dark – Page 7

Review: Unshackle by Pam Godwin

November 30, 2020 by Lana · Leave a Comment

UNSHACKLE
Series: Deliver #7
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Pam Godwin
Release Date: November 30, 2020

No woman can resist Luke Sanch’s chiseled features, honed physique, auburn hair, and intense green eyes.
While deadly in combat, he’s an indomitable weapon in bed. He can coax an explosive release with only his mouth and annihilate with insidious, mind-blowing pleasure.

When he infiltrates La Rocha Cartel, he must seduce Vera Gomez to determine whether to rescue her.
Or kill her.

Nothing can distract his icy, lethal focus.
Except the cartel’s most feral captive.

The nameless, raven-haired beauty is his key to dismantling Vera Gomez. But the ferocious little fighter challenges him at every turn and unknowingly battles her way into his heart.
A battle that delivers him, physically and emotionally, into shackles.

DELIVER series (HEAs with no cliffhangers – must be read in order):
Deliver #1
Vanquish #2
Disclaim #3
Devastate #4
Take #5
Manipulate #6
Unshackle #7
Dominate #8
Complicate

AMAZON

He wanted this tiny little warrior with a ferocity that felt foreign. Inexplicable. Completely out of his depth.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. This is hands down, one of my favorite dark romance series to date. I’m absolutely obsessed with it and somehow it only keeps getting better and better with each book. Captivatingly dark and erotically charged, this story owned me. I read it with a pit in my stomach and a sense of dread with every turn of the page just waiting for the other page to turn. Because one thing about Godwin’s writing, is the woman is completely unpredictable and isn’t afraid to go to the very pits of human depravity and darkness. You never know what you’ll get, and this book is proof of that. Godwin is an evil genius and I will never be the same again.

His stare wasn’t a stare. It was a labyrinth. All high walls, dark corners, and confusing dead ends.

Unshackle is Luke’s story. As a secondary character, Luke was quite unassuming to me. He never really stood out as a character that I was dying to know more about. And then this book came around and tilted my world on it’s axis because his story completely owned me. Luke’s beauty and charm is widely known. This is why he’s the one that’s sent to infiltrate the La Rocha cartel and seduce answers out of Vera Gomez. If you’ve read Manipulate, then you’ll remember Tula’s lost sister, Vera.

Nothing is ever as it seems in this world, and soon Luke’s mission takes a turn when his attention is grabbed by a fierce captive forced to fight in the ring for everyone’s entertainment. He knows the dark reality of the captive women in the compound and knows he can’t save them all, but something about this nameless beauty draws him like no other.

The feelings she unleashed in him were unwieldy. Monstrous. Impossible to tame.

I won’t give you much more details about the plot, but prepare yourself for an all-nighter. Because this book is completely impossible to put down. With every twist and turn, with every new revelation and secret revealed, you get sucked deeper and deeper. My heart bled for these characters and everything they go through. Godwin spares no punches with her gut wrenching details that I found myself almost sick to my stomach reading parts of the story. It was devastating and never failed to invoke a sense of emotion; whether it was anger, lust, or absolute terror. I lived for these characters and I I live for this series. And the set up for the next one? I. DIE. I absolutely DIE. I need the next book BAD. Although not entirely as bad as the last book because OH MY GAWD. I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for the enigma that is him and I need my HEA!!!

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.

Join my Facebook Reader Group: here

Other Books by Pam Godwin

Tangled Lies Series
ONE IS A PROMISE (#1) – FREE
TWO IS A LIE (#2)
THREE IS A WAR (#3)

Deliver Series
DELIVER (#1) – FREE
VANQUISH (#2)
DISCLAIM (#3)
DEVASTATE (#4)
TAKE (#5)
Manipulate (#6)
UNSHACKLE (#7)

Trilogy of Eve
HEART OF EVE – FREE
DEAD OF EVE (#1)
BLOOD OF EVE (#2)
DAWN OF EVE (#3)

Stand-alones

? STUDENT-TEACHER ROMANCE ?
DARK NOTES

?️ ROMANTIC SUSPENSE ?️
DIRTY TIES

? ROCK-STAR DARK ROMANCE ?
BENEATH THE BURN

? CELEBRITY ROMANCE ?
INCENTIVE

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 5 stars, dark, Pam Godwin

Review: Ruthless Savior by Julia Sykes

November 17, 2020 by Lana · Leave a Comment

RUTHLESS SAVIOR
Series: Captive #5
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Julia Sykes
Release Date: November 17, 2020

My pretty little captive thinks she can run from me. She doesn’t understand how ruthless I truly am…

Guarding my lovely hostage has become my obsession. I protect Marisol from the vicious men in my brutal cartel, including myself. I’ve kept the promise I made to my boss on the night of her capture: No one touches her.

But she runs from me at the first opportunity, escaping the safe cage I built for her.

I’ve denied myself for far too long. She’s made the mistake of believing I’m gentle and forgiving. There’s nothing gentle about what I intend to do to her once I catch her, and she’ll have to beg for my forgiveness.

I’ve spent endless nights imagining so many delicious ways to torment her.

