life and All the Rest was her fierce and unwavering support and love for Lennon. I just knew that still waters definitely run deep with her. She is so much more than she portrayed herself to be; first a party girl and then revealed as the daughter of a powerful senator.

Chris is Macon’s best friend and was this unassuming secondary character in the first two books. He snuck up on me with a vengeance and completely stole the limelight in his own book. This man is absolute perfection. After a breakup that should for all intents and purposes leave him bitter and jaded, he’s still the same Chris. He doesn’t fight his growing feelings for Sam. And oh my god, the way he fought for Sam was EPIC. EPIC.

Why?” she shouts, eyes welling with tears. “Why, Chris? I don’t need you. I don’t need you worrying about me. Stop. Just stop.”
“I can’t,” I shout back. “I can’t. I care too much to just stop. I care about you, Sam. You’re going to have to fucking accept it because I’m not going anywhere, and I know you care about me, too.”

The man was the most perfect cinnamon roll with a heart of gold. And the icing on the cake? His filthy F-ing mouth. OMG this man!!

Are you making omelets?” she asks after a moment, and I flash her a grin. “I like my eggs the way I like my women…” I trail off, and she raises an eyebrow. I can’t help but laugh a little when I finish. “Folded, with their insides scrambled.” “Oh my god.”

Need more convincing. Let me give you exhibit b.

See, princess, you wouldn’t like it how I like it because I like my missionary filthy. I like fucking sloppy sex. Sweaty and sticky and gasping for breath. Hoarse voice and teary eyes. Bite me. Scratch up my back. Leave me bleeding. I like to fuck so hard that your muscles ache for days when I’m done with you. That you’ve been stretched in so many directions that your limbs feel like jelly afterward. I like my missionary fucking messy. And you? Well, I don’t think you like messy very much.”

I rest my case. Or as Lennon would say…

Chris Casper.” She, shakes her head in disbelief. “A filthy fuck with a pierced cock. I never would have guessed it.”

This, much like the duet, deals with some dark topics and I absolutely loved the way the author handled them. She spares the gory details but none of the feeling. You don’t need to see vivid detail to feel the pain of Sam’s past. The range of emotion this invoked in me was nothing short of incredible. I laughed, I cried, I swooned, and I loved every page of it.

The love I could have with Sam is the kind you fight for. It’s the kind you don’t give up on. I know it. I just need her to realize it, too.

This was one of the most incredible love stories I have ever read and Sam and Chris will stay with me forever. If you love sweet heroes with dirty mouths and fierce heroines who aren’t afraid to slay their own dragons, this is an absolute must read.

And with Claire’s book next? I’m practically giddy with anticipation.

Brit Benson writes real, relatable romance. She likes outspoken, independent heroines, dirty talking, love- struck heroes, and plots that get you right in the feels. Brit would almost always rather be reading or writing. When she’s not dreaming up her next swoony book boyfriend and fierce book bestie, she’s getting lost in someone else’s fictional world. When she’s not doing that, she’s probably marathoning a Netflix series or wandering aimlessly up and down the aisles in Homegoods, sniffing candles and touching things she’ll never buy.

Connect with Brit Benson: https://britbensonbooks.myflodesk.com/stayintheknow

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Review: Brutal Arrangement by Laurelin Paige

March 13, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

BRUTAL ARRANGEMENT
Series: Brutal Billionaires #3
Author: Laurelin Paige
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 13, 2024

He can have any woman he wants.
He wants his brother’s.

Alex Sebastian is the billionaire who knows exactly how to re-launch the pop career I walked away from to raise my little sister.

He knows everything, apparently, about what’s good for me. For my image. Even for my lingerie. Everywhere I turn, he’s there, smirking. I cannot stand him.

So why can’t we stop sneaking around?

Maybe it’s his filthy, bossy mouth that does things more wicked than his insults.

Maybe it’s that he does know what’s good for me when he uses it—backstage before my show, during a black tie event, in another man’s living room.

Because maybe deep down, I’ve never been the good girl the world sees, and the dirty, shameful things he makes me do are exactly what I crave.

