Katslovesbooks - “This book has all the feels!!!”

Cillian was a dirty lullaby, inviting me to sink into his claws and nestle in his darkness.

The Villain by L.J. Shen

Standalone - Boston Belles #2
Release - December 17, 2020
Genre - Contemporary Romance/enemies-to-lovers
Heat level - 3.5 out of 5
Format/Source - ebook borrowed through KU
Length - 395 pages

Cruel. Coldblooded. Hades in a Brioni suit.
Cillian Fitzpatrick has been dubbed every wicked thing on planet earth.
To the media, he is The Villain.
To me, he is the man who (reluctantly) saved my life.
Now I need him to do me another, small solid.
Bail me out of the mess my husband got me into.
What’s a hundred grand to one of the wealthiest men in America, anyway?
Only Cillian doesn’t hand out free favors.
The price for the money, it turns out, is my freedom.
Now I’m the eldest Fitzpatrick brother’s little toy.
To play, to mold, to break.
Too bad Cillian forgot one, tiny detail.
Persephone wasn’t only the goddess of spring; she was also the queen of death.
He thinks I’ll buckle under the weight of his mind games.
He is about to find out the most lethal poison is also the sweetest.

Cillian Fitzpatrick was absolutely delicious. I don't know why I'm so attracted to alphaholes, but he was impossible to resist. He was cold and unfeeling (seemingly), calculating and cunning, successful and ruthless... he was an incredible character to get to know. However, it didn't take me long to realize that he reminded me of someone. Someone who won my heart long ago and so I was predisposed to Cillian's brand of cool.

Persephone wasn't so lucky. I didn't grow fond of her. I'm not a fan of people who are reckless, irrational, immature, and doormats. It annoyed me that she didn't see beyond Cillian's surface. I get that it was necessary to push this story forward, but there's a saying that I'm prone to say to people like her... pick sense out of nonsense. Girl didn't have one observant bone in her body and stood up for herself at all the wrong times for the wrong reasons.

So Cillian gets all three stars. I liked what the author did to give this character dimension. His history broke my heart and only made me love him more. And the ending... yeah, that definitely gave me everything I wanted for this man and his future happiness.

FREE to read with Kindle Unlimited ➤ https://amzn.to/2WOZ1qo

I leaned against the doorframe, hands tucked in my front pockets, and observed. It took her three minutes to notice me. Another two to lift her jaw off the floor, straighten her spine, and turn scarlet. Our eyes met across the room, and that nagging murmur in my chest happened again.

Get that checked. If you drop dead from a heart attack at forty, you’ll have no one else to blame. She winced, looking like I physically slapped her.

“Mr. Fitzpatrick.”

“Miss Penrose.”

“Veitch,” she corrected, just to spite me.

“Not for long,” I noted dryly. “A word?”

“I know many. My favorite one right now is—leave.”

“You want to hear me out.” I cracked my knuckles. “Now say goodbye to your little friends.”

She looked back and forth between the kids and me, then turned and murmured something to the teacher next to her, and hurried my way, dunking her head down. “What are you doing here?”

She closed the door behind her, whisper-shouting.

I’ve been asking myself the same question since bailing on Keith and his snooze-fest speech. What the hell was I doing here?

L.J. Shen is a USA Today, Washington Post and Amazon #1 best-selling author of contemporary, New Adult and YA romance. Her books have been sold to twenty different countries.

She lives in California with her husband, son, cat and eccentric fashion choices, and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows and catching sun rays with her lazy cat.

In the tradition of Wrench and Twelve Years a Slave, this harrowing story follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia.

Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson

Standalone
Release - January 12, 2021
Genre - Historical Fiction
Single POV - 1st person heroine
Format/Source - eARC provided by the publisher
Length - 287 pages

Born on a plantation in Charles City Virginia, Pheby Delores Brown, has lived a privileged life. Shielded by her mother’s position as the plantation's medicine woman, and cherished by the Master's sister, she is set apart from the others on the plantation, belonging to neither world.

