Review: Hostage by Skye Warren & Annika Martin

HOSTAGE
Series:
Criminals & Captives #2
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Authors: Skye Warren & Annika Martin
Release Date: 
January 30th, 2018

I never knew when he’d come to me. Only that he would.

I’d never even kissed a boy the night I met Stone. The night I saw him kill. The night he spared my life. That was only the beginning.

He turns up in my car again and again, dangerous and full of raw power. “Drive,” he tells me, and I have no choice. He’s a criminal with burning green eyes, invading my life and my dreams.

The police say he’s dangerously obsessed with me, but I’m the one who can’t stop thinking about him. Maybe it’s wrong to let him touch me. Maybe it’s wrong to touch him back. Maybe these twisted dates need to stop. Except he feels like the only real thing in my world of designer labels and mansions.

So I drive us under threat, until it’s hard to remember I don’t want to be there.

Until it’s too late to turn back.

HOSTAGE is a dangerous standalone romance by New York Times bestselling authors Skye Warren and Annika Martin. It’s set in the same world as PRISONER, but can read separately!

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

Read Prisoner for FREE! Limited Time Only

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

It’s him or me. It’s stand here and let a man die, or do something—for once in my life, do something that’s not wearing a dress and smiling and getting it all wrong.

So I run out there. I watch myself do it, like a movie almost. “Stop it,” I yell.

The attacker just keeps on, a dark storm, all fists and fury. My presence means nothing to him. My words don’t touch him. It’s as if I’m yelling at thunder.

My heart beats out of my chest. I’ve risked everything, come out in the open, but it’s not enough. I stamp my foot to get his attention, crushing gravel beneath my mother’s Louboutins.

“The cops are coming,” I say.

The man stills and looks up. It’s a shock when it happens, even though I’ve been trying to get him to see me. His eyes seem to blaze into my chest, hot and bright.

Breathless, I back away.

He stands, leaving the man in a groaning, whimpering heap.

I retreat slowly, showing him my phone, as though that might protect me. “Cops are coming,” I say again. A lie. I couldn’t punch in the code.

He’s coming at me, expression unreadable. He’s a few years older than I am—late twenties, maybe.

My back hits something hard. The van.

He keeps coming. I try to spin and run, but he grabs my arm and slams me back into the van. “Where do you think you’re going, little girl?”

I stare up at him, panting.

His warm breath is a feather on my nose; the heat in his eyes invades me. He grabs my hair and tilts my head back, forcing me to stare into his face, as if he’s trying to read my eyes.

A moment later, he looks up at the night sky. He seems almost wolfish, and I’m conscious, suddenly, of my bare neck so close to his snarling mouth. I wonder if he’s staring at the moon. It’s like he’s going to howl or something.

Then I get it. He’s listening for sirens.

“You’re a little fucking liar.”

My bones turned to stone over a decade ago. My blood to dark sludge. I’m like the abandoned hotel we stand on top of. Some of the pieces are still here, but most of me is gone. I only have one purpose now, and that’s making sure all the guys get their revenge.

It’s been a few years since I read Prisoner, but I distinctly remember three things about that book.
1. I beyond loved it. Like 5+ star loved it
2. It had one of the most intense H/h first meetings ever
3. I became instantly intrigued by the gang’s leader, Stone.

So when I saw this book was coming out? I didn’t even bother to read beyond the fact that it’s Stone’s book before jumping at the chance to read it.

She’s this pure thing in my control, and I’m bloody and horny, and I want to devour her.

These two authors are a powerhouse together, and I can only hope that we’ll be getting more in this addicting series. Hostage was everything I had hoped it would be, and so much more. It was intense, emotional, brimming with dark undercurrents, and a romance that’s both sizzling hot and full of feels.

I’ll be honest, I was a tad bit concerned since the heroine was only 16 years old at the beginning. Not only because of the age difference, but I was afraid she’d be too naive and sheltered for my tastes. I shouldn’t have been concerned on either front, because the authors pulled it off flawlessly. One, the book spans over a few years, and two, the heroine was the furthest thing from naive. She was young, yes, but she knew exactly what she wanted and what she was getting into with Stone.

Stone was a character that my heart just bled for. He’s this eerie combination of deadly and determined with a hidden vulnerability that you couldn’t help but feel for.

No girlfriends, no families, no children, no white picket fences. We’re too far gone for that, too ruined, too twisted. We’re brothers to the end—out for vengeance.

If you haven’t read book 1 in this series, I highly recommend it. It will truly give you a more complex understanding of the boys and what they’ve been through. However, this book also gives you plenty of background so you never feel lost.

Stone has lived and breathed revenge for years. His life has become nothing but blood and memories in his never ending search to find those responsible for what he and his ‘brothers’ suffered and making them pay. One by one, he’s getting closer to finding the main players. But when an innocent girl stumbles into his warpath, the last thing he expects is for the connection that blooms between them.

