originalbooknerd's reviews
978 reviews

Bull Rush by Maggie Rawdon

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

🖤𝓑𝓾𝓵𝓵𝓡𝓾𝓼𝓱 - 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓠𝓾𝓲𝓮𝓽𝓗𝓸𝓻𝓼𝓮𝓶𝓮𝓷 1 - 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀🖤 

 

Author: Maggie Rawdon 

 

Couple: Hazel & Ramsey Stockton 

 

Tropes: Divorce of Convenience, Indecent Proposal, Hate to Love, Morally Grey Hero, Former Football Player, Forced Proximity, Dark Western Romance, Small town 

 

Review:  Bull Rush is your next dark, small town, bad boy read and Maggie knew how to set the stage right out of the gate with this one! Ramsey Stockton was NOT the soft or grumpy MMC we usually see from her, yet he was so perfectly in tune with the needs of the romance in this book that he made it impossible to put down! The tension, angst and absolute hatred this book starts off with blew what I knew of typical “enemies to lovers” books out of the water and I was unable to stop until I reached “The End.” 

 

Ramsey Stockton was down right DIRTY in this book. We saw snippets of his character and the rage he keeps locked down and seeing it all come out in this book was DEVASTATING! Maggie knew how to hook us with the shock that Ramsey was still married to his believed “ex-wife” and I just knew that I was not ready for the ride he was going to put us through while he pushed Hazel to realize it was always her and no-one else. The deviousness Ramsey has to fool the Parole officers was hands down the best part of this book since it sets off all of the  events in this book and shot out to Maggie for going above and beyond in her first truly DARK dark romance! 

 

Hazel Stockton was what held the book together in my opinion. From the get go she is a ball buster and takes no prisoners. I loved her hate to love with Ramsey and the love triangle with her current fiancé. It was obvious that she never moved past her first love and the chaos Ramsey rides in on is perfectly in tune with what she needs! The burning angst and unresolved emotions she had were a foundational part of this book and Maggie was phenomenal at creating the tension and heat between Hazel and Ramsey. I also found that the fierce independence Hazel had pushed Ramsey's buttons in the BEST WAYS! 

 

Bull Rush is full of emotional turmoil and Maggie dives right in with no regard for the safety of our hearts. Ramsey and Hazel have a romance that is not for the faint of heart but also is beautiful to read. The way they got into each other's lives so seamlessly but also in ways that neither anticipated brought me so much happiness and I adored how once Ramsey went all in he was ALL IN!! Bull Rush was a perfect first dip into this small town universe Maggie stated and I cannot wait for more! 

 

Rating: 5/5; Ramsey and Hazel were everything you love in enemy to lovers romance! 

 

 

Thank you to Maggie & Wordsmith Publicity for sending me this eARC! 

 

Buy a Boyfriend by Everly Ashton

challenging emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

𝐵𝓊𝓎 𝒜 𝐵𝑜𝓎𝒻𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒹 - 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝒷𝒷𝑜𝓉𝓉 𝐵𝓇𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝟤 - 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌 

Author: Everly Ashton

Couple: Isla & Travis Abbott

Tropes: frenemies to lovers, second chance, workplace romance, billionaire romance, right guy wrong time, romcom, forced proximity

Review: GAHHH! Everly Ashton gives us a laugh out loud workplace romance in Buy A Boyfriend! Isla and Travis are the epitome of a “right person, wrong time” romance and the first chapter was one of my favorite chapters ever! From the beginning these two have a burning chemistry that is unparalleled. Everly was able to craft two characters who fed off each other in both the good and terrible ways but also provided SO. MUCH. BANTER! Buy A Boyfriend is a read perfect for anyone needing a light hearted yet raw romcom guaranteed to put a smile on your face!

Isla was a hoot and also a fiery FMC who I stood behind until the end. I found her story to be one of personal growth and witty retorts. Everly really did everything in her power to make us fall hard for the sassy assistant to the Abbott bothers and personally the wit, banter and snark she had throughout this book provided just enough tension with Travis that it kept me entertained but also wising for the next big show down. 

