Book Review: Mafia Darling by Danielle Lori

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Mafia Darling by Mila Finelli 
Series: The Kings of Italy, #2
Genre: Romance
Age Range: Adult Audience
Format: eBook, 292 pages
Source: My Copy
Published on January 31st 2022 by Dolcezza Press
Mila Finelli: Website | Instagram | Goodreads

Synopsis:

FAUSTO

In my world, loyalty is everything. I shouldn’t have let her get close. I shouldn’t have let her get under my skin.

But that doesn’t mean I’ll let another take her from me. He’ll pay with his life, because nothing will keep me from reclaiming what I lost.

Francesca is mine and I’m keeping her.

FRANCESCA

I found a dangerous man who makes me burn with need, a man I can’t live without . . .until he accused me of betrayal and sent me away.

Then I was kidnapped by his rival. Fausto thinks he can rescue me and have me begging at his feet once more. But I’m done begging.

This time, it will be the king who breaks.

******

MAFIA DARLING the second part of the Italian Kings duet, NOT a standalone.

If you like feisty heroines, heroes who are a little bit cruel and a lot filthy, and plenty of heat, then welcome to Mila’s twisted world. Don’t say you weren’t warned!

Book Review: Mafia Mistress by Mila Finelli

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Mafia Mistress by Mila Finelli 
Series: The Kings of Italy, #1
Genre: Romance
Age Range: Adult Audience
Format: eBook, 304 pages
Source: My Copy
Published on August 30th 2021 by Dolcezza Press
Mila Finelli: Website | Instagram | Goodreads

Synopsis:

FAUSTO

I am the darkness, the man whose illicit empire stretches around the globe. Not many have the courage for what needs to be done to maintain power . . .but I do.

And I always get what I want—including my son’s fiancée.

She’s mine now, and I’ll use Francesca any way I see fit. She’s the perfect match to my twisted desires, and I’ll keep her close, ready and waiting at my disposal.

Even if she fights me at every turn.

FRANCESCA

I was stolen away and held prisoner in Italy, a bride for a mafia king’s only heir.

Except I’m no innocent, and it’s the king himself—the man called il Diavolo—who appeals to me in sinful ways I never dreamed. Fausto’s wickedness draws me in, his power like a drug.

And when the devil decides he wants me, I’m helpless to resist him—even if it means giving myself to him, body and soul.

He may think he can control me, but this king is about to find out who’s really the boss.

MAFIA MISTRESS is a full-length mafia romance written by a USA Today Bestselling author. It’s the first book in the Italian Kings duet, **not** a standalone.

Book Review: A Light in the Flame by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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A Light in the Flame by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
Series: Flesh and Fire, #2
Genre: Fantasy | Romance | Paranormal
Age Range: New Adult
Format: Hardcover, 608 pages
Source: My Copy
Published on November 15th 2022 by Blue Box Press
Jennifer L. Armentrout: Website | Twitter | Goodread
Contains spoilers for A Shadow in the Ember

Synopsis:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes book two in her Flesh and Fire series…

The only one who can save Sera now is the one she spent her life planning to kill.

The truth about Sera’s plan is out, shattering the fragile trust forged between her and Nyktos. Surrounded by those distrustful of her, all Sera has is her duty. She will do anything to end Kolis, the false King of Gods, and his tyrannical rule of Iliseeum, thus stopping the threat he poses to the mortal realm.

Nyktos has a plan, though, and as they work together, the last thing they need is the undeniable, scorching passion that continues to ignite between them. Sera cannot afford to fall for the tortured Primal, not when a life no longer bound to a destiny she never wanted is more attainable than ever. But memories of their shared pleasure and unrivaled desire are a siren’s call impossible to resist.

And as Sera begins to realize that she wants to be more than a Consort in name only, the danger surrounding them intensifies. The attacks on the Shadowlands are increasing, and when Kolis summons them to Court, a whole new risk becomes apparent. The Primal power of Life is growing inside her, pushing her closer to the end of her Culling. And without Nyktos’s love—an emotion he’s incapable of feeling—she won’t survive her Ascension. That is if she even makes it to her Ascension and Kolis doesn’t get to her first. Because time is running out. For both her and the realms.

Book Review: Twisted Love by Ana Huang

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Twisted Love by Ana Huang 
Series: Twisted, #1
Genre: Contemporary | Romance
Age Range: Adult Audience
Format: Hardcover
Source: My Copy
Publication Date: April 29, 2021
Ana Huang: Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Synopsis:
He has a heart of ice…but for her, he’d burn the world.

