August 24, 2015 by Tina Williams

COVER REVEAL – Twenty One, Clarissa Wild (includes excerpt and giveaway)

Adult/18+ Read

Title: Twenty-One (21)

Author: Clarissa Wild

Publication Date: October 7th, 2015

Genre: Dark Romance (18+)

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25143793-twenty-one

Synopsis

21 years

On her 21st birthday she’s taken. Collected by a rich family as an unpaid debt. Her body sold. Her mind his.

21 weeks

For 21 weeks she carried a burden no girl should ever have to carry. Now she loses her freedom to a man born to destroy her.

21 days

His name: Angel DeLuca. His mission: to break her in 21 days before she sees through his lies. But she won’t give up without a fight.

21 minutes

It takes only 21 minutes for their lives to be forever entwined.

21 seconds

21 seconds to spill. Time is running out.

Secrets ruin them … but not all truths are worth the price.

This is a STANDALONE Dark Romance novel. WARNING: contains explicit situations, dubious consent, graphic violence, drug abuse, and other disturbing content.

Exclusive preorder on: iBooks

Excerpt:

Day 1

Sky

A never-ending darkness shrouds me, the surrounding void like space, swallowing me whole. Eyes open or eyes shut, it doesn’t make a difference to the vast emptiness around me. It seeps into my bones like poison, clouding my mind from the memories that I had. Where am I?

My body feels cold, and my limbs solid, like they’re not mine. I notice myself breathing, however. The only thing I hear is the steady, rhythmic beating of my heart. The only sound in this dark hole. Thud, thud … thud. For a moment I doubt my own existence. Who am I, even?

A drop of water falling onto a surface pulls me back into reality. I’m here, but how? My fingers tighten and relax in an attempt to regain control. My muscles feel stiff, but slowly the sensation is returning to the tips of my fingers, giving me a small bit of hope that I might find out what happened to me. With slow movements, I let my hand slide only a few inches, but it’s enough to determine that I’m lying on a concrete floor. My head begins to hurt and every passing second the pain increases. I move my fingers to my head and touch the back of my scalp. The searing pain stops me and tells me I’m wounded.

When I touch my face I gasp. There is a bag over my head with a hole near my mouth and nose through which I can breathe. For a second, I contemplate removing it, but then I realize they might be watching me. A buzz moves through my body, bringing life back to my limbs. And even though I’m regaining my sense of touch, my vision is still impaired. However, my eyes feel fine as I touch them, so it must be the lack of light.

I push my elbows underneath me and lean up. A sudden queasiness overtakes me, causing me to buckle and heave. I puke on the floor beside me, which surprises me, because I hardly ever puke. I tally up the sensations that I’m feeling. Nausea, loss of motor skills, buzzing nerves, botched memory … it all leads to one conclusion: I was drugged.

Stabilizing myself on the floor, I focus on regaining control over my body before moving again. This place is unfamiliar to me, and I dig into my mind to find clues as to how I ended up here. The pain that’s slowly creeping to the surface of my skin distracts me, but I still manage to catch a glimpse of a memory in the back of my mind. Men with black masks and fire weapons dragging me out of a room. A cloth with a sharp odor pushed against my mouth. Drowsiness engulfing me. A big SUV, also black, doors sliding to the side. A blow to the back of my head. All lights went out.

My skin pricks with anxiety, and I shiver to shake off the fear. It doesn’t help, because I know deep down that there is more to come.

There is one question in my mind that can’t help but repeat itself. Why me? This is the single question every victim of abduction asks. Except, I already know the answer. It was only a matter of time before they came for me. My papa once told me that goodness always comes at a price. Now more than ever, do I realize the truth in his words. However, I don’t regret making the decision for even a second. Now, I’m here in a darkness so deep it consumes me whole.

And still the light of rebellion sparks inside my heart, fueling a fire I haven’t felt before. An uncontrollable need to defy whoever is keeping me here.

But I will wait. Lying in the cold, harsh, emptiness of this space, I will await my captor’s arrival and take whatever he’s going to give me. Punishment. Pain. I’ll endure it all. Because that’s what a good person does when they’ve made their choice. They bear the burden of their choice, because it’s the only thing they can do.

***

I don’t know how many hours pass before a noise wakes me. I can’t remember when and how I fell asleep, but I must’ve been very tired from the ordeal. A metallic door is slid open, a crack of light splitting through the opening. The burlap bag over my head makes it difficult to see, but when I narrow my eyes and focus I can still determine where I am.

Only now do I see how small my cell really is.

The vast emptiness I thought would overwhelm me, turns out to be not much more than a bedroom-sized cell. A quick look at the walls reveals iron rings of all shapes and sizes, used to hook a chain around and snare whoever needs to be contained and subdued. In other words; me. Squinting, I watch as a man steps inside, and I focus solely on his presence. Even though the door is open, and freedom is luring me on the other side, I stay put and watch. No matter how much I’d try, I’d never be able to flee. Not like this, with my muscles weak and my body aching. There are probably a bunch of guards waiting outside, wondering whether I’m going to try anything. So I won’t. I’ll sit right here on this cold, hard concrete, observing my captor as he walks into the room with a certain aloofness. His feet are bold, his body brawny, his face hiding behind a Guy Fawkes mask. If I weren’t so scared, I would’ve pondered why he chose that specific mask to conceal his identity, but now is not that time.

His footsteps sound more like sand scraping off a harsh surface as he circles around me like a snake ready to attack its prey. The door is left open like a silent seducer, a tool to entice me to run. I look up at my captor, giving him a deadly stare, and even though I can’t see him, I know he can feel the determination in me. I won’t let myself be tempted to flee like a wounded deer. Not when I know that this is merely a distraction, like a lollypop being dangled in front of a child while the adult knows full well he’s never going to give it to the child, and the child knows he can never reach far enough to grasp it. I refuse to be that child.

My captor walks some more, and then returns to the door to close it. His experiment failed. I control my emotions.

He doesn’t know who he’s up against. In the darkness I hear him come closer, the only sound being his steady breath and soft steps. He’s still testing me. Seeing if I’ll give in to the fear. Alone with him, the predator, in a cage filled with blackness. But I’m not afraid of the dark. My soul has already been tainted and defiled. Nothing he does can hurt me. I already went past the breaking point once … and I survived.

