Review: Warrior by S. Massery

July 17, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

WARRIOR
Series: Sterling Falls Rogues #2
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: S. Massery 
Release Date: July 17, 2025

Everything that could go wrong—did.

Kade’s loyalties are tangled in something far more treacherous than any of us realized.

Reese seems desperate to make amends, and I hate to say, he’s growing on me.

And Artemis….

Well, she won’t wake up. According to Gabriel, she might not ever.

There has to be a cure—but only if I keep a level head. Grief and anger crash inside me, and if I lose my cool, I might lose her, too.

—
Nemesis must be read prior to Warrior for continuity.

AMAZON 

You’re the sweetest torture,”

Holy hell, the way I devoured this book. The plot twists, the revelations, the jaw dropping details! My head was spinning at the end, only tone hit in the head with that two by four to the head of a cliffy. MY. GOD.

The mystery of who Reese is, is finally revealed and wow wow wow was I not prepared for THAT. Of all the things I had thought, it definitely wasn’t THAT. And now Artemis’s reaction towards him in book one makes so much more sense.

While we spent most of Nemesis In Artemis’s head, we get a whole lot more of the men in this one. Particularly Saint and Reese. And the story development for Saint is truly EPIC. I won’t spoil it for you, but just trust me.

For those who love their why choose with some MM, prepare yourself for the most tension filled MM relationship development. I was salivating for more scenes with these two. SALIVATING.

Good boy.”
Fucking hell.
He smirks. “Like that?”
“No.”
“Liar,” he whispers.

GAH! I get giddy just thinking about them.

There is so many revelations in this book with just as many questions left by them. For a reader who can usually see the plot twists coming, the ones here managed to catch me completely by surprise. I was left reeling and grasping for more clues.

And that ending? PHYSICALLY PAINFUL. I’m not sure I’ll be able to survive the wait for the next book but man, I have ZERO regrets. This was deliciously dark, twisty, action packed, and exactly what I needed

S. Massery:

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

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

Author Links:

Website: http://smassery.com

Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/smassery

Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/smassery

Facebook: http://facebook.com/authorsmassery

Facebook Group: http://facebook.com/groups/smasserysquad

Instagram: http://instagram.com/authorsmassery

TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@smassery

Bookbub: http://bookbub.com/author/s-massery

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/authorsmassery

 

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Review: Eclipsed Empire by Tessa Hale

July 16, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

ECLIPSED EMPIRE
Series: The Wolves of Crescent Creek #2
Author: Tessa Hale
Genre: Why Choose Romance, PNR
Release Date: July 16, 2025

One secret tore my life apart. It sent me running from the place I thought I would be safe, right into the path of untold enemies.


But when my life is in danger, the wolves I thought I’d lost for good are the ones who come for me. And they’ll burn down the world to keep me safe—even if none of us trusts each other anymore.


With every moment we’re forced together, every whispered apology and stolen touch, my resolve to keep them at a distance weakens. And when I realize just how much each of these men has come to mean to me, that resolve crumbles to dust.


Only there are more secrets to uncover—all our pasts lurking in the shadows. And when the monsters emerge from the darkness, there’s no escaping them this time…

**Book Two in the Wolves of Crescent Creek Series. If you haven’t met the wolves yet, their story begins in Crescent Kingdom.**

AMAZON

My little warrior would live to fight again. She would regain her strength. And I would vanquish every threat to her well-being from this Earth.

How was this cliffhanger even more painful than the first book? I am not OK. NOT. OK. What do I even do with myself until Sept? This is sadistic, Tessa Hale. Why am I slightly turned on here? Let’s switch topics, kay?

I have been chomping at the bit ever since that killer cliffhanger in book one. If you haven’t read book one, don’t be reading my review because it will have some mild spoilers of book one though I will try to give away as little as possible.

This book starts off immediately where the first one ended; Wren back in the pits of hell but at someone else’s hands and her mates desperately trying to find her. Not going to lie, there were so many moments that I wanted to punch Ender in the throat, I lost count. I get that he’s tortured, but his toxic skepticism toward Wren was starting to wear on me. Luckily he got the wake up call that he needed and I will say his atonement was deliciously violent and satisfyingly torturous. While I wish Wren wasn’t as understanding to him and made him work for more with her, I also understand why she didn’t. I just happen to be a bit more spiteful than our girl I guess.

I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I will spend the rest of my life making sure you’re safe.”

I swear, I fell even harder for the guys in this book. Seeing their fierce protectiveness of Wren come out along with those who questioned her in the end of the first book go through hell of beating themselves up over it was delicious. I loved her further bond with Brix, along with Puck and Locke. Kingston has some work to do and that’s not even touching our tortured man, Ender. I just know book three is bound to be epic.