The problem? Alex isn’t the Sebastian billionaire I’m dating––I’m dating his brother.

Brutal Arrangement is a complete standalone enemies to lovers, forbidden, age-gap, brother’s girl, set in an intriguing world of billionaires, power, and scandal. While it is recommended to read Brutal Billionaire and Brutal Secret first for best reading experience, it isn’t necessary to thoroughly enjoy the story.

AMAZON

 

Alex Sebastian wasn’t just being mean for the kink of it—the guy is legitimately a fucking asshole.

Look, if you know me, then you know I love the mean MMCs. Like super mean. Like I want to hate them for a solid part of the book, mean. What? I have kinks too, mkay? Fictional ones anyhow *smirks*

If you’ve read any book by Laurelin, then you know she’s a master of the mean ones. She has written some of favorite alphaholes to date. But Alex Sebastian? May have just taken my number one spot of her heroes to date. Well, at least until she gives us the redemption arc of the biggest a-hole Sebastian, Alex’s brother Hunter. But I digress.

Alex grabs both sides of my head and holds me in place. “Breathe,” he says softly. “Breathe. Through your nose.” Then he calls out. “She needs five minutes.”
“She has three.” The sound of heels clicking down the hallway follows, and I practically melt in relief.
“We better hurry then because the only way you’re singing that song the way it needs to be sung is with my cum coating your throat.”

Got your attention now, don’t I. Now the premise of this book is deliciously forbidden because Mariah is dating Alex’s older brother. But that relationship is not all as it seems so if you’re thinking it’s a cheating trope, it’s not really. I don’t want to ruin it for you, but trust me when I say you won’t be rooting for Hunter in this book.

Mariah is a rising pop star who is trying to find her image that isn’t cookie cutter and decided on by her team. Desperate to break through, she’s willing to take risks she’s never taken before, including a vixen image that she most definitely connects with. Alex is her boyfriend’s brother and a man that gets under her skin like no other. And when he’s put in charge of her re-launch, it’s not long before the chemistry they’re both trying to suppress bubbles over. And OMG the sexual chemistry between these two is out of this world.

Alex is deliciously mean for the majority of the book. I loved to hate him and boy did I hate him in parts. But then you get a peak into the layers that he hides, and you can’t help but fall for him as hard as Mariah does.

This had so much heat! Alex is bossy, there’s a degradation kink, and all sorts of sexiness. Trust me when I tell you, you probably don’t want to read this book in public. It was a sizzler of a read that I binge read in one sitting and still find myself thinking about. Highly recommend!

With millions of books sold worldwide, Laurelin Paige is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author. She is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. 

When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Killing Eve or Letterkenny, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She’s also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn’t do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio. 

She is represented by Rebecca Friedman.

Connect w/Laurelin:

Facebook | Amazon | Bookbub | Instagram | Facebook Fan Group | Website | TikTok

Never miss an update! Subscribe to Laurelin’s mailing list:

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/LaurelinNews




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Review: Rival Hearts by Maggie Rawdon

February 29, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

RIVAL HEARTS
Author: Maggie Rawdon
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 29, 2024

Pro football might see me as their favorite underdog, but Madison Westfield would rather see me six feet under.

My ex-best friend’s little sister has every reason to hate me. I took her boyfriend’s spot on this team, her brother might lose his too, and our short-lived engagement years ago is part of the reason our families are locked in a grudge match that has the whole league on edge.

Ruining me would fix most of her problems, but she’s stuck trying to work a PR miracle with my career instead.

Making my way through her build-a-better-image checklist is the kind of torture I’ll gladly sign up for, especially if I get to help her prove everyone wrong.

But it means we’re spending a lot of time alone together, and when it comes to Madison, I’ll take any chance she gives me. Even if it means there’s hell to pay—on and off the field.

AMAZON

I’ll jump through all the hoops you want me to.” He closes the distance between us, so close his lips are at my ear, and his body ghosts over mine. “But you should know I have ulterior motives. There’s only one thing I want.”

