Tag Archives: Adult

If You Need Me (Toronto Terror 3) by Helena Hunting-review

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If You Need Me (Toronto Terror 3) by Helena Hunting-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 14, 2024

I’ve been secretly in love with Wilhelmina Reddi-Grinst since the third grade.

I should be the one taking her to our small-town high school reunion. The prom king finally gets his chance with the valedictorian.
Except she hates me.

To the world, I’m a pro hockey player with a million dollar smile.
To Hemi, I’m the menace who (accidentally) sank her bike to the bottom of the lake.

I never thought I’d be able to right my wrongs until she took the team’s PR job.
I’d hoped I was making progress, winning her over—one geriatric polka party at a time.

Until I got drunk one night and made a mistake. A very big mistake.
Now the world thinks we’re both very much in love—except Hemi is absolutely in loathe.

To save our jobs and reputations, we have to convince all our friends, family, and bosses that our fake relationship is the real deal.

I’ll do anything to protect her, especially if it means I get to be the best boyfriend Hemi never expected.

•••••

REVIEW:IF YOU NEED ME is the third instalment in Helena Hunting’s contemporary, adult TORONTO TERRO erotic, hockey romance series. This is PR agent for the Toronto Terror Wilhelmina ‘Hemi’ Reddi-Grinst, and team player Dallas Bright’s story line. IF YOU NEED ME can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary . Dallas and Hemi were first introduced in books one and two.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Hemi and Dallas) IF YOU NEED ME focuses on the enemies to lovers, fake relationship between our story line couple. Wilhelmina Reddi-Grinst and Dallas Bright were childhood friends but high school proved to be difficult for Wilhelmina, having been bullied and harassed by her fellow students. Dallas Bright watched from the sidelines as the woman he loved was destroyed by those she should have called friends but a misunderstanding pushed Wilhelmina too far, and in the ensuing ten years, our heroine struggled to forget the betrayal brought about by Dallas Bright. Fast forward to present day, Dallas is a player, and Hemi is the PR director for the Toronto Terror, and their upcoming ten year high school reunion threatens any and all of Hemi’s hard fought stability. Knowing Hemi’s high school bullies would be chomping at the bit to destroy her life, Dallas makes Hemi an offer she cannot refuse. A fake relationship and engagement to prove she is worthy of love and affection but all does not go according to plan as Dallas wants something more, and Hemi struggles with his past betrayals.

The world building focuses on issues of low self esteem for both Hemi Reddi-Grinst and Dallas Bright. Dallas struggles to forgive himself for breaking our story line heroine’s heart, and Hemi battles between head and heart fearing a repeat of her entire high school career. Hemi is an assertive and often combative heroine who has spent most of her life facing down the bullies who were taking constant aim, and in this, her reputation made her a target of workplace harassment.

The relationship between Hemi and Dallas is an enemies to frenemies to lovers relationship; a fake engagement meant to prove they had both moved on from the past, but the past refuses to let go for our story line couple, and Dallas and Hemi are at two different points in their rekindling relationship. The $ex scenes are provocative and passionate without the use of over the top,sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and charismatic secondary and supporting characters including the couples we met in the previous story lines. Family and friends, co-workers and high school bullies, all tame or threaten our couple’s growing relationship and love.

IF YOU NEED ME is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, family and friendships, forgiveness and love. The premise is emotional and heart-wrenching; the romance is flirtatious and inviting; the characters are determined and compelling.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
If You Hate Me
If You Want Me

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

FOLLOW: NYT and USA Today Bestselling author of The PUCKED Series, Helena Hunting lives outside of Toronto with her amazing family and her two awesome cats, who think the best place to sleep is her keyboard. Helena writes everything from contemporary romance to romance comedy, sports romance and angsty new adult romance.

 

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My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakely-review tour

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My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakely-review tour

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 12, 2024

Wanted: hot billionaire to pose as my Christmas boyfriend. Must be willing to make my cheating ex jealous by kissing me under the mistletoe at holiday parties. Bonus if you make him cry.

To my surprise my billionaire boss is more than up for the challenge of coming down the chimney as my holiday boyfriend. The sexy single dad desperately needs a plus one at a Christmas Eve wedding, where he’s the best man and I’m the maid of honor.

And since my ex is in the wedding party too, my boss and I team up as a pair of insta-lovebirds for the holiday season, including during the annual week-long Christmas competition leading up to the snowy destination wedding.

But soon staying up late to string the best popcorn balls ever turns into a scorching night in his arms where the chestnuts aren’t the only thing roasting on the open fire.

Can all these winter wonderland nights seeking revenge turn into the real thing when we return to the office? Or are we destined to go the way of a Christmas tree on New Year’s?

••••••••

REVIEW:MY FAVORITE HOLIDATE by Lauren Blakely is a contemporary, adult, erotic, holiday romance story line set into the author’s LOVE AND HOCKEY series. This is Designer Fable Calloway, and billionaire real estate magnate and football team owner Wilder Blaine’s story line. MY FAVORITE HOLIDATE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Fable was first introduced in The Boyfriend Goal and The Romance Line, books one and two of the author’s LOVE AND HOCKEY SERIES.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Fable and Wilder) MY FAVORITE HOLIDATE follows the fake relationship between designer Fable Calloway and billionaire real estate magnate / single father Wilder Blaine. At the Wilder’s annual Thanksgiving celebration Fable Calloway will discover Brady, her boyfriend of four months found something better to do, the party caterer Iris, and with the hope of not embarrassing those in attendance, Fable keeps the information to herself when at the same Thanksgiving dinner Fable and billionaire Wilder Blaine are asked to be the maid of honor and best man at Charlotte and Leo’s wedding.Working for billionaire Wilder Blaine comes with many perks including an invitation to the Evergreen Falls Annual Best in Snow Winter Competition in Lake Tahoe at Wilder’s Lake Tahoe resort wherein the wedding of Leo and Charlotte will take place but both Wilder and Fable are in need of a plus one, and refusing to be set up or going alone, Wilder and Fable agree to a fake relationship, a relationship that will become all too real with their days and nights spent together. As the wedding and Best in Snow Winter Competition draws near, Wilder and Fable find themselves fake dating, facing an end date, and the reveal of their mutual lie.

The world building follows the fake but building romance and relationship between Wilder and Fable. Wilder is a single father, a billionaire real estate magnate and football team owner who hasn’t had a real relationship in years. With his aunt Bibi always angling to find Wilder someone to love, Wilder is desperate, and makes Fable an offer in the face of her recent break up with Leo’s cousin. Fable is a designer, and is hoping to one day set up her own jewelry store but Fable refuses to let a little heart break stop her forward momentum including falling for our story line hero.Meanwhile Wilder is struggling with his father’s life choices, choices that are costing Wilder both money, and respect from the woman with whom he is falling in love.

The relationship between Fable and Wilder begins as a business arrangement as Fable ‘works’ within Blaine Enterprises, designing merchandise for the football team but Fable is unaware that Wilder has already lost his heart to our story line heroine refusing to cross the invisible line of workplace romances. As one another’s plus ones , Wilder and Fable are required to ‘team up’ for the Best in Snow Competition, a competition that will bring out the competitive nature of everyone, including our story line couple. The $ex scenes are passionate and intimate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are reintroduced Fable’s sister Charlotte and Wilder’s best friend Leo, Wes and Josie (The Boyfriend Goal), Max and Everly (The Romance Line); Wilder’s eleven year old daughter MacKenzie; Wilder’s aunt Bibi; Fable’s ex and Leo’s cousin Brady, caterer Iris, and several close members of Wilder and Fable’s extended yet somewhat dysfunctional families.

MY FAVORITE HOLIDATE is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, family and friendships, relationships and love. The premise is impassioned, encouraging and inviting; the romance is hopeful, sexy and spicy; the characters are quirky, and charismatic.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
The Boyfriend Goal
The Romance Line

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

“Bossy,” she mutters.
I smirk. “Does this surprise you?”
“Not in the least.” Then she murmurs under her breath, a little sensually, “Sir.”
Well, then. That’s a whole lot of info delivered in that tone. I can’t not ask: “So not only does it not surprise you, it sounds like you don’t mind it either?”
She tips her chin up at me, challenging me with, “What do you think?”
I don’t think. I do. I slide my thumb along her pretty chin. God, it feels so good to touch her again. “That you like to give me hell. That you like to keep me on my toes. And that you love to give me a hard time.”
She leans into my touch, almost like she’s saying with her body don’t stop. “And I think you love all those things too,” she says in a husky voice that gives a little hint of her desire.
My thumb travels up to her cheek. She moves with me, her breath gusting across those gorgeous lips. “You’d be right,” I say, heat flaring inside me.

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

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Wild Bliss (Nights in Bliss Colorado 14)by Lexi Blake-review tour

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Wild Bliss (Nights in Bliss Colorado 14)by Lexi Blake-review tour

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Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3S7yWzS

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 12, 2024

Sabrina Leal moved to Bliss looking for a new start. She’s in charge of building a school system from scratch and is excited about the challenge. What she didn’t count on was the surliest bar owner she’s ever met. Sawyer Hathaway gets under her skin in the most annoying way. He’s arrogant and sometimes rude, and she can’t stop thinking about him. It’s easier to ignore him when it’s only Sawyer. But when she meets his best friend, Wyatt, he’s light to Sawyer’s darkness, and the combination calls to Sabrina in a way she might not be able to deny.

Sawyer likes things the way they are. Alone. No serious connections. Just him simmering in his own unresolved trauma. Like a real man should. But the new schoolteacher is making it hard. And the reappearance of Wyatt in his life isn’t helping. Years before, Sawyer had joined an outlaw MC when his brother had gotten in trouble. Wyatt had been a true friend, and when he needs a short-term place to stay, Sawyer can’t turn him out. Short term turns way longer, and the baddest man in Bliss has to admit it’s not terrible to have a friend. But there’s no way he’s getting involved with the sweetest thing he’s ever met.

Wyatt wants Sabrina the minute he sees her. He’s spent his whole life in the equivalent of a criminal, violent cult, and he wants some softness. He wants the white picket fence dream of Bliss. His best friend. Their wife. Throw in a super-cute rescue dog and a couple of kids and Wyatt would be in heaven. When his scheming gets all of them snowed in together, he knows he’s got his shot at making this work.

But the MC isn’t done with Wyatt or Sawyer, and Sabrina is exactly the bargaining chip they need…

••••

REVIEW:WILD BLISS is the fourteenth instalment in Lexi Blake’s contemporary adult NIGHTS IN BLISS, COLORADO erotic, revers harem romance series. This is elementary school teacher Sabrina Leal, bar owner Sawyer Hathaway, and bartender Wyatt Kemp’s story line. WILD BLISS 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 a MFM menage sexual relationship , there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives WILD BLISS follows the building romance and relationship between elementary school teacher Sabrina Leal, bar owner Sawyer Hathaway, and bartender Wyatt Kemp. Approximately one year earlier, Sabrina Leal watched as Sawyer Hathaway all but ran from our story line heroine. Fast forward to present day Sabrina is the new elementary school teacher for the children of Bliss Colorado, but an electrical issue with her cabin finds Sabrina facing down Sawyer Hathaway and his roommate Wyatt Kemp. Wyatt knows immediately he wants Sabrina as his own but is willing to share with Sawyer Hathaway but Sawyer struggles with his ‘criminal past’, and Wyatt’s past with the Colorado Horde MC threatens the safety of everyone concerned and both men are willing to walk away to protect the woman he loves.

The world building focuses on several paths including Wyatt’s struggles to escape his past, a past that refuses to let go. From the outset, Sawyer believes himself unworthy and a fear of abandonment continue to threaten his sent of self-worth, and Sabrina has fallen to two men who believe she is unable to protect herself.

The relationship between Sabrina and Sawyer begins tempestuously due to Sawyer’s belief he is unworthy of love. As Sabrina and Wyatt’s relationship becomes something more, Sawyer reconsiders his future with the woman he loves. the $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of familiar, entertaining and sassy characters most of whom we have met in the previous story lines.

WILD BLISS is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, dysfunctional family values, acceptance and love. The premise is captivating, dramatic and gritty; the romance is provocative and impassioned; the characters are determined, broken and charismatic.

Previous Reviews

Pure Bliss
Up All Night in Bliss 6.5
Chasing Bliss
Once Upon a Time in Bliss
Back in Bliss
Sirens in Bliss
Happily Ever After in Bliss
Far From Bliss
Unexpected Bliss

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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Relentless Sinner (Empire of Sinners 4) by Faith Summers-review

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Relentless Sinner (Empire of Sinners 4) by Faith Summers-review

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RELEASE DATE: October 31, 2024

My father forced me to marry the most notorious man in the city. A man people call the beast.
Jaxon Bortsov is a beautiful devil—cruel and cold, relentless and vicious.
Next in line to claim the throne of the Vysotsky Bratva, he commands with an iron fist and a heart of ice.

We began with a cursed contract. One my sister was supposed to sign.
But when she fell pregnant and ran, I was left to honor the deal in her place.
I tried to escape, to sever the binds of fate, only to be captured by enemies.
But Jaxon stole me back like a thief in the night, and now he refuses to let me go.

Jaxon is not a man who takes no for an answer, nor one easily deceived.
When he discovers my secret, I have no choice but to surrender and become his Belle.
I tell myself there’s still a way out.
Yet with each stolen kiss and forbidden touch, I feel myself slipping deeper into his darkness.

The moment I take his name, I’m lost—addicted to the way he calls me his wife.
Each kiss melts the walls around my heart. Every touch pulls me further into his twisted obsession.
Soon, I forget the danger that lurks behind our vows.

In Jaxon’s world, truth is as dangerous as the love that binds us.

••••

REVIEW:RELENTLESS SINNER is the fourth instalment in Faith Summers’ contemporary, adult EMPIRE OF SINNERS dark, erotic, Mafia romance series. This is thirty six year old Pakhan Jaxon Bortsov, and twenty-four year old Gabriella De Costa’s story line. RELENTLESS SINNER 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 (Jaxon and Gabriella) RELENTLESS SINNER follows in the wake of the rescue of our story line heroine. Salvatore De Costa arranged a marriage between his daughter Natasha and Jaxon Bortsov but Natasha ran leaving Salvatore to offer up his youngest daughter Gabriella in her stead but Gabriella wanted nothing to do with the Bratva heir known as The Beast, so she too ran but found herself from the frying pan into the fire when she was captured and held by human traffickers. Rescued by Jaxon Bortsov, Gabriella would, once again, find herself a virtual prisoner but a prisoner in a gilded cage. Desperate to escape, Gabriella puts a plan into motion only to realize that someone else is pulling the strings, placing Gabriella in the direct line of fire. What ensues is the tempestuous but building romance and relationship between Jaxon and Gabriella, and the potential fall-out as betrayal comes from within forcing our couple to reconsider who to trust, and who to take down.

The world building follows several paths as Jaxon struggles to find a common ground with his wife, a woman who struggles with her place in his life. As Jaxon takes the reigns as the new Pakhan in the Bratva, there are those waiting in line to take control. Meanwhile, the dysfunctional family dynamics threaten any semblance of peace as our couple find themselves facing the treachery and treason of everyone involved.

The relationship between Jaxon and Gabriella is a forced, arranged marriage. Gabriella’s father’s pursuit of power places his daughter’s life in the balance; Jaxon’s need for approval comes at a cost. Falling for Jaxon was never in the future but Gabriella found herself in love with a man who promised to guard and protect. The $ex scenes are intimate and aggressive.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and questionable secondary and supporting characters most of whom are problematic and controversial family members aiming for the top.We are introduced to Gabriella’s father Salvatore De Costa, and her sister Natasha, as well as Jaxon’s father Ilya Bortsov; Jaxon’s best friend and Italian mobster Micah, Jaxon’s advisor Eric, and the return of Cillian O’Ridian. The requisite evil has many faces.

