Tag Archives: romance

Review: Crow by A. Zavarelli

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Crow by A. Zavarelli
Series: Boston Underworld #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 10th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review

An Irish mobster. A missing friend. Two loyalties, ripping me apart.

I had a plan.

Get in, get my information, and get out. Easy, right?

Turns out, infiltrating the Irish mafia isn’t exactly what I thought it would be. I just wanted a soldier. Someone I could flirt with to get me in the door.

That’s when Lachlan Crow noticed me. Problem was, he wasn’t a soldier. No, he was next in line for the throne of the Irish underworld. And he was determined to hate me from the outset. My sob story about needing a job? Yeah, he wasn’t buying that either.

Too bad for him, I won’t let anyone get in the way of my mission.

Who cares if we have some kind of crazy chemistry? He’s the worst kind of wrong- and I would never in a million years be with a guy like him.

Because they took her from me, and I’m going to make them pay.

I love mafia books!! I should really read more of them. It’d been a good while since the last time I read one, so when I was offered the chance to read Crow, I jumped at the chance. And I’m so glad I did – Crow is a sexy, thrilling, fun mafia romance with a strong heroine and a fantastic alpha hero. It’s not as dark as I’m used to with mafia books, so if you’re looking for a light but still intense mafia read, I highly recommend this one!

“I thought I told you I don’t play by the rules,” I argue.
“Ye’re mistaken,” he says. “Ye just walked into my world unbidden. So you will play by the rules, butterfly. You’ll be playing by all my rules.”

Mackenzie Wilder wants to know what happened to cause the disappearance of her best friend, Talia, and since the police aren’t helping her, she’s taking matters into her own hands. As the daughter of one of the most successful MMA fighters, and a fighter herself, Mack just might have what it takes to go undercover into the Irish and Russian mafia syndicates – but what happens when she starts to fall for an up-and-coming leader of one? Will she still be able to go through with her mission?

Lachlan Crow is next in line to become the leader of the Irish mafia, and he’s not about to let anyone threaten his chance to become king. He’s dangerous, seductive, and doesn’t trust easily. So even though there’s an instant and intense attraction between him and Mack, he’s not about to just let her into the underworld where he reigns. But soon enough, Mack breaks down the walls around his heart, and he wants to protect her and claim her for himself. He’s definitely an alpha hero, and he even has an Irish accent to boot. I’m not entirely sure how accurate all the Irish-related things in the book are, but nothing seemed too over the top, and I kind of adored the accent once I got used to reading it! Especially when Lachlan says some sweet things to Mack with that accent.

“I know ye’ve had to be tough all your life, sweetheart,” he says. “But ye don’t have to do that with me. I’ll protect ye, and on occasion boast because ye’re mine. That’s just the way it goes.”

We don’t get into too much detail about the Irish mafia, sadly. I would’ve loved more chapters in Lachlan’s POV so that aspect of the book could be fleshed out a little more, and I totally wouldn’t have minded reading more about his feelings for Mack. Crow is told mainly in Mack’s POV, so I was a little bummed out that the dual POV wasn’t as even as I expected, but since I really enjoyed Mack’s narrative, I didn’t mind too much. All in all, I really couldn’t put this book down. It’s full of action and chemistry, and the romance was sweet as it was sexy. The ending was adorably sweet and satisfying. I’m super excited for the next book now because of the couple starring in it!

4 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: Boston Underworld series

 

#1 ~ Crow: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Reaper: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads

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Release Day Review: The Player by Kresley Cole

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The Player by Kresley Cole

The Player by Kresley Cole
Series: The Game Maker #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 12th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole brings readers the third book of the erotic Game Maker Series, a searing tale of a man racked with dark desires and the beautiful young woman who could sate him at last.

A madman with a shadowed past . . .
In Las Vegas, Sin City, Dmitri Sevastyan finds her, Victoria Valentine—sexy, vulnerable, and in need of a protector. Obsession takes root deep inside him. Despite a history tainted with violation and betrayal, he will stop at nothing to possess her.