“Up.” The sound of his voice suddenly breaking through the façade makes me take in a breath. It’s familiar and yet so unknown, the way he speaks to me with full authority, resoluteness resounding in every spoken letter, even if there are few. I crawl up from the ground, slowly, steadily, maintaining my posture. My aching back and pounding head won’t stop me from attempting to keep my dignity as I stand up straight and stare ahead. My captor’s steps are everywhere, resounding in the darkness like echoes that disappear into the night. He’s confusing me, and I try not to concentrate on the sound, but on my own heartbeat instead. Suddenly, he’s right in front of me, and the air is sucked out of my lungs. I struggle not to let my breath come out in short gasps, but I won’t let his tactics work on me. His breathing sounds like that of a bull, short and loud, as if he’s readying for charge. But he doesn’t move. He just stands there, gazing at me.

“Do you know where you are?” he asks with a low, gruff voice that brings goose bumps to my body.

I compose myself before I answer. “No.”

“Good.” I can hear a faint smile behind that word, but the second my eyebrows move, he puts his hands on my chest and shoves me. I fall down backwards on the hard floor, bruising my groin. After a while, he says. “Do you know why you’re here?”

I don’t answer. I refuse to. Why would I? He is only here to intimidate and hurt me. There’s no benefit for me in answering his questions. As a matter of fact, I think he owes me some answers instead. “Why am I here?” I ask.

He’s silent for a few seconds, and then a smug laugh is dulled by the mask. “Bold. I like that.”

“Who are you?” I ask, putting emphasis on every word as if they’re the last that’ll come from my mouth.

He muffles another laugh. “Who am I? I am the man who will break you.”

I shake my head, still lying on the floor as if I’m taunting him. Maybe I am. I want him to speak, and for that to happen, I have to be the one asking the questions, not the other way around. “Where am I?”

“Where you belong,” he growls, and then he takes a step forward, grabs my arm, and pulls me up from the floor.

“Why—” Smack.

His hand hits my cheek, silencing me. “You do not talk unless spoken to.”

My head is still to the right, as I refuse to look at him. I will not bow to his violence. If he hits me, my body will remain rigid, unmoving. Not an inch of pain will exude from me. “You may be wondering why you’re here, but you’re forgetting the most important question. What have you done to be here?”

My lip quivers, so I force it to stop. I can’t show weakness. Not now, not ever.

He grabs my chin. “You don’t seem to remember, so let me refresh your memory,” he says. “You stole something. It’s time to give it back. You have twenty-one days to come up with an answer.” He pulls me closer with a pinch. “Lie and I’ll know. Do you understand?”

I nod while blankly staring at his mask. If I’m to obey to survive, I’ll do just that, but no one can take away my pride.

He let’s go of my chin and pushes me away. “It’s time for you to pay back what you owe.”

Fear ripples through my veins. “Pay what back?” I say, taking a step forward.

He shoves me so hard my back hits the wall and the air is ripped from my chest. I sink to my knees against it.

“Don’t think I will go easy on you. Just because I know about you, doesn’t mean I won’t rip you apart if you don’t tell me the truth.”

“What truth?” I gasp. “What do you know about me?”

He turns around, but waits, standing still in the darkness with only the sound of ragged breaths filling the room.

“You tell me,” he says, his voice softer than before, almost as if he himself doesn’t know the reason. Frowning, I look up at him, and for some reason the way he cracks his knuckles feels so familiar. But then the feeling immediately disappears as he starts walking toward the door.

“Wait, you haven’t told me why I’m here yet. How am I supposed to know what to tell you?”

I can hear him knock on the door. Then there’s a pause. “Oh … you’ll now soon enough.” The forewarning brings chills to my skin. The door opens with a squeak and in comes the blinding light again. It’s so bright, my captor’s clothes almost look pale as snow. But then I realize that’s only because I haven’t seen light in such a long time … and I won’t be seeing it any time soon.

The last words he speaks remain with me for the rest of the day, echoing in my mind over and over again. “Welcome to your own personal hell.”

Author

Clarissa Wild is a New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author, best known for the dark Romance novel Mr. X. Her novels include the Fierce Series, the Delirious Series, and Stalker. She is also a writer of erotic romance such as the Blissful Series, The Billionaire’s Bet series, and the Enflamed Series. She is an avid reader and writer of sexy stories about hot men and feisty women. Her other loves include her furry cat friend and learning about different cultures. In her free time she enjoys watching all sorts of movies, reading tons of books and cooking her favorite meals.

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August 22, 2015 by Tina Williams

BLITZ & BLOG TOUR – Fourth Debt (Indebted #5), by Pepper Winters (includes excerpt)

Adult/18+ Read

I am SO pleased that Pepper Winters has released this latest instalment of the Indebted series! The events in the previous book just about killed me and I am aching to know what happens next and whether the seemingly impossible can happen! Scroll down to find out more and read an excerpt. For readers who love dark romance and who are as yet unacquainted with this series (is there anybody out there??? Seriously?), remember that Debt Inheritance (Indebted #1) is FREE. Tina ❤

More Jethro & Nila? Yes Please!

Fourth Debt is LIVE!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Dl6Lji

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1hsAj8p

Nook: http://bit.ly/1J5pDUA

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1BjoFUA

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1zoFkFL

Google Play: http://bit.ly/1PgTgWZ

Blurb

Fifth Book in the New York Times Bestselling Series.

“We’d won. We’d cut through the lies and treachery and promised an alliance that would free us both. But even as we won, we lost. We didn’t see what was coming. We didn’t know we had to plan a resurrection.”

Nila Weaver fell in love. She gifted her entire soul to a man she believed was worthy. And in the process, she destroyed herself. Three debts paid, the fourth only days away. The Debt Inheritance has almost claimed another victim.

Jethro Hawk fell in love. He let down his walls to a woman he believed was his cure. For a moment, he was free. But then he paid the ultimate price.

There is no more love. Only war. Hope is dead. Now, there is only death all around them.

**Only suitable for Dark Romance lovers.

Full length book. Six in series. Fourth Debt is 85,000 words.

FUNNY HOW LIFE plays practical jokes.

The past few days—that had to be a fucking joke, right?

No logical answer would make sense of what I’d seen, heard, and lived the past seventy-two hours.

