Review: Iron Princess by Meghan March

IRON PRINCESS
Series: Savage Trilogy #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Suspense
Author: Meghan March
Release Day: April 24, 2018

He’s a mystery. An enigma.

 

His very identity is a secret buried beneath layers of deception.

 

He’s also an addiction I can’t shake. An attraction I can’t fight.

 

And then I found out exactly who he is—a man more dangerous than the devil himself.

 

Now I need him in order to save everything that matters to me.

 

I have to pull back. Protect myself from the danger that haunts his every step.

 

Which would be easy . . . if I could stop myself from falling in love with him.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO | AUDIBLE 

He’s big and forbidden, but somehow, that makes him infinitely more striking. And he’s struck me so hard as to knock me completely off-balance.

Sweet mother of god! I feel like I need a xanax, a hug, and a room with padded walls after that ending. How? HOW?! How does Meghan March continue to come up with these mind blowing cliffhangers? Every time I think it was crazy in one book, the next one comes along and BAM! Head exploding!

I should have signed a damn waiver before reading this book. Warning: cliffhanger may cause early labor. Proceed at your own risk. Swear to gawd! I can’t even right now. Can’t. Even. The woman is an evil genius. Clearly.

As for this book? Where do I even begin? You fall deeper down the rabbit hole with Temperance and for every answer you get, you’re left with ten more questions.

He’s a dangerous man. A man I shouldn’t be drawn to. Shouldn’t want more than I want to breathe right now. But I do. And as much as I want to throw my control at his feet, I hang on to a thread, telling myself it matters.

What I love about Meghan’s books is she always creates these extremely tough heroines that are the perfect balance to the immensely intense males that she never fails to hook her readers with. And man oh man, it doesn’t get more intense that this man. I thought Mount was dangerously sexy, but this man? He’s something else entirely. He’s demanding, protective, dangerously lethal, and completely unpredictable. Luckily a good chunk of the story takes place in his POV, and it was one twisted ride being inside his head.

Of course in true Meghan March fashion, it was action packed, suspenseful, and sinfully sexy. And just when you’re lulled into a semblance of control in thinking you know what’s coming, she hits you with the cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers! So if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to console myself with a tub of ice cream as I rock myself in a corner until the final installment in this twisty and addicting trilogy.


GRAB THE REST OF THE TRILOGY

SAVAGE PRINCE 

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IRON PRINCESS

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ROGUE ROYALTY

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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

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#DGRFave & Review: The Paper Swan by @LeylahAttar

THE PAPER SWAN
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Suspense, Dark
Author: Leylah Attar
Release Date: August 4, 2015

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit.

They lie.

For 21 days she held on.

But on Day 22, she would have given anything for the sweet slumber of death.

Because on Day 22, she realizes that her only way out means certain death for one of the two men she loves.

A haunting tale of passion, loss, and redemption, The Paper Swan is a darkly intense yet heartwarming love story, textured with grit, intrigue, and suspense. Please note: This is NOT a love triangle.

A full-length, standalone novel, intended for mature audiences due to violence, sex and language. Subject matter may be disturbing for some readers.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

You can either choose love or you can choose hate, because where one lives, the other will die.”

This weekend I didn’t just read a book, I experienced one. I fell head over heels for an all encompassing, gritty and emotional romance that kept me glued to the pages from start to finish. I’m embarrassed to say I’ve had this phenomenal story on my kindle for over 2 years and only now just read it. I’m kicking myself for it fully for only now discovering the raw talent that is Leylah Attar writing. Because this book? This book was everything. EVERYTHING. It was devastating, passionate, beautiful and dark. It was flawlessly written and entirely unforgettable.

Vengeance only begets more vengeance, more chaos, more darkness.

What ultimately hooked me on the story was the writing. It’s this unicorn of writings styles that falls flawlessly between lyrical and gritty. I fell in love with Attar’s writing style. Her descriptions, her character development, all of it was so effortless yet absolutely stunning. I can’t say enough about it.

We are a question that hasn’t been answered yet, a hiding place that hasn’t been found yet, a battle that hasn’t been fought yet.”

The readers gets thrown right into the deep end from the beginning. Left breathless and eager for answers, the authors keeps you at the edge of your seat with each morsel of information that she slowly discloses. The pacing was absolute perfection.

I instantly connected with Skye. Although she’s lived a pampered, almost sheltered life, this is not a naive or spoiled woman. She’s someone with an inner core of strength that makes her shine from the pages. You can’t help but root for her and the impossible situation that she finds herself in. Kidnapped, held captive on a boat, being led to what she knows is her inevitable death by a man that leaves her with more questions than answers.

Damian had thieving, stealing contraband eyes, and when they fell on my mouth, they robbed me of all breath and thought.

Damian. Oh man. Damian. This was such an intense and complex anti-hero. You want to hate him for what he does, and then he gives you glimpses of something more vulnerable behind the mask he wears, and you can’t help but yearn for more of it. This is a character with so many layers, that even if you peeled them all back, you’d still not get to the center of it.

