Once upon a time, I looked at love through rose-tinted glasses because love is meant to conquer all, right?
However, was I just a hopeless romantic at heart, chasing the proverbial happily ever after?
Being a romance author, one may think I know what I’m doing when it comes to love. But I hate to spoil the ending for you, dear reader; love and me, we aren’t friends. And we haven’t been for quite some time.
That’s not because I don’t believe in love.
On the contrary.
And that’s the reason we are here…again.
We all have that one person.
For me, he caught me unaware, and that’s when life usually screams KEEP UP!
And most times, we can’t.
If you’ve read Love Hard, then you know how love and I were no longer on speaking terms. But I wrote something which was a sign from the heavens. Or perhaps, hell…
I’ve learned that good men are like unicorns. Everyone talks about them, but no one actually sees them.
How I’m eating my words because I’ve found my unicorn. But does that mean I’ve finally learned my lessons in love? Is your beloved narrator about to get her HEA after all?
Buckle up, bestie, things are about to get wild.
Love hits you when you least expect it…and we are never ready for the fall.
First off, read Love Hard first before even thinking about reading this one.
If you love Love Hard, you will absolutely devour Love Harder.
These books are nothing like Monica’s other works because they are both non-fiction memoirs. And what I mean by that is these stories are based on her journey through the world of dating and falling in love.
Love Harder is a diary of what happens to the FMC when Love Hard ended. It’s her chaotic walk through online dating, the interesting men she meets and all their mannerisms. Some you will like, some you will want to knee in the nuts for causing harm to our FMC.
I was completely immersed in this story and had to know how each interaction went and all the in-betweens. This story occurs over many months. Does our FMC get her HEA? You’ll have to read to find out.
Monica James spent her youth devouring the works of Anne Rice, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson.
When she is not writing, Monica runs her own business, but she always finds a balance between the two. She enjoys writing twisted AF stories, hoping to terrify her readers…just a little.
She is a bestselling author in the U.S.A., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, and the U.K.
Monica James resides in Melbourne, Australia, with her Unicorn, and her three crazy cats. She is slightly obsessed with red lipstick, heels, and crime documentaries, and is that person who always runs late.
Tropes: Teacher x Student, he falls first, forced proximity, Doctor x Patient, Women in STEM, degradation kink, sci-fi vibes, morally grey characters, forbidden spice, stalker, dark cottage core, stalker, obsessed hero
Blurb:
Horror Romance meets science fiction in this dark and delicious gothic psychological thriller by NYT bestseller Karina Halle, perfect for fans of Gothikana, Ninth House, and Mexican Gothic.
Aspiring mycologist Sydney Denik is getting a second chance. When a dream opportunity presents itself with a prestigious foundation doing promising Alzheimer’s research, Sydney leaves the shambles of her old life to join a dozen other grad students at an isolated lodge hidden away in a remote, fog-shrouded inlet on Vancouver Island.
But the Madrona Foundation harbors more than brilliant minds. Everyone around her is hiding a terrible secret—including the resident psychologist she’s falling in love with. A student disappears, and no one but Sydney seems to care. Ghosts walk the halls. Snow falls in the middle of summer. Dead animals move like the living. The more Sydney uncovers about the foundation, the more she begins to question her own sanity. And if Sydney isn’t going mad, then the horrors in the surrounding forest are real, and the Madrona Foundation may be the biggest monster of all.
NOTE: This will be a live release on Amazon for paperback, ebook and hardcover on October 23rd 2024. The paperback and ebook cover is different from the case-laminate and dustjacket hardcovers. This is a standalone novel. Check content warnings inside the book or author’s IG closer to publication.
Content warnings: Grave Matter contains scenes of gore, body horror, animal body horror, off-page animal death, mentions of suicide, off-page suicide, graphic language and graphic scenes of a sexual nature, which include degradation and praise kink, breath play, bondage with ropes and belts, and various other mild-BDSM elements. Your mental health is important to me, and this book contains all sorts of fuckery, so please proceed with caution.
I am going to need a minute or two or a bazillion to gather my thoughts on this one.
