Review: The Client by Stella Gray

July 13, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

THE CLIENT
Author: Stella Gray
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 13, 2023

When I won the modeling contest, I lost my freedom.

KZ Modeling owns my body.

But they’re willing to rent it out.

The first time I learn my fate and I’m auctioned off changes everything.

Because it’s also my first time.

And the gorgeous, haunted billionaire who now wants exclusive rights to me for the next six months?

He has no idea I can’t say no.

But the real shock is discovering I don’t want to.

AMAZON

This is how it’s going to work, Miss Jasinski. We will date publicly, we will fuck privately, and any feelings you develop for me you will keep to yourself. Understood?”

The second I read the blurb to The Client, I knew it would be my first Stella Gray book. And having finished it, it certainly won’t be my last.

This sounds like a darker story than it was. While it touches on some dark subject matter like trafficking, it doesn’t go too detailed and so just grazes the gray-ish. Izabela was hoping a modeling contract in the US would be the answer to everything. With an aunt and uncle in Poland who are barely making ends meet to support her sick sister, every penny she earns goes to them. But while she heard whispers of the dark side of her modeling agency, she’s never wanted to believe it. That is until she gets sold.

On the auction block, she gets sold to a man, but that’s not who she ends up with. That would be the man’s younger, devastatingly handsome billionaire son. And there’s no love lost between him and daddy dearest. I must have spent half the book wanting to cock punch the eldest McConnell. Rhys is a jaded man, but given his history with his father, I can’t say I blame him. He’s attracted to Izabella and hates how he’s drawn to her. While a virgin, luckily Izabella isn’t the typical annoying virginal heroine. She’s a touch naive but with a backbone and I found her gentle nature with a spine of steel so endearing. This is a woman who loves her family fiercely and would do anything for them.

The chemistry between her and Rhys was palpable. She’s attracted to him beyond her understanding and he’s determined to keep his heart out of it. The ending did feel a bit rushed in my opinion, but it was still super satisfying. All in all, I really enjoyed this book and need to read the rest of Gray’s backlist now.

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Review: Secret Obsession by S. Massery

June 28, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

SECRET OBESESSION
Author: S. Massery
Genre: Dark, Bully Romance
Release Date: June 28, 2023

Hockey goalies are known to be obsessive—but none more so than my ex’s brother.

I just didn’t expect to be on the receiving end of his dark possessive streak.

After a mortifying public break up with his older brother and teammate, Miles Whiteshaw declares me as his. That I’ve always been his, minus my year-long lapse in judgment.

The only problem? I’ve sworn off of two things:
Whiteshaw boys and love.

But Miles will go to any length to prove that we belong together—and I’m not sure we’ll survive the fall out if he’s wrong.

AMAZON

“The day I kneel at your feet is the day I die,” I manage to respond.
He shrugs, sitting straighter and focusing back on his easel. “We can simulate your death if you want, baby. But you’re not leaving this earth one second before me.”

Oh Miles, you psychopath, you. If you like your fictional men obsessed beyond reason and willing to do bad and depraved things to get the woman they want, look no further.

She thinks I’m going to leave her here after I take what I want from her. But I want everything.

I wasn’t sure about Willow when I finished Twisted Obsession: A Dark Hockey Romance. I mean, the girl was dating Miles’s older brother, who unbeknownst to her was only with her to win a bet. A part of me had hoped that her and Knox may end up together because I love the whole bet turned to feelings trope. But alas, Knox has not yet matured but I cannot wait to see this man fall hard. Miles was the understated secondary character who kind of flew under the radar, but boy did he take his center stage hard in his own book.

The book begins with the very public humiliation when Willow finally learned the truth about her boyfriend. She turns to a dark place after of numbing with partying and alcohol. Miles is determined to have her, even though she’s sworn off relationships and love. He knows there will be no other man for her, come hell or high water. And the man is nothing if not good to his word. He puts Willow through some hard therapy to break through her walls with all the grace of a tractor. But dang if I didn’t love his ways.

If you’ve read the rest of this series, you know it runs on the dark and gritty side. This was even more so than the previous two. Almost to the point of suspend your disbelief kind of dark, but I can’t seem to care because it was super entertaining.

Though I did get a bit tired of the back and forth between these two, I still devoured this book in a sitting. I’m obsessed with this series. See what I did there? And the set up for the next book? OH MY GAWD. NEED.

