DGRFave & Review: On Loverose Lane by Samantha Young

February 20, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

ON LOVEROSE LANE
Series: Return to Dublin Street #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Samantha Young 
Release Date: February 20, 2025

Imagine my surprise when my new neighbor turns out to be one of Scotland’s most famous (and hottest) professional footballers, Callan Keen. I’m even more shocked to discover that the brooding player is still holding a grudge for something that happened (or didn’t happen) between us years ago.

Too busy trying to take my social media management company to the next level, I don’t have time for this gorgeous blast from the past. Or at least I shouldn’t. Yet whenever I see him, I can’t help but engage in a battle of wits with the grump upstairs.

When a huge client opportunity arises, circumstances force me to enlist Callan’s help. I require a fake date and Callan needs me to facilitate a meeting with my dad to further his own business interests.

The deal between us should be simple. Except, of course, the blazing chemistry we’ve shared since the moment we met. We can’t deny it, we can’t control it, and soon we’re agreeing to six weeks of no-strings-attached, mind-blowing, steamy shenanigans.

I told myself I was too smart to catch feelings. But when Callan finally finds out the truth about our past, he becomes the guy I used to know. And that man is way too easy to fall for.

The problem is that Callan has vowed to never let another person close enough to break his heart again.

It just might prove impossible to show my stubborn Scotsman I’m worth the risk, especially when old wounds are re-opened and threaten to wreck any chance of a future together…

The #1 International bestselling author is back with this emotional and steamy sports romance in which ambitious entrepreneur, Beth Carmichael, meets her match in the grumpy football captain who moves into the apartment above hers.

AMAZON

I barely knew her, but somehow I knew even then at sixteen, Beth Carmichael would ruin me. Either in a good way … or the worst way imaginable.

On Dublin Street was the first Samantha book I ever read and it was also the book that made me fall in love with her writing. So it really should come as no surprise that I loved this book as much as I did because not only is it set in the same world but it also features the next gen with the daughter of Braden and Jocelyn. And dare I say that I think I may have loved Beth’s story even more than her parents? And considering that On Dublin Street is still one of my absolute favorite books over 10 years later, that’s saying something.

I want all of you to be mine. Every fucking inch of you, Beth, inside and out. Until we don’t even know where I begin and you end.”

Prepare to fall head over heels for Beth and Callan because I know I did. When Beth walks out of her apartment to three guys bringing up a couch, she’s not entirely prepared for the blast from the past in the shape of Callan. But while it’s clear that these two have a past, you don’t entirely know the depths of it or why there’s such animosity between them now. Well, the animosity is mostly from Callan, but animosity nonetheless. And beneath that animosity is the most sizzling chemistry that you can’t wait but for them to give into.

Beth is the daughter of two well known parents and while she grew up with everything, she takes none of it for granted and determined to pave her own way in building her company. She’s impossible not to love with her easy wit, quick humor, and endearing personality. Much to Callan’s displeasure, she also has the immaculate skills to quickly befriend all the one night stands he brings over.

Callan is no longer the poor boy with nothing to his name. He’s the next hot thing in sports and a professional footballer whose name everyone chants on the field. A blast from his past is the last thing he needs, especially when it’s one of Beth. And as the story progresses, we get snippets into their past to see just what happened between these two. I personally loved the pay that the flashbacks were so shameless woven into the story.

The chemistry between them is immaculate and I was on bated breath for the inevitable to happen. When an opportunity presents itself for a mutually beneficial arrangement, Beth and Callan agree to fake date. Callan needs an in for a meeting with Beth’s father, and Beth needs the illusion of a boyfriend to get a potential big client’s handsy son to get off her back.

It’s mutually assured destruction, Captain.

But of course with the more time they spend together, the harder the tension and chemistry between them becomes to ignore. While the chemistry between their teenage selves was hot, as adults, it’s absolutely incendiary.

I loved absolutely everything about this book; the characters, the romance, and especially the cameos of some of my favorite Samantha Young characters. If you haven’t read her Dublin Street series, I can’t recommend it enough. And if you haven’t yet read a book of hers, there is no better one to start with than this one.

I fell head over heels for Callan and Beth and their story is forever engraved in my memory banks. I am so excited for the rest of this series because it’s simply one of my favorite worlds from Samantha and everyone needs to experience it. I loved it beyond words!

Samantha Young is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. She’s been nominated for several Goodreads Choice Awards. Samantha writes adult contemporary and paranormal romance, YA urban fantasy and YA contemporary fiction and is currently published in 31 countries.

She resides in Scotland.

 

Connect with Samantha

Website: http://authorsamanthayoung.com

Goodreads:  http://bit.ly/2FWgYdn

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2H47kEP

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

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1520019958258238/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorSamYoung

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2D241eO

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/samyoungauthor/

Verve: https://www.ververomance.com/app/authorsamanthayoung

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites · Tagged With: , , , ,

Audio Review: Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas

February 17, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

BLOOD OF HERCULES
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Series: Villains of Lore #1
Author: Jasmine Mas
Release Date: November 26, 2024

The overnight viral sensation everyone is talking about, Blood of Hercules, is a sarcastically funny, dark fantasy romance reimagining of Hercules from bestselling author Jasmine Mas.

