I was all about Tyler's book, especially in what we see from him in book one, there was such an aura of mystery surrounding him and I just had to have his story and I am not sure what it took me so long to read this one, but this one was simply beautiful and I loved everything about this sweet romance, I knew that this one would be emotional and touching and it was everything I could have expected and more. There is something so charming about this pair who met in the most unexpected and surprising of circumstances. And they are complete opposites from each other, but they have this intense connection that begins with a sweet friendship into something very deeper very quickly. They truly get each other in a world that views that as outsiders and practically treats them as lepers and they find true acceptance in each other and seeing them go on their journey was such a captivating road to join them on. The hero is protective and caring and shrouds himself with this bad boy image. Then we have our heroine who is overcoming trauma and abuse and sees the world in the eyes of a child and sees magic in the small things. She has a sense of sweet innocence but also has this strength in forging her own path. The romance was everything I could have expected and more! I just wanted more for these two and I never wanted their story to end! Definitely going to make it to my top reads of the year!
This was a story that I deeply had a great time with and I am so happy that I was able to really read this one. I have been wanting to continue this series since reading "Wicked Lovers' I will say that this story was just different than book one and had a turnaround that I wasn't expecting which I have some mixed feelings over. I was really curious to see how this author would handle a menage and yes in some ways it's definitely not a menage but for the relationship side of things, it's a bit more complex than that. I really found the premise very interesting. I enjoyed the sassy personality of the heroine and our hero is such a brute at times haha He is a tortured hero so he comes with baggage and is having to deal with a woman that makes him feel deeper than anyone else ever has. I really enjoyed the sex scenes but I think the plot is what really intrigued me. The author brought different elements to this story to build upon the complexity of the relationship and the various backgrounds that each character has. I really found it fascinating to see. There is plenty of alpha male action though, from both the main characters and side characters, I was so amused by the heroine's brothers. I have a feeling they will have books in the future because I am so intrigued and they have some unique sexual backgrounds which was very interesting.
If you are a fan of menage and erotic romance and enjoy this author's writing style, then you definitely need to try this one out. I think you will have a solid good time!
Still Standing is the first book of the latest release from Kristen Ashley and this was also one of my most anticipated releases for 2021 and a book that I predicted to be a five star read? So did it live up to my expectations? For the most part. We get drawn back into the MC world that Kristen Ashley has created and it also had a more old KA feel to it so it definitely has the toughness and grit that her older reads felt like in reading them. I was really worried whether or not I would have loved this one but I am so relieved that I was able to love this one as much as I did. Its not a story that will be for everyone though, and there are some hard limits to the story that will push some readers away. So if this is your first time reading her, I honestly am not sure I could recommend this one to you but if you are a fan of her work, then definitely give it a shot and keep an open mind.
Still Standing features our heroine, Clara, who is in a bad bind. Her ex husband betrayed her and she lost everything she worked for in her life due to him being sent to prison and the whole area treated her like dirt. But when her friend is in trouble, she agrees to work for a dangerous criminal in sending a message to the president of the local MC: Aces High but when she goes to his local spot and he invites her to play pool and drink with him and she ends up having a beautiful night of laughter and sex and having a connection with a man she never imagined, but her life isn't roses and she knows she isn't worth deserving Buck...but Buck knows what he wants and he wants Clara as his old lady and is determined to prove to her they are worth fighting for. But being the old lady of the Prez of a MC is going to be full of challenges especially as he is the father of two teenage children and the life is full of tough edges and redemption that she will have to come to face with.
“Only way to learn,” his deep, rough voice said in my ear, but somehow I felt it on every inch of my skin, “is by feel.”
Still Standing was a superb read and it's the type of book that kept me up all night reading and I had such fun with it. Now before we get started on the review I would like to talk about the spoilers and I feel like I need to get gritty out of the way here.
