Review: Grave Matter by Karina Halle

October 22, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

GRAVE MAGGER
Author: Karina Halle
Genre: Gothic, Psychological Thriller Romance
Release Date: October 23, 2024

Horror Romance meets science fiction in this dark and delicious gothic psychological thriller by NYT bestseller Karina Halle, perfect for fans of Gothikana, Ninth House, and Mexican Gothic.

Aspiring mycologist Sydney Denik is getting a second chance. When a dream opportunity presents itself with a prestigious foundation doing promising Alzheimer’s research, Sydney leaves the shambles of her old life to join a dozen other grad students at an isolated lodge hidden away in a remote, fog-shrouded inlet on Vancouver Island.

But the Madrona Foundation harbors more than brilliant minds. Everyone around her is hiding a terrible secret—including the resident psychologist she’s falling in love with. A student disappears, and no one but Sydney seems to care. Ghosts walk the halls. Snow falls in the middle of summer. Dead animals move like the living. The more Sydney uncovers about the foundation, the more she begins to question her own sanity. And if Sydney isn’t going mad, then the horrors in the surrounding forest are real, and the Madrona Foundation may be the biggest monster of all.

NOTE: This will be a live release on Amazon for paperback, ebook and hardcover on October 23rd 2024. The paperback and ebook cover is different from the case-laminate and dustjacket hardcovers. This is a standalone novel. Check content warnings inside the book or author’s IG closer to publication.

AMAZON

I could never escape this. He is the undertow, his kiss pulling down me to my fate. Or maybe it’s my doom. It’s too hard to tell.

Spine tinglingly creepy, edge of your seat suspenseful, and toe curlingly erotic. Oh but what a ride this story was.

You know what I absolutely love about Karina Halle? Her range in writing is unrivaled. This woman can take any genre and trope and make it her b*tch. I genuinely had no idea what to expect when I read the blurb to this book. All that I knew is that if Karina writes it, I will read it.

This was a slow build sort of story that truth be told took me a minute to fully get into. At first I even thought it would land the book at a solid 4 stars. But considering that it has now been 4 days since I finished it and I still can’t stop thinking about it, I’ve obviously rethought my rating. Yes it’s a slow build but there’s a reason to that madness. And after the jaw dropping conclusion, I actually went back and reread the first half and appreciated it that much more.

Sydney received a dream opportunity on the tail end of almost seeing her life crumple around her. She jumps at the chance to come to prestigious Madrona Foundation for their incredible research. But the second she steps outside of the airplane, things take a sinister turn. Nothing is as it seems and Sydney doesn’t know if she’s going crazy or there’s something more to what she swears she sees.

She doesn’t know what to make sense of what she’s convinced she sees. And she also doesn’t know how to fight her undeniable attraction and chemistry with the brilliant Professor Kincaid, who also happens to the leading professor for the studies at Madrona and her psychologist.

Now I won’t give you more than that, because this story needs to be experienced absolutely blind. But what I will say is reading it after knowing the ending made it that much better and that is saying something about the cleverness of this twisty story. This is one of those reads that’s perfect for the spooky season. It’s creepy but not gross with just the right amount of romance weaved in so that it doesn’t take anything away from the suspense and mystery component. The second half of this book had me riveted and the ending left me with my jaw on the floor.

When I tell you that you need to read this, trust me, you NEED to read this.

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Review: SALT by L.A. Ferro

July 28, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

SALT
Author: L.A. Ferro
Series: Summer Nights #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Age Gap
Release Date: July 25, 2024

At eight, he gave me roses. At fifteen, he gave me butterflies, and at seventeen, he gave me sanctuary.

I wasn’t a damsel in distress. He wasn’t Prince Charming waiting to whisk me off my feet. We didn’t meet by chance. He’s been part of my life for years, and for most of that time, I’ve been under his spell.

Everett Callahan isn’t just the most attractive man I’ve ever laid eyes on: stoic, tall, dark, and handsome, the stuff fantasies are made of. He’s more than that. Beyond his looks, he’s loyal to the core and wears virtues like duty, honor, and respect as armor. He’s the kind of guy you’d be proud to bring home to meet your dad.

If he wasn’t also your dad’s best friend.

I wasn’t just charmed. I was completely and utterly smitten, and he wasn’t interested.

That’s why I put aside childish things, like my crush on an off-limits man who could never be mine.

