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Carnal (Mafia Wars: New York 1-4) by Maggie Cole-Review tour

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Carnal (Mafia Wars: New York 1-4) by Maggie Cole-Review tour

CARNAL
Mafia Wars: New York #4
by Maggie Cole
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, dark, Mafia, romance
Release Date:August 15, 2022

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

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One work meeting created an obsession neither of us could shake.
My boss’s brother was a friend…until the day he turned his dark-brooding eyes on me.
For years, I studied Tristano at the club.
I’d mimic his commands, dominating the most powerful, dangerous men.
Now, he wants me to submit to him—the opposite role I usually play.
So we make a deal.
But the urges we think we’ll overcome, we can’t.
When we finally come to terms with our secret, his enemy tries to destroy us.
Then I wake up, not remembering anything.
And the man who claims I’m his makes my skin crawl.
If only I could understand the flashbacks of the dark-haired, chiseled-faced man.

•••••••

REVIEW: Mafia Wars: New York has a new addition to its series; Carnal, the fourth installment to the saga.

Once I started reading Tristano and Pina’s story I knew I wasn’t going to be able to put it down until I finished it. They were simply meant to be. Tristano may be the baby of the Marino brothers, but he is a grown adult man that has found his one. Pina is the perfect match for him as well, head strong and willful, she goes toe to toe with him at every turn, never taking his stuff.

This one truly does have it all, it was like watching an old 90’s soap opera, there was love, kidnapping, people almost dying, fighting, and of course lost memories. Toss in the right amount of smut and there you go, perfect mix for one of the best mafia romances. Maggie Cole is a new favorite for me!

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sarah

_______

TOXIC
Mafia Wars: New York 1
by Maggie Cole
Release Date: April 14, 2022
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, dark, Mafia, romance

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

He started a war to save me. But I refuse to give him a second chance.
Dante Marino’s the definition of beautiful destruction.
Everything he touched, he destroyed…including me.
We were friends. Then we weren’t.
He used me.
Played me.
Took every ounce of my affection and threw it away.
He became my enemy, then risked everything to save me.
Now, he wants me back, claiming he’s changed—determined to make me his.
Each vow, every possessive kiss, feels like he’s mine.
But I can’t forget that underneath his rock-hard body, seductive grin, and wicked promises, one thing will always remain true—he’s my undoing.

••••••

REVIEW:Maggie Cole writes dark romance that readers will not likely forget. As a first time reader to Cole, I was hooked on the Mafia Wars story from the first word. Dante Marino is everything you would want a dark romance alpha to be, seductive, obsessive and dangerous.

Dante and Bridget ‘s story is one of emotional turmoil, heartbreak and passion, their ordeals make them who they are and what makes them so awesome to read. The story is engaging and well written, I’m interested in seeing where Cole goes next with this series.

____

IMMORAL
Mafia Wars: New York #2
by Maggie Cole
Release Date: May 15, 2022
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, dark, Mafia, romance

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

My ex bought me at an auction and forced me to marry him.
He said it was for my protection.
All I can think is he had it all planned.
Because what Gianni Marino wants, he gets—everything, except for me.
I won’t forget how his broken promises left me scarred.
So this time, I’m determined not to give in to the temptation, no matter what he vows.
I only wish my skin wouldn’t sizzle under his touch, or my heart wouldn’t pound out of my chest from his irresistible grin.
Most of all, I long to believe in him…in us, again.
Each time our enemy tries to hurt me, Gianni saves me, making his promises more believable.
If only I could trust him.

••••••••

REVIEW:Immoral is book two in the Mafia Wars: New York Saga and continues on with Cara and Gianni. This series is a dark romance series with triggers, I recommend all readers make note before reading.

Cara and Gianni have been together off and on for almost two decades, but Gianni has never had it in him to settle down. Finally, Cara breaks and leaves. Thinking she is moving on to better things, Cara finds herself instead, needing rescue and Gianni is the one to do it.

Finding Cara up for sale at an auction has Gianni’s protective instincts thriving. After he gets her back, he is determined to keep her, this leads Gianni to forcing Cara into a marriage that she fully knows he doesn’t want. Like always though, what Gianni wants; Gianni gets and what he wants for keeps now is Cara.

