Review: Saint by Sierra Simone

September 9, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

SAINT
Series: Priest #3
Genre: Contemporary, Forbidden Romance
Author: Sierra Simone
Release Date: September 7,  2021

 

I can’t have Elijah Iverson.

I can’t have him because he’s my older brother’s best friend. I can’t have him because I broke his heart five years ago; because he’s now engaged to someone else—someone kind and dependable who deserves his whiskey eyes, his soft mouth, his fierce intellect.

I can’t have Elijah because I’ve chosen God instead.

The Bell brothers, though . . . well, we don’t exactly have the greatest track record with vows. But I’m determined to do this monk thing right—to pledge myself to a cloistered life and spend the rest of my years in chastity and prayer. But now Elijah’s here. He’s here and he’s coming with me on my European monastery road trip, and between the whispered confessions and the stolen kisses and the moments bent over an ancient altar, my vows are feeling flimsier by the day.

And vows or not, I know in my heart that it would take more than a good and holy monk to resist Elijah Iverson right now. It would take a saint.

And we all know that I’m no saint.

(This is the third full-length standalone in the Priest Collection, featuring Father Bell’s brother, Aiden Bell. You do not have to read Priest or Sinner to read Saint.)

AMAZON

I can’t stop the tender shoots and slender, seeking roots of him, and I am his garden, his soil, his place, and it would be wonderful if I wasn’t supposed to be the garden of my god instead.

I live for the Bell siblings. We’ve met Tyler Bell, the priest. We’ve met manwhore extraordinaire, Sean Bell who fell for a nun and his best friend’s younger sister. And now it’s Aiden’s turn. If you’ve read the previous two books, then you remember Aiden is the wild younger sibling. And if you’ve read Sinner, then you’d also remember the shocker of learning that he’s been having a secret affair with his brother’s best friend. That was definitely a delicious plot twist when I read it.

And now we meet Aiden Bell five years later, as a monk but also a man that never got over the love of his life.

Aiden,” he says softly, and I relish hearing my secular name from him, because it was the name that belonged to him, to his lips and thoughts and even his fingers when he was scolding or flirting over text or email.

If you’ve read anything by Sierra Simone than you know this author’s incredible ability to pack a heck of an emotional story that’s interwoven into scorching romance. This book was no different. The sexual charge between Aiden and Elijah is woven into every page, especially because it’s forbidden. Elijah may have loved Aiden once and had his heart broken by him, but he’s now an engaged man. And Aiden has given himself to god.

It was clear the amount of research that Sierra put into this book with her detailed story telling. However, I also felt like parts of the book did drag a bit for me and had a little more detail than needed. I found myself skimming a bit about midway through the book.

The romance, in typical Sierra Simone fashion, was EVERYTHING. It was packed with emotion, it was erotic, it was sensual, it was beautiful, and it was so satisfying. I found myself hurting with them. I found myself grieving their relationship with them. And I found myself loving with them.

This was easily my favorite book in the series so far. But nothing, and I mean NOTHING, prepared me for the twist and reveal at the end. And now I’m desperately hoping that we get a certain someone’s book next because OMG!!

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

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Review: Hard To Love by K. Bromberg

September 7, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

HARD TO LOVE
Series: Play Hard #5
Genre: Contemporary, Sports Romance
Author: K. Bromberg
Release Date: September 7, 2021

New York Times bestselling author, K. Bromberg, is back with a heartfelt, enemies to lovers romance and a hero who redeems himself to steal your heart . . .

He was the one-night stand that didn’t exactly go as planned. Now he’s standing before me as if he’s never seen me naked, telling my manager he’ll take the job. Reluctantly.

Finn Sanderson.

Sports agent extraordinaire. Handsome as hell. The man who just signed on to control my every move.

Sure, I’m to blame for my recent bad press, but when your whole life has been so regimented, isn’t it normal to want to live it up a little?

But when the partying stops and the grief I’m running from has nowhere else to hide, reality sets in. Turns out, Finn’s the only person I have left to help pick up the pieces. The only person to call.

Staying with him is a temporary thing. But when our fighting turns into laughter and our friendship turns into something more, will I fight for a man who swears he’s hard to love? Or is it wiser to walk away? To follow the plan?

* * *
Offering to help with a client is a way to repay a long overdue IOU to my mentor. Little did I know she was the woman who left my hotel room at four in the morning.

Stevie Lancaster.

Top-seeded US tennis player. Good girl gone bad. The woman currently about to throw her career away. And now my problem.

The compensation to “babysit” her is great, but she isn’t worth my trouble.

But when her world falls apart and she has no one else to turn to, I try to be a good guy by gathering her up and hiding her from the media’s eye.

