Review: Quintessentially Q (Monsters in the Dark, #2) by Pepper Winters

2 stars! **

Author: Pepper Winters

Title: Quintessentially Q (Monsters in the Dark, #2)

“All my life, I battled with the knowledge I was twisted… screwed up to want something so deliciously dark—wrong on so many levels. But then slave fifty-eight entered my world. Hissing, fighting, with a core of iron, she showed me an existence where two wrongs do make a right."

Tess is Q’s completely. Q is Tess’s irrevocably. But now, they must learn the boundaries of their unconventional relationship, while Tess seeks vengeance on the men who sold her. Q made a blood-oath to deliver their corpses at Tess’s feet, and that’s just what he’ll do.

He may be a monster, but he’s Tess’s monster.

Review: Tears of Tess (Monsters in the Dark, #1) by Pepper Winters

3 stars! ***

Author: Pepper Winters

Title: Tears of Tess (Monsters in the Dark, #1)

“My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.
Then it all changed.
I was sold.”Tess Snow has everything she ever wanted: one more semester before a career in property development, a loving boyfriend, and a future dazzling bright with possibility.

For their two year anniversary, Brax surprises Tess with a romantic trip to Mexico. Sandy beaches, delicious cocktails, and soul-connecting sex set the mood for a wonderful holiday. With a full heart, and looking forward to a passion filled week, Tess is on top of the world.

But lusty paradise is shattered.

Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror.

Captive and alone with no savior, no lover, no faith, no future, Tess evolves from terrified girl to fierce fighter. But no matter her strength, it can’t save her from the horror of being sold.

Can Brax find Tess before she’s broken and ruined, or will Tess’s new owner change her life forever?

Review: Infatuation (Knights Rebels MC, #4) by River Savage

3.5 stars! ***

Author: River Savage

Title: Infatuation (Knights Rebels MC, #4)
 

Beau McIntyre is driven by a past smothered in blood and covered in bruises. Though tragic, it's help shape his future and define the man he's become.

Day in and day out, he's reminded of his failures in the faces of the women he saves. But what happens when one girl threatens to blow all of that apart? Will Beau lose his grip on the controlled lifestyle he abides by?

Mackenzie Moore is running from a past she needs to forget. A past that has molded her into a woman living in fear. One fateful night, her carefully constructed world is pulled down around her, forcing her to make a decision she's not sure she can live with.

Turning to the Knights Rebels MC for help is the last thing she wants, but everything she needs.

Can Beau save her once again, or is what she running to far worse than what she’s running from?

Review: When You're Back (Rosemary Beach, #12) by Abbi Glines

2.5 stars! ***

Author: Abbi Glines

Title: When You're Back (Rosemary Beach, #12)
 

The future is bright for Reese Ellis. She has Mase Colt-Manning, the man of her dreams, and a family she didn’t know existed until her long-lost father arrived on her doorstep in Rosemary Beach. After growing up with a cruel mother and abusive stepfather, Reese is eager to get to know the caring and charming man who wants to be a part of her life. Everything is finally falling into place.

While Reese is visiting her new family in Chicago, Mase spends time with his “cousin,” Aida, who has worshipped him since childhood. Though they’re unrelated by blood, Mase and Aida have been raised to think of each other as family. But when Reese returns, she can tell something isn’t quite right with Aida, who clearly resents Reese and excels at manipulative little games. And though Mase is unsuspecting, Reese knows Aida doesn’t love him like a cousin should...

Review: When I'm Gone (Rosemary Beach, #11) by Abbi Glines

4 stars! ****

Author: Abbi Glines

Title: When I'm Gone (Rosemary Beach, #11)
 

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Abbi Glines comes the next new adult novel in the Rosemary Beach series, in which we meet Mase, a Texas heartthrob first introduced in Take a Chance who comes to Rosemary Beach to stir things up.

I had an urge to fix all her problems. Which was stupid. She was doing fine without me. But something about those big eyes…

Mase Colt-Manning has always preferred his humble life as a Texas rancher to his birthright as the son of a legendary rock star. In fact, he rarely visits his father’s rarefied world in Rosemary Beach, especially if it means bunking at his vile half-sister Nan’s house—until one visit leads to a chance encounter with a young, gorgeous house maid who awakens him with her off-key but spirited imitation of a country music star…

Reese Ellis finally has her freedom. After escaping a lifetime of abuse from her parents and classmates for an undiagnosed learning disorder, she seizes the opportunity to be a house maid to some of the richest families in Rosemary Beach. But her job is in jeopardy when she causes an accident at the home of her most important client, Nan Dillon. When a hot, half-naked stranger with a cowboy’s swagger comes to her rescue, she’s intrigued—then afraid once he shows his own interest. Reese has never met a trustworthy man in her life. Will Mase be any different?

ARC review: Right Where You Are (Second Chances, #1) by L.E. Bross

3 stars! ***

Author: L.E. Bross

Title: Right Where You Are (Second Chances, #1)
 

Avery Melrose is used to having it all. So when her boyfriend cheats on her, she reacts like any spoiled rich girl-she freaks out and vandalizes his new truck, Carrie Underwood style. Now she's stuck with 300 hours of community service doing road-side garbage duty.

Seth Hunter just got out of prison, and after a few hundred hours picking up litter on the side of the highway, he can finally put his mistakes behind him. If he can string together some kind of existence, maybe it'll be enough to get his sister away from their stepfather, the man who sent Seth to prison in the first place.

A romance between these two is doomed from the start. Girls like Avery want castles and white horses, and Seth is no prince charming.

But sometimes, being around Avery makes Seth think he could make something of himself. Maybe even be worthy of a girl like her. It's just too bad real life gets in the way first, tearing these two apart before they have any chance of getting to Happily Ever After.

Review: Desertion (Knights Rebels MC, #3) by River Savage

4.5 stars! *****

Author: River Savage

Title: Desertion (Knights Rebels MC, #3)
 

Honor.
Courage.
Commitment.

Three things Jesse Carter has lost. A former Marine, Jesse used to stand proud of his achievements and live by the code. But when circumstance made him question everything he believed in, those most basic values didn’t feel so important after all.

Sex.
Lies.
Knights Rebels.

Three things Jesse Carter has found. Reborn into a brotherhood not so different from the one he left behind, Jesse finds it all too easy to block out his past and claim the role as the Rebels' fun loving player.
Until he meets Bell.

Shy, awkward, and with troubles of her own, Bell Johnson's no stranger to hiding her pain. When Jesse forces himself into her life, she’s at risk of her defences crumbling.

Does Bell have the strength to survive Jesse and his demons or is she fated to become another casualty in the self-destruction of Jesse Carter?

ARC review: The Descartes Legacy by Nina Croft

1.5 stars! *

Author: Nina Croft

Title: The Descartes Legacy
 

Lucas Grafton has spent the last ten years hunting the Conclave, a secret organization who took everything from him: his wife, his child, his very identity. Now he has a lead--an imminent terrorist attack on London--code-named Descartes.

Born with a genetic illness, Jenna Young has always known she was different. But the unexpected death of her father catapults her into a world of murder and terrorism she never expected. In order to stay alive, she must solve a twenty-five year old mystery--and her only ally a hard bitter man in search or retribution, her only clue the Descartes Highlands, an area on the near side of the moon.

Luke's need for revenge collides with Jenna's hunt for the past, and together they must stand against the Conclave. All the while uncovering the truth behind Jenna's illness, a truth that will make Jenna question her very humanity.

Review: His Fantasy Girl (Things To Do Before You Die…, #1) by Nina Croft

2 stars! **

Author: Nina Croft

Title: His Fantasy Girl (Things To Do Before You Die…, #1)
 

When fantasy and reality collide...

There's nothing like a near death experience to make a guy reassess his life. And that's exactly what nightclub owner Logan McCabe decides to do, starting with looking up the girl he spent one wild night with eleven years ago, right before his life turned to crap. He spent a year fantasizing about her. Now he's ready to see how reality matches up.

Abigail Parker is a perfectionist. She's only strayed from the straight and narrow once in her life, on her eighteenth birthday. It was supposed to be one wild night with a totally unsuitable man before she settled into her sensible future. Instead it changed her life forever.

Logan might still be the sexiest man Imogen has ever seen, but a dirty-talking, tattooed, ex-con is the last thing she needs in her perfect life. He claims she's his fantasy girl, but what he doesn't know is she's also the mother of his ten-year old daughter...

ARC review: Accelerate (Hotwired, #1) by Tracy Wolff

5 stars! *****

Author: Tracy Wolff

Title: Accelerate (Hotwired, #1)
 

Once the brains behind a car-boosting ring, Nic Medina has spent the last three years playing it straight. Now drag racers flock to his L.A. auto shop, Hotwired, for a shot at going head-to-head with the man himself. But when a crooked cop gives Nic a treacherous ultimatum—steal ten high-end cars or watch his nephew disappear into the system—he makes the only choice he can, one that puts the life he’s worked so hard for at risk. No sooner does Nic agree than he spots some nasty competition—and a gorgeous bystander in harm’s way.

A small-town girl with Hollywood dreams, Jordan Bass never expected to be swept up in a real-life drama. But that’s exactly what happens when she witnesses a violent crime. And when a smoldering stranger takes the wheel and practically kidnaps her in a desperate bid to keep her safe, she’s not sure whether to scream . . . or kiss him. Nic’s bad news—but the real bad guys aren’t above silencing a witness. On a collision course with danger, Jordan finds herself falling for the man whose street smarts are keeping her alive . . . and whose touch puts her in high gear.

Review: Beneath These Scars (Beneath, #4) by Meghan March

3.5 stars! ***

Author: Meghan March

Title: Beneath These Scars (Beneath, #4)
 

I’m the guy you love to hate.

In every story in my life, I seem to end up playing the villain—and I’ve got the scars to prove it.

That role works fine for me, because I’m sure as hell not anyone’s hero.

I run my life and my empire with an iron fist—until she knocks my tightly controlled world off its axis.

She’s nobody’s damsel in distress, but I can’t help but want to save her anyway.

I guess we’re about to find out if there’s a hero buried … beneath these scars.

Review: Beneath These Chains (Beneath, #3) by Meghan March

4.5 stars! ****

Author: Meghan March

Title: Beneath These Chains (Beneath, #3)
 

I was raised on the streets, so I know things are rarely as simple as they appear—especially this rich girl showing up at my pawnshop demanding a job.

She’s the most tempting thing I’ve ever seen, and I’ll be damned if I can make her leave.

Shit just got complicated … but when it comes to her—I want complicated.

We’re both fighting our own demons, and our only chance at a future is to let go of the past.

But will we be strong enough to break free from beneath these chains?

Review: Beneath This Ink (Beneath, #2) by Meghan March

3.5 stars! ***

Author: Meghan March

Title: Beneath This Ink (Beneath, #2)
 

I’ve always known she was too good for me, but that never stopped me from wanting her.

And then I finally had her for one night.

A night I don’t remember.

I figured I’d blown my shot.

But now she’s walked back into my life, and this time, I have the upper hand. I want my second chance.

Will she be able to see the man beneath this ink?

Review: Beneath This Mask (Beneath, #1) by Meghan March

4 stars! ****

Author: Meghan March

Title: Beneath This Mask (Beneath, #1)
 

He loves me, and he doesn’t even know my real name.

The limelight that follows him could expose everything I’m hiding. But even knowing the risks, I can’t force myself to stay away.

I’m going to break his heart, but mine will shatter right along with it.

Will we lose it all when I reveal what’s beneath this mask?

ARC review: Hold Me Down (Deacons of Bourbon Street, #3) by Jackie Ashenden

3.5 stars! ***

Author: Jackie Ashenden

Title: Hold Me Down (Deacons of Bourbon Street, #3)

When the biker who broke her heart rides into town, a woman must choose between passion and duty. Jackie Ashenden ups the ante in a seductive series co-written with Megan Crane, Rachael Johns, and Maisey Yates.

Leonidas “Blue” Delacroix might be the prodigal son of New Orleans aristocrats, but the Deacons of Bourbon Street are his real family. And with their patriarch murdered, Blue wants nothing more than to unleash hell on the motorcycle club’s enemies—even if it means taking up arms against the girl who used to be his best friend. She’s done quite a bit of growing up, and suddenly their chemistry is red-hot. But where’s the line between ruthless seduction and sweet temptation?

For Alice Day, loyalty is everything. When Blue skipped town, she had no choice but to adopt a new family: their rivals, the Graveyard Ministry. Seeing him again reawakens old feelings . . . and fiery fantasies. Alice could never forget the scent of leather on his skin—just as she could never forgive the sting of his betrayal. But while the Ministry has treated her like one of their own, Blue is part of her soul. And as their liaisons hit the boiling point, Alice trusts her heart with the deadliest choice of her life.

ARC review: The CEO (The Game Changers, #1) by Shealy James

3 stars! ***

Author: Shealy James

Title: The CEO (The Game Changers, #1)

Eve Bryant finds herself moving across the country with only one goal—to rediscover herself and get her life back on track…

Leaving a disastrous marriage, she swears off men and relationships, but when she meets sexy, charismatic Grant Mitchell, her new rules fly right out the window.

Grant is a born and bred businessman, and he always gets what he wants…

The moment he lays eyes on Eve, Grant is determined she will be his. She’s different from other women he knows—too stiff, too prim—but her smile pierces his heart and he longs to see what she’s like when she lets her hair down. They discover a powerful and undeniable connection, leading to a fast moving relationship that leaves Eve whirling in its wake.

The odds are stacked against them, and trust is hard to come by.

A woman scorned, a troubled ex-husband, and a mother bent on orchestrating her son’s future to suit her own agenda make for a very rocky road. The new couple may not last, no matter how strong their feelings for each other are. Grant is willing to fight to keep Eve in his life, but after recent events, Eve isn't sure she has any fight left to give.

Will outside forces drive Eve and Grant apart? Or will they learn there’s no love greater than the one you fight the hardest to keep?

ARC review: Marked (Shadows in the Dark, #1) by Charisse Spiers

2 stars! **

Author: Charisse Spiers

Title: Marked (Shadows in the Dark #1)

Welcome to my fucking world. My name is Kaston Cox and I’m a criminal’s worst nightmare. Most people run from darkness, but I live in it, require it, and thrive in the night. Some call me a monster, some a lover of evil, and others, the devil himself, but they’re all wrong. I’m just a shadow in the dark. I speak for the innocent when no one else will. Once I have marked you, you better beg for forgiveness, because your time has run out…

Revenge is the ultimate wage for evil. Some just can’t stomach to do it themselves. That’s where I come in. I am the ultimate judge when called upon for justice. I will decide who lives and who dies. Blood may be on my hands, but it’s not the blood of the innocent. Remorse is nowhere to be found. I don’t give a shit if you understand. I can live with the man I look at every day in the mirror. My soul was tainted the day I was conceived. You think you know me? You have no fucking idea. I am who I am because of what they did to her, and to him. They were my family. This was the only form of restitution he believed in. I owed him everything. I took over the empire he built. This is how I repay him. There was only one rule: never allow emotions to form. Numb and heartless are the only two ways to live.

What I never included in the plan…was her.

My name is Lux Larsen. My life is as perfect as it can get. I’m a partier, a seductress when it comes to something that I want, and the ultimate sexual con artist. I use my body to get what I want and I’m not ashamed. Designer tags are what I’m after. I love sex. I’m good at it. Fuck double standards. Guys can do it, well guess what, so can I. I will never be caught back on the other side of the tracks for as long as I live. I left that hellhole years ago. I’ll do anything to stay away. You can call me a whore if you want, but I just look at it as I’ve decided to become a player in a man’s game, and I’m a fucking pro at it. Love is for the weak minded. Weak is something I’ll never be.

I never anticipated the predator that would find me. I’m now his prey…but I’m not sure I can run.

The world likes to think that love is only pure, only for those that do good, but what no one considers is when bad has to be done to formulate a different type of good. Two of the most random people can be a perfect match, being placed together like pieces to a puzzle. Being in the wrong place at the right time can be terrifying and it can also be exactly what is supposed to happen, because sometimes…love is born in the dark.

Review: Bound by Temptation (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles, #4) by Cora Reilly

3.5 stars! ****

Author: Cora Reilly

Title: Bound by Temptation (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles, #4)

Liliana Scuderi has been in love with Romero from the moment she first saw him. After her sisters were married off for tactical reasons, she hopes she might be allowed to choose a husband for herself, but when her father promises her to a man more than twice her age that hope is crushed. No begging can make him change his mind.

Romero has always ignored Lily’s flirting. Her age and status made her off-limits but even someone as dutiful as him has only so much control. Wanting her when she’s supposed to marry another man could mean war between New York and the Chicago Outfit, and Romero has always put the Cosa Nostra first.

Lily suspects her sisters and Romero would risk everything for her, but is her happiness worth that much? Is love worth a war between the Cosa Nostra and the Outfit?

Review: Tyrant (King #2) by T.M. Frazier

4 stars! ****

Author: T.M. Frazier

Title: Tyrant (King #2)

I. Remember. Everything.

Only now I wish I didn't.

When the fog is sucked away from my mind like smoke through a vacuum, the truth that has been beyond my reach for months finally reveals itself.

But the relief I thought I would feel never comes, and I'm more afraid now than I was the morning I woke up handcuffed in King's bed.

Because with the truth comes dark secrets I was never meant to know.

I will put the lives of those I love most at risk if I let on that my memory has returned, or if I seek help from the heavily tattooed felon who owns me body and soul.

I don't know if I'm strong enough to resist the magnetic pull toward King that grows stronger every day.

He's already saved me in more ways than one. Now it's my turn to do whatever it takes to save him.

Even if that means marrying someone else...

Review: King (King, #1) by T.M. Frazier

5 stars! *****

Author: T.M. Frazier

Title: King (King, #1)

Homeless. Hungry. Desperate.

Doe has no memories of who she is or where she comes from.

A notorious career criminal just released from prison, King is someone you don’t want to cross unless you’re prepared to pay him back in blood, sweat, pu$$y or a combination of all three.

King’s future hangs in the balance. Doe’s is written in her past. When they come crashing together, they will have to learn that sometimes in order to hold on, you have to first let go.


Warning: This book contains graphic violence, consensual and nonconsensual sex, drug use, abuse, and other taboo subjects and adult subject matter. Although originally slated to be a standalone, KING is now a two part series.