#AudioBookReview: The Nameless Trickster (Beloved Villains, #3) by Rebecca F. Kenney

Synopsis: When Juliette’s older brother makes an astounding claim to save his own skin, Juliette is escorted to the palace, along with other magically gifted young women who are being taken from their villages so the king can choose a bride.

But Juliette’s brother lied. She has no magic. She’s a baker and a businesswoman, not a sorceress… and now she’s trapped, facing death if she displeases the king.
When a handsome tattooed man shows up and proposes a bargain, Juliette makes a deal with him out of desperation. But their collaboration results in a crisis neither of them expected, one with dire consequences—
Unless Juliette can learn the stranger’s true name.

This spicy grownup retelling of Rumplestiltskin is perfect for fans of romantasy & fantasy romance books, and it blends a cozy fantasy atmosphere with more intense, dark fantasy vibes. Reading guidance for the darker moments can be found in the front of the book.

#AudiobookReview: Bound Lives (Steel Legends, #6) by @authorhelenhardt

Synopsis: He let her go.

Now he has to live with the silence.

Tabitha Haynes was the light that cut through Henry Simpson’s darkness. Their connection was instant and undeniable, but when Henry told her they had no future, she believed him. So she chose herself and an opportunity she couldn’t afford to pass up.

When Henry suffers an accident and asks for Tabitha from his hospital bed, she again chooses herself. Henry isn’t the only one carrying trauma. Tabitha has her own scars. Her own fears. Her own reasons for staying away from the man who once set her body afire.

But distance doesn’t erase chemistry. When fate forces them back into the same room, they must confront the truth.

Being together will demand sacrifices neither is ready for.

#AudioBookReview: Branded (Demonic Tendencies #1) by L. E. Eyring

Synopsis: Marriage wasn’t on her bucket list. Becoming magically bound to a demon? Even less so.

As a child, Sam Wandern thought she was just playing pretend—until her imaginary friends turned out to be real demons she accidentally unleashed into the world. One of them, Ash Spiros, has haunted her life ever since. Once human, now a dangerously seductive incubus, Ash claims he's been protecting her. But protection has a price.

On Halloween night, everything changes. A violent attack triggers Ash’s true nature, sealing an unbreakable bond between them. Now, to survive, Sam must participate in a ritual feeding—an intimate and consuming act that keeps them both alive … and tethered.

Ash insists on keeping his distance. Sam claims she doesn't need him. But the bond draws them together again and again, tempting them both to cross lines that were never meant to be blurred.

Torn between the comforts of a normal life and the seductive pull of the demon world, Sam must confront a terrifying Is the bond just magic—or something much deeper, and far more dangerous?

Branded is a monster paranormal romance full of heat, danger, and unexpected emotion, featuring forced proximity, an accidental bond, and a fierce protector.

#AudioBookReview: Queen of Flames (Kingdom of Shadow and Ruin #4) by @alayawellswrites

Synopsis: In a kingdom of shadows and ruin, I dared to love a cursed king.

We’ve come to Irridain Court in disguise, clinging to a final thread of hope: a talisman that can break the curse before it kills Lore. Without it, he dies. No more stolen nights. No more whispered vows. No more us.

The talisman dangles from the princess’s throat like a challenge. To claim it, we must outwit ruthless fae in games where beauty is a blade, truth is twisted, and losing means more than defeat. It means death.

As rivals circle and secrets unravel, Lore burns brighter and darker by the hour. I see it in his eyes. The fear he won’t speak of. The hunger he barely hides. The curse is tightening, and we have only six days left before it kills him.

I didn’t defy the fates, survive a labyrinth, plus battle a mad wizard to lose him now.

He’s my only ever after. I’ll burn the world to ashes to save him.

Queen of Flames, Book 4 and the last book in the Kingdom of Shadow and Ruin series, is a romantic fantasy/romantasy with dark secrets. Expect a gothic world full of tricks and danger, a touch-her-and-face-his-fury hero and heroine, banter, all the yearning, he will adore her forever, and a sweet pet, because everyone loves a fluffy friend.

Trigger Warnings: pri*mal play, bi*ting/marking, blood, gore, injuries, violence, grief, death, mourning the loss of a prior love, references to trauma, killing attacking creatures and people. HEA guaranteed.

#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: The Cupid Dilemma by April Asher

Synopsis: In the new paranormal romance from bestselling author April Asher, a down-on-her-luck wedding planner demigoddess and a Muse-less rockstar agree to a fauxmance that quickly turns anything but…

A lover of love and a champion for happily ever after. Those were two of many things people expected from Aphrodite’s daughter. To Adalyn Whitlock, ‘love’ paid the bills, and currently, not well. Business was dropping at Happily Ever Forever, with her latest wedding planning catastrophe ending in a negative social media storm and her sister Maxi’s matchmaking ability on the fritz. To top it off, there’s an ex-boyfriend calling her ‘the Anti-Aphrodite’ and paparazzi pics linking Addie to her new client’s older brother.

Phoenix ‘Nix’ Cross—song writer and drummer of the hot new band, The Stone Talons—was no saint, but he was far from the womanizer the band’s image rep bestowed on him. If anything, he was a romantic, hopeful to find a love like the one in which his parents shared. With the band’s star quickly rising and the record label pressuring him to deliver the band’s next hit, Nix’s writer’s block couldn’t have come at a worse time. But when he opens his door to his irate new next-door neighbor, Nix feels the brief flash of inspiration for the first time in ages. And it just so happens that his new Muse is none other than his little sister’s new wedding planner.

With Addie needing an end to the public relations nightmare and the record label breathing down Nix’s neck, the pair agree to a fauxmance. But what happens when the emotions turned on for the cameras don't turn off?

#AudioBookReview: Songbird in the Gallows by Alta Hensley

Synopsis: From the bestselling author of He Sees You When You’re Sleeping comes a dark romance about a murder-sober retired serial killer and his murder-curious protégé. Perfect for fans of Brynne Weaver, this twisted romance inspired by the Bluebeard folktale is filled with dark humor, sizzling chemistry, and spice. 

Murder is their love language… 

Five years ago, Saylor Mitchell’s father was brutally murdered in front of her, shattering her world. Now his killers have tracked her down to finish the job. She is unexpectedly saved by her father’s closest friend, the enigmatic Blue. Saylor's savior—and captor— is a reformed, murder-sober assassin struggling to escape the clutches of his own violent history.

Blue’s gothic mansion, perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking a stormy sea in the town of Grimlock, is a labyrinth of secrets. And so is Grimlock, a small town whose residents all seem to have a penchant for murder that they’ve managed—mostly— to overcome.

Saylor soon realizes that Blue holds the key to avenging her father’s murder at the hands of the Crow, a gang of amoral contract killers. Only problem? Saylor has never killed before. Good thing those who can’t kill…teach.

Blue finds Saylor an apt pupil and the attraction between them morphs into a dangerous obsession. Can their love conquer Blue’s final, darkest secret?



Morally grey leadsTouch her and dieDad’s best friendPossessivenessGothic mansionMurder mysteryForbidden loveAge gapForced proximityAnti-heroDark romanceGothic romanceFairytale retelling

#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: A Bargain So Bloody (Kingdom of Dark Magic #1) by Vasilisa Drake

Synopsis: She’s trapped in a magical prison. To break out, she’ll make a deal with the most dangerous prisoner of them all.

Sentenced for a crime she didn’t commit, Samara is bullied by guards and tormented by the screams of her fellow prisoners. She’s resigned herself to enduring her fifteen-year term… until she learns that the freedom she's been promised is the cruelest lie of all.

Now she's faced with a choice: resign herself to dying in the cold walls of Castle Greymere, or do the unthinkable and escape. But no one leaves Greymere alive. So to break out of the prison? She’ll have to use one of the undead.

Raphael is the worst kind of a vampire with a thirst for blood, the mortal enemy of witches, the same breed that killed her mother. And most importantly, he’s unspeakably powerful, his supernatural strength tamed only by the enchanted cuffs forced on him.

He’s her only chance at a life outside the prison walls.

The deal is Samara unlocks his shackles, and he'll help her escape. But although Raphael agreed to help her leave Greymere, he never promised to let her go…

A Bargain So Bloody is the first book in an exciting new romantasy series, perfect for readers who love slow burn romance with morally grey heroes who fall first and hard and heroines who find their own strength.

#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: The Duchess Curse (Alchemy of Desire #3) by Charlie Lane

Synopsis: Shadows rule the darkness. She must embrace them to find the light.

A transcendent daughter’s life should be carefree, but Guinevere’s life has always been a curse. Loving any man could kill him, so she swears to remain a spinster. And when her parents force her into an arranged marriage, she knows the only way to save the mysterious duke she could love, is to break his heart by leaving.

No matter how much Guinevere pushes him away, the Duke of Braxton knows she’s the only woman for him. His magic allows him to hide his identity and follow her wherever she goes. As she cultivates the reputation of the most notorious potion maker in England, he abandons the role of duke for that of Guinevere’s bodyguard Bran.

Years later, a Queen’s command forces them to meet once more as man and wife, duke and duchess. But he can’t keep his secrets forever, and when Guinevere finds out Braxton and Bran are the same man…

He’ll do anything to atone.
And she’ll do anything to keep him safe, even break her own heart.

Book 3 in USA Today Bestselling Author Charlie Lane's historical romantasy series has:

~ Gaslamp fantasy
~ hints of steampunk and witchery
~ a marriage in trouble
~ spicy open door scenes
~ love potion revenge
~ all the groveling
~ women in magical STEM
~Bridgerton meets magic

Alchemy of Desire is an interconnected standalone series; each book has its own HEA!

#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: Huntsman (Hunted Kingdom #1) by Naima Simone

Synopsis: Welcome to the dark world of The Hunted Kingdom where the daughters of modern-day mob families are reimagined fairytale princesses like you’ve never seen before. In Huntsman, family is power... and power is everything.

Nine years ago, my aunt took everything from me.

My world. My throne. My mother.

I’ve bided my time since then, serving under her in the Mwuaji crime family, but she’s crossed another line. She put a price on my head, sending the legendary assassin the Huntsman, Malachi Bowden, after me.

The Huntsman’s never failed a contract before, but I know everything there is to know about him. It’s finally time for me to take my revenge and finish the war my aunt started.

The Huntsman might be my death. But Malachi Bowden?

He’s my weakness.

#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.