Now she’s in my house, in my space, and even though I’m enjoying the side benefits of this unexpected arrangement, surely she’s better to leave when the time comes and follow her destiny. Because I’m not the man she needs. Not the man she could love. Right?

Are you ready to fall for the Kincade sisters and then men who love them in K. Bromberg’s sexy, contemporary, sports romance series? These books can all be read as standalones, but you’ll enjoy reading them as a series!

Hard to Handle (Hunter & Dekker’s story – hockey romance)
Hard to Hold (Rush & Lennox”s story – soccer romance)
Hard to Score (Drew & Brexton’s story – football romance)
Hard to Lose (Gunner & Chase’s story – baseball romance)
Hard to Love (Finn & Stevie’s story)

 

AMAZON

You’re a bully.”
I hate you. I want you. Why does it have to be you?
“And you’re a rebel.”
“Well, aren’t we quite the pair…”

I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for this book!! Finn has been a secondary character that I had loved to hate in books 1-3, and when we finally saw his human side in Hard to Lose, he became a character I couldn’t wait to get a book for. Finn is a too handsome for his own good and cocky successful sport agent who has been going head to head with the Kincade sisters for years. And his romantic history with one of them painted him for the one and done player that he is. This is a man that doesn’t believe in love and I couldn’t wait to see him brought to his knees by the right woman.

I don’t care because it feels like we’ve been doing a slow dance of seduction for weeks and goddamn, I’m ready to get pulled under.

I loved being inside Finn’s head and seeing what made him into the man and playboy he is today. I also loved finally seeing a female athlete in this series.

Stevie Lancaster is a tennis superstar who’s still reeling from the loss of her beloved father. A spitfire and a wildchild in one, she’s been spiraling dealing with her grief. A drunken game with her friends lands her in the hotel room of a handsome stranger. And the shock of a lifetime is when that stranger turns out to be the last resort of her agent to bring in the big guns. Finn is there to reel in the wild child and help get her back on track with her sports career.

Man, the banter between these two was…on…point. I was so here for their arguments that were loaded with sexual tension so good I felt I might burst. Stevie is sass personified. She’s not afraid to give as good as she gets and boy does she make Finn work for it. The sexual tension and chemistry was *chefs kiss* so good. Like you can practically taste it every single time these two fought. But what I loved most is seeing Finn’s soft side come out. I loved seeing how he was there for Stevie in a way no one else could have been. And I loved watching his heart thaw for her.

This was the perfect book to end this series with. Highly recommend for any sports romance fans!


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

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

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

With her imagination always in overdrive, she is currently scheming, plotting, and swooning over her latest hero. You can find out more about him or chat with Kristy on any of her social media accounts.

Connect with K. Bromberg:

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Review: Give Me A Reason by A.L. Jackson

August 30, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

GIVE ME A REASON
Series: Redemption Hills #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: A.L. Jackson
Release Date: August 30, 2021

From NYT and USA Today bestselling author A.L. Jackson comes a single-dad, enemies-to-lovers stand-alone romance about a jaded club owner and his son’s teacher…

Eden Murphy came into my club looking to make some extra cash.

A girl like her didn’t belong in a place like this.

She’d get ripped to shreds.

Most likely by me.

There’s nothing but sweetness dripping from her sexy little body, and I’m the monster who’s salivating to get a taste.

Trent Lawson is the last man I should want.

Dark.

Dangerous.

So wickedly gorgeous he makes my knees weak.

He’s also an arrogant jerk who happens to be my new boss.

When I discover his adorable son is also in my kindergarten class, I know I have to keep my distance.

But neither of us can ignore the attraction that flames.

One glance, and our hearts race.

One touch, and we’re aching for what we can’t have.

One night, and we’re falling fast.

Dragging her into my sordid world is wrong.

It doesn’t matter.

Eden Murphy is mine.

AMAZON

You are everything I didn’t know I needed.” Her words were panted into the thick air. That connection a glimmer in the room. Throbbing. Consuming. Binding us whole. I burrowed my face under her chin. My confession was pressed to her skin. “And you are everything I will never deserve.”

If you’ve read this author before, then you already know her lyrical writing style. I’m not a reader that enjoys prose, yet somehow when A.L. Jackson writes it, I can’t seem to get enough of it.

I’ve been salivating for this book ever since she announced it. The premise for the series sounded amazing, and now that I’ve been introduced to the Lawson brothers, I’m completely hooked. I’m so here for this gritty and emotional series.

Now as for this book, well it had me at enemies to lovers. And then sealed the deal with single daddy and son’s teacher. Trent is a MC that’s impossible not to fall for. Trent first meets Eden when she comes to his club for an interview. But he can smell her innocence a mile away and refuses to give her the chance, even when there’s an underlying attraction that simmers beneath the surface. Eden may look sweet as sunshine, but this is also a woman with a backbone. She’s not afraid to stand up for herself, even if it’s with the tatted and jaded club owner who refuses to give her the time of day. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and she needs the money to help her father.