I devoured this installment just as quickly as book 1 and eagerly anticipating the final book in this fantastic trilogy!

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Review: Nemesis by S. Massery

June 5, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

NEMESIS
Series: Sterling Falls Rogues #1
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: S. Massery 
Release Date: June 5, 2025

A new darkness is seeping into Sterling Falls, and I’ve drawn its ire.

When a masked stranger declares he wants our ruin—mine, my brother’s, the whole town’s—I hope he’s bluffing.

A series of escalating events later, and it’s clear the threat is very present.
It’s not only present, but it drags up old nightmares from my past.

To keep my beloved city safe, I need to find this masked man and eliminate the threat.

I can’t do it on my own, but the three men poised to help are the ones I am almost certain I can’t trust.

Kade Laurent, the elusive and thrilling newcomer, leverages Olympus to get close to me.

Reese Avery, a ghost from my past, brings with him the trauma I’ve tried to bury. But he says he’s here to make amends…

Saint Hart, the partner of my dead best friend, and I will never get along. Especially since I’ve been tasked with keeping him alive. At least, I was convinced we were going to be mortal enemies forever—until we hate-screw in my kitchen…

Now things are all messed up, and I don’t know who I can rely on.

All I want is peace, but with danger climbing around me, it seems I’m destined for the opposite.

AMAZON 

You drive me insane. You’re…a glowing beacon in the dark, and I just want to smother you.”

Sometimes you finish a book, and other times the book finishes you. And this was most definitely the latter for me. I don’t know what I want to do first; beg and plead with the author for the next book, yell and rage over that ending, or send her my therapy bill. I’ll go with all of the above for a $100, Alex. Because OH MY GOD.

As a predominantly dark romance reader, truly good dark romance comes harder and harder to come by for me. One, because I’m a picky and moody sh*t. But also, because I find a lot of it to be full of gratuitous violence and shock value. But this book? This is what truly good, incredibly well written dark romance is about. That pit in your stomach feeling of dread and anxiety over turning the page because you have no idea what awaits you. The twists, the turns, all of it had me in such a choke hold that I couldn’t bring myself to put this book down for even a second.

I did myself a disservice by not reading the Sterling Falls series first, which this is a spinoff. Which I will be rectifying immediately. However, as this is also a brand new series, I had no issues keeping up.

The story is dark and I mean DARK, so definitely heed the trigger warnings because the story doesn’t mess around. Artemis’s story is full of trauma and true dark underbelly of humanity. She’s a survivor through and through and it was impossible not to fall in love with her take charge attitude. As the twin sister of the MMC in the Sterling Falls series, you’ll see the connection when you read it but I won’t spoil it for you.

This book is told mostly in Artemis’s POV with a few snippets into Saint, Reese and Kade. I love the way that the romantic element is paced to introduce each MMC in this story and what an introduction it was. Saint; her brother’s friend who lost the love of his life and still reeling from the loss, Preston; the blast from the past of the hell that Artemis survived, and Kade; the mysterious newcomer.

The romance is a s low build and I loved the way it developed. We only get a taste for it here and the hate/lust between Saint and Artemis was deliciously tantalizing. Reese is very much a mystery and Kade is a dark enigma that I couldn’t get enough of.

This was the edge of your seat kind of story that keeps you on bated breath and a razor’s edge without letting up. And just when you think you have some answers, you get hit in the head by a two by four that was the cliffhanger and are left absolutely reeling.

When I tell you that I am absolutely RABID for the next book, I am not even slightly exaggerating. I need answers desperately and will be rocking myself in a dark corner until the next release.

S. Massery:

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

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

Author Links:

Website: http://smassery.com

Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/smassery

Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/smassery

Facebook: http://facebook.com/authorsmassery

Facebook Group: http://facebook.com/groups/smasserysquad

Instagram: http://instagram.com/authorsmassery

TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@smassery

Bookbub: http://bookbub.com/author/s-massery

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/authorsmassery

 

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Review: The Venom We Bleed by Lucy Smoke

March 14, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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


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

AMAZON

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Review: Forged by Shadows by Maddison Cole

August 22, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

FORGED BY SHADOWS
Series: Shadowed Souls #1
Author: Maddison Cole
Genre: Dark, Why Choose Romance
Release Date: August 22, 2024

Avery thought her suffering had ended.

She thought wrong.

After a traumatic start to life, being adopted was Avery‘s saving grace. She finally had parents who loved her and an entire mansion to call home. Her days were spent reading in the library and exploring her passion for ballet. Until a fateful accident changed everything, and left her at the mercy of her step-brother.


Transferred to his boarding school, Avery’s solace comes to an abrupt end. Especially as the moment she stepped through the gates, her stepbrother and his gang of tormented souls branded her as fresh meat. He hates her, they want her. Whoever prevails, Avery refuses to surrender her mind or body without a fight.

