What Hides in the Shadows by Allie Santos

4 Stars

She was always meant to be his.

Whispers haunted her for years, but before her thirtieth birthday, the truth emerged—something ancient had been waiting. A deal struck before she was born had bound her to a being older than time itself, a predator who claimed her soul was always his. No matter how she resisted, he slipped through every defense, watching, forcing . . . tormenting.

He was the monster destined to be her doom.

Countless souls had vanished into his shadows, leaving death in his wake—but her light was different. He didn’t want to destroy her. He wanted to possess her.

But want had never mattered. The bargain had been struck. Her soul marked for the taking.

To survive, he would have to consume the one thing he couldn’t bear to lose.

This was a dark and smutty book in the best way possible. I do think there could be some better world building but still a good read. Love the Lord of Shadows.

Book 2 Monsters of Darkness

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Pack Down Bad by Drea Denae and Cassie James

2 Stars

The search for Mr. Right is over…

Until my new “boyfriend” walks into a bar and my best friend gets fate-induced heart-eyes at first sniff.

So, I bow out with grace and maturity… by running from the bar and jumping behind the wheel of my car in the middle of a snowstorm. When I find myself lost on an unfamiliar road outside of town, everything suddenly goes blank.

Luckily, three alphas that smell a lot like mine come to my rescue. I can’t remember anything except my name, and we’re stuck in the middle of nowhere with no cell signal or internet, but I feel… safe.

Rhys is carefree and exciting, even if his skills in the kitchen are lackluster compared to what he offers in the bedroom. There’s kind, quiet Percy, who shows me just how much he wants to take care of me in every way. And there’s Knox, the head alpha of the pack, an aloof artist who isn’t ready to welcome me with open arms. He isn’t throwing me out, either, so there’s still hope.

My fantasies of happily ever after and multiple orgasms suddenly don’t seem so far-fetched. But I should know better…

There were so many pacing issues. I also had issues with the BFF stealing her boy friend and she’s just supposed to be ok with this. Which she wasn’t which leads to Belle being too stupid to live when she runs away from them and ends up in the middle of no where. The new guys were also making stupid decisions in this book. It ended up being a meh book.

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His Second Chance by Carrie Ann Ryan

4 Stars

The rules were simple. Protect the woman I love. And try to stop loving her along the way.

Kane Montgomery Carr and Phoebe Dixon’s romance went from a fiery temptation to a fizzled out heartbreak.

Only Kane has no idea why. All he knows is that he has to keep her safe when a stalker sets Phoebe in their sights.

Yet as the two of them are forced once again into each other’s lives, the truth behind their breakup surfaces and they are forced to face the facts: the feelings and heat they buried aren’t quite as gone as they’d like.

If they give in, they’ll have to face the demons that broke them up in the first place—including a startling secret that shocks them both.

Yet if they don’t, they might lose the chance of a life time.

That is, of course, if they can survive what lurks in the shadows for them both.

This was such an amazing second chance romance. I love that it builds on all of the other stories and adds to them.

I loved the narrators as well. they did a good job bringing the people to life

Book 6 Montgomery Ink Legacy

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Knot Enough by JP Sina and Allie Santos

4 Stars

Read the warnings for this book as this book handles some very dark topics.

I’m the daughter overlooked. In a world where omegas are valued, I’m tossed aside when I never present. My daily routine is mundane—until my father tells me he got me a pack meeting, something strictly for omegas. It’s ludicrous, and I have no choice.

But that’s the least of my worries when a bag is thrown over my head. Rath may be my captor, but Kane, Oak, and Axel don’t stop him. They are set on exacting revenge—but on the wrong woman. I haven’t committed any of the crimes they accuse me of, and when their scent drives my instincts crazy, I’m forced to face the truth: the ones who were meant to love and protect me would become my ruin.

I loved Lena and the guys. I do question the ones actions and not confirming anything but what fun would that be. The guys do so much groveling to make up for what they did and it was nice. The book was well written and flows nicely. I would love more in this world.

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Hook Up by Kristen Callihan

2 Stars

The rules: no kissing on the mouth, no staying the night, no telling anyone and above all…no falling in love.

