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Darkest Night by Alessa Thorn

Three years ago, Kon seduced a mysterious woman and stole a magical artifact from her. He thought their paths would never cross again. He had just made the biggest mistake of his life.

Found as a bloody child in a forest, and raised by one of the most ruthless and calculating mercenaries dirty money can buy, Athena Edgeworth isn't the kind of person you betray and get to walk away unscathed.

It was the perfect rivalry waiting to happen.

Both know they should end their dangerous game once and for all, but they are addicted to the thrill of the chase...and to each other.

When they get a common enemy hunting them, they will have to put their vicious rivalry aside and work together.

Kon's only ever wanted revenge, but Athena Edgeworth's dark heart might be the prize he's always been searching for. And she's not about to let him have it without a fight.



I really freaking enjoyed this book!

Kon: as a small boy, he witnessed the murder of his parents and spent his whole life searching for the man who needs killing.
Athena: as a small girl, she was found bloody and alone in a forest and she's spent her whole life fascinated with living on the edge.

On a mission, Kon steals from Athena and starts the hottest cat-and-mouse game I've ever read!

I loved the love/hate relationship that Kon and Athena shared. It was obvious from the start that these two were hot for each other. That they had finally met their match. And I had a blast watching them catch all of the feelings.

There's plenty of action and heat, a bunch of intriguing side characters, and a plot that seems to lead into the books to come. This was such a solid story and I'm excited to read the rest of the series.





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.

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Cute But Psycho by Lani Lynn Vale

Etienne LaFayette hits the ground running the moment he breathes free air after being paroled from a maximum-security prison in Texas.

He claws his life back from his brother-in-law who’d taken over his business during the years he’d spent as an inmate at Huntsville Penitentiary. Though it is hard, he puts his life back together in Accident, Florida.

There, he hires new employees, joins a motorcycle club, and becomes wildly successful overnight.

Seems like the perfect life, right?

Wrong.

Because one of his first clients is a beautiful, curly-haired woman that reels him in from the moment he first lays eyes on her. Only, before he can work his charm, she forms an opinion of him based solely on the person that he chose to work at his side, day in and day out. That opinion? Utter disgust.

***

Matilda Deveraux has been dealt blow after blow her entire life.

First with the death of her mom. Then living with a stepfamily that despises her.

Her entire life she’s been known as different. The “weird girl that creeps everyone out.”

It’s not her fault that she’s different, yet everyone, including Etienne’s assistant, treats her like she’s a menace to society.
Like she would be better off in a loony bin than gracing the streets of Accident, Florida.

After years of abuse from everyone around her, the last thing she needs is to be around a man that would have that horrible woman around him twenty-four seven.

As a result, she forms an opinion—something that people do to her all the time—and treats him accordingly.
Only, it turns out that Etienne isn’t who she thought he was.

He’s much, much worse. But only in the best of ways.



Matilda was a doormat her whole life and she was just about done. Done with letting people take advantage of her. Done with allowing people to walk all over her. Just done. If only her family would get the memo.

The attraction between Etienne and Mattie was instantaneous, however, his assistant was a problem. She lived to make Mattie miserable and she refused to associate with someone who associated with someone so hateful. Good for her!

When the problem is solved, will Mattie get out of her own way and give Etienne a chance?

I really enjoyed this story. The brotherhood that exists between the men of this series is so special. I love the way they interact with each other. Matilda had her quirks, but she fit and I think she was great for Etienne. He deserved a happy ending and she gave him an amazing one.


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.

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Captain of the Guard by Anna Hackett

Other books in the series:
Overlord * Emperor

An alien warrior and a fierce shapeshifter who drive each other crazy must work together to save an entire planet from a terrifying evil.

First Claw Annora Rahl is tough, fierce, and loyal. She stands at her emperor’s side to protect the wolf shapeshifters of the planet Damar, and she isn’t afraid to use her claws. Stopping an evil king from a neighboring planet, who’s intent on enslaving all the planets in their system, is her top priority. She won’t fail her family, her people, or her emperor. Even if it means joining forces with an infuriating rival warrior…one who she isn’t sure if she wants to kill or kiss.