My sister.

My best friend and twin.

This was what she’d been living with? This was how she’d been treated?

This was what she wanted to return to?

Motherfucking why? Why would she ever want to return to this insanity?

We’d been raised in a broken home, chained to an empire that absorbed us right from birth. But we were kept safe, warm, and loved. We grew up together. We shared everything.

But now…I had no fucking clue who my sister was.

But then she came to me.

A woman I never knew existed.

The most stunning creature I’d ever seen.

Only she didn’t come to me on feet or wings of an angel. She rolled into my life and demanded my help.

And for better or for worse…

I helped her.

“LET ME GO!”

Daniel cackled like a mad hyena, his fingers stabbing into my bicep. Without breaking his stride, he stole me further away from the parlour and into the bowels of the house.

I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to go anywhere with him.

“Take me back!”

He can’t be dead!

Just because he lay unmoving and bloody didn’t mean he was gone.

That’s exactly what it means.

I shook my head, dislodging those awful thoughts. He’s alive. He had to be.

I couldn’t tolerate any other answer. I refused to live in a world where evil triumphed over good. That wasn’t right—life couldn’t be that cruel.

It’s always been that way.

My mind filled with images of my mother. My father’s desolation. My broken childhood. Evil had puppeteered us from day one. Why should now be any different?

He’s not dead!

I swallowed a sob.

Please don’t be dead…

I fought harder. “Let me see him. You can’t do this!”

Daniel cackled louder. “Keep begging, Weaver. Won’t do you any good.”

He’s not dead!

I locked my knees, fighting him every step. “Stop!” Looking back the way we’d come, the door to the parlour seemed so far away—a bright beacon at the end of a festering corridor. “They were your brothers, you insane psychopath. Don’t you feel anything?!”

Please let me go to him. He has to be alive…

Please let my twin stay alive…

Let all of this be a nightmare!

I couldn’t cope with Jethro murdered; I’d go clinically insane if they killed V, too.

“I feel relief. I no longer have to put up with their simpering bullshit.” He flashed his teeth. “Cut did us all a favour.”

Cut will die.

He was evil incarnate. He deserved to die in excruciatingly painful ways.

I refuse to believe they’re dead.

“I said stop!” I wriggled harder, only succeeding in Daniel’s fingers tearing into my flesh. Goosebumps covered my skin while ice steadily froze my veins. Every second was endless torture. I couldn’t live without Jethro.

It can’t end like this!

“You won’t win, Weaver.” Daniel tugged harder. “Accept what’s fucking happened and obey me.”

Series Reading Order

Debt Inheritance (Indebted #1) FREE

Amazon: http://amzn.to/17UZImo

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1BjoFUA

Nook: http://bit.ly/1Cl8rau

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1zoFkFL

First Debt (Indebted #2)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1BjpblH

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1sMEyQo

Nook: http://bit.ly/10PcYWi

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1qmB3d7

Second Debt (Indebted #3)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1aOEW95

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1ufkO3z

Nook: http://bit.ly/1yqRa2R

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1xgCSvb

Third Debt (Indebted #4)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1DZbZEV

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1ufkO3z

Nook: http://bit.ly/1DZctL0

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1xgCSvb

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1BRsIGR

Fourth Debt (Indebted #5)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Dl6Lji

Nook: http://bit.ly/1J5pDUA

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1BjoFUA

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1zoFkFL

About the Author:

Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.

She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.

Her Dark Erotica books include:

Tears of Tess (Monsters in the Dark #1)

Quintessentially Q (Monsters in the Dark #2)

Her Grey Romance books include:

Destroyed

August 9, 2015 by Tina Williams

REVIEW ~ Prisoner, by Skye Warren & Annika Martin

Dark Erotic Romance

Deliciously Dark and Dangerous

***** TOP READ!

Blurb

He seethes with raw power the first time I see him—pure menace and rippling muscles in shackles. He’s dangerous. He’s wild. He’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. So I hide behind my prim glasses and my book like I always do, because I have secrets too. Then he shows up in the prison writing class I have to teach, and he blows me away with his honesty. He tells me secrets in his stories, and it’s getting harder to hide mine. I shiver when he gets too close, with only the cuffs and the bars and the guards holding him back. At night I can’t stop thinking about him in his cell.But that’s the thing about an animal in a cage—you never know when he’ll bite. He might use you to escape. He might even pull you into a forest and hold a hand over your mouth so you can’t call for the cops. He might make you come so hard, you can’t think.And you might crave him more than your next breath.

Prisoner is Book One of the Criminals & Captives series.

Buy Links: Amazon UK, Amazon US

My Review

Grayson, Grayson, Grayson – OMG what a fantastic bad boy hero you are! Prisoner, a collaboration between Skye Warren and Annika Martin is without doubt one hell of an awesome read, which pulled me in from the first page. My heart beat with mounting excitement as the tale unravelled and I could not put it down until I knew how it ended.

The chemistry between Aby and Grayson was instantaneous like a lightning bolt and I adored the raw power and dominance he extended over her even when he is a prisoner and she is the teacher in charge of him in the English class. When Aby becomes the prisoner I just loved Grayson’s need to dominate and protect her and his growing desire to make her his, even though her continuing existence jeopardises his overriding mission in life. The way Grayson slowly strips away all Aby’s armour and defences until she succumbs and confides her own dark past to him, while she slowly pieces together his own makes for a compulsive and consuming love story.

The depth of the characterisations in this novel are excellent. There is certainly a great deal more to both Aby and Grayson than what we first see on the surface. Aby appears shy and nerdy but underneath is so strong and resourceful, coping with all that he and other characters we are introduced to throw at her during her captivity. My heart bled at what made Grayson into the violent man he is. For me, the line between hero and anti-hero soon blurred, as I found myself rooting for him and a future with Aby. I adored the fact that two people who seem so opposite complement each other so well and have the potential to change each other’s lives for the better.

There are some disturbing scenes in the book, including references to child abuse and violence, gore and dubious consent. It is very fast paced and also contains some deliciously dark and steamy lovemaking, which both authors excel in.

I really enjoyed the collaboration between these two authors and am chomping at the bit to read any other books planned in this series where I hope to read about other characters featured in this novel.

I recommend this book to fellow addicts of dark romances!

