
It's you and me, together in this world.
— Lilly to Keller


Royally Not Ready by Meghan Quinn
Release - August 9, 2022
Part of a Duet - Royal #1
Genre/Trope - RomCom / royal / grumpy hero / forced proximity
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - explicit with several scenes
Source - borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 438 pages
So there I was selling bikinis out of my truck in South Beach Miami, getting ready to kick off a wet t-shirt contest when the world’s biggest grouch approached me - Keller Fitzwilliam.
The man had the sultriest British accent I've ever heard. And he looked like he just walked off a Viking boat and into a suit tailored specifically for his impressively muscular frame. Only problem is, he had the warmth of an ice pick and he kept telling me he was here to take me back to his home country.
Of course, I didn't follow him. I might be up for a good time, but I'm also educated enough to know leaving with a stranger isn't smart. Well, that's until he mentioned my mom's name. My mom who passed away several years ago.
So after some serious fact-checking, my bikini-clad bum went with him to a sub-arctic country I had never heard of just north of the British Isles, where I found out my grandpa was the king of said freezing country, and I was the one and only heir.
Desperate to learn more about my mom, I decided to give this princess thing a chance.
Good idea, right? Wrong.
Because Mr. Ice Pick was put to the task of training me and he’s not just cold as ice, he’s pompous, aggravating, and possessive. And did I mention we have to share a bathroom in a tiny castle?
We are oil and water every single day and even though he’s training me to be queen, I have this simmering desire to kneel before him.
Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon
After my not so great feelings after the last story I read from this author (I'm looking at you A Not So Meet Cute)... I went into this book with a bit of trepidation. Would I like it? Would this be the end, at least for awhile, of my relationship with this author?
Let me tell you what I quickly realized...

Within the first few chapters, I knew I was gonna love this book.
I was already giggling and swoonig and there was so much more to read.
I lived for every grumpy moment with Keller.
I anticipated every inappropriate thought and word from Lilly.
I couldn't get enough!
By the time I got to the end, I was extremely grateful that I didn't have to wait to read the next book because IT'S ALREADY OUT!!
Lilly is the long lost heir to a scandinavian kingdom and she was soooo not ready.
Keller was determined to shape her into someone worthy of the title of future queen.
Everything that happened in between, such as the humor and the heat and the banter and the... well, just EVERYTHING... made this a must-read for me.
I knew that it was going to get all of the stars.
It was like reading what I know to expect from MQ and so much more.
So I'm off to get my hands on Royally In Trouble, which I'm hoping is just as amazing (if not more than) this was!

#1 Amazon and USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.

And I'm fully in it now.
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Risk on Ice by S.R. Grey
Release - October 11, 2022
Genre - Sports Romance / brother's friend / forced proximity
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat - 3 out of 5 / a couple of semi-descriptive scenes
Format/Source - eARC provided by the author
Length - 181 pages
Publisher - Indie
I, Alex Hartwell, just screwed up big-time.
Now the hockey team I was traded to, the Las Vegas Wolves, have me on a short leash.
You’d think a hotshot defenseman like me would have known better.
Guess not.
But I’m trying real hard to behave now.
Why else would I agree to stay at my teammate’s house for the next three months in order to keep the team happy?
It should be a breeze, as Sebastian Alderman is cool. Only problem is I didn’t count on his hot sister, Kelsi, staying there too.
FML, as Hockey Code 101 says sisters are off-limits.
Yeah, I can’t take the risk. Even if Kelsi and I are wildly attracted to each other. Not to mention, she’s pretty effing cool.
But I better behave.
Or not only will the Wolves be breathing down my neck, but Sebastian will be too.
You want sweet? It doesn't really get sweeter than this story.
You want smooth? The love that blossomed between Alex and Kelsi couldn't have been easier.
The author made these characters seem genuine and realistic. What happened between them felt organic and necessary. There was absolutely no muss and no fuss. Imagine a story that is about what the couple shares, without the drama.
Risk on Ice was a sweet and beautiful story. It won me over with how utterly simple and natural it was.
So if you're looking for an adorable couple who do adorable things... look no further than this!