I’m just a girl. And it turns out, I’m Hercules.

I’m struggling to survive in a Titan infested world where Spartans, immortals from twelve royal families who have god-like powers and obscene wealth, rule over all. A shy-stammering foster child with nothing, I keep my head down, cover my scars, and focus on excelling in school. At least, I try to. Then it happens.

My blood test reveals I’m part of the powerful elite. I’m one of them. A Spartan.

Forced to attend the Spartan War Academy, I undergo the most harrowing test of all time to see if I have what it takes to be an immortal. There’s just a few problems. Achilles and Patro are my scary mentors. Kharon, the ferryman of death, and Augustus, the son of war, are my terrifying professors. Also, I’m pretty sure either someone’s stalking me everywhere I go, or my sanity’s slipping––I have a bad feeling both are true.

I’m surrounded by Villains and they’re smothering me with their hate, obsession, and dark possessiveness. Too bad for them, they have no clue just who they’re messing with.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Perfect for listeners who love:

“Who did this to you?”
  • Extreme Enemies to Lovers
  • Morally Gray Alpha Heros
  • Stories where the Villains get the girl
  • Greek Myths and War Academies

AMAZON 

 

During the day, the feminine urge to lead a fictional revolt plagued me.”


I am not usually an audio girly because for whatever reason, I tend to check out when I listen to a book. But there was something about this one that just clicked with me. Interestingly enough, it took me a bit to get into (around 20%). But after that, I was completely obsessed and incapable of setting it down for even a minute and ended up binge listening to it in one day. Suffice it to say, I was obsessed.

Having read and absolutely LOVED Jasmine’s Cruel Shifteverse, I was so excited for this new world and I was not disappointed. I love Mas’s combination of self depreciating humor, wit, and world building. And I especially love how she crafts these fierce FMC who survive hell to become legends. And Alexis has definitely survived hell. As an abandoned baby, she grows ups with abusive foster parents who she finally escapes at a young age when her foster mother brutally dies at the hands of a mysterious entity and her father is blamed for the death. Being left homeless with her foster brother, she is desperate to finish school so she can place herself in a situation to provide for them. But then she receives the shock of a lifetime when a standard school test finds her to have spartan blood and placed in the midst of a grueling challenge.

I enjoyed the narrator bringing Alexis to life with personality and found it fun and engaging. But I especially loved when we finally get the small trickle of POVs from 3 of the 4 men. We have Alexis’s two mentors; Achiles, who doesn’t speak because of his voice powers and muzzle and Patro. And then we have Augustus and Kharen, who we get the most of. There’s a small snippet of Patro’s POV in the end which I definitely devoured.

The story and world building was deliciously enchanting and gripping. And the romance is very much slow burn. If you’ve read anything by Jasmine, you’re already familiar with her brand of humor. And I for one enjoy it thoroughly.

I hope book two brings us more of the male POV because I am absolutely dying to hear Achiles. If you’re looking for a slow burn romantasy with unique spin on greek god mythology, this one hits just right. 

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

DGRFave & Review: Skate The Line by S.J. Sylvis

February 6, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

SKATE THE LINE
Series: Blue Devils Hockey #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: S.J. Sylvis
Release Date: February 6, 2024


⁣A grumpy/sunshine, single dad/nanny, hockey romance by Amazon Top 50 and USA Today bestselling author, S.J. Sylvis.
I’ve been making rational decisions my entire life.⁣
⁣
If someone is in need, I’m there. My Nana needs help with the bills? I’ll drop out of art school and secure a well-paying job. Someone needs the shirt off my back? They can have mine.⁣
⁣
When the league’s most desirable bachelor and single dad needs a nanny that can look past his star power and won’t end up in his bed, I’m the perfect choice.⁣
⁣
Except, Rhodes Volkova isn’t the easiest to get along with. He’s grumpy, blunt, and cynical from past women and their inability to do their job and nothing else. It doesn’t matter that he has a serious soft spot for his daughter and is irresistibly good-looking.⁣
⁣
It doesn’t affect my ability to be the best nanny, and it surely won’t lure me into his bed like the rest.⁣
⁣
Rhodes is skeptical of me, fearful I’ll turn out like the rest with dollar signs in my eyes or just wanting a fling with someone rich and famous. But what he doesn’t know is that I’m distrusting too. I’m done with men and have issues of my own. He doesn’t have to worry about me crossing a line.⁣
⁣
No one said anything about skating the line, though.⁣

AMAZON 

What started as something temporary is turning into something that I want to make permanent.

I didn’t think it was possible for me to love a book more than I did Play the Game but OHMYGOD this book has me in such a chokehold that even a day after finishing I can’t seem to stop thinking about this story and Rhodes and Sunny.

Rhodes Volkova is every bit intimidating as he is attractive.

Rhodes was a secondary character who I fell in love with in book one. A jaded singe dad who can’t keep a nanny to save his life because they’re more interested in him than they are his adorable daughter? Yes please and thank you.

Just looking at her can thaw any man’s cold heart. Except mine, of course.

