Showing posts with label Vengeance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vengeance. Show all posts

Review // Naked Truth by Lisa Renee Jones

February 26, 2024

Naked Truth by Lisa Renee Jones

Why the hell am I trying to make her the enemy?
It seems that's what she's endured all of her damn life.


Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon


Naked Truth by Lisa Renee Jones

Naked Truth by Lisa Renee Jones


Previously published as the Naked Trilogy
Rating -
Standalone - Scandalous Billionaires
Release - March 7, 2024
Genre - Contemporary Romance / revenge
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - explicit scenes
Source - eARC provided by the author
Length - 688 pages

Jax North. He's handsome, brutally so, and wealthy. Our first encounter is intense and sex is my escape. I go with it. I go with him and what a ride it is. And then, I say goodbye. Only you don't say goodbye to a man like Jax if he doesn't want you to. I've challenged him without meaning to. He wants me. I don't want to want him, and yet, I crave him. And he tears me down, my resistance, my walls. But those walls protect me. They seal my secrets inside. And I forget that being alone is safe.

Before long, my secrets begin to be revealed, and I trust him so deeply that I think maybe he can handle them. Maybe I dare to believe that alone isn't better.

Until I discover that Jax was never an accident.
He has secrets.
He knew my secret. He came for me.


The eldest North son is dead and it has been ruled a suicide. However, Jax has some serious doubts. All clues point to the Knight family's involvement and he intends to take them down. That is until he officially meets Emma Knight, the woman he was meant to use to further his revenge. She was nothing like he expected and he's got a choice to make—love or vengeance?

Emma tended to drive me up the wall, but I enjoyed the heck out of this story. Jax more than made up for any ill will I may have felt towards his lady love (which wasn't much). The bond that quickly grew between these characters drew me in like nobody's business. I was glued to these pages and I didn't just want, I needed to know how it would all turn out. Was Chance just like his father? Would Brody be okay? Have I already read Savage's book because dude needs his own story. And how exactly did Hunter die? Besides all that, thank you dear author for giving me some glimpses of the absolutely yummy Grayson and his equally delicious best mate, Eric.

So why 4 and not 5 stars?
In all honesty... and I'm no expert... but I think this story could have been shorter than it was. A lot of the happenings, though exciting, got a bit repetitive and I kept waiting for the plot to move along.

LRJ has been a favorite of mine since I rediscovered my love for romance novels. She delivers stories full of intensity, whether it's through feels, suspense, or heat. Her stories are easy recommendations to make.


New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series. Suzanne Todd (producer of Alice in Wonderland) on the INSIDE OUT series: Lisa has created a beautiful, complicated, and sensual world that is filled with intrigue and suspense. Sara’s character is strong, flawed, complex, and sexy – a modern girl we all can identify with.

In addition to the success of Lisa’s INSIDE OUT series, she has published many successful titles. The TALL, DARK AND DEADLY series and THE SECRET LIFE OF AMY BENSEN series, both spent several months on a combination of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling lists.

Prior to publishing Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by the Dallas Women’s Magazine. In 1998 Lisa was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

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

Review // Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

December 08, 2023

Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

I don’t care if I need to set this world on fire until there’s no one left but you and me. The world will burn around us, and I’ll gladly live in chaos with you as long as the only person that is a danger to you is me.


Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton


Rating -
Book Two of the Cat and Mouse duet
Genre/Trope - Dark Romance / stalker / vigilante
Release - January 28, 2022
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - explicit scenes
Source - Kindle Unlimited
Length - 531 pages

The Diamond

Death walks alongside me,
But the reaper is no match for me.
I'm trapped in a world full of monsters dressed as men, and those who aren't as they seem.
They won't keep me forever.
I no longer recognize the person I've become,
And I'm fighting to find my way back to the beast who hunts me in the night.
They call me a diamond,
But they've only created an angel of death.

The Hunter

I was born a predator,
With ruthlessness ingrained in my bones.
When what's mine is stolen from me in the night,
Like a diamond hidden within a fortress,
I find that I can no longer contain the beast.
Blood will paint the ground as I tear apart this world to find her.
And bring her back to where she belongs.
No one will escape my wrath,
Especially not those who have betrayed me.

Don't forget to check out the first book of the duet:



I really had to suspend my belief for this one. Some things just didn't make sense in a realistic sense, but I'll tell you this: I was entertained!!