Alex Volkov is a devil blessed with the face of an angel and cursed with a past he can’t escape.

Driven by a tragedy that has haunted him for most of his life, his ruthless pursuits for success and vengeance leave little room for matters of the heart.

But when he’s forced to look after his best friend’s sister, he starts to feel something in his chest:

A crack.
A melt.
A fire that could end his world as he knew it.

***

Ava Chen is a free spirit trapped by nightmares of a childhood she can’t remember.

But despite her broken past, she’s never stopped seeing the beauty in the world…including the heart beneath the icy exterior of a man she shouldn’t want.

Her brother’s best friend.
Her neighbor.
Her savior and her downfall.

Theirs is a love that was never supposed to happen—but when it does, it unleashes secrets that could destroy them both…and everything they hold dear.

Twisted Love is a brother’s best friend/opposites attract romance with a hint of suspense. It’s book one in the Twisted series but can be read as a standalone.

WARNING: This book contains a possessive alpha/antihero, explicit sexual content, and profanity. No cheating or menage, but if you’re looking for a traditionally sweet, loveable hero, this is not the book for you. Recommended for 18+.

Book Review: Find Her, Keep Her by Z.L. Arkadie

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Find Her, Keep Her by Z.L. Arkadie 
Series: Love in the USA, #1
Genre: Contemporary | Romance
Age Range: Adult Audience
Format: eBook
Source: My Copy
Publication Date: May 22, 2015
Z.L. Arkadie: Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Synopsis:
Book one of the LOVE in the USA series features Daisy Blanchard and Belmont (Jack) Lord. Don’t be surprised by the hot and fast start, Daisy and Belmont have a lot to learn about love, and here is where their education begins.

It was one intense week in late October. I probably should’ve slowed our pace but I wasn’t thinking clearly. I had just learned my boyfriend and best friend were engaged via a Facebook post, which left me heartbroken and wrestling with ghosts from my past.

But Belmont Lord was so convincing and uninhibited, unlike me. He also had demons of his own. We threw caution to the wind. Could fate had picked a more perfect time and place for two people to meet?

Yes, it was one steamy and surprising week, but was it long enough to make us last forever?

Find Her, Keep Her: A Martha’s Vineyard Love Story is the first sexy, sensual and addictive contemporary romance in the LOVE in the USA series by author, Z.L. Arkadie.

This manuscript has been updated as of 6/18/2017. Sex scenes are still frequent but they are no longer written in graphic detail. Also, some of the details that were hard to swallow have been made palatable. Although, do realize that I had chosen to write two imperfect human beings. In later books, as they choose to make their relationship work, they also choose to resolve their personal issues. After all that is the theme of the LOVE in the USA series–true love, real love is another catalyst in life which helps evolve two people for the better. So I write love stories more than romance, and from book one through twelve of this series, you will be able to read the difference.

Book Review: Throttled by Lauren Asher

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Throttled by Lauren Asher 
Series: Dirty Air, #1
Genre: Contemporary | Romance
Age Range: Adult Audience
Format: Paperback
Source: My Copy
Publication Date: January 9, 2020
Lauren Asher: Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Synopsis:
What happens when my brother’s rival becomes my secret crush?

Noah Slade is a Formula 1 legend in the making.
Focused. Unapproachable. Ruthless on and off the track.
A man with walls higher than the Grand Canyon.
And my brother’s new teammate.

Despite everyone warning me to stay away from Noah, I can’t resist the man hiding behind a mask of indifference.
I want more of the villain disguised as a prince.
His passion. His pain. His flaws and insecurities.

Except while I search for my happy ending, he wants to destroy his.

Throttled is a standalone romance packed with action, steam, and banter.

Book Review: Off-Limits by L.A Cotton

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Off-Limits by L.A Cotton 
Series: Rixon High, #1
Genre: Contemporary | Romance
Age Range: Adult Audience
Format: eBook
Source: My Copy
Publication Date: March 30, 2021
L.A Cotton: Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Synopsis:
From bestselling author of the Rixon Raiders comes a new spin-off next generation series.

Lily Ford has always been a wallflower.

But it’s senior year, and she wants nothing more than to try and push her boundaries and embrace the last year of high school.

Kaiden Thatcher has always been the star on the football field.

But now he finds himself in enemy territory forced to prove himself to his new coach and teammates.