Captain Thadd Naveri is strong, unyielding, and dedicated. As captain of the guard for the overlord of the planet Zhalto, he lets nothing threaten his king or his people. He’s still recovering from his capture and torture by the enemy, but he readily accepts a top-secret mission into enemy territory. He’s less than pleased to share that mission with Annora—the one woman in the galaxy who fills him with scalding hot anger…and burning desire.

To save their allies on the planet Taln, Thadd and Annora must sneak into the enemy’s most feared science labs. As they fight side by side, they are forced to face their overwhelming attraction. But as the enemy closes in, it is a race against time to save not only Taln but themselves.



This is my favorite book of the series so far!

Thadd was this fierce warrior, a protector of all, who was a bit broken after being taken and experimented on. There's just something so special about a broken hero.

Annora was equally as fierce as Thadd, just as protective, and a force of nature. I loved how strong and loyal she was.

It was like reading an enemies-to-lovers romance, but without the true hate. It was obvious from previous books that something was sparking between these two and I was here for when it imploded. They were hot!!

There is still so much of the underlying plot to be explored. Zavir, the father of the kings, is out there, plotting ways to bring them to their knees. Luckily, I've already got Conqueror downloaded so I can discover what will happen next.



Anna Hackett is a USA Today bestselling romance author who’s passionate about fast-paced, emotion-filled romantic suspense and science-fiction romance. She loves writing about people overcoming unbeatable odds and achieving seemingly impossible goals. Some of her bestselling series include Norcross Security, Team 52, Galactic Gladiators, and Eon Warriors.

Anna lives in Australia with her real-life hero and their two little boys. For more information on Anna and her books visit: www.annahackett.com

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A Queen of Broken Realms by Brynne Weaver

Lu promised herself she would never go back to the Shadow Realm, but the fates have other plans. Ashen has forfeited his rule to crown Lu the Queen of the Reapers, and now she has the power to remake the realm of the demons, to bring back merciful justice to the land where souls suffer in eternal servitude and violence lurks in the twilight fog. But not everyone is on board with the new change in leadership to a vampire queen, and following the torture and trauma of her last visit to the Shadow Realm, Lu isn’t thrilled about it either.

Trouble is, there are worse creatures than the dangerous demons whose flaming eyes follow her through their realm of darkness.

Lu’s enemies aren’t just lurking in the shadows. They’re beating down her door.

When Lu and Ashen are attacked in the Shadow Realm, the secret goals of the Nephilim begin to surface like creatures of the deep, dragging everyone’s ancient history with them as they rise. And if the Nephilim succeed, they will seize the ultimate power to rebuild the realms to their own design. Their reach and might is greater than anyone anticipated. And unless Lu can conquer not only her own fears but the distrust that immortals hold against one another, the Nephilim will win the new war.

Secrets have sharp edges in the Shadow Realm. Love can be a lethal poison. And Lu must never forget…
No betrayal is worse than when it’s delivered by the hand of someone you love.




With A Queen of Broken Realms, Brynne Weaver delivered a book full of action, chaos, blood and guts mayhem, and so much love. Seriously, love was virtually overflowing from the pages of this book!

Who knew that such a perilous story would also make me laugh? I laughed so freaking much and at the most inappropriate times, but that was the kind of humor these characters had. Finding joy amidst the darkness. Having a smile through the madness. And I loved every moment that this demon full of rage and his lover found happiness.


In the end, everyone is where they are meant to be. Honestly, I don't want to give you much more than that because this is a story you need to experience yourself. And while I'm still left in confusion as to why Ashen gave up his kingdom (yes, yes... I get it... he's broken and feels undeserving... but STILL c'mon!!), my bafflement means nothing. Because this story was amazing. Each person that mattered was incredible. Ashen is still my favorite, but Lu is right up there because she was beautifully vulnerable in this book. So real!

So yeah, start from book one and read on. The discovery of The Shadow Realm does not disappoint!


I take off my clothes, setting them on a dry patch of stone when I'm done. Ashen places his on mine and I nearly choke on my own spit.
"What?" he asks, confusion thick in his voice as I cough. It's impossible to look hot in a bikini when you hack up a lung, by the way, but I still make a valiant effort.
"It's just...I mean...I've seen you naked—"
"Obviously—" "And I've seen you with tailored suits, and armor, and then those snakeskin wings, I mean those are really f*cking hot. Seriously. I like the wings. But why," I say, my voice almost pained as I wave my hand in his direction and try not to cough. "Why is it you look even hotter in swim trunks? Your audacity knows no bounds, Ashen."
And oh my God, no sooner do the words leave my mouth than the demon blushes. Impossibly, he's even sexier than he was just two seconds ago. I cross my arms beneath my boobs and cock a hip and give him a chastising arch of my brow like this is a problem. Frankly, it is. Those low-slung black swim trunks with their subtle diamond pattern in thin lines of charcoal gray, the expanse of muscle and radiant skin and lines upon lines of black tattoos, they are a problem. A big problem. Because I'm about ready to jump him in what will shortly be a public location full of off-season human tourists looking to make the most of this instagrammable location.


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.

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Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole

HIS OBSESSION...
Sabine, Sorceress of Illusions: the evil beauty who surrenders her body, but not her heart.

HER DOWNFALL...
Rydstrom Woede: the ruthless warrior who vows to keep her at all costs.

THEY WERE NEVER SUPPOSED TO WANT EACH OTHER THIS MUCH...
With each smoldering encounter, their shared hunger only increases. If they can defeat the sinister enemy that stands between them, will Sabine make the ultimate sacrifice for her demon? Or will the proud king lay down his crown and arms to save his sorceress?



After finishing Dark Desires After Dusk, I really needed to know what happened to the rightful king, Rydstrom Woede. And this book gave me just about everything!

Sabine was something else. I can't think of one word to describe her. She was cold, calculating, selfish, wicked, materialistic, power hungry, narcissistic, etc. She was one of those characters I love to hate. And for the most part... I truly hated her.

➳ she may have had a reason (a weak one), but she allied herself with the evil Omort, the male who stole Rydstrom's kingdom.
➳ she knew that Rydstrom was in the right and constantly tried to sway him. But got so mad when he pointed out how very wrong her way of life, of seeing things was.
➳ despite knowing that Rydstrom was an honorable male, a male who would do anything for the one he loved, the male who was meant for her (and she for him), she didn't look to him for assistance. She constantly sideswiped and deceived him. Tormented and tortured him. Lied to and used him.

And then, about halfway through this story, something changed for me.
She was no longer someone I loved to hate.
I found myself hating to love her.
How did this happen?

She made me laugh. I began to see her in a whole new light, especially when she got a bit over herself and starting seeing Rydstrom for all of the amazing that he was.

I enjoyed the way everything in this book was described, such as the nastiness of what had become of Rydstrom's castle, to the welcoming of a queen in the refugee settlement in the Grave Realm. I do think the climax fell a bit flat (the bad guy died quick), but I was still entertained.

There are still so many people to read stories about. Lothaire helped Rydstrom escape from the dungeon, but he is going to want something in return. What will it be? And who the heck will be Nix's mate in the end? I can't even begin to imagine who it might be but I'm super excited to find out!

Check out these other reviews:
The Warlord Wants Forever * A Hunger Like No Other * No Rest For the Wicked * Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night * Dark Needs at Night's Edge * Dark Desires After Dusk

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

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Not a Role Model by Lani Lynn Vale

You better watch out for people that bounce back from everything that’s meant to destroy them.
Those were the words that Coreline King learned to live by when it came to dealing with Tide ‘Rook’ Crow, member of the Battle Crows MC, general surgeon, and all-around jerk who lived to make her life a living hell.
It all started in high school when he stopped seeing her as a random girl and started to see her as his rival.
Together, they became ‘frenemies.’ I.e.—a person with whom one is friendly, despite a fundamental dislike or rivalry.
At least, it started out like that.
Everyone always says there’s a fine line between love and hate. And at first, Tide and Coreline don’t realize how very true that is.
Not until Tide gets hurt defending Coreline’s honor, and Coreline has to fix him because she feels like she owes him.
But one night of bad choices leads to a very big ‘oops’ that will either haunt them for the next eighteen years or bring them together as tight as they ever could be.



Coreline and Tide have been frenemies for all of their lives. He makes life rough for her and she gives back as good as she gets. Fastforward to adulthood and nothing much has changed... except for the undeniable chemistry that burns between them. Can these two find a way to finally get their act together, giving into the feelings they've had for far too long?

In all honesty, I didn't like this story at first. I was actually gonna give up on it, which is unheard of because I freaking love this author!! It's just that I couldn't connect to the characters, their story felt harsh and abrasive, and it was slow going. However, as time went on, my feelings improved, and in the end, it was all worth it.

I enjoyed the tension that played out between the characters (for the most part). I did, but I was kinda sidetracked. I'm intrigued by the glimpses I keep getting of Bram and Dorcas. I want more of them. Will Bram admit his feelings for her? Will we learn more about Dorcas beyond the beautiful time seen here? And will these two remain together or finally part ways for good? Yeah, I'm really looking forward to seeing some of that.

About the Characters

Main Characters - Coreline King and Tide Crow
Children - An unnamed daughter and one on the way
Tide's family
- Derringer Crow (father)
- Reedy Crow (mother)
- Haggard "Thief" Crow (found in Always Someone's Monster)
- Callum "Shine" Crow (found in Make Me Your Villain)
- Price Crow (found in Rattle Some Cages)
- Bram Crow
- Cannel Crow (found in Chalk Dirty To Me)
Coreline's family
- Rock "Hound Dog" King (father)
- unnamed mother
- Reuben King (brother)
- Alison King (little sister)
- Enola "Toddy" Tondra King (little sister)

Check out the other books from the series:

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.

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Dark Desires After Dusk by Kresley Cole

A seductive beauty he can never have. Yet can't resist...

Cadeon Woede will stop at nothing to atone for the one wrong that will haunt him forever. But once he secures the key to his redemption, the halfling Holly Ashwin, Cade finds that the woman he thought we could use for his own ends and then forget haunts him as much as his past.

A tormented warrior she should fear, but can't deny...

Raised as a human, Holly never knew that some frightening legends are real until she encounters a brutal demon who inexplicably guards her like a treasure. Thrust into a sensual new world of myth and power, with him as her protector, she begins to crave the demon's wicked touch.

Surrender to dark desires...

Yet just when he earns Holly's trust, will Cade be forced to betray the only woman who can state his wildest needs--and claim his heart?



I'm gonna say it now... I'm in love with this series, but I'm OVER the enemies-to-lovers trope. So freaking over it! Like can I get a break from this dynamic already?!

After learning a bit about Cade from the previous books, I thought I had him pretty much figured out. And I was wrong. He was so much more than I expected. He was craving a human female and I was really digging the taboo vibe of that. Knowing about his guilt over losing his brother's kingdom and getting the full story behind that, I was able to truly understand his motives. The fact that he had to deny himself what he truly wanted... dude really needed to catch a break.

So when other people, really bad people, are after his potential mate, he makes it the perfect excuse to get involved. And from there, this story was a lot of drama and I came to fall deeply in love with Cade.

Seriously, who doesn't love a broken hero? They are my kryptonite and Cade was in pieces. But through this journey, he was coming back to himself. He was finding himself. And I believe that Holly was a big part of that.

Why didn't I like her more? Because of the whole hate to love you thing. I'm so tired of heroines being in denial, being rude because of that denial, and when they finally own up to their feelings, I'm supposed to let it all go. No, thank you.

And now Cade's brother, the rightful king, seems to be up to something. He was kidnapped and is now free. They've got the weapon necessary to take back the throne. And yet... seems Rydstrom has other plans. Something to do with the 'evil' sorceress, Sabine. I am looking forward to finding out more about all of that.




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

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Invaded by Lizzy Bequin

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.



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!





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.