Our Book Thoughts 💭 Reviews and Recommendations June 7th

💖 THIS WEEKS SPOTLIGHT READS 💖
📚 06/07/20 📚

🐍 Creeping Beautiful by J.A. Huss
🎖️  James by M. Tasia
🐉 Finding Her Fire by Gracen Miller
🎖️  Deviant Betrayal by L.V. Lane
🧭  Lost Girl by Dee Garcia
🥃  Sinners & Gin by Alta Hensley

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Creeping Beautiful by J.A. Huss
Description:
McKAY
I wasn’t the one who broke her but I played my part.
She came to us when she was ten. I raised her. I loved her. I taught her how to survive in a world of evil men. But it wasn’t enough.
ADAM
I wasn’t the one who saved her but I did my best.
She needed me as much as I needed her. Bought and paid for on the auction block. But not for the reasons you think. She was my weapon.
DONOVAN
I wasn’t the one who lied to her but I hid her truth. She was broken before I got there. Wild and angry. Defiant and bratty. But she trusted me most. She loved me best.
So I set her free.
Indie Anna Accorsi is a woman lost in her past.
A pretty little nightmare.
A gorgeous piece of misery.
A mess of lovely darkness.
She is creeping beautiful.
And now we want her back.
My Thoughts 💭:
"It's a hard lesson to learn, but not everyone's worth saving."
Riveting!
I was glued to my kindle from the moment I met Adam and Indie
Everything a romantic thriller should be!
I'm not sure where to start. I definitely don't want to risk any spoilers
Let's start with the timeline of the story
It bounces back and forth from past to present, spanning a bit over a decade. It also switches between POV's for Indie, Adam, McKay and Donovan.
It may sound a bit confusing but the author made the transitioning between characters and time periods flow almost seamlessly
"Just men. Just humans who make it up as they go, like the rest of us. They are liars, and cheaters, and killers. They are sick, and twisted, and ruthless. They are afraid, lonely, and scared, just like the rest of us. "
The cast
Just WOW
A diverse and detailed mix of personalities. I connected with each of them almost immediately. I could hear their voices, see their expressions.
The story itself
I actually suffered a book hangover. I finally turned the last page in the we hours , long passed my bed time.
Indie is quite the conundrum. Innocent yet deadly. So many possibilities hidden in her mind.
Adam is bored so he sets a plan in motion. How to describe this?
He is the child of a high ranking member of a secret organization, an untouchable if you will.
But times change, people change as do allegiances.
This is the beginning, the period of bargaining if you will.
Creeping Beautiful takes the reader on a twisted journey where the past and the present collide.
Where reality isn't quite as real as it seems.
Friends are a questionable commodity like the truth, a rare thing.
If you enjoy stories that drag you too the edge.
That cause your breath to stall and your heart to pound.
That keep you guessing - never quite sure which direction is up.
Then this is it
#romance #suspense #dark #jahuss
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James by M. Tasia
Description:
GOING IT ALONE
Too many ghosts live inside James Masterson's head, and they weren't the company he sought. Actually, he prefers no one's company, but he finds himself surrounded by overly friendly, meddlesome types while visiting his brother at The Gates in DTLA. Somehow, James becomes the unwelcome subject of Detective Richard Ross's attention, and, before he knows how it happened, James is caught up in Ross's family drama. When a madman tries to kill Ross's sister and her daughter, James's special ops Army training kicks in, and he becomes their hero, something he knows down to his core, he is not. The thing about crazy killers is they never give up, and when the final showdown comes to a head, James knows he'll do anything to keep the family he has found, especially the love of a sexy detective.
My Thoughts 💭:
I think James may have stolen my heart 💝
This series never fails to touch on all my emotions.
I laugh. I cry. I gasp. I fall in love.
James has carried his guilt for years holding it tightly to his chest.
He feels he has earned the nightmares, the flashbacks.
Put simply - he failed.
First with regards to his siblings, despite everything he did he failed to protect them.
Then again when the tables turned deadly during his last mission making a mockery of his attempts to save his team ...
James was balancing dangerously on the edge until that one touch brought him back. Calmed him during the storm.
Problem is that touch comes from a man that only sees him as an irresponsible pain in the backside.
When we were first introduced to James during Finn's story we were only given a small glimpse at his character. It was enough to make me curious and have me looking forward to the opportunity to read his story.
This story far exceeded my expectations
I cried for James.
He reminds me of a big teddy bear 🐻 his heart is in the right place he just steps a bit heavy at times 😏
Ross is Mr. In Control, not in a bad way just a bit overbearing at times.
He likes to be prepared, proactive if you will.
He is protective of the ones he loves and is more comfortable if he knows he has control of the situation... okay maybe a little OCD🤣
When a case he thought was closed backfires putting his family and himself in danger he finds he has no choice but to trust the one person who is constantly reckless and brings nothing but chaos into his world.
Can two completely opposite souls find common ground?
Can James accept his past and allow himself a happy ever after?
Will Ross chill the heck out?
All these answers and more await you
The copy I read was comp
#militaryromance #romance #suspense #lgbt #mm #MTasia
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Finding Her Fire by Gracen Miller
Description:
Marked for death…
Ashe wanted more from life than a simple existence of sunbathing and luring seamen to their island to mate. The monotony of that scenario wasn’t for her, so once she left the haven of those sandy shores, she put all her effort into becoming a legend… a fable to be feared. The monster in the dark, the ghoul that’ll snap your neck before you feel her breath on your ear. She’s no saint and doesn’t want to be one. In fact, breathing fear into others is a powerful aphrodisiac.
…Tobias should’ve been an easy kill.
Tobias Drakki is the head of the Drakki empire, specializing in rare ice-blue diamonds. Everyone wants a cut of his diamond mine, but few know he’s crucial to its success. His word is law. His commands followed with swift speed. His wealth so large all of the Drakki family enjoys prosperity and he doesn’t doubt their loyalty. But with that type of fortune and power comes envy, greed, and enemies.
With his forehead in the crosshairs of her scope…
Tobias Drakki is as guilty as all her other hits, so when Ashe is offered millions to assassinate him, she takes the job. This assignment should be a piece of cake, in and out, no one will notice she was ever there. But getting too cocky is the first crack in an assassin’s foundation.
…renowned assassin Asherah Stone wavered.
Ashe didn’t count on the way he made her feel from two miles out, or that she would hesitate to take the killing shot. The glint of her lens alerts Tobias to her position. That one mistake cost Ashe her freedom. This time the payout may be more than she bargained for.
It’s a costly oversight.
My Thoughts 💭:
What a blast!
Five Fantastical Fun stars.
Fast-paced romance that entertains page after page.
This is only my second book by this author and I have to say she has solidly delivered each time.
This is a standalone and the first one I have read in the Black Hollow series. I am definitely going back to the beginning as I do not want to miss a moment from this cast
Ashe is 'OMG' how do I put into words what a handful she is.
She is all calm and collect one moment then the next she is slicing and dicing and ruining any chances you might have of future progeny
Then we have the gruff un-moving and all-knowing Tobias (fine in his mind he is all these things but hey credit due and all he is a smexy beast)
The supporting cast is out of this world - They was a little bit of every personality from bubbly and witty to gruff and grumpy.
Black Hollow is made up of supes who are looking for peace. A place where your differences are what makes you special. A place to call home.
As a reader, I just wanted to be a part of the feeling - the fun. Kick back have a cuppa and maybe some rainbow ice cream.
This is a quick to capitulate romance sprinkled with a healthy dose of suspense - wrapped up neatly in a whole lot of shock worthy moments -
It was fun watching our heroine flushing out the bad guy/gal then making peace with everyone she tried to kill ... I would have to say our gal was busy
#paranormal #romance #suspense #ku #dragons #gracenmiller
Amazon

