Sweet Revenge by GK DeRosa

2 Stars

One broken human-ish girl.

Twelve gorgeous supernatural bachelors.

A paranormal dating game with bite.

What’s a half-wolf girl to do when her fated mate rejects her?

Apparently, go on a supernatural reality dating show.

Twelve hunky bachelors are vying for my attention and my heart.

Including my ex’s twin brother…

It’s the perfect recipe for revenge.

But my desire to get back at those who hurt me is a lot harder with all the drama the other suitors bring.

And when I start developing real feelings for the man who should be my enemy.

Nothing feels better than getting sweet revenge…

Until you fall in love with your target.

This was a good idea, but it was convoluted and poorly executed. Characters’ personalities shifted so quickly. Oh, we need them to be booted so now they are going to be dicks to the other characters. It is very obvious who she’s going to end up with but you gotta get through several books to get there. It ends on a cliff and isn’t worth continuing.

Book 1 Hitched Live

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Mr. Bad Influence by MA Foster

3 Stars

One year. That was how long it took to plan the wedding of my dreams, from the dress all the way down to the shoes.

It wasn’t until the shoes went missing that I discovered the man I was supposed to marry in twenty-four hours wasn’t the man I thought he was.

Unfortunately, life doesn’t always go according to plan. That’s why my mom told me to always have a backup.

So I called off the wedding and flew to Vegas with my girls.

It was supposed to be a weekend getaway to nurse my broken heart.

Waking up married to hot billionaire, Cooper Sullivan, was definitely not part of the plan.

For a book that was a trip to Vegas ending in a marriage between two strangers this was a pretty good read. I liked Parker and Cooper. They were pretty well developed, and the book was super spicy. I wish FMC ex and his mistress got punished more. It is part of a series and you don’t need to read them to read this one. There is a surprise baby at the end. Overall, it was a solid read.

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Bad-Influence-M-Foster-ebook/dp/B095VKGJKB/

Cocoa with Krampus by Nattie Rhodes

3 Stars

My best friend tells me everything.
She warned me I shouldn't stay in New York for the imminent holiday season. She also said my supervisor is a jerk. What she didn’t tell me is that the evil King of Christmas is real.
I don't believe in magic, let alone Santa.
On the night of the anniversary of losing my mother, I'm invited to dinner with my sleazy boss who just cannot take a hint. After escaping his entitled, wandering hands I find myself wrapped in the comforting, protective arms of the holiday bad boy himself, Peter Krampus.
Will his abilities scare me away? Or will I learn that true love, and Christmas miracles, do exist?

This was a cute holiday book. Tieran needed more of a backbone. Her boss’ consequences weren’t enough for what he tried to do. I loved how peter was all in and wanted to take care of her instantly. Same with the BFF. My biggest issue was how it ended. It felt rushed and incomplete. Overall, I enjoyed and hope the BFF gets her own book.

Book 1 Divine Demons

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Vampire Librarian by Kristin Kova

4 Stars

Save London from an impending vampire apocalypse? Sorry, my week is all booked.

That’s a book pun—I’m a librarian. Specifically, the arcane archivist at the Witching Library in the heart of London.

Humans don’t know about the secret magical world of witches, shifters, and seers like me. So when vampires steal a dark codex from the library, no police come to save me when I’m caught in the crossfire. I’m left in a pool of blood, with a searing scratch on my arm.

When I transition and lose control of my new thirst, a dangerously powerful—and hot as hell—vampire pulls me back from the edge. Lazarus has a proposition for me: if I help him track down my sire before he can expose the supernatural world, he'll teach me to control my hunger.

If we fail, the council’s terrifying Shadowhounds will execute my monstrous sire and all his progeny. Including me.

I miss my library already.

Fans of urban fantasy with slow burn romance will love Karina Dobrev, our reluctant, introverted heroine; Lazarus Kaine, our deadly, irresistible hero; and Keith, a magical cat with impeccably high standards. The Shadow Order: Vampire is a complete four book series.

Weird but good read. Very enjoyable urban fantasy. No romance in this one at all but hints for future books that there will be a romance. Loved the references to the Mummy Movie about no harm reading a book. I loved the characters and the world so far. It’s a different kind of vampire book but a good read. It ends kind of on a cliff but not a bad one.

Book 1 Shadow Order

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Hero She Wants by Anna Hackett

4 Stars

The last thing he wants is to trek into the jungle to save the President’s daughter.

Shepherd “Shep” Barlow left the military behind. All he wants is to stay on his Colorado mountain—alone, with no interruptions, and no people. He especially likes to avoid people.

Then his former commander arrives, asking him to risk his life on a deadly mission to Central America. A mission to rescue the archeologist daughter of the President of the United States.

Once a member of a covert Ghost Ops team, Shep has the skills to get in quietly and rescue Ms. Sinclair. And as much as he wishes otherwise, he can’t leave an innocent woman in danger.

Hayden Sinclair loves her work. It keeps her far away from the liars, cheats, and phonies in Washington D.C. But when she’s abducted from her archeological dig in Nicaragua, she’s plunged into a life-or-death situation. Her captors plan to use her as a bargaining chip, and Hayden knows she has to escape.

What she never expected was to collide with the world’s biggest, grumpiest rescuer.

On the run in the jungle with six and a half feet of rugged, muscular, scowling man, she finds Shep rude and annoying. But as her captors ruthlessly hunt them, she also discovers a man who’ll risk his own life to protect hers.

Neither of them are looking for love, especially when they have to fight to survive…besides, there could never be a happy ending for the daughter of the President and a grumpy, battle-scarred soldier, could there?

This one is with Shep from book 1 and it was worth the wait. He is called in to rescue the president’s daughter, Hayden. They connect while on a run in a South American jungle. I loved how she fell first and went after her man when he was all about burying his head in the sand as he felt she could do better. I just loved this book.

Book 2 Unbroken Heroes

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Curves for Days by Laura Moher

2 Stars

Rose Barnes has got curves for days—and to Angus Drummond, the big, bearded contractor working on her new house, she's the perfect thorn in his side. Little does she know Angus is perturbed on a daily basis by his attraction to this cheery, smart-ass woman with her sunshiny enthusiasm, her kindness, and her beautiful body.

Angus feels he has a debt to pay to the world and doesn't deserve love until he pays it. Best to keep his mind on his work and his hands to himself. But the more Rose sees of Angus's gruff, honorable thoughtfulness, and the more rusty laughter she surprises from him, the more she wants him too.

As their unlikely friendship becomes love, antagonism turns to partnership, and Rose's house becomes a home. But Rose is keeping a secret that could blow up everything with Angus, and sure enough, it comes to light at the worst possible time...

I liked the beginning of the book, but it fell apart for me about halfway through. It also didn’t help that I didn’t like any of the characters. Angus is a tit for tat guy. He wants nothing from anyone or to owe anyone. To the point she offers lunch that she has with her, and he insists on paying her for it. Which would be ok but he goes to the nth degree. He than takes offence when Rose doesn’t tell him she won the lotto because she had trauma of people trying to take advantage of her. He goes off and ignores her until she basically begs him to come back. This made me so mad and frustrated. It was a good idea but needed work.

Book 1 Big Love from Galway

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Pleasing Mr. Parker by Elle Nicoll

2.5 Stars

“You are mine, Sweetheart. You were always going to be mine.”

They say don’t mix business with pleasure. But I bet they never had to work with Griffin Parker.

He headhunts me to manage the spa in his iconic New York hotel,

The Songbird.

It’s a dream opportunity.

But he’s a nightmare in a designer suit.

We clash spectacularly when he refuses to give up control.

He doesn’t trust me. I don’t like him.

Until one day we manage to work together, and an idea grows wings.

And the things he says…

Oh God.

I’ve spent my life fighting back against the repercussions of pleasing other people. Yet, I find myself doing exactly that.

Because when Mr. Parker is pleased with you the rest of the world drifts away.

He tells me I belong to him. But he doesn’t tell me if I will survive him.

No one can tell me that.

He didn’t get to be one of the most powerful businessmen in New York easily.

He has enemies.

I’m flying straight into a storm.

And I don’t even want to stop myself.

Griffin Parker is an idiot throughout this book, and he doesn’t really make it up to Maria. He believes the worst of her throughout this book. Some others thought he groveled enough for forgiveness, but I didn’t think he did. The person causing the problems was obvious, so the big reveal was just meh. I would skip.

Book 5 The Men Series

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Dark Prince by Raven Storm

 

4 Stars

A SWITCH AT THE ALTAR. A CURSED PRINCE. A CURSE SO DARK IT WILL BRING A KINGDOM TO ITS KNEES.

Slave to her step-father and his daughter, Isadora longed for the day when she could leave her manor for good. Little did she know it would come sooner than she thought.

When the Dark Prince comes to claim her step-sister as his bride, she forces Isadora to switch places with her, thinking no one would want to claim Isadora as their own.

The Dark Prince disagreed. He is the king's favored assassin, and the hand of justice that's an extension of the king's will. And now Isadora must share his bed.

Yet something is wrong back at the Dark Prince's castle, where his people gaze at her with a lingering darkness in their eyes. A beast roams the woods at night, but no one seems to care. A witch in the woods admits the Dark Prince and his people are under a curse, and Isadora might be their only chance to undo it before it consumes the entire kingdom.

I loved this book. FMC is so strong and kicks so many butts to get her HEA. It’s an interesting take on a fairytale. There are so many trigger warnings that should be added but it is on the darker side. By the end of the book, I wanted more so downloaded the bonus epilogue. Even with that I want more with them. It just hit all the right notes for me.

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Life’s a Witch by Andra Skylar

2 Stars

What is it that they say? Life's a witch and then you die.

Stealing a magical object wasn’t my smartest move. Scored me imprisonment at the Guild of Guardians. Home to magical criminals and murderers.

The only way to pay off my sentence? Appeal the conviction or hunt vampires with a team of four dangerous men, and hope I don’t die trying.

One little problem. I’m a comic book nerd, a chemistry witch, not a warrior. I can barely hit a target with a knife, and my alphahole captain busts my lady balls. My team think I’m weak, a liability, and want me to fail.

I won’t let them break me, and I’m not sticking around long enough to explore the chemistry exploding between us.

Life's A Witch features plenty of action, four swoon-worthy men, and a heroine determined to end up on top. Tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, touch her and d!e, fated mates, forbidden romance, cinnamon rolls, golden retriever, and neurodivergent characters tropes.

Spin off series but listed as book one. You need to read that series to get this one which I found out by being confused throughout this book. There’s so much going on that we need the backstory. There is also no movement in the story by the end of the book. Besides the no movement the author also pushed how nerdy FMC was and it got old really quickly. I am skipping the rest of the series.

Book 1 Her Guardians

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Hero She Needs by Anna Hackett

 

4 Stars

The last thing he expects to catch in his river is a billionaire heiress.

Loner Boone Hendrix left the military with ghosts that haunt him. He lives with his dog Atlas on a farm in Vermont. Alone. Just the way he likes it. Until he rescues a half-drowned, beautiful brunette from his river.

Gemma Newhouse is the daughter of the richest man in America, and from the abrasions on her wrists and her drugged state, she’s on the run from someone dangerous. She’s nothing like Boone expected—sweet, smart, and likes baking—and she ignites a fierce need inside him.

Being a member of a covert Ghost Ops team taught him deadly skills, and he’ll use them all to keep her safe.

Gemma can’t remember the last twenty-four hours. All she knows is that someone abducted her. Someone dangerous. Her only goal is survival and she’s used to taking care of herself. She’s a constant disappointment to her driven, successful parents. She doesn’t want a brilliant career, all she wants is to bake and make people smile.

Finding herself in Boone’s strong arms wasn’t on her plan. Nor was his rugged face, hard body, and gold-brown eyes. She sees how much he’s cut himself off from life, how he believes he’s broken.

Thrust together, she realizes this quiet hero will do anything to protect her. Despite the danger around them, they can’t resist their growing attraction, but her captors are hunting her…

And Boone is the only thing standing in their way.

This one took me a minute to get into but once I did, I blew through the book. I loved how strong Gemma was and how she melded with Boone. Boone is a troubled man who doesn’t think he deserves anything. Gemma gets under his skin and stays there. If you’ve liked any or all of her other books you will like this one.

Book 1 Unbroken Heroes

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Team Players by Stephanie Brothers

2 Stars

I’ve always been told I’m a team player…now my eleven foster brothers want to put me to the test.

When I inherit a home from my long-estranged father, it’s a dream come true. Pregnant and alone at nineteen, it’s just the break I need.

Except, when I get the keys, I find out the house comes with a whole lot more than I bargained for…eleven huge football-playing foster brothers who are about to become my housemates.

They’re the team my father devoted his life to training. If they can just stay fit, they’ll be going pro before they know it. Gorgeous and ripped, they fill the house with their massive bodies and booming laughs. I think they must be players, both on and off the field, and I hate them for stealing my father’s love.

But first impressions can sometimes be very wrong.

They treat me like I’m a queen and look at me with eyes that tell me they want to fill me with their own version of team spirit. I can’t imagine why one sane man would want a knocked-up cheerleader with so much baggage, let alone eleven. But the longer we spend together, the more I fall for my foster brother dream team.

They want to stay together to make a home filled with love for me and my child. Eleven men want to be my second chance. Except people like me don’t deserve second chances, and if they can’t see that, I’m going to have to make them.

Two stars is generous with this book. The writing was amateurish. There is no flow in the book. The chapters are choppy. Plot wise there are so many questions left unanswered. Like why did dad not connect with his daughter at any point. It was very unbelievable. If you are looking for a poorly written sex story, try this one but there are better books out there.

Book 11 Huge

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Heat and Deceit by Rory Miles

4 Stars

Everything I am is a lie.

To the world, I’m Carmine the beta barista, not Nova the omega who’s being hunted by her old pack.

I live my life by one rule: Blend in and be forgotten.

Then I meet my three rich bosses. For some reason they take an interest in me and it’s impossible to avoid them since we work together.

To make matters worse, they’re searching for the perfect omega to protect and cherish.

They’re everything I could ever wish for. Just as I’m finally letting my guard down, my old pack comes sniffing around and threatens to destroy everything I’ve built with these men.

When they find out I’m not who they think I am, will they still protect me or will they give me back to the pack who destroyed me?

So so happy to see Nova get her HEA and her forever pack. She is in a previous book, but you don’t need to read it to read this one. She has growth and change to get to her HEA. Loved the alphas with how much they wanted her, even as a beta and knowing she has secrets. Worth reading this one.

Book 4 Omega Love

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Falls Like Rain by Reese Rivers

3.5 Stars

When she left, they fell apart. Now she's back and it's her turn to Fall.

I married my three best friends when I was ten, ran from them and everything I knew at eighteen to save one of them and now I’m back at twenty-eight with no idea of who I am as a woman or what I want my future to look like. All I really know is, if I’m going to Fall, it’s going to be for ME

She was our everything, our future, but she ran away, broke us and left us in pieces for ten long years. Now she’s back and no matter how hard she tries to keep her distance and her secrets from us, we’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth and then make her fall just as hard as we did.

This was such a good premise and I wanted to love it but the guys were fucking stupid. Rain leaves when she and the guy’s are threatened. She does it for them but they never question why she left, just judged her. When she comes back after her dad dies and the guys are dicks to her until they find out the truth. She makes her life better and chooses herself over everyone else. Which she’s never done before. The guys do end up groveling a bit and it was good. I just wanted a bit more.

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Molly and the minotaur by Bea Gallow

2.5 Stars

Love is the key to unlocking the magic in Minos Falls!

For most of her life, Molly Durand was told to stop believing in fairytales, and when she arrives in Minos Falls, North Carolina, she finally does. With no boyfriend, no job, and no place to live, a mysterious town in the mountains is the last place she wants to start over. So, when she’s offered her dream job managing the town’s bookstore, she accepts. Until she discovers her new boss, Leo Angelos, is a Minotaur.

Leo Angelos has been waiting for his mate to arrive for fifteen years. Not because she’s destined to be the love of his life, but because she’s the key to breaking the curse plaguing his town. He just wasn’t expecting his mate to be his newest employee.

But when monsters from Molly’s past step out of the town’s shadows, they jeopardize not only the end of the town’s curse but also her happily ever after with Leo.

I wanted more world building and character development. I wanted more information on everything which led to me feeling like something was lacking. It was insta love between Leo and Molly which was meh. I am undecided about reading the next book.

Book 1 Magic in Minos Falls

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Forbidden Freshman by Katy Archer

3 Stars

He lost a bet, now it's no girls for a month… until he meets a sassy freshman who just might be the girl of his dreams...

What can I say? I got cocky. One drunken bet and now I've gotta go girl-free for a whole frickin' month.

A bet's a bet, though, and now I have to man-up and take it… but it's gonna be impossible after last night. Ever since I saved that sassy, little freshman from a carload of sleaze bags, she's been under my skin. It's not just the fact she's a hottie. It's more about the fact that she didn't bat her eyelashes or flirt with me. If anything, she insulted me to my face and told me she could take care of herself.

And now I'm hooked. I couldn't get enough of that tomboy trash talk and now I want to know everything about her… including the secret I'm sure she's hiding. But I need to steer clear, right? I can't go falling for some girl and reneging on this bet. The consequences could get me kicked off the team… but there's something so addictive about this girl.

I have to have her. I have to make her mine.

This was fine but it too to long to get anywhere. I am all for the slow build up to the book but at some point you have to move the plot along and this book took it’s sweet time. I loved the concept that Ethan had to give up woman because he lost a bet just to find his forever in Mikayla. The biggest issues they had could have been resolved with a conversation but that would have been too easy. Overall it was fine just not my favorite book.

Book 1 Nolan U Hockey

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