DGR’s 2018 Favorites: Geri’s Picks

January 6, 2019 by · 1 Comment

I know, I know. It’s 2019 already and everyone and their mothers have already published their list. BUT I am a firm believer of the BETTER LATE THAN NEVER mantra. So here you go! Here are my picks for best books of 2018 in no particular order.

GERI’S FAVORITES OF 2018

MAGIC TRIUMPHS by Ilona Andrews


“You and me, Kate. We’re forever.”

I think I have run out of words to describe how much I love Ilona Andrews. They have forever changed my reading life for the better.

Magic Triumphs delivered an ending to my favorite series that I will not soon forget. Ilona Andrews had painstakingly laid the foundations of this finale over the course of 10 books and several novellas.Everything that happened in this book was foreshadowed in previous books and delivered in a way that only Ilona Andrews can. I finished this book satisfied and yet oddly, craving for more.

I’m gonna miss Kate and Curran and the whole gang but knowing Ilona Andrews, they’re going to be writing more stories, and I’m gonna be ready to read them all.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

REBEL HARD by Nalini Singh

Forget about internet dating. All this traditional meet and greet and reject stuff was brutal.

There isn’t a sub-genre in romance that Nalini Singh can’t do.

I was blown away by just how good she is the moment I started reading Rebel Hard. It is, hands down, my favorite Nalini Singh contemporary to date!

The romance between Raj Sen and Nayna Sharma will make you swoon and will put a dopey smile on your face. Seriously. This book is one of those books that makes go, “This is why I read and love romance!”

Rebel Hard was a joy to read from start to finish. Hilarious, poignant, and sexy, Rebel Hard is everything I wanted in my contemporary romance. Nalini Singh’s writing shines through as she takes us through Nayna and Raj journey to HEA.

Seriously. You guys need to read this book!

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

A DUKE BY DEFAULT & A PRINCESS IN THEORY by Alyssa Cole

“You’re my liege. You’re the person I’m fighting for.”

I LOVED THIS SERIES with all my heart!

Alyssa Cole quickly became one of my favorite authors after delivering not one, but two favorite books on this list.

A Duke by Default captured my heart from the get go. Not only does it have a swoony, Scottish hero in Tavish, but it has one of my favorite heroines ever in Portia! I ADORED Portia Hobbs so much. The way Ms. Cole wrote her struggle with ADHD, her relationships with her friends and family and Tav were the best things about this book.

The tone, the chemistry, the banter — all of it was perfectly done. My one wish for 2019 is that more readers will discover and love Alyssa Cole she’s a talented writer who writes unique stories about unique characters.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

IRON AND MAGIC by Ilona Andrews

“This marriage is in name only.” 
“Sweetheart, you couldn’t pay me enough.”
Pink touched her tan cheeks. “If you betray us, I’ll make you suffer.”
“We haven’t even married yet, and I’m already suffering.” 
“We have that in common,” she snapped.

Listen. I’m not into anti-heroes at all. I’m not the kind of reader who falls for the villain. But if there’s an author who can manage to make me root for the villain, it would be Ilona Andrews.

It would be an understatement to say that I hated Hugh D’Ambray in Kate Daniels. I hated him. Loathe even. But by goddess, Ilona Andrews managed  the impossible. They actually made me like the bastard. I’m so offended by this, I can’t even. Also, how in the hell did they manage to take a loathsome character like Hugh, give him a character arc, a heroine to match and make him sympathetic? It’s magic, really.

Well the authorlords certainly knew what they were doing with this book, and I cannot wait to read more of Hugh and Elara!

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

WHAT KIND OF DAY by Mina Esguerra

Mina Esguerra continues to wow me with her stories. It’s one of the reasons why she continues to be a mainstay in my end of the year lists.

What Kind of Day reads to me like a love letter to the city of Manila. The heroine, Naya, run a specialized tour around the city. Ben, the hero became one of her passengers after getting fired from his job as a political aide. Sparks fly and the rest, as they say, is history.

I adored both Ben and Naya. Loved their HEA, but there’s another character in this book that captured my attention: Manila. The city that is. I feel like Manila was the third main character in this book. It came alive in Mina’s descriptions that I actually promised myself to find a similar tour that Naya runs and just explore the city that way.

I adored this book. The writing, the characters, the city…it just all came together perfectly for me.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

RAINY DAY FRIENDS by Jill Shalvis

“I’ve learned that life is a crapshoot, and at any moment someone can walk into it and change it forever.”

This book also has one of the most emotionally intense confrontation I’ve read in a Jill Shalvis book.

The conflict and the road to that confrontation was so well written that it really hits you when it happened. And it’s not just that one moment in particular, it’s the way Lanie processed her emotions when confronted with that something that got to me. That, in my opinion, is great writing.

Rainy Day Friends also delivered on the romance and I’m so happy it did. I was wary because this was marketed as women’s fiction but my wariness was unfounded because there’s a lot to swoon over in this book.

I highly recommend this book. If you loved Jill Shalvis, then this is a must read. If you’re just starting out reading her books, this is a great book to start.

AMAZON | GOODREADS | MY REVIEW

SCORING OFF THE FIELD by Naima Simone

No commitment.
No relationship.
No changes.
Just sex.

Wowza! This book checked all my boxes!

Sexy.
Steamy.
With the right amount of angst thrown in!!

Naima Simone did an exceptional job with Tenny and Dom. I loved them as individuals and loved them together. I sound like a broken record saying this but the romance in this book was so satisfying.

It’s no secret that I love the two tropes equally: unrequited love and friends-to-lovers. Scoring Off Field has both. So yeah definitely one of my top reads of the year.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

BEST OF LUCK by Kate Clayborn

She’s handed my heart back to me, and I’m unsure of how I’ll handle its new broken rhythm. 

Best of Luck is the third book in Kate Clayborn’s Chance of a Lifetime series about 3 friends who won the lottery together. It has one of my favorite tropes: best friend’s brother and filled with flawed, complex characters. It’s emotional and sexy, sweet and funny, and so well written.

I’ve enjoyed the first two books in this series so I expected to enjoy the third one too. But I was unprepared by how much this book spoke to me on every level. I liked Kit & Zoe but Greer…oh man, Greer I understood so much.

I won’t spoil the story or the journey she went through but let me just say that I love her so much. And Aleksandr ? I love him too. His vulnerability and his flaws makes him one of my favorite heroes ever.

There are not enough words to express how much I love this book. Go forth and read it!

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

THE KISS QUOTIENT by Helen Hoang

“I like you better than calculus, and math is the only thing that unites the universe.”

Oh my gosh, this book!

The Kiss Quotient not only met my expectations, IT EXCEEDED IT! Not an easy feat considering my expectations were sky high!

These characters that Hoang brought to life in the pages of her book made me laugh, cry, and fall in love with them.

This book is definitely one of the best I’ve read this year. Everything about it worked for me. The romance was excellent and the characters are interesting. It’s no wonder that this book has been making the rounds lately. It’s an excellent debut by Helen Hoang and the accolades are well deserved.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

That makes it for me, dirty birds! I’d love to hear about some of your top year favorites in comments below. And may 2019 bring us all plenty of books to rave about.

