Tag Archives: Rachel Van Dyken

Fallen Gods (Fallen Gods 1) by Rachel Van Dyken-review tour

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Fallen Gods (Fallen Gods 1) by Rachel Van Dyken-review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 2, 2025

hey said the Gods were myth. That the Giants were only stories told around dying fires. They lied.

The Gods aren’t dead—they’re only sleeping, locked in mortal bodies, scattered across the world, waiting for the right spark to wake them. And my father is the most ruthless of them all.

He raised me to obey. To bleed. To be his blade when the time came. Now he’s sending me to Endir University, a place filled with ancient bloodlines and deadly secrets, to steal back Mjolnir, the hammer of legend. If I fail, everyone I love dies.

But Aric Erikson wasn’t part of the plan. He’s the enemy’s heir. Distant. Dangerous. And…the one person I can’t afford to fall for. He’s closed himself off completely behind a wall of ice, but the more I’m ordered to unravel him, the harder it becomes to remember where the lies end and I begin.

There’s only a mission I never chose—and a man I was never meant to love—standing between me and a war that will decide the fate of the world.

But if I’m the spark, maybe he’s the fuse. And the Gods? They’re about to wake up angry.

•••••

REVIEW:FALLEN GODS is this first instalment in Rachel Van Dyken’s contemporary, new adult FALLEN GODS fantasy, romance series, loosely based on Norse Mythology. This is Rey, daughter of Odin, and Aric Erikson’s story line.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Rey and Aric) FALLEN GODS follows Rey as she has been enrolled in Endir University, wherein she has been ordered to find Mjolnir, Thor’s missing hammer. Her target is Aric Erikson, a young man whose family controls Endir University, and a man who, two years earlier, humiliated our heroine, in front of family and friends. Aric and Rey despise one another but are forced to endure a series of tests, tests that will reveal the runes of power, revealing the gods and giants who have been hidden for so long.Realizing the tepid friendship barely hides a palpable sexual attraction our couple realize they have been played by everyone in their lives, pawns to be used as a means to regain power and control.

The world building is detailed and complex as the story line is woven with Norse mythology, and modern day criminal underworld, blending folklore and fantasy in a world created to tell a story of betrayal and love.

The relationship between Rey and Aric is tempestuous at best: enemies to friends to lovers in a story blending Norse gods, giants, and dysfunctional family dynamics. As Rey and Aric work together in an effort to reveal the hidden runes, a familiarity and friendship leads to love and acceptance. The $ex scenes are limited but intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, questionable and energetic secondary and supporting characters many of whom are not as they appear to be. Odin is determined to take back Thor’s hammer but there are other waiting on the sidelines to reclaim what rightfully belongs.

FALLEN GODS is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, family and obsession, mythology and folklore, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is intriguing, magical and dramatic yet reminds me of the author’s Eagle Elite series. ; the romance is fated and edgy; the characters are animated, brooding, determined and stubborn. FALLEN GODS ends on a happily ever after-for now, there is must more story to tell.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow: Website / Facebooks / Goodreads / Twitter /  Instagram

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!

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Texts From My Exes by Rachel Van Dyken-review tour

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Texts From My Exes by Rachel Van Dyken-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 September 15, 2025

Some people scrapbook.
I screenshot my exes’ texts.

What started as me venting my dating disasters online (creative outlet, don’t judge) has turned into a blog with actual followers—and the only thing keeping me in my dirt-cheap apartment. My grandmother-slash-landlord insists I “prove my creativity” to stay, so the blog lives on.

Except now my readers want a happy ending. With an ex.
Problem? None of my exes qualify.
So…I invent one. The perfect guy. The one that got away.

Rule #1: Never roast your exes online if they know how to read.
Rule #2: Definitely don’t make up a fake ex-boyfriend just to keep your rent low.
Rule #3: Don’t—under any circumstances—let your best friend discover the lie.

Because now he’s volunteered to become my fake perfect ex. And the more we fake it, the more I can’t tell if my readers are the only ones falling for the story.

Turns out, the biggest plot twist of all?
I might have been in love with him the whole time.