AMAZON

I swear,” he seethes, leaning over so our foreheads touch. “I’m going to break you.”

This was my first Maddison Cole book and I am well and truly hooked, desperately anticipating the next book in this series because OHMYGAWD.

The second I read the blurb and saw the tropes for this book, I knew I had to read it. Fierce FMC, RH with MM, enemies to lovers, and a dark romance with a delicious mystery? Sign. Me. Up.

Avery is no stranger to the hostility of her adopted brother who avoids her at all cost. Ever since Wyatt’s parents adopted Avery as a child and saved her from a fate worse than hell, Wyatt has resented her and made it known just how much he hates her. But when her adopted mother dies and her adopted father instructs Wyatt to keep her safe, suffice it to say his hate only grows.

Suddenly Avery finds herself thrust into Wyatt’s world and the target of his misplaced hate, along with his friends. I have to say as much as I wanted to jock punch Wyatt in parts of this book (and I wanted to do it a lot), I was so intrigued by his character. There is something so profoundly broken about this man, even though his hate for his adopted sister is seriously misplaced and he takes his “revenge” a step too far more often than not. It doesn’t take long for his best friends to grow intrigued by Avery and I loved watching their chemistry build and build.

The romance is a bit of a slow build and most definitely a very slow burn when it comes to Wyatt and I can’t be mad at it because the tension hurt so good. Admittedly, the story does slow in parts, but it still didn’t take me very long to finish. Avery was a girl that I clicked with right away. She’s a survivor and doesn’t take any punches lying down. She gives as good as she gets and from her flashbacks, I can’t wait to learn more about her dark past.

The guys are all broken in their own way, though no one tugged at my heart strings more than Axel. I especially loved the unique bond he has with Garrett. These two are incendiary together, but when Avery is added to the mix, they’re even more so.

The cliffhanger was painfully torturous and I’m desperately waiting for some answers with the next book.

Maddison is a married mum of two, and a serial daydreamer. As a huge fan of all romance tropes herself, it was time to pen the stories which consume her mind most hours of the day.

As a child, Maddison was a jet setter and has lived all over the world, only to return to the south east of England, where she is now happily settled. With a double award in applied arts and art history, Maddison is a creative with a dark passion for feisty females and spicy stories.

Author Links:

www.facebook.com/Maddison.Cole.314

www.facebook.com/groups/colesreadingmoles

www.instagram.com/authormaddisoncole

www.tiktok.com/authormaddisoncole




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Review: Fearless by Tracy Lorraine

December 28, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

Peace.

We were finally a team, fighting against our enemies.

But those enemies were closer than we anticipated.

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

Someone betrayed us.

Someone we trusted.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AMAZON 

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

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

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

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

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

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Review: Redfang Royal by Lola Rock

December 1, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

REDFANG ROYAL
Series: Reverse Harem Omegaverse #3
Genre: Omegaverse, Why Choose
Author: Lola Rock
Release Date: December 1, 2023

Every day, I lie and pretend I’m not a threat. I swallow insults and avoid the electric fence, crossing fingers I can fake my way to freedom before I snap and end up permanently caged.

Borrowing my sister’s identity is my last chance at escape.

But Serafina Redfang isn’t just a cartel heiress. She’s the reason I can never mate the pack of my childhood dreams.

Su Jin, Bishop, Dutch, and Reese already belong to her.

Now I have to pretend to be theirs. To smile, hide my scars, and let them close before I let them go forever.

I’m not really Redfang royalty.

I might not even be a real omega.

But if the guys keep bulldozing my lies, you’re about to meet the real me.

I’m Marisol Redfang, and I’m done hiding my claws.

 AMAZON 

I’ve never really owned a thing. Sometimes, I don’t even think I’m real. I’m lies on lies on lies.

The chokehold that this world has on me. Oh My GOD. Nothing can describe the level of obsession I had with the Pack Darling duet. And I was feral for this book ever since we get a small glimpse of Marisol in the first two books. So obviously my expectations were higher than the ceiling for this book.

I liked the fact that this book had a much different vibe then Pack Darling. It had the delicious slow burn and a fierce heroine, yes. But it wasn’t the gritty and emotional powerhouse that Pack Darling was. It had a splash of comedy and a lighter tone while still having some grit to it.

Marisol came out of the same academy as Lilah, but then landed in an even bigger hell called SAS. Her history and background is a mysterious one and leaves you desperate to peel back the layers of who Marisol really is and what she hides. When Sol gets forced on a mission that lands her in the sights of her childhood crushes, she doesn’t know how to deal. They have no idea who she is but it doesn’t take them long to put the pieces together. But Sol’s secrets are dark and dangerous, and while her mates are desperate for her and she is for them, her secrets prevent her from having what she desperately craves.

