Review: Loving The Liar by Lola King

September 12, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

LOVING THE LIAR
Series: Silver Falls University #1
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Lola King
Release Date: September 12, 2024

An angsty, secret society, dark romance from best-selling author, Lola King

He lost her once. Now he will do anything to have her back. Anything.

Welcome to Silver Falls University, where the elite comes to thrive.

My life as a queen bee was always traced for me. I’m rich, I come from an influential family, and I constructed my personality to become the girl everyone wants to be. I rule Silver Falls University with bright smiles and the pretense of being everyone’s friend.

But in a place where toxic rich kids love to see others fall, no one is safe.
Especially when my family loses its power and someone threatens to spill all my secrets.
In the blink of an eye, my life as I knew it crumbles, and to save the people I love, I’m forced to initiate into the one place I thought I’d never be—the same Secret Society who betrayed my family.

Powerless, I’m thrown into a world of men who want nothing but to use and break me, and only one person can save me.

My ex.

He wants to take care of me even though I hate him.
He wants to protect me when he’s not allowed.
And he wants to make me his even if it puts us both at risk.

I have no hope of surviving a secret society.

But if Christopher Murray makes me his…I have no hope of surviving him.

Loving The Liar is a dark romance intended for readers over 18. Please, read the CW in the book.
This is the first book in a series of 3 interconnected standalones.

AMAZON 

God, I hate that man so much it feels a lot like love.

Well now. This book? Finger licking good. And this series? Simply delicious. Because no one, and I mean no one, writes an unhinged morally gray MMC better than Lola King. Fight me on this.

Ella,” he rasps. His gaze bounces between my eyes, and his eyebrows pinch. “I’m so sorry for the things I will do to get you back.”

As someone who has read and thoroughly enjoyed Lola’s North Shore series, I’m so happy to now get this spinoff. The North Shore series focused on the have nots on the wrong side of the tracks and this series gives us the haves and the rich and entitled side. If you’ve read Heartless Beloved, then you’ll remember Alex’s best friend, Ella, the FMC of this book. But nothing prepares you for the unhinged possessiveness that is her ex boyfriend, Chris.

Chris hides his depravity down deep, made it his. His brand of evil. Nothing can compete with that.

Now if you know me or follow my reviews, you know how much I love me an unhinged MMC. But Chris? The man is playing chess while those other morally gray men are playing checkers. Because he is a whole other universe of unhinged and positive with a splash of daddy kink. Yep. You read that right.

Ella and Chris broke up years ago, but neither seems to have moved on. Ella can’t seem to get over Chris and Chris? Well he simply refuses to let her go, even though he’s with someone else.

You will go to bed one night, and it will be me you sleep next to. You will wake up, and it’ll be my cock deep inside you. You will live, because I’m the one who allows oxygen into your lungs.” He shifts, grazing my lips with his, and I don’t dare move an inch. I’m incapable of taking a step back. “And my hand will be so far inside your chest, your heart won’t beat without feeling my grip around it.”

Now if you’re already clutching your pearls and thinking there’s cheating, calm your tatas. There is no cheating here but you’ll have to read to find out why I say that because I will not spoil the details for you. But just trust me when I tell you, you will be fully fine with Chris chasing Ella. But if you’re expecting a possessive anti hero with morals, well probably skip this book. Because Chris is one brain f*ck away from being full villain and a manipulation and gaslighting genius. The lengths he goes to in order to get Ella back is….questionable at best and criminal at worst. But I digress.

And did I happen to mention that Chris is also Ella’s older brother’s best friend? Yep. Now there is so much delicious plot packed into this novel; think dark academia and secret society vibes. So when combined with their unhinged romance, it’s simply unputdownable. And if you’ve read the North Shore series than you will absolutely love the cameos here. For reference, Chris is the best friend of Rose from A Game of Hearts.

And if you haven’t read any of those books, not to worry, you’ll definitely be able to enjoy this fully. But of course I highly recommend you read the North Shore simply because it’s that good and you’ll appreciate this series that much more.

Ella is tortured heroine in her own right. This girl does not have it easy, even when she lives in the affluent town and is the most popular girl in her school. She hides some dark demons. But she’s no pushover and even though she’s the fly caught in Chris’s master web, she’s no pushover either and the girl definitely has a spine of steel.

This story was f*cked up in ways that only Lola King can write and I devoured every page. A huge rec for all my fellow dark romance lovers out there because WOWZA. I can’t wait for the rest of this series! 

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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: Dark Reign by Amelia Wilde

November 10, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

DARK REIGN
Series: Trilogy
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Amelia Wilde
Release Date: November 9, 2021

“Dark Reign is sinful, deliciously complex and naughty, with an anti-hero who’s hauntingly addicting.” – Marni Mann, USA Today bestselling author

Wealthy.
Reclusive.
Dangerous.

Emerson LeBlanc doesn’t enter society much.

He only ventures out in pursuit of new art for his collection.

It starts with a haunting painting.

