Wednesday 29 July 2020

Cover Reveal: Touch of Evil - Cecy Robson



Today I am excited to share the cover of Touch of Evil. International and award-winning author Cecy Robson shares the newest novel in her Weird Girls urban fantasy series. The tenth book in the Weird Girls series and first novel in the Touch series featuring Emme Wird. 

 Touch of Evil 

 Available October 13, 2020


The award-winning Weird Girls series has continued to delight fans with breathtaking paranormal romance stories told through Celia and Taran’s point of views. Now it is the youngest sister, Emme’s turn to share her story with readers.

Emme Wird, the healer and powerful telekinetic, hasn’t had the best luck with males. Her sisters have found their mates and their forever loves. After a series of disastrous dates, Emme will settle for a decent meal and polite conversation.

When the pack member Emme had dinner with is found dead, it is up to Emme and her werewolf pal Bren to solve his murder. But spine-tingling danger and touches with evil have ways of bringing close friends closer in ways neither would have expected.

Could the male Emme has searched for be right in front of her, as he has been all along? Or will evil snatch him away from her, just as it did once before?



Read an Excerpt

There’s a naked werewolf standing in front of me.

Let me kindly explain.

There’s a naked werewolf—a man who can change into a werewolf—standing naked, in human form, in front of me.

They do that a lot, change from beast to full naked glory. Typically, it’s pre and post bloody battle for the sake of the world and to protect its unsuspecting human populace. However awkward, I’m used to it.

“Like what you see?” he asks.

Make that sort of used to it.

He flexes and gives a little thrust to show off what he thinks are some delectable goods and oh, my…he has three testicles.

I slap my hands over my eyes. I take it back. I take it all back. I’m not used to all this.

“Emme,” Ted asks. “Did you just gag?”

I’m not a rude person.

I’m not a liar.

“Yes?” is my response.

Ted is a lot bigger than me. He’s also stronger and can snap my spine without changing to his beast counterpart. I keep my hands over my eyes. As a nurse by trade, and a supernatural fighter by sheer terrible luck, I have seen things, ugly, frightening, and unexceptionally evil things, and I’ve encountered creatures so menacing mere thoughts reduce me to trembles.

I draw the line at extra testicles.

The sound of slapping and bouncing skin causes me to shrink inward. Ted seems to be putting on quite the show. Honestly, it sounds like a one-man juggling show involving best-left-covered body parts.

I’m tired of dating Teds.

And humans, they wouldn’t survive me or the world my sisters and I were thrown into.

No, in order to be with me you must have something special.

And I’m not referring to what Ted is currently playing with.

My hands slip away from my face when I sense his approach.

“In my world, I’m revered for my virility,” he says to my back.

“Mm-hmm,” I reply. I pity the packmate forced to run behind him.

Ted is either referring to his obscenely large member weres are known for (“They’re built for attracting females,” my perky sister once explained) or the extra semen sack dangling halfway down his thigh. Neither impress me and neither does Ted.

I carefully step over the second of two discarded pizza boxes and make my way toward the exit.

My steps slow as I reach the door.

I turn to me left, then to my right. Something else is here.

Dread and resentment drag their long spindly fingers across my skin and hate coats my tongue.

I’m scared and on guard, and it’s not because of Ted.

About Cecy Robson:

CECY ROBSON is an international and multi-award-winning author of over twenty-five character driven novels. A registered nurse of eighteen years, Cecy spends her free time creating magical worlds, heart-stopping romance, and young adult adventure. After receiving two RITA® nominations, the Maggie Award, the Award of Excellence, and a National Reader’s Choice Award nomination, you can still find Cecy laughing, crying, and cheering on her characters as she pens her next story.

Connect with Cecy online:
Website | Twitter | Facebook Instagram | BookBub | Newsletter




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Tuesday 21 July 2020

Review: A Heart of Blood and Ashes - Milla Vane

A generation past, the western realms were embroiled in endless war. Then the Destroyer came. From the blood and ashes he left behind, a tenuous alliance rose between the barbarian riders of Parsathe and the walled kingdoms of the south. That alliance is all that stands against the return of an ancient evil--until the barbarian king and queen are slain in an act of bloody betrayal.

