Secrets and Tears by Dori Lavelle

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages: 208
Series: Fatal Hearts #2
Genre: Dark
Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis:

This book should be read after Secrets and Lace.

Chloe thought her life was a fairy tale about to happen. Until her worst nightmare walked back into her life, shattering her dreams.

Now he’s holding her captive on a private yacht, intent on punishing her for mistakes she made in the past. His revenge involves torture and humiliation, and he will not stop until there’s nothing left of her.

He loves her. He loathes her.

He’s an angel. He’s a monster… the devil in disguise.

He’s her savior, He’s her deadliest enemy,

Can Chloe’s fragile strength save her before he strips her completely of her freedom, reputation, sanity, and life?

Review:

Do not read unless you have read the first book.

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You’re still here? Okay I warned you!

We just found out that Miles is Alvin Jones. A boy Chloe had wronged and wrote an article about. Doing this book we find out what the article said.

I will admit that once I found out what Chloe wrote about in her article that Alvin had a right to be upset but what he did to Chloe was beyond horrible.

I want to talk about this book more but then I would be putting on many spoilers. I will say that at first the blurb was confusing but then some parts it made more sense. I didn’t like this book as much as the first book. I don’t know what it really is I just wasn’t as on edge. Plus I couldn’t help but compare Alvin to Jude and he didn’t fascinate me as much as Jude had.

Moving on into the third book.

Secrets and Lace by Dori Lavelle

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages: 200
Series: Fatal Hearts #1
Genre: Dark
Rating: 4.5 stars

Synopsis:

**Warning** Due to sexual situations and adult content, this dark romance thriller series is not intended for readers under the age of 18, and anyone who is unable to read books containing kidnapping, murder, rape, and extreme abuse.

Chloe Parker has the world at her feet. Her career in magazine publishing is flourishing, and she’s about to be married to Miles Durant, a gorgeous billionaire, and the man of her dreams.

But one month before her wedding, she receives a countdown card. No sender. No return address. No message. Only a piece of lace stained with blood. As the wedding gets closer the cards keep coming to her everyday without fail.

It seems, while she’s counting down to the happiest day of her life, someone is doing a countdown of their own. Chloe fears she’s in danger, but she can’t turn to the cops for help. There’s something in her past she wants to remain hidden, a dark secret that could destroy the life of her dreams to make things worse, Miles is becoming increasingly impatient and suspicious about her past, to the point where he’s so angry he becomes a man she doesn’t recognize.

While working to keep her relationship intact, Chloe must find out who wants to hurt her before she loses everything or ends up dead.

Review:

The body could lie, and words could be deceiving, but eyes were the windows to the truth.

I have read Lavelle’s work before with her series His Agenda. Loved the series. So I thought I want to try another series from her. I found this beauty and decided why not.

This kept me on my toes. I will be a little biased and say His Agenda is better. I think it has to do with it was the first book series I read by Lavelle.

Chloe is planning her perfect wedding. Everything was going great until one card showed up with a number 30. Chloe at first thinks it’s a prank until the next card comes with a 29. No idea who it is or how these cards are getting to her, Chloe starts to think she has a stalker.

Chloe has a secret. One she doesn’t want to be let out. Even to her future husband to be.

This wasn’t as dark as I thought it was going to be but it is a thriller. Towards the end I started to piece things together and figure out who the stalker is, but didn’t expect how he revealed himself. Ends with a little cliffhanger. Already have books 2 and 3 on my kindle ready to go.

 

From Lukov With Love by Mariana Zapata

My edition: Kindle Unlimited (soon physical copy)
Pages: 493
Stand-alone
Genre: Slow Romance, Sports, Figure Skating
Rating: 5 Stars

Synopsis:

If someone were to ask Jasmine Santos to describe the last few years of her life with a single word, it would definitely be a four- letter one.

After seventeen years-and countless broken bones and broken promises- she knows her window to compete in figure skating is coming to a close.

But when the offer of a lifetime comes in from an arrogant idiot she’s spent the last decade dreaming about pushing in the way of a moving bus, Jasmine might have to reconsider everything.

Including Ivan Lukov.

Review:

LOVED THIS!!

If any of you have read Dear Aaron, you might remember Ruby’s little sister Jasmine. This is her story. I didn’t like Jasmine in Dear Aaron but this book made me reconsider her. She’s funny and loyal. Getting her look on life helped with understanding her in Dear Aaron.

For Jasmine life is figure skating, so when the opportunity comes up to skate with Ivan she doesn’t turn it down. I loved these two together. They are hilarious. Plus the tension at times between these two can be cut with a knife.

Zapata is one of the few authors I have read almost every single book. Now Wall of Winnipeg and Me will forever be my favorite. I’m serious. I named my kindle after Aiden Graves. This book is tied for second favorite with Kulti. Just thinking about these three books makes me want to reread them.

If you like the slow build romance with much character detail Zapata is the author for you.

I’m seriously debating on rereading this even though I have an enormous stack of books I need to read.

 

Playing for Keeps by Avery Cockburn

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages: 326
Series: Glasgow Lads #1
Genre: Sports romance, MM
Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis:

Rule one: No Drama!

Fergus Taylor is damaged goods. Reeling from a brutal breakup, he’s determined to captain his LGBT soccer team out of scandal and into a winning season. For that, he needs strict rules and careful plans. He does NOT need a brash, muscle-bound lad messing with his head and setting his body afire.

John Burns has a rule of his own: Don’t get attached. Boyfriends are for guys with nothing to hide. Nobody-not his university mates, not the men he beds-knows his family’s shame. Now his double life is starting to unravel, thanks to a certain Highlander whose storm-riddled eyes turn John inside out, who wears a kilt like he was born in it.

Fergus is the first man John wants to share his secret with-but he’s the last man who could handle it. John knows the truth would shatter Fergus’s still-fragile heart. But how can he live a lie when he’s falling in love?

Review:

Fergus is now captain of his soccer team. (I’m American and it’s called soccer here.) John is trying to get help of a charity match. These two meet and the chemistry is instant. They hit it off right away but there is just one problem. John is hiding something.

Super cute story. Loved it. And I may or may not have a wee Scots voice talking in my head now because I had to read Scot talk for a couple days. Not mad though.

I will definitely be reading more from this author especially the other series she has that involves one of my newly favorite sports, curling.

The relationship growth between Fergus and John felt real. Unlike the last two books I read these characters were easily connectable. Nothing felt rushed or just thrown in there.

I don’t know much about Scotland’s history with Catholics and Protestants but I like how the author incorporated it into the story. I need to look up more on the Orange Walks. I’ve never heard of them until I read this book.

I would highly recommend if you are into the MM romance. Cute adorable story.

Beyond Ransom by A.T. Douglas

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages: 214
Series: Ransom #1
Genre: Dark, Romance
Rating: 2 stars

Synopsis:

My body is broken.

My life is shattered.

Everything I’ve ever known is gone from me, yet I’ve discovered something beautiful.

I didn’t expect to be taken. I never dreamed that love would find me while my life was slowly stripped away. With him something new and alive stirs within me, and I am completely changed.

Though battered and broken-down I’m not along. The most unlikely man protects me and gives me strength.

I will survive this for him. I will find a way to save us both.

While they hold me, he holds my heart, and I’m not willing to pay the price to get it back.

Warning: Beyond Ransom is a New Adult Romantic Suspense novel intended for mature audiences 18+. It contains disturbing situations, graphic violence, strong language, and sexual content.

Review:

I do not like the heroine at all. She is not realistic. I can’t connect with her. Oh yeah she’s a dumb bitch.

Fair warning rant/spoiler review about to commence. It won’t be pretty.

Please note that the countdown is all of the dumb decisions the heroine makes.

1.So to start the heroine’s dad is a detective. He tells her to stay inside and not to go out. What does she do? Sneak out.

2.She calls up a cab to take her to the bookstore for textbooks. What pulls up next to her is a town car with tinted windows. Instead of running away she goes near the car. She gets kidnapped.

3. She figures out who has her and sees that she is surrounded by many men. The leader is Mark. He beats her a bit and has one of his guys  cut her cheek. The guy who cut her cheek is named Leo. Leo cleans up Morgan in her cell. Morgan starts to feel safe around Leo.

4.She kisses Leo.

5. A week after her being kidnapped, she is laying her in little cell thinking about the kiss she had with Leo. She then starts touching herself. Mark hears her and comes inside and fingers her till she comes. While he does that Morgan thinks about Leo.

6. A few hours later Leo checks on Morgan. Morgan asks Leo to replace the memory of Mark finger raping her. So she let’s let finger her and then eat her out.

7. The day after she is in a room and Mark comes in and she smiles a little smug at him. He asks her why and she says something snarky to him. He threatens her and what does she do? Tell him he won’t touch her.

Everything I just listed happens in the first 30% of the book. I won’t give ya the full list because then I would have to pretty much write the whole book down.

This book while the plot line is devisable it would have been better to see it drag out between the three books. I know I am in the minority but after being in the dark genre for almost two years this was just eh. It would be a good starter book for someone who isn’t into the dark genre but would like to be. But for me it doesn’t have the factors I love and I want the heroine to die. So not going to continue on with this series even though it ends with a cliffhanger.

 

 

 

Spider by Ilsa Madden-Mills

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages:264
Stand alone
Genre: Stepbrother, NA, Musician
Rating: 3.5 stars
BR with Felicia on Goodreads

Synopsis:

He’s a British rock star.
And my stepbrother.
What can go wrong?

He called himself Spider. I just knew him as the sinfully gorgeous guy with eyes of fire that fate sat next to me on the airplane. I didn’t know who he really was… rock star… my stepbrother.

He kissed me because he thought we’d never see each other again. We would.

Everyone warned me about him.
They said he was ruthless and cold and screwed up.
They said he’d leave me with a hole in my heart.

Maybe I should have listened.
Maybe I should have built up a fortress to keep him out.
But I crumbled instead.

Some have said there’s an unbreakable thread that connects those who are destined to meet. If that’s true, then the moment he sat next to me, we were bound together forever.

He just had to figure it out before it’s too late…

Review:

So after a few dark books this was a pleasant turn. Super adorable. It’s a quick read that I was able to get in before I read a dark trilogy.

The book is a dual POV and has two parts. There is a moment when the heroine does something stupid but I can forgive her because of her next course of action. Am I still mad that it happened? Yes.

Again it was cute. Now back to the world of dark for the next few days.

 

Return to Grace Street by Ella Dominguez

My edition: Kindle Unlimited
Pages: 356
Series: Chapter 8 #2 Final Installment
Genre: Dark, Romance
Rating: 3.5 stars
BR with Felicia and Alaina on Goodreads

Synopsis:

Abandon, denial, surrender…

Victor tried to stay away- he couldn’t. He tried to start a new chapter, only to waste time. He did his best to keep his demons at bay, but it proved to be an impossible task. Now, Mr Black is back to take what’s his and face-off with the one player who beat him at his own game. Only this time he aims to win, even if his methods mean risking everything- including his job, reputation and what little of his sanity remains.

Having moved past the emotional heartbreak and physical torture that Mr. Black put her through, Elsa’s life is back on track. With a new love in her life and her future secure, she’s horrified and angry when he reappears, threatening his wrath if she doesn’t play his twisted game again. But despite being haunted by his dark, untold secrets, she’s a different woman now- stronger than before and far more resilient. And more importantly, determined to make her own rules.

This time around, both players are on equal ground. They will play with such passion and ferocity that their very existence is threatened, because in their eyes, there can be only one winner and there is no conceding when your mental and physical freedom is at stake.

Warning:: this is not a fairy tale love story. This is about facing the darkness within. The man written within the pages of this book is obsessive, possessive and broken, and he gets off on mind fucking his lovers. He’s an anti-hero with an abusive past who often times pushes too hard in his quest to win his own sick game. The fainthearted, closed-minded and squeamish need not read any further. Contains erotic elements, total power exchange, and descriptions that may elicit discomfort or trigger past memories of abuse.

Review:

Our continuation begins now.

Well… I really don’t know what to say. It’s over.

I can say at first I thought this was going to be as mind blowing as the first book, but for me it wasn’t. I was glad to find out more on Victor but Elsa annoyed me even more in this book.

I don’t have has strong of feelings towards this book than I did the first one. The game just didn’t seem as extreme as the first one.

Mr. Black didn’t take up a big roll in this and that’s probably why I’m not all impressed. I don’t know really what my feelings are for this.