Showing posts with label dark romance. Show all posts

Friday, December 10, 2021

[Book Tour- Review] Hit by Mallory Hart [GIVEAWAY]

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the HIT by Mallory Hart Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About the Book:

Title: HIT (Mafia Born Book 1)

Author: Mallory Hart

Pub. Date: November 30, 2021

Publisher: Mallory Hart Romance

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon

Read for FREE with a Kindle Unlimited Membership!

GIUSEPPINA

I was never supposed to meet him, but one fateful night had him saving my life.

Now he thinks he owns me. I’m his to keep.

He’s ruthless, cold, and a killer, but something draws me to him anyway.

I know what he’s capable of. I know he was meant to kill me. And I know one wrong slip may make him change his mind about sparing my life.

But I want to test him, push him, be a part of his world.

I know I should be afraid. I know I should run. But something about Darragh has taken me over, and I don’t know how long I can resist . . .

______

A hitman.
A princess.
A forbidden romance.

All her life, Giuseppina Delarosa knew two things: what her father and brother did after dark was a secret, and her life was never her own. As the sole daughter of Don Delarosa’s clan, it was well known a marriage would secure the future of the family. But when she learns she’s to be wed to an infamous ally, Giuseppina has other plans.

Darragh O’Callaghan is good at exactly two things: not caring about anyone, and killing his enemies. The only Irish mafia in the city needs good enforcers to keep their borders, and Darragh does his job well. So he can’t understand why he screws it all up when a hit is placed on the Delarosa gang’s prime jewel: Giuseppina Delarosa.

One rainy night.
One decision not to kill.
One moment that changes everything.

Hit is a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers, dark mafia romance. It is book one in the Mafia Born Duet.

This was my first delve into mafia romance and it did not disappoint. Pina has been hidden away for 22 years so that she can be used as a pawn one day by her Italian mafia boss father. The day has come, and it's even worse than she thought. So, she gets a chance to run away and she does. But, along the way, she is intercepted by the Irish Hit man sent to kill her.

This is a slow burn, so there is tension throughout. But, Pina and Darragh have incredible chemistry, so it was a great build up. I loved the way Pina was able to grow into herself and become tough and less of a damsel in distress. Her character development is fantastic. Darragh has an amazing backstory and I loved how he was able to be shaped into the man he was at the end: no longer just a Hit man.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but that cliffhanger is a doozy. I'll be anxiously awaiting the next book in the duet! I would recommend this to anyone that wants to dive into the world of mafia romances; it's a great starter book and there's definitely some spice towards the end!

Thank you to the Rockstar Book Tours for providing a copy of this book. These opinions are my own, and were not influenced in any way. I was not obligated to provide a review.

About Mallory Hart:

Mallory Hart is the writer of steamy stories to make you swoon. When not writing, she can be found with a glass of red wine, blasting music and dancing in her underwear or reading books that make you blush. For updates on new releases, visit her website and subscribe to the newsletter.

Her first full-length work, Hit, releases 11/30/2021 and can be pre-ordered on Amazon.

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a signed finished copy of HIT, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

11/15/2021	Rockstar Book Tours	Kickoff Post
11/16/2021	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt
11/17/2021	tmbacorbett.com	Excerpt
11/18/2021	BookHounds YA	Excerpt
11/19/2021	The Momma Spot	Excerpt

Week Two:

11/22/2021	Rajiv's Reviews	Review
11/23/2021	The Girl Who Reads	Review
11/24/2021	@talkwordytomeee	Review
11/25/2021	Books a Plenty Book Reviews	Review
11/26/2021	Writer of Wrongs	Excerpt
11/27/2021	The Reading Devil	Excerpt

Week Three:

11/28/2021	Karen Dee's Book Reviews	Review
11/29/2021	_Bookbound_	Review
11/30/2021	Triquetra Reviews	Review
12/1/2021	Emilyreadsspice	Review
12/2/2021	@coffeebooksandmascara	Review
12/3/2021	The Phantom Paragrapher	Excerpt

Week Four:

12/6/2021	@curlygrannylovestoread	Review
12/7/2021	Simply Daniel Radcliffe	Review
12/8/2021	More Books Please blog	Review
12/9/2021	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt
12/10/2021	Coffee and Wander Book Reviews	Review

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

[Book Review] Ouija by EmmaLeigh Loader (Book 2) [RELEASE DAY]

Ouija

Ava:

Kidnapped by a serial killer with an affinity for pain and madness.
Lost to a world created by a sick and twisted monster.
I died there, in the belly of the beast. But as the Fates willed it, I came back to life.
Now I’m under the King’s Wolves protection, fighting to determine what is real and what are broken delusions.
Hunted by the man who thought that he had killed me. Little does he know, I’m no longer his prey.
I’m under the thumb of a man living with gut-wrenching guilt, but can I convince him that nobody can hurt me any longer? Or will he drive us both into the ground with his fear?

Ouija:
My ‘cunning’ has always been revered as a gift. I’ve forever called it a curse.
My ‘knowing’ leads me to the gravesite of a woman who has plagued my dreams for sixteen years.
Buried alive, my self-loathing for this alleged gift only grows.
It’s something that I’ve suppressed and neglected—something that I’ve always feared. I’m human.
Nobody should have this ability. But living with the knowledge that I had a hand in her unfathomable torment and pain hardens my resolve.
Ava Delaney is mine. I’ve claimed her. I’ll reach into the deepest parts of me and learn how to control my gift if it means that I can stop the man who is hunting her.
Serial killers don’t like to lose.
He let her get away, and that’s his mistake—one that I’ll never make.
Out of all my brothers, I’m probably the one with the most humanity. When it comes to it, though, will I lose my Sapphire? Or will I learn in time to save her?

Trigger Warning-

Dark themes and tragic stories. My work will always be on the darker side, with happily-devil-afters. Degrees of dark and tragic vary. Soft to hard. I have no middle ground. There are no boundaries. It's where the story takes me. No cheating, my Heroines would eat their Alphas and then there would be no story. Know your worth! We'll love you anyway. I write paranormal fairy tales and dark romance for the dark hearted. Queen's in black kicking ass and King's on their knees, worshiping their women. And only their women. M/F.

So my question, will you take immortality by the hand? XOX- Emmaleigh.

Please note this is not a Paranormal series, however does contain Paranormal aspects as one of the characters is a seer.

Ouija is an insta love, fast burn novel. This is book two in the interconnecting Kings Wolves MC series.
Release date is purely for the intended use of a pre-order link and may be subject to change.

*I was provided a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

That was a wild ride! I really enjoyed this sequel to Savage. I liked Savage, but I loved Ouija. I felt like I could empathize with the characters more, and I enjoyed their personalities more than the first story. Because of this, I had a lot more fun reading this book! One of the things I didn't like in Savage was the wordiness. But, this book is more condensed and although there are a lot of descriptives, it flows in Ouija so it didn't detract from the story. So, if you didn't like Savage for that reason, I would definitely recommend giving Ouija a try! The story flows much better, and the internal monologue is not as wordy. I thought it was a perfect balance between show and tell.

Ava is tortured by a serial killer, but is saved by Ouija. Ouija has the sight, and he has been having visions of Ava since he was 12 years old. So, he is instantly in love with Ava (which I can understand, since he has seen visions of her for 16 years) but Ava is a little more slow at loving Ouija. I felt like this was realistic, and even though it's kind of "insta-love" it was not the annoying kind sometimes found in books. Also, Ava is strong, but she has to come into her strength. She comes into her inner strength throughout this book, and I really enjoyed that. Ava is probably my favorite character so far besides Stitch. Also, Ava and Ouija's love is adorable, and I loved the scenes between the two of them.

Overall, I would recommend this to anyone that loves dark romance. This isn't a gushy romance, it's dark, but if you're into romance with a little more depth this is the book for you! Also, this book can technically be read as a standalone, but the first book, Savage, will give you more background information into the motorcycle club.

Dark romance and Paranormal/ Urban fantasy Author.

Emmaleigh Loader is a stay at home mum of two and a wife, who lives in the UK. She adores her family and loves living on the seafront. Her favourite things are storms, the sea and anything witchy! She finds Winter beautiful and enjoys the beauty of the sun...Maybe a little! She loves anything dark and adores loving Alphas and strong women. She’s an avid reader and despite living with disabilities pushes herself to be someone who her family, husband and son’s are proud of. She’ll always face her struggles and adversities in the face with a big F you! Where will you find her? Under the duvet living her best life! Not because she’s showered in riches but because she finds joy and happiness in all that surrounds her, even when the dark days linger.

Trigger Warning-
Dark themes and tragic stories. My work will always be on the darker side, with happily-devil-afters. Degrees of dark and tragic vary. Soft to hard. I have no middle ground. There are no boundaries. It's where the story takes me. No cheating, my Heroines would eat their Alphas and then there would be no story. Know your worth! We'll love you anyway. I write paranormal fairy tales and dark romance for the dark hearted. Queen's in black kicking ass and King's on their knees, worshiping their women.
So my question, will you take immortality by the hand? XOX- Emmaleigh.

Monday, August 30, 2021

[Book Review] Makeshift

Bereft of her family, carrying her attacker's child, and no stranger to the grey clouds of desolation, Ana meets five men whose secrets are the harbingers of the biggest challenge of her life. Struggling to navigate the relationships she cannot help but find herself in, Ana realizes just how far she will go for the family who found her.

The five wolves who run Makeshift Mile, a rescue farm-cum-juvenile shifter rehabilitation center in the middle of the woods, must reconcile the existence of their very human mate with the regulations that have kept supernatural society safe from meddlesome humans. When Ana arrives, awkward and pregnant, it's more than just her humanity that disturbs the peace that has been maintained by the supernatural clans.

Then a secret is revealed, forcing the wolves and their woman to decide how best to navigate the sacrifices required to keep their new family safe--rules be damned.

I originally learned about this book on TikTok, and I have to say that I really enjoyed this shifter romance. The story starts out from the viewpoint of the villain, which was an interesting concept. I don't think I have read any POVs from the bad guy in any recent books, or possibly any at all. So, it was kind of refreshing to have a new perspective on the story.

The main female character is abducted and impregnated within the first few chapters. So, please, check your triggers! She ends up running into a guy, faints, and then goes to his farm to thank him. On this farm, there are four other very handsome guys (plus a wolf), and they all turn out to be her mates. The rest of the book goes on into the storyline of who impregnated her and why.

These five shifters are total cinnamon rolls, and I loved them! they all have their own unique personality and have all been touched with a compelling backstory. I enjoyed having some of the story in their points of views. I'm not sure who my favorite is, but the best thing about a reverse harem? You don't have to choose!

Overall, I would give this four iced coffees. I am excited to see the growth in the plot and characters. I am also excited to see what happens after that cliffhanger! I guess we shall see. This is a light, fun read, with some dark themes throughout. I know, it sounds like an oxymoron, but just give it a try!

KH Helens writes paranormal and reverse harem romance. Her debut novel, Makeshift, released in March.

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Review: Savage (ARC) Release Day!

RELEASE DAY!

Maleia-
When I’m kidnapped, abused, and thrown into a cage to slaughter other innocent women, I become a slave to their will.
But I’m no victim. I will forge myself a crown out of the bones of those who have hurt me.
When I escape the clutches of evil, I find myself surrounded by the leather-clad wall of a biker gang.
When Savage finds me swaying in the shadows and lays claim to me, do I dare to wish for a better life? One with him.
True to his name, he savages without thought but his demons recognise my own.
No princess lives here, but can he accept that I’m darkness personified?

Savage-
I’ve lived my life surrounded in the bleak abyss. A hollow man.
I’m President of the Kings Wolves MC and a hard man to love. When self doubt eats at me, I hide it well within the weight of my fist.
When Maleia lands at my feet, an angel bathed in the flames of Hell, I know she’s mine.
Those eyes of hers beseech the voice of a tortured soul and it devastates me.
I’ll never be good enough for her, but I’m too selfish a man to let her go.
Together we might slay her demons, but can she handle mine?

Trigger Warning-
Dark themes and tragic stories. My work will always be on the darker side, with happily-devil-afters. Degrees of dark and tragic vary. Soft to hard. I have no middle ground. There are no boundaries. It's where the story takes me. No cheating, my heroines would eat their Alphas and then there would be no story. Know your worth. We'll love you anyway. I write paranormal fairy tales and dark romance for the dark hearted, Queen's in black kicking ass and King's on their knees, worshiping their women.
So my question, will you take immortality by the hand? XOX- Emmaleigh
Note- Kings Wolves is NOT paranormal, however does contain Paranormal aspects. One of the character's is a seer with a gift referred to as 'The cunning'

This was my first dive into the bikers club romance trope, and it was a deep dive. This book is filled with graphic violence, smutty scenes, and dark themes. The violence verged on the edge of too graphic in some scenes (and I have a pretty high tolerance). But, the revenge storyline helped me move past the graphic violence. I'm all about a good revenge storyline, and this was a great one! The main female character has been used and abused in so many more ways than anyone should, but she gets her revenge, and it is smoking.

I loved most of the characters, especially Stitch. The main female and male characters fell a bit flat for me. I think it may have been because I couldn't empathize with them. Or, it could have been that they fell in insta/love at first sight, which is usually a turn off for me. Not always (like in paranormal romances) but usually. Maleia is a badass though, and Savage loves her fiercely. He's possessive and controlling and a definite alpha male.

One of my biggest issues was how wordy the book was at some points. It was painfully slow to read at points, when the descriptions kept being repeated, but in different ways. I found it hard to get through a lot of it because I was wanting to get to the action bits. I could tell that the author poured her heart and soul into the words though, so I appreciated it for what it was; just a different style of writing.

Overall, the plot was great and I appreciated most of the characters and their club family. I think it may need some further editing to condense it, but it was a nice story. I would give it 3.5 iced coffees.

Sunday, August 22, 2021

[ Book Review]: Whispers and the Roars

***THIS STANDALONE IS BEST ENJOYED WHEN YOU DON'T READ ANY REVIEWS OR SPOILERS BEFORE READING. GOING IN BLIND IS BEST. TRUST ME.***

From USA Today bestselling author K Webster comes a gripping and emotional psychological romance standalone!

I’m a recluse.
Sad, quiet, afraid.
Sequestered in my home away from the world.
It’s better this way.

I wasn’t always alone.
I had him—my boyfriend, my best friend, my everything.
Yeo Anderson.
But I sent him away.

I was a fungus. Growing and festering. Turning his brilliant parts black with the disease otherwise known as me.

My sweet boy was sick in love. I couldn’t bear to think about what he was giving up. For me. I’d poisoned him, but it wasn’t too late. I could fix it. So, I did.

But he’s back.
The boy blossomed into a man who wants to fight me for me.

The past that rules me is dark and chaotic and violent.
It always wins.

Love isn’t supposed to be a war.
Yeo thinks our hearts, though, will win this time.

Warning:
Whispers and the Roars is a dark romance. Strong sexual themes and violence, which could trigger emotional distress, are found in this story. The abuse written in this story is graphic and not glossed over, which could be upsetting to some. This story is NOT for everyone. Proceed with caution.

Wow. This book is just... wow.

Unfortunately, this review is going to have to be short so that I can be a vague as possible.

I don't really have any words to describe the depth of this book. It's described as a dark romance, but it's not in the sense that the love interest is dark; the themes are dark. Please check your trigger warnings before delving into this book. It describes abuse and rape, among other things. But, if the trigger warnings do not deter you, then I 100% recommend this book. It is a rollercoaster from start to finish. I can't be more specific, because there's a huge twist, and believe me when I say, you want to go in blind. It is worth it!

K Webster is a USA Today Bestselling author. Her titles have claimed many bestseller tags in numerous categories, are translated in multiple languages, and have been adapted into audiobooks. She lives in “Tornado Alley” with her husband, two children, and her baby dog named Blue. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and researching aliens.