Monthly Archives: October 2024

Quarterback Keeper (Fall Lake Ballers 1) by Isla Vaughn-review

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🏈💛 Quarterback Keeper (Fall Lake Ballers 1) by Isla Vaughn-review tour 💛🏈

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 3, 2024

When you have everything, there’s nothing more dangerous than a secret.

I’ve got it all: a promising football career, a penthouse apartment, and the world at my feet. But behind my public persona, I’m burdened by my mother’s terminal illness and the manipulative demands of my politician father. My life takes an unexpected turn when I discover Gia Mason hiding on my boat, a mysterious woman on the run with secrets as dark as my own.

Gia is desperate to escape her past and find safety, but the last place she expects to land is in the arms of a football star. When I offer her a deal—pretend to be my girlfriend to fulfill my mother’s dying wish—she reluctantly agrees, seeing it as her only way out. What starts as a convenient arrangement quickly ignites into a passionate and tumultuous relationship, forcing us to confront our deepest fears and desires.

As our worlds collide, we navigate the treacherous waters of love, trust, and betrayal. With my career and family legacy on the line, and Gia’s past threatening to destroy everything we’ve built together, we must decide if our love is strong enough to overcome the obstacles in our way.

Can we find a way to build a future together, or will the secrets and lies of our past tear us apart?

••••

REVIEW: Quarterback Keeper by Isla Vaughn is book one in the Fall Lake Ballers series.

Quarterback Keeper is college sports romance with Kylian Wilder as the D1 athlete and star quarterback. His main objective was to get to the NFL so he could take care of his mother who has cancer. When fate decided to throw Gia in Kylian’s path he thought it was a great opportunity to pretend they were in a fake relationship for his moms’s sake.

Gia was running from her traumatic past and was looking for a safe place to stay. When Kylian offered her this amazing opportunity she couldn’t resist.

That is until Kylian’s Senatorial Candidate father gets involved and things go awry quickly! With Kylian and Gia starting to have real feelings for each other, can thry get past all the drama his dad throws at them?

This is a wonderfully fast paced fake romance story that goes from pretending to real feelings quickly.

I absolutely loved the main characters of Kylian and Gia. Also loved Kylian’s roommates! They made the book very fun!

I would not normally pick a sports related story but this was definitely a win in my book. Looking forward to book two in the series’

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Erin K.

Isla Vaughn is the author of the Hidden Valley Elite series. Her romance books are full of complex characters, strong alpha males, and the fierce women who bring them to their knees. When not writing, she can be found daydreaming about owning a beach house, reading, or drinking too much coffee while having in-depth conversations with her two adorable kittens.

Author Links:

Amazon: http://bit.ly/3XJBIMU

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.IslaVaughn

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

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@islavaughnauthor

Website: https://www.islavaughnauthor.com/

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A Requiem for the Dead (Benoit & Dayne4) by Winter Austin-review

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A Requiem for the Dead (Benoit & Dayne Mystery 4) by Winter Austin-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 2, 2024

The dead can no longer keep their secrets …

On a cold February morning, ME Olivia Remington-Thorpe’s severely beaten and bleeding husband stumbles onto Sheriff Elizabeth Benoit’s retreat. Before slipping into unconsciousness, he begs her to find Olivia. Hours later, Deputy Detective Lila Dayne discovers a mysterious boneyard with dark secrets.

The timing is catastrophic. Still reeling from the horrific events of the past autumn, the deputies of Eckardt County are spread thin, and tempers are short. Elizabeth’s relationship with her lead investigator is sour. Still worse, her ex-husband moved back to Iowa with a devilish deal.

As Elizabeth and Lila race the odds to uncover the truth of the skeletal remains and find their missing friend alive, Olivia seeks a way to escape from an abductor who is proving that she didn’t know her husband as well as she thought.

More bodies turn up, mysterious visitors arrive in Juniper, and one mistake from the Eckardt County Sheriff’s team will spell their own deaths in their most dangerous murder investigation to date.

••••

REVIEW:A REQUIEM FOR THE DEAD is the fourth instalment in Winter Austin’s contemporary, adult BENOIT AND DANE MYSTERY DAYNE murder, suspense thriller series focusing on small-town Sheriff Elizabeth “Ellie’ Benoit, and former Chicago police officer turned deputy Lila Dayne. A REQUIEM FOR THE DEAD can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as there is an ongoing premise throughout.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Lila and Ellie, A REQUIEM FOR THE DEAD follows numerous intersecting pathways that will coalesce into a murder investigaton. Medical examiner Dr. Olivia Remington-Thorpe has gone missing; her husband and surgeon Dr. Dominic Thorpe is found critically injured; and Sheriff Elizabeth Benoit is reluctantly recovering in a secluded cabin, guarded by her former husband Joel, and his brother Rafe. A jeep crashes nearby, the victim is someone they all know, and Ellie is about to return to work whether she is ready or not. When Deputy Lila Dayne comes across a makeshift graveyard, a field of bones scattered amongst the debris and detritus , everyone must come to terms with a possible serial killer or something more sinister when several more sites are found scattered throughout the neighboring states. As Ellie and Lila work from different points of the investigation, a warning comes to back down and walk away.

The world building is detailed and complex following several paths that weave and wind, back and forth . From the outset the two investigations couldn’t be more different but the secrets and lies reveal a connection no one saw coming.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and charismatic secondary and supporting characters including Ellie’s former husband Delta Force Operator Joel Fontaine, and her new lover, Joel’s brother and Ellie’s Undersheriff Raphael ‘Rafe’ Fontaine; Ellie’s embattled sister Marnie: Deputy Kyle Lundquist; former sheriff Kelley Sheehan; fixer Horatio Johnson; and deputies Cory Young and Brent Meyer. The requisite evil has many faces.

A REQIUEM FOR THE DEAD is a story of secrets and lies, power and control, betrayal and vengeance, murder and madness, family and forgiveness. The premise is intriguing, dramatic, raw and twisted; the characters are determined, edgy and tragic.

 

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
The Killer in Me
Hush, My Darling
Straight for the Kill

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

FOLLOW: GOODREADS / Website / Pinterest / Facebook / Instagram / Tule Author page

A lifelong Mid-West gal, Winter rediscovered her love of her beloved Iowa with its hot summers and snowy winters. She grew up listening to the captivating stories told by relatives around the table or a campfire. Since becoming a published author, she learned a mindset of a glass half-empty personality makes for a perfect suspense/thriller author. Taking her ability to verbally spin a vivid and detailed story, Winter translated that into writing deadly romantic thrillers. Combining her love of all things rural, agricultural, and military, she’s turned her small town life upside down.

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Ruthless Heir (Ruthless Billionaires 5) by Faith Summers-review

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💙Ruthless Heir (Ruthless Billionaires 5) by Faith Summers-review💙

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 30, 2024

Agreeing to fake date my older brother’s best friend—the first man who ever broke my heart— was a disaster waiting to happen.

Asher Le Blanche is heir to a multibillion-dollar empire.
He has the flawless face of Adonis, the body of a Greek god, and the soulless heart of the devil.

The tabloids crown him the most desirable bachelor in the country.
To me? He was the guy I’d been in love with since I was ten.

Three years ago, I made the foolish mistake of throwing myself at him, only for him to turn me down without a second thought.
Fast-forward to today, when I make another mistake that sees him bailing me out of a county jail.

Things spiral further when I’m denied campus housing, and my brother asks Asher if I can stay with him for a few months.

What neither of them knows is that I’m running from a loan shark, a secret that explodes in my face when Asher discovers it.

That’s when he makes me an offer I can’t refuse.
He’ll pay off my debt if I agree to one condition:

Fake date him for three months.

Pretend to be his girlfriend to keep his father from arranging his marriage to the daughter of his biggest rival.

It was supposed to be simple.
We just had to make everyone believe we were real.

But soon, every touch and every kiss starts feeling all too real.
And the rules we set become harder to follow. For both of us.

I swore I wouldn’t fall for him again.
Then we become so wrapped up in each other that I can’t even see the line we weren’t supposed to cross.

Just when we think we’ve outsmarted everyone, everything blows up in our faces.
What started as a temporary fix quickly turns into the biggest risk I’ve ever taken.
And this time, more than my heart is on the line.

•••••

REVIEW:RUTHLESS HEIR is the fifth instalment in Faith Summers’ contemporary adult RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRES erotic romance series. This is thirty year old billionaire businessman Asher Le Blanche, and musician Harper St. John’s story line. RUTHLESS HEIR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

SOME BACKGROUND: In accordance with their grandfather’s will, the Le Blanche siblings need to marry before taking a seat at the proverbial Le Blanche Global Enterprise, and as the next CFO, Asher is expected to marry within the next six months.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Asher and Harper) RUTHLESS HEIR follows several pathways including the frenemies to lovers relationship between our story line couple. Approximately four years earlier, Harper attempted to seduce her brother’s best friend Asher Le Blanche but after Asher’s rejection, Harper found herself struggling to survive a car accident that left her without her memories of the past. Fast forward to present day, Harper’s life continues to spiral out of control, and when Asher is forced to bail Harper out of jail, she find herself homeless and struggling to move on with her life. Living with Asher means facing the man who broke her heart, a man who is about to make Harper an offer she cannot refuse. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Asher and Harper, and the potential fall-out as the past returns, and betrayal from within threatens the growing love between our story line couple.

The world building follows several pathways including Harper’s dark demons, Asher’s desire for a woman he cannot have; and a new direction for Le Blanche Global Enterprise that threatens the entire company.

The relationship between Harper and Asher is a best friend’s sister forbidden romance. Harper’s brother Josh has forbidden Asher from dating our story line heroine. Asher’s reputation with the ladies precedes his arrangement with his best friend’s sister but Asher is desperate, and Harper is vulnerable and desperate. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

Several of the previous story line couples and characters return including Asher’s brother Hunter and his wife Luna (Ruthless Hunter), and their cousin/brother Luc; their father Preston Le Blanche, and Jericho Grayson, as well as Harper’s best friend Beth.

RUTHLESS HEIR is a story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, power and control, family and friendships, obsession and love. The premise is intriguing, dramatic and intense; the romance is fated, provocative and seductive; the characters are charismatic and determined.

Reading order and Previous reviews
Ruthless Knight
Ruthless Rebel
Ruthless Villain
Ruthless Hunter

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

Faith Summers is the Dark Contemporary Romance pen name of USA Today Bestselling Author, Khardine Gray.

Warning !! Expect wild romance stories of the scorching hot variety and deliciously dark romance with the kind of alpha male bad boys best reserved for your fantasies.

Dive in and enjoy her naughty page-turners.

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Stranded by Lauren Smith – a Review

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Stranded by Lauren Smith – a Review

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This is an anthology with a number of authors.  But Stranded by Lauren Smith is the only book we are reviewing.

Songs of the Deep (book 2) anthology
Travel back beneath the waves with those who lost their lives beneath them. Saved by Posideon himself, these merpeople are more than they appear. The tides welcome you back for tales of revenge, love, and more.

Songs of the Deep Anthology – volume 2 brings tales from talented authors:
D.C. Gomez
MK Mancos
JC Brown & Lena Lane
Brigit RosĂŠ
Nicole Zoltak
Lexi Ostrow
Whitney Gayle
Feral Thorne
Casia Pickering
Lauren Smith (Stranded)
Destinee Nagel
Laura Hawks
Laura Greenwood
Marie Catherine Regalado

 

Stranded Review:

Stranded by Lauren Smith is a novella, which is part of the Songs of the Deep Volume 2 Anthology.  Hudson doesn’t believe in mermaids. But he knows something took his parents from him on a dark and stormy night. And his uncle that was on the same boat was found muttering about something, and he doesn’t ever go on the water! And on stormy nights, his uncle hides in his home! 

And that’s where we find Hudson, on a boat in the middle of a storm! He’s sure he can hear his name being called…. He’s also very certain he’s seen something in the water! But nothing prepares him for finding a mermaid on his boat! A freaking mermaid! But she’s hurt! And Hudson’s instincts are to help, he’ll sort the rest out later…..

Talia was once human. Falling overboard one night at a boat party, she’s given the option of drowning! or becoming a mermaid! Living with her pod (group of merpeople) she’s happy, but she also longs to walk along the shore and return to being human…. 

It’s also instant attraction for Hudson, he’s totally besotted with his little mermaid. For Talia it started out as a vow to watch over him, slowly it turned into something else….

So how will a mermaid and human ever be together? 

This is a really short story, and I’d love the author to continue the story into a series (so much potential) it’s also in an anthology based on the sea. I haven’t read any of the other authors, but I’ve added it to my TBR list (I’ll return at some point.) 

It’s based really loosely on the little mermaid fairytale. 

I throughly enjoyed it, and I’m left wanting more (but in a good way 😉) 

🦋 Julie 

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On the Wild Side (Wilds of Montana) by Kristen Proby -review tour

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On the Wild Side (The Wilds of Montana 4) by Kristen Proby -review tour

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

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Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3XXDFrF

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 3, 2024

Brady Wild has focused on one thing this entire adult life: riding bulls. A three-time world champion, Brady’s body has taken a beating over the years and he knows he’s nearing the end of his impressive career. He’s had no time for relationships with his dangerous career but the minute he sees sexy single mom, Abbi Kastella, he knows it’s game over for his resolve to be single.

Abbi is a mom, first and foremost, and she’ll do whatever needs to be done to keep her daughter safe from the danger that’s chased them for half a dozen years. She’s finally been able to set down roots in Bitterroot Valley for herself and Daisy. She adores this community that has welcomed them with open arms, her new business is thriving, and she has a circle of friends that she loves and trusts. And don’t even get her started on the hazel-eyed, muscled up cowboy that makes her whole body tremble with need. Life is good in this little Montana town and Brady is showing her and her little girl what real love is supposed to be.

Despite Brady’s best intentions he can’t resist his blue-eyed siren, or the sweet little girl that has him wrapped around her little finger. But when Abbi’s past catches up with them, Brady quickly realizes that the secrets that Abbi’s been keeping from him are far worse than any damage his career could do to them. Will they lose everything before it even really begins? Or will love prevail so they can get started on their forever On the Wild Side?

•••

REVIEW:ON THE WILD SIDE is the fourth instalment in Kristen Proby’s contemporary, adult THE WILDS OF MONTANA erotic, romance series.- a spin off from the author’s WITH ME IN SEATTLE /SINGLE IN SEATTLE series. This is thirty-three year old rancher/ bull rider Brady Wild, and single mother/business owner Abbi Kastella’s story line. ON THE WILD SIDE 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 WILL BE triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Abbi and Brady) ON THE WILD SIDE follows the building romance and relationship between our story line couple. Approximately five years earlier, Abbi’s best friend and husband Nate died, leaving her a single mother struggling to provide. Fast forward to present day, Abbi and her daughter Daisy have moved to Montana, where they find themselves engulfed in the Wild family, as one of their own. When her seven year old daughter needed a ‘father’ for the father-daughter dance, Brady Wild volunteered . An early snowstorm would find Brady stranded at Abbi’s where our couple would discover their mutual attraction but Brady doesn’t do relationships, and in this Abbi finds herself pushed to the side. As the days and weeks pass, Brady cannot forget about our story line heroine, and begins a slow seduction of Abbi but Abbi has a dark secret, a past mired in pain, a past that is refusing to let go. Meanwhile, Brady Wild is considering a future with the woman with whom he is falling in love but the rodeo circuit calls, and Brady is struggling between head and heart.

The world building follows several pathways including Abbi’s struggle as a single mother, a successful business woman, a past that has left her always looking over her shoulder, and the acceptance and protection of the Wild’s and their friends.

The relationship between Abbi and Brady begins as friends but Abbi is hoping for something more. Brady battles his demons and the possibility of serious injury, and in this, Brady refuses to settle down, or make plans for the future. Falling for Abbi and her daughter Daisy is easy, keeping them safe may be an entirely different matter. The $ex scenes are intimate and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters, many of whom we met in the previous story lines. The Wild family is loving, caring, and accept Abbi and Daisy as one of their own-no one is left alone or taken for granted.

ON THE WILD SIDE is a story of secrets and lies, family and friendships, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is inviting and intriguing; the characters are sassy, animated and charming; the romance is real and compelling.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

Wild For You
Chasing Wild
Widest Dreams

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong, humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves. Kristen lives in Montana with her husband and their four pets, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.

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I’ll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong-a review

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I’ll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong-a review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 1, 2024

A spellbinding new tale of supernatural horror involving a haunted-house, seances, lost loved ones, and a sinister spirit out for blood…

Nicola Laughton never expected to see adulthood, being diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis as a child. Then medical advances let her live into her thirties and she met Anton, who taught her to dream of a future… together. Months after they married, Anton died in a horrible car, but lived long enough to utter five words to her, “I’ll be waiting for you.”

That final private moment became public when someone from the crash scene took it to the press—the terminally ill woman holding her dying husband as he promised to wait for her on the other side. Worse, that person claimed it wasn’t Anton who said the words but his ghost, hovering over his body.

Since their story went public, Nicola has been hounded by spiritualists promising closure. In the hopes of stopping her downward spiral, friends and family find a reputable medium—a professor of parapsychology. For the séance, they rent the Lake Erie beach house that Anton’s family once owned.

The medium barely has time to begin his work before things start happening. Locked doors mysteriously open. Clouds of insects engulf the house. Nicola hears footsteps and voices and the creak of an old dumbwaiter…in an empty shaft. Throughout it all she’s haunted by nightmares of her past. Because, unbeknownst to the others, this isn’t her first time contacting the dead. And Nicola isn’t her real name.

That’s when she finds the first body….

••••

REVIEW:I’LL BE WAITING by Kelley Armstrong is a contemporary, adult, supernatural thriller focusing on thirty something widow Nicola Laughton.

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

Told from first person perspectives (Nicola) using present day, and memories from the past, I’LL BE WAITING follows Nicola Laughton in the wake of the death of her husband. Approximately twenty-two years earlier, a group of high school friends went into the woods to perform a seance but in the ensuing aftermath death and destruction would follow. Fast forward to present day, wherein Nicola’s husband Anton would die tragically in an early winter snow storm, and in the months that follow Nicola would be contacted by mediums and psychics claiming they have been in contact with the dead but when a certified parapsychologist is willing to help NIcola contact her dead husband, the resulting fall-out sees more death and destruction for our story line heroine.

I’LL BE WAITING is a story of obsession and madness, secrets and lies, grief and acceptance, betrayal and vengeance. Nicola’s extended family struggle with her need to contact her late husband; a new friend is determined to help Nicola get the closure she needs and wants; and the angry spirits refuse to give up until everyone has paid. The premise is dramatic, dark and thrilling; the characters are determined, destructive and dynamic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow: Goodreads / Website/ Twitter/ Facebook/ Amazon Author Page/

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers’ dismay. All efforts to make her produce “normal” stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She’s the author of the NYT-bestselling “Women of the Otherworld” paranormal suspense series and “Darkest Powers” young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

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Ravenous Kingpin (Kingpins of the Syndicate 4) by Eva Winners

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Ravenous Kingpin (Kingpins of the Syndicate 4) by Eva Winners-review & excerpt tour

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

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Add Ravenous Kingpin to Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/5465vxce

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 30, 2024

I’d traded my hand in marriage for his help so I’d save my seat at the Syndicate’s table.

Now, I had a secret husband.

Cold and calculating Killian Brennan Cullen.

The hottest man I’d ever met.

And the heir to the Irish Cullen mafia

He promised to be a gentleman by day. But it was the nights that worried me. In the dark of the night he was commanding, ruthless, and possessive.

The agreement was two years. He’d protect me and my position in the Syndicate.

But who would protect me from him?

••••

REVIEW:RAVENOUS KINGPIN is the fourth instalment in Eva Winners’ contemporary, adult KINGPINS OF THE SYNDICATE dark, erotic, Mafia romance series. This is Killian Cullen, and Emory DiLustros’ story line. RAVENOUS KINGPIN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line 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 (Killian and Emory) RAVENOUS KINGPIN focuses on the forced marriage and relationship between our story line couple. Approximately six years earlier, Killian and Emory had a one-night stand but Emory ghosted Killian, never to be seen again. Fast forward six years, Emory DiLustros, along with her ruthless father, is a founding member of the Syndicate, and as such controls a large portion of Nevada and Las Vegas territories but Emory lost more than her innocence six years earlier, and has been on the hunt to bring it home. Killian demands Emory’s hand in marriage but a life together means Emory must keep her secrets close to her heart. Meanwhile, a human trafficking ring is targeting women and children, and Emory is the latest target.

The world building follows the tumultuous relationship between Emory and Killian; the search for the lost; a human trafficking ring in Emory’s territory, and the culmination of lost and found.

The relationship between Emory and Killian is one of second chances, of a sorts. Six years earlier Killian fell in love with our story line heroine but Emory’s life imploded leaving her a strong and more deadly version of herself. The $ex scenes are provocative and intense.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and powerful secondary and supporting characters many of whom we met in the previous story lines. From the Russian Bratva, Italian Mafia, South American Cartel and the Irish Mob, the power elite are determined to take back control.

RAVENOUS KINGPIN is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, obsession, acceptance and love. Once again, the premise is dark, dramatic and heart breaking; the romance is fated and seductive; the characters are broken, dynamic and powerful.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of SCANDALOUS KINGPIN

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

“What the fuck are you doing here, Atticus?”

Killian’s cold voice sent chills down my spine even though it wasn’t directed at me. I’d dealt with my fair share of monsters, but my husband had a ruthless side to him that he hid behind his charming smile.

It probably blindsided people when he attacked; they’d never expect it from someone as beautiful as him.

“Emory and I have business to discuss,” Atticus drawled. I’d been buying time ever since our last encounter, ignoring his messages, hoping to find a solution and the location of the person I’d been looking for without his help.

But the old man was nothing if not persistent.

“Whatever you’ve got to say, now is not the time. And you’re trespassing,” Killian warned. “Tell me why I shouldn’t have my guards shoot you right now.”

“Because this business,” Atticus started, looking at me pointedly, “is the only thing standing between life and death.” He waved his hand nonchalantly. “Besides, they now work for me and the ones who refused are dead.”

Killian obviously thought him full of shit because he wasn’t moved. “My wife’s business is my business, so spit it out and be on your way.”

Dread coursed through me at the knowledge that I brought this dangerous man to our doorstep. I should have never made a deal with him, but desperate times called for desperate measures. And God, I was so fucking desperate.

“Atticus, this isn’t a good time,” I gritted, trying to keep my cool. I couldn’t let Killian learn my secret. Not now.

My heart raced as I watched Killian’s cold gaze lock on the man who held the key to the only thing I cared about.

Atticus’s eyes were on me, his lips lifting into a sick grin as he said, “My beautiful Emory. Time is of the essence if you want your answers.”

I wondered if Atticus was like my father, who had a way of bending the illusion of normality so that it forever stayed out of my grasp.

“What fucking answers?” Killian demanded.

Atticus ignored him. “Let me remind you of our deal: you give me a name, and I’ll give you yours along with the location. Two for one. See? Don’t ever say I’m not generous.”

“What the fuck is he talking about, Em?” Killian repeated.

“I waved my hand nonchalantly while my heart threatened to beat through my rib cage. “This guy’s lost his mind.”

Atticus chuckled as if I’d uttered the funniest joke, but there was little humor in his eyes as they studied me.

“Stop looking at her that way, or I’ll dig your eyeballs out of your skull,” Killian warned, his spine stiff, violence in his posture as he blocked me from the bastard’s view.

“This doesn’t concern you, Irishman,” Atticus stated calmly, batting away Killian’s threat. “Emory DiLustro should be grateful for my patience.”

“Her name is Emory Cullen and you better learn to use it,” Killian hissed, his eyes screaming murder. “My wife owes you nothing, and if you don’t get out of here, I’ll secure you a trip six feet under.”

Atticus’s nostrils flared, his gaze now on Killian. It would seem my husband’s reputation preceded him: Killian Cullen did not make empty threats.

Panic zinged through me as my thoughts whirled with a dozen what-ifs, but it was a moot point. I learned a long time ago that you had little say in the cards you were dealt.

I eyed my surroundings for a weapon before remembering Killian kept a gun hidden underneath the table in my foyer.

I took a small step back at the same time Atticus drew two guns, aiming them at my husband and me.

“Don’t move, Emory,” Atticus stated, his voice lethal. “Or you’ll be planning your husband’s funeral.” My movements halted and I leveled him with a glare. “Good girl,” he purred. “Now get back to your husband.”

“Don’t fucking move,” Killian said, his eyes still locked on the unwelcome visitor. “Stay exactly where you are, Em.”

“I was so fucking sick and tired of men telling me what to do. Yes, Killian had my best interests at heart, but I could protect myself. I survived two decades under one of the cruelest men in the Syndicate, for fuck’s sake. I deserved some credit.

“Let’s make this quick,” Atticus said with a twisted smirk, “so you two lovebirds can get back to professing your love for one another.”