Though forbidden by the alliance council to kill the corrupt king responsible for his parents' murders, Maddek vows to avenge them, even if it costs him the Parsathean crown. But when he learns it was the king's daughter who lured his parents to their deaths, the barbarian warrior is determined to make her pay.

Yet the woman Maddek captures is not what he expected. Though the last in a line of legendary warrior-queens, Yvenne is small and weak, and the sharpest weapons she wields are her mind and her tongue. Even more surprising is the marriage she proposes to unite them in their goals and to claim their thrones--because her desire for vengeance against her father burns even hotter than his own...

A Gathering of Dragons Series:
(Chronological reading order as per the author's website)
The Beast of Blackmoor (Novella in the Night Shift anthology)
Silent Night (Free short story on the author's website)
A Heart of Blood and Ashes
A Touch of Stone and Snow (July 2020)

Visit Milla Vane's website for more information

Review:
There is so much I want to say about A Heart of Blood and Ashes that I really don't know where to start. I've tried so many times to sit down and write this review but my concentration is shot to pieces at the moment and I'm finding both reading and blogging really hard. What I can say is that this is without a doubt the best new series I've discovered in a long time. I've already read this book 3 times since January and I love it more every time I pick it back up. I grew up reading fantasy and developed a taste for romance in my teens but books that combine the two are pure joy to me, especially when they're written as well as this one.

I honestly can't think of a single thing that I disliked about this book, Milla Vane (aka Meljean Brook) has created a rich and detailed fantasy world full of barbarian warriors, vengeful gods and goddesses and an ongoing plot to destroy the realms. This is a dark world so I'll warn you now that the characters we love won't have an easy journey but I never felt that the author glorifies the violence or includes things unnecessarily.

I want to talk a little about our main characters. First we have Maddek, barbarian warrior and son of the king and queen of the Parsathians. Maddek has spent years fighting on the frontlines but when he learns of his parent's deaths he doesn't believe the story that the alliance council tells him so vows to find out the truth and to seek vengeance against whoever is responsible for their murders. Something happened when they travelled to Syssia to seek a bride for him and he blames King Zhalen. He initially abducts the king's daughter Yvenne planning on using her to seek his revenge but instead of an unwilling captive he finds himself an ally who hates her father even more than he does.

Yvenne has many reasons to hate her father, the fact that she's been kept imprisoned in a tower for her entire life is just one of them. Zhalen is to blame for so much of Yvenne's suffering but he's also the one keeping her from claiming her rightful place as the queen of Syssia. Yvenne has watched for years as her people have suffered under his rule and she wants Maddek to help her protect them all. I absolutely love Yvenne, she isn't the strongest character physically but she has a mental toughness that few others could match. She's smart, cunning and willing to play dirty to get what she needs and I have a huge amount of respect for her.

Maddek makes a lot of mistakes with Yvenne, there were multiple times when I wanted to shake some sense into him but even when I was so frustrated I could understand where he was coming from and I found it easy to root for them as a couple. The chemistry between them was instantly off the charts and they really had some of the sexiest foreplay scenes I've ever read long before they ever had full sex but it was the slow build of their romance that really pulled me in. Maddek was stubborn and refused to admit what we could all see happening but when he made mistakes he was man enough to admit them, apologise and try to make amends.

I feel like I could rave about this book for hours but I just want everyone to go out and read it for themselves. I knew back in January that this was going to be my favourite book of 2020 and two rereads later that hasn't changed. If you like fantasy romance this is hands down my top recommendation for you, so stop wasting your time reading reviews and just buy a copy already!

Source: Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Silent Night - Milla Vane

Author’s Note: This is a short piece that I wrote for a blog and features Mala’s cousin, Laina, who was mentioned in “The Beast of Blackmoor.” This takes place after that story but there are no spoilers for it.
 

Originally posted on That's What I'm Talking About blog this can also be read on Milla Vane's website here.

A Gathering of Dragons Series:
(Chronological reading order as per the author's website)
The Beast of Blackmoor (Novella in the Night Shift anthology)
Silent Night (Free short story on the author's website)
A Heart of Blood and Ashes
A Touch of Stone and Snow (July 2020)

Visit Milla Vane's website for more information

Review:
Silent Night is a really short story that you can read for free on Milla Vane's website here, it's told from the point of view of Laina who was briefly mentioned in The Beast of Blackmoor novella as Mala's cousin.

It's hard to say too much about this story as it's so short but we get to see that Laina is on a quest of her own for the Goddess Vela. We only see a tiny snippet of her story so I was really excited when I realised that she is the heroine of book 3, A Dance of Smoke and Steel, which publishes later this year. I can't wait to read about more of her journey!

Source: Read for free on Milla Vane's website

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Monday 20 July 2020

Review: The Beast of Blackmoor - Milla Vane

Dive into the world of beasts and barbarians in this prequel to the exhilarating Gathering of Dragons series by Milla Vane.

A warrior princess must tame The Beast of Blackmoor to earn a place among her people. When she arrives in Blackmoor, however, she finds a land cursed by a demon and ruled by an evil warlord...and discovers that the beast isn't a monster, but a barbarian warrior who intends to do some taming himself.

A Gathering of Dragons Series:
(Chronological reading order as per the author's website)
The Beast of Blackmoor (Novella in the Night Shift anthology)
Silent Night (Free short story on the author's website)
A Heart of Blood and Ashes
A Touch of Stone and Snow (July 2020)

Visit Milla Vane's website for more information

Review:
I already wrote a brief review of The Beast of Blackmoor when I read it as part of the Night Shift anthology but I didn't go into much depth at the time and having reread the novella a couple of times recently I wanted to talk about it some more. This is one of those stories that I've loved more every single time I read it and I don't think I fully appreciated it the first time around. It's the first novella in Milla Vane's A Gathering of Dragons world and is a great intro to the dark and dangerous world she has created.

Mala is a warrior on a quest from her Goddess Vela to tame the Beast of Blackmoor, she will do whatever it takes to achieve her goal because her people are depending upon her to protect them and she needs the Vela's gifts to help them survive. What she doesn't realise is that the Beast is in fact a man and Kavik will do anything to avoid being enslaved again. Kavik angered Vela so it's not too surprising that she has forsaken him but Mala believes that they can both earn redemption for themselves and their people if they only listen to the Goddess and follow her will.

I think one of the things I love most about this series is the strong women Milla Vane has created. Not only do we have Vela, a powerful Goddess who is brilliant even as a minor character but we also have Mala, a strong and fierce warrior who stands up for people who can't stand up for themselves. This is a harsh world but Mala thinks nothing of taking on dangerous causes if she believes they are worthwhile. She chose to take on a quest for Vela knowing that the reward would be great if she achieves it but that the punishment will be even worse if she fails, she has faith that while the Goddess will make her task difficult Vela won't give her an impossible challenge so she believes that with hard work she can achieve her goal.

Mala and Kavik are brilliant together, he is the rightful leader of his people but his life was turned upside down as a child by an evil conqueror. Kavik has been to hell and back but has spent his entire life focused on saving his people. He made a huge mistake when he offended Vela but you could feel the frustration he felt as a teenager and could easily understand how desperation led him to fall so low. Now he has spent years waiting for his punishment, knowing that one day the Goddess will catch up with him and the minute he sees Mala he knows she is here for Vela's vengeance. Kavik has waited years for this moment but nothing had prepared either of them for the sparks that fly. The heat between these two was intense and from that very first meeting I was totally rooting for the pair of them.

There aren't many authors who can pack quite such a punch into a novella but Milla Vane manages to create a whole world, give us fantastic characters and create a romance that doesn't feel at all rushed. There was just so much to love about this book and considering I've already read the first full length book in the series, A Heart of Blood and Ashes, three times I can definitely confirm that this whole series is going to be a firm favourite.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Sunday 19 July 2020

Review: Stealing Summer - Lexi Blake

From New York Times and USA Today bestseller Lexi Blake comes a new epic-length story in her Thieves/Hunter world… 

A daughter lost 

Summer has spent her whole life wondering about the family she left behind. On the night she came into being she only had a few moments with them. In that brief time, she reached out to her father, looking deep into his soul, and gifted him the will to go on. But now she is the one in need. Once a child made of pure magic, she is forced to live as a mortal. Her power caused great harm, and she has sworn never to let it happen again. With her friends beside her, she tries her best to help those she can. If that requires her to do a little thievery, well, she is her mother’s daughter, after all.

Everything changes when a woman falls from the sky and Summer meets the handsome vampire named Marcus Vorenus. Just as her past begins to catch up with her, she might have finally met her future.

A mother discovered

Kelsey Owens went searching for Dev and Marcus but all she found was a trap. She was pulled through a magical painting and thrown smack into the middle of a battle on a foreign plane of existence. Luckily she’s good in a fight. Saving the woman targeted by the horde of brutal soldiers, Kelsey is shocked by her resemblance to her queen. As Kelsey investigates the mystery surrounding Summer Donovan-Quinn, she also hunts for a way back to the husbands and son she just claimed.

A queen exiled

Zoey Donovan-Quinn is not happy. The wizard Myrddin is back, her marriage is troubled, and she is sure those two problems are connected. But nothing is more worrying than Dev’s sudden disappearance. When she and Daniel go looking for him, they are drawn into a world thought lost to the Earth plane. Danger awaits them there, but so does the daughter they thought they would never see again. She hopes they survive their reunion.

Three heroines. One mystery. And an ending that will change the Thieves world forever…

Thieves Series:
Steal the Light
You Will Call Me Master (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
She Will Be My Goddess (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
Steal the Day
Steal the Moon
Steal the Sun
Steal the Night
Ripper (Hunter book 1)
Addict (Hunter book 2)
Sleeper (Hunter book 3)
Outcast (Hunter book 4)
Stealing Summer (Hunter book 5)

Visit Lexi Blake's website for more information

Review:
I love Lexi Blake's Thieves series and always hoped that we'd find out what happened to Summer as well as that we'd see Marcus get his own romance so I was thrilled when I heard about Stealing Summer. While a lot of this author's books work as stand alone stories (you can pretty much read the Masters & Mercenaries series in any order for example) I really recommend reading this book after the rest of the Thieves and Hunter books because there is so much going on here that it would be confusing for a first time reader.

We have three different points of view for the book, Zoey from the original books in the series, Kelsey whose story was told in the Hunter spin off and also Summer who we saw briefly as a baby but never as a POV character before. Sometimes I find stories confusing when they're told from multiple points of view but these three characters were distinctive enough that it was easy to keep track of who we were reading about.

It's really hard to say too much about the plot of this book without giving spoilers but trust me if you had questions at the end of the previous books then you'll get most of the answers here. As well as Zoey and Kelsey we get to catch up with other series favourites like Daniel, Dev and Marcus, we also get to explore a few new realms and if you're fans of Lexi's other books you'll spot cameos from characters from both the Masters and Mercenaries and the Faery story series. I loved getting to meet Summer and see how her life had turned out since she was taken to Faerie and I really loved seeing Marcus finally get his own happily ever after that he's waited thousands of years for. 

The only other thing I'm going to tell to is that this is a total game changer for this series and whole world. Lots of revelations are made and while I expected something like what happened at the end it was still a jaw dropping moment and a HUGE cliffhanger. I honestly can't wait for the next book in the series and I'm really glad that Lexi Blake is writing in this world again!

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Friday 17 July 2020

Blog Tour: Stealing Summer - Lexi Blake


Three heroines. One mystery. And an ending that will change the Thieves world forever… 

Stealing Summer, the highly anticipated, final installment in the Hunter: Thieves series by New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake is available now!


From New York Times and USA Today bestseller Lexi Blake comes a new epic-length story in her Thieves/Hunter world… 

A daughter lost 

Summer has spent her whole life wondering about the family she left behind. On the night she came into being she only had a few moments with them. In that brief time, she reached out to her father, looking deep into his soul, and gifted him the will to go on. But now she is the one in need. Once a child made of pure magic, she is forced to live as a mortal. Her power caused great harm, and she has sworn never to let it happen again. With her friends beside her, she tries her best to help those she can. If that requires her to do a little thievery, well, she is her mother’s daughter, after all.

Everything changes when a woman falls from the sky and Summer meets the handsome vampire named Marcus Vorenus. Just as her past begins to catch up with her, she might have finally met her future.

A mother discovered

Kelsey Owens went searching for Dev and Marcus but all she found was a trap. She was pulled through a magical painting and thrown smack into the middle of a battle on a foreign plane of existence. Luckily she’s good in a fight. Saving the woman targeted by the horde of brutal soldiers, Kelsey is shocked by her resemblance to her queen. As Kelsey investigates the mystery surrounding Summer Donovan-Quinn, she also hunts for a way back to the husbands and son she just claimed.