Then he meets the artist…

Innocent Daphne Morelli is more exquisite than anything he’s ever seen. He becomes obsessed with her.

It doesn’t matter that she’s a living, breathing person with her own hopes and dreams.

She’ll be the perfect addition to his collection..

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

Stop me,” he mutters. “What?” He takes my face in his hand and tilts it up. Those blue-green eyes are all shadows now. “Stop me,” he says again.

Do I love toxic fictional men? Absolutely.
Do I love dangerous toxic fictional men? Hell yes, I do.
Do I love Amelia Wilde’s particular brand of toxic alphas? GOD YES.

Now the woman upped her level of dangerous to stalker level, and I am SO HERE FOR IT.

Emerson is an enigma. He’s known in the art world as The Collector. He’s a connoisseur of fine art. He’s obsessed with the acquisition of it almost as much as his ownership. But his current obsession is a female whose name he doesn’t yet known. He’s fixated on her, and on a scale of 1 to 10, he’s at You level.
So basically somewhere at 175.

Daphne is the younger Morelli sibling and the sister of Leo from Secret Beast. She’s highly protected, sheltered, but not entirely naive. SHe’s also an up and coming artist. And when Emerson discovers that the woman behind the art he’s been admiring is also the beautiful stranger that captivated him when he saw her on the street? Well, all bets are off. He will do anything to get her away from her overprotective brother and have her in every sense.

These two were such dynamic characters. Emerson with his secret demons and stalker ways, and Daphne with her sheltered ingenue vibes. Admittedly this is not the sort of heroine I gravitate towards. She’s a bit too innocent, but you see her rose colored glasses come off with time. And slowly but surely she began to grow on me.

In typical Amelia fashion she closes on a killer cliff that leaves you desperate for the next book and I cannot FREAKING wait.

Amelia Wilde is a USA TODAY bestselling author of dangerous contemporary romance and loves it a little too much. She lives in Michigan with her husband and daughters. She spends most of her time typing furiously on an iPad and appreciating the natural splendor of her home state from where she likes it best: inside.

Connect with Amelia

Website: https://awilderomance.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14671616.Amelia_Wilde

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Amelia-Wilde/e/B01C38CNJ2

Facebook: facebook.com/awilderomance

Instagram: https://instagram.com/awilderomance

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ameliawildeauthoress?

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amelia-wilde

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Review: Dangerous Temptation by Giana Darling

October 26, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

DANGEROUS TEMPTATION
Series: Dark Dream #1
Genre: Mafia Romance
Author: Giana Darling
Release Date: October 26, 2021

He arrives all dressed in black.

 

Diamond cufflinks.

A watch on his tanned wrist that cost more than we would ever see in a lifetime of work.

He carries a single red rose for my mother.

Months later, Tiernan Morelli lays red roses on my mother’s grave.

That same day, he tells me that he is my new guardian.

I should have known from the very start that he had more in common with the thorns than the rose.

Now I know the truth: I’m a pawn in his dangerous game of revenge.

I was too young and naive.

Now it’s too late to save myself from his clutches.

 

Now I belong to him.

AMAZON

Poor little thing thought I was her salvation when all I intended to offer her was ruination.

Oh.
My.
GOD.

All of the ways that I loved this book. But I can summarize why in just two words. Ready? Tiernan Morelli. Need more words? OK, I got you.

I’m the kind of man that finds pleasure in pain. I’m the kind of man who makes a woman scream and cry because she doesn’t know how to take the intensity of the things I do to her body. I’m the kind of man that would make a woman crawl and beg for me before I deigned to put her out of her misery by setting her on my dick.”

This book was my trope crack for me. TROPE CRACK. Age gap. Mafia. Guardian/ward. Revenge. Enemies to lovers. ALL OF THE THINGS. And it was simply finger licking good.
Now I will say that any age gap has to have a strong heroine. If she’s too naive or too sheltered, there’s an ick factor in it for me. But Bianca was a heroine that I instantly connected with. She’s a young woman who was forced to grow up too quick because of her flighty mother who’s been hopping from one man to another since the loss of her father. But when her mother’s new man shows up at the door and spares no niceties, she’s not exactly thrilled. Tiernan is rude, crude, and seems to hate the sight of her. He’s also harboring a dark secret and a revenge plot years in the making.

Now at first I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about a hero that dates the mom first. But those concerns were quickly wiped. It just worked here. Don’t ask me how or why. It just did.

When Bianca’s mother passes, they have no one. She has her sick younger brother to think about and she’s months shy of 18. So when Tiernan shows up and says he’s their new guardian, it’s the devil you know. Doesn’t mean she doesn’t defy him and doesn’t fight him at every turn. But Tiernan is not exactly nurturing himself. He has inserted himself into their life with a dark agenda and his secrets can cost Bianca everything. The chemistry between them is also downright incendiary.

