Standalone - Galactic Kings #4
Release - November 8, 2022
Genre - SciFi Romance
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat - 3.5 out of 5 / several scenes
Format/Source - ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 242 pages
Publisher - Indie

My Two Cents

The Author

"If I'm yours, that must mean that you're mine." ~ Poppy

Standalone - Galactic Kings #2
Release - January 18, 2022
Genre - SciFi Romance
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat - 3.5 out of 5 / several scenes
Format/Source - ebook borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 266 pages
Publisher - Indie

My Two Cents

The Author

Standalone - Galactic Kings #1
Release - December 14, 2021
Genre Scifi Romance
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat - 3.5 out of 5 / a few descriptive scenes
Format - ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 302 pages
Publisher - Indie

My Two Cents

About the Author

After reading and enjoying Invaded by Lizzy Bequin, I knew I wanted to read more from her. I knew I needed more of her books in my life. So I went through and downloaded a bunch to my kindle. Here are the three I've read so far!

Finally realized that I wasn't asking too much. I was just asking the wrong person. ~ Wake to Dutch

Standalone - Gator Bait MC #1
Release - November 1, 2022
Genre - Contemporary Romance / MC romance elements
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5 / several descriptive scenes
Format/Source - eARC provided by Uplifting Author Services
Length - 257 pages
Publisher - Indie

My Two Cents

The Author

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

Years ago, I won a giveaway and the author kindly delivered these books straight to my kindle. At the time, I was bogged down with ARCs (I don't even like remembering those days) and forgot about this series. Luckily, I've been doing a cleanup of my Kindle and these books popped back up on my radar again. So here are my thoughts:

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Quake (Quake #1)

From the first moment I saw Janny Moore's sparkling eyes and luminous smile, I've been obsessed with the idea of getting to know her...
watching.

She's everything I need in my life, now I just have to convince her.
She's never set eyes on me, she has no idea I exist...
but she will.

I enjoyed the taboo nature of Kyle watching Janny and then starting a relationship with her unawares. It felt like we, the readers, were in on a juicy secret. After the predicted drama once she found out the truth, and I'm sorry but Janny was annoying in her new adultness, it was smooth (and extremely hot) sailing for this couple. Until it wasn't. I could have done with Janny's sexual scene with another man. Especially because that man features in some way in the story to come. Why was it necessary?

One heck of cliffhanger made the next book a necessity. WTH was that?

Overall, I liked Kyle, tolerated Janny, and give this book 3 stars.

Quiver (Quake #2)

They met under the most unusual circumstances and fell deeply in love. Their relationship thrived, despite all the secrets Kyle kept from Janny. When the sordid details of his betrayal were revealed in the worst way possible, he had to fight to win her back.

Now Kyle’s in the battle of his life and the obstacle in their path might be impossible to overcome. Will they continue working together and face the problem head on or…
will this be the one thing their love can’t survive?

Picking up right where the previous book left off, I wasn't left in limbo for long. Of course, everything works out in the end. However, there are a few bumps and scrapes along the way. For a huge chunk of this story, Kyle has partial amnesia, not remembering Janny or the love they share. To protect her feelings, he decides to push her away. What's the point of hanging onto a man who doesn't really care for you?

Kyle was a bit harsh, but understandable. Again, Janny with her new adultness overreacts and leaves herself open to the stalker who seeks to hurt Kyle in the worse way. How better to make him suffer than to torture the woman he loves? If only wannabe killer guy knew that Kyle had forgotten her!

Everything that happened in the grand scheme of things was quite predictable, but I enjoyed the way it unfolded. Still liked Kyle, liked Janny better in this one, and give this book 3 stars.

Delve (Quake #3; Delve #1)

He was my brother’s best friend.
He was seven years older than me.
He was a pig when it came to casual sex; indulging in one night stands like they were going out of style.
So why did I want to tear his clothes off every time we got within five feet of each other?