Until he fell into my tent on my twenty-first birthday, and I saw a man instead of the untouchable God, I’d made him out to be.

Men are flawed, even Everett Callahan, and now that I know he’s not immune to weakness, I plan to be a hellion ready to exploit it.

Publishers Note: This is a forbidden, slow-burn, age-gap romance with a happy ever after.
Author’s Note: This book is meant for readers 18 years and older.

AMAZON

You are the most beautiful gift I never saw coming..

I love an angsty age gap romance when it’s done right, and it definitely has to be done right when the age gap is 20 years. This one was definitely done right because I was instantly sucked in.

How do you just walk away from something that you want with your whole heart?.

Cameron Salt has been crushing on her father’s best friend for as long as she was old enough to recognize the feeling. Now twenty one, she’s living with Everett after the tragic death of both of her parents. Everett is forty six, divorced and fighting his attraction to Cameron with everything he has. Not only is she too young for him, but his best friend trusted her in his care so suffice it to say the guilt of their connection is eating him alive. Especially when Cameron takes every opportunity to push his buttons and push him to the limit.

I’m not the girl he took in five years ago. I’m a woman who knows exactly what she wants. HIM..

I have to say I loved Cameron. She’s a free spirit and mature beyond her years. I loved the way she pursued Everett but also didn’t take his sh*t when the uber grump came out. She pushed him until she wore him down and when he finally gives in, FIREWORKS.

I catch my breath and open my eyes to my new reality: obsession. My obsession is dangerous. My obsession is her..

It did take me a bit to get into the book because it felt like I was starting halfway into a series. There’s so many subplots and secondary characters that felt like I should have already known their stories of that it got very confusing. I should have definitely read Fade Into You (Everett’s son’s book) first because I feel like many of these subplots may have been introduced in that book. Don’t get me wrong, it was intriguing, but there was so much going on with so many people, that it took me a minute to wrap my head around all of it. I did ultimately figure it out at the end, but all of the details made it a bit of a slower read for me at times.

The romance was absolutely sizzling and I loved the angst, chemistry, and slow burn romance these two had.

My head drops to the crook of her neck as I fade in and out and let go. She’s it. This is it for me. It’s her, or it’s no one. I kiss her neck and pray. If it can’t be this life, let it be the next..

There is a heavy suspense element that added a little oomph to the romance with plenty of twists and turns that I thoroughly enjoyed. If you love slow burn, angsty age gaps, definitely give this one a read.

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#DGRFave & Review: Honey Cut by Sierra Simone

June 21, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

HONEY CUT
Series: Lyonesse  #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance, MMF
Author: Sierra Simone
Release Date: June 18, 2024

I have one job in this arranged marriage, and that’s to seduce my husband.

It should be easy; I’m the heiress to a transatlantic fortune, bred and raised to make a good match. I’ve spent a lifetime building up my endurance, my discipline, my dedication to my god and my church. The danger lies in falling for the devil who put his ring on my finger—a mistake I made years ago, and can’t afford to make again.

There is one more danger: handsome and green-eyed, emotionally wounded. Tristan Thomas, former soldier and my new husband’s bodyguard. A hero who stole my heart with salt-soaked kisses on the sea.

But Lyonesse is not like other places, and this isn’t like other marriages. Soon Tristan, Mark, and I are tangled in a knot of vicious jealousy and gorgeous wickedness, where suspicion is an aphrodisiac and secrets and vows are one and the same.

And there is something far darker at play than my real purpose, than the machinations of the Church I serve. Darker even than the twisted longings of my own heart. Because my husband has secrets of his own, and the reason he’ll stop at nothing to possess me could slice my soul deeper than the honeysuckle-hilted knife he gave me once upon a time.

Because when it comes to Mark Trevena and his games, the first cut is more than the deepest—it’s the sweetest.

And he always leaves you begging for more…

Honey Cut is the second book in the Lyonesse Trilogy.

AMAZON 

You will be mine until you no longer wish to be so; I will be yours forever.”

Masterful, poignant, erotically sinful, and full of twists and turns. I thought I loved Salt Kiss but this book? Wow. This book completely blew me away. So much so, that I can also say that it has taken the place of Camelot Trilogy as my favorite of this author. And really, this is now easily my favorite MMF romance to date, period. And that’s not spoken lightly.

