DGR Fave – Page 16

New Release & DGR Favorite Review: The Pawn by @skye_warren

December 6, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

THE PAWN
Series: The Endgame #1
Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance
Author: Skye Warren
Release Date: December 6, 2016

“Sinfully sexy and darkly beautiful, The Pawn will play games with your heart and leave you craving more!” – Laura Kaye, New York Times bestselling author

The price of survival…

Gabriel Miller swept into my life like a storm. He tore down my father with cold retribution, leaving him penniless in a hospital bed. I quit my private all-girl’s college to take care of the only family I have left.

There’s one way to save our house, one thing I have left of value.

My virginity.

A forbidden auction…

Gabriel appears at every turn. He seems to take pleasure in watching me fall. Other times he’s the only kindness in a brutal underworld.

Except he’s playing a deeper game than I know. Every move brings us together, every secret rips us apart. And when the final piece is played, only one of us can be left standing.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

THE PAWN is a full-length contemporary novel from New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren about revenge and seduction in the game of love. It’s the first book in the brand new ENDGAME series.

Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

I’m the pawn, and he’s my triumphant captor.

This was easily my favorite by this author to date. Gripping. Captivating. Magnetic. Dark. Erotic. It was EVERYTHING I love about a dark romance. It’s not gratuitous violence and scenes thrown in for pure shock value. It’s a mind fuck. An incredibly written, twisty, and delicious mind fuck that I couldn’t put down from beginning to finish; with a heroine you’ll want to root for, and an anti-hero that you’ll want to hate only slightly more than you love him.

The Pawn reminded me all over again why I love dark romance. It’s that electric zing of the forbidden. That feeling of rooting for a man that’s supposed to be the bad guy, yet you know that someone deep inside is someone that may be just an ounce redeemable. It’s the flutter of butterflies in your belly when you watch a sweet, innocent and naive girl grow into a woman that’s much stronger than you think. It’s that delicious tingle you get watching the fly get trapped in the spider’s erotic web. It’s pure wickedness.

Soon, little virgin.”
“Don’t call me that.” My voice trembles only a little, revealing the turmoil inside me.
“What else should I call you? Princess? Darling?”
“You could call me by my name.”
He dips his head, his mouth right by my ear, his voice just a breath. “There’s only one thing I’m going to call you. Mine.”

Growing up in privilege and money, Avery had an enchanted life. She idolized her father, she looked forward to her future and starting college, she had a doting boyfriend that she suspected only wanted her for his status, she had little worries aside from questioning her relationship…until it all crashed down on her…

I look up at him, searching his eyes for some hint of kindness, of mercy. There’s none. I find only fire- and the thought that comes next makes me shudder: this is vengeance.

Losing everything she finds herself penniless and desperate, and desperate times lead to desperate measures. Which is how she finds herself in the Den, agreeing to sell her virginity and body and soul to the highest bidder for a month.

You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know I could make you come in two minutes.”
A step back, my calves bumping the small chair where I sat. “You wouldn’t.”
“No, but you wish I would.”
“I hate you.”

Gabriel Miller is an enigma. He’s not a good guy, but his golden eyes lure her deep into a tangled web that she doesn’t know how to get herself out of.

The story was incredibly written. I love mythology and getting bits and glimpses of it only heightened my enjoyment. Watching Avery slowly come more and more into her own was almost as satisfying as watching the shadows lift from the mystery that is Gabriel but only leave behind more questions.

There’s something feral about this man, a fire that burns inside him, untamed.

The plot it filled with twists and turns that keep you absolutely riveted to the pages. The characters are multi-layered and enigmatic. You find yourself at the edge of your seat, heart beating wildly in your chest, just waiting for that final shoe to drop. This is one of those books that you will read in one sitting and it will leave you craving for more. It’s darkly erotic and entirely addicting.

You don’t taste sweet,” he says, pausing. “You taste like I’m fucking dying and you’re the only water around. You taste like goddamn air.”

If you’re a fan of this author, and you love a well written dark romance, this is one book that you do NOT want to miss. I may go crazy in my wait for the conclusion, but I don’t regret a moment of it because I have the best book high after finishing this. All of the stars!

THE KNIGHT is now available for preorder!

The power of pleasure…

Gabriel Miller took everything from me. My family. My innocence. My home. The only thing I have left is the determination to get back what’s mine.

He thinks he’s beaten me. He thinks he’s won. What he doesn’t realize is that every pawn has the chance to become a queen.

And the game has only just begun.

* * * * * *

THE KNIGHT is book two in the Endgame series from New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren about revenge and seduction in the game of love.

PRE-ORDER TODAY!

Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance such as the Chicago Underground series. 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, two sweet dogs, and one evil cat.

Contact Skye:

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Dark, DGR Favorites, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 5 stars, DGR Fave, New Release, Skye Warren

DGR Fave & Review: Black Swan Affair by @klkreig

October 12, 2016 by Lana · 1 Comment

BLACK SWAN AFFAIR
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Author: KL Kreig
Release Date: October 17, 2016

I’ve loved him as long as I can remember.

The gangly boy with big brown eyes and unruly hair who grew up into an intoxicating man. He wears scruff like he invented it and ambles with a swagger that makes panties drop.

Killian Shepard.

Shep.

We grew up together. We played Ghost in the Graveyard. Had our own rock band. It didn’t matter that he was five years older than me. It didn’t matter that he looked at me as a kid sister even as I grew into a woman. It didn’t even matter when he left me behind to go to college and start his adult life.

He’d be back.

He was always meant to be mine.

He came back, all right. But instead of smelling of promises, he stunk of betrayal. And he destroyed me—us—the day he married my sister instead of me.

So I did the only thing a girl like me in my position could do.

I got my revenge.

I married his brother, Kael.

Now we’re one big happy fucking family.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

Pining after someone’s husband is one thing. Pining after someone’s husband when you’re now married- to his brother- is taking immorality to an entirely new level. But that’s me.”

It’s official. I’m ruined. Utterly and totally ruined by this incredible book, by these beautiful words, by the heart wrenching story, by the devastating angst…this…EVERYTHING.

How can I even begin to describe to you all what I read? Let me try…
Yep. That about sums it up.

Truth be told, I do NOT do love triangles. As a matter of fact I tend to avoid them like a case of the clap…by practicing love triangle abstinence. What? It’s totally a thing. But then my trusty book pimp Nashoda Rose told me this book had my name written all over it, and I was convinced (read= threatened bodily harm if I get a flashback to Thoughtless). But that’s neither here nor there. What IS here, is how much this book owned me, because GOOD GAWD did it!

When he walks past, he grabs my hand, telling me softly against my cheek, “He will never love you like I do.”

If you’re thinking this is a typical love triangle, you couldn’t be more wrong. That blurb doesn’t even begin to do this book justice. It’s so much more than a woman who can’t have the man she wants so she settles for his brother. This is not a black and white story. It’s settled very firmly in the gray.

The rope he has tethered to me is unraveling, thread after fraying thread. I hear them snapping, faster and faster now. Feel the stinging bite of each one against my tender flesh as they break apart.

Maverick is not a heroine you’d think you like, but with every page you grow to understand her more and more. The incredibly spellbinding writing will pull you into the story so well that it won’t be long before you’re just as conflicted about your feelings as she is.

Maverick is a woman that’s loved two men her entire life; one man with the love of passion and the second with the love of friendship. But then the man she always thought she’d end up with breaks her heart by marrying her sister. Try as she might, she can’t burn away her love for him, even if she is now married to his brother and her lifelong best friend, Kael.

I want to kiss these fucking lips, Maverick. And not a kiss of a boy who has been friends with a girl for almost thirty years. But as a lover. I want to bite and suck and own and devour. Whenever I want. However I want.”

Have you ever read a romance where you didn’t know which man to root for? Where your feelings were so up and down you felt like you were in a never ending spiral? Where you spend the entire time glued to the pages, utterly incapable of tearing yourself away for even a mere second? Because I just did.
Mesmerizing, maddening, heart rendering; this book owned me to the depths of my dark soul. I devoured every page, I screamed, I cried, I raged. I was enraptured.

That’s how much I love you. That’s how wound around the very fucking center of my soul you are. It’s the same place you’ll be until I close my eyes and take my last breath. You are rooted in here”- he pounds his chest- “in the bowels of me so far I will never be rid of you. No matter how much I’ve tried.”

If you don’t read love triangles; read this book.
If you want a book that will make you feel; read this book.
If you want a book that will make your heart bleed; read this book.
If you want a book that will have you thinking about it days after you’ve finished it; read this book.

1 Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 5 stars, DGR Fave

Jennifer’s Review: Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh

October 9, 2016 by Lana ·

CARESSED BY ICE
Series: Psy-Changeling #3
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Nalini Singh
Release Date: September 4, 2007

The author of Shards of Hope and Shield of Winter presents a Psy/Changeling novel in which two people who know evil intimately must unlock the good within their icy hearts…

As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now a defector, his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins – cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna…

Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted – and had her mind violated – by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives…

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N

This book is BEYOND. That’s it. Just beyond. It has to be one of my favorite paranormal books ever. Definitely my favorite in this series so far.

“His eyes fixed on hers, the gold flecks darkening to amber. “An assassin who looks after his own skin? That’s exactly what I am, Brenna. I would rather die than harm you, but anyone else? I could kill them without blinking. It’s what I was born to do.”

JUDD.
JUDD.
JUDD.

I am puddle on the floor because this man has melted all of my icicles. And I want to lick his giant icicle. Ok, I’m done.

My Judd:

My Brenna:

I LOVE assholes. And Judd was so cold to Brenna in the beginning that I ate him up. At the same time, he is unlike any hero I’ve ever read because he does not know or realize that he is being an ice man. As a Psy, he cannot FEEL anything. Not only is he a Psy, but he is an Arrow, which is the most lethal Psy assassin. They are so rare that they are the best kept secret among the Psy. He was trained to reject all pain and emotion, so his brain refuses to feel anything. I enjoyed the journey that Judd went through in order to let himself FEEL.

Brenna was kidnapped in the first book of this series. I was hoping that she was going to get her own book, and I am so happy that she did. Judd is her perfect other half. Because she was kidnapped and tortured by a Psy, she has lingering issues, and she feels a connection with Judd and only he can understand what she went through.

Brenna’s eyes widened. Raising a hand, she brushed his hair gently off his forehead.
“Why do I keep telling you things I swore I’d take to my grave?”

The contact shot electricity through his nerves. “Because you know I’ll always be your shield against the nightmares.”

Singh is the queen of sexual tension. In books by other authors, I’ll be rolling my eyes if the couple hasn’t had sexy by the 50% mark, but with Singh, I don’t even care. I feel the sexual tension so much in her books that I don’t even think about the sex, and I’m pleasantly surprised when they get finally get their groove on.

“Aren‘t you going to get up?”

He put a hand on the curve of her hip, a possessive gesture that had already become
familiar.

“No. Let‘s have more sex.”

With this book, Singh switched everything up. She threw a curve ball, and it worked so hard! In the first two books, the heroine was the Psy and the hero was the changeling, but this is the first book in the series where the hero was the Psy and the heroine was the changeling. I NEED more Psy men in my life because Judd was my type of man!

