Tag Archives: Dark

The High Priestess (Mafia Empire 2) by Michelle Heard-review tour

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The High Priestess (Mafia Empire 2) by Michelle Heard-review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 10, 2025

As the eldest daughter of Ilias Dimitrou, I’m next in line to become the head of the Greek mafia. I’m getting good at putting on an act while I learn everything I need to know about the organization, but behind closed doors, I’m terrified. If my father’s men catch a whiff of my fear, they’ll rip me apart.

Before I’m able to take over from my father, we’re attacked. I have to depend on my newly formed alliance to come to the rescue while I fight with every ounce of strength in my body to stay alive.

Barely surviving when my entire family is slaughtered, I end up being guarded by Lincoln Knight. For some reason, the damaged sniper refuses to leave my side, and I find myself becoming more and more dependent on him. He follows me like a deadly shadow, and I’m well aware of the fact that he’s the only person standing between me and certain death.

When I take my rightful place as the head of the Greek mafia, can I conquer my fears and become the strong leader I was born to be?

••••••

REVIEW:The High Priestess is book two in the Mafia Empire Series by Mihelle Heard.

Cassia Dimitrou is next in line to head the Greek Mafia. Her entire life has been planned out for her to take her rightful place. While working alongside her father, Ilias Dimitrou, she is learning all she needs to know to take over one day soon. But fate has other plans for her. Cassia doesn’t have the same plans for the Greek Mafia as her father. Her father brokers and alliance with other Mafia heads a year ago, all but cementing her rightful place. She has put on a strong front and has shown the others that she is a force to be reckoned with. But deep down inside she is scared beyond belief. She can’t show them any fear. And she manages to put on a brave face despite everything going on around her. And as her father becomes increasingly chaotic and sporadic in his choices, Cassia does everything in her power to persuade him not to start a war with the Russian Bratva. But that war comes to her. And with losing everything that means anything to her, she must do everything in her power to protect herself and take her rightful place.

Thats when she meets Lincoln Knight. He hangs around with Santiago Castro, and he is there for one reason and one reason only. To kill the evilest of people. And that is exactly what he has done for two years. That is until he lays eyes on Cassia. When Cassia puts a call out for help to her alliance members, they send Knight. Knight does everything in his power to save Cassia and her sister.

Will they survive what has just happened to them? Will Cassia be able to take her rightful place as head of the Greek Mafia?

This book was wonderfully written. Cassia is a strong, determined young woman. Who has one thing on her mind. Taking over the Greek Mafia. While she is determined to take her place, she is also scared and trying everything in her power not to show weakness to any of her enemies. I love the bond she builds slowly with Knight and how he must protect her at all costs from the moment he meets her. Knight comes with his own baggage and the moment he meets Cassia he begins to see he has something to live for again.

The story of Knights past takes him to a dark place, and you are on a journey with him and he finds himself again in the love and caring support of Cassia. This book comes with a trigger warning, please make sure you check that out before reading. Wonderful second book to the series. Can’t wait to read Santiago’s book next.

Click HERE for Erin’s review of book one THE HERMIT

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Erin

 

Michelle Heard is a Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling Author who loves creating stories her readers can get lost in. She resides in South Africa with her son where she’s always planning her next book to write, and trip to take.

Want to be up to date with what’s happening in my world? Sign up to receive the latest news on her alpha hero releases, sales, and great giveaways →http://eepurl.com/cUXM_P

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Savage Prince (Ruthless Heirs 2) by Sienna Cross-review tour

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Savage Prince (Ruthless Heirs 2) by Sienna Cross-review tour

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

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

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4hTIRE3

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 8, 2025

He stole her for revenge, so she stole his heart as payback.

Antonio
When my own brother killed our father, I was forced to claim the Ferrara throne.
And all I thirst for is revenge.
Stealing Serena Valentino was supposed to be business, a simple chess move in the mafia wars.
But nothing prepared me for her.
She captivates my cold heart, challenging the brutal world I’m chained to by blood.
When enemies come for her, I face an impossible choice: protect the empire I’m destined to lead or sacrifice everything for the woman who dares me to love.

Serena
Kidnapped by the newest head of the Ferrara empire, I should fear Antonio, hate him…
But when brutal rivals strike, his fierce protection flips my world upside down.
Caught between loyalty to my family and a forbidden desire for my captor, I’m drawn to him in ways I can’t explain.
As lines blur, I must decide if the man who’s both my jailer and protector could hold the key to my heart
Or if he’s just another enemy in the shadows…

•••••••

REVIEW: SAVAGE PRINCE is the second instalment in Sienna Cross’ contemporary, adult RUTHLESS HEIRS dark, erotic, Mafia romance series. This is thirty-four year old, Antonio Ferrara and twenty-four year old, fashion designer Serena Valentino’s story line. SAVAGE PRINCE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. Antonio Ferrera is the brother of Raffaele Ferrara (Ruthless Guardian 1) . Some of the events of SAVAGE PRINCE cross over with, and run parallel to some of the events of RUTHLESS GUARDIAN.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Antonio and Serena) SAVAGE PRINCE focuses on the aftermath of the abduction of our story line heroine. Antonio Ferrara is determined to seek revenge for the murder of his father, targeting Serena Valentino, the daughter of the man he blames for his father’s death but Serena is a woman who refuses to go quietly, and in doing so, finds herself falling for a man whose need for revenge wains in the face of real world events. On the run, often one step ahead of everyone hunting down our story line couple. Serena and Antonio will discover that they can no longer trust the people in their lives.

The world building follows Antonio and Serena as they find themselves the target of several attacks against their lives and the people they love. Lives will be lost as our couple go on the run, in the hopes of surviving against double crossing and deception.

The relationship between Antonio and Serena begins as an abduction. Serena is studying and working in Milano as a fashion designer but a night on the town ends as a prisoner of the man with whom she will fall in love. Antonio is determined to get revenge for his father but kidnapping Serena brings Antonio up close and personal with a woman who will save his life. The $ex scene are provocative and intense.

The secondary and supporting characters are colorful and dynamic; we are introduced to Serena’s father Dante Valentino; her cousin Alessandro; Antonio’s brother Raffaele and his girlfriend and Serena’s cousin Isabella, as well as an assortment of security specialist, drivers, housekeepers, chefs and questionable friends. Alessandro’s story line is next.

SAVAGE PRINCE is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The fast paced premise is captivating and engaging; the romance is seductive and fated; the characters are desperate and determined.

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

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

Sienna Cross was kidnapped by mobsters, saved by her super-hot step-brother, then forced into an arranged marriage with a billionaire. From there, things got really interesting… She loves to write about dark, morally-gray alpha males and the captivating women that bring them to their knees. For all the inside info, join Sienna Cross’s Heartbreakers on Facebook, like her page, and follow her on Instagram and Tiktok. She has a thing for stalkers 😉 

 

Connect with Sienna

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Matteo (Legacy of Heathens 1) by Eva Winners-review tour

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Matteo (Legacy of Heathens 1) by Eva Winners-review tour

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

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 30, 2025

From the moment my twin sister set her eyes on Matteo, she decided he was the one. We were just kids, but that didn’t matter to her. In her heart, she believed they were destined to be together.

So when their arranged engagement was announced, no one was surprised.

At least, that’s what I thought.

But lately, something had felt off. Wherever I went, Matteo was there. Lurking in the dark, concealed in the shadows, always watching.

I didn’t know what I’d done to capture his attention. I didn’t want it. Yet, I couldn’t stop my heart from trembling like a bare soul caught in the icy grip of winter whenever he came near. Nor could I ignore my body’s traitorous response to his voice, low and laced with wicked intent.

I fought to resist him. I truly did. But it was useless.

He knew it. And so did I.

So I ran.

But that was the thing about the Vitales: they always gave chase.

•••••

REVIEW: –MATTEO is the first instalment in Eva Winners’ contemporary, adult LEGACY OF HEATHENS dark, erotic, second generation romance series set in the author’s numerous interconnected series including the Belles & Mobsters Series, Thorns of Omerta Series, The Kingpins of the Syndicate Series, Stolen Empire Trilogy and the Billionaire Kings Trilogy. This is twenty-five year olds, Matteo Vitale, and Arianna Morelli’s story line. You do not have to had read the previous series but a bit of working knowledge about the history and back stories would be helpful.

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

Told from several first person perspective including Matteo, Arianna, Luciano, Nico, and Bianca MATTEO follows the building but tempestuous and forbidden relationship between childhood best friends Matteo Vitale, and Arianna Morelli. From an early age, Arianna’s twin sister Hannah proclaimed that she would one day marry Matteo Vitale, never once considering that Matteo would always be in love with someone else. Battling in the face of a broken heart, Arianna would have to come to terms when her twin sister Hannah’s engagement was announced to our story line hero, a man who would only love one woman, the woman whose heart he was about to destroy. Determined to move on, Arianna and Hannah would run from the people they loved, a run that placed a target on Hannah’s back but all was not well within the organized crime families, the past had returned threatening the second generation.

The world building follows several intersecting paths including the return of the Belles & Mobsters organization; the strained relationship between Arianna and Matteo, and the fight for power within organized crime.

The relationship between Arianna and Matteo is a childhood best friends to forbidden lovers . Arianna’s twin has claimed Matteo as her own but Matteo is in love with our story line heroine. As the extended families make plans for Matteo and Hannah’s future together, Arianna and Matteo remain silent, breaking one another’s heart as their futures diverge. The $ex scenes are intimate, provocative and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large, colorful and complex cast of secondary and supporting characters many of whom were introduced in the author’s numerous interconnected organized crime series. The second generation characters include Arianna’s twin sister Hannah, their younger sister Gianna, and twin brothers Dominico and Cassius, as well as their parents Nico and Bianca Morelli (Belles & Mobster 2); Dante & Phoenix Leone’s daughter Skye, Nikola Nikolaev, Gabriel Santos, Enzo Marchetti; Luca; Matteo’s parents Luciano & Grace Vitale (Belles & Mobsters 2) and his sister Francesca.

MATTEO is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, addiction and obsession, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The premise is dark, dramatic and edgy; the romance is fated and passionate; the characters are desperate, dynamic and stubborn.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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.

Follow her on social media to stay up to date with all her new releases!

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Lethal Legacy (Lethal Legacy 1) by Paula Walshe-review

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Lethal Legacy (Lethal Legacy 1) by Paula Walshe-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 March 14, 2025

Love is deadly. Trust is lethal.

LUCIA

How can I love what I tried to escape?For six years I’ve run from the Orlov bratva.I don’t need to see the ink under Roman’s shirt, Or touch the gun under his jacket, To know he has Bratva written all over every muscled inch of his body.

And now he wants me in his home. Not to mention in his bed.On paper, Roman Stevanovsky is a billionaire CEO.But that doesn’t mean he isn’t a killer in practice.Which is probably why I can’t take my eyes off him.

I might have left behind my real name, and the Petrovsky fortune; But it seems that my libido remains stubbornly hardwired to Russian bad boy.

I need the kind of power Roman wields. Hellfire, to regain what was stolen from my family.But I’m as close to possessing either power or hellfire as I am to making my crazy fantasies about Roman himself come true.

ROMAN

Lucia is hiding something.You can’t fake that kind of fear.The fear of being huntedBy death itself.

I know how it feels to have no choice but run.To guard secrets that aren’t mine to tell.To live with a revenge.That I can never take.

I told myself I wouldn’t get involved in whatever storm is chasing Lucia.I only meant to give her a chance,the means to outrun it.

But now she’s in my home.Her body in my bed, her heart stealing mine.Lucia’s life belongs to me, even if her secrets are hers alone.

So if the storm decides to come for her?Well—I protect what is mine.And I’m no storm.I’m the f***ing apocalypse.

•••••

REVIEW:LETHAL LEGACY is the first instalment in Paula Walshe’s contemporary, adult LETHAL LEGACY dark, erotic, Mafia duet focusing on billionaire tech giant Roman Stevanovsky, and au pair Lucia Lopez.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Lucia and Roman) LETHAL LEGACY follows the building romance and relationship between billionaire tech giant Roman Stevanovsky, and au pair Lucia Lopez. Roman Stevanovsky is the legal guardian to his late brother’s three children but when the fifth nanny quit having been terrorized and humiliated by the kids, Roman is determined to find someone, if only on a temporary basis. Having met barista Lucia Lopez a handful of times, the feisty waitress is the perfect foil for the children but a woman with many secrets she does not want exposed. As the children find themselves falling for our story line heroine, Roman is determined to claim Lucia as his own but all is not well in the Stevanovsky Bratva, someone else is taking aim, and Roman believes the nanny is at the heart of the betrayal.

The world building is detailed and edgy. Lucia Lopez is not whom she claims to be but our hero is hiding a dark secret that he also does not want exposed. As Lucia loses her heart to our story line hero, Roman is determined to destroy everything and everyone connected to the woman he thought he loves.

The relationship between Lucia and Roman begins as employee and employer but quickly turns into something more as Roman is determined to claim Lucia body and soul but all is not well as Lucia’s past returns seeking ownership, Roman discovers that all is not as it appears to be. The $ex scenes are provocative and intense.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, questionable and dynamic secondary and supporting characters including Roman’s charges Ofelia, Mikey and Masha, and their mother Inger, uncle Nikolai; Lucia’s father Juan, her best friend Abby, and Roman’s best friend and second in command Dimitry; as well as a large assortment of Mafia types, determined to take back control.

LETHAL LEGACY is a heartbreaking story of many secrets and lies, power and control, betrayal and vengeance, misunderstanding and miscommunication, family and relationships, desperation and love. The premise is dramatic, tragic and twisted ; the romance is edgy and spicy; the characters are charismatic, wounded and ill-fated. LETHAL LEGACY ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

 

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Sweet Obsession (Dark Olympus 8) by Katee Robert-review

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Sweet Obsession (Dark Olympus 8) by Katee Robert-review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 1, 2025

He was mine to protect. Mine to adore. Mine to lose forever.

*A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Poseidon and Icarus.*

Icarus may not have flown particularly close to the sun, but he has fallen…right into the rough hands of Olympus’s own Poseidon. Being held captive by the gentle giant wouldn’t be so bad if Olympus wasn’t on the eve of destruction…or if Poseidon stopped looking at him with those irresistibly stormy eyes.

Poseidon doesn’t have time to babysit his increasingly bratty prisoner, but he has no choice: Olympus is officially at war, and someone has to keep their best bargaining chip out of harm’s way. The thing is, the longer Poseidon is with Icarus, the more he starts to care for his sworn enemy…and the more he realizes that Icarus isn’t the villain he’s been made out to be. There’s a warmth to him, a vulnerability, that Poseidon finds difficult to ignore or deny.

Now with Circe and the Aeaens at the gate and Olympus a hair’s breadth away from falling, Poseidon will have to make a difficult choice: about himself, about his allegiances, and about the man who woke his heart from its long slumber only to threaten to break it for good...

•••••

REVIEW:SWEET OBSESSION is the eighth instalment in Katee Robert’s contemporary, adult DARK OLYMPUS erotic, urban fantasy series, a modern retelling of the gods and goddesses of Olympus. This is Poseidon, and Icarus Vitalis’ story line. SWEET OBSESSION can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as there is an ongoing premise throughout.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise including same $ex scenarios and BDSM situation, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

SOME BACKGROUND: Not all is well in Olympus. The barrier between Olympus and the rest of the world is collapsing, and the attacks in the upper city have become dangerous and deadly. The fight for power and control within the ruling circle of Thirteen has resulted in a number of deaths-someone is determined to destroy that which is no longer theirs to control.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Poseidon and Icarus) SWEET OBSESSION follows the building romance and relationship between Icarus and Poseidon as the gods and goddesses of Olympus prepare for war. Icarus is Poseidon’s prisoner, a prisoner who is determined to ease the darkness that is choking the man with whom Icarus will fall in love but war has come to Olympus, and Icarus may have the ammunition to keep the enemy at bay.

The world building follows preparations for war as the gods and goddesses take sides in a fight for power. Family will target family, friends must take control before everything and everyone is sacrificed.

The relationship between begins when Icarus becomes Poseidon’s prisoner but Icarus suspects Poseidon is struggling with his place in Olympus, and his need to give up control to someone else. As Icarus begins a slow seduction of Poseidon, others see a potential for betrayal by someone who has already been judged. The $ex scenes are provocative and intense including same $ex scenarios and BDSM situations.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and powerful secondary and supporting characters including the return of Hera, Zeus, Hermes, Hades and Circe.

SWEET OBSESSION is a story of power and control, obsession and acceptance, forgiveness and love. The premise is dramatic , intriguing and entertaining; the romance is passionate; the characters are captivating and desperate.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

Neon Gods
Electric Idol
Wicked Beauty
Radiant Sin
Cruel Seduction
Midnight Ruin
Dark Restraint

Please Note: The author has also release several novellas and short stories that are not included in my reading order

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Ruthless Oath (Cruel Empire 1) by Ella Jade-review tour

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Ruthless Oath (Cruel Empire 1) by Ella Jade-review tour

RUTHLESS OATH
(Cruel Empire 1)
by Ella Jade
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, Mafia romance

ebook only 99¢ usd Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

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

GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/226200011-ruthless-oath

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 27, 2025

Kidnapped by a savage enemy.
As heir to the throne in a royal mafia family, it’s my job to get the information needed to bring my father home. And that means kidnapping a rival’s spoiled mafia princess daughter.
At the time, I don’t know the man is in negotiations to marry her off to a brutal arms dealer, but when I discover how difficult of a captive she is, it kind of makes sense. Soon, she foolishly starts to see me as the lesser of evils, but while she seems willing to be my captive, she’s mistaken to believe I’m doing her any favors.
I can’t allow anything to distract me. Especially not some naïve woman who doesn’t realize we’ve just set off a mob war. Now the only way to stop what I started and be reunited with my father is to let her go.
Problem is, I’ve fallen for my hostage, and while I have the guts, power, and resources to keep her as a willing prisoner, if I make the wrong choice, it could cost my family’s empire everything.

••••

REVIEW: RUTHLESS OATH is the first instalment in Ella Jade’s contemporary, adult CRUEL EMPIRE erotic, Mafia romance series. This is thirty year old heir to the throne Marchello Accetti, and twenty-one year old Mafia princess Lissia Gallanti’s story line.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Marchello and Lissia) RUTHLESS OATH focuses on an impending war between the Accetti and Gallanti families. Lissia and Marchello met at a fund raiser, held at the Accetti owner luxury car dealership but a shoot out found Marchello protecting the woman who would be his eventual Achille’s heel. Lissia’s father has promised his daughter to a brutal man, and our heroine is desperate for help, even from her father’s enemy. Enter Marchello Accetti. Marchello knows to get involved could mean an all out war but ‘abducting’ LIssia was the last thing he wanted, but the first he thought to do. As Marchello’s hostage, Lissia planned a slow seduction of our story line hero as Marchello struggled to gain control of his collapsing empire. What ensues is the building relationship between Marchello and Lissia, and the potential fall-out when Lissia discovers the truth about her father’s business, and her value as a pawn for power and control.

The world building focuses on a fight for control; a battle for power in the world of organized crime. With his father in exile, Marchello Accetti is left in charge but Marchello struggles with his attraction to a woman that could lead to their downfall.

The relationship between Marchello and Lissia begins as a rescue but Marchello wants nothing to do with a spoiled Mafia princess. Believing women were the downfall of powerful men, Marchello saw an opportunity to negotiations , an opportunity that would collapse when the truth is revealed. Seducing Marchello was easy but Lissia is determined to prove her father is an honourable man. As the relationship between Marchelllo and Lissia turns into something more, Marchello will become distracted threatening his long faught control of the Accetti family. The $ex scenes are aggressive and provocative .

The secondary and supporting characters include Marchello’s brother Milo; guard Ricardo; Lissia’s father Gian, and his newest associate Danny Collins, a man who claims Lissia as his own.

RUTHLESS OATH is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, dysfunctional family values, madness and war. The premise is dramatic, edgy and intense; the romance is fated; the characters are determined and charismatic. RUTHLESS OATH ends on a bit of a cliff hanger-you have been warned

Reviewed by Sandy

Copy supplied for review

USA Today Bestselling author Ella Jade has been writing for as long as she can remember. As a child, she often had a notebook and pen with her, and now as an adult, the laptop is never far. The plots and dialogue have always played out in her head, but she never knew what to do with them. That all changed when she discovered the eBook industry. She started penning novels at a rapid pace and now she can’t be stopped.

Ella resides in New Jersey with her husband, two boys, and two feisty Chihuahua writing companions. She can often be found creating sexy, domineering men and the strong women who know how to challenge them in and out of the bedroom. She hopes you’ll get lost in her words.

AUTHOR LINKS  Facebook / Facebook Group/ Newsletter/ Bookbub/

 

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ORIGINAL SINNER (Original Sinners 1) by Kait Ballenger-review

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ORIGINAL SINNER (Original Sinners 1) by Kait Ballenger-review

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

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 25, 2025

Seven deadly—and ultrarich—sins rule NYC, and though she came here to escape her past, one woman’s true path to freedom might be the devil’s bonds.

The seven deadly sins keep high profiles in the Big Apple: Lust runs brothels, Sloth’s a media streamer…you get the picture. Pride, though, he’s more mysterious. You might know him as Lucifer—temptation irresistibly embodied. The paparazzi are dying for some burning-hot gossip. So when someone publishes my scathing but private rant about him, they eat it up. And now my job is on the line. After all, he is my boss.

With his vicious siblings vying for his power, Lucifer needs to distract the press, so he reframes my tirade as a lovers’ spat, demanding I play the devil’s fiancée. I need to be a good girl, smile for the cameras, nothing more.
But cocky and cruel as he is, his darkness awakens something wicked in me. Sexy and in control, he might just be the cure—an extra dose of sin to heal me from a lifetime of shame and subservience.
And I like it.

••••••

REVIEW:ORIGINAL SINNER is the first instalment in Kait Ballenger’s contemporary, adult ORIGINAL SINNERS dark, erotic, urban fantasy, romance series focusing on twenty-three year old, preacher’s daughter and PA Charlotte Bellefleur, and the prince of darkness Lucifer Apollyon.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there WILL BE triggers for more sensitive readers, as well as some expected religious overtones.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Charlotte and Lucifer) ORIGINAL SINNER follows the building but tempestuous relationship between PA Charlotte Bellefleur, and the prince of darkness Lucifer Apollyon. Charlotte is wholly aware of the Lucifer’s reputation as a billionaire CEO in New York City. In an effort to get up close and personal with Lucifer, Charlotte finds herself applying for a job at Apollyon Inc, where she will become Lucifer’s personal assistant, a position that comes with certain perks of the job but someone is stalking our story line heroine, and an anonymous social media post finds Charlotte bowing to the man with whom she will fall in love. All is not well in the world of the fallen angels, someone else is taking aim at our story line couple.

The world building focuses on several intersecting pathways including the dysfunctional family dynamics of Lucifer’s unheavenly and heavenly family; the jealousy and fight for control, dividing the seven original sinners, and our heroine’s past who refuses to let go. Charlotte has many secrets, secrets that push her into the direct line of fire, and her own decaying family kinetics.

The relationship between Charlotte and Lucifer begins when our heroine integrates herself into the world of the fallen angels but Charlotte is out of her element, and finds herself answering to the prince of darkness. Lucifer doesn’t do relationships, and rarely goes out in public, and in this, Charlotte is determined to change Lucifer’s image but the results will backfire, and our couple must come to terms with what is happening and why. The $ex scenes are aggressive and provocative.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, powerful and interested secondary and supporting characters including Lucifer’s assistant Imani, Charlotte’s best friend Jax, original sinners Astarath, Asmodeus, Mammon, Belphgor, Satan, Leviathan, Beelzebub: Gabriel and Michael. The requisite evil has many faces.