This. This was what I wanted. Rough-edged, teeth-bitten love. A body against mine like a weapon, inside me like an invasion. I wanted to be filled up and used because he couldn’t get enough. Couldn’t help himself. Couldn’t be a gentleman. Now, I understood that love wasn’t soft and warm. It was fire and brimstone and if I wasn’t careful, it would burn me alive.

This story was pure book crack. I devoured it in one sitting. I couldn’t bear to put it down for even a second. It was addicting AF and I couldn’t get enough. And the wait for book two? TORTUROUS.

Giana slayed me with this story and I cannot wait for the conclusion.

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Review: There Are No Saints by Sophie Lark

October 23, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

THERE ARE NO SAINTS
Series: Sinners Duet #1
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Sophie Lark
Release Date: October 20, 2021

 

I loathe Alastor Shaw.

The city of San Francisco thinks we’re rival artists.

In truth, we’re predators battling for hunting ground.

We never chased the same prey. Until the night we both laid eyes on Mara Eldritch.

Shaw wants to use her as a pawn in his twisted game.

I’m fixated on her for a different reason…

She makes me feel things I never thought I could feel. Want things I never wanted.

Only she can make me lose control.

I don’t know if I should protect her at all costs… or destroy her before she ruins me.

Mara knows I’m no saint. But she has no idea she’s dancing with the devil…

The Lark Notes:
I have always been fascinated by true crime, as well as by villains and anti-heroes. A serial killer is, of course, the ultimate anti-hero — the baddest of the bad boys. Redeeming a character who starts so evil was a challenge that inspired me to entirely new heights and entirely new depths. Come on this darkly sensual and utterly brain-bending ride with me! — Sophie

“There Are No Saints” is the first book in the Sinners Duet. Reader be warned: this is a dark and steamy serial killer romance that will take you on a journey through the twisted mind of an artist on the brink of madness

AMAZON

There Are No Saints (Sinners Duet, #1)There Are No Saints by Sophie Lark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 STARS


She has me wondering what it would take to break her. To shatter her into so many pieces that she could never put them together again.

Well…hell. Where did this book come from, Sophie Lark? Because we need to talk.

A little fun fact about me, I’m fascinated by psychology. I love criminology and criminal psychology. I can binge watch true crime documentaries and podcasts and never grow tired of it. I also love Criminal Minds and Dexter. Now I want to make something clear also. I also get grossed out by people who sexualize serial killers. Like I’m not in the Ted Bundy or Richard Ramirez fan club. But in the same breath, there’s just something about a fictional killer that’s entirely too fascinating. Which is exactly what had me binge watching episodes of Dexter back in the day. I remember feeling completely out of my comfort zone reading Take Me with You. But some years have passed, and my limits, seems they’re mostly non existent when it comes to fictional bad guys.

Why are you so combative?” he says. “Have you ever tried cooperating?”
“In my experience, when men say ‘cooperative,’ they mean ‘obedient.’ ”
He grins. “Then have you ever tried being obedient?”
“Never.”

One thing I will tell you, is because of my obsession with psychology, I’m super picky on the whole sociopath descriptions. Because a lot of books will tell you that the character is one, but they don’t act like one. Or they have them start out as one, but then change into something else. Not in this book, my friends. Cole Blackwell is a textbook sociopath and his moral compass is completely broken. There is nothing good or redeeming about this man. So if that’s not your cuppa, and you want at least some redeeming qualities, this ain’t the book for you.

The more she rebels against me, the more I want to crush her.
And the more she clings to her convictions, the further I intend to drag her down dark and twisted pathways .

It’s interesting, my one missing piece with Sophie’s books has always been the quickness of the connection of the MCs. Like I always found it to be too quick in the books of hers I’ve read. And this book? Made me eat my words with some crow pie. Because DAMN. The pacing in this story is flawless. It takes the time to build it up, to set the scene, to lay the foundation. Any connection between the characters doesn’t come until much much later, and man, I loved that.

I also loved these characters. Cole and his narcissistic and sociopath tendencies. And Mara, well this girl caught me completely unaware. She may be the definition of a starving artist and very young. But this is a girl that’s seen some shit and has certainly lived it. She’s a survivor and she also harbors her own brand of fucked up.

This book had me riveted to the pages. I gobbled it up in one sitting and it left me absolutely crazed for my next fix. If you like your antiheroes not just morally gray, but completely fucking black? Welcome to your next addiction, friends.

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Review: Treachery by Lily White

June 17, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

TREACHERY
Series: Antihero Inferno #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Elle Kennedy
Release Date: May 27,2020

Ninth Circle.
Treachery.
Also known as Tanner Caine.

He is a temptation with cold, dark eyes.
A man with a seductive smirk and a body built for pure sin.
The linchpin of a group of wealthy bad boys known as the Inferno.

A dark presence that repels as much as he attracts, Tanner is the poisoned apple I want to bite even when I know it will destroy me.

Our story started in college, but I ran from him so far I believed I was safe.
I should have known he’d find me eventually.
I should have known that nobody escapes.

He has me in his sights again with an offer I can’t pass up.
I know better than to make a deal with the Devil.
Not unless I’m willing to pay his sensual price…

***Each novel in the series depicts a unique romance, but the plots through each book connect in one world. For the best experience, read the series in order.

Nine Standalone novels. Nine dangerous men. Nine unrepentant sinners you’ll hate to love.

AMAZON

Just remember not to start games you can’t finish. I’m the type of guy who will keep playing them until you beg me to stop.”

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR. TWICE.

What kind of rock have I been living under all of this time that this is my first Lily White book? And what kind of friends even are you that you haven’t smacked me over the head to read her sooner? *eyeing all of you* Except you, Ratula. We’re still going steady. And thanks for rec. I owe you one 🙂

But in all seriousness, how? HOW have I not read her before. I love me the dark stuff, and I do hear that Lily writes DARK. However, if you’re a bit of a puss, don’t worry, this isn’t on that level. It’s more twisty and gritty rather than dark. And this girl gobbled it right up with a spoon and begged for seconds!

He takes without asking. Traps me without apology. Seduces me without effort. A maelstrom. That’s what Tanner is.

The premise is delicious. Nine anti-heroes. Each with their own particular brand of tortured. Each unique and magnetic and with one shared goal, to bring down the patriarch that continue to pull their chain until they’re fully out from their influence. Sounds intriguing? Well it’s even better than it sounds.

Tanner is Treachery. He’s enigmatic and cold without a care for anyone but his own calculated agenda. Suffice it to say I wanted to have his babies the second he appeared on the page. And Luca was the fly that landed right into his spider web…but it certainly wasn’t by accident.

How is it possible to want someone so much when you absolutely hate them?

Now if you’re like me and enemies to lovers is your jam, prepare for this to be the best book crack ever. Because OH MY GOD.

If there’s one thing that I love in the enemies to lovers trope, besides a hero that’s deliciously MEAN, is a heroine that can give as good as she gets. And Luca is certainly that. The woman goes head to head with one of the most feared and intimidating man, and doesn’t bat an eyelash. The first time her and Tanner meet, she’s in college and while she’s a bit introverted and shy, she’s still no pushover. But when these two reunite years later, Luca certainly has had time to come into her own. And boy does she make Tanner work for it.

She’s the girl who thinks she got away, and fortunately for me, circumstances have landed her firmly back in my grasp. I’ll have her screaming my name before I let her go again-one way or another.

The banter and their push and pull dynamic was one of the most delicious I’ve read in a while. If you like your anti-heroes mean, and I mean MEAN, then you’ll fall head over ovaries for Tanner. The man is damn near vicious when need be. But behind the callous words and cold calculation, there beats something a little more. Something more vulnerable and hidden. Something that Luca is able to peel the layers back from.

He didn’t just kiss, he possessed, claimed, dominated until you couldn’t think past the way his lips felt and the hard body pressed against you.

I was immediately hooked on this book and instantly hooked and addicted on this series. As much as I loved Tanner and as much as he took center stage in the story, I was so intrigued by the other men. You get plenty of page time with Gabe, which makes sense, since his story is next, and I’m already gagging for it. But I have absolutely zero chill when it comes to it and want them all now!

If you’re looking for something gritty, sexy, with a layer of mystery and suspense that will have you reading well into the night and incapable of setting it down; READ. THIS. BOOK.

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Review: A Cruel Love by SM Soto

May 22, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

A CRUEL LOVE
Genre: Dark Romance, Mafia
Author: SM Soto
Release Date: May 9, 2019

As a hitman for hire, Percivale is no stranger to violence.
From the moment he saw Blossom Jaymes through the window of her bakery, he knew he was in too deep. Not only was she as sweet as her perfectly crafted treats, but she was a soft-spoken, golden-haired angel that shone like a bright beacon in his dark world. And Percivale didn’t deal in angels. He dealt in death and crime. The even bigger issue? Percivale’s next hit is on said sweet little baker who doesn’t seem to realize how much danger lurks around her with each passing day.
If he doesn’t get the job done, who will?

When Percivale has to decide what’s more important to him—the life of a woman who may very well be innocent or getting his revenge on the men who murdered his family—the lines become blurred. Morals are twisted and a deathly chase ensues that can only result in one thing—Blossom buried six feet under.

Or can it?

Can Percivale let his lust for revenge go in order to save Blossom from the bounty on her head, or will the power she unknowingly holds over him be what gets her killed?

AMAZON

I’m going to enjoy breaking you, Blossom. Piece by fucking piece”

I hate myself a little right now as I write this review. Because here’s the thing; I really REALLY wanted to lovethis book. The blurb and the cover hooked my attention right away, and I was SO ready for a gritty and dark mafia romance. Sadly, that’s not what I got. And you know what? It seriously sucks being the black sheep that didn’t enjoy a book that so many others clearly did. Le sigh.

