Review: Carnal Urges by J.T. Geissinger

June 30, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

CARNAL URGES
Series: Queens & Monsters #2
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Suspense
Author: J.T. Geissinger
Release Date: June 30, 2021

Carnal (adjective):
1) Relating to the pleasures of the body
2) Given to sensual indulgence
3) The man who kidnapped me

The devil has blue eyes, an Irish accent, and a hatred for me that runs deep.

He blames me for starting a war.
Consorting with his enemies.
Getting his men killed.

Though I’m innocent on all charges, he wants his pound of flesh.
With an eye on revenge, he makes me his captive.

But as we’ll both soon discover, there are more powerful urges than that for revenge.

 

When the devil meets his match but she’s his sworn enemy, that’s when the real war begins.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

AMAZON 

In a life full of unforgivable sins, sleeping with the enemy would be the absolute worst.

In case you were wondering, above is actual footage of me reading this book. BECAUSE OH MY HOLY BOOK CRACK. This was DELICIOUS.

Men say they love a strong woman, right up until they meet one.

The second Sloane appeared on the pages of Ruthless Creatures, I was instantly captivated. There’s just something about a strong, smart, fiercely independent woman that owns her sexuality and doesn’t feel bad about being one and done with men while leaving them all panting in her wake. And what I mean by that, is this woman was instantly my spirit animal. I loved her as a secondary character but I was nervous about her being the main one. Because it’s so easy to take a character like this and overdo it. Make her too much. But somehow, she was even better than I ever hoped.

I’m not the girl who gets butterflies. I’m not the girl who swoons or begs. I’m the one who moves on before things get complicated, who keeps moving on relentlessly without looking back, like a shark that has to keep swimming forward its whole life or it will die. I’m the one who doesn’t fall. Who doesn’t feel. Who doesn’t get attached.

And you may also remember Declan from Cruel Paradise. And if you haven’t read that series, you haven’t lived. Just sayin’. But I digress. Declan was the right hand man for the Irish mafia, and suddenly finds himself at the head of it in this book. He’s also the mortal enemy of Kage from Ruthless Creatures, who happens to be Sloane’s bestie’s new man. Complication, they has it. But I digress again.

This was enemies to lovers GOLD. Declan kidnaps Sloane and keeps her captive, only it doesn’t go as he planned considering the woman is opinionated, with a razor sharp tongue, and completely fearless. She challenges him at every turn and turns him on at every corner. Their banter was the thing mu bookish dreams were made of.

I’m probably going to die with only you for company. Can you blame me for being upset?” His eyes are narrowed, doubtful, arctic blue.
I throw my hands in the air. “I’m not invincible!”
“So that deal you made with the devil for the power to kill with run-on sentences didn’t include immortality?”

Y’all. When I tell you I lived for this banter, words can’t describe the level of goofy smile I had on my face reading it.

Now I liked book one, but also wanted more story and more tension and (whispers shamefully) less sex. What? Yes it happens even to me. But I digress again. This gave me the tension I had so needed. The buildup was fiery and delicious. And when these two finally collide? HOLY MOTHER!!!!! What’s the best thing you can imagine for a fiercely independent woman? Give her an uber dominant alpha with a penchant for kink. YES PLEASE.
I’ll bind you and blindfold you, probably gag you with my tie, too. And I’ll make you come, over and over. I’ll make you glad you let yourself submit. Are you ready?”


The steam, people! THE STEAM. I died for it. I loved Sloane slowly work her quirky charm on Declan almost as much as I loved his dominant side completely own her in bed.

In this moment, all I want is to let him run me over. To let him break me, savage me, tear me apart.

Carnal Urges was action packed, quick paced, filled with humor, banter to die for, and steam hot enough to set fire to your reader. When I tell you I died for this book, I mean I DIED FOR THIS BOOK. This was JT Geissinger in all of her amazing glory and I was so here for it. And the twist at the end? DIE. I DIE. Seriously. I need the next book like yesterday.

If you love a sizzling hot mafia romance with an uber alpha to die for and a sassy and strong willed heroine to challenge him at every turn, welcome to your next addiction. This book was all of the things! I cannot recommend it enough.

J.T. Geissinger is a bestselling author of emotionally charged romance and women’s fiction. Ranging from funny, feisty rom coms to intense, edgy suspense, her books have sold more than one million copies and been translated into several languages.

She is the recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book, the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, and is a two-time finalist for the RITA® Award from the Romance Writers of America®. She has also been a finalist in the Booksellers’ Best, National Readers’ Choice, and Daphne du Maurier Awards.

