Jennifer’s Review: Dark Mafia Prince by Annika Martin

dark mafia prince-DGR reviewDark Mafia Prince
Series: A Dangerous Royals Romance #1
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Annika Martin
Release Date: June 28, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

30264227-2

THE WAY HE USES ME IS PRIMITIVE. DEMEANING. AND ALL I CAN THINK IS, DON’T STOP!
*A Dangerous Royals romance with a standalone romance HEA!*

Aleksio
Don’t look at me like that. So trusting.
Like you think I’m not a monster.
Like I won’t wrap your hair in my fist and bend you to my will.
Like I won’t sacrifice you, piece by piece, to save my brother.
I’m the most dangerous enemy you’ll ever have because every time you look at me, you see somebody good. That friend who died.
And when you look at me like that, I die again.

Mira
I spent years making myself invisible.
A good girl, apart from the noise.
Then you came back, beautiful and deadly in your Armani suit.
Don’t look at me like you still know me, you say.
But I remember your smile and those sunny days.
Before they lowered your small casket into the ground.
Before they told us the prince was dead.

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKSReview-DGR4 stars

4 “Sleeping King” Stars!!!

Three brothers. Mmmm. My kinda series.

“the suits, the codes, cufflinks just so. The sleeping king…”

One brother is missing. Aleksio and Viktor are on a war path to rain down hell onto the leading mafia king to find their brother. Aleksio is determined to reunite his family and take over his empire.

My Aleksio:

mxm men:

Aleksio’s love is the dangerous kind of love that breaks all the rules. It’s him killing and kidnapping as he goes after his brother. It’s him pulling my hair and shoving his cock in my mouth. I shouldn’t think it’s beautiful.

My Mira:

.:
Mira is the daughter of the leading mafia king. Aleksio and Mira knew each other when they were kids, both children of mafia kings. Mira believes Aleksio to be dead, but she soon finds out that her own father is not what he seems. Aleksio kidnaps Mira (I LOVE kidnapping stories!), and holds her ransom in order to get information about his missing brother.

The story leads to many places to find the missing brother. At the same time, Aleksio and Mira grow closer to together. They are so hot together, and I love how Aleksio is with her. Dirty Talker = No Panties. Yes, please.

The way he uses me is violent. Primitive. Demeaning. And all I can think is, don’t stop.

7246821I am a sucker for mafia romance, but this book is more than just romance. It’s a story. I love books that tell a story in addition to the romance. Why do I love mafia romance so much?! Probably because there is almost always a guaranteed alpha, and Aleksio did not disappoint in this one.

This book had my attention from start to finish. It was an easy, quick read that I didn’t want to end. Thankfully, it continues in the next book in the trilogy. Viktor, here I come!


A DANGEROUS ROYALS ROMANCE SERIES

DARK MAFIA PRINCE | WICKED MAFIA PRINCE | SAVAGE MAFIA PRINCE

Review: Sinner’s Revenge by Kim Jones

Sinner's Revenge- reviewSINNER’S REVENGE
Series: Sinner’s Creed #2
Genre: Erotic Romance, MC
Author: Kim Jones
Release Date: July 19, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

sinners-revenge-2

The sizzling second book featuring the Sinner’s Creed Motorcycle Club, bikers bent on riding chrome and meting out mayhem…

Shady has spent the last eight years of his life dedicated to the Sinner’s Creed Motorcycle Club. But after losing the man who was both his brother and his best friend, he has a new purpose—to avenge the death of the greatest nomad in Sinner’s Creed history.

His plan is flawless. His mission is simple: seek and destroy. There is no room for distractions—especially a distraction like Diem.

She’s infuriating. Demanding. Complicated. Impossible. And for some reason, Shady can’t stay away. But he only has space in his heart for one love: Sinner’s Creed. And the club always comes first. Always.

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKS Review-DGR4 starsSinner's Revenge-DGR teaser

Inside, I’m screaming in agony. But no one can hear me. My eyes are filled with sorrow and loss. But no one can see it. My chest aches with a thousand flames from the fiery sea of hell. But no one can feel it. No one but me. Shady. The man who was born with nothing, lost everything he’d gained, and has something he doesn’t deserve. Life.

I went through the emotional wringer back when I read Sinner’s Creed. It equal parts gutted me and left me yearning for more. I remember bawling like a baby at the end and thinking how tragically beautiful the ending was. And I also remember practically salivating to get my hands on Shady’s book. The death of his best friend and brother left Shady reeling. The only thing that burns in his veins is his need for revenge. He won’t rest until those responsible for the death pay for it in blood…rivers of it.

My anger is fueled by all that’s been lost. Fury blazes in my eyes. Rage consumes me. Revenge is my only thought. Killing is my ultimate goal. Death is the only justice.

Shady is as calculating as he is lethal, and his plan for revenge is thoroughly planned out. It’s what he sleeps, eats, and breathes. Nothing can distract him from his ultimate goal until a woman that’s as crazy as she is beautiful demands his attention in a way that he can’t ignore.

Diem, for lack of a better term, is batshit. *shrugs* No really. There’s something seriously wrong with this chick and it was equal parts entertaining and infuriating. There were times where she’d do something that left me reeling and scratching my head. I mean, the woman shows up randomly where he’s at, steals his truck, and basically moves into his house without so much as an invitation. But there’s always something to her. Something that’s just below the surface that constantly has you questioning if everything is as it seems…

He’s under my skin. He’s in my head. He gives me everything I never knew I wanted and then some. If I thought I was falling before, I’m sure of it now.

This was so much more beyond an MC romance. It’s the story of brotherhood and a bond that reaches beyond death. Shady’s unwavering loyalty to his MC and his love for his brother was evident in every page. I loved his connection to his fallen brother even if it was heartbreaking knowing what he’s going through. His inner turmoil was palpable.

I also loved that while there’s clearly sexual chemistry between Shady and Diem right away, it was almost a reluctant relationship. Both of them know they’re chaotic together and yet they can’t keep away from each other.

We’re scarring each other.
Hurting each other.
Torturing each other.
And it’s never felt so fucking good.

