Monthly Archives: August 2022

STALK THE DARKNESS (Guardians of Eternity 19) by Alexandra Ivy

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STALK THE DARKNESS (Guardians of Eternity 19) by Alexandra Ivy-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 2, 2022.

Becoming a vampire nearly killed Satin. After decades in hiding to reach fighting strength, she swore never to be weak again. Instead, she flings herself into the joys of life. Like “combat practice” with Marco, the owner of the wildest club outside of Chicago. Getting a workout with the sizzling Were is the ultimate no-strings-attached pleasure. Until a chaos-strewing demon leaves Satin with an impossible, infuriating diagnosis: Vampires don’t get pregnant.

Marco prides himself on being the perfect Were—strong, savage, and barely housetrained. But with Satin gone on her mysterious quest, he’s compelled to follow. This raven-haired warrior might be his mate for all eternity. But a dark presence hovers around her. If Marco and Satin can’t solve its riddle in time, there won’t be any future to worry about . . .

•••••

REVIEW: STALK THE DARKNESS is the nineteenth full-length instalment in Alexandra Ivy’s contemporary, adult GUARDIANS OF ETERNITY fantasy/paranormal romance series. This is vampire Satin, and club owner/Were Marco’s story line. STALK THE DARKNESS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from third person perspective STALK THE DARKNESS follows vampire Satin, as she is tasked by Styx, the Anasso (leader of the vampires) to search and rescue the gargoyle Levet’s missing Aunt Bertha but a fling with Marco, the Were club owner, leaves our heroine with the impossible, a pregnancy that finds Marco never leaving her side. As Satin and Marco go on the hunt for Aunt Bertha, something evil and dark is slowly surrounding and manifesting as our story line heroine, and pushing her to return to where her life as both a human and vampire began. What ensues is the hunt for Aunt Bertha, and the search for the truth about Satin’s past.

Meanwhile, our intrepid little gargoyle Levet and the powerful, imp-likeTroy find themselves ordered by Styx to locate Satin and Marco, as the couple are no longer on the Anasso’s magical, proverbial radar but Levet and Troy will ultimately land in the netherworld, between Earth and H*ll, and their search for an escape brings them up close and personal with our story line heroine.

The relationship between Marco and Satin begins as a frenemies with benefits as Marco club allows for fights and fraternizing, something at which both Marco and Satin excel. A were pregnancy is rare, a vampire pregnancy is rarer, a pregnancy between a vampire and were is virtually unreal, and in this, Marco is desperate to protect the woman he wants to claim as his mate, and the child she carries, within. The $ex scenes are limited but aggressive and intense.

The secondary and supporting characters include the Anasso Styx, and his vampire wife Darcy; the Were King Salvator, as well as vampire Chiron; Levet’s Aunt Bertha, Levet and Troy; several supernatural and paranormal creatures, and King of the Underworld Hades.

STALK THE DARKNESS is a story of desperation and acceptance; family and relationships, magic and darkness, fate and love. The fast paced premise is entertaining and exciting; the characters are powerful and energetic; the romance is limited as the couple spends most of their time on the hunt.

Previous Reviews (this a list of books we have reviewed at The Reading Cafe. We have read most if not all of the books in the series but have not posted a review !

When Darkness Comes
Embrace the Darkness
Darkness Everlasting
Darkness Revealed
Darkness Unleashed
Beyond the Darkness
Devoured by Darkness
Taken by Darkness
Darkness Eternal
Bound by Darkness
Where Darkness Lives
Fear The Darkness
Darkness Avenged
Darkness Eternal
Hunt the Darkness
A Very Levet Christmas
When Darkness Ends
Darkness Returns
Beware the Darkness
Conquer the Darkness
Sacrifice of Darkness
Shades of Darkness
Darkness Betrayed
Slayed by Darkness
Bewitch the Darkness

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Ryan’s Temptation (Arresting Onyx 2.5) by Amber Daulton-review

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Ryan’s Temptation (Arresting Onyx 2.5) by Amber Daulton-review

 

ebook only 99¢ USD Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 9, 2022.

Wrong place, wrong time. Now she’s running for her life.

Beautician Chanel Leroc can wield a pair of scissors like nobody’s business. After she witnesses a murder and lands on a serial killer’s hit list, she has to figure out how to protect herself—and fast. The killer tracks her down, but her sexy new neighbor, Dr. Ryan Naylor, drives the brute off.