•••••

REVIEW:TEXTS FROM MY EXES by Rachel Van Dyken is a stand alone, contemporary, adult romance story line focusing on social media influencer Harper Avery and tech genius Ezra ‘Vex’ Park.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Harper and Ezra) TEXTS FROM MY EXES focuses on the best friends to lovers relationship between influencer Harper Avery and tech genius Ezra Park. Harper Avery has been struggling with the dating apps, and with the help of her best friend, Ezra Park, our heroine records her dates and uploads the contents to her followers but Harper’s struggles are about to become real when Ezra offers himself as her ‘fake online boyfriend’, a person named Vex, who is the perfect date.Meanwhile, Ezra’s secret past is about to become online fodder, the demons demand restitution, and Harper is caught between the real world, and the life she records for her followers.

The world building follows the back and forth between our story line couple. Harper is oblivious to Ezra’s love and attraction, and thusly, our heroine is hoping to find the friendship and love with someone else.

The relationship between Ezra and Harper is a chaotic best friends to lovers but a perceived betrayal threatens a life-long friendship. Secrets and lies belies the truth of Ezra love for the woman who is desperate to find love and her own happily ever after. There are no $ex scenes, everything is implied.

The secondary and supporting characters are energetic. We are introduced to Harper’s dates, as well as Grandma Blue.

TEXTS FROM MY EXES is a story of family and friendships, secrets and lies, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is entertaining and slightly frenetic; the romance is limited but fated; the characters are desperate and charismatic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow: Website / Facebooks / Goodreads / Twitter /  Instagram

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!

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Little Nightmare (The Rise of the De Langes 2)by Rachel Van Dyken

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Little Nightmare (The Rise of the De Langes 2)by Rachel Van Dyken-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 June 5, 2025

Not all monsters hide under the bed. Some guard your heart while plotting your ruin. Welcome to your final dream. Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe. I promise. Just close your eyes.

Sleep.

Grief has five stages, they say. But in the mafia, there’s only one: survival. The day I buried my boyfriend, the Families replaced him with the man who rejected me four years ago—Ace “Matchstick” De Lange. Cold. Calculated. Deadly. He has the bedside manner of a serial killer and the looks of a fallen angel. And now, he’s my shadow, ensuring I don’t end up in the grave beside the man who died for me. I despise that I’m the one left behind. I loathe how Ace provokes me, pulling me from the abyss of my sorrow. But most of all, I hate that the only piece I have left of my dead boyfriend is something others would kill to possess.

When Ace uncovers my secret, there’s only one solution: marriage to the devil himself to protect the legacy of the one who had no choice. I vow never to love him. He promises he’ll never love me. He’s a means to an end—the only one who can stand against my father and live to tell the tale. He claims his life is mine, but I don’t want it. I tell him I’ll never be his.

Ace’s response? A chilling, “We’ll see.”

But what happens when everything you believed was a lie? When the only one who can free you from your nightmare threatens to drag you deeper into the darkness? Some families are tested and break under the weight of the mafia. The De Langes broke… then gathered the pieces and rose.

•••••••

REVIEW:LITTLE NIGHTMARE is the second instalment in Rachel Van Dyken’s contemporary, adult THE RISE OF THE DE LANGES dark,Mafia romance series, set in the author’s EAGLE ELITE WORLDS. This is Ace De Langes, and Raven Alfero’s story line. LITTLE NIGHTMARE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but a working knowledge of the Eagle Elite and interconnected Mafia Royals worlds. Raven is the daughter of Dante Alfero, the boss of the Alfero crime family

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Ace and Raven) LITTLE NIGHTMARE follows in the aftermath of the murder of Raven’s bodyguard Louis Santorini, a man who was closer to Raven than anyone could have ever imagined but secrets were about to be revealed, and as Raven’s new bodyguard, Ace De Langes would pay the price for the sins of someone else. Raven has been targeted, and Ace is willing to protect Raven Alfero with his life.

The world building focuses on the building but acrimonious relationship between Raven and Ace. Raven is struggling with grief and loss, and in this, she is about to push Ace out of her life, a life that has become fodder for something more. All is not as it appears to be, and the ghosts of the past return to finish the jobs.