Admittedly, my one struggle throughout the book was Diem. I had a really tough time connecting with her character. She was just all over the place with her mood swings. She’s a tough bitch, but at times it was almost too much so. I felt like I needed a valium every time I’d read another one of her tantrums. In parts it was entertaining, and in other parts it was just draining. There was one part in the first half that I thought could go somewhere, especially after the big revelation, but didn’t. [su_spoiler title=”Click to view spoiler” style=”fancy” icon=”chevron”]Diem’s accident. Considering everything that comes to light soon after just seemed reckless and didn’t fit what we later learn about her character[/su_spoiler]

Kim Jones delivers one heck of a gritty tale with Sinner’s Revenge. Her writing seems to get better and better with each new book and I’m definitely a huge fan. No one delivers an MC book quite like her and this book is further proof of that.

There’s so much that happens here that I found myself practically incapable to put down my kindle until I finished. There are twists at every turn, some so completely mind blowing that it left my head reeling. And while I struggled with the first half with Diem, I devoured the second half with fervor. I highly recommend that you read Sinner’s Creed first in order to truly appreciate everything that happens with the story. But mostly, I recommend it so you truly appreciate the epilogue. Damn if the author didn’t get the waterworks from me yet again. I adored the epilogue here. It should have been slightly cheesy but it wasn’t at all. It was beautiful and touching and gave me that final sense of completion that I didn’t even know I was missing after the first book. Perfection.

Gritty, violent, dark, and brutal on the one hand, and full of emotion, brotherhood, and love on the other. This book was the perfect balance of all of those and more! I loved all of the secondary characters, I loved the intensity and I absolutely loved the ending.


DON’T MISS THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL!

SINNER’S CREED (Sinner’s Creed #1)Sinner's CreedGOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

Review: Blood To Dust by L.J. Shen

blood to dust-reviewBLOOD TO DUST
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: L.J. Shen
Release Date: July 17, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

blood to dust
His name is Beat, and I should hate him.

Bound, blindfolded and bruised, I’m tied in his basement, waiting for the men who stripped me from clothes and humanity to collect his debt to them. Me.

His name is Nate and I should hate him, but I don’t.

I’m not supposed to know his real name, even worse, I’m not supposed to care. He is nothing to me but means to an end. The plan is simple: break free, collect the pieces of my broken soul, kill the bastards and run away.

His name is Nathaniel Thomas Vela, and I’ve never seen his face, though I hear that it’s beautiful.

Behind the rugged and handsome exterior, there’s a quiet murderer, a killer who thinks guns are for pussies and ends people with his bare hands.

His name doesn’t matter, neither does his face, but what does matter is my heart. And right now, sadly, it’s his.

Blood to Dust is a standalone, full-length novel. It contains graphic violence and adult situations some may find offensive.

Buy LinksAMAZONReview-DGR4.5 starsBlood To Dust-DGR teaser

I look like the perfect victim. Scared. Beautiful. Innocent…Though, I’m anything but the latter.

Well slap my ass and call me Sally, what in the ever hell did I just read?
This.
Book.
Was.
Brilliant!

OK. OK. Allow me to get my thoughts together here
*deep breath*
*another deep breath*

Holy hell, people!

I already knew after reading Sparrow that L.J. Shen was a talented author, but after reading this book? She blew everything I thought I knew away! The woman is a genius. Everything, from the characters, the writing style, the chapter formation, the story, all of it I can describe in two words; brilliantly intense.

I’m picky with my dark romance. Some of it has become entirely formulaic for me; bad guy meets somewhat naive girl, some mundane detail, plot twist for shock value, and BAM! HEA! This book? This book was nothing like that. Not even close. It was unpredictable, violent, brutal, dark and twisted. You won’t have a book hangover after, you’ll have PTSD and you’ll love every depraved moment of it!

She’s hurt and broken in her own, fancy-ass country club way. And I’m hurt and broken in my own, broke-ass ghetto way.

Any other woman that finds herself bloodied, tied and locked in a dark basement waiting on certain death at the hands of men intent on collecting their debt from her, may be shaken. But not Prescott. Every minute in her captivity is another minute for her to plot and scheme and plan her escape. Because she will escape. Even if she has to use her unwilling captor to do it…

She’s going to ruin me…and I’m going to let her.

Beat is a nameless, faceless man in a mask. He’s a man that owes a debt himself. He’s the man with a price on his head and his own survival as his main concern. A prissy little princess tied up in his basement for some unknown debt of her own shouldn’t concern him. Yet there’s something about her that calls to his primal side and tempts his inner beast…

She’s aiming straight for my fucking heart, this chick. Shot after shot in the dark.
And sooner or later, I know, even in the pitch black, she’s going to hit her target.”

Blood To Dust-DGRThe story packs a hell of a one two punch. It’s deliciously dirty and anxiety inducing gritty. The characters are incredibly well developed, multi-layered, and impossible not to like. Prescott was one kick-ass chick. She’s a survivor and she never stops fighting. She maintains an almost morbid sense of humor even during the most dire of times which gives her this incredibly endearing quality.

As for Nate Vela aka “Beat”? Oh man. Man oh man. I loved him! I loved his inner struggle in protecting himself or doing the right thing. I loved his inner struggle in his attraction to Prescott. There was so much depth to him that you can’t help but connect with right away.

The chemistry between the two of them was deliciously depraved. This is no cookie cutter romance. Nate Vela is one vile, dirty, dirty man and I loved him for it. Both of them are survivors in their own right, and together they’re a force to be reckoned with. It was perfectly balanced with two incredibly strong characters and for this reader it was perfection! There’s nothing better for me than a heroine that can save herself, and Prescott was no damsel in distress.

There were parts of it that I spent laughing. There were parts of it I spent with a knot in my stomach and hands shaking. It was unlike anything I’ve read and I loved every twisted part of it!

I love her like a slave, I kneel in front of her like a subject, I crawl back to her at night like a drunk and I worship her like a believer. She’s my truth, my lie, my storm and my peace.

