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 // It's Not Over by Kaylee Ryan & Lacey Black

August 12, 2022

It's Not Over by Kaylee Ryan & Lacey Black

This is our love story.
It's not perfect, but it's ours.

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It's Not Over by Kaylee Ryan & Lacey Black

It's Not Over by Kaylee Ryan & Lacey Black


Standalone - Fair Lakes #1
Release - July 23, 2019
Genre - Contemporary Romance / second chance
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat - 3.5 out of 5 / a few descriptive scenes
Format/Source - ebook purchase from Amazon
Length - 274 pages
Publisher - Indie


Gwen

Lately, life definitely isn't how I envisioned it. I had it all. The house, the job, the husband. Until one day, I didn't. I don't know when exactly things started to change between us, only that it did, and in a big way. So much so, I found myself standing before a judge and signing off on the end of my marriage. To the only man I've ever loved.

Now, he's back, fighting, and ready to prove to me that we made a mistake, that our love is worth giving this another chance. I'm not sure if he's right, but I know what my heart wants, and it wants him. My ex-husband.

Harrison

Why is it that you don't know the depths of your mistakes until you've already made them? I knew signing those papers was a bad idea, but I thought that's what she wanted. The minute we stepped foot out of that courtroom, it hit me. She's no longer mine.

That's when I also realized that I would do anything to change the past. I have so many regrets. Not her. I could never regret her, but how we ended. We never should have ended. I'm in for the battle of my life to convince her to give us another shot. I have a plan, one that will prove to her that it's not over.

My Two Cents

3.5 "And baby makes three" stars

I don't know why I find it so hard to resist a second chance romance.
I don't even know why I took a chance on new-to-me authors to dive into this trope again.
I'm just glad it worked!

It's Not Over is a sweet small town romance with a bit of mystery. It gave me the feel-goods and really, what more could I ask for?

The reasons behind why Gwen and Harrison divorced were a bit ridiculous, but I went along with it. I do think that with how much these two loved each other, they should have fought harder to stay together. But that's neither here nor there because it happened and at least they worked it all out in the end.

My only 'issue' with this read was how Gwen behaved in the first half of this story. She repeatedly admitted that they were both to blame for the breakdown of their marriage, yet Harrison was the only one putting in work. She kept trying to push him off and away, despite still being in love with him, and it irked me. However, aside from all that, it was smooth sailing.

I really liked this story and I even enjoyed the side characters, Gabby and Chase. I just might have to give their story a read too!

About the Authors

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylee Ryan has been crowned the Queen of Swoon by her readers. With nearly fifty romance books under her belt, she’s known for penning happily ever afters with heart. When she's not writing, you can find her with a book in her hand or hanging out with her family where she resides in her home state of Ohio.

Reader Group: http://bit.ly/1Thnj0K
Author Page: http://bit.ly/20VHGHD
BookBub: http://bit.ly/2KulVvH
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2lfFkIe
Newsletter: http://bit.ly/31Io4vF

Website: http://www.kayleeryan.com/


Avid reader, writer, mother, and wife! I love to read contemporary romance. Add in a little "spice" or hot guys in uniform pants, and I'm a happy woman. There's just something about diving into a book and engrossing in the magic of your hero and heroine getting their happily ever after.

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

Review // Unintended by Georgia Cates

August 11, 2022

Unintended by Georgia Cates

Now I've made her mine, and I'm only beginning to find out who she is.
An amazing woman.
And amazing lover.
An amazing wife.
I think she makes falling in love with her very easy.

────── ♔ ──────

Unintended by Georgia Cates

Unintended by Georgia Cates


Standalone - The Sin Trilogy #5
Release - October 20, 2017
Genre - Contemporary Romance / arranged marriage
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5 / several descriptive scenes
Format/Source - ebook purchase from Amazon
Length - 291 pages
Publisher - Indie


Captor becomes lover…

I’m a marksman. Mobster. Deadly assassin.
My job is to protect my brotherhood, but that isn’t my only responsibility.

I’m Kieran Hendry, the up-and-coming leader of The Order, and a new duty calls. I must take a wife.

A wife I don’t know.
A wife born into a position at the top of The Fellowship hierarchy.
A wife who will forge a strong alliance between her brotherhood and mine.
A wife I don’t want.

I knew next to nothing about Westlyn Breckenridge when I abducted her, but I quickly discover that she’s intelligent, strong, defiant, selfless. And beautiful.

One night with her is all it takes for me to see that she is no typical Mafia princess. I’m hopeful this arranged marriage won’t be the miserable union I imagined it to be. But convincing my intended to give us a chance won’t be easy when she sees me as the enemy. The brute who kidnapped her. The vile fiend who threatened to do as he wished with her body.

It’s true. I am all those things. I had cruel intentions. But everything has changed. My affection for her is unexpected. My love, unintended.

My Two Cents

4 "You're mine and I'm yours" stars

I fell in love with the Beauty series and knew Georgia Cates was an author I needed to watch. I needed her books. As I read more from her, each time I was reminded of how right I was. And of how right I still am because Unintended was such a sweet story.

Kieran was next in line to lead his brothers. He was only missing one thing... a wife. In their life, marriage is arranged—to obtain peace, to procure assets, to benefit both parties. A treaty with the Fellowship would be ideal and so he has his choice of three potential brides: Ellison, who's in love and loved by Jamie; Evanna, who's in love and loved by Craig; and Westlyn, who seems to be the enigma of the three.

