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hawaiirican808's reviews
353 reviews
Claimed By The Beasts by Carolina Cox
5.0
Carolina knows what she's doing with these straight SMUT novellas.
"Claimed By the Beasts" was a fast-paced, spice-filling PNR/shifter novella.
5 STAR READ
4 CHILI PEPPERS
I'm not a huge fan of shifter romance books, but there's something about a whole wolf pack wanting to breed this girl that made me want to go down the rabbit hole of shifter romances. Sensational spice and the perfect short steamy read to dive into between longer reads. I can not wait to see what Carolina's mind conjures up next!
"Claimed By the Beasts" was a fast-paced, spice-filling PNR/shifter novella.
5 STAR READ
4 CHILI PEPPERS
I'm not a huge fan of shifter romance books, but there's something about a whole wolf pack wanting to breed this girl that made me want to go down the rabbit hole of shifter romances. Sensational spice and the perfect short steamy read to dive into between longer reads. I can not wait to see what Carolina's mind conjures up next!
What You Broke by Samantha M. Thomas
4.0
I have had the absolute pleasure of reading every single book in the "Bluebell Falls" series and was excited to see that Rina got her own book to share more about her (like her siblings). Samantha did a great job with this story and wrote a beautiful contemporary romance in "What You Broke". I liked that we got more background history to Rina and Arlo's relationship and why Rina has so many hurt emotions towards him. They get this second chance to be better versions of themself. work through their past mistakes and grow together again. Their chemistry was beautiful! Samantha's writing style is one of my favorites. She does a great job with showing different sides to her characters and filling the storylines with real emotions. I can't wait to see where she takes this series next!
Beauty in Darkness by Emily Klepp
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I BINGED THIS BOOK IN A FEW HOURS after reading "Feral Obsessions". Once I saw Emily did a "Beauty & The Beast' retelling, I knew I wasn't going to bed. This isn't your typical Disney retelling so for the sake of your mental health, don't take the trigger warnings lightly. This was one of the darkest retellings I've read with a lot of trauma, great storyline but heavy on the REAL DARK.
Now Emily, you did not have to knock this book right out of the park the way you did. HOLY CRAP. I've always been a fan of her writing style, but this book is probably going to be my favorite by her in this series. She connected SO many sub-topics without making it a straight mess. You have the arranged marriage troupe, mafia, pregnancy troupe, and more. Liana and Malachi will go down as my favorite couple in ALL of Emily's books. Their chemistry grew in their own way. I loved that they both were true firecrackers. Malachi was so arrogant in the beginning, but his character growth by the end really made their whole storyline come full circle for me. Who knew the heartless mafia man could ever be whole again? Liana has dealt with so much trauma and loss. She broke my heart throughout the book and then had me DYING laughing with her fiesty side when Malachi is around. They are straight freaks, even having a 5/5 CHILI PEPPER SCENE IN A RESTAURANT ( No Fs Given, LOVED IT). By far some great and steamy spicy scenes. The storyline moved beautifully, not super fast paced but now slow either. I absolutely loved the side characters in Andrea, Gabriel and Nathan. Their own little family really looked out for one another and added more depth to the storyline as well as Liana & Malachi's relationship. PLEASE keep writing mafia books and I swear, if you do an Aladdin retelling with this series, I volunteer as tribute and would be SO HAPPY!
Now Emily, you did not have to knock this book right out of the park the way you did. HOLY CRAP. I've always been a fan of her writing style, but this book is probably going to be my favorite by her in this series. She connected SO many sub-topics without making it a straight mess. You have the arranged marriage troupe, mafia, pregnancy troupe, and more. Liana and Malachi will go down as my favorite couple in ALL of Emily's books. Their chemistry grew in their own way. I loved that they both were true firecrackers. Malachi was so arrogant in the beginning, but his character growth by the end really made their whole storyline come full circle for me. Who knew the heartless mafia man could ever be whole again? Liana has dealt with so much trauma and loss. She broke my heart throughout the book and then had me DYING laughing with her fiesty side when Malachi is around. They are straight freaks, even having a 5/5 CHILI PEPPER SCENE IN A RESTAURANT ( No Fs Given, LOVED IT). By far some great and steamy spicy scenes. The storyline moved beautifully, not super fast paced but now slow either. I absolutely loved the side characters in Andrea, Gabriel and Nathan. Their own little family really looked out for one another and added more depth to the storyline as well as Liana & Malachi's relationship. PLEASE keep writing mafia books and I swear, if you do an Aladdin retelling with this series, I volunteer as tribute and would be SO HAPPY!
Feral Obsessions: A Dark Goldilocks Retelling by
5.0
I don't even know how Emily can even come up with half of these storylines ridiculously fast AND give you fully written novel that don't feel like a novella. But this new series right here, is probably my most favorite one by her so far.
Heed those trigger warnings, it is full of dark trauma, but a REALLY good story. Now retellings can be a hit or miss, but Em had my attention when she wrote "Feral Obsessions" and it being a Goldilocks retelling. Katie is the FMC and goes through a TON of trauma, leaving an abusive relationship to move back home after being told about an inheritance she is receiving. I really loved that Katie was so sassy and didn't take crap from anybody. She is a true survivor and didn't allow her past to dictate her future. The Wilder brothers WERE HOT. So protective, cocky but all truly cared about her even though the beginning of their story didn't start off on good terms. Emily does such an incredible job connecting all of her characters perfectly and having the perfect balance between dark trauma and some of the best smut I read. 10/10 recommending Feral Obsessions for the dark romance girlies!
“Sometimes, the most feral of hearts can offer the deepest love, and home is often found where you least expect it. The Wilder men are my home.”
Heed those trigger warnings, it is full of dark trauma, but a REALLY good story. Now retellings can be a hit or miss, but Em had my attention when she wrote "Feral Obsessions" and it being a Goldilocks retelling. Katie is the FMC and goes through a TON of trauma, leaving an abusive relationship to move back home after being told about an inheritance she is receiving. I really loved that Katie was so sassy and didn't take crap from anybody. She is a true survivor and didn't allow her past to dictate her future. The Wilder brothers WERE HOT. So protective, cocky but all truly cared about her even though the beginning of their story didn't start off on good terms. Emily does such an incredible job connecting all of her characters perfectly and having the perfect balance between dark trauma and some of the best smut I read. 10/10 recommending Feral Obsessions for the dark romance girlies!
“Sometimes, the most feral of hearts can offer the deepest love, and home is often found where you least expect it. The Wilder men are my home.”
Random Selection by N. Slater
5.0
Nic has an insane taste in variety when it comes to book genres. This was probably my most favorite romance suspense book for the entire month. I LOVE her writing style and her dark romances, but was VERY excited to see she had a romantic suspense book coming out.
The storyline was INSANELY good. I loved the connection that Mia and her men had throughout the story. It wasn't just a physical chemistry with them, they shared such raw and emottional feelings with each other and showed that with the right people in your life, you can heal from past trauma and negative things in your life beautifully. That's one of Nic's great qualities as an author that I love so much: she writes books that you can connect with on more than a smut level. You really feel every word, fall deep into her storylines and love her characters. I will say, the suspense aspect to the book was a 10/10! She lined up the plot twists so well, you don't see most of them coming and she keeps you in the dark throughout! Another phenomenal read!
The storyline was INSANELY good. I loved the connection that Mia and her men had throughout the story. It wasn't just a physical chemistry with them, they shared such raw and emottional feelings with each other and showed that with the right people in your life, you can heal from past trauma and negative things in your life beautifully. That's one of Nic's great qualities as an author that I love so much: she writes books that you can connect with on more than a smut level. You really feel every word, fall deep into her storylines and love her characters. I will say, the suspense aspect to the book was a 10/10! She lined up the plot twists so well, you don't see most of them coming and she keeps you in the dark throughout! Another phenomenal read!
Claiming Charlotte by Alicia Ramos
5.0
The way Alicia has me in a chokehold with this series.
I was lucky to read book 1 "Courting Charlotte" and jumped so fast into "Claiming Charlotte". It's a very well written mafia romance, with LOTS of plot, amazing characters, great storyline and will be a series that has you on an insanely crazy emotional rollercoaster. I didn't think it would be as good as book 1, but Alicia KNOCKED it out of the park! She gives you everything and then some. AND THE SPICE IN THIS WAS DELICIOUS. Alicia does a beautiful job getting those emotions out through the book in a raw and heartbreaking way some times. I continue to love Charlotte's and Rowan's chemistry and relationship overall. Be warned, there are some things that can be triggering so heed those trigger warnings. I LOVED this book and can't wait to add both books to my physical library!
I was lucky to read book 1 "Courting Charlotte" and jumped so fast into "Claiming Charlotte". It's a very well written mafia romance, with LOTS of plot, amazing characters, great storyline and will be a series that has you on an insanely crazy emotional rollercoaster. I didn't think it would be as good as book 1, but Alicia KNOCKED it out of the park! She gives you everything and then some. AND THE SPICE IN THIS WAS DELICIOUS. Alicia does a beautiful job getting those emotions out through the book in a raw and heartbreaking way some times. I continue to love Charlotte's and Rowan's chemistry and relationship overall. Be warned, there are some things that can be triggering so heed those trigger warnings. I LOVED this book and can't wait to add both books to my physical library!
Love You Truly by Stacy Travis
4.0
I did not read the first two books of the Buttercup Hill series, but did want to read "Love You Truly" because marriages of Convenience is one of my favorite troupes to read. I loved the small-town, contemporary romance feel of the book itself and thought that it was a good read. It gave all the swoon vibes when it needed to, and was the perfect palette cleanser for me with all of the dark romances I read often.
Even though it was focused on being a marriage of convenience, I was glad to see that they got to know each other on a more personal level and eventually fall in "real" love with the person they really are. I loved the banter between Mallory and Dash, how goal-driven she was to achieve everything she wanted with the family business and how perfect they were for one another, complimenting each other very well. The storyline itself is one of my favorites last month and gave me characters that I immediately fell in love with. If you love a good small town romance with all the feels, this is the book for you!
Even though it was focused on being a marriage of convenience, I was glad to see that they got to know each other on a more personal level and eventually fall in "real" love with the person they really are. I loved the banter between Mallory and Dash, how goal-driven she was to achieve everything she wanted with the family business and how perfect they were for one another, complimenting each other very well. The storyline itself is one of my favorites last month and gave me characters that I immediately fell in love with. If you love a good small town romance with all the feels, this is the book for you!
Wicked Scandal by Rachel Leigh
4.0
Wicked Scandal was a really good book by Rachel Leigh.
I love reading reverse age-gap books and what really appealed to me about "Wicked Scandal" was the student/teacher taboo romance aspect of it. I'm ALL for some forbidden romance whenever I get a chance and Rachel wrote it in a way that wasn't your typical student/teacher romance. There was a more mature side to their relationship that you don't see done in this troupe often. I really liked Wilder's character. He truly cared for her, wanted to do everything he could to protect Cat and wasn't just infatuated with her like most students are. I did like Cat, but there were points in the book that i wished she would know her worth and leave her toxic relationship. Rachel wrote a great storyline and I liked the book a lot. I would read more by her in the future.
I love reading reverse age-gap books and what really appealed to me about "Wicked Scandal" was the student/teacher taboo romance aspect of it. I'm ALL for some forbidden romance whenever I get a chance and Rachel wrote it in a way that wasn't your typical student/teacher romance. There was a more mature side to their relationship that you don't see done in this troupe often. I really liked Wilder's character. He truly cared for her, wanted to do everything he could to protect Cat and wasn't just infatuated with her like most students are. I did like Cat, but there were points in the book that i wished she would know her worth and leave her toxic relationship. Rachel wrote a great storyline and I liked the book a lot. I would read more by her in the future.
Endless Devotion by Emily Klepp
4.0
Endless Devotion is Book 2 to the Rapture Duet so be sure to read Reverse Perspective first!
Emily writes some of my favorite dark romances and does it in a way that really gets me excited to read. Her writing style is very smooth, filled with emotions and darkness while touching on topics that most authors would steer clear of. A LOT happened in book 1, and it was good to see that we picked up right where we left off and get to see more of Sadie and her boys! Another really quick read by Emily, but a great storyline!
Emily writes some of my favorite dark romances and does it in a way that really gets me excited to read. Her writing style is very smooth, filled with emotions and darkness while touching on topics that most authors would steer clear of. A LOT happened in book 1, and it was good to see that we picked up right where we left off and get to see more of Sadie and her boys! Another really quick read by Emily, but a great storyline!
Second-Rate Superstar by Siena Trap
5.0
Siena trip and this series 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
I had the pleasure of reading books 1 & 2, and wasn’t sure if she could have topped either one of them. Usually an author aren’t able to write a series that is a straight home run with each book, but Siena did!
“Second rate superstar was by far my favorite book in the Comet series.
Braxton and Dakota’s story was beautifully written and really honed on overcoming their pasts and all of the things they have gone through and while having some REAL kinky spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 for me, it really had the most sweetest side too, especially with Braxton giving ALL the cinnamon roll vibes. Only Siena can take you on a WILD spicy ride, but also write the story with an emotional side to pull on your heartstrings a bit. I will NEVER pass up a read by her. Beautiful writing style, amazing characters with the best chemistry and storylines that are fully written in detail! 🫶🏽
I had the pleasure of reading books 1 & 2, and wasn’t sure if she could have topped either one of them. Usually an author aren’t able to write a series that is a straight home run with each book, but Siena did!
“Second rate superstar was by far my favorite book in the Comet series.
Braxton and Dakota’s story was beautifully written and really honed on overcoming their pasts and all of the things they have gone through and while having some REAL kinky spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 for me, it really had the most sweetest side too, especially with Braxton giving ALL the cinnamon roll vibes. Only Siena can take you on a WILD spicy ride, but also write the story with an emotional side to pull on your heartstrings a bit. I will NEVER pass up a read by her. Beautiful writing style, amazing characters with the best chemistry and storylines that are fully written in detail! 🫶🏽