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Our Book Picks for the Week of Jan 2nd 💖 Book Thoughts and Recommendations

 

📚 Our Book Thoughts and Recommendations

🎲 Elijah's Whim by Victoria Blue

💔 Somehow Finding Us by Claudia Y. Burgoa

🩸 Slayed by Darkness by Alexandra Ivy

🧭 Blood Money by Lana Sky

🦄 God of Temptation by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

🖤 Vicious Prince by Sienna Snow



Elijah's Whim (Shark's Edge Book 7)Elijah's Whim by Victoria Blue
Description:
I swore no one would ever have that kind of power over me again…
Elijah Banks is a textbook playboy. On the outside, he was cut from the perfect mold—stunning good looks, beachside mansion, secretive job, sexual notoriety. On the inside, he’s bitter and hurt and has sworn to never be the victim of a lying, cheating, using woman again.
Hannah Farsey is the family good girl. Not but choice, but by fate’s design. When she becomes Elijah’s houseguest and obvious object of his desire, she’s determined to not let a childhood nightmare be the narrative of at least one relationship in her life. But when your secret is this big…your burden this heavy…fate doesn’t hand over control so easily. A lesson Hannah’s about to learn the hard way.
Will this too-good-to-be-true man’s overwhelming and all-consuming feelings for her go the distance while she endures more upheaval in her life? Or will he cut bait and run and prove Hannah was just another one of Elijah’s Whims
Our Thoughts 💭:
Hands down the best couple of 2021!
"This woman was crawling into my psyche, and it was going to take a lobotomy to get her out"
This is one of those reads that truly transports the reader into the story
"I want to do something for myself for once. I'm so tired of living my life for everyone else"
Hannah was so easy for me to connect with.
She's a bit overly empathetic - not in a bad way - but it made Elijah's responses to her that much more endearing(?)
Her character is funny, smart, caring, and a touch naive in certain things - well when compared to...
"Stunning good looks and omniscient. You're a dangerous combination, Elijah Banks"
Elijah the ever unflappable man wroar
He is now my favorite in this series
Once the layers began falling away *mine*
He is dominant - Stubborn - Detached (until Han)
Soft as a marshmallow -overprotective - caring -
Hannah just bulldozed those walls
"My heart knew it had found a new home, and it was no longer listening to any manner of reason from me."
These two together ❤
The little interactions they shared
The sexual tension
The way they communicated
I was so lost in the story it took me a second to realize it ended
I'm not kidding I was reading the acknowledgments - lol
Yeah it is a to be continued
If you are on the fence
Jump
This is everything you know you want and a bit more
#ElijahsWhim #SharksEdge #Romance #Suspense #VictoriaBlue
Amazon  Kobo  Nook  Google  Apple

Somehow Finding Us (Second Chance Sinners, #2)Somehow Finding Us by Claudia Y. Burgoa
Description:
USA Today Bestselling Author Claudia Burgoa brings you a MM romance full of angst and tragedy that might turn to hope in a redemption love story that’ll break your heart and mend it all over again. Emotional, endearing, and full of romance
People think they know me.
They only know what I allow them to see.
I’ve learned to control the narrative.
I have secrets. So many, it’s hard to keep them straight.
I should let those secrets go, open myself to my friends.
Open my heart and allow it to love.
Break the grasp that the demons of my past have on me.
The only man who understands me is fighting for his life.
I put him there.
Zeke is suffering. He wants to move forward and forget the past.
Forward as in without me.
Friends. That is all he offers but I want more.
I can’t let him go.
But I can’t let the past go either.
When calamity strikes and wrecks the Sinners of Seattle again, Zeke and I are forced to deal with the aftershock.
And I can’t help but wonder if he’s next.
I can either stay away from him forever.
Or hold onto him while we try to survive
Our Thoughts 💭:
It's all about the journey
And this was a memorable one
The first couple of chapters were hard for me. I knew this would be an emotionally turbulent journey, not in an angsty way, but more IDK - You know that ache you feel deep in your chest, the one that steals your breath when you are desperately trying to grasp hold of the broken pieces, scrambling in a vain attempt to avert the disaster you see coming? That was how I felt. I wanted to ease the emotional pain, break through the walls.
I couldn't I had to wait it out and hope.
"We might never be together again, but you'll always be one of my favorite people."
I don't want to spoil this journey for anyone so I'll make this short and to the point - We pick up right from where book one left us
(might I suggest reading them back to back for greater emotional impact😢)
Ethan has to come to terms with his lies and the impact they have had on his emotional well being as well as those who are close to him
And Zeke? He needs to face his demons and make amends before he can begin life as Zeke 2.0 - The whole man not the broken boy
Both must learn to love themselves as well as accept who they are and not live as what others want them to be.
"I am enough"
Yes you are
#SomehowFindingUs #SecondChanceSinners #MMRomance #LGBT #ClaudiaBurgoa  
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Slayed by Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #17.5)Slayed by Darkness by Alexandra Ivy
Description:
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Alexandra Ivy comes a new story in her Guardians of Eternity series…
Only an idiot would try to kidnap Jayla. She’s a take-no-prisoner kind of vampire who rebelled against the previous King of Vampires, and now regularly battles with both human and demon enemies who resent the success of Dreamscape casino she manages in Hong Kong. So when she’s snatched off the streets, she doesn’t bother to struggle. Instead she starts plotting her slow, bloody revenge.
The last creature she expects when she arrives at her destination is Azrael, the mysterious mercenary vampire she killed a century ago.
Azrael has never forgotten Jayla, and not just because she tried to stab a stake through his heart. He’d never encountered a female who could match him in battle. Her raw courage was sexy as hell. And it didn’t hurt that she was drop-dead gorgeous. But, he didn’t abduct her because he desired her. Or at least, that wasn’t his main motivation. He needs her rare talent to stop time. An evil fey has stolen his sword. The weapon is magically bound to him, and unless he retrieves it, he’s doomed to a painful death.
Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.
Our Thoughts 💭:
A small but oh so fun taste of the Guardians series
When you finish Jayla and Azrael's story
After you laughed with (or at) the Gargoyles
Stood united beside the Vampires
Shuttered at the memories of their past
White knuckled at the betrayals
Even possibly blushed at the romance
You will only want more
More of the banter, the chemistry, the suspense
One of my favorite PNR series - Ivy spins such a fantastically fun world with solid storylines and characters that easily stay with you long after you close the pages
1001 Dark Nights novellas are a great way to try a new series, each release is a standalone usually interconnected. A painless way to dip your toes into different genres, types of storylines, and try authors writing style
#SlayedbyDarkness #1001DarkNights #Paranormal #Romance #AlexandraIvy

Blood Money (Dinero de Sangre, #1)Blood Money by Lana Sky
Description:
Betrayed by the Pavalos family, former bodyguard Domino vows retribution — and finds it when he kidnaps beautiful Ada. Held at his mercy and forced to endure his fury, Ada can’t resist the dark passion that seethes below Domino’s rage… A sizzling recent release.
Our Thoughts 💭:
This is not a romance so if you are looking for a hero who realizes the error of his ways and makes amends - look elsewhere
This is a very dark and at times graphic captive thriller that, in the end, will leave you floating upon a crimson river oarless and rudderless
Ada is an empty shell, a tool - her whole existence has been in subservience to her father's sadistic whims. Nothing more than a tasty bribe he can offer his allies to assist him in accomplishing his goals.
She has survived her he ll this long with the aid of alcohol, drugs, and multiple disorder.
Now, however she finds herself in the hands of a monster she does not know - One she can not predict that is set upon her slow and painful destruction.
Who savors each cut, each drop of her blood.
Who claims she is the price paid.
For what though?
And can she survive his cruel hand until she finds answers?
Does she want to?
If you are looking for romance this isn't it
This is a story of a sadistic monster with no morals
An empty princess with little hope
And an unknown truth that lies just outside of our grasp
#BloodMoney #DinerodeSangre #Dark #Suspense #Romance #LanaSky
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God of Temptation (Immortal Matchmakers, Inc., #7)God of Temptation by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
Description:
From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes GOD OF TEMPTATION , a very-probably-inappropriate Paranormal Romance.
Tula Jones is a simple farmgirl who never dreamed she’d fall for a real-life god. And not just any god. When it comes to Zac, God of Temptation, no man is more dedicated, sexy, and alluring on the planet. Hello! Temptation powers!
But when Zac and his brethren mysteriously disappear, Tula is beside herself. Watch out. I’m coming to save my man! (And the rest of his kind.) But where are they?
Then she receives a photo from a mysterious stranger, and the news is devastating. The gods are prisoners in the underworld, and Zac has been cheating with the other “guests.”
Tula doesn’t want to believe Zac would betray her. She and Zac are soul mates, right?
But if she wants the truth, Tula must answer the summons from a demon who’s hellbent on taking over the world.
And he wants to keep her.
Note: This can be read as a standalone, but it’s a smidgeon more fun if you’ve read the other crazy books. This is the series FINALE. Yes, I mean it this time. No. Really. You can’t have more. Snort.
Our Thoughts 💭:
I don't wanna go!!!
Zac is one of my favorite characters in this series ( Though our mischievous unicorn ranks up top as well 🦄)
After everything, he and Tula went through I was not sure how their "grand finale" was going to playout
Would they get their HEA?
Would they come out whole on the other side?
Gotta remember things are a bit chaotic (nice way of saying majorly fubar'd ) at the moment
But alas - never fear and rest assured it all came together with quite a bang
God of temptation (like every book in the matchmaker series) was packed with laughter, sarcasm, confusion, hijinx, suspense, a few "lesson learned" moments, and as always the sweetest happily ever after.
I'm going to miss this motley bunch but I am looking forward to the tailor's story
#GodofTemptation #ImmortalMatchmakersInc #Paranormal #Humorous #RomCom #MimiJeanPamfiloff
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Vicious PrinceVicious Prince by Sienna Snow
Description:
I’m not a good man.
I’m the darkness, the danger, the enforcer behind the empire.
No one sees me unless I want them to.
Then one day, she found me, showing me a life beyond the shadows of the streets. Until one wrong turn and our fairytale shattered, leaving me back in darkness. In a place I can only reach her by destroying her world.
So, I wait.
But waiting isn’t something she is willing to do. She’s forging a new life without me, in the path of our enemies.
Now the monster in me is forced out of the shadows, ready to fight for what belongs to me.
Soon, she will learn that protecting her is my mission and a life without me isn’t an option.
Our Thoughts 💭:
This was more a second chance romance IMO
Not as dark as the Dangerous King though just as spicy with some serious heart & panty melting scenes
It has the all angst with a touch of light suspense - I figured out part of the who pretty quickly but the depth of the betrayals was a shocker went it was revealed
Snow did set some foundation for future character possibilities as well as left some breadcrumb trails that piqued my curiosity - I can only hope
I was wondering at the end of book one how Kir was going to suddenly reappear to the world as well as how he would repair (if he even could) the damage his death brought to Jayna
The heart always knows - It just takes a little time for the head to catch up
This is the second book in the series
I strongly recommend reading book one prior otherwise much of what happens won't make any sense not to mention the emotional connections that make this family and this series such a must-read will be lacking
#ViciousPrince #StreetKings #OrganizedCrime #Suspense #Romance #SiennaSnow

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