#BookReview: A Long Time Coming (Cane Brothers, #3) by @AuthorMegQuinn @Read_Bloom

Synopsis: "Have you ever heard of a man-in-waiting?" Yeah, not many have, Breaker Cane included. But his best friend, Lia Fairweather-Fern, can't get married without some extra help. That's why she's recruited him to take on the snarling beast that's her soon-to-be monster-in-law, Mrs. Beaver. For some reason, the groom's mother seems to have never heard the phrase, "What the bride wants, the bride gets." Lucky for Lia, Breaker has, and he accepts the challenge. After all, how much trouble can one woman cause? The problem is, it isn't Mrs. Beaver giving Breaker the most grief―it's actually Lia. Because with every second her wedding draws closer, he's starting to see her in a different light. She's always been beautiful, but now, he finds himself staring a touch too long, his hand lingering for one more minute, and when she's upset? Allowing her to sleep in his bed. Before he knows it, it hits him like a ton of he's fallen in love with his best friend. Nothing is snapping him out of it. Not the girl he tries to date during the wedding planning. Not Lia's increasingly suspicious fiancé. Not even the looming deadline of her upcoming nuptials. Which means there's only one thing left to prove to Lia he's the one she should be with instead. And it's going to be a lot harder than he thinks.

#BookReview: To Cage a God (These Monstrous Gods, #1) by Elizabeth May

Synopsis: Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone, this Imperial Russia-inspired romantasy launches a new dark fantasy duology of gods, politics, and deadly magical powers from a Sunday Times bestselling author

To cage a god is divine.

To be divine is to rule.

To rule is to destroy.

Using ancient secrets, Galina and Sera’s mother grafted gods into their bones. Bound to brutal deities and granted forbidden power no commoner has held in a millennia, the sisters have grown up to become living weapons. Raised to overthrow an empire―no matter the cost.

With their mother gone and their country on the brink of war, it falls to the sisters to take the helm of the rebellion and end the cruel reign of a royal family possessed by destructive gods. Because when the ruling alurea invade, they conquer with fire and blood. And when they clash, common folk burn.

While Sera reunites with her estranged lover turned violent rebel leader, Galina infiltrates the palace. In this world of deception and danger, her only refuge is an isolated princess, whose whip-smart tongue and sharp gaze threaten to uncover Galina’s secret. Torn between desire and duty, Galina must make a choice: work together to expose the lies of the empire―or bring it all down.

#BookReview: So Not Meant to Be (Cane Brothers #2) by @AuthorMegQuinn @Read_Bloom

Synopsis: From author Meghan Quinn, comes a fresh take on a romantic comedy classic, When Harry Met Sally. This steamy, laugh-out-loud, enemies to lovers romance is about an annoyingly handsome coworker and the woman who refuses to be charmed by him.

Am I friends with JP Cane?

Ha! That's laughable.

Besides the fact that he’s adopted some far-fetched notion from the movie When Harry Met Sallythat says men and women can't be friends and work together, it’s safe to say we're not friends. He's annoyingly loud, obnoxiously handsome, and has made an art out of poking all my hot buttons . . . multiple times a day.

So you can imagine how disgruntled I am when I not only have to fly to San Francisco with him for work, but stay in the same penthouse. Yup, we're sharing the same air, twenty-four-seven. We're talking full-fledged working roommates.

The man doesn't know what it means to wear a shirt, thrives off protein bars, and you guessed it, moans loud enough for people to believe he's Meg Ryan in a restaurant.

Spoiler Alert: I WON'T be having what he's having.

Tack on his continuous flirting and his polished good looks, and I'm caught staring down the barrel of a seductive temptation that makes it hard for me to sleep at night.

But guess who can control herself? This girl.

Because if there is one thing I know for certain, it's that JP Cane and I are so not meant to be.

#BookReview: Protecting The Gray Wolf (Lone Wolf Legacy, #2) by @njwaltersauthor @entangledpub

Synopsis: If they want his immortality—they’ll have to take it…in the second deeply sexy and bold Lone Wolf Legacy series from New York Times bestselling author N.J. Walters

I’m used to other wolves coming for me. They want their chance to try and take out the infamous Gray Wolf. And every single one of them fails—because lone wolves aren’t like the others…we’re stronger. Harder. Meaner. Immortal.

But it also means I’m alone. No pack. No alpha. Just the three of us—white, gray, and black. Two too many, if you ask me.

But with power-hungry mages gunning for us, I don’t have the luxury of reflection. They’re in New York City, and I Will. Hunt. Them. Down.

Which is when I see her, and every cell in my body is on alert, filled with the kind of primal longing I never knew I was capable of. Luna West may be human, but there’s some kind of thread connecting us. Call it destiny, fate…or voracious animal hunger.

I know she’s bait. She’s meant to tempt me, to make me weak. But even if I could resist her, I’m not sure I want to.

Because I’ve never denied my wolf anything…especially the chance to raise some serious hell.

And I’m not about to start now.

Each book in the Lone Wolf Legacy series is STANDALONE:
* Taming the White Wolf
* Protecting the Gray Wolf

#BookReview: The Devil's Waltz (Love in Hell, #1) by Jessi Elliott

Synopsis: It's been five years since her sister was killed by a demon and Camille Morgan swore off the family business of demon hunting. Now a college sophomore, Cami is determined to get her degree and move far away from Seattle—and all things paranormal.

But when Cami becomes the target of a demon attack she’s convinced is a ploy by her parents to drag her back into training, the wildly charming and attractive Xander Kane comes to her rescue. Except her savior isn't a hunter. Or even human.

Xander is a demon, the alluring prince of hell, whose magnetic presence leaves Cami both captivated and conflicted, especially when she finds out he plans on using her to destroy the demon hunters once and for all.

Caught between her growing affection for Xander and her loyalty to her family, Cami struggles to make a decision that could shatter her and endanger the lives of those she loves.

In this spicy paranormal romance, passion and danger collide, leading Cami on a journey where love and betrayal intertwine and lines between good and evil blur.

#BookReview: Butcher & Blackbird (The Ruinous Love Trilogy #1) by Brynne Weaver

Synopsis: Every serial killer needs a friend. 
Every game must have a winner.

When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive—the friendship of a like-minded, pitch-black soul. From small town West Virginia to upscale California, from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country. But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love. Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out of a game of graves? Or have they finally met their match? 

Butcher & Blackbird is the first book in the Ruinous Love Dark Romance trilogy of interconnected stand-alone dark romantic comedies. This dual POV novel ends on a HEA.

#BookReview: Listen for the Lie by @amytintera @CeladonBooks @lexilikestoread

Synopsis: What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn't matter?

After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.

But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast "Listen for the Lie," and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one that did it.

#BookReview: Lore of the Wilds (Lore of the Wilds, #1) by @asbranawrites

Synopsis: A stunning Romantasy debut about an enchanted library, two handsome Fae, and one human who brings them all together. 

A library with a deadly enchantment. 

A Fae lord who wants in.

A human woman willing to risk it all for a taste of power.

In a land ruled by ruthless Fae, twenty-one-year-old Lore Alemeyu’s village is trapped in a forested prison. Lore knows that any escape attempt is futile—her scars are a testament to her past failures. But when her village is threatened, Lore makes a desperate deal with a Fae lord. She will leave her home to catalog/organize an enchanted library that hasn’t been touched in a thousand years. No Fae may enter the library, but there is a chance a human might be able to breach the cursed doors.

She convinces him that she will risk her life for wealth, but really she’s after the one thing the Fae covet above all: magic of her own.

As Lore navigates the hostile world outside, she’s forced to rely on two Fae males to survive. Two very different, very dangerous, very attractive Fae males. When undeniable chemistry ignites, she’s not just in danger of losing her life, but her heart to the very creatures she can never trust.

#BookReview: The Blast from the Past (Riley Thorn #3) by Lucy Score

Synopsis: From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Things We Never Got Over Riley Thorn and her hot, tattooed, private investigator boyfriend are all moved in to their new fixer-upper. Not only do they finally have their own place, they also haven't found any new dead bodies on the premises. Yep. It looks like summer is over and so is Riley's bad luck. Or is it? While Nick gives up sleeping and showering to obsess over the cold case that still haunts him, his business partner Mrs. Penny is calling the investigative shots. It's every bit as bad as you can imagine. Meanwhile, Riley has her hands full fixing up the crumbling crime scene they call home and setting boundaries with the breaking-and-entering octogenarians next door. You know. Normal stuff. But normal comes to a screeching halt when our favorite psychic is abducted by a stranger with candy, and her powers go on the fritz. To make matters worse, it becomes clear that Riley's new house guests are definitely either in trouble or are trouble after bad guys deliver a warning with a severed finger. Can Nick and Riley solve the case the old-fashioned way before they all end up in pieces? Or will a surprise birthday party, a dog doody bandit, an accidental arson, and a blast from the past be too much for them to handle?

#BookReview: The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed @premeesaurus

Synopsis: A world-weary woman races against the clock to rescue the children of a wrathful tyrant from a dangerous, otherworldly forest.

At the northern edge of a land ruled by a monstrous, foreign tyrant lies the wild forest known as the Elmever. The villagers know better than to let their children go near—once someone goes in, they never come back out.

No one knows the strange and terrifying traps of the Elmever better than Veris Thorn, the only person to ever rescue a child from the forest many years ago. When the Tyrant’s two young children go missing, Veris is commanded to enter the forest once more and bring them home safe. If Veris fails, the Tyrant will kill her; if she remains in the forest for longer than a day, she will be trapped forevermore.

So Veris will travel deep into the Elmever to face traps, riddles, and monsters at the behest of another monster. One misstep will cost everything.

#BookReview: The Witch's Door (Oddities and Tales from the Esoteric to the Extreme) by Ryan Matthew Cohn & Regina M. Cohn

Synopsis: In this spellbinding and entertaining memoir, Regina and Ryan Cohn, founders of Oddities Flea Market, take us on a fascinating and specially curated tour of their most macabre and mysterious objects, art, and artifacts, sharing their incredible history and stories.

Enter at your own risk …

This title will be released on October 1, 2024.

#BookReview: Leather & Lark (The Ruinous Love Trilogy #2) by @brynne_weaver @zandoprojects

Synopsis: Contract killer Lachlan Kane wants a quiet life working in his leather studio and forgetting all about his traumatic past. But when he botches a job for his boss’s biggest client, Lachlan knows he’ll never claw his way out of the underworld. At least, not until songbird Lark Montague offers him a deal: use his skills to hunt down a killer and she’ll find a way to secure his freedom. The catch? He has to marry her first. 
 
And they can’t stand each other. 
 
Indie singer-songwriter Lark is the sunshine and glitter that burns through every cloud and clings to every crevice that Lachlan Kane tries to hide inside. The surly older brother of her best friend’s soulmate, Lachlan thinks she’s just a privileged princess, but Lark has plenty of secrets hiding in the shadows of her bright light. With her formidable family in a tailspin and her best friend’s happiness on the line, she’s willing to make a vow to the man she’s determined to hate, no matter how tempting the broody assassin might be. 

As Lachlan and Lark navigate the dark world that binds them together, it becomes impossible to discern their fake marriage from a real one. But it’s not just familiar dangers that haunt them. 
There’s another phantom lurking on their doorstep. 

And this one has come for blood.

#BookReview: Blood on the Tide (Crimson Sails, #2) by Katee Robert

Synopsis: Set sail for adventure and love in the next spicy fantasy romance from Katee Robert, the New York Times bestselling author of the TikTok smash hit Neon Gods .

As a bloodline vampire, Lizzie has never had a problem taking what she wants, and right now what she wants are the family heirlooms that were stolen from her and a portal home. Too bad even that short list is impossible to accomplish on her own—and her allies have bigger things to worry about.

When they rescue a selkie from captivity, it’s the perfect solution to her problem. Lizzie needs a guide through Threshold and the selkie needs someone to help her get her skin back.  Maeve didn’t choose to give up her skin—it was stolen from her. Now she’s in an uneasy partnership with a dangerous woman who seems more apt to kill than to share a kind word. It’s terrifying…and a bit alluring. Even though she knows it will end in heartbreak, Maeve can’t help being drawn to Lizzie and her all-too-pleasurable vampire bite. 

Unfortunately, the danger to Maeve’s heart is the least of her worries. The ship Lizzie’s chasing belongs to the Cŵn Annwn, and they don’t take kindly to people who steal from them. Not even Lizzie’s viciousness or Maeve’s selkie strength will be enough to save them if the Cŵn Annwn seek retribution…

This title will be released on May 14, 2024.

#BookReview: The Corpse In the Closet (Riley Thorn #2) by Lucy Score @Read_Bloom

Synopsis: From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Things We Never Got Over Summer is heating up for reluctant psychic Riley Thorn and her handsome private investigator boyfriend, Nick Santiago. First, her disapproving grandmother arrives determined to make Riley take her powers seriously or face the wrath of "the Guild." Then there's the homicide detective who needs her help figuring out who murdered the well-dressed corpse in the walk-in closet. Nick's got his own hands full with a tricky missing person case and his parents who want to know why he didn't tell them about his live-in girlfriend. Then there's the fact that he's still the tiniest bit stressed about Riley almost getting murdered earlier that summer. The last thing he wants is her getting involved in another investigation. Things go from bad to worse when the body count starts stacking up, the meet-the-parents dinner goes horribly wrong, and their elderly roommate is up to no good…dressed like a mime. To top it off, Riley is forced to return to Channel 50 on official police business to question her spray-tanned news anchor ex-husband and his new weather girl fiancée. The trouble comes to a head when Riley receives a warning from the Back off or she's next. Someone has to solve these murders before she becomes the next corpse.

#BookReview: The Guest by @baparisauthor

Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author B. A. Paris captivated psychological thriller readers everywhere with Behind Closed Doors. Now she invites you into another home full of heart-pounding secrets, in The Guest. 

Some secrets never leave.

Iris and Gabriel have just arrived home from a make-or-break holiday. But a shock awaits them. One of their closest friends, Laure, is in their house. The atmosphere quickly becomes tense as she oversteps again and sleeping in their bed, wearing Iris' clothes, even rearranging the furniture. 

Laure has walked out on her husband—and their good friend—Pierre, over his confession of an affair and a secret child. Iris and Gabriel want to be supportive of their friends, but as Laure's mood becomes increasingly unpredictable, her presence takes its toll. 

Iris and Gabriel's only respite comes in the form of a couple new to town. But with them comes their gardener, who has a checkered past. Soon, secrets from all their pasts will unravel, some more dangerous than they could have known.

#BookReview: Corrupt (Devil's Night #1) by @PenDouglas @lexilikestoread @BerkleyRomance

Synopsis: Dreams might be a heart’s desire, but nightmares are its obsession in the first novel of a dark romance series from New York Times bestselling author Penelope Douglas.
 
Erika Fane’s boyfriend's older brother is handsome, strong, and completely terrifying. The star of his college's basketball team gone pro, he's more concerned with the dirt on his shoe than he is with her. But she saw him. She heard him. The things that he did, and the deeds that he hid...
 
For years, Erika bit her nails, unable to look away. Now, she’s in college, but she hasn’t stopped watching him. He’s bad and the things she’s seen aren’t content to stay in her head anymore.
 
Because he's finally noticed her.
 
But Michael Crist knows the hold he has on Rika, how much she fears him. She looks down when he enters the room and stills when he’s close. He knows she thinks only of him. When Michael’s brother leaves for the military, leaving Rika alone and unprotected, he knows the opportunity is too good to be true. 

Three years ago she put Michael’s friends in prison, and now they’re free.  

Every last one of her nightmares is about to come true.

#BookReview: Make Mine a Marquess (Daring Ladies #3) by @TinaGabrielle @entangledpub

Synopsis: He lost everything. Now he’s come to take it all back—along with her—in this entrancing romance that’s ideal for fans of Sophie Jordan and Eloisa James.

Everyone thought that the Marquess of Landon was lost at sea. Instead, Robert Kirkian defied all the odds and survived. Now he’s returned to London to reclaim his title, his property, and his lands from the foul snake who tried to have him killed: his own cousin. But proper vengeance requires patience—and the perfect weapon. Which is precisely when Robert meets his cousin’s charmingly spirited betrothed…

Miss Phoebe Dawson is everything an ambitious gentleman could desire in a wife. Wealthy, exceedingly lovely, and with a sparkle in her blue eyes that could entice even the most reluctant suitor. But Phoebe’s come too close to ruin—the humiliation of it!—to be fooled by yet another handsome face and silken words . But oh, how he makes her feel. So flustered, so flushed…and so thrillingly alive.

Phoebe knows that love is a fool’s game, even if the Marquess does play his hand like an expert. Her reputation can nary afford the tiniest spark of scandal, let alone those slow, deep kisses that leave her breathless. But she’s about to discover the only thing more dangerous than a rogue is a wronged man hellbent on revenge…

#BookReview: Courting War (Vicious Gods, #1) by Hazel St. Lewis

Synopsis: The number one rule in life: never make a deal with Death … even if Death is your sister.

Theodra, Goddess of War, knows not to break this rule. But like all arrogant gods, she does just that. Unable to hold back, she destroys a ship full of traffickers, unaware there are girls on board. When one of them dies, Theo trades with Death for a soul she will someday love. A soul for a soul. A good deal, in her esteemed opinion, since she is incapable of falling in love.

Unfortunately, Theo might have been mistaken.

Thirteen years later, as a punishment for killing too many wicked men, she is sentenced to play as a mortal in a deadly tournament called the Sacrifice. The games are played in pairs, and her partner is the sinfully handsome Prince Kellyn. Even though they despise one another and can barely work together, sexual tension burns between them. But if their hatred turns to love, it will cost Kellyn his life, for Death is always waiting to collect.

Courting War is a new adult romantasy novel and is a standalone book within a larger series. Featured tropes include: enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, forbidden love, and immortals. It is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Carissa Broadbent, and Rebecca Yarros.

#BookReview: Hunt on Dark Waters (Crimson Sails #1) by Katee Robert

Synopsis: Sail the magical high seas with this first book in a new sexy fantasy romance series from Katee Robert, the New York Times bestselling author of the TikTok smash-hit Neon Gods.

Evelyn is a witch with a perfect storm of impulses: terrible taste in bed partners, sticky fingers, and a lust for danger. After she steals from her vampire ex and falls through a portal to another realm, she’s fished out of the waters by a band of seafarers and their telekinetic captain. She’s immediately given a choice—join their group or die.

Bowen has no memory of his life before he became one of the Cŵn Annwn. He and his pirate crew are bound by vow to patrol through Threshold, the magical sea in between realms, keeping the portals to other worlds safe. When he rescues Evelyn, he doesn’t expect to be attracted to the unflappably brassy pickpocket. The longer he spends in her presence, the more he begins to question if his heart is the next thing she’ll steal.

But as tension heats up between Bowen and Evelyn, danger escalates as well. Because Evelyn has no intention of keeping her vows to the Cŵn Annwn, and if she betrays the crew, both she and Bowen will pay the ultimate price....

#BookReview: Ice Planet Barbarians (Ice Planet Barbarians #1) by Ruby Dixon @lexilikestoread @BerkleyRomance

Synopsis: You'd think being abducted by aliens would be the worst thing that could happen to me. And you'd be wrong. Because now, the aliens are having ship trouble, and they've left their cargo of human women - including me - on an ice planet.

And the only native inhabitant I've met? He's big, horned, blue, and really, really has a thing for me...