Travis Abbott was a man who had some demons. Everly was able to capture all of his hardships in ways that bought some real and raw emotions to his POV while also providing the roadblocks necessary to give us an angst filled romance. I appreciated the way Everly gave us a MMC who needed to grow and evolve in this book but also needed to heal deep wounds. The relationship he and Isla have in this book is beautiful to read and also one that showcases a ton of hard ups and downs.

Buy A Boyfriend is a hilarious read that made me laugh constantly. Isla and Travis were a well matched couple but also one that fit into the other’s broken pieces. Everly was amazing in this book and I will be going to read book 1 now!

Rating: 4.5/5, A laugh out loud frenemies to lovers workplace romance guaranteed to entertain you until the end!

Thank you to Everly & Valentine PR for sending me this eARC!
 



𝐵𝓊𝓎 𝒜 𝐵𝑜𝓎𝒻𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒹 - 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝒷𝒷𝑜𝓉𝓉 𝐵𝓇𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝟤 - 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌

Author: Everly Ashton

Narrated by: Lee Samuels & Maxine Mitchell

Couple: Isla & Travis Abbott

Tropes: frenemies to lovers, second chance, workplace romance, billionaire romance, right guy wrong time, romcom, forced proximity

Review: Buy A Boyfriend was a laugh out loud book and an even better audiobook. Lee Samuels and Maxine Mitchell were PHENOMENAL in this audiobook narration and I found myself cracking up all throughout this audio! Everly truly knew what she was doing picking these two and in my own opinion Maxine Mitchell was the bee’s knees in this book. She perfected Isla’s character and had me sucked in from chapter 1 with the way she could emote and draw out the anticipation. Lee Samuels also did a great job with Travis and bringing to life the way he was grumpy, broody and full of ever changing emotions!

Lee and Maxine were perfectly paired and almost fed off one another while narrating the story. I cannot express how much this book should be listened to and have to say it was a solid 5 star audiobook from start to finish! 

Rating: 5/5, A laugh out loud frenemies to lovers workplace romance guaranteed to entertain you until the end!

Thank you to Everly & Valentine PR for sending me this eALC!

Sunday Morning by Jewel E. Ann

challenging emotional funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

🌼𝒮𝓊𝓃𝒹𝒶𝓎𝑀𝑜𝓇𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 - 𝒮𝓊𝓃𝒹𝒶𝓎𝑀𝑜𝓇𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔𝒮𝑒𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈𝟣 - 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌🌻 

 

Author: Jewel E. Ann 

 

Couple: Sarah & Isaac 

 

Tropes: country singer, small town, forbidden romance, Preacher’s daughter, boyfriend's older brother, love triangle 

 

Review: Sunday Morning was a riveting and enticing read that took me back in time into the 1980s. Jewel E Ann gave us a beautiful and poignant romance yet again with Sarah and Isaac and the angst she put into this romance was EVERYTHING! Sarah is the town good girl and aspiring Country star who is also struggling to find her way. I adored the way she grew in this story and found the journey she took to be one that portrays an honesty in romance across genres and years. 

 

Jewel E Ann devastated me in this book. Sarah and Isaac have so many trials and tribulations in this story and it kept me on the edge waiting for the other shoe to fall. The way Isaac was ALWAYS tehre for her and showed how much he supported her was the best thing in the book and I found myself wishing Isaac was real many times. I aslo adored the adoration he had for her and how he dealt with the forbidden love triangle he found himself in upon returning home. 

 

This book was full of everything this author does best and it truly showed how well she can weave a romance with this HEA. The way Jewel E Ann was able to tackle the taboo topic of their relationship while Sarah was getting out of her current one with Isaac’s brother added the foundation in this book while also providing all of the conflict. I found myself drawn into the forbidden vibes from the get go but also routing for them to get their HEA! Sunday Morning was a pivotal book full of coming of age angst and true love at its finest! 

 

Rating: 4.5/5; Sunday Morning is a delightful and angst filled romance that throws you back in time while also makes your heart hurt for Sarah and Isaac! 

 

Thank you to Jewel E Ann & Valentine PR for sending me this eARC!

