Lord of Vengeance by Piper Stone

Piper Stone continues her Lords of Corruption series with the enigmatic and dangerous Diego Santos who was previously featured as a side character in Lord of Punishment. While this book can be read as a standalone, readers will appreciate the story and side characters a lot more if they had read the Kings of Corruption series, specifically King of Pain because it features Dante—Diego's twin brother. In any case, Diego was the shining star of this book and his love story with Sabrina Rose was incredibly romantic, sexy, and full of angst. Piper Stone simply excels at this formula and I was captivated by their relationship from the very beginning. I loved that their past and present were so interconnected. Their obsession and initial lust that eventually turned into love was a heady thing to witness. In addition to the all-consuming romance between the two, Diego and Sabrina are both embroiled in a murder/conspiracy plot that placed them in immediate danger.

“You are everything to me, the only person who’s ever been able to rock my world. I’m not letting you go. Not now. Not ever.”

In the end, Diego and Sabrina's passionate and spicy romance was everything I wanted and more. The fact that they had a past with each other—one where he saved her life, significantly changed the course of their lives until fate finally intervened and brought them together once again. I was shocked when the "main" perpetrators were finally revealed because they previously had relationships with Sabrina until they betrayed her. Nevertheless, it was incredible to see Sabrina's transformation in the end because she was one stubborn woman. I wanted to shake her at times because she fought Diego at every turn but ended up getting swept away by his own stubbornness and obsession with her, which I found to be amusing. If you are looking for an action-packed dark/mafia romance with an engaging plot and characters, I highly recommend the steamy romance between the ruthless Diego Santos and his innocent flower.

*This ARC was generously provided by the author for an honest review*

Rating: ★★★★★

Cover Reveal: When Lies Unfold by RC Boldt

RC Boldt has revealed the gorgeous cover for When Lies Unfold!

Releasing: May 23, 2024

Cover Design: Hang Le

USA Today bestselling author RC Boldt delivers a seductive new romantic suspense filled with twists in WHEN LIES UNFOLD...

The moment I witness a murder, my quiet, careful existence goes up in smoke. I'm thrust into the world of Santiago Hernández, Central America’s most ruthless cartel leader.

In exchange for my life, I’m placed under his watchful eye. Day in and day out, he waits for me to betray my promise of silence.

The longer I stay in his world, the deeper I fall for the glimpses of the man beneath that handsome yet cunning exterior. The man whose possessive touch ignites a long-lost part of me.

But I should know better than to open my heart to a cold-blooded criminal with a laundry list of deadly sins and secrets. Especially when he has no idea who I really am.

Because when the lies unfold, he’ll discover I have a list of sins and secrets of my own.

Pre-order your copy today!

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3SsgEK0

Available exclusively in #kindleunlimited on May 23rd!

Available to wide readers on May 16th!

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 Meet RC Boldt

 RC Boldt is a USA Today bestselling author currently living in part of the Costa Rican jungle with the love of her life and her mini-me.

If you’re in the mood for some killer mojitos or can’t recall the lyrics to a particular 80s song, she’s your girl.

Connect with RC Boldt

Website: http://www.rcboldtbooks.com

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Step-Crush by Dani Wyatt

Dani Wyatt concludes her Wanting What's Wrong series with an incredibly sexy and fiery forbidden romance between a former step-father and the woman he had been obsessed with for years. Ramses might the author's most intense and unhinged hero that she has ever written. At one point, even I was uncomfortable with what was happening but there was no denying that the off-the-charts smut was simply excellent—Dani certainly delivered this time! The story features many tropes including a forbidden and taboo romance between a former step-father by name and his step-daughter, forced kidnapping, dub/con, and forced marriage. It was all very shocking and the twist blew me away. I didn't see it coming until the very end. Ramses and Bijou's relationship was unexpected but it checked all my boxes in terms of a quick and all-consuming dirty romance.

“She is my life and my possession, and I take care of what’s mine.”

In the end, Ramses and Bijou's passionate and crazy romance was the perfect conclusion to the series and had everything I wanted from Dani Wyatt. This is my favorite book in the series—even topping my former favorite, Step-Hero. I was simply fascinated by Ramses and his all-consuming obsession with his former ward. Fans of Dani Wyatt, Jessa Kane, and Alexa Riley will be pleased with this book. Step-Crush can be read as a standalone because the stories are not interconnected with each other. I'm excited to see what the author has in store next because this one captured what I loved most about her stories and characters—the crazier, the better. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a short and smutty read featuring an older hero who is completely obsessed with his little lamb, going so far as to kidnap and wed her in the process.

*This ARC was generously provided by the author for an honest review*

Rating: ★★★★★

Lord of Punishment by Piper Stone

Incredibly passionate, action-packed, and full of sensual moments between the MMC and FMC, Lord of Punishment by Piper Stone will have readers enthralled and captivated by the story and romance from start to finish. While I did feel that more time should have been spent developing Sabatino and Georgia's romance instead of the revenge/traitor plot, I was content with how their relationship turned out in the end. Their relationship could be summed up in a few words—complicated, intense, and all-consuming. In many ways, Sabatino had two sides to himself that he had to contend with because of his amnesia and the time he spent recovering with Georgia. The soulful man that fell in love with his little peach was much less ruthless than the man he had been initially. I liked that Sabatino and Georgia had difficulty trusting each other at first because of their complicated pasts but they both end up realizing that they could not live without each other. This was further exacerbated by the constant danger that they were both in.

“There were no perfect relationships, no fairytale endings, yet I knew with all my heart I was the luckiest woman in the world. I’d found my perfect hero. And the love of my life.”

In the end, this was a solid introduction to the Lords of Corruption series and I am looking forward to reading Diego's story as well as the rest of the Brotherhood in the future. Sabatino and Georgia's incredibly sexy and passionate relationship will certainly delight readers and have you swooning for more. I really enjoyed the secondary cast of characters as well—especially Miguel, Sabatino's younger brother, and his wife Alicia, Diego, and the rest of the Brotherhood members. This book kept me on my toes near the end because Georgia's past nightmare was catching up to her and the only person who stood in the way of the monster was Sabatino. If you are looking for a steamy and action-packed mafia romance, I highly recommend checking this book out. You won't be disappointed by the story and sexy romance between the ruthless Sabatino and his little peach.

*This ARC was generously provided by the author for an honest review*

Rating: ★★★★☆

Come Here and Kiss Me by M. Robinson and Willow Winters

Come Here and Kiss Me by M. Robinson and Willow Winters was a fast-paced and spicy love story that will captivate you from start to finish. These two authors have crafted a story full of angst, lies, secrets, betrayal, and more. While I did think that more time should have been spent on characterization or character building, I was content with how Ronan and Brooklyn's relationship turned out to be. Theirs was a rather complicated one considering that their families were rivals or enemies with each other. But nevertheless, love and desire still managed to sneak up on them regardless of their animosity and distrust in one another. I really enjoyed the spicy scenes and actually wanted more of it.

“I want you in ways I never thought were possible for a man like me. I want you in all the ways I should and all the ways I shouldn’t. I want you then, now, forever. It’s me and you, kitten.”

In the end, this book was a great start to a brand new world and story between M. Robinson and Willow Winters. Brooklyn and Ronan's relationship was quick and dirty with a bit of angst added into the mix. They were truly victims of their families, specifically their terrible fathers. I also liked that she wasn't actually his student but someone who went to the same university he worked at. It looks like Aspen, Brooklyn's best friend, will be getting her own book next. She didn't have much of a presence in this book and it felt like she judged Brooklyn for the explicit and illegal video that was sent to everyone without their consent. In any case, I recommend this book if you are looking for a "guilty pleasure" full of drama and spice with a fake marriage that becomes real.

*This ARC was generously provided by the author for an honest review*

Rating: ★★★★☆