Monthly Archives: January 2024

Reign (Rock God 2) by Cassandra Robbins-review tour

Link

12

Reign (Rock God 2) by Cassandra Robbins-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 January 4, 2024

A scorching, enemies to lovers, deliciously addictive stand-alone about rock ‘n’ roll royalty and burning obsessions.

They call him a legend.
One of the greatest guitarists of our time.
The mighty Ace of Spades brought in to produce my album and save the day.

Not only is he covered in tattoos. He’s gorgeous, talented, and infuriatingly arrogant, even demanding I trust him.
Trust him?
I. Hate. Him.

I’m a former child star turned rock princess, caught up in all kinds of bad press and scandal. I need to stay focused on my music, and career. Not get distracted by his filthy mouth and piercing eyes.

If only our chemistry wasn’t off the charts, or the fact that I can barely breathe when he’s near.
Time is ticking. Sooner than later, the chaos and mayhem of our lives will take over.
Everything becomes messy.
And tricky.

Rockstars don’t get happily ever afters…or do we?

••••••

REVIEW:REIGN is the second instalment in Cassandra Robbins’ contemporary, adult ROCK GOD erotic, rock romance series. This is music producer and musician Marshall ‘Ammo’ Adams, and musician/singer Courtney Falcon’s story line. REIGN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. REIGN and the ROCK GOD series is a spin off from , and set in the author’s THE DISCIPLES MC and BLURRED LINES worlds.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Ammo and Courtney) REIGN follows in the wake of the Courtney’s discovery of her boyfriend, and bandmate’s affair, and their impending parenthood. Opting to go solo, Courtney finds herself facing music producer Marshall ‘Ammo’ Adams, a man whose reputation in the music business is number one but with woman, a man wh*re of notoriety. From the outset, Ammo and Courtney struggle to be civil. Ammo is about to take control not only of Courtney’s music, but her personal life as well. What ensues is the tempestuous but building relationship between Ammo and Courtney, and the potential fall-out when a stalker takes aim at our story line couple.

Courtney Falcon’s stalker is about to be released from prison but the threats to her life and career have increased exponentially. As Ammo and the Disciples begin a deep search into the person responsible, questions of trust arise with the people in Courtney’s life.

The relationship between Courtney and Ammo begins acrimoniously. Ammo believes Courtney is nothing more than a spoiled pop princess, and Courtney sees Ammo as nothing more than a man who uses women . When Ammo takes control of Courtney’s music career, he sees beyond the former child star, into a woman with more talent than he could have ever imagined. The $ex scenes are provocative, erotic, and intense using graphic language and talk.

There is a large ensemble case of colorful, questionable and energetic secondary and supporting characters from all three aforementioned interconnected series. We are introduced to Courtney’s PA Gia, her PR person Rachel, and her manager Malcolm.

REIGN is a story of betrayal and vengeance, obsession and madness, power and control, misunderstand and mistrust, forgiveness and love. The premise is dramatic, impassioned and intriguing; the romance is tantalizing; the characters are determined and dynamic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Cassandra Robbins is a USA Today, Amazon Top 100, KDP All-star and International bestselling author. She threatened to write a romance novel for years. Robbins finally let the voices take over with her debut novel, The Entitled. She’s a self-proclaimed hopeless romantic driven to create obsessive, angst-filled characters who have to fight for their happily ever after. Cassandra resides in Los Angeles with her hot husband, two beautiful children, and a fluffy Samoyed, Stanley. Her family and friends are her lifeline but writing is her passion.

FOLLOW: Website / Facebook / Facebook Group / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest / Goodreads / Bookbub / Newsletter SignUp /

Share

Dragon Kiss (Dragon Kings) by Donna Grant-review & excerpt tour

Posted on by
12

Dragon Kiss (Dragon Kings) by Donna Grant-review & excerpt 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 January 11, 2024

Alasdair and Lotti return to face the biggest foe the Dragon Kings have met yet—and the stakes have never been higher.

Lotti has come a long way since finding love with Alasdair and uncovering her true origins as a Star Person. She has embraced the magic she once shunned—as well as the label of Destroyer by her own. And it has made her powerful. But will it be enough to stand against her family as they target the Dragon Kings?

