Punish Me, Daddy by Sara Fields

Punish Me, Daddy by Sara Fields continues the Boston Kings series and features Nikolai Morozov—one of Maxim's brothers, a character who was prominently featured as one of the side characters at the beginning of the series. Nikolai has been matched with Sloane Kingsley, a new character in this world. I was quite surprised by her character since she came across as this bratty, arrogant, and spoiled princess but she was completely the opposite inside. She needed a firm hand and as a result, Nikolai has decided to task himself with disciplining and making her his. I really enjoyed the push and pull between Nikolai and Sloane. It made for some interesting and intense scenes between these two as they tried to fight each other's pull. These two had a very sexual relationship at first, but it didn't take long for them to start having feelings for each other. Their love scenes were incredibly dirty, explicit, and super steamy—which I appreciated.

“I wanted to look a man in the eyes and know he could break me—and trust that he wouldn’t unless I asked him to.”

In the end, this was another solid book from Sara Fields because it features her tried and true tropes and kinks featuring a firm and dominant hero and a prideful heroine who didn't know what she wanted until it forcefully came into her life and shattered all of her expectations. I do have to admit that it took me awhile to warm up to Sloane because she bratty and came across as childish and manipulative. However, it didn't take long for readers and Nikolai to realize that her misbehavior was a direct result of her loneliness and need for someone to claim her. Nikolai shattered her life and expectations and she was already his by the time he entered her life and laid claim to it. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and fans of Sara Fields won't be disappointed by this sexy read. It looks like the next books will featuring the two remaining Morozov brothers, Ivan and Sergei.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Beg For Me by J.T. Geissinger

J.T Geissinger returns with a highly anticipated sequel that tells a powerful story of new beginnings, personal growth, and finding love again featuring two incredibly endearing characters. Beg For Me is Carter McCord's book and I have to be honest and say that this book surprised me. I never saw Sophia coming and she was the perfect woman and complement to Carter's vulnerability and sunshine personality. Unlike his brothers Callum and Cole, Carter wasn't broody and moody—he smiled often, made jokes, and was super sweet and romantic in general. He was such a green flag and golden retriever of a man—I simply loved his honesty, obsession, and neediness when it came to Sophia. Their love scenes were super steamy but also interesting as well since Sophia was older than Carter. They had an equal but also not power dynamic. At times, Sophia was in control but then Carter would switch it up and take the reins instead. It certainly made for some exhilarating scenes between the two.

“You’re everything I didn’t know I needed. I won’t doubt you again. So please be careful with me, Carter, because I’m giving you my heart. I’m trusting you not to break it.”

In the end, this was an excellent sequel to the Morally Gray series. I loved seeing Callum again and his interactions with Sophia were hilarious. Sophia's mother was another amazing character who made me laugh out loud because of her outrageous antics and behavior, especially when interacting with her daughter and granddaughter. Carter's past broke my heart and I loved that Sophia was not only there for him when he told her but she understood and accepted all of him. Even though Carter was broken, he was made whole by his love for Sophia and the same can be said for her as well because of her past relationship with her horrible ex-husband. There's no denying that Sophia and Carter had undeniable chemistry and I especially loved how they communicated with with each other—it was fun, flirty, honest, but also emotional as well. I highly recommend this series and fans of J.T. Geissinger will absolutely enjoy and be surprised by this reverse age gap romance.

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

Rating: ★★★★☆

Bartered Innocence by B. Sobjakken

Bartered Innocence is B. Sobjakken's full-length novel and I absolutely devoured this one because of the romance and smut. While this your typical standard mafia romance with an arranged marriage, I loved that it primarily focused on the developing romantic relationship between Rian and Isabelle. The man was completely possessive and obsessed of his wife and I liked that she felt the same way. The story begins with a one night stand between Rian and Isabelle that ultimately turns into something more between them. After their night together, Isabelle leaves Rian wanting more until he comes across an image of her as one of his potential brides. Following their reunion and marriage, Isabelle and Rian are forced to navigate not only their sexual attraction for each other but also their growing feelings while trying to find the traitor in their midst.

“It breaks a little inside me, as if he’s stealing a piece I won’t get back. He’s looking at me like he found something precious, and I hate it because we can never be anything after tonight.”

In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed this book—it was incredibly spicy and sexy. Even though I was frustrated with Isabelle and Rian at times, I appreciated the fact that they were able to resolve their issues quickly. I do have to say that I am rather curious about Sebastian and Gianna's story. Sebastian is the strange man who ended up becoming allies of sort with Rian. There was also the mystery of why Gianna ran away from Sebastian. We're giving a brief chapter of the next book but it's safe to say that I am looking forward to their story and future ones with the rest of Rian's brotherhood. I wonder if Luca will also redeem himself as well. I'm hoping the author will write books for the rest of the side characters because they were all endearing to me. If you are looking for a super steamy and quick mafia romance, I highly recommend this one!

Rating: ★★★★☆

Dark Prince's Mate by Anna Zaires and Charmaine Pauls

Dark Prince's Mate is the conclusion to Aruan and Elsie's story. This was an excellent sequel that not only captivated my attention—due to all of my burning questions, but Anna Zaires and Charmaine Paul also gave us some incredibly spicy and heartfelt scenes for their journey's end. I want to note that this book picks up immediately after Dark Prince’s Captive so I recommend reading that first before picking up this one. Although Aruan and Elsie still had their issues in the first half of the book, the way they were able to resolve it and come to terms with their growing feelings for each other made for a satisfying conclusion to their story. However, it was still frustrating to see Elsie continue to fight her feelings for Aruan but he was also at fault for being too uncompromising when it came to her safety. Their unwillingness to talk to each other made me want to shake them both. Thankfully, I was relieved when Aruan began to slowly change his ways and make concessions for Elsie's happiness.

“The man cradling me in his arms has a terrifying, godlike power, yet I’m not afraid of him. I see him for what he is: dangerous and beautiful, violent and imperfect. And mine. Above all, mine.”

In the end, Aruan made compromises that ultimately won him Elsie's heart. I thoroughly enjoyed their super steamy moments and seeing them "make up" after an argument. The love scenes were spicy and plentiful—which I appreciated because Aruan and Elsie's first time left them and readers disappointed. Prior to the completion of their bond, Aruan was extremely overprotective, overbearing, and stubborn. This clashed with Elsie's personality because she was independent, stubborn, and had modern sensibilities. Nevertheless, I was happy to see them finally talk and learn to love one another. The second half of the book was my favorite because we finally learn who the true mastermind of the kidnappings and attacks was. It made for an exciting turn of events, which also led Elsie to realize her feelings for Aruan and complete their mate bond. I highly recommend this duet to fans of Anna Zaires and Charmaine Pauls, especially if you like reading about the dark, brooding, and possessive hero and his feisty and highly independent heroine with plenty of spice as well.

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

Rating: ★★★★☆

Dark Prince's Captive by Anna Zaires and Charmaine Pauls

Anna Zaires and Charmaine Pauls have written a fantastical and exciting new world full of action, romance, and danger that will certainly captivate your attention and leave you wanting more. I found the world of Zerra, a parallel world to Earth, completely fascinating and hope the authors will provide more background information about it in the next book. Due to the short nature of this book, it did feel more like an introduction to Elsie and Aruan's story and the world of Zerra. Our heroine, Elsie, starts off on the brink of death but ends up being transported to a completely new world that's similar but unlike her own. After getting kidnapped by these strange and terrifying creatures, she is saved by a mysterious and handsome man who calls himself her mate. Bewildered and scared, Elsie has to not only navigate her confusing new feelings for Aruan but also this magical world and her growing dormant powers. I loved that this had all of the tried and true tropes we all know and love in a romantasy but with the hint of darkness and traits of Charmaine and Anna's obsessive and possessive heroes. However, Aruan has a lot of groveling and explaining to do after the events of this book—to which I look forward to reading.

“I can feel the pull of her being. It’s like a dragon’s claw has hooked itself deep into my chest, but instead of pain, there’s an ache, equal parts sweet and terrible, an exquisite longing that permeates everything I am.”

In the end, this was an incredible start to a brand new series and entry into their romantasy era from Anna Zaires and Charmaine Pauls. I want to know more about Elsie's past and who exactly sent her to Earth to die. Her newfound powers also piqued my interest and I can't wait to see what she'll do with it. On the other hand, Aruan was a very intense, powerful, and dominant character. Although there were times where I felt like he was too high-handed when it came to Elsie, I appreciated that he was already completely obsessed and possessive of her. I'm hoping that the authors will further flesh out Aruan and Elsie's characters and build more on their relationship that currently consists more of lust than love right now. Their consummation was incredibly sexy but frustrating at the same time because of what happened after. Another point that I found interesting was Aruan as the prophesied crown prince who will destroy the world because of his mate. How did this prophecy even come about and what will this mean for Elsie? Is Aruan's mother the villain of this book or someone else? I'm also curious about Aruan's siblings—Gaia, especially Kian who left an impression on me, and Vitai—and hope they will getting their own books. I highly recommend reading Dark Prince's Mate immediately after because this one does end in a heartbreaking cliffhanger due to a miscommunication between Aruan and Elsie.

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

Rating: ★★★★☆