Showing posts with label Enemies to Lovers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Enemies to Lovers. Show all posts

Reaver by Larissa Ione

July 19, 2024

Reaver by Larissa Ione

“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


Reaver by Larissa Ione

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.


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!


Reaver by Larissa Ione


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.

Soul of Salvation by Ali Stuebbe

July 17, 2024

Soul of Salvation by Ali Stuebbe

"You stole my heart from the moment those beautiful lips cursed me with a dagger to my throat in the alley." - Draven to Emma


Soul of Salvation by Ali Stuebbe

Soul of Salvation by Ali Stuebbe


Book #2 of The Divide
Review of book one - Blood of Desiderium
Rating -
Genre - Fantasy Romance
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - explicit
Source - Kindle Unlimited
Length - 400 pages

In the aftermath of the battle at the Court of Ashes, Emma’s sacrifice for salvation thrusts her into a dark realm where the God of Darkness demands a grim price for her newfound power.

The fate of the world hangs in the balance,
A God is harboring dark secrets,
And a mate refuses to lose again.

The darkness’ hold on her makes her hunger for death, until a predestined bond beckons her and conflicts the monster she has become. Emma must follow through with a world-altering task, or decide if she wants to break free from the vice of her powers, for the sake of all she loves.

Then, a profound truth changes everything, testing her strength to bring light to a dark reality. Will Emma endure the burdens of her task or will she sacrifice her heart to protect those she holds dear?

Soul of Salvation by Ali Stuebbe


MILD SPOILER, but Blood of Desiderium ended with Emma making a sacrifice—to stop her father from killing everyone, she went with him. Draven watched the life be snuffed from her eyes and the darkness take a firm hold of the woman he loved. It was devastating and waiting for the conclusion to THAT... lawd, the wait was excruciating.

But here I am and it was well worth it.

In Soul of Salvation, Emma is in the dark world inhabited by her father, Whiro, the god of darkness. He keeps giving her tests, the worst of which is taking the lives of random fae males. While in the realm, Emma feels nothing. She does what she's supposed to do, waiting for her next task. When her father commands her to betray Draven and bring him as the next soul to be sacrificed, it's her first time going back to her world. Will she remain cold and unfeeling or will Draven be the key to giving her her heart back?

On the flip side, Draven's a wreck. He drowns himself in drink to soothe the pain of Emma's absence and their friends aren't able to reach him. They understand, but there's really nothing they can do to help. When word reaches them of Emma's arrival, Draven can't stay away. And then it's a fight to save his mate and his kingdom from the worst being they've ever seen.

I loved the build up to battle and how these characters were able to still find time to renew their bonds. Emma was done fighting Draven and it was so freaking sweet to see them so in tune with each other. Draven would do absolutely anything to save, protect and keep her and she would do the same.

This duology ended so perfectly and I'm excited to see what's next from this author.


Ali Stuebbe grew up in the state of Ohio, near the city of Cleveland. At the age of 21, she married, becoming a military spouse, and has called three other states home. She studied English Literature at Cleveland State University and American Public University. She began writing her debut novel when she grew confident in her writing and felt ready to bring this story to life. When she’s not writing, she can be found at the gym or sitting on the couch with her nose in a book and a large coffee in her hand. Ali is the author of Blood of Desiderium, and currently lives in Texas with her loving husband and two beautiful children.

Visit https://www.alimariestuebbe.co for more information.

Lethal Rider by Larissa Ione

July 09, 2024

Lethal Rider by Larissa Ione

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

Lethal Rider by Larissa Ione


Standalone - Demonica #8 / Lords of Deliverance #3
Rating - 1/2
Genre - 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!

Lethal Rider by Larissa Ione


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.

Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione

June 14, 2024

Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione

“I wonder what disgusts you more, the fact that I’m a demon, or the fact that when I touch you, it doesn’t matter.”

Each book in the Demonica series is a whole story with a beginning and an ending, however the plot of each book relies significantly on the prior books in the series. As is common in paranormal romance series, there is a couple who is the focus of each individual book in the series, however there are plot lines and character development which make it useful to read the books in their published order.


Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione

Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione


Rating -
Standalone - Demonica #1
Release - July 1, 2008
Genre - Paranormal Romance / enemies to lovers
POV - Dual 3rd person
Heat - explicit
Source - library ebook
Length - 353 pages

In a place where ecstasy can cost you your life . . .

