Review: King of Heartbreak by V.F. Mason

May 18, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

KING OF HEARTBREAK
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: V.F. Mason
Release Date: May 18, 2023

Once upon a time she became mine. Mine to ruin.

I have it all. 

A loving fiancé who adores me. 

A prospering dancing career. 

And a future full of possibilities. 

My life is a perfect fairy tale that nothing can break. 

Until I’m charged with a murder I didn’t commit. 

All the evidence points at me, and the only person who can clear my name?

Is the one man who promised to hate me till his last breath for what I’ve done to him.

And now he craves revenge. 

He’s ruthless, cunning, and heartless. 

A handsome devil wrapped in a three-piece suit that destroys everything he touches. 

He gives me a choice. 

I can either marry him or rot in hell. 

Three months. 

That’s how long our fake marriage will last. 

Enough time for him to ruin me and make me atone for my mistake. 

Except danger lurks in the darkness, a monster hungry for my blood who won’t rest until he hurts me. 

And the only person who can protect me?

Is the powerful and dangerous man who calls me his wife. 

AMAZON 

It’s possible to love a man who brings you nothing but heartbreak. And it’s possible to crave revenge after you lost it along with yourself.”

King of Heartbreak was my first V.F. Mason book but will certainly not be my last. This is like Criminal Minds meets romance and I was so here for it.

As for the romance; age gap, revenge, and marriage of convenience (or blackmail)? Sign me up immediately.

Never apologize to me again, Emmaline. I don’t want your atonement. I want your ruin. And I shall have it.”

Before we go into what I enjoyed about this book, let me cover the few quibbles I had first. The main being I really didn’t feel this book was a standalone. The story was complete, yes. But there were so many cameos from previous books I haven’t read that I was constantly feeling I was missing important context. If I had read the other books, I’m sure I would have loved that here. But as it was, I found myself feeling like I was missing context cues that would have made me enjoy the story that much more.

The next being the overuse of ‘darling’. It got to the point that if I made a drinking game out of having a sip each time he called her darling, I would have be three sheets to the wind by chapter 5.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about what I liked. The romance. I love a good revenge plot and this one was a delicious mystery that goes years back. Rafael is such a complex, tortured character and I couldn’t get enough of him. This is man who lived and breathed nothing but his drive for revenge over the past 12 years and would stop at nothing to get it. Even if it means blackmailing the now full grown woman of the once young girl who told a lie and set his downfall in motion. What the lie was? Well, admittedly, I’m still not sure I understand. But dang was I invested.

There is a subplot of a mysterious serial killer and I loved being in their head through the unsub’s POV. The pacing was just right, the character development full of depth, and the romance all enrapturing.

One thing I know is that I will be immediately diving into The Land Where Sinners Atone because I need that story!

V.F.Mason always loved reading books and had quite a few fights with her momma over the genre she liked (romance, duh!) She studied filmmaking and thought that would feed her desire for stories, but that didn’t happen. Finally, when she was tired of all those voices in her head, she sat down and wrote a book. It was a huge decision to make and she thanks her friends and family for supporting her in it. When she is not writing, she can be found with her friends doing all sorts of crazy things or reading recent romance books that were written by her favorite authors.

To find out about V.F. Mason’s upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter here

For more information on V.F. Mason and her books visit: https://vfmason.com/

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Review: I’ll Always Be With You by Monica Murphy

May 18, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

I’LL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU
Series: Lancaster Prep #4
Author: Monica Murphy
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date: May 18, 2023

Weston Fontaine is the hottest senior at Lancaster Prep.

And he knows it.

He’s gorgeous. Confident. Smart.

Too smart.

Everyone loves him. He could have any girl on campus, except for one.

Me.

I’m a Lancaster, meaning I’m basically untouchable–or so I thought. It’s my family who owns this God forsaken private school that I don’t want to attend. But according to my parents, I have to endure my senior year at Lancaster Prep before I can return to what I love the most: ballet.

West doesn’t make my time here easy. He’s arrogant. Crude. Insufferable. He torments me in the worst way, to the point that I can’t stand him. Yet he’s the only boy I’ve ever let touch me…

You see, West and I? We share a secret. On a hot summer night in Paris, we hooked up. And I never do that. Ever. I revealed parts of myself to him I’ve never shown anyone else. He’s seen me at my most vulnerable. I told him my secrets. And he told me his. In Paris, he was sexy. Protective. Even dare I say…sweet.

