Review: The Venom We Bleed by Lucy Smoke

March 14, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

THE VENOM WE BLEED
Series: Scorpion Kings #1
Genre: Dark, Why Choose Romance
Author: Lucy Smoke
Release Date: March 14, 2025

Silverwood Public: Home to liars, thieves, and worst of all … the Scorpion Kings.

I was the Queen at my old school.
Born into wealth and power.
Now, thanks to my family’s deceit, I’m a pariah and a target.

I’ve got no friends. No parents. No money. And no fucks left to give.

If the Scorpion Kings want to damage the new outcast of Silverwood, they’ll soon learn that anyone can be a killer if you give them the right incentive.


*This is a Dark Enemies to Lovers WhyChoose Romance*
*Trigger Warning: If you are sensitive to content common in dark romance (content such as SA, graphic depictions of violence, murder, drug and/or alcohol abuse, physical abuse, mental and/or emotional abuse, traumatic events, unhealthy coping mechanisms, dubious consent etc.) then this book may not be for you. Please read responsibly.*

AMAZON

Love? Hate? It doesn’t matter anymore. What we feel can’t be described by the written word or a simplified emotion. What we feel transcends conscious thought and all that’s left is fire and ice.

You ever added a book to your TBR based on the cover alone? Because, guilty. But the second I saw the title and the cover to this book, I knew it would be my first Lucy Smoke book. And clearly I have been sleeping on this author, because the way I devoured this book obsessively was no joke.

Need convincing? Because I can save you the review by this quote alone:

What’s my name?”
“W-what?” I stare at him, confusion pushing aside the panic.
“What is my name?” he repeats the question calmly.
“Lex.”
He nods. “Good. Remember that when I make you come so hard you forget everything else. I want to hear you screaming my name when you see God so he knows who sent you.”

I mean, what else do you need here? But I suppose I’ll give you more.

I am a sucker for the rich girl and boy(s) from the wrong side of the track trope. But this one is made even juicer because the rich girl has a dark fall from grace when her father is sent to jail and she’s left to pick up the pieces of her life and to bear the brunt of the blame of the people that her father ruined.

Juliet was once the princess in her school, albeit it was all an illusion and she wasn’t truly happy. But now, she finds herself on the other side of the tracks, where fights are fought with fists and not money, and her father’s name is nothing but a stain that she wants desperately to shed. All she has to do is skate under the radar, survive one year, get her diploma and get the heck out of dodge. Easier said than done when she lands in the crosshairs of everyone.

Juliette was impossible not to love. The girl has brass ones on her. She’s no society princess. She’s a fighter through and through and she doesn’t take any shit from anyone. Rather than take the easy way out and except the help from anyone, she ventures on her own. But the last thing she needs is to get in the crosshairs of the Scorpion Kings, the trio who rule the school and get whispered about for their criminal ties; Nolan, Gio and Lex.

I love that the author gives us a peek inside each of the guys’ heads though the predominant POV is Juliette’s. The story is deliciously gritty, violent, and full of dark secrets that we just get the surface of. The romance is a slow burn that I couldn’t get enough of. And the ending left me a shaking mess, desperately anticipating the next installment because I need answers!

If you’re looking for a steamy, dark and gritty why choose romance, look no further!

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark, Why Choose · Tagged With: , , , ,

Review: The Misfit by JL Beck

February 28, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

THE MISFIT
Author: J.L. Beck
Series: Oakmount Elite #5
Genre: Dark Romance, New Adult
Tropes: Misunderstood hero / He falls first / Dark romance / Fake dating / “Who hurt you” / Playboy VS Grumpy heroine / OCD/ADHD REP / Frienemies to lovers
Release Date: February 28, 2025

Golden boy. Party king. Trust fund brat.

That’s what they call me – Lee Sterling, Oakmount University’s favorite disaster.

Everyone thinks they know me, but they only see what I let them.

I’m the guy who can charm his way out of anything and never takes life seriously. But it’s all a ruse. They don’t see the mask I wear or the cage of family expectations slowly threatening to suffocate me.

Three months. That’s how long I have to find someone “suitable” to present at the Sterling New Year’s Gala, or it’s over.

