Just Winging It (For Puck’s Sake 9) by Crea Reitan -review tour

Posted on October 12, 2024 by Sandy

💚🏒Just Winging It (For Puck’s Sake Book 9) by Crea Reitan -review tour💚🏒

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 10, 2024

One weekend can change everything.

Caulder

I’ve lived a very quiet life, keeping my deepest secrets close to my chest. I let no one in; not even my closest friends. When I’m invited to participate in the All-Star Games, I’m suddenly forced to share a hotel room, and a single bed, with a stranger. My carefully guarded world starts to come undone when he kisses me, and I can’t get enough.

Now one person shares my secret. It’s a relief, really. But just as I’m starting to fall for Lo Duvall, my world implodes. A woman in Philly claims that we hooked up in a club and she’s carrying my baby. Are we over before we can even begin?

Anonymous hookups when I’m on the road are how I manage to keep my personal life private. All I want is to play hockey and keep everything else out of the media. That gets more complicated when I meet the gorgeous Caulder Haines.

Three nights of unfiltered fuckery—that’s what we promise each other. Then we’ll go our separate ways. But by the end of the weekend, I haven’t had enough of this amazing defenseman, and don’t want to say goodbye.

I’ve fallen in love with him.

When an aspiring content creator decides to throw a wrench in my very carefully crafted plans, I know I have to do something to save what I’ve only just realized I want.

I can’t lose Caulder. I just found him. But what can I do to keep him?!

This is a LGBTQIA+ story with content not intended for those under 18 years of age due to graphic scenes and situations.

•••••••

REVIEW: Another amazing story in this great series. Crea has created a world I want to live in. Her stories come alive and stay with you long after you read the last page.

Caulder Haines has been in previous books in this series, so I was excited to see where we would go in this story.

One bed, two strangers. Has the recipe for disaster or a delicious night or two of fun.

What with Caulder being a secret gay man (he’s not ashamed, but hockey is first and foremost, life will come after he retires) and Laurent “Lo” also being gay (his hook ups are very controlled) they don’t want anyone to find out and then it becomes a media circus.

A weekend of fun, that was all it was suppose to be. To be able to be themselves. But as the weekend ends, both know it was way more than that! But how can they be together, when they live so far apart? And neither have said they are gay, so that’s something that would need to be said (and both are adamant that their gender preferences would remain quiet until they retired!)

I loved the hockey banter/the contest and catching up with some many previous characters (most have their own books) I also really liked how Lo never made Caulder feel uncomfortable, nor did he ever pressurise him into doing something he wasn’t comfortable with. I cheered as a hockey game was played (been a while since we had a game in the books) and could feel the cold on my cheeks (I do love a descriptive scene) 😊

The spanner in the works happens around (65% into the book)

And it throws both Caulder and Lo into a tailspin! And there is a reason why I don’t believe it was Caulder (but it’s not my secret to tell 🤐)

But how will Caulder explain himself? How will Lo respond to his boyfriend being the father of a baby? I can tell you this, I’d love to have Lo in my corner. He’s so supportive, caring and downright hot (his possessive tone gave me shivers 😜)

This one ranks as possibly my 2nd/3rd favourite in the series. And I absolutely loved it.

Can’t wait for the next book 👍🏻

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Shiver
Starting Line
Lucky Shot
The Crease
Wingman Score
Coach Stare Down
Stick Lessons
The Defending Goal

Copy supplied for review

🦋 Reviewed by Julie B

Crea lives in upstate New York with her dog and husband. She has been writing since grade school, when her second grade teacher had her class keep writing journals. She has a habit of creating secondary, and often time tertiary, characters that take over her stories. All of her RH relationships end up being heavily polyamorous – meaning it’s not just all the men for one woman. There’s also some M/M action going on. When she can’t fall asleep at night, she thinks up new scenes for her characters to act out. This, of course, is how most of her meant-to-be-thrown-away characters tend to end up front and center – and utterly swoon-worthy! Don’t ask her how many book boyfriends she has…

When not writing, Crea is an avid reader. Her TBR pile is several hundred books high (don’t even look at her kindle wish list or the unread books on her tablet). Sometimes, she enjoys crafting; sometimes, exploring nature; sometimes, traveling. Mostly, she enjoys putting her characters on paper and breathing life into them. Oh, and sleeping. Crea loves to sleep!

Author Links:

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Midnight Beast (Dark Mafia Romance) by BB Hamel-review

Posted on October 11, 2024 by Sandy

Midnight Beast (Dark Mafia Romance) by BB Hamel-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 3, 2024

Six shirtless gangsters watch as I get down on my knees.
There’s nothing more demeaning than begging for help.
But Ronan Hayes is a vicious monster,
And he’s going to break me before he saves me.

In desperation, I turn to the one man I hate the most in this city.

Ronan Hayes is as cold and violent as he is seductive and obscenely attractive, and no part of me wants to get involved with him.

Except I’m broke, there are men in this city that want me dead, and Ronan’s one of the few mafia kings capable of keeping me safe.

I cut a deal with the gorgeous if I help him put down a revolt in his family, he’ll take care of my needs.

That means I’m playing the role of his dutiful girlfriend, whether I like it or not.

Hanging onto his powerful arm has dark and steamy perks, but I resist their temptation.

Until one night I’m sleeping in his bed and wondering how much further I have to fall before he decides to catch me again.

•••••

REVIEW: MIDNIGHT BEAST is the second instalment in BB Hamel’s contemporary, adult, dark, Mafia romance series -a spin off set in the author’s Bianco Crime family world .This is the head of the Irish Hayes Group Ronan Hayes, and Italian Mafia princess Valentina Santoro’s story line. MIDNIGHT BEAST 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 (Valentina and Ronan) MIDNIGHT BEAST follow in the wake of the death of Valentina’s father. Having fallen in love with her best friend Marco (Twilight Mask) Valentina felt betrayed when Marco fell in love with someone else. With no protector, and on the verge of being homeless, Valentina confronts the head of the Hayes Group, Irish crime lord Ronan Hayes, the man with whom Valentina will fall in love. Valentina is desperate to vengeance against the family she once called her own but needed help from our story line hero. With insider information, Valentina and Ronan begin the take down of the Santoro Crime Family but not everyone is happy with Ronan and Valentina’s growing relationship. Betrayal will come from within, and Ronan must prove he is worthy of leading the Hayes Group.

The world building follows several paths including the building relationship between Ronan and Valentina; the take down of the Santoro Crime Family, and Ronan’s battle to stay on top.

The relationship between Ronan and Valentina begins as an arrangement but quickly turns into something more when our heroine becomes the target of several members of warring crime families. Ronan is desperate to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love but no one can be trusted, and everyone becomes suspect when family members begin betraying their own. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate.

There is another large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including several members of the Santoro Mafia, Hayes Crime Group, and French mobster Julien Moreau. The requisite evil has many faces.

MIDNIGHT BEAST is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, greed and mistrust, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The fast paced premise is climactic and sensational; the romance is fated and seductive; the characters are dangerous, dynamic and bold.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one TWILIGHT MASK

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

BRUTAL BARGAIN (Brutal Billionaires 4) by Laurelin Paige-review

Posted on October 11, 2024 by Sandy

BRUTAL BARGAIN (Brutal Billionaires 4) by Laurelin Paige-review tour

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Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218181207-brutal-bargain

ABOUT THE BOOK:Release Date October 9, 2024

She needs a husband. He won’t let anyone else have her.

Ax Morgan has played many roles in my life: My brother’s best friend. The most notorious member of the Sebastian News Corp executive team. My enemy with benefits.

But my husband?
No thanks.

Our after hours scenes are simply a convenient way for me to blow off steam while I plot my exit from my toxic family’s company.

But when I need a groom so I can claim my inheritance, he presents me with a choice that’s more like blackmail—marry him, or he’ll sabotage me. So between the devil and the deep blue sea, I let the devil put a ring on it.

Turns out this is the role he plays best of all. The worst part of pretending with Ax is how real it’s starting to feel. Now my future is in his hands. And if he finds out what I’m planning, he’ll be the one with the impossible choice. Who loses everything—his best friend or his fake wife?

•••••

REVIEW: BRUTAL BARGAIN is the fourth instalment in Laurelin Paige’s contemporary, adult BRUTAL BILLIONAIRES erotic, romance series. This is thirty-nine year old, President of Programming at Sebastian News Corp Axel Morgan, and thirty-three year old Chief HR Officer Adly Sebastian’s story line. BRUTAL BARGAIN 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 first person perspectives (Axel and Adly) BRUTAL BARGAIN follows the fake marriage / marriage of convenience/ brother’s best friend relationship between our story line couple. Adly, along with Alex Sebastian and Holt Sebastian have plans to purchase their own television network but short of funds, Adly starts look for a suitable husband in an effort to claim her part of the family inheritance. Enter Axel Morgan, Adly’s brother Hunter’s best friend, and a self-proclaimed enemy of our story line heroine. Marrying Axel is only for the short term but when the family believes they have discovered the truth, all bets are off when our couple find themselves facing the future, long term, when betrayal threatens the barely veiled questionable family dynamics.

The world building is meticulous and intricate as we follow Axel and Adly down the proverbial rabbit hole as they struggle between head and heart knowing their marriage vows are only temporary. With her inheritance in hand, Adly is hoping to become part owner of an all-woman’s network but someone else is forcing the price beyond their control.

The relationship between Adly and Axel is an enemies to lovers in which the palpable sexual attraction is hidden behind innuendo, anger, and aggression. Fantasy role play is but a part of the couple’s developing relationship, as well as the Axel’s need to make their arrangement more permanent. The $ex scenes are provocative and impassioned.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and familiar secondary and supporting characters including all of the previous story line couples including Adly’s siblings Holt, Hunter and Alex; their father Samuel Sebastian, Grandpa Irving and Axel’s father Kevin Morgan.

BRUTAL BARGAIN is a story of power and control, secrets and lies, betrayal and heart break, dysfunctional family dynamics, acceptance and love .The premise is melodramatic and powerful; the romance is seductive and passionate; the characters are desperate, decisive, and stubborn.

READING ORDER AND PREVIOUS REVIEWS
Brutal Billionaire
Brutal Secret
Brutal Arrangement

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

With millions of books sold worldwide, Laurelin Paige is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author. She is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however.

When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Killing Eve or Letterkenny, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She’s also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn’t do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio.

She is represented by Rebecca Friedman.

Follow: Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest / Instagram / Facebook Fan Page

Sign up for Laurelin’s Newsletter: HERE

Stiletto’s Savior / Spark’s Inferno by Elizabeth Knox-reviews

Posted on October 10, 2024 by Sandy

Stiletto’s Savior / Spark’s Inferno by Elizabeth Knox-reviews (Reaper’s Rejects: 2nd Gen 5 & 6) by Elizabeth Knox

SPARK’S INFERNO
Reaper’s Rejects 6
by Elizabeth Knox
Genre: adult ,contemporary, erotic, MC romance

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 30, 2024

Anyone with common sense would’ve stayed away, but I couldn’t help myself.

Spark

I found her crying her eyes out, heartbroken after some idiot betrayed her trust. I meant to console her, to show her I was there, but something shifted that night.

I ended up taking her up to my room and showing her exactly what a man could do for her, not some idiotic boy who wanted to play games with her emotions.

It shouldn’t have been a problem, but she wasn’t just any woman. She was Widow’s daughter—Zoe, an MC princess.

One taste was all it took, and I wanted to devour her. I did, in secret for a time, until I couldn’t hide she was mine.

Zoe was the gasoline to my spark and when we were together, everything around us turned into an inferno.

But when her ex came around threatening to hurt her, I wouldn’t let it happen. I’d burn the world down for her, no matter the cost.

••••

REVIEW:SPARK’S INFERNO is the sixth instalment in Elizabeth Knox’s contemporary, adult REAPER’S REJECTS MC: SECOND GENERATION erotic, MC romance series. This is prospect Tyler ‘Spark’ McCollough, and twenty-three year old club princess Zoe’s story line. SPARK’S INFERNO 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 including violence, and same $ex F/F scenarios, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Spark and Zoe) SPARK’S INFERNO follows the forbidden relationship between our story line couple. Zoe is the daughter of the Reaper’s Rejects MC Sargent at Arms, and as such she is off-limits to the members of the club but when Zoe discovers her boyfriend cheating with a clubwh*re, all bets are off. Spark’s attraction to Zoe is further realized when he and Zoe take their friendship to the next level but the past refuses to let go, and their relationship may be the catalyst in the breakdown of Zoe’s relationship with her father. Meanwhile, someone else has started a brothel , in direct competition with the Reaper’s Rejects ‘Bad Bunnies, and the club is losing money, so much so, that the club is about to send undercover operatives to gather information about the who, how and why.

The world building follows several paths including the forbidden relationship between our story line couple: Zoe’s online persona developing adult only content ; and the vengeful nature of someone believed to have been scorned.

The relationship between Zoe and Spark is a friends to lover in the face of betrayal. Zoe is off-limits so our couple keep their affair on the down-low but someone else is determined to destroy our story line couple, and in doing so, reveals the true nature of Zoe’s online persona. The $ex scenes are intimate and impassioned.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, familiar and dynamic secondary and supporting characters including several MC members from the original Reaper’s Rejects MC including Zoe’s father and SAA Widow, his ol’ lady Tania, Zoe’s mother Rebel; Turmoil, Doc, Dixon club prez Damon, and Zoe’s friend Mandy.

SPARK’S INFERNO is a story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, obsession and madness, acceptance and love. The premise is captivating and intriguing; the romance is seductive; the characters are determined and desperate.

Reading Order and Previous reviews
Sydney’s Battle
Reaper’s Redemption
Bama’s Babe
Poison’s Promise

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

______

STILETTO’S SAVIOR
(Reaper’s Rejects MC: Second Generation 5)
by Elizabeth Knox
Genre: adult ,contemporary, erotic, MC romance

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date: September 9, 2024

I’d never sit by and let her kill herself.

Miles

I never knew what adoration was until she came into my life.

Though, at the time I didn’t see the signs. I had no idea Stiletto had any feelings for me, and then it was too late—she confessed them after I was in a relationship.

I saw the pain on her face, instantly knowing I was breaking her heart.

Things were awkward between us, and years passed. Then her sister called me, begging me to help look for Stiletto.

I didn’t know what happened, but it didn’t take long to figure it out.

She was taken by an enemy of the club and in that moment I knew I cared more for her than I thought.

I cut things off with the girl I was dating and went searching for Stiletto, praying I’d get to her in time to tell her how I really felt.

I found her, but she kept trying to push me away.

I let her at first, and then I discovered what she was doing.

I saved her from the clutches of evil, and now I was forced to save her from the demons in her mind.

•••••

REVIEW: STILETTO’S SAVIOR is the fifth instalment in Elizabeth Knox’s contemporary, adult REAPER’S REJECTS MC: SECOND GENERATION dark, MC romance series-a spin off set in the author’s Reaper’s Rejects MC. This is Miles Lion, and Stiletto aka Song’s story line. STILETTO’S SAVIOR 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, following two timelines, STILETTO’S SAVIOR focuses on the search and rescue of our story line heroine. Miles Lion broke Stiletto’s heart years before but a call from her sister Siren pulls Miles from the Bronx, and into the town of Billings Montana. Stiletto is missing, and is believed to be in the prisoner of the Reaper’s Rejects enemy, an enemy who uses torture and abuse to get what he wants. Upon her rescue, Stiletto struggles with depression and grief, and herein lies an issue that needed to be addressed.

The world building follows the atrocities committed against our story line heroine, not only in the present but in the past, as well. Having suffered at the hands of more than one man, Stiletto battles the demons that are controlling her life.

The relationship between Miles and Stiletto is one of second chances, of a sorts. Miles is desperate to find our story line heroine but Stiletto is struggling with the will to live, and move on from the past. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including several members, and several generations of the Reaper’s Rejects MC . The requisite evil has many faces.

STILETTO’S SAVIOR is a story of betrayal, family and vengeance, power and obsession, acceptance and love. The fast paced premise is dark and dramatic; the romance is limited but healing; the characters are broke but fighting to be free.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

CROSSFIRE (Cross Duet 1) by Kathy Lockheart-review tour

Posted on October 10, 2024 by Sandy

CROSSFIRE (Cross Duet 1) by Kathy Lockheart

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

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Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3Xoyznm

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 10, 2024

In my defense, I didn’t know he was sent to kill me when I fell in love with him.

Grayson. Dark. Dangerous. Irresistible.

One moment, he’s making me feel alive for the first time since Dad died. The next? He’s got a cold steel blade to my throat. Turns out, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Homicidal is actually an assassin ordered to kill me.

Now I’m his prisoner. I hate that his touch still ignites my soul, each one a cruel reminder that the next could be my last. I want to believe he would never actually hurt me, but Grayson’s code is absolute: eliminate any threat to innocents. And someone’s working overtime to convince him I’m guilty… Who? And why?

As secrets unravel, I’m forced to confront the shocking truth about why Grayson was sent to silence me forever… Leaving me with one haunting question:

Will the man who gave me a reason to live become the one who takes my life?
**Author’s Note: This book follows Grayson Lockwood, brother of Hunter from the Vendetta Duet. While not essential, readers may enjoy starting with Secret Vendetta for additional context.*

••••

REVIEW: CROSSFIRE is the first instalment in Kathy Lockheart’s contemporary, adult CROSS romantic suspense duet focusing on CIA operatives Grayson Lockwood, and ER nurse Ivy. Grayson was first introduced in the Vendetta Duet focusing on his brother Hunter.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Grayson and Ivy) CROSSFIRE follows the building but tempestuous relationship between our story line couple. Grayson’s latest assignment spiralled out of control when a young woman interrupted what was supposed to be the takedown of a dangerous arms dealer . Curious as to the who what and how, Grayson goes on the hunt only to discover his next target is our story line heroine. Grayson has been ordered to kill the woman with whom he is falling in love but all is not as it appears to be. On the run, hoping to protect the woman he was ordered to kill, Grayson quickly discovers that the CIA is refusing to back, and they are determined to terminate our story line heroine.

The world building focuses on the search for the truth. Both Grayson and Ivy’s backstories are heart breaking and difficult but as Ivy continues to ferret out the clues regarding her father’s death, someone else is taking aim at our story line heroine.

The relationship between Grayson and Ivy begins as a lie. Grayson is stalking our heroine in the hopes of uncovering the truth but the truth may be what is about to take down the woman he loves. A deep dive into the darkness uncovers a possible betrayal and the need to be silenced. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are reintroduced to Grayson’s brother Hunter and his wife Luna, Detective Mitchell, Grayson’s handler Daniel, as well as Ivy’s mother, her grandmother and her ex boyfriend Peter.

CROSSFIRE is a story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, power and control, family and relationships. The premise is intriguing, thrilling and entertaining ; the romance is seductive but struggles with the unknown; the characters are desperate and determined. CROSSFIRE ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Previous reviews
Secret Vendetta
Silent Vendetta

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Kathy Lockheart is an author of Romantic Suspense novels. Her books—which have a unique blend of emotional elements typically found in women’s fiction and the romance and danger elements found in romantic suspense—contain themes of dark romance, antiheroes, and forbidden romance. When she’s not writing, you can find her silently cursing the person who put fluorescent lights in dressing rooms.

FOLLOW:Goodreads / Website/ Bookbub / Amazon Author / Facebook /

VOWS IN VIOLENCE ( Sons of the Mafia 5) by Vi Carter & ER Whyte

Posted on October 9, 2024 by Sandy

VOWS IN VIOLENCE ( Sons of the Mafia 5) by Vi Carter & ER Whyte-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 29, 2024

The Commission has sent Azrael, their deadliest assassins, not knowing that a monster already prowls the streets of New York City.

Ivan Romanov.

After years of waiting patiently in the shadows, I’ve finally come to claim what is mine. And that prize is Viviana Valachi, the youngest daughter of the Valachi Don. She is timid and obedient, everything her father raised her to be. But there is a fire in those Valachi eyes that is matched only by her brother, whom I hold captive.

Azrael is on the move. No place or person is safe, even those I keep in golden cages. We must pay for the sins of our fathers—this is the one lesson we have learned in the Five Families. Angel Valachi has thrown our world into chaos, and I have inherited the duty of restoring order in the only way I know how.

Sin pays for sin. Blood must pay for blood.

I didn’t expect my pet to work herself into my body, mind, and soul. As much as I want to feast on the spoils and carnage of this war, I can feel the leash she is wrapping around my throat.

As much as I want to fight it, I find myself captivated by her guidance.
The hunt is on, and none shall sleep for a monster is on the loose.

•••••••••

REVIEW: VOWS IN VIOLENCE is the fifth and final instalment in the contemporary, adult SONS OF THE MAFIA dark, erotic, Mafia romance series co-authored by Vi Carter and ER Whyte. This is Ivan Romanov, and Viviana Valachi’s story line. VOWS IN VIOLENCE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion.

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

If you have not read the previous instalments, there may be spoilers in my review.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Ivan and Viviana) VOWS IN VIOLENCE follows the forced marriage between our story line couple. Ivan Romanov is currently holding Viviana’s brother Angel Valachi a prisoner in his home, as well as our story line heroine. The Five Families, the ruling Mafia strongholds are in a tenuous state of peace but the Commission is determined to take down everyone at the top, forcing a war for power and control. The entity calling itself Azrael, assassins aka the angel of death, is taking aim at the people in charge including our story line couple. With Ivan on the outside, Vivi’s life is hanging by a precarious and proverbial thread, but with the help of the other Five Families, Ivan begins to target the betrayers including several people on the inside. Her brother now presumed dead, Vivi struggles between head and heard having fallen for the man who could destroy her heart.

The world building is detailed and thorough. Although Vivi’s marriage to Ivan is forced, an arranged marriage by her late father in the hope for more power, Vivi has resigned herself to a life with a man who may not be able to love in return. As the Five Families make plans to rescue our story line heroine, someone else is determined to kill them all.

The secondary and supporting characters are all powerful, brutal and dangerous. We are reintroduced to all of the previous story line couples whose own lives are threatened by the Commission orders and the assassins known as Azrael.

The relationship between Vivi and Ivan is an arranged marriage but Ivan doesn’t do love, and Vivi is determined to play the role of a Mafia wife. In the early stages of their relationship Vivi was a prisoner of the man with whom she would fall in love but a prisoner protected in a gilded cage. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate.

VOWS IN VIOLENCE is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is fast paced, dramatic, dark and intriguing; the romance is provocative and sensitive; the characters are desperate, flawed, and edgy.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

Sins of the Mafia
Vengeance in Blood
Enemies in Ruin
Redemption in Cruelty
Mercy in Betrayal

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Haven’t started the series? The prequel novella-SINS OF THE MAFIA is FREE at these retailers: –> Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

VI CARTER: When Vi Carter isn’t writing contemporary & dark romance books, that feature the mafia, are filled with suspense, and take you on a fast paced ride, you can find her reading her favorite authors, baking, taking photos or watching Netflix.

Married with two children, Vi divides her time between motherhood and all the other hats she wears as an Author.

She has declared herself a coffee & chocolate addict! Do not judge

AUTHOR LINKS

Newsletter and FREE book / Website / Facebook/Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Goodreads

ER WHYTE: E.R. Whyte is a multi-genre author, writing contemporary and new adult romance under E.R. Whyte, reverse harem romance under Evie Rae, and sweet romance under Elle Rae Whyte. Although it would no doubt make life easier to simply choose a genre, she loves romance in all its forms too much to ever do that.

She’s a simple girl at heart, living in a teeny-tiny Virginia town and spending her time finding herself, catering to various fur babies, and indulging her reading, writing, and photography habits. She loves being alone, bananas foster, and Pepsi.

Whyte worked as a high school English teacher for around a decade before she decided she really wanted more time to devote to her family and other fun stuff. Now she thinks up new ways to make tacos on Tuesday, explores the Marvel universe with childish enthusiasm, and spends entirely too much time on the computer.
Life is good.

AUTHOR LINKS: Facebook/ TikTok

HOUR OF DREAMS (The Unholy Angels 1) by Kat Le Veque-review

Posted on October 9, 2024 by Sandy

HOUR OF DREAMS (The Unholy Angels 1) by Kat Le Veque

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au / B&N Paper/

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 24, 2024

A vibrant, intense story of good and evil, of a doomed love affair, and of the lengths a family will go to in order to protect – and discover – the harrowing truth.

1933 Pea Ridge, Mississippi – A black man is allegedly murdered for the unspeakable crime of loving a white woman. Six months after his death, a mixed-race baby is born but the child vanishes. The most feared family in town is involved in these two incidents, but they are mysteries no one will speak of. To mention such things can only bring trouble, or worse…

Present Day – Beau Meade, former CIA agent and now county sheriff, is back to civilian life after years of serving his country in the most dangerous way possible. On a chance meeting with Lucy Bondurant, daughter of an old family nemesis, Beau finds himself swept up in a mystery that Lucy’s family hoped would stay buried forever. As they race against time to put the pieces of the puzzle together, Beau and Lucy come face to face with a love story as beautiful and as enduring as time itself.

HOUR OF DREAMS is all things bittersweet, tragic, and triumphant.

•••

REVIEW: HOUR OF DREAMS is the first instalment in Kat Le Veque’s contemporary, adult THE UNHOLY ANGELS romantic suspense series focusing on three former CIA agents: Trace Rocklin, Reed McCoy, and Beau Meade, a deep ops undercover group known as the Unholy Angels. This is attorney Lucy Bondurant, and Pea Ridge Sheriff Beau Meade’s story line.

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

Told from omniscient dual third person perspectives (Beau and Lucy), following three time lines HOUR OF DREAMS focuses on the search for the truth. In 1933, Pea Ridge Mississippi, a young woman fell in love with a black boy, and the ensuing spiral manifested in pregnancy murder, cover ups, and hate in a time when interracial relationships were illegal. Fast forward to present day attorney Lucy Bondurant returns to her home town of Pea Ridge in the wake of her great grandmother Victory Hembree Bondurant’s death but her grandmother’s journals and a letter for Lucy are about to reveal a decades long secret that she refused to take to her grave. With the help of Sheriff Beau Meade, a former CIA operative with close connections to the past, Lucy will slowly unravel the truth about what happened years before. Two families tied together by the sins of the past, and a town that refuses to acknowledge what happened and why.

The world building follows several times lines;1933, early 2000s, and present day. The story line flashes between the past, a time when racism, prejudice, discrimination, murder and a brush with slavery endured; when the murder of a black man was tossed to the side. Present day focuses on Lucy and Beau’s search for the truth: a journal with a haunting story of love and loss, a town that refuses to talk about what happened in the past; and a stalker who won’t leave Lucy alone.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, enthusiastic and determined secondary and supporting characters. We are introduced to Lucy’s extended family including her parents Bill and Mary, Aunt Dell and Cousin Clyde, as well as several townsfolk with long memories and even longer hate.

