#DGRFave & Review: Ruby Tears by Pepper Winters

RUBY TEARS
Series:
The Jewelry Box #1
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Pepper Winters
Release Date: March 12, 2024

“Ten thousand dollars.
That pitiful sum changed my entire life.
It bought my entire life.
A measly ten thousand dollars, given to my boyfriend by a monster to fuck me.
He took it.
The monster took me.
And I never saw freedom again.”

I’m the bastard son of a monster.
My other half-blooded siblings have their own demons…but me?
I truly have the devil inside.
I try to be good.
To do my best to ignore the deep, dark, despicable urges.
But every day it gets harder.
I thought family could help.
I reached out to my infamous half-brother, Q begging for his secrets to stay tamed.
Instead, he gave me an ultimatum to prove I’m not like our father.
Infiltrate The Jewelry Box: a trafficking ring of poor unfortunate souls, kill the Master Jeweler, free the Jewels, and don’t lose my rotten soul while trying.
Only problem is…my initiation into this exclusive club is earning a Jewel all of my own.
She sparkles like diamonds, bleeds like rubies, and bruises as deep as emeralds.
She’s mine to break.
I can’t refuse.
If I want to prove to my half-brother that I’m not like our sire, I have to sink into urges I’ve always fought, plunge into madness, and lose myself so deeply into sin that the only one who will be breaking is me.

AMAZON 

Her fight. Her exquisite, delicious fight. It fucking destroyed me.

Monsters in the Dark is one of my favorite dark romances and also Pepper Winters books. Then again, I don’t think Pepper has written a book that I haven’t obsessed over. But her dark romance? It’s on a whole other level. The woman writes the most captivating, lyrical prose as she writes stories rooted in the darkest of worlds. And this girl will never get enough.

Now Q Mercer is one of my favorite antiheroes so when I saw that Pepper is writing a book for his long lost half brother? Well, I did what any normal person would do. Stalk the sh*t of her social media for any morsel of information, obviously. But nothing and I mean nothing could have prepared me for the effect this book had on me.

You’re holding me.”
“And you feel so damn breakable. So fucking good.”
“I can still hit you. Hurt you.”
“Do it and I won’t be able to stop what I do in return, Ily.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Stop using my name. It’s not yours to use.”
“Mine’s Henri. Now you know what to scream.”

Henri is a dark enigma. This man is not morally gray, he’s hiding a pitch black darkness that he fights with every ounce of his being. He has been fighting his dark cravings all his life. He knows that giving in will turn him into the worst of monsters. After all, what he wants doesn’t exist in the light of day. It is far from normal and it’s dripping in depravity. But when a promise to his brother lands him in an impossible situation, he can’t fight his demons. He has to give into them in order to blend in with the monsters he’s surrounded by. But what he didn’t want is for the innocent beauty he catches the eye of in a bar to get caught in the spider web.

I didn’t even have time to breathe. He kissed me. Savagely. Inhumanly. He kissed me as if he could stop my heart with a single lick.

Ily is in France with her boyfriend. But when their public breakup in a bar catches the eye of the wrong people, she finds herself caught, stolen, and carted to a place she has no hope of escaping. Her only salvation may be the same man who holds her ruination in his hands.

You’re mine now. Your every breath, every drop of blood, every bone, every thought and prayer and scream belong to me. Nod.” She nodded.

Now you know you’re reading a dark romance from Pepper Winters when you’re at the edge of your seat, pit in your stomach, just waiting for the other shoe to drop. And you know, you just know, that when it does, you’ll never be the same. This, this is why I love dark romance. This feeling. The dread, the anxiety, the suspense of each turn of the page.

His stare tore into mine like his tongue had plunged into my mouth, and we both stopped breathing. “You taste like the worst kind of nightmare.”

This book is not for the faint of heart. Heck, it’ll be hard for the most seasoned dark reader. But it’s beautifully written, with complex, multilayered characters who will evoke so many emotions from the reader; hate, loathing, fear, and heartache being just a few.

Ily is such a fierce heroine and she doesn’t stop fighting even when her situation is impossible. And Henri? Henri is a monster in the dark that you’ll fall for in spite of yourself. This man is so irrevocably broken but his jagged pieces are so captivating.

I did take a few days to finish but it wasn’t because it dragged. I wanted to savor it but I also needed a small break in between because the story is so intense. And that ending? I don’t know if I will even survive the next book. But I desperately need it anyway.

