Review: Sins of the Father by Isabel Lucero

December 19, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

SINS OF THE FATHER
Author: Isabel Lucero
Genre: Dark, MM Romance
Release Date: November 17, 2025

He comes to me through a lattice in a confessional booth in my church.

He’s brash, vulgar, and confessing to things that would send him to hell, and yet, I find myself intrigued by the mysterious man.

His sinful words thrill me. His way of life, so different from my own, has me coveting excitement that’s long been missing. The more I’m around him, the more I realize how long I’ve been deprived of so much, and the more my own deviance begins to emerge.

On paper, nothing about the two of us makes sense, and there are many reasons why I should keep my distance. I try to be pious, but if anyone were to find the skeletons in my closet, I’d be excommunicated from the church.

When something from my past reveals itself, I find myself being pulled into a way of life I didn’t think would be in my future, and now I straddle the line between right and wrong. Morality vs necessity.

I’m a priest. He’s a murderer. But we’re both sinners.

AMAZON

You got me on my knees, Father. Should I make a confession?” I nod once. “I’m about to ruin your life.”

The second I saw the blurb for this book, I knew it would be my first Isabel Lucero read. I am a sucker for the forbidden and the dark, and when you throw some mafia in? Stick a fork in me, I’m done!

A priest and a killer for hire? Yes please and gimme!

You can’t have sex, and I want to be the one to fuck you. To make a priest break his vow,”

While I enjoyed the story, I feel like I may have let my expectations also get the best of me. Carlo’s character development never quite clicked for me. The priesthood element felt glossed over and just thrown in for the plot, but never really fully touched. I missed the depth of the internal struggle and that never really happened. I understand that Carlo’s choice of the church wasn’t really a choice, but being in it for as long as he was, I expected at least some internal struggle. But it just felt like a switch was flipped and he no longer thought of it. And then the direction he took at the end, felt super off. I just couldn’t buy into it. I don’t want to ruin the twist, so I won’t spoil it, but I lacked the connection to really believe or buy into the direction of Carlo’s character.

As for Javi, I absolutely loved him and his filthy mouth. I do wish we got a bit more of his backstory development, but it was also just enough to connect me with him.

And while the chemistry was there, I felt like there wasn’t enough to really make the romance element believable. It went too quick too fast, that it just sort of happened, but lacked the development and the angst I’d expect.

If you like a dark mafia romance, this would hit the spot. It probably could have been done without the priesthood element and been just as good if not better. But again, my expectations got away from me with this one. Did I enjoy it? For the most part, yes. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

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AUDIO Review: Sweet Venom by Rina Kent

December 10, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

 

SWEET VENOM
Series: Vipers #2
Author: Rina Kent
Genre: Dark Romance
Release Date: December 2, 2025

From the New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Rina Kent comes a dangerously dark stalker hockey romance.


Can I outrun his merciless obsession?

I accidentally witnessed a brutal murder.
I froze, pretended I saw nothing, hoping I could leave it behind.
But my plan backfired, and my life spiraled downward.
Now, I’m the target of cold-blooded revenge.
Jude Callahan isn’t just a hockey god—he’s a devil no one dares to cross.
My existence disrupts his stardom, prestige, and possible serial killer career choice.
And he’s set out to make me pay for that moment of silence.
No matter how much I run or hide, he finds me, watching from the shadows.
Like a predator.
I thought he’d stop at the stalking.
Or even better, he’d kill me and finally end my misery.
But Jude has other plans.
He says I can’t die. I have to pay for my sins.
And just like that, he drags me into his depraved world, kicking and screaming.

Tropes:

  • Hockey romance x secret society
  • Antihero x Good girl
  • Enemies to lovers
  • He stalks her


This book can be read on its own but for better understanding of the world, it’s recommended to read Beautiful Venom first.

AMAZON

Please let me go.”
He shakes his head once, tsking as he pushes into me. “Don’t beg yet. We’ll get there… eventually.”

The way this audio had me in a complete chokehold for 3 days should be illegal. ILLEGAL I tells ya. But can you blame me when our lord and savior, Teddy, is narrating Jude? And I mean, JUDE. JUDE. Oh the man you are, Jude.

I don’t give a fuck who your type is. From now on, I’m your only type.”

