This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
Broken Dove is the fourth installment in the "Fantasyland" series by Kristen Ashley. Whew .,....this was a LONG book but a satisfying romance that curled my toes from beginning to end. I think this is the longest book I have read from this author but I had a blast. I switched from listening and reading this one, and BOTH versions are superb. The narrator chosen for this was fantastic, so if you love audiobooks, definitely check this one out, I promise you won't be disappointed. There is so much to pack here and so many things I love and some things I struggled with at times.
Our story starts off, with our heroine Madeline (Maddie) who in our universe, is on the run from her husband who is abusive, controlling, and a drug dealer and a powerful man. And for years she has been on her own, trying to find her own peace. But now he has found her again. But right when she thinks all is lost for her, a man who looks somewhat like her husband but isn't.....with a sword and cape comes in and saves her and whisks her away to his parallel world of magic, mystery and danger. Apollo lost his wife (a look alike of Maddie) and she left behind two children he has been raising on his own. When he hears that his late wife's twin from the other world's life is in danger, he does everything he can to save her and bring her to his world to protect her. Apollo isn't exactly sure what his plans are concerning Maddie, only knowing he has this driving need to protect her. Their relationship starts out rocky, but both Maddie and Apollo find common ground, and a love so strong no force can break their bond. But they will be both tested, but along the way they build a family of love, unity and courage...
WHOZAH!! This book completely blew me away in many ways and I have to say I was really hoping I could give this a five star, but unfortunately, I am unable to do so. The first third of the book was a bit slow at times, which does happen with some of these fantasy books from Ashley. I am not sure if its just me, but I seem to struggle getting into them for some reason and I LOVE fantasy so its odd. But oh well, I still fall in love with these stories and "Broken Dove" is no different. I truly adored seeing Apollo and Maddie find their path in this book and it definitely had many rocky moments especially in the beginning. This book is a roller coaster though and takes the reader on quite an adventure.
Some time ago, a man filled with sorrow handed me a bag filled with hope. Those stones were in that bag. He knew, as I knew and now you know, even as he paid for the chance to have it again that love is priceless, love is worth every battle fought, every wound endured. He knew, as you now know, ma colombe, that love is everything.
Both Apollo and Maddie are such strong-willed characters and so its natural for those type of personalities to clash. They are also complete opposites from each other and so different and so we see them trying to work through their differences and that is what made their relationship truly sing in so many ways. We see them not only struggle in their relationship but also build something with Apollo's two children. Its definitely not an easy road for either of them, but they find their ways to work through the challenges that come their way and conquer them.
Love like you build with Miss Madeleine is as she is. It is not of this world. Not of her world. It is beyond the worlds. It is beyond anything
Overall I found "Broken Dove" to be a stellar ride of a romance, that gives the reader a heartfelt tale of epic adventure, barrels of laughs and delights and a sensual love story to keep you enthralled!!
Brooklynaire is the fourth and the most recent installment in the Brooklyn Bruisers series by Sarina Bowen. I swear that you just can never go wrong with picking up a book by Sarina Bowen. Her books are so sexy and endearing and relatable. I feel like each of her books could REALLY happen in real life, her flawed characters are so perfectly written. Now this book is slightly different from the previous books BUT its the most anticipated book of the WHOLE series!! I want to mention first that this is Nate and Rebecca's book. The events that occur in Brooklynaire are events that slowly build in some of the other books in the series so if you have read books 1-3 then you will recognize many things that happen in this book, but we get more focus on the pair here that we get teasers of in the previous books. I do want to point out that I recommend reading this series in order. I normally don't say that especially with books that could be read as stand alone, but I feel like I got more out of Brooklynaire because I did read these books in order. You get glimpses of Nate and Becca in the previous books and the chemistry between them and this is where we see them finally come together and it was DIVINE!!!
