He had a piece of me inside him, holding his heart together. That magnificent heart that cared for others without cause.

The tattooed demoness, Bone, doesn’t like anything except the magical weapons she makes. But she has hidden talents few know about. When I was brought to her near death, she used her Seraph song to manipulate flesh and bone to heal me. But she wasn’t happy about it.

Now I must return the favor. Even though she refuses to take sides in the apocalypse, there’s one job she’s not willing to do for the demon prince Rook. If she doesn’t, her head will end up on a spike. Of course, there’s a good chance we’re all going to die anyway, but I will do anything to protect this fierce woman—and not just because she saved me.

So, we’re both off to kill a demon—or three—and possibly save the world.

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words.

The three W’s stand for:

What did you recently finish reading?
What are you currently reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

I actually got a lot of reading done since my last post. I read a few ARCs, some books that were generously sent to me, and I even read a book that I've been dying to read for far too long. The books I've finished are:

➤ Hardest Fall by Juliette Cross - after reading the first and last book in this series, I always wanted to read the second book to get into the details I missed and I finally did! It was magnificent and if you love paranormal/fantasy romance, you'll love these books!

➤ The Wolf by Jade Marshall - after getting a copy from the author, I dived into this MC romance and I have no regrets. Gritty premise, gritty characters, gritty world. It gave me the right impression for her writing and I look forward to more.

➤ Rogue by Olivia Hayle - a sweetly romantic second chance love story. Boy is from the wrong side of the tracks, girl is part of the privileged class. Tons of angst and drama and etc. A solid intro to this author's work.

➤ Slammer by Tabatha Vargo - a heartbreaking tale of a nurse falling in love with someone deemed the most dangerous inmate in the super max prison she works in. It had a dirty, taboo feel and I actually really enjoyed it.

➤ Lured by Rina Kent - this author has been recommended to me quite a few times, for this series in particular, but after this read, I'm not really seeing why. Her writing was excellent so I might give her another try.

➤ The Comedian by Sean-Paul Thomas - a short story about a middle aged man confronting his demons. Thomas has a lyrical way of writing that I like a lot.

➤ The Letter by Sean-Paul Thomas - another short story, this one tells the tale of a young woman who finally steps out of her comfort zone.

➤ The Conviction by John Matthews - this thriller takes the reader on a journey of justice... vigilante justice.

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I'm currently reading:


➤ Leo by Jay McLean - a YA/NA romance that I'm hoping to love as much as I loved his brother's books. After falling in love with this author's More Than series, I didn't doubt I'd love these Preston boys :D

➤ Heartless by Marissa Meyer - I'm really struggling with this book. I'm still at the beginning and I put it down a few days ago and I'm trying to find a reason to pick it back up. HELP!

➤ Vixen by Rebecca Zanetti - I'm a huge fan of this author and a HUGE fan of this series. There was no way that a new book would be coming out and I wasn't gonna read it. I've got an ARC and I'm super happy!

• ────── ✾ ────── •

What I'm reading next:

Who knows? I hope to surprise myself and I might do a poll at some point to figure out what will be next.

• ────── ✾ ────── •

What are you reading right now? Tell me below or leave me a link so I can check out your post.

Happy Reading! xo

Welcome to another TTT, hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl! This week ended up being a FREEBIE, where we get to come up with our own topic. I decided to keep mine super basic because it will be what helps the most in the end. My TBR seems to be never-ending, as I'm sure is true for most of you, and I always need help culling its contents. When the new year came around, I promised myself that for every dozen or so books I added to it, I would read at least one immediately. So here are the latest books and maybe you can help me choose one to get started...

Thank you, Jade Marshall, for gifting me a copy of your novel to review!

Being hurt and alone is nothing new to Hadley. She's survived on her own for as long as she can remember, and no one will dictate the way she lives her life. With loss and pain dominating her memories, how can she put her faith in someone again?

Having no one to depend on besides his club has hardened Brandon to the outside world—and it's exactly how he prefers it. The moment he lets people get close they always find a way to backstab him. There's no room for love in his world.

Hadley and Brandon need a reason to let their walls down and let love in. Can two broken souls find a way to save each other?

In 2027 the deity known as NTG – short for New Testament God – retires after more than two thousand years of minding the store for his employer, Milky Way Galaxy, Inc. The new god, a planetary turnaround specialist, must decide whether Earth’s dominant species should or should not be included in his plan to bring the planet back into full compliance with Milky Way Galaxy, Inc.’s planetary operation standards.