S.R. Grey is a USA Today Bestselling Author of the popular Boys of Winter hockey books and Men of Fall football novels. Both series can be read in any order or as standalones. Other New Adult and Romantic Suspense works of hers include the Judge Me Not books, the Promises series, the Inevitability duology, A Harbour Falls Mystery trilogy, and the Laid Bare series of novellas.
Ms. Grey resides in Pennsylvania. When not writing, she can be found reading, traveling, running, or cheering for her hometown sports teams, sometimes all at the same time.

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Playing for Keeps by R.L. Mathewson
Release - April 29, 2011
Genre - Romantic Comedy / enemies to lovers / forced proximity
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat - 4 out of 5 / several scenes which ranged from descriptive to explicit
Format/Source - ebook purchase from Amazon
Length - 287 pages
Publisher - Rerum Carta industries, Inc.
Done with being the world's biggest pushover, Haley decides that things are going to change starting with the aggravating neighbor who has too much charm and not enough restraint. What she didn't expect was to be sucked into his world, but Haley has a game plan and she won't let herself forget just what the bad boy next door is capable of.
The last thing Jason expected was for his little shy neighbor to go Rambo on him over some ruined flowers. After he decides to take her under his wing he can't help but that notice that she fits very nicely in his life. Now the only thing left is to convince her that this is anything but a game.
Reading this story again was like reading it for the first time. I loved it years ago and I've realized I love it even more now!
Haley and Jason were amazing together. Hilarious, sweet, sexy, and fun, they were a joy to read.
He was a neighbor from Hell before he became the best friend Haley could ever ask for. And then... he became so much more. He was reluctant to love, but when he did, he did it well. I loved the way these characters loved each other.
Haley was his life now. His woman. His heart.
He was so screwed.
The drama Haley created was expected. I didn't like it but it did give me a heck of a lot of laughs. Jason was just as stubborn as she was and knew they belonged together. And when he gave up the fight and she took up the battle, I swooned. I love when the both characters can make me into a sappy mess.
All jokes about the food and Jason's never-ending stomach aside, this story was super sexy and sweet. I've already read so much of this series and I can't wait to read them again!
New York Times Bestselling author, R.L. Mathewson was born in Massachusetts. She’s known for her humor, quick wit and ability to write relatable characters. She currently has several paranormal and contemporary romance series published including the Neighbor from Hell series.
Growing up, R.L. Mathewson was a painfully shy bookworm. After high school she attended college, worked as a bellhop, fast food cook, and a museum worker until she decided to take an EMT course. Working as an EMT helped her get over her shyness as well as left her with some fond memories and some rather disturbing ones that from time to time show up in one of her books.
Today, R.L. Mathewson is the single mother of two children that keep her on her toes. She has a bit of a romance novel addiction as well as a major hot chocolate addiction and on a perfect day, she combines the two.

