#DGRFave & Review: Playing With Fire by LJ Shen

September 15, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

PLAYING WITH FIRE
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: LJ Shen
Release Date: September 15, 2020

A broken boy on the path to destruction.
A scarred girl without direction.
A love story carved in secrets, inked with pain and sealed with a lie.

Grace Shaw and West St. Claire are arctic opposites.
She is the strange girl from the food truck.
He is the mysterious underground fighter who stormed into her sleepy Texan college town on his motorcycle one day, and has been wreaking havoc since.
She is invisible to the world.
He is the town’s beloved bad boy.
She is a reject.
He is trouble.
When West thrusts himself into Grace’s quiet life, she scrambles to figure out if he is her happily-ever-after or tragic ending.
But the harder she pushes him away, the more he pulls her out of her shell.
Grace doesn’t know much about anything beyond her town’s limits, but she does know this:
She is falling in love with the hottest guy in Sheridan U.
And when you play with fire—you ought to get burned.

 AMAZON

He was going to soar and burst like a supernova once he was out of this small Texas town, and I was going to remain the ashes he left behind—the stardust that slowly descended the earth in his wake.

You know what I love about LJ Shen? Her ability to create some of the most unique and memorable characters I’ve ever read. Starting with Sparrow, my first book of hers, to now, I can remember every minute detail of her books, and considering most days I can’t remember what I had for breakfast, that’s saying something.

But Playing With Fire? This one just hit different. It was unlike anything I’ve read from LJ Shen before. It was a fiery, passionate and emotional whirlwind of a story that owned me from beginning to finish.

This was going to be temporary. And painful. And worth it.

Grace Shaw is not your typical heroine and easily one of the most unique characters I’ve read in a very long while. She used to be the queen B, now turned recluse. Her world was turned upside down and nothing has been the same since. She’s plagued by memories of what used to be and the hard reality of her present.

West is the town’s golden bad boy. A sinner on a motorcycle and the epitome of everything that Grace should stay away from. Theirs is the unlikeliest of bonds and friendships that starts with sparks of attraction, burns with a fiery hate, and rises from the ashes like a phoenix of love. Lord, I’m getting poetic here. But y’all. I just don’t have a better way of describing their relationship to you. It’s opposites attract with plenty of banter turned to some of the most delicious sexual tension. It was everything. EVERYTHING. It was angsty. It was painful. It was spellbinding and absolutely magnificent. I died for these two. This tortured town recluse and the bad boy that slowly but surely brings her out of her shell.

The romance is a delicious slow burn that I couldn’t get enough of. The story was packed with feels, plot twists, and enough chemistry to set fire to the pages. Pun intended. It was a unique, captivating, and utterly unforgettable standalone from the queen of angst, and I can’t recommend it enough.

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Review: Unholy Union by Natasha Knight

August 25, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

Unholy Union
Genre: Dark Romance, Mafia
Series: Unholy Union Duet #1
Author: Natasha Knight
Release Date: August 25,2020

Circumstance put Cristina on my path.

Fate bound her to me.

Cristina and I share a common past.

A single night that changed the course of our lives.

She asked me if I was a monster the night I met her.

I am.

She’s about to learn I’m her monster.

Because the countdown that began eight years ago has ended. Her time is up.

On the stroke of midnight, she’s mine.

Unholy Union contains the prologue Unholy: The Beginning

 AMAZON | B&N | KOBO | iBOOKS

COMING SOON

#2 Unholy Intent – Releasing September 15

AMAZON | NOOK | KOBO | iBOOKS

When you run, I will come after you. I will always come after you. You belong to me now, Cristina. For better or for worse.”

Oh.
My.
GOD.

I need the next book immediately!!!! My ovaries shall not survive it! I’m a sucker for a good anti-hero, and no one writes them quite like Natasha Knight. As a matter of fact, Damian Di Santo may be my favorite antihero I’ve read from her to date! This man was SHIVER inducing.

The pacing of this story was PERFECTION. It gives just enough chemistry to make the progression believable all the while maintaining the dangerous and dark notes of Damian and Christina’s relationship.

Christina is only a child when she first gets in Damian’s crosshairs. A bloody revenge, secrets and promises bring them back together years later on her eighteenth birthday. I loved that even thought Christina is so young and has the naiveté to go with it, she’s not a pushover. She’s a fighter. She’s not reckless but she’s also not a doormat. She’s an incredible balance of fierce and vulnerable. As for Damian? GAH. This man. I loved him. He’s lethal, cunning, and oozes danger and sexuality. Christina can’t accept that she was promised to Damian in a deal that cost her family everything. She’ll fight him with everything she is. But there’s so much more at play here. There’s dark secrets and dangerous plot twists lurking at every turn and I was so here for it.