He’s the man no boy can measure up to. He’s the moon lighting the vast, dark night of my life.

What first starts as a hostage situation ultimately grows into something more. But instead of dissipating over time, it grows into something much stronger and a lot more than either one of them were prepared for but can’t fight.

Take it all, I think. Whatever you want. All this time I was worried about ruining her. I never imagined she’d be the one ruining me.

I couldn’t get enough of these characters. Their connection was incredible and full of chemistry, but with plenty of suspense and twists to have readers glued to the pages. Definitely a strong follow up to the incendiary Prisoner, and I only hope with more to come!

Skye Warren:

Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of dangerous romance such as the Endgame trilogy. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, sweet dogs, and evil cat.

Connect with Skye:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skyewarren
Twitter: https://twitter.com/skye_warren
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SkyeWarrenBooks
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/skyewarren/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/skyewarrenbooks
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2CnW33B
Website: http://www.skyewarren.com
Newsletter: www.skyewarren.com/newsletter

Annika Martin:

Annika Martin loves fun, dirty stories, hot heroes, and wild, dramatic everything. She enjoys hanging out in Minneapolis coffee shops with her writer husband, and also likes birdwatching at her bird feeder alongside her two stunningly photogenic cats, especially when she should be writing. She’s heavy into running, music, saving the planet, taking long baths, and consuming chocolate suckers. She’s worked a surprisingly large number of waitressing jobs, and has also worked in a plastics factory and the advertising trenches; her garden is total bee-friendly madness and her most unfavorite word is nosh or possibly fob. A NYT bestselling author, she has also written as RITA award-winning author Carolyn Crane.

Connect with Annika:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnikaMartinBooks
Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AnnikaMartinFabulousGang/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Annika_Martin
Stay up to date with Annika by joining her mailing list: http://www.annikamartinbooks.com/newletter/
Website: http://www.annikamartinbooks.com

Jennifer’s Review & Excerpt: The Queen by @skye_warren

THE QUEEN
Series: The Masterpiece Duet #2
Genre: Contemporary, Dark Romance
Author: Skye Warren
Release Date: September 19, 2017

THE FINAL BOOK IN THE MASTERPIECE DUET

I have one chance at a new life. A college education. A future outside of Tanglewood’s dark walls. For a breathless moment it seems like I might actually escape.

Then I get a phone call from home.

Damon Scott is my own personal dragon, the fight I’ve always lost, the secret hope of my heart. And he needs my help right now. Only my mind can solve the puzzle of his long-lost sister. Only my presence can keep him sane as the city fights against him.

Only my heart can unlock a man with such a tragic past.

This is my final gamble, with everything at stake. One last game to win a future for both of us.

And a love strong enough to break the city apart.

THE QUEEN is the final novel in the bestselling Masterpiece duet, about a game of lies and loyalty, of betrayal and power, and ascension to the city’s throne.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO

“I’m looking for my dad. He works for you.”That earns me a small smile, his lids low. “He does more than work for me. Does he tell you about his day when he calls me? About threatening people for money? About following through?”

Acid burns my throat, because Daddy never mentions that. And I’m not naïve enough to think it hasn’t happened. When I’m in at one of the best colleges in the country, while I live in that dreamworld of numbers and Greek symbols, he’s doing dirty work for a dangerous criminal king.

“So where is he now?”

An indolent shrug of one shoulder. “I haven’t seen him. Though I did hear through the grapevine that he started gambling again.” He makes a tsk sound. “That’s never a good thing. Once debts start to pile up, how can I trust him to be loyal? I can’t.”

My blood runs cold. “Did you do something to him?”

“Let’s be clear, sweetheart. Whatever happened to him, he did it to himself.” The cold silver of his eyes tells me Damon’s conscious would not ache for even one second over my father’s death.

“You asshole,” I hiss, unable to hide my anger any longer.

A man steps forward, someone I’ve never seen before. He’s wearing a suit that’s been undone in most of the ways it can be, rumpled and pushed aside. I barely have time to register his aggression, his instinctive response to my insult. How does a man obtain that kind of blind loyalty?

The man reaches for me, his fingers brushing my wrist.

That’s how close he gets before everything shatters. Damon moves so fast he’s a blur. When he stills, he has the man pressed against the wall, arm twisted at a strange angle.

“No one touches her.” Damon’s voice is quiet but it carries through the crowded hall.

A rustle moves through the crowd, half awareness, half movement. The way they look at me has changes, the hostility faded away, replaced by something else. Maybe deference. Or fear.

I’m under Damon Scott’s protection now.


Penny.

…the limp in my step. The ache in my hands. The weakness in my body.