A queen exiled

Zoey Donovan-Quinn is not happy. The wizard Myrddin is back, her marriage is troubled, and she is sure those two problems are connected. But nothing is more worrying than Dev’s sudden disappearance. When she and Daniel go looking for him, they are drawn into a world thought lost to the Earth plane. Danger awaits them there, but so does the daughter they thought they would never see again. She hopes they survive their reunion.

Three heroines. One mystery. And an ending that will change the Thieves world forever…


Download your copy today!


Add STEALING SUMMER to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2BHOQwj

Excerpt:

He was stunning, his face all harsh planes and predatory lines. There was no question in my mind that this vampire was a hunter. Often the vampires I’ve met seem civilized, and it’s easy to forget that they evolved from ancestors who preyed on living beings. Now they’re all about meal pills and pretending there isn’t a savage predator under all that civility. Though I understand that when a vampire takes a consort, they exchange blood in the old ways. Vampires try to distance themselves from their bloody past. 

This vampire didn’t even try to hide his nature. The beast inside him was every bit on display as he breathed in the air around him, likely trying to catch my scent. 

I will not harm you, bella. This I promise to you. Come out and let us talk. I know you can hear me. 

I could. I could hear him in my mind, feel his voice brushing against my brain with an odd sensuality. Like he could stroke my very thoughts with silk. 

You have nothing to fear from me. 

I had everything to fear from this man. He could speak thoughts into my head. That wasn’t a vampire talent. Vampires are excellent fighters. Some of the royal vampires are stronger than the rest, but I’ve never once heard of a vamp with such powers. These were strange creatures coming after me.

Come out and let me prove myself to you. 

The words were meant to coax me, to seduce me. I could feel his intentions. He wanted me. My light drew him in. It made me wonder if he could hear me when I wanted him to. 

I know what you want, vampire. 

I could feel his satisfaction like a wave against my skin. 

You know nothing yet, bella, but I will show you. 

I couldn’t give in to that voice. It was meant to trick me. This was not some friendly male who’d happened upon me in the forest and wanted to help. He’d been sent by someone. I should run, but I rather thought he would follow me, and forcibly. Perhaps I should show him what I was capable of. 

He was moving my way but didn’t seem to realize I wasn’t on the ground. He moved with grace, his feet not making a single sound. 

Bella, please come out. There’s no need to hide from me. I have a million questions for you, but you should know there are no wrong answers. If you’re in trouble, I will help you. I don’t care what you’re in trouble for. I will help you. 

Oh, he was good. He seemed to understand exactly how to talk to me, what words to use. I could feel his will. If I’d done something bad, he would find a way to fix things for me. He could be my protector. All I had to do was present myself to him and he would shelter me. He was strong. He could make the world right for me and only me. 

If only I could have believed him. 

He stopped beneath my hiding place, his hands on his hips as though he knew I should be there. 

I needed him in the right position. Look up, vampire. 

The minute he turned, I pounced, my stake coming up. I hit his body and he fell back to the forest floor with a hard thud. I lifted my stake, but I had questions first. 

“Who the hell are you?” I asked the question out loud because I wasn’t going to let him into my head again. 

The vampire’s lips curled up in the sexiest smile I’d ever seen. If he was scared, he didn’t show it. He seemed perfectly comfortable to have a female on top of him. “My name is Marcus Vorenus and I am entirely at your service. Would you like me to take off my shirt? It might be easier to stake me. I wouldn’t want you to miss my heart, and honestly, if I am about to die then I would like to feel your hands on my skin one time.” 

Not the reaction I’d been going for. I straddled him, my knees on either side of his lean waist. He was even more devastating up close, and I did actually want to see him without his shirt on. It had been a long time since I’d had any kind of sexual pleasure, and this male did it for me. I’m reasonably attractive, but it can be hard to find a date when your nickname is the Destroyer. Males discover I’ve destroyed worlds and suddenly they aren’t so hot to take care of my physical needs. 

“If I decide to kill you, I won’t need better aim. I assure you, I can do it right now.” 

“I’m sure you can. You’re obviously a woman of great physical skills.” His fangs were out. White and dangerous, I found those fangs way too sexy for my own good.

About Lexi Blake


New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she’s sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings.

Connect with Lexi

Thursday 16 July 2020

Review: King of the Dark - Ariana Nash

From the author who brought you the award-winning Silk & Steel series comes a new dark MM high fantasy. 

"Your love is worthless, it's your hate I need." ~Prince Vasili Caville

When King Talos Caville surrendered the war to the elves, soldier Nikolas Yazdan vowed never to serve the royals again. He said the same to the prince who tried to buy his loyalty, and learned the Cavilles don’t take no for an answer.

Whipped for his insolence, Nikolas is forced into slavery in a palace full of vicious, brutal royals. And Prince Vasili Caville is the worst of all. Malicious and cruel, the prince is more viper than man, and someone inside the palace wants him dead. Nikolas would kill the prince himself if not for one thing: Julian, the prince’s personal guard and Niko’s light in the dark. If Nikolas doesn’t submit to Prince Vasili and discover who is plotting against him, Julian will suffer.

But there’s more wrong in the palace than just the prince. The king is on his deathbed, the ferocious elves are creeping closer to the great city of Loreen, and madness stalks the hallways. There’s poison in the Caville court, and if Nikolas doesn’t discover the real reason Prince Vasili tried to buy him with a bag of coin, the palace, the city, and everything he loves, will be lost forever.

King of the Dark is the first book in the slow burn, enemies-to-lovers Prince’s Assassin series. A gay Game of Thrones with a hint of Witcher thrown in, there are triggers, including but not limited to: reference to past abuse, attempted rape, dubious consent, reference to incest, torture, drug use and PTSD. High heat sexual content. The Prince’s Assassin is for 18+ only.

The Prince's Assassin Series:
King of the Dark

Visit Ariana Nash's website or Pippa DaCosta's website for more information

Review:
King of the Dark is the first book in a new M/M dark fantasy trilogy from Ariana Nash and it brings all the twists and turns you'd expect from this author to the table. I always go into her stories trying to expect the unexpected but she never fails to sideswipe me with something I didn't see coming and that's something I absolutely love about her books.

Niko was a soldier who fought on the front lines against the elves who are trying to invade his kingdom. He lost friends and family to the war but he continued to fight because he believed knew the danger the elves possessed and was determined to keep his home as safe as possible. Everything changed for him when his king surrendered to the elves and he now sees all his losses as pointless. Niko is bitter and angry at the world in general but the royal family in particular so when he is approached by Prince Vasili he initially refuses to be caught up in another plot by a royal. The prince isn't used to taking no for an answer though so when commanding Niko to do his bidding doesn't work he thinks nothing of resorting to imprisonment and torture to get what he wants. As Niko grows closer to Vasili's personal guard Julian he realises that he's going to have to start to play Vasili's games if he wants to make sure they both survive the internal squabbles of the royal court.

I really don't want to say much more about the story here so I'm going to focus on how much I enjoyed getting to know the characters. The way things unfold mean you're constantly learning new things and hidden secrets about each of the main players and it was really interesting to have my initial feelings about them all turned upside-down with each new revelation. The royal court really is a nest of vipers and nearly everyone you meet would happily stab their own mothers in their back for the chance to get what they want so it's very hard to know who to trust or to truly understand what most of them are capable of. Whenever I thought I had someone figured out something would happen to completely change my opinion and I think we've only just started to scratch the surface of what is really going on in this world.

King of the Dark was a fantastic start to this series and I honestly can't wait for the next instalment to see what happens next for my favourite characters.

Source: Received for free from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Wednesday 15 July 2020

Review: Play My Game - Lara Adrian

New York Times bestselling author Lara Adrian returns to the sizzling, emotional world of the 100 Series with Play My Game, a contemporary romance between a tormented, brilliant painter and the beauty he is determined to have at any cost.

She stands out like a flame in the dark. Out of place in my orbit, she is a bright splash of color in an abyss of darkness. An innocent in a den of sin. And I, Jared Rush, am a master of corruption.

Like my paintings—dark, carnal images that have crowned me the king of the avant-garde art world while also making me a very rich man—I don’t flinch away from my baser instincts. And now, every one of those instincts is hungry for the fresh-faced beauty who made the mistake of wandering into my lair.

I don’t know her name yet, but that’s inconsequential. I know who she belongs to. And while she has nothing to do with the bad blood that’s been festering inside me for decades, I can’t help thinking about that old, unsettled score. I’m thinking about payback. And I already have a price in mind. One that begins with her.

When it comes to getting what I want, I always play to win. But in the end, will the cost of my vengeance be more than I can bear to lose?

While this novel is Book 5 in the 100 Series, featuring characters introduced in earlier books, PLAY MY GAME can be read as a complete standalone with a swoon-worthy HEA and no cliffhangers. 

100 Series:
For 100 Days
For 100 Nights
For 100 Reasons

100 Series Standalone Romances:
(These stories are set in the same world as the 100 Series but can be read completely separately with each book featuring a HEA for a different couple)
Run To You
Play My Game

Visit Lara Adrian's website for more information

Review:
I've been a huge fan of Lara Adrian's Midnight Breed series for years now but I also really love her contemporary romances and Play My Game was right up there with the best of them. We've met the mysterious and brooding artist Jared in previous instalments of the 100 series so I was already looking forward to his book, I'm not sure if we saw Melanie before but she is friends with Eve so does have a link too. As always it was fun spotting previous character cameos but Jared and Melanie rightly take centre stage for their story.

Melanie is actually pulled into Jared's circle when she finds out that her boyfriend has a gambling problem and has got himself in trouble. Jared offers to bail him out but only if Melanie agrees to pose for his latest painting. She has no idea that she's been caught up in a revenge plot that Jared has been planning for months though and her life is about to get extremely complicated. I was glad to see that the boyfriend became an ex the minute Melanie discovered how much he'd been lying to her so if you're worried about any potential cheating issues you can dive into this book without fear. I actually had a huge amount of respect for Melanie from the beginning, she knows her own value and she won't put up with anyone treating her badly which makes her easy to root for. I always love a heroine with a backbone!

Jared is dealing with some pretty big demons and has been using alcohol as a crutch but when he sees how much it upsets Melanie he realises that he needs to do something differently. The attraction between them was pretty instant but I liked that it took time to develop into a relationship. Even though Jared went into things with an agenda he realises pretty quickly that Melanie is important to him and this didn't end up being a story with a huge amount of drama. I don't know about anyone else but 2020 has been bringing more than enough stress into my life so I really appreciated being able to just relax and enjoy this story! If you enjoyed the previous books in this series then you're bound to love Play My Game too but it would work just as well for someone who is new to the series as there are only a few cameos to link it to previous books.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
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Tuesday 14 July 2020

Release Blitz: Stealing Summer - Lexi Blake


Three heroines. One mystery. And an ending that will change the Thieves world forever… 

Stealing Summer, the highly anticipated, final installment in the Hunter: Thieves series by New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake is available now!


From New York Times and USA Today bestseller Lexi Blake comes a new epic-length story in her Thieves/Hunter world… 

A daughter lost 

Summer has spent her whole life wondering about the family she left behind. On the night she came into being she only had a few moments with them. In that brief time, she reached out to her father, looking deep into his soul, and gifted him the will to go on. But now she is the one in need. Once a child made of pure magic, she is forced to live as a mortal. Her power caused great harm, and she has sworn never to let it happen again. With her friends beside her, she tries her best to help those she can. If that requires her to do a little thievery, well, she is her mother’s daughter, after all.

Everything changes when a woman falls from the sky and Summer meets the handsome vampire named Marcus Vorenus. Just as her past begins to catch up with her, she might have finally met her future.

A mother discovered

Kelsey Owens went searching for Dev and Marcus but all she found was a trap. She was pulled through a magical painting and thrown smack into the middle of a battle on a foreign plane of existence. Luckily she’s good in a fight. Saving the woman targeted by the horde of brutal soldiers, Kelsey is shocked by her resemblance to her queen. As Kelsey investigates the mystery surrounding Summer Donovan-Quinn, she also hunts for a way back to the husbands and son she just claimed.

A queen exiled

Zoey Donovan-Quinn is not happy. The wizard Myrddin is back, her marriage is troubled, and she is sure those two problems are connected. But nothing is more worrying than Dev’s sudden disappearance. When she and Daniel go looking for him, they are drawn into a world thought lost to the Earth plane. Danger awaits them there, but so does the daughter they thought they would never see again. She hopes they survive their reunion.

Three heroines. One mystery. And an ending that will change the Thieves world forever…


Download your copy today!


About Lexi Blake


New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she’s sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings.

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