I’ve never read anything like this book. It is…..PHENOMENAL.

THE PSY/CHANGELING SERIES

: Slave to Sensation (Psy-Changelings, Book 1)

: Visions of Heat (Psy/Changeling Series Book 2)

: Caressed by Ice (Psy-Changelings, Book 3)

: Mine to Possess (Psy-Changelings, Book 4)

: Hostage to Pleasure (Psy-Changelings, Book 5)

: Branded by Fire (Psy/Changeling Series Book 6)

: Blaze of Memory (Psy-Changelings, Book 7)

: Bonds of Justice (Psy/Changeling Series Book 8)

: Play of Passion (Psy/Changeling Series Book 9)

: Kiss of Snow (Psy/Changeling Series Book 10)

: Tangle of Need: A Psy-Changeling Novel (Psy/Changeling Series Book 11)

: Heart of Obsidian: A Psy-Changeling Novel (Psy/Changeling Series Book 12)

: Shield of Winter (Psy/Changeling Series Book 13)

: Shards of Hope: A Psy-Changeling Novel (Psy/Changeling Series Book 14)

: Allegiance of Honor (Psy-Changeling Novel, Book 15)

· Filed Under: All Reviews, DGR Favorites, PNR · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 5 stars, DGR Fave, Jennifer Reviews, Nalini Singh

Review: Down Shift by @KBrombergDriven

October 6, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

DOWN SHIFT
Series: Driven #8
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: K. Bromberg
Release Date: October 4, 2016

The New York Times bestselling Driven series continues with a standalone story about finding love where you least expect it…

Behind the wheel, racing champion Zander Donavan is at the top of his game. But after too much excess in his personal life, he’s forced to step away. He needs to accomplish something all on his own—outside of his famous father’s shadow.

Getty Caster is running away from the abuse that clouds her past. She thinks she’s found the perfect escape—until she discovers a stranger in the beachside cottage she’d been promised. He’s undeniably sexy, but she’s there to heal. Alone.

Before long though, fighting with each other turns into fighting their attraction. And giving into desire sets off a chain reaction that has their pasts colliding. With an unexpected love on the line, can they overcome the fallout to build a future?

AMAZON | iBOOKS

“Even if you gave me a hundred reasons why we shouldn’t be together, Getty, I’d still look for the one reason to fight like hell for you. Remember that.”

See that pile of goo right there?
No! Not there! That’s the melted ice cream I used to eat my feelings. I’m talking about the other pile. Yes, yes, that one right there. That would be me. Melted into an gooey pile of swoon filled goo. All at the hands of a man with a moody disposition but a heart of gold named Zander and the incredible talent that is K. Bromberg. Goo I tells ya!

His love roared loader than my demons.

A recent revelation from his past has unraveled Zander Donovan’s world. He’s spinning out of control, angry and bitter, and lashing out at those that love him most. When he makes one stupid mistake too much, he’s forced to take a step back from the racing world and his family, finding peace in quiet seclusion.

Everyone’s churning ocean is fueled by a different type of storm.”
“What’s your storm?”
“My storm?” he chuckles, self-deprecation in his tone and a look in his eyes he doesn’t give me a chance to read. “I don’t think it’s ever really stopped churning, but there’s definitely been a few surprise white squalls thrown in.”

Getty is looking for a fresh start. Running from a past of her own, her scars are of the hidden variety. A woman broken doesn’t mean a woman that can’t heal, and she’s looking to heal the woman she wants to be. Having a sexy stranger crash her own quiet seclusion isn’t what she expects, nor the undeniable chemistry that brews between them from the very first sarcastic barb they exchange.

What starts as an unwilling cohabitation soon turns into friendship and begins to turn into something much deeper.

I know you’re stubborn as hell and gorgeous as fuck. And that your kiss tastes like an aged whiskey: something I want to sip slowly, feel on my lips, savor on my tongue, and take my time with before I get drunk on it.”

Getty is not the heroine I typically enjoy. She’s a lot damaged and a bit withdrawn, but she’s also endearingly sweet and caring in spite of her past. She’s not naive or a wallflower, but she’s not a warrior either. She’s someone that’s incredibly relatable. She’s a woman with a past and hidden hurts, but she doesn’t chose to dwell on that. She wants to heal, she wants to move on.

Zander is fighting a different demon from his past, but it’s no less darker than Getty’s. Together, they just…made sense. They were the perfect halves of a whole. K. Bromberg did an incredible job painting a story of two broken souls finding a healing touch in one another. They weren’t emotional crutches for the other. They were complete opposites, but together they just made sense. I adored these two. I loved their banter, I loved their push and pull, and I couldn’t get enough of their chemistry.

And their chemistry? Off the walls hot!

Time passes in pure sensations. The bite of his fingers into my thighs. The mist of sweat on my skin. The groan he emits as he slowly comes undone. The tingle of ecstasy throughout my body.

Goo I tells ya!

The author manages to bring everything in a full circle. The writing was spellbinding and beautiful, the story was emotional and gripping, and the romance was heart wrenchingly good. If you’re looking for a book that packs just as much feeling as it does steam, THIS is the book that needs to be on your list! It was pure perfection and I loved every page of it!

DRIVEN SERIES

: Driven (Driven, #1)

: Fueled (Driven, #2)

: Crashed (Driven, #3)

: Raced (Driven, #3.5)

: Aced (Driven, #4)

: Slow Burn (Driven, #5)

: Sweet Ache (Driven, #6)

: Hard Beat (Driven, #7)

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 5 stars, DGR Fave, K Bromberg

DGR Favorite & Review: Sparking The Fire by @KittyMeader

September 27, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

SPARKING THE FIRE
Series: Hot in Chicago #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kate Meader
Release Date: September 27, 2016

Kate Meader’s blazing Hot in Chicago firefighter series has “everything you want in a romance” (RT Book Reviews, Top Pick)! The flames of desire burn out of control in this sexy third novel when ex-lovers unexpectedly reunite for a sizzling affair that will have the director yelling, “Quiet on the set!”

Actor Molly Cade, America’s fallen sweetheart, finally has her shot at a Hollywood comeback with a dramatic new role as a tough-as-nails firefighter that promises to propel her back to the big time and restore her self-respect.

Wyatt Fox, resident daredevil at Engine Co. 6, needs a low-key job to keep him busy while he recovers from his latest rescue stunt. Consulting on a local movie shoot should add just enough spark to his day. Especially when in struts Molly Cade: the woman who worked his heart over good, and then left him in the Windy City dust.

Their story is straight out of a script: irrepressible, spunky heroine meets taciturn, smoldering hero. But these two refuse to be typecast, and when the embers of an old love are stoked, someone is bound to get burned…

AMAZON | B&N | iBOOKS

He’d thought he could control himself around Molly, yet every second in her presence loosened the granite hold on his emotions one more slippery, dangerous inch.

That’s it! Stick a fork in me, I’m done! I am a pile of dead and melted goo, all at the hands of a broody, silent, former Marine turned firefighter. I would like my headstone to read that my ultimate demise came from the hottest BILF I’ve ever read, and I regret nothing. NOTHING.

What’s a BILF you ask?

She poked him in the chest. “Drunk, sober, any state, I would be doin’ you tonight, Mister. Lucky. That’s what you are. A total BILF.”
“BILF?”
“Beard I’d like to fuck.”

When I’m in a book funk, I know all I need is 5 minutes with a Kate Meader book and I’ll have an instant goofy grin on my face and the worst case of blue ovaries known to man kind. Why? Because the woman writes some of the best alpha heroes and I can’t get enough of it!

So what happens when a silent and socially awkward firefighter that likes to stay in the shadow of his infamous foster siblings meets a woman that’s in the very center of the spotlight? A. Whole. Lot. Of. Awesome.

Their lives did not mesh. She was Hollywood designer duds. He was Chicago Dumpster diving. And he wanted her more than his next breath. But since when in hell had he ever gotten anything he wanted?

Wyatt Fox is the quietest one of his siblings, the unassuming one, the one that sticks to himself. But for six nights years ago, he let his inhibitions fly with a woman that left him in the dust but he hasn’t stopped thinking about since.

Molly Cade is used to the media attention, but after an ugly divorce brought her on the wrong end of public scrutiny, she’s hoping the new movie she’s starring and producing will turn things around on her. Little does she expect that the new CFD consultant on the movie set is none other than the man that she never expected to see again. Suffice it to say that sparks fly and fires are set!
Sparking The Fire is written in Meader’s signature sassy style with plenty of sexy and a whole lot of banter which I’ve come to be addicted to.

She placed her palms on his shoulders. “You planning to glare me into orgasm, Marine?”
“I don’t glare. I smolder.”

I am head over ovaries in love with this series. I’d set my house on fire just to get my very own Wyatt Fox to come over and put out my fire…uhem.

The romance is full of sizzle and spark, and just enough sexual chemistry to set your kindle on fire. I loved the back and forth between Molly and Wyatt. The odds are stacked against them and they’re complete opposites, but yet they can’t stay away from each other.

Molly was absolute perfection. She’s sassy and funny and doesn’t let anything get her down. She has a backbone but still has this perfect amount of vulnerability to make her incredibly endearing. As for Wyatt? Wowza! I’m all about the BILF.

Nothing had ever felt this good. No one had ever felt this good. It had always been her.

If you haven’t read this series, you’re seriously missing out. If you haven’t read anything by this amazing author, you’re seriously missing out. And if you haven’t made plans to meet Wyatt Fox, then you’re SERIOUSLY missing out!

Kate Meader is going to spoil me with her awesomeness soon, but you won’t hear a peep of complaint out of this reader.

HOT IN CHICAGO SERIES

: Rekindle The Flame (Hot In Chicago, #0.5)

: Flirting with Fire (Hot in Chicago, #1)

: Melting Point (Hot in Chicago, #1.5)

: Playing with Fire (Hot in Chicago, #2)

: Sparking the Fire (Hot in Chicago, #3)

REKINDLE THE FLAME | FLIRTING WITH FIRE | MELTING POINT | PLAYING WITH FIRE | SPARKING THE FIRE

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 5 stars, DGR Fave, Firefighters, kate meader

DGR Fave & Review: Loving You Easy by @RoniLoren

September 13, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

LOVING YOU EASY
Series: Loving On The Edge #9
Genre: BDSM, Erotic Romance, Menage
Author: Roni Loren
Release Date: September 6, 2016

Three lovers really click in the latest from the New York Times bestselling author of Call on Me—

Cora has an amazing sex life. She’s beautiful, daring, and the most popular submissive in Hayven. Too bad none of it’s real…

IT specialist Cora Benning has figured out the key to her formerly disastrous love life—make it virtual. In the online world of Hayven, she’s free of her geek girl image and can indulge her most private fantasies with a sexy, mysterious master without anyone in her life discovering her secrets. Until her information is hacked and she finds herself working to fix the breach under two very powerful men—one who seems all too familiar…

Best friends and business partners Ren Muroya and Hayes Fox were once revered dominants. Then Hayes was wrongfully sent to prison and everything changed. Ren wants to get back to who they were. Hayes can’t risk it. But when they discover the new IT specialist is their online fascination, and that she’s never felt a dominant’s touch, the temptation to turn virtual into reality becomes all too great…

AMAZON | iBOOKS

You have no idea the things I want to do to you. Don’t tempt me.”

