She’s dressing for obsession, possession, protection, and to attain perfection in his eyes.
If you go into Morally Corrupt He’s dressing for revenge.
She’s dressing for obsession, possession, protection, and to attain perfection in his eyes.
If you go into Morally Corrupt thinking it’s going to be similar to the movie “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”, you’ll be pretty disappointed, because these love birds aren’t working against one another. It’s more of a moral quandary that puts a wrench in things between these two.
Note: Make sure you read the list of TWs thoroughly before you start because it’s long and not to be taken for granted.
If you like dark or mafia romance then this book is a ton of fun to read. I love my feral female murder kittens, and Bianca is an excellent example of such a creature. She has no solid identity of her own, but she’s got loyalty down pat. She kills because it gives her an outlet and because she likes it. She does it as a contract killer because that means she gets to have awful people picked out for her. And when she’s not working at that she’s free to spend every waking hour ensuring no one comes anywhere near Theo, who’s been her ultimate obsession since she was a teenager.
Nothing stays a secret forever, though. Especially not between spouses.
It’s an enjoyable read, if a little long. I really loved the twists and turns of the story and the way the main characters had to constantly adapt and change tact in order to keep ahead of the enemy and solve conflicts. There’s some great spice, great action, and great suspense. A really solid read.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Age Gap Romance/Book Series/Contemporary Romance/Dark Romance/Mafia Romance/Romance Series/Spice Level 2 ...more
The wake for Elena’s dad, head of the Amante crime family, isn’t even over before she catches her brother selling her off to a pack over the phone wheThe wake for Elena’s dad, head of the Amante crime family, isn’t even over before she catches her brother selling her off to a pack over the phone when her father had always told her she would have a choice when it came to finally packing up. Now not even trusting the bodyguard she’s in love with, she swallows her pride and decides to run and hide in the sex club/casino known as the High Roller. At least at the High Roller she can still make her own choices.
Elena’s a striking contrast of an omega, and I fell in love with her immediately. She’s a hopeless romantic, but she’s no swooning doormat. She wants to know what it is to love and be loved in return, but you had better do it with some respect for her as a person or not do it all. She can be spiteful and vindictive, which are two things I love seeing in FMCs and never get to see enough of. She’s your good girl if you’re good to her, but she’s a hellion if you get on her bad side. I was here for it.
Her pack is nicely complicated too, full of family conflict, resentment, emotional trauma, and hurt feelings that have lain buried under the guise of duty. There is no sword-crossing action in this one, but there is a very nice twin sandwich scene.
The plot is where this one gets a touch wiggly, but I really think the characters make up for so much of it. I enjoyed the whole book a great deal.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Annika Knowles wasn’t always Annika Knowles. Once upon a time she was a mafia princess omega, living with three bodyguards (one a cocky younger alpha,Annika Knowles wasn’t always Annika Knowles. Once upon a time she was a mafia princess omega, living with three bodyguards (one a cocky younger alpha, the other two more like uncles) and going to college until one day she arrived home to a nightmare and a kidnap attempt. Luckily, Annika is my kind of omega and she saves herself before driving away from everything she knows because she no longer knows who she can trust.
A handful of years later finds Annika at the High Roller Club, using her talents with numbers and patterns to help catch cheaters in the high roller room in the casino half of the business. She has a…friend named Grady who she spends almost all her time with when she’s not working and it’s definitely not platonic but she’s not willing to admit it might be anything else. Things begin to change one night when Annika is tasked with trying to ascertain whether one particular VIP is cheating or not. This meeting starts a chain of events that will bring Annika all the way back to the start, in more than one way.
Queen of Spades was absolutely delightful. The only way it could’ve been better is if it had sword-crossing in it. The story may start in Vegas, but it doesn’t stay there for long. There’s a crazy road trip to Kentucky with an omega in pre-heat, then a trip to Virginia with a cranky omega in post-heat. There’s spicy scenes in multiple public places and one primal play scene.
What I loved the most about this book were the characters. I’ve talked about Annika, but I have a ton of love for Grady, who is more than he seems in so many ways and would probably let Annika use him as a footstool so long as he had permission to move as soon as he sensed danger. He’d probably dress up as a puppy and play fetch with her so long as he could actually bite people. Deranged and hopelessly devoted to Annika is Grady. Her other eventual pack members are also all slightly off the rocker a little bit in their own ways, but the way they all work together in their own off-the-cuff way (half-preparation, half-perspiration) is both really hot and really cute. The fact Annika just keeps pushing through everything from pre-heat to post-heat to get up and fight alongside the guys whenever she can only makes this book better.
Come for the omegaverse, stay for the kick-butt omega and the bromances. That’s what I say.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
The Gunrunner Princess series is connected to Elizabeth Knight’s prior mafia why-choose romance series, Caprioni Queen, by way of the feral, unhinged The Gunrunner Princess series is connected to Elizabeth Knight’s prior mafia why-choose romance series, Caprioni Queen, by way of the feral, unhinged smuggler (that’s the best way I can describe it, really) Von, also known as The Wolf. The Wolf and her mute companion, Bear, helped Astin and her men complete her takedown and takeover of the Five Families. In the process, Von finally gave up her vow of neutrality and swore a blood oath to Astin. At the end of the last book in the Caprioni Queen series, Von was last seen going off on the task she was set to: tracking down and killing the last two remaining Accardi heis, who have been in hiding for years. One for the Money starts with not only seeing the beginnings of the fallout from Von’s vow to Astin, but the story arc also follows Von’s quest to find those heirs and their awful stepmother, Serena Accardi.
I fell in love with Von during the Caprioni Queen series. I have a serious weakness for feral FMCs and the characters who love her, especially when the characters love her because she’s absolutely feral. Von is, unquestionably, unhinged. Personally, I wouldn’t have her any other way. Von is fun to read, as are her paramours. Her paramours in this book are Bear (of course), her longtime bodyguard and companion; and Erik, a veterinarian of dubious providence whom Von and Bear kidnap after an emergency that has them breaking into his vet office in the middle of the night.
This book does a terrific job of setting up the rest of the series without sacrificing character building, spice, relationship blocking (by which I mean building the connections between Von and her paramours as well as teasing about who else Von may be interested in), and letting us have insight into Von’s past. We also get to hear from Astin and Ivy from the Caprioni Queen series, even if Von doesn’t see them in the flesh.
There is no mm action in this installment, but it is suggested that in future installments there will be such a dynamic. This is always a plus for me, but I know it’s a no for some readers. I’m really looking forward to the next book, Two for the Show, because I absolutely need to know where Von’s search for the Accardi heirs is going and how they plan to take Serena Accardi down.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Talk about a book that meets and exceeds expectations. Talk about a book that hits the sweet spot (and yes, I do mean BOTH kinds of sweet spots, my daTalk about a book that meets and exceeds expectations. Talk about a book that hits the sweet spot (and yes, I do mean BOTH kinds of sweet spots, my darlings). Did you think your body was ready for this book? This book will take you to church, my lovelies!
Reminisce for a moment, if you will, and think about the Triad series. Take Scarlet’s go-to, take no prisoners, give-no-effs attitude and stunning looks and mix them with Sebastian’s bloodthirsty tendencies, impulsivity, imperiousness, talent with knives, and (again) stunning good looks. Now combine them into one firecracker full of power, money, and a ton of confidence. That’s how you get Izabela Deluca, the sole heir apparent of the Triad. Like most mafia princesses, she’s had to grow up too fast to ensure she was ready to take over the reins as soon as she became an adult, if needed. Furthermore, she seeks out trouble like a cruise missile and sometimes trouble just comes to find her. Either way, Izabela thinks trouble means a damn good time is coming her way.
Izabela’s most tempting piece of trouble comes in the form of Niko, the Triad’s head of operations. He’s twice her age, won’t give her the time of day, but she can tell he’s not immune to her…charms. She’s wanted him for quite some time, and on the night of her eighteenth birthday she sets out to get Niko. Not too long after that night, Izabela’s assigned a business trip to Ireland to secure a weapons deal. Niko is a native to Ireland, and Izabela finagles a deal to make him the head of her security, sending the two of them alone to the Emerald Isle, even though Niko’s family warned him to never return when he turned his back on the family business.
These two are like feral animals with one another, unable to keep their hands off one another, sinking their teeth and claws into one another, leaving bruises and marks all over each other’s bodies, and I am her for it! Their chemistry is off the charts and I couldn’t love Niko’s pet name for Izabela more if I tried. They’re both so invested in the reputation of the Triad and enmeshed in one another it’s as if they are of one mind sometimes, knowing what the other has said or done without even needing to speak. It’s not love so much as it’s obsession and possession, at least until the very end. For Izabela there is no one but Niko, and for Niko there is not one but her. Both would rather kill an entire room full of people in unspeakable ways than let the other be touched or let themselves be touched by someone other than each other.
The forced proximity. The age gap. The bodyguard trope. The bloodthirsty female willing to kill for her man. The way Izabela submits to Niko and only Niko. The way she was meant to wear a crown and he was meant to stand behind her throne like a watchful sentinel. The way Izabela looks to her mother as both a guiding light and a cautionary tale and looks at her dads as both father and authority figures. The way she knows it’s her responsibility to care for her many younger siblings as well as the Deluca name. Izabela is a powerhouse and only a man as strong as Niko deserves to stand by her side as she prepares to helm the Triad empire.
I hope Dana plans to write more Triad (next generation) books in the future. I don’t care when, or if they come in any sort of order, or if we have to wait. If they’re all as on fire as this one, then I’ll totally wait for the burn.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All ideas, thoughts, views, and opinions contained herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
The third book in Dana Isaly’s One Night series, erotic romance novellas all centered primarily around the events of one night, has settled firmly intThe third book in Dana Isaly’s One Night series, erotic romance novellas all centered primarily around the events of one night, has settled firmly into middle child territory. The first book in the series, “Games We Play”, garnered a 3 star rating from me. The second book in the series, “Secrets We Hunt”, I lavished with praise and a 5 star rating. This offering, set around an arranged wedding in mafia that, for once, is a match made in heaven, warranted a 4 star rating that just barely stuck the landing.
I loved the setting and the set-up for this story of an arranged marriage between two mafia families where neither the bride or groom has either set eyes on the other. Italy is a land of romance, and the bride has been raised on fairy tales, hoping someday she would be swept away by a handsome prince who would love her even though she has albinism and most people are either afraid of her or cruel to her. The groom, Owen, is a character you’ll be familiar with if you’ve read “Secrets We Hunt”. He’s known his whole life he would only be free to live his life as a bachelor for so long. He never wanted to be married, as his parents haven’t set the best example, but he’s told he can no longer shirk his responsibilities and it’s time to marry. His trepidation lasts only as long as it takes to see his bride as they meet in the middle of the aisle on their wedding day. Both of them are going into this marriage only hoping they won’t be miserable. Unexpectedly, their marriage ignites immediately into passion and intense connection.
Dana has grown so much as a writer between “Games We Play”and this book. While I still prefer “Secrets We Hunt”, there’s no denying she has learned how to tighten up her pacing, edit her scenes so they don’t run long, how to cut out unnecessary dialogue and exposition, and how to generally keep the very heart of a story like it’s the engine in a very streamlined vehicle. It’s why her novellas succeed as much as they do. She knows what works, she sticks to it, and therefore she rarely lets us down.
Thanks to the author for early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review. ...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 book was okay, and okay isn’t what I’m used to getting from a Willow Winters book. I think it just wasn’t the book for me because I didn’t like tThis book was okay, and okay isn’t what I’m used to getting from a Willow Winters book. I think it just wasn’t the book for me because I didn’t like the FMC, Kat. I liked Cill and Reed just fine (I actually liked Reed more than Cill), but I just couldn’t identify with Kat, and as the FMC she’s the character I’m supposed to identify with, as a reader. But I couldn’t connect with her in any way. She didn’t feel fully-formed. Her voice didn’t feel consistent to me.
The plot was cohesive and well-formed, there’s no doubt about that. And it was a good plot. I actually tend to enjoy the interplay between mafia and MCs more than books about MCs alone (although I’ll take mafia only over either of those choices). I know these books are meant to be shorter, so I wish this could’ve been its own book so the plot, characters, and relationships could have more room to breathe and develop. The stunted length of the book made every aspect of the book feel stunted by proxy.
Winters, as usual, does manage to write great dialogue and great chemistry. She’s great at suspense and great at the right kind of exposition. But I just really think I’m not the right reader to appreciate this work for what it is....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’m jumping into this series 3 books in, without having read any of J. T. Geissinger’s work before, and I’m not even mad about it.
It’s like if John HI’m jumping into this series 3 books in, without having read any of J. T. Geissinger’s work before, and I’m not even mad about it.
It’s like if John Hughes had written a love story about a tiny little spitfire of a woman with a tongue sharper than any knife charming the pants off a big scary gangster, with a subplot of bringing all the mobsters who ever mobstered together for a mobsters prom or reunion. It’s both bonkers and adorable. It’s silly, sweet, serious, and deadly.
I had expected this book to take itself much more seriously than it does, and thank goodness it didn’t, because I really wasn’t in the mood for yet another mafia romance that takes itself as seriously as a Hollywood drama does.
I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it a lot. It makes me want to start the series from the start. Well, and the excellent steam didn’t exactly hurt things either.
I’d like to thank Social Butterfly PR for the opportunity to read and review this title. ...more
This book started off slow for me. Very, very slow. To be entirely honest, I almost DNF'd it because I kept falling asleep. And I also DNF'd it becausThis book started off slow for me. Very, very slow. To be entirely honest, I almost DNF'd it because I kept falling asleep. And I also DNF'd it because while I like my mafia reverse harems, I don't like the MEN in my mafia reverse harems like the men in this book and I definitely don't like my women in these types of book to be like Chiara. Honestly, I just kept going out of curiosity to see what happened, because I absolutely wasn't connecting with any of the characters. But! They had my token psychopath/torturer, and he usually ends up being my favorite man in any RH anyway, so I persevered.
The book isn't horrible. It's just... not for me. I'm sure there are people out there who adore this book. People who adore the traditional Italian mob approach to it all and the traditional Italian men. Readers who love someone who's as naive, inoocent, sheltered, and pure as Chiara. But I don't. The book DID gradually get better in terms of plot, and it ended well to set up the second book in the series. ...more
First off, I’d like to say I enjoyed this book a great deal more than “First Comes Blood”. In “First Comes Blood” I didn’t like or connect 3.5/5 stars
First off, I’d like to say I enjoyed this book a great deal more than “First Comes Blood”. In “First Comes Blood” I didn’t like or connect with Chiara (our FMC) and definitely didn’t like or appreciate Salvatore, Lorenzo, Cassius, or Vinicius. I found it strange, because, in theory, I should. I love dark mafia reverse harems. But it was the naivety and ignorance of Chiara that kept me from liking her or connecting with her, and it was the traditional Italian mobster vibe that kept me from liking or appreciating any of the Coldlake Syndicate men. The only two reasons I kept reading “First Comes Blood” is because the plot got interesting and because Lorenzo was worth reading for (honestly, he’s still the one most worth reading for).
Having said all that, this book makes up a whole lot for “First Comes Blood”. I still don’t like Chiara, but I’ve grown to tolerate her. But, I have grown to like and appreciate the Coldlake Syndicate men a whole lot more than in the first book. The plot has only grown more complicated (which is good) and it’s made the whole book more suspenseful (which is even better). Each man has grown in personality and individual motivation since the first book, which has been probably the best revelation possible, in my opinion.
Unsurprisingly, Lorenzo is still my favorite (darn those psychopathic, tragic torturer types!).
I really wish I could give this book a higher rating, but because I don’t like Chiara and I found so much of the book to be predictable, I can’t. But the Coldlake Syndicate boys really carried this book and made it so good, so thank you to Lilith Vincent for developing these mobster men into distinct individuals with such diverse pasts....more
I’m a sucker for a steamy prologue. Nothing snags my attention more in a romance novel than one that kicks off with an utterly sinful opening, and thiI’m a sucker for a steamy prologue. Nothing snags my attention more in a romance novel than one that kicks off with an utterly sinful opening, and this book has one of the best I’ve ever read.
I read “Tease Me Once” all in one go, devouring page after page. If it were a physical copy, I could say, “I couldn’t put it down!”, but since I was reading my edition on my Kindle, I’ll simply have to say my screen didn’t go to sleep until I was done with the whole enchilada.
Okay, it’s not like this book offers up a new premise, or even a spin on a familiar premise; but, then again, it doesn’t need to. Why fix something that isn’t broken? Willow Winters writes excellent organized crime romance. She writes excellent BDSM romance. She writes excellent combos of the two. She’s done it before. She’s done it again. And I always love when clubs like The Club are used as fronts for organized crime operations in books. It’s a trope, but tropes are tropes for a reason: they work, and readers like me eat it up.
The Cross Family owns The Club, and Declan Cross runs it. He’s the baby of the family, and the only one left with enough free time to be the kind of night owl that works all night to run and maintain it and the business that comes through it.
Braelynn Lennox is starting her life over and her friend Scarlett has just helped her out by getting her a job at The Club. What Scarlett may not have known, however, is that Braelynn and Declan have met before… when they were just children and before the Cross Family became infamous for crime and money.
So, yeah. I enjoyed the heck out of this book. The spicy was spicy indeed, and the writing was top-notch. The thing was: it was predictable. I knew what was going on almost all the time, even though I could tell there was supposed to be suspense and intrigue. I called the ending early. So I enjoyed the book, and I loved the vibe, but some of the life got sucked out by knowing too much about it as I read.
Doesn’t mean I don’t want the next installment right this second, though. ...more
I received an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
There's a lot to like about Beena Khan's "A Kiss of Venom": the premise is iI received an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
There's a lot to like about Beena Khan's "A Kiss of Venom": the premise is intriguing, the storyline is interesting and engaging, the characters are diverse and complex in their natures, and there are secrets and plot twists to keep you on your toes.
Our two main characters, Ghislaine and Alexander, are both complicated, fascinating, and tragic in their own ways. Ghislaine's seemingly perfect life has been knocked completely off-course from the very beginning of the book, and Alexander has definitely worked his way from the bottom of the heap to the top since his early childhood days in Russia. They both have enough emotional baggage to fill the cargo bay on a 747.
As engaging as the dark mafia romance side of this book is, the Sleeping Beauty retelling aspect of this book is where I find it to be lacking. Three aunts ("fairy godmothers")? Check. But they're hardly around, and they all pretty much felt like they had the same personality to me. All of the main aspects of what I would consider to be a Sleeping Beauty retelling seem to only take up maybe the first 20% of the book, if that. If anything, it serves as simply a plot device for what would, if any other book, be the "meet-cute". It also gives Ghislaine a backstop of where to leave her daughter, Noura, while she is experiencing the events of the book, since her three aunts largely care for her daughter in her place.
I did enjoy Alexander's relationship with Noura, though his interactions with women outside of Noura and Ghislaine did not endear me to him at all. As a Pakhan, his characterization is spot-on, but the contrast between who he is when he is in his Pakhan role and when he is with Ghislaine is very startling.
Ghislaine is the character I had the most issues understanding and sympathizing with, but those issues would be a laundry list of spoilers.
The spice scenes can get nice and spicy, the espionage scenes are nice and tense, and the action scenes are nicely written, but it seems to be the scenes in between where I had issues.
I'm sure if you're a fan of Khan's previous works (this is my first time reading one of her books), you'll be delighted. I simply felt the book was inconsistent in tone and the characterizations were imbalanced. But I do encourage you to read it, if only to delight in little Noura and her interactions with Alexander....more
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