Adeline was kidnapped and being trained to be sold. I really enjoyed this part of the story. She went through so much pain and torture and it all fundamentally changed her. I kept thinking "Will she see Zade in a different light?" She gave Zade such a hard time for everything he did to eradicate the world from abusive scum, but at the same time she celebrated the fact that he would be killing everyone who hurt her while they were apart. Girl was too funny, for sure.

I know there are people who find the topics discussed in this duet as terribly dark and horrific. If that's what you think, you should definitely not read Deliverance for Amelia by Bonny Capps or The Life of Anna series by Marissa Honeycutt—those are truly dark and horrific. This duet was pretty mild in comparison, but it did gut me in places. I cringed, gasped and my eyes did bug out for some scenes. However, I also enjoyed myself a ton.

My biggest issue with this story was Adeline. While I lived in delusional-ville for the majority of this story, I couldn't let the delusion take me too far. Was I supposed to believe that Adeline became fully capable after a couple of months of training? Seriously? And every time she mentioned "we" did this in order to fool or trap the bad guys, I laughed. I know she was using the "we" figuratively, but there was no "we". She wasn't hacking anything. She wasn't building bombs or placing them to detonate. She wasn't tracking or really doing a damn thing.



H. D. Carlton is an International and USA Today Bestselling author. She lives in Ohio with her partner, two dogs, and cat. When she's not bathing in the tears of her readers, she's watching paranormal shows and wishing she was a mermaid. Her favorite characters are of the morally gray variety and believes that everyone should check their sanity at the door before diving into her stories.

Visit https://hdcarlton.com for more information

Review // Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

December 04, 2023


Oxygen, words, coherent thoughts—all that sh*t escapes me when I get my first look at Adeline Reilly in the flesh.


Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton


Rating - ★★★★
Book One of the Cat and Mouse duet
Genre/Trope - Dark Romance / stalker / vigilante
Release - August 12, 2021
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - explicit scenes / non-dub consent
Source - Kindle Unlimited
Length - 551 pages

The Manipulator

I can manipulate the emotions of anyone who lets me.
I will make you hurt, make you cry, make you laugh and sigh.
But my words don't affect him. Especially not when I plead for him to leave.
He's always there, watching and waiting.
And I can never look away.
Not when I want him to come closer.

The Shadow

I didn't mean to fall in love.
But now that I have, I can't stay away.
I'm mesmerized by her smile, by her eyes, and the way she moves.
The way she undresses...
I'll keep watching and waiting. Until I can make her mine.
And once she is, I'll never let her go.
Not even when she begs me to.





I'm going to hurry up and put some words down here because I've already got book two loaded up and I NEED to know what happens next!

Adeline drove me nuts and I couldn't get enough of Zade. I know that's messed up. Dude was seriously a creepy stalker, but the author captured just enough of his sexiness on page to make it alright. Would I condone his behaviour in real life? Would I be as welcoming as Adeline? Would I have the police on speed dial and a gun permanently attached to my hand?

The answer is obviously yes. *side eye* Obviously.


Zade was a hotbed of contradictions. He dedicated his life to protecting the innocent. Women and children who were being targeted had a guardian angel in him. But he found no problem terrifying his sweet Adeline.

"I love that I scare you. I love that you try to run from me. The push and pull. The cat and mouse game. I fucking love it. And I think a part of you does, too.” — Zade

Adeline's denials to Zade got old pretty quickly, but I did enjoy the cat and mouse game going on between them. Every scene they shared was explosive. Every time they spoke, I learned another one of their truths. And the feelings that were growing... Let's just say I'm excited to start reading the next book.

This man is going to ruin me after tonight. I can taste it on my tongue.

This story is a mixed bag and I can see those who really appreciate something filthy and taboo really loving it.

Quick Peek

"You want to know why I love the house of mirrors?" he murmurs in my ear, eliciting sparks throughout my nerve endings. His voice is full of dark promises and dangerous beginnings.
I swallow thickly. "Why?" I whisper.
"Look around you," he commands softly. Hesitantly, I pull my eyes away from his, dragging my gaze across the dozens of mirrors.
"What you're seeing now is what I see every day. No matter how far I run, how hard I try to escape you—you're everywhere I go. You're everything I see. Loving you is like being trapped in a house of mirrors, little mouse. And I've never felt so at home while being so lost inside of you."



