He's been obsessed with her for years and she's the girl being forced into an arranged marriage with a monster.... but it takes a monster to save her and he'll do anything to keep her safe even if she fights him tooth and nail. Lydia is the daughter of a Russian Bratva and before her father passed he arranged for her to be married to someone she thought was good... when in fact he is a monster who has depraved plans for her. Viktor is an enforcer who has been in love with her and obsessed with her for years... but when she is going to be lead into a marriage with a monster he'll do anything to save her... even force her to marry him instead. Lydia doesn't even begin to realize just how far Viktor's obsession with her is... and just how well he knows her, truly knows all her dark little secrets. Can Viktor convince Lydia that he is the perfect monster for her while also keeping her safe from an ex-fiance hell bent on killing them both? This was a really fun read and I do enjoy a mafia romance. It's the fourth book in the series however you can read it as a standalone and be happy with how it ends. It's a fun series and the book itself was a really easy and fast read for me! I'd definitely recommend it for fans of mafia romances!

Release Date: July 8,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Valentine PR and Literary Management for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Taylor has everything she could want: a thriving career, a beautiful apartment, and a good boyfriend... or at least she thought she did until he cheats on her and she decides to explore her other taste... only to find herself in a very complicated relationship with the ruthless boogeyman of the Bratva world, who claims she is his long thought dead wife... who ruined his life. Taylor likes her life, everything is in its place and perfectly fine... but deep inside her is a different darker want... one that she hasn't explored but when she finds her boyfriend cheating on her what better way to get over him then to finally explore some of those darker desires. Yet to her surprise the guy she does it with is none other than the very handsome but extremely dangerous boogeyman of the Bratva world, Drazen. Taylor has one little secret, she has no memory of her life before she was 18, all she knows is that her parents died in a car crash that also left her with amnesia. Yet the moment Drazen sees a tattoo she has (which she has no memory of) he recognizes her as his wife... the very same wife that he was in an arranged marriage with when they were both 18 and part of the Bratva world... and the one who betrayed him and his family leading to his family being murdered... that he had assumed she had died in a fiery car crash when he saw the burnt body... yet her she is. Drazen has spent all his life getting revenge for all those who hurt his family and she was the only one he had assumed had died before he could get revenge yet her she is, however Taylor has no idea what he is talking about and no memory of their time together. Drazen insists she pretend to be his wife, even if she doesn't remember he just needs her to pretend for 3 months in order for him to secure a seat on the Bratva Iron Table and in exchange he'll help her stop the hostile takeover at her company. Oh and there happens to be the very small fact that both Drazen and Taylor decide to continue their marriage with "benefits" as they realize they are perfectly suited for one another... but can they survive everyone else trying to kill them? Can Taylor embrace the monster she's married and accept that sometimes it takes a monster to stop other monsters. This was such a fun read and the dramaaaaa, I had so much fun with it. It's the fifth book in the series but can absolutely be read as a standalone and you wouldn't feel lost at all. The dynamic between Taylor and Drazen was just delicious, they knew exactly what the other wanted and needed and they were so good together. The twist and turn in their family drama was so juicy as well. It's a really fun book and the story just gets you hooked in!

Release Date: July 11,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Valentine PR and Jagger Cole for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Swoon worthy and so so sweet! I absolutely loved this book! It features a love interest with a disability and I absolutely appreciated that. The story is so much fun and I absolutely devoured it. I love how strong and courageous Phoebe (our protagonist) is and how funny she is. Hugh is a very caring and sweet guy ( who can be a bit of an idiot when it comes to love but hey, we love him nonetheless). The romance and chemistry between these two is absolutely palpable. I loved reading about how they take care of each other and all the little things they did for each other. I loved seeing Phoebe win over Hugh’s father and how she is very blunt about her feelings. The story was great and I can’t wait to read more from this author! Seriously, this is a great read for romance lovers and I highly recommend it.

* Thank you Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Merged review:

Swoon worthy and so so sweet! I absolutely loved this book! It features a love interest with a disability and I absolutely appreciated that. The story is so much fun and I absolutely devoured it. I love how strong and courageous Phoebe (our protagonist) is and how funny she is. Hugh is a very caring and sweet guy ( who can be a bit of an idiot when it comes to love but hey, we love him nonetheless). The romance and chemistry between these two is absolutely palpable. I loved reading about how they take care of each other and all the little things they did for each other. I loved seeing Phoebe win over Hugh’s father and how she is very blunt about her feelings. The story was great and I can’t wait to read more from this author! Seriously, this is a great read for romance lovers and I highly recommend it.

* Thank you Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

More heists, more boy drama, and just trying to save free will into the world, just another day for Ella (now Elisha Dewitt) Karmen also called Ellie. Picking up where the first book left off, Ellie is doing heists by herself after her crush/partner Garrett up and abandoned her in a park and has never shown up again for months. Then on her current heists he suddenly appears and tells her to trust him before disappearing again. Ellie is tasked with a new mission of infiltrating a school and pretending to be twins with a girl she absolutely loathes while dealing with her ex Nash who wants to win her back and discovering that Garrett has been undercover for months in a relationship with another girl at the same school she will working at. This book is really similar to the first one in which there is lots of heists, romance drama, and Ellie dealing with trying to figure out who to trust while trying to keep her identity a secret. The story ends on a sort of cliff hanger again so I am assuming that there is a third book coming. Much like the first book Ellie and Garrett are constantly in this cycle in which Garrett must be “Oh so mysterious’ and keeping his cover while Ellie fluctuates between being in love with him and not trusting him at all and feeling betrayed... anyways overall, an interesting continuation to the first book and I am looking forward to the third book (which hopefully wraps everything up).

*Thanks Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Childhood best friends meets brother's best friend in this billionaire marriage of convenience story (that is so cute). Everly Townstead and Cash Stafford knew each other as teens, Cash was Everly's brother's best friend. Cash has had a crush on Everly for as long as he's known but has had to keep it tucked away after her brother expressly noted that she is off limits. They make a pack to get married if they ever found themselves in their 30s and single.... and now 14 years later they've run into each other again. Cash is now a billionaire who is a bit of a player, someone who doesn't do relationships and is more of a one night no strings attached kind of guy... except he is still pinning after Everly. Everly has had to deal with one bad relationship from the next and after witnessing her parents failed marriage and walking in on her fiancee cheating on her, she really does not believe in love. Yet when Everly and Cash run into each other at a bar in Las Vegas... one drink turns into two and Cash brings up their pack... and the next morning they both wake up married. Everly is determined to get it annulled... but Cash would rather use this opportunity to finally get the girl he's been in love with for over 14 years to finally take a chance on him. It also helps that Cash's family is buying out Everly's company family and are in negotiations... so if it got out that both Cash and Everly got drunkenly married and divorced it could impact the deal... so Everly agrees to pretend to be married until the deal is closed, giving Cash just enough time to try and get his wife to fall for him. This was such a cute read and I completely devoured it in one sitting. This had all the tropes I love and the dynamic between Cash and Everly was so cute. Cash was down so bad for Everly and him pinning for her for years was adorable. I love how supportive they both are to one another and their love is just so clear. This book was just such a sweet read and one I would absolutely recommend!!!

Release Date: July 19,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Ann Einerson for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

He's the demon King known as Envy and he'll do anything to get what he wants especially when it comes to stealing more magic for himself... so when he discovers a powerful oracle with the power to see the future, an ability he has yet to steal... he plans on stealing her for himself... little does he realize that she might have stolen his heart as well. Envy is one of the Seven Deadly Demons, having stolen every single power in his kingdom and collecting and devouring more magic for himself. The one power he has yet to obtain however is the ability to see his future... and oracles are a rarity... yet when he gets news that an oracle has appeared in his kingdom he'll do anything to steal her powers. However when he finds her being mistreated and abused... he suddenly wants to protect her and keep her all for himself... and the more he wants her the more he doesn't even seem to consider taking her powers but keeping her all for himself. Yet the circus he's stolen her from is determined to get her back... even if it means hunting her down and killing her. Envy will have to see if he has the ability to save her while also discovering that despite stealing her for himself, she's the one who has stolen his heart. This is the fourth book in a series, though you can read it as a standalone. Oh how I absolutely devoured this book. I've been a huge fan of Emma Hamm's writing and this series has been such a fun one to read. Envy and Lilith were a great couple. I loved how Envy fell so hard for Lilith without even realizing it himself and I loved that Lilith had her own strength and wouldn't let anyone control her fate. The romance was really well done in this and the story was such a fun one. The world itself is a really interesting one and the magic is unique. Overall, I would absolutely recommend this series and book to any fantasy romance lovers out there!

Release Date: July 26,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Emma Hamm for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A witch who wants to do what is right finds herself stuck in a complicated mess while trying to save the moon spirit... while dealing with a Wolf King who is determined to control her and take her for his new bride yet her forbidden attraction to the noble knight who is meant to guard her is getting harder to resist. Faelyn is one of the last weaver witches and after the last of her family passes awat she spends her days after collecting herbs and spending time with the spirits that reside in her home. Yet when she saves a strange girl in the woods who turns out to be a moon spirit running away from an evil wolf king hellbent on enslaving her, Faelyn feels duty bound to save her.... only the king has sent his knights to capture her and now Faelyn has been captured as well since the moon spirit has given her half her power. Evander is the noble and “loyal” knight of the wolf king, bound to him and his sole duty is to protect the moon spirit. Evander might seem loyal but his loyalties lie somewhere else and his motives are hard to tell yet one thing is certain, he hates the wolf king. The wolf king is determined to obtain the moon spirits power and if forcing Faelyn to marry him and control her then he'll do it whether she wants it or not.
Trust is earned, power is fought for, and a romance that even the fates can't break. A fantastic story with touches of Little Red Riding Hood and a bit of Howls Moving Castle. I absolutely adored this addition to the series. Faelyn and Evander’s romance was so well done and the way they were fated to be together and kept coming back for one another was just so well written. I also loved the magic and the friendships in this book so much. Faelyn is such a sweet character and Evander was the perfect love interest for her. If you love forbidden knight romances and fated romances, this is for YOU. I've been such a huge fan of this series and I can't wait for more from this world!

This was such a fun read. I love a good fantasy read with fun characters and a slow burn romance. The story really gets you invested and the chemistry between Elara and Levi was so well done. Elara was a really fun protagonist and reading the book from her POV was great. The other characters in the book were also fun to meet and I hope to read more of their stories in the following book. The magic system in the world was fun and the romance was a good slow burn.

This is a great first book and definitely has you wanting to read the rest of the series. I really like they way Elsie Winters writes and can't wait to read more from her.