The title does not give this book justice. Seductive is a word best described for Gianni’s and Cara’s relationship, but somehow that works for their characters. I definitely liked this book a little more than the first in the series, maybe more depth to it, but both books were nonetheless good reads. Cole has a way of infusing her books with turmoil and emotions that linger after they are finished. Gianni and Cara form a happy union and that is all we can hope for at the end of any book.

_______

CRAZED
Mafia Wars: New York 3
by Maggie Cole
Release Date: June 15, 2022
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, dark, Mafia, romance

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

I betrayed him…and spied on him for the enemy.
What he doesn’t know is… I was forced to do it.
Now I have to choose. My life or my heart?
So I promise myself I won’t fall for him.
It’s an impossible vow.
He’s fifteen years my senior.
Every sinful command that flies past his lips makes me crave him more.
And no matter what, he protects me—even from his family who doesn’t trust me.
If only I wasn’t living a lie.

•••

REVIEW:Wow, just wow. Crazed is book three in the Mafia Wars: New York series, and this one didn’t knock only my socks off, but my pants too. LOL

Massimo and Katiya’s story has got to be one of the hottest and most kinky mafia reads I have partaken in, in sometime. The saying you always have to watch the quiet ones holds more true for Katiya than most. Massimo fell for the silent librarian almost immediately even though his family kept telling him it was not a good idea. Katiya works for their family’s enemy in the mafia world, but even knowing this, neither of them can stop their feelings.

There is so much to this book, the angst, the passion, the fear of what will happen and the smut is top tier lol. I feel for Massimo when he thinks he is betrayed, and Katiya is between a rock and hard place having lost so much already. While this book falls into the trope of mafia dark romance, it holds some of the best love stories I have consumed. Cole can produce a book that captivates her readers that is for sure. Massimo is so loving and proactive when Katiya’s secrets are finally revealed, that was the best part of the book.

I am not dying to see where the rest of the series goes! Five stars!

Copies supplied for review

Reviews by Sarah S

Maggie Cole is committed to bringing her readers alphalicious book boyfriends. She’s been called the “literary master of steamy romance.” Her books are full of raw emotion, suspense, and will always keep you wanting more. She is a masterful storyteller of contemporary romance and loves writing about broken people who rise above the ashes.

Maggie lives in Florida with her son. She loves sunshine, anything to do with water, and everything naughty.

Her current series were written in the order below:

All In (Stand alones with entwined characters)

It’s Complicated (Stand alones with entwined characters)

Together We Stand (Brooks Family Saga – read in order)

Behind Closed Doors (Read in order)

Mafia Wars (Stand alones with interconnecting plot and entwined characters)

Mafia Wars New York-releasing now

AUTHOR LINKS

Amazon: http://amazon.com/Maggie-Cole/e/B07Z2CB4HGt 
Facebook Group: http://facebook.com/groups/maggiecole 
Instagram: http://instagram.com/maggiecoleauthor 
Bookbub: http://bookbub.com/profile/maggie-cole 
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/author/show/19681981.Maggie_Cole 
YouTube: http://youtube.com/channel/UCi1acLne76jrxXc1-Q6fdww 
Newsletter: https://www.authormaggiecole.com/newsletter-signup 
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maggiecoleauthor

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Toxic by Kim Karr-Review, Book Tour and Giveaway

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TOXIC by Kim Karr-Review ,Book Tour and Giveaway

Toxic Banner

TOXIC BOOK TOUR
Toxic

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 7, 2015

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not…

In Toxic, Jeremy McQueen, a sexy, intense, sometimes brooding entrepreneur goes after what he wants—the woman he left behind years ago. Phoebe St. Claire, a put together, in control socialite-turned-CEO has been drifting through life searching for something she thought she’d never find again—the right man to share her future.

Our passion was boundless. Our lust untamed. And our desire endless. He was the only man who ever made me feel alive. Then, I betrayed him.