There was one particular detail at the end that confused me a little because I don’t remember it being explained. It could have been something I overlooked, but after re-reading the part several times, I’m still not sure. I’m not expecting everything wrapped in a pretty little bow, but given the detail was a pivotal one that set the plot in motion, I suppose I just wanted slightly more explanation on it. But that’s just one minor quibble in what was a truly amazing book, so I really can’t bother myself to complain about it much. If you’re looking for a dark read with strong characters and an unpredictable plot, READ THIS BOOK.

Jennifer’s Review: Backfire by @KERILAKE

Review-Backfire-Jenn reviewBACKFIRE
Series: Vigilantes #2
Genre: Dark, Contemporary Romance
Author: Keri Lake
Release Date: June 9, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Backfire+FOR+WEB

This book is a standalone set in the same world as Ricochet.

No matter how unbreakable he may seem, every man has a weakness.

A year ago, my home became a bloodstained crime scene. That night marked the beginning of my hell—the same night I was tortured by my enemies and tossed into an underground prison to die.

They failed. I survived.

Now that I’m free, only one motive burns in my soul: revenge.

Lucky for me, they think Jase Hawkins is dead. Maybe I am. I’ve got nothing but a cold, merciless rage, and Black Betty, the sharp steel blade that never leaves my side.

Then she drifts into my life.

Lucia wants answers—so much so, she’s willing to fall into the darkness where my enemies lie in wait, to kill her for what she knows.

Or to take her for the depraved fantasies her body alone can rouse in a man’s mind.

Me? I want her for the fire in her touch that feeds my addiction, forces me to feel what has become numb, but my appetite for bloodshed runs deeper than flesh.

For my own sanity, I’ve vowed to stay away from her. Because she’s my only weakness, an obsession that leaves me craving more—one that could make even the most steadfast plan backfire.

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKS

Review5 stars

This-book-chopped-me-up-and-had-me-for-dinner!!!

I feel like nothing I can say in this review will be enough. There is so much in this book that I am literally overwhelmed writing this review. The thought I keep coming back to is that it feels like a comic book, which sounds cliché, but this book is not cliché at all! It’s a book of evil, drugs, crime, danger. But it’s also a book of hope, light, love, sex. I felt like I was pulled into this world, and I just got lost. I LOVE getting lost in books.

Below the crime-lords, and all the shit people heard on TV, was a world that existed only in nightmares. A place where rules didn’t exist and the people who thrived there were faceless names who ruled themselves in anarchy. There, the most horrific crimes were bartered for and traded like a Sunday afternoon at Eastern Market.

19695337Jase is on a war path of vengeance. After being tortured for a year, he is given a second chance, and his only assignment is to kill someone, the very person who killed the only people he loved. He is haunted by his past. Nightmares and flashbacks are his friend. But then he meets Lucy. Little does he know that this isn’t the first time they’ve met.
19695338
My Jase:

 :
My Lucy:
Della. "Twisted Perfection" by Abbi Glines:

Lucy loves to take pictures of abandoned buildings in Detroit. This is something that Jace and Lucy share throughout the book, a love of photography.

Some called it ‘ruin porn,’ and for me, the more damaged, the more drawn to a place I seemed to be.

à la Mode St. » fashionWhile photographing an abandoned building, she sees something that she should not have seen, and especially should not have filmed on her camera. Evil men are after her, but she is determined to pursue truth and justice, putting her life at risk.

Jace and Lucy’s relationship is volatile, at first. Jace believes Lucy is part of the evil group he is pursuing. Lucy believes the same of him. They do not trust each other at all. I love this beginning of their relationship.

“You don’t let go of me, I’m either going to scream, or twist your balls so fucking hard that you scream.”

Feisty fucking thing. She had me so hard, I didn’t know whether to take her up on it, or knock her back and rip her panties off with my teeth.

Eventually, they learn that they are on the same side and begin working together. I love how their relationship progresses. Once they start working together, Jace becomes very protective of Lucy, but Lucy is a strong heroine (love that!) and she is determined to fight alongside Jace during this pursuit of evil.
à la Mode St. » fashionI loved how this book is centered around photography. It was a brilliant avenue to paint this book.

Something clicked. Like watching her through the lens, the aperture flicked and the light hit her face differently. She glowed. So goddamn beautiful, it hurt to look at her. Like an eclipse, I knew the longer I stared, the more fucked I’d be. Even so, I cupped her face, the dark ink of my tattoos against peaches and cream skin. Dark and light. Night and day. The moon and the sun. Mia Luce.

19695339That is all of the words that I can write about this book. Lol. Just read it.

If you enjoy dark romance, read this book. If you want to FEEL something, read this book.

More quotes below because I love the dialogue in this book! Jace is a dirty-talker, and Lucy is sassy!

“Not one for compliments, are you?”

“Was hot tits supposed to be a compliment?”

à la Mode St. » fashion

“What I wouldn’t give to nail you against this wall and smile when your morals come crumbling down.”

à la Mode St. » fashion

“I need you to know that I don’t hate you, Lucy, but I’m about to fuck you like I do. Ready for me?”

à la Mode St. » fashion

“I’ll have you know, I work hard for this ass, and I intend to keep working hard for it.”

“And I’ll keep working hard for a piece of it.”


DON’T MISS THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL

RICOCHET (Vigilantes #1)
READ LANA’S 5 STAR REVIEW HERE

91t23tLVXyL

The only sure way to destroy a man is to take what he cannot live without.

Three years ago, I had everything.

A beautiful wife.
A son.
A reason for living.

Until a ruthless task force, assembled under Mayor Michael Culling, with a brutal strategy to make the streets of Detroit ‘safe’, ripped away everything I loved in a deadly hunt called The Culling.

They tried to kill me, too. I wish they had. Now I’m cursed by the memories of that night, and the words I whispered to my dying wife.

A promise—to avenge the wrong and set it right.

I’m no longer Nick Ryder. I’m a masked vigilante. Faceless. Loveless. Fearless. A man with nothing left to lose—one who’s seen the dark and violent truth behind the city’s flawless veneer.