H. D. Carlton is an International and USA Today Bestselling author. She lives in Ohio with her partner, two dogs, and cat. When she's not bathing in the tears of her readers, she's watching paranormal shows and wishing she was a mermaid. Her favorite characters are of the morally gray variety and believes that everyone should check their sanity at the door before diving into her stories.

Visit https://hdcarlton.com for more information

Review // Clown Motel by Lani Lynn Vale

November 21, 2023

Clown Motel by Lani Lynn Vale

All her annoyingly persistent texts and unauthorized visits had paid off.
I was hers.


Clown Motel by Lani Lynn Vale

Clown Motel by Lani Lynn Vale


Rating - ★★★★1/2
Standalone - Welcome to the Circus #4
Release - November 21, 2023
Genre/Trope - Contemporary Romance / vigilante
POV - dual 1st person
Heat - explicit scenes
Source - eARC provided by the author
Length - 282 pages

It’s not every day you meet a man at the bar, stare at him for hours, and then right when you decide to make a move, he gets up to leave. Worse, when you follow him outside, you see him completely change his appearance by shucking a wig and a button down shirt, dropping them into the nearest trash can.

When Crimson looks around to see who noticed the complete one-eighty that’s just taken place, not a single person notices or cares. When she looks back, he’s gone.

Dejected, she leaves, thinking maybe she’d hallucinated and made the whole night up.

Only, just as she passes a dark alley, she’s taken. Literally and figuratively.

That’s the night that Winston Cyrus Osborn, III walks into her life.

***

Crimson is the worst type of woman.

She’s curious.

And curiosity kills the cat in his line of work.

With nothing else left to lose, he’s set to rid this world of the filth that infests it. And in doing that, he’s made a lot of enemies that would like nothing better than to ruin him and every single person he cares about.

At every turn, she’s there, insinuating herself into his life. And despite his attempts to keep her at arm’s length, she blows past every single barrier he erects.

He should really stay away.

He should also make sure that she stays out of his business.

Yet, he keeps letting her in. And she keeps reminding him why he wants her to stay.

Find it here:
Goodreads * Amazon

Clown Motel by Lani Lynn Vale

My Two Cents

I thought I knew what I was stepping into. Three books deep and I figured I knew what to expect from this series. Book four has thrown me for a loop. It went deeper, it went harder, and all the ugly pain got out... at least for the Singh siblings I've met so far.

I feel like I should be embarassed by how much I enjoyed Crimson's stalker vibes. The way that she didn't allow Winston any personal space gave me life! It wasn't like he wasn't aware of her every move too and that shared obsession was beautiful to witness.

I watched him from across the room.
I didn't know who he was.
I didn't know why he was there.
I didn't know why I was there.
What I did know was that I wanted him.
I'd never wanted someone so much in my life.

Winston had a backstory that broke my heart, but it wholly explained his hesitance to have something real with Crimson. She had her own story of trauma and honestly, no one had it easy. However, whatever they saw within one another made them better people and I was just happy to read about their journey.

I laughed, I cringed, I cheered, and I almost cried. Clown Motel was a remarkable read.

Other books in the series: Fun House * Freak Show * Show Off


Clown Motel by Lani Lynn Vale

The Author

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

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

Review // Scarred by Emily McIntire

April 19, 2023

Scarred by Emily McIntire

Sara Beatreaux is not my problem.
Normally, I wouldn't care.
I shouldn't care.
But I do.

────── ♔ ──────


Scarred by Emily McIntire

Scarred by Emily McIntire


Standalone - Never After #2
Release - January 4, 2022
Genre - Dark Romance / enemies to lovers / vengeance / retelling / royals
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5
Format - ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 348 pages

She doesn't belong to him...she belongs to the crown.

Prince Tristan Faasa was never destined for the throne. That was always his brother, Michael. The same brother responsible for both Tristan's tormented childhood and the scar that mars his face. When their father dies, Michael is set to assume the throne, and Tristan is set to steal it. The leader of a secret rebellion, Tristan will stop at nothing to end his brother's reign. But when Michael's new betrothed, Lady Sara Beatreaux arrives, Tristan finds himself in the middle of a new kind of war. The kind that begs the question of what's more important, the crown or the woman about to wear it.

