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Author: Linsey Hall Series: Charming Cove Series book #2 Category: Paranormal Romance Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spice: 🌶️🌶️ Goodreads Blurb How To Fake-Date a Vampire had everything I love in my fake-dating trope books. ✔️ Embarrassing meet cute ✔️ Animal sidekick ✔️ Desperate circumstances ✔️ Fake-dating scheme ✔️ Meddling grandmother ✔️ Falling in love Emma was a little quirky but very determined, and all she ever wanted was to find her people and place in life. I was surprised by how judgmental she was of Alaric and his family at first, seemingly set on painting them as selfish and snobby before even getting to know them. Hell, she even had a knee-jerk reaction to judge her familiar when they first met! She would have found her happiness much quicker if she had been a little more open to a life other than the 'normal' one she desperately craved. "No, my goal was to find somewhere I belonged. Like, really belonged." - Emma Alaric was so sweet, but deeply distrustful because of his recent problems with his ex. While there was no other woman drama, he did struggle to move past his hurt and that affected his relationship with Emma. Alaric was so kind, and he fell smitten with Emma pretty quickly, though he didn't let himself name how he really felt about her. Above all else, he only wanted to protect the only family he had, aka his grandmother, and he was willing to do whatever it took. Vivian, Alaric's grandmother, and the rest of his family were so outrageously fun and down to earth. They were all in to help when the situation called for it, and they adored Alaric as much as he loved them. Vivian was the life of the party, and I cracked up at her clear manipulations - I can only hope I have the opportunity to meddle as much when I hit that age. "He pressed his hands to my hips and adjusted them. Heat raced through me, and I realized that Vivian had set us up. She was incorrigible." - Emma Overall, the book was an easy read and review with enough chemistry and tension between the main characters to keep me interested until they finally ended up together. I read this as a stand alone but there is a first book in the series that you may want to read first to get more background about the cute town of Charming Cove. Tropes and Themes: Magic, Fake Dating, Vampire, Small Town. Blurb Faking it with a vampire duke should be easy, right? I’ve got one chance to prove to my coven that I’m worth my wand. But to do it, I'm going to have to make a deal with a vampire duke. I get to use his gorgeous estate in Cornwall to host the Beltane Ball--and in exchange, I'll pretend to be his girlfriend. But it's all a show for his grandmother. The rules of our fake relationship are simple: No flirting. No emotion. No sex. Easy, right? Except I can't seem to ignore the allure of the infuriating and devastatingly sexy vampire. Falling for a duke isn’t an option, though. I would lose the anonymity that protects me and my coven, and that would ruin my life--and the lives of those in my coven. So yeah, totally easy.

SPOILER ALERT! I'm not in the business of ruining books, so if you haven't read this book yet, turn back now! Author: Janie Crouch Series: Linear Tactical Series book #1 Category: Romantic Suspense Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Goodreads Link Blurb "Work was what she needed, what she understood. Zac MacKay? Not so much." - Anne Anne was down on her luck, and despite being an accomplished emergency room doctor, had very little to her name. Without many options, she elected to come back to her hometown of Oak Creek. Thankfully, no one was able to recognize her as the shy, sheltered girl she had once been, and Anne hoped to keep it that way. "She was divorced, broke, and terrified of social situations to the point of paralysis. Except for being an excellent emergency room physician, she had basically zero going for her." - Anne Unfortunately, her worst fear came to light when her former crush, and deceased best friend Becky's husband Zac was admitted into the emergency room where she worked. Zac immediately knew who she was, and Anne was terrified of him. Because of his actions, after sleeping together not long after Becky was killed, Anne fled town years prior. All she wanted was to forget the past, but Zac kept digging until he knew the truth, for better or worse. "He didn't remember. That had defined her life, and he didn't remember." - Anne Zac was an asshole to Anne, plain and simple. Not only in his past actions but also after all these years when he first saw her. He was so righteous thinking he was the hero, he never even considered the possibility that he may be the villain in her story. The ultimate reveal of what had happened the night Zac and Anne had sex was just as horrible, maybe even worse than I'd thought. After drinking heavily, they got into bed together and Zac took Anne's virginity. It wasn't until she confessed her love for him that he freaked out, kicked her out of the room bleeding, and told her to never return. Zac was cruel, and I still don't think I would have forgiven him for everything. However, even knowing how much he hurt her, Zac fell pretty quickly for Anne and strived to prove that he was the one for her. I do commend Zac for how he stepped up and helped Anne, becoming the support system she