Briar Valley: The Complete Duet by J. Rose

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

🦋𝔹𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕣𝕍𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕪: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕖𝕥𝕖𝔻𝕦𝕖𝕥 - ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨🦋 

 

Author: J. Rose 

 

Couple: Willow with Killian, Zach & Micah 

 

Tropes: why choose, reverse harem, dark romance, heroine in danger, single mother, small town, enemy to lover, broken MMC, mafia romance 

 

Review: J. Rose has once again tore my heart out and stomped all over it with this Briar Valley complete duet! Briar Valley is the completed duet that includes books 1 & 2 of Willow and Arianna’s story as well as bonus content not seen before! J Rose was able to captivate me from the beginning in this completed duet and I was unable to swallow how hard Willow’s book was during this re-read but also loved how she rose from the ashes of her past! 

 

Willow is a FIERCE FMC. She won me over from page one and with every secret, lit, betrayal and twist, she only grew more as she blew past every road block, heartache and plot twist in this highly emotional duet. The bond she had with her daughter Arianna was EVERYTHING in this book and I adored how she was so sure of the moves she needed to make to protect her but also terrified of making the wrong turn and falling in to danger again. Her story was one brought with red flags, m danger and triggers but wow was it worth the HEA we get at the end. 

 

Killian, Zach and Micah are pivotal in this book and I found that they were really the foundation of the romance as well as the pillar of silent strength Willow needed to put her past behind her. The way these grumpy, broody and closed off men ABSOLUTELY melted around Arianna was 100% swoon and I loved how they each shared something special with her. J Rose did her best to make the differences known between each guy but I also found that they were eerily similar at times. This was on book where I truly had no favorite between the men but instead found that each one provided something distinct and necessary for the book. 

 

Briar Valley is a romance that hits hard every time and yet also tells a gut wrenching and beautiful romance. J Rose gives us a story of finding your home and also carving out your safe space in this book and I can’t recommend this book enough. Willow and Arianna will always have a soft spot in my heart and J Rose outdid herself with the completed duet! 

 

Rating: 5/5; This duet was EVERYTHING! J Rose delivered a duet that ripped my heart out but also healed parts of me while reading and Willow and Arianna truly have a tragically beautiful story! 

 

Thank you to J Rose & Valentine PR for sending me this eARC!

Tracing Scars by Brandy Hynes

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

🌙𝔗𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔖𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔰 - 𝔗𝔥𝔢𝔎𝔒ℜ𝔗𝔖𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔰 3 - ℜ𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔴🌙 

 

Author: Brandy Hynes 

 

Couple: Rena Noire & Tytan Reynolds 

 

Tropes: Mafia/Secret Society, Jealous/Possessive hero, Action/ Suspense, Brother’s best friend, One bed, Trauma/grief healing, Mutual pining, Found family, Touch her and 💀, Forbidden/Secret relationship, Morally Gray MMC and FMC, Pierced MMC 

 

Review: Brandy Hynes has DONE. IT. AGAIN! Tracing Scars is guaranteed to have you rocking in a corner in tears while also cackling in the back at how perfectly imperfect these two characters are for each other! Ty and Rena were an opposites attract, forbidden romance that toed a dangerous line of mental sanity and obsessive love and I found myself DEVOURING it from start to finish! 

 

Tytan Reynolds is a broken man with a damaged soul who has been fighting the growing pull towards the Noire Princess for years and this book is HIS BREAKING POINT! His story packed a powerful punch of “hate to love you” and “it’s always been you” vibes that Brandy absolutely NAILED. Like, who could resist a guy who calls her “Little Moon”?? The way he went from 0 to 100 regarding Rena showed how deep he had fallen and dare I say his cards were shown within the first few chapters and the obsession and possessiveness only got more intense as the book went on. I found that the almost desperate way he clung to Rena after they stopped fighting the pull to be heartbreaking since his story was just beginning to unravel and Brandy did her best to wreck us with him. 