In this installment, we get a peak into the enigma that is Isolde. She’s a character that only gets introduced in the first book, and in this one we get immersed in her POV and what a POV it was. Even the POV is masterfully written to unwind a tale full of twists and turns. We now add Isolde’s POV in addition to Tristan, while desperately awaiting a deeper peek into the dark abyss that is Mark.

I want him as wild as he was on the sea; I want to see, over and over again, the rupture between his inherent goodness and his surrender to sin.

When we last left Tristan, he was chartering a yacht with Mark’s fiancé, Isolde. What we learn is that during that time at sea, he falls hard for her and she for him. But of course, when she’s engaged to his boss who he is still in love with, let’s just say that things are messy.

On one side of me, I have a hero; on my other side, a devil. One I want to fuck. The other I’ll have to.

Isolde and Mark’s union is not one of love but of business and partnership. Though knowing all that didn’t stop Isolde from loving the untouchable man either. And Isolde is an enigma in her own right. The second her POV is introduce, you’re instantly sucked into her world and it was impossible not to immediately connect with this broken but fierce woman.

because even though they have meant for you to be made of gold, you are made of shadows and glass instead, and I am too.

The feel of the forbidden of being in love with two men; one who is your husband to be but offers nothing of himself beyond surface level, the other with a heart of gold who is forbidden to you. But Isolde is no simple woman and she’s not a prize in the arrangement. She has a plan of her own and the more than unwinds, the more obsessed it made me to learn more details.

His voice is his devil’s voice tonight, seductive and cruel. Oh, how he makes us fall in love with him. We should hate him for it.

What I will tell you is that no one, and I mean absolutely no one can write such erotic filth like Sierra and fill it with so much poetry and gorgeous prose. It’s deliciously sinful and masterfully written. It’s not purple prose by any means, but it’s just perfectly written. I don’t even know how to describe it to you, you simply need to experience it for yourself.

Oh God. Oh my God.” Mark licks my mouth, like he wants to eat the words off my lips. He’s still smiling, evil and tyrannical and amused. “Sir will do for now.”

This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time; loving Tristan, loving Isolde, and desperate for more details of Mark. The man is a dark and erotic enigma that I will never get enough of. It’s this amazing balance of the sweet cinnamon roll Tristan and the dark storm that is Mark, with Isolde at the center of it all.

Because it hurts, loving Tristan. And I’ve always craved things that hurt.

And that ending? I’m not even sure how I can survive the wait for book three. Talk about your jaw dropper! 

Sierra Simone is a USA Today Bestselling former librarian (who spent too much time reading romance novels at the information desk.) She lives with her husband and family in Kansas City.

Connect w/Sierra Simone:

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Review: When Lies Unfold by RC Boldt

May 23, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

WHEN LIES UNFOLD
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: RC Boldt
Release Date: May 23,  2024

USA Today bestselling author RC Boldt delivers a seductive new romantic suspense filled with twists in WHEN LIES UNFOLD…

The moment I witness a murder, my quiet, careful existence goes up in smoke. I’m thrust into the world of Santiago Hernández, Central America’s most ruthless cartel leader.

In exchange for my life, I’m placed under his watchful eye. Day in and day out, he waits for me to betray my promise of silence.

The longer I stay in his world, the deeper I fall for the glimpses of the man beneath that handsome yet cunning exterior. The man whose possessive touch ignites a long-lost part of me.

But I should know better than to open my heart to a cold-blooded criminal with a laundry list of deadly sins and secrets. Especially when he has no idea who I really am.

Because when the lies unfold, he’ll discover I have a list of sins and secrets of my own.

TROPES:
Alpha hero
Anti-hero
Heroine in danger
Close Proximity
Forced Proximity
Enemies to Lovers
OTT Possessive Hero
Mafia/Cartel
Found Family
On-the-run
Opposites Attract
Tortured lead
Tragic past
Revenge
Redemption

AMAZON 

The freedom I’ve fought so hard for has vanished in the blink of an eye. All because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

O
B
S
E
S
S
E
D

You think I do horrible things to people?”
“I’m sure of it.”
“Mm.” That rumble in his throat holds the barest hint of amusement, and a glint of something far more dangerous edges its way into his gaze. “But you see, Miss Arias, I don’t always do ‘horrible things.’ In fact, certain people like what I do.” His voice drops an octave, skittering over me, and his fuller bottom lip grazes mine with each syllable. “Sometimes, they even beg me for more.”