#DGRFave & Review: Hills of Shivers and Shadows by Pam Godwin

HILLS OF SHIVERS & SHADOWS
Series:
Frozen Fate #1
Genre: Dark Romance, Why Choose
Author: Pam Godwin 
Release Date: March 12, 2024

Abducted and taken to a remote cabin in Alaska, Frankie finds herself at the mercy of four feral men, each with his own dark secrets and twisted desires.

With nowhere to run, she must rely on her wits to survive the harsh winter, trapped with them.

As she delves into their mysterious pasts, she uncovers an insidious evil that feeds on loyalty and uses love as a weapon.

Nothing is as it seems.

In this desolate world where the monsters are as beautiful as they are cruel, trust is elusive. They torment her, protect her, and keep her in the dark.

But to have any chance of escape, they must stand together.

Or fall prey to the evil in the hills of shivers and shadows.

Tropes: Abduction, Adult Romance, Alpha Hero, Angsty, Anti-Hero, Band of Brothers, Billionaire, Bully, Captivity, Dark Romance, Enemies-to-lovers, Escaping a Killer, First Love, Forbidden Love, Forced Proximity, Found Family, Poly (3+ people), Protector, Romantic Suspense, Scars, Slow Burn, Stalker, Survival, Taboo, Tortured Past, Touch Her And Die, Tragic, Vengeance, Virgin Hero, Why Choose

AMAZON 

Beware of the monsters with beautiful eyes.

I…am not OK. I’m totally and completely shooketh. And I doubt anything will be OK until I can get my hands on the next installment of this series.

This is it. Only two options left. I escape. Or I die.

Having read everything Pam has ever written, this is unlike anything I’ve read from her to date. One of my favorite things about her writing is just how versatile she is as an author and the genres she writes it. The woman has a Midas touch, I swear. She can write a grocery list and make you cling to every word. But this new series of hers is something else entirely. Is it dark? Absolutely! It wouldn’t be a Godwin book without her signature grit and dark undertones. But this story was a total and complete mind f*ck.

They were raised by the devil, and the devil doesn’t breed innocence. He breeds raw, seductive masculinity, apparently.

The first installment in the Frozen Fate trilogy read more like a dark, psychological thriller with romance undertones and the way I was riveted to each page is beyond words. I’ll try to review this book without giving too many details (read=any details) away. Trust me when I tell you that you need to go into this story absolutely blind.

Apologize.” She walks right up to him like he’s not about to go full Hulk on her ass.
“Excuse me?” His head jerks back.
“Apologize for the threats you’ve made against my life and the way you’ve treated me since day one.”
He laughs, hollow and vibrating with evil. “Go fuck yourself.”
“You will.” She smiles. “One day, you’ll crawl to me on your fucking knees, begging me to forgive you. But it’ll be too late. You will be the one fucking yourself.”
Extending her middle finger, she walks out the door and slams it behind her.
“Goddamn.” I’m in love.

Frankie is an absolute bad*ss of an FMC. She’s fiercely independent and madly in love with her husband. But then her world tilts on its axis after a devastating fight leaves her alone, vulnerable, and kidnapped. Taken to a remote location in Alaska that can only be escaped by a plane, she’s left at the mercy of a devil and his sons. Nothing is as it seems and the only thing clear is she’s not safe. She doesn’t know who to trust and where to turn. Mourning her marriage and what could have been, she finds herself being drawn to the 3 intense men occupying the house and the devil who seems to keep them on a tight tether. When I tell you I was greedily turning the pages desperate for just one morsel of information. The chemistry is fiery but it’s very much a slow burn. The sexual magnetism of the men is on a whole other level. And no, I won’t name them. Trust me on this.

Frankie is fierce and savage and I couldn’t get enough of her. And the men? My heart hurt for them, I hated them, I was at the edge of my seat just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I need you to hate me, Frankie. Hate me the most. But we’re not staying away from this.” I gesture between us. “When I grovel and beg and crawl on my knees, I expect our hate-fucking to be the best fucking either of us will ever experience.”

And then that ending hits you with the intensity of a Mac truck and you’re trying to make sense of what just happened and you can’t. I have no idea the direction that Pam will take their journey but I know I will eagerly brace myself for what’s sure to be one wild ride.

This was a dark romance with psychological thriller vibes that will grab you by the throat from page one and not let up until the end. It will leave you desperate for the next book and wondering what side is up. UTTERLY DELICIOUS.

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Pam Godwin, lives in the Midwest with her husband, their two children, and a foulmouthed parrot. When she ran away, she traveled fourteen countries across five continents, attended three universities, and married the vocalist of her favorite rock band.
 
Java, tobacco, and dark romance novels are her favorite indulgences, and might be considered more unhealthy than her aversion to sleeping, eating meat, and dolls with blinking eyes.
 
