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Review: The Wallflower by JL Beck

February 16, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

THE WALLFLOWER
Series: Oakmount Elite Book 1
Author: JL Beck
Genre: Dark, New Adult Romance
Release Date: February 16, 2024

She needs me, because she needs money. 

I don’t need her. Just her complete submission…

Maybell Jacobs is the Wallflower: quiet, shy, socially awkward and hell-bent on hiding even from herself, that is until a chance encounter takes place between us.

Instantly she hates me and for good reason. I’m a walking-red-flag. Filthy rich jock, short tempered, and violent.

I can have anyone and anything I want.. except her.

Little does she know her disgust, anger, and hate for me fuels my obsession to own her, completely in every single way. 

Maybell resists, predictably… but her fight only makes her more desirable and I have plans that will lead her right into my lap and never want to leave. 

When she joins the sinful tradition put on by the elite of the town, the Hunt, I’m shocked. The pretty little thing has no idea how much danger she’s in if she decides to become my prey.

Sweet, innocent, and fragile like a flower. I’ll have to be careful or risk breaking her. 

Because I’m the ultimate predator and when I play there are no rules. 

I don’t chase. I capture.

And I like to own my bait.

★ Tropes include: secret society, college, touch her and die, CNC & chasing bait fantasy ★

AMAZON

I want you to scream for me because of me. I want you gasping for breath. I want you crying, your eyes shimmering with tears. I want you running, doing everything you can to escape me, while knowing deep down inside you’ll never get away. I want all of it. So I’ll give you one more chance to get away.”

Well then, clearly I have been sleeping on JL Beck, because this hit all sorts of spots for me. ALL THE SPOTS.
Enemies to lovers? CHECK
Bully/alphahole vibes? CHECK
DubCon/CNC? CHECK
Primal Play? CHECK
Bad Boy/Good Girl? CHECK
Obsessive hero and touch her and die vibes? CHECK CHECK AND CHECK

If your hate tastes this good, I can’t imagine what your desire tastes like.”

I live for a dark secret society read almost as much as I live for a good alpha hole and this was pure book crack. Drew is a bad boy that I loved to hate. Part of the elite, of course this is a guy who has broody and tortured down to a science. Every year, he and his friends host something called The Hunt. And yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. But it’s been a while since a woman truly gave Drew the chase he craves. A woman who doesn’t just pretend to run from him. The man is depraved with a capital D and I loved him for it.

Maybel (Bel) is the quintessential good girl. A scholarship student, she’s used to being unseen and blending in. In a school of the rich and elite, she’s the wallflower…until she unwittingly catches the attention of Drew. And now he’ll stop at nothing to have her, even if she doesn’t want anything to do with him.

Drew isn’t the person he plays or the mask he slips on. He’s unhinged, sinister, and dark. He’s hiding in plain sight, afraid of what the world will think of him if they see the monster beneath the beautiful exterior.

Their relationship is one of antagonistic push and pull. Bel runs and Drew chases. But somewhere along the road, the lines begin to blur and someone that Bel couldn’t stand, she soon unwillingly gets feelings for. But Drew’s family and history is a dark one and Bel lands in the middle of something she can barely comprehend.

This was a twisty, deliciously dirty story. I loved the chemistry between Drew and Bel. I craved every morsel of information about these two. And while we only graze the surface in this one, I think we’re in store for a great deal more with the next one. I’m fully hooked on the series and as much as I’m dying for the conclusion, I also can’t wait for the rest of the guys to get their story. Especially Sebastian. That boy will likely put Drew to shame with his depraravity. I just know it. And that ending? JAW DROPPING!

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Review: Fierce Obsession by S Massery

February 16, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

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

Knox Whiteshaw is my husband.

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

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

My upcoming wedding, my future, my sanity…

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

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

AMAZON

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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#DGRFave & Review: Because of Her by Jewel E Ann

November 2, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

BECAUSE OF HER
Series: Jack & Jill #6
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Contemporary
Author: Jewel E. Ann
Release Date: November 2, 2023

“If sin weren’t pretty, it wouldn’t be so tempting.”

I was an accomplished music professor.
Happily single.
Perfectly content.

