Scan barcode
mells_view's reviews
1750 reviews
Dirty Kisses by Kenya Wright
It starts off a tad slow, but also I had to remind myself that this is book one and the world has to be built up. Emily is an artist who grew up knowing darkness and struggle. She’s made a good life for herself and her found family. Enter Kazamir. The head of the Bratva. These two are brought together unexpectedly and they just click somehow. Anyway. If you enjoy a mafia romance that is heavy on the mafia, secrets, and betrayals, then you will enjoy this one. They have moments where other sorts of organized crime groups come into play as well. It’s not just the standard Russian/Italian/Cartel crime families which was a nice change. The steam takes a bit to build up to, but once it starts they aren’t shy with their.. feelings. That said, this does have a good balance of heat and actual story, so. Anyway.
Excited to see what’s to come.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Everything could crumble around us—the world itself—and I would not look away.
It starts off a tad slow, but also I had to remind myself that this is book one and the world has to be built up. Emily is an artist who grew up knowing darkness and struggle. She’s made a good life for herself and her found family. Enter Kazamir. The head of the Bratva. These two are brought together unexpectedly and they just click somehow. Anyway. If you enjoy a mafia romance that is heavy on the mafia, secrets, and betrayals, then you will enjoy this one. They have moments where other sorts of organized crime groups come into play as well. It’s not just the standard Russian/Italian/Cartel crime families which was a nice change. The steam takes a bit to build up to, but once it starts they aren’t shy with their.. feelings. That said, this does have a good balance of heat and actual story, so. Anyway.
Excited to see what’s to come.
Tempt by Melanie Harlow
I enjoyed this one overall. I sort of had a hard time buying into the fact that an engaged to someone else, 29 year old man would be so weird about his dad dating his ex girlfriend that they’d feel the need to keep it secret for months and months, but also I’ve never been a 29 year old man whose dad was canoodling with his ex, so what do I really know.
That said. I enjoyed Millie and Zach. An age gap and two people falling in love despite the fact that they weren’t planning on it with each other. The sneaking around was fun even though they constantly felt guilty for it. I kind of wish that they hadn’t and had just been keeping it secret because they didn’t plan to peruse it and wanted it for them. ANYWAY.
Good read if you want ex boyfriend’s dad, age gap, secret relationship, and sort of fling romance all in a small town.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
“Sometimes our hearts don’t communicate with our heads.”
I enjoyed this one overall. I sort of had a hard time buying into the fact that an engaged to someone else, 29 year old man would be so weird about his dad dating his ex girlfriend that they’d feel the need to keep it secret for months and months, but also I’ve never been a 29 year old man whose dad was canoodling with his ex, so what do I really know.
That said. I enjoyed Millie and Zach. An age gap and two people falling in love despite the fact that they weren’t planning on it with each other. The sneaking around was fun even though they constantly felt guilty for it. I kind of wish that they hadn’t and had just been keeping it secret because they didn’t plan to peruse it and wanted it for them. ANYWAY.
Good read if you want ex boyfriend’s dad, age gap, secret relationship, and sort of fling romance all in a small town.
Painted in the Shadows by Nichole Greene
Can we trademark “stalker dark guardian Angel” because that’s 100% what Leif is to Tavi. If you like contracted killers, stalkers, man obsessed, and age gap where the older person has sort of been like a watcher/protector over the younger character then you will LOVE painted in the shadows. This one does get extremely dark at times, but there is also a sweetness to the connection between Leif and Tavi. There’s also some action in this one, which I love.
CW/TW (provided by author in their IG linktree): Dubcon, Stalker, Death of parents (murdered), Abuse, Rape, Forced marriage, Violence, Sexual assault, Homicide, Torture, Primal CNC, Spanking, Breath play, Dissociation (coping mechanism), Hyper-sexuality (trauma response), Kidnapping
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I don’t know what it is, but something about him draws me in. I know he’s not safe, but he makes me feel protected in some insane way. Nothing about this makes sense.
Can we trademark “stalker dark guardian Angel” because that’s 100% what Leif is to Tavi. If you like contracted killers, stalkers, man obsessed, and age gap where the older person has sort of been like a watcher/protector over the younger character then you will LOVE painted in the shadows. This one does get extremely dark at times, but there is also a sweetness to the connection between Leif and Tavi. There’s also some action in this one, which I love.
CW/TW (provided by author in their IG linktree): Dubcon, Stalker, Death of parents (murdered), Abuse, Rape, Forced marriage, Violence, Sexual assault, Homicide, Torture, Primal CNC, Spanking, Breath play, Dissociation (coping mechanism), Hyper-sexuality (trauma response), Kidnapping
The Frat Boy by Nikki Sloane
If you know me, then you know I love the Nashville Neighborhood series. Every single book is the perfect amount of taboo blended with the perfect amount of falling in love. Madison and Colin are no exception to that. I love that these two start out in sort of a rivals/enemies position. There is definitely no love lost between these two, but they find themselves in a position where they have to work/live together. Oh, and their new job is sex work. Filming erotic content to stream online.
It’s tense of course, but all that said their chemistry is off the charts and it’s so fun to read. They aren’t happy about it, obviously, but neither of them can deny they work well together. Anyway. This book is much more than two people who dislike each other filming sexy scenes together. I thought it was another fun exploration in what relationships can look like. About exploring sexuality and just feeling free in your sexuality. Plus, it’s just fun to read about two people falling in love while being in a scenario that isn’t commonly written about even though digital sex work is extremely common. As per usual I love seeing the MCs from the previous books make appearances and some of the side characters from the past getting what they deserve. Sigh. I love this series.
Loved this book and I am hoping and crossing my fingers and toes that we eventually get a book about Preston. I feel like he’s earned his redemption arc.
CW/TW: cheating (not with the MCs), revenge porn, doxing, discussions of gambling addiction
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
She was so beautiful it made breath halt in my lungs. Why the fuck had we waited so long and fought so hard against this?
If you know me, then you know I love the Nashville Neighborhood series. Every single book is the perfect amount of taboo blended with the perfect amount of falling in love. Madison and Colin are no exception to that. I love that these two start out in sort of a rivals/enemies position. There is definitely no love lost between these two, but they find themselves in a position where they have to work/live together. Oh, and their new job is sex work. Filming erotic content to stream online.
It’s tense of course, but all that said their chemistry is off the charts and it’s so fun to read. They aren’t happy about it, obviously, but neither of them can deny they work well together. Anyway. This book is much more than two people who dislike each other filming sexy scenes together. I thought it was another fun exploration in what relationships can look like. About exploring sexuality and just feeling free in your sexuality. Plus, it’s just fun to read about two people falling in love while being in a scenario that isn’t commonly written about even though digital sex work is extremely common. As per usual I love seeing the MCs from the previous books make appearances and some of the side characters from the past getting what they deserve. Sigh. I love this series.
Loved this book and I am hoping and crossing my fingers and toes that we eventually get a book about Preston. I feel like he’s earned his redemption arc.
CW/TW: cheating (not with the MCs), revenge porn, doxing, discussions of gambling addiction
Lilac by B.B. Reid
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
entertaining why choose romance. guitarist joins a band that needs a replacement for tour after the sudden loss of one of their members. right off the bat the band is not interested in having her join the tour, maybe their beds but.
if you want one that feels equally balanced, this may bother you some. FOR ME, it felt like one guy sort of got more attention/praise and one definitely got the short end of the stick, but also I do think maybe it was the author trying to show that all the relationships brought something different even though they were all one. I also had an instant favorite, so it may have been my bias as well 😂
the heroine has her own angst to deal with and then each hero has his own angst to contend with as well. I enjoyed this one, but something was sort of missing for me to truly invest in the characters and their love. also the last like 20% before the final 10% just felt like… really. Like I know we’d been building to that, but I also think I was hoping for something different than what we got. THAT SAID, it was still entertaining overall.
I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys a long slow building relationship but fast burning spicy bits in a why choose read. I read this with audio and thought the voice actors did an incredible job. I was entertained and the funny parts had great timing.
*Hoopla 1.8-2.1x speed
if you want one that feels equally balanced, this may bother you some. FOR ME, it felt like one guy sort of got more attention/praise and one definitely got the short end of the stick, but also I do think maybe it was the author trying to show that all the relationships brought something different even though they were all one. I also had an instant favorite, so it may have been my bias as well 😂
the heroine has her own angst to deal with and then each hero has his own angst to contend with as well. I enjoyed this one, but something was sort of missing for me to truly invest in the characters and their love. also the last like 20% before the final 10% just felt like… really. Like I know we’d been building to that, but I also think I was hoping for something different than what we got. THAT SAID, it was still entertaining overall.
I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys a long slow building relationship but fast burning spicy bits in a why choose read. I read this with audio and thought the voice actors did an incredible job. I was entertained and the funny parts had great timing.
*Hoopla 1.8-2.1x speed
Dirty Crazy Bad: A Prequel Short Story by Siobhan Davis
Prequel short for the Dirty Crazy Bad Duet. Introduces the characters and I assume the main angst/antagonist of the first book. It seems like it will be enemy step-brother/why choose romance. I’m not sure if I 100% click with the writing voice, so not sure I’ll continue. We shall see.
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
“When everything else is changing, you’re the one constant I can always rely on.”
Prequel short for the Dirty Crazy Bad Duet. Introduces the characters and I assume the main angst/antagonist of the first book. It seems like it will be enemy step-brother/why choose romance. I’m not sure if I 100% click with the writing voice, so not sure I’ll continue. We shall see.
Plush: an erotic novella by Alexis Rey
Quick BDSM erotic short set in a club called Wonderland. If you’re looking for a super quick hit of spice or a quick read with the BDSM element, then this could be for you. It’s a series I assume following the same FMC at the very least. We shall see if I’ll continue. A quickie to start off the new year.
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
“Eyes on me. I wanna see those pretty eyes.”
Quick BDSM erotic short set in a club called Wonderland. If you’re looking for a super quick hit of spice or a quick read with the BDSM element, then this could be for you. It’s a series I assume following the same FMC at the very least. We shall see if I’ll continue. A quickie to start off the new year.
Triple Threat by K Webster
I enjoyed this. I actually waited until closer to when the next book was releasing (3/29) to read it, because I have no chill and knew I would need answers ASAP. Alas, I finished reading today and while there are only mere hours left until I can start the next book I still feel insanely impatient because I want it now.
I know the hero/anti-hero characters in this book were villains in another trilogy, but I didn’t read all of those books so they sort of have a clean slate for me. Which to me means I liked them. All three of them. The heroine I love, and I only hope that she and her sister get the life and happiness they deserve in book two. The themes in Triple Threat of what they experience are just so heartbreaking, and even though only alluded to they are hard to read.
All in all I enjoyed this book and I’m crossing my fingers that I love book two!
TW: child abuse, abuse, allusions to child molestation, discussions of violence/murder
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
We’re a triple threat. Always.
I enjoyed this. I actually waited until closer to when the next book was releasing (3/29) to read it, because I have no chill and knew I would need answers ASAP. Alas, I finished reading today and while there are only mere hours left until I can start the next book I still feel insanely impatient because I want it now.
I know the hero/anti-hero characters in this book were villains in another trilogy, but I didn’t read all of those books so they sort of have a clean slate for me. Which to me means I liked them. All three of them. The heroine I love, and I only hope that she and her sister get the life and happiness they deserve in book two. The themes in Triple Threat of what they experience are just so heartbreaking, and even though only alluded to they are hard to read.
All in all I enjoyed this book and I’m crossing my fingers that I love book two!
TW: child abuse, abuse, allusions to child molestation, discussions of violence/murder
Falls Boys by Penelope Douglas
I don’t have much to say other than I enjoyed this book, and I’m hella excited for the series. Aro and Hawke weren’t the couple I was looking the most forward to, but I ended up loving them so much. Aro is just such an amazing character. She’s rough around the edges, she fights, she steals, but she’s operating off of love. All of it for the ones she loves. Hawke is sort of the same. He’s a protector when it comes to the people he loves, and seeing Aro become one of those people after a lot of heated tension was so so good. Anyway.
Read this book. I would definitely recommend reading the Fall Away series to understand the connections, but also I think you can sort of catch up in this.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If you don’t grow, you die.
I don’t have much to say other than I enjoyed this book, and I’m hella excited for the series. Aro and Hawke weren’t the couple I was looking the most forward to, but I ended up loving them so much. Aro is just such an amazing character. She’s rough around the edges, she fights, she steals, but she’s operating off of love. All of it for the ones she loves. Hawke is sort of the same. He’s a protector when it comes to the people he loves, and seeing Aro become one of those people after a lot of heated tension was so so good. Anyway.
Read this book. I would definitely recommend reading the Fall Away series to understand the connections, but also I think you can sort of catch up in this.
Tutoring the Player by Rebecca Jenshak
Daisy and Jordan are the absolute sweetest pairing I have read in a long time. Daisy is a “wallflower” always just on the outside of the “cool” people having fun, and Jordan is the party. You can call this opposites attract all you want, but I’m calling it “the one you didn’t see coming” trope because neither of these two had their eye on each other for different reasons, but they are truly perfect for each other and such a great compliment to one another’s personalities. Reading these two getting to know each other and finding there’s more to them than what they see at the surface. They just click even when they have tension, so it was just a fun read.
There is a dash of angst in this one, but overall it’s super sweet with the perfect dash of heat. Once again Ms. Jenshak has given us a group of friends that you’re going to want more of, at least I do, so I can’t wait to see if we get more stories from this crew!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
4.0
I wonder, what would it take for a campus wallflower to climb the fence and be seen?
Daisy and Jordan are the absolute sweetest pairing I have read in a long time. Daisy is a “wallflower” always just on the outside of the “cool” people having fun, and Jordan is the party. You can call this opposites attract all you want, but I’m calling it “the one you didn’t see coming” trope because neither of these two had their eye on each other for different reasons, but they are truly perfect for each other and such a great compliment to one another’s personalities. Reading these two getting to know each other and finding there’s more to them than what they see at the surface. They just click even when they have tension, so it was just a fun read.
There is a dash of angst in this one, but overall it’s super sweet with the perfect dash of heat. Once again Ms. Jenshak has given us a group of friends that you’re going to want more of, at least I do, so I can’t wait to see if we get more stories from this crew!