Now that she’s defied the cartel, I can indulge all of my twisted desires.

I’ll never let her escape me again. Marisol is mine

AMAZON

My dark affinity for dangerous men would be my ruin.

The Captive series is one of my favorite guilty pleasure reads. I’m a sucker for a good captive romance, and Julia Sykes writes some of the most delicious antiheroes. They’re ruthless criminals that become borderline obsessive and uber protective when it comes to their females and I am so here for it.

Ruthless Savior is the story of Marisol and Ruel, who we met in Wicked King. Marisol was Carmen’s maid and a long time captive of the cartel. She yearns for freedom but seems to always get in the crosshairs of dangerous and ruthless men. This time her captor is Stefano’s right hand man, Raul.

Raul is fiercely protective of Marisol, but he’s no different than all other men in Marisol’s life; he wants to own her. She’s been planning an escape and when she finally takes it, she knows he’ll stop at nothing to bring her back. And when he does catch up to her, he won’t let her out of his sight again. She becomes his captive and even though he vows to protect her at all costs, she still knows that he won’t let her leave. Haunted by her past mistakes with dangerous men, Marisol can’t stop fighting for her freedom. her past haunts her and her dark urges for Raul terrify her.

If you like dark romance to dip your toe into the genre, this is the series. It has just the right amount of danger and darkness to be delicious, without being overwhelming. Raul is fiercely protective and dangerously lethal. But there’s enough characterization to humanize this cartel criminal that you also feel for him. I love how Sykes captures that in all her romances. This was a sexy romance full of grit and danger and just the right amount of suspense. I’m already salivating for my next fix in this series.

Julia Sykes is the USA Today bestselling author of the Impossible Series. She has always kept dark stories tucked away in her mind, so she was thrilled when she discovered that other people actually want to read them. Her books blend romance, suspense, and BDSM.

You can usually find Julia in Starbucks with a venti iced coffee clutched in her hand (two pumps of mocha, liberal half and half). If she’s not in Starbucks, you will find her with a glass of prosecco in hand, probably reading Harry Potter. Again.

Connect with Julia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjuliasykes/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/julia-sykes
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2LWBDzZ
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6469571.Julia_Sykes
Twitter: @JuliaSykes193 ‏
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjuliasykes/
Website: http://www.julia-sykes.com/
Subscribe to Julia’s newsletter: Julia-sykes.com/connect

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4 stars, dark, julia sykes, Mafia

Review: Morally Corrupt by Veronica Lancet

November 1, 2020 by Lana · Leave a Comment

MORALLY CORRUPT
Series: Morally Questionable #1
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Veronica Lancet
Release Date: November 1, 2020

The first time I saw him I knew he was mine.

I pretended to be innocent, sweet, pure.

It couldn’t be further from the truth.

I lied to him. I married him.

And now he knows.

Hooker. Assassin. Junkie.

I am rotten to the core.

I am morally corrupt.

Bianca Ashby, a certified sociopath with an obsession for her husband, tries to juggle two lives – the demure NYPD Chief Commissioner wife, and the perfect Bratva assassin; all the while keeping her husband safe and blissfully unaware.

But when high-level corruption and a personal vendetta raise the stakes, no one is who they say they are; least of all Bianca’s perfectly dull husband Theo.

From glitzy New York ballrooms and charity events to underground sex rings, drugs, and illegal fights, the best pretender wins it all.

Morally Corrupt is book one of the Morally Questionable series but can be read as a standalone.
Warning: This book explores questionable moral behaviors and includes graphic violence and adult situations that may trigger some readers. Please proceed with caution

AMAZON

Sometimes, maybe even monsters deserve some redemption.”

I’m what you’d call trigger shy when it comes to new to me or debut authors. (See what I did there? Assassin? Trigger? Ha! Whatever, it was funnier in my head). I’m such a picky reader, that I’m always hesitant to try a new author for fear that my nitpicking brain will kick in and won’t shut off. Yes, I’m one of those. I own it. But when I read the blurb to Morally Corrupt, I knew that blurb was simply too delicious for me not to give it a try. And you know what? I am so happy I did because I just may have found myself a new author to follow.

I’m a sucker for a dark and gritty read, and when you add into the mix incredibly unconventional characters? I’m putty in your hands. PUTTEH I tells ya! And it just doesn’t get more unconventional than a certified sociopath heroine who is obsessed beyond reason with her husband and happens to moonlight as a Bratva assassin behind his back.
Bianca Ashby was a character that’s vivid and multi-layered. Her quirks hook the reader immediately. Here’s a woman that grew up in glitz and glam, with some daddy issues on the side, and is one of the deadliest assassins out there with absolutely no moral compass. And the only thing beyond her job that she’s more obsessed with is her NYPD Chief Commissioner who treats her like spun glass when all she wants him to do is the opposite. Then you have her husband Theo, who is not quite all that he seems. GAH. Delicious.

Now that’s about all you’ll get out of me regarding this story, because you simply need to experience it for yourself.

