Wow! I thought the Second Skin books were hot, spicy, sexy, and off the charts! Doubling Down was just as steamy, sexy, spicy and off the charts as well. Ophelia Bell knows how to write steamy books with multiple partners.
Sarah Nolan is finally returning home to New York after being away at college for three years. She has one more year before she graduates, but she has not been home since the summer she left for college and left the turmoil, memories, guilt, and ghosts of her young adult life. She lost so much that summer and has stayed away to start over.
Little does she know that her life will change again and all that she left is waiting for her to come home. I loved this short, steamy book of a taboo relationship and the need to explore as a young adult. It was a great read and as I have found with Ophelia Bell’s books it was very sexy and steamy. I give this book a 5-star review.
They had a secret that they’ve been keeping from their families and were afraid to admit to anyone that they never stopped loving each other, even after the years apart.
Angel is a member of the Steel Scorpions MC and has a tumultuous past. He was never the perfect son. His high school love is a woman that he left because he thought she would be better off without him in her life. Safer, a better life with someone that could give her everything she wanted. However, when life struck and she’s alone again, Angel and Nadia find themselves sneaking around to be together. They’re just hooking up though, right?
Nadia’s sister has just started a relationship with the VP of the Steel Scorpions MC and neither of them know about her and Angel, but when Nadia finds herself in a bad situation, The Steel Scorpions MC will do what they can to get her back and protect her because she’s the sister of an old lady. Nadia is a strong-willed woman that has been working to learn to protect herself with the help of Angel, after she lost her husband.
I liked this story of Angel and Nadia; they are both stubborn and can’t figure out that they need each other in their lives to live. Nadia is a fighter, but when she finds herself in danger she hopes and prays that Angel will find her and rescue her. Angel would do anything to find Nadia and when he makes a deal with the devil his future is in jeopardy. Now these two have to find a way. to stay safe and happy. I love the characters and can’t wait to see what kind of deals, trouble, or danger the rest of these Steel Scorpions find when they get snagged by the woman that will bring them to their knees. I give this book a. 5-star review and I am looking forward to the Goose’s story next.
♦ ♦ ♦
Seeing Aria so defeated and deflated killed me inside. If no one else, she was the one that needed to have hope. I held my hand out for her and she took it, helping herself to her feet, and as I led her into the kitchen, I pulled out a chair for her at the table.
“Sit. You need some food,” I said.
She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “Shouldn’t you be out there searching with the guys?”
I rummaged around in the fridge. “Once we eat, yes.”
“How can you think about your stomach at a time like this? I’m not even hungry.”
I pulled shit out of the fridge and slapped it onto the kitchen counter. “Can’t save someone on an empty stomach, I always say.”
“Idiot,” she murmured.
I ignored the quip and put sandwiches together. “You know she’s going to be okay, right?”
“I don’t know anything right now,” she said breathlessly.
“Well, she’s going to be. Your sister is strong. She’s always got her wits about her. She’s more capable than a lot of women out there, and the Devil’s Rage aren’t going to know what to do with that.”
“I get what you’re trying to do, and you can stop.”
I slid a plate of food in front of her. “You mean giving you hope so that you don’t drag the rest of us down your rabbit holes?”
“Angel,” Reaper said flatly. “Seriously?”
Aria’s angry gaze snapped up to mine. “I hated you back in high school, and I hate you now.”
I placed a bottle of water in front of her. “And that’s fine, you can hate me all you want. But the best way to help Nadia right now is to stuff down whatever you’re feeling so that you can be productive with us. We need all hands on deck, and that includes yours.”
She slumped into her seat. “It sucks when you guys are right.”
I chuckled as I sat across the table from her. “Now, eat. Get out whatever emotions you need to get out with me. Say whatever it is you need to say. But when we’re done eating? We get to work. Got it?”
“Yeah, yeah,” she said as she reached for her water bottle. “I got it.”
And as we sat there eating in relative silence, I watched as mindless tears dripped down Aria’s cheeks.
“We’re going to find her,” I said.
Her eyes flickered up to mine. “I know we are.”
“We’re going to find her alive.”
And when she swallowed hard, I knew I had hit the nail on the head.
“I sure hope you’re right about that, Angel,” she said softly.
I had to be right. Because if anything happened to Nadia, I would kill them all.
Savannah Rylan is a romance writer that spends most of her time writing and reading with her cat, Gris. When not writing about sexy bikers and the women that love them, you can find her on the beach with a drink in her hand or at the gym testing out some strange new position. Yoga, obviously. She lives in Southern California with her husband and Gris, the true love of her life.
There’s no room left for anyone else, only her. I can’t chase her. I have to let her go.
Country, the first standalone romance in the all-new steamy, gritty and fast paced Diamond MC Series from bestselling author Lila Rose is available now!
I had her and loved the taste of her. But she’s too young, too sweet and good. I’ll keep her safe, and I want her happy. Even if my own heart tells me I’m a fool for not making her mine.
Our few nights were electric. She left her mark and burned her goodness into my heart.
There’s no room left for anyone else, only her. I can’t chase her. I have to let her go. Sure, she’s a club girl and I could have her under me whenever I want, but I can’t do that to her. I refuse to pull her any deeper into the Diamond MC.
When that decision is taken out of my hands and she’s dragged into the darkness, all I see is rage and bloodshed.
I’ll make them pay. Every single one of them who thought they could steal her away, take her from me.
She’s everything.
And once I have her back, I’ll make sure I never let go.
She’s light and goodness.
Maybe she’s too good for me, but maybe she’s just what I need to balance my world.
About Lila Rose Lila was born in Brisbane Australia, her step-dad was in the Army which caused them to move around a lot. They finally settled in country Victoria, Australia. Being the youngest of four children she admits she was spoilt a bit. Even drove her mum crazy when she refused to eat meat at a young age. Now, Lila lives with her husband and two children. She started writing in 2013 and self-published the first of the Hawks MC series: Holding Out. Since then, she has published twenty-five other titles, which range from romance, humorous romance, and paranormal.
She grew up in a home without love or affection showed to her, so she wanted something different in her life, some excitement. Dusty found what she was looking for, but then her heart latched onto one man, and she thought she’d never find love. While trying to find herself and her path in life, she discovers that her whole life has been a lie.
He’s the President of the Diamond MC and a man that lives life to its fullest. When he first gets a taste of the new club bunny, he’s hooked, but she isn’t his to keep. When danger finds Dusty and she’s taken, Country has to take a good look at his life and realizes that Dusty is his.
I loved this first book in this MC series and the characters are great! Country and Dusty are made for each other and the whole club knows it. This was my first book by Lila Rose, but I have several of her Hawks MC Club books on my Kindle, I just have to find the time to read them. I like her writing and her characters. I enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading more in the Diamond MC Series to come. I also look forward to reading her Hawks MC books. I give this book a 5-star review and look forward to more by Lila Rose.
His best friend is alcohol. He’s the president of the Central Coast Royal Devil’s MC and he wants a woman that wants nothing to do with him, however, hate and love are a very close match. Burn is a man that can lose his temper quickly, but his brothers just ignore his mood swings.
She is a woman that has a lot of baggage and is living with a man that she’s known for a long time. They are intimate, but he hasn’t claimed her. Tatiana “Tia” wants to come first in a relationship. She wants what most women want and that is love, protection, and respect from someone special. When she’s left behind once again by a man that she thought would stick by her, she has two choices, she can become a club bunny or be Burn’s woman.
I liked this book and I love the characters that Erin Trejo writes. The men are a bit damaged, loyal, dangerous, and possessive. The Central Coast Chapter of the Royal Devils MC is no different. The characters want justice for those that can’t get it on their own and they are loyal to their family and brothers and would do anything for them. When dangers comes, the club stands together to find where it coming from and protects their own. I loved the book and the characters, and I look forward to more in the Royal Devil’s MC books. I give this book a 5-star review.
I love this series and the characters in it. The women keep getting better with each one that is brought into the fold of the DFAW MC. They are tough, strong, survivors, independent, sexy, and when they submit to their warrior, it only gets better.
Torch knows that his brothers that are married or in a committed relationship are happy and he’s happy for them, but he’s not sure he’s ready for that just yet. That is until one night when he says that he’ll check in on the bar and Brooklyn for her family and their employees to make sure all is okay. His initial impression is that she is beautiful, but when a customer gets a bit out of hand, Torch’s attraction to Brooklyn skyrockets when he sees her in action taking care of herself.
Brooklyn has agreed to help her aunt and uncle out at the Warriors bar while her uncle is recovering. She’s been sheltered for a long time and has a very overprotective father, so her getting her freedom to go to Tennessee from Florida to help out is monumental, but situations come up where her father heads to Tennessee and then the pressure is on. Danger is lurking around corners and Torch is determined to convincer Brooklyn’s father that he and his brothers can protect her and keep her safe, but it seems that there is one thing after another.
I am so in love with and in awe of Ciara St. James’ characters and her writing. She always manages to pull out the best in her characters and books when she adds a new book to a series. Her men are tough, loyal, sexy, and very protective; her women are strong, sassy, funny, sexy, and independent. I fall in love with each book and character when I read them and am always looking forward to the next book to come out. I give this book a 5-star review and am excited for more to come soon.
Crassy, sassy, and brassy, that’s Benni. She’s loyal to a fault and has a heart of gold, but she doesn’t show it often. She loves her family and wants to provide for them, but the only way she is able to, will lead her to trouble and danger. It can also lead her to a man who will love her and respect her as well as help her find her right path in life. Unfortunately, they have some obstacles to overcome first. She did the crime and the time, now I only hope that she can follow the right path and stay on it. Time will tell. Benni’s almost-ex is an obstacle that she will have to fight to overcome. He still has a hold on her heart, much to her dismay.
I really enjoyed this book. Benni’s toughness and her loyalty to those that are in her inner circle shows that she is a good person, the only problem is that she chose the wrong path to help her family and realizes almost too late that she did it for selfish reasons. The struggles that she goes through in her life shows her true character. I look forward to seeing if her path leading forward will continue in the right direction. I love the characters and the story, and I look forward to the next book.
I give this book a 5-star review. I love Ms. Garcia’s books and she has not disappointed on this book. Her ability to write characters that are like old friends of mine, is what always pulls me into her books. I can see Benni as a classmate of mine and it’s like reading about an old friend. I love the turmoil, danger, and choices that the characters go through. If you like stories of strong women, cartels, or romantic situations with characters that shouldn’t be together, you will enjoy The Games That Break Us. Benni is a great character and the men around her only enhance her personality.
He used to be Sergeant Owen Williams, now he’s a man trying to keep himself together and keep moving from day to day. When everything becomes too much, he finds himself standing on the edge of a bridge with one thought in mind, until he feels a tugging at his pant leg and a growl accompanying it. When he looks down to see what’s going on he finds that there’s a dog holding him back and tugging him away from the edge and the woman that is with the dog is apologetic.
Tori volunteers twice a week at the local shelter and walks the dogs. There’s one in particular that she’s drawn to, but he’s a cranky thing and doesn’t want to be social with many people. Tori believes he tolerates her. Pepper was brought to the shelter after he lost his owner, and he is drawn to the same spot every time he and Tori go for a walk. It just so happens that there is a man standing there this time and Pepper knows that if he doesn’t do something the man will be gone. Tori’s a nurse and a natural caretaker, although she’s also a hot mess.
I loved this introduction to Owen, Tori, and Pepper. The story has all the feels, and was an emotionally charged read, but it was a great read. I can’t wait for more in Black and Blue where we’ll get more of Tori and Owen’s story. A change in their lives proves to be a good move for all of them and their lives can now move on, and they can find happiness and family in Texas. I love the Demented Sons MC characters and can’t wait to have more of them to read. I give this book a 5-star review.
Austin is getting his Private Investigative business off the ground and social media personality has come to him for help. This can only help his business as well since she is a social media influencer. She’s also beautiful and Austin wants more than her business for his PI business.
Lulah is alone in the world. She was raised by her grandmother after being abandoned by her father and her mother. Now her grandmother is gone and she’s alone. She needed to find a way to make money to live and was lucky enough to find a way to live as well as have a little extra money for savings. Something she hasn’t had in the past. Being a social media influencer has gained her notoriety. She doesn’t date because she has trust issues, so when a “friend” sets her up on a blind date, she believes that said friend knows her and has found the perfect guy for her, until the second date and Lulah starts to see the real man. Now she needs someone to help her because the police aren’t any help at all
I loved this fourth book in Lone Star Rangers Series, and I loved the characters. I will say that I had a hard time accepting Bobbie at first. I had some questions about her, but she grew on me. I loved the slow development of the relationship between Austin and Lulah and that they had some time to get to know each other even if they were pushed to be in the same space right away. I give the book a 4-star review and I look forward to Ranger’s story next.
Cain is a man that needs control and has his own room designed just for his use at the strip club the MC runs. When Cain spots Sophia dancing, he’s automatically drawn to her beauty. He tries to keep his distance because he’s not interested in a relationship, but she is just as drawn to him and can’t stay away from him, so she tempts him every chance she gets.
Sophia is not working at the club of her own free will. She’s married to a rival of the Hellbound Lovers MC and has been sent to the club to find an in so that she can report back to her husband on their dealings and vulnerabilities, but what she wasn’t expecting was Cain and her attraction and unavoidable draw to him.
I enjoyed this story and found it to be action packed. The story has secrets, betrayal, dangerous consequences, and characters that drew me in from the beginning. However, I found the situation between Cain and Sophia to be unexpected when her truths came out. With an MC it didn’t seem that they would accept letting her live, even though Cain found that he couldn’t just forget her. She had gotten under his skin and vice versa. I liked the story and the characters and while I have read Crimson Syn’s work previously, this was my first book in the Hellbound Lovers MC series. I think I’ll have to go back and read some more of them. I give this book a 4-star review.
She’ll destroy the mobsters who murdered her brother… unless they kill her first.
District cop Lia Blosky warned her twin brother not to get involved with the Valesky Crime Family. He didn’t listen. Now, he’s dead, tortured horribly before mobsters murdered him. Out for blood, she’ll do anything to see these monsters dead.
FBI Special Agent Adrian Kalin is connected to the Valesky Family in a way he loathes and doesn’t want. His stepfather rules the syndicate and is tired of Lia threatening to kill him and others responsible for her brother’s death. To shut her up for good, he orders Adrian to murder her. Who better than an FBI agent who has no connection to her and knows how to hide evidence?
Adrian resists, but if it comes down to saving Lia or his brothers and mother from Dimitri’s rage, he’ll have to choose family.
In a deadly game between each other and the mob, Lia and Adrian fight to survive… while also surrendering to their undeniable attraction to each other.
This is book two in the Valesky Crime Family series, can be enjoyed independently and has an HEA.
Publisher’s Note: This contemporary dark mafia romance contains elements of mystery, suspense, action, adventure, adult themes, and possible triggers for some readers.
A Russian kingpin wants her dead… the only one who can stop it is the man sent to murder her.
Toni Flores loved her dream job working for a respected US senator until he raped her. She’s determined to bring him to justice, no matter the cost.
For years, Dimitri Valesky, head of a Russian crime family in America, has bought off those in government. Just like the senator responsible for Toni’s assault. When she won’t keep quiet about it and risks Dimitri’s business, he orders his stepson Michael to kill her.
Michael’s a lobbyist not a mafia enforcer. He refuses the insane demand, but Dimitri insists. The power he holds over Michael and his brothers is absolute… or so he believes.
Rather than murder Toni, Michael intends to romance her. Once he convinces her to keep quiet about the Senator, she won’t be a target any longer and Dimitri will back off on the hit. The plan falls apart and now they are dodging mafia enforcers, bullets, and Dimitri’s outrage.
Michael and Toni fight to stay alive and save those dearest to them as they also fall hopelessly in love.
This is book one in the Valesky Crime Family series and has an HEA.
Publisher’s Note: This contemporary dark mafia romance contains elements of mystery, suspense, action, adventure, adult themes, and possible triggers for some readers.
Tina’s an Amazon and international bestselling novelist who writes passionate romance for every taste – ‘heat with heart’ – for traditional publishers and indie. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly,Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. She’s won Readers’ Choice Awards, was named a finalist in the EPIC competition, received a Book of the Year award, The Golden Nib Award, awards of merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competitions, and second place in the NEC RWA contests. She’s featured in the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked at a major Hollywood production company in Story Direction.
On a less serious note: she’s an admitted and unrepentant chocoholic, brakes for Mexican restaurants, and has been known to moan like Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally while wolfing down tostadas. She’s flown a single-engine airplane (freaking scary), rewired an old house using an ‘electricity for dummies’ book, and is horribly shy despite the hot romances she writes.
She wants to get vengeance for the death of her twin, but her own police department and partner on the force won’t help her. In fact, they seem to be stalling her and ignoring her claims. District Cop Lia Blosky is now alone in the world, with the exception of her neighbor Mama L. Lia’s lost a lot since her family immigrated to the US. However, the worst loss is her twin and the way she lost him. Now she’s determined to make those involved pay. The only problem is that the people she’s after are dangerous and already have Lia in their sights.
Special Agent Adrian Kalin wants to break away from his family, along with two of his brothers that just want to live their lives on their terms but being the stepson of a mob leader is not easy. It’s not easy to live your life without him making threats for favors or for making a man do his dirty work. When Adrian’s stepfather, Dimitri Valesky orders him to get rid of the woman that wants to kill him, Adrian is put in tough situation and if he doesn’t do as he’s told those he loves will pay.
I really liked this story, and the characters were great. The story is action and suspense packed. Lia is a smart woman that is always thinking things through to get the results she wants, and Adrian is a man that has been on the edge for so long under his stepfather’s thumb that he can’t seem to see a way out. When Lia convinces Adrian that her plan will work, they have to go through a lot to get the results they are hoping for. I loved the mall scene and Lia’s grit and determination to stay alive and escape Adrian was both smart and dangerous, but she felt that she had nothing else to lose. Her willingness to die for what she believes shows her character and unfortunately, her loneliness in the world. This was the first book I read in this series, but I was not lost as to what was going on because Ms. Donahue covered what was needed from book 1 to know what was going on in book 2. I give this story a 4-star review and look forward to more in the series.
Explore world literature and meaning-making with scholar Neriman Kuyucu. Deep reflections on postcolonial narratives, migration, and the craft of writing.
I read lots of books, from mythology retellings to literary fiction and I love to reread books from childhood, this is a place to voice my thoughts for fun. I also like to ramble about things such as art or nature every now and again.
Sassy Redhead Book Reviews 