Now look, if you haven’t read very many mafia or even dark romance books before, I have a feeling you’ll really enjoy this. As for me? I’ve read enough to be extremely picky. And A Cruel Love was rough for me from start to finish. My first clue should have been that I had no problem putting it down. As a matter of fact, I stopped reading it at 5% originally. Then I picked it back up and stopped at 30%. Then I decided to try and power through it, while that annoying inner voice of mine kept screaming “I told you so” the entire freaking time.

The story and the characters were one giant cliche after another. None of it made sense to me. The characterization was so inconsistent that it made my head spin. Here you have a mousy, introverted, scared out of her whits heroine that gets kidnapped by a stranger after shooting a man that tried to rape her point blank in the head in front of her. Said man is also a mafia hit man that was sent by his boss to kill her because she’s been asking too many questions about her missing (actually now dead) neighbor. So this heroine then goes from crying hysterically, trying to make a run for it, being threatened to die by our hero at every turn, crying hysterically, having odd sassy outbursts that revert just as suddenly back to her crying outbursts, to lecturing the man threatening to kill her about his motel room choices and second hand smoke.
Oh and through all this, and Percivale’s constant hot and cold behavior, cruel treatment of her, shackling her to the bed and leaving her for hours on end, and constant reminders that he’ll kill her if she so much as steps out of line, she still can’t help but be sexually drawn to him. I just didn’t buy it. Here’s a woman that’s basically been shying away from anything sexual since a terrible assault in high school, yet a man that’s killed several people in cold blood in front her get her engine revving.

Through all this, Percivale’s characterization is incredibly inconsistent as well. I couldn’t help but feel he was just one giant dark romance cliche. The constant cigarette smoking, the smirks, the reminders of his cruelty and darkness. And then he also discloses to Blossom what happened to his family years ago to make him into who he is today. At a point of the story where it made absolutely ZERO sense for him to disclose such a hugely personal and private detail. He also uses the term “seed”. *shudders* I didn’t buy the reasons for the hit on Blossom. It was weak and hard to believe. I also struggled to connect to them as a couple since I feel like that wasn’t as developed as it could be. It struck me as being very sudden.

There’s too much necessarily obvious descriptions when it comes to the darkness of this book. Like this:

We’re the Cavalieri Della Morte. We surround ourselves with danger, and we’re all the same, violent and deadly.”

And way too many things that are so far out of the realm of believability that I struggled to keep reading. Like a point of the story where Percivale gets stabbed in the stomach and then proceeds to fight in 5 back to back fights to the death. I mean….yeah.

I get that it’s fiction and I should suspend my disbelief somewhat. But there still has to be a hint of SOME believability for me to buy it and connect to it. And sadly this book skated on the skirts of it until finally skating right out of the rink entirely.

The characters were such extremes that it felt cliche. The sweet, somewhat innocent, good heroine that lectures a hit man about second hand smoke and hasn’t seen the right end of a razor in her female area for years. The extremely dark, super violent and cruel hitman with a penchant for chain smoking. It was all just too much for this reader.

I wanted to love this book, guys. I really, really did. But sadly, I’m just way too picky when it comes to my mafia and dark romances, that I spent the majority of the book picking apart almost everything. It’s a problem. I know. But I just couldn’t help myself.

Do I think the majority of readers would enjoy this book? Absolutely. I’m just a picky asshole here. Clearly. So take what I said with a grain of salt and read it and judge for yourself.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark · Tagged With: , , ,

#DGRFave & Review: Take by @pamgodwinbooks

April 3, 2019 by · 2 Comments

TAKE
Series: Deliver #5
Genre: Dark Romance (anti-heroes, human sex trafficking, cartel)
Author: Pam Godwin
Release Date: April 2, 2019

He’s a notorious crime lord, a kidnapper, and an artist.

Scarification is his outlet, and he just captured a new canvas.

Kate refuses to surrender beneath his blade or the cruelty in his beautiful eyes.

But she’s drawn to the man inside the monster. A man who makes her ache with his touch. Who owns her with his kiss.

A man who worships her as deeply as he hurts her.

She can run, but there’s no escape from a bond carved in scars.

DELIVER series (HEAs with no cliffhangers – must be read in order):
Deliver #1
Vanquish #2
Disclaim #3
Devastate #4
Take #5
Manipulate #6
Unshackle #7
Dominate #8
Complicate #9

AMAZON 

He was an aficionado of pain, and she was here to absorb the hurt, to wear the bruises of his art, until she escaped or died.


Top. Favorite. Dark. Romance. Of. The. Year.

Pam Godwin has a knack for redeeming the irredeemable, and she managed to outdo herself with Tiago. I never thought I’d love an anti-hero more than Van from Vanquish, but Tiago captured my heart with every heart wrenching page.

His love for her resembled a blade, a source of pain, but vital. He would always protect her, however she needed him, even when he was the cause of her suffering.

Take was everything I’ve come to expect from Pam and so much more. It was a story of pain and redemption. Unforgivable sins and irredeemable actions. It was dark and twisted, with an unlikely romance that bloomed like a rose on a grave. Tiago and Kate were captivating, magnetic, all encompassing, with an edge of wrong, wrapped with a unique sort of love that sneaks up on you and owns you.

