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

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨


First Impressions
Vicious Hearts is the second in the “Dark Hearts” series and I found this installment to be quite interesting. After the first book, I was really curious about Cillian’s book and after seeing a raving review of this one from “The Book Refuge” I was highly intrigued by it especially as it features a psychopath of a hero and an assassin heroine. Even though this setup doesn’t always work out for me, I was still curious about it and I really fell hard for this world in the first book and I was fascinated to see where the author would take this one, especially in seeing a male author portraying their take on a dark romance. While its not a perfect read, it’s a delightfully entertaining one. If you are a fan of mafia romance, then I highly recommend it.

First Line
To Kill monsters, you have to know the darkness.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Cillian
Cillian is the head of Irish mafia, and the head of his family. He has psychopathic tendencies and will protect his family at ALL costs. He is an alpha male, highly possessive, and dominant in and out of the bedroom.

The Heroine: Una
An assassin in training, her father is the enemy of the Kildare’s and tried to kill Cillian and his niece. She is determined to save one she loves, even if that means going into the lion’s den to kill her target.

Summary
Una, is being blackmailed, in order to save her twin brother’s life. She would do anything for her brother no matter what. They were trained as kids to be assassins, even though they thought that they had escaped that life, the darkness is now ready to consume her again. And the target that she is given is Cillian, the head of the Irish mafia. What she doesn’t expect is that while on the mission to assassinate Cillian, they form a sexual connection to each other and something deeper forms between them. Even though Cillian is furious, there is something holding him back from killing his prey, he instead wants to discover all of her secrets and own her body and soul. They enter into an agreement of marriage of convenience and it will throw their families off but their relationship forms something more tangible and we see what a love match between a mafia psychopath and a assassin would look like…

What I Loved
Vicious Hearts is an action packed romance that definitely delivers on all fronts. I absolutely had so much fun with this story and most especially these characters. Unlike the first book, this has a whole different type of enemies to lovers element to it. Its apparent that this is what the author prefers to write as the whole series seems to be enemies to lovers, but this one really seemed to work for me. And man their dynamic is so fiery hot. So be prepared for plenty of hot scenes and some BDSM elements. From their first meeting though, chemistry is explosive. I really enjoyed how Jagger Cole writes the more sexual scenes. Definitely knows how to write well done spice. While these scenes are super hot, there is also something more building within the scenes themselves and I found myself being impressed with the careful buildup of this quality within the sexual moments.

The tension between them that is outside of their sexual relationship, makes so much sense. In the first book, we see how evil Una’s father is and in this one we see another side of evil to him that not even his own children were protected from and in fact received it worse as he manipulated them in the worst of ways and because of how they were treated as kids, they both suffered as they matured. The last element to this story that I expected was to see a marriage of convenience but honestly it ended up working even if Cillian’s family wasn’t completely supportive of it. It made sense that they would come to this agreement with each other.

What really made this couple really work for me in the end though was seeing how they each had darkness they had to battle. There are black in each of their hearts, and neither of their individual upbringings were positive and both carry deep scars and this is where a marriage and even a emotional intimacy between them really makes sense. They understand each other in a way that they could never be understood by those closest to them. I really admired the way in which Jagger Cole was able to build upon this element and when these two fight for each other…its pretty kick ass!

And the ENDING….we have to talk about this ending haha This is what made me a Cillian stan forever! This hero is WILD and crazy especially when those he loves is in danger. And what he is willing to do to protect them, well he literally is a psychopath and the manner in which he goes about it was hilarious, and intense. He gets creative and has to battle the villain in only the ways this villain can be battled with dark intent and crazy maneuverings. But it works and his family remained safe. Poor God of War is all I am going to say haha

What I Struggled With
Now this is NOT a perfect book. I wish it was, but this author just hasn’t reached five star status for me. Now these books aren’t bad or anything. In fact I absolutely have a crazy fun time with them. But there was just something missing to keep it from getting a higher rating. Its really long and I do wish that there was a bit more softer intimate moments between our couple. Even in a super angsty read I still need those vulnerable moments between a couple, and only saw a fraction of it.


Overall View
Vicious Hearts is a powerfully engaging read that will keep you in tenderhooks from beginning to end. It’s a tale of darkness, of the forbidden and of connecting two dark damaged souls that when brought together is a force of nature.

Favorite Quote(s)
“This might all be for show,” he growls, his hand cupping my cheek as the other arm circles my back. “And you might have fucking stabbed me, and there might be an expiration date to all this.” I tremble as green fire ignites behind his eyes. “But I will never let anything or anyone hurt you.”


“I might be broken, Una….” The words rasp in my ear as I lose myself in him, feeling him utterly take control, claiming every part of me. “But I’ve never felt more fixed than when I’m with you.”

Two black hearts. Two broken black pieces, glued back together with gold.

She makes the chaos in my head…” I shrug. “Slightly less chaotic. That thing in me—the violence. It’s quieter with her.

It means I want to find the dark, black, parts of you and rip them out,” I rasp. “It means I want to expose those needs you have that you’re so ashamed of that you keep them hidden away, and inflict them upon you until you’re mine.

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Dark Suspense Romance
Character Type: Alpha Male, Mafia, Assassin-Female, Psychopath
Themes: Family Connections, Danger, BDSM, Praise Kink, Dirty Talkin, Kick Ass Scenes
Tropes: Blackmail, Fake Relationship, Marriage of Convenience, Enemies to Lovers, May to December(Age Gap).

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes! You definitely want to read this series 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.
 

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

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻.5
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒.5
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞.5
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖.5
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.5


First Impressions
Reckless Refuge is the fourth installment in the “Wrecked” series and in this one we have such a different pairing then I was expecting but it completely delivered in ways which I wasn’t quite expecting. I think what really worked for me on this on here, was all the relationship building aspects that we get while also the plot being so well built up throughout the story. Reckless Refuge is a story of discovering one’s own strength, learning to let go and embrace the present. It’s a tale of unforgettable connection, of true unconditional love that extends beyond expectations and devotion to those you love the most. In embracing one’s talents and standing on your own. Reckless Refuge is guarantee to dig through reservations and setbacks and deliver flawlessly from beginning to end.

First Line
It Burned. Everywhere and nowhere. Slices in my skin that made it feel as if hot lava had been poured into my flesh.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Brody
Brody is a creator, he indulges in the art form and uses his art to express himself. He is famous in his field but craves more in his life than artistic indulgences. He is a protector when its needed and while he has money of his own, its money self made.
The Heroine: Shay
Shay is on the run from an enemy whom she can’t predict. Her parents were murdered by her own brother who is a psychopath and she lives on the edge waiting for him to find her and knows its only a matter of time. But Brody gives her breath of true living.

Summary
In Reckless Refuge, we have a story that brings together the two most unlikely souls to meet but when they do, they will fight to keep each other. Our hero, Brody, is a self made, artist who is looking for some peace and a refuge from the storm of betrayal of his own. He settles on a quiet island on the Oregon coast. His caretaker, Shay, is quiet and strong. She is hiding many scars and he is determined to dig deep into those scars and find the true woman she hides beneath her tough exterior. Shay has only known pain and hiding, of always living in the shadows. She loves life and creating in her gardens, and she prefers her solitude until she meets Brody. Brody is a man that is willing to shelter her from the storm and provide a safe haven for Shay to truly dismantle the shield she uses, and be who she was born to be. But there is an enemy on the horizon, seeking to destroy them both…

What I Loved
Reckless Refuge is a story that has all the creative flair that we are used to seeing with Catherine Cowles. I have yet to read a book from her that I haven’t gobbled up and the same holds true for Reckless Refuge. I absolutely couldn’t seem to get enough of these two. There is such a deep connection that they have together. And I really enjoyed that the inner conflict between them is very minimal. I do love outer conflict in a relationship, and this author just handles it so so well. I am always amazed by how much I fall in love with her style of capture the essence of the characters she embodies within her stories and delivering such depth and relatability within it.
This is a story that is guaranteed to tear through the emotions of the reader. Don’t expect anything light or tame when it comes to Catherine Cowles. I also really loved the strong sense of community that we get within this story. We see such a lovely supporting cast and some favorites of the series that enter into this one here that I completely adored. I truly became so endeared by each of these and their interactions with Brody and Shay.

The relationship that forms between Brody and Shay is just so brilliant. Brody is a take charge type of individual. He doesn’t back down from conflict if he can help it. I love what a multi dimensional character he turns out to be in here. I also became so intrigued with how he reacted to Shay. Shay on the surface is a bit prickly but when you take away what she is hiding from and how many parts of herself she has had to hide, you see her vulnerabilities that she tries to hide from everyone because she can’t afford any weakness. She was terrorized by her brother who is a true psychopath, also second to her brother and her parents always doing whatever they could to pacify him and work with him but in the end, he killed them mercilessly and almost did the same to her. She still lives with the scars and mutilations on her body. But Brody accepts her for who she is and only encourages her to shine. The way he is able to give her the space of trust and peace and let her shed that protective skin and embrace her true talents was so endearing. We definitely see the struggle but we also see her drive and passion that he is able to bring out in her. There is such a sweet level of trust that forms between them that is so heartfelt and leaves you with a smile.
The plot of the story is one that will definitely keep you on your toes. And there are multiple plot lines and its interesting how she built these up and combined them in such a way that you don’t expect certain developments. She really keeps you on the edge because we see how they are individually built throughout the story, and the intrigue and mystery that is behind them and the way that our characters react to the conflict that they are faced with. Its quite a curious way in which Cowles is able to add some depth and great complexity to the actions involving our villains that become the focus point of the story.

What I Struggled With
To be honest, as I read this one a couple of days, I don’t quite remember what issues I had with this one. I think the only element is there was a plot line with Brody and his PR, and the conflict there just didn’t feel as resolved as I would have preferred it to be. And also in the third conflict there was also a bit of a small plot hole dealing with the cyber friend of Shay. We never really figure out what happened with her. Its possible I missed it, but it was never covered on what happened there or how the brother was able to trick the heroine in the manner in which he used.

Overall View
Reckless Refuge is a poignant and invigorating romance that will delve into the challenging and difficult and have you daring these characters to embrace the best parts of themselves and embracing the love they discover in each other….truly a win of a romance!

Favorite Quote(s)
“My music is for me. I don’t need praise.” Her words hit me, each one a blow to the chest. That was exactly it. The thing I needed to get back. To create for no one but myself.

“I’ve always said that my art is a glance into the darkness. I think you have to face it. In others. In yourself. It’s when you push it down, ignore it, that it swallows you whole.”

Something told me that if I let myself fall, Brody James could make me feel more alive than I ever had before.

“Not one thing about you is ugly. The only thing those scars prove is that you can walk through fire and survive. I can’t think of anything more beautiful than that.”

“I love you. Your strength and empathy. Your determination and fire. The way you see things in me no one ever has. I know it’s soon, but hiding the truth doesn’t feel right either. I’ve been holding onto those words for weeks, and I need you to know they’re yours.”


Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Character Types: Caretaker, Gardener, Prickly Heroine, Artist, Scarred Heroine
Themes: Small Town, Coastal, Danger, MC on the run, Secrets
Tropes:Forced Proximity, Boss and Employee

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Recommendation For Reading Order
You can read these as standalones if needed, but for the secondary character connections, 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.
 

 

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

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔
Hero(s): 🦸🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine (s):🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨


First Impressions
Ride With Me is a duology of a combination of two different authors and two different series and seeing their world collide. Its also more of a extended epilogue type of story that feature both couples. We each get a novella into what is happening with their happily ever after and I actually really enjoyed these coming together. There is plenty of feels, not much as far as plot necessarily is concerned, but its definitely written in a way to finish off these generations and lead into the second generation of books or at least from where Ryan Michele is concerned. As this is my first Chelsea Camaron, I am not sure what the series is like for her, but after I go through this world with Ryan Michele, I definitely want to explore more of Chelsea Cameron. It definitely had some similar writing style to it.

First Line
"Souther bred, southern fed, and Lux, I'll damn sure be southern when I'm dead. Love you,babe, but New York ain't the place to be."

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Drexel and Cruz
Drexel is a hard, biker and MC is the only life for him. He is duty bound to his brothers forever but is wanting to give his woman the world.

Cruz, is a dad and wants to be a husband to his princess, but the biker way is the only way of life for him but wants to be everything for his family, no matter what.

The Heroine: Lux and Princess
Lux is a classy type of woman, who has dedicated herself to being part of the MC world. But she is having to adjust to a different way of life and it not being easy. But wanting to give her man every part of her and something special on the side.

Princess has always lived the life in the MC world, but her life is about to change when she learns that she is pregnant. She will see a different side to motherhood and the sacrifices she might have to make for her children.

Summary
In the installment that we receive from the author "Chelsea Camaron" we have a set up of where Rex and Lux and learning what it means to be together and wanting to give each other the world and that being part of a MC means sacrifice for their club. They both want to give each other the best wedding of the century, but realize that all they need each other and their families to celebrate their love. Its a story of hard truths about the rough life they both signed on for but willing to stand by each other no matter what.

Princess and Cruz are living their best lives in the MC and being the parents to their little guy who has captured the heart of every biker in the Ravage MC. But when Princess learns that she is pregnant not with just one baby, but twins, her life will drastically change. Her loyalty has always been to the club, but now she is learning what sacrifice and love is all about for her babies and being the woman that is the heart of their family.

What I Loved
These were both adorable stories, with plenty of splice of life feels to them. These are more life extended epilogues, with a slight epilogue to them but it's not super pronounced. Just expect plenty of smexy times and lots of emotion and feels to get you through it all. I absolutely adored the way in which we see them come together and how these two stories connect but yet are different. I really found the writing for Chelsea Camaron to be so fascinating. There is an element that I really enjoyed being focused on here in that the biker lifestyle is hard to adapt to and enjoyed the way that we see Lux adjust a bit and fight for her man and give him a beautiful day.

Then we get to Cruz and Princess and loved seeing them together again. I will admit their story was my least favorite of the series but they have been so elemental throughout the series and I just love little Coop. But when we see Princess get pregnant, wow boy, we really see such a more maternal change within Princess and seeing her go through a pregnancy, their style of a wedding and seeing them face some struggles with having twins and standing together as a family was so heartfelt! Definitely worked my emotions so good here.

If you love seeing extended epilogues in a series you start to love, then you definitely need to pick this up here. I absolutely adored it so deeply. Definitely very splice of life and just endearing. Especially for the Ravage MC series, this is a good finale before we get to the 2nd generation which is what is up next so I am very excited for it.

What I Struggled With
Too much focus on the sex factor in the relationship. Its an aspect that isn't my favorite in MC books where everything is about sex and nothing else sometimes and that seemed to be the vibe that was focused on a bit and I could have used it a bit less.

Overall View
Ride With Me Is a delightful installment that will intrigue, fascinate, and tangle with your emotions in the most delightful way!

Favorite Quote(s)
This is what it’s all about: family riding through every curve of life together.


“Today, I vow that in sickness, health, richer, poorer, ups, downs, lefts, and rights, I ride with you and you ride with me until the very end of our days.”

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance
Character Types: Bikers
Themes: Motorcycle Club, Hot Smexy Times, Married Couple Pairing, Tear Jerker
Tropes: Accidental Pregnancy

Book Perspective
Alternating POV

Recommendation For Reading Order
You don't need to read these books in order if you don't want to. You might be missing some details on their original pairing set up, but its easy to get lost in and catch onto details. I was just fine with the Hellions novella even though I haven't read that series yet.

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.

 

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

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥.5
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨

First Impressions
Insta-Family is the third installment in the Forbidden Descendents series. This is a series that feature the kids of the Forbidden Men books. And in this one we have the daughter of Noah and Aspen and this is a story that definitely has some forbidden themes of sorts and might have some taboo elements for some readers. Personally, the taboo aspects didn't bother me at all and I was really intrigued by the set up of this one here and how Linda Kage implemented it throughout the story. There is such a strong sense of family and tough emotional baggage that is worked through, so definitely expect a tear jerker of a read. Its also contains in depth character growth and some triggering content, so make sure to check the content warnings on this one especially as it might be difficult for some if you are easily triggered by certain aspects.

First Line
The Scuffle of shoes on a nearby sidewalk had me unclenching my jaw and opening my eyes.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Vaughn
Retired student, working in a electrical usage company, protective, responsible and determined to protect his brother no matter what.

The Heroine: Lucy
Lucy, part of the Forbidden Men clan, always had family around her. She is bubbly and kind hearted and a bit shy when it comes to the sex department, and has a compassionate heart to the detriment at times of her own first experiences.

Summary
Lucy Gamble, when she hears of a work friend dying of cancer, begs her to have sex with him, and so she does out of a good heart, even though the experience was weird and not enjoyable for her at all. But what shocks her more is that she finds herself pregnant a week after the death of the baby's father. She immediately goes to the brother, Vaughn, to get any family momentos for her daughter. Vaughn when he learns of what has happened, becomes a student of babies, and is determined that his niece is cared for and taken for. Even though Vaughn and Lucy got off on the wrong foot, they bond over this new life that wraps their fingers around her heart. But Vaughn is mourning his brother and has lost his whole family and has no one left. He is all alone, and Lucy and her family gather around Vaughn in his most desperate moments to show him what being part of a family is all about and get him on the road to grieving his loss and finding joy in life again...

What I Loved
This story completely broke my heart in so many ways! I mean this author always delivers plenty of heart that is for sure, and there are some wonderful laughs along the way, however, this book will tear you apart emotionally. What we see is our hero who is going through the grieving process in this book and its really hard to see him struggle his loss but seeing the way it affects Lucy and her family is so heartwarming. They really come together and stand by each other and realize how lucky they are to have such a warm and big loving family to support each other through the good and especially the bad times.

Then we have our heroine, Lucy, who is more than happy to be a mother even if she will need to do it by herself. But I adored seeing her growth and seeing her take on the challenge with her family always being her support. We do see how she learns to accept help and support. She really struggles with these aspects, probably because of her family, she wants to feel independent from them as I am sure it can be overwhelming being a part of such a large brood of people haha but we also see the way she connects with Vaughn. She wants more with him and there is a strong chemistry between them even when she has just given birth, there is definitely more between them, so much so that even her parents sense it. But the one that is more in denial in the relationship, is the hero. She is the mother of his niece, and for Vaughn, he feels like its a betrayal to his brother even though his brother is long gone and his brother and Lucy had just a one night stand and didn't even like each other.

Once they start working through their issues though, is where we see their relationship really deepen and the way in which we see Vaughn working through his grief along the way was phenomenal and how even Vaughn is able to help some of Lucy's family because he sees a different perspective helps their healing that they have neglected (especially a certain couple that we have seen in this series have a miscarriage). But seeing him find this family and love and a new chapter in his life was worth the journey. This is more of a slow burn, because you know the heroine just had a baby so its not like she can have sex right away haha and Vaughn is going through healing first before anything sexual can really happen between them. But I adored their journey and Linda Kage won my heart once again! She just never fails for me.

What I Struggled With
It was so emotional and I was crying all over the place haha I would have liked to see our couple get together in their relationship a bit earlier in the relationship though. But everything else was top notch.

Overall View
Insta-Family is a heartbreaking but satisfying romance that will dig deep on your emotional threshold and have you connecting with these characters in a phenomenal way that you will least expect....a true favorite of the year!

Favorite Quote(s)
My brother was going to be a father, and a part of him was going to continue in this world. The Merrill line wasn’t going to end with me, after all. I still had family left. Something to live for.


“You never have to do anything alone again. Not in this family. Not unless you just want to. And someone will probably prevent you from that, even then.”


“Lucy is not off the table. She is the table.

“It’s not tormenting me,” he swore savagely. “You are there—up front and center—every time I’m happy. I’m at peace around you. I come alive when I see you. I’m fucking in love with you, Lucy. Those are not bad things.”

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Character Types: Tortured Hero, Cinnamon Roll
Themes: Found Family, Family Bonds, Slow Burn, Laughs and Giggles, Kids, Taboo, Tear Jerker
Tropes: Accidental Pregnancy, Grumpy Sunshine, Opposites Attract

Book Perspective
Dual POV

Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes, highly recommend reading this in order. Even if you don't read the Forbidden Men series, see the connections on her website, and read at least the descendents in her reading order including the novella's.

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.---There aren't many sex scenes in this book, due to the slow burn nature of the story, but you start seeing it about 50% and later in the story.
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.

 

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

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️.5
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨

First Impressions
Twisted Lies is the finale book in the "Twisted" series and this is a story that we saw building a bit within "Twisted Hate" so if you have read the series in order, then you will not be surprised by the characters that come into play with this one. And we also get a teaser with the hero of the first book of her connecting series "Kings of Sin". Which *hint--I am super stoked for that book as we got a little prequel scene for King of Wrath*. But in Twisted Lies we also have quite a crafty and cunning story of a man that holds many secrets and pines in such a beautiful way after the woman who holds his heart and fascination even if he won't fully admit it to himself. Its a story of solid plot devices, an alpha anti hero finding his journey and a heroine finding her own footprint in life.

First Line
"Stella!" My Heart rate sped up.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Christian Harper
Christina, established tycoon and businessman as well as very able in anything security related. He commands many and holds many secrets under his belt and will do anything for the woman he calls "HIS".

The Heroine: Stella Alonso
Shy and introverted, a romantic at heart and working two jobs and building her dreams of establishing her own fashion brand. A curly haired, dark skinned young woman who is determined to forge her own path despite the reservations her family has to keep her down.

Summary
Christan Harper poses as the owner of her condo complex, although around when she least expects him to be. He is hiding his own secrets concerning Stella. Stella has been working hard at her fashion industry job but is shocked when her boss fires her but she crafts a plan and this plan means that she will need to have a fake boyfriend. And when she darinly comes to Christian with her plan, they come to a mutually beneficial agreement. He needs arm candy for his business functions and she needs a boyfriend to build her fashion brand and no love or sex will come into play. But the chemistry between Christian and Stella build into a crescendo, and when a stalker comes into play and torments Stella, Christian will do anything to protect this woman who is capturing his heart despite his fight against it...

What I Loved
Twisted Lies is one of my favorites of the series but honestly I think books 2, 3 and 4 tie with each other haha They are all flawless for me in their own unique dynamics and the same is true with Twisted Lies. I adored reading Stella's book and seeing these two come together was my catnip. There is something so fascinating about well done interracial pairings and the author really did this so well. Its written in the way that the Liz Tomforde books are, so if you enjoy that style of diverse pairings, you will really get caught into the way that Christian and Stella come together. I really related with Stella's personality and her dynamic with her family. You sense her struggle and just instantly cheer her on in pursuing her own dreams. I was so easily drawn into her character and immediately fell hard for her.

Then we have our delectable hero, Christian, and he is a piece of work. This is not a cinnamon roll hero, keep that in mind. He is most definitely an alpha male with some anti hero elements to his character. He definitely doesn't have a clean record but the way in which he pursues Stella actually quite worked for me. But when you read a more edgier contemporary romance, you can't expect the hero to be lily white and smelling of roses. I truly became endeared to his crafty nature and he is the perfect specimen to protect Stella from her stalker. He has such a cynisism to love that I was so easily drawn into. I wanted so much for this hero and the ways in which he pines for Stella, was so endearing. He hates love, but yet Stella is a woman he never can stop thinking about and she works her way through into the deepest parts of himself. Seeing his journey in discovering what love truly does for one was incredible and this author did a powerful job in captivating on this element. Its what really held my attention all the way through is seeing his journey from being cyrnical in love to being a man willing to fight to the death if necessary for the woman who holds his heart.

Their story was so interesting, because even though there is a agreement to not have sex or to have any elements of a real relationship, they really find their own way throughout this one. I just wanted so much for them to find their HEA. Seeing the bantering between the friends and their partners was so endearing. I loved it when they all got together especially in how they would drive Christian crazy. He can be so moody haha and it was such a fun element to see brought into the story.

The romance itself was truly incredible. What growth we see in their relationship and Ana Huang wrote a true gem of a read here. We see two people that are so different from each other but in some ways, they just seem to click right. The yearning that we see grow within this story was so intimate at times, and sweet quite times that we see this couple truly find their beating heart in the relationship is where it truly shines. When they embrace what they are feeling for each other, and yearn to understand the deeper sides of themselves and each other portrays such development to the reader. The sex scenes in this book are super steamy and quite frankly "smokin' hot" LOL. Ana Haung really knows how to write her spice thats for sure. But the scenes that we witness in this story make sense for this couple and its going to be enough to make your toes curl. Truly was so in love with these two and their beautiful journey that I never wanted to end.

What I Struggled With
There wasn't much I struggled with. Its not a perfect book and there will be some aspects that might trouble some readers. But these aspects don't bother me at all. I did feel like the heroine could have forgiven the hero a bit sooner than she did. I am not sure why she was so shocked by what she finds out. But its part of the story and I get why she felt betrayed at the time especially with her history of being stalked, but the way Christian does it is different and when he pours his heart out, I felt like the way she treats him post that sharing, was too harsh even if she was hurt.

Narration
The narration was done so beautiful. You had the same narrators for this one that I believe have done the whole series. And both of them handled the individual POV's so well, especially as I had physically read this book along with the narration, and they really emphasized on certain emotional moments that captured the deeper development of the relationship so well. Their voices felt so right for the characters and really implemented the personalities just right. I especially love the sound of the voice of the heroine, she just made the heroine come alive as her POV is much more present throughout the story than Christian's POV is.

Overall View
Twisted Lies is a sensually provocative romance that burns deeply into the reader and will touch your soul in such enigmatic ways. TRULY MESMERIZING!

Favorite Quote(s)
Some photos were worth a thousand words. This photo only said one. Mine

If my thoughts were chaos, she was my anchor. They always went back to her

“I thought you don’t believe in love,” I teased.
“You’re right. That was the wrong word … Because love is ordinary. Mundane. And you, Stella … You’re extraordinary.”

You will always be my first, last, and only love.

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance/Dark Romance
Character Type: Protector, Alpha Male, Anti Hero, Billionaire, Black heroine, Photograph/Influencer, Bodyguard/Security
Themes: BDSM, Hot Spicy Times, Danger Element, Stalking, Interracial Love, Pining Hero, Praise Kink, Slow Burn.
Tropes: Fake Dating, Grumpy Sunshine, Unrequited Love

Book Perspective
Dual POV

Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes you want to read these books in order. At minimum you will want to read Twisted Hate prior to this one.

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
Cindy Kay
 

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

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥.5
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞.5
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨


First Impressions
Capture the Sun is the third and the finale in the "Starlights Shadow" trilogy and if you have been paying attention to the series, then you know the plot is coming to a climax in this installment and that there are some unresolved issues to be worked through with our couple of this installment. This was also a couple I wasn't looking forward to, I knew that there would be plenty of angst, and some of this author's heroines, don't always work out for me. However, I was hopeful for this one here. And while I really enjoyed my time with this one, it was a bit lackluster for me personally.

First Line
I'd sworn I would never set foot on Valovia again, but I was about to prove myself a liar.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Nilo
A Valvolain Teleporter, has psychic abilities, and has to be careful around touching but has secrets of his own and reservations when it comes to Lexi.

The Heroine: Lexi
A recovery specialist, strong and sassy, and has to get creative in order to be a survivor. She tends to lean towards thievery and is out to defeat the FHP.

Summary
Lexi Bowen hasn't felt much shame in the profession that she has chosen for herself. Even those she called family, she knows don't approve of what she does, she does what she needs to in order to survive and get ahead of the FHP. She was left for dead once and refuses to risk that ever happening again. Her morals tend to fluctuate at times, but loyalty to those she loves always is a priority but her first loyalty is to herself. When she bumps into Nilo again, she is afraid to open her heart to him as she did once before and he hurt her in ways she won't even admit to herself. But as they join forces and start a fling of sorts, the heart is bound to get involved...

What I Loved
There were many elements to this story that became redeemable for me in this one. One is the world building in how Jessie Mihalik is able to craft her stories. She is a powerhouse of a storyteller especially in the world building and plot aspects of a story. Its what I really look forward to every time I pick up one of her books and in this one it really delivered on all fronts where those elements are concerned. You definitely know what you will get with a Mihalik novel and its so fun to see such an author becoming so well known and well loved. The bantering between these two are beyond entertaining. Its an interesting dynamic in how the author implements humor, because it comes out of nowhere at times when the reader least expects it. I absolutely fell so hard for the hero, Milo. He is one sexy man that is packed with secrets and mystery and I just wanted to dig deep into his character and even though this is more from the perspective from Lexi, I appreciated what we received from the hero in this one and the type of man he becomes with Lexi. The plot of this finale will definitely take your breath away, especially once we get to the third act of the story, is where it really builds into such a thrilling crescendo and loved how all the little details get tied together.

