Showing posts with label 13-Enemies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 13-Enemies. Show all posts
Two workplace enemies find themselves in close proximity on a tropical company retreat that challenges their assumptions—and just might make them to fall for each other—in this romcom by a by a beloved TikTok author.
Find it here: https://amzn.to/4iYsgPa
Find it here: https://amzn.to/4iYsgPa
Not Safe For Work by Nisha J. Tuli
Rating -
Standalone
Release - May 20, 2025
Genre - Contemporary Romance / enemies to lovers
POV - single 1st person
Heat - descriptive
Source - eARC provided by the publisher (Thank you, Forever)
Length - 348 pages
Engineer Trishara Malik once dreamed of being the first woman of color to smash the glass ceiling at WMC Purcell, but after years of dealing with white male privilege and blatant nepotism, she watches her hard-earned promotion go to her nemesis, Rafe Gallagher—the boss’s son. Teetering on the edge of burnout, Tris is stunned when she’s picked to attend WMC's corporate leadership retreat in Hawaii. It’s a chance to revive her stalled career and compete for a coveted spot in an executive training program—plus, three weeks in paradise! The only downside? Rafe is her co-attendee.
Tris plans to avoid Rafe entirely, but when she arrives in Maui, a booking error has them stuck sharing the honeymoon suite. Sure, it’s not all torture. Rafe is a smoldering ten—okay fine, an eleven—but after years of competition, they can barely stand being in the same time zone. As they vie against each other during aptitude tests and team-building exercises, Tris begins to realize Rafe might not be the villain after all. With her dreams at stake, can she learn to trust the man who might have been standing in her corner all along?
Tris plans to avoid Rafe entirely, but when she arrives in Maui, a booking error has them stuck sharing the honeymoon suite. Sure, it’s not all torture. Rafe is a smoldering ten—okay fine, an eleven—but after years of competition, they can barely stand being in the same time zone. As they vie against each other during aptitude tests and team-building exercises, Tris begins to realize Rafe might not be the villain after all. With her dreams at stake, can she learn to trust the man who might have been standing in her corner all along?
Who knew?
Seriously, you know an author can WRITE when they can switch genres and still push out a banger.
The enemies to lovers trope isn't my favourite, but the vulnerability of these characters won me over. From the start, Tris and Rafe had a spark, but she outed it before it had a chance to flourish. Instead they seemed to enjoy a constant game of one-upmanship in order to deny the chemistry that continued to grow between them.
Throw in a work trip, one room and one bed, and the undeniable becomes something hard to reject. Tris sees the truth of all that is Rafe, demolishing the image she had composed of him, illustrating all that was good in this man. And he finally had the chance to see her in a new light as well. No more walls, no more denials, and Tris was forced to see the real Rafe and how compatible they were.
I loved that the author didn't make this relationship easy. There was plenty of angst and I was kept on my toes as to whether these two would even end up together. And that workplace drama... oooh, those microagressions could have been worse, I'm sure. As a woman of colour, I know the negative part of the corporate world all too well, but I'm pleased with the way that Tris handled all of it, even when she was just going along to get along.
Rafe was my favourite character and Tuli described him in such a delicious way. How am I supposed to resist a hero like him???
Nisha J. Tuli is the bestselling author of Trial of the Sun Queen—the first in the Artefacts of Ouranos series—which became a BookTok hit thanks to her amazing fans. The originally self-published series was acquired by Forever Publishing and Orbit UK in 2023, and will soon be published in 15 other languages around the world.She's also the author of Heart of Night and Fire, a South Asian-inspired fantasy romance and the first in a four-book series. Look for her rom-com debut in 2025 with NSFW (Not Suitable for Work), a workplace rivals to lovers rom-com publishing with Forever.
Nisha lives in Canada, where she spends most of her time reading and writing while enjoying travel, food, and camping with her partner, two kids, and their fluffy Samoyed, Mora.
Visit https://nishajtuli.com for more information.
Rent Free by Lani Lynn Vale
Rating -
1/2Book 5 of Carter Brothers
Release - September 10, 2024
Genre - Contemporary Romance / enemies to lovers
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - explicit
Source - eARC provided by GIVE ME BOOKS PR
Length - 259 pages
Fuck me for choosing the wrong sister.
Atlas Carter was a protector. He was a police officer, had spent years in the Air Force, spent his entire teen years as a volunteer firefighter.
Being a protector was in his blood.
It was his dream.
So when a woman was in a dangerous situation, it was his every instinct to protect her. To shield her. To watch over her.
Only, that woman had played him.
She’d set him up.
She’d made sure that he only saw her.
