Skin Cat’s Stats MMC/FMC- Frank and Emily Genre- is there such a genre as Depraved Romance? No? We should start one. Length- about 329 pages Heat- um, 9Skin Cat’s Stats MMC/FMC- Frank and Emily Genre- is there such a genre as Depraved Romance? No? We should start one. Length- about 329 pages Heat- um, 95% of it is dub con or straight up non con/R, so I wouldn’t exactly call it hot per se. It’s complicated. Series? Y Safety? Hahahahahahahaha… right. Honey, if you are looking for “safe” you won’t find it. Triggers- seriously, this book has more triggers than an NRA convention. You really need to check the TW in the front matter of the book. A small sampling of some triggers are extreme descriptive violence, detailed medical gore, explicit and graphic erotic content, substance/alcohol issues, pregnancy loss, non con (i.e. on page grape) and dub con, BC tampering, abduction, captivity, discussion of past child abuse… and there’s more. What I listed is the triggers at the redneck swap meet rather than the full-on NRA convention. Tropes- Captor/Captive, Stalker, Fairy Tale Retelling (Rumpelstiltskin), Second Chance, Stockholm Syndrome, Five Pounds of Crazy In a Three-Pound Bag, Medical Romance, Who Was That Masked Man?
Mewsings I just finished the book and now I’m wondering… does the fact that I love this get added to the list of Reasons I Am Probably Going To Spend Time In Hell, or should I add it to the list of Reasons My Psychiatrist Will Never Lack For Business?
Man, this book is good. Man, this book is twisted. And I love it. Behaviors that would send up red flags and set them on fire in real life are somehow more than acceptable, even attractive here (and we can add this to that long, long list of reasons Why My Psychiatrist Will Never Lack For Business).
Not to say it isn’t hard to read. It is. Above, I mentioned a few of the many triggers, and I am serious when I say that these, and more, are all in this book. But if you have no triggers, or if you can be mentally prepared and get yourself into the right mindset, it’s very good. I’m not going to talk about what triggers me; that’s personal and everyone’s triggers are different anyway. But I was able to get myself into the right headspace so that I could read about these events without being triggered. The writing is that good.
There’s something very appealing about a crazy MMC (and I know from crazy). It’s freeing and tempting and there’s no coloring inside the lines. But the hero isn’t the only crazy one here. Well, besides me, of course. The FMC has her own demons that she dances with in the moonlight, and these help her endure the torture while captivating the MMC.
I don’t think any other author I’ve read has had the MMC do such diabolical things to a FMC and STILL had me thinking that he wasn’t evil. And the Stockholm Syndrome actually starts to make sense! It’s not that he’s a good person, because he’s not, right from the get go; he comes across as someone with some serious sociopathic tendencies or perhaps a narcissistic personality disorder (although he denies this). Whatever, that’s for the psychiatrists (like the one for whom I am likely paying the vacation home’s mortgage) to decide. All I know is that he is so crazy that it’s hypnotic and the writing is so skillful that I was rooting for the MMC and FMC to have a relationship. Maybe I’m suffering from some kind of book-related Stockholm Syndrome myself….
Either way, this book is compelling. This book is unpredictable. This book is twisted. And extraordinarily well written. I give it five stars. ...more
My mind is absolutely blown by this book in the best kind of way. I stayed up way too late last night reading it and then lay awake for an hour thinkiMy mind is absolutely blown by this book in the best kind of way. I stayed up way too late last night reading it and then lay awake for an hour thinking about this book and the characters. But that’s okay- I’ll sleep when I’m dead, as the saying goes. Stitch definitely goes on my list of all-time favorite books. Here’s the best way I can sum up the book without spoilers: two abuse-surviving serial killers become obsessed with each other, then fall in love while bodies stack up like LEGOs. The characters are rich in layers and backstories. The MC is a place for outsiders and survivors to heal each other and become a family. And there are scenes where the hero is holding and doting upon infants and he’s so hot that my ovaries sat up and started singing in two-part harmony. This is not an easy book to read. There are more triggers than an NRA swap meet (but no cheating or on-page SA). It’s hella violent and gory. These are antiheroes who are beyond morally gray: more like morally dark plaid. And the two main characters have survived unbelievable physical and psychological torture as children, and it’s very detailed. But at the heart of this story is a love that is profoundly deep. These characters become embedded in each other’s souls. They embrace the darkness in each other. They don’t exactly heal each other; they are too psychologically damaged for that. They do, however, teach each other to love. It’s a twisted, twisted story, but I found it strangely uplifting (which I can add to the list of reasons why I am likely to keep my psychiatrist in business for years to come). There’s something about a love this deep, and something about a hero who means “touch her and die” literally. This book gave me all the feels and made me wonder about the dark places in the soul. And it had me by the throat from the moment she saw one of the bodies that he made dead and she stepped over it and continued her evening, Here’s the breakdown: Cat’s Stats MMC/FMC- Stitch and Adley Genre- very dark MC romance Length- novel Heat- ☢️☢️☢️☢️☢️ with explicit blood play, knife play, and bondage. Series? Y. Although I haven’t read any of the other books in the series, I had no trouble keeping up. Safety? Oh, son… Triggers- best bring a chair and a lunch because this list goes on for awhile. Triggers include but are not limited to on-page physical and psychological abuse of children, discussion of SA, explicit sexual content that pushes boundaries, mention of trafficking, creative serial murder, physical abuse of corpses (not sexual), extremely graphic violence featuring a LOT of blood and gore, morally black-on-gray plaid hero and heroine, scars, destructive behavior (both to self and to others), and more blood. This one ain’t for the faint hearted or the weak of stomach, folks. Tropes- Obsession, Safe Stalking, Soulmates, The Couple Who Slays Together Stays Together, Found Family, Double V Cards. It’s not very tropey because it’s so original.
If I could give this book more stars, I would. ...more
Book of the Week: Wire by Cleo Browne I’m always excited to read a new Cleo Browne. Her books are funny, romantic, and twisted in just the right way. WBook of the Week: Wire by Cleo Browne I’m always excited to read a new Cleo Browne. Her books are funny, romantic, and twisted in just the right way. What I liked- this book was hilarious! The author blends humor, action, and romance with a deft hand. I love how the humor leavens more serious topics without cheapening them. More difficult subjects include trafficking and PTSD. These are treated with respect because the author knows when to turn on the funny and when to back off from it. The characters are straight up wonderful, without a dull one in the book. Remy is a nice addition to the series, and she and Wire truly enhance each other’s lives. Chewy, of course, is my favorite. She’s a neurologically spicy tech genius and torture artist. I’m glad I’m not the only person who thinks that torture would be more exquisitely performed with a good classic soundtrack like Dirty Dancing. If you think that violence can’t be funny, then you will be proved wrong by this book. Yes, laughing during violence is on the list of Reasons I’m Probably Headed to Hell, but at least I can comfort myself with the knowledge that I won’t be lonely after people read this book. Pops is, as always, a pistol and the Tombs family dinners must be a sought-after event. I love the Childhood Text Pal storyline. Childhood Friends to Lovers is always a fun trope, and it’s done really well here. I can’t think of anything that I don’t like about this book, which is rare because I can usually at least find something. But I enjoyed this book from word one. Highly recommended.
Cat’s Stats MMC/FMC- Wire and Remy Genre- MC Romance Length- novel Heat- ...more
Mewsings This book was so much fun! It’s a steamy book with a good dose of humor and it’s very romantic. I liked the main characters and thought they Mewsings This book was so much fun! It’s a steamy book with a good dose of humor and it’s very romantic. I liked the main characters and thought they were a good match for each other. This is workplace romance at its finest. Here’s the breakdown: Cat’s Stats MMC/FMC- Vito and Cassie (although it’s totes hawt when they call each other Mr. Blackwood and Miss Meadows) Genre- Mafia Romance Length- under 100 pages Heat- ☢️☢️☢️☢️☢️ featuring a heroine with a V-Card Series? Probably. The hero is one of triplets. Safety? Y Triggers- language, explicit erotic content, mean girls, mention of off page violence. Tropes- Workplace Romance, Fake Relationship, He Falls First (Instalove), J/P Hero, Alpha Male, Triplets, That’s Not My Leg, Do-Si-Do with the Mafioso.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review....more
I love this book! The book is a page turner, with a good blend of action and romance and I want to tell everyone to read it.
What I liked- CagMewsings-
I love this book! The book is a page turner, with a good blend of action and romance and I want to tell everyone to read it.
What I liked- Cage sees Angel for who she is and loves her for it. Angel is a Badsass and I really like her. She’s an MC goddess. I love that the characters in this book have formed a Found Family based on love and respect. I cannot say enough about how much I love this book, especially because of the depth of the characters.
Brilliant. This book is bloody brilliant (and brilliantly bloody). It’s 300 pages of fast-paced action and sex and done so beautifully that I want to Brilliant. This book is bloody brilliant (and brilliantly bloody). It’s 300 pages of fast-paced action and sex and done so beautifully that I want to grab ahold of strangers in the street and tell them about this book. So I’m talking about it on here, which is the next best thing.
Dani is a smart-alecked, crazy twenty-something who experienced a traumatic brain injury six years ago when her lover shot her in the head (not that she was wrapped real tightly before the TBI). So, yeah, she has trust issues.
When she knocks Connor out with one punch, he gets seriously hooked on her. Together, they’re on the run from Irish Mob bosses. He is along for the ride when she goes after them. Blood and destruction abound wherever Dani is. And whenever she’s with Connor, the zexytime is so hot, it’s like the surface of the sun. I could spend days rhapsodizing about his green eyes, and his skills at Visiting Australia (which is what I call it when a character Goes Down (Under). He’s also out to prove that he’s the one person she can trust to love her.
It was interesting to get glimpses inside Dani’s psyche. She is actually insane. And she earned that after enduring betrayal and the death of her entire family. Dani even gets these unfortunate blackouts when she’s stressed. Connor loves her for all she is, rather than in spite of all she is, and believe me, she is a lot. As a person who also dwells slightly south of sanity, who is also a lot, this totally gives me the feels.
Dani is no Damsel in Distress. She could totally be the Trope Namer for Badsass Heroine (yeah, I say words like Badsass and Zexytime because Amazon has a very liberal definition as to what constitutes profanity). She is also psychotic. But it’s strangely endearing. I found myself liking Dani for all she is, and Connor for his stubborn loyalty. Every character is layered and I can count at least two possible spinoffs and a sequel based on side characters.
What it’s taking me a long time to say is that I am absolutely crazy about Half Cocked. If you don’t mind hardcore, bloody (oh so bloody) graphic violence and you like Badsass crazy heroines, you’ll be as in love with this book as I am. ...more
Cat’s Stats MMC/FMC- Lachlan and Aria Genre- Mafia Romance (Mob, Scottish Mob) Length- 35 chapters plus epilogue and link to deleted scene Heat-☢️☢️☢️☢️☢Cat’s Stats MMC/FMC- Lachlan and Aria Genre- Mafia Romance (Mob, Scottish Mob) Length- 35 chapters plus epilogue and link to deleted scene Heat-☢️☢️☢️☢️☢️. I’m going to call this book “She Sells Sea Shells” in honor of his tongue twister (or twisted tongue). Series? Y Safety? Y, although there is threatened/attempted SA. Triggers- Languages in multiple languages, explicit erotic content, violence, firearms violence, more firearms violence, still more firearms violence, the aforementioned threatened/attempted SA, alcohol abuse. Tropes- Baby You Can Drive My Cartel, Forced Marriage, Guest Starring the Bratva, He Falls First, Hot Scots, Secret Sex Club, Simply Mad About The Mob, Tattoo-ooh!, That’s Not My Leg, Touch Her and Unalive Vibes Mewsings What I liked- I hope you packed a lunch because this is gonna take awhile. This book- I loved every page. A mariachi band could have been playing Elvis’ greatest hits next to my chair and I wouldn’t have noticed, I was so riveted by this book. It was a perfect blend of action, humor, and zexytime. I highly recommend it. That paragraph goes on Amazon, because they have really been picky about my reviews lately. Here’s the long version. First off, I am not exactly calling it Fanservice, but Lachlan is tattooed and was wearing a ̷S̷e̷x̷ ̷F̷l̷a̷g̷ Kilt. I swooned. And squeed myself, not gonna lie. I like to think Arianna put that in just for me…. The zexytime was very creative. Besides the Tongue Twisters, there was light bondage and some exploration of kink (including mild pain, spanking, and praise/degradation). Plus there was skilled shibari (and no, that’s not a type of mushroom). Lachlan owns a sex club and they have fun with it, particularly the ingenious Dante’s Inferno dungeon, with 9 different levels of kink and fun. If sex were ice cream, I’d put the zexytime kink factor (Amazon has got me in the habit of saying zex for sex) somewhere between Fudge Ripple and Cookies and Cream, on a scale of Vanilla to Rocky Road. And it was so hawt that I needed ice cream to cool down… One of the features of Arianna’s books is the humor, and this book didn’t disappoint. Her chapter subtitles are everything! And I laughed at so much that I probably shouldn’t have, but why not just add to the list of Reasons Why I’m Probably Going to Hell? I couldn’t help but laugh at how excited they were about the avalanche. And I can’t choose a favorite quote. I particularly loved “There’s a lot of boring administrative sh— and not enough stabbing.” and “I shoulda’ killed him a lot harder.” Fun too were terms like “Scottish Yetis” and “Purse Pooch”. I spent a lot of time laughing. I also spent a lot of time drooling at the Food P0rn. The restaurant meal sounded delicious and I want to try crobster rolls. It was also delicious to see a woman in a position of power (although Lachlan is definitely the Dom in the bedroom). This is a theme in this series because the FMCs exude strength. And sass. Every time I read an Arianna Fraser novel, it becomes my favorite, even on the rereads. And each one of her heroes becomes part of my Book Boyfriends Harem (Hizem?). They are all Rub Hub material… (again, adding to my Probably Going to Hell list). What I didn’t like- they didn’t save me any of that raspberry tart, and I would seriously throw down for that dessert. I do have one complaint. Arianna, did she have to slug back the Macallan 50 Year like it was rotgut? If I had a £300,000 bottle of whiskey I would build it a shrine and sacrifice virgins to it on the full moon.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review....more
Cat’s Stats MMC/FMC- Talon and Gail Genre- MC Romance Sub Genre- Paranormal Elements Length- about 170 pages Heat- ☢️☢️☢️☢️☢️ with some self love Series?Cat’s Stats MMC/FMC- Talon and Gail Genre- MC Romance Sub Genre- Paranormal Elements Length- about 170 pages Heat- ☢️☢️☢️☢️☢️ with some self love Series? Y and although this is billed as a stand-alone and the main couple has a HEA, there’s a cliffhanger for the overall story arc. Safety? N Triggers- SA, Forced Mating, Torture, Other Graphic Violence, Explicit Erotic Content, Wanton Destruction of Furniture Tropes- Damsel in Distress, Dude in Distress, Brother’s Best Friend, It Can’t Rain All The Time, Fated Mates, Safe Stalking, He Falls First, Instalove… …and lots of cool scenes involving crows. Mewsings This is one of the coolest concepts for an MC Romance that I’ve ever read, and I have read an approximate metric ton of MC Romance. The members are all bonded with crows. As in murder of crows. The crows give them supernatural powers. Cool, huh? What else I liked about this book- I always love a Fated Mates story. Relationships are a strength in this book. The connection between the MMC and FMC is deep and passionate, as is the zexytime. I also like the familial relationship between the FMC and the club president; they bond really quickly. And the friendship that arises between the sisters in law is delightful. What I didn’t like- I can’t think of one thing, except maybe that she ate mayonnaise on her chicken sandwich. Ick!...more
Cat’s Stats MMC/FMC- Nolan and Rocky Genre- MC Romance Length- almost 400 pages Heat- ☢️☢️☢️☢️☢️! They do the things and use the P word whilst naming tCat’s Stats MMC/FMC- Nolan and Rocky Genre- MC Romance Length- almost 400 pages Heat- ☢️☢️☢️☢️☢️! They do the things and use the P word whilst naming the parts. Series? Y, and that makes me so happy Safety? Y Triggers- Child endangerment, violence, language, explicit erotic content, substance abuse/overdose, body shaming, beer of questionable quality. Tropes- Brown-Eyed Girl, Cinnamon Roll Hero, Do-Si-Do with the Mafioso, Ex-Con, Good Girl/Bad Boy, He Falls First, Hot for Teacher, MC Prospect, Meet Cute, Ride or Die Friendship, Touch Her and Unalive. Mewsings I am so excited about this book! It was 400 pages and all of them turned swiftly. The pacing was masterful. Every chapter I had to know what was going to happen next. And I enjoyed seeing an MC story from a Prospect’s perspective. Things I liked- I really liked the main characters and most of the side characters; even those side characters that I didn’t like were written so I wouldn’t. Nolan goes on my list of Ultimate Book Boyfriends. He is so very present with Rocky. He listens to her. His view is that a relationship is not always 50/50; sometimes one partner has to do more and carry the other. I’ve heard this theory before, but never articulated in an MC Romance. God bless Cinnamon Roll Heroes. They are few and far between in MC Romance. Part of what I like about this book is the depth of the friendships. Nolan literally saved Rook’s life. Rocky would give Elliott her last kidney. There were so many moments that were laugh-out-loud funny. Just when the atmosphere needed it, there was a moment that cracked me up. Not to say that the book didn’t have any serious topics, but that the author leavened them with humor. One turn of phrase I particularly liked was “monument to khaki”. What I didn’t like- I can only read this book for the first time once. But I will be rereading it. It’s that good.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review....more
Cat’s Stats MMC/FMC- Dixon and Alexandra Genre- MC Romance Length- about 315 pages Heat- ☢️☢️☢️☢️☢️ including some impressive Hate Sex and elements of Cat’s Stats MMC/FMC- Dixon and Alexandra Genre- MC Romance Length- about 315 pages Heat- ☢️☢️☢️☢️☢️ including some impressive Hate Sex and elements of power exchange play Series? Y Safety? Y Triggers- explicit sexual content, violence, language, True Crime Podcasts. Tropes- Badsass Heroine, Captor/Captive, Enemies to Lovers, Family Ties, Forced Proximity, Former Military, Kidnapping, Love to Hate You, Marines Are Hot (Oorah!), There’s Something About Mary. Mewsings What I didn’t like could be engraved on the head of a pin and still have room left over for The Lord’s Prayer. This book was awesome! The humor! The humor was everything. Moose, who is one of the best characters ever, is back and he has even more crazy stories and in this book, some of them are supported by subsequent events and with confirmation from other people. Most of them are too spicy to print and I want to continue to be permitted to post on this website, so I’ll refrain. Rook and the boys are also present and accounted for, as Rook continues to wield his weaponized grumpiness and curmudgeonly abilities. Ghost, who has a uniquely twisted frame of mind also is the most concerned about the triumph of True Love, and he is so delightful. There were elements of humor in what was the unique love story, which started when she drugged him, and even elements of humor in the violent scenes, which made them easier to read without cheapening them. There were also serious moments of emotion. Their love lasted past the laughter. And his guilt at killing her brother was as heartbreaking as her feelings of grief. But the humor connects this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review....more
Cat’s Stats MMC/FMC- Victor and Sophie Genre- Mafia Romance Length- about 350 pages Heat- ☢️☢️☢️☢️☢️ with BDSM elements and hints of consensual non coCat’s Stats MMC/FMC- Victor and Sophie Genre- Mafia Romance Length- about 350 pages Heat- ☢️☢️☢️☢️☢️ with BDSM elements and hints of consensual non con Series? I have a feeling it will be Safety? Y Triggers- Violence, explicit erotic content, bodily fluids, kidnapping, language Tropes- Mafia Prince, Enemies to Lovers, J/P Hero, Safe Stalking, That’s Not My Leg Mewsings This book was so good! I loved it. I’m not usually this enthusiastic about a stalker romance, but this is among the best. The love story is intense, with the zexytime being reflective of that. It includes elements of BDSM, including consensual non con and d/s lite. And it’s totally, nuclear level hot. Both main characters suffered from different forms of depression. The author depicted it so well it was scary. The way depression was described resonated with me, especially the soul-sucking type that the hero experienced. The lows of the depression and the high of the incredible love carried my emotions with it; I didn’t experience those emotions per se, but I experienced intense feelings because of this. And that’s what makes a good book. You can love a hero for his good qualities. But an antihero forces you to fall in love with him because he will bathe the world in blood before dinner if someone hurts his woman at lunch. Deviant Heir is a debut novel, and I would never have guessed that this was the author’s first book. I’m very much looking forward to reading more from this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review....more
Cat’s Stats MMC/FMC- Rhodie and Tuesday Genre- MC Romance Length- 22 chapters and epilogue; about 250 pages Heat- ☢️☢️☢️☢️☢️ everything but the kitcheCat’s Stats MMC/FMC- Rhodie and Tuesday Genre- MC Romance Length- 22 chapters and epilogue; about 250 pages Heat- ☢️☢️☢️☢️☢️ everything but the kitchen sink Series? Y Safety? N, but no cheating Triggers- graphic violence (including excruciating torture), S.A., graphic violence, language, graphic violence, explicit erotic content, graphic violence, kidnapping, and more graphic violence. Tropes- Badsass Heroine, Badass Grandpa, Black Comedy, Instalove (He Falls First), Meet Cute, More Triggers Than An NRA Swap Meet, Neurodivergent Heroine, That Didn’t Come From Amazon. Mewsings I loved this book! Loved it! I loved the heroine and her quirks (and her extreme intelligence and talent). Loved the hero, who is on my list of Ultimate Book Boyfriends. Loved the sidekicks and good guy side characters, especially Pops, whom I would not want to meet in a dark alley, but whom I would love to have as a dinner guest. This was a page turner that had me fascinated from page one. The plot was engaging (but violent). Added to the “Reasons I’m Probably Going to Hell” list is the fact that I found so much of this book to be hysterically funny (and I think that as more people read this book, I’ll have company there. We’ll form a club!). Even in the most violent parts (and this book was extremely, graphically violent) there was a lot of black humor. The ending was satisfying and opened the door for more books set in this universe. I’m about to go read August, Browne’s second book, and I don’t know how it can possibly compare to this one (but I’m hoping it will come close). I borrowed this book on KU and as soon as Double Points Day rolls around in Kindle Rewards, I’m buying it because I’m going to want to read it again and again. Can we talk about- the cover. Rhodie is described as having dirty blonde hair and that cover ain’t it....more
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