Anna Jones just wants to finish college and figure out her life. Falling for star quarterback Drew Baylor is most definitely not on her to-do list. Confident and charming, he lives in the limelight and is way too gorgeous for his own good. If only she could ignore his heated stares and stop thinking about doing hot and dirty things with him. Easy, right?

Football has been good to Drew—two National Championships and the Heisman. But what he really craves is sexy yet prickly Anna Jones. Her cutting humor and blatant disregard for his fame turn him on like nothing else. But there’s one problem: she’s shut him down. Completely.

That is…until a chance encounter leads to the hottest sex of their lives. Anna wants it to remain a hook up, but Drew sees the possibility of something great. Now it’s up to him to persuade her. It’s a good thing Drew knows all about winning.

As the saying goes, All’s fair in love and football… Game on.

The book had a pacing issue which made me hate it. It took forever to get to the plot and the HEA. It just didn’t work for me.

Book 1 Game On

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Savage Mates by Allie Santos

3 Stars

I thought I was damaged—a werewolf without the ability to shift. I melted into the shadows, unloved and overlooked, as I served a pack that didn’t care for me.

The ability to call my wolf forward was always present, but I hadn’t known, since my kind were hunted to extinction before I was born. I wasn’t any run-of-the-mill wolf; I was an Omega. Revered. Cherished. Hated.

When I shifted, I got what I always wanted. My true mates. Plural.

But they didn’t want me.

I refused to stand around, pitied as their cast off, so I left, yet being an Omega put a target on my back for any random pack to claim as theirs. So, I molded myself into human society because rejection wouldn’t break me… until they sought me out.

Their excuses were just that, excuses. They had a fight on their hands if they thought they’d get away with hurting me, because I refused to submit my heart to my savage mates.

Rejected Mates are so good. I enjoyed this read but wanted more world building and character development. Liana has a nice arc from beat down to luna and I loved how it all played out.

Book 1 Omega Heat

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One Night with You by Carrie Ann Ryan

4 Stars

Never fall for your best friend.

That’s the rule. The code.

Claire Harlow always follows rules—except this one.

However, when an attack leaves both of their worlds shaken, she decides to walk away from what could have been and hide within her own shadows. Kingston Montgomery is the man who saves the day.

At least that’s what he’s always told himself—until one day he was too late.

Now he’s trying to find his purpose while also ignoring the heat between him and Claire.

When a chance blizzard changes their plans, one night turns to two…and then there’s no going back. Only the two must overcome what they thought their relationship should be and realize what it could become. Because if they don’t figure it out quickly, the spark that ignites them could burn them both.

 

After the last book this was so less dramatic in a good way. I enjoyed these two coming together and finding their happy. The epilog for the next couple makes me want to go and read that book immediately.

Both narrators did an excellent job with the character voices.

Book 7 Montgomery Ink Legacy

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Hex Around and Find Out by Molly Harper

3.5 Stars

As the middle sister in a trio of sea witches, Cora Seaworth has spent most of her life hidden away at her family’s magical cottage on Moonshadow Cove. She’s claimed her own corner of the library, cozied up with her favorite novels and a ghost cat named Nicodemus. She’s the deep thinker among her more tempestuous sisters, so she isn’t prepared to be swept up in a real-life romantic adventure in the form of sexy local baker Iggy Galinsky.

Iggy is tired of his reputation as the Island’s unreliable charmer and a man of many talents but no true calling outside his family’s bakery. Sure, it’s mostly true, but it still hurts his feelings. His carefree life gets serious fast when he meets the beautiful, mysterious Cora Seaworth. Before long, they’re working together with Cora’s sisters, various ghosts and the unfathomable creature lurking at the bottom of the cove to defeat an ancient enemy. If they don’t prevail, it’s not just their love that’s at stake, but Starfall Point’s entire magical community.

I enjoyed listening to this book. Cora and Iggy worked well together. The over arching storying progressed nicely. Things are revealed that were interesting. The romance itself was a bit minimum but I still enjoyed it.

Book 2 Moonshadow Cove

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Wilder Wedding by Carrie Ann Ryan

3 Stars

The Wilders know their weddings and this time it’s for one of their own.

Naomi and Amos have been the secret backbone to the Wilder Brothers’ Retreat and Winery for years.

They’ve also loved and hated each other along the way.

Their on and off again relationship has always worked for them, but now it’s getting in the way of the next Wilder Wedding.

If they don’t figure out what they want, one of them will have to do what they feared: leave the Wilders.

But if they take that leap, they might just break.

Or finally have what they’ve always wanted.

Each other.

This was a short and sweet story. Just a little glimpse of a secondary character from the winery. it was nice seeing the couple get their HEA. Narrators were OK.

Book 7.5 The Wilder Brothers

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Meows and Murder by Nicolette Pierce

4 Stars

Murder, magic, and cuckoo clocks—just another day in Forgotten Falls.

When a vampire turns up dead in the peculiar town of Forgotten Falls, it’s up to Wren to crack the case. All that’s left behind? A pile of ashes and a house crammed with hundreds of cuckoo clocks.

As Wren digs deeper, a century-old case reemerges could be connected to her investigation. With secrets surfacing and suspects popping up like angry gnomes, Wren must race to stop a killer before the past repeats itself.

More information is added to the overall plot from book 1 and 2. The mystery was interesting and engaging. I still loved all the characters. I can’t wait for the next book.

Book 3 A Black Moon Mystery

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Pucking with My Head by Melissa Huxley

3 Stars

They were my student’s single dads, and now I’m their pregnant Omega…

My life was complicated enough with family expectations and boundaries I couldn’t cross. I didn’t need more on my plate, but I couldn’t resist.

The only plan was to help their daughter learn to skate and give them a helping hand with an extra nanny gig, filling my time with people who made me happy. Nothing else was supposed to happen. We all made that very clear.

But biology had other ideas…

My heat came, and with no way to stop it, I pulled in the three Alphas I had been pushing away, all desire to keep our lives strictly professional thrown out the window. That should have been the end of it, us going our separate ways, but life wasn’t done with the surprises just yet.

With a baby on the way, a double dose of family drama, one excited little girl, and four parents trying to get life to stop pucking with our heads… things certainly weren’t easy, but I had to hope it was worth fighting for.

This was a solid omegaverse read. I liked Beth a lot as she is trying to do so much. The guys were also nice. Some more that others. The book flowed nicely.

Book 4 Pucking Pregnant

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Best Friend Temptation by Carrie Ann Ryan

4 Stars

I fell for my best friend long before I knew what that meant. Only I know he’ll never love me back.

He’s stuck in his head and his past demons and can’t see what is right in front of him.

But when Greer loses her home and needs a place to stay, both Noah and I know the only place she belongs is with us—in every way possible.

Now I’m falling for both of my roommates and trying to keep the people I protect safe.

Only someone is coming for them, and I can’t stop the inevitable fall.

I just have to hope that we made the right choices and that one day soon Noah and Greer will finally see who we can be.

Before we lose it all…or I finally walk away for good.

I loved this one so much. The give and take between the three was in the fore front of this book and I loved it. The mystery part was very much secondary but still enjoyable. loved the narrators

Book 4 Montgomery Ink Legacy

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Doting Billionaire’s Precious Bride by Ava Selwin

 

2 Stars

A single glance from her, and he seizes the chance he’s waited ten years for—now she belongs to him.

“I run an empire. I’ll never marry a hothead like her who snaps at everything.”

Kara overhears Asher Flynn, her long-time crush, mocking her on her birthday.

Heartbreak leads her to one reckless night with Damion Cage—a billionaire and her old schoolmate, hailed as the ‘Holy Deity’ for his untouchable reputation.

“My company’s going public in three months. I can’t afford a scandal. Let’s get married.”

Within just 24 hours, Kara becomes ‘Mrs. Cage’!

It’s a deal—three months of marriage and then freedom. Or so Kara thinks.

Damion, obsessively in love with her for a decade, has no plans of letting her go. Behind his calm exterior, his truth burns—‘I’m not a ‘holy deity,’ Kara. My thoughts for you are far from pure. I’m selfish, trapping you. But you’re my deity, and now that you’re mine, I’ll worship you with everything I have.’

Asher Flynn rages with regret, desperate to undo the moment he lost Kara forever.

But Kara is no longer his to claim.

Damion’s mission is clear: to ensure Asher knows, without a doubt, that Kara belongs to him. And if Asher dares challenge that… Damion will destroy him.

It was a good idea but so poorly written. Some reviews said it was Ai written and that actually makes sense.

Book 3 Doting Billionaires, Cherished Brides

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Long Time Crush by Carrie Ann Ryan

4 Stars

When my best friend and I fell for the same guy in middle school, I stepped back.
I'd always expected to dance at their wedding.
Not sit in the back pew of her funeral.
I left town for my own reasons, but now that I'm back, it’s clear Sebastian Montgomery isn't the same man I left.
He's hard. Broken.
And a single father to an adorable little girl.
When it turns out he’s my new neighbor, I can’t stay away.
But I know I’m playing with fire and the heat between us burns enough to scorch.
I thought I was over my crush.
But now it might crush me.

I loved this book so much. I loved Sebastion, Raven, and Nora. Nora was so cute throughout this book. Seb and Raven have issues they have to work through and I loved the process. I don’t think the book needed the stalker but it was fine. I loved all of it and the narrators did an excellent job.

Book 3 Montgomery Ink Legacy

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Happiness is Earned by Letty Frame

 

2 Stars

I’ve fought death. I’ve mastered survival. Now, I’ll willingly bleed for happiness. Because happiness isn’t given—it’s earned.

Six years ago, I lost everything when my fated mate rejected me—my family, my pack, even my wolf.

But against all odds, I found something worth fighting for again: my mates, the other parts of my soul. They’ve caught me every time I fell. They’ve loved me even when I was broken. And with their unwavering love, I’ve mostly pieced myself back together.

But as I step out of the shadows of my darkness, it makes me a much clearer target for the hunters to attack.

My men are gearing up for the final fight, planning the strike that could end it all, but when fate delivers one last, unexpected gift, everything I thought I knew about my future changes forever.

Family ties shift all around me—the parents who betrayed me when I was rejected, the sister who stole the life that should’ve been mine, and the brother who loved me through it all. Each one is tested—and not everyone survives the reckoning of Alpha Atticus Phoenix.

Happiness isn’t a gift. It’s a choice. A fight. A sacrifice.

And if I want to keep the future we’ve bled for, I’ll have to face every shadow that’s ever haunted me—without losing the men who’ve become my everything.

Reading the last book was a mistake. This series started nicely and then just fizzled out. I would definitely skip it. There was no growth with Nora at all and she never works through her trauma.

Book 3 Second Chances

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Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

3 Stars

After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable.

While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people.

Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?

Pretty solid read. I loved the give and take between FMC and MMC. Watching them find a way to their HEA was fun. I loved the struggles FMC had figuring out her HEA. Definitely interested in more books by this author.

Book 1 Part of Your World

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A Giant Love by Flora Quincy

4 Stars

He was a giant.

She was a socialite.

Can I make it anymore obvious?

Society's golden girl, Charis Grace, is about to make an indecent proposal to her cousin's sexy as sin ex-husband.

It's that or give up her trust fund.

But if he says yes, what does he get out of this unusual arrangement?

Hephaestus has been lusting after Charis for sixteen years.

She’s pure, untouchable but that doesn’t stop him wanting to show her exactly what men like him do to women like her.

When she walks into his forge, all bets are off. She’s his and nothing and no one will stand in his way.

I love Greek stories and this one hit all the right notes. Hephestus is one of those forgotten gods and this one gives him a HEA in the best way possible. I loved Charis and how she was with him. I just wish the author was still writing cause I want so much more from her.

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Giant-Love-Monsters-Not-Romance-ebook/dp/B0BGJNXFD1/

The Forever Rule by Carrie Ann Ryan

4 Stars

Blakely

The moment I met Aston Cage, I knew my life had changed. A single dance later, we’re both all in. Until he ghosted me.

Then my boss fires me for dancing with the enemy.

Three months later, working for the Cages is my last resort. Now I’ll work beside him day by day, trying not to let my feelings take control. It’s heaven and hell. Except I’m starting to think there’s a part of this story I’m missing…

Aston

I made myself walk away from Blakely after my family’s dirty laundry hit the news. My father’s secret family complicates everything. In order to keep our inheritance intact, we’re forced to do monthly dinners with both sides of the family—the brothers I grew up with and the new set of siblings we never knew about.

An additional obstacle: Blakely is my new sister’s best friend.

Meaning the moment I give into temptation, I not only risk the woman I’m falling for, but the family legacy just starting to reveal itself.

But Blakley is worth it. I just have to prove I am as well.

I loved all the drama and the give and take between the characters. Aston is dealing with a lot with his family secrets that are coming out. He screws up so much with Blakely but he does have his reasons and he does make it up to her. The story flows nicely and this builds off of the Montgomery books. I can't wait for the rest of the Cage books

Book 1 The Cage Family

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Their Pucking Omega by Tericka Black

2.5 Stars

Omegas are weak and submissive... and definitely should not roll their eyes during meetings with potential packs.

Holly Riley was many things. Sassy, snarky, easily irritated, and curvy. None of those things align with the ideal image of a proper omega. With her Senator father breathing down her neck, Holly is running out of time to find a pack on her own terms. But no one, not even Holly, expected her to scent match with her brother's biggest rivals. And she never thought they would smoosh her cupcake.

In a perfect world, Holly would be swept away by her pack... in this world, they would have to fight for her on and off the ice.

This was an ok read. I liked parts of the book but there were too much going on. The characters weren’t developed well either. It has the potential to be an amazing story but it needs some formatting and development.

Book 1 Knotty and Ice Verse

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Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis

3 Stars

n a Gaslamp-lit world where hags and ogres lurk in thick pine forests, three magical queens form an uneasy alliance to protect their lands from invasion…and love turns their world upside down.

 

Queen Saskia is the wicked sorceress everyone fears. After successfully wrestling the throne from her evil uncle, she only wants one thing: to keep her people safe from the empire next door. For that, she needs to spend more time in her laboratory experimenting with her spells. She definitely doesn’t have time to bring order to her chaotic library of magic.

 

When a mysterious dark wizard arrives at her castle, Saskia hires him as her new librarian on the spot. “Fabian” is sweet and a little nerdy, and his requests seem a little strange – what in the name of Divine Elva is a fountain pen? – but he’s getting the job done. And if he writes her flirtatious poetry and his innocent touch makes her skin singe, well…

 

Little does Saskia know that the "wizard" she’s falling for is actually an Imperial archduke in disguise, with no magical training whatsoever. On the run, with perilous secrets on his trail and a fast growing yearning for the wicked sorceress, he's in danger from her enemies and her newfound allies, too. When his identity is finally revealed, will their love save or doom each other?

I wanted to like this more than I did. It started off very cute and is what led me to buying it. However, the book soon became bogged down with the details and the story moved at a snails pace. It was fine but not the best book.

Book 1 Queens of Villainy

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Wild Love by Elsie Silver

4 Stars

Rosie Belmont has been driving me wild for years. The good kind of wild. The bad kind of wild. But mostly the kind of wild that comes with wanting your best friend’s little sister and knowing you can’t have her.

After living in the city, she comes blasting back into Rose Hill like a storm. Beautiful, messy, and chaotic.

And one wide-eyed desperate plea for a job is all it takes for me to hire her.

Forbes may have labeled me the World’s Hottest Billionaire but all I care about is opening my new recording studio. Something that comes to a screeching halt when I end up face-to-face with a young girl who claims I’m her biological father.

Now I spend my days balancing business with parenting a sullen twelve-year-old all while trying desperately to keep my hands the hell off my best friend’s little sister.

I vow to keep Rosie at arm’s length. I try to stick to scowls and grumpy one-liners. But with her verbal sparring is merely foreplay—friction that turns to blistering heat.

I know damn well I shouldn’t cross that line.

But shouldn’t and can’t are two very different things.

And the only thing I truly can’t do is resist her.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. It was a friends to lovers and a second chance. Pretty standard romance rules are followed in this book but it was an amazing listen. Super spicy with some interesting curves to the story. I loved the paint scene between Ford and Rosie. The audio book was so well done and I loved the narrators. I also really loved Rosie calling Ford out on all his antics. Definitely worth a listen.

Book 1 Rose Hill

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