Sunny is recovering from a trauma and the last thing she wants is another nanny job, but then she gets an offer that just be almost too good to be true. An adorable little girl and her professional hockey father that has a strict professionalism clause for his nanny? She’s all for it. But neither one of them is prepared for the chemistry that will quickly blaze between them no matter how much they try to fight it.

Rhodes was an MMC who I fell hard and fast for. He loves two things only; his daughter and hockey. In that exact order. Having run through too many nannies to count because they’re more interested in seducing him than watching his daughter, he’s given up hope. Until a nanny who seems too good to be true comes into their life and immediately enchants both him and his daughter. And when I tell you that I absolutely adored the grumpy sunshine trope, I mean I was reading this with a goofy grin on my face and kicking my feet the entire time. GOD it was good.

This was a delicious slow burn and I was on pins and needles waiting for these two to finally give into the chemistry between them. I also loved the way they both help the other heal but I won’t spoil anything here and you’ll have to read it to get the details. But trust me when I tell you that it was EVERYTHING.

Damn,” he mutters. Then his mouth is on mine, and I suddenly feel like I’m his.

I spent the last few weeks in a terrible slump thinking that I will never be inspired to read a book in one sitting again, until I turned to page one of this book. And I immediately knew this would be a five star read. And you know what? I was not wrong.

Skate the Line had everything I love; emotion, chemistry, and a story that was addictive from beginning to end. I fell so hard for both Sunny and Rhodes and I never wanted this story to end. I five star loved book one, but this one just simply blew me away. I loved it beyond words and can’t recommend it enough for any hockey romance lover out there. Trust me when I tell you that this book is just not to be missed.

S.J. Sylvis is an Amazon top 50 and USA Today bestselling author who is best known for her new adult romances. She currently resides in Arizona with her husband, two small kiddos, and pets! She is obsessed with coffee, becomes easily attached to fictional characters, and spends most of her evenings buried in a book! 

Connect with S.J. Sylvis

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

Goodreads | https://bit.ly/40mP8yW

Amazon | https://amzn.to/40riM5R

Facebook | https://bit.ly/3JT0SUh

Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/42pdvhj

Instagram | https://bit.ly/3lvTcOt

TikTok | https://bit.ly/42se4Xv

Bookbub | https://bit.ly/3lwbyiq

Pinterest | https://bit.ly/402AVaH

Newsletter | https://subscribepage.io/cRYT3U

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites · Tagged With: , , , ,

DGRFave & Review: All The Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles

January 7, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

ALL THE MISSING PIECES
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Catherine Cowles
Release Date: January 7, 2025

Sometimes the last thing you expect is exactly what you need, the final missing piece. And sometimes it comes in the form of a towering, broody sheriff, determined to get in your way at every step.

Ridley Sawyer knows what it’s like to miss someone, to feel like a piece of her vanished—because it happened to her the night her twin sister disappeared.

Now, Ridley channels that loss into hope, traveling the country covering cold cases for her true crime podcast. She might not have found justice for her sister but that doesn’t stop her from finding it for others.

Until Sheriff Colter Brooks gets in her way.

Colt knows what it’s like to have reporters descend on his town in the wake of a tragedy, and he’s not about to let a fiery podcaster stir up trouble. It doesn’t matter that her haunting blue eyes tell him there’s more to Ridley’s story or that he can’t stop imagining what it would be like to touch her.

But when Ridley’s cold case turns hot and she’s thrust into the crosshairs, Colt has no choice but to step in. Suddenly, Ridley’s living at his house, drinking his whiskey, and stealing his dog’s affections. But she’s also proving that she’s so much more than his first impression.

And as they get closer to the truth, the game they’ve been playing might just turn deadly…

AMAZON 

As if Ridley had a radar for my emotions, her gaze cut to me. “Law Man,” she started cautiously. “You okay?”
“Who. The. Hell. Did. This. To. You?”

When a book brings you to tears at just the dedication, you know you’re in for a 5 star. And you know what? I was not wrong. This book had me in a full chokehold from the minute I picked it up and to the minute I finished it. I loved every bit of this story, from the main characters, the small town, the suspense, the fun secondary characters, the sweet pets, and everything in between.

I knew from the second Ridley appeared on the pages that I would love her. This woman is the epitome of strength and I loved how she used the most unimaginable tragedy to drive her to help others find peace. For the past 5 years, her paid has fueled her purpose. And her latest purpose drives her to a town that she is convinced holds the missing piece to finally unraveling a 5 year old tragic mystery.

Colt is the town sheriff who from the second he meets Ridley, manages to put his foot in his mouth at every turn. I loved the antagonistic chemistry between these two almost as much as I loved their bickering. And boy was there bickering. This was only made better by Ridley’s adorable three legged cat with a penchant for biting her affection.

Don’t be a baby,” I said, grinning. “It’s just one of her tooth hugs.”
Colt stared at me, jaw going slack. “Tooth…hugs?”
I nodded. “It’s how she shows affection.”

I loved the slow burn chemistry between Colt and Ridley. I love Ridley’s tenacity and Colt’s protectiveness. And god did I love them together.