When I tell you I devoured this book in one heart pounding sitting, I mean I never wanted it to end. And if you’re a fan of a sizzling romantic suspense with a morally gray anti hero and a fierce, survivor heroine who fights her own battles? Well, welcome to your next addiction, my friend.

If I believed in witchcraft or voodoo shit, I’d be convinced she practices it. ’Cause every fuckin’ time I put my mouth on this woman, I’m an addict who needs even more.

I simply adore everything RC Bolt writes. She has this knack for writing some of the most addictive, twisty suspense stories with the most incredible romance intertwined. What I appreciate most about her writing is the incredible ability to balance both those elements effortlessly and flawlessly. You get the perfect combination of a heart pounding suspense with twists and turns along with the most sizling romance. And the story of Santiago and Lola was nothing if not sizzling.

Need you to know somethin’.”
A trace of apprehension has her brows creasin’. “What?”
“I don’t get on my knees for nobody.” She swallows hard as the weight of my words settles between us. I lower my face closer to where I can’t wait to bury my tongue. “But I’m doin’ this for you.”

Lola is desperately trying to stay under the radar. You know she’s running from something and her secrets run deep, but the truth unravels slowly and in a way that has the reader so engrossed, it’s like you’re living her story. Lola is a house cleaner who happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and witnesses a murder. And when that murder is tied to one of the biggest narcos in Central America? Well, he’s not about to take her word for her silence. All of his attention is now on Lola and even though she fights him at every turn, her hands are tied…so to speak. *saucy grin*

Only a person with a dark, bloodstained soul can recognize another. They can easily identify the sacrifices made and understand the reasons behind them.

I absolutely loved the story arc between these two. Lola hates everything that Santiago stands for. But the longer she spends in his overwhelmingly intimidating presence, the more layers she peels back to discover there is so much more to the man. And unfortunately for her, the tether of mutual attraction and chemistry is at the center of it.

I truly mean that I devoured this book. I couldn’t stop reading. The story, the mystery, the slow burn romance, the chemistry, the enemies to lovers vibes, all of it was simply phenomenal. I cannot recommend this book enough. And that ending? *chefs kiss*

RC Boldt is a USA Today bestselling author currently living in part of the Costa Rican jungle with the love of her life and her mini-me.

If you’re in the mood for some killer mojitos or can’t recall the lyrics to a particular 80s song, she’s your girl.

Connect with RC Boldt 

Website: http://www.rcboldtbooks.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14543027.R_C_Boldt

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Kq1H9C

Facebook: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtFB

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

Instagram: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtIG

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtBB

Verve: https://bit.ly/3jEf18z

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Review: HOT Honor by Lynn Raye Harris

October 29, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

HOT HONOR
Series: Hostile Operations Team® – Strike Team 2
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: Lynn Raye Harris
Release Date: October 24, 2023

Waking up with a wife is not how black ops soldier Zane “Zany” Scott pictured his first trip to Las Vegas ending. Forever isn’t in his vocabulary anymore. So why did he marry a woman he just met?

Nerdy Eden Hall isn’t the kind of girl people notice. She’s always lived in her twin’s shadow, always been plain and sensible compared to her sister’s big personality. But when her sister gets engaged to the man Eden secretly loves, it’s inevitable she’ll drink too much at the bachelorette party.

It’s not inevitable that she’ll impulsively marry the hottest guy she’s ever laid eyes on, though. Of course they’re going to divorce, but it takes more time to do that than it did to get married. Time in which they’ll discover they’ve got more in common than simply burning up the sheets together.

Just when they think they might have something worth keeping, it all goes wrong and Eden becomes the target of a killer. Zane will have to risk everything to save his wife. Because if he doesn’t, he could lose the woman who, against all odds, kickstarted his heart into beating again.

 AMAZON 

 

Zane Scott was an addiction. And he was her husband. For now.

It’s been a hot second since I read a Lynn Rate Harris book and I totally forgot how addictive they are. Why has it been a hot minute? I have no idea and I plan on having a small binge on the rest of this series because I honestly can’t believe I haven’t read it yet considering how much I’ve loved all her other series.

I was immediately drawn in to this story, even though this is the first book I read in this series. Zane is in Vegas for his little sister’s 21st birthday. While there, he meets a woman that immediately enraptures him. The surprise is that after a wild night together, they end up married. Whoopsy!