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

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

Connect with S. Massery
Website | http://smassery.com
Goodreads | https://bit.ly/smassery-gr
Amazon | https://amzn.to/3T64F2s
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Review: My Best Friend’s Dad by Sadie Black

May 24, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

MY BEST FRIEND’S DAD
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tropes: Age gap/Best friend’s dad/Forced proximity
Author: Sadie Black
Release Date: May 24, 2023

Ever meet the right guy at the wrong time?

I knew how it would end the minute I met him. Hayes was just a little too good-looking to be real, and just a little too old to be appropriate for me. Not to mention, he already has a girlfriend.

I never stood a chance.

I was fresh off the plane that had delivered me from my threadbare past into an uncertain future. Even in the luxurious world of our resort, his wealth was obvious. I couldn’t believe my luck that a man like him would only have eyes for me. But it was no coincidence we found each other under the stars outside that bar on that particular night.

Hayes Sterling is a name that means something. Generosity. Protectiveness.

Getting the job I so desperately need.

It also means he’s completely off limits. Forbidden. Taboo.
Not just because he owns the guesthouse I’m living in.
Because he’s my best friend’s dad.

A standalone new adult forbidden romance with no cheating and a HEA.

AMAZON 

 

Now look, I’m a sucker for the forbidden age trope okay? Hard to believe I used to shudder at the thought of daddy tropes and here we are. Greedily devouring everything in my sight. So of course when I saw the blurb to this, I knew this would be my very first Sadie Black book. And after finishing it, I’m happy to confirm it won’t be my last.

Generally I love my forbidden trope with a bit more angst. This one was more on the fluffier side. But you know what? I don’t even mind. It hit the spot just right with just the right dose of drama and just a touch of forbidden feels.

Piper and Lincoln have been best friends for years. When he invites her to Aspen to stay at his father’s resort. Hayes is Lincoln’s father who he just recently grew closer to following his divorce from his mother years ago. Hayes is. workaholic and barely has time for anything outside of his resort. I do want to highlight that if you’re thinking this has cheating, since Hayes has a girlfriend, it doesn’t. All is not as it seems there though I wouldn’t have minded the additional angst if it had it.

The chemistry with Hayes and Piper is instantaneous though they do try to fight it. It doesn’t take long for things to get steamy and boy does it get steamy.

If you like a good age gap that’s well written and not drowning in uber angst or drama, give this one a shot.

Sadie Black lives in her head as an ex-member of the British royal family, a current fashion icon, and couldn’t be more annoyed that she has to pay taxes on a job called “governess.”

Connect w/Sadie:

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Review: King of Heartbreak by V.F. Mason

May 18, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

KING OF HEARTBREAK
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: V.F. Mason
Release Date: May 18, 2023

Once upon a time she became mine. Mine to ruin.

I have it all. 

A loving fiancé who adores me. 

A prospering dancing career. 

And a future full of possibilities. 

My life is a perfect fairy tale that nothing can break. 

Until I’m charged with a murder I didn’t commit. 

All the evidence points at me, and the only person who can clear my name?

Is the one man who promised to hate me till his last breath for what I’ve done to him.

And now he craves revenge. 

He’s ruthless, cunning, and heartless. 

A handsome devil wrapped in a three-piece suit that destroys everything he touches. 

He gives me a choice. 

I can either marry him or rot in hell. 

Three months. 

That’s how long our fake marriage will last. 

Enough time for him to ruin me and make me atone for my mistake. 

Except danger lurks in the darkness, a monster hungry for my blood who won’t rest until he hurts me. 

And the only person who can protect me?

Is the powerful and dangerous man who calls me his wife. 

AMAZON 

It’s possible to love a man who brings you nothing but heartbreak. And it’s possible to crave revenge after you lost it along with yourself.”

King of Heartbreak was my first V.F. Mason book but will certainly not be my last. This is like Criminal Minds meets romance and I was so here for it.

As for the romance; age gap, revenge, and marriage of convenience (or blackmail)? Sign me up immediately.

Never apologize to me again, Emmaline. I don’t want your atonement. I want your ruin. And I shall have it.”

Before we go into what I enjoyed about this book, let me cover the few quibbles I had first. The main being I really didn’t feel this book was a standalone. The story was complete, yes. But there were so many cameos from previous books I haven’t read that I was constantly feeling I was missing important context. If I had read the other books, I’m sure I would have loved that here. But as it was, I found myself feeling like I was missing context cues that would have made me enjoy the story that much more.