My own safety is only worthwhile as long as I can protect her.
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Prison Planet Barbarian by Ruby Dixon
Release - May 7, 2017
Genre - SciFi Romance / prison trope
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5 / no intercourse until the end, but plenty of sexy times
Format/Source - ebook purchase from Amazon
Length - 135 pages
Publisher - Indie
Being kidnapped by aliens is one thing.
Being kidnapped by aliens and then sent to a prison planet is something infinitely worse.
Here in Haven's prison system, I'm stranded among strangers, enemies, and the most ruthless criminals in the galaxy. There's no safety for a human woman here, especially not one branded as a murderer. I'm doomed to a fate worse than death.
Then...he decides I should be his. His name's Jutari. He's seven feet tall, blue, and horned. He's an assassin and one of the most dangerous prisoners here. He's like no one I've ever met before...and he might be my only chance.
This story stands completely alone and is only marginally connected to the Ice Planet Barbarians or Corsairs series. You do not need to read those books in order to follow this one.
I haven't read many romances centered around a prison, but I think this might be a trope I want to see more of. Especially with how much I've enjoyed this story.
Chloe had been kidnapped to be a sex slave for some alien bigwig. In defense of her own body and free will, she inadvertently kills a bunch of aliens at once. For her crimes, she's transported to an alien prison and the horror show seems to be endless. For some reason, one of the guards has taken a special interest in her (ewwww gross) and the only one who can protect her, surprisingly, is another inmate — a hot, tall, horned, blue alien of a man.
I freaking loved Jutari. A pirate, an assassin, one dumb move got him caught. But he's not stuck. He's just biding his time and with Chloe's safety at stake, he's intent on putting his plan in action.
Hot chemistry, a protective and possessive alien, a sort of useless and sweet and vulnerable heroine, a bunch of crazy and scary drama, and my interest to read even more made this story so worthwhile.
I force myself to remain casual, seated against the wall near the glass. I turn my head leisurely, as if barely interested in Noku’s reappearance. It does no good to show too much interest in something or else it’ll be used against you.
Even so, it takes everything I have not to jump to my feet when the ssethri guard appears, a small unconscious form slung over his shoulder. I realize he’s heading toward my location when my shock- collar lights up and pins me to the ground, along with everyone else in the cell.
Noku steps inside and flings Kloo- ee’s small form to the ground. “You wanted to rape her? She’s all yours. Teach her a lesson,” he snarls. “Use her hard and use her well.”
And with that, he turns and leaves.
The glass slides back into place between one breath and the next, and there’s a breathless pause between all of us in the cell. Cthorn is the first to get to his feet, and he takes a step toward Kloo- ee’s unmoving body.
“Don’t,” I warn him in a low tone.
He freezes in place and then drops to a crouch, watching me.
They’re all watching me.
I glance at the guards, but they’re watching Noku leave. I move toward Kloo- ee and turn her over. Marks from the shock- stick cover her face and neck. Her face is swollen and purple from the beating he’s given her, and as she rolls flat onto her back, I can see additional dark bruises on her skin through the pale material of her jumper.
He’s beaten her badly.
Rage blisters through my brain. I’m going to make Noku pay for this. I’m going to rip the scaly skin from his body while he’s still living and stuff it down his keffing throat. To treat a female like this is unconscionable. To treat my female like this will result in a slow and painful death.

Ruby Dixon is the secret penname of a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author. As Ruby, she writes sexy barbarian aliens, grumpy shifters, and domineering bikers.

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Hermes by Alessa Thorn
Release - June 14, 2020
Genre - Paranormal Romance / mythological legend retelling
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 3 out of 5 / a couple of descriptive scenes
Format/Source - ebook borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Length - 212 pages
Publisher - Thornstar Publishing Pty Ltd
The god of magic has lost his mind. Literally. A reluctant nurse with a healing touch may have the power to save him...She only needs to be convinced.
If you like a no-nonsense heroine with an attitude to keep even a mad god in check, you'll enjoy this fun instalment of 'The Court of the Underworld.'
Thanks to a curse he can't remember getting, Hermes's memories are locked away so tight that even the god of thieves has no way of picking the locks. After twenty years of being held prisoner, he's not even sure he wants them back.
Selene has worked off her shitty ex-boyfriend's debt to Hades, but the Lord of Styx can't be denied when he wants something. He needs Hermes back and the information he has on Pithos to take them down forever, and Hades wants Selene to help him get it.
It doesn't matter that the mad god kind of scares parts of her and makes other bits heat up, Hermes is refusing to tolerate anyone else's help, and for a god of boundaries...he sure has none.
HERMES is a new story based on characters from Greek Myth. It contains adult content, including violence, swearing, and steamy sex scenes.
I'm gonna be honest here... I think this may have been my favorite book of this series yet!
Hermes, the herald of the Olympian gods, the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orators, is no longer the male everyone used to know and love. After being struck by madness by his father (Zeus was one messed up dude) and kept prisoner by a cult of monster hunters, he was finally rescued by Hades and working on putting the pieces of himself back together. The person who helped him the most... everyone's favorite nurse, Selene.
She's had her share of heartbreak and only a fool would fall for the god of tricks. But what could she do when he was so gosh darned irresistible? I know I couldn't resist how delicious this male was so who could blame a girl for falling?
I felt so much from this story, from its characters and the continuing background plot to all of the side characters. I'm so in love with these people! And I was a sucker for the way that Hermes both suffered and grew in this book. He made my day with his reaction when he met his new brother, Perseus.
After Perseus left, Hermes decided that maybe having siblings might just be enjoyable for once.
The way the brothers bonded (Hermes, Asterion, Perseus), the ease of their connection, really helped to sell this story to me. The patience and understanding everyone had for everything Hermes was going through, Selene's compassion... It was very easy to give this story all of the stars!
If you're a lover of romance, broken heroes who still have it going on, sweet heroines with bits of fire, and a plot that won't quit, read these books! Thanatos is next and I've already got it on lock!!