Now, I’m unemployed.
Pining for a dark, brooding guy named Jack who lives in a garage with a piano.
And I’m plotting to seduce a married man because his daughter is responsible for my nephew committing suicide.

I don’t know why teenage girls are so mean.
I don’t know why rich men cheat on their wives.
And I don’t know why Jack has serial killer vibes, even though he leaves me speechless every time he speaks.

All I know for sure is that I feel safe in a stranger’s arms and understood by someone I don’t understand.

“You should be a little scared of everyone because humans are unpredictable.”

How far will I go for revenge? More than that …
How far will he go to save me?

*This book contains material involving sexual assault and suicide. Reader discretion is advised.

 AMAZON 

Revenge won’t fill the holes. But a new chapter can begin because the previous one has ended. And he will do it all … because of her.

First of all, if you haven’t read this series yet, what are you even doing? And second of all, if you have read this series, this book is the most perfect conclusion you can ever imagine or dare hope for.

I’ll scream,” she whispers. Jackson’s lips twitch while his fingertips skate up her bare arms. “I don’t doubt that.”

Frankie is easily one of my most favorite FMCs I’ve read to date. But I’ll get to that in a second. What I will say is you want to go into this book blind. Trust me. If you’ve read this series, do yourself this favor. Do not read the reviews. Do no look for spoilers. Just read it knowing that it will fix every hurt and pain that Out of Love may have caused. If you haven’t read this series, I highly recommend you read it in order. Or at the very least, you start with Out of Love. You simply need to appreciate the full circle moment of perfection that is this story, and you can’t do that if you don’t understand the backstory of Jackson.

I have a Ph.D. I don’t get on my knees for anyone. I’ll sit on the bed.” He ducks his head and kisses me. It’s good. Really good. But a woman needs standards and limits. I undressed and played his piano yesterday. That’s my limit…
Again, he kisses me. “A goddamn queen,” he murmurs along my jaw to my ear.
I lower to my knees, but I don’t look at him. “I’m only doing this because someone has to guard the door.”
My feminism is still intact. Sort of.

Frankie is in town to settle the affairs of her brother and his family. A terrible tragedy to lose your brother to suicide. But the debilitating pain to lose your nephew and sister in law to the same is something more. To learn that your nephew’s girlfriend may have driven him to his fate? Well that’s something else entirely. Frankie is dead set on revenge and making the girlfriend and her family pay. What she doesn’t know is just how dark and deep the roots of this family and their influence really go.

Frankie is in her early forties and is a career driven woman who never wanted marriage and a family. But when she meets the mysterious man living in the garage with his piano, the connection between them is instantaneous. The unspoken connection driven from a shared pain of loss is even more so. Jack has dark secrets and everything about him is a mystery. Frankie is undeniably drawn to his dangerous allure. But she’s no naive ingenue, this is a woman who knows what she wants and goes after it.

When I tell you I loved this book, I mean I lived and breathed this story as I read it. I mean, it will become my entire personality for the foreseeable future now as I finished it. I mean it was one of the most unforgettable stories of suspense, second chances, loss and love that I have ever read. It was beautiful. It was emotional. It was unforgettable. It was everything I didn’t know I needed and MY GOD did I need this conclusion. The intricate details woven in to the story were everything. I also found myself falling in love with some previous characters all over again. If you know, you know.

But I digress. I’m pretty sure I didn’t get a wink of sleep because I couldn’t put this book down for even a second. The beginning to end was a complete blur of tears, happiness, pain, and nail biting, edge of my seat suspense. I loved every page, every chapter, and I simply cannot recommend the series enough.

Jewel is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today best selling author a 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 | Goodreads | Amazon | Facebook | Facebook Group | Instagram | Twitter  |Bookbub | Pinterest

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Review: Fall Into You by JT Geissinger

September 28, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

FALL INTO YOU
Series: Morally Gray #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: J.T. Geissinger
Release Date: September 28, 2023

Ruthless. Arrogant. Ice cold.

Everyone warned me that the CFO of McCord Media was a nightmare to work for. I knew it going in, but I figured I could keep my head down and stay under Cole McCord’s radar.