The next being the overuse of ‘darling’. It got to the point that if I made a drinking game out of having a sip each time he called her darling, I would have be three sheets to the wind by chapter 5.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about what I liked. The romance. I love a good revenge plot and this one was a delicious mystery that goes years back. Rafael is such a complex, tortured character and I couldn’t get enough of him. This is man who lived and breathed nothing but his drive for revenge over the past 12 years and would stop at nothing to get it. Even if it means blackmailing the now full grown woman of the once young girl who told a lie and set his downfall in motion. What the lie was? Well, admittedly, I’m still not sure I understand. But dang was I invested.

There is a subplot of a mysterious serial killer and I loved being in their head through the unsub’s POV. The pacing was just right, the character development full of depth, and the romance all enrapturing.

One thing I know is that I will be immediately diving into The Land Where Sinners Atone because I need that story!

V.F.Mason always loved reading books and had quite a few fights with her momma over the genre she liked (romance, duh!) She studied filmmaking and thought that would feed her desire for stories, but that didn’t happen. Finally, when she was tired of all those voices in her head, she sat down and wrote a book. It was a huge decision to make and she thanks her friends and family for supporting her in it. When she is not writing, she can be found with her friends doing all sorts of crazy things or reading recent romance books that were written by her favorite authors.

To find out about V.F. Mason’s upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter here

For more information on V.F. Mason and her books visit: https://vfmason.com/

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Review: Lace Vengeance by Eve Dangerfield

May 9, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

LACE VENGEANCE
Series: Snow White trilogy #3
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Eve Dangerfield
Release Date: May 9, 2023

Once upon a time I had everything. Four perfect husbands, a gorgeous home, a shining future. I was the princess of Velvet House. The beloved jewel of the men I love.

My heart understood this perfect snapshot could not last. My evil stepmother conspires with my twisted ex-fiancé, watching for me in the darkness.

They won’t rest until my life is ashes.

My men vow to protect me, but when the nightmare falls, they are put in chains. I stand alone and alone I must seek vengeance for my lovers…

To become the queen I was born to be.

LACE VENGEANCE is book three in the SNOW WHITE trilogy. This is a scorching romance between a woman and four beautifully dangerous men in which she never has to choose.

Welcome to the Midnight Dynasty… The warring Morelli and Constantine families have enough bad blood to fill an ocean, and their brand new stories will be told by your favorite dangerous romance authors.

WARNING: This book is intended for readers eighteen years old and over. It contains material that some readers could find disturbing. Enter at your own risk…

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

 

It’s a shame we didn’t meet years ago, Elliot. I think we’d make quite a match. And Lord knows January needed a father figure.” I flash her a wide smile. “There’s no need for a middleman. January already calls me Daddy. Have a good evening.”

The much anticipated conclusion of the Snow White trilogy is finally here and boy was it a banger. Literally. *dirty smile*

Eve Dangerfield lulled us into a false sense of security with the ending of Silk Malice and when I tell you this conclusion was a ride, I mean it.

…you can’t just kill people to solve your problems.” “Of course, you can, Tits. Ask all the guys I’ve killed.”

Doc is still one of my favorite psycho characters I’ve read and I will never be over him. But I love the dynamic between January and all 4 of her men.

This installment brings a bit more suspense and much appreciated smuttiness. MY GOD, the smut here was top tier. These men are dirty. SO DIRTY. And I loved it. Admittedly, I could have done without January referring to her hoohah as a flower, but I don’t even care. The smut was too delicious to let that snag.

This trilogy has owned my life and I honestly don’t know what to do with myself now that it’s over. I’ve loved every book in this trilogy and this was no exception. If you’re looking for a scorching hot dark romance with 4 hot psycho men and the woman that exudes innocence but gives as good as she gets, look no further.

Eve Dangerfield has loved romance novels ever since she first swiped her grandmother’s paperbacks. Now she writes her own stories about complicated women and gorgeous-but-slightly-tortured men. Her work has been described as ‘genre-defying,’ ‘insanely hot’ and ‘the defibrillator contemporary romance needs right now’…and not just by herself or those who might need bone marrow…OTHER PEOPLE! She lives in Melbourne with her boy and a bunch of semi-dead plants. She can generally be found making a mess.

