‘In life, people are lucky to experience once that feeling of completely and utterly fal[image]
[image]
4.5 Series Stars
**SPOILER FREE TRILOGY REVIEW**
‘In life, people are lucky to experience once that feeling of completely and utterly falling in love. I’ve had the honor of feeling it three times, each with the same girl.’
The Fuel series by Ginger Scott had us compelled this week. There really is something about reading a series in one hit, everything is fresh, there’s no cliff-hanger to deal with and we never lost our momentum with the story. This is our personal preference of reading due to the vast number of books we already read, and for us personally, we never need to fear losing that intense emotional connection to the story as well as the characters. And wow did we have an intense connection with Hannah and Dustin.
‘Anyone seeing this right now is seeing love. They see a young lifetime of yearning and waiting, two souls meant to collide. They are seeing my heart break open to let this man in, let him own me. Again.’
We’re not quite sure why it felt like coming home as soon as we started reading Shift, perhaps a combination of the setting, atmosphere, the friends to lover romance, and of course the beautiful writing skills of Ginger Scott who nailed the emotions of that first teenage love, the raw intensity of familial struggles as well as the typical angsty youth navigating through life.
Spanning years, this love story felt epic in its entirety. We felt like we’d run a marathon of feelings, moods, and emotions, making our way through a complicated and obstacle-filled landscape. It was not an easy journey, but the thrills, the love, the friendships, and hope shone like beacons and led the way. We fell in book love and every single instalment wowed us for different reasons. Though we do have to mention that when a pet peeve of ours occurred, it frustrated us no end. It was in our personal opinion a superfluous twist that was not necessary and was in fact character damning with the difficulty of redemption. Also, the reasons behind it were never really justified nor explored or resolved. We can’t say what it was as it’d be a spoiler but it’s something we take great issue with. Fortunately, it didn’t overshadow the greatness of this immense love story that had enough twists and turns to last a lifetime. We felt emotionally exhausted, but in a good way!
‘Everyone’s road is different. How we get from our beginning to our end isn’t a straight line, but if it were, how boring would that be? Our roads come with curves and accidents and lots of intersections – turning points…I haven’t driven it alone, though. I’ve never been alone, even when I thought I was. Hannah was there. Hannah’s always there. She always will be.’
Dustin’s story broke our hearts, an innocent young lad growing up under horrific circumstances, who seeks refuge from family toxicity with his best mate Tommy’s family. Tommy, his sister Hannah and Dusty became inseparable. Three kids growing up, thick as thieves chasing the thrills of racing with hope in their hearts and battles in the shadows. There is so much to this three-leaf clover friendship and the story. Beauty, sadness, and joy. Struggles and self-discoveries. Secrets and deceptions. But the one constant is the overwhelming love and passion! Spanning over a decade we felt like we were a part of Dusty and Hannah’s epic love story, the writing so amazing it evoked all our senses, all our emotions, and above all, all of our hearts.
‘I didn’t want anything to take this from Dustin. I wanted him to get what he earned, what he deserved. I always do. I always have.’
As we’re reviewing the entirety of the series we haven’t said too much, as spoilers are the bane of most readers’ existence, and we personally despise them ourselves. Truly experience this series as Ginger Scott intended and go forth and read, get stuck in another world of tears and laughter, it’s both quite the heart-warming and heart-breaking story of life, love, and the thrill of racing. We highly recommend #TeamEatMyDust and cannot express how intensely invested we were in Dustin and Hannah’s love story.
‘Because we’re real, and we’re forever. And even the fucking hands of fate with all their destructive power can’t undo our destiny…’
‘In life, people are lucky to experience once that feeling of completely and utterly falling in love. I’ve had the honor of feeling it three times, each with the same girl.’
The Fuel series by Ginger Scott had us compelled this week. There really is something about reading a series in one hit, everything is fresh, there’s no cliff-hanger to deal with and we never lost our momentum with the story. This is our personal preference of reading due to the vast number of books we already read, and for us personally, we never need to fear losing that intense emotional connection to the story as well as the characters. And wow did we have an intense connection with Hannah and Dustin.
‘Anyone seeing this right now is seeing love. They see a young lifetime of yearning and waiting, two souls meant to collide. They are seeing my heart break open to let this man in, let him own me. Again.’
We’re not quite sure why it felt like coming home as soon as we started reading Shift, perhaps a combination of the setting, atmosphere, the friends to lover romance, and of course the beautiful writing skills of Ginger Scott who nailed the emotions of that first teenage love, the raw intensity of familial struggles as well as the typical angsty youth navigating through life.
Spanning years, this love story felt epic in its entirety. We felt like we’d run a marathon of feelings, moods, and emotions, making our way through a complicated and obstacle-filled landscape. It was not an easy journey, but the thrills, the love, the friendships, and hope shone like beacons and led the way. We fell in book love and every single instalment wowed us for different reasons. Though we do have to mention that when a pet peeve of ours occurred, it frustrated us no end. It was in our personal opinion a superfluous twist that was not necessary and was in fact character damning with the difficulty of redemption. Also, the reasons behind it were never really justified nor explored or resolved. We can’t say what it was as it’d be a spoiler but it’s something we take great issue with. Fortunately, it didn’t overshadow the greatness of this immense love story that had enough twists and turns to last a lifetime. We felt emotionally exhausted, but in a good way!
‘Everyone’s road is different. How we get from our beginning to our end isn’t a straight line, but if it were, how boring would that be? Our roads come with curves and accidents and lots of intersections – turning points…I haven’t driven it alone, though. I’ve never been alone, even when I thought I was. Hannah was there. Hannah’s always there. She always will be.’
Dustin’s story broke our hearts, an innocent young lad growing up under horrific circumstances, who seeks refuge from family toxicity with his best mate Tommy’s family. Tommy, his sister Hannah and Dusty became inseparable. Three kids growing up, thick as thieves chasing the thrills of racing with hope in their hearts and battles in the shadows. There is so much to this three-leaf clover friendship and the story. Beauty, sadness, and joy. Struggles and self-discoveries. Secrets and deceptions. But the one constant is the overwhelming love and passion! Spanning over a decade we felt like we were a part of Dusty and Hannah’s epic love story, the writing so amazing it evoked all our senses, all our emotions, and above all, all of our hearts.
‘I didn’t want anything to take this from Dustin. I wanted him to get what he earned, what he deserved. I always do. I always have.’
As we’re reviewing the entirety of the series we haven’t said too much, as spoilers are the bane of most readers’ existence, and we personally despise them ourselves. Truly experience this series as Ginger Scott intended and go forth and read, get stuck in another world of tears and laughter, it’s both quite the heart-warming and heart-breaking story of life, love, and the thrill of racing. We highly recommend #TeamEatMyDust and cannot express how intensely invested we were in Dustin and Hannah’s love story.