Michael Culling doesn’t know who I am. Or what I want. All he knows is that I’ve kidnapped his beautiful wife.

An eye for an eye—isn’t that how the saying goes? And Aubree Culling is the perfect pawn to destroy him.

If she doesn’t destroy me first.

Buy LinksAMAZON


Read Lana’s 5 Star review of Backfire HERE

Review: All The Rage by TM Frazier

All The Rage-Review Dirty Girl RomanceALL THE RAGE
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: T.M. Frazier
Release Date: June 7, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

All the Rage

They call me Rage.
My real name is like a shadow, always close behind, but never quite able to catch up.
I fly under the radar because no one ever suspects I’m capable of the kind of brutal violence I commit each and every day.
You see, I’m a girl. I’m nineteen.
And I’m a killer.
This life is all I know. It’s all I want to know. It keeps the s**t buried that I need kept buried. It allows me to live without thinking too much.
Without dwelling on the past.
Until him.
It all changes when an ordinary boy becomes my next target.
And my first love.
I have to choose.
The only life I’ve ever known has to die, or he does.
Either way, I’ll be the one pulling the trigger…

All the Rage is a STANDALONE.

Buy LinksAMAZON Review-DGR3.5 starsAll The Rage-DGR

I’d never seen anything like the girl in my arms. Beautiful. Strong. Fierce and fiery. A force greater than any storm and twice as destructive.

Well hot damn! I need more anti-heroines in my life because Rage? Rage was freaking kick-ass! If you’ve read any of my reviews then you already know I’m usually a total heroine hater. If they’re weak, sniveling doormats, it’s a recipe for disaster for me. But not Rage. Nope! This woman was killer. Pun intended.

Sometimes the anger came on like an attack and sometimes it simmered under the surface until it exploded.

I was super curious to see how the author would handle Rage falling in love considering she’s describe as essentially a borderline sociopath. As hard as it was for me to shut off my logical brain, I took the character for what she way…a whole lot of gray area. Is she a sociopath that has no feeling of empathy? A cold blooded killer that gets her rocks off on death and destruction? Someone that has barely restrained rage that she can only control by giving in and feeding? Heck if I know. Basically she’s something in the middle, and that’s where I left it.

She didn’t know it yet, but Rage was about to become mine. In every way.

Rage gets sent on a bit of a babysitting mission to keep an eye on Nolan Archer. She knows nothing more about him other than he’s seemingly normal and is a person of interest to a man that basically mentored her how to channel her rage. But what happens when the seemingly normal Nolan is hiding secrets of his very own?
All The Rage-DGR teaser 2All The Rage starts off somewhat slow but then quickly picks up steam right around the 70% mark and boy do things escalate quickly from there.

…we didn’t just kiss, we tore each other apart. It wasn’t just passion. It was a fucking war. An all out fight for a piece of one another.

In typical T.M. fashion, the author crafts a twisted and gritty tale that packs a whole lot of surprises that you never see coming. Nolan is certainly not at all what he seems to be and I loved it when he lets that inner bad boy out. The man can dirty talk the panties off of anyone within a 50 mi radius.

So why not rate higher? A few reasons. One, no matter how much I tried to shut off my disbelief it was still hard to wrap my mind around how someone like Rage could actually feel love. Considering the woman can barely feel empathy or any emotion of any kind, it was difficult to believe that she’d fall for Nolan. Yes, he was exactly the sort of man she needed and he understood her and accepted her for what she was, but still, my logical brain wouldn’t shut off. This was really a minor thing though. What ultimately caused me to lower my rating was one particular scene at the end. I won’t spoiler it for you, but I will say that I didn’t find it necessary at all for it to go THERE. Not for the plot and not for the characters. It only served to take away a little bit of Rage’s bad-ass for me. I felt like it could have gone an entirely different direction all together and it just left me with a weird taste in my mouth. I suppose it may have set up the plot for a future book, but again, for my personal tastes I didn’t feel it needed to go there. Not like that.

All things considered, I did still really enjoy the story. T.M. is one of my go-to authors for dark romance because the woman can write one hell of a twisty and gritty tale and I love her for it. If a sexy dark romance with a kick-ass heroine and a bad-ass hero is what you’re in the mood for, you can’t go wrong with this one. And if you read Bear’s book, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the parallel running story line.

I’m going to fuck the anger out of you.”

Review: ★Dark Mafia Prince★ by Annika Martin

dark mafia prince-DGR reviewDark Mafia Prince
Series: Dark Mafia Prince #1
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Annika Martin
Release Date: June 28, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

30264227-2

THE WAY HE USES ME IS PRIMITIVE. DEMEANING. AND ALL I CAN THINK IS, DON’T STOP!
*A Dangerous Royals romance with a standalone romance HEA!*

Aleksio
Don’t look at me like that. So trusting.
Like you think I’m not a monster.
Like I won’t wrap your hair in my fist and bend you to my will.
Like I won’t sacrifice you, piece by piece, to save my brother.
I’m the most dangerous enemy you’ll ever have because every time you look at me, you see somebody good. That friend who died.
And when you look at me like that, I die again.

Mira
I spent years making myself invisible.
A good girl, apart from the noise.
Then you came back, beautiful and deadly in your Armani suit.
Don’t look at me like you still know me, you say.
But I remember your smile and those sunny days.
Before they lowered your small casket into the ground.
Before they told us the prince was dead.

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKSReview-DGR4 starsDark Mafia Prince-DGR teaser

I’m the most dangerous enemy you’ll ever have because every time you look at me, you see somebody who’s not there anymore. Because every time you look at me, you fool yourself about what I really am.

Well…hell. This was not at all what I expected, but damn if I didn’t devour it in practically one sitting. This was not my first Annika Martin book, so I already knew this woman could write. What I didn’t expect was for the story beyond the romance to suck me in so thoroughly. This book will come down to a matter of expectations, I think. If you’re walking into it expecting your typical dark romance with a dash of plot, you won’t get it. It’s beyond that. The romance almost felt secondary at times, and I didn’t mind it one bit. There was just enough of it to keep my interest and not overwhelm from everything else that happens. The story will span three books, each book focusing on a different Dragusha brother with their individual HEA. So don’t expect everything to be wrapped up with a neat little bow at the end of this one.