I loved the dynamic between these two. Eden is sweet and wholesome, but she’s also a woman with a past. I loved the relationship she develops with Trent’s sweet son. And his son! Oh man. He may have been my favorite secondary character with his burst of sunshine, chatty demeanor, and sweet nature and open heart.

Trent is the definition of tortured. This is a man who is still running from his past and feels that it continues to taint him. He’s the son of a ruthless MC president and a man with blood on his hands who had to do what he needed to ensure his brothers’ safety and his own. Right now, all he cares about his protecting his son, and he can’t let any woman distract him. He doesn’t have anything left to give. Especially to a woman like Eden.

The enemies element of this book didn’t last long, though I wish it was a bit longer. It went from one to the other fairly quick, though I didn’t mind too much. I loved their chemistry and connection. I suppose I just wanted a bit more burn. Having said that, their relationship development was so organic and felt so right. I loved the way that Trent couldn’t stay away from her and the way that Eden sees past his dark and broody exterior to the tortured soul beneath.

There’s also a suspense element that I lived for and a twist at the end that I never saw coming. I’m completely hooked and desperate for more. I cannot wait till the next book!!

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Review: The Don by Serena Akeroyd

August 29, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

THE DON
Series: The Valentini Family Book 1
Genre: Mafia Romance
Author: Serena Akeroyd
Release Date: August 26, 2021

Blood stains my hands, my soul, my heart, yet I’ll shed more to keep her safe.

A chance meeting brings Jen MacNeill into my life—the woman born to reign at my side.

She just doesn’t know it yet.

How could my Lady be anything other than a silken promise taunting me with every breath she takes?

A new Don reigns over Manhattan.

But though I won the war, peace isn’t easily brokered.
Over a decade of avenging my father’s death, I made many enemies.
To each and every one, Jen’s a target.

But I’ll paint NYC red before I let them harm her.
I just never imagined I’d be in the line of fire first…

A heart broken by grief can feel no guilt or shame with the brutality in which vengeance is delivered.

This is the first part of ‘The Oath’ duet in The Valentini Family series.

AMAZON

She was a witch… A witch who’d enchanted me. Bedeviled me. Tormented me. I was more than okay with that, so long as I enslaved her in return.

So…real talk. When a book starts off with the butt stuff and still manages to deliver on the sexual tension, you know I’m all over it, right? Right.

But really, I’m a sucker for a good mafia romance. I got introduced to Serena’s writing with Storm and became an insta fan. The second I saw the promotion of this duet, I was itching to get my grabby little hands on it. I already knew the woman can deliver some grit and I needed my fix.

The Don is book one of The Valenti Family duet and interconnects with her Five Points series. Now I haven’t read that series yet, but had no problems understanding the nuances of the various relationships here. Jen is Aoife’s best friend from Filthy. This was a heroine I instantly connected with. And not just because she has the balls to barge into a Don’s office and demand butt stuff, but because the woman is simply kick ass. She’s a self professed gold digger and daughter of a whore, who has had to fight for everything she has. A chance meeting with Luciu inevitably changes the course of her life. She knows he’s mafia, she knows he’s dangerous but yet she can’t stay away from him.

Now I’m not usually a fan of insta anything. And there’s definitely some insta lust here that skates the edge of insta love, which isn’t usually my cuppa. And when I tell you that, I mean Luciu falls first which is my cuppa. So I’m invested here.

The majority of this book focuses on their budding relationship, which admittedly did feel a bit too lengthy for me. Don’t get me wrong, the sexy times were hot, but I wanted more meat to the bones of this story too, which only began to take place at the end. And then the cliffhanger hits you with all the subtlety of a ten by four and I’m dying for book 2. Did I enjoy this? Absolutely. Do I need book two? Desperately! Should you read it? Yes m’am. If you love a good mafia romance, check this out.

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Review: Bond of Destiny by Larissa Ione

August 24, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

BOND OF DESTINY
Series: Demonica #20
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Larissa Ione
Release Date: August 24, 2021

Sold into slavery mere hours after his birth to werewolf parents, Tracker spent decades in service to cruel underworlders. Then the fallen angel Harvester transferred his ownership to a human woman who gave him as much freedom as the unbreakable bond would allow. Still, thanks to his traumatic past, he’s afraid to trust, let alone feel love.

But when an acquaintance shows up at his door, injured and in need of help, he finds himself longing for a connection. For someone to touch. For someone to care.