She was only eighteen years old when we met for the first time.
She was a good girl who avoided bad boys like me, but that didn’t stop me from picturing all the things I wanted to do to her--to do with her. She was too young though and my best friend’s baby sister. I couldn’t let things go where I wanted. I couldn’t corrupt her--taint her with my darkness. I knew it could never happen. It would never happen…
But it did.

Kyle's best friend, Derek, has been hungry for his little sister, Kenna, for years. After being told that she was off-limits, and her tender age being a factor, Derek did everything he could to keep his hands off her.

And while she was busy being in love with him for years, she believed they weren't meant to be and did everything to put him off. Sarcasm and acidity are great repellents!

And then one moment changed everything. One huge scare forced them to admit their feelings for each other and I loved the way the author captured it all. The push and pull, the denial, the acceptance... and the heat. Well done. I gave this book 3.5 stars.

Tied (Quake #3.5; Delve #1.5)

Seven years is a long time to wait to be with the person you know you were meant to be with.
My patience has reached its limit.
Kenna McKenzie needs to be mine forever and I’m not waiting any longer.
Fate has thrown too many obstacles in our path already.
The sooner I permanently tie her to me, the better.

Join Derek, Kenna and all their friends for a wild and thrilling wedding weekend in Sin City. What happens in Vegas is supposed to stay in Vegas, but you never know who might be there...
watching.

If you haven't had enough of these characters, or are looking for more than a happy for now, than this is a must-read. Derek and Kenna get married, Kyle and Janny are there to celebrate, everyone is there (hello side characters including Janny's ex), and all's well with everyone. Or is it?

Honestly, this book was fluff and I can only give it 2 stars. However, I know the next book is about the villain and I'm excited to see what the author has done. Can he be redeemed?

Delude (Quake #4)

She wasn’t part of my original plan for revenge, but one glance at her and I was entranced. I followed her for weeks, observing her habits. I’ve been in her apartment numerous times, learning anything and everything I can about her. She’s become an obsession and I’ll do whatever it takes to make her mine.

It’s only a matter of time before I have her where I want her...
on her knees and at my mercy.
Soon, there will be no secrets between us.

This was my favorite book of the series. It felt like everything that was missing came to be in this book. And yes, I fell for the bad guy. He tormented everyone. He did some disgusting and vile things. He was evil. Wasn't he?

After getting Zach's backstory, I felt a little bad for the guy. He was lost and confused and he needed one person to be in his corner. Doesn't everyone?

As for Lana, her story also made me feel. I had no clue as to the emotional turmoil she was suffering.

Were these two made for each other? I don't know. Although Zach left out huge chunks of his important story to her, his feelings for her were genuine. Could she love the man beneath the mask? I think so.

Most of it was predictable and yet I loved how the author achieved it.

Yeah, I'm a sucker for a bad boy. Even the sociopathic/psychotic ones it seems. This solid read deserved every one of its 4 stars.

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Strange and Unusual by Lani Lynn Vale

The moment he divorced his ex-wife, Jeremiah decided two things.

One, he would never, ever get into that kind of situation again—i.e., marriage.

Two, he would spend more time doing what he loved—baking, riding motorcycles, spending time with the Battle Crows MC, and getting some quiet time for just himself. Pretty much doing the things he enjoyed, that his ex-wife could no longer ruin.

And, months after his divorce was final, he’s held strong.

He hasn’t gotten entangled with a woman. He’s opened his own bakery. And he’s never been closer to his club.
It has to be why he allowed them to have a massive club party at his place, which became the cause of Gracelynn Barry entering his life.

If he’d known Gracie was going to be his employee, he definitely wouldn’t have slept with her.

Yet, there he is, in the middle of an interview, finding out not only was the woman he slept with the most viable applicant for a job he very much needed filled, but that she’d recently broken up with the man he loathed. The second reason he’d divorced his ex-wife. Erich. His ex-stepson.

To say life is simple for Jeremiah would be a joke of epic proportions.

