Review: Pawn by TM Frazier

July 1, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

PAWN
Series: The Pawn Duet #2
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: TM Frazier
Release Date: June 25, 2020

Born into hell. Baptism by betrayal. 


His life revolves around violence.

 

Pawn, the highly-anticipated conclusion to The Pawn Duet from USA Today bestselling author T.M. Frazier, is available now!

 

My life is on the line.

I’m trapped both physically and emotionally. A pawn in a game I didn’t know I was playing.

Until I met him.

Pike acts without emotion, but I know he feels something for me.

I see it in his eyes when he looks at me. I feel it when he’s close.

I know it’s real because I feel it too.

Lust. Desire.

It complicates everything.

I know that I’m part of Pike’s plan for revenge.

He doesn’t know he’s part of mine.

 

Pawn is book two of The Pawn Duet. Pike is book one.

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Start the duet with Pike!

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Pike bends me over the sink. I grip the edge to prevent falling face-first against the porcelain. I glance up at him through the mirror to where he’s standing behind me, appraising my body with fierce heat in his fiery eyes. He molds his body against mine. I close my eyes at the sensation I’ve been dreaming about feeling since the last time I saw him. I relish in his scent, his heat.

“Open your eyes, Mic,” he orders. “I want you to see this. To see us.”

My only response is a whimper. I have no words.

Only need.

As ordered, I open my eyes.

Pike grazes the back of my neck with his lips. “I want to see your reaction in the mirror as you take my cock. I want you to see mine as I give it to you. I’m not just going to fuck you. This is a message. One I want you to hear loud and fucking clear so that there will be no more misunderstandings between us.” He reaches between my legs under my skirt, cupping my pussy over my damp panties.

I push back against him with a loud groan. Pike holds me in place, pushing my panties down my legs before resuming his touch, this time against bare and soaking wet flesh.

He groans when he feels what’s waiting for him. “This belongs to me.” He wraps an arm around my shoulder, closing a hand over my throat, biting at my earlobe. His next words are both a statement and a warning, delivered while the shaft of his thick cock presses against the cleft of my ass.

“You. Belong. To. Me.”

The only person who can hurt me right now, is you. It’s your fucking move, Mic. Make sure you make the right one.”

How does this woman do it? She creates the most damaged and screwed up characters and makes me love them? OK rhetorical question, but still. I was itching to get my hands on the conclusion of Pike and Mickey’s story but dang, I was no expecting all this!

I already fell head over ovaries for Pike in the first book. Mickey, while being a genius, definitely had some screws loose, but in the most endearing of ways. This woman is damaged in every sense of the word. She’s survived what most people would get broken by, and while her coping mechanism isn’t the healthiest, it’s what makes her tick. That comes out in spades in this story as we jump further into the rabbit hole that is her brain.

Pike is just as delicious in this installment as he was in the first, except now he’s come to make peace with his growing feelings for Mic and his protectiveness comes out in full force. And this girl was SO HERE FOR IT.

There’s quite a few revelations and jaw dropping plot twists that I didn’t see coming in a million years. I literally had to pick my jaw off the floor after the first, and the second made me stare at the wall utterly dumbfounded with a holy shit moment. I love a story that can take me by surprise, and this one totally did. It was one revelation after another and this kept me glued to the pages from beginning to finish.

It was fast paced, suspenseful, sexy, and utterly messed up in parts. But I gobbled it up with a spoon. Not to mention the cameos from all of my favorites here, and I can happily say that this totally hit the mark for me.

T.M. (Tracey Marie) Frazier never dreamed that a single person would ever read a word she wrote when she published her first book. Now, she is a five-time USA Today bestselling author and her books have been translated into numerous languages and published all around the world.

T.M. enjoys writing what she calls ‘sexy wrong side of the tracks romance’ with morally corrupt anti-heroes and ballsy heroines.

Her books have been described as raw, dark and gritty. Basically, what that means, is while some authors are great at describing a flower as it blooms, T.M. is better at describing it in the final stages of decay.

She loves meeting her readers, but if you see her at an event please don’t pinch her because she’s not ready to wake up from this amazing dream.

Connect with T.M. Frazier

Facebook | Amazon | GoodReads | Join Frazierland | Instagram | BookBub 

Twitter: @TM_Frazier

Stay up to date with T.M. by signing up for her mailing list: http://bit.ly/TMFrazier Website: http://www.tmfrazierbooks.com

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Review: Welcome To The Dark Side by Giana Darling

June 18, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

WELCOME TO THE DARK SIDE
Series: FALLEN MEN #2
Genre: Dark, MC Romance
Author: Giana Darling
Release Date: April 18, 2018

 

I was a good girl.

I ate my vegetables, volunteered at the local autism centre and sat in the front pew of church every Sunday.

Then, I got cancer.

What the hell kind of reward was that for a boring life well lived?

I was a seventeen-year-old paradigm of virtue and I was tired of it.

So, when I finally ran into the man I’d been writing to since he saved my life as a little girl and he offered to show me the dark side of life before I left it for good, I said yes.

Only, I didn’t know that Zeus Garro was the President of The Fallen MC and when you made a deal with a man who is worse than the devil, there was no going back…

This is Daddy Zeus Garro’s story from Lessons In Corruption. A standalone in The Fallen Men series.