Eden has spent most of her life in the shadow of her vivacious sister. Her insecurities have insecurities, but there was something so endearing about her, that something that would usually bother me, barely blipped my radar. Eden has been secretly in love with her sister’s now fiancé for as long as she’s worked for him. But when she meets the enigmatic Zane who oozes danger and sex appeal, she’s basically all Mitchell who? And I don’t blame her one bit.

She’d thought her life was bad a little over a week ago when she’d believed she loved a man who loved someone else. Turns out that wasn’t nearly as bad as loving a man who couldn’t love at all.

Zane is shut down to love because a woman who he believed was the love of his life broke his heart years ago. And now he’s trying to make sense of the fact that she wants him back. But he’s also accidentally married to a woman who much to his effort otherwise, draws him in like no other. And when Eden’s life is in danger, he’ll stop at nothing to protect her.

This was a quick read full of action, suspense, and all the steam you can wish for. I read it in a sitting. And while I had moments where I wanted to shake the insecurity out of Eden and slap the “love isn’t for me” out of Zane, I still enjoyed the story quite a bit.

Highly recommend for any fans of steamy romantic suspense with uber protective alphas and females who bring them to their knees.

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Review: Love The Way You Spy by Lexi Blake

September 20, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

LOVE THE WAY YOU SPY
Series: Masters and Mercenaries: New Recruits Book 1
Genre: Romantic Suspense, BDSM
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: September 19, 2023

Tasha Taggart isn’t a spy. That’s her sisters’ job. Tasha’s support role is all about keeping them alive, playing referee when they fight amongst themselves, and soothing the toughest boss in the world. Working for the CIA isn’t as glamorous as she imagined, and she’s more than a little lonely. So when she meets a charming man in a bar the night before they start their latest op, she decides to give in to temptation. The night was perfect until she discovers she’s just slept with the target of their new investigation. Her sisters will never let her hear the end of this. Even worse, she has to explain the situation to her overprotective father, who also happens to be their boss.

Dare Nash knew exactly how his week in Sydney was going to go—attending boring conferences to represent his family’s business interests and eating hotel food alone. Until he falls under the spell of a stunning and mysterious American woman. Something in Tasha’s eyes raises his body temperature every time she looks at him. She’s captivating, and he’s committed to spending every minute he can with her on this trip, even if her two friends seem awfully intense. His father will be arriving in town soon, and he’s excited to introduce him to a woman he could imagine spending the rest of his life with.

When Dare discovers Tash isn’t who she seems, the dream turns into a nightmare. She isn’t the only one who deceived him, and now he’s in the crosshairs of adversaries way out of his league. He can’t trust her, but it might take Tasha and her family to save his life and uncover the truth.

AMAZON 

 

He was the perfect amount of nasty Dom and sweet potential boyfriend.

When I saw that there will be a spinoff with all the kids of the original characters, I may have peed myself in excitement. And I’m not particularly a lover of second generation spin offs but boy was I chomping at the bit for this one. Why? Because I never want this series to end, for one. And also because I will never tire of Ian, and daddy Ian of adult children who give him a run for his money? Sign me up.

Tasha Taggart is the eldest of Ian’s brood and I just knew her story would be good. This is a bit of a flip on the usual, where we have a kick ass female spy and the unseeing business man who she falls for. The set up was utterly delicious. Tasha wants a night off for some fun before going all in on a mission. She meets a handsome man at the bar and is all the more excited to discover that he’s a Dom. They spend one unbelievable night together and she sneaks out of his room, only to discover the next day that he’s also her new target. She may have some concerns but she’s also eager to jump at the chance to see Dare again.

Dare is just coming off a nasty divorce that was arranged by his even nastier father. To say that the man has some trust issues, is saying it mildly. But he’s also 100% golden retriever energy when he’s not a big bad Dom in the bedroom. He falls hard and fast for Tasha and he doesn’t even try to fight it. That is, until he finds out that his Tasha is not who he thought she was.

The entire gang is back, and seeing Ian in protective daddy mode is even more entertaining than in his friend mode. There are some new secondary characters introduced who I can’t wait to read more about. There are some cameos from old favorites. And all of it is wrapped up in a suspenseful and sinfully sexy romance that I devoured from beginning to end.

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Review: A Stop In Time by RC Boldt

February 21, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

A STOP IN TIME
Genre: Romantic Suspense, PNR
Author: RC Boldt
Release Date: February 21,  2023

I’ve been an outcast my whole life. If my scars don’t scare people away, my attitude certainly will.