She is the only one who can take it. Damon is Penny’s hell on earth. He tortures her to no end. It’s more than just a push and pull. Damon unleashes the worst of the worst on Penny, to the point that no one would blame Penny for walking away forever. He lashes her with his words, hurting her over and over again. Why does she stay? It’s more than love. She doesn’t just love him. This story has an EPIC feel. These two are meant to be together. One of my favorite couples.
Damon. Lost. Not sane. He has gone through one of the worst childhoods in the history of ever, being abused physically and mentally in every way. I love that we learn all about Damon in this book. Why he is the way he is. He owns the city, and yet he owns nothing. He uses Penny with no remorse. Of all the men in the world, he really isn’t worthy of her, and that’s not an exaggeration.

The GROVEL!! Oh, the grovel. I didn’t understand why Skye named this book The Queen until the end of this book, and now I get it. That’s all I can say without spoiling. Zipping my lips.

Skye should win an award for her writing of the asshole. Not many authors can pull off a perfect asshole, and she does it flawlessly. Of course, once an asshole, always an asshole, and Skye stays true to that statement. Gabriel or Damon. Damon or Gabriel. I can’t choose!!! They are equally assholely, but the reasons for their actions are soooo different that it’s so hard to compare them. I can’t love one more or less than the other, so I will place them on the same level on my ultimate book boyfriend list.

Assholes aside (*giggles because I’m so mature), Skye is one of my favorite writers ever. I think I say this in every single one of my reviews, but I love her words. Her words evoke more than just feels. They evoke FEELS. Her words make me breathe and stop breathing at the same time.

I love this book so much that I would give my left tit (because that’s the one I don’t like) for an extended epilogue of Damon and Penny. Maybe 5 years later??? Pretty, please, Skye….with a Damon on top?

 

Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of dangerous romance such as the Endgame trilogy. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, sweet dogs, and evil cat.

 

Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Pinterest | Instagram | Website

Stay up to date with Skye Warren by signing up for her newsletter:

http://www.skyewarren.com/newsletter/

 

 

 

 

 

Jenn’s Review: (Glamour) BEDTIME STORY by Skye Warren

GLAMOUR
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Authors: Anthology
Release Date: July 18, 2017

Once upon a time…

Remember the fairy tales your parents read to you when you were little?

These are NOT those fairy tales.

From modern day royalty to metaphorical dragons, contemporary castles to sexy heroes, these bestselling authors twist tales as old as time into something new.

GLAMOUR contains eight exclusive never-before-seen novellas that each have an HEA… because they all lived happily ever after.

Includes the following retellings…

KNOT by Lili St. Germain
A Rapunzel story

RED HOT PURSUIT by A.L. Jackson
A Little Red Riding Hood story

RIPPLES by Aleatha Romig
A Prince and the Pauper story

IN A STRANGER’S BED by Sophie Jordan
A Goldilocks story

BEDTIME STORY by Skye Warren
A Sleeping Beauty story

ROYAL MATTRESS by Nicola Rendell
A Princess and the Pea story

MUSIC BOX GIRL by Sierra Simone
A Twelve Dancing Princesses story

BROKEN HARP by Nora Flite
A Jack and the Beanstalk story

AMAZON | iBOOKS

 

Review of Bedtime Story by Skye Warren

Lost. Utterly and irrevocably lost in Skye’s words. Every. Damn. Time. It doesn’t matter how short the book is, or how long the book is, or if it never ends. It’s inevitable.

Jessica. We meet Jessica in The King. She is a single mom who has had shit handed to her, but she is just trying to make the most of it. She was sold as a young girl to the mafia and we can only guess what she went through. This short story begins when she is pulled over at the side of the road and she meets the sheriff. Jessica has the ability to look on the bright side despite what she has been through, but she still has trust issues.
à la Mode St. » fashion

This was the part where I should leave. Where I should tell this man, who’s clearly good down to his bones, that I’m bad news. Where I ignore everything but survival, because that’s the only way I’ve survived this long. Instead he asks me to stay, and I do. 

à la Mode St. » fashionFinn. He was a surprise to me. I loved how he had a good side with a bad past. He was no stranger to the mafia life but because of an incident in his life, he decided to take the road less traveled and became the sheriff of a small town. He is determined to stay on the straight and narrow, but he cannot resist the temptation that is Jessica. I loved how he immediately wanted to take care of Jessica and her son because he is the type of guy that just wants to do the right thing. These two were just perfect for each other.
à la Mode St. » fashion

She makes me crazy, and once upon a time I sought that out, wanting to feel wild and on edge. Not for a long time, though. These past years had been about isolation. About driving down dark country roads alone. And all along, I was looking for her.
Without even knowing it, looking for her.

à la Mode St. » fashionWhat I loved the most about this short story is how much Skye made me love these characters so quickly. I loved the chemistry between these two, but it wasn’t insta-love. These two lonely souls find each other and have an instant connection (without the cheese). Of course, the short wasn’t long enough for me (duh!).

Jenn + Lana’s Review: The King by @skye_warren

THE KING
Series: The Masterpiece Duet #1
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Skye Warren
Release Date: June 27, 2017

The highest stakes…

My father gambles every night, falling deeper and deeper into debt. When he hits the bottom, he places a new bet: his daughter.