AMAZON

I was sick. Sick with lust for a girl nineteen years younger than me and morally sick because of it.

I’ve been eyeing this series for forever it feels like. But I was somewhat burned out on MC romance, or at least on the poorly written ones masquerading as MC romance, that I was a little trigger shy. What? I’m judgy! This shouldn’t be news to you here. But the allure of a taboo romance with a dirty talking MC prez proved to be too much, so I finally bit the bullet and dove in. And I am so glad I did!!!

He was breathtaking in every sense. Terrifying beyond comprehension and so gorgeous, it was a physical blow to the senses.

This book was everything I didn’t know I wanted. If you’re a fan of a good age gap, this one delivers in spades. It was like a love child of Undeniable and Motorcycle Man. Or as I call it, my catnip. Me-Ow! *purrs contentedly*

Now before all of you pearl clutchers come after me for liking a book between a 17 year old and a man 19 years her senior, I’d like to say that this is set in BC where the age of consent is 16. The heroine is also wise and mature well beyond her years as a product of her circumstance. That was probably one thing that worried me with starting this. Naive, immature heroines are my kryptonite. I can’t deal with it. Louise was great! She definitely had her teenage moments, which just made it believable. But she wasn’t an immature brat. Being the daughter of a corrupt mayor and parents who barely pay attention, and surviving leukemia has forced her to grow up quick. She first meets Zeus Garro in a hail of bullets as a young girl, when he saves her life. And the rest, as they say is history. They’re reunited again when Zeus gets out of jail and Louise is now a teenager with an entirely different form of hero worship for the dangerously lethal biker.

Zeus was perfection. The man is a dirty talking god. He’s utterly electric on the pages. I swear I got tingles just reading about him. He’s an MC Prez that doesn’t shy away from blood shed, but he’s also a devoted father. And he’s so dirty. I mean DURTY. GOD but it was delicious.

Now look, I’d be lying if I said this book was perfect. There were pacing issues. Quite a few of them. This messed a little with the flow of the story. However, I was so invested that I barely batted an eye lash at it. What did get me, though, were the KA-isms. And by KA-isms, I mean it was almost too much with the similarities at times. Now considering I had just finished a Kristen Ashley book right before this, clearly this was very fresh on my mind. I’ve read plenty of books that emulate her style, and I don’t usually mind it. However, this author clearly has writing chops, and her work can stand on its own and I would have loved if it resonated here. But the characters all sound like KA men with their aversion to any words ending with a consonant, amongst other things, yeah? What frustrated me was this was not just in dialogue but with inner monologue as well. I get that a character should stay consistent, but it was just too much. Then there’s the chapters that start in the middle of a sex scene, much like KA. What I’m saying is, the similarities were there, and it’s worth a mention.

Now, aside from that, this book was SOLID. I’m talking page-turner. Full of action, hot romance, and all of the grit. It read like a good MC book should. It felt authentic. These men were not innocent by any means, but you can’t help but love them. Zeus is just a god amongst men. This is a character that I won’t be forgetting any time soon. There’s just something about him that sticks with you.

If you’re a fan of gritty MC romance, this is an absolute must read. Take it from this cynic, you want to meet daddy Zeus. Do it and thank me later.

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Review: Blowback by Monica James

May 7, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

BLOWBACK
Series: The Monsters Within Duet #2
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Monica James
Release Date: May 7, 2020

This was supposed to be simple. Vengeance was mine. But I should know by now that nothing in life is easy.

My endgame has changed all because I met someone who wishes I was dead. Yet her hatred is the only thing saving her from The Big Bad. My lies protect her, so the harder she hates, the safer she is.

The thing about love and hate—it skates a very thin line. I need to stay away. It’s better for everyone if I do. But fighting this is like fighting nature.

Our paths crossed for a reason, and my Tiger isn’t fooled. Once the smoke clears, she will see every player, including me. I don’t deserve a second chance. But I want one…because I want her. The question is, what happens when the truth is finally revealed?

With the end in sight, I can promise you there will be nothing but violence and mayhem.

Oh yes, blood will be shed.

AMAZON

My body, my mind, and my heart are lost to him, and I don’t know if they’ll ever be found.

Truth be told, I’m not a big trilogy or duet girl. More often than not, the next book will lose it’s fizzle for me. Or the conclusion feels like filler, stretched out, and total anticlimactic. True story. Most trilogies I’ve read, I’ll devour book one and then the next one will fall short. I’m a picky beoch, okay? Stop looking at me like that.

When I read Bullseye: The Monsters Within Duet Book 1 I was immediately hooked on this dark world. The story was a whirlwind of bloody twists and depraved turns. Bull’s story is not for the faint of heart. And when the cliffhanger hit, you were left reeling picking your jaw off of the floor.

To say that I was desperate for the final book would be a small understatement. I was damn near rabid for it. So when this landed on my kindle, I jumped right in. And I devoured it in one sitting. What. A. Ride.

This brings the conclusion of Bull and Tiger’s story and it was EPIC. There’s so much that happens and I was so here for it. What I loved is even though Bull made peace with his fingers for Tiger, he never once lost the edge that makes him HIM. He was still just as darkly depraved and still focused on his revenge. Only now there was another factor in his motivation; to protect the woman he fell for from a complete and total psychopath.

