Ashwin is the first book in the "Gideon Riders" series. I have had this series on my list for quite some time. I was highly intrigued about this one here. this book does start slow though, so you do need to stick with it for a while, I am glad that I did stick with it though, because it does get better, once you get to about 35%-40%. I am happy that I have stuck with this one because the world building is fascinating. I was intrigued by this author team in what they portrayed in this one. The romance is more of a slow burn, friends to lovers type of story. I was intrigued, I did feel like some details were a bit confusing at times, but eventually the pieces fell into place. I did find their connection really intriguing and curious to see more of the journey of the "Gideon Riders". I did find the conflict in the third act interesting but enjoyed how it was resolved. It was a great balance of groveling without overhwhelming the story.

Her Soul To Take was a story that I was introduced to via Instagram and Booktube. This one is all over there and some consider it a "Monster romance". I wouldn't really. The hero is a demon, so I would protray this as a dark paranormal romance. It definitely has plenty of spooky vibes with some mythological elements as well as demons that we see implemented within the storyline. I found the precept of the story to be quite fascinating and I am intrigued to read the trilogy of these books here. Now while I enjoyed it, I am not sure if it deserves the hype. Its a neat and really "cool" book, but not five star material, at least not for me. I enjoyed it, but the pacing was in and out of the story and while I enjoyed the romance and the unique bantering between these two here. Now it definitely has some edgier darker elements within the story, so iot might now work for regular PNR readers. So I would check the content warnings on this one before moving forward with it. I had a fun time with this one, and was intrigued by the atmospheric sense of the story. I am also curious to see how the other two books play out in the end.

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

First Impressions
A Little Too Late is the first book in the newest trilogy by this trio combo of authors: Sarina Bowen, Rebecca Yarros and Devney Perry. This is the first time I have read anything in this type of series this group of authors have done together. I was pretty eager for this one, and the biggest reason for that is because I have seen reviews all over the blogging sphere for “A Little Too Late” and I know how many have really enjoyed this story. I decided to pick this one up in audio, because it has two of my favorite duo, doing the dual narration and it was wonderful. I am glad that I did this one in audio because once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down and it was fantastic especially the later half of the story. Now to be honest, this story didn’t completely wow me. The relationship aspects were a bit messy and I am not a big fan of flashbacks but once these two were able to work through the mess they made and find common ground, then the story really start to glow and that is when I started to fall in love with it fully.

Summary
The gist of the story is that our main characters: Reed and Ava were once in a relationship in college. But when there was a tragedy that affected them both, a bad breakup happened due to Reed’s actions. And now Ava is working for his father, in a place he hasn’t stepped foot in around ten years. When Reed hears that his father is selling the place, he heads back home. What he finds when he gets there is the one woman he has never been able to get over. At first, tensions are high between Reed and Ava as they have unresolved issues, Ava still isn’t over the hurt that Reed caused and Reed is working n repairing his relationship with Ava and his father. But as Ava and Reed work together to find a solution for the mountain, they also begin to mend old wounds and rebuild their relationship…

What I Loved
There were many elements to this story that I ended up loving and I have to say that I was so involved in this story. I just wanted Reed and Ava to find their way to their happy ever after. I was really thrilled to see them find such common ground after the angst at the beginning of the relationship. I think what I loved most was seeing them reconnect after resolving past issues. There is quite a bit of fun antics that is played here at times, but in reality, they were a bit petty in some ways. It depends on your perspective on Ava’s character on how you react to it. I did find the whole setting of the story to be one of my favorite aspects of the story. I am a big skier and love the mountains and ski resorts, I mean I live in Utah so I kinda have to love it haha It also just has me so ready for Winter and the ski season. I just love visiting resorts in the winter time even if you don’t ski. There is such a fun culture here around it and I felt like Sarina Bowen really captured it just right here. I did enjoy the family aspects and I am curious to see the brothers come together in the trilogy. One element I love the most in books, is family connection, especially in seeing families reconnect with each other and try to work past old hurts as I think this is something relatable to most of us. The romance that is built within the story is where we see them in college in the past and then in the current timeline. I really enjoyed seeing them rebuild their relationship and find common ground with each other. It was also so interesting to see the conflict in this story and I just wanted the villains to get their justice haha

What I Struggled With
There were a few aspects to the story that I struggled with. The first is the flashbacks. To be honest, I am not a fan of flashbacks. I know some people love em, but only a few authors handle them right for me to enjoy them and unfortunately it didn’t quite work for me here. And then the petty actions especially by the heroine at the beginning of the story I felt were beneath her and her friends. It made it hard for me to want to be on her side. I understand he hurt her, but I could never see myself acting the way that she did no matter how hurt you are, and it’s been YEARS since they saw each other. Also, I felt like the first half of the story was just all over the place and a bit “messy” and I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue with the story. I do think having this story in narration saved the book for me and by the time I got to the 50% mark, I was all in for the couple.

The Narration
Sebastian York and Andi Arndt are two of my favorite narrators and I absolutely love it when we get books where they narrate a story together. They do so well for the contemporary genre in romance, and I really admired the way that this author wrote the story and seeing the way that these two had implemented the perfect tones to the story. These two have such personable voices and really capture your attention for the characters.

Overall View
I found A Little Too Late to be a captivating season romance that will have you ready to dip your toes into the winter season, with some intriguing portrayals of emotion and heart to grab your attention and make you want to cheer this couple on!

Castle of Bones is a novella that the author wrote for this time of year. I was able to do a slight buddy read of this one with Brianna. I enjoyed this book here, it was quite interesting and I always will be a fan of Kathryn Le Veque's work. One element to her writing that I always enjoy is how engaging her books are. From the prologue, I was quickly pulled into the story and I didn't want to put it down. I really enjoyed the set up and the level of the romance. Of course its a novella, so this one is a quickie. There is also some fabulous spooky gothic atmospheric vibes that are just *chef's kiss* amazing! So if you are looking for a great historical romance to read this time of year around Halloween, then I can't recommend this one enough. It is set in the 1200's so you definitely see some great aspects to the time era that I think medieval fans will quite enjoy!

Toxic is the first book in the newest series by Maggie Cole but it is connected to her "Mafia Wars" series, so if you enjoyed that book then, I think that you will really enjoy this one here. I was so in for this one here, I really don't know why I waited....oh yes I do, I knew it would be ANGSTY. We have seen this relationship teased over the last few books of the "Mafia Wars" series and I was curious to see where this author would take it. I have to say the moment that I started this one I couldn't put it down at all. Its definitely an easy book to stay up late night reading with.

The gist of the story is that, our hero and heroine: Dante and Bridget have been hooked for each other since they were teenagers. But Dante drove Bridget away and burned his bridge with her, and when he was ready, she had met her husband Sean O'Malley. Now its been almost two decades later, Bridget is a widow after seeing her husbands murder and being raped by his tormentors, and her children's lives were threatened and she left Chicago and their family. But now her children are teenagers, and hate her because she is keeping secrets to keep them safe. Dante is back in her life, forcing her to live life again but she knows her enemies are out there if she breathes a word to anyone of the truth, but will her love for Dante be enough or will the secrets be their undoing?

There was something so magnetic about this romance and I just never wanted their story to end. My heart broke for Bridget. Now we see glimpses of this in the later books of the Mafia Wars, but I was eager to see her find a HEA, she really deserves it. You can see how torn she is in the secrets, and this isn't something she can easily reveal because the families are finding traitors everywhere and she doesn't know who she can actually trust. Dante is such a solid rock for Bridget, she is struggling to live life and now she doesn't know if she let go of the past and especially Sean to embrace what she could have with Dante.

The manner in which the author wrote this story was super brilliant and I an not sure why I waited so long on this one here. I absolutely loved it and I am eager to pick up the second book. I know that one is going to be a doozy though haha However, Toxic was beyond beautiful and really captured the essence of what makes mafia so great and the layers of emotion that was delivered was so beautiful. If you are a fan of mafia romance, and have yet to read this author...you need to get your booty in gear!

"I want you, Isabella. Heart, body and soul,"


Isabella grew up in Yorkshire, and after losing her family, her uncle takes her in. Her uncle was a marquis, and very wealthy and powerful. Isabella and his daughter Lucy have become as close as thieves for the past few years. Even after a few years Isabella still has a hard time going to all the constant parties and balls, when all she wants is to stay at home and write her story. Currently she is working on a story of Lord Death, who is sinful and handsome and irresistible, and ever since she had come close to dying, that image of him has stayed with her all of these years. Then at a ball, she sees the Earl of Black whose attention is focused solely on her. He is the exact image of her Lord Death that she has created in her novel and in her dreams. There is instant sparks of passion and desire from the first moment they lay eyes on each other. Jude, The Earl of Black, has come to London for a purpose. He has a heritage, has one of the descendants of the Three Templar's, he is obligated to protect that which could bring evil to the world if its not kept hidden. He also can't deny that Isabella is the one woman that holds his heart and soul in her hands, and he plans on making sure that whatever danger she is in doesn't touch her, and that she will come to love him deeply as he does her.

This is the first time I have had a chance to read from this author. When I was browsing the shelves of the library, I was surprised to see this one on the shelves, since I had no idea that they had any of her books, so I knew I had to pick this one up. And Holy Moly, even after reading this book, I still feel the aftereffects....such a vibrant and stimulating romance that will give you shivers to the deepest part of you. There was so much intensity, I had no problem reading it from beginning to end without putting it down once. I had no idea that it would be so good, or I would have read it earlier. (I think I am going to have to buy the second one, that's for sure--that's how much I loved it)

Now from the first page, it begins with Isabella's story of Lord Death, and when I started reading this, it made my toes curl with anticipation. I knew from the start, this story would be one hell of a ride. And it surely was. We see the friendship between Isabella and Lucy, then it jumps to the party where she meets the Earl of Black, and the connection they have from the beginning is very sensual and its just a look. Even though Isabella is already being courted by a normal and safe man, she can't deny her feelings for Jude. She is very resistant because her mother had a passionate affair, and only ended up getting hurt in the end, so Isabella doesn't want the same to happen to her. The Earl of Black has come to London for two reasons...one being his duty and loyalty to the Templar's that has been in his family for generations. Also he needs Isabella, and his passion for her is so striking and I couldn't help but be drawn in the story like bees to honey. There is also quite a bit of mystery and intrigue elements that play a part in the story, that only gets the blood pumping with excitement and a sense of danger. There were many aspects that make this for a intense and dynamic story.

Now lets talk a bit about the characters, whom I fell in love with both, even the side characters. Jude, the Earl of Black, has been born in a family that comes from the Templar's, and therein lies certain responsibilities. I found Jude to be one the most breathtaking and sensual heroes I have read in a very long time. There is something so sinful about him, and tempting and makes me wish I could have traded places with Isabella at any time during the story. He is very Alpha, protective and domineering at times, but not overly too much, there is a certain balance to him, where he has another side to him, that is very tender and sweet with Isabella. I found him beyond charming. Isabella has always felt like death has always been close to her, and she isn't carefree like she sometimes wishes she was. She has suffered a bit, and has a hard time even dealing with the wealth heaped on her and being in society is the last thing she wants to do. She is a writer and even though she doesn't want to admit it, wants everything that Jude offers. I really liked Isabella, her characters was very endearing and very human at times. Its pretty easy to relate to her, I did think she could have had a bit more spine when it came to going after what you really want, but I understood her fears and her mistakes only made her seem more real. I had such a fun times getting to know the other four sub characters that are featured in the rest of the series. They gave a certain element to the story, that added a sense of conflict.

Overall I think I have found a new favorite author, that totally had me from page one. Its been a while since I have read such a intense romance that is very dramatic and sensual and is so enthralling your reading those pages as fast as you can, just to know what will happen next. I love the way Featherstone weaves such a compelling tale of sizzling chemistry, deeply rooted characters, vivid details, and a compelling love story that is heart wrenching!!! BREATHTAKING!!! A MUST READ FOR ALL!!

Favorite Quotes
"Would you let me, Isabella?" His voice dropped as he pressed closer, the moment intimate and wildly exciting. "Would you let me learn everything about you? Discover you as I want?" His gaze, blistering with intensity, burned through her skin, warming her to the very core of her being.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lucy caught her gaze, and then her eyes widened as she looked beyond Isabella's shoulder. Following her cousin's stare Isabella turned in her chair, and gasped, then looked down at the planchette and the hands that were over top her.
Black
"Wherever you are," he whispered for her ears only, "I will find you, and you will be safe with me,"

Out of Love is the second book in the Switch series, and I did receive the ARC of this, but to be honest I just wasn't in the mood for this one here. I then transferred from the Audio to the ARC back and forth, as I was struggling with the pacing of the story. I am not sure if it wasn't just my mood that I was experiencing or if it was the writing itself. Normally Ruth Cardello pulls me in so quickly into books, so I was surprised that I struggled with this one. It might mean sticking with her audiobooks for this series moving forward.

I did find the set up of the story to be quite intriguing. A farmer that is a bit of a scientist and is posing as a rich mogul haha there is a instant love connection vibe to the romance, the chemistry is solid within the story and there is some solid groveling and character growth. I did enjoy seeing what we see within the heroine. I also liked that the "secret" of the mistaken identity isn't dragged out all the way with the book. There is a strong sense of family within this one. I did enjoy seeing the strong connection of the parental love that is focused in this book. And I really enjoyed seeing the heroine come into her own strength especially in learning to fight for what she wants and seeing the relationship with her father getting more depth to it and get some truths revealed there. I found the romance itself to be quite endearing though. I loved how the heroine didn't force the hero to grovel too long, that she was able to see his side of it and be forgiving of it.

If you are a fan of this author, then this is definitely going to be an enjoyable addition to her works for you!

After having such a wonderful time with the first book "Honor" I have been wanting to get back to this series and this author. I really always enjoy her books, and I love how more gritty her contemporaries feel and that she isn't afraid to write interracial romance and representation which is done super well here. I also enjoyed the way in that these two come together. It didn't quite make it to a five star read for me, part of that was because of the narration. To be honest, I don't recommend the narration, I would say go with it physically reading it, the narration kinda threw me off on this one here and it took me out of the romance at times. I did enjoy the way that these two come together though. Their relationship was quite fascinating. I enjoyed how they don't resist for too long what they feel for each other. I would have hoped a bit more focus on the relationship, and its possible it was there, but the narration really threw me off on this one here. But the story was super solid, it had wonderful steam in the story, and the character depth was on point. If you are a fan of this author, then this is a must read for you. She crafts such beautiful gritty world building with Breaking Point and I can't wait to explore her other works set in this world.

Flawless is the first book in the Chestnut Springs series and this one was so delicious. I discovered this one through both booktube and bookstagram and its been taking the bookish community by storm. So I decided to try this one out, especially with it being a western. This story is set in Canada, and specifically souther Albert, (which felt so relatable as I have family that live there including an uncle who has had a farm/ranch there). So I totally felt the setting of the small town.

This is such an intriguing one, and it was such an enjoyable charming sexy read. I am really seeing why so many people are loving this one. I adored everything about this book. I won't say that it was a page turner, which is really the only detractor from this one, and kept it from being a five star read. It had so much beautiful heart and emotion and barrels of laughs, and so many "romantic" feels to it. I adored the family banter and the relationships that get introduced. I loved that the hero is a bull rider, I feel like those aren't common and its one of my favorite sports and makes for a great romance. Elsie Silver did a spectacular job with this one here. I was so fascinated by the romance and seeing them in the forbidden forced proximity situation and seeing them work through issues and hurdles and work their way through their happy ever after.

I do think that many contemporary romance fans are going to have a fun time with this one!