The relationship between Ace and Raven is an enemies to lovers in the wake of a forced marriage of convenience, and the perceived betrayal by our story line hero. Ace has fallen for the woman who is about to break his heart while Raven continues to pine for everything she has lost. There are no $ex scenes, everything is implied.

We are reintroduced to Raven’s father Dante Alfero, as well as Raven’s sister Tempest; the return of several members of the Abandonato and De Lange families, and the introduction of a group known as the La Nebbia Syndicate.

LITTLE NIGHTMARE is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, death and destruction, family and acceptance, forgiveness and love. The premise is detailed, complex and dramatic; the romance is limited but struggles in the face of lies; the characters are determined and dynamic.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one CIAO BELLA

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow: Website / Facebooks / Goodreads / Twitter /  Instagram

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!

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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

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

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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Ciao Bella (The Rise of the De Langes 1) by Rachel Van Dyken

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🤎Ciao Bella (The Rise of the De Langes 1) by Rachel Van Dyken-review tour🤎

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 25, 2024

The Five Families thought the war was over.
They have no idea, I’m the very beginning.

I kidnapped her to prove a point—at knife point, it seemed sharper that way.
See what I did there?

I used the perfect virginal daughter from one of the most powerful Families in the Cosa Nostra to fix the broken pieces, knowing that in the process—I’d spread hers for the world to see.
I would embarrass her, shame her, use her, but I would never touch her… my one and only vow to her father in exchange for his allegiance.

The flowers at our wedding would be extravagant—people would watch it like a celebration, she’d live it as her funeral.
Call me twisted, but I thrive off her hate, I wouldn’t know what to do if I had her heart—I’m not good with pretty things I’m capable of breaking.

I’ll use every single person I can to restore order… to bring about the peace that my Family deserves.
But something sinister lurks in the darkness.
In the end, it may not be just my Family I save but theirs as well.

They say the past comes back to haunt you—that history repeats itself.
Bet they never saw this coming.

After all, when one Family falls—another will rise.

Ciao Bella.
The Rise of the De Langes

•••••

REVIEW: CIAO BELLA is the first instalment in Rachel Van Dyken’s contemporary, adult THE RISE OF THE DE LANGES dark, Mafia romance series, a spin off from the author’s MAFIA ROYALS series, set in the EAGLE ELITE world. This is twenty-one year old Ivan De Langes, and twenty year old Bella Abandonato’s story line. For background and cohesion, I recommend some knowledge of the Abandonato family via the Eagle Elite series as many of the current events are as of a direct result of the original series.Bella is the daughter of Nixon Abandonato; Ivan is believed to be the sole surviving member of the De Langes family.

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

Told from three first person perspectives (Ivan, Bella, King) CIAO BELLA follows the arranged marriage between our story line couple. Ivan De Langes, in the wake of the murder of his entire family, was placed under the guardianship of the Abandonato family but Ivan is about to reign holy h*ll, and Bella is about to be the pawn in a dangerous game of winner takes all.

The world building follows several intersecting paths including the life-long animosity between our story line couple. Forced to work out their differences with violence, Ivan and Bella find themselves forced into a marriage in an effort to protect our story line heroine but behind the scenes, the secrets are dark, and the lies will bring heart break for everyone concerned.

The relationship between Bella and Ivan is an enemies to frenemies to married couple to lovers but Bella struggles with what is happening and why, suspecting there is more to the story than she could have ever imagined. Ivan, as the sole surviving member of the De Langes crime family is about to come into his dues, and with it, a target has been aimed at our story line couple. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, familiar and dangerous secondary and supporting characters including many of the couples from the author’s Eagle Elite series, and the Mafia Royals series.

CIAO BELLA is a story of power and control, secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, family and friendships, acceptance and love. The premise is dark, dramatic and intense; the romance struggles in the face of prior issues; the characters are determined, broken and charismatic.

 

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow: Website / Facebooks / Goodreads / Twitter /  Instagram

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!

Share

Love Hazard by Rachel Van Dyken-review tour

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Love Hazard by Rachel Van Dyken-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 May 14, 2024

When hate leads to love next door…

My dad is protective. Scratch that. He’s like the person who would grab a chair, place it on the lawn, and watch me walk across the street just to deliver an apple. So, when a bet between the rude, good-looking guy across the way becomes a full-on battle, it turns into absolute chaos.