Her first novel was published in 2012. Since then she’s written eighteen more novels. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, drinking wine, surfing the internet, and daydreaming about all the things she’s going to be when she grows up. She lives near the beach in Los Angeles with her husband and deaf/demented rescue kitty, Ginger.

Connect with J.T. Geissinger

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram |  Pinterest | GoodReads |  BookBub |  Join Geissinger’s Gang Reader Group |  Stay up to date by joining J.T.’s mailing list | Website 

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Review: Lessons In Sin by Pam Godwin

June 29, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

LESSONS IN SIN
Genre: Taboo, Forbidden Romance
Author: Pam Godwin
Release Date: June 29, 2021

There’s no absolution for the things I’ve done.

But I found a way to control my impulses.

I became a priest.

As Father Magnus Falke, I suppress my cravings. As the headteacher of a Catholic boarding school, I’m never tempted by a student.

Until Tinsley Constantine.

The bratty princess challenges my rules and awakens my dark nature.

With each punishment I lash upon her, I want more. In my classroom, private rectory, and bent over my altar, I want all of her.

One touch risks everything I stand for.
My faith.
My redemption.
And even my life.

As if that could stop me. I need her pain, and her heart, and she needs my lessons in sin.

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Iron sheathed in suede, that voice belonged to a man who bent for no one. His sculpted lips lured victims to the altar with the promise of heavenly salvation before condemning them to eternal hell.

Age gap. Forbidden romance. Student/Teacher. Dirty Priest. I am in book heaven right now floating on endorphins so high, I don’t know if there’s moving on from this story.

Pam Godwin never ceases to amaze me with her talent of creating raw, riveting, and broken characters that I simply cannot get enough of. And a priest with a tortured past, seeking salvation of the collar within the walls of a school for the rich and broken…well it just doesn’t get much more delicious than that. Father Magnus was pure, sizzling energy. The second the man appears on the page, it crackles with electricity. I can’t even describe it to you, but this was one of the most enigmatic characters I’ve read from Pam. And having read her entire backlist, that’s saying something.

Now while there’s no doubt Pam can write the hell out of an alpha hero, what I’ve come to love most about her stories are her heroines. These are tough as nails women who are no simpering ingenues. And it’s not small feat to write an 18 year old virgin heroine but make her an old soul in an entirely believable way. Tinsley Constantine is the youngest daughter in the extravagantly rich Constantine family. She’s also the f*ck up. Turning her nose at tradition, she yearns for freedom to discover herself, but one act out too many lands her in the strict Catholic boarding school. What first starts as bratty behavior to get herself expelled, soon turns into something more when she lands in the crosshairs of Magnus.

For the next hour, I showed her how a sadist made a woman beg. I taught her my lessons in sin.

This is a slow burn. A deliciously painful slow burn full of chemistry and sexual tension. I fell instantly for Tinsley’s character. She’s wild, willful, but also incredibly smart and caring. She has no problem standing her ground and challenges Magnus as every turn. I also loved her loving nature.

The romance here is GAH. It was EVERYTHING. When I tell you that I devoured this from cover to cover in one sitting, I mean I couldn’t set it down for even a second. I though Pam created my favorite student teacher romance in Dark Notes, but man, this book owned me. I don’t know anyone else who can pull off a 20 year age gap with an 18 year old heroine like this.

Lessons in Sin was deliciously taboo, darkly erotic, sinful, and oh so addictive! This may be my favorite Godwin book to date.

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
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Review: Tryst Six Venom by Penelope Douglas

June 3, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

TRYST SIX VENOM
Genre: FF, Bully Romance
Author: Penelope Douglas
Release Date: June 3, 2021

???? ?????, ???? ?????, ??? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ?????… ??? ?????!

????

Marymount girls are good girls. We’re chaste, we’re untouched, and even if we weren’t, no one would know, because we keep our mouths shut.

Not that I have anything to share anyway. I never let guys go too far. I’m behaved.

Beautiful, smart, talented, popular, my skirt’s always pressed, and I never have a hair out of place. I own the hallways, walking tall on Monday and dropping to my knees like the good Catholic girl I am on Sunday.

That’s me. Always in control.

Or so they think. The truth is that it’s easy for me to resist them, because what I truly want, they can never be. Something soft and smooth. Someone dangerous and wild.

Unfortunately, what I want I have to hide. In the locker room after hours. In the bathroom stall between classes. In the showers after practice. ?? ℎ??? ????????. ?? ℎ??? ?? ℎ?? ?????.

For me, life is a web of secrets. No one can find out mine.

??????

I cross the tracks every day for one reason—to graduate from this school and get into the Ivy League. I’m not ashamed of where I come from, my family, or how everyone at Marymount thinks my skirts are too short and my lipstick is too red.

Clay Collins and her friends have always turned up their noses at me. The witch with her beautiful skin, clean shoes, and rich parents who torments me daily and thinks I won’t fight back.

At least not until I get her alone and find out she’s hiding so much more than just what’s underneath those pretty clothes.

The princess thinks I’ll scratch her itch. She thinks she’s still pure as long as it’s not a guy touching her.

I told her to stay on her side of town. I told her not to cross the tracks.

But one night, she did. And when I’m done with her, she’ll never be pure again.

*TRYST SIX VENOM is a standalone, new adult, bully romance suitable for readers 18+. It will release directly into Kindle Unlimited!

AMAZON

I hate Olivia Jaeger. I f*cking hate her, and I’d happily never love anything if I could hate her my whole life. My eyes pool with tears, and I don’t know why.

The author that first introduced me to bully romance now coming out with an FF bully romance? You best believe I’d be all over that. I was downright salivating for this book for moooooonths. Desperately awaiting the release. So when it landed on my kindle, I must have jumped on it quicker than you can say “mine”. True story.

When you’re in the eye of the storm, the only way out is through.

A prestigious high school for the rich and entitled. A girl from the wrong side of the tracks. And the spoiled girl who seems to have everything she wants, except the one thing that alludes her. I was instantly hooked on the story.

Clay is a bully that you can’t help but love. She’s tortured, angry, and no matter how much venom she spits, you see the pain it’s rooted in. She’s the popular girl in the school. The one who seems to have everything at her fingertips. The captain of the lacrosse team and the girl all guys want and all girls want to be.

Olivia “Liv” Jaeggar is her antithesis. She’s the black sheep of the school and the brunt of everyone’s jokes. She doesn’t hide herself and makes no apologies. The only girl amongst her 5 brothers, she’s a bit of a bad girl with an aura of I don’t give a d@mn. I loved her. She’s venomous in her own right. She takes everything Clay has to give and dishes it right back. But where Clay hasn’t quite figured out who she is, Liv knows it and wears it openly.

I loved the fact that Pen also focused on some very real pieces of bullying and I appreciated this story so much more for it.

As for the romance, I lived for it. It’s a slow burn, full of angst and emotion. It had so much depth that I found myself happily drowning in it. And the epilogue? *chefs kiss* Perfection.

But even though I loved this book, I’m completely unsatisfied too. Why? Because I need more. I need a book for each and every single one of Liv’s bothers. Particularly Macon and Dallas. Like I would DIE for their book. I need it BAD.

Aside from that, I’m in book heaven. This book hit every single spot. I loved every page of it.

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#DGRFave & Review: For Lucy by Jewel E. Ann

May 23, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

FOR LUCY
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Jewel E. Ann
Release Date: May 23, 2020

From USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jewel E. Ann comes a novel so heartfelt and real it redefines the meaning of love. I’m the wrong guy in the right place the night I steal Tatum Bradshaw from another man. When she mistakes me for her blind date, I decide she deserves a man who shows up on time … like me. Emmett Riley, Mr. Punctual. Once I confess my true identity and convince her I’m not a creep–just a thief–it’s only a matter of time before my sexy smile and quick wit claim her heart, her hand in marriage, and the perfect life. Unfortunately, perfection is an illusion, like the promises of our wedding vows. No one can prepare for the unimaginable–the heartbreaking exception to all the rules in life. When thirty seconds destroys everything, I have to find a new existence and keep my promise to always love our daughter, Lucy, the most. For Lucy, I will keep a secret, and I will watch my wife drift into the arms of another man. Given the chance … can I reclaim my wife and the pieces of our life? *This story contains sensitive subject matter.

 AMAZON

It’s never been my hands keeping her hostage. I’ve always loved her with open arms. My love has never been forced. It’s always been free. She’s the one who cannot walk away. And she knows she needs me to take the blame for that too. So I do. Because that’s how I love her

This. Book. It emotionally eviscerated me. I was sobbing into my pillow at 2 am, completely incapable of setting it down, and totally wrecked by the story. This was a second chance romance unlike any I’ve every read. It was raw, devastating, heart wrenching, and so full of depth I felt like I was drowning in it. I think what struck me the most is that you can easily see yourself in the couple. In the devastation and what ifs that they go through, you feel it on a soul deep level that just stays with you and burrows so deep, it hurts even when you finish.

No matter how hard we try to be perfect, we are not. No matter how hard we try to do the right thing, the wrong thing manages to trip us up. No matter how undeserving one might feel of forgiveness, no one is unworthy of it.

While I’m not usually a fan of time jumps, it’s done absolutely flawlessly here. Jewel effortlessly weaves the past into the story where it doesn’t detract from the time line but adds a morsel of understanding with each new detail of their past that gets unveiled. I’m not going to tell you what the story is about. Read the blurb and go in with just that. Trust me on this. This a book that you simply need to experience blind. What I will tell you, is that I already somewhat knew what I’d be getting into and avoided starting it for that reason. I wasn’t sure I was ready for the type of feelings I knew it would invoke. However, the author handled the incredibly delicate subject matter so incredibly well, that I kicked myself for waiting to start. She gives details without going into too many details. I can’t tell you more so as to not ruin it, but I’ll say that the way it was written was sheer perfection. It was depth without being too much that I would be bawling my eyes out. All the while I still bawled my eyes out, but for other reasons.

Emmett?” “Hmm?” “Thank you.” “For what?” “For being in my corner.” Swallowing my pride, my pain, and a lifetime of emotions, I nod several times. “Always.”

When Emmett met Tatum, he knew she was the one. And no it wasn’t the corny insta love sort of thing. It could have easily been that way. But instead it was endearing and emotional and oh so good. The book is told entirely in Emmett’s POV which I really loved. Being in his head was unlike anything I’ve experienced. The man is flawed but also perfect. He loves selflessly. He gives everything. And he’s impossible not to love wholeheartedly. The story spans years, the majority of it in the present, where Tatum and Emmett have been divorced for 5 years, still dealing with the fallout of their marriage. I hated Tatum for a good portion of this book. While a deeper part of me understood her, I still couldn’t help but hate her for the things she says and does. Emmett is just so flawed yet perfect, that it was impossible to hate her a little being in his head, even though he loves her selflessly through all of the pain.

You can’t love me,” she whispers. “You can’t tell me who to love.”

The story is incredibly emotionally charged and raw. It’s full of love and pain, mistakes and forgiveness. If you’re looking for a second chance romance that will own you, heart and soul, look no further. Dare I say this may have been my favorite Jewel E Ann book to date.

Jewel is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today best selling author a with a quirky sense of humor. When she’s not saving the planet one tree at a time, you can find her role modeling questionable behavior to her three boys, binge-watching Netflix with her husband, and writing mind-bending romance.

Connect with Jewel 

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

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Review: The Silencer by RC Boldt

May 18, 2021 by ·

THE SILENCER
Genre: Romantic Thriller
Author: RC Boldt
Release Date: May 18. 2021

Sometimes, it takes becoming a monster in order to kill one.

USA Today bestselling author RC Boldt brings us an unforgettable tale of betrayal, vengeance, and redemption in her new romantic thriller, THE SILENCER…

No one wants to admit that sometimes only evil can extinguish other evil.
Each time I drain the life from their bodies, I inch closer to purging my past.
Then a by-the-book FBI agent–one as astute as he is handsome–threatens my plans…and what’s left of my heart.
He doesn’t believe there are exceptions to breaking the law. That’s where we differ.
They once silenced me and countless others, but now I’ve reversed our roles.
Because, this time, it’s my turn to be the silencer.

**The Silencer is a dark and gritty romantic suspense that deals with sensitive topics which may not be suitable for all readers.

 
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I do bad things for very good reasons. Because some people need saving and some need killing. I do both.

Wow. Just wow. This book…wow. It caught me completely unaware and hit me over the head like a two by four full of emotion and depth. I’m absolutely blown away.

Now I will say, as a survivor, this story hit a bit different for myself. It dealt with an incredibly dark and difficult subject matter and was handled absolutely flawlessly. Reading about an elite ring of pedophilia is a subject that hits home for several reasons, especially in our world reality. It had a dark undercurrent without going into shock value or gory details, which I appreciated, because it lost none of the impact.

If there’s one thing I love its a badass heroine, and it simply doesn’t get more badass than Dr Kennedy Alexandre, a forensic anthropologist by day and vigilante by night. A survivor who experienced the depths of human depravity and hell, she’s put everything into making sure she protects innocents and punishes the vile and untouchable elite when the system fails. A new case brings her head to head with a handsome FBI agent who does everything by the book.

The chemistry was immediate and so incendiary that I couldn’t get enough of these two. Kennedy is a closed off loner who dedicates herself to her job and saving innocents. Landon is a charming FBI agent who doesn’t play well with others when it comes to getting his job done but never above the law. They clash epically, but beneath their banter is a chemistry and I thought their slow burn just may kill me. There’s just something so boyishly charming about Landon, yet he still has alpha vibes a mile long. He’s sweet, protective, and impossible not to love.

The story was a twisty thrill ride of epic proportions and even though I saw the big twist coming, it never took anything away from the story. RC Boldt gave one crumb after another so you spend each minute and each page turn just waiting for the other shoe to drop. And when it does? WOWZA!

If you’re looking for a romantic thriller that packs a heck of a punch with a heroine impossible not to root for and a hero that you’ll fall head over heels for, you need this book in your life.

RC Boldt enjoys long walks on the beach, running, reading, people watching, and singing karaoke. If you’re in the mood for some killer homemade mojitos, can’t recall the lyrics to a particular 80’s song, or just need to hang around a nonconformist who will do almost anything for a laugh, she’s your girl.

 

Connect with RC Boldt 

Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Facebook | Facebook Group | Instagram | Twitter | Bookbub | Book+Main

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense · Tagged With: ,

#DGRFave & Review: Reparation of Sin by Natasha Knight & A Zavarelli

April 20, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

REPARATION OF SIN
Series: The Society Trilogy #2
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Natasha Knight & A. Zavarelli
Release Date: April 20,  2021

My husband hates me. But he’s also the only man who can save me.

Taken by a stranger, Santiago is my only hope.

Except that I don’t know if he’s dead or alive.

And for as cruel as he can be, the thought he might be gone is unbearable.

But he has nine lives, my monster.
He’s not finished with me yet.

And soon I’m back at The Manor.
Locked in my room.
At his mercy.

I know I am despised.
I know I have become the face of his vengeance.

But there’s something else too. Something between us. It’s a dark and gnarled thing. And it has its claws around my heart.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO

 

Requiem of the Soul #1

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PREORDER #2 & #3 TODAY!

Resurrection of the Heart #3– Releasing May 18th

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO

It’s not my right to claim this yet, and it may not be healthy, but she’s mine. I didn’t see that for too long, I didn’t value that the way I should have, but she is God damned mine.

When I tell you that I INHALED this book the second it landed on my kindle…

I’m talking the sort of obsessed that keeps you hidden in a dark bathroom with a locked door so the kids don’t interrupt your reading. I’m talking the sort of obsessed that leaves you with honest to gawd shakes when you’re done because you’re that desperate for your next fix. I CANNOT DEAL RIGHT NOW. THIS TRILOGY.

Do you know the last time I can tell you when I liked book two in the trilogy almost more than book one? Never. It’s pretty much never happened. But where book one was spell binding, this was a dose of electricity straight down my spine. I LOVED IT is what I’m trying to tell you here. LIKE dying for the next book loved.

Now if you follow my reviews, you already know I love mean heroes. If they’re extra tortured and mercurial, even better. And Santiago is the definition of a tortured alphahole. The man is beyond broken and all things damaged. His pain is rooted with the type of betrayal you can’t recover from. So when faced with the betrayal of his own wife? Not even the devil himself can keep his vengeance at bay. There were times in this book where I wanted to throw him off a tall cliff. Honest to god, the man took things way too far and almost to the point of no return when it came to his wife. And yet, I couldn’t help but still root for him. How does that even happen?!

Ivy is the type of heroine by bookish dreams are made of. She’s a fighter with a sharp wit and a spine of steel. She doesn’t back down easily and even though she’s been through hell and back, she doesn’t stop fighting. This book almost brings her to her breaking point, and it was devastating to watch that point be brought by here husband. But man was it unputdownable.

Lies, betrayal, murder, a secret society with archaic rules…this story had it all. It was spine tinglingly delicious and addictive to the point where I binge read it in one sitting. To say that I’m dying for the conclusion is a mild understatement here!

About A. Zavarelli:

A. Zavarelli is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of dark and contemporary romance.

When she’s not putting her characters through hell, she can usually be found watching bizarre and twisted documentaries in the name of research.

She currently lives in the Northwest with her lumberjack and an entire brood of fur babies.

Connect w/A. Zavarelli: 

Facebook | Facebook Group | Instagram | Twitter | Mailing List | Website | Goodreads |Amazon | Bookbub

About Natasha Knight:

Natasha Knight is the USA Today Bestselling author of Romantic Suspense and Dark Romance Novels. She has sold over half a million books and is translated into six languages. She currently lives in The Netherlands with her husband and two daughters and when she’s not writing, she’s walking in the woods listening to a book, sitting in a corner reading or off exploring the world as often as she can get away.

Connect w/Natasha: 

Website: | Facebook | Facebook Group | Twitter  | Instagram | Pinterest |  Goodreads | Bookbub | Amazon |  NL Signup 

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#DGRFave & Review:Requiem of the Soul by Natasha Knight & A. Zavarelli

March 24, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

REQUIEM OF THE SOUL
Series: The Society Trilogy #1
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Natasha Knight & A. Zavarelli
Release Date: March 23,  2021

A Brand New Arranged Marriage Dark Romance Series by A. Zavarelli and Natasha Knight.

I was born with noble blood in my veins.

Heir to a powerful dynasty.

Wealth. Power. Aristocracy.

Temptations too dangerous to resist.

Until someone tried to steal it all.

Scarred and broken, I emerged from the flames.

Now I’ve returned to take what’s mine.

Revenge.

The first item on my agenda?
Make Ivy Moreno my wife.

Second?
Bend her until she breaks.

AMAZON

I’m your worst fucking nightmare, wife of mine. It’s about time you realized it.”

Tell me a book completely owned you without telling me a book completely owned you.
When two of your favorite authors come together to write a trilogy, you just know you’re in for something good. But when I tell you that nothing prepared me for this story, I mean NOTHING prepared me for this story. It. Was. EVERYTHING.

She will be mine to do with as I please. Mine to take. Touch. Torment.

I devoured this book in one sitting and was left rocking myself in a corner while nursing the book hangover to beat all book hangovers. GAH. I still just can’t, but I’ll try to get my sh*t together long enough to write this review.

A secret society of secrets, duty and power. A revenge years in the making. An arranged marriage between a ruthless man and the beautiful woman stuck in the crosshairs of his deadly plans. Sound intriguing? IT WAS EVERYTHING!

Santiago and his sister are the last remaining in their family line. He’s spent years waiting for his revenge, and now Ivy will become collateral damage in his plan. I don’t even know how to describe the feelings this story brought out in me. There’s just this aura of darkness with a doze of spine tingling danger that hooked me from the first page and kept me riveted until the last one.

Santiago is the ultimate tortured and brooding hero. Or an anti-hero, if you will. Because the man is the furthest thing from decent. He’s set on his revenge at any cost, and his new bride is the ultimate collateral damage. Her family cost him everything and he will make them pay, starting with her.

Ivy was an incredible heroine. She’s strong, fierce, but also with just the right amount of vulnerability that just makes you connect with her from the second she appears on her page.

This book had everything; incredible chemistry, a dark undercurrent of mystery, a dangerous revenge, and romance brewing in spite of everything being stacked against it. And then that cliffhanger? I honestly don’t even know what to do with myself until the next book. But what I do know, is this is easily one of my favorite books from both of these authors and I DIED for it. DIED FOR IT I TELLS YA!

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Review: Distorted by Nyla K

March 18, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

DISTORTED
Series: Alabaster Penitentiary #1
Genre: Dark, MM Romance
Author: Nyla K
Release Date: March 18,  2021

This is Alabaster Penitentiary…
Where they send you when the world thinks you’re dead. And trust me, you’ll wish you were.
We’re the stain on society. The freaks, the creeps, your favorite Netflix documentaries come to life.
They lock us up and throw away the key, because we deserve it.
But not me. I’m just a lowly bank robber. I don’t belong here, surrounded by psychopaths and killers with no remorse… At least, I don’t think I do.
Getting by unscathed is my top priority. Unfortunately for me and my fellow prisoners, those in charge are more dangerous than we are.
You see, the guards run the show, and I seem to have caught the attention of the most twisted one.
He has a name, but it might as well be Officer. We move around one another like a sun and a moon, revolving in an axis of confused lust and torment until the truth is distorted, and the thing I once feared becomes that which I crave; my vile addiction, somehow so exquisite.
Reality warps in the dungeon, and I’m left wondering which prison is worse… the one holding my body, or my mind.

**Distorted is the first book in the Alabaster Penitentiary series. It is a full M/M romance, with HEA. Each book in this series is technically a standalone, though they are interconnected, so it will be recommended to read in order, as references to this story will be made in future books.

Distorted is intended for mature audiences and open-minded readers ONLY! If you prefer the same old story, this book won’t be for you. This story is dark, probably darker for some than others, so please proceed with caution, and if you’re easily triggered, steer clear.

AMAZON

If you’re stuck in Hell for eternity, it’d be wise not to poke the Devil.”

Oh.
MY.
GOD.

What in the ever loving hell did I just read? Why am I only now discovering this author? And how the hell are more of you not reading her?

Because holy hell. HOLY HELL Y’ALL!!!!

First of all, if you like a dark, taboo MM read with an epic mind fuck thrown in, READ THIS BOOK!
Oh my god! Why are you not running to grab this immediately?
I’m about to go violent recommendation on all of your asses here, people! DO IT!

But I digress. First of all, I’m seriously kicking myself for not discovering this author sooner and super grateful to my lovely friend Francis for telling me she’d be right up my alley. And being a huge lover of all things dark and twisted, I couldn’t agree more. This was one of the most epic mind fucks I’ve read in a long while, and I’m already desperate for my next hit in this series. But I digress.