I’m a sucker for a second chance romance, sucker I tells you. What I’m usually not a sucker for, though, is a cinnamon roll hero. It’s no secret I love the mean ones. What? We all have our kinks, ok? But I digress. When I tell you it took me all of two pages to fall in love with Quentin, I mean I am entirely obsessed with this man. Why? Let me paint you a picture, shall I?

Then let me watch.”
“Excuse me?”
“I want to watch you come while you think about another man, Madison. Let me see it. It can cure me of this sick fucking obsession I have over you for good. Remind me why I can’t ever have you because you want fucking Ivy League cock instead of me. You won’t forgive me. Fine. Punish me then, and let’s get this fucking over with.”

I mean, C’mon. This man. THIS MAN is just perfection. The pining. The obsession. Ten years apart did nothing to dilute his absolute obsession with Madison. Now if you haven’t read the prequel, I highly recommend you read Before the Chaos first. It’s the story that takes place 10 years before this one and gives you all the delicious details of how they first got together and ultimately fell apart. Can you read this book without the prequel, sure. But you’ll enjoy it that much more if you do. But back to my love of Quentin.

Do you love her?” He gives me a pointed look.
“Always have. Always will.”
“You won’t deserve her, you know. Ever—no matter what you do. Guys like us never do.”
“I know. But I’d rather spend the rest of my life trying and failing than not have her in my life.”

C’MON! Is everything that comes out of this man’s mouth perfection. ABSOLUTELY. Not only does he pine hard, but he has a dirty mouth to boot. And he enjoys being a good boy. And what a good boy he is. Don’t get me wrong, the man is pure alpha. But he also doesn’t mind giving his woman control and I loved him for it. But what I loved most about this man is his heart. His sweet, romantic heart that had me swooning at every turn.

My fingers make their way down his chest as the water falls over both of us, and I pause at a set of tally marks that sit directly over his heart.
“What are these?”
“A reminder.”
“Of?”
“You.” My heart skips in my chest, and I look up at him. His eyes meet mine and they go soft as he studies my face.
“One for each year we were apart. All because I fucked up. I was giving myself until ten to do something about it. The last one would have been added when the season started this fall.”
“The last one?”
“I figured if I had ten years to fix my shit, find you, and make up for it and couldn’t do it, that I deserved to live without you.”

Madison is the perfect boss girl and she definitely knows how to boss. I loved seeing her growth from the shy insecure girl in the prequel to the boss babe she is in this book.

If you love an incredibly romantic second chance romance with plenty of heat, swoon, and all the feels then you need this in your life. Trust me. You need a Quentin in your life.

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Review: Moonlit Thorns by P. Rayne

February 29, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

MOONLIT THORNS
Series: Midnight Manor #1
Author: P. Rayne
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 29, 2024

No one knows what happens up at Midnight Manor.

The home of the Voss brothers sits like a sentinel looking down on our small town, remaining a mystery. The four brooding billionaires rarely leave the confines of the iron gates, fueling rumors that have existed for decades.

When my father dies, all the security I’ve known is ripped away, forcing me to come face to face with the eldest brother, Asher Voss. His outward beauty is just as I’d heard—it belies a predatory nature, irresistibly drawing me in.

A bargain is made, and I have no choice but to live in the shadowy confines of his gothic manor to save my family. As time passes, it becomes harder and harder to deny our attraction.

Asher Voss might be too old for me, and he’s definitely cursed by his own demons, but an inferno of passion between us threatens to either consume or destroy us both.

MOONLIT THORNS is a dark contemporary romance Beauty and the Beast retelling.

AMAZON

…she’s a motherfucking flame, and I’m the moth who doesn’t care if my wings get burned.

A modern day Beauty and the Beast retelling with a broody hero, some D/s, gothic vibes, and an exclusive sex club? Sign me up immediately!

Am I fully obsessed with the Voss brothers after finishing this book? You bet, I am. But before I gush about the broody brothers who live in the dark manor with a dark history shrouded in secrets and murder, let me talk about this book. Moonlit Thorns is the story of Asher Voss and Annabelle; an age gap romance with some D/s, good girl meets tortured bad boy vibe. In true Beauty and the Beast fashion, Asher is a dark and broody man who doesn’t let anyone close besides his brothers. After the sudden death of her father, Annabelle is still picking up the pieces of her life and trying to keep her family in one piece. So when a notice shows up on her door that her family is about to lose their home, she’s desperate. So desperate, that she agrees to a deal with the devil. The devil being Asher Voss, the man who her father owes a debt to that he never repaid before his death. And the deal? Work for him for a year. Whatever he says, whenever he says it.