Karina has outdone herself once again with an amazing story.
I don’t know where to start, what to say without babbling too much, or how to even put my rambling thoughts into words that can perfectly express this book.
If you love dark, gothic stories, add in some science fiction with romantic vibes thrown in – this book is for you. There are so many twists and turns that I did not see coming. I lost sleep because of this book.
Love enters the chat in this hilarious, heartfelt rom com by New York Times bestselling and Audie award-winning author Kylie Scott.
Romance author Riley Cooper always dreamed of living by the water. But within a day of landing in the charming seaside town of Port Stewart to work on her latest book, she’s getting calls and texts for some dude on her new number. Weird ones. Sad ones. Sexy ones. Ones that make her want to meet him. For curiosity’s sake…if nothing else.
After years of being on-again, off-again with his high school sweetheart, all Connor wants is to move on with his life. If only everyone in Port Stewart would let him. What he needs is to be seen with someone else. So when fate puts him in the path of the new girl in town who got his old number, faking it together seems like the perfect solution.
Spending time with the gorgeous former prom king might be great research for Riley’s romance writing…if only she can keep her feelings in check. But the more she gets to know him, the harder she’s falling. Can their serendipitous meeting turn into something real and true?
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The blurb is truly all you need to know before reading this one. Or hell, jump right into after reading this review with the knowledge that this is a funny fake dating story.
This story is only told from Riley’s POV, which did hurt the book a bit for me as I wanted to get a better understanding Connor and all his thoughts.
Kylie explains the ins and outs of this small town, Connor’s family and how Riley plays into everything so that does help readers get an idea of why things happen.
Overall, it’s a really entertaining story with great chemistry between characters that comes naturally.
Meet Kylie
Kylie is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best-selling, Audie Award winning author. She has sold over 2,000,000 books and was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year four times by the Australian Romance Reader’s Association. Her books have been translated into fifteen different languages and she is based in Queensland, Australia.
Charlie It was supposed to be a regular day out. Three couples celebrating the last days of summer. When tragedy struck. I thought I was going to marry her. Instead, I was burying her. I blamed the world for my pain. I buried it all. I became a man I didn’t even recognize.
Autumn In a blink of an eye, everything changed. My best friend was gone, and I was responsible for it. I may not have been driving the truck, but I didn’t stop it. Escaping the town was the only thing I could do to survive the guilt. I thought I was strong enough to go back. I was wrong. One look from him and I knew I wasn’t welcome. But this is my home, and I wanted to come back. One night turned into more. But at the end of the day, I know he’ll never love me. Besides, we all have shattered dreams.
Nothing like starting a new series off with a book that will tear your heart apart and have you feeling everything.
Charlie and Autumn both suffered a loss years ago that drastically changed both their lives.
Autumn moved away and has only returned now because of her father’s health. She’ll do everything she can to avoid Charlie but we all know fate is fickle one.
My heart broke for Autumn – I literally wanted to reach through my kindle and hug this woman. But watching her grow and finally finding her strength again was so amazing.
Charlie – I wanted to continue hating this man til the end. But seeing him realize so many things, he redeemed himself in many ways.
Natasha wrote this story beautifully and truly does not leave readers disappointed at all.
Grace Kensington has been my secret crush since we were kids. Though she is definitely all grown up now. Long blonde hair, big blue eyes, and curves that could bring even the toughest hockey player to his knees. She’s the full package, too–smart, funny, and as real as they come. One might go as far as to say perfect. Except for one tiny detail: Grace is my coach’s daughter. And she just walked back into my life. Apparently she’s doing an internship for the team. The last thing I should do is get close to her again. So the plan is to keep my distance. But that plan flies out the window the very first time we run into each other…and I’m naked in the locker room.
The Breaking Point is the second book in Fallon’s Bad Boys Club series. These books can easily be read as standalones and as they all feature a couple in each one. The characters overlap but just to show how they all interact with one another and add another layer to the story.
