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Playing for Keeps by R.L. Mathewson

Done with being the world's biggest pushover, Haley decides that things are going to change starting with the aggravating neighbor who has too much charm and not enough restraint. What she didn't expect was to be sucked into his world, but Haley has a game plan and she won't let herself forget just what the bad boy next door is capable of.

The last thing Jason expected was for his little shy neighbor to go Rambo on him over some ruined flowers. After he decides to take her under his wing he can't help but that notice that she fits very nicely in his life. Now the only thing left is to convince her that this is anything but a game.



Reading this story again was like reading it for the first time. I loved it years ago and I've realized I love it even more now!

Haley and Jason were amazing together. Hilarious, sweet, sexy, and fun, they were a joy to read.

He was a neighbor from Hell before he became the best friend Haley could ever ask for. And then... he became so much more. He was reluctant to love, but when he did, he did it well. I loved the way these characters loved each other.


The drama Haley created was expected. I didn't like it but it did give me a heck of a lot of laughs. Jason was just as stubborn as she was and knew they belonged together. And when he gave up the fight and she took up the battle, I swooned. I love when the both characters can make me into a sappy mess.

All jokes about the food and Jason's never-ending stomach aside, this story was super sexy and sweet. I've already read so much of this series and I can't wait to read them again!


New York Times Bestselling author, R.L. Mathewson was born in Massachusetts. She’s known for her humor, quick wit and ability to write relatable characters. She currently has several paranormal and contemporary romance series published including the Neighbor from Hell series.

Growing up, R.L. Mathewson was a painfully shy bookworm. After high school she attended college, worked as a bellhop, fast food cook, and a museum worker until she decided to take an EMT course. Working as an EMT helped her get over her shyness as well as left her with some fond memories and some rather disturbing ones that from time to time show up in one of her books.

Today, R.L. Mathewson is the single mother of two children that keep her on her toes. She has a bit of a romance novel addiction as well as a major hot chocolate addiction and on a perfect day, she combines the two.

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Kissed by a Dark Prince by Felicity Heaton

Olivia thinks it’s her lucky night when a dangerously handsome unconscious fae ends up on her inspection table. He’s her chance to redeem herself with her employer, the demon-hunting organisation, Archangel. But when the tall, dark and deadly immortal warrior awakes, she gets much more than she bargained for…

Attacked by his enemy in the elf kingdom, the last thing Prince Loren expects when he comes around is a beautiful angel watching over him and medical technology of the mortal realm. Hazy from his injuries, all he can focus on is the pulse ticking in her throat and the sweet allure of her blood.

One single bite reveals she is his eternal mate, triggering a bond between them that will leave him weakened until it is complete… or broken, and pulling Olivia into the crossfire of his ancient feud.

To protect his people and his mate from the machinations of a madman, Loren must risk everything by working with Olivia at Archangel to find a way to break the bond blossoming between them.

But will Loren be strong enough to place duty before desire and give up the one thing he has waited millennia for and craves above all others—his eternal mate? And will Olivia be able to resist the incredible heat that burns between them and the temptation of her dark prince’s kiss?



As a first read from this author, I'd say it was a win.
I went in with zero expectations and enjoyed myself.
Loren was a delicious dark hero, who was a bit broken and a lot intriguing.
I wasn't a big fan of Olivia's until near the end. I just couldn't get past her referring to Loren repeatedly as a 'specimen'. Like he was beneath her and all humans in some way. He's a powerful supernatural being. It felt so wrong. At least my feelings warmed up!
I didn't like that she yelled for Loren when he was in the middle of a life-and-death battle, but not everyone has the best sense in dangerous situations.
She really should have known better though.
I was most entertained by the idea of the war between brothers. Learning that Vail wasn't who he seemed to be made me almost burst with sympathy and now I want to get to his book!
I find it incredibly hard to resist a broken hero.

Well-written and memorable, I'll definitely be trying another book from this series.


Felicity Heaton is a New York Times, USA Today and international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons!

If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series.

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

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Truth of Dragons by Aja James

Every lore of every clan, across time and space, dreamed of dragons. Did you ever wonder why?

Erebu and Sorin fought through countless lifetimes of trials and tribulations to find one another again. They even conquered death.

But Ere’s rebirth requires a price: he must answer the Celestial Summons when it comes and faithfully complete each task the Jade Emperor sets before him.

On the bright side, he doesn’t have to perform miracles alone. Sorin will be right there with him. On the not so bright side, his Fate, the Fate of all dragon Kind, and by extension, the Universal Balance, depend on the successful execution of each quest.

No pressure.



Know what you get when you pit a liger against a Dark Hunter?

One of the hottest romance novels I have ever read!

Zai was a reluctant Hunter for the Dark Queen. Born with no name, no parents, no one to care for him, he had to make the most of what he had. His skills made him the best and yet he didn't quite fit in.