It’s time for him to buckle up.



Jeremiah went through the marriage from Hell, and now that he's out of it, he has no intention of tying himself to someone again.
Enter Gracelynn.
Never before has he met someone who truly gets who he is and how he lives.
How is he supposed to resist the perfect woman for him?

I've got one word for Strange and Unusual.

INTENSE!


It's one of those stories when you think you know what to think, how to feel, but realize you know nothing.

I'm still unsure on how I'm feeling right now. LLV surprised me and I'm loving it!

When it came to the suspense element of this plot, the author not only pushed the envelope... She tore it up, flattened it, blew it up, and scattered it to the wind. I was left to wallow in the devastation and despite how tragic everything was, despite how scared I was, I enjoyed every single moment of it!

There's romance, shenanigans, outside drama, sexy times and tons of love. I'm in love with the way Gracie and Jer loved each other. Through thick and thin, sickness and health, good times and bad, these two held each other down and it was beautiful.


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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Badd to the Bone by Jasinda Wilder

Brock Badd is everything except bad. He’s sexy, sweet, strong, and every other good thing I never thought I wanted in a man. I always thought I needed the real bad boys, the ones that screw you senseless and pull your hair and aren’t there to talk about it in the morning.

I’ve always been a one-night stand kind of girl, and sometimes I wouldn’t even stick around for a full night. Brock was supposed to be a one-night stand—that’s how it started out, at least. Only, what was supposed to be a fun one-time-only hookup with a hot local guy ended up with me discovering Brock’s potency six different ways by breakfast.

That was all it took. One night with Brock, and I was hooked. But hooked doesn’t mean ready for a relationship.

That’s what he wants. And deep down, I’m starting to fear that’s what I want too.

I’m just not sure I’m ready for it.

I mean, he’s the literal epitome of tall, dark, and handsome, plus he’s a pilot…with a six-pack and perfect hair and a smile to melt me from the inside out. How’s a girl supposed to resist that? I couldn’t. I can’t. I’ve tried, but I keep going back for more.

I’ve got it bad, real BADD.



Here's the thing... the issues I had with Mara in the last book (Badd Ass), I didn't have with Claire. Go freaking figure!

Both women knew they were sluts.
Both women felt they had reasons for being sluts.
But only one of them (ahem... Claire) actually sold me on it.

If a man sleeps with everything that walks, he's a slut. Same goes for women. So it's not like I'm sitting here saying one without calling the other out. I think it's gross from all sides. However, I felt like I could understand Claire better than I could Mara. Claire knew she lacked self-respect. She felt so poorly about herself that she willingly settled for anything. She was punishing herself, which was sad because I could see the good person she was. She didn't need to be so hard on herself (and really, she just needed professional help) and Brock was the perfect guy to show her how different life with intimacy and value could be.

I loved how the author made it clear that Claire needed to work on herself. That she needed to learn to love herself, forgive herself, before she could try to love someone else. I also loved how devoted they were to each other, both before and during their separation.

My heart went out to these characters and I felt that Claire's journey was difficult, with her happily ever after both hard-won and much-deserved.


NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, WALL STREET JOURNAL AND INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR, Jasinda Wilder is a Michigan native with a penchant for titillating tales about sexy men and strong women. Her bestselling titles include ALPHA, STRIPPED, WOUNDED, and the #1 Amazon and international bestseller FALLING INTO YOU.

You can find her on her farm in Northern Michigan with her husband, author Jack Wilder, her six children and menagerie of animals.

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

──────　♔　──────

Badd Ass by Jasinda Wilder

I was a Sixty-Eight Whiskey—a combat medic. So when I hear someone shout “MEDIC!” training just kicks in. It’s automatic, immediate. I don’t think I even saw the guy whose leg I tended to, not really. All I saw was him. Zane Badd. His tuxedo fit him like he’d been sewn into it, and his eyes reflected the fury and the hardness of a combat veteran, but when he looked at me, he just…softened. By the time I had his brother patched, Zane and I were both covered in blood, and I knew I had to have him.

