Showing posts with label MC Romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MC Romance. Show all posts

Series Review // Sinful Souls MC by Amo Jones

November 13, 2023


Today's flashback is the Sinful Souls MC by Amo Jones. This series was my first read from Amo Jones (well, it was her debut) and had me falling in love with her potential. I could feel her get stronger with each and every book. This is a contemporary MC romance series with a bit of a dark vibe. It tackles sensitive issues so it's not for everyone. But if you enjoy angst and pushing boundaries a bit, you'll be entertained. Note that the following reviews were written in 2016, so take them with a grain of salt.

Have you ever read these books? Are you interested?


1. Perilous Love


What happens when you’re the daughter of the most feared assassin known to mankind?

After having to flee her family home in New Zealand at age eight, Alaina Vance knows very little about her parents. She now lives an uncomplicated life—in her final year of college—with her hardest decision being what drink to order.

That is until she meets Zane Mathews. The sexy and domineering president of Sinful Souls MC.

Her whole world as she knew it starts to flip before her very eyes. As everything that she thought she knew was really nothing at all.

Rating - ★★★

This book had tremendous potential. Based on the fact that it's this author's first piece of work, I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt. So here goes...

The story was good. However, it had some glitches. Everything read very textbook. Very clinical. Emotions didn't factor here and therefore I didn't feel anything for the characters. Even during intense scenes, I just didn't feel anything. There wasn't much detail given about anything. Words were thrown around and I had to make sense of them. From one chapter to the next, it was pretty hard to follow what was going on. Time passed (or didn't pass) and there was nothing to indicate that. With regards to time, there is one matter I can use as a frame of reference.
There were many times that I was confused about things that were going on because things were written in a confusing way.

I like details. The more information I'm given, the greater the chance of me connecting with the characters. We meet Zane's mom and find out his dad passed. How??? Alaina mentions she needs to focus on finals that are coming up, but school isn't done for another 2 months.
It was crazy how much information was given and not given.

I get that this book was short, that the author was new, but even the "sex scenes" were lackluster. Insert A into Tab B. Lick Section C.

I wanted more. I can see that this author has the potential for more. I'm willing to read book 2 simply because I have a feeling that the writing can only get better with time. I could see the strength in this writer's efforts and I would like an opportunity to see it shine through her future work.


2. Intricate Love


Vicky Abrahams has a tendency to get herself into tricky situations. But after a crazy spring break with one of her best friends, she has a bigger situation she needs to deal with—Blake Rendon.

Blake is part of the Sinful Souls MC. He has never been interested in anything serious with any woman, until Vicky. This interest results in him taking time to figure out his feelings for her.

Is it too late once he does?

Has Vicky already moved on?

Tired of all the secrets that almost broke her, she has every reason to be upset. But under it all, there’s no one quite like Blake fucking Rendon.

Rating - ★★★

I was right. I knew that this author's writing could only get better with time. With practice. This story was much more cohesive than the first.

To be honest, I didn't much like Blake or Vicky. The threesome scenes really threw me off and made me doubt the seriousness of their affection for one another. I think they were great side characters, but not strong enough to hold their own story, which was proven with this book. It just wasn't strong. It had parts that were interesting, but not enough to warrant their own plot.

I still found the issue of time relativity in this installment. I'm not sure how this problem could have been fixed because I'm no expert, but it wasn't a huge problem. I really liked that we got to see more of the other characters, such as Alaina, Zane and Ade. And this book did a really good job of going over the events of the first book without making it redundant. It provided a fresh and alternate perspective to what had happened.

I can only expect that book three is going to be even better. The writing definitely keeps improving with each book.


3. Tainted Love


Kalie-Rose is that girl.
She's that girl who calmed the storm within Ade Nixon.
She attained the unattainable.
She silenced his demons with her innocence.

Ade Nixon is the Vice President of Sinful Souls MC. His Hulk-sized body covered in tattoos and piercings - along with his don't give a fuck attitude - screams, "I'll suffocate you in your sleep". And he would.

Kalie-Rose is a popular dancer living in Hollywood Hills, she dances for some of Hollywood's elite. After giving Ade her viginty on a silver platter two years ago, a wedding brings them back together. Even if only for a short amount of time.

Rating - ★★★

This was definitely the best book out of the series. The writing, the character development, the details and descriptions, the scene portrayal, the feels... much better.

However, I didn't like the main characters. Crazy right?! Crazy, but true. Kalie was my least favourite of all the female leads and that's saying something. She was lacking something for me that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I constantly felt like she was putting on an act, whether to appear innocent or provocative, depending on the situation. So I don't think I got a good picture of who her character really was.

I liked things about Aidan/Ade. I liked his ruthlessness. He was just as coldblooded as Zane and Blake, which I enjoyed the heck out of. His alpha ways were cool too. But he lacked dimension. There was so much potential for this character and it fell flat to me.

The suspense was on point. The scenes with Alaina and Kalie were full of feels. So the technique definitely improved in this book. I would be interested in reading future work from this author because I can absolutely see it getting better with time.

Review // The Tempted Series by Janine Infante Bosco

June 26, 2023

The Tempted Series by Janine Infante Bosco

Set on the streets of Brooklyn, New York, the Tempted Series is a compilation of six steamy standalone novels that will leave you breathless and wishing for more. In between navigating the danger that darkens the beloved streets they call their own, each man finds a strong woman to love and carry him through the darkness.