Alessa Thorn believes that all monsters and villains deserve their happy endings. She prefers her clothes black, eyeliner winged and books full of hot romance. She thinks heroes are boring, so her first series 'The Court of the Underworld' centers around dark gods, monsters and villains from her favorite Greek Myths.
And he'd selfishly accepted it.
Even if Conrad separated from her for a thousand years, she would still be what he treasured above all things—and what he feared losing most.
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Dark Needs at Night's Edge by Kresley Cole
Release - April 29, 2008
Genre - Paranormal Romance / vamps, demons, valkyries, witches, ghost
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 3.5 out of 5 / a few scenes
Format/Source - ebook borrowed from the library
Length - 401 pages
Publisher - Pocket Books
Néomi Laress, a famous ballerina from a past century, became a phantom the night she was murdered. Imbued with otherworldly powers but invisible to the living, she haunts her beloved home, scaring away trespassers—until she encounters a ruthless immortal even more terrifying than Néomi herself.
To prevent him from harming others, vampire warrior Conrad Wroth’s brothers imprison him in an abandoned manor. But there, a female only he can see seems determined to drive him further into madness. The exquisite creature torments him with desire, leaving his body racked with lust and his soul torn as he finds himself coveting her for his own.
Yet even if Conrad can win Néomi, evil still surrounds her. Once he returns to the brutality of his past to protect her, will he succumb to the dark needs seething inside him?
Find Dark Needs at Night's Edge here:
Goodreads * Amazon
Okay, so Néomi wasn't a stripper, but it kinda works!
After reading the previous books in this series, I was curious to know what happened to young Conrad Wroth. Well, he's definitely not young anymore. He's consumed with blood lust and his brothers are willing to do anything to bring him back to this side of sanity.
Almost 100 years ago, Néomi was a bright star in the ballet world, but when she rejected a man who purported to be devoted to her, she was murdered by him. Once admired and adored, she had become a ghost—she cannot be touched, seen or heard. She was miserable until the day the Wroths brought Conrad to be imprisoned at what she sees as her house.
I don't know if I was supposed to laugh as much as I did with this book, but laugh I did. Not so much at Conrad's pain or struggle, but with his interactions with Néomi. These two were so sweet together. I loved that at first he wasn't sure if she was a hallucination or not. And with her so desperate to finally be seen by someone, I couldn't get enough of them. They fed and offered succor to each other. And they loved unlike any love either had ever known.
Nix was the ridiculous class act I've come to expect. Mari and Bowen had me rolling. The Wroth brothers continue to capture pieces of my heart. And the demon brothers... poor, poor Cade. I'm hoping he gets a taste of the happiness and peace he seems to deserve.
I'll definitely be reading more of this series!!
Kresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the electrifying Immortals After Dark paranormal series, the young adult Arcana Chronicles series, the erotic Gamemakers series, and five award-winning historical romances.
A master’s grad and former athlete, she has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings.
Her books have been translated into 23 foreign languages, garnered 3 RITA awards, a Hall of Fame induction, and consistently appear on the bestseller lists, in the U.S. and abroad.
Cole lives in Florida with her family.

