Review: Our Dark Duet

 

Title: Our Dark Duet

Series: Monsters of Verity duet

Author: Victoria Schwab

Release Date: June 2017

Kate Harker isn't afraid of monsters. She hunts them. And she's good at it.

August Flynn once yearned to be human. But no longer. He has a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost.

The war has begun.

The monsters are winning.

Kate will have to return to Verity. August will have to let her back in. And a new monster is waiting -- one that feeds on chaos and brings out its victims' inner demons. 

Which will be harder to conquer: the monsters they face, or the monsters within?

So, I am a mood reader. I read book one- This Savage Song- years ago, but only just got to this book, just now. Upon opening the pages, I was confused and had to go back and reread the last couple chapters of This Savage Song making sure I was still remembering the details correctly. 

This book picks up where book 1 left off, after Kate and August went their seperate ways. Six months. They were apart six months, fighting the monsters. But the monsters are winning. 

Now Kate is back. August will have to let her in, open up again. And the monsters are waiting, including a new one that doesn't feed in flesh or blood. Doesn't feed in souls, but on chaos and violence. 

Can August and Kate win the war that is tearing what is left of their city apart? 

I loved book one, and this was no different. I loved August and his hope to be more human than monster. And loved Kate and her resilience. And loved the story. Our Dark Duet is the conclusion of a dystopian world made between man and monster, and music, violence and hope. 4⭐ out of 5⭐. 

1🌶️ out of 5🌶️. - YA, kissing, tension, fade to black 

Tropes: 

→ YA 

→ dystopian 

→ paranormal romance 

Trigger Warnings

Review: Tempting Little Thief

 

Title: Tempting Little Thief

Series: Girls of Greyson

Author: Meagan Brandy

Release Date: June 1

Bastian Bishop. That’s his name. 

He’s rough, rugged, and utterly unpredictable. 

He’s not cautious or contemplative. He’s a volcano. Silent and steady one second, and a nightmare in the next. 

But that’s not the worst of it. 

This guy? He’s an outsider and in my world outsiders don’t belong. 

They’re unwanted, unwelcome and known to disappear without a trace, yet he doesn’t seem to care. 

After one night of reckless rebellion, the tattooed tyrant keeps coming back, sneaking into my world without permission, and causing trouble I can’t allow.

I should end this now before my father discovers his existence and does it for me, but he won’t allow it. 

He says, like it or not … I am his now, that nothing and no one will stand in his way. 

What he refuses to understand is I’m a Girl of Greyson, a coveted queen of sorts in the underground crime world.

He’s a nobody, an insignificant man with nothing to his name, marking him a threat to my own.

We could never be, but he won’t hear it.

And me? I know exactly how this ends.

Or so I thought I did, until betrayal burns so deep that suddenly nothing makes sense.

Nothing but him…

Oh my gawd!!! 

I don't even know what to say. I FLOVED this book!! 

It is book one in the Girls of Greyson series, BUT you do meet one of the main characters in the Brayshaw series- so while you technically don't need to read anything before this one, I would definitely recommend it! 

Bastian Bishop. 

He doesn't fit in Rocklin's world. He's an outsider. He's rough and unpredictable and a nobody with nothing to his name. And outsiders are unwelcome and unwanted, and have a tendency to disappear. But Bastian? He doesn't care. He keeps coming back, sneaking into Rocklin's world. Causing trouble, that Rocklin won't allow. Because Rocklin? She's more than just a rich preppy girl. She's a Girl of Greyson, a queen of sorts in the underground crime world. And her father never would allow them to be together. But like it or not, Rocklin is his, and nothing or no one will stand in his way. 

Gahhh!!  

This book. This flipping book. I have no words, I don't know what to say. It was every freakin' thing. I loved every second of it. LOVED Bass Bishop. Loved him from the very moment I first met him all those years ago when Brayshaw came out. I have been waiting all this time for his book, and Meagan did not disappoint. 

Loved the set up into the new world of Greyson. Loved every single thing about Bass. Loved the back and forth between Bastian & Rocklin, & their story. Rocklin was strong & badass, & Bass was resilient & chaos. The two were from two different worlds. They shouldn't work. But they do. 