 

Connect with Eve

Website: www.evedangerfield.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14427168.Eve_Dangerfield

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Eve-Dangerfield/e/B094XMD32K

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

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/621731822071777

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@evedangerfield

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/eve-dangerfield

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REVIEW: Heresy by Lily White

April 30, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

HERESY
Genre: Contemporary Romance Romance
Series: Antihero Inferno #4
Author: Lily White
Release Date: April 26, 2023

Sixth Circle
Heresy
Also Known as Shane Carter

There are no rules with this man.
No courtesies.
No acceptable behaviors he’ll conform to in order to be accepted.

He marches to his own beat.
Gives the finger to expectations.
And does whatever pleases him because nobody can control him.

Arrogant.
Aggravating.
Absolute Chaos.
Shane is the last person you want walking into your world.

It’s too bad he walked into mine.
Now I can’t get rid of him.
Not that I’m sure I want to.

He wants something from me.
He’s playing a game.
And every time we come together, I can’t help feeling like I’m dancing with the Devil.

It all started with a chance meeting.
With the exchange of a few angry words.
And now that I’m trapped in this man’s maze, I fear I won’t be strong enough to resist being seduced.

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

Nine Ruthless Men. Nine Unrepentant Sinners. Nine Irresistible Manipulators.

 AMAZON

 

In the Series (Kindle Unlimited)

Treachery (Book 1) – FREE APRIL 26-30, 2023

Series Links (Kindle Unlimited):

Fraud (Book 2)

Violence (Book 3)

 

I’ve known him for less than five minutes, and already I know I want nothing to do with him.

When I saw Lily announce that she’s back to writing, I was thrilled. When I saw that she’ll finally releasing book 4 in her Antihero Inferno, I was damn near rabid. So you best believe that I was on this book immediately after it hit my kindle. And while it’s over 500 pages, I devoured this in one sitting. And it was worth every painful second of the wait.

He truly is a drug, this man. A high so damn addicting that I’ll never recover if I lose him.

Now did I remember anything from the previous books? Absolutely not. So I did have to reread the last few chapters of Violence to jog my memory. So when I tell you that you need to read this series in order, believe me. As I’ve come to learn in the previous book, the author is ending us with her endings. This is a continuing story arc that you simply need to read in order to understand.

Heresy is Shane’s story. Shane was the bad boy that instantly caught my attention with his irreverent ways in Treachery. I was dying to meet the woman that would bring this playboy to his knees. And Brinley definitely delivered. This was a woman that was no pushover. Growing up, her private investigator father raised her to trust no one and always watch her back. As a grown woman desperately looking and whose father dissapeared, the last thing thing she needs is a complication in the form of Shane. What starts with barbs and banter when they randomly run into each other, soon turns to something else entirely when Shane realizes who she is. And then what he has to do to get answers that she holds to the Inferno’s plans.

As always, it was packed with a layer of suspense in along the steamy romance. And while we get a little satisfaction with the romantic HEA, the story leaves you with more questions than when you started. And the tease at the end for Damon’s book? BRING. IT. ON.

 

Lily White is a romance writer who likes to dabble on the taboo side of eroticism. She is most known for her Masters Series, Target This, Wishing Well, and Asylum. In addition to dark romance Lily writes contemporary romance, taboo romance, and psychological thrillers. Lily enjoys stretching her writing muscles by continuing to challenge herself with each book she publishes.

Social Media Links:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Website

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Review: Coach by Devney Perry

April 6, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

COACH
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Treasure State Wildcats Book 1
Author: Devney Perry
Release Date: March 2, 2021

A single dad, sports romance from Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, Devney Perry.

Football star. Single dad. And once, a long time ago, mine.

I’ve spent the better part of a decade forgetting Ford Ellis. If he had just stayed away from Montana, I might have erased the memory of his striking blue eyes and rugged smile forever. Avoiding him was easy when the only place I saw his face was on ESPN—and a remote control could fix that problem.

Except my boss just hired Ford as the new head coach for the Treasure State Wildcats. Not only will I be stuck watching him on the sidelines this season, but avoiding him will be impossible now that we’re working together.

Maybe I haven’t forgotten Ford. Maybe I still dream about what we might have been. Maybe he hasn’t forgotten me either.

Except those maybes won’t change the fact that we were never meant to be. Maybe he was mine once. But as of today, the only thing I’ll be calling Ford Ellis is Coach.