didn't have but desperately needed. I wish his groveling lasted longer than a month before she gave in, but at least he made a huge effort and ate some humble pie which is more than what happens in most books. "'Because some things can't ever be fixed. But you damn well try anyway.'" - Zac I cried multiple times in this book with all the hurt that Anne went through, the attack on her was brutal and hard to read and review. She deserved so much more than what happened to her. Throughout the whole book, I was sure that Franklin was going to be the rapist, due to her past encounters with him. Imagine my utter shock when freaking Shawn shot him and was the bad guy all along - where the fuck did he come from! Despite how scared she was, Anne proved herself a smart and capable woman, leaning on her strengths to escape Shawn. One thing that irritated me to no end was the lack of responsibility the Linear Tactical team had in calling out bad behavior happening around them. Franklin and his group of guys repeatedly spoke horribly to and of women, and none of them did much about it except ignore it. If anyone was in the position of being able to shut down 'locker room talk', these guys would be. Real men don't just not participate, they immediately call it out as disguising. Cyclone was a solid start to the Linear Tactical series, and I definitely will be continuing on. I loved the Wyoming small-town setting and there are tons of already-introduced characters that I need to know more about. Sure, there were some cringe moments and glossed-over elements, but overall the story was enjoyable and the twist ending was fantastic. Tropes and Themes: Romantic Suspense, Mystery, Second Chance, Military, Best Friend's Boyfriend, Small Town. Blurb Meet Zac Mackay. Military codename: Cyclone. He's a widower, a protector, a hero. And the person who could destroy Anne's life. Doctor Anne Griffin is back in Oak Creek, Wyoming, only because she has no other options. Here, she was always the shy, stuttering girl, invisible to everyone. Except Zac. The very reason she left in the first place. Zac's years in Special Forces taught him survival skills, and he's created a company--Linear Tactical--to teach those skills to others, so they never have to live in fear. Then why is Annie, the last person he'd ever want to hurt, afraid of him? Zac's determined to wipe the fear from the eyes of the woman who has never been far from his mind. And fix the mistakes--his mistakes--that put that look there in the first place. But a predator has set his sights on Annie. And now survival skills will become much more than lessons...

Author: Brynne Weaver Series: The Ruinous Love Trilogy Series book #1 Category: Dark Romance Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Goodreads Blurb "Being a serial killer who kills serial killers is a great hobby...Until you find yourself locked in a cage." - Sloane Based on the warning alone at the beginning of this book I read before I even wrote this review, I knew I was in for a wild ride. I don’t consider myself squeamish, but I admit I was a tad worried when eyeballs were mentioned. I'm happy to report that any misgivings were quickly cast aside, this book is a murderous joyride of frenzied fun! Sloane was a complex character, outside of her obviously dark hobby of killing, there was a lot of trauma she was clearly trying to mask in her everyday life. Murder was an outlet for her, and although her art was composed of body parts, I could see the reasoning behind it. I thoroughly enjoyed her banter with Butcher, despite the gruesome topics I was laughing at their antics and humor. "'I didn't gouge them out, Butcher. I plucked them. Delicately. Like a lady.'" - Sloane I adored Rowan, he fell hard and wasn't upset about it in the least. Their relationship was a slow progression, from enemies, to tentative friends, to best friends then to lovers - and throughout it all Rowan kept Slone at the forefront of his thoughts. They were so similarly broken but in different ways. Rowan never wanted to fix her, just embrace her jagged edges and celebrate her chaos. "She's everywhere, in every drop of my blood, in every spark of thought, and I want to fucking destroy her for it. To shatter her just like she's broken me. Because she brings me to my fucking knees. I want to ruin her so that she's mine, my beautiful disaster. My wild creature. My goddess of chaos." - Rowan Sloane and Rowan's chemistry was off the charts and their slow-burn love story kept me on the edge. It took 60% of the book before Rowan and Sloane finally fell into bed together and damn, it was worth the wait. Butcher & Blackbird is a spicy romantic comedy in essence, just with murder and plenty of blood. This is the first book in the series and I can’t wait to read Lark's book next. Tropes and Themes: Slow Burn, Serial Killer, Dark Romance, Friends to Lovers, Mystery, Touch Her and Die. Blurb Every serial killer needs a friend. Every game must have a winner. When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive—the friendship of a like-minded, pitch-black soul. From small town West Virginia to upscale California, from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country. But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love. Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out of a game of graves? Or have they finally met their match?