I loved that the story mirrored many elements of the fairy tale, including characters, scenarios, and vibes. I loved Annabelle’s mix of innocence and resilience. She’s 22 to Asher’s 36 but she’s no naive girl. She is drawn to Asher’s broodiness like a flame. But I don’t blame her. I love the mean ones myself and Asher was so hot and cold, I didn’t know if I wanted to kill him or hump him. Mostly both at the same time.

And while I loved Asher, I’m already dying to get my hands on Kol’s book. And after that set up at the end of this book, I’m absolutely ravenous for it. 

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Review: Where We Belong by Ashley Munoz

February 23, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

WHERE WE BELONG
Series: Stone Riders MC #2
Author: Ashley Munoz
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 23, 2024

An Enemies to Lovers Romance

They call him the Wolf.

His club, his brothers, and even my best friend Callie.

I didn’t really care what they called him, not when the only name I had ever called him was, coward.

Because three months ago he snuck under my resilient heart, like the thief he is, and stole it.

Then he broke it.

Going home wasn’t an option, not when I promised Callie I’d stay. She swore I’d eventually feel like I belonged in this small town.

The club ensured I had a job, and a place to live which reluctantly earned my loyalty.

Until I discovered their little caveat.

The apartment technically belonged to the new president.

I was welcome to stay…as long as I understood it meant sharing.

And my new roommate?

The very man who turned avoidance into an Olympic sport.

AMAZON

What do you want from me, Killian?” His glare softened the smallest bit before hardening again. “I want you to stop being a complication. You’re a flicker in my peripheral vision, a glare, a goddamn floater that corrective lenses would fix. I want to erase you.”
Killian stepped closer. “But… I also want to wrap your soul around mine, feel the beat of your heart in my neck as I breathe, and carry you with me everywhere I go, all at the same fucking time.”

It’s been a hot minute since I read a book by Ashley and I have no idea why. But I know that I’ll be binging on her backlist immediately. Especially since I did myself a bit of a disservice by reading this book first. There is a lot of overflow from the first book in this series. And while it’s still an easy standalone read, you can clearly tell it would be an even better one if you read in order. So don’t be like me and read Where We Started first.

Now if you know me, then you know that I like my heroes mean…and I mean MEAN. Like I need him to hurt all the feelings before he makes everything right, ok? And Killian. This man was the perfect combination of mean and a heart of gold. You don’t know if you want to hug him or punch him but I absolutely fell in love with him.

You don’t care.” He stepped closer, so close my back was pinned to the truck. “I care about every eye that lands on you. Every breath that’s inhaled your scent. Every smile given to you, every hand that’s ever touched you. I care, Daisy. Too fucking much if we’re being honest.”

Killian always knew he can have only one love and focus, his club. Laura is a distraction he doesn’t need and he doesn’t shy away from reminding her of the fact. But Laura also doesn’t shy away from giving as good as she gets. The chemistry between these two was everything. I couldn’t get enough of them.

I craved his destruction, the devastation I knew he promised. I had some sick and twisted desire to hurt.

I loved their antagonism and back and forth almost as much as I loved when they gave into the inevitable. I spent my time equally wanting to throttle Killian and wanting to hump his leg. The man is sex personified but there are so many layers to him that makes him own all your attention. Every time you peel back a layer, he gets further and further under your skin and I loved having him there.

Laura was a great heroine and the perfect balance to Killian’s intensity. There was just enough grit to this MC romance that made it for one delicious page turner without getting too dark and I enjoyed every page of it. I’m hooked on this series and already salivating for the next book.