Freedom on her 18th birthday has been promised to her, but instead of the idyllic life she imagined with her true love, Essex Henry, Pheby is forced to leave the only home she has ever known and unexpectedly finds herself thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous “Devil’s Half-Acre,” a jail where the enslaved are broken, tortured, and sold every day in Richmond, Virginia. There Pheby is exposed not just to her Jailor’s cruelty but also to his contradictions. To survive Pheby will have to outwit him but soon faces the ultimate sacrifice.

I'm finding it impossible to stop thinking about this book! Pheby's story has had a firm grip on my heart from its opening lines and it seems to have no intention of letting me go.

At seventeen, she was unprepared for what life had in store for her. Born a slave, she was raised to never believe herself to be one and by comparison, she was shown to be several steps above. When tragedy strikes, everything she knew, every bit of safety she ever felt, was suddenly ripped away and Pheby learned quick what it was to have absolutely no rights and no freedoms. To have every move dictated, to have every thought deemed unworthy, to have no control over her own body. She learned though. She found ways to survive, to adapt, to thrive. And when given the chance, despite the many times she almost lost hope, she gave her all and proved what she was willing to sacrifice for love.

One of the things I loved most about this story was how raw it felt. It gutted me, flayed me wide open, scattered my feels all over the place. As a black woman, I can never truly imagine the horrors that my people faced during slavery. So much of what they experienced is lost. And although we live in times that are far better than what existed then, we're not on equal footing. Racism still exists and it oozed through the pages of this book. The hatred, the ignorance, the hypocrisy... all of it was tempered by the faith and pride of Pheby and the people she cared about. While these characters were constantly on edge, they found love and hope and freedom amongst themselves. It was beautiful and had an almost poetic quality to it.

I wavered on giving this book all of the stars simply because I wasn't satisfied with the ending. But then I realized that I probably wouldn't have been satisfied if the author had gifted us with some grandiose version of a romantic happily ever after either. I'd probably be pissed, to be honest. There was nothing pretty to be found during those times, but the author found a way to highlight the profound beauty that couldn't be defeated. And for that... all the stars!!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Kvwqnw
Nook: https://bit.ly/2WOUILw
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2WOzrBP
Google: https://bit.ly/2WOaqXe

Sadeqa Johnson, a former public relations manager, spent several years working with well-known authors such as JK Rowling, Bebe Moore Campbell, Amy Tan and Bishop TD Jakes before becoming an author herself. Her debut novel, Love in a Carry-on Bag, is the recipient of the 2013 Phillis Wheatley award for best fiction, OOSA best book award, and USA best book award for African-American fiction. Second House From the Corner, was hailed by Essence magazine and a Go on Girl! Bookclub selection for 2017. And Then There Was Me, won the National Book Club Conference fiction book of the year award, and was a finalist for the Phillis Wheatley award. She has also received the Black Pearl Magazine Author of the Year award for 2017.

Johnson is a Kimbilo Fellow, former board member of the James River Writers, and proud member of the Tall Poppy Writers. She also teaches fiction writing for the MFA program at Drexel University. Originally from Philadelphia, she currently lives near Richmond, Virginia with her amazingly supportive husband of 18 years, and their three beautiful children.

His greatest fear -- maybe his only fear? -- was losing her again. But here she was, his in every way. It was a gift. And damned if he didn't cherish it.

My Beautiful Sin by J. Kenner

Fallen Saint #2
Release - January 26, 2021
Genre - Contemporary Romance/second chance
Dual POV - heroine 1st/hero 3rd
Heat level - 3 out of 5
Format/Source - eARC provided by the author
Length - 390 pages
Publisher - Martini & Olive

My review of My Fallen Saint

Everything Ellie thinks she knows is about to change.

Despite his dangerous past, billionaire Devlin Saint finally has Ellie Holmes in his life—and in his bed. Yet shadows still cling to Saint, obscuring his dark secrets and the confidences he swore never to reveal.

An investigative reporter, Ellie is certain the man she loves hasn’t told her everything. And when she starts receiving anonymous warnings about Devlin, she vows to investigate. Soon it becomes clear that Devlin isn’t the only one with things to hide, and the more Ellie learns, the more she realizes how dangerous it is to love Devlin Saint.

