Book review: THE HERMIT, by Michelle Heard

Mafia Empire #1

Dominik & Grace

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s a definite truth that Michelle Heard’s perfect niche is Mafia love stories.  She really excels at these and they are all addictive.  In this case, we have a very brave heroine, who fiercely defends her little sister, Ciara.  She accepted marriage to a monster so her little sister could be free to marry for love.  Luckily, the monster was killed two years into her marriage.  Then when her father was going to marry Ciara off to another mafioso, she got in the middle and married him herself.

Her father, who used to be a loving parent, is weak and prioritizes his business deals over the happiness of his daughters, but he couldn’t command over Grace’s determination.  So she married Dominik and  got a man who cherishes loneliness and silence.  He’s strange but compelling, dangerous when necessary but decent and kind when he’s in family mode.  I found him fascinating and Grace admirable.

This book is the first in a new series, a new Mafia consortium is formed and there’s banter and danger between the guys, so I can’t wait to read their stories.  Dominik and Grace have a very slow into love relation, I loved how Dominik, who hates peopling, found peace in Grace’s presence.  She entertains him, and they slowly move into friendship, and then into love.  I loved how it all progressed and how fast Dominik felt possessive and protective.  His second in command, who is like his sister, is also captivated with Grace and they are like sisters.

It was a great first installment in a series, and I can’t wait for the rest!

Purchase links

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DS2GB6NF

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DS2GB6NF

CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DS2GB6NF

AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0DS2GB6NF

About the author

Michelle Heard is a Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling Author who loves creating stories her readers can get lost in. She resides in South Africa with her son where she's always planning her next book to write, and trip to take.

 

Connect w/Michelle:

 

Website: https://michelleheardauthor.com

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Book review: TAKING WHAT’S MINE, by Siobhan Davis

Thrilling, exciting, emotional, like all Siobhan Davis’ books.  I love diving into her world, especially since I know most of the characters and their back stories.  I loved seeing Bennett, Sierra, Serena, Alesso, older and wiser but no less lethal or beautiful as the case may be.  The Accardi twins are about to be parents!  I loved meeting Valentina and seeing how spunky she is.  For someone so young and who has gone through so much, she’s a heroine all right. And super intelligent, too!

I got a kick out of seeing Fiero Maltese, the supposedly forever bachelor, completely decided against marriage, fall like a bucket of bricks for this young woman who is as beautiful inside as outside.  And at first sight! Talk about finding your destiny when you least expect it, and having to force that destiny to fit into your schemes.

Nobody writes Mafia like Siobhan Davis and we get a glimpse into that world, with all the schemes, politics, threats, danger and internal betrayals.  It’s suspenseful because of the threats, dangerous for Valentina because of what she’s going against, and totally delicious because of the steamy sexy times these two have.  

From a hard a$$ to a cheesy lover, Fiero did make a total turnabout and I loved seeing how romantic he could get.  I was very happy for Valentina in finding her one true love and happiness, nobody deserved it better than she.

And let’s not forget the plot twists that this author delights us with!  There are always wonderful surprises along the story, some made me cry because it was just so sad.  This author never fails to make me laugh and cry and rejoice because within this world of criminals, there’s a code of honor, women are revered, family is a priority, children are protected.  It’s full of good men even if they’re mafiosos!

Purchase links

US: https://amzn.to/3QIazYV

UK: https://amzn.to/3wwzpE5

CA: https://amzn.to/3WKdZOi

AU: https://amzn.to/3yoAePI

Universal: https://bit.ly/TWMEbook

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/TWMGR

About the author

Siobhan Davis™ is a USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Top 5 bestselling romance author. Siobhan writes emotionally intense stories with swoon-worthy romance, complex characters, and tons of unexpected plot twists and turns that will have you flipping the pages beyond bedtime! She has sold over 2 million books, and her titles are translated into several languages.

https://siobhandavis.com/

IRRESISTIBLY DANGEROUS, by J. Saman

Irresistibly Yours #5

Lenox & Georgia

From the start of the series, I have been intrigued by Lenox Moore.  He’s silent and intense, always present for his best friends, always available to help with his incredible hacking skills.  He’s a man of few words but I was impressed that although he lived in Maine, he was still there in Boston when his friends needed him. He’s saved many situations for his friends, finding out surprising information on their enemies and winning the day.  I was intrigued on how his love story would develop and I was not disappointed at all!  Turned out his love interest is Georgia Monroe, cousin to Sax and Grey, like a baby sister to them.  

I was surprised that Lenox and Georgia had past history, a two-year relation that ended badly.  When she comes, after a six year period, and asks him to marry her to save her inheritance, of course he won’t say no, and this starts a very riveting and adventurous story.  No wonder the title of the book is Irresistibly Dangerous, their attraction was just that for them!

It’s made very clear in this book how much he loves his friends, his bandmates when they used to be the Central Square rock band. His house has five bedrooms, and his dining table has five chairs, one for each of them! I also got to see how much the death of Suzie, his twin and Sax’s girlfriend, destroyed him.  I felt for him and all that he went through.

The story is very adventurous, Georgia is a handful, stubborn and independent. She needs Lenox’s help, but resents he thinks she needs protection. She did knock down two men during the story, so she was feisty and dangerous!  Even though they said they would keep on hating each other, of course it didn’t stick! The story turns steamy and feelings soon follow. I loved reading about Lenox’s hacking skills, loved their bantering and their love-hate initial interactions. Georgia has a big heart and wants to do the right thing; likewise he has a good heart hidden beneath that broody exterior. I was gobsmacked when I read about his personal circumstances, brokenhearted about his huge depression after he lost his twin, impressed by his work on himself to be worthy and deserving of Georgia’s love. And I chucked every time he called her Georgie and got an elbow to his ribs!

Riveting and entertaining, so sorry to finish this series but grateful to the author for the outstanding stories!

Purchase links

Amazon: http://geni.us/IrresistiblyDangerous        

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/3HhHfmX

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/46XCeL0 

About the author

J. Saman is a USA Today and Amazon top 40 bestselling author who writes sassy, swoony, and scorching contemporary romances. She is addicted to Diet Coke, sour candy, and indie rock. She swears way too much (especially after a glass of wine) and has a penchant for sarcasm (or so her husband and children like to tell her).

J. is an admitted lover of second chance romances, enemies to lovers, and the perfect amount of angst. She is best known for writing funny and emotional romances filled with smart, strong women, and sexy alphas who have a softer side—especially for their women.

Connect with J. Saman

Website: http://jsamanbooks.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14923699.J_Saman

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/J.-Saman/author/B01FOIUR46

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THE BROKEN VOWS, by Catharina Maura

The Windsors #4

Zane & Celeste

Trust this author to write a book with so many twists and turns as to give us whiplash!  Zane’s and Celeste’s story is full of back and forth hate and love episodes, starting from when they were school kids and Zane used to bully her.  Under all that hate was love, of course, but the scars were hard to get rid of.  During the course of this book, they did a lot of harm to each other, and underneath all that war of revenge, was a very strong and passionate love.  Trust and jealousy work hand in hand to make this a very angsty and riveting story.

I was mostly angry at Celeste, she trusted in the words of others and didn’t listen to her instincts, thus causing a lot of harm and then suffering with the consequences. I felt for Zane who repented from his bullying years but didn’t get the redemption he needed. I loved all the family around them, with their banter, poker days, high fashion dressing, family dinners. There were lost friendships, reconciliations, bad grandparenting, and financial high stakes warfare. As with all books by this author, it was very satisfyingly angsty!

Purchase links

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/3SgkMNi

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3RQl8Zm

About the author

Catharina Maura is a USA Today and Amazon #1 bestselling author. She writes angsty, fast-paced contemporary romance novels that break your heart before they lead you to a hard-won happily ever after.

Cat lives in Hong Kong with her husband and a dozen houseplants that all have names. When she isn't daydreaming about future characters, she's exploring the world and seeking out new adventures. 

You can find Cat's socials and latest updates here: https://hi.catharinamaura.com/bio

OWN, by Sienna Snow

Violent Desires #3

I loved this finale!  Sophia and Damon are broken up, and yet, the love they have for each other is undeniable.  Both are suffering, Damon feels guilty and Sophia feels broken.  Incredibly, it’s Lucian who interferes after Damon’s drunken bender and convinces him to fight for Sophia.  Loved when Eva Morelli appears at Damon’s condo and has Lucian heat up her famous gnocchi for them! Lucian is a grump but there’s no denying the love he feels for his sisters.

In this last book of the trilogy, we see a Sophia who feels more evolved in spite of her heartbreak and a Damon who faced his demons and is determined to get his lady back.  I love seeing Damon loving Sophia and accepting her with all her brattiness.  There’s a wonderful scene between Sophia and her mother where both bare their hearts and achieve something that Sophia had never had, a loving mother talking to her and giving heartfelt advice.

The banter between Lucian and Damon feels like fighting but seems to be their way to be friends. They are loyal but insulting, and it seems to work for them.  All the Morelli siblings appear here, in some way, and it’s clear the link between them and how they are one against the parental units.  

We see Damon, affected by a dark childhood and learning to overcome his issues, thanks to Sophia.  Their coming together, both with kink and with hearts open is sweet and spicy.  In the first book, I saw Damon as the strong one and Sophia as the young one, learning the ropes.  In this book, they feel equal and I saw a Damon loving his bratty girl and wanting her happiness above his.  Great trilogy!

Purchase links

Amazon: https://bit.ly/41f1LgR

Apple Books: https://bit.ly/41qWjHZ

Nook: https://bit.ly/483Or12

Kobo: https://bit.ly/489M2SF

Google Play: https://bit.ly/3GLlwmN

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3uR3rBl

About the author

Inspired by her years working in corporate America, Sienna loves to serve up stories woven around confident and successful women who know what they want and how to get it, both in—and out—of the bedroom.

Her heroines are fresh, well-educated, and often find love and romance through atypical circumstances.  Sienna treats her readers to enticing slices of hot romance infused with empowerment and indulgent satisfaction.

Sienna loves the life of travel and adventure.  She plans to visit even the farthest corners of the world and delight in experiencing the variety of cultures along the way. When she isn't writing or traveling, Sienna is working on her "happily ever after" with her husband and children.

 

Connect with Sienna

Website: https://siennasnow.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15076071.Sienna_Snow

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sienna-Snow/author/B01M1DHVMD/

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