I tore my mouth away from hers, taking in those wild blue eyes.
“Don’t,” she whispered.
“It’s a bad idea,” I rasped. “We’d be playing with fire.”
Those ocean eyes sparked. “Then let’s watch it burn.”

The romance was seamlessly woven into the suspense plot and it was sheer perfection. It amplified everything about the story and I couldn’t get enough of these two together. The story kept me glued to the pages, eager for answers but also dreading to be done. I was instantly enraptured by this town and its citizens and I was so sucked into the mystery that I was completely incapable of setting the book down for even a minute.

If you’re looking for a romantic suspense with just the right amount of spice, you need to check this one out.

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

Review: Wrath of an Exile by Monty Jay

October 29, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

WRATH OF AN EXILE
Series: River Styx Heathens #1
Author: Monty Jay
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date: October 28, 2024

In Ponderosa Springs, this version of Romeo and Juliet isn’t a tragedy. It’s war.

Jude Sinclair is West Trinity Falls’ favorite exiled loner.

Cocky. Insufferably hot. Family foe.

Raised across the tracks in a rival town, he reeks of trouble. Which is the one thing I’ve always had a problem avoiding and now that he’s just down the hall, it’s harder to resist the pull.

My father made one rule when Jude moved in, never trust a Sinclair.

The last thing I need is for my new foster brother to make me question my loyalty with his filthy smirks and poet tongue. But with every forbidden kiss and secret hookup, I quickly find myself faced with two options.

Betray my family? Or betray my heart?

AMAZON

The Capulets and Montagues may have been Shakespeare’s famous foes, but in Ponderosa Springs? It was the Van Dorens and Sinclairs.

I feel like I have been waiting for this book for my entire life. It was pure, dark tinged and grungy poetry and man but I loved every page of it.

Now if you haven’t yet read Monty Jay’s Hollow Boys series, do yourself a favor and read that series first. While you can definitely still enjoy this without having read that series, you would have a much finer appreciation for these characters having met the first generation. This is the next gen spinoff as it is. Plus Hollow Boys is simply a deliciously addictive series that I can’t recommend enough if you need another reason.

Now if you have read Hollow Boys, then you already know the history between Sinclairs and Van Dorens. Rook (The Truths We Burn) was one of my favorite characters and books in that series and I couldn’t wait to meet his daughter, Seraphina, who I just knew would be as lethal as her parents.

You see, I’ve got this thing. This appetite for boys’ hearts. It’s impossible to survive my brand of chaos. I like bad decisions. Fast cars. And sex. Anything that makes me numb.

Now as a self proclaimed enemies to lovers connoisseur, a true enemies to lovers romance is hard to come by. But boy did this one deliver. And if you love the whole star crossed, Romeo and Juliet vibe? Well, it’s extra delicious. Because Jude is not just the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. His last name carries a dark cross that isn’t his to bear but bear it he does. Jude just so happens to be the son of Easton Sinclair, who also happened to be Sage’s horrible ex from The Truths We Burn. But let’s talk about this book, shall we. Because when you highlight this much in a book, you just know you’re reading a five star. And the level of obsession I now have with these characters knows no end.

Phi’s misery tastes like it could sustain me for an eternity.
“I hate you.”
“Right back at ya, sweetheart.”

To say that there’s bad blood between the Van Dorens and the Sinclairs is putting it mildly. But the amplifier to that is the particular history between Phi and Jude personally. This is a mystery that slowly unravels during the course of the book and had me in a complete chokehold.

Seraphina is not known for her soft heart. She’s known for her love them and leave them mentality. But deep down, this is a girl who has some dark scars and even darker secrets. Jude is the quintessential tortured bad boy who I fell for instantly. He lived through hell with his father, and the stain of his family’s last name carriers into his every day. And when his father suddenly dies and suddenly he’s the foster of the Van Doren family, let’s just say things get sticky. And the hate lust between him and Phi certainly doesn’t get better when they’re living under the same roof.

You think you like it rough ’cause a few guys tugged your hair, Van Doren?” I whisper. “You’ll carry my bruises for a goddamn lifetime.”

And did I mention the hate lust? Because oh my god the tension between these two was everything. EVERYTHING.

How long do you think it’ll take before you give in and let me fuck those pretty little lies out of your mouth, sweetheart?”

I loved everything about this book; the characters, the pacing, the mystery, the secrets, the history. All of it was effortlessly and masterfully intwined for an absolutely unputdownable reading experience. And that’s what this book was; an experience.

You’re a goddamn tragedy, Van Doren. But fuck, you’re beautiful.”

I devoured the book in one sitting. I was both rabid for the ending and dreading it because I didn’t want this book to ever end. The story was perfectly paced with a haunting romance full of pain and second chances. And the new generation characters already have me rabid for their books…especially Ezra. If you’re looking for a dark and gritty new adult romance, you simply need to read this one. Full stop.

