#BookReview: The Dead Guy Next Door (Riley Thorn, #1) by Lucy Score @Read_Bloom

Synopsis: New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lucy Score thrills with a hilariously riveting romcom mystery featuring quirky clairvoyant sleuth Riley Thorn. Riley has a murder to solve and she doesn't need a too hot, goody two shoes detective sticking his nose into her investigation, especially when he writes her in at the top of his suspect list.

A nice, normal life. Is that too much to ask? For Riley Thorn it is.

Divorced. Broke. Living with a pack of elderly roommates. And those hallucinations she’s diligently ignoring? Her tarot card-dealing mom is convinced they’re clairvoyant visions.

Just when things can’t get worse, a so-hot-it-should-be-illegal private investigator shows up on her doorstep looking for a neighbor…who turns up murdered.

Nick Santiago doesn’t play well with others. Unless the “others” are of the female persuasion. Wink. He’s a rebel, a black sheep, a man who prefers a buffet of options to being stuck with the same entrée every night, if you catch his drift.

When the pretty, possibly psychic Riley lands at the top of the list of suspects, Nick volunteers to find out whodunit. Only because he likes solving mysteries not because he wants to flex his heroic muscles for the damsel in distress.

All they have to do is figure out who pulled the trigger, keep the by-the-book detective with a grudge at bay, and deal with a stranger claiming he was sent to help Riley hone her psychic gifts. All before the killer discovers she’s a loose end that requires snipping.

#BookReview: Powerless (Chestnut Springs #3) by @AuthorElsie @Read_Bloom

Synopsis: Two childhood friends. Two broken hearts. One impromptu road trip to get away from everything. That’s all this was supposed to be. Afterall, I’ve been living in the friend zone for years now.

But hockey heartthrob Jasper Gervais isn’t looking at me like a friend anymore. And he isn’t touching me like one either.

To his fans, he’s the handsome, talented athlete on TV. But to me he’s still the lost boy with sad eyes and a heart of gold.

The man I’ve loved in secret for years.

So when my life falls apart on my wedding day, it only makes sense that he’s the one to swoop in and save me. And when his world comes crashing down around him, I’m there to return the favor.

But the more time we spend alone, the more Jasper doesn’t feel like a friend at all. He feels like everything I’ve ever wanted and thought I could never have.

Our feelings aren’t straight forward though. They twist and turn around the pain of his past and the reality of my present.

Jasper Gervais acts like he wants me.

But after years of turning me away, he’s going to need to prove it.

#BookReview: Heartless (Chestnut Springs #2) by @AuthorElsie @Read_Bloom

Synopsis: Working as a nanny for the world's grumpiest single dad should be simple…except she can't keep her eyes off him. And he can't keep his hands off her. Cade Eaton is thirteen years older than Willa Grant, and he barely looks her way, even though she's living in his house for the summer. That is, until she gets him into the hot tub one night for a game of truth or dare. Then, all bets are off―and so are their clothes. Cade is gruff, a little rough around the edges, but broad-shouldered ranchers with calloused hands and filthy mouths are this city girl's kryptonite. So who is she to resist? But it's in their quietest moments together that he softens. It's in the unexpected way he takes care of Willa that she realizes his hardened exterior is just a façade. And it's when she watches him go all sweet with his little boy that she starts to fall for him, whatever the consequences. Someone once convinced Cade that his best wasn't good enough. But Willa has never felt more cherished than she does in his arms. Her contract says this arrangement is only for two months. But her heart says this is forever.

#BookReview: Flawless (Chestnut Springs #1) by Elsie Silver

Synopsis: The rules were keep his hands off his agent's daughter and stay out of trouble. But now he's stuck with her. There's only one bed. And well, rules are made to be broken. Rhett Eaton is the face of professional bull riding. The golden boy. Or at least he was until it all blew up in his face after a public brawl. Now his agent says he has to clean up his image, and sticks Rhett with his ball-busting daughter for the rest of the season as "full-time supervision." But Rhett doesn't need a goddamn babysitter―especially one with skin-tight jeans, a sexy smirk, and a mouth she can't stop running. A mouth he can't stop thinking about. And he quickly learns that Summer Hamilton isn't just another conquest. She sees the man behind the mask, and she doesn't run―she pulls him closer, even when she shouldn't. She says this means nothing. Rhett says this means everything. She says there are boundaries they shouldn't cross. That Rhett's reputation can't take any more hits…and neither can her damaged heart. Rhett says he's going to steal it anyway.

#BookReview: Unbound by Christy Healy @christykhealy @BlackstoneAudio

Synopsis: For fans of Hannah Whitten and Rebecca Ross, Unbound is a gender-bent reimagining of the classic tale of a monstrous beast and the beauty determined to tame it, set against the lush backdrop of Irish mythology and folklore. Rozlyn Ó Conchúir is used to waiting--waiting for the king, her father, to relent and allow her to leave the solitude of her tower; waiting for the dreaded and mysterious Beast of Connacht to at last be defeated; waiting for the arrival of the man destined to win her heart and break the terrible curse placed on her and her land. So when she meets Jamie--a charming and compelling suitor--she allows herself to hope that her days of solitude and patience are over at long last. But as she finds her trust betrayed--and newer, more sinister threats arising--Rozlyn learns that some curses are better left unbroken ...

#BookReview: Midnight Ruin (Dark Olympus #6) by Katee Robert

Synopsis: Eurydice Dimitriou has always been the innocent sister, but she's finally ready to step out of the long shadow cast by her powerful family…and the ex who shattered her heart. Perhaps rough hands on soft skin are exactly what she needs to forget her heartbreak once and for all?

Charon Ariti has been Hades's right-hand man for years. He's given everything to the lower city, but now he's ready to take something for himself. He's only too happy to give Eurydice a special kind of education…but is her heart really free enough to be claimed?

Orpheus Makos will do whatever it takes to make things right. Once the golden boy of the upper city, he's now a shadow of his former self. He'll do anything to get Eurydice back…even if it means she's not coming into his arms alone. Three hearts. Three futures. Countless ways to get it wrong.

But with enemies slipping through Olympus's faltering barrier to lay siege on the lower city, a trio of broken hearts will be the least of these would-be lovers' worries…

#BookReview: Reckless (Chestnut Springs #4) by Elsie Silver @Read_Bloom

Synopsis: He's scorching-hot trouble wrapped up in a drool-worthy package. And he's looking at her like she might be his next meal. Theo Silva. Rowdy bull rider. Notorious ladies' man. Winter Hamilton knows exactly what it means when he eyes her like that. But she's almost free of her toxic marriage and has sworn off men entirely. So all she sees when she looks back at Theo is temptation served up with a heaping side of heartbreak. The man is hard to trust―but, it turns out, even harder to resist. Make that impossible. Because Theo is persistent. And no matter how hard Winter tries to freeze him out, he melts her icy exterior and pulls apart all her defenses. Over a drink in a small-town bar, she finds herself blurting out her deepest, darkest secrets. Then, she spends the singular hottest night of her life with the man she never thought she'd say yes to. He worships her body. He makes her blush. She comes alive beneath his hands. Then she tells him to forget it ever happened. She wants simple, and with him it all feels complicated. It was supposed to be a one-time thing. A secret. But that little plus sign is going to make this secret impossible to keep.

#BookReview: Tonight, I Burn (Thorn Witch #1) by Katharine J. Adams

Synopsis: A thorn witch with the power to walk between the realms of Life and Death finds herself at the center of a magical rebellion—and a dangerous romance—that could destroy her coven and her soul in this dark and decadent debut. 
 
Thorns, Tides, Embers, Storms, and Ores. All five covens are bound in servitude to the tyrant High Warden of Halstett. 

Penny Albright is a daughter of the thorn coven, forced to patrol the veil between the realms of Life and Death. Each night, one thorn witch—and only one—must cross the veil by burning at the stake. Each morning, that witch draws on their magic to return. Failure to follow the rules risks the veil and risks them all.

But one morning, Penny's favorite sister Ella doesn't return. And that night, determined to find her, Penny breaks the rules. She burns in secret. And she discovers that all isn’t as it seems in Life or Death. 
 
Her journey leads her to Malin, a devastating lord with too many secrets; to Alice, a mysterious captive prophet; and to a rebellion brewing in the shadows beneath the city. And as Penny's world splits, she’ll face a devastating choice. Because it’s not just her sister’s life that hangs in the balance. It’s the fate of all magic. 

All it takes is one witch—and one spark—to set the world ablaze.

#BookReview: Bridesmaid for Hire (Bridesmaid for Hire, #1) by @AuthorMegQuinn @Read_Bloom

Synopsis: Sometimes the wedding of the century calls for desperate measures.

And sometimes those desperate measures are to pretend the person you hate most is actually your boyfriend.

After years of working her tail off at her event-planning business, Maggie Mitchell is ready for a vacation. With nothing on her mind but R & R, she’s enjoying the warm weather of Bora Bora when in saunters Brody McFadden, her brother’s best friend and also her sworn enemy. Thanks to years of tension between the two—kicked off by a make-out session at her brother’s wedding that ended horribly—Maggie has sworn to stay away from the man. That is, until she finds out he’s in Bora Bora for his boss’s daughter’s wedding, hoping to use the trip to win a real future at the company.

Maggie promised herself she wouldn’t even think of work on the island, but as word spreads about the “wedding of the century” taking place in the midst of her vacation, she realizes offering her services as a bridesmaid and planner could bring her business to the next level. The only catch? She needs to pose as Brody’s girlfriend to get the job…while letting him stay in her peaceful bungalow.

Tensions rise, irritation flairs, and despite years’ worth of bickering behind closed doors, Maggie can’t quite squash the sparks building between her and her new fake boyfriend, especially when she learns the real reason their first kiss was cut short. But as the wedding day draws closer and everything starts to go wrong, it just might be Brody who sends Maggie’s business crashing down—and her heart along with it.

#BookReview: A Not So Meet Cute (Cane Brothers, #1) by @AuthorMegQuinn @Read_Bloom

Synopsis: "How did you two meet?" It's the quintessential question asked to every couple, and the answer is usually some bubbly, lovey-dovey tale of being struck in the bum by Cupid's arrow. But Lottie Gardner's meet-cute was a little different. She was trolling a wealthy neighborhood in Beverly Hills, searching for someone to take her as his bride―you know, to make the arch nemesis who just fired her jealous. And billionaire Huxley Cane was conveniently stomping around the block like some sort of gorgeous ogre, mumbling about a business deal gone wrong. That's when they bump into each other. No sparks. No fireworks. Not even the first seed of blossoming love. But the next thing Lottie knows, she's scarfing down chips and guac, listening to Huxley lay out his problems, and then he tells He lied to a crucial client, and he needs a huge favor. A fake fiancée. He's talking living in his mansion together, going on intimate double-dates, and pretending they're head-over-heels in love…and engaged. It's ridiculous, but people do ridiculous things when they're desperate. And Lottie and Huxley both reek of desperation. So, she strikes up the deal. Except her one mistake might be accidentally falling for the incomparable, insufferable Huxley Cane.

#BookReview: Tattooed Heart (Stagwood Falls: Love in Ink #2) by Elizabeth Barone

Synopsis: Sabella makes a living covering up people’s bad tattoos, creating art out of regrets and mistakes. When she finds herself separated from her high school sweetheart turned heartbreaker, she doesn’t just go into hiding; she takes her best friend up on an offer for a fresh start at her new tattoo shop and runs all the way to Stagwood Falls, an idyllic town reinventing itself after its own heartache. It’s the perfect place to hide, and it’s where she finds a new purpose: teaching the healing power of art to a community that's desperate to move on. Unfortunately, to put her plan into action, Sabella must enlist the help of one sexy, sensitive town social worker, Benton Rhinehart—AKA the guy who wants nothing to do with her after their first encounter ended in hurt feelings and a wounded ego. 

Benton gives everything to the people of Stagwood Falls, but the bank still took all he had when the recession hit. Instead of rebuilding himself, he eagerly dove headfirst into solving other people’s problems. So when Sabella comes to him with her community art program plan, Benton doesn't hesitate to throw himself fully into it, even if that means working with the woman who shamelessly snubbed him the first time they met. Despite their rocky start, it's hard to ignore that Sabella and Benton make a great team. Their business relationship quickly turns into a friendship they both desperately need. Even though they're better off as friends, the more time they spend together, the harder it is to ignore that there's something much deeper going on. But when Sabella’s ex comes to town saying everything she wants to hear, she has to choose between her heart and her dream. Both feel like the same thing, and choosing wrong is one mistake she won’t be able to cover up.

#BookReview: Forged by Magic (Falling for Fables #1) by Jenna Wolfhart

Synopsis: A heartwarming, feel-good fantasy romance…with a helping of spice and only a pinch of danger.

Trapped in a tower by the emperor who conquered her homeland, Daella yearns for an escape. But as one of the few half-orcs left in the world, she knows she’ll never be free, much less find her own happily ever after.

Destiny takes an unexpected turn when the emperor offers her a deal. To earn her freedom, she must journey to the mysterious Isles of Fable and track down wielders of outlawed dragon magic. Eager to seize her chance, Daella agrees.

When a brutal storm tosses her ship off course, she washes up on the wrong island—right at the feet of Rivelin, a gruff but handsome elven blacksmith, who seems more likely to stab her than help her. To her surprise, he offers her shelter until the next ship passes through in six weeks’ time.

Daella soon realizes he’s hiding something big. It could be the very magic she’s been tasked to hunt down—the key to her long-awaited freedom. But as they bicker over the flames of his forge, her heart kindles with something she’s never felt before. 

When his secrets finally come to light, Daella must decide what’s more her freedom from the wicked crown or the desires of her heart.

Forged by Magic is a complete, stand-alone fantasy romance novel set in the whimsical world of Falling for Fables.

#BookReview: A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon (Glimmer Falls #1) by @MsSarahHawley @BerkleyRomance

Synopsis: Mariel Spark knows not to trust a demon, especially one that wants her soul, but what’s a witch to do when he won’t leave her side—and she kind of doesn’t want him to?

Mariel Spark is prophesied to be the most powerful witch seen in centuries of the famed Spark family, but to the displeasure of her mother, she prefers baking to brewing potions and gardening to casting hexes. When a spell to summon flour goes very wrong, Mariel finds herself staring down a demon—one she inadvertently summoned for a soul bargain.

Ozroth the Ruthless is a legend among demons. Powerful and merciless, he drives hard bargains to collect mortal souls. But his reputation has suffered ever since a bargain went awry—if he can strike a bargain with Mariel, he will earn back his deadly reputation. Ozroth can’t leave Mariel’s side until they complete a bargain, which she refuses to do (turns out some humans are attached to their souls).

But the witch is funny. And curvy. And disgustingly yet endearingly cheerful. Becoming awkward roommates quickly escalates when Mariel, terrified to confess the inadvertent summoning to her mother, blurts out that she’s dating Ozroth. As Ozroth and Mariel struggle with their opposing goals and maintaining a fake relationship, real attraction blooms between them. But Ozroth has a limited amount of time to strike the deal, and if Mariel gives up her soul, she’ll lose all her emotions—including love—which will only spell disaster for them both.

#BookReview: Love Me Like You Do (The Five Senses #1-5) by Minx Noir

Synopsis: The Five Senses Series, combined for the first time! 

Discover why readers are calling this journey back to happily ever after "Smoking hot and so good!" 

Six weeks. Five senses. One chance. 

When an attorney at a rival firm alerts Paul that his wife has been searching for a divorce lawyer behind his back, his whole world shatters. But, truth be told, the signs were there; he’d just ignored them. With both of their daughters now in college out of state, Laken is restless and lonely. And Paul–who’d once been a doting husband–is truly married to his career.

But when faced with losing the love of his life, Paul concocts a plan. Combining the five senses with Laken’s love of romance novels, he sets out to make her fall for him all over again, reigniting a spark that sets their hearts–and bed sheets–afire.

Not intended for readers under eighteen years of age. Content warning: there will be kinks! Food play, voyeurism, exhibitionism, BDSM, primal... to name a few.

#BookReview: Captive of the Stolen Empire by Megan Van Dyke

Synopsis: Forbidden love could turn the tide of war…or destroy the last hope of freedom. 

Ilya Valerious was born to rule the city-state of Sorrena in her mother’s footsteps—until the tyrannical emperor conquered her homeland. 

Held hostage to ensure her people’s obedience by the emperor’s first captain, Lucien, she plots a dangerous gambit to free her people: seduce the captain, source information for a growing rebel movement, and take them all down from within.

Beyond Lucien’s fearsome, masked appearance and powerful magic is a man trying to fulfill the emperor’s promise of peace and prosperity. A task that would be easier if the captive heirs under his watch would finally submit to the emperor’s rule. One in particular, Ilya, breathes defiance despite Lucien’s efforts to protect her from herself and win her to the emperor’s side. 

She’s a dangerous temptation he can ill afford, especially as she starts to uncover long-buried secrets that have him questioning not only his own past and his role in the empire, but the emperor he’s sworn his life to. 

When the fate of an empire rests on a knife’s edge, Ilya and Lucien must decide if their blossoming love is worth sacrificing everything they’ve worked for. But only if the emperor doesn’t kill them first.

This enemies-to-lovers epic fantasy romance filled with warring kingdoms, magic, life-changing romance, and intrigue will appeal to fans of The Bridge Kingdom and The Serpent and the Wings of Night.

#BookReview: Love Redesigned (Lakefront Billionaires #1) by Lauren Asher @Read_Bloom

Synopsis: Julian
If I ever caught on fire, Dahlia Muñoz would fan the flames with a smile.
So, when she returns to Lake Wisteria, I fully intend to avoid the interior designer.
At least until my meddling mother exploits my savior complex.
The faster I help Dahlia find her creative spark, the sooner she will leave town.
But while I was busy getting rid of Dahlia, I overlooked one potential issue.
What happens if I want her to stay?

Dahlia
People say the devil has many faces, but I know only one.
Julian Lopez—my childhood rival and family frenemy.
I vow to steer clear of him while recovering from my broken engagement, but then the billionaire makes an irresistible offer.
Renovate a historic house together and triple our profits.
Our temporary truce becomes compromised as we face years’ worth of denied attraction and mixed emotions.
Giving into our desire is inevitable…but falling in love?
That isn’t part of the plan.

Love Redesigned is a steamy, small town romance about two family friends-turned-childhood rivals. It is the first book in the standalone Lakefront Billionaires series and has a happy ending.

#BookReview: The Serpent and the Wings of Night (Crowns of Nyaxia #1) by Carissa Broadbent

Synopsis: The first book in the Wall Street Journal bestselling Crowns of Nyaxia series by Carissa Broadbent. Filled with heart-wrenching romance, dark magic, and bloodthirsty intrigue—perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.

For humans and vampires, the rules of survival are the never trust, never yield, and always—always—guard your heart.

The adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself.

But winning won’t be easy amongst the most vicious warriors from all three vampire houses. To survive, Oraya is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival.

Everything about Raihn is dangerous. He is a ruthless vampire, an efficient killer, an enemy to her father’s crown… and her greatest competition. Yet, what terrifies Oraya most of all is that she finds herself oddly drawn to him.

But there’s no room for compassion in the Kejari. War for the House of Night brews, shattering everything that Oraya thought she knew about her home. And Raihn may understand her more than anyone – but their blossoming attraction could be her downfall, in a kingdom where nothing is more deadly than love.

#BookReview: Into the Skies (Loya Book, #1) by Kay Humphreys

Synopsis: I was not Placed. I wasn’t chosen by the fae as worthy or exceptional. Yet I—a fierce and mighty barmaid?—could change our entire world. This must be a dream. Though, it's beginning to feel more like a nightmare.

On Loya, balance is paramount. The star planet provides magic and as inhabitants use their powers, energy is released back into the star. All beings have a soulmate, a perfect counterpart. The High Council maintains balance by keeping species separated. The fae rule in their floating sky cities, divided by the nature of their powers. The elves inhabit the mountains, the hobbits live in the shires and the humans live in the flatlands.

Well, live may be an exaggeration.

Humans serve.

The exception to the separation is the few Placed humans who are set apart in beauty, strength or smarts. At 18, they are chosen, allowed to work for the fae in the clouds. Jaylyn Hoste was not chosen but she is content with her life below.

Until a royal spy walks into her tavern and changes everything.

Not only is she Placed, but Jaylyn also finds her mate, Aster Raellen, the charming, gorgeous fae Prince of Starlight. Her soul is overjoyed but her unique position as a royal mate allows her to uncover one fae atrocity after another until she must decide—

Can true love save her world and...is it even a world worth saving?

_____

Into the Skies is the first book in a fast-paced, dystopian, romantasy. This breathtaking new adult trilogy offers a simple yet compelling world, rich characters, star-crossed lovers, sparkling banter and a found family you'll wish you could join. It is not a dark fantasy but it does contain mature themes and explicit scenes. It is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games, Fourth Wing, Red Queen, and A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Kay Humphreys is the fantasy pen name for bestselling contemporary romance author Kelsey Humphreys known for her Heartlanders series.

#BookReview: Forged by Magic (Falling for Fables #1) by Jenna Wolfhart

Synopsis: A heartwarming, feel-good fantasy romance…with a helping of spice and only a pinch of danger.

Trapped in a tower by the emperor who conquered her homeland, Daella yearns for an escape. But as one of the few half-orcs left in the world, she knows she’ll never be free, much less find her own happily ever after.

Destiny takes an unexpected turn when the emperor offers her a deal. To earn her freedom, she must journey to the mysterious Isles of Fable and track down wielders of outlawed dragon magic. Eager to seize her chance, Daella agrees.

When a brutal storm tosses her ship off course, she washes up on the wrong island—right at the feet of Rivelin, a gruff but handsome elven blacksmith, who seems more likely to stab her than help her. To her surprise, he offers her shelter until the next ship passes through in six weeks’ time.

Daella soon realizes he’s hiding something big. It could be the very magic she’s been tasked to hunt down—the key to her long-awaited freedom. But as they bicker over the flames of his forge, her heart kindles with something she’s never felt before. 

When his secrets finally come to light, Daella must decide what’s more her freedom from the wicked crown or the desires of her heart.

Forged by Magic is a complete, stand-alone fantasy romance novel set in the whimsical world of Falling for Fables.