Well hot diggity damn that was freaking AWESOME! No seriously, y’all! That was quite possibly my favorite book in this series. And let me just tell you, I’ve been a huge fan of this series from book 1, so that’s really saying something. I must have read this entire thing in one pervy glee filled sitting. I couldn’t put it down for even a second. This book was everything I love as a romance reader. Yes, like all of Roni’s books in the series it was smoking hot, but it was also so much more than that! It was a little angsty with some suspense and mystery thrown in. The characters were incredibly endearing that you simply can’t help but fall for them right away. And then there was Hayes. *dreamy sigh*
I swear, that man tugged at every heart string I had…until he got in his Dom mode. Then he just made my ovaries sing.

I love a spicy little MMF romance, but the great ones are harder and harder to come by lately for me. What I loved most about Loving You Easy is that the men already have such an amazing relationship as friends and it naturally develops into something more. Their bond is so strong and watching them give into the inevitable was equally satisfying and shiver inducing. I loved that the woman wasn’t used as a buffer for them to get together and it happens before the menage element gets introduced. Actually, that was one of the things I loved most about the story.

They’d just found something none of them had ever had. And no one had any idea what to do with it.

Cora Benning is a heroine that’s impossible to not like. Growing up as the daughter of a female police captain, she knows how to spot dangerous men a mile away…but what happens when she wants the danger that they exude? Cora is a tomboy and a tech geek. She’s used to hiding behind the computer screen and not being the object of male fantasies. But everything changes for her when a virtual game turns into something much more than she ever anticipates.

He was so tired. Tired of hiding. Tired of keeping so many emotions tucked away. Tired of being scared. Tired of fighting his instincts.

Hayes Fox isn’t the man he once was three years ago. Once one of the most sought after Doms at the ranch, he used to thrive on his control. Sharing women with his best friend was nothing out of the ordinary. But getting sent to prison for a wrongful conviction can change a man. Now, no matter how much Ren may try, his trust in women is shattered, and ultimately his trust in himself is gone. But then one woman changes everything.

Ren’s hands slid down Cora’s arms and drew her hands behind her back. He locked her wrists together in his grip. “Look at our pretty captive. Take her, Hayes. It’s time.”

I loved everything about this book. EVERYTHING. I loved how different each of these three characters were. I loved the relationship between Ren and Hayes and how they feed each other’s strength. I loved the bond they share going back to their teenage years. I also loved how quirky and endearing Cora was. She wasn’t a bombshell and she knew it. Yes, she certainly had her insecurities, but they didn’t define her. She was such a strong character and I loved how that played into the later part of the story. This is no damsel in distress and I adored that about her. Ren was enigmatic from his very first appearance, and you didn’t even know his name then. I couldn’t get enough of him.

I loved the pacing of the story and the romance and I really loved the additional element of the suspense.

As for the romance? Holy mother of sizzle! It. Was. Hot. As. Hell.

Shattered. Done. Never to be put back together the same way again. She was all sensation and body parts and feeling. And she loved every fucking second of it.

Some of my favorite characters from previous books had a cameo, which I always appreciate. And I loved a few of the new faces we got to meet here. I was captivated by the budding romance and I was so invested in the lives of these characters that I couldn’t bear to put the book down for even a second.

My heart ached for Hayes and everything that he went through. My heart melted reading about his bond with Ren and the way their friendship developed and only got stronger through the years. And my heart beat a rapid tap right out of my chest when the chemistry between Ren, Hayes and Cora finally boiled over the surface and they gave into the inevitable.

This was what bliss felt like. This is what it felt like to be alive again. And these two people had brought him there.

Even if you haven’t read any other book in this series, and you love an incredible well written MMF romance, this book is a must read. You can easily enjoy it as a standalone but I highly recommend the rest of the series because it’s just as good. I can’t believe this is already book 9, but I never want it to end.

LOVING ON THE EDGE SERIES

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, BDSM, DGR Favorites, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: BDSM, Book Reviews: 5 stars, DGR Fave, menage, Roni Loren

DGR’s Ultimate List of Hot Cops in Romance

September 3, 2016 by Lana · 2 Comments

Know what’s better than a man in a uniform? A man OUT of uniform and knowing how to use those cuff of his. Uhem. What? So I like me some hot alpha cops. Arrest me. Ha! See what I did there? Alright, enough of my bad jokes.

I know I’m a little late with this month’s list. I try to get these out for you guys on the last Saturday of every month, but unfortunately real life has been kicking my butt lately. But better late than never right?

This month you all voted for my Ultimate List of Hot Cops, and that’s what I’m giving you. Fair warning, this will quite possibly be my longest list ever! We always chat about these lists in my FB group, so if you haven’t yet, join in on the inappropriate fun HERE.

Since this list will be ridiculously long if I let it, I decided to limit my choices to the uber angsty book picks. These are some of my all time favorites and my go-to recs.

And if you’re new to my blog, this a monthly feature I do on the last Saturday of each month! Check out the previous features here:

★ULTIMATE LIST OF DIRTY TALKERS★

★ULTIMATE LIST OF ROCK STARS★

★ULTIMATE LIST OF FIGHTERS★

★ULTIMATE LIST OF ANTI-HEROES★

★ULTIMATE LIST OF HATE TO LOVE ROMANCE★

★ULTIMATE LIST OF SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE★

★ULTIMATE LIST OF MAFIA ROMANCE★

★ULTIMATE LIST OF ANGSTY ROMANCE★

As always, I’d love to hear from you all in comments if you don’t see one of your favorites listed. You know I love me some book recs 😉

You’ll notice I’ll list some of these by author because I loved several of their books, some I’ll list by series, and some will be simply individual books. Now let’s do this thing!

HARD EVIDENCE (I-Team #2) by Pamela Clare
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“I’m half Italian.”
“Which half?” the words were out before Tessa could stop them. Was she flirting with him? She never flirted with men.
His lips curved in a slow, sexy smile that made her heart trip. “From the waist down.”

If you follow my reviews, then you already I’m obsessed with this series and this author. I’m talking LOVE this series. While this is book 2 in the series, you can easily start with it and not be lost. If you like dirty talking, slightly assholish yet protective cops, then undercover FBI agent, Julian Darcangelo will be right up your alley. My top favorite in this series is definitely Marc “Hunt” Hunter in Unlawful Contact, Hard Evidence is definitely right up there too!

DIRTY SEXY CUFFED (Dirty Sexy #3) by Carly Phillips & Erika Wilde
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“I want to lick you and eat you and taste you on my tongue as you come. Then I want to slid my cock into your soft , tight pussy and bury myself so fucking deep that you scream my name.”

Officer Levi Kincaid can do dirty REAL good. But he can also do super sweet.

…this went beyond simple attraction. She was the first woman to stir something deep inside of him when he honestly thought that part of him was damaged beyond repair.

Oh and did I mention he has a very specific kink that happens to involve those handcuffs of his? Cause…yeah.

CUFF ME (New York’s Finest #3) by Lauren Layne
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“He pushed her thighs wider apart. “You have the right to remain silent . . .” Vincent slid his hand upward, one finger sliding slightly into her.
Jill moaned.
“Apparently you’re forgoing that right,” he said, his teeth nipping at her left butt cheek as his fingers continued to play with her.
“Vin, you—”
“Careful, baby. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”

Oh I’m sorry…did you actually need more to convince you to read this? OK. Grumpy cop, sassy heroine. There. Now go read it! And don’t miss the first two Moretti brothers in FRISK ME and STEAL ME.

EXPOSED (Unguarded #1) by Ivy Stone
GOODREADS | AMAZON <—- CURRENTLY FREE!!!

He was a cop.
She was a criminal.
Together we were chaos.

Intrigued?

I want him, bad. I want him to slap those cuffs on, tell me what a bad girl I’ve been, and fuck me into oblivion. I hold back my grin. This is so not going to end well.

Ivy Stone had an insta fan in me when I read this fantastic debut full of angst and enough sexy time to keep my inner perv in me satisfied. My love for this series was solidified with book 2, DIVIDED, which I loved just as much if not more.

PAUSE FOR GRATUITOUS KRISTEN ASHLEY FANGIRLING

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of all things KA, and the woman has written some of my favorite cops EVAH, like Hector “Oh My God” Chavez. Seriously now. Have you met the man? Because you need a Hector “Oh My God” Chavez in your life. Below my favorite 3 KA cop heroes.

HOLD ON (The ‘Burg #6)
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“Need you to get this, Cher. I wanna kiss you. But right now, I wanna kiss you because you’re standin’ in my arms, lookin’ up at me the way you’re lookin’ up at me. I definitely wanna kiss the girl who loves to make me laugh. And I wanna kiss the girl who put that dress on for me. I also wanna kiss you because after I kiss you, I’m gonna take you to my bed and I’m gonna fuck you. But you need to know, in this instant, I wanna kiss you because you’re the girl you are right now, the way you are right now, lookin’ up at me.”

Swoon. I mean, FREAKING SWOON.

ROCK CHICK RESCUE (Rock Chick #2)
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“Chiquita, women spend a lot of time sittin’ around bitchin’ that there are no good men out there.
I hate to tell you this, but there aren’t a lot of good women either.
The difference is, when a man sees one, he knows it.
Then, he goes after her and wears her down until she’s his.
Then, if he’s any man at all, he won’t let her go.”

A protective alpha male cop, a girl in trouble and a whole lot of shenanigans.

KA at her best with this book!

Though it wasn’t my favorite in the series, I still couldn’t get enough of Eddie Chavez.

ROCK CHICK REGRET (Rock Chick #7)
GOODREADS | AMAZON

Then before I could stop it, to my horror, I started crying.
Really! Where was my Ice Princess? Why did she come along when she wasn’t wanted and disappeared when I needed her? She was beginning to really annoy me.
When the Ice Princess didn’t show, with no other choice so he wouldn’t see me cry, I shoved my face in his neck.
He dropped to the side on his back taking me with him. He rolled us and then we were lying on the couch, me snug between the heat of him and the soft back of the couch.
One of his arms held me close at the waist; the other hand cupped the back of my head and held my face to his throat.
“Let me take care of you,” he whispered through my sobs.
“Okay,” I whispered through my sobs too, too tired to fight it anymore.

This was easily the most emotional book in this whole series, and for me, the most memorable one too!

BREATHE (Colorado Man #4)
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“I’ll let you in on a secret, honey. The knight who has serious chinks in his armor but never falls is the true hero. That means he’s won battles and doesn’t waste time polishing his armor so he can look good while he rides in parades that are tributes to his glory. He just drags himself back on his steed and keeps right on battling. And if he’s the right kind of knight, he never rides alone. The best heroes inspire loyalty. The best heroes keep fighting the good fight, tirelessly, quietly. The best heroes always have scars. If they didn’t, the heroine would have nothing to do. It’s her job to help the hero let all that stuff go in order that her man can be strong enough to fight on but when he’s with her he’s free to just ‘breathe’.”

Chace Keaton. All of the swoons.

LAW MAN (Mystery Man #3)
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“I’ll go gentle, baby,” he whispered against my lips. “I promise. You’ll always be safe with me.”

Oh. My.

“Mitch,” I breathed.

His soulful eyes held mine captive as he repeated firmly, “Always.”

And of course, last but certainly not lease is Detective Mitch Lawson. A cop, a single dad, and all of the swoons!

“You’re Mara, you’re sweet, you’re beautiful and I will not forget until the day I die how beautiful it felt to slide inside you with you wrapped around me, see your eyes get wet and know straight in my gut that you felt how beautiful it was too.”

And now back to regularly schedule programming…

IN A BAD WAY (Bad Boys of The Bay #4) by Karin Tabke
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“I’ll split you apart and make you beg for more” He dropped his lips to the base of her throat and inhaled her sweet scent. “And I’ll be gone before you wake up.”
“Is that how you court a lady?”
“You’re not a lady and I don’t court.”
“If you don’t court, what do you do?”
“I fuck.”
“Then just fuck me.”

A missing stripper sister, the Russian mob, a smoking hot FBI Agent and the enigmatic woman who lies at the center of it all, is as crazy sexy as it gets.

Sounds delicious? Well that’s because it totally is! And it’s also easily read as a standalone.

ALL I WANT (Alabama Summer #2) by J. Daniels
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“Oh sweetie. You might want to go disinfect. he’s got the herp.”
“Oh my God. Are you serious? You have herpes?”
“What? No I don’t!”
“He’s really sweet about it though,” I say sympathetically at the blonde. “He pays for my Valtrex every month.”

What’s better than a second chance romance? A second chance romance with a healthy dose of hate lust and a whole heck of a lot of sass thrown in! You need Luke Evans in your life!

“Oh my God,” I whimper.
“Do I need to tell you what to do with that?” he asks, his voice laced with arrogance as he glances down at my hand that remains stagnant against his cock.
“God I fucking hate you.” I pull his cock free and wrap my hand around it, feeling him thicken in my palm…
“Yeah, I hate you too, babe.”

And if you haven’t met Officer Benjamin Kelly and looking for more enemies to lovers, then don’t forget to check out book 1 in this series, Where I Belong.

FLOORED (Frenched #3) by Melanie Harlow
GOODREADS | AMAZON

…I was irritated. It wasn’t the note, either. It was the fact that Charlie had come over here, tempted me with his whiskey and his cologne and his cuddling, and then kept his word not to touch me. How dare he!

Speaking of enemies to lovers, Floored definitely hits the spot for that trope as well. Plus the hot cop AND the pee yourself laughing sort of humor to boot.

Confession: I actually said a little prayer here, something along the lines of Dear God, I hope you’re not watching this but I’d really, really be grateful if I could get through this without gagging or choking, and also it would be great if this was the best blowjob he ever gets in his entire life. OK thanks, go away now.

Oh and you can easily read it as a standalone!

DOWN ON HER KNEES by Christine Belle
GOODREADS | AMAZON

A warm summer breeze kicked up as he clamped his fingers tight around her wrists and pinned her to the hood with his hips, hard enough to make her gasp.
“Tell me no,” he murmured against the soft shell of her ear, “and I won’t slide my hands up that little dress and work that pussy until you scream.”

*Pervy shudder*

Officer Rafe could arrest ME any time. Any. Time.

This book had by far one of the HOTTEST cop role plays I’ve ever read, and it was with an actual cop too! Well, fictional. But you get what I’m saying here.

PAUSE FOR GRATUITOUS TESSA BAILEY FANGIRLING

I mean, the woman has only written some of my all time favorite dirty cops to date. How do you even have a list like this and NOT have at least her entire Line of Duty series? HOW I ask ya?!

PROTECTING WHAT’S HIS (Line of Duty #1)
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“Listen to me, baby. From the time we walk in the door to my apartment, you will have less than a minute before I put my cock inside you. No foreplay. No kissing. There won’t be any time, because you’ve got me strung so damn tight I can barely thing straight. I need you to keep yourself wet for me on the ride home. Starting now.”

HIS RISK TO TAKE (Line Of Duty #2)
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“I’ve been ready for you since Saturday morning. It’s going to take me hours of fucking that tight little body of yours to satisfy it. I hope you know what you’re in for”
She looked up at him, bold and determined. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
He growled, equally exhilarated and annoyed by the way she insisted on pushing him back. “I’m going to put you on your knees, Ruby. You’re going to hate how much you love it.”

OFFICER OFF LIMITS (Line of Duty #3)
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“Just that in my experience, guys who talk the biggest game are usually a letdown in the end.”
“It wouldn’t be disappointing.”
“I’ll tell you what. You’ve got one minute to prove me wrong.”
His eyes narrowed. “Elaborate.”
She slipped her phone out of her pocket and held it up. “I’ll set the timer for one minute. You’ll have sixty seconds to prove you’re not just a bunch of talk.”
Daniel glanced at the bed behind her. “The things I want to do to you, Story, would take a lot longer than sixty seconds. Your phone’s battery would die well before I finished.”
“Then show yourself the door.”
“Set the damn timer.”

ASKING FOR TROUBLE (Line Of Duty #4)
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“Aw, what’s wrong, Brent? Jealous? After all, if ever there was someone who deserved to have a jackass named after him, it’s you.”
“Yeah? And what would they name it? How about…Spanky?”
“How about Oversized Dickhead?”
He shrugged. “Didn’t hear you complaining about my oversized—”
She shot to her feet, jostling the table. “Can I speak with you in private?”
“You need it right now?” He feigned exasperation.“We’re in the middle of dinner, woman. You’re insatiable.”

AND NOW BACK TO REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING

LIBERATING LACEY by Anne Calhoun
GOODREADS | AMAZON

Without a word he led her through the bar to the sultry heat of the parking lot, heading for the shadows created by an enormous black SUV arrogantly angled across three parking spaces in the back corner.
“Yours?” she asked as they rounded the truck’s hood.
“Nope, just a place for a private conversation.” He backed her up into the passenger door. Hands braced on either side of her head, he fastened his teeth on the sensitive juncture of her neck and shoulder, sucking at her skin with just enough pressure to make her gasp.

Older woman meets younger man in one of my all time favorite Anne Calhoun books EVER. Hunter Anderson brought all the swoons and all the sexy and I loved the ever-loving hell out of him!

UNCOMMON PASSION by Anne Calhoun
GOODREADS | AMAZON

My God, he was broken. So broken, this frightening vulnerability protected only by pieces of bulletproof vest held together with razor wire, attitude, and a smile that broke her heart every time he flashed it.

Broken alpha for the win! Clearly I’m a fan of this author so it’s not a shock she appears on my list once more for hot cops. In Uncommon Passion you get Swat Officer Ben Harris and man oh man will you fall hard for this broken man.

This book had everything! The feels. The sizzling sex. And the romance! In true Anne Calhoun passion, she crafts strong heroines that balance out her broody heroes perfectly!

CROSSING THE LINE (Battered Hearts #3) by Kele Moon
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“Wyatt didn’t want it, but without his permission, his heart started beating again.
It had always beat for Tabitha.”

Second chance romance so emotionally gripping, it’ll make your heart beat. No one and I mean NO ONE writes gritty and emotional love stories quite like Kele. What makes Sheriff Wyatt Conner sexy? It’s not that he’s a former MMA fighter. It’s his absolutely unwavering love and devotion for Tabitha.

If you want swoons and feels and a sizzling hot romance, you need this book AND this series in your life!

PACKING HEAT by Kele Moon
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“You like being forced to just lay there and wait for me. I like it too. You look so good all open and ready for my cock. Just being still and obedient like a good little cock whore.”

A cop AND a firefighter in a sizzling hot MM?!! Be still my ovaries! Sure this is a shortie of a book, but man oh man does it pack a one two punch straight to the ovaries!

A LOT LIKE LOVE (FBI/US ATTORNEY #2) by Julie James
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“I’d like to know more about this undercover agent who posed as my daughter’s date. The ubiquitous Tall, Dark, and Smoldering.’

Nick put on his best meet-the-parent smile. ‘I generally prefer to go by Nick.”

Sassy heroines, laugh out loud humor, & sexy romance with grumpy and broody heroes is what makes this series absolute crack for me! I’ve been a huge fan since meeting Special Agent Jack Pallas in SOMETHING ABOUT YOU, book 1 in this series. And while I loved that little enemies to lovers romp, there was something about A LOT LIKE LOVE that stuck with me even more.

But then again, this is a series that just got better and better with each new installment.

EXTREME DANGER (McCloud & Friends #5) by Shannon McKenna
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“You use your tits the way a ninja assassin uses nunchuks.”

If über alphas are your thing, then this series will be pure catnip for you. Because let me tell you, Shannon McKenna writes some SUPER uber alphas. These men are dirty talkers, crazy possessive, domineering, protective, and hit the spot for me each and every single time. Most of the series focuses on the McCloud brothers and their investigative and security business, but Extreme Danger was about cop Nick Ward, undercover to investigate a dangerous enemy when a beautiful and innocent woman lands in his crosshairs and he simply can’t walk away.

MORE SEXY ROMANCES FEATURING HOT COPS

These are all titles I’ve read and loved and would strongly recommend to all my fellow dirty birds 😉

RUN THE RISK (Love Undercover #1) by Lori Foster
GOODREADS | AMAZON

When Detective Logan Riske goes undercover to find Pepper Yates, a potential link to his best friend’s unsolved murder, he vows to gain her cooperation by any means necessary. But the elusive beauty is more suspicious—and in far more danger—than he expected. And the last thing Logan needs is to start caring for her…

Pepper has spent years dodging the corrupt club owner who will stop at nothing to keep her silenced. She can trust no one, not even the handsome new “construction worker” who’s moved in next door. The heat between them is undeniable. But will surrendering to passion bring her the safety she so desires—or will her feelings for Logan draw them both into a killer’s crosshairs?

MIDNIGHT SECRETS (Wildefire #1) by Ella Grace (pen name for Christy Reece a DGR fave author)
GOODREADS | AMAZON

AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT, THE HEAT BEGINS

On a hot southern night, with a storm on the horizon, a family is shattered. Three beautiful daughters—Savannah, Samantha, and Sabrina Wilde—go on with their lives, each significantly changed, as they bear the memory of the murder-suicide that killed their parents. For years, they have stayed away from Midnight, Alabama. Until Midnight calls them home.

Savannah is the first one back, when a grueling case in Nashville leads the young prosecutor to seek shelter in the quiet of the once grand Wilde mansion. But when she finds letters casting doubt on her family’s dark, shameful past, she realizes that peace in Midnight is a shallow façade and sinister secrets lurk beneath the surface. Zach Tanner, once the town’s bad boy, is now the new police chief and still has a wild hold over her. Zach can feel it, too, but he hurt Savannah once. As teenagers, they broke every rule together. Now it’s his job to keep her safe, even though he isn’t sure who her enemies are—or which ones might be his own.

