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

Review // Invaded by Lizzy Bequin

April 12, 2022

Invaded by Lizzy Bequin

Ultor had been able to see and hear her, but he had desired to perceive her with all of his senses. He wanted to touch her body, to smell her hair, to taste her skin. The desire had intensified until it was an obsessive need, and Ultor found it nearly impossible to conentrate on anything else. His hunger for the woman burned like white fire in his chest and in his balls.

────── ♔ ──────


Invaded by Lizzy Bequin

Invaded by Lizzy Bequin


Standalone
Release - March 24, 2022
Genre - SciFi Romance / humans in outer space / breeding
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 5 out of 5 / frequent and filthy
Format/Source - ebook borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Length - 654 pages
Publisher - Indie

Goodreads * Amazon (Free with KU)

A planet of women invaded by an army of men.
A queen conquered by a warrior's obsession.

Like all women of Cytherea, Queen Lirilith had always believed men to be the stuff of fairy tales. Until the invaders came. Brutal warriors from beyond the stars.

It turns out men really do exist, and they are terrifying.

Their leader is Ultor, and he is the most terrifying of them all, a dark and dominating mountain of muscle and scar tissue. He has come to conquer Lirilith’s planet, but now she is the conquest he desires. Her womb is his obsession. He wants his baby inside her, and he’ll stop at nothing to put it there, even if he must destroy her entire world in the process.

Now Lirilith must decide. How much is she willing to surrender to save her planet from destruction?

Sometimes, the only way to best your enemy is on your knees.

My Two Cents

4 "Battle of the Sexes" stars

I've never tried this author before, but this book was making the rounds and I had my reasons for trying it.

* it's scifi romance, one of my not-so-secret pleasures
* it mentions breeding kink — YUM!!
* sex, filthy sex, all the sex
* an actual plot

Did it deliver?

Why yes... Yes, it did!

I will warn you though... this book was long!!

Could it have been shorter? Probably. But then I'd probably complain about it lacking something 😝😝

I enjoyed it, which is all that matters. Will I read from this author again? You better believe it!

Invaded by Lizzy Bequin

Quick Peek

Great Mars, she was a strong little creature. She had changed his idea about what it even meant to be strong. For all his life, Ultor had equated strength with domination. But now he was beginning to understand how much strength submission required. His little queen was baring herself to him, making herself totally vulnerable. She was putting her body in his hands, ceding control to him absolutely. That required immense trust. And trust required strength.

About the Author

Hailing from the Deep South, Lizzy Bequin enjoys writing dark romance stories that explore the primal side of love and lust. When she’s not writing or reading, Lizzy is serving the whims of the two evil feline overlords who rule her home.

Check out https://www.lizzybequin.com/ for more information

Review // Charon by Alessa Thorn

April 05, 2022

Charon by Alessa Thorn

Circe was glowing with power and rage. She was terrifyingly beautiful and Charon's mouth kicked up into an involuntary grin. Gods, she's magnificent.

────── ♔ ──────


Charon by Alessa Thorn

Charon by Alessa Thorn


Standalone - The Court of the Underworld #6
Release - September 8, 2020
Genre - Paranormal Romance / mythological legend retelling
Primarily Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 3.5 out of 5 / a few scenes
Format/Source - ebook borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Length - 193 pages
Publisher - Thornstar Publishing Pty Ltd


The ferryman of the dead is on the hunt for the cursed sorceress of Aeaea...but he's going to find a lot more than he bargained for.

Charon has been recruited by Thanatos in the search for Circe, Hecate's niece, and one of the most powerful sorceresses in history. Finding a cursed island that doesn't exist on any map is hard enough. He also has to convince Circe to trust him, and trusting strangers isn't something the sorceress is known for.

Circe has a reputation for turning unwanted visitors into pigs, but when a titan lands on Aeaea claiming to be there to rescue her, she's willing to hear him out. Circe will do anything to be rid of Zeus's curse keeping her bound to the island, and holds off letting her lioness eat the strange titan...for the time being anyway.

It's been a long time since Circe has been in the human world, and Charon wants to make sure she feels welcome, but he's going to discover that there's more about Circe that's bewitching than the magic she wields.

CHARON is a new story based on characters from Greek Myth. It contains adult content, including violence, swearing, and steamy sex scenes.

My Two Cents

3.5 "Loving the Unlovable" stars

Okay, so while I enjoyed the heck out of Charon — who knew the ferryman of the underworld could be so sweet? — I'm still on the fence about Circe. I'm still waiting for the reason why she made Charon work so hard for everything. I get that she has a history of being betrayed and left broken hearted, but what did he do? Yeah, that's what I thought.

After being rescued from the island she was left cursed on by Zeus, Circe had a lot to adjust to. The world had changed and she had to figure out her place in it. There was also the problem of trying to end the remnants of Pithos, the infamous god hunters who were nothing but trouble. Oh, and the romance budding between Circe and Charon and the drama of everyone else.

Every time he thought they had seen the limit of the horror Pandora had created, they found another layer.

Yup, another entertaining read. There was magic and mayhem, death and devastation, and I'm excited to see how the author brings it all to an end. Will these characters that I've come to adore still be alive? Will Darius finally die already? And what about Ariadne? She's the only human of the bunch. Will she be gifted immortality somehow?

And anyone else annoyed that Hermes, a god, is being told by his lover that he cannot kill and he listens??? I hate this!

Erebus is next and you know I already have his book loaded up!

Erebus was the oldest of the titans, older than the world, and the land and creatures on it. He was the darkness, the nothingness, the eternity of night between the stars before they learned to shine. And he was angry.

About the Author


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.

Find out more about this author at https://alessathornauthor.com/

Review // Medusa by Alessa Thorn

March 26, 2022

Medusa by Alessa Thorn

"You're blind?" Medusa asked curiously.
"You catch a strange man robbing you, and that's your only question?" he asked, his lips curving into a smile, making him go from coarsely handsome to ovary melting sexy in seconds.
Stop that! He's the enemy!

────── ♔ ──────


Medusa by Alessa Thorn

Medusa by Alessa Thorn


Standalone - The Court of the Underworld #2
Release - April 23, 2020
Genre - Paranormal Romance / mythical Greek legends
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - a few descriptive scenes / about 3.5 on the heat scale
Format/Source - borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Length - 201 pages
Publisher - Thornstar Publishing Pty Ltd

Goodreads * Amazon (free with KU)

The most beautiful gorgon in legend. A blind thief with everything to lose...It's going to be a heist to remember.

If you like sexy thieves and vengeful goddesses, you'll enjoy this fast-paced instalment of 'The Court of the Underworld.'

Medusa rules her media empire from behind the safety of a thousand screens, and she has her own private sculpture garden of dumb ass humans that have tried to cross her.

Perseus's lousy day has gone from bad to worse. Trying to go legit after a career of thieving is hard in a city like Styx, but when his baby sister Dany is kidnapped by a gang demanding he does one last job for them, he's got no choice but to get back in the game.

To save Dany, he's going to have to break into Serpentine Tower and steal a necklace from Medusa, the only token in the world that protects its wearer against her deadly gaze.