I’m his entry bet to the biggest underground poker game.

Every kind of danger circles the velvet-covered table, but only one man makes me tremble.

A trailer park princess.

The son of a criminal king.

We don’t belong together, but I’m caught in a twisted game.

His eyes meet mine with dark promise.

And when he puts down his cards, I know I’m going to lose more than my body. I’m going to lose everything.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO



LANA’S REVIEW

Damon Scott traded himself for me. He’s the only reason I’m safe. And I’m the reason he’s not.

Well…holy hell. I mean, damn, people. When Skye Warren first intrigued me with Damon and Penny back in The Castle, never in a million years did I imagine the depths of hell that these two truly go through. I don’t know how I’ll survive the wait until book two, because this book completely ruined me. It’s dark and gritty with barely any ray of hope to it. It builds the foundation to one incredibly powerful backstory and I couldn’t tear myself away until I read the entire book in one sitting.

Frustration flits beneath his calm surface. Even a hint of vulnerability. How many people can see it? I know that not everyone sees the kind side of him. He has weapons and suits and a million kinds of armor, all designed to shield his humanity.

Growing up in poverty to an drug addict mother and a gambling addict father, Penny barely had a chance for a normal life. Her genius mind and her gift for numbers her only hope to escape the meager life and hope for something more, until she catches the eye of one of the most dangerous men, a man that will eventually cost her everything.

The King takes you back years before the events in The Endgame trilogy; when Damon was just a young boy and Penny a seven year old girl. That fateful meeting sets in motion a chain of events that will forever change the course of Penny’s life.

Damon is the son to one of the most ruthless and evil underground criminals. A desperate attempt to escape his fate doesn’t go the way he hoped. To save a young girl from a fate worth than death, he makes the ultimate sacrifice. Now years later, when his father may be the King, he’s now the Prince of the underground crime. Dealing in drugs and women, his name is almost as feared as his father. When fate brings Penny crashing into his life again, nothing will ever be the same again.

There’s this heat coming off him, like he’s a fire and I’m thawing out. I know it’s not safe, being this close. He could burn me. But there’s also a small part of me that feels alive, only when he’s here. Only when he’s on top of me, his warm breath on my forehead.

Don’t expect much light with this book. It’s dark. Penny’s life is not an easy one and her ultimate fate is beyond devastating. The time transitions are smooth and flawless, eventually bringing us to parallel the time line in The Endgame. While you knew from the events in The Castle, that Penny suffered something horrendous, nothing prepares you for the true reality of it.

Admittedly, it was a tough pill to swallow, Penny being only 15 years old (eventually 16) in the present part of the book and Damon being 25. The age difference should be cringeworthy, and yet, it’s not. It’s hard to explain, and not wanting to give away parts of the book, I won’t even attempt. But if you’re worried about the age gap, don’t be. Penny lived a hard life and her 15 would be a sheltered girl’s 25. Skye Warren truly knows how to develop incredibly multi-layered characters full of depth. The King gives us only a hint, a small taste of the story between Damon and Penny. It gives us the backstory that I’ve been desperately craving, but now it leaves me even more desperate for the conclusion.

While this is a spin-off from The Endgame and could technically be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading The Endgame first to truly appreciate everything that is Damon. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to rock myself in a corner somewhere until September.


JENNIFER’S REVIEW


I couldn’t gush enough about Skye Warren. If you know me at all, you know I am a HUGE fan. This series is one of my favorites of hers, after the Stripped and Endgame series. Lol. Ok. I love all her books. Leave me alone!! Her writing is able to capture beauty in the darkness. And there is A LOT of darkness in her books. Just gimme all the darkness.

à la Mode St. » fashion

We have something in common now. We’re both monsters. Not the kind you can see on the outside. He wears a secret smile on his handsome face. Bruises faded back to pale skin on my naked body. It’s only inside that something can never be repaired. Only inside that I never really leave the water. Inside that I learn to need the dark.

à la Mode St. » fashionThere was a turning point in this book that I loved. I could literally FEEL the words turning to a dark place. There is a pivotal before and after to Penny’s story, and to be completely honest, I prefer the AFTER. Skye’s writing just hits me harder when it’s darker and gritty and honest.

Penny. She is young and very smart, like genius with numbers, rain man style. Penny’s father has a gambling addiction, and Penny gets caught in the crossfire of her father’s addiction, and it doesn’t end well. Her body and mind are dragged through the fire, and let me tell you, I am glad that Skye didn’t give us all the details on this because I don’t think I could have handled it. Penny is ruined in this book, and Damon is on the other side to throw his soul off a cliff for her.

Damon. He is a tortured soul….literally. His father tortured his body and his mind when he was young. I am aching for more of him. I really appreciate that Skye included The Prince as part of the prequel to this story because it gives us more little morsels into what makes Damon tick. But I really do need MORE of Damon!!

