From USA Today Bestselling Author Holly Renee, comes the second book in the scorching romantasy series with enthralling secrets, impassioned enemies, and luring tension.
Verena was the lost princess of Marmoris, the very thing we had spent our entire lives looking for, and I had let her go.
The lingering taste of her mixed with the deep ache in my chest over her betrayal haunted my days and nights. I knew she was hiding something, but her secrets were far more treacherous than I could have imagined.
Though I wished my own betrayal hadn’t been so bitter on my tongue.
Now my dreams are haunted with the way her deep blue eyes looked up at me in shock when I revealed I knew her truth.
The way I crave for her to look at me now as I hunt for her.
Me, along with half of the rebellion.
If my father finds her before me, there is no telling what he will do to her.
And even though she’s the little traitor I’d always thought she was, I couldn’t allow him to find her.
But his orders were clear. The princess is to be taken by the rebellion or she would be taken by the gods. I don’t know which is worse.
She is the heir to our kingdom, the daughter of the cruel king who was responsible for my mother’s death, and the key to winning our rebellion.
I vowed to my father that I would find her, the one person I wish I didn’t have to.
Verena is the hunted heir. But more than anything, she is mine.
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As excited as I was for this book, and as quickly as I devoured this book, I expected more from it.
The Hunter Heir starts off exactly where The Veiled Kingdom ended. As the book says, Verena is now being hunted; hunted by Dacre and his father.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes. But I wanted more. There is still alot lacking in the terms of worldbuilding and how the magic system works. I expected the characters to grow more (Dacre sort of went backwards for me).
Overall – this book is definitely just a filler book. I really didn’t gain anything more from this story than I did with the first book. However, I am intrigued enough to want to continue on with this story
Meet Holly
USA Today Bestselling Author, Holly Renee brings readers a pinch of angst, an indulgence of heat, and the perfect amount of heart in every book.
Born and raised in East Tennessee, she is a married mom of two wild children. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, pretending to be a dragon for the hundredth time that day, being disgustingly in love with her husband, or chilling in the middle of the lake with her sunglasses and a float.
Holly is a lover of all things romance, Mexican food and yoga pants.
Every moment with him unshackles a little more of my fears, cracks another layer of ice.
My Heart Still Beats, an all-new must read, emotional, dark romance from New York Times bestselling author Helen Hardt is now available!
Some days I can almost see the person I used to be. See the version of myself that felt joy, even passion. But she’s gone…just out of reach.
Life moves on for everyone else, though, and as my best friend’s maid-of-honor, I have a bachelorette party to plan—in Jamaica, no less. And that means working side by side with the best man: Benjamin Black.
Billionaire. Workaholic. Ultimate bachelor. The perfect catch for any woman—unless she’s lost her sense of self.
Apparently my body hasn’t gotten the memo. Because from the second we meet, something begins stirring, warming my blood.
And when our hands touch, it’s a heady reminder that even if I feel numb, my heart still beats.
He’s nothing like I thought. Every moment with him unshackles a little more of my fears, cracks another layer of ice.
But I should be afraid—and so should he. Because the past never lets go so easily.
I will be quick with this one because well, I don’t have too much to say on this one.
My Heart Still Beats was right down the middle for me. With the trigger warning, I was expecting it be darker, and while for some this will be triggering, for me, it was just down the middle.
This book is perfect for those wanting to dip their toes into dark, emotional romance. There isn’t alot of depth to the darkness (sort of closed-door) that gives you and idea but never very detailed. Alot of this book is very surface level, never getting too descriptive. And for many, that’s what they want.
Helen definitely focused more on Tessa than Ben and I think that may hurt this story a bit. The plot was ok, but definitely had the potential to be more. The ending was probably the best part but still felt rushed.
Overall, it was right down the middle for me. But again, I think those looking to try out a darkish romance would enjoy this one.
For more information about Helen Hardt and her books, visit her website:
Five years ago, Astrid O’Malley experienced the ultimate in public humiliation. Being dumped at the altar by her childhood sweetheart was horrifying enough. That fact that he was a professional hockey goalie and her dad was his coach? It was all anyone in sports could talk about.
Eff hockey. Eff goalies.
These days, Astrid lives a life (mostly) free of hockey and free to pursue whoever she wants with exactly zero shame in her game. Like tonight’s hook-up. This guy’s nailed the lumberjack aesthetic perfectly. Especially when he has the stamina and creativity to back it up.
Because the rule is: it’s one night only. Which is gonna be a problem because she’s just discovered he lives in the apartment upstairs.
And he’s joined her dad’s team. As the goalie coach. To train her ex.
Now Astrid is in some kind of hockey hell–filled with her ex, her family, and the best sex of her life. And somehow she’s been roped back onto the team.
Puck my life.
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Walk of Shame was right down the middle ok for me.
The blurb intrigued me and the beginning of the story kept me hooked. However, at one point, things just sort of went flat for me. And the ending felt rushed and unrealistic. And the epilogue – that was quite the shocking revelation.
I enjoyed how Astrid and Cal navigated their relationship. I did want to see more of an emotional attachment between them and not just the physical one. But let me tell you, those spicy scenes were done well.
Overall, it was an ok read for me.
Meet Avery
USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling romance author Avery Flynn has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip. She lives outside of Washington DC with her family, Dwight the cat, and a pack of five dogs all named after food. If she’s not reading romance or binging reality TV, she’s most definitely plotting to take over the world so she can banish Crocs from existence. Also, if you figure out how to send Oreos through the Internet, she’ll be your best friend for life.
Elin knew the dangers of posting the prophecies under the cloak of night. Kings and peasants alike would want to own her and her visions from the gods. Her only comfort? That they were looking for a man because The Order teaches that only men can prophesize.
How typical.
But when she receives a prophecy that the most powerful ruler in the Five Lands will die, and so will his protector—Carek the Loyal, the famed warrior—she knows that it’s only a matter of time before she’s discovered. The hunt they will unleash will shake the world.
There’s only one man who can help her—the man she’s seen over and over in her visions since becoming a woman. Tall, dark, compelling—he dominates her dreams and stirs her fantasies. Will she ever meet him? Will she ever kiss him in real life instead of in her mind? Will he be able to protect her once she finds him?
Only when they meet, she realizes he can’t—he’s Carek, and she’s already predicted his death—making her ask: have the gods lied or is it somehow her destiny to change his fate, making her the most powerful one of them all…
A woman who speaks for the gods.
A queen vying for another kingdom.
A high priest with great ambitions.
A king whose kingdom is crumbling.
An heir who is willing to do anything for the throne.
A warrior with a destiny not even the gods know…
THE LIES OF GODS
A sexy, fiery, page-turning epic fantasy by international bestselling author and Kung Fu master KATHIA, who Booklist calls sure-to-please, entertaining, and impressive.
The Lies of Gods is the first book I have read by Kathia. The blurb absolutely pulled me and made me want to try this new (to me) author.
I will be honest and say that this is a tough one for me to review. I struggled to get into this story from the beginning. I could not connect to any of the characters and that’s where I found it lacking.
This is definitely a plot driven book, but the characters were very one-dimensional and that hurt the story in areas.
I absolutely love the idea and concept behind this story. There were parts of this story that I enjoyed and those made me want to continue on. However, there were other parts that just dragged and that’s when I struggled to stay focused on this book.
Overall, it’s a middle of the road book for me. I did not hate it and I did not love it. If
If the blurb grabs you, give it a try.
Meet Kathia
With over 6 million books sold (and counting), Kathia’s novels have been #1 bestsellers around the world. They’ve received starred reviews from Booklist, have consistently earned Editor’s Picks for Best Romance, and have been featured by O, The Oprah Magazine. Kathia has written over 40 books so far, some translated into several languages, all about hope and dreams and the bonds of friendship and family.
He’s a football god. She’s the daughter of a Texas senator. Their chemistry is like oil and water.
My name is Ryker James. I’m cocky, ornery, and I take things when I want them. Caring isn’t in my vocabulary unless it’s related to football or my family, and I just lost my entire family in a blink of an eye. Now all I have is football. The problem is the misery, the drinking, and the parties have more appeal to me.
But Lakemont University wants that championship. Fans want to see wins on the scoreboard, and my teammates salivate to crush our opponents every game.
Yet, the only pass I might be throwing is at the auburn-haired girl who waltzes into my life.
She’s fire. I’m ice. A combination that doesn’t work.
So let the games begin.
My name is Haven Hale, and I’d been tucked away in a boarding school most of my life. Now, I’m a big-time college girl. All I see is freedom in front of me.
But first, I have to agree to my father’s demands—no media attention and no sororities. If I can follow those two edicts, then college life should be a breeze. Until one close encounter with Ryker James, and Father Dearest has changed the game.
Stay away from the big, bad quarterback, or face my father’s wrath. There’s only one problem. I can’t help who I’m attracted to.
And Ryker James is a magnet, built to attract any female, constructed to make any girl’s heart sputter, and my heart is beating off the charts.
So, it’s time to choose between the devil I know and the one I don’t.
Unforgettable is an enemies-to-lover’s standalone romance. Be prepared for all the feels, steamy times, a slow-burn romance, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
I’m Susan Alexander, and you’ll find my books under S.B. Alexander. I’m an independent author with over 20 titles to date. I write paranormal, new adult, and sweet romances that feature hot heroes stealing hearts.
In between writing, I spend time with my soul mate of 21 years who got a bad deal in life when he was diagnosed with ALS five years ago. Since then, our journey has taken us down a path we’d never imagined. Despite that, we’ve been making the best of life, laughing, smiling, and doing what we can together.
Through all the madness, writing and publishing has been a great outlet for me. In addition, I have an amazing tribe of family, friends, readers, fans, and so many others who support me. I truly have an angel on my shoulder. My mantra is make the best of life because it’s too darn short.
Defying Evil: A Dark Romantic Thriller Abbie Roads (Blood is Thicker Than…, #1) Publication date: October 17th 2023 Genres: Adult, Romance, Thriller
He’s the son of a serial killer. She’s his father’s only surviving victim. He’s obsessed with her. She’s frightened of him. Before it’s all over they’ll need each other to survive.
Cain Killion’s life has revolved around blood. From a childhood of torture by his father, to his gruesome ability to solve crimes. When a current case is directly connected to his past, there’s only one person with answers.
But she isn’t talking, and the bodies are stacking up. The only solution… Kidnap her.
Defying Evil is the first book in the Blood is Thicker Than Series of dark romantic thrillers. It features a man tortured by his past who never thought he was capable of love. If you devour edge of your seat thrillers and romance novels, you’ll love a series that combines both in a roller-coaster ride of mind games and tragic love.
Read this dangerously dark romance today!
Trigger warning: Depictions of violence.
Previously published until the title Saving Mercy.
Abbie Roads is the best-selling author of the Fatal Dreams Series and the Fatal Truth Series. Her novels have been finalists in many prestigious contests including The Golden Heart, The Greater Detroit Booksellers Best, The Oklahoma National Readers’ Choice Award, The Write Touch, The Strut Your Stuff Contest, The Aspen Gold Contest, The Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, The Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award, The Midnight Sun, The Kathryn Hayes Contest, The Chanticleer, The Daphne du Maurier, The National Readers’ Choice Award, The New England Readers’ Choice Contest, The Beverly Award, and The Maggie Award. Her debut novel Race the Darkness was Publishers Weekly Top 10 Pick for Fall and Never Let Me Fall is an Amazon Editor’s Pick.
By day Abbie Roads is a mental health counselor always focusing on the bright side. By night she writes on the dark side, putting her characters through the wringer before she gives them their happily-ever-after. She loves a good inspirational quote and is a fan of true crime.
Abbie Roads has always been able to pull me in immediately with her stories. Defying Evil is no different. However, it did not hold my attention like her other books.
Defying Evil is a thriller book with a bit of trauma bonding added in. The “romance” part of this book is what moves at fast pace, which makes the overall book move at fast pace. I felt like the thriller parts were too short and the development of Mercy was a bit lacking.
I love Abbie’s writing style and it’s why I continued on with this story, but this book had a lot of potential to be so much better.
I did enjoy Cain’s backstory and how he’s been able to overcome his horrendous past and move forward. I loved the otherworldly aspect of both Cain and Mercy’s abilities and how Abbie weaved them together into the story.
Overall, it was just an ok read for me. I know Abbie has the ability to dig deeper so this would be a great book for new readers to her work.
From New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake, discover The Park Avenue Promise Series… Three young women make a pact in high school— to always be friends and to one day make it big in Manhattan. She’s a high-tech boss who lost it all…
Ivy Jensen was the darling of the tech world, right up until her company fell apart completely after she trusted the wrong person. Her reputation in tatters, she finds herself back in the tiny apartment she grew up in, living with her mom. When a group of angel investors offer her a meeting, she knows she has to come up with the new big idea or her career is over.
He’s an up and coming coder…
Heath Marino has always been fascinated with writing code. He’s worked on a dozen games and apps and is considered one of the industry’s more eccentric talents. But now he’s back in New York to spend time with his grandmother. She was known as one of the city’s greatest matchmakers, and he wants to know why. Surely there’s some kind of code in his grandmother’s methods, and he’s going to find them.
When Ivy meets Heath it’s instant attraction, but she’s got a career to get back to and he just might be her on-ramp. It could be a perfect partnership or absolute heartbreak.
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Start Us Up is the first book in Lexi’s newest series, Park Ave Promise.
This book was right down the middle enjoyable for me. I did not hate it but it also did not wow, which honestly surprised me because I love just about anything that Lexi writes.
Start Us Up is definitely woman’s fiction than romance as it primarily focuses on Ivy’s personal growth with a tad of romance sprinkled throughout. I can read just about anything but having this promoted as a romance, it felt a bit misleading and I think that played into my expectations.
This book is strong and very well written. You can tell that Lexi did her own research, especially when it comes to the more techy aspect of this book and all the ins and outs of that world. The depth she brings to her characters and their interactions definitely kept this book entertaining.
Overall, it’s a good read.
Meet Lexi
New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she’s sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings.
*A standalone novel set in the world of St. Mary’s **INCLUDES the prequel, The Wild Mustang & The Dancing Fairy
Two years ago, Reed Jackson betrayed Calliope Thorne and broke her heart. So she stole his most prized possession – a white mustang – and drove it into the lake for revenge.
Now, Callie is stuck at a reform school while Reed is off at college, living his life without repercussions.
Until he comes back.
With him comes back all the feelings that Callie has been trying to bury: anger and heartbreak.
But most of all, desire.
At the sight of his beautiful but lying lips and his gunmetal gray eyes that still taunt and smolder when he looks at her.
Whatever though. It’s not as if Callie is ever going to fall for her ex-boyfriend again. Or let him corner her in a bar one night and touch her, kiss her…
Neither is she going to kiss him back. Or worse, sleep with him.
Because that would make her naïve and foolish.
Oh, and also pregnant.
And there’s no way Callie is ever going to get pregnant at eighteen and with Reed’s baby, no less. The guy she hates.The guy who taught her all about heartbreak.
I haven’t read too many books by Saffron and those that I have read, have been a mixed bag with my reviews. And this is why I won’t ever say no when a book doesn’t win me over; not every book is going to be “WOW” for me and just because one book doesn’t “WOW” me doesn’t mean I stop reading that particular author.
A Gorgeous Villain is mixed read in itself for me. While I loved the story itself, the pacing and the writing kept dulling and stalling the story for me. There were alot of repetitive thoughts that were rewritten differently throughout this book. The plot didn’t move along well and felt stagnant through most of it. So why did I keep reading?
Well, I was truly vested in the characters – I wanted to see if Reed could go redeem himself, even though I felt he didn’t deserve Callie. However, in his effed up mind, he loved her in his own away, even if he doesn’t believe in love. But I needed to see if he was worth Callie’s love in the end.
Callie, oh you stupid, stupid girl who couldn’t walk away. I love her but wanted to smack her, ALOT. But I also blame her brothers for keeping her so guarded – I think she would have seen the red flags alot sooner and been stronger against Reed. I would have love to seen her give him a dose of his own medicine. And in her own tiny way, she did at times.
Overall, I did enjoy this more than the first book. While I skimmed alot due to repetitiveness, I didn’t want to stop reading it either. Did it need to be this long – no. But I still read it all.
I am intrigued about Ledger and Tempest’s story and hope to read that once it releases.
I have read two other books in this series and will read the other two that I missed because I am curious how those stories played out.
Our marriage may look like a fairytale, but outside forces threaten to tear us apart. Don’t they realize that nothing will keep me apart from Charlotte? Not my family. Not hers either.
What started out as a relationship in name only has evolved into something much more. Something deeper. And when Charlotte is taken from me, I launch into action, determined to rescue her.
She’s mine. Nothing is going to stop me from being with her.
Not a damn thing.
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The Reckless Union is the conclusion in the Arrange Marriage trilogy, Charlotte and Perry’s story.
The story picks up where the second book ended. Perry and Charlotte are now married but Charlotte is now in the hands of her ex.
Perry and Charlotte have grown individually together throughout this entire trilogy and I’ve enjoyed that growth the most out of this entire story.
Monica wraps everything up in this book and gives reader the HEA they’ve been wanting. While some areas I wanted to see a bit more developed, there wasn’t any over the top, unnecessary fluff added and I appreciate that very much.
A nice ending to an entertaining trilogy.
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. She’s also known as USA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson.
A native Californian, she lives on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere with her husband, two kids, one dog, and four cats. When she’s not writing, she’s an assistant coach for her daughter’s high school cheer team, which is a two season sport. Meaning, she’s at practice with a bunch of teenage girls all the time. Or she’s at a football game. Or a basketball game. Maybe someday, she’ll even write about this experience.
He’s about to learn that love isn’t logical at all.
Doctor Love, an all new sizzling opposites attract standalone romance from International Bestselling author Leisa Rayven, is out now!
Toby Jenner may be tall, handsome, and own the world’s greatest collection of cardigans, but his track record with women is woeful. Even though he’s the tech genius behind the most successful matchmaking app of all time, it seems as though Doctor Love is able to predict everyone’s perfect partner except his own.
All that changes when a beautiful, intelligent, quirky-as-hell woman crashes into his life. Plagued by her own relationship woes, Joanna’s done with dating guys who aren’t right and pins her hopes on the Happy Ever After app turning her love life around.
Within hours of meeting her, Toby realizes he’s finally found the soul-deep connection he’s always craved. Even better, she seems to feel the same way.
There’s just one problem–according to his own state-of-the-art compatibility algorithm, they don’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of working out.
Being a man of logic, Toby knows he should forget about her and move on. He knows he shouldn’t move into her plush Manhattan apartment so he can monitor the glitchy A. I. that runs/ruins her life. He knows he should be fine with her dating men whose compatibility scores aren’t in the single digits. And he should absolutely ignore how just being near her sets his entire world on fire.
Yes, Toby is very aware that falling for his perfectly imperfect match will lead to devastating heartbreak. But he also knows that if there’s even a one-percent chance of them making it, he’ll move heaven and earth to beat the odds.
A sizzling new standalone from the internationally bestselling author of Bad Romeo.
Download your copy today, exclusively on Amazon or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited! Amazon: https://amzn.to/3r1796E Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/drlove
Keep reading for a look inside Doctor Love!
I down more of my drink. For an eighteen-dollarish glass of whiskey, it’s not bad. When I glance at Eden, I see her eyes have glazed over. I follow her gaze across the room to where her boyfriend is talking to one of the test couples. As if he feels her staring, Max turns, and the expression he gets makes me shake my head. Pretty sure I’ve never looked at a girl like that, but I’d like to. I wonder what it must be like to be that much in love. The way they’re looking at each other … the chemistry is so thick, you can almost see it shimmering in the air. It’s like there’s no one else in this entire place but them. Whenever I witness the passion between Eden and Max, I wonder if that sort of depth of emotion is reserved for a lucky few. Will everyone get to feel something that powerful during their lifetimes? Or is it some kind of cosmic lottery that most of us never get to win? “Out of interest,” I say. “Did you and Max fill out your compatibility questionnaires?” Eden drags herself away from her man and leans one elbow on the bar. “Of course. Max wanted to make sure your algorithm was working.” “So, what did you score?” She gives me a smug smile. “Ninety-two.” I almost choke on my own saliva. “Are you fucking kidding me?” She looks confused. “No. Why?” I stand up straighter. “Just haven’t seen a score that high before. New record.” Up until now, the highest was eighty-six, and that was one of my research couples who’d been together for thirty years. “Guess it must feel good to know you chose right.” She smiles wistfully into her wine. “I don’t need a score to tell me Max is my soul mate. When you know, you know.” I roll my neck again to try and relieve the tension in my shoulders. “So I hear.” She touches my forearm, and I can feel the sympathy she’s exuding. “Toby, you’re a six-foot-five, totally ripped, scruffily handsome genius. I have zero doubt you’ll meet your perfect match someday soon.” I shrug her off. “Doesn’t bother me.” I’m such a liar. I want a soul mate just as much as the next person. I just doubt it’s something I’m ever going to have. Eden frowns for a second, before turning to me with an excited expression. “Well smack my ass and call me stupid, why didn’t I think of it before? I have a single friend who’d be great for you.” Oh, Jesus, here we go. “Yeah, I don’t think so.” “Just hear me out. She’s gorgeous, intelligent, quirky as hell––” “Eden, I’m the professional matchmaker here. How about we leave potential dates to the expert instead of just hooking me up with some random woman you know.” “She’s not random. She’s Asha’s best friend.” I cringe. “Are you talking about that Joanna chick you mentioned ages ago? The one who first told you about Mister Romance? Didn’t you say she was a compulsive liar?” “That was before I got to know her. She’s actually remarkably cool.” “I’m sure. Still not interested. Plus, I’ve already made it clear that until this app is out in the big, bad world, I have zero time to scratch myself, let alone date.” She nods like she understands, but knowing Eden, this subject is not being dropped any time soon. “Okay. Sure. I hear you. But just know that one day, you’ll meet someone amazing and forget all about how busy you are. When your soul mate shows up, you can try to deny them, or ignore them, but it won’t work. They’ll bully their way into your life whether you want them to or not. Take it from someone who knows.” I down the dregs of my whiskey and put the empty glass on the bar. I love Eden like a sister, and I’m grateful that she looks out for me, but I’m really not in the mood for this conversation tonight. She’s working on the assumption that there’s someone out there for everyone, and the more I study the numbers, the more certain I am that most of us are destined to stagger from one bad relationship to the next, until we die, miserable and alone. “Well, thanks for the drink,” I say as I pat her shoulder. “But I really need to get back to work.” Without waiting for permission, I sit back down in front of my laptop and open it. She rubs my back. “Okay, then, Doctor Love. Go matchmake your little heart out. I have to head home to finish up a story, but I’ll see you at work on Monday, okay?” “Yep, see you then.” As she heads across the room to kiss Max goodbye, I watch them for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and diving back into the dizzying labyrinth of code on the screen in front of me.
Doctor Love is my first book by Leisa. The premise of this book had me intrigued and curious on how everything works out.
This book is told completely from Toby’s POV and while I don’t mind single POV’s in romance, I think with this particular story, it hurt the book a bit. The beginning starts of great and I am definitely pulled in but then somewhere in the middle, things become too mundane for me that it takes me longer than usual to get through it (I even read another book while reading this one and I normally don’t do that). And then the book picks back up near the end.
Readers are given the inside scoop on Toby as to what his past was like, who he is now and where he’s at in life. Readers are unfortunately given an outsiders view of Joanna and that hurts understanding her reasons and motives for her actions. A good portion of this book surrounds Joanna and her inability to be honest with those closest to her. She keeps a lot closed off and no one knows why but accepts it as “it’s just who she is.” I can honestly say, for the majority of this book I did not care for her.
While I enjoyed the plot of this book, I truly struggled to get through a good portion of it because it felt repetitive with how Joanna reacted to things. I adored Toby and his continuous fight to get whatever he could from Joanna. He was the only reason I finished this book.
Overall, this book as ok for me. I think readers who read the first two books in this series may enjoy it more than others as they have more insight to everyone. However, Doctor Love was right down the middle for me.
About Leisa Rayven Author, actor, and professional snuggler, Leisa is the creator of the critically acclaimed Starcrossed series, published through Macmillan New York: BAD ROMEO, BROKEN JULIET, and WICKED HEART. The finale in the Starcrossed series was the holiday-themed anthology, BAD ROMEO CHRISTMAS. Her latest endeavor is the Masters of Love series, which has everyone swooning over some spectacular book boyfriends who will do anything for their soul mates. The first two books, (MISTER ROMANCE and PROFESSOR FEELGOOD,) are now available, and DOCTOR LOVE is scheduled to be published in early 2019. Leisa’s books have gained hordes of passionate fans all over the world, and can be found on e-readers and bookshelves in fifteen foreign countries, and she’s also been featured on various international bestseller lists. Leisa lives in Australia with her husband, two enormous teenage sons, four cats, and a kangaroo named Howard. (Howard may or may not be her imaginary marsupial friend. Everyone should have one.) When Leisa isn’t writing books, she’s probably eating cheese. Or guacamole. Or cheese covered in guacamole.
Connect with Leisa Facebook: https://bit.ly/3NMXR88 Twitter: https://bit.ly/3NP5ZF9 Instagram: https://bit.ly/3uQi58h Pinterest: https://bit.ly/3DGhlXb Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3NQo7OH Tumblr: https://bit.ly/3LHrXYA Stay up to date and sign up to Leisa’s VIP list: https://bit.ly/3KcKXxK Website: www.leisarayven.com
TASTE, an all-new sexy, stranded enemies-to lovers rom com from USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melanie Harlow is live now!
The last person on earth I want to be stranded with is Gianni Lupo.
But thanks to the blizzard of the century, I’m trapped in a roadside motel room with that cocky bastard for two straight days.
With one small bed.
Some women might thank Mother Nature for delivering a polar vortex that maroons them with six feet of solid muscle, those deep blue eyes, that sexy grin–but not me. I’ve known Gianni Lupo all my life, and he’s never brought me anything but bad luck and trouble.
So when the tension between us explodes with enough fiery heat to melt my icy defenses, I should have known what the disastrous end result would be–
A big fat plus sign.
After the snow melts, I’m left with more than just memories of the night we spent keeping each other warm. And he might be a rising star on the culinary scene, but he’s got no idea how to handle this bun in the oven.
He says he wants to do the right thing, but I’m not about to spend the rest of my life feeling like someone settled for me.
But just when I think I’ve got Gianni Lupo all figured out, he gives me a taste of the man he could be, of the family we could become, of the way he could love me if I let him.
I’m terrified of falling for him.
But one taste might be all it takes.
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Excerpt
I sat at the foot of the bed and dialed Winnie’s number. She picked up immediately. “Ellie?” “Hey.” “Thank God! You guys okay?” “We’re fine.” I watched Gianni unwrap a candy bar and lean back against the headboard. “We found a motel with a vacancy.” “You mean you’re staying in a motel room together?” she asked, loud enough for Gianni to overhear. “Yeah. And there’s only one bed.” She laughed. “How’s that going?” “Fine.” “You guys are getting along?” Gianni made a lewd gesture involving his fist, his tongue, and his inner cheek. I gave him the finger. “As well you’d expect.” “I can’t wait to hear about it.” “We’re going to try to get out of here as soon as we can in the morning. I’ll let you know when we’re on the road.” “Sounds good.” She laughed again. “Sleep tight.” “Oh. We will.” I eyed the length of the bed. “We have no choice.” After ending the call, I opened the Truth or Drink app on my phone and picked up my wine. “Ready to play?” “Hit me.” I scrolled through the options. “Do you want to play normal mode, party mode, or dirty mode? Gianni looked at me like I was crazy. “Duh.” I sighed and reached for my wine. “Okay, fine. I feel like I’m going to regret this, but dirty it is.” “Can I take my pants off?” “No. What’s your age range for a one night-stand?” “Hmm.” Gianni thought for a moment. “Please say at least eighteen.” “No teenagers. I’ll say twenty to forty-five.” “Forty-five? Really?” He shrugged. “I think mature women are hot. But I can’t go near fifty because that’s my mom’s age and then it would be weird.” “Right.” “So what about you? Same question.” “I’d have to say . . . thirty to forty.” He looked offended. “Why thirty? You’re only twenty-three.” And so was he, which was why I’d said it. “I know, but I think older men are just better in bed.” (I’d actually never been with anyone over twenty-eight.) “In what way?” “Just . . . more patient. More knowledgeable. More generous. Guys in their twenties think they’re all that just because they have younger bodies, especially if they’re—you know—well-endowed. But it’s not just the size of the boat. It’s definitely the motion of the ocean.” He harrumphed. “You’ve been in the wrong boats.”
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Another, right down the middle read for me.
Taste is Melanie’s next book in her Cloverleigh Farms series. I have not read any of the other books in this series and easily read this one without any previous knowledge.
This was my third enemies to lovers book in a row and each one was written differently by each author. This book had a few other tropes thrown in (close proximity and surprised pregnancies) that made it not fit the norm.
Ellie and Gianni grew up together as their parents were very close. They weren’t exactly hateful to another but they also were not nice either. And it seems as though that animosity has continues on into their adulthood.
These two find themselves stranded in a hotel room due to a snowstorm and that is where things get interesting. These two find themselves slinging insults and then their bodies at one another. Then they find themselves in another predicament.
Melanie tried showing readers the past between Ellie and Gianni to get a better understanding, but I wanted more of that. I felt that their story was rushed – we got some of their past, then for most of the book, it was them stuck in the hotel for two days, then return home to drop the mother of all bombs on their parents and then it’s the end. Gah! Just too fast for my liking.
Overall, it’s a good story. I just wanted more depth and growth from the two of them and for their story to be more than 50% romps in a a hotel bed.
About Melanie Harlow
USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her heels high, and her history with the naughty bits left in. When she’s not writing or reading, she gets her kicks from TV series like Ted Lasso, Schitt’s Creek, and Fleabag. She occasionally runs three miles, but only so she can have more gin and steak.
Melanie is the author of the BELLAMY CREEK series, the CLOVERLEIGH FARMS series, the ONE & ONLY series, AFTER WE FALL series, the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, and the FRENCHED series. She lifts her glass to romance readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and pet rabbit.
Connect with Melanie
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2RPwr51 Amazon: http://amzn.to/1NPkYKs Bookbub: http://bit.ly/36kL7yB Instagram: http://bit.ly/2NW3UtA Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2sVOz55 Facebook Reader Group: https://bit.ly/3mYzBBo Stay up to date with new releases and sign up for Melanie’s mailing list: http://bit.ly/2P7MATT Website: www.melanieharlow.com
I’m Susan Alexander, and you’ll find my books under S.B. Alexander. I’m an independent author with over 20 titles to date. I write paranormal, new adult, and sweet romances that feature hot heroes stealing hearts.