Tiago was inside her, possessing her like a demon and cherishing her like a man.

This is not a book you read as a standalone. You really need to read it in order to truly understand the character dynamics. Tiago is a character that first came on the page as the villain in Devastate. He was a psychopath with a penchant for pain and yet there was a small glimpse of a heart beneath the darkly captivating criminal persona. The book ends with Kate’s disappearance, and Take tells the tale of what happened. The timelines of Take and Devastate overlap slightly. Kate is now the prisoner that has no hope of making it out of her captor’s hands alive. She’s a payment for a loss he had, and he has no intention of letting her go.

I really don’t want to tell you much more about the plot, because you really need to experience it for yourself. But Take was one twisty ride. Godwin has this way with her characters that just makes you fall for them no matter how wrong it seems. And with every layer that she peeled back from Tiago, the more you want to know about him.

Kate was the perfect heroine. She was tough with just a hint of vulnerability. She was fierce when it came to protecting her friends and even more fierce when it came to standing up to Tiago, no matter how dire her circumstances.

Tiago was the villain that you loved to hate in Devastate. But there was always that hint of something more to him. And boy did the author deliver on that here. (Heeee. see what I did there?) But back to the story. Tiago was the perfect anti-hero. He was cold, brutal, ruthless, and yet beneath all that beats a hidden heart that not many know about. This was such a multidimensional characters with so many layers. You want to hate him for who he is, but the more you find out about him, the more you understand. You begin to fall more and more for him. He’s easily my favorite anti-heroes of Godwin to date!

There are some cameos from my favorites (One in particular) that I loved getting more off. And then there’s the hook for the next book, and let me just tell you: IT. IS. DELICIOUS. Plus there’s the added surprise of a certain character getting his own book and I just about wet myself in excitement!

To put it shortly: I loved this book! Dark romance lovers, this is an absolute must read! You don’t want to miss this incredibly written, jaw dropping, and edge-of-your seat book! Trust me!

Deliver Series:

http://pamgodwin.com/book/deliver/

DELIVER (Book 1) | VANQUISH (Book 2) | DISCLAIM (Book 3) | DEVASTATE (Book 4) | TAKE (Book 5) | MANIPULATE (Book 6, releasing June 25, 2019)

DELIVER, Book #1

Deliver2500x1563

His name was Joshua Carter. Now it’s whatever she wants it to be.

She is a Deliverer.

She lures young men and delivers them to be sold. She delivers the strikes that enforce their obedience. She delivers the sexual training that determines their purchase price.

As long as she delivers, the arrangement that protects her family will hold.

Delivering is all she knows.

The one thing she can’t deliver is a captive from slavery.

Until him.

And her stubborn slave thinks he can deliver her…from herself.

Vanquish, Book #2

Her life is like a prison cell.
A self-made, to-hell-with-the-free-world existence that locks from the inside.
Stop judging. Her agoraphobia doesn’t define her. It simply keeps her safe.

He belongs in a prison cell.

The 6×8, make-me-your-bitch variety that locks from the outside.

But he’s free. To hunt. To take. To break.

And he just found a sexy new toy.

Capturing her is the easy part. Her fucked-up mind, however, makes him question everything he does next.

But he’s a determined bastard. If all goes his way, this will hurt like hell.

Disclaim, Book #3

Camila was seventeen when Van Quiso kidnapped her. Ten years after her escape, the shackles refuse to release her. Not while there are still slave traders preying on her city.
She will stop at nothing to end them.
Even if that means becoming a slave again.

Returning to chains is her worst fear—and only option. They won’t know who she is or what she intends to do. She’s prepared for every complication.
Except him.
The one who decimated her sixteen-year-old heart.

Matias is charming, gorgeous, and dangerously seductive. He’s also untrustworthy and enshrouded in secrets. After years of no contact, he finds her—on her knees, wrists bound, in the clutches of her enemy.
Will he sabotage her mission by needlessly saving her?
Or will he keep her in chains and never let her go?

Devastate, Book #4

“What is the price you’re willing to pay?”
“Money isn’t an issue.”
“I’m not talking about money.”

Tate is on the hunt to find his best friend’s sister.
Eleven years ago, Lucia Dias was abducted. Presumed dead. He never met her, so why does he care?
Some might call his efforts noble, but his motivation is more perverse, bordering on obsession.

When he follows a chilling lead to Venezuela’s Kidnap Alley, what he finds is neither a corpse nor a captive.

Amid poisonous lies and crippling depravity, the price of love is devastation.
And he pays.
With his body, his blood, and her life.

