Promised Vows by Kess Avalon

Synopsis:

Nothing ruins a strategic arranged marriage faster than love…

Anna
I had absolutely zero interest in marrying a stranger.
Too bad I had no choice. My brother was more than willing to sacrifice my freedom to forge an alliance with the Kalantzis mafia family.
But the one thing I still have complete control over, the one thing I’ll never give my new husband, is my heart.
No matter how much his smoldering gaze makes me wonder if I should…

Ari
In my world, alliances make or break a family.
So, marrying the daughter of my rival was sensible. I never thought I’d feel anything for her.
But I do.
I’m obsessed with my new bride.
Now, our sensible alliance is anything but. Because I can’t afford to trust these emotions. Or her.
Not when both our lives are on the line…

My Review: 5 Stars

Oh my heart. Y’all. If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be phenomenal! It had me feeling all the feels from the very beginning.

From the moment I started reading, I was transported back to Chicago, where I lived and breathed all things Anna and Ari. I couldn’t wait to watch their story unfold. And oh, what a story it was!

Both Anna and Ari are bound by duty. In their world, arranged marriages are nothing more than a business transaction. But the instant connection they felt when they first met sent any thoughts of business right out the window.

I absolutely adored Anna and Ari! They quickly became favorites of mine. I loved watching their relationship develop from duty, to friends, to something more. I loved the way they loved each other, respected each other, and showed up for each other. Their HEA was hard-fought, but oh, how it made my heart smile. Another heart-achingly beautiful story for a couple who is perfectly imperfect together.

Ms. Avalon has officially added herself to my auto-buy list. Her stories are unique and beautiful. They deal with hard things, yet they’re so well written that I have the hardest time putting her books down. To say that I’m invested would be an understatement. I can’t wait to see who she has planned to capture Thea’s heart. Whoever it is, I already love him!

I'm not going to lie, this casting was a bit hard for me. But it's also one of my favorites. Definitely in love with these two. What do you think? 

Content: PG-13 - Steamy kisses, mild swearing, innuendo, abuse, violence, child trafficking and sexual assault (off page).

Desperate Vows by Kess Avalon

Synopsis:

Desperation can make you do insane things. Like marry a monster…

Claire

Fathers are supposed to protect their daughters.
But my father wants to force me into an arranged marriage to get his hands on my trust fund. I can’t let that happen.
So, I’m going to marry someone else first.
Lucas Kalantzis is a Greek mafia boss with eyes as dark as his soul. I chose him because I thought he’d be easy to leave when the time was right.
Now, I’m starting to realize just how wrong I was…

Lucas

A temporary marriage of convenience to a stranger in exchange for a load of cash? Sure. Why not?
But Claire Benoit isn’t just any stranger. She’s a pretty little pawn I can use to get revenge on my enemy—her father. It was the perfect plan.
Until she looked at me with those sweet, innocent eyes of hers and ruined everything.
Now, I’m thinking I need a new plan. One that ends with Claire being my real wife.
Til death do us part…

My Rating: 5 Stars

Y'all. The only thing I knew about this book before diving in was the MMC was morally gray. It was part of an Instagram post that a favorite author was tagged in and it just seemed to pop out at me, so I decided to give it a try. 

I started it late morning and then lost all track of time as I was sucked into the world of Claire and Lucas. I was held hostage for hours with no food or water, no bathroom breaks, it was just me in Chicago hanging on every word, every moment, anything that would bring me to the HEA both Claire and Lucas deserved. 

I absolutely adored these two! Complete opposites in every single way, but perfectly imperfect for each other. Their journey was filled with struggles, overcoming past traumas, discovering who they are both as a couple and individuals, it was real, it was raw, it was emotional. Some things were hard to read, but I was so invested in their heartachingly beautiful story that I just could not put it down.

I've seen reviews by others that didn't know how to rate the book, didn't know what to think. But, for me, it was a break I didn't know I needed from what I have been reading over the last several months. It was something serious, something different. I had no clue what I was getting into when I started reading, but I loved every minute of it.  

Here's where I would've said... I love discovering new to me authors. But I can't. I didn't realize until after I finished the book and looked at the cover that it's written by Bree Livingston. Never in a million years would I have ever guessed Ms. Livingston and Ms. Avalon were one and the same. To me, the writing styles are completely different, which I love. I'm definitely excited for the rest of the series!

As for my casting, I saw these two from the very beginning. I love it when that happens!

Content: PG-13 - Mild swearing, innuendo, abuse, child trafficking and sexual assault (off page), steamy kisses. 

Taken with Trouble by Jenessa Fayeth

Synopsis:

Serena Cruz

Being taken hostage by a criminal was not on my agenda for the week. The plan was to catch the billionaire con artist, Liam Hawthorne so I can finally prove myself and gain the attention of my boss.

Liam caught me instead.

Forget the bounty, I’m killing him. Unfortunately, it’s proving a rather difficult task–especially when he convinces me to help him.

He's trying to con me, but I won’t be falling for it.

But ignoring his flirtations and kindness is mission impossible. The conman is…more than he seems.

Falling for him would be stupid, especially with bullets flying and lives in danger. So why do I melt every time he touches me?

Only one of us will emerge from this problem as a free person, and it’s going to be me.

Liam Hawthorne

I’ve stolen many priceless and beautiful things in my lifetime, but none of them compare to FBI Agent Serena Cruz. I rather enjoy the company of the feisty woman intent on killing me…clearly I’ve been on the run for too long. Or has pulling guns on someone always been this seductive?

I digress. I took her to save her, though she doesn’t believe that. I can’t say I blame her when there’s someone trying to kill us at every turn.

It’s all my fault. I tried to be better, but instead, I dragged her into this mess and now our lives are both in danger.

I was fine when it was only my life on the line.

But now there’s more at stake than the reputation I’ve been trying to improve. The woman I love is in danger and I fear that no matter what I do, she’ll never be safe.

My Review: 5+ Stars!

Why do these books NOT come with warnings?! There seriously needs to be like flashing signs, neon lights kind of warnings. Maybe something like...

*WARNING* Do not start this book until the night before your day off. It may cause you to come down with a bibliophile bellyache and have you calling into work sick. No this didn't happen to me, but it could've been a real possibility had it not been for my long weekend. 😉

*WARNING* This book may cause you to stay up WAAAAY past your bedtime. Caffeine is highly recommended to get you through the next day. 

*WARNING* This book may contain more shocking revelations than a daytime soap opera. 

Y'all. I don't even know where to begin. I thought I knew what I was getting into when I started reading, but this book blew me out of the water. I was not prepared to feel all that I am feeling. There are so many things I want to say, but I honestly don't want to ruin it for anyone. I know myself, once I let loose, I'm telling you everything! You guys need to experience this emotional rollercoaster for yourselves. It'll be one of the best ones of your lives... I promise! 

I am completely in love with all things Serena and Liam! They are the absolute best! I thought for sure that Amelia and Caleb would be my favorites in this series, but boy I was wrong. Y'all. I could not get enough of these two! Their journey was so fun, so swoony, so unexpected, so emotional. It had me asking on several occasions, what just happened?! 

And y'all. Don't even get me started on their chemistry. YOWZERS! Sparks were flying like there's no tomorrow. They had me turning into a big ol' pile of ooey gooey deliciousness. *dreamy sigh* I loved every single minute I spent with these two!

Ms. Fayeth has officially added herself to my favorite and auto-buy lists. Any author who can get me to devour two of their books in such a short period of time, definitely deserves to be on them. I've already grabbed the other books in this series and I can't wait to dive in! I definitely need more of Serena and Caleb!

And of course I need a casting, right? *dreamy sigh* I'm definitely in love with these two! What do you think?

Date with Danger by Jenessa Fayeth

Synopsis:

I, Amelia Quinn, am dating again.

I must be out of practice though because I sat down at the wrong man’s table…and kissed him. And now I’m wrapped up in the middle of an FBI case… DREAM COME TRUE!

Except the super sexy agent doesn’t want my help solving this case.

I, Caleb Harris, am a stupid, stupid man. Nothing says rookie agent like kissing a civilian just to get rid of her.

But somehow that didn’t even work because she keeps showing up wherever our suspect is. And now, I’m not so sure she’s innocent in all this. Especially when someone ends up dead.

My Review: 5+ Stars!

Y'all. I was not properly prepared for everything that is this book. It definitely needs to come with some warnings attached to it. Maybe something like... 

*WARNING* This book contains extreme feels.

*WARNING* This book may induce sleep deprivation.

*WARNING* This book may cause excessive squealing and swooning.

*WARNING* This book will make you forget your an adult and have adult responsibilities that need to get done.

My best advice before reading this book? Clear your schedule because once you start, you are NOT going to want to stop! 

From the moment Amelia and Caleb met, there was no going back. I was hooked and quickly fell in love with all things them. Their witty banter, swoony kisses, crazy situations they kept finding themselves in, sweet moments, frustrating moments, I just couldn't get enough of these two. 

Gah! I freaking loved this book! Amelia was so quirky and fun. There is no doubt in my mind that we would be best friends. I loved not knowing what was going to come out of her mouth or what harebrained idea she was going to come up with next. Caleb was steady and strong. I loved the way he loved Amelia and was always there for her. There was a lot of squealing and happy dancing while reading. 

Y'all. I just have one word for this book. Perfection. Okay. Maybe two. Absolute perfection. It has everything that I have come to crave and love in the books that I read. I literally had FOMO when I wasn't reading. I was certain that Amelia and Caleb were going to do something without me. 

This is my first book by Ms. Fayeth and she did a phenomenal job of kidnapping me and holding me hostage until I finished the book. Did I want it to end? Absolutely not! I could've stayed there forever and been perfectly content. But, alas, end it did. But not to worry because there's more books in this series! I can't wait to dive into the next one! 

And for my casting, these two were screaming at me to use them. I. Am. In. Love! What do you think?

2026 Reading Challenge

Happy New Year my fellow book Dragons! Welcome to my 10th Annual Reading Challenge!

1. Quirky Heroine: Date with Danger by Jenessa Fayeth

2. Grumpy Hero: 

3. More Than 350 Pages: 

4. Less Than 250 Pages: 

5. People On The Cover: Taken with Trouble by Jenessa Fayeth

6. No People On The Cover: 

7. Start A New Series: Desperate Vows by Kess Avalon

8. Reread A Favorite Series: 

9. Small Town: 

10. Big City: 

11. Valentine Theme: 

12. Christmas Theme: When Ivy Met Mr. Holiday by Jennifer Peel

Happy reading my fellow Book Dragons!