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DGR’s 2018 Favorites: Lana’s Picks

December 25, 2018 by · 3 Comments


I can’t believe that 2018 is almost done. I swear, it went by even quicker than last year. We’ve had such an amazing year here with so many incredible reads. I had the hardest time narrowing down my list for this year’s top favorites post. Seriously, guys, it was almost impossible. I had so many amazing 5 star reads. But these sixteen definitely stand out among the best of the best. These are the books that I know will stay with me for long after and I’ll be shouting from the rooftops about. These are not just books that were released in 2018, but simply books that I read this year. Some are really oldies but they were new to me. So without further ado, behold my top 16 reads of 2018!

LANA’S FAVORITES OF 2018

ALMOST HEAVEN by Judith McNaught


“There are four steps separating us and a year and a half of wanting drawing us together,” he said. Elizabeth swallowed. “Couldn’t you meet me halfway?”

I’m ashamed to admit that I had never read this author prior to this year. And after I read my first book of hers, I went on a two-week long binge. I’m talking mad addiction here people! If you like historical romance that’s full of swoons, angst, and redeemable alphaholes, you need to experience the magic that is Judith McNaught.

But this book?

*flails happily*

This was easily my favorite of hers.

Almost Heaven is the story of a young beauty just entering London society in search for a husband that will save her beloved estate, and a man that’s always been the source of most gossip within it. Ian is known as a scoundrel, a gambler, anything but the titled husband Elizabeth needs. He’s also a beautifully dangerous enigma that draws her like a moth to a flame. Until she gets too close and they both get burned.

This was a delicious tale of secrets and betrayal, of mistakes and forgiveness, but ultimately of a love that prevails against all odds. It was WONDERFULLY swoony.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

KISS AN ANGEL by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

“I take thee… to be my awful wedded husband” 

Considering I’ve practically read this woman’s entire backlist, I was shocked to discover that the one book every SEP lover recommends wasn’t one of them. So I decided to rectify this mistake and dove right in.

And OMG you guys! I don’t have the words to describe everything this book was. It was magic. Pure SEP magic!

It is hands down my favorite contemporary romance, not only from this author, but period. Yes. It was THAT good.

Actually, no. It wasn’t just good. It was brilliant.

It was enchanting, sigh inducing, heartwarming, funny, swoony, PERFECTION.

If you love the arranged marriage trope, you will LOVE the story of Alex and Daisy.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

JOSH + HAZEL’S GUIDE TO NOT DATING by Christina Lauren

“Sometimes your lack of filter kills me,” he says. “It’s not even like you lack a filter; you lack a funnel.”

Oh my gosh! I loved this book! If you’re looking for a fun, quirky, put-a-smile-on-your-face-and-keep-it-there rom-com, this book is it!

I was immediately hooked from the first page and stayed glued to my kindle until the end. It was the most fun I’ve had reading in a while! Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating was a refreshingly different take on friends to lovers and I loved every adorably quirky page!

Seriously, guys. This book was SO much fun. The heroine was adorably quirky…and I really DO mean quirky. The woman was hilariously over the top, but man did I love that about her. Combine that with a serious hero, a one-of-a-kind friendship, and a slow burn romance? WINNING!

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

BIRTHDAY GIRL by Penelope Douglas

 

“You make my heart pound so hard it hurts, Jordan. You, your mouth, and who you are, it all makes me want to touch you. It makes me not want to stop this.”

It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with all of the words Penelope Douglas ever writes. This woman can write angst like no other. And her new adult romance is my crack of choice.

Then she went and had a surprise release and entered the forbidden romance arena and I was a goner! GONER I tells ya! We’re talking falling for your boyfriend’s father here, people. I was salivating through every page.

Birthday Girl is a story of forbidden romance, yes. But it’s so much more than that, too. It’s a story of strength and forgiveness. Of making mistakes and learning how to write them. It was raw, and sexy, and unique. I loved every single page of it and cannot recommend it enough.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

THE FALL by Kristen Callihan


“Stella Button, the moment you ripped that ice cream out of my hand, you knocked me off-balance. All I could do was fall.”

This was, hands down, my favorite Kristen Callihan book to date.

A poignantly written, slow burn, friends to lovers romance that was brimming with emotion; Fall owned my heart from beginning to finish.

It sucked me in from the beginning and kept me glued to the pages with two incredibly multi-layered, raw, and endearing characters. Jax and Stella were everything. Simply everything!

Oh how I loved this book. If you haven’t read the VIP series, no worries, because you can easily enjoy this as a standalone. But I highly recommend the first two books simply because they’re fantastic!

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES by Aly Martinez

Lies—I needed them more than oxygen. I was never going to be able to survive the truth. Not again.

Look, there’s a reason this woman somehow manages to always make it onto my year favorites reads, and that’s because she can write the hell out of a book. I’ve loved her entire backlist for goodness sake! But I knew from the very first chapter, that this will be unlike any other book that I’ve read from this Aly. And having had read her entire backlist, that’s saying something.

The Truth About Lies is not a sweet story. It’s not a light and sunny romance. It’s spine-tingling good and oh so gritty. I had goosebumps from the first few pages, and that told me immediately that I was in for one emotional ride!

If you’ve ready any Aly Martinez book before, then you already know that she knows how to pack one hell of an emotional punch. Her duets absolutely slay you, but nothing prepared me for what I was about to experience with The Truth About Lies.

AMAZON | GOODREADS | MY REVIEW

BUCKLED by Pam Godwin

Wild and molten, wet and volatile, her fight is beautiful, but her surrender is goddamn exquisite. I consume it with everything inside me, feeding on it and fueling a desire that has never felt this out of control.

There is nothing that Pam Godwin can’t write that I won’t love. A love triangle? Yep. The sadist made me love it. Dark romance? Devour it. A suspenseful trilogy with kinky cowboys? OH MAMA!!!

Ever since I read Knotted, sparks flew, I was instantly hooked on Jarret. I couldn’t wait for his book. I knew it was going to be good, but I didn’t expect it to be as good as it was. I devoured this story in one sitting. It kept me squirming on the edge of my seat, starved for each new revelation and totally captivated by the story. It was this magnetic combination of mysterious and kinky with a dark edge that Pam Godwin is oh so good at weaving into her writing.

If you love a kinky enemies to lovers tale with a spunky heroine that has a smart mouth and a hero that knows exactly what to do with a rope, you need this book in your life! (Not meant to be a standalone. You need to read all three books in order)

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

HEARTBREAK WARFARE by Kate Stewart

She’s handed my heart back to me, and I’m unsure of how I’ll handle its new broken rhythm. 

Kill me slowly with words, why don’t you, Kate and Heather! Because MY HEART! MY HEART!!!

This book WRECKED me. It absolutely wrecked me. It owned me, shattered me, and put me back together. It was one of the best books I read this year. PERIOD.

I love a story that can take me out of my comfort zone and make me feel. And Heartbreak Warfare is certainly a book that will make you feel. It’s a gut-wrenching, rip-your-heart-out, cry like a baby, unforgettable story that owned me from beginning to finish.

As a reader, I don’t like love triangles. I don’t enjoy fabricated angst and drama for the sake of drama. I hate rooting for the guy that turns out not to get the girl in the end. I just don’t do it. It makes me ragey. But in the case of this book? Man. I’m speechless. It totally worked here. I don’t care who you are or what your likes are, this is simply a must read.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

BANE by LJ Shen

We weren’t a boy and a girl. We were two lonely, fucked-up souls. It made wanting Bane in my life acceptable. I wanted him to fix me.

