#AudioBookReview: Tides of Secrets (The Obsidian Academy Duet #2) by @authorarconwell

Synopsis: “Logic bows at the throne of obsession.”

When Wren discovers a body and Castien in the tunnels on the same night, she’s certain she’ll never be able to trust him again. But that doesn’t mean she no longer needs him.

In order to discover the killer taking down their fellow students, Wren is forced to rely on Castien’s strategic mind and his knowledge of the Obsidian Order.

Wren wants nothing more than a cordial alliance, but Castien is intent on winning much more than her loyalty. He longs for her heart.

As they learn to trust each other again, the secret of Wren’s stolen journal looms over their fragile happiness like a storm cloud on the horizon.

Will they be able to withstand the tempestuous winds, or will they be ripped apart in the end?

Find out in Tides of Secrets, the epic conclusion of the Obsidian Academy Duet, a love story tinged with obsession and drenched in yearning.

#AudiobookReview: By Blade, I Vow (By Blade, #2) by @penelopeskyauthor

Synopsis: Wolfe gives me an ultimatum—I tell my father or he will.

We only have one chance at this, so I know it has to be done the right way. Once my father knows that Wolfe has been sneaking around with me behind his back this long, he’s going to want to put Wolfe in the ground. The way we handle it is literally a matter of life and death.

But with all the funerals my father has to attend as well as rebuilding our property after Lombardi’s hit, we need to wait a little longer. This makes Wolfe go apeshit, especially after a family friend makes a pass at me right in front of him. I can only placate him so long, and once he’s officially initiated into the family, Wolfe knows we’re out of time.
But then a new enemy, Warren, puts a target on our backs. He provokes my father at a wedding, and when he makes the mistake of commenting about me, Wolfe loses his mind and starts another war.

Wolfe is so obvious about his feelings toward me, that it’s a miracle my father hasn’t noticed. The trust that Wolfe has earned among the syndicate is so strong that no one suspects his treason.

But when the war comes to a head, secrets are revealed and everything is destroyed. The business, my family, everything…up in smokes

The only person I have left is Wolfe.

My ride or my die. The person I trust most. The love of my life.

He would do anything for me—and I him.

#AudioBookReview: By Blade, I Protect (By Blade, #1) by @penelopeskyauthor

Synopsis: My father runs the only arms operation in Sicily, and now that the Skull King is monopolizing the drug empire in all of Italy, we’re in hot water. Because everyone wants to take our business for themselves—because they aren’t strong enough to handle the Skull King.

Just when things are looking bad, Wolfe shows up looking for a job. He was born to inherit the throne of Cosa Nostra, but a mysterious falling out has forced him to turn his back on the only family he’s ever known. None of us are sure we can trust him, so he has to start at the bottom and prove his loyalty. With a smirk on his face and a twinkle in his eyes, he does what he’s told. But the second he sets eyes on me—I become the real thing he wants. I’m not dumb enough to get involved with one of the guys at the syndicate, no matter how insanely hot he is, so I tell him it’s never going to happen. But this man doesn’t stop.
I’m a nurse who stitches bullet holes and keeps my father’s men alive on top of everything else I do for the business, and Wolfe continually hurts himself because he knows it’s the one way to get me alone. While I stitch him up, he stares and smirks at me . . . like I’m already his. Even when my father is present, he stares at me the same way—like he doesn’t care if this obsession gets him killed. He’s honest, passionate, and smart—but I also think he’s a little crazy. I finally give in, saying it’s just for the night, but this man wants all of me before he ever touches me. An affair turns into the most intense relationship I’ve ever had, and Wolfe wants to tell my father about us, even if it gets him killed. But that’s way too risky with our enemies moving in and a snitch in our midst—and everyone thinks it’s Wolfe. Our relationship becomes clandestine and forbidden, and while that would be fun for other men, Wolfe disagrees. Because he wants me—forever. When so much is set against us, I’m not sure if our relationship will survive. But Wolfe believes it will—because he’ll die for it.

#BookReview: Defy the Dusk (The Sundering Duet #1) by @danielleljensen

Synopsis: When darkness means certain death and survival depends on reaching the dawn, the woman whose magic broke the world will carve another path: defy the dusk. From the #1 New York Timesbestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom comes the first book in a gritty post-apocalyptic fantasy duology.

In the Sundered world, there are two options: Ride the dawn, or face what rises in the night.

Twenty years ago, Lirien’s magic fractured the world and unleashed nocturnal creatures that brought civilization to its knees. Amidst the carnage came salvation: The most powerful survivors were invited to board Dawnrider, a high-speed rig that would deliver those aboard into a new era.

The rest of humanity was left to die.

Instead, a king rose from the darkness to lead them.

In the years since, Lirien has dedicated her magic to Dawnrider while secretly plotting to overthrow the tyrant who rules the rig with an iron fist. But just as Lirien is ready to strike against him, she is violently abducted by Vox—the king of the feralists.

The mercurial Vox gives her two choices: Fight the creatures that hunt the night or be fed to them. Lirien agrees to join his ranks, but embarks on a strategy of seduction that will return her to Dawnrider.

Yet as Vox pushes the limits of her magic, Lirien begins to question whether defying the dusk is the true path to salvation. Intoxicated by both Vox and his war against the night, Lirien must decide where her loyalties truly lie—and how far she’s willing to go for redemption.

#BookReview: Mooncursed (The Drowned King #1) by @authorhollyrenee

Synopsis: A cursed sea king, a stolen bride, and a fate meant for another.

They say madness dwells in the ocean's depths…and in the eyes of the Drowned King. Cursed to take a human bride and break her mind the moment she sees his face, the Drowned King spends his life in torment, watching. Waiting. 

Lou was never meant to be chosen. Branded from birth as a saltwitch, she has always been seen as the cursed shadow of her moonblessed twin. Now, veiled and bound in marriage to a man she must never see, she's thrust into a life of ancient gods and unraveling fate…and unspeakable desire.

Yet even as fear becomes tangled with a perilous longing for the Drowned King's heated touch, the truth of her choosing looms over her like a siren's song. It rages louder with every breath she takes as whispers travel through the kingdoms: rumblings of war, of ancient goddesses awakening, of a queen with saltwater on her lips who will change everything.

There is no stopping fate, for though she was never meant to be chosen, the moon has already summoned the tide.

#BookReview: Ashes of Austen by @zoeblakebooks

Synopsis: A DARK WARNING. A DANGEROUS SEDUCTION.

The first in the Gothic romance series Shadows of Pemberley, a seductive modern-day reimagining of Jane Austen’s most daring worlds, from USA Today bestselling author Zoe Blake.

Aristocratic scandal. Murder. A legacy cursed by Northanger Abbey .

Jane Austen's novels are not romances, they are a warning. Her poisoned pen exposed the arrogance and greed of British high society, even as she cursed them for it.

Reborn as a modern story of obsession, control, and dangerous desire.

To save her family from ruin, Julianna Whitcombe must marry the cold and enigmatic Lord Victor Tilney.

But within the crumbling walls of Northanger Abbey, danger lurks at every turn. Her wedding gown is destroyed, poison appears in the food, and a near-fatal accident makes one thing clear: someone is determined to stop the wedding. As whispers of a deadly bridal curse spread through the abbey, Julianna begins to uncover Tilney's dark and twisted legacy.

Yet the greatest mystery is Victor himself. Fiercely protective and dangerously possessive, he may be the only man who can save her—or the one she should fear most.

Dark, seductive, and steeped in gothic suspense, Ashes of Austen will leave readers breathless as love battles the forces of vengeance and a deadly curse that may destroy them both..

#BookReview: A Time of Witches by @madelinemmartin

Synopsis: Two women, bound by blood and betrayal, must break silence across centuries—or be silenced forever, in the dazzling new novel by New York Times bestselling author Madeline Martin.

Lilith Legare’s life is unraveling. Since her mother’s death, strange things have been happening - plants turn toward her touch, animals linger in her path, and the birthmark on her arm has started tingling. Worse still is her recurring nightmare of being burned alive at the stake.

Her search for answers brings her from Savannah to England, to the decaying Brackenmere Manor where the past blurs with the present. There, Lilith discovers a legacy she never asked for and along with it, the threat of peril. History must be rewritten, or she too will die.

In 1645 Suffolk, Sybil Brantham stands accused as a witch. An educated, wealthy widow, she is branded a threat by men who fear her independence. As arrests begin and suspicion abounds, Sybil must protect her younger sister, even as betrayal takes root within her household.

Across centuries, Lilith and Sybil are bound by blood and by danger. To save themselves, and each other, they must confront the silence that has stolen women’s power for generations—and dare to claim their voices before it’s too late.

#BookReview: Daughter of Wolves by @nickipaupreto

Synopsis: A dark romantic fantasy by Sunday Times bestselling author Nicki Pau Preto.

Lua is a seventh-born daughter, cursed and claimed by the dark forest. The Wood takes what it is owed, and her human parents encroached on forbidden land to build their fine house. Raised among its ancient trees and dangerous denizens, Lua runs with wolves, barefoot and wild, and spends her nights watching the family that abandoned her at birth.

When Lua's childhood crush, Cristiano, offers her his hand in marriage-and a place within her own family-Lua cannot refuse. Their love and acceptance are everything she's ever wanted, but it comes at a abandoning her duty to the Wood. Thrust into civilized life, Lua spends her days trying to fit in among the humans while her fiancé parades her around. At night, she sneaks from her bedroom to make reports to the mysterious Thorne, a loyal servant of the Wood who mocks Lua's obsession with the humans and pushes her to embrace what she truly is-a shapeshifter unwilling to take on her wolf form.

But everything is not as it seems. Soon, alliances shift, lovers become enemies, and Lua must choose between the human realm, and the gruff woodsman, who might be more than just a servant of the Wood . . .

#BookReview: The Dreamwitch by @moniquehazelh

Synopsis: A darkly romantic, richly imagined and lyrically written gothic fantasy of forbidden magic, and the fragile boundary between reality and ruin. Perfect for fans of Ava Reid, Alix E. Harrow and Keri Lake.

In Camdyn, strangeness seeps from Wolford Manor like blood from an open wound. The manor swelters when it should freeze and the garden rots instead of grows – and the young nephew of Lord Montgomery suffers from crippling and pervasive nightmares. Desperate, the family calls upon Matiah Blood.

As a dreamwitch, Matiah can traverse and manipulate the realm of dreams. Wanting to bolster her reputation and support her struggling sister, Matiah travels to the manor – despite the threat of the huntsmen, an elusive sect who prey on dreamwitches.

While Matiah hurries to uncover Wolford’s secrets and prevent the nightmares from poisoning the rest of the household, she must rely on Atlas, the Montgomery’s handsome, brooding bodyguard, for protection. Forced to work together, the two can’t resist their growing attraction – despite Atlas’s devastating history with dreamwitches.

But something far more sinister than huntsmen and nightmares haunts Wolford, something Atlas can’t protect her from, that threatens to break the barrier between the world of dreams and reality. And if Matiah can’t find a way to save Wolford from the ghosts of its past, it might very well break her.

#BookReview: The Captive and the First Blood Game (Blood Type, #2) by @authorkalinde

Synopsis: As the provocative, sensual Blood Type series continues, the rare bond between Reyna and Beckham is threatened by betrayal, greed, and twisted secrets.

A desperate human. A powerful vampire. A world divided.

Reyna Carpenter was promised paradise. She was delivered into hell.

Giving up her body for money was supposed to be the hardest part of becoming a blood escort. She never expected to lose her heart to her dark, enigmatic boss, Beckham Anderson. After being taken by a depraved captor who plans to rule the world, Reyna will do anything to return to Beckham.

She just has to find the will to survive this game.

From the pawn, rises a queen.

Note: Reyna and Beckham’s story begins in Blood Type and continues in Blood Cure.

This ebook includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

#BookReview: Conform (Reform, #1) by @arielhsullivan

Synopsis: In the far future, one young woman finds herself torn between two loves—and two sides of a rebellion boiling under the surface—in the first novel of a sweeping dystopian romance trilogy.

Centuries after a catastrophic world war nearly decimated the human population, a city arose from the ashes, ruled by an elusive and technologically advanced group called the Illum.

At twenty-seven, Emeline lives in limbo, wasting away her days in a job sorting ancient human art for destruction and waiting to be selected as a Mate for a procreation contract. Where others look forward to being chosen, Emeline has never felt like she fit into a society where a person’s worth is determined by constantly monitored genes, health, and the ability to procreate. She’s struggled to keep her discomfort secret, but when she is finally chosen, her Mate is revealed to be a member of the Illum named Collin, a man who seems to be harboring secrets of his own.

It is the first time an Illum has taken a Mate in decades, leaving Emeline—and others—baffled as to why she was chosen. Soon, she is swept into the dangerous game of Courting, filled with ballgowns, lavish dinners, and watchful eyes, where one wrong move can mean elimination. While parts of this elite lifestyle are unexpectedly appealing, the more embroiled she becomes, the more she sees its dark underbelly—and a rebellion rising in secret. Collin is confusing, both cold and protective, and worse, she finds herself drawn to the very last person she should be falling for: Hal, one of the resistance leaders.

As she draws closer to both Collin and Hal, the Illum exercise their power in increasingly brutal ways, forcing Emeline to question everything—most of all whether she’ll have to give up her heart and even her life to stop them.

#BookReview: Kill the Beast by @serratheswift

Synopsis: The Witcher meets Howl’s Moving Castle in this debut original faerie tale of revenge, redemption, and friendship―for fans of T. Kingfisher, Naomi Novik, and cozy fantasy with a dash of gritty adventure.

The night Lyssa Cadogan's brother was murdered by a faerie-made monster known as the Beast, she made him a promise: she would find a way to destroy the immortal creature and avenge his death. For thirteen years, she has been hunting faeries and the abominations they created. But in all that time, the one Beast she is most desperate to find has never resurfaced.

Until she meets Alderic Casimir de Laurent, a melodramatic dandy with a coin purse bigger than his brain. Somehow, he has found the monster’s lair, and―even more surprising―retrieved one of its claws. A claw Lyssa needs in order to forge a sword that can kill the Beast.

When the witch Ragnhild decrees that Alderic and Lyssa must gather the other ingredients to forge the weapon together, or else the spell will fail, Lyssa gets more than she bargained for. Alderic is ill-equipped for the task at hand, and almost guaranteed to get himself killed.

But as the two of them search for the materials that will be the Beast's undoing, Alderic reveals hidden depths: dark secrets that he guards as carefully as Lyssa guards hers. Before long, and against Lyssa's better judgment, they begin to forge a blooming friendship―one that will either lead to the culmination of Lyssa's quest for vengeance, or spell doom for them both.

#BookReview: Willing Prey (Feral Love, #1) by @allie.oleander

Synopsis: An exhilarating, primal summer fling reveals an intensely sexy, edgy romance, where anything goes in the woods—just remember your safe word.

Post-divorce and buried in student loan debt, Claire Collins eagerly enters a spicy business agreement with an acquaintance who wants to explore his primal desires. The deal is simple—thirty days as his sexual prey, $30,000 in her bank account. All she has to do is give Shane Underwood the hunt of his life.

Claire’s a physical education teacher and perfectly happy to spend her summer having wild, kinky sex instead of working her usual serving job. But once they cross the tree line, she realizes how little she knows about the corporate lawyer paying her to be his prey.

Shane is different in the woods. Brutal. Devastating. Feral.

That’s okay with Claire—she is, too. And she’s sinking her teeth a little deeper into Shane’s heart every time he catches her.

#BookReview: Claimed By Her Monsters by @authorlexidavis

Synopsis: On Halloween night, the storm comes for me…and so do three dangerous men who swear I’m theirs.

At nineteen I’ve taken my knocks, parents gone, extended foster care, and one bad night at my group home that lands me with a court-appointed, distant “relative.” He’s a beautiful stranger in a black suit; I’m a disaster in borrowed shoes. Neither of us wants this. Still, he brings me to a mansion that breathes. The halls listen. The portraits watch. Outside, the thunder speaks my name.

He tells me to stay in my room.
I don’t.

Downstairs I meet his friends.

Mick, the big one who growls.
Caspian, the quiet one who can’t stop staring.
Alister, the grump who brought me here.


A storm rages outside. The house whispers. The lights die. They tell me I’m the key to whatever’s waking inside these walls…and inside me. I have to complete a ritual before midnight or the thing under my skin will tear me and this town apart. They say it’s simple.

Fight and die.
Yield to it, and to all of them, and live.

But in this house, nothing is what it seems, least of all me, and when the clock strikes twelve, I’ll have to decide whether to resist the monsters at my door or admit they already own my heart.

A wicked, why-choose Halloween romance with crackling chemistry, haunted-house vibes, and a fierce heroine who doesn’t have to pick. High heat. No cheating. HEA. 

Perfect if you love fated mates, found family, grumpy–sunshine, forced proximity, hurt/comfort, protective, possessive heroes, age-gap tension, witty banter, and a chosen-one heroine.

#BookReview: Witch of the Wolves (Witch of the Wolves, #1) by @kayleearcherauthor

Synopsis: When a powerful witch discovers she's the daughter of an Alpha werewolf and is taken by his Pack, she's determined to break free all the while denying her attraction to her abductor. Witch of the Wolves is perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and From Blood and Ash.

Cordelia Levine comes from a long line of powerful witches. She's been flying under the radar in the human world, focused on strengthening her magic. She loves working at her aunt's apothecary in London, secretly serving supernaturals.

Until the truth about her family is revealed.

She always assumed her enhanced sense of smell came from her French perfumer father. But when Bishop Daniels abducts Cordelia at the request of her father, the Alpha, Cordelia learns she's a lycan--sharing both witch and werewolf traits. She's brought to Trevelyan, the pack estate, under the guise of protection from foreign threats who want to use her to continue their bloodline.

She quickly learns that to keep her from being sold off to another pack, her father intends to give Cordelia as a mate to Bishop. His second in command and the future Alpha.

Cordelia refuses to accept this as her fate. She can't rely on her magic alone to escape and when she learns Bishop plans to challenge her father's power, she reluctantly begins to trust him. The cracks within the Pack become evident and something is bound to break. And Cordelia and her growing desire for the man who shouldn't set her on fire are right at the center of it all.

Witch of the Wolves is the first book in this Victorian romantasy series, featuring an intense and sexy romance and a world on the brink of change.

#BookReview: The Sleepless (Sleepless Duology, #1) by Jen Williams

Synopsis: Godkiller meets Powerless in this epic gods-and-monsters romantic fantasy from British Fantasy Award-winning author Jen Williams.

Welcome to a world where gods and monsters roam the earth . . .

Elver is the guardian of the wild and dangerous monster forest. Saved from the brink of death by a god, her skin will poison anyone she touches.

Artair is on a mission—one that takes him face-to-face with Elver at her most ruthless. But her defenses are useless when she discovers he's the only human impervious to her deadly gift. For Artair isn't human: he's one of the Sleepless, cursed to share his body with an evil spirit.

Lucian inhabits their body while Artair sleeps, and he is hell-bent on manipulating Elver for his dark purposes. But Elver is harbouring secrets too, and she has her own reasons for feigning an alliance with these two souls.

Caught in the crossfire of gods, monsters, and a dangerous magic they can barely understand, it is only a matter of time before the paths the three of them choose to take will set alight the very foundations of their world.

With a love triangle like you’ve never seen it, incredible world-building, brilliant writing, and a dangerous quest, The Sleepless will have you spellbound.

#BookReview: The Weaver Bride (The Weaver Bride, #1) by @_lydiagregovic_

Synopsis: A sweeping fantasy about a witch who must navigate a ruthless marriage competition—and try not to fall in love along the way. Part twisting mystery, part thrilling romance, The Weaver Bride is an unputdownable romantasy steeped in a lush magical world.

Lovett Tamerlane is a silkwitch. Like all girls of her kind, she holds a rare magic—a magic that can be harnessed only through marriage to a Weaver. But finding a Weaver husband requires status, refinement, and money, all of which Lovett sadly lacks. Her one secret ability, to open any door, is her saving grace. Hidden in plain sight, Lovett spends her days using her gift to steal from wealthy families and her nights avoiding the fate imposed on all unwed silkwitches: a life confined to the cloisters.

But opening doors can be dangerous, and when Lovett steals from the wrong person, she finds herself face to face with Eliot Lear, the notorious son of a prominent Weaver. It turns out Eliot’s been watching Lovett. He knows she’s a silkwitch, and he offers her a life-altering opportunity: entrance to the Vainglory, a competition with the ultimate prize—marriage to Noé Alaire, heir to generations of Weaver wealth. The catch? Last year, the Vainglory ended in tragedy. The winner died. And the winner was Eliot’s sister.

The arrangement is simple: If Lovett solves the mystery of Ophelia Lear’s death and unmasks her killer, Eliot will ensure she has her pick of Weaver suitors, regardless of who wins the competition. Yet unraveling Ophelia’s murder proves far more complicated than either of them anticipated. And Lovett should know better than to take a Weaver at his word.

After all . . . what is love without betrayal?

#BookReview: One More Heartbeat (Carson Brothers #5) by @stinalindenblatt

Synopsis: Finding a toddler on my doorstep? Not exactly how I planned for the day to go. 

Zara Thompson has loved sexy, ex-Marine Garrett Carson since college—but he was in love with her best friend. For the past twelve years, Zara has kept her secret and her heart guarded.

Then a woman shows up on Garrett’s doorstep with a toddler and a shocking claim: the little girl is his daughter, and her mother—Zara’s former best friend—is dead, killed in a tragic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Now, Garrett is juggling fatherhood, a looming book deadline, a frightened toddler who won’t go near him, and a live-in nanny who refuses to warm up to Zara—especially after she witnesses an unexpected and steamy kiss between Zara and Garrett. 

A steamy kiss that sends their close friendship into a tailspin…

But as Zara focuses on expanding her small-town café and helping Garrett be a father, a mix of circumstances beyond her control and buried secrets conspire against her…threatening Zara’s chance at a happily ever after with the man her heart refuses to give up on.

#BookReview: What Fury Brings (Wrath and Fury, #1) by @tricialevenseller

Synopsis: #1 New York Times-bestselling author Tricia Levenseller makes her adult debut in What Fury Brings, a sexy, empowering romantasy featuring a warrior general who must kidnap and train a husband in order to take her rightful place as queen.

There's a shortage of men in the kingdom of Amarra. After a failed rebellion against the matriarchy, most noblemen in the country are dead. Now the women of Amarra must obtain their husbands (should they want one) by kidnapping them from other kingdoms.

Olerra, a warrior princess vying for the throne, is determined to prove her worth by kidnapping a husband. And not just any husband. To outmaneuver her treacherous cousin, she needs the best. Fortunately, the second-born prince of their greatest enemy is widely known for both his looks and his sweet, docile temperament. He's the perfect choice to secure her claim to the throne.

Sanos, heir to the Kingdom of Brutus, has nothing but contempt for the idea of a society run by women. Trained from birth to fight, lead, and follow in his father's overbearing footsteps, his path has always been set. Until he takes his younger brother's place in a drunken prank and finds himself kidnapped, carted off to the Amarran Palace, and informed that he is to become the husband of Queen Potential Olerra. Sanos needs to escape before anyone learns his real identity, but the more he gets to know his captor, the less sure he is of what he truly wants.

#BookReview: Dragon Fires Everywhere (Witchlore, #4) by Hazel Beck

Synopsis: When a witch plays with fire, she might just ignite a love that can't be extinguished…

 
Newly-minted Historian of the soon-to-be-ascended Riverwood Coven Georgie Pendell has always played her part—so why does she feel like an outsider in her own life? Duped and dumped by her boyfriend, Georgie finds herself dismissing love as a fairytale. But when the words she reads aloud from an enchanted storybook free a dragon shifter, everything changes.
 
Georgie finds herself drawn to the dragon in ways she didn’t think were even possible for her, and her dragon, with his fiery golden gaze, all but claims Georgie as his own. But beneath his scorching intensity lies a secret, one that stretches back into the ancient past.
 
With the Joywood Coven still finding ways to upend the new order of the witching world, Georgie and her coven will need to prove themselves up to the task of being in charge, and right the wrongs their predecessors committed—if they can uncover the truth. Because something is missing. Something that will stop the Joywood once and for all. Something that only a Historian and an ancient dragon can find.