The police dump the pair in a witness protection program, which doesn’t last long. Either the killer has a connection to the police, or he’s far more intelligent than they realize. All Chanel wants to do is get back to her safe life and get to know her neighbor better. Instead, she and Ryan hit the road and try to survive on their own.

How will they stay alive and keep their blooming romance intact with the killer hot on their trail?

•••••

REVIEW: Ryan’s Temptation is by another new author I’ve not read before, it’s a short story, but what it lacks in chapters it more than makes up for in drama and suspense. It’s part of the Arresting Onyx series. Which I’ve not read, but I’m adding to my TBR list. It’s not necessary to read the previous books to enjoy this one.

Chanel was only trying to help rescue a woman she thought was being attacked. Instead she’s on the run from a killer who now knows what she looks like….. She’s a great character, a beautician with a sense of right and wrong.

Ryan is a Doctor, he comes to the rescue of Chanel his neighbour when she’s attacked in her home, he scares off the assailant. I liked Ryan, he’s a strong character that isn’t afraid to help someone, his attraction to Chanel did have me chuckling, that man was smitten almost immediately.

Both making statements to the police, they think it’s only a matter of time before he’s caught. But when they are told to go into witness protection for their safety, both Ryan and Chanel agree on the conditions they go together.

Being in witness protection has Ryan and Chanel relying on one another, friendship turns into romance….But the killer is onto them, is it someone on their case feeding information to the killer? Or is he really a mastermind that has worked out where they went?

Going on the run together is their only option, they need to stay one step ahead him…..

It’s a really good book. It’s well written with a great plot and great characters. We start with an intense moment, and the story just races you along. I was drawn into their world and couldn’t put it down. I finished it in a couple of hours. I really liked the suspense and the drama, the killer is methodical and your drawn into trying to figure out if it’s an inside job or a clever killer. The chemistry between Ryan and Chanel is wild. They bicker and banter, they are passionate about their jobs and one another, and the author captures it all brilliantly.

Can Ryan and Chanel make a go of it once the killer is caught. Or will the adrenaline/passion finally wear off once they are home and living their normal lives?

I’d recommend this book if you like drama/action/suspense and a big helping of romance.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B ?

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Derange’s Destruction (RBMC:LA) by J. Lynn Lombard-review tour

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Derange’s Destruction (RBMC:LA) by J. Lynn Lombard-review tour

 

 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

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When your demons drag you down into the darkness, there’s no one to raise you into the light.
Derange
My past needs to stay in the past before anyone else gets hurt. Nightmares plague my mind. The blood I’ve spilled haunts me every moment of every day.
I want to be a better man. She deserves a better man. Her son deserves a better man to look up to. No matter how many times I’ve tried to walk away, I can’t. I keep running back to the one woman who keeps me sane and grounded, even if it destroys her.
Jezebelle:
We all have secrets. Some are so terrible they shatter the soul. Like mine. No one knows who my son Seth’s father is and I intend to keep it that way. But the closer I become to Derange and the Royal Bastards, the harder it is to hold on to my secrets. If the truth is exposed, it’ll kill me and Seth. Monsters are real and the one who lurks in the darkness won’t stay hidden for long.

Can Derange protect Jezebelle and Seth even if it means putting his life in the cross hair of a sick, evil, twisted monster lurking in the darkness?

•••••••

REVIEW:DERANGE’S DESTRUCTION is the fourth instalment in J. Lynn Lombard’s contemporary, adult RBMC: LA, California, dark, erotic, MC romance series-a part of the multi-authored RBMC series. This is Markus ‘Derange’ Bianchi, and thirty year old, Isabella ‘Jezebelle’ De Luca’s story line. DERANGES’ DESTRUCTION can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there will be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Jezebelle and Derange) using two distinct time lines, DERANGE’S DESTRUCTION follows in the wake of Derange’s apparent rejection of our story line heroine. Jezebelle and her fifteen year old son Seth have been under the protection of the RBMC LA chapter for as long as she can remember but Jezebelle is tired of being nothing more than a side piece for the man that she loves. An emotional ultimatum finds Derange professing his need for our story line heroine but a threat to the club forces Derange to take another turn at street racing where Seth and Jezebelle become the target of an unknown assailant. What ensues is the ongoing relationship between Derange and Jezebelle, and the potential fall-out as the past returns, refusing to let go of Jezebelle and her son.

Jezebelle and Derange both keep secret a past mired in death and destruction, abuse and neglect, heart break and lies but their pasts are about to collide, forcing our couple to examine who they are, and what they want.

The relationship between Jezebelle and Derange began prior to the current timeline, hooking up for the past several years but Jezebelle wants something more, and when her son recognizes his mother’s place within the club, Jezebelle is ready to walk away from the man that she loves. Derange claims to need and want our story line heroine but it is not until he recognizes the hurt does he realize Jezebelle is the woman he loves. The $ex scenes are erotic and intense.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters including several members of the RBMC:LA chapter: Blayze and Monice (Blayze’s Inferno), Capone and Danyella (Capone’s Chaos), Torch and Daisy (Torch’s Torment), as well as Sergeant at Arms Bear, and several prospects, and club girls. The requisite evil has many faces.

DERANGE’S DESTRUCTION is a fast paced, quick read story of secrets and heart break, betrayal and vengeance, desperation and destruction, obsession and love. The premise is dark and gritty; the romance is erotic; the characters are broken, and dynamic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

FOLLOW: Amazon Author Page / Goodreads / Facebook/

Wife and mother of two who are very active in soccer, basketball and football. When I’m not cheering them on (OK, yelling my heart out and embarrassing the heck out of them) from the sidelines or bleachers with my husband, you’ll find me writing, reading, running (when the weather is warm) or riding on the back of my husband’s Harley.

I was born and raised in Central New York where most of my family still reside in a small town between two mountains. I moved to Michigan back in 2001 where I met the love of my life, my husband, whom I’ve been married to since 2004. My favorite food is anything pasta, but bacon goes with everything.

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Mister Sexy Pants/The Virgin Next Door by Lauren Blakely-tour

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Mister Sexy Pants/The Virgin Next Door (The Dating Games) by Lauren Blakely-review tour

Mister Sexy Pants
The Dating Games .5
by Lauren Blakely
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

FREE Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 29, 2022

Note to self: When meeting a hot, flirty guy be sure to, ya know, get his name.

It might be helpful if you want to see the guy again.

Or, maybe try writing an anonymous s-e-x column about him and see if that gets his attention, starting it like this…

Hello, Mister Sexy Pants. Let me tell you about my fantasies.

••••••

REVIEW: MISTER SEXY PANTS is the prequel novella in Lauren Blakely’s contemporary, adult THE DATING GAMES erotic, romance series. This is children’s book editor/ $ex columnist Veronica Valentine, and Milo Dawson’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Veronica and Milo) MISTER SEXY PANTS introduces our leading couple: children’s book editor/ $ex columnist Veronica Valentine, and Milo Dawson. Celebrating her new career as a nighttime $ex columnist for virgins, Veronica Valentine enter the bakery ‘Peace of Cake’ where she will meet a man she calls Mister Dessert. Several days later, Veronica sees Mister Dessert in her neighborhood and the view from behind, renames the man Mister Sexy Pants but Veronica does’t know that her new neighbor is the man that stars in her fantasies and dreams, dreams that may be about to come true.

MISTER SEXY PANTS is a short story; a quick introduced to Veronica and Milo. The premise is fast paced and energetic; the characters are charismatic and fun.

MISTER SEXY PANTS ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy

___________

The Virgin Next Door
The Dating Games 1
by Lauren Blakely
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au / B&N / KOBO / Apple / Google/

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 12, 2022

Raise your hand if you’ve ever done this. Written a racy message and sent it to—oops—the wrong person.Yeah, me too. Except, I sent my latest Tales of a Naughty Virgin column detailing my fantasies about my hot, charming, thoroughly bangable next-door-neighbor to…MY ENTIRE COMPANY.
Did I mention I’m a children’s book editor?
Well, I was.
*Facepalm*
At least the column goes viral, but I’m still the gal who gets fired for her not-safe-for-work thoughts about the so-called “Mister Sexy Pants.”
Now I need a job stat, so I jump on the first opportunity. And I come face to face with my new boss.
Mr. Sexy Pants himself.
Item number one on my to-do list? Make sure my boss never finds out his alter ego…since all of New York knows I want Mister Sexy Pants to punch my virgin club card.

•••••••

REVIEW:THE VIRGIN NEXT DOOR is the first full-length instalment in Lauren Blakely’s contemporary, adult THE DATING GAMES erotic, romance series. This is twenty-nine year old, business owner Milo Dawson, and twenty-six year old, children’s book editor/$ex advise columnist Veronica Valentine’s story line.

NOTE: There is a FREE prequel novella available -MISTER SEXY PANTS- revealing how our couple first meet.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Milo and Veronica), with a single chapter from Veronica’s sister Hazel, and Veronica’s cat Hot Stuff, THE VIRGIN NEXT DOOR follows the building romance and relationship between twenty-nine year old, business owner Milo Dawson, and twenty-six year old, children’s book editor/$ex advise columnist Veronica Valentine. Several months earlier, to celebrate her new job as an anonymous online $ex columnist, Veronica Valentine entered the bakery ‘Peace of Cake’ where she would meet her future in the guise she called Mr. Dessert aka Mister Sexy Pants. Fast forward to present day wherein Veronica’s cat accidentally sends her $ex advise column to the people she works with at the children’s book publisher, and in the ensuing aftermath Veronica is struggling to find another job. When her best friend mentions an opening at a local florist, Veronica jumps at the chance, only to come face to face with her fantasy, in the guise of her new boss and store owner Mr. Sexy Pants aka Milo Dawson. As business increases at ‘Bikes and Blooms’ a fusion shop focusing on flowers and the two wheeled conveyances, due in part to Veronica’s daily quips and affirmations in front of the store, the relationship between Milo and Veronica turns into something more but Milo’s past refuses to let go, and a misunderstanding sends our couple in different directions. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Milo and Veronica, and the potential fall-out as Veronica’s time comes to an end at Bikes and Blooms, and Milo sends our heroine packing, breaking her heart in the process.

Veronica Valentine is a twenty-six year old virgin who has yet to meet the one man who can claim her heart. Writing an online column called The Virgin Club, Veronica would anonymously give sexual advise to virgins and women, a column where she would write about her exploits with our story line hero. Someone will inevitably recognize the starring couple, and Milo is willing to make all of Veronica’s fantasies come true. Milo Dawson struggles in the face of the implosion of his last relationship, a relationship that continues to chip away at everything he loves and owns. Battling between head and heart, Milo refuses to fall in love but the heart wants something the head is unable to fathom.

The relationship between Milo and Veronica is one of immediate attraction; a ‘meet-cute ‘ at a local bakery in which neither one catches the other’s name, giving way to a series of nicknames that will be used in the weekly column. Veronica knows Milo is the one that will steal her heart but Milo continues to reject the notion of ever again, falling in love. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate, including some spanking, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and sex.

We are introduced to Veronica’s sister and author Hazel Valentine, and her best friend Ellie: Milo’s employees Zara, James, and Veronica; Milo’s brother Bryan, new flower shop manager Felix, and Milo’s friends author Axel Huxley, and Drew. Axel and Hazel’s story can be found in MY SO –CALLED SEX LIFE (April 2023) : Drew’s story will be released in TWO A DAY (Ballers and Babes/October 2022); and Ellie’s romance in THE GOOD GUY CHALLENGE (February 2023).

THE VIRGIN NEXT DOOR is a fun and quirky meet-cute story. The premise is entertaining and delightful ; the characters are flirty, sassy and lively; the romance is tender and moving.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than eighty times, and she’s sold more than 2 million books. In October she’ll release HARD WOOD, a sexy, standalone romantic comedy. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter! laurenblakely.com/newsletter

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter ** Goodreads

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Chosen by a Sinner (Sinners 4) by Michelle Heard-review tour

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Chosen by a Sinner (Sinners 4) by Michelle Heard-review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 8, 2022

My family rules the world, and I always get everything my heart desires.
Well, almost everything.
Okay, so there’s one thing I can’t have.
Luca Cotroni.
Rude, arrogant, and demanding as hell, he’s the man I lust after and despise more than anything.

After a wild birthday party where I clearly had too many drinks, I wake up next to Luca wearing his ring.
A wedding ring.
Who accidentally gets married to the head of the Italian mafia?
Me. A bratva princess.

Our fathers insist we remain married for six months before we’re allowed to consider an annulment.
Six months.
I have to live with him. Sleep next to him. Be a wife to him.
It’s fifty-fifty whether we’ll kill each other or give in to the lust

••••••

REVIEW: Mariya Koslov is the Bravata Princess. Her father is head of the Bratva Mafia.