 

Rena Noire was the epitome of a mafia princess that refused to bend or break. I LOVED the strength and resilience she had throughout this book and could not wait for her to put Ty and her brothers in their place. I enjoyed her personal journey in this book and appreciated how Brandy adapted her character to the evolving plot lines in her story arc. While she was a force to be reckoned with, one area I truly found refreshing in this book was the girl bond between her, Ivy and Celeste. The way these ladies build each there up and refuse to bow down to the KORT and the Noire brothers showed how strong they were and I cannot wait to see more! 

 

Tracing Scars is a book built upon family turmoil, emotional upheaval, mental sanity and a dark underbelly forcing the MCs to show their deepest cards. Ty and Rena gutted me multiple times in this book and I found myself hanging on by a thread at the end but also cheering for the HEA these two deserved! All of the banter and steam between Ty and Rena added to the intensity of their emotions and Brandy did them justice with how perfectly she laid their sins bear for us to read! This book marks the end of the third KORT member’s romance and let’s just say…I am MORE than ready for Gage’s book as well as these dark and deadly Noire brother’s to keep me reeling in the feels! 

 

Rating: 9/10; Rena and Ty ripped my heart out and threw away the evidence in this highly charged and emotional romance that finished out the third KORT member’s story! 

 

Thank you to Brandy & Wordsmith Publicity for sending me this eARC!



🌙𝔗𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔖𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔰 - 𝔗𝔥𝔢𝔎𝔒ℜ𝔗𝔖𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔰 3 - 𝔄𝔲𝔡𝔦𝔬𝔟𝔬𝔬𝔨ℜ𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔴🌙 

 

Author: Brandy Hynes 

 

Narrators: Teddy Hamilton & Avery Caris 

 

Couple: Rena Noire & Tytan Reynolds 

 

Tropes: 

🖤Mafia/Secret Society 

🌙Jealous/Possessive hero 

🖤Action/ Suspense 

🌙 Brother’s best friend 

🖤 One bed 

🌙 Trauma/grief healing 

🖤 Mutual pining 

🌙 Found family 

🖤 Touch her and 💀 

🌙 Forbidden/Secret relationship 

🖤 Morally Gray MMC and FMC 

🌙Pierced MMC 

 

 

Review: Brandy Hynes has DONE. IT. AGAIN with this audiobook! Teddy and Avery demolished this story and I will be listening to them bring Titan and Rena to live on repeat. This book was one that was elevated with audio production since it had so many emotions and such an intensity of connection between the MCs. Teddy once again blew me away with his narration of Tytan Reynolds and all the gritty, dark, underbelly of his story and his character. The way he was able to emulate the emotions in Tytan’s POV also pushed Rena’s character into the next level for me since she was so much more fierce in narration. 

 

Avery Caris was perhaps the perfect voice for Rena and Brandy picked a female narrator who was able to take the story and run. I enjoyed the way she poured the feelings into Rena’s voice since that was such a pivotal part of her character to me while reading and I really LOVED the way she was able to embody the hatred that Rena felt for Tytan at times. Tracing Scars was an astounding audiobook that ramped up the heat for the spicy scenes but also brought the main characters and the intrigue about their story to life in our ears! 

 

Rating: 10/10; Rena and Ty 

 

Thank you to Brandy & Wordsmith Publicity for sending me this ALC!

Deceit by Katelyn Taylor

challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

𝔇𝔢𝔠𝔢𝔦𝔱 - 𝔊𝔞𝔩𝔩𝔬𝔴ℌ𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔰 1 - ℜ𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔴 

 

Author: Katelyn Taylor 

 

Couple: Skyla with Ronan, Asher, Vincent & Liam 

 

Tropes: dark romance, why choose, reverse harem, arranged courtship, college romance, secret society, best friend’s fiancé, forbidden romance, taboo romance, age-gap, enemy to lovers, virgin FMC, SLOW BURN 

 

Review: No words. Deceit by Katelyn Taylor is a dark romance lover’s wet dream! Skyla’s story is packed with emotions and set me on a tail spin of rage filled angst turned sweet(ish)  swoon worthy lust. Katelyn was able to master the suspense of Skyla’s relationships with each guy while also maintaining her naive innocence throughout this first book and it left me speechless so many times! 