He says my degree is useless and that I’m a rich, spoiled princess. I say he’s an idiot who only knows how to fix motorcycles and is incapable of having a clean-shaven face. He gives me a tiara. Thanks. I buy him a razor. Perfect. He follows that up with a book… Like. I. Can’t. Read. I then give him soap—explanation easy there.

The following day, I receive a pink princess blanket that I may or may not have burned and tossed on his front doorstep, not realizing his dad is a cop. Now, both dads want the war to stop between us, forcing us to go on a camping trip to bury the hatchet—which I’m convinced he actually brought.

He’s a hazard to my health. But it’s only a weekend. I honestly don’t know if we’ll make it out alive, but the dads are tired of it all. Regardless, I’ll come out, and prove I’m not the princess he thinks I am. Maybe he’ll end up lost in the woods—one can only hope.

One thing’s for sure. I will never, ever fall for him. Ever.

A bet with the boy next door? Challenge accepted. I’ll be waiting for my trophy at the finish line.

••••••

REVIEW:LOVE HAZARD by Rachel Van Dyken is a contemporary, adult, erotic, romance stand alone set in the author’s THE BET series. This is August Wellington, and Hazel Titus’ story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Hazel and August) LOVE HAZARD follows the frenemies to friends to lovers relationship between our story line couple. Throughout most of her life, Hazel has felt the teasing wrath of our story line hero. From bullying to spiteful language and hate, Hazel has been targeted by the boy who would steal her heart. Fast forward to present day, Hazel returns home following her graduation and the death of her beloved great-grandmother only to face down the boy who is now beautiful man. Tired of their bickering and childish behavior, both August’s and Hazel’s fathers put a plan into motion, forcing our couple to work out their issues spending a weekend camping but all does not go according to plan when a wild bear and a rainstorm upend their weekend, and August and Hazel are forced to acknowledge their attraction at a nearby hotel. What ensues is the frenemies to lovers relationship in the face of years of heartbreak and emotional abuse.

LOVE HAZARD is a fast paced, quick read. Hazel and August have spent most of their lives taunting and teasing to the point of petty vengeance but grief and years of misdirected hatred push the families to force a confrontation between our story line couple. The premise is interesting and entertaining; the romance is fast and furious; the characters are determined but initially very immature.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow: Website / Facebooks / Goodreads / Twitter /  Instagram

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!

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OFFICE MATE by Rachel Van Dyken-review tour

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OFFICE MATE by Rachel Van Dyken- review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /Apple /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 16, 2024

I liked to think things happened in threes:
1. My girlfriend ghosted me and changed her number.
2. I got promoted, but I worked for Satan.
3. Months later, said girlfriend was back in my life, working underneath me as an intern.
Ah, the universe had jokes, ha, ha, hilarious.
All I had to do was survive the fourth annual Emory Games, a ridiculous office bonding game that Max Emory, our CEO, put on every year to help boost company morale and encourage the new interns.
Yeah, just ask me if they felt encouraged after diving into shark-infested waters. Don’t worry… only one person got hurt, and the accidental death paperwork was sound.
I had to work with her as my partner for a full week, and then I could bounce back to my department, pretend that she hadn’t broken my heart, and run me over with my own truck for good measure.
I should have been focused on the games, except again, things happened in threes…
1. She’s my partner.
2. She’s hiding something.
3. I may have fallen on her and kissed her. It’s a thing, it actually happens in real life—people just fall, and mouths meet, and what are you going to do?
Hi, my name is Ace Harley, and I was two point five seconds away from marching down to HR and begging for therapy.
Being an adult sucked balls.