What I will tell you, is while this is an author to watch out for. For a debut, this blew me away. It was an action packed thrill ride full of intrigue, secrets, murder, and suspense. Warring mafia families, twisted bonds, a sizzling romance, all of it cleverly crafted to keep the reader at the edge of their seats from beginning to finish. There were some parts that were a bit drawn out, and some details that felt a bit much at times. However, I wasn’t going into a debut book expecting it to be perfect, so it did nothing to distract from the story. I was obsessed. I was obsessed not only with the main characters, but with some of the most intriguing secondary characters. Luckily we’re getting the book for one of them next, but I’m pretty sure if we don’t get Vlad’s book right after that, I may cry a little.

What can I tell you. This book was deliciously morbid. It was dark, gritty, and sucked you right into the dark underbelly of NY’s crime underbelly. The romance was the exact icing on the cake the story needed and I devoured it! Simply devoured it. Told in dual first person POV, it was filled with enough twists and turns to leave her head reeling. Do yourself a favor and read this. Trust me on this. This is one debut you’ll want to check out.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4 stars, dark, Veronica Lancet

Review & Excerpt: Deliver Us by Pam Godwin

October 30, 2020 by Lana · Leave a Comment

DELIVER US
Series: Deliver
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Pam Godwin
Release Date: October 27, 2020

Deliver Us, an all new dark, intense and gut-wrenching boxed set from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Pam Godwin is now available and perfect for a binge read!

Are you ready to fall in love with a villain?

Van Quiso’s chilling gunmetal eyes will shiver your blood and torment your heart. You’ll fear him and crave him, for behind the cruel mouth lurks a jealous, possessive devil who will sacrifice everything to protect the woman he loves.

Each standalone is a different couple with its own dark love story, all interconnected in a dangerous underworld of murderers, kidnappers, and cartels. Forget your comfort zones. This world isn’t pretty. But it’s oh-so-delicious and twisty.

With over 1000 pages of passion and suspense, this is your next binge read.

More than 200,000 copies sold and thousands of 5-star reviews. No cliffhangers. Available in digital, print, and audiobook.

AMAZON | NOOK | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

The chains fell off his chest and arms and pooled around his waist. His freedom swept through him in ragged breaths.

She gazed at him with stiff lines of determination on her face, an expression he’d seen a hundred times, the unwavering glare that tortured him, aroused him, conjured his nightmares, and filled his dreams.

He memorized each twitch of her lashes, the delicate point of her raised chin, every faltered breath. He was consumed with having her and terrified to lose her.

“Tell me what you’re thinking.” He reached up to brush his fingers through her thick dark hair.

She recoiled before his hand made contact. A blank mask fell over her face, a wall of ice slamming between them. She moved to the driver seat and faced forward.

His momentary calm burst into a roaring fire. Hands fisting, heart pounding, he didn’t know what to do with the fury burning through his veins. He tagged his jeans and boots from the floorboard and jumped out.

He dressed as he walked, jerking on his boots, kicking branches out of his path. His muscles heated, and sweat slicked his bare chest, chilling in the night air. He wasn’t angry at her. He was angry for her. The abuse done to her body. The helplessness of her situation. His inability to free her.

He slammed a fist into the nearest tree trunk. Again. Again. Pain ricocheted through his hand, down his arm, and fed his breaking heart.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught her silhouette standing a few yards away. A slender shadow, shrouded by darkness. And in her raised arms, she held a gun, trained on him.

He threw another fist. Absorbed the burn. Expelled the rancor. He knew she was holding a gun on him to prevent him from running and putting her family at further risk. Regardless, she wouldn’t shoot him. Not because she needed a slave, but because she loved what was hers with a self-destructing passion.

He faced her and held out his arms. “I’m yours.”

The girl and the gun didn’t move.

“Lose the damned mask and stop hiding from me.” He raked his throbbing hands through his hair. “Scream, cry, hit something. Hit me. But for God’s sake, let it out.”

The shadowy lines of her body wavered. The gun lowered, returned to her boot.

He stretched out his arms, savoring the cool breeze brushing over his unrestrained skin. “I stand here without rope or chains, Liv, tethered to you by my own will.” His blood beat with the ferocity of his words. “I won’t be free until you are.”

Her head jerked back, her body rigid. Then she walked straight to him and unleashed her fists on his chest. She clobbered him over and over, her gasps accelerating with each fall of her hand.

The lashing didn’t hurt. Not like the whimpers rising from her chest. She was hurting, lashing out for the wrongs that had been done to her. A sharp pain swelled in his throat. The only thing he could do was take it in, try to bear some of it for her.

He held his arms out and his body open. When her hits ebbed into weak slaps, she stumbled back, hugging herself and clutching her elbows.

His heartbeat slogged through the ache in his chest. He kept his arms outstretched and whispered, “I’m here.”

Disbelief widened the whites of her eyes, and her breath caught. He waited.

In two running steps, she launched at him, climbed up his chest, and curled her hands in his hair. He lifted her, pinning the curves of her thighs around his hips, and took her mouth. His knuckles burned with fever, but the heat from her lips was overriding. She whispered kisses over his jaw, around his mouth, caressing, assuring.

