The Scarlet Rose by Valia Lind

 

Synopsis:

A mafia heiress. A desperate bargain. A cursed wolf prince without hope.

Nikita has one goal in life: to take her father’s place in the Bratva syndicate. While her sisters want nothing more than advantageous marriages to wealthy men, Nikita wants control of her own life.

But when her father is tricked into a bargain with Gavriil, the prince of Skazka, to protect her family's legacy, Nikita has no choice but to steal the portal ring and take his place.

Within the walls of the castle, she finds a spoiled royal, hallways filled with strange statues, and a magic she didn’t know existed.

Tasked with finding a way to break the curse, Nikita spends hours pouring over ancient texts, looking for answers — and a way out.

Her one reprieve is her music. After finding the hidden piano room, she takes her refuge there. Soon, so does Gavriil. Suddenly, the broody enemy is becoming a friend—or something more.

Passions ignite and Nikita must do all she can to save the prince and his people from the curse that could destroy them.
Time is running out. Each day, Gavriil turns more and more into a wolf, losing his human emotions and memories.

If Nikita can’t break the curse, there will be no trace of Gavriil left, and he’ll become the monster he’s always feared himself to be—forfeiting his humanity, and heart, forever.

My Review: 5 Stars

Y'all. I did it again. For the most part I went into the book blind. All I knew about the book was this... A mafia heiress. A desperate bargain. A cursed wolf prince without hope.

To say I was intrigued would be an understatement. I quickly downloaded the book and dove right in. I absolutely loved this unique retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I was hooked from the very beginning and had the hardest time putting it down. I really did not want the book to end. 

Nikita and Gavriil are fantastic! They're both loyal, kind, loving, fiercely protective of the ones they love, and will do anything in their power to make sure the people they care about most are happy. I loved their witty banter and their back and forth. Gavriil didn't know what to do with Nikita at times. It was hilarious! I have to say that these two are pretty perfect for each other and I loved seeing them get their HEA.

I was feeling all the feels with this book. I absolutely love when an author can literally make me feel the same way the characters are feeling. It makes the book more real to me, like I'm sitting right there with them experiencing everything they are. It's the best feeling in the world! 

This is my first book by Ms. Lind and I will definitely be reading more by her. If I'm being honest, she had me at her author's note in the very beginning. Not only did it help me to become fully invested in the book, but it made it even that much more real to me. It was amazing. I definitely cannot wait to get my hands on the rest of this series! 

As for my casting, I'm kinda really loving these two. What do you think?!

The Bridesmaid by Jess Mastorakos

 

Synopsis:

I’ve heard she’s always a bridesmaid and never a bride. But I’d make her mine, if she’d let me.

Three years ago, I left South Carolina and the woman I loved without looking back. Okay, that’s a lie. I’ve spent a fair amount of time imagining myself lounging under that Spanish moss with her.

Back then, we didn’t have a care in the world. It was simple. Easy. Right. In fact, I’d been about to propose. But then I found out I had a kid I didn’t know about. And just like that, everything changed.

Now, as a single dad, I’m back in town with one thing on my mind: Make it right with Layla, or go down trying.

My Review: 5 Stars

Oh my heart! Y'all! I can't even with this book right now! I absolutely adored it! There's just something about a small town, second chance, single parent romance that has me letting out all the little dreamy sighs. If you ask me, this book is absolute perfection!

Layla's heart was crushed into a million pieces the day Zac broke up with her and then disappeared without a trace. Left to wonder what in the world just happened, Layla finds herself desperate to get over Zac. She has spent the last 3 years going on endless dates, but forgetting him and moving on is proving to be impossible.

The heart wants, what the heart wants and Zac's wants Layla. He knows that he screwed up big time by leaving with no explanation but Fate has offered him a second chance with Layla. Giving up is not an option. They were meant to be together and he's going to do everything in his power to make that happen.

I knew the moment I started this book that I was going to have the hardest time putting it down. I found myself sneaking in reading whenever I could, staying up way past my bedtime, and waking up even earlier to see these two finally get their HEA. 

These two love fiercely and are not afraid to express their feelings, whether good or bad. Gah! I seriously love Layla and Zac! And I can't forget little Grayson! He's the cutest kid ever! I loved the relationship he had with his dad and Layla. So. Sweet!

I think this is now my new favorite book in this series. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it all over again. I really didn't want this book to end! I can't wait to see more of these three in Lindy and Beau's book. Y'all. I have a feeling we're going to be in for a wild ride when it comes to those two! Eeeeeeek!