Alasdair has faced many adversaries who rose up against the Dragon Kings. But nothing could prepare him for the Star People and the discovery that they once enslaved his kind. It’s more than his life on the line this time. It’s the very existence of all dragons. It will take Alasdair and Lotti, together, to defeat their enemy.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

•••••••

REVIEW:DRAGON KISS is the seventh instalment in Donna Grant’s adult, DRAGON KINGS paranormal, fantasy romance series -a spin off from the author’s Dark Kings, which in turn is a spin off from several other fantasy series by the same author. This is Amethyst King Alasdair, and Lotti’s continuing storyline, and it pics up after the events of DRAGON ARISEN. DRAGON KISS should not be read as a stand alone but for back story I recommend reading the series in order as there is an ongoing premise including the search for a missing King, and the history as to how the dragons came to live in Zora.

SOME BACKGROUND: For tens of thousands of years the Dragons have lived and ruled on Earth but a war between the dragons and humans forced the Dragon Kings to send the other dragons through a portal into an unknown world. Fast forward to present day, the portal has been revealed, and the Dragon Kings have been reunited in Zora, with their family and kin, but a new war is on the horizon between the Dragons, the Divine and the people of Stonemore.

Told from third person perspective DRAGON KISS picks up immediately after the events of DRAGON ARISEN where in Alasdair and Lotti, along with Varek and his mate Jeyra continue their two-fold search the massirine stone, and the hunt for Dragon King Merrill but at every turn someone or something intends to take them down. A new enemy, a powerful invisible force, a beast of unknown origins, a ghost from the past, and the means to destroy the Dragon Kings finds our foursome struggling with their journey, and surviving.

The world building continues to focus on another powerful enemy of the Dragon Kings, one who is determined to take control by destroying everyone in their path. Similarly to many of the interconnected series, the DRAGON KINGS are missing one of their own, held captive by someone intent on ruling them all.

DRAGON KISS is a story of power and control, obsession and madness, family and friendships, determination and love. The premise is captivating and covers but a few hours in time; the characters are desperate and powerful.

 

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

Prequel-Ignite the Magic
Dragon Revealed
Dragon Mine
Dragon Unbound
Dragon Eternal
Dragon Lover
Frost Dragon

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

Lotti would happily stay in Alasdair’s arms for eternity if she could. He had come into her life and shown her he was as solid and unmovable as the mountains. He shouldered her burdens without a second thought. All those decades she had wandered alone, forever watching others but never being a part of anything, had taken a toll. The loneliness itself had left scars, cutting deeper than any blade could.
Alasdair had changed all of that. He’d gained her trust, and with that, she’d learned not to fear her magic but to embrace it, accept it. It had been so simple. Her life could’ve been different had she done it years earlier. But the past was the past. There was no use looking over her shoulder and questioning her choices. It was time to be in the present.
And that meant finding a way out of the cave.
She closed her eyes as Alasdair’s fingers drifted lazily along her spine as she lay curled against his side. They could pretend the outside world, with all its dangers and threats, couldn’t reach them in the cave. It was a distraction they’d both needed, but it was time to get back to reality.
“I ken,” Alasdair murmured.
Lotti grinned at his deep voice and accent so different from anything she had ever heard on Zora. He had promised to take her to see his home in Scotland one day, and she couldn’t wait. “Reading my mind again?” she teased.
He kissed the top of her head. “I doona think that’s a gift I’d ever wish to have. I heard you sigh and know your thoughts are running along the same vein as mine.”
“We need to get back to Iron Hall.”
“Aye.”
She inhaled deeply and released it as she rose onto her elbow to look at him. “What does it say about me that I don’t want to leave this place?”
His gaze was tender as he gently smoothed her hair away from her face. “It doesna say anything, love. I doona wish to leave either.”
“Do you think there will ever come a time when we’re not fighting someone trying to harm the Kings or dragons?”
“Or those with magic,” he added. Alasdair shrugged and looked at the ceiling. “I’d love to say there will be, but the truth is that I doona know. We had times of peace on Earth, but nothing lasts forever.”
She leaned forward to kiss him, her lips lingering. Then she looked down at him again. “Then there’s only one thing for us to do.”
“And what’s that?”
“Fight when we must. And when we have peace, embrace every moment we’re given.”
Alasdair’s lips curved. “Doona forget the occasions we snatch for ourselves.”
“Never,” she said with a smile.
It would be so easy to kiss him again and give in to the desire once more, but they had taken as much time as they could. Lotti got to her feet and grabbed her clothes. She could have redressed in an instant, just as she’d removed everything earlier, but she wanted the time to consider their options.
She tucked the shirt into her body-skimming pants and fastened the leather vest that fit snuggly against her torso. Lotti sat on a boulder to put on her boots that reached her knees. Alasdair was already dressed in his all-black attire. He leaned a shoulder against the wall with his arms crossed, his gaze on her.
“How do you make everything so bloody sexy?” he asked.
Her stomach fluttered at the heat she saw in his eyes. She stood and grinned. “Just lucky, I guess.”

