The Violence of My Affection by Sorcha Black

2 Stars

When we pick up a stranger who would make Satan blush, my husband's fantasy goes off the rails.

Now, the man won't leave us alone. I’d call him a stalker, except we invited him into our bed.

He’s a force of absolute chaos and seems determined to ruin our (currently) long-distance marriage…and now, he wants to get me pregnant?

Loïc is charming. Loïc is unpredictable.

He’s impulsive and dangerous.

If only toxic wasn't so tasty.

The story was interesting. If things with MMC was more clear it probably would have been a 3 star book. I kept questioning whether it was all in his head or if it was an actual person.

Book 1 The Violence of my Affection

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Coming Home by Wendy Smith

2 Stars

Coming home is bittersweet for Adam Campbell. His mother has cancer, but for some reason doesn’t want him there. One of his brothers welcomes him home with open arms, another treats him like dirt.

Then there’s Lily—the girl who left Adam at the altar twelve years ago. The girl who broke his heart. Adam left and didn’t look back after that happened, but being home stirs up all those old feelings.

Secrets will be revealed, including the horrifying truth about why Lily stood him up, and that she didn’t abandon Adam. Adam abandoned her.

This was an interesting concept but the writing style didn’t work for me.

Book 1 Copper Creek

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Model Behavior by Kelsie Rae

2 Stars

When you reach rock bottom, the only place to go is up…

Or, for me, apparently it’s straight into the arms of the one person who’s off-limits.

My brother’s good friend and my new roommate.

It wasn’t supposed to happen.

The one rule set when I moved in with them was no sexy shenanigans. Period.

Which should have been easy since the last thing I wanted after catching my boyfriend cheating on me was to start up a forbidden romance.

Especially not with the cocky, arrogant, too-hot-for-his-own-good River.

But when he needs a favor that ends up with us half naked and all over each other…It lights a spark that soon erupts into an inferno.

And sneaking around only adds fuel to the fire.

After all, River is a sucker for things he can’t have.And now he wants me.

But when the past catches up with our present…Old wounds and new secrets will be exposed.

Ones that might send me right back to where I started.

The book was a bit convoluted, but the idea was there for a good story. It just needed to be edited a bit more.

Book 1 Wrecked Roommates

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Omegas Choosing by Evie Burks

2 Stars

One omega for two alphas. What could possibly go wrong?

Adelyn has known from a young age that she would have to follow the guidelines laid out by the government… but dreaming about alphas and seeing them in real life are two very different things. In real life they’re hard, dangerous, and only interested in one thing, her. Claiming her. Breeding her. Making her theirs.

She’s seen what happens to omegas who disobey the rules. She’s not going to be one of them.

Bash, a hardened alpha construction worker, has been skipped over for years, so he’s skeptical when he’s chosen by Adelyn, but it’s not pity that he sees in her eyes. No, it's desire. Sharing her will be a monstrous task, but this alpha is all in. He won’t let his one chance to get off this island slip away.

Rhylon, a new alpha, doesn’t know what to expect when he arrives at Alpha Island. It certainly wasn’t making eyes at a cute omega on the transport or being chosen by said omega.

With danger lurking just around the corner, these two alphas must fight their instincts and work together to protect their omega at all costs. Will they manage to do the impossible and save her, or will they lose her and their chance at happiness forever?

This book was a good idea but had issues. First, more world building and character development. The second was pacing. The story plods and then zooms. Which made it a struggle. There were also issues with how things played out. Like how were the "bad" guys able to find them? It's never explained. It was a good idea but just needed more.

Book 1 Alpha Island Omegaverse

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Star Bringer by Tracy Wolf

2 Stars

The sun is dying…and it’s happening way too damn fast.

With the clock ticking, the Nine Planets’ only hope of survival rests on a fancy space station and the alien artifact it’s carrying. Which is why it really sucks when some jackass doesn’t want the universe saved and blows that station up—while you’re still on it.

So if your only choices are flaming death or stealing a flying hunk of space junk—you pick that busted-ass spaceship. Even if it leaves seven strangers with deadly secrets trapped together: a princess, a prisoner, a con artist, a warrior, a priestess, a mercenary, and an asshole in charge of us all.

Now every faction in the galaxy is hunting this ship—from the Sisterhood to the Corporation, and the rebellion’s joining in on the fun, too. We just need to stop drinking, fighting, and screwing long enough to evade them all and save the freaking universe...somehow.

Because apparently the only thing standing between a dying sun and ultimate salvation is seven unlikely misfits…ahem, heroes.

Too many POV and characters. I was having to go back and double check constantly. I also felt there wasn't enough world buildings. Just struggled overall reading it and connecting to the characters.

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Something Knotty Something Blue by Lilith K Dual

2 Stars

Marriage is a Beta thing, but I'm an Omega.

All my life I’ve been a good girl. I’ve behaved and never caused a fuss. Omega or not, my dreams have always lined up with my mother’s expectations: find a nice beta boy, marry, have kids, and a white picket fence.

Until I found the Heller Pack. My pack.

I've never felt as wanted as I do when I’m with them. I need nothing more than to be at their side, no matter how much my mother disapproves.

But, I also want my special day.

After a year of suffering through heat suppressants and chemical cocktails to keep our urges at bay, tonight is the magical night when I walk down the aisle and become their bride. My pack can claim me at last.

Interesting idea that was poorly implemented. It felt like there was a whole story prior to this one which led to me being confused. It was like an epilogue to a story. I want the backstory that leads into this one. Because of the short length there isn't any development of the characters. The world was developed in other books. Overall skip and read something else.

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Fumbled by Alexa Martin

2 Stars

Single-mother Poppy Patterson moved across the country when she was sixteen and pregnant to find a new normal. After years of hard work, she's built a life she loves. It may include a job at a nightclub, weekend soccer games, and more stretch marks than she anticipated, but it's all hers, and nobody can take that away. Well, except for one person.
T.K. Moore, the starting wide receiver for the Denver Mustangs, dreamt his entire life about being in the NFL. His world is football, parties, and women. Maybe at one point he thought his future would play out with his high school sweetheart by his side, but Poppy is long gone and he's moved on.  
When Poppy and TK cross paths in the most unlikely of places, emotions they've suppressed for years come rushing back. But with all the secrets they never told each other lying between them, they'll need more than a dating playbook to help them navigate their relationship.

This book was fine until T.K. disappeared for weeks with no word to his kid. Like Poppy’s one request was to not hurt their kid and that’s exactly what he did.  When he comes back all is good with no mention of his disappearance. First missing out because you don’t know is fine but when you do know and you still leave you’re the dick.

Book 2 The Playbook

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Good Guy Gabe by CB Alice

2 Stars

I’m the responsible guy. The polite guy. The guy my teammates on the Wilmington Juggernauts, the NFL’s newest expansion team, rely on to keep things running smoothly.

When I’m sent to a local quilt shop to pick up a donation for an upcoming fundraiser, I realize I'm something else: the guy who's going to marry Joss Paige, the self-proclaimed but wildly successful quiltfluencer.

Joss is a hermit, hiding in her shop and online community, but I won’t let that stop me from taking her to the fundraiser. There, I learn she’s been shunned by Wilmington high society because of crimes committed by her ex-husband.

I don’t care about her past or her ex. I only care about keeping her by my side, no matter what it takes. White lies and gentle manipulations—they’re for our happiness. The greater good and all that.

But then I find out what her ex-husband did, what it did to her, and what my tiny white lie will do to her.

And it turns out I’m not the good guy after all.

The story was there and should have been good. It started nicely and I was digging it until the first time Joss and Gabe hook up. She isn’t on anything asked for a condom and he lied and said he can’t have kids. That was the minute I was done with the story. It is no longer consenting. I have no problem with breeding kink but this wasn’t that. Also the drama with Joss went on so long that I got I bored with the drama.

Book 1 Wilmington Juggernauts

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Against All Odds by Maya Alden

3 Stars

Will he fight against all odds to win her back?

Sable Nees has spent her whole married life being a doormat and blending into the background. When her husband leaves her for a younger woman, she reclaims her confidence. She buys a local bar, ditches her mundane job, and starts living her life on her terms.

Heath Falkner, freshly divorced, is still navigating his new normal. His ex-wife may have orchestrated his move to her hometown of Aspen, hoping for a second chance, but it’s Sable who unexpectedly captures his heart.

When their romance ignites, the town erupts in scandal, and Sable is unfairly branded a homewrecker.

Heath tries to keep the peace with his ex for the sake of his fifteen-year-old daughter, and Sable struggles to keep her business afloat. Their worlds collide.

When Heath hesitates to put her first and insults her in front of all of Aspen, Sable has had enough. She walks away.

Heath has to deal with the empty space Sable leaves behind as he learns too late that she is his second chance at love and happiness.

I still think Sable should have told Heath to Fuck Off and for her to leave town. He reprimands her in public without finding out what happened. Then when he finds out he is in the wrong doesn’t understand why she doesn’t immediately forgive him. I loved his daughter and she was my favorite.

Book A Part of A Modern Vintage Romance

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Kiss from a Rose by Maya Alden

2 Stars

He built an empire, but forgot to cherish his queen.

So, she found herself by leaving him. Can he find her by following?

Because when is a kiss from his Rose not just a kiss—but a second chance?

Gray Rutherford had it all—a thriving business, a luxurious home, and a family he adored. Yet, when his wife Rose leaves him after twenty years of marriage, he's forced to face the bitter truth: he's taken her devotion for granted.

Confronted with his failings, Gray embarks on a desperate journey to reclaim the love of his life and prove that she is indispensable to him.

On the cusp of forty, Rose Rutherford stands at a life-altering crossroads. Tired of feeling invisible and undervalued in her marriage, she leaves her affluent Atlanta life for Angel Island to manage a friend's B&B as her friend faces the end of her life.

When Gray arrives, intent on reconciliation, Rose is torn between her newfound independence and the past she left behind.

They do nothing to make up for being dicks to Rose. Gray claims to love Rose so much and can’t imagine his life without her but allows his secretary to be a bitch to her. Their kids treat her horribly because of how he treats her. Then they are shocked she wants a divorce. She moves in to help her friend and the family still thinks she will come running back. When she doesn’t come back they track her down and beg for her forgiveness by saying they will change. She just forgives them the minute they start making an effort.

Book Apart of A Modern Vintage Romance

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Blood Sweeter Than Honey by Chiara Forestieri

2 Stars

Gideon

After leaving the military and an all-too-violent past behind, I craved nothing more than solitude—a peaceful life carved out under open skies and green pastures. So, when the local sheriff asks me to take in a mysterious woman, I’m far from thrilled. I’ve spent the last five years celibate and untouched by romance, surrounded only by honest work and the gentle souls of the animals on my ranch. Yet with every moment I spend in Winnow’s presence, some unseen cord winds tighter inside me, drawing me toward her. Soon enough, the urge to protect her—truly care for her—settles deep in my bones, impossible to ignore. I’m starting to believe I was made for this woman—and she, for me.

Winnow

After surviving a war and a traumatic past, I was endowed with the Duchy of Cerulia—thrust into a life I never wanted, bound by a duty I never chose. I’ve been shackled between the urge to walk away and the aching need to give my people the peace they’ve long been denied. It doesn’t take long for the weight of responsibility to wither my soul. So when a rare chance for a vacation appears, I seize it—only for everything to go horrifically awry.

Just when I think all hope is lost, the universe rewrites my path in the most unexpected way, and I find myself with nowhere to go but into the arms of a gruff cowboy—my soulbound.

There were so many tropes in this book. It was too many and made it hard to read. The SA and torture scenes were talked about but not really addressed or resolved. I almost DNF so many times reading this book because it didn’t make sense.

Part of Fated to the Cowboy

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No Ordinary Love by Maya Alden

3 Stars

I broke her heart, but I will win her back.

Because mine is...No Ordinary Love.

Lucas Covington had everything: Charleston's old money, a successful family business, and Amara—the strong, brilliant professor who turned his world upside down.

One careless conversation destroys it all.

When Amara overhears Lucas admitting he's still torn about his recently single ex and not sure if he loves her, she walks out, leaving behind the life they were building and the man too blind to see what he had.

As Lucas tumbles back into a toxic relationship with his high school sweetheart, he realizes just how badly he screwed up. Amara was the woman he needed, the one who made him feel alive. The one he loves.

Unable to heal her broken heart, Amara decides to leave Charleston. When Lucas finds out, he pulls every string he can, forcing her to stay in the city under the guise of a high-profile consultancy gig.

Now, with Amara back in his orbit but not in his arms, Lucas has to fight harder than ever to win her back. But with his ex-girlfriend digging her claws in and his own mother backing her, it's a battle he might not survive.

It's going to take a hell of a lot of groveling and facing his darkest truths to prove to Amara that his love is no ordinary thing.

I don’t know why I read this book. It was from an ad and it made it look so good. But it was just ok. Lucas was an ass but does make up for it. She should have left and stayed gone.

Book A Part of A Modern Vintage Romance

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More Than a Feeling by Maya Alden

3 Stars

He chose the wrong sister. And now, the right one doesn't want him anymore.

I never expected to fall for Fleur. She’s sunshine and joy, where my world was previously gray. What I don’t understand is how her family means so little to her. They warned me she was immature and selfish; and that we’ll never work out.

They were right. She's jealous of my friendship with her sister, my brother's widow.

But being there for Sabine is a promise I won’t break. When Sabine suggests that we take care of each other; I feel like I owe it to her and my brother. So, I let Fleur go. I believed it was the right thing to do. I just never expected to find out that my feelings for Fleur ran deep, that I was, in fact, in love with her.

Fleur deserved so much better than Callum. Callum doesn’t make up for his behavior but she forgives him. I am curious about what ends up happening to her parents and sister, they were all horrible.

Book A Part of A Modern Vintage Romance

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The Librarian and her Alphas by Layla Sparks

2 Stars

Trapped in a library during a vicious storm is one thing. But to be trapped with three enormous alphas during my heat is another…

Lena

I’ve sworn off pack life forever- especially after my ex-wolf pack left me for dead years ago in the rain.

Living amongst the humans hiding my omega nature is peaceful. A life with books, taking my heat suppressant pill religiously everyday along with my scent blocker creams.

I love my quiet life as a librarian. Well until three giant wolf alpha shifters walk right into my library during a massive storm.

And my omega heat begins.

But when I find out I’m pregnant weeks later, the alphas have demands that I live with them. I’m not quite ready for pack life yet so I have to go into hiding.

I liked the idea of this story but the actual implementation was lacking. I wanted to know why there weren’t any big consequences for the alphas who hurt Lena. The pack she ends up with don’t really make up for how they acted after the heat ended. Also no one questions the amount of sex that she had in library. Yes it happened during a storm but you're telling me no one noticed afterwards. Overall, it was a meh read and I this was a second attempt at reading this author. This one wasn't better than the last one so I am done trying.

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The Wrong Wife by Maya Alden

2 Stars

Sometimes the wrong choice leads to the right love…

Bound by duty, drawn by desire. Can love rewrite their story?

Even the wrong path can lead to the right love.

Declan Knight always knew he would have to marry a Hartley.

But when the Hartley he loves leaves him the night before their wedding, he’s forced to marry the other sister. She’s not the Hartley he wanted but he can fake it for a year. Can’t he?

Growing up in the shadow of her glamourous sister, Esme Hartley learned to bury her own desires, including her secret crush on Declan Knight. Suddenly thrust into a marriage with him, a glimmer of possibility ignites within her. But can she ever truly capture his heart, or will he remain haunted by her sister’s memory?

Caught between family duty and past scars, can Declan and Esme overcome the ghosts of their pasts and find love in the unlikeliest of places or will their tangled emotions tear them apart?

There was not enough groveling done by Declan let alone Esme’s family. They were all so horrible to her and none of them made up for it. Declan is hot and cold with her because he wanted to be with Viv. When he finally figures out he didn’t love Viv but Esme for me it was too little too late. She is supposed to be a sweetheart with a heart of gold but she came across as a doormat and basically took him back immediately.

Book 1 Golden Knights

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Devoted Billionaire’s Unstoppable Affection by Ava Selwyn

2 Stars

He pushed her away for someone else, now he’s desperate to bring her back.

“What exactly does it benefit me to announce an orphan as my wife?”

When he is married to Ana Cross, Mason Nightingale always cold-shoulders her.

Ana has been in love with Mason since she was a little girl and he held her hand to bring her inside his home. She loves him unconditionally, that is, until one day he leaves her to die without looking back.

Only then does she realise she means nothing to him.

“Mason Nightingale, I don’t want you anymore,” Ana says to him. Hearing that, Mason’s cold stare falters. For the first time, the icy man shows an expression of panic and fear.

From that moment on, Mason spoils her rotten. Little does anyone expect, it’s the beginning of their end.

There were so many things that were repeated constantly. This slowed down the read. It needed to be edited and tightened up. The idea was there for a good book.

Book 1 Obsessed Billionaires Cherished Brides

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Crash by Kathy Lockheart

2 Stars

Code blue in the ER. That's how I end up in his hospital. In my brother's best friend's care.

Dr. Blake Morrison starred in every fantasy I’ve had since sixteen. Now he’s the only one who believes something’s truly wrong with me—the only one who can save me.

But with each passing day, each failed diagnosis, I see him changing. The brilliant, controlled doctor is becoming something else. Something darker. More possessive.

"These symptoms aren't random," he growls. “I think someone's hurting you deliberately. And when I find them..." His fingers clench. "They'll learn exactly how much damage a doctor can do."

His touch sets my heart monitor racing, and what's growing between us is more dangerous than any symptom. More forbidden than any diagnosis.

But as my mysterious illness worsens, will the man who’s saved countless lives lose the only one he can’t live without?

I wanted to like this so much. The idea was good but the book just didn’t pull it off. The ending’s big reveal was rushed.

Book 1 Sinners and Saints

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Packs Request: The Omega Accords by Tea Ravine

2 Stars

They walked away from me five years ago with one request- stay away

I’ve had five years to change my life, five years to discover who I am, and who I want to be. To grow strong in the agony of their rejection. Still, when I see them, I come alive and no matter how much we promise to stay away, fate’s not done with us yet. When I’m delivered into their arms after I become the target of a crazed serial killer, I am forced to face the truth.

They don’t want me here.

But now, my pack is all that stands between me and the killer who wants me dead.

Five years ago we made a decision and walked away from Hazel Waters. She is the one person none of us wanted to hurt. But now she’s here and we could lose her forever. We can’t let that happen.

We won’t lose her again. As the past and present collide, threatening everything we’ve built and everything we could have; we find there are only two truths that really matter...

We need her more than air and…

We don’t have an omega. We’ve always had two.

I hated the MMCs so much. They blamed everything on FMC and took no accountability for any issues. The guys regularly put the male omega before her. It was as if she didn’t matter and wasn’t a priority. They justified everything because Soren needed them more because of his trauma not realizing they caused so much trauma to FMC.

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Pregnant and Rejected by the Lycan King by Kiara Sere and Via Thorn

2 Stars

My fated mate is the alpha king…

And I’m too weak to be his queen.

So he rejects me- but doesn't know I'm pregnant with his pup.

I’ve been a punching bag my entire life.

Bullied by my pack, sneered at by my family…all because my wolf refuses to show herself.

So when all unmated females are invited to the alpha prince’s ball so he can find a mate, I’m dreading it.

My sister trips me in front of everyone, and I’m ready to be the laughingstock of the ball.

Instead, the prince catches me.

And our mating bond snaps into place.

His fierce protectiveness takes over and he turns his rage on my bullies:

“Apologize to your future queen, or I will toss you out in the cold after breaking the pack bonds to make you a rogue.”

The heat of our connection and the way I feel when he looks at me…it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt.

But then he realizes I’m a weak omega who’s never even shifted.

He doesn’t want me anymore, but it’s too late—he’s already marked me.

I resign myself to being ignored by my suddenly icy, distant mate for the rest of my life.

But then I find out I’m pregnant.

So I run.

Once I’m gone, will he realize how much he needs me?

Or will I spend the rest of my life brokenhearted and mateless, raising our baby by myself?

The book was so slow and took forever to get to the HEA. I also never got past Talen’s rejection of Elena. This is one I wish I skipped.

Book 41 Forbidden Alpha Kings

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Jagged Ink by Carrie Ann Ryan

2 Stars

Roxie Montgomery met her soul mate when she least expected it. When he asked her to marry him, she thought her happily ever after was only just beginning. Then, she found that walking into the sunset was much harder than her favorite books made it out to be.

After a crushing loss, she feels as though she doesn’t know her husband anymore, or rather…she doesn’t know herself.

Carter Marshall has loved Roxie since the first time he saw her. But as the days pass between them, so does the distance. He doesn’t know how to show her that he’s all in, and honestly doesn’t know if she’s in at all.

When an accident changes everything, they’ll have to decide if what they have can be salvaged, or if starting over is the answer. Or even possible.

I think this was my least liked book by Carrie Ann Ryan. I liked Roxie and Carter but the story was just meh. They suffer a loss and drift apart. This is normal. They refuse to talk to each other. It was more Roxie than Carter that was refusing to talk and that led to all the problems.

Book 11 Montgomery Ink

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