We’re not made for soft endings. We’re made for catastrophe, for the kind of connection that leaves scars, the kind that haunts you long after the final page is turned.
Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Uncategorized · Tagged With: , , ,

Review: Grave Matter by Karina Halle

October 22, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

GRAVE MAGGER
Author: Karina Halle
Genre: Gothic, Psychological Thriller Romance
Release Date: October 23, 2024

Horror Romance meets science fiction in this dark and delicious gothic psychological thriller by NYT bestseller Karina Halle, perfect for fans of Gothikana, Ninth House, and Mexican Gothic.

Aspiring mycologist Sydney Denik is getting a second chance. When a dream opportunity presents itself with a prestigious foundation doing promising Alzheimer’s research, Sydney leaves the shambles of her old life to join a dozen other grad students at an isolated lodge hidden away in a remote, fog-shrouded inlet on Vancouver Island.

But the Madrona Foundation harbors more than brilliant minds. Everyone around her is hiding a terrible secret—including the resident psychologist she’s falling in love with. A student disappears, and no one but Sydney seems to care. Ghosts walk the halls. Snow falls in the middle of summer. Dead animals move like the living. The more Sydney uncovers about the foundation, the more she begins to question her own sanity. And if Sydney isn’t going mad, then the horrors in the surrounding forest are real, and the Madrona Foundation may be the biggest monster of all.

NOTE: This will be a live release on Amazon for paperback, ebook and hardcover on October 23rd 2024. The paperback and ebook cover is different from the case-laminate and dustjacket hardcovers. This is a standalone novel. Check content warnings inside the book or author’s IG closer to publication.

AMAZON

I could never escape this. He is the undertow, his kiss pulling down me to my fate. Or maybe it’s my doom. It’s too hard to tell.

Spine tinglingly creepy, edge of your seat suspenseful, and toe curlingly erotic. Oh but what a ride this story was.

You know what I absolutely love about Karina Halle? Her range in writing is unrivaled. This woman can take any genre and trope and make it her b*tch. I genuinely had no idea what to expect when I read the blurb to this book. All that I knew is that if Karina writes it, I will read it.

This was a slow build sort of story that truth be told took me a minute to fully get into. At first I even thought it would land the book at a solid 4 stars. But considering that it has now been 4 days since I finished it and I still can’t stop thinking about it, I’ve obviously rethought my rating. Yes it’s a slow build but there’s a reason to that madness. And after the jaw dropping conclusion, I actually went back and reread the first half and appreciated it that much more.

Sydney received a dream opportunity on the tail end of almost seeing her life crumple around her. She jumps at the chance to come to prestigious Madrona Foundation for their incredible research. But the second she steps outside of the airplane, things take a sinister turn. Nothing is as it seems and Sydney doesn’t know if she’s going crazy or there’s something more to what she swears she sees.

She doesn’t know what to make sense of what she’s convinced she sees. And she also doesn’t know how to fight her undeniable attraction and chemistry with the brilliant Professor Kincaid, who also happens to the leading professor for the studies at Madrona and her psychologist.

Now I won’t give you more than that, because this story needs to be experienced absolutely blind. But what I will say is reading it after knowing the ending made it that much better and that is saying something about the cleverness of this twisty story. This is one of those reads that’s perfect for the spooky season. It’s creepy but not gross with just the right amount of romance weaved in so that it doesn’t take anything away from the suspense and mystery component. The second half of this book had me riveted and the ending left me with my jaw on the floor.

When I tell you that you need to read this, trust me, you NEED to read this.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Gothic Romance, Romantic Suspense · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Brutal Bargain by Laurelin Paige

October 9, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

BRUTAL BARGAIN
Series: Brutal Billionaires #4
Author: Laurelin Paige
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 9, 2024

She needs a husband. He won’t let anyone else have her.

Ax Morgan has played many roles in my life: My brother’s best friend. The most notorious member of the Sebastian News Corp executive team. My enemy with benefits.

But my husband?

No thanks.

Our after hours scenes are simply a convenient way for me to blow off steam while I plot my exit from my toxic family’s company.

But when I need a groom so I can claim my inheritance, he presents me with a choice that’s more like blackmail—marry him, or he’ll sabotage me. So between the devil and the deep blue sea, I let the devil put a ring on it.

Turns out this is the role he plays best of all.

The worst part of pretending with Ax is how real it’s starting to feel.

Now my future is in his hands. And if he finds out what I’m planning, he’ll be the one with the impossible choice. Who loses everything—his best friend or his fake wife?

AMAZON

Whatever you think you have planned,” he continues, “whatever scheme you’re up to, this doesn’t end until I say it does, so let me make this clear right the fuck now: You’re mine.””

I have loved Laurelin’s Brutal Billinaires series since book on. But this book? Ax and Adly? Hands down my absolute favorite in the series and so deliciously addictive, I cannot recommend it enough.

Now while you may read it as a standalone, you would appreciate the dynamics of this family so much more if you read it in order. Adly is the only female Sebastian sibling and while she has the wealth, she dreams of a career that is her own and not in the shadow of her family and her fairly high handed father who believes women should focus on having a family. Desperately needing to find her path, she sets her eyes on a business with her siblings. The only problem is the cost of the business has gone up and the only way to get to more funds is to access her trust fund that only pays when she gets married. So what’s a girl to do? Shop for a fiancé of course.