Facebook Reader Group: here

Review: Dark Delights by Mila Kane

DARK DELIGHTS
Series: Hellions of Hade Harbor Book 2
Author: Mila Kane
Genre: Dark Romance, New Adult Romance
Release Date: March 8, 2024

 

My little Cinderella nearly cost me everything. Now it’s time to pay…

Eve Martino is off limits. Her brother, my best friend, makes sure of that.

But when he transfers to play hockey at another school, he leaves his sister in my hands.

He has no idea about our history, no one does.

It’s our little secret.

The truth is, Eve nearly ripped my life apart, and threatened everything I care about.

… and I’ve been waiting for the chance to get even.

Now she’s my partner in class, my roommate and my ward.

Ruining her will be my perfect revenge.

 

Meet the Ice Gods, the Hockey players who never play by the rules and own Hade Harbor and everyone in it. Dark Delights is a standalone bully romance featuring a possessive hockey playing Ice God, and the smart, mouthy object of his obsession. This is a bully romance, and contains dark themes, please read with caution.

AMAZON

The jealous girl and the lonely boy.

Bad Intentions was my first Mila Kane book and I have been obsessively making my way through her new and old releases. But this book? This book right here? This turned my obsession into immediate auto buy. I thought I liked Bad Intention, but Dark Delights? The immediate and permanent chokehold that this book had on me should be illegal in at least 40 states.

Shut up, you stupid degenerate,” she fumed at me, moving her hips in subtle circles she seemed to have no idea she was making, fucking herself on my fingers.
“You want to be the only virgin at HHU?”
“Stop. Talking,” she ground out.
“Make me,” I growled against her lips.

Let’s talk about tropes for a second.

Enemies to lovers? Check
Rich boy/poor girl? Check
Bully elements? Check

But this book was so much deeper than those tropes and I’ll try to explain without giving any details away because you really want to go into it blind.

Beckett and Eve meet as kids when Eve’s mom takes a cleaning job in Beckett’s family estate. But while Beckett and Eve’s twi brother Asher become best friends, the relationship she has with Beck is contentious at best. One night, when they were kids, she overheard something she shouldn’t have. She saw the turmoil and pain that Beck hides behind his vicious and untouchable surface. When a mix up in the college dorms leaves no other solution for Eve but to take her brother’s room, she lands in the crosshairs of Beck. Roomies with benefits? Yes please. But these two hate each other and the hate lust? OH MY GOD. It was delicious.

I’d grown up with every single luxury in the world, materially, that was. There had never been anything that I couldn’t have. Until Eve. I wanted her surrender.

Now I loved Eve’s sassy mouth and inner strength. This is a girl who takes no sh*t and I loved her for it. But Beck? I was obsessed. This poor, tortured boy and his hidden inner scars owned my heart. I loved the way Mila wrote him and how she peeled back his layers to reveal one of the most complex characters. Yes he was a d*ck at times. Yes, I wanted to punch him at times. But I also wanted to hug him and take away all of his pain. This is not a guy who’s a d*ck just for the sake of being a d*ck. He’s complex, multilayered, and impossible not to fall for. Oh and the dirty mouth on him. *swoon*

You’re the fucking worst,” she muttered and reached out, circling my dick with her hands. That touch felt better than anything had ever felt, including any drug I’d ever taken. “And yet you’re about to gag on my cock and swallow my cum. Open wide, sweetheart,” I instructed her, gripping her jaw and guiding her forward.

But then his inner thoughts were even better.

I enjoyed every sign of her capitulation. Her reluctant fall into lust for a guy she couldn’t stand was half the turn-on. She wanted me against her better judgment, and that made me a king.


This was an addictive read from start to finish with a splash of suspense. I wouldn’t call it dark, per se, more like it had dark tones with a grittiness to it that I couldn’t get enough of.

I’m so obsessed with this series. And the set up for Asher’s book? I need it immediately!

 

I’m obsessed with cats, coffee, and anti-heroes just the right side of insane.

I write dark and dirty romance with the alpha-holes of your most filthy nightmares.

While I like my heroes obsessed and powerful, I like my heroines smart and independent. My headstrong, capable women will bring their own personal demons to their knees, and capture their hearts at the same time.

