I’m so, so glad it’s finally time for this prequel novella to come out of its chrysalis and join the world in preparation for the full-length Bitter &I’m so, so glad it’s finally time for this prequel novella to come out of its chrysalis and join the world in preparation for the full-length Bitter & Sick Novel (also basically known as Twelve of Roses V2). You don’t even want to know what the trigger warning list for that book is like… or maybe you’re an absolute greedy gumdrop for the dark, depraved, and bloody and would love to get a look at that minefield. I know I danced a jig.
This short prequel novella is split between two time frames, but the vast majority of time is spent in Rose’s present, which seems to take place after the events of ToV V2. The other timeline takes place when Rose is simply a teenager with a crush, living with her grandfather across the street from Constantine Cromwell and his mysterious family. For all she believes he has a dark side and has been watching Constantine from her bedroom window for years, she has no idea just how many decisions have been made in regards to her life and how many gears of fate are turning to strip her freedom from her in the very near future. She’s just obsessed with Constantine, but he’s been obsessed with her longer and knows things she isn’t privy to yet.
In the present, Rose is just trying to keep a low profile and stay alive. She is broke in body, mind, heart, and bank account. All she’s trying to do is take everything one day at a time. But she knows she’s essentially living on borrowed time, in one way or another.
The few spice scenes Natalie could fit into this novella were short but so good, giving us a peek at what’s coming in the next book. The torture scene in the middle? A tiny taster of the widespread depravity that will come in the next book, I’m sure.
Bennett is correct to label this novella an anti-love story. This is obsession and possession. This is about having toys, playing with your toys, sleeping with your toys, and dictating who can touch your toys. But toys can be broken.
I was provided with a copy of this book by the author. All views and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Thank you.
File Under: Erotic Horror/Psychological Fiction/Suspense Thriller/Romance Series/Psychological Romance/Psychological Thriller/Read at Your Own Risk Romance/Romance Novella/Spice Level 3/Suspense Romance/Suspense Thriller/Bad People Doing Hot Things ...more
I’m going to put up a disclaimer here, because I feel like I need to be honest: Were I doing my regular mood reading, just trying to find something thI’m going to put up a disclaimer here, because I feel like I need to be honest: Were I doing my regular mood reading, just trying to find something that hit all my buttons, I wouldn’t have finished this book, because it’s just not my cup of tea. So, as such, I’m taking off the hat I usually wear when I read when I review romance/erotica novels and I’m putting on the hat I wear when I’m objectively reviewing a book for what it is, analyzing the aspects I did enjoy, and looking overall at Williams’ approach to the story and storytelling and how much potential the series may have going forward.
Okay. Now that the minutiae is out of the way, here’s the review.
After much debate, I rated this book four stars because I really like the storyline and the potential it has to grow in future books, I love our FMC (Raven), I love her steady and true shadow guardian (spoilers!), I love found family tropes and I’ll gobble them up wherever I can find them, a great deal (but most definitely not all–and I really, really mean it) of the tropes and spicy buttons are right up my alley, I love the vigilante/gang aspect of the overall story arc, and I love how unreserved Raven is in just about every way. She’s uninhibited, hedonistic, and wild in a way only someone who feels completely sure of herself and what she wants and needs can be. That is an inner power most women would slay to have.
I tend to love the way Alisha Williams writes her stories. Most of her FMC’s are like Raven in some way, especially in that empowerment aspect. They know who they are and they largely don’t need outside influences to give them self-worth. Her FMCs are one of the reasons I keep coming back for more, even if I don’t always end up finishing the book because it just doesn’t end up being my thing.
And that’s my con here: There’s a character in this book I can’t stand, and the way he talks and acts toward Raven and the way she reacts, in turn, without any true explanation at any point as to why he inspires such reactions when they’re so different from the way she wants to live her life and the way she views herself and other women just caused me to turn up my nose like something smelled bad every time he was on page in any way. He ruined most of the book for me by turning me off completely and making me roll my eyes at Raven whenever he was involved.
But the bones are good. There’s not enough damage done that the series can’t be redeemed or the characters can’t evolve into different people. You can already see Raven undergoing a rapid evolution by the end of book one, and I was living for it. So bring on book two and show me more.
I was provided with a copy of this book by the author. All thoughts, views, and opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone and are given of my own free will without reservation. Thank you.
Well, the steam is coming off the pages in this new book from A. J. Merlin. I mean, I knew I was going to read it as soon as I knew it involved camminWell, the steam is coming off the pages in this new book from A. J. Merlin. I mean, I knew I was going to read it as soon as I knew it involved camming (one of my favorite tropes and real-life turn-ons), but then you add in this pretty little thing falling in with two men who are utterly obsessed with her and the promise of a plot that’s looking more dark and complicated than what the short blurb is alluding to? Aw, come on. You might as well have told me you had a whole pen full of piglets for me to play with if I’d just follow you!
Blair just needs to earn some money, but doesn’t want to work in another restaurant or coffee shop while she’s trying to take a heavy course load before she hits her senior year and has to work on her thesis. Shortly before her semester starts, she comes across a cam site she’s surfed before and watches a user that tempts her and causes her to feel things she hasn’t felt before and she wonders if she could do that. Could she put on a mask and make just about the same amount of money per month as she would at a part-time job without having to work as many hours and on her own schedule?
It turns out she can, and she quickly gains two fervent followers who tip well to keep her from having to do the lascivious things other tippers try to get her to do on screen. At the same time, she’s taking a photography class with a guy she has a crush on who doesn’t even need to take the class but is anyway and seems to have the strangest dynamic with their professor. She feels this tension between them, and she feels a push-pull within herself between the sweet and playful Oliver and her icy, stern professor. There’s just something about them both that she wants, but what it is yet she doesn’t know. What she does know, though, is that there’s just something a little off with both of them and it should send her running…but she just can’t bring herself to do it.
I don’t want to spoil most other aspects of the plot, because that would ruin so much of the fun of the book for you. There are some great surprises in store for you, both in the erotic sense and in the plot sense. I love how Merlin can manage to write a great deal of romantic suspense and psychological fiction into these dark romances. It’s not all physical violence–it’s a whole lot of mind games and I’m here for it.
The book is the first in a series, but thankfully it ends on a natural break in the storyline and not on an abrupt, torturous cliffhanger. There is an important question asked near the end that is meant for Blair to contemplate between this book and the next, but it’s no emergency. There’s no rush. The only ones who’ll be in a rush are us readers, who’ll be begging nonstop for the next installment.
I was provided a copy of this book by the author. All views and opinions expressed in this review are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Contemporary Romance/College Romance/Alphabet Soup Romance/MMF Romance/Dark Romance/Forbidden Romance/LGBTQ Friendly/Romance Series/Read at Your Own Risk/Spice Level 3/Very Bad Folx Doing Very Hot Things ...more
It wasn’t until I first read the blurb for this book that I even knew I needed this dark, spicy, gothic, and suspenseful retelling of my favorite chilIt wasn’t until I first read the blurb for this book that I even knew I needed this dark, spicy, gothic, and suspenseful retelling of my favorite childhood novel. My own reaction of, “I absolutely need to read this,” shouldn’t have come as a surprise, since even when I was younger and read the original story some of my thoughts and observations about the characters and their interactions made me envision different scenarios that weren’t as innocent as the tragic and gothic tale of little orphan girl Mary Lennox. Granted, I don’t remember them being this dark, dirty, spicy, and suspenseful… but I certainly know there were some naughty thoughts going on.
Raven Jayne is a newer author, and I had the distinct pleasure of reviewing almost the entirety of her debut series, Master Class. With this book, Jayne definitely takes the same tenor and approach to female sexuality and male dominance (combined with veneration for their females) she started in Master Class and has translated it into this gothic, suspense romance where Mary Lennox is torn between her wicked, sexual nature and her duty-bound and guilt-ridden nurture. She’s innocent of body but not of mind; her upbringing has taught her nothing but that any feeling that might amount to luxury is sinful. At the same time she knows she’s inherently not meant for a life of purity: she feels wicked in her core, like there’s a hole of need and want inside of her that will never be filled in the commune she’s been raised in before she’s kicked out over what she views as an honest mistake borne of ignorance.
The reason this book rates five stars from me is not because it’s perfectly-plotted and has zero holes. It’s not perfect. The thing is: it’s exactly what it advertises, it’s everything I could’ve wanted (short of it being a RH romance), and it’s such a great read. I could see myself reading it again. My fantasies from reading this during childhood have only been spurred to greater heights by reading the story of Mary Lennox through Raven Jayne’s eyes. Be prepared for a dark, erotic, and unique ride. ...more
Atonement is a fast-paced, smart, sexy novella that follows an estranged married couple (and also freelance intelligent agentsReal Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Atonement is a fast-paced, smart, sexy novella that follows an estranged married couple (and also freelance intelligent agents) as they are put together for an assignment after not seeing one another since their lives were torn apart several years prior when a mission went wrong.
I love a good novella. I love how authors are forced to pick and choose very carefully what they are going to sacrifice and what they are going to keep in the name of their writing muses in order to create, maintain, and finally put out a short and impactful story. The best novellas and short stories can tell us, in around 100 pages, just as much of (and as powerful of) a story as a full-length novel. Some of my favorite stories of all-time are novellas and short stories.
Atonement is entertaining enough, but I wouldn’t say it completely accomplishes what it set out to achieve. While there is a good amount of tension that suits any suspense novella, and the pace is suitably fast for the length, I think the frequent pauses left for emotional gravity between the estranged married couple that are our main characters lets up on the gas a little too much. If you add in the emotional angst and the light BDSM they engage in, it ends up letting up on the gas just that much more when it comes to the primary plot, leaving too much space for uneven pacing. To me, it ruined the natural ebb and flow a good suspense thriller like this should have. Instead, there were fits and starts that were out of place, and it showed.
Where this novella was at its best was in the fast-paced action scenes, the bitter and angry banter between the main characters, the steamy tension and build-up between them, and when they were working in tandem despite their differences.
While not an amazing short story, Atonement is certainly an entertaining one and worth the read. ...more
Before I went and reviewed this title, I went back and read my review for the previous book, “Triple Threat”, to see what I said and to see if anythinBefore I went and reviewed this title, I went back and read my review for the previous book, “Triple Threat”, to see what I said and to see if anything I disliked in the first book had been redeemed in this extremely satisfying duet conclusion.
Lo and behold, something had!
In my review for “Triple Threat” I said, “Am I loving the triplets? Yes I am. I’m also absolutely living for Della, our FMC’s (Landry) little sister. I have the appropriate amount of rage and hate for Alexander, Landry’s father. Who am I not loving? Sadly, it’s Landry.” I went on to say that Landry had promise and I wanted to see if the second book would redeem her in my eyes.
Let’s update!
Do I still love Scout, Sparrow, and Sully? Heck yes I do! If anything, I grew to love them even more in this book. By the end I was enamored with them. Especially Scout, which I should’ve predicted because I always end up liking the psychotic ones best. Am I still living for Della? ABSOLUTELY. I love that brat. My rage and hate for Alexander grew by leaps and bounds, which is apropos. HOO BOY do I hate Winston. Last of all, I really grew to love Ty.
And Landry? Our damsel in distress? Was she redeemed in my eyes? Yes! Absolutely. She was the source of my frustration and ire in the first book, but I came around to not only like her a whole lot, but to appreciate her character a great deal. I still think she’s the weak link in the chain of characters in this duet (which keeps the duet from being perfect), but I am no longer frustrated by her or mad at her.
This whole duet is a wild, hot, fun ride. I highly recommend you read the two books back-to-back or else you might be a little lost when you eventually pick up the second book, but otherwise it’s a worthwhile investment in your reading time. And writing muses bless multiple birth heroes. ...more
I was absolutely flippity-freaking-thrilled when I found out Sara and Rachel were writing a sequel to the very first (and still one of my absolutely fI was absolutely flippity-freaking-thrilled when I found out Sara and Rachel were writing a sequel to the very first (and still one of my absolutely favorite) reverse-harem novels, “Four”. For the longest time, I think most of us had thought “Four” would stay as a standalone, and we were okay with that because Sara and Rachel both consistently put out quality material, but to hear they were going to give us a sequel? That was so exciting I pre-ordered it the day it was announced.
So, as you can expect, I had very high expectations for this book. Did it meet them? Heck yes it did! It not only met them–it exceeded them. It took everything I loved about “Four” and elevated it. It took it higher. Iris was fiercer, Silas was more protective, Baron was more passionate, and Gabriel was… well, more Gabriel (and I just when I thought I couldn’t love my sweet little torture bunny more). And then, well… I won’t spoil that for you.
There was the perfect amount of angst for me: not so much I felt like it was dragging the book into the ground and not so little I felt like the characters were taking the situation too lightly. The characters themselves were consistently carried over from the first book as necessary and new characters were well fleshed-out and extremely well-written. The plot was nicely woven into the plot from the first book and carried out to its conclusion in this book, and it ended on the perfect note.
Thank you, Sara and Rachel, for an incredible duology. Thank you for these characters and thank you for the love and time you put into them. I know I will miss them (but thank goodness I have the books for the memories)! ...more
This series, from beginning to end, has been such a joy to read: Petit four-sized treats of dirty, spicy romance that have titillated and delighted meThis series, from beginning to end, has been such a joy to read: Petit four-sized treats of dirty, spicy romance that have titillated and delighted me ever since I started reviewing these titles about midway through the series. But I’m not here to review the series. I’m here to review the last installment in the Master Class series: Choose. This is Juliette’s tenth lesson… and it was a long time coming.
As with all the Master Class novellas, going into the plot at all is just kind of a spoiler from the outset, but if you read the previous installment you know it ended with Juliette flying off with her fiance to Paris while Malcolm being just minutes too late to stop their plane. And that’s where Choose picks up… just as the plane to Paris is lifting into the air.
I don’t care that Paris is, as in most books, over-romanticized. That’s a trivial matter here. What counts here is the push and pull within Juliette as she is caught between what she was born for and what she truly wants. The man she was trained to serve or the man that taught her everything she knows? The man who bought her or the man that took her as she was and shaped her into the woman she has become? Duty or love? Expectations of her or what she truly desires? Deep down, what does she know she can’t live without?
Bridges once burned are mended. Certain characters show their true colors. Sacrifices are made. And HEAs? Guaranteed....more
You know what kept coming to mind the entire time I was reading this fantastic book? Koschei the Deathless, the tale of the Firebird and Princess VasiYou know what kept coming to mind the entire time I was reading this fantastic book? Koschei the Deathless, the tale of the Firebird and Princess Vasilisa, the tale of Tsarevitch Ivan, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf, and The Firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky. Koschei the Deathless was an immortal sorcerer-king, Princess Vasilisa was a very beautiful, stubborn, and insistent young woman, in the tale of Tsarevitch Ivan he’s one of three brothers (although in that tale they’re in competition to inherit a kingdom, not coexisting rather peacefully like in this book), and the Firebird Suite is a beautiful masterpiece of Russian opera and ballet music, but was staged as a ballet. For some reason, I could hear the persistent violins of the piece in my ears as I read… and I wasn’t even listening to music when I was reading it.
There’s something about this book that’s dark, mystical, ethereal, and downright intriguing. It’s both opulent and somehow gaunt, like a masquerade ball held in a hollowed-out castle. It’s got that gothic intrigue-feel I like that I’ve come to associate with some of my favorite non-romance novels of the past year or so, too. As far as dark fantasy romance comes, you don’t get too much better than this. The spice is also dark and sometimes violent, and that struck the completely right chord when it came to the tone of this book.
This book is only book one of the series, and it does end in a whopping cliffhanger, but I wasn’t too mad because I was already invested in continuing the series before we got to the end. ...more
**spoiler alert** This book was simultaneously everything I could have asked for and just not enough.
The beginning? *chef’s kiss* Absolutely perfect.**spoiler alert** This book was simultaneously everything I could have asked for and just not enough.
The beginning? *chef’s kiss* Absolutely perfect. The angst, the genuine heartbreak, the total unsteadiness of everyone in the Triad. Everything is in shambles and all anyone knows is that they are out for blood but don’t know exactly who they want it from or how to go about getting it since most of their assets have essentially been destroyed. They have manpower but nowhere to point it.
Now… I have some slightly ambivalent feelings with the way the situation was resolved between Scarlett and Motshan after the events at the end of “Liars” (if you know, you know). I don’t know how anyone, especially Scarlett, could make heads or tails in any competent manner after that night or trust their memories, but I also don’t know how much weight they carry for me in the long run in terms of rating the book. It’s like, “Yeah, this whole plot point has some holes in it I don’t like and are bothering me, but it’s all in service to something greater in the plot so maybe look at it that way”. Plus, Motshan isn’t a big enough personality to compete with either Scar or the boys anyway.
Now, we get to my favorite part of the whole book that doesn’t involve nookie of some kind: the ENTIRE middle section. The whole 30% or so section that might as well have sprung from the forehead of Frances Ford Coppola like Athena did from the forehead of Zeus. This huge, sprawling, epic action sequence was not only inspired–it was the la petite morte for all us reverse-harem mafia romance readers who love our heroes and heroines blood-soaked, violent, and utterly psychotic. What I wouldn’t have given to be a Go-Pro on Scarlett’s dress!
The largest downer in the book came after this point in the book. After the events of that day wrap up we don’t get to see the wrap-up of events between the two gangs, we get time devoted to a subplot romance I couldn’t have given a toss about, and we get a lot of waiting around. It’s just too much down time and too much discussion about babies. Nothing turns me off more than constant talk from men about when they can get to knocking a woman up.
What did I enjoy in the later 15-20%? Um, hello, Sebastian and Tristan! I don’t care if it felt a little forced. Sword-crossing is always okay in my book. And the sex. Lots of varied, spicy scenes.
Dana has concluded this trilogy in a challenging year, but she has done it with aplomb. I still remember “Scars” was one of the first RH mafia romances I read when I started reading these sorts of books last year, and I feel in love with the down-and-dirty Scarlett: the mafia princess who ran away from that life when she found out what her evil father had in store for her and decided to go somewhere else and make a life for herself. Years later, she’s made a life of her own with men who love her and her own power to wield. She may have never truly gotten away from the mafia life, but the mafia life she has she runs on her terms. ...more
I don’t think I’m the only Onley James fan that has been greedy to get their hands on the books that would introduce us to the story behind the MulvanI don’t think I’m the only Onley James fan that has been greedy to get their hands on the books that would introduce us to the story behind the Mulvaney murder twins, Asa and Avi. This is Asa’s story, and in it we first get what I know I’m always dying to know at the beginning of a Necessary Evils book: how Thomas Mulvaney was introduced to the twins. And it’s an interesting story, as always.
This book has a lot of funny moments, a few sweet moments, a lot of HOT moments, and the spice is top-notch spicy-spice. The plot, while a little winding, is both tragic and intensely interesting. I don’t want to spoil too much, so I’m trying to steer clear of saying too much! I will say, though, that we get to see much more of Calliope’s hacking skills in this book than we have in any of the others, and that was pretty awesome.
I will say this: If you haven’t read the Necessary Evils novella “Damaged” (featuring Calliope’s son Dimitri and his co-worker, Arlo), you might be a little lost toward the beginning of the book, so it may be a good idea to find a way to get ahold of that novella (which isn’t for sale anywhere, as it is a free download) before you read “Headcase” in order to ensure you aren’t totally lost going in.
All in all, it’s another win for Onley and another win for us readers, who get another excellent entry into the annals of the Mulvaney Family saga.
And now we all just have to wait with baited breath for Avi’s book!...more
My review is solely for Sara Cate's novella "Sweet Blasphemy" that's included in this anthology.
Why does Sara Cate seem to know all my weak spots? I dMy review is solely for Sara Cate's novella "Sweet Blasphemy" that's included in this anthology.
Why does Sara Cate seem to know all my weak spots? I don’t know. All I know is that she’s brilliant at it.
This novella was a whole lot wrong, a whole lot right, and a whole lot of yes please and thank you. To see these two characters absolutely split apart at the seams in the presence of one another, their desire and devotion to one another eclipsing their faith after being reunited after some years apart is both romantic and a pressure cooker full of steam. A great read. ...more
I felt there was a night and day difference between this book and its predecessor book, “There Are No Saints”, and it resultedTrue Rating: 3.5 stars
I felt there was a night and day difference between this book and its predecessor book, “There Are No Saints”, and it resulted in me just not connecting with this book in the same way I did as the first book. Whereas the first book was very dark, violent, and almost decadent in its brutal build-up and eventual release of hot tension, this book felt like it had been sanded down. Cole and Mara had both been sanded down. The central conflict had been sanded down. It felt like someone had decided the first book was dark enough to let everyone take a breather in this book, when I felt like I would’ve liked to have seen everyone get a little more deeper, darker, and more violent–almost more primal and out for blood.
Was it still good? Yes. Or else I wouldn’t be giving it the rating I’m giving it. It was still a very good book. It was steamy, it was suspenseful… but I just wasn’t feeling the same love for it that I felt for “There Are No Saints”.
But there were a number of awesome plot devices and points I loved and a lot of scenes I really enjoyed. I own it, and as a duology, it’s a fine arc. ...more
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