 

Donna Grant is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the sizzling Dark King series featuring dragons, immortal Highlanders, and the Fae.

She was born and raised in Texas but loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her throughout the United States as well as to Jamaica, Mexico, and Scotland. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna’s Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding.

Despite deadlines and voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two children, four cats, and one long haired Chihuahua.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | NEWSLETTER SIGNUP / TUMBLR / PINTEREST / GOODREADS

Share

Recipe for a Charmed Life by Rachel Linden – Review & Giveaway

Posted on by
21

Recipe for a Charmed Life by Rachel Linden – Review & Giveaway

 

 

Amazon / B&N / Google Play / Apple / BAM / Bookbub

 

Description:
After a day of unrivaled disappointments, a promising young chef finds every bite of food suddenly tastes bitter. To save her career, she travels to the Pacific Northwest to reconnect with her estranged mom, and discovers a family legacy she never suspected.

American chef Georgia May Jackson has one goal—to run her own restaurant in Paris. After a grueling decade working in Parisian kitchens, she is on the cusp of success. But in one disastrous night, Georgia loses her sous-chef position, her French boyfriend, and her sense of taste! Renowned for her refined palate and daring use of bold flavors to create remarkable dishes, Georgia is devastated to discover her culinary gift has simply…vanished.

When she receives a surprising invitation from her estranged mother, Georgia flees to a small island near Seattle hoping the visit will help her regain her spark in the kitchen. There she tentatively reconnects with her mom, a free-spirited hippie eager to make up for her past mistakes. But there’s something about the enigmatic island Georgia just can’t piece together. Good luck charms keep appearing in the oddest places. Her neighbor is a puzzlingly antagonist (and annoyingly handsome) oyster farmer. And her mom keeps hinting at a mysterious family legacy.

With the clock ticking and time running out to win her dream job in Paris, Georgia begins to unravel some astonishing secrets that make her wonder if the true recipe for a charmed life might look—and taste—very different than she ever imagined.

 

 

Review:

Recipe for a Charmed Life by Rachel Linden is a wonderful delightful stand alone novel. We meet Georgia May Jackson, our heroine, who has worked a decade at many Paris restaurants, and is now a successful sous-chef; she is determined to own a restaurant of her own. Georgia is very happy in Paris, also dating her boss (head chef) for three years, and one night everything falls apart. She discovers her boyfriend cheating on her at work, and loses her control, getting herself fired, not to mention losing her culinary gift tastings.  Unsure of what to do, Georgia gets a shocking invitation from her estranged mother (whom she has not seen in almost 30 years), to visit her at San Juan Island near Seattle. She still carries memories of her mother’s abandonment at a very young age, with her living with her father and aunt in Texas.  Georgia makes the decision to take the journey back to America, to reconnect with her mother, and learn more about the long- buried family secrets. A break from her bad press in Paris is just what she needs, and to find her spark in her culinary tastebuds again; this journey could hopefully help in her healing process.

Georgia reconnects with her mother (Star), learning a bit about why she left her and never returned; as we get closer to the last third of the book, all secrets will be revealed. Georgia discovers how wonderful the enigmatic island was, giving her healing vibes, as well as finding good luck charms.    Georgia also learns about all the family women having magical gifts, with each being different, as hers was the ability to taste food in a special way.

Georgia also meets Cole, who is a neighbor of Star, as well as a confident friend. At first Georgia finds Cole being antagonistic, and not friendly, but in a short time, sparks will begin to fly between them.  Georgia learns more about Cole, as he was sort of in hiding in San Juan, and she pushes him to get back to his previous success.  I really liked both of them together, hoping they would find a way be together.

I really loved Georgia and Star becoming close, and her learning that Star is sick, with early stages of dementia.  When her father arrives, all the family secrets were unearthed.  With revelations about Star’s drug habit early, and her father and aunt forcing her to leave. Georgia was beside herself after learning all the secrets, and that all of them never told her the truth; being angry, she returns to Paris, even blaming Cole for not telling her the truth. 