Look, there’s a reason that this author makes my list without fail every year. And that’s because she writes my crack of choice. LJ Shen can write angst like no other. And her alphaholes? OVARY TINGLING. And when I realized that the bad boy Bane will be getting a book? I didn’t even need a blurb before jumping on this book!

And the queen of angst did it once again. She gave me a hero that I fell head over ovaries for, and I couldn’t stop thinking about. Bane is so different from the heroes we’re used to from LJ Shen, but he’s no less potent. He’s not the typical alpha-hole that she writes oh-so-well. But he’s also not quite a nice guy either. Bane is that somewhere in the middle, that gray zone of sex appeal and criminal. And this girl absolutely loved it!

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH by Stylo Fantome

The man was trouble. Always would be. He was vice and sin wrapped into a ridiculously sexy package, with a healthy sprinkling of damaged-dickhead on top.

This year I read my very first Stylo Fantome book…

And promptly kicked my own ass for not reading her sooner. For someone who claims to love alphaholes and anti-heroes as much as I do, I’m as shocked as you are that I’ve only just discovered this author. But boy am I glad I did!

Landon Edenhoff is in a category all of his own. This man was the alphahole to beat all alphaholes, and he makes no qualms about it. He owns it. He knows it. He even enjoys it.

Neighborhood Watch was a deliciously sexy and utterly riveting story from beginning to end. If you like bad boys and watching them fall for sassy women that give as good as they get all wrapped around a gritty and addicting story, this book is simply not to be missed!

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

THE GOVERNESS GAME by Tessa Dare

“You are the worst example of false advertising. I was led to believe I was hiring a prim scold. Then I learn you’re remarkable and bold and interesting.”

Historical Romance fans, this book is not to be missed. Seriously! It’s an absolute must read.

I absolutely LOVED The Duchess Deal, but I was so unprepared for just how phenomenal this book would be. I kept thinking nothing can top the first book for me, but this one managed to blow it right out of the water! The banter, the romance, the characters, I adored absolutely everything about it. This just may be my favorite Tessa Dare book now. I loved it so hard!

What starts as a bit of unrequited love with the heroine’s crush on a mysterious stranger she once bumped into at a book store, soon turns into one of the most sizzling romances. The Governess Game was one of my favorite historical romances of the year! It was everything! Just everything! Funny, swoony, and full of banter that’s sure to put a smile on your face. I loved every single page of it and cannot recommend it enough!

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

THE KISS QUOTIENT by Helen Hoang

“I don’t want just a night or a week or a month with you. I want you all the time. I like you better than calculus, and math is the only thing that unites the universe.”

If ever there was a book that needed to be on absolutely everyone’s radar, it’s this one. Trust me. If you read just one book from my list, then let it be this one. You’ll thank me.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it would have been hard to miss all of the raving about The Kiss Quotient. Well believe the hype, people, because this book was absolutely magnificent!

The Kiss Quotient was quite possibly the most charming, addictingly satisfying romance I’ve read all year! It was everything. ALL. OF. THE. THINGS. And I was on cloud 9 after finishing it!

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

THE PAPER SWAN by Leylah Attar

“You can either choose love or you can choose hate, because where one lives, the other will die.”

How I only read this book this year, I have no idea. I was questioning all of my life choices after finishing it. I couldn’t believe I waited this long to read it.

And I didn’t just read a book, I experienced one. I fell head over heels for an all-encompassing, gritty and emotional romance that kept me glued to the pages from start to finish. I’m embarrassed to say I’ve had this phenomenal story on my kindle for over 2 years and only now just read it. I’m kicking myself for it fully for only now discovering the raw talent that is Leylah Attar writing. It was devastating, passionate, beautiful and dark. It was flawlessly written and entirely unforgettable.

The Paper Swan is a stunning story of vengeance and sacrifice, of regret and forgiveness. It was passionate. It was gritty and raw. It was absolutely, positively unforgettable and a story I’ll take with me for a long time to come.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

RUNAWAY GIRL by Tessa Bailey

This is it. This is the kiss I’ll think about for decades to come, maybe longer. I can feel it ruining me with every mash of his lips against mine…

A quirky & witty southern belle that’s as proper as she is endearing?

A grumpy, sexy and possessive Pouty Man Bear?

Enough sexual tension to makes your loins tighten?

A sweet and sizzling romance that will put a smile on your face and keep it there?

This book was everything I’ve come to expect from the amazing Tessa Bailey and so much more. I thought I loved Getaway Girl, but this book was even better. It was full of swoony feels, sizzling sexy times, incredibly endearing characters, and Bailey’s patented dirty talk that will make any ovary within a 50 mi radius quiver at the mere mention of Jason. True story. After meeting the heroine as the runaway bride in Getaway Girl, I couldn’t wait to get Naomi’s book and I’m happy to report it was EVERYTHING I hoped it would be and so much more!

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

PRETTY VENOM by Ella Fields


If someone has control over your heart, the worst thing you could do was make an enemy out of them. And like a fool, I had.

Another new to me author that I was seriously kicking myself for not discovering sooner? Ella freaking Fields.

Holy mother of angst, this book!

I MEAN, THIS BOOK!
I.
Can’t.
EVEN

First of all, that warning is no joke. I wanted to cry, yell, rip my hair out, and throw my kindle at the wall. This book wrung every emotion out of me, most of all consuming rage. So much rage. Like ALL OF THE RAGE. But it was also all-consuming. This book took over my entire existence for the hours that it took me to devour it, completely unable to put it down for even a second. I’m a sucker for some devastating angst, and if the blurb didn’t lure me into reading my first Ella Fields book, that warning ultimately did the job.

I may have come out of it with stubs for nails and a bald spot on my head, but damn was it worth it!

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

BALLISTIC by Keri Lake


We were as tragically beautiful and fragile as a dead rose. Two souls, broken beyond redemption.

Of course no top favorites list of mine would be complete without the queen of dark romance, Keri Lake. The woman managed to blow me away yet again with the much awaited and highly anticipated installment in her Vigilantes series. And if you guys follow my reviews, you know how obsessed I am with this series.

Ballistic was a dark and twisty page turner of a story filled with blood, vengeance, and a love amongst the ashes. It sucked me in right into the dark underbelly of the worst sort of underground crime imaginable and those that rose out of the ashes of the pain it brought. It was deliciously twisty. It had me a ball of anxiety with my heart in my throat the entire time. It made me cringe. It made me cry. It made shiver in anticipation. I loved that we had an anti-heroine for the revenge seeker in this story. And in a word? This book was UNPUTDOWNABLE!

GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

That makes it for me, dirty birds! I’d love to hear about some of your top year favorites in comments below. And may 2019 bring us all plenty of books to rave about.

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#DGRFave & Review: Heartbreak Warfare by Heather M. Orgeron & Kate Stewart

November 19, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

HEARTBREAK WARFARE
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Heather M. Orgeron & Kate Stewart
Release Date:

Briggs,

Remember when we parted ways in Germany? It was the day I broke your heart. What you didn’t know was that I was breaking mine too.

I thought they’d be enough–my husband and my son. That I’d get home and everything would go back to the way it was . . .

Before the war.
Before the ambush.
Before you.