I figured wrong.

Because a month before I started as his assistant, Mr. Ruthless and I spent one scorching hot night together in bed.

In my defense, I had no idea that the gorgeous stranger I hooked up with at my girlfriend’s birthday party would turn out to be my new boss. But company policy forbids work relationships, so it’s strictly business from now on.

If only we could stop falling into bed together.
If only he didn’t make me feel things I’ve never felt before.
If only he wasn’t keeping a secret that could destroy us both.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author’s note: Fall Into You is a standalone romance with dark themes and spicy bedroom scenes intended for mature readers only.
 

AMAZON 

I want to own her, body and soul. Even more than that, I want her to own me.

I live for JT Geissinger style of banter and she definitely brought her A game when she wrote Shay and Cole. You may remember Cole as the constantly murderous looking McCord brother in Liars Like Us. So obviously I was instantly enamored with him. What? I like the grumpy ones, okay? And the brood is seriously strong with this man.

Be careful what you wish for, baby. And if I ever say I love you, be afraid. Because my love isn’t soft. It isn’t pretty. It’s the monster hiding under your bed in the dark.”

Shay is sass personified. I was instantly charmed by her character. After a breakup with her douchebag ex, she’s looking to dip her toes in the meaningless sex a bit. So she and her girlfriends find themselves in a bar and Shay finds herself in the crosshairs of a handsome stranger’s glare. One thing leads to another and they have an unforgettable night.

You don’t even know my last name!”
“You don’t know mine either.”
“I could be abusive. I could be a psychopath!”
“We both know you’re not.”
“But I could be.”
“Just kiss me already. People are staring.”
“Let them fucking stare.”
“Don’t make me beg. This is embarrassing.”
His eyes glitter dangerously. His laugh is low and hard. “You’re not embarrassed in the least.”
“I was earlier. Now I’m just horny.”

After the nigh, Cole walks away but neither stop thinking about the other. But the last thing Shay expects when she starts a new job is for the grumpy boss everyone has warned her about to be the one and only Cole whose last name she only now learns is McCord.

This was a fun little romp of a read. Admittedly, I did wish for a bit more development with Cole. I wanted to peel back the layers into the dark cavern he hides beneath the expensive suits. But I feel like we only graze the surface of the man he is in the dark of night. I suppose I expected more Killian vibes all things considering, but most of it is really off the pages.

There is a big even that happens in the last 5% of the book which had me questioning how truly necessary that event was outside of being the formula that finally drives them together. I just wish we got a bit more epilogue considering all the dramatics in the end. Don’t get me wrong, it was still entertaining, but I wanted more of them together. I just loved these two so much, I couldn’t help but want more after their constant push and pull throughout the book.

If you’re looking for a deliciously steamy romance with a touch of swoon and feels with plenty of banter and two characters you will fall for instantly, look no further.


J.T. Geissinger is a #1 international and Amazon Charts bestselling author of thirty novels. Ranging from funny, feisty romcoms to intense erotic thrillers, her books have sold over ten million copies worldwide and been translated into more than twenty languages.

 

She is a three-time finalist in both contemporary and paranormal romance for the RITA® Award, the highest distinction in romance fiction from the Romance Writers of America®. She is also a recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book, the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, and the HOLT Medallion for Best Erotic Romance.

Connect with J.T. Geissinger 

WEBSITE | GOODREADS | AMAZON | FB | FB GROUP | IG | TIKTOK | BOOKBUB

Text BOOK to 844-946-2079

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Review: Off The Grid by K. Bromberg

September 14, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

OFF THE GRID
Series: Full Throttle #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: K. Bromberg
Release Date: September 14, 2023

Spencer Riggs is fighting for his place, his name, in the elite sport of Formula 1.
His ultimate dream. A future determined by his past. His legacy.
He’s passionate, reckless, and unswerving in his pursuit of all things.
Including me.

Camilla Moretti was determined to never return to one thing: Formula 1.
Shadows had kept her away, but family devotion brought her back. After all, Moretti Motorsports is her legacy.
She’s dynamic, intelligent, and spectacular, and someone I can’t seem to stay away from. Nor want to.
I have an objective. A lifelong goal.
But I might throw it all away for her.