Medusa doesn't like people touching her things, and she's got the perfect spot in her garden for a statue of a sexy thief.

MEDUSA is a modern re-telling of the Greek Gorgon Myth. It contains adult content, including violence, swearing, and steamy sex scenes.

My Two Cents

4 "The Princess and the Thief" stars

Okay, so that was such a sweet read and not at all what I expected from Medusa. I really enjoyed this!

Medusa, tech guru extraordinaire, was a true goddess. Yup, she's a gorgon and so much more. She and The Court of Styx, headed by Hades, have a war on their hands. A secret cult has unleashed deadly assaults to kill the gods. And Medusa is their latest intended victim.

Perseus is the greatest thief of all time. Nearly blind and brave, he was the latest tool of destruction to be used by Pithos. When he rejected their offer, he was given no choice after his sister was taken hostage. He was expected to take down Medusa and yet, he knew that he couldn't. He wouldn't. And what better way to get out of the task then to work with the very monster he was supposed to destroy?

All she could think about was how the cute criminal had tried to protect her.
Twice.
Perseus had literally stepped in front of a gun, even though he had watched her take down the other attackers.
She didn't know if it made him adorably brave or incredibly stupid.

I absolutely loved the dynamic between Medusa and Perseus. They had that kind of instant connection that works so well in romance stories. They had such beautiful hearts and it was a joy to watch them find love with one another. Their interactions with each other and the family and friends around them were both hilariously amusing and heartwarming. I'm just really in love with all of these characters and I'm excited to get an in-depth perspective on each of them.

"I want you. I want you like I've wanted nothing else in my whole damn life. Not a perfect heist or a painting career or f--king anything,"

I do wonder if the person behind Pithos, the person trying to kill all of the monsters using a cult of disillusioned humans is actually a monster themselves. Wouldn't that be a kick in the nuts? Finding out their greatest enemy used to be one of their dearest friends or something? It's obviously building up to be someone they least expect.

I'm still so glad I found this author and this series and I've already got the next book loaded up. Hades is next!

About the Author


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.

Find out more about this author at https://alessathornauthor.com/

Review // Asterion by Alessa Thorn

March 24, 2022

Asterion by Alessa Thorn

"I won't be killing you, Ariadne.
If anyone tries to hurt you, I'll make sure they don't live long."

────── ♔ ──────


Asterion by Alessa Thorn

Asterion by Alessa Thorn


Standalone - The Court of the Underworld #1
Release - March 10, 2020
Genre - Paranormal Romance / mythical Greek legends
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - a couple of descriptive scenes / about 3.5 on the heat scale
Format/Source - borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Length - 225 pages
Publisher - Thornstar Publishing Pty Ltd

Goodreads * Amazon (free with KU)

The Labyrinth is a place of deals and desire, where the wealthy and dangerous play. Asterion's word is law, and he rules the club and fighting arena with an iron fist. As a member of the Court of Styx, no one in Greece is willing to risk crossing him...well, almost no one.

Ariadne is an assassin, with no job too hard or too dirty. She'll do anything to get revenge on her powerful, a-hole boss who murdered her sister and is keeping her in debt to him. When she receives the contract of her life, everything she's ever wanted is in reach.

She only has to kill Asterion, the most dangerously sexy man she's ever met, and piss off Hades in the process. No problem.

ASTERION is a modern re-telling of the Greek Minotaur Myth. It contains adult content, including violence, swearing, and steamy sex scenes.

My Two Cents

4 "Killing the Unkillable" stars

Up for some action and adventure with a strong dose of mythological retelling thrown in?

I don't usually pay attention to what Amazon recommends to me. Seriously, I do not understand their algorithm because most of what they send me is nothing I would want. But this book... kudos to Amazon for getting it right!

I can't help that I adore your crazy, violent, smart ass self."

After a lifetime trapped underground, becoming a monster of lore, Asterion is finally free to live the life he was always meant to thanks to his uncle Hades. Yes, that Hades. Unfortunately for him, there's a human militia group out there who believe they are monster killers and he's been made their latest target. And Ariadne is the assassin they manipulate to get the job done.

He'd never been in love, but it would explain his need of her, his constant desire to protect her.
Mine, the Minotaur said, and he felt the truth of it settle deep inside of him.

All Ariadne wants is to be free of her master. If that means she's got to kill another bad guy, then that's what she'll do. But why doesn't she get bad guy vibes from Asterion?

Because someone is working behind the scenes to manipulate them all!

Throw in an instant connection between Ariadne and Asterion and you've got the makings of a great story. To say I was entertained would be an understatement. I've already got the next book loaded up. I want to learn more about everyone. There's Hades, of course, and Medusa, Erebus, Thanatos, Charon and I'm sure so many more I'll get the chance to meet soon.

I love when a new-to-me author draws me in right from the start. I'm recommending this series!!

About the Author


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.

Find out more about this author at https://alessathornauthor.com/

Review // A Heart Of Bitter Poison by Brynne Weaver

February 08, 2022

A Heart Of Bitter Poison by Brynne Weaver

"Ashen is a demon, Lu. If you give your heart to a creature of the shadows, you have to learn how to love the darkness as much as the stars."

────── ♔ ──────


A Heart Of Bitter Poison by Brynne Weaver

A Heart of Bitter Poison by Brynne Weaver


The Shadow Realm #2
Release - January 27, 2022
Genre - Paranormal Romance / vamps, demons, angels
Heroine POV - 1st person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5 / several scenes
Format/Source - eARC provided by the author
Length - 376 pages
Publisher - Indie

Goodreads * Amazon (FREE with Kindle Unlimited)

An executioner and a bounty. A soldier and a weapon.
The hunter and the prey that won’t go down.


After centuries in hiding, the last of the original sirens took a chance on love.

And it blew up in her face.

Imprisoned by the Shadow Realm, Lu's days now pass in a haze of torture and tears. She's the most ancient vampire siren, the weapon they can't work out. Halfway to a hybrid of immortal creatures, she could be the key to their plans for war against the Realm of Light... if only they could figure out how to finish the transformation.

After a daring escape, Lu finds herself on the run with an unlikely set of allies. Their enemies have a head start in the race to find the oldest vampires, and Lu will stop at nothing to keep them safe from a fate worse than death. If they can't find them in time, it will end in the war of the ultimate superpowers. But every move she makes, Ashen is there. The demon that she trusted. The executioner she loved. The Reaper that poisoned her heart with his betrayal. And as secrets of the Shadow Realm and her own history start to collide, Lu begins to question everything she knows... including the motives of the enigmatic demon she can't seem to escape.

She's promised herself she'll never go back.
She's determined not to fall in love.
If only she knew whom to trust...

My Two Cents

4.5 "There better be more books to this series" stars

When I found this new-to-me author, when I read A Shadow in the Reaping, I knew that she was someone to keep my eye on. She had me hooked to this story and I was willing to give her just about anything to get my hands on the next book. Well here it is and thankfully the wait wasn't that long.

Seriously, if I thought she had the goods in the first book, I KNOW she's got them after reading this one. HANDS DOWN one of THE BEST sequels I have ever read!!

You already know I can't stand a story told from just one perspective, but the author made it work!

