AJ's bookshelf: all en-US Fri, 04 Apr 2025 05:56:37 -0700 60 AJ's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Beautiful Little Freaks: A Gatsby Retelling]]> 219834631 From top three amazon bestselling author Tylor Paige, comes a new horror romance about two star-crossed lovers whose love for a tale told 100 years ago convinces them to rewrite the ending, no matter the cost.

Gatsby-
The world has found me guilty of heinous crimes that aren't mine.
I've been called the beautiful monster. A man with a craving for flesh, but darling, it's not your liver I want.
It’s your heart.
You were the first person to look past my pretty face and see into my soul.
With your messages, you soothed a brewing beast, and allowed me to dream of a life greater than what I had. Please, understand, to get my shot at my dream, my green light, I needed to take the fall for this. But I know you're waiting for me, Daisy. And if you aren’t? If you’ve met someone else? Well, that will be rectified.



Daisy-
I had no one, until you.
Isolated, I was the ballerina trapped in a jewelry box, hidden away from a world deemed too cruel. You helped me escape my golden prison; but the moment we were free, you chose a path so shocking that even speaking of your crimes sends me spiraling-- and not in the way a prima ballerina is meant to.
You ask me to wait. That when you get out, all the people who have wronged you will get what is earned, but how long do I put my life on pause for someone on death row?

What exactly am I waiting for? Your dream, or mine?


Beautiful Little Freaks is a horror romance retelling. It features one couple, and has an HEA. ]]> 530 Tylor Paige AJ 4 4.69 Beautiful Little Freaks: A Gatsby Retelling
author: Tylor Paige
name: AJ
average rating: 4.69
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/04
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves:
review:

]]> Devious Secrets 229257188
The moment she walks into my club—dressed in a stolen uniform, carrying a tray of champagne—I know she doesn’t belong.
When I catch her in my office, stealing secrets, I give her a choice: tell me who sent her� or find out exactly what happens to those who cross a Volkov.

She’s fire and defiance wrapped in silk, and the harder she resists, the deeper my obsession sinks. I’m possessive. Overprotective. Dangerous. Now she’s in my bed, bound by my rules—and I don’t play fair.

She’s made enemies, and they’re closing in. But they’ll have to get through me first.

Because she’s mine now. And I don’t let go.]]> Measha Stone AJ 0 to-read 0.0 Devious Secrets
author: Measha Stone
name: AJ
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Kiss the Villain (Villain, #1)]]> 224108311 From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rina Kent comes a scorching standalone professor/student dark MM romance set in the world of Legacy of Gods.

My darkness meets a darker soul.

I’m a golden boy.
A genius law student, the heir to the Carson empire, and the dutiful son.
Or, at least, that's what it looks like from the outside.
Deep inside, I have the urge to set the world on fire.
I keep these impulses in check, rarely indulging in mayhem.
Until one night of debauchery backfires, and I'm caught by a villain.
I bury the entire ordeal with the rest of my skeletons.
That is, until that night walks into my classroom in the form of my new professor.
Kayden Lockwood.
A criminal who’s teaching criminal law.
I can't expose what he's done without unmasking my secret life.
What I can do, however, is force him to taste the poison he gave me.
In the clash of titans, Kayden and I break and crumble.
And I'm starting to realize this dangerous game may have no winners.

Kiss the Villain is a dark MM romance. Please check the author's note or visit the website for content warnings before diving in. While this book can be enjoyed as a standalone, diving into the Legacy of Gods series will give you a deeper connection to the characters.]]> 512 Rina Kent 1685451136 AJ 4 3.79 2025 Kiss the Villain (Villain, #1)
author: Rina Kent
name: AJ
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[By Sin I Rise: Part Two (Sins of the Fathers, #2)]]> 58987445
Marcella gave Maddox the impossible choice, and he chose her.
Still, she wonders if Maddox is ready to commit to a relationship, or if he’s scared of losing the uninhibited freedom his biker lifestyle offered him.

All his life Maddox knew who his enemies were, but suddenly he’s at a loss whom to trust. Will he ever find a place in Marcella’s life and family, or will old companions give him a new home and purpose?

Can enemies ever truly become lovers if the odds are against them?]]> 268 Cora Reilly AJ 0 3.52 2021 By Sin I Rise: Part Two (Sins of the Fathers, #2)
author: Cora Reilly
name: AJ
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Untitled (Five-Leaf Clover, #2)]]> 123225042 Cora Reilly AJ 0 to-read, waiting-for-release 4.71 Untitled (Five-Leaf Clover, #2)
author: Cora Reilly
name: AJ
average rating: 4.71
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: to-read, waiting-for-release
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Touch of Fate ( A Mafia Romance Standalone)]]> 228820602
After an unfortunate decision made in the past-- guilt and bitterness are Samuel’s constant companions. He doesn’t have time for emotional nonsense, and a bond to a woman only adds another unwanted obligation.

Nevertheless, Emma isn’t someone who resigns herself to her fate. She’s overcome much greater obstacles than a cold husband who’s determined to keep her at arm’s length.

Can Emma break through Samuel’s impenetrable walls? And if she does, can she live with what she discovers?]]> Cora Reilly AJ 0 to-read, waiting-for-release 4.89 2025 A Touch of Fate ( A Mafia Romance Standalone)
author: Cora Reilly
name: AJ
average rating: 4.89
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: to-read, waiting-for-release
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sinners Anonymous (Sinners Anonymous, #1)]]> 59818980
My name is Rory Carter and I do bad things.
There’s a charred soul under this angelic exterior and sometimes, I wonder if my weekly confessions to the Sinners Anonymous hotline will be enough to heal it.

Marrying the seventy-something head of the Cosa Nostra to save my father is the only good deed I’ve ever done.
I’m burning and bitter under the fake smile and tight dresses, but I was keeping it together.
Was.
Until my fiancé’s nephew turns up to dinner uninvited.

Angelo ‘Vicious' Visconti.
A beautiful monster with cheekbones as sharp as his tongue.
They say I shouldn’t be scared of him, because nine years ago, he went straight.
He’s barely a Made Man anymore.
But I say, he’s the most dangerous Visconti of all.
It’s not just because his cold sneer makes my pulse flutter.
Or the way his syrupy drawl trickles down my spine.
No. He holds all of my sins in his big, rough hands.
And the only sins darker than mine are his own.

DARK MAFIA ROMANCE - FORBIDDEN LOVE - AGE GAP - ENEMIES TO LOVERS]]> 348 Somme Sketcher AJ 0 3.82 2021 Sinners Anonymous (Sinners Anonymous, #1)
author: Somme Sketcher
name: AJ
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2022/04/07
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves:
review:

]]> Sin and Redemption 223589851 As an enforcer for the Famiglia, Maximus Trevisan has no trouble hurting others, but his life begins to unravel when he’s forced to hurt someone he’s meant to protect.
Sara’s plans for her future were simple. Marry the man she was promised to, have several children, and build a happy family. But when her life plans are ripped from her hands, she’s left with no choice but to marry Maximus. It’s the last thing she wants, but it’s a burden she’s willing to carry in order to protect her family’s honor. Yet the darkness from their past follows them.
Can they overcome their demons, or will they let it destroy them?]]> 260 Cora Reilly AJ 0 3.66 2025 Sin and Redemption
author: Cora Reilly
name: AJ
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Shadow Bride (The Scarlet Veil, #2)]]> 199635112 In the thrilling conclusion of the duology set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Serpent & Dove series by Shelby Mahurin, a vampire and the woman who tried to kill him prove that true love can conquer anything, even Death. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Mass.

Célie’s life is over. She took her final breath trying to save the people she loves—including the powerful and enigmatic vampire king, Michal, who refused to let her go. When Célie wakes, she cannot walk in the sun; she can hear her friends� heartbeats and she craves their blood. Michal has cursed her to the eternal existence of a vampire.

But Célie isn’t the only dead roaming the earth. Her sister, Filippa, has returned as a shadow of her former self, and other revenants are rising from their graves intent on revenge. The fragile balance between life and death has broken, awakening an even darker force—and he is coming for Célie, ready to claim her as his Bride. With the fate of their world at stake, Célie and Michal must set aside their searing attraction to mend the veil and right the balance, once and for all.]]> 624 Shelby Mahurin 0063258803 AJ 0 to-read 4.24 2025 The Shadow Bride (The Scarlet Veil, #2)
author: Shelby Mahurin
name: AJ
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Beauty and the Baller (Strangers in Love, #1)]]> 58661768 An NFL quarterback turned small-town coach gets sacked by a Texas beauty queen in this swoony, passionate romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills.

Gorgeous, talented, and brilliant, NFL quarterback Ronan Smith has the world in his hands. But after losing his career and his fiancée in a car accident, he falls into a pit of grief and bad choices. When a mysterious girl shows up to his party, he feels drawn to her and makes her his…for one night.

Former beauty queen Nova Morgan is on a mission. Scantily clad as a princess from a galaxy far, far away, she sneaks into a high-profile party to capture the attention of her favorite quarterback. But her hopes crash after an awful one-night stand.

Fast-forward two years. Broke and desperate, Nova returns home to Blue Belle, Texas, where, by a cosmic twist of fate, her broody neighbor is none other than Ronan, the shiny new football coach everyone adores. But he has no idea who she is.

The booster club keeps shoving women at Ronan to keep him in town. His solution? He proposes fake dating to Nova. But things heat up for real under these Friday-night lights when he realizes she’s the one who slipped away.

Has this jaded beauty found her forever baller, or will his past keep them apart?]]> 307 Ilsa Madden-Mills 1542034787 AJ 3 Thank you to socialbutterflypr for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

This story was sweet, funny and gave me a warm, heartfelt southern feeling that I really enjoyed.

I enjoyed the chemistry between Ronan and Nova, their banter, their instant connection and the way they helped each other get over past traumas.

The only thing that really bugged me was a decision the hero had to make towards the end. Sometimes it’s ok for hero’s to pick something they want, instead of sacrificing it for the heroine. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed where they ended up at the end.

4/5 ✰’s]]> 4.07 2022 Beauty and the Baller (Strangers in Love, #1)
author: Ilsa Madden-Mills
name: AJ
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2022/03/14
date added: 2024/12/19
shelves:
review:
Thank you to socialbutterflypr for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

This story was sweet, funny and gave me a warm, heartfelt southern feeling that I really enjoyed.

I enjoyed the chemistry between Ronan and Nova, their banter, their instant connection and the way they helped each other get over past traumas.

The only thing that really bugged me was a decision the hero had to make towards the end. Sometimes it’s ok for hero’s to pick something they want, instead of sacrificing it for the heroine. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed where they ended up at the end.

4/5 ✰’s
]]> Phantasma (Wicked Games, #1) 204593914 Caraval meets Throne of the Fallen in this spicy dark romantasy where a necromancer needs help from a dangerous phantom to win a deadly competition, only to find their partnership puts her at risk of breaking the game’s most vital rule: don't fall in love.

When Ophelia and her sister discovers their mother brutally murdered, there is no time to grieve: Ophelia has inherited both her powerful death-driven magic and enormous debt on their home. Circumstances go from dire to deadly, however, when Ophelia’s sister decides to pay off the loan by entering Phantasma—a competition where most contestants don’t make it out alive and the winner is granted a single wish.

The only way to save her sister is to compete. But Phantasma is a cursed manor, with twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, and filled with enticing demons and fatal temptations. Ophelia will need to face nine floors of challenges to win... if her fears don’t overtake her first.

When a charming, arrogant stranger claims he can protect and guide Ophelia, she knows she shouldn’t trust him. While Blackwell may not seem dangerous, appearances can be deceptive. But with her sister’s life on the line, Ophelia can’t afford to turn him away. She just needs to ignore the overwhelming, dark attraction drawing them closer and closer together.

Because in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart.]]> 497 Kaylie Smith 1538769255 AJ 0 to-read 4.06 2024 Phantasma (Wicked Games, #1)
author: Kaylie Smith
name: AJ
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Throne of Secrets (Prince of Sin, #2)]]> 204593559 A wicked prince determined to save his kingdom.

Gabriel Axton—infamous as the Prince of Gluttony, the self-proclaimed rake of rakes—has always lived for indulgence: in delicious food, in tantalizing women, and most of all, in the thrill of the hunt, where his love of danger can take over. But when his favorite adventure takes a deadly turn, he realizes something is very wrong in his demon court. With the clock ticking, he must turn to the only one who might uncover the truth: a journalist he has spent a decade avoiding�

A reporter hell-bent on finding the truth.

Adriana Saint Lucent has been on the hunt for years—if she could just report something damning enough about that no-good scoundrel Gabriel Axton, she knows others would finally see the demon as she does. But she never expected to turn up a rumor too terrifying to be believed: could the ice dragons to the north be growing restless? Drawn into the secrets of the Underworld, Adriana’s investigation leads her into the place she dreads most� Axton’s infamous court.

A dangerous rivalry—and deliciously twisted fairy tale.

To stop darkness from falling over their kingdom, Axton and Adriana will have to unite against an escalating danger. But with each holding tight to their own secrets, can they find the truth before it’s too late? And what will they do with an equally troubling rumor: that they might not actually hate one another, after all?

Two rivals torn apart by a dark memory reunite on a deadly hunt—and in an irresistibly twisted fairy tale—in the next steamy standalone fantasy romance from New York Times bestselling sensation Kerri Maniscalco.]]> 502 Kerri Maniscalco 0316557544 AJ 4 3.89 2024 Throne of Secrets (Prince of Sin, #2)
author: Kerri Maniscalco
name: AJ
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/28
date added: 2024/11/28
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fighting Destiny (The Fae Chronicles, #1)]]> 20589295
Welcome to my world.

What started out as a strange assignment, lead to one of the most gruesome murder mysteries of our times. My friends and I are set and determined to find out who is killing off Fae and Witches alike.

Couple of problems in the way � I hate the Fae and the Prince of the Dark Fae is bound and determined that I work for him. He’s a rude, overbearing egotistical ass with a compulsive need to possess, dominate and control me. Oh—did I mention that he is absolutely sex-on-a-stick gorgeous and he makes me feel things that I never ever wanted to feel for a Fae... every time he touches me or looks at me with those dangerous golden eyes he seems to pull me further in under his spell, despite my better judgment.

My friends and I can’t trust anyone and nothing is as it seems on the surface—not even me.]]> 392 Amelia Hutchins 0991190912 AJ 4 ”It means, did he look in your blue eyes and touch you inside. Love is more than just feeling something, it's the connection of two souls that intertwine and cannot be without the other. It's not just saying you love someone—it’s showing them with every fucking breath you take, every look. It just is, simple as that. That kind of love doesn't die. It withers the soul without the other to keep it alive. Eventually, it turns you bitter and cynical.�

I’ve had a major book hangover since finishing Flames of Chaos (which is by the same author) and when I tried to read this book the first time, I gave up. I didn’t think I’d like it. Boy was I wrong! A special thank you to Haley for recommending I give it another try. You were totally right and I thank you!!

This book was HOT and although the smut scenes weren’t as good as FOC, they were still good. At this point in my life I’ve excepted the fact that I’m saving myself for a Faerie male. I won’t settle for anything less!

There were a few predictable “twists�, like the whole Adrian thing but those didn’t take away from the stories interesting plot. I did have a problem with quite a few characters. Nothing major, just annoying things about them. Syn isn’t my favorite MC but hopefully that changes as I continue the series.

I have so many questions and I can’t wait for them to get answered. Book two won’t be delivered until Tuesday, unfortunately!!

4/5 ]]> 4.05 2013 Fighting Destiny (The Fae Chronicles, #1)
author: Amelia Hutchins
name: AJ
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2020/05/22
date added: 2024/11/02
shelves:
review:
”It means, did he look in your blue eyes and touch you inside. Love is more than just feeling something, it's the connection of two souls that intertwine and cannot be without the other. It's not just saying you love someone—it’s showing them with every fucking breath you take, every look. It just is, simple as that. That kind of love doesn't die. It withers the soul without the other to keep it alive. Eventually, it turns you bitter and cynical.�

I’ve had a major book hangover since finishing Flames of Chaos (which is by the same author) and when I tried to read this book the first time, I gave up. I didn’t think I’d like it. Boy was I wrong! A special thank you to Haley for recommending I give it another try. You were totally right and I thank you!!

This book was HOT and although the smut scenes weren’t as good as FOC, they were still good. At this point in my life I’ve excepted the fact that I’m saving myself for a Faerie male. I won’t settle for anything less!

There were a few predictable “twists�, like the whole Adrian thing but those didn’t take away from the stories interesting plot. I did have a problem with quite a few characters. Nothing major, just annoying things about them. Syn isn’t my favorite MC but hopefully that changes as I continue the series.

I have so many questions and I can’t wait for them to get answered. Book two won’t be delivered until Tuesday, unfortunately!!

4/5
]]> <![CDATA[A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3.5)]]> 31076583 229 Sarah J. Maas 168119631X AJ 4 I read this amazing series before I started leaving writing reviews on ŷ. I've decided it's time to go ahead and write my reviews! Better late than never right? :)

"And in the end, though, we'd saved each other. All of us had."

I thought this book was perfect to holding us over and tying up into the next book. I remember screaming because of how happy I was to learn Nesta and Cassian would be getting their own book.

I also liked seeing how everyone was dealing with the aftermaths of the war. Of course Feyre and Rhys special scene was the icing on the cake!

4/5 ]]> 3.77 2019 A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3.5)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: AJ
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2019/07/11
date added: 2024/07/02
shelves:
review:
I read this amazing series before I started leaving writing reviews on ŷ. I've decided it's time to go ahead and write my reviews! Better late than never right? :)

"And in the end, though, we'd saved each other. All of us had."

I thought this book was perfect to holding us over and tying up into the next book. I remember screaming because of how happy I was to learn Nesta and Cassian would be getting their own book.

I also liked seeing how everyone was dealing with the aftermaths of the war. Of course Feyre and Rhys special scene was the icing on the cake!

4/5
]]> <![CDATA[God of War (Legacy of Gods, #6)]]> 203146594 A standalone enemies-to-lovers, marriage of convenience romance.

I fell for the villain.
It happened back when I was a clueless girl.
But he ruthlessly broke my heart and trapped it in a jar.
Since then, I’ve sworn to hate him to the end of my days.
Eli King might be a savage devil, but I’m out of his way. And league.
That is until I wake up in a hospital and find him holding my hand.
He tells me the words that change my life forever.
“We got married two years ago, Mrs. King.�
So I set out to investigate how I landed myself into this marriage.
Turns out, my memories are darker than my present.
I thought I was ready for the hurricane.
I thought I could handle his soulless eyes and cold shoulder.
I thought wrong.
Nothing can stop my husband.
Not the secrets surrounding us.
Not the hatred between us.
Not even me.

This book can be read on its own, but for a better understanding of the world, you might want to start with God of Malice.]]> 488 Rina Kent AJ 4 4.20 2024 God of War (Legacy of Gods, #6)
author: Rina Kent
name: AJ
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/13
date added: 2024/06/14
shelves:
review:
Eli and Ava’s story was different than any other book in the
]]> <![CDATA[By Frenzy I Ruin (Sins of the Fathers, #5)]]> 210444471
Nevio Falcone is darkness. It seeps from his pores. It’s where his monster comes out to play to satisfy its cravings. Until he starts to crave something other than the one woman he shouldn’t pursue - Aurora.

What Nevio craves, he ruins. He told her to keep her distance. Now it’s too late to run away. Consequences be damned.]]> 418 Cora Reilly AJ 0
By Feenzy I Ruin is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Watching a character who thinks he’s not sane enough for love, realize he’s worth all the love.

I enjoyed seeing other Falcone family members and getting a glimpse of what they’ve been up to. It felt like a reunion!

Merged review:

Remo has always been my favorite character and I was excited to see if Nevio would take his number one spot.

By Feenzy I Ruin is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Watching a character who thinks he’s not sane enough for love, realize he’s worth all the love.

I enjoyed seeing other Falcone family members and getting a glimpse of what they’ve been up to. It felt like a reunion!

Merged review:

Remo has always been my favorite character and I was excited to see if Nevio would take his number one spot.

By Feenzy I Ruin is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Watching a character who thinks he’s not sane enough for love, realize he’s worth all the love.

I enjoyed seeing other Falcone family members and getting a glimpse of what they’ve been up to. It felt like a reunion!]]> 3.37 2024 By Frenzy I Ruin (Sins of the Fathers, #5)
author: Cora Reilly
name: AJ
average rating: 3.37
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at: 2024/03/26
date added: 2024/04/10
shelves:
review:
Remo has always been my favorite character and I was excited to see if Nevio would take his number one spot.

By Feenzy I Ruin is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Watching a character who thinks he’s not sane enough for love, realize he’s worth all the love.

I enjoyed seeing other Falcone family members and getting a glimpse of what they’ve been up to. It felt like a reunion!

Merged review:

Remo has always been my favorite character and I was excited to see if Nevio would take his number one spot.

By Feenzy I Ruin is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Watching a character who thinks he’s not sane enough for love, realize he’s worth all the love.

I enjoyed seeing other Falcone family members and getting a glimpse of what they’ve been up to. It felt like a reunion!

Merged review:

Remo has always been my favorite character and I was excited to see if Nevio would take his number one spot.

By Feenzy I Ruin is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Watching a character who thinks he’s not sane enough for love, realize he’s worth all the love.

I enjoyed seeing other Falcone family members and getting a glimpse of what they’ve been up to. It felt like a reunion!
]]> <![CDATA[The Scarlet Veil (The Scarlet Veil, #1)]]> 60386342 This dark and thrilling vampire romance—set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Serpent & Dove series—is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas!

Célie Tremblay has always been a good girl: kind and beautiful, a daughter of whom every parent would be proud. She surprises the entire kingdom when she defies tradition to become the first huntswoman—including her new captain and fiancé, Jean Luc, who rules the huntsmen with an iron fist. He isn’t the only one concerned for Célie’s safety, however. Though her friends try to protect her from the horrors of her past, mysterious whispers still haunt her, and a new evil is rising in Belterra—leaving bodies in its wake, each one drained of blood.

Determined to prove herself in her new role, Célie tracks the killer to the lair of Les Éternels—ancient creatures only spoken about in nursery rhymes—and catches the attention of their king, a monster who hides his plans for her behind beautiful words and sharp smiles. Now Célie has new reason to fear the dark because the closer he gets, the more tempted she feels to give in to his dark hunger—and her own.]]> 640 Shelby Mahurin 0063258757 AJ 0 to-read 4.11 2023 The Scarlet Veil (The Scarlet Veil, #1)
author: Shelby Mahurin
name: AJ
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Ippos King (Wraith Kings, #3)]]> 43627091
Plagued by guilt and nightmares, Serovek Pangion sets out to deliver the soulless body of the monk Megiddo to the heretical Jeden Order for safekeeping. Accompanying him is sha-Anhuset, the Kai woman he admires and desires most--a woman barely tolerant of him.

Devoted to her regent, Anhuset reluctantly agrees to act as a Kai ambassador on the trip, even though the bold margrave known as the Beladine Stallion gets under her skin like no other, and Anhuset fears he'll worm his way into her armored heart as well.

But guilt and unwelcome attraction are the least of their problems. The demons thought vanquished are stirring again, and a warlord with blood-soaked ambition turns a journey of compassion into a fight for survival. When the Beladine king brands Serovek a traitor, Anhuset must choose between sacrificing the life of a man she's grown to love and abandoning lifelong fealty to the Kai people.

A tale of loyalty and acceptance.]]> 437 Grace Draven AJ 0 to-read 4.14 2020 The Ippos King (Wraith Kings, #3)
author: Grace Draven
name: AJ
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Trap: A Dark Romantic Thriller]]> 202973791 The Trap is an ex's brother/ forced proximity/ spicy stand-alone novella intended for readers 18+. A detailed CW will be listed in the beginning of the book. *This is part of 'The Pasts That Haunt' series. It is NOT required that The Trick or The Treat be read prior to reading The Trap. All are interconnected standalones that can be read in any order. ]]> 344 N.J. Weeks AJ 0 to-read 4.20 The Trap: A Dark Romantic Thriller
author: N.J. Weeks
name: AJ
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Nomas King (Wraith Kings, #4)]]> 56520145 Grace Draven AJ 0 to-read 4.24 The Nomas King (Wraith Kings, #4)
author: Grace Draven
name: AJ
average rating: 4.24
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/03/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Savior's Champion (The Savior's Series, #1)]]> 42347766 562 Jenna Moreci 0999735209 AJ 4 favorites ”If everything looks good and pure, then nothing's truly beautiful. The ugliness is what makes beauty so distinct.�

I can’t believe how much I loved this book. I was a bit skeptical because I’ve seen more bad ratings than good, but I felt like I was watching a movie while reading this!

The thing I enjoyed the most was having a male as a MC. I can’t remember the last time I read a book with a male MC or from a males POV. So that was extremely dope to me! I also like how Tobias didn’t suffer from toxic masculinity and was honestly a feminist and I loved it!

The plot twist was honestly not shocking as I guessed it before I made it to the half way mark of the book. The clues and hints they give you make it obvious. Even though that part was predictable, it didn’t take away from the story at all.

The challenges in the book were so violent and detailed which I don’t mind one bit but if you don’t like reading about torture, blood shed, killing etc then this book is not for you.

I got teary eyed so many times while reading this. It seems the author decided to kill off all the likeable, sweet, good hearted guys and it crushed me every time. (At least Raphael got to leave without dying)

I think my main complaint would be the use of the word cock in this book. It was seriously overused and it started to become cringy after awhile.

There were so many questions left unanswered and the ending was left open, I’m guessing for a second book? Although I haven’t read anything about a second book. Overall I definitely enjoyed this and I recommend everyone read it!!

4/5 ]]> 3.75 2018 The Savior's Champion (The Savior's Series, #1)
author: Jenna Moreci
name: AJ
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2020/04/08
date added: 2024/02/28
shelves: favorites
review:
”If everything looks good and pure, then nothing's truly beautiful. The ugliness is what makes beauty so distinct.�

I can’t believe how much I loved this book. I was a bit skeptical because I’ve seen more bad ratings than good, but I felt like I was watching a movie while reading this!

The thing I enjoyed the most was having a male as a MC. I can’t remember the last time I read a book with a male MC or from a males POV. So that was extremely dope to me! I also like how Tobias didn’t suffer from toxic masculinity and was honestly a feminist and I loved it!

The plot twist was honestly not shocking as I guessed it before I made it to the half way mark of the book. The clues and hints they give you make it obvious. Even though that part was predictable, it didn’t take away from the story at all.

The challenges in the book were so violent and detailed which I don’t mind one bit but if you don’t like reading about torture, blood shed, killing etc then this book is not for you.

I got teary eyed so many times while reading this. It seems the author decided to kill off all the likeable, sweet, good hearted guys and it crushed me every time. (At least Raphael got to leave without dying)

I think my main complaint would be the use of the word cock in this book. It was seriously overused and it started to become cringy after awhile.

There were so many questions left unanswered and the ending was left open, I’m guessing for a second book? Although I haven’t read anything about a second book. Overall I definitely enjoyed this and I recommend everyone read it!!

4/5
]]> <![CDATA[Throne of the Fallen (Prince of Sin, #1)]]> 73071451 Sinner. Villain. Wicked.

The Prince of Envy has never claimed to be a saint. But when a cryptic note arrives, signaling the beginning of a deadly game, he knows it will take more than a hint of sin to win and save his falling demon court. Riddles, hexed objects, anonymous players, nothing will stand in his way, though none of his meticulous plans prepare him for her, the frustrating artist who ignites his sin like no other�

Virtuous. Darling. Liar.

The trouble with scoundrels and blackguards is that they haven’t a modicum of honor, a fact Miss Camilla Antonius learns after one desperate mistake allows Waverly Green’s most notorious rake to blackmail her. To avoid a ruinous scandal, Camilla is forced to enter a devil’s bargain with Envy, little expecting his game will awaken her true nature...

Together, Envy and Camilla must embark on a perilous journey through the Underworld—from glittering demon courts to the sultry vampire realm and beyond—while trying to avoid the most dangerous trap of all: falling in love.]]> 612 Kerri Maniscalco 031655751X AJ 4 4.00 2023 Throne of the Fallen (Prince of Sin, #1)
author: Kerri Maniscalco
name: AJ
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/28
date added: 2024/02/28
shelves:
review:

]]> The Trick 178183952 Think Sleepy Hollow meets nostalgic 00s slasher vibes but make it sexy with a modern day gothic strip club & revenge plot that will make you scream...

Ah, Halloween…what a delightfully wicked time of year.



But for some people, like Blair Van Tassel, it comes with a haunting reminder of the past she is trying to put behind her.



And this Halloween, it marks the 15th anniversary of when she set up her Instant Messenger friend: Boogeyman_Of_Haddonfield_31to take the fall for a crime she committed.



She thought her plan was fool proof. Lure him to the scene of the crime just in time for him to leave fingerprints on the weapon, leading the murderous trail that she started to him.



But that’s the thing with the internet.



Do you ever really know who is on the other side of the screen?



Can you even fathom what domino effect can begin by simply screwing with the wrong person?



These are things Blair never considered.



She thought she set up Boogeyman_Of_Haddonfield_31 but what she really started was a war with Maddox Crane.



The mad man of Sleepy Hollow. Who has an insatiable taste for blood.



And this Halloween, all paths will lead him to the one who betrayed him and in a town that thrives on a good fright, Blair better hope that her screams are heard and aren’t buried within the landscape of Halloween night.



That is, if she even survives it.]]> N.J. Weeks AJ 4 4.00 2023 The Trick
author: N.J. Weeks
name: AJ
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/15
date added: 2024/02/15
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Beyond the Temptation Volume Two]]> 195699186

Enemies to lovers
Small town romance
Forbidden love
Opposites attract
Dark Romance
Age Gap
Mafia
Angst
M/M
& more

The attending authors of Beyond the Read Author Event bring you a collection of short stories packed full of sizzling chemistry and heart-pounding romance guaranteed to leave you breathless.

Beyond the Temptation Volume Two is a limited-edition anthology collection and all proceeds will go to Braach Shepherds 4 Veterans, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity.

Authors
Helen Hardt, Chelle Bliss, Nina Levine, Emma Dean, Ellie Wade, C. J. Pinard, Kristine Allen, Jenn D. Young & Lola Dawson, Cora Kenborn, Harlow Layne, EM Shue, Kate Stacy, Chelle C. Craze & Eli Abbott, Winter Paige, William Joseph, Savana Jade, Annika Paige, Alandra Knight, TL Mayhew & A.N. Waugh, and CM Smith]]> Helen Hardt AJ 5
Illicit acts was thrilling, super spicy and left me on the edge of my seat. I can’t wait to read the full story!

Illicit acts - 5/5 ✰’s]]> 4.54 2024 Beyond the Temptation Volume Two
author: Helen Hardt
name: AJ
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/14
date added: 2024/02/15
shelves:
review:
I read Illicit acts by Cora Kenborn and I’ve been craving more of the story since I finished. We got to see characters from one of her past books and it was so satisfying to learn what they’ve been up to!

Illicit acts was thrilling, super spicy and left me on the edge of my seat. I can’t wait to read the full story!

Illicit acts - 5/5 ✰’s
]]> <![CDATA[Phantom (Tattered Curtain, #1)]]> 60717184 A dark, modern, romantic retelling of the musical classic, Phantom of the Opera.
But this time, the man behind the mask won’t stop until she is his.

She is my muse, and I am her demon of music.

A year ago, I witnessed sweet Scarlett Day’s dark side. She’s been my obsession ever since.