His lips found mine and he latched on with a hunger that left me breathless. He was an ocean of want and need. All the raging, submerged currents that he’d kept at bay unleashed themselves on me. I tried to keep afloat, clutching at him, but I didn’t stand a chance.

The Paper Swan is a stunning story of vengeance and sacrifice, of regret and forgiveness. It was passionate. It was gritty and raw. It was absolutely, positively unforgettable and a story I’ll take with me for a long time to come.

Review: Ruthless King by Meghan March

RUTHLESS KING
Series: Mount Trilogy #1
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Author: Meghan March
Release Date: October 17, 2017

Get ready for the darker and dirtier side of New Orleans with a brand new alpha romance from USA Today bestselling author Meghan March.

New Orleans belongs to me.

You don’t know my name, but I control everything you see—and all the things you don’t.

My reach knows no bounds, and my demands are always met.

I didn’t need to loan money to a failing family distillery, but it amuses me to have them in my debt.

To have her in my debt.

She doesn’t know she caught my attention.

She should’ve been more careful.

I’m going to own her. Consume her. Maybe even keep her.

It’s time to collect what I’m owed.

Keira Kilgore, you’re now the property of Lachlan Mount.

*Ruthless King is book one of the Mount Trilogy*

AMAZON | PAPERBACK | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO

When was the last time you were fucked by a real man? Someone who knows what you need. Someone who’ll take control from you and give you what you’ve been dying for.

Um, may we just have a moment of silence for my ovaries? Because they fought the good fight, but those suckers completely combusted in the mere presence of Lachlan Mount. I’m talking total ovary obliteration here, people, and mine were steel plated for goodness sake!
HOLY. FREAKING. SHIT.
I LOVED this! This brought back all the originals feels that I had with the beginning of the Beneath series but EVEN BETTER.

Meghan’s Beneath series was easily my favorite of hers. It was a bittersweet moment reading the last book in that series. But then she went and introduced an anti-hero to beat all anti-heroes set in the same world and I. Was. Hooked.

Mount is the king of the New Orleans underground. Equally feared and respected, nothing happens without his knowledge or order. When Mount wants something, he gets it, and no one stands in his way.

Keira is still reeling from the unexpected death of her cheating husband and barely keeping her head afloat running her beloved family whiskey business. When the boogeyman shows up at her door and tells her that she owes him a five hundred thousand dollar debt, she’s shocked. When he tells her that he’ll take her in exchange for the money her husband apparently loaned from Mount, she’s livid. But a debt is a debt, and you don’t say no to the most feared man in NOLA. And the fact that the fan enrages her as much as he brings out all her primal urges? Definitely inconvenient.

I own your orgasms. I decide when you come. Not you. Learn it. Live it. Because you’re going to fucking love it by the time I’m done with you.”

I devoured this book. Absolutely devoured it. Hanging on every word and erotic interlude. Mount has such an enigmatic and utterly sexual presence to him, that you don’t just read about him, you feel it. March knows how to write one delicious alpha, but she seriously outdid herself with this one. He’s cold, ruthless, dominant, and the sexiest anti-hero I’ve read.

I loved that Keira is the only one that has the balls to stand up to him. This is no cowering wallflower. This is a woman that gives as good as she gets. And let me tell you, she gets it HARD. Uhem. She’s smart, head strong, and not afraid to tell the domineering man where to stuff it. OK, seriously, I need to stop handing myself sexual innuendos here. I’m dying. But seriously though, I am HOOKED. Line and sinker. I’m desperately salivating for the next book in this series. If you’re a fan of sizzling romance with an anti-hero that’s to die for and a story that’s as captivating as the romance, this is a trilogy you need in your life!

She may have marked me tonight, but I marked her first. Keira Kilgore needs another lesson in what it means to be owned by Lachlan Mount.



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. She loves hearing from her readers at meghanmarchbooks@gmail.com.

FACEBOOK WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | TWITTER | PINTEREST

Review: Luca by Sarah Castille

LUCA
Series: Ruin & Revenge #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Sarah Castille
Release Date: June 27, 2017

Luca Rizzoli was nearly destroyed by a brutal betrayal that cost him his family. Now a ruthless crime boss in the city of sin, he lets nothing touch his frozen heart–until a smoldering encounter with a beautiful stranger ignites his passion. One night isn’t enough for a man who takes what he wants, but his mysterious temptress has slipped away.

For two years police detective Gabrielle Fawkes has lived for revenge. But a night of indulgence with a sexy stranger changes everything. Powerful, charming, and deliciously dangerous Luca, has his own private reasons for offering to help her pursue the drug lord who killed her husband. There’s a lot Luca isn’t telling her and the more she finds out the less she wants to know.

When Gabrielle becomes the target of the drug lord she has vowed to hunt down, she must do the unimaginable: place her life in a mobster’s hands. To save her, Luca must break his Mafia ties–or risk losing Gabrielle forever.