Picking up right where the last one left off, this book was full of angst, torture, heartbreak, fighting, bravery, evil, and so much freaking love. So much love!

Lu and Ashen... I cannot get enough of this couple and I'm hoping (I'm looking at you, Mz Author Lady) that there will be another book in this series. It's necessary!!

Reapers are after Lu. Ashen, also a reaper, is determined to keep her safe. Her friends are also there to lend support and their might. And there's the love again. I'm so in love with all the love in this book. And the sexy times between Ash and Lu... Damn, these two were so freaking hot together.

And I want more. The end (yes Queen) was great, but not enough. Not for me. I'm greedy, I've never denied it, and I need more.

The writing... magnifique. The plot... incredible. The characters... stunning. And I want more!!

A Heart Of Bitter Poison by Brynne Weaver

Excerpt

"Stop," I whisper. Fat tears are still rolling across my skin. He brushes one of them away.

"Stop what?"

"Just stop," I say. I don't know whether I'm talking to Ashen or myself. It felt like a game only this morning. But I can't play and win like this. My gaze falls away from him but I don't move from his touch. "Stop making me want to feel for you what I shouldn't."

Ashen sweeps stray locks of hair from my cheek and holds my face in his palms. I meet his gaze for only an instant and regret it as soon as I do. I'm not the only one hurting. It's all laid bare in his eyes. "Feel what, vampire?"

"Don't." I pull from his grasp and keep my eyes down on the stone beneath my feet. I don't want to be so vulnerable out here in the open. I feel like a tiger without claws. A snake without fangs. My legs feel leaden when I back away and skirt around him to slip into the solitude of night.

"I will tell you one more thing I did not do, vampire," Ashen calls after me. There's a note of anguish so pained in his voice that I stop moving. The silence between us stretches long enough that I turn to look at Ashen where he stands shrouded in the shadows of the tunnel. But I can still see him clearly. I see the tension in his jaw, the way his brows knit together. I see how hard it is for him to gather a breath. "One more thing I did not do, it was the worst thing."

My heart plummets. Fingers of ice trace my spine. I don't think I can handle some deadly admission right now. But I guess that makes it the perfect time to strike. I steel myself for something awful but my voice comes out weary rather than strong. "What?"

Ashen comes forward from the shadows. Every step is careful, like I might run, or combust, or simply disappear. "I never told you how I felt. You asked me, in your ways, and I never answered."

He stops in front of me. The light of a nearby streetlamp casts his face in a haunting glow.

Ashen's eyes search mine, probably finding all the evidence of fear and distrust and confusion that lurk within them. Centuries of loneliness seem to surface in Ashen when he finds it, and he takes a steadying breath. "I never told you how the lifetimes I have spent taking souls have eroded my own. I did not tell you about everything I have lost over decades of time. I should have told you then, how every moment spent with you brought me out of the shadows. How being with you was like landing on a paradise shore after swimming through a sea of grief. How being apart from you is like being cast into a cold and merciless darkness." Ashen's fingers trace my cheek and I close my eyes. I want to lean into his touch. I want to fall into his words. I fight myself with every heartbeat. "I tried to stay away and could not. I tried to push you away and failed. I tried to protect you and failed at that too."

Ashen steps closer. His palms warm my cheeks. His breath heats my skin. He places a gentle, careful kiss to one closed eye, then the other.

"Look at me, Lu. Please," he whispers. And I do. He looks back at me with such determination and longing that I know without any doubt that what I see is true. "The worst thing was that I never told you I love you, Lu."


About the Author

Brynne is a fan of velociraptors, the Alien movies (well, most of them), red wine, and wild adventures.

She can relate nearly anything you say to a line from the movie Hot Fuzz. She has been trying unsuccessfully for years to convince her husband that they should acquire a pet mink to add to their menagerie of animals (what could possibly go wrong with that plan?!).

Brynne has been everything from an archaeologist to a waitress, a deep-sea core analyst to an advertising account executive. For the last several years, she has been working in the field of neuroscience clinical research. Brynne has been writing since childhood and has published a non-fiction book under her real name, but she won’t tell you what it is unless you provide a live, fully trained velociraptor.

When not busy at her day job or writing, Brynne can be found working with her husband and their son on their family farm in Nova Scotia, Canada, or enjoying her other passions which include riding horses, reading, and spending time with family and friends around a raclette and a bottle of wine.

The Diviner is her debut novel.

Find Brynne Weaver here:
Goodreads * Facebook * Instagram * Amazon

Review// The Darkest Destiny by Gena Showalter

December 07, 2021

The Darkest Destiny by Gena Showalter

If she could date herself, she would.
There was a good chance she was her own fated mate!

────── ♔ ──────


The Darkest Destiny by Gena Showalter

The Darkest Destiny by Gena Showalter


Standalone - Lords of the Underworld #15.5
Release - December 7, 2021
Genre - Contemporary Romance / enemies-to-lovers
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5 / 1.5 scenes
Format/Source - eARC provided by Social Butterfly PR
Length - 204 pages
Publisher - Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated

Forsaken. Deathless. A monster in every way. Mostly, Brochan is determined. He craves what fate promised him—the woman who will help him conquer a heavenly kingdom. He will stop at nothing to win her.

Viola, Keeper of the demon of Narcissism, lives for a single purpose—treating herself and her pet to the best life possible. But a crazed warrior is now appearing everywhere she ventures, ruining her fun…. tempting her beyond reason and keeping her at a razor-edge of desire.

Though legions of males have attempted to win her, all have failed. Somehow, this rampaging beast is tearing down her walls, one by one, claiming he owns her heart and her very destiny. To be with him, however, she must defeat the only force strong enough to destroy her—love.

Grab your copy today, exclusively on Amazon!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IvAwVB
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/DarkDestiny
Add The Darkest Destiny to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/37esXBc

The Darkest Destiny by Gena Showalter

My Two Cents

5 "Why You So Obsessed With Me?" stars

It has been far too long since I've taken a dive into the world of the Lords, and The Darkest Destiny has reminded me of all that I love and miss about this author's writing. This story was bloody brilliant!

Viola was a riot! She was the type of character I happen to love to read about.
🙀 hilariously irreverent
🙀 irritating and kinda ruthless - remember, she's possessed (oppressed) by Narcissus
🙀 vulnerable and vain - good luck making sense of that!
🙀 absolutely, positively gorgeous
🙀 completely irresistible

Forget her stunning beauty and brilliant mind. If possible. She had so many magnificent qualities. So much more to offer. Her sparkling wit and magical laugh delighted all who heard her—and also those who didn't. Intelligent beyond words, she'd even helped her own mother birth her. And Viola had done most of the work! Forget Helen of Troy. Viola had launched two thousand ships with a wink.

And the way she connected with Brochan... the way she truly saw him and all that made him glorious... I'm in love with this couple.

In battle, he was magnificent, full stop. Fierce and unrelenting. Utterly savage. Such strength! He was determined to reach her, whatever the cost. Did he even know how sexy that was?

I happened to love every moment of this story. From Brochan's first glimpse of Viola, to her perceived betrayal, to his mission to kill and protect her, to the moment she beheaded him (don't even ask), to their declarations of all they found worthy in each other... I loved it all!

