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.

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.

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.

Release Blitz with Teasers: Kane by Lynn Raye Harris @LynnRayeHarris @GiveMeBooksPR

Kane by Lynn Raye Harris

Series: Ghost Ops #4

Publication date: July 1st, 2025

Synopsis:

Dead to their pasts. Ghosts. No family ties. No connections.

Six men with a top-secret mission move to a small town where they have to navigate local life, protect their secret, and, above all, stay single.

Notorious charmer Kane "Demon" Fox learned the hard way that love is a liability. Since losing his wife, he's built walls no one can breach--keeping his focus on the mission and his team. Feelings are a risk he can't afford to take ever again.

Until a stranded beauty with haunted eyes makes him question everything.

Daphne Bryant thought Sutton's Creek was far enough to outrun her past. With forged papers and a fabricated history, she's desperate for a fresh start in a small town where people are decent and life is complicated. She's joined a book club, found friends, and landed a job working for six gorgeous men who run the local gun range.

She's safe and thriving--until someone breaks into her apartment and leaves a calling card she recognizes all too well.

Trusting the wrong person could be fatal, but Daphne's running out of time--and Kane is a friend, even if she wants him to be more. As danger circles closer, the attraction between them becomes impossible to deny. Vows break, hearts and bodies tangle, and secrets implode.

If Kane's going to save the woman he desperately doesn't want to love, he'll have to realize that the past doesn't control the future. Because some ghosts aren't meant to stay buried. And some hearts are worth fighting for.

A small town, friends to lovers, hidden identity, military protector romance from NYT bestselling author Lynn Raye Harris.

Available at:

Blaze by Lynn Raye Harris (Ghost Ops #1) -

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Chance by Lynn Raye Harris (Ghost Ops #2) -

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Seth by Lynn Raye Harris (Ghost Ops #3) -

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LYNN RAYE HARRIS is a Southern girl, military wife, wannabe cat lady, and horse lover. She's also the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the HOSTILE OPERATIONS TEAM ® SERIES of military romances, and 20 books about sexy billionaires for Harlequin.

A former finalist for the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Award and the National Readers Choice Award, Lynn lives in Alabama with her handsome former-military husband, one fluffy princess of a cat, and a very spoiled American Saddlebred horse who enjoys bucking at random in order to keep Lynn on her toes.

Lynn's books have been called "exceptional and emotional," "intense," and "sizzling" - and have sold in excess of 4.5 million copies worldwide.

To sign up for Lynn's VIP Reader List - where you'll be kept up to date about all of Lynn's books - go to her Newsletter.

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