His touch is her sin…

After everything that happened in My Fallen Saint, Devlin and Ellie's relationship is stronger than ever. She discovered one of his worst secrets and she remained by his side in the end. However, the mystery of Mr. Saint is far from over. Devlin has made it clear that he has so much more to reveal, but that he'll be keeping his secrets close to the vest. And while Ellie tries to let it go, to be happy with the status quo, she's a reporter and answers are her bread and butter. Not to mention there is someone out there determined to drive a wedge between the lovebirds... someone who seems to know all of Devlin's secrets.

I must say, for someone who used to be a cop and is now a journalist, Ellie isn't very good at observing things. I figured out the intricacies of Devlin's world and I was wondering what was taking her so long to figure things out. I'm still not very impressed by this heroine, but the fact that the author finally gifted us with Devlin's perspective more than made up for any lack on Ellie's part. Yay for Devlin's POV!! His voice gave his character the dimension it was missing in the first book and made me absolutely fall in love with this story. The fact that I'm finally getting to know all there is to know about this man (I think) only makes me want more. Of him, of Ellie, of their love, and just what will happen next. I'm ready!!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/34LDTpo
iBooks: https://apple.co/34HwVSj
Nook: https://bit.ly/34KN899
Kobo: https://bit.ly/34ETvuE

J. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over one hundred novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal mommy lit.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them.” A six time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy) and in 2017 for Wicked Dirty in the same category. Her Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series (as Julie Kenner) is currently in development as a television show.

Her books have sold over three million copies and are published in over twenty languages.

In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas. She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.

"A love story with teeth and claws. I dare you not to fall in love with Cillian Fitzpatrick." - USA Today bestselling author, Parker S. Huntington

The Villain, an all-new twisted modern day Greek tragedy from USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author L.J. Shen is available now!

Cruel. Coldblooded. Hades in a Brioni suit.
Cillian Fitzpatrick has been dubbed every wicked thing on planet earth.
To the media, he is The Villain.
To me, he is the man who (reluctantly) saved my life.
Now I need him to do me another, small solid.
Bail me out of the mess my husband got me into.
What’s a hundred grand to one of the wealthiest men in America, anyway?
Only Cillian doesn’t hand out free favors.
The price for the money, it turns out, is my freedom.
Now I’m the eldest Fitzpatrick brother’s little toy.
To play, to mold, to break.
Too bad Cillian forgot one, tiny detail.
Persephone wasn’t only the goddess of spring; she was also the queen of death.
He thinks I’ll buckle under the weight of his mind games.
He is about to find out the most lethal poison is also the sweetest.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Add The Villain to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/LJVillianGR

Excerpt

I leaned against the doorframe, hands tucked in my front pockets, and observed. It took her three minutes to notice me. Another two to lift her jaw off the floor, straighten her spine, and turn scarlet. Our eyes met across the room, and that nagging murmur in my chest happened again.

Get that checked. If you drop dead from a heart attack at forty, you’ll have no one else to blame. She winced, looking like I physically slapped her. 

“Mr. Fitzpatrick.” 

“Miss Penrose.” 

“Veitch,” she corrected, just to spite me. 

“Not for long,” I noted dryly. “A word?” 

“I know many. My favorite one right now is—leave.”

“You want to hear me out.” I cracked my knuckles. “Now say goodbye to your little friends.” 

She looked back and forth between the kids and me, then turned and murmured something to the teacher next to her, and hurried my way, dunking her head down. “What are you doing here?” 

She closed the door behind her, whisper-shouting. 

I’ve been asking myself the same question since bailing on Keith and his snooze-fest speech. What the hell was I doing here?

About L.J. Shen

L.J. Shen is a USA Today, Washington Post and Amazon #1 best-selling author of contemporary, New Adult and YA romance. Her books have been sold to twenty different countries.

She lives in California with her husband, son, cat and eccentric fashion choices, and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows and catching sun rays with her lazy cat.

Connect with L.J. Shen