And now I only want to read more of this series!!

About the Author

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of a multitude of sub-genres within romance: paranormal, Fantasy, contemporary, and young adult. She’s also written standalone novels, novellas and anthologies, as well as co-authored a nonfiction guide about how to write a book in a year.

Gena lives in Oklahoma with her husband, two adult children who grew up way too fast, and menagerie of dogs and cats who enjoy farting while she works, walking across her keyboard during pivotal scenes and demanding pets at all hours of the day and night. Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan’s Red Hot Reads and Seventeen magazine. She’s been interviewed on Nightline and mentioned on Orange is the New Black—the very moment her family decided she might be a real writer after all.

Chances are good she’s hard at work on her next novel. Chances are even better that the book is a twisted tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who (lovingly…sometimes) kneecaps him.


Connect with Gena
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3rsrPFG
Instagram: https://bit.ly/31q4xFy
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3oeq7Wu
Bookbub: https://bit.ly/3G4Givl
Twitter: https://bit.ly/3loGbTq
Stay up to date with Gena by joining her mailing list: https://bit.ly/3G6Ea6i

For More information about 1001 Dark Nights Visit
Facebook: https://bit.ly/37fl0uT
Instagram: https://bit.ly/2Y7uBQp
Website: https://bit.ly/2AIIr3A
Stay up to date on all 1001 Dark Nights releases, join their mailing list today! https://bit.ly/2zgxaHu

Review // Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night by Kresley Cole

November 27, 2021

Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night by Kresley Cole

There they sat in the firelight.
Enemies.
He'd almost destroyed her.
She'd nearly murdered him.
And for some reason, this moment felt the most surreal of the entire crazed night—because she recognized that on some level his presence... comforted.

────── ♔ ──────


Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night by Kresley Cole

Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night by Kresley Cole


Standalone - Immortals After Dark #3
Release - September 24, 2007
Genre - Paranormal Romance / enemies-to-lovers
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 3.5 out of 5 / several scenes / slow burn
Format/Source - ebook borrowed from the library
Length - 401 pages
Publisher - Pocket Books

Bowen MacRieve of the Lykae clan was nearly destroyed when he lost the one woman meant for him. The ruthless warrior grew even colder, never taking another to his bed—until a smoldering encounter with his enemy, Mariketa the Awaited, reawakens his darkest desires. When sinister forces unite against her, the Highlander finds himself using all his strength and skill to keep her alive.

Temporarily stripped of her powers, Mari is forced to take refuge with her sworn adversary. It’s rumored that no one can tempt Bowen’s hardened heart, but soon passion burns between them. Though a future together is impossible, she fears he has no intention of letting her go.

If they defeat the evil that surrounds them, can Mari deny Bowen when he demands her body and soul—or will she risk everything for her fierce protector?

You can find your copy of Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night here:
Goodreads * Amazon


My Two Cents

3.5 "Bowen can get it" stars

Seriously, he can soooo get it!

Bowen's a Lykae (wolf) and Mari is a captromancer (fancy witch name). They go together like oil and water. Their death-defying matches gave me life. Their hatred and lust for each other gave me joy. I couldn't get enough of their antics. And then I had enough and it was still happening.

I desperately need someone to tell me if ALL of the books in this series deal with enemies-to-lovers. Will I have to put up with the heroines behaving hatefully towards the heroes in every. single. book?


Cuz right now... it's getting kind of ridiculous.

When enemies become lovers, it's always hot. And it was definitely HAWT with these two. However, I could do without Mari and her nonsense. Bowen could be high-handed, but I loved how he was able to acknowledge and accept his flaws. And lets be real, everyone knew that the Lykae were like this. So why was she constantly surprised?

And let's also not forget the fact that for most of the book, the most powerful witch of them all was pretty useless. She was probably the youngest person in the Lore and acted her age.


It wasn't cute.

So I'm hoping beyond hope that the heroines are more receptive and mature in the books to come or I'm about to lose my damn mind!

Beeteedubs... the blurb is hella misleading.

Check out my other reviews for the Immortals After Dark series:



About the Author


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.

Visit http://www.kresleycole.com for more information

Review // No Rest for the Wicked by Kresley Cole

November 16, 2021

No Rest for the Wicked by Kresley Cole

Sexy.
He has too much of a biological advantage.
What female could be expected to turn him away when he wanted to be inside her?

────── ♔ ──────


No Rest for the Wicked by Kresley Cole

No Rest for the Wicked by Kresley Cole


Standalone - Immortals After Dark #2
Release - October 31, 2006
Genre - Paranormal Romance / fated mates
Primarily Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 3.5 / several scenes
Format/Source - borrowed from the library
Length - 384 pages
Publisher - Pocket Books

A vampire soldier weary of life...

Centuries ago, Sebastian Wroth was turned into a vampire—a nightmare in his mind—against his will. Burdened with hatred and alone for ages, he sees little reason to live. Until an exquisite, fey creature comes to kill him, inadvertently saving him instead.

A valkyrie assassin dispatched to destroy him...

When Kaderin the Cold Hearted lost her two beloved sisters to a vampire attack long ago, a benevolent force deadened her sorrow—accidentally extinguishing all of her emotions. Yet whenever she encounters Sebastian, her feelings—particularly lust—emerge multiplied. For the first time, she's unable to complete a kill.

Competitors in a legendary hunt...

The prize of the month-long contest is powerful enough to change history, and Kaderin will do anything to win it for her sisters. Wanting only to win her, forever, Sebastian competes as well, taking every opportunity—as they travel to ancient tombs and through catacombs, seeking relics around the world—to use her new feelings to seduce her. But when forced to choose between the vampire she's falling for and reuniting her family, how can Kaderin live without either?

Find No Rest for the Wicked here: Goodreads * Amazon


My Two Cents

4.5 "He's ever so worthy" stars

Is it wrong that I wanted to slap every fictional woman in Sebastian's fictional past who ever made this ficitional male doubt himself?

I'm a sucker for a broken hero and Sebastian more than fit the bill. Once a fierce human warrior, when he was at death's door, he refused his brother's help. He didn't want to become a vampire. He didn't want to live that way. He didn't really have a choice and hundreds of years later, he wasn't really living. No wonder he was so ready for Kaderin to end him.

And yet she couldn't.

Kaderin the Coldhearted found her heart. It was beating outside of her. And no matter how hard she tried to fight it, to deny it, Sebastian was her destiny.

I loved the push and pull of their relationship. He knew that she was his 'Bride'. She knew that she could never be with a vampire. Wanting and needing aside, her family would never accept him. But who cares, right?! The heart wants what the heart wants and when she finally just gave in... so beautiful!

Even the adventure aspect of the Hie gave me some cheap thrills. Is Bowen okay? I felt so sorry for the wolf who was devastated by the loss of his life mate and was so desperate to find a way to be with her again.

I'm still as fascinated as always with all of these characters, especially the ones with stories to come. Regin and Nix crack me up! Once again, the writing was on point, the plot was entertaining, and the characters were amazing. This was my favorite one of the series so far! I loved seeing Wroth and Myst again and I'm looking forward to the next book.