She's a demon-slayer who hungers for sensual pleasure-but fears it will always be denied her. Until Tayla Mancuso lands in a hospital run by demons in disguise, and the head doctor, Eidolon, makes her body burn with unslakable desire. But to prove her ultimate loyalty to her peers, she must betray the surgeon who saved her life.

Two lovers will dare to risk all.

Eidolon cannot resist this fiery, dangerous woman who fills him with both rage and passion. Not only is she his avowed enemy, but she could very well be the hunter who has been preying upon his people. Torn between his need for the truth and his quest to find his perfect mate before a horrific transformation claims him forever, Eidolon will dare the unthinkable-and let Tayla possess him, body and soul.


Eidolon was the reason why I was able to love this story. I adored this male so much. He was a brilliant doctor on the verge of devolving into a beast and he was terrified of his eventual transformation. The bond he shared with his brothers was so sweet and I'm excited to see more of it in the books to come. While I'm glad that Tayla came through for him in the end, I wish I could have cared more that she was the reason why he was able to find true happiness.

And yet, no matter how much I truly detested this heroine, I also kinda liked her feistiness. Take away the garbage that came out of her mouth 90% of the time and her delusions that she was stronger and smarter than everyone (she wasn't) and she wasn't half bad. I only wished that she clued into the truth about demons earlier, saving me from reading such prejudiced gibberish. A know-it-all who knew nothing, she was a tough pill to swallow. However, all of the characters and all of the side plots kept things interesting, effectively distracted me from some of her nonsense and that's because this author sure knows how to write.

I've got the next book loaded up and I can't wait to figure out more about Shade and this curse he's so scared of.


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.

Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter

June 05, 2024

Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter

He was breathtakingly cocky, with his leading man face and broad shoulders, but she'd never been so absorbed by a male. Not a real one, anyway.
Broken-doll Daniela... wanted. Him. A vampire.


In Untouchable, Kresley Cole delivers a breathtaking tale of a brutal vampire soldier about to know love for the first time...and a Valkyrie aching to be touched.

In Tempt Me Eternally, Gena Showalter puts a daring spin on a tale of huntress and hunted...and concocts a sensual chemistry that is positively explosive.


Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter

Deep Kiss of Winter includes:


Untouchable by Kresley Cole


Murdoch Wroth will stop at nothing to claim Daniela the Ice Maiden -- the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in three hundred years. Yet the exquisite Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can't be touched by anyone but her own kind without inflicting pain beyond measure. Soon desperate for closeness, in an agony of frustration, Murdoch and Danii will do anything to have each other. Together, can they find the key that will finally allow them to slake the overwhelming desire burning between them?

Tempt Me Eternally by Gena Showalter


Aleaha Love can be anyone -- literally. With only skin-to-skin contact, she can change her appearance, assume any identity. Her newest identity switch has made her an AIR (alien investigation and removal) agent and sends her on a mission to capture a group of otherworldly warriors. Only she becomes the captured. Breean, a golden-skinned commander known for his iron will who is at once dangerous and soul-shatteringly seductive, threatens her new life. Because for the first time, Aleaha only wants to be herself.


For Untouchable:


Rating -
Standalone - Immortals After Dark #7
Genre - Paranormal Romance / fated mates
POV - dual 3rd person
Heat - explicit
Length - 270 pages

Part Valkyrie part Fey, she couldn't be touched without being burned, she couldn't touch someone without freezing them, and she had blooded a vampire, making her his Bride. How was this going to work?

Well, for most of the book, Murdoch was a jerk. He was deliberately obtuse and made me laugh. Daniela was a fool and it was a lot of fun watching these two fall all over themselves in an effort to avoid falling for each other. They were doomed from the start!

When they finally let each other in, it was quick and dirty and so sweet. With each other, they had finally found their missing piece and I was actually really happy about that.

Is there a story for the other Estonians, such as Rurik? If I'm going to have to wait forever and a day for Nix's book, I'm hoping to get stories about characters I care about and Rurik seemed like a loyal, worthwhile and damaged fellow.


For Tempt Me Eternally


Rating -
Standalone - Alien Huntress #3.5
Genre - Paranormal Romance / enemies to lovers
POV - dual 3rd person
Heat - explicit
Length - 161 pages

Annnnnddd... once again, here I am, picking up a book several books into a series. To sum it up, this story gave me enough to spark my curiosity for the rest of the series. I adored Breean, sorta liked Aleaha, and enjoyed pretty much everything that happened here. I only wish I knew more about the world these characters inhabit. There are aliens, creatures, humans, etc. I need more info so I will keep reading.

Btw, I loved seeing the quick reference to Kresley Cole's Immortals series. Hey there Nix!