ARC Review: Publish Date November 7, 2023 Author: Jillian Witt Series: Compass Points Series book #1 Category: Fantasy Romance Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spice: 🌶️🌶️ Goodreads Blurb "'Have you ever used that magic on me?' A pause and another head tilt. 'No Rose. I want you to remember every one of our interactions.' His mounting concern at sharing information about his magic seemed to melt into a seductive smile before her eyes." Compass Points is a great first book in what I predict will be a fantastically engaging fantasy romance series. Rose had been hiding her true self for ten years, trying to avoid everything to do with her past. She was extremely capable but cynical, pretending she was better off alone when she had the biggest heart and couldn't refuse anyone in need. I adored how humble she was considering her magical strength, time and time again using it to benefit other people even at the cost of her own safety. Luc was used to being the smartest (and strongest) person in the room until he met Rose and made the gravest error of underestimating her. His public persona was arrogant and fierce, but Rose realized that the real Luc was kind and protective of those he cared for. Though he initially dismissed her, Luc quickly learned his lesson and didn't hesitate to become Roses' champion when she needed to be reminded of how strong she could be. "He was a predator, gift-wrapped to distract while moving in for the kill. He was the Suden Point. She hated the Compass Points and everything they were meant to be." - Rose There was an instant attraction between Rose and Luc but both kept secrets as they tried to determine each other's motivations. Despite the lack of initial trust, the tension between them continued to mount the longer they spent together. Though there were physical scenes, compared to some Fae romances this book was relatively clean and on the sweeter side. "'A little breaking and entering, a bit of magic, and a lot of Norden history. I hope we have a thousand more nights like this." - Luc Book one ends with some secrets revealed, but even more questions unanswered. The world is still in danger and enemies are waiting for their chance to strike. With trials ahead, I can't wait to see how Rose and Luc's story plays out. Tropes and Themes: Slow Burn, Fantasy Romance, Magic, Cliffhanger. Blurb A magical weapons master just might be the key to saving the continent from a deadly plague; if only she didn’t have to romantically entangle herself with a dangerous fae leader to do it. Rose has kept her head down and life private for the last ten years, making weapons in the remote northern village and staying away from the world of the Compass Points. Running from her past seemed like the easiest way to deal with her pain. When a representative of the Suden Point, the leader of the earth fae, comes looking for a magical weapons master, her secrets may start to unravel. Deadly and determined, Luc needs Rose’s skills to help fight a mist plague overtaking the continent. When the plague hits too close to home, Rose must decide her fate. Continue to run from her past? Or go to the one place she swore never to return, Compass Lake.

Author: Heather K. Carson Series: Fated Destinies Series book #1 Category: Paranormal Romance Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Goodreads Blurb "'You're my little sister. I don't care what those DNA tests say. The same blood runs through us both. If you don't belong here, neither do I. Whatever happens, we stick together.'" - Sage Sage's life had been hard and was about to become even more challenging. Learning her sister had DNA that wasn't considered normal in the perfect dystopian human city of Ethica, she was forced to flee into the wastelands to save her sister from a research facility. It wasn't until they stumbled upon a town of shifters that shouldn't even exist that Sage began to question everything she had ever been taught. Above all else, Sage was a loving and protective big sister to Coral, giving everything she could to make sure her sister was safe and happy. Sage was loyal and determined, but unused to putting herself first. A practical girl after my own heart, even when she felt her whole world tilting on its axis, Sage persevered and almost immediately accepted her situation to make the best of it and even thrive. "It was over. This was the first day of the rest of our lives. And I wanted life to be better now." - Sage Maddox was in love the moment he set eyes on Sage, given the nature of fated mates. Though it went against his very instincts, he was patient with her and gave her time to come to her own decision about what she wanted from him. I'll always love a possessive Alpha male but I liked that he still had the ability to compromise for Sage and truly, for once in her life, someone put her first. I got major Wolf Gone Wild vibes from the banter between Maddox and his wolf. The dichotomy in the relationship was as hilarious as it was interesting. "My witch was full of surprises. I wondered what else she liked rough. My wolf was to blame for that last thought." - Maddox Sage and Maddox complement each other. They were both seemingly stuck in a rut before fate stepped in unexpectedly. Their romance was a slow burn but so worth the wait. The world-building was excellently constructed, handing out bite-sized details without long paragraphs of info dumping that tend to happen in paranormal genres. I loved Coral and Kera as secondary characters, but am excited for them to get their own books (and book reviews) to shed more light on their personalities. There is more to come from the Cerberus Pack and hopefully, a bright future awaits. Tropes and Themes: Werewolves, Wolf Shifters, Magic, Witches, Fated Mates, Dystopian, Forced Proximity. Blurb Fate doesn’t exist. But try telling that to the growling wolf shifter who thinks I’m his mate… This is not my week. Or month. Or year. My now-ex-boyfriend cheating on me with my best friend? I’d get over it eventually. Pretentious chefs who looked down on me because I never went to culinary school while I was raising my little sister? Screw ‘em. Finding out my sister has Lycan wolf DNA and I have hours to get her out of the city before she’s locked away in a government research facility? I definitely didn’t see that one coming. To save my sister’s life, we take off in the middle of the night following cryptic instructions from our late father to what was supposed to be the toxic wastelands. Imagine my surprise when we stumble into a fairy tale civilization of wolf shifters where magic is real and a frustrating, but ruggedly handsome pack enforcer has serious plans for me. The big, bad, and hungry wolf thinks I’m his fated mate and he’s not taking no for an answer. That’s just the icing on the metaphorical cake. But this isn’t some magical bedtime story. Real danger exists in the Cerberus pack. There’s a poison in the ranks. Shifters are leaving. My sister isn’t safe. And a blood-thirsty Alpha murders anyone that challenges him. Which I may--or may not--have accidentally done… Did I mention today is not my day?

Author: Kerrigan Byrne & Cynthia St. Aubin Series: Townsend Harbor Series book #1 Category: Contemporary Romance Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Goodreads Blurb "'Maiden, mother, virgin, whore. They don't write our stories anymore..." Cady began. 'Vampires, lairds, pirates, earls - we're taking smut back for the girls.'" It’s fall, and nothing feels like a more cozy setting than a bookstore in a small town. Add in a taxidermized raven, a mysterious phone caller with a sexy voice, and some light breaking and entering, and you've got the perfect book for autumn. It was a joy to read and review this book! Cady's life had been overwhelming after her aunt recently passed, leaving her a bookstore she doesn't know if she legally owns. Though she had friends in good places, she was also considered an outsider in the town, having only been there since she was 16. Some nefarious town residents had it out for her, and Cady needed to decide who to trust. Fox was the bright spot for Cady, although he considered himself the villain. With deep scars due to his military background, he was desperate to be close to Cady but so afraid of hurting her or asking her to deal with his demons. Fox was the most honorable kind of quasi-stalker, determined to keep her safe, which included safe from him. "The fact that she was head-to-toe covered still didn't save him from being nine kinds of pervy fuck-knuckle for staring at an unsuspecting woman through his PVS-7 Focus Range Night Vision tactical binoculars. But how else was he to gather intel on her interior layout and monitor every person who dared to approach the shop day or night?" - Fox Fox and Cady had explosive chemistry, sign me up for Fox's brand of phone sex, please! Though Fox pushed her away time and time again, Cady was no meek woman. She was kind to a fault but wasn't afraid to fight for what she wanted. Fox didn't have a prayer in the world once Cady decided he was hers, the bewildered man thought he was in charge when he was at the mercy of her love. "'Your truth isn't mine. You don't get to tell me what my truth is.'" - Cady The small-town vibes set in the PNW were a perfect setting for this bookstore. I adored all of the gossiping kooky residents, almost as much as the idea of my very own "bare naked book club". Townsend Harbor had secrets, and while some were small and predictable, others gave the story enough of a twist to keep me guessing. Tropes and Themes: Small Town, Grumpy x Sunshine, Damaged Hero, Friends to Lovers, Mystery, Military Veteran. Blurb Cadence “Cady” Bloomquist knows two things for sure: First, shelving books at her shop, Nevermore Bookstore, totally counts as cardio. Second, staying late every Thursday night to take a certain mysterious customer’s order is not the same as waiting by the phone for some man. Until. Until the calls with the man who identifies himself only as “Fox” last for hours, and become the highlight of her week. Which leaves her to wonder, if his jagged velvet voice can kindle her fire over the phone, what sort of alchemy might it inspire if they met in person? There’s nothing Roman Fawkes wants more than the brilliant, beautiful bookstore owner, but Roman Fawkes knows it can never happen. Secreted in his mountain hideaway high above sleepy little Townsend Harbor, his hermit’s existence shields him–and those around him–from the pain of his past. Until. Until one of their weekly calls is interrupted by a break-in, and Fawkes is powerless to protect the woman who has become his one link to the world. Orchestrating a trap for the fool who dared harm her, Fawkes finds himself not just ensnared, but beguiled by her. Now so close to Cady, he discovers she’s fallen for “Fox”, and yet he’s unable to reveal her heart’s desire is closer than she thinks. Can Fawkes resist the temptation to get between Cady’s covers, knowing they’ll never have a happily ever after?