Then, when the real woman who should hold his heart, the sister, comes into his life, he doesn’t see past the hatred of her to know that she’s only trying to protect him in return.
He spends the next year terrorizing the woman who’s supposed to be his. When the dust finally settles, and he can see clearly once again, she’s no longer there waiting for him.
Atlas Carter was a protector. He was a police officer, had spent years in the Air Force, spent his entire teen years as a volunteer firefighter.
Being a protector was in his blood.
It was his dream.
So when a woman was in a dangerous situation, it was his every instinct to protect her. To shield her. To watch over her.
Only, that woman had played him.
She’d set him up.
She’d made sure that he only saw her.
Then, when the real woman who should hold his heart, the sister, comes into his life, he doesn’t see past the hatred of her to know that she’s only trying to protect him in return.
He spends the next year terrorizing the woman who’s supposed to be his. When the dust finally settles, and he can see clearly once again, she’s no longer there waiting for him.
Previous books in the series:
No Cap * I Can't Even * Thirst Trap * Clap Back
No Cap * I Can't Even * Thirst Trap * Clap Back
Pepper was misunderstood and Atlas was an oblivious fool. He remains that way for much of this story, but there was no denying the chemistry between these characters. And when he finally woke up, he dove right in and I became his number one cheerleader!
I loved Pepper immediately and wanted her to only have great things. She had to put up with a lot and I kept thinking there were better ways to live, but my solutions wouldn't have helped this story and I get that. How her sister became a police officer, I'll never know, but it made me laugh uncontrollably.
Seriously? Did the police department not have a competent psych eval? Were the people of their community not discerning or skeptical?
I enjoyed this story so much, even the drama-filled bits that made me chuckle. The feelings were what mattered most and there was no doubt that Atlas and Pepper had those in abundance.
Lani Lynn Vale is an American author of humorous romantic suspense novels. Born in the Great State of Texas, she has lived the majority of her adult life in East Texas where most of her novels are based. She’s married to her high school sweetheart whom her readers refer to as “LLV’s Bearded Half.” She published her first novel, Boomtown. in the summer of 2013 after the birth of her third child. She’s gone on to publish over 100 novels, with most of them going on to become USA Today bestsellers.
Visit https://lanilynnvale.com for more information.
Tale of the Heart Queen by Nisha J. Tuli
Rating -
1/2Book 4 of the Artefacts of Ouranos series
Release - November 26, 2024
Genre - Fantasy Romance / enemies to lovers
POV - Multiple 1st person
Heat - descriptive
Source - eARC provided by the publisher
Length - 672 pages
After Lor makes the biggest mistake of her life, she finds herself on the run from the Aurora King and decides it's time to end this, once and for all. But when a new enemy emerges to claim her freedom, the entire fate of Ouranos comes to rest on her shoulders.
As the land continues to rebel, Lor must admit she is the key to saving the continent, whether she likes it or not. To fight for Nadir, she must lie, steal, and do whatever it takes to hunt down the remaining arks. Growing more and more desperate, she worries her actions are turning her into something she doesn't recognize, dooming her to repeat her grandmother's mistakes.
When the Aurora King finally comes for her, Lor ventures into the Underworld's shadowy depths, where, once again, she finds herself at the heart of another deadly test. Only this time, she’s competing for everyone's future, not just a crown.
The only thing Lor ever wanted was to be free, but she may soon find she was always destined for a cage.
As the land continues to rebel, Lor must admit she is the key to saving the continent, whether she likes it or not. To fight for Nadir, she must lie, steal, and do whatever it takes to hunt down the remaining arks. Growing more and more desperate, she worries her actions are turning her into something she doesn't recognize, dooming her to repeat her grandmother's mistakes.
When the Aurora King finally comes for her, Lor ventures into the Underworld's shadowy depths, where, once again, she finds herself at the heart of another deadly test. Only this time, she’s competing for everyone's future, not just a crown.
The only thing Lor ever wanted was to be free, but she may soon find she was always destined for a cage.
Previous books in the series:
Trial of the Sun Queen / Rule of the Aurora King * Fate of the Sun King
Trial of the Sun Queen / Rule of the Aurora King * Fate of the Sun King
After the horror show of the last book, at least when it comes to the ending, I didn't know what to expect from this.
Would Lor finally be free?
Would the bad guys finally meet their deserved end?
And would I ever see my beloved Nadir again?
I've got to say, I enjoyed learning more about the goddess, Zerra, but I could've done without her strange perversions. Finding out she wasn't as 'godly' as she was renowned to be wasn't exactly a surprise, but she took it several steps further and for some reason I found it all very hilarious.