If you like secret societies, rich girls who are more than they seem, & poor punks who don't belong, and a possessive & obsessive hero that will burn the world down for his girl then THIS book is for you!! 

5 "fuck around & find out" ⭐ out of 5⭐.

3🌶️ out of 5🌶️ - multiple detailed scenes throughout 

Tropes: 

→ contemporary romance 

→ new adult

→ academy 

→ secret society 

→ forbidden love 

→ possessive hero 

→ mafia & dark elements 

Trigger Warnings

Review: A River of Ash and Bone

 

Title: A River of Ash and Bone

Author: Wren Cartwright

Release Date: November 2022

Twenty-four years after the outbreak…

River is shaken after her father’s death, adrift after the one constant in her life fell victim to the harsh landscape, just like so many others. She’s living day by day, dodging both the undead and the alive, and trying to find some sense of purpose or direction.

A single decision changes her life…

It should have been impossible for her life to get any worse, but upon scouting the city for resources, she finds herself in a situation that quickly turns sour. River commits the ultimate crime and, despite her protests, is brought back to a stranger’s camp in penance for her actions.

For the first time in forever….

She has friends, safety, and comfort. Can she really go back to sleepless nights spent alone, starving, and constantly on edge, when she’s found the shelter of her dreams? And what is she going to do about the four larger-than-life men that haunt her every move and make her feel things she never has before–the ones that took her in the first place?

As her relationships grow and secrets are revealed, River is left with a huge decision, all while battling an even bigger threat looming outside the walls of her refuge. One that has the power to take away all she’s come to care about.

*This novel includes content that may not be suitable for all readers. Content warnings are available in the beginning of the book, please don’t forget to check them! This is a why choose romance with plenty of spice.

So this is the first book I've read by Wren Cartwright. 

I've been in a reading slump & was just looking for something new. 

I have seen this book a few times on social media & figured I'd give it a try. 

River is trying to survive after her father's death, in a post-apocolyptic world, where zombies exist, before she is taken into a camp against her will. Can she trust the four men who are keeping her from escaping or will trusting the four strangers lead to trouble? 

So I go into books relatively blind. I don't read the blurbs, don't check out reviews or anything before diving in. And I was drawn in by this cover. Seriously, it's gorgeous! 

It is also a why choose romance, meaning the female main character ends up with multiple love interests in the end. I love why choose/RH so I figured it was right up my alley. I don't often read post-apocolyptic books, in fact I probably could count the ones I have read on one hand to be honest. But it definitely intrigued me. A new and unknown world with danger and zombies? How could that not? 

So, in the beginning I did enjoy the book. I mean, it was setting up for this new world nicely. The female main character was strong- she was on her own, doing everything she could to survive before the guys came along. They tried bossing her around and at first she held her ground. 

But it didn't take long for her to start falling for them. She was at the camp for a few days, still planning her escape away from her captures, but also resigning to her fate of staying. Of being with each of the guys. I just felt, it moved way to quickly from hate to acceptance for most of them. I just think, it should have taken maybe a little longer than just a few days and one nice thing, before she just accepted them. I just feel like we didn't get to know the MMCs enough in that short time before she accepted them, & a lot of what we know is what the fmc tells us, vs seeing it (if that makes sense?). I would have liked to see more from the characters than being told what they are like. 

Otherwise, I enjoyed the book. It was a good, fairly quick & easy read. It does touch in some dark topics so definitely check TW before diving in just in case, but overall it was a good dystopian/apocalypse read. 

3.5 ⭐ out of 5 ⭐. 

3🌶️ out of 5🌶️.- multiple detailed scenes throughout 

Tropes: 

→ dark romance 

→ why choose romance 

→ forced proximity 

→ enemies to lovers

→ post apocalyptic  

→ zombies 

Trigger Warnings

Review: That One Night

 

Title: That One Night

Series: Jacksonville Rays 

Author: Emily Rath

Release Date: January 2023

My name is Rachel Price, and the sky is officially falling. Imagine being at your brother's wedding brunch when you get an email that crushes all your dreams. I didn't win the Barkley Fellowship. My rising career in sports medicine has just come crashing down. So here I sit, alone in this swanky hotel bar, ready to drown my feelings in bitters and bourbon. Then suddenly, in walks...

