December 30, 2020 by Tina Williams

ARC REVIEW ~ Sin of Silence (Sinner’s Empire Book 1), by Nikita Slater

#MafiaRomance #EnemiestoLovers #RomanticSuspense

Blurb

Immerse yourself in a Sinner’s Empire with International Bestselling Author, Nikita Slater’s, brand new mafia romance trilogy.

Loyalty. Pride. Family.

These are the only values that matter.

Jozef is both nephew and enforcer to the Koba crime family. He is ruthless, brutal and completely loyal to his family. Shaun is a doctor working in the Ukraine with Doctors Without Borders. She’s logical, kind and honest. Shaun has been trained on how to deal with hostage situations, but nothing prepares her for Jozef or the life he’s forcing her into.

From the operating room to an opulent glittering ballroom and a forced engagement, Shaun is wildly out of her depth. Every step she takes is monitored and the man who kidnapped her watches her like a feral dog preparing to strike.

Caught in a deadly plight, Shaun has no choice but to give her heart to a killer or become another victim of organized crime.

Sin of Silence is the first of three books in the Sinner’s Empire Series. The second book will release on February 27th, 2021 and the third book will release in Spring 2021. NOTE: Sin of Silence contains sensitive subject matter, with some scenes containing elements of PTSD and panic attacks, please read with caution.

My Review

Amazing mafia romance ~ 5 stars

I absolutely loved Sin of Silence, the new Romantic Suspense from Nikita Slater. It is a super start to a new series and I was hooked on the premise of the book as soon as I had read the blurb and glued to my Kindle throughout. Mafia romances are amongst my favourite reads and this is a powerful read, containing a strong, principled heroine and a brute of an anti-hero.

After her abduction by mafia enforcer Josef, the heroine Shaun is catapulted into a world of wealth and excess funded by organised crime. The author does an excellent job of describing the brutality of the kidnap and how Shaun and Josef respond to the evolving attraction between them. There is plenty of tension between Shaun and Josef, as well as other members of the Koba family and the lovemaking scenes between the main couple sizzle.

The couple come from two very different worlds: Shaun is dedicated to saving lives and Josef to extinguishing them in his work for his Koba family, to which he owes his loyalty. I loved how despite this they are thrown together in an impossible situation – a forced engagement. I was left in suspense, wondering whether or not their mutual attraction and growing connection could be their salvation or their undoing. In particular can Shaun survive in such a dangerous world and how can she cope with her growing attraction to a killer?

I was glad that he author did not sugar coat the lives lead by those involved in organised crime: the book does contain scenes of violence/threats of violence and elements of PTSD. This addictive and realistic read ends on a cliffhanger – the end just about killed me and I am itching to read the next instalment!

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note, an ARC of the book was given to me by the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

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December 7, 2020 by Tina Williams

ARC REVIEW ~ Salvation: Paranormal Angel Romance (Realm of Flame and Shadow Book 3), by Christina Phillips

#paranormal #romance #angels #demons

Blurb

I just spent the best night of my life with the hottest guy I’ve ever met. Too bad he turns out to be my deadliest enemy – the Archangel Nathanael…

Half-demon Isabella has dreamed of bringing archangels to justice and there’s no way she’ll forgive Nate for his deception. Except it turns out he has no idea who she is… can this be the chance for retribution she’s been searching for?

There’s only one rule I live by. Never trust a demon.

Close to finding a rogue demon he’s been hunting for millennia, Nate’s not looking for any distractions. Until Isabella turns his world inside out and leaves him wanting so much more. But when he uncovers her true heritage, her betrayal rocks him, and he faces the choice of leaving her to her fate or breaking the only rule in his book.

With dark secrets threatening their survival, there’s no way an archangel and a half-demon can work together. But with the clock ticking, and danger stalking every move they make, the only way to save themselves might just be to save each other.

My Review ~ 5 stars

Captivating Enemies to Lovers Romance

I make no secret that the enemies to lovers trope is one of my favourites when it comes to romance and Christina Phillips delivers in spades with Salvation, book 3 in the Realm of Flame and Shadow series. This super read has a plot containing secrets, danger and deception and a hero and heroine who kept me entertained throughout with their lively banter and sizzling lovemaking scenes. Although the book includes characters who feature in the earlier books (whom I loved meeting again), it works perfectly well as a standalone, Nate and Isabella’s relationship being at its core.

Archangel Nathanael’s hatred of demons goes back a long way – fooled by one once he has vowed never to be taken in by one of their kind again and he is pleased that at last he almost has his arch enemy, the demon Dagan, in his sights. Yet fate has a way of screwing with his good intentions when he crosses paths with Isabella, whom he believes is a human. Similarly Isabella has been taught that archangels are a demon’s natural foe and she would never have hooked up with him if she’d known his true identity. When their destinies become entwined can they trust each other? Not only that but can they save themselves or each other when neither are fully aware of what is at stake and who is involved?

I loved the chemistry between them and I was on pins throughout waiting for the scene where Nate discovers Isabella’s true nature and I was not disappointed. Nate has issues with trust, especially when it comes to demons and bears a heavy weight on his shoulders for past events for which he holds himself responsible. Although Isabella lacks a sense of belonging and has been hurt in the past I really liked her inner strength. I was glued to the read to see how their relationship would play out, who they would side with when the chips were down and whether they could overcome their differences.

Recommended for readers of paranormal romance who like tales of feisty heroines who are able to bring even the most stubborn of celestial beings to their knees.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note that an ARC of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.