Sara has one plan. Marry the King and eradicate the Faasa line, even at the risk of her own peril. But she never expects the Scarred Prince. He's dangerous. Forbidden. And one of the men she's been sent to kill. But the line between hatred and passion has never seemed so thin, and as secrets come to light, Sara grows unsure of whom she can trust—torn between vengeance and the villain she was never supposed to love.

Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon


Scarred by Emily McIntire

My Two Cents

3.5 "Burn it all down" stars

Not quite a retelling, but it did have a lot in common with The Lion King. A scarred prince, some nefarious goings on, and a love story. I guess a villain deserves a happy ending too!

When his father dies, Tristan is alone in the world. His brother has the throne, the council is corrupt, and their people are starving. Tristan is determined to change things. His goals are dangerous, but he seems to laugh in the face of danger. << see what I did there?

When Sara's father dies, she vows revenge. She means to kill every member of the Faasa family, hopefully bringing back prosperity to her beloved lands. While her family schemed for her to be chosen as the King's future wife, she plotted and planned. And when she finally meets her future family, it's easy for her to imagine them all dying from her blades.

But then she gets to know Tristan, the outcast, the man in the shadows. He's nothing like what she thought he was and everything she needed in her life. With her conviction waning, can she find a new passion with him?

"The truth is, I am yours. Wholly. Inexplicably. Painfully. Unconditionally." He moves my hand until the dagger presses against his throat. "And if you need to sacrifice my soul so you're able to live with yours, then do it."

While I enjoyed this story, I wish someone had warned me that it was a slow build on the filth. I loved Tristan's obsessive, possessive self and his dirty mouth, but I wanted more. I know I'm greedy, but so much of this book was about these two fighting against their growing feelings that I wanted to spend time with them as a couple.

And yes, the author does offer an epilogue, but I would have to sign up for the newsletter and I'm not about to do that. No offense, but I'm on a newsletter cleanse. So I'm here, at the end of the book, happy that this couple gets to actually be a couple, but hopelessly wanting more. I'm good with all of the murder-y mayhem that happened, I was gleeful whenever Tristan's madness appeared, I'll never look at hash the same way again, and I liked everything in between. I'll be checking out the next book in the series for sure.

The Author

Emily McIntire is an Amazon Top 15 and Publishers Weekly best selling author known for her Never After Series, where she gives our favorite villains their happily ever afters. With books that range from small town to dark romance, she doesn’t like to box herself into one type of story, but at the core of all her novels is soul deep love. When she’s not writing you can find her enjoying her family, or lost between the pages of a good book.

Find more information at https://www.emilymcintire.com

Review // Hooked by Emily McIntire

March 25, 2023

Hooked by Emily McIntire

"You are, without a doubt, the only good I've ever known." - Hook

────── ♔ ──────


Hooked by Emily McIntire

Hooked by Emily McIntire


Standalone - Never After #1
Genre - Dark Romance / retelling / vengeance
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5
Format - ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 312 pages

Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon

He wants revenge, but he wants her more…

James has always had one agenda: destroy his enemy, Peter Michaels. When Peter’s twenty-year-old daughter Wendy shows up in James’s bar, he sees his way in. Seduce the girl and use her for his revenge. It’s the perfect plan, until things in James’s organization begin to crumble. Suddenly, he has to find the traitor in his midst, and his plan for revenge gets murkier as James starts to see Wendy as more than just a pawn in his game.

Wendy has been cloistered away most of her life by her wealthy cold father, but a spontaneous night out with friends turns into an intense and addictive love affair with the dark and brooding James. As much as she knows James is dangerous, Wendy can’t seem to shake her desire for him. But as their relationship grows more heated and she learns more about the world he moves in, she finds herself unsure if she’s falling for the man known as James or the monster known as Hook.

Hooked is a dark contemporary romance and the first complete standalone in the Never After Series: A collection of fractured fairy tales where the villains get the happy ever after. It is not a literal retelling and not fantasy. Hooked features mature themes and content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Reader discretion is advised. For all content warnings, check the author's website.

My Two Cents

4 "Even a villain deserves to be loved" stars

I absolutely love retellings and this one is loosely based on Peter Pan. I really enjoyed experiencing the nostalgia for one of my childhood classics.