I only write SAFE stories, there is never a place for another woman in my heroes sights, once he’s caught the scent of the heroine, and there will always be, no matter how dark and twisted the story might be… a HEA guarantee xx

 

Connect with Mila

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

Amazon | https://amzn.to/44E1nt6

Facebook | www.facebook.com/MilaKanewrites

Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/3NOGG6C

Instagram | www.instagram.com/milakanebooks/

TikTok | www.tiktok.com/@milakanebooks

Pinterest | www.pinterest.co.uk/MilaKaneWrites/

 


 

Review: Where’s Molly by H.D. Carlton

WHERE’S MOLLY
Author: H.D. Carlton
Genre: Dark Romance
Release Date: February 16, 2024

A spinoff of the Cat & Mouse Duet…

“Molly Devereaux has been missing for more than two weeks, and police are still searching for the girl who seemed to vanish out of thin air. The world still wants to know… Where’s Molly?”

In my dreams, I never escaped the Oregon woods.

Life after death isn’t easy to accept, especially when I still feel like a ghost.

Now, I live deep in the mountains of Montana—the paradigm of beauty. But they are also the home of horrors.

Horrors that I only unleash at night.

When my pigs are allowed to feast.

It is strongly recommended to read Haunting Adeline and Hunting Adeline before reading Where’s Molly.

Important Note: This is a dark romance that contains dark subject matter. Please refer to the author’s website for content warnings

AMAZON

She escaped me once, and I let her go.
I won’t allow it a second time.

If you’ve read the Cat & Mouse duet, then you know the name Molly. The girl who got away and whose journals became Addie’s balm and sanity in that house of horrors. When H.D. Carlton announced the character of this book, I was equally excited and terrified. Excited because I will eagerly devour everything this woman writes. But also terrified because I wasn’t sure I could survive a reminder of the first half of Hunting Adeline. I still have PTSD from that. Luckily, while there are flashbacks to what happened with Milly, mostly all details are off the pages and I was grateful. This was a short read that was more gray than dark and I devoured it in one sitting.

Molly was a character that I immediately connected with.

My human interaction is very limited.
Especially because that’s what my pets like to eat for dinner.

A woman who’s been through hell and back. She now lives off the grid on a farm with her pigs and a unique job that is oh so fitting. She never expected to run back into a man who gave her a nigh to remember for years to come before she disappeared.

Cage. OH CAGE. God but this man was perfection. His undivided attention and single minded obsession made me fall hard and fast.

Because as long as I was inside her, her sadness would be powerless to my obsession.

I mean, the things he say. HARD SWOON.

I want to be the only man on this entire fucking planet that knows what you feel like. And if I’m sharing this knowledge with a single soul still walking this earth, then I will be removing them from it.

This was a shorter read. A bit longer than a novella but not the beast that the Cat & Mouse duet was. It was the perfect hit I didn’t even know I needed from HD before we get immersed in the crazy world of Sibby and I loved every page of it.

Cage and Molly were incidiary together. Usually, I’m not a fan of insta anything, but god their instant chemistry and connection just did things for me. I loved Cage’s obsession and the way he fought for Molly.

I will chase away all your nightmares until they grow wary of returning.

Molly was so fierce and I loved her unassuming and quiet strength. This is a woman who saw hell and came out of it a fighter. And can we talk about that ending? DELICIOUS. And the bonus scene? I NEED TO KNOW MORE.

If you’re looking for a quick hit of the Cat & Mouse world, this book is perfect. I read it in one delicious sitting and enjoyed every page. I only wish it was a bit longer but it was also super satisfying for the length, so I can’t even complain. Now I’m left desperately needing Sibby and Rio’s book.

Review: Fierce Obsession by S Massery

FIERCE OBESESSION
Series:
Hockey Gods #5
Author: S. Massery
Genre: Dark, Hockey Romance
Release Date: February 16, 2024

Knox Whiteshaw is my husband.

He’s also an egotistical psychopath who refuses to divorce me—even when I ask nicely.

It doesn’t matter that I’m trying to move on with the goalie of his NHL team. Knox is dead set on ruining everything.

My upcoming wedding, my future, my sanity…

The man can hold a grudge like no other, and I am public enemy number one. I have been for six years, ever since he threatened me and stormed out of my life.

Now that we’re forced back in each others’ lives, it’s only a matter of who will break first: him or me.

AMAZON

I don’t want to kiss her, but I’m pretty sure I’ll stop breathing if I’m not inhaling her scent. If I’m not tasting her.

You know when you meet a character you hate but also can’t wait to fall in love with? A character that you become completely obsessed with over the course of a series as a secondary character that you can’t wait to see finally fall to his knees for a woman? A character that you anticipate so hard that the actual book can’t possibly live up to the anticipation? Well I’m happy to announce that Knox didn’t live up to my expectations. Why? Because he blew them away. And this? This just may be my all new favorite book in the Hockey Gods series. S. Massery really said, leave the best for last with this one and OH MY GOD IT WAS EPIC>

You’re going to know true darkness when I’m done with you. But you’ll be safe from all the demons in the world. Except me.”