HOUR OF DREAMS is a story of secrets and lies, love and loss, power and control, family and relationships. The premise is dramatic, heart breaking and dark; the romance is subtle; the characters are charismatic, determined and dynamic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

THE TATTOO ARTIST (La Petite Mort 1) by Kassandra Marie Lopez

Posted on October 6, 2024 by Sandy

THE TATTOO ARTIST (La Petite Mort 1) by Kassandra Marie Lopez-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 2, 2024

My whole life has been a lie.

I was sheltered and raised in a Catholic household. I was taught to dress a certain way.
Behave a certain way. Never having any free will of my own. But all my Catholic beliefs went out the window when I met him. I was only sixteen at the time.

Deimos…his name sounded so good coming out of my mouth. Rumors were spread that Deimos was just a myth that parents told their daughters to scare them into being obedient or else they would meet Deimos, the GOD of Terror and Dread. I was determined to prove his existence, but I never imagined that the truth would be even more dangerous than lies.

As I dove deeper into the mystery, things got more complicated when I met Alexander, the handsome tattoo artist. My feelings for him became more apparent. I never imagined I could love two people simultaneously. Could I trust my heart? Or would it lead me down a path of destruction? As the stakes increased and the dangers intensified, I had to make a choice: continue my search and risk everything to be with Deimos or lose my chance with Alexander.

•••••

REVIEW: THE TATTOO ARTIST is the first instalment in Kassandra Marie Lopez’ contemporary, adult LA PETITE MORT dark, erotic, Mafia, romance series. This is twenty-four year old, tattoo artist Alexander Hades, Deimos and eighteen year old, artist and student Quinn Connor’s story line.

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

Told from three first person perspectives (Alexander, Deimos, Quinn) using present day and memories from the past, THE TATTOO ARTIST follows the building relationship between Alexander and Quinn. Approximately two years earlier, sixteen year old, Catholic school girl, Quinn Connor witnessed the beat down and murder of man outside of her bedroom window. Believing the perpetrator Is the killer known as Deimos, our heroine begins to fantasize about the ‘God of Terror’, a man she would not see for close to another two years. Bored and struggling with a direction in life, Quinn would accompany her best friend Sophia to a tattoo appointment where she will come face to face with her future in the guise of Alexander Hades but all is not as it appears to be, as Alexander’s slow seduction of Quinn is offset by Quinn’s fantasies involving the myth, the killer, known as Deimos.

The world building is complex and multi-layered. Alexander Hades is an enigma; a tattoo artist, an MMA fighter, a killer and a member of the Greek Mafia controlled by the Hades family. Quinn Connor is a naïve, Catholic school girl; a part time librarian with aspirations to be an artist, a young woman whose entire life is predicated on a series of secrets and lies. Protected by Alexander, lusting after Deimos, Quinn finds herself spiralling as the truth is slowly revealed.

The relationship between Quinn and Alexander is a slow building romance as Alexander tenderly seduces the woman with whom he has fallen in love but Alexander has secrets, deep, dark and dangerous secrets that once revealed may destroy his relationship with our story line heroine. The $ex scenes are provocative and intense.

We are introduced to Alexander’s brother: Aristotle and Sebastian: Quinn’s best friend Sophia Sutton; library employee Isaac; as well as Quinn’s ultra religious parents; her friend Owen Walsh, and several members of the Russian, Irish and Greek Mafia. The requisite evil has many familiar faces. There is some history between Sophia and Aristotle.

THE TATTOO ARTIST is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, obsession and madness, forgiveness, acceptance and love. The premise is dark, dramatic, twisty and intriguing; the romance is passionate and intoxicating; the characters are broken, disturbing, desperate and determined.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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