Stacey Orr has had it bad for Tracker since the day her best friend, Jillian, was forced to hold his unbreakable slave bond. At first, the fact that he’s a werewolf seemed weird to Stacey, but hey, her best friend was married to one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, so weird is definitely a matter of perspective. Stacey knows the depths of Tracker’s trauma, and she longs to help him even as he helps her, but breaking through his walls isn’t easy.

And it only gets harder when the only blood family he has, the pack that gave him away, lays claim to him… and everything he loves.

AMAZON

Do you know how obsessed I am with this series? No, but do you? DO YOU?! Because Ione can write 40 more books in it and I’ll be desperately awaiting each new one. Not often you can say that 20 books in, but this series just hits the spot each and every single book.

This is a story I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for. If you’ve read Rogue Rider and Reaver, then you already know exactly who Tracker is. And if you’re anything like me, you’ve been desperately waiting for his HEA because to say that this man has been through hell and back (literally) is a mild understatement. His own parents sold him into slavery when he was just born. As a born werewolf, he knows nothing of his customs. As a born slave, he’s known nothing but misery and still can’t acclimate to life of limited freedom. Even though his slave bond was transferred to Jillian, he’s still not free. And even though Jillian tries to give him everything he was missing in life, it’s tough to accept that life for him.

Stacey was absolutely awesome. She’s a female that owns her sexuality and doesn’t feel ashamed of her history with men. She’s also tough and fierce, which I loved as well. A massive snow storm causes her car to crash and her to be rescued by Tracker. A little forced proximity for the win. Tracker fights his attraction to her, and Stacey feels like Jillian has warned her off of Tracker because of his tragic past and her instability with men. I loved the way these two just clicked. Their chemistry was through the roof and the build up was delicious.

Larissa Ione never disappoints and this story just hit the spot for me. I loved the suspense, I loved the action, and I absolutely loved the romance. The cameos by some of my favorites was also fantastic. I loved getting more of Harvester. I do wish we’ll get a full length novel from Ione soon because as much as I love the novellas, I can’t help but yearn for more.

Air Force veteran Larissa Ione traded in a career in meteorology to pursue her passion of writing. She has since published dozens of books, hit several bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today, and has been nominated for a RITA award. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her retired U.S. Coast Guard husband, her son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhounds, a King Shepherd named Hexe and a Belgian Malinois named Duvel.

 

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Review: Ruthless Crown by Amanda Richardson

August 17, 2021 by · Leave a Comment
RUTHLESS CROWN
Series: Ruthless Royals Duet #1
Author: Amanda Richardson
Genre: Reverse Harem High School Bully Romance
Release Date: August 17, 2021
Their names are whispers in the hallways.
Hunter, Ash, Ledger, and Samson.
The Kings.Four of the most beautiful men I’ve ever seen, with cruel agendas and an even crueler reign over Ravenwood Academy.Wreaking havoc in our small, New England town, no one asks questions.
For the most part, people ignore or avoid them.
After all, they’re royalty here.Because one of them—the cruelest one—is the headmaster’s son.
And my new stepbrother.They can try to torment me.
They can try to break me.
But they have no idea what I’ve endured.They’re used to getting whatever their ruthless, little hearts desire.
Maybe I should keep my mouth shut.
Maybe I should let them win.But I’m not afraid of getting my hands dirty.
Lord knows I’m used to it by now.My name is Briar Monroe, and these Kings are about to find out just how fucked up this Queen can be.

Part Mean Girls, part Cruel Intentions, Ruthless Crown is full-length high-school bully reverse harem romance. It is book one of the Ruthless Royals duet, and while it doesn’t end with a true cliffhanger, there are unanswered questions. Book two will be releasing in a month. It is advised to read them in order. *Please note Ruthless Crown contains explicit language, bullying, and flashbacks of abuse/trauma. It also features four hot AF guys who would do anything to protect their feisty Queen. The duet will have a HEA.

AMAZON
 
Free in Kindle Unlimited

“Shit,” Jack whispers, glancing at the row of lockers in front of us. “We have company.”
I look up and notice Hunter leaning against a locker, glaring at me.

Something fiery shoots through me at that gaze, and I notice Ash, Ledger, and Samson against the other wall of lockers.
“Let me guess,” I murmur to Jack. “That’s my locker?”

“I told you,” Scarlett hisses. “They’re not going to leave you alone.”

I grind my teeth together and clench my fists. “This is ridiculous,” I whisper. “I’m putting my foot down.”

I stalk over to where Hunter is standing, arms crossed. “Excuse me,” I order, not breaking eye contact. There’s truly nothing kind in his expression, and his jaw ticks ever so slightly. A few people stop to watch us, their expressions stunned.

“You’re excused,” he muses, his face dripping with disdain.

My pulse speeds up, and anger flares through me. “This is my locker.”