Off the Grid is a steamy, standalone romance set in the Full Throttle world. Tropes include a British hero, close proximity, secret rendezvous, Formula 1, enemies to lovers, and workplace romance.

AMAZON 

Before the end of my . . . tenure here…I’ll get you to fuck me somewhere in the paddock.”
“I’ll be your paddock pussy?” she asks, amused. “You’re pretty sure of yourself.”
“I’m a racer, Camilla. I live for the danger. I have to be sure of myself. And this? This I’m sure of.”

This was the series I didn’t realize I was waiting for and I. Am. Obsessed.

Riggs is a racing prodigy hoping to follow in his father’s legacy in Formula 1. He finally gets his chance but then a stupid bet in a bar comes back to bite him in the @ss…quite literally.

Camilla has been called back to help her father run Moretti Motors. She’s been running from the sport for the past few years and reluctant is an understatement. But her ailing father wants her to follow her own legacy and step unto the help of Moretti. Her first order of business? Their brand new Formula 1 hopeful and surprisingly the man who gave her both the most memorable and embarrassing night at a bar days ago.

When I tell you that sparks are immediate between these two, I mean they were sizzling together. The hate/lust banter was just as good as the enemies to lovers vibe. Though they’re not quite enemies since Riggs flirts with her at every step and she wants nothing to do with him…seemingly. But beneath her cool and snarky front, she knows the man makes her melt. It doesn’t take long for her to start seeing the many layers of Riggs that aren’t easily seen. He’s not just a playboy racer, he’s so much more. With more time they spend together, the more she falls for his stability, tenderhearted care, and protective nature. But Camilla is hiding a secret from her past that still haunts her.

There is a strong emotional undercurrent to this book with Camilla’s story and I absolutely loved how K Bromberg handled it. I loved how Riggs fights for her, and I loved even more when we see her fight for him right back.

This was such a satisfying start to what’s sure to be an absolutely addictive new series and I’m hooked! I loved these two and I can’t wait for the next book and couple!

New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary romance novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines and damaged heroes who we love to hate but can’t help to love.

A mom of three, she plots her novels in between school runs and soccer practices, more often than not with her laptop in tow and her mind scattered in too many different directions.

Since publishing her first book on a whim in 2013, Kristy has sold over one and a half million copies of her books across eighteen different countries and has landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists over thirty times. Her Driven trilogy (Driven, Fueled, and Crashed) is currently being adapted for film by the streaming platform, Passionflix, with the first movie (Driven) out now.

With her imagination always in overdrive, she is currently scheming, plotting, and swooning over her latest hero. You can find out more about him or chat with Kristy on any of her social media accounts. The easiest way to stay up to date on new releases and upcoming novels is to sign up for her newsletter (http://bit.ly/254MWtI) or follow her on Bookbub (http://smarturl.it/KBrombergBB)

Connect with Kristy

Website: www.kbromberg.com

Goodreads: http://smarturl.it/Kbromberg_GR

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/KBrombergAmz

Facebook: http://smarturl.it/KBrombergFB

Facebook Group: http://smarturl.it/DrivenFB

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Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kbrombergwrites/

Other: http://smarturl.it/DrivenMoviesFB

Verve: https://ververomance.com/app/bromberg

Text Kbromberg to 77948 to stay up to date on all things Driven movies and new releases

 

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Review: Bad Intentions by Mila Kane

August 16, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

BAD INTENTIONS
Series: Hellions of Hade Harbor Book 1
Author: Mila Kane
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date: August 16, 2023

When trouble follows you home…

Lily
His name was Cayden, and he was a golden boy, an instant hit with everyone I knew.
But the mask chipped and cracked in front of me, and I saw underneath.
If I hadn’t, maybe everything would have been different.
Maybe he would have let me go.
I guess I’ll never know.
I saw him, and I can never change that.
Most importantly…. he saw me.
Now, the Coach says he’s staying with us for the season, in the room right next to mine…
I’m locked inside with my bully, and he’s watching my every move.

