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Owned by the Mafia by Aaron L Speer

When Danielle Stone learns of her brother’s crippling debt to crime boss Salvatore Carlino, her first instinct is to help. Carlino makes her a one-time offer to wipe the debt clean and let her brother walk away with his life; her.

So she reluctantly agrees to be his plaything. At his beck and call, day or night.

As Danielle falls deeper into a world of violence and excess, the man she hates unleashes a craving she's never experienced before. And slowly, the closer they get, the line between Carlino’s most depraved desires and her own begin to blur.

While her brother hatches a plan to free her, an enemy watches from the shadows, biding their time. Waiting for not only an opportunity to strike, but for Carlino to show a chink in his armour, and the fate of New Haven hangs in the balance as Danielle just might be that chink.

Desperate to keep control of his empire and his senses, the previously untouchable Carlino is destined to lose. The only question is, will it be his heart, or his life?

Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon

I've read quite a bit of mafia romance in my time, but I can honestly admit that reading Owned by the Mafia by Aaron L Speer is an experience I won't soon forget.

There's an edginess to his writing style that instantly grabs me and I never really know where the story is going. This time was no different. With so much going on, I had no idea if a happy ending of any sort was even possible (don't worry, it totally was).

First, there's Salvatore Carlino...
❥ he's the top man in town. He's got it all and everyone wants him and/or wants to be him
❥ when a man owes him money, he's usually taught a lesson. But this man has a sister and it's lust at first sight. An exception has to be made.

Then we've got Danielle Stone...
❥ she thinks she's got life right where she wants it until her brother screws up and she's left holding the bag
❥ she's with Carlino to work off her brother's debt. However, pesky emotions have her questioning why she's really staying

And then there's Paulie...
❥ he was a henchman of sorts and he had me cracking up. He took things quite literally and completed his jobs in over-the-top ways. Thanks for the laughs, my dude!

I'm being intentionally vague because any tidbit I add will potentially spoil it for you. There's a romance wrapped in mystery. Betrayal, death, and mafia mayhem were all around. So just read the book. Fall in love with Salvatore. Get a bit annoyed by Danielle. And love the ish out of the way this author plays with words.

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I have to admit that there was one part of this book that I couldn't shake. Something that bothered me and tainted my feelings for this story a bit.
Salvatore was dominant and had Danielle guessing about their status, her place in his life, etc.
When she got jealous without admitting that she was jealous and feeling possessive, she said some things that had Sal reacting in a bad way. He screwed another woman in front of her. Like she's tied up in the bed, watching him have sex with this woman in the same bed. YUCK!! Lesson learned, I guess.
So be warned!!



Welcome to the Speerverse. Aaron L Speer has been publishing since 2014 and has won 4 Book of the Year Awards* and the Golden Stake Award at the International Vampire Film and Arts Festival held in Transylvania**.

The Undeadly Secrets (Paranormal Romance) spans six books so far, with the latest Peace Keeper: Part Two released in 2021. Heart Breaker is scheduled for some time in 2023.

Fans of MMA romance welcomed the hard hitting Championship Collection; Undisputed, Unbroken and Unbroken 2 into the world.

2022 will see the release of his first MC offerings as part of the Rebel Souls shared world; Rebel Sacrifice and Rebel Savage

2023 will not only see the release of Heart Breaker but also his first Mafia Romance: Owned By The Mafia

Hello hello and welcome to another recap!

I'm so sorry that I've been so absent. I took a mental break and forgot to share that with anyone. My bad entirely.
But I'm back.
Some of you may have already noticed by my comments on your blogs or my likes on your posts, etc.

So as you can guess, March wasn't the greatest month for me, at least bookwise, but here's what I've got...




There were actually a few standouts in March:


In fact, all of the books I read in March were really good. The others I read and would definitely recommend were:

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The Voices Are Back by Lani Lynn Vale

Her: Just a word, yet one person came to mind.

Morrigan St. Pete.

The woman that’d been hounding my every step since the day she was born. From the moment we first comforted each other in the hospital, to the day that I left her to follow her dreams, I knew that she was my one.

Through marriage, divorce, and a prison sentence, I had low expectations when it came to her ever coming around to my way of life. What kind of woman wanted a man that’d been to prison, had a child that disliked him and everything he stood for, and had zero prospects in life?

But then she popped into my life again, and that feeling of suffocation slacked off for the first time since I let her go.
***
The first time I tried to come back to Aodhan, I found him married with a kid on the way.

The second time I tried, he was heading to jail.

As one would say, the third time is the charm, right? Wrong.

The third time, he was divorced, fresh from prison, had a kid, and was again with his ex-wife.

That was the final nail in my coffin. I decided to give up.

I would do anything and everything I could to avoid him. Hiding wasn’t beneath me.