Reviewed by Tina Williams

August 7, 2015 by Tina Williams

REVIEW ~ Her Master’s Courtesan by Lily White

Dark Erotica

Adult/18+ Read

This read contains scenes of violence, including sexual violence, rape and torture.

Blurb

I am a Master.

You must know this fact to understand my story.

I capture women.

I break them down.

And I rebuild them.

If they are lucky, they are sold into the professional hands of another Master. If they are less fortunate, they are buried beneath the ground, never to be thought of again.

I lust for the control, I demand absolute submission and my body yearns to warp the minds of those I train.

Power is the only thing I’ll ever need and I am addicted to the feeling of ultimate control.

I am wealthy, good-looking, educated and charming.

And I am – in no way – a good man.

I do not want love.
I do not want kindness.

She thought she could change me by giving me the two things I knew I never wanted.

She was wrong.

Dark and Disturbingly Addictive

My review

OMG! What on Earth have I just read? I know I like dark reads but this is about as dark as they come and yet somehow deliciously so. After downloading this book I thought I’d just read the first few pages to give myself a taste of it, but by then I was hooked, gorging myself on it, after tumbling into a chasm of depravity created by Ms White! Before you decide to read more of this review or download this book, please note that this is NOT A ROMANCE.

Aiden, the ‘Master’ of the title is most definitely an anti-hero. Let me make no bones about it he is a killer, an abductor of women, who likes to control and destroy his captives, creating the perfect submissive/courtesan from the ashes. He has no guilt or compassion for his victims, even though he knows that what he is doing is very, very wrong. Nevertheless he does it anyway, putting his dark needs and the needs of the debauched society he belongs to above such petty concerns.

As to Rebecca, the young woman he abducts, I don’t know how she survives all that Aiden and others throw at her in this read. She is so, so strong and although she has no choice but to morph into the role Aiden wants her to play she strives to maintain some sense of self. Her captor however, has NO redeeming qualities and yet in a twisted way, given the reality of Rebecca’s new life, I can see why she comes to desire him. Aiden plays her like a violin, setting out to break her and mould her into the perfect slave, a commodity to sell on. I so desperately wanted her to survive but at what cost? This unforgettable piece of dark erotica has so many twists and turns in it and many moments when I could just not believe the actions of the characters and their motivations.

There is a great deal of psychological and physical torture in this novel and if you find such scenes disturbing then this read is not for you. However, if you like to delve into the dark depths of the psyche and explore the relationship between a Master at the top of his dark game and a woman who he tries to break then you are likely to love this read as much as I did! But beware this is not a tale of redemption and there are no hearts and flowers.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Buy Links

Smashwords

Author Links

https://www.facebook.com/authorlilywhite

August 6, 2015 by Caroline Barker

REVIEW Soul Solution (Beyond Fairytales #1) by Katherine McIntyre

You may have noticed our recent promo post (with an excerpt) of Katherine McIntyre‘s Soul Solution (Beyond Fairytales #1). An adaptation of String of Pearls by Hans Christian Andersen, it was everything I expected and more.

Blurb:

For Erik Anderson, the Copenhagen line is his curse. He takes the train every night en route to collect souls. Like any lovelorn fool, he bargained his own long ago, and now pays the price—a lifetime of loneliness as a grim reaper. Stay distant—that’s been his mantra and what keeps him sane.

Until Mina Castner drops into his life like a whirlwind, one spilled drink leading to staying up until dawn with the woman. He believed one night couldn’t hurt, but he sorely underestimated her determination. Every encounter between them is reprieve from the guilt of reaping souls every night, but it can’t last. Even if she sparks long buried feelings, and even if her sheer presence intoxicates him, he can’t let this continue. For humans, his touch is poison, and if he slips up, it could cost her life.

REVIEW ***** (5* rating)

Soul Solution is a dark paranormal romance which provides suspense as the reader longs to find out what will become of Erik and Mina. Will Erik be taken in by her so much that he just can’t help himself? Will he touch her and lose her forever? Or, will he manage to keep his distance in order to keep her safe?

After bargaining his soul long ago, Erik is now a soul collector himself. Riding the train on the Copenhagen line each night, taking souls, and living a life of loneliness is all he knows. He doesn’t enjoy it. It hurts. But, it’s his curse. All he can do is target the people whose whole body glows to him, indicating that their time will soon be up anyway. He can’t get emotionally close to people for fear of touching them and taking their soul too. However, he becomes unstuck when Mina walks into his life.

Mina is desperate to escape a blind date that she really didn’t want to go on. After spilling her drink on Erik, she quickly decides he can help her without realising it. Checking that he is okay, Mina leaves the club with Erik. Taken aback by her beauty and attention, Mina has brought him into a situation he is not comfortable with.

He is ice cold to everyone, keeping his head down most of the time and trying to disguise his beauty, keeping attention away from him.

“Reapers weren’t supposed to attract attention. They were supposed to be forgettable shadows in the night…

… If he was ice, they wouldn’t bother him. And if he was ice, maybe it would hurt a fraction less when he had to take their lives.”

But, after spending time with him, Mina sees much further than anyone has before. She senses that he is a troubled soul, she sees his beauty and his kindness. Mina’s ability to get through to him mentally and emotionally, as well as her beauty, leave him tempted for more. Yet, one touch could take years off her life. It’s an impossible situation; he can’t be with her, yet he finds it difficult to move away.

“After meeting a veritable army’s worth of women, he’d thought he’d encountered every last one. Yet she’d been hiding all along, this odd woman who made him forget his guilt, if just for a moment.”

There is a beautiful atmosphere created by the author, albeit dark. Erik certainly has many regrets and carries the guilt around with him. Mina is the only one who has had such an effect on him, helping him take his mind off collecting souls, which is all he has had to think about for so long. Will he give in to the strong temptation to kiss her, to touch her? Or, can he hold back and walk away?

“The longer he watched her smile, listened to her lilting laugh, the more he knew she was in trouble.”

If you’re looking for a dark, paranormal, suspenseful fairytale-like romance then you will certainly find it in Soul Solution. With an unpredictable, surprising ending I LOVED this novelette, and cannot wait for more from Katherine McIntyre!

An ARC copy was provided by the author in return for a fair and honest review.

Soul Solution (Beyond Fairytales #1) is available at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

August 6, 2015 by Caroline Barker

Review Round-up July ’15

Hello readers, we hope that you are enjoying the summer holidays! We have had an amazing month, most notably our attendance at the Second City Signing, which was our first. Here we met some amazing authors, some known to us and some new. You’ll be hearing more of them over the coming months, and if you are a fan of romance and/or erotic romance you will certainly be in for a treat! You can read our “special report” on the signing, complete with plenty of pics!

We were also preparing for Helena Fairfax‘s latest release, Palace of Deception. Not only have we reviewed her contemporary romantic suspense/mystery novella, but she has also given us a great deal of her time in helping produce a fantastic interview, whereby she speaks of her work, her blog, her awards and the membership of The Romantic Novelist Association. You can read all about her tips and suggestions to help promote your work too on her blog.

Along with our children’s end of year activities at school, and arranging plans for the holidays it has left us with a quieter month than usual – especially on my part. However, we still have nine fantastic reviews for you (two of which are double reviews – books 1 & 2 of a series) with YA futuristic/time travel in Future Girls by Catharine Bramkamp, and V.L. Brock‘s Dark Evoke, dark romantic suspense/psychological thriller series. As always, please click on the titles and authors to view our complete review post!

Happy reading! And happy holidays!

Caroline & Tina ❤

Her Heart’s Surrender by Allison Merritt, historical romance, reviewed by Tina

Blurb: After sneaking out with her brother, Eoghann, one night, Ealasaid discovers Viking ships sailing up the river to sack their home in Northumbria. They attempt to warn their father, but it’s too late and the Vikings slaughter or enslave all the inhabitants of Suibhne. In attempt to save her family, Ealasaid stabs a young Viking warrior, but her father is killed, her family scattered, and she’s taken to Solstad Hall where she serves as a thrall for the Viking king. Years later, the king’s son, Hella, ventures on many raids and to trading sites across Europe, but his desire is to set up a farm in Solstad with Ealasaid as the thrall in charge of his household. He tells her of his plan and they expression their passion for one another. When Hella petitions the king for her freedom, but is turned down and order to the Frankish lands in retaliation for raids on the Viking coastal villages. Ealasaid, aware the king would never free her, tells him that he should look for a brighter future across the sea, away from his father and resigns herself to be his slave for the remainder of her life.Called home to watch his father die, Hella is stunned when his father’s final command is that Hella must marry or the throne will go to his adopted brother. Furious with his father’s orders and worried about being left without lands or money, Hella looks to the thrall who’s always captured his attention—Ealasaid. Ealasaid harbors a secret—the single afternoon she spent in Hella’s arms resulted in a son, her treasure, her reason for living.

Eagle’s Honor: Banished by Sandra Schwab, erotic historical romance, reviewed by Tina

Blurb: A proud warrior.
A brave woman.
A forbidden love that is tested by the intrigues of ancient Rome and the hostilities at the northernmost edge of the empire.Centurion Marcus Florius Corvus has a splendid career in the legions ahead of him. Yet a visit to Rome and a chance encounter with an old friend change his whole life: He falls in love with one of his friend’s pleasure slaves and becomes entrapped in an evil scheme designed to destroy him. And yet—he cannot help risking everything for Lia, the woman he has given his heart to, even if it means he will be banished to one of the most dangerous places in the Roman Empire: the northern frontier of Britannia.

Seeking Nirvana & Eluding Nirvana (Dark Evoke #1 & #2) by V. L. Brock, dark romantic suspense/psychological thriller, reviewed by Tina

Seeking Nirvana Blurb: They say that old habits die hard, and twenty-seven year old, Kady Jenson, is about to discover how true that statement actually is.

Waking up in a hospital room with a complete stranger at her bedside, should have caused panic and confusion, but for a reason unknown to her, Kady finds herself drawn, and calmed by the presence of the rugged, devastatingly handsome man with the pleasant Irish brogue. It’s when she discovers that she has just woken from a four day coma, with a three year void in her memory, which spawns confusion and panic.

Kady soon comes to realize that things change with time, and not only appearances.

Not only is the sexual chemistry she once shared with her long-term boyfriend, now a long-ago memory, but Kady also begins to unconsciously fall back into unremembered habits, and with each day, the increasing sense of foreboding, becomes increasingly harder to ignore.

Left on her own when her boyfriend goes on a business trip, Kady seeks help from the Irish stranger as they go on a quest together, in a race against time, to piece the puzzle together.

Eluding Nirvana Blurb: Three years lost; a body marred and a mission complete. Waking after a four day coma, Kady Jenson felt her life was crashing down around her. Three years of her memories were missing, and the compelling man at her side was not her years-long partner, but a stranger – a stranger who promised to help her recover what she had lost.

But how did Kady come to such a place?

What dark, mysterious events stole her past and threatened her future?

How did her lover become a stranger, and a stranger become so terribly important?

What happened to turn Kady’s orderly life into a terrifying nightmare which would leave her permanently marked, body and soul?

**AUTHORS NOTE**

Eluding Nirvana is the second instalment of The Dark Evoke Series, and is therefore not intended as a standalone novel.

Stolen Petals (novelette) by Katherine McIntyre, steampunk romance, reviewed by Tina

Blurb: One man has swiped bounties from Viola, the Brass Violet, for years. Longstanding rivals, they’ve only had brief encounters, and if she had a choice, she’d avoid him entirely. When he saunters into her bar with an offer to work together on a job, the proper response would be to shoot him down and send him back to Shantytown. However, curiosity’s a wicked beast, and Viola needs to know why, after so many years of stealing her marks, he’d approach her now. The man is insufferable, annoyingly cavalier, and tends to stir up memories she’d rather forget–but she needs assistance on this job and he’s offering aid and blueprints which could cut their work in half.

Given the intense way he looks at her though, working together isn’t all he has in mind. Van Clef is known for his persistence and, with his charm, he wins women over effortlessly. Viola’s not so easy though–she’s wise to his tricks. But if he wants to play the game, she will gladly rise to the challenge. By the end of this bounty, she’ll be the one leaving him in the dust.

Knight’s Captive by Samantha Holt, historical romance, reviewed by Tina

Blurb: Queen Elizabeth sits on England’s throne. A once Catholic country is now ruled by a Protestant queen. In a time of fear, turmoil and bold deeds, many heroes are seldom written into history…

After aiding in the capture of the flagship Rosario and helping to defeat the Spanish Armada, Sir Henry Bainbridge is set to make his mark on the world and strengthen his position as a man of authority. Now in charge of the Spanish prisoners, Henry must negotiate their return to Spain and manage the care of his people.

However, when he comes across a woman amongst the survivors, his future plans are put on hold. The exotic beauty draws him in and his honour will not let him doing anything other than protect her. Henry takes her into his home and places her under house arrest. He can only hope his principles are enough to protect her from his desires…

In a time when small differences spark fear into the heart of many, Antonia finds herself drawn into a battle between a zealous priest, a discontented population and the most honourable man she’s ever met. Nothing can ever come of their attraction, not while he’s holding her father prisoner and not when so many differences divide them.

Or can it?

Torque (The Redline Series #2) by Skye Callahan, dark erotic romance, reviewed by Tina

Blurb: In the dark underworld of Ashville, crime, deceit, and blackmail reign supreme. Everyone wants that little piece of leverage—that one small key to getting ahead.

Aubrey would be happy—and lucky—to simply make it out alive. After falling in debt to one of the city’s most dangerous men, she found herself caught in a dispute between two brothers who will do anything to see each other suffer. Aubrey knows she’s only a pawn in their game and her only hope is to find some key of her own—a way to guarantee her own safety and the safety of her family.

Colt has a long and sordid past with the criminal element. He knows how the game is played and has found himself on all sides more times than he cares to remember. Aubrey is his newest escape route, but their tentative alliance is doomed to crumble if Colt can’t find a way to fulfill his end of the bargain with Devlin.

How will Colt and Aubrey handle Devlin’s newest threat?

Bloodlust Denied by Christina Phillips, erotic historical paranormal romance, reviewed by Tina

Blurb: Tired of the thin-blooded aristocrats in 1815 London, Alexius yearns for better sport. He is drawn to a dark-haired seductress who shows no fear and refuses to obey his commands. Entranced by such novelty, he denies his bloodlust and decides to keep her to warm his bed.

Immortal vampire hunter Morana has never mistaken her prey before, but the dark stranger mesmerizes her, enticing her to forget everything but the dangerous pleasure she finds in his arms.

Neither one can deny the pull of the other, but there is something beyond the lust—a recognition neither can put a name to. The past and present collide and unless they discover the truth behind the lies, Death will triumph once more.

Palace of Deception (novella) by Helena Fairfax, contemporary romantic suspense/mystery, reviewed by Caroline

Blurb: A sinister housekeeper, a silent bodyguard, and a missing princess – mystery and intrigue in this gripping romantic suspense.

Lizzie Smith is contacted by her old drama teacher over the summer and offered the acting job of her life. Princess Charlotte of Montverrier has disappeared on the eve of her Investiture…and Lizzie must take her place.

But in the run up to the ceremony, all is not what it seems in the Palace of Montverrier. Why does the housekeeper insist Lizzie keep to her suite of rooms? What danger lies outside the palace walls? As Lizzie learns her role, her only confidant is Léon, her quiet bodyguard…but what secrets is he keeping from her?

Mystery and suspense against the backdrop of a beautiful Mediterranean city.

Future Girls & Future Gold (Future Girls #1 & #2) by Catharine Bramkamp, YA sci-fi fantasy, reviewed by Caroline

Future Girls Blurb: On October 10, 2145, eighteen-year-old Charity Northquest’s whole future is ahead of her–and the future sucks.

On October 11, 2145, she unexpectedly has a chance to fix it. When her best friend is reported killed, but then re-appears the next day as an old woman, everything Charity has been taught is called into question. Even if she does not believe in time travel, she has little choice. So the ill-prepared Charity travels back to the mysterious and captivating 21st century where her single purpose of changing the future fades with the increasingly more urgent question of whether she can survive the past.

Future Gold Blurb: What part of the past would you change?

Jordan didn’t want to travel back in time. She thought the members of the Time Cult were, frankly, a little whacked. But as the daughter of a daughter of a daughter, she had little choice but to prepare, take part, be knowledgeable and be ready to travel back in time. But nothing could prepare her for what happened. Or when.

July 28, 2015 by Tina Williams

ARC REVIEW ~ Torque (The Redline Series #2), by Skye Callahan

Dark Erotic Romance

Adult/18+ Read

Book Blurb

In the dark underworld of Ashville, crime, deceit, and blackmail reign supreme. Everyone wants that little piece of leverage—that one small key to getting ahead.

How will Colt and Aubrey handle Devlin’s newest threat?

My Review

Adrenaline Filled and Sexy! FIVE STARS! *****

Oh my goodness! There is certainly no let-up in Torque, the latest sizzling instalment of Skye Callahan’s The Redline Series! Aubrey falls deeper into the seething pit of Colt’s depraved sexuality. Indeed, Colt’s actions had me panting as much as Aubrey. Does this man know how to stop?

Whilst I did have some sympathy for Aubrey when faced with Colt’s almost continuous onslaught on her senses, I was also secretly envious of the sexual torture she receives at his hands (and boy does this man know how to tease). Colt barely lets Aubrey out of his sight and when he is not tormenting or humiliating her he is plunging her into some risky situations as he progresses his ongoing battle with Devlin. We get a hint of Colt’s backstory in this instalment but the full picture has yet to emerge as to what has made him the man he is today. All I can say is that he is one crazy, f*****- up b****** who appears to have no empathy where anyone is concerned. He is also an uber sexy and dominant alpha male who I loved!

As for Aubrey, without spoiling the plot, the future looks bleak as Devlin closes in on her and all that he holds dear. She is merely a pawn in the brothers’ battle for supremacy – caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, and it remains to be seen whether she will survive intact in body or mind.

This instalment ends on a major cliffie and I cannot wait until my next fix – Ms Callahan please hurry! The suspense is KILLING me!

The Redline series is a must read for dark romance junkies!

Reviewed by Tina Williams

An ARC of this book was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

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July 14, 2015 by Tina Williams

Love the Way You Lie, by Skye Warren ~ 99c Promotion!

Adult/18+ Read

LovetheWayYouLieSale

If you haven’t read Love the Way You Lie, the first book in the Stripped series by the amazingly talented Skye Warren then you are in for a real treat. You can download this dark, edgy and suspenseful read for 99c from July 13th-17th! I had the good fortune to review an ARC of this book earlier this year and it is other fab addition to the author’s collection of addictive reads featuring dark twisted alpha men and the strong yet fragile women who fall for each other, often in the direst of circumstances.

Love the Way You Lie
by Skye Warren
Stripped #1
Publication Date: March 12, 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Dark, Erotic, Romance

Sale: Love the Way You Lie by Skye Warren

Amazon • Nook • iBooks

Loe the Way You Lie by New York Times Bestselling author Skye Warren is on sale for $0.99 from July 13 – 17th. Start the Stripped Series for a bargain today.

Synopsis

A dark romance about the lies that lead us down…

I’ll do anything to get safe, even if that means working at the scariest club in town.

I’ll do anything to stay hidden, even if it means taking off my clothes for strangers.

I’ll do anything to be free. Except give him up. When he looks at me, I forget why I can’t have him. He’s beautiful and scarred. His body fits mine, filling the places where I’m hollow, rough where I am soft.

He’s the one man who wants to help, but he has his own agenda. He has questions I can’t answer. What are you afraid of?

“It’s gritty, edgy, and sexy, served to you in the well-written, absorbing style that Skye is so talented at delivering. I can’t wait to get my hands on the rest of the Stripped series.” – Shameless Book Club

“I LOVED it! Instantly compelling and thrillingly unpredictable, Honor and Kip’s story delivers a jagged, layered and enthralling adventure that weaves darkness and light with precision and purpose.” – the lusty literate

“Wow! I found Love the Way You Lie to be a dark, edgy and suspenseful romance. It’s also addictive, sexy and downright dirty (in the best possible way)!” – Tina, A Reader’s Review Blog

“It’s dark, mysterious, sexy, and I loved every page of it! There were twists and turns that I never saw coming! I love when an author is able to keep me guessing until the very end of the book.” – Book Fancy Book Blog

“Love The Way You Lie was heartwarming, exhilarating and tantalizing with just the right tinge of darkness.” – Warhawke’s Vault

About Skye Warren

Skye Warren is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of dark romantic fiction. Her books are raw, sexual and perversely romantic.

Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

July 13, 2015 by Tina Williams

BLOG TOUR ~ Spotlight on Dissident by Cecilia London (includes excerpt and giveaway)

DissidentTour

Dissident
by Cecilia London
Bellator Saga #1
Publication Date: 17 March 2015
Genres: Action / Adventure, Contemporary, Dark, Romance, Sci-fi, Suspense,Thriller

Tour: Dissident by Cecilia London
Amazon • Nook • Kobo • iBooks • Smashwords

She once was important. Now she’s considered dangerous.

In a new America where almost no one can be trusted, Caroline lies unconscious in a government hospital as others decide her fate. She is a political dissident, wanted for questioning by a brutal regime that has come to power in a shockingly easy way. As she recovers from her injuries, all she has are her memories. And once she wakes up, they may not matter anymore.

Dissident is a blend of romantic suspense, contemporary romance, political thriller, and speculative fiction. Told mostly in flashback, it details the budding romantic relationship between our heroine, Caroline, and Jack, the silver fox playboy who tries to win her heart.

Part One of a Six Part Series. Each part is a full length novel between 60,000-120,000 words and ends in a cliffhanger. For readers 18+. This saga contains adult situations, including non-gratuitous violence, explicit (consensual) sex, psychological and physical trauma, and an oftentimes dark and gritty plot (particularly in part two).

Excerpt

First time they sleep together

Jack cradled her head in his hands and kissed her hard, his tongue expertly finding hers. He turned her around until she was up against the wall and kissed her until she could barely take it anymore. She was frantically grabbing at his shirt, his tie, his suspenders. Pawing at his back and neck, anything she could hold on to in order to bring him closer to her. He spread her legs apart with his knee and leaned into her, taking his cue. She grabbed his ass and pushed herself into him until he unexpectedly pulled back.

“I’m sorry,” he said breathlessly. “I promised you that I’d ask before I kissed you again.”

Caroline was having a hard time concentrating. “I – what?”

“I said I’d-”

“I heard you.” Her mind came back into focus. “We kissed right before we left for the fundraiser. Don’t you remember?”

“I do. And you were the one who kissed me. Remember?”

“Now you’re concerned about propriety? After everything you just did to me?”

Jack eyed her up and down. “Yes.”

Caroline grabbed his tie. “Oh, shut up and put your tongue back in my mouth.”

Jack kissed her again as she began to loosen his tie. She was groping at his shirt; her hands were shaking and she was having tremendous difficulty keeping them still long enough to undo the small buttons.

She broke their kiss. “Damn it. Why the fuck is your shirt so complicated?”

“Such coarse language from such a beautiful lady. You can rip it off if you want.”

Caroline fumbled with the buttons. “Like I’m going to ruin an expensive piece of clothing. Screw it.” She trailed her fingers up his neck and through his hair before pulling him closer to her. “I’ll figure it out later.”

His suspenders were much easier to pull down. Caroline could feel his smooth muscles through his dress shirt as they exchanged long, delicious kisses. She moaned against Jack’s mouth and he stepped back from their embrace. He unbuttoned his shirt and let it fall to the floor, then pulled his white undershirt over his head with ease.

Caroline gaped at his chest and arms. He worked out. A lot. She was trying to figure out when he found the time to do it. He was arguably the best looking man in his forties she’d ever seen. She trailed a finger down his abdomen.

“You should have taken your shirt off months ago,” she said. “I would have slept with you so much sooner.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” He pushed her against the wall again. She wrapped her leg around him, pulling him even closer.

“Stop talking,” Caroline said, still distracted.

“Someone’s pretty bossy.” Jack brought his mouth to hers. “And eager. I wonder what for.”

She could feel his cock, hard as a rock, against her hip. Even through his pants she could sense his size, and she gasped.

He pulled back from her. “Do you want me to stop?”

She giggled softly. “No. But I discovered that you aren’t compensating for anything with your giant house and fancy cars.”

He looked down at the bulge in his groin, bringing her hand down to touch it. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

She wanted to find out as quickly as possible. Caroline dropped to her knees, eyeing his zipper. Jack tipped her chin up.

“No,” he said. “Tonight is about you.”

She wanted to argue with him. She really did. She wanted to rip off his pants and let him know exactly how she wanted the night to progress. But he yanked her to her feet and kissed her again, and somehow she lost her train of thought.

“You,” he repeated.

Jack caressed her breasts through her dress and smiled silkily as her nipples grew hard. He kissed her chest again, working his way back down.

“Your clothing is in my way,” he said in a muffled voice.

“You should probably do something about that, then,” she whispered, kissing the top of his head.

“Tell me to stop and I’ll stop.” Jack pulled her toward the bed. “But I really want us both naked, as soon as possible.”

He turned her around and began kissing her shoulders. A shiver ran down her spine and she felt desire continuing to pool inside of her. It had been so long since she’d been touched like this. She missed it. Caroline realized she’d never quite been touched like this before, or at least had never reacted this way.

I’m in way over my head here, she thought.

And as Jack began to unzip her dress and trail kisses down her back, she discovered that she didn’t really care.

About Cecilia London

Cecilia is my pen name. I may or may not live in San Antonio, Texas. I’ve been known to apply quotes from ‘The Simpsons’ to everyday life. I live for baseball season.

Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

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July 11, 2015 by Tina Williams

Double Review ~ Seeking Nirvana and Eluding Nirvana (Dark Evoke series: #1 and #2), by V.L. Brock

The Dark Evoke Series

Genre: Dark Romantic Suspense/Psychological/Thriller

Step into the Abyss…..

I am overwhelmed after reading the first two instalments of this series, which I would describe as a dark romantic suspense/thriller. After devouring the first instalment, Seeking Nirvana I truly did not know if I was coming or going as I was as confused as the heroine Kady. And what an ending! I could not wait to get my paws on the next book, Eluding Nirvana! Although much is revealed in this second instalment I am itching t0 read the final book in the trilogy, Transcending Nirvana!

Scroll down for my reviews. My review of Eluding Nirvana, the second book in the series, naturally contains some spoilers for the first book (although I have tried my best to keep them at a minimum). If you think this series is one you’d like to read I’d therefore advise you not to read this particular review. Tina 🙂

Please note, both books were given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Seeking Nirvana (Dark Evoke #1)

Blurb

They say that old habits die hard, and twenty-seven year old, Kady Jenson, is about to discover how true that statement actually is.

Kady soon comes to realize that things change with time, and not only appearances.

Left on her own when her boyfriend goes on a business trip, Kady seeks help from the Irish stranger as they go on a quest together, in a race against time, to piece the puzzle together.

My Review

Suspenseful and Addictive *****

Seeking Nirvana, the first instalment in the Dark Evoke series is a dark romantic thriller par excellence. After waking up from a coma following a car accident Kady, the heroine, suffering from amnesia desperately seeks to remember what happened during the last three years of her life and struggles to come to terms with the present. Told in the first person, from Kady’s POV, I thought that the novel was expertly crafted (after reading book 2 (reviewed below), I realized this even more so).

On returning home with Liam, her long term partner, Kady is stunned to see that the reality of her life bears little resemblance to the one she led three years ago. What happened to her? Where is the woman she used to be? Why are her family estranged from her? Who is Mrs Steinbeck, the menacing and nosey neighbour who watches her every move? And more to the point, why does she increasingly feel more at ease with the handsome Walker than her longstanding and beloved Liam? Why do the two men appear to be so much at odds when it comes to Kady?

As the novel unfolds I felt as if I was walking hand in hand with Kady as she tries to remember and uncover the truth of what her life has become. It is Walker who makes Kady feel like a woman and who offers her solace, whereas Liam’s becomes ever more distant. Doubt and confusion become commonplace and Kady feels ever more desperate and conflicted over her feelings towards the two men in her life, as the novel becomes ever more menacing. I began asking myself who was Kady’s friend and who was her foe as the book progressed and we are given glimpses of the reality of Kady’s situation.

The characterisations of both Walker and Liam are excellent. The two men could not be more different. As I read I was itching to solve the puzzle of Kady’s life and began rooting for her HEA. The novel does end on a major cliffhanger, which sets up book #2 perfectly.

It is a must read for fans of dark romantic suspense and for readers who like psychological thrillers.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Eluding Nirvana, (Dark Evoke, #2)

***Due to the dark nature and content in this story, Eluding Nirvana is recommended to readers over the age of 18.***

Blurb

Three years lost; a body marred and a mission complete. Waking after a four day coma, Kady Jenson felt her life was crashing down around her. Three years of her memories were missing, and the compelling man at her side was not her years-long partner, but a stranger – a stranger who promised to help her recover what she had lost.

But how did Kady come to such a place?

What dark, mysterious events stole her past and threatened her future?

How did her lover become a stranger, and a stranger become so terribly important?

What happened to turn Kady’s orderly life into a terrifying nightmare which would leave her permanently marked, body and soul?

**AUTHORS NOTE**

Eluding Nirvana is the second instalment of The Dark Evoke Series, and is therefore not intended as a standalone novel.

My Review

Dark and Psychological Page Turner *****

This is a dark, dark read! Kady’s memory has returned and we find out about events in the last three years and the run up to her car accident. Both friends and foes are confirmed and we bear witness to the extent of control that a sociopath can have over their victim and the physical and emotional abuse that this can entail. It is truly terrifying and the author portrays it brilliantly.

Many of the passages and situations are dark and sometimes the emotions that they invoked made me want to put the book down, only to want to pick it back up immediately. I was just so emotionally invested in the characters.

The light in the darkness for Kady and myself, as reader, was undoubtedly Walker, a man who has his own dark past to come to terms with. Walker seems to understand Kady’s demons and helps her find release from her situation. It is clear that he would never hurt her. The motivations for Walker’s actions in the first book and those of Liam are explained more fully in this novel. We also learn more about the part their characters play in the story: Liv, Laurie and Mrs Steinbeck (a character who I wanted to slap).

The read brings us back full circle and I am eagerly awaiting the next book to find out where Kady goes next in her quest to find herself and secure her HEA.

I recommend this read to readers who like psychological suspense alongside their romantic reads and who are able to handle dark themes.

Reviewed by Tina Williams