Tag Archives: Cruel Castaways

Cold Hearted Casanova (Cruel Castaways 3) by LJ Shen-review tour

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Cold Hearted Casanova (Cruel Castaways 3) by LJ Shen-review tour

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 9,2024

Riggs Bates may be a billionaire, but he knows money can’t buy happiness. He keeps his financial status a secret and takes his women the same way he takes his meals—a different one three times a day. That’s until he’s caught sleeping with a married newswoman by none other than her ambitious assistant.

Daphne “Duffy” Markham wants two things in life: marry well and stay in the States. So when her almost-fiancé takes off to “find himself” and her work visa approaches expiration, Duffy resorts to the only thing she has left—blackmail. Luckily, Riggs needs an excuse to stay in New York as badly as she does, so their first meeting quickly leads to a begrudging engagement.

Armed with strict house rules and their mutual distaste for one another, Riggs and Duffy soon find there’s no denying the spark between them…or the fact that this fake marriage is starting to feel a little too real.

••••••••

REVIEW:COLD HEARTED CASANOVA is the third instalment in LJ Shen’s contemporary, adult CRUEL CASTAWAYS erotic, romance series. This is thirty-seven year old billionaire and photographer Riggs Bates, and thirty -year old PA Daphne ‘Duffy’ Markham’s story line. COLD HEARTED CASANOVA can get 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 (Riggs And Duffy) COLD HEARTED CASANOVA follows the fake relationship and marriage between our story line couple. British born citizen Daphne ‘Duffy’ Markham is on temporary assignment working in America for a woman who has been relocated to Washington DC but walking in on her married boss in a compromising position with a beautiful man pushes Duffy to do something she never thought she would: blackmail her boss, and the handsome stranger in exchange for her silence and an American visa and green card. Enter Riggs Bates, the man with whom Duffy will fall in love but Riggs has a secret-he is a billionaire who doesn’t advertise his wealth, a secret he was never going to reveal. While Duffy struggles between head and heart in the wake of the break up from her former love, Riggs sets into motion a plan to ensure his ‘fake marriage’ feels real for the woman he loves. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Riggs and Duffy, and the potential fall-out as their time together comes with an expiry date.

The world building focuses on Duffy’s struggle to remain in America: her battle to let go of the past; and her fight to accept that her marriage is only temporary to a man who is unable to give her his heart. Riggs Bates early years were mired in rejection and loss, and in this, Riggs has vowed never to settle down or fall in love but meeting Duffy Markham gave Riggs pause for a future but a future that may be shorter than they could ever have imagined.

The relationship between Duffy and Riggs begins as a fake relationship predicated upon a blackmail scheme for our story line heroine. Duffy wants to remain in the US, and Riggs has no permanent address due to his world travels for work. Riggs is determined to not to fall in love; while Duffy struggles to keep her feelings buried where no one can see. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

The colorful secondary and supporting characters include the return of of Arya and Christian (Ruthless Rival #1), Arlene and Winnifred (Fallen Foe 2), as well as Duffy’s neighbor Charlie; her twin brother Kieran, their parents, and Duffy’s assortment of former co-workers and employees.

COLD HEARTED CASANOVA is an emotional story of secrets and lies, betrayal and heart break; acceptance and forgiveness, family and love. The premise is captivating and emotional; the romance is fated and seductive; the characters are determined, desperate, broken but struggling to heal.

Reading Order and Previous reviews
Ruthless Rival
Fallen Foe

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

L.J. Shen is USA Today, WSJ, Washington Post and #1 Amazon Kindle Store bestselling author of contemporary romance books.

She writes angsty books, unredeemable anti-heroes who are in Elon Musk’s tax bracket, and sassy heroines who bring them to their knees (for more reasons than one).

HEAs and groveing are guaranteed.

She lives in Florida with her husband, three sons, and a disturbingly active imagination.