She lives a life of luxury and shopping. But she has been trained by her father and best friend / brother Viktor to hold her own. She can fight with the best of them. She has spent her life surrounded by Mafia doings, but the only thing she has been able to think about since her hormones kicked in is Luca Cotroni, head of the Italian Mafia. She believes Luca doesn’t want bothered with her and only acknowledges her out of respect to her father and brother.

What she doesn’t know is that Luca feels the same about her but he has been busy building an empire fitting for her, and now as Mariya approaches her 28th birthday he is finally ready. Mariya takes Luca’s lack of interest personal and gives him nothing but bitterness and backlash every time she sees him. That is until she heads to Vegas for a birthday weekend with her brother Viktor and his best friend Luca. When Viktor decides to return to his suite, Luca and Mariya stay and party Vegas style. When they wake up the next morning they are married.

They decide to return home and when their parents get wind of what has happened, they are ordered to give marriage 6 months. With both Luca and Mariya secretly in love with each other they both agree to give the marriage a try.

Luca loves Mariya but when she is taken by an opposing mafia gang, all things change. He decides he will no longer hide the fact that he is in love with Mariya. After everything that Mariya has gone through she has decided also that she will no longer hide how she truly feels for Luca.

With a long recovery ahead of her Mariya sets out to get herself back to full physical ability, while Luca is there every step of the way to help her through her recovery. Their love blossoms and the feelings they have always felt for each other surface.

A wonderful mafia romance, that can be read as a stand-alone book, but every book in this series has been amazing, I highly recommend reading the entire series. Trigger warning for some mild violence.

 

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

Taken by a Sinner
Owned by a Sinner
Stolen by a Sinner

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Erin

 

Michelle Heard is a Bestselling Romance Author who loves creating stories her readers can get lost in. She might have a slight obsession with alpha heroes who are not afraid to fight for their women.

Want to be up to date with what’s happening in my world? Sign up to receive the latest news on her alpha hero releases, sales, and great giveaways →http://eepurl.com/cUXM_P

FOLLOW: Newsletter / Amazon Author Page / Goodreads/ Bookbub/  Website/  Facebook/  Instagram/ Twitter/

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Mooky (Odin’s Fury MC 5) by Victoria Jayne-Review Tour

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Mooky (Odin’s Fury MC 5) by Victoria Jayne-Review Tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date 9, 2022

Not all love stories start with tattoos and motorcycles…

Blue’s life is right on course. Now that she’s gotten involved with the Odin’s Fury Motorcycle Club, not only has she made great friends, but she’s fallen head over heels for the club’s enforcer, Mooky. Yeah, she’s his woman, but as his apprentice, she’s also within arm’s reach of her dream job—becoming a tattoo artist.

Dream man, dream job, all on the way to her dream life.

Until everything shatters.

Mooky should’ve come clean sooner. He thought he could settle it before Blue found out. Now, it’s too late. The truth could expose the club business, or worse, it could cost him Blue.

Cutting ties with Mooky would cost her the life that she’s only just found—that she doesn’t want to lose. But staying makes Blue question the very person she is—or she thought she was.

•••••••

REVIEW:MOOKY is the fifth instalment in Victoria Jayne’s contemporary, adult ODIN’S FURY erotic, MC romance series. This is club member/tattoo artist Mooky Retz, and Dakota ‘Blue’ Frost’s story line. MOOKY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Mooky and Blue) MOOKY focuses on the relationship between club member/tattoo artist Mooky Retz, and Dakota ‘Blue’ Frost. Mooky Retz is a tattoo artist, and works at the club owned shop. As an apprentice tattoo artist Dakota ‘Blue’ Frost is up close and personal with all of the club members but more specifically she is in a relationship, and has fallen in love with Mooky Retz but all is not well in Mooky’s life, and the past is demanding everything and more. What ensues is the building but fracturing romance and relationship between Mooky and Blue, and the fall-out as Blue is forced to walk away, breaking both her heart, and Mooky’s heart in the process.

Mooky Retz knows a thing or two about secrets, and he has a couple of secrets that are about to implode. From a rookie copy with a vendetta, to a past that refuses to let go, Mooky knows it is only a matter of time before he loses everything including the woman he loves. Dakota ‘Blue’ Frost was once a club wh*re for the Odin’s Fury MC but falling in love with Mooky meant she was no longer available for anyone else but Mooky’s past has taken aim at our story line couple, and Blue refuses to be the scapegoat for someone else’s anger and loss of control.

The relationship between Mooky and Blue began as a clubgirl playing with the Odin’s Fury membership but once Mooky took a liking to our story line heroine, everyone else backed away, knowing not to come between and man and his woman. Mooky had never claimed Blue as his own, and when the past comes demanding everything, Blue reconsiders her future going forward, a future that may no longer include Mooky or the Odin’s Fury MC. The $ex scenes are erotic and intense.

The secondary and supporting characters include several members of the Odin’s Fury MC-club VP Dash, president Clark, Cajun, attorney Nate Sawyer, as well as club girl Sarah, and tattoo artists Mammoth and Stella. The requisite evil has many faces.

MOOKY is a story of secrets and lies, determination and vengeance, love and obsession, anxiety and mistrust. The premise is gritty, dramatic, heart breaking and emotional; the romance is aggressive; the characters are broken and dynamic. MOOKY ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Jacob
Sparrow
Dash
Gingersnap

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Victoria Jayne is the epitome of a Jersey Girl. She doesn’t [know how to] pump her own gas, enjoys pork roll, and grew up on the Jersey Shore.

She’s lived throughout the state of New Jersey and remains there with her sports journalist husband and two darling daughters.

When not writing, Victoria enjoys baking with her daughters, rooting for the New Jersey Devils, thinking of home improvement projects, and staying up far too late chatting on Discord.

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Wolf (Sentinel Security 1) by Anna Hackett -review tour

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Wolf (Sentinel Security 1) by Anna Hackett -review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 9, 2022

He’s her best friend’s older brother.

The hot, tough former Navy SEAL.

The man she’s had a crush on her entire life and now the man pretending to be her lover to keep her safe.

CEO Lainie Madden has her hands full. In charge of a growing tech company, her work and her employees are her life. She’s sworn off love, because the sad reality is that she stinks at choosing men who aren’t self-absorbed cheaters. But when she starts receiving disturbing death threats and her company’s website gets hit with relentless cyber-attacks, she’s in over her head.

What she never expected was her best friend’s bossy, rugged brother to steamroll in to play her fake boyfriend and very real protector.

Former SEAL and CIA agent Nick “Wolf” Garrick is second in command at Sentinel Security. He’s spent most of his life fighting and protecting others, proving he’s nothing like the ex-con who fathered him. He’s also spent years ignoring his scorching attraction to his little sister’s best friend. Lainie is sweet, fresh, smart…and off limits.

But when he finds out she’s in danger, it flips a switch inside him. Whatever the risk, whatever it takes, even pretending that they’re lovers, he’ll protect Lainie and take down the person hunting her.

The more time Lainie and Nick spend together, the more the lines blur. As danger swirls around them, their pretend relationship starts to feel very real. But Nick doesn’t do relationships and Lainie doesn’t want to get hurt again…

••••••

REVIEW:WOLF is the first instalment in Anna Hackett contemporary, adult SENTINEL SECURITY erotic, romantic suspense series-a spin off from the author’s Norcross Security series. This is former US Navy SEAL and CIA agent turned security specialist Nick ‘Wolf’ Garrick, and CEO Lainie Madden’s story line. WOLF can be read as a stand alone-you do not have to have read the previous series. Some of the characters cross over into the current time line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Nick and Lainie) WOLF follows in the face of a series of death threats against our story line heroine. Lainie Madden is the CEO of the billion dollar design company Pintura, and a recent series of cyber breaches and threats to our story line heroine find Lainie Madden facing down her teenaged crush Nick Garrick. Nick is Lainie’s best friend Nola’s older brother but a man who has struggled since his last CIA assignment went all to h*ll. Working for Sentinel Security, Nick is the perfect guardian for our story line heroine but as Lainie is his sister’s best friend Nick believes our heroine is off limits, and struggles to keep their relationship professional but whomever is behind the threats is getting closer, and Nick refuses to leave Lainie’s safety in the hands of someone else. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Nick and Lainie, and the potential fall-out as a ghost from the past set their sights on our story line heroine.

The relationship between Nick and Lainie is a best friend’s brother affair in which Lainie is open to something more but Nick battles between head and heart, not wanting to cross an invisible line. Nick has been hired, and has proclaimed himself Lainie’s protector, a proclamation that allows his friendship with Lainie to grow into something more. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Nick’s fellow Sentinel Security specialists: Nick’s boss Killian ‘Steel’ Hawke; former MI6 agent Hadley ‘Striker’ Lockwood; hacker Jet ‘Hex’ Adler; Matteo ‘Hades’ Mancini, and Bram ‘Excalibur’ O’Donovan, as well as Interpol agent Gisele Aubert. The requisite evil is familiar to our story line heroine.

WOLF is a story of perceived betrayal and revenge; obsession and power; family, friendships, relationships and love. The premise is intriguing and dramatic; the characters are animated, charismatic and dynamic-the camaraderie is fast, flirty, friendly and furious between the Sentinel Security employees; the romance is sizzling and provocative.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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I’m a USA Today bestselling romance author who’s passionate about fast-paced, emotion-filled romantic suspense and science-fiction romance. I love writing about people overcoming unbeatable odds and achieving seemingly impossible goals. I like to believe it’s possible for all of us to do the same.

My parents are to blame for my insatiable need to mix action, adventure, and romance. When I was young, I raided my mother’s romances and my father’s action adventure thrillers. I love being exhilarated and left just a little breathless. I’m a sucker for that moment when the team is walking in slow motion, shoulder-to-shoulder heading off into battle.

-I’m an Australian
-I live in Perth, Western Australia
-I am the mother of two busy little boys
-Before I became a full-time author, I worked as a mining engineer at mines all around the world
-I love action movies
-I love sci-fi movies and TV shows
-I have always been a romance reader

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Charmed by You (Stark Security 9) by J. Kenner-review tour

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Charmed by You (Stark Security 9 / 1001 Dark Nights) by J. Kenner-review  & excerpt tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 9, 2022

Former vigilante-for-hire Simon Barré has one steadfast rule: stay far away from celebrities. Too bad Simon’s first assignment at Stark Security is to protect A-list actress Francesca Muratti. He can’t even turn down the assignment, as that would be violating his second rule—never fail a woman. Now he finds himself up-close-and-personal with a high-maintenance diva whose flash and sass drives him crazy—but whose touch he undeniably craves.

The world might believe that Francesca Muratti leads a fairy tale life, but the truth is far darker. For years, she’s kept a horrible secret about her best friend’s death. Now someone is threatening to kill Francesca if she doesn’t reveal all. She needs protection, but there’s no way she’s going to tell the sexy Stark Security agent what she did or why she’s being threatened. Which means that in order to survive and protect her secrets, Francesca must pull off the biggest acting job of her career: she’s going to have to let Simon close, but not let him see her true heart.

•••••

REVIEW:CHARMED BY YOU is the ninth instalment in J. Kenner’s contemporary, adult STARK SECURITY erotic, romance series, a part of the author’s STARK series, and the multi-authored 1001 Dark Nights. This is former vigilante for hire/security specialist Simon Barre, and actress Francesca Muratti’s story line. CHARMED BY YOU can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from first person perspective (Francesca Muratti) and third person (Simon Barre) CHARMED BY YOU follows in the wake of a letter threatening our story line heroine but Francesca immediately regrets calling in the help of Stark Security when security specialist Simon Barre pushes all of her buttons. From the outset, Simon and Francesca butt heads about Francesca’s security, security she believes is over the top and unnecessary. Francesca’s safety is paramount but all Simon sees is a spoiled Hollywood star who wants everything her way, possibly placing herself in the direct line of fire but Francesca keeps secret a past mired in darkness and loss, and the past has returned hoping to keep our heroine quiet. What ensues is the building relationship between Francesca and Simon, and the potential fall-out as Francesca must face down a past she can never forget.

The relationship between Francesca and Simon begins acrimoniously. Simon enters into the assignment with preconceived notions about our story line heroine, and many are not too far off the mark. Francesca wants her freedom, possibly at the cost of her own life, and refuses to give in to the pressure from mysterious threats, and the people hired to protect her life. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate and intense without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters include the return of Damien Stark and his head of security Ryan Hunter, as well as several members of Francesca’s entourage.

CHARMED BY YOU is a fast paced, quick read, novella length story of secrets, betrayal, vengeance and desire. The premise is captivating; the romance is seductive; the characters are energetic, determined and charismatic

 

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Shadows of You (1.5)
Shattered with You
Broken with You
Ruined With You
Wrecked with You
Destroyed with You
Memories of You (5.5)
Ravaged with You
Hidden With You

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

He didn’t want to like her.
He really, really, really didn’t want to like her.
She was a self-involved, conceited, money-hungry star who lived in a fantasy world and didn’t know a damn thing about real people or real problems. Just like every other actor in this fucked-up town.
He knew it. Was certain of it. He was familiar with the type, after all. Hadn’t they destroyed his childhood? Ripped away his fiancée?
Oh, yeah. He knew better than to like or trust this breed, and Francesca Muratti was no exception. She was just one more spoiled actress who’d caught the eye of a nut job with a grudge against spoiled actresses.
And yet…
He bit back a grimace, hating that he had to acknowledge those two little words. And yet…
And yet this spoiled, insufferable star was willing to put her life on the line to keep her fans happy.
This self-involved woman who made a living play-acting actually understood that the only reason she could enjoy the privilege of the life she had built was because she’d been lifted onto her pedestal by those fans. More than that, she not only understood it, but she was willing to risk literally everything to offer her thanks to those fans the only way she knew how—by being there for them.
He didn’t have to like her. Hell, he didn’t like her.
But he damn well respected her.
“All right,” he said, hopping down from the buffet and moving to stand opposite her across the table. “We’ve settled that you’re going to the con.” He glanced around the room, making sure no one intended to keep up the argument. When all remained silent, he nodded. “Good. That means we’re to the final point on today’s agenda.” He met Francesca’s eyes. “Who sent the note? And what does he want you to reveal?”
He kept his attention locked on her, so there was no missing either the way her eyes widened just a hair or the slash of fury that cut across her undeniably beautiful face.
“Do I need to write you a song?” she snapped. “Do a tap dance? Or maybe you want me to tattoo the answer on my forehead. Some asshat wants me to say some magic words or else he’s going to kill me, and I. Do. Not. Know. What. They. Are.”
A tear snaked down her cheek, and she swiped it away, the gesture both angry and impatient.
“I can’t tell what I don’t know.” She spoke directly to him, and he took the challenge, moving closer until he was breathing her air and could smell the lilac in her perfume.
“That’s kind of my point, sweetheart,” he said, studying her expression. Every tiny tick, every movement of her eyes. “I think you do.”
“Excuse me?” She glared at him. The kind of look designed to melt a lesser man.
Too bad for her, he wasn’t a lesser man. “You heard me,” he repeated.
Sparks flew from her eyes. Not literally, but he could damn sure imagine them. He said nothing. Just looked back at her mildly, keeping his own temper in check. He was an expert at not showing his feelings, and that was a skill that would come in handy with Francesca Muratti. Probably more than his dead-on aim with a pistol.
With a huff, she turned to face Ryan, then Damien. “Assign another agent, or I’m firing the lot of you.”
“And here I thought you liked me. What with convincing them to let you go to the con.”
She whirled on him. “You insufferable prick. Don’t you dare—”
“Frannie. Calm down.” Damien’s voice was low. Reasonable. And Simon was absolutely positive that was the wrong approach to take.
“Are you fucking kidding me, Stark? The man just called me a liar to my face. I have no idea—zero theories—as to what’s going on, and he’s accusing me of…well, fuck him. Fuck all of you. Dammit.”
She blinked, her lips pressed tight together as she spun away, giving all of them her back. And for a moment—a very, very fleeting moment—Simon had the urge to put his hands on her shoulders and tell her that it would all work out.
“Frannie,” Damien said softly, “we’re going to get to the bottom of this.”
Her shoulders shook, and as much as she grated on him, he also knew that she was truly afraid. And because he was a damned idiot, his heart softened a little. At least until she spoke again.
“I don’t want him here.” The words were low. Barely audible. “He’s an arrogant prick, and I don’t want him in my home. For that matter,” she added, turning to look at Damien and Ryan in turn, “I don’t want anyone here. I got some stupid note, and I freaked, okay? But I shouldn’t have, because there’s nothing for me to tell. Nothing. Which means it’s a prank. A joke. I’m safe. So go. All of you.” She shifted, eyeing everyone in the room. “Go on,” she snapped, her voice rising. “Get out of my house.”
Nobody moved.

J. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal mommy lit.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them.” A five time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy). Her Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series (as Julie Kenner) is currently in development with AwesomenessTV/Awestruck.

Her books have sold over three million copies and are published in over twenty languages.

In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas. She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.

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