 

Skyla is a sweet and fierce young woman and her arc in this book left me wanting more! She begins the book filled with anger over the deceit and neglect her father puts her through after ripping her from her former life and forcing her into the role he wants her to play in college and really….he just gets worse from there. I thought Skyla was unique in ways that made her more resilient than the typical “princess” type FMCs we see and I LOVED seeing her silently press against the boundaries and rules placed around her. The way Katelyn differentiated each relationship in this book set it apart from other dark romances and I found myself falling hard for Ronan and Liam in this book and am excited to see how they react to that twisted ending Katelyn left us with! 

 

One thing that I was down for in this book was the why choose and secret society aspect! This book is DARK, it will test what you know with dark romance and also push boundaries of the taboo. The forced engagement with Asher was a central part of this book and I loved to hate that man…and hope he redeems himself fully in book two! I found myself loving the forbidden aspect of the romance and applaud Katelyn for pushing boundaries of the “cheating” trope since technically Skyla is engaged to Asher and the other guys are his friends. 

 

Liam, Vincent and Ronan are all major aspects of this book and the dichotomy they all represent in the secret society play into the roles they had in this book. I appreciated how Katelyn took time to set each guy’s story up and make each one have a past that was unique to him…even if we don not find out past traumas for them all in this book! Ronan was my absolute favorite halfway in and the coach x student trope hit a spot since Skyla needed that confidence boost and just flat out needed someone to believe in her. Liam was also a huge favorite and I am looking forward to his growth in following books as well as seeinghfm become more vital to the group and to Skyla! Vincent and Asher put ideas in my head about things that may happen in books 2 and three and I am curious if my thoughts will occur. I also found that these two were ones I wanted more of POV wise and hope Katelyn has more of their chapters in the following books! 

 

Deceit was a delicious dark romance full of family secrets, hidden agendas, dark betrayals and forbidden romance guaranteed to keep you hooked until the end. Katelyn threw us for a wringer with the ending of this book and I cannot wait for Skyla to come back swinging after how dirty Asher played her but am also ecstatic that book2 is set to be hatter and more suspenseful! Katelyn blew my mind with this book and I’ll be anxiously awaiting book 2! 

 

Rating: 4.5/5; Deceit is a dark, twisted, secret society romance guaranteed to leave you twisted up and needing part two right away! 

 

Thank you to Katelyn for sending me this eARC!

It's Just Business by Willow Winters, Lauren Landish

emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

𝐼𝓉'𝓈𝒥𝓊𝓈𝓉𝐵𝓊𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌 

 

Author: Lauren Landish & Willow Winters 

 

Couple: Raven Hill & Dylan Sharpe 

 

Tropes: Billionaire, romance Ruthless Hero  Heartbroken Heroine, Spicy AF, Business Deal, Office romance, Boss x Employee, Frenemies to Lovers, He’s soft for her, Revenge plots 

 

Review: It’s Just Business is a heat filled romance that captivated me from the first chapter. Willow and Lauren were able to create a blend of office romance, revenge plotting and instant attraction in this stand alone book - that I really hope will expand to include Dylan’s friends!! Dylan’s and Raven’s book was full of the intense emotions, lust filled angst and super charged heat we have come to love with both of these authors and I cannot express how well matched they were in their story arcs as well! 

 

Raven is a fiery FMC who refuses to stand down against the sharks of Wall Street while she chases her goal of being a day trader. Her story centers around the professional dilemma of dating her boss while also trying to prove her worth as a Wall Street woman. Willow and Lauren were truly the MC who held the book plot together and I was incensed on her part for all the trouble her ex-boyfriend put her through. The attraction she had with Dylan propelled her into the taboo and forbidden lust the romance hinged upon while also pushing her boundaries for growth. Her development in this book was a central point for me and I enjoyed the way she leaned on Dylan when necessary but also found her own footing against the sharks. 

 

Dylan Sharpe. WOOW. This man was everything wonderful in the book. I enjoyed his revenge plotting with Raven but also loved his cinnamon roll side that he only showed her. The way he ruthlessly set out to burn down her ex’s empire was my favorite story arc in this book and I adored how it evolved as the book went on and he began to change how he went after the ex. Dylan’s growing emotions with Raven also provided the push and pull they needed to push their romance to the next level and I enjoyed how he did everything to try and protect her while also trying to keep her at his side. 