‘Because we’re real, and we’re forever. And even the fucking hands of fate with all their destructive power can’t undo our destiny…’
‘In life, people are lucky to experience once that feeling of completely and utterly fal[image]
[image]
4.5 Series Stars
**SPOILER FREE TRILOGY REVIEW**
‘In life, people are lucky to experience once that feeling of completely and utterly falling in love. I’ve had the honor of feeling it three times, each with the same girl.’
The Fuel series by Ginger Scott had us compelled this week. There really is something about reading a series in one hit, everything is fresh, there’s no cliff-hanger to deal with and we never lost our momentum with the story. This is our personal preference of reading due to the vast number of books we already read, and for us personally, we never need to fear losing that intense emotional connection to the story as well as the characters. And wow did we have an intense connection with Hannah and Dustin.
‘Anyone seeing this right now is seeing love. They see a young lifetime of yearning and waiting, two souls meant to collide. They are seeing my heart break open to let this man in, let him own me. Again.’
We’re not quite sure why it felt like coming home as soon as we started reading Shift, perhaps a combination of the setting, atmosphere, the friends to lover romance, and of course the beautiful writing skills of Ginger Scott who nailed the emotions of that first teenage love, the raw intensity of familial struggles as well as the typical angsty youth navigating through life.
Spanning years, this love story felt epic in its entirety. We felt like we’d run a marathon of feelings, moods, and emotions, making our way through a complicated and obstacle-filled landscape. It was not an easy journey, but the thrills, the love, the friendships, and hope shone like beacons and led the way. We fell in book love and every single instalment wowed us for different reasons. Though we do have to mention that when a pet peeve of ours occurred, it frustrated us no end. It was in our personal opinion a superfluous twist that was not necessary and was in fact character damning with the difficulty of redemption. Also, the reasons behind it were never really justified nor explored or resolved. We can’t say what it was as it’d be a spoiler but it’s something we take great issue with. Fortunately, it didn’t overshadow the greatness of this immense love story that had enough twists and turns to last a lifetime. We felt emotionally exhausted, but in a good way!
‘Everyone’s road is different. How we get from our beginning to our end isn’t a straight line, but if it were, how boring would that be? Our roads come with curves and accidents and lots of intersections – turning points…I haven’t driven it alone, though. I’ve never been alone, even when I thought I was. Hannah was there. Hannah’s always there. She always will be.’
Dustin’s story broke our hearts, an innocent young lad growing up under horrific circumstances, who seeks refuge from family toxicity with his best mate Tommy’s family. Tommy, his sister Hannah and Dusty became inseparable. Three kids growing up, thick as thieves chasing the thrills of racing with hope in their hearts and battles in the shadows. There is so much to this three-leaf clover friendship and the story. Beauty, sadness, and joy. Struggles and self-discoveries. Secrets and deceptions. But the one constant is the overwhelming love and passion! Spanning over a decade we felt like we were a part of Dusty and Hannah’s epic love story, the writing so amazing it evoked all our senses, all our emotions, and above all, all of our hearts.
‘I didn’t want anything to take this from Dustin. I wanted him to get what he earned, what he deserved. I always do. I always have.’
As we’re reviewing the entirety of the series we haven’t said too much, as spoilers are the bane of most readers’ existence, and we personally despise them ourselves. Truly experience this series as Ginger Scott intended and go forth and read, get stuck in another world of tears and laughter, it’s both quite the heart-warming and heart-breaking story of life, love, and the thrill of racing. We highly recommend #TeamEatMyDust and cannot express how intensely invested we were in Dustin and Hannah’s love story.
‘Because we’re real, and we’re forever. And even the fucking hands of fate with all their destructive power can’t undo our destiny…’
‘In life, people are lucky to experience once that feeling of completely and utterly falling in love. I’ve had the honor of feeling it three times, each with the same girl.’
The Fuel series by Ginger Scott had us compelled this week. There really is something about reading a series in one hit, everything is fresh, there’s no cliff-hanger to deal with and we never lost our momentum with the story. This is our personal preference of reading due to the vast number of books we already read, and for us personally, we never need to fear losing that intense emotional connection to the story as well as the characters. And wow did we have an intense connection with Hannah and Dustin.
‘Anyone seeing this right now is seeing love. They see a young lifetime of yearning and waiting, two souls meant to collide. They are seeing my heart break open to let this man in, let him own me. Again.’
We’re not quite sure why it felt like coming home as soon as we started reading Shift, perhaps a combination of the setting, atmosphere, the friends to lover romance, and of course the beautiful writing skills of Ginger Scott who nailed the emotions of that first teenage love, the raw intensity of familial struggles as well as the typical angsty youth navigating through life.
Spanning years, this love story felt epic in its entirety. We felt like we’d run a marathon of feelings, moods, and emotions, making our way through a complicated and obstacle-filled landscape. It was not an easy journey, but the thrills, the love, the friendships, and hope shone like beacons and led the way. We fell in book love and every single instalment wowed us for different reasons. Though we do have to mention that when a pet peeve of ours occurred, it frustrated us no end. It was in our personal opinion a superfluous twist that was not necessary and was in fact character damning with the difficulty of redemption. Also, the reasons behind it were never really justified nor explored or resolved. We can’t say what it was as it’d be a spoiler but it’s something we take great issue with. Fortunately, it didn’t overshadow the greatness of this immense love story that had enough twists and turns to last a lifetime. We felt emotionally exhausted, but in a good way!
‘Everyone’s road is different. How we get from our beginning to our end isn’t a straight line, but if it were, how boring would that be? Our roads come with curves and accidents and lots of intersections – turning points…I haven’t driven it alone, though. I’ve never been alone, even when I thought I was. Hannah was there. Hannah’s always there. She always will be.’
Dustin’s story broke our hearts, an innocent young lad growing up under horrific circumstances, who seeks refuge from family toxicity with his best mate Tommy’s family. Tommy, his sister Hannah and Dusty became inseparable. Three kids growing up, thick as thieves chasing the thrills of racing with hope in their hearts and battles in the shadows. There is so much to this three-leaf clover friendship and the story. Beauty, sadness, and joy. Struggles and self-discoveries. Secrets and deceptions. But the one constant is the overwhelming love and passion! Spanning over a decade we felt like we were a part of Dusty and Hannah’s epic love story, the writing so amazing it evoked all our senses, all our emotions, and above all, all of our hearts.
‘I didn’t want anything to take this from Dustin. I wanted him to get what he earned, what he deserved. I always do. I always have.’
As we’re reviewing the entirety of the series we haven’t said too much, as spoilers are the bane of most readers’ existence, and we personally despise them ourselves. Truly experience this series as Ginger Scott intended and go forth and read, get stuck in another world of tears and laughter, it’s both quite the heart-warming and heart-breaking story of life, love, and the thrill of racing. We highly recommend #TeamEatMyDust and cannot express how intensely invested we were in Dustin and Hannah’s love story.
‘Because we’re real, and we’re forever. And even the fucking hands of fate with all their destructive power can’t undo our destiny…’
“I hope you won’t ever stop fighting because I will enjoy breaking you bit by bit.”