SPOILER ALERT! I'm not in the business of ruining books, so if you haven't read this book yet, turn back now! Author: Rosa Lucas Series: Billionaires in Charge Series book #2 Category: Contemporary Romance Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Goodreads Blurb "Is it worse to be forgotten or to be hated? That's the million-dollar question." - JP Billionaire + Workplace Romance + Amnesia = A lot going on I don't recall having ever read or reviewed a book with this combination of tropes, and for originality alone, I wanted to love this one. The book starts out with a little prologue to introduce us to Lucy and JP, aka awkward people pleaser and her asshole CEO, before we jump ahead to Lucy in the hospital with a year's worth of memories missing. Lucy was a good character, but immature (and no, not just because she liked comic books!) Her default was to duck her head in the sand to the detriment of her relationships and career, but then be annoyed that her complacency wasn't getting her anywhere in life. After her amnesia, Lucy finally started to grow and rediscovered newfound strength within herself. "How could I erase an entire year of my life? The idea of being a stranger to my own life story sends chills down my spine." - Lucy Due to the book's setup, JP is already madly in love with Lucy when we meet him but takes the advice of her doctor and chooses to not reveal to her that they have been in a relationship during the year she no longer remembers. While seemingly noble, JP admits that this deception is selfish because he and Lucy had a horrible break and he wants her back. This do-over in his mind is worth the malicious lying in the long run, and he sets out to make Lucy fall in love with him all over again. "How did I end up here? At the top of the world, surrounded by wealth and power, yet feeling so fucking empty. Lucy was my ray of sunshine. But I let my demons consume me, and in the process, I lost her." - JP While salacious things we learn about JP and his past pile up, we are left in the dark about the exact details until, predictably, Lucy puts the clues together herself and remembers. Why did JP and Lucy break up in the first place? A few weeks before Lucy's accident, they had a horrible fight and JP threw a party, drugs and naked women galore. Lucy walks in on this and he dismisses her while coked out, essentially making her feel as unimportant as she always thought she was to him. Days later, JP apologizes going as far as to say even under the influence of drugs he could never have cheated with any of those naked women. Assuming that he was truthful about staying faithful, it didn't really matter and Lucy left him, and the company, for good. All until a terrible accident down a flight of stairs causes her to forget everything. For all the angst, the conclusion of the book was very rushed. Although we finally get the reveal of the secrets JP was keeping, there isn't much time for groveling and the rebuilding of the relationship. In accordance with most romance books, a grand gesture and promises to do better over a couple of weeks are the only things he does to win Lucy back. For her part, Lucy seems to be more upset about the initial betrayal and less about the fact that his man wooed her methodically back into his bed while never telling her she had been there before. I'm more than okay with a morally grey leading man, but I think JP may be unredeemable. He may have been working at changing the man that he was, but in the end, it felt like he just replaced his drugs and gambling addictions with an obsession for Lucy - damn what was best for her. There were parts of Lucy and JP's story that I enjoyed, but the overall plot and pacing were off as a whole. Tropes and Themes: Workplace Romance, Billionaire, Amnesia. Blurb I wake up in the hospital with no memory of the past year. The last thing I remember? JP Wolfe, my brooding billionaire boss, threatening to fire me in front of the entire tech team. But now, as I return to work, fumbling with amnesia, something’s changed. Wolfe’s intense gaze lingers on me, making my heart race and my cheeks flush. I’m just your average tech girl with a serious comic book addiction while he’s the infamously cold, ruthless co-founder of a hotel empire. And let’s not overlook that he’s the kind of smoldering hot that makes you forget your own name. There’s no way a man like him could be harboring secret feelings for someone like me… is there? As I scramble to rebuild my lost memories, I realize Wolfe is hiding secrets he doesn’t want me to uncover. What happened during my missing year? And why is Wolfe determined to stop me from finding out?

Author: Kim Richardson Series: Witches of New York Series book #1 Category: Paranormal Romance Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spice: 🌶️ Goodreads Blurb Maybe I've got a *touch* of evil living inside of me, but when the first impression of the FMC witch Leana is her breaking her cheating husband's penis in half, I laughed hysterically. Sure, maybe she went a little too far, but I'm 100% sure every woman who has ever walked in on her husband plowing into someone else has wished they had a little magic to accomplish an act of revenge themselves. "Life had made me hard. And I'd broken a penis today. Go me!" - Leana As wacky as the beginning of the book starts out, the antics and characters only got crazier from there. Leana ends up employed as a detective at the infamous The Twilight Hotel, a place for all sorts of paranormal creatures. On the hunt to find out who had killed her predecessors and hotel guests, Leana meets some forever friends along the way and settles in as one of the hotel's regulars. Leana is smart, but despite her unique abilities, she is often without protection. Knowing this does not stop her from sticking her nose into bad situations or standing up for her friends when they need her. "I knew two things for sure tonight. First, I knew that more people would die if didn't find those responsible. And the second, I was on their target list now that I had proof someone had sabotaged the cameras. I smiled. Come and get me." - Leana Valen owns the restaurant next to the hotel and is hiding something underneath his brooding layers. He is more often than not in the middle of Leana's murder case, usually as a suspect or someone of interest. Yet, Leana and Valen continue to dance around each other, tension building between them even when they both think it would be better to not add fuel to their mutual attraction to one another. When push comes to shove, Leana must learn who she can count on to be by her side when things get dicey, and who may have been out for their own gain all along. Overall, this book was a quick read and review, it immediately drops readers into the action. At its core, The Starlight Witch is a cozy murder mystery story with some magical twists and turns. If you are looking for a light read to match perfectly with your October Halloween vibes, this is a good place to start. Tropes and Themes: Magic, Mystery, Murder, Demons, Giants, Slow Burn. Blurb Finding my husband in bed with another woman was not how I planned to start my day. Or homeless the next minute. And broke. So, when a job comes my way from The Twilight Hotel—a paranormal hotel in midtown Manhattan that serves as a sanctuary and residence—I take it. Cue in tattooed, sexy as sin, grumpy restaurant owner Valen, who can’t do drama or high-maintenance women. The problem? He’s cruel and dangerous. And he’s hiding something. Rumors arise of a dark spell that would mean the hotel's closure, and I don’t know who I can trust. Do I have what it takes to fight this new evil? We’ll see. Brace yourselves. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Author: Adaline Winters Series: Cora Roberts Series book #1 Category: Paranormal Romance Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spice: 🌶️🌶️ Goodreads Blurb "'The dead can't hurt us. It's the living who perform acts of unspeakable evil.'" - Cora Whispers of the Dead, the first book in this series, introduces Cora Roberts, a bed and breakfast owner with too many responsibilities listed under "other duties as required". The world-building is unique, and I loved the blend of magic, shifters, and vampire societies. Cora is resilient, strong, and witty, juggling running a business with her other responsibilities of supernatural autopsies and the occasional murder investigation when thrust upon her because of her unique gifts. I adored her no-nonsense attitude and her sense of right and wrong. Gotta love a girl who is constantly underestimated and uses it to her benefit to get shit done and kick ass. "Never let them see you coming. That was my grandmother's advice, and when you finally show your cards - be the biggest, baddest person in the room." - Cora Hudson was a pompous prick, constantly thinking he had Cora pegged until she flipped it on him one too many times and he realized she was more than she seemed. He couldn't seem to get his head on straight with her and their interactions were tense as he continued to disrespect her abilities. Cora represented a challenge, and he was more intrigued with that than necessarily Cora herself at times. The sexual tension between them was palpable, but Cora's hesitancy to get involved with someone she thought only wanted to conquer her was completely valid. "'You want prince charming.' I shrugged. 'I want extraordinary, nothing less.'" - Cora Aside from the main characters, there were plenty of secondary ones to love. Cora's world is nothing if not entertaining, sprinkled with loyal friends, somewhat crazy aunts, and suspicious characters who pose a threat. There are still so many secrets in this world I can’t wait to see which ones we uncover next, stay tuned for book two's review coming soon. Tropes and Themes: Magic, Ghosts, Vampires, Shifters, Witches, Slow Burn. Blurb White Castle is a small town with big secrets. It’s the epicentre of the paranormal community. Expect the wolves to be large and the town’s blood supply to be short. I’m the local bed and breakfast owner who offers extras such as supernatural autopsies and burials, earning me the title of The Undertaker. A string of murders brings the lord of the shifters and the vampire prince to my door. Together we take on the evil lurking in the shadows. But as we draw closer to the truth, they begin to unpick my secrets, which I must protect with my life. Pity they have the best senses in town. My name is Cora Roberts, elemental badass with a secret that will rock the world.

SPOILER ALERT! I'm not in the business of ruining books, so if you haven't read this book yet, turn back now! Author: Colette Rhodes Series: Shades of Sin Series book #3 Category: Monster Romance Rating: ⭐ Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Goodreads Blurb No one is as disappointed as me with this one-star book review as I am. Colette Rhodes is an amazing writer, I've read most of her work. The first two books in the Shades of Sin series were phenomenal, but the third falls flat. Its downfall? Pity Party, Himbo, Hunter-By-Blood-Not-Profession Austin. I barely made it through the first chapter listening to Austin complain about how his life choices had landed him as a washed-up singer with no one to love or to have sex with. Show business had gone to his head, and in the aftermath, he drinks too much and trolls fan pages trying to find validation and self-worth. Yikes. So, instead of pulling himself up by his bootstraps and changing his ways, Austin decides to make his way to the shadow world with no plan at all except to have an orgy. Yes, those are the exact words he uses when he stumbles through the portal and meets Selene, the second in command Shade. Of course, with that delightful impression, the king decides Selene should be responsible for Austin while he is introduced to Shade society. As the only male hunter in their world, nearly all of the ladies in the court vying for his attention are willing to look past his dim personality. "I was still smarting from being called unfuckable. Maybe a squid monster would want to fuck me? I was very much not opposed to fucking a squid monster. Maybe it could be just a little holiday? A little vacation from my increasingly bleak existence?" - Austin Selene is a complex character, filled with strength when it comes to her value to the kingdom as a guard but lacking self-worth due to where she is from. She is responsible, stoic, and loyal, always putting duty above herself. Basically, the opposite of Austin in every way, and not in the opposites attract way. Their relationship and chemistry were surface level and nonexistent, a mismatch of personalities with no balance of power. Although Selene claims Austin is more than he seems, she also refers to him as dim constantly because of how unrealistic he is about dangers in the Shade world. She seems protective of him more than anything, wanting to keep him safe. "'No need to be afraid, fragile man. I've been assigned to protect you, and I take my duties very seriously. Going forward I will take more care with my claws around you.'" - Selene Austin's constant depressive thoughts and personal issues were exhausting to read about, on a loop of loneliness and self-flagellation without any drive whatsoever to fix himself. I am all for more male characters being emotional and vulnerable, but Austin failed to have any redeeming qualities other than a pretty face and an open mind. This book was the first to have a human male and female shade couple in the series and I love that unique concept but hated the execution. I admire the author for taking a chance on something different in monster romance but I just couldn't get into the story at all. All that said, I will definitely read the next book in the series and hope that the magic of the shadow world returns. Tropes and Themes: Monster Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy Romance, Demon, Forced Proximity. Blurb Selene cares about three things in life: 1. Her prestigious position as Lieutenant of the Guard that very few of the elite at Court feel she deserves. 2. Her beloved sister and niece, humiliating reminders of her humble origins. 3. Her penchant for rare and expensive dining—a status symbol and marker of the success she’s attained. Austin only cares about one thing in life: Music. Except Austin’s rockstar dreams never came true, and the bottom of the bottle isn’t giving him the answers he’s searching for. But maybe, just maybe, a prickly Shade with a secret wild side will.

SPOILER ALERT! I'm not in the business of ruining books, so if you haven't read this book yet, turn back now! Author: Emily Rath Series: Jacksonville Rays Series book #2 Category: Sports Romance Rating: ⭐ Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Goodreads Blurb "A naked Tess Owens. Fuck, why is this woman always naked? And why is she here of all places?" - Ryan What happened here? Seriously, can someone please tell me how we went from Pucking Around to this hodgepodge of a story? Look, I was not expecting literary prose, that is not what a hockey romance lends itself to. But I do expect charming characters, funny banter, and an entertaining plot mixed all together to create a good story. Unfortunately, book two of the Jacksonville Rays series did not live up to the first book despite the hype of its release. This book review was painful to write because I wanted so much more for Tess! Part of the problem with this book was the length, and much of the extra filler came from wrapping up the first book's characters' love story. The timelines of both books overlap, and while I enjoyed seeing the wedding of our polyamorous couples, I was also ready to move on to Tess and Ryan's story well before we actually made any headway. Then when we moved on, I kind of wished we had just stuck with Rachel, Jack, Caleb, and Mars. Tess was a giant hot mess, ironically since she was Rachel's rock in the first book. She is highly educated and smart, but can't seem to figure out her own life. Tess is fabulously sarcastic but she takes it too far sometimes and while not malicious, she hurts people all the same. "What can I say? I'm an extroverted introvert with truly impressive trust and abandonment issues. But man, do I know how to pick a quality cheese." - Tess Ryan is a glutton for punishment, letting people walk all over him in the spirit of trying to help them with their own self-made problems. He loses himself in Tess pretty quickly, making her the center of his world no matter how she lashes out. The character was too similar to Jake's golden retriever personality, hell Tess even gives him the nickname "Puppy"...gag. "The truth is that I'm falling hard for this woman, and from everything I see and feel, she's just...falling. And I don't know how to catch her. I don't know how to make it stop. And she won't give me a goddamn clue." - Ryan As I've seen others echo, Mars is the real shining star in this book even if he was a secondary character this time around. I adored how patient he was with Tess. He recognized how adrift she was and provided reassurance and a steady presence to her, simply because Tess was Rachel's best friend, and therefore, family. The age gap trope doesn't bother me at all, but Tess never grew to respect Ryan as an equal and their chemistry never manifested into something tangent. This book gets spicy but since I didn't like either character I wasn't invested enough to stick it out. DNF at 40% - I couldn't stick it out until the end, with so many books out there, I'd rather not force myself to read something I don't like. Tropes and Themes: Reverse Age Gap, Sports Romance, Hockey Romance, Forced Proximity, Friends to Lovers. Blurb Tess Owens is a confident, 33-year-old plus-sized divorcee daring to start her life over in a new job in a new city. In the process, she meets Ryan Langley, starting forward for the NHL’s Jacksonville Rays. Sure, he’s cute, in a puppy at the beach kind of way. But he’s ten years younger than her, and they have nothing in common. But to Ryan, Tess is his dream girl. He’s ready to do anything to show her that age doesn’t matter, our pasts don’t define us, and just sometimes, two wrongs can make a right.

ARC Review - Publish Date: October 13, 2023 Author: K.E. Blair Series: The Return of Magic Series book #1 Category: YA Fantasy Romance Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Blurb The Hidden Crown was a delightful first book in what is sure to be an exciting fantasy series. I loved the world-building, the mysterious Mr. Avery, and the hidden secrets that were just starting to be revealed. However, Anslee was not my favorite character, which diminished my enjoyment of the book. For someone without a penny to her name, she came across as judgmental and pretentious. Literally, the only thing on her mind was to find a wealthy husband. "Anslee was always scouting, always looking for a potential suitor to entrap." While age certainly played a role in her naivety, she was particularly hard to root for. Thankfully, I can see a lot of growth potential for the character and hope she matures as the series moves on. Blurb Trapped in her life as a servant in a magicless kingdom, Anslee yearns for the freedom she felt roaming the woods as a child. Convinced marrying a nobleman is her only way out, she should be ecstatic when she catches the eye of new-in-town Lord Avery Varrock. But this lord has brought more than riches to town - and his revelations will turn Anslee's life upside down. When she finds the kingdom’s hidden crown – one with a hefty reward for returning it – the crown calls to her with magic that she swore didn’t exist. Anslee must find the courage to face the truth she has uncovered – or return to her hidden life. Facing dangerous shadow beasts, lies and half-truths, set amidst dazzling palace balls, moody woods and woefully banal corridors, Anslee’s world becomes one where shadows are best left untouched and crowns should remain hidden. *I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases on Amazon links.