But, no matter how hard I try, I can’t erase the trauma we shared. I can’t seem to forget the way my heart beat in time with yours.

The truth is I’m lost without you.

I thought the nightmare was over when they pulled us from that hole in the ground, but nothing could have prepared me for the war I’d face at home.
I know it’s selfish of me to ask, but, please, I have to see you one last time. . .

All my love,
Scottie

AMAZON

She’s handed my heart back to me, and I’m unsure of how I’ll handle its new broken rhythm. 

Oh.
My.
Heart.

It hurts. It hurts so good. This book WRECKED me. It absolutely wrecked me. It owned me, shattered me, and put me back together. It was one of the best books I read this year. PERIOD.

There are only two things in life I’m sure of: my love of this country and my love for you, only one can I do anything about.

I love a story that can take me out of my comfort zone and make me feel. And Heartbreak Warfare is certainly a book that will make you feel. It’s a gut-wrenching, rip-your-heart-out, cry like a baby, unforgettable story that owned me from beginning to finish.

As a reader, I don’t like love triangles. I don’t enjoy fabricated angst and drama for the sake of drama. I hate rooting for the guy that turns out not to get the girl in the end. I just don’t do it. It makes me ragey. But in the case of this book? Man. I’m speechless. It totally worked here.

Katy Scott is leaving her beloved family to be deployed. As an army medic, she’s seen it all. But nothing prepares her for what she’s about to experience. While on tour she meets Briggs, an infantry soldier that doesn’t seem to take much seriously. The connection between them is immediate, but Katy loves her husband and will never betray him. And then the unspeakable happens…

I don’t want to give too much away about this story, but I will tell you that it’s not for the faint of heart. What Katy and Briggs go through du is absolutely devastating. The authors spare no detail and you can’t help but experience the earth shattering losses along with them. It was GUT WRENCHING to
read.

Katy comes back a different woman. Her adjustment to life as a civilian is full of darkness and pain. I think what made this book as compelling as it was, was the fact that you get all three POVs; Katy’s, Brigg’s, and her husband Gavin. Kate doesn’t set out to fall in love with another man. But her experience also changes her and the only one that truly knows and understands what she went through is Briggs.

This is not a story that’s black and white. It’s rooted in the gray area of pain and loss. Katy’s character was such a powerfully written one. This is a woman that’s been through hell and it’s changed her. You understand her. You can’t help but experience all of her pain along with her. It connects you with her on a whole different level. I love the fact that no one is villainized. Both Briggs and Gavin are amazing. AMAZING. And I think that’s what made this story as difficult to read and incredible as it was. You want to root for both of them, but you ultimately know where Katy’s heart will lead. And it makes sense. It really REALLY does.

There is nothing gentle about his kiss. This is passion, doused in kerosene and set on fire. It’s a declaration of war, and I’m nowhere near ready for the feel of it, but I take it all as he hungrily sweeps my mouth with his tongue. 


I respect the hell out of these authors for handling certain subject matters the way that they did without shying away from giving the reader the gritty details. And while it was absolutely devastating to read at times, it was also incredibly powerful.

I feel like I’ve been through the wringer after finishing this book, but it was an experience unlike any other. An intensely emotional, one of a kind sort of read that I recommend EVERYONE needs to experience. I’m blown away, gutted, and simply captivated by this story. It will own my heart for a long time because I just don’t see myself forgetting even one little detail any time soon.

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#DGRFave & Review: Ballistic by @KeriLake

October 30, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

BALLISTIC
Series: Vigilantes #3
Genre: Dark, Contemporary Romance
Author: Keri Lake
Release Date: October 30, 2018add-to-goodreads-button-2

A life for a life.

On the streets of Detroit, it’s the code we live by. You take from me, I take from you. A balance of power, and a ceaseless war between rivals.

As a foster kid from the projects, I never had much, besides an unshakable addiction to women and drugs. Only took one glance into the amber eyes of a slave for me to realize my two worst vices could be one and the same.

And the woman behind those eyes quickly became my obsession.

Nicoleta is more than she seems. An enigma I’m determined to crack before time runs out and our enemies hunt her down. Except, she moves by her own trajectory, an unstoppable bullet on the warpath to track down the men who murdered a girl from her past.

Me? I’m the rogue whose path is less predictable. A junkie, fiending for the one thing I shouldn’t want: the only woman who gets me high. I want to keep her for myself, but when the unstoppable bullet finally hits her mark and secrets begin to unravel, another life must be paid.
A heart for a heart.

Buy LinksAMAZON 

Review5 stars

We were as tragically beautiful and fragile as a dead rose. Two souls, broken beyond redemption.

If you’ve read any book by Keri Lake, then you already know that the woman can write a dark, gritty and captivating story like no other. She has this amazing ability to suck the readers into the dark abyss that are her books and keep them at the edge of their seat from beginning to finish. She’ll throw twist after twist your way until you don’t know which side is up. But one thing you’ll know for sure is that you didn’t just read a book of hers, you experienced it.

I silenced his argument with a kiss, feeling his fingers curl into my flesh. His mouth tasted like whiskey and sorrow, wrapped in guilt. A familiar cocktail.

I’ve been waiting for Dax’s story for what feels like forever. Ever since he watched helplessly as a young girl was driven away by one of the criminals he’d been after. He’s been searching for her ever since, only to hit one dead end after another. Until finally he finds her. But Nicoleta is not at all what she seems. And Dax definitely never saw a storm like her coming.

…my Nicoleta. The embodiment of fortitude and resilience. A brand of beauty that couldn’t be replicated because one would have to walk through absolute hell to acquire it.

While this is set in the Vigilantes series, you can easily read it as a standalone. Though I highly recommend the other two books as some of the story arcs do carry over. Ballistic was a whole different beast in this series with Nicoleta being the one seeking revenge. I loved the way that Keri Lake balanced the scales with the two characters. Nicoleta really took the driver’s seat in a lot of the story, but Dax never blended into the background. He was no less alpha and no less intense in his need to be the tool she uses to mete out her punishment. I LOVED this delicious turn of roles.

Nicoleta was a mystery wrapped in nightmares; nightmares of a hell that she’s lived through and a past she barely remembers. This is a woman that’s absolutely shattered, but she’s not weak. She’s vengeance and hell, pain and retribution. She’s a fiery ball of hatred and passion, and she was the perfect balance to Dax’s intensity.

This was a dark and twisty page turner of a story filled with blood, vengeance, and a love amongst the ashes. It sucked me in right into the dark underbelly of the worst sort of underground crime imaginable and those that rose out of the ashes of the pain it brought. It was deliciously twisty. It had me a ball of anxiety with my heart in my throat the entire time. It made me cringe. It made me cry. It made shiver in anticipation. In a word? It was UNPUTDOWNABLE!

DON’T MISS THE REST OF THE SERIES

RICOCHET (Vigilantes #1)
READ MY 5 STAR REVIEW HERE

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The only sure way to destroy a man is to take what he cannot live without.

Three years ago, I had everything.

A beautiful wife.
A son.
A reason for living.

Until a ruthless task force, assembled under Mayor Michael Culling, with a brutal strategy to make the streets of Detroit ‘safe’, ripped away everything I loved in a deadly hunt called The Culling.