Cade
It started with needing to make the coach’s daughter keep her pretty little mouth shut.
It ended with an obsession… mine.
I’m burning…. consumed – and she’s the reason.
Now, there is no way back.
Lily Williams isn’t like anyone think she is, underneath her straight-A student veneer.
I’m the only one to see the real her, I’m the only one to know her…
And I’m the one who is keeping her.

Meet the Ice Gods, the Hockey players who never play by the rules and own Hade Harbor and everyone in it. Bad Intentions is a standalone bully romance featuring a possessive hockey playing Ice God, and the smart, sheltered object of his obsession.

AMAZON

One day, you’re going to realize how wrong you are. You’re going to understand that I never betrayed you and that I always wanted the best for you, but by then it’ll be too late. The one person you opened up to will be gone forever.”

I have been firmly in my hockey romance era, desperately looking for something similar to S Mastery’s dark hockey romance vibes. When I saw the cover and blurb for this book, I knew instantly this would be my first Mila Kane book. I’ve been eyeing this author for some time, but this blurb finally pushed me over and I’m so happy it did because this book definitely hit the spot.

This is your bad boy from the wrong side of the track meet the good girl trope that I needed. Cayden comes with some real demons from his dark childhood and everything riding on his success in hockey. When the coach of the HHU team takes him under the wing, he knows nothing will stop him from his college hockey dreams, including the coach’s goodie two shoes daughter, Lily.

A restatement to my seriously f-ed up excpectations, I didn’t feel this was as dark as the trigger implied. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t deliciously gray. Because it was. Cade has a painfully dark past and the more you learn about him, the more you want to heal all his bad boy boobos. The trigger warning lists CNC, but I didn’t really feel that in that scene. Not to say it wasn’t deliciously steamy, because it was. There’s some primal play and definitely, hand necklaces, and some rough f-ery. But Lily most definitely enjoys every moment of it.

For all her parent pleasing, outcast/nerdy vibes, Lily is no pushover. She gives as good as she gets when it comes to Cade messing with her. And though I did want her to make him work for it more, especially at the end, the things Cade does to keep her safe made me more than ok with their easy reunion.

This is a promising beginning to a series that I’m definitely looking forward to reading more in and I will definitely be stalking Mila’s backlist. I do wish this was set in college rather than high school, but it was still super entertaining, with grayish undertones, and an intriguing cast of secondary characters.

 

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

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

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

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

 

Connect with Mila

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

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

Facebook | www.facebook.com/MilaKanewrites

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

Instagram | www.instagram.com/milakanebooks/

TikTok | www.tiktok.com/@milakanebooks

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

 


 

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Review: Playing By The Rules by Monica Murphy

March 30, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

PLAYING BY THE RULES
Series: The Players #2
Author: Monica Murphy
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date: March 30, 2023

What happens when you fall for your brother’s best friend? Find out in this upcoming sports romance by New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy…

Camden Fields is the star quarterback of our college football team.

Quiet.

Smart.

Absolutely gorgeous.

He’s the man all the women on campus rave about. And while he’s had a few casual hookups over the years, it’s never anything serious. Cam doesn’t do serious.

He also doesn’t do me.

See, I’m his best friend’s little sister, and whenever we’re around each other, he’s always warning me that I’m off limits. That nothing can ever happen between us.

But I see the way he looks at me when he thinks I’m not watching. The heat in his gaze. The hunger. He can deny it, but that man wants me.

I want him too.

I’m tired of always being the good girl and doing what everybody expects. For once, I’m going to break all the rules that have restrained me my entire life.

I’m going after Camden Fields.

And no one can stop me.

AMAZON

Camden Fields, hotshot quarterback at Colorado University, best friend to my overprotective big brother Knox, fuel for my filthiest sexual fantasies and dreams, is my secret.

The second that Monica Murphy hinted at these two in Playing Hard to Get, I was desperate for their book. Desperate. I love the brother’s best friend trope, and when said brother is the crazily overprotective Knox Maguire, and the best friend is the hotshot quarterback and player Camden Fields? I am ALL OVER IT.

Pull my hair and call me baby, and I’ll be yours forever,” she whispers.

Same, girl. Same.

Blair was a heroine I wasn’t sure I’d like at first. She’s not one that immediately jumps from the pages at you. She’s like a sneak attack who slowly but surely grows on you. Until you’re at the final page and a little in love with her. I love a woman who’s not afraid to go after what she wants. And Blair somehow had this unique blend of vulnerability, sass, and assertive. She’s not so in your face, but she isn’t shy about getting her feelings to Cam out there. She’s also not afraid of his hesitancy. Their push and pull doesn’t last long until Cam can no longer resist. The man puts up a good fight at first, but his feelings for Blair simply burn through his bro code of not going after his best friends sister. Knox pretty much warns the entire team off of her anyway.

Cam was impossible not to love; he may be a player, but the second he accepts his attraction to Blair, he only has eyes for her. I loved their friendship almost as much as I loved their sizzling chemistry. They just made so much sense and their road to a HEA was so satisfying. I’m simply obsessed with this series! Now bring on Ace and Ruby!

 

Monica Murphy is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling romance author. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and have sold over two million copies worldwide. Both a traditionally published and independently published author, she writes young adult, new adult and contemporary romance.

A native Californian, she lives on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere with her husband, son, their goofy dog, and three cats. When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing. Or reading. Or binge watching something.

 

Connect with Monica

Website | Goodreads  | Amazon | Facebook | Facebook Group | Instagram | Twitter | Bookbub | Pinterest | Verve Romance | Tik Tok 

 


 

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Review: Devious Obsession by S. Massery

March 23, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

DEVIOUS OBESESSION
Author: S. Massery
Genre: Dark, Bully Romance
Release Date: March 23, 2023

“If you want to stay, you have to play the game…”

Steele O’Brien is everything I hate in hockey players.
He’s cocky, brooding, antagonistic.

I played his game, learned his secrets.
But that was before I found out he’s my new stepbrother.

Now we’re at college together, and I can’t escape him.
Or his demons.

It seems that, for him, the game isn’t over.
He says I’m his to play with. His to torment.
And he’s determined to not only get under my skin, but carve his name into it.

AMAZON

I’m going to give you a two-minute head start,” I say softly, still pinching her hair in my fingers. “And then I’m going to hunt you down. You’ll know I’m coming. When I catch you, you fight me. Do your worst…
…What are you waiting for?” I bark, my voice suddenly loud and cruel. “Run.”

What sort of magical crack does S Massery sprinkle into her books that make me so obsessed with them? Because I swear, it’s like she dug straight into my head and took out every single trope I love and put it into this book.

CNC? Check
Alphahole? Check
Bully/Enemies to Lovers? Check
Primal Play? Check
Completely addictive NA romance with a deliciously deviant college hockey star? Check and CHECK.

It’s an awkward position to be in, caught between wanting to knee him in the balls and suck on them.

Same, girl. SAME.

I thought I loved Brutal Obsession but that was simply because I hadn’t met Steele O’Brien yet. Because this man is the epitome of still waters run deep. You know what they say about the quiet ones, right? Because wowza! Steele is a man of some interesting tastes. As in no holds barred, anything goes sort of vibes. And I was so here for it!

Steele and Aspen first meet at a party and share an unbelievably hot encounter. Steele is not prepared to meet a stranger who seems to be as into what he likes as the beautiful girl whose name he doesn’t even bother to get. So imagine his surprise when he sees her again 6 months later at his school, only to discover she’s his new stepsister. Well, suffice it to say he doesn’t take it very well.

Every day you stay at CPU, your life will get worse.” I run my finger down her jaw, and a spark of pleasure goes through me when she jerks her head away. “If you leave, it all stops. But if you stay… I’m going to have so much fun tormenting you, sweetheart. Fucking count on that.”

But Steele isn’t the only one with dark wounds from his past. Aspen hides some of her own demons that haunt her waking hours. And when these two get together, sparks definitely fly.