Spoiler Section: SpoilerSo there is a fake percievement of cheating (truth gets revealed but much of the story is to be believed to be truth. And then there is abuse of the heroine by the hero. This was hard for me to witness, now is it done maliciously? No but it does happen when the hero is in a fit of rage and throws her against a wall (he was very angry at a situation where his daughter gets attacked) so its not all black and white, but I do think KA did redeem him in some respects from it but its this scene that kept it from a full five star. Now for the rest of the story....I had a blast with the premise of the story. I adored seeing Buck and Clara just fall for each other so quickly, I actually love these insta love connections that this author just works so well in her books. One of my favorite aspects of her writing is seeing a couple get together so early on in the story and we get to see them work in their relationship to overcome conflict together. And we definitely see how much they do need to work through. The trust issue is a big element within their relationship. We see how the lack of trust that the heroine has in the hero is a struggle and even though she witnesses something that looks bad, she just accepts it to be true and moves on, she doesn't face it and boy (when the hero finds out boy is he pissed that she would think something of him so low) So I actually liked this moment, because throughout the story the reader has built this not so good impression of the hero of thinking he has been cheating on the heroine, when in reality he hasn't been and seeing how he has been so loyal to the heroine.
I really love seeing the mature ages in these characters...well the hero he is...the heroine is like my age so I really related with her in so many ways and she is a librarian and a bit nerdy and quirky which is fun to see their unique dynamics in their relationship. I swear the nerdy types always make the best matches for these uber alpha males LOL And seeing the relationship between this father and his kids was phenomenal and I will admit that Clara building positive connections with his two kids was epic and I loved seeing these small yet beautiful captivating moments between these family members...and Buck's dad was probably my favorite side character ....adored him so dearly. I hope we get to see him get a happy ending in the series ...that is my wish at least.
darlin’, my meaning in life is, you live in the sunshine.”
Overall I found Still Standing to be an exceptional read that I fell so hard for and despite the issues with the story, I couldn't help but deeply love this flawed story that shows the beauty in redemption and fighting for the one you love. .
Cruel Saints was such a marvelous addition to this series and I am becoming more and more intrigued by the personality and style of the series that this author is implementing. I am still fairly new to this author, but I am definitely fascinated by what she is delivering. For those new to the series, the St. Monarch's Academy is where a group of young people come together to learn the trade of training as they are to be assassins for hire or mafia or crime syndicate royalty. The gist of the story is that our heroine is being abused and her father doesn't care about her and his second-in-command plans on marrying her. But he sends her to the Monarch's academy and she makes an ally with Lucian and through a set of events, an arranged marriage is sorted between them.
I will say that I was completely fascinated by seeing how this author really showcases this story and seeing the way that this pair come together here. I wanted so much for them to find their way. I felt so for this heroine who is in such a bad place and Lucian offers her a level of hope and once they get married, seeing their romance blossom was really beautiful. Both are such strong characters and you see how well they fit together. They both have such strength but I really enjoyed how Lucian really is firm and stands on his own and is willing to stand and fight for their marriage.
If you are a fan of mafia romance, then this is definitely a story that you need to look into reading as I can guarantee that you won't be disappointed.
Always Be My Banshee is the fourth installment in the Mystic Bayou series and I absolutely adored this book in many ways and even though it wasn't a perfect book or my favorite in the series, it definitely was a solid read and I had such a lively time listening to this one. I do recommend listening to these books on audio if you have access to Audible. These are audible originals but later do get published into other formats. I have had a blast with this series so far and the way that these characters that are so full of life and just become so endearing are so worth the listen. I have found that there is a lighter charming feel to these books, so I would say that they are PNR Rom Com and I adore the covers in these too, because the backdrops are just gorgeous with the setting that just relays such a mysterious vibe. Now in this book Always Be My Banshee is where we have two agents of the agency that are coming to Mystic Bayou to work together. The hero is a banshee (a very rare one who can see deaths of others) and then we have the hero who is a psychic type of witch. So they make an intriguing pair. There is a level of mystery that is displayed throughout the story, and we get a strong focus on the other characters that we have seen in previous books and man all the laughs I was bursting out with this book was delicious. I absolutely had so much fun with this pair. But I will say what I struggled with the most was the romance. I just wasn't feeling their chemistry at all, and normally I have so much fun with it. And while I loved the other factors of the story, and it still made for a good read, is that I think that the romance really suffered. But having said that, everything else in the story was solid and I loved it. But I need my romance and it just fell a bit flat in this one for me. However, I am eager to continue on with the series here and see what Molly Harper brings to the table.