Brooklynaire begins in the present day where Rebecca is the office manager for the Brooklyn Bruisers team and she loves her job and has been working for Nate (the new owner of the team for seven years) and they have a close friendship although we get the feel from the first chapter that there is more underneath the surface between them than just mere friendship. But then Rebecca gets a head injury and for weeks she is out of a job and Nate is taking care of her when Becca allows it. Flashbacks occur where the reader sees when Nate and Becca first starting working with Nate and his buddies before they were making the big bucks and the friendship and how Becca was as much a part of their success as the big brain of Nate. But with Nate and Becca being together more, there is more than meets the eye in their relationship. But Becca works for Nate and that puts a wrinkle on their relationship and could prevent them from finding a way to be together unless they find their own way through uncertain waters.
Nate is about ten times more magnetic than an ordinary guy. You’d think after seven years I’d be used to him. But nope.
I simply adored everything about Brooklynaire, to be honest. I have been looking forward to reading Brooklynaire ALL week, to be honest. And yes I listened to this whole series in one week. So I was super excited for Nate's book. Now he is a character I have loved seeing throughout this series. Now, don't get me wrong, I have a love for the billionaire-millionaire heroes and I am so not ashamed of it. But there is something more unique about Nate because he is such a NERD and a sexy one at that. We see how much he loves people around him and will fight for them. He is close to his family, and loves working with technology and his computer programs and is quite goofy at times. My only complaint about his character is that in previous books he didn't seem goofy....he was more socially awkward. But we really don't see that much in this one and I would have liked to see that more, to be honest. However, his character was so blended so well in this story.
My life is constant noise... When you kiss me, everything goes quiet. That's the only time I can forget everyone else.
Another aspect of the story I found different was the POV and the narration. Now we get 1st POV from both Nate and Rebecca and then we have another POV that I want to say is 2nd--maybe? I haven't read a POV like the third aspect before in a romance and it was really interesting. It was more from the viewpoint of the other programmers that have been friends with Nate for YEARS and how Rebecca becomes a part of the team before the world even knew they existed. So I am guessing this is why the narrators were different from the previous books and even though I enjoyed them I do think the narrators from books 1-3 are my preference for these books. But these three narrators did a superb job anyway so I was really impressed with how they handled the unique qualities of this book which is written a bit differently than the others I have tried out from Sarina Bowen.
Now onto our heroine, Rebecca who was such a lovely character. I admit I have been wanting her book ever since reading book one. She is loved by everyone and that speaks for her type of character. She is energetic and sweet and fun to be around. She opens her arms to everyone and loves them unconditionally even if they are a pain to be loved. When her father died she gave up a college degree to help support the family and this is where she got her job as the office manager for Nate. She works for him when it was a handful of programmers with a few computers and a ping pong table before they became big and well known and infamous and before Nate became one of the most renowned billionaires, back when he was just a computer nerd. We see how well she understands people and she can be a bit crafty in her matchmaking skills as we have seen in previous books. She is very gracious though, she allows her sister and her live-in boyfriend to move in with her in her private space and doesn't complain even if she wants to. But she can be so stubborn at times so she does have some flaws.
Everything worthwhile is complicated.
We see the friendship that builds between Nate and Rebecca and that underlying sexual tension. Nate has wanted Becca for YEARS but has never acted on his feelings until one fateful night when they end up in bed together and find out that there is much more to their relationship than just friendship. But Becca is not up to having a relationship with Nate and at first you think its just the conflict of Nate being the boss and Becca his employee but as the story develops we see its much more than that for Becca and she has to overcome certain fears and self-worth that she finds lacking in comparison with Nate. But a good friend helps her see things more clearly and that the love that Nate and Becca have for each other is attainable and that they both deserve a chance to be together no matter what others may think or say.
Overall I found Brooklynaire to be a stunning, heart felt romance that brings together a "tug at the heartstrings" friends to lovers tale that is bound to exhilarate the reader in every way....a MUST READ FOR 2018!!
This review was originally posted on Addicted To RomanceI received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This review is very short due to the need to not reveal too much so I don't spoil the story.