Aleksio’s love is the dangerous kind of love that breaks all the rules.

Aleksio Dragusha was a mafia prince well on his way to being the future head of the biggest Albanian mafia family residing in Chicago…until one bloody night when he lost everything. Now he only had two goals: reunite all three Dragusha brothers and make those responsible for what happened those years ago pay…in blood. And the center of his focus is the daughter of the man that’s set it all in motion. Mira is not at all the young girl he remembered when he was just nine. She’s different and that’s good, all the easier to forget what she used to mean to him…

Deep down you’re an animal who wants to be used by a twisted, bloodthirsty killer like me, aren’t you? Say it.

Mira recognizes the eyes of the boy that used to be her world, but she doesn’t recognize the cold and ruthless killer he turned into. A man that will do anything to find his baby brother and reunite the Dragusha brothers once and for all so that they can take back their rightful empire.

But soon lines begin to blur, and what was revenge begins to bleed into something much more…

He’s like a dangerous black hole- he’ll pull you in if you’re not careful. I can feel his pull working on me with every hour we spend together.

The story is told in alternating POVs; Mira, Aleksio, and a few snippets of Viktor, Aleksio’s younger brother. The primary focus seemed to be the backstory of the brothers and the search for the youngest Dragusha. It takes you deep into the underbelly of the violent mafia world and spares no detail. Aleksio is a true anti-hero. This man is no sunshine and rainbows. But while being the bloodthirsty killer he is, there’s still a semblance of redemption to him with the way he is with Mira. But he never quite loses his edge either…

The way he uses me is violent. Primitive. Demeaning. And all I can think is, don’t stop.

I was riveted to the action and building story arc, but at times I found the romance to be a little too rushed. I wanted a little more burn between Aleksio and Mira. Then again, considering their connection, it’s understandable that things would progress the way that they did.

I want him so bad I can’t think. I’m flying. Trembling. I’m completely his.

I did wish there may have been a little more time spent on the development on the romance, and the pervert in me wouldn’t have minded at least one more scene with Mira and Aleksio…uhem. But that aside, I enjoyed this thoroughly.

There’s quite a few secondary characters introduced, but the one that really stole the show for me here was Viktor. And then when his possible heroine was unveiled? Holy mother of intrigue! I can’t wait! Don’t even get me started on the youngest brother, Kiro, because I’m fairly certain I’d be willing to part with an ovary for his book.

Jennifer’s Review: ★Hold You Against Me★ by @skye_warren

review-Hold You Against MeHOLD YOU AGAINST ME
Series: Stripped #4
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Skye Warren
Release Date: May 31, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Hold You Against Me Ebook Cover

Once upon a time the daughter of a mafia king fell in love with a foot soldier.

This fairy tale didn’t have a happy ending.

My sister and I barely managed to escape alive, and we’ve lived in relative hiding ever since. I’m safe now, but I can never forget the boy who gave his life to save mine.

Except there’s a chance that he’s still alive. And he’s fighting a war.

Even knowing the risks, I have to find him. I have to find some way to protect him, the way he protected me. But he isn’t the boy I left behind. He’s a violent man. A criminal. And he’s been waiting for me—the final pawn in a dark game of survival and love.

 

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKS Review4.5 stars

Fairy tales aren’t for the girls who have a choice. They’re for the girls shoved into corners, trapped in darkness, bent over desks. Places where hope is an act of bravery. Where believing in love is an act of rebellion. Fairy tales are for girls who dream of happy endings, knowing they might not live to see tomorrow.

19396391._SY540_I loved the conclusion to this beautiful story. Tough Love, the prequel to this series is where we first meet Giovanni and Clara. It was also my first Skye Warren book, and I have not looked back! Skye includes the entire Tough Love prequel in this book.

My Gio:

It takes a monster to take down a monster.

My Clara:

He dragged me back into my worst nightmare and somehow made me want it.

19396392._SX540_The story begins in the prequel. Clara is a mafia princess who feels trapped in gilded cage. Her father is not a good man and means to make her marry a horrible man. Clara meets Giovanni, a foot soldier, when she is 15 and he is 17. She is able to escape her father’s evil clutches with the help of Giovanni. Hold You Against Me continues the story 3 years later, when Clara believes Gio to be killed for helping her escape.

Those are not his scars. They’re mine. He took them for me.

This is NOT your typical fairy tale. Skye Warren tends to write on the darker side, which is why I love her so much. She warned her readers that this book is on the lighter side of her darkness, but I still enjoyed it so much! She always makes me FEEL something in every single one of her books, and this one did not disappoint. Skye’s writing is sensual, beautiful, and smart. Her heroines seem real, trapped, trying to break free of some sort of struggle.

If you love mafia romance, this book/series is for you! I have a soft spot for mafia men. The danger, the tattoos, the darkness, the power, the broodiness, just do it for me!

I love Skye Warren to the moon and back.

I would read her grocery lists.

*Can be read as a standalone, but I recommend starting from the beginning because this series is worth it! Hold You Against Me is the 4th book in the series, but any of these books can be read by themselves.*


Stripped Series

Tough Love (#0.5) – Included in Hold You Against Me
Love Way You Lie (#1) – Love the Way You Lie
Heartbreak (#1.5) – Heartbreak
Better When It Hurts (#2) – Better When It Hurts
Even Better (#2.5) – Even Better
Pretty When You Cry (#3) – Pretty When You Cry
Caught For Christmas (#3.5) – Caught for Christmas

DGR Top Fave & Review: ★Backfire★ by @KeriLake

review-BackfireBACKFIRE
Series: Vigilantes #2
Genre: Dark, Contemporary Romance
Author: Keri Lake
Release Date: June 9, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Backfire+FOR+WEB

This book is a standalone set in the same world as Ricochet.

No matter how unbreakable he may seem, every man has a weakness.