Earth’s new God introduces himself to humanity by unexpectedly appearing on the Ram Forrester Hour talk show. Ram, an atheist, and co-host Brendali Santamaria, a devout Catholic, are stunned. God's interview, beamed worldwide, shocks and infuriates viewers. They learn that a sixty-day conference will take place in Los Angeles to determine whether humans are capable of helping him implement his planetary turnaround plan. All those attending must do to earn mankind a coveted spot in this God’s good graces is eliminate religious violence forever, without his heavenly help. Failure means extinction.

God designates Ram and Bren as the conference’s only authorized media reporters. This assignment, fraught with peril, ignites their romance. Not only must the harried couple attend the conference meetings by day and do their show at night, they must also outwit a group of religious fanatics bent on killing them. When conflicts within the conference intensify, it’s up to Ram and Bren to do whatever it takes to protect their budding romance and assure mankind’s survival.

Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51530479-first-second-coming

Hayden Cole was good times dressed like bad news.

Dark hair falling over eyes that had seen too much.
Full lips curving into a smile that set my body on fire.
The way he disliked everything about my sheltered world, except me.

I spent years in love with the groundkeeper’s nephew.
In the darkness, in the silence, our hearts spoke the same language.
Until he left without a word and tore mine right out of my chest.

Ten years later he’s back from the Navy.
He’s every inch the rogue I remember—broken smiles and amber eyes. And he’s determined to fix the wounds of the past

Lily Marchand was everything I knew I could never have.

The golden child of my uncle’s rich employer. She has always been so painfully out of my reach.
I’d known it, and I reached for her anyway, and it led to disaster.

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words.

The three W’s stand for:

What did you recently finish reading?
What are you currently reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

This happened to be another slow reading week for me. I thought with the momentum I found last week, I could keep the speed reading train going... but no. However, something is better than nothing and I least I did get a chance to read something.

I've just finished the following books:

Crash Into Me by L.A. Fiore
It's a murder mystery sprinkled liberally with sexy romance. I'm a HUGE fan of Fiore and this book was one of her finest. She writes stories that are intense and attention-grabbing. I can't get enough of her words.

First Second Coming by Jeff Pollak - review to come
At its core, this story is about the theoretical Second Coming. God works for a corporation that rules the planets and Earth is slacking. He's a fixer and gives humans 60 days to end the violence that has spread in the name of religion. All religious leaders have to come together to formulate a plan to achieve peace or face human extinction. I received this book as an ARC and wasn't sure what to expect. It. Blew. Me. Away!!

It Was Always You by Ari Reavis
Reavis is one of those authors who writes incredibly beautiful and sexy stories, but is so underrated. How more people haven't read her books is a dang mystery to me. I love her writing so much that I've made it my mission to not only purchase everything she produces, but to get the word out there so more people can fall in love with the wonder that she creates. This particular story was about a man who knows who he wants for his forever (if only she'd get out of her own way) and a woman who is afraid to love based on pain from her childhood. Great story!

• ────── ✾ ────── •

I'm currently reading:

The Promised Neverland by Kaiu Shirai
I'm actually on the last story arc, so maybe about 20 more chapters. This story is so much better than I originally expected it to be and I can't even imagine how I'm going to review this in a way that will accurately describe all of my feelings.

Any Day Now by Lani Lynn Vale
I haven't found a story from this author that I haven't enjoyed yet. I've only read a fraction of her work, but everything I've gobbled up has been amazing and I expect no different from this story. I'm already in love with it and I'm not even halfway through.

• ────── ✾ ────── •

After last week's post, I left the decision for what I'll read next in the hands of fellow readers. The results were:

Heartless by Marissa Meyer - Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid - Red Queen meets The Hunger Games in this epic novel about what happens when a senator’s daughter is summoned to the galactic court as a hostage, but she’s really the galaxy’s most dangerous weapon in disguise.

• ────── ✾ ────── •

What are you reading right now? Tell me below or leave me a link so I can check out your post.

Happy Reading! xo

"I love a good murder mystery book wrapped up in an amazing love story. This book hit all my emotions and intrigue."

"Wow, what a story. This book had so many twists and turns. I couldn't put the book down once started."

- Reviewers

Welcome to another TTT, where the topic is 'Book Events/Festivals I’d Love to Go to Someday (Real or Fictional)'. As most of us know, the events calendar for bookish events and signings is off due to the pandemic and most (if not all) events have been cancelled. One day, we will be part of a world free from COVID and the events will be on again. A girl can dream about the places she'd go in the meantime, can't she?