No Rest for the Wicked by Kresley Cole

Excerpt

Chapter 1


Castle Gornyi, Russia

Present day


For the second time in her life, Kaderin the Coldhearted hesitated to kill a vampire.

In the last instant of a silent, lethal swing, she stayed her sword an inch above the neck of her prey -- because she'd found him holding his head in his hands.

She saw his big body tense. As a vampire, he could easily trace away, disappearing. Instead, he remained, raising his face to gaze up at her with dark gray eyes, the color of a storm about to be unleashed. Surprisingly, they were clear not red -- which meant the vampire had never drunk a being to death. Yet.

He pleaded with those eyes, and she realized he hungered for an end. He wanted the death blow she'd come to his decrepit castle to deliver.

She'd stalked him soundlessly, primed for battle with a vicious predator. Kaderin had been in Scotland with other Valkyrie when they'd received the call about a "vampire haunting a castle and terrorizing a village in Russia." She had gladly volunteered to destroy it. She was her Valkyrie coven's most prolific killer, her life given over to ridding the earth of leeches.

In Scotland, on that trip alone, she'd killed three.

So why was she hesitating now? Why was she even now easing her sword back to raise it before her? He would be merely one among thousands of her kills, his fangs collected and strung together with the others she'd taken.

The last time she'd stayed her hand had resulted in a tragedy so great her heart had been broken forever by it.

In a deep, gravelly voice, the vampire asked, "Why do you wait?" He seemed startled by the sound of his own words.

I don't know why. Unfamiliar physical sensations wracked her. Her stomach knotted. As though a band had tightened around her chest, her lungs were desperate for breath. I can't comprehend why.

The wind blew outside, sliding over the mountain, making this high room in the vampire's darkened lair groan. Unseen gaps in the walls allowed the chill morning breeze in. As he stood, rising to his full, towering height, her blade caught the wavering light from a cluster of candles and reflected on him.

His grave face was lean with harsh planes, and other females would consider it handsome. His black shirt was threadbare and unbuttoned, displaying much of his chest and sculpted torso, and his worn jeans were slung low at his narrow waist. The wind tugged at the tail of his shirt and stirred his thick black hair. Very handsome. But then, the vampires I kill often are.

His gaze focused on the tip of her sword. Then, as if the threat of her weapon were forgotten, he studied her face, his eyes lingering on each of her features. His blatant appreciation unsettled her, and she clutched the hilt tightly, something she never did.

Honed to masterly sharpness with her diamond file, her sword cut through bone and muscle with little effort. It swung perfectly from her loose wrist as though it were an extension of her arm. She'd never needed to hold it tightly.

Take his head. One less vampire. The species checked in the tiniest way.

"What is your name?" His speech was clipped like an aristocrat's, but held a familiar accent. Estonian. Though Estonia bordered Russia to the west and its inhabitants were considered a Nordic breed of Russian, she recognized the difference and wondered what he was doing away from his own country.

She tilted her head. "Why do you want to know?"

"I would like to know the name of the woman who will deliver me from this."

He wanted to die. After all she'd suffered from his kind, the last thing she wanted to do was oblige the vampire in any way. "You assume I'll deliver your death blow?"

"Will you not?" His lips curled at the corners, but it was a sad smile.

Another tightening on the sword. She would. Of course, she would. Killing was her only purpose in life. She didn't care if his eyes were clear of the red that marked a vampire's bloodlust. Ultimately, he would drink to kill, and he would turn.

They always did.

He stepped around a stack of hard-bound books -- some of the hundreds of texts throughout the room with titles imprinted in Russian and, yes, Estonian -- and leaned his massive frame against the crumbling wall. He truly wasn't going to raise a hand in defense.

"Before you do, speak again. Your voice is beautiful. As beautiful as your stunning face."

She swallowed, startled to feel her cheeks heating. "Who do you align with . . . ?" She trailed off when he closed his eyes as though listening to her were bliss. "The Forbearers?"

That got him to open his eyes. They were full of anger. "I align with no one. Especially not them."

"But you were once human, weren't you?" The Forbearers were an army, or order, of turned humans. They eschewed taking blood straight from the flesh because they believed that act caused bloodlust. By forbearing, they hoped to avoid becoming like crazed Horde vampires. The Valkyrie remained unoptimistic about their chances.

"Yes, but I've no interest in that order. And you? You're no human either, are you?"

She ignored his question. "Why do you linger here in this castle?" she asked. "The villagers live in terror of you."

"I won this holding on the battlefield and rightly own it, so I stay. And I've never harmed them." He turned away and murmured, "I wish that I did not frighten them."

Kaderin needed to get this killing over with. In just three days, she was to compete in the Talisman's Hie, which was basically a deadly, immortal version of The Amazing Race. Besides hunting vampires, the Hie was the only thing she lived for, and she needed to confirm transportation and secure supplies. And yet she found herself saying, "They told me you live here alone."

He faced her and gave a sharp nod. She sensed that he was embarrassed by this fact, as if he felt lacking that he didn't have a family here.

"How long?"

He hiked his broad shoulders, pretending nonchalance. "A few centuries."

To live solitary for all that time? "The people in the valley sent for me," she said, as if she had to explain herself. The inhabitants of the remote village belonged to the Lore -- a population of immortals and "mythical" creatures kept secret from humans. Many of them still worshipped the Valkyrie and provided tributes, but that wasn't what made Kaderin travel to such an isolated place.

The chance to kill even a single vampire had drawn her. "They beseeched me to destroy you."

"Then I await your leisure."

"Why not kill yourself, if that's what you want?" she asked.

"It's . . . complicated. But you save me from that end. I know you're a skilled warrior -- "

"How do you know what I am?"

He gave a nod at her sword. "I used to be a warrior, too, and your remarkable weapon speaks much."

The one thing she felt pride in -- the one thing in her life that she had left and couldn't bear to lose -- and he'd noted its excellence.

He strode closer to her and lowered his voice. "Strike your blow, creature. Know that no misfortune could come to you for killing one such as me. There is no reason to wait."

As if this were a matter of conscience! It wasn't. It couldn't be. She had no conscience. No real feelings, no raw emotions. She was coldhearted. After the tragedy, she'd prayed for oblivion, prayed for the sorrow and guilt to be numbed.

Some mysterious entity had answered her and made her heart like ash. Kaderin didn't suffer from sorrow, from lust, from anger, or from joy. Nothing got in the way of her killing.

She was a perfect killer. She had been for one thousand years, half of her interminable life.

"Did you hear that?" he asked. The eyes that had been pleading for an end now narrowed. "Are you alone?"

She quirked an eyebrow. "I do not require help from others. Especially not for a single vampire," she added, her tone growing absent. Oddly, her attention had dipped to his body once more -- to low on his torso, past his navel to the dusky trail of hair leading down. She had a flash imagining of grazing the back of one of her sharp claws along it while his massive body clenched and shuddered in reaction.

Her thoughts were making her uneasy, making her want to wind her hair up into a knot and let the chill air cool her neck --

He cleared his throat. When she jerked her gaze to his face, he raised his eyebrows.