Ax has been part of the executive team of Sebastian News Corp for years. He’s also best friends with the black sheep of the Sebastian family, but we’ll get to that later. Ax and Adly grew up together and have had years of a contentious relationship that finally comes to a head one night…and I mean BOOM. Suddenly, they find an escape from reality with each other in the form of role playing and these two play hard. Oh my god I loved their role playing.

…when Ax texts me with the start of a new scenario, I don’t ask questions. I just come. Literally and cliterally.”

And while they’re only hooking up, when Ax learns of Ally’s plans to find a husband on paper, he refuses for it to be anyone but him.

So basically, I should marry my bully so he can continue to bully me under the umbrella of the law.”
“I’m going to bully you either way, so why not make it legal? Though I prefer the term torment.”
“Terrorize is more accurate.”
In one fluid motion, he’s on his feet, his hands propped on the desk, leaning over with his face so close to mine that I can feel his breath on my lips. “Doesn’t matter what you call it, darling, as long as it gets you wet, and we both know that it does.””

When I tell you that I loved these two, I mean I was absolutely obsessed with them. Their chemistry, their banter, their role playing. Did I mention their role playing? I swear, Laurelin just reached into my head to pull out the pure fantasy that was Ax. He’s wholly obsessed, slightly mean but with a heart of gold, and when he falls, he falls so hard. I loved the way he fought for Adly as much as I loved the way that Adly fought him.

Why can’t you take everything I want to give like you take my cock? Is this the only form of attention you can accept?” “I don’t… I don’t know.” It’s truer than I want to admit. “Then I’ll tell you—you were made to be fucked like this. Fucked by me, Adly. And I alone know what you need. No one else. If I tell you you’re the fucking sun in the sky, then you’re the sun in the sky. If I tell you that you deserve more, then you take more. You take what I give. You understand yet?””

Brutal Bargain was pure romance perfection, full of heart, emotion, and enough chemistry to set your kindle on fire. Ax and Adly were incendiary together. I loved them so much! 

With millions of books sold worldwide, Laurelin Paige is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author. She is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. 

When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Killing Eve or Letterkenny, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She’s also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn’t do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio. 

She is represented by Rebecca Friedman.

Connect w/Laurelin:

Facebook | Amazon | Bookbub | Instagram | Facebook Fan Group | Website | TikTok

Never miss an update! Subscribe to Laurelin’s mailing list:

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/LaurelinNews




Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Dirty Talkers · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Play The Game by SJ Sylvis

September 26, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

PLAY THE GAME
Series: Blue Devils Hockey #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: S.J. Sylvis
Release Date: September 26, 2024

As a little girl, I dreamed of becoming many things. A twenty-five-year-old photographer struggling to make ends meet with a mountain of legal fees wasn’t one of them. Making questionable decisions wasn’t either.

After hanging up my camera, I start a job I loathe that has me questioning my morals on a daily basis.

Until I run into Chicago’s newest bad-boy goalie whose reputation is a trainwreck—???????????????????? ????????????????????.

In a desperate effort to rid my debt, I corner Emory and try to exploit him. When my plan backfires, I not only have a new enemy with steely blue eyes and a talent for the game but a man now on a mission with his own insane plan in mind.

The terms are simple: I marry Emory and act like his doting wife in front of the press to clean up his image, and he’ll pay off my debt when the job is done. But now, instead of my bills keeping me up at night, I find myself fantasizing about my fake husband and his devilish stare.

He tells me to play the game, but when lines start to blur and his touches linger, I’m not sure what’s real or fake anymore. The sizzling attraction and fiery chemistry between us can’t be contained.

Emory Olson says he never loses, and by the end of our marriage game, I’m pretty sure I’m no exception.

AMAZON 

I think my fake wife just became my vice.

This is my favorite book from SJ Sylvis that I have read and if I can’t convince you that it needs to be on your immediate TBR, I’m not yelling at you hard enough!!

She’s undeniably beautiful, and I can’t stand it.

Emory Olson was a secondary character who I loved to hate in Puck Block. He was Ford’s best friend and Taytum’s extremely overprotective older brother. So overprotective in fact, that he was overbearing. And when I heard that he was getting his own book, I couldn’t wait to meet the woman that was sure to bring him to his knees.

He’s an animal on the ice but resembles a Calvin Klein model off of it.

This book takes place several years after the ending of Puck Block, with Emory now a professional hockey player and the new goalie for the Chicago Blue Devils. And if you haven’t read that other series, not to worry, because while I highly recommend it, this definitely reads as the start of a new series.

Emory is a man with a reputation and his most recent PR problem lands him being traded to Chicago. So he’s not looking for any more trouble, especially of the woman variety.
But nothing, and I mean nothing could have prepared me or Emory for the storm that was Scottie. When I tell you that I immediately loved her character, I mean I couldn’t get enough of this woman and her sassy mouth.

