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4.61k reviews by:
loverofromance
My Review:
Dirty Sexy Sinner was just a delight of a read. I just couldn't wait to jump into this one after "Dirty Sexy Cuffed" and it was such a brilliant story that I gobbled up like candy. This was such a poignant finale and getting to the lost twin's book was brilliant and I love that Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde got to this book. I found their relationship so endearing and we see how they connect so quickly. I loved how passionate Tara is in defending Jackson. They were such a solid pair and their relationship so easy. They connect emotionally very quickly and you can see how their dark pasts is what makes them so easy together. They are truly kindred souls with each other. I also liked how Tara was willing to give it real even those she considers family especially in how they treated Jackson. But Jackson was so understanding and you can see why his temperment makes for such a great lawyer.
Overall I had such a blast with this story and I can't wait to read more from these authors. Because I am hooked!!!!
Dirty Sexy Sinner was just a delight of a read. I just couldn't wait to jump into this one after "Dirty Sexy Cuffed" and it was such a brilliant story that I gobbled up like candy. This was such a poignant finale and getting to the lost twin's book was brilliant and I love that Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde got to this book. I found their relationship so endearing and we see how they connect so quickly. I loved how passionate Tara is in defending Jackson. They were such a solid pair and their relationship so easy. They connect emotionally very quickly and you can see how their dark pasts is what makes them so easy together. They are truly kindred souls with each other. I also liked how Tara was willing to give it real even those she considers family especially in how they treated Jackson. But Jackson was so understanding and you can see why his temperment makes for such a great lawyer.
Overall I had such a blast with this story and I can't wait to read more from these authors. Because I am hooked!!!!
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
My Review:
Dirty Sexy Cuffed was a fantastic addition to this wonderful series. I am having so much fun with these books because they are fast listens, they are entertaining and sexy romantic fun and this author team really have a great vibe that I am just going with so quickly.
Dirty Sexy Cuffed is in regards to a very opposite side of the tracks type of story. Our hero is in law enforcement and more straight laced. But due to his background, he has a understanding of the other side that many don't comprehend. Then we have our heroine, who has no family, is on the run from a cult and trying to save what she can to leave the area. She runs into Levi, who protects her from a gunman trying to rob the store she is working at. There is a connection between Levi and Sarah from the very beginning, but Sarah isn't easy to trust but she can't resist Levi for very long.
Dirty Sexy Cuffed was such a fun read and exactly what I needed. I absolutely adored this book and their romance was so beautiful. There are BDSM elements in this one, so just beware. I felt like it truly fit these two and their backgrounds though. I admired Sarah for being firm on her goals but also letting Levi protect her and not acting stupid about her safety. She really has a good balance to her character that was admirable. The finalization in the plot was done well and I liked that these books have a bit of a element of danger and suspense to them. It just adds something more to these stories.
Dirty Sexy Cuffed was a fantastic addition to this wonderful series. I am having so much fun with these books because they are fast listens, they are entertaining and sexy romantic fun and this author team really have a great vibe that I am just going with so quickly.
Dirty Sexy Cuffed is in regards to a very opposite side of the tracks type of story. Our hero is in law enforcement and more straight laced. But due to his background, he has a understanding of the other side that many don't comprehend. Then we have our heroine, who has no family, is on the run from a cult and trying to save what she can to leave the area. She runs into Levi, who protects her from a gunman trying to rob the store she is working at. There is a connection between Levi and Sarah from the very beginning, but Sarah isn't easy to trust but she can't resist Levi for very long.
Dirty Sexy Cuffed was such a fun read and exactly what I needed. I absolutely adored this book and their romance was so beautiful. There are BDSM elements in this one, so just beware. I felt like it truly fit these two and their backgrounds though. I admired Sarah for being firm on her goals but also letting Levi protect her and not acting stupid about her safety. She really has a good balance to her character that was admirable. The finalization in the plot was done well and I liked that these books have a bit of a element of danger and suspense to them. It just adds something more to these stories.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review. I received this book from Berkley Publishing in exchange for a honest review. These opinions are my own.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨.75
First Impressions
Dark Hope I had high expectations for and I went into it with certain hopes and I knew that Christine Feehan would deliver a solid story and there were many factors into this story that truly worked for me. I love the set up of the characters originally and how we see their paths cross. The battle scenes and the world building elements were TOP NOTCH as always. The way that Feehan goes so flawlessly into the details and really implements a story that becomes so atmospheric for the setting is so rich and vivid in every single paragraph. You know exactly what you will receive in the world building when its Christine Feehan at the helm. There were some lacking elements that I struggled with as a romance reader though but it was still a book that packed quite a punch.