Ever since he laid eyes on Eveline Marceau, Ramses wanted to possess her. Inside and out.
He wanted to own every fiber of her being.
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Dark Possession by Aja James
Release - August 1, 2020
Genre - Paranormal Romance
Primarily Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - kinda slow burn - 4 out of 5 - several scenes
Format/Source - ebook borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Page Count - 266
Publisher - Indie
Alend Ramses is not who he seems…
The first-ever Dark King, the most powerful vampire ruler in the world, was once the lowest of the low. A slave who became a Consort who became a King…he’s lived long enough to learn from his mistakes and never repeat them.
Or has he?
Eveline Marceau knows a lot…
The Pure Ones’ Seer and Scribe is an intellectual female with hidden depths, which no male across time has come close to uncovering. She is certain that Ramses is no different; she knows what she wants, and he is exactly opposite.
But she doesn’t know everything.
Their paths cross unexpectedly…
Pulled into the Dark Ones’ dizzying world of intrigue, violence and mayhem, the meek little “librarian” shows her steely backbone and holds her own. By all appearances, she is one of the Dark King’s possessions, a symbol and portent for a potential future as tensions between the Dark Ones and their enemies run high.
Appearances can be deceiving.
Can Eveline work with Ramses to steer Destiny in the right direction, or will history once again repeat itself toward a bloody, oppressive end?
Amazon CA * Amazon US
(free to read with Kindle Unlimited)
Once again, Aja James gave me an honorable, broken hero to sink my teeth into. Had me feeling like fighting Eveline for the privilege!
Matter of fact, Eveline wasn't doing bad herself. I absolutely adored the way she transformed once she met Ramses. Dark Possession a.k.a. The Evolution of Eveline was a sensually frustrating masterpiece.
Honestly, I found so much to love about this book... like the way Eveline was mesmerized by Ramses and his #phallus elephantas.
She had the almost irresistible urge to rub her face in his inviting crotch.
Could crotches be inviting? Apparently, Ramses’ was.
Unconsciously, Eveline licked her dry lips at the sight.
She was so, so starved.
“Thirsty?” He asked solicitously in that sinful, dark chocolate voice.
She swallowed with an audible gulp.
His chest seemed to shake, and if Eveline was paying attention to anything above his waistline, she would have seen that it was shaking with barely suppressed amusement.
“Hungry?”
He was taunting her. Some self-preserving part of her brain just knew that he was.
Right on cue, his penis bobbed and pulsed again, squeezing out more clear fluid, the fat, juicy head with its winking slit looking directly at her. (If penises could look, that was).
As if to say, come take a good long suck. Eat my cream until you’re full to bursting. I’ll satisfy all of your most wanton and depraved appetites.
Can these two be more delicious together?!
I loved that although this book heavily featured Ramses and Eveline, there was still something about their story that fed into the subplot that has been building throughout this entire series. For example, I need more information about The Eagle King. I was hoping that he and Ramses would finally have the conversation that seemed to be so necessary, but no. I want them to confront Ramses' regret over their first encounter when he turned his back on his own kind. I wanted the Eagle to share their origins and their bond. I want all of these beings to finally unite so that Medusa and Wan'er don't stand a chance.
If I didn't already not care a dang lick about Queen Ashlu before, this book... getting Ramses story... seeing how she used, abused, and manipulated him... I definitely hate her now.
When he was smaller, she used to sift her fingers through his ebony curls while she hugged him to her bosom as a loving mother would. She doted on him and carved time out of every day to spend with him. Playing, dreaming, making him laugh, feeding him food and drink from her own hands.
Was it any wonder that he loved her unconditionally? His beautiful, magical Dark Queen.
He never suspected that it was all pretense.
Good thing she's dead.
I did think that it took far too long for Ramses to wise up to who Queen Ashlu truly was. At times, I thought it made him pathetic. But then I remembered she had him since he was a baby. So it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that he would have a blindspot when it came to her. However, to die at the age of 11 as a Pure One because he gave himself to her when she didn't love him back (thanks Decline), to be reborn as a Dark One and rededicate himself to the same person who didn't love him... He took to long to walk away.
Although Ramses was disgusted and repulsed by having sex in order to expedite negotations between the houses, I'm so glad that Eveline quickly stepped up to sabotage his efforts. That entire scene where she cursed one of the vampire queens was hilarious. Like her, I didn't understand why he put himself through it all. He was a fearless leader. Feared and respected. It just wasn't necessary and it was gross and I'm just thrilled that I didn't have to go through seeing anything yucky.
After all these millennia, Eveline found him.
Though she, too, hadn’t been searching.
They’d found each other.
They’d come home.
I don't know what the mating of Eveline and Ramses means for the two houses. Will the Cove and the Shield finally operate as one unit? It would be smart, no? Will Ramses and The Eagle King have 'the talk'? Will The Eagle King feature in a big way in the story to come? And when the heck will Medusa and Wan'er finally die? They will die, right?!
I'm full of questions and curiosity and the only solution is to keep reading and falling in love with all of these characters, the author's writing, and the beautiful story that is too quickly coming to an end.
Oh, and what does this prophecy mean?
A queen becomes Queen
A slave becomes Mate
A King falls in flames
A winner loses in games
A queen gives way
A Mate displaced
A Champion reborn
A King transformed
A stone heart in fire
A soul dances higher
When True Love reveals
And old wounds heal.
Check out the previous books:







“Which part of me do you want to possess the most?” he rasped into her ear, softly biting the tender lobe.
“Which part of me do you hunger for the most?”
Her busy little hands gave his buttocks a hard, thorough squeeze before curving around his hips to grasp his manhood through his trousers in one fist while the other took a firm hold of his balls.
He shuddered against her and ground into her grip, fucking her hand in short bursts until his pre-cum leaked profusely from the head, wetting her palm even through the confining fabric.
“This?”
He knew without a doubt that she craved his sex, but he still wanted to hear her say it.
“Yes,” she breathed, squeezing him tightly with both hands, making him see stars.
At the same time, he was afraid. Females the world over wanted him. It was the primal maleness of him, the elemental strength and power. Ashlu had wanted him for the same reason, and he’d used her sexual desire to bind her to him.
But with Eveline, he wanted her to want more from him. To want him the way he wanted her.
Loved her.
He bit back a helpless groan at the truth of it. He loved her completely. Utterly.
He loved the way she stood up to him, since the first moment they met. She always held her ground, not giving him an inch. He loved the way she focused on her work, how she truly enjoyed and was inspired by her role amongst the immortals.
He loved the way she became doggedly obsessed when she wanted something, how despite being an imminently logical, intellectual female, she also had a fiery, implacable temper, a possessive, jealous streak as wide as the Nile. He even loved the quirky nicknames she thought up to call him in retaliation for his calling her “little sprite.”
Most of all, he loved her passionate heart, her courage and loyalty, how she didn’t hesitate to go after him, and to try to help a complete stranger in the eagle king, even after he abducted her.
This depth of feeling obliterated everything he thought he knew. The closest he’d felt to this before was merely obsession.
This…
This was irrevocable, permanent possession. His body stilled against her, though tremors of a different kind racked him. Doubt. Vulnerability. Surrender.
And undiluted, all-consuming love.
Aja James just completed the Pure/ Dark Ones paranormal-fantasy romance series in 2020. If you want your heart battered, bruised, shattered and skewered, then put back together in the most glorious ways, check out the series below. Every couple gets an HEA, but they fight like hell for it on the way.
Aja is now working on her new series, Dragon Tails, because dragons are her favorite shifters of all!

Belonging to Jillian had taught him that it was possible to live without fear and pain.
Belonging to Stacey had taught him it was possible to live.