A year ago, my home became a bloodstained crime scene. That night marked the beginning of my hell—the same night I was tortured by my enemies and tossed into an underground prison to die.

They failed. I survived.

Now that I’m free, only one motive burns in my soul: revenge.

Lucky for me, they think Jase Hawkins is dead. Maybe I am. I’ve got nothing but a cold, merciless rage, and Black Betty, the sharp steel blade that never leaves my side.

Then she drifts into my life.

Lucia wants answers—so much so, she’s willing to fall into the darkness where my enemies lie in wait, to kill her for what she knows.

Or to take her for the depraved fantasies her body alone can rouse in a man’s mind.

Me? I want her for the fire in her touch that feeds my addiction, forces me to feel what has become numb, but my appetite for bloodshed runs deeper than flesh.

For my own sanity, I’ve vowed to stay away from her. Because she’s my only weakness, an obsession that leaves me craving more—one that could make even the most steadfast plan backfire.

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKSBackfire-DGR teaser 2

Review5 starsBackfire2-DGR teaser

Shit thing about life is, when you throw an immovable object into the path of a bullet, it doesn’t follow any laws or principles.
It backfires.

It’s official; I have PTKD (Post Traumatic Keri Disorder). The woman has ruined me. This book? I hope you all have your big girl panties on, because a walk through the meadows with unicorns it. Is. Not.

Backfire is dark, gritty, and unapologetic. You’ll be reading it with your heart in your throat and your stomach twisted up in knots. It’s violent, a touch depraved, darkly erotic, action packed and absolutely, positively unputdownable. The story is filled with so many unpredictable twists and turns that it will make your head spin! It’s brilliantly written and I will even go so far as to say this was darker than Ricochet and that’s saying something, trust me.

He was dark and threatening, sexual and magnetic all rolled into one three dimensional package of fuck me.

Jase has spent the last year of his life in hell. Now he’s free and the only thing burning inside him is revenge. It’s what he eats, breathes, and lives. The chain of events that began on that one bloody night a year ago that cost him him his family all lead back to one man; Tesarik. Only problem is? He’s so powerful he’s practically untouchable. So when the mystery man standing before him promises him the vengeance he seeks for the price of a favor, he knows that he may fight it but he’ll agree. The favor will take him deep into the bowels of the worst sort of human depravity. Into a something only known as The Seventh Circle; a group of men that get off on pain and death.

And his first stop? Finding the mystery woman with the camera that may be the reason why he was thrown into the crosshairs of Tesarik in the first place. But Lucy is not at all what Jase thinks though. A photo journalist that saw something she shouldn’t have seen, she’s on the run for her life, and the only man that can help her may be the most dangerous of them all…

I’ll be the bastard you need me to be, Lucy. Whatever darkness you crave, I’ll give that to you.”

What begins is a story filled with heart-stopping moments, eroticism in a way only Keri Lake can write, and enough grit and darkness to leave you crying for your mama.

My life was a turbulent storm and she sat in the center of it, in the calm, making me forget the chaos that swirled all around me. I needed that calm, to own it, if only for one night.

If you’ve read any book by this author, then you already know she’s not afraid to go to the very pits of darkness. She’ll take the readers deep into the bowels of the worst of humanity. Her writing is raw, gritty, and absolutely unapologetic.

You’ll live and breathe Jase and Lucy’s story. It’s a page turning, heart in your throat, painful to read but never wanting it to end anyway sort of book. Jase is the epitome of the perfect anti hero.
Backfire-DGR teaser 3He’s not a good man, but he skates that fine edge between the good and bad. He’s a man that was forced to do some bad things for some very good reasons and you’ll love him for it. Guaranteed.
If nothing else but for his dirty mouth alone.

Set aside a whole night, because this is one book you’ll read in one heart-pounding sitting. Trust me on that.

You’re in my blood, infecting every dark part of my soul, Lucy. Nothing else matters to me.

The characters are incredibly multi-layered and the story has depth. It’s not your run of the mill dark romance.

For my brother, I was willing to go to war. For you, mia Luce, I’m willing to wage it.

Long story short? I loved the absolute fuck out of this book and I cannot wait for all of you to meet Jase and Lucy!

If you haven’t read Ricochet yet, I highly recommend it. But while Backfire is set in the same world as Ricochet, you don’t have to read Ricochet first in order to enjoy this one.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhbke…


DON’T MISS THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL

RICOCHET (Vigilantes #1)
READ MY 5 STAR REVIEW HERE

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The only sure way to destroy a man is to take what he cannot live without.

Three years ago, I had everything.

A beautiful wife.
A son.
A reason for living.

Until a ruthless task force, assembled under Mayor Michael Culling, with a brutal strategy to make the streets of Detroit ‘safe’, ripped away everything I loved in a deadly hunt called The Culling.

They tried to kill me, too. I wish they had. Now I’m cursed by the memories of that night, and the words I whispered to my dying wife.

A promise—to avenge the wrong and set it right.

I’m no longer Nick Ryder. I’m a masked vigilante. Faceless. Loveless. Fearless. A man with nothing left to lose—one who’s seen the dark and violent truth behind the city’s flawless veneer.

Michael Culling doesn’t know who I am. Or what I want. All he knows is that I’ve kidnapped his beautiful wife.

An eye for an eye—isn’t that how the saying goes? And Aubree Culling is the perfect pawn to destroy him.

If she doesn’t destroy me first.

Buy LinksAMAZON

New Release & Review: ★Dark Notes★ by Pam Godwin

Review-Dark NotesDARK NOTES
Genre: Dark Romance (standalone)
Author: Pam Godwin
Release Date: April 5, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Dark Notes Pam Godwin eBook

They call me a slut. Maybe I am.
Sometimes I do things I despise.
Sometimes men take without asking.

But I have a musical gift, only a year left of high school, and a plan.
With one obstacle.

Emeric Marceaux doesn’t just take.
He seizes my will power and bangs it like a dark note.
When he commands me to play, I want to give him everything.
I kneel for his punishments, tremble for his touch, and risk it all for our stolen moments.

He’s my obsession, my master, my music.
And my teacher.

