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Merissa (12325 KP) rated Matched By My Rival (Thrust Into Love #2) in Books

Jul 8, 2021 (Updated Jul 17, 2023)  
Matched By My Rival (Thrust Into Love #2)
Matched By My Rival (Thrust Into Love #2)
D.J. Jamison | 2021 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
MATCHED BY MY RIVAL is the second book in the Thrust Into Love series and this time we follow Simon, the accident-prone footballer mentioned in book one.

Bless him, he's had a rough go of it. Everything he ever wanted in life, thrown away in one fit of temper. He's certainly paid for it. And Parker, the one to fill Simon's shoes, the one in the middle of all the kerfuffle, the one who doesn't want to play but is weighed down by expectations. Oh, these two.

I honestly thought nothing could beat Cooper and Trace. I mean, come on, those guys were perfect!!! But... so are Simon and Parker. I LOVED how they were two different people - the real-life versions, plus the online ones. I thought it was so well-written as it played out, and I adored how they slowly came together in real life too.

This is certainly steamy and I loved every word. It changes from aggression-filled lust to something WAY more than that. And it works. It really does! Simon and Parker brought condensation to my Kindle screen and I couldn't get enough of their story.

This is the second in the series, but you don't have to have read book one. Of course, I'm recommending you do because that was a 5-star read for me too, and Cooper and Trace are magnificent! So, yeah, you could read it as a standalone, but the question is, why would you want to?

A superb addition to the series and another jewel in the crown of D.J. Jamison. Absolutely and utterly recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 8, 2021
  
Mad World (Mystic Beach #5)
Mad World (Mystic Beach #5)
Aislinn Archer | 2023 | Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
MAD WORLD is the fifth book in the Mystic Beach series and I get to reunite with aMUSEd. It's time for the drummer, Rhys, to find his perfect match, but his path is anything but smooth.

Oh, boy! What a story!!! My heart was split in two for the whole of this book - loving Rhys and his quirks, but also understanding where Lyric was coming from. I loved the comments from Adam and Herself that helped to lighten the mood when needed.

I found this to be such an emotional read. My eyes were leaking on more than one occasion! So much so, I didn't think they'd stop. But they did as the story progressed in ways that made me so happy for them. The connection between them was so deep, it was almost tangible through my Kindle. And, yes, it's sexy too, in a way that was sheer perfection.

The whole cast of characters is simply outstanding, but the supporting ones in Mad World were simply the best. And let's not forget KITT! Yep, I'm that age, and it made me smile! I really hope I see more of Iris, Sheryl, Tommy, and Aria in future books.

And speaking of future books, it seems as though it may be Kieran's turn next. As with every Aislinn Archer book, I adore the one I've just read, but she tempts me with the next one. Oh, dear. Damn shame. It seems as though I'll have to read that one too!

The best in the series so far in my humble opinion and HIGHLY recommended by me. But if you want the best out of this series, start at the beginning! You're welcome. 😁

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 4, 2023
  
96 of 230
Kindle
Wolf’s Magic ( Westervelt Wolves book 4)
By Rebecca Royce
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶

Wolf's Magic is the story of Azriel Kane, fifth brother in the royal Westervelt wolf pack. Always different from his siblings, Azriel prefers to spend his time underground in a lab than out fighting battles to save the pack from destruction. In his own way, he feels he is contributing to the pack's success. However, when fate plants his destined mate in a cage where he can't ignore her, Az will be forced to face up the demons that have plagued him since childhood and be the shifter she needs him to be.

Leah St. James has no idea who she is or how she came to be trapped in a cage in Azriel's lab. The only thing she is certain about is that she is not a wolf and that she wants out of her false wolf body as soon as possible. Counting on Az to save her from the same doomed fate as the other wolves Az is given to study, from the distance of her cage she can see Az for who he really is and not the false front he presents to the world.

But Kendrick Kane is not done with Westervelt and when he steps up his game to eliminate the Kanes from Westervelt, Az and Leah will need each other to discover the truth behind his evil plans, that is if Azriel can finally reveal the secret he has been keeping since he was a child.

With Leah's help, can Azriel finally take his place in the pack hierarchy or will they fail and lose Westervelt forever?

I love Rebecca Royce and I really like this series this was good and we get to see Azs find his mate. It was a good read and I recommend the series.
  
A(
Ash (Hive Trilogy, #1)
Jaymin Eve | 2015
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
136 of 230
Kindle
Ash ( Hive Trilogy book 1)
By Jaymin Eve and Leia Stone
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Are you an Ash?
*Increased stamina
*Lack of appetite
*Anger outbursts
*Insatiable thirst
*Beauty & Strength
*Male
Call the hotline if these symptoms come on suddenly!