I should never have trusted this asshole. My cousins and brother wouldn’t touch him with a ten-foot pole and would have advised against my dealings with him had I asked.

But I didn’t ask. Atticus was my ticket to get to her, and that was more important than my pride.

“Unless you want to talk about…” Atticus trailed off, and somehow I knew whatever he was about to say would change my world forever. “Do you want to talk about Amara? You could see her by this time tomorrow.”

Amara. Amara. Amara.

The shock rocked me to my core at finally learning her name. All these years of searching and I finally got that little piece of information that I should’ve had all along.

“Who in the fuck is Amara?” Killian’s voice startled me out of my stupor and my mind raced through a thousand answers.

“It’s now or never, Emory,” Atticus stated matter-of-factly. “Who matters more? Who do you love more? Your husband or…”

Eva Winners released her first novel Second Chance At Love in 2020 and has been writing feverishly ever since. She writes about everlasting romance for every century focusing on characters emotional development and always guarantees an HEA.

She loves yoga, wine and her kiddos. In her spare time, she seeks adventures either hiking through trails, yoga or exploring the beaches.

Writing books has always been her passion and she brings real life to the forefront in everything she writes about.

Deeply passionate characters and stories will draw you in and you’ll never want to leave.

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One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery – a Review

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One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery – a Review

 

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Description:
Please don’t come home for Christmas…

Julie Parker’s kids are her greatest gift. Still, she’s not exactly heartbroken when they ask to skip a big Christmas. Her son, Nick, is taking a belated honeymoon with his bride, Blair, while her daughter, Dana, will purge every reminder of the guy who dumped her. Again. Julie feels practically giddy for one-on-one holiday time with Heath, the (much) younger man she’s secretly dating.

But her plans go from cozy to chaotic when Nick and Dana plead for Christmas at the family cabin in memory of their late father, Julie’s ex. She can’t refuse, even though she dreads their reactions to her new man when they realize she’s been hiding him for months.

As the guest list grows in surprising ways, from Blair’s estranged mom to Heath’s precocious children, Julie’s secret is one of many to be unwrapped. Over this delightfully complicated and very funny Christmas, she’ll discover that more really is merrier, and that a big, happy family can become bigger and happier, if they let go of old hurts and open their hearts to love.

 

 

Review:

One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery is another one of her wonderful Christmas stories.  We meet Julie Parker, who owns a towing company and has two adult children; as well as a boyfriend, who happens to be 12 years younger than her.  With Christmas coming, Julie is looking forward to spending time with Heath, with her grown up kids making their own plans; but everything is about to change.

Julie’s ex-husband passed away a year ago, and both Nick and Dana have decided to cancel their plans, and instead get the entire family together, to honor their decease father. Nick, who is married to Blair, were planning on going on their belated honeymoon, but Blair is willing to cancel till the spring. Nick has another secret, which he isn’t planning on telling his mom, just yet; he does not want to take over the towing business. Dana, Nick’s sister, is unhappy, because her ex-boyfriend, Axel, whom she is in love with, constantly dumps her, and has done it again. Both Nick and Dana tell their mom they prefer to spend the Christmas holiday at the family’s huge cabin, in memory of their late father, which Julie agrees.  Julie is concerned, as she dreads the reaction from Dana and Nick, when they meet Heath, but when they arrive, they were perfectly fine getting to know Heath. 

The family meets at the cabin, where they will gather for 10 days; as the guest list continues to grow.  Nick and Blair, Dana, Heath and his two young kids, Blair’s mother Gwen (who was a terrible mother to her over the years), Blair’s uncle Peter, Huxley, co-worker friend, Heath’s ex-wife Tiffany, comes a bit later, when her boyfriend dumped her, and Axel, makes a later visit when he was hurt.  I actually enjoyed meeting all the family/friends/coworkers, who were all so wonderful. 

One Big Happy Family was a wonderful delightful story that made for a fun merry Christmas, even with some complications along the way.  The story was so much fun, with a lot of humor, a bit wild and crazy, some drama, and even chaos.  I loved everything about this enjoyable holiday story line.  One Big Happy Family was so very well written by Susan Mallery.  I suggest you read, One Big Happy Family, as you can never go wrong reading anything by Susan Mallery.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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