I don’t know what I am or how I got the power to stop time. What I do know is, there are far too many questions I need answers to.

When I cross paths with a local gang member, his presence unravels a part of my past I never knew existed.

At every turn, danger leaps closer, and I realize that stopping the killer will mean losing everything—including the first man I’ve ever loved.

But I should’ve known better. We were never meant to be anything more than a brief stop in time.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

 

Damn him. No man has ever made me want to punch him in the junk while simultaneously turning me on.

I have been obsessed with RC Boldt’s romantic suspense for years. There’s just something about her stories that immediately grab me and suck me right in. But this new world that she created that combines a spark of paranormal with the suspense? I cannot get enough.

While this book shows to be a standalone (and it is), you’d do yourself a favor by reading Beyond My Darkness first. While each book is a standalone, they are set in the same world, and you get the introduction to each character throughout the series. We get introduced to Daniel Madrano in Beyond My Darkness as a secondary character, best friend and second in command to the notorious leader of the gang, Scorpions. We also get a sneak peek into the beginning of his journey at the end.

I’m not gonna sugarcoat this for you; I’m losing my patience with you, Danny.”
The edges of his mouth twitch. “It’s Daniel.”

When Daniel’s sister gets violently murdered, he’s left desperate for answers and vengeance. The final words shared with him through the help of his friend’s woman who speaks with the dead helps guide him in a vague direction with nothing but a name…Mac.

The way this book is written reminded me a bit of the movie Memento. Not in the way that it goes backwards, but there’s a vein of intrigue there that I also felt with the movie. Mac suffers black out episodes where she wakes not remembering anything that happened. She’s left deeply scarred from a traumatic event that skirts the edges of her memory, but never making themselves knows. She finds mysterious notes that hint at the truth and written in her own handwriting but she has no idea what it means. Desperate for answers of her own, she undergoes hypnosis therapy in her search for answers. But the answers are more troubling than she suspects.

Suddenly, Daniel ends up at her door with questions that she doesn’t have answers to. But something about him draws her in. Mac is not a woman that wants a relationship, and Daniel has never sought one out himself. And yet they’re drawn to each other like moths to a flame. But neither of them are prepared for the incendiary flame that the truth will bring.

I binge read this book as desperate for answers as these characters. It was magnetic, suspenseful, mysterious, and completely captivating. You know those books that seem to be like a movie reel behind your eyes as you read them? This was definitely it. Spine tingling good and unputdownable. Everything about it worked; the story, the romance, the chemistry, the mystery, and the jaw dropping ending. I was a woman obsessed. Now I’m desperately hoping we get a mysterious someone’s book next because OH MY GOD!

RC Boldt is a USA Today bestselling author currently living in part of the Costa Rican jungle with the love of her life and her mini-me.

If you’re in the mood for some killer mojitos or can’t recall the lyrics to a particular 80s song, she’s your girl.

Connect with RC Boldt 

Website: http://www.rcboldtbooks.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14543027.R_C_Boldt

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Kq1H9C

Facebook: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtFB

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

Instagram: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtIG

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtBB

Verve: https://bit.ly/3jEf18z

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Review: The Dom Who Came In From The Cold by Lexi Blake

February 21, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

THE DOM WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD
Series: Masters and Mercenaries: Reloaded Book 5
Genre: Romantic Suspense, BDSM
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: February 21, 2023

Kyle Hawthorne once believed his future would be a job in the private sector—a simple, normal life. Fate had other plans and he wound up in the military. Some newly discovered talents caught the eye of the CIA, and in no time he was working with a covert team. He found himself in a relationship with fellow operative, Julia—until she turned out to be the enemy. When her betrayal was uncovered, things got bloody and Kyle returned home broken, searching for a chance to walk the road not taken.

MaeBe Vaughan has never been interested in normal. Her happy place is a dark corner of the Internet, where she disrupts all the bad guys. She has a great circle of friends and a full life. She doesn’t need a man. Until Kyle Hawthorne walked into her life. He’s all wrong for her. Surly. Damaged. His uncle is her boss. But she couldn’t help getting close to him. When his past threatened her safety, Kyle walked out without saying good-bye.

Kyle will do anything to keep MaeBe safe. He faked his death, hid in the middle of nowhere, and watched over her from afar. But when Julia resurfaces, he knows that to protect MaeBe, he’ll have to get close. So close that if they manage to survive, he will never let her go.