James "Hook" Barrie was driven by the dark deeds that happened in his past. His family was assassinated. He was terrorized by his hateful uncle. He was surrounded by the criminal underworld and flourished. He had the makings of an intriguing and mysterious villain and with his British accent... let's just say that I had no trouble liking this character.

Wendy was another story. Incredibly naive and sheltered, she lived a life of privilege, blissfully unaware of where her wealth and influence actually came from. All she knew was that her loving father was suddenly distant. He was hardly around and all she wanted was to draw him closer. She wasn't prepared for a man like Hook and who she became when she was with him.

It all started with a little bit of faith.
Misplaced trust.
Missing pixie dust.
And a villain who just needed to steal a little love.

Betrayal was everywhere, but together, these two found a freedom neither had ever known. For the first time, Hook found himself caring about something more than his thirst for revenge. And Wendy was becoming the woman she always dreamed of being. Someone who's thoughts and concerns mattered to someone. With Hook prepared to give her everything she wanted and needed, she only had to sacrifice one thing... her father.

Could she do it?

Read the book and find out!

The Author

Emily McIntire is an Amazon Top 15 and Publishers Weekly best selling author known for her Never After Series, where she gives our favorite villains their happily ever afters. With books that range from small town to dark romance, she doesn’t like to box herself into one type of story, but at the core of all her novels is soul deep love. When she’s not writing you can find her enjoying her family, or lost between the pages of a good book.

Find more information at https://www.emilymcintire.com

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 // Cold Light of Day by Toni Anderson

June 24, 2022

Cold Light of Day by Toni Anderson

He wasn't just good looking, he was perfect. The scent of clean sweat mingled with his cologne—warm, male, virile. Dammit. She fidgeted uneasily. Why couldn't he have a paunch and some flab? Maybe a broken nose or a unibrow, with a severe case of BO?

────── ♔ ──────


Cold Light of Day by Toni Anderson

Cold Light of Day by Toni Anderson


Standalone - Cold Justice #3
Release - November 16, 2014
Genre - Romantic Thriller
Multiple POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 3 out of 5 / descriptive scene
Format/Source - ebook gift from Amazon
Length - 350 pages
Publisher - Indie


What happens when an FBI agent falls for the daughter of the most notorious spy in US history?

Physicist Scarlett Stone is the daughter of the most notorious Russian spy in FBI history. With her father dying in prison, time is running out. Using a false identity, she gains access to the Russian ambassador's Christmas party, searching for evidence to prove her father's innocence.

Former Navy SEAL, now FBI Special Agent, Matt Lazlo, is instantly attracted to Scarlett but when he discovers she lied to him about her identity, he hunts her down with the ruthless efficiency he usually reserves for serial killers.

Not only does Scarlett's scheme fail, it puts her in the sights of people who reward unwanted curiosity with brutality. The FBI—and Matt—aren't thrilled with her, either. As the agents involved in her father's investigation start dying, and the attempts to stop Scarlett intensify, Matt and his colleagues begin to wonder. Could they have a traitor in their midst?

My Two Cents

4.5 "Spies are among us" stars

This was my favorite book of the series so far! This author has such a fun way of pulling intrigue, suspense, messed-up-ness, and romance together and it really works for me. I was glued to these pages, hurriedly flipping to find out what the heck was gonna happen next. Each event had me baffled, wondering who was really in control of things. Read it and you'll see. It's messed up.

Scarlett's life was turned upside down when her father, an esteemed FBI agent, was accused and convicted of being a Russian spy. Believing in his innocence, she was determined to find evidence and clear his name. She didn't really think her plan through, trying to do more than she was capable of, putting her right in the crosshairs of the very people who perpetuated the conspiracy in the first place.

Thankfully, despite being deceived by her in the beginning, Matt became the hero that she needed. He had the skills and the resources to get things done, helping her dodge bullets and bombs in the process.

I loved this story and if I were to complain about anything, it would be the lack of a happy ending. This author hasn't given me one yet, but I'm satisfied (for now) with the way the story ends. Happy-for-nows aren't the best, but they're definitely better than the alternative.

This series will be seeing me again and I'll be back with my thoughts on book four!