I only wish he’d stuck with my plan, because the moment he sees me again, it’s like he’s seen the light. Avoiding him is impossible when he goes out of his way to insinuate himself into every aspect of my life.

If only life was as perfect as my dreams.

Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon

Aodhan and Morrigan knew of each other since birth. Born out of tragedy, they were linked for life. At least, Morrigan thought so until Aodhan decided he had to let her go so she could realize her dreams. He didn't know at the time that her dreams were impossible and the only one that mattered was him.

Years later, Aodhan was divorced with a son that hated him, Morrigan was back in town, and I was excited to see these two get their ish together. STOP STANDING IN YOUR OWN WAY is what I yelled from the beginning! But don't worry, they figure things out pretty quickly. Unfortunately it wasn't smooth sailing until they got their happy ending. The author put them through the wringer, but that ending... so worth it.

I love this author and will never turn down an opportunity to read from her. She puts a lot of heart into her stories, creating characters you want to love and cheer for. I fell for Aodhan and Morrigan and hope to see them again in the books to come!

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I do have to write a note because I wasn't completely satisfied with this book. My copy was full of holes. There were way too many errors and discrepancies. And I feel like the author put a bunch of little details in there that in no way affected the story and those details kept getting messed up. Just delete them LOL.



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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Soul Eater by Lily Mayne

Twenty years ago, monsters rose on earth and began a new age of civilization.

One where humans live in military-controlled, cramped and dirty cities along the coasts, and the majority of the United States is known as the Wastes. A lawless, desolate and dangerous place, teeming with monsters that have claimed the land for their own.

Including Wyn the Soul Eater.

He appears every three years, making his way across the country and slaughtering humans randomly, sucking them dry until they’re nothing but husks.

I’ve only been in the military for six months, but now I’m part of a unit tasked with trying to stop and capture him. And when I’m the only soldier out of hundreds that the Soul Eater leaves alive, I realise that… something about me has intrigued him.

But what is it? What could a twenty-three year old guy from the south, with no one and nothing in the world, have possibly done to capture the attention of a death monster with horns, blackened fingertips and a face hidden in the dark depths of his hood?

Soul Eater is the debut novel of Lily Mayne. It is the first in a planned post-apocalyptic fantasy series featuring monsters and human men falling in love. Warning: This m/m love story contains explicit content and is not suitable for young readers. There are also graphic depictions of torture and violence.





I don't know how I found this book, but I'm so freaking glad I did!

For a debut book, this author could teach other authors a few things. While it took me a bit to become invested, once I was, there was absolutely no letting go of the characters I met.

Danny was a heartbreaker. As a human, he didn't have many options for a life—live in a cramped city with little chance for employment, live in the wastes scrounging for food, or join the military. As a soldier, he realized that his life didn't mean much to the higher ups and when he and his unit are used as cannon fodder, he decides that maybe the military life isn't for him. Hunting and capturing monsters isn't what he signed up for and he can't help but sympathize with the beings who are being imprisoned and tortured.

When they bring in Wyn the Soul Eater, Danny can't help but be drawn to this incredibly strong and mysterious being that no one can understand. He can't be killed and seems to just be biding his time. And for some reason, while he killed every other member of Danny's unit, Danny survived. Not only that, but Wyn seems to be as drawn to Danny as he is to him.

And I was just here... loving every moment between them.

I loved that they both had this vulnerability to them that fed into the compassion and yearning they felt. I found their every interaction endearing and touching, even the filthy bits!

Don't even get me started on Edin, Wyn's purple demon friend. I think he gets a book of his own and I'm eager to read it.

If you enjoy stories about people finding love in the most unlikely place, with the most unlikely person, then this book is most definitely for you!


Lily Mayne writes what she loves to read: achingly sweet yet gritty romances against unusual backdrops—dark, futuristic, dystopian and more.

She enjoys reading and writing (duh), cooking and baking, watching terrible horror movies and many other hobbies that would have potentially made her an ideal Victorian maid. Just a really lazy one.

She currently lives in the UK with her husband and several fluffballs, who like to make a lot of noise while she’s writing.

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Hooked by Emily McIntire

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.



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.


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!


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

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Gift of Dragons by Aja James

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

Benjamin D’Angelo is off on a new quest with helpful friends.

As always, their success is limited by seemingly arbitrary rules and an even more arbitrary sandglass of time. The only things they can count on is that: 1) each of their quests takes them to a time in the past, 2) they will witness (and perhaps even enable) True Love along the way, and 3) the Universal Balance hangs in...well, the balance.

Their seventh task is to uncover the Secret Gift.


Love is patient.
Love is kind.

No two lovers know this better than Heba and Shai.
From the moment they met, circumstances prevented them from being together.
She was royalty. He was her slave.
Between them grew a love that transcended time, space, situations, and even their best efforts to fight it.

I'll admit, this story touched me in ways the others didn't. The power play between these characters struck a chord in me, wrecking me emotionally, creating all of the angst that I didn't know I craved. All I wanted was for these characters to talk and be free to be together. They had to overcome so much just to love one another.

And I was in love with the many ways Shai and Heba stayed devoted to each other, even before they realized the endless love they felt.

And when finally the true greatness of Shai was revealed... I was as thrilled, awed, and in love as Heba.


One of the things I adore most about this series (and the one before) is the many moving parts it takes to tell this story. It's not just about the couple of the day. It's about everyone and their loves and lives. It's about what happened and what is to come. It's about the mystery surrounding Ben and when it will finally be revealed. It's about so much more than the romance. So much more. I can't help but fall for the people. I've become so invested and the way this author writes her words, the way she puts everything together, the way she's built this world... it will keep me engaged FOREVER!!


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!

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Marrow by Trisha Wolfe & Brynne Weaver

Two rival serial killers. One common enemy.

Forensic anthropologist Dr. Jack Sorensen is the perfect serial killer. In the bright lights of his public persona he’s a respected scientist, a leader in the field of human decomposition. But in his shadowed secret life he’s a ruthless and elusive killer, unseen by the authorities who have failed to follow his faint trail of destruction. Beautifully cold, brilliant and cruel, Jack wants nothing more than to keep his life captured in his vise-like grip of control. And Jack Sorensen never makes mistakes…

…until he underestimates Dr. Kyrie Roth.

Wildlife biologist Kyrie is the enemy Jack never noticed, another murderer in his midst. A killer with equal cunning and stealth as the great Jack Sorensen, she knows all his darkest secrets, even the pieces of a past he might have forgotten. Kyrie has created the perfect habitat for her favorite research subject, but she’s finally had enough of being bitten by the beast that lives at Jack’s core. Pushed past her breaking point, Kyrie has decided to do whatever it takes to make Jack suffer. But when Kyrie’s traumatic past descends on her broken oasis, the only person who can help Kyrie banish her painful shadows might just be her greatest enemy.

History can’t always be left to decay in a cold grave. Time has a way of thawing secrets, leaving them to shine as bright as bleached bones in the sun. Can Jack and Kyrie set aside their battle and survive a world built to hunt them?

Or will they kill each other first?

***Marrow is a dark romance intended for an adult audience. For complete CWs, see Brynne's website***



🎵She's a very kinky girl
The kind you don't take home to mother...🎵

Don't even ask me why Super Freak enters my mind when it comes to Kyrie, but it does.
Surviving a serial killer made her change. She saw the world in a whole new light and had to adapt.
There were bad people out there, she had first-hand knowledge of them, and she chose to take them out.

Jack was a seemingly different kind of monster and he liked things a certain way.
He was a dominant hunter who didn't like someone else in his territory.
But nothing he did would make her leave.

Let the games begin!

He pushed her away. She found new ways to torment him.
She was broken. He was emotionless.
Together... they were magical!

These authors delivered a story that gripped me from the start, had me laughing and cringing my way merrily through, and left me with a huge smile on my face at the end.



USA Today bestselling romantic thriller author. From an early age, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up imaginary worlds and characters and was accused of talking to herself. Today, she lives in South Carolina with her family and writes full time, using her imaginary worlds as an excuse to continue talking to herself.




Brynne is a fan of velociraptors, the Alien movies (well, most of them), red wine, and wild adventures.

She can relate nearly anything you say to a line from the movie Hot Fuzz. She has been trying unsuccessfully for years to convince her husband that they should acquire a pet mink to add to their menagerie of animals (what could possibly go wrong with that plan?!).

Brynne has been everything from an archaeologist to a waitress, a deep-sea core analyst to an advertising account executive. For the last several years, she has been working in the field of neuroscience clinical research. Brynne has been writing since childhood and has published a non-fiction book under her real name, but she won’t tell you what it is unless you provide a live, fully trained velociraptor.

When not busy at her day job or writing, Brynne can be found working with her husband and their son on their family farm in Nova Scotia, Canada, or enjoying her other passions which include riding horses, reading, and spending time with family and friends around a raclette and a bottle of wine.

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Code Name: Genesis by Sawyer Bennett

Years ago, we were in love. She was an up-and-coming superstar and I was the security professional hired to keep her safe. We fell hard and fast, no matter how much we tried to resist one another. But not everyone around us was happy about our relationship, and a string of lies and deceit destroyed what we once had. I moved on from her and didn’t look back.

Now I’ve taken the helm of a nationally renowned protective services company, and I’m looking to rebrand my career. The newly crowned Jameson Force Security is moving from the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas to the mountainous steel town of Pittsburgh, and the last thing I have time for is to deal with my past.