Being different was what led him to make the most important decision of his life—betray all he's ever known, throw caution to the wind, and stand up for justice.


Honorable to a fault, when Zai realized that Sin was an imprisoned slave of the new Queen, he was willing to enter the lion's den, facing certain death, to free him. And Ben... sweet Ben was along for the ride. He knew that Zai was relevant to his latest mission. But how?

Long-time enemies, Sin and Zai were never meant to be. Or were they?

Sin had vowed to kill Zai. He was blind with rage, swearing vengeance. And Zai knew that all of that hate was well deserved. This man probably hated himself more than Sin ever could.


The hate was so strong until it wasn't.

What do you do when the person you're supposed to hate the most becomes the most important person in your life?

What happens when your greatest enemy becomes your greatest love?


I loved Ben.
Obviously.
I've loved him from the first moment he crossed the page.
Wise, precocious, sweet and funny. He reminded me of Ere, but he was wholly himself.
And the man he's turning into is only more intriguing.
And my heart hurts a little bit for whatever's in store for him.
But I'm not even really worried.
Aja James always delivers!

But this story was really about Sin and Zai. What they shared, from the bitterest battles to their all-consuming passion, was incredible to watch.
And so freaking explosive.
No one writes MM quite like this author.
The love, the understanding, the wonder of this couple, it had this beautiful synchronicity.
It was magical.

There was a savagery deep within that he struggled to leash. A need for violence, to inflict the maximum amount of pain and damage upon his prey and enemies. An unquenchable thirst and hunger for blood.

But then, Anya came. She fulfilled him in ways he'd never imagined. She changed his world view.

She taught him that it was the duty of those stronger to protect the weak. She calmed the Beast within, though she never tried to tame him. With Anya at his side, his strength and power began to attract other animal spirits, and thus they formed a pride.

But ever since he'd chosen his Mate, and especially since she started carrying his young, all he wanted to do was protect his own.

His flesh and blood. His family. They embodied his heart and soul.

He feared for them every moment of every day.

Best-selling author, Aja James, just completed the Pure/ Dark Ones paranormal-fantasy romance series in 2020. If you want your heart battered, bruised, shattered and skewered, then put back together in the most glorious ways, check out the series below. Every couple gets an HEA, but they fight like hell for it on the way.

Aja is now working on her new series, Dragon Tails, because dragons are her favorite shifters of all!

Check out Aja's expanded distribution of the Pure/ Dark Ones series on Google, Apple, Kobo and Barnes & Noble Books.

Visit https://aja-james.blog for more information!

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

---

Quake (Quake #1)

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

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

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

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

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

Quiver (Quake #2)

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

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

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

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

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

Delve (Quake #3; Delve #1)

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

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

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

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

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

Tied (Quake #3.5; Delve #1.5)

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

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

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

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

Delude (Quake #4)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Strange and Unusual by Lani Lynn Vale

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It’s time for him to buckle up.



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

I've got one word for Strange and Unusual.

INTENSE!


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

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

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

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


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

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Call of Water by Marina Simcoe

A man with a teasing smile and an angel's voice, Zeph is supposed to be nothing more than a beautiful, fun Parisian adventure. His voice lures me in. His gorgeous blue eyes draw me to him. And his smile puts me at ease.

We part after just one night. The next time I see him, I'm captured and trapped in a world I never knew existed. Madame Tan's establishment is intriguing and whimsical on the outside. But it turns dark and sinister as I'm plunged deep into it.

Humans do not belong in the menagerie, so what is Zeph doing here? I realize I know nothing about the man who has ruled over my imagination since the day we met.

I need to find my way out or risk spending the rest of my life locked in a cage. Only the more I learn about Zeph, the more I realize he's not from my world.
Is he a willing participant in the menagerie? Or a victim, just like me?



Zeph had the face of a god with a voice of an angel. Who could resist this charmer? So it's no surprise that Ivy fell hard and fast for him. However, an evil neither one of them could have predicted seemed eager to separate them. While Ivy thought he couldn't care less about her, he was imprisoned and being auctioned off as a sideshow. What happened next only seemed to strengthen the bond that had started to grow between them.

There's action, other world reveals, interesting side characters, and love. So much love.

Call of Water was unlike anything else I've ever read before. Here's what it gave me:

★ not just any siren, but a male siren
★ unique world-building
★ unheard of creatures that intrigued the heck out of me
★ a dangling plot that I'll be sure to read in the following books

It was entertaining and endearing and was a warm welcome to this new-to-me author.



Marina Simcoe loves to write romance with ordinary human heroines and out-of-this-world heroes who just can’t live without them.

She has lots of fun exploring how her otherworldly characters with their own set of beliefs, values, and aspirations fit into our everyday life.

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.

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

Goodreads * Amazon

My Two Cents

About the Author

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

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It's Not Over by Kaylee Ryan & Lacey Black

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.



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!


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

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.



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!


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.


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

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

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!

──────　♔　──────

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

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.