This is going to be so so short of a review but mostly that is because this book is a short story! I loved it and I can't wait to get to more of the shorts that involve the Forbidden Men series. This was a delectable read. The hero of the story is the adopted son of Pick. He is a football player, forced to get dance lessons and falls in love with his partner in dancing. It was short and sweet and endearing! If you love the Forbidden Men series, I highly recommend it.

If you don't know where to find it, go to the authors website, she has it there where you can send it directly to your kindle!!

 

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

Introduction
Knightmaster is the first book in a new series "Oronis Knights" this series is connected to her Eon series, I wasn't feeling lost though, you can easily read this book without having to read that series although now after reading this book I am super intrigued by that other series and definitely planning on working through that one there. Knightmaster is a kick ass of a romance with lots of suspense, so if you love sci fi and romantic suspense, then I highly recommend this one too. This also has a character that is being falsely accused and having to prove innocence and really enjoyed that aspect. I am so curious what will happen with the next two couples teased about though so come on Hackett and write these books lol

Summary
Kennedy Black, is part of the Earth Space Corps, she is assigned to seeing to the needs of the ambassador's attending the Oron ball where they will meet with the Knightqueen and form alliances. Knightmaster Ashtin Caydor, is one of the most elites of her guards and is only second to her primary captain. But when his friend and queen are taken, all eyes point to Kennedy and her "Earth" behind it all. But there is something more happening, and Ashtin is determined to get to the bottom of it and find his Knightqueen. As Ashtin and Kennedy go searching for them, the chemistry that was instant from their first meeting escalated and a powerful love builds between them...

My Outlook
Knightmaster is a powerful story and it kept me on the edge all the way through. I absolutely adored this book in every single way. I couldn't put it down, which is typical Anna Hackett, there is something so engaging about her writing style that immediately pulls me into the story. Knightmaster is a new series of Anna Hackett, and I was intrigued especially after looking at this cover and honestly I am so curious to see where Anna Hackett is planning on taking this series. I really enjoyed Ashtin and Kennedy together. They both kicked ass but I also loved how attentive Kennedy is to others needs, she is such a caretaker and I loved that. That there is more to her than just being a woman that can fight but can also protect and nurture in her own way. The steam in this book is pretty good, I would say a mix between warm and steamy on my spice scale. Oh the little robot of Kennedy's??? He was adorbs. I just wanted to hug him. haha

Overall View
I found Knightmaster to be a intense romance that is a full out of space adventure to curl your toes and keep you curious all the way till the end and keep you yearning for more!

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

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

Introduction
Rifts & Refrains is the second book in the "Hush Note" series and I have to say that I adored this one so much. Its probably my favorite Devney Perry, although its a quick match to 'A Little Too Wild" I am not sure what it is when she writes with these two other authors, but its MAGIC and this book tore me up so much and had me in so many feels! I knew from the beginning that this book would kill me emotionally and it definitely did that, but it had so much beauty and heart and redemption that I couldn't get enough of this one. If you love rock star romances, then this must be a must read for you and I loved that the rock star in this one is a female. We rarely see that in rock star romance and the author did so much wonderful recognition on that.

Summary
Quinn And Graham were once childhood sweethearts, they practically grew up together and fell in love at sixteen years old. They both had dreams but wanted to build those dreams together. But when they both made mistakes, they lost each other at eighteen and never looked back. Now Quinn is a infamous drummer for a rock band, and she is living the dream but her heart has always belonged to Graham and when her grandmother passes, she will have to return to her hometown, to her family she has neglected and the man she never forgot. But as she returns, she will have to face up to the demons of her past, reconcile with the loss of her grandmother but also rediscover a love with Graham worth fighting for this time around...

My Outlook
Rifts & Refrains was such a captivating story and my heart and soul was all in this story. I am honestly still speechless after reading this one. And its the best of the trilogy so far, we will see if Nixon's book will be redeemed for me. But Devney Perry really knocked this one out of the park and more. I just couldn't get enough of this one and in this story we have such sweet redemption between all the characters. Not only in the romance but also with her family members. I think what really worked so well for me was seeing the way in which these characters find their way through to each other. Its definitely rough, and they both have made mistakes, but their hearts still yearn for each other, and we see how they rediscover that love they have both hidden in the deepest parts of themselves and now its coming to the surface and seeing their fighting spirit for what they was what really made this story so beautiful. I adored seeing the way in which Quinn finds something more and repairing her relationships with her family especially, and what really made it so tender was the broken relationship with her father being rebuilt. And what truly charmed me was her relationship with Colin (Graham's son" who is a drummer and loved seeing that relationship just blossom!

Overall View
Rifts & Refrains was a powerhouse of a romance that delivered breathless emotion, poignant character growth and precious intimate moments that breathes life into the reader!

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

 

I found this story to be so much fun! I wouldn't say its my favorite Meghan Quinn at all, but I would say it was entertaining especially in the second half once these two actually got together. And it had a outcome with the brother (I LEAST EXPECTED haha) Meghan Quinn definitely threw me for a surprise on that one.

My primary issue that I had with this book was the flashbacks in the first half of the book, I really had no interest in them. The way this story was written, I just wanted to put it down because they were "meh" and just didn't appeal to me. I am highly picky about flashbacks and honestly I don't feel like they were needed, or if they were implemented it could have just been a couple of beginning chapters to get the important background between the couple. I just didn't feel the need to care. And I found the heroine a bit frustrating in the first half. I didn't really see why she was so anti the hero. Like he was so devoted to her, but she was fighting him so much even though you can see she feels the connection. She was just a bit flakey and the hero deserved a heroine willing to fight for him as much as he was willing to fight for her. My other issue was the conflict in the third act, with how the heroine was with the hero. She should have done a bigger grovel, the hero deserved better.

Now there were quite a few aspects that I did enjoy in this one. I loved the hero pining so much after the heroine. The friendship between the three friends was pretty amazing, I love seeing male friendships and its done so well in this one especially the friendship between the hero and the heroine's brother and when it all comes out, I just SWOONED the way that they stood by each other. It was pretty awesome. The romance itself was super swoony. It had me in my emotions so deeply. And I do feel like if you are looking for lots of feels, this is a story that you need to pick up.

Overall I found this one to be a charming, laugh out loud, unrequited love romance that leaves you with plenty of swoons!

 

 This story was a pick from the Dark Romance Book Club that I am a part of and I just had a blast with this one here. It was so amazing and its also my first book that I discovered that has a "Phantom of the Opera" feel to the story in the retelling. So if you are a fan of the movie or musical, then I highly recommend this one to you. It was so delicious in how it had all these small connections to the story itself that I just loved so dearly. This is a mafia romance, so it definitely has some darker elements as the hero is a stalker of sorts and is head of the mafia on this one. Our heroine is a singer and learning her craft. Its set in New Orleans (Which is one of my favorite settings for romance but most especially for gothic feeling stories). I think what I loved most about this one was our characters discovering a deeper connection with each other. I instantly fell deep in love with this author's writing style and the way in which she really grabs at your attention. And the mafia side of the story was so different but very cool. I really enjoyed the way the "mafia" elements were incorporated into this one. I also just loved the music feel to the story and the development for both characters there. We also have some diversity representation on this one as the hero is highly scarred and was tortured and our heroine is suffering from mental illness with bi polar disorder. And I felt like the author really showcased these so well in such a real way.

Overall I fell hard for this story and if you love a good retelling then I highly recommend you grab this one right up!! 

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

Introduction
A Girl Called Samson is a standalone historical fiction novel by Amy Harmon. This is also a new to me author and I am completely speechless on this one. I know y'all have been trying to get me to read this author for what seems like years and I finally bit the bullet and picked this one up and it blew my mind! I personally want to say a thank you to Sophie @ Beward of the Reader because her beautiful review sold me on this one. I doubt I could bring this book justice but I am certainly going to do my best! Because this story deserves all the love and more. This book is a historical fiction set in the time of the revolutionary war. This is a story based on a young woman who forges her own path and finds faith, a path into freedom and love along the way when she least expects it...

Summary
Its year 1760, and Deborah Samson was born in Massachusetts. When her father abandons them for a life on the seas, and her mother is not able to support her children, then Deborah is put into child servitude to a family but the family that becomes her own in a special unique way. Now its twenty years later, and the Colonies are fighting for their independence and freedom against the British. Deborah is determined to forge her own way and fight for independence along with so many others. She has a hunger to defend this land and her people and so she disguises herself as a teen soldier and makes a transformation that is fierce and strong. Where she finds her faith, her will of iron and her strong heart that is as loyal and fierce as the flag she fights for and a love worth fighting for...

My Outlook
A Girl Called Samson was such a magical story and I am so grateful that I took the courage to actually pick this up. Its been so long since I read a historical fiction and I fell so hard for this one here. I am so happy that I was able to grab this one up here and indulge into this beautifully crafter story. This story is packed with so many elements that I fell in love with.

THE CHARACTERS
So we have so many wonderful characters that just steal your heart. The primary figure that we follow of course is Deborah/Samson. From the beginning you can see how loyal her heart is to America. Seeing her memorize the declaration of Independence (WOW I need to follow that example because I only have the first paragraph memorized haha) and her thirst for freedom and the way she incorporates faith into her well being was so resonating. She is such an inspirational character that we should all mold ourselves after. She has such strength and grace and love in her little body. The way she feels every moments and keeps going no matter what is so admirable.

Then we have our hero of the story (and yes there is a delectable hero) General John Patterson is a man of honor and integrity and the way that he defends his men and will do whatever it takes to hold true to his promises just made me heart ache for this incredible historical figure. I just wanted so much for him to find his happy ending. But seeing his tenacity in the battle field and the way in which he fights for his soliders including our lovely Deb, was so epically portrayed. He is the perfect match for such a fierce spirit we have in Deborah. I not only loved him for how he is with her (before and after he finds out the truth about her identity) but also his own character and his personal struggle to finding purpose in this long war, a purpose that Deborah instills in him.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
So this story was so rich and breathtaking in all the intricate details involving the Revolutionary War. This is a book so captivating in the little moments that it will literally take your breath away....and I am completely serious on it. I love the time of the revolutionary war, it means so much to me as a American and a Patriot. So to have this story written in such a way that emboldens the truth spirit of America and our history being so portrayed so well just left me humbled to the true struggled of those pioneers that fought with everything they had and gave up so much so that we could have the precious freedoms we take for granted way too much. Amy Harmon did an incredible job in really showcasing the truths of the Revolutionary War and the pains and hardship but also the fighting spirit against tyranny and being able to win against a machine that many other countries weren't able to do.

THE ROMANCE
The relationship that builds between Deborah and John was so beautiful! I definitely feel like their story needs to be talked about. I would say that their actual story together is a bit of a Mulan retelling in a way. There was so many connections to the animated film in how these two come together that it was just so wonderful to see how the author took a creative license on this to bring these two together. These two compliment each other so well and seeing what they are willing to sacrifice for each other and their country was so endearing. I just was on board with their story from the moment they meet and those "letters" *sigh* just loved it. And I will say that there is very little steam in this book. Do not expect anything steamier than some good kissing haha but seeing these two in their silent moments together fascinated me so much. And even though their romance is a backstory, I loved every single second of it.

I do think that what I loved so dearly about this book the most though is the way that the author portrayed the emotion and struggle of what these soldiers and families suffered. You feel it with every moment, every chapter and every tear and sweat and blood sacrificed. I am not sure how the author wrote this story but I guarantee you will feel the sacrifice in your heart and deepest parts of yourself.

Overall View
I found A Girl Called Samson to be a delectable historical novel that brought together the beauty of the past, the essence of the American spirit and captivates the human soul in a satisfying read that will stay rent free in your heart for years...

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

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

Introduction
Descent is a standalone by Sam Mariano and I am not sure how I feel about this one here. It definitely was my least favorite from this author. I know many compare this one to Untouchable, but yeah Untouchable was way better. I really had to push myself through this one here, and it was a novel I wanted to love but I will be honest the heroine drove me batty throughout most of this one here. It just seemed like her character just wasn't the best for this type of hero to be honest. And there was no softness that happens with her until the very end, but it did have some similar complexities that this author tends to write in her books.

My Outlook
I want to say that I loved this one, but alas, I really struggled through this one. And its a long one just warning you folks, its over 500 pages, now if it had been more like Untouchable then I probably wouldn't have minded, but I had to force myself to keep going especially in the second half. Normally its the first half I struggle with but nope it was the later half of the story. I think my major issue with this one was the heroine. Because in the beginning she comes off as being this gentle sweet heroine and yeah she isn't that way. She was way too confrontational that didn't match up with her character. I get she was in a bad situation with the hero, but for this type of hero, he needed someone that wouldn't fight him on every little thing and knew how to pick her battles and she just came off so ignorant at times and not in a attractive way at all. The hero is typical of this authors style of heroes, so if you like psychopaths, then you will get a kick out of the hero. And also the friend of the heroine was AWFUL! She is just as manipulative as the hero but acts like she is above it all and how she treats her husband, is horrid. Yeah I really didn't like her in the ending at all. I will say that the ending was satisfying and I am glad that the author really delivered on that because I needed something good after all the struggle haha

Rating Evaluation:
Plot: 5
World Building:4
Cover: 4
Hero: 5
Heroine: 3
Steam: 4
Heart & Feels: 4
Ending: 5
Overall View: 3.5

Trigger Warnings:
Non Consent Sexual Content 

 

My first DNF for this author and I am so sad! I have really loved everything I have read previously about this author, but this heroine drove me batty. She was so flakey, and I got to about 50% and still don't understand why she was so resistant to the hero, it just didn't make sense. Hopefully the next one will be a better read for me.

 

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

Introduction
Max Wilde’s Cowboy Heart is the third installment in the series, and I am pretty sure its just a trilogy so this is the finale, but we did get hints for the next series or at least I am crossing my fingers on that. I have to say that this book is my favorite of the trilogy actually. I absolutely loved this one so dearly. In fact, once I picked this one, I couldn’t put it down. I was so gravitated towards this book and I became so easily immersed into this novel. This author definitely did some magic wonder with this one here. I will say that I adored this one in every way. She definitely delivered a kick ass romance to finish off the trilogy while also giving her readers teasers for upcoming books. And I am not going to lie, this book will tear your heart out! Its full of so much heartfelt emotion, and I loved every single moment that we get with this one here. This romance is a second chance and the type of second chance where a couple deserves to find their way back to each other while also there being lots of danger surrounding them as well.

Summary
The story starts off with our heroine, Kenna Baker. Max Wilde and Kenna were once sweetheart and had a epic love but then something tore them apart out of a misunderstanding. Now its been years later, and Kenna is a local teacher and working on moving on with her life even though her heart will always belong to Max Wilde. But when her brother disappears with a message that he is on the run from someone, she doesn’t think much of it until she comes home from a date, her home ransacked, and her date murdered right in front of her trying to protect her. Now she has a target on her back, her brother is on the run from criminals and FBI, and she is forced to be living in the same home as Max Wilde when his brother tries to do some matchmaking and with her life in danger, there is little that Max or Kenna can do about it. While trying to figure out what her brother is up to and who is behind everything, Max and Kenna are forced to hash out the past and come to terms with what happened and find a way to come back together as the truth becomes reveals fully to them and they rediscover a love for each other that never died…


My Outlook
My heart…this story delivered everything for me and more! This is probably one of the best books by this author I have read in a while. I am not sure exactly what it was about this book but everything in it just clicked perfectly for me. From the beginning I was hooked into this story and I just couldn’t put it down. But also the story had me in ALL of my feels and I was so swept away by this romance and all the emotion that was so smoothly delivered on this one here. I was cheering on Max and Kenna all the way through. You just know from the beginning that there is so much more to the story because they each blame themselves for the breakup when it was so much more than that. And once the truth of what really happened comes to the surface, my heart broke for these two. Throughout the trilogy we have known what a beautiful love story these two have had and seeing them finally get their justly HEA was so satisfying. I adored seeing them lay everything out on the table and really embrace what they have together.

Now as for the plot of the story, there is actually so much happening in this book and my heart really broke for the heroine. We have the plot happening with her brother who discovered something he shouldn’t have, and hid it away because it could be dangerous for ANYONE to actually have possession of. And then we have the trauma that Kenna faces losing a good friend but also having to be a prisoner on the Wilde ranch while the FBI tries to find her brother and the ones hunting him. The ending really tore me up but I wonder if the author has plans for the brother? I am kinda hoping she finds a way to bring him a HEA, it might be we never learn about what truly happens with him but I am kinda hoping this isn’t the last time we see him. Then we also have a teaser with the Wilde’s cousin as there seemed to be something between her and the MC biker, and I am like going to explode because is this author going to do a MC themed series or something? Because I would be completely down for that.

Overall View
I found Max Wilde’s Cowboy Heart to be a heart wrenching romance that delivers on the country charm atmosphere, the fierce family bonds, a epic love story that deserves a happy ending and enough heart to satisfy any romantic reader! UTTERLY SATISFYING!


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

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

Introduction
Pure Awakening is a novella in the "Pure/Dark Ones" series. And yeah I skipped over these books haha and I was instructed I was in error and that I MUST read these books. Now I haven't had a issue with Sophia like I know other readers of this series have, I mean her prologue in Pure Healing still CRACKS ME UP!! But I also was content waiting for her to grow up and mature into herself throughout the series. So the novella's are part of her story and hopefully we see her get a HEA. Pure Awakening is where we get to see the background of Sophia, some flashbacks, and seeing the first tensions between Sophia and the one she loves..Dalair but also get some elements dealing with the "creature".

My Outlook
I will be honest in that even though I don't have any particular issue with Sophia, I also haven't a invested interest in her either but after reading this one, I do want to see more of her and Dalair's book and seeing them find their path together. There is actually quite a bit that happens in this short one but fair warning there isn't a HEA in this one. Hopefully we get it at the end of their story which I believe is in Pure Providence but I could be wrong haha This is really the first half of their story and we see the beginnings of it. It was really fascinating see this develop as it did. I found myself so intrigued in them as a pair because you know that there is so much to their story. I also found the setup of them being kidnapped by the "creature" to be interesting especially in what happens to Dalair. It can really be heartbreaking to see what he was before and then how he is changed and the way in which Sophia deals with that change. Its definitely a story that will keep you on edge all the way through and even if you had previous issues with the characters, this novella will really make them come alive for the reader and have you itching for more. Aja James really worked her magic on this one because I don't know how long I can wait to read the finale. :) Typical behavior from this author though, what does one do? (LOL)

Overall View
I found Pure Awakening to be a tantalizing read that kept me on the edge, in my feels and wanting so much more for this pairing!

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