Caught ogling the prey! The indignity! What is wrong with me? She had no more sexual urges than the walking dead vampire before her. She shook herself, forcing herself to remember the last time she'd hesitated.

On a battlefield, an age ago, she had spared and released another of this ilk, a young vampire soldier who had begged for his life.

Yet he had seemed to scorn her for her very mercy. Without delay, the soldier had found her two full-blood sisters fighting in the flatlands below them. Alerted by a shriek from another Valkyrie, Kaderin had sprinted, stumbling down a hill draped with bodies, living and dead. Just as she'd reached them, he'd cut her sisters down.

The younger, Rika, had been taken off guard, because of Kaderin's panicked approach. The vampire had smiled when Kaderin dropped to her knees.

He'd dispatched her sisters with a brutal efficiency Kaderin had since emulated. She'd like to say she started with him, but she'd kept him alive for a time.

So, why would she repeat the same mistake? She wouldn't. She would not ignore a lesson she had paid so dearly to learn.

The sooner I get this done, the sooner I can begin preparing for the Hie.

Squaring her shoulders, she steeled herself. It's all in the follow-through. Kaderin could see the swing, knew the angle she would take so that his head would remain on his neck until he fell. It was cleaner that way. Which was important.

She'd packed her suitcase lightly.

About the Author


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.

Visit http://www.kresleycole.com/ for more information

Review // A Shadow in the Reaping by Brynne Weaver

October 09, 2021

A Shadow in the Reaping by Brynne Weaver

If he thinks he's going to be all flirty and I'm just going to tell him all my secrets and place my trust in him, he's got another thing coming. I haven't survived this long by letting my guard down to a hot guy with a sick body and some pretty words.

────── ♔ ──────


A Shadow in the Reaping by Brynne Weaver

A Shadow in the Reaping by Brynne Weaver


The Shadow Realm #1
Release - September 27, 2021
Genre - Paranormal Romance / enemies-to-lovers
Heroine POV - 1st person
Heat Level - 3.5 out of 5 / slow burn
Format/Source - eARC provided by Book Sirens
Page Count - 288
Publisher - Indie

A siren who must stay silent to survive.

An executioner with a bounty he cannot kill.

Lu has been living a quiet, undercover life, a vampire hidden in the quaint village of Sanford. Afraid that her voice will give her secrets away, Lu has lived for years without words, speaking only to the one witch she can trust. Except, of course, when it's time to hunt. When it comes to luring in her victims, no song is sweeter than Lu's.

But when Lu's hunt is interrupted by Ashen, a mysterious and striking Reaper of the Shadow Realm, it seems like fate has finally caught up with her. An executioner with a soul to claim, Ashen doesn't realize he's stumbled on the bounty of an immortal lifetime until it's too late. As the two enemies are forced to work together to solve a crime that shouldn't be possible, it's more than just secrets that emerge between them.

With every moment that passes, Lu finds it harder and harder to live like a shadow among her enemies, especially the enigmatic demon she's bound to. She might just be a little bored of living the quiet life. But for Lu, nothing is more inseparable than danger and desire.

...And there are few creatures in any realm more dangerous than Ashen.

*mature themes, including violence, strong language, & sexual content*

Purchase Links

Amazon CA 🡪 https://amzn.to/3AixPBr
Amazon US 🡪 https://amzn.to/3iIsvBn
Amazon UK 🡪 https://amzn.to/2YwLXdn
Amazon AU 🡪 https://amzn.to/3Bo8TKr

FREE to read with Kindle Unlimited

My Two Cents

Hold up...
Wait...
That ending though!
The story kept building and building and when it got to the end... WHAM!
I'm hit in the tits, waiting on tenterhooks for this story to continue.

Lu was a riot and a half. While I could have done with less pop culture references (yeah, I love WAP too), nothing could really take away from how marvelous I found this character to be.

By now, most people know that I can't stand stories told from a single perspective. I always find something lacking, something missing, and wishing I could hear another side. And while I did feel this way, meaning Lu's voice wasn't strong enough (how ironic?), I was still able to fall in love with the way this story was told. There was humor, violence, the standard dose of tension when two enemies are in forced proximity, subtle hints of romance, and tons of otherworldly imaginings. How could I not love it?

A vampire and a reaper. No one could say they were a true match and yet, what was developing between them worked. I wanted and needed them to be together. To take out anyone who went against them. To triumph over everyone. For everything that Lu had gone through over the millenia (though who would know it when she looks and acts 25), I wanted her to catch a break. And just when I thought Ashen would be the one to help her... the rug got pulled out from under me.

So yeah, the cover of this book (ain't it gorgeous) pulled me in, but it's the story that will keep me going. Book two can't come soon enough. More of Lu's crazy, please!

Review // Dirty Gambit by Airicka Phoenix

September 16, 2021

Dirty Gambit by Airicka Phoenix

He was the kind of guy any girl would have been delighted to find, but Lena knew he wasn't meant for her.

────── ♔ ──────


Dirty Gambit by Airicka Phoenix

Dirty Gambit by Airicka Phoenix


Standalone
Release - October 8, 2021
Genre - Dark Romance / enemies-to-lovers
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat Level - 3.5 out of 5 / slow burnish / a few scenes
Format/Source - eARC provided by the author
Page Count - 294
Publisher - Indie

For a girl with no family, no job and a rap sheet as long as her arm, eighteen-year-old Angelina Ramos never stood a chance at happiness. So, when her blood is found at the scene of a robbery that ends with three dead, Lena does the only thing a foster kid knows how to do — she runs. But she’s not going alone.

Jaxon Westwick has never met anyone as fierce, beautiful, or haunted as Lena . . . or as crazy. No one else has ever seduced him into handcuffs just to kidnap him, hold him hostage, and drag him clear across the country.

But Lena’s on a mission to find peace and nothing is going to stop her, not the cops, not the mob boss out for her blood, and definitely not her gorgeous hostage, no matter how he tempted her. After all, how could someone like her ever belong in a world as untainted as his?

Purchase Links

Amazon CA * Amazon US
(Free to read with Kindle Unlimited)


My Two Cents

I knew right from the start that I was going to enjoy this book. It's not very often that I come across a story where the hero is at someone else's mercy. However, make no mistake... Jaxon was no pushover. The dynamic between these two was intense to say the least.

Dirty Gambit gave me drama, comedy, thrills, and tons of sex appeal! The love/hate relationship that was brewing between Jaxon and Lena was at once toxic and irresistible. He's being held hostage, she's being held hostage, and a madman is out to get them all. Through it all, Jaxon had to learn why he was in the predicament he was in, find a way to get through to Lena, figure out how he could be of help, and fight his growing affection for his captor.

This story was fresh and explosive and I had a blast reading it. I wasn't Lena's biggest fan, which I think was the point, but I loved her fire. Feminine and bold and rough around the edges... this woman gave as good as she got.

About the Author

International Bestselling Author Airicka Phoenix has written over twenty-five novels, seven of which have hit the #1 spot on Amazon & Barnes & Noble.

Her first novel, Touching Smoke opened the doors into the publishing world. Its prequel went on to win Best Novella 2014 by Young Adult & Teen Readers. Her paranormal thriller, Betraying Innocence won Best Horror Book 2013 by The Writing World, and Best Horror Novel 2014 by IABB Awards. Her Sons of Judgment series, and Crime Lord series went on to sit at #1 for two consecutive weeks, including being nominated for the 2016 Summer Indie Book Awards in Contemporary by Metamorph Publishing.

Raised a little bit country and a little bit city, she blends both into her writing. She finds inspiration through music, photography, long walks, and her family. In her downtime, she loves binge watching horror movies, reading, and lives off chocolate, coffee, and souls. She’s currently having a deep and passionate love affair with Pinterest and can’t walk out of a store without buying a new notebook.

For more information visit https://airickaphoenix.com/

Review // Jerk It by Lani Lynn Vale

September 03, 2021

Jerk It by Lani Lynn Vale

You couldn't handle me, even if I came with instructions. - Mavis to Murphy

────── ♔ ──────


Jerk It by Lani Lynn Vale

Jerk It by Lani Lynn Vale


Standalone - Madd CrossFit #2
Release - September 7, 2021
Genre - Contemporary Romance / enemies-to-lovers
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat Level - 3.5 out of 5 / a few scenes
Format/Source - eARC provided by the author
Page Count - 207
Publisher - Indie

Mavis always assumed that she would be in a hospital with the good drugs when her time came. Not in the middle of the road, with no one around but the damn town mechanic that hated her.

But there she was, having a rock star’s baby, with no one to rely on but the one that let it be known around every turn that she was a horrible person.

From the time that she met Murphy and became best friends with him at the age of eight, she knew he was destined for greatness.

But then her grandmother fired Murphy’s mom, forcing them to live on the streets, and making Murphy to realize that maybe they weren’t best friends after all.

Murphy loved Mavis.

At least, he had when he was younger, before she betrayed him.

From that moment forward, Murphy goes out of his way to stay the hell away from her, and always makes sure to never get too close. Even though everything inside of him screams to make contact.

When he moves back to town after being gone for five years, he tries his best to stay away.

But there she is at his CrossFit gym. Then having a baby on the side of the road. Oh, and breaking him a little more with each step she takes away.

Eventually, they find their way back to each other. The only problem is, by the time that Mavis makes her way back into his heart, it breaks. And not in a rhetorical way. In the ‘he only has days to live’ kind of way.

Purchase Links

Amazon CA * Amazon US


Jerk It by Lani Lynn Vale

My Two Cents

Now that's how you yank on my feelings!

LLV did warn us and I should have really taken her warning to heart, but I didn't. And when I felt like all hope was lost, I was given another chance. However, that chance came at a huge cost. It was a price I wasn't willing to pay and here at the end... I'm so angry!!

I loved the push-and-pull of the relationship brewing between Mavis and Murphy. Who doesn't love a great enemies-to-lovers story? Especially when it has a touch of getting a second chance. And I was down for the heartache the author wanted to put me through. I loved how emotional I got over this story and I can even appreciate how angry I am right now.

You know a story is amazing when it pulls something out of you. It can't be humdrum, normal, or par for the course when it affects you so strongly. And I was definitely effected by the events that took place, by the excruciating love story that developed, and by the characters I couldn't help but fall in love with.

P.S. Is it just me or did anyone else absolutely adore the fact that Murphy wasn't a perfect male specimen of hunkiness? How about how well he stepped up for Mavis and her baby? How strong he was despite everything? His relationship with his mother? How could I not love this guy?

Check out the first book of the series:

No Rep by Lani Lynn Vale


Quick Peek

I’d gone and done the unthinkable. I’d made her fall in love with me. And I was leaving her shortly.

I knew it. She knew it.

Everybody would soon know it.

“Dammit, man.” Taos paused. “I’m really fuckin sorry to hear that. Does everyone else know?”

I leaned against the truck feeling my breaths come faster and faster just from the simple exertion of holding myself in a standing position.

“I’m going to tell them tonight.” I shrugged.

The front door slammed, and I looked to it to see Fran coming out with Vlad on her hip.

She took one look at me, and I knew she knew.

“Where’s Mavis?” I asked quietly.

Fran cleared her throat. “She’s in the bathroom getting cleaned up.”

I closed my eyes and felt a wave of something fierce hit me.

“This is why I should’ve stayed away,” I admitted. “I wish I’d never come back.”

Fran sucked in a breath at my words. “You would take away some of the happiest days I’ve ever seen Mavis experience because you’re upset that she’s going to be heart-broken?”

I didn’t know what to reply to that, so I just didn’t.

About the Author

Lani Lynn Vale is married to the love of her life that she met in high school. She fell in love with him because he was wearing baseball pants. Ten years later they have three perfectly crazy children and a cat named Demon who likes to wake her up at ungodly times in the night. They live in the greatest state in the world, Texas. She writes contemporary and romantic suspense, and has a love for all things romance. You can find Lani in front of her computer writing away in her fictional characters world...that is until her husband and kids demand sustenance in the form of food and drink.

Visit https://lanilynnvale.com/ for more information!

Review // Pure Surrender by Aja James

August 28, 2021

Pure Surrender by Aja James

He had the softest, juiciest, most beautiful lips of any male she’d ever known... Aella knew that Yun himself would be the greatest gift she could ever receive.


────── ♔ ──────


Pure Surrender by Aja James

Pure Surrender by Aja James


Pure/Dark Ones #12
Release - February 14, 2020
Genre - Paranormal Romance / enemies-to-lovers / second chance
Multiple POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5
Format/Source - ebook borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Page Count - 369
Publisher - Indie

Aella Alexander:

An Amazon warrior in her human life, Aella has always taken and fought for what she wanted, and what Aella wanted, she got.

Until him.

Cloud Drako:

The mysterious new recruit to the Pure Ones’ team of Elite soldiers is not what he seems. He has a critical role to fulfill to maintain Balance in the universe…

He cannot afford to be distracted by her.

Destiny is shaped by choices made:

The past cannot be changed, a past that neither Cloud nor Aella remembers. But the future is yet unwritten. In this present time, with this second chance, Cloud must make his ultimate stand: to carry out the role he’s been assigned, or to embrace an uncertain future, knowing that his choice would be irrevocable. Absolute.

And that the souls of countless innocents depend upon it…

Can Aella help him choose wisely, or will she lead them all to ruin?

Purchase Links

Amazon CA * Amazon US
(free to read with Kindle Unlimited)


My Two Cents

I honestly don't know how she does it. Aja James has kept me enamored of her story for 12 books and I never want it to end!

Seriously... I don't want it to stop and yet, I can't wait to see where all of these characters I have fallen for (and those I'm yet to love) will end up.


Once again, I've got a lot to say and I'm not going to hide any of it behind spoilers. Cloud and Aella deserve to have my love for them spelled out all over the place. So if you want to go in blind, stop here and know that you'll be in for one heck of a ride!

Mind you, everything from this point forward is going to be random, jumbled, and just my thoughts and opinions as I read this book.