What I Struggled With
I really struggled with the heroine in this one. I do think I need to be in a certain mindset to truly enjoy this type of heroine and I just don't think I was in for Lexi. She is a character that I haven't truly enjoyed in the trilogy and I was curious if Mihalik would be able to redeem her character for me. While there was some positive aspects to her growth that we see in this one, she was so emotionally constipated to the point that it really starts to rub you the wrong way. I honestly wanted to shake some sense into this gal, she was challenging to relate with at times.

Overall View
Despite some of my reservations, Capture The Sun is a story that will leave you in suspense in the most delightful way. Its a story of adventure, sassy characters, and a journey worth taking a chance on...

Favorite Quote(s)
Nilo had somehow wormed his way into my heart, and I wasn't above trying to steal his in return.

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Character Types: Thief, Sassy and Snarky
Themes: Psychic Abilities, Angst, Ship Star Faring Adventures, Space Opera, World Building a Focus
Tropes: Fling, Enemies to Friends to Lovers

Book Perspective
1st POV

Recommendation For Reading Order
I do recommend reading this series in order due to the nature of the world building and the details in which we see building within each book. And there are circumstances and moments that happen between this couple that occur in previous books that will make more sense if you read those prior to this one.

Steam/Spice Explanations
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes. There is a steady amount of sex scenes, not super explicit but not soft either. Its steady and strong throughout the story. 

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

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨


First Impressions
Beast is the seventh book in the Galactic Gladiators series, and this is an installment that has been building throughout the series. It's a story that brings together a group of people that through a set of circumstances have formed a found family of sorts. In this book we have a set up where our pair get together early on in the book, their relationship has been building in the past few books, so there is already an established foundation to their bond. It features some challenging issues such a abuse, PTSD, and near death experiences, so keep that in mind and pay attention to the trigger warnings if those are needed for you.

First Line
An enraged road woke her.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Vek'ker
A blue colored humanoid warrior, with scars and tattoos that layer his skin, taken prisoner as a child, forced on drugs and to fight in underground battles and held prisoner most of his life. Finds peace in the singing voice of Mia.

The Heroine: Mia
A young earth woman, kidnapped from earth and then rescued from slavers on an alien gladiator world, adopted into the found family of the Galen Gladiators, with many talents including abilities to pilot aircraft and a siren like singing voice.

Summary
Both Vek and Mia have known the experiences of being held captive against their wills and have a strong core of iron wills at the heart. Mia is in a strange world, but has discovered a found family with a unique group of gladiators who help rescue innocent men and women. Mia was rescued by them twice and she now calls them her own even if she is one that could never fight in the gladiator fighting stadium. Vek has only known a life of being a prisoner. He doesn't remember his life before he was held prisoner. He was experimented on with drugs and forced to fight in the underground fighting rings, and even though he has been rescued and in a safe environment, sometimes is unable to control his more animalistic urges that were forced upon him. The only solace he finds is the singing melody of Mia's voice and her sweet compassionate nature. Vek and Mia form a tight bond and their relationship goes into deeper levels, when they go on the search for missing human women in the desert and find only strife, challenge and unforseen adversity that only together will they conquer in the end...

What I Loved
Beast is honestly my favorite book of the whole series, there was something so much more to this installment than what I have read so far. This is not to say that the previous books aren't entertaining or fun in their own ways, however, there is something in this story that resonates for the reader on a deeper relatable level. This relationship with Vek and Mia I have been aching for and seeing it finally come together was truly poignant at times. Their chemistry was stunning and they really know how to embrace each other and support one another when it matters most. There is an almost mystical feeling to their bond.

They also are so in for each other all the way. Vek and Mia always see the core of each other and only encourage one another. They have this 100% support system for each other, no matter what they individually struggle with. They work together as a team and always have each other's back even among the Galen group. Their faith in each other is truly humbling. And when the story pushes their limits, the moment when they need each other, is truly heartfelt. This story will have you in your feels in ways you won't expect or even see coming. I was not expecting this book to tear my heart apart, or to see the struggle be so relatable to the human experience. It strikes deeply to the heart and refuses to let you go. I want to applaud the author for being able to captivate the moment in such a way, you will feel like time stops.

While this story was built up through previous books, it was satisfying and worth the wait completely. I couldn't get enough of these two and they melted my heart from beginning to end. Never worry though that there isn't conflict in the story. The conflict though resides outside of the relationship, and loved the moments of partnership between Vek and Mia that we see built so steadily throughout the story.

What I Struggled With
There wasn't anything I struggled with. This one is a bit more serious than other books though, so keep that in mind as it won't be as fun feeling as some of the others have felt. Its also not long, its only a little over 200 pages so it builds fast. I would have liked to see a bit more about the hero's world though and maybe seeing more grief or loss aspects from the heroine, as she is close to her family and will never see them. We didn't really get much focus on that aspect. Of course, its shorter than your typical novel, so it didn't detract from my enjoyment as a whole.

Overall View
I found Beast to be a captivating installment that delivered in well thought out plot building, sizzling sensuality and moments of heart and emotion to satisfy you in the end...

Favorite Quote(s)
Everything I’ve suffered, I would suffer again for the chance to hold you in my arms.

I’ve searched my entire life for you. I traveled across the galaxy to find my place, and it’s with you. All I’ve ever wanted is to find the thing that clicks, that feels right, that feeds my soul. All I’ve ever wanted is a person to love me just as I am. A person I love just as they are. Vek, you’re my one thing. I love you.

And the future was laid out ahead of them, filled with freedom and bright shining opportunities. But most of all, it would be filled with love.

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Character Types: Alien Hero, Virgin Hero, Alphamellow Hero, Sweet Heroine, Gladiator, Pilot, Singer/songwriter, Tortured Hero, Warrior/Soldier/Fighter.
Themes: Elements of Danger, Heart/Touching Feels, Found Family, Couple Together Early On, Slave trade/Human Trafficking, Character Experimented On, Mental Illness, PTSD Trauma, Ship Faring Adventures.
Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Protector

Book Perspective
3rd POV

Recommendation For Reading Order
I do recommend reading this series in order due to the overall serial plot developments. For this one specifically, I recommend reading at least "Books 4-6" prior to reading "Beast".

