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thebritishbibliophile's reviews
711 reviews
This Man by Jodi Ellen Malpas
5.0
My review for this phenomenal read is long overdue, but with the announcement today of 'This Woman'--which will be This Man re-told through the eyes of our Lord and master, Jesse Ward--, I think it's time that I lay down the law. Three...two...one...zeo baby.
Jodi has been an author in which I have seen for the last decade, plastered across and adorned on many a blog, Bookstagram profile, on Facebook and wherever the four corners of the internet and social media could reach. For the longest time I've wanted to pick up one of her paperbacks and as luck would have it, I snapped up This Man, this time last year--February 24th to be exact--and subsequently thereafter made a mad dash to secure the rest of the series and binge-read me some Jesse Ward.
(I'm a little late to the game, but now that I am in it I plan to read my way through Jodi's works until I have her collection fully--till the latest release--sitting on my bookcase with pride.)
Suffice to say, he and This Man lived up to everything and more that years and years of comments, blog posts, reviews and readers gushing over it had fed my mind. No, I tell a lie. He and this book stole the very breath from my body and a year on, I still haven't recovered from Mr. Ward, his chiding and all the lace. Always in lace.
I'm someone who reads a lot of books and for many years, has had firm favourites when it comes to book boyfriends, and reads that I've spoken about time and time again until I'm blue in the face. It takes something otherworldly, something so knock-your-socks off, something you'll need some lip balm after all the lip biting. This Man stepped up and did just that and more. A whole lot more. I could not have had a better introductory book to Jodi Ellen Malpas than with This Man. In the year (almost) since first picking it up at last, I don't think there has been a single week in which I haven't quoted it, spoken about it, recommended it when asked for recommended books to read, featured it in a TikTok video, or have taken numerous photos of it for different things. The Lord of the Manor truly has me under his spell. I now know how Ava feels!
I really don't want to spoil it for anyone else, even though it's been out for years at this point, because each and every single one of you truly deserve to discover the majesty of this book and its series, the power behind Jesse and Ava, their genuinely unforgettable story and journey together, and everything in between. Once you've picked up This Man, you'll never be able to forget him or put him down for more than a day.
Jodi's ability to capture me as a reader through her writing is what makes me want to write myself. I can't praise her enough or speak highly enough about how mesmerising she and her writing are. Authors and people like her are what future generations of readers and writers alike will look up to, be proud of, and hold dear as their inspirations. I'm forever grateful that she decided to write the story and lives of Jesse and Ava. The smile that forms on my face whenever I see a new reader, much like myself a year ago, pick this book up, is one I will never tire of.
Now that we're going to be fortunate to be re-living this story but through the eyes of Jesse Ward, I'm ready to welcome back the best book boyfriend--the best British book boyfriend--, lord of the manor, and ascend to Central Jessie Cloud Nine.
I'm ready, for This Woman and This Man to become one.
Jodi has been an author in which I have seen for the last decade, plastered across and adorned on many a blog, Bookstagram profile, on Facebook and wherever the four corners of the internet and social media could reach. For the longest time I've wanted to pick up one of her paperbacks and as luck would have it, I snapped up This Man, this time last year--February 24th to be exact--and subsequently thereafter made a mad dash to secure the rest of the series and binge-read me some Jesse Ward.
(I'm a little late to the game, but now that I am in it I plan to read my way through Jodi's works until I have her collection fully--till the latest release--sitting on my bookcase with pride.)
Suffice to say, he and This Man lived up to everything and more that years and years of comments, blog posts, reviews and readers gushing over it had fed my mind. No, I tell a lie. He and this book stole the very breath from my body and a year on, I still haven't recovered from Mr. Ward, his chiding and all the lace. Always in lace.
I'm someone who reads a lot of books and for many years, has had firm favourites when it comes to book boyfriends, and reads that I've spoken about time and time again until I'm blue in the face. It takes something otherworldly, something so knock-your-socks off, something you'll need some lip balm after all the lip biting. This Man stepped up and did just that and more. A whole lot more. I could not have had a better introductory book to Jodi Ellen Malpas than with This Man. In the year (almost) since first picking it up at last, I don't think there has been a single week in which I haven't quoted it, spoken about it, recommended it when asked for recommended books to read, featured it in a TikTok video, or have taken numerous photos of it for different things. The Lord of the Manor truly has me under his spell. I now know how Ava feels!