You'll laugh.
You'll fall in love.
You'll cry.
You'll scream.
You'll probably curse too.
But more importantly, you will become part of this unconventional family.
You will become Property of Parrish.

────── ♔ ──────


Illicit Temptations by Janine Infante Bosco

Illicit Temptations


My Rating - ★★★★
Standalone - Tempted #1
Release - July 25, 2015
Genre/Trope - Contemporary Romance / mafia
POV - Dual 1st person (Michael Valente + Nikki Pastore)
Heat - 4 out of 5
Length - 367 pages

Broken, lost, and alone.
That's all I was before New York's most notorious gangster recruited me.
Now here I am, following in my father's footsteps and breaking my mother's heart.
And I'm torn between the only life I've ever known and the possibility of something else.
Because the only beacon of light in this dark world is the one woman I can't have.
The Boss's daughter.
The nightclub king's girl.
Her irresistible spirit struggling to be respected for who she is, and not just who she belongs to.
I see her. All of her.
She's the sweetest temptation I've ever known.
And the most illicit.

Nikki and Michael were very easy to like. She had a crush on him since they were kids and he quickly realized that the little girl he had left behind had grown up into a beautiful woman.

Nikki and Michael had oodles of chemistry. Too bad she had a boyfriend. And while she had a connection to her boyfriend, especially because he didn't seem to be intimidated by her father, the mafia don of New York, what she felt for Michael was beyond compare.

I lived for every illicit look.
Every illicit thought.
And all of their illicit touches!

Michael was hilarious and it really shone through on their trip to Florida to escape a threat against Nikki's father. I laughed so much picturing him trying to escape elderly advances.

I knew loving these characters would be easy because I went into this already knowing who they were. I guess that's the consequence of reading the Nomad series before diving into the original stories. However, I have no regrets because it only made me enjoy these people more. I adored getting this in-depth look at the way love bloomed between Nikki and her Mikey, and also the glimpses shown of Victor Pastore, Anthony Bianci, Adrianna, etc.



Forbidden Temptations by Janine Infante Bosco

Forbidden Temptations


My Rating - ★★★★
Standalone - Tempted #2
Release - November 10, 2015
Genre/Trope - Contemporary Romance / mafia / second chance
POV - Dual 1st person (Anthony Bianci + Adrianna Pastore)
Heat - 4 out of 5
Length - 305 pages

Respect. Power. Control.
From the time I was a boy that was all I wanted.
Being an enforcer for the mob gave me all of that and more.
But she gave me things I didn’t even know I could have.
Passion. Love. Hope.
I was never supposed to fall for her.
I was only good to take the fall for a crime I didn’t commit.
What use is power when you’re locked inside a cage?
I pushed her away and spared her the pain of this poisonous life.
Now, I’m free and she’s still the forbidden temptation.
The one I crave more than air.
More than respect.
More than power.
More than anything.

Anthony was such an intriguing character. He put on this disguise of being lethal and cold, but dude was swimming in so much heart. Everything he was or ever could be centered around Adrianna, and this lady knew her man. When he pushed, she pushed back. And when he pulled her in, she went willingly. There was so much back and forth in their relationship, that if you're not careful, you'll get whiplash. Outside forces were the primary reasons for why this couple had such a hard time, but Anthony didn't try to make things any easier. While all she wanted was him, he was constantly worried about the danger being with him would cause.

However, when he finally decided to fight for what was rightfully his, when he finally claimed his woman... everybody needed to get out of this man's way. I loved everything he did to finally give Adrianna the happily ever after she deserved.

The only drawback to this story was the way that Victor Pastore was portrayed. He went from beloved father to a monster and it threw me. At least some peace was made in the end. I'm here for the ride and it only seems to be getting bumpier. Don't even get me started on the whole Jimmy Gold situation. I can't wait for all of the fallout!!



Uncontrollable Temptations by Janine Infante Bosco

Uncontrollable Temptations


My Rating - ★★★★½
Standalone - Tempted #3
Release - January 1, 2016
Genre/Trope - Contemporary Romance / MC Romance
POV - Dual 1st person (Jack 'Bullog' Parrish + Reina)
Heat - 4 out of 5
Length - 202 pages

Crazy. Deranged. Uncontrollable.
Doctor it up all you want, no formal diagnosis erases the stigma associated with mental illness.
It’s a scar I’ve carried most of my life.
A hell I can’t escape.
I’m the president of the Satan’s Knights Motorcycle Club with enemies near and far.
But the real villain in this story is my mind.
Drowning in darkness, demons and shadows are all I know.
Until one day the sun begins to shine.
She’s broken, just a shell of a woman, but she’s a beautiful, bright light beckoning me home.
Saving me from the torment.
Showing me her own scars.
Healing me.
Loving me.
Shining her light.
An uncontrollable temptation I can’t resist.

Jack and Reina were two people who knew what it was to exist without living. Both were drowning in pain and breathed life into each other. I was already quite familiar with Jack's pain because I've been Property of Parrish for years, but seeing it mirrored a bit in Reina was a new experience. And although I walked, ran and swam in their deep love for one another some time ago, it was so sweet to see where it all started.

Jack was as crazy as ever. I really cannot get enough of this man! The Satan's Knights were looking for justice and sometimes that looks very ugly. Lives were at stake and no one was safe. I was just excited to see a certain someone get his.

This story was full of feels and angst and further cemented my love for all of these characters.