What follows is Georgia returning to Paris to compete in a chance to become the head chef (with two other competitors), especially now with her tastebuds having returned.  Will she want to stay in Paris with a successful new restaurant?  Will she return to San Juan Island to stay and help with her mother? Will Cole find a way to win over Georgia?

Recipe for a Charmed Life is a wonderful, delightful story of family, secrets, love and forgiveness. Recipe for a Charmed Life was so very well written by Rachel Linden.  I wholly suggest you read this enchanting book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Berkley Romance is offering a paper copy of RECIPE FOR A CHARMED LIFE  to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE:  If you are having difficulty commenting after logging-in, please refresh the page at the top of your computer.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE and Follow Rachel Linden on Facebook

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Giveaway open to USA only.

8. Giveaway runs from January 10th to 13th, 2024

 

 

 

Share

Dirty Secret Love by Claudia Burgoa-review tour

Posted on by
12

Dirty Secret Love (Heartwood Lake Secret Billionaires 2) by Claudia Burgoa-review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play / Apple /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 8, 2024

What do you do when you’re tired of being the loser?
You make up the perfect fiancé, of course.

I know it sounds desperate, but hear me out.
In my family, everyone is someone.
But me? I’m just a small-town librarian with no prospects and no future.
At every family reunion, my older sister reminds me of that fact.
So when she announced her own upcoming nuptials, I knew I had to act fast. I needed a fake fiancé to bring to the wedding and prove that I was happy and successful too.

Enter River Kershaw, the town playboy.
My bestie Wren suggested him, and I was hesitant at first.
He’s the complete opposite of me: a charming extrovert.
But I can’t deny that he’s tall, strong, and hot.
I know it’s a risk, but I’m determined to show my family that I’m just as happy and in love as they are. Even if that means pretending to be with someone who’s totally not my type.

I’m ready to give the performance of a lifetime.

••••••

REVIEW:Dirty Secret Love is the second installment in the Heartwood Lake Billionaires series. These books can be read as standalone, but why not read the series. DSL is a fake love/fiancé genre that brings all the best parts of storytelling.

Sutton is truly the black sheep of her family, no matter what she does she is never enough for them and their judgmental ways. The fact that she strives to live her own life away from them and their money makes them judge her all the more. So what does she do? She makes up the perfect fiancé. A perfect man right out of her own imagination. Now that they are coming back to Heartwood what is she going to do? She’s going to find a man to play her fiancé, that’s what. And maybe she knows just who to ask…

River is a Heartwood native, as is his family. When tragedy strikes his family, he returns to his hometown to be with his extended family, not that he cares for them all that much. He is eager to return to his life in Washington DC. Heartwood was never a place he thought he would return to, but family has a way of dragging you where you don’t always want to go. When Sutton makes her plea to him to act as her fake fiancé in front of her family, he turns her down quick as spit. That is until her mother finds her way into Suttons workplace AKA the library and treats her absolutely horrible in full view of everyone. Then he agrees to help her.

These two may not want a real relationship, but there is no denying the chemistry and heat that is between them. River and Sutton slowly start building a foundation of trust that neither are able to believe will become more complicated. As always though, in any good story, it does. The more time they spend together, the more they learn, the more they want from one another, feelings emerge and by the end you are dying for more and more.

This was a great read to start off the new year! I’m very excited to see what this lovely author has coming for us next.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sarah

 

FOLLOW: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook / Amazon Author / Instagram

Claudia is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author. 

She writes alluring, thrilling stories about complicated women and the men who take their breaths away. Her books are the perfect blend of steamy and heartfelt, filled with emotional characters and explosive chemistry. Her writing takes readers to new heights, providing a variety of tears, laughs, and shocking moments that leave fans on the edge of their seats.

She lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, her youngest two children, and three fluffy dogs.

When Claudia is not writing, you can find her reading, knitting, or just hanging out with her family. At nights, she likes to binge watch shows or movies with her equally geeky husband.

Share

The Night Island by Jayne Ann Krentz – Review & Giveaway

Posted on by
21

The Night Island by Jayne Ann Krentz – Review & Giveaway

 

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Google Play / Apple / BAM / Bookbub

 

Description:
Talia March, Pallas Llewellyn, and Amelia Rivers, bonded by a night they all have no memory of, are dedicated to uncovering the mystery of what really happened to them months ago—an experience that brought out innate psychic abilities in each of them. The women suspect they were test subjects years earlier, and that there are more people like them—all they have to do is find the list. When Talia follows up on a lead from Phoebe, a fan of the trio’s podcast, she discovers that the informant has vanished.
 
Talia isn’t the only one looking for Phoebe, however. Luke Rand, a hunted and haunted man who is chasing the same list that Talia is after, also shows up at the meeting place. It’s clear he has his own agenda, and they are instantly suspicious of each other. But when a killer begins to stalk them, they realize they have to join forces to find Phoebe and the list.
 
The rocky investigation leads Talia and Luke to a rustic, remote retreat on Night Island in the Pacific Northwest. The retreat promises to rejuvenate guests with the Unplugged Experience. Upon their arrival, Talia and Luke discover guests are quite literally cut off from the outside world because none of their high-tech devices work on the island. It soon becomes clear that Phoebe is not the first person to disappear into the strange gardens that surround the Unplugged Experience retreat. And then the first mysterious death occurs…

 

 

Review:

The Night Island by Jayne Ann Krentz is the second book in her trilogy, The Lost Night Files. Refresher: The story revolves around three woman who share a lost evening, which neither of them remember what happened to them; with the three of them waking up in the same hotel that was on fire. The three ladies, Talia March, Pallas Llewellyn, and Amelia Rivers acknowledge that each of them now have enhanced psychic abilities and they team up creating the Lost Night Files podcast, hoping to gather information.  

In Night Island, the story focuses on Talia March, who follows on a lead regarding a list from a podcast fan. When she arrives at the person’s house, another man is also looking for Phoebe, and together they sense that she has been kidnapped. Talia is not sure if she can trust this person, who is also looking for the list.

Luke Rand, our hero, has also lost of night of his own, as well as having a different kind of enhanced abilities, not to mention he has recurring nightmares. At the start they do not trust each, but they agree to team up, as they had the same goals (find the list & Phoebe).  They end up on Night Island, a remote retreat, pretending to be a couple, but communications on the island are shut down.  They discover the retreat was creepy, with strong psychic energy surrounding the island.  In a short time, both Talia and Luke begin to trust each other, with them both revealing more of their enhanced abilities (Talia can sense and find dead bodies, and Luke has abilities to become a psychic assassin, allowing him to be able to kill using his newfound talent).

The relationship between Talia and Luke grows, as they each find themselves attracted to each other, with the chemistry between them sizzling. Talia tries to convince Luke that he would never be an assassin, and during his nightmares, his dreams will reveal more revelations of the truths.  I really loved Talia and Luke together.  

What follows is an exciting and compelling storyline, that had me unable to put the book down.  Talia and Luke discover more mysteries and secrets, especially in the weird and strange gardens.    As they find Phoebe, the danger escalates, as the three of them are stuck on the island due to storms.  Someone is trying to kill Luke, and he will use his unique abilities to try and save them.  

The Night Island was very well written by Jayne Ann Krentz, with wonderful characters, nonstop action, in a fantastic paranormal mystery.  To tell too much more would be spoilers, and I do not want to ruin the story for you.  I look forward to the last book in this trilogy, with Amelia having her own storyline. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Jayne Ann’s Publisher, Berkley is offering a hardcover copy of THE NIGHT ISLAND  to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Follow Jayne Ann Krentz on Facebook.

4. Please LIKE us on FACEBOOK and click GET NOTIFICATIONS

5. Please FOLLOW us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Giveaway is open to USA only

8. Giveaway runs from January 09-12, 2024

 

 

Share

THE MISTAKE (Volkov Bratva 3) by Sam Crescent -review

Posted on by
9

THE MISTAKE (Volkov Bratva 3) by Sam Crescent-review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 9, 2023

I was the mistake.
A piece of trash.
No one wanted me.
All of my life I’d been told this. I meant nothing. I was nothing.

The Volkov Bratva made a mistake. They kidnapped me and it should have been my sister. My father wanted me dead. I expected Ivan Volkov to kill me. Instead, they killed my father, and now I’m to marry Ive Yahantov, a brigadier. I’m to be his wife. The man hates me. He doesn’t want me.