More than a decade has passed since our split, but even a bruised and battered heart remembers its first love. So when Joslyn Meyers comes to me for help, I reluctantly agree to keep her safe from a terrifying stalker who keeps threatening her life.

As the danger continues to intensify, it becomes clear that I’ll stop at nothing to protect the woman who turned her back on me all those years ago. Because one thing is certain—no matter how hard I try to convince myself otherwise, Joslyn still has my heart.



Years ago, Joslyn and Kynan fell in love. She was a music and acting superstar. He was her bodyguard. Think you've heard this story before? Think again because even I was surprised by some of the things that happened here.

Joslyn is back... and she's not alone. After being attacked in her home by her stalker, she basically begs Kynan for his help. But he's not in a very charitable mood. He's still hurt by her actions years ago. She left him without any kind of explanation and he's still messed up when it comes to her. However, she's truly in distress and he can't resist her case.

First let me tell you what I liked...

❥ the creep factor of the stalker. I liked that I couldn't figure out who it was and the smooth moves he made to keep himself unrecognizable.
❥ Bebe. This woman has been through hell and I'm excited to see her happy ending. Her reunion scene with her son and her mom was so touching.
❥ Cruce and Saint. I know they get their own books and I'm looking forward to finding out more about these intriguing men.

And that's it. Notice I left out the main characters. Here's why:

❥ Joslyn left Kynan because of a dossier that outlined he was a cheating jerk. She asked no questions. She didn't confront him. Just up and left him.
❥ Kynan's opening scene with a strange woman he met at a club... it was 10 times hotter than anything her shared with Joslyn. Yet she was the love of his life. She was the one woman he truly wanted.
❥ Kynan flaunted this one-night stand in Joslyn's face. I couldn't get past it. And even though my feelings did warm up towards him in the end, it didn't take away my distaste for his earlier behavior.
❥ Joslyn didn't trust the man she hired. The man she loved.

Overall, I obviously enjoyed this book. I will be reading the others in the series. And I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a romance with a bit of suspense and a second chance at love.


New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.

A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.

If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).

Find more information here: https://sawyerbennett.com

Hello hello and welcome to another recap!

February was a weird winter month here in Toronto. One minute it was almost balmy, the next we've got inches of snow. Even as I type this, 8 inches have fallen and we're in MARCH!!
Okay, so here goes...

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The Vixen and the Vet by Katy Regnery

Savannah Carmichael, betrayed by an unreliable source, returns to her hometown of Danvers, Virginia with her once-promising journalism career in ruins. Given the opportunity to get back in the game by writing a patriotic human interest piece, Savannah turns her attention to the town hermit, Asher Lee, a wounded veteran who returned to Danvers eight years ago, and hasn't been seen since.

After an IED explosion in Afghanistan took Asher's hand and disfigured half of his face, he's lived a quiet life on the outskirts of Danvers where the locals respect his privacy...that is, until Savannah Carmichael comes calling in a borrowed sundress with a plate of homemade brownies. When Asher agrees to be interviewed by Savannah, he starts feeling things for the beautiful reporter that he hasn't felt in years.

Misfits in small-town Danvers, Savannah and Asher create a bond right away, touching each other's hearts in ways neither thought possible. When a terrible mistake threatens to drive them apart, they'll have to decide if the love they found in one another's arms is strong enough to fight for their hard-won happily ever after.



Is it possible not to fall in love with the characters Katy Regnery creates? I'm having no such luck because both Asher and Savannah were so easy to love!

Asher: a war vet, he was once the town hero, but after being hit by an IED and sustaining physical damage, he returned to a cool welcome. After being basically shunned, if people weren't running away in horror due to his deformity, he closed himself off on his family's estate.


Savannah: the town's sweetheart, she made good in the big city, but loving the wrong person ruined her career and she's back home. What better way to get back in the game than to interview a war hero?


From the first meet-cute, I knew this was story was going to be lovely. I knew that these characters were going to give me everything and more and that the author was going to do an incredible job of playing with my heart. I wasn't wrong.

There were tons of sweet moments. I smiled, swooned, giggled, and sighed my way through this book. Even though I was easily able to predict the conflict to come between Asher and Savannah, my heart still ached for them.

I can't find not one thing wrong with this story aside from wanting more. I would have loved an epilogue, but honestly, the time spent with these characters was so enjoyable that I can easily imagine their happily ever after together.


New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Regnery started her writing career by enrolling in a short story class in January 2012. One year later, she signed her first contract, and Katy’s first novel was published in September 2013.

Several dozen books and three RITA® nominations later, Katy claims authorship of the multititled Blueberry Lane series, the A Modern Fairytale collection, the Summerhaven series, the Odds Are Good collection, the Arranged duo, and several other stand-alone romances, including the critically acclaimed mainstream fiction novel Unloved, a love story.

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