This book. THIS BOOK. A convict falling for a prison guard with plenty of dub con thrown in. GAH. Be still my heart. I can actually feel my ovaries fluttering. But I digress again.

Dash is the furthest thing from normal as you can get. He has his issues and plenty of them and he’s no stranger to criminal activities. But one risky robbery finally lands him in prison, and it’s a hell unlike any other, reserved for the worst of humanity, and he’s convinced it’s a mistake. As days begin to bleed together, the one sanity that he realizes he has, is his personal tormentor who he knows only as Officer.

Now let me tell you guys, this book is dark. Like seriously DARK, okay. There’s triggers for a good reason, so if you’re sensitive to those things, you’ve been warned. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart. It’s twisted. It’s perverse. It’s DELICIOUS. What else it is, is completely unputdownable. It’s 450+ pages of unpredictable story with a romance so delicious, you don’t even see it coming. To say I’m hooked on this series is an understatement. This series is crack and Nyla K just became my favorite dealer.

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

#DGRFave & Review: The Isle of Sin & Shadow by Keri Lake

March 16, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

THE ISLE OF SIN AND SHADOWS
Genre: Gothic Romance
Author: Keri Lake
Release Date: March 16,  2021

This island alone boasts more ghost stories than all of Louisiana combined.
And I’m one of them.

In the Louisiana swamplands, ghost stories are as much a part of childhood as chasing fireflies and crawfishing. They never much scared me, though, nor the possibility of evil out to do me harm. Until the night I watched shadows come to life and butcher everything I loved.

With a stranger’s help, I managed to escape to an isolated place miles north, and, in time, became my own ghost story. A cautionary tale for the locals.

Nearly a decade passed, before I returned to my birthplace, in hopes of unearthing long-awaited answers. Instead, I found something I wasn’t looking for. Someone. A remedy for my loneliness.

Or so I thought.

Turns out, Thierry Bergeron is no elixir. He’s a deadly poison, cursed by the demons of his past, and feared by those who call him the elusive Rougarou of the bayou. A devious rogue, whose seductive whispers and rough hands haunt my dreams. The big bad wolf that defiles me without apology, or remorse.

I should resist him, but I can’t.

And when the shadows return to stake their claim on me, his darkness is the only safe place to hide.

AMAZON

This island alone boasts more ghost stories than all of Louisiana combined. And I’m one of them.

Spine tingling, suspenseful, and utterly mesmerizing. The Isle Of Sin and Shadows was unlike anything I’ve read and a story I won’t be forgetting any time soon.

When Keri Lake announced that she’s writing another gothic romance, I knew I was in for a treat. But nothing, and I mean NOTHING prepared me for the absolute thrill ride that was this book. I mean MY GOD.

This unbearable ache inside of me has a name: Thierry Bergeron. He’s what I desire more than anything. The exquisite poison that’s sure to destroy my heart this time.

If you want a mystery that will send chills down your spine, possibly cause a few nightmares, and own you from beginning to finish…well, look no further.

Céleste has spent years both running from her past and seeking answers. Her mind is a jumbled mess of broken memories and horrors that haunt her living nightmares. After barely escaping with her life when she’s a little girl, the grown woman needs answers. She’s back to the town and her childhood home and all of the haunting memories that come along with it in her desperate search for answers about her family’s gruesome death. She’s fierce, feisty, and everything that I would expect from the brilliant mind of Keri Lake.

Thierry Bergeron is a mystery wrapped in barbed wire. He’s the owner of an exclusive adult club and a cold blooded killer for hire for a ruthless cartel. His history is shadowed at best, but one thing is for sure. This is not a man that you want to cross. And when the young Céleste stumbles into his crosshairs, he’s determined to learn her secrets. But nothing prepares him for the dark web that spins around this woman’s past and just how dangerously close she is to his own present.

The romance is flawlessly and effortlessly interwoven into the dark mystery and suspense. It’s a slow burn that hurts so good and when it finally explodes, it’s downright incendiary. But beyond the romance, the story is completely unputdownable. The mystery unravels piece by agonizing piece, and nothing prepares you for the plot twists that hit you over the head like a two by four. Keri is the queen of dark suspense, I swear, but this was something altogether ELSE. I can’t even begin to describe it to you. All I know is that it played out in my mind like a movie and at times left me completely shell shocked.

This was a book unlike any I’ve read in a long LONG time and if you’re looking for a dark, gothic romance to take you out of your comfort zone and stay in your memory, look no further!