I really don't want to spoil it for anyone else, even though it's been out for years at this point, because each and every single one of you truly deserve to discover the majesty of this book and its series, the power behind Jesse and Ava, their genuinely unforgettable story and journey together, and everything in between. Once you've picked up This Man, you'll never be able to forget him or put him down for more than a day.
Jodi's ability to capture me as a reader through her writing is what makes me want to write myself. I can't praise her enough or speak highly enough about how mesmerising she and her writing are. Authors and people like her are what future generations of readers and writers alike will look up to, be proud of, and hold dear as their inspirations. I'm forever grateful that she decided to write the story and lives of Jesse and Ava. The smile that forms on my face whenever I see a new reader, much like myself a year ago, pick this book up, is one I will never tire of.
Now that we're going to be fortunate to be re-living this story but through the eyes of Jesse Ward, I'm ready to welcome back the best book boyfriend--the best British book boyfriend--, lord of the manor, and ascend to Central Jessie Cloud Nine.
I'm ready, for This Woman and This Man to become one.
The Clockwork Girl by Anna Mazzola
5.0
The Clockwork Girl was a read that appealed to me from the start, due to the significant difference to the kinds of books in my go-to tropes and genres. I was looking for something otherworldly different. This read ticked all those boxes, starting with the cover art. My eyes were initially drawn to the incredibly beautifully detailed cover, and in such an attractive blue too. My favourite colour. Then there was the blurb.
I was 1001% sold when I saw--aside from the hint on the cover--that it was set in France and featured Versailles, a place I am simply enamoured with. Now it was time to see if the storyline and the characters inside lived up to everything they've promised to be. The clock starts...now.
Set in the era of France that promised everything from balls at the palace of Versailles with the King and his court, to the gritty rawness of Paris' backstreets, slums and brothels, The Clockwork Girl is nothing short of being one of the best dark, suspenseful, chillingly compelling gothic reads I've ever had the pleasure of picking up to read. Mystery lies around every corner, and the drips and drabs of history woven in with the beautiful French language is just --chefs kiss--, chest magnifique.
All the components of this book came together to create the perfect concoction, no, all worked in sync with one another like the pieces of a clock. Wound at the right moments, it hit its mark and delivered a story that was impossible to put down until the last page.
If you're looking for something that is a little bit different with a dash of culture and history, a sprinkle of breath-stealing suspense and a once-in-a-blue-moon immersive reading experience, The Clockwork Girl is the novel for you.
Though this is the first time I've read an Anna Mazzola novel, it most certainly will not be the last.
I was 1001% sold when I saw--aside from the hint on the cover--that it was set in France and featured Versailles, a place I am simply enamoured with. Now it was time to see if the storyline and the characters inside lived up to everything they've promised to be. The clock starts...now.
Set in the era of France that promised everything from balls at the palace of Versailles with the King and his court, to the gritty rawness of Paris' backstreets, slums and brothels, The Clockwork Girl is nothing short of being one of the best dark, suspenseful, chillingly compelling gothic reads I've ever had the pleasure of picking up to read. Mystery lies around every corner, and the drips and drabs of history woven in with the beautiful French language is just --chefs kiss--, chest magnifique.
All the components of this book came together to create the perfect concoction, no, all worked in sync with one another like the pieces of a clock. Wound at the right moments, it hit its mark and delivered a story that was impossible to put down until the last page.
If you're looking for something that is a little bit different with a dash of culture and history, a sprinkle of breath-stealing suspense and a once-in-a-blue-moon immersive reading experience, The Clockwork Girl is the novel for you.
Though this is the first time I've read an Anna Mazzola novel, it most certainly will not be the last.
Stone Heart by Katee Robert
5.0
I’m officially hooked on Katee Robert. There’s no denying it. Neon Gods was my first read and Electric Idol my second, and the moment I heard that there was going to be a Dark Olympus novella, I knew I wanted to read it and I was going to make it happen.
So, I signed right on up to Katee’s newsletter and bingo, release day for this novella it landed happily in my emails.
Short but not-to-sweet—instead sinfully sexy—, we get a peak at life pre-Neon gods with Calypso and huntress/assassin, Medusa. For a short while things are very cat and mouse, but that soon turns to lion hunting it’s prey and wicked ways ensue thereafter.
I love Katee’s inclusive nature of not only this novella but her whole Dark Olympus series. Bottom line, love is love and doesn’t stick to the confines of gender. Medusa and Calypso show what it means to love someone for all their flaws, scars, insecurities and their underlying passion. Not to mention, they’re insanely fire together!