It starts with a dare. Seven minutes of heaven in a boat shed. But it quickly turns into something neither of them saw coming.

He’s everything she should resist.
She’s everything he shouldn’t want.
But neither of them are willing to walk away because together, their demons seem that little bit easier to silence.

There’s just one problem … Lily is the coach’s daughter.

And one hundred percent off-limits.

Book Review: Gleam by Raven Kennedy

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Gleam by Raven Kennedy 
Series: The Plated Prisoner, #3
Genre: Fantasy | Romance
Age Range: Adult
Format: Hardcover, 572 pages
Source: My Copy
Published on May 31, 2021
Raven Kennedy: Website | Instagram | Goodread
This review might contain spoilers.

Synopsis:
King Midas made me the woman I am today. Notorious. Unattainable. His.

The thing about being confined is that you believe it’s to keep the bad out… Until you realize it’s about keeping you in.

I’m now in a strange kingdom surrounded by liars, with no allies of my own, but I won’t sit idly by and let myself wither. No, there’s something that’s bloomed from the pit of my repression. Something dark. Something angry.

But the last thing I expected was for my anger to call out to him. King Ravinger.

He’s sinister and powerful and entirely too seductive. I’ve learned my lesson with trusting manipulative kings, so why does my chest constrict every time he’s near? I need to tread carefully, or I’m at risk of losing much more than just my freedom.

Regret and revenge war inside of me, and I need to figure out a plan fast before I get tangled up in the schemes of kings and queens.

Because I won’t be caught in a cage again. No, this time, It’ll be me setting the trap… I just hope my heart comes out of this unscathed.

Book Review: Glint by Raven Kennedy

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Gild by Raven Kennedy 
Series: The Plated Prisoner, #2
Genre: Fantasy | Romance
Age Range: Adult
Format: Hardcover, 374 pages
Source: My Copy
Published on October 18th 2021 by Raven Kennedy LLC
Raven Kennedy: Website | Instagram | Goodread
This review contains major spoilers.

Synopsis:
For ten years, I’ve lived in a gilded cage inside King Midas’s golden castle. But one night changed everything.

Now I’m here, a prisoner of Fourth Kingdom’s army, and I’m not sure if I’m going to make it out of this in one piece. They’re marching to battle, and I’m the bargaining chip that will either douse the fire or spark a war.

At the heart of my fear, my worry, there’s him—Commander Rip.

Known for his brutality on the battlefield, his viciousness is unsurpassed. But I know the truth about what he is.

Fae.

The betrayers. The murderers. The ones who nearly destroyed Orea, wiping out Seventh Kingdom in the process. Rip has power sizzling beneath this skin and glinting spikes down his spine. But his eyes—his eyes are the most compelling of all.

When he turns those black eyes on me, I feel captive for an entirely different reason.

I may be out of my cage, but I’m not free, not even close. In the game of kings and armies, I’m the gilded pawn. The question is, can I out maneuver them?

This is the captivating second book of The Plated Prisoner series. It’s an adult epic fantasy story blending romance, intrigue, and beautiful imagery. Return to the seductive story of magic inspired by the myth of King Midas, and get caught up in the world of Orea.

Please note: There is explicit language and romance in this book, not suitable for those under the age of 18.

Book Review: Titan by Jillian Graves

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Titan by Jillian Graves 
Series: Romancing His Stone, #1
Genre: Fantasy | Romance | Paranormal
Age Range: Adult Audience
Format: Paperback
Source: My Copy
Published on June 15th 2022
Jillian Graves: Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Synopsis:
Living, breathing gargoyles shouldn’t exist. Julianna should be running for the door. But the way he looks at her… and touches her… awakens new desires.

When former child star Julianna Novak loses everything to her shady managers, she’ll do whatever it takes to win her independence back, even if it means rushing to find a new sugar daddy. When Titan, a wealthy businessman, makes her an offer she can’t refuse, she soon realizes he may not be what he seems. His curved horns, massive wings, and ribbed prehensile tail are, however, more than she ever bargained for.

Leader of the last surviving gargoyles, Titan knows what desperation looks like, and he recognizes it in Julianna. The heavy weight she carries is one he’s able to bear—and one he finds he wants to.

Julianna needs a Daddy, and Titan is ready to be the firm hand—and more—she needs.

When his missing supernatural artifact and her financial troubles unexpectedly align, Titan and Julianna find that a single night together won’t be enough. Confronted by old enemies, the diverging paths they once followed may no longer be the destiny their hearts desire.