Review: Kings of Quarantine by Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti @CarolinePeckham @susannevalenti

Kings of Quarantine by Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti

Series: Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep #1

Publication date: April 19th, 2020

Pages: 658

Cruel. Heartless. Quarantined.

The ruthless boys of Everlake Prep never saw lockdown coming.

But the virus isn't their number one enemy.

I am.

And as if being confined to a boarding school for the elite wasn't bad enough, now I'm stuck in isolation with the boys who hate me most too.

Saint, Kyan and Blake. The Night Keepers. Or so they call themselves. They've embodied the Native American legend which lives in this valley, taking on the role of the monsters who lurk in the forest. And though they act like beasts, they may also be the most tempting creatures I've ever seen.

With the virus escalating and my dad's name splashed through the news, my entire world is falling apart. What he did has cast a dark shadow over me. And the Night Keepers want to make me pay for his crimes.

Then things went from bad to worse when I touched the sacred rock. A rock which supposedly holds a curse to bind me as the Night Keepers' slave. And as crazy as it sounds, I decided to play along. Because there are things about me they don't know. Things my dad has hidden from me for years. All I can be sure of is that I have to find a way to escape this school. But until then, those savage boys are making my life a living hell.

As the virus sweeps through the country and the world twists into something ugly and unknown, the kings of this school become true monarchs. Even the teachers bow to them now. And I'm kinda glad about the 'stay six feet away from one another' rule, because without it, I know they'd rip me apart.

At least there's a silver lining. I'm cozying up to Coach Monroe. My hot as hell, brooding P.E. teacher who has a vendetta of his own against the Night Keepers. And with his help, I may succeed at doing more than escaping the clutches of these heartless fiends. I might even destroy them along the way.

My father taught me how to be strong.

How to prepare for the end of the world.

So this isn't going to be the end of my world, mark my words.

But if I'm able to use my mind and body to bring these assholes to their knees, it might just be the end of theirs.

This is a high school bully RH series with off the charts angst, dark themes and is not for the faint of heart. Prepare to enroll at Everlake Prep. Bring your hand sanitizer, face masks and toilet paper to barter with, but don't expect to hold onto them for long. Because it's time to go into quarantine with the Night Keepers. And everything you own now belongs to them.

Available at:

Review:

During the peak of the pandemic in real time I stumbled across this book. I scoffed and dismissed it because before reading the synopsis I figured it was another ploy to play on the situation with COVID in current society. I had seen a few others written referencing the virus in one way or another and found that it was almost in bad taste to use such a devastating world event for the sale of books. However, after reading Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti's Harlequin Crew series where the characters Saint, Kyan, Blake, and Tatum made a cameo, I had to dig deeper into their story despite my earlier reservations.

Tatum has spent her entire life with a prepper scientist father who was bent on teaching her how to survive no matter what situation she is put in. What he didn't prepare her for was not having him around having to survive in the Boarding school atmosphere of the world's elite. Everything seemed to be going fine the first few weeks she was at the school, but when the media grabs hold of a story stating that Tatum's father is involved in the release of the Hades Virus, her status drops lower than the Unspeakable scum. The attention of the Night Keepers, the kings of the school, is firmly on her now and they have decided that she is to be punished for her father's crimes by becoming their slave. 

Tatum is strong but even so, some of their punishments are enough to crack even her resolve. It is in this regard that she is determined to make them pay. And Monroe, her hunky P.E. teacher, is just the accomplice she was looking for. Between the two of them she should be able to find a scratch in the meticulously polished crowns of the campus kings. However, when the campus is overrun by looters bent on stealing from the Night Keeper's stockpile of toilet paper and canned goods, a new threat is presented that has nothing to do with punishing Tatum or seeking revenge on her owners. It is in this battle for life and dwindling supplies that a bond is formed; one that is forged in blood and death.

I have read a lot of bully romance books that have made me wince over the treatment of the main female protagonist, but in this situation I was almost physically uncomfortable. Many a tear was shed as I watched this poor girl be isolated and tormented beyond the realm of what would be considered adequate for her crimes. Saint was the more sadistic of the Night Keepers and any time he interacted with Tatum I tensed. The man was a hair's breath away from killing her on several occasions! Tatum's strength through it all was one of the best representations of a strong female lead that I have seen in a long time. I kept expecting her to crumble but even while I was breaking for her, she was rallying to strike back. 

My snap judgment on this book was appalling and I regret not reading this series sooner. I am starting to truly grow to love the authors' writing and character building skills. If you plan to read Kings of Quarantine be prepared to rage, sob, swoon, and laugh from beginning to end.

Review: Carnival Hill by Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti @CarolinePeckham @susannevalenti

 

Carnival Hill by Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti

Series: The Harlequin Crew #3

Publication date: June 28th, 2021

Pages: 449

Synopsis:

I thought that I was broken before, but my damage never tasted as bitter as this.

The Harlequin boys are more than just a memory now. More than a daydream of our youth and an idea to cling onto.

They're my greatest weakness and my biggest regret, but I've started to realize that coming back to Sunset Cove was always my fate.

My heart beat to the turn of the tide here. My skin only warms beneath this sun. And my soul will only ever be home on these streets and with the men who grew out of my memories.

But nothing is the same as I remember and the time for childish games is coming to an end.

I may want to pretend that the last ten years never happened, but the nightmare I lost myself in has followed me home and I can't keep ignoring the things I once did to survive.

The question is, will my mistakes be the end of me and my boys? Will the choices I made then change everything now? And will the life I never wanted steal away my own chance at the life I'm afraid to wish for?

This is an enemies to lovers contemporary series where the girl will end up with multiple love interests and all of the characters are in their late twenties. Trigger warning: this series features gangs, violence, dark romance and jealous/possessive themes.

Available at:

Snippets

"Out of interest, how much do you charge per hour?" he asked and I tried to tune him out. "I just need to know so I can save up my pennies for next time. Or do you charge per sexual act? Do you do special offers? Buy two hand jobs get one free? Can I give the free one to a friend?"

"That woman is the promise example of why I know women are the far more lethal sex than men. Every member of her cartel would slit any throat she pointed at, including their own."

"Are you trying to make me question my sexual orientation, Luther? Seems like a weird thing for my mob daddy to do."

"Are you watching, baby?" Mia called from her bed as she rolled in the sheets with some naked chick.

I was on my phone, Googling can people die of boredom?

"I'm just sending your gushing appreciation back to the boys. Ah look, here's a reply - Fox says he hopes you don't choke on any of it. Aww, that's sweet."

Review:

This series seems to have dug its claws into me and held on for dear life because the minute this book became available on Kindle Unlimited I pounced on it and devoured it in a single days time. The authors seem to derive enjoyment out of torturing their readers with copious amounts of romantic angst and devastating cliffhangers. Even knowing this after the past two books, I still couldn't stop myself from clicking on the book in my Kindle library as quickly as I could.

After being buried alive by her psychotic ex-boyfriend you'd think that would be the worst Rogue experienced. And yet, now she finds herself trapped in a safe under a collapsed building. After being shoved into the safe by Chase and watching him disappear into crumbling void, Rogue wonders if she will ever see him again. While there the only thing that keeps her sane is to remember the life she had with her boys before everything in her life went to hell. 

The family that once was starts to crumble right along with the wreckage Rogue was pulled from. Having resigned themselves to mourning the loss of their fallen brother within the crumbled building, Rogue and JJ can't seem to pull themselves away from Chase's bedroom or the need to be as close to him as possible. Fox moves about the house as a ghost trying to come to terms with the fact he had banished his lifelong friend in lieu of killing him for his betrayal only to be confronted with his death saving Rogue. Even Maverick who plots the deaths of all Harlequin Crewmen is somber over the loss of Chase. But when Maverick inadvertently stumbles across Chase's prison he stages an impromptu rescue mission to free is brother and return him home. But the scars of Chase's capture are deeper even than the ones marring his body. 

Secrets will be revealed and the deeper emotions, far beyond a meager attraction and fond memories, will cause an uproar within the ranks. Who will escape with their hearts intact?

The series had a definitive outline. The first book was all about Rogue returning and coming to terms with her rage over being abandoned and betrayed while also confronting her feelings for the boys she left behind. The second was a raunchy read of debauchery while also setting the foundation of the antagonist and the situational hardships to come. While the third was focused more on the memories that brought them all together and the confrontation of their emotions for each other. 

With this book you get a better idea of how a potential reverse harem could exist within the ranks. All seem on board except for General Grumpy, Fox. And it is Fox's determination for monogamy that may doom them all. It feels like Fox has become the lesser of the antagonists now and I absolutely detest him as a character (Maverick will always be my sexy dose of crazy). 

Carnival Hill is the third installment is what could be named one of the most complicated but delectable reverse harem to ever be written.

Review: Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon

 

Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon

Series: Ice Planet Barbarians #1

Publication date: April 3rd, 2015

Pages: 188

Synopsis:

You'd think being abducted by aliens would be the worst thing that could happen to me. And you'd be wrong. Because now, the aliens are having ship trouble, and they've left their cargo of human women -- including me -- on an ice planet.

And the only native inhabitants I've met? He's big, horned, blue, and really, really has a thing for me...

Available at:

Review:

This series is blowing up social media right now. It has been the most talked about series that I have seen in a long time. Of course, if its trending I have to try to see what all the hype is about. That being said, the entire 22 book series is also available for free on Kindle Unlimited. I have a feeling that blue aliens are going to quickly become my new favorite book boyfriends.

Georgie is a firecracker of a heroine who rallies even when put in an impossible situation. When she wakes up in the cargo of a space ship surrounded by other women who are to be shipped to a distant planet for god knows what reason she becomes the reluctant leader of the tribe of females. It was in this manner that she found herself wandering the winter wonderland of the new planet that they were dumped on when their captors experienced technical difficulties. What she didn't expect was to come face to face with a giant blue man with no grasp of the English language. 

Vektal is the tribe leader of his people who are the main occupants of the planet. And within his chest a parasite singing a mating song to the beautiful female he comes across he knows she is destined to be his forever love. Now he only has to convince the scared and wounded woman to believe the same as he instinctively does. 

With a plethora of dangers and a future not guaranteed Georgie joins forces with Vektal to save her newfound friends and return to Vektal's tribe until an escape plan can be hatched. But along the way Georgie starts to find a fondness for her giant blue companion that she never would have anticipated. Can she truly find love and a life with a man so unlike the human men she once knew? And if she allows her heart to become his, will she still be able to return to Earth and leave him behind?

I loved Georgie as a heroine. She was such a strong and opinionated woman that gave Vektal a run for his money. I always love female protagonists who have the power to melt their alpha males with a simple look and a crook of the finger. Her love connection with Vektal was swoony and delightful.

I thought I would find pause with the pseudo-Avatar aliens and especially with their differing anatomy, but it was barely a blip in the grand scheme of things. The author did a wonderful job of making the differences between the humans and Vektal's tribe acknowledged but not something to latch onto to make the experience weird. The world she created was beautiful and made this Florida girl suddenly have a desire to get lost in snow. 

Ice Planet Barbarians will shock you but just as quickly draw you into a world of danger, love, and hot blue alien men ripe for the picking.

Review: Love Unexpected by Q.B. Tyler

 

Love Unexpected by Q.B. Tyler

Publication date: August 12th, 2020

Pages: 247

Synopsis:

Here is what you can expect:

- Forbidden Romance/Taboo

- Age Gap

- Stepfather/Stepdaughter

- Enemies to lovers

- Interracial Couple

I'd only wanted one kiss.

One kiss, under the dark of night, in a city where no one knew us.

One kiss fueled by my hormones and alcohol and the blinding grief over losing my mother.

One kiss from the man I told myself was untouchable.

But, it didn't stop at one kiss.

And now we are running full speed down a road with no intention of stopping.

His touch disarms me.

His kiss revives me.

But, our love, could destroy me.

*This is a taboo novel and is intended for mature audiences. 

Available at:

Review:

With the addition of Kindle Unlimited the vast amount of available smutty romance has become my home away from home. The fact that there is a trope for any and all literary lovers and that Amazon caters leads my Kindle to be stuffed full of all kinds of stories ripe for the picking. The stepfather/stepdaughter trope tends to be more prevalent in the more adult visual media, but curiosity got the best of me with this read. Add to that it was on the ever-growing list of books recommended by my favorite BookTok friends, I had to see what all the fuss was about.

Stassia never liked her stepfather. She spent a majority of her time making him absolutely miserable and deriving as much pleasure from the exploding frustration outburst after the fact. However, when her mother is killed in a car accident she finds herself leaning more heavily on her stepfather for comfort and compassion. The animosity between her and Dominic quickly disappates and is replaced with a fiery attraction unlike any she had experienced before. Dominic, while resistant due to copious amounts of guilt, struggles to resist Stassia once she has set her mind of owning him body and heart. But the couple must keep their affair a secret as not only is it frowned upon for a guardian to be sexually involved with his charge but because their age difference leaves a lot of individuals with a disgusted sneer marring their features. Can Stassia and Dominic find a way to be together or they doomed before it even begins?

I was a bit uncomfortable about the fact that Stassia had known Dominic since she was 10 years old and he was able to look past that to see her in a sexual way. Did he look at her in that manner when she was that young as well or was it a new development once she became of age? How was he able to look past the interactions they probably had as a small child and her stepparent and find some way to desire her later on? I would have felt more comfortable with their joining if Dominic was a newly acquired stepfather than one that basically raised her.

Dominic was not at all what I would say I find attractive. I felt that Dominic got with Stassia initially as a way to be with his wife once more vicariously through her daughter. It was nice to know he was so taken with his wife but using her daughter to fill that void was a bit cringy. He gave crazy predatory vibes which made me feel like I was waiting for Chris Hansen to step out from the next door and ask him to have a seat. 

I struggled to find a redeemable quality to the story but it seemed very cliché. Even the parts where they were forced apart and all but died without each other. But they had no problem jumping into bed once Stassia's mother died? While I wasn't too put off by Stassia as a character, her dynamic with Dominic seemed unhealthy and toxic. Not what I would want in my swoonworthy romance reads.

While I am all about the recommendations I receive from my friends, sometimes the love we have for books and their characters are not equal. Love Unexpected one fell flat for me.

Review: Lessons in Corruption by Giana Darling

 

Lessons in Corruption by Giana Darling

Series: The Fallen Men #1

Publication date: December 1st, 2017

Pages: 378

Synopsis:

From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Giana Darling comes a forbidden student/teacher relationship between the son of notorious MC President and his prim and proper teacher...

He was eighteen.

The heir to a notorious, criminal MC.

And my student.

There was no way I could get involved.

No way I could stay involved.

Then, no way I could get out alive.

Book One in The Fallen Men series. A standalone.

Available at:

Review:

A few of my favorite BookTokkers recommended this book as one of the Kindle Unlimited must reads. I was a little skeptical because the whole cougar trope isn't my cup of tea especially when it dances the lines of legality. The whole teacher/student dynamic in romantic smut is preferable for me when its an older man and a student, but I was willing to give the book a shot because none of my BookTok friends have led me astray yet!

After leaving a loveless marriage, Cressida is not looking for any sort of relationship. Having just moved to a smaller town and taken a teaching position at a prestigious high school, she thought she was on the pathway to a happier life. When she came in contact with an attractive younger man at a bar and was taken on a whirlwind impromptu motorcycle ride, all she can think about is her mystery man. But when the same man she was swooning over turned out to be one of her students named King, she thought life truly was out to get her. In addition, King is also the heir to the local motorcycle club with a less than reputable reputation. Can Cressida resist her attraction to her dangerous younger man or will she tuck tail and return to her demanding ex-husband who is bent on winning her back?

When I read a story I like to keep it as close to realistic as possible. The whole point is to suck the reader in and make it feel like they're the ones involved in the plot. This book didn't have that realism that made it believable. For one, I have read enough motorcycle club books to know that the men in their ranks are usually pretty hardcore and brusk. King seemed like a marshmallow version of what a biker would be. Add to that the fact that he was the heir to the club and potentially the President once his father stepped down, that badass biker vibe should have been dripping off the pages. It just wasn't there. King's sister seemed more badass than he was honestly. I was not able to find myself entrenched in the world the author created.

That being said, I can see there is potential for the story. The bare bones are there but the meat is too thin to make it truly a delectable read. I think if King was hardened and Cressida was developed one way or the other a bit more it could be an easier sell. Cressida felt forced. There was no personality there and no appeal for me. I just truly did not like her as the main female protagonist. It's like the author couldn't decide whether to make her a strong female lead or a damsel in distress so she fell somewhere between which didn't really work. It didn't fit the overall plot. 

I am not one to write off an entire series because the first book was lackluster. I will probably delve into the rest of the series to see if the author grew in the space of time between books, but... it's a bit further down my TBR list than others may be.