Finally getting Cloud's story... surprising and blissful. Aella finally getting her male... hot and glorious. I loved discovering the mystery and history that defined Cloud Drako. I loved how Aella reminded me so much of one of my favorite heroes of all time — Diana Prince. They were both fierce warriors and I lived for their banter, their push-and-pull relationship, and their eternal love. No matter the age, their connection was immediate and real and beautiful.


The prophecy, as recited by Eveline, is something I can't wait to see fulfilled.


“Fire, water, wind and earth. Past, present, death and rebirth. Wings, claws, scales and teeth. Heavens, land and seas beneath. Pure, Dark, human alike, Bracing against the final strike— When Monsters Made destroy the Just, Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”


I was kind of grossed out by the whole 'Ramses screwing the vamp in the throne room, in front of Jade, who was just waiting to have a word' scene.

1. Isn't he supposed to end up with Eveline? Sweet, naive, doesn't deserve a manwhore cuz she's so kind, Eveline? Seeing him (or intimating him) screwing his way through Dark and Pure females gave me hives.

2. The idea of him being a not-so-good guy seems more and more likely to be true. Say it ain't so!


Why does this author love to break my heart? Everything Tal and Ishtar were suffering through drove me nuts. I can't believe the continued terror that still lives in Tal's soul. And why can't my man see? When will his eyes heal?


“Please…” he rasped out in that low, husky voice, sending goose bumps all across her skin.

He swallowed hard, his throat working with the effort.

“Please…don’t give up on me.”

She inhaled a deep breath and fought back tears.

She had to be strong for him. As strong as he was. She couldn’t fail him.

She wouldn’t.

Slowly, she crouched back down until they were face to face. She touched her forehead gently to his and took his mouth in the softest kiss.

Gusts of his breath met her lips, short and fast, and his own lips trembled against her. Though he forced himself to hold still, she could feel him fighting not to push her away.

He was shaking so hard she thought he’d rattle his bones loose, but she was shaking too. The endless, overwhelming love she felt for him wanted to burst free…she wanted him, needed him so much.

But somehow, she held herself in check. Subdued her primal urges to focus on his needs.

So, she whispered fiercely, “Never. I will never give up on you, ninigiku of my heart.”

Arammu mi shi,” she vowed, now and forever.
My love, breath of my life, my soul.

She would hold onto him forever.


Jade has always been magnificent, but as a member of the Shield, she really shines. I am loving her big heart and the ways in which she has embraced her new life and family. What she was willing to do to help out Tal and Ishtar... this woman is amazing!


“I always look forward, because we still have the rest of our Destiny to decide.”

“Don’t you mean fulfill?” Ishtar frowned, momentarily distracted by Jade’s words.

The ex-Dark Queen grinned and shook her head.

“Nobody decides my destiny but me, ducky, and the same goes for you, Ishtar Anshar. The same goes for Tal. We are not, none of us, victims. We have suffered, certainly, but we are facing the future uncharted before us. As long as we have choice, hope, the strength of our convictions, and we never give up, there is always a way to shape destiny to our will.”


Back to Cloud and Aella: their every touch... every kiss... every look... it was easy to recognize that what they shared went beyond the physical. And it was felt. Their spiritual connection was so beautiful and I couldn't wait for them to really see each other and what they meant to each other.


I'll admit that I'm not the biggest fan of the way that Aella tried to woo Cloud. What about him and his demeanor told her that her usual go-to would work on him? When she didn't seem to take it seriously, why did she think he would? I was as annoyed as he was.


Woe to the male who succumbed to her charms and gave her his heart. That way lay ruin. She didn’t seem capable of committing to one Mate. He sure as hell wasn’t going to fall at her feet. Even if he was looking for a Mate, which he wasn’t, she’d be the farthest from his choice.


And I loved when all of her teasing and flirting and nonsense finally made him snap! Seriously, what was hotter than Cloud telling Aella about herself and then tearing that pu--y up?!


“You like to fu-k, and you like the chase. I’ve seen you toy with more males than I can count over the past three years. I’m not blind. I’m not stupid. And I’m sure as hell not a notch on your belt or a scratch on your wall. Whatever you think might happen between us is never going to happen. Because like you said yourself— I. Don’t. Like. You. I have more control than to fu-k someone I don’t even fucking like!” and then “After three years of flirting, teasing and taunting me like you do every other man on earth, you suddenly know me?”


But then I got so much of their back story (thanks for that btw) and her actions made sense. She was an Amazon, taught to take what she wanted, taught to seduce men, used to men falling all over themselves for a taste, so why would she change what ain't broke? However, she knew Cloud was different. He made her different. So I think she should have approached him differently. Three years later and she was still trying (and failing with) the same thing. After all these years, why was the master strategist so unaware of the need to change? Maybe not treating him like a piece of meat would've helped. Especially when he loved her so desperately (even though they couldn't remember).


He felt a connection to her that he’d never felt with anyone, not even his family and friends at the Celestial Palace. Not his siblings and his playmates. Not his human comrades nor the household of his birth. She made him feel… Attached. Like there was an invisible tether between them. It grew stronger every time they touched, every time he looked into her eyes. He didn’t know if he could break it. He didn’t know if he wanted to. It felt like the most natural thing to do to stay with her. For the rest of his life, if possible. Forever.


Whoa... so the Snake King is dead?! Thankfully he left some words of wisdom for this couple. Aella has only really spoken about her obsession with Cloud's body, which he obviously couldn't stand, so I'm glad she got a wake up call that forced her to make better choices and show her love and desire for all of him.


My question about the person who had the gift of water has been answered... it's Cloud! I wonder how this will affect the rest of this series. What role do the masters of elements play in the events to come? And what are those events???


The end packed one heck of a punch. It seems that Eveline's story is about to be CRAZY!! Kidnapped, manhandled, and left to despair along with about a dozen other Pure Ones, it seems her captor is the first male to get her motor running. Too bad he intends to make her into his Pure Blood slave. Could her captor be Ramses? What is going on??? And will Ere/Binu/The Creature finally find out that he was created out of love? Will he reveal that he's Benji's dad? OMG I'm so excited to get more!!


Check out the previous books:






Quick Peek

“You’re everything I’ve ever wanted,” she murmured, “everything I never even knew I wanted. How am I supposed to let you go after our time together is done?”

She looked into his eyes then, confessing truths to him that she knew he didn’t understand.

“Amazons don’t keep men,” she whispered. “It is our law. It is what binds us together against all odds. I love my people, my queen, my sisters, and the little girls who will grow up into fine women warriors one day. I love our way of life. The freedom. The passion. The independence to do as we please.”

She drew in a breath and pressed on, “I have never wanted anything else, though I have met other peoples and experienced other cultures through my travels. I do not want to be a man’s possession. I am not a mere receptacle for his seed. I do not wish to be tied down to anyone, to any place.”

She swallowed and stared intensely into his eyes.

“But…but… I want to be yours. I want you to be mine. I don’t want anyone else to have you, to touch you and taste you as I do. I want to own all of your kisses and smiles and looks. I want to devour you, consume you, drink you up and soak you in until your essence fills me from the inside out, and when I sweat I smell of you, because every part of you has mated with every part of me.”


About the Author

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!

Visit https://aja-james.blog/ for more information!