Reckless Temptations by Janine Infante Bosco

Reckless Temptations


My Rating - ★★★★½
Standalone - Tempted #4
Release - March 5, 2016
Genre - Contempoary Romance / MC Romance
POV - Dual 1st person (Robert 'Riggs' Montgomery + Lauren Bianci)
Heat - 4 out of 5
Length - 405 pages

Heart.
It keeps you alive, but it can make you a fool too.
I tied mine to the club and nothing else.
I didn’t need more.
The Satan’s Knights gave me a reason to ride and secured my place in the world.
I also had a rotation of women at my beck and call—life was good.
Until one night.
One doe-eyed girl.
Little miss innocent wanted to ride in the fast lane and I was the badass with the bike.
A temptation I couldn’t resist.
If there was ever a reason to be reckless and risk my heart, she was it.

No one can deny Riggs his heart. Well, maybe he could. However, no matter how many times he tried to talk himself out of love, it kept hitting him in the face.

Riggs knew that Lauren was off limits. He may lust after her non-stop, but no way did he want to tangle with the Biancis. And then one night changes everything. One taste and he can't help but come back for more. Separation anxiety, dangers lurking around every corner, and a surprise pregnancy lead Riggs to find his heart once and for all.

Each Satan's Knight has something different to offer. Riggs' contribution: ridiculousness. Dude could find humor at a funeral. He made me laugh with all of his hilarious inner monologues. I loved seeing events from past books from his perspective. His view of how things went down gave certain scenes a different edge, whether it was to make me laugh, cringe or cry.

The hospital scenes absolutely GUTTED me!!

All this to say that this is book 4 of the series and I'm still very much entrenched with the Knights and I'm greedy for more.



Lethal Temptations by Janine Infante Bosco

Lethal Temptations


My Rating - ★★★★
Standalone - Tempted #5
Release - May 24, 2016
Genre - Contemporary Romance / MC romance / forbidden / age gap
POV - Dual 1st person (Dominic 'Blackie' Petra + Lacey Parrish)
Heat - 4 out of 5
Length - 530 pages

Drugs. Alcohol. Mayhem.
That's how I ride as the VP of the Satan's Knights MC.
I trade one addiction for another and make no apologies.
I'm no Knight in shining armor. I'm Satan's soldier, a villain dressed in leather.
She's a beautiful, broken angel, wrapped in lace battling her own demons.
And when she looks at me, I'm not a man chained to his cravings and crimes.
I'm her hero and she's my sweetest obsession.
A lethal temptation I can't resist.
The one I won't survive.

I knew all about Blackie and Lacey from reading the Blackout duet, but seeing where it all began was a nice detour (thinking of you, Riggs). I got to see how the whole Leather and Lace deal got started and their story was darker than all the rest. It was full of inner angst and outer dangers. With Lacey struggling with her mental illness and trying to be seen, to be heard... this young woman broke my heart. And Blackie was struggling with his many addictions. However, they were each other's rocks. They were the one person they could be real with, the person who could really see them.

I still find this relationship a bit icky. Remember, Blackie is Jack's bestie and Lacey is Jack's daughter. Blackie has been a part of her life since she was a little girl. Whenever the hero watches the heroine grow up and then falls for her, I'm always a bit thrown. But the author pulls it off. I wasn't grossed out (completely) and I found it easy to get on board with idea of this couple's happily ever after. They fought hard for it and they earned it. Painful and beautiful, their story was a treat to read.



Eternal Temptations by Janine Infante Bosco

Eternal Temptations


My Rating - ★★★★½
Standalone - Tempted #6
Release - August 1, 2016
Genre - Contemporary Romance / extended epilogue
POV - Multiple 1st person
Heat- 4 out of 5
Length - 294 pages

You've seen them through their most illicit temptations.
Guided them through their forbidden temptations.
Stuck with them through their uncontrollable temptations.
Owned their reckless temptations.
And survived their lethal temptations.
Five couples.
One threat.
Who will overcome the eternal temptation?

Join The Pastore Crime Family and the Satan's Knights MC in this mashup standalone romantic thriller. One final hit. One last ride. And these anti-heroes won't go down without a fight.
So ask yourself: are you tempted?

This was so much fun to read! It was like getting extended epilogues for my favorite characters and I'm still looking for more!

Eternal Temptations was full of pain, death (OMG the deaths were crazy in this book), remembrances, honorable mentions, beauty, family, and so much love. The love these characters have for one another, especially when it started (for some) from a place of misgivings... it's the stuff that makes these characters legendary. There's a reason why their stories crossover into other books and into other series. They are just that amazing!

When you fall in love with Michael + Nikki, Anthony + Adrianna, Jack + Reina, Riggs + Lauren, Blackie + Lacie, and even Grace + Victor, you'll want to make sure you read this book. It delivers in so many ways, and if that wasn't enough, it sets up the next series for the nomads. So freaking good!

Review // Ares by Penny Dee

August 15, 2022

Ares by Penny Dee

Here we are.
Like I said, not a part of the plan.
But his kiss is like catnip and I can't get enough of it.

────── ♔ ──────


Ares by Penny Dee

Ares by Penny Dee


Standalone - Kings of Mayhem MC: Tennessee #3
Release - August 26, 2022
Genre - MC Romance / revenge plot
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5 / several descriptive scenes
Format/Source - eARC provided by Give Me Books
Length - 277 pages
Publisher - Indie


A wounded biker with a checkered past. A feisty dancer with a secret. An unexpected love that could destroy them both.

