Falling For The Grumpy Bad Boy by Weston Parker

I enjoyed the book that gave an interesting look at the behind the scenes work in the top  culinary career scene. The romance was filled with anticipation as well as finding reasons to deny their attraction. While Rhett was a slightly older man, it didn’t have an age gap feel to it.  The secondary characters were well developed as support for the kind of grumpy bad boy Rhett was.

Vows of Blood & Betrayal by E.L. Blue

VOWS OF BLOOD & BETRAYAL is an age gap forced proximity mafia romance full of intense moments. The romance ignites early and reluctantly on both parts. Anthony is immediately embroiled in a mafia war on several fronts and we witness the lengths the family goes through to protect its own.

What I particularly liked about the book was the details about some of the rituals and traditions of the mafia family. The interactions between the enemies in the boardroom, the battle area, the warehouses, etc. made the story feel tense and authentic. I knew when I chose to read this advance copy that it ends on something of a cliffhanger, but the author still leaves the reader satisfied with the temporary conclusion.

Dark Desires by K.C. Crowne

<strong>Good story</strong/>

I wanted to read DARK DESIRES because I like the arranged marriage mafia romances with the guy having to marry a woman that is a close relative to the woman that really turned his head.

It’s overall a good story. I found the FBI connection a little weak, and it does come to a conclusion although there are some unresolved issues for secondary characters.

Taken by the Bratva by Rebecca Gannon

Saying TAKEN BY THE BRATVA is steamy is an understatement. Be prepared for our main characters to be engaged in activities of this nature frequently and intensely. The story is pretty much driven by a possessive, obsessive man taking a willing captive.

Claimed by the Billionaire by Blaire Lennox

Short and descriptive, CLAIMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE kept my interest with a dark, possessive vibe and consuming instalove. There is not much time to delve deeply into building the personal relationship, but there is time for steamy, intense encounters that speak clearly for themselves.

I read an early copy of the book so you can have an idea about what you’d be reading. If you like to be immersed in a couple but don’t have much time to read, you’ll enjoy this book.

Duplicity by Elodie Hart

DUPLICITY has a great story in the Pretty Woman vein only Marlowe is also a single mother with a chronically ill child. Brendan undergoes a remarkable transformation so if you enjoy the reformed rake/boss romance, you will like this book.

Damaged by Maria Mesmer

I loved this book. It isn’t just a story. It’s an intriguing mood. James and Sophia are each cleverly written with this unrestrained passion coupled with this feeling that as much as we want things to go well for them, it just won’t. So we keep reading hoping so much to be wrong and hoping all that keeps them apart will be overcome.

Dare To Love Me by Rosa Lucas

I really enjoyed the character dynamic in this story. Daisy is unfiltered in such a clever way and Edward works so hard at being enigmatic, stoic and proper. The formula make for an entertaining opposites attract pairing. Half the fun is figuring out how these characters can possibly work, but as they reveal themselves little by little, they somehow make perfect sense as right for one another.

Dangerous Deception by Ajme Williams

DANGEROUS DECEPTION is full of action with rival mafias, kidnapping, entrapment, arranged marriage, mourning past loves and unraveling dangerous betrayals. The romance rings true and is steamy. Raeffelle and Adelina find themselves in a match they did not expect to enjoy.

Capitol Promises by Rebecca Gallo

I loved both books in this series.  CAPITOL PROMISES focuses more on the post election life of Georgie and Jameson. Jameson gets to show a little more of his not-so-perfect attributes, and this part of the saga is rife with secrets, jealousy, and even some scandal.

Presidential Bargain by Rebecca Gallo

I can honestly say there is never a dull moment in PRESIDENTIAL BARGAIN. The entire backdrop of a presidential campaign is done very well. What I really liked is the personalities of Georgie and Jameson, however. The chemistry is unleashed early and often. Georgie remains smart and true to her convictions. Jameson remains principled and firm in his political beliefs as well as in his personal ones - until he finds Georgie too hard to resist.

The Friend Situation by Lyra Parrish

THE FRIEND SITUATION started strong and I really enjoyed the whole story surrounding how Weston and Carlee met, kept their friendship “secret” and didn’t quite fool everyone.

It ran a little long, though. I guess about half way through I started hoping for a little conflict to make it interesting, but they got along well, and each source of potential conflict just fell by the wayside.

Possession by Lisa Lang Blakeney

The series started really strong and I was ready to read the early copy of POSSESSION but spent some time reviewing the first two books in the series again to get the feel and energy of the characters again.

POSSESSION has a lot going on not only with Hunter and Megan, but with a number of the secondary characters. Some of them really surprise us. Others disappoint us. From a series standpoint, it gets high marks for steam, betrayal and characters. I can say some of the twists I saw a mile away. Others caught me off guard.

I have to say, though, that Hunter disappointed me in that it seemed like he lost that dark, dangerous mojo I love in a MMC. Being vulnerable about your woman is one thing, but Hunter dropped the ball too many times in the “I’ll keep you safe” arena. 

Submission by Lisa Lang Blakeny

SUBMISSION is book 2 of the series, and I had high hopes for Megan and Hunter. Hunter meets or exceeds those hopes in that I like a possessive “I’ll do anything for her” MMC. Megan I’m often finding my self saying “What are you thinking, girl?”, because clearly she is not learning from past mistakes.

But, as the story unfolds, I am once again drawn into the drama that surrounds these two while wanting Megan to do better, so I keep reading to see what she gets snapped up in because of her relationship with this man with a lot of power, and the rivals that comes with it.

I’m in solidly until the end now, having read this advance copy and now eagerly awaiting the conclusion.

Silver Fox’s Twin Babies by Sofia T. Summers

I knew getting into another secret baby story that I might feel this way, but still read SILVER FOX’S TWIN BABIES because of the boss angle. But, I really didn’t buy the reason the FMC didn’t tell Evan about the children after he returned from Europe. All that drama dragged on too long.

Dance of Deception by Jagger Cole

I was able to read an early copy of DANCE OF DECEPTION and right off it has three of my favorite elements:  a secret society, mafia/crime family, and a dedicated, destitute, and “in danger” ballet dancer. That just scratches the surface of this series opener. A MMC that is morally dark gray and a FMC that finds her own dark tendencies have been lurking beneath an innocent appearance kept me reading well past my bed time.

Ruthless God by V.T. Do

RUTHLESS GOD is an arranged marriage mafia romance. Luna is the replacement bride for her entitled and coddled sister who thought Massimo would be too ugly and brutal for her. She had no problem putting her half sister in the same spot.

Massimo is the head of the Italian mafia in Las Vegas. It looks like the series will be about him, his three brothers and one sister. He is feared by all but transforms when with Luna. It’s steamy, full of mafia on mafia action, betrayal, rats, and more. Reading an advance copy I can tell you this book kept my attention and I would read the others, too. There seems to be a little carry over of unresolved conflicts (aka the guy that got away) that will also tie the stories together.

Keep Me by Sara Cate

If you like it when the main characters start out hating one another, you’ll love KEEP ME. It is deeper than the summary suggests, and I enjoyed the evolution of Killian and Sylvie’s volatile relationship. There is a full continuum of passion from abject hate to all consuming love.

Defiled Innocence by Measha Stone

What you want to know about DEFILED INNOCENCE is that you can count on Dmitri to take care of everything. Even if you are hurting and believe you have to do everything yourself, Dmitri will set the limits and you’ll behave or accept the consequences.

The Boss by Piper Stone

THE BOSS is full of mafia action, revenge, and cavorting around in luxury through Greece. It’s an age gap romance with them reuniting when she’s all grown up. The story has spicy romance and suspenseful twist, some of which I predicted and others that were surprising. It kept me entertained.