Admittedly, I struggled buying into Tiger’s quick turn around when it came to her brother. It’s like a switch was flipped with her and she saw the light. But a part of me got it too. I loved Bull and Tiger’s depraved brand of love. They feed each other’s demons and I totally got the connection between them.

This story was a non-stop thrill ride full dark twist and turns. It was gritty. It was bloody. It was unputdownable. While the first 20% was a bit slow for me, it picked up quickly by the 30% mark and wouldn’t stop until the end. If you’re looking for a deliciously dark duet with a revenge plot, a tortured hero, and an imperfectly perfect heroine that falls for him, look no further.

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#DGRFave & Review: Sea of Ruin by Pam Godwin

April 28, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

SEA OF RUIN
Genre: Dark Historical Pirate Romance, Stand-alone
Author: Pam Godwin
Release Date: April 28, 2020

Bennett Sharp is on the run.

Wanted for piracy, she fears neither God nor death nor man.

Except Priest Farrell.

 

The unfaithful, stormy-eyed libertine hunts her with terrifying possessiveness. Nothing will stop him from coming for her. Not his unforgivable betrayal. Not when she’s captured by the ice-cold pirate hunter, Lord Ashley Cutler.

She must escape Ashley’s prison and Priest’s deceit. But can she walk away from their twisted desires?

 

Two gorgeous captains stand on opposite sides of the law. When they collide in a battle to protect her, the lines blur between enemies and lovers.

Passion heats, secrets unravel, and hearts entangle until they break.

Can love prevail in the sea of ruin?

AMAZON | B&N | KOBO | iBOOKS | GOOGLE PLAY

The short story, KING OF LIBERTINES, can be read before or after SEA OF RUIN.

It’s only available in the AUSTRALIA anthology:

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Love isn’t a decision. It arrives unannounced, breeds madness, and leaves a sea of ruin in its wake.

Two words: FUCKING. EPIC.

My god. Y’all. I’m rendered speechless. This is easily my favorite Pam Godwin book to date. And considering I’ve read and loved her entire backlist, that’s saying something. But this book? It was something else entirely. Mesmerizing. Magical. Unique. And totally and completely unforgettable. It was unlike any book I’ve read lately, and I loved it so much more for that!

There was only so much suffering a person could endure before they broke. Sometimes, broken things couldn’t be put back together.

This was certainly a huge step away from Pam’s usual dark romance, but it was no less gritty or gut wrenching. This is a historical romance that introduces the reader to one of the most fierce lady pirates you will ever read. Not that I’ve ever read about a female pirate before. But now that I did? I NEED MORE!

How do I even begin to describe to you the incredible experience that was this book. And that’s what it was. An experience. It was so much more than just a romance. The rich world building, the characters, the depth and development. All of this combined to make this like a movie reel that unrolls with every turn of the page.

Bennett Sharp is a force to be reckoned with. Her birth is the result of two worlds crashing together that couldn’t be more different. Her childhood wasn’t perfect, but she had hope for something more, until an a tragedy rips that away from her in the most devastating of ways. Now she’s a pirate, a captain of her ship, with the sea the only thing she craves. She’d do anything for her loyal crew, even sacrifice herself to ensure they survive. This is how she ends up in the hands of the commander of the royal navy and facing one of the biggest battles of wills I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading.

I can’t seem to make sense of you.”
“It’s easy, Commodore. Just think of the smartest man you know, remove all the hauteur and bigotry, and add a larger pair of testicles.”

Now that is all of the details that you’ll be getting from me. I went into this completely blind, and I recommend all readers do the same. All I can tell you is prepare for the experience of a life time. Yes, this is a historical, but it’s no less edgy than what we’re used to from Pam. This story was heart wrenchingly dark, sinfully erotic, and oh so gritty. It packed one hell of a punch that kept me riveted to the pages. And that’s not even starting on these incredible, multi-layered characters. MY GOD. It was utterly hypnotic.

Pam not only mastered this genre, she slapped it’s ass and made it call her daddy. PERFECTION. Sheer perfection between the pages. This is an absolute must read. Trust me. Even if historical isn’t usually your cuppa, this will make a converter out of you. It’s simply not to be missed.

Pam Godwin Books GrayScale

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.
Join my Facebook Reader Group: here

Other Books by Pam Godwin

Tangled Lies Series
ONE IS A PROMISE (#1) – FREE
TWO IS A LIE (#2)
THREE IS A WAR (#3)

Deliver Series
DELIVER (#1) – FREE
VANQUISH (#2)
DISCLAIM (#3)
DEVASTATE (#4)
TAKE (#5)
Manipulate (#6)

Trilogy of Eve
HEART OF EVE – FREE
DEAD OF EVE (#1)
BLOOD OF EVE (#2)
DAWN OF EVE (#3)

Stand-alones

? STUDENT-TEACHER ROMANCE ?
DARK NOTES

?️ ROMANTIC SUSPENSE ?️
DIRTY TIES

? ROCK-STAR DARK ROMANCE ?
BENEATH THE BURN

? CELEBRITY ROMANCE ?
INCENTIVE

 

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#DGRFave & Review: Master of Salt & Bones by Keri Lake

April 22, 2020 by · 2 Comments

 

MASTER OF SALT & BONES
Genre: Gothic Romance
Author: Keri Lake
Release Date: April 22, 2020

 

When I was a little girl, I dreamed a handsome knight would come and rescue me from my wretched mother. He’d ride up on his white steed and break the curse I’ve been fated to carry since the day I was born.