I DEVOURED this book, y’all. Couldn’t stop reading for even a second. It was everything I love in a dark romance and I’m absolutely desperate for the conclusion!

USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance, Natasha Knight specializes in dark, tortured heroes. Happily-Ever-Afters are almost always guaranteed, but she likes to put her characters through hell to get them there. She’s evil like that.

 

Connect with Natasha:

Website: http://natasha-knight.com

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/29Cb7vD

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2kg2fRX

Facebook: http://bit.ly/29q3s4b

Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/2xvnZO5

Newsletter: http://natasha-knight.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natashaknight13

 

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#DGRFave & Review: Exodus by Kate Stewart

August 5, 2020 by ·

EXODUS
Genre: Contemporary Romance (maybe. I don’t even know. My brain hurts, OK?!)
Series: Ravenhood Duet #2
Author: Kate Stewart
Release Date: July 28, 2020

Can you live a lie?

It’s a ghost town, this place that haunts me, the one that made me.

It’s clear to me that I’ll never outgrow Triple Falls or outlive the time I spent here.

I can still feel them all, my boys of summer.

Even when I’d sensed the danger, I gave in.

I didn’t heed a single warning. I let my sickness, my love, both rule and ruin me. I played my part, eyes wide open, tempting fate until it delivered.

There was never going to be an escape.

All of us are to blame for what happened. All of us serving our own sentences. We were careless and reckless, thinking our youth made us indestructible, exempt from our sins, and it cost us all.

I’m done pretending I didn’t leave the largest part of me between these hills and valleys, between the sea of trees that hold my secrets.

It’s the reason I’m back. To make peace with my fate.

And if I can’t grieve enough to cure myself in my time here, I’ll remain sick. That will be my curse.

But it’s time to confess, to myself more so than any other, that I’d hindered my chances because of the way I was built, and because of the men who built me.

At this point, I just want to make peace with who I am, no matter what ending I get.

Because I can no longer live a lie.

 AMAZON

Once upon a time, I was a lonely girl who met a lonely king, and we both suffered from too much pride and oh, how the reckless have fallen.

Do you see that crazy person staring blankly at the wall while clutching a bottle of wine and babbling to herself? Great. Now mind your business because she is NOT OK. She is me. OK? Alright? I am not ok. How do you even go on after this duet? How do you read anything else after it? How do you gather the remnants of sanity long enough to write a coherent review? You don’t! So don’t be expecting anything like that here, because you won’t get it. What you will get is incoherent babbling in bouts of full body sobbing and maniacal laughter. In that exact order. I said mind your business! I feel like I’ve just been hit by a mac truck of feels.

How do I even describe this duet to you? Soul shattering. All encompassing. Heart wrenching. Erotic. Utterly unforgettable. PHENOMENAL.

He didn’t want to feel anything, and instead, he felt everything. We’ve just ruined ourselves with our hate for the other.

Full disclosure, I must have spent a good 60% of this book hysterically sobbing. Like to the point of full body shakes when my husband finally looked at me like I’ve gone and lost it completely. And you know what? He was not wrong. God damn but Stewart can write. The woman can wring emotion out of her readers like nobody’s business but she seriously hit it out of the ballpark with this story.

Let’s talk about Cecelia for a second, because as many may judge her, I loved her. It’s not often you read about such a sex positive heroine that owns her desire and what she wants and I loved her for it. She’s a fighter and she’s magnificent in her fight. This is a woman that doesn’t take things lying down and isn’t afraid to rage and fight for what she wants.

Now as for the rest of it, you’ll get nothing. Absolutely nothing from me. Because this is just one of those books that you need to experience totally blind. I thought I was a pretty open minded reader, but this story took me so far out of my comfort zone, I was lost at sea. Drifting in an ocean of emotion so potent, I could practically taste it. But that’s also what I loved about this story. The fact that it was unlike anything else I’d ever read. It was one of those books that I will never forget. Ever. And this is coming from someone that barely remembers what she had for breakfast. Puny memory here, people.

Do yourself a favor and go in blind. Don’t seek out spoilers. Don’t read in depth reviews. Just trust me on this.