 

AMAZON | iBOOKS

There was something wild beneath the surface that his suit couldn’t hide. He had the cocky arrogance of a man who broke the rules with impunity. A man who feared nothing. A very, very dangerous man.

I was instantly sucked into the world of Ruin & Revenge when I read Nico. I was hooked, line and sinker, on these mafia bad boys. The author spares no details with he grittiness of her stories. These are not your fluffy mafia guys that you know are bad but never see their bad sides. Oh no. You see it, feel it, and downright taste it in these books. As the senior capo for the Toscani crime family, Luca may take his fashion seriously with his three piece suits, but he’s certainly not afraid to get his hands dirty. When he takes a bullet for his boss, Nico, a visit to the hospital changes everything for the man that never thought he’d find himself in love.

Revenge was all that sustained her now, and she didn’t know what would happen when revenge was gone.

Ever since her husband’s brutal murder at the hands of a vicious cartel boss, revenge is all Gabrielle knows. For two years, she’s done everything to land on the force that’s hunting down the man until it all goes terribly wrong and she ends up on the wrong side of a bullet. A chance meeting with a smooth talking stranger in a hospital is all it should have been, but Gaby finds herself drawn to him and when she seeks him out sparks fly.

Luca doesn’t know much about the blonde beauty aside from his fierce desire for her that seems to grow with each new encounter. They’re on opposite sides of the law. Their relationship is forbidden and may cost both of them everything and in the end, it just might.

You sure this is what you want, mio angelo? ’Cause I like it dirty. So dirty you’ll never get back to heaven.”

This was an entreating read, though I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book. Luca was sexy as sin, but at times the way that he was with Gabrielle was a bit…erm…fluffy for my tastes.

What does that mean?” He leaned down and kissed her, his lips warm and soft. “Roughly translated, it means you are my angel. Heaven is in your eyes. I am dazzled by you.”

I suppose their connection just felt so quick to me that I struggled to really connect to them throughout the entire book. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy these two together, because they certainly burn up the pages together. I just had a hard time connecting the brutal mafia capo to the sweet talking lover during super dirty sexy times.

I did enjoy Garbrielle and her take charge attitude. She was a great fit for Luca and I loved the way she fought for him even when the odds were stacked against them.

My other minor quibble is I saw the twist at the end coming pretty early on. Granted, it wasn’t exactly how I thought it would play out. But it was pretty darn close to fizzle some of the enjoyment of the ultimate revelation at the end there.

All in all, I did enjoy this story and I love the way we continue getting bits and pieces of future characters, because man oh man am I craving me some Frankie now. The man is ice cold and I can’t wait to meet the woman that will thaw his heart.

If you’re looking for a sexy and gritty mafia romance, definitely look no further. While it wasn’t a 5 star read for me, it was a damn enjoyable 3.5 and I’d definitely recommend it for readers that like anti-heroes with a whole lot of grit to them


THE SERIES

NICO
MY REVIEW | AMAZON

LUCA
AMAZON

ROCCO (Releasing January 2, 2018)
AMAZON

#DGRFave & Review: Grievous by @JMDarhower

 GRIEVOUS
Series: Scarlet Scars #2
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: JM Darhower
Release Date: February 6, 2017

Once upon a time, there was a girl who stopped believing in fairy tales after her innocence was stolen.

Morgan Myers is tired. So damn tired. Most people either push her around or brush her off, and she’s not putting up with it anymore. Determined to reclaim the life that had been stolen from her, she puts her trust in the last person she ever expected to: the notorious they call Scar. Morgan sees a side of him that few people seem to know—the man, not the myth. Lorenzo. And what she sees, she likes, a lot more than she thought she would.

But fairy tales aren’t real, as life likes to remind her. Some dragons, you just can’t slay, no matter how hard you fight them. And when hers comes back around, breathing fire, she’s forced to face some unimaginable horrors. But there’s a white knight in combat boots out there that isn’t afraid of monsters.

You see, it’s impossible to be afraid of something you see every day in the mirror.

AMAZON

She wants the fairy tale with the happy ending. All I have are bullet holes in a house with no soul.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a fan of duets or trilogies. It always starts out great and then fizzles out for me at the end. That’s why I’m so blown away right now after finishing this book? Because this was quite possibly the best conclusion that I have ever read. Period. It couldn’t have had a better ending. Talk about going out with a bang. DAMN. I’m still calming my tits over here.

Maybe we’re all crazy. Maybe the trick in life is just to find someone whose crazy plays well with your own.

Everything only got better with book two; Morgan being one of them. As much as I liked her in book one, she was even better here. She’s this amazing combination of strength and vulnerability, tough as nails personality with a splash of pain. She was absolute perfection. If only every heroine I read was more like this woman. She totally had me under her spell.