ARRESTED BY LOVE by Virna DePaul
GOODREADS | AMAZON

In the steamy world of bestselling romance author Virna DePaul, there are bad boys and good girls on both sides of the law. And when they mix, it’s always an explosive combination. Now the three novellas of her contemporary Red-Hot Cops series are available together in this eBook anthology:

COPPING TO IT

Though Claire Fullerton, a respected journalist, isn’t afraid to walk on the wild side, she’s terrified that unleashing her inner vixen will expose her to getting hurt. But when Claire is captured by a notorious gang of bikers, she recognizes a friendly face from her darkest fantasies: undercover cop Ty Williamson, who has managed to infiltrate the gang to bring them down from the inside. Now Ty’s determined to bind Claire to him and prove that he wants all of her: the good with the bad. In fact, the badder she is, the better they’ll be—together.

COP APPEAL

People used to call her Sure-Thing-Sarah, but the only thing Sarah Larson’s sure about these days is the torch she’s carried for undercover cop Luke Anderson. Four years ago, Sarah made the biggest mistake of her life: leaving Luke to marry another cop. Now, a year after her divorce, Luke’s back in her life—ready to convince Sarah that he’s the one when it comes to love. But Sarah has a big fear—that her dangerously possessive ex-husband is out to make sure that her second chance at happiness is destroyed forever.

COPPING ATTITUDE

As a former centerfold, Jenna Mills is a pro at deflecting male attention, and with good reason. A painful past has made her mistrustful of all men—and hell-bent on getting revenge on one in particular. But first she needs help overcoming her fear of physical intimacy. And honorable cop Noah James might just be the perfect place to start. Noah’s used to making a woman feel safe, in bed and out. But when Jenna makes him an indecent proposal, Noah’s willing to give her everything she’s asking for . . . and more.

MINE TO HOLD (Wicked Lovers #6) by Shayla Black
GOODREADS | AMAZON

A friend’s duty.

Tyler Murphy was an LAPD detective, single and happy—until a near-fatal tragedy crippled his friend, fellow detective Eric Catalano. While Tyler supported Eric, he also became a shoulder for Eric’s wife, Delaney, to lean on. But with one naughty suggestion from Eric, a drunken night with Delaney spilled into erotic abandon. Before it was over, Tyler saw his best friend’s wife as a woman and yearned for more. When Eric struggled to deal with the aftermath, Delaney begged Tyler to leave. Crushed, he fled to Louisiana, hoping to escape his longing for the one woman he could never have again…and unaware of what he’d left behind.

A lover’s desire.

After two years of living with regret, Tyler finds Delaney on his doorstep, her husband having abandoned her long ago. She’s protecting a shocking secret and desperately needs refuge from a stalker determined to see her dead. As they fight to stay alive and catch the killer, they struggle to resolve the guilt of their past pleasures. But they can’t deny that what was once a spark is now a flame burning out of control. To possess Delaney—body and soul—Tyler must heal her pain and thwart the evil that’s a mere breath behind her…

INTO THE NIGHT (The Reliance Group #1) by Janelle Denison
GOODREADS | AMAZON

A former Marine and Las Vegas Vice cop, Nathan Fox has seen it all and then some. Heading up security for The Onyx Casino is tame compared to his past, but it’s not his only job. Working for The Reliance Group is his real passion project. His current case: A missing woman. His mission: To find her. But soon Nathan must deal with a stubborn—and stunning—journalist who’s nosed her way into the investigation…and into Nathan’s fantasies.

To reporter Nicole Hutton, exposing a ruthless, twisted criminal who abuses vulnerable teens isn’t just a job. In fact, this story has become very personal, especially now that she’s gotten tangled up with sexy Nathan Fox. But before she can break the story, and help rescue a missing girl, she and Nathan must brave the labyrinth of Vegas’s dark underbelly…where the heat simmering between them is about to burst into flames…

DEADLY HEAT (Deadly #2) by Cynthia Eden <— my top favorite series by this author!!
GOODREADS | AMAZON

She wants revenge…
Six months after her lover died in an arsonist’s blaze, firefighter Lora Spade calls in the FBI’s elite Serial Services Division to track the elusive killer. When Special Agent Kenton Lake is lured into a violent inferno, Lora pulls him to safety and is stunned – not by the fire, but by her own searing attraction to Kent. For the first time in months, she longs for something other than vengeance.

He wants her…
Kenton’s interest in Lora should be purely professional. But one fleeting kiss and he can’t get her out of his mind. Her combination of strength and vulnerability makes him want to protect her, and that means solving this case – and fast. For even the passion igniting between them can’t hide a terrifying truth: Lora is the next target in a murderer’s sadistic, fiery game.

A vicious killer wants only…
DEADLY HEAT

MEN OUT OF UNIFORM anthology
GOODREADS | AMAZON

The hottest thing about a man in uniform is imagining him out of it…

They may enforce the rules, but when men in uniform are off duty and under the covers, they’re experts at breaking them. In this searingly sexy anthology, popular authors Maya Banks, Sylvia Day, and Karin Tabke present men in uniform-unzipped…

Taking the Heat by Sylvia Day
It’s time for protected witness Layla Creed to come out of hiding and take the stand. Layla has only three days to reconnect with federal marshal Brian Simmons—and slake the white-hot lust that has simmered between them for years…

Soul Possession – Maya Banks
Jessie spends a hot night with two sexy-as-sin detectives, only to be accused of murder the very next day. But when Jessie becomes the target of a serial killer, her two detectives will risk everything to have her back in their arms—and in their bed…

Karin Tabke’s Wanted follows the X-rated exploits of bad-boy cop Colin Daniels and the soon-to-be-ex-wife of a mob boss. He’s been hired to guard her body, but it drives him to distraction instead, putting his career—and his life—on the line…

FAITH & FIDELITY by Tere Michaels
GOODREADS | AMAZON

New York City Vice Detective Evan Cerelli has lost his wife, the only person he ever loved and slept with. He’s trying to get on with his life, build a life for his children.

Former Homicide Detective Matt Haight is a ladies’ man, all sex/no commitment. He’s depressed, having a midlife crisis, and not sure where his life is headed.

The two find friendship in the bottom of a shared bottle. When the friendship turns to love, it shakes two straight men to the core and flips their lives inside out.

Kids, families, careers that are not gay-friendly — can all the love in the world overcome the obstacles to faith and fidelity?

DANGEROUS BOYS AND THEIR TOY by Shayla Black <— super hot MFM with GFY
GOODREADS | AMAZON

Trading orgasms for information isn’t their usual way of doing business, but when a missing criminal-turned-star-witness and fifty grand are on the line, bounty hunter R. A. Thorn and Detective Cameron Martinez are prepared to put their bodies to the task and give gorgeous Brenna Sheridan everything she needs. An exchange they never anticipated becomes an experience none can forget—or walk away from. Sexual hunger sizzles the threesome, but the stakes and danger rise as a mafia bad-ass stalks Brenna. Soon, their “deal” is no longer about information—or sex. Emotions bind Brenna, Cam and Thorn together more tightly than they ever imagined as the men protect—and serve—the beloved woman neither can live without.

Welp, that’s it for my list. Loved it? Tell me in comments? Did I miss one of your favorites? Tell me about it in comments! I love to hear from you all, so don’t be shy <3

Till next time, dirty birds!

2 Comments · Filed Under: DGR Favorites, Features · Tagged With: cuff me officer, DGR Fave, DGRUltimate

DGR Fave & Review: Disclaim by @pamgodwinbooks

August 30, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

Disclaim-Review DISCLAIM
Series: Deliver #3
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Pam Godwin
Release Date: August 31, 2016

Disclaim

Camila was seventeen when Van Quiso kidnapped her. Ten years after her escape, the shackles refuse to release her. Not while there are still slave traders preying on her city.
She will stop at nothing to end them.
Even if that means becoming a slave again.

Returning to chains is her worst fear—and only option. They won’t know who she is or what she intends to do. She’s prepared for every complication.
Except him.
The one who decimated her sixteen-year-old heart.

Matias is charming, gorgeous, and dangerously seductive. He’s also untrustworthy and enshrouded in secrets. After years of no contact, he finds her—on her knees, wrists bound, in the clutches of her enemy.
Will he sabotage her mission by needlessly saving her?
Or will he keep her in chains and never let her go?

It is recommended to read after Deliver & Vanquish, but it can be read as a stand-alone.

Buy Links AMAZON | iBOOKS

Over the years, his need for her hadn’t faded. It had become a living, starving thing inside him, ruling his fucking world.

No one can make you fall head over ovaries for an anti hero quite like Pam Godwin. And no one can write a dark, gritty and addicting romance quite like her either. Every time I read a book of hers they just get better and better. The woman is an evil genius and I can’t get enough of how her twisted mind works.

Twelve months after her disappearance, she’d become a mirage in his wasteland, distorting at the edges and flickering out of reach.

First of all, while you can read this as a standalone, I highly recommend reading at least Vanquish first. Van has a very heavy presence in this book, and it would help to connect to the story and the characters having read his book first. Besides, the book was amazing, so do you even need a better reason than that? But I digress…

When Camilla was just 17 years old she was stolen from her home and the boy of her youthful love. She survived being Van Quiso’s slave and escaped her captivity over ten years ago. Now her goal is single minded; find every sick and twisted trafficker and make them pay while climbing her way to the top of the organization to cut off the head of the viper.

She could fight her desire, but she couldn’t disclaim their unbreakable bond, one that had taken root so long ago in the haven of their citrus grove.

Matias is not the young innocent boy she left behind those years ago. He’s a broken man, a man haunted by the demons of his past and his present. He’s a man that’s shed blood and didn’t bat an eye lash or lose a minute of sleep over it. He’s also a man with deep and dark secrets…and he also holds the answers that Camilla seeks. But is she brave enough to let down the walls she’s so carefully constructed though the years in order to seek them out?

He needed vindication and intended to take it from her pleading screams, from the give of her body beneath his thrusts. Pain and pleasure. Twisted justice.

Disclaim, much like its predecessors in the series, was one fucked up ride…and I couldn’t get enough of it. Camilla was such a strong heroine. But beneath that hard shell of hers lay the soul of a woman that yearns to submit. Watching her inner struggle and turmoil though the story was almost mesmerizing. When you add in the brooding intensity of Matias and it was the perfect recipe for an unputdownable read. Matias was an alpha to beat alphas. His dominance practically crackles though the pages.

He was going to fuck her until they were both annihilated. Until their broken pieces scattered in an unholy tangled mess. And when they put themselves back together, there would no longer be hers and his. Only them.

The story was a perfect blend of erotic and gritty, suspenseful and dark. It was everything I’ve come to love in a dark romance without any of the predictable plot twists. As a matter of fact, the only thing predictable about it was the fact that I loved it.

I loved getting more pieces of Liv and Van. I loved the progression of the story and all of the twists and turns. I had no idea where any of it would lead and when the secrets were finally revealed? Mind. Blown.

Pam Godwin is a queen of dark romance and she crafted the perfect couple with Camilla and Matias. They were a ying and yang of dominance and submission. They were dark and darker. They were pain and pleasure. They were devastatingly perfect.

He couldn’t stop. He was so fucking lost in her he didn’t want to find his way back.

If you’re looking for a page turning read with a twist of dark and a whole lot of sexy, then this book is a no brainer purchase. Trust me on this. And if you haven’t read anything by this incredible author yet, you my friend, are seriously missing out.

THE DELIVER SERIES

DELIVER (DELIVER #1)

VANQUISH (DELIVER #2)- My Review

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

Jennifer’s Top Fave & Review: Wicked Sexy by @JTGeissinger

July 22, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

WICKED SEXY
Series: Wicked Games #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: J.T. Geissinger
Release Date: July 19, 2016

A badass ex-Special Ops officer and a smartass hacker fight a dangerous enemy…and a blistering attraction to each other.

Connor Hughes is an ex-special ops officer, CEO of Metrix Security, and bonafide badass. His private security firm is renowned for its effectiveness. He’s renowned for his lethal precision and iron self-control. But when the former Marine meets a gorgeous young hacker with a mouth as smart as her brain, his control unravels in ways he never could have predicted.

Tabitha West is a genius MIT dropout with a bad attitude, an obsession with Hello Kitty and piercings in unmentionable places. Tabby amuses herself by outwitting the most secure technology systems on the planet. Known in hacker circles as Polaroid due to her photographic memory, she’s as secretive as she is accustomed to working alone. So when Connor decides she’s the only one who can help him catch a cyber criminal intent on taking down one of his clients, she tells him exactly where he can stick it.

But when the cyber criminal turns out to be the Hannibal Lecter of computer crime—and a dark presence from Tabby’s past—Tabby and Connor are drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse. They quickly find themselves fighting not only their common enemy, but also an explosive desire that threatens to consume them.

When the stakes are this high and the game this deadly, will falling in love be the most dangerous move of all?

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | GOOGLE PLAY | KOBO

5,000 “Loathe” Stars!!!!!

Book…..….of………the………Year.

Yep….I said it, people.

”A real hero would teach the princess how to save herself.”

I DEVOURED this book, licking my fingers at the very end, it was so delicious. I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want it to end. I just wanted to sink into this book and never come out. I’ve never read a story like this. And isn’t that what every reader wants? This book has everything you could ever ask for. I wish I had ALL THE WORDS to describe this book. It’s just EVERYTHING!

And it’s smart! Everyone in this book is a genius, literally. The dialogue was so much fun and witty. We’ve got crazy geniuses, and funny geniuses, and scary geniuses, and sexy-hot geniuses!

My Connor:

My Tabby:

Connor and Tabby do not like each other. They have a bit of a history. Connor loves to bait Tabitha, but Tabitha is always on top of her game and gives Connor her spit-fire tongue-lashing at every turn. I loved every single word between these two. Their relationship drips with sarcasm and perfection.

“God, why do you hate me? Seriously, what have I done to offend you so deeply that you’d burden me with this ridiculous—“
“Ahem. Heroic,” Connor interrupts.
“—egomaniacal—“
“Brilliant.”
“—delusional—“
“And yet somehow always right.”
“—insufferable, asinine, jockstrap of a man?”

Connor requests Tabby’s hacker services to assist with one of his clients. After some convincing (super-hot-convincing times), Tabby agrees, but the story takes an unexpected turn that I did not see coming at all. Tabby has a past that is dark and scary, and Connor is the type of hero who will murder for her.

“Love your tears, princess, ‘cause I know you’d never give them to anyone but me,” he murmurs into my ear.

J.T. writes some badass motherfuckers, and I’m not talking about the guys (although they are pretty badass too). The HEROINE in this book!!!! TABBY! Total girl-crush going on over here. I want to BE her, from her hello kitty watch to her dirty, badass mouth….everything. She has had a shit-load of life handed to her, but she is strong as steel. She has learned to hack her way into protecting herself and her heart. Tabitha is a genius hacker. She is just so….cool! I want to be Tabby when I grow up.

“Is that a Hello Kitty watch she’s wearing?” I turn and glare at him, my hands curled to fists, “Yeah, motherfucker, it is. And in two seconds it’s going to be telling the time inside your colon.”

Connor. Aka Jarhead. I need him. I need his words. I need his body. I need his devotion. I need his dirty mouth the most.

“…even if you just laid here snoring while I made love to you it would be the best sex of my entire life because it’s with you. Now I’m going to get you naked and eat your pussy like it’s the last supper and you don’t have to do anything but enjoy it, do you understand me?”

Let me talk about ALL THE FEELS in this book. I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I felt. Even with all the humor and sarcasm, this story pulled at my heart strings. I cannot say much about this part of the book without spoilers, but I will say that it was raw and gritty and beautiful. Only to turn around and swoon me to death in the end.

The beauty of J.T.’s books is the strong women, followed by a strong man, who sees the vulnerable parts of her and refuses to back down from the walls that she has built. Connor is the ying to Tabby’s yang. They push each other and pull each other and I was caught up in them for the whole ride.

My sweet, vicious, passionate, distant, marvelous, maddening riddle. If she’d let me, I’d spend a lifetime trying to figure her out.

I CANNOT WAIT to see what J.T. writes next. I am anxiously waiting for her next book!

WICKED BEAUTIFUL (Wicked Games #2)
GOODREADS | AMAZON | JENNIFER’S REVIEW

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 5 stars, DGR Fave, Jennifer Reviews

★DGR’S Ultimate List of Angsty Romance★

July 2, 2016 by Lana · 12 Comments

Let’s talk angst.

angst

äNG(k)st/

noun

a feeling of deep anxiety or dread, typically an unfocused one about the human condition or the state of the world in general.

“adolescent angst”

synonyms: anxiety, fear, apprehension, worry, foreboding, trepidation, malaise,
disquiet, disquietude, unease, uneasiness

ANGST just so happens to be pure catnip for this reader. I gobble it up like the starved addict that I am, and love every hair pulling second of it. If a book can make me feel like I want to throttle someone, scream at the ceiling and rip my hair out by the roots, I know I got myself a winner. What? Like you don’t have your vices? Sheesh. Judgy much?

This month you all voted for my Ultimate List of Angsty Romance, and that’s what I’m giving you. Fair warning, this will quite possibly be my longest list ever! We always chat about these lists in my FB group, so if you haven’t yet, join in on the inappropriate fun HERE.

Since this list will be ridiculously long if I let it, I decided to limit my choices to the uber angsty book picks. These are some of my all time favorites and my go-to recs.

And if you’re new to my blog, this a monthly feature I do on the last Saturday of each month! Check out the previous features here:

★ULTIMATE LIST OF DIRTY TALKERS★

★ULTIMATE LIST OF ROCK STARS★

★ULTIMATE LIST OF FIGHTERS★

★ULTIMATE LIST OF ANTI-HEROES★

★ULTIMATE LIST OF HATE TO LOVE ROMANCE★

★ULTIMATE LIST OF SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE★

★ULTIMATE LIST OF MAFIA ROMANCE★

As always, I’d love to hear from you all in comments if you don’t see one of your favorites listed. You know I love me some book recs 😉

You’ll notice I’ll list some of these by author because I loved several of their books, some I’ll list by series, and some will be simply individual books. Now let’s do this thing!

THOUGHTLESS by S.C. Stephens
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“What if I don’t choose you, Kellan? What will you do?”
He looked away, a tear rolling down his cheek. “I’ll leave, Kiera. I’ll leave, and you and Denny can have your happily ever after.” He looked back at me. “You wouldn’t even need to tell him about me. Eventually, the two of you…” his voice broke and another tear fell on his cheek, “the two of you would get married, and have children, and have a great life.”
I fought back a sob. “And you? What happens to you in that scenario?”
“I…get by. And I miss you, every day,” he whispered.”

Sweet mother of hair pulling, wanting to run the heroine over with my car, while rocking myself in a corner somewhere ANGST. GAH! GAH I tells ya! This freaking book. I don’t know how I even survived it. It put me off life triangles for years. And yet when I think of angst, this is the first one that pops into my head. Clearly it left an impression. And let’s be real here for a hot second, because it just doesn’t get much better than Kellan fucking Kyle *pervy sigh*

THE THOUGHTLESS SERIES
THOUGHTLESS | EFFORTLESS | RECKLESS | THOUGHTFUL | UNTAMED

TRISTAN & DANIKA trilogy by R.K. Lilley
GOODREADS | AMAZON

I knew we were going to be a dangerous combination. Bad things were going to happen if we spent too much time around each other.

First I read book one, and thought, well this isn’t so bad. Then I read book two and thought I’d been hit with a two by four full of feels, and then I barely BARELY survived book three because holy hell!!! I LOVED this trilogy. Absolutely loved it. It spans years and had one of the most memorable love stories I’ve read. The angst was in apoplectic proportions and I loved every single painful second of it. It was utterly delicious!

I convinced myself that it had all been passion, not true love. True love was a myth, a misdirection from the solid things in life. What I’d felt for Tristan had been big and all consuming, but I told myself, like a mantra in my head, that it had never been solid. Even so, every little thing brought him to mind. We’d had too much together, been through too much, felt too much, and every feeling had a memory.

THE TRISTAN & DANIKA SERIES
BAD THINGS | ROCK BOTTOM | LOVELY TRIGGER

CAROLINE & WEST duet by Robin York
GOODREADS | AMAZON

I want you, and I don’t know how to stop wanting you. I want to get deep inside you, and then deeper, until I’m so deep I don’t even know what’s me anymore and what’s you.

What’s better than angst? New Adult kind of angst. Yum yum yum. This is one of my all time favorite duets. These books took me through the emotional wringer and I don’t regret it even a little. I adored the heroine and I loved to hate the hero. But who am I even kidding? I mostly loved him even when I wanted to hate him!

“I could tell you how much I’m hurting, or I could get out of the car, slam the door, hitchhike to the airport because fuck you, fuck you, West, how could you do this to me? How?

What I can’t do is pretend I don’t know what you did,” I say. “Or pretend I don’t still care about you.”

THE CAROLINE & WEST DUET
DEEPER | HARDER

BULLY by Penelope Douglas
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“You were my tempest, my thunder cloud, my tree in the downpour. I loved all of those things, and I loved you. But now? You’re a fucking drought. I thought that all the assholes drove German cars, but it turns out that pricks in Mustangs can still leave scars.”

If you haven’t at least heard of this phenomenal series, odds are you’ve been living under a rock. Well climb on out from under there my friend, because you are seriously missing out. This is easily of my top favorite NA series and the angst is utterly delicious. I have a motto when it comes to books by Penelope Douglas; she writes them, I read them. Period. No exception.

Becoming hard at heart isn’t an intersection in your brain where you have a choice to turn left or right. It’s coming to a dead end, and you just keep going, over the cliff, unable to stop the inevitable, because the truth is you just don’t want to.
There is freedom in the fall.

