"Kai is such a paradox. His feisty attitude mixed with a soft innocence. Even with what he has done in the past, and what he has to do here, it fai"Kai is such a paradox. His feisty attitude mixed with a soft innocence. Even with what he has done in the past, and what he has to do here, it fails to taint him. In my eyes at least. This is all so dangerous. Another side to me has awoken, and I can’t seem to shut that part of myself down. A need to have him."
"We are fire and drought, destined to consume and ruin. His tongue writes secrets across the inside of my mouth, scripts of longing that have no pl"We are fire and drought, destined to consume and ruin. His tongue writes secrets across the inside of my mouth, scripts of longing that have no place in our world. And I read them all, insatiable for the narrative that could destroy us both."
Dallas is book 2 in the Light & Shadow duet by the fabulous N.N. Britt and whilst it is predominantly Dallas' book, it is written in dual POV with chapters shared between Dallas and Isaac. Natalia writes so beautifully, and creates such wonderfully complex, layered, broken characters you just lose yourself in the continuation of the story.
Again, watch out for those tough, dark themes BUT I promise there's a HEA!
What To Expect:
❥ MM mafia/cop romance ❥ dual POV ❥ opposites attract ❥ steamy ❥ angsty ❥ first times ❥ found family ❥ HEA
"When I swing the door open, Isaac stands there. Again. He's all dark hair and extra-rich chocolate eyes framed by long lashes. A storm dressed as "When I swing the door open, Isaac stands there. Again. He's all dark hair and extra-rich chocolate eyes framed by long lashes. A storm dressed as a man. Black slacks, white shirt, wrist wrapped with a Rolex."
Isaac is book 1 in the Light & Shadow duet by the fabulous N.N. Britt and whilst it is predominantly Isaac's book, it is written in dual POV chapters shared between Isaac and Dallas. Natalia writes so beautifully, and creates such wonderfully complex, layered, broken characters you just lose yourself in the story. Watch out for some tough, dark themes. Thankfully book 2 in the duet Dallas is out on 26 September, so you don't have long to wait for their conclusion!
What To Expect:
❥ MM mafia/cop romance ❥ dual POV ❥ opposites attract ❥ dark themes ❥ slow burn ❥ steamy ❥ angsty ❥ first times ❥ found family ❥ duet (cliff hanger)
"Something about him drew me like a moth to a flame, which was only a problem because most of the time, he looked at me as if he couldn’t ever trus"Something about him drew me like a moth to a flame, which was only a problem because most of the time, he looked at me as if he couldn’t ever trust me, as if he didn’t even like me, when all I saw in him was safety. A place to lay down my head and rest, knowing that he’d have my back while I slept."
Kiss a Villain is book 1 in the No Mercy duet by debut author Mia Darling, and what a totally fabulous debut this was! I was sucked in from the very first chapter and inhaled the entire book over one (sleepless!) night. I totally adored our gorgeously innocent despite the horror, pining mafia prince Yarik, but my heart is still with that beautifully broken lonely Bratva boy, Kirill. So much angst!
"I’d seen him in various stages of nakedness, but never like this, and why the fuck was my heart pounding? Noah King was everything I shouldn’t wan"I’d seen him in various stages of nakedness, but never like this, and why the fuck was my heart pounding? Noah King was everything I shouldn’t want, and everything I craved."
Ariana Nash is one of my one-click authors, so even though I don't like novellas, I will always read one of Ariana's! The King's Pawn is totally my genre and has all of my fave tropes, so it was always going to be a winner for me - would I have preferred it as a full-length novel well duh, yes, but will I mark it down a star because of my personal preference when I knew it was a novella going in - no!
This is Killian and Noah's story and I was totally here for it. And if Ms Nash writes a full-length version I will be inhaling that too!
What To Expect:
❥ MM mafia romance ❥ novella ❥ enemies to lovers ❥ bodyguard turned assassin ❥ forced proximity ❥ opposites attract ❥ age gap (not huge) ❥ ALL THE STEAM ❥ HFN
"I knew what it meant for you to be a part of my life, and a stronger man would have walked away. But I can’t, I won’t. I’ll tear this world apart "I knew what it meant for you to be a part of my life, and a stronger man would have walked away. But I can’t, I won’t. I’ll tear this world apart for you, I’ll burn it down."
While Stalked is essentially a standalone, it is highly recommended by the author Ryan Mundy to read it in conjunction with her Warpath series. It is book 1 in her The Deranged and follows on 15 years after Red Obsession This is Gabriel and Tobias' story. Unfortunately, I read Stalked as a standalone and I found myself confused about some of the back story, so don't make the same mistake I did!
"It was forbidden. But it had been so long since he’d been intimate with someone, and it was complicated, a mess in his head and heart, pulled betw"It was forbidden. But it had been so long since he’d been intimate with someone, and it was complicated, a mess in his head and heart, pulled between two impossible things: priestly vows and sinful desire."
It's no secret that Ariana Nash is one of my favourite writers and I think I have read everything she has published under both author pseudonyms, but this is the first contemporary MM romance I've read of hers that doesn't have any fantasy or other worldly element to it - and I am TOTALLY HERE FOR IT!Forgive Me: An MM Mafia/Priest Thriller is the first book in a trilogy (and maybe more) and fair warning, it does end on a bit of an Ariana cliffy. That said, book 2, Ruin Me, is out on 18 January 2024, so we don't have long to wait!
This is Father Francis Scott and Vitari (Angel) Angelini's (aka L’ Angelo della Morte) story - the priest and the mafia hitman, both as broken as each other and with a shared, abusive, hidden past that neither of them realised they shared. And so many secrets still to come...
“I’m on my knees for you. I know you like me here. Ruin me, Francis.”
Ms Nash has knocked this one out of the park and I am loving the different writing style for Forgive Me: An MM Mafia/Priest Thriller, darker, dirtier and grittier somehow. And let's not forget the forbidden element here - we are talking about a catholic priest who has taken a vow of celibacy and an assassin who doesn't think twice about eliminating those who are in his mafioso father's way. Not to mention the issues around sexuality for both MCs. So much Ariana angst!
“Will you take my confession?” Vitari asked, in his sly, mocking tone. Francis sighed, as though he were the one unburdening his soul. “You know I will.”
Love, love, love! I can't wait to get my hands on the paperback for my collection. You absolutely need to read this as soon as it hits the streets later this month. NB. check the author's page for content warnings.
5 salacious, sinful, stunning stars.
Merged review:
"It was forbidden. But it had been so long since he’d been intimate with someone, and it was complicated, a mess in his head and heart, pulled between two impossible things: priestly vows and sinful desire."
It's no secret that Ariana Nash is one of my favourite writers and I think I have read everything she has published under both author pseudonyms, but this is the first contemporary MM romance I've read of hers that doesn't have any fantasy or other worldly element to it - and I am TOTALLY HERE FOR IT! Forgive Me is the first book in a trilogy and fair warning, it does end on a bit of an Ariana cliffy. That said, book 2, Ruin Me, is out on 15 January 2024, so we don't have long to wait!
This is Father Francis Scott and Vitari (Angel) Angelini's (aka L’Angelo della Morte) story - the priest and the mafia hitman, both as broken as each other and with a shared, abusive, hidden past that neither of them realised they shared. And so many secrets still to come...
“I’m on my knees for you. I know you like me here. Ruin me, Francis.”
Ms Nash has knocked this one out of the park and I am loving the different writing style for Forgive Me, darker, dirtier and grittier somehow. And let's not forget the forbidden element here - we are talking about a catholic priest who has taken a vow of celibacy and an assassin who doesn't think twice about eliminating those who are in his mafioso father's way. Not to mention the issues around sexuality for both MCs. So much Ariana angst!
“Will you take my confession?” Vitari asked, in his sly, mocking tone. Francis sighed, as though he were the one unburdening his soul. “You know I will.”
Love, love, love! I can't wait to get my hands on the paperback for my collection. You absolutely need to read this as soon as it hits the streets later this month. NB. check the author's page for content warnings.
"My whole life, I’ve been trying to fit in somewhere, trying to make myself into something I’m not. When I’m with you, I’m just me. And it’s right."My whole life, I’ve been trying to fit in somewhere, trying to make myself into something I’m not. When I’m with you, I’m just me. And it’s right. I fit."
No surprises here, I totally loved Save Me, it was the perfect conclusion to Ariana Nash's Forgive Me trilogy and I couldn't love mafia hitman Vitari and his kick-ass priest Francis any harder.
"Miguel could laugh at him all he liked, but Francis wasn’t laughing. These people had no idea the depths of darkness he’d plunder to save Vitari..
Do yourself a favour and inhale Forgive Me and Ruin Me if you haven't already and then come back and savour Save Me.
"I like you Lev, and I think I'm falling for you, or maybe I'm addicted to you? I know you don't do feelings, and this is probably your worst night"I like you Lev, and I think I'm falling for you, or maybe I'm addicted to you? I know you don't do feelings, and this is probably your worst nightmare, but after everything that's happened, and before we go down there, I wanted to tell you I'm yours. You can do want you want to me, and I will do anything that you ask. But to be clear, you are mine too, and I won't let go."
Well now. Kill For You is the second book in the Kozlov Brothers duet and this one is Lev and Aaron's story. We first met Lev in Tied To You, as Dima's psychotic brother. And oh, he is soooo much worse in this one!
If you have any kind of triggers, I'd suggest you don't even pick this book up, because it has them all. This is a dark MM romance, with blood-play, dub con, abuse, murder and a whole lot more. It is not for the faint-hearted. Please don't read it and then 1 star it because it's not for you. You have been warned!
BUT if you like your MM books dark, dirty, dangerous and delicious then you've come to the right place! Syn Blackrose is carving out (quite literally!) a dark and demented niche for herself in this genre and I am totally here for it! ...more
"By the time he was done speaking, the soft rumble of his voice had rippled through me like a seismic wave. If he wasn’t still touching me, I might"By the time he was done speaking, the soft rumble of his voice had rippled through me like a seismic wave. If he wasn’t still touching me, I might have slumped to the floor in a puddle. He could probably read the phone book and I’d be enthralled."
The Deliverance of Marek Sommers is Misha and Marek's story, and it's a deliciously dark, slow-burn, action romance between the slightly shady but ever so stoic Russian mafia boss, Misha Chernyshevsky and the gutsy, down but not broken, bartender Marek Sommers, who is trying to make ends meet and is doing (literally) whatever is takes to look out for his younger siblings.
There are many dark themes at play here - death, abuse, non-con and beyond (not between MCs) - not to mention all the gruesome scenes you'd expect to find in a mafia novel. But there's also so much emotion, exquisite writing, and the hardest won HEA. And did I mention this is probably the steamiest Ashlyn Drewek book I've read yet (and I've read them all!)
"Vitari growled a few more creative-sounding Italian words and glanced over. “You okay?” A thin laugh fell out of Francis. “I’m here, in a stolen t"Vitari growled a few more creative-sounding Italian words and glanced over. “You okay?” A thin laugh fell out of Francis. “I’m here, in a stolen truck, transporting illegally trafficked people into the Italian countryside, defying a mob boss’s threat, stealing his people, with his son, after he ordered me not to talk to you again— and I’m doing all that because you called me and said ‘Hey, let’s meet up.’” Francis managed a smile. “Oh, I’m doing just fine."
I don't know if it's just me, but sometimes book 2 in a trilogy isn't the best, in that it traditionally fleshes out the plot and the side characters and the world blah blah blah, and whilst all that stuff is really important, as a reader it can sometimes drag a bit and you end up maybe skimming over a few chapters to get back to the good parts with the MCs.
And before you think is this going to be the time Julia writes a less than perfect review of a Ariana Nash book, sorry today is not that day and Ruin Me is not that book! Wow - what an absolutely fabulous second book in the Forgive Me trilogy!
Ruin Me picks up on the cliffy that Forgive Me finished on (and if you haven't read book 1 I suggest you go do that immediately) and it's a rollercoaster of action from the first to the last page - secrets, lies, betrayals, plot twists, revelations, lust, angst, revenge - and of course, the most heinous of Ariana Nash cliff-hangers! But don't despair - another fabulous Ariana Nash feature is that she never leaves us hanging for long.
"His heart thumped in his throat. What if he’d made a terrible mistake? But it was too late now. He’d just made a deal with the devil. Because he loved a priest."
Ruin Me is OUT NOW and we only have to wait until March for the final book in the trilogy, Save Me and I literally can not wait!
I am inhaling Chani’s books - the ones I’ve read so far are all set in the same universe and I’m loving the world building and the characters. Dark MMI am inhaling Chani’s books - the ones I’ve read so far are all set in the same universe and I’m loving the world building and the characters. Dark MM sci fi romance never read so good! ...more
"I nod wordlessly and move toward him, crawling onto the bed and straddling his thighs. Without thinking twice about it, my hands slide through his"I nod wordlessly and move toward him, crawling onto the bed and straddling his thighs. Without thinking twice about it, my hands slide through his hair and my lips descend onto his. I don’t kiss. I’ve never kissed anyone before in my life, and yet I can’t stop myself this time."
Diablo is book 7 in the Unexpected series by Cora Rose. This is Diablo and Skylar's story and it's a wild and whacky bodyguard/son of a mafia boss read!
If you love Cora's usual (whacky, tongue in cheek, suspend disbelief) writing style, you're going to adore Diablo too.
“I’m not here to kill you. I’m here to take what’s mine,” Wolf said, his eyes hard, and his tone firm.
His Playmate is the first in a three book no“I’m not here to kill you. I’m here to take what’s mine,” Wolf said, his eyes hard, and his tone firm.
His Playmate is the first in a three book novella series, The Lone Family, by Ace Fawn. This is Wolf and Diego's story. Both are heads of their individual crime families. Diego kidnaps Wolf's son Levi and then he is subsequently kidnapped by Wolf in retaliation. Along the way, a relationship (of sorts) is formed.
Given this is a novella, the story has no real time to develop and so it's an insta-lust, MM mafia, enemies to lovers, dark(ish) romance read. All of these tropes, except the insta-lust, are usually favourites of mine but for me, His Playmate was just too short and too clichéd to work well in this format.
If you love short and steamy reads, with a splash of darkness and some dom/sub vibes, you'll likely enjoy this one.
Julia (bookish.jka)
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