#BookReview: The Fire Between High & Lo (Elements #2) by Brittainy C. Cherry @SourcebooksCasa

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

There once was a boy, and I loved him. Logan Francis Silverstone and I were complete opposites. I danced, and he stood still. He was quiet, while I ran my mouth. He struggled to find a smile, and I refused to frown. The night I saw the darkness that truly lived inside of him, I couldn't look away. We were broken together, yet somehow whole. We were wrong together, but always right. We were the stars that burned across the night sky, searching for a wish, praying for better tomorrows. Until the day I lost him. He threw us away with one hasty decision―a decision that changed us forever. There once was a boy, and I loved him. And for a few breaths, a few whispers, a few moments, I think he loved me, too. The Elements The Air He Breathes, book 1 The Fire Between High & Lo, book 2

#BookReview: If the Sun Never Sets (If Love, #2) by Ana Huang

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

Five years ago, he broke her heart. Now, he’ll do anything to win her back.

When Farrah walked into her lunch meeting, she didn’t expect to see him. Blake Ryan. Her first love, her first heartbreak, and now, her first client as a freelance interior designer.
It’s been five years, but she’ll never forget the way he shattered her. He whispers pretty words, but she’ll never believe him. Her body craves his, but she’ll never give him her heart.
Not again. Not ever.

***
Money. Looks. A booming sports bar empire. On the surface, Blake has it all, but inside, he's haunted—both by nightmares of a tragic loss and dreams of the girl he once betrayed.

When fate reunites them, he sees it as a sign: it’s time to get the love of his life back. 

No matter what it takes.

If the Sun Never Sets is book two of the If Love duet. It's a steamy second chance romance with plenty of groveling. 

Recommended for 18+ due to profanity and explicit content.

#BookReview: If We Were Perfect (If Love, #4) by Ana Huang @Read_Bloom

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

Two exes, one house. What could go wrong?

Olivia had a plan: MBA, Wall Street VP by thirty-two, marriage and two children (preferably twins because #efficiency).

Not in her plan? Losing half her belongings in an apartment flood and being forced to turn to her ex for help.

Definitely not in her plan? Moving into said ex’s house and watching him walk around shirtless, bake her cupcakes, and look at her with those smoldering—

Wait, what was she talking about again?

***

Between his bakery and meddling family, Sammy had enough on his plate without bringing the ex he’d never been able to forget into the mix. 

But when Olivia asks for his help, he couldn’t say no. He could, however, make her regret breaking his heart—as long as he doesn’t do anything foolish, like sneak into her room and kiss her senseless… 

As passion slowly replaces their dislike for each other, Sammy and Olivia discover their past isn’t what it seems and their future is anything but certain. Can they overcome their pride and give love a second chance, or is history doomed to repeat itself?

If We Were Perfect is a steamy second chance/roommate romance. It's book four of the If Love series but can be read as a complete standalone.

Recommended for 18+ due to explicit content and adult language.

#BookReview: The Accidental Sereph (Carran Hollow Fated Mates, #1) by Maci Aurora

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

When Atlas Black, a bad boy with a reputation in Carran Hollow, walks into The Hole-in-the-Wall bar investigating a demon sighting, it’s mostly business as usual until he comes face-to-face with his calix—his fated-mate. Except Ivy Day, oblivious to the world of serephs and demons, thinks she’s stranded in Carran Hollow because a stupid bus has broken down. She just needs a ride to get to the next bus in order to get to her sister across the country. While the guy in the bar hitting on her is hotter than any human has the right to be, unless he’ll give her a lift, she doesn’t have any patience for anything else. But little does she know, Atlas is about to take her on the ride of her life—that is, as long as they can get through the demons.

#BookReview: If We Ever Meet Again (If Love, #1) by Ana Huang

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

One year is all it takes for strangers to become lovers...

19-year-old Farrah Lin is going to fall in love for the first time during her year abroad in Shanghai. She's sure of it.

The only problem? Her would-be leading man is her new friend’s boyfriend.

There’s nothing worse than being in love with someone you can’t have...or at least, she thinks it’s love.