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Review: Bombshell by Abby Glines

February 14, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

BOMBSHELL
Series: Judgement #1
Author: Abbi Gaines
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 14, 2024

Momma always told me that my sins would find me. I just didn’t think it would happen in a biker bar with my first crush bursting through the doors with his gun pointed at me. Well, not technically at me, but at my boyfriend- also known as my current sin. He was the thing I hoped the good Lord didn’t tell momma about in one of her dreams. Guess it didn’t matter anyway. I was caught and in a bigger mess than I could have imagined.

Micah Abe hadn’t laid eyes on Dolly Dixon, his younger sister’s best friend, in years, but her eyes were the kind you didn’t forget. Even if she’d grown into a woman with a body made for sin, he had recognized that unique shade of amber the moment she had locked her gaze on him. Damn shame he wouldn’t get a taste of her. His sister would cut off his favorite body part if he even considered it. Besides, he was over clingy women, and the way Dolly was holding on to his enemy like she wanted to wrap her legs around him meant she was the needy type.

Problem was he had to save her from herself. Clearly, Dolly was still clueless about life. That much hadn’t changed about her. He’d come here to get back what had been taken from him five years ago, but it looked like he’d be saving Snow White in the process.

AMAZON

“I will maim, kill, torture, whatever I need to do to whoever caused this if you will just tell me why, who. Point me in the right direction. Something. Just give me something here, Tink.”

When I tell you I binge read this in one sitting, I mean I absolutely DEVOURED it. It was finger licking delicious and total book crack. It was a perfect example of why I love Abby Gaines books. The woman has a formula that just works. She is the queen of bad boy/good girl vibes. It doesn’t matter how many times I read this, it will always hit. ALWAYS.

This is a spin off of her Smoke series. If you haven’t read that series yet, I have two words for you: souther mafia. Cowboys and mafia? Perfect combo. But I digress. While this is a spinoff and there are plenty of character cameos from that series, you can also easily enjoy this as a standalone. Though I highly recommend the Smoke series because it’s delicious. But I digress.

What’s the perfect spinoff of southern mafia? MC obviously! Enter Judgement and their batboy extraordinaire, Micah. Micah is your quintessential manwhore. The man doesn’t give any woman attention past a night. MC life is everything for him and he’s not looking to settle down any time soon if ever.

Dolly is the quintessential good girl. A good girl with southern matters and Micah’s sister’s best friend. So when Dolly finds herself in the middle of rivaling MC members, she is definitely not thrilled. The man she’s been dating is not at all who she thought he was, and suddenly a blast from her past keeps roaring in on his motorcycle to “protect her”. Dolly harbored a crush on Micah for as long as she remembers. But she isn’t the naive young girl who crushed on him in her teens. And she has no allusions that the man would even look at her as anything other than his sister’s friend. But oh how wrong she is.

Micah is a grade a a-hole and there were parts of the story where I wanted to shake him, c*ck punch him, and throw him in front of a bus. You know, simply to get him to see reason, obviously. Dolly, though a good girl is not a push over. Though she does forgive Micah all too easily when he turns the charm on. But I didn’t even mind because I forgave him just as easily. There was just something about their chemistry and dynamic that I couldn’t get enough of. The spice was spicing and the suspense was supsensing. And this girl was enjoying every delicious page of it. I can’t wait for more in this series!

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Review: Through The Glen by Samantha Young

February 1, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

THROUGH THE GLEN
Series: The Highlands Series #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Samantha Young 
Release Date: February 1, 2024

He’s a cynical, world-weary Londoner. She’s a shy Scot. They might seem like opposites, but a few weeks in the Highlands will bring them together in ways they can’t imagine…

Theo Cavendish is the second son of a British viscount, and he’s spent years running from the aristocratic world he grew up in. Betrayal and loss taught him lessons he’s not quick to forget. As an award-winning screenwriter and creator, Theo prefers to throw himself into the world of film and television. He moves from one project to another, never really letting anyone truly know him.

As a housekeeper at the exclusive Ardnoch Estate, shy Sarah McCulloch feels invisible most days. No one really knows her, and they definitely don’t know she’s a bestselling crime writer. She dreams of seeing her series on screen and believes only one person can develop it for television. On the day she quits the estate for good, she shares her secret with club member, Theo, and asks him to consider her books.

Sarah never expected him to say yes or to show up on her doorstep ready to write with her. Or that weeks spent locked up in her cottage would lead them to form an intense but undeniable connection. A bond that Theo is not sure he’s ready to accept, even though he can’t bear to be without her.

However, when they finally venture out of their bubble, Theo finds he’ll have to battle more than his own demons to protect Sarah from hurt. For he has another fan, one intent on bringing the darkest elements of his most famous script to life. And unless he can figure out this real-life antagonist’s next move, Theo could be in danger of losing Sarah forever.

AMAZON

Someone woke up on the fiery side of the bed this morning.”
I grimaced. “Don’t be patronizing. This is my cottage. And in my cottage exists a gynarchy.”
He grinned and it was much too attractive. “It’s pronounced gai-nah-ki and your use of it is a little clumsy, darling.”
Of course, his vocabulary was better than the average person’s. “Are you mansplaining a word that literally means a government ruled by a woman?”
“I wouldn’t say mansplaining. I am curious as to where you came about such a colorful vocabulary?”

I have been eagerly anticipating Theo’s book ever since we got a taste of him as Noah’s irreverent friend in Among the Heather. There is nothing I love more than seeing a playboy who doesn’t believe in love fall and fall hard. And what’s even more satisfying than this? When the playboy is also the son of a viscount turned reformed playboy director and a die hard cynic when it comes to love and relationships.

Sarah is a shy, keep to herself housekeeper at the exclusive Ardnoch Estate. But what the world doesn’t know about shy and quiet Sarah, is she’s a immensely successful author writing under a secret pen name. Now, I’m not usually a fan of the shy and mousy heroines. But while Sarah is shy, she’s certainly not mousy. This is a woman of quiet strength and isn’t one to let a British playboy walk all over her. When I tell you that I loved the dynamic between these two, I mean I fell head over heels for them. Sarah surprised me with her hidden strength almost as much as she surprised Theo.

When the shy little housekeeper first approached Theo for writing the manuscript for her book, he laughs her off. There’s no way the shy, unassuming housekeeper is worth his time. He thinks he knows her, but he barely grazes the surface. When he reads her books, he doesn’t take long to chase her down to her cottage. And fans of forced proximity, you will fall hard. Because the more time Theo spends with Sarah, the more he realizes just how wrong he was about her and just how much more there is to Sarah than first meets the eye. And this is a woman who doesn’t let get away with things more than once. She’s not shy when it comes down to standing her own and standing up for herself and I absolutely loved that about her.

Because as mortifyingly scary as giving myself to her was … it was nothing like this terror that swept over me at the thought that I might have lost her forever.

I loved watching Theo fall fast and hard for Sarah. I loved watching him fight his feelings and Sarah putting him in his place when he pushes too hard. I loved the chemistry between them. I simply loved everything about this book. Everything. The parallel suspense story arc only added to the already page turning appeal of this story and I binge read it in one glorious sitting.

For fans of swoony, steamy, and heartfelt romance, you need this book. I love this world so much and with Jared finally getting his book next, already counting down the minutes for my next Highlands fix.

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: Scorned Vows by Victoria Paige

January 29, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

SCORNED VOWS
Series: Scorned Fate #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mafia
Author: Victoria Paige
Release Date: January 16, 2024

He was the perfect husband until she got pregnant.

An arranged marriage was always in Natalya Conte’s future.
Luca Moretti is charming and considerate.
Handsome like the devil, he dotes on her and spoils her.
But when two pink lines should have brought them unbridled joy, her husband ices her out.

An arranged marriage gives Luca great power.
To cement that power, he needs an heir.
The quickest way to do it is to make Natalya fall madly in love with him.
He will have her loyalty without risking his heart because love to him means weakness.

Natalya needs Luca to love her.
Because she has secrets that will put them all in jeopardy.
Her heart shatters when Luca shows her exactly how little she means to him.
But it isn’t until she sees evidence of the unforgivable that she loses all hope for a happily ever after.

AMAZON 

You’re mine, and I’m done pretending that you’re not.”

As a self proclaimed alphahole addict, the second I read this blurb, I knew I’d be all over it. Arranged marriage, ruthless mafia antihero? Sign me up I say!

You’re mine, and I’m done pretending that you’re not.”Up here, I wasn’t the boss of the Chicago crime family. Up here, I was merely a mortal man falling in love with his family.

An arranged marriage doesn’t sound like one paved in love. But young Natalya is instantly enraptured with her future husband. He may be a ruthless in everything that he does, but he’s soft and attentive with her. But what Natalya doesn’t know, is Luca is not above playing the romantic to get to what he needs from her; an heir. And when Natalya gets pregnant, things take a turn in a direction she never saw coming.

This was a quick paced page turner and I was instantly hooked with Luca. Natalya, admittedly, did take me a minute to warm up to. She’s not at all what she seems, but she sure hides it well. I definitely did myself a disservice by not reading book one first, because there’s some backstory to her that makes it feel like you start this book already partially through her development. But then it didn’t take me long to connect to her and her very many layers. She’s a fascinating mix of fierce and vulnerable. The second half of this book, we get an entirely different side to her and I loved it.

There’s a little bit of everything here; suspense, action, mafia, betrayal, revenge. The chemistry was delicious and the grit was the perfect addition. I’m definitely hooked on this series and will immediately be reading the first book.

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Review: A Vicious Proposal by Kristy Marie

January 22, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

A VICIOUS PROPOSAL
Series: The Fallen Kings of Eden #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kristy Marie
Release Date: January 17, 2024

Bestselling Author Kristy Marie brings you a brand new standalone with a morally gray hero who sentences his past love to six years of marriage to serve as punishment for her betrayal.

I knew him only as Van Gogh.
A tortured artist who owned the night as he moved through the shadows, cloaked in hate and madness.
He was a vicious vigilante—a serial arsonist who thrived on the fear he triggered with a single match between his tattooed knuckles.
We were told to lock our doors and stay inside.
I wanted to. I really did.
But then I saw his eyes, burning like embers as he watched me through the smoke.
And like the flames at his feet, I delighted in his attention.
I became his muse.
His passion.
His obsession.
His perfectly flawed flower.
But that was years ago.
Before my seaside town became his canvas…
Before the ashes of my enemies became his paint…
Before he hated me… and made me his wife.

AMAZON 

For the crime of betrayal, Reese Carmichael, I sentence you to six years as my prisoner.” I flash her a wink and a smile. “I believe society calls that a marriage.”

I have been eyeing this author for so long and when I saw the blurb for this book, I knew this would be my first Kristy Marie book. And I can say I’m officially hooked. I need more from this author and I definitely need more for this series.

She’s always been mine to ruin and love as violently as the flames that dance between my fingers.

Admittedly, I felt darker vibes from the book than the story itself ended up being. If you’re expecting a dark romance, it’s not really that. It has dark undercurrent, but it’s really more gritty and gray.

Reese once thought “Van” was her everything, until he disappeared as suddenly as he appeared in her life. Van spent six years in prison and he’s convinced that Reese is the one responsible for his arrest and ultimately his conviction. Now I will say, I was generally confused about all of the things up until well into 75% of the story. The way that it starts thoroughly threw me. It felt like we were diving head first not the middle of a book. The author cleverly continues to peel back the layers throughout the story, but where it worked for some of the things, for parts of it, it was frustratingly confusing. I would have loved a flashback to when they first met. As it was, it took me a while to fully click.

Now the banter in this book was everything. Reese is a spitfire and a half and this woman sure knows how to give as good as she gets.

This is why he hides in the shadows. Everyone wants to kill him for being a giant pain in the ass.

The chemistry between the two of them was seriously delicious. Though again, I would have loved to see flashbacks of them to really connect with their relationship. I did have to suspend my disbelief, since Van is now an ADA after a 6 year prison sentence. Did I care? Not in the least. It was so entertaining.

The author keeps you guessing about everything until the last few chapters and then the plot twists leave you reeling. It wasn’t quite what I expected but it hooked me hard on the series and it hit the spot just right.

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