 

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKS | KOBO | SMASHWORDS

Review4.5 starsDark Notes-DGR

This brutal man is my home. His hell is my heaven.
I’m his Ivory, and he’s my darkest note.

If there’s one thing that Pam Godwin knows, it’s how to write one seriously intense alpha. The mere name alone, Emeric Marceaux, is enough to get my motor revving. This man will give you shivers and you’ll actually feel his intensity crackling through the pages. It’s utterly delicious. He’s a dose of dangerous, with a splash of depraved, and all of it is tied around a sexual magnetism that’s so captivating, your fingers will tingle turning the pages.

She’s exactly the kind of woman I’m drawn to. A woman who flees when hunted and comes alive when she’s caught.

Dark Notes is a standalone dark romance with a deliciously kinky element of the forbidden teacher/student. Add in the fact that Ivory is only 17 years old, and you got yourself one crazy ride of a book. But that description doesn’t even begin to do this book justice.

Ivory Westbrook is a survivor with big dreams. Being the only empowered student in one of the most elite and expensive performing arts high schools in the nation, she has a lot to prove, but her talent as a pianist is unparalleled. Unfortunately she lives in a world where money is power and she has none. She’s lived a hard life in her young years; her father is dead and her mother may as well be with her addiction to drugs. She’s survived unimaginable horrors from a tender young age, but she’s a survivor at her core. With only a year left of high school, she’s that much closer to her dream of making it into Leopold, the highest ranking college in the country. Now all she has to do to get even closer to that dream is impress her new music teacher, who just happens to be the most intense and captivating man she’s ever laid eyes on.

He’s enchanting, distracting, and positively terrifying.

Things begin to simmer between the two of them at first sight, and the author does an incredible job in making the sexual tension practically palpable enough to taste. Emeric is one of the most captivating characters I’ve read in a long while. He oozes sexuality and yet there’s this edge to him that adds an element of fear that just works so well.

I didn’t expect to like Ivory as much as I did. I’m not a fan of sexual abuse issues being the go-to for heroines in dark romances, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s Pam. She’s written an incredibly broken yet persevering heroine with Ivory. She has deep rooted issues, but never once are they glossed over. It’s incredibly raw, painful and believable. You can understand her captivation with Emeric. You can completely understand why she does the things she does and craves the things she does. The author lets the rich character development paint the whole picture for the reader. Never once do you feel like you’re being told anything; you feel it right along with the characters.

Sometimes you love people you shouldn’t, and in the endless space of that love, nothing else matters.”

While the sexual tension between Ivory and Emeric is instantaneous, that is the only instant thing in this book. The rest is the most delicious sort of slow burn. It’s almost like watching the most sexual game of cat and mouse unfold, and even though you know what the end result will ultimately be, you still can’t stop reading.

It’s no longer a matter of if or when.
Tonight, she’ll bend for my punishment, tremble for my touch, and I’ll risk it all to show her exactly what she means to me.

So you may be asking yourself if I loved it so much, why not a 5? The reason for that is because I did find parts of the story to be too predictable for my tastes. As soon as a few particular elements were introduced, I knew straight off the bat where it would be leading and how it would end. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the entire book was that way, not at all, in fact. There are certainly enough twists and turns packed in to keep you guessing. Pam Godwin is a master of her craft and she seems to get better and better with each new book. If you’re looking for a dark romance with a bit of kink and taboo thrown in, you really can’t go wrong with this one.

The tempo of our breaths. The drum of our heartbeats. The crackle in the air. The exquisite cadence pulses through me, awakening sensations I’ve never felt, composing a melody I’ve never heard. Our hypnotic, dark notes.

DGR Top Fave Review & Giveaway: ★The Enforcer★ by @Kele_Moon

The Enforcer-ReviewDGRTHE ENFORCER
Series: Untamed Hearts Book 3
Author: Kele Moon
Genre: Erotic Romance, Romantic Suspense
Release Date: March 22, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

The Enforcer Cover

They are the lost boys.

Sons of mafia mistresses expected to keep their fathers’ sins in the shadows. The lucky ones are forgotten.

Unfortunately for Valentino “Tino” Moretti, his brother Nova was too smart to be forgotten, and too valuable to risk when he resists a life of crime. So they punished Tino instead. Forced into the cruel world of the Sicilian Mafia at twelve, Tino was broken before he was old enough to know the man he was supposed to be. Now he’s what the mafia made him.

The enforcer.

A trained killer forbidden to love, but he did anyway. He’s loved Brianna all along.

Raw and beautiful, their romance was all consuming and far too dangerous. They were ripped apart a long time ago. It’s not until the borgata puts out a hit on her that Brianna falls back into Tino’s arms, churning up their dark past and unraveling all the Moretti brothers’ closely guarded secrets.

This isn’t the end of the story. It’s only the beginning, and it is brutal.

There’s a reason enforcers are considered too deadly to love.

“We have to be better than them. Stronger. Faster. Smarter. Lost boys have to fly.” ~Carlo Moretti, original lost boy

 Buy LinksAmazon US | Amazon UK | Loose ID 

I was utterly obsessed with everything about this book, but what truly made the experience was reading it along with this incredible playlist! If you want an extra punch in the feels, you need to check it out!

 THE ENFORCER SPOTIFY PLAYLIST


Review5 starsThe Enforcer-teaser 1

Together they were like a firework.
Beautiful in the night. A dusty smear of ash in the morning when reality crashed in and ruined the high. They just weren’t ever meant to be more than one brief, amazing explosion of memories that should’ve been enough to sustain them. But it hadn’t been. Not even close.

Powerful.
Emotional.
Gut wrenching.
All consuming.
Gritty.
And so raw it’ll make your heart bleed.


I say this each and every time I finish a book by Kele Moon, but unbelievably she only continues to get better and better. And that’s saying a lot considering how much I loved The Slayer. But Tino’s book? This was something else entirely. Kele truly takes you to the dark and violent underbelly of the New York mafia. She spares no details. None. You’ll read it with your gut twisted and your heart in your throat the entire time just like I did.