Brothers in Arms is the second book in the Kings Of Mayhem MC series. This book takes off right after the first book that did end with a cliffhanger and I have to say that this author really works emotions so well. I love how this was written and even though it was highly hard to read at times because of the intensity of the scenes and what develops in the plot I am so glad that I picked this book up. The story sets off with our hero and heroine: Cade and Indy who have recently come to terms with their past and wanting to start a future together and have a fresh start. Their path hasn't been easy but its about to get harder when the MC is being targeted by someone unknown and their members are being murdered with no clue as to who it is. Cade and Indy are going through hell during this scenario because they are losing their closest friends and their relationship is being torn to shreds at the same time. But these two learn the value of not letting grief and anger drive a wedge in their relationship. I found Brothers in Arms to be a heart breaking romance and man this book had me SOBBING all the way through. The emotion is well portrayed in this story and really reflects so well in the reader.
If you love MC romance, then you definitely need to grab these books up....high level of emotion, intense intrigue, and a romance to fight for!!!
Built is a fantastic book that I was quickly caught up in. Every time I pick this author up I end up very impressed and Built was no different for me. I really enjoyed the unique set up we have between our rough and rugged hero and the prim and proper lawyer. These two couldn't be any more different and boy did I have fun with the contrast and dynamics that build in their relationship. Sayer, our heroine, is used to keeping people at a distance. But Zeb is the first man that makes her want more than the contented life she is living. But Sayer will need to face her past and inner fears and unresolved issues. Zeb, is not ashamed of who he is, and puts his heart on the sleeve for Sayer despite the distance she continually puts between them. Then we have a little twist with Zeb learning that he is a father, to a five year old little boy that is going to be put in the system unless Zeb can prove that he can be the best father this boy can have. Zeb, is a hero that really impressed me in this book, and I felt like he was the center of the story. You see how much he is willing to fight for his son, to prove to him that he is loved and deserves to be happy. Seeing father and son come together in this book was heart felt and intense and gave me happy vibes through the whole book.
One thing was clear: getting my son in my life on a permanent basis wasn’t the only thing that was going to take a hell of a lot of work on my end. If I wanted the girl, whatever version of her I could get my hands on, then I was going to have to fight for her as well.
Even though I felt like the romance took a back seat to the story at times, I honestly didn't mind. I was captivated by this father and son relationship. I had such a fun time seeing all the characters come together in this book, and the way that Zeb and Sayer find common ground with each other and end up balancing each other out in all the right ways. Sayer was a heroine that despite the way she views relationships and intimacy at times, what I admired about her is the way she accepted Zeb as he is. She admired him for who he was and didn't desire to change him...gotta love a woman who accepts her man from the beginning like that. This story won my heart in many unique ways and this author is making me fall more in love with her writing than ever with BUILT. Overall this is a romance that is sexy, endearing and poignant.
In Bully, we have a story of the true fine line between love and hate, and that not everything is as it seems. Tate and Jared were once best friends when they were young. Lived next door to each other, and did just about everything together. But when they were fourteen years old, Jared left for the summer to spend it with his father and came back with hatred in his eyes for Tate. Tate could never understand what she ever did to Jared. For three years she has struggled to understand where his anger has come from. Tate has had to deal with his taunts, his bulliness, and his pranks on her. But then she leaves for France for a year, and comes back a new woman. Now in her senior year of high school, Tate refuses to be the shy reserved girl she used to be and let Jared walk and hurt her again. She stands on her own and surprises him with a new confidence and fighting attitude. Tate comes into herself even though Jared seems determined to ruin her. But as she stands up to him more and more, little things don’t add up about him. She senses something more than the usual hate she used to always get from him. She sees little moments of the real Jared she used to know and love and she will do everything in her power to get to the truth no matter what!