They tried to kill me, too. I wish they had. Now I’m cursed by the memories of that night, and the words I whispered to my dying wife.

A promise—to avenge the wrong and set it right.

I’m no longer Nick Ryder. I’m a masked vigilante. Faceless. Loveless. Fearless. A man with nothing left to lose—one who’s seen the dark and violent truth behind the city’s flawless veneer.

Michael Culling doesn’t know who I am. Or what I want. All he knows is that I’ve kidnapped his beautiful wife.

An eye for an eye—isn’t that how the saying goes? And Aubree Culling is the perfect pawn to destroy him.

If she doesn’t destroy me first.

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BACKFIRE (Vigilantes #2)
READ MY 5 STAR REVIEW HERE

Backfire+FOR+WEB

This book is a standalone set in the same world as Ricochet.

No matter how unbreakable he may seem, every man has a weakness.

A year ago, my home became a bloodstained crime scene. That night marked the beginning of my hell—the same night I was tortured by my enemies and tossed into an underground prison to die.

They failed. I survived.

Now that I’m free, only one motive burns in my soul: revenge.

Lucky for me, they think Jase Hawkins is dead. Maybe I am. I’ve got nothing but a cold, merciless rage, and Black Betty, the sharp steel blade that never leaves my side.

Then she drifts into my life.

Lucia wants answers—so much so, she’s willing to fall into the darkness where my enemies lie in wait, to kill her for what she knows.

Or to take her for the depraved fantasies her body alone can rouse in a man’s mind.

Me? I want her for the fire in her touch that feeds my addiction, forces me to feel what has become numb, but my appetite for bloodshed runs deeper than flesh.

For my own sanity, I’ve vowed to stay away from her. Because she’s my only weakness, an obsession that leaves me craving more—one that could make even the most steadfast plan backfire.

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKS

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Dark, DGR Favorites · Tagged With: , , , ,

#DGRFave Review & Excerpt: Fall by @Kris10Callihan

October 26, 2018 by ·

FALL
Series: VIP #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kristen Callihan
Release Date: October 23, 2018

The first time I met Jax Blackwood things went a little sideways.

In my defense, I didn’t know he was Jax Blackwood—who expects a legendary rock star to be shopping for groceries? More importantly, a blizzard was coming and he was about to grab the last carton of mint-chocolate chip.

Still, I might have walked away, but then he smugly dared me to try and take the coveted ice cream. So I kissed him. And distracted that mint-chip right out of his hands.

Okay, it was a dirty move, but desperate times and all that. Besides, I never expected he’d be my new neighbor.

An annoying neighbor who takes great pleasure in reminding me that I owe him ice cream but would happily accept more kisses as payment. An irresistible neighbor who keeps me up while playing guitar naked–spectacularly naked–in his living room.

Clearly, avoidance is key. Except nothing about Jax is easy to ignore—not the way he makes me laugh, or that his particular brand of darkness matches mine, or how one look from him melts me faster than butter under a hot sun.

Neither of us believes in love or forever. Yet we’re quickly becoming each other’s addiction. But we could be more. We could be everything.

All we have to do is trust enough to fall.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N 

Stella Button, the moment you ripped that ice cream out of my hand, you knocked me off-balance. All I could do was fall.”

This book.
THIS. BOOK.
*flails happily*

This is, hands down, my favorite Kristen Callihan book to date. A poignantly written, slow burn, friends to lovers romance that was brimming with emotion; Fall owned my heart from beginning to finish. It sucked me in from the beginning and kept me glued to the pages with two incredibly multi-layered, raw, and endearing characters. Jax and Stella were everything. Simply everything!

Oh how I loved this book. Let me count the ways!!!

1. One broken yet devastatingly swoony rockstar.

I want her under me, over me, beside me. I want to dedicate hours memorizing the pattern of her freckles, each curve and dip of her body. I want her body against mine until her scent is in my skin. I want to taste her, to fuck her, to laugh with her. I want everything.

Jax is a man that has been to the dark bottom of emotion, and almost didn’t make his way up.
I really have to applaud the author in just how well she handled such a sensitive matter as depression and suicide. There was just something so real and raw about Jax that you couldn’t help but love. He captivates the reader from the very first page, and you only fall harder and harder under his magnetism and charisma the more you read. As one of the front man of a famous band, Jax is no stranger to all the women that his fame brings. But one quirky redhead that’s set to kiss him out of his ice cream at a grocery store manages to tilt his world on his axis.

2. Stella
She was just so perfectly imperfect. She was completely extraordinary in her ordinariness. Without giving much away, this is a heroine that just wins you over with her quirky, selfless, and loving personality. And then she makes you fall in love with her strength, perseverance, heart, and hints of vulnerability.

Stella works some of the oddest jobs, yet they make her happy. And when her job as a pet sitter land her one rockstar neighbor that she stole ice cream from with a kiss and never expected to see again? Well, let’s just say, things get interesting. Which brings me to the next thing…

3. The banter. OMG! THE BANTER!!

Oh my cock—god. My cock—godcockgod…” She flails her hands. “God. I meant God. God-cock. Argh!”
Her flustered blather ends in a gurgle and a new tide of rapid hand flapping. Even though her sudden appearance scared the shit out of me—until I realized it was Stella and not some stalker who’d gotten in—a laugh escapes me.
“My cock is godlike, so I can see the confusion.”
Her face flames bright red. “Dick.”
“It goes by that name too.” I wink at her.

4. The delicious, and I mean DELICIOUS slow burn romance. It hurt SO GOOD.

I meet her blue eyes and call out—God knows what. Sound tears from my throat, but I don’t hear it past my pounding ears. I look at Stella and fall into the abyss. I. Am. Wrecked.

5. The secondary characters. I love the brotherly camaraderie the band shares. I love the friendship between Jax and Killian. I NEED a book for Whip and Rye.

This book was sheer perfection. It captivated and ruined me. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me swoon. I absolutely loved it. I loved everything about it. Everyone needs to read this book. I just can’t recommend it enough.

The air between us shifts. I’m filled with a strange giddiness, wanting to laugh for the fun of it, but I’m also too warm, my limbs oddly heavy as if simple movements might be too much for me.His tone turns soft and cajoling, teasing the truth out of me. “Are you going to tell me what you do?” When I say nothing, the corners of his eyes crinkle. “I see. You’re going to torture me a bit.”The warm, fuzzy feeling grows as I shrug. “Torture feels apropos in this scenario.”

He hums again, taking another step toward me. “What makes you think I won’t like being tortured by you?”

The heat of his body and the scent of his skin makes my head light and my pulse pound. How did it get to this point where the highlight of my day is flirting with Jax Blackwood? Despite the thrill, I know I’m in over my head. I haven’t gone out on a date in months because I form attachments, I get emotional, and then I hurt when they inevitably leave. And this man will leave. He is as bright and fleeting as a camera flash. I’ll be left with the image of him seared into my memory and nothing more.

I tell myself all of this, the voice in my head as stern as possible. But it doesn’t make me back away. It doesn’t stop my body from somehow straining toward his without even moving. Because it might be stupid of me, but I want to feel something that isn’t planned. Something, for however briefly, that’s real.

He’s too attuned to me not to notice. John’s lids lower as his attention slides down my body before easing back up to my face. Slowly, he rests his forearm on the wall beside my head. “Tell me, Stella,” he murmurs.