Roll on the next Dark Olympus instalment with Wicked Beauty on June 7th. Get ready to meet Helen Kasios, Achilles Kallis & Patroclus Fotos.
So, I signed right on up to Katee’s newsletter and bingo, release day for this novella it landed happily in my emails.
Short but not-to-sweet—instead sinfully sexy—, we get a peak at life pre-Neon gods with Calypso and huntress/assassin, Medusa. For a short while things are very cat and mouse, but that soon turns to lion hunting it’s prey and wicked ways ensue thereafter.
I love Katee’s inclusive nature of not only this novella but her whole Dark Olympus series. Bottom line, love is love and doesn’t stick to the confines of gender. Medusa and Calypso show what it means to love someone for all their flaws, scars, insecurities and their underlying passion. Not to mention, they’re insanely fire together!
Roll on the next Dark Olympus instalment with Wicked Beauty on June 7th. Get ready to meet Helen Kasios, Achilles Kallis & Patroclus Fotos.
Crazy, Wicked Love by Melissa Foster
5.0
'We're back at Bayside with a bang! Melissa Foster brings the brooding, the grumpy and the heat with Dwayne, aka 'Gunner', and the object of his affection--when his eyes were at last opened--, Sidney. Helmets on & hold on for one hell of a ride'
Thank you to Grey's Promotions for sending me an ebook Advanced Readers Copy for me to read and leave an honest review.
-------------------
We're back in Bayside and for me, this is my first time dipping my bookish toes into the Dark Knights at Bayside series. A Melissa Foster sign-up was too irresistible to read, and I was looking forward to getting familiar with both the men and women of Bayside.
Scorching heat, laugh-out-loud humor, and swoon-worthy moments abound in this sexy new standalone romance by New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melissa Foster.
Crazy, Wicked Love promised scorching heat, laugh-out-loud humour (yes, I'm British I spell it with a 'u') and swoon-worthy romances. Well, you're getting what you're reading, folks. I signed up for these three very reasons right here and sweet hot men on bikes did Melissa Foster deliver that and then some! Gunner, of course, was the source of most of the swooning and scorching, but Sidney did give as good as Gunner and folks when I say you won't look at a set of stairs again the same, I mean it. You'll see why when you get to that part in the book. Woah and woah with bells on!
Gunner is her boss, roommate, and best friend. They’ve seen each other through life-altering injuries and unimaginable losses, and they work side by side at Wicked Animal Rescue, fulfilling their passion to save animals.
Forbidden romance? Yes please! Clueless roommate (aka Gunner)? Yes please! Slow-burning steamy tension between two best friends that builds up to one hell of a friends-to-lovers moment? Mellisa, you delivered!!! It, of course, takes men a little bit longer to realise something completely obvious in front of their faces, and our Gunner here was certainly no exception. The big, burly biker gave us plenty palm-to-the-forehead moments where we thought he was going to get a clue and realise he felt something for Sidney other than friendship, with things getting close a time or two. The heat coming from these two even before things made a change in direction, my oh my they could start a fire! No match needed. Heat aside though, these were two characters which I really enjoyed getting to know and read, seeing as this is my first time reading about anyone from this series. Gunner I wanted to hit upside the head a few dozen times to make him see the obvious, and sweet Sidney I just wanted to give a big old hug to, but the two together were like they were meant to be. Melissa has a fantastic knack for writing literary soulmates, and I'm looking at a pair right here in this book.
Sidney is at her wit’s end, ready to risk the friendship and job she adores for a chance at forever love with the man she can’t live without. Like any good marine, she comes up with a mission. Enter Operation Get My Guy.
Operation: Get My Guy was a genius way of tying in Sidney's military past and military connection with the man who is the target of her mission, and as this book's blurb promised from the get-go, there was humour a-plenty to get us there in amongst the heat, swooning and an animal or three in between. Seriousness turns to doubt, which turns to uncertainty, which turns to regret along the road of Operation: Get My Guy , but was it worth it to stick it out, hell yes! A good soldier never abandons their mission and sees it through till the very end, and we were right there alongside Sidney--sometimes feeling like we were in her shoes--, crossing our fingers for a successful mission.
To see if she succeeds, you'll have to pick up a copy of Crazy, Wicked Love for yourselves to see. This reader isn't dishing out spoilers like MREs!
Though this was my first dive into Melissa's The Wickeds: Dark Knights at Bayside series, I'm 1001% certain it won't be my last. Both Melissa, Gunner and Sidney have me firmly in their ranks, and I'm part of the gang from here on out. Until the next book, ride on!