So here's the deal... I actually haven't been to a book event before. Not in the grand scheme of things. I've been to individual author signings or have gone to a panel of authors where they would sign books at the end. But never to something of an exhibition, unless you count Toronto ComiCon or Fan Expo, both of which were cancelled this year. This week, I'm listing the places I would go if I could...

1. Book Expo
I think this one was a bit obvious, but really, which reader wouldn't want to go to one of the largest book exhibitions ever??? While it was cancelled this year (provided online), it will be back for Spring 2021.

2. R.A.R.E.
This always sounds incredible and has me wishing I lived somewhere in Europe so I could have easy access to it. This year it was in Scotland. I would have loved to go there again, visit my family. Shucks! Well, my sister should be living in Norway soon so maybe I'll have easy access to the next one. I hope one day they'll have it here in Toronto.

HAIL
Getting sworn in as a Hellbound Lover changed my life.
I was no longer alone.
No longer without a family.
No longer a goon for Frank Campesato and his Mafia.
I've moved on and never looked back,
But the past has a way of reaching out and not letting go.
And my past comes in the shape of a raven-haired beauty.
A fiery woman who has no idea she has my life in her hands.

One single summer changed them forever, and one moment of devastating silence destroyed it all.

Growing up with six siblings, Leo Preston has always struggled to find his voice.

While his brothers are loud, greedy, and somewhat obnoxious, Leo is forever the quiet one.

The thinker.

The listener.

He watches his life pass by as an outsider in his own world, absent and alone.

Lost.

Until he finds her.

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words.

The three W’s stand for:

What did you recently finish reading?
What are you currently reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Bourne Pena isn’t most men.

Bourne does everything he can to fight the attraction he feels for Delanie, but in the end, his refusal to go there almost ends up costing him his life.

***

Delanie Davidsdottir just wanted to forget. One night, she wanted to feel like a normal human being.

That one night changes her life and gives her a son that becomes her heart and soul. From that point forward, she does her level best to keep her head on straight and not make any more mistakes.

Tangled by Emma Chase
This series introduced me to the hilarious wonder that was Drew Evans. He was a manwhore who didn't know what hit him when he met Katherine Brooks. For a guy who always said 'no' to commitment, she had him second guessing himself.


Sweet Addiction by J. Daniels
This was a hilarious series of books that was recommended to me when I first joined Goodreads. It's about a baker named Dylan who indulges in a wedding hookup with the hottest guys she's ever seen. From there it was a lot of funny missteps and heartwarming moments. Well-developed protagonists, amazing side characters, and a moving plot made this a must-read and an easy book rec.


Friend-Zoned by Belle Aurora
After indulging in her book, Raw, and meeting the to-die-for anti-hero who is Twitch, I wanted to read ALL of her other books. Friend-Zoned couldn't be more opposite to what I had come to expect from this author. It was freaking HILARIOUS! Tina and Nik became such incredible friends... seriously, they shared one of those enviable connections... and their chemistry was off-the-charts. I really loved this book (this series) and I think it's time for a re-read.


Overruled by Emma Chase
I absolutely adored the entire Legal Briefs series. Each book is an interconnected standalone and these characters knew how to make me giggle, chuckle and laugh. You really can't go wrong with Emma Chase.


Seduction & Snacks by Tara Sivec
I find myself pretty hit-or-miss when it comes to Tara Sivec, but her Chocolate Lovers series is a definite hit. Claire was a single mom of a beautiful child from a one night stand. When her fling shows back up, it's a fantastic story of second chances with a precocious boy to make things extra hilarious.


Friends With Partial Benefits by Luke Young
When this author reached out to me to review a copy of this book, I had no idea what to expect because it was my first time being offered something like this. What I found was a riveting, entertaining and hilarious older woman/younger man romantic comedy that had me begging for more. And more there was because not only did I love this entire series, but there's a subseries that allows you even more time with these characters. I can't recommend this series enough!


The Bet by Rachel Van Dyken
I'm not sure what it was about this book that I loved in particular, but loved it I did. It's a friends-to-lovers, fake relationship romance and it worked so well. Even the grandma had me freaking rolling with laughter.


Big Rock by Lauren Blakely
This friends-to-lovers romance that tells the tale of Spencer and Charlotte, best friends who have wanted each other for years introduced me to the wonder of Lauren Blakely. Including this amusing story, she's written so many books that have made it to my 'best of' lists.


667 Ways to F*ck Up My Life by Lucy Woodhull
This was one of the first romance advance review copies I've ever read and it was far more entertaining than I first expected. It's about a woman who finally gets fed up with pleasing others and starts living for herself. She meets the man of her dreams and life shows her that no one and nothing is perfect and that she can be loved and find love regardless. I adored this book and found it hilarious in its realness.


Wallbanger by Alice Clayton
To be honest, I didn't love this story at first. It begins with Caroline moving into her new apartment and being harassed by the repeated banging of her neighbor's headboard. This goes on and on and on with many different women. And although the hero and heroine shared a 'connection' of sorts, his behavior didn't stop right away. But the further I went, the warmer I felt and as the series progressed, I was in love. It didn't hurt that the stories in the Cocktail series are hilarious!

Have you had the pleasure of reading from any of these authors? What books make you smile? Let me know in the comments below.

Happy Reading! xo

---

Note: Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Be sure to check out her weekly post to find other participants.

♦ ♦ ♦

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words.

The three W’s stand for:

What did you recently finish reading?
What are you currently reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

There are a few lessons one has to learn for themselves. Then there are the lessons that most people don’t have to learn because it’s just not done.

For instance, most people know instinctively that they shouldn’t crave the mother of their brother’s child.

Bourne Pena isn’t most men.

Bourne does everything he can to fight the attraction he feels for Delanie, but in the end, his refusal to go there almost ends up costing him his life.

***

Delanie Davidsdottir just wanted to forget. One night, she wanted to feel like a normal human being.

That one night changes her life and gives her a daughter that becomes her heart and soul. From that point forward, she does her level best to keep her head on straight and not make any more mistakes.

And falling for her child’s father's twin brother—say that three times fast— would be a mistake. Not only is he Trouble with a capital T, he’s also a SWAT officer that puts his life on the line every single day.

She can’t take another loss like the one she suffered once before.

Then again, Delanie never encountered a man like Bourne Pena before, either.

Kiss Me in the Dark compiles a selection of deliciously dark chapters from bestselling romance authors with additional, never-before-seen content. We’re hoping to introduce new readers to our world and also give our loyal readers a chance to get lost in the stories they love with these bonus scenes. It’s only a taste, just three chapters each…but it’s enough for you to get addicted and want more.

It includes:
Monica James—Bad Saint; bonus content is the first chapter of the upcoming release The Devil’s Crown—All the Pretty Things Trilogy spin-off.
Aleatha Romig—Unconventional; bonus content is the prologue, an outside prospective on this stalker romance.
Amo Jones—In Fury Lies Mischief; bonus content: Eli’s Transition.
Callie Hart—Deviant; bonus content is a brand-new short story featuring Zeth and some of the original Blood and Roses crew.
Cora Reilly—Luca Vitiello; bonus content is the prologue and first chapter of the upcoming standalone Fragile Longing—an age-gap arranged marriage romance.
Giana Darling––Enthralled; bonus content is a new chapter from hero Alexander Davenport’s POV.
K Webster—This is War, Baby; bonus content is a new thrilling “training” chapter in the villainous Gabe’s POV with Baylee.
Lili St. Germain—Vicious Prince; bonus content is the first chapters of the upcoming release Vengeful Queen—Book two in the Violent Kingdom Trilogy.
S.M. Soto—Deception and Chaos; bonus content is a never-before-seen chapter written from Creed’s POV.
Parker S. Huntington—Devious Lies; bonus content is a never-before-seen email from Nash to Emery.
Willow Winters—A Kiss to Tell; bonus content is a never-before-seen chapter.

So come, sit, and enjoy a taste of the darkness…you just may like it.

This anthology was hatched because dark romances and their creators have a stigma associated with them. Yes, we like coloring outside of the lines, and no, we don’t write your run-of-the-mill stories, but that shouldn’t devalue our art. Nor should it be grounds for it to be censored.

MAZE:

In concept, the plan was simple: prospect at The Henchmen MC. In practice, however, it was anything but. One, because I was a woman. Two, because it was a brotherhood. And three, because Repo, the man who was in charge of making my life a living hell until I quit or screwed up enough to get thrown out, also happened to be the hottest guy I had come across in ages.

The problem was, if I didn't get in and stay in despite the hazing from the members and the undeniable attraction building between me and Repo, there was a very good chance I would be found by them. And if I was found by them, well, I was dead.

REPO:

How the hell was I supposed to get her out of the MC when, one, I didn't agree with the fact that because she was a woman, she had no place in The Henchmen. Two, because she was strong, smart, capable, and determined to get a patch. And three, because, well, I wanted her.

The problem was, if I didn't get her kicked out, I would be screwing up a job that was important to the prez. But the problem was also that if I kicked her out, there was no way I was going to get a shot with her.

I didn't know, however, that the real problem was a lot more complicated and a lot more dangerous than disappointing my boss or not getting laid... the problem was Maze had demons and they were hot on her trail...