Wanting a pure wife, he decides that Westlyn is the woman for him—too bad she doesn't know it. When he abducts her, also takes her friend Ellison, and shoots her brother, these two aren't off to a great start. I thought for sure this was going to be some kind of enemies-to-lovers type of story. But oh no. Kieran is quickly brought to his senses and proceeds to woo his chaste wife-to-be and it was charming, alluring, and very sexy. I know that I wouldn't have been able to resist him, so Westlyn didn't stand a chance!

"When you take my name and my cock, you will become mine... my property. But that also means you'll become my treasure to protect. I will place myself between you and whatever danger presents itself. No harm will ever come to you or our children. That's my vow to you."

Le sigh.

I know, I know. I should not be swooning after the whole 'property' speech. But... I really couldn't help it. There was just something about Kieran's misogyny that worked for me in an ironic way. Especially because he did value Westlyn's contributions. He didn't belittle, dismiss or condemn her for speaking her mind. Actually, he loved it. And he had so many good bits. Or maybe I'm making excuses. Who cares, he's hot and fictional!!

I enjoyed Kieran's violence on behalf of The Order, his bond with his family, Westlyn's interactions with her own family, and everything in between. They were great together. So yeah, this book worked really well for me.

About the Author

Georgia resides in rural Mississippi with her wonderful husband, Jeff, and their two beautiful daughters. She spent fourteen years as a labor and delivery nurse before she decided to pursue her dream of becoming an author and hasn’t looked back yet.

When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing. When she’s being domestic, she’s listening to her music and visualizing scenes for her current work in progress. Every story coming from her always has a song to inspire it.

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

Books That Didn't Make the Cut Pt. 2

August 07, 2022


I'm back with three more books that weren't for me, but they might be perfect for you.

Maybe.



The Stopover by T L Swan

The Stopover by T L Swan


I was upgraded to first class on a flight from London to New York.
The food, champagne, and service were impeccable.
The blue-eyed man sitting next to me, even better.
He was suave and intelligent.
We talked and laughed, and something clicked.
Fate took over and the plane was grounded, and we had an unexpected stopover for the night.
With no plans, we made our own.
We danced and laughed our way around Boston and had a night of crazy passion that no woman would ever forget.
That was twelve months ago, and I haven’t heard from him—until today.
I started a new job and met the CEO. You can imagine my surprise to see those naughty blue eyes dance with delight when he saw me across the mahogany desk.
But I’m not that carefree girl anymore. My life has changed, I have responsibilities.
I just got an email.
He wants to see me in his office for a private meeting at 8:00 a.m.
Naughty blue eyes have no place in the workplace.
What kind of private meeting does he have in mind?

NO RATING - I am struggling to read this book. Why is it told from a single perspective? And why does that single perspective have to be the heroine, who happens to be really hard to like?

Okay, although I did get some quick peeks at Jameson's mind, it wasn't enough to counteract the pain of reading about Emily. Her thoughts and feelings were too dramatic (honestly, she was so irrelevant) and she was too much of a brat for me to tolerate. I've read plenty of books from this author and LOVED them. This just doesn't happen to be one of them. Instead of rating it poorly, I'm going to leave it right here on my DNF shelf. Sucks too because this story had tons of potential. Jameson and his dirty mind and mouth!


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Poet by Crimson Syn

Poet by Crimson Syn


POE - I’ve been left for dead. Twice.
I’ve been threatened countless times.
And yet, someone up there still wants me alive.
My name is Poe Chambers, better known as POET.
A name given to memorialize a murderer.
Bad things happened, and now I have to live with my mistakes.
But in the center of all my chaos,
There’s an angel.
And my vow is to never allow her to suffer again.

GRACE - Poe has returned to me,
But he’s not the same man I once knew.
Tall, rough, brooding, and built like steel,
Yet there’s something in him that burns deep.
Revenge.
And there’s no stopping his agenda.
I want to keep him safe.
But how am I to do that,
When the men who once threatened his life,
Have now set their sights on me?

NO RATING - I've read pretty much everything Crimson Syn has written and loved it so reading this should have been an easy thing to do. It wasn't. It was such a different read and things happened that I'm not down with nor did I expect this author to go in this direction and I just can't continue.

It's a second chance romance... I think. But after a hot and intense scene between the characters, I'm dumped into a scene where the 'hero' is all over and obsessed with another woman. What?! And then it goes further off the rails from there. Instead of having this book take away my love for this author, I'm going to quit while I'm ahead. I can only hope my next read from her goes back to the old tried-and-true formula I've come to know and love and appreciate from her.


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Blood Trial by Kelly St. Clare

Blood Trial by Kelly St. Clare


The dice are rolled at midnight.

As the twenty-one-year-old heiress to the Le Spyre fortune, my life should consist of strawberry mojitos and golf carts. Right?

But I’m determined to forge my own path.

Desperate to escape the meaningless games of the rich, I flee my family’s estate.

Secret alias—check.
Place to sleep—uh, kind of?
Job—crap!

I’ve bitten off more than I can chew, but that’s the least of my worries.

My city is a giant board game. The players are supernatural— freakin’ vampires—including an overbearing crown prince whose unwanted attention could spell my demise.

Now, I must play their deadly game, or my grandmother and best friend will pay the ultimate price.

NO RATING - I feel like I was reading a different book from the one that garnered all of those four and five-star reviews I've seen. I don't get it. Maybe it's because it was told from the heroine's pov. Maybe it's because the heroine was suffering from poor little rich girl syndrome while knowing and acknowledging and obviously not caring that she was suffering from poor little rich girl syndrome. I really don't know.

The writing itself, without the baggage of the heroine, was fine.