He angled his head, deepening the reach of his tongue and drinking her in lick by lick. Her hands in his hair, the sweetness of her breath filling his mouth, there will never be another kiss like hers. She knew how to suck his lips and trap his tongue in a way that stroked every nerve ending in his body. More than that, she knew how to reach inside him. She found him, her ferocity defying the odds and pivoting them into place, perfectly interlocked.

Her thighs squeezed around his waist, her breasts soft against his chest. He palmed her backside with a cautious gentleness, and chased her tongue, spiraling, stretching deeper, falling heart-first into an existence where only she mattered.

First of all, if you haven’t read this series yet, it’s time to crawl out from under that rock you’ve been living under and see the light. Because this series is LIFE CHANGING. No one, and I mean NO ONE writes a redeemable anti-hero quite like Pam Godwin. They’re beyond anti-heroes, they’re straight out villains that you grow to love despite their darkness. Or is it because of their darkness? I don’t know and I don’t care, but I will say that this series is an absolute must read.

If you haven’t read it yet, now is the chance to get the first three books in one bundle. These are not meant to be read as standalone. You really need to do yourself a favor and read them in order. The characters are all introduced early in the series, so to understand the complexity, it’s best to read each book.

Deliver starts the series with a bang, and we get an anti-heroine. How often do you read that? And nothing will prepare you for the story of Van and Matias. GAH. I loved those books.

If you want to read my full detailed reviews you can find them here:
VANQUISH
DISCLAIM

Now do yourself a favor and jump on these!

Pam Godwin is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, 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 | Twitter | Website | Amazon | Goodreads

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark, DGR Favorites · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 5 stars, dark, Pam Godwin

Review: Gold Mine by Skye Warren

September 17, 2020 by Lana · 2 Comments

GOLD MINE
Genre: Dark Romance
Series: The Diamond Trilogy #2
Author: Skye Warren
Release Date: September 15, 2020

Holly Frank is in trouble. The deadly kind.

She and her sister must evade the authorities and the criminals who want them dead. Including Elijah North. The man who took her heart in Paris, her body in a prison cell, and her trust without remorse.

He’s determined to keep her safe. Even if that means losing her forever.

Adam Bisset has his own dark agenda.

She’s caught between the two men, torn apart with every sensual push and pull. Each touch is a lie, each whispered tenderness a trap—but she can’t resist them.

Their lies are tearing her apart. Her enemies are catching up with her. And when she’s taken captive again, she finds out secrets to unravel it all.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO

You can pretend you’re disgusted with me when I make you come so hard you see God.

How many times have you been able to say that book two in a trilogy was even better than book one? Because I can count how many times I’ve felt this on one finger. Yes, I said it. Because it never happens for me. Usually book one hooks me, and then book two is slow paced filler. Not this time. Gold Mine was EPIC. It was a deliciously erotic, heart-pounding thrill ride of one jaw dropping plot twist after another. And this girl gobbled it right up!

…I take what I want. It doesn’t have to be more complicated than that, Holly.”
“Have you heard of dating?”
He gives me a small, private smile. “This is better. I don’t want to ask you out. I don’t want to give you the illusion that you can say no, Holly. You’re mine.”

I thought I loved Elijah in Diamond in the Rough, but I was simply not prepared for the full dose of everything that is him in this one. Oh. My. GAWD. This man. He’s so incredibly complex but with a vein of darkness that pulses through him. And this time we finally get a peek beneath that mysterious curtain. The layers are peeled back and it made me fall even harder for him.

There’s also a delicious underlay of taboo here with a splash of dub con that I was drooling over. Elijah is a man that likes it hard and dirty and did I say OMG? Because OMG.

Holly is just as fierce as she was in the first book. She’s fiercely protective of her sister and she’s slowly coming to the realization that there’s something between her and Elijah when he finally catches her again. That something is a little dark, a little depraved, and a lot delicious. It’s unconventional and they’re both definitely struggling trying to understand it. Elijah’s cravings may run on the dark and depraved side, but Holly craves everything that he has to give.

There’s a lot more that gets revealed about the North brothers, so of course I’m already salivating for Josh’s book. But then the jaw dropping revelations for Adam happen and I’m absolutely desperate for his book too.

This installment was a non-stop trill ride that I couldn’t set down for even a minute. I devoured this book in one sitting and now I’m going through withdrawals until my next fix.

Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of dangerous romance such as the Endgame trilogy. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, sweet dogs, and evil cat.

Connect with Skye

2 Comments · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Dark · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4.5 stars, dark, Skye Warren

Review: Sicko by Amo Jones

September 1, 2020 by Lana · Leave a Comment

SICKO
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Amo Jones
Release Date: September 1, 2020

He was my foster brother.

He swore to protect me.

He failed.

They all failed.

I’m an open box of passé photographs, snapped in chaste daylight, but filtered in sepia. I’m the past that he tried to forget, and he was the future I needed. When he left six years ago, I screamed for him every night. But then it all stopped. My screams were suddenly muffled by cruelty, and further coaxed by pain.

But he has come back. He’s not the cute big brother I had a furtive crush on, or the bad boy, rich brat that I hated to love.