I did a combo of ebook and audio with this and I’m so glad that I did, because this is a book you need to experience in audio. It just packs a different kind of punch when you get to experience Jude through Teddy. Trust me on this.

Yeah, well, you can have neither my heart nor my soul.”
“I will have your fucking everything, sweetheart.”

Now as for the story, while this is a standalone in an interconnected series, I do no recommend reading it out of order. You just won’t have the same level of appreciation for the story or the characters. So do yourself a favor and read Beautiful Venom first.

While I was super excited to read Jude’s book, admittedly I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Violet. After a peak into her in Beautiful Venom, I was afraid she may be too demure for my liking. And I am so happy to say that she surprised me in the best of ways. There were so many layers to her that the more the onion peeled back, the more I liked her.

If you’ve read Beautiful Venom, then you already know the dark connection with Violet and Jude. I won’t ruin it for you by telling you what it is but it landed her on Jude’s revenge list. He’s been stalking her for months, and now he’s prepared to finally do something about it. Except Violet is nothing what he expects because she welcomes his revenge. Violet was a dichotomy of strength and weakness. This is a woman who grew up in hell but didn’t let that rot her. There’s this layer of sweet and caring in her that on anyone else would seem almost cliche, but worked here.

And Jude? I LOVED Jude.

Yes, yes… oh God.”
“I can be your god, Violet. I’ll be your fucking everything.”

But I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that another secondary character took this book from a solid 4 straight to a 5 star read for me and that was Preston. The sheer chaotic madness of this man just carried the book.

I devoured this story but that ending has me wheezing for the next book. WHEEZING. I need it. With the kind of desperation I cannot even describe to you. 

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DGRFave & Review: A Secret And A Lie by B.H. Eastwood

December 2, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

A SECRET AND A LIE
Author: B.H. Eastwood
Genre: Dark, Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 2, 2025

SHE TELLS SECRETS, HE TELLS LIES

There are plenty of formidable people in Washington, D.C., though possibly none more so than me. I’m not sitting in the White House, nor have an office in the Capitol building. I’m not affiliated with the three branches of the US government whatsoever. But I’m acquainted with the players who are—intimately. I know them better than they know themselves. Same with the hot shots that make up corporate America and the moguls of Silicon Valley.

You see, I’m a keeper of secrets, of sensitive information.
I pocket the whispers in the dark, saving them for a rainy day. It makes me the most powerful woman in town, but it also makes me the most dangerous, the most feared; and therefore, the most hunted.

Unfortunately for the elite ladies and gentlemen of the upper echelon, they seem to have underestimated the bite force of an apex predator who’s been backed into a corner. Perhaps it’s time the players on this country’s board get bitten, and I won’t let anyone stand in my way—no matter how handsome he is.

He’s a complication I simply can’t afford.

AMAZON

I regret nothing. I feel nothing. I remember everything.

It’s official, I am wholly obsessed with B.H. Eastwood and her words. This book owned me for the entire day that it took me to read it, cover to cover. And I still find myself thinking about it. Power, intrigue, secrets and lies. All of them flawlessly weave a tale so sinfully dark and delicious.

She tastes like she belongs to me, like she’s mine to own, to care for, mine to love.

This book is the epitome of female rage, with revenge and intrigue thrown in for a sizzling twist.

Genevieve is a high power madam. She masterfully climbed her way to the top and she keeps her place at the top by harboring secrets from the most powerful echelon of society; the political and the corporate players alike. She knows all the deepest and darkest secrets, and that makes her a risk as much as it makes her dangerous. And now there’s a target on her back and she doesn’t know who is truly holding the trigger…

Ford is an FBI agent with a job he doesn’t want. A complication he never saw coming. And a woman he can’t have.

And that’s all the details that you’ll be getting from me.

Now what can I tell you about this book? It was a thrill ride from beginning to finish. I loved Ford’s journey to his dominance. From a man who thought he was as vanilla as they come, his dominant streak finally having the opportunity to come out was simply delicious. I mean, the mouth on this man. GAH. So good.

Genevieve was a force of her own, a predator in high heels, this is a woman who slays her own dragons and I absolutely loved that about her. I also loved the way her vulnerable side came out only with Ford and I loved the masterful way he fought for her trust and owned her body at the same time.

The twists and turns kept me at the edge of my seat. The story was a powerhouse of suspense and sizzling romance, all woven together with political intrigue. Think Mindfck meet Scandal, and yes, it was as good as it sounds.

If you haven’t read anything by this incredible author yet, you are seriously missing out. If you want a book that will grab you by the throat from the prologue and keep you at the edge of your seat until the last page, you need to read this!

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Review: West Bound by Maggie Rawdon

November 14, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

WEST BOUND
Series: The Quiet Horsemen #3
Author: Maggie Rawdon
Genre: Dark Romance
Release Date: October 24, 2025

When I’m stalked and kidnapped from the convent by my father’s enemy, a cowboy hellbent on revenge, everything changes.

I’m torn from my cloistered life of simplicity, thrown into the center of a bitter fight, and held at his mercy in a small cabin in the middle of the Colorado wilderness.
There could be a silver lining though.

The quiet, bespectacled, heavily tattooed horseman has an offer: If I give him what he wants, he’ll grant the only wish I have.
He might even be the one person capable of delivering it.

It’s a dangerous temptation. Just like the way he looks at me.

If I’m honest, the more I learn about the man underneath all the scars, the more I’m questioning everything I thought I believed. Especially when he makes a confession of his own.

But the cost for our deal? It’s steep.
I’ll have to break every vow I’ve ever taken.

AMAZON

“No time for being shy now, darlin’. You wanted the fucking wolf, so get up here so he can fucking eat you.”

I love a dark romance with a splash of forbidden so obviously the second I read the blurb for this book I was salivating. I mean, talk about your trope candy.

You will definitely want to read this series in order to get the full appreciation for it. While it is a standalone in an interconnected series, the overall family story arc does continue throughout each book. And while the author does a great job giving the overall summary, you’d appreciate it more having read in order.

This story takes place right after the revelation at the end of Dark Horse with the Stocktons being this much closer to the ones responsible for (I don’t want to spoiler it but let’s just say dark things that happened in their family). This revelation sends Levi Stockton undercover as a priest to stalk (read=watch) and kidnap an enemy’s daughter who’s in training to be a nun. Sounds absolutely delicious, right? And it was, for the most part.

Admittedly, if you’re looking for that feeling of forbidden, this book doesn’t quite deliver. I did feel like it barely grazed the surface of what it could have. And while it was great in the first 20%, it kind of started slipping the further I read. I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what was missing, but it did feel like the book was just trying to be too much all at once. The nun/priest thing just felt like a trope thrown in but wasn’t executed in a way that would have me at the edge of my seat.

Zephyrine was a tough FMC for me to click with. She just felt like she was all over the place. And while I loved her in parts, I struggled with her in others.

Now all that aside, the story was fun and entertaining. Perhaps if I was reading for the steam alone, I’d rate it higher. But while I didn’t love it, it was still enjoyable and a book I’d recommend for fans of dark western romance with a touch of forbidden. I’m still invested enough to want to read the next book and super curious how it will all come together. Especially with the preview of the Stockton sister potentially being our next FMC.

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Review: What is Love by Ashley N. Rostek

November 13, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

WHAT IS LOVE
Series: The Bridge Series #1
Author: Ashley N. Rostek
Genre: Dark, Why Choose Romance
Release Date: November 8, 2025

I can’t remember a time my skin was not blemished with black, purple, and blue.

I don’t know what it’s like to breathe without the weight of fear on my chest.

From a young age, I mastered how to lie and how to hide my pain behind a practiced smile. I was never told, but I’ve always known that I need to cover my punishments beneath pretty, pastel clothes and white pearls.

I must always appear perfect. The perfect student. The perfect girlfriend. The perfect daughter.

Some days, I meet those expectations. Some days, they change to something unachievable, and pain and fear become my whole reality.

I wish I could run away, but with my family’s money and connections, I know they would find me.

My past, present, and future have already been decided without my consent and it seems like death would be my only escape. So I don’t have any choice but to continue on with my perfect façade that grows harder and harder to bear when there’s no end to my misery in sight.

That is, until someone unexpected offers me his hand in a moment I need it—a moment I can’t hold my practiced smile. Despite so much risk of being caught, I take it, and I follow him and his friends into their world of worn black leather, ripped jeans, and dangerous men on motorcycles. A world, as my mother would say, on the wrong side of the bridge.


*** Warning ***
This is a why choose romance.
This story contains triggering content. For more details, please read the Know Before You Readpage located in the beginning of the book.

AMAZON

I was a willing victim for him. One who waited and watched with held breath.

This was my first book of Ashley’s and what an intro. I’m hooked. Line and sinker.

The second I read the blurb to this book, I knew I had to read it immediately. Rich abused FMC and sons of MC members MMCs? Yes please. But nothing could prepare me to the abuse that Charlotte (Lottie) was surviving.

The story is set in high school at prestigious school where only the most privileged of the rich attend. On the outside, Lottie has the perfect life. The Kendry family is the cornerstone Kendry academy that Lottie attends. But behind closed doors lives a hell that Lottie hides from everyone. A hell that exists at the hands of her abusive (OMG I loathed her) mother. Lottie longs for a different life but knows that can never be her reality.

Monroe (Roe) is a scholarship kid from the wrong side of the tracks. He’s everything that Kottie knows she needs to steer clear from. But he’s also the only one that seems to see her and able to give her a small life raft in the hell that is her life. Then there Roe’s two best friends; Reid and Wyatt. Wyatt being the easy going flirt and Reid the one who fights any connection he feels to Lottie.

The entirety of this book is from Lottie’s POV and I longed for a peek into the guys’ POV. I’m hoping that we get that in the future books because I’m already half in love with them. This book laid the foundation to Lottie and really spares no details into the hell she has lived in. The author throws you right into the darkest depths of her emotional turmoil, insecurities and fears. It was a visceral experience.

The romance is a slow burn, which was paced perfectly with the story. The cliffhanger was an absolute killer though, and I’m not sure how I’m going to survive the wait for the next book. THE WAY I NEED IT.

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Review: The Broken Queen by Ashley Munoz

November 8, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

THE BROKEN QUEEN
Series: Rake Forge Royals #2
Author: Ashley Munoz
Genre: Dark, Mafia Romance
Release Date: November 7, 2025

The final book in the Royals of Rake Forge duet is now here!

She was always ours.

Ours to protect.

Ours to love.

Yet, we were forced to watch as she stepped into another’s arms, completely out of reach.

We didn’t have any regrets in choosing to revive our father’s deadly legacy…we knew what threat faced this family and how much danger Presley was in.

Regardless of what our family thinks, it was worth it.

She was worth it.

We’d still burn down the entire world if it meant Presley was finally free of her burden.
We’d made amends by allowing her to remain free of us in the process.

But when someone is sent to the manor in a body bag, things begin to take a different shape.

The distance between our worlds shrinks, with it comes an opportunity to right our wrongs.

But if there’s only one chance to have Presley’s forgiveness, I’ll make sure she gives it to my brother.

Whatever it takes to heal my broken queen.
*This is a duet, and is encouraged to be read in order.*

AMAZON

Frenzied hearts often did reckless things, and once ours lacked the tether to the only person who ever made our worlds make sense, we indeed became reckless.

It’s been almost a week since I finished this book and I still find myself thinking about it. It kept me at the edge of my seat with a hand around my throat the entire time I read it and I swear, I think some parts of it just outright broke me. BROKE ME.

My sky fell, Gio. You were always supposed to hold it up.”

This book doesn’t take off immediately after the end of book one. It’s been almost a year and GOD that hurt. Presley’s pain was a visceral thing in this story, and there are parts of it that I fear I will just never get over.

I don’t want to have to tell you to fix what’s broken. I just want you to find the pieces and put them back together.”

If you haven’t read book one yet, don’t read reviews of book two. Go in absolutely blind. Trust me on this. I also recommend you read the first book prior to reading my review. You can’t say I didn’t warn you. Here we go.

Presley’s heart is shattered into pieces by the two men who have always owned her heart. Being able to compartmentalize her life and her duty to protect her family is what keeps her going. And of course, Adrian’s quiet and unobtrusive understanding also helps. When I tell you that I ended up falling for this man even though I know he was hiding something huge, I mean I fell. And I’m still not over it. But I digress.

The twins never stopped looking out for Presley, even though they have very different outlooks on things. Gio pines for the girl he’s never stopped loving, while Kingston doesn’t think he deserves and has made piece with the fact that he wants to do everything in his power to help his brother get her back, and walk away himself. But we all know what they say about the best laid plans, right.

When danger comes to Presley’s door stop, the twins are the only ones with the ability to not only get her out of the mouth of danger but keep her safe. And so they come crashing back together, with all the regressed pain and unresolved hurt, they’re back in each other’s orbit. And oh but it hurt so good.

All I do is care. I care so much, I can’t sleep. I can’t think. I am eternally frozen in this place where I broke you. It was the worst thing I could have ever done, and I’m sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am. I know I can’t fix it. I can’t go back.

I was not prepared for the roller coaster of emotion that this book will put me through. I raged, I cried, I swooned, and then I cried some more. I fear parts of this book just broke me irreparably.

I absolutely LOVED Presley and her fierce nature. I love a woman who can rescue herself and Presley is a force to be reckoned with. I loved that the twins amplified her fierceness and didn’t try to run over her.

The story was a high octane and action packed ride of betrayals and buried secrets. And woven into it was a romance full of pain and redemption. This book had me in a completely chokehold from beginning to the jaw dropping finish.

If you love a gritty mafia romance with a fierce FMC and two brothers who will give up everything for the woman they love, look no further.

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Review: The Pawn by Natasha Knight

October 31, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

THE PAWN
Series: War of Hearts #2
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Natasha Knight
Release Date: October 29, 2025

I rule a kingdom built on blood.

Brutality is my legacy.

The moment I saw Allegra Moretti, I knew I had to have her.

The night I planned to make her my wife, my enemies attacked.

They took her from me.

They did not know the monster they unleashed.

I burned the world down to bring her home.

Now, I’ll go to war for her.

I will tear our families apart and I will deliver her enemies to her in pieces.

Allegra is my queen and I will destroy any man who dares hurt her.

AMAZON

I still hate you,” I tell him what I’ve told him before although it’s not true. I know that now. “You can hate me all you want. It won’t make you any less mine.”

The heart pounding conclusion to the War of Hearts is here and WOWZA. What an ending. I think I may have spent the entire book with my jaw on the floor.

Angry kissing. Angry fucking. It’s our love language.

Cassian was impossible not to love as a villain in book one. But as a man desperate to rescue the woman he realizes means more to him than revenge? BE. STILL. MY. HEART.

If you haven’t yet read book one, don’t read my review, because it will reveal some mild spoilers of the first book. I’ll try to limit it to the bare minimum, though. Allegra is violently kidnapped and wakes up in her waking nightmare, facing the depths of a betrayal she had assumed but never realized the full extent of. And oh how deep it goes. This woman survives hell a second time over and my heart broke for everything she goes through. But her fierce warrior heart shines through every moment and I loved her character arc and her growth. Because she goes from surviving in her world to really being her own hero and I loved that. This is not a woman afraid of death and violence and doesn’t shy away from making her enemies pay.

Now Cassian. Man. I didn’t think it was possible to love this man even more than I did in book one when he was mean and pushing Allegra away. But Cassian who has comes to terms with his feelings and will protect his woman at any cost? SWOON.

It’s not often that a book takes me by surprise with a plot twist but this one managed to completely blind side me. When I tell you I was reeling, I mean jaw on the floor and completely blown away. I didn’t see that coming at all and I love that it took me by surprise that way.

This was an epic conclusion to a deliciously dark and gritty duet and I sincerely hope we’ll get more in this world because I NEED Jet’s book desperately. 

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Review: The Villain by Natasha Knight

October 23, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

THE VILLAIN
Series: War of Hearts #1
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Natasha Knight
Release Date: October 22, 2025

My life changed the moment I saw Cassian Trevino standing in the shadows of my father’s study.

A ruthless villain in a suit, he’s the head of a rival mafia family.

I should have been safe.

Instead, I was trapped by the man my brother betrayed.

Cassian came for blood.

But he took me instead.

Now I’m his possession.

His obsession.

He demands my surrender. He wants my body, my heart and soul.

And the most dangerous part? My heart has already betrayed me.

But the truce between our families is fracturing. We stand on the brink of a mafia war.

Loving my enemy isn’t only forbidden. It could be the deadliest betrayal of all.

Author’s note: This is a dark mafia romance. NO cheating. Check TW on my website.

AMAZON

Let me tell you something about our world. There are no heroes. We are all villains.”

I don’t know what Natasha puts in her books that make me inhale them each and every single time. It’s the best sort of book crack and this book was no exception. I inhaled it in one sitting was shacking in need for the conclusion.

Allegra Moretti finds herself in the crosshairs of a dangerous man with an even more dangerous bargain. Following the death of her father, her bumbling brother takes over the criminal empire. Only he ends up owing the wrong man a lot of money. And that man is going to take his sister as collateral until he pays it back.

Cassian Trevino is a brutal man and I know what brutal men are capable of.

When grown man tremble at his feet, Allegra fights Cassian tooth and nail. Sometimes almost too much that it made me want to shake her. But I also loved watching her rile him up. This woman is no victim, she fights him with everything she has and I loved her viciousness almost as much as I loved her inevitable surrender to their connection. Because who doesn’t love them some hate sex?

I’m going to make you come so fucking hard you forget how much you hate me,”

But I digress.

There are just as many questions raised for every answer that we get. The more you learn about Cassian and his secrets, the more questions we get for Allegra. I was so intrigued by Cassian and his tumultuous relationship with his step brothers, especially Jet (who I’m hoping will be getting his own book).

And that cliffhanger? Luckily I have book two already or I would have been rocking myself in a corner somewhere, because it was BRUTAL.

And it’s not just sex. Sex would be easy. A simple, human need satisfied. No, this is something far more dangerous. This is possession. A whole other level of need.

 

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Review: Unveil By Greer Rivers

October 10, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

UNVEIL
Series: Frayed Satin #1
Author: Greer Rivers
Genre: Dark Romance
Release Date: October 2, 2025

A dark Swan Lake retelling where the ‘villain’ steals the girl, set in a world of secret pacts, feuding families, and primal obsession.

He’s her curse, but she’s his salvation, and he’ll do anything to keep the ones he loves safe.

Rebellious ballerina Luna Bordeaux may be the darling of the New Orleans elite, but she’s destined to dance in her parents’ shadows. Her twenty-second birthday was supposed to be her escape. One last performance, one necessary breakup, then? Freedom.

Except her white knight of a boyfriend just proposed on stage.

And now her masked stalker has crashed the engagement party…

Orion Fury has protected Luna for years, counting the seconds until he can claim his future wife, honoring a vow made between their fathers decades ago. His discipline has only ever slipped once, but his enemy just crossed the line. All bets are off, and a night that began with a party ends in kidnapping and murder.

Now Luna is a stolen bride with blood on her slippers and a target on her back, trapped in the wilderness with the man who hunted her. But Orion isn’t the only predator in these woods, and the men coming for her will do anything to stop the Fury-Bordeaux alliance.

Her villain may be the one person she’s determined to hate, but is he the only one dangerous enough to keep her alive?

Tropes:
Arranged marriage
Masked stalker
Primal play
Touch her and die
Hidden identity
Stolen bride
Villain gets the girl

Unveil is Book 1 of the Frayed Satin Series, a Tattered Curtain second-generation legacy series of interconnected standalones reimagining classic ballets with dark and twisty HEAs. Each series can be enjoyed separately. TWs will be available in the front of the book.

AMAZON

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this.”
My voice is hoarse. “Do what?”
His thumbs lift my chin, pressing my jaw as a low growl rumbles from his chest. “Make you mine.”

*kicks feet giddily*

Now if there’s one thing about me, it’s that I love an obsessed MMC. And Orion Fury is the unhinged kid of obsessed that I absolutely DEVOURED in this book.

Now if you haven’t yet read Greer’s Tattered Curtain series, I highly recommend you start with that first. You’ll have a much easier time wrapping your head around the history of these characters since Frayed Satin is the next generation spinoff.