Damon & Gabriel. Gabriel & Damon. Just put me in the middle of that delicious sandwich, please. I loved the snippets of Gabriel in this book (BECAUSE HE’S MINE!!).
à la Mode St. » fashion

Gabriel Miller is as bold as thunder, rumbling, unmistakable. Damon Scott is lightning, so bright he’ll blind you. They’re both forces of nature but only one will kill you just to touch him. Only one will burn you in a flash.

à la Mode St. » fashionMost of this book is a re-telling of the Endgame series, but from Penny’s pov. It definitely helped to fill in the blanks with Damon and Penny and how they get to where they are at the end of the Endgame series.

Yes, this ends in a cliffy. Do I care?

Not.

One.

Bit.

Skye could write cliffhangers all day long, and I wouldn’t stop reading them. It’s her words that matter and her words that I love.


PRE-ORDER THE QUEEN TODAY!

RELEASING SEPTEMBER 19
AMAZON | iBOOKS

Jenn’s Review: The Prince by Skye Warren

THE PRINCE
Series: Masterpiece Duet (Prologue)
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Skye Warren
Release Date: June 14, 2017

Penny doesn’t dream about a prince coming to save her from the trailer park.

She knows better than that.

And the boy she finds hiding in the woods out back is too wild and dangerous to trust.

But he may be her only chance at survival.

From New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren comes an emotional new spin-off series.

THE PRINCE is a 13,000-word prologue to the new Masterpiece duet.

I was ridiculously excited to get inside this book and eat my way threw it. Because, let’s face it, Skye Warren is my every indulgence. The book was very short, but even in a short prequel, Skye still makes me FEEL EVERYTHING with her words.

I long for the impossible.

à la Mode St. » fashion

Damon Scott traded himself for me. He’s the only reason I’m safe. And I’m the reason he’s not.

à la Mode St. » fashionYou’re probably like, “Wtf with the mermaid gif?” WELL, you should read the book to find out wtf :).

Damon. His black-lake eyes. When I first met Damon Scott, in the The Pawn, my brain and my body were begging for a Damon Scott book. He is just so evil and perfect. Damon is the not a good man, raised by his father, who is evil incarnate. But I was drawn to Damon right away, even though it wasn’t even his book. And Skye writes THE BEST anti-heroes.

Penny. I loved learning more about Penny in this book. We didn’t know much about her from The Castle, so I was glad to learn about her past and who she is. And I love her already! She is a “baby genius” in all things numbers, helping her father gamble and cheat. And I love a GIRL GENIUS! She meets Damon when they are young, but there is another story, Damon’s story, that we still don’t know. This prequel is written from Penny’s pov. And I am dying for Damon’s pov and to dive inside his evil brain!
à la Mode St. » fashion

I want to know when we resigned ourselves to this. When we noticed the iron bars around our lives and decided not to rail against them.

à la Mode St. » fashion
The ending of this prequel was perfect, and I am so excited to start The King and learn more about Damon, Penny, and Damon & Penny!

Blog Tour & Jenn + Lana’s Review: The Castle by @skye_warren

THE CASTLE
Series: Endgame #3
Genre: Dark Romance, Contemporary
Author: Skye Warren
Release Date: April 4, 2017

THE CASTLE by SKYE WARREN IS NOW LIVE!
The trilogy is now complete! #OneClick now!

THE FINAL BOOK IN THE TRILOGY!

Safe in the ivory tower…

Gabriel Miller swears he’ll keep me safe. Enemies lurk outside, waiting to strike. An army held back by these walls.

Except some animal instinct warns me the danger is much closer. It’s already here. Is Gabriel my protector or my enemy? Is this house a castle or a cage?

There’s nowhere for me to go, no one left for me to trust.

No escape from a past determined to capture its prize.

 

 

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO

LANA’S REVIEW

So bright. So beautiful. I used to wonder if it would burn to touch you.”
“Now you know. It doesn’t.”
“Oh, little virgin. You definitely make me burn. And I’m addicted to being ash.”

Alright, confession time.
True story. And usually the mere thought of a trilogy is enough to make me break out in hives. Why? Because I’ll usually find book two to be more filler, and I’m pretty much bored and uninterested by book three. So you may be asking yourself, why on earth did this crazy heifer read a trilogy then? And to that, my doubting friend, I only have one answer for you. Skye Warren wrote it. It doesn’t matter what this woman writes. She can write the damn alphabet and I’ll read it.

If I can describe this trilogy for you in one word, it’ll be intense. And not only does it start that way in book one, but it only gets more and more intense as the story progresses.

He fucks me like I’m the enemy, like he can vanquish me.”

Not only was I still riveted to every single word of this book and story, but I was fully invested and addicted. It doesn’t get more intense than Gabriel. It just doesn’t. And the man only gets better and better with each look into the depths of his dark soul.