I was content with being her secret. Content with protecting her from afar� until an enemy from my past sets his sights on her.

Our families have a deep history of hatred, and Scarlett is caught in the middle.

Meanwhile, her mind plays tricks on her. When a panic attack goes horribly wrong, I emerge from the shadows to save her.

Now that she’s mine, I can’t let her go.

I’ve mastered the darkness. She tempts me with her light.

But when my mask is gone, will she fear the monster underneath?

PHANTOM is a spicy story set in modern-day New Orleans and a complete STANDALONE in the Tattered Curtain series. Guaranteed HEA.

Trigger Warning: complications with mental health (FMC has bipolar disorder type one), dementia, severe psychotic depression, conversations about suicide; dubcon between MCs; physical violence, murder, torture (not between MCs), reference to SA, reference to CSA; loss of a father; substance misuse; stalking
]]> 408 Greer Rivers AJ 3 3.91 2022 Phantom (Tattered Curtain, #1)
author: Greer Rivers
name: AJ
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/02/12
date added: 2024/02/12
shelves:
review:

]]> Rouge (Tattered Curtain, #2) 63077277
The Garde values four ideals: The Truth we twist. The Beauty we flaunt. The Freedom we grant. The Power we take.

I believed their lies until Lacey O'Shea.

She’s the only daughter of the Garde's leading family, and she was meant to be mine. But her father stole her from me to sell to another.

So I stole her back.

But there's more to the conspiracy that kept us apart, and we have to keep our relationship secret from her former fiancé, the Baron, to find the truth.

He wants to lock her away, but she’s a bird desperate to flee her gilded cage.

I'll fight the Baron, the Garde, and the whole damn world to free her.

ROUGE is a spicy story set in modern-day Las Vegas and a complete STANDALONE in the Tattered Curtain series. Guaranteed HEA.

Author’s Note: This is not a retelling. The Tattered Curtain series transforms classic tragic plays, such as Romeo & Juliet, La Dame aux Camélias, and Orpheus and Eurydice, into dark and twisty HEAs. All CWs/TWs can be found in the front of the book, the author’s website, or on ŷ. Mature readers only.]]> 450 Greer Rivers AJ 4 4.01 2023 Rouge (Tattered Curtain, #2)
author: Greer Rivers
name: AJ
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/09
date added: 2024/02/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dreadful (Tattered Curtain #3)]]> 198985429
Then Talia entered the stage.

I’m the barber’s son. The Boss� nephew. A prince without a throne and only revenge to fuel me.

She’s the bakers� granddaughter. Sweet Tallie. Their dolce nipotina. My vipera.

My desires have always stopped at vengeance. She’s made me want more. But my vendetta will destroy everything in my path, and I won’t risk bringing her into my world.

I never suspected she’d snake her way in on her own.

I craved a bite of her sugar and spice, but my little vipera is fangs and venom.

Now all I want is to be bitten.]]> 416 Greer Rivers AJ 4 3.98 Dreadful (Tattered Curtain #3)
author: Greer Rivers
name: AJ
average rating: 3.98
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/06
date added: 2024/02/06
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City, #3)]]> 52857700
Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she's going to need all her wits about her to get home again. And that's no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust.

Hunt Athalar has found himself in some deep holes in his life, but this one might be the deepest of all. After a few brief months with everything he ever wanted, he's in the Asteri's dungeons again, stripped of his freedom and without a clue as to Bryce's fate. He's desperate to help her, but until he can escape the Asteri's leash, his hands are quite literally tied.

In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas's Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt's world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.]]> 835 Sarah J. Maas 1681193094 AJ 4 4.15 2024 House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City, #3)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: AJ
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/31
date added: 2024/01/31
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City, #2)]]> 40132775
The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone. But with the rebels chipping away at the Asteri’s power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels� plans, the choice becomes clear: stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what’s right. And they’ve never been very good at staying silent.

In this sexy, action-packed sequel to the #1 bestseller House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas weaves a captivating story of a world about to explode―and the people who will do anything to save it.]]> 805 Sarah J. Maas 1408884429 AJ 4
4/5 ✰’s]]> 4.41 2022 House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City, #2)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: AJ
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/02/17
date added: 2024/01/30
shelves:
review:
The plot twists. The reveals and revelations. The PAIRINGS. The FUCKING ENDING! Sarah is a genius. And the many connections between CC and ACOTAR have me truly intrigued and obsessed (as if I could get any more obsessed than before)

4/5 ✰’s
]]> <![CDATA[Fatal Obsession (Tales of Obsession, #2)]]> 160960426
One night with a stranger. It was supposed to be an anonymous experience with no victims. Except I found myself face-to-face with my nemesis, further escalating the tension between our quarreling families.

I was groomed to hate Damon Maxwell, but he insisted I was destined to be his. He was the last man who should’ve caught my attention, the man accused of doing my family wrong. They wanted revenge, and they wanted me to be the one to deliver it. With the red flags piling up against him, it was getting harder to deny them.

Was my family right to accuse him as the villain?

Or was the world right to label him the golden boy?

Who was right? Who was wrong? Most importantly, whodunit?

*Fatal Obsession can be read as a standalone or enjoyed after 5000 Nights of Obsession by Drethi A. Damon isn’t a normal romance hero and, in fact, shouldn't be considered a hero at all. Check the author's content warnings before proceeding in case his actions offend you.]]> 488 Drethi A. AJ 4 4.06 Fatal Obsession (Tales of Obsession, #2)
author: Drethi A.
name: AJ
average rating: 4.06
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/08
date added: 2024/01/08
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Untitled (Tales of Obsession, #3)]]> 204537995 Blurb Coming Soon 0 Drethi A. AJ 0 to-read 5.00 Untitled (Tales of Obsession, #3)
author: Drethi A.
name: AJ
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[5000 Nights of Obsession (Tales of Obsession, #1)]]> 124941172
I felt his eyes on me everywhere I went.
I recognized his smell lingering within my home.
I even sensed his presence in my sleep.
It was too late by the time I found the monster hiding under my bed. He had wedged himself into my life, cornering me with nowhere to run.

The worst part?
The world adored him, but no one knew the devil lurking underneath the beautiful mask—no one except for me.

Manipulative, cold, and remorseless, Axel Trimalchio was a certified psychopath hiding in plain sight. He was fixated on me and would never stop chasing me.
He was determined to make me his... even though I already belonged to someone else.
.
*This book isn't listed in the Romance category, and Axel shouldn't be considered a hero. Check the author's complete content warnings before proceeding.]]> 343 Drethi Anis AJ 4 3.84 5000 Nights of Obsession (Tales of Obsession, #1)
author: Drethi Anis
name: AJ
average rating: 3.84
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/02
date added: 2024/01/02
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Anti-Hero (The Goode Brothers, #1)]]> 129170836 366 Sara Cate AJ 4 4.02 2023 The Anti-Hero (The Goode Brothers, #1)
author: Sara Cate
name: AJ
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/01
date added: 2024/01/01
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Restless Stars (Zodiac Academy, #9)]]> 198954263 Orphans. Changelings. Princesses. Queens.
We are all and nothing now, our fate weighed on the scales of the stars and counterbalanced by the forces that oppose us. The shadow of the false king spreads as thick as oil across the kingdom we were born to rule, and none remain untouched by its darkness. Our crowns lay within reach if only we can claim them. All souls are at risk now and when the final battle dawns, a new regime will rise. The time for the true reckoning is upon us and we have proven ourselves as savage as our father, as brutal as our mother, and as wild as the Elements which roar through our veins. We can only hope it is enough. When the last sword strikes the final death in this game of fate and fortune, only one side will be victorious. The Starfall Legion charges at first light. And our destiny rides upon our shoulders as we rush into the end. All hail the True Queens. May our rule last longer than this night.

***This is a dark fantasy romance � don’t go expecting a sweet school for magic with friends around every corner. Fae fight for everything they own and Zodiac Academy is a cutthroat school for students aged 18+ where only the strongest prevail. There’s no Dumbledore here to save anyone’s ass and Lionel Acrux will give Voldemort a run for his money in the evil dictator category. So hold onto your stardust (broomsticks not required) and get ready for a bumpy ride***]]> 1153 Caroline Peckham AJ 0 to-read 4.28 2024 Restless Stars (Zodiac Academy, #9)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: AJ
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/12/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[God of Ruin (Legacy of Gods, #4)]]> 63346945 After careful planning, I gave the man who messed with my family a taste of his own medicine.
I thought it’d end there.
It didn’t.
Landon King is a genius artist, a posh rich boy, and my worst nightmare.
He’s decided that I’m the new addition to his chess game.
Too bad for him, I’m no pawn.
If he hits, I hit back, twice as hard and with the same hostility.
He says he’ll ruin me.
Little does he know that ruination goes both ways.

This book is a dark unconventional romance and contains themes that aren't to everyone's liking. Please check the author's note for content warnings before reading.]]> 430 Rina Kent AJ 4 favorites 4.18 2023 God of Ruin (Legacy of Gods, #4)
author: Rina Kent
name: AJ
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/10/08
date added: 2023/12/07
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> <![CDATA[God of Fury (Legacy of Gods, #5)]]> 197769061 From USA Today bestselling author Rina Kent comes a new STANDALONE MM college romance.

I’m not attracted to men.
Or so I thought before I slammed into Nikolai Sokolov.
A mafia heir, a notorious bastard, and a violent monster.
An ill-fated meeting puts me in his path.
And just like that, he has his sights set on me.
A quiet artist, a golden boy, and his enemy’s twin brother.
He doesn’t seem to care that the odds are stacked against us.
In fact, he sets out to break my steel-like control and blur my limits.
I thought my biggest worry was being noticed by Nikolai.
I’m learning the hard way that being wanted by this beautiful nightmare is much worse.

This book can be read on its own, but for a better understanding of the world, you might want to start with God of Malice.]]> 522 Rina Kent AJ 5 favorites 4.54 2023 God of Fury (Legacy of Gods, #5)
author: Rina Kent
name: AJ
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/12/06
date added: 2023/12/07
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> The Dare (Losers, #0.5) 56635834 Warning: This erotica contains scenes and elements that may be disturbing to some readers. Please review the full content warning below.


Jessica Martin is not a nice girl.

As Prom Queen and Captain of the cheer squad, she'd ruled her school mercilessly, looking down her nose at everyone she deemed unworthy. The most unworthy of them all? The "freak," Manson Reed: her favorite victim.

But a lot changes after high school.

A freak like him never should have ended up at the same Halloween party as her. He never should have been able to beat her at a game of Drink or Dare. He never should have been able to humiliate her in front of everyone. Losing the game means taking the dare: a dare to serve Manson for the entire night as his slave. It's a dare that Jessica's pride - and curiosity - won't allow her to refuse. What ensues is a dark game of pleasure and pain, fear and desire.

Is it only a game?
Only revenge?
Only a dare?
Or is it something more?



This dark erotic novella is written in First Person POV and is about 32k words in length.


This book contains intense fantasy scenes of hard kinks/edgeplay, graphic sex, and harsh language. It is intended only for an adult audience.

Beware: this is a dark, weird, kinky read. The activities depicted therein are dangerous and are not meant to be an example of realistic BDSM. Reader discretion is advised.


Kinks/Fetishes within: erotic humiliation, fearplay, painplay, knifeplay, consensual non-consent (CNC), orgasm denial, boot worship, spanking, crying, blowjobs, clowns, group sexual activities, spit, bondage, public play, bloodplay.]]> 133 Harley Laroux AJ 3 3.47 2019 The Dare (Losers, #0.5)
author: Harley Laroux
name: AJ
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2022/12/04
date added: 2023/12/06
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Betrayed Honor (Ivanov Crime Family #3)]]> 58052326 That was if I didn't get to her first.
She's the protected little sister of the powerful Ivanov Russian mafia family - the very definition of forbidden.
It’s always been my job, as their Head of Security, to watch over her but never to touch.
That ends today.
She disobeyed me and put herself in danger.
It was time to take her in hand.
I’m the only one who can save her and I will fight anyone who tries to stop me, including her brothers.
Honor and loyalty be damned.
She’s mine now.]]> 280 Zoe Blake AJ 0 4.19 2021 Betrayed Honor (Ivanov Crime Family #3)
author: Zoe Blake
name: AJ
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2021/12/22
date added: 2023/12/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Vicious Oath (Ivanov Crime Family #2)]]> 56142373 She’s too smart for her own good, and it’s going to get her killed.
Against my better judgement, I put her under the protection of my powerful Russian mafia family.

So imagine my anger when the little minx ran.
For three long years I’ve been on her trail, always one step behind.
Finding and claiming her had become an obsession.
It was getting harder to rein in my driving need to possess her� to own her.

But now the chase was over.
I’ve found her.
Soon she will be mine.
And I plan to make it official, even if I have to drag her kicking and screaming to the altar.
This time� there will be no escape from me.]]> 324 Zoe Blake AJ 4 4.21 2021 Vicious Oath (Ivanov Crime Family #2)
author: Zoe Blake
name: AJ
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2021/12/16
date added: 2023/12/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Savage Vow (Ivanov Crime Family, #1)]]> 55781322 She was far too young and naïve to be betrothed to a monster like me.
I would bring only pain and darkness into her sheltered world.

That’s why she ran.
I should’ve just let her go�
She never asked to marry into a powerful Russian mafia family.
None of this was her choice.

Unfortunately for her, I don’t care.
I own her� and after three years of searching� I’ve found her.
My runaway bride was about to learn disobedience has consequences� punishing ones.

Having her in my arms and under my control had become an obsession.
Nothing was going to keep me from claiming her before the eyes of God and man.
She’s finally mine now� and I’m never letting her go.

Special Preorder price of $.99c only available for a limited time.]]> 299 Zoe Blake AJ 5 3.84 2021 Savage Vow (Ivanov Crime Family, #1)
author: Zoe Blake
name: AJ
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2021/12/07
date added: 2023/12/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[You Beautiful Thing, You (Bad Boys of Bardstown, #1)]]> 61329105
No, her biological clock isn’t ticking, but she’s desperate for unconditional love. Rejected by all except her brother and soon to be married off by her father for financial gain, she aches for someone to hold close and call hers.

Enter Ledger Thorne. Soccer god, devastatingly handsome and her brother’s rival.

Once upon a time they had a thing. A beautiful thing. But while Tempest thought she was madly in love, Ledger was only using her for petty revenge.

So Tempest has a plan: seduce the sexy jerk who broke her heart, use him to get pregnant and then leave him in the dust like he left her, to marry a stranger.

Only the problem with making babies is that it doesn’t feel like revenge. It feels a lot like that thing they used to have: Hot and stormy, and intense and intimate.

But Tempest isn’t a fool. She’ll stick to the plan.

Because wasn’t it Ledger who turned their beautiful thing into something ugly?
Now it’s her turn�

NOTE: This is a STANDALONE set in the world of Bardstown, a St. Mary’s Rebels spin-off.]]> 0 Saffron A. Kent AJ 4 Thank you to the author for sending me an arc

First, let me say that I loved how “adult� this book is. The characters, dialogue, smut, etc all seemed like it was on another level and I loved every second of it.

Ledger is by far the most chaotic, scarred, unhinged hero Saffron has ever written. I was obsessed the moment he said �she’s mine�. My heart hurt for him so many times and his growth throughout the book was beautiful, all while staying true to his possessive nature.

I loved seeing characters from the St Mary’s Rebels series and I’m so excited to see what happens with all the little Easter eggs Saffron dropped in this book.

Full review to come after release

4/5 ✰’s]]> 3.29 2023 You Beautiful Thing, You (Bad Boys of Bardstown, #1)
author: Saffron A. Kent
name: AJ
average rating: 3.29
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/10/19
date added: 2023/10/22
shelves:
review:
Thank you to the author for sending me an arc

First, let me say that I loved how “adult� this book is. The characters, dialogue, smut, etc all seemed like it was on another level and I loved every second of it.