All the puzzle pieces begin to click in place with Grievous, and when that puzzle starts to finally come together? Mind. Blowing. Filled with twists and turns, action and steam, I couldn’t have asked for a better conclusion to a story that hooked me from the beginning.

As for Lorenzo? Mother. Of. God. THIS MAN.

Whatever this is I’m feeling, I want it to stop. I want it to go away. I want to stop fucking seeing her every time I blink. I want to stop fucking thinking about her every time I pause to take a deep breath. She’s like an infection that’s settling into my chest. I would rip out my own organs if I thought it might purge her from my system.

He’s a violent, messed up, insane killer, and I loved his so muh muh much. I’m talking slightly questioning my own sanity over how much I loved him. The man has loose marbles rolling around in his head. He’s not all there, get me? He’s downright certifiable at times, and yet he’s one of the most endearing anti-heroes I’ve read in a long while.

The woman’s touch is witchcraft. It’s a sin to give in, but seeing as sinning is my specialty, I let her dark magic consume me, because what do I have to lose?

Grievous was a high-octane, dark and violent ride that was filled with twists and turns and enough heat to set your kindle on fire. It was danger and lust, violence and love. It. Was. Everything.

The woman has got me all fucked up here, flipped upside down and inside out. It’s like the striking of a match. All it needs is that spark.

If you had any doubt about the raw talent that is JM Darhower before, this book will make a believer out of you. Trust me. It’s an absolute must read!


DON’T MISS BOOK 1 IN THIS DUET!

MENACEAMAZON | MY REVIEW

Review: Torture To Her Soul by J.M. Darhower

TORTURE TO HER SOUL
Series: Monster in His Eyes #2
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: J.M. Darhower
Release Date: September 29, 2014

Don’t say it unless you mean it…

It’s a simple concept, one I’ve said time and again, but something people don’t seem to comprehend. You should choose every syllable carefully, because you never know when somebody will hold you to your word.

Somebody like me.

I’m not a good man. I’m not. I know. I have enough darkness inside of me to rid the world of every stitch of light. But there’s one I could never harm, one light I couldn’t bring myself to snuff out.

Karissa.

She thinks I’m a monster, and maybe I am. I taunt her with my touch, get a thrill out of torturing her soul. But I’m not the only one. The world is full of monsters, and I’m not the most dangerous one out there.

Not even close…

God help me, I love her.

I do.

And God help anyone who tries to take her from me.

AMAZON 

We’re a tragedy in the making. The game of tug-of-war we’re playing will end up destroying us, because she doesn’t have it in her to surrender, and I can’t let go. It’s something else I love about her. There’s a fight in her. But it’s a fight that’ll be our downfall. Because I have that same fight in me. 


Can I just say how much I LOVED getting the conclusion entirely in Naz’s POV? Because NAZ!!! FREAKING NAZ!

Tell me how you want it to be. Tell me what you need from me.” I’ll give her anything. I’ll tear my fucking chest open with my bare hands, rip out my heart and hand it to her, if that’s what she needs. All she has to do is tell me. All she has to do is ask.

Sometimes the line between good and bad isn’t so black and white. Sometimes it’s somewhere in the very depths of gray. And that’s exactly what you get with Naz. This is a man that’s done plenty of bad things and makes no apologies for it. He fully accepts who he is and what he’s become. He’s a man driven by pain and revenge. A man that’s sold his soul to the devil for a chance at vengeance. But Karissa has changed him irrevocably. He’ll still go to war and cover the streets in blood, but now it’s all for her.

She’s trying to be unbreakable but I’m unshakeable. She’s going crazy, and I’m already goddamn insane. I clipped my jailbird’s wings so she couldn’t fly away from me, and then I wonder why the fuck I can’t make her soar.

Being inside his head was an experience of dark and darker. And while you know it’s wrong, you just can’t find it in you to care even a little bit.

Torture To Her Soul was exactly what I hoped and so much more. J.M. Darhower knows how to weave one hell of a story and she’s a master of words. She’s given me some of my favorite mafia anti-heroes and I hope she never stops.

Second chances don’t come easily. Most people don’t get them. Most people don’t know what it’s like to come back from the brink of death. It changes people. It certainly changed me.


DON’T MISS THE FIRST BOOK IN THIS SERIESAMAZON | MY REVIEW

DGR Fave & Review: Disclaim by @pamgodwinbooks

Disclaim-ReviewDISCLAIM
Series: Deliver #3
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Pam Godwin
Release Date: August 31, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Disclaim

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?

It is recommended to read after Deliver & Vanquish, but it can be read as a stand-alone.

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKSReview-DGR5 starsDisclaim-DGR Teaser

Over the years, his need for her hadn’t faded. It had become a living, starving thing inside him, ruling his fucking world.

No one can make you fall head over ovaries for an anti hero quite like Pam Godwin. And no one can write a dark, gritty and addicting romance quite like her either. Every time I read a book of hers they just get better and better. The woman is an evil genius and I can’t get enough of how her twisted mind works.