I don’t know what changes, but I go from being ignored, to being with Ive all the time. We share everything. The life I thought was only ever going to be that of a dream, becomes my reality. I’m falling for the man I thought I would hate. But nothing is ever certain. Ivan Volkov faked his death, and the repercussions of that is far and wide. My husband has enemies, and those enemies, they’ve come to collect.

I knew I was going to die young, but I had no idea life could be so cruel. I knew peace. I knew love. I knew happiness, and now, it was all going to be taken away.

••••••

REVIEW: THE MISTAKE is the third instalment in Sam Crescent’s contemporary, adult VOLKOV BRATVA dark, erotic, Bratva romance series. This is forty year old Volkov Bratva Brigadier Ive Yahantov, and eighteen year old Charlotte’s story line. THE MISTAKE should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up after the events of book two-A SENSE OF DUTY.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise there WILL BE triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Ive and Charlotte) covering approximately three years, THE MISTAKE follows in the aftermath of the abduction and imprisonment of our story line heroine. Charlotte was the abused and neglected daughter of former president of the Evil Savages MC, and in an attempt to take down the man in charge, Charlotte was kidnapped by the Volkov Bratva, and held prisoner by the man with whom she would fall in love. An unwanted marriage but the promise of protection meant Charlotte was once again a prisoner but a prisoner in a gilded cage. As the weeks and months went by, Charlotte would struggle with her husband’s absences in the face of ongoing rejection and deep seated humiliation but Ive’s position as second in command meant taking down the people taking aim at his world, a world that now included our story line heroine. What ensues is the building relationship and love between Charlotte and Ive, and the potential fall-out as an impending war for power and control will target the woman with whom Ive’s has fallen in love.

The world building follows several paths including the previous abuse and humiliation of our story line heroine. Charlotte is broken; unwanted and destroyed; a shell of a human being and in this Charlotte struggles to accept anything good. With issues of trust, having been beaten and abused, Charlotte believes it is only a matter of time before her life, such as it is, comes to an end. As Ive must ferret out and take down the people targeting the Bratva, his wife often feels abandoned and unwelcome.

The relationship between Ive and Charlotte begins as an abduction, imprisonment and a forced marriage to tentatively unite the Bratva and the Evil Savages MC. Charlotte believes she was never the intended target or bride to be but Ive will have to prove to his bride, that she is the woman he wants for his happily ever after. The $ex scenes are intimate and provocative.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, powerful and questionable secondary and supporting characters including Volkov Pakhan Ivan Volkov, Andrei and Adelaide (A Sense of Duty 2), Aurora and Slavik Ivanov (Second Best 1), Charlotte’s security Hubert, as well as MC MC President Rage, and Charlotte’s sister Cassie- both of whom are questionable as to their lack of support and protection for our story line heroine. The requisite evil has many faces.

THE MISTAKE is a heart breaking and emotional story of power and control, abuse and neglect, betrayal and vengeance, acceptance and love. The premise is dark, dramatic and intense; the age-gap romance is passionate; the characters are broken, desperate and determined. The epilogue fast forwards approximately two years

Heed my trigger warnings.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book tow A SENSE OF DUTY

Copy supplied for by Booksirens

Reviewed by Sandy

Share

DEARLY BETRAYED (Costa Crime Family 4) by BB Hamel-review

Posted on by
11

DEARLY BETRAYED (Costa Crime Family 4) by BB Hamel-review

ebook only 99¢ usd 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 January 9, 2024

I want to ruin my fake husband.
Right up until I sleep in his bed for the first time.
I have to marry the man that killed my father. He’s Jayson Costa, mafia prince, obscenely wealthy, emotionally distant, and sinfully attractive.
I don’t care how good that control freak looks in a suit: Jayson’s everything I despise.

But this marriage is the only way we can put a stop to the war that’s destroying our families.

Only my feelings get complicated when he surprises me with an incredible, heat-filled kiss at the altar. Mr. Emotionally-Stunted has a passionate side, and I’m the girl that unleashes his beast.
We have chemistry like I’ve never felt before. An attraction that rips me into shreds and makes me hate my own physical needs. His fingertips make my skin blush, and I can’t stop this reckless, constant need to be close to him.