First Line
In the distance, dark clouds gathered over the sea in an angry roiling boil.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Silke Vriese Reinders
The Heroine: Benedek Kovak
Summary
Silke has always know what her duty and role would be in life. She would be a healer, a protector and a demon slayer. She knows that there is a war coming to their quiet community and she won't be able to do it on her own. She also has always known that she has held the soul of a Carpathian warrior and is ready to give it back to him. Benedek is one of the oldest of Carpathians, but has also had to change in order to keep himself from giving completely to the darkness. He heads towards his lifemate, sensing her and knowing that he must get to her before its too late as there is a vicious enemy on the horizon that their people haven't quite seen yet. From the moment Benedek meets Silke he is determined to be the lifemate that she deserves and destroy the evil that would destroy them both if given a chance...
What I Loved
There were so many aspects to the story that I truly loved. Lets first start with the characters. I loved their personalities and they surprisingly resonated with me. Benedek is one of the best tortured heroes. We see what happened to him when he was such a young child and young man. We see how he survived the unsurviveable and had the determination to carry on and how he rejected evil actions of those that raised him. And has survived for centuries longer than many through just a strength of will. Then we have our heroine, Silke, who has always embraced her duty and never rejected it. She has always known her role as much as what was conveyed to her, and tried to be a woman of honor and loyalty and strength.
Then we have the plot and world building elements to the story. Now this is where Christine Feehan reigns supreme in what she writes. She is so able to flawlessly portray a world that is so in detail and really makes the setting come alive for the reader. I know its not for everyone, but I love that I can almost sense the world that she creates and its done in such a way that its almost as if I can feel and hear and see exactly what is being portrayed. Its why she is a MASTER in storytelling and this book really conveys how well she can capture those little details and have you as the reader just living in the moment. And its so majestic but resonating at the same time. I loved the battle scenes, they were so intense and there are DRAGONS and I loved the dragons so so much. We also get so much more on the beast, and I loved the companions to Benedek. They were so entertaining in so many ways but love how well they work together in these battle scenes.
Then we have the small moments of connection between Silke and Benedek...the scenes that we do get were so intimate and genuine in every way and loved how they embrace what they have found in each other. These were honestly my favorite aspects of the story. I loved these quiet moments between these two and they just left me swooning in the scenes that are written.
What I Struggled With
I just want to be really honest so you know what you are getting with this book and I really think the author is changing what she is delivering at least in this series and it really makes me sad. Because what we didn't really get was the focus of the relationship and the romance in this book and its probably why I have struggled with her books since Dark Song. Is the lack of the romance focus in the stories of late. I am not sure if this was the author's decision or something maybe the publisher has been pressuring her into. But it was very prevalent in this book. I think this is the first time I have seen hardly any romance from this author. I just wish it had 100 more pages to focus more on the relationship, I really think this book would have been more resonating if it had more relationship building in it. The relationship felt so rushed in so many ways and there wasn't very many moments that this couple had together. The focus was the battle scenes and while I love what Feehan delivers on that front, on the romance front it was lacking. It felt too quick from them claiming each other as lifemates to loving each other when we didn't see much focus on their relationship. So I felt like there was such a big piece of the story missing. It makes my heart sad if this is the direction Feehan is going towards though, because what has made me fall in love with her writing is how she develops her romances, they are so top notch and it will really break my heart if we don't get that in the future anymore.
Overall View
Dark Hope is a tantalizing tale that digs deep into the evils of the world and crafts a vibrant and edge of your seat thrilling paranormal tale of joining forces, stimulating romantic moments and captures the zest of beauty in life and beyond.
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Paranormal Romance
Character Types: Immortals/Vampires, Kick Ass Heroine, Healer Heroine, Tortured Hero, Alpha Male
Themes: Small Town Setting, World Building A Focus
Tropes: Fated Love, Arranged Marriage
Book Perspective
3rd POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Plot Conflict
If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Nalini Singh
Patricia Briggs
Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes I would recommend this series being read in order due to the serial plot lines.
Steam/Spice Explanations
Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨.75
First Impressions
Dark Hope I had high expectations for and I went into it with certain hopes and I knew that Christine Feehan would deliver a solid story and there were many factors into this story that truly worked for me. I love the set up of the characters originally and how we see their paths cross. The battle scenes and the world building elements were TOP NOTCH as always. The way that Feehan goes so flawlessly into the details and really implements a story that becomes so atmospheric for the setting is so rich and vivid in every single paragraph. You know exactly what you will receive in the world building when its Christine Feehan at the helm. There were some lacking elements that I struggled with as a romance reader though but it was still a book that packed quite a punch.
First Line
In the distance, dark clouds gathered over the sea in an angry roiling boil.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Silke Vriese Reinders
The Heroine: Benedek Kovak
Summary
Silke has always know what her duty and role would be in life. She would be a healer, a protector and a demon slayer. She knows that there is a war coming to their quiet community and she won't be able to do it on her own. She also has always known that she has held the soul of a Carpathian warrior and is ready to give it back to him. Benedek is one of the oldest of Carpathians, but has also had to change in order to keep himself from giving completely to the darkness. He heads towards his lifemate, sensing her and knowing that he must get to her before its too late as there is a vicious enemy on the horizon that their people haven't quite seen yet. From the moment Benedek meets Silke he is determined to be the lifemate that she deserves and destroy the evil that would destroy them both if given a chance...