Reparation of Sin by A Zavarelli [image]
[image]
SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
“I hope you won’t ever stop fighting because I will enjoy breaking you bit by bit.”
Reparation of Sin by A Zavarelli and Natasha Knight is the second book in ‘The Society Trilogy’ and after the cliffy in Requiem of the Soul, we couldn’t wait to jump in and find out what would happen next for Santiago and Ivy. So, this will be a short and spoiler-free review as there’s no way we’d want to ruin this book nor the one that came before, for any of you readers.
‘Even if I hate him, it doesn’t mean I want him dead. And the hope I feel is only for my freedom. Hope that when the door opens, it will be him. The devil you know. That’s all this is. It’s not that I have feeling for him.’
Santiago is still a bit of an enigma, he hides a lot of himself, and whilst we’ve been given a nugget of information here or an intense emotion there -well- there really hasn’t been enough so far to fully figure him out. Mind you, we don’t think even the tortured Santiago has a clue where his head is at right now, which was evident in a couple of scenes that literally stole our breath. To be honest with you, we wanted to punch him in the throat several times! Infuriating and forceful yet completely magnetic, his character persona is intense and slightly overwhelming at times. Ivy, oh dear, she really goes through the wringer in this book. Our hearts hurt for her so much, and the times where the manifestations of her sanity and her heart were at odds, well we sympathised. Because…. Santiago, yes, we feel it too Ivy!
“Do you know what the difference is between me and you, Ivy?” “What?” I spit. “I know I am hated. I don’t care. I use it as a strength. You? You care. Hate steals your strength. My hate of you weakens you. Makes a pathetic victim out of you.” “You think you will ever win against me?” He asks. “No, Santiago, I don’t.”
We did think Ivy behaved quite naively at times in this instalment and a tad blasé on trying to improve her situation when faced with the opportunity to. Why did we feel like that? Because we didn’t feel she was originally written like that in Requiem of the Soul. Rather she seemed more clued up in the first instalment. But then again, the poor girl is going through a life-changing journey as a pawn in a violent game of retribution and revenge. She literally has no side to turn to so whilst we’d chose neither side –if we were in her head– she goes for what she believes is the lesser of two evils. However, will this prove to be a costly mistake?
‘We are bound to one another. There is something here. And he’s human no matter how much he tries to prove himself a demon.’
Talk about a hard-hitting beginning to Reparation of Sin, we jumped straight into a dark and sinister scene with no warning or let up. Just when we thought it surely couldn’t get any more dark or uncomfortable, this book proved otherwise! In fact, we found a couple of scenes quite difficult to read. The story development is fabulously paced, and we were once again completely compelled. Now, we feel desperate to get to the crux of who and the why of it all. It’s all still a guessing game, and we are incredibly intrigued by all the players!
“The choices are clear. But I think the question is, which can you live without? Your revenge…or your wife’s affection?”
“I hope you won’t ever stop fighting because I will enjoy breaking you bit by bit.”
Reparation of Sin by A Zavarelli and Natasha Knight is the second book in ‘The Society Trilogy’ and after the cliffy in Requiem of the Soul, we couldn’t wait to jump in and find out what would happen next for Santiago and Ivy. So, this will be a short and spoiler-free review as there’s no way we’d want to ruin this book nor the one that came before, for any of you readers.
‘Even if I hate him, it doesn’t mean I want him dead. And the hope I feel is only for my freedom. Hope that when the door opens, it will be him. The devil you know. That’s all this is. It’s not that I have feeling for him.’
Santiago is still a bit of an enigma, he hides a lot of himself, and whilst we’ve been given a nugget of information here or an intense emotion there -well- there really hasn’t been enough so far to fully figure him out. Mind you, we don’t think even the tortured Santiago has a clue where his head is at right now, which was evident in a couple of scenes that literally stole our breath. To be honest with you, we wanted to punch him in the throat several times! Infuriating and forceful yet completely magnetic, his character persona is intense and slightly overwhelming at times. Ivy, oh dear, she really goes through the wringer in this book. Our hearts hurt for her so much, and the times where the manifestations of her sanity and her heart were at odds, well we sympathised. Because…. Santiago, yes, we feel it too Ivy!
“Do you know what the difference is between me and you, Ivy?” “What?” I spit. “I know I am hated. I don’t care. I use it as a strength. You? You care. Hate steals your strength. My hate of you weakens you. Makes a pathetic victim out of you.” “You think you will ever win against me?” He asks. “No, Santiago, I don’t.”
We did think Ivy behaved quite naively at times in this instalment and a tad blasé on trying to improve her situation when faced with the opportunity to. Why did we feel like that? Because we didn’t feel she was originally written like that in Requiem of the Soul. Rather she seemed more clued up in the first instalment. But then again, the poor girl is going through a life-changing journey as a pawn in a violent game of retribution and revenge. She literally has no side to turn to so whilst we’d chose neither side –if we were in her head– she goes for what she believes is the lesser of two evils. However, will this prove to be a costly mistake?
‘We are bound to one another. There is something here. And he’s human no matter how much he tries to prove himself a demon.’
Talk about a hard-hitting beginning to Reparation of Sin, we jumped straight into a dark and sinister scene with no warning or let up. Just when we thought it surely couldn’t get any more dark or uncomfortable, this book proved otherwise! In fact, we found a couple of scenes quite difficult to read. The story development is fabulously paced, and we were once again completely compelled. Now, we feel desperate to get to the crux of who and the why of it all. It’s all still a guessing game, and we are incredibly intrigued by all the players!
“The choices are clear. But I think the question is, which can you live without? Your revenge…or your wife’s affection?”
"You make me want to go skinny dipping at midnight, and dance in the rain, and wish on falling stars, and believe in a life so exhil[image]
[image]
"You make me want to go skinny dipping at midnight, and dance in the rain, and wish on falling stars, and believe in a life so exhilarating, so liberating, that it feels almost tangible…And while it’s the greatest feeling in the world, it’s also the most terrifying…”
The Thorns Remain by Jennifer Hartman and Chelley St Clair is a mammoth tale of a broken heart spurred on to wreck vengeance, with pain and torment the motivating cheerleaders. An emotional slow build read that examines human behaviour after the heart shatters and life takes an unexpected turn. When you lose the love of your life along with almost everything you thought you had what do you do? Well, in Evan’s case, you demolish the man who interrupted your happiness and tore your future to pieces. And you do so, despite the casualties of the emotional war you’ve waged.
‘Regret. It’s a toxic word. It can tear a person up, twist them inside out, and break them into so many scattered pieces, they may never be whole again. It’s a dangerous sentiment because there’s no cure for regret. No one can go back in time and change their actions, or erase their hurtful words, or alter their past into something…better. Regret can eat us alive if we let it.’
We always find nuggets of wonderful subliminal messages peppered through Jennifer Hartmann’s stories and once again this was the case in The Thorns Remain. Being consumed by anger from intense pain and betrayal can make the kindest most caring person crack even more than the shattered heart left on the ground. How you act upon that and the consequences from there can be harmful, counterproductive or have you live with even more regret. Love can be the best feeling in the world, bringing you joy, peace, and comfort. But love can also be destructive, drive you to depths of despair, and leave you gasping for breath.
‘I don’t think Josie deserves what I’ve pulled her into…I really don’t. But this isn’t about what she deserves. This is about what I deserve.’
The Thorns Remain was a hard read, it was an eyeopener, it was heart-wrenching, and it was passionate in every emotion it elicited in us. Incredibly well-written, it had everything you’d want out of a love story based on hate, revenge, and fierce anger. It felt massive and all-encompassing in its intensity and scheming ferocity.
‘When you look tragedy in the face, real tragedy – the kind of tragedy you likely won’t recover from – every other wrongdoing and heartbreak you’ve experienced feels like a day at the fucking beach. So much perspective comes into play. I almost lost everything, my whole damn heart. It’s eye-opening and soul cleansing, and it’s that feeling of not wanting to take a single thing for granted ever again.’
What began as a path of retribution turned into something entirely different. Love comes in so many guises and whilst the path can be lonely and the target clear, those around you will inevitably become drawn into your game of vengeance.
“You gave me a light when my world had gone dark. And I’m so fucking sorry I stole your light, and I pray you get it back, but I couldn’t walk out of your life without you knowing the impact you had on mine.”
‘I’ll wait forever, Josie Bennett.‘
The writing from these two Authors was sublime, slowly building and drawing us in, until we were thoroughly caught in an intricate web of lies and deception, which in the right light shimmered with love, passion, soul-searching, forgiveness, and understanding. How can revenge result in love? Well, Evan and Josie’s path to love was so unpredictable it had us compelled. It was dark, raw, angsty, and incredibly beautiful at times in its malice. Jennifer Hartmann and Chelley St Clair had us hating and loving Evan in equal measure. We cried for him and everything he went through, yet we despised him at times too. His POV was one of the most intense and well-written passionate and emotional male POV’s we’ve read in a while. It struck us straight in the heart. As for Josie, her plight, her journey, and her soul-searching were captivating and as for her capacity to love, it was truly beautiful.
‘We are responsible for our own happiness. We need to fight for the things that bring us peace. And that’s exactly what we did.’
‘Maybe the best way to cope with the loss of the people we love is to find them in as many places and things as we possibly can. And in[image]
[image]
‘Maybe the best way to cope with the loss of the people we love is to find them in as many places and things as we possibly can. And in the off chance that the people we lose are still somehow able to hear us, maybe we should never stop talking about them.’
*Chefs kiss ..5 stars!* And…right here is the reason why, after nearly 10 years, we will always be excited about a new release from Colleen Hoover. Her love stories come infused with a mixture of humour, sadness, deep-felt emotion, wonderfully relatable characters, and of course the sublime writing of this incredible author. What’s not to love? Colleen Hoover’s books are a reader’s dream, and we will forever devour every word she writes.
‘I feel like the words I’m about to say are the most important words that will ever come from me. I wish I was more prepared.’
Reminders of Him is an achingly emotion fuelled story of love, loss, second chances, and forgiveness told through the eyes of Kenna Rowan, who has recently been released after serving 5 years in prison, and Ledger Ward, the wonderful man so intrinsically tied to her past and present.
‘We’re all just a bunch of sad people doing what we have to do to make it until tomorrow.’
After the death of her boyfriend Scotty, and the completion of her prison sentence, Kenna returns to Scotty’s hometown in the hope of being allowed access to her daughter, who has been cared for in the last 5 years by Scotty’s parents, however, they have no intention of allowing Kenna access to her daughter. It’s a gut-wrenching situation and one that broke our hearts.
‘Grudges are heavy, but for the people hurting the most, I suppose forgiveness is even heavier.’
Not wanting to give away anything about the story, we promise this book will seep into your heart and soul. It’s a story you’ll be reflecting on, and feeling, long after closing the last page. And oh, that last page!! So beautiful, even whilst reading it through a flood of tears. We were left as emotionally drained, as we were emotionally fulfilled.
The family dynamics were perfectly balanced, and the conflicted feelings between all the characters, especially Ledge, had our stomachs and hearts twisting in emotional turmoil. We understood every single feeling, we felt every single emotion. It was torture – but the good kind, where you know the pain will be worth it in the end.
‘I don’t like that the one person I dislike most in this world reminds me of the person I love the most.’
We don’t know how Colleen Hoover does it. How does she manage to tell story after story and each one feels so unique, so fresh, yet so ‘Colleen’. Reminders of Him is a must-read for all Colleen Hoover fans. And if you’ve never experienced this author’s genuine, heartfelt romances, then you need to get on the ‘Hoover Train’ immediately! Start with this book, and you’ll know exactly what we mean!
Bravo! For this all-encompassing, superbly written, and incredibly moving read! 5 unforgettable stars!
‘.. moments like these remind me that happiness isn’t some permanent thing we’re all trying to achieve in life, it’s merely a thing that shows up every now and then, sometimes in tiny doses that are just substantial enough to us going.’
‘That was all I was now. A beast. A forest dweller who wasn’t fit for society. And it was all th[image]
[image]
**FULL TRILOGY – SPOILER-FREE REVIEW**
‘That was all I was now. A beast. A forest dweller who wasn’t fit for society. And it was all their fault.’ ‘She can never go back. She knew too much now. She could never be trusted. And…I want to keep her.’
We decided to read the Fable of Happiness series in one hit, and what an emotionally draining journey that turned out to be! Going into this very dark romance by Pepper Winters, we can’t say we were fully prepared, though we had an inkling it wouldn’t be an easy read. It wasn’t. We’re huge fans of dark romance, it provokes an emotional response, it makes you question yourself and if written as superbly as this series is by Pepper Winters, it makes you fall deeply in love with flawed characters whilst developing an understanding of their inner turmoil and consequent actions. Dark, disturbing, and horrifying – yes absolutely – but it was also hopeful, cathartic, inspiring, and passionate. It was quite the brutal yet epic journey and love story and for Kassen Sands and Gemma Ashford.
‘He kissed me as if he’d never known kindness. As if pain was the only thing to set him free. I couldn’t stand it. Stop! … I lost. I kissed him back. And. That. Was. It.’
“The longer I keep you alive, the greater the chance I have of being happy…even if it’s for a short while.”
Good versus evil is woven into an erotic and passionate tale of despicable villains versus unlikely subservient heroes in a dark and twisted reality of love and hate. Unhealthy relationships rising out of the fire, cleansed, and purified by compassion and understanding. Book one slayed us, Book two shook us to the core, and book three slowly healed us. We must mention the beauty amidst the ugly, highlighting the important roles that nature and animals play in our mental health, healing, and well-being.
‘He’d sacrificed himself for those he loved. And now, he had nothing left.’ ‘Kas was rough and wild and unstable, but perhaps that was the healing process for someone who’d only just come back to life? He’d spent a decade just existing, turning off his humanity, willingly slipping into loneliness and endless monotony.’
Pepper Winters took an old as time fairy-tale concept and wrote it in that twisted way of the dark world of the Brothers Grimm before they were made palatable for little as well as big ears. The Fable of Happiness gave us a whiplash of emotions. We felt exhausted, tearful, relieved, happy, devastated, and scared. Emotions on a wheel of repetition meant we never felt truly safe. We were hamsters unable to get off. There’s that proverbial saying of the thin line between love and hate, and never was that more evident than in this story. There were moments we struggled with the characters for different reasons, as whilst the sexual chemistry was off the charts, despite the origin of the beginning, it did at times blur the lines of being overly excessive and repetitive in such a heart-breaking story of physical and mental survival.
‘I was ready for it. I wanted the good and the bad, the happy and the sad. I wanted to be beside him every step of the way. Because I love him unconditionally.’
‘I’d chosen my new master. I’d chosen her. It was my choice.’
The twists, suspense, depravity, and compulsions had our pulses skyrocketing in horror and discomfort. The broken hearts, broken minds and scarred bodies had us crying till our eyes hurt and blurred the words. We both agreed, that as the books progressed so did our enjoyment of them, the third book being our favourite out of the three. It truly knocked us for six and we felt absolutely everything Pepper Winters intended us to feel. Truly explosive, truly heart-stopping, and truly compelling. This series is not for the faint of hearts, but we were compelled with a journey that took over our lives for a while as we needed to know, needed to understand, needed to heal as Kassen Sands captured our hearts. We definitely recommend this trilogy to readers of dark romance who enjoy love stories that push boundaries and romances that take you outside your comfort zone. On the last note, we would love to hear more from the other characters who suffered alongside Kas, and hope Pepper Winters agrees!
‘That was all I was now. A beast. A forest dweller who wasn’t fit for society. And it was all th[image]
[image]
**FULL TRILOGY – SPOILER-FREE REVIEW**
‘That was all I was now. A beast. A forest dweller who wasn’t fit for society. And it was all their fault.’ ‘She can never go back. She knew too much now. She could never be trusted. And…I want to keep her.’
We decided to read the Fable of Happiness series in one hit, and what an emotionally draining journey that turned out to be! Going into this very dark romance by Pepper Winters, we can’t say we were fully prepared, though we had an inkling it wouldn’t be an easy read. It wasn’t. We’re huge fans of dark romance, it provokes an emotional response, it makes you question yourself and if written as superbly as this series is by Pepper Winters, it makes you fall deeply in love with flawed characters whilst developing an understanding of their inner turmoil and consequent actions. Dark, disturbing, and horrifying – yes absolutely – but it was also hopeful, cathartic, inspiring, and passionate. It was quite the brutal yet epic journey and love story and for Kassen Sands and Gemma Ashford.
‘He kissed me as if he’d never known kindness. As if pain was the only thing to set him free. I couldn’t stand it. Stop! … I lost. I kissed him back. And. That. Was. It.’
“The longer I keep you alive, the greater the chance I have of being happy…even if it’s for a short while.”
Good versus evil is woven into an erotic and passionate tale of despicable villains versus unlikely subservient heroes in a dark and twisted reality of love and hate. Unhealthy relationships rising out of the fire, cleansed, and purified by compassion and understanding. Book one slayed us, Book two shook us to the core, and book three slowly healed us. We must mention the beauty amidst the ugly, highlighting the important roles that nature and animals play in our mental health, healing, and well-being.
‘He’d sacrificed himself for those he loved. And now, he had nothing left.’ ‘Kas was rough and wild and unstable, but perhaps that was the healing process for someone who’d only just come back to life? He’d spent a decade just existing, turning off his humanity, willingly slipping into loneliness and endless monotony.’
Pepper Winters took an old as time fairy-tale concept and wrote it in that twisted way of the dark world of the Brothers Grimm before they were made palatable for little as well as big ears. The Fable of Happiness gave us a whiplash of emotions. We felt exhausted, tearful, relieved, happy, devastated, and scared. Emotions on a wheel of repetition meant we never felt truly safe. We were hamsters unable to get off. There’s that proverbial saying of the thin line between love and hate, and never was that more evident than in this story. There were moments we struggled with the characters for different reasons, as whilst the sexual chemistry was off the charts, despite the origin of the beginning, it did at times blur the lines of being overly excessive and repetitive in such a heart-breaking story of physical and mental survival.
‘I was ready for it. I wanted the good and the bad, the happy and the sad. I wanted to be beside him every step of the way. Because I love him unconditionally.’
‘I’d chosen my new master. I’d chosen her. It was my choice.’
The twists, suspense, depravity, and compulsions had our pulses skyrocketing in horror and discomfort. The broken hearts, broken minds and scarred bodies had us crying till our eyes hurt and blurred the words. We both agreed, that as the books progressed so did our enjoyment of them, the third book being our favourite out of the three. It truly knocked us for six and we felt absolutely everything Pepper Winters intended us to feel. Truly explosive, truly heart-stopping, and truly compelling. This series is not for the faint of hearts, but we were compelled with a journey that took over our lives for a while as we needed to know, needed to understand, needed to heal as Kassen Sands captured our hearts. We definitely recommend this trilogy to readers of dark romance who enjoy love stories that push boundaries and romances that take you outside your comfort zone. On the last note, we would love to hear more from the other characters who suffered alongside Kas, and hope Pepper Winters agrees!
‘That was all I was now. A beast. A forest dweller who wasn’t fit for society. And it was all th[image]
[image]
**FULL TRILOGY – SPOILER-FREE REVIEW**
‘That was all I was now. A beast. A forest dweller who wasn’t fit for society. And it was all their fault.’ ‘She can never go back. She knew too much now. She could never be trusted. And…I want to keep her.’
We decided to read the Fable of Happiness series in one hit, and what an emotionally draining journey that turned out to be! Going into this very dark romance by Pepper Winters, we can’t say we were fully prepared, though we had an inkling it wouldn’t be an easy read. It wasn’t. We’re huge fans of dark romance, it provokes an emotional response, it makes you question yourself and if written as superbly as this series is by Pepper Winters, it makes you fall deeply in love with flawed characters whilst developing an understanding of their inner turmoil and consequent actions. Dark, disturbing, and horrifying – yes absolutely – but it was also hopeful, cathartic, inspiring, and passionate. It was quite the brutal yet epic journey and love story and for Kassen Sands and Gemma Ashford.
‘He kissed me as if he’d never known kindness. As if pain was the only thing to set him free. I couldn’t stand it. Stop! … I lost. I kissed him back. And. That. Was. It.’
“The longer I keep you alive, the greater the chance I have of being happy…even if it’s for a short while.”
Good versus evil is woven into an erotic and passionate tale of despicable villains versus unlikely subservient heroes in a dark and twisted reality of love and hate. Unhealthy relationships rising out of the fire, cleansed, and purified by compassion and understanding. Book one slayed us, Book two shook us to the core, and book three slowly healed us. We must mention the beauty amidst the ugly, highlighting the important roles that nature and animals play in our mental health, healing, and well-being.
‘He’d sacrificed himself for those he loved. And now, he had nothing left.’ ‘Kas was rough and wild and unstable, but perhaps that was the healing process for someone who’d only just come back to life? He’d spent a decade just existing, turning off his humanity, willingly slipping into loneliness and endless monotony.’
Pepper Winters took an old as time fairy-tale concept and wrote it in that twisted way of the dark world of the Brothers Grimm before they were made palatable for little as well as big ears. The Fable of Happiness gave us a whiplash of emotions. We felt exhausted, tearful, relieved, happy, devastated, and scared. Emotions on a wheel of repetition meant we never felt truly safe. We were hamsters unable to get off. There’s that proverbial saying of the thin line between love and hate, and never was that more evident than in this story. There were moments we struggled with the characters for different reasons, as whilst the sexual chemistry was off the charts, despite the origin of the beginning, it did at times blur the lines of being overly excessive and repetitive in such a heart-breaking story of physical and mental survival.
‘I was ready for it. I wanted the good and the bad, the happy and the sad. I wanted to be beside him every step of the way. Because I love him unconditionally.’
‘I’d chosen my new master. I’d chosen her. It was my choice.’
The twists, suspense, depravity, and compulsions had our pulses skyrocketing in horror and discomfort. The broken hearts, broken minds and scarred bodies had us crying till our eyes hurt and blurred the words. We both agreed, that as the books progressed so did our enjoyment of them, the third book being our favourite out of the three. It truly knocked us for six and we felt absolutely everything Pepper Winters intended us to feel. Truly explosive, truly heart-stopping, and truly compelling. This series is not for the faint of hearts, but we were compelled with a journey that took over our lives for a while as we needed to know, needed to understand, needed to heal as Kassen Sands captured our hearts. We definitely recommend this trilogy to readers of dark romance who enjoy love stories that push boundaries and romances that take you outside your comfort zone. On the last note, we would love to hear more from the other characters who suffered alongside Kas, and hope Pepper Winters agrees!
“I’m not a good man, and I have nothing to give a woman like you. My heart, at this point, is ice. But while you’re with me, I[image]
[image]
3.5 Stars
“I’m not a good man, and I have nothing to give a woman like you. My heart, at this point, is ice. But while you’re with me, I will protect you like my own. And when this is done, you’ll be free.”
Break on Through is the third book in the Mafia Kingdom series, and each book can be read as a standalone. We’ve really been enjoying this series – firstly with Light My Fire, then Love Her Madly, and now Talia and Leo’s enemies to lovers, arranged marriage mafia romance in Book #3.
After being deceived in a horribly cruel way by his Mum and twin brother, Leo finds himself a long way from his Kosovo home, alone in New York – jobless and homeless, desperate to make something of himself and exact revenge on those responsible for his predicament.
‘It happened to me once in the greatest way possible, but I won’t be made into the fool again.’
A chance meeting would see him become a successful member of the Mafia Sqiptare, a made man in his own right, though three years down the track, Leo’s thirst for revenge on his brother, and those who deceived him is still first and foremost on his mind. He’s angry and won’t rest until he has put the wrongs enacted on him, to right.
‘Young or old, deception and lies are not tolerable.’
The promise of $5 million dollars is enough to convince Talia Mizrani to agree (though, she didn’t really have much say in it) to an arranged marriage with Leo. Talia, a talented music student who dreams of playing for the New York Philharmonic orchestra, needs money for schooling. This is the perfect opportunity for her, as Leo agrees that once his plan is completed, he agrees to allow her to divorce him. But we all know what happens when the heart gets involved!
‘Upsettingly beautiful. Her dark eyes are nothing short of overpowering.’
Break on Through was a somewhat tame addition to Jessica Reuben’s mafia romance series in comparison to the previous books -but nevertheless- we enjoyed it! Low-level angst told in dual POV it was an entertaining -easy to read- enemies to lovers, arranged marriage romance in which the author dealt with the themes beautifully. The growth of both Leo and Talia was apparent throughout the story, and we loved how fierce Talia was!
‘I don’t know what exactly she is to me or where we’ll go from here. But I know one thing for sure. Gwyneth is now mine.’
It st[image]
[image]
3.5 Stars
‘I don’t know what exactly she is to me or where we’ll go from here. But I know one thing for sure. Gwyneth is now mine.’
It started with a kiss and exploded from there. We do love a good age gap, forbidden romance, and Empire of Desire was certainly that. An age gap of 18 years to be exact between thirty-eight-year-old Nate Weaver, and his best friend’s daughter, twenty-year-old Gwen Shaw. Talk about passion…. these two ignited once their attraction took hold.
‘That’s what Nate does – he steals attention. He’s a thief. Because every time he’s in sight, I’m robbed of breath and other things I don’t want to put a name to…’
Years of crushing on her dad’s best friend lead Gwen Shaw to take control and plant a kiss on Nathaniel Weaver on her eighteenth birthday. It throws a curveball at Nate, knowing Gwen is off limits and her dad, Nate’s best friend Kingsley Shaw would kill him, so he does his best to avoid her at all costs.
That is until, a terrifying and tragic event throws them together, forcing them into a fake marriage, and yeah, we all know how they turn out right? These two can’t keep their hands off one another! Gwen now has the power to stand up to him, much to the dismay and amusement of Nate as his feelings for Gwen go way beyond platonic! They may have married out of necessity but those feelings, especially for Nate, soon became something else – something possessive, raw, and all consuming.
“It’s a fake marriage.” “Fake is an illusion, but this is real, tangible, touchable.”
Rina Kent delivered an overbearing, cynical, sexy hero with Nate, and of course, we fell for him. But, as domineering as he was, this man was very much in tune with Gwen’s feelings, her emotions, and her vulnerabilities. We knew he’d do anything in his power to protect her, he was crazy for this girl!
‘The best way to become a king is to slaughter one.’
There was angst from all angles, a bit of mystery as we slowly uncover the mysterious woman who abandoned Gwen when she was a baby, leaving her to be raised by her loving and overprotective Dad Kingsley. What a credit he was – bringing up a baby singlehandedly whilst going to college and building his hugely successful string of law firms Weaver & Shaw with Nate.
The repetitiveness of some things grated on us – the vanilla theme for instance– we were overloaded with it in this book, and it did become tedious towards the end. We got it, she loved vanilla milkshakes, vanilla ice cream…we just didn’t to be constantly reminded. A couple of things didn’t add up or seemed ‘convenient‘ for want of a better word, which had us scratching our heads.
Told mostly in dual POV from Gwen and Nate, we also loved the sporadic POV’s from Kingsley. This book certainly delivered what it said on the tin – Empire of Desire is a sexy, passionate, crazy forbidden age-gap romance.
“I’ve fought for power, Beau I’ve fought for freedom. For revenge. For hatred. But I’ve never fought for love.”[image]
[image]
**SPOILER-FREE REVIEW**
“I’ve fought for power, Beau I’ve fought for freedom. For revenge. For hatred. But I’ve never fought for love.”
Wow….this series is absolutely RIVETING. Hands down our favourite by Jodi Ellen Malpas after the This Man Series. Brilliantly written, with an emphasis on suspense and passion in equal measure. The Enigma was captivating, thrilling, dark, erotic, and completely unputdownable. So well written, with a focus on strong character connection. We highly recommend that if you haven’t read The Brit yet, pick it up and immerse yourself in the dark world of crime, violence, retribution, and fierce love, then move on to The Enigma. This series needs to be read in order. For readers of dark romance, anti-heroes, and strong heroines, this is definitely a series to add to your reading lists!
‘Who are you James Kelly? And how can you hold me captive with curiosity I know is dangerous?’
‘He was arctic cold. Unfriendly. Spellbinding. Darkness entices darkness.’
‘He is the most beautifully dark thing I have ever seen.’
Beau and James’s story felt original and, in our opinion, showed just how much this author has developed in her writing. Fresh, fierce, and suspenseful; The Brit was just the beginning, and The Enigma took it to a whole new level. These characters stole our breath and our hearts. The atmosphere was so emotionally raw, angsty, and powerful through the agonizing broken darkness in both Beau and James. Their chemistry was explosive, as were their individual stories. When they came together it was utterly heart-breaking yet exhilarating too. Their connection profound. Their chemistry on fire!
‘…Beau sees me. Even if she doesn’t know what she’s looking at.’ ‘She’s toxic. But to me, she’s a balm. And I’m fatal. But to her, I’m life.’
What we absolutely loved was the character development and the way in which their storyline unfolded. It packed such a powerful punch! Without any unnecessary and repetitive internal monologue faff from Beau, this made her one of our all-time favourite heroines by this Author. And James, oh my….what a man! Never mind freezer time, we’d need an ice bath to cool down reading this book. We do love our kink and Jodi Ellen Malpas did a stellar job here with James Kelly!
‘Love and hate. I couldn’t stop loving this man if I tried, no matter who he is. And I couldn’t stop hating the world if my life depended on it. But I can do both. Love and hate.’
The Enigma is edge of your seat reading and -wow- we were kept guessing and holding our breath at the twists and turns we had to take on this HOT and explosive ride. Bravo, Jodi Ellen Malpas, you absolutely NAILED IT!
‘Amid the chaotic, loud crashing of our bodies together, there is silence. Her eyes. My eyes. Her thoughts. My thoughts. Her heart. My heart. Her darkness. My darkness. Her demons diluted by mine. And mine by hers.’
“Thank you for coming to my rescue.” “Thank you for coming to mine.”
The Fastest Way to Fall was our first book by Denise Willia[image]
[image]
4.5 STARS
“Thank you for coming to my rescue.” “Thank you for coming to mine.”
The Fastest Way to Fall was our first book by Denise Williams and we loved it! A great mix of humour, sweetness, swoon, with a poignant storyline and wonderfully relatable characters. A slow-burn romance with a wonderful message about body positivity, for anyone who’s struggled to find their place, for those of us who have struggled with their weight, or for those who have not yet learned to love themselves, this is a story for you.
Despite its light-heartedness and cartoon cover, this book touches on some important issues. Though not at all a dark read, the story does deal with self-love, trial by social media, drug addiction, and eating disorders, but as we said, the author deals with these in a light, but no less important way.
‘I never wanted someone to have the ammunition to make me feel like that again.’
Parts of this story really struck a chord with us, and we related to it in so many ways, as will a lot of our fellow readers. So relatable was it, that by the end, we were not only cheering on Britta, but we were also cheering on ourselves, such was the way the author beautifully told Britta’s story.
Editorial assistant Britta Colby dreams of being a journalist, to share her thoughts and refreshing take on her battles with the world. Britta is a natural, she’s honest, open, and had a wonderfully funny self-deprecating humour. Although Britta is basically happy with who she is, she endures the judgment of others because of her weight.
‘She said she was embarrassed to go to the gym like thin people would judge her and fat people would think she didn’t like herself?’
Pitted against her colleague Claire, to document her journey with a fitness and wellness app, Britta discovers, not only the power she wields within, but she meets the gorgeous, sweet Wes Lawson. Now, every girl needs a Wes to spur her on! If he was our trainer, we couldn’t help but succeed with his encouragement and positivity. The sky would be the limit on what could be achieved if you had a Wes in your corner.
‘Britta’s kiss was like her smile – it made me feel invincible.’
Britta and her refreshing honesty soon struck a chord with many online followers, who take the chirpy Britta to heart. Her talent for writing what’s in her heart is a runaway success, but the stakes are high between Britta and Claire.
Wes Lawson is a man battling his own demons. There is so much vulnerability beneath his sunny veneer, and we couldn’t love him more! So much lies beneath the CEO of the hugely popular FitME App.
“I promised I’d catch you.”
The friendship between Wes and Britta was so sweet, and their love, a wonderful slow burn as both Wes and Britta take an introspective look inside themselves. What a fabulous read! We were there every step of the way, cheering Britta and Wes to the finish line. It certainly moved and motivated us, that’s for sure!
“For the record, you’re actually kind of great, Wes.” “You’re pretty great too, Britt.”
'Our fathers are enemies. Our lives are predestined – doomed from the start.’ ‘You don’t date the son of a crime bo[image]
[image]
DUET REVIEW 4.5 STARS
'Our fathers are enemies. Our lives are predestined – doomed from the start.’ ‘You don’t date the son of a crime boss for the Irish mob when you’re the daughter of a senator.’
Well, what can we say after reading Trilina Pucci’s St. Simeon Prep Duet in one hit? It’s a tale as old as time, a gritty, raw, and dark version of the star-crossed lovers, Romeo, and Juliet. Riddled with angst, suffering, and manipulation. Saturated in love, passion, and eroticism. Swathed in heartbreak, vengeance, and violence. This duet was quite the rollercoaster ride and Trilina Pucci had our emotions all over the place till the very last page. A dark anti-hero romance that was fabulously written, all-consuming, and skirted with boundaries, just how we like it!
“The devil already knows your name, Calder Wolfe. And one day, even he’ll be afraid of the king…Tragedy awaits you. Death is knocking. And it’s on her doorstep.”
We have a soft spot for love stories that are cursed by circumstance, in this case even more so as this duet was hard as bloody nails. It wasn’t pretty hearts and flowers or even stereotypically romantic. Rather, it was a mess. Ugly, tainted, and bloody. There was so much packed into this story, from families at war, Irish mob, corrupt politicians, and murder and torturous enemy mayhem. We were there for it all!
“I’m going to give you the stars, and the moon, and –" “Love. You’re going to give me love.”
The way in which Just like Heaven began, we had a feeling this wasn’t going to be an easy ride. As soon as we read: “Your love will end tragically – he won’t save you…. But you will save him.” We just knew! And we were not wrong. We had chills as did Sutton when she comes across her destiny, her soulmate, Calder Wolfe. Wheels are set in motion and their tale is as harrowing as it gets, yet the love is fierce and all-consuming.
“Death isn’t waiting for Calder. It’s listening for his instruction.”
We hung on to the knowledge that we were able to immediately pick up Sinning Like Hell to continue their journey, knowing full well it was going to get a hell of a lot worse before it got better. We had no idea! But there was beauty too hidden amongst the pages.
“You saved me. Gave me purpose. Led me to be the man I was supposed to become. Because for an angel to walk on this earth, it’ll need the protection of the Devil.”
Sutton is a beautiful, slightly naïve, and innocent Catholic girl who faces the ultimate test when she’s rendered speechless by the blue-eyed ‘devil’, the magnificent dirty-talking bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks, who is everything she didn’t know was missing from her life. In return, Calder knows he’s found his soulmate and he will fight to the death to keep her safe and in his arms. The path to their ‘happy’ is like one long explosive fight scene. Twists and scheming manipulations are thrown like roadblocks to thwart their romance and happily ever after.
“I hope you find me and that I’m still whole. Because I never anticipated that when I told you I was willing to wade through hell to be with you – that tonight, the Devil would call my bluff.”
There are some scenes in this duet that are so bloody hot that turning the pages scorched our fingers. You all know those scenes, the ones that are so outrageous, they completely start a fire in your belly and get your pulse racing! We’ll say no more on that…. except Calder Wolfe is everything! This duet consumed us, and we can only liken the experience to an active volcano that simmers until it boils over into a frenzied eruption of hot molten fiery lava…pun intended.
Whilst it felt a tad too insta-love for us initially, by the time we turned the last page of the second book, we were in tears at the heartfelt beauty of Sutton and Calder’s love story!
“Write about a love that defies the stars. Write about yours.”
'Our fathers are enemies. Our lives are predestined – doomed from the start.’ ‘You don’t date the son of a crime bo[image]
[image]
DUET REVIEW 4.5 STARS
'Our fathers are enemies. Our lives are predestined – doomed from the start.’ ‘You don’t date the son of a crime boss for the Irish mob when you’re the daughter of a senator.’
Well, what can we say after reading Trilina Pucci’s St. Simeon Prep Duet in one hit? It’s a tale as old as time, a gritty, raw, and dark version of the star-crossed lovers, Romeo, and Juliet. Riddled with angst, suffering, and manipulation. Saturated in love, passion, and eroticism. Swathed in heartbreak, vengeance, and violence. This duet was quite the rollercoaster ride and Trilina Pucci had our emotions all over the place till the very last page. A dark anti-hero romance that was fabulously written, all-consuming, and skirted with boundaries, just how we like it!
“The devil already knows your name, Calder Wolfe. And one day, even he’ll be afraid of the king…Tragedy awaits you. Death is knocking. And it’s on her doorstep.”
We have a soft spot for love stories that are cursed by circumstance, in this case even more so as this duet was hard as bloody nails. It wasn’t pretty hearts and flowers or even stereotypically romantic. Rather, it was a mess. Ugly, tainted, and bloody. There was so much packed into this story, from families at war, Irish mob, corrupt politicians, and murder and torturous enemy mayhem. We were there for it all!
“I’m going to give you the stars, and the moon, and –" “Love. You’re going to give me love.”
The way in which Just like Heaven began, we had a feeling this wasn’t going to be an easy ride. As soon as we read: “Your love will end tragically – he won’t save you…. But you will save him.” We just knew! And we were not wrong. We had chills as did Sutton when she comes across her destiny, her soulmate, Calder Wolfe. Wheels are set in motion and their tale is as harrowing as it gets, yet the love is fierce and all-consuming.
“Death isn’t waiting for Calder. It’s listening for his instruction.”
We hung on to the knowledge that we were able to immediately pick up Sinning Like Hell to continue their journey, knowing full well it was going to get a hell of a lot worse before it got better. We had no idea! But there was beauty too hidden amongst the pages.
“You saved me. Gave me purpose. Led me to be the man I was supposed to become. Because for an angel to walk on this earth, it’ll need the protection of the Devil.”
Sutton is a beautiful, slightly naïve, and innocent Catholic girl who faces the ultimate test when she’s rendered speechless by the blue-eyed ‘devil’, the magnificent dirty-talking bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks, who is everything she didn’t know was missing from her life. In return, Calder knows he’s found his soulmate and he will fight to the death to keep her safe and in his arms. The path to their ‘happy’ is like one long explosive fight scene. Twists and scheming manipulations are thrown like roadblocks to thwart their romance and happily ever after.
“I hope you find me and that I’m still whole. Because I never anticipated that when I told you I was willing to wade through hell to be with you – that tonight, the Devil would call my bluff.”
There are some scenes in this duet that are so bloody hot that turning the pages scorched our fingers. You all know those scenes, the ones that are so outrageous, they completely start a fire in your belly and get your pulse racing! We’ll say no more on that…. except Calder Wolfe is everything! This duet consumed us, and we can only liken the experience to an active volcano that simmers until it boils over into a frenzied eruption of hot molten fiery lava…pun intended.
Whilst it felt a tad too insta-love for us initially, by the time we turned the last page of the second book, we were in tears at the heartfelt beauty of Sutton and Calder’s love story!
“Write about a love that defies the stars. Write about yours.”
“Thank you,” I mumbled against his chest. “For what?” “Everything? I said it as a question because I wasn’t quite sure how to put all [image]
[image]
“Thank you,” I mumbled against his chest. “For what?” “Everything? I said it as a question because I wasn’t quite sure how to put all the things Hunter had done for me into words.
We always look forward to returning to Anchor Island and catch up with some old friends. We love the smalltown vibe, the camaraderie, and friendships, and of course the unfolding romantic unions that run through each book. Though the shonky characters and crime the Island attracts is a bit of a worry lol!
“Loving me doesn’t mean you have to lose yourself.”
Beneath the Wreckage is Hunter Hardy’s book and we were wondering which lady would steal the heart of Anchor Islands construction/builder extraordinaire!
Enter 24-year-old Piper Cosgrove, a young lady who returns to Anchor Island after purchasing the Whispering Falls Lodge. The Lodge holds some of Piper’s happiest teenage memories, and it’s also the place she suffered one of her most heartbreaking losses.
“It’s not selfish to follow your dreams. If you’re only living for other people, you’ll never be happy.”
With her trusty mastiff, Bruno in toe, Piper sets about revamping the lodge courtesy of the handsome and sweet Hunter. But, trouble is afoot in this romantic suspense, with danger lurking under their noses.
“You loved someone who did something horrible. That doesn’t make you bad. It doesn’t make you blind. It makes loyal. It makes you someone who wants to see the best in people.”
We love this series. Each story has us falling in love a little bit more! Piper and Hunters’ story kept us turning the pages, as we reflected on yet another wonderful addition to the Wreckage Series. If you haven’t lost your heart to the folk of Anchor Island yet,be sure to add it to your TBR’s!