Friday, July 11, 2025

Review: Little Stranger by Leigh Rivers

Little Stranger by Leigh Rivers
Series: The Web of Silence Duet #1
Publication date: October 29th, 2023
Pages: 267
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Synopsis:
OWNING HER IS ALL HE EVER WANTED

She betrayed him, and now he wants revenge against the foster sister who became his forbidden obsession the second he laid eyes on her. After she sends him to prison for years, he's free and ready to haunt her.

Everything about Olivia belongs to Malachi Vize.
Her mind
Her body
Her soul
Her fear
Her pain

On Halloween night, he can no longer lurk in the shadows.
All he has left to own is her heart, even if he needs to take it.

WITH BONUS CONTENT

This story comes with extremely triggering content. Please read the "Content Warning" page.


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Review:
I had heard about this book for a good long while but I put off reading it. The reason for that is that I was afraid I was going to like it so much that I would fall into a book hangover of epic proportions. I can safely say that didn't happen so putting off reading the book was a wasted effort. However, that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the book. In fact, I really enjoyed it. The beginning of the book was filled with building taboo heat that made me wonder if I had the right book. I had heard the book was dark to the point of people finding it uncomfortable to read. The first part of the book made me severely confused until the midway mark where I finally had a "aaaand there it is" epiphany. It was certainly dark once it kicked off but not at all to the point of no return like some of the splatterpunk books I have read.

Getting into the characters, I was a little on the fence about Olivia. She seemed so incredibly fickle. She warred with her emotions and ended up stringing people along and playing with people's emotions because she couldn't decide what she wanted for herself. She had an odd infatuation with Malachi from the moment he joined their family and it only warped more and more as the years went by. Even though they were not biological siblings, she struggled with her attraction to her foster brother. I didn't really understand the war she waged against their connection and it got very annoying after a while. Malachi, however, is absolutely adorable at first. But if you piss the man off, watch out. But I'm into it. Protective psychopath? Sounds good to me. Maybe I've read too many dark romance books.

I have read a few other books by Leigh Rivers and they were equally as good. I like the way the author is not afraid to dance along the line of dark romance swaying back and forth like on a rope bridge. She is not afraid to get truly dark but doesn't go too far over it to the point where someone may actually need to set the book aside while reading it. At least not anyone with my experience with the extremes of the genre. 

I think the book was tied up pretty nicely with a black bow but it seems there may be more to the story that I look forward to delving back into. If I had more of a connection with Olivia I would have given the book a five-star rating for sure.



Thursday, July 10, 2025

Review: Crash & Burn by Adell Ryan

Crash & Burn by Adell Ryan
Series: Burnout #3
Publication date: December 30th, 2020
Pages: 373
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Synopsis:
Keeping my distance to avoid getting emotionally involved, failed.

Remember that game of car-crew tug-of-war? Well, the rope snapped, leaving me alone in the center, unable to reach either dangling end.

The tension force in the rope and the resistance between the crews? That was my fault.

There is only one solution for fixing things--a modification to the plan that got us in this mess to begin with. I need to distance myself and do what I should have done the day I was forced into the job:

Burnout.

Circumstances initiated the challenge. Grit and determination filled the gas tank. I opened the throttle wide... and lost. But the daughter of the late automotive guru, Troy Delancey, does not give up just because she tasted defeat in the first couple of races.

The time has come to stage a match with my own set of rules and show these crews how to race--and win--like a girl.

This final flag drop is my only remaining hope.



Available at:




Review:
Remi has lost everything. Her brother's favor and her the trust of the men she was falling for all in one swoop. Even if she didn't actively betray her men she still conspired to do so and in these men's world that is just the same. Now Remi has nobody to turn to and she must find a way to stand on her own. Her crazed ex is still out there, beaten but not out yet, and she must find a way to escape him while her brother and lovers ice her out. But her guys also kept secrets from her. Crow, most of all. Maybe its time for Remi and the rest of the Gulf Coasters to let the secrets out and find a way through them before they destroy everything they ever built. But that is easier said than done, isn't it?