When he reappeared, I didn’t question it. Trust rarely survives the wrecking ball, so when he let me in back in—I didn’t hesitate.

Maybe I should have.

What began as a bid to save my family business, turned into a second chance at love. It felt so romantic. Working together, side by side, with the man I loved. My dream come true.

Nothing is as good as it seems.

We had our issues, but then again, every couple does. It wasn’t jealousy, or our too-hot sex life that I should have been worried about.

It was his darkside.

I never saw the end coming, until it slammed me in the face. The question is—did he?

Was revenge his plan all along?

••••••••••••••

REVIEW: TOXIC is the latest stand alone contemporary, adult, erotic romance storyline from Kim Karr. This is billionaire business owner Jeremy McQueen and CEO of TSC (The Saint Corporation) Phoebe St. Claire’s storyline-a second chance at love for two people torn apart by lies and deceit. There is a slight cross over with Kim’s The 27 Club when the exclusive Miami ‘The Estate’ –a private BDSM club-is mentioned as a business investment and potential source of betrayal.

Told from first person point of view (Phoebe) with an epilogue from Jeremy’s POV, TOXIC follows the rebuilding of a relationship between Phoebe and Jeremy. At twenty-one years of age, Phoebe and Jeremy had a summer fling, fell in love, and all but destroyed one another’s lives. Fast forward five years where Phoebe’s controlled life begins to spiral out of control: the TSC is weeks from filing bankruptcy; she dumped her fiancé days before the wedding; and the man who stole her heart five years earlier, has returned with a dark and dangerous plan. Jeremy is a man on a mission, and Phoebe is ripe for the picking. The $ex scenes are erotic, passionate and emotional. Jeremy and Phoebe will consume one another with their wants and needs.

TOXIC focuses on a second chance at love for Jeremy and Phoebe but their relationship is mired in lies, deceit, secrets and betrayal. Families have been destroyed by the sins of the past; and the future is an unknown entity when the truth is finally revealed. Jealousy, miscommunication and the need to run play a major role in our couple’s inability to move forward. There is always someone waiting to destroy what little hold Jeremy and Phoebe have on their relationship, and it only takes a few words to push Phoebe over the edge-time and time again. Destroyed by her parent’s unfaithful marriage, and the memories of the summer she fell in love, Phoebe is unable to let go of the pain and heartbreak, and in this, she questions every action and movement as another potential source of deceit and lies.

TOXIC is a bit of a slow read, or perhaps more of a slow build, with a large ensemble cast of characters whose actions play a significant role in our couple’s toxic and volatile relationship. I am hoping Kim Karr has future plans for a number of the supporting characters. Jeremy and Phoebe have a history of lies and betrayal that are fueled by innuendo, mistaken beliefs, and threats from outside sources including a series of ex lovers who are determined to win back or destroy Phoebe and Jeremy respectively.

Kim Karr invites the reader into an intense storyline awash in an emotional roller coaster of lies, manipulation and deception. The twists and turns reveal a backstory befitting the rich and infamous where the pretense of the public face masks a multitude of sins and betrayals behind the scenes. The heroine’s emotional fall out is angst ridden and not without some cringe-worthy moments of concern: there were times I wanted to smack her upside the head for her Oscar worthy, drama queen tirades.

TOXIC is a story about two people whose lives are interconnected far deeper than they could have ever imagined. The premise is intriguing and dramatic; the characters colorful and charismatic; the love story intense, heartbreaking and profound. Kim Karr is a story teller with a vivid imagination and a passionate grasp of what her readers want to see.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

excerpt

 

