Loved Girl by Lexie Winston

1 Stars

When the unthinkable happens to Harlow and the twins, the Summers family scrambles to solve the mystery of her stalker- for once and for all.

Meanwhile, Harlow, Jaxon, and Jacinta are told a mind-blowing tale of deceit and treachery, discovering how their lives have been intertwined since long before they were even born.

Will one of them need to put their life on the line to save the others, or will they all make it out unscathed?

WTF did I just skim read. This was over the top. High drama and all unbelievable. I struggled with reading this one and wish I had never started the series. I was right about the stalker but so not worth reading.

Book 6 Neighpalm Industries

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Cherished Girl by Lexie Winston

2 Stars

Harlow’s life was looking pretty good despite the attacks in Hawaii.

With Thomas on board, she has finally caught herself all of the Summers boys and is feeling pretty good about it. Jaxon and Jacinta's news, while shocking, is being dealt with and everyone is adjusting to the new circumstances. Things are finally starting to look good, with very little stalker action, the icing on the cake. Have they finally lost interest?

Making more permanent plans to stay in California is a big step forward in her relationship with the brothers but an ex has dumped a bombshell on them, and a surprise body has everyone questioning everything they thought they knew.

Is Harlow ever going to catch a break?

The only reason I am continuing to read is I need to know who the stalker is. This all got to be too many holes that I am only reading to see what the final answers are. Harlow is over the top too good, and the guys are still too stupid. Please be smart and skip the series.

Book 5 Neighpalm Industries

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Nanny and the Hot Head by Krista Sandor

3 Stars

Charlotte Ames despises hotheads. You know the type. It's the growly, perma-scowling bully who blows his top at the slightest inconvenience. And her former boss, Top Chef Mitch Elliott, is the king of all hotheads.

How big of a jerk is he? Big enough to make her hurl a salad at the guy.

Those vegetables didn’t ask to be strewn across the floor. But Mitch deserved it!

Is he devastatingly handsome when he loses his cool? Could his stormy blue eyes, flashing with passion, melt the panties right off a gal? That would be a yes. Still, she can’t stand him. And she’d thought she’d seen the last of the culinary creep.

She was wrong.

On the cusp of eviction and with five bucks to her name, she needs a job.

Enter the exclusive Nanny Match Agency and an opportunity to make some real cash.

Sounds great, right? Wrong again!

The universe has one messed-up sense of humor. When she wakes up after a margarita bender and learns she’s become the hothead’s nanny, life goes topsy-turvy! But when the nanny dust settles, she sees another side of the man. A man who might be more than a hothead. A man who gazes at her with such intensity, she can barely keep from combusting.

Don’t fall for the hotheaded chef.

Her head knows what to do. If only she could convince her heart.

Could this nanny match be the match that changes everything, or will it get too hot in the kitchen for the nanny and the hothead?

Charlotte is looking to get a prestigious spot in the UK for her photography but until she can she needs to work. She threw a salad at the head chef at her last job and that chef isn’t going to give her a second chance…or will he? Mitch is in desperate need of a nanny. When his connection sends him the woman who threw a salad at his head, he wants her but doesn’t. He lusts after her and thinks she would be good for his son, but will he get out of his own way to get to his HEA?

Standard romance. Saw the ending a mile away but still enjoyed getting to the HEA. Mitch was an idiot, but he does make it up to her in the best way possible. I loved his son Oscar. He was adorable and made the book. The all is forgiven by Mitch to his former BFF Seth waws so unbelievable but even with that I still enjoyed reading the book.

Book 2 Nanny Love Match

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Wanted Girl by Lexie Winston

2.5 Stars

Things are looking up for Harlow in the Summers household. She’s working toward establishing a solid relationship with her father and his children are coming around to the fact that she will be a permanent fixture in their lives. In fact, you could say things are starting to look very good for Harlow.

Unfortunately, someone wants her as desperately as the Summers men. Wants her dead that is!

Once again, the Summers family are on the hunt for those that are determined to disrupt their lives. It’s hard to woo the woman you want when you are constantly dodging attacks. Harlow has been assigned a bodyguard and a trip overseas will hopefully get her out of the firing line. New leads are beginning to point to the person or person’s responsible.

Really tired of the insta connections and either the person is amazing or awful. There is no middle ground. With more information revealed about the guys I am starting to question the author’s development of the characters. The one brother works covert ops but doesn’t have any security on his own home? It’s all adding up to a very dragged-out story that is in desperate need of a good editor.

Book 4 Neighpalm Industries

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Mine to Love by Kennedy L Michelle

3 Stars

I barely escaped the serial killer's clutches. Now he's back, determined to get me back forcing me and my 9-year-old son into hiding.
An FBI agent and local detective are put on our protection detail to keep us safe, but who will keep me safe from them? The two men are a blast from the past, a one-night stand 9 years ago that I still dream about and who disappeared the following morning.
Until now.
The attraction pulses between us despite the danger closing in.
Though they are no longer friends, memories from that electric night and us three stuck together might convince them to put aside their differences and share me one more time.
With the killer waiting for the right moment when our guards are down to strike, he just might get the perfect opportunity when the big secret I've been hiding is exposed.
I've never forgotten that night all those years ago..
How could I when my 9-year-old son looks just like one of them?

They had a history between them. It was brief and spicy and then it was gone. Now 10 years later Tallon has been rescued from a serial rapist killer and is need of protection, but she has a secret. Will she let Remington and Jameson keep her safe even if it reveals her secret? Will they forgive her for keeping it a secret and let them get their HEA?

This book was so good until it wasn’t. This is promoted as a MFM which led me to believe the 3 of them would end up together…they don’t. All my issues with the book happened in the last 3 chapters. Jameson is injured and ends up in surgery…that’s the last we hear about him. The author explains he survived and is training and Quantico. Ok but they’re still going to get together is where my brain went just from a distance. You get to the last page of the book and find out he has his own book with different characters. WTF!!!!!!! That is not how it is presented, and I am so disappointed. Will probably check out other books as I enjoyed the writing.

Book apart of the Protection Series

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Tormented Girl by Lexie Winston

3 Stars

Property destruction, aggressive threats and an injured family member is what Harlow and the Summers family are having to deal with.

Who is responsible or why this is happening is anybody’s guess?

But amidst all the drama, Harlow is trying to forget the hurts of the past and establish a new relationship with her adopted siblings, even if what she feels for them isn’t overly familial

A trip to Hawaii with Jaxon and Kai is just what she needs to forget about her worries for a while.

Or is it?

Will trouble follow them to the tropical paradise or will they get to relax and unwind and see where the holiday takes them.

With this one you finally see some relationship movement…FINALLY. There’s also a change of scenery as Harlow heads to Hawaii with Jaxon and Kai. I love the one on one we get and more backstory for the guys. This one is where my interest started to wane. It’s the same stuff from the previous books just repeated. The author seems to add side characters to suit the needs of the story. Still enjoyed it but getting frustrated by the lack of movement in the story.

Book 3 Neighpalm Industries

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Doctor Mistake by J Saman

4 Stars

He's my best friend's older brother. My boss. And now my new roommate...

In the hospital, death always comes in threes. Apparently, so do mistakes.

Mistake number one? My fiancé, who I just learned is cheating on me. So much for being the strong, in control doctor who's always on top of her game...

Mistake number two? Knocking on the wrong door.

The door I thought still belonged to my best friend now belongs to his older brother, my obnoxious, overly cocky, gorgeous-as-sin attending physician, Carter Fritz.

The billionaire playboy gives me a place to stay, and a shoulder to cry on. But when he makes me feel seen for the first time in I don’t even know how long, I tell myself I don’t regret what was easily the hottest, most earth-shattering night of my life.

That is until mistake number three comes along... and I'm staring down at a stick with two pink lines.

Having a baby at this stage of my residency could cost me everything I’ve worked so hard to build.

But Carter? He's undeterred. He doesn't just want more; he wants it ALL.

Including me.

But what happens if following my heart turns out to be my biggest mistake of all?

I loved Carter and Grace. Watching them stumble around to their HEA was amusing. Loved how Carter messed up and then fixed the problem. It nearly cost him Grace and he thinks he knows best until he bites him in the ass. I am not always a fan of friends to lovers but this one worked for me along with the surprise baby. Well worth the read.

Book 2 Boston’s Billionaire Bachelors

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Plays Well with Others by Lauren Blakely

3 Stars

Dating lessons from my football-playing best friend? Sign me up!
So I'm throwing myself a breakup party, a glittery fete where I envision I'll lift a glass and celebrate being free and single again.
What I actually do: Drink too much champagne and blurt out to my best guy friend that I’d really like to get back on the horse.
But what I truly don’t expect is Carter’s answer – he volunteers as tribute.
With his sinful brown eyes and too-good-to-be-true body it’d be no hardship for me to say yes, though I certainly don’t want him to feel obligated to, um, service me, just because my failed, loveless marriage was a s-e-x desert.
But since the charming and confident pro football star owes five public dates to his dating app sponsor, we make a deal to help each other out.
Pretty soon, our public how to date lessons turn into, ahem, very private ones. And I’m a star student, graduating quickly from flirty banter and lingering looks to toe-curling, sheet-grabbing, mind-blowing hours of physical education.
The problem? Turns out learning to date again feels a lot like the real thing. Can our friendship withstand all these late-night bedroom sessions?
Especially since I’m suddenly longing for my best friend and there’s nothing fake about my feelings…

This was a cute friend to lovers book. Carter is super sweet, and Rachel is on the rebound after a cheating ex. He is obligated to go on dates and so to help his BFF get back out there he agrees to date her so she can get used to dating. The problem is they catch feelings for each other. It was a pretty solid read.

Book 2 How to Date

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Broken Girl by Lexie Winston

3 Stars

Never in her life has Harlow felt as low as she does now. Even a beating from her mother was easier to take then the humiliation she just suffered at the hands of the Summer’s siblings.
Unable to return home due to a promise made to her foster father, she has to stay on until her commitments have concluded. With her new friends Alex and Shane trying to convince her to stay and her grandparents and father of the same mind, Harlow’s heart is torn in two.
But a mysterious phone call and a possible job opportunity may just swing the pendulum to one side.

More questions are answered but more are introduced. The adopted siblings are slowing changing but are still too stupid for me. I am pretty sure I know who the stalker is, but we must wait for a future book for the answer. It was another cliffhanger ending.

Book 2 Neighpalm Industries

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Last on the List by Amy Daws

3 Stars

Only a bad nanny knows what it’s like to kiss the boss.

CEO millionaire, Max Fletcher is a single dad in desperate need of a nanny.

Cozy Barlow is in the middle of her self-appointed “gap year” and doing everything she can to detach from her past.

But when her sister begs her to interview for the nanny position of a high maintenance client, she doesn’t have a good enough reason to say no.

And when Max locks eyes on the twenty-something in a tie-dye sweatsuit who pitches the idea of daydreaming all summer—he prepares to give this bad nanny the boot.

One problem: Max’s little girl thinks this plus-sized in body and spirit nanny might be her new bestie, so she hires her on the spot.

Now Max is stuck with this bizarre woman who hates everything he represents—corporate greed, money, status, power.

But one stormy night when the power goes out, he discovers Cozy doesn’t hate him. In fact, he’s the leading role in her fantasies.

Fantasies, he would very much like to make a reality.

This was fine but there was a pacing issue. There were many slowish spots that frustrated me. I also got very tired of Cozy mentioning her weight and size. I get it she’s plus size with curves can we move on. I loved Carter but Cozy wasn’t my favorite. She acts like she’s in high school and she is very much not. So, meh.

Book 5 Wait With Me

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Abandoned Girl by Lexie Winston

3 Stars

Her entire life, Harlow has been the cuckoo in another bird’s nest. With an unreliable junkie for a mother and an unknown father, her foster family, the kind, successful, and generous Bostons, are the brightest spot in her life. But even with a foster family like Harlow’s, there are some things money can’t buy- like the ability to fit in with the shallow socialites who act like her lack of pedigree is contagious. Now that she’s finished college and her veterinary degree, Harlow’s life was supposed to take off. She was supposed to get a job and create a life away from the petty drama of the wealthy elite. But when her mother dies and a life-changing secret is revealed, Harlow finds herself flying across the country to face an uncertain future that Kai, Holden, Jaxon, Thomas, Jacinta, Declan, and Oliver are going to make sure she won’t accept.

This one was a slow burn. You will hate a lot of the characters but that’s how they’re supposed to be. It was an interesting concept. Girl finds bio dad is rich and powerful. His adopted kids’ lust for her but think she’s after his money. They never bothered to learn anything about her. I know she’s going to end up with the brothers, but they have a lot to make up for after how this book ends. Still a lot of questions I want answered so I will end up reading the next one.

Book 1 Neighpalm Industries

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Between Commitment and Betrayal by Shain Rose

4 Stars

My father's business partner will do anything for the empire they built together...Even marry me.

Declan Hardy, All-American heartthrob and retired NFL billionaire, is my complete opposite.

He's commanding where I'm cooperative.

Spontaneous while I am deliberate.

Loud when I stay quiet.

The only thing we have in common is that both our names are on my father's will.

He'll inherit the fitness and hospitality empire and I'll keep the one thing I hold dear.

As long as I marry him—with conditions.

One year of a fake marriage.

One year of living together.

One year of pretending I belong in his luxury lifestyle.

But stipulations are never that simple.

Especially when I can't tell if his kisses are fake or if I'm pretending when I kiss him back.

And as more conditions arise, it's clear there's a fine line between commitment and betrayal... and neither of us knows where that line falls.

I HATE Everly’s father. He is the biggest asshole in this whole book. Besides that, I really enjoyed reading this book. I was rooting for Everly to get her HEA. Sometimes with Declan, sometimes with someone who deserved her better. Declan is an asshat at times, and he needed to do more groveling than he does but I still enjoyed it. I can’t wait to read the next book with Everly’s stepsister that I liked. I am curious to see how everything plays out.

Book 1 Hardy Billionaires

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Never Saw You Coming Alexa Rivera

3 Stars

Whoever said getting pregnant to the town playboy was a good idea… they were wrong.

Gabrielle Walker’s world implodes when she discovers that her boyfriend is engaged to another woman. In need of a change, she uproots her life and moves to Haven Bay, hoping to mend her broken heart.
But there’s no small town love story for her. Instead, a night of passion with playboy bartender Logan Pride—her brother’s friend—results in a positive pregnancy test and no white picket fence in sight.
Logan doesn’t want children, but now he’ll have to choose between following in the footsteps of his no-good absentee father or putting his lonely heart on the line.

Pretty Standard romance. Stood alone for me but it is part of a series. Gabrielle and Logan’s mom frustrated me a bit. Their issues led to some of the drama, but it didn’t really bring anything to the book. Overall, I enjoyed the writing style and will be reading the other books in the series.

Book 8 Haven Bay

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Unbreak Me by Reese Rivers

3 Stars

On the run, living in their car as winter sets in, Avery will do whatever it takes to hide from a monster and keep her daughter safe. One good deed on a snowy night, changes everything.

3 former military men and 1 German Shepherd with their own damage, take the mother and daughter in. They fall hard for Avery and Chloe and will burn the world down to keep them safe.

Easton – carries the guilt of failure at losing half his unit in their last engagement. He sees too many parallels to his own childhood trauma with Avery and Chloe. His honor demands that he care and protect them. He fights his attraction to Avery with an iron will.

Zack – The charming playboy had his self-esteem gutted by the scars his body carries and the loss of his leg. One tiny girl has him changing his prospective on his injuries. Avery sees the man not the injury and the hole inside him slowly begins to fill with a love he never thought he’d have a chance at again.

Ryker – His sheer size and bulk intimidate and keep a safe distance between him and others. A man of few words, his main forms of communication are long drawn out growls and grunts. The tiny wisp of a girl cracks all his armor with her sweetness and her mother feels like a missing piece of his soul when she’s in his arms. When he finds the man who hurt them, he will annihilate him in the most painful way possible.

Kanga (dog) – The lady makes his pack happy and her female pup reminds him that there’s fun to be had, dimming the memories of bullets and bombs that took him and his pack out of the fight.

I have so many questions about this one. I enjoyed most of it but struggled with how Avery’s ex found them/followed the guys back to their house and got to her. Beyond that I liked all the guys, and they were super sweet with Avery and her daughter. They definitely fell first and wanted to take care of them both. If you want heavy emotions this hits the mark.

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Forever After All by Catherine Maura

  

3 Stars

Desperate and out of options, Elena Rousseau walks into a gentlemen’s club, ready to sell her body in a last attempt to save her mother’s life.

She didn’t expect Alexander Kennedy to be there, and she certainly didn’t expect him to propose a marriage of convenience instead.

Marrying Alexander means knowingly becoming a tool in his revenge plan.

But what choice does she have?

Better the devil you know than the one you don’t.

This was a weird book. I think it wrapped up too quickly and too pat. It felt like the author got to a certain point in the book and said oops I need to conclude this so bam bam bam done. As for the characters Elena was a bit too sunshiny but is balanced out by Alec boorishness. Alex does mellow out by the end and makes me like him that much more.

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Between Love and Loathing by Shain Rose

3 Stars

Fake dating my enemy so I can design my dream bakery should be easy … as long as I don't fall in love with him.

Dominic Hardy might be an award-winning architectural engineer with fancy degrees and considerable accolades, but he doesn’t know a thing about baking.

He doesn’t even like sugar.

So when my late stepfather’s will states that Dominic Hardy is set to inherit the Pacific Coast Resort he’d painstakingly designed, as long as my bakery can be plopped in the middle of it, it’s no surprise he balks.

And my jaw drops when another stipulation requires us to mutually approve plans for my bakery’s design.

His stuffy taste will never mix with my whimsical vibe.

But then Dominic comes to me with a proposal I can’t refuse. He’ll give me everything I want in my bakery as long as I agree to one thing:

Fake date him for five months.

Keep his ex away by pretending we’re in love.

Smile and stare into his piercing green eyes at a gala or two.

Maybe share a kiss.

Nothing extreme.

Five months of acting in love when I really loathe him and his filthy mouth.

Even when he’s using it on me.

This should be a cakewalk.

Except there’s a fine line between love and loathing, and I think I’ve made the colossal mistake of blurring it.

I need to stop bing reading or going into sequels with high hopes because this one fell short for me. This book was ruined by Dominic. He was a dick from the beginning by making assumptions about Clara that were wrong and that attitude continued well into their relationship. There was no redemption for him by the end of the book either. Clara was also a very weak willed woman. At least with her it is somewhat understandable because of how her mom and sister were with her but she just caved unless it helped someone else. She does end up standing up for herself more but it was never enough. She should have thrown Dominic to the curb and made him crawl back. Still love the writing style and world building this author does so I will look for another book from her.

Book 2 Hardy Billionaires

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Vanished in Atlanta by Andi Lynn

2 Stars

Timur

My father was invincible, larger than life, also cold and distant. As the Pakhan of the Russian Bratva you can’t expect much more. Growing up as the second son I lived in the shadows of my brother only imagining I’ll be one of his Brigadiers until Sylvester Levi made a move for power killing them all. I’ve spent the last ten years growing the Atlanta Bratva into the organization it is today. I run my men with an iron fist all while keeping an eye on the Levi family to find my way to pay back the pain I’ve felt. The time for waiting is over, it’s time to settle the score!

Carrabelle

I’ve been the good daughter. Never going against my family even when it means spending the rest of my life with a man that I don’t even know. Well, that was the plan, until the god of a man storms his way into my life. I’ve fought him and my growing feelings for as long as I could. I’m just praying I can stop the war that’s brewing between the families. All while trying to figure out what one is supposed to do when your greatest temptation won’t let you go. Do you give in to the temptation or continue to fight the growing inferno?

Loved the writing style of this author but felt the story was rushed. The story needed to be expanded with more backstory and time for the Carrabelle and Timur to come together. I will check out other books by this author.

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The Gods We Obey by Auryn Hadley

3 Stars

As priests, we are meant to obey - but our duties are to our gods, not mere men.

Zeal is back, and he's seen by more people every day. The God of Temptation grows stronger, but High Priest Kinen has found the one thing that can stop a god: disbelief. The return of our gods means an end to his power.

And Kinen isn't ready to lose.

Over time, the priests of our temple have surrendered their power in the name of our god. We're trained to obey, to help, and to be Zeal's tools when he cannot help himself - and now that has become a problem.

Because power is given, never taken, and we have surrendered far too much. It's time for things to change, before our complacency destroys our gods. And yet, habits are such hard things to break.

What we need is a rebellion - and I'm going to start it.

Our gods never expected blind obedience, so it's time to give into the temptation to fight back. But will the price for this be more than I can pay? I just can't believe this is what my path was meant for - or is this all just a game between gods and men? Because we, the Priests of Temptation, have been betrayed.

I have prayed.

I have obeyed.

Now I'm doing it my way.

Too many pointless things in this book. Giving a 3 for overall series not for this book. This one does wrap everything up nicely but it takes forever to get there. It got very preachy ny the end of the series and I got bored. Overall if trimmed down it would be a good series but as is it is too long.

Book 6 The Path of Temptation

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The Prayers We Pray by Auryn Hadley

2 Stars

Be careful what you pray for - because even gods can be tempted.

The Temple of Temptation is broken. The system is failing the priests who serve faithfully, but Zeal isn't missing. He's simply powerless - or was.

As more priests believe in our god, the balance of power has been shifting. Temptation is thriving. Miracles are happening. The High Priest is struggling. In his attempts to control me, he's making it almost impossible to help the other gods.

Something has to give, and I'm worried it might be me.

With the last semester of my initiate training underway, things are supposed to be looking up. I finally have instructors who are grading me fairly. I no longer feel like a failure. However, my ties to the nobility of our barony have drawn just a little too much attention. The wrong kind.

The High Priest wants to get rid of me. My enemies want to destroy me out of jealousy. The nobility wants to put me in my place. My lovers want to protect me at all costs because things are starting to get dangerous.

None of that will stop me because gods aren't the only ones to answer prayers.

I am the voice of Zeal. I walk with the Blade, the Shield, the Temptation, and the Shadow. We are the devoted, five priests determined to serve our gods in any way they demand - but the divine holds no power over men who don't believe. Faith offers little to those who think they are the ones who should be worshipped.

Gods want love. Men want power. Everyone knows temptation.

To save Zeal, I'm tempted to destroy everything...

Even our traditions.

I am determined to finish this series because I need to know how the series ends but I think 6 books is way too many books for the storyline. This one has the same issues as the past couple of books. No movement and repetitive throughout the book. Only one more to go.

Book 5 The Path of Temptation

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The Ways We Betray by Auryn Hadley

3 Stars

To protect those who matter most, we will betray others in ways we never expected.

This is supposed to be a good year. With a new set of instructors - and ones I know well - I'm sure it will be. For once, things are finally starting to go my way. My mentors are proud, my family is closer than ever before, and I am happy.

Unfortunately, the gods are tired of waiting. Every day, Zeal grows stronger, but Ambition, Inspiration, Perception, Compassion, and Intuition don't. They're fading, with no hope in sight.

Except me.

Piece by piece, my god has built me up, given me "weapons" to use, and made me into the kind of woman I can be proud of. He calls me his partner and that isn't an empty title. It means more than just serving him. I can tell by the longing in his divine eyes.

My success doesn't go unnoticed, though. My haters want to destroy me, but let them try. Petty bullying is too childish for me to worry about. With so many priests able to see the God of Temptation now, I no longer care who likes me and who doesn't.

And that's my biggest mistake.

Because my god doesn't run this temple. He doesn't make the rules. With a single signed paper, I'm no longer as safe as I thought. Friends are going to be betrayed. Lovers will suffer. Somehow, I have to fix this.

I am the Priestess of Temptation, Zeal's chosen.

Someone is going to be punished.

I almost hope it's me.

Just like the last one this book dragged on because of the repetitiveness. The story is just plodding along with no new conflict. Nari was just trying to get people to remember what they are there for. Something new or different would be nice.

Book 4 The Path of Temptation

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