Watching Her by Piper Stone

Piper Stone returns with a brand new series called Every Breath She Takes and Watching Her marks the first book featuring Christian and Penelope. This book did a great job introducing the other cast of characters and their potential stories. I thoroughly enjoyed their incredible chemistry as well as their super steamy, passionate, and provocative "cat and mouse" relationship. I loved the yearning from Christian and the fact that he fell first and harder for Penelope. As expected from the title of the book, Christian likes to stalk his prey but Penelope didn't mind this about him at all. Although Christian's kink was centered around stalking Penelope because he was obsessed with her, there was actually another nefarious character with a more dangerous intent. Nevertheless, the author did an excellent job developing the relationship between Christian and Penelope, especially when it comes to their all-encompassing desires for one another.

“She was my everything. The sunlight in the morning, the air I breathed, and I’d maintained control until the timing was right.”

In the end, I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to dark romance readers who like the "he falls first and harder" trope. The yearning in this one was excellent—I was especially captivated by the prologue and it really set the stage for their relationship. I do have to note there were a couple of scenes that were too descriptive for me, which led to some skimming. However, they were rare and it didn't detract from the reading experience. Overall, this book checked all of my boxes — it had a possessive and obsessed male lead who desperately yearned for his heroine AND a strong female lead who knew her worth and what she wanted for herself. The author absolutely delivered on their HEA and I couldn't be more pleased by the book's ending.

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

Rating: ★★★★☆

The Boss' Rules by Piper Stone

Piper Stone returns with The Boss' Rules, previously published as Tyrant but has been rewritten by the author, featuring an incredibly passionate and spicy romance between two complex characters. Since I had never read that version, I went into this story without any expectations or knowledge about what was going to happen and it pleasantly surprised me. Piper Stone is known to write highly erotic dark romances and she absolutely nailed it with Montgomery and Aspen's story. I really enjoyed this book and was captivated from start to finish, especially when it came to the all-consuming and intense attraction between our two main characters. The love scenes in this book were very spicy and were some of my favorites from the author. Although the focus was primarily on Montgomery and Aspen's enthralling romance, it was also a story about revenge, betrayal, and redemption as well.

“I can’t have you, but I can’t do without you, Aspen. I’ve tried. You are mine. I will ravage you every night, taking every inch of you. You are mine now and you will be forever. Until death do us part.”

In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed this book because Montgomery and Aspen's dark and kinky relationship captured my attention from start to finish. I was always eager to read their scenes because they came alive only when they were together. I especially loved the yearning from Montgomery, who was supposed to be this intense, ruthless, broken, and passionate man shaped by tragedy and desire for revenge. I liked his character because of his darkness and thought he was the perfect match for Aspen. I also liked Aspen as his heroine because all she wanted to do was help Montgomery deal with his trauma. She was the sweet and innocent counterpart to Montgomery's persona. The push and pull relationship, combined with them working together, made for an enthralling read that kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this book to those who are looking for a super spicy romance with plenty of chemistry between it's two main characters.

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

Rating: ★★★★☆

Ruthless Game by Piper Stone

Piper Stone returns with a standalone for fans of the fake relationship or marriage and enemies to lovers tropes. Ruthless Game features Christian and Vanessa, two headstrong and independent characters who constantly butted heads with each other. They had previously met, but he does not remember. I actually liked Christian and Vanessa. Although they were unlikeable at first due to their personalities, they eventually grew on me. Christian initially came across as this arrogant and cocky player, but he does go through some character development through the book. The same can be said for Vanessa who disliked Christian for rejecting her attempt at working for his company in the past. I thought it was childish of her for holding such a grudge, but it became clear that she had always been attracted to Christian since the beginning. She just didn’t like that he never gave her a chance.

“You are everything to me. There’s no sunrise as beautiful as your smile, no twinkle of stars able to ignite the fire within like your touch. You’re the air I breathe and in my every thought.”

In the end, this was an enjoyable read for those who like the marriage contract trope. Christian and Vanessa’s type of relationship can be considered cliché at times, but I was mostly reading it for the spice and the author certainly delivered on that. These two characters definitely had chemistry because some of their scenes were super steamy. That window glass scenes? Wow. I also loved the fact that Christian called Vanessa his wildcat because she always wanted to argue with him. Fans of Piper Stone or those who would like to read a spicy palate cleanser will be satisfied with this book. Christian and Vanessa had a lot of pent up emotions and frustrations, which resulted in them "taking it out on each other." Overall, this book had everything I was looking for—it was fun, dramatic at times, romantic, and spicy.

*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: ★★★☆☆

Royal Mistake by Piper Stone

Piper Stone returns with a brand new series featuring two incredibly fun and sexy characters—Valerio Royal and Selena Michaels. I absolutely loved these two. They had a rather unconventional beginning to their relationship but it didn't take long for "The Lone Ranger" and his "Cupcake" to realize that they were always meant to be with each other. Their first meeting was delicious and by the end of their date, they were hooked on each other. This book had ALL of the heat and even a bit of suspense and mystery as well. I liked that Valerio and Selena's story wasn't as dark or discipline-heavy compared to the author's previous works. They loved teasing and laughing with each other—which was perfection in my eyes. Their relationship had everything I wanted and more! It was incredibly sexy and spicy with some angst thrown into the mix. I loved that Valerio couldn't get Selena out of his head after one taste. He actually had to work for her—which made all the difference in my eyes.

“You are the breath of my life, the light of my world, but never forget, husband of mine. You actually belong to me.”

In the end, I absolutely loved Valerio and Selena's story and can say that it's my favorite Piper Stone book to date. Their story was so fun, addicting, and sexy. Valerio had such a filthy mouth but Selena matched his freak. She was a natural submissive to his dominant tendencies. Despite some hesitation from her in the beginning, Valerio eventually wore her down with his charm and dirty talk. This was a strangers to lovers with an unexpected enemies to lovers twist. Valerio and Selena's families were supposedly rivals in the media business so it was a surprising moment when they both found out the truth about their identities. A wrong text message forever changed the course of their lives forever but it also led them to each other. I can't wait for Valerio's brothers—Gage and Braxton, to get their own happy endings as well. If you are looking for a fun and sexy summer read, I highly recommend checking this one out!

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

Rating: ★★★★★

Lord of Retribution by Piper Stone

Lord of Retribution by Piper Stone is the third book in the series and it features Daniel Thorn—Constantine Thorn's younger brother. I was surprised by this one because it was incredibly fast-paced and not much background information was provided on the characters, specifically Daniel and Margot. The story begins with Daniel and Margot's wedding day, which was a result of an arranged marriage between their families. There is a sense of foreboding between them and readers quickly come to realize that the heroine is keeping a major secret from her intended husband. However, there is no denying the sexual chemistry and tension between them—which certainly made for a steamy first night together. As Margot begins to navigate her new role as Daniel's wife, she must contend with the consequences of her secret and guilt that comes with betraying her husband once he finds out the truth.

“What she did to me was the greatest sin of all. The beautiful woman made me want to be a better man.”

Overall, I enjoyed this book but I did have a few issues with Daniel's relationship with Maria/Margot because of the secret she had kept from him for a majority of the book. As someone who typically does not care for the switching character deception trope, I had a hard time accepting Daniel and Margot's relationship and believing in their love at first. Despite being a ruthless and violent man, Daniel was very forgiving, romantic, and charming towards the woman he loved. He was simply a different man. At the same time, Margot was falling for Daniel. Although she was not his real wife, their relationship was turning into something unexpected for the both of them. Daniel and Margot's lives have become forever intertwined and although she lied to him, he will never let her go. Fans of the character switching trope, arranged marriage, and mafia romance will be sure to enjoy this fast-paced story between a man who never thought he would love anyone until he found it in a feisty and defiant woman.

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

Rating: ★★★★☆

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: ★★★★★

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: ★★★★☆