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Review: The Art of Falling For You by Maya Hughes

March 11, 2021 by · Leave a Comment

THE ART OF FALLING FOR YOU
Series: Falling #1
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult Romance
Author: Maya Hughes
Release Date: March 11,  2021

 

“Are you stalking me?”
“We live right next door to each other, New Girl.”

Bay Bishop aka The New Girl is my new neighbor. Glasses, stage crew black clothes and a knack for fading into the background.

She’s probably the only one who rolls her eyes when I walk past instead of cheering on my last touchdown play. But before I can shove her into the recesses of my mind filed under “Not my problem” she lands herself smack dab in the middle of my dreams.

I catch her singing with a voice unlike any I’ve heard before that taps into feelings I shouldn’t have for the girl who avoids me at all costs. I need to know why she hates me.

With three months until graduation, the final play is on. Only it’s not for more points. It’s for Bay.

Unlike my success on the field, this win is anything but assured. But I can’t stop myself from taking the risk.

There’s no flashing scoreboard.
There’s no cheering crowd.
There’s only her and me.

The countdown clock is ticking. The only thing scarier about finding my first love will be losing her.

The Art of Falling for You is the first book in the new Fulton U universe sports romance, Falling trilogy.

AMAZON

CHECK OUT THE FULTON U SERIES

#1 The Perfect First | #2 The Second We Met | #3 The Third Best Thing | #4 The Fourth Time Charm

Read for Free with Kindle Unlimited

 

He was chiseled, in an ‘I’ll sweet talk you with bloody knuckles’ kind of way. He was the epitome of the boy from the other side of the tracks, only instead of a motorcycle, he drove a muscle car.

I’m obsessed! I’m absolutely blown away! This story owned me from beginning to finish and is one of my favorite Maya Hughes books to date. When I tell you that this is going up there with my favorite NA romances, I mean the last time I was this obsessed, was when I was reading the Tristan and Danika trilogy.

She was absolute trouble. Who’d have known my late-night bike riding, guitar playing, stage crew maven neighbor could be so dangerous to my sanity? But here I was, and I wouldn’t change a thing.

Now look, when I learned this was a trilogy, I was hesitant to pick it up. I have the worst ADD when it comes to trilogies. But the second I started this book, I knew I’d be desperately awaiting each installment because the story OWNED me.

The way that Maya decided to write this angsty second chance romance is absolutely brilliant. We get a glimpse into Bay’s present, only to be thrown right into the past four years ago and watch as she falls for the boy next door. All the while knowing that their slow burn romance is meant to blow apart in the most painful of ways. But I’ll get to that in a second.

He’d demolished me. I’d been so worried about fixing him, but I should’ve been preparing to fix myself when he shattered me. Cruel. Violent. Vicious.

Bay and Dare are neighbors, but there’s no love lost between them at first. While Dare is utterly captivated by the girl next door, Bay can’t seem to give him the time time of day. If you’re a fan of the good girl meets tortured boy trope, prepare yourself for one addicting read.

While Bay is the social outcast of their high school, Dare is the golden boy tight end with a tragic story that he struggles to hide from everyone. This is the ultimate opposites attract story, and the most delicious slow burn. Bay is just looking to survive her final year of high school and the last thing she wants is the spotlight from the attention of the football team’s golden boy. Dare can’t seem to stop chasing her, and eventually the attraction between them blooms into a friendship that ultimately becomes a love that neither expected or was prepared for.

The feels! OH MY GOD THE FEELS of this book. The sweet, delicious angst. The emotion. I lived for it. Watching them fall for each other, all the while knowing what looms ahead was the sweetest sort of torture. It was like you knew that train wreck was coming, and you knew it would demolish you, but you couldn’t look away. And oh my god did it demolish me. But nothing and I mean ABSOLUTELY NOTHING could have prepared me for the last lines of this book.

If I thought I was obsessed with this story before, the last line OWNED ME. I won’t spoiler it for you, and I highly recommend you avoid reading too many reviews and just go into this book absolutely blind. TRUST ME.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to rock myself in a dark corner while I wait for book two. Because GAH. JUST GAH.

Maya Hughes, that’s me!, can often be found sneaking in another chapter while hiding in the bathroom from her kids! 🙂 I’m a romance writer who loves taking inspiration from everyday life, namely my husband and biggest fan. Inspiration also strikes when I hear a song, meet someone new or daydream while at soccer practice.

I love writing stories that capture the possibilities of the paths less travelled and enjoy experiencing life through my characters’ eyes. 

I’m the mom of three little ones, the wife to an amazing husband and also work full time. Some of my favorite things are cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, white wine, laughing until I can’t breathe, traveling with my family and Jeff Goldblum. 

AUTHOR LINKS

Goodreads | Instagram | Facebook | Bookbub 

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