Review: Cold Hard Truth by Eva Simmons

May 18, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

COLD HARD TRUTH
Series: Twisted Roses #3
Genre: Contemporary, Dark Romance
Author: Eva Simmons
Release Date: May 17, 2024

Years on the run taught me fate always catches up. And that’s what happened when Sage Jackson found me.

My destiny. My keeper. My father’s enforcer.

Sage owes the club a favor, and now that I’m back, it’s his time to pay up. My freedom for his. A task he’s happy to accept when I’m the reason his father is dead.

Sage swears to protect me.
To guard me.
To keep his hands off me.

He thinks showing me his dark side will make breaking the rules easier to resist.

But the truth is, he isn’t the only one with scars and secrets. And I prefer being at the mercy of a beast over the boredom of dating a prince.

AMAZON

Sage is a Twisted King, and I’m the daughter of one. Destined or not, this is never going to be what I want.

Oh the way I binge read this series and dare I say, this one was my favorite so far. Sage and Lyla were everything. This series is what I would call grayish dark. It’s the perfect series for those that want to get into the dark romance genre, but don’t want all of the gory and dark details. The story itself touches some very dark topics, but keeps the disturbing parts off the pages, which worked perfectly.

If walls can hold ghosts, then so can bones. And every time I look into his eyes, I’m reminded that Sage is haunted. I get it. So am I.

Lyla never wanted to live the biker life. But when her father is the MC president and the boy you’re in love with is a prospect, there’s not much hope to escape it. Lyla and her twin sister get thrust into the MC life even if they want nothing to do with it. But the one good thing for Lyla is Sage. What starts as an unwilling friendship soon turns into something more. Only for life to tilt on its axis for Lyla and for everything to come crashing down around her forcing Lyla to run.

She was mine all those years ago, and she’s mine now.

When a clue for the answers she desperately seeks brings her back, she doesn’t expect to run into Sage or her father again. The last thing she expects is for them to lure her back into a life she wants nothing to do with. Sage is determined to protect her from the danger of her past and Lyla is still adamantly determined to avoid the MC life. But Sage is not the boy she knew eight years ago. He’s grown up and not into the MC man she thought.

I won’t go into any detail because trust me, you want to experience it for yourself. But I will tell you to prepare for an action packed ride with dark secrets, sizzling romance, and a man obsessed. If you love watching the bad boy fall and fall hard, you’ll love Sage. Lyla is a force to be reckoned with and Love the way she matches Sage’s hard core energy. The two of them together is absolutely incendiary.

She screams into my mouth, and I steal it with a kiss. I’m going to take every piece of her—body and soul.

I was so obsessed with this second chance romance that I binge read it in one sitting. It was deliciously spicy with just the right amount of grit and suspense. I can’t wait for the next installment!

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Bikers, Dark, Dirty Talkers · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Heart Sick Hate by Eva Simmons

May 11, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

HEART SICK HATE
Series: Twisted Roses #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Eva Simmons
Release Date: January 12, 2024

I chose wrong.

While my future is promised to one man, my heart wants Crew Kingsley.

My enemy. My addiction. My boyfriend’s brother.

Crew isn’t the prince in any girl’s story. He doesn’t want to win my love, he wants to steal it—simply so he can make me regret ever letting him.

If only I wasn’t addicted to his pain.

Crew’s hate burns too hot.
His heart is too cold.
But his punishment… is just right.

When given two choices, a smart girl picks the safest. But Crew made me sick, I made my choice, and even if they think they already wrote our ending, the story is about to change.

 

AMAZON

My last piece of innocence, and I just offered it to a devil.

Have I already mentioned my newly found obsession with this series? I dove into Crew and Echo’s story immediately after finishing Lies Like Love. As an intriguing as Crew was as a secondary character, he stole the show as the main one. And while this is a standalone in a series, I highly recommend you read it in order because the story arc for these two begins in the first book.

The animosity and lust between Crew and Echo is obvious from the first time they appear on the pages. But Echo is with Crew’s brother, Rhett, and I couldn’t wait to dive into this deliciously twisted story. Now if you’re thinking this is a love triangle, it’s certainly not. The relationship between Rhett and Echo is in name only, for an arrangement and agreement made 8 years ago. Desperate to help her sick father, Echo agrees to tie herself to Rhett. Though, admittedly, outside of Rhett’s own ambition, I never fully connected to why Rhett’s father is so committed to this lie, but I digress.

As the day that she has with her life being her own disappearing looms in front of her, Echo is desperate to part with one last pesky piece of her past, her virginity. And who best to offer it to? Her “boyfriend’s” brother who seems to hate her. All joking aside, the connection between her and Crew has always been there so while it sounds outlandish it also made sense that she would go for him. And for those of you that like your MMCs obsessed and falling first and hard, you’ll love dirty talking Crew.

Now admittedly, there were parts of the story development that at times got overshadowed by the sex scenes for me. Don’t get me wrong, not to the point that I skimmed, because they were hot, and I’m not complaining. But I wished we got a bit more meat to the story. Both Echo and Crew were very complex characters, but I never fully connected with Echo the way I hoped I did and the way I did with Fel in the previous book.

That aside, I still binge read this book in one sitting. It was a fast paced, addictive type of read. And while the ending was mostly predictable, I still enjoyed it quite a bit. And now I immediately need Sage’s book because I have a feeling his story may be my favorite in the series. Because that set up at the end of this book? NEED.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: Adult Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: , ,

Review: Lies Like Love by Eva Simmons

May 10, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

LIES LIKE LOVE
Series: Twisted Roses #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Eva Simmons
Release Date: September 29, 2023

 

I made a mistake.

Hearts are the most fragile part of the body, and I trusted mine with Jude Carlisle.

My villain. My weakness. My stepbrother.

Fairytales have a way of turning the most innocent things wicked.

Jude lied through his teeth, and I fell for every word. Then he burned both our families to the ground in a sick game of revenge and never looked back.

When I see him again years later—tattooed, pierced, as vicious and lethal as ever—I should know better. Except this time, I’m not the girl looking for a hero. And I’m tempted to let Jude eat me alive if it means I’ll finally be his.

I thought I knew the truth.
I thought I unmasked all the monsters.
I thought I understood how our story would end.

But the trouble with wolves is they’re always lying. And what big lies mine told.


Lies Like Love is an emotionally twisted, dark, fairytale inspired romance with a morally grey hero, heavy subject matter, mature content, and explicit scenes. Content/TWs (which contain spoilers) can be found on author’s website. 18+ only.

AMAZON

Hearts aren’t born broken. They’re carved in the hands of those who aren’t careful with fragile things. And Jude is an expert at ripping holes in mine. He’s ruthless. Brutal.

This was my second Eva Simmons book, and y’all! I. Am. Shooketh. First of all, if you haven’t read this author yet, take my advice and have this one be the first one. Especially if you love suspenseful twisty plots with sassy MFCs and obsessed dirty talking MMCs.

Oh, god,” she moans, as I shove a finger inside, and her p*ssy tightens. “Cute.” I shove another finger in and appreciate how she loses her breath with my touch. “But I promise no one hears you like I do. So if you want your prayers answered, you better fucking pray to me, Red.”

Indeed. But I digress.

Jude and Felicity have a convoluted history. When they were teens, Felicity had a crush on Jude until she discovered he’ll be her new stepbrother and became the ultimate forbidden. But then Fel’s life tilted on its axis. Now eleven years later, Fel is trying to make a life for herself outside the influence of her wealthy family. In the hopes of selling her body jewelry, she allows her best friend to talk her to take a meeting with a popular tattoo parlor. But the last thing she expects is to see the blast from her past, only he’s not the same 17 year old boy she once knew. Jude is harder, darker, and he’s no longer her stepbrother.

This was such a deliciously entertaining story, told primarily in the present with glimpses into the past that are intricately woven in to peel back the layers of the mystery of why Fel hates Jude and what he’s ultimately hiding from her. The story definitely is true to its title and that’s all I’ll say because I don’t want to ruin it for you. Jude is a part owner in the successful Twisted Rose tattoo parlor along with his friends and he happens to get his kicks by fighting in an underground club. So obviously I was obsessed with him. Felicity may seem like a princess who was born with everything, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. And the more you learn about their past, the more you fall for these characters. Their romance was absolutely sizzling and their chemistry was incendiary. I loved the two of them together.

And that ending?! Holy wow! I love when a story manages to catch me by surprise and boy did it. I am officially obsessed and diving immediately into Crew’s book now!

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Dark, Dirty Talkers · Tagged With: , , ,

Review: Reckless Promises by Eva Simmons

March 15, 2024 by · Leave a Comment

RECKLESS PROMISES
Series: Reckless #2
Author: Eva Simmons
Genre: Mafia Romance
Release Date: March 15, 2024

ODETTE

Sold…
One word seals my fate.

I’m sold to the highest bidder to settle my father’s debts, and now I’m at the mercy of a mafia prince.

Cillian is gorgeous. Heartless. Deadly.

And I’m his revenge.

There’s only one problem… Cillian isn’t the only one seeking vengeance. I’ve been chained and shackled long enough.

So when Cillian threatens to burn my family to the ground if I disobey him, I can’t help but hand him the matches.

CILLIAN

Bought…
I wanted revenge so I bought it.

And now Odette is mine.

It’s not her fault her father placed her on the auction block when I was looking for something of his to break. But he handed me his prized possession. And to ruin him—I’ll start with her.

Odette can fight me, she can resist, she can beg. She’ll learn to play her part in this game.

Except one taste of her fire, and all my rules break.

I vowed ‘til death.
And for her, I’ll do anything.

AMAZON

You want to be a brat? Then I’m happy to teach you a lesson.”

This was my first Eva Simmons book and I’ll definitely be reading more of her after this. And while this book didn’t blow me away, it was still a solid read that I enjoyed quite a bit.

This is a mafia romance with an arranged marriage and you already know I’m a sucker for this trope. Add in the complexity of warring mafia families and I’m all over it.

Odette has been raised to be a good girl. As a daughter to a ruthless mafia man, her virginity is the extent of her value. Put on the auction block to be sold to be married to her father’s business contact, she never expects for her family’s enemy to buy her from under everyone’s nose.

Cillian doesn’t care about marriage but he cares about revenge. A revenge that he has been planning for years in retaliation for the death of his father. The daughter of his enemy now locked in as his wife if a step he didn’t factor for, but he’s using it now that he has her. What he didn’t factor is actually falling for his unwilling bride.

The story was a fun, albeit formulaic plot. And while I’ve read it countless times, it still kept me entertained. I have to say I expected a bit more grit and darkness based on the blurb, but this was on the tamer side. If you’re just dipping your toe into the genre, this is a great book to start with. However, for my seasoned dark romance readers out there like me, it may feel a bit on the lighter side. I didn’t mind that so much, but I did find myself skimming through a few parts if I’m being perfectly honest. The story has plenty of sizzle and steam and Cillian is pure fire. I loved him and Odette together. I also loved that even though she was a virgin, she’s no ingenue. And I especially loved her growing fierceness throughout the book.

If you’re looking for a lighter mafia read with plenty of steam, this will hit the spot nicely.



Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: , ,
Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

%d bloggers like this: