Tag Archives: New Adult

A Taste of Darkness (Satan’s Touch Academy) by Crea Reitan-review

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A Taste of Darkness (Satan’s Touch Academy) by Crea Reitan-review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 28, 2024

Don’t touch the walls…

The world is getting a little darker and the girls aren’t sure what to do. Summer has come and their newest and perhaps biggest line is ready to launch. There are big things planned, but the insidious underbelly of Satan’s Touch Academy won’t let them go.

When the secret society hits a little too close to home and Crea nearly loses one of her demons, the witches decide that turning their backs on the problem and hoping it goes away isn’t working. Maybe it’s time to try a new tactic and see what they can figure out… from the inside.

Everything appears shiny and new, glamorous and glitzy. But when one of the angels who have been paraded around naked and chained manages to break free, he tells a very different, darker story than what the society would have everyone believe.

Not that it matters, because right before school starts, the disappearances become far too personal.

•••••

REVIEW:Third book in the Satan’s Touch Academy series, and I loved it. It revolves around a group of girls who find their mates. It shares pages with everyone, but each book has a little more time with one female…. Devyn is the lucky one this time 😉

This book takes up from the last book, so it’s best to read the two previous books before starting this one.

The girls toy shop (not the type you take kids to 😜) is going great. The relationships between them and their mates are going really well (s£x and lots of it in the book) they even managed to squeeze a holiday away together. So life is looking good. It would be marvellous if it weren’t for the society (Saint Sacred Tongue, Sanctus Sacrum) wanting them to join their ranks.

The Sanctum isn’t sacred and isn’t nice, as the group are about to find out….

Rescuing someone from the Sanctum seemed like a good idea at the time, but when the Sanctum retaliate by trying to grab a mate, it makes the girls stop and think.

And when one of the girls (not saying who 🤫) gets kidnapped, it throws them all in a turmoil!!

As always the characters are well thought out. The plot had me engrossed. And the pages flew past. Yes there is silliness and fun, but there is also a dark side to this story, and as the books progress, so does the darkness!!

This author has now become a one click without reading the blurb. The time/effort and emotions put into each book has to be exhausting, add different genres into the mix, and there should be something in her works to please most people.

Another cliffhanger 🫣 leaving me wanting answers and more time perusing the shelves of their shop 😜

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
A Lick of Magic
A touch of Seduction

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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The Plays We Fake (Braysen U 2) by Brooke O’Brien-review tour

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The Plays We Fake (Braysen U 2) by Brooke O’Brien-review tour

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Goodreads: https://bit.ly/ThePlaysWeFakeGR

ABOUT THE BOOK : Release Date March 29, 2024

I’ve heard the rumors about the football players in our small town. Trouble always has a way of finding them, and the girls can’t get enough of their wild ways.

Hayes Carver has the bad-boy reputation down to go with his scoring records and good looks.

Everything changes after the game that destroyed his image and painted him as a dirty player. From the press and social media to his coach and teammates, the pressure is building, and he can’t seem to escape the constant scrutiny.

When his limits are tested, Hayes turns to me for a way out.

He proposes that I play along as his fake girlfriend in hopes it changes the narrative and takes the pressure off him.

The rules are set in stone. Faking a relationship with him won’t be easy, and falling for him is out of the question.

Yet the more time we spend together, the more the lines between what’s real and fake begin to blur.

Hayes needs me to help save his reputation, but to do it, I’ll have to risk my heart.

••••

REVIEW:THE PLAYS WE FAKE is the second instalment in Brooke O’Brien’s contemporary, new adult BRAYSEN U erotic, sports romance series. This is university students, football player Hayes Carver, and Everly Winthrop’s story line. THE PLAYS WE FAKE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. Hayes is Beckham Carver’s brother ( The Rivals We Hate 1). There is a slight cross over between books one and two.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Hayes and Everly) THE PLAYS WE FAKE follows the fake relationship between our story line couple. Everly Winthrop often helps assist with the school media program but our heroine has no time for holier than thou sports stars, especially Hayes Carver. Hayes is struggling with bad publicity following an on-field incident and having a full-time girlfriend may help clean up his bad boy image. Enter Everly Winthrop, the woman with whom Hayes will fall in love but Hayes is keeping secrets, threats against his future and the people he loves, and in this, Hayes is battling his conscience and the secrets that may be revealed.

The world building focus on the fake but growing relationship between our story line couple: their friends and potential enemies, the game of football, and the threats made against our story line hero. Everly reveals a slightly dark blemish about her past, a past that is about to become up close and personal.

The relationship between Everly and Hayes begins acrimoniously. Hayes is desperate to clean up his reputation as the social media campaign against him becomes dangerous and dark. Everly finds herself falling for our hero, someone who is so much more than the rumors and lies. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate-Hayes likes to talk dirty in the bedroom but he is a one woman kinda guy and from the outset he is hoping for something more.

Most of the previous story line characters return including Beckham and Hallyn, roommate Colter Vaughn and his girlfriend Ava; Reed Hendrix; Everly’s roommate Willow, as well as several teammates, and hockey player Talon Pierce, and his sister Tatum.

THE PLAYS WE FAKE is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, family and friendships, relationships and love. The character driven premise is strong and haunting; the romance is seductive and provocative; the characters are determined and dynamic.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one THE RIVALS WE HATE

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

USA Today Bestselling author Brooke O’Brien writes steamy and swoon-worthy new adult and contemporary romances.

She believes a love worth having is worth fighting for, and she brings this into her stories where her characters risk it all for love.

If Brooke’s not writing or reading, she’s probably spending time with her family, binge-watching the latest crime documentary, indulging in chocolate, or watching Hawkeye football or NBA basketball.

Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/brookesbookbabes

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorbrookeo

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorbrookeo

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorbrookeobrien

Website: https://www.authorbrookeobrien.com

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Broken Hearts (Silverbrook University 2) by RG Angel-review tour

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Broken Hearts (Silverbrook University 2) by RG Angel-review tour

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date MARCH 13, 2024

Eva
Cole Westbrook was the orchestrator of my most significant firsts – my first kiss, love, heartbreak, and regret. Following a harrowing event that left me broken, I’ve rebuilt myself, stronger and more resilient.The vulnerable girl who fell for Cole is gone, replaced by someone determined not to let him shatter her world again. Yet, resisting Cole’s tempestuous pull proves more challenging than I ever imagined. He’s a force of nature, equally captivating and destructive on his best and worst days.

Cole
Eva thinks she can escape our shared past, but she’s mistaken. She’s not just a lost love; she’s my only love and I’m not about to let her slip through my fingers again. I’ve always been relentless, whether it’s on the sports field or in chasing my dreams, and I play for keeps. Eva’s no exception. My obsession might be intense, my need to protect her might seem over the top, but it’s all because she is mine. I’m ready to do whatever it takes, bend every rule, break down every barrier she puts up, to make her see we’re meant to be together.

••••••••

REVIEW: BROKEN HEARTS is the second instalment in RG Angel’s contemporary, new adult SILVERBROOK UNIVERSITY erotic, romance series. This is twenty year old Cole Westbrook, and nineteen year old Evangeline ‘Eva’ Sinclair’s story line. BROKEN HEARTS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. Some of the events of BROKEN HEARTS run parallel to, and cross over with the events of book one BROKEN RIVALRY.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Eva and Cole) using present day and memories from the past, BROKEN HEARTS follows the second chance relationship between our story line couple. Eva and Cole were high school sweethearts but perceived betrayal pushed at the raw edges of heart break, and in the ensuing aftermath, Eva lost everything and more. Fast forward to present day, Eva and Cole attend the same university, a surprise to our story line hero. Desperate to reconnect with the woman he still loves, Cole makes every attempt to both destroy and avenge our story line heroine. What ensues is the rebuilding but tempestuous relationship between Eva and Cole,and the potential fall-out as the past refuses to let, once again taking aim at our story line couple.

The world building crosses over with book on in which we get a few glimpses of Ethan and Poppy’s struggling relationship. Along with her roommates Poppy and Vanessa, we are up close and personal with the trauma from the past, and the ongoing betrayal at the hands of the boys they once loved.

The relationship between Cole and Eva is one of second chances; a rebuilding romance in which Cole is oblivious to the truth, and Eva struggles with her attraction to a man who all but destroyed her life. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters include the return of Poppy and Ethan, as well as the struggling relationship between Vanessa and Liam. We are introduced to Poppy’s father, Cole’s parents, and the requisite evil that refuses to let go.

BROKEN HEARTS is a story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, forgiveness and acceptance, family and love. The character driven premise is emotional and dramatic; the romance is spirited and moving ; the characters are animated, real and haunted.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one BROKEN RIVALRY

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Social Media: Goodreads/ Facebook / Instagram / Bookbub/

In addition to being an International Bestselling Author, I wear many hats – a trained lawyer, a globe-trotter, a coffee addict, and a cheese aficionado.

When I’m not immersed in lawyerly mayhem or crafting Contemporary Romance stories filled with heart, heat, and a touch of darkness, you’ll find me enjoying indoor activities in rainy (yet beautiful) Britain. These activities often include reading, indulging in TV series, and playing with my crazy puppies.

I hope my stories transport you to dreamlike worlds and bring as much joy to your heart as they bring to mine while writing them.

For the latest updates and news, join my reader group ‘R.G.’s Angels’ on Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter.

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DELICATE (Sierra Cove 6) by Lyssa Cole-review

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DELICATE (Sierra Cove 6) by Lyssa Cole

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 1, 2024

Have you ever been in one of those relationships where you love the person no matter how much they hurt you?

They leave scars. Permanent, ugly ones that my naive self didn’t see coming. One day it all went wrong. He hurt me and left me more guarded and closed off to the only thing I’ve ever craved. Love. I’ve always been good at hiding my pain, being closed off to the world. I don’t let anyone see the scars from my past or my present.

Until Rhett saw them. And yet he still wanted to be my friend. Despite my damaged heart.
When Rhett helps me find my happiness again with surf lessons, volunteering at the local animal shelter, movie marathons, road trips, and lots of laughter, I start to feel things I never thought I would.

Yet he insists on keeping things platonic leaving me with the proven fact that love isn’t real. I’d be stupid to open my heart up again. As graduation looms near, Rhett is headed back home to Florida and I’m stuck here in California. Leaving us right where we started. Nothing more than just friends.

•••••••

REVIEW: DELICATE is the sixth instalment in Lyssa Cole’s contemporary, new adult SIERRA COVE erotic, romance series. This is college seniors Rhett and Maia’s story line. DELICATE 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 (Rhett and Maia) DELICATE follows the building romance and relationship between our story line couple. Maia is in a committed relationship with her boyfriend Alex but all is not well in romance land. Alex is controlling and emotionally abusive, and when Maia is befriended by fellow student and local surfer Rhett, Alex sees red. Refusing to see the real Alex, Maia continues to defend the young man with whom she claims to love until Maia sees beyond the façade, and the monster within. With Rhett by her side as emotional support, Maia walks away, and with a new direction, sees a little more clearly what was happening around her. What ensues is the building relationship between Maia and Rhett, and the potential fall-out when a trip to Florida reveals a friendship that turns into something more.

The worlding building focuses on controlling relationships, struggles to be free, new found friendships, miscommunication and misunderstanding.

The relationship between Rhett and Maia begins as friends in which Rhett see more than Maia refuses to admit. Always the protector, Rhett is often caught in the middle of Maia’s relationship fall-out but Rhett is hoping for something more from a woman who is struggling to walk away. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

Several of the previous story line characters and couples return in secondary and supporting roles including Holden and Lennox, Everleigh and Landon. We are introduced to Rhett’s large extended family, as well as Maia’s soon to be ex boyfriend Alex.

DELICATE is a story of power and control, emotional abuse, secrets and lies, friendships and relationships, acceptance and love. The premise is dramatic and emotional; the romance is seductive; the characters are determined and animated but our heroine is slightly immature.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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OUT OF BOUNDS (Game Time 2) by Tam DeRudder Jackson-review tour

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OUT OF BOUNDS (Game Time 2) by Tam DeRudder Jackson-review & giveaway  tour

ebook only 99¢ Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play / Apple

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 1, 2024

There is only one truth: guard your heart.

All I want is a quiet drink. Guess it is too much to ask. Especially for my ex who will not take a hint when I tell him the seat beside me is taken—by my purse. My gaze snags on the super-hot guy in the reflection behind the bar, the one whose knowing wink should put me off. But my attention keeps straying to him. When football standout Wyatt “Bax” Baxter makes his move, steals the barstool from my purse, and sends my ex on his way, I can’t decide if I’m irritated or intrigued. After I caught my ex cheating, I know better than to trust a man with my heart. Yet when one thing leads to another, Bax becomes the only thing on my mind.

It was supposed to stop at a one-night stand.

Bax is unexpected. I don’t usually date football players. The fact that he listens when I talk is as big a turn-on as his broad shoulders stretching his T-shirt. When we hook up, he rocks my world. But my terrible history with men stops me from giving him my number. One and done, moving on is my motto these days. Though Bax lets me walk away, he refuses to let me go. He finds a way to live rent-free in my head, and to my everlasting shock, I keep seeking him out. Our backgrounds are wildly different. We make no sense together, but I can’t stay away.

She’s out of my league—like that ever stopped me.

Piper Maxwell is the whole sexy package—smart, independent, and the best time I ever had. When I wow the crowd with a pick-six during a big rivalry game, I know exactly where to point the ball—at a purple-haired hottie cheering in the student section. She insists on keeping it casual, but she is too special to let get away. I’m known for my tenacity on the field, something Piper is about to find out extends off the field too.

She thought the game ended in the first quarter, but I play to the final whistle.

Game Time.

••••••••••••

REVIEW: OUT OF BOUNDS is the second instalment in Tam DeRudder Jackson’s contemporary, new adult GAME TIME erotic, football romance series. This is college junior / middle linebacker Wyatt ‘Bax’ Baxter, and Piper Maxwell’s story line. OUT OF BOUNDS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Wyatt and Piper) OUT OF BOUNDS follows the building relationship between our story line couple. Piper Maxwell doesn’t do relationships in the wake of heart breaking betrayal but having met Wyatt Baxter allowed Piper a second chance if only a chance at friends with benefits. Wyatt Baxter knew immediately Piper was the woman who would steal his heart but Piper’s secrets kept her heart frozen, and her ability to trust locked down. Struggling to break down Piper’s resolve, Wyatt tried everything including romantic seduction but Piper would have to face her demons or battle the darkness for the rest of her life. What ensues is the romance and relationship between Wyatt and Piper, and the potential fall-out when another perceived betrayal threatens Piper’s ongoing ability to trust.

The world building focuses on betrayal, forgiveness and dysfunctional family dynamics. Piper’s parents are a large part of our heroine’s battle with trust, having lost their support when everything fell apart. Wyatt Baxter’s focus in on playing football and the woman with whom he is falling in love but Piper is refusing to play by the rules.

The relationship between Piper and Wyatt is one of immediate attraction but Piper refuses to accept Wyatt Baxter is anything more than a friend with benefits. Everyone except Piper, sees something more, and in this Wyatt struggles to convince our heroine she is more than the betrayal from the past. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters, most of whom we met in the previous instalment including Wyatt’s teammates, friends and roommates. We are introduced to both Wyatt and Piper’s extended families, as well as Piper’s ex Charlie, and her sister Pippa. As to the extended family, Piper’s parents are oblivious to our heroine’s struggles, only thinking about family reputation, and the people at home.

OUT OF BOUNDS is a story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, family and friendships, relationships and love. The fast paced premise is captivating, dramatic and intense; the romance is seductive; the character are energetic, determined and dynamic.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one FINDING THE END ZONE

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

“Your sass is one of your best features—did you know that?” His hand landed on the wall beside my head, his body heat warming my front where only a breath separated us. “Any special reason you’ve been waiting for me?”

More than anything, I wanted to drag his sexy ass out the back door of the pizzeria to spend some quality time in the back seat of his truck. But I’d driven my friends to the bar, and by now, I imagined they were already planning to send a scout to figure out where I’d disappeared to for so long.

Swallowing down my lust, I said, “I wanted to wish you good luck for the game Saturday.”

The corner of his mouth twitched up. “That all?”

“Yes.”

Leaning in close, his warm breath tickled my ear as he whispered, “Liar.”

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

Tam DeRudder Jackson is the author of the paranormal romance Talisman Series and the contemporary romance Balefire Series. Her favorite “room” in her house is her back patio where she dreams up stories of romance and risk. When she’s not writing her latest paranormal or contemporary romance, you can usually find her driving around with the top down in her convertible or carving turns on the slopes of the local ski hill. The mom of two grown sons, Tam likes to travel, attend rock concerts, watch football and soccer, and visit old car shows with her husband. She lives in the mountains of northwest Wyoming where she spends most of her free time trying to read all the books. Her TBR piles are threatening to take over her office, and she’s fine with that.

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LONELY FOR YOU ONLY (Lancaster ) by Monica Murphy-review tour

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LONELY FOR YOU ONLY (Lancaster World) by Monica Murphy-review tour

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 6, 2024

Young heiress Scarlett Lancaster is delighted when her father tells her he hired a famous pop star and former boy band member to play at her eighteenth birthday. But delight becomes utter disappointment when it turns out he wasn’t talking about Harry Styles. No, Scarlett’s dad hired Tate Ramsey, former lead singer of the band Five Car Pileup, who hasn’t been popular for years.
Tate, after years of alcohol- and drug-fueled partying, is sober and ready for a comeback. He is in top form at Scarlett’s party and blows the audience away with his performance—though Scarlett herself still isn’t impressed. But when they talk after he leaves the stage, their encounter ends in a kiss that surprises them both—and immediately goes viral.
The viral kiss and the video of Tate singing at the party do wonders for both of their burgeoning careers. So after some careful negotiation, the two of them agree to start a fake relationship. But before long they discover their feelings might not be fake after all …

•••••

REVIEW: LONELY FOR YOU ONLY by Monica Murphy is a contemporary, new adult, slight rock star romance story line set in the author’s Lancaster Prep world. This is twenty-year old, former teen singing idol Tate Ramsey, and eighteen year old heiress Scarlett Lancaster’s story line. LONELY FOR YOU ONLY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalments is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Tate and Scarlett) LONELY FOR YOU ONLY follows the fake relationship between our story line couple. A scandal destroyed Tate Ramsey’s career but a call for a personal appearance for a ‘spoiled little rich girl’s’ eighteenth birthday part was about to set Tate’s career on a new path. Scarlett Lancaster knew her parents would go above and beyond for her eighteenth birthday but she never expected her father to hire the heart throb teen idol she fell for at thirteen years of age. Enter Tate Ramsey. A late night kiss would go viral throughout social media, and Tate’s popularity and music career would once again rise but a new contract and new promoter came with a caveat-a fake relationship with Scarlett to keep the fans wondering. What ensues is the fake but building romance and relationship between our story line couple, and the fall-out when their secret is exposed.

The world building focuses on the growing relationship between our story line couple, and the potential for heart break. Scarlett has become Tate Ramsey’s muse, and with the possibility of their secret becoming public knowledge, Tate struggles with the what-ifs and whys.

The relationship between Tate and Scarlett begins as a birthday party entertainment in which Scarlett battles between head and heart with Tate’s scandal ridden career and the ‘boy’ she once loved from afar. Tate Ramsey didn’t need another scandal but a boost to his all but destroyed career came with the bonus of Scarlett Lancaster, a naïve young woman whose life is about to explode. Falling for one another was easy but the truth may destroy their growing love. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Scarlett’s parents Gloria and Fitzgerald Lancaster; her best friend Rachel, several promoters and agents, as well as Scarlett’s crush Ian Baldwin.

LONELY FOR YOU ONLY is a coming of age story of secrets and lies, betrayal and jealousy, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The slow building premise is entertaining but the conflict is limited and quickly remedied. The romance is tender and subtle; the characters are sweet but somewhat immature-the overall feel of the story felt more YA (young adult) than eighteen to twenty year olds.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Things I Wanted To Say
A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime
Birthday Kisses 2.5
Promises WE Meant to Keep
I’ll Always Be With You
You Said I Was Your Favorite
New Year’s Day

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is both self-published and published by Random House/Bantam and Harper Collins/Avon. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance.

She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she’s not writing, she’s reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

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DAMAGED GOODS (All Saints High 4) by LJ Shen -review tour

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DAMAGED GOODS (All Saints High 4) by LJ Shen -review tour

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

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GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/171498175-damaged-goods

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 24, 2024

Underneath the goody two-shoes persona is damaged goods…but can the bad boy across the street save her?

Bailey Followhill is the perfect daughter. Sweet. Charitable. Pretty. Control freak. Not a hair out of place, not an inch out of line, she is everything her troublemaking sister Daria isn’t. But when her A game turns out to be a lukewarm C- at Juilliard, Bailey’s picture-ready life starts fraying faster than the worn satin ribbons of her pointe shoes. She’s becoming a piece of gossip. The Troubled Child. A drug abuser. No longer the girl her best friend once knew.

Lev Cole is so golden, he’s got the Midas Touch. Prized quarterback. Football captain. Hottest guy in SoCal. A textbook cliché. But with a girlfriend he doesn’t love and a career path he doesn’t value, Lev is coasting. The only two things he cares about, Bailey and becoming a pilot, are out of reach.

But Lev is done being satisfied with the life others have chosen for him. He wants to pick his own cards. To demolish the seamless kingdom of lies his family stitched together on the ruins his mother left behind.

The question is, can he save his best friend and his dream before too much damage is done?

••••••

REVIEW: DAMAGED GOODS is the fourth instalment in LJ Shen’s contemporary, young -new adult ALL SAINTS HIGH romance series-a second generation spin off from the author’s SINNERS OF SAINTS series. This is football player Lev Cole, and ballet dancer Bailey Followhill’s story line. DAMAGED GOODS can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the series in order or at the very least book one PRETTY RECKLESS for backstory. Bailey is Daria’s sister (Pretty Reckless), and the daughter of Jamie and Melody (Defy/Sinners of Saints): Lev is the son of Dean and Rosie Cole (Ruckus/Sinners of Saints).

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

Told from three first person perspectives (Bailey, Lev, Dixie) using present day and memories from the past, DAMAGED GOODS follows the turbulent relationship between our story line couple. Bailey and Lev are best friends: grew up together, neighbors, and each was a product of parents who pushed a little bit too hard. Lev wanted to become an Air Force pilot but found himself playing a game he no longer loved. Bailey was her mother’s last hope of living vicariously through her daughter’s success but Bailey’s life spiralled out of control, wherein she would lose the only boy she would ever love. What ensues is the struggling relationship and friendship between Bailey and Lev, and the fall-out when Bailey hits rock bottom, and Lev can no longer hold her hand, saving her from the demons that control her life.

The world building focuses on drug addiction and a loss of control; on the untenable expectations of a parent, and the perceived failure of the child; on self-loathing, issues of low self-esteem, and the ultimate betrayal by the those claiming to be friends. As this is a story line focusing on high school aged characters, the young adult story line includes the requisite mean girls, a love triangle, and all the angst of trying to fit in with family and friends.

The relationship between Bailey and Lev is a lifelong friendship in which Lev has been in love with his best friend as long as he can remember but Bailey is scared; unsure of her future, a future that is now controlled by addiction and drugs. As Bailey continues to spiral, her relationship with Lev suffers, and believing himself Bailey’s only chance at survival, Lev is willing to give up everything for the woman he loves. The $ex scenes are passionate but mostly implied.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, dynamic and often questionable secondary and supporting characters including all of the previous story line couples, as well as several (now parents) from the original Sinners of Saints series. We are reintroduced to Bailey’s parents Jamie and Mel (Defy/ Sinner of Saints) , her sister Daria and husband Penn (Pretty Reckless 1), Dean ‘Ruckus’ Cole (Ruckus), Vicious (Vicious); Lev’s football teammates; real estate agent Dixie; and the requisite mean girl(s).

DAMAGED GOODS is a story of addiction and spiral; pain and injury; dreams and failure; of perception and reality; of acceptance and love. The premise is gritty and heart breaking; the romance struggles in the face of secrets and lies, addiction and betrayal; the characters are struggling, broken, but fighting to survive.

I want to address the copious number of 1-star reviews, and in this, the rating appears to be based on high expectations and disappointment about a couple of secondary characters. Every reader has hopes for, or confidence in the outcome for certain situations but for these two secondary characters in particular, the results were not what readers expected, and was ultimately difficult to accept.

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 grovelling are guaranteed.

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

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BROKEN RIVALRY (Silverbrook University 1) by RG Angel-review tour

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BROKEN RIVALRY (Silverbrook University 1) by RG Angel

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 22, 2024

Poppy:
Once, I walked the halls of privilege, but in a heartbeat, I watched my world crumble. Now, as I stand at the threshold of Silverbrook University, I’m armed with nothing but a scholarship and a determination to reclaim a semblance of my former life.

But fate has a cruel sense of humor. Ethan Hawthorne, the golden boy of my former elite world and my ex-rival, is here. His every smirk is a reminder that the past is not easily outrun.

Ethan:
At Silverbrook, I’m the guy with the world at his feet—star athlete, heir to a legacy, the guy who always wins. But Poppy? She was the one challenge I never conquered, the one competitor who never played by my rules.

Her return in my life is a curveball I never saw coming. She’s changed, hardened by life’s twists, and now she captivates me more than ever. Our history wasn’t just competition; it was a clash of hearts and egos. Now, the rules have changed. I’m not just out to win a petty game. This time, I’m playing for her heart.

In the elite corridors of Silverbrook University, a tale of passion, redemption, and undeniable attraction unfolds. Poppy and Ethan, bound by their tumultuous past, are caught in a dance of denial and desire. Can an alpha athlete truly humble himself for love? And can a strong-willed girl find forgiveness in her heart?

••••••

REVIEW: BROKEN RIVALRY is the first instalment in RG Angel’s contemporary, new adult SILVERBROOK UNIVERSITY erotic, romance series . This is nineteen year olds, Poppy (Lockwood) Donovan, and Ethan Hawthorne’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Poppy and Ethan) BROKEN RIVALRY follows in the aftermath of the family downfall. Two years earlier, Poppy’s life and the lives of her family imploded. Struggling in the aftermath, Poppy would miss her first year of college, before accepting a scholarship to a local university but Poppy never expected to come face to face with the boy who had become her bully, the son of the man she partially blames for everything that went wrong. Enter Ethan Hawthorne. Ethan is a star soccer player at Silverbrook University, an institution of which his father did not approve. Ethan refused to be pulled into his father’s world, and set about to make it on his own but coming face to face with the girl that has starred in all of his fantasies and dreams meant struggling to win back the only girl that could break his heart. What ensues is the rebuilding friendship and growing relationship between our story line couple, and the potential fall-out when Poppy believes their love is predicated upon a life.

The world building reveals some of the back story and history between our story line couple, as well as some of the heart break of Poppy’s two new best friends. Poppy and her family were once part of the elite of society but betrayal and vengeance would come at a cost.

The relationship between Poppy and Ethan is one of second chances of a sort. Frenemies in high school, the struggling relationship would be destroyed by the sins of the fathers. Having lost everything, Poppy and her family would struggle to rebuild but the battle was far from over. As Poppy and Ethan’s relationship slowly turned into something more, Poppy would discover that everything had been all a ruse. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Poppy’s roommates Evangelina ‘Eva’ and Vanessa: Ethan’s friends Cole and Liam; Poppy’s brothers James and Billy, their mother Julia Donovan, and Cole’s parents. There is a prior history between Eva and Cole, one in which Cole is hoping for a second chance, and Eva struggles to forgive or forget.

BROKEN RIVALRY is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, bullies, forgiveness, acceptance and love. The premise is captivating, emotional and heart breaking-the bullying is limited as Ethan realizes the ‘error of his ways’; the characters are struggling, broken, charismatic and charming; the romance is seductive. The epilogue fast forwards three years.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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In addition to being an International Bestselling Author, I wear many hats – a trained lawyer, a globe-trotter, a coffee addict, and a cheese aficionado.

When I’m not immersed in lawyerly mayhem or crafting Contemporary Romance stories filled with heart, heat, and a touch of darkness, you’ll find me enjoying indoor activities in rainy (yet beautiful) Britain. These activities often include reading, indulging in TV series, and playing with my crazy puppies.

I hope my stories transport you to dreamlike worlds and bring as much joy to your heart as they bring to mine while writing them.

For the latest updates and news, join my reader group ‘R.G.’s Angels’ on Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter.

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