 AMAZON

 

You have to stop kissing me.”
I tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “No.”

I just love Devney Perry’s heroes and I knew I would love Ford from the very first chapter. Interestingly enough, I’m not a huge fan of single dad romances. But if Devney writes it, I read it. A rule is a rule, what can I say. And I’m so glad I did, because Ford and his adorable little girl absolutely stole my heart.

Ford is not your typical retired NFL hotshot. He’s down to earth and knows exactly what he wants. Ford and Millie were best friends once upon a time, until life pulled them apart. Now Ford is back to his hometown to coach the college team but the last thing he expects is the girl he never forgot about still being there. Millie was once in love with Ford, but it just wasn’t meant to be. He was with someone else, and then their one chance was ripped away. SHe’s moved on, or so she thought, until she sees the man she never got over again at the same college she works at.

Ford isn’t about to let a second chance at his dream girl slip through his fingers. God but I loved his sweet yet singleminded pursuit of Millie. Even the university’s no fraternization rule can keep him away.

I don’t tend to love single dad romances for the crazy exes, and Ford’s ex is definitely not a prize. But I loved the way that he doesn’t allow her to have any power over him. This is a man that fights for his daughter and for the woman he wants. He won’t let anyone stand in his way, not even Millie’s refusal to initially give him the time of day.

This was such a sweet romance, which again, isn’t my usual cuppa. But this was just one of those right moments, right books sort of things, because I adored it. I loved Ford’s no games approach. I loved his wearing his heart on his sleeve. I just loved him.

I really hope this will be a series because there’s a certain college football player I’m dying to read more about. But if you’re looking for a sweet and steamy single dad romance with a hot retired NFL player, look no further.

Devney Perry is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of over forty romance novels. After working in the technology industry for a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to pursue her passion for writing. She was born and raised in Montana and now lives in Washington with her husband and two sons. 

Connect with Devney

Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Facebook |  Facebook Group |  Instagram | Twitter | Bookbub | Pinterest

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Review: Playing By The Rules by Monica Murphy

March 30, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

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

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

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

Quiet.

Smart.

Absolutely gorgeous.

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

He also doesn’t do me.

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

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

I want him too.

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

I’m going after Camden Fields.

And no one can stop me.

AMAZON

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

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

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

Same, girl. Same.

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

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

 

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

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

 

Connect with Monica

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

 


 

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Review: Black Rose by Karina Halle

March 24, 2023 by ·

BLACK ROSE
Series: Dracula Duet #2
Author: Karina Halle
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: March 18, 2023

 

From the New York Times best-selling author of River of Shadows and Black Sunshine comes a new dark gothic romance duet about how love can transcend the ages, but at a deadly cost.

Is it her destiny to love him?

Or is it her destiny to die?

Valtu Aminoff is no stranger to tragedy. Though many know him as the enigmatic vampire that inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Valtu’s complex life is far more horrific than any fiction could imagine. When you lose the love of your life over and over again, it can do more than break your heart—it can corrupt your soul.
It’s up to his new lover to decide if Valtu’s damaged soul is even worth saving.

But destiny isn’t done with Valtu yet. And tragedy is always around the corner.

Black Rose is the sequel to Blood Orange and is not a standalone. Snap up this completed dark gothic vampire romance duet if you like:

  • High spice
  • Dark Academia
  • Gothic Setting
  • Vampires vs Witches
  • Spooky vibes
  • Reincarnated love
  • Dracula re-telling
  • Fantasy romance

Please check inside the book for content warnings.

AMAZON

My heart found his again. But his heart doesn’t know mine.

After the jaw dropping conclusion of Blood Orange, I have been on pins and needles waiting for the conclusion of this duet. Suffice it to say I devoured it in my eager anticipation.

The darkness in me calls to the darkness in you…”

I love an epic fated mates story and it doesn’t get more fated that na love story that defies the ages through reincarnation. I felt like these two books were like two sides of a coin, different perspectives but same world. What I’m saying is, that if you expect a similar style of story to Blood Orange, this wasn’t exactly it. It was different. Not in a bad way, but different nonetheless.

While Blood Orange had me in a fiery chokehold, this was more of a sizzling burn. Valtu is not the Valtu of book one, he’s a vampire who lost his humanity to his pain. He lost himself to his grief and. willingly lost himself in the process. When he and Rose see each other, it’s a different journey. We really get to see Rose unending love for him and his redemption and I was so here for it.