Turns out Charlie Bennet was all of those things except the last. Don’t let the name fool you, Charlie was all woman and she wanted nothing to do with the ash … until the day she found out she was one.
It all started when infected bats bit a small group of humans and created what are now called vampires. Then, the male vampires knocked up some female humans and the result was a gorgeous race of all male ash. Superhuman freaks that had looks to kill.
Charlie is the first female ash, aka unicorn of the Hive – the gated compound in Portland that the humans have designated to isolate vampires and ash from society.
Problem? The Hive is full and only a select few will be allowed to live there. To live at all, really. If Charlie wants to earn the right to become a citizen of the Hive, she will have to survive the culling – a series of fights to the death. And guess what? Just because she’s a girl doesn’t mean she’ll get special treatment.
Good thing there’s Ryder, the mysterious lead ash enforcer, who seems to always have her back. But when secrets bubble to the surface, it will take more than one guy to save her.

I really liked this! It was a different take on vampires and their origins and I thought it was so clever. The characters were likeable and you had that will they won’t they attraction between the main characters. If I had one thing that slightly drove me crazy was being told how hot it sexy they were every 4 or so pages yes we get that they are beautiful, sexy and hot guys please stop telling me 😂. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where they take this storyline.
  
40x40

David McK (3485 KP) rated Wildtrack in Books

May 27, 2023  
Wildtrack
Wildtrack
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Bernard Cornwell, as an author, is perhaps better know/more associated with historical fiction as a genre.

Yet I was aware he had also written a couple of other, more contemporaneous set, novels and mainly concerned with sailing.

I had never read any of those until recently (they held little appeal), when I came across Sea Lord on offer on Kindle, and decided to pick it up. I did feel it was not as good as his more 'usual' sort of novel; not as good as the Sharpe books or those of The Last Kingdom, for example.

So I wasn't really on the look out for any more of his so-called 'sailing thrillers'.

Having said that, when I came across this one - which I have since learnt was the first of his sailing thriller novels - also on sale, I never-the-less thought I would give this style of work another chance.

As before, I found that - while an enjoyable enough read - this does NOT live up to the standards set by the likes of the aforementioned Sharpe or Uhtred novels.

This is set in the I-assume-then-present 1980s, and follows Falklands hero Nick Sandman who, as the novel starts, is in hospital after having his spine shattered by a bullet. Whilst there, he makes himself a promise that, once better, he will sail his beloved boat Sycorax to the other side of the world, but finds that this will be easier said than done once he discharges himself from the hospital and finds that his ex-wife has sold his berth to TV personality Tony Bannister and left the boat to rot, who - in exchange for his help in refitting Sycorax - want Sandman to help navigate his own boat Wildtrack to victory in an ocean race. The rest of the novel then deals with the fallout from this devils bargain, especially as Bannister has powerful enemies of his own ...

So, yeah, enjoyable enough but not Cornwell's best.
  
TF
The Fall ( The Reluctant Romantics 1)
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
87 of 235
Kindle
The Fall ( The Reluctant Romantics 1)
By Kate Stewart
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dallas He was the beginning of my heart . . . and the end of it. I was only fifteen years old when he claimed it and twenty when he took it with him. They say what is meant to be will find a way. But when you have changed to the point of no return, how can anything ever be the same? Seven years later, Dean Martin waltzed back into my life in hopes of resuming what I had fought so hard to forget, but he was in for a wake-up call. I was no longer the naĂŻve woman he had left . . . and I was no longer his. I met the love of my life and my soul mate when I was fifteen. I knew that; he knew that. He wanted that girl back. I wanted to forget she ever existed.

Dean What I thought was my pre-destined path was very much an illusion. Living seven years with regret, I realized too late that I was broken, and that I only had myself to blame. I thought love could wait . . . but it didn’t. We’d had it all those years ago, and then I foolishly left it behind. She was all that mattered. She was all there ever was. There was no life without Dallas, no reason . . . except her. No matter how hard she tried to convince me, I knew I had to once again make her mine, to make her remember . . . the fall.

I’m not really a big fan of romance novels unless they include a little bit of the paranormal but I did end up quite liking this one. There were a few slow parts which is why it’s a 3 ⭐️ and not a 4. The last 5 chapters were so good and it also threw in a little curveball to set you up for the next book.
  
TE
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
206 of 235
Kindle
The Echo Killing ( Harper McClain 1)
By Christi Daugherty
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When a murder echoing a fifteen-year-old cold case rocks the Southern town of Savannah, crime reporter Harper McClain risks everything to find the identity of this calculated killer in Christi Daugherty's new novel The Echo Killing.

A city of antebellum architecture, picturesque parks, and cobblestone streets, Savannah moves at a graceful pace. But for Harper McClain, the timeless beauty and culture that distinguishes her home’s Southern heritage vanishes during the dark and dangerous nights. She wouldn’t have it any other way. Not even finding her mother brutally murdered in their home when she was twelve has made her love Savannah any less.

Her mother’s killer was never found, and that unsolved murder left Harper with an obsession that drove her to become one of the best crime reporters in the state of Georgia. She spends her nights with the police, searching for criminals. Her latest investigation takes her to the scene of a homicide where the details are hauntingly familiar: a young girl being led from the scene by a detective, a female victim naked and stabbed multiple times in the kitchen, and no traces of any evidence pointing towards a suspect.

Harper has seen all of this before in her own life. The similarities between the murder of Marie Whitney and her own mother’s death lead her to believe they’re both victims of the same killer. At last, she has the chance to find the murderer who’s eluded justice for fifteen years and make sure another little girl isn’t forever haunted by a senseless act of violence—even if it puts Harper in the killer’s cross-hairs…


This was really good I enjoyed it. I did catch on to the killer early on but it was still a really good read. Characters were interesting and the storyline was good. Looking forward to more.
  
D(
Dissent ( Rise of the Iliri 7)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
106 of 220
Kindle
Dissent ( Rise of the Iliri 7)
By Auryn Hadley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Even before Sal joined the Black Blades, they were the best of her country’s elite forces, bred to be ferocious predators and trained to be deadly soldiers. They think as one, feel as one, yet possess their own special abilities--and Sal is their center. Their deepest secret, that the Black Blades are all crossbred iliri, is now out in the open. With the addition of Sal, a purebred iliri, they have become the most deadly creatures on the continent. Now the country that disbanded them needs them to defeat the invading Terrans. Sal desperately wants to defeat the Terrans and their leader, who will stop at nothing to wipe out the iliri. Ironically, saving the country that enslaved her people is the only way to save them.

As the strain begins to show, Sal is trying to let herself lean on the Blades, a band of brothers, some of whom share her bed – and it’s getting really crowded in the bedroom! The more of them there are, the more adorable these guys get, like puppies piled up around a warm fire. Although some of the human males in Sal’s world aren’t quite used to the reverse harem model of family life the iliri favor, the smoking (but tasteful) sex scenes are guaranteed to please readers.

Have you ever read a series that hooks you in from the first word to the last? Where all the books are consistently brilliant? This is mine!! Iwill forever rave about this series. It was never going to be easy going back home especially when she was about to turn it upside down. Sal is an amazing character the love these people have for her is just a joy to read. The world building is brilliant, the characters are so well thought out. I will recommend this series to every fantasy reader it’s just so good.
  
M(
Moonville ( Gold Prophecy 1-4)
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
40 of 220
Kindle
Booksirens arc
Moonville (Gold Blood Prophecy 1-4)
By K.J Devoir
⭐️⭐️

Please check Trigger warnings

Psycho gets the girl.

Leena Sperling has fallen into darkness. Darkness has a name...

ZAND BYRON

He’s larger than life. He’s also a deeply dangerous, twisted soul, a textbook psychopath. But, somehow...she makes him feel.

"You can run, Leena. But I will find you."

Leena: When I arrived to the City of Souls, the tiny cemetery town wrapping the Bay Area foothills where Moonvine Manor is located, I had no idea what to expect or how insane my life would become after moving into the former, Queen Anne, funeral home that belonged to my missing sister. I should have known that being greeted by a tombstone-shaped granite welcome sign was either a sick joke or a bad omen. But I could never have predicted that I would fall in love with the darkness.

Zand: I don’t want to ever stop making her cry. Her tears are full of human feelings, and I love the taste. She makes me feel, but part of me wants to end the human in her that brings out the human in me. In a heartbeat, I could make her nightmares infinitely darker. I'm a bad man, trying to be good.

Ok so this premise was good it gave me very much Morganville vibes but a little darker and steamy. The characters were ok and certainly lived up to the dark paranormal romance vibe.
But I had a few issues and I can only be honest. There were bits of the book that didn’t quite add up and there was something really off about it all. A few times I wanted to stop reading. It just wasn’t for me.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Please check Trigger warnings
  
BA
Blood and Ruin ( Book 1)
Rumer Hale | 2024
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
96 of 220
Kindle
Blood and Ruin (Book 1)
By Rumer Hale
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Six years ago, my world was ripped from under me, and I was taken to Cardinal Three. A place where pain has been my endless companion.

Witches, demons, shifters and humans all live under one rule.

King's.

What he says goes.

So, trying to get the hell out of here hasn’t been easy.

No one leaves without his permission.

In fact, no one leaves at all...That is, alive.

But I have a plan.

One chance to get out of this nightmare once and for all.

One month is all I need.

One month to stay off King's radar and get the last few items needed for the spell I’ve been working on.

Shouldn’t be that hard...right?

But turns out King has his own plan. One that involves trading me off to the five shifters of Manhattan.

With King's ultimatum, I have no choice but to go through with it. But I’m still getting out of here, no matter what.

Or so I thought.

Turns out the five shifters are my mates…

And also, the boys I left behind six years ago.

Ok I’m not going to lie the first 10 chapters of this I actually kept rolling my eyes thinking it was going the same way many others in this genre go which is not a bad thing at all it’s just don’t think my mind was in the mood for it. BUT! Something said keep going and I did the last half of the book was just so good and maybe because I was a little distracted by what I thought would happen I just didn’t see it coming. Really good read in the end. I will say there are some pretty brutal things happening with the main MC so please check triggers.