Review: Evolve by Bex Dawn

Evolve by Bex Dawn

Series: Los Diablos Syndicate #2

Publication date: June 24th, 2022

Pages: 438

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Synopsis:

Prequel: Crash

Book 1: Burn

This is a reverse harem, mafia/gang, mystery romance with plot twists/turns, steamy and smutty scenes, hot alpha-possessive-assholes, sweet love, and grungy content. Our FMC goes through it but she definitely has her come back. Her badassery comes through and she becomes a warrior with the support of her men behind her. This will be a four full-length book series with a Prequel Novella that starts the journey off!

This series is a continual series with cliffhangers at the end of each book. The series WILL NOT make sense if not read in order to completion. In the end, we will get a HEA!

Thank you & Enjoy! (Also, check TW's! You have been advised!)

Ella

What do you do when everywhere you turn, your world is filled with secrets and lies?

When it feels like everyone you care about is hiding something for you, waiting for their opportunity to stab you in the back and betray you?

No, seriously, I'm asking. Because that's what my life feels like right now.

My roommate isn't who I thought she was. She went behind my back and betrayed me, cutting deeply.

My best friend abandoned me when I needed him the most and he refuses to tell me where he's been.

My boyfriend lied, cheated, and broke me in the worst way imaginable. He spilled his deep, dark secrets, thinking I would be taking them with me to an early grave.

He left me for dead.

Unfortunately for him, I didn't only survive his brutal attack, but I remember every single word he said.

And the men who have bulldozed their way into my life. The ones who saved me, nursed me back to health, and have cared for me every step of the way.

Their deception somehow hurts the very worst.

Who am I supposed to trust now and what the hell am I supposed to do when I've got enemies coming at me from every direction?

The answer is simple.

Find the biggest monsters out there, and make them mine.

Maddox

I don't care what she thinks she's doing, but she's not going anywhere.

Over my dead damn body.

She's ours now.

She became ours when she walked into our business, our home, our lives.

The world of Los Diablos may be full of crime, murder, and mayhem, but it doesn't scare us.

We are bigger and badder than even her biggest nightmares and if slaying her demons is what it takes to keep her, then we'll do it.

My brothers and I are ready to fight for her, even if it means blowing up our own world in the process.

We will burn it all down for her, and evolve from the ashes.

This book has content unsuitable for those under 18 and has material that some readers may find uncomfortable.

Available at:

Review:

Ella doesn't know how to cope with what happened to her. She was attacked viciously by her ex-boyfriend and saved by the men she was starting to get to know better. Always the meek little mouse she withdraws even more into herself until she is practically afraid of her own shadow. But the men in her life refuse to let her curl up and die. They coax her out of her shell and show her what it means to stand on one's own two feet. But the problem lies in the fact that now that they have Ella seeing herself as a fighter and not a victim, will she go too far and put herself in unnecessary danger? Have they built her up so much with affection and confidence that she plans to leave them behind? Or does she just want a dose of independence?

Maddox, Gage, Stone, and Nyx each have their own baggage to deal with along with Ella's. Maddox flies into rages after being betrayed by his ex-girlfriend. Gage has a tight grip on his control after tragedy struck the last time he was in the boxing ring. Stone has an eversion to touch and has a darker taste when it comes to sex. And Nyx blames himself for Ella's hardships because he should have done more for her when he met her on that bridge so long ago. He pushes her away hard to try to save her from getting hurt by him again. These wounded men are also the most powerful men in the city. They are the heads of the Los Diablos Syndicate underneath Gage and Maddox's father. And they will stop at nothing to keep Ella safe even if that means putting them directly in the line of fire of their father.

I liked watching Ella kind of come into her own. She went from weakling to warrior in no time. She fought tooth and nail to recover from her trauma and it really didn't seem to cause her much strife which made me feel for her all the more when her past started to come out. No wonder she was so skittish! I think she was a very thoroughly developed character and the author really did a good job of making her psychologically go through the rollercoaster of healing from her situation. 

I love Maddox, Gage, and Stone, but that Nyx is getting on my last damned nerve! Why is he so cruel to her? I just don't understand why he wants to hurt her so bad. He even agreed to the fact that she should stay with them but then is constantly trying to push her away. The scene with the girl he brought home? Like, what did he want to happen? Her to run out of the building in fury and never return? He knew she was in dangerous and that she had to stay put so why in the hell would he torture her like that? I just don't understand that man and it is infuriating. I hope Ella, at some point, misses in her training and kicks him in the no-no square.

This book was good. It was more enticing then the last few but it is very heavy sometimes. But damn if the brothers in this book aren't the hottest things on this fictitious planet. Brava, Ella. Good catches.

Review: Burn by Bex Dawn

Burn by Bex Dawn

Series: Los Diablos Syndicate #1

Publication date: April 22nd, 2022

Pages: 414

Spice: 🌶️

Synopsis:

Crash is the Prequel to Burn and must be read first!

Burn is the first full-length book of the 'Los Diablos Syndicate Series.'

This is a reverse harem, mafia/gang, mystery romance with plot twists/turns, steamy and smutty scenes, hot alpha-possessive-assholes, sweet love, and grungy content. Our FMC goes through it but she definitely has her come back. Her badassery comes through and she becomes a warrior with the support of her men behind her. This will be a four full-length book series with a Prequel Novella that starts the journey off!

This series is a continual series with cliffhangers at the end of each book. The series WILL NOT make sense if not read in order to completion. In the end, we will get a HEA!

Thank you & Enjoy! (Also, check TW's! You have been advised!)

Ella

Ever since that day on the bridge two years ago, I've done everything in my power to change my life for the better. I have fought tooth and nail to climb out of the dark hole of depression that I had been living in. Finally, I found myself in a good place, until one day, I made a mistake that had repercussions I never saw coming.

I said yes.

Now, I'm once again in a difficult situation that I don't know how to escape. I'm alone, scared, and broken. I'm doing everything I can to hold onto the good pieces of my life, small as they may be. But what am I supposed to do when no matter how hard I fight, outside forces keep knocking me back down? How much worse can things get? And how in the world will I save myself this time when it's not me I'm fighting against?
My ex is doing everything he can to destroy me and I have no idea how to escape the jerk. Until one day, I meet him, Gage Luna. He's gorgeous, powerful, domineering and he makes me feel things i've never felt before. He introduces me to a world I never knew existed. It's full of murder, mayhem, and his three hot as hell brothers.

Now torn between the demons of my past and the future that is begging for me to take it, I'm realizing there is no turning back from what's in front of me.

I want it, and I'm damn well going to take it.

Gage

She's unlike anyone I've ever met before. She's a stunning little hellion and she's got me in a chokehold.

From the moment I laid eyes on her, I knew she had the potential to bring me to my knees, and it seems my brother feels the same way.

We've allowed ourselves to get close to her and it's never something either of us thought we would do. We don't have relationships and women don't fit in with our insane lives. But I find that I'm drawn to her and no matter how much I tell myself that it's not a good idea, I can't seem to let her go. Neither can Maddox.

Ella has secrets and it's clear as day that she's fighting a downhill battle. She has demons in her life that she's doing her best to hide, but when they come out and seek to destroy her, she can't keep her secret any longer.

She thinks she's alone in all of this. She thinks there is no one more powerful than her enemies.

The problem is, she has no idea who I really am. Who we are.

Maddox, my brother, and our two best friends, Stone and Nyxon and myself, are the biggest monsters out there. And now that we've got Ella in our lives, no one will touch her but us.

We will burn the world for her.

This book has content unsuitable for those under 18 and has material that some readers may find uncomfortable.

Available at:

Review:

Ella's life has been anything but smooth sailing. She came from a broken foster home of abuse and entered into an abusive relationship with the governor's son. She is a walking victim and she is sick of it. It is time that Ella took back her life like she was always meant to. She decides to end things with her on again, off again boyfriend and start to heal. Along the way she runs into Gage Luna. A handsome, domineering adoptive grandson of one of her favorite patients at the hospital she volunteers at. Before she knows it she is fast friends with Gage and is fighting off the mounting attraction. But her ex will not be so easily discarded. He attacks Ella which she narrowly escapes. After that she is even more determined to be able to take care of herself. So she starts a self defense class at Gage's gym where she runs into his younger brother, Maddox. The sparks fly with Maddox as much as they did with Gage and it leaves Ella reeling. But when her ex pops up again, will Ella be able to make it out alive?

I do love that the Luna brothers are polar opposites. Gage is stoic and a growly primal dominant whereas Maddox is a carefree, easy-going type. They provide different types of support for the many situations that Ella finds herself in. I always have a soft spot for a quiet, broody dominant male though so Gage has my heart but Maddox is not sap either. He is lighthearted and keeps things from being too serious for Ella when she needs to just kinda decompress.

Some of the downfalls of the story and why I did feel like I slogged through it a bit was because the author went so heavy on the backstory for every single moment in time that it prolonged experiences. For instance, they were going for dinner at a taco truck and it took several pages of back story before they even reached their destination. It is just too much. Too much internal monologue, too much description of every single iota of background. It got tedious and it happened at least a dozen times throughout the book. Sometimes it would have been nice for there just be some conversation and not just a bunch of filler. 

However, the story does have a good foundation and it does make me wonder about some of the connections between Ella and the guys that have yet to be discovered as well as the reason for her abuse. It feels like we will be able to unlock some of Ella's memories and of the past she has blocked out over the course of the series and I, for one, can't wait to see what happens.

 

Review: Crash by Bex Dawn

Crash by Bex Dawn

Series: Los Diablos Syndicate Novella #0.5

Publication date: March 23rd, 2022

Pages: 69

Spice: N/A

Synopsis:

This is the heartbreaking and emotional but sweet, short story of Ella's struggles with her mental health, anxiety, and severe depression. She hits rock bottom, finds a lifeline, and fights tooth and nail to get better. Will she find her happily ever after?

This is a short Prequel/Novella that sets the reader up for the series, Los Diablos Syndicate. Please read this Novella FIRST, in order for the next book to make sense.

"But God, those days when I would wake up to one of the more horrific nightmares, days that would leave me riddled with such pain, anger, and guilt. Days when not only the nightmares clung to me, but the memories I have worked so hard to bury, come out to play. They dance through my brain taunting me, reminding me of my worth, my brokenness, my failures. They follow me all day, leaving me in a fog of nothingness. Those days are the worst. They are days of choices. Choose to wrap my car around a tree, or not. To take too many of those sleeping pills or throw them all away. To slice, or not to slice. Days when I would do anything at all to make the pain stop. To physically remove the memories from my brain. There's no other way to purge them from my system.

Today is a day of choices. To jump, or not to jump."

Trigger Warning! This book includes content that some readers may find uncomfortable.

Available at:

Review:

Ella is ready for the pain to stop and she is determined to end it now. She leaves letters to her loved ones and sets out to Golden Gate Bridge to jump off the side and freefall into oblivion. What she wasn't counting on was that when she reached her ideal spot there was already someone there. A dark and handsome man who seemed to be wrestling with his own demons. Ella decides to offer him a jumping buddy even while the man changes his mind entirely. And as repayment for Ella saving his life, he wants to give her the same reason to live as she gave to him. But can this chance encounter actually give Ella a reason to keep on going?

This was a nice and short prequel to a series I plan to start reading. It is hard to get a gauge with how the author truly writes with such a small snippet but it did give an interesting premise. I do wonder what comes into play later with Thumbelina and Redwood. Are they going to be major parts of the series or just a foot note that provides some information for other characters?

So far, I am liking what has been written. I do kinda wish it were attached to the first book as a prologue so that it was easier to judge the work as a whole. As it stands all I can go off is that the premise is good and the characters are sweet. I will be severely sad if Redwood isn't featured in the series. 

 

Review: The Stopover by T L Swan

The Stopover by T L Swan

Series: The Miles High Club #1

Publication date: September 26th, 2019

Pages: 525

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Synopsis:

A memorable night of passion refuses to stay just a memory in this sizzling and scandalous romance from bestselling author T L Swan.

I was upgraded to first class on a flight from London to New York.

The food, champagne, and service were impeccable.

The blue-eyed man sitting next to me, even better.

He was suave and intelligent.

We talked and laughed, and something clicked.

Fate took over and the plane was grounded, and we had an unexpected stopover for the night.

With no plans, we made our own.

We danced and laughed our way around Boston and had a night of crazy passion that no woman would ever forget.

That was twelve months ago, and I haven't heard from him--until today.

I started a new job and met the CEO. You can imagine my surprise to see those naughty blue eyes dance with delight when he saw me across the mahogany desk.

But I'm not that carefree girl anymore. My life has changed, I have responsibilities.

I just got an email.

He wants to see me in his office for a private meeting at 8:00 a.m.

Naughty blue eyes have no place in the workplace.

What kind of private meeting does he have in mind?

Available at:

Review:

Emily is headed to a job interview in New York after a horrendous time at a wedding watching her ex all over his newest girlfriend. She was ready to get to New York, knock the socks off her potential new employers, and head home for some rest and relaxation. During her flight though she meets the most unusual man after an unexpected upgrade to first class. He is handsome, older, and has the most beautiful eyes. But Emily is determined to not be distracted by such a pretty face. That is until they have grounded and she decides to spend her downtime with him. After a romp in the sack they know this is the end of the road for them. They were to be on two separate flights to New York and never to see each other again. It was chalked up as just a fun experience that Emily would remember for the rest of her life.

Fast forward twelve months and Emily finds herself back in New York starting her new job. It is her dream job working for a media company she has always admired. But when she is introduced to the CEO she comes face to face with her stopover sex partner. Now she has to continue to fight her attraction for him while keeping her job. But it proves to be harder than she ever could imagine with Jameson Miles decides he wants her to warm his bed again.

If I am to be blunt here. I kind of thought Jameson was a tool. I think that while he did have some sexy qualities about him, he was just far too misogynistic for my liking. I felt like he only had one place for women and that was in the bedroom, other than that what was the point? I did like that Emily kind of awakened him a bit to the fact that women were good for more than just sex. It was like watching a caveman evolve. 

The book had a lot of funny parts. The entire scene of Emily and Jameson camping gave my highlighter and "funny" annotation flags a work out. I loved every second of the scene and there were several others that made me giggle. I do like that Emily wasn't a wilting flower. She was sassy. But if Jameson kept calling her a bitch I was about to come through the book swinging. When he was his alter-ego "Jim" he was a laugh riot.

"Sweep the dirt," he repeats.
"Yes, Jameson. Hurry up, or you will be doing it in the dark."
"Jesus Christ... now I've heard it all," he mutters as he begins to sweep a patch of dirt to clear it. "Who sweeps fucking dirt?"

"Well, this all makes perfect sense now."
"It does?" I frown. "I couldn't work it out at all."

"This isn't directions to put up a tent--this is a map for an escape from Alcatraz."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm getting plastered so I don't remember getting eaten by a bear." He shakes his head. "It's the only way."

I think that this book was a delight. It had everything you could want. Hot characters, hotter sex, and a light-hearted wit to it all its own. 

Review: Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas

Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas

Publication date: October 21st, 2016

Pages: 343

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Synopsis:

From New York Times Bestselling Author, Penelope Douglas, comes the latest New Adult romance...

"We were perfect together. Until we met."

Misha

I can't help but smile at the lyrics in her letter. She misses me.

In fifth grade, my teacher set us up with pen pals from a different school. Thinking I was a girl, with a name like Misha, the other teacher paired me up with her student, Ryen. My teacher, believing Ryen was a boy like me, agreed.

It didn't take long for us to figure out the mistake. And in no time at all, we were arguing about everything. The best takeout pizza. Android vs. iPhone. Whether or not Eminem is the greatest rapper ever...

And that was the start. For the next seven years, it was us. Her letters are always on black paper with silver writing. Sometimes there's one a week or three in a day, but I need them. She's the only one who keeps me on track, talks me down, and accepts everything I am.

We only had three rules. No social media, no phone numbers, no pictures. We had a good thing going. Why ruin it?

Until I run across a photo of a girl online. Name's Ryen, loves Gallo's pizza, and worships her iPhone. What are the chances?

Fuck it. I need to meet her.

I just don't expect to hate what I find.

Ryen

He hasn't written in three months. Something's wrong. Did he die? Get arrested? Knowing Misha, neither would be a stretch.

Without him around, I'm going crazy. I need to know someone is listening.

It's my own fault. I should've gotten his phone number or picture or something. He could be gone forever.

Or right under my nose, and I wouldn't even know it.

*Punk 57 is a stand alone New Adult romance. It is suitable for ages 18+

Available at:

Review:

Mishra had it all. He had a band he loved, a loving sister, and a stable home life even after his mother walked out on him at a young age. He also had his best friend and pen pal, Ryen, that he wrote to on a regular basis for over seven years. He bared his soul to his friend and shared everything from heated arguments over mundane things to lyrics to songs he wrote. But by a twist of fate he ran into her at a party and while she didn't know who he was, he knew who he was coming face to face with. It was that same night that changed everything for the both of them.

Ryen doesn't know why Mishra stopped writing her but she feels a void in her heart that was never there before. She had a sister who hated her for always having Ryen as a tag-along and a mother who was too busy to really notice what was happening in her life. All she had was Mishra to keep her on the straight and narrow. Without him she had to seek out alternative ways to fill the loneliness. By becoming one of the popular bullies she detested. It was only when a new student, Masen, shows up to challenge her that she starts to realize that popularity may not be all it's cracked up to be when you lose yourself in the process.

Ryen and Mishra were equal parts adorable and frustrating. Ryen just wanted to belong and standout while Mishra just wanted to disappear and be unnoticed. I thought Ryen's need for popularity was relatable but at the same time infuriating. I didn't like seeing her succumb to peer pressure and start being a bully to easy targets. It was interesting to see the internal struggle she had when she did though. It made me wonder if that holds true with a lot of bullies. Are they just doing it to try to hold onto some reputation and feel guilty about it or do they actually enjoy it? 

Mishra was an ass a lot of the time but he had a reason to be. He was dealing with some tragic shit and was not doing well with it. He pulled away from Ryen to try to heal but it only ended up hurting them both. He should have leaned on her for support but then again, that wouldn't do much for a bully-ish romance would it? I think as far as a main male lead he was appropriate. I think if he had had a bit more of a reason to dislike Ryen than just the fact that she was so different from his pen pal it would have been a little more believable but it was still really well done.

Penelope Douglas's writing style is top tier for me. The way she puts forth a story sucks you in and refuses to let go until the very last page turn. I was in this world watching Ryen and Mishra and their struggles. I was there when Ryen was hurting and there when Mishra came to terms with his feelings. I felt the anger, sadness, loneliness, pain, and love just flow off the pages and into my heart. This author is one to look out for because if she writes anything darker, the book hangover will be real.