Steam/Spice Explanations
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes. While there isn't a ton of sex scenes in this book, the ones that we have in this story are more explicit in nature.
 

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

Introduction
Deviant Hearts was the pick for our Dark Romance Book Club. (If you want an invite or love dark romance, DM me :) ) and this is an author that I have been wanting to read for multiple of reasons. One is that he is becoming very popular, and I adore male romance authors. They just are rare in the genre and I do think that they have so much to give to the community. In this one, we see a male author writing dark mafia romance and I actually think this is a solid mafia romance and will appeal to many readers. It has many elements to the story that ended up really working out for me in the end though. Its super angsty type of an arranged marriage, so if you love a enemies to lovers set up than I highly recommend this one to you here.


The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Ares
Known as the "God of War" recent leader in his family, savvy in his business dealings and loyal to his family and willing to do whatever it takes for them. He is an alpha in and out of the bedrooom and enjoys rough sex and elements of BDSM.

The Heroine: Neve
Desires freedom from the mafia life, sassy and strong, independent and willful. Suffered from a kidnapping as a child and has moments of PTSD.

Summary
Neve, has a new apartment in New York City and is so proud to be living independently from her family and getting an education in college. But when her uncle betroths her to their enemy, she is furious at him for that. She doesn't understand why she has to be the sacrifical lamb right when she was gaining independence from her family. She finds Ares to be arrogant yet she is drawn to him sexually. There is a powerful chemistry that is so magnetic between them. As they do their familial duties and do what is needed to bring stability to New York and their families, they find something deeper. But when an enemy from Neve's past comes out from the shadows, it will take Neve and Ares embracing their love and strong hearts to win in the end...

My Outlook
Deviant Hearts was such a stunning story and I will say that I thorughly enjoyed myself. Now is it a perfect mafia romance? No its not. It definitely has some aspects to the story that I feel could have been better transitioned. However, its not a bad book at all. In fact I had a most difficult time rating this book, its definitely between a 4 and 4.5 for me. But I do tend to be picky about angst elements in a romance, and I do wish that the enemies to lovers transition had flowed more smoothly throughout the story. I also struggled with the heroine's character in the beginning. There was something that just didn't add up. She was a bit too conflicting as a character and she wasn't easy to relate with. It took most of the book before I grew to really enjoy her character. I did enjoy the ways in which this couple comes together. And when they are finally together and stop fighting their connection and their marriage, that is when their story really blossoms. Seeing them get to this point can be a rough road for some readers though.

Now as for the side plot of suspense that comes into the story. I actually adored this element in the book, it was so delightful to read and I couldn't get enough of it here. This villain is a really well written villain. This author definitely knows how to build on suspense and it gets very intense in this story. But the way it culminates in the end, was so different than I expected. But what I enjoyed most was seeing how Ares and Neve stand together and are able to defeat the villain in the end but its definitely not easy for them. I truly admired the way in which this happened. I love a couple learning to stand together as a team and we really see how well they do together, through the good and the bad. I found such satisfying turnout on this book and I am so intrigued by these families and what the author is planning for this series.

Overall View
Deviant Hearts is a highly powered romance packed with thrills and chills, deeply sensual and a gratifying read to leave you satisfied.

Rating Evaluation:
Plot:5
World Building:4
Cover:4
Hero: 5
Heroine: 3.5
Steam: 4
Heart & Feels:4
Ending:5
Overall View: 4.25 

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

Introduction
Bookshop Cinderella is the first book in the newest series by Laura Lee Guhrke. It has been so long since I have read anything by this author, and I will admit that I was drawn to this one when I saw the title and the cover. It had me super intrigued and I have such a soft spot for any type of retelling. So if you love cinderella retellings, then I do recommend this one. Its a loose retelling though but still a fun way that the author implemented this book and actually had some healthy communication that was implemented and I really respect that this author was willing to go that route for sure. What we see in this one here though is a fun bet, a bookish heroine, class differences and some pining from the hero. So definitely has many elements that will appeal to many readers, and if you love historical romance, I highly recommend this one. It had such a solid balanced amount of factors that we all love to see in a historical romance and Gurhke really delivered on this one for me.

Summary
Evie Harlow runs a bookshop in London, and she runs her own business that her father left to her and she was able to get her family out of debt and be independent and fight for women’s voting rights. She enjoys her life but she also aches for something more and she doesn’t realize what she was missing until she meets Maximillian, the Duke of Westbourne. From their first meeting, their was a spark of attraction between Evie and Max. When Max runs into some acquaintances from school, claiming that no one in the Ton would have Evie, Max knows that there is a beauty that shines from within and is determined to show these shallow men what one can do if they have the will and determination. So he makes a bet with them that he can turn her into a victorian era Cinderella and that she will have a full dance card at the upcoming ball. Immediately Max goes to Evie and they join forces to win this bet and for Evie to have an adventure she never imagined for herself. What starts out as a playful bet, turns into something deeper when Max and Evie find a love neither expected to find…


My Outlook
Bookshop Cinderella was such a charming and lively romance that left me with a smile from beginning to the very end. I absolutely couldn’t get enough of these two. Seeing their interactions I was on the edge of my seat. I became quickly endeared by both of these characters. They both have such solid growth in this story and truly the author did a splendid job in focusing on their connection. We truly see what they have together and that spark of interest that begins to bloom the moment they are together more …..and more. Max may be a Duke, but he has suffered heartache, loss and betrayal. He knows that he needs to have an heir, but is still hurt by losing his previous wife who also spurned his heart and hasn’t been able to allow himself to open to anyone else until he meets Evie who shows him what loving someone and being loved in return can be like and that its worth fighting for. Evie on other hand, is more apprehensive of the class differences between them. She isn’t afraid of love but she knows that loving Max will come at a price, the price of never being together. She knows that they are too different and their lives could never be together and she can’t see herself being “duchess” material. But when Max comes to the point of realizing he can’t live without Evie, he will do whatever it takes to win Evie’s heart and mind. We see such determination from the hero to fight for his girl and seeing this sweet pining was so adorable. Even before he realizes that he loves her, he builds a connection with her and gives her these thoughtful gifts that are so endearing. I really appreciated seeing the interactions between Max and Evie. Their banter was so delightful and had me laughing all over the place. The pacing is steady and keeps you interested. Sometimes this author can be a hit or miss on the pacing, but this is so easy to read for a historical and I highly recommend this one. And if you are curious about the retelling, it really is just the aspect of seeing the change of appearance. So its probably closer to a Pygmalion retelling over a Cinderella one. But still wonderful in whichever way you look at it. I am very curious to see where the author will be taking this series moving forward and very thrilled for book 2.

There wasn’t too much I struggled with this one to be honest. The heroine was a bit frustrating in always pushing the hero away. I understand why she was, but it did stretch out a bit longer than I felt was fully necessary. But I did appreciate the heroine fighting for the hero in the end. That was quite refreshing to see, as its not very common.

Overall View
Bookshop Cinderella is a endearing and witty historical that delivered an impactful story that will capture the readers attention from the very beginning. You will be charmed by the humor, the easy way of reading it and the strong connection these two build between them! A SATISFYING GEM!


Rating Evaluation:
Plot: 4
World Building:4
Cover:5
Hero: 4
Heroine: 4
Steam:3
Heart & Feels:4
Ending:5
Overall View: 4 

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

Introduction
Knight Awakening is the sixth installment in the "Scorpius Syndrome" series and in this one here, is where we get the finale to the series and even though the author did say that there would be more books, we haven't seen those yet so who knows if she plans on adding more books to this world. But for know this is the finale book in the series and this is where we see everything that has been building come to a conclusion and seeing what the future will hold for this world and all these lovely couples we have fallen in love with along the way.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Marcus Knight
Marcus is a wounded warrior. He was taken captive during the pandemic, and tortured and his body manipulated and has amnesia of his past. His brother is Jax's brother (hero from book one). He is protective and does have certain psychopathic tendancies when it comes to defending Pen.

The Heroine: Penelope Kim
She is a doctor and a scientist. She is working on getting a way to help pregnant women not lose their babies that have been infected with the syndrome. She pines for Marcus, a man whom she has loved for quite a long time and sees the man beneath the tough protective exterior and has a compassionate heart.

Summary
Marcus Knight and Dr. Penelope Kim have been together for quite a long time on their journey throughout this dystopian world. Marcus was taken and experimented on and Penelope was his only anchor to the real world and the human condition when he wasn't being tortured and abused. She was his light, and even though he has been rescued and living with his brother, he made a vow to protect Penelope no matter what. Penelope is a doctor first and foremost, but she is determined to save their people especially the pregnant women who keep losing their babies who were infected with the syndrome. But things are escalating, and they need to find the research that will assist them, but Penlope is also determined to have the man that she craves and desires more than anything else, if only he will be open to a relationship with her and not be so burdened with his past that haunts him...

My Outlook
Knight Awakening is a book that I have been pushing for quite some time honestly. I just don't want this series to end. I absolutely love this world and its probably my favorite that this author has created. There is something so raw and real about creating a dystopian world, where we see the good and bad of the human equation and Rebecca Zanetti really conquered this in this series and I honestly wouldn't mind if she came back to it. But at the same time, I wanted to get to Marcus and Pen's book so badly. We have seen them in the past couple of books and really wanted to dig deeper into their connection that has only been teased in previous installments.

This story starts out with a bit of unrequited love here. The hero is almost obsessed with protecting Pen, no matter the circumstance and both his brother and Pen are trying to get him to get to a normal schedule. But as tensions start to rise at the base as there are attacks happening of certain individuals affected by the virus attacking their people, there is a rising sexual tension building between Marcus and Penelope. Marcus doesn't believe that he isn't good enough for Penelope, and is trying to protect her. But Penelope is determined to show Marcus that he is worth loving and having a partner to be loved. And while the team works on finding the President and other bunkers as they are running out of supplies, there are also other reveals to happen. And I have to say that I was completely shocked to see the truth being revealed especially about Marcus. I definitely didn't see that coming at all and Zanetti really threw me for a loop. But we also get to see a emergence of some characters we have only see in the novellas who have been doing other work to help rebuild the country despite the president's effort to destroy it all. But can these two groups come together and not only destroy their enemy but also rebuild America and the world from the damages the Syndrome has caused? Do we get the answers to their future? Somewhat haha We do get a finale of sorts and seeing their plans for the future and them reestablishing a government. However, I do wish we would get a novella or something to really showcase more of this a bit more even. Who knows...maybe I will write a letter to the author haha

I did have a blast with this one though and the romance was so precious. Seeing Marcus and Penelope come together and really open themselves up to love was endearing. Marcus' struggles really worked me over though, what he has been through. But Penelope is so good for him. She is the one that has to fight for the relationship and I do get a kick out of seeing a heroine being the fighter in the relationship. I love a hero that shows his vulnerabilities and the way he connects to her but also rebuilds his relationship with brother was also a focus as well.

So was this book perfect? Not really. It didn't have everything I was hoping for. I was really hoping for a bit more of finality to the series overall and seeing what happens to this group that I have fallen so hard for. I think the ending just wasn't as satisfying as I had been expecting but maybe the author did that on purpose, but I did feel like there was something missing from it. But if you are a fan of this author's work and especially this series, you will enjoy seeing Marcus and Penelope finally come together in this one here.

Overall View
I found Knight Awakening to be an sexy installment that brings the series to a close in such a epic and fulfilling way. Its a story of redemption, reveals and heart! .

Rating Evaluation:
Plot: 5
World Building:5
Cover:4
Hero: 4
Heroine: 4
Steam: 4
Heart & Feels:4
Ending:3
Overall View: 4.25