I was born a monster.
Seven feet tall with fists the size of balloons and an even bigger…boot size.
I’m a demon in the ring and a devil between the sheets.
But even I’m no match for her. The demoness with the bright emerald eyes and hair the color of snow.
She’s everything I’ve run from my whole sorry life and the only thing I’m afraid of, so why the hell do I find myself on her doorstep time and time again?

I’m not a good man. She should run as far as possible from me.
After doing time for a crime I didn’t commit, I took my revenge on those responsible.
It was brutal. It was bloody. It was satisfying.
Now she wants me to do the same thing for her.
But she isn’t being completely honest with me.
And when I find out the truth, there’ll be consequences for us all to pay.

My Two Cents

4.25 "Sex and Secrets" stars

I cannot tell a lie...
I instantly fell in love with Ares.
I'm talking... I fell hard.
The prologue was devastating. Everything that happened, his heartbreak, the unfortunate consequences...
How could I not love this broken man?

The author did an incredible job of picking a cover model because he fit Ares to a tee.
Perfection I say!

Ares had his heart broken in the worst way and had given up on ever having that special someone.
Rory was the first woman to make him question his lonely existence.
But she's hiding something that could tear them apart.
Something that could devastate all of the beauty they were creating together.
And although her secret bothered me, making me want to shake a ho, I got it. I got her. And I still liked her a lot.

So there's that.

There's also an insane subplot of craziness with some serial killers that I'm still trying to figure out.
Why?
I liked the added suspense, but it wasn't even necessary.
And yet, I found it wildly entertaining.

I loved Ares. I loved the way he found love. I loved who he found love with. I'm falling for the other members of the club. And I'm looking forward to loving each and every one of them!

About the Author


Penny Dee writes contemporary romance about rockstars, bikers, hockey players and everyone in-between. Her stories bring the suspense, the feels and a whole lot of heat.

She found her happily ever after with an Australian hottie who she met on a blind date.

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

Review // I'm With You by Bijou Hunter

July 09, 2022

I'm With You by Bijou Hunter

There are other girls in the world. However, I've come to the realization that there is no other Ramona.

────── ♔ ──────


I'm With You by Bijou Hunter

I'm With You by Bijou Hunter


Standalone - Reapers MC: Shasta Chapter #1
Release - March 22, 2020
Genre - MC Romance/Contemporary
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat - 3 out of 5 / a few scenes
Format/Source - ebook purchase from Amazon
Length - 299 pages
Publisher - Indie


Shane Campbell is a man obsessed once he sees Ramona Verhees from across the street. The only problem is she’s the bastard daughter of the club president the Reapers pushed out of Shasta leadership months earlier. Romancing her will stir up a whole lot of hurt feelings and dueling loyalties. Shane, though, refuses to be denied.

I’m With You contains graphic sexual content, violent situations, harsh language, and drug use. The book is only appropriate for adult readers age 18+. Trigger warning topics: depression and suicide.

My Two Cents

3.5 "Never Gonna Give You Up" stars

It was love at first sight for Shane and it took some work to get there for Ramona.

She'd never met a man like Shane, a man who honestly liked her, respected her... who actually cared. Used to being abused and/or neglected, she knew nothing but pain from those who were supposed to protect her from it. How could she believe in all the goodness that he offered? In all of the goodness he made her feel?

This story, like others by this author, made me smile. A lot.

From the push and pull of the main relationship, the entertaining secondary characters, and everything in between, I enjoyed this book so much.

For an MC romance, it made for some easy reading. And although there were mentions of crimes, killings and mayhem, none actually appeared on page. I kinda wish it would. The warning about graphic sexual content... not so much.

I do wonder who is killing women in Shasta. Will this be explored in future books of this series?

About the Author

I'm a romance author of Romantic Comedy and Suspense. Living in Indiana with my three sweet sons, three wacky cats, one super mom, I love 1970s rock, Call of Duty, and sitcoms canceled before their time.

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

Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorBijouHunter Twitter: BijouBooks Mailing List: bijouhunterbooks.com/mailing-list

Forsaking All Others by Janine Infante Bosco // ARC Review

March 18, 2021

Forsaking All Others by Janine Infante Bosco

... every time I look at Maverick it's like I'm listening to a son, remembering exactly what life was like when I first heard it.

Forsaking All Others by Janine Infante Bosco

Forsaking All Others by Janine Infante Bosco


Standalone - The Satan's Knights MC North Carolina #1
Release - March 8, 2021
Genre - MC Romance
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5/one scene
Format/Source - eARC provided by the author
Length - 234 pages
Publisher - Indie

Greed. Power. Sin.
It all comes with the gavel.
Blurs the lines between church and state.
But the Knightdale Charter of the Satan's Knights MC is my life.
And I'd do anything for this club.
Like letting the best woman I ever had slip through my fingertips.
A sinfully beautiful spitfire, she's my better half in every way.
My twin flame. My everything.
My biggest regret.
But there's no making things right between us.
Because I'm the reason she's alone yet again.
And if our past wasn't enough to put out the fire in her soul, my crimes certainly will be.

Forsaking All Others by Janine Infante Bosco
I don't know where to start. My heart is a huge mess right now. I knew this was going to happen. This author's words seem to always get to me. Holding my heart captive. Playing with my emotions. Keeping me captivated. Further solidifying my place as #PropertyOfParrish and making me think I might enjoy being #PropertyOfBurnside.

