OUR WEEK IN B👀K REVIEWS ➜

OUR PICKS THIS WEEK
⚖️ The Auction Block by Courtney Lynn Rose
💀 Malevolence by Natalie Bennett
💔 Damage by Natasha Knight
🎢 Dates of Disaster by Ava Lynn Wood
🧁 Cupcakes & Curses by Jane Hinchey
🌅 Here Comes the Son by Dahlia Donovan

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The Auction Block by Courtney Lynn Rose

I want to be careful with not to give anything away.
There are IMO some seriously "OH Heck you didn't moments!" that I did not see coming and some others that I was able to piece together.

Lily is ... brash, defensive, intelligent, bad arse ~ wounded.
Saved from the world of sex trafficking she is given the chance to join Interpol, a chance to make a difference. She takes it she has her own agenda as well.
* Note* There are some flashbacks and little snippets that may be triggers for some, but nothing that would make this overly graphic. Again that is my opinion.

The way the author crafted the various team members, each had a uniquely different but strong persona that made this cast five stars. They were just, IDK, they called to me as a reader on a very personal level. I hope we get stories for each of them.

The storyline itself was easy to follow. There are bits of memory flash here and there but they are written well and flow seamlessly within the story.

I liked how Blake slowly introduced 'himself' to Lily. It made sense and for me and worked in his favor. I also think Lily was a bit quick to jump on the "spoiled rich boy" bandwagon, but she eventually worked that issue out... I loved the rose scene.

This contained all the things that make an engaging thriller/action/romance.
✔️ Tense scenes that will have you on edge
✔️ Moments of angst that may produce those quiet tears (you know the ones that make sight a bit blurry)
✔️ Strong friendships
✔️ Humor
✔️ Personal sacrifice
✔️ Love
oh and possibly a bit of betrayal
Amazon 

Malevolence by Natalie Bennett

"Our love story was morbid and bittersweet, but it was ours. "

*sigh*
What a perfect ending to such a brutal beginning.
Before I read Malevolence I went back and re-read their love/ hate story from the beginning with Malice.
I read the two books back to back which IMO made the overall experience that much more...

Is it wrong that I felt all warm inside when Mason and her reconnected over his hobby?
Or the happiness I felt happy when she and Jules admitted that they still burned for one another?
That they both craved the darkness they found in their union?

"I was his filthy masochist and he was my beautifully deviant sadist" **pitter-patter goes my heart

Bennett did a wonderful job of bringing the pieces together for Julian and Morgana without making it seem too far fetched of a possibility.
I am a bit mad at the Doc and even though we were given some of his reasoning I think there is more to why he did it.
Also what the heck! I wasn't aware of the larger role the nice sheriff (not) played in her decision to end their lives.
I'm curious if we will get more insight into the events that lead up to her decision ? One of the guilty is still alive and I am thinking she is about to be replaced.
I do wish this had been longer ... I'm greedy like that.

Is it wrong that I find this family of serial killers kinda sweet?
As with the other books in this series the same warnings apply -
Very descriptive scenes of torture and violence - so if Crimson isn't your scene I suggest you skip this series
Amazon 

Damage by Natasha Knight

"One heroic act does not a hero make"

What a flipping ending!

Gabriel once again tested my patience but as I pointed out previously she is a result of her circumstances and she is so young. And she still believes in fairy tales.

Watching Gabi maneuver through the shark-infested waters of her life was a whole new level of suspense. Even I was never sure who was a friend and who was a foe.
I wanted so many times to reach out and comfort her. To tell her it would be okay.
Eventually, it had to be right?
A few times I think she came very close to just letting go but her heart knew what her mind could not process.

Stefan still one of my favorite anti-heroes. I still am torn between throttling him and straddling him.
Watching him play both roles - the dark vigilante and the loving fiance, each battling for dominance over the other was at times emotional trying. He knew in his heart what he wanted but like Gabi, he just wasn't listening.

Turns out I was pretty close about who was behind some of our previous ill encounters but I was waaayyyy off on a bunch of other twists.
Be prepared for a bit of a roller-coaster ride with this closing duet.
That is one of the things that I enjoy so much about Knight's work. She always tosses in the unexpected.
Amazon  Kobo  Nook

Dates of Disaster by Ava Lynn Wood

I found myself laughing ( literally out loud )
- snorting (a bit embarrassing i'll tell ya)
- and cringing
- A Lot!

Karissa just has the worst luck when it comes to social interactions and not just of the dating sort - I swear at times she is why Murphy's law was written.
Sure some of her dates were ... well catastrophes
Others I think she freaked out or was a bit judgmental before she had all the facts.
But the heart wants what the heart wants and in a way she is holding out for her Mr. Right - peer and family pressure be d@ mned.

I love her roomy! Liv is Karissa's complete opposite and her character provides a surreal contrast when placed next to Karissa's. The two could not be more opposite in not only personality but also ideals.
Karissa's mom is of the older belief system that a woman is not complete without a man and she is doing her best to find him for her. Yeah, mom's idea of the perfect man and Karissa's are worlds apart.
There are a couple of other supporting characters that add a bit more mayhem to Karissa's life.
This is an easy to follow read that kept me entertained. The characters were front and center and easy to connect with - even if I didn't always agree with their reactions 🙄
I did at times feel that our H needed to be less.. judgy? but that is just me being well me 😘
I am intrigued to see where this, goes
It does end on a bit of a cliffy sort of OMG maybe kind of moment.
Amazon

Cupcakes & Curses by Jane Hinchey

Easy to read, engaging, fun, witty
An all-around charming read!
🧁 A Paranormal Cozy Mystery guaranteed to please even the pickiest of palates

Suspense - in spades✔️
Quirky Fun Heroine - Yep ✔️
Sexy Alpha Hero - Oh Yeah✔️
Misunderstood Antagonist - ✔️ I think she needs her own book
Evil cackling bad guys - ✔️✔️ double check!

This was such a great read the first time around and now it is available as a standalone
Paranormal is my go-to genre and when you blend it with such vivid and engaging characters then pack the pages with humor and mystery
It just makes it all the sweeter
Amazon

Here Comes the Son by Dahlia Donovan

This is my first time reading this author so I wasn't sure what to expect going in.
Turned out to be a fun afternoon with this gang.

Iggy is our resident demon slayer. His character was a touch self-absorbed, but not in an evil way, more of an oops I forgot the world doesn't revolve around me way. .. oh did I mention his pops was Satan? Seems he has a touch of dear old dad in him.

Lalo is a blast. He has his issues but he also had a dry wit to him that was hilarious. He also was quick to see things others didn't. Something that benefited him on numerous occasions okay except the whole drone thing that would not have been my first choice for sample collection, though it was kind of funny.

Wendy was a wonderful addition to the story line. Intelligent, caring, just a touch overly excited at times (tends to happen with a mind like hers). Like Lalo, her mind operated a bit differently allowing her to pick up on things others would miss. Whereas Lalo seemed to be more visual attuned to the world Wendy saw outside the box.

Together they made a pretty kick-arse trio.

The priests are hiding something, seems their agenda may be a lot more selfish than they let on. They were an added bit of mystery and suspense in the story line.

Overall it was an entertaining story. Easy to read new adult paranormal with a pretty solid plot line and some great characters.
I occasionally had trouble with the lull in the storytelling and some of the characters actions/ reactions didn't (IMO) fit the scenes. It is hard to explain that part it felt more like a maturity thing, Iggy is 40'ish and at times he acts 16.
I did enjoy the budding romance between Iggy and Lalo.
I found my curiosity was a bit more engaged the further I got into the story. There are a few twists and "omg no way" moments ... some had me laughing others had me white-knuckling.
Amazon  Kobo  Nook

#romance #suspense #crime #fiction #erotic #horror
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#CourtneyLynnRose #NatalieBennett #NatashaKnight #AvaLynnWood #JaneHinchey #DahliaDonovan