He’s the ruthless vice president of Wolf Pack MC, and he doesn’t answer to Royce Kane anymore.

He answers to Sicko.

AMAZON

Heaven won’t take me, and Hell won’t welcome my demons back. I’ll be left in purgatory again, only this time for real.

This was one of my most anticipated September releases. The second I read the blurb to this book, I’ve been salivating for it. And I think this may have been my favorite Amo Jones book I’ve read to date. The woman sure knows how to write a kickass heroine and an antihero that will make your ovaries quiver. And this story brought that in spades.

Jade is one of the most fierce heroines I’ve ever read from Amo and I couldn’t get enough. We first meet Jade as a 15 year old girl, reeling with her budding feelings for her foster brother. Though there’s no ice factor here. The author did a phenomenal job layering their foundation with just enough chemistry when we first meet them that shows that Royce’s overprotective brother routine is so much more. Royce has been Jade’s everything, ever since she landed with Kane family as an infant. He’s her protector, her confidant, and her dirtiest secret in her mind. But just as she begins to come to terms that her feelings for him are no longer that of an innocent young girl, he disappears. And leaves her in hell.

It’s been four years since Royce left and now everything is different. Jade has been stuck in a hell that no one knows about. And when her foster brother makes a sudden reappearance, it turns her world upside down one more time. Royce is no longer the wild boy she knew. He’s darker at the edges and the VP of an MC. He also seems to almost hate her.

The chemistry between these two was incendiary. I couldn’t get enough of them. They were volatile and erotic and it hurt so good. They almost get off on tormenting the other in their own different ways. But both harbor secrets that can destroy everything.

What made this book all the more intriguing to me, was the author’s warning in the beginning of this book being DARK. Like spare no details sort of dark. So of course I began to brace myself from the very first page. Now perhaps I’m a bit desensitized when it comes to my dark reads, but while this book certainly skated on the edges of dark, it never fully plummeted into that icy water for me. I spent the entire book waiting for the other shoe to drop, and while it did, it wasn’t as dark as I expected. Now what it does touch on is a very relevant subject. One I have mad respect for the author having touched on. However, I also expected this to be a little darker than it was or what it promised to be.

Now don’t get me wrong, a walk in the park it was not. It was gritty, depraved, and with plenty of dark edges. I suppose I just expected a bit more.

That aside, I practically inhaled this book. There were so many twists and turns, and I love it when a book can manage to take me by surprise so completely. There’s so much that’s unraveled, that I’m desperately hoping this will be a series, or that we’ll at least get Wicked’s story. Because GAH.

Sicko and Jade’s relationship was anything but traditional. It’s full of turbulence, pain, and secrets. It was utterly delicious. Jones brought her A game when it came to creating their brand of emotional punishment, because DAMN. It hurt so good.

There were a few pieces that felt unresolved for me in the end, but they were pretty minor and felt insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Ultimately, I devoured this book and couldn’t put it down for even a second. If dark, dirty, and deliciously erotic romance is your crack, welcome to your next addiction. Jade and Sicko’s story will grab you by the throat from the beginning and own your heart at the end.

Amo Jones is a USA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, totally winging this author thing (she’s probably doing it all wrong). She likes cake, loves wine, and her religion is magic (Slytherin). She’s a profound work-a-holic, but when she’s not writing, you can find her chilling with her kids & Husband at the nearest beach, with a cocktail in her hand.

New Zealand is not a state of Australia and rugby is the best sport ever played.

Connect w/Amo:

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark · Tagged With: Amo Jones, Book Reviews: 4 stars, dark

Review: The Devil’s Crown by Monica James

July 22, 2020 by Lana · Leave a Comment

THE DEVIL’S CROWN
Genre: Dark Romance
Series: All The Pretty Things Trilogy Spinoff #1
Author: Monica James
Release Date: July 21, 2020

**All The Pretty Things Trilogy Spin-Off**

I was feared.
Respected.
Worshiped.

But all of that changed when the impossible happened—I fell in love. Only those feelings weren’t reciprocated, because who could love a monster like me?

My empire crumbled. People died. I went from being a victorious leader to lurking in the shadows, planning revenge on my half-brother who now reigns in my place.

An orphanage is where I find sanctuary, but when she walks into my world and evokes a yearning I thought long dead, my demons are awakened and want what they can’t have—her. Sooner or later, I knew I’d need to feed the darkness inside me.

Mayhem, power, and control course through my veins. I will use them to regain my crown, my throne, and then claim her, despite what solemn vows she might’ve made.

I will break them…and her.

AMAZON

I was once feared, respected among this land for being ruthless and cruel. But they haven’t seen anything yet. Love hurts, and now, it’s my turn to hurt love.

You know what I love? Seemingly irredeemable villains. Anti-heroes that you almost don’t want to root for and yet you can’t help but ultimately fall head over ovaries for. And it just doesn’t get any more delicious than Aleksei Popov. The ultimate villain in Bad Saint who discovered he had a soul underneath all of that brutality in Forever My Saint. Now it’s no secret that I love me the baddies and Alek was the ultimate baddie. So suffice it to say I was almost rabid for his book from all of the glimpses we got of the man beneath the villain in All The Pretty Things trilogy. But nothing could have prepared me for the full impact of all the things that are Alek Popov.