Twelve months after her disappearance, she’d become a mirage in his wasteland, distorting at the edges and flickering out of reach.

First of all, while you can read this as a standalone, I highly recommend reading at least Vanquish first. Van has a very heavy presence in this book, and it would help to connect to the story and the characters having read his book first. Besides, the book was amazing, so do you even need a better reason than that? But I digress…

When Camilla was just 17 years old she was stolen from her home and the boy of her youthful love. She survived being Van Quiso’s slave and escaped her captivity over ten years ago. Now her goal is single minded; find every sick and twisted trafficker and make them pay while climbing her way to the top of the organization to cut off the head of the viper.

She could fight her desire, but she couldn’t disclaim their unbreakable bond, one that had taken root so long ago in the haven of their citrus grove.

Matias is not the young innocent boy she left behind those years ago. He’s a broken man, a man haunted by the demons of his past and his present. He’s a man that’s shed blood and didn’t bat an eye lash or lose a minute of sleep over it. He’s also a man with deep and dark secrets…and he also holds the answers that Camilla seeks. But is she brave enough to let down the walls she’s so carefully constructed though the years in order to seek them out?

He needed vindication and intended to take it from her pleading screams, from the give of her body beneath his thrusts. Pain and pleasure. Twisted justice.

Disclaim, much like its predecessors in the series, was one fucked up ride…and I couldn’t get enough of it. Camilla was such a strong heroine. But beneath that hard shell of hers lay the soul of a woman that yearns to submit. Watching her inner struggle and turmoil though the story was almost mesmerizing. When you add in the brooding intensity of Matias and it was the perfect recipe for an unputdownable read. Matias was an alpha to beat alphas. His dominance practically crackles though the pages.

He was going to fuck her until they were both annihilated. Until their broken pieces scattered in an unholy tangled mess. And when they put themselves back together, there would no longer be hers and his. Only them.

The story was a perfect blend of erotic and gritty, suspenseful and dark. It was everything I’ve come to love in a dark romance without any of the predictable plot twists. As a matter of fact, the only thing predictable about it was the fact that I loved it.

I loved getting more pieces of Liv and Van. I loved the progression of the story and all of the twists and turns. I had no idea where any of it would lead and when the secrets were finally revealed? Mind. Blown.

Pam Godwin is a queen of dark romance and she crafted the perfect couple with Camilla and Matias. They were a ying and yang of dominance and submission. They were dark and darker. They were pain and pleasure. They were devastatingly perfect.

He couldn’t stop. He was so fucking lost in her he didn’t want to find his way back.

If you’re looking for a page turning read with a twist of dark and a whole lot of sexy, then this book is a no brainer purchase. Trust me on this. And if you haven’t read anything by this incredible author yet, you my friend, are seriously missing out.


THE DELIVER SERIES

DELIVER (DELIVER #1)

VANQUISH (DELIVER #2)- My Review

Review: Dare To Stay by Jen McLaughlin

Review-Dare to StayDARE TO STAY
Series: Sons of Steel Row #2
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: Jen McLaughlin
Release Date: August 2, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Dare To Stay

Fans of Katie Ashley, Joanna Wylde, Kristen Ashley, Sophie Jackson and Katee Robert will be thrilled by this dark, steamy series, from the New York Times bestselling author of the Out of Line novels, where one gang of criminals knows just how being bad can be so good…

Bruised and bloodied on Boston’s mean streets, Chris O’Brien is reeling from the loss of his childhood best friend. But after barely escaping a hit placed on his head, Chris is desperate to live. A safe haven comes to mind – the home of the perfect girl from his childhood, Molly Lachlan. Before he has fully considered what it would mean to involve her in his mess, he finds himself on her doorstep.

When Molly agrees to let Chris inside her home, she realizes she’s also letting him into her life. Danger and desperation are coming off him like steam, and yet she can’t bring herself to turn him away. His bad boy charm always had a hold on her, but now there’s a soulfulness and sorrow in him that she’s never seen before. And despite the heart-stopping risk of helping him, she hopes against all reason that he’ll stay…

The stakes are dangerously high…and the passion is seriously intense. Follow the exploits of the Sons of Steel Row in Dare To Run and Dare To Stay.

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKSReview-DGR3.5 starsDare To Stay-DGR Teaser

My life didn’t need to be all murder, guns, and meaningless sex. It could’ve been more- if I’d been born into another family. Another life. But I hadn’t been.

When I saw that Chris would be the hero in the second installment of The Sons Of Steel Row series, I’ll admit to having doubts. After all the events at the end of Dare to Run, I wasn’t sure how the author would redeem him enough to make me feel for the man. After all, Chris not only betrayed his best friend, he tried to kill him and the woman he loved in order to go after a power position within The Sons. How do you come back from something like that? Will the author be able to justify his decision? Make it believable? Make the reader connect with an anti-hero like that? Well I’m happy to report that the answer to all of those is a resounding YES.