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

You are not an itch I want to scratch, MaeBe Vaughn,” Kyle said, his eyes solemn on her. “You’re a blanket I want to pull around me because I think you might be able to keep me warm for the rest of my life.”

I have spent years waiting for this book. YEARS. Kyle has been a predominant secondary character for far too long and I couldn’t wait to finally get my hands on his book. Particularly after the way No Time to Lie.

And while this book is technically a standalone with a new couple, I highly recommend you read the series in order because the story arc for this couple begins early in the series and you really need to understand all the nuances between them through the year to really appreciate this book. It does cover most of the basics, but glosses over some that have been covered in previous books (like the pining. GOD but I loved the pining)

People in love discuss their problems. Dumbasses fake their deaths.

Kyle has been in love with MaeBe from the moment he saw her. He may have fought their connection but his fall was inevitable, no matter what his inner demons said. But when Kyle’s psycho double agent ex comes back from the dead, he knows he’ll do anything to protect MaeBe, even fake his own death. Though his “death” is honestly like the worst kept secret and everyone pretty much knows he’s on a mission to catch Julia, including MaeBe.

When circumstances allow him to reveal himself to MaeBe, she’s no longer the woman he left behind. Her edges are sharper, and she’s also not afraid to drop him on his ass. And she does.

I really liked parts of this story, but admittedly, parts of it did drag a bit for me. The suspense plot sort of overrode the romance for me. I would have loved to read more about these falling for each other to appreciate their reunion even more. But on the flip side, I loved the progression of their relationship. I loved the way Kyle cares for Mae and the way he finally proves it with his unwavering trust. I loved watching Mae grow into a field agent in her own right. And while this wasn’t my favorite book in the series, it still hit the spot just right.

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Review: Pieces of a Life by Jewel E Ann

September 13, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

PIECES OF A LIFE
Series: Life Series Duet #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Jewel E Ann
Release Date: September 13, 2022

The summer before fourth grade, Colten Mosley moved into the house across the street from mine, and we became inseparable.

He played the piano and baseball.

I had a penchant for dead things while at the same time imagining what it would be like to kiss Colten.

We were filled with curiosity and overly active imaginations.

We were also forbidden to be more than friends.

But that didn’t stop us.

Weeks before graduation, he annihilated my heart, and it’s been seventeen years since the day I knew I’d hate him forever.

Now he’s back in my life—a single dad and a homicide detective looking over my shoulder while I perform autopsies as one of Chicago’s most gifted forensic pathologists. Then fate throws us a curveball.

Colten saves my life, but he can’t erase the images that now keep me awake at night. And I can’t explain them.

Am I still the girl he’s always loved? Or nothing more than pieces of that life?

*This story contains sensitive and graphic content.

AMAZON

I don’t remember falling in love with Josephine Watts. I just remember the day we met and the day I let her go for good. For me, she wasn’t really my girlfriend. She was my everything.

There are three things I love; second chance romance, suspense, and Jewel E Ann books. So when those three things combine into one addictive read, you know I’m here for it. And what a ride this one was!

Certain feelings, deep emotions—the haunting kind—can’t be outrun. Colten has been the unshakable shadow of my existence since the day I met him.

First, I love a sex positive heroine, who doesn’t spend the years away from the hero in a second chance romance pining in celibate sorrow. Josephine spend more years away from Colten than they ever did together, but she’s never managed to move past the heartbreak. They grew up together, and had a tumultuous on again off again teenage relationship, until he broke her heart. She’s now a successful forensic pathologist, who isn’t interested in any entanglement outside of the satisfaction of a warm body next to hers. She’s not interested in marriage or happily ever afters. She has her career and that’s enough. Until the man who so thoroughly broke her heart makes a sudden reappearance in her life as the detective on a case she’s also working on.

I lived wholly, eternally, unequivocally for Josephine Watts. Why didn’t I tell her when it mattered the most?

The story is told in a combination of past and present. I’m not a reader that loves too many flashbacks, and while the pacing was great, the flashbacks did still take me out a bit. Perhaps the way they transitioned? That aside, I loved getting more details on how these two fell together and then fell apart. I loved that Josephine was a bit of a hard ass and didn’t just forgive and forget. She made Colten work for it and boy did he work for it.