They hate lust between them was deliciously incendiary. I couldn’t get enough of their hot and cold. Now if you don’t like your fictional men borderline unforgivable, you may not like Steele. But I happen to love depraved ones that haven’t met a boundary that they bend to. Boundaries? Who even is she? Steele doesn’t know her. He gets off on making Aspen’s life at school hell, and there is nothing too dark and depraved that he’s above not doing. I mean, the man does some pretty unforgivable things. Though he does make up for it at the end.

Aspen certainly gives as good as she gets and doesn’t just take his sh*t lying down. And while I do wish she fought him more at times, I simply couldn’t find myself caring. I devoured and I mean DEVOURED this book. I cannot wait for the next one. I’m a total S Massery addict now and I have zero regrets.

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

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

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



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Review: Rogue by Elle Kennedy

March 16, 2023 by · 4 Comments

ROGUE
Series: Prep #2
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: Elle Kennedy
Release Date: March 7, 2023

From New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy comes the return to Sandover Prep, where secrets lurk in the dark and no one is safe when they come into the light.

It’s been a long time since Casey Tresscott has felt like her life was her own. After the car accident that nearly cost her everything, she’s used to her family’s coddling and the relentless whispers at school, no matter how much they sting. After all, she’s found a safe harbor in her budding relationship with Sandover’s golden boy, Fenn Bishop…or so she thinks.

Beneath Fenn’s pretty, party-boy surface is a dangerous truth about the night Casey almost died. He thought lying to her was the right thing to do, but when the secret shakes loose, he just might lose her for good.

Because Casey is done being taken advantage of.

Grasping for the control she’s been missing, Casey finally snaps—telling off her bullies, gallivanting with rebels and playboys, and shirking her headmaster father’s strict curfews, despite the consequences. A desperate Fenn must ally with his stepbrother RJ and the other Sandover delinquents to uncover the full story of Casey’s accident and the ones responsible if he hopes to win her back.

But what happens if Casey is no longer the same girl he first fell for? Is there any hope for their future if she’s gone rogue for good?

AMAZON

I blink back the moisture coating my lashes. “Why’d it have to be you?” His answer is a kiss.

I have sat on my review for days, completely torn in how to rate this. As much as I loved Misfit, it pains me to admit that I struggled immensely with the second installment.

First, if you’re planning to read this as a standalone, stop right there. While each book is a new couple, the story arc continues throughout the series, as well as some character arcs. Rogue was similar to Misfit in which you get primarily the main characters POV in addition to some secondary characters.

Now as for my rating, this was tough. While I liked the drama and enjoyed the mystery of Casey’s accident unfold, the romance was completely lackluster. Honestly, I’d go so far as to say I didn’t really feel this was a romance at all. While I rooted for Casey and Fenn in book one, the second half of this book had me feeling no sort of way about them at all.

The jaw dropping ending of Misfit revealed a small snippet into Casey’s accident, and the entirety of this book is focused on the fall out and the further revelations. We also see Casey take a total personality change. She goes from quiet, demure, and timidly non confrontational to a total ball buster. I didn’t hate it, and loved seeing her finally stand up for herself. But it was also so sudden and such a 180, it was hard to buy it at times too.

RJ and Sloane took a turn too. There was a certain thing that Sloane convinces RJ to do that had me seriously judging him and how much he chess to his girlfriend’s dramatic flare. As for Sloane, I absolutely LOATHED her in this book. She became intolerable and I really hope we get some redeeming features for her in the next book.

As for Casey and Fenn? I was so disappointed with the romance of this book, I’m still mad. There was a particular event, which I won’t spoil, but it seriously ruined any semblance of romance between them. I understand that Casey was mad, but the decision that she made was just…UGH. I hated it. This was even more disappointing by the fact I felt more chemistry with Lawson and Casey than with Fenn. I didn’t understand why this had to happen. It felt unnecessary and outside of additional fallout, didn’t do much in driving the plot forward. It could have been the same effect had the decision not been as extreme as it was.

Sadly, this book took me 7 days to finish and when I was marinating on my rating, I understood there was more things I disliked than enjoyed. So while the story kept me entertained, the characters frustrated me to no end and the romance was almost non existent. I’m really hoping books three turns things around for me because I’m still super invested in this series.


4 Comments · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, New Adult · Tagged With: ,

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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