Is it an easy read? Not even a little. But what I appreciate about Kate Stewart’s raw talent is nothing was for shock value. There’s hints throughout the very first pages of what’s to come and the story unravels like the most enrapturing mystery. It was gritty and all encompassing. This book owned me. Cold black heart and soul. It will be a book I’ll be singing the praises of for years to come. It will be the book I recommend to anyone and everyone. It will be a book I will never, ever forget. It’s one of my top reads of the year. Magical. All encompassing. Unique. A one of a kind experience that broke me and put me back together again. INCREDIBLE.

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

#DGRFave & Review: When The Time Is Right by M. Mabie & Aly Martinez

July 31, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: M. Mabie & Aly Martinez
Release Date: July 30, 2020

Fate doesn’t always happen overnight.

Hudson Bradley is the cockiest, most stubborn, hard-headed man I’ve ever known. And for fifteen years, he’s been my brother’s best friend.

But lately, what I’m feeling for him isn’t friendship at all.

Why is my heart racing every time his blue eyes lock on mine?
Why does every word he rumbles in my ear make my body come alive?
And worst of all, why did I bet him that I could find a woman he and his son would both love?

If I hadn’t given up on love altogether, Hudson would have been perfect for me. After all, he was there the day my world fell apart. He’s spent the last six years piecing me back together.

There are a million reasons why we could never work, but after a single kiss, I can’t remember any of them.

Now that the time is right, I have to make him mine—before I lose him forever.

 AMAZON

He was Hudson. My brother’s best friend. My reluctant partner in crime—or at least the man there to bail me out when I was partnering in crime alone. He was…a really fucking good guy. Not to mention stupid hot and all that masculine energy I craved.

Excuse me? Can I have your undivided attention please? I have a big announcement to make.
*clears throat*
This was easily my favorite friends to lovers romance I have EVER read.
*pauses for dramatic effect*

I KNOW. Big statement, right? But let me just tell you. This book? It was absolute perfection. It was everything. All of the things. It was swoony and emotional. It was hilarious. It was full of the best banter and so many laugh out loud moments that my face still hurts from grinning like a loon the entire time I was reading. I don’t even have the words to describe to you all of the ways I loved this book. But I’m going to attempt to here. Because it deserves all of the words.

Hudson has been the rock for Alexis as long as she’s known him. He’s the stable, reliable, and always there for everyone kind of man. He’s her brother’s best friend, but he’s been her friend as well. He was there for her through the worst and helped piece her together in the after effects.

His best friend’s family has been the only family Hudson has truly ever known. He loves them like they’re his own. Hudson is a single father and an amazing daddy. He’s also not exactly winning it in the dating department. Hard to date when you’re a workaholic single father after all. But then he makes a bet with Alexis on who can set the other up on the best blind date…and things take a very interesting turn.

Now lets talk about the friends to lovers trope for a hot second here, shall we? Because the pacing from friends to the realization that there’s something more was pure perfection. I adore the way the authors handled the timing of everything. It just felt so genuine and authentic. It sort of snuck up on both Lex and Hud and hit them over the head but it didn’t come as a shock. I don’t know how to explain it to you without you experiencing it, but let’s just say that it was SO GOOD.

These two together was everything. I couldn’t get enough of their banter and their easy camaraderie. They love each other so much but they don’t see what everyone around them have seen for years, which is how perfect they are for each other.

I loved Lex’s fiery sass. The woman had attitude and zingers for days and I couldn’t get enough of it. She’s a spitfire but she’s also a fierce friend and I loved the way she loved Hudson. As for Hudson, I can’t even begin to describe all of his perfection. This single daddy with a heart of gold was just GAH. He was everyone’s rock. He’s there for his family and his friends when they need him and he’ll do anything for those he loves. His son was the most adorable secondary character every and the way Hud and Lex were with him just melted my heart.

There was no crazy drama but there were plenty of feels. It was just one of those utterly perfect feel good romances that just suck you right into its world and wrap you up in it like the coziest blankets. It was magical. It was swoony perfection. It put a smile on my face and kept it there until the very last page. I loved the hell out of this book. I didn’t want it to end. And if you’re a fan of friends to lovers, you simply need this book in your life. It was EVERYTHING. ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING. And I simply cannot recommend it enough.

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#DGRFave: Flock by Kate Stewart

July 30, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

FLOCK
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Ravenhood Duet #1
Author: Kate Stewart
Release Date: July 28, 2020

??? ??? ???? ? ???????