Ledger is by far the most chaotic, scarred, unhinged hero Saffron has ever written. I was obsessed the moment he said �she’s mine�. My heart hurt for him so many times and his growth throughout the book was beautiful, all while staying true to his possessive nature.

I loved seeing characters from the St Mary’s Rebels series and I’m so excited to see what happens with all the little Easter eggs Saffron dropped in this book.

Full review to come after release

4/5 ✰’s
]]> <![CDATA[The Devil of London (Red Flag #1)]]> 142265081 Now, I intended to topple his entire empire of sin down on his seductive, narcissistic head. Soon, he’ll understand why queens are a power piece on the chessboard. I’m about to remind him just how much damage an angry, vindictive woman can do.
Before humans walked the earth, Aderyn and I were creatures of darkness. She thinks I recently claimed her soul, but she has always been mine. Then the gods made her forget, punishing us both when she crossed them; allowing us to be near, but never together. Now, I planned to do anything to break the cycle and get her back for good. Even if the gods prevented me from giving her what she craved.

This book is not suitable for anyone under 18. It contains subject matter and scenes which may be difficult to read. Please see the authors warning inside cover before proceeding.]]> 325 Amelia Hutchins AJ 0 to-read 4.21 2023 The Devil of London (Red Flag #1)
author: Amelia Hutchins
name: AJ
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Darkness Within Us (The Shadows Between Us, #2)]]> 180634025 Chrysantha Stathos has won.
By hiding her intelligence and ambition behind the mask of a beautiful air-headed girl, she has become a wealthy duchess. And, once her elderly husband dies, she will have all the freedom, money, and safety she’s ever wanted.

Or so she thought.
A man claiming to be the estranged grandson of Chrysantha’s lecherous late husband has turned up to steal her inheritance. To make matters worse, her little sister is going to be queen and is rubbing it in her face.

Chrysantha decides that the only thing to do is upstage Alessandra at her own wedding. And as for this grandson, he has to go. Never mind that he’s extremely handsome and secretive with mysterious powers . . . No, Chrysantha wants Eryx Demos dead, and in the end, a Stathos girl always gets what she wants.]]> 331 Tricia Levenseller AJ 0 to-read, waiting-for-release
Merged review:

How did I not know about this book? How am I going to wait so long for this book?]]> 3.91 2024 The Darkness Within Us (The Shadows Between Us, #2)
author: Tricia Levenseller
name: AJ
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/19
shelves: to-read, waiting-for-release
review:
How did I not know about this book? How am I going to wait so long for this book?

Merged review:

How did I not know about this book? How am I going to wait so long for this book?
]]> <![CDATA[By Fate I Conquer (Sins of the Fathers, #4)]]> 63843944
Amo
Do you believe in love at first sight? In a love so strong and bright, it ignites you even in your darkest hours? Do you believe that somewhere in this world there’s someone who’s destined to be your other half? Your soulmate?
I didn’t.
Until I met her.
Greta Falcone.
Protected mafia princess from the madmen of Las Vegas, she’s forbidden to me.

Greta
My love for my family and my animals was all I needed. I never thought I’d fall in love. Until I met him.
Amo Vitiello. Future Capo of the Famiglia. Cruel and cold. The smiles that he has only for me quiet the chaos in my head.
What if you find your soulmate at the wrong time?
I knew the cruelest men, and yet nothing could ever be crueler than fate itself.]]> 466 Cora Reilly AJ 4 favorites Thank you to the author and her team for allowing me to read arc in exchange for an honest review

My gosh this book was worth the wait! I was anxious as hell from the very beginning. I didn’t know how Cora was going to make this couple work but through everything, it worked out beautifully.

I cried 3 times reading this book. I gasped (yes literally gasped) at least a thousand times and there were parts that had me on the edge of my seat the entire chapter.

The Falcones have always been my favorite family in this series so seeing them all again made me so happy. We even got major hints at future couples and I wish I could be a fly on the wall of Cora’s writing room.

This is by far the best book in the Sins of the Fathers series so far!

4/5 ✰’s

Merged review:

Thank you to the author and her team for allowing me to read arc in exchange for an honest review

My gosh this book was worth the wait! I was anxious as hell from the very beginning. I didn’t know how Cora was going to make this couple work but through everything, it worked out beautifully.

I cried 3 times reading this book. I gasped (yes literally gasped) at least a thousand times and there were parts that had me on the edge of my seat the entire chapter.

The Falcones have always been my favorite family in this series so seeing them all again made me so happy. We even got major hints at future couples and I wish I could be a fly on the wall of Cora’s writing room.

This is by far the best book in the Sins of the Fathers series so far!

4/5 ✰’s]]> 4.08 2022 By Fate I Conquer (Sins of the Fathers, #4)
author: Cora Reilly
name: AJ
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/11/18
date added: 2023/08/11
shelves: favorites
review:
Thank you to the author and her team for allowing me to read arc in exchange for an honest review

My gosh this book was worth the wait! I was anxious as hell from the very beginning. I didn’t know how Cora was going to make this couple work but through everything, it worked out beautifully.

I cried 3 times reading this book. I gasped (yes literally gasped) at least a thousand times and there were parts that had me on the edge of my seat the entire chapter.

The Falcones have always been my favorite family in this series so seeing them all again made me so happy. We even got major hints at future couples and I wish I could be a fly on the wall of Cora’s writing room.

This is by far the best book in the Sins of the Fathers series so far!

4/5 ✰’s

Merged review:

Thank you to the author and her team for allowing me to read arc in exchange for an honest review

My gosh this book was worth the wait! I was anxious as hell from the very beginning. I didn’t know how Cora was going to make this couple work but through everything, it worked out beautifully.

I cried 3 times reading this book. I gasped (yes literally gasped) at least a thousand times and there were parts that had me on the edge of my seat the entire chapter.

The Falcones have always been my favorite family in this series so seeing them all again made me so happy. We even got major hints at future couples and I wish I could be a fly on the wall of Cora’s writing room.

This is by far the best book in the Sins of the Fathers series so far!

4/5 ✰’s
]]> <![CDATA[Sorrow and Starlight (Zodiac Academy, #8)]]> 59808792 All stars must fall.

Bloody, lost, broken. We live to fight another day. But with so much stolen from us, can the fates ever twist in our favour again?

My sister and I have been torn apart by shadows and despair, and now we each stand alone.

Our sorrow is spun like a web, trapping us tight, and I fear our enemies will soon come to feast upon our souls.

But if I have my way, the merciless sky will have dealt us its final fortune. It’s time for us to take back the power that’s been ripped from our grasp and turn the tide of this war.

All stars must fall, and all Phoenixes must rise.

Long live the Savage Queens.

*This will now be book 8 of 9 in the series*

***This is a dark, bully romance � don’t go expecting a sweet school for magic with friends around every corner. Fae fight for everything they own and Zodiac Academy is a cutthroat school for students aged 18+ where only the strongest prevail. There’s no Dumbledore here to save anyone’s ass and Lionel Acrux will give Voldemort a run for his money in the evil dictator category. So hold onto your stardust (broomsticks not required) and get ready for a bumpy ride***]]> 1242 Caroline Peckham AJ 5 favorites Them: How many times did you cry reading this book?
Me: YES!

Hands down the best book of 2022!!

5/5 ✰’s]]> 4.03 2022 Sorrow and Starlight (Zodiac Academy, #8)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: AJ
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/12/11
date added: 2023/08/11
shelves: favorites
review:
Them: How many times did you cry reading this book?
Me: YES!

Hands down the best book of 2022!!

5/5 ✰’s
]]> <![CDATA[Highest Bidder (Salacious Players Club, #5)]]> 62322599 filthy rich.

When I started working at Salacious Players� Club, I never expected to end up on the auction block ready to grant a date to the highest bidder.

This club is not really my scene. I’m not the kind of girl rich guys take home. I’m more a piano playing, van-living, free spirit kind of girl.

So when Ronan Kade, the richest man at the club, puts down over a hundred grand for my time, how can I tell him no?

But he’s too old. Too rich. Too cocky.

And oh yeah…he once dated my mother.

Except he doesn’t know that. He has no idea who I am.

One date turns into a trip to Paris. And an offer to live with him in his penthouse. Then a promise to take care of me.

Before I know it, I’m calling this silver fox my daddy.

Ronan Kade only bid on one date, but I think he’s winning much more than that.

Can we overcome the years between us to find happiness?

And will he find it in him to forgive me when he learns the secret I’ve been keeping?]]> 336 Sara Cate AJ 5 favorites 4.05 2023 Highest Bidder (Salacious Players Club, #5)
author: Sara Cate
name: AJ
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/03/20
date added: 2023/08/11
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> <![CDATA[God of Malice (Legacy of Gods, #1)]]> 60913024 I didn’t ask for it.
Didn’t even see it coming.
But the moment I do, it’s too late.
Killian Carson is a predator wrapped in sophisticated charm.
He’s cold-blooded, manipulative, and savage.
The worst part is that no one sees his devil side.
I do.
And that will cost me everything.
I run, but the thing about monsters?
They always chase.

This book is not a conventional romance and contains themes that aren't to everyone's liking. Please check the author's note before reading. ]]> 468 Rina Kent AJ 4 favorites 4.03 2022 God of Malice (Legacy of Gods, #1)
author: Rina Kent
name: AJ
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/12
date added: 2023/08/11
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> <![CDATA[God of Pain (Legacy of Gods, #2)]]> 122957892
Being a mafia princess, I knew my fate was already decided.

But I went ahead and longed for the wrong one.

Creighton King is bad news with a gorgeous exterior.

He’s silent, brooding, and obviously emotionally unavailable.

So I thought it was over.

Until he awakens a beast inside me.

My name is Annika Volkov, and I’m Creighton's worst enemy.

He won’t stop until he breaks me.

Or I break him.

This book can be listened to on its own.]]> 446 Rina Kent AJ 4 favorites 3.92 2022 God of Pain (Legacy of Gods, #2)
author: Rina Kent
name: AJ
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/13
date added: 2023/08/11
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> <![CDATA[God of Wrath (Legacy of Gods, #3)]]> 61100797 From USA Today bestselling author Rina Kent comes a new STANDALONE enemies-to-lovers college romance.

I’m trapped by the devil.
What started as an innocent mistake turned into actual hell.
In my defense, I didn’t mean to get involved with a mafia prince.
But he barged through my defenses anyway.
He stalked me from the shadows and stole me from the life I know.
Jeremy Volkov might appear charming, but a true predator lurks inside.
He’s out to possess, own, and keep me.
But I have no plans to stick around in his blood-soaked world.
Or so I think.

This book is a dark unconventional romance and contains themes that aren't to everyone's liking. Please check the author's note for content warnings before reading.]]> 492 Rina Kent AJ 5 favorites 4.19 2022 God of Wrath (Legacy of Gods, #3)
author: Rina Kent
name: AJ
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2023/06/15
date added: 2023/08/11
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Hatesick Diaries (St. Mary’s Rebels, #5)]]> 60379831
So it should be easy to stay away.

It should be easy to not dream about his dark and mean eyes, or his cruel but sexy smirks. It should be easy to not think about the guy who ruined her happily ever after.

Only it’s not.

Sometimes his intense stares make her heart race, and those smirks of his make her breathless.

But it needs to stop.

Because she has a mission: to get back together with her ex-boyfriend. And Echo will be damned if she keeps dreaming about Reign.

The guy who not only makes her sick with hate but who also happens to be her ex’s best friend.]]> 829 Saffron A. Kent AJ 5 favorites Thank you to the author for sending me an arc in exchange for a honest review

I’d been anticipating this release for months and I had a gut feeling that Reign Davidson would be my favorite SAK male character to date. And I was right! (Sorry Zach)

This book made me cry. It made me frustrated. It made me smile. It made me HAWT! It made me feel every emotion necessary to rate a book 5/5 stars.

THD is full of angst (soooo much delicious angst), sexual tension, strong chemistry and a push and pull that will make it impossible to put the book down.

My heart ached for Reign. This broken boy who feels like he deserves nothing good but deserves goodness times 1000! Always protecting others. Trying to make everything right. My kind of broken, scarred and brooding hero.

We got to see so many familiar faces and were introduced to some new ones as well—which has me even make ready for the books to come—and I can’t lie, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Reign and Echo.

This is books has made it to the top of my SAK list along with Bad Boy Blues and Dreams of Eighteen! Be prepared to fall in love with Bubblegum and her Bandit!

5/5 ✰’s]]> 3.99 The Hatesick Diaries (St. Mary’s Rebels, #5)
author: Saffron A. Kent
name: AJ
average rating: 3.99
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/04
date added: 2023/08/11
shelves: favorites
review:
Thank you to the author for sending me an arc in exchange for a honest review

I’d been anticipating this release for months and I had a gut feeling that Reign Davidson would be my favorite SAK male character to date. And I was right! (Sorry Zach)

This book made me cry. It made me frustrated. It made me smile. It made me HAWT! It made me feel every emotion necessary to rate a book 5/5 stars.

THD is full of angst (soooo much delicious angst), sexual tension, strong chemistry and a push and pull that will make it impossible to put the book down.

My heart ached for Reign. This broken boy who feels like he deserves nothing good but deserves goodness times 1000! Always protecting others. Trying to make everything right. My kind of broken, scarred and brooding hero.

We got to see so many familiar faces and were introduced to some new ones as well—which has me even make ready for the books to come—and I can’t lie, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Reign and Echo.

This is books has made it to the top of my SAK list along with Bad Boy Blues and Dreams of Eighteen! Be prepared to fall in love with Bubblegum and her Bandit!

5/5 ✰’s
]]> <![CDATA[Suffer in Silence (Malvagio Mafia Duet, #1)]]> 59818984 From USA Today bestselling author Kelsey Clayton comes a dark mafia romance filled with pain, betrayal, devastation, and revenge.

Monsters don’t hide in dark alleys.

They lurk in plain sight, clawing into your soul with cordial smiles.

They wear Armani, they drive Cadillacs, they attend fundraising balls...

And they rule the city with a merciless fist.

The Familia is a mystery to most,

and sitting on its throne is Kage Malvagio.

Vile.

Sadistic.

Painstakingly beautiful.

Some say: Ask for forgiveness, never permission.

Kage asks for neither.

Especially when he gets his hands on me.

I should hate him.

I should run at the first chance I get.

But how could the devil be so bad when he looks at me like that?



Suffer in Silence is book one of the Malvagio Mafia Duet and ends on a cliffhanger. This dark romance deals with topics that may be triggering to some readers. It is not for the faint of heart. Read at your own risk.]]> 292 Kelsey Clayton AJ 3 Thank you to socialbutterflypr for giving me an arc or this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a fast easy read but it didn’t give me what a Dark Mafia Romance should give.

Without giving away spoilers, I’ll just say that Saxon, the MC, was just too fas to accept everything thrown at her. She find out these revelations about her family and kind of just accepts them because, hey why not? Their bad people anyway.

Kage would’ve been the perfect possessive, Mafia man if he hadn’t felt bad from the MC from the start. It’s almost as if he felt remorse for his actions towards her before they even happened.

This was still a great start to the Duology and the cliffhanger will definitely have you wanting book 2!

3.5/5 ✰’s

Merged review:

Thank you to socialbutterflypr for giving me an arc or this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a fast easy read but it didn’t give me what a Dark Mafia Romance should give.

Without giving away spoilers, I’ll just say that Saxon, the MC, was just too fas to accept everything thrown at her. She find out these revelations about her family and kind of just accepts them because, hey why not? Their bad people anyway.

Kage would’ve been the perfect possessive, Mafia man if he hadn’t felt bad from the MC from the start. It’s almost as if he felt remorse for his actions towards her before they even happened.

This was still a great start to the Duology and the cliffhanger will definitely have you wanting book 2!

3.5/5 ✰’s]]> 4.12 Suffer in Silence (Malvagio Mafia Duet, #1)
author: Kelsey Clayton
name: AJ
average rating: 4.12
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2022/01/06
date added: 2023/08/10
shelves:
review:
Thank you to socialbutterflypr for giving me an arc or this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a fast easy read but it didn’t give me what a Dark Mafia Romance should give.

Without giving away spoilers, I’ll just say that Saxon, the MC, was just too fas to accept everything thrown at her. She find out these revelations about her family and kind of just accepts them because, hey why not? Their bad people anyway.

Kage would’ve been the perfect possessive, Mafia man if he hadn’t felt bad from the MC from the start. It’s almost as if he felt remorse for his actions towards her before they even happened.

This was still a great start to the Duology and the cliffhanger will definitely have you wanting book 2!

3.5/5 ✰’s

Merged review:

Thank you to socialbutterflypr for giving me an arc or this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a fast easy read but it didn’t give me what a Dark Mafia Romance should give.

Without giving away spoilers, I’ll just say that Saxon, the MC, was just too fas to accept everything thrown at her. She find out these revelations about her family and kind of just accepts them because, hey why not? Their bad people anyway.

Kage would’ve been the perfect possessive, Mafia man if he hadn’t felt bad from the MC from the start. It’s almost as if he felt remorse for his actions towards her before they even happened.

This was still a great start to the Duology and the cliffhanger will definitely have you wanting book 2!

3.5/5 ✰’s
]]> <![CDATA[Skin Deep (The Ryan Brothers #1)]]> 59755594 Harrison:

Life in three steps: Go to college. Get a job. Marry the girl of my dreams.

I went to college, then got a job with one of New York’s most notorious gangsters.

The girl? I lost her to a man who didn’t deserve her.

So when one of Italy’s most famous women made me a proposition to help me win her back, I couldn’t refuse her offer.

Georgina “Gigi� Dolce wasn’t the shallow Italian principessa I took her for, though—and she was out to wreck my well-laid plans.


Gigi:

Harrison Ryan thought he had me all figured out.

Because the world called me “beautiful,� he assumed I only ran skin deep. But he had no idea who I was beneath the surface.

How I craved to be loved by someone loyal and unwavering like him. How far I would go to claim that love for my own.

And when I wanted something, I considered it mine.

I wanted him.]]> 313 Bella Di Corte AJ 3 4.29 Skin Deep (The Ryan Brothers #1)
author: Bella Di Corte
name: AJ
average rating: 4.29
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2022/06/16
date added: 2023/08/10
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Madame (Salacious Players' Club, #6)]]> 63883436 As a professional Domme, I see men and women come and go. But no one ever sticks around, and I like it that way.
I have a secret to protect—at all costs.
So when the cocky, handsome, and submissive Clay Bradley weasels his way into my heart, I do the one thing I’ve always excelled at. I push him away—forever. And like a good boy, he listens.
But a few months later, during a chance encounter, he shows up again, but this time he isn’t alone. He has the stunning Jade on his arm. And she has a request of her own.
She wants me to teach her.
I should say no. Training a woman who makes my knees weak is bad enough. But this particular woman is dating the man who still has my heart. It’s a recipe for disaster.
Made worse by one simple fact—they know my secret.
And they won’t let go.
But how can I protect what’s mine if I’m holding onto them too?
Jade and Clay are the only ones who truly see me and the only ones who know� I’m so much more than Madame.]]> 492 Sara Cate AJ 0 to-read 4.17 2023 Madame (Salacious Players' Club, #6)
author: Sara Cate
name: AJ
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Kingdom of the Feared (Kingdom of the Wicked, #3)]]> 58470171
When a high-ranking member of House Greed is assassinated, Emilia and Wrath are drawn to the rival demon court. Damning evidence points to Vittoria as the murderer and she’s quickly declared an enemy of the Seven Circles. Despite her betrayal, Emilia will do anything to solve this new mystery and find out who her sister really is.

Together Emilia and Wrath play a sin-fueled game of deception as they work to stop the unrest that’s brewing between witches, demons, shape-shifters and the most treacherous foes of all: the Feared.

Emilia was warned that when it came to the Wicked nothing was as it seemed. But, have the true villains been much closer all along? When the truth is finally revealed, it just might end up costing Emilia her heart.

Two curses.
One prophecy.
A reckoning all have feared.

And a love more powerful than fate. All hail the king and queen of Hell.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stalking the Jack the Ripper series comes the steamy conclusion to Kingdom of the Wicked trilogy.]]> 417 Kerri Maniscalco 0316342084 AJ 4 3.85 2022 Kingdom of the Feared (Kingdom of the Wicked, #3)
author: Kerri Maniscalco
name: AJ
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/02
date added: 2023/06/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Taken By Him (Mafia Brides #1)]]> 55700548
While Dominik's father is in Poland, hiding from impending legal trouble in Chicago, Dominik must take control of the family and move forward with a long ago agreement. There is suspicion the Garska family is behind the charges, and Dominik firmly believes in the adage of keeping your enemies close.

Kasia is not the enemy Dominik expected, and before long he wants more than to keep a watchful eye on her father. He wants her. To possess her, punish her, truly own her.

And he will, because Kasia is his to take.]]> 189 Measha Stone AJ 4 4.08 2020 Taken By Him (Mafia Brides #1)
author: Measha Stone
name: AJ
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2020/12/25
date added: 2023/06/18
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Endless War (The Bridge Kingdom, #4)]]> 75583461
Newly crowned as king, Keris has watched, powerless, as his forbidden relationship with Zarrah is revealed. But when Zarrah is imprisoned by the empress, Keris knows there is only one way to save her: to ally with the kingdom he nearly destroyed.

Imprisoned on the dreaded Devil’s Island, Zarrah faces two choices: prove her loyalty to the empress who condemned her or die a traitor. Yet as she struggles to survive among violent prisoners, Zarrah uncovers a third path: a rebellion to overthrow tyranny entwined with a destiny she must fight to claim.

While the empress plots a war with devastating consequences, Keris and Zarrah must find their way back to each other. Yet their greatest adversary is the fiery passion between them. Unless they overcome the bitterness of betrayal, their love will not be the bringer of peace but rather the fuel that turns the Endless War into an inferno.]]> 496 Danielle L. Jensen 1405956208 AJ 0 to-read 4.17 2023 The Endless War (The Bridge Kingdom, #4)
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: AJ
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[White Nights (White Nights #1)]]> 58943965 Power. That’s what I think of when I spot him across the ER. Power and danger.

One of the wealthiest Russian oligarchs, Alex Volkov is as ruthless as he is magnetic. He always gets what he wants, and what he wants is me, in his bed.

He’s the kind of trouble every woman should run from. The bullet his bodyguard took for him proves that.

I should stay far away, but for one night, I give in to temptation. Before I know it, he’s pulling me deeper into his world of excess and violence, invading not only my life but my heart.

How much trust can I place in a man so dangerous? How much do I dare risk for his love?]]> 328 Anna Zaires 1643662597 AJ 0 to-read 4.06 2021 White Nights (White Nights #1)
author: Anna Zaires
name: AJ
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Oh, You're So Cold (Bad Boys of Bardstown, #2)]]> 75381935
All I wanted was a harmless kiss from the handsome stranger at my eighteenth birthday party. But when he said � with a cruel twist of his cigarette smoking lips � that he doesn’t kiss ‘annoying little girls,� I stupidly decided to flirt with a random guy to make him jealous.

I never wanted that random guy to fall in love with me. Or worse, accidentally start a relationship with him. But now I have a new boyfriend while I can’t stop thinking about the guy who doesn’t care that I exist.

So it’s time to move on and focus on my new relationship.

Only the moment I make that decision, he decides to notice me.

He decides to stare at me a little too hard and in a way that makes me blush. Oh and one day when my boyfriend isn’t looking, he decides to corner me in a lonely hallway and put his rough and heated hands on me that feels equal parts forbidden and familiar.

But I’m not stupid.

I’m not going to ruin my new relationship for someone that people call Stellan ‘The Cold� Thorne. Especially not when the random guy I’m dating isn’t random at all.

No, my new boyfriend happens to be the brother of the guy I’m inappropriately obsessed with.

And I’m not the kind of girl who comes between two brothers.

Twin brothers�

Or am I?

NOTE: This book is a complete STANDALONE set in the world of St. Mary's and Bardstown.]]> 0 Saffron A. Kent AJ 0 to-read 3.51 2024 Oh, You're So Cold (Bad Boys of Bardstown, #2)
author: Saffron A. Kent
name: AJ
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dangerous Innocence (Five-Leaf Clover, #1)]]> 156939563
Lorcan Devaney’s reign is brutal, his temper feared, and his patience non-existent.

Aislinn is sure he’s the man who knows what happened to her sister. She realizes too late that attracting the attention of a man like Lorcan is a horrible idea. When secrets from her family’s past are revealed, she’s forced to marry the man who might be responsible for her sister’s disappearance.

Will she find her sister and escape the unwanted marriage, or will she be the second Killeen to disappear?]]> 417 Cora Reilly AJ 4 Thank you to the author and her PA for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited when Cora revealed her next book would be Dangerous Innocence. I was ready to fall in love with a new world, new mafia men and new love stories. Cora did not disappoint to deliver those!

Lorcan was possessive, sexy and his sarcastic, humorous personality was something you don’t always see in a Mafia boss.

The chemistry between Lorcan and Aislinn was sizzling and I loved watching their love unfold.

Dangerous innocence had the perfect dose of intensity, mystery, possessiveness and steam that made me want to re-read it as soon as I finished!

I’m very excited to read about the rest of the Delaney brothers!

4/5 ✰’s

Merged review:

Thank you to the author and her PA for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited when Cora revealed her next book would be Dangerous Innocence. I was ready to fall in love with a new world, new mafia men and new love stories. Cora did not disappoint to deliver those!

Lorcan was possessive, sexy and his sarcastic, humorous personality was something you don’t always see in a Mafia boss.

The chemistry between Lorcan and Aislinn was sizzling and I loved watching their love unfold.

Dangerous innocence had the perfect dose of intensity, mystery, possessiveness and steam that made me want to re-read it as soon as I finished!

I’m very excited to read about the rest of the Delaney brothers!

4/5 ✰’s]]> 3.47 2023 Dangerous Innocence (Five-Leaf Clover, #1)
author: Cora Reilly
name: AJ
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/17
date added: 2023/06/03
shelves:
review:
Thank you to the author and her PA for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited when Cora revealed her next book would be Dangerous Innocence. I was ready to fall in love with a new world, new mafia men and new love stories. Cora did not disappoint to deliver those!

Lorcan was possessive, sexy and his sarcastic, humorous personality was something you don’t always see in a Mafia boss.

The chemistry between Lorcan and Aislinn was sizzling and I loved watching their love unfold.

Dangerous innocence had the perfect dose of intensity, mystery, possessiveness and steam that made me want to re-read it as soon as I finished!

I’m very excited to read about the rest of the Delaney brothers!

4/5 ✰’s

Merged review:

Thank you to the author and her PA for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited when Cora revealed her next book would be Dangerous Innocence. I was ready to fall in love with a new world, new mafia men and new love stories. Cora did not disappoint to deliver those!

Lorcan was possessive, sexy and his sarcastic, humorous personality was something you don’t always see in a Mafia boss.

The chemistry between Lorcan and Aislinn was sizzling and I loved watching their love unfold.

Dangerous innocence had the perfect dose of intensity, mystery, possessiveness and steam that made me want to re-read it as soon as I finished!

I’m very excited to read about the rest of the Delaney brothers!

4/5 ✰’s
]]> Nightshade (Nightshade, #1) 59479184 A love so forbidden, it would shake the heavens.

My father called them messengers.
He once told me they walked among us, and that somewhere in this dark and godless city, there shined a faint sliver of hope. I had only to look for the signs.

Well, I’ve spent my whole life investigating the inexplicable, and all I've found are the unsettling vestiges of iniquity - the evidence of another world shrouded by the obscure. Purgatory to some, where depravity hides in shadows, and girls like me are little more than delicious bites of temptation.

Others call it Nightshade.

This peculiar place is where I first met the cold and callous recluse living in a decaying cliffside cathedral. Jericho Van Croix is the epitome of everything I’ve been told to fear. A raven-winged harbinger who wears intrigue like a warm black cloak. An enigma that I’m determined to unravel � even if it means getting closer than I should.

One touch is forbidden. Even so much as a kiss would be my demise. But the sin on his lips burns me up like a wild flame, and his growing infatuation weakens my resolve.

Giving him what he wants, though, will mean no chance for redemption, or escape. What's worse is, the signs I’ve followed yet failed to see all these years begin to unmask a terrifying reality:

That falling may be my only saving grace.]]> 676 Keri Lake AJ 4 3.92 2021 Nightshade (Nightshade, #1)
author: Keri Lake
name: AJ
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/03/11
date added: 2023/04/25
shelves:
review:

]]> Nocticadia 136470356 A dark, atmospheric tale of deadly secrets and forbidden love.

Mortui vivos docent.
The dead teach the living.

After watching my mother succumb to a mysterious illness, I promised myself two things. I’d find the cure for what ravaged her. And leave the godforsaken city where she abandoned me.

Four years later, I receive an acceptance letter from Dracadia University, one of the oldest, most prestigious schools in the country. Nestled on a secluded island off the coast of Maine, it’s rumored to be haunted by the souls of the mental patients exiled there centuries before. Those whose bones are said to make up the island’s white sandy shores.

And restless ghosts aren’t even its most daunting peculiarity.

Devryck Bramwell, known on campus as Doctor Death, is a brilliant pathologist in charge of the midnight lab. He’s also my devastatingly handsome professor, who seems to loathe tenacious first-years, like me. Except, his dark and enigmatic gaze tells me all the ways he’d devour me if given the chance, and his stolen kisses burn my lips with forbidden jealousy.

I crave his authority.
He aches for redemption.
Together, we’re toxic. Delicious fodder for the prying eyes hellbent on exhuming the rotted skeletons of our pasts.

For the dead have much to teach, and it’s only a matter of time before Dracadia’s most depraved secret is resurrected.

Nocticadia is a standalone dark academia gothic romance.]]> 682 Keri Lake AJ 0 to-read 4.23 2023 Nocticadia
author: Keri Lake
name: AJ
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Queen of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms, #5)]]> 123251045 A kingdom left in ashes . . .
A fate that may turn to ruins . . .
A king who continually stokes her flames�.

What’s a girl to do?
Some women rise from their ashes, Aria tends to be the one making the ashes nowadays.
Aria’s world is unraveling into utterly, beautiful chaos. Will she become the savior the Nine Realms need, or will she become the monster they’ve made?

Are you brave enough to enter the Nine Realms?

There’s a queen rising, and in chaos, she’ll reign.

A note from the publisher.
This book is a true enemy to lover’s tale. It deals with death and adversity. It is merciless, savage, and a view of how broken things overcome against inconceivable odds.
The steam between these two burns the pages.
Knox is savagery in motion. Aria is a chaotic beauty. So, what happens when brutality and beauty collide? Aria and Knox burn so hot together that they may well leave the Nine Realms in nothing more than ashes.]]> 560 Amelia Hutchins 1952712165 AJ 0 to-read 4.40 2023 Queen of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms, #5)
author: Amelia Hutchins
name: AJ
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Twisted (Never After, #4) 61434791 She's his diamond in the rough. He's her worst nightmare.

Yasmin Karam, daughter to one of the richest men in the world, has never known strife. So, when her beloved father falls ill, she's determined to make his final days his happiest. His last wish? To see her married to a man of his choosing. Except Yasmin's heart already belongs to someone else. A servant. A street rat. A man her father would never consider worthy. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Yasmin strikes a desperate deal with her father's right-hand man, Julian, not realizing he has his own twisted agenda.

Julian Faraci has one goal: become the most powerful man in the world. He's built a future from broken bones and faded bruises, never caring who he hurt along the way. But when his mentor falls ill, he finds himself on the verge of losing everything, and he'll stop at nothing to inherit what is rightfully his. Even if it means forcing a woman he can't stand into marriage.

Yasmin is a brat who speaks out of turn, and he's the villain of her story. But he decides she'll be his—no matter what it takes to convince her.

*Twisted is a dark, contemporary romance (not fantasy or a literal retelling) and the fourth complete standalone in the Never After series: a collection of fractured fairy tales inspired by our favorite villains. It features mature themes and content that may not be suitable for all readers. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.* ]]> 366 Emily McIntire AJ 3 3.86 2023 Twisted (Never After, #4)
author: Emily McIntire
name: AJ
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/03/23
date added: 2023/03/23
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Forgotten Phantom (Creature Feature, #1)]]> 61863209 Keep your hand at the level of your eyes...

Christine is certain that the Institute is trying to get rid of her. Why else would they send her to investigate a hundred-year-old cold case about some illusive “Phantom� lurking in the depths of a crumbling old Opera House?

Turns out, she’s probably right. But as unlikely as it seems, there might be something to it. There’s definitely more in the shadows than just a few rats and some pieces of forgotten scenery. Especially now that she’s woken it up.

The Phantom is real. And now he's set his sights on her. As the old legends start to come to life around her, Christine is becoming increasingly snared in the web of a monster who has linked her to a ghost from the past. But is this Phantom fiend or friend? Angel of music or demon of the pit?

Her lover…or her killer?

___________
Thrills, chills, horror, & romance! Creature Feature is a series of stand-alone romances that take the classic movie monsters you know and love and reimagines their stories where the villains get to keep the girl. By USA Today Bestselling Author of the "Maze of Shadows" and "Harrow Faire" series, Kathryn Ann Kingsley, these books are certain to send a shiver down your spine...and keep you up all night long.

Warning: The Forgotten Phantom has themes of stalking and murder. This is a horror romance, so some content may be upsetting to some readers.]]> 316 Kathryn Ann Kingsley AJ 0 to-read 4.04 2022 The Forgotten Phantom (Creature Feature, #1)
author: Kathryn Ann Kingsley
name: AJ
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Game of Malice and Greed (A Game of Malice and Greed, #1)]]> 62815080 A broken warrior, lost gods of old.
A thief of shadows, blessed with light,
A single lie which stole their might.

A princess to win, in a brutal game.
A great empire falling to a monster’s claim.
A forbidden love, a curse untold.
The last immortal trapped in a coin of gold.]]> 612 Caroline Peckham AJ 0 to-read 3.93 A Game of Malice and Greed (A Game of Malice and Greed, #1)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: AJ
average rating: 3.93
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Annihilator (Dark Verse, #5)]]> 54683187
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?

She lives in the shadows. He rules them.

She's the moon, and he the dark night encompassing her.

She's surrounded by demons, and he's the biggest devil of them all.

And she's his.

Passion, obsession, possesion. Theirs is a tale of danger, deviance, dread, desires, and the darkest flavors of love.

𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻.

Disclaimer: This is not a standalone. The series must be read in order. Please read the author's note.]]> 257 RuNyx AJ 4 4.11 2022 The Annihilator (Dark Verse, #5)
author: RuNyx
name: AJ
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/03/21
date added: 2023/03/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Chemical Romance (Heartstone, #3.5)]]> 60530661
He’s the best tutor on campus, and if Penny wants to keep up her grades and her sanity, she needs him. After all, no one wants a repeat of what happened the last time her grades were at stake. Least of all Penny.

The only problem is that Atlas is extremely distracting.

His green eyes and his rumpled dark hair make her forget everything and daydream. It doesn’t even matter that Atlas can be a rude and arrogant jackass who pushes all her buttons.

But it’s okay.

For the sake of her grades and her fragile mind, Penny can learn to focus. And she’s well on her way to doing that, until Atlas makes a proposition � dinner in exchange for tutoring her�

This is a standalone novella set in the world of Heartstone]]> Saffron A. Kent AJ 5 3.70 Chemical Romance (Heartstone, #3.5)
author: Saffron A. Kent
name: AJ
average rating: 3.70
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2022/07/04
date added: 2023/03/04
shelves:
review:

]]> Bright Ruined Things 51238655
The only life Mae has ever known is on the island, living on the charity of the wealthy Prosper family who control the magic on the island and the spirits who inhabit it. Mae longs for magic of her own and to have a place among the Prosper family, where her best friend, Coco, will see her as an equal, and her crush, Miles, will finally see her. Now that she’s eighteen, Mae knows her time with the Prospers may soon come to an end.

But tonight is First Night, when the Prospers and their high-society friends return to the island to celebrate the night Lord Prosper first harnessed the island’s magic and started producing aether � a magical fuel source that has revolutionized the world. With everyone returning to the island, Mae finally has the chance to go after what she’s always wanted.

When the spirits start inexplicably dying, Mae starts to realize that things aren’t what they seem. And Ivo, the reclusive, mysterious heir to the Prosper magic, may hold all the answers � including a secret about Mae’s past that she doesn’t remember. As Mae and her friends begin to unravel the mysteries of the island, and the Prospers� magic, Mae starts to question the truth of what her world was built on.]]> Samantha Cohoe AJ 3 Came home and was excited to find this arc waiting on me! Thank you to the publishers at St Martins Press/Wednesday books for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book was exactly what I hoped a Shakespearean retelling set in the 1920's would be! There was action, plot twists, beautifully written magic, and more.

The plot was not as romance heavy as I like, and as someone who usually needs a good romance to enjoy a book, I was surprisingly satisfied with this story anyway. The magic and intriguing characters kept me completely interested. There was a constant struggle to determine who to trust, who has genuine and good intentions and who is the real "villian" of the story! Which makes for a fantastic read!

Mae was quite likable and although I was bit frustrated by some of her decisions, especially early on in the book, I found her to be a great and relatable MC. There were a few moments in the book that lacked action and seem to drag just a bit but it didn't last long and picked up nicely..

I'm truly grateful to be given an arc of this book and I won't stop convincing you all to pick up a copy once it's released!

2.5/5 ✰’s]]> 3.73 2022 Bright Ruined Things
author: Samantha Cohoe
name: AJ
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2021/05/09
date added: 2023/02/12
shelves:
review:
Came home and was excited to find this arc waiting on me! Thank you to the publishers at St Martins Press/Wednesday books for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book was exactly what I hoped a Shakespearean retelling set in the 1920's would be! There was action, plot twists, beautifully written magic, and more.

The plot was not as romance heavy as I like, and as someone who usually needs a good romance to enjoy a book, I was surprisingly satisfied with this story anyway. The magic and intriguing characters kept me completely interested. There was a constant struggle to determine who to trust, who has genuine and good intentions and who is the real "villian" of the story! Which makes for a fantastic read!

Mae was quite likable and although I was bit frustrated by some of her decisions, especially early on in the book, I found her to be a great and relatable MC. There were a few moments in the book that lacked action and seem to drag just a bit but it didn't last long and picked up nicely..

I'm truly grateful to be given an arc of this book and I won't stop convincing you all to pick up a copy once it's released!

2.5/5 ✰’s
]]> <![CDATA[Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves (Edge Worlds, #1)]]> 52819959 A lone girl determined to survive. The feral wolf she must learn to trust. Only one chance to escape their icy planet: a race across the deadly tundra.

Seventeen-year-old Sena Korhosen hates the sled race, especially after it claimed both her mothers' lives five years ago. Alone on her frozen planet, she makes money any other way she can—until she double-crosses a local gangster.

Desperate to escape, Sena flees with his prized fighting wolf, Iska, and takes an offer from a team of scientists. They'll pay her way off-world, on one condition--that she uses the survival skills her mothers taught her to get them to the end of the race. But the tundra is a treacherous place. When the race threatens their lives at every turn, Sena must discover whether her abilities are enough to help them survive the wild, and whether she and Iska together are strong enough to get them all out alive.

As the girl and the wolf forge a tenuous bond and fight to escape ice goblins, giant bears, and the ruthless gang leader intent on trapping them both, one question drives them relentlessly forward: Where do you turn when there is nowhere to hide?

Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves is a captivating, breathless debut about survival and found family that delivers a fresh twist on classic survival stories.]]> 357 Meg Long 1250785065 AJ 3 Thank you to the publishers at St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed this book way more than I anticipated and I’m so happy I able to read it!

The pacing was a bit slow up until about 30% in but once the actions starts and it really picks up, it was hard to stop reading.

Sena was such a likable, determined character and although I found her actions a bit frustrating at times, I still related to drive.

Full review to come closer to release.

3/5 ✰’s]]> 3.85 2022 Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves (Edge Worlds, #1)
author: Meg Long
name: AJ
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2021/07/21
date added: 2023/02/12
shelves:
review:
Thank you to the publishers at St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed this book way more than I anticipated and I’m so happy I able to read it!

The pacing was a bit slow up until about 30% in but once the actions starts and it really picks up, it was hard to stop reading.

Sena was such a likable, determined character and although I found her actions a bit frustrating at times, I still related to drive.

Full review to come closer to release.

3/5 ✰’s
]]> Gilded (Gilded, #1) 57061032 In Gilded, #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer returns to the fairytale world with this haunting tale. Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller's daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantastical and spellbinding and entirely untrue.Or so everyone believes.When one of Serilda's outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods. In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to help her� for a price. Love isn't meant to be part of the bargain.Soon Serilda realizes that there is more than one secret hidden in the castle walls, including an ancient curse that must be broken if she hopes to end the tyranny of the king and his wild hunt forever.]]> 512 Marissa Meyer 1250618835 AJ 3 ”She was liquid gold. A pool of sunshine. A lazy nap on a summer’s day.�

Thank you to the publishers at Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for allowing me to read an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Gilded was the perfect fantasy retelling in true Marissa Meyer fashion.

I was sucked in from the beginning and every magical expectation was met. Serilda and Gild had amazing chemistry and I found my self yelling and swooning over them!

I enjoyed the world building, and the way Marissa put her own spin and charm on these characters. The pacing was slow at times but I definitely enjoyed this read.

Full review to come closer to publication date!!


3/5 ✰’s]]> 4.03 2021 Gilded (Gilded, #1)
author: Marissa Meyer
name: AJ
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2021/08/12
date added: 2023/02/12
shelves:
review:
”She was liquid gold. A pool of sunshine. A lazy nap on a summer’s day.�

Thank you to the publishers at Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for allowing me to read an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Gilded was the perfect fantasy retelling in true Marissa Meyer fashion.

I was sucked in from the beginning and every magical expectation was met. Serilda and Gild had amazing chemistry and I found my self yelling and swooning over them!

I enjoyed the world building, and the way Marissa put her own spin and charm on these characters. The pacing was slow at times but I definitely enjoyed this read.

Full review to come closer to publication date!!


3/5 ✰’s
]]> Stalking Shadows 53924372 A gothic YA fantasy debut about a young woman striving to break her sister’s curse and stop the killing in her small French town

Seventeen-year-old Marie mixes perfumes to sell on market day in her small eighteenth-century French town. She wants to make enough to save a dowry for her sister, Ama, in hopes of Ama marrying well and Marie living in the level of freedom afforded only to spinster aunts. But her perfumes are more than sweet scents in cheap, cut-glass bottles: A certain few are laced with death. Marie laces the perfume delicately—not with poison but with a hint of honeysuckle she’s trained her sister to respond to. Marie marks her victim, and Ama attacks. But she doesn’t attack as a girl. She kills as a beast.

Marking Ama’s victims controls the damage to keep suspicion at bay. But when a young boy turns up dead one morning, Marie is forced to acknowledge she might be losing control of Ama. And if she can’t control her, she’ll have to cure her. Marie knows the only place she’ll find the cure is in the mansion where Ama was cursed in the first place, home of Lord Sebastien LeClaire. But once she gets into the mansion, she discovers dark secrets hidden away—secrets of the curse, of Lord Sebastien . . . and of herself.]]> Cyla Panin AJ 3 Thank you to the author for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

When the author reached out to me and offered me an arc and of this book, I quickly read the synopsis and was sold! Gothic fantasy and retelling are two genres I quite enjoy, so I was beyond intrigued about reading this feminist retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

Marie was the perfect-imperfect MC. She made choices that were frustrating but you understood why. She would and did do whatever she needed to do to help her sister. The strength and determination she showed throughout this story was refreshing, especially for a YA novel.

My favorite part of the book was the world building. It fit the story so beautifully. Dark, mysterious woods that made me feel as if I was there myself.

The twist/reveal was a little predictable but still enjoyable. Fans of gothic fantasy, retelling and eerie woods should definitely pick up this book!

3/5 ✰’s]]> 3.64 2021 Stalking Shadows
author: Cyla Panin
name: AJ
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2021/09/08
date added: 2023/02/12
shelves:
review:
Thank you to the author for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

When the author reached out to me and offered me an arc and of this book, I quickly read the synopsis and was sold! Gothic fantasy and retelling are two genres I quite enjoy, so I was beyond intrigued about reading this feminist retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

Marie was the perfect-imperfect MC. She made choices that were frustrating but you understood why. She would and did do whatever she needed to do to help her sister. The strength and determination she showed throughout this story was refreshing, especially for a YA novel.

My favorite part of the book was the world building. It fit the story so beautifully. Dark, mysterious woods that made me feel as if I was there myself.

The twist/reveal was a little predictable but still enjoyable. Fans of gothic fantasy, retelling and eerie woods should definitely pick up this book!

3/5 ✰’s
]]> Black Swan Affair 30236300 I’ve loved him as long as I can remember.

The gangly boy with big brown eyes and unruly hair who grew up into an intoxicating man. He wears scruff like he invented it and ambles with a swagger that makes panties drop.

Killian Shepard.

Shep.

We grew up together. We played Ghost in the Graveyard. Had our own rock band. It didn’t matter that he was five years older than me. It didn’t matter that he looked at me as a kid sister even as I grew into woman. It didn’t even matter when he left me behind to go to college and start his adult life.

He’d be back.
He was always meant to be mine.

He came back, all right. But instead of smelling of promises, he stunk of betrayal. And he destroyed me—us—the day he married my sister instead of me.

So I did the only thing a girl like me in my position could do.

I got my revenge.
I married his brother, Kael.
Now we’re one big happy f*cking family.

***mature content appropriate for 18+ ]]> 370 K.L. Kreig 1943443122 AJ 0 dnf-did-not-finish DNF - The heroine’s obsession with the heroes brother is just not it]]> 3.99 2016 Black Swan Affair
author: K.L. Kreig
name: AJ
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at: 2023/02/12
date added: 2023/02/12
shelves: dnf-did-not-finish
review:
DNF - The heroine’s obsession with the heroes brother is just not it
]]> <![CDATA[Pestilence (The Four Horsemen, #1)]]> 41831210 They came to earth--Pestilence, War, Famine, Death--four horsemen riding their screaming steeds, racing to the corners of the world. Four horsemen with the power to destroy all of humanity. They came to earth, and they came to end us all.

When Pestilence comes for Sara Burn’s town, one thing is certain: everyone she knows and loves is marked for death. Unless, of course, the angelic-looking horseman is stopped, which is exactly what Sara has in mind when she shoots the unholy beast off his steed.

Too bad no one told her Pestilence can’t be killed.

Now the horseman, very much alive and very pissed off, has taken her prisoner, and he’s eager to make her suffer. Only, the longer she’s with him, the more uncertain she is about his true feelings towards her � and hers towards him.

And now, well, Sara might still be able to save the world, but in order to do so, she'll have to sacrifice her heart in the process.]]> 381 Laura Thalassa AJ 0 favorites
5/5 ]]> 3.85 2018 Pestilence (The Four Horsemen, #1)
author: Laura Thalassa
name: AJ
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at: 2019/09/29
date added: 2023/01/31
shelves: favorites
review:
This book was everything I hoped it would be! Actually, better. I found “Victor� to be adorably innocent about so much and I fell in love with it. I’m a huge fan of the Bargainer trilogy so I knew Laura wouldn’t disappointment me with this. I’ll be starting WAR tomorrow and I’m excited to continue this series

5/5
]]> <![CDATA[Heartless Sky (Zodiac Academy, #7)]]> 56474282
On the run and cast out from society, we’ve been forced to hide from the mad man who stole our throne. But as more secrets come to light and my sister and I work harder than ever before to reach our potential and claim our birth right, the end is finally drawing closer.

There is no turning from this path now. The curse chases on our heels as time rushes by and the blood drenched destiny of the man I love looms ever closer just like the monster who stole our throne.

We must prepare for the final battle, but three things are clear now.

The cards have already been dealt.

Blood will spill for a new future to rise.

And the stars themselves can’t help us.

The fight for the throne is upon us. All hail the heartless sky.]]> 991 Caroline Peckham AJ 4
If anyone asked me to describe this series in 5 words, I’d say “Hopeless, depressing, torment, doom and overwhelming.� And before anyone assumes I’m someone who likes vanilla sweet stories. I DON’T. Dark is my jam. Brutal means more interesting, but these characters couldn’t catch a break.

I’m used to reading emotional rollercoasters but in order for it to be a rollercoaster, it would need to go UP and down. Zodiac academy goes down, takes you somewhat to the middle and then back down again. I was a fan of these authors as I loved their �Boys of Sinner’s Bay� series. This series made me question whether they wanted to make us feel at our lowest while reading..

You fall in love with these characters, even the “bullies� and you root for them to be happy. You crave it, but before anyone can find a piece of happiness, there’s torture, kidnapping, broken bonds, shattered relationships, etc and it’s never ending. These are characters who had amazing character arcs and deserve the world but get.. hell.

Maybe I’m being dramatic. Maybe there’s people who like to be low and stay low while reading series. I just know myself and a few others I know felt like it was way too much.

I will say if the above issue wasn’t a problem, this could’ve been a top 5 favorite series for me. If you suffer from anxiety and depression, I absolutely don’t recommend reading these books!

4/5 ✰’s]]> 4.20 2021 Heartless Sky (Zodiac Academy, #7)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: AJ
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/01/25
date added: 2023/01/27
shelves:
review:
This review is going to sum up my feelings about the entire series (I know book 8 isn’t out yet) so far and I apologize in advance if it sounds angry. In all honesty, I’m extremely angry.

If anyone asked me to describe this series in 5 words, I’d say “Hopeless, depressing, torment, doom and overwhelming.� And before anyone assumes I’m someone who likes vanilla sweet stories. I DON’T. Dark is my jam. Brutal means more interesting, but these characters couldn’t catch a break.

I’m used to reading emotional rollercoasters but in order for it to be a rollercoaster, it would need to go UP and down. Zodiac academy goes down, takes you somewhat to the middle and then back down again. I was a fan of these authors as I loved their �Boys of Sinner’s Bay� series. This series made me question whether they wanted to make us feel at our lowest while reading..

You fall in love with these characters, even the “bullies� and you root for them to be happy. You crave it, but before anyone can find a piece of happiness, there’s torture, kidnapping, broken bonds, shattered relationships, etc and it’s never ending. These are characters who had amazing character arcs and deserve the world but get.. hell.

Maybe I’m being dramatic. Maybe there’s people who like to be low and stay low while reading series. I just know myself and a few others I know felt like it was way too much.

I will say if the above issue wasn’t a problem, this could’ve been a top 5 favorite series for me. If you suffer from anxiety and depression, I absolutely don’t recommend reading these books!

4/5 ✰’s
]]> <![CDATA[California Dreamin' (Heartstone, #3)]]> 53400755
In fact, he wants her to date guys her own age. But Fallon doesn’t care about that.

All she cares about is that she can’t take his eyes off Dean, her neighbor, her best friend, the guy who taught her to ride a bike and to climb trees.

All she cares about is that sometimes Dean can’t take his eyes off her, either. And that sometimes he looks at her like he wants to kiss her.

So it doesn’t matter that he’s thirty-two and she’s eighteen.

All that matters is that they belong with each other, and she needs to convince him of that.

Good thing they’re taking a cross-country road trip together, right?

California to New York; three thousand miles and a love story in the making�


*Featuring Simon Blackwood and Graham Edwards from ‘The Heartstone Series.�

**This is a STANDALONE NOVELLA. It was released as a part of Mixtape Anthology. Since then, it has been revised and expanded and re-titled. ]]> 179 Saffron A. Kent AJ 4 3.60 2019 California Dreamin' (Heartstone, #3)
author: Saffron A. Kent
name: AJ
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/01/25
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Of the Blood (Heir of Blood and Fire, #1)]]> 52022250 One malicious prince. Two rival kingdoms. And an innocent girl caught in the crossfire.

Raised in a war-ravaged continent, temptation comes to Calla Caldwell in the form of a charming and mysterious stranger. Giving in to his intimate seduction, her world is forever changed by a single bite.

Calla quickly learns the handsome stranger is vampire prince, Trystan Vladu. His bite was an attempt to claim and save her from a plot of vengeance generations in the making. However, the claws of that ancient vendetta are scraping ever closer.
Thrust into a new nightmare by the Prince of the corrupt kingdom of Morbeth, Calla is captured, tortured, and starved in the dank confines of his dungeon. While in captivity, she takes part in a séance with a witch of light where she contacts a departed relative—a Princess of Incendia—who bequeaths a gift to Calla that will tip the scales of good and evil . . . if she can learn to harness it.

With a dark tapestry of secrets, lies, and murder unraveling around her, Calla must learn to embrace the power roiling through her veins, or be snuffed out by the strangling fist of a malevolent darkness.]]> 432 Cameo Renae AJ 3 ”Tell me to leave. I will willingly do either. The choice is yours.�.�

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Vampires books are usually a hit or miss with me with nothing in between but this one was a bit of both.

I loved how fast paced this book was in the beginning and I appreciated that. Usually in the first book of a series we don’t get a pacing pickup until a few chapters in, luckily this one didn’t suffer from that. It did get a bit slow toward the middle and I was tempted to skim pages, but I refrained.

The characters were likable and I found myself caring about each of them, although the MC seemed to be a little boy crazy, which made me sigh after awhile.

The twists and intensity of some of the scenes had me anxiously flipping to the next page and I loved that!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author but I plan to look into more of her books. I’d recommend everyone give this book a shot when it’s released.

3.5/5 ]]> 3.98 2020 Of the Blood (Heir of Blood and Fire, #1)
author: Cameo Renae
name: AJ
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2020/05/09
date added: 2023/01/15
shelves:
review:
”Tell me to leave. I will willingly do either. The choice is yours.�.�

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Vampires books are usually a hit or miss with me with nothing in between but this one was a bit of both.

I loved how fast paced this book was in the beginning and I appreciated that. Usually in the first book of a series we don’t get a pacing pickup until a few chapters in, luckily this one didn’t suffer from that. It did get a bit slow toward the middle and I was tempted to skim pages, but I refrained.

The characters were likable and I found myself caring about each of them, although the MC seemed to be a little boy crazy, which made me sigh after awhile.

The twists and intensity of some of the scenes had me anxiously flipping to the next page and I loved that!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author but I plan to look into more of her books. I’d recommend everyone give this book a shot when it’s released.

3.5/5
]]> <![CDATA[Mercy (Salacious Players Club, #4)]]> 59420470 �
It’s bad enough being the only female owner of the Salacious Players� Club, but I’m also the only one without a kink, or so I thought. �
�
Imagine my surprise when the kink quiz suggests that I’m not so vanilla after all. �
�
In fact, I’m a lot more like Emerson Grant than I thought.�
Just one problem—I have no idea how to be a Domme.�
�
That is, until the app matches me with someone willing to help me learn. �
�
He’s too young for me.�
Too stubborn. Too good looking. �
And, oh yeah, my friend’s son.�
�
Beau Grant is a brat. I’d hate that about him if I didn’t love punishing him so much. �
Underneath all of that attitude is a man who is misunderstood, selfless, and in need of direction.�
�
But if he wants mercy, he has to earn it. �
�
There are a million reasons why I should stay away, but I’m tired of doing what everyone thinks I should do.�
�
I finally know what I want, and I’m ready to take what’s mine.⁠]]> 384 Sara Cate AJ 0 to-read 4.08 2022 Mercy (Salacious Players Club, #4)
author: Sara Cate
name: AJ
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dirty (Dirty Nasty Freaks, #1)]]> 39684144 Body of a god.
And a mouth so dirty he could make the devil blush�

Fix Marcosa’s time can be bought with money, but he isn’t selling sex. Murderers, rapists, criminals: if you’re on the wrong side of Fix’s moral code, you’re in trouble. The kind of trouble that winds up getting you killed. As a hitman for hire, Fix is no stranger to violence. He’s merciless. Relentless. A true savage, down to the roots of his very soul. You can beg. You can plead. You can pray, but it won’t do you any good. Once the tall, dark stranger arrives at your doorstep, it’s already too late to repent.

Sera Lafferty’s no stranger to heartbreak. With an abusive father and a dependant sister, her life has been one of sacrifice and compromise. As soon as she sets eyes on Felix ‘Fix� Marcosa, she recognizes the darkness in him and makes a vow: she will not get involved. But trapped inside a motel room with the sexiest man to ever walk the earth? Throw in some tequila and the storm to end all storms, and Sera finds herself worshipping at the altar of Marcosa.

She knows she made a mistake.

She knows she needs to run.

But when she witnesses the assassin at work first hand, she knows it’s far too late. Thrown into the back of his sleek black ride, Sera finds herself trapped, and in more way than one. Fix is deadly. He’s demanding, he’s dirty, and he’s determined to claim her for his own.]]> 281 Callie Hart AJ 3 4.18 2018 Dirty (Dirty Nasty Freaks, #1)
author: Callie Hart
name: AJ
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2022/07/07
date added: 2023/01/05
shelves:
review:

]]> Hiding Places (Rochester, #4) 60163378
Jane and Beau have returned Paige to her mother. They don’t have his niece to take care of anymore. Who are they without their former roles? A man. A woman. And a love that forges a new path for them.

Emily Rochester is done keeping secrets. The shadows in her marriage are written in black and white. It’s about speaking her truth. But when her quiet memoir becomes a media sensation, there’s no hiding from her past. Or her future. The memoir brings up dark memories. And dangerous enemies.

Someone wants Emily silenced. That means Paige is in danger again. Beau and Jane’s hard-won peace is threatened by the very force that brought them together.]]> 284 Skye Warren AJ 3 3.75 2021 Hiding Places (Rochester, #4)
author: Skye Warren
name: AJ
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2022/07/18
date added: 2023/01/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lessons in Corruption (The Fallen Men, #1)]]> 51480753 The heir to a notorious, criminal MC.
And my student.

There was no way I could get involved.
No way I could stay involved.
Then, no way I could get out alive.


An MC student/teacher romance.]]> 406 Giana Darling AJ 0 3.94 2017 Lessons in Corruption (The Fallen Men, #1)
author: Giana Darling
name: AJ
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at: 2022/07/28
date added: 2023/01/04
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Ruthless Monarch (The Corrupt Empire, #3)]]> 57511302
Matteo Amante.
Dangerous. Deadly. And most of all, devastating.

He’s the king of the city.
Running the mafia and ruling the East Coast.

He’s at war with his cousin, and I am the casualty.
There is nothing Matteo won’t do to win.

He’ll burn everything down to the ground, my hopes and dreams included.

He’s no hero.
He’s the handsome devil who will probably kill me in the end.
Falling in love with the enemy can destroy me, especially when he is my husband . . .]]> 354 Ava Harrison AJ 0 dnf-did-not-finish DNF for me. It sucks because the plot was interesting and I honestly would love to know how everything plays out but.. The chemistry between the two MCs is non existent, the dialogue between them is dry and the relationship seemed rushed and forced. I’m someone who doesn’t mind insta-love when it’s done properly but the h had no reason to get “fuzzy� feelings for the H as quickly as she did. It just didn’t seem believable.

DNF]]> 4.07 2021 Ruthless Monarch (The Corrupt Empire, #3)
author: Ava Harrison
name: AJ
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2022/03/16
date added: 2022/12/18
shelves: dnf-did-not-finish
review:
Sadly this is a DNF for me. It sucks because the plot was interesting and I honestly would love to know how everything plays out but.. The chemistry between the two MCs is non existent, the dialogue between them is dry and the relationship seemed rushed and forced. I’m someone who doesn’t mind insta-love when it’s done properly but the h had no reason to get “fuzzy� feelings for the H as quickly as she did. It just didn’t seem believable.

DNF
]]> <![CDATA[By Virtue I Fall (Sins of the Fathers, #3)]]> 61361898 She only has one goal: to become a fashion designer. Chicago’s elite already copies her style religiously, not least because she’s the daughter of the city’s notorious mafia boss.
When she’s accepted at a world-famous fashion institute in Paris, her father’s condition is to take her bodyguard along.
Anna definitely wouldn’t mind a few weeks of no-strings-attached fun with her brooding protector.

Santino Bianchi became the Outfit’s enforcer because he liked the thrill of the hunt and kill.
Babysitting his capo’s daughter is an honorable assignment he can’t refuse. His thoughts about Anna? Not so honorable.
Santino’s ignored Anna’s persistent flirting for years. Now, far away from home boundaries begin to blur. But Santino doesn’t have any intention to be the reason for a failed engagement and the ensuing scandal.

A summer fling in Paris.
Only two things stand in Anna’s way.
Santino’s iron will.
And…her fiancé.]]> 312 Cora Reilly AJ 4 Thank you to the author for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

I’ve waited patiently for this book. I had high expectations and I just knew Santino and Anna’s story would be one of my favorites. Cora did not disappoint.

The push and pull. The angst. The chemistry. The struggle for self control (that ultimately failed) was perfect and intense. We got hints for future couples and I’m hella intrigued already ;)

Santino was the perfect loyal, brooding asshole that Cora writes so well. A true possessive, made man. Anna was a bit much at times but overall I enjoyed her as the heroine. She was persistent and went for what she wanted. I also enjoyed seeing that Valentina was still trying to break the old style ways within Mafia families.

The most enjoyable part of the book was seeing Dante, Val and Leonas again. I missed them so much! Leonas is the perfect brother and his book will definitely be interesting.

4/5 ✰’s

Merged review:

Thank you to the author for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

I’ve waited patiently for this book. I had high expectations and I just knew Santino and Anna’s story would be one of my favorites. Cora did not disappoint.

The push and pull. The angst. The chemistry. The struggle for self control (that ultimately failed) was perfect and intense. We got hints for future couples and I’m hella intrigued already ;)

Santino was the perfect loyal, brooding asshole that Cora writes so well. A true possessive, made man. Anna was a bit much at times but overall I enjoyed her as the heroine. She was persistent and went for what she wanted. I also enjoyed seeing that Valentina was still trying to break the old style ways within Mafia families.

The most enjoyable part of the book was seeing Dante, Val and Leonas again. I missed them so much! Leonas is the perfect brother and his book will definitely be interesting.

4/5 ✰’s]]> 3.73 2022 By Virtue I Fall (Sins of the Fathers, #3)
author: Cora Reilly
name: AJ
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/06/21
date added: 2022/12/17
shelves:
review:
Thank you to the author for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

I’ve waited patiently for this book. I had high expectations and I just knew Santino and Anna’s story would be one of my favorites. Cora did not disappoint.

The push and pull. The angst. The chemistry. The struggle for self control (that ultimately failed) was perfect and intense. We got hints for future couples and I’m hella intrigued already ;)

Santino was the perfect loyal, brooding asshole that Cora writes so well. A true possessive, made man. Anna was a bit much at times but overall I enjoyed her as the heroine. She was persistent and went for what she wanted. I also enjoyed seeing that Valentina was still trying to break the old style ways within Mafia families.

The most enjoyable part of the book was seeing Dante, Val and Leonas again. I missed them so much! Leonas is the perfect brother and his book will definitely be interesting.

4/5 ✰’s

Merged review:

Thank you to the author for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

I’ve waited patiently for this book. I had high expectations and I just knew Santino and Anna’s story would be one of my favorites. Cora did not disappoint.

The push and pull. The angst. The chemistry. The struggle for self control (that ultimately failed) was perfect and intense. We got hints for future couples and I’m hella intrigued already ;)

Santino was the perfect loyal, brooding asshole that Cora writes so well. A true possessive, made man. Anna was a bit much at times but overall I enjoyed her as the heroine. She was persistent and went for what she wanted. I also enjoyed seeing that Valentina was still trying to break the old style ways within Mafia families.

The most enjoyable part of the book was seeing Dante, Val and Leonas again. I missed them so much! Leonas is the perfect brother and his book will definitely be interesting.

4/5 ✰’s
]]> <![CDATA[A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor (Tempting Monsters, #1)]]> 56574777
Upon arrival the men and the daily decadence of the manor feel too good to be true for a girl of Esther’s station. There are rules to be followed, expectations to meet, and Esther is afraid she might be too wicked even for a place like Rooksgrave.

Temptations lurk around every shadowy corner and Esther has never been a girl able to resist. But the risk of disappointing her new gentlemen isn’t all that’s threatening Esther’s new position. Rooksgrave Manor’s protections for its unusual patrons are failing, the wards are crumbling, and Esther’s new and exquisitely pleasurable life may all come tumbling down.

Author's Note: I've returned to Rooksgrave Manor to polish and complete Esther's story (previously published in 2018) and rediscovered a whole world of monsters and devious young women that I absolutely adore!]]> 376 Kathryn Moon AJ 0 to-read 3.87 2021 A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor (Tempting Monsters, #1)
author: Kathryn Moon
name: AJ
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/12/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Boyfriend Bargain (Hawthorne University, #1)]]> 61330005
If only he knew she was alive.

Her mission? Get on this hockey player’s radar any way possible.

Zack Morgan is the king of the ice and the bedroom, but nothing prepares him for the mystery girl who shows up everywhere he does—frat parties, his favorite bar, and finally his front door with an offer he can’t refuse. The only rule in her boyfriend bargain: no falling in love.

But after one (um, two) smoking-hot hookups, he’s done with pretending and vows to make their fake relationship real. Too bad she can’t trust a player with a reputation for breaking hearts.

Will this hockey star score his forever girl, or will this boyfriend bargain end in heartbreak?]]> 356 Ilsa Madden-Mills AJ 0 to-read 3.85 2019 Boyfriend Bargain (Hawthorne University, #1)
author: Ilsa Madden-Mills
name: AJ
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/11/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Beneath the Burn 17561072
Three years later, she finds him again, but their separation was poisoned with narcotics and bloodied by enslavement.

Her freedom gambled away, Charlee Grosky escapes the international businessman who held her captive. But his power reaches beyond her protective barriers and threatens everyone she has come to love.

Jay Mayard wears his tortured secrets under his rock god facade. Drugs are his release, even as he seeks to be the man forged of the steel only she can see.

In a celebrity world filled with paparazzi, groupies, and drugs, Jay and Charlee must face their worst fears. When the battle is over, what will be left...Beneath The Burn.


Romantic Thriller
Stand Alone (no cliff-hanger)]]> 509 Pam Godwin AJ 0 to-read 4.02 2013 Beneath the Burn
author: Pam Godwin
name: AJ
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/11/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Gabriel Fallen (Empire Nightclub, #2)]]> 44591567 From internationally bestselling author K.A. Tucker comes the dark and sexy Empire Nightclub series.

Mercy Wheeler and Gabriel Easton’s sordid tale continues in Gabriel Fallen as Mercy finds herself heading down a dangerous path.

Gabriel has made an art of dangling what I’m most desperate for in front of me, what he knows I can’t refuse, no matter the cost. In this case, that cost continues to be me.

He is still a scoundrel, but I’m starting to see something more.

And while our bargain is proving advantageous in ways I never anticipated, the risks that come with being associated with a man like him are becoming painfully clear.

But how much longer before this arrangement with Gabriel costs me everything I am?

This is the second book in the Empire Nightclub series and should be read after Sweet Mercy.]]> 222 Nina West 1999015452 AJ 0 to-read 4.23 2019 Gabriel Fallen (Empire Nightclub, #2)
author: Nina West
name: AJ
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/11/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Bound To Him 62703591
Never.

I'd rather die.]]> 240 Belle Aurora AJ 3 3.40 Bound To Him
author: Belle Aurora
name: AJ
average rating: 3.40
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2022/11/13
date added: 2022/11/13
shelves:
review:

]]> Cast Stones 57826407 My past is a poisoned prayer...
Whispered to me by a devil with an angel’s smile.
Twelve years ago, he stole me from the streets,
Only to leave me stranded in a nightmare.

Luca Esposito isn’t just a painful memory.
He’s a front-page headline—an accused killer.
And I’m the public defender who set him free.

Once again, I'm trapped in his web with blood on my hands.
But I didn’t crawl out of the fire to be tossed into an inferno.
There’s a new nightmare coming,
And this time we’ll be stranded together.

They cast the first stone� We’ll cast the last.
My Heaven. His Hell.
Our final sin.

Cast Stones is an extremely dark and taboo romance novella with multiple triggers such as sexual assault (not by the hero) and referenced child abuse. This book is not for the faint of heart. If you are easily offended or triggered, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS BOOK.
Remember, you have been warned. ]]> 169 Cora Kenborn AJ 4 3.91 2021 Cast Stones
author: Cora Kenborn
name: AJ
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/11/09
date added: 2022/11/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Black Skies Riviera (Cristo Sinners World, #1)]]> 53327327 An arranged marriage mafia romance where love is a debt no sinner can pay�

Issa Dubova is the queen of cloudy diamonds:
A Bratva princess.
My reluctant new wife.
A pretty bargain in exchange for the names of the men who killed my father.

I'm a black suit of spades:
Determined to bury both her and my demons.
I never asked to see the shape of her heart.
I never asked for her to fill the blank spaces of mine.

But the mafia wants her secrets.
I'm not the first she betrayed.
And Issa? Sweet, not-so-innocent Issa?
She's now a debt no sinner can pay.

Black Skies Riviera is a heart-stopping, enemies to lovers romance with NO cliff-hanger and a guaranteed HEA. For mature readers only.]]> 366 Catherine Wiltcher 183804485X AJ 4 3.74 2020 Black Skies Riviera (Cristo Sinners World, #1)
author: Catherine Wiltcher
name: AJ
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2022/11/09
date added: 2022/11/09
shelves:
review:

]]> A London Thief 60618266 Catherine Wiltcher AJ 0 to-read 4.90 2023 A London Thief
author: Catherine Wiltcher
name: AJ
average rating: 4.90
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/11/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Lovers and Liars 55350552 Brother... ɹɐı˥
Soldier... ɟǝıɥ�

A new Santiago Series novel coming soon.

“I’m just a hop, skip and a lie away from discovering your secrets, detective...�

“Oh?� Dissolute, green eyes flicker across my face as he measures out an answer to my threat. He takes his time, casting shade over my conviction with each passing second. “Black arrows can’t touch me, Miss�whatever you call yourself these days. They don’t even leave a mark.�

“Maybe not.� I lean in close, so close, until his chilly perfection starts stealing all my oxygen. “But bleeding ones can…”]]> Catherine Wiltcher AJ 0 to-read 4.87 Lovers and Liars
author: Catherine Wiltcher
name: AJ
average rating: 4.87
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/11/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Ricochet: A London Villain Prequel]]> 59602512 The Devil dances in his veins�


It started with a dare:�
Steal a kiss from the pretty, green-eyed girl with the Irish mobster father.�
Turns out, Ada O'Sullivan was a much better thief than me.�
In the span of one night, I lost my head, my senses, my loyalty to my own crime family...
�

At nineteen, she was the only thing worth fighting for.

Dying for.

LDZԲ.
But every choice has a consequence�

Frankie & Ada’s story concludes in
A London Villain, releasing 02/28/22]]> Catherine Wiltcher AJ 0 4.77 Ricochet: A London Villain Prequel
author: Catherine Wiltcher
name: AJ
average rating: 4.77
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/11/09
shelves:
review:

]]> Bullets and Thorns 58401950 A dark, enemies to lovers, arranged marriage mafia romance set in the Corrupt Gods World.

Every rose has its thorn...

Our families were allies...
Then she came crawling to my cousin for protection...
Only to find me.
The fixer. The level head.
The loyal shadow everyone sees, but no one hears.
Until it’s too late.

(full blurb to come soon)

*Bullets and Thorns is an interconnected standalone romance set in the Corrupt Gods World. It is NOT necessary to have read any previous books to enjoy it.]]> Cora Kenborn AJ 0 to-read 4.67 Bullets and Thorns
author: Cora Kenborn
name: AJ
average rating: 4.67
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/11/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sanctuary with Kings (Tempting Monsters, #3)]]> 61332698
Rescued by a mysterious monster who vows her sanctuary, Evanthia must piece back the woman that Birsha tore apart. Quiet sanctuary is no cure for her endless hunger, but the war brewing on the horizon is the last place she wants to be. Hiding with sleeping dragons and lonely monsters in a castle made from dreams might be a fantasy, but it’s not enough to keep the nightmares at bay.

When not even Evanthia’s tired heart can remain dormant in the tender care of the kings who keep her safe, she must make the decision. Hide from her past forever, or face the man she fears most on the battlefield.]]> 519 Kathryn Moon AJ 0 to-read 4.10 2023 Sanctuary with Kings (Tempting Monsters, #3)
author: Kathryn Moon
name: AJ
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/11/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Company of Fiends (Tempting Monsters, #2)]]> 58756087
Just as Hazel encounters a new and intriguing patron, disaster strikes the theater. Girls are going missing and suspiciously bad luck plagues the stage. Between ex-lovers, current bed partners, and new faces at the theater, Hazel’s heart is tangled more than ever and she finds it increasingly impossible to draw herself away from the life she’s known for so long.

It is time to make a choice. Start fresh before she’s drawn into the mess, or take a stand and fight for the family she’s found in the strangest of places.]]> 554 Kathryn Moon AJ 0 to-read 4.24 2022 The Company of Fiends (Tempting Monsters, #2)
author: Kathryn Moon
name: AJ
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/11/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Rush & Ruin (Ruin Duet Part 1)]]> 58599203 From USA Today Bestselling author Catherine Wiltcher comes the first part to a seductive new mafia romance duet�

My Protector. My Ruin.

Ella:
Edier Grayson is the King of Shadows.
A ruthless sinner. A beautiful liar.
On the eve of my eighteenth birthday, he kissed my lips and painted the stars in the sky for me, but when I woke the next morning he was gone.
Now he paints the streets of New York City red, and his heart is as cold as his promises.

Edier:
Ella Santiago and I were raised in this cartel life together. I loved a girl with sunshine in her soul, until her father gave me two choices.
I walked away to spare Ella my fate.
Now she’s the one woman I can’t have, and the only woman I see.

Years later, we find ourselves in the same city.
I hate her for it.
My obsession is too strong...
I love her even more for it.

But Ella should know that all shadows crave light.
This is my world, and I’ll do whatever it takes to have her back in my arms.
The newspaper she works for? I bought it.
That date she made with a colleague? I crushed it.
I protect what’s mine�what’s always been mine—even when she can’t admit it.

Even when my enemies are determined to break it.]]> 0 Catherine Wiltcher AJ 4
Edier and Ella have chemistry. It’s hot, intense and it seems like the world is against them being together. Even still they can’t stay away from each other and I loved every minute of it.

I really enjoyed the “black magic/curse� mystery surrounding this book and I can’t wait until book 2 so we can have all of the answers.

And of course I enjoyed seeing our favorite OGs, Dante (daddy Dante as I like to call him), Joseph and Rick Sanders!

December can’t come fast enough!

4/5 ✰’s]]> 4.11 2022 Rush & Ruin (Ruin Duet Part 1)
author: Catherine Wiltcher
name: AJ
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/26
date added: 2022/10/26
shelves:
review:
Catherine has had me in a chokehold for 2 years since I was first introduced to Dante Santiago and each time I read s book from this world, the hold gets tighter.

Edier and Ella have chemistry. It’s hot, intense and it seems like the world is against them being together. Even still they can’t stay away from each other and I loved every minute of it.

I really enjoyed the “black magic/curse� mystery surrounding this book and I can’t wait until book 2 so we can have all of the answers.

And of course I enjoyed seeing our favorite OGs, Dante (daddy Dante as I like to call him), Joseph and Rick Sanders!

December can’t come fast enough!

4/5 ✰’s
]]> <![CDATA[Deceitful (Rules of Deception, #1)]]> 60491732
As if absorbing the DNA of someone else and pretending to be them wasn’t hard enough, Alec, the guy she’s been in love with for years, is joining her on the dangerous mission. Tessa knows she can’t let her feelings for him get in the way, especially as her crush seems hopeless. Not only is Alec her self-defence teacher but he's also taken. If only the attraction between them would stop complicating everything!


Will Tessa find the killer before another person falls victim to him? Or will she lose herself in a life she’s always longed for but never had?]]> 279 Cora Reilly AJ 4 Thank you to socialbutterfly pr for sending an arc in exchange for an honest review]]> 3.90 2022 Deceitful (Rules of Deception, #1)
author: Cora Reilly
name: AJ
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/02/25
date added: 2022/10/21
shelves:
review:
Thank you to socialbutterfly pr for sending an arc in exchange for an honest review
]]> <![CDATA[Sweet Mercy (Empire Nightclub, #1)]]> 53283168 One visit to my father in prison—convicted for a murder he didn’t commit—and I’ve attracted the attention of the last man I’d ever want knowing that I exist.
Gabriel Easton.
Son of an infamous crime boss. Deplorable womanizer. Scoundrel to the core.
Worse, he has figured out how desperate I am to protect my father from brutality behind bars. He has the power to grant that protection, and he has offered it � for a price.
Me.
I'll do anything for my father, including agree to Gabriel's cruel game. But I won't comply with his every whim and wish.
Unfortunately for me, I think my loathing for him is what he’s enjoying most.
That's fine. By the time I’m through with him, he’ll be crying my name.
Mercy.]]> 252 Nina West AJ 4 3.75 2019 Sweet Mercy (Empire Nightclub, #1)
author: Nina West
name: AJ
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/20
date added: 2022/10/20
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Immoral Confessions (Boys of St. Augustine, #1)]]> 55845539 Then, “I dare you,� was whispered in the dark of night.
Three simple words that changed everything.
I became the one thing that Rhys Blackwood hated more than he hated himself.
St. Augustine’s very own fallen angel had me in his hold and he wasn’t giving up until I was ruined.
I was a snitch. A liar. A pawn.
He was cruel. Merciless. The King.
Together, we were fated for destruction.
And where there are secrets and untruths� there are demons lurking beyond the shadows.]]> 322 R. Holmes AJ 0 to-read 3.46 2021 Immoral Confessions (Boys of St. Augustine, #1)
author: R. Holmes
name: AJ
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/10/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Key of Cunning (Re-Imagined, #1)]]> 59230841 Baron Henrick.

Even his name tasted delicious on the tongue. Like treacle. Thick. Cloying.

There were the rumours, of course. Running rampant in a town as small as Beurre.

Baron’s six previous wives stayed at the edge of everybody’s minds.

The town was suspicious of everything. And everyone.

They warned people away. Warned them to not fall in love with a monster.

I didn’t listen.

***

Key of Cunning is a full-length, complete standalone in the Re-Imagined Series. It is a dark-ish, contemporary romance and is a modern-day re-imagining of the folk tale of Bluebeard. This book features mature themes and content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Reader discretion is advised.]]> 302 Katie Lowrie 191525101X AJ 0 to-read 3.39 Key of Cunning (Re-Imagined, #1)
author: Katie Lowrie
name: AJ
average rating: 3.39
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/09/02
shelves: to-read
review:

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