I tell myself I can handle it, like I handle everything else – with a smile and a shot of bourbon, but deep down, I know I’m inching closer and closer to the edge.

Then I meet Salem Masters in a dark pantry at a party, and suddenly, nothing feels simple anymore.

They call her crazy, and broken. The girl who wears latex gloves and counts her steps.

I call her beautiful, careful, haunted.

One encounter and I’m obsessed. I need to know more about her. I need to know if she’s just like me.

When I discover we share a common interest, I convince her to be my fake girlfriend. She could use the protection, and I need to convince my family I’m normal…but when our fake relationship turns real I discover just how close to danger I am.

Because for the first time in my life, I want something that I can’t have, that I don’t deserve.

AMAZON

Who knew obsession could ignite so quickly?

The way that I have been waiting for Lee’s book I cannot even describe to you. And considering that he was the broken troublemaker of the group, is it any wonder? I have a thing for those broken bad boys.

Now I do have to admit that I had hoped this would be an MM or an MFM. But the more I read, the more I connected to him with Salem. Two broken souls healing each other.

If you’ve read this series, then you already know Lee and the trouble he’s caused. You know that this is a guy with an easy smile and quick humor that he uses as a mask to hide something. And in this book we get to the true depths of what that something is.

Salem is dealing with her own trauma as she’s trying to get some semblance of her normalcy back after something tragic. A fateful meeting in the pantry of a party changes the trajectory for both of them when Salem lands in Lee’s sight. He feels an instant connection with the girl who for the first time seems to see behind his mask to the man beneath. And when his parents start breathing down his neck about settling down and finding an appropriate wife, he decides they have a mutual benefit. He’ll help her find her new normal and protect her on campus and she pretends to be his girlfriend. Only there’s not much to pretend with their chemistry.

There were definitely some heavy themes in this story that I found the author handled really well. Lee and Salem are both broken in their own way but Lee’s past damn near broke my heart. This was a fake dating trope with plenty of spice that I enjoyed quite a bit. The ending was satisfying though a touch heavy on the sweet, though I didn’t mind all that much. While this has dark themes, it was more of a gray romance. But if you’re looking to dip your toes in the genre, this is a great one to start with.

JL. Beck writes steamy romance that’s unapologetic, meaning it makes no apologies for the way it rips you open and makes you crave more. Her heroes are alphas who take what they want, and she pairs them with heroines that bring them to their knees.

She loves writing about darkness, passion, suspense, and of course, steam. Leaving her readers gasping and asking what the hell just happened is only one of her many tricks.

Her books range from morally grey to dark and spicy but always end with a happily ever after. She loves to write across numerous tropes, but her favorite is enemies to lovers.

She started her writing career in the summer of 2014 and hasn’t stopped since. She lives in Wisconsin and is a mom to two, a wife, and likes to act as a literary agent part-time.

Visit her website for more info:
www.beckromancebooks.com

Connect with JL Beck:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJLBeck/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjlbeck/
Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@authorjlbeck
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2srbge9
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2tOVZl8

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8425041.J_L_Beck
Unapologetic Romance Book Club FB Group: http://bit.ly/2sWljZG

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark, New Adult · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Pretty Little Threats by Daria Quinn

February 22, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

PRETTY LITTLE THREATS
Genre: Dark Romance
Series: Princes of NYC #1
Author: Daria Quinn
Release Date: February 20, 2024

A dark secret. A corrupt marriage. And a beast who might just fall for the beauty.

DARE
Power. Control. Darkness.
I’ve built an empire with those three things, and I’ll destroy anyone who tries to threaten it.
When Rose Miller’s father announces her arranged marriage to a man far worse than me, I step in. She needs my protection. But she doesn’t know the price of my help.
We share a secret, one that could ruin us both. A crime that ties us together in ways she doesn’t understand.
I’ll marry her, keep her safe, but make no mistake, she won’t just be my wife. She’ll be mine, body and soul.

ROSE
I’ve spent my life following every rule my father set. But when he tries to give me to a monster, I realize I’ve been trapped in a gilded cage.
Dare Richardson might be the only one who can protect me, but he’s ruthless. A dangerous beast I’ve always despised.
The truth is, we’re both running from something darker than either of us, and when he offers me a way out, I can’t help but accept.
The man I once swore to hate is now my husband.
And the beast within him? He’s the only one who can set me free.