Funny how things changed over time. How the fairy tale twisted into something far more crooked, darker than I ever imagined.

In reality, my knight is scarred and broken, living alone in a castle of bones that overlooks the sea. He isn’t searching for me. He never was.

Lucian Blackthorne is as cursed as I am, and equally shunned by the locals, the fishers of men, who believe him to be the devil in the flesh.

Perhaps he is, with the way his amber eyes draw me in, ignite me like an infernal blaze. And the sins he whispers in my ear are as wickedly intoxicating as the man himself.

Yet, his touch is heaven and his will is my weakness.

He calls us forbidden, an unsalvageable tragedy, with no happy end. Maybe we are. But in this story, he’s the one who needs saving.

AMAZON 

Together, we are madness. And there is music in madness and madness in love.

Magical, all encompassing, enthralling, with a dark undercurrent and a romance that’s literally to die for, this book was everything!

How do I even begin to review this book. Keri Lake is a master of her craft. She’s written some of the most memorable stories I’ve read to date. Her romances are unique and unlike any I’ve read before. And this goes double for Master of Salt & Bones. This is a shift away from Keri’s usual dark romance, but it’s still somewhere there in the middle. It’s a gothic romance full of mind blowing twists and jaw dropping secrets. It tells the tale of an unlikely romance between a mysterious recluse and the young ingenue that tempts him beyond reason.

Lucian Blackthorne. The Devil of Blackthorn. Just saying the man’s name gives me shivers. Keri has written some of my favorite antiheroes, but this man? He is something else. If you like tortured heroes, prepare to give your heart away. Lucian hides devastating secrets. He’s richer than sin and the town recluse for reasons that slowly unwind as the story unfolds. He’s mysterious, aloof, and ruthless when it comes to getting what he wants.

Isadora Quinn is a young woman with secrets of her own. She’s lived her entire life underneath the shadow of her mother’s sins in their small town. Desperate for an escape, she takes a job as a caretaker for Lucian’s mother. The second she enters the Blackthorne manor, life as she knows it, takes a turn.

There are dangerous secrets lurking in every dark corner. And the man that warns her off with every sharp bite of his temper holds the darkest secrets of all. He pushes when she pulls, and then he pulls when she pushes. Theirs is an intricate seductive dance of forbidden and dangerously alluring. Isa is everything that Lucian doesn’t deserve and can’t have, but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t temp him beyond reason. She’s too young, but only in years. Hers is an old soul that has survived too much in her young life. But there’s something more that binds them. Something more dangerous. Something darker. Something that Lucian already knows he craves and Isa is only figuring out.

This book, y’all. GAH. It’s THICK. The story is a bit of a slow pace in the beginning as it sets the scene. But then right around the second half, it takes off like a bullet. I loved the dark allure and the sharp edge that this romance carried. It was a little depraved and a whole lot twisted. And this girl? Loved every single page.

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Review: He Hates Me Not by Isabella Starling & Rina Kent

April 11, 2020 by ·

HE HATES ME
Genre: Dark Romance
Series: Hate & Love Duet #1
Authors: Isabella Starling & Rina Kent
Release Date: April 9, 2020

Once upon a time, there was a monster.

When the night falls, he comes out to harvest souls.

He’s silent and invisible —no one notices when he strikes then retreats to the shadows.

Our paths shouldn’t have crossed, but they do.

One day he sees me.

Then he can’t unsee me.

Once upon a time, there was a monster, a killer, a devil.

My stalker.

This is book is a dark stalker romance and contains dubious scenes.

He Hates Me is part of a duet and is NOT standalone. The entire duet will be released two weeks apart.

AMAZON

PRE-ORDER HE HATES ME NOT:

He Hates Me Not, the conclusion of Love & Hate Duet is releasing on April 23rd. Pre-order today!

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She has always been mine to own, mine to break and to destroy. Some would call this stalking, but I call it keeping an eye on her. 

Well hot damn. What a deliciously thrilling ride this book was. While I’ve read Rina Kent, I haven’t read anything by Isabella Starling. And as a writing duo, these two are absolutely fantastic.

If you follow my reviews, then it’s no secret how much I love a good anti-hero. And it just doesn’t get more delicious than a borderline sociopathic mob hitman. Jasper’s intensity practically leaps off of the pages at you. The man is ruthless, unfeeling, and gets a sick sort of satisfaction from meting out his brand of punishment. His name alone sends fear into grown men and his reputation for being a stone cold killer is nothing to sniff at. An assignment by his boss to find and eliminate an heir to the mafia throne lands him in the parking lot of a hospital where he sets his sight on a beautiful nurse…and the obsession begins.

Georgina is a lonely soul. With her cats to keep her company, she years for something more. But unfortunately no man has ever made her feel beyond a slight interest that wanes as quickly as it appears. She may not be everything that she appears to be at first sight with her fake smiles and when Jasper sees her, he’s immediately obsessed.