“No,” I whisper back, flirting, even though I shouldn’t.

His biceps bunch as he leans in, a smile dancing on his lips. “Tell.”

My breasts graze his chest, and I feel it in my toes.

“You’re crowding me.” I hate how breathy I sound.

“Can’t help it.” His voice is a rumble, the heat of his breath playing over my skin. He ducks his head, drawing close until our lips nearly brush, and when he speaks again, his tone is almost conversational, except for the husky quality that touches deep within my core. “You smell like strawberries. Fucking delicious.”

My lids flutter, and I swallow hard. “Ordinarily, I’d call you out on that cliché but since I’ve been eating strawberries, you aren’t exactly wrong.”

His chuckle is slow and easy, as he eases back and his gaze slowly travels over my face. “Were they sweet, Stella Button?”

He’s looking at my mouth like he might try to find out. My lips tremble in response, and John tracks the movement, his breathing getting deeper, faster. “You have two freckles on your lips. One on the top lip and one on the bottom corner.”

Those damn freckles. They were the bane of my adolescence. I hid them with lipstick and silently cursed whenever someone mentioned them.

Freckles don’t have any feelings, but I swear it’s as if he’s touching them.

“You’re just noticing this?” I try to make it sound like a joke, but it comes out weak and thready.

His own lips quirk. “Oh, I noticed. It’s distracting as hell. They’re like two little dots of butter toffee. Makes me want to lick them, get a taste.”

Oh, God. Lick them, please. I can almost feel it. I want to feel it.

No. Bad Stella. Behave.

John’s lips part a fraction like he just might take that taste.

“Back off,” I whisper. And yet somehow my traitorous hands find their way to his sides, running over the waistband of his jeans, holding him there.

John makes a sound deep in his throat and tilts his hips, pressing them against mine. A distinctly thick bulge nudges my belly. Both of us lose a breath, and then he’s closer, his cheek touching my temple. “You’ll have to let me go first.”

My thumbs slide under the edge of his shirt and find smooth, taut skin. A tremor goes through his body. I try to think, search for what the hell we’ve been talking about.

His lips brush the crest of my cheek as he murmurs against my skin. “Tell me what you do, Stella. You know you want to.”

My smile feels illicit. Somehow the action is directly tied to all my happy parts, making them draw hot and tight. “I don’t think I do.”

Another hum. “Liar. You’re dying to.”

 

Kristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she’d rather be. She is a three-time RITA nominee and winner of two RT Reviewer’s Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine’s Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher’s Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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

#DGRFave & Review: Fight Or Flight by Samantha Young

October 10, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

FIGHT OR FLIGHT
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Samantha Young
Release Date: October 9, 2018

A series of chance encounters leads to a sizzling new romance from the New York Times bestselling author of the On Dublin Street series.

The universe is conspiring against Ava Breevort. As if flying back to Phoenix to bury a childhood friend wasn’t hell enough, a cloud of volcanic ash traveling from overseas delayed her flight back home to Boston. Her last ditch attempt to salvage the trip was thwarted by an arrogant Scotsman, Caleb Scott, who steals a first class seat out from under her. Then over the course of their journey home, their antagonism somehow lands them in bed for the steamiest layover Ava’s ever had. And that’s all it was–until Caleb shows up on her doorstep.

When pure chance pulls Ava back into Caleb’s orbit, he proposes they enjoy their physical connection while he’s stranded in Boston. Ava agrees, knowing her heart’s in no danger since a) she barely likes Caleb and b) his existence in her life is temporary. Not long thereafter Ava realizes she’s made a terrible error because as it turns out Caleb Scott isn’t quite so unlikeable after all. When his stay in Boston becomes permanent, Ava must decide whether to fight her feelings for him or give into them. But even if she does decide to risk her heart on Caleb, there is no guarantee her stubborn Scot will want to risk his heart on her….

AMAZON | iBOOKS

Oh God, yes.”
“You keep calling me God, lass, and my ego might get out of control,” he murmured.

OH MY GOD.
THIS BOOK.
*flails happily*
I.
LOVED.
THIS.
BOOK.

So much. SO. MUCH.

This book is what enemies to lovers romance dreams are made out of. It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. I fell head over ovaries for The Bastard Scott. Everything about this book was perfection: the banter, the chemistry, the hate lust, the romance, and OMG the hate lust. These two were absolutely incendiary together and I couldn’t get enough of them.

Sparks fly when Ava and Caleb cross paths for the first time on a flight to Boston, and not of the sexual variety. The man steamrolls past her in line and gets her coveted first class seat. Then they end up sitting next to each other on the same flight, and the rude and crude Scott does nothing to hide his disdain for Ava. But underneath the side eyes and the insults is chemistry so potent, you can cut it with a knife. And this reader? I devoured it!!

Caleb is a bearded and tatted CFO of a successful company. He’s also insufferably blunt, downright rude, and infuriatingly sexy. Ava is already flying on frayed nerves after a visit back to her hometown brings back all the painful memories she left behind. So when Caleb first manages to piss her off, it’s no holds barred between them. But when the insult dust settles, the chemistry between them is undeniable. And when they realize that they’re both up for a no strings attached mutually satisfying relationship for Caleb’s short stay in Boston? Well, let’s just say that things get interesting. REALLY interesting.

Samantha Young keeps the tension going with Ava and Caleb for almost 80% of the book, and I absolutely loved that. It’s not a lets hate each other until we jump into bed together and then all is well sort of story. Both of these characters have hidden depth and even deeper hidden pain. And while Ava’s surfaces for the reader gradually, its a long and painful stretch before you get to Caleb’s. I loved the way that Ava was able to handle his gruff demeanor and give as good as she gets. I also loved watching Caleb fall for her through Ava’s eyes. The entire story is told in Ava’s POV, and while a part of me wished to be inside Caleb’s head if even for a second, I can’t deny that it made the story and tension that much better. You get to experience the mystery of this man through Ava’s eyes and experience their highs and lows right along with her.

This was easily my favorite book by this author to date. I adored this enemies to lovers romance. It kept me reading well into the night, completely incapable to set it down for even a minute. It owned me from beginning to finish and I cannot recommend it enough.

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#DGRFave & Review: Runaway Girl by @mstessabailey

September 24, 2018 by · 1 Comment

RUNAWAY GIRL
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: September 24, 2018

It’s Naomi Clemons’s big day. Her dream wedding. And she’s outta here.

One moment. A chance meeting of gazes through the church window pane with someone familiar who radiates intrigue. Independence. It’s the final push Naomi needs to realize…she’s boring. A blonde, cookie cutter, well mannered trophy wife-to-be. How can she expect to lead a fulfilling married life when she’s never lived?

Special Forces diver Jason Bristow needs a beauty pageant coach. Not for himself—although the tattooed bruiser could definitely use some charm. For his little sister who he has returned to St. Augustine, Florida to raise. When a beautiful southern debutante lands on his doorstep, she awakens a hunger that won’t be ignored. If only she wasn’t planning on winning back the ex-fiancé she left at the altar…

Despite the potential for ruin, heat continues to build between Naomi and Jason beneath the sultry Florida sunshine, consuming them both. But they’re on borrowed time…and it’s about to run out.

AMAZON

This is it. This is the kiss I’ll think about for decades to come, maybe longer. I can feel it ruining me with every mash of his lips against mine…

A quirky & witty souther belle that’s as proper as she is endearing?