Deviant Betrayal by L.V. Lane
Description:
Before the Copper virus came along, we were ordinary people.
Developed in a lab, the virus was hailed as the next stage of evolution. Little did we know how it would change us, physically and physiologically.
It divided us.
There were still ordinary people among us, those for whom the virus did not latch. And then there were the dynamics—Alpha through to Mu.
And Omega, the lowliest dynamic.
★ Part 3 of Lilly's story★
Lilly had experienced one perfect moment of acceptance. For the first time since she revealed as an Omega, she could see a future with her two Alphas that did not fill her with dread.
So, with a measure of mischief and independence, she went to meet Tsing alone without telling her Controllers.
Erison Tsing doesn’t want Lilly to stay, and he doesn’t want to help her to run.
He’s not her friend, nor does he harbor latent regrets about their past moment of intimacy.
Tsing has an agenda, and Lilly is about to become collateral damage...
My Thoughts 💭:
I love this throuple 😍
Ryker needs more Lilly time!
This episode opens with heart ❤stopping on the edge of your seat drama - and not the good kind
Lilly is so intelligent but when it comes to her heart and her faith in the good of others -
I get why they assign controllers
Everything comes to a head and believe it or not Ryker actually was the voice of reason on multiple occasions - I know threw me too
Time is of the essence here and it will take every string both men can pull to save their Lilly
Be prepared there are some moments that ...
the level of depravity that greed can invoke - heartbreaking
Some of my favorite couples made cameos and I believe some new alliances were formed.
This was another five-star installation to this series
I'm off to the next in series
#omegaverse #rh #scifi #dark #gothic #romance #ku #lvlane
Amazon

Lost Girl by Dee Garcia
Description:
Wendy
I was just a normal girl in a normal human world. I’d loved. I’d lost. I’d grieved, and after some time, I moved on.
Then, and quite suddenly, he returned.
He—Peter Pan, my first love; a monster in disguise.
In the end, he paid the ultimate price, but his demise wasn’t enough.
Now, I’m paying off the interest, dragged into a realm filled with wicked creatures I thought only existed in fairy tales and lores.
They want answers.
And I have none to give.
But the proverbial hourglass is draining of sand, and as darkness consumes, I find myself accepting the fact I’ll never make it home.
I’ll die at their merciless hands.
That is, until one valiant creature intervenes—leader of The Lost Boys.
The Alpha.
Tavi
Finding Wendy was by sheer chance.
From the moment I saw her, I was blasted with this fierce sense of duty.
I can’t explain it.
All I knew was, I had the save her.
So I did, brought her back to the Woodlands—The Lost Boys’ stomping grounds. But her connection to Peter leaves her as ostracized as he once found himself.
Until her mortality poses a concern, one the factions can’t ignore.
One no one has answers for, either.
Both my father and the Sacred Six warn there might not be any, but that doesn’t deter Wendy from trying to find a solution.
Despite such pressing matters, though, there’s a singular thought that incessantly crosses my mind.
Proof that fate is real.
She’s mine.
And I’ll be damned if anyone—or anything—tries to rip my little wolf away from me.
My Thoughts 💭:
"Self-combustion begins in three...Two...One...I'm so F'd."
Peter Pan so re-imagined it was easy to get lost in the pages.
Garcia created absolute magic with Lost Girl
Action - Adventure - Angst - Romance - Pure Magic
One of the best reads this year!
Wendy is quite literally tossed into Rosewood courtesy of Twink and the Capt. A bit in shock and not understanding what her hosts want from her, she finds herself hanging around their dungeon testing her vocal cords hoping help shows up.
Tavi can not stand Hook but for his sis, Tigerlily, he will smile and behave - It is only for a few hours. He can behave for a few hours, right?
And so it begins
Nonstop edge of your seat action
Panty melting chemistry
Plot twists that will leave you boggled (some I still have no answers for)
Pay attention it is the little things that add up.
Hook - knows a lot more than he is letting on.
And Tink? The girl needs therapy
Tigerlily? You naughty little thing
Wendy was practically perfect! Seriously, she was a damsel in need of a savior and she had no problem admitting it. She played demurely (not sure that is the word I want but 🤷 ) but the girl had a strength that needed to be recognized.
Tavi. Not sure what to say about him but - Where can I get my own?
Venom is the first book in this series. Lost Girl pretty much picks up where the excitement in Venom ended but it can be read as a standalone with no problem.
#adult #fairytale #fantasy #shifter #rosewoodrealm #deegarcia
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Sinners & Gin by Alta Hensley
Description:
My power is absolute. My rules are law.
Structure.
Obedience.
Discipline.
I am in charge, and what I say goes. Black and white with no gray.
No one dares break the rules in my dark and twisted world… until her. Until she makes me cross my own jagged lines.
She’s untouched. Perfection. Pure.
Forbidden.
She tests my limits in all ways.
There is only one option left.
I will claim her as mine no matter how many rules are broken.
My Thoughts 💭:
Matthew wants his property back and to send a message to all that you don't mess with what is his
Aria lives in a gilded cage.
A possession to be bartered.
She is the perfect leverage.
I wish this had been longer. Each is standalone but they do interconnect with regards to the characters.
I didn't like Matthew at the beginning or in the middle. I did warm up to him towards the end, I probably would have connected with his character more if I had been given a bit more time.
He was cold and even though we got his perspective behind the events I never felt like I truly knew him. Does that make sense?
Aria was a vivacious little sprite. She had spent her life manipulating the little things when and where she could. She was an innocent, physically - daddy needed her pure. Increased her trading value and all that, but mentally she was well beyond her years.
I enjoyed her fight and her honest capitulation.
Being a short read the author balanced her personality quite well.
I liked the overall story. Not my favorite in this series but I am a bit attached to some of the earlier cast
copy provided via booksprout
#gothic #VigilanteJustice #suspense #romance #topshelfseries #altahensley
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#bookreviews #bookrecommendations #whattoread
#romancebooks #suspense #dark #jahuss #militaryromance #lgbt #mm #MTasia
#paranormal #dragons #gracenmiller #omegaverse #rh #scifi #dark #gothic #lvlane
#adult #fairytale #fantasy #shifter #rosewoodrealm #deegarcia #gothic #VigilanteJustice #topshelfseries #altahensley