Scottie is a girl with big dreams but struggling to make ends meets working as a stripper. And can I just say that I loved the camaraderie that these girls had without any cattiness. So refreshing. But I digress. Scottie is as sweet as they come, but desperate times cause some drastic decisions. And the one that lands her in the crosshairs of Emory is one she instantly regrets because it’s not who she is. But then Emory sets his sights on her and has an idea that would benefit them both. She gets the money she desperately needs and he gets a fake wife to clean up his image.

I’ve gotta admit, this is probably the most romantic way anyone has ever asked a woman to marry them. A forced lap dance in a strip club, with a prenup, NDA, and a contract waiting to be signed in my car. What can I say? I’m a romantic at heart.

And while that set up sounds pretty cliche, it was anything but. The story and the characters just brought this story to life and oh my god how I loved it. It was a delicious slow burn that was so full of chemistry, I felt my fingers singe every time I turned the page.

Emory and Scottie were incendiary together. Their banter, their connection, their everything just did it for me and I loved them so hard. This story gave me all the feels. It made me laugh, it made me swoon, and boy did it make me sweat. Obsessed is an understatement and I desperately need more in this series!


S.J. Sylvis is an Amazon top 50 and USA Today bestselling author who is best known for her new adult romances. She currently resides in Arizona with her husband, two small kiddos, and pets! She is obsessed with coffee, becomes easily attached to fictional characters, and spends most of her evenings buried in a book! 

Connect with S.J. Sylvis

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

Goodreads | https://bit.ly/40mP8yW

Amazon | https://amzn.to/40riM5R

Facebook | https://bit.ly/3JT0SUh

Facebook Group | https://bit.ly/42pdvhj

Instagram | https://bit.ly/3lvTcOt

TikTok | https://bit.ly/42se4Xv

Bookbub | https://bit.ly/3lwbyiq

Pinterest | https://bit.ly/402AVaH

Newsletter | https://subscribepage.io/cRYT3U

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

#DGRFave & Review: Anathema by Keri Lake

September 18, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

ANATHEMA
Series: The Eating Woods Duology #1
Genre: Gothic Dark Fantasy Romance
Author: Keri Lake
Release Date: September 8, 2024

A new gothic dark fantasy coming in 2024

Only the banished know what lies beyond the woods …

There are whispers about what lurks in Witch Knell—the forest where sinners go to die. The villagers call it The Eating Woods because what’s taken is never given back. Only those who’ve lost their senses would dare to go near it.

Or the banished.

Maevyth Bronwick knows better than to breach the misty labyrinth of trees, but a tragic turn of events compels her beyond the archway of bones, to a boundary no mortal has crossed before. One that cloaks a dark and fantastical world that’s as dangerous as it is alluring.

It’s there that he dwells, the cursed lord of Eidolon. The one tasked to keep her hidden from the magehood that seeks to crucify her in the name of an arcane prophesy. Zevander Rydainn, known to his prey as The Scorpion, is the coldest, most calculated assassin in all of Aethyria and he’d sooner toss his feisty ward to a pack of vicious fyredrakes than keep her safe.

If only he could.

Maevyth’s blood is the key to breaking his despised curse and vanquishing the slumbering evil in Witch Knell. Unfortunately for Lord Rydainn, fate has other plans for the irresistible little enchantress. And his growing obsession with her threatens to destroy everything.
Including himself.

AMAZON 

“You are mine, Lunamiszka. For all eternity and whatever lies beyond it. No soul has ever been more intricately woven into mine than yours.”

I cannot remember the last time I read a book that consumed me in a way that this one did. This was, hands down, my top read of the year. It may have been my favorite book from Keri today. And considering I’ve read the woman’s entire backlist, that’s saying something.

This is a dark, gothic romantasy and it was everything you’d expect from the immensely talented Lake and so SO much more. Think Assassin’s Creed meets Witcher type vibes. And yes, it really is as good as that sounds.

It’s also very much a slow burn, and when I say slow burn, I mean a serious slow burn. And while in any other book I would struggle with this, it kept me riveted in this one. The writing is so vivid and multifaceted, that I swear I could see this like a movie reel behind my eyes as I read. And I tell you, if this isn’t picked up by a producer, I will riot. This needs to be a movie. But I digress.

This is book one in a duet, and there is a lot of world building that takes place in this book and oh my god was it delicious. There’s magic, kingdoms, witches, demons, all of the things. And all of them combined for a simply unputdownable read.

We have the ruthless king’s assassin with a dark secret and an even darker agenda. And then there is a beautiful mortal who may be more than meets the eye. The first 30% of the book really develops both of these characters. And while they don’t meet for a bit, it doesn’t take anything away because the story itself was so gripping. But when they finally do meet? OMG the sparks!

He glanced over his shoulder, and I jerked my head up so fast, I nearly toppled backward. “Perhaps you should walk alongside me, unless you insist on staring at my ass the whole way.”
A scorching heat warmed my cheeks, cooled only by the icy anger of having been humiliated. “Perhaps you shouldn’t walk like you’ve got two snapping turtles attached to your ass.”

Maevyth Bronwick lives in fear of what’s known by her village as the Eating Woods; a place of banishment for those they deem sinners. But when her sister’s life is on the line, she doesn’t spare a moment of thought before running deep into the danger. But then suddenly finds herself in a world she didn’t even know existed.