I loved that, once again, I got to be in the heads of several characters. My heart absolutely broke for my favorites and I continued to root for them to win.
I don't know how this author did it, but I'm still twisted over this entire series. I didn't want it to end and I was looking for ways for there to be a spinoff so I could spend more time with these characters.
It's the last book so obviously the good guys won, but it takes a lot of painful and dangerous steps to get there. Strap in!
Nisha J. Tuli is the bestselling author of Trial of the Sun Queen—the first in the Artefacts of Ouranos series—which became a BookTok hit thanks to her amazing fans. The originally self-published series was acquired by Forever Publishing and Orbit UK in 2023, and will soon be published in 15 other languages around the world.She's also the author of Heart of Night and Fire, a South Asian-inspired fantasy romance and the first in a four-book series. Look for her rom-com debut in 2025 with NSFW (Not Suitable for Work), a workplace rivals to lovers rom-com publishing with Forever.
Nisha lives in Canada, where she spends most of her time reading and writing while enjoying travel, food, and camping with her partner, two kids, and their fluffy Samoyed, Mora.
Visit https://nishajtuli.com for more information.
“You’re right. We’re not normal. We’re the most fucked-up, star-crossed lovers in history. So let’s not play nice.” - Reaver to Harvester
Please Note: this post includes two reviews — Reaver and Azagoth
Please Note: this post includes two reviews — Reaver and Azagoth
Reaver by Larissa Ione
Standalone - Lords of Deliverance #5 / Demonica #10
Rating -
Genre - Paranormal Romance / enemies to lovers / second chance
POV - Dual 3rd person
Heat - descriptive and somewhat explicit
Source - library ebook
Length - 417 pages
WARRIOR OF HEAVEN
Reaver is an angel with a past, a record, and a less-than-heavenly attitude. Powerful enough to fight alongside the fiercest battle angels-and crazy enough to risk his wings on a one-way mission to hell-he's agreed to go where no angel has ever gone before...to steal the most seductive and dangerous prize of Satan himself.
ANGEL OF HELL
Harvester is one of the Fallen, a once-heroic angel who sacrificed her wings to work as an undercover agent in hell. But now her cover has been blown, and she's been doomed to an eternity of agonizing torture. Even if Reaver can snatch her away from Satan's lair, even if they can fight their way out of the underworld's darkest depths, there is one thing Harvester can never escape-her newfound thirst for an angel's blood.
Reaver is an angel with a past, a record, and a less-than-heavenly attitude. Powerful enough to fight alongside the fiercest battle angels-and crazy enough to risk his wings on a one-way mission to hell-he's agreed to go where no angel has ever gone before...to steal the most seductive and dangerous prize of Satan himself.
ANGEL OF HELL
Harvester is one of the Fallen, a once-heroic angel who sacrificed her wings to work as an undercover agent in hell. But now her cover has been blown, and she's been doomed to an eternity of agonizing torture. Even if Reaver can snatch her away from Satan's lair, even if they can fight their way out of the underworld's darkest depths, there is one thing Harvester can never escape-her newfound thirst for an angel's blood.
Once an irresponsible angel, he lost his wings and became an Unfallen. Helping to save the world gave him back his angel status until he once again disobeyed orders to rescue Harvester. After finding out that for the last five thousand years, Harvester had sacrificed herself to protect his children and the world, Reaver wasn't going to let her be tortured for eternity. And considering their history, a past he's just coming to terms with, there's no way he'll let her go without a fight.
Harvester is being tortured by Satan and the scenes depicted were so eerie. The author did a great job with that and I was scared for this girl. She'd been traumatized so much before, what would this do to her? And when she learned the truth about Reaver, would she give him the chance they never really had before?
All of the scenes in Sheol were amazing and scary. I can't even imagine anyone or anything surviving there and yet, there's a thriving population. The imagination to create this place boggles my mind.
I loved this book so much. I honestly didn't know I'd enjoy it as much as I did. Reaver was such an incredible character, as seen in the previous books, but getting inside his head for once was a special treat. He was brutal and kind and compassionate and deadly. He was honorable and loving and he made it impossible not to love him. Harvester is someone I'm starting to really appreciate and I'm hoping to like her even more as this story continues.
I'm not stopping and I can only hope this series continues for the foreseeable future.
Spoiler -- Reaver is a Radiant (the only beings more powerful than him are Metatron, Satan and God) and his twin brother (equally powerful and a Shadow Angel) is Revenant. Go freaking figure!