A grifter with nothing to lose . . .
Descended from a long line of con artists, twenty-four-year-old Victoria, a.k.a. Vice, needs the score of a lifetime to keep her loved ones safe. She sets her sights on gorgeous and rich Dmitri Sevastyan. Even as the irresistible Russian toys with her body and mind, he tempts her heart.

Love is the ultimate wild card.
When Vice and her associates maneuver Dmitri into a hasty Vegas wedding, he refuses to protect himself with a prenup, trusting her with all that he has. But can she trust him? As secrets unfold, the newlyweds share days of doubts and nights of the wickedest pleasures. Yet once Vice discovers her husband’s past, will she stay to fight for her marriage or cut her losses and run?

AHHHH!!!! I absolutely, whole-heartedly LOVED The Player!!! It’s already one of my favorite books that I’ve read so far this year. It’s sexy, it’s addicting, it’s romantic – if you were a fan of the previous Game Maker novel, you NEED to get your hands on this third and final book!

I have to admit, going into this, I wasn’t sure it would live up to The Master, which is one of my all-time favorite books ever. But I’d been dying for Dmitri’s book ever since meeting him in The Master, so I prayed to the book gods that The Player wouldn’t disappoint – instead, Kresley Cole blew. me. away. I honestly can’t choose between Maksim and Dmitri now – these two hot AF, powerful Russian men are my kryptonite. So, just saying, if you loved Maksim in The Master, you’re going to loooove Dmitri, because he’s basically his brother but twice the alpha-ness/possessiveness/obsessiveness. *grins*

“You know what? You’re not going to bench me. Because I’m gonna run game on the juiciest mark of them all—Dmitri Sevastyan.”

Victoria Valentine comes from a family of con artists – but a scam gone wrong has them all in debt and threatened with death if they don’t pay up. The Valentines have stepped up their con game, but it’s not easy to earn millions of dollars in such a short amount of time. So Victoria sets her sights on the gorgeous, intelligent, elusive billionaire Dmitri Sevastyan – but she has no idea what’s in store for her. He fires her up like no other, leaves her breathless and wanting more. But what happens when she actually starts to fall for her mark?

“Imagine a pitch-black room with a single candle lit in the center,” he said, his voice gone low. “The room is the world. You are the candle.”
A shaky breath escaped my lips. “How can you be so sure about me?”
He leveled his spellbinding gaze on my face. “When you’ve been in the dark as long as I have, moy ángel, there is no mistaking the light.”

Dmitri has his eyes on the prize as he sweeps Victoria off her feet in a whirlwind romance and some hot, dirty, kinky sex. He doesn’t just want her body – he wants her mind and soul too, and he’ll do anything to have it all. If you don’t like heroes who are utterly obsessed with their heroines, this book might not be for you. But if you DO like obsessed alpha heroes – Dmitri. is. your. man. He’s completely taken and captivated by Victoria from the moment he sees her, and he will honestly do anything for her. *Sigh* I adore Dmitri. The way he’s so possessive of and head over heels for Victoria melts my heart – and of the three Sevastyan brothers, I honestly think he’s the most obsessive, crazy, AND romantic of them all, and that’s saying something.

He pressed a kiss to my head, and inhaled the scent of my hair. “I believe when a man finds the one woman meant to be his, he associates her scent with happiness. In the deepest recesses of his brain, he thinks, This woman is where all happiness lies. She is my home. Every time he catches her scent, that link is reinforced.” Another kiss. “My happiness lies with you, Victoria. You are my home. It is because I’ve never experienced these feelings that I recognize them.”