This is a dark contemporary MF romance. It is the first standalone in the Princes of NYC series

AMAZON 

 

She’s the daughter of my enemy, and I’ll fu*ck her like she’s one.

In my constant search for new to me authors to obsess over, the blurb to Pretty Little Threats immediately had my attention. And now that I’ve finished, I’m already desperately anticipating the next release in this series.

I love a good hate to love romance and boy do these two fiery characters bring that trope to life.

Can’t keep your hands off me?” he asks.
“If you wake up one morning without your tongue, don’t be surprised.”
Dare laughs—like he thinks I’m joking, when I’m already planning how to do it. I glare at him. His lips press into a wider grin. I almost trip, but years of practice in heels and Dare’s hand on my waist keep me steady. That smile is disarming. Beautiful. Dangerous. “I like it when you threaten me.”
What? Is he insane?

The story of Dare and Rose was full of delicious banter, hate lust, and a marriage of convenience with a bit of bribery and blackmail thrown in.

Rose is the daughter of Dare’s biggest adversary and to say that there is no love lost between these two, is a mild understatement. Dare is a cold and ruthless business man who is known as the Beast of NYC for good reasons. Rumors of murder and dark secrets circle around him.

Rose is a woman who is desperate for her father’s approval. But when her father locks her into an arranged marriage with a man she despises, she realizes that her freedom was nothing more than a hopeful illusion. And the answer to her problem may be a deal with the devil himself.

If you’re looking to dip your toes in the darker romance, this is a perfect gateway book. It’s gritty and has plenty of darker themes but without going full black. Definitely morally gray and with plenty of suspense thrown in.

The writing was quick paced and I found myself easily enraptured by the story. I also really loved both characters; Rose may have grown up as the daughter of a rich businessman, but she’s no naive or sheltered woman. There’s a bite to her that I really enjoyed. Dare immediately had my attention because the man simply draws you in with his magnetism that just jumps off of the pages.

I devoured this book and loved the chemistry between Rose and Dare. I would have loved a bit more meat to the ending, because it seemed like Rose got over the shock of what she learned a bit too fast. But it definitely didn’t take away from my enjoyment.

If you’re looking for a super spicy hate to love romance with plenty of banter and all the chemistry, you need this book on your TBR!

Meet Daria Quinn:

Daria Quinn is a pen name for a USA Today Bestselling Author who realized her story telling passions stray a little in the morally grey. 

Daria Quinn love cats, dark chocolate, earl grey tea, and heart stopping romance. 

Connect with Daria Quinn:

https://www.instagram.com/dariaquinnauthor/



Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark · Tagged With: , , ,

Review: Savage Lands by Stacey Marie Brown

February 9, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

SAVAGE LANDS
Series: Savage Lands #1
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance
Author: Stacey Marie Brown
Release Date: October 20, 2020

Almost twenty years after the barrier between Earth and the Otherworld fell in the Fae Wars, Budapest is balancing on the precipice. A battle for dominance is brewing between the elite fae and the privileged humans in Eastern Europe. The prejudice between the sides is bubbling with hate and violence.

Nineteen-year-old human, Brexley, has grown up in privilege, but not without heartbreak. After being orphaned, she is taken in by General Markos, living in a walled city rife with power grabs and ruthless political games. Then one night the course of her life changes, and Brexley is thrown into the most feared prison in the east. Halalhaz, the House of Death—where you go in but don’t come out.

She must learn to live with the worst of fae and human criminals. The rule of hierarchy puts humans on the bottom, where the only way to survive each day is to make alliances with the fae.

Here she meets the sexy, vicious legend, Warwick Farkas. A myth among man and fae. He is as brutal, cruel, arrogant, and as lethal as the lore says he is, ruling the prison with unchallenged authority. Brexley can’t deny an intense draw to him, one that might cost her life.

If The Games don’t take her out first—A fight to the death where only one survives.

AMAZON 

I would kill Warwick Farkas. It was a promise I would not break. I would become the very monster the House of Death created.

I have been eyeing this series for what feels like forever but was always intimidated by the size of it. But I find my greed for addicting stories spans multiple books as of late and so I decided to finally dive in. And holy gasp, batman. This was one killer story.

Will you retaliate?”
“Yes.” I snarled. That bitch stole my blankie.

Now admittedly, it took me a bit to get into the story. I’m not sure why, because the pacing, character development and world building was well paced. I wasn’t bored or disconnected by any means but I wasn’t fully immersed. But boy did that take a turn after the 20% mark. Because from there, I couldn’t put the book down and found myself binge reading it on sitting.

Brexley was exactly the kind of FMC I love reading about. She’s fierce with just the right touch of vulnerability and absolutely kick ass. She’s a warrior in her own right but nothing could prepare her when one fateful night lands her in a place nightmares are made of; Halalhaz, the House of Death. It’s a prison that you go into but never come out of that houses both fae and human. And this is where the story really begins to take of. As Brexley navigates survival in the brutality of Halalhaz. This is also where she meets the man she thought was made up to terrify both human and fae; Warwick.

Now brace yourself because 80% of this book is brutal as hell. Pun intended. Brexley is forced into a brutal world where only the strongest survive and a human is the very bottom of that totem pole. Warwick is mystery until the last page but oh my god did I fall for him. I was desperately grabbing at any morsel of detail about this man. Especially when the mysterious connection between him and Brexley begins to make itself known.

Now this is very much a slow burn so don’t expect much romance in this book. It’s brimming with tension and chemistry, but considering the size of the series, we don’t get much romance here, which is just fine with me. I devoured this book and was left with a jaw dropping ending which makes me so glad that the rest of the series is already out because I will be immediately jumping into the next book. I NEED ANSWERS!

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark, Fantasy · Tagged With: , , ,

Review: Vengeful Lies by T.L Smith & Kia Carrington-Russell

February 1, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

VENGEFUL LIES
Series: Vengeful Lies #1
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: T.L Smith & Kia Carrington-Russell
Release Date: February 1, 2025

Dear Kitten,

Marry me and I’ll give you the world.

Refuse, and I’ll burn yours to the ground.

Sincerely,
Your soon-to-be husband



It started out as a hit. One bullet. One man.

My orders are clear—get close to the mafia heir, Eli Monti, play with his head, and wait for the signal to end it. End him.

I thought he would be my easiest mark yet. But somehow I’m the one being played.

Eli always gets what he wants and now, he wants me.
His vengeful proposal isn’t a request. It’s a demand.

When you play games with a man who’s been mastering them all his life, you learn some new tricks.

Top of the list: Find the best way to kill my fake fiancé.

From USA Today and Amazon Top 25 Best Selling Author duo, a new Standalone Dark Romance in the same world as the Lethal Vows

AMAZON 

Vengeful lies will have you winding up dead, Kitten…”

Know what I love more than a morally gray antihero? An equally morally gray FMC. Make her an assassin for hire and I am putty in your hands. PUTTEH I tells ya!

Oh God.” The words tore out of me, and I shook from the thought of it.
“That’s right. I’m your god. I take care of all your needs. You just have to be my good girl.”

Eli Monti is the cold and ruthless heir to the Monti criminal empire. And Jewel is a woman hired to get close enough to toy with him, right before she kills him. Except when Eli catches wind of this plot, he has better plans; demand she marry him instead and be his fake fiancé. Sound delicious? Well that’s because it really was.

The back and forth with these two was so good, it had a gleeful manic smile on my face the entire time. I loved their antagonism and their cat and mouse game. I loved that the more Eli pushed, the harder Jewel pushed back. And this is no weak FMC. Oh no. This is a woman after my own heart and I loved her sass almost as much as I loved how much hell she gave Eli. But I especially loved when she gave into the chemistry between them because these two were practically incendiary together.

The spice was definitely spicing in this one and the story was fun and action packed. And the twist? Suffice it to say that I never saw that coming and my jaw was on the floor. This was a fun and deliciously steamy mafia romance that I enjoyed from beginning to end. 

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Savage Reign by Monica Kayne

January 31, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

SAVAGE REIGN
Series: Bratva Kings #2
Genre: Dark, Mafia Romance
Author: Monica Kayne
Release Date: January 31, 2025

Bratva kingpin Nikolai Zhukov is the devil in a tailored suit—lethal, ruthless, and utterly irresistible.

Once, he saved my life. Now, he owns me. As his wife. As his prisoner.

He tore me from my world and branded me with his touch, a wedding ring inked into my skin.

Trapped in his gilded cage, I’m nothing but a pawn in his brutal war—a means to an end in his deadly game against a rival syndicate.

But he doesn’t just want my submission. He wants to consume me—body, mind, and soul.

I swore I’d fight him, that I’d never give in. But with every heated glance, every forbidden touch, I’m losing ground.

Because monsters like Nikolai don’t just steal hearts.

They destroy them.

*Savage Reign is a forced marriage mafia romance. It has no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after. Can be read as a complete standalone.

AMAZON 

Savage Reign (Bratva Kings, #2)Savage Reign by Monica Kayne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 STARS

She’s ruined me, this woman. And I don’t think there’s any way to come back.


Monica Kayne quickly shot up my goto mafia romance authors and this book is a perfect example why. It was gritty, sexy, with multilayered characters, action, and a story that had me turning the pages well past my bedtime.

Nikolai Zhukov isn’t just under my skin—he’s in my veins. And the scariest part is I’m done fighting it.


I am an absolute sucker for a forced marriage trope and this one hit so good that I never wanted it to end. Now I did my usual back@sswards thing and read book two before I read book one. And I am not sorry, okay! Though I will definitely be reading book one, I can also say that this easily reads a standalone and I had no issue being fully immersed in the story even though there’s clearly some carry over from the first book.

Five years ago, Sofiya’s parents sold her into a fate she couldn’t imagine, to be married to a brutal mafia man. Only to be rescued by the most unexpected savior in the most unconventional ways. Now five years later, Sofiya’s sister is married to the love of her life while she’s trying to figure out what to do with hers. It took her years to heal from the events of 5 years ago and she’s finally getting her life together. Only for it to take a turn when she meets a handsome stranger who isn’t quite what he seems.

Nikolai is the pakhan of the Zhukov Brava. To grow his power, he wants the contract to operate casinos across russia. The problem is that he needs the approval of the Roman from the Belov Syndicate to operate in Moscow, and considering that Nikolai’s brother almost killed Roman five years ago and there is no love lost between their fragile truce. So what’s a man to do to ensure his success? Kidnap Roman’s sister in law and lock her in a marriage whether she wants it or not.

I loved the chemstry between Nikolai and Sofiya. Even though Sofiya is younger, 22 to his 34, she’s no naive girl. She gives as good as she gets and doesn’t take anything lying down. Well, I mean, she does, but she enjoys those things immensely. But I digress.

There is tension galore and plenty of banter between these two and I loved watching them fall for each other no matter how much they try to fight it. The chemistry was hot and the steam was steaming. I devoured this story and enjoyed it immensely. I definitely need more in this series but for now I will appease myself by going back and reading book 1.

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

Find me on:
Follow me on facebook Follow Me on Twitter blog

View all my reviews

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Phantom by H.D. Carlton

January 14, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

PHANTOM
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: HD Carlton
Release Date: January 14, 2025

The married woman of the manor. The stranger outside. An intoxicating novel of dark temptation and dangerous desire by the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Cat and Mouse Duet.

November 12, 1944. This house holds on to souls for a lifetime. I thought I had given it to my husband when I vowed to love him until the end of time. I lied. Nothing could have prepared me for the day my phantom appeared outside my window. He was terrifying, yet hypnotizing, and I couldn’t deny my intrigue. I never intended to fall into a whirlwind romance with my stalker. Especially because he’s so much more than that. A criminal. A mobster. The man who offers me solace from the monster in Parsons Manor. There are many that haunt these halls, yet it’s only my husband I fear.

AMAZON 

I want you so badly, it hurts to breathe without you near,” he whispers softly…

If you’ve read the Cat & Mouse duet then you’re definitely familiar with Gigi and Ronaldo. And if you haven’t read the duet yet, I highly recommend reading that first. Gigi is Adeline’s great grandmother and the owner of the diaries that Adeline discovers as she slowly unravels the mystery of Parsons Manor.