Colten was this wonderful combination of alpha and cinnamon roll. He worked so hard and lays himself bare for her. At times I almost found Josephine to be too much of a hard ass, but it just worked. But the show stopper was definitely that ending. Holy mother of plot twists, that ending. I think my heart may have stopped beating when I read that last sentence. If I don’t have the next book in my hands immediately, I’m going to riot!!!

Jewel is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author with a quirky sense of humor. When she’s not saving the planet one tree at a time, you can find her role modeling questionable behavior to her three boys, binge-watching Netflix with her husband, and writing mind-bending romance. 

Connect with Jewel

Website: https://www.jeweleann.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7505427.Jewel_E_Ann
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jewel-E-Ann/e/B00IJYHDIG/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjeweleann
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/485996228236493
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjeweleann/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JewelE_Ann
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jewel-e-ann
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jeweleannauthor/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeweleannauthor

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Review: No Time To Lie by Lexi Blake

September 13, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

NO TIME TO LIE
Series: Masters and Mercenaries: Reloaded Book 4
Genre: Romantic Suspense, BDSM
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: September 13, 2022

A grandmaster of lies and deception

Drake Radcliffe has spent half his life in the shadows. Recruited by the CIA when he was barely out of high school, Drake doesn’t know how to have a normal life. While most people his age were playing sports or video games, he was playing spy games with the world’s most dangerous adversaries. It has been a life filled with thrills and adrenaline, but it’s also been lonely. All that might change when a mistake from Drake’s past rears its ugly head and he’s forced to face the only woman he ever loved—the one he pushed away.

A beacon of love and compassion

Taylor Cline committed the cardinal sin for an analyst—she fell for the operative she was working for. Drake was everything she wanted in a man, until he broke her heart. She had one unforgettable night with him and then he never looked back. Her career threatened, she shut down and moved on, hoping to never see him again. Just as she is beginning to put it all behind her, a critical assignment puts her under his authority and right back in his arms.

A deadly mission that brings them together

From the wilds of Wyoming to the glittering cities of Europe, Drake and Taylor must race against time to uncover the truth and expose an evil organization. The stakes couldn’t be higher. If they fail, the world could crumble. If they succeed, they could finally have everything their hearts desire.

AMAZON

 

I won’t bottom for you. I’ll probably walk into this dungeon when it opens tonight because I need a session given the amount of stress I’m dealing with and maybe I’ll pick out some hot cowboy top to help with my stress relief, but it won’t be you.”
“And what do I win if it is?”
“You’ll win my dead body because that’s what it would take.”
“I like a challenge, Taylor.”
“I’m not a challenge, Drake.”

I feel like I’ve been forever for Drake’s book. He’s been a vivid secondary character for so many books and a complete and utter mystery. I’ve been eagerly anticipating every morsel of detail about this enigmatic CIA operative and I just knew that his story would be a juicy one. And you know what? I was not wrong.

I love a good second chance romance, especially when that second chance romance has a good grovel. And when said grovel lasts for almost the entirety of the book? GAH. Delicious.

Taylor Cline is no stranger to the life of a spy. After all, her father is one of the most notorious agents there were, and he taught her everything there is to know since she was a kid. Sliding into the role of being her father’s handler was not a difficult one and she’s d*mn good at her job.

When a mission gone wrong lands Drake at the safe house he thinks should be empty, he has a hard time understanding how Taylor is there. Taylor takes care of the injured Drake and then quickly bond over their life and it doesn’t take long for the chemistry between them to burn too hot to ignore. They share one night together before it all goes catastrophically wrong and Taylor realizes that Drake is not the man she thought he was.

Years later, a critical mission lands these two together and while Drake is thrilled for the second chance he’s been craving, Taylor wants nothing to do with him. And when Drake learns just how epically he screwed up with Taylor based on some wrong intel? Well, the juicy parts start.

I loved how Taylor makes him work for it, and boy does he. This is no meek woman. She may not have as much experience, but she’s so fierce in her own right. She’s set on revenge and she has no intention of letting Drake break her heart again. But the mission can’t be done without both of them, because the target they’re hunting has a shared link with them both.

My favorite parts of this series is all of the cameos from my favorite characters and every bit of Big Tag’s inappropriate humor. I love this man and will never get enough of him and his ball busting and matchmaking ways.

This was a high octane, thrilling page turner with a sizzling second chance romance full of heart and a delicious grovel. And this girl? Devoured every page.


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