I wasn’t her Prince Charming. And that’s okay.” I smirk viciously. “I much prefer to be the villain. They have all the fun.”

Now first of all, if you haven’t yet read All The Pretty Things trilogy, I HIGHLY recommend that you do. Yes, this is a spin off with a new couple, but there’s a lot of story that carries over and you wouldn’t have the same appreciation for all those nuances if you haven’t read the trilogy first.

You’re magnetic, and you don’t even know it. You’re a villain…who has a heart. And what woman doesn’t want to try to fix a bad man?”

Alek once lost everything for love. His empire and his name all went out in a fiery blaze of bullets and betrayal. But Alek is not the same man he used to be either. Yes, he’s still the ruthless killer and calculating criminal. But beneath the cold stare and cigar smoke lies the heart of a man that no one expected, not even the man himself.

He’s trying to rebuild his empire, brick by brick, but when your own mother is working against you and your half-brother is determined to see you dead, it’s easier said than done.

I’m not going to summarize the book here for you, you really need to experience it for yourself. But what I will tell you, is brace yourself. The Devil’s Crown is one epic thrill ride full of twists and turns so dark and depraved, you never see them coming. It’s deliciously dark. It’s fast-paced and sizzlingly hot. It was all of the things. But ultimately, it was a total page-turner.

Monica James seriously brought her A Game with this story, so prepare to be owned by Alek. The man is an enigma of violence and passion and I couldn’t get enough of him. There’s just something so utterly broken about him and yet you can’t help but want to see him fixed. It’s not easy to redeem an ultimate villain like Alek, but damn if James didn’t do it. I am utterly desperate for the next book. Like legit desperate. I’m not sure if I’ll survive the wait but man was this book worth the pain.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4.5 stars, dark, Monica James

Review: Pawn by TM Frazier

July 1, 2020 by Lana · Leave a Comment

PAWN
Series: The Pawn Duet #2
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: TM Frazier
Release Date: June 25, 2020

Born into hell. Baptism by betrayal.  

His life revolves around violence.

Pawn, the highly-anticipated conclusion to The Pawn Duet from USA Today bestselling author T.M. Frazier, is available now!

My life is on the line.

I’m trapped both physically and emotionally. A pawn in a game I didn’t know I was playing.

Until I met him.

Pike acts without emotion, but I know he feels something for me.

I see it in his eyes when he looks at me. I feel it when he’s close.

I know it’s real because I feel it too.

Lust. Desire.

It complicates everything.

I know that I’m part of Pike’s plan for revenge.

He doesn’t know he’s part of mine.

Pawn is book two of The Pawn Duet. Pike is book one.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO | AMZ PAPERBACK

Start the duet with Pike!

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO | AMZ PAPERBACK

Pike bends me over the sink. I grip the edge to prevent falling face-first against the porcelain. I glance up at him through the mirror to where he’s standing behind me, appraising my body with fierce heat in his fiery eyes. He molds his body against mine. I close my eyes at the sensation I’ve been dreaming about feeling since the last time I saw him. I relish in his scent, his heat.

“Open your eyes, Mic,” he orders. “I want you to see this. To see us.”

My only response is a whimper. I have no words.

Only need.

As ordered, I open my eyes.

Pike grazes the back of my neck with his lips. “I want to see your reaction in the mirror as you take my cock. I want you to see mine as I give it to you. I’m not just going to fuck you. This is a message. One I want you to hear loud and fucking clear so that there will be no more misunderstandings between us.” He reaches between my legs under my skirt, cupping my pussy over my damp panties.

I push back against him with a loud groan. Pike holds me in place, pushing my panties down my legs before resuming his touch, this time against bare and soaking wet flesh.

He groans when he feels what’s waiting for him. “This belongs to me.” He wraps an arm around my shoulder, closing a hand over my throat, biting at my earlobe. His next words are both a statement and a warning, delivered while the shaft of his thick cock presses against the cleft of my ass.

“You. Belong. To. Me.”

The only person who can hurt me right now, is you. It’s your fucking move, Mic. Make sure you make the right one.”

How does this woman do it? She creates the most damaged and screwed up characters and makes me love them? OK rhetorical question, but still. I was itching to get my hands on the conclusion of Pike and Mickey’s story but dang, I was no expecting all this!

I already fell head over ovaries for Pike in the first book. Mickey, while being a genius, definitely had some screws loose, but in the most endearing of ways. This woman is damaged in every sense of the word. She’s survived what most people would get broken by, and while her coping mechanism isn’t the healthiest, it’s what makes her tick. That comes out in spades in this story as we jump further into the rabbit hole that is her brain.

Pike is just as delicious in this installment as he was in the first, except now he’s come to make peace with his growing feelings for Mic and his protectiveness comes out in full force. And this girl was SO HERE FOR IT.

There’s quite a few revelations and jaw dropping plot twists that I didn’t see coming in a million years. I literally had to pick my jaw off the floor after the first, and the second made me stare at the wall utterly dumbfounded with a holy shit moment. I love a story that can take me by surprise, and this one totally did. It was one revelation after another and this kept me glued to the pages from beginning to finish.

It was fast paced, suspenseful, sexy, and utterly messed up in parts. But I gobbled it up with a spoon. Not to mention the cameos from all of my favorites here, and I can happily say that this totally hit the mark for me.

T.M. (Tracey Marie) Frazier never dreamed that a single person would ever read a word she wrote when she published her first book. Now, she is a five-time USA Today bestselling author and her books have been translated into numerous languages and published all around the world.

T.M. enjoys writing what she calls ‘sexy wrong side of the tracks romance’ with morally corrupt anti-heroes and ballsy heroines.

Her books have been described as raw, dark and gritty. Basically, what that means, is while some authors are great at describing a flower as it blooms, T.M. is better at describing it in the final stages of decay.

She loves meeting her readers, but if you see her at an event please don’t pinch her because she’s not ready to wake up from this amazing dream.

Connect with T.M. Frazier

Twitter: @TM_Frazier

Stay up to date with T.M. by signing up for her mailing list: http://bit.ly/TMFrazier Website: http://www.tmfrazierbooks.com

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Dark · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4 stars, dark, TM Frazier

Review: Welcome To The Dark Side by Giana Darling

June 18, 2020 by Lana · Leave a Comment

WELCOME TO THE DARK SIDE
Series: FALLEN MEN #2
Genre: Dark, MC Romance
Author: Giana Darling
Release Date: April 18, 2018

I was a good girl.

I ate my vegetables, volunteered at the local autism centre and sat in the front pew of church every Sunday.

Then, I got cancer.

What the hell kind of reward was that for a boring life well lived?

I was a seventeen-year-old paradigm of virtue and I was tired of it.

So, when I finally ran into the man I’d been writing to since he saved my life as a little girl and he offered to show me the dark side of life before I left it for good, I said yes.

Only, I didn’t know that Zeus Garro was the President of The Fallen MC and when you made a deal with a man who is worse than the devil, there was no going back…

This is Daddy Zeus Garro’s story from Lessons In Corruption. A standalone in The Fallen Men series.

AMAZON

I was sick. Sick with lust for a girl nineteen years younger than me and morally sick because of it.

I’ve been eyeing this series for forever it feels like. But I was somewhat burned out on MC romance, or at least on the poorly written ones masquerading as MC romance, that I was a little trigger shy. What? I’m judgy! This shouldn’t be news to you here. But the allure of a taboo romance with a dirty talking MC prez proved to be too much, so I finally bit the bullet and dove in. And I am so glad I did!!!

He was breathtaking in every sense. Terrifying beyond comprehension and so gorgeous, it was a physical blow to the senses.

This book was everything I didn’t know I wanted. If you’re a fan of a good age gap, this one delivers in spades. It was like a love child of Undeniable and Motorcycle Man. Or as I call it, my catnip. Me-Ow! *purrs contentedly*

Now before all of you pearl clutchers come after me for liking a book between a 17 year old and a man 19 years her senior, I’d like to say that this is set in BC where the age of consent is 16. The heroine is also wise and mature well beyond her years as a product of her circumstance. That was probably one thing that worried me with starting this. Naive, immature heroines are my kryptonite. I can’t deal with it. Louise was great! She definitely had her teenage moments, which just made it believable. But she wasn’t an immature brat. Being the daughter of a corrupt mayor and parents who barely pay attention, and surviving leukemia has forced her to grow up quick. She first meets Zeus Garro in a hail of bullets as a young girl, when he saves her life. And the rest, as they say is history. They’re reunited again when Zeus gets out of jail and Louise is now a teenager with an entirely different form of hero worship for the dangerously lethal biker.

Zeus was perfection. The man is a dirty talking god. He’s utterly electric on the pages. I swear I got tingles just reading about him. He’s an MC Prez that doesn’t shy away from blood shed, but he’s also a devoted father. And he’s so dirty. I mean DURTY. GOD but it was delicious.

Now look, I’d be lying if I said this book was perfect. There were pacing issues. Quite a few of them. This messed a little with the flow of the story. However, I was so invested that I barely batted an eye lash at it. What did get me, though, were the KA-isms. And by KA-isms, I mean it was almost too much with the similarities at times. Now considering I had just finished a Kristen Ashley book right before this, clearly this was very fresh on my mind. I’ve read plenty of books that emulate her style, and I don’t usually mind it. However, this author clearly has writing chops, and her work can stand on its own and I would have loved if it resonated here. But the characters all sound like KA men with their aversion to any words ending with a consonant, amongst other things, yeah? What frustrated me was this was not just in dialogue but with inner monologue as well. I get that a character should stay consistent, but it was just too much. Then there’s the chapters that start in the middle of a sex scene, much like KA. What I’m saying is, the similarities were there, and it’s worth a mention.

Now, aside from that, this book was SOLID. I’m talking page-turner. Full of action, hot romance, and all of the grit. It read like a good MC book should. It felt authentic. These men were not innocent by any means, but you can’t help but love them. Zeus is just a god amongst men. This is a character that I won’t be forgetting any time soon. There’s just something about him that sticks with you.