Bond of Destiny by Larissa Ione
Release - August 24, 2021
Genre - Paranormal Romance
Primarily Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5/a few of scenes
Format/Source - eARC provided by the publisher
Page Count - approx. 200
Publisher - 1001 Dark Nights Press
Sold into slavery mere hours after his birth to werewolf parents, Tracker spent decades in service to cruel underworlders. Then the fallen angel Harvester transferred his ownership to a human woman who gave him as much freedom as the unbreakable bond would allow. Still, thanks to his traumatic past, he’s afraid to trust, let alone feel love. But when an acquaintance shows up at his door, injured and in need of help, he finds himself longing for a connection. For someone to touch. For someone to care.
Stacey Orr has had it bad for Tracker since the day her best friend, Jillian, was forced to hold his unbreakable slave bond. At first, the fact that he’s a werewolf seemed weird to Stacey, but hey, her best friend was married to one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, so weird is definitely a matter of perspective. Stacey knows the depths of Tracker’s trauma, and she longs to help him even as he helps her, but breaking through his walls isn’t easy.
And it only gets harder when the only blood family he has, the pack that gave him away, lays claim to him… and everything he loves.
Amazon US * Amazon CA
Whenever a book explores slavery, it touches me in a weird way. It's a sensitive subject for almost everyone and as a black woman, it always tears me apart. Tracker's story tried to devastate me!
The only freedom a slave got was in death. It was the best someone like him could hope for.
However, it failed. The author injected so much hope and positivity into this story that there was no way that darkness could win. Tracker was left broken after decades of abuse and with his new master, Jillian, he was slowly learning what it was to have some freedom. No more abuse, no more pain. And with Stacey he was learning what it was to truly appreciate his new life. He learned what it was to not only give, but to also receive love.
I loved the way their relationship developed. It was filled with passion, compassion and understanding. While Stacey was understandably horrified by Tracker's past, her huge heart was open to showing and giving him a new lease on life. Her affection soothed him and her love healed him. I loved getting glimpses of all the new wonders Tracker was experiencing. I especially loved watching this male turn into a beast to protect his woman.
Good thing he'd learned to live with pain because he was going to use it. He was going to f*ck some people up, and then he was going to find Stacey.
And he was going to claim her.
Screw the slavers. She. Was. His.
I haven't read much from this series, but after reading this, falling for these characters, and meeting Harvester and Reseph (who aren't together and are actually mated to other people, but are really compelling people I want to know), I'll be changing all of that. This series is obviously full of must-read 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 currently 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.



Pure Ecstasy by Aja James
Release - January 1, 2019
Genre - Paranormal Romance
Multiple POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5
Format/Source - Kindle purchase
Page Count - 239
Publisher - Indie
Jade: She is a ruthless, cunning vampire queen, the most powerful amongst all the Hives in the world. Beautiful, predatory, and alluringly dangerous, she’s a huntress who revels in blood and sexual pleasure.
Seth: He is calm, cool, and level-headedness personified, as the most effective negotiator and mediator amongst the Pure Ones. Known by the moniker of “Monk,” he thought he could resist any and all temptation.
3 years ago, they made a deal, one that gave the Pure Ones a critical advantage against a deadly foe. But the price he paid still haunts him to this day.
3 years ago, she played a delicious game, not realizing until it was almost too late, how he changed her entire world.
Now, common enemies force their paths to cross again. Only this time, the stakes are higher, the risk is greater, and the love—should they choose to claim it—will be worth every sacrifice.
Buy it here: https://amzn.to/3stNHPa
(free to read with Kindle Unlimited)

I'll admit that when I first realized that Jade was meant for Seth, I was a bit horrified. This woman, who kept him as a blood slave, manipulated him, treated him like a toy, and had sex with multiple lovers (some at the same time) right in front of him, couldn't possibly be his forever mate.
So what if she listened and appreciated his counsel? So what if she understood that what she felt for him was far more than she had felt for any other male? So what if she was lost and devastated without him?
She didn't respect him!
But I changed my mind for many reasons, one of them being that I've learned that not only did she not have real sex with these people, she made sure Seth was completely aware of it.
What I loved most about Jade were her moments of vulnerabilty and fragility. I could appreciate her being a badazz, but her having a soft side... Her humanity is what made her truly endearing.
I didn't find her past to be as devastating to me as the ones I've seen before, however, I felt such sympathy for her. She was once a slave, with no rights and no freedoms, aside from what she was able to manipulate from her masters. I thought it would make her more empathetic with what Seth found abominable. But no.
Honestly, Seth could do no wrong with me. He was so sweet, so kind and considerate, so sexy and loyal and generous, so amazing. I loved this man so much!!
Once again, Aja James had me swooning and engaged and anxious for more.
And here are my kinda spoiler-y discussion points...
I thought that nothing could really surprise me with this book because a) the author seems to love shocking us and b) I was prepared for all of the shocks. I'm telling you now... I was not prepared! I read these lines:
It didn't want Benji's short, innocent life to be snuffed out with all the other candles in the human world.
It wanted its son to live.
What are you telling me? The Creature is the father of Benji? Again with this 6 degrees of separation. So it's the father and Inanna is raising her nephew without even knowing it. Why has The Creature gotten itself involved in everyone's lives like this? Don't even get me started on its conversation with the comatose Dalair, letting on that it was the man Sophia chose over Dalair in her past life (the one in which he sacrificed himself for). What. The. Ever. Loving. Heck. Is. Going. On???