A sense of inevitability overcomes me, the same as watching the moon rise in the sky. There’s no way that we can change the tides. All we can do is cling to the mast, the way I’m clinging to Gabriel now. He’s my ship, my center. My only hope for surviving the night.”

Skye Warren is a literary genius. The way she weaves her words is downright magical. Greek mythology, chess analogies, and dark intensity all wrapped around a romance that’s as erotic as it is forbidden. An innocent virgin falling for her captor and protector. A man who has seen too much darkness in his life to be anything less than a monster, allowing some of her light to seep through his heart’s cracks. All of it blended flawlessly through a captivating story of betrayal and vengeance that goes to show that monsters are real and can break even the strongest of spirits.

I’m not made of marble or anything hardy like that. I’m built from crystal flutes and rare silk. From the brushstrokes of my mother’s portrait. I’m a shadow of a human being, only a cautionary tale whispered from mother to daughter. A collection of dangerous words. I’m a myth. And as long as I don’t speak, I can bury myself.”

The Castle was the perfect conclusion to a series that captivated me from the very first. The Endgame trilogy was a story that kept me glued to the pages. The intensity built with each new book. With each secret that gets revealed. With each depravity that comes to light. It was addicting. It was heart pounding. It was completely unputdownable.

Oh, little virgin. I love you with every cold bone in my body. I love you with every dark thought, every violent impulse. I love you enough to leave the walls I’ve carefully built, the iron bars I refined, the castle I made.”

I forever worship at the altar that is Skye Warren and kept wait for more. So if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to rock myself in a corner somewhere, drinking my feelings, until The King comes out. Because DAMON!!!!


JENNIFER’S REVIEW

5 – Do you even have to ask how many stars I’m giving this??? – Stars

A Love Letter to Skye Warren…..Maybe more like a Crazy Fan-Girl Letter….Same thing.

Ok, this should be a book review for The Castle. But let’s be honest. Everyone KNOWS The Castle was brilliant, and if you don’t, then you should obviously read it (After The Pawn & The Knight). But what I really want to do is write a love letter to Skye Warren. Because I’m in luuuurve with her. Ok, not really….Well, maybe a little.
GABRIEL. Can I have him? Seriously, I want you to write a Gabriel story EVERY…..DAY and send me the story. No one else. Just me. Especially not Lana. BECAUSE HE’S MINE!! That’s why I want you in my basement. So no one else can have Gabriel. It’s a completely reasonable request.
Dear, Skye. I’m just over here with your favorite thing to lure you into my house so I can lock you up in my basement. (Jk. I’m not a crazy person…..not really.) Seriously. I want to meet you. And brunch with you. And just…..talk. Because you are brilliant. I love your words on pages. I love your STORIES. Ugh, your stories. I love those people in your head that talk to you and make you put them on paper. Ugh, all your characters. I am completely intimidated by you. This whole series and all of your books leave my jaw on the ground.

Ugh. This letter is getting cray. I should probably go before people think I’m cray.

Actual Review for The Castle:

Seriously.


Start the series today with THE PAWN!

TOTALLY FREE!

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO

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

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

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

Grab THE KNIGHT now!

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO 

Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance such as the Chicago Underground series. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, two sweet dogs, and one evil cat.

Contact Skye:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skyewarren
Twitter: https://twitter.com/skye_warren
Instagram: https://instagram.com/skyewarrenbooks
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SkyeWarrenBooks
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sk

New Release & Review: The Knight by Skye Warren

THE KNIGHT
Series: Endgame #2
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Skye Warren
Release Date: January 31, 2017

The power of pleasure…

Gabriel Miller took everything from me. My family. My innocence. My home. The only thing I have left is the determination to get back what’s mine.
He thinks he’s beaten me. He thinks he’s won. What he doesn’t realize is that every pawn has the chance to become a queen.

And the game has only just begun.

 

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


AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO

My voice is low. “What do you want?”
“Everything.” “I’ve already given you that.”
“Not even close.” He stalks around me, circling like a predator. “I want you bent over and broken. I want you bleeding at my feet, little virgin.”

*shivers*
What IS it about this man that just gives me tingles each and every time he opens his mouth? The intensity of him is almost unbearable, yet like a moth to a flame, he draws you in…

The story continues immediate where The Pawn left off. If you haven’t read that yet, this is a continuation and not meant to be read as a standalone. I’ll try to keep it as spoiler free as possible but some mild spoilers from The Pawn may slip in. So if you haven’t read that yet, be warned, you may want to stop reading this review.

And you’re the object of my depravity, the target of every dark wish, the canvas I want to paint. I won’t be satisfied until I’ve marked every inch of you, inside and out.”