Deliver Series Audiobooks 

DELIVER #1: https://adbl.co/2D4839X
Narrated by Teddy Hamilton (Josh) and Abby Crayden (Liv)

VANQUISH #2: https://adbl.co/2X8g4Cq
Narrated by Ryan West (Van) and Jo Raylan (Amber)

DISCLAIM #3: https://adbl.co/2TzBWDR
Narrated by Christian Fox (Matias) and Emma Wilder (Camila)

DEVASTATE #4: Coming April 30
Narrated by J.F. Harding (Tate) and Tracy Marks (Lucia)

Books 5-9 TBA

Pam Godwin Books GrayScale

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Pam Godwin, lives in the Midwest with her husband, their two children, and a foulmouthed parrot. When she ran away, she traveled fourteen countries across five continents, attended three universities, and married the vocalist of her favorite rock band.
.
Java, tobacco, and dark romance novels are her favorite indulgences, and might be considered more unhealthy than her aversion to sleeping, eating meat, and dolls with blinking eyes.

Books by Pam Godwin

Tangled Lies Series

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

Deliver Series:

http://pamgodwin.com/book/deliver/

DELIVER | VANQUISH | DISCLAIM | DEVASTATE | TAKE | MANIPULATE

Trilogy of Eve Series:

http://pamgodwin.com/book/trilogyofeve/

DEAD OF EVE (#1) | HEART OF EVE (#1.5) | BLOOD OF EVE (#2) | DAWN OF EVE (#3)

DARK COWBOY ROMANCE

TRAILS OF SIN SERIES

Knotted #1 (FREE) | Buckled #2 | Booted #3

Stand-alones:

DARK NOTES

DIRTY TIES

BENEATH THE BURN

INCENTIVE

2 Comments · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark, DGR Favorites · Tagged With: , , , ,

Excerpt, Review & Giveaway: Cruel Sanctuary by Tara Leigh

March 25, 2019 by · 2 Comments

CRUEL SANCTUARY
Series: Wages of Sin #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tara Leigh
Release Date: March 25, 2019

They say New York City is the Devil’s Playground.

They’re wrong.

This city belongs to me.

And so does Aislinn Granville.

 

She is a pampered politician’s daughter.

A decorative ornament,

raised to smile and nod and do what she’s told.

 

Except… she doesn’t. Not with me. Ever.

 

In this city full of thugs and thieves, I’ve kept Aislinn safe.

From my enemies.

From me.

 

Until now.

FREE in Kindle Unlimited!!

AMAZON

 

“Put me down.” I keep my cool, making the demand as stiffly as if I’m asking him to pass the salt.

But my show of composure crumbles as he angles his head to look at me. Barely an inch separates the tips of our noses. I stare, entranced by the fine scar that marks his left eyebrow. I want to kiss it.

“Or what?”

“Hmmm?”

One corner of his mouth tics up, his eyes flicking away from mine. “You look damn good in my arms.”

I follow his stare and am met by our reflection in the bathroom mirror. I blink, taking in the sight of my naked body held against King’s broad chest, the tanned, inked forearms I’d practically drooled over earlier now wrapped around my back and behind my knees.

I am naked. King is dressed.

There is something indecently erotic about our image. I look like the heroine of an old Harlequin novel—a down on her luck maid or secretary about to be ravished by her big, bad boss. A powerless woman soon to be stripped of her virtue.

I know what it’s like when a man overpowers a woman. When he uses force to take what’s not his. To hurt and abuse and terrorize.

And I know that this isn’t that.

It may not look like it, but I have the power in this situation. Damon King came to me. First at my apartment and now in his. He broke down two doors tonight.

I may be naked, but the only reason he’s touching me is because he knows I want him to.

Emboldened, I look away from our reflection and directly into King’s eyes again. Leaning in, I brush the tip of my nose against his. “Kiss me.”

I’ve barely pushed the words out when his lips are on mine. The taste of him is an explosion inside my mouth. Smooth and potent, but with a hint of mint. As if he swilled some of that Balvenie from his bar and then sucked on a peppermint candy.

He kisses like a conqueror. Stealing my breath along with the last of my reservations.

He kisses like a king. Staking his claim, demanding his due.

The man is a savage dressed in a bespoke suit. A sinfully sexy savage.

It’s no secret that I love me a good anti-hero, and when the name of a duet has “Sin” in it? Well, you best believe I’m going to be all over it.

Cruel Sanctuary was completely different from what I’ve come to expect from Tara Leigh. It’s grittier. It’s sexier. And it’s a whole lot darker. I would say that for those looking to dip their toes into the darker reads genre, this is the perfect gateway book. It’s not too dark, but it’s definitely not a walk in the park either.

Lies, secrets, political agendas and betrayals, and murder, all wrapped up in one sinful page turner of a read.

Aislinn Granville is a politician’s daughter with plenty of career aspirations of her own. But when she learns that her father is not just crooked but his actions have also painted a target on her back with a ruthless Cartel, her world comes crumbling down. All of her carefully constructed walls are now in danger of crumbling to a man that’s determined to kick his way in if it means protecting her.

Damon King.