He tilts his head, and his eyes flash with amusement for a split second. “Yeah. I thought that was obvious.”
Looking over his shoulder, I see his friends watching me haughtily. Okay, so they truly think of themselves as the rulers here, then? They have the arrogance to match it.

“What do you want, Hunter?” I sigh, crossing my arms.

He chuckles, and the sound is both terrifying and thrilling. He reaches into his back pocket, pulling out a few folded pieces of paper. Handing them to me, he gives me a monstrous smile before I look down and take them. Willing my hands not to shake, I open the paper, and then my heart thumps against my ribs, and a flush works its way up my neck.

Snapping my eyes up to him, I narrow my eyes. “You went through my diary?”

My diary—detailing the inappropriate dream I had about him the other night.
He crosses his arms and shrugs. “If you wanted me so badly, why didn’t you just

Oh, the nerve…
“You wish,” I growl, getting ready to turn and walk away.

Just as I move, he grabs the hand with the papers and tugs me into his hard body. Leaning down, I feel his breath fan against my forehead.

“Tell me, just how wet did you get for me in that dream of yours?” To my horror, he raises his other hand, a pair of pink, lace undies dangling on one of his fingers.

My mouth goes dry, and my heart wallops against my chest as I close my eyes.

No. No, no, no.

Grabbing my underwear, I twist away from him and turn to walk away. Tears prick at my eyes, but I take a deep breath.

I refuse to give them the satisfaction of knowing they got to me.

COMING SOON

#2 Ruthless Queen – Releasing September 14

AMAZON

We used to be the Kings of Ravenwood. I guess I never realized until Briar Monroe showed up that we needed a Queen.

I don’t generally read a lot of New Adult RH. But when I saw the blurb to this book, I knew I’d be changing that.

This being my first book by this author, I didn’t go into the story with any expectations. What I definitely didn’t expect was to binge read this in one sitting. But binge read it I did.

People are still terrified of the Kings, but I’m about to pull a checkmate. Hunter, Ash, Ledger, and Samson are about to witness how this Queen attacks—slow, premeditated, and lethal.

Briar has just moved to a new city after her mom married her stepfather. Suddenly she’s thrust in a world of wealth and privilege, attending the prestigious Ravenwood Academy where her stepbrother rules with an iron fist along with his 3 best friends.

Briar may have a dark past but she’s no pushover. She’s fierce and takes no shit. And when she first arrives, Hunter is determined to drive her out. Public humiliation, bullying, there’s no lines there. And this girl? I was so here for it.

Now look, this is a read you have to suspend your disbelief for. There are some plot developments and character developments that could have used a little more fleshing out or just didn’t make sense. But did I care? Nope. Because it was also deliciously smutty while also having an addictive plot. There’s a bit of suspense with a splash of dark mystery and secrets. Each of the guys have their own unique personalities. You have the sweet quiet one, the tortured bad boy, the tatted one, and the ring leader. So suffice it to say it checked all of the boxes for me. It also happened to be hot as all get out, and I was so here for that too.

Bottom line, is this was an entertaining, guilty pleasure sort of read that I thoroughly enjoyed even while it wasn’t perfect. Will I be reading the second one? You’re damn right I will. I need more in this world!

Amanda Richardson writes from her chaotic dining room table in Los Angeles, often distracted by her husband and two adorable sons. When she’s not writing contemporary and dark, twisted romance, she enjoys coffee (a little too much) and collecting house plants like they’re going out of style.

AUTHOR LINKS

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Website: https://authoramandarichardson.com

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Review: The Sinner by Emma Scott

August 15, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

THE SINNER Genre: Paranormal Romance Author: Emma Scott Release Date: August 15, 2021

Shy, introverted Lucy Dennings lives a quiet little life in New York City, working for a nonprofit and keeping to herself. Every afternoon, she goes home to her empty apartment and Edgar, her houseplant, and every night, she loses herself in the pages of her beloved romance novels. Her lonely heart seeks solace in tales of passionate, enduring, all-consuming love, but more and more, Lucy feels she’s not just reading for pleasure but searching for a lost piece of herself in the pages. As if she once touched something beautiful but it’s been ripped away. Until one day Lucy discovers a dead body in the alley behind her apartment. Even if it’s too late, her first instinct is to help. Her second is to run. Because the dead body isn’t so very dead, and suddenly, her little world isn’t so little but one in which dreams feel like memories, “inner demons” actually lurk in dark alleys, and a beautiful creature of darkness with amber eyes and wings like night might hold the key to what her heart has been aching for…if she doesn’t fall down the path of eternal damnation first. From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Emma Scott, comes an emotional paranormal love story of passion, sacrifice, and the soul-deep love of a lifetime…more than one