I feel that this book was a little more scattered than the other two. One minute I was crying over the treatment Remi was getting and the heartbreak she was going through and the next she was making internal side comments about ass play. I had a hard time keeping up with the sudden change. It felt like the author got a little silly with the final book and that made the foundation of her story a little shaky. It felt like Remi was all over the place, wandering aimlessly, with no real destination in mind as far as what she would do for the rest of her life. Granted, all of this happened in the span of a few days to weeks so it is understandable. In that same school of thought I am glad that there was no 'I love yous' exchanged when the relationships were all so new. Obsession, absolutely. Forever love? That's a bit of a stretch. So I applaud the author for not taking that worn and weary path that most insta-love books take.

Remi was a lot more whiny and fragile in this book than in the others. Of course, she was going through three break-ups and the lost of her brother's affections all in the same time frame, so maybe that is to be expected. But when she was portrayed as being a badass no nonsense biker chick you'd think she'd be able to pick herself up a bit more than she did. I think she crumbled and cracked and it took someone getting hurt for things to be brought back together. 

Trenton lost a lot of points with me in this book. The way he cavalierly talked about her when had their last moments together after the fact. I know he was trying to mask how much he was hurting but at the same time, it was just gross. I was really disappointed that the goofy guy turned into one of my least favorite of the trio. 

I also wasn't a huge fan of their manipulation of her in the same manner as the perceived her of doing to them. I know the reason behind it and I am not giving the author a hard time for the choice but, damn, give the girl a break! I felt terrible for Remi and if I had been her I would have smacked the heck out of the three of them for the games they played with her heart as well. 

The book left me on the edge of my seat and I never knew what was going to happen next. There were some revelations that made me even more confused than when I had tried to puzzle it out for myself. But the book, overall, was good. I read it in one night and felt good about stepping away from Remi and her guys at the end. 



Review: Fuel & Fire by Adell Ryan

Fuel & Fire by Adell Ryan
Series: Burnout #2
Publication date: September 30th, 2020
Pages: 206
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Synopsis:
Are you wondering how that whole "Remi keeping her distance from sexy men who live and breathe vehicles" thing is going?

In short... terrible.

My heart got involved. It wasn't supposed to run a race of its own, especially one where the competition is fixed--a guaranteed loss no matter how fast or well I drive.

Choosing a side was never in the job description.

Imagine a game of car-crew tug-of-war: A rope is tethered between two vehicles. Racers have their hands wrapped around the steering wheel and sticky tires grip the asphalt. Engines are revving to pull at the signal--competitors ready to claim a win.

That flag entangled and dangling in the middle dividing the two sides? That's me. The rope represents my secrets. My integrity. My pride. My fight...

My feelings.

With the job sabotaged, deciding where my loyalties lie has now become a requirement, and there's no room for negotiations on this high-speed, two-lane freeway.

Family... or feelings?

One has to lose.

Buckle up for Fast & Furious meets Driven in the continuation of this high-octane, edge-of-your-seat Reverse Harem Romance!


Available at:




Review:
The mission was simple: find out who the heavy hitters in the underground street racing scene is and report back to her brother and his best friend. But what happens when her mission turns into one where she is incapable of seeing the checkered flag at the end of the track? The more time she spends with the Revelry crew of Trenton, Hayes, and Crow, the more she struggles to figure out why she was ever wanting to help her brother with their downfall after all. She would do anything for her brother and do anything to keep her secrets from getting out, but does that mean she is willing to betray the men she is starting to fall for and accept the abuse that is dished out to her cold from her ex? Either way, she would need to make a decision before its too late: familial loyalty or three slices of her beating heart?

Normally there is some waning in a book series between installments. The middle books are never as good as the beginning and ends of a series because there isn't as much heavy-handed action. The author is not trying to drag readers into their world or resolving all the conflicts to tie the world they had created in a bright red bow. However, Adell Ryan seems to have mastered the art of keeping things just as spicy and interesting in the middle book as she did in the first. The mystery of Remi still remains heavy on my mind and makes me desperate to find out what exactly Porter has on her that would make her willing to not only be beaten by him behind her brother's back but also raped on several occasions. The author touched on this subject in an interesting way. She made her female character compliant in her assaults only because she was afraid of what would happen if she weren't. It was incredibly true to reality and I appreciated that stance on it. Being as women all over the world will be compliant even when they don't want physicality between them and another and not define it for what it is, it's assault. Remi was no different. And it brought her to life for me.

The men are still just as yummy as ever but I was digging the fact that she has a little push and pull action with Crow despite having things pretty cemented with Hayes and Trenton. I liked that Crow resisted a lot more and was totally different than the happy puppies that Trenton and Hayes seemed to always be. It made my preference in her men shift a bit from Hayes to Crow. He was willing to get his hands dirty with Remi and that made him the idyllic protector role that I love.

This book follows Remi as she continues to explore her feelings with the three men she is infatuated with while trying to decide between loyalty to her brother and loyalty to them. It touched on some hard subjects but made me hungry to read more. I am saddened that the next book will be the last in the trilogy but I can't wait to get back to some of my favorite characters I have encountered in 2025.


Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Review: Smoke & Rubber by Adell Ryan

Smoke & Rubber by Adell Ryan
Series: Burnout #1
Publication date: June 30th, 2020
Pages: 233
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Synopsis:
Ever make it your life goal to stay far, far away from sexy men who live and breathe vehicles? No? Just me?

Most of my life has been spent hiding behind one of the West Coast's most infamous players in the automotive industry.

But when he unexpectedly dies and the family business falls under new management, I'm forced to step from the shadows. After being relocated across country, they demand I infiltrate the local street racing scene, find out who runs it, and aid in a takeover.

I convince myself there's no other choice. Failing to carry out these demands will result in the unraveling of my darkest secrets... the unraveling of me.

Then, I meet them--the men who bring light into my otherwise spiraling dark existence.

They are intoxicating, dangerous, and irresistible. And, as if things aren't complicated enough, they're my only leads to the underground world of fast cars and dirty money.

Will I be able to unearth enough information to keep my secrets buried without losing these men who are quickly stealing my heart?

Buck up for Fast & Furious meets Driven in this high-octane, edge-of-your-seat Reverse Harem Romance!


Available at:




Review:
Remi moved to the East Coast after a monumental loss with her brother and ex-boyfriend. Determined to make it on their own without their father around to protect them the only thing they can do is what they know and that's racing. There is a hot new underground crew that they hope to infiltrate and take over if only they can find out who leads it. Enter Remi. Nobody suspects the hot woman with nitrous flowing through her veins and danger in her heart. As three men suspected of being a part of the underground crew grow closer to Remi she starts to wonder if she has finally found her in that she has been looking for. She can't afford to fail in her pursuits or all her dirty little secrets will be shared with the one person she would rather die than hurt: her brother. Can Remi risk it all and sacrifice what could be her next great loves to pacify her blackmailer?

I was not expecting to love this book. I heard racing reverse harem and went, 'yawn'. But leaving my book selections to fate, I rolled the dice and was forced into this one. I read it in one night. I stayed up far too late gobbling up every moment of the first book and hankering for the second. I didn't even want to stop reading to write this review, but knew I needed to.

Remi is a badass sweetheart that has a few shattered pieces and sharp edges. The boys she comes in contact with don't know how to handle the secretive woman who seems to know more about cars than even they do. Her attempts to portray herself as a clueless groupie was lost the minute she is confronted with each of their amazing rides. Remi stole my heart from the moment I started reading about her loss and how she was struggling with it. I feel for her and want her to find the happiness she deserves. I found myself screaming at my Kindle to just pour her guts out to Trenton, Hayes, and Crow so she can finally be free of everything holding her back. But where would the turmoil be if she did that?

Out of every harem, I always have to have a favorite. This is the first where I actually had to give it some thought before I made a decision. Trenton is the loveable golden retriever who jokes around and is just the most easy going vibe of a man. Hayes is nerdy and awkward but he notices behaviors that escape others. He has a heart of gold even though he is on the quiet side. Crow his the typical bad boy. He slings insults to get a rise out of people and tries to play it cool while having an extremely protective feel to him. The three are all great but my heart belongs to Hayes. I am a sucker for a nerdy man, what can I say?

I think the story really flowed well and I was impressed with some of the racing lingo that I was completely clueless to. It shows that the author did more than just watch Fast & Furious and pick up some of the terminology from there. She put in work and I applaud the effort. Brava, Adell Ryan. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.


Sunday, July 6, 2025

Review: Taming Seraphine by Gigi Styx

Taming Seraphine by Gigi Styx
Series: Morally Black #1
Publication date: December 26th, 2023
Pages: 544
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Synopsis:
They captured me, broke me. Molded me into their perfect weapon. They made me murder and seduce strangers.

Until a hitman killed my captors and set me free.

Leroi

I rescued a girl from a basement thinking she was innocent, but I brought home a serial killer whose darkness borders on insanity.

Now, I need to tame her murderous instincts before I become her next victim.

Seraphine is reckless, unstable, and likely to get us both destroyed. Every instinct says I should end her, but she's too captivating to resist.

Each day, she draws me deeper into her web, her allure stripping my self-control. But I'm harboring secrets treacherous enough to add me to her list of men to slaughter.

Seraphine

Leroi is dark, deadly, and dangerous attractive.

I don't know what he wants, but resisting him is impossible and I'm ready to slay him at the first sign of betrayal.

When a dark figure from the past rises from the shadows, wanting to reclaim me, I'm forced to trust a man who might stab me in the back.

Taming Seraphine is a dark romance containing themes that may be disturbing to some. Please check the warnings inside the book.



Available at:




Review:
When Leroi broke into the Capello family home to exterminate the men who were the reason behind his cousin's false imprisonment he never would have guessed that he would stumble across a doe-eyed blonde girl locked in the basement of the family home with a shock collar attached to her throat. He can't leave her behind, she's seen too much, and he can't kill her due to his oath to never do harm to women or children. So he takes her under his wing and into his home. Little did he know that she wasn't the sweet, innocent girl that she appears to be. She is a highly trained Lolita assassin who has probably a higher body count than he ever could imagine. The problem is she is like a rabid animal. She kills without conscious thought to the repercussions of her actions. If she is ever going to be able to live freely, she will need to be tamed. She will need to learn how to control her murderous impulses. But can Leroi train her before she comes for his throat? 

I will admit, I glossed over a few of the reviews for this book in the midst of reading it and was thoroughly perplexed. There seemed to be so many reviews about this book not being worth a damn. That even the characters were corny but I didn't see any of that. I know it was compared to Haunting Adeline and the Mindfuck series but I will agree, I don't see that comparison but... that isn't a reason to say the book was not good. I thought that Leroi was a strong, dominant older man who took Seraphine under his wing. There were a few BDSM aspects to the story which felt pretty genuine to the real dynamics. I always like when a book can touch on BDSM and actually hold to how it is in reality over some fifty shades of abuse. 

I found Seraphine to be a little confusing at times, but after being locked away for five years with no contact with the outside world except when she was on her missions, its to be expected. I felt like she was constantly in a flux between her impulses and her desires to do what is right and wrong. She was murderous, she was crazy, but she was attempting to be more even if Leroi had to drag it out of her. She read true to the character that Gigi Styx created. A person is not going to come out of the situation of abuse she was in unscathed and without having more than her fair share of issues. 

I liked that they didn't play up the age gap too much. Sometimes authors will emphasize it a lot to cater to that taboo feel. But with this book Leroi was older by a lot but it was never a point of contention. They connected on a real level and not just because she was a cute younger girl and he was a dirty older man who couldn't help himself. In fact, he resisted as long as he could which I give him kudos for. Most men would have given in the first day. 

I enjoyed the characters, the story had a real plot that I was loving watching unfold, and it flowed really well. I look forward to reading the rest of the series and seeing what happens with the rest of the men in Leroi's family as they find their sassy counterparts.