Feeling a bit drunk and overwhelmed with so many and so few choices at the same time, I needed some time alone and snuck off toward the beach path.
I ran toward the ocean and twirled in the sand as the wind blew around me. Once I started to feel dizzy from twirling, I still wasn’t ready to head back to the party, so I took the path that would lead me to the large Olympic-sized pool. I tugged my sandals off with thoughts of putting my feet in the water to rinse the mud and sand away. As I approached the pool, I noticed how it glowed like it was lit by small pale fires. Lost in the enchantment of it, the sudden movement beneath the surface startled me.
A fair-haired boy emerged from the water. He pulled himself up and out so quickly that I was momentarily stunned. And then when he drank me in with his eyes, I shuddered.
I couldn’t help it, the way he looked at me just made me shiver. No one had ever looked at me like that before and I found myself gazing back into his intense eyes.
He was utterly beautiful. His bare chest was sculpted but not overly bulky like Danny or Jamie. They worked out every day pumping obnoxious amounts of iron to look the way they did. In contrast, the boy standing before me had a swimmer’s build.
He stood stoic and a cautious look crossed his face. He was long and lean in a pair of bright green neon swim trunks.
Right away I could tell he didn’t care what anyone thought about him.
I loved the idea of that.
So I smiled at him.
He shook his head and his hair fell into his eyes.
I wanted to reach out and push it away. It wasn’t long, but it wasn’t short. It was perfect.
“Hey,” he said, grabbing a towel off the ground.
It didn’t belong to the club. It was small, beige, and a bit worn—not the large hunter-green fluffy ones monogrammed in white I’d always gotten when I used to come here to swim as a kid.
“Hey,” I said back, swinging my sandals nervously.
He grabbed a pair of jeans that lay next to where the towel had been and walked right by me.
I turned to watch him as he strode into one of the cabanas and dropped his trunks. I froze and squeezed my eyes shut, thinking I shouldn’t be watching him but then opened them quickly when I couldn’t resist maybe catching a glimpse.
“Didn’t your parents ever tell you it isn’t polite to stare?” His voice was low and sexy, and it tugged me out of my own head.
I put my hands on my hips. “Didn’t your parents ever teach you not to undress in mixed company?”
He pulled his jeans on and laughed. “My mother might have mentioned that once or twice but I’ve never been good at following the rules.”
And it didn’t escape my notice that he didn’t put any underwear on first.
Hot. Totally and completely hot.
I didn’t see anything I shouldn’t have seen, it was too dark, but something inside me electrified at the thought of seeing him naked and I stepped closer. That’s when I noticed the scuffed-up black work boots on one of the lounges with a T-shirt thrown next to them.
I raised a brow. “Is this your changing room?”
He laughed again but this time added a smile and put his hands up. “Okay you caught me. I better get out of here before anyone else does.”
He was adorable and charming and my heart skipped a beat or two.
Then I stepped even closer and entered the cabana entrance, effectively blocking his way. “Why? You’re not doing anything wrong.”
He shrugged but he didn’t try to move around me. “I usually swim in the ocean but when the water is too rough, like tonight, I come here.”
I bit my lip in contemplation before speaking. “Does it really matter if you get caught?”
He crossed his arms over his bare chest. “Let’s just say it’s not just the swimming. It’s more that I’ve been caught doing a few too many things that I shouldn’t have been doing in the past.”
A bad boy.
The thought made my pulse thunder. “So you’re not a member at this club?”
He cleared his throat and shifted from foot to foot. “No,” he laughed but his laugh was anything but genuine. “Are you?”
I hesitated as I considered my answer. “No, I was just walking the beach and wanted to rinse my feet. I’m Phoebe,” I said extending my hand. Technically, I wasn’t lying. I wasn’t a member, my parents were. I hadn’t even been here in years. And I was out for a walk.
Amusement danced in his blue eyes. “Jeremy,” he said back.
When I chewed on my lower lip, I noticed how his eyes focused on it.
Mine focused on the entirety of his mouth—his strong, firm jaw, his sensuous lips, and his tongue that had snuck out to lick his lips.
That mouth.
It was almost too much.

 

Toxic Teaser

About The Author

kim karr bioI live in Florida with my husband and four kids. I’ve always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, I wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. I went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise my family. I currently work part-time with my husband and full-time embracing one of my biggest passions—writing.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway

Kim’s publisher and The Reading Cafe are offering a paper copy of TOXIC to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE and Follow Kim Karr on Facebook

4. Please FOLLOW The Reading Cafe on TSU

5. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

6. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

7. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

8. Giveaway open to USA only.

9. Giveaway runs from July 10-14, 2015

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