AMAZON

I should stop inflicting myself on her, but I can’t. She is my weakness. The sweetest vice.”
This was one of the most beautiful, touching, and all encompassing paranormal romances I’ve read in a long while. I’m ashamed to admit it was my first Emma Scott book. I know! I know! Stop glaring at me. I clearly see what I’ve been missing out on. PNR was my first love. It was the genre that got me hooked on romance. So to say that I’m picky when it comes to it is putting it mildly. For that reason, I’m usually weary of contemporary authors trying their hand at paranormal. Because more often than not, world building turns into a data dump. But this was the furthest thing from the truth with this story. It was like a movie rolling behind my eyelids as I was reading it. I loved this world of demons and angels. And the set up of this story was absolutely delicious. You have a beautiful introvert, who is still dealing with the grief of losing her beloved father. When she finds a naked man with wings outside her apartment, she thinks she may be dreaming, but is actually something closer to her nightmares. Lucy is impossible not to love. She’s shy, sweet, and would give the shirt off her back to a stranger. She lives vicariously through her romance novels while wishing her handsome coworker would notice her. But she’s a wallflower that doesn’t mind fading in the background. Caz was….gah. EVERYTHING. The ultimate tortured hero…or anti hero. Whatever. The man was a demon, and not just a demon, but the ultimate demon. His secrets are dark and they run deep, and the more that gets revealed about him, the more desperate I was to learn more. I loved the way they just fit. Like light to dark, ying to yang, they were like two puzzle pieces that just fit. And the more you learn, the more epic it becomes. This was the ultimate story of soulmates and love everlasting. It was beautiful, emotional, and completely unforgettable.

Emma Scott is a USA Today and Wall St. Journal bestselling author whose books have been translated in five languages and featured in Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, New York Daily News and USA Today’s Happy Ever After. She writes emotional, character-driven romances in which art and love intertwine to heal, and in which love always wins. If you enjoy emotionally-charged stories that rip your heart out and put it back together again, with diverse characters and kind-hearted heroes, you will enjoy her novels. Visit www.emmascottwrites.com RECENT RELEASES Someday, Someday (M/M standalone) A Five-Minute Life (standalone) Bring Down the Stars (Beautiful Hearts #1) Long Live the Beautiful Hearts (Beautiful Hearts #2) “At Santa Cruz Central High, we called them the misfits, the outcasts, the weirdos. But most of us knew them as the Lost Boys.” The Girl in the Love Song (Lost Boys #1) : http://bit.ly/2MLnYhU

When You Come Back To Me (Lost Boys #2) : http://bit.ly/37BsCHh

The Last Piece of his Heart (Lost Boys #3) : http://bit.ly/2QeVlfa

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Review: Wild Card by Ashley Munoz

August 14, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

WILD CARD
Series: Rake Forge University #1
Genre: New Adult, Sports Romance
Author: Ashley Munoz
Release Date: August 12, 2021

This was it…I could see it in my editor’s eyes.

This was the last straw. One more misstep and I was going to lose my coveted internship.

I decided right there in my room, lime-flavored tortilla chips in hand, that I would do whatever it took to write the story of the century.

And I had my target in sight—the undefeated Devil’s baseball team. They were RFU royalty, and completely untouchable.

Their parties were impossible to get into unless you were handpicked, and I was not.

Even still, I had a solid plan.

I would not get caught, definitely not seduced, and absolutely wouldn’t die. That is until I was stopped and rendered totally speechless by a pair of mossy eyes.

He lured me in, close enough to feel the press of his mouth against my skin and the heat of his hands on my body. Undoubtedly, I was a sheep headed straight for the slaughter, which only proved true when he called my bluff. 

With him holding all the cards for my future success, and in order to salvage what remained of my dream, I did the only thing I could.

I made a deal with a devil.

AMAZON



…he was mine and I was going to be his. Even if it broke me to let him in, even if it ruined me. There wasn’t much left of my heart, but whatever there was I’d shove into his massive palm. Then I’d just let him decide what to do with it. Maybe he’d realize that our tattered pieces matched.

Clearly I have been sleeping on Ashley Munoz, because after reading this book, I’m an insta fan. I’m a sucker for a steamy college sports romance, and this one hit all of the spots I had and some I didn’t even know of.


When I look at you, you’re not just some girl I like. You look like you’re already mine.

What I liked about it most was that it wasn’t exactly your typical sports romance. There was a bit of suspense and mystery, a dash of angst, and a romance so good that I was immediately hooked.

Mallory is the sort of heroine that sneaks up on you. She’s a bit reserved and unassuming, focused on her dream internship and the article she needs to write that will either make it or break it for her chances. Refusing to rely on her rich and successful father, she’s determined to make it on her own. But when the article idea she had is torn to shreds by her editor, she’s desperate for a story and her stepsister just may hand it to her on a silver platter. A secret game that’s held by the college baseball team that involves cards, pre-arranged hookups, and willing females is just the thing she needs. And when her step sister is invited for the ultimate place on the totem pole, gets sick, and allows her to go in her place? Well, how’s a girl to pass that up.