Now he’s the villain in my story, yet I can’t help but chase after that feeling only West can give me. Despite our hatred for each other, we somehow burn brighter when we’re together. So what happens when you helplessly fall for the one person you know is bad for you?

If you’re like me, you go ahead and fall for him anyway.

AMAZON

 

I’ll make your life a living hell, if that’s what you want.”
“You already have,” she whispers.
“Right back at you, babe.”

I was unreasonably obsessed with Things I Wanted to Say, But Never Did. Like OBSESSED. And I was desperate for another couple that would give me similar vibes of Whit and Summer, so figures that his younger sister would check the box. I was yearning for angst and hate lust and this book delivered on every single thing.

I can’t get you out of my head, and it fucks with everything I try to do. Every decision I make. You fucking haunt my thoughts, Carolina.”

This is an enemies to lovers turned second chance romance and man did I devour this book. I mean, I DEVOURED this book. It gave me all the feels from rage to swooning and I couldn’t get enough of it.

If there’s one piece of advice I can give you is don’t read it as a standalone. Could you? Yes. Should you? It just won’t be the same unless you at least read Promises We Meant to Keep first. Just trust me on this one. You’ll thank me.

Carolina is the youngest of the Lancaster brood. She’s also lightyears different from her brother and sister. She’s standoffish and almost cold at first glimpse. But beneath the hard exterior is a girl that never felt comfortable around people or emotion. Her psychic mother may have a bit to do with that. All Carolina wants is a career in ballet. Everything she’s done has brought her to this pivotal moment. Meeting a boy who takes her breath away wasn’t on the agenda. Neither was spending one unforgettable night with him and her parents forcing her back to Lancaster prep and out of her beloved ballet school for the school year. The very last thing that she expects is for the mystery boy to be the new ruler of Lancaster prep and to hate everything about her.

Now West wasn’t quite the bully that Whit was but he was definitely up there. But beneath every mean barb and sharp look is an insecurity and deep rooted lust for the girl who acts like she doesn’t remember him or care about him in the very least. I loved the push and pull between these two. I loved that Carolina gave as good as she got. And I loved the way that West was absolutely powerless against her. My only quibble is how long they were separated before reuniting, but I also understand. And that reunion and the way West worked for her melted my cold black heart.

You scare me.” I open my eyes, wishing he knew just how badly he does. “I don’t know if you deserve me.” “I don’t.” He dips his head, his mouth brushing against mine when he speaks. “But I’m going to work hard to prove to you that I do.”

I loved everything about this book. The emotion, the angst, the romance, the steam, and especially West and Carolina. Easily one of my favorite books in the series and I cannot recommend it enough.

 

Monica Murphy is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling romance author. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and have sold over two million copies worldwide. Both a traditionally published and independently published author, she writes young adult, new adult and contemporary romance.

A native Californian, she lives on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere with her husband, son, their goofy dog, and three cats. When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing. Or reading. Or binge watching something.

 

Connect with Monica

Website | Goodreads  | Amazon | Facebook | Facebook Group | Instagram | Twitter | Bookbub | Pinterest | Verve Romance | Tik Tok 

 


 

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Review: Contempt by A Zavarelli

April 25, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

CONTEMPT
Series: Sin City Salvation #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Dark
Author: A. Zavarelli
Release Date: April 25,  2023

From USA Today Bestselling Author A. Zavarelli comes an angsty forbidden romance about second chances, forgiveness, and a love that conquers all.

Before the world knew me as a rock god, I was just the angry boy who stole her heart.

She was a good girl.

The forbidden fruit I wasn’t meant to taste.

Our stars were crossed, and fate had doomed us from the start.

She was promised to someone else.

I had her secret smiles.

Moments stolen in dark corners.

But I couldn’t have her future.

Destiny tore us apart, and all that remained was the ghost of her memory.

When she died, I did too.

But when I catch a glimpse of her five years later, alive and well, that love turns to hate as the bitter truth emerges.

She left me.

She lied.

And now, I’m going to make her pay.

This book is a standalone dark romance about a military veteran turned rockstar hero and the girl who stole his heart and never let it go. 

AMAZON

Why the fuck did we have the misfortune of meeting if all we were going to do was drown each other?

I have spent years, YEARS, waiting for this book. I was enraptured in this world the second I read Confess. And then when I read Convict, I was totally obsessed. Kodiak is memorable enough as a secondary character, but in his own book? Mama. Stick a fork in me. I’m done.

She falls back against the counter, catching herself on her elbows and praying to a God that won’t grant her relief. In this house, I own her pleasure, and if she’s looking for a higher power, I’m the only one she’s going to worship.

This book had a considerably darker undercurrent to it in comparison to the previous two. And I devoured it in one sitting. It’s this addictive combination of second chance romance, amnesia, enemies to lovers, and a FMC thought dead. And yes, it’s as good as it sounds.

Years ago, Kodiak fell in love with the wrong girl. Theirs was a tumultuous and forbidden romance that ended in the worst sort of tragedy and cost Kodiak everything. All these years later, he is still a prime suspect in her alleged murder. Until one day, he sees a homeless woman busking on the street and he can’t believe his ears. Because even if the woman looks nothing like the girl he loved beyond reason, that voice is one he knows. So what’s a man to do? Why kidnap her until she confesses her evil scheme of course. But the woman he never stopped thinking about doesn’t remember him, or her life before 5 years ago.

The story is told in flashbacks from present to past. The author gives you morsel by morsel pieces to build a picture that when fully revealed, will rock you to the core. It’s full of angst, emotion, pain and heartbreak. The girl Kodiak knew as Bianca is now Lyric and he refuses to believe that she remembers nothing. But beneath the loathing and contempt, the chemistry between them is as strong as it was 5 years ago. No matter how much they both may fight it.

This doesn’t change anything,” she assures me when she sees the crazy look in my eyes. “I still don’t like you.”
“I’ve never hated you more,” I insist, plowing into her as I f*ck her so hard, she’ll feel me for days.

I thought I loved the first two books, but this one simply blew me away. The mystery of it, the slow building suspense, the heartache and angst. I couldn’t get enough of these two. Learning about what Bianca has gone through broke my heart. And I spent chapters waiting for the other shoe to drop and for Kodiak to get his blinders off. Let me tell you, when he finds out the truth, he’s ready to burn the word down. GOD but I loved this book. HARD. It was worth every single painful second, minute, and year of the wait that A Zavarelli put us through. I cannot recommend it enough.
A. Zavarelli is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of dark and contemporary romance.

She loves writing about tortured heroes and the strong heroines who love them. When she’s not putting her characters through hell, she can usually be found watching documentaries in the name of research.

She lives in the Northwest with her lumberjack and an entire brood of fur babies.
Zavarelli is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author.

She likes all things chocolate, books that come with warnings, and putting her characters through hell. Her tales have been known to flirt with darkness and sometimes court it unabashedly altogether. Revenge themes and tortured souls are her favorites to write and this gives her an excuse to watch bizarre and twisted documentaries in her spare time.

She currently lives in the Northwest with her lumberjack and an entire brood of fur babies.

Connect w/A. Zavarelli:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Bookbub | Goodreads | Amazon | Newsletter Signup

 

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Review: Marrow by Trisha Wolfe & Brynne Weaver

March 24, 2023 by ·

MARROW
Author: Trisha Wolfe & Brynne Weaver
Genre: Dark Romance
Release Date: March 23, 2023

Two rival serial killers.
One common enemy.

Forensic anthropologist Dr. Jack Sorensen is the perfect serial killer. In the bright lights of his public persona he’s a respected scientist, a leader in the field of human decomposition. But in his shadowed secret life he’s a ruthless and elusive killer, unseen by the authorities who have failed to follow his faint trail of destruction. Beautifully cold, brilliant and cruel, Jack wants nothing more than to keep his life captured in his vise-like grip of control. And Jack Sorensen never makes mistakes…

…until he underestimates Dr. Kyrie Roth.

Wildlife biologist Kyrie is the enemy Jack never noticed, another murderer in his midst. A killer with equal cunning and stealth as the great Jack Sorensen, she knows all his darkest secrets, even the pieces of a past he might have forgotten. Kyrie has created the perfect habitat for her favorite research subject, but she’s finally had enough of being bitten by the beast that lives at Jack’s core. Pushed past her breaking point, Kyrie has decided to do whatever it takes to make Jack suffer. But when Kyrie’s traumatic past descends on her broken oasis, the only person who can help Kyrie banish her painful shadows might just be her greatest enemy.

History can’t always be left to decay in a cold grave. Time has a way of thawing secrets, leaving them to shine as bright as bleached bones in the sun. Can Jack and Kyrie set aside their battle and survive a world built to hunt them? Or will they kill each other first?

AMAZON

This twisted love nurtured in the dark belongs only to us.

What.
Did.
I.
Just.
Read?

But the most important questions is why did I like it as much as I did? Ok so rhetorical question really. I do tend to read some pretty dark and f*cked up books, and this one certainly fit the bill nicely. I’m not even a little surprised that I loved it as much as I did. But on a darkness scale of 1 to f*cked up, this one was on a FUBAR level. And I’m obsessed.

Is this your weak attempt at seduction, Jack?”
He leans a fraction closer, his arm mere millimeters from my shoulder. “If I wanted to seduce you, I’d have you on your knees right now in the cold room with that treacherous little mouth of yours wrapped around my cock, begging me for more,” he whispers.

How do I even describe this book to you? Imagine if Dexter and Mindf*ck had a love child, then it would be this book. I’ve read my fair share of dark serial killer romance, but it’s not often you get not one but two in the mix. And Kyrie was the other half to Jack.

You’re not a girl,” I say, my tone bordering on lethal. “You’re an irritating inconvenience that is begging to have her ass reddened.”
Her pupils dilate. “And don’t you just hate how much that excites you.”

Kyrie is a brilliant wildlife biologist who is sick of trying to prove her worth to the renowned forensic anthropologist who seems to find her no more than a nuisance. But Kyrie knows something about Jack that no one else does; his darkest secret. Their paths so interwoven, they walk the same path. But where Jack’s was one he was born into, Kyrie was made into hers.

When I tell you I devoured this book, I’m not even kidding. I cringed, I sweated, I lusted, I was entirely obsessed. And don’t even get me started on Jack’s piercings, because GOD DAMN. But I digress. This combined two things I love most, dark romance and a psychological thriller. It was brilliantly interwoven into a fast paced, dark and twisty tale that I couldn’t seem to get enough of. These two authors are absolutely brilliant together and I need, no I demand, more from this duo. Because I am so hooked. And if you’re a fan of super dark romance, then you seriously cannot miss this one.

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Review: The Phantom by Gena Showalter

February 7, 2023 by · Leave a Comment

THE PHANTOM
Series: Rise of the Warlords #3
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Gena Showalter
Release Date: February 7,  2023

“One of the premier authors of paranormal romance. Gena Showalter delivers an utterly spellbinding story!”—Kresley Cole, #1 New York Times bestselling author

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with The Phantom, the third book in her pulse-pounding Rise of the Warlords series, featuring a vengeful harpy and a callous torture master locked in a battle to the death. 

As the son of a war god, Roux Pyroesis has suffered unending pain—he’s caused it, too, dispatching his foes with alarming ease. Now he’s tasked with cutting out the heart of a powerful queen who rules an ancient prison realm inhabited by the most vicious immortal females in existence.

Blythe the Undoing is a decorated harpy warrior determined to annihilate Roux, the invader who killed her beloved consort. Nothing will stop her. Even if she must trap herself for eternity by sneaking into the brutal realm and taking the crown, pitting herself against the merciless male she’s sworn to despise.

Having never known desire, Roux is ill prepared for the stunning beauty who challenges him at every turn. For the survival of his army, duty comes first. Always. But what happens when the flames of Blythe’s hatred burn out and she craves him, too…but only one of them can live?

Rise of the Warlords

Book 1: The Warlord
Book 2: The Immortal

AMAZON

This is not the time to toy with me, she-beast.” The harshness of his voice nearly melted her bones.
“Now that’s a lie, Warden,” she purred, jumping onto his lap. “I’ve discovered always is the time to toy with you.”

You know when you’ve been obsessed with an author for years, and the obsession only continues to grow? It’s a rare one for me, mainly because I have the attention span of a fly and generally find myself growing out of an author after a certain amount of releases. But Gena? I will never grow tired of her words. This woman can write banter like no other. Her rich world building, unique characters, sassy heroines and tortured heroes will do it for me each and every single time. Without fail. And this book was certainly no exception.

You’re telling me our Roo Coo lost his manginity?” He looked to Silver, his brow wrinkled. “That is what the harpies call it, yes? Manginity?”
Silver scratched his jaw. “I think they prefer the term popped his ejacucap.”

An immortal virgin warrior? Yes, please and thank you. I mean, how often do you read that in PNR?

I was immediately intrigued by these two when they were introduced as secondary characters in the previous books. A harphantom who possesses the warrior who killed her consort and father of her child? I mean, how do you even come back from that? But I knew I was desperate to find out. And while a part of me was nervous on how this romance would work, I knew Gena wouldn’t let me down. And she didn’t. This romance was EPIC. Full of twists and turns, secrets and battles.

Blythe is the sister of Taliyah Skyhawk from The Warlord and also a harpy phantom. When an Astra warrior suddenly appears in her world and kills her consort, in the effort to shield her daughter, she posses the Astra with her daughter and travels with him. And when she finally leaves his body, she’s set on revenge, painful and bloody.

Roux is unreasonably drawn to Blythe, even while she’s determined to draw blood whenever they see each other. But beneath her desire for vengeance, is an inexplicable connection to the Astra warrior. Roux is the definition of tortured. This is a man who survived horrors upon horrors and completely incapable of tolerating any sort of touch…until Blythe.

This was a super slow burn romance which was oh so satisfying. I loved these two together and the enemies to lovers vibes. I will never get enough of Gena’s fierce heroines, and Blythe was absolutely unstoppable. She’s a warrior in her own right and doesn’t let anyone fight her battles. While it took be a bit to fully get into this, once I hit the 30% mark, I was fully invested and couldn’t stop reading. If you’re a fan of Gena’s LotU series, then you’ll love her Warlords!

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Review: Empire of Hate by Rina Kent

October 5, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

EMPIRE OF HATE
Series: Empire #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Rina Kent
Release Date:  March 3, 2022

My boss. My enemy.

I escaped my life.
Leaving everything behind wasn’t easy, but I did it.
I turned the page and flew over the ocean.
This is my new beginning.
My new chapter.
My new book.
Or so I hoped before I met my new boss.
Daniel Sterling.
Rich as sin, illegally attractive, and the face of every magazine cover.
Oh, and the reason why I escaped in the first place.
I made his high school life hell.
He won’t stop until he gives me a taste of my own medicine.

Empire of Hate is a complete STANDALONE. No book should be read prior to this.
Note: This is NOT a dark romance.

AMAZON

You’re the only woman I wanted with a desperation that bordered on both pleasure and pain. The only woman who drives me fucking insane but I still can’t look away from.

Rina Kent’s books are easily some of the most recommended to me. Sadly, her books are also really hit or miss for me, mostly a miss from the few I tried lately. After DNFing Empire of Sin, I decided to give this series one more shot after seeing someone talk about a particular plot device in this story which left me drooling for it. And damn am I grateful I gave it a shot, because I devoured this.

If you read even some of my reviews, you know my undying love and devotion for all things enemies to lovers. You also know that I love my heroes mean. Like make me hate to love them and c*ck punch them at the same time sort of mean. I want to hate them for almost the entirety of the book and then I need them to irrevocably change my mind and forgive them in the last chapters. What? I have peculiar tastes, mkay? *buffs nails* But I digress.

If you’ve read Rina’s Royal Elite series , you’ll recognize these characters. This book features the “evil” stepsister from Cruel King which sadly I remember barely anything from. As a matter of fact, I had a hard time seeing the girl for the reputation she had because outside of one particular scene, I didn’t see one mean part of her, but I’m guessing that was featured in Cruel King and I just don’t remember it.

Nicole has been obsessed with Daniel since they met as children. But while she can’t see anything else but him, he wants nothing to do with her. And after years of obsession, Nicole left London to live a life that barely resembles the one of privilege that shattered when she left. Desperate to take care of herself and her family, she needs a job, and she lands at the desk of her biggest tormentor and obsession she thought she left behind.

Daniel remembers Nicole all too well and he’s determined to make her pay for every wrong he things she made. When I tell you I wanted to jock punch this man for the better part of the book, I’m not lying. What I loved about Nicole is while she has no choice but to take his abuse to keep her job, she still has a spine of steel. You also get flashbacks of their past that shows what led up to Nicole ultimately running from London to US. And when you get the full picture, you realize just how epically Daniel fucked up. And when he finally realizes it too? GAH. I admit his cold shoulder after the revelation was a bit much. I do get his beating himself up and blaming himself, but I wanted him to grovel. I wanted him to work for his forgiveness. And while he gave enough to be satisfying, it still felt a touch lacking.

All in all this was still a super addictive read.

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Review: Ruthless by Gena Showalter

August 9, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

RUTHLESS
Series: Immortal Enemies #2
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Gena Showalter
Release Date: August 9, 2022

Forbidden. Powerful. Ruthless. 

Micah the Unwilling, fae King of the Forgotten, can tame even the most violent of beasts. Forged on the battlefield, this iron-willed warrior considers his soldiers his family, and he will stop at nothing to reclaim their dispossessed land. Gearing for war with a sadistic enemy, he is disciplined and focused—until a feral beauty he encountered long ago wanders into his camp. 

Viori de Aoibheall wields a terrifying ability to sing monsters to life. Having spent her childhood in a forest, raising herself and her frightening creations—the only friends she’s ever known—she’s ill prepared for the scarred royal and his fearsome brutality. Not to mention the ferocity of their connection and the carnality of his touch. But the real problem? Her brother is Micah’s greatest foe. And though the sensual king makes her burn, she must stop him, whatever the cost.

AMAZON 

I pledge nothing but your downfall!”
“Consider your pledge fulfilled.” He sounded deadened inside. “I fell the first moment I saw you.”

How does the woman do this? Every. Single. Time. She just knocks it right out of the park leaving me a happy pile of satisfied goo and yet desperate for my next fix. I am OBSESSED with this series! OBSESSED and beyond loving it.

Imagine an entire series based on your all time favorite trope of all time; enemies to lovers. And while this is a standalone with a new couple, I highly recommend you start with Heartless for a full experience. Trust me on this. You may be lost to a lot of the various details and characters if you don’t. Ruthless brings us the story of Viori de Aoibheall, the baby sister of Kaysar the Unhinged One.

Micah the Unwilling, fae King of the Forgotten, has been fighting to protect his people from the ruthless Belua for as long as he remembers. A chimera, a rare fae who is born with dual glamaras that were constantly at odds, his kind has never been accepted by fae and feared in all realms. But his viciousness on the battlefield and cunning mind has left him in charge of them, though still yearning for the acceptance he will never get. He’s good enough to fight for them, but will never be good enough to stand equally among them.

Micah and Viori have a unique history as teens, which only gets more unique as they reunite as adults. Viori has been on her own for too many years to count. Ever since she lost first her parents, and then her beloved brother, she’s been fending for herself, with only her terrifying creations to keep her company. Longing to be reinitiated with her beloved brother, she somehow ends up with her brother’s biggest enemy. A scarred warrior that both enrages and calls to her all at the same time.

If there’s one thing that Gena knows how to bring, it’s the banter. I love her sassy and fierce heroines almost as much as I love her grumpy, broody, and tortured heroes. And I really loved Micah and Viori together. The pacing of the story was on point, and the romance was deliciously engaging. You can’t hope but root for these two as they make countless mistakes and assumptions with one another. Leaving you both frustrated and wanting to shake them, and rooting for their HEA.

This was another deliciously satisfying installment and if you like fast paced PNR, unique world building, banter, and enemies to lovers, you don’t want to miss this!

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Review: Does It Hurt? by H.D. Carlton

July 22, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

DOES IT HURT?
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: H.D. Carlton
Release Date: July 22, 2022

Who am I?

I’ve forgotten the answer to that question long ago. Ever since I ran from that house, so desperate to escape, I left with only the clothes on my back and socks on my feet. After that day, I’ve only ever walked in stolen shoes.

Could I be a girl who is searching for the meaning of life in faceless men? They were all so forgettable. Until he came along. He took me under a waterfall and made me forget my name, and in return, I took his instead.

Enzo Vitale.

An enigmatic man that will only ever love the deep sea. Or rather the predators that inhabit it. Turns out, he’s not so different than the monsters he feeds. He lured me onto his boat like a fish in the ocean, seeking vengeance for my crime. Had I realized his intentions, and that a massive storm would leave us shipwrecked, I would’ve ran.

Now, I’m a girl who’s seeking refuge in a decrepit lighthouse with a man who loathes me almost as much as he craves me. He wants to hurt me, but the old caretaker of the abandoned island may have intentions far more sinister.

It’s no longer a question of who I am, but rather, will I survive?

AMAZON

“Does it hurt, baby?” he asks quietly. “Not being able to scream for me like you want to.”

The second HD Carlton teased with this book, I was eagerly stalking her for every little morsel of detail. So obviously the second it dropped on my kindle, I dropped everything to read it. And that page of trigger warnings at the beginning of the novel? Well, color me ALL OVER IT.

Oh God,” I cry, trying to keep my voice down but failing miserably.
“Can you see him, baby? Ask him for forgiveness.”
“Why?” I pant, another high-pitched moan nearly swallowing the word.
“Because you worship me now.”

If there’s one thing I’ve come to know about this author, it’s her ability to create some of the most vivid and memorable characters. And I’m not just talking main characters, I’m talking about all the secondary characters. I’m a reader that will forget names, plot, almost all details, yet her characters and stories stay with me. And this book was no different.

Sawyer is on the run, forced to steal identities to survive. If there’s one thing I love, it’s morally gray characters, and she definitely serves some morally grey character energy. This is a woman who has been forced to do things she never thought she would, including sleeping with men to steal their identities after. She’s riddled with remorse but unable to stop. Then she runs into an enigmatic stranger at a bar who’s as rude as he is unforgettably sexy. So what does she do when he gives her the best sex of her life? Leave like a thief in the night with his identity in hand. But this time is different, because he tracks her down with every intention of punishing her for her sins.

Enzo is a shark expert with his own dark secrets. When he realizes the woman he spent the night with stole his identity, he doesn’t call the cops. He wants to deal with her himself. So when he runs into her again, he’s determined to make her pay. And so he lures her to his boat…completely blind to the deadly brewing storm.

Barely surfing the shipwreck, they find themselves on an island with an abandoned light tower, and forced to endure each other to survive.

Now I may be slight desensitized, but I didn’t find this book as dark as the trigger warning made it seem. It has a dark vein for sure, but it felt more suspenseful and creepy. The darkly veiled mystery running parallel to the romance was also deliciously intriguing. Enzo was everything I love in my main characters; grumpy, enigmatic, possessive, and with a mean streak a mile long. Sawyer, admittedly, took me a bit longer to warm up to. She’s a survivor, but I did wish she’d stand up more to Enzo. But she felt like she had to atone, and her tears would wash her sins away. I did get frustrated by her in parts, but then she fully grew on me towards the end when the full scope of her past gets revealed. She’s an incredibly complex character, full of many layers, and while I didn’t love all of them, I did love her as a heroine.

I binge read this book, eager to unravel the dark mystery. This author can definitely write one hell of an enrapturing read, and this one owned me from beginning to finish.

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Review: Beyond My Darkness by RC Boldt

July 12, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

BEYOND MY DARKNESS
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: RC Boldt
Release Date: July 12,  2022

USA Today bestselling author RC Boldt delivers a seductively unique romantic suspense with a paranormal twist in Beyond My Darkness…

Twelve years ago, I fled, vowing to never again use my power. But everything changes when I break that vow and bring two bodies back to life in the morgue.

It sends me spinning directly into his orbit.

Arrogant. Menacing. Enigmatic. That’s Bronson Cortez, the notoriously violent gang leader who remains elusive to authorities.

He breaks the law at every turn and answers to no one. But when he offers me an alluring glimpse of what lies beneath that iron-clad exterior, I realize there’s more to him than meets the eye.

The man who fiercely guards his heart somehow manages to claim mine.

But he doesn’t know the truth about me.

I wonder if he could be the first to accept me for who I am—what I am.

I wonder if he’ll be the first to see beyond my darkness.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

I’m prepared to rain down hell on anyone who tries to hurt her.

It’s official: I’m addicted to RC Boldt’s romantic suspense. Her stories are pure book crack, full of action, mystery, and incredible multilayered characters. But this book? Well, this book may have been my favorite of hers to date.

I do want a nice guy.”
“Yeah?” There’s a hard edge to his voice that sends unease tiptoeing along my spine. “I can be nice.” He dusts his lips over mine in the barest caress, and I know when he says the word nice, his meaning differs greatly from mine. “I can be real nice.”

This, while in a similar vein to her romantic suspense, packed a paranormal gritty edge. It was unique and completely unputdownable.

If you like anti heroes, prepare to fall fast and hard for Bronson Cortez. This is a dangerous man with blood on his hands, but with a heart of gold. He’s a man that does bad things to protect his community and his people. And he’s a man with a lethal reputation that is justly earned.

Georgia Danvers is a medical examiner with a dark secret. She’s a woman with a painfully dark past and a secret that haunts her present. Her job in the morgue is where she feels most comfortable. People are complex, but the dead aren’t, and she loves what she does. But Georgia carries a dark secret that could cost her everything like it once almost did. When a body that ends up in her morgue sends her in the path of the town’s most dangerous man, she doesn’t try to overthink it. She just needs to give him a message and move on. But you know what they say about best intentions?

Bronson and Georgia together were absolutely incendiary. The chemistry between them is just as fiery as it is dangerous. These two were INTENSE. But nothing was more intense than Bronson. God but this man had me by the throat in the best possible way. He practically oozed danger and crackled with electricity off the pages. I couldn’t get enough of him. And while Georgia is a little awkward and quirky, she’s not a pushover. This is a woman full of sass and passion. She’s a woman that gives as hard as she gets, and doesn’t let Bronson steamroll her. There’s just this endearing quality to her that I couldn’t get enough of.

Now this isn’t your typical romantic suspense, and I personally loved the paranormal element to this. I was glued to the pages from beginning to end and devoured it in one sitting. And when I saw that Bronson’s friend is getting a book next? Beyond excited.

If you’re looking for something unique and addictive, you need this book in your life.

RC Boldt is a USA Today bestselling author currently living in part of the Costa Rican jungle with the love of her life and her mini-me.

If you’re in the mood for some killer mojitos or can’t recall the lyrics to a particular 80s song, she’s your girl.

Connect with RC Boldt 

Website: http://www.rcboldtbooks.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14543027.R_C_Boldt

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Kq1H9C

Facebook: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtFB

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

Instagram: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtIG

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/RCBoldtBB

Verve: https://bit.ly/3jEf18z

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, PNR, Romantic Suspense · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Kingdom of Villains by Ella Fields

July 7, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

KINGDOM OF VILLAINS
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Author: Ella Fields
Release Date: June 29, 2022

USA Today bestselling author, Ella Fields, delivers a treacherously tender love story set in an all-new fantasy world.

I’d known exactly who he was—the Unseelie prince. But I hadn’t known just what he was.
I’d been fooled.

The creature I’d formed a tentative friendship with in my family’s dungeon was not the gentle, intriguing prince I’d thought him to be.
He was a monster. A bloodthirsty beast.

And I’d helped him escape my uncle’s clutches.

Such a betrayal called for severe consequences, and the price of releasing the biggest threat our kingdom had faced in hundreds of years was not one I would survive.

But upon discovering my uncle’s foiled plans for their prince, the Unseelie demanded vengeance, and an agreement was made.

My savior and my doom returned, and this time, he wasn’t leaving without me.

Regardless of how I loathed him, the deceitful and dangerous male was my last hope. Yet when he looked at me, touched me, dared to love me, the beliefs I’d worn as armor began to melt.

I couldn’t let that happen.

Though avoiding fate would prove impossible when the only way to save my life was to surrender it by marrying the monster who’d destroyed it.

–

This enemies to lovers romantasy contains mature content. It’s a complete standalone and not connected to any other Ella Fields novel.

AMAZON 

You’re far too sweet for a male who shifts into a dragon and fucks like a beast.”

The Savage and the Swan is easily my favorite book of Ella’s to date. And I’ve been practically salivating for another fantasy romance from the queen of angst. And what does she do? Give us a dragon shifter and his fae mate. GAH. I die.

Now if you’ve read any of Ella’s books before, you know the woman brings angst. And when I say angst, I mean ANGST. Like rip your hair out, rage at the ceiling, and throw your kindle out the window sort of angst. The delicious sort, basically. But I digress. What I was trying to say is this book is not like her usual. While there’s a gritty undertone to it, and it packs plenty of feels, it’s angst light.
Colvin is not Ella’s usual a-hole brand of heroes. This man may be a morally gray dragon shifter, but he has a heart of gold. I fell so hard and fast for him.

You need to stop this.” Leaning into him, I whispered, “Stop what?” “Ruining me from noticing anything in this world that isn’t you.”

When Fia the Fae Seelie princess discovers the Unseelie prince Colvin in her uncle’s dungeon, it doesn’t take long for the two to strike up an unlikely friendship. When Fia helps the prince escape, it costs her her already precarious position in her kingdom. So when the prince returns for her and she’s to wed him and unite the two kingdoms? Well, she’s not exactly feeling all that forced when it allows her to escape her uncles dungeon herself. Suffice it to say there’s no love lost between her and her family.

What begins is an achingly tender romance between two unlikely creatures. Colvin has spent the majority of his life looking for a cure to his ailment. And his new bride to be may be the answer he’s been searching for. It doesn’t take him long to fall for the feral princess. But as the layers begin to peel back, you soon realize that not quite everything is as it seems.

Now I’ll say this isn’t my usual flavor of romance I gravitate towards. I like the aholes and I live for the angst. But a girl needs a refreshing change of pace every now and then, and boy did this bring it. It was sweet, yes, but it certainly wasn’t tame. It had just enough grit to suck me in with plenty of feels to keep me glued to the pages. I love that it’s not your typical prince rescue the princess story. It’s so much more than that and Fia was such a fierce heroine that I couldn’t get enough of her.

Everything about this story from the stunning world building to the enrapturing secondary characters sucked me right in, and didn’t let me go until the end.

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