RELENTLESS SINNER is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, dysfunctional family values, acceptance, forgiveness and love. The character driven premise is dark, dramatic and haunting; the romance is edgy ; the characters are tragic, dynamic and desperate.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

Ruthless Sinner
Merciless Sinner
Fearless Sinner

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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DARK HEART (Elven Kingdoms 2) by Donna Grant -review

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DARK HEART (Elven Kingdoms 2) by Donna Grant-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 13, 2024

Deepest passion. Darkest betrayal.

Once, she was my world. The only one I loved. Then it was all ripped away—including my freedom.

Vengeance kept me alive. It paved every step, shaped every plot.

Until I finally caught her.

I learned that line between love and hate is wafer-thin. Where once my dreams were filled with revenge, now that I have her, all I think about is the intoxicating passion we once shared.

But there’s no turning back the events her capture has set into motion. It unravels a carefully constructed world, one where enemies surround me.

Everyone, that is, except her.

Now, we only have each other—and the love that once united us, to fight our way to long-buried truths that will change everything.

•••••••

REVIEW: DARK HEART is the second instalment in Donna Grant’s adult ELVEN KINGDOMS paranormal / fantasy romance series, , a spin off, set in the author’s numerous interconnected series including Dark Kings and Dragon Kings. This is Dark elves Arya and Jai’s story line. DARK HEART can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives DARK HEART follows Dark Elf Arya as she goes in search of the man she loves. Approximately four years earlier, while working undercover for the CCD, the Dark’s Counter Corruption Division, Arya is thought to have betrayed the man that she loved, pushing Jai out of her life and into the arms of someone else. Having spent several years searching with her partner Dain, in the hopes of finding Jai, Arya is about to walk into a trap, setting into motion, her capture and torture at the hands of the people in charge but Arya will quickly discover that the betrayal by someone else sparked Jai’s hatred towards our story line heroine, and a ransom for her capture was only the beginning of her spiral out of control.

The world building is complex and detailed, focusing on the trafficking and torture of slaves, and Jai was once at the centre of the destruction of so many lives. There is a council of Masters seemingly battling for control including the capture of our story line heroine, but Arya’s love for Jai is threatened by a lifetime of lies and betrayal.

The relationship between Arya and Jai goes from enemies to friends to lovers but someone else is waiting impatiently for Arya to be pushed out of Jai’s life. Jai believes Arya betrayed him and their love, and therefore is determined to make Arya pay for years of heart break and pain. The limited $ex scenes are intimate and provocative without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of colorful and magical secondary and supporting characters including Jai’s childhood best friend Priya, Arya’s CCD partner Dain, the not quite human female Reva, as well as the return of Yasmin and Ravi (Rising Sun 1), and Dragon King Kendrick and his mate Esha. The requisite evil has many faces.

DARK HEART is a story of secrets and lies, jealousy and obsession, power and control, betrayal and vengeance, forgiveness and love. The premise is dramatic and dark; the romance is predicated upon a past relationship; the characters are lively, determined and dangerous.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one RISING SUN

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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 |  NEWSLETTER SIGNUP / TUMBLR / PINTEREST / GOODREADS

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Scandal (Stoneslayer 1) by Candace Lynn Talmadge-review

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Scandal (Stoneslayer 1) by Candace Lynn Talmadge-review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo Paper /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 12, 2024

His power seeks to destroy it all. Can she rise up to stop him?

The Stoneslayer paranormal fiction series charts a lost world of political scandals, explosive family secrets, and the reincarnation of a line of extraordinary women who challenge the cataclysmic rampage of an ancient, demonic foe.

Book One Scandal

Lt. Helen Andros is a mixed-race outcast in Azgard. Saved from death when her true parentage comes to light, she now faces the outrage of the overclass, the lethal hostility of the mighty Temple of Kronos—and a powerful, high-ranked father she neither knows nor trusts.

Steering a volatile personal journey with her stranger parent, Helen is stalked. Will a hidden menace—the deadly Stoneslayer—plunder the mysterious green gem she inherited from her mother? Will political necessity bind her in marriage to a man she does not love and who cannot love her back?