What I Loved
There were so many aspects to the story that I truly loved. Lets first start with the characters. I loved their personalities and they surprisingly resonated with me. Benedek is one of the best tortured heroes. We see what happened to him when he was such a young child and young man. We see how he survived the unsurviveable and had the determination to carry on and how he rejected evil actions of those that raised him. And has survived for centuries longer than many through just a strength of will. Then we have our heroine, Silke, who has always embraced her duty and never rejected it. She has always known her role as much as what was conveyed to her, and tried to be a woman of honor and loyalty and strength.
Then we have the plot and world building elements to the story. Now this is where Christine Feehan reigns supreme in what she writes. She is so able to flawlessly portray a world that is so in detail and really makes the setting come alive for the reader. I know its not for everyone, but I love that I can almost sense the world that she creates and its done in such a way that its almost as if I can feel and hear and see exactly what is being portrayed. Its why she is a MASTER in storytelling and this book really conveys how well she can capture those little details and have you as the reader just living in the moment. And its so majestic but resonating at the same time. I loved the battle scenes, they were so intense and there are DRAGONS and I loved the dragons so so much. We also get so much more on the beast, and I loved the companions to Benedek. They were so entertaining in so many ways but love how well they work together in these battle scenes.
Then we have the small moments of connection between Silke and Benedek...the scenes that we do get were so intimate and genuine in every way and loved how they embrace what they have found in each other. These were honestly my favorite aspects of the story. I loved these quiet moments between these two and they just left me swooning in the scenes that are written.
What I Struggled With
I just want to be really honest so you know what you are getting with this book and I really think the author is changing what she is delivering at least in this series and it really makes me sad. Because what we didn't really get was the focus of the relationship and the romance in this book and its probably why I have struggled with her books since Dark Song. Is the lack of the romance focus in the stories of late. I am not sure if this was the author's decision or something maybe the publisher has been pressuring her into. But it was very prevalent in this book. I think this is the first time I have seen hardly any romance from this author. I just wish it had 100 more pages to focus more on the relationship, I really think this book would have been more resonating if it had more relationship building in it. The relationship felt so rushed in so many ways and there wasn't very many moments that this couple had together. The focus was the battle scenes and while I love what Feehan delivers on that front, on the romance front it was lacking. It felt too quick from them claiming each other as lifemates to loving each other when we didn't see much focus on their relationship. So I felt like there was such a big piece of the story missing. It makes my heart sad if this is the direction Feehan is going towards though, because what has made me fall in love with her writing is how she develops her romances, they are so top notch and it will really break my heart if we don't get that in the future anymore.
Overall View
Dark Hope is a tantalizing tale that digs deep into the evils of the world and crafts a vibrant and edge of your seat thrilling paranormal tale of joining forces, stimulating romantic moments and captures the zest of beauty in life and beyond.
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Paranormal Romance
Character Types: Immortals/Vampires, Kick Ass Heroine, Healer Heroine, Tortured Hero, Alpha Male
Themes: Small Town Setting, World Building A Focus
Tropes: Fated Love, Arranged Marriage
Book Perspective
3rd POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Plot Conflict
If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Nalini Singh
Patricia Briggs
Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes I would recommend this series being read in order due to the serial plot lines.
Steam/Spice Explanations
Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My Review:
This book was one of my Romanceopoly picks for 2025. I had been meaning to read much more Sarina Bowen and I decided to go with this one. I have to say that this one was definitely a disappointment. There is so much drama which I should have expected with it being an older contemporary a bit. But I think what disappointed me the most was the abortion discussion in this one. I didn't really see this mentioned in reviews so I just wasn't expecting it at all. But if you are triggered by talk or mentions of abortion then I would be mindful. And while it doesn't have full on abortion, it is enforced and discussed as an option even though its never fully followed through.
This book was truly heartbreaking. The hero thinks he will inherit a disease that killed his mother and is killing his brother. You see how tormented the hero is about it. You also sense how much he is divided about a future. Now I will say that when the hero finds out that our heroine become pregnant from a fling they had being snowbound, he doesn't treat her very good and really tries to manipulate her into having an abortion. Now she doesn't know what he is struggling with, not even his coach who is like his father even knows the truth about his situation. Now while you empathize with his situation I also don't like the way he treats Willow. He is truly cruel in some scenes and that might not be for everyone. I think what contributed to my lack of enjoyment in this story was his horrid treatment of her in the end there.
Overall while I liked this one, I didn't love it and I honestly wouldn't really recommend it to others. I am curious though about the series and might continue on with these books. But will definitely due my research before picking them up as I am not a fan of the abortion talk in it.
This book was one of my Romanceopoly picks for 2025. I had been meaning to read much more Sarina Bowen and I decided to go with this one. I have to say that this one was definitely a disappointment. There is so much drama which I should have expected with it being an older contemporary a bit. But I think what disappointed me the most was the abortion discussion in this one. I didn't really see this mentioned in reviews so I just wasn't expecting it at all. But if you are triggered by talk or mentions of abortion then I would be mindful. And while it doesn't have full on abortion, it is enforced and discussed as an option even though its never fully followed through.
This book was truly heartbreaking. The hero thinks he will inherit a disease that killed his mother and is killing his brother. You see how tormented the hero is about it. You also sense how much he is divided about a future. Now I will say that when the hero finds out that our heroine become pregnant from a fling they had being snowbound, he doesn't treat her very good and really tries to manipulate her into having an abortion. Now she doesn't know what he is struggling with, not even his coach who is like his father even knows the truth about his situation. Now while you empathize with his situation I also don't like the way he treats Willow. He is truly cruel in some scenes and that might not be for everyone. I think what contributed to my lack of enjoyment in this story was his horrid treatment of her in the end there.
Overall while I liked this one, I didn't love it and I honestly wouldn't really recommend it to others. I am curious though about the series and might continue on with these books. But will definitely due my research before picking them up as I am not a fan of the abortion talk in it.
My Review:
This was such an interesting story. Its not my favorite J. Kenner. I am not sure if it was just the length or just that its a different type of story than what she normally writes, but it didn't quite hit the mark. But that doesn't mean it was a bad book or that I don't plan on continuing with the series. I think I struggled with the narrator that did these books. I think I will want to physically read these books moving forward. I did quite love the way in which this friends to lovers was implemented. It wasn't your average friends to lovers set up. What was interesting in this book was that neither of them saw this relationship coming until it was upon them. Most books I have read with this trope it has been the case of unrequited love. But in this one, it was mostly neither of them realizing it. And seeing them manuever their way in their relationship changing was fascinating. There is plenty of drama and angst though but I am intrigued by this group of friends and very eager to see more of these stories to be told.
Overall despite my issues with some of the drama, I still enjoyed my time with this one. It was a solid read and planning on picking up more of this series.
This was such an interesting story. Its not my favorite J. Kenner. I am not sure if it was just the length or just that its a different type of story than what she normally writes, but it didn't quite hit the mark. But that doesn't mean it was a bad book or that I don't plan on continuing with the series. I think I struggled with the narrator that did these books. I think I will want to physically read these books moving forward. I did quite love the way in which this friends to lovers was implemented. It wasn't your average friends to lovers set up. What was interesting in this book was that neither of them saw this relationship coming until it was upon them. Most books I have read with this trope it has been the case of unrequited love. But in this one, it was mostly neither of them realizing it. And seeing them manuever their way in their relationship changing was fascinating. There is plenty of drama and angst though but I am intrigued by this group of friends and very eager to see more of these stories to be told.
Overall despite my issues with some of the drama, I still enjoyed my time with this one. It was a solid read and planning on picking up more of this series.
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨
First Impressions
Sweet Prison is the most recent release in the "Perfectly Imperfect" series by Neva Altaj. I absolutely adored this story in every single way. In fact, I believe that this is my favorite of the whole series. It was literally perfection for me and I just couldn't get enough of these two and their powerfully evoking story. It had such a blend of pining, romantic yearning and some deception with a blend of epistolary themes and friends turning to lovers in such a remarkable way. If you love mafia, morally grey heroes, mutual pining and a forbidden love, then this story is most definitely for you and Neva Altaj captured all of these elements so perfectly!
First Line
Just you, Nera
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Massimo
The Heroine: Zahara
Summary
Massimo, was the prince of the mafia world until his step brother was murdered and in the process he found himself facing a long sentence in prison for avenging the death of his brother. Zahara was only a child when he was sent away, but in her late teens started to write him letters and for years they have exchanged letters of humor and Zara has been working with Massimo to spy on the Family and do deeds for him and along the way has lost her heart to him and would sacrifice anything he asked of her no matter the price. Massimo started to use Zara because that is who he is and he could use all the allies he needed, but as time goes on, she is his one shining light in the darkness. Massimo without fully realizing it falls just as deep, but their love is forbidden and there is a danger to both of them. But Zahara is no meek flower like many see her, she has a will of iron and will do anything to stand by those that she loves...
What I Loved
This BOOK!! *Sigh* can I just sigh and say you all need to read it???? No?? Well then lets dig deep into this story then
Sweep Prison is really about beautiful romantic yearnings that dig deep into the soul and boy does this book really dig deep here. I loved the levels of emotion that we see within this book. The hero is pure alpha male and so much morally grey in him. He grew up in the mafia and never had the childhood other books in the mafia world had. He was always driven and determined. He has survived prison and become the king there and has managed to run the family business behind bars. Then we have Zahara who is meek and shy at first until she starts writing letters to Massimo. She starts to become bold and brave and developing a quiet strength to rival that of Massimo. Without realizing it, Massimo creates a deadly weapon of beauty and strength and grace.
Zahara is my favorite part of this story and I will tell you why. Her strength, her determination to overcome all the slander and gossip and the way she has been bullied and emotionally abused all of her life because of her skin condition. She has such a kind heart and I love how gracious she is. But at the heart of her is a fierce tiger waiting to burst free and become the queen she was always meant to become. Zahara has such a spirit of being a fighter when its necessary. I love how protective she is of Massimo but also at the same time she will do anything to stand by his side. She is so determined to fight for their relationship even if that means Massimo. But honestly Massimo only has himself to blame haha he created this beautiful monster and boy does he treat her like she is the true jewel that she is.
Massimo is your typical bad boy with morally grey mafia leader, but also such a badass but also has some mental control problems but you can see how Zara is his center and really helps regain back that control. Massimo was such a dreamboat and I loved so much about this hero. Even though he has mental control issues, we see how devoted he is to Zara. I love how he sees the true beauty within and doesn't judge her for her condition like so many do around her.
Now lets talk the good stuff....the romance is so heart melting. This is what I look for in romance and Neva Altaj completely satisfied every yearning I went into this book looking for. I couldn't get enough of these two and see how much devotion there is between them. I love the slowly built yearning that grows between them. We see the built of chemistry and emotion that gradually grows between them. It starts with the letters and then once they meet for the first time, you really see that connection only form even more solidly. There are so many layers that grow into their relationship and see it become such a fierce and deeply riveting. I just took my time with this book because I NEVER wanted their story to end and I am not ready to let go of it.
What I Struggled With
Nothing
Overall View
Sweet Prison is a mafia romance that has so much sensual heart packed within its page. Its a story that will tug deeply into the heartstrings of the soul, it will curl your toes, and it will make your heart sing a beautiful melody that spans time.
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Dark Romance
Character Types: Morally Grey, Disability, Alpha Male, Shy Heroine
Themes: Heart/Emotional, Epistolary, Taboo-Step Sibling, Tatts/Body Art
Tropes: Forbidden Love, Friends to Lovers, Unrequited Love
Book Perspective
Duo POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
A blend of both
If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Michelle Heard
Cora Reilly
Bella Di Corte
Song This Book Inspires
Shameless by Camila Cabello
Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes
Steam/Spice Explanations
Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨
First Impressions
Sweet Prison is the most recent release in the "Perfectly Imperfect" series by Neva Altaj. I absolutely adored this story in every single way. In fact, I believe that this is my favorite of the whole series. It was literally perfection for me and I just couldn't get enough of these two and their powerfully evoking story. It had such a blend of pining, romantic yearning and some deception with a blend of epistolary themes and friends turning to lovers in such a remarkable way. If you love mafia, morally grey heroes, mutual pining and a forbidden love, then this story is most definitely for you and Neva Altaj captured all of these elements so perfectly!
First Line
Just you, Nera
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Massimo
The Heroine: Zahara
Summary
Massimo, was the prince of the mafia world until his step brother was murdered and in the process he found himself facing a long sentence in prison for avenging the death of his brother. Zahara was only a child when he was sent away, but in her late teens started to write him letters and for years they have exchanged letters of humor and Zara has been working with Massimo to spy on the Family and do deeds for him and along the way has lost her heart to him and would sacrifice anything he asked of her no matter the price. Massimo started to use Zara because that is who he is and he could use all the allies he needed, but as time goes on, she is his one shining light in the darkness. Massimo without fully realizing it falls just as deep, but their love is forbidden and there is a danger to both of them. But Zahara is no meek flower like many see her, she has a will of iron and will do anything to stand by those that she loves...
What I Loved
This BOOK!! *Sigh* can I just sigh and say you all need to read it???? No?? Well then lets dig deep into this story then
Sweep Prison is really about beautiful romantic yearnings that dig deep into the soul and boy does this book really dig deep here. I loved the levels of emotion that we see within this book. The hero is pure alpha male and so much morally grey in him. He grew up in the mafia and never had the childhood other books in the mafia world had. He was always driven and determined. He has survived prison and become the king there and has managed to run the family business behind bars. Then we have Zahara who is meek and shy at first until she starts writing letters to Massimo. She starts to become bold and brave and developing a quiet strength to rival that of Massimo. Without realizing it, Massimo creates a deadly weapon of beauty and strength and grace.
Zahara is my favorite part of this story and I will tell you why. Her strength, her determination to overcome all the slander and gossip and the way she has been bullied and emotionally abused all of her life because of her skin condition. She has such a kind heart and I love how gracious she is. But at the heart of her is a fierce tiger waiting to burst free and become the queen she was always meant to become. Zahara has such a spirit of being a fighter when its necessary. I love how protective she is of Massimo but also at the same time she will do anything to stand by his side. She is so determined to fight for their relationship even if that means Massimo. But honestly Massimo only has himself to blame haha he created this beautiful monster and boy does he treat her like she is the true jewel that she is.
Massimo is your typical bad boy with morally grey mafia leader, but also such a badass but also has some mental control problems but you can see how Zara is his center and really helps regain back that control. Massimo was such a dreamboat and I loved so much about this hero. Even though he has mental control issues, we see how devoted he is to Zara. I love how he sees the true beauty within and doesn't judge her for her condition like so many do around her.
Now lets talk the good stuff....the romance is so heart melting. This is what I look for in romance and Neva Altaj completely satisfied every yearning I went into this book looking for. I couldn't get enough of these two and see how much devotion there is between them. I love the slowly built yearning that grows between them. We see the built of chemistry and emotion that gradually grows between them. It starts with the letters and then once they meet for the first time, you really see that connection only form even more solidly. There are so many layers that grow into their relationship and see it become such a fierce and deeply riveting. I just took my time with this book because I NEVER wanted their story to end and I am not ready to let go of it.
What I Struggled With
Nothing
Overall View
Sweet Prison is a mafia romance that has so much sensual heart packed within its page. Its a story that will tug deeply into the heartstrings of the soul, it will curl your toes, and it will make your heart sing a beautiful melody that spans time.
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Dark Romance
Character Types: Morally Grey, Disability, Alpha Male, Shy Heroine
Themes: Heart/Emotional, Epistolary, Taboo-Step Sibling, Tatts/Body Art
Tropes: Forbidden Love, Friends to Lovers, Unrequited Love
Book Perspective
Duo POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
A blend of both
If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Michelle Heard
Cora Reilly
Bella Di Corte
Song This Book Inspires
Shameless by Camila Cabello
Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes
Steam/Spice Explanations
Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.
adventurous
funny
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒.5
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.5
First Impressions
Night's Honor was the seventh installment in the "Elder Races" and I absolutely loved everything about this just about. I am feeling so guilty for sitting on this series for so very long. While I read the earlier books almost a decade ago, I really got behind on these books and I am loving being back in this world and Thea Harrison has created such a captivating world that I am so easily living for. If you love vampire romance, political intrigue, great plot and writing development and some swoons...then you need to grab up "Nights Honor" and I guarantee that you won't be disappointed in what is executed.
First Line
Cautiously, Tess peered at the crowd through a side stage door.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: King, Xavier del Torro
The Heroine: Tess
Summary
Night's Honor begins with Tess, who is human and she is on the run and almost out of funds and she needs a sanctuary until she can get a game plan together. She decides to audition to be a human attendant and find a vampire protector. What she doesn't expect is that she was not only chosen, but that she was chosen by one of the most respected and powerful of vampire kind....Xavier Del Torro. Xavier was impressed with Tess, who was matter of fact and didn't play the sympathy card to get into being an human attendant and he is intrigued by her, so he makes her an offer he can't refuse. Xavier is honest and genuine with those that serve him and the community that he has built. And he will protect them at all costs....but as Tess learns the ropes of the community and being an human attendant, its obvious that there is more between them than employer and employee status. But there is a plot against Xavier and Tess is at risk of being caught in the middle....will she stand by the vampire she has come to love?
What I Loved
What an epic installment and I loved every single moment. From the very first chapter, I was immediately pulled into this story and I couldn't seem to get enough of it and honestly this book was NOT long enough. Thea Harrison is an author that needs to write longer books haha I can't believe I am saying that but that is how hard I fell for this couple, I just needed so much more of them. But this story was just top notch for a paranormal and we need more books like this. Paranormal has really been suffering lately.
Now I went into this book COMPLETELY BLIND and from what the heroine was doing, I knew that I would love this book because I adore auctions and this definitely had that vibe in a way just not for sexual reasons like most books with auctions have that theme. I love that it was for a honorable and practical reason. I love vampires in this world and I especially adored Xaxier. Once you get to see his background and what he has battled in life, you begin to respect him so much more and I loved his character on such a deep level. Then we have Tess....she is MY kind of heroine. She was just a good balance of feminine, and kick ass strength when its actually needed. I love that she wasn't afraid to try new things but also to be herself. She didn't sacrifice herself for who she needed to be with Xavier. They actually are such a great pair and really balance each other out.
What I loved most about this book was the hero.....he was to die for. He has such a tragic past but has overcome so much and his protective instincts are so tangible in the story. He is so patient with the heroine but is also firm on boundaries on his needs. He doesn't let things slide just because she is nervous or afraid of him but is trying to help her become better and overcome her fears of his kind, because it can only result in hurting her even more and put his position politically at a weak point. I loved how Xavier was so mindful of boundaries between them but also couldn't resist the pull he felt towards her. It was so delectable and sexy.
The plot of the story was beyond fascinating and I adored the political intrigue that builds all the way through it and the climax of it is resulted in the perfect comeback that we see from the characters. The author really built it up just right and you see how well it fits with the connection that our couple has with each other.
What I Struggled With
Nothing too much....I think the only thing I wish that there was more of was a more satisfying ending, and I would have liked to see more swoony moments between Xavier and Tess.
Narration
AMAZING!!! It really tugged me immediately into the story and it really capitalizes on the right tension and build up throughout it, from beginning to end.
Overall View
I found Night's Honor to be an incredible story that was beyond stunning. Its a story that brings in a politcal tangled web of lies, deceptions, and a beautiful building of love and sensuality in a edgy paranormal world that satisfies in every single way
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Paranormal Romance
Character Types: Alpha Male, Vampire, Kick Ass
Themes: Political Intrigue, Book Boyfriend/Leading Lady, Danger/Suspense, Auctions
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Boss/Employee
Book Perspective
3rd POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Plot Conflict
If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Christine Feehan
Nalini Singh
Dianne Duvall
Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes I would recommend reading these books in order if possible
Steam/Spice Explanations
Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.
Narrators:
Sophie Eastlake
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒.5
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.5
First Impressions
Night's Honor was the seventh installment in the "Elder Races" and I absolutely loved everything about this just about. I am feeling so guilty for sitting on this series for so very long. While I read the earlier books almost a decade ago, I really got behind on these books and I am loving being back in this world and Thea Harrison has created such a captivating world that I am so easily living for. If you love vampire romance, political intrigue, great plot and writing development and some swoons...then you need to grab up "Nights Honor" and I guarantee that you won't be disappointed in what is executed.
First Line
Cautiously, Tess peered at the crowd through a side stage door.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: King, Xavier del Torro
The Heroine: Tess
Summary
Night's Honor begins with Tess, who is human and she is on the run and almost out of funds and she needs a sanctuary until she can get a game plan together. She decides to audition to be a human attendant and find a vampire protector. What she doesn't expect is that she was not only chosen, but that she was chosen by one of the most respected and powerful of vampire kind....Xavier Del Torro. Xavier was impressed with Tess, who was matter of fact and didn't play the sympathy card to get into being an human attendant and he is intrigued by her, so he makes her an offer he can't refuse. Xavier is honest and genuine with those that serve him and the community that he has built. And he will protect them at all costs....but as Tess learns the ropes of the community and being an human attendant, its obvious that there is more between them than employer and employee status. But there is a plot against Xavier and Tess is at risk of being caught in the middle....will she stand by the vampire she has come to love?
What I Loved
What an epic installment and I loved every single moment. From the very first chapter, I was immediately pulled into this story and I couldn't seem to get enough of it and honestly this book was NOT long enough. Thea Harrison is an author that needs to write longer books haha I can't believe I am saying that but that is how hard I fell for this couple, I just needed so much more of them. But this story was just top notch for a paranormal and we need more books like this. Paranormal has really been suffering lately.
Now I went into this book COMPLETELY BLIND and from what the heroine was doing, I knew that I would love this book because I adore auctions and this definitely had that vibe in a way just not for sexual reasons like most books with auctions have that theme. I love that it was for a honorable and practical reason. I love vampires in this world and I especially adored Xaxier. Once you get to see his background and what he has battled in life, you begin to respect him so much more and I loved his character on such a deep level. Then we have Tess....she is MY kind of heroine. She was just a good balance of feminine, and kick ass strength when its actually needed. I love that she wasn't afraid to try new things but also to be herself. She didn't sacrifice herself for who she needed to be with Xavier. They actually are such a great pair and really balance each other out.
What I loved most about this book was the hero.....he was to die for. He has such a tragic past but has overcome so much and his protective instincts are so tangible in the story. He is so patient with the heroine but is also firm on boundaries on his needs. He doesn't let things slide just because she is nervous or afraid of him but is trying to help her become better and overcome her fears of his kind, because it can only result in hurting her even more and put his position politically at a weak point. I loved how Xavier was so mindful of boundaries between them but also couldn't resist the pull he felt towards her. It was so delectable and sexy.
The plot of the story was beyond fascinating and I adored the political intrigue that builds all the way through it and the climax of it is resulted in the perfect comeback that we see from the characters. The author really built it up just right and you see how well it fits with the connection that our couple has with each other.
What I Struggled With
Nothing too much....I think the only thing I wish that there was more of was a more satisfying ending, and I would have liked to see more swoony moments between Xavier and Tess.
Narration
AMAZING!!! It really tugged me immediately into the story and it really capitalizes on the right tension and build up throughout it, from beginning to end.
Overall View
I found Night's Honor to be an incredible story that was beyond stunning. Its a story that brings in a politcal tangled web of lies, deceptions, and a beautiful building of love and sensuality in a edgy paranormal world that satisfies in every single way
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Paranormal Romance
Character Types: Alpha Male, Vampire, Kick Ass
Themes: Political Intrigue, Book Boyfriend/Leading Lady, Danger/Suspense, Auctions
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Boss/Employee
Book Perspective
3rd POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Plot Conflict
If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Christine Feehan
Nalini Singh
Dianne Duvall
Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes I would recommend reading these books in order if possible
Steam/Spice Explanations
Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.
Narrators:
Sophie Eastlake
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My Review:
This review will be a quick one, I just didn't care too much for this heroine at all and I don't want to rant about this book too much. I want to keep that element minimal lol but this was the worst book of the trilogy and the one I was probably the most excited for because I do love accidental pregnancy but even though the book started out strong, it quickly turned bad. I loved this hero, he is a such a stable guy hero. He is devoted to the heroine but she just treats him so badly in this book. I couldn't stand it. Her character was so so confusing to me to be honest. Because she is so bitter over her mom not being around, but then ends up obsessed with her career and acting like life is going to be awesome with a child and moving to a new place every single year lol Any parent will tell you how not good that is for a child's future. And I just didn't understand why the hero had to give up everything he had for the heroine but the heroine wasn't willing to give up everything for him and their child and give them the best future possible. Especially when she was the one that broke the hero's heart and acted like it was no big deal and she wasn't the one that hurt him so deeply. By the end I was hoping he would end up with her best friend lol the only thing redeemable about this book is the hero.
Overall I can't really recommend this one, as you can see it had many flaws and honestly just was annoying and not likeable at all.
This review will be a quick one, I just didn't care too much for this heroine at all and I don't want to rant about this book too much. I want to keep that element minimal lol but this was the worst book of the trilogy and the one I was probably the most excited for because I do love accidental pregnancy but even though the book started out strong, it quickly turned bad. I loved this hero, he is a such a stable guy hero. He is devoted to the heroine but she just treats him so badly in this book. I couldn't stand it. Her character was so so confusing to me to be honest. Because she is so bitter over her mom not being around, but then ends up obsessed with her career and acting like life is going to be awesome with a child and moving to a new place every single year lol Any parent will tell you how not good that is for a child's future. And I just didn't understand why the hero had to give up everything he had for the heroine but the heroine wasn't willing to give up everything for him and their child and give them the best future possible. Especially when she was the one that broke the hero's heart and acted like it was no big deal and she wasn't the one that hurt him so deeply. By the end I was hoping he would end up with her best friend lol the only thing redeemable about this book is the hero.
Overall I can't really recommend this one, as you can see it had many flaws and honestly just was annoying and not likeable at all.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
My Review:
What a great novella that was a great quickie of a distraction of a read. This was a blend into the Stark International world with the Masters and Mercenaries by Lexi Blake. I really love both of these worlds so it was just fascinating to see both in one story. I really loved the aspects that we see in this one. Our characters aren't exactly fans of each other in the beginning of story, they are too strong willed so it makes sense that they would clash so fiercely. But when their lives are in danger and they need to go undercover, they have to face up to their differences and learn to let the tension go. I really enjoyed their dynamic and see how well they connect sexually is what softens their relationship together and it adds something deeper between them.
This was a very quick audiobook but a true delight and a great way to work myself through this series. I am definitely eager to see more of this world that this author has created.
What a great novella that was a great quickie of a distraction of a read. This was a blend into the Stark International world with the Masters and Mercenaries by Lexi Blake. I really love both of these worlds so it was just fascinating to see both in one story. I really loved the aspects that we see in this one. Our characters aren't exactly fans of each other in the beginning of story, they are too strong willed so it makes sense that they would clash so fiercely. But when their lives are in danger and they need to go undercover, they have to face up to their differences and learn to let the tension go. I really enjoyed their dynamic and see how well they connect sexually is what softens their relationship together and it adds something deeper between them.
This was a very quick audiobook but a true delight and a great way to work myself through this series. I am definitely eager to see more of this world that this author has created.
My Review:
What an incredible story this turned out to be. I think this is also the first time that I have ever read a Goose Girl retelling and it was beautiful in every single way. If you are a fan of the fairy tale, then I highly recommend that you pick up this book because Jeffe Kennedy did this retelling to perfection. I just loved how well it was close to the original (and this retelling makes the perfect setup for a romance) I loved how it all gets resolved and even though there was so heartbreaking aspects to it, there was also some positives behind it as well.
I loved the connection that there is between Nix and Cavan. They have just a great relationship and even from the beginning Cavan could sense that something wasn't quite right and I loved that he was willing to do what is right no matter how challenging or difficult. Both Nix and Cavan have such true leadership and a sense of honor within them both. The villain of the story is truly evil, like classic Disney film type of evil. And man it was so refreshing to truly have a evil villain. The setting was so atmospheric for winter and I adored it. Just true perfection there.
Overall This book was just about everything and more in what I was looking for. If you need a good fantasy romance with a fairytale twist to it, this is one for you!
What an incredible story this turned out to be. I think this is also the first time that I have ever read a Goose Girl retelling and it was beautiful in every single way. If you are a fan of the fairy tale, then I highly recommend that you pick up this book because Jeffe Kennedy did this retelling to perfection. I just loved how well it was close to the original (and this retelling makes the perfect setup for a romance) I loved how it all gets resolved and even though there was so heartbreaking aspects to it, there was also some positives behind it as well.
I loved the connection that there is between Nix and Cavan. They have just a great relationship and even from the beginning Cavan could sense that something wasn't quite right and I loved that he was willing to do what is right no matter how challenging or difficult. Both Nix and Cavan have such true leadership and a sense of honor within them both. The villain of the story is truly evil, like classic Disney film type of evil. And man it was so refreshing to truly have a evil villain. The setting was so atmospheric for winter and I adored it. Just true perfection there.
Overall This book was just about everything and more in what I was looking for. If you need a good fantasy romance with a fairytale twist to it, this is one for you!