ORIGINAL SINNER is a story of secrets and lies, power and control, faith and trust, family and dysfunction, acceptance and love. The premise is dramatic, dark and edgy; the romance tense and sensational; the characters are determined, charismatic and controversial. ORIGINAL SINNER ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

BIO: Kait Ballenger is a full-time paranormal romance author, wife, bellydancer, graduate student, and soon-to-be-professor. She is the multi-published, award-winning author of the Execution Underground paranormal romance series. With a B.A in English from Stetson University, Kait is currently earning an M.F.A in Writing. Kait believes anything is possible with hard work and dedication. One day, she hopes to be a bestseller and to see her novels on the big screen. Look for the next two books in her page-turning Execution Underground series: Twilight Hunter, book one (August 2013) and Immortal Hunter, book two (January 2014). For more information, please visit www.kaitballenger.com or follow her on Twitter @kait_ballenger.

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IMMORTAL SUN (Dark Olympus 1) by Rachel Van Dyken-review tour

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IMMORTAL SUN (Dark Olympus 1) by Rachel Van Dyken-review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 25, 2025

There isn’t a lore that doesn’t exist around Mt. Olympus, and nobody is safe from the wrath of the immortals who watch.

My only goal: Beat him at his own game. His: Save the world and himself.

Thousands of people have disappeared from this world by way of his hand and the universe breathes for only one more drop of blood–mine. He promised he would help me find my brother.
He lied.

I don’t know why I immediately trusted Cyrus. He was stunningly gorgeous, nice, and so accommodating that maybe I felt too safe—maybe that was the first red flag. The second was that he always said my missing twin was fine, that he’d come back when he was done traveling and that I should stay put until his return. Looks are deceiving. And I forgot.

Now I’m completely screwed. I’m trapped here until the eclipse and the great Sun God says I’m the last sacrifice he has to make in order to ascend to Olympus. I have so many questions about the mixed mythology and each answer that crawls out of Seattle has me more terrified and confused than the first.
I’m surrounded by fallen angels, demons–basically every terrifying yet perfectly normal looking creature on the planet and working at a bar called Styx, counting the days until two of the very coins I take on a daily basis will be used to cover my travel.

Anubis seems nice enough but I don’t want to die. There has to be a way and I’m hellbent on finding it even if it means I join the other side.

••••

REVIEW: IMMORTAL SUN is the first instalment in Rachel Van Dyken’s contemporary, adult DARK OLYMPUS dark, erotic, mythology series focusing on Cleo, and Cyrus, the Sun god Ra.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Cleo and Cyrus) IMMORTAL SUN follows Cleo as she searches for her twin brother Jake, an archeologist who was last seen near Mt Olympus, Seattle, Washington but all is not as it appears to be, and Cleo will discover she and her brother are the last surviving descendants of Chaos, and her death will free our story line hero. Cyrus, the Sun god Ra, is the god of creation and light, and in order to ascend to the heavens, he is tasked with destroying the human descendants of Chaos, including the woman with whom he will fall in love but Cleo is unlike anyone he and the other gods could have ever imagined, and in this, Cleo’s death threatens the stability of all who survive.

The world building is detailed, complicated, complex and cryptic. Nothing and no one is who they appear to be. Alliances are made, line are drawn, the gods prepare for war as Cyrus goes in search of the woman who controls his heart.

The relationship between Cyrus and Cleo is unique. Cyrus owns the nightclub Styx, and Cleo is working for the man she believes can lead to her brother but Cyrus is determined to ascend to Olympus, and Cleo is the only human standing in his way. Cyrus finds himself falling for the woman he must destroy, a fall his is unable to comprehend or deny. The $ex scenes are provocative and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of powerful, questionable and charismatic gods and goddesses including the gods who are task with preparing Cleo for her death. We are introduced Tyrell, Daggon, Apep, Inti, as well as Bast, Rat , Cow and Anubis.

IMMORTAL SUN is a story of power and control, secrets and lies, mythology and lore, acceptance and love. The slow building premise is elaborate, dramatic and edgy; the characters are dynamic, hypnotic and larger than life. IMMORTAL SUN ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

My only complaint / concern is the blurb. It is a bit misleading, and only by mention, there is very little effort or exposure to vampires, werewolves, fae etc.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

To learn more about Rachel & her books, visit here!

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.

She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!To learn more about Rachel & her books, visit here!

She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!

Follow: Website / Facebooks / Goodreads / Twitter /  Instagram

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