Now Bully, was a story I probably should have read first. Since reading books 2 and 3, I knew I needed to read Bully before reading the last book in the series “Aflame”. But I also knew from what the later books hinted at, that it wouldn’t be an easy read and boy was it a tough one full of angst and conflict. These two really go at it. I really felt for Tate in this book….she was the center of it and I loved her pizazz. She really fights back against Jared and I wanted to cheer at some of the pranks she actually pulls at him because he deserves it. I knew a bit of Jared’s history so I kneew that he had a tough history. But there were times I just couldn’t understand how he could take out his anger and pain on the only person that ever had his back. Tate was amazing though, despite the way Jared has treated her, he never broke her. He only made her stronger and I liked that even when it seems tough, she offers forgiveness…Eventually. Most of the book is some pretty crazy stuff before Jared actually gets real with Tate. So that aspect wasn’t my favorite part of the story, but Douglas handles these issues so well and in such a realistic point of view I wanted to cheer. The only character I couldn’t like was K.C. Now she is the heroine of the third book. But quite frankly, I did NOT like her in this one. I understand why Penelope wrote her in this way, but seriously, I wanted to throw her in the lake and shake some common sense into her. Tate was way too forgiving when it came to her in my book. But there were many moments in this story that I loved, and once Jared started letting Tate it—that is when it got really good. Now technically this is a YA romance but to be frank it didn’t feel like it. It had a more NA feel to the story and the sexual content is way more heated than YA is anyway. But boy loved these two together and I can’t wait for more.
Bunny and the Bear is a witty and flirty romance that had me laughing all the way through; I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this story. The idea of a bunny shifter alone? That was strange at first but these two were fireworks together. Chase is a grump were bear, a lawyer, sleeps longs hours and eat enough food for a army in one meal, and loves his sweets especially his honey. Miranda is flirty and energetic and care free, who would ever see these two together right? Miranda is part of the Furry Coalition, and her job is to protect Chase from mad scientists, but at the same time wants to show this bear how to have fun. This story was so different from other shifter romances, it had a more lighter tone to the story I really liked, and I loved the chemistry and the suspense aspect of the plot as well. The Bunny and Bear actually worked splendid together. And the story had a few surprises that were shocking but delightful!! A bit shorter than I expected, but a wonderful story of sexy shifter, playful scenes and a story to knock you down laughing. WELL DONE!!
Burn is the finale of the Breathless Trilogy and even though I took my sweet time finally picking up the third book in the series, I honestly had such a good time with this one here. I will admit that the cost of the ebook at the times was so PRICEY.....at $12 but then I saw a huge price drop a few weeks ago to 1.99 and I just knew that I had to grab it up. Because yeah that is expensive for a ebook (but that is a whole other discussion LOL) And I will mention that I actually had such a good time with this book, it has some elements that might not be for everyone especially BDSM and a very possessive alpha male, so fair warning.
Burn is a story that begins with our hero, Ash McIntyre. He is the last of the three friends to find his lady. He is feeling disconnected from his friends, as they are both in love and happy, and just feels like the fifth wheel and doesn't really understand how elements have changed in their relationship with each other. But then while taking a walk in the park, he comes across a woman who draws his attention in a way no other woman ever has. And he wants her and seeks to capture her attention. Josie is an artist, and a submissive in the bedroom. She is captivated by the attention of Ash and doesn't know where their relationship is heading, but she is more than open to the possibilities of what they are building together...but both Ash and Josie will be tested in their love....
Burn was such a fun read and I had such a blast with this page turner of a read. One aspect of Maya Banks style of writing is how easy it is to get into her books, I never have to worry about immersing myself into the worlds that she creates, she has the ability of drawing you in. I was kinda nervous to read this one, because Ash is a bit unknown in the type of relationship he would have. Lets just say you gotta like the kink to enjoy this one. We definitely see Josie and Ash go into the journey of a dom/sub lifestyle in their relationship but I was so drawn into their connection to each other. And despite some the actions that Ash does take especially in the beginning of the book, I definitely could see the appeal of the story and this style of relationship that is built here.
We do get a portion of the plot that does have a more suspense type take and so that really adds a unique element that I was into and found myself intrigued into it. In the later half of the book, the "villain" despite enjoying the entry of it, found it kinda weird, that other than the first book, there is no build up of his character so its like he is just there all threatening LOL so it didn't seem to quite fit into the story seamlessly so I think that is the only aspect I would have changed. It wasn't really needed, and it felt like it was used as a "filler" for the plot. But it might work for some other readers.
Overall I found Burn to be a sexual enlightening and vibrant romance that will curl the toes and will add a deep emotional intimacy that was intense in every way.
Burn is the first book in the Dark In You series and somehow I didn’t even know about this series!! I know I am a crazy person but seriously I am really remiss….the moment I discovered this series I knew that I needed this book in my life. Its a four book series that focuses on one couple: Knox and Harper. I LOVE series that surround just one couple, its not very common so I just gravitate towards them. Now this series is a bit different from her shifter series “Phoenix and Mercury Pack” series. This series revolves around a world of demonkind and my goodness the world building is stunning. I just fell in love with this world that Suzanne Wright has created for her readers and I might even like this series more than her shifter books *gasp* I know I know…crazy talk but seriously these books were so so good and I couldn’t put them down, I read four books in three days because they were so dang good.
Burn, the first book in the series, begins with our heroine. Harper Wallis, is a tattooist and runs her own shop with a few friends. Harper has always had a fascination with art and is very talented and working in a tattoo shop is the perfect environment for Harper to explore her talent and give back in a small way. She is a member of a small demon lair in north Las Vegas. She loves her simple way of life and doesn’t look for complications, but a very BIG one is about to enter her life. While going out with her cousins and friends to an underground championship of battle between demons, her cousin is going to compete. But then their nemesis who will be battling with Harper’s cousin has her attacked and now she is unable to compete. So Harper has to step in as the challenger. Harper isn’t one to show her battle skills in an arena but she is more than willing to do so now considering what happened to a member of her family. Needless to say she conquers easily since she has certain abilities that very few know about. But then after the battle, she is called into Knox Thorne’s office. Knox Thorne is the prime of the Las Vegas Lairs and one of the most powerful and influential demons in the United States and no one dares cross him.
I don’t just call on the flames of hell, Harper. I am the flames of hell
What Harper doesn’t count on is that after meeting Knox Thorne for the first time, they both learn that they are each other’s anchors. Now anchors are pretty important. Every demon kind has an inner demon that can be hard to control and some demons can go rogue if their inner demons is uncontrollable but an achorbrings balance to that control and is needed to survive in most cases. And now Harper is Knox Thorne’s anchor but there is much more to it than that…there is a sexual need that develops between Harper and Knox. At first Knox just believe his demon is fascinated with a new toy and will soon get bored with Harper just like he has with all the previous affairs that Knox has been in over the years. There has never been one woman who his demon has wanted to be with but Harper isn’t like any woman he has ever been with. She is unexpected, always surprsing him…making him laugh in the most odd moments of the day and his demon continues to be even more fascinated and intrigued with each day passing and even more possessive.
Brace yourself, because I’m going to annoy you, ignore you, and surprise you for as long as we both shall live.” He smiled. “And I’m going to spoil you, fuck you, and – of course – order you around for the rest of our lives.
Harper at first doesn’t know how to handle a man like Knox Thorne, his life is so opposite from her simple one. She knows that she will never be fully accepted in his world though. She is a phoenix but was raised by imps when her mother gave her up for adoption and her grandmother forced her birth father to care for her who just took her on his travels but in the end she ended up taking care of him. It was really her grandmother that showed her any true love and affection and loyalty. She doesn’t trust Knox to not break her heart since she has been disappointed by so many in her life and relies on herself and her small imp family.
But even though Knox doesn’t know what this relationship will turn out to be with Harper, he knows he has to take the risk on Harper because she is worth it to him. He has never been with a woman like her and is sexually intune with her but also fascinated with her on an intellectual level as well. But there is a threat to Harper and neither Knox or his demon will allow any harm to come to their….mate.
I found Burn to be such a thrilling, on the edge of your seat, laugh out loud fun and sexy story that will give you the satisfaction you look for in a power packed romance such as this one!! Not a story you want to miss out on…I guarantee it. GRATIFYING IN EVERY WAY