Admittedly, I felt the most riveting part of the book was also a bit rushed and saved for the final 10%. I would have loved to spend more time on this part of the story because this what the previous book was ultimately leading up to. It felt like there was some open ended answers and gaps that weren’t fully filled. This may be intentional with a set up for what I’m hoping are more books in this world. Don’t get me wrong, it was satisfying and the couple get a beautiful HEA. But there were things that were merely glazed over that I would have loved to get deeper into.

All that aside, I still greatly enjoyed this book. I loved seeing the darker side of Valtu and Rose’s healing touch. I loved watching Valtu fall for her all over again and I loved the way they fought for each other.

· Filed Under: All Reviews, PNR · Tagged With: , ,

Review: The Phantom by Gena Showalter

February 7, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

THE PHANTOM
Series: Rise of the Warlords #3
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Gena Showalter
Release Date: February 7,  2023

“One of the premier authors of paranormal romance. Gena Showalter delivers an utterly spellbinding story!”—Kresley Cole, #1 New York Times bestselling author

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with The Phantom, the third book in her pulse-pounding Rise of the Warlords series, featuring a vengeful harpy and a callous torture master locked in a battle to the death. 

As the son of a war god, Roux Pyroesis has suffered unending pain—he’s caused it, too, dispatching his foes with alarming ease. Now he’s tasked with cutting out the heart of a powerful queen who rules an ancient prison realm inhabited by the most vicious immortal females in existence.

Blythe the Undoing is a decorated harpy warrior determined to annihilate Roux, the invader who killed her beloved consort. Nothing will stop her. Even if she must trap herself for eternity by sneaking into the brutal realm and taking the crown, pitting herself against the merciless male she’s sworn to despise.

Having never known desire, Roux is ill prepared for the stunning beauty who challenges him at every turn. For the survival of his army, duty comes first. Always. But what happens when the flames of Blythe’s hatred burn out and she craves him, too…but only one of them can live?

Rise of the Warlords

Book 1: The Warlord
Book 2: The Immortal

AMAZON

This is not the time to toy with me, she-beast.” The harshness of his voice nearly melted her bones.
“Now that’s a lie, Warden,” she purred, jumping onto his lap. “I’ve discovered always is the time to toy with you.”

You know when you’ve been obsessed with an author for years, and the obsession only continues to grow? It’s a rare one for me, mainly because I have the attention span of a fly and generally find myself growing out of an author after a certain amount of releases. But Gena? I will never grow tired of her words. This woman can write banter like no other. Her rich world building, unique characters, sassy heroines and tortured heroes will do it for me each and every single time. Without fail. And this book was certainly no exception.

You’re telling me our Roo Coo lost his manginity?” He looked to Silver, his brow wrinkled. “That is what the harpies call it, yes? Manginity?”
Silver scratched his jaw. “I think they prefer the term popped his ejacucap.”

An immortal virgin warrior? Yes, please and thank you. I mean, how often do you read that in PNR?

I was immediately intrigued by these two when they were introduced as secondary characters in the previous books. A harphantom who possesses the warrior who killed her consort and father of her child? I mean, how do you even come back from that? But I knew I was desperate to find out. And while a part of me was nervous on how this romance would work, I knew Gena wouldn’t let me down. And she didn’t. This romance was EPIC. Full of twists and turns, secrets and battles.

Blythe is the sister of Taliyah Skyhawk from The Warlord and also a harpy phantom. When an Astra warrior suddenly appears in her world and kills her consort, in the effort to shield her daughter, she posses the Astra with her daughter and travels with him. And when she finally leaves his body, she’s set on revenge, painful and bloody.

Roux is unreasonably drawn to Blythe, even while she’s determined to draw blood whenever they see each other. But beneath her desire for vengeance, is an inexplicable connection to the Astra warrior. Roux is the definition of tortured. This is a man who survived horrors upon horrors and completely incapable of tolerating any sort of touch…until Blythe.

This was a super slow burn romance which was oh so satisfying. I loved these two together and the enemies to lovers vibes. I will never get enough of Gena’s fierce heroines, and Blythe was absolutely unstoppable. She’s a warrior in her own right and doesn’t let anyone fight her battles. While it took be a bit to fully get into this, once I hit the 30% mark, I was fully invested and couldn’t stop reading. If you’re a fan of Gena’s LotU series, then you’ll love her Warlords!

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