THE FALL AWAY SERIES
BULLY | UNTIL YOU | RIVAL | FALLING AWAY | AFLAME

THE VINCENT BOYS by Abbi Glines
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“ If I’d ever taken the time to wonder about my soul being as black as this town seemed to believe, I knew the moment Ashton stepped out of her little white Jetta looking like an angel from Heaven that my soul was damned to Hell. ”

I have a love hate relationship with Abbi Glines books. No really. See I love to hate them. No I don’t mean that in a hater sort of way. What I mean, is she’s a guilty pleasure author for me. I may not always love every book, I may want to throttle most of the heroines, and yet I still enjoy the ride. Kind sick saying it out loud lol. I’ve read her entire backlist, and I absolutely ADORED her Sea Breeze series. To date, that’s my favorite series by her.

But what began the obsession was this book. The Vincent Boys. And to be clear, I’m referring to the uncut edition, because let’s be real, if I’m forced to endure YA angst, I need steam to dilute it. I devour her books in one sitting. I adore every hero she’s written. What can I say? The struggle is real with this addiction I have and I’m not even sorry. Even when I hate the heroines, the heroes more than make up for it.

AN ORDINARY GIRL by Barbara Elsborg
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“I can’t believe I’ve found someone that’s more fucked up than me.”

I don’t remember why I read this book exactly. I think I stumbled on it by pure chance actually. Something about that synopsis just hooked me. I ended up devouring it in one sitting! This author has a signature blend of angst and dry wit and humor that just calls to me. I love it! She’ll add a bit of OTT drama that also somehow just works and at times a dash of suspense and voila! Instant addiction. I went on a Barbara Elsborg binge right after this and the addiction still continues. Not only does she write great angst, but the steam level is through the roof! She writes amazing MM, scorching MMF, and deliciously dirty MF. I can’t recommend her enough!

DGR’S BARBARA ELSBORG FAVORITES (all angsty perfection)
STRANGERS (MF erotic) | TO KISS A FALLING STAR (MF erotic) | FALLING (MM) | BREAKING (MM)

THE UNWANTED WIFE
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“I’m your husband…”
“No. You are not my husband,” she interrupted in a voice thickened with hatred and tears. “You have never been my husband. A husband loves, honours and cherishes! A husband is a lover and a champion….Look into the next room if you want to see what a real husband is, because you are no such thing!”

What would happen if you combined Harlequin presents with some crazy angst? This. Book. Holy mother! I loved it! I loved it so freaking much! Natasha Anders definitely has a signature style to her romance. I love watching her heroines grow into their own and stand up for themselves. I love seeing her royal alphaholes of heroes realize their mistakes and perform some epic kind of groveling. All of it just speaks to me and I can’t get enough!

DGR’S NATASHA ANDERS FAVORITES (all standalones and all angsty, of course)
A HUSBAND’S REGRET | A RUTHLESS PROPOSITION

THIS HEART OF MINE by Brenda Novak
GOODREADS | AMAZON

She’d wanted him so badly seventeen years ago. And now that he wanted her, regardless of what anyone said, she wouldn’t come near him.

This was the first book I had read by this author and boy was I kicking myself for it after. Hard. If you love second chance romance and redemption stories, this is an absolute must read. It’s emotional, heart breaking, beautifully written, and completely unforgettable. While it is a part of a long-standing series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

No it’s not exactly the smutty smut that I normally gravitate to so if you’re expecting lots of steam, you’ll be sorely disappointed. But this book was not lacking it for me. Not even a little. The story was so emotionally powerful and the romance was so beautiful with just the right amount of tasteful love scenes, that I fell head over heels for This Heart of Mine.

THIS MUCH IS TRUE by Katherine Owen
GOODREADS | AMAZON

LIFE CAN CHANGE in as little of fifteen seconds. I know this.
Fifteen seconds.
An SUV clips my car, kills my sister, and changes me and my life forever.

Thirty seconds.
The time it takes for a stranger to lift me up and carry me away and save me from the burning wreckage.
Thirty seconds.

One night.
The time it takes to fall in love with Lincoln Presley and forge promises that neither of us can keep.
One night.

Thirty seconds.
In thirty seconds, a heart can break.

If you like your angst to feel like you’ve been run over by the mac truck of feels, boy do I have a rec for you. Because this book? It will actually physically drain you. I’m not even a little kidding. It was fucking painful, people! I still have no idea how I survived it but I feel like I needed a cookie, a hug, a medal and all of the alcohol after it. In that exact order. This does end on a cliffhanger and I recommend reading the full trilogy to get a much deserved HEA.

THE TRUTH IN LIES TRILOGY
THIS MUCH IS TRUE | THE TRUTH ABOUT AIR & WATER | TELL ME SOMETHING TRUE

IF YOU LEAVE by Courtney Cole
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“That day, that one day, changed me forever. It taught me that everything you love, everyone you love, even if you love them and hate them at the same time, can be taken away in a moment and there isn’t anything you can do to change it.”

The Beautifully Broken is a series of 4 books, but it wasn’t until this book, IF YOU LEAVE (book 2 in the series), that I fell in love with the series. If You Leave deals with many heart wrenching issues; the biggest being the hero, Gabriel’s, PTSD from his Army Ranger days. It’s an emotional romance filled with angst, feels, and enough steam to keep you panting.

I loved every book in this series, but 2 and 4 have to be my all time favorites. If you haven’t read these yet, I strongly recommend you check them out.

THE BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN SERIES
IF YOU STAY | IF YOU LEAVE | BEFORE WE FALL | UNTIL WE FLY

THE EDUCATION Series by Jane Harvey-Berrick
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“What do you think I’ve got here that I wouldn’t give up in a heartbeat to be with you? There’s nothing to keep me here: I’ll go anywhere, do anything to be with you.”

What happens when a 30-year-old woman stuck in a loveless marriage has an affair with her 17, soon to be 18-year-old neighbor? One of the most gripping, emotional and powerful romances that I have ever read. Book one is The Education of Sebastian and tells the heart wrenching story of how these two fell in love. The Education of Caroline takes place ten years later, when these two lovers finally reunite. If you haven’t read this series, it’s seriously an absolute must read.

“Be happy, Caro, because that’s what you deserve.
I love you, I have always loved you, and where I go after this world, I will always love you.
Sempre e per sempre.”

THE EDUCATION OF SERIES
THE EDUCATION OF SEBASTIAN | THE EDUCATION OF CAROLINE | SEMPER FI

UNBEAUTIFULLY by Madeline Sheehan
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“Baby,” he said gruffly. “Man like me got no business with a girl like you. You’re nothin’ but a fuckin’ beauty and I’m a while lot of fuckin’ ugly who’s already halfway to hell.”

You want angst? You want grit with a big chunk of dark MC romance? Welcome to your next addiction! While I enjoyed every single book in this series, I have to say that UnBeautifully is easily my absolute favorite. There was just something so powerful about this beauty-and-the-beast romance that just spoke to me. It wasn’t an easy read and far from a light one. But it was an unforgettable ride from beginning to finish.

THE UNDENIABLE SERIES
UNDENIABLE | UNBEAUTIFULLY | UNATTAINABLE | UNBELOVED

ROCK CHICK REGRET by Kristen Ashley
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“No really,” I whispered, letting the sweet, peaceful feeling steal over me. “It only matters if there’s someone to care if you don’t wake up. It’s okay if I don’t wake up because there’s no one to care.”

I have three words for you: Hector OMG Chavez. That is all. No really. That’s all. If you’ve read this book, you know exactly what I mean. And if you haven’t? You need to get to reading it right freaking meow because MAN! So. Good.

This was probably the heaviest and most powerful book in the series for me (right up there with Stella and Mace in ROCK CHICK RECKONING, which is also a HUGE angsty rec). But there was just something about RCR that stayed with me for all these years. Maybe it’s what the heroine went through and watching her grow? Maybe it’s the story as a whole. Whatever the case may be, I simply adored it.

DREW + FABLE series by Monica Murphy
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“Maybe it was a mistake leaving you.
And I don’t know how to make it right.
Regret fills me every single day.
So much of it builds up I
Hate myself for
Missing you. Hurting you.
And I want you to know i…
Long for you
Love you
Others may come and go in our lives but…
We belong together”

New Adult angst? This has it. In spades. This was the book that made me fall in love with Monica Murphy’s writing. It was the first book that I read by her and I was hooked. I recommend reading them back to back because the cliffhanger in OWG will leave you so ragey, it’ll make you want to slap someone.

THE ONE WEEK GIRLFRIEND SERIES (these need to be read in order)
ONE WEEK GIRLFRIEND | SECOND CHANCE BOYFRIEND

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES but with new characters
THREE BROKEN PROMISES | FOUR YEARS LATER

DESTROYED by Pepper Winters
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“I was obsessed with finding redemption. Destroyed by love. Possessed by hope. Consumed by a past I couldn’t shake.”

So Pepper Winters advertises this as her “gray romance” but please don’t let that fool you. While this is certainly not quite on her usual dark scale it still packs a mean punch….straight to the mother effin feels. My. God. This book tore my heart to shreds and put it back together…barely. I was a damn mess reading it. I don’t remember the last time I cried that hard in a book but DAMN. Just DAMN.

This is a full standalone.

WICKED HEART by Leisa Reyven
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“Heartache doesn’t teach you to be resilient. It teaches you to protect your fragility. It teaches you to fear love. And it draws a bright red circle around all the ways you’ve failed as a person and laughs while you cry.”

Ah…sweet sweet second chance romance angst. How I love thee. Let me count the ways….Liam, Liam, Liam…wait. That’s not right.

While a lot of my friends loved the first two books in this series, I struggled a little with them. But I continued with the series because not only did I love the writing style, but I saw where it was going and I knew it was only a matter of meeting the right characters for me to fall in love with the story. And Wicked Heart? It was exactly that book for me.

THE STAR-CROSSED SERIES
BAD ROMEO | BROKEN JULIET | WICKED HEARTS

UNFORGIVEN by Elizabeth Finn
GOODREADS | AMAZON

You don’t fall in love with the person responsible for your greatest loss. And God help you if you do.

God help you indeed. This book was a crazy rollercoaster of emotion. It was almost physically painful to read at times. But man. MAN. What an incredibly powerful and angsty romance. To date, this is my favorite book by this author. And Elizabeth Finn happens to be one of my go to’s for angst, so I don’t make that statement lightly.

I’ll list some other notable favorites below. All are full standalones.

WORTH IT by Linda Kage
GOODREADS | AMAZON

I craved every little second I got to see her, but I knew I should stay away. It was torment, the two cravings rivaling and constantly churning in me, playing tug-of-war between what my heart wanted and what I knew was best.

I’m seriously obsessed with this New Adult series and can’t recommend every book in it enough. I love it that much. Worth It had some darker undertones to it that the others didn’t. It wasn’t dark, just more emotional and a touch heavier if that makes sense. The whole series packs a good amount of angst and if sexy NA romance is your thing, prepare to binge.

BEAUTIFUL DISASTER by Francette Phal
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“Nicholas Grayson wasn’t a nice person. In fact one could call him an asshole and he wouldn’t dispute it. He was as jaded as they come, eighteen years old, with a moral compass fixed permanently on diabolical. … His goals in life were to piss off his parents, break a few laws and generally screw his way through life.”