 

Dylan and Raven were FULL of banter, wit, sarcasm and ANGST. This book is secret office romance at its finest and I thought it was hilarious how secretive they thought they were being. Willow and Lauren really knocked it out of the park with this one and I’m crossing my fingers for more within this universe! 

 

Rating: 10/10; Raven and Dylan are a 5 alarm fire in this office romance guaranteed to set flames to the pages of their romance! It’s Jut Business was a perfect blend of opposites attract and frenemies to lovers with a dash of revenge plotting! 

 

Thank you to Lauren, Willow & Hambright PR for sending me this eARC!

Pretty Poisoned by Elle Mitchell

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

🎸𝔓𝔯𝔢𝔱𝔱𝔶 𝔓𝔬𝔦𝔰𝔬𝔫𝔢𝔡 - 𝔊𝔬𝔡𝔰 𝔬𝔣 𝔗𝔬𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔯𝔬𝔴 𝔇𝔲𝔢𝔱 𝔅𝔬𝔬𝔨 1 - ℜ𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔴🎸 

 

Author: Elle Mitchell 

 

Couple: Teagan Townsend with Declan and Luca De Rossi 

 

Tropes: why choose, dark romance, rockstar romance, mystery/suspense, hidden secrets, taboo romance, enemy to lovers, forced proximity, wild FMC 

 

Review: Pretty Poisoned…wow Elle Mitchell has done it again with this dark rockstar duet and this first part blew my mind! Teagan Townsend is a wild child with a passion for true crime and she character led the way in this book from the beginning. I found Teagan to be one of my favorite FMCs by Elle and loved her throughout. Elle was really able to capture the ups and downs she went through in this book and I found that Teagan was a storm of chaos all on her own! 

 

Teagan’s story is DARK. This first half of the story was a whirlwind of tragedy, lust and taboo as she sets off to discover secrets of a dark rocker group. Her innate curiosity was a part that I found to be enthralling and also damaging since she was never able to let anything go. Elle was able to craft the deviousness her character had and I found her story to be unique yet also cunning in ways that elevated her story. 

 

Teagan’s relationship with Declan and Luca was FIRE. From the meet cute you knew that there was a dark brother and a light brother but man…was I wring about who was which. Luca and Declan were 100 levels of HEAT that also kept the danger going and I cannot wait to see what happens in part 2. The differences between the brothers added a ton of tension to the book while also allowing us to see the evolving and devolving of their characters as Teagan broke down their walls. 

 

As with all of Elle’s books, this one is full of triggers and content warnings that need to be checked before reading but also brought the mystery to the story. These characters are NOT nice MCs and are full of brokenness, darkness and deceit. The way she ended this first book was gut clenching and I cannot wait to continue the duet! 

 

Rating: 5/5; a thrilling and darkly delicious rockstar romance guaranteed to keep you enthralled from the first page until the huge cliffhanger at the end! 

 

Thank you to Elle for sending me this eARC!

By his rule by Tracy Lorraine

emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

𝐵𝓎𝐻𝒾𝓈𝑅𝓊𝓁𝑒 - 𝒞𝒶𝓁𝓁𝒶𝒽𝒶𝓃𝐵𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒾𝑜𝓃𝒶𝒾𝓇𝑒𝓈𝟤 - 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌 

 

Author: Tracy Lorraine 

 

Couple: Lorelei Tempest & Kian Callahan 

 

Tropes: workplace romance, boss x assistant, enemies to lovers, billionaire romance, found family, forced proximity, “he takes care of her”, he falls first x harder, fierce FMC 

 

Review: By His Rule was another 5 star, highly emotional, angst filled read by Tracy Lorraine and I can’t even be sorry about the book hangover it caused! Kian and Lorelei were w WHIRLWIND of emotional turmoil and I loved both of them from the very beginning. Tracy was able to draw me in from page 1 with the tension and animosity Lorelei had for Kian and I LOVED seeing her come undone by him as the book went on! 

 

Kian Callahan was a God among Men in this book and for Tracy this says something since she excels at making jaw-dropping book boyfriends. Kian was the breadwinner for me in this book and I LOVED watching him fall for his woman. The love and possessiveness he had for her was SOO obvious toe everyone but him and Lorelei and it was amazing reading his acceptance of why she began to be the most important person in his life. I also LIVED for the banter they shared both in the office and outside of it! 

 

Lorelei was a truly independent FMC and Tracy did it up well in this book. I found her to be a pillar of strength but also to be vulnerable in ways that shocked me. The slow melting she did for Kian and his devotion to her added to the her character a ton and I enjoyed watching her find her way. I also liked seeing how she was the guardian to her half-brothers. That added a whole new layer to her character and put a lot of the jagged edges of her personality into perspective. My one thing was that I wished she had accepted Kian sooner since it was hard to read his upset as he felt like sh would never fully trust him. 

 

Kian and Lorelei were INTENSE. The two were force on their own but together they were pretty unstoppable in this book. The push and pull Tracy added to their relationship boosted the tension to a whole new level and seeing the mighty Kian fall to his knees was THE BEST. I also ate up all the dirty talk and snark Kian had when talking to Lorelei and adored his nickname for her. The only thing I wanted more explanation on was his middle child syndrome since it seemed to be a big part of his character. Overall, By His Rule was a THICK romance full of emotional angst, turmoil and once in a lifetime love that is perfect fro fans of workplace romance! 

 

Rating: 5/5, Kian Callahan came, conquered and left me in shambles waiting for the next to fall! 

 

 

Thank you to Tracy for sending me this eARC!

Truly, Madly, Deeply by L.J. Shen

emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

💕𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕝𝕪 𝕄𝕒𝕕𝕝𝕪, 𝔻𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕝𝕪 - 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕓𝕚𝕕𝕕𝕖𝕟 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕊𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝟙 - ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 

 

𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳: 𝘓.𝘑. 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘯 - @authorljshen 

 

𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦: 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢 “ 𝘊𝘢𝘭” 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘷𝘪𝘯 & 𝘈𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘦 “𝘙𝘰𝘸” 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘢𝘴 

 

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴: 

💕"𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝘼𝙇𝙒𝘼𝙔𝙎 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪" 

🫶🏻"𝘚𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝙉𝙊𝙏 𝘺𝘰𝘶" 

💕𝘽𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙'𝙨 𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 

🫶🏻𝘌𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 

💕𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙉𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 

🫶🏻"𝙒𝙝𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪?" 

💕𝘏𝘦'𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝙗𝙤𝙨𝙨 

🫶🏻𝙂𝙧𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙮 𝙭 𝙎𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚 

💕𝙏𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘿!𝙚 

🫶🏻"𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴" 

💕𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 

🫶🏻𝙃𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩/𝙃𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿𝙀𝙍 

💕𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 

 

𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙈𝙖𝙙𝙡𝙮, 𝘿𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙮 by 𝙇𝙅 𝙎𝙝𝙚𝙣 is another 𝙈𝘼𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙋𝙄𝙀𝘾𝙀! This book 𝙍𝙄𝙋𝙋𝙀𝘿 my heart out, stomped on it and then gradually taped it back together in ways only Leigh is able to do and Cal and Row will be one of my favorite angsty couples for months if not years to come! This book was a lot different than what LJ normally writes but was also 𝙒𝙃𝙊𝙇𝙇𝙔 captivating from the 𝙁𝙄𝙍𝙎𝙏 page! Row and Cal were a 𝙈𝙀𝙎𝙎𝙔 𝙍𝙊𝙈𝘼𝙉𝘾𝙀 waiting to happen and I absolutely 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀𝘿 every word, feelings, twist and turn until the words “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙀𝙣𝙙!” 

 

This book kicks off 𝙃𝘼𝙒𝙏 and the tension between the two MCs only grows as the book goes on! LJ immediately dove into the heat between a younger Cal and Row but then did us 𝘿𝙄𝙍𝙏𝙔 with the tragic breaking up of two best friends. The emotions she portrayed in that first chapter alone sucked me into this book and they was she was able to capitalize on the 𝘽𝙐𝙍𝙉𝙄𝙉𝙂 emotions between Row, Cal and Dylan upon Cal’s return home years later kept me reading to see what would happen between the two. While the romance in this book was swoon-level good, the friendship between Cal and Dylan was really one of my favorite parts in this book! The two of these women were 𝙃𝘼𝙉𝘿𝙎 𝘿𝙊𝙒𝙉 hilariously witty. The way they bolstered each other and leaned on the other during this book showed true friendships and healing - an LJ strength! 

 

𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙈𝙖𝙙𝙡𝙮, 𝘿𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙮 is a 𝙎𝙇𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙒 𝘽𝙐𝙍𝙉 romance with high angst, tension and simmering emotions throughout. Row and Cal are 𝙋𝙀𝙍𝙁𝙀𝘾𝙏𝙇𝙔 𝙄𝙈𝙋𝙀𝙍𝙁𝙀𝘾𝙏 for each other but are also so 𝘽𝙀𝘼𝙐𝙏𝙄𝙁𝙐𝙇𝙇𝙔 𝘽𝙍𝙊𝙆𝙀𝙉 that they both are a little hesitant to get hurt…or epically oblivious and in denial in Cal’s case! LJ created their romance perfectly and in a way that put the emotional turmoil in her other books to shame! Cal’s journey to finding herself and healing her traumas was 𝙏𝙍𝘼𝙂𝙄𝘾𝘼𝙇𝙇𝙔 𝘽𝙀𝘼𝙐𝙏𝙄𝙁𝙐𝙇 to read and it was only elevated with Row’s relentless need to support her, care for her and 𝙊𝘽𝙎𝙀𝙎𝙎𝙄𝙑𝙀𝙇𝙔 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀 her to pieces! 

 

The amount of utter 𝘿𝙀𝙑𝙊𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 Ambrose Casablancas had for Cal shot him to the top of my book boyfriend list and it’s safe to say he is up there competing with another LJ classic - 𝙑𝘼𝙐𝙂𝙃𝙉 𝙎𝙋𝙀𝙉𝘾𝙀𝙍! Row was my character in this book, his 𝘼𝙇𝙋𝙃𝘼𝙃𝙊𝙇𝙀-𝙄𝙎𝙃𝙉𝙀𝙎𝙎 was next level at first but I 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀𝘿 his snark and personality all the way through! His banter and friendship with Rhyland kept things entertaining since Rhyland gave his sh*t for all the pent up feelings and 𝙐𝙉𝘿𝙔𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀 he had for Cal and I also 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀𝘿 all the antagonism they put each other through. LJ however, shined with the enemy vibes between him and Kieran! I 𝘾𝘼𝙉𝙉𝙊𝙏 wait for Kieran’s book, if only to see Row go postal about his sister falling in love! 

 

Overall, this book was 568 pages of lust, angst, turmoil and learning to love yourself. Leigh wrote a beautiful book full of characters that are 𝙧𝙖𝙬, 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩, and 𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙇 but also 𝙐𝙏𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙇𝙔 𝘾𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙄𝙑𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙂 in a story. She did what she does best and provided us with a new book boyfriend with a 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝, 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 and 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 for his woman that is guaranteed to 𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 in the angsty romance lists! Cal and Row were a romance I’ll be revisiting and one that left me satisfied but wanting more of both them and the other wonderful characters Leigh introduced in this series so far! 

 

(P.S. - Let’s talk about 𝙏𝘼𝙏𝙀! Can we get his book pretty please, cherry on top? I would love to read all about that man’s built up 𝙏𝙀𝙉𝙎𝙄𝙊𝙉 and 𝙉𝙀𝙀𝘿!) 

 

𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: 100+; 𝘓𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘽𝙇𝙀𝙒 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬! 𝘊𝘢𝘭'𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘰𝘸'𝘴 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺, 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝙄𝙈𝙋𝙊𝙎𝙎𝙄𝘽𝙇𝙀 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥! 

 

 

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝙇𝙅 𝙎𝙝𝙚𝙣, 𝙇𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨 𝙋𝙍 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝘼𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘈𝘙𝘊!