There was no denying that Maverick and Holly were soulmates. So what if they got divorced eight years ago? So what if she was now married to another man? So what if she had a son with her new husband? She belonged to Maverick just as much as he belonged to her.

As president of the North Carolina chapter of the Knights, father of two kids, and the go-to guy whenever there's a problem, Maverick's got his hands full. He doesn't have time to be pining for his ex-wife. Tell that to his heart. Tell his soul to move on. Good luck with that!

As for Holly, while she loved her husband, she longed for her ex. It seemed everyone knew it and when faced with a choice, she is finally forced to face some hard truths. Is she strong enough and will she be honest with herself to give everyone she loves what they need?

I am so happy to know that what Bosco created with her Knights in New York will live on with this series. As with Forsaking All Others, I expect stories full of drama and suspense and plenty of heart.

Forsaking All Others is FREE to read with Kindle Unlimited! https://amzn.to/3qZoR7s


Forsaking All Others by Janine Infante Bosco
Janine Infante Bosco lives in New York City, she has always loved reading and writing. When she was thirteen, she began to write her own stories and her passion for writing took off as the years went on. At eighteen, she even wrote a full screenplay with dreams of one day becoming a member of the Screen Actors Guild. Janine writes emotionally charged novels with an emphasis on family bonds, strong willed female characters, and alpha male men who will do anything for the women they love. She loves to interact with fans and fellow avid romance readers like herself. She is proud of her success as an author and the friendships she's made in the book community but her greatest accomplishment to date would be her two sons Joseph and Paul.

For more about this author and her books, check out her website: http://www.janineinfantebosco.com/

Dead Man's Ink Boxset by Callie Hart // Review + Excerpt

March 01, 2021

Dead Man's Ink Boxset by Callie Hart


Set includes Rebel, Rogue and Ransom
Release - Originally January 9, 2017
Genre - Contemporary Romance
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5/nothing really until book 2
Format/Source - copy provided by the author
Length - 630 pages
Publisher - Indie

Sophia

Sometimes, you don't mean to become another person. Sometimes the choice is made for you, and pretending is the only thing that keeps you going. When Alexis Romera is taken and her kidnappers find her fake ID in her purse, she must become Sophia in order to keep her family safe. Revealing her real identity to the man she's sold to would be easy enough, but can she trust him? Hell bent on revenging the murder of his uncle, Rebel doesn't seem all that interested in playing things safe.

In fact, nothing about the secretive, dark and brooding MC president seems safe at all.

Rebel

What do you do when the man who raised you is murdered, and the only witness is kidnapped girl who's being sold as a sex slave? You buy her, of course. As president to the most powerful motorcycle club in America, Rebel isn't lacking in power. There are strings the man can pull, and entire criminal organisations and corporate businesses alike would fall to their knees. However, along with such power comes intense interest. The DEA have their eye fixed solely on the MC...and they're just waiting for Rebel to trip up.

Getting Sophia to testify is the only way to bring the Los Oscuros cartel down. The beautiful, dark haired, dark eyed woman is belligerent and uncooperative and unlikely to bend to his will, but Rebel has a few tricks up his sleeve to make her compliant--he'll charm her until she's bending over backwards to please him.

Of course, falling for her might cause a few hiccups along the way...

* The Dead Man's Ink series contains strong ties with the Blood & Roses series, but you do not have to have read those works in order to read this one. The Dead Man's Ink series is contemporary romance story with occasional dark themes that some people might find confronting. *

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01N32JEW2
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N32JEW2
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Mans-Boxset-Callie-Hart-ebook/dp/B01N32JEW2
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Dead-Mans-Boxset-Callie-Hart-ebook/dp/B01N32JEW2



3.5 ★s


Callie Hart sure knows how to make an anti-hero utterly delicious! At first, I wasn't sure what I would get from Rebel. He was a military vet, son of a politician, and he was president of the Widow Maker's MC. This character was full of such intriguing contradictions. Honorable and protective. Lethal, cold and cunning. I honestly couldn't get enough of this man and now that I'm at the end of Ransom, I'm only hoping to see more of him.

We're not just a motorcycle club. We're criminals. And we're really fucking good at not getting caught.

In Rebel, Alexis was a witness to something she shouldn't have seen. She was then kidnapped, violated, and sold. Lucky for her, the man who bought her didn't want a sex slave. Rebel was only interested in justice and Alexis played a vital role.

I can't afford to be thinking of a girl when there are important plans to be made. Vengeance to be plotted. Information to be gathered.

I didn't even like the girl, but I loved what she pulled out of Rebel. I enjoyed their banter, their acrimonious interactions, their eventual understanding of each other. I didn't like that she continued to lie and I hoped that would all change in the next book.

Sadly it didn't. In Rogue, Alexis finally capitulated and despite the constant danger of a cartel boss wanting to own her and kill Rebel and his club, she was determined to help him. I still didn't like her, but I admired her grit. I had to keep reminding myself that she was incredibly young. I wish I felt for her what I ended up feeling for her big sister, Sloane, but that didn't happen. It doesn't even matter because I learned so much more about Rebel and fell even harder for him!

And then in Ransom my feelings started to change. Don't be crazy, I didn't fall in love with Alexis, but I did start to like her. I still didn't get why she was still lying or hiding and it didn't make sense why she wouldn't call her family to share her status, but who even cares? The point is... I didn't hate the girl anymore.

I can see into him, and I feel like I recognize him. Like he's the piece of me that's been missing all this time and I never even knew it.

However, it was Rebel who continued to steal the show. The author created such a wonder with this man! Please, someone tell me that I'll be seeing him again 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

My favorite quote:
"There was an English guy in Afghanistan. He was a member of the Royal Marines but the British government loaned him to us as an informant. He'd been taken prisoner by a group of rebels after his unit's transport hit an IED and killed everyone but him. For nearly two years the rebels kept him hostage in a cave system, giving him just enough food and water so that he could survive. They would torture him every day. They wanted to know everything he knew. They would pull his fingers and his toenails out one by one. They would pull his teeth out too, whenever he wouldn't give them information they wanted. This guy. Andrew, he held out for months. He took the pain and the torment, and he let them take his fingernails and his teeth, until the people who were holding him captive realized they weren't going to get anything out of him.
"Now, that was a really bad position to be in for Andrew. The only reason they were keeping him alive was because he was worth something. If he wasn't valuable to them alive in any way, he sure as hell would be valuable to them dead. See they don't just kill people in the shadows. They want the world to see. They gather their friends. They gather the world's media. They make us watch on television as they force their prisoners to tell lies about their countries, and then they make us watch as they cut off their heads and burn their bodies in cages.
"Andrew nearly died that way. They sat him down in front of a camera and they told him what they wanted him to say, otherwise they were going to have their friends in England track down his wife and two small kids, and they were gonna have them murdered in their beds. You always think you won't cave, that nothing they can do or say to you will make you give in and repeat the hatred they want to spread, but when they threaten your loved ones..." Jamie looks pained. He flinches a little, small creases forming between his eyebrows. "So Andrew sat down and said what they wanted him to say, and they filmed it. The bastards restrained him while they tried to slit his throat from behind, so the camera could see. They almost finished the job. Andrew had a scar that ran from his left ear to his Adam's apple, but that's where it stopped. Miraculously one of our unit's launched an assault on the caves. We had no idea they were holding anyone captive there. We'd had intel that they were using the location as a munitions cache and we wanted to take it out.
"So they stormed the place and Andrew only got his throat half cut. He came and worked with Cade and me for a long time. He told us in graphic detail about the shit those guys did to him. The kinds of torture they were capable of. And he told us that it paled in comparison to the atrocities he saw committed by the cartels in Mexico. He cried like a baby when he told us about that. He'd gone in as part of a task force to rescue a British government official who had been taken right off the street in Juarez. They'd found this guy and his wife in an open grave under a bridge in the middle of the city. The bodies had been mutilated beyond recognition. When the marines attempted to recover the bodies, they'd realized that both the official and his wife were still alive. they were fucked up and bleeding, missing skin, missing fingers, both of them missing their tongues and their eyes. Their ears. Her breasts had been cut off. His dick. They were just raw pieces of meat, and they'd tossed their bodies into a hole while they were still bleeding.
"The cartels did that to them. Not even a hardened marine who'd been held captive in the desert and almost died at the hands of some of the most immoral men on this planet could talk about the shit he saw in Mexico without his hands shaking. And these are the people we're dealing with right now, Sophia. This is the type of madness we're involving ourselves in. Cade and I were deployed. A lot of the other Widow Makers are ex military, too. We've all had training. We've all been in combat situations. We've been to the dark places of this world and we've already puked our guts up. We've already seen enough to make it difficult to sleep at night."
He stops talking for a second. Gives me a second to digest. I already know what he's going to say next, and the gravity of his words really hit home. I grip hold of the counter, leaning into it, tired and terrified as Jamie continues.
"And you want to go racing after these guys half cocked, Sophia. What about your upbringing in Seattle as a preacher's daughter, living with everything you could possibly need, never having to make hard decisions or real sacrifices, qualifies you to face off with these guys when grown ass marienes cry like babies at the mere thought of it?"

I love when the heroines who think they can do everything the badass, ex military, alpha, killer, etc. can do when they have NONE of the experience or training and someone shows them how wrong they are. I was very grateful to find this passage.
Callie Hart is a USA Today bestselling author of dark romance novels. She is an obsessive romantic who loves throwing a dark twist into her stories. Her characters are imperfect, flawed individuals who dictate when she eats, sleeps and breathes. She loves to travel and often pens her books when she’s on the road, drawing inspiration from her often unique and wild surroundings.

If she’s not writing, you’ll undoubtedly find her with her nose buried deep in a book, or binge-watching shows on the CW.

For more about Callie Hart and her books, check out her website: http://calliehart.com/

Scarred by Pain by Crimson Syn

September 17, 2020


Welcome to the Royal Bastards MC. Where Loyalty is King, and Code is the only way to survive.

Welcome to the Dark Side by Giana Darling

August 21, 2020

I couldn’t breathe because he held my breath, couldn’t think because he’d rewritten my thoughts into ones of his own making. He controlled me but only to love me, to make me understand how I could love myself better than I already did.

Welcome to the Dark Side by Giana Darling

Welcome to the Dark Side by Giana Darling


I was a good girl.
I ate my vegetables, volunteered at the local autism centre and sat in the front pew of church every Sunday.
Then, I got cancer.
What the hell kind of reward was that for a boring life well lived?
I was a seventeen-year-old paradigm of virtue and I was tired of it.
So, when I finally ran into the man I'd been writing to since he saved my life as a little girl and he offered to show me the dark side of life before I left it for good, I said yes.
Only, I didn't know that Zeus Garro was the President of The Fallen MC and when you made a deal with a man who is worse than the devil, there was no going back...

Lessons in Corruption by Giana Darling

August 18, 2020

Lessons in Corruption by Giana Darling

Lessons in Corruption by Giana Darling

My rating: ★★★


Standalone - The Fallen Men #1
Release: November 29, 2017
Heroine POV: 1st person
Genre: MC Romance
Trope: Age gap/forbidden/student-teacher
Heat: 4
Length: 406 pages

He was eighteen.
The heir to a notorious, criminal MC.
And my student.

There was no way I could get involved.
No way I could stay involved.
Then, no way I could get out alive.

A MC student/teacher romance with an age gap. A standalone novel in The Fallen Men Series.

The Wolf by Jade Marshall

July 26, 2020

Thank you, Jade Marshall, for gifting me a copy of your novel to review!



The Wolf by Jade Marshall
Being hurt and alone is nothing new to Hadley. She's survived on her own for as long as she can remember, and no one will dictate the way she lives her life. With loss and pain dominating her memories, how can she put her faith in someone again?

Having no one to depend on besides his club has hardened Brandon to the outside world—and it's exactly how he prefers it. The moment he lets people get close they always find a way to backstab him. There's no room for love in his world.

Hadley and Brandon need a reason to let their walls down and let love in. Can two broken souls find a way to save each other?

Hail by Crimson Syn

July 16, 2020

This is how we made love.
Brutal.
Raw.
Passionate.
We wanted to devour each other.

Hail by Crimson Syn
HAIL
Getting sworn in as a Hellbound Lover changed my life.
I was no longer alone.
No longer without a family.
No longer a goon for Frank Campesato and his Mafia.
I've moved on and never looked back,
But the past has a way of reaching out and not letting go.
And my past comes in the shape of a raven-haired beauty.
A fiery woman who has no idea she has my life in her hands.

Repo by Jessica Gadziala

July 04, 2020

He kissed like he was going off to war, like a dying man, like he was sure it would be his last and he wanted to make sure it was a good one.

Repo by Jessica Gadziala
MAZE:

In concept, the plan was simple: prospect at The Henchmen MC. In practice, however, it was anything but. One, because I was a woman. Two, because it was a brotherhood. And three, because Repo, the man who was in charge of making my life a living hell until I quit or screwed up enough to get thrown out, also happened to be the hottest guy I had come across in ages.

The problem was, if I didn't get in and stay in despite the hazing from the members and the undeniable attraction building between me and Repo, there was a very good chance I would be found by them. And if I was found by them, well, I was dead.

REPO:

How the hell was I supposed to get her out of the MC when, one, I didn't agree with the fact that because she was a woman, she had no place in The Henchmen. Two, because she was strong, smart, capable, and determined to get a patch. And three, because, well, I wanted her.

The problem was, if I didn't get her kicked out, I would be screwing up a job that was important to the prez. But the problem was also that if I kicked her out, there was no way I was going to get a shot with her.

I didn't know, however, that the real problem was a lot more complicated and a lot more dangerous than disappointing my boss or not getting laid... the problem was Maze had demons and they were hot on her trail...

* This can be read as a stand-alone and has an HEA but has side characters from the other Henchmen books.


-- My Two Cents --

4 stars

I knew going into this book that I wasn't going to love it. I knew I wouldn't like it as much as the other stories I've read from this author. I knew this because of one reason...

It was going to be ridiculous!

Why?

Aw man, I'm probably going to get a lot of hate for this, but I. don't. really. care.

This story was about a woman named Maze and how she decides to prospect with The Henchmen MC in order to garner some sort of safety. Instead of coming to them for protection, she deceives them and plays like she's just one of the guys.


Neither a wine glass nor a shot glass was going to make this story easier to swallow. Bring me some damn bottles!

So here are a few things that made me laugh:
Maze, who was a self-proclaimed naive and innocent girl, was bamboozled her whole life. Mom was a con artist, boyfriend owned a chop shop, and her latest employer is a contributor to human trafficking. After her attempts to do right put her life in danger, she finds K, who proceeds to equip her with unrealistic skills, building her into a bootleg version of Black Widow.


When Maze appeared out of nowhere on her bike, she approached The Henchmen MC about prospecting. No one knows her. No one knows what she's capable of. But when Reign hesitates like any rational person would, Lo gets upset, storms off, and rallies the troops (aka the women who the men fell in love with). They proceed to rant and rage about equal rights and opportunities and blah blah blah and... Reign CAVES!!


Me? Incredulous? Noooooooo.

It's totally believable that the women who don't belong to the MC have any say. Absolutely credible! A big, bad biker who has killed countless people is cowed by the women who wouldn't even be here if the men hadn't saved them. Told you I'd be making a few enemies

After the absurdity of her introduction, the men put her through the wringer - specifically Repo. See, Repo knows everything about loyalty and he's as loyal as they come. Reign told him to drive her out and that's exactly what he intends to do. So what if he wants her baddddd? So what if she also wants him? He's got a job to do. However, Maze has him questioning everything.

I was under the belief that what someone came from meant a hell of a lot less than what they became.

There was some drama involving what Maze was hiding from and a truly beautiful epilogue. Honestly, that epilogue is one of the only things to save this story for me. Between Maze finding a problem with everything people said to her or told her to do like she wasn't prospecting for a BIKER CLUB and her need to be upset that Renny and Duke weren't suffering like she was (although they were there for longer than her and she has no idea what they went through before she came along), I almost called it quits. Which irked me because I promised myself to read all the books in the Navesink series. If it weren't for Repo and his sweet, sweet heart, I don't know if I would have made it to the end in order to find that especially cute epilogue.

I knew it was supposed to fade, to grow old, but I never got over the punch-to-the-gut sensation I got whenever I saw her and realized she was mine.

Ah well, I'm still going to read the other books. Right after a break.

• ────── ✾ ────── •


Okay, now I'm going to make even more enemies. I'm so tired of this feminism schtick being used to explain bad behavior. A woman doesn't have to be crass, rude, disrespectful or raw in order to be strong or to be seen as strong. It doesn't make them attractive. Men cannot be excused for that type of behavior, so why is it okay for women to do it all in the name of 'feminism'? I'd like to repeat what I've said time and time again... while men are not better than women, they are better at certain things that we suck at. Just like we're better at certain things that they can't master. Not being as physically strong as a man does not make you less than. There's a reason why we are of different sexes. We contribute to the whole in different ways. No way is greater than the other. Just different.

Repo by Jessica Gadziala is FREE to read with Kindle Unlimited
Amazon US * Amazon CA


-- About Jessica Gadziala --

Jessica Gadziala is a full-time writer, parrot enthusiast, and coffee drinker. She enjoys short rides to the book store, sad songs, coffee in Big Gulp-sized cups, and cold weather, and has recently developed an unhealthy obsession with acquiring houseplants. She lives in New Jersey with seven parrots and six dogs.

She is a big believer in snark, strong secondary characters, and bada$$ women.

Wolf by Jessica Gadziala

July 02, 2020

People like us, people with pasts, with scars somewhere deep inside, there was no telling what could happen when we were pushed, when we were forced to confront the dark parts of our psyches. He didn't judge me for breaking. I wasn't going to judge him for doing so either.

Cash by Jessica Gadziala

July 01, 2020

Couldn't he be hot and sexy and a jerk? That would make my life so much easier. But no, he had to be hot and sexy and a sweetheart. God damn it.

Reign by Jessica Gadziala

June 29, 2020

His lips seared into mine, branding me in a way that was almost painfully hot, but so consuming that I didn't even think about the fact that I was going to walk around the rest of my days marked by Reign.

Hell on Wheels by Penny Dee

June 05, 2020

CHANCE

A shoulder-fired missile broke my body.

But betrayal obliterated my heart.

For months I lingered in and out of hell until my body healed.

Now I’m back in town with my club brothers. But I am still fighting a war of darkness in my head and I can’t see a way out.

Then she comes to town like a summer breeze and makes me feel things I didn’t know existed.

She has the voice of an angel and the body of a goddess.

But she is running from her own demons. From the Devil himself.

He's coming to town.

But I've walked through hell and survived, and I'll walk through it again to protect her.


CASSIDY

I’ve spent years running from my past.

Town to town.

State to state.

Never putting down roots.

I wish I could but I can’t. Because I am running from the Devil and if he finds me, he will drag me down to hell again.

Then I meet a beautiful, scarred beast of man who makes me feel something for the first time in my life.

Hope.

He makes me want to stay but it’s impossible.

Because the Devil is coming and when he arrives I won't stand a chance.

Hell on Wheels is FREE to read with Kindle Unlimited
Goodreads * Amazon

The Kings of Mayhem MC Box Set by Penny Dee

June 04, 2020

The Kings of Mayhem by Penny Dee
KINGS OF MAYHEM
Cade
I’ve loved her since we were five years old.
We grew up side by side.
Two kids tied together by the Kings of Mayhem Motorcycle Club.
But I broke us.
I broke her.
So, she fled.
Now she’s back after twelve long years.
Once, her leaving almost destroyed me.
Now, her coming back threatens to finish the job.

BROTHERS IN ARMS
Cade
They took someone from me.
And I’m going to make them pay.
In blood.
But before I can do that, I have to make sure my girl is safe.
And I will do whatever I have to, even break my own heart, to make sure she survives.
Because she is my queen.
My everything.

Declan by Erin Trejo

March 05, 2020

Declan by Erin Trejo

Declan is FREE to read with Kindle Unlimited
Goodreads | Amazon

Soulless Bastards MC So Cal Chapter Boxset by Erin Trejo

March 04, 2020

soulless bastards mc so cal erin trejo

I found a new-to-me author and I'm determined to read all of her books!

The Long Road to Us by M.N. Forgy

February 29, 2020

The Long Road to Us by MN Forgy

-- Two Broken Souls --
Piper was a hot mess and it was the only way she could cope and survive. She was traumatized as a little girl and once she was able to, she escaped into oblivion. Her constant partying and drinking were a major concern for those who cared about her, but she couldn't stop. Stopping meant thinking and thinking meant dealing and she really didn't want to do that.

Saint had his own demons and while he was being haunted by the ghosts of his past, he dealt with the present. No commitments beyond what he gave to Devils Dust. His pain wasn't something he shared or had overcome and yet he was strangely drawn to the broken girl who would give him more problems he couldn't solve.