Zevander Rydainn is a mystery wrapped in darkness. An assassin for the king, he hides a dark secret that can cost him his life. A mission that is meant to kill the mortal suddenly turns to his protecting her and suffice it to say neither of them is thrilled about it. And the chemistry that brews between them? The perfect cherry on top.

Now look, I won’t go into too much detail because you really just need to experience this book for yourself. But when I tell you I was glued to the pages from cover to cover, I mean I lived and breathed this story. I thought about it when I put it down for even a second. Heck, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and I still can’t, weeks after finishing.

I’m not sure if I will survive the wait for the conclusion and if this book isn’t on your radar, it NEEDS to be. Simply unforgettable!

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark, DGR Favorites, Fantasy, Gothic Romance · Tagged With: , , , ,

Review: Heart of Frost and Scars by Pam Godwin

August 26, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

HEART OF FROST AND SCARS
Series: Frozen Fate #3
Genre: Dark Romance, Why Choose
Author: Pam Godwin 
Release Date: August 26, 2024

I’m the silent ache, the shadow that lingers, the present from your past, the knife in your heart.

In the chilling finale of the Frozen Fate trilogy, Frankie enters a world far deadlier than the one she escaped.

A sinister threat lurks in the shadows, hunting her with a dark obsession as her savage protectors battle the rules of society.

Thrust into the civilized world, they spiral into violence and refuse to conform, their wild natures threatening to tear apart their bond.


Amid these struggles, her seductive billionaire husband fights to reclaim her love.


Caught between possessive men, a deadly stalker, and a legacy of pain, she must decide her fate.


Choose wrongly, and she’ll lose everything to a monster with a heart of frost and scars.

Tropes: Adult Romance, Age Gap, Alpha Hero, Angsty, Band of Brothers, Billionaire, Boy Obsessed, Close Proximity, Fish out of Water, Forbidden Love, Forced Proximity, Found Family, Heroine in Danger, Menage, MFM, One Bed, Poly (3+ people), Protector, Romantic Suspense, Scars, Stalker, Starting Over, Taboo, Touch Her And Die, Tragic Past, Troubled Marriage, Unrequited Love, Why Choose, Will They or Won’t They

AMAZON 

She was my only source of light in the hills of shivers and shadows.

You ever spend hours being lulled into a false sense of security only to be hit with a mother of all twists that sneaks up on you with the impact of a two by four when ? Yeah, that was me reading this book. And the funny thing is I should have known better. Having read Pam’s entire backlist, I should know how that devious mind of hers works. And yet still, reading, waiting for the other shoe to drop, she still managed to catch me by surprise and leave me with my jaw on the floor. MY GOD.

I’m a monster on the cusp of insanity. A stalker in the night. Her silent ache, haunting her from the darkness.

This trilogy has had me in an absolute chokehold since book one. I would even go as far as to say that Frankie is one of my favorite heroines I have EVER read. This woman is STRENGTH personified. Heck, I want to BE her. Well, minus the trauma, because that was crazy. But I digress.

Frankie has been through hell and survived the devil himself. Now, together with Leo and Kody, she’s back at her home and struggling to get back to the life she once knew. Her husband, who refuses to let her go, on one side and the men she loves at her other. Monty is still madly in love with Frankie and fights for her at every turn, even if everything changed.

I’m not afraid of vulnerability. So if you think I’ll slink off with my tail between my legs rather than face what I’ve done, you’re wrong. I’ll show up for her, one hundred percent, even on my worst days when I’m stripped and gutted with my jealousy and guilt hanging out of the holes in my chest.”

But even though she’s home, there’s a shadow lurking that threatens the safety of everything she loves. And that, my friends, is all I will tell you about this book.

I love her madly, immeasurably, incomprehensibly, beyond the point of pain.

For the two days it took me to read this THICK beast of a book, it owned me. Fully and completely. Each word wrapped around me and sucked me deeper into the dark abyss of this story. And man oh man did I love it.

My love for her is not some petty jealousy.” I lean into the space between us. “It’s primal, clawing, and fucking ruthless. You get me?”

In true Pam Godwin fashion, she keeps you guessing until the very end. Not knowing which end is up, not trusting anything, questioning everything. I was a ball of anxiety by the time I got to the last page and let me just tell you, I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT.

She’s my prey, but more than that, she’s my world. I’ll never let her go.

No one writes a dark romance quite like this woman. And this trilogy just moved up to one of my top favorite dark romances I’ve read and most definitely top read of the year. Holy hell! If you are looking for a truly captivating, gripping and chilling dark romance, this is simply not to be missed. PERIOD.

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Pam Godwin, lives in the Midwest with her husband, their two children, and a foulmouthed parrot. When she ran away, she traveled fourteen countries across five continents, attended three universities, and married the vocalist of her favorite rock band.
 
Java, tobacco, and dark romance novels are her favorite indulgences, and might be considered more unhealthy than her aversion to sleeping, eating meat, and dolls with blinking eyes.
 
Facebook Reader Group: here
Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark, DGR Favorites · Tagged With: , , ,
Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

%d bloggers like this: