hillaryp48's reviews
187 reviews

Jingle My Balls by Jenika Snow, Jordan Marie

4.0

Holly hates Christmas time and all of the crazy that comes with it. On her way out from a shopping trip from hell, she runs into a gorgeous tattooed man dressed in a Santa suit. When he won’t stop hitting on her, she finds herself loving the role playing game and just going with it. Nick owns a fantasy business and has to fill in for one of his employees unexpectedly. He normally would have just canceled the date but decided to see it through. When the hot red-head stumbles right into his arms he can’t believe how beautiful the client is. She is playing hard to get even though she planned this whole thing, but when she says her name is Holly instead of her real name, Nick knows she is all in. This is a quick Christmas themed smutty novella that was such a fun and hot read. Everyone needs a big candy cane for Christmas!

Little Bird by Jenika Snow

4.0

✨ ARC REVIEW✨

    Claudia has grown up being a child to a mafia boss. She has seen abuse and violance her whole life. She has never been the one to submit and keep quiet no matter how ofter her father slapped her. One night while eavesdropping, she listens in on a conversation between her dad and the leader of the Russians in New York. They are barter on the terms of her sister marrying the leader’s brother. Her dad discovers her and pulls her into the room to punish her for listening in. The leader of the Russian mob, Dmitry, doesn’t tolerate violence towards women and steps in before Claudia’s father can hit her. That is the beginning of Claudia’s fascination with Dmitry. When Dmitry is sent away to prison, Claudia gets the idea to write him. She writes to him the whole time he is gone with only ever receiving 2 letters in return. What will happen once he is released and who will Claudia be forced to marry? This is age gap, arranged marriage, dark mafia romance with so much spice! Dmitry gives off those daddy vibes that Claudia eats up. I loved this book and just love the way Jenika writes her books. She writes books the exact way I want them to play out. There is very little conflict and lots and lots of spice! So happy to be a part of Jenika’s patreon so that I get early access to her new releases. She is one of my top authors of 2022!

Bound by Honor by Cora Reilly

2.0

Aria is the oldest daughter to a boss in the mafia. She has grown up knowing that she would get married off to someone but when reality hits, it hits harder than she expected. The first time she meets her betrothed, Luca, she is only 15 and he is already a made man. Luca is a huge intimidating man who is tougher than nails. When he first meets Aria, he sees her as a child. The next time Aria sees Luca, she is now 18 and it is a week before their wedding. Aria is still afraid of Luca but Luca is mesmerized with Aria. How will her life turn out being married off to a mafia man? This is a forced proximity, arranged marriage, mafia romance. I am so glad that I read the story from Luca’s viewpoint first as I found Aria to be very whiny and annoying. The way her and her siblings act in this telling of her and Luca’s story is cringeworthy. There is no way they are child of the mafia acting that way.

Luca Vitiello by Cora Reilly

4.0

This is a retelling for Bound by Honor but from Luca’s point of view and where I started the series. Luca was born into the mafia and has been groomed since birth to not only be as cruel and dangerous as possible but to also take over as the leader of the Italian mob in New York. The book starts off with Luca as a child and highlights the important moments in his childhood. This helps to explain how and why Luca is the way he is. He gets betrothed to Aria who is the daughter to the second in command of the mob in Chicago. When they first meet Aria is only 15 years old and Luca wants nothing to do with her. Once Aria turns 18 they will get married and start their life together. Aria has grown up knowing that she will more than likely be used as a political pawn but it doesn’t stop her from hating and dreading who she has been betrothed to. Will Luca be like his father and break Aria’s spirit and soul and will he ever become the leader? This is a forced proximity, mafia romance. I really enjoyed how the entire book was from Luca’s view. You don’t get too many books that only have the man’s viewpoint. I really enjoyed the flashbacks at the beginning of the story. I felt like it made me fall in love with Luca’s character because it explained what he has gone through. The spicy scenes were frequent and good. I could have gone for a few more but overall a great book.

Corrupt Princess by Tracy Lorraine

5.0

✨ ARC REVIEW✨

    I was fortunate enough to get an advanced copy of the 14th book in the Knights Ridge Empire series. Nico is coming to terms with all of the bad life decisions he has been making and trying to figure out his feelings for Brianna. Brianna has been through a lot with Nico and wants to separate herself from him moving forward. She is over his temper and his indecision. Nico actually seeks help from the therapist who calls him on his shit and makes him be accountable for his actions. All Nico wants to do is get back in Brianna’s good graces and show her that he is serious this time around. Will Brianna forgive Nico for the mistakes he has made, and will Nico get the revenge he craves without getting anyone else he loves hurt? This is book #14 and I think I liked it even more than the one before. The tension between Brianna and Nico was so thick you could feel it pouring from the pages. I especially loved the dressing room scene! This book ends on a cliffhanger and I am dying to see how Nico and Brianna’s story ends!! The next book can’t come soon enough!

Corrupt Knight by Tracy Lorraine

4.0

✨ ARC REVIEW✨

    

    I was fortunate enough to get an advanced copy of Tracy Lorraine’s newest addition to the well established Knights Ridge Empire series. These books focus on Nico who will be second in command of the Italian mob. He and Brianna have had a chaotic and toxic relationship which was mostly a friends with benefits kind of thing. Brianna is finishing up her degree in teaching and is student teaching her last semester. Her previous mentor had an unexplained emergency and she was left with nowhere to teach. Knights Ridge accepted her as their first student teacher. This is an amazing opportunity for Brianna but also an awkward one as she has been having sex with one of their student, Nico. Nico himself is trying to deal with a loss in the family and has been dealing with it in the wrong ways. When he finds out the Brianna is teaching at his school, he makes it his mission to make her as miserable and uncomfortable as possible. Will Brianna be able to stay away from Nico now that she is his teacher, and will Nico be able to overcome his demons without hurting anyone. This is book #13 in the series and I am as addicted to the series now as I was when I first discovered it. I absolutely love how Tracy writes her female characters. Each of them is different but all are strong and fierce. I think Nico and Brianna are my third favorite couple in the series as a whole. I cannot wait to see how their story ends and what will come next!

Viper's Fate by Jade Bones

4.0

✨ ARC REVIEW✨

    I was fortunate enough to get an advanced copy of Jade Bones’ newest book, Viper’s Fate. This is a stand-alone, why choose, fated-mates, dark fantasy romance. Please check your trigger warnings before starting. Jel is heir to the Viper’s family and gang and has fled because she wants no part in what they stand for. She is enrolled in college under a fake name and has been able to stay under the radar. A painting of hers gets picked to be apart of a showcase the school is doing and Jel cannot let it be seen. Not only is it lewd especially for a religious school, she has also tied her alpha energy and soul to it. She goes to a party at her TA’s house to steal her painting when the 3 men she painted are there in person. She can feel the tug on her soul that these 3 alphas are fated mates of hers but how can 3 alphas be mated to another alpha. During the party, a murder happens that is very similar to a massare her family executed 10 years ago. Is Jel being set up to take the fall? This book was a lot of fun to read. I wish the conflict didn’t last the entire book and that there were more spicy scenes. I could have gone for more group scenes and MM details. I thought the way the world was developed was beautifully done and did a great job at making it easy to follow.

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

4.0

Piper is what most people would call a spoiled brat. She has grown up having everything and not having to work for it. She decides she needs to throw a huge rooftop pool party and breaks into the hotel pool. Her so-called friend rats her out when the cops show and Piper is arrested. Her step-father is sick of bailing her out of situations and as punishment send Piper to Westport, WA where her father was from. Westport is a small town on the coast filled with fishermen. When little miss Hollywood shows up, Brendan judges her immediately and assumes she is looking down on the town. Brendan grew up in Westport and is a captain of one of the fishing boats. Him and Piper seem to keep running into each other and there is just something about her that makes him want to get to know her more. He sees that she is so much more than just a spoiled girl from Hollywood. This is a contemporary romance novel which is not my usual taste. I did enjoy this book but I think the spicy scenes could have been better and more frequent. I would recommend this book to someone who is new to the romance genre and is looking for a little spice with a sweet story. This was also my first book by Tessa Bailey and her writing is beautifully done. I enjoyed how she went back and forth from the main character’s perspective showing the reader their insights.

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

5.0

Tate is going back to school to get her masters in nursing and is moving in temporarily with her brother. On the day she arrives, she finds a passed out man blocking his door. Turns out it is her brothers’ best friend, colleague, and neighbor. Miles has been single for the past 6 years without anyone catching his eye. That all changes the night his best friend’s sister shows up and helps drunk him inside to sleep it off. Miles won’t have a relationship since his past has hurt him so much so he tries to keep Tate at a distance. He is trying not to get too close to her and hurt her. Why can’t Miles love and will Tate be able to change him. This is a brother's best friend romance. It is an emotional journey that brought tears to my eyes. I normally don’t like the sappy romance novels but this one is truly amazing. The emotion was so palpable you could feel it bleeding through the pages. I will be recommending this to the people that like the more traditional romance novels.

Prey Island by Kendra Moreno

4.0

✨ ARC REVIEW✨

    

I was fortunate enough to get an advanced readers copy of Prey Island. Billie is an exotic dancer at an exclusive gentlemen's club. One night, she is asked for a private dance and the guy is willing to pay $4K! The temptation of the money is too good for her to turn down. Next thing she knows, she is waking up in a cage on a plane and is dropped on an island with a bunch of men. It is announced that they will be hunted like prey by “the hounds” and the last one to survive will get $50 million. Billie teams up with Creed who is an ex navy seal, Jiro who is from Japan, Achilles who is a survivalist, and Row. The 5 of them are set on surviving and making the hounds feel like prey. This is a suspense, why choose romance. This book was so fun to read. I really enjoyed the short chapters and how the story was written from different characters' views throughout the story. I loved the ending which ends on a cliffhanger. I really liked how it was addressed in the story that Billie was always underestimated by the enemy and showed them how strong she really was. I do wish there was a group spicy scene and overall just more spice. Recommend if you are looking for a fast paced thrilling romance.