If you loved The Master, The Player is a must-read! There’s a twist in this book I did NOT see coming, and I applaud Kresley Cole for taking me by surprise and for making me love the book even more because of it. If you’re worried about Victoria taking advantage of Dmitri, don’t be. I promise, by the end of the novel, you’ll have no complaints about anything having to do with the con. I also loved seeing the couples from the previous books in the series, especially Maksim and Lucía – it’s just so freaking amazing to see these three powerful Russian brothers completely whipped, in love, and happy with their women. KC did an incredible job with Dmitri and Victoria’s story – the romance was addictive, the sex was raw and intense, and the world of conning was intriguing and unlike anything I’d ever read. The Player was perfection – I loved everything about this book!

5 hearts
lacey

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: The Game Maker series

The Professional by Kresley Cole The Master by Kresley Cole The Player by Kresley Cole

#1 ~ The Professional: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible (Part One, Two, Three) • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Master: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Player: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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Review: The Master by Kresley Cole

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The Master by Kresley Cole

The Master by Kresley Cole
Series: The Game Maker #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 17th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

A need colder than Siberian winter meets an attitude hotter than the Florida sun in #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole’s sultry new Game Maker novel.

Everyone fears the Master…
Rich, irresistible politician/Mafiya boss Maksimilian Sevastyan prefers tall, obedient blondes to fulfill his…complicated desires. That is, until the icy Russian encounters a disobedient brunette whose exquisite little body threatens his legendary restraint.

Except her.
Catarina Marín was a well-off young wife until her world fell apart. Now she’s hiding out, forced to start working as an escort in Miami. Her very first client is beyond gorgeous, but when he tells her what he plans to do to her, Cat almost walks out of the door.

If pleasure is a game, play to win.
After their mind-blowing encounter burns out of control, the lovers crave more. If they escape the deadly threats surrounding them, can Maksim overcome his past–to offer Cat his future? Only then will she tempt him with what he really wants: her, all tied up with a bow.

I honestly don’t know how or why I haven’t reviewed The Master yet. I read it back when it first released, became obsessed with it, and never ended up writing a review, I guess. But since the third and final Game Maker book is coming out (today!!!), I thought it’d be a good time to finally post my review!

The Master was one of my top favorite books of 2015 – I loved it THAT much, y’all. To be honest, I never expected to love it so much, because I was less than impressed with the first book in the Game Maker series. So to say The Master took me by surprise is an understatement – but I’m so glad I took a chance on it even though I didn’t love the first one. This book simply AMAZED me. The hero is alpha perfection, the heroine is sassy and badass, and their romance swept me away… I loved every single thing about The Master!!!

Catarina Marín is on the run from her murderous husband. She never stays in any place for too long, but with no money to her name, she joins an escort agency in Miami. Her first client is a gorgeous, sensual, wealthy Russian politician named Maksimilian Sevastyan – who turns out to be an arrogant ass. She’s not his type, he’s too egotistical for his own good, and they couldn’t be more different or unmatched… but the insane chemistry between them is off the charts and the connection between them in undeniable. Soon enough, Cat gets her first paycheck from her first client, and she’s ready to leave with her thousands – but Maksim isn’t ready to let her go.

“I’m surprised you aren’t acting ingratiating.” He was still talking to me, engaging me?
I turned back to him.
Mocking sneer in place, he said, “You’re supposed to tell me how I moved heaven and earth for you. You’re supposed to fawn over me, increasing your chances that I’ll book you again.”
I gave him an aren’t you adorable? smile and purred, “Oh, baby boy, don’t you know statistics? Chances can’t be improved from one hundred percent.”

The Master might be one of the few books where I’m completely in love with the hero – and I love the heroine even more. Maksim is SUCH an arrogant SOB, but I love him anyway. The way he wields control, especially over Cat’s body, is the hottest thing EVER, and there is some seriously dirty stuff going on in this book. He’s a jealous, possessive alpha-male to the max, and his character pushed all the right buttons for me. He was the perfect sort of over-the-top hero that I love. Cat, though, is definitely the star of this book. She’s such a relatable girl – she’s fun and fiesty, yet totally down-to-earth and resilient. She’s the perfect match for Maksim, even if it didn’t seem so at first glance. She never lets him walk all over her, and ends up making him as obsessed with her as she is with him.