Keep up with L.J. on all platforms:
Newsletter Sign up ➜ https://bit.ly/3LhsIrb
Instagram➜ shorturl.at/cDJRZ
TikTok ➜ shorturl.at/frw59
Facebook➜ https://goo.gl/fKCSo4
Website ➜ www.authorljshen.com

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Fallen Foe (Cruel Castaways 2) by LJ Shen- a review

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Fallen Foe (Cruel Castaways 2) by LJ Shen- review 

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

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 9, 2023

Arsène Corbin does not intend to marry for love. His fiancée has always been a means to an end, a woman he wants to conquer. But when she dies suddenly in an accident, Arsène’s grand plan unravels.

Still reeling from his fiancée’s death, he meets Winnifred Ashcroft, a struggling actress who lands a coveted role in a play at his theater…and knows things about his late fiancée no one else does. The only problem? They can’t stand each other.

Backstage at Arsène’s theater, Winnie begins to let down her guard around the tempestuous billionaire. She appreciates his wit and quirky affection for astronomy. And Arsène, jaded as he is, respects Winnie’s headstrong personality.

Tragedy and betrayal bring them together, but will their painful pasts hold them back—or fuel their desire?

••••••

REVIEW:FALLEN FOE is the second instalment in LJ Shen’s contemporary, adult CRUEL CASTAWAYS erotic, romance series focusing on three friends: Christian Miller, Arsène Corbin, and Riggs Bates. This is thirty-five year old, multi-millionaire businessman Arsene Corbin, and twenty-eight year old, stage actress Winnifred Ashcroft’s story line.FALLEN FOE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from present day and memories from the past, using dual first person perspectives (Arsene and Winnifred) FALLEN FOE follows the enemies to frenemies to lovers relationship between thirty-five year old, multi-millionaire businessman Arsene Corbin, and twenty-eight year old, stage actress Winnifred Ashcroft. Months earlier, while in the Italian Riviera with his soon to be fiancée Grace, Arsene Corbin will meet American actress Winnifred, and her husband, Grace’s boss Paul Ashcroft but from the outset their meeting is tempestuous at best, fueled by Grace’s barbs and condemnation of the woman in question. Fast forward several weeks and months wherein Arsene will lose his father, his fiancée, and discover that not everything is at it appears to be. Winnifred will have lost her husband as well, and the mutual commiseration between Winnifred and Arsene begins to reveal the secrets and lies neither one knew anything about. What ensues is the search for the truth, as Winnifred’s star begins to rise, and Arsene’s heart is destroyed in the process.

Arsene Corbin doesn’t do relationships but his relationship with his ‘fiancee’ is a convenience at best but all is not well, as secrets will reveal a life and past Arsene knew nothing about, a life that will directly affect the woman with whom Arsene will fall in love. Arsene Corbin considers Winnifred Ashcroft a country bumpkin; an unskilled actress with no sense of taste or style, all predicated upon first impressions and other people’s comments. Winnifred Ashcroft is a woman who wants to thrive but a woman whose personal and private life are spiralling out of control.

The relationship between Arsene and Winnifred is turbulent, emotional and stormy. Winnifred doesn’t know Arsene yet his actions constantly place Winnifred below his station, actions that are continue to break Winnifred’s heart. As their relationship grows from enemies to frenemies, a series of discoveries pull Winnifred away from New York, and back into the arms of her family in Tennessee. The $ex scenes are passionate and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters include the return of Arya and Christian (Ruthless Rival #1), professional photographer Riggs Bates; Alice Gudinski; Arsene’s fiancée Gracelynn Langston, and her mother Miranda: Winnifred’s husband Paul, and her agent Chrissy.

FALLEN FOE is a story of secrets and lies, power and control, money and obsession, forgiveness and love. The premise is tragic, emotional and intriguing; the romance is heart breaking and raw; the characters are animated, broken and flawed.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one RUTHLESS RIVAL

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

L.J. Shen is USA Today, WSJ, Washington Post and #1 Amazon Kindle Store bestselling author of contemporary romance books.