If you’re like me and love your anti-heroes possessive and obsessive, you will fall in lust with Jasper. The man stalks her. Finds any way to insert himself into her life, even murder. And when his expert maneuvering has her best friend from work setting Georgina up with him, he knows nothing short of getting a taste will lessen his obsession.

Thus begins one of the most delicious push and pulls of their relationship. Jasper is crude but in the most yummy way. He’s a man that likes it rough and a little resistance doesn’t put him off. If you like dub con, this has some of the most delicious scenes. And no, not in a rapey way, but in a true dub con way. Georgina may not fully understand her needs, but the more demanding Jasper gets, the more she feels herself pulled into his orbit. Theirs is not exactly an orthodox relationship. They are a back and forth of hot sex and pulling back, but neither seems capable of staying away. Jasper knows his job won’t allow for anything permanent but he’s completely incapable of leaving her alone. The more time passes, the more obsessive he becomes. GOD it was good.

The suspense and grit of the story is on point. There are twists and turns that I never saw coming that were pretty jaw dropping. I devoured this book, cliffhanger and all. Luckily the wait for book two isn’t that long and I can’t wait to see how everything ends.

To celebrate the release of He Hates Me, Isabella Starling and Rina Kent are giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card. Head to Rina’s Facebook page to enter: https://www.facebook.com/rinaakent/

Dark, dirty and taboo is what Isabella Starling is known for.

An Amazon top 25 bestselling Author, Isabella has 10 books under her belt in under a year. She is a self-proclaimed Tumblr gif addict and always looking for her next forbidden story.

If you pick up a Starling book, you can count on a bad-mouthed, bossy man who will dominate his woman with a rough hand.

Add just a sprinkle of taboo, a touch of BDSM and a pinch of suspense, and you’re all set for a story you won’t forget.

Rina Kent is an international bestselling author of everything enemies to lovers romance.

Darkness is her playground, suspense is her best friend, and twists are her brain’s food. However, she likes to think she’s a romantic at heart in some way, so don’t kill her hopes just yet.

Her heroes are anti-heroes and villains because she was always the weirdo who fell in love with the guys no one roots for. Her books are sprinkled with a touch of mystery, a healthy dose of angst, a pinch of violence, and lots of intense passion.

Rina spends her private days in a peaceful town in North Africa daydreaming about the next plot idea or laughing like an evil mastermind when those ideas come together.

Don’t forget to Sign up to Rina Kent’s Newsletter for news about future releases and an exclusive gift.

AUTHOR LINKS

Isabella Starling Social Media:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorisabellastarling

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/isastarling

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/goodgirlslovebadboys/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorstarling

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorisabellastarling/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/isabella-starling

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Isabella-Starling/e/B01HK6XGZW/

Book+Main: https://bookandmainbites.com/users/45

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15291934.Isabella_Starling

Newsletter: http://www.subscribepage.com/isabellastarling

Rina Kent Social Media:

Website: https://rinakent.com/

Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/rinakent

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/rina-bookbub

Instagram: http://bit.ly/RinaIG

Facebook: http://bit.ly/RinaFCB

Exclusive Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/RinaGroup

Twitter: http://bit.ly/RinaTwitter

Pinterest: http://bit.ly/RinaPinterest

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/rina-goodreads

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Review: Stealing Cinderella by A. Zavarelli

April 2, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

STEALING CINDERELLA
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: A. Zavarelli
Release Date: April 2, 2020

Every royal has their dirty little secret. His was… me.

It should have been simple.

Go to the ball, meet the prince, and secure his patronage for my favorite charity.

But beneath the mask, the brooding beast of a man was not at all who I expected.

He was dark and intense and eerily quiet.

When I left, I could still feel the ghost of his touch branded into my skin.

He haunted my dreams, but I never expected to see him again.

Then he came for me.

And he took me.

And I learned that his darkness was a void I never could have conceived.

He’s the crown prince of Norway.

And, now, I’m his captive.

AVAILABLE NOW! FREE IN KU!

AMAZON 

 

Against my better judgment, I’m here. I’m giving him two months of my life to torment me, control me, own me.

Oh this book was all sorts of yummy. Full disclosure, I don’t really bother to read blurbs when A. Zavarelli releases a new book. I already know I’ll be reading this. But when I realized this was a modern-day retelling of Cinderella with a dark twist, I’m pretty sure my need for this book became rabid.

He’s a beautiful terror. A hypnotic aura of black and red. I’ve never wanted anything so much.

I love the inner workings of this woman’s brain that allows her to come up with these captivating anti-heroes. And when said anti-heroes are in place of prince charming? Sign me the hell up!

Ella tragically lost her father in the worst way possible, only to be left behind with her cruel stepmother and stepsisters that live to make her life hell. Forced into an almost servitude existence with them, Ella will do anything to escape their ire. Admittedly, I was frustrated with her at first. I like my heroines with a backbone, and seeing Ella take everything these women threw at her was painful. Then I had to talk myself off the ledge and remind myself that this IS Cinderella we’re talking about. And then I was even more pleasantly surprised to see Ella really grow into her own and develop a spine of steel.

His is a high that a chemical can’t give me. A force of nature true to his namesake. He is the God of Thunder.