Then there's the rest...
I found it incredibly off-putting that Ramses was not only attracted to Jade (and really, who could blame him?), but that he was also extremely possessive of her. I'm not thrilled that he was depicted this way. Where did it even come from? I'm hoping I forget all about it by the time I get to his book about him finding his own mate.
Other than Tal, do any of these people believe in foreplay?
Ayelet referred to Seth as family. Is that real or chosen?
Why is no one suspicious over Wan'er? I can't wait to see this whole thing blow up!
I think I'm most excited to see when The Creature realizes who he truly is. I have a feeling this author, based on how amazing she's been so far, is going to make this reveal AWESOME!!
Check out the previous books:





“I want you.”
She stated the words as if she were throwing down a gauntlet.
He looked back at her intently, searching those intense blue eyes for some depth of feeling beyond superficial lust.
But he couldn’t see inside of her. She was, and always had been, closed off to him.
One of Seth’s Gifts was the ability to detect the desires of others, the better to negotiate and mediate. All he’d ever felt from Jade was sexual aggression and hunger for pleasure. He could never tell whether these were the only things she wanted, or that these were the only things she allowed herself to want.
“My blood,” Seth clarified.
“Yes.”
“My body.”
“Yessss.”
“That is all?”
She narrowed her eyes.
What did he want her to say? She didn’t have patience for guessing games.
“That is plenty,” she said. “I want to renegotiate our deal. What do you want for your blood and body? Unlimited access. Sole ownership. Name your price.”
A sharp, splintering pain exploded within Seth’s heart.
“You want me to be your Blood Slave,” he rasped out, his eyes boring into hers.
Her gaze flickered slightly as if she knew she’d hurt him with her demand, but wasn’t sure why.
“We don’t have to call it that,” she coaxed. “We don’t need to formalize the ritual. You would simply give me your word that you’re mine. Only mine.”
“I cannot be owned that way,” he stated quietly.
“Everyone and everything can be had for a price,” she resolutely refuted. “It is how I built this Hive, the strongest vampire Hive in the world.”
The look in her eyes gentled slightly as she considered him.
“I would treat you well, Pure One,” she promised softly. “I would only take my pleasure with you, if that’s what you want. I would forsake all other males, and keep you always by my side.”
“Like a pet.”
Jade sat back as the waitress came to take their plates away and put the check on the table.
She was nonplussed.
She was offering him carte blanche access to her Hive, her resources, her power and influence, in return for mutual pleasure and gratification. Yet he was obviously extremely put out, if the muscle ticking in his jaw were any indication.
Perhaps she should have thought through her strategy better.
But this was their last day together. She wanted more days like this.
Infinitely more.
She was desperate to possess him totally, elated to know that no one ever truly had.
She wanted to mark him, claim him, own him before Destiny decided to loan him to any other female.
He was hers.
She needed to make him hers.
Mine, the primitive beast inside of her growled.
“We should go,” he said and stood, after paying the bill, his ever calm and polite mask once more encasing his face.
She took his arm as they walked out of the dessert shop together, the better to lean in and ask, “You’ll consider it?”
“No.”
“But—”
He turned to face her on the sidewalk and clutched her close so that their conversation couldn’t be overheard by humans going about their day.
“I will not be your whore.”
“That’s not—”
“I cannot be bought.”
“You—”
He held her shoulders and shook her a little, finally losing some of his cool.
"Don't," he ground out.
"Don't," he repeated when she opened her mouth to speak.
I do not f*ck on command. I am not built that way. I will never give anyone the power to reduce me into a collection of flesh and bones and blood. I am more than that. And if you wanted to pretend that you are my wife, you would know that. You would respect who I am."

Aja is now working on her new series, Dragon Tails, because dragons are her favorite shifters of all!
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