But if that’s true, why can’t she stop fantasizing about someone else, specifically the cocky blond athlete with the world’s biggest ego (and greatest dimples)?


***
Blake Ryan is—was—a college football star who shocked the sports world when he quit after his third national championship. Instead of dealing with the fallout, he escapes to Shanghai, where he vows to keep life simple.

No football. No commitments. No romance.

But no matter how hard he tries, he can’t keep a certain beautiful brunette off his mind...or out of his heart. 

What starts as a physical attraction develops into something much deeper as Blake and Farrah get swept up in the magic of Shanghai—and each other. But they only have one year, and there are forces outside their control that threaten to rip them apart.

Can their relationship survive the test...or was it just not meant to be?

WARNING: This is the first book in a duet. It's a full-length novel with no sudden cliffhangers, but Blake and Farrah’s story concludes in book two, If the Sun Never Sets, which takes place five years later. 

If We Ever Meet Again is a steamy strangers to friends to lovers romance. Recommended for 18+ due to adult language and explicit content.

#BookReview: Say You Swear (Boys of Avix, 1) by Meagan Brandy @Read_Bloom

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

From USA Today bestselling author Meagan Brandy comes the viral TikTok sensation Say You Swear. When Arianna starts college, she's hopeful this will finally be the year she wins the heart of her brother's best friend. But things don't quite go as planned...and that's when she meets football star Noah.

Her brother's best friend broke her heart, but what happens when his new teammate wants to put it back together?

Arianna Johnson has been dreaming of what college life might bring, and it’s finally coming over the horizon as she and her friends plan one last beachside summer together. So much has changed over the years, but there’s always been one constant. The boy her heart returns to no matter where her imagination runs: her brother’s best friend, Chase.

This is the summer she’ll finally tell him how she feels. That it’s him. It’s always been him.

Until suddenly, it isn’t.

Ari’s heart is in splinters when she meets star quarterback Noah Riley. His friendship is exactly what she needs after Chase’s rejection, but from the start, Noah wants more. Even when their path is blurry, even when tragedy strikes, even when Ari doesn’t know her own heart, Noah will fight for the feelings he knows they both have…no matter what it might cost them.

They say first love lasts forever. Ari is about to find out if that’s really true.

#BookReview: If Love Had a Price (If Love, #3) by Ana Huang @Read_Bloom

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

Every heart has a price. 

She offered him $10,000 to seduce her father’s gold-digging fiancée.

He countered with $15,000 and a kiss—from her. At any time he chose.

Kris should’ve said no, but she was desperate to get rid of her stepmother-to-be, and the gorgeous actor with the wicked grin was perfect for the job.

So she agreed to his terms—not knowing that doing so would cost her a lot more than money and a kiss...

—

He did it for the money, which he desperately needed.

The kiss was just a bonus, or so he told himself.

Melting an ice princess like Kris started as a challenge, but by the time Nate realized there was more to Kris than meets the eye, it was too late: he had fallen.

But they’re not just from opposite sides of the track—they’re from different worlds. And when those worlds collide, Kris and Nate must decide whether they’re willing to give up what they have for what could be…

If Love Had a Price is book three in the If Love series but can be read as a complete standalone. It takes place between books one (If We Ever Meet Again) and two (If the Sun Never Sets). No cliffhanger! 

Recommended for 18+ due to adult language and explicit content.

#BookReview: Minx by Sophie Lark @Read_Bloom

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

Ramses Howell is a self-made man. He’s proven he can get what he wants, and from the moment Blake Abbot catches his eye, she becomes his top priority. Blake wonders what took Ramses so long — she knew who he was years before. They strike a deal to play a very specific game. Ramses created the game for Blake. Blake adds rules that Ramses has no intention of following. As fantasy invades reality, the arrangement consumes them both. Blake and Ramses cross lines they swore they never would, and each begins to question what they thought they always wanted.


Lark Notes :
I often write about super-achievers because I’m fascinated by extreme personality types. What drives someone to become a billionaire? The back-and-forth between Blake and Ramses is my favorite. It’s like a fencing match where they can’t stop taking slashes at each other just to see how well the other person parries the strike. They’re on fire because they finally found someone worth fighting but they don’t understand partnership, they only know how to win. – Sophie

"Minx" is a dark contemporary romance and a complete standalone. It is intended for mature readers and contains spicy scenes not suitable for all.

#BookReview: A Photo Finish (Gold Rush Ranch #2) by @AuthorElsie @Read_Bloom

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

I’ve seen every square inch of Violet Eaton’s delectable body and she has no idea who I am.

Until now.

What happened between us online, in our chats, was meant to stay anonymous and in the past.

Until it didn’t.

It’s a small world, but Ruby Creek is even smaller. When I move to the tiny town, the grumpy facade I’ve created slips when we’re forced to live under the same roof.

Every flush of her cheeks, every time her eyes flare with heat, every time she begs me not to stop, the ice I’ve encased myself in melts. She has me wanting things I can’t want. Things I’ve been dreaming about since I first laid eyes on her two years ago—things I don’t deserve.

But my invisible wounds have the power to ruin us both. As a former soldier, I should have the discipline to walk away, but the more I open up to Violet, the more I want to keep her.

I came back from the war a different man, but my scars are older and deeper than anyone knows—and I planned to keep it that way. I planned to keep my secrets hidden.

Until her.

#BookReview: The Air He Breathes (Elements, 1) by Brittainy Cherry @SourcebooksCasa

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

Tristan used to have it all, but now he's a broken shell of a man angrily lashing out at anyone who comes too close. He's fully prepared to be the monster everyone claims he is…until he meets a woman whose heart is just as shattered as his own. Together, they're no longer lost alone in the dark. Together, at last, they are free.

I was warned about Tristan Cole.

"Stay away from him," people said. "He's cruel. He's cold. He's damaged."

It's easy to judge a man because of his past. To look at Tristan and see a monster. But I couldn't do that. I had to accept the wreckage that lived inside of him because it also lived inside of me.

We were both empty. We were both looking for something else. Something more. We both wanted to put together the shattered pieces of our yesterdays.

Then perhaps we could finally remember how to breathe.

The Songbird and the Heart of Stone (Crowns of Nyaxia #3) by @CarissaNasyra @BrambleRomance

This title will be released on November 19, 2024.

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, Songbird and the Heart of Stone, where A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Dante's Inferno, in an epic fantasy romance of love and treachery between mortals and gods.

Mische lost everything when she was forcibly Turned into a vampire—her home, her humanity, and most devastating of all, the love of the sun god to whom she had devoted her life. Now, sentenced to death for murdering the vampire prince who turned her, redemption feels impossible.

But when Mische is saved by Asar, the bastard prince of the House of Shadow with a past as brutal as his scars, she's forced into a mission worse than execution: a journey to the underworld to resurrect the god of death himself.

Yet, Mische's punishment may be the key to her salvation. In a secret meeting, her sun god commands her to help Asar in his mission, only to betray him… by killing the god of death.

Mische and Asar must travel the treacherous path to the underworld, facing trials, beasts, and the vengeful ghosts of their pasts. Yet, most dangerous of all is the alluring call of the darkness—and her forbidden attraction to Asar, a burgeoning bond that risks invoking the wrath of gods.

As her betrayal looms, the underworld closes in, and angry gods are growing restless. Mische will be forced to choose between the redemption of the sun or the damnation of the darkness.

#BookReview: Hush Hush (Hush Hush Duet #1) by Lucia Franco

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

A new, seductive forbidden romance that caters to Manhattan's elite...

I knew the rules:

Never reveal my true identity.
Play the game, give the illusion. 
Don’t get close to the clients. 

The dark and glamorous lifestyle of the rich and shameless open my eyes to a lavish world of sin and wealth, and a man I can’t have. 

A man I desperately want—James Riviera. 

We're treading a fine line as we live the ultimate double life until we make a startling discovery that tests both our loyalties. 

I only had to follow the rules, but rules are meant to be broken.

#BookReview: Camera Shy (Lessons in Love #1) by Kay Cove #PageandVine

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

In this special limited edition hardcover, a body positive, neighbors-to-lovers romance about a curvaceous beauty who strikes an unlikely bargain with the handsome photographer next door.

"A man is going to treat you how you treat yourself. So please, for the love of God, act like a queen."

I was expecting a ring on my thirtieth birthday. What I didn't see coming was my boyfriend and business partner dumping me because he couldn't bear the idea of our bland sex life for the rest of our lives.

When an opportunity arises to spend my summer in Las Vegas, I stumble upon my hot new neighbor and his photography studio. We strike a simple deal.

He's the teacher, and I'm his student.

My lesson is learning to love the body I have. In exchange, I'm going to save his business. I have exactly one summer to unearth the most confident version of myself before I go home and return to reality.

But after a passion-fueled summer, I'm not sure of who I am anymore, and it's clear that the worst heartbreak of my life might still be yet to come.

#BookReview: The Typo by Emily Kerr

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

From the award-winning author of Take a Chance on Greece, comes a brand new romcom for fans of You’ve Got Mail.

One typo. Two complete strangers. Ten thousand miles between them…

Amy and Cameron have never met. But when Amy receives an email meant for Cameron, their lives entwine in ways they could never have imagined.

Cameron lives a life of adventure as he navigates an expedition around Antarctica whilst Amy’s life is firmly on solid ground in Edinburgh.

As their connection grows, Amy finds herself asking; is it possible to fall in love with someone you’ve never met?

#BookReview: Tied (All Torn Up #2) by Carian Cole @CarianCole @readforeverpub

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

"Holy dark and delicious angst. Carian Cole did not hold back. I dare you not to shed a tear."
― L.J. Shen, USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author of VICIOUS
 
My innocence was stolen when I was abducted at five years old. For eleven years I held on by clinging to childhood fairytales. I waited for a prince to someday save me and carry me off to a happily ever after.
 
I had no idea my savior would come as a scarred recluse, covered in tattoos, who can't—or won't—speak a word. Nevertheless, the moment our eyes met I knew he was the one.  My prince.

With his bare hands, he killed the monster who kept me captive. But people have a way of distorting the truth when the hero looks like a villain. As it turns out, Tyler Grace is many  A myth. An outcast. A nightmare. Haunted by tragedy, he lives secluded in the forest. Some say they see him ride through town at night—straddling a black motorcycle, his face covered by a skeletal mask.

I’ve been warned to stay away, yet I can't stop thinking about him. I ache to hear his voice. And I want nothing more than to break through his walls. I know he's the only one who can break through mine. 

Do we dare dream of a love that once felt impossible to find? Or will only our horrible, twisted past tie us together?

​ Fans of angsty romance from Lauren Asher and Mia Sheridan will be hooked by this emotional novel following two broken souls connected by a dark, haunting past. 

#BookReview: The Court that Bleeds Gold by Zara Storm

ABOUT THIS BOOK:

An action-packed dark fantasy romance perfect for fans of Raven Kennedy, Krista Street, and Sarah J. Maas.


Desperate to escape marrying a brutal king, I make a deal with a Fae Prince...
“I can spin gold,” I lie.
With my life at stake, I have no other choice.
I get one chance to turn my lie into truth, and I’m shocked when I succeed. 
But now the cruel human king demands I become his wife—passing between his bed and being locked away in a tower, spinning gold until my last breath. 
My only way out is to summon him.
A brutal Fae prince.
The deal we strike is sickening, but it’s the only way I’ll live after I’m caught escaping. My new captor drags me back to his realm.
A place of profound beauty and savage cruelties.
As wicked fairies play sadistic games, the prince is my sole protector.
He’s not just protecting me, though. He’s guarding his own secrets.
I should hate him. But our pact shows me a side his court never sees.
There is more behind his monstrous mask.
I can’t stop myself from looking.
Especially when I learn what he really wants with me.


The Court that Bleeds Gold is the first book in a dark fantasy romance trilogy. This enemies to lovers series has shades of Rumpelstiltskin and Beauty and the Beast, with a dark hero who will absolutely burn this damned world to the ground for our sharp-tongued heroine. Expect steam, violence and plenty of barbed exchanges.