She writes angsty books, unredeemable anti-heroes who are in Elon Musk’s tax bracket, and sassy heroines who bring them to their knees (for more reasons than one).

HEAs and groveing are guaranteed.

She lives in Florida with her husband, three sons, and a disturbingly active imagination.

Keep up with L.J. on all platforms:
Newsletter Sign up ➜ https://bit.ly/3LhsIrb
Instagram➜ shorturl.at/cDJRZ
TikTok ➜ shorturl.at/frw59
Facebook➜ https://goo.gl/fKCSo4
Website ➜ www.authorljshen.com

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Ruthless Rival (Cruel Castaways 1) by LJ Shen- a review

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Ruthless Rival (Cruel Castaways 1) by LJ Shen- a review

 

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 3, 2022

When she was young, Arya Roth became best friends with her housekeeper’s son. Soon, friendship turned to young love, and when Arya dared him to kiss her, a chain reaction of disastrous events led to the boy being sent away and out of Arya’s life.

Now, two decades later, Arya is an on-the-rise publicist with her beloved father as one of her biggest clients. So when her father is sued by a former employee, Arya sets out to prove that her father is not the monster he is accused of being. The only problem is the attorney who is determined to destroy her father’s good name. Christian Miller is charming, ambitious, and devilishly good looking, and Arya has no idea he is that same boy who kissed her all those years ago.

Past and present collide as Arya falls hard for Christian. But when she finds out who he really is and about his obsession with getting revenge on her father, can she choose love over family?

•••••

REVIEW: RUTHLESS RIVAL is the first instalment in LJ Shen’s contemporary, adult CRUEL CASTAWAYS erotic, romance series focusing on three friends: Christian Miller, Arsène Corbin, and Riggs Bates. This is thirty –two year olds, attorney Christian Miller, and publicist Arya Roth’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Arya and Christian) RUTHLESS RIVAL focuses on the second chance relationship between thirty –two year olds, attorney Christian Miller, and publicist Arya Roth. Approximately twenty years earlier Arya Roth fell in love with the forbidden, the housekeeper’s son but a stolen kiss destroyed both of their lives. Fast forward to present day wherein Arya Roth’s father has been accused of sexual harassment, and the opposing council looks familiar yet not. Enter attorney Christian Miller aka Nicholai Ivanov,the boy turned man with whom Arya shared a painful past. What ensues is the building but tempestuous relationship between Arya and Christian, and the potential fall-out when the truth is revealed.

Before entering Harvard, Nicholai Ivanov changed his name to Christian Miller, and his former life all but died in the wake of the new start. Having endured years of abuse and rejection. Christian refused to revisit the past until a sexual harassment case brought up a chance for revenge but more so a chance to seduce the woman he believed all but destroyed his life. Arya Roth never knew what happened, after that fateful night, to the boy with whom she had fallen in love. Believing Nicholai Ivanov was dead, Arya kept her love and her emotions close to her heart, having watched from afar as her parent’s relationship continued to implode. Desperate to defend her father’s reputation, secrets reveal a dark and dangerous past, and a betrayal that broke her heart.

The relationship between Arya and Christian is one of second chances, of a sorts: former best friends who were betrayed by the adults in their lives, adults whose own lives are lost or out of control. Christian’s slow seduction of our story line heroine borders on the unethical but Nicholai has not stopped loving the girl that broke his heart. The $ex scenes are intimate,seductive and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Christian’s best friends: Arsène Corbin, and Riggs Bates, as well as their former guardian and mentor Alice Gudinski and Nicholai’s mother Ruslana Ivanova; Christian’s assistant Claire, and Arya’s parents Conrad and Beatrice Roth, and Arya’s business partner Jillian. Arsène’s storyline is next.

RUTHLESS RIVAL is a story of betrayal and vengeance, abuse and harassment, power and control, acceptance and love. The premise is dramatic, emotional and heart breaking; the romance is seductive and provocative; the characters are broken, charismatic,determined and intense.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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