A grumpy, sexy and possessive Pouty Man Bear?

Enough sexual tension to makes your loins tighten?

A sweet and sizzling romance that will put a smile on your face and keep it there?

This book. Oh man. You guys, this book! It was everything I’ve come to expect from the amazing Tessa Bailey and so much more. I thought I loved Getaway Girl, but this book was even better. It was full of swoony feels, sizzling sexy times, incredibly endearing characters, and Bailey’s patented dirty talk that will make any ovary within a 50 mi radius quiver at the mere mention of Jason.

Actual footage of me reading this book:
And don’t you judge me either!

I’m ready to take what I want. What I need. And he’s right behind me, watching, needing me back. Ready for his own seismic shift.

If you read Getaway Girl, you may remember Naomi as Elija’s runaway bride. And while you know that appearances aren’t quite what they seem with her and she’s not the rich and prim southern belle that she first comes across at, you really get to know her here. And let me tell you, she’s an impossible heroine not to love. I’m not typically a fan of the prim and proper heroines, but there’s just something so endearing about Naomi. She’s this adorable combination of vulnerability and strength. I loved watching her grow from a woman that lives to please everyone else and keep up appearances to someone that takes what she wants.

I need her. I want to fucking drown in her.

Jason.
raaaaaaarrrrr
This man. YUM. He was absolutely delicious. Every grumpy and scowly inch of him. And let’s pretend that scowly is a word for the purposes of this review, mkay? Moving on. He’s a Special Forces diver that comes back to take care of his younger sister after a tragedy strikes his family. His sister enters a beauty pageant she has no hope of winning. Naomi is a pageant queen that’s in dire need of a job and no real skill set. Opportunity meet fate.

Sparks fly between Naomi and Jason immediately. And if you like a slow burn that will make you want to rip your arm hairs out one by one and have a smoke afterwards, you will LOVE this book. And I love me some slow burn. The sexual tension here is so thick, you can cut it with a knife and rub it all over your body. OK, I think I’m going too far here. But you know what I mean.

Wrap your thighs around me and hold on.
I don’t come like a gentleman.”

Did I mention the dirty talk? Because OMG the dirty talk!!

I loved everything about this book. I really loved Birdie and Jason’s relationship with his sister and seeing how much he’s willing to do for her. I loved the budding kinship form between Naomi and Birdie. And the romance? GAH! Perfection in a way that only Tessa Bailey can write. An absolute must read that’s full of humor, feels, and hot as sin sexy times!

1 Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites, Dirty Talkers · Tagged With: , ,

#DGRFave & Review: Dirty Headlines by LJ Shen

September 7, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

DIRTY HEADLINES
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: LJ Shen
Release Date: September 7, 2018


Célian Laurent.
Manhattan royalty.
Notorious playboy.
Heir to a media empire.
…And my new boss.
I could have impressed him, if not for last month’s unforgettable one-night stand.
I left it with more than orgasms and a pleasant memory—namely, his wallet.
Now he’s staring me down like I’m the dirt under his Italian loafers, and I’m supposed to take it.
But the thing about being Judith “Jude” Humphry is I have nothing to lose.
Brooklyn girl.
Infamously quirky.
Heir to a stack of medical bills and a tattered couch.
When he looks at me from across the room, I see the glint in his eyes, and that makes us rivals.
He knows it.
So do I.
Every day in the newsroom is a battle.
Every night in his bed, war.
But it’s my heart at stake, and I fear I’ll be raising the white flag.

AMAZON

Part of me wanted to screw her, the other to spank her. Those two didn’t necessarily contradict one another.

An über alphahole, a chuck loving, sharp-witted heroine, laugh out loud humor, and a romance hot enough to set every ovary within a 100 mile radius aflame all blend together into another page-turner from the awesome LJ Shen! It was sinfully delicious with some of the HOTTEST sex scenes and one dirty talking mega asshole. *swoon*

Did I mention the alphahole part? Because I swear, no one writes a hot alphahole quite like LJ Shen.

How had this guy not been assassinated yet? He was a walking, talking personal offense.

Dirty Headlines was a refreshingly different tone than what we’re used to from this author. Yes, it had all of the sexy and yes it had that sizzling enemies to lovers vibe that she’s oh so good at. But it was a lighter and more fun book than her usual, and I loved it for that! There was no crazy angst, but it was still ridiculously addicting. So much so, that I never even missed the angst I’ve come to love from her. What it did have was perfectly timed and quirky humor that I couldn’t get enough of. I simply adored the voice she used to write this one, and gobbled it up like the Shen Addict that I am!

Judith “Jude” Humphry is a down on her luck, poor girl struggling to make ends meet for herself and her beloved ailing brother. She’s also a chuck loving sasshole and I loved her for it. This is a chick that speaks her mind and isn’t afraid to give as good as she gets. And when it comes to Célian Laurent, there’s a lot of taking. Uhem.

Célian is the ridiculously rich, too sexy for his own good heir to a media empire. He’s also Jude’s new boss. But before that, he was Jude’s one night stand and the man she left sleeping in a hotel room while making off with his wallet. Desperate times and even more desperate measures make a girl do some things she never thought she would. Sparks fly immediately between these two, but when they run back into each other in the newsroom? Hells fire but I was addicted! The antagonism is strong here, people. And the back and forth sharp witted banter with a HEAVY undercurrent of sexual tension? INCENDIARY!!!

Dirty Headlines is one of those books that will set your loins on fire while also putting a smile on your face. It’s fun, sexy, full of witty banter, and a page turner from beginning to finish. In a word? LOVED!!!!!

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#DGRFave Review: Josh + Hazel’s Guide To Not Dating by @ChristinaLauren

September 5, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

JOSH + HAZEL’S GUIDE TO NOT DATING
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Christina Lauren
Release Date: September 4, 2018

From New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Christina Lauren comes a new romantic comedy about two friends who are definitely, for sure, in no way dating…maybe 

Most men can’t handle Hazel. With the energy of a toddler and the mouth of a sailor, they’re often too timid to recognize her heart of gold. JOSH AND HAZEL’S GUIDE TO NOT DATING tells the story of two people who are definitely not dating, no matter how often they end up in bed together.

Hazel Camille Bradford knows she’s a lot to take—and frankly, most men aren’t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and thrill for the absurd don’t send them running, her lack of filter means she’ll say exactly the wrong thing in a delicate moment. Their loss. She’s a good soul in search of honest fun.

Josh Im has known Hazel since college, where her zany playfulness proved completely incompatible with his mellow restraint. From the first night they met—when she gracelessly threw up on his shoes—to when she sent him an unintelligible email while in a post-surgical haze, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air.

Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there’s nothing between them…right?

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Sometimes your lack of filter kills me,” he says. “It’s not even like you lack a filter; you lack a funnel.”

Oh my gosh! I loved this book! If you’re looking for a fun, quirky, put-a-smile-on-your-face-and-keep-it-there rom-com, this book is it! I was immediately hooked from the first page and stayed glued to my kindle until the end. It was the most fun I’ve had reading in a while! Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating was a refreshingly different take on friends to lovers and I loved every adorably quirky page!