Grabbing my ankles, he yanked me across the bed. “Spread your legs.” When I did, he stared at my pussy. “This is mine now.” He met my gaze, telling me, “I own it. Just as I own you. I’m your master now, Katya.”

Somehow, everything that didn’t work in The Professional totally WORKED in The Master. I was addicted to the possessive hero, the heroine blew me away with her strength, and the romance was to die for. Who wouldn’t want to be romanced by a gorgeous billionaire who’s completely gone for you!? The Master is erotica perfection – I’ve reread this book maybe 20 times, and I love it just as much every time. It’s one of the few books that I automatically go to reread, that’s how much I adore this book. If you love romances with an alpha hero who would die for the heroine and tons of kinky sex, I can’t recommend The Master enough – go read this if you haven’t already!!!

5 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: The Game Maker series

The Professional by Kresley Cole The Master by Kresley Cole The Player by Kresley Cole

#1 ~ The Professional: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible (Part One, Two, Three) • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Master: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Player: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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Audio Tour + Review & Giveaway: Sincerely, Carter by Whitney G.

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Sincerely, Carter tour

Welcome to today’s stop on the audio tour for Sincerely, Carter by Whitney G.!

Sincerely, Carter by Whitney Gracia Williams

Sincerely, Carter by Whitney G.
Series: Standalone
Audio Publication Date: December 1st 2016
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Just friends. We’re just friends. No, really. She’s just my best friend….

Arizona Turner has been my best friend since fourth grade, even when we hated each other. We’ve been there for one another through first kisses and first times, and we’ve been each other’s constant when good relationships turned bad. (We even went to colleges that were minutes away from each other.) Throughout the years, and despite what anyone says, we’ve never crossed the line. Never thought about it. Never wanted to…until one night changed everything. At least, it should’ve….

Just friends. We’re just friends. I’m only saying this until I figure out if she’s still just my best friend….

Buy Links:
Audible • Amazon • B&N • Kobo • iTunes

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I absolutely adore audiobooks, so when I heard Sincerely, Carter was going to be made into one, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it! I liked reading this friends-to-lovers book, and I enjoyed it even more listening to it as an audiobook. If you’re a fan of sweet and sexy friends-to-lovers romances, I highly recommend giving this one a try!

Arizona and Carter have been best friends since fourth grade, even when they hated each other – and they’ve never crossed the friendship line into something more. Everyone they know always questions whether or not they’re actually “just friends,” but Ari and Carter have honestly never thought about each other in THAT way… that is, until they do. One moment, they’re the best of friends, and the next, they can’t stop thinking about the other person, what they’re like naked… in bed. I love that it completely baffles them that they feel an intense attraction towards one another. Lines are crossed and hearts are on the line and they soon come to realize that the best thing that ever happened to them has been standing right in front of them all along.

I really enjoyed the narrators, Jennifer O’Donnell and Joseph Discher, for Ari and Carter. They voiced the sweetness of the story and the witty banter between the characters well, and I’d definitely listen to another of their narrations. The Sincerely, Carter audiobook is all-around a great listen – the story is adorably sweet and the narration was spot-on. It’s a heartwarming, humorous friends-to-lovers romance that fans of the trope are sure to enjoy.

4 hearts
lacey

about the author button

A self diagnosed candy addict, travel junkie, and hypochondriac, Whitney Gracia Williams LOVES to write about characters that make you laugh, cry, and want to (in the case of Claire Gracen) reach through your Kindle and slap them.

She is the New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of Reasonable Doubt,the Mid Life Love Series, the Jilted Bride Series, the My Last Resolution Series, Wasted Love, and Captain of My Soul.

When she’s not locked inside her room, feverishly typing away on her laptop.

Website • Amazon Page • Facebook • Twitter • Pinterest • Google+ • Newsletter

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(2) $25 Amazon Gift Cards
Audiobook of Sincerely, Carter
Paperback of Sincerely, Carter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Review: The Professional by Kresley Cole

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The Professional by Kresley Cole

The Professional by Kresley Cole
Series: The Game Maker #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 6th 2014
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Meet the Professional.
Mafiya enforcer Aleksandr “The Siberian” Sevastyan’s loyalty to his boss is unwavering, until he meets the boss’s long-lost daughter, a curvy, tantalizing redhead who haunts his mind and heats his blood like no other. Ordered to protect her, Aleksandr will do anything to possess her as well–on his own wicked terms.

He makes the rules.
Grad student Natalie Porter has barely recovered from her first encounter with the dark and breathtaking Siberian when he whisks her away to Russia, thrusting her into a world of extreme wealth and wanton pleasures. Every day under his protection she falls deeper under his masterful spell.

In the game of obsession, two players are better than one.
Yet all is not as it seems. To remove Natalie from an enemy’s reach, Aleksandr spirits her into hiding. From an opulent palace in Russia to the decadent playgrounds of the mega-rich in Paris, the two lovers tempt each other’s boundaries to discover whether their darkest–and most forbidden–fantasies really can come true….

I freaking LOVE Russian mafia books (and the HOT Russian men in them), but I was a bit disappointed with Kresley Cole’s The Professional. This is actually the first book I’ve read by KC, and I’d been so, so, so excited to read it, but it fell a bit short of my expectations. I was expecting to be swept away by the mafia story and a sexy, alpha-male Russian hero, but I wasn’t. I can see why people loved this book, but for me, The Professional was an okay read – it just missed the mark for what I was expecting to get in this book.

Natalie Porter thinks she’s just a regular grad student when she meets the gorgeous and mysterious Aleksandr Sevastyan, until he takes her away from all that she’s known and thrusts her into the dark world of the Russian mafia. Turns out she’s the long-lost daughter of a powerful boss, who has assigned his enforcer the task of bringing her home by any means necessary.

Dangerous, deadly, and powerful, Sevastyan is the loyal and dedicated enforcer of the Russian mafia. But of all the things to knock him off his feet, Natalie is the only person to make him crazed with lust and out of control. The intense and instant attraction between them is unexpected, but this alpha knows what he wants and he’ll do anything to have her.

“If you became mine, I wouldn’t let you go.” His words were clipped, as if he was biting back frenzy. “Understand me, if I’m your first lover—I will be your last.” The ringing tone of finality chilled me. “And I would kill any man who thought to touch what was mine.”

In between the fiery chemistry and hot sex in The Professional, we’re swept away to the mafia world in Russia. There’s action and suspense, and pretty much never a dull moment for Sevastyan and Natalie. So I’m pretty bummed out that I couldn’t love this book more. The premise of it had me in love, but as I kept reading, I just couldn’t really get into the story or the characters, mainly because of the ridiculous amount of kinky sex. This book pretty much made me realize that I’m not the biggest fan of BDSM, so sadly, the sex – while hot – just wasn’t my type of thing. Plus, it felt like Sevastyan used sex to manipulate Natalie, so that was a big no for me.

In all honesty though, I did enjoy the book for the most part. We have an obsessed alpha-male who’ll do anything for his woman, and the chemistry between them was well-written and off the charts. I liked the romance, minus all the crazy sex, and the mafia world was interesting. I just didn’t connect that well with the characters – but if you’re a fan of over-the-top heroes and BDSM, this book might be for you!

“Concerns beyond you no longer matter. You’re at the center of my life”—he frowned—“no, you are my life.”

3 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: The Game Maker series

The Professional by Kresley Cole The Master by Kresley Cole The Player by Kresley Cole

#1 ~ The Professional: Ebook • Paperback • Audible (Part One, Two, Three) • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Master: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Player: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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