Ms. Mastorakos has done it again! She never ceases to amaze me. I am in awe of her talent. She has a way of capturing the reader and not letting them go until the very end. There's a reason why she's one of my favorite authors. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!

And of course, we can't forget my casting. I know I say this a lot but, I am seriously in love with these two! What do you think?

Hidden Gems

Welcome to Hidden Gems hosted by KJ's Book Nook! Once a month I'll feature a new to me author that I've discovered and fell in love with their books. I'll share the author's bio, one of my favorite books of theirs and a review.

For this month's Hidden Gems I am going to choose...

Jules Barker

Jules Barker is a sweet romance writer with an M.Ed who loves quirky heroines, swoony heroes, and emotional thrills. She knew by eighth grade what she wanted to be when she grew up: an English teacher and a novelist. She’s been teaching secondary English for sixteen years and is thrilled to now be sharing her writing with the world. She still doesn’t feel like a grown up, though.

Jules was raised on a mountain making up stories about the towns in the valley below and singing at the top of her lungs thinking the neighbors couldn’t hear. Poor neighbors. She’s a Korean Drama addict, a mom of two beautifully goofy daughters, and a life-long “hopeful romantic”.

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I actually discovered Jules from Trish LeBaron. You see, there's a group of friends who decided to come together and create the magical world of Moonrise Cove. I loved my visit there so much that I just HAD to keep going back for visits!

Sometimes it's hard to decide which book of an author's I'm going to feature. But the moment I started working on this post I knew it just HAD to be Melt my Heart! Why? Well, there's this epic kiss that had me swooning like there was no tomorrow! Y'all. It. Was. Amazing! And that's all I'm going to say about it because a kiss like that needs to be experienced on your own! 😉 Hehe.

Vera Penwythe never thought she’d go for another relationship so soon, and certainly not a fake one. She’s moved back in with her Gran for the holidays after a humiliating break up left her in debt to her two-timing ex. But when a charming neighbor begs her to pretend to be his girlfriend until his mom recovers from heart surgery, she can’t resist. She yearns to feel needed and be part of something, even if it is all fake. Besides, this way she’ll get the benefits of companionship without the expectations and heartbreak of a real relationship. Vera may have the power to create frost with her hands, but she wishes she could freeze her heart to keep it safe.

Harry Levine never thought lying to his mom would lead to the best mistake of his life. But when his parents’ excessive PDA and a tumbling tower of ice cream tubs lead his parents to assume that Vera is the long-term girlfriend they’ve never met, Harry begs her to go with it. He can’t bear to tell his sick mom that he’s broken up with his girlfriend. Instead, he enlists Vera’s help to keep up the ruse until his mom is on the mend. That just means a few family parties, shared shifts at his dad’s magic-themed ice cream parlor, and—oh yeah, passing Vera off as the picky girlfriend he’s told them about. But what do you do when the lie you started becomes the best thing that’s ever happened to you?

Vera doesn’t trust her bad-guy radar and she doesn’t trust love. But Christmas at Moonrise Cove has a way of working its magic and soon her walls begin to melt. Will she be able to risk her heart to believe that something fake could ever become something real?

You can check out my review here.

Happy reading my fellow Book Dragons!

The Queen with No Name by JJ Makenzie

Synopsis:

She was born to be a queen, yet she’s nothing more than a political pawn. With no name and no place to call her own, she’s doing her best to hold on to the only thing that belongs to her and her alone—her soul. A difficult task, given that she was kept alive for the sole purpose of being given to the formidable King Rowan of Northrend to fulfill the treaty signed by the three kingdoms of the Greatland long before she was born. She must bear his heirs in the hopes of keeping the delicate peace that continually lies on the precipice of collapse. What she doesn’t know is that she’s not just the key to peace—she’s the key to war.

 
King Rowan’s entire life has been spent protecting his beloved kingdom and people. All he wishes for is an unassuming wife to bear his heirs and leave him unaffected. But the princess with no name haunts him with her beauty and unyielding spirit. Torn between breaking her and loving her, he puts his kingdom at risk each passing day he goes without a legitimate heir.

 
But there are more than hearts and souls on the line; danger lurks around every corner. Threats from within and without Northrend make it difficult to know who they can trust. The paramount question is, can they trust each other? Will the king finally name his queen, or will she tear his world apart? Her names comes with a price. Who will pay it?

Author JJ Makenzie presents an achingly beautiful coming of age story with a romance that will curl your toes and leave you longing for more.

My Review: 5+ Stars!

Some of you know that I am overly protective of the authors I love. I will defend them and protect them in any way I can. I know there's a lot of people who have been dying to get their hands on this book, but I'm going to be really blunt. I really don't want the clean romance community to read this book. I don't want reviewers to read this book expecting something and then ripping the book and author apart because this is NOT what they were expecting.

So real talk y'all. If you have a problem with urine, periods, swearing, talk of sex without using the word sex, implications of sexual acts, abuse, and/or violent death, this book is not for you. I repeat... THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR YOU! I wouldn't consider this book clean, but I wouldn't consider it dirty either. It's hard to explain. It's real, it's raw, it's gritty, but it's a beautiful coming of age story.

Y'all. I don't even know where to begin with my review. This book is nothing like anything I've ever read before. From beginning to end, I was captivated and intrigued.

Being used as political pawns, Rowan and Princess are thrown into an arranged marriage with danger lurking all around them. Trying to wade through the rocky waters of marriage is hard enough without adding in all the lies, deceit, and lack of trust. And the moment feelings get involved? Game. Over.

The feels. All. The. Feels! What a rollercoaster of a ride! My heart was shattered into a million pieces! And I don't think it's fully healed yet. I've never hated and loved someone so much in my life. I may or may not have been seething a time or two, but oh how I loved this book! This is a book I'll be thinking about for a long time to come.

What an amazing debut novel for Ms. Makenzie! She did an amazing job of transporting me to Northrend where she proceeded to wreak havoc in my life and mess with my emotions. Talk about heart-wrenchingly beautiful. I am dying to get my hands on the next book! I cannot wait to see what happens next! 

And of course I can't forget my casting. Y'all. I. Am. In. Love! What do you think?

Paige's Turn by Jennifer Peel

Synopsis:

I promised myself ten years ago when I left Bella Port that I would never look back at the town that made me feel invisible. That is until the unthinkable happens and Aunt Mitzi, the person I love more than anyone or anything, suddenly passes away and leaves me everything. We are talking a beautiful beach house, more money than I know what to do with, and of course her beloved bookstore, Paige’s Turn, named after yours truly. Not only that, she thinks she’s left behind something else for me. Or is that someone else? That would be Sam Kennedy, my older brother’s best friend, who’s way out of my league, that is if I even had a league. I’m more like a bystander. But Mitzi was always telling me it was time to get into the game, to take my turn.

At least I’m no longer wearing baggy jeans and oversized t-shirts. Yoga really does do a body good. But Mitzi was crazy to think that me and the sexy landscaper were meant to be, especially when I fire him after our first meeting. Who would have ever guessed that a friendship would blossom after such a start? Or that Sam would make me feel seen in a way I had never been before. Was Aunt Mitzi right about Sam and me? Is it finally time for me to take my turn?

My Review: 5 Stars

Paige has always felt like the odd man out when it came to growing up in her dysfunctional family. When it comes time to head to college, she does the complete opposite of what her family wants her to do. With the help of her beloved Aunt Mitzi, she goes as far away as she can to the college she has always dreamed of going to. She put Bella Port in her rear view mirror and had zero plans to ever return.

That is until her Aunt Mitzi passes away unexpectedly leaving her the sole heir to her millions! Now she must return to Bella Port, face her family for the first time in years, beat down all the rumors the old gossips in town are spreading, find her place in life and finally, FINALLY take her turn. All while running the book store her aunt also left her and trying to figure out how to stop Mitzi from meddling with her love life from the grave.

And who might dear Aunt Mitzi have chosen for her darling Paige? Why Sam Kennedy, the most eligible bachelor in town of course! *dreamy sigh* Sam was one of the very few people who really saw Paige for who she was growing up. He made her not feel so invisible and even made her feel pretty. But what's a girl to do when said man is dating one of the biggest drama queen's and gossips in town? She sticks to her "I'm totally fine with being single. I don't need a man in my life." attitude. But little does she know that Mitzi and fate have something else in store for her.

While Paige and Sam didn't get off to the best of starts, various circumstances have them coming together and gives them a chance to rebuild their friendship. But the closer they become, the more Sam pulls away. Paige doesn't understand why and does her best to distance herself from him. But the harder she tries to stay away, the more she is drawn to him. Could Mitzi be right after all? Or is Paige heading for the ultimate heartache in falling for Sam? With Mitzi in her corner, she shouldn't be thinking of anything else but a HEA. After all, Mitzi has never been wrong before. So why start now?! 😉

Oh how I loved all the letters from Mitzi! They were one of my favorite parts of this book! Everyone needs a Mitzi in their lives! She was there to lift Paige up during the hardest times of her life and letting her know that she is loved, she is beautiful, she is amazing and she deserves all the happiness that life has to offer. 💗

This book is definitely a roller coaster ride when it comes to your emotions. Holy. Hannah! You will laugh, you will get angry, you may even growl a time or two, you will get teary eyed, you will want to Gibbs slap AND strangle certain people! But, in the end, you will be letting out little dreamy sighs and be wearing a grin of complete contentment when Paige finally does indeed, take her turn. *le sigh*

Ms. Peel is definitely the queen of sucking me in and not letting me go until the adventure comes to an end. I have to admit that she spoils me. I know I never have to wait too long before reading her next book. She is seriously an AMAZING author! If you haven't read any of her books yet, you are definitely missing out! Really... you are! I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!

And of course there's my casting! I just have to tell you when I shared this with Jennifer she told me she pictured the same heroine. YAY! I love it when that happens! What do you think?

More Than a Pair of Jeans by Remi Carrington

 

Synopsis:

It’s all fun and games until the cowboy wants to ride away.

The most amazing guy sweeps into my life when I need him most, and I don’t want him to be the one who got away.

As a bonus, he’s extremely photogenic even if he is a bit reluctant to let me snap his picture. My engagement is through the roof whenever he shows up in my feed. Because who doesn’t love a man in Wranglers?

I’m hoping for a happily-ever-after, but then Grayson becomes distant.

Social media will have to take a back seat while I figure out what’s wrong and how to fix it. Because the only way I want him riding away is with both of us on that horse.

My Review: 4.5 Stars

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you're frustrated and all you want to do is run far away from it all? That has been my week. Since I can't really do that, I did the next best thing. I escaped into a book and lived vicariously through the characters. It was just what the doctor ordered!

To say Daisy and Grayson are complete opposites would be an understatement. She loves the spotlight and makes a living being in it. He wants nothing to do with it and tries to stay far away from it. But with their off the charts chemistry, Grayson is finding himself having to step outside of his comfort zone just to be close to Daisy. 

Y'all. There was some super swoony, funny, and sweet moments between Daisy and Grayson. I really enjoyed watching these two get to know each other and find their HEA. Grayson is just freaking fantastic and I love him! I do have to say that there was a point in the book that I was a bit frustrated with Daisy. I may or may not have wanted to shake her and say... just stop and listen for two seconds woman! Yeesh! Lol. But she did redeem herself in the end. That bonus epilogue was AMAZING!

I am SO excited for this new series! It's going to be so fun getting to know all the ranch hands that we've been getting some glimpses of. I am dying to get my hands on Tyler and Jasmine's book! Y'all. I. Can. Not. Wait! 

I know I've said this so many times but y'all. If you haven't read any of Ms. Carrington's books then you are most definitely missing out! I have adored every single book I have read. There's a reason she's one of my favorite authors. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next! 

As for my casting, I saw these two pretty much from the beginning and think they are perfect! What do you think?

Don't Let Go by Rebecca Deel

Synopsis:

An early morning break-in thrusts bakery owner Zoe Lockhart into the center of a crime spree. As the assaults escalate, she turns to a man with lethal skills who longs to shield her from danger. But when Zoe is kidnapped, she fears that the adversary's quest for revenge will destroy her chance for a life with the man she adores.

After months of quietly working his way into a certain baker's life, Fortress Security operative Simon Murray is ready to kick his pursuit of the woman of his dreams into high gear. But before he makes his move, Zoe is attacked and Simon assumes the role of bodyguard as he searches for the guilty culprit. When Zoe falls into enemy hands, Simon will risk everything to save the woman he loves. This time, however, Simon's training may not be enough to thwart a plan for final retribution.

My Review: 4 Stars

Zoe Lockhart has had her eye on Simon Murray since he arrived in Otter Creek. From the moment she laid eyes on the handsome operative, all other men ceased to exist. After several months of getting to know Simon, she's more than ready for him to ask her out. If he doesn't do it soon, she might have to take matters into her own hands.  

Simon Murray is more than ready to finally pursue the woman of his dreams. He knows that if he doesn't make his move soon, some other man might steal the beautiful Zoe away from him. Determined to make his intentions known, Simon shows up at her bakery only to see someone running away from it and then hearing a vehicle racing away.

After discovering that Zoe has been attacked, Simon goes into protective mode. He doesn't know who would want to hurt Zoe or why, but he's determined to find out. But when Simon hears of other attacks and murders, he has to wonder if it's him or Zoe the perpetrator is after. 

Determined to keep everyone in their lives safe, Bravo will need to enlist the help of other Fortress Security teams to keep their families safe while they go on the hunt for the person responsible for the latest crime spree in Otter Creek. 

With everything that has happened, Simon can only hope and pray that Zoe doesn't decide that his life is too much to handle and runs far away from him. But he needn't worry too much. Zoe is just as far gone as he is. They need to work together to find the person messing with their lives and bring them down so they can move forward to their HEA.  

Holy. Wow! You guys! Talk about fast paced and action pact! Once I started this book, I had an extremely hard time putting it down! I kept telling myself just one more chapter... just one more chapter. Needless to say, I stayed up way too late and woke up way too early just so I could get in as much reading time as possible. I absolutely adored Zoe and Simon! Their story is definitely one of my favorites! It's so good! 

So... y'all know how much I LOVE Ms. Deel's books and I hate to say anything negative about them. But I've noticed that there are several inconsistencies and grammatical errors throughout most of her books. A lot of these should have been caught by her beta readers/proof readers. It's getting to be a bit distracting for me. One of the inconsistencies that seems to happen in a lot of her books are the "I love yous". Their first "I love you" seems to happen twice. Once midway through the book and again at the end because the first one is forgotten. It gets frustrating when it happens all. the. time. Had the inconsistencies and grammatical errors been fewer, I would've definitely given this book 5 stars. 

With that being said, I'm still loving both of her series! I am always looking for the next book to be released. I kid you not, I have been stalking Amazon for the last two weeks looking for this book. The one day I don't look, I get an email while out on my walk saying she has a new release. Let's just say my walk was cut short that day and I made a really quick dinner so I could dive back in to Otter Creek. It's always a fun place to visit! 

When people ask me who some of my favorite authors are, Ms. Deel is definitely mentioned to them. She has a way of grabbing me and not letting me go until I have finished the book. I am definitely looking forward to her next book baby!

And of course no review of mine is complete without a casting. What do you think?!

Relentless by Rebecca Deel

Synopsis:

A friend's desperate plea launches Piper Reece on a quest to bring down a crime boss. But bringing a killer to justice will take more than determination. When she's attacked, Piper realizes she needs a defender as relentless as he is deadly. Good thing she knows the perfect man for the job.

Fortress operative Liam McCoy returns home from an extended missions with one goal in mind--winning Piper's heart. His protective instincts kick into overdrive when she's thrust into the crosshairs of an enemy with roots in her past.

Trained by the best in the business and with skills honed in the hottest firefights, saving Piper will test Liam to his limits. He'll need every ounce of cunning and courage to survive the battle and explore a future with the woman of his dreams.

My Review: 5 Stars

It's been 3 years since Piper Reece has had any contact with people from her home town. But when she receives a call from her ex-boyfriend telling her that he's in trouble and it'll be up to her to help bring down a Mob Boss, she's thrown back into a world that she does not want to be in. She just hopes that along the way, she doesn't lose the man that she's been falling in love with. 

Liam McCoy and Bravo have been on a month long assignment and, now that he's home, he can't wait to see Piper again. It's been way to long since he's seen or talked to the woman that he's been falling in love with. But when he stops by her work to see it's closed early, the back door is left ajar and her purse sitting in the alley, he knows something is terribly wrong. 

Liam knows time is of the essence. He has to find Piper before it's too late. Enlisting the help of Bravo and fellow Fortress Security tech guru, Zane, Liam hits the ground running and won't stop until Piper is back by his side. 

But their problems are just beginning. Not only is Piper's past coming back to haunt them, so is Liam's. They'll have to work closely with Bravo and the Texas team if they have any chance of making it out alive. The more obstacles Piper and Liam face, the more they fall in love with each other. They can't see their lives without the other in it. They will fight tooth and nail to get the HEA they deserve.

Oh my gosh! You guys! I am seriously loving this series! I'm to the point that I don't even read the synopsis of the books... I just buy them and start reading. I absolutely adored Piper and Liam! They love fiercely and are extremely loyal. There isn't anything they won't do for those they love. Once I started their story, I could not put it down! It was SO good! 

Ms. Deel has quickly climbed to the top of my favorites list. I find myself devouring her books the moment I find out about a new release and then not so patiently waiting for her next one. I know whatever she releases will definitely be giving me a break from reality. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next! If you haven't read anything by her yet, I just have to say, you are definitely missing out! If you're a fan of romantic suspense then I highly recommend her books!

And what do you think of this casting? Me? I love it! But I may be a bit bias... ;) Hehe.

Content: Mild violence. Clean... just swoony kisses!