If you’re a fan of gritty MC romance, this is an absolute must read. Take it from this cynic, you want to meet daddy Zeus. Do it and thank me later.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Bikers, Dark · Tagged With: age gap, Book Reviews: 4 stars, dark, Giana Darling, MC

Review: He Hates Me Not by Isabella Starling & Rina Kent

April 11, 2020 by Lana ·

HE HATES ME
Genre: Dark Romance
Series: Hate & Love Duet #1
Authors: Isabella Starling & Rina Kent
Release Date: April 9, 2020

Once upon a time, there was a monster.

When the night falls, he comes out to harvest souls.

He’s silent and invisible —no one notices when he strikes then retreats to the shadows.

Our paths shouldn’t have crossed, but they do.

One day he sees me.

Then he can’t unsee me.

Once upon a time, there was a monster, a killer, a devil.

My stalker.

This is book is a dark stalker romance and contains dubious scenes.

He Hates Me is part of a duet and is NOT standalone. The entire duet will be released two weeks apart.

AMAZON

PRE-ORDER HE HATES ME NOT:

He Hates Me Not, the conclusion of Love & Hate Duet is releasing on April 23rd. Pre-order today!

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She has always been mine to own, mine to break and to destroy. Some would call this stalking, but I call it keeping an eye on her.

Well hot damn. What a deliciously thrilling ride this book was. While I’ve read Rina Kent, I haven’t read anything by Isabella Starling. And as a writing duo, these two are absolutely fantastic.

If you follow my reviews, then it’s no secret how much I love a good anti-hero. And it just doesn’t get more delicious than a borderline sociopathic mob hitman. Jasper’s intensity practically leaps off of the pages at you. The man is ruthless, unfeeling, and gets a sick sort of satisfaction from meting out his brand of punishment. His name alone sends fear into grown men and his reputation for being a stone cold killer is nothing to sniff at. An assignment by his boss to find and eliminate an heir to the mafia throne lands him in the parking lot of a hospital where he sets his sight on a beautiful nurse…and the obsession begins.

Georgina is a lonely soul. With her cats to keep her company, she years for something more. But unfortunately no man has ever made her feel beyond a slight interest that wanes as quickly as it appears. She may not be everything that she appears to be at first sight with her fake smiles and when Jasper sees her, he’s immediately obsessed.

If you’re like me and love your anti-heroes possessive and obsessive, you will fall in lust with Jasper. The man stalks her. Finds any way to insert himself into her life, even murder. And when his expert maneuvering has her best friend from work setting Georgina up with him, he knows nothing short of getting a taste will lessen his obsession.

Thus begins one of the most delicious push and pulls of their relationship. Jasper is crude but in the most yummy way. He’s a man that likes it rough and a little resistance doesn’t put him off. If you like dub con, this has some of the most delicious scenes. And no, not in a rapey way, but in a true dub con way. Georgina may not fully understand her needs, but the more demanding Jasper gets, the more she feels herself pulled into his orbit. Theirs is not exactly an orthodox relationship. They are a back and forth of hot sex and pulling back, but neither seems capable of staying away. Jasper knows his job won’t allow for anything permanent but he’s completely incapable of leaving her alone. The more time passes, the more obsessive he becomes. GOD it was good.

The suspense and grit of the story is on point. There are twists and turns that I never saw coming that were pretty jaw dropping. I devoured this book, cliffhanger and all. Luckily the wait for book two isn’t that long and I can’t wait to see how everything ends.

To celebrate the release of He Hates Me, Isabella Starling and Rina Kent are giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card. Head to Rina’s Facebook page to enter: https://www.facebook.com/rinaakent/

Dark, dirty and taboo is what Isabella Starling is known for.

An Amazon top 25 bestselling Author, Isabella has 10 books under her belt in under a year. She is a self-proclaimed Tumblr gif addict and always looking for her next forbidden story.

If you pick up a Starling book, you can count on a bad-mouthed, bossy man who will dominate his woman with a rough hand.

Add just a sprinkle of taboo, a touch of BDSM and a pinch of suspense, and you’re all set for a story you won’t forget.

Rina Kent is an international bestselling author of everything enemies to lovers romance.

Darkness is her playground, suspense is her best friend, and twists are her brain’s food. However, she likes to think she’s a romantic at heart in some way, so don’t kill her hopes just yet.

Her heroes are anti-heroes and villains because she was always the weirdo who fell in love with the guys no one roots for. Her books are sprinkled with a touch of mystery, a healthy dose of angst, a pinch of violence, and lots of intense passion.

Rina spends her private days in a peaceful town in North Africa daydreaming about the next plot idea or laughing like an evil mastermind when those ideas come together.

Don’t forget to Sign up to Rina Kent’s Newsletter for news about future releases and an exclusive gift.

AUTHOR LINKS

Isabella Starling Social Media:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorisabellastarling

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/isastarling

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorstarling

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/isabella-starling

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Isabella-Starling/e/B01HK6XGZW/

Book+Main: https://bookandmainbites.com/users/45

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15291934.Isabella_Starling