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Showing posts with label dark romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dark romance. Show all posts
Friday, March 14, 2025

Review: Bad For You by Monica James

Bad For You by Monica James is LIVE!  This new dark and twisted mafia romance is not to be missed.  If you have any triggers, you should check Monica's author notes. Check out my spoiler-free review below. 


Review: Kindle Crack  Bad For You by Monica James

Synopsis:


I am Valentina Ricci.


But I wasn’t born with a name.


My mother, Sister Margarette, was a woman of God, but she soon forgot her vows when she was sent by her parish to provide spiritual guidance to death row inmate #39280.


Many have said my mother and father’s meeting wasn’t fated in the stars, but rather, it was churned in the bowels of hell.


Because nothing good would ever come from my mother falling in love with convicted and infamous serial killer Patrick O’Loughlin and having his daughter…me.


The day he was executed was the day I was born.


Again, another cruel twist of fate because I always felt like a part of his soul took over mine on that day. That can be the only explanation for why I do the despicable things that I do and like them…so very much.


I am part monster, part saint.


There is no salvation for a sinner like me.


Saint Maria’s orphanage was my home as a child. And it was nothing but hell until I met him…


Lennon Shepherd.


We found one another in the direst of circumstances, and I thought he was my forever. But forever came with an expiration date when he became the enemy.


Our adoptive mother, Gianna Ricci, has trained us to be her weapons in a war we never wanted to be a part of.


Now grown, Lennon and I are on opposite sides.


The boy I’ve loved since I was ten years old is the man I have to kill because if I don’t…he’ll kill me.


I am hunted.


But I am also the hunter.


This is war…

Affiliate Buy Links: 

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B&N:  https://fave.co/4ivCZkm


Apple: https://apple.co/4bRAhTU


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Bookshop. org https://fave.co/4i4l5W3


Spoiler-free Review:

Bad for YouBad for You by Monica James
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 Monica James is back with one of her darkest, most intense books to date. Bad For You is a brutal, twisted tale of revenge, lies, lust, and betrayal set in the heart of the ruthless mafia underworld. This story isn’t for the faint of heart—it’s gritty, raw, and packed with some well-placed jaw-dropping twists. 

Lenny and Valentina’s relationship is the definition of dysfunctional, forged in a world of chaos, deception, and deadly secrets. From the first page, Monica pulls you into a whirlwind of danger and twisted desires, weaving an intricate web of secrets and retribution. Monica James masterfully crafts a world where nothing is black and white—only bloodstained shades of gray. If you love dark mafia romances filled with tension, betrayal, and sizzling intensity, this book is one-click-worthy.  I can’t wait to see where this story goes. Trigger Warnings: This book delves into heavy, potentially disturbing themes. Be sure to check Monica’s author’s note if needed. 



Thursday, January 30, 2025

Review: Irreversible by Jennifer Hartmann & Chelley St. Clair is LIVE!

Irreversible by Jennifer Hartmann and Chelley St Clair is now live!  I literally couldn't put this book down.  Check out my spoiler-free review and download this dark romance using Kindle Unlimited. 

Irreversible by Jennifer Hartmann and Chelley St Clair Kindle Crack


Synopsis:

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒌𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔.
𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚...
𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰'𝒎 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎.

I spend my days locked in a black-market nightmare, held captive by a twisted mastermind who considers me his prized possession. My only form of human contact are the victims in the next room, each of whom disappears faster than the last.

Everyone leaves...except me.

Then I hear him—Isaac. Brash, elusive, and haunted, he isn't anyone's idea of a hero. Separated by a wall, our faces hidden, his voice cuts through the darkness, becoming my only hope. He's driven by vengeance, bearing scars as dark as my own. Despite his rough edges, a fragile bond forms between us—a lifeline.

Isaac might be my best chance of escape, but time is slipping away. Breaking free will mean outrunning both our pasts, and in this twisted game, the cost of freedom may be more than we can afford to pay.

Appearances deceive. Choices have consequences.

And some consequences?
They are irreversible.


Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited https://bit.ly/4hC1hZf

     

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3ZLa8Sh


Spoiler-free Review:

IrreversibleIrreversible by Jennifer Hartmann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had to check my blood pressure while reading Irreversible by Jennifer Hartmann and Chelley St Clair. Irreversible is a dark, soul-sucking masterpiece, a twisted psychological thrill ride that captivated me from page one and never let go.  This addictive captor romance was unputdownable and was filled with mind-bending twists and heart-pounding tension.  I can’t wait to read more books in this new series of interconnected standalones.


Meet Jennifer 
Jennifer Hartmann Image Kindle Crack

Jennifer Hartmann resides in northern Illinois with her own personal romance hero and three children. When she is not writing angsty love stories, she is likely pondering all the ways she can break your heart and piece it back together again. She enjoys sunsets (because mornings are hard), bike riding, traveling, bingeing Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns, and that time of day when coffee gets replaced by wine. She loves tacos. She also really, really wants to pet your dog.

 

Connect with Jennifer

Website: http://www.jenniferhartmannauthor.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20208474.Jennifer_Hartmann

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jennifer-Hartmann/author/B086Z4L9GH

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenhartmannauthor/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/145154332790534

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author.jenniferhartmann

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorjhartmann

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jenniferhartmannauthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-hartmann

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sweetiejenn/


Meet Chelley
Chelley St Clair Image Kindle Crack

Chelley St Clair writes love stories full of emotional grit, often featuring broken, morally questionable characters who find their way to redemption.


Obsessed with learning and trying everything, she’s had careers ranging from gang intervention to zookeeping. After decades of collecting unusual experiences, she’s found her calling as a writer, weaving bits of everything into her imaginary worlds. Living in Tennessee, nature and the Southern U.S are frequently at the heart of her work.


Connect with Chelley

Website: https://chelleystclair.com/

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/2w3whjr6

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChelleyStClair

Facebook Group: https://tinyurl.com/3b25xhaa

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorchelleystclair

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chelleystclairwrites

Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Review: Sapphire Scars by Pepper Winters is Live

Sapphire Scars is LIVE and available on Kindle Unlimited.  The Kindle version is showing as available for pre-order and should switch over soon.   PLEASE check out Pepper’s trigger warnings if you have triggers.  Check out my spoiler-free review below.   #affiliatelink

Sapphire Scars by Pepper Winters Kindle

Synopsis:

“I thought I was strong enough to survive this awful nightmare. I did my best to take back my power and refused to let my heart fall. Only problem is…my heart is an idiot.”


It only took one droplet of blood to forever change me.

Her blood.

The taste of it. The heat of it.

I swallowed her down and devoured her.

For a while, it was enough.

My monster was content. I believed I’d found where I belonged.

But now…that droplet is no longer enough.

I want rivers of it. Oceans of it.

I want the world dripping in red and I honestly don’t know who I’m hunting anymore.

Her?

Me?

Them?

One thing’s for certain, someone is going to die today.

I just hope it won’t be me.


Triggers on every warning possible.

This is dark, explicit, and will push every boundary that exists.

Be warned....

And to all those dark souls out there...welcome to The Jewelry Box


This series must be read in order.   

Series reading order:

FREE PREQUEL - The Mercer Curse https://amzn.to/3RHftpq

Ruby Tears  https://amzn.to/45HmXP0

Emerald Bruises https://amzn.to/45EeX13

Sapphire Scars: https://amzn.to/3XHpQxd


PAPERBACKS

Paperback US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D7C895BF

Alternative Paperback US: https://amzn.to/3XyZKfS


HARDBACKS

Hardback: https://amzn.to/3W7vtUt

Alternative Hardback: https://amzn.to/3VHTRuj


AUDIO: Coming soon

Sapphire Scars (The Jewelry Box, #3)Sapphire Scars by Pepper Winters
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pepper Winters is the undisputed queen of darkness, and Sapphire Scars (The Jewelry Box, #3) is her crown jewel. This book is one of her darkest, most depraved works, and I devoured every twisted page. Brace yourself for an unimaginable journey straight into the depths of hell (and hopefully back).  THE ENDING is one big OMFG moment that will leave you breathless. Pepper eviscerated my heart, and I am dying to see what fate awaits Ily and Henri in the conclusion to the series, Diamond Kiss, when it releases in August. This soul-sucking series has rocketed to the top of my all-time best Kindle Crack list. Pepper, ILY!




Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Kindle Book Review: Ruby Tears by Pepper Winters

Ruby Tears by Pepper Winters is LIVE.  Read my spoiler-free review of Ruby Tears and get ready to one-click this new release.  Dark romance lovers will devour this new release.  It's available to read using Kindle Unlimited!   Try Kindle Unlimited for free HERE!  Before diving into Ruby Tears, you should read Pepper's FREE prequel, The Mercer Curse.   

Ruby Tears 

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3TylLcn

Paperback: https://amzn.to/3VfuNvX

Audio: https://pepperwinters.com/product/audio-book-ruby-tears/

Ruby Tears ebook Kindle Crack

“Ten thousand dollars.

That pitiful sum changed my entire life.

It bought my entire life.

A measly ten thousand dollars, given to my boyfriend by a monster to fuck me.

He took it.

The monster took me.

And I never saw freedom again.”


I’m the bastard son of a monster.

My other half-blooded siblings have their own demons…but me?

I truly have the devil inside.

I try to be good.

To do my best to ignore the deep, dark, despicable urges.

But every day it gets harder.

I thought family could help.

I reached out to my infamous half-brother, Q begging for his secrets to stay tamed.

Instead, he gave me an ultimatum to prove I’m not like our father.

Infiltrate The Jewelry Box: a trafficking ring of poor unfortunate souls, kill the Master Jeweler, free the Jewels, and don’t lose my rotten soul while trying.

Only problem is…my initiation into this exclusive club is earning a Jewel all of my own.

She sparkles like diamonds, bleeds like rubies, and bruises as deep as emeralds.

She’s mine to break.

I can’t refuse.

If I want to prove to my half-brother that I’m not like our sire, I have to sink into urges I’ve always fought, plunge into madness, and lose myself so deeply into sin that the only one who will be breaking is me.

Spoiler-free review: 

Ruby Tears (The Jewelry Box, #1)Ruby Tears by Pepper Winters
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pepper Winters is back with one of her darkest books to date. If you read Tears of Tess or any of Pepper's books in the Monsters in the Dark series, you will devour Ruby Tears (The Jewelry Box Book 1). Ruby Tears is unputdownable and utterly addictive. I couldn't put this book down if I tried. This dark and twisted captive suspense laid the foundation for a dysfunctional romance between Henri (Q's half-brother from Monsters in the Dark) and Ily, his captive. Will Henri save her, or will she become collateral damage in Henri's depraved mission of mercy? You never know what will happen in Pepper's books, and I love that unpredictability.

I knew going into this book that it would end with a cliffhanger. Pepper left us with a jaw-dropping banger of an ending. I understand that some readers like to wait until all the books are out to start a new series. Don't wait to start this one. You'll need some recovery time after reading this book. I can't wait to read Emerald Bruises (The Jewelry Box Book 2) when it releases.

Ruby Tears is not for everyone. I highly suggest you check out Peppers's author notes if you have triggers.


Ruby Tears by Pepper Winters Video Edit Kindle Crack

Monday, August 14, 2023

Something Like Normal by Monica James is LIVE

 Something Like Normal by Monica James is LIVE! Check out my spoiler-free review. **Something Like Normal was first published in 2014. It's been revamped, re-edited, and re-covered!**

Buy Links:

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3KDyi9s

Nook: https://fave.co/3DhQGk4

Kobo: https://fave.co/3pIoO5K

Apple:  https://apple.co/44wl2LK

Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/3fr992dv

BookBub: https://tinyurl.com/muum763f

New cover: Something Like Normal by Monica James

Something like Normal: Book One

Genre: Dark New Adult Romance

Cover Model: Lochie Carey @lochie_carey

Photographer: Michelle Lancaster @lanefotograf

Cover Designer: Lori Jackson Design @lorilovesbookjackson

Release date: August 14, 2023


Synopsis:


I have a secret…

And I’ve kept this secret hidden since I was eight years old. But I’ll no longer allow my past to define me.

A fateful decision has left me a fugitive on the run. I should be afraid, yet I’ve never felt more alive.

My name is Mia Lee, but that person died the night I spilled blood and didn’t feel a thing.

I’m on a Greyhound bus, ready to start a new life. A life that includes finding my mother, who left without a word when I was three.

But I end up meeting four people who change my life forever. And one person, in particular, shakes things up beyond repair.

Quinn Berkeley.

He’s just as damaged as I am. And harbors secrets just as dark as mine. But he gives me hope that living a normal life is within reach.

However, the blood on my hands has forever stained my soul.

No one can outrun their past.

Especially one filled with bitter memories that refuse to remain…dead.

Spoiler-free Review:

Something like Normal (Something like Normal, #1)Something Like Normal by Monica James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 STARS/UPDATED 2023 REVIEW
Something Like Normal by Monica James was first published in 2014. This updated version has been re-edited and has a gorgeous new cover. I remember reading this book in 2014 and equally enjoyed the latest version. Something Like Normal is a new adult romantic suspense. Mia is a young girl who escaped from her drug addict-turned-pimp father. She settles in a new place far away from her tumultuous past. After building a new life, her dark and deadly past comes back to haunt her. This book ends with a doozy of a cliffhanger. The second book in this series will release in October.
--------------------------------------------

Title: Something Like Normal (Book #1)
Author: Monica James
Release Date: May 13, 2014
Rating: 4.5 – 5.00 stars
Cliffhanger: Yes
Spoiler-free review

A review copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Mia’s life sucks. She has been a drug trafficker for her father and his dealer since she was eight years old. Her father’s drug addiction and money issues have spiraled out of control. He tells Mia that he is going to pimp her to his dealer to cover his debts. After making a split second decision to kill her drug addict dad, she goes on the run. Mia goes MIA (Missing In Action). She boards a bus to a random place and hopes to land on her feet and locate her mom. Mia assumes a new identity and calls herself Paige.

She lands two legitimate jobs and the hearts of two brothers. Quinn has his own share of issues and isn’t quick to share them with Paige. She starts to fall for Quinn and everything seems to be normal…but life has a way of being anything by normal for these two misfits. Can they hide in plain site from their pasts and their feelings for each other?

I am a huge fan of Monica James and LOVE her first two books in the Surrender series. This book is different from her other books but equally as good. I have to say that I did not fully get into this story until about 35% of the way in. I thought I had these characters and the plot figured out, and I was so wrong. Especially Paige…she is a badass with a heart of gold. SLN is not your typical romance story and has a nice mix of suspense, drama, and tension. I love the way Monica crafted these characters. They are banged up from life, and their story is raw and full of emotional obstacles. There is nothing about Quinn and Paige that is predictable in any way. Paige and Quinn are both two lost souls, who are broken and flawed in many ways from their pasts…but maybe they will one day have a normal life…or Something Like Normal. There is a clifffreakinhanger of an ending. Arghhhh….what an ending!!!! I would be a little perturbed if it weren't for the fact that Monica’s books are worth the wait, and she has not disappointed me yet! One-click this one.

This review appears on www.kindlecrack.net, www.facebook.com/Kindlecrack, Goodreads, Amazon, and Twitter.

Bio:

Monica James spent her youth devouring the works of Anne Rice, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson.

When she is not writing, Monica is busy running her own business, but she always finds a balance between the two. She enjoys writing honest, heartfelt, and turbulent stories, hoping to leave an imprint on her readers. She draws her inspiration from life.

She is a bestselling author in the U.S.A., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, and the U.K.

Monica James resides in Melbourne, Australia, with her wonderful family, and menagerie of animals. She is slightly obsessed with cats, chucks, and lip gloss, and secretly wishes she was a ninja on the weekends.

Stalk Me:


Follow Monica:

Website: authormonicajames.com 

Facebook: facebook.com/authormonicajames 

Twitter: twitter.com/monicajames81 

Goodreads: goodreads.com/MonicaJames

Instagram: @authormonicajames

TikTok: @authormonicajames

BookBub: http://bit.ly/2E3eCIw

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2EWZSyS

Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2nUaRyi



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