I grew up sick.

Let me clarify.

I grew up believing that real love stories include a martyr or demand great sacrifice to be worthy.

Because of that, I believed it, because I made myself believe it, and I bred the most masochistic of romantic hearts, which resulted in my illness.

When I lived this story, my own twisted fairy tale, it was unbeknownst to me at the time because I was young and naïve. I gave into temptation and fed the beating beast, which grew thirstier with every slash, every strike, every blow.

Triple Falls wasn’t at all what it seemed, nor were the men that swept me under their wing. But in order to keep them, I had to be in on their secrets.

Secrets that cost us everything to keep.

That’s the novelty of fiction versus reality. You can’t re-live your own love story, because by the time you’ve realized you’re living it, it’s over. At least that was the case for me and the men I trusted my foolish heart to.

Looking back, I’m convinced I willed my story into existence due to my illness.

??? ??? ???? ????????.

 AMAZON

My greatest hope is to be in all-consuming love. My biggest fear is to be in all-consuming love.

Shut. The. Front. Door. TWICE.

I am totally and completely ruined. Dead. DEAD I tells ya. How do I even go on living after this book? HOW? I’ve been sitting in my room, staring blankly at the wall for the past 3 hours, just trying to figure out how to go on with my life. And I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s simply impossible. Until I have book two in my hands, the only existence is my currently over caffeinated and slightly manic state of OHMYGODWHATDIDIJUSTREAD!!!!

The only love I’ve ever known or craved is the kind that keeps me sick, sick with longing, sick with lust, sick with need, sick with grief. The distorted kind that leaves scars and jaded hearts.

I don’t know about you, but my love affair with Kate Stewart actually began with her books under her pen name. All I remember is cracking open Excess and falling head over ovaries for this woman’s words. Since then, I’ve been greedily devouring each of her releases without even bothering to read the blurb. This one being no exception. And if there’s one piece of advice I can give you, is that you do the same thing. Go in absolutely blind. Trust me on this and thank me later.

But back to my point and where I was going with this. When I learned that Angelica Chase was none other than Kate Stewart, it was like two worlds colliding for me. Angelica wrote twisty and erotic romances and Kate Stewart wrote unforgettable stories. So where am I going with this? Well, Flock happened to be the most amazing culmination of Kate and Angelica that I couldn’t even imagine in my dreams.

This book was….how do I even describe this to you. First of all, that blurb is vague AF. And as much as I want to give you more, I won’t. because this isn’t a story you read. It’s one you experience. And it’s one you need to experience to its full potency. It was a twisty and erotic masterpiece that sucks you in and doesn’t let you go. It’s a thrill ride of emotion and frustration as you grasp at straws to try to make sense of it all, only to fall victim to the author’s evil genius mind and realize you no longer know up from down and left from right.

All I know is I binged. BINGED y’all. I stayed up all night reading and while I can barely function this morning, I’m not even a little sorry because it was all worth it. Well. Maybe not my manic screaming when I got to the end and woke up my husband who preceded to look at me like I just lost my ever loving mind at 4 am. And you know what? He’s not wrong. Because I definitely did. And I won’t be sane until I get my answers in book two. And while it’s only a few days away, the wait for Exodus is the worst sort of torture.

So let me end my “review” (if you can even call it that) with this: if this book is not on your radar (you’ve been living under a rock), it NEEDS to be. If you’re not sure about reading it, dive in! If you read ANY book this year, make it this one. If you want a unique, captivating, and utterly unforgettable read, GET. THIS. BOOK.

That is all. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to rock myself in a corner somewhere (preferably with booze) in my wait for Exodus. And in case you’re wondering, no, I am most definitely NOT OKAY.

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Review: Quarter Miles by Devney Perry

July 21, 2020 by · 2 Comments

QUARTER MILES
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Runaway #3
Author: Devney Perry
Release Date: July 21, 2020

Katherine Gates has been in love with Cash Greer since the moment he saved her life from a runaway goat. According to Cash, she’s the little sister he never had, the greatest roommate in the world and his favorite coworker. They’re friends—best friends.

In the dark days of her youth, it was her friendships that kept her alive and made life in a junkyard worth living. So she’s learned to shove her feelings for Cash down deep, even if that means ignoring eyes that shine brighter than the Montana summer sun and the smile that illuminates the snowiest winter day.