Thorsen is the anti-thesis to the prince Charmings out there. The man is cold, aloof, and being the oldest twin brother, he’s up to take the throne after his father. His childhood has been anything but sweet, and made the man he is today. His beloved mother is dying and his cruel father that he can barely tolerate is threatening him to marry for duty. Then a charity ball allows him to set eyes on a mysterious beauty, and his obsession begins. When he finally discovers her, he’ll stop at nothing to have her. Even if he has to trap her, kidnap her, and keep her at his beck and call. GAH. DELICIOUS.

I loved how Zavarelli made this story her own while also keeping true to the bones of the Cinderella tale. It was sinfully sexy, deliciously gritty, and oh so dark and depraved. I devoured this book in one sitting. I loved Thor in all of his dark depravity. The man is sin personified and I couldn’t get enough of his tortured self. I loved watching Ella give as good as she got even when the odds were stacked against her. I especially loved watching Thor fall deeper and deeper under Ella’s spell, no matter how much he fought it.

If you like your fairy tales with a modern day dark twist, this book is simply not to be missed! 

 

A. Zavarelli is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of dark and contemporary romance.

When she’s not putting her characters through hell, she can usually be found watching bizarre and twisted documentaries in the name of research.

She currently lives in the Northwest with her lumberjack and an entire brood of fur babies.

Connect w/A. Zavarelli:

Facebook Page | Facebook Reader Group | Instagram | Twitter | Mailing List | Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Bookbub 

 

 

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Excerpt & Review: Pike by TM Frazier

March 30, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

PIKE
Series: The Pawn Duet #1
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: TM Frazier
Release Date: March 24, 2020

Pike, the first dark and fast-paced story in The Pawn Duet from USA Today bestselling author T.M. Frazier, is available now!

I was raised by the violent laws of the streets, spilling blood without the hindrance of useless emotions or connections.

Unfeeling. Unloved. Alone.

My life was perfect.

Until her.

While on a manhunt for a mysterious enemy, one hellbent on taking both my business and my life, I find Mickey. She’s covered in mud, rambling nonsense, and clearly out of her mind.

She’s also a distraction I don’t need.

That is until I discover a connection between the girl and my enemy.

Mickey isn’t a distraction anymore.

She’s the perfect weapon.

One I’ll use to exact my revenge.

The plan is an easy one, but there’s something about Mickey that’s making it more and more difficult.

A familiarity I can’t place. A need I can’t explain.

A want I have to deny.

After all, she’s not mine to keep. She’s a tool. My pawn.

My sacrifice.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO 

Pre-order Pawn, the stunning conclusion, today!

Releasing April 28th

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO

I raise the gun in both hands, aiming it at his chest. “I have to go. You can’t stop me,” I say, with all the resolve I have left. “You’re going to trade me and ambush them, but don’t you think they have the same plans for you? I have to go, and that way, fewer people will die. YOU won’t die. So, just let me leave. I have a plan. It will work. I’ll take them down for both of us.”“No.” Pike looks from me to the gun. “And as I’ve told you before, you’re not going anywhere.” His words are dark and menacing. An amused smile turns up the corners of his lips.

It’s infuriating. He’s infuriating.

I straighten my shoulders. “What’s so funny?” I ask, swallowing down the rising fear in my throat. I remind myself of one important fact to keep from choking on that fear.

I’m the one holding the gun.

Instead of freezing or retreating as one would do in this situation, Pike takes a bold step forward, catching me off guard. I stagger backward, but I’m not fast enough. He reaches out, and at first, I think he’s going for the weapon, but he doesn’t. He confuses me as he wraps his hands around mine, tightening my grip around the gun. He lifts my hands and bends slightly at the waist, forcefully pressing the barrel against his forehead. “You wanna shoot me, Mic? Then, fucking shoot me,” he dares, with wild blood shoot eyes.

My mouth drops open, but words don’t come out. I expected Pike to defend himself. To come at me. To step aside and let me leave, even though it was the least possible of all the outcomes. I didn’t plan for this.

I can do this. I have to do this.

“Not what you were expecting?” His tone is both mocking and rage-filled. “I know what that pretty brain of yours is thinking. You want me to attack you and make pulling the trigger easier on that conscious of yours.” He bites out a laugh. “Not gonna happen. If you want to do this, I’m not going to stand in your way, but you’re not fucking leaving either. So, come on. Shoot me. Go ahead. Do what you planned to do.” His eyes narrow with determination. My hands shake in his. “Pull the fucking trigger!”

The air around us is thick and charged. My skin breaks out in a sheen of sweat. My adrenaline spikes and I feel all too alert. Too aware of what’s taking place between us.

I grip the gun tighter and gaze into his dark eyes, his pupils are large and covering every hint of color within them. Behind the anger and determination, there’s something else that I didn’t expect. Something that I’m all too familiar with. Hurt. Pain that mirrors my own. Desperation that calls out to me like a piece of my soul trapped within Pike.

“Shoot me!” he cries, his face red with anger, teeth bared like a wild animal. “Fucking shoot me!”

With those words, my fiery resolve dissolves into ash.

I step back, needing to put some distance between us, but Pike doesn’t have the same thought. He follows me backward, keeping his grip tight on my hands and the gun between them.

“I…I can’t do this,” I whisper, releasing my grip on the gun.

Pike releases his hold on me, catching the gun before it can fall to the floor.

Shit.

I look to the window, but it’s too high, and Pike is directly in front of the only door. There’s no escape. So much for being brave. Instead, I’ve signed my own death warrant. My heart races erratically with the realization that this is it. It’s over.

I’m over.

“This was a really stupid fucking move for someone who claims to be so smart, ” Pike sneers. He raises the gun.

I pinch my eyes shut, waiting for the feel the bullet of his wrath to pierce my skin. I hear a thud, and my eyes fly open and land on the carpet where Pike’s tossed the gun to the floor.

My eyes meet his in silent question. Why?

He answers by charging, a one-man stampede I can’t avoid as he barrels toward me. His chest crashes against mine, and my head connects with the wall with a thud that rattles my bones. I’m dizzy as fear lands in my gut like a ball of fire. My pulse races as his closeness consumes me. The smell of cologne and cigarettes lingers between us—a trace of whiskey on his breath.

“You’re going to regret not pulling that trigger,” he sneers. The darkness in Pike’s eyes tells me that, gun or no gun, I’m not getting out of this unpunished.

Or possibly even alive.

I swallow hard.

He cages me in with his hands against the wall beside me, engulfing me in the heat and rage radiating from his hard body. I feel his heart beating fast beneath his chest now pressed against mine. “What to do with you now?” Pike muses, his breath ragged. His voice full of promise and warning. He brushes his lips over my temple. I tremble at the contact. “You’re going to pay for that little stunt, Mic.”

He’s close. Too close. I’m entirely rigid, frozen in place. This wasn’t supposed to happen. How did I let this happen? I’m the most terrified I’ve ever been, and yet there’s something else I can’t understand. Something else between us that’s charging the air, causing me to shake, and it’s not just from fear. Hatred mixed with need. The yearning I’ve denied for him is no longer lying dormant. It’s as real as the ache growing in my stomach, the wetness between my thighs. If I thought the room felt charged before, it’s damn near on fire now. The flames of desire and hate lick at the walls around us, setting everything ablaze, making the small room feel smaller, closing in around us.

My nipples harden as they brush against his chest. I suck in a gasp.

He doesn’t miss my reaction. He looks to where my nipples are straining against my shirt with heated eyes.

The only sound in the room is our mutual heavy breathing as he slowly pulls his gaze from my chest. His eyes lock on mine. For a few seconds, we just stare at each other—foreheads lined with confusion and anger.

A silent dare.

My mind, on the other hand, is anything but silent.

“Should I kill you or fuck you?” he muses. And I’m honestly not sure what scares me more. His anger or his desire. He brushes the backs of his knuckles against my jaw. “Maybe, both.”

“What do you—” I don’t have time to finish my question because his lips are on mine. He hoists me in the air, and my legs wrap around his waist on instinct.

It’s an angry joining of clacking teeth and biting lips. A war we are still fighting both with each other and ourselves. He growls at me when I pierce his lip, drawing blood. He licks the blood with his tongue then kisses me again, this time harder. A punishing kiss that has me growling at him in return. His coppery blood on my tongue tastes like victory. He licks his way between my lips, pushing his tongue into my mouth, licking and devouring with rough determined strokes. With a jerk of his hips, he presses the massive erection beneath his jeans between my legs, the pleasure that courses through me has me momentary seeing stars. I grind down on him in return.

He hisses in response, baring his teeth against my lips. “You’re going to pay for that, Mic,” he warns, taking my mouth in another kiss that has us grunting and growling at one another like starved animals fighting over the last scrap of food. But neither of us is about to give up. He pushes me back onto the bed, falling with me over my body, my legs splayed on both sides of his hips as he presses his cock again between my legs. I arch my back, needing to feel more. Needing for there to be nothing between us but desire. For each other, and to win. But, this is no longer a game we’re playing. It’s a battle. A war neither of us can win.

But, one in which we will both go down fighting.


Pike (The Pawn Duet, #1)Pike by T.M. Frazier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 STARS


When it comes to this girl, my instincts are at war. One tells me to punish. The other to protect. Only one can win.

It’s been a hot minute since I read a TM Frazier book and I can’t even tell you why. I love this woman’s brand of gritty and she knows how to deliver one deliciously dark romance that keeps you glued to the pages from beginning to finish.


Pike and I aren’t at war. We never were. We are what’s left over after the battle’s already been lost on both sides. We’re not soldiers. We’re carnage.

Pike and Mickey’s story absolutely owned me. Pike is not a good guy by any means. He’s a criminal who’s not above violence and torture to get what he wants. His past has painted his present, and he has no qualms about who he is.

Mickey is a survivor. The more you learn about her the more your heart breaks for everything that she’s been through. But it also makes you appreciate her tenacity and thirst for revenge. This is a woman that’s not afraid to fight her own battles and I loved that about her.

The story itself unravels almost like a movie reel before your eyes. Full of twists and turns it had me absolutely riveted. Pike was an anti-hero that I loved to hate and hate to love. He was perfection wrapped in barbed wire. I loved seeing all my previous faves (Preppy!! How I missed him) and many others make a cameo here.

There’s so much that happens and so much that’s left unanswered. Of course all of it is wrapped up with a killer cliffy that has you begging for more and desperate for the next book.

T.M. (Tracey Marie) Frazier never dreamed that a single person would ever read a word she wrote when she published her first book. Now, she is a five-time USA Today bestselling author and her books have been translated into numerous languages and published all around the world.

T.M. enjoys writing what she calls ‘sexy wrong side of the tracks romance’ with morally corrupt anti-heroes and ballsy heroines.

Her books have been described as raw, dark and gritty. Basically, what that means, is while some authors are great at describing a flower as it blooms, T.M. is better at describing it in the final stages of decay.

She loves meeting her readers, but if you see her at an event please don’t pinch her because she’s not ready to wake up from this amazing dream.

Connect with T.M. Frazier

Facebook: http://bit.ly/TMFRAZIERBOOKS

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2JWHAv8

GoodReads: https://amzn.to/2OjmESr

Join Frazierland:http://bit.ly/frazierland

Instagram: https://bit.ly/2U8gmtH

BookBub: https://bit.ly/2xtlQ4u

Twitter: @TM_Frazier

Stay up to date with T.M. by signing up for her mailing list: http://bit.ly/TMFrazier Website: http://www.tmfrazierbooks.com

For Text Alerts: TEXT “TMFRAZIER” TO 77948

*Standard text messaging rates apply*

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Review: Queen of Lies by Whitney G.

March 22, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

QUEEN OF LIES
Series: Empire of Lies #2
Genre: Dark, Contemporary Romance
Author: Whitney
Release Date: February 17, 2020

Book 2 in the Empire of Lies trilogy.

 

The twists and turns in Michael & Meredith’s story continue…

The woman I fell in love with is a walking contradiction…

She’s sexy as hell, yet infuriating.

Hopelessly in love with me, but carefully plotting to get the hell away.

She honestly thinks that I’m the ‘king of lies’?

Well, she f-cking fooled you…

 

She’s the queen.

AMAZON 

She was a mere chapter in my book and this is our final page. No happily ever after included.

I’ll keep this short and sweet. I devoured the first book. I was so sucked into this story, it’s not even funny. It had the delicious vibes of the Whitney G books I fell in love with in Reasonable Doubt: Full Series.

I devoured this too, but it was also missing something. Ultimately, with the short length of these books, I was hoping that each installment would offer more depth. But that wasn’t quite the case here. The story continues to move forward, but it’s too quick paced. I struggled with buying into the connection between Michael and Meredith. There’s simply not enough meat here for me to get fully invested. The bones are there. But it’s missing quite a bit of backstory. I’m hoping the final installment will bring that, but I just couldn’t help but feel this one merely grazed the surface of what it could have been

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Review: King of Lies by Whitney G.

March 21, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

QUEEN OF LIES
Series: Empire of Lies #1
Genre: Dark, Contemporary Romance
Author: Whitney
Release Date: January 30, 2020

The man I fell in love with is a f*cking liar…

I don’t have much time to reveal all the details, but I will say this: The “Woman disappears after wedding” and “Woman flees before honeymoon” headlines are lying.

I’m not missing.

I didn’t run away after my wedding.

I would’ve never run away right before our scheduled honeymoon.

My husband has taken me.

No, correction: He’s kidnapped me because he claims that “it’s what’s best”. That I’m a mere pawn in his twisted game of chess.

Despite the fact that my heart is still tethered to his, or the fact that he’s still the most gorgeous and beautiful man I’ve ever met in my life (he can still make me wet with a single sentence), I have to focus on getting away from him.

I have to accept that he’s no longer the man I fell in love with.

He’s the king of lies…

AMAZON 

The man I married no longer exists. The king of my heart is long gone, and he wears a new name. He’s the king of lies.

Heed the warning! The author makes it very clear that this is a different book than what we’re used to from her and ends on a major cliff. She ain’t lying, people. This is certainly edgier than anything I’ve read of hers in the past. And having read her entire backlist, I really do mean that. It also held notes of the vintage Whitney G that I’ve missed since reading Reasonable Doubt and Turbulence.

The story features a mysterious and enigmatic anti-hero with a sexual prowess that practically sparks off of the pages. And you know I’m all about that! This is a somewhat short read and the story is broken into what’s planned to be a trilogy. It doesn’t look like we’re going to have to wait long between books either with the next one releasing in March.

Now what can I tell you without disclosing any spoilers for you? Umm…almost nothing. *sheepish grin*

I’ll tell you that I read this in one sitting. The story seems a bit convoluted at first, but Whitney brings a lot of the pieces together at the end while still leaving you desperate for answers. It’s told in alternating POVs with parts in present and the rest in the past leading up to the current events. The story is fed to the reader in short somewhat hazy glimpses. The anti-hero is deliciously dirty, as only Whitney knows how to deliver. We know next to nothing about him, except for the few small bits that are slowly disclosed.

The heroine is pretty easy to like from the very beginning. Perhaps because she’s so open about her sexuality. She’s been in a bit of a dry spell and isn’t above using Tinder to find a spark that will keep her warm for a night. She’s also an heiress that gave it all up to live a life of her own, until everything as she knows it comes crashing down when a short affair with a gorgeous stranger turns her work upside down.

It’s tough to rate this one with so many questions still up in the air, but it kept me glued to the pages and left me desperate for more. I can’t wait for the next installment!

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