It’s cool.” I wave an extremely casual hand. “Josh has already seen my boobs.”
The party stops. Air stills.
“I mean, not because he wanted to see them.” My brain desperately tries to fix this. “They were forced on him.”
A wind chime rings mournfully in the distance.
Birds stop flying midair and fall to their deaths.

Josh and Hazel first met in college when she threw up on his shoes at a party and proceeded to have a few more fun run ins when he was her TA. A particular favorite of mine was the email she sent him while hopped up on pain killers after having her wisdom teeth removed. Suffice it to say Hazel is the sort of woman that makes a lasting impression. She’s adorably different with her borderline manic personality, and I loved how comfortable she is in her own skin. This is a woman that knows she’s different, and she makes no apologies for it. She is who she is, and she accepts that about herself. She knows that she can be a lot to take and she won’t settle for anyone that will make her feel like she should be embarrassed about herself. I absolutely LOVED that about her.

Sorry. I’m being too Hazel-y.”
I watch her wash the dishes and manage to clean up the kitchen quite capably while I pick at my breakfast. She isn’t pouting, and it doesn’t seem like I’ve hurt her feelings—she honestly just seems to have heard something in my tone that I didn’t intend.
“What does that mean,” I ask, “ ‘being too Hazel-y’?”
Turning with a dish towel in her hand, she shrugs. “I tend to be too chatty, too silly, too exuberant, too random, too eager.” She spreads her hands. “Too Hazel-y.”

Hazel was simply adorable with her brood of equally quirky pets. There’s Winnie the poodle, Vodka the parrot, Janice Hoplin the rabbit, and the fish Daniel Craig. I mean, seriously! This is rom-com magic right here. But I digress. Hazel knows what her faults are, and she knows that she’s doomed to short lived relationships because of it. Men seem to think that her over the top personality is cute at first, but then they expect her to settle into being a ‘normal’ girlfriend. And when she doesn’t, things end.

Josh Im is Hazel’s best friend’s brother. And as fate would have it, they stumble back into each other’s life years after college. Hazel takes one look at Josh’s calm manner and unassuming personality, and immediately decides they’re going to be best friends. She makes no secret of the fact that she had a huge crush on him in college, but she knows that they’re simply not suited for each other. And when Josh’s current relationship comes to a crashing end, they make a bid on setting each other up on blind dates until each of them find ‘the one’. What ensues can only be described as one hysterically bad date after another. I was eagerly turning the pages just to read the next laugh out loud disaster of a date they’d inadvertently line up for each other next. And as the dates continue, Josh and Hazel’s unlikely friendship blossoms.

I can’t believe I’m encouraging this conversation, but you were telling me about your gynecologist snubbing you and I’m actually curious to hear how it turned out.”
“So I stopped in the middle of the gymnasium and smiled at him—not my courtesy smile, but my real one—and he just walked by.”
“Maybe he didn’t see you.”
“He definitely saw me—and don’t get me wrong, I run into guys all the time who’ve seen my vagina and pretend not to know who I am. Things don’t work out and that’s fine. But I paid this guy.”

I adored Josh. Where Hazel was a refreshingly different heroine, Josh was definitely a refreshingly different hero. He’s a serial monogamist that doesn’t sleep around. He’s sweet, serious, and in any other book he could have been entirely forgettable. But Christina Lauren made him one of the most lovable and memorable characters here; with Hazel being the perfect kooky balance.

Your turn.”
“Me?” I honestly have no idea how many guys I’ve been with, so I pull a lowball number out of the air. “Maybe twenty.”
His eyes go wide and he coughs as he swallows. “Twenty?”
“Actually probably more? Let’s say thirty.”
Josh shakes his head and laughs. “Wow, okay.”
This response is not an improvement.
“Don’t do that.” I point a finger at him. “Don’t act like I’ve crossed some magical threshold of appropriate numbers for a woman. If I was a dude and said that, you’d reply, ‘In high school, right?’ and then high-five me and call me brah.”

This was easily my favorite rom-com I’ve read all year. It was absolute perfection that kept a goofy smile on my face the entire time! I couldn’t get enough! I adored everything about this book and the characters. If you’re looking for your next read, look no further. Because this book is simply not to be missed!

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of longtime writing partners Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. They are New York Times, USA Today, and #1 international bestselling authors of the Beautiful and Wild Seasons series, Sublime, The House, Dating You/Hating You and the critically acclaimed Autoboyography. Roomies (released December 2017), has been optioned for film by Jenna Dewan’s company Everheart Productions, with Christina and Lauren set to write the screenplay.  

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#DGRFave & Review: The Truth About Lies by Aly Martinez

August 23, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

THE TRUTH ABOUT LIES
Series: The Truth Duet #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Aly Martinez
Release Date: August 23, 2018

Truth: From over a thousand miles away, I watched on the screen of my phone as two men murdered my wife.

And I was helpless to save her.

Consumed by hate and rage, I spent four years running from my memories.

Until a shattered woman gave me a reason to stop.

Cora lived in a nightmare, but through sheer force of will, she’d turned it into something beautiful.

She had a smile that could pierce the darkest soul.

And with one glance, she shredded mine.

Lie: I was only there for a fresh start.

Lie: I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Lie: There was nothing I could do to save her, either.

But that’s the thing about lies—you never know who to believe.

AMAZON

One in. One out.

This book! OH GOD! THIS. BOOK. I knew from the very first chapter, that this will be unlike any other book that I’ve read from this author. And having had read her entire backlist, that’s saying something. The Truth About Lies is not a sweet story. It’s not a light and sunny romance. It’s spine-tingling good and oh so gritty. I had goosebumps from the first few pages, and that told me immediately that I was in for one emotional ride!

I was the sinner in this story. With a heart filled to the brim with hate and a mind overflowing with vengeance and chaos.

If you’ve ready any Aly Martinez book before, then you already know that she knows how to pack one hell of an emotional punch. Her duets absolutely slay you, but nothing prepared me for what I was about to experience with The Truth About Lies.

Lies—I needed them more than oxygen. I was never going to be able to survive the truth. Not again.

This is a story of two people who have gone through their own personal hell. People who hide their pain and personal demons behind a smokey veil of lies; lies that are absolutely necessary for their own survival.

Cora is a heroine unlike any that Aly has written to date. This woman is a survivor. She’s got an inner core of strength that allows her to do anything she has to do to protect those that she cares about. And that’s ultimately what she is; a protector. This is a woman that cares and cares deeply. I couldn’t help but connect with her right away. She’s been through hell and back in her young life, but that doesn’t get her down. She’s the epitome of perseverance.

Then there’s Penn. This man is an enigma. He’s utterly magnetic. There’s this electric current to him that you feel when you read about him. I can’t even describe it to you, but every time you get one kernel of information about him, you’re also left desperate for more.

Sometimes lies are a necessary part of survival. Sometimes the truth hurts more than you can imagine. Sometimes what you think you know isn’t even what’s close to being reality. And sometimes, two lies crash into something incredibly real that has the power to send everything into a flame of betrayal and love.

The Truth About Lies was raw, gritty, emotional, and completely unputdownable. It was a smoke screen of half truths and lies, all wrapped around a gripping romance that owns your heart from beginning to end. I couldn’t get enough of it. I was utterly captivated, hypnotized, and totally enraptured with this story. And now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to rock myself in a corner until book two, because I still CAN’T EVEN!!!!

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