Knox Whiteshaw has been a guy I loved to hate throughout the Hockey Gods series. And ever since his cruel game with Willow in Secret Obsession, I couldn’t wait for the woman who would bring this playboy to his knees. I just didn’t anticipate for that to be his wife…of 6 years. Yep. You read that right.

Ever since the ending of Twisted Obsession, I have been feral for Knox’s book. A wife? The manwh0re who never gives a woman more than a nigh of his attention, unless he’s playing her for a bet, has a wife? Color me intrigued. But when I tell you that nothing prepared me for the emotional punch that this story brought.

Her chest heaves. “I hate you.”
“Good. Because I’m going to kiss you, and I expect you to fight back.”

Knox has been the stereotypical f-boy throughout this series. But we finally got to see a peak into the heart of him in the last book. I was dying to peel back all of his complex layers but I wasn’t prepared to fall for him as hard as I did.

Now I’m not going to spoil this by giving you details on his story because, trust me, you don’t want to know more than what was revealed in the previous book. Do yourself a favor and go in completely blind. But what I will say is that I couldn’t imagine a more perfect FMC to bring him to his knees than Aurora; his childhood best friend who he lives to hate now.

Aurora has no idea that her husband who refuses to grant her the divorce she’s been begging for has recently been traded to the Titans until she runs into him during a game. And to say that neither is thrilled to see the other is a mild understatement. The tension, the chemistry, the hate lust between these two is EVERYTHING. Everything I tell you. I gobbled it up with a spoon nd licked my fingers after because it was SO DELICIOUS.

S Massery seriously knows how to deliver one h*ll of an addictive read and I couldn’t imagine a more perfect book to close the series with. Fierce Obsession was everything it promised with the title. But could you expect anything less from Knox Whiteshaw? I think not.

And the spinoff to the next hockey series? OHMYGAWD. I need it. HARD. Desperately. IMMEDIATELY.
*giggles* That’s what she said. But I digress again.

All of the stars! Read it immediately. And if you haven’t read this series than we can’t be friend until you do. That is all. Thank me after. Kthanksbye.

S. Massery is a dark romance author who loves injecting a good dose of suspense into her stories. She lives in Western Massachusetts with her dog, Alice.

Before adventuring into the world of writing, she went to college in Boston and held a wide variety of jobs–including working on a dude ranch in Wyoming (a personal highlight). She has a love affair with coffee and chocolate. When S. Massery isn’t writing, she can be found devouring books, playing outside with her dog, or trying to make people smile.

Connect with S. Massery
Website | http://smassery.com
Goodreads | https://bit.ly/smassery-gr
Amazon | https://amzn.to/3T64F2s
Facebook | https://bit.ly/3fRud4N
Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/3T3kl6C
Instagram | https://bit.ly/3edBQCp
TikTok | https://bit.ly/3RKdoWW
Bookbub | https://bit.ly/3edBVWJ
Pinterest | https://bit.ly/3edBYBT
Newsletter | https://bit.ly/3RM1Rqb



Review: Fearless by Tracy Lorraine

FEARLESS
Series:
Harrow Creek Hawks #4
Genre: Why ChooseDark, Captive Romance
Author: Tracy Lorraine
Release Date:
December 28, 2023

An all-new and addictive dark, why-choose, captive romance from the USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Tracy Lorraine.

You know what they say about things that are too good to be true…

We might have been in a safe house recovering, but we were in danger, and still the four of us found a way to be together.

We’d even managed to find something that I never thought possible.

Peace.

We were finally a team, fighting against our enemies.

But those enemies were closer than we anticipated.

I might have escaped, but the three men who owned equal parts of my heart were still inside the building I watched go up in flames, the house where we found each other again crumbling to ash.

Someone betrayed us.

Someone we trusted.

With shattered promises, I’m forced to put my faith in someone I shouldn’t.

I walk away from the house that holds so many heart aching memories… from the men who
changed my life in more ways than they ever could imagine.

Maverick promised me that he’d protect me from ever hurting again.

JD promised to stand by me no matter how dark life got.

And Reid, he promised to burn the entire world down for me.

But how can I carry on our fight without any of them by my side?

Dear Reader,
Fearless is book four of four in the Harrow Creek Hawks series. It is a dark why-choose romance, meaning our leading lady has several love interests and never has to choose to find her HEA. These three a-hole alphas are certainly no heroes; their morals are questionable at best. If you’re looking for a good guy, then you’re in the wrong place. Enter at your own discretion.

AMAZON 

One broken woman. Three very dangerous men. What could possibly go wrong?