Our FMC, Luna, is the daughter of none other than Sol from Phantom. She’s a talented ballerina who’s eager to break out on her own but has the looming years long rivalry and a potential marriage pact that’s looming over her head on the day she turns 22. She’s dating a guy who barely stirs anything more than friendship in her but when he proposes, the man who has been stalking her for years finally makes him move. After all, Luna is promised to be his wife and Orion Fury will stop at nothing to both have her and protect her with his life. Especially when a dangerous rivalry between families lands her in the crosshairs of the Wildes.

The story was fast paced and the premise of it super interesting. Unfortunately, I struggled to really connect to both Luna and Orion. And while they did have chemistry, I still struggled to connect to them as a couple. Orion was obsessed from the very beginning and Luna took a minute to get there. But there was just something missing for me to fully connect with them as a couple. I can’t really put my finger on what it was exactly. Perhaps having a snippet of how Orion watched her through the years may have helped develop that bond for me.

The other quibble I had with the story was the part in the woods. I don’t want to spoil it, but it felt very out of left field and I struggled to understand why it had to happen that way and if it really was necessary for the plot.

I had fun reading it, but it just didn’t grab me by the throat the way the Tattered Curtain books did. It did suck me into the series and I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the books. I still enjoyed this one and would recommend for those who enjoy a dark romance with an obsessive and possessive FMC. I also really loved the mental health representation and loved the way it was written into the story. 

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Review: The Lost Kings by Ashley Munoz

September 27, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

THE LOST KINGS
Series: Rake Forge Royals #1
Author: Ashley Munoz
Genre: Dark, Mafia Romance
Release Date: September 26, 2025

From the creator of the bestselling Stone Riders series comes an all-new romantic suspense described as “John Wick meets The Summer I turned Pretty,” with an angsty love triangle between twin brothers.

I was always told people grew roots where they were planted.

But mine developed between the hearts of two brothers.

For as long as I could remember, they were my protectors, living on the opposite end of the manor.

It was when I turned eight that I realized the truth. The twins were never supposed to protect me. It was the other way around and I would grow up to be the one that kept our family safe.

As time went on, they were forced to watch while I was broken and reshaped into the weapon needed to break us free from the cage our family had been forced into.

I always assumed the twins understood.

But when I became old enough to accept my fate, they slapped it away and tried to show me a different choice.

Even with my heart in their hands, I tried to make them see that there was no other path for me to walk.

They left, abandoning the family and destroying those roots that had kept us together.

Without them, we were forced to align with a powerful enemy.

But the twins returned when it was discovered how close I became with our rival.

I assumed it was to reclaim my heart, but it was to declare war.

We stood on opposite sides, but somewhere in the middle was my broken heart, still held between two lost kings.

AMAZON

I just simply couldn’t understand the draw of being with one man when two was an option.

If you’ve read Ashley’s Rake Forge University series, you’re going to love the next gen spinoff featuring the daughter of The Joker.

I have been eagerly devouring any hints into this book for months now. It’s an MFM and it’s a love triangle and I was desperate to find out more. Is the love triangle between the twins? Or is the love triangle between the twins and another man? And after reading this book, I’m still desperate for answers.

I didn’t want him looking at her. I didn’t want him falling for her. He couldn’t. Not when I was fairly certain I already had.

Presley is the daughter of Kyle “The Joker” and with the weight of her father’s empire and sins on her shoulders. From the time she was old enough, she was training to take it over and all the dangers that come with it, including her father’s enemies who never stop coming for him.

Gio and King are the twin sons of Taylor and Juan from King of Hearts and are Presley’s best friends. And from the time they’re old enough to recognize the emotion, they’ve been in love. Though the odds are forever stacked against them with who Presley’s family is.

The story is told in equal parts of past and present. Though I’m not usually a big fan of a lot of flashbacks, it really worked here to give you just enough understanding of their past in order to connect with what is happening in the present.

It was an angsty, slow burn of a story that tugged on the heartstrings right before it ripped them to absolute shreds. I have no idea what I’m going to do with myself until the conclusion. I love the usual spin on mafia male heir with Presley being the tough queen that she is. Her training at the hands of her father’s uncle was ruthless and she grew into a fiery woman but one who can still get her heart crushed by the two men who she never got over.

If you love a forbidden romance with plenty of angst, emotion, and heat, then you’re not going to want to miss this one!

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