••••••

REVIEW: OFFICE MATE by Rachel Van Dyken is a stand alone, contemporary, adult, romance story line focusing on businessman Ace Harvey, and PA Bri.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Ace and Bri) OFFICE MATE follows the second chance relationship between our story line couple. Several years earlier, Bri was struggling with her life until she met our hero and fell in love but all was not well, and believing Ace wanted someone and something different Bri walked away, losing everything and more. Fast forward two years, Bri is one of ten new interns at Emory Hotels, and the CEO is about to put everyone through the Emory Games Maze to learn about their weaknesses and strengths but Bri never expected to come face to face with her past, a past she was hoping to forget. Enter Ace Harvey, the man with whom Bri is still in love. What ensues is the rebuilding relationship between Ace and Bri as they are paired together in the Emory Games Maze events.

The relationship between Bri and Ace is one of second chances. Bri ghosted Ace in the face of perceived betrayal but Bri was struggling and refused to pull Ace into her downward spiral. Rekindling her relationship with Ace is either prophetic or fate but working together means a second chance at happily ever after. There are no $ex scene, everything is implied.

The secondary and supporting characters including CEO Max Emory, and his assistant Dustin, a young man who bears the brunt of Max Emory’s quirks and eccentricities.

OFFICE MATE is a fast paced, quick read; a novella length story of second chances. The premise is entertaining and captivating; the romance is fated; the characters are energetic-their back and forth frenetic and fast.

Previous reviews
Office Hate
Office Date

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow: Website / Facebooks / Goodreads / Twitter /  Instagram

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!

Share

Darkest Need (Dark Ones / 1001 Dark Nights) by Rachel Van Dyken

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DARKEST NEED (Dark Ones Novella / 1001 Dark Nights ) by Rachel Van Dyken-review & excerpt 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 October 10, 2023

I see everything. I feel everything.
I watch people fall in love. I watch them burn with hate, anger, rage, and I see the cycle repeat over and over again. I take it on every night I work at Timber, aka Anubis’s bar in downtown Seattle, and then I help the rest of the immortals keep the very intense balance between Heaven and Earth.

I see everyone’s future but mine, and when I try to look, all I see is darkness, despair, need…

Until she walks into my bar with bruises on her face, getting pulled by one of the lesser demons. I do what any good bartender would do… I beat him within an inch of his life and turn my eyes to her.
By then, it’s too late.
She already has me in her grasp.
A succubus that has no other plan than to suck me clean of every inch of power that’s been bestowed on me by the Heavens.

I never thought my future involved getting kidnapped and tied up or that I’d die by way of sex—then again, maybe that’s for the best. Dying at the hands of my enemy rather than being one more burden to my already mated friends.

After all, giving into one last need before death, while selfish, may be exactly what my darkness means.

My need is great.
And she’s about to find out just how much.

•••••

REVIEW: DARKEST NEED is a contemporary, adult, novella found in Rachel Van Dyken’s DARK ONES paranormal, fantasy series, and a part of the multi-authored 1001 Dark Nights. This is Tarek, werewolf prince, and demon/succubus Lilith’s story line. DARKEST NEED can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but for back story and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order to learn about each member of the immortal council.

Told from three first person perspectives (Cassius, Lilith and Tarek) using present day and memories from the past DARKEST NEED focuses on the seduction of our story line hero. Lilith knows what she must do, and Tarek is her target but Tarek for all of the power of a prince quickly discovers that his life is to be forfeited for sins of the past. Lilith and Tarek have history, one that Tarek no longer remembers but it is their history that continues to bind the couple together.

The world building continues to focuses on life and death-someone must die in order for someone to live; sacrifice and survival, blood and memories, gods and goddesses, betrayal and revenge.

The relationship between Tarek and Lilith is one of need: Lilith is to seduce our story line hero, ensuring his death by $ex is one he will never forget. As Lilith ensures a sacrifice in order to live, she will realize that love may be stronger than the need to survive. The $ex scenes are passionate but mostly implied.

Most of the previous story line couples return as secondary and supporting characters. The Fallen Angel Cassius continues to struggle with the life and death cycles, the sacrifices in order to survive, as he watches his friends suffer to keep the world in balance.