Prepare for much darker undertones than the previous books. Tino’s story is not for the faint of heart. It’s incredibly gritty and at times almost unbearably difficult to read. There are no parts that the author glazes over. When she gives you a story, she gives you everything.

I fucking love you, Brianna…
I wouldn’t just bleed for you… I’d bleed motherfuckers out for you.”

The Enforcer -Teaser4In case you didn’t know already, The Enforcer will be part 1 of 2, and with good reason. Tino’s story is not one that could be told in two books, nor should it be. I think it would almost be too much to handle. There is not one small dose of filler here. Each tiny detail is a plot driver and I am beyond blown away at the forethought this author gives every single one of her characters. If you want my advice, you’ll appreciate it so much more if you read the series this was a spin-off from, Battered Hearts.

The Enforcer will take you back to the very beginning. To the years when Tino, Nova and Romeo were just small boys. It will take you step by devastating step through the events that made them into the men that they are today. It will tell the story of how Tino and Brianna met. It’s incredibly powerful and easily one of the best books I’ve read not only from Kele but period.

I don’t remember the last time a book effected me on such a visceral level, but I swear I felt this in my bones, my blood, my very being. These characters are so real to me, and I’m beyond invested in their stories. I cannot wait for you all to fall in love with Tino even more, just like I did.

The Enforcer takes you back to the very beginning. To the days and the events that set everything in motion and what made Tino and Nova Moretti into the men that they are today. There are parts that will gut you; there are parts that will make you laugh, and through all of it you’ll be glued to the pages unable to focus on anything else.

Gino’s story was equal parts tragic and beautiful; tragic in terms what he’s been trhgouh and beautiful in terms of his love for Brianna. I cannot describe to you just how much this man loves Brianna. He’d do anything for her; sacrifice anything…even his own happiness to make sure she’s safe. Young Tino was a gut wrenching to read about. His story is so tragically brutal. He yearns for a different life but he lives in a nightmare of his father’s making…
The enforcer -teaser3Kele did such an incredible job navigating the reader through the years. So much so that you feel everything right along with the characters and by the time you get to the end, you’re yearning for their HEA as much as they are. God, it was amazing!

Their love had been wild, unpredictable, and so unbelievably raw and sensual it would likely never stop haunting her.

The Enforcer-teaser 2I adored Brianna. She’s such strong heroine but in an understated way. She truly understands Tino and everything that he is and accept and love him in spite of it. She’s the perfect match for his light and especially his dark sides.

I love you. Please remember that, okay?”
“I know….
I know, baby. It’s okay. I’m good…
I’m strong, remember?”
He did remember. So he fucked the shit out of her.
Hard. Angry.


You get not only Tino and Bri here; you get more Chu, a whole lot more Nova and a few other secondary characters that will capture your hearts.

Prepare for one hell of an emotional rollercoaster. This is a book you don’t just read you experience it.

Never forget that. You take from whores. Use them. Don’t love them”
“Why?”
“‘Cause they’re love starved. They’ve been hurt and beaten for so fucking long they are desperate for kindness. Love them, really love them, and they’ll die for you. They’ll bleed for you.

One of the best books I’ve read all year. If you haven’t yet discovered the talent that is Kele Moon, you are seriously missing out. This series is an absolute must read for any lovers of true anti-heroes with hearts of gold. I can’t recommend it enough!

Learn to fight your own battles. We have to be better than them. Stronger. Faster. Smarter. Lost boys have to fly.”


ARC provided by author


UNTAMED HEARTS Series

 The Viper (Untamed Hearts Book 1 )
The Viper Cover
Marcos Rivera is a fighter. A gang member. Someone who has seen the dark side of humankind and survived. He has lost family and gained enemies. He has stolen cars and destroyed hearts, stripping one for money and the other for pleasure. His past is haunted and his future is bleak.

Until her.

Katie Foster is a high school history teacher. Smart, strong, and sexy. She is a woman Marcos shouldn’t want. Shouldn’t touch. Shouldn’t love. He met her in Garnet, a backwards, hick town that’s the last place in the world he wants to be, but he finds himself going back, all for a taste of the forbidden.

Katie represents all that is good in the world, and Marcos knows he’s nothing but trouble for her perfect life. He fights and he screws. He commits crimes and he breaks the rules. He will never change and he will never escape his gang lifestyle.

Or can he?

What happens when two different people from two very different walks of life risk it all by giving into the passion that threatens to consume both of them? Can a woman who only knows how to play it safe give her heart to a man who lives hard and loves harder?

Can she survive The Viper?

Buy LinksAmazon US | Amazon UK | Loose Id | All Romance Ebooks | B&N


 The Slayer (Untamed Hearts Book 2)

The Slayer CoverTo Chuito the apartment was a self-imposed prison for a lifetime of sins. To Alaine, the girl next door, it was salvation from her overbearing, religious father.

He was a devil.
She was an angel.

Two people who should’ve never met, let alone become friends, but it’s not until they give into the dangerous passion that’s been simmering under the surface for five years that things go to hell.

On the outside, Chuito ‘The Slayer’ Garcia is on top of the world. He’s successful. He’s wealthy. He’s a champion MMA fighter surrounded by friends who support him, but they don’t know what he was before he came to Garnet.

A gangster.

A thief.
An addict.
A murderer.

Now his past is churning up demons he can’t ignore. Chuito knows he needs to go back to Miami to end it, but there’s something holding him back, a single temptation he can’t resist before leaving.

Alaine.

She’s the one drug he can’t give up…even if it destroys them both.

“To me you’re coke. Fine. Smooth. Perfectly white. Very bad for me, but so fucking sexy I don’t give a shit. It’s worth going down for.” – Chuito Garcia

Buy LinksAmazon US | Amazon UK | Loose Id | All Romance Ebooks | B&N


Giveaway

The Enforcer is quite easily one of my most favorite books I’ve ever read. Period. And when I find a gem like this, I have to shout it from the rooftops. So I want to give a chance for one lucky follower to win an ebook of this incredible book. You can enter the GIVEAWAY on my Facebook page HERE.

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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