*shivers*

Gabriel may have let Avery go after their night together, but his hold on her is far from broken. Penniless and all on her own, Avery is trying to make ends meet while taking care of her ailing father. This is a woman that doesn’t just lie down and take it, she’s a fighter, and I seriously loved that about her. Her desire for a man that she should hate is confusing but undeniable. Gabriel wants her for the 30 days they agreed to, and he’s not about to let her out of the arrangement so easy.

I always want him. In my dreams, in the dark. A secret desire I’m afraid to admit to myself.

Gabriel continues to be an enigma for a good portion of the book. The man is utterly unforgettable. I read book 1 weeks before and I couldn’t stop thinking about him. There’s just something about his presence that’s so completely captivating, he owns the pages.

I want you in every way and place and time. I want you so fucking bad I wish I could stop, because it goddamn hurts.”

We finally do get to see the vulnerable part of the impenetrable man that was hinted at in book one, and I can’t wait to see the final chess pieces fall. There’s a mystery that weaves around the romance that’s just as fascinating as Gabriel. The Knight is packed full of twists and turns I never saw coming and it’s a book that kept me riveted to the pages from beginning to end.

I love a dark romance that doesn’t turn to shock value and gratuitous violence to keep the readers glued to the pages, and Skye Warren truly blew it out of the park with this series. I just finished it and I already can’t wait for more. I’m hoping book 3 will bring us the conclusion to this story, because well, let’s be real, it’s a surprise my ADD has lasted this long. Trilogies are usually not my thing, but I’m gobbling this one up and eagerly anticipating the conclusion.

His features are severe, a sentinel by the door, keeping watch over me. My knight in dark armor.


Start the series today!

thepawn-1600x2400

BUY NOW: on sale for just $.99!!!
❧ Amazon: http://amzn.to/2fF2vn6
❧ iBooks: http://apple.co/2ef7pt5
❧ Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2dlJzNZ
❧ Kobo: http://bit.ly/2edcF1s

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

The price of survival…

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

A forbidden auction…

Gabriel appears at every turn. He seems to take pleasure in watching me fall. Other times he’s the only kindness in a brutal underworld.
Except he’s playing a deeper game than I know. Every move brings us together, every secret rips us apart. And when the final piece is played, only one of us can be left standing.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
THE PAWN is a full-length contemporary novel from New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren about revenge and seduction in the game of love. It’s the first book in the brand new ENDGAME series.

Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance such as the Chicago Underground series. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, two sweet dogs, and one evil cat.

Contact Skye:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | Pinterest | Website

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

pawn_releaseblitzbannerTHE PAWN
Series: The Endgame #1
Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance
Author: Skye Warren
Release Date: December 6, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

thepawn-1600x2400

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

The price of survival…

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

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

My virginity.

A forbidden auction…

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

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

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

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

Buy Links Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

thepawn-teaser-v2Review-DGR5 starsthe-pawn-dgr-teaser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


THE KNIGHT is now available for preorder!

theknight

The power of pleasure…

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

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

And the game has only just begun.

* * * * * *

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

PRE-ORDER TODAY!


About the Author13680481_812207255582123_3040574096772318693_o

Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance such as the Chicago Underground series. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, two sweet dogs, and one evil cat.

Contact Skye:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | Pinterest | Website

Jennifer’s Review: To The Ends of The Earth by Skye Warren

review-to-the-ends-of-the-earthTitle: To the Ends of the Earth (A Stripped Series Novella)
Series: Stripped
Author: Skye Warren
Genre: Dark Romance
Release Date: November 15, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

totheendsoftheearth-1600x2400

Another rundown apartment. Another job that pays cash. Every new city it becomes harder to hide but I can’t stop running.

There are two men after me. One wants to save my soul. The other wants to claim my body.

Part of me wants Luca to catch me, even knowing what he’s capable of. An enforcer. A fighter. The only language he speaks is violence.

How far will he go to find me?

What will he do once he does?

A wild glance over my shoulder. The shadows are moving. I’m about to find out.

Start the Stripped Series Today: http://www.skyewarren.com/books/

Buy LinksAMAZON

 

Review-DGR4 starsI really enjoyed Luca and Beth’s story. This was a great ending to one of my favorite series by Skye Warren!!!
à la Mode St. » fashion

A man like this isn’t anyone’s prince.

à la Mode St. » fashionWe first met Luca & Beth in Pretty When You Cry, where Luca is a bodyguard/enforcer and saves Beth from the cult. This book picks up at their beginning. I loved getting to know Beth’s story from her point of view. Beth comes from…..hell on earth. I cannot even imagine growing up in a cult. I can’t. If I even begin to think about it, I get this crazy rage inside me because it just makes me so angry. Which is why I really liked this story because Beth breaks free from that life of horror. Even though Luca saves her, she is the one who saves herself. After finding out that she is pregnant, she fights for herself and her daughter. I loved that Skye gave her a while to be on her own without Luca. I think her character truly needed that, even though it was hard. But once Luca finds her……DAYUM! Beth is still running from the cult, so Luca has to fight to protect her. He doesn’t let go. He doesn’t her leave or fight on her own any more. And he literally fights for her.
à la Mode St. » fashionFighting’s in my blood. This is what I was born to do. And you’re the best reason I’ve ever had to do it.