•••••

REVIEW:Can I first say I loved the glossary (very helpful) but I personally would have liked it at the front of the book (I was worried I would read the last page and spoil the book!) secondly the family trees were a nice touch.

The glossary was a great help, as there were A LOT of characters. I made notes as I went along, but had to constantly look at the glossary for confirmation.

This is the first book by this author that I’ve read, and to be honest, if this is the first in the series, I want to know more….

The book had all the makings of a great read. Action/adventure/mystery/suspense and a paranormal angle.

But sadly it fell a little short….
Information is great, but maybe not at the end, as it felt like an avalanche burying the story!

And maybe the language (or use of Renaissance/modern/old world jumbled together) was a little off putting, once I got the hang of it, I could understand a bit better.

But I loved Helen, she was just so strong. Her resilience was tested time after time. A father who I couldn’t like nor trust. A person who has known hate and prejudice, Helen just took it all in her stride. She’s also tied to a man that is for purely political reasons (very archaic) can she really trust him? Only time will tell. Her wit and smart mouth has me smiling, her comebacks made me chuckle.

340 pages, and I was there for most of them. How Helen uses her (magical abilities?) family gem to heal people. How she had to always stay one step ahead of the demon.

The idea of reincarnation was a different angle and I really liked that.

But a word of warning ‼️ there is mention of assault and r@pe!! Maybe that needs to be addressed, as it was a little shocking (if I know it’s coming I don’t have an issue, I can prepare myself!)

I liked it, if it could just be re-jiggled a little then I think it would have the potential to be a really interesting series.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B 🦋

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When He Protects (Protector & Defender 1) by Cynthia Eden-review

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When He Protects (Protector & Defender 1) by Cynthia Eden-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 29, 2024

He knew she was trouble from the moment they met.

Esme Laurent is a con artist. An accomplished liar. A world-class thief. And probably the most beautiful and intriguing woman that Tyler Barrett has ever met. Sure, he has to arrest her at their first meeting, and she absolutely hates him, but…well, he has a job to do. And Tyler always gets the job done.

Turns out, she is the new job.

The people in charge want to use Esme to bring down a very dangerous criminal operation. And in order to do that, Esme has to stay in the land of the living. She needs protection, she needs a new identity, and she needs to disappear, immediately. Because Esme has more than a bit of power, she makes her own deal…her protection needs to come in the ever-so-gorgeous, ever-so-dangerous, and ever-so-law-abiding form of U.S. Marshal Tyler Barrett.

They’ll disappear into Small Town, USA. And they’ll pretend to be newlyweds who just can’t keep their hands off each other.

No, absolutely, this cannot be happening. But no matter how much Tyler protests, the new job is, in fact, happening. He’s being sent to Asylum, Alabama, with the delectable Esme. He’s supposed to be her husband—a role that will give him twenty-four, seven access in order to protect her. He needs that access in order to make sure that Esme doesn’t run from the authorities and that she stays alive. But what Tyler doesn’t count on is the consuming desire he feels for a woman who should be off-limits.

She’ll test every limit that he has…

Esme doesn’t expect her attraction to the rule-following Tyler. He’s big, he’s buttoned-down, and he’s absolutely…delicious. She also suspects that he may be carefully controlling a wild side—one that she would love to see erupt. Oh, if only.

When danger comes calling, Tyler is more than ready to handle any threat. Who knew that falling for the good guy could be so tempting? And so very…heart-breaking. Because there was no way a guy like Tyler would want to stay around once they stop pretending. Everyone knows the bad girl never gets to keep the good guy, especially when she’s still working a very long con.