I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for this conclusion. Yes I know I’m being dramatic because there’s a month between releases, but just work with me here. It felt like forever, ok? The second I started Merciless, I was immediately sucked into this dark and gritty world. Each installment brought a new layer to this story and I couldn’t wait to finally peel that last layer off.

This final installment certainly made up for all the edging that book one put us through, almost too much so. Yes the sex scenes were super hot, but they got a bit much that I began to skim through some. The story here happened mainly towards the end and to me, parts of the super hot sex scenes felt like filler at times. Take this with a grain of salt because this is coming from a super ADD reader who grows bored in long series easily.

However, the story was still gripping enough to keep me glued to the pages. The revelations are jaw dropping and Tracy spares no dark or torturous detail when it came to painting the picture. This quartet owned me and I fell hard and fast for these characters. I need to immediately check out her entire backlist because she writes a dark romance like no other and I’m obsessed.

If you’re looking for a deliciously dark romance with a fierce survivor FMC and the three gangsters who fall head over heels for her, this is a must read.

Review: Delightful Sins by Lola King

DELIGHTFUL SINS
Series:
North Shore Stories #3
Genre: Dark Romance, MFM
Author: Lola King
Release Date:
November 30, 2023

 

She betrayed them and ran away. They want their revenge.

In a town where all that matters is loyalty to your gang, I’ve been labeled a traitor.

I ran away from the North Shore the day I knew I wasn’t safe there anymore. I left behind the people I thought were my family, my friends, my crew: the Kings.

Mainly, I turned my back on the two men who once meant everything to me.

I might have known Elliot and Ethan since we were children, but I betrayed the brothers in more ways than one. Or at least I would rather them believe that than know why they should truly want me dead.

I should have known no one escapes the Kings. The most powerful gang on the North Shore never planned on letting me go.

It doesn’t matter that I ran as far as I could, they found me now, and they’re taking me back to a town that holds my darkest secrets and most haunting memories. Where everyone hates me, where people who were once my allies are now my enemies.

A place where they can do anything they want with me.

I’m stuck with a master manipulator and his antisocial brother.
With two men who only want one thing: to make me hurt.

Elliot and Ethan are not letting me go.

At least not until I’ve paid for my sins.

Delightful Sins is the third book in the North Shore Stories. It can be read as a standalone.
This book is a dark romance and contains scenes and subject matters some readers may find triggering. Please, read the content warning inside the book.

AMAZON 

“Now give it to me.” He senses my confusion. I know he does because I feel his smile against my ear. “Consent. To play with you however I want. Even when you’re in states where you can’t fight back. Even when you’re sleeping. You wanted the deal, and it comes with all of that. So say it.”

Well now, hello Lola King and where have you been all my life? On a forever hunt of dark romance with morally gray characters, deranged and possessive anti heroes, and a chapter just for the trigger warnings, I stumbled on the blurb for this book. Instantly intrigued, this easily became my first read from Lola King and I can definitely assure you that now it will not be my last.

You want to scream his name?” he grunts. “You’ll be crying mine.”

This is a dark MFM romance with a fierce heroine and two highly deranged anti hero step brothers.

Two years ago, Jade ran from Silver Falls and The Kings, leaving behind her past and taking her secrets with her. Or so she thought. Because two years later, the two men she thought she left in her rearview are back to collect, and they’ll take her penance in her body, degradation, and possession.

Elliot Pearson scares me. Because he has eyes that resemble an angel and reflect the needs of the devil. Because his hair is the same color as the sun, but what’s inside his head is darker than the night.

Now admittedly, because I haven’t yet read the first 2 books in this series, it took me a minute to wrap my head around all the secondary characters and the intricacies of the two gangs; Kings and North Shore Crew. Each character was more deranged and unhinged than the next and I was instantly hooked. There is nothing better than a well written, unhinged anti hero, and Lola King has a winning formula in this book. Elliot and Ethan were on another level.

My beautiful Ethan. Life never loved him, so he loves nothing in return.

Jade is no innocent. This is a woman who had to fight all her life. She gives as good as she takes, and boy is she forced to take it. When you run from a gang who thinks you stole something of theirs, there is no where to hide. Jade is not above using her body to survive, and there was something so endearing about her mix of vulnerability with fierce survivor. Once she loved Ethan and Elliot and they shattered her. Now they’ve dragged her back and give her a choice; their protection for her body and consent.

I’m sorry my love is selfish and destructive, but it’s real. You can hardly blame a man for his obsession when his obsession is you.”

This was a dark and gritty page turner full of suspense and multilayered characters. At times the kinks between them were almost too much, but it fit the story. Having said that, I did feel that the story could have been a bit shorter and still lost nothing in the process so it took me a bit longer to read. However, it was also all encompassing snd highly addictive. I’ll now be going back to read Lola’s entire backlist and most definitely the first two books in this series.

Review: Lawless by Tracy Lorraine

LAWLESS
Series:
Harrow Creek Hawks #3
Genre: Why ChooseDark, Captive Romance
Author: Tracy Lorraine
Release Date:
November 16, 2023

An all-new and addictive dark, why-choose, captive romance from the USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Tracy Lorraine.

I found peace in the last place I expected, but it was a mirage built on lies and unfulfilled promises.

I thought we somehow managed to find a way to co-exist in their little lair, but as usual I was wrong.

The second I felt settled, a corrupt Hawk turns up and flips everything I’ve come to know—and dare to trust— on its head.

Without a choice, I’m dragged out into the night by the man I vowed to obey— Maverick Murray.

Taken away from the protection of the man I loved to hate— Reid Harris.

Torn from the arms of the man who’s been my savior throughout this whole ordeal— Julian Dempsey.

They all had their reasons for needing me alive, but it was JD, the loyal best friend to the ruthless leader who taught me all about playing with fire.

The cocky playboy who likes to think himself a joker.

Just one smile from him and everything seems easier.

One touch and the rest of the world falls away.

The last thing I want to do is hurt him.

But I can’t forget that he’s a part of all this.

JD hurt me, even if it was with pleasure.

I never made a secret of where my loyalties lie.

And I have no choice but to leave him and Reid behind, as I clutch my husband’s hand, trusting that he knows best.

But what’s best for me, is the worst thing for JD. Because without me… his darkness just might pull him under.


Dear Reader,
Lawless is book
three of four in the Harrow Creek Hawks series. It is a dark why-choose romance, meaning our leading lady has several love interests and never has to choose to find her HEA. These three a-hole alphas are certainly no heroes; their morals are questionable at best. If you’re looking for a good guy, then you’re in the wrong place. Enter at your own discretion.

AMAZON 

Three dangerously possessive men and one unbreakable woman.

Well then. Here I am, eating my words from my review of book two. Clearly I should have known that Tracy was lulling us into a false sense of security to then have the impact of book three land like a two by four to the head. WOWZA. My mind is still reeling.

After two very long books of edging the reader with everything that is Reid Harris, we finally, FINALLY, get the full impact of him here. And I am OBSESSED. When it comes to Why Choose romance, I will always have a favorite. But for the life of me, I couldn’t pick one here because I’m equally obsessed with all three of these guys. Maverick and his unwavering love and fierce protectiveness, my broken boy JD, and the dangerously alluring and mysterious Reid. I cannot get enough of these men. And with each new layer that Tracy peels back for these characters, the more obsessed I become.

Alana is just as amazing as she always was. She loves fiercely and doesn’t shy away from taking and demanding what she wants. This woman is a survivor through and through. She didn’t let her dark past dictate who she is and she embraced her broken pieces. This installment peeled back another layer of her past and brought the 4 closer to answers. But then everything gets turned on it’s head and left me sitting at the edge of my seat, biting my cuticles to nothing, as I waited for the other shoe to drop. And just when I thought we get s lull, bam! Cliffhanger. I’m not sure I’ll survive the wait for book 4 at this rate. I really won’t. But I may just have to re-read this one to tide me over.

If you’re looking for a sizzling RH with amazing, multi-layered characters, and plenty of darkness, grit, and suspense, look no further!

Review: Princes of Ash by Angel Lawson & Samantha Rue

PRINCES OF ASH
Series
: Royals of Forsyth University #8
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Angel Lawson & Samantha Rue
Release Date: November 10,  2023

“To create is to reign.”

The phrase uttered by the Princes of Forsyth is no longer a motto, but a harsh truth: I’m carrying the East End heir.

My pregnancy announcement wasn’t the only bomb dropped at the Princes’ annual Valentine’s Day party. I’d revealed to the entire world that Rufus Ashby is an abusive man who rules his sons with a sadistic bent, terrorizing them into becoming the best soldiers a father can create.

Turns out, I’m not the only one fighting for survival in this house of horrors.

Whitaker – He’s beautiful and broken, and though my betrayal of him may be my biggest regret, he makes it difficult to feel guilty.

Pace – The same paranoia which makes him viciously cling to the things he loves also drives him to lock them away.

Lex – His brilliance is matched only by his loyalty, but there’s two sides to the man who wanders into my room at night.

It’s not just the Palace that’s haunted by evil men; it’s the very soil the structure is built on. I’ll soon come to find the traumatic bonds that link my Princes to one another are more than mere shackles.

If I want the Monarchs to succeed, if I want this baby to have a chance, if I want to survive…

I have no choice but to break the ties of the Ashby brothers the same way I destroy the Palace.

Brick by brick.

Princes of Ash is book 8 in the contemporary, dark, reverse harem, traumatic romance, Royals of Forsyth U series by best-selling authors, Angel Lawson and Samantha Rue. Please read the foreword for all content warnings and details.

AMAZON 

“This must be why men have testicles. They need somewhere to store all the fucking audacity.”

The absolute chokehold that this series has on me. GOD. Every single time I think to myself that it can’t possibly get better, these two authors go and release the next one and I am putty. PUTTEH. I thought I loved book one in this trilogy, but this one simply blew me away.

How these authors can continue to create some of the most unhinged, dark, and borderline irredeemable characters and then turn around and make you fall head over ovaries for them is beyond me. But here we are again. Because while I thought I loved the Lords and the Dukes, the Princes are EVERYTHING. When I hated them with a passion in the first book, this one humanized them. It gave a much needed peek into their humanity and vulnerability. We get to see them come back from hating Verity for her betrayal and their unwilling and inevitable fall for her.

Verity, like all of the royal women, is a fighter. This woman goes through hell for her goals, and doesn’t back down. I loved every single page of this book and devoured it in one binge read. Luckily, the authors took pity on us with a slightly more tolerable cliffhanger that doesn’t make the wait for the next book as painful. But GAH. I’m so obsessed.

Review: Dreadful by Greer Rivers

DREADFUL
Series: Tattered Curtains #3
Author: Greer Rivers
Genre: Dark Romance
Release Date: October 19, 2023

? ????, ??????, ???????? ????????? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ? ?????? ????? ??? ? ????? ???? ?????.

????? ??????? ?? ?????… ????? ???? ?? ????????.

Fifteen years ago, a girl sacrificed her life for mine. I’ve wanted only justice ever since.

Then Talia entered the stage.

I’m the barber’s son. The Don’s nephew.
A prince without a throne and only revenge to fuel me.

She’s the bakers’ granddaughter. Sweet Tallie.
Their ?????. My ??????.

My desires have always stopped at vengeance. She’s made me want more. But my vendetta will destroy everything in my path, and I won’t risk bringing her into my world.

I never suspected she’d snake her way in on her own.

I craved a bite of her sugar and spice, but my little ?????? is fangs and venom.
Now all I want is to be bitten.

???????? ?? ? ????, ??????? ????? ????????? ?? ??????? ????, ??????, ??? ??????, ??? ?? ??????-??? ?????? ??? ? ???????? ?????????? ?? ??? ???????? ??????? ??????. ?????????? ???. ???? ????? ???? ???? ???????? ?? ?????? ????? ??? ??????’? ??????? ??? ??.

AMAZON

I’m the heroine in my story and the villain in everyone else’s.

Ummm, exsqueeze me, but where have I been? Clearly sleeping on the brilliance that is Greer Rivers obviously. Because this book? Total binge read.

I saw a few book friends reading this and the cover peaked my interest. Then I read the blurb and thought Medusa and Sweeny Todd? What an interesting mix. Then I grabbed it on KU, read the first page, and was instantly hooked! I am a SUCKER for a good revenge plot. And when you have a fierce FMC with a hit list? I am SO on it.

This is a dark mafia romance with two characters that I became OBSESSED with. We have Severino, a Don’s nephew who survived hell. But the only reason he’s alive is because a little girl paid with hers 15 years ago. And now he will stop at nothing by seeking revenge on those responsible.

Talia is hiding in plain sight. With a hit list of her own, she’s systematically making her way through that list with bloody precision. And she will not stop until everyone responsible for her past pay. Then Sever walks into her bakery. He has no idea who she is, but she does, yet not in the way you think. Look, I know I’m being vague, but trust me here. You want to know as little as possible here.

This gave me a touch of Mind*ck vibes, which I have been desperately seeking for MONTHS. But in its own very VERY unique ways. The pacing, the romance, the suspense, all of it was deliciously perfect. I binge read the first 85% of this book. I couldn’t get enough of it. I was desperately turning the pages just waiting for that other shoe to drop. AND OMG when it did! SO GOOD.

The ending was satisfying, but for some reason felt a bit fluffy. Don’t judge me. I’ve read some dark shit, okay? But all in all, this was an absolutely addictive dark mafia romance that I devoured in one sitting and will immediately be binging on Greer’s entire backlist, spank you very much.

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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