Except with every passing year, the denial takes its toll on her wounded heart until one day Katherine decides to take an impulsive road trip to the Oregon coast. Alone. That is, until Cash cons his way into the passenger seat.

The farther they travel, the harder it is to pretend. And when she confesses her feelings, she learns that Cash has some secrets of his own. Secrets that will either bond them together.

Or rip them apart.

 AMAZON

Why was letting him go so hard? Why couldn’t he love me back?

I am so in love with this series, and I am beyond head over heels for this book!

If you love a swoony and emotional friends to lovers romance with a splash of unrequited love vibes, then prepare for the book hangover to beat all book hangovers. I’m not typically a reader that gravitates towards friends to lovers romance. I much prefer the angsty vibes of a good enemies to lovers trope. But this romance made a converter out of me. I don’t even have the words to describe to you all of the ways I adored everything about this story.

First of all, if you haven’t started this series, you, my friend, are seriously missing out. The series focuses on a group of friends that were teenage runaways and are now finding themselves through their own journeys in a car that solidified in their past. As they pass this car from one friend to another, another journey takes place. This time, it’s Katherine’s turn, and she’s desperate for an escape the crushing feeling of the man she’s in love with see her as nothing more than his best friend. Katherine hasn’t looked back since she got to the small town and built a new life for herself. The Greer’s have become a family that she’s always wanted. She has a successful career and everything to be happy for. Except the minor detail of being in love with the youngest Greer brother and knowing that he’ll never see her as more than his best friend. Desperate for an escape, she plans to take the cadillac on a trip to hopefully move past the crushing feeling of seeing him with someone else. But then Cash insists on going with her…

My god. Y’all. I can’t even begin to describe the rollercoaster of emotion this book took me on. There’s so much feeling that’s packed into this incredible story. Watching Cash come to realize his feelings. Watching them discover each other in a way that’s so much deeper than anything they know when Katherine begins to open up to Cash about her past. Watching them push and pull from each other as they fight their feelings afraid to lose the other and the years of friendship that’s bonded them. ALL OF IT. Absolutely indescribable in it’s potency. I was glued to the pages. I couldn’t get enough of it. Usually, insecurities like what Katherine harbored with Cash would drive me crazy. But with all of the emotion and character development that went into this, it was impossible to feel anything other than infatuated. I loved with them and I hurt with them and I rooted for them every page along the way.

This story was everything. Mesmerizing. Enchanting. Emotional. Utterly unforgettable.

An absolute must read for all the Devney Perry fans. And if you haven’t read her yet, this book will hook you. Though, I totally recommend reading the series in order. I’ve loved every book in this series so far, but I swear, they only get better with each new book. And the set up for the next one? I’m gagging for it. Absolutely desperate. NEED.

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Review: Fraud by Lily White

June 30, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

FRAUD
Series: Antihero Inferno #2
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: Lily White
Release Date: June 24, 2020

Eighth Circle.
Fraud.
Also known as Gabriel Dane.

He is a ray of sunshine that warms your heart with kind eyes and a dazzling smile.

Don’t let him fool you with that silver tongue or lure you in with a body that draws every woman’s eye. This man is fluent in deception and a devil who only offers pretty lies.

Gabriel is my old nemesis.
I’m the girl that always fought back.
He has every reason to hate me as much as I hate him.

Now that he found me, he’s determined to make me pay for our past.

Except, there are two small details Gabriel doesn’t know that will be his ultimate downfall:

There are no rules when it comes to our war.
And I’ve learned to lie just as good as him.

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

Nine ruthless men. Nine unrepentant sinners. Nine irresistible manipulators.

AMAZON

I hate to break this to you, Ivy, but payback is a bitch.”
Smiling at that, I turn my head just enough that the corners of our mouths touch. “I hate to break this to you, Gabriel, but so am I.”

This series has quickly become my book crack of choice and I’m officially obsessed. I’ve said it after reading the first book, and I’ll say it again, because these books are seriously crackalicious. Like finger-lickin’ good. You need to read these damn books is what I’m telling you here. Seriously. Stop whatever else you’re doing and read it. READ IT. You’ll thank me after. Trust me.

A broken prince. The spoiled princess. And a war where the players had two different objectives.

Gabe is the epitome of a broken prince. He hides a wealth of pain and dark secrets behind his charming smile and lethal lies. The man lies as easily as he breathes and is the go-to when it comes to the inferno boys needing someone charmed into their bidding. He’s handsome, cunning, and the ultimate liar. Where the rest of the Inferno men look their part, Gabe is deceiving. Because he looks like the easy going one, when he’s anything but.

He’s just a monster disguised in gorgeous wrappings. A man that wouldn’t know the truth if it slapped him in the face.

Ivy has been his favorite pawn to play with for years. Their back and forth begins when they were just kids and Ivy saw something that Gabe punishes her to this day. But Ivy is so beyond a pawn. This is a woman that gives as good as she gets. I’m saying the woman is fiendish in her own right and I absolutely loved how much hell she gives Gabe. She doesn’t take any of his BS lying down and when he hits with one of his twisted games, she makes sure to hit back twice as hard.

The war we have is a drug, and I’ve always been an addict.

Ivy is impossible not to love. She’s fierce and takes no sh*t. She’s beautiful but vulnerable with plenty of daddy issues the daughter of a powerful yet corrupt aspiring politician can have. She wants to be the good girl her father needs and leaves behind her party girl ways in the past. But Gabe also brings out the worst in her. And when he comes calling for an old bet, well, the gloves definitely come off on their games.

We’re two opposing forces, strong enough when we’re together that lightning cracks the pristine skies, and the earth shakes beneath our feet. We’re destructive. Disastrous. The blinding chaos of a tempest storm.

Ivy once went to Tanner for a favor and now years later, the Inferno is here to collect. But Ivy is faced with an impossible choice of doing the right thing and betraying her father or running from the truth that keeps creeping its way up.

This is most definitely not meant to be read as a standalone. There’s an continuing story arc that continues through each book. So while each book is a new couple, the story line continues. Secrets continue to emerge regarding the truth behind Luca’s father’s death and the involvement of the guys’ fathers. It’s a dark and twisted game full of twists that I couldn’t get enough of.

Gabe and Ivy burn up the pages together. Their chemistry is incendiary. I loved their hate lust almost as much as when they give into the temptation and burn up the sheets together. I loved how Ivy’s fierce nature balances out Gabe’s twisted charm. She makes him work for everything. For every little morsel of trust she grudgingly gives him with time. I’m so invested in this series, it’s not even funny. Every time I finish a book, my need for the next one is rabid. I just can’t get enough. Of course the man I’m absolutely dying for (Jase) will be second to last. But I’m absolutely giddy to get my grabby little hands on Ezra’s story next.

If you’re looking for a deliciously twisty and sexy romance with plenty of angst, chemistry, and all of the banter, you need this book in your life!

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

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Review: This Time Tomorrow by Tessa Bailey

June 22, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

THIS TIME TOMORROW
Series: Phenomenal Fate #2
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: June 22, 2020

Roksana, heiress to the vampire slayer throne, has performance anxiety.

She’s supposed to kill Elias, but so far she’s only succeeded in maxing out his credit card. Now her failure to stake the brooding vampire has sent her back to Moscow in disgrace to face her mother’s wrath. Expecting punishment by death, she’s given a rare reprieve. She now has three tasks to complete, the last of which is to finally kill Elias. She will not fail this time.

If only the memories of one magical evening—back when Elias was human, would stop holding her back. He claims to have forgotten that night. Why can’t she? Three years ago, Elias was a SWAT team member on a guy’s weekend in Vegas. Playing poker and minding his own business, his life changed forever when a captivating blonde strolled past his table in a light-up bra. He followed Roksana as if compelled, his very bones demanding he do so, his soul resonating with the belief she would be important to him. Always. That turned out to be a vast understatement—and nothing has changed.

Roksana embarks on her mission, determined to win back her mother’s approval, but when an astonishing truth emerges in the eleventh hour, will her stake pierce the very heart that beats in her honor? Or will love triumph over duty?

AMAZON

I love you,” he whispered, shaken by the emotion expanding in his throat, cradling her in his arms and carrying her to bed.
“No matter what happens this time tomorrow, that will never change.”

You guys. YOU GUYS! I’m practically vibrating with glee as I write this review. Because OMG. I mean OH MY GOD. This was EVERYTHING.

I’m going to date myself a little here, but I have to say, that if you’re a die hard fan of Buffy and Angel like I was, this is the holy grail of romances here. I mean; a sassy and smart mouthed vampire slayer falls for the dark, brooding, and uber protective alpha vampire. HELLO?!!! This was my happy place for the few hours it took me to absolutely DEVOUR THIS BOOK.
Now I have a confession to make here, too….
*whispers* I didn’t love the first book in this series. *cringes* I KNOW! I felt awful. I love me some Tessa Bailey, so to not like a book of hers, I felt like I was broken. But everything that I wished the first book was, the second book turned out to be. I’m not even exaggerating when I tell you that I devoured it. It was quick paced, emotional, and full of Bailey’s signature dirty talk that’s a one two punch straight to the ovaries. I LOVED IT.