This story features Grace and Brady. Brady was a foster child who lived with Grace’s family when he was older and was in and out of the system. She harbored a crush on him and he knew how she felt but never allowed anything to go past that even though he too felt something more for her.
Now they are in their older years, she’s interning for the hockey team her dad coaches and Brady plays for that same team. However, neither have been in contact with one another for years and he was not aware that she was back.
I do enjoy how this story plays out. It shows some growth on both their parts, both individually and together. However, I did want to see Grace grow more outside of Brady. She definitely showed a more confident side, but I wanted to see her step outside hockey and focus on herself and wanted made her happy. The author showed a bit of that, but I wanted to see that developed more.
Overall, this is a great addition to this series of what I like to call spicy sports romance.
Meet Fallon Greer
Fallon Greer is a twentysomething lover of romance novels, coffee, and bookish t-shirts, of which she has far too many. She lives in Miami with her Persian cat, Mortimer, who loves to sit on Fallon’s laptop when she’s trying to write. Fallon first discovered her love of reading when she’d steal her mother’s Lisa Kleypas novels. That led her to start writing the types of books she loves to read. When she’s not daydreaming through conversations with people and pretending to listen, she’s putting those daydreams to good use, writing novels as hot as the Florida sun.
Two scarred souls finding love when they least expect it.
Crossed Sticks, an all-new friends with benefits, M/M, hockey romance and the first book in the Buffalo Warriors Hockey Series from bestselling authors Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood is now available!
Harper
I wasn’t a keeper.
Guys just didn’t pick me, and after one too many threw me away, my heart couldn’t take it anymore.
When I was traded to the Buffalo Warriors, I knew things wouldn’t be any different.
Skate. Score goals. Work out. Repeat. That’s my life.
I’m living the dream by playing professional hockey, and I have some amazing friends.
I’m happy. Really, I am. Or at least I’m trying to be.
Until the night I run into Luca.
Luca
I had love once, only to have it ripped away when he married someone else.
Problem was, I never got my heart back.
I’ve built walls so high no one can touch me. I’m only interested in hookups, one and done.
And I can’t forget lacrosse, because it’s all I have.
I’m fine. Or at least I’m trying to be.
Until the night I run into Harper.
One chance encounter sparks a flame that consumes both men in the most delicious of ways. But when shadows from the past threaten to pull them apart, will they survive, or will their hearts be shattered again?
Crossed Sticks is a romance that’s anything but easy—and worth every moment. While the story is high on angst and deals with serious topics such as depression and anxiety, you can also expect witty banter, hilarious text conversations, public hookups, friends with benefits, grand romantic gestures, and exciting hockey scenes. Even better, there’s high heat, light kink with tons of dirty talk, found family, and a Happy Ever After that will leave you breathless.
From the author of Before I’m Gone comes an intensely affecting romance about love, loss, and second chances, sure to elicit a good ugly cry.
Grayson Caballero sees the glass half-empty. Born with a life-threatening heart defect, he’s been living on borrowed time. The uncertainty of tomorrow makes him push people away, helping Grayson to avoid any real commitment.
Then he meets Reid Sullivan and falls madly in love. The two work together at the Wold Collective, Grayson as a project manager and Reid in HR. They even live in the same apartment complex. But Grayson continues to keep his distance, despite their obvious attraction. And Reid’s not interested in waiting around.
When Grayson collapses at a basketball game, Reid learns he’s been keeping secrets from her. Now his life hangs in the balance…and a stranger from Boston holds the key to his survival.
Nadia Karlsson makes a life-changing decision after her husband, Rafe, is involved in a tragic accident near Harvard Square. Her choice will unwittingly alter the course of Grayson’s future—and tie his fate unexpectedly to her own.
“Are you going to win?” She placed her hands on his cheek and scratched her nails against his scruff.
“No,” he told her, despite wanting to. He figured if he won, she’d be over-the-moon happy for him. And if he didn’t, she’d still be proud, and he wouldn’t have let her down. “There are way better runners than me.”
“Next year,” she said. “You can practice more better.”
Rafe didn’t bother correcting her, even though he knew he should. He pulled his youngest closer and held her to his chest, kissed her forehead, and then moved her to his hip. He’d carry her as long as she’d let him.
Rafe couldn’t have scripted his morning any better.
Excerpt From Heartbreak Hill (Uncorrected Proof) by Heidi McLaughlin This material may be protected by copyright.
Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of The Beaumont Series, The Boys of Summer, and The Archers. Originally, from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband, two daughters, and their three dogs. In 2012, Heidi turned her passion for reading into a full-fledged literary career, writing over twenty novels, including the acclaimed Forever My Girl. Heidi’s first novel, Forever My Girl, has been adapted into a motion picture with LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe, and opened in theaters on January 19, 2018, and is now available on DVD & Digital. To stay connected with Heidi visit www.facebook.com/authorheidimclaughlin or heidimclaughlin.com
Thank you Bella Matthews for putting my emotions through the ringer with a sports romance!!
Phew, that’s literally what I said and how I felt after finishing Caitlin and Callen’s story. These two were off-the-charts blazing with chemistry.
Caitlin and Callen have grown up together, been around one another all their lives. However, neither act upon their feelings – hell one of them kept those feelings hidden, til now.
I absolutely love and adore these two. Caitlin is very head-strong and steadfast in her opinion. Being the only daughter of a mafia don, she knows how to hold her own, but also that stubbornness can be her downfall too.
Callen – this man surprised me so much. This man has always known what he wanted and this time he was not going down without fighting for it. And willing to go up against his best friend’s family to prove his worthiness – wow.
Bella Matthews knows how to write emotionally charged stories so well. The story solely focuses on Caitlin and Callen and yet she perfectly blends in the other family members and all the inner-workings to show how tight they all are. I absolutely love it.
Redeeming just might be my new favorite from Bella so far. And that is say something because I didn’t think she could top Ares Wilder.
Go read this one. You won’t regret it.
Meet Bella
Bella Matthews is a USA Today & Amazon Top 5 Bestselling author. She is married to her very own Alpha Male and raising three little ones. You can typically find her running from one sporting event to another. When she is home, she is usually hiding in her home office with the only other female in her house, her rescue dog Tinker Bell by her side. She likes to write swoon-worthy heroes and sassy, smart heroines. Sarcasm is her love language and big family dynamics are her favorite thing to add to each story.
A small-town, forbidden, standalone, new adult romance with Footloose meets A Star is Born vibes from USA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Jewel E. Ann
Her boyfriend’s older brother should be off-limits, but he’s a sinful temptation.
Sarah is a preacher’s daughter and a people pleaser. She’s also on the verge of graduating high school and following her dream of singing in Nashville. The only thing standing in her way is that the entire town of Devil’s Head, Missouri, thinks she will marry Matt, the son of the town’s richest rancher.
But Sarah’s not sure he’s her future husband, especially when his older brother, Isaac, returns home after serving six years in the Army. He has tattoos on his arms and bad habits that are not “father-approved.”
When he’s not working on the ranch or roping at the rodeo, Isaac hangs out in the barn, playing his guitar. He’s trouble, but Sarah’s music-loving heart gravitates toward him.
Isaac loves consuming Sarah’s mind, crawling under her skin, backing her into corners, and whispering inappropriate things in her innocent ears.
After weeks of playful banter and guitar lessons blurring the line between right and wrong, Issac makes Sarah a proposition she can’t refuse.
But when the unthinkable happens, and everything she knows is destroyed, will Sarah make the right choice?
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I went into this book completely blind. There has not been a book that I have not read by Jewel that I have not thoroughly loved and I doubt there ever will be.
Sunday Morning is emotionally beautiful with a good amount of angst and tension that keeps this story very lively.
Sarah is a people pleaser because she is the oldest child of a preacher; there’s certain expectations of her. But what happens when what she truly wants does not align with what everyone expects from her.
Jewel weaves this age-gap romance wonderfully. I love how naturally everything plays out and the story line just keeps you engaged the whole time. Definitely a highly recommend read.
Meet Jewel E. Ann
Jewel is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author with a quirky sense of humor. When she’s not saving the planet one tree at a time, you can find her role modeling questionable behavior to her three boys, binge-watching Netflix with her husband, and writing mind-bending romance.
In this fun, sexy college romance, a transfer student finds herself living in a house full of football players—and falling for the one she knows she shouldn’t want.
Everleigh
Transferring to UC Santa Mira is supposed to be my ultimate college experience—until housing falls through at the last minute. So when I overhear a group of guys complaining they need another roommate, I jump at the opportunity.
They’re just football players. Even if one of them makes me weak in the knees, it doesn’t mean anything unless I let it. And I won’t.
We want different things. Wanting each other doesn’t change that.
Nico
It’s my senior year and final season with the Santa Mira Dolphins. The last thing I need is a distraction, but that’s exactly what this girl is. Ever is too leggy, too gorgeous, too thoughtful—and a whole lot of too much that gets under my skin.
I guess I get under hers too. I can’t help myself.
We live together. That alone makes it a bad idea…but I never could resist a little trouble.
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Monica starts this new series off well and just in time for football season!!
End Game is definitely more on the slow-burn romance with very low angst and honestly, it was the perfect combination for Nico and Everleigh.
Everleigh finds herself as the fourth roommate with three guys; three guys who happen to be known as the Kings around campus.
Nico is the typical playboy but struggles with his attraction to Everleigh. But she’s the new roommate and off-limits.
I really enjoyed how this one played out. While some parts felt a bit too long, it helped build that tension and low angst. But also add in the roommates and friends, this was nicely paced story and great build-up for the rest of the books in this series.
A great college, sports romance read. I am looking forward to more from this series.
Meet Monica
Monica Murphy is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling romance author. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and have sold over two million copies worldwide. Both a traditionally published and independently published author, she writes young adult, new adult and contemporary romance.
A native Californian, she lives on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere with her husband, son, their goofy dog, and three cats. When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing. Or reading. Or binge watching something.
House of Heathens: The Complete Trilogy by Alta Hensley is now live!
A villain is made. A monster is hidden. A viper who is forbidden. Together, they are the Gods Among Men.
Welcome to the House of Heathens. Within these walls, you are captive to a world of decadence and sin. Where dangerous secrets hide in the shadows. And a family tree with roots so twisted, they bind and strangle each unlucky generation. Be forewarned, there is no escape from the dark obsessions of the powerful. Once you are trapped in the House of Heathens, there is no way out.
This complete trilogy includes: Villains Are Made, Monsters Are Hidden, Vipers Are Forbidden
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I have never devoured a trilogy so quickly as I did this one.
As someone who has not read any of Alta’s stories (except ones she has co-written under the pen name Blake Hensley with Zoe Blake), I was extremely impressed with this trilogy and how each book is not only amazing on it’s own, but connects wonderfully to other stories.
House of Heathens are the stories of Apollo, Phoenix and Athena – the children of the Godwin’s.
I don’t even know where to start or what to say. These stories became more addictive as read each one. Apollo we meet in the first book. We get to know Phoenix and his mysterious ways and then Athena – she is so much more than people realize.
Each story was riddle with suspense, twists and turns and lots of spice. I love that each story held it’s own appeal and kept me captivated throughout each one. But I loved how I got the overall vibe as I was able to read these stories as a whole and not have to stop in between.
Alta has quickly become a favorite of mine with her detailed writing and her intriguing characters with entertaining story lines that keep readers captive the entire time.
Meet Alta
Alta Hensley is a USA TODAY bestselling author of hot, dark and dirty romance. She is also an Amazon Top 10 bestselling author. Being a multi-published author in the romance genre, Alta is known for her dark, gritty alpha heroes, sometimes sweet love stories, hot eroticism, and engaging tales of the constant struggle between dominance and submission.
She lives in Astoria, Oregon with her husband, two daughters, and an Australian Shepherd. When she isn’t walking the coastline, and drinking beer in her favorite breweries, she is writing about villains who always get their love story and happily ever after.