Chasing Morgan was such an interesting story and I really did like this edition. I am not sure how I would rate this series so far to be honest, each book is so different from all the others so its really difficult to even try to compare any of these. I did really enjoy seeing how this book was written though. We have a bit of a unrequited love in this book, but their romance is a bit complex so its really hard to describe what this one is actually like. I do think in order to appreciate this book though, you really need to read the previous books as their story is built over the past few novels in the series. I did find it so different from this series this author has implemented some unique elements that you just don't normally see in a standard contemporary romance. I was so fascinated by the way that it was implemented. As the heroine has some psychic abilities and I really liked seeing something so different in this book. We also have a protective FBI agent in this one, but there is some unrequited love and it can be a bit confusing at times the way that these two characters treat each other at times. On the surface, the blame falls on the hero but in reality, both of them make mistakes that build into the conflict that divides them. But once they really come together, then the romance just really ended up working so well for me. I had such a blast with this one here and I can't wait for the finale!! Jennifer Ryan always delivers such solid romance and her writing flows so effortlessly. You can never go wrong with picking up a novel from her.
Sweet Mercy is the first book in this incredibly addictive series and this is where we see the beginning of our pairing Gabriel and Mercy. I will say that I have been wanting to explore more of this author's work, especially her more edgy contemporaries. I found this one while browsing the KU library and I was completely hooked into the story. I was on board with the premise of the story and I was immediately drawn into this story. It definitely has the type of setup (that is common within certain historicals and I don't see this type of arrangement in contemporaries very often) so its always refreshing to find an author that will take this type of story on. I really fell in love with both of these characters. At the beginning of their story, they each have their own motivations, of course, but at the end of the day, there is an intense connection between them. There is also such a sexy feel to the bedroom scenes that completely worked for me and such a great start to this series.
This is the second book in the series, and we continue on with our epic series between Gabriel and Mercy, and seeing their romance begin to blossom. They begin to explore the chemistry that only gets stronger between them. There is a battle of wills as they both come from different worlds and trying to find a balance together. There are some misconceptions about each other, but I really enjoyed how devoted they are to what matters to them and are willing to fight for it. I really found Gabriel so intriguing. There is something about him that screams "black knight in shining armor" he and his brother grew up in a life that they never wanted and are wanting out but that's easier said that done. I was completely on the side of the hero though, there is something so infectious about his character and you can sense that there are hidden depths to his character and I just wanted him to find a HEA with his girl Mercy. Mercy could be a difficult character but I admired that she stuck to her principles and wasn't willing to back down from them just because she has a attraction to this sexy hero. I am really enjoying seeing where the author is taking this series.
Dirty Empire is the third installment in this four-book series and I absolutely adored seeing where this author took this story and I was beyond captivated in seeing the growth of the series here. I was so in tune with this romance and we just see so much from their romance and seeing it blossom in such beautiful ways. There is a forbidden love note to the story but it's slight, I did like seeing these two different people find their own way together in this one. Gabriel is working on getting out of the crime life and making everything legitimate, but his father wants to destroy what he has with Mercy. Seeing how devoted these two are for each other and how they are challenged in ways that you don't expect was quite unique. I really just wanted to see more of them and never wanted this story to end. I really was interested in seeing how this would develop and how they would reach their HEA. It did have an HFN feel to the end of the story but I have faith that this author will deliver that HEA in book four.
This is the fourth installment and I was so read to get to the finale of the series and I will admit that this one kept me up all night reading and I have no shame in that. I absolutely loved everything about this final installment for Gabriel and Mercy. The danger has increased and now both Gabriel and Mercy will do whatever it takes to find a way to their HEA and to have those they love safe from those that would destroy it for power's sake. They find some allies in the most unexpected places and find a strength in their relationship that only burns stronger than ever. The tenacity of Gabriel to keep his lady safe was so captivating and I really enjoyed the way that the plot unfolded in this one. There is definitely more plot focus than character driven or sex driven as we are seeing events unfold that the series has been slowly building up to. I absolutely couldn't put this one down and I adored the way we see Gabriel and Mercy reach their happy ever after. I wanted so much for them to find their own path and you really see it happen in this one. The more and more I read this author, the more I am stunned by her ability to captivate such focus and attention. If you are a fan of this author, then you can't go wrong with this one here. A definitely WINNER!!!