*rarrrrr*

This man. A criminal that built himself an underground empire is now the only man capable of protecting Aislinn, whether she likes it or not. And let me just tell you, the sparks fly immediately between these two. And not just from their chemistry. Aislinn is none too thrilled to be essentially kidnapped by Damon and whisked into his life, even if he claims it’s for her own good. She doesn’t trust him, no matter if he makes her pulse pound as much as he makes her blood boil.

Have you ever been fucked by a man who knows what you want better than you do? I promise it’s worth begging for, princess.”

I loved the delicious tension between these two. Aislinn is not afraid to put Damon in his place, and it definitely makes for some fun banter.

There’s so many layers that get unraveled in this book, and I can’t wait for all the answers that book two is sure to bring!

http://smarturl.it/CruelSGiveaway

 

Tara Leigh is a multi-published author of steamy contemporary romance. A former banker on Wall Street, she graduated from Washington University and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, but she much prefers spending her days with fictional boyfriends than analyzing financial spreadsheets. Tara currently lives in Fairfield County, Connecticut with her husband, children, and fur-baby, Pixie. She is represented by Jessica Alvarez, of Bookends Literary Agency.

Connect with Tara:

Website: https://www.taraleighbooks.com

Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/taraleigh

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/TaraLeighAuthor/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tara-leigh

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/TaraLeighGR

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaraLeighBooks

Book + Main: https://bookandmainbites.com/TaraLeigh

Join Tara’s Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/TaraLeighReaders

Sign Up for Tara’s Newsletter: http://bit.ly/TaraLeighNwsltr

2 Comments · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Rogue Royalty by Meghan March

May 23, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

ROGUE ROYALTY
Series: Savage Trilogy #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Suspense
Author: Meghan March
Release Day: May 22, 2018

New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Meghan March concludes the story of her next devastating and damaged anti-hero in the final book in the Savage Trilogy, Rogue Royalty.

Unthinkable. Unbelievable. Inconceivable.

I don’t recognize what my life has become.

I can’t tell where the lies end and the truth begins anymore.

He came into my world and urged me out of my safe little corner.

All my dreams are coming true except the one thing I want most—my own happy ending.

But I’ll fight for it.

For now.

For always.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO | AUDIBLE 

I don’t deserve her at all. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting her more than I want my next breath.

I finished this book in one sitting, as it my norm with all things Meghan March. However, I also finished this book three days ago. I’ve then spent that long picking my jaw off of the ground long enough to write this review. Truth be told, I still can’t even. No seriously. I honestly can’t even form a sentence. My head is still busy exploding. Because not only is Meghan March the queen of cliff hangers, apparently the woman is also the queen of plot twists. Or she’s the devil. Because swear to god, those twists are evil. They screw with my brain and I can’t stop thinking about them for days afterwards.

How do I even begin to write this review and keep it spoiler free? I haven’t a clue here, guys. I feel like the slightest detail could ruin it for someone that hasn’t read it, and so I’m going to vague review the hell out of this review and hope you don’t hate me for it. Because, paying it forward and all that jazz.

With him, I feel all the extremes. There’s nothing average about what we have.

If you haven’t read the first two books, don’t worry, I won’t spill the beans here and ruin it for you. But if I can recommend one thing, is you go into this trilogy absolutely blind. Don’t read the blurbs. Don’t read the reviews. JUST READ THE BOOKS.

But I digress. After two books of sizzling build up, it all comes to a head in Rogue Royalty. Secrets are unveiled, and boy were there some doozies here. For everyone. The truth is finally revealed, and when the cracks of everything that Temperance thought she knew begin to tumble further at her feet, her entire world blows apart.

I have to be honest, for the first 50% I found myself thinking this was going to be a 3 star read for me. I’m an ADD reader after all, and trilogies tend to lose me right around book 3; I tend to get complacent and bored. I should have known better that it was simply the calm before the storm. Because HOLY SHIT was there a storm. I was left questioning my own name at the end of it. Damn. Just damn.

Rogue Royalty was one epic twist after the next. It was sexy thrilling. It was a mind blowing conclusion to one suspenseful and erotically charged trilogy. It was nothing I had expected and I’m still reeling.

GRAB THE REST OF THE TRILOGY

SAVAGE PRINCE 

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO 

IRON PRINCESS

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO

ROGUE ROYALTY

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO

A New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty novels, Meghan March has been known to wear camo face paint and tromp around in woods wearing mud-covered boots, all while sporting a perfect manicure. She’s also impulsive, easily entertained, and absolutely unapologetic about the fact that she loves to read and write smut. Her past lives include slinging auto parts, selling lingerie, making custom jewelry, and practicing corporate law. Writing books about dirty talking alpha males and the strong, sassy women who bring them to their knees is by far the most fabulous job she’s ever had.

Sign up for Meghan’s newsletter and receive exclusive content that she saves for her subscribers: http://meghanmarch.com/subscribe

To get the inside scoop on a daily basis, search Meghan March’s Runaway Readers on Facebook and join the fun.

FACEBOOK | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | TWITTER | PINTEREST

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Rom, Romantic Suspense · Tagged With: , ,
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