DARKEST NEED is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, madness and mayhem, death and resurrection, forgiveness and love. The fast paced, character driven premise is intriguing and engaging; the romance is limited to dreams, sacrifice and acceptance; the characters are magical, powerful and determined.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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THE DARK ONES
(Dark Ones Saga 1)
by Rachel Van Dyken
Genre: adult, paranormal, fantasy, romance

Amazon.ca / KOBO / Chapters Indigo /

ebook FREE at these outlets: Amazon.com / B&N /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 2015

To touch a Dark One is death.
To talk to an immortal is suicide.
Yet, I’ve been marked by both.
A Vampire.
And the King of the immortals.
My life is no longer my own.
And now I know the truth, my life was never mine to begin with.
It was theirs.
It’s always been theirs.

••••••

REVIEW: THE DARK ONES is the first full-length instalment in Rachel Van Dyken’s adult DARK ONES SAGA paranormal/fantasy romance series. This is ancient vampire Ethan, and human Genesis’ story line.

NOTE: There is a prequel novella DARK ORIGINS that explains some of the history but it was either released in a newsletter or part of an anthology.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Ethan and Genesis) THE DARK ONES follows in the wake of the immortals choosing a human. It has been fifty years since the immortals have chosen a human female, a female that has been educated in the ways of the supernatural but Genesis will quickly discover that her education had been wrong, misleading and full of lies. Throughout her life Genesis was lead to belief she was never good enough, pretty enough or smart enough to be one of the chosen but when her ‘number was called, Genesis would discover that more than one immortal was willing to claim Genesis as his mate. Enter ancient vampire Ethan, and the man with whom Genesis will fall in love. What ensues is the re-education of our story line heroine, and the potential fall-out as our heroine will discover that to mate an immortal means to live and die precariously at the hands of the people in charge.

The world building introduces the who, how and why of the chosen human females. Genesis comes from a long line of females educated and prepared to be one of the chosen but fifty years has passed, and the last female chosen didn’t survive to her fate. As Genesis, Nathan, and his family of supernaturals struggle to make sense of what happened and why, a fallen angel will reveal the secrets he has kept to protect them all.

The relationship between Ethan and Genesis is that of fated mates. Genesis has been chosen, marked by both vampire and the fallen but in an effort to protect our story line heroine, Ethan will have to claim Genesis to save her life. The $ex scenes are passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Ethan’s family of immortals: werewolf Mason; fallen angel Cassius; sirens Alex and Stephanie; as well as several Archangels. Not everyone who is they claimed to be, and not necessarily of their own choosing.

THE DARK ONES is a story of power and control, death and immortality, betrayal and punishment, madness, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is detailed, complex and enthralling; the romance is seductive and fated; the characters are desperate, dynamic and determined.

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy

Listen, I know I have chains wrapped strategically around my wrists and that every second that goes by, said chains are burning a mark into my skin that may or may not mean I’m about to get completely demolished by a succubus demon.
But this is not how the story starts.
I mean, maybe it’s how it ends since I’ve been in this exact spot for the last two days without food or water, waiting for a rescue from my immortal friends, knowing full well they’re probably all just having sex and enjoying marital bliss without realizing I’m actually missing.
Me.
The manager of the Seattle demon bar, Sin.
Werewolf prince.
All around really upright kind of guy—or so I like to think. But do you know where that got me?
Here.
Chained.
See also: Demon goddess who has not come back to check on me even once and says she wants to kill me via sex.
Bartending is looking great right now. Immortal life in my werewolf clan did not prepare me for this or the fact that saving one succubus would actually turn me into her prey.
She was bruised.
Beaten beyond recognition.
I was going to kill the vampire that attempted to slaughter her, but that’s a longer, more violent story since she ended up doing the deed once she got a bit of my blood. But I did give her water, thinking, wow, I’ve done this person a total solid. I mean, despite the fact that she was pretty. Even her tears were pretty. The bruising and swelling on her face didn’t even hide how beautiful she was—or is.
Maybe my first wrong act was comforting her. Because the minute we touched, her eyes flashed a creepy red, and well…see also actual burning handcuffs around my wrists.
It’s clearly been a fun forty-eight hours. Maybe she’ll make it quick, though a weird part of me kind of wants my last few moments being sucked dry via sex to last for a while, so long that it’s all I focus on, all I care about, all I see.
I see visions of the future, but I never saw this.
So, strap in because I’m sure it’s going to be a great story. I just may not make it all the way to the end with you.

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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!

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