* This can be read as a stand-alone and has an HEA but has side characters from the other Henchmen books.

4 stars

I knew going into this book that I wasn't going to love it. I knew I wouldn't like it as much as the other stories I've read from this author. I knew this because of one reason...

It was going to be ridiculous!

Why?

Aw man, I'm probably going to get a lot of hate for this, but I. don't. really. care.

This story was about a woman named Maze and how she decides to prospect with The Henchmen MC in order to garner some sort of safety. Instead of coming to them for protection, she deceives them and plays like she's just one of the guys.


Neither a wine glass nor a shot glass was going to make this story easier to swallow. Bring me some damn bottles!

So here are a few things that made me laugh:
❥ Maze, who was a self-proclaimed naive and innocent girl, was bamboozled her whole life. Mom was a con artist, boyfriend owned a chop shop, and her latest employer is a contributor to human trafficking. After her attempts to do right put her life in danger, she finds K, who proceeds to equip her with unrealistic skills, building her into a bootleg version of Black Widow.


❥ When Maze appeared out of nowhere on her bike, she approached The Henchmen MC about prospecting. No one knows her. No one knows what she's capable of. But when Reign hesitates like any rational person would, Lo gets upset, storms off, and rallies the troops (aka the women who the men fell in love with). They proceed to rant and rage about equal rights and opportunities and blah blah blah and... Reign CAVES!!


Me? Incredulous? Noooooooo.

It's totally believable that the women who don't belong to the MC have any say. Absolutely credible! A big, bad biker who has killed countless people is cowed by the women who wouldn't even be here if the men hadn't saved them. Told you I'd be making a few enemies

❥ After the absurdity of her introduction, the men put her through the wringer - specifically Repo. See, Repo knows everything about loyalty and he's as loyal as they come. Reign told him to drive her out and that's exactly what he intends to do. So what if he wants her baddddd? So what if she also wants him? He's got a job to do. However, Maze has him questioning everything.

I was under the belief that what someone came from meant a hell of a lot less than what they became.

There was some drama involving what Maze was hiding from and a truly beautiful epilogue. Honestly, that epilogue is one of the only things to save this story for me. Between Maze finding a problem with everything people said to her or told her to do like she wasn't prospecting for a BIKER CLUB and her need to be upset that Renny and Duke weren't suffering like she was (although they were there for longer than her and she has no idea what they went through before she came along), I almost called it quits. Which irked me because I promised myself to read all the books in the Navesink series. If it weren't for Repo and his sweet, sweet heart, I don't know if I would have made it to the end in order to find that especially cute epilogue.

I knew it was supposed to fade, to grow old, but I never got over the punch-to-the-gut sensation I got whenever I saw her and realized she was mine.

Ah well, I'm still going to read the other books. Right after a break.

• ────── ✾ ────── •

Okay, now I'm going to make even more enemies. I'm so tired of this feminism schtick being used to explain bad behavior. A woman doesn't have to be crass, rude, disrespectful or raw in order to be strong or to be seen as strong. It doesn't make them attractive. Men cannot be excused for that type of behavior, so why is it okay for women to do it all in the name of 'feminism'? I'd like to repeat what I've said time and time again... while men are not better than women, they are better at certain things that we suck at. Just like we're better at certain things that they can't master. Not being as physically strong as a man does not make you less than. There's a reason why we are of different sexes. We contribute to the whole in different ways. No way is greater than the other. Just different.

Repo by Jessica Gadziala is FREE to read with Kindle Unlimited
Amazon US * Amazon CA

Jessica Gadziala is a full-time writer, parrot enthusiast, and coffee drinker. She enjoys short rides to the book store, sad songs, coffee in Big Gulp-sized cups, and cold weather, and has recently developed an unhealthy obsession with acquiring houseplants. She lives in New Jersey with seven parrots and six dogs.

She is a big believer in snark, strong secondary characters, and bada$$ women.

Happy Reading xo

Elsie has a problem. She has a mystery she is bent on solving, a mystery that led her to run for her life down the streets of Navesink Bank until she found herself rescued by a sexy stranger.

Paine has a past. He’s done everything in his power to move on from it, to distance himself from the things he has done. But then one night he finds himself saving a woman whose naive dabbling in matters she doesn’t understand threatens to drag him right back into the world he had done unspeakable things to escape from in the first place…

* This is a stand-alone with an HEA, but features secondary characters from "Monster" and "Killer".

** For possible triggers, follow this link: http://www.jessicagadziala.com/triggers.html