•••••

REVIEW: DEARLY BETRAYED is the fourth instalment in BB Hamel’s contemporary, adult COSTA CRIME FAMILY dark, erotic, romance series. This is thirty five-year old Jayson Costa, and twenty-six year old Irish clan princess Fallon Grady’s story line. DEARLY BETRAYED can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Jayson and Fallon) DEARLY BETRAYED follows in the aftermath of the murder of Fallon’s father. The Costa crime family took action against the Grady Clan when an attack resulted in several murders. Vowing vengeance, the Costa’s killed the Grady patriarch, and to end the war, Rian Grady promised his sister Fallon as a peace offering. Enter Mafia prince Jayson Costa, and the man with whom Fallon will fall in love but neither one is willing to accept their new fate in life, and Fallon has plans to destroy them all. What ensues is the building relationship between Fallon and Jayson, and the potential fall-out as Fallon’s betrayal is discovered, and our heroine is targeted by someone from the past.

The world building looks at the ongoing rivalry and war between the Mafia and the Irish Clan. The Grady family resides in Ireland but Fallon is about to be shipped to America where she is forced to marry a man she does not love. Blaming Jayson, and the Costa family for the murder of her father, Fallon digs deep to uncover the truth, and in doing so, places herself in the direct line of fire.

The relationship between Fallon and Jayson begins acrimoniously. Jayson wants nothing to do with marrying a member of the Grady Irish mob, and Fallon is unable to forgive Jayson Costa for killing her father. A virtual prisoner in a gilded cage, Fallon will quickly discover that she is no longer safe even thousands of miles away from home. The $ex scenes are intimate and provocative.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, familiar and energetic secondary and supporting characters including most of the previous story line couples. We are introduced to Fallon’s brother Rian, the new head of the Grady Clan, as well as the return of the Costa matriarch Nessa. Fallon is taken under the wing of the Don-Adler Costa’s wife Casey.

DEARLY BETRAYED is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, murder and repercussions, family and relationships, forgiveness, acceptance and love. The premise is dramatic and intense; the romance is seductive but struggles with issues of trust and hatred; the characters are desperate, determined, dynamic and charismatic.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Twisted Wedding
Wedding Disaster
Hateful Promise

Copy supplied by Booksprout

Reviewed by Sandy

 

Share

Through Any Window by Deb Richardson-Moore-review

Posted on by
13

Through Any Window by Deb Richardson-Moore-review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 16, 2024

After being questioned in a murder investigation, Riley Masterson has spent eighteen months under suspicion by the sheriff’s office. Anxious to escape accusing eyes, she finally decides to leave Alabama and move to South Carolina.

But Greenbrier isn’t the stabilizing influence she hopes for, as her neighborhood is slowly being gentrified, with homeless people living in the shadows of mansions. As Riley struggles to forge a new life, forces are gathering in the tension-plagued neighborhood as glitzy new homes rise beside crumbling mill houses, and everyone is able and willing to peer into a neighbor’s window.

When a ghastly crime occurs, an unexpected victim is caught in the crossfire. Detectives are left to ponder: Are the deaths personal or the result of rich and poor living in such proximity? Will Riley take the blame, as someone seems to have so meticulously planned?

•••••

REVIEW: THROUGH ANY WINDOW by Deb Richardson-Moore is an adult, stand alone, murder mystery story line focusing on a small, upcoming neighborhood community in Greenbrier, South Carolina.

Told from several third person perspectives including Riley Masterson, approximately eighteen months earlier Riley Masterson was the prime suspect in her ‘married’ boyfriend’s murder on the coast of Alabama, and desperate to start over, Riley moved to Greenbrier, South Carolina, moving in with her aunt and uncle but from the outset little things begin to spiral, and with the appearance of her estranged sister, Riley knew nothing good was going to happen.

THROUGH ANY WINDOW is a story focusing on the crumbling of society: homelessness, drug addiction, group homes, in competition with neighborhood rejuvenation, monster mansions, and discrimination. From assaults to r*pes, overdoses and death, adulterous affairs, jealousy and blackmail, Greenbrier, South Carolina reads more like a poor man’s ’Peyton Place’ than anything else. A reflection of many town in today’s societies, THROUGH ANY WINDOW the gentrification of America pushes at the most vulnerable, laying blame for the world’s woes on the homeless and those incapable of looking after themselves.

THROUGH ANY WINDOW is a slow building story of dysfunctional family dynamics, secrets, lies and deceit, betrayal and vengeance, rich vs poor, mental illness and mistrust. The premise is gritty and dramatic but does not pick up until about the half-way point; the characters are desperate, broken, and questionable at best-when pushed, at some point, everyone is capable of breaking the law.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Share