As with pack darling, we get 4 alphas with Jin, Dutch, Bishop, and Reese. Now admittedly, it took me a while to really connect with the characters. Sol was an instant click. The woman is a whole vibe. But the men felt a touch two dimensional, particularly Dutch. It feels like his entire personality was about being horny. I had a hard time buying his being an alpha, because his vibes were barely even beta. It was a strange one. He was such an adorable puppy dog of a man, but I wanted his alpha vibes. The rest of the men were fascinating, but I couldn’t help but feel they were missing a bit of development to really make me connect and understand them. I loved their obsession with Sol, but I wanted more layers to them. Bishop in particular.

All that aside, the story itself packed a punch. There was plenty of action, suspense, and a cameo from my favorite Wyverin pack. The romance was a slow burn and when they finally come together, it was absolutely incendiary. I loved Sol’s fierce and protective nature. She isn’t someone who needs saving. If anything, she takes protecting her men violently serious. I loved her bloodthirsty vibes. I’m also incredibly curious about a secondary character who we get introduced to, Serafina. I really hope we get her book next because I’m so hooked already.

If you’re looking for an omegaverse with plenty of feels, laughs, MM action, a fierce heroine and lots of action, definitely check this out. I can’t wait to see what Lola writes next!

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Review: Lawless by Tracy Lorraine

November 16, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The cocky playboy who likes to think himself a joker.

Just one smile from him and everything seems easier.

One touch and the rest of the world falls away.

The last thing I want to do is hurt him.

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

JD hurt me, even if it was with pleasure.

I never made a secret of where my loyalties lie.

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

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


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

AMAZON 

Three dangerously possessive men and one unbreakable woman.

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

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

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

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

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Review: Princes of Ash by Angel Lawson & Samantha Rue

November 14, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

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

“To create is to reign.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brick by brick.

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

AMAZON 

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

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

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

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

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Review: Relentless by Tracy Lorraine

October 12, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

RELENTLESS
Series: Harrow Creek Hawks #2
Genre: Dark, Captive Romance
Author: Tracy Lorraine
Release Date: October 12, 2023

An all-new and addictive dark, why-choose, captive romance from the USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Tracy Lorraine.
He came to save me… but what he finds could destroy him.

I might have accomplished the impossible and walked back up those stairs.

But I wasn’t naïve. Freedom didn’t await.

Only more locked doors and nightmares.

My captivity means nothing now.

My hope is locked up in despair.

Because just like he promised, Mav came for me.

No one breaks into the Devil’s manor… and lives to tell the tale.

But since I’ve been here, I’ve learned a few things.

For the first time in my life, I’m the one with the power.

And I will do whatever it takes to protect my husband.

But things are different now.

They say the truth is meant to set you free, but that’s the last thing I want.

Because the truth is… the only man I’ve ever loved just might hate me as much as I hate myself for what I’ve been doing.

Who I’ve been working for.

I may have given my body to others, but my heart will only ever belong to Mav.

But will he want me when the rest of me is tarnished?

When he discovers that I’ve sold my soul to the devil, and reaped the benefits from his best friend?



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

AMAZON 

He is one of—if not—the most dangerous men in this town and here I am getting turned on being completely at his mercy.

The level of obsession I have with this series is probably unhealthy and toxic. Am I sorry? Not even a little!

She’s ours. All fucking ours.

After the jaw dropping cliffhanger in book one, I was desperate to get my hands on this book. DESPERATE. Relentless starts off immediately where Merciless left off but with a few plot twists thrown in.

The first half of this book, I binged. I was desperate for answers. I also swore on all things holy that if we get more edging with Reid and Alana, I may chuck my kindle at the wall. And well, RIP, kindle. You’ve had a good life. But I digress.

The second installment of the series was a bit more slower paced than book one, which I devoured. There isn’t much that happens with the story outside of the development of the inner workings of the relationship between Alana, JD, Reid, and Mav. Mav and Alana discover that Reid isn’t the enemy they thought he was. But outside of the developing sexual relationship with Mav and Alana, and the further development of JD and Alana, along with hints of Reid’s attraction to Alana, not much else happens. Now don’t get me wrong, it was still entertaining. But I just didn’t devour it like I did book one. Also considering the build up, I anticipated a slightly more painful cliffy. But I can’t complain since the wait for book three is painful enough as it is.

I will say that if Alana and Reid don’t bump uglies in book three, I’m going on strike. Call my union rep, because this is torture! TORTURE. But I digress again.

I enjoyed this one, and while it may not have been as much as book one, it was still entertaining and deliciously depraved. Can’t wait for the next book!

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