•••••

REVIEW: WHEN HE PROTECTS is the first instalment in Cynthia Eden’s contemporary adult PROTECTOR AND DEFENDER erotic, romantic suspense series. This is former Marine turned US Marshall Tyler Barrett, and twenty-seven year old, professional thief Esme Laurent’s story line.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Esme and Tyler WHEN HE PROTECTS follows the building relationship between our story line couple. Tyler Barrett was working undercover at a high end party, a party where a suspected thief may have been targeting but Tyler will come face to face with an unlikely mark, a beautiful woman whose secrets run deadly and deep. Enter Esme Laurent. Esme is a professional thief but all is not as it appears to be. Esme has secrets that may be heart breaking for Tyler, secrets she does not necessarily want to reveal. A bounty on her head, Esme and Tyler embark on a fake marriage, going into hiding but Esme is willing to run to protect the man with whom she is falling in love.

The world building follows the building romance and relationship between our story line couple. In hiding, our couple find themselves the target of a powerful man but betrayal comes from within, from many sides, and from where they least expect it. No longer able to trust the people in charge, Esme and Tyler must try to make it on their own.

The relationship between Esme and Tyler begins as an assignment when Tyler is tasked to arresting our story line heroine but when Esme becomes the target, Tyler finds himself guardian and protector on orders from the top. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to several members of local and federal law enforcement and government agencies including Esme’s father Etienne Laurent; Sheriff Clay Banks; FBI Agent Grayson Stone; former Marine Kane Harte, and Agent Thaddeus Caldwell. The requisite evil has many faces.

WHEN HE PROTECTS is a story of secrets and lies, power and control, betrayal and vengeance, family and relationships, forgiveness and love. The character driven, fasts paced premise is intriguing and captivating but the guilty party(s) was easily to deduce. The characters are charismatic and cheeky; the romance is seductive and fated. Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Copy supplied for review

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Unlocked (E-labs Trilogy 1) by Peter L Kraft-review

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Unlocked (E-labs Trilogy 1) by Peter L Kraft-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 5, 2024

A discovery that shatters the boundaries of human potential. A race against time to control it.

In the hidden depths of Switzerland’s E-Labs, Dr. Natalia Accorsi and her team have made a breakthrough that could redefine humanity—a series of mysterious “combinations” that unlock extraordinary abilities lying dormant in the human body. Telekinesis. Telepathy. Accelerated healing. Abilities that defy imagination.

But with unimaginable power comes unimaginable danger.

As word of their discovery spreads, sinister forces emerge from the shadows, determined to seize the unlocking technology and tilt the global balance of power. Natalia is thrust into a deadly game of espionage, greed, and ambition, where the price of failure is global chaos.

Caught in a storm of conspiracy and manipulation, Natalia and her team must navigate the dangerous world of unlocked potential, all while grappling with the ethical boundaries of their work. With each new combination revealed, the stakes rise higher, and the line between savior and destroyer grows dangerously thin.

In a world on the brink of destruction, unlocking humanity’s potential may be the only way to save it—or doom it forever.

•••••

REVIEW:UNLOCKED is the first instalment in Peter L. Kraft’s adult E-LABS sci-fi, dystopian trilogy focusing on the hidden powers of the human mind.

Told from third person perspective UNLOCKED focuses on the ‘unlocking’ of the mind’s hidden powers. Hired by researcher Dr. Gustaf Remaley, Dr. Natalia Accorsi heads an all star team of scientists as they struggle to uncover the potential of the human brain, and in its’ wake set into motion the destructive nature of mankind. As Natalia and her team continue to build the codes that will change humanity, the inconceivable becomes a reality when betrayal becomes the catalyst in the war for the ultimate control.

UNLOCKED is a story written as a contemplation of what if; a reflection and introspection of the present; a written narrative that mirrors some of today’s questionable innovations including the pros and cons of AI; and the likelihood for war. The team at Evereldis Labs are attempting to rewrite what it means to be human but in doing so the psychokinesis aka PK is wielded as a weapon for those willing to pay the price.

UNLOCKED is a philosophical, psychological and mythological look at the human potential. A techno-thriller of manipulation and betrayal, power and control. Peter L. Kraft’s style of writing is a technical narrative yet descriptive portrayal combining science fact, science fiction and speculation. The premise is detailed, complex and thought provoking. The cast of characters are desperate, determined, destructive and questionable. UNLOCKED ends on a big of a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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