So, this is the first book I have read by Emily Rath. It's a prequel novella to set up the story in Pucking Around. 

Rachel gets bad news, and just wants to be left alone. That is until a star athlete walks in the bar, saving her from a guy who couldn't take no for an answer. 

They decide, one night, no names before going their seperate ways. But in just the short time they know each other, feelings start to present themselves. Will one night be enough? 

I'm not a huge sports romance fan, but I was intrigued by pucking around, so I figured I'd give this a try. I went in blind- not knowing what to expect, just hoping for something to pull me out of my book funk. I'm all for insta-lust, but insta-love isn't normally my thing. They didn't utter the word, but the feelings were there, so I wouldn't doubt it. 

I just don't think I'm in the mood to currently continue with these books, yet so I will be looking for something new to try & hold my attention but come back to these books later.

If you enjoy sports romances, & insta-love this may just be for you. It's a quick, steamy read & I enjoyed it.

 3.5 ⭐ out of 5⭐. Maybe it's just me & my current mood, but I wasn't emersed in this story like I hoped to be. 

2🌶️ out of 5🌶️. - a couple scenes with some details. 

Tropes: 

→ contemporary romance 

→ sports romance 

→ hockey romance 

→ insta- lust 

→ one - night stand 

→ golden retriever H

→ novella

Review: Neutral Zone

 

Title: Neutral Zone

Series: Carolina Comets

Author: Teagan Hunter

Release Date: May 18 

To my fans, I’m known as Ivan Fitzgerald.

To my teammates, I’m just Fitz.

And to the girl I’ve been talking to online, I’m ShootsAndScores.

There’s no doubt in my mind that the woman on the other side of the screen is completely out of my league. Why wouldn’t she be? Sure, I’m a professional hockey player, but that doesn’t mean anything when I’m shy and awkward in the most basic social situations and she’s a fiery vixen who oozes sex appeal.

No matter how badly I want her, I can’t have her. Because the woman I love watching so much? The one I might be slowly falling for?

She’s not just some stranger on the internet. It’s Rosie, the woman who serves me coffee and donuts every morning.

And she has no clue it’s me.

So, I have been sick all weekend (still am, but hopefully on the mend now) & I definitely needed a pick me up Monday morning. I was sooo glad to see this arc drop on my kindle! 

Ivan Fitzgerald may be a famous, hot-shot hockey player but he is still shy and awkward in any social situations. And the girl he likes is out of his league. She is a vixen that oozes sex appeal. She knows him as ShootsandScores online. He knows her as Rosie, the girl who serves him coffee and donuts every morning. She has no clue it's him on the other end of that computer. 

So, for those who don't know... I'm not a sports fan. At all. I don't watch it, or really read it. Never played any, nor I really understand it. Sports and me get along as well as well, two things that don't get along. Sports just isn't my thing. So, to say i was a bit skeptical heading into the very first Carolina Comets book (Puck Shy) is an understatement. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Teagan's writing, but I just didn't see me loving the books like the rest. Teagan not only made me fall in love with book one, but every book that followed since. I fell in love with the whole Comets world, and was always excited to see that next book hit my kindle & what was in store for me. 

That hadn't changed with Neutral Zone. I loved every second of it. The banter, the awkwardness of the characters. It was cute & sweet but also spicy in a way I wasn't expecting. I even loved the sport- now you won't catch me watching hockey or anything crazy but I actually enjoyed reading about it in these books. 

I definitely recommend this book to anyone - who loves romcoms, or sports romances, or if you're like me & don't read sports romances but want to try something new. They are fun, quick reads. 5⭐ out of 5⭐. 

3🌶️ out of 5🌶️. - Multiple detailed scenes throughout

Tropes: 

→ contemporary romance 

→ rom-com 

→ sports romance 

→ hockey romance 

→ cam girl & curvy heroine

→ online romance 

→ voyeurism 

→ light angst 

→ shy hero

Review: Broken Wings

 

Title: Broken Wings

Series: Dark Legacy series

Authors: Tate James & Jaymin Eve

Release Date: March 2019

They rule my new town, my school, and with more money than God, there’s very little out of their reach.

Four gorgeous, perfect, scary boys. There used to be five, but one of them died, leaving a fifth position that I now fill. 

I didn't ask for this. I didn't want to be part of this billionaire-boys-club. But no one cares about what I want.

Sebastian Beckett is the worst of them. Their leader. He draws me in, and strips me of every defense I have. He calls me Butterfly, but it's not a pet name, it's a threat. Beck wants nothing more than to break my wings, pin me to a board and watch me writhe.

He wants to see me broken. Body, heart and soul.

And what these elite want, they get.

Only they've never met Riley Jameson.

Let the battle begin.

**This dark romance features four sexy, dangerous boys but is NOT a reverse harem.**

When Riley's parents die in a car accident, she is uprooted from her life of barely being able to afford anything but loved and dropped into a world filled with more wealth than she can deal with, but hostility. Not just from her new parents either, but the guys who ran the school, and town that she was now apart of. The guys want to see her broken. They don't want her in their world. But Riley isn't one to do as she is told without question. 

So, this book has been sitting on my TBR list for awhile. I loved the idea and blurb for this book and really wanted to love the story. 

But the the flow of the story wasn't really working for me. I don't know if it was just how quickly Riley was accepted into the group, how the characters were hating each other one minute & she was in bed with one of the guys the next, if she was complaining about wanting to run & escape one day & literally be handed a way to do so the next only to be wondering why she was bc she felt like she was all in, in that moment (inconsistent for her character, I guess). Like I get it- she's in high school still, & hormones are high, there are threats around every corner & you don't know who you can trust. I just, I don't know. 

If you go in without any expectations, it was a good read- I did enjoy it for the most part, while other parts had me rolling my eyes. And I did love the idea of the book, and will probably see where the rest of the series takes me - but over all, it was just an okay read. A filler to read between books. I feel some parts were rushed a bit too much, and the main lead didn't ask enough questions about the world she was dropped into (not that she got answers when she DID ask, but she didn't really dig for those answers either she just accepted what she was told)- which left the reader with little answers as well. 

Maybe my book slump is slightly clouding my judgement some, and I'm too harsh. I mean, I did enjoy the book, & want to see more from these characters- but I just didn't fall in love with the book, characters whom we still barely even know, and the world (yet. That may change as the books progress & we hopefully learn more). 

3.5⭐ out of 5⭐. 

2🌶️ out of 5 🌶️. - a couple scenes with some details 

Tropes: 

→ New Adult 

→ dark high school romance 

→ bully romance 

→ secret society

→ billionaires 

→ street racing 

Trigger Warnings

Review: Bittersweet Melody

 

Title: Bittersweet Melody

Series: Bittersweet Symphony series

Author: Kate Stewart

Release Date: February 2023

The vows are just the beginning…

For Natalie, being the wife to the most sought-after rock star on the planet has its privileges, but in the last year, she’s been put through the wringer as far as the pitfalls.

So, when Easton summons her to Mexico for a second-anniversary honeymoon vacation in the very place that brought them back together, Natalie becomes filled with hope to close the space between them…along with a special request.
A request that leads them into a day-long exploration of sorting through their past—while trying to imagine the rest of their future together.

They’ll soon recognize that in order to keep what they have, they’ll have to rediscover the other again. And with a little reminder from both their parents, they’ll realize the fight to keep what they hold most sacred—begins after I do.

Bittersweet Melody, a NOVELLA sized bonus epilogue, must be read after finishing DRIVE and REVERSE.

Natalie's & Easton's vows were just the beginning. Bittersweet Melody takes place after Reverse, and the vows & what happens when they try to rediscover each other. 

This is a epilogue novella, that gives everyone more or Easton & Natalie & the life they have lived after they got married.

I picked it up because I have been in a bit of a reading slump the past couple weeks, so I figured diving into a book where I already met & know & love the characters was the way to go. 

And as with any Kate Stewart book you can expect some angst and emotions, even within the short few chapters. 

I loved diving back into the Bittersweet Symphony world, and with the characters all over again. 

4.5⭐ out of 5⭐. 

2🌶️ out of 5🌶️.