Cruel Intention meets Soap Opera in this deliciously angsty YA romance and I gobbled up each page like the addict that I am. Holy crap, people! This book HURT. Complete with a mother of all cliffhangers. But no worries, because you do get a much deserved HEA in the conclusion, REDEMPTION.

FACADE by Nyrae Dawn
GOODREADS | AMAZON

I don’t see the future; I just notice shit. When you’re seven years old and scared of your own shadow, too scared to get close to anyone like I used to be, you learn to pay attention. To study people’s loves because it’s the only way to feel like you’re living and to think about how differently you’d be doing if you had the balls to man up. Or, hell, if you hadn’t been given such a shitty hand to begin with.

While I loved the entire Games series, Facade was easily my favorite. I couldn’t even tell you why exactly. It just was. Something about a broken boy finding love in the girl he least expected. I just loved it.

THE GAMES SERIES
CHARADE | FACADE | MASQUARADE

A LUSH BETRAYAL by Selena Laurence
GOODREDS | AMAZON

I know almost instantly- this is it- I’m done. This woman will either be my salvation or the death of me. There is no question. I’ve lost control now that I’ve touched her. There’s no going back, and she’s the most spectacular thing I’ve ever experienced.

Rockstars. Betrayals. Redemptions. Second chances. This book had it all. This was my first book by Selena and I was hooked. A Lush Betrayal is still free on amazon, so if you like the sounds of this one, you need to grab it quick!

THE LUSH ROCKSTAR SERIES
A LUSH BETRAYAL | LOVING A LUSH | LOWDOWN & LUSH | A LUSH REUNION

Twisted by Cari Quinn & Taryn Elliott
GOODREADS | AMAZON

He could do anything, survive anything, but he couldn’t turn away from Jazz. She would sustain him where every other drug had failed.

It’s no secret that I love everything these authors write. I first fell in love with their Love In Oblivion series when I stumbled on ROCKED by pure chance. And from then, it was as they say, history. While each book focuses on a different member of the band, I don’t recommend reading it out-of-order. There is a story arc that continues throughout the series that you wouldn’t be able to appreciate having read the books out-of-order. I highly recommend starting with the prequel (SEDUCED) first. It really introduces the characters and gives you a taste of things to come.

TEN TINY BREATHS by K.A. Tucker
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“Just breathe,” my mom would say.
“Ten tiny breaths…Seize them.
Feel them.Love them.”

Does this book even need an introduction or an explanation for being on my list? C’mon now!

“I don’t hate you. I could never hate you. Give me your heart, Kacey. I’ll take everything that comes with it.”

THE TEN TINY BREATHS SERIES
TEN TINY BREATHS | IN HER WAKE | ONE TINY LIE | FOUR SECONDS TO LOSE | FIVE WAYS TO FALL

THIN LOVE by Eden Butler
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“I don’t want easy. I want the impossible. I want love so thick, I drown in it; it’s the only thing worth having and, I’m sorry Kona, you’re a nice guy when you’re not acting like an entitled jackass, but I really don’t think you’re capable of being anything more than that.”

To date, this is still one of my favorite second chance romances. The angst is in epic proportions and I do mean epic. This book will make you rip your hair out, it will make you sob hysterically, it will make you scream like a lunatic, but ultimately it will make you feel every single emotion right along with the characters and love every second of it.

UBEARABLE GUILT by Emma Grayson
GOODREADS | AMAZON

I was ripped from heaven with an angel, and tossed into the fiery pit of hell by myself with no way out. I wouldn’t ever allow myself to be released from its relentless grip.

If you ask me how this book first came on my radar, I wouldn’t be able to tell you. All I remember is reading that synopsis and knowing that I had to read it. And boy was I glad that I did because I absolutely loved it! I mean….just read this:

Kane Archer hasn’t always been tormented; he hasn’t always hated himself or been full of rage. He hasn’t always lived his life with an overpowering sense of guilt that threatens to destroy him. There was a time when his life was different. He was optimistic; he smiled and laughed; he loved passionately; he had it all. Kane was content—until the unthinkable took it all away. Two and a half years later and still reeling from his fiancée’s death, Kane returns to the one place he vowed he’d never visit again—Camden—with the promise to find the men who killed her and bring them to justice, regardless of the cost. Emotionally numb, stricken by guilt, and haunted by the events preceding Aimee’s death, the last thing Kane wanted was to meet someone he connected with; someone who made him feel again. As Kane gets closer to those responsible for Aimee’s death, he is thrown a curveball when he discovers a secret so devastating it rocks his world and threatens to destroy his chance at happiness. Whitney Jareau packed up her life when tragedy struck her family, leaving everything behind. Finally free from the persistent and domineering family that insisted she do the one thing she couldn’t, Whitney found peace in Camden. Two years later, her family wants her to come home and will stop at nothing to get her there. Wearing her heart on her sleeve for Kane Archer, a man so gorgeous it hurts to see the pain he carries, Whitney fights her family and refuses to return home to carry out their wishes. Can Whitney stay strong without giving in to the demands of her family? Can Kane let go of the past and move forward with the woman who brought him back to life? Or, will he walk away from her and carry the burden of UNBEARABLE GUILT

This is book 2 in the Breathe Again series, but easily enjoyed as a standalone

BROKEN by Lauren Layne
GOODREADS | AMAZON

I almost want to laugh at how messed up we are.
Two completely shattered souls doing a weird approach-and-recoil dance around each other.

A New Adult take on beauty and the beast by the super amazing Lauren Layne? Hell. Yes.

Lauren Layne first hit my radar when I read ISN’T SHE LOVELY which funnily enough turned out to be the prequel to this amazing series. But don’t be fooled, it’s not a novella. It’s a full length novel that introduces the characters, so I think that’s why it’s not considered the prequel? But it has its own fabulous HEA. Each book in the series is easily enjoyed as a standalone.

THE REDEMPTION SERIES
ISN’T SHE LOVELY | BROKEN | CRUSHED

WALK THROUGH FIRE by Kristen Ashley
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“I gave you up, walking through fire to do it but I did…
I did it in the end. I gave you everything.”

Holy mother of ugly cries!!! I was a pathetic mess reading this book. Utterly pathetic I tells ya! I don’t remember the last time a book made me ugly cry to quite this caliber. I’m talking crocodile tears level here, people!

You already know I love me a second chance romance and Walk Through Fire had an absolutely epic one. As a matter of fact, I’ve re-read one particular scene in this book at least 4 times now and each time the water works start. It’s just that powerful. So. Good.

DIVIDED by Ivy Stone
GOODREADS | AMAZON

He wasn’t supposed to show up on that bridge.
He wasn’t supposed to fill me with a slither of hope, for more, for different. But he did.

I first discovered Ivy Stone when I read the first book in her Unguarded series, EXPOSED. I fell in love with her writing style, her broken characters, and I knew I found myself a new author to stalk.

While each book in this series focuses on a different couple and their HEA, I highly recommend reading them in order because the backstory starts in the very beginning and you’d appreciate the story that much more having read each book.

BREAK EVEN by Lisa De Jong
GOODREADS | AMAZON

To an outsider, I have it all- the job, the husband, and the house- but inside I’m nearly empty.

I’ll be honest, I was afraid to read this book. Utterly terrified. I’m not typically a reader that enjoys reading about a heroine that cheats, no matter what the circumstance. It’s a horrible double standard I have and I own it, because I’ll forgive the hero but not the heroine *hangs head in shame*

But this book is nothing like what I thought. It’s incredibly unpredictable, erotic, and utterly unputdownable. If you read any book by this author, please make it this one. Trust me. Take a chance on something outside your comfort zone. You will not regret it.

PAPER HEARTS by Claire Contreras
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“How would you describe the #feeling of #love in 140 or less characters?
Answer : Like somebody is gripping your heart, but you don’t want them to let go because the ache would worsen without them.”

You already know that second chance romance is my crack of choice, so are you even a little surprised to see this book on my list? Really? Are you? Of course you’re not! I adored Kaleidoscope Hearts, but I loved Paper Hearts even more. If you’re a fan of angsty second chance romance and you haven’t read these books yet, you need to get on them right now. RIGHT. NOW.

THE HEARTS SERIES
KALEIDOSCOPE HEARTS | PAPER HEARTS | ELASTIC HEARTS

HOPELESS by Colleen Hoover
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“Fuck all the firsts, Sky. The only thing that matters to me with you are the forevers.”

Um…I’m sorry, but do I even need to say anything here? I don’t think so. Carry on…

“The moment my lips touch yours, it will be your first kiss. Because if you’ve never felt anything when someone’s kissed you, then no one’s ever really kissed you. Not the way I plan on kissing you.”

“I live you, Sky,” he says against my lips. “I live you so much.”

FISHER’S LIGHT
GOODREADS | AMAZON

I’m going to fix this. I have to fix this… I hate every moment that I’m away from her, but I will do whatever it takes to find the man she once loved and bring him back to her.”

Yet another second chance romance that I adored! I seriously loved every single angsty page of this! One of my top reads of that year.

How do I get that back when the darkness is hell bent on taking over, holding me in its clutches and making sure I never see the sunshine again?

TOXIC by Kim Karr
GOODREADS | AMAZON

Jeremy McQueen.
He wasn’t just any boy- he was “the boy”. The only one I never should have met, and the one I’d never trade meeting for the world.

And since we’re on a second chance romance angst kick, how can I not mention this deliciousness?

I loved him once, even though I’d never told him I did. And as I looked at him, everything I’d ever felt for him came rushing back.

PAPER PRINCESS
GOODREADS | AMAZON

“You should know whatever game you’re playing, you can’t win. Not against all of us.
If you leave now, you won’t be hurt. If you stay, we’ll break you so bad that you’ll be crawling away.”

Book. Crack.

Warning: this book will cause nervous break downs, eye ticks, random screaming episodes, cause you to perve on a 17 yr old alphahole and be glued to your kindle from beginning to finish. That is all. You’ve been warned.

This will never be my home. I don’t belong in splendor, I belong in squalor. That’s what I know. It’s what I’m comfortable with because squalor doesn’t lie to you. It’s not wrapped up in a pretty package. It is what it is.

THE ROYALS TRILOGY (Warning: Rage inducing cliffys ahead)
PAPER PRINCESS | BROKEN PRINCE | TWISTED PALACE

UNBREAK MY HEART by Jacquelyn
GOODREADS | AMAZON

I’d pushed her aside for so long that there was no foundation to build on. Just a mess of shattered pieces that I’d crushed with a sledgehammer every time she’d grown closer than I was comfortable with.

Quite easily my favorite angsty romance I’ve read all year. ALL OF THE ANGST!!! Oh man! If you love serious alphaholes, angst so thick you can choke on it, and a story so addicting that you can’t stop reading it for even a second? Read. This. Book.

For the past couple of nights when I’d lain down beside her, after she’d called asleep and I knew she couldn’t hear me, I’d promised her that she’d never have to forgive me again if she could do it one last time.

OTHER DGR ANGSTY FAVORITES