The trouble with Zane isn’t getting him, it’s keeping him.

And the trouble with me is, even if I could hold onto a man like Zane, I wouldn’t know what to do with him. It’s not in my nature, and if life has taught me anything, it’s to not trust anyone, least of all men like Zane. He’s a warrior through and through, hard, muscular, gorgeous, tenacious, and yet oddly tender toward me.

Experience and instincts are telling me to run from Zane Badd as fast as possible, but my heart and my body are telling me to stay, to hold on and not let go. Yeah, it’s a conflict as old as humanity itself, but it’s brand new for me.

* * *

Life as Navy SEAL doesn’t exactly prepare you for normality. Yeah, I can tend bar and goof off with my seven crazy brothers, but what do I do when the woman of my dreams—dreams I didn’t know I’d had until I saw her—explodes into my life like a frag grenade? I’m trained to attack, to win, to survive at any costs, and figuring out what to do about a woman like Amarantha Quinn will take every scrap of tenacity and courage I possess. Combat is easy, it turns out, in comparison to facing your own fears and scars.

And then sometimes, just when you think you’ve got it finally figured out, fate throws you a screwball and sends everything FUBAR.



Coming home to Alaska to fulfill his father's dying wish, Zane retired from the Navy. A badass SEAL, he was used to having no roots. No home, no girl, no ties. And then Mara abruptly steps into his life and nothing will be the same again.

I adored Zane. He was a bit broken, suffering from survivor's guilt, and didn't believe he deserved all of the blessings coming his way. He was sweet, sexy, and fiiiiiiiine!

I know you're tired of me going after heroines.
Shoot, I'm tired of going after heroines.
However, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Right?

And for the most part, I really liked Mara. She was a great person when she wanted to be. I just didn't like how she was characterized and it kind of soured me on this story. She and her bestie are self-proclaimed sluts. I'm not sure if anyone else saw them this way and honestly, why can't women be as free as men and not be judged?

And I'm not judging.

I just didn't think it was necessary to include that detail to her backstory. Her being afraid to commit, afraid to get attached, afraid to feel... for reasons that you'll discover by reading this book ... they could have all been explained and understood without making her out to be someone who slept with a lot of randoms and enjoyed walks of shame.

It wasn't necessary and tainted her in my mind's eye. That's truth.

I also had an issue with the fact that she was an Army medic, and yet, she lacked knowledge of standard military terms. Why did Zane have to break down everything for her when she served too? Odd.


NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, WALL STREET JOURNAL AND INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR, Jasinda Wilder is a Michigan native with a penchant for titillating tales about sexy men and strong women. Her bestselling titles include ALPHA, STRIPPED, WOUNDED, and the #1 Amazon and international bestseller FALLING INTO YOU.

You can find her on her farm in Northern Michigan with her husband, author Jack Wilder, her six children and menagerie of animals.

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

──────　♔　──────

Badd Motherf*cker by Jasinda Wilder

Your wedding day is supposed to be the happiest day of your life, right? That’s what they say, at least. I went into that day hoping I’d get the happiest day of my life. What I got? The worst. I mean, you really can’t get any worse of a day without someone actually dying.

So…I may have gotten just a little drunk, and maybe just a tad impetuous…

And landed myself in a dive bar somewhere in Alaska, alone, still in my wedding dress, half-wasted and heart-broken.

***

Eight brothers, one bar.

Sounds like the beginning to a bad joke, yeah?

I kinda think so.

Wanna hear another joke? A girl walks into a bar, soaking wet and wearing a wedding dress.

I knew I shouldn’t have touched her. She was hammered, for one thing, and heartbroken for another. I’ve chased enough tail to know better. That kinda thing only leads to clinginess, and a clingy female is the last thing on this earth I need.

I got a bar needs running, and only me to run it—at least until my seven wayward brothers decide to show their asses up…

Then this chick walks in, fine as hell, wearing a soaked wedding dress that leaves little enough to the imagination—and I’ve got a hell of an imagination.

I knew I shouldn’t have touched her. Not so much as a finger, not even innocently.

But I did.



This story was nothing like what I expected and yet everything I could have wanted!

➳ the hero, Bast, was hot AF. Dirty talker, knew his way around a woman's body, no playing around. He did have initial hesitation because all he knew was being a manwhore, but that ended quickly and the rest was HOT!
➳ the heroine, Dru, was a badass in her own right. While Bast was brute force, she had black belts and could handle herself. She did come off a bit harsh at times, and at times could be perceived as a tad ridiculous, but she was a good match.
➳ the brothers... Oh man, I can't wait to get my hands on their stories. These Badd brothers are scrumptious. So different yet so alike. I'm excited to learn more about them all.

This story was sexy, delicious, and fun and if the rest of this series is anything like this, I'll definitely be reading it!


NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, WALL STREET JOURNAL AND INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR, Jasinda Wilder is a Michigan native with a penchant for titillating tales about sexy men and strong women. Her bestselling titles include ALPHA, STRIPPED, WOUNDED, and the #1 Amazon and international bestseller FALLING INTO YOU.

You can find her on her farm in Northern Michigan with her husband, author Jack Wilder, her six children and menagerie of animals.

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

──────　♔　──────

Dark Sexy Knight by Katy Regnery

Loosely inspired by the legend of Camelot, Dark Sexy Knight tells the story of dinner theater knight Colt Lane, who meets down-on-her-luck Verity Gwynn on the worst day of her life. Evicted from their home, Verity and her special-needs brother, Ryan, must find jobs or risk being separated. Colt, who is the furthest-possible thing from a white knight in real life, comes to their unlikely rescue, quickly cementing his place in Verity's heart.

Colt has dark, deeply buried secrets that keep his smile hidden and his eyes down, which has kept people away . . . until he meets Verity, who seems immune to his gruff manners and taciturn ways. The more time Colt spends with her, the more he longs for her sweetness in his life and yearns to be the knight in shining armor she so desperately needs. Certain he will lose her if she learns the truth about his past, he must decide if he can trust her with his yesterday in order to build a beautiful tomorrow.



I'm a huge fan of unique meet-cutes and the one that happened between Colt and Verity was definitely original.

When he saved the damsel-in-distress not once, not twice, not even three times, but four times... I knew he was going to be a swoon-worthy hero.


Both had what they viewed as baggage: Colt had IED and a special needs cousin that he was devoted to; Verity had a special needs brother that she was devoted to; and so, with all they had in common and all of the hopeful and warm feelings in the air, there was no resisting the pull of each other.

The author injected just the right amount of drama and angst to push the plot forward and I found it to be quite the emotional read.


My Notes: I took issue with the legal part of the story. It was a bit far-fetched and while I'm not an expert on the law of each state or the courts of each state (because I practice law in Canada), it seemed inaccurate.


New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Regnery started her writing career by enrolling in a short story class in January 2012. One year later, she signed her first contract, and Katy’s first novel was published in September 2013.

Several dozen books and three RITA® nominations later, Katy claims authorship of the multititled Blueberry Lane series, the A Modern Fairytale collection, the Summerhaven series, the Odds Are Good collection, the Arranged duo, and several other stand-alone romances, including the critically acclaimed mainstream fiction novel Unloved, a love story.

Visit https://www.katyregnery.com for more information

She slid her hands across the smooth planes of his chest and down the ridges of his abdomen, so similar to a human—to where his dotras emerged—and so completely different. But she thought he was perfect as well.

Standalone - Alien Abduction #14
Release - October 21, 2021
Genre - SciFi Romance
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5 / a few explicit scenes
Format/Source - ebook borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Length - 224 pages
Publisher - Indie

Goodreads * Amazon

My Two Cents

About the Author