Having read the Cat & Mouse duet I was both excited and nervous for this story having known hot it all ultimately ends. But I absolutely loved the way that HD Carlton chose to write this story and also the way she chose to end it. But I digress.

Now while I didn’t absolutely LOVE this the way I did Cat & Mouse, I definitely still enjoyed the story. However, there were just a few things that made me lower my rating to what it is. The first, is that while this book is set in the 1940s, it doesn’t really read that way. It read like a modern contemporary with some 40s lingo thrown in like “sauced”. I wanted to be fully immersed in that world and this slightly dulled the experience for me. And while I loved the all encompassing romance between Gigi and Ronaldo, it was also a bit too insta for my particular taste. I had a hard time buying into it, but I will admit that I was fully enraptured by the end.

Now look, we all know how subjective books are and just because it felt this way to me, doesn’t mean it would for you. I very much enjoyed the story and ended up reading it in one sitting. And I highly recommend it for all fans of HD and Cat & Mouse. Especially if you’re a fan of Cat & Mouse. There’s just something so special about having this story that just makes it feel complete, you know? And that is especially so with the epilogue, but I won’t spoil it for you.

If you were on the fence with this book like I was, knowing how their story unravels, I’m here to tell you that you definitely need to read and experience it. Trust me on this. And while I didn’t love it quite as much as I loved Cat & Mouse, it was still a great and entertaining read as all HD’s books are.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Misfire by Rachel Robinson

January 8, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

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

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

One brother saved me but under false pretenses.

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

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

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

For readers 18+

AMAZON 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Dark · Tagged With: , ,

Review: The Predator by JL Beck

November 11, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

THE PREDATOR
Author: J.L. Beck
Series: Oakmount Elite #4
Genre: Dark Romance, New Adult
Release Date: November 11, 2024

What is a predator without his prey?

Elyse Silver was never mine to keep.

The day I saved her life, I ensured we would forever be enemies.

Hating her was easy.

Bullying her, as simple as breathing.

Stopping myself from falling for her… I had no idea how impossible that would become.

The harder I fought, the deeper I fell.

Love and happiness have never been part of my plan, but letting Elyse go isn’t an option, either.

Unfortunately, the truth always finds a way of revealing itself, and by the time she realizes who the real predator is, it’ll be too late for her to escape the trap I’ve put her in.

**This is NOT a standalone and must be read AFTER The Prey. This is a dark romance novel that contains numerous triggers.**

AMAZON

I’ve escaped one monster, only to be captured by another.

After the jaw dropping cliffhanger in The Prey, I have been absolutely rabid for the conclusion of Sebastian and Ely’s story. And this was worth every minute of what felt like an agonizing wait.

Shatter for me so I can piece you back together again.”

I love that we go to see deeper into Sebastian’s head and dark soul in the very beginning. Torturously, the book doesn’t begin in Ely’s POV as you would except, but the minutes before the ending of The Prey and in Sebastian’s. It’s the perfect way to set the scene and I was hooked from page one. I have absolutely loathed Tanya from book one, and the more you learn about her disturbing relationship with Sebastian, the more murderous the hate turns.

Elyse really came into her own. While Sebastian takes control of everything in her life in book one, she finally gets the reins back..well, within reason of course. But I do love me a girl who can stand up for and save herself.

When Sebastian comes for her, he’s determined to keep her and best way to do that? Force her to marry him, of course. Just par of the course for our Sebby here, so can’t be too surprised. But boy did I love his spiral down the ‘my wife’ path.

She slaps her palm down on top of the desk. “You’re an asshole.”
“Your darling asshole husband. Now be a good girl and say you’re my wife. Then I’ll let you come.”

There’s a lot that happens in this book and I loved the way that JL Beck gives a satisfying conclusion to every plot point. Nothing is glossed over and no detail forgotten. While it did take me a bit longer to read than book one, my weird reading mood these days may have had something to do with it. And ultimately, I loved this conclusion. But the set up for Lee’s book? Pretty sure I won’t have rest until I have it in my hands!