à la Mode St. » fashionThis story is short, but well-developed. I thought there was nothing left unsaid or undid (Lol). I also loved that it was hot, but because of Beth’s past, Luca didn’t push her even though he could have (sorry for being vague. I’m trying not to spoil anything).

You don’t have to read the other books before this one, but if you don’t, you will definitely want to read them after because all of these characters are just so good!

Review: ✩Prisoner✩ by @Annika_Martin & @skye_warren

He seethes with raw power the first time I see him—pure menace and rippling muscles in shackles. He’s dangerous. He’s wild. He’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.So I hide behind my prim glasses and my book like I always do, because I have secrets too. Then he shows up in the prison writing class I have to teach, and he blows me away with his honesty. He tells me secrets in his stories, and it’s getting harder to hide mine. I shiver when he gets too close, with only the cuffs and the bars and the guards holding him back. At night I can’t stop thinking about him in his cell.

But that’s the thing about an animal in a cage—you never know when he’ll bite. He might use you to escape. He might even pull you into a forest and hold a hand over your mouth so you can’t call for the cops. He might make you come so hard, you can’t think.

And you might crave him more than your next breath.


Some people have a relationship that’s sunshine and roses. Our is darkness and vengeance.

If you’ve read the blurb, then you probably picked up on the fact that it pretty much tells you nothing. As far as descriptions go, it’s very vague…AND THAT’S IMPORTANT. I’d advise you to read as little reviews about this book if not any before diving in. Trust me, you’ll enjoy it that much more. What are some things I can tell you about it?

1. Prepare to read it in one sitting.
I’m not even kidding. This story sucked me in from the very first page and I was utterly incapable of setting it down until the last one.

2. I wouldn’t classify it as dark, per say. Sure it has a darker undercurrent, it’s definitely on the grittier end, and there are scenes that are violent and even some that border on non-consent. BUT, all that being said, I didn’t find it that dark. I’ve read darker. That doesn’t make it any less good.


See, here’s something for you to ponder. You’re smart, so you need to be thinking what you are to me right now. Do you know what you are to me, Ms. Winslow?”

Abigail hides behind her books and her glasses. She’s not meek, but she’s not exactly “noticeable”. Her childhood hasn’t exactly been sunshine and butterflies, and she’s not looking to go back. When she accepts an assignment from the English Department where she studies to teach a class in prison, she questions her ability. But nothing shakes her more than her very first meeting with him.

Grayson.
Sweet baby jebus, their first meeting was one of the most intense ones I’ve read in a while. I knew right then that this was going to be good, and I was not disappointed in the least. Holy shit.


Pain is a funny thing. We fight so hard to avoid it, almost more than death. But it’s the only thing that binds us. Going through pain together, and coming out on the other side, is the only form of friendship I’ve ever known.

He was such a tortured character, but he also had a very endearing vulnerability to him as well. Maybe that’s also why I wasn’t as bothered by the couple’s almost instantaneous connection. It somehow fit the both of them. Don’t get me wrong, Grayson was not a soft man. Fuck no. He was intense with an undercurrent of brutality, and yet there was always something about him that no matter what fucked up thing he does, you can’t help but love him.

This isn’t a fucking fairy tale. I’m not going to turn into a good guy because her cunt is made of velvet and rainbows.

Abigail was a force to be reckoned with herself. I loved that she wasn’t the meek little kitten that she comes off as in the very beginning. She certainly had a fierceness to her, though she does make some stupid decisions along the way. I never quite understood why she was the way she was though. Sure we get her childhood history and that puts some pieces together, just not all.

I want to hurt her and I want to protect her. Break her and shield her.

Grayson was my favorite part of the story. As intimidating and fucked up as he is, he’s also fiercely protective. This is not a man that enjoys sweet and easy in bed. This is a man that fucks and fucks hard. And this girl is NOT complaining.

I absolutely loved the dynamic between the side characters that are introduced. The subject matter is not a light one of how they all came together and I can already tell we’re in for some amazing books in this series. I’m especially intrigued by Stone. I love me a good asshole and that was one giant, violent, walking asshole. But oh man do I get the feeling his book is going to be fantastic. I can’t wait to read about the woman that will bring him to his knees. The bigger they are…

But that is all you will be getting from me. Only thing I can tell you here is READ THIS BOOK. Do it. It’s a gritty, suspenseful, erotic, and completely unputdownable romance that you will never want to end. It’s not entirely dark and yet it’s definitely not rainbows and unicorns. What it is, is addictingly good. So good in fact, that you’ll be dying for the next book as soon as you finish. But you won’t get any pity from me, since I’m in that fucking boat right now LOL 😉

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

%d bloggers like this: