My Review:

What a superb novella with Dragos and Pia and I have mixed feelings on how everything got resolved with this one. This is where we see Dragos and Pia really go through some hardship here. Dragos gets in a accident and ends up with amnesia and not remembering his mate or their son. It was super heart wrenching to see what Pia goes through on this and trying to connect with Dragos again so she can heal him and help him with his memories to come back. I can't imagine anything rougher on a couple like these two, then having to go through that together. And even though I loved seeing their journey to come back together, I also wish it had been a bit more resolved. But there is a another novella coming up with their son where I am hoping that we see it all finalized together. But overall it was blast getting back to this couple and seeing them work through conflicts together in their HEA.

Favorite Quote:

 " In the fourteen months they had been together, the desire had never changed. Elemental, as necessary as breathing, it dictated the rhythm of their lives. They orbited around each other, always looking, always reaching for the other, but it never ceased to amaze her that he looked at her this way. " 

 My Review 

What a BLAST of a good summer time this book turned out to be! If you are looking for the perfect summer or beach themed read, then this book needs to be at the top of your list. I just couldn't get enough of this one and Dragos and Pia just had me laughing all over the place. We see Dragos and Pia becoming new parents and have a infant son but what surprises them is that he is starting to shift into a baby dragon and we get to see a POV from the baby and it was FIRE!!! I don't think that I have ever seen that in a romance before and it just had a refreshing feel seeing life through his eyes and how he is looking at things, it was quite different. I loved seeing them searching for treasure as a family, there were blends of some danger here and there, and the LAUGHS were so infectious. I loved the adventure that their son gave them and he is only a baby lol And seeing the parenting styles of Dragos and Pia just worked so well. Poor Pia though, some of the scares that she goes through this book was endearing and just hilarious in so many ways. But she just goes with it, and you just know that she is going to be the BEST of mama's. I can't wait to see this little boy grow in the rest of the series. 

Overall this book delivered on all scores and I couldn't get enough of the charm and laughs and adventures!!!! 

 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:📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
 Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨

 

First Impressions
Naked Edge is the fourth book in the I-Team series and this has been a series I have been working through as this is an author I have really been enjoying and this book was also part of the TBR I had for the Romanceopoly Reading Challenge as well. I am actually speechless with this book, this one just HIT so different than I expected it to. I honestly wasn't sure how this one would turn out, because yeah journalist heroines don't always work for me, but the way that this author wrote this one was right in every single way. I couldn't get enough of what was delivered in this one. With the blend of suspense, the native american heritage introduced, the tortured hero turned into a playboy for his emotional survival, and a heroine determined to hold out for marriage and true love just combined into a story of swoons and perfection.

First Line
The coyote came out of nowhere.

The Main Protagonists
 The Hero: Gabriel Rossiter
 The Heroine: Katherine James

 

Summary
Katherine James is a Navajo journalist and while hiking, she is almost killed and Gabe, a park ranger, saves her life. But what Kate didn't know was that Gabe would be her savior when law enforcement would disturb a sacred Navajo ritual and rescue her from an abusive cop who was dragging her by her hair with a broken leg. Gabe saved her twice and she found a friend in someone who respected her beliefs and wants something more with him. But there is something more to Gabe than meets the eye. Gabe is burdened with the loss of his wife and has lost faith in love and is determined to bury the pain with hot sex and little else. Kate is the first woman he has come across, that stands firm on what she wants and fight for it. He is drawn to her in a way that he can't explain, but there is a danger on the horizon, that only with their love will it be strong enough to survive the coming storm. 

What I Loved
Naked Edge was poignant heartfelt and introspective and truly inspiring in every single way that mattered and this author had me feeling so many emotions on such a deep level. I wanted so much for these two to find their HEA and their journey was worth every moment of hardship that they both suffered. I just ached for both of them and what they were struggling with here. And what complete opposites they were but in some ways it was the opposites that had them connecting in the way that we see happen. 

Our heroine is strong and firm in her values and is literally looking for that one time love and won't let go of that dream. She is a virgin and not ashamed of it, in fact she is proud of her life decisions and holding it special for the right one. Then we have our hero who is tortured by his past, and while he liked it rough and hard, it leaves him empty every single time. And with one kiss or touch with Kate, she centers him and has him feeling every single touch as if it touches his soul. And while they search for what happened to her grandfather being killed, we also see the danger is escalating for both Kate and Gabe as they search for artifact hunters and seeking the truth to what happened to Kate's grandfather. And their connection only deepens as time passes. And what a beautiful connection we see grow between Kate and Gabe and I was on board from the very beginning. 

 

I also enjoyed how this author implemented the Native American aspects to the story. It was so rich and had the right touch to it. I love that I could go into this story, trusting that it wouldn't get political and it most definitely didn't. It had such genuine writing in it to just recognize the heritage aspects without it being preachy or shoved down the throat. Just authentic with every sentence written. You could tell that the author did her research well for this story but also wasn't trying to prove anything, just write a well written story and she succeeded. And I gobbled it up like you do turkey on Thanksgiving Day. 

 

What I Struggled With
Nothing lol It could have been a bit more engaging in the beginning, but other than the slight slow start, it was perfect!

Narration
So WELL DONE!! And while I wasn't grabbed right away, I didn't become hooked and I have to say its all thanks to how this book was narrated. I just didn't want to put this audiobook down at all. Just would have been content to listen to their book all day.

Overall View
Naked Edge is a story to thrill you from head to toe with tantalizing sensuality, with deep to the heart character growth and such inspiring emotion that will tug at your heart strings! EPIC IN EVERY WAY!

 

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Character Types: Journalist Heroine, Alpha Male, Dare Devil, Law Enforcement, Protector
Themes: Heart/Touching, Found Family, Tear Jerker, All The Feels, One True Pairing
Tropes: Opposites Attract, Forced Proximity

Book Perspective
3rd POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
A mix of both

If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Maya Banks
Suzanne Brockmann
Rebecca Zanetti

Song This Book Inspires
Dark Side by Kelly Clarkson

Recommendation For Reading Order
Either. You can read as a standlone or in order for the friendship connections.

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:
Kaleo Griffith 

 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:📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
 Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.75

 

First Impressions
Talk Wicked to Me is the latest book in the "Wickeds: Dark Knights at Bayside" series. It feels like forever since we had a release in this series. Melissa Foster has gone a bit slower in her releases in recent years. So I couldn't wait to read this one, and as soon the preorder of the audiobook came in, I just had to grab it up immediately, and yes I let go of my TBR reads of the week, so that I could indulge into this one here. Talk Wicked To Me was a unique twist on accidental pregnancy where the baby doesn't belong to the hero, but where the hero comes into the situation protective and a stable steady presence. There is a bit of forbidden love, as the hero is to leave for a trip soon, and he isn't looking for anything serious....until he met Emerson.

First Line
"I can't believe you're leaving me."

The Main Protagonists
 The Hero: Baz
 The Heroine: Emerson

 

Summary
Baz is a Veterninarian and is also part of the Dark Knights biker club, he is well chased by many women, a flirty of the first order and is well charming, but isn't looking for anything serious because he is planning a trip for four months away for doctors without borders, to fulfill a promise to his sister. When one day, a heavily pregnant woman walks into his office, worries she got her dog sick, and Baz is instantly drawn to her and protective and wanted to care of her. But when he helps her give birth, there is a deep connection that forms between them. But Emerson is independent and not used to leaning on anyone for help. Ever since her parents were killed, she has been content being alone and is prepared to care for her baby on her own. But Baz is protective, seeing to her every need and so patient and respectful and beyond that kind in ways she never imagined a person could be, but the love that is bursting between them....can it last?

 

What I Loved
Talk Wicked To Me had so many aspects to the story that was beyond delectable. I couldn't get enough of this book and this romance melted me from head to toe! From the very beginning, I was pulled into this story and I just didn't want to put it down. The story starts off with our hero, being charmed by our heroine, who is so worried over her dog and when Baz helps her when she is in labor, you see how drawn they are together. Baz is completely there for her, even though she has a lot of pride and doesn't want to accept his help. This is where I would call him a alpha mellow. He is such a caretaker in this book, and even though he is determined to help her, at the same time, he is also respectful of her space when she is needing it. We see such balance in him, and this is the type of alpha male that I think will work for most readers, because his alpha moments come out in his need to protect and take care of her. The heroine is stubborn at times and a bit too prideful at times. But you see how connected she is to Baz.

 

What I Struggled With
The only thing I struggled with was the heroine. Her pride really got the best of her, sometimes just plain ole common sense. But she learns and grows to accept the generosity but she does get a bit bull headed at times. I also wasn't a huge fan of how she treats the hero in the third act in this one scene. I felt like she could have been more aware and mindful of Baz and his feelings. But it wasn't enough to take away too much from the rating.

Narration
This narration pair was just right. Its in Dual POV so you do have two narrators and they handled it so well together here. They also were just fun to listen to, that I didn't want to put it down. They also captured the personalities of the characters involved in the story just right.

Overall View
Talk Wicked To Me is a story that oozes charm, delights and emotional intrigue. Its a tale of pining love, friendship bonds, and the value of family. SIMPLE A PRICELESS LOVE TALE!

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance
Character Types: Veterinarian, Bikers, Single Parent-Mom, Alpha Mellow Golden Retriever Hero
Themes: Small Town, Tear Jerker, Kids/Teens, Heart/Touching, Motorcycle Club
Tropes: Forbidden Love, Forced Proximity

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Relationship

If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Samantha Chase
Kristen Proby
Rhenna Morgan

Song This Book Inspires
Still Falling for You by Ellie Goulding

Recommendation For Reading Order
For family connections, I recommend reading in order

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:
Aiden Snow, Savannah Peacewood 

 My Review: 

Hold Me is a novella that takes place about 12 months after Achor Me ends. Damien and Nikki are settling into parenthood. They have a toddler and new infant and Nikki's prepping returning to work after maternity leave. She is facing some uncertainty and Nikki has to face some uncomfortable truths. I really appreciated this novella though, because we are seeing that she has lost interest in working long hours especially when she is starting to miss the moments with her daughter. 

We do get some fun sexy scenes with Damien and Nikki but we also see so much heart in this book in seeing them adjusting to being a family and learning to adapt to children. Damien is so patient with the kiddos and I loved seeing them as parents, they are such GOOD parents. Patient, understanding and so playful. We also see how Nikki is having to make a determination of what her career is costing her and making adjustments and I really appreciated this outlook as we just don't see it too often. There was so much genuine emotion that broke my heart. I wonder how many women suffer through this type of pain and really gave me a unique perspective of what working mothers have to face. 

Overall I had a blast with Hold Me and was a true delight from beginning to end. 

 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:📖📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
 Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.25

No matter the risk, I'm greedy. I want all of you, your mind, heart and your fucking soul. If we don't risk our hearts, then we miss out on life's true beauty. There no reward without risk.

First Impressions
Broken Harbor is the most recent addition to the "Sparrow Falls" series and this is a story that features Cope's book. This is the brother of the family that is the infamous hockey player. I had been hearing so many of the best things about this book and while I found this one to be quite a solid turnout for a Catherine Cowles novel, I wouldn't say that its my favorite. There were some aspects to the story that just didn't quite fit for me so while I had high expectations and did enjoy the reading of this one, as I listened to it in one shift at work, it didn't necessarily wow me like some of her other books have. But its still a solid installment and I had so much fun seeing Cope and Sutton fall in love with each other and truly connect on a level that mattered.

First Line
If I eat all my vegetables, will I be big enough to play hockey?" Licas asked, his words slurring as sleep tried to pull him under.

The Main Protagonists
 The Hero: Cope
 The Heroine: Sutton

  Cope made me want to take chances. To truly live again.

Summary
Broken Harbor is a story that takes our heroine Sutton, into a bad situation where her boyfriend and ex gets involved in drugs and involved with some bad people and when they make some threatening actions towards her and her son, she runs to the other side of the country to escape the situation as she refuses to put her son at risk. They have now settled in Sparrow Falls, she keeps her face hidden from cameras. Her son now is getting involved in hockey and is participating in a summer camp for kids involving hockey. Cope, a professional hockey player, has come home to escape the drama on the team and find some peace. He starts offering his services at this summer camp, which is where he and Sutton run into each other. At first there is this playful tension between them, but they have a deep connection, they both quickly explore together despite the secrets that are keeping them from fully embracing what their relationship is capable of.....

 You came along just when I need you most." Her fingers lifted to my face, tracing my mirroring scar. "You gave us a safe place to land. A harbor in the storm."

What I Loved
This was such a fun visit to get back to Sparrow Falls and I can't wait to return. There is something so majestic and atmospheric about this author's style of writing that I couldn't seem to get enough of where she was going with this story. This does have a more summer feel to the story a bit, as it takes place mostly during summer time. I first want to mention I loved the relationship that Sutton has with her son, they are just an adorable pair together, and I will say that Cope just fits right with their dynamic. It actually flowed smoothly, the relationship between these three.

 I'm tired of living in the dark.
Then maybe it's time to step into the light.

The connection between Cope and Sutton are fire so if you need good spice, Catherine Cowles definitely delivers on that score. I was more intrigued with their emotional growth though And we definitely see some character growth between these two. Their relationship has so much depth to it at times, you become so easily consumed. There is so much emotional drama and pain though, so fair warning going into this one. It will have you crying buckets for these characters, but its during these painful times, that they truly find their connection in a deep intimate way. There is also a balance of witty dialogue and charm that balances out the more poignant times. I really appreciate what the author touched based on with drugs and addictions and how dangerous they are.

 Its a messy business being human. We hurt, and we get hurt.

There is some suspense but it was lighter than I was hoping for. It really happens in the very end and this series hasn't had as much suspense as I prefer in a romantic suspense, which is why I am not categorizing this as a romantic suspense, because it was definitely on the lighter end of it.

What I Struggled With
So there were a couple of things that kept this book from a five star read for me. The first was the spice aspects. So honestly the two issues I have together kinda go together. So first the spice and the type of spice made zero sense with this hero. Kink and dirty talk with Cope? Yeah it just didn't fit. The reason it didn't fit was because he was written very surface level. We saw hardly any background to him and while there was some growth to this character, the background and all of his deep dark secrets just never come to light even though its teased all the way throughout the story. It just fell flat for me and it also felt like the spice was just for shock wow factor, and never truly resonating on why this was important.

Also side note and unpopular opinion: I am NOT a fan of the grandma. What she say in front of little kids her own grandchildren, is wrong and inappropriate. There I said it. Also sex isn't everything but she acts like it is.

Narration
SPECTACULAR! I don't know how much more I can see except this narration pair do such an incredible job with this author and really bringing her books to life in such a deep provoking way!

Overall View
Broken Harbor is a heartfelt story that brings together two tortured souls together in a crescendo of emotion, discovering inner strength and learning to heal through the storm.....CAPTIVATING IN EVERY WAY!

 I love you. With everything in me. All I am is yours. Brokenness and all."

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance
Character Types: Hockey (Athlete), Single Mom, MC on the Run
Themes: Small Town, Tear Jerker, Kids/Teens, Danger/Suspense, Heart/Touching, Mutual Pining.
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Single Parent

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
A blend of both

If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Jennifer Ryan
AL Jackson

Song This Book Inspires
Castles Crumbling by Taylor Swift

Recommendation For Reading Order
You can read as a standalone

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:
Connor Crais
Erin Mallon 

 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:📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
 Overall View: ✨✨✨✨

First Impressions
The Stranger I Wed was a delicious witty historical that led me through a various set of emotions and a powerful journey of our characters, Leo and Cora. This is a story that has the classical elegence blended so beautiful in a gradually built romance to leave your heart shuttering in delight and a sense of poignant longing. It takes a very common ground and blends in such beautiful emotional that tangles so wonderful with history and modernity that will work for all historical readers whether you prefer the modern sensibility or more authenticity to your historicals.

First Line
Fifth avenue was Cora's birthright, but that's only if one adhered to biology rather than social expectation.

The Main Protagonists
 The Hero: Leopold Brendan, Earl of Devonworth
 The Heroine: Cora Dove

Summary
Cora Dove, is determined to fight for her family no matter what it may cost her. After receiving a letter from her grandmother, informing her of an inheritance for herself and her sisters. Cora meets with her distant father who abandoned them when they were young as their mother was his mistress. Now he placed a stipulation on their inheritance, she must marry a man of societal caliber and commanding of respect but must not be someone in the America's. So Cora comes with an idea, of heading off to England to find a respectable husband that would pass her father's approval. Leo, the Earl of Devenoworth, is in need of funds. He has inherited an estate, with debts from his family and a desire to serve in politics and assist in passing a public health bill he is passionate about. He then meets lovely Cora, and they share common ground and interests of sort, and they form an attachment and determine to marry one another for convenience. But what starts as just a political logical match, turns into something deeper as their connection builds into friendship and even deeper and much more intimate.

What I Loved
The Stranger I Wed was a delicious tasty morsel of intimacy and a endearing love affair and I gobbled it with pleasure and wit. This is a very slow burn so might not work for all readers. I highly recommend the audio for this one if you can get a copy of it, because I can guarantee it will help get you through the slower moments. While the focus is the romance in this one, its definitely more slowly built but it honestly felt more resonating into what a marriage of convenience would actually feel like. I found this book to be poignant in the character growth that we see from Leo and Cora and the author really balanced our their journey's together. I loved the way in which we see them grow towards each other. They each have their own inner fears and secrets that they keep from each other but despite what is holding them back we also see their connection that just builds into a crescendo with each chapter.

I was most intrigued to see how modernistic this novel would turn out to be. You all know how much I struggle with the modernistic historical's and while there is some aspects of that, there are other aspects of the story that still felt authentic in some ways to the actual time frame and Harper St. George balanced out these elements just right that I feel like this author will work for both sets of readers, but you do need to be a bit open minded to it. I did appreciate that some of the secrets involved in the story wasn't dragged out until the end and that the heroine did come clean with the hero in some ways before it came to light. But I also don't think these secrets were super serious or something that would break their relationship. We also have a great foundation that is built, as they start with common allies, then quickly to friendship and that friendship is slowly woven into something more romantic and intimate.

What really tore me up throughout the whole story was seeing a heroine who is so pragmatic and not needing love at all until she comes to England. One of the couples (from the previous series) enter the story, as she stays with them for a time before she gets married, and there she sees them being so in love, affectionate and tender with each other. We see her crave someone to love and to be loved in return. Neither Leo or Cora have had that type of connection with anyone, and we see that yearning truly grow within each other. And as a reader looking into this story, it struck me so deeply and my heart just ached for these two to find what they both deserved.....someone to match them and fight for them as they both deserved.

What I Struggled With
The pacing is a bit slow at times, its more slow burn so the romance isn't as prominent as I would have liked, and some of the historical aspects was a bit off putting at times.

Narration
Brilliant!!!! I loved the way this narrator handled this story because the accents were softer and not as heavy which I found so refreshing in a historical romance.

Overall View
The Stranger I Wed was a beautiful blend of humor, intelligence, historical relevance and a true testament of the human heart.

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Historical Romance, Victorian Era
Character Types: Earl, Heiress, Politician
Themes: Pining Heroine, Heart/Emotional Touching, Slow Burn
Tropes: Marriage of Convenience

Book Perspective
3rd POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Both

If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Julie Anne Long
Joanna Shupe
Laura Lee Guhrke

Song This Book Inspires
Better Place by Rachel Platten

Recommendation For Reading Order
Standalone

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:
Saskia Maarleveld 

 My Review: 

Asking For More is the novella following this duo series from Lilah Pace. This is one of my more favorite erotic romance series and I really loved seeing what we get from this novella. And don't you all just love these covers? I love the classic art style to it as that truly fits erotic romance pretty well. 

This novella was really endearing and had a couple of spicy scenes for those looking for this type of kink. This kink won't work for everyone though. But you really see how this kink really connects this couple to each other. I actually appreciated how this kink was handled and how we see them living their HFN together. The only downside to these books is the last of a true HEA in these stories. It has a happy for now, but not a I feel like they will get married and live our their lives together necessarily. I wasn't a fan on how they are still living apart, kinda just felt like even though they care for each other, they are together together as much as I would like. 

Overall I found Asking For Me to be a true delight. And I can't wait to explore more of this author. 

 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:📖📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
 Overall View: ✨✨✨✨

 All the way… I’m going all the way with you.
 
First Impressions
Twist is the second book in the "Dive Bar" series by Kylie Scott. This was a book that I have had on my TBR for quite some time actually, and I used to read this author so regularly so I am not sure why I have been neglecting this series as I have. But I am eager to get back to it for sure. And this book was a pure delight and I am thrilled that I landed on the romanceopoly space that allowed me the opportunity to get back to this series. Twist had such a fun premise and seeing what brought this couple together was quite fire. The bantering on point and had such a balance of what makes this style of contemporary just plain fun to read.

  The bearded one was a true gentleman, despite all the hair, tats, and savage looks…

First Line
Screw playing it safe.

The Main Protagonists
 The Hero: Joe Collins
 The Heroine: Alex Parks

Summary
Alex Parks has been texting Joe Collins online for quite a while and is ready to finally meet him and take their relationship to the next level. But when she arrives at his family's bar, she is shocked to discover that the man she thought was the man she had been building a friendship with is not who he claimed to be, but the real man is not Eric, but is Joe his brother. She is shocked and angry and is determined to never see him again, but when she gets sick from the rainstorm, Joe ends up being her caretaker and works on proving his sincerity with her. But Alex has a hard time opening her heart to others, but Joe tenacious sincerity proves that he is much more than she thinks. But he has his own struggles and doubts of not being enough, and Alex will have to fight for them both when it matters...

What I Loved
Twist was simply an amazing book! I absolutely had such a fun time with this. Now it wasn't the best book of the year or anything, but it swept me away from reality for a bit and I was able to just enjoy this beautiful story that simply captivated me from beginning to end. I wanted so much to cheer this couple on and even though it wasn't a perfect story, it was just a solid romance that melted me heart in all of the right ways. Twist was an interesting story in how it just begins, which will bring you instantly into the story with plenty of angst and laughs. Their tension was just right and you sense despite the conflict that is entering the story, you also see how much they are willing to fight for each other when it really matters most. They are both tenacious and in different ways they compliment each other in what is vital for their relationship. What is most beautiful with this story, is that this is a story of learning to love the personality over the appearance. I truly adored that this hero isn't the most attractive and doesn't at first do anything for the heroine, but its his heart and character that has her falling in love.

What I Struggled With
Now there are some aspects that I wasn't 100% on board with. There is some very very mild cheating aspects. While its not full on cheating at all, there is a some moments in the third act where one of the protagonists has an ex living with them and even though nothing happens, its still in the story. And the heroine does hurt the hero in the second half of the story and I feel like she needed to do a bit better grovel. She does do one, I just wish it felt a bit more heartfelt and she atoned a bit more like the hero had to do in the beginning.

Narration
Astounding! I love this narrator and really delivered all the feels and engaging moments this author is very capable of executing.

Overall View
Twist was a endearing gritty love tale that leads you through a journey through secrets, hearts and desire into a poignant ride!

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance
Character Types: Bartender, Architect, Blue Collar
Themes: Pining Hero, Groveling, Property Renovation, Laughs and Giggles, Tattoo's/Piercings, Online Dating
Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Mistaken Identity, Opposites Attract

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Relationship Conflict

If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Katy Evans
Jay Crownover
Devney Perry

Song This Book Inspires
Feel Like This by Ingrid Andress

Recommendation For Reading Order
You can read as a standalone if needed.

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:
Andi Arndt 

 My Review: 

What a wonderful book this turned out to be here. I absolutely adored every single moment with Damien and Nikki and we are finally back to a regular length book and as much as I like the novellas, I embrace wholly the full length novel so we can get the most from Damien and Nikki. This novel was such an emotional one for me and so far its my favorite of the series. J. Kenner really delivered with this one and I couldn't get enough. But I will say its the most emotional book that I have ever read from her. And those that have read this installment, know exactly what I mean by this. And finally these two grow their family. I have been waiting for so long for it to happen and it finally did. And their journey was so poignant and heartfelt. You see so much growth with this couple but most especially from Nikki. She really has to face up to some inner demons and man her mother is a piece of work (can she just not go away lol). I really was deeply impressed with how her character was written and at first I wasn't sure how I felt about Nikki. But you really see the damage and abuse her mother put on her in this one, but seeing her overcome those issues and truly embrace her inner womanhood was beautiful. She grows into the woman she was meant to be and her developed character just resonated so deeply for me. I loved how Damien stood strong in many cases here. They have some setbacks and struggles though, but they work through them like how most couples should work through their issues. 

Overall Anchor was a PURE delight and I will treasure this one in my library for quite a long while! A true keeper of healing, inner strength and the beauty of love overcoming fear.