Previous books in the series:
Pleasure Unbound * Desire Unchained * Passion Unleashed * Ecstasy Unveiled * Sin Undone * Eternal Rider * Immortal Rider * Lethal Rider * Rogue Rider
Pleasure Unbound * Desire Unchained * Passion Unleashed * Ecstasy Unveiled * Sin Undone * Eternal Rider * Immortal Rider * Lethal Rider * Rogue Rider
Azagoth by Larissa Ione
Standalone - Demonica #11 / Demonica Underworld #1
Genre - Paranormal Romance / forced proximity
POV - Dual 3rd person
Heat - explicit
Source - library ebook
Length - 166 pages
Even in the fathomless depths of the underworld and the bleak chambers of a damaged heart, the bonds of love can heal…or destroy.
He holds the ability to annihilate souls in the palm of his hand. He commands the respect of the most dangerous of demons and the most powerful of angels. He can seduce and dominate any female he wants with a mere look. But for all Azagoth’s power, he’s bound by shackles of his own making, and only an angel with a secret holds the key to his release.
She’s an angel with the extraordinary ability to travel through time and space. An angel with a tormented past she can’t escape. And when Lilliana is sent to Azagoth’s underworld realm, she finds that her past isn’t all she can’t escape. For the irresistibly sexy fallen angel known as Azagoth is also known as the Grim Reaper, and when he claims a soul, it’s forever…
I gave this one 4 stars. Azagoth was a beast, both literally and figuratively, and I easily fell for him. He was scrumptious in the darkest way and I loved the hidden depths to his character. Dude's an empath, he's not really a fallen angel, he's super powerful (especially in his realm), and he deserved someone special. I think Lilli was that person. She was strong and kind and despite coming to him with an agenda, she fell for him as easily as I did. I love how Sheol-gra was coming to life so beautifully in the end and I hope to see more of these two in future stories.
Air Force veteran Larissa Ione traded in a career in meteorology to pursue her passion of writing. She has since published dozens of books, hit several bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today, and has been nominated for a RITA award.She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case.
She lives in Wisconsin with her retired U.S. Coast Guard husband, her son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhounds, a King Shepherd named Hexe and a Belgian Malinois named Duvel.
Visit https://www.larissaione.com for more information.
The prophesies were there . . . but no one listened. They are the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and they have the power to usher in Doomsday . . . or prevent it.
Lethal Rider by Larissa Ione
Standalone - Demonica #8 / Lords of Deliverance #3
Rating -
1/2Genre - Paranormal Romance / enemies to lovers
POV - multiple 3rd person
Heat - descriptive
Source - library ebook
Length - 464 pages
Previous books in the series: Pleasure Unbound * Desire Unchained * Passion Unleashed * Ecstasy Unveiled * Sin Undone * Eternal Rider * Immortal Rider
Eight months ago, demon-slayer Regan Matthews seduced the fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse, Thanatos. Now, she's pregnant with his child - a child who, if prophecies are to believed, is fated to save the world. But things aren't always as they appear, and the baby conceived by two warriors may yet be the very catalyst that kicks off Armageddon. Thanatos, who will be Death when his Seal breaks, never thought he'd have a family, but as he grows close to Regan and his unborn son, he allows himself to dream. But as the world edges closer to the end of days and his evil brother plots against him, Thanatos realises that the sacrifice he must make will destroy everything he dreamed of having.
I will start this off by saying that Regan almost ruined this book for me. In the beginning, she was just awful. She knew she did Thanatos wrong, but she kept antagonizing him. Which was fun because I lived for Than trying to terrorize this woman, but I wanted her to own her shit and move this romance-and-an-apocalypse-and-a-baby-story along.
Than was a hopeless romantic who didn't have a clue how to woo a woman. His deepest desire was to have a family of his own, but when his wish is about to be granted, he finds out that his brother is out to destroy everything. Than's son-to-be is his agimortus and if he's killed, Than will become Death. So everyone is desperate to prevent this from happening, Pestilence has gotten so much worse, and the world as we know it is on the brink of disaster. But there's hope and if all the parts can come together at one exact moment, if they can figure out a way to cure or kill Pestilence, then everything should work out.
Is it wrong of me that I felt absolutely terrible for Reseph? Seriously, when he remembers everything he did as Pestilence, he won't be the same fun-loving male everyone adored. And how will people react to him when they know what he did when he went to the dark side?
His book is next and I can't wait to find out!
Air Force veteran Larissa Ione traded in a career in meteorology to pursue her passion of writing. She has since published dozens of books, hit several bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today, and has been nominated for a RITA award.She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case.
She lives in Wisconsin with her retired U.S. Coast Guard husband, her son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhounds, a King Shepherd named Hexe and a Belgian Malinois named Duvel.
Visit https://www.larissaione.com for more information.
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