About the Author

Toni Anderson writes gritty, sexy, FBI Romantic Thrillers, and is a New York Times and a USA Today bestselling author. Her books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense, Readers' Choice, Aspen Gold, Book Buyers' Best, Golden Quill, National Excellence in Story Telling (NEST) Contest, and National Excellence in Romance Fiction awards. She's been a finalist in both the Vivian Contest and the RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America. More than two million copies of her books have been downloaded.

Best known for her "COLD" books perhaps it's not surprising to discover Toni lives in one of the most extreme climates on earth--Manitoba, Canada. Formerly a Marine Biologist, she still misses the ocean, but is lucky enough to travel for research purposes. In January 2016, she visited FBI Headquarters in Washington DC, including a tour of the Strategic Information and Operations Center. She hopes not to get arrested for her Google searches.

For more information, visit https://www.toniandersonauthor.com

Review // A Cold Dark Place by Toni Anderson

June 10, 2022

A Cold Dark Place by Toni Anderson

She'd never had a lover so beautiful before.
Never touched a body like this.
But that wasn't what made Alex beautiful.
He called to something inside her.
She didn't know what it was but they fit.
Perfectly.

────── ♔ ──────


A Cold Dark Place by Toni Anderson

A Cold Dark Place by Toni Anderson


Standalone - Cold Justice #1
Release - April 1, 2014
Genre - Romantic Thriller
Multiple POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 3 out of 5 / several descriptive scenes
Format/Source - ebook purchase from Amazon
Length - 350 pages
Publisher - Indie


Former CIA assassin Alex Parker works for a clandestine government organization hell-bent on taking out serial killers and pedophiles before they enter the justice system. Alex doesn't enjoy killing, but he's damn good at it.

FBI Special Agent Mallory Rooney has spent years hunting the lowlife who abducted her identical twin sister eighteen years ago. Now, during an on-going serial killer investigation, Mallory begins to suspect there's a vigilante operating outside the law.

When Mallory starts asking questions, Alex is ordered to watch her. As soon as they meet, the two begin to fall in love. But the lies and betrayals that define Alex's life threaten to destroy them both—especially when the man who stole her sister all those years ago makes Mallory his next target.

My Two Cents

4 "Seriously messed up" stars

I really enjoyed this story. I liked how the author described certain scenes and events, making me feel like I was watching an episode of Criminal Minds. It was creepy and a bit scary and the murderer's perspective only made it more of a thriller.

It was exciting to know (or at least feel) like no one was safe. Mallory was a rookie agent who had a bit of arrogance that made her feel that she was untouchable. She was a smart and tough cookie, who was no stranger to tragedy ever since her identical twin was taken and has remained missing. All she wants is to find out what happened to her and get some justice. Alex was a man who was burdened by the tragedy as well. A trained killer, he was extemely patriotic, but he knew how to color outside the lines.

This story worked so well that I'll definitely be reading more of this series.



Before I started writing this review, I took the time to read a few others and I was absolutely shocked. Quite a few remarked that they were disappointed because of the graphic sexual language.

This was a good storyline but I don’t care about graphic love scenes that last about 25 pages when I bought a thriller!! I also couldn’t stand the filthy language in the book.

Ummm... what?! It was slightly descriptive, but nowhere near explicit. Seriously, if people want clean stories, they shouldn't read anything out of the Christian section. And if they don't want sex, don't read romance. Because a romance book without sex isn't really a book I wanna read.

Regardless, the romance fed the story because without it, we'd be lost as to Alex's motivations where Mallory was concerned.

About the Author

Toni Anderson writes gritty, sexy, FBI Romantic Thrillers, and is a New York Times and a USA Today bestselling author. Her books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense, Readers' Choice, Aspen Gold, Book Buyers' Best, Golden Quill, National Excellence in Story Telling (NEST) Contest, and National Excellence in Romance Fiction awards. She's been a finalist in both the Vivian Contest and the RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America. More than two million copies of her books have been downloaded.

Best known for her "COLD" books perhaps it's not surprising to discover Toni lives in one of the most extreme climates on earth--Manitoba, Canada. Formerly a Marine Biologist, she still misses the ocean, but is lucky enough to travel for research purposes. In January 2016, she visited FBI Headquarters in Washington DC, including a tour of the Strategic Information and Operations Center. She hopes not to get arrested for her Google searches.

For more information, visit https://www.toniandersonauthor.com