He was more monster than human. All men like him were. Deep down, beneath his acts of neighborhood friendliness and that devastatingly handsome smile…He was a killer.

Dare To Stay picks up immediately where book 1 left off, with Chris bleeding in the alley, waiting for certain death. If you haven’t read Dare To Run yet, don’t worry, you can easily jump into this book first and the author gives plenty of background to ensure you won’t be lost for even a minute.

Molly Lachlan lost her beloved father to the violence of street crime and gangs. Chris and her grow up next door to each other in the same nice neighborhood, but their upbringing couldn’t be more different. Now Chris is a deadly killer and she’s a kindergarten teacher and they may as well live worlds apart. But when Molly finds a wounded Chris, all she can think of is fixing the broken man.

While I liked this book a whole lot better than the first, there were still a few things that kept it from being a solid 4 star read for me.

I had an issue with Molly’s personality at times. After all she’s been through and the way she lost her father, her connection to Chris never quite clicked for me. He should be everything she wants to stay away from, yet she’s willing to put her life on the line from the very beginning for him. I understood their history goes back many years, but I just didn’t feel that connection between them right away. She was just too self sacrificing at times.

Chris’s never ending back and forth of ‘I want her’ but ‘I’m not good for her’ started to grate on me too. I understand that he’s not a good man, but I just didn’t need it repeated at every turn. Or at least it felt that way at times.

I knew, even after all the blood, dirt, and sweat washed away, I would still be dirty. I’d never be clean.

The story itself was gritty and sexy. There was just enough to make me connect to the characters and keep reading curious to know what happens next, yet not quite enough to make it feel like an unputdownable read.

The romance was great and I definitely liked Molly and Chris a whole lot more than Lucas and Heidi. Heidi also had a lot more self preservation than Heidi did, which was a huge issue for me in the first book. I really liked Chris and her together, and there were definitely plenty of sizzle added into the mix.

I kissed her like I was a dying man and she was my last chance at salvation. And she was.

I had a hard time with the believability factor of the ending, but I can understand that Chris couldn’t have the same options as Lucas did. What I do know for sure, is the set up for the third book sounds utterly amazing. And I can’t wait to finally get my hands on Scotty’s book.


SONS OF STEEL ROW SERIES

DARE TO RUN (book 1) 
MY REVIEW | AMAZON

DARE TO LIE (releasing February 7, 2017)
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Spotlight, Review & Giveaway: Sparrow by @lj_shen

Review-SparrowSparrow
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: L.J. Shen
Release Date: March 8, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

27263454

Troy Brennan

Every Southie in Boston knows that name. The son of a dead mobster. The heart-throb with steel-blue eyes. “The Fixer” who can make or break you in this city.

Oh, and my new husband.

Sparrow Raynes 

That’s me. No one seemed to remember my name up until he barged into my life.
But then he caged me.
Kidnapped me.
And killed every chance I had to run away from the place where we grew up.
Put simply, Troy Brennan clipped my wings.

I have dreams, big ones, but I doubt he’ll ever let me chase them. I have no idea why he decided to take me as his wife. But I do know this: pissing off this man will not do me any good. At all.

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

Buy LinksAMAZON

Excerpt

“What do you do for a living?” I asked, more proof of how little I knew my husband.“Money,” he answered. “I make it.”

“What do you do for this money?” I pressed.

“I have a grocery store, a restaurant and a few private poker joints. Your dad is a bouncer in one of them. You know this shit.”

“The grocery store in Dorchester was losing money even before it opened. The poker joints are small and people always owe you money. That’s not how you pay for a Maserati and a penthouse the size of a football field.”

He arched an eyebrow, giving me a slow once-over with those frosty baby-blues. “She’s sharp, too.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” I croaked.

“There’s one thing I do know, and it keeps me from spilling my shit in your ears—you hate my guts, Red.”

“I don’t hate your guts.” It took all the effort in the world to say it. Because I did. I hated Troy Brennan for marrying me, caging me, owning me and chaining me to his grim life and destiny for no reason other than because he could.

“Anyone ever told you that you’re a terrible liar?” His nostrils flared, but he kept his cool. He jerked me closer, wrapping his hand around the nape of my neck, his breath falling on my face with a whisper. “You wear the truth on your sleeve.”

I tiptoed my hand up to his face, my heart picking up speed as I stroked his bruise. Ballsy move, but I was afraid of him. Afraid that his frustration with me would swell and that he’d send me off back to the bedroom.

Fear is a prison, and in prison you played by different rules to survive.

Troy’s eyes narrowed on mine skeptically. The epitome of ruthless, his lips turned into a challenging smirk. “Prove you don’t hate me.”

And I did. I leaned up and pressed my lips against his softly.

I kissed him.

I kissed the husband I hated so much. Against reason, against logic, against everything my heart was telling me.

I kissed him because I wanted something from him. A job. A chance at happiness. Some freedom.