JL. Beck writes steamy romance that’s unapologetic, meaning it makes no apologies for the way it rips you open and makes you crave more. Her heroes are alphas who take what they want, and she pairs them with heroines that bring them to their knees.

She loves writing about darkness, passion, suspense, and of course, steam. Leaving her readers gasping and asking what the hell just happened is only one of her many tricks.

Her books range from morally grey to dark and spicy but always end with a happily ever after. She loves to write across numerous tropes, but her favorite is enemies to lovers.

She started her writing career in the summer of 2014 and hasn’t stopped since. She lives in Wisconsin and is a mom to two, a wife, and likes to act as a literary agent part-time.

Visit her website for more info:
www.beckromancebooks.com

Connect with JL Beck:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJLBeck/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjlbeck/
Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@authorjlbeck
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2srbge9
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2tOVZl8

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8425041.J_L_Beck
Unapologetic Romance Book Club FB Group: http://bit.ly/2sWljZG

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark, New Adult · Tagged With: ,

Review: Tore Up by Abbi Glines

October 23, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

TORE UP
Series: Mississippi Smoke #1
Author: Abbi Gaines
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 23, 2024

Calculating, cold, often without emotion was how I was described by those closest to me. I had thought perhaps there was truth to their depiction until this endless searing pain took the place in my chest where my heart used to be. Vengeance now ate away at my soul. The wrath I planned to unleash would make the demons in Hell appear mild.

At least, that was until…

The twisted crux came in the form of eyes bluer than the sky on a warm summer day, a slightly upturned nose with a scattering of freckles, a pink cupid bow mouth, and a smile that made a man’s knees weak.

The events that brought us here meant I should loathe her existence for eternity, yet my need for her grows with each passing day. She’s too young, she’s vulnerable and broken, but somehow, she’s not damaged. She was the cause of what had left me with this raging agony, and yet, the balm that eased my soul. Still, I can never forgive the destruction she caused me and those I love.

I had become a mockery of my revenge because holding her at night while she slept was the only thing keeping me sane. She’ll pay the price through my cruelty, never knowing that while she dreams, I find my solace.

My story begins with my worst nightmare.
And she’s the reason behind all of it.

AMAZON

There were only so many things I was willing to do when it came to her. Forgiving her was not one of them.

If you’ve read Abbi’s Smoke and Georgia Smoke series, then you will definitely love the Mississippi branch spinoff.

Abbi’s formula just always hits the spot for me. She writes some of the best toxic, walking red flags of alpha MMCs and I am so here for it. And while the super forgiving and at times overly innocent heroines would grate on me anywhere else, in her books it just works. Don’t ask me why or how. It just does, ok.

Those eyes of hers were a weapon. The damn sky on a clear day couldn’t even compete.

This is the Mississippi branch of the souther mafia so expect some cameos from past favorites as well as the introduction of plenty of new and intriguing characters. If you’re expecting a lot of mafia elements, it’s not really that. They’re more like morally corrupt, Yellowstone kind of ‘mafia’. Ya know? And this girl has no complaints.

Now the premise of this story is a HUGE spoiler, so I won’t tell you much but I will say that my jaw was on the floor on chapter one. And it takes a lot to catch your girl by surprise.

Our MMCs is the type of morally gray fictional man that I love. He’s ruthless, cold, unfeeling, and as homicidal as they come. The man is a walking red flag if there ever was one, so naturally I fell for him. Fictionally speaking of course. Halo is her name personified. This girl is innocent and sweetness all wrapped up into one eager to please FMC. And she was the perfect balance to the MMCs craziness.

She wasn’t mine, and I had no right to do this, but I couldn’t seem to stop it.

This is a forced proximity so it also had a slow burn element to it which I loved. It burned so good, even when there were moments that I wanted to c*ck punch our MMCs. But I digress.

This pull she had on me was owning me.

There is just something about Abbi’s books that are just pure book crack for me. I read them in one sitting and while there’s definitely a formula to them, it just always hits and hits the spot. It’s quick paced, spicy, with just the right amount of grit.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Dark, Dirty Talkers · Tagged With: , , , ,
Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

%d bloggers like this: