Review: Don’t Pretend I’m Yours by Natasha Anders

DON’T PRETEND I’m YOURS
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Natasha Anders
Release Date:  June 6,  2023

When Ben Templeton asks Lilah Beckett to marry him, she’s over the moon. She’s been in love with him for years and now, finally, it looks like those feelings are reciprocated. She eagerly accepts his proposal, but on her wedding day, all expectations of a happily ever after with the love of her life come crashing to her feet. Lilah discovers that her new husband does not love her; he barely even likes her. He married her for all the wrong reasons and now expects her to be satisfied with the scraps of affection and attention he throws her way.

To preserve her heart and her sanity, Lilah knows that she cannot allow this sham of a marriage to continue. But her much-loved grandfather is ecstatic about the union and to avoid disappointing him, Lilah informs Ben that she’ll play at being his wife for one year only. Ben, however, seems perfectly content to remain tethered to her in a loveless union for all eternity. He has his own reasons for marrying Lilah. Reasons he’s hiding behind a wall of secrets, half-truths, and blatant lies.

And when that wall comes tumbling down, Lilah is emotionally unprepared to deal with the further devastation and heartbreak that follow.

AMAZON 

The woman seemed have been operating under some massive misapprehension about this marriage. He wasn’t doing this for her. He barely even liked her.

This, THIS was the book I didn’t know I was waiting for from Natasha Anders. I still remember the rabid giddiness I read The Unwanted Wife back in 2012, which marked my obsession with all things Natasha Anders. While she’s a well rounded contemporary author able to bring sweet and angsty in equal measures, there’s just something about her angst ridden romance with alpha holes that just does it for me. And boy did Ben deliver on all of the things.

The story was in the vein of Unwanted Wife, but also remarkably different. I’ll explain. This is an arranged marriage trope where the heroine is going into the marriage blissfully happy believing it’s love and the hero has anterior motives which love doesn’t enter into. But that’s about where those similarities end. It’s also not your run of the mill arranged/marriage of convenience trope. It’s so much deeper.

Ben and Lilah grew up together, but where Lilah idolized and crushed on Ben, Ben resented Lilah. He found her to be a petulant, spoiled child who could do no wrong in her beloved grandfather’s eyes. While Ben is the Forster child taken in by him and idolizes his mentor to a fault. Theirs is not a marriage built on love or even like, and Ben wastes no time disillusioning Lilah of any notion of anything otherwise.

Lilah was absolute perfection. She was such a wonderfully endearing combination of strength and vulnerability. She wants love and will settle for nothing less. She doesn’t take any of Ben’s BS and isn’t afraid to stand up for herself and boy did she give as good as she gets. Ben was insufferable for the first half (just like I love my heroes); cold and unfeeling. And let me tell you, there is nothing more satisfying then seeing him fall helplessly for his wife and begin to see her in a light he never did growing up. And when he finally sees beyond the impression he built in his eyes, he wants more. But at this point Lilah wants nothing more than a divorce from him. Oh the grovel! The sweet sweet grovel.

I know that right now you hate me, but I’m fucking begging you to give me another chance, mo chridhe. I swear to God, I would move heaven and earth to make you happy and make you love me again.”

I hope we get books for all of Lilah’s garden ‘hoes’. Their friendship was the sunshine needed to break up some of the more heavy elements of this book. But man did I devour this story. Only thing that could have made it better is if it was written in first person POV. But this took nothing away from the story that sucked me in from the first page and kept me glued to it until the end.

Review: Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey

UNFORTUNATELY YOURS
Series: Vine Mess #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date:
June 6, 2023

A down-on-her-luck Napa heiress suggests a mutually beneficial marriage of convenience to a man she can’t stand… only to discover there’s a fine line between love and hate.

After losing her job and her fiancé in one fell swoop, Natalie Vos returned home to lick her wounds. A few months later, she’s sufficiently drowned her sorrows in cabernet and she’s ready to get back on her feet. She just needs her trust fund to finance her new business venture. Unfortunately, the terms require she marry before she can have the money. And well, dumped, remember? But Natalie is desperate enough to propose to a man who makes her want to kill him–and kiss him, in equal measure.

August Cates may own a vineyard, but he doesn’t know jack about making wine. He’s determined to do his late best friend proud, no matter what it takes. Except his tasting room is empty, his wine is disgusting (seriously, he once saw someone gag), and his buddy’s legacy is circling the drain. No bank will give him the loan he needs to turn the business around… and then the gorgeous, feisty heiress knocks on his door. Natalie has haunted his dreams since the moment they met, but their sizzling chemistry immediately morphed into simmering insults.

Now, a quickie marriage could help them both. A sham wedding, a few weeks living under the same roof, and then they can go their separate ways–assuming they make it out alive. How hard could it be? There’s just one thing they didn’t account for: their unfortunate, unbearable, undeniable attraction.

AMAZON 

He could still remember the moment the expression in those eyes had gone from take-me-to-bed-daddy to please-drink-poison. Witch.

When I tell you that I’m obsessed with August, I mean I worship the pages this man graces with his delicious presence.

Full disclosure, I was not a fan of book one Secretly Yours. It was cute, but not my cuppa. It was missing a little something to fully enrapture me. But this book? This book grabbed me by the heart and my ovaries and owned me from cover to cover.

What do they expect us to do here?”
August considered the curved and extended sides of the swivel chair that were obviously meant to block them from view. “Some groping at the very least.”
Please tell me that my nipples aren’t tingling. “Grope me and live to regret it.”
“Fine.” He sighed, running a hand down his tie. “You can grope me.”

August and Natalie have lust at first sight, until Natalie insults his wine and suddenly their lust turns to hate with a strong undercurrent of lust. And this girl? Couldn’t get enough of their chemistry. They give as good as they take, but none better than August.

August is a retired SEAL who is trying to fulfill the wish of his best friend who he lost during his last deployment. The problem is that he knows nothing about wine or wine making.

Natalie is the black sheep of her family. She ran away from the winery to New York to make it work, until one bad investment for her client cost her billions and a failed engagement later she’s back in the winery she grew up in to lick her wounds. But it still doesn’t fully feel like home. She’s desperate for another chance but only needs the capital. The only issue is that her trust fund comes iwht an archaic clause of needing to be married. So what’s a girl to do? Ask her mortal enemy who needs capital to turn his wine business around for a mutually beneficial arrangement; marriage in name only.

But August isn’t interested in anything halfway. He’s wanted Natalie since the moment he first saw her and he’s determined to make it work beyond just an arrangement.

It’s five o’clock in the morning, give or take a few minutes.”
He sauntered toward her across the lawn, guilt kicking around in his stomach over the phone call he’d just taken. “This is when I get up.”
“Oh.” Another yawn, bigger this time. “In that case, I want a divorce.”
“Sorry, I won’t sign.”
Her smile was sweet and sleepy. “Arsenic poisoning it is.”

I couldn’t get enough of the chemistry these two had. August is absolutely obsessed with his fake wife and I loved his adorable caveman ways. This man is the ultimate cinnamon role with a possessive and obsessive streak a mile long and I loved every part of him.

You need to give me twenty minutes to flip my tire when we get home.”
Puzzlement knit her forehead together. “Huh?”
“The leftover adrenaline, Natalie. I need to work some of it off first or . . .” He pointed at the apex of her very smooth, very spreadable thighs. “I’m going to offend the queen.”
She did a double take. Squinted one eye. “Wait, so I’m the princess and my vagina is the queen?”
“And I’m her loyal subject. Yes.”

When I tell you I devoured this book in one sitting, I mean it. I had a goofy smile on my face from cover to cover. It hit every spot and even those I didn’t know I had. I loved the to pieces and can’t recommend it enough if you’re looking for a sexy, feel good romance with two characters that you’ll fall head over heels for.

#DGRFave & Review: Liars Like Us by J.T. Geissinger

LIARS LIKE US
Series:
Morally Gray #1
Genre: 
Contemporary Romance
Author: J.T. Geissinger
Release Date: May 25, 2023

A young woman on the verge of bankruptcy.
 
A mysterious billionaire with an offer that will change her life.
 
An obsession so powerful, it could destroy them both.

Sex
Lies
Secrets
Passion

What Callum McCord wants, he takes.
 
No matter what he has to do to get it.

~~~~~~~~~~

Author’s note: Liars Like Us is a standalone marriage of convenience romance with an obsessive & possessive morally gray hero and spicy bedroom scenes intended for mature readers only.
 

AMAZON 

You’re something much better than beautiful. And when we’re married, I’ll tell you what it is.”
The queen of sass and banter is back with a vengeance with a new series that will set your kindle on fire and make your ovaries tinge! When I tell you I devoured this book, I mean I devoured this book. I couldn’t put it down and read it in one sitting with a ridiculous grin on my face the entire time.

If there’s one thing that JT always delivers, it’s amazing characters. She brings uber alphas, sassy heroines, and all the banter. Now the thing with the sass is it’s not easy to pull off. It can be over the top, annoying or brash when not done right. But Geissinger hits it out of the park each and every single time.
I say drily, “If you think that was interesting, wait until I tell you what he said to me in the car after the ceremony.”
“What?”
“That he wanted to spank my p*ssy until I squirted on his hand.”
After a moment of silence, Dani breathes, “There is a God.”

I loved everything about this book, starting from the friendships, to the romance, and to the surprise cameos (OMG the cameos!). Wait until you get to this plot twist. This woman’s mind is brilliant the way she brings everything together.

This is a marriage of convenience with a layer of suspense and man oh man did I love it.

Emery is a down on her luck business owner who is facing bankruptcy and having to close her family’s bookstore because of a string of bad luck and a competitor next door. Enter Callum, mysterious billionaire that needs a wife for his inheritance and offers her the deal of a life time. Only Emery is no pushover and she makes the man WORK to take him seriously. I loved that about her. This is no push over and even when facing bankruptcy and failure, she never loses her spark and tenacity.
That dress is incredible.”
“Oh, this old thing? I bought it with your ridiculous limitless credit card at some fancy boutique in Beverly Hills where the salespeople looked at me as if I’d given birth to Satan’s scaly, forked-tongue baby and was dragging it around by its bloody umbilical cord. So charming, those boutique ladies. They made me feel as if suicide was my only viable option.”

Of course in typical Geissinger fashion everything is not as it seems but that’s a whole experience so enjoy the ride spoiler free. Trust me.
His heated gaze rakes over my breasts. “Careful, wife.”
“No, you be careful. Because if you think you married a pushover, think again.”
“I know exactly who I married,” he says softly, his eyes piercing. “Do you?”
“Yes. A psychopath with too much money, too little patience, and too much
confidence for his own good.”

All I will tell you is that I’m practically vibrating in fingerling glee that this is the first in a series and we’re getting more. Because this set up? Delicious. Absolutely dellcious.

If you’re looking for a wild and sexy romp with plenty of witty banter, suspense, and heat, look no further. This is what they mean when they say book crack. This book was everything and entirely too addictive. I can’t wait for more in this series!

 

J.T. Geissinger is a #1 international and Amazon Charts bestselling author of thirty novels. Ranging from funny, feisty romcoms to intense erotic thrillers, her books have sold over ten million copies worldwide and been translated into more than twenty languages.

She is a three-time finalist in both contemporary and paranormal romance for the RITA® Award, the highest distinction in romance fiction from the Romance Writers of America®. She is also a recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book, the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, and the HOLT Medallion for Best Erotic Romance.

 

Connect with J.T. Geissinger

Website: www.jtgeissinger.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5865943.J_T_Geissinger

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1xQN4za

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JTGeissinger

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1546609172103644

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jtgeissingerauthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-t-geissinger

Text BOOK to 844-946-2079

 

Review: King of Heartbreak by V.F. Mason

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/

Review: The Bluff by Willa Nash

THE BLUFF
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Calamity, Montana #2
Author: Willa Nash
Release Date: February 4, 2020

From USA Today Bestselling Author Devney Perry writing as Willa Nash comes a small town Montana romance.

As Calamity’s newest resident, Everly Christian thought life in small-town Montana would be dull and tame—and she needs a little mundane after the last few chaotic years. But one night, boredom drives her to the local bar, where she finds herself sitting beside a handsome and mysterious artist.

The man is anything but dull and tame, especially in the bedroom, and when she steps out of his shower and overhears his conversation, life gets interesting again.

Reese Huxley needs a wife.

And why shouldn’t Everly be the bride?

She’s got her reasons for agreeing to the hasty nuptials—reasons she’s keeping to herself. As long as she can stop herself from falling in love with her husband, she’ll make it out of this sham marriage in one piece. But Everly has a weakness for wayward men, and the more Hux pushes her away, the more she realizes this bluff is anything but a lie.

AMAZON

I surrendered to his kiss. I dropped my guard. I let myself pretend. For tonight, I was his. For tonight, he was mine.

Is it too soon to announce that I’m completely in love with this series? Because while I really liked the first book, I seriously adored this one. I mean, what’s not to love?

A grumpy hero? CHECK!
A heroine that owns her sexuality and confidence? CHECK
A marriage of convenience? CHECK AND CHECK
Wonderful secondary characters? CHECK
Small town setting? CHECK

The second the quiet and intimidating Hux made an appearance in the The Bribe, I was immediately curious about this brooding artist. The man clearly had some demons and I couldn’t wait to unearth them all. He’s a successful artist with a painful history, trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter after she was taken from him by his vindictive ex. The last thing he needs is another entanglement after his disastrous marriage.

Everly is still dealing with the aftermath of what happened with the stalker in book one. She’s looking for something in her life, but still hasn’t found it. She struggles with her own place and finding who she is outside of who her parents always expected her to be. Hux was only supposed to be a one-night distraction. Soon it turns into a recurring night with no strings attached, until an offer changes everything. Marriage. One that may help him with his reputation in the small town and fight the legal battle to get visitation rights to his daughter.

Man but I loved these two together. They’re so imperfectly perfect in their own way. Hux is jaded and broken, and Ev is lost. But yet together, they make so much sense. Hux fights his connection to her at every turn but of course soon the inevitable happens and feelings are involved.

I loved the budding romance with Ev and Hux almost as much as I loved the connection between him and his daughter. There were some red herrings that were thrown in about his ex that I was almost thinking we’d get more of a resolution with, but it was still satisfying. And while the plot twist at the end was not my favorite and a touch predictable, I loved the grovel that followed it.

Yet another fantastic book in what’s come to be an addictive series and I can’t wait for more!

Willa Nash is USA Today Bestselling Author Devney Perry’s alter ego, writing contemporary romance stories for Kindle Unlimited. Lover of Swedish Fish, hater of laundry, she lives in Washington State with her husband and two sons. She was born and raised in Montana and has a passion for writing books in the state she calls home.

Devney loves hearing from her readers. Connect with her on social media!

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

 

Review: Crowne of Lies by CD Reiss

CROWNE OF LIES
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: CD Reiss
Release Date: February 28, 2020

Logan Crowne needs one year from Ella.

Twelve months living in his house, holding his hand, wearing his ring on her finger, and in exchange, she’ll get her father’s company in the divorce settlement.

They have one year to convince his skeptical parents that they’re happily in love, and he’s settled enough to run Crowne Industries.

Ella wants the company badly enough to live with a man who will never love her. She’ll sleep in his room and kiss him for show.

Her heart may melt whenever he’s around, and his touch may ignite a fire inside her, but surrender will break her heart.

She’s sure she can last a year without giving him her body.

She’s wrong.

AMAZON

Naughty was the wrong word for Logan. He was a completely and wonderfully debauched demon.

You know what I love about CD Reiss? The woman can write one heck of a sinfully sexy hero. I’m talking the cream of the crop here, people. A dirty talking god of a man. Logan Crowne was all of the things!

What’s in your head?”
“Getting my hand under your dress and finding out if you’re wet.”
“Logan,” I scolded in a hiss. “We just said—”
“We said no feelings.” He took me by the chin. “If I took you right now, f*cked you raw, gave you a dozen orgasms and came deep inside you, it would mean nothing to me.”
My panties were soaked through. “Me neither.”

I’ll give you a moment to compose yourself. Need a tissue? Some ice? All of the above. I’m telling you!!! The man damn near ruined me.

If you’re a fan of the marriage of convenience trope, this book is going to be your crack of choice.

What I love even more that Reiss’s dirty talking alpha males are her strong and sharp witted heroines. And boy did Ella check those boxes. She’s the polar opposite of proper and tightly wound Logan. She’s a free spirit, an artist, a woman that stands on her own two feet and will never let a man define her. But she’s also desperate to sustain her beloved father’s fashion label after his passing. She made a promise to him that is becoming increasingly difficult to keep with her step mother heading up the company. All she wants is enough money to buy the company outright, and the answer comes in the shape of an equally desperate Logan Crowne.

All Logan has known for years is work. Running himself thin has never been a problem, until his father ultimately gives him an ultimatum. His brother will run the company while Logan goes out there and lives his life. And when he finds happiness and a woman to settle down with, he’ll give him back the reins. Unfortunately Logan has no interest in love and happily ever afters like his parents’ marriage. So what’s a man to do? Pay a woman ten million dollars to marry him for a year. Ella challenges him at every turn. She’s nothing like what he needs, but he soon finds that she becomes everything he craves.

I loved the fiery chemistry between these characters. There’s just something so hot about a tightly wound man with a wicked tongue and a free spirited artist with sass and a nose ring. They’re polar opposites, but when they get together…FIREWORKS.

I gobbled this up in one sitting. I’ve become completely obsessed with this series. And the set up for the next book? I DIE!!! I need it!

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