Roksana is impossible not to love. I loved her as a secondary character, and I absolutely adored her as a main one. She’s so much more than just a smart mouthed slayer threatening to kill the vampires that she’s somehow been working along side with. Though her threats to kill them tomorrow sort of soften the intent. I was immediately gravitated towards the magnetic pull between her and Elias in the first book. But in this one? I was absolutely obsessed with it.

The story takes us back to the beginning of how these two first met and brings us into the now. Though you don’t find everything out right away, and you’re told in delicious bits and pieces until the puzzle begins to click together.

Elias was…GOD. This man was EVERYTHING. He loves Roksana beyond reason, even if she’s non the wiser for it. He’d die for her and would do anything for her, even if it’s sparing her the truth of something that has cost them both everything. His yearning for his woman was a tangible thing that you can practically taste from the pages. I’m not even kidding. It was utterly delicious. Their chemistry was absolutely incendiary. I couldn’t get enough of them and their push and pull. Talk about opposites attracting. Roksana’s mission is to kill him while he’d die to protect her. SWOON.

The world building here just did it for me. I was riveted to the quick paced story and all the side action it brought to the romance. And can we talk about this cover? PERFECTION. You bet your ass I’ll be buying the hell out of this paperback. And not just because I have every intention of re-reading this book countless times. If you’re looking for a sizzling hot PNR with one of the BEST couples that you will love to root for, don’t miss this one. Seriously. DO IT. Thank me for it later.

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Review: Treachery by Lily White

June 17, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

TREACHERY
Series: Antihero Inferno #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Elle Kennedy
Release Date: May 27,2020

Ninth Circle.
Treachery.
Also known as Tanner Caine.

He is a temptation with cold, dark eyes.
A man with a seductive smirk and a body built for pure sin.
The linchpin of a group of wealthy bad boys known as the Inferno.

A dark presence that repels as much as he attracts, Tanner is the poisoned apple I want to bite even when I know it will destroy me.

Our story started in college, but I ran from him so far I believed I was safe.
I should have known he’d find me eventually.
I should have known that nobody escapes.

He has me in his sights again with an offer I can’t pass up.
I know better than to make a deal with the Devil.
Not unless I’m willing to pay his sensual price…

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

Nine Standalone novels. Nine dangerous men. Nine unrepentant sinners you’ll hate to love.

AMAZON

Just remember not to start games you can’t finish. I’m the type of guy who will keep playing them until you beg me to stop.”

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR. TWICE.

What kind of rock have I been living under all of this time that this is my first Lily White book? And what kind of friends even are you that you haven’t smacked me over the head to read her sooner? *eyeing all of you* Except you, Ratula. We’re still going steady. And thanks for rec. I owe you one 🙂

But in all seriousness, how? HOW have I not read her before. I love me the dark stuff, and I do hear that Lily writes DARK. However, if you’re a bit of a puss, don’t worry, this isn’t on that level. It’s more twisty and gritty rather than dark. And this girl gobbled it right up with a spoon and begged for seconds!

He takes without asking. Traps me without apology. Seduces me without effort. A maelstrom. That’s what Tanner is.

The premise is delicious. Nine anti-heroes. Each with their own particular brand of tortured. Each unique and magnetic and with one shared goal, to bring down the patriarch that continue to pull their chain until they’re fully out from their influence. Sounds intriguing? Well it’s even better than it sounds.

Tanner is Treachery. He’s enigmatic and cold without a care for anyone but his own calculated agenda. Suffice it to say I wanted to have his babies the second he appeared on the page. And Luca was the fly that landed right into his spider web…but it certainly wasn’t by accident.

How is it possible to want someone so much when you absolutely hate them?

Now if you’re like me and enemies to lovers is your jam, prepare for this to be the best book crack ever. Because OH MY GOD.

If there’s one thing that I love in the enemies to lovers trope, besides a hero that’s deliciously MEAN, is a heroine that can give as good as she gets. And Luca is certainly that. The woman goes head to head with one of the most feared and intimidating man, and doesn’t bat an eyelash. The first time her and Tanner meet, she’s in college and while she’s a bit introverted and shy, she’s still no pushover. But when these two reunite years later, Luca certainly has had time to come into her own. And boy does she make Tanner work for it.

She’s the girl who thinks she got away, and fortunately for me, circumstances have landed her firmly back in my grasp. I’ll have her screaming my name before I let her go again-one way or another.

The banter and their push and pull dynamic was one of the most delicious I’ve read in a while. If you like your anti-heroes mean, and I mean MEAN, then you’ll fall head over ovaries for Tanner. The man is damn near vicious when need be. But behind the callous words and cold calculation, there beats something a little more. Something more vulnerable and hidden. Something that Luca is able to peel the layers back from.

He didn’t just kiss, he possessed, claimed, dominated until you couldn’t think past the way his lips felt and the hard body pressed against you.

I was immediately hooked on this book and instantly hooked and addicted on this series. As much as I loved Tanner and as much as he took center stage in the story, I was so intrigued by the other men. You get plenty of page time with Gabe, which makes sense, since his story is next, and I’m already gagging for it. But I have absolutely zero chill when it comes to it and want them all now!

If you’re looking for something gritty, sexy, with a layer of mystery and suspense that will have you reading well into the night and incapable of setting it down; READ. THIS. BOOK.

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#DGRFave & Review: Black Tangled Heart

May 20, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

BLACK TANGLED HEART
Series: Play On #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Samantha Young
Release Date: May 14, 2020

To my siblings, Jane was a friend. A pseudo-sister, the girl we grew up with.
To me? She was everything.
Our passion consumed us.

When our world fell apart, I thought our love would be the thing that held us together.
She was the love of my life. But she abandoned me when I needed her most.
And I’ll never forgive her.

For years I’ve been planning my revenge against the people who took everything from me.
Jane won’t be an exception. I’m coming for her.
She knows it.

She says she wants to help me serve my version of justice on the people who hurt me.
I’ll let her.
She probably thinks it will save her from me.

It won’t.

*This is a complete standalone. The Play On series are books connected by the theme of the arts industry, not by characters.

AMAZON | PAPERBACK

A love that consumes, consumes everything unto utter desolation.”

I loved this so hard! SO FREAKING HARD! I can’t even deal right now. I need a minute to calm my tits and collect my thoughts here.

Ok. I’ve calmed my tits. Maybe. I may have fangirling bursts throughout the review. Fair warning. So deal with it, mkay?

If you haven’t read Young’s Play On series yet, you’re seriously missing out. I’ve loved every book so far, but this one was definitely my favorite. And if you haven’t read the previous books, don’t worry, they’re all complete standalones. There’s not even a crossover aside from being set in the same “world”. Different characters, different stories, and all completely unforgettable.

The story here, there was just something about it that owned me so completely. It was magical, beautiful, and heartbreaking. It’s told in two parts. The first part tells the story of how Jane and Jamie meet as kids and ultimately fall in love. The kind of love that’s blistering and all consuming. The kind of love that can make you or break you, and it was MAGICAL. I lived for the two of them together. The progression of their characters was one of my favorite parts. Seeing Jane grow from a quiet, shy and unassuming child that doesn’t want to rock the boat, into a stunning teenager that’s just as shy but also isn’t afraid to stand up for herself. She was this perfect balance of quiet strength that I fell hard and fast for. And Jamie? Be still my heart! The guy was intense even as a teenager.

Life doesn’t always follow the plans you have, and soon Jamie and Jane fall apart as intensely as they fell in love. The second part is a second chance romance that reunites these two as adults and OMG I was so here for it. Jamie is no longer the young man that Jane once knew. He’s colder. Harder. Angry. And full of vengeance, all of which is aimed at her.

As the layers of lies and betrayal get pulled back, the reader gets pulled in. This story was all encompassing. I was completely consumed by their romance and their story. I binge read it. This was one of those stories that I couldn’t bear to put down for even a second. I was rabidly reading and never wanted it to end.

If you’re looking for a gritty second chance romance, look no further. This was EVERYTHING!

Samantha Young is a New York Times and #1 International bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. On Dublin Street was Samantha’s first adult contemporary romance series and has sold in thirty countries. She has since published over thirteen romance titles including the New York Times Bestsellers Into the Deep, Hero, and her most recent contemporary romance Fight or Flight. When writing Adult Paranormal romance she writes under the pen name S. Young.Connect with Samantha. Young:

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

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