I have to say, I loved Mallory. She knows who she is but she’s still vulnerable in her own hang ups. She’s tough and not afraid to go after what she wants. I also seriously loved her friendship with her two besties and how they’re there for each other.

As for Decker? My god. I died for this man and his poor, tortured soul. Decker is desperate for revenge and will go after it at the expense of everything in order to make the person that stole his dream from him pay. As we get his story, piece by piece, you can’t help but fall further for him. The chemistry between him and Mallory was immediate and incendiary. I loved the slow burn and I especially loved their frustrating push and pull. He fights his attraction to her with everything he’s got because he can’t afford a distraction and Mallory holds the key to his revenge.

My one quibble with the book is the twist at the end seemed a bit…far fetched. I struggled to fully wrap my mind around it and all of the messiness of it. But then once I did, I was all in, even if I didn’t fully buy it. Which is strange but true.

Wild Card was everything I love in a sports romance; angsty, steamy, and a hero with a heart of gold and a dirty mouth. I devoured this book in one sitting and desperately waiting for more in this series. I loved the step sister’s redemption and can’t wait to see how her story plays out. Talk about your HOOK LINE AND SINKER at the end there. Dang.

Ashley resides in the Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her four children and her husband. She loves coffee, reading fantasy, and writing about people who kiss and cuss.

AUTHOR LINKS

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Review: Acquisition by Celia Aaron

August 3, 2021 by · Leave a Comment
LUCIUS
Series: An Acquisitions Series Novel #4
Author: Celia Aaron
Genre: Dark Romance
Release Date: August 3, 2021

Lucius Vinemont ruined my life.

It was a long time ago. It feels like yesterday.

I haven’t let it go, and I won’t. Not until he’s dead. Lucius is the bogeyman, the shadow under my bed, the nightmare that wakes me in my sleep.

I loved him once, in the foolish way of a teenage girl. Those feelings are buried deep, soaked in blood and covered in a fine ash. Because Lucius was never just a bad boy, he was so, so much worse.

When you shoot a man through the heart, he’s supposed to die. But Lucius isn’t a man. He’s a monster. One who promises pleasures wrapped in pain.

But the closer I get to him, the more I realize he’s not the only evil lurking in my past. . .


“Don’t lie to me, Evelyn.” His nostrils flare. “Never lie to me. The devil always knows.” His smirk returns as I try to push him away.
His other arm goes around my waist and he holds me tightly against him.
“Your heart is beating faster than a rabbit’s. Afraid?” He grips my jaw, his gaze darting to my lips.
“I’m not afraid of you.” I feel the tension in my body, but it’s different now. Not the sick, sinking feeling from what happened on the elevator. Lucius makes me feel more. He always has, ever since I saw him when I was still a girl, when Red was still alive. Handsome and oh-so-bad, the cocky Lucius Vinemont was my teenage fantasy. Because I didn’t know what bad was back then. Not really.
I do now. I know evil. I’ve seen it. And right now, the most evil man I’ve ever known has me crushed to his chest, his gaze darting to my lips. No, this fear is not the same as in the elevator, but I wish it was. I wish I had only fear and revulsion for him.
I wish I’d never set eyes on Lucius Vinemont.
“Not afraid of me?” He tsks. “If that’s true, then you aren’t as intelligent as you seem.” He strokes my cheek with his thumb. “Because I will find you out, Evelyn Delacroix. I will learn your secrets and use them to destroy you. Soon enough, you’ll be begging me for mercy, but I won’t give you any.”
“If you’re done threatening me, I’d like to leave now.”

“You sure?” He slides his hand to my throat and rests it there like a collar. “My offer from last night still stands. That prim little suit you’re wearing would look even better on my bedroom floor.”

This woman—fuck, the brass balls she has. She wants me dead, and I want to know what she tastes like.”

Did I read the blurb to this book and know immediately this would be my first Celia Aaron book?
Did I want to read it bad enough that I decided to dive right into it without having read the rest of the series?

Do I regret this decision?

Because spank my @ss and call me Rosy, this was a delicious little story that I simply inhaled.

I mean, the story begins with our heroine shooting the hero in the chest. With zero regrets. Thinking she killed him and being proud of it.
Actual footage of me reading it?
I’m a sucker for a good enemies to lovers book. And when you throw in revenge and a secret society? I’m putty in your hands. PUTTEH I tells ya.

Now clearly I missed a continuing story arc regarding The Acquisition, but we’re given just enough details in this book that you don’t feel like you missed much. Also, kindly suspend your disbelief here, because it’s all kinds of OTT and almost crazy at times, but man I loved that about it.