He fisted the hem of my nightshirt and in two big steps shoved me to the nearest wall, slamming me against it. My back felt the impact, and I arched to soothe the pain trickling down my spine. It felt different than the usual ache of flesh hitting concrete. Made my body buzz with something unfamiliar. Desire bit at my insides, and just like that, I got lost in his touch again.

His lips searched for mine angrily as he took one of my thighs and wrapped it around his waist, lifting me off the floor, only him and the wall supporting my weight. His erection pulsated beneath the fabric of his suit pants, and I resisted the instinct to grind against him. I lifted my arms to touch his smooth hair, running my hands down his slick mane.

He was a cheater.

A criminal.

A murderer.

And I was…fascinated.

Review4.5 starsSparrow-DGR

My father had sinned. But I was to be punished.

Sparrow Raynes grew up the daughter of a drunken father who happened to work for one of the most feared men in the Boston underground. But now that man is dead, and his son who’s known to be even more ruthless is to be her husband…and she has no idea why other than it’s been arranged and her father agreed to it. So she’ll do it, but she won’t like it. In her eyes it’ll be a marriage in name only because no way can she give her heart to the devil with the steel-blue eyes that’s known as The Fixer. He’s ruthless, he’s cold-blooded, but she refused to cower from him like even the most deadly of the deadly underground seem to…
Sparrow-DGR2Troy Brennan doesn’t hold any allegiances to anyone. His father may have been top dog in the Irish mob, but he’s dead now. There’s a reason Troy is know as The Fixer. He’s the one the rich and powerful call on to “fix” things. He’s infamous in the Boston underground for his ruthlessness and just as feared. But now he’s stuck marrying a girl he wants nothing to do with out of an obligation that she’s doesn’t know of. But the woman that he thought is a demure tomboy has a whole lot more spark to her that begin to slowly change the way he wants things to be…

Love and hate are similar in a lot of ways.”
“Is there a way to love you away from me?”
“No, but you could hate-fuck me all you want.”

Sparrow was exactly the kind of gritty anti-hero that I needed. L.J. Shen was not afraid to stick true to her characters and pulled no punches to do so, and I respect the hell out of her for this. Yes, Troy did some things that may not sit right with some readers, but for this reader, I loved to hate it. See I love when an author takes risks to stay true to the characters and that was definitely the case here. This is no insta lust, insta-love, or insta-anything. Troy and Sparrow’s connection formed over time and it felt authentic because of that. Considering how Troy is and where he came from, I wouldn’t have bought it any other way.

I’m saying if I can’t eat it, fuck it or kill it I have no interest in it.”

It was entertaining as hell to watch Sparrow really come into her own throughout the story. She has a backbone to begin with, but I just loved watching her give as good as she gets and she just gets stronger with the progression of the story. What was even better was that she wasn’t stupid. She doesn’t instigate or make silly decisions out of spite, she’s smart about it, which is a refreshing change of pace. She doesn’t want to like her husband, but watching him unknowingly get under her skin and grow on her was so entertaining to read. As for their chemistry? That was though the roof hot!

My monster, my capturer, my corrupter. My lover.

L.J. spared no detail to make her story gritty and real. It was action packed, super sexy, and filled with twists and turns. It was enough to keep me at the edge of my seat the whole time and eagerly turning the pages to see what will happen next. The romance was sizzling hot and together with the plot it all came together perfectly.

…the rumor is you like it kinky.”
“I like it interesting…
I like it delicious…
I like rough…
But most of all, I like it with you.”

My only minor quibble with the book was that it went a little much and too creative with the analogies at times. But that was such a minor thing compared to everything that I loved about it that I barely batted an eyelash at it.

The story was quick paced and kept me reading well into the night. I couldn’t seem to put it down until I finished. It’s not often when an author can surprise me with a hell of a twist but boy this one did! I loved every page of it.

This was my first book by this author, but I can say with utmost certainty that it will definitely not be my last. L.J. Shen clearly has a talent to write one hell of a punch with her romances and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. If you’re looking for an anti-hero read with a great heroine to boot and a believable romance, you need to be one-clicking this one right meow.

Graphic is stock purchased and created by me for DGR blog. Please don’t share without permission



About the Author

L.J. Shen is a former entertainment and music journalist and your average typical girl. She enjoys the simple things in life, like coffee, wine, traveling, spending time with her family and internet-stalking Chris Hemsworth.

She lives in Northern California with her husband, son and chubby cat and spends her days reading and her nights writing.

She is 29, lived in three continents, speaks three languages and thinks bras should be outlawed.

Feel free to contact her on Twitter and Facebook:

Giveaway

If you follow me on Facebook or Goodreads, then you already know how much I’ve been gushing about this book! I loved the absolute fuck out of it. I’m a reader that gravitates towards the dark and gritty and this one sure as hell brought it! I’m so excited to be able to spotlight this book on the blog today! But not only that, LJ Shen has been generous enough to donate a SIGNED PAPERBACK for the occasion! So I’m hosting a giveaway for that and one lucky US dirty bird will win this pretteh! Make sure to scroll to the bottom of post for the giveaway link 😉

ENTER HERE for a chance to win a SIGNED PAPERBACK of SPARROW!

