Released Blitz: Coerced Wife by Charmaine Pauls

Title: Coerced Wife

Series: New York Underworld #2

Author: Charmaine Pauls

Genre: Dark Mafia Romance

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers/Touch Her and Die

Fake Relationship/Forced Proximity

Release Date: November 18, 2024

BLURB

He offers me protection, but the bed of a killer isn’t a safe place to be.

I got myself in a predicament. Powerful people on both sides of the law want me dead. A killer needs me alive for his own selfish reasons, reasons I never could’ve imagined in my wildest dreams.

I’m not safe in the bed of a cold–blooded murderer, but I don’t have a choice. On the one hand, he offers me protection, and on the other, he tightens the noose.

I’m caught in his web of lies and deceit. Every truth that’s uncovered destroys me a little more. But he’s already injected me with his venomous seduction.

Before I know it, he’ll swallow me whole.

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EXCERPT

As for the rest, desolation rips through me when I push the door open and walk through it. Every step I take is like walking on a bed of glowing red coals. 

Saverio stands on the gallery, talking to Dante. His smile slips when he sees me.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, wrapping an arm around my waist. 

I plaster a smile on my face. “Nothing.” 

The way his eyes tighten in the corners says he doesn’t believe me, but he doesn’t push the issue. 

I stand like a statue at his side while people file past in a steady row to prematurely congratulate us and to make mindless conversation. 

A short while later, Luigi asks the DJ to kill the music. He makes an announcement, but everything is like white noise in my ears. 

Saverio takes my hand and pushes a ring with a huge oval diamond over my finger. I can’t stop staring at the monstrosity that shines under the lights, the huge stone weighing down my hand. Saverio holds my gaze as he lifts my fingers to his lips and kisses the ring, something dark and deviant sparking in those eyes that resemble the color of an iced-over lake. Clapping follows and then cheers. 

Lowering his head, he claims my lips in a kiss that lasts too long to be appropriate for the occasion. This time, wolf whistling sounds. 

It all happens in a blur. The one moment I’m Anya Brennan, and in the next, I’m to become Ms. De Luca. 

“Soon,” Saverio whispers in my ear, sealing that frightening promise with a tender kiss on my neck.

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Releasing December 16

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AUTHOR BIO

Charmaine loves to write dark and edgy romance that will melt both your e-reader and your heart. She's a mom of two teenagers, an adorable dog, and a dominant cat. Her country of birth is South Africa where many of her stories play off. Her French husband kidnapped her to the south of France where she currently lives with her family. When she's not writing, you'll find her in the kitchen baking cakes or in the gym lifting weights (because ... all those cakes!).

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Coerced Wife by Charmaine Pauls

Anya and Saverio's all-consuming attraction to one another takes the center stage in Coerced Wife, the sequel to Coerced Kiss. Their captivating but also dangerous relationship develops at a rapid pace as Anya uncovers more revelations and secrets about Saverio. I liked that this book primarily focuses on their relationship and had many sexual moments between the two. Anya is falling in love with Saverio but there are many roadblocks in their relationship. What I love most about Charmaine Pauls' writing is that she captivates her readers by dialing up the tension and angst between her main characters. Anya and Saverio's relationship may be based on a "lie," but the feelings they are developing for each other are real and devastating. Although Anya doesn't believe that Saverio is capable of loving her, he believes that his insane obsession for her is beyond love—she is his treasure to keep forever and he will never let her go.

“But nothing is more important than her. It’s how she makes me feel—invincible… as if I can’t breathe when I’m without her.”

In the end, this was a fantastic and necessary continuation to Anya and Saverio's love story. I find it fascinating that the more she distances herself from him, the more insane and reactionary he becomes with his feelings for her. Saverio continues to be a contradictory character because his motives and reasoning behind everything confuses both Anya and readers. Does he love her or not? The most frustrating part about all this is their lack of communication. Instead of answering Anya's questions, Saverio often gives vague answers that allude to something more but it ends up hurting her instead. This book does end with a shocking cliffhanger where both Saverio and Anya are in danger. I fear this might push him to distance himself from Anya to keep her safe. Fans of the touch her and die trope will absolutely love this trilogy.

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

Rating: ★★★★★

Release Blitz: Coerced Kiss by Charmaine Pauls

Title: Coerced Kiss

Series: New York Underworld #1

Author: Charmaine Pauls

Genre: Dark Mafia Romance

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers/Touch Her and Die

Fake Relationship/Forced Proximity

Release Date: October 21, 2024

BLURB

I’m an alibi for a killer, but he demands so much more than my testimony.

I stumbled across something I wasn’t supposed to discover. I saw something I wasn’t meant to see, and now I’m an alibi for a killer.

He’s the most feared and powerful man in the New York underworld. I don’t have a choice but to do as he says.

But he commands so much more than just my testimony.

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EXCERPT

A clang echoes through the alley. My heart jolts in my chest. My phone. It lies at my feet. The screen is dark. Cracked. 

Aghast, I look from the cause of the noise to the men in the alley. The man loosened his hold on Mr. Lewis. My boss lies on his side next to his briefcase, staring at me with wide, glassy eyes. 

“Fuck,” the bulky man says, snarling as he trains his gaze on me. 

Heatwaves of shock run through my body, propelling me back into action even as I lock eyes with the killer. Something passes between us—the knowledge that I’m done for. The way in which he tilts his head holds a strange kind of apology.

I don’t think. If I do, I’m dead. I spin on my heel and run. 

The stocky man’s words follow me like a demon’s promise down the dark street.

“Get her and finish her.”

COMING SOON

Releasing November 18

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Releasing December 16

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GOOGLE PLAY / UNIVERSAL

 

AUTHOR BIO

Charmaine loves to write dark and edgy romance that will melt both your e-reader and your heart. She's a mom of two teenagers, an adorable dog, and a dominant cat. Her country of birth is South Africa where many of her stories play off. Her French husband kidnapped her to the south of France where she currently lives with her family. When she's not writing, you'll find her in the kitchen baking cakes or in the gym lifting weights (because ... all those cakes!).

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Coerced Kiss by Charmaine Pauls

Charmaine Pauls returns with an exciting and highly anticipated brand new trilogy featuring a charismatic and ruthless killer and the wary but naive young woman who threatens his control at every turn. I was completely enthralled by Saverio and Anya's cat and mouse relationship. While this series is not as dark as the Corsican Crime Lord series, it is still very much a dark romance where the hero will try to threaten and control his heroine. Saverio is incredibly possessive towards Anya and their relationship is one that is morally gray with "touch her and die" vibes. He is keeping her alive for the sake of his "freedom" but his actions often speak louder than words. Like most of the author's heroes, Sav is a contradictory character. Although he can be a cold and cruel sociopath, he can also be incredibly sweet and caring—but only towards Anya. Like a dragon hoarding its most beloved treasure, Anya is Sav's precious treasure and he will stop at nothing to possess and keep her.

“Only she can do this to me. No one else. That’s what I always wanted. Someone who belongs to me. To me alone. A beautiful, innocent treasure to corrupt and worship.”

In the end, this was an incredible start to Saverio and Anya's story. I loved everything about their relationship and Sav's contradictory nature towards Anya was so addicting to read about. I don't think anybody can ever top Angelo Russo's type of crazy but Saverio De Luca does not play around either. I can't wait to see what Charmaine Pauls has in store for these two, especially with the mysterious key and Anya's life in constant peril. I also want to add that the story has a unique and unconventional trope where the heroine is pregnant prior to meeting the hero. It was heartwarming to read that Saverio thought nothing of it and was still obsessed and overprotective of Anya—going so far as to claiming ownership of her and the baby. Fans of Charmaine Pauls will not want to miss out on this trilogy as it features several incredible tropes such as enemies to lovers, touch her and die, MMC falls first, and fake relationship. I'm so excited to read more of this trilogy and highly recommend it! Saverio and Anya's relationship will absolutely steal your heart.

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

Rating: ★★★★★

Royal Flush by Piper Stone

Royal Flush is the sequel to Royal Mistake and it features Braxton Royal and Jasmine Sinclair. Piper Stone returns to the Royal Players Club series with the second Royal brother to fall in love and while I was initially excited for his story, it fell flat for me because of the overdramatic kidnappings, mafia murder side plot, and lack of communication between Braxton and Jasmine. I wanted the author to focus more of the romance between these two because they had such strong personalities and both were a force to be reckoned with. The banter and chemistry between these two had so much potential but I quickly got frustrated by their arguments and lack of trust. Neither of them wanted to compromise until it was too late. It made matters worse when Jasmine's life was in danger but she kept running away from the one person who could save her.

“He was my savior. My protector. My lover. And my everything.”

In the end, I enjoyed Braxton and Jasmine's story but it wasn't my favorite. It took me some time to read their book because I was so annoyed by the miscommunication, lack of trust, and arguments between the two. However, there is no denying that Piper Stone excels at writing the steamy scenes. The prologue was able to capture my attention and I wanted to know what happened and how Braxton and Jasmine reached that stage in their relationship. The ending did satisfy my curiosity and I was pleased to see that our main couple was able to solve their issues and be together in the end. Braxton's little nickname for Jasmine was adorable—she was his "little koala." While this book didn't work for me, it might work for other readers who love a sassy heroine who follows her own path and a dominant hero who can't help but want to keep her as his own forever.

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

Rating: ★★★☆☆