Evelyn is desperately craving revenge against the man that took everything away from her in the most brutal of ways. All she’s known for the past years is her drive for her vengeance and she won’t rest until Lucius is dead.

Lucius is just the kind of anti hero I love; he’s an irreverent manwh@re who seems like he gives zero f*cks yet has all of the intensity. He’s a rich businessman and a ruthless killer all in one. And when he discovers the stunning woman who wants him dead? Well, let’s just say he wants other things.

I loved the banter, the chemistry, and the crazy OTT story. These characters were nuts. Truly. Especially the villain. Dude was NUTS. Like kaka for coco puffs sort of crazy. But I devoured it. I did feel like the love entered the chat a little soonish. But Evelyn and Lucius do have a connection that spans years. All the same, it did feel a bit too quick for me considering they quite literally go from “want to kill you” to “paint me like one of your French girls” in the span of a few chapters. Do I hate that? Absolutely not. But I would have wanted more of a burn there. That aside, I inhaled this story and I’m completely hooked. I need more of this series and I’m also really hoping Teddy, the younger brother gets a book next because NEED.

Celia Aaron is a USA Today bestselling author and recovering attorney who loves romance. Dark to light, angsty to funny, real to fantasy–if it’s hot and strikes her fancy, she writes it. Thanks for reading.

AUTHOR LINKS

Website: https://www.celiaaaron.com
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Review: Devil In Disguise by Lisa Kleypas

July 27, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

DEVIL IN DISGUISE
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: The Ravanels #7
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Release Date: July 27, 2021

New York Times bestseller Lisa Kleypas returns with an enthralling and steaming romance between a Scot with a mysterious past and strong-willed lady looking for adventure—and love. 

“The devil never tries to make people do the wrong thing by scaring them. He does it by tempting them.”

Lady Merritt Sterling, a strong-willed young widow who’s running her late husband’s shipping company, knows London society is dying to catch her in a scandal. So far, she’s been too smart to provide them with one. But then she meets Keir MacRae, a rough-and-rugged Scottish whisky distiller, and all her sensible plans vanish like smoke. They couldn’t be more different, but their attraction is powerful, raw and irresistible.

From the moment Keir MacRae arrives in London, he has two goals. One: don’t fall in love with the dazzling Lady Merritt Sterling. Two: avoid being killed.

So far, neither of those is going well.

Keir doesn’t know why someone wants him dead until fate reveals the secret of his mysterious past. His world is thrown into upheaval, and the only one he trusts is Merritt.

Their passion blazes with an intensity Merritt has never known before, making her long for the one thing she can’t have from Keir MacRae: forever. As danger draws closer, she’ll do whatever it takes to save the man she loves . . . even knowing he might be the devil in disguise.

AMAZON

Your name is carved so deep in my heart, a million years could no’ erase it.”

Oh Lisa, I see what you did with the title there, you genius you, and I love it!

With just a few words, she had taken ownership of him from head to toe.

Lisa Kleypas was THE author that began my obsession with historical romance, and it all started with Devil in Winter. So the particular plot twist in this book seriously hit the spot for me and just brought things a full circle. Also helps that we’ve had quite a few books in between, because I’m not sure I would have felt the same had I read this sooner. *sheepish grin* But I digress.

Now look, I’m not typically a reader that enjoys insta anything; insta love/connection mostly. And this book had it. In spades. But much such is the genius that is Lisa Kleypas writing, because just when you think you’re neck deep in a super syrupy sweet romantic story, she turns it on its head. And this girl? I was so here for it.

It’s impossible not to love Merritt from page one. She’s a widow who now runs her late husband’s shipping business and does so well. She’s strong willed, smart, and has a heart of gold. It’s hard not to love that about her. Keir MacRae is a rough around the edges whisky distiller who feels he’s not good enough to be the dirt beneath lady Merritt’s feet.

What I loved about this story was Merritt. This is a woman who knows what she wants and even though she has a skittish Scott who’s determined to fight the attraction between them, she doesn’t shy away from going after it. I loved this. But just when you think this is all there is to a book, an attempted murder and some amnesia get thrown into the mix and suddenly you have the plot twists to beat all plot twists. Someone wants Keir dead, my beloved Sebastian makes a lengthy cameo, and I can’t put the book down.

The first 30% of this book was a bit slow, but then it took a twist and I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough. There’s a mystery, a stunning love story, and an epic revelation that I simply inhaled. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this world or the spin offs. If you loved Lisa’s Wallflowers series than you’ll definitely appreciate the cameos here. And if you loved Devil In Winter, you definitely don’t want to miss this one.

It was a dreamy romance with steam and heart and I can’t recommend it enough.

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