 

Review: ★Monster In His Eyes★ by J.M. Darhower

Review-MihEMONSTER IN HIS EYES
Series: Monster in His Eyes #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mafia
Author: J.M. Darhower
Release Date: April 27, 2014add-to-goodreads-button-2

MIHEFRONT

Ignazio Vitale is not a good man.

I suspect it, the first time I see him, sense the air of danger that surrounds the man. He has a way of commanding attention, of taking control, of knowing what I’m thinking before I even do.

It’s alarming and alluring. It’s dark and deadly. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted but the last thing I truly need. Obsession.

It doesn’t take him long to draw me into his web, charming me into his bed and trapping me in his life, a life I know nothing about until it’s too late. He has secrets, secrets I can’t fathom, secrets that make it so I can’t walk away, no matter how much I beg him to let me go. I see it sometimes in his eyes, a darkness that’s both terrifying and thrilling. He’s a monster, wrapped up in a pretty package, and what I find when I unmask him changes everything.

I want to hate him.

Sometimes, I do.

But it doesn’t stop me from loving him, too.

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKS | B&NReview4 starsMIHE-DGR

He’s a whirlpool of darkness, and I feel myself getting sucked deeper and deeper into the depths of his abyss. I’m drowning in him.

As I sit here beating my head against the wall for my complete and utter stupidity, I have only one thought in mind: why in the ever loving hell did it take me so long to read it?
No, but seriously. I love anti-heroes. I love mafia romance. And I seriously love J.M. Drawer’s writing. So why did this book spend almost 2 lonely years collecting dust in my kindle? Because I’m an idiot, ladies and ovaries. Complete and utter idiot that’s currently kicking my own ass if it’s any consolation.

I told you, Karissa. I read people. You have the tendency to just go with the flow and see where the wind blows, so I picked somewhere decent for you to land.

I heard many things about Ignazio “Naz” Vitale. Some of them intriguing, some of them scary, and all of them utterly titillating and ovary tingling.

Monster In His Eyes is told entire in Karissa’s POV. Karissa is an 18 year old college student that’s struggling through a philosophy class. She’s a good girl; she’s not into the party scene, she talks to her mother daily, and she has a scholarship to her school which she needs to maintain with her grades. But then Karissa’s life takes a real turn when she meets the mysterious Naz; a man twice her age, rich, enigmatic, with just the right edge of dangerous.

He fucks me like he means it, like he needs it, like being inside of me is more important than anything inside of him, and every cell in my body calls out to him, craving more of it.

Naz is such a magnetic force. As a reader you know there’s something almost sinister and dark about him. You certainly know this way before the pieces begin clicking in Karissa’s head about the man she’s involved with.

At first I was a little concerned with Karissa being only 18, that she’d be too naive, idealistic and immature. And maybe she was those things in a way, but she also pulled it off. Or better yet, the author pulled it off. I’m not sure how she did that, but I connected with her right away.

As you’re reading, you know that there’s something much deeper involved than a chance meeting. Why? Because the prologue gives that little bit away. It gives you a vague piece of the puzzle that will keep you glued to the pages in eager anticipation for more details. Is it truly a chance meeting or the work of something more? What is it that Naz truly wants. What’s his end game and will Karissa survive it?

He’s a monster, wrapped up in a pretty package.
But I find myself wondering at times like this, when I feel the distance between us, if maybe in his eyes, the real monster is me.

Naz is a true force of nature. I fell head over ovaries for him right away. There’s this air of danger to him. But he’s also a perfectly balanced two sided coin. One side nurturing and caring, and the other side dangerous and depraved.

I’m the king of the jungle. I’m the predator.”
“Does that make me your prey?”
“That makes you my queen.”

You never know just what side you’ll get and yet you’re connected to each side equally. You crave that darkness even while you’re enjoying his sweetness. Though to be fair, there’s really nothing sweet about the man. But his treatment of Karissa is almost fervent.

While the romance is hot, what truly grips you is the intrigue behind Naz’s past and present. Who is he really? What does he want? And when the truth finally gets unveiled?
The only thing that kept this from a solid 5 star read for me was the super quick connection between Karissa and Naz. It wasn’t quite insta-love, but it wasn’t quite not either. There was a large chunk of the book centered around the everyday of their relationship which got a tad stale after a while. But then the second half more than made up for the slowness of the first.

JM Darhower crafts yet another addicting tale that’s utterly impossible to put down from beginning to finish. I read it cover to cover in one day. I was ready to cut someone for daring to interrupt me. This author has this way of sucking you right into the story and keeping you at the edge of your seat the entire time. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to dive straight into book two!

Graphic is stock purchased and created by me for DGR blog. Please don’t share without permission


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