Five stars for Melissa, Gunner & Sidney!
Thank you to Grey's Promotions for sending me an ebook Advanced Readers Copy for me to read and leave an honest review.
-------------------
We're back in Bayside and for me, this is my first time dipping my bookish toes into the Dark Knights at Bayside series. A Melissa Foster sign-up was too irresistible to read, and I was looking forward to getting familiar with both the men and women of Bayside.
Scorching heat, laugh-out-loud humor, and swoon-worthy moments abound in this sexy new standalone romance by New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melissa Foster.
Crazy, Wicked Love promised scorching heat, laugh-out-loud humour (yes, I'm British I spell it with a 'u') and swoon-worthy romances. Well, you're getting what you're reading, folks. I signed up for these three very reasons right here and sweet hot men on bikes did Melissa Foster deliver that and then some! Gunner, of course, was the source of most of the swooning and scorching, but Sidney did give as good as Gunner and folks when I say you won't look at a set of stairs again the same, I mean it. You'll see why when you get to that part in the book. Woah and woah with bells on!
Gunner is her boss, roommate, and best friend. They’ve seen each other through life-altering injuries and unimaginable losses, and they work side by side at Wicked Animal Rescue, fulfilling their passion to save animals.
Forbidden romance? Yes please! Clueless roommate (aka Gunner)? Yes please! Slow-burning steamy tension between two best friends that builds up to one hell of a friends-to-lovers moment? Mellisa, you delivered!!! It, of course, takes men a little bit longer to realise something completely obvious in front of their faces, and our Gunner here was certainly no exception. The big, burly biker gave us plenty palm-to-the-forehead moments where we thought he was going to get a clue and realise he felt something for Sidney other than friendship, with things getting close a time or two. The heat coming from these two even before things made a change in direction, my oh my they could start a fire! No match needed. Heat aside though, these were two characters which I really enjoyed getting to know and read, seeing as this is my first time reading about anyone from this series. Gunner I wanted to hit upside the head a few dozen times to make him see the obvious, and sweet Sidney I just wanted to give a big old hug to, but the two together were like they were meant to be. Melissa has a fantastic knack for writing literary soulmates, and I'm looking at a pair right here in this book.
Sidney is at her wit’s end, ready to risk the friendship and job she adores for a chance at forever love with the man she can’t live without. Like any good marine, she comes up with a mission. Enter Operation Get My Guy.
Operation: Get My Guy was a genius way of tying in Sidney's military past and military connection with the man who is the target of her mission, and as this book's blurb promised from the get-go, there was humour a-plenty to get us there in amongst the heat, swooning and an animal or three in between. Seriousness turns to doubt, which turns to uncertainty, which turns to regret along the road of Operation: Get My Guy , but was it worth it to stick it out, hell yes! A good soldier never abandons their mission and sees it through till the very end, and we were right there alongside Sidney--sometimes feeling like we were in her shoes--, crossing our fingers for a successful mission.
To see if she succeeds, you'll have to pick up a copy of Crazy, Wicked Love for yourselves to see. This reader isn't dishing out spoilers like MREs!
Though this was my first dive into Melissa's The Wickeds: Dark Knights at Bayside series, I'm 1001% certain it won't be my last. Both Melissa, Gunner and Sidney have me firmly in their ranks, and I'm part of the gang from here on out. Until the next book, ride on!
Five stars for Melissa, Gunner & Sidney!
Broken Heir by Alison Aimes
5.0
'Holy alien hotness! Alison Aimes really sets all dials to the maximum with Broken Heir, no one is spared a crimson blush across their cheeks as they read about this Alpha and his fated omega.'
Thank you to Grey's Promotions for sending me an ebook Advanced Readers Copy for me to read and leave an honest review.
---------------------
Having joined in reading Alison's Ruthless Warlords series with book two, Savage Prince, I signed up as quickly as my fingers could glide across the keyboard to get a look at our next Alpha male and Ruthless Alien Warlord, Alexi Skolov.
What is the one thing a sinner can’t allow? Temptation. But Keira Sartin is all that and more.
If there's one thing we love when it comes to smouldering, towering, brooding alien Alpha males, it's one who thinks he's a sinner. And what's a sin without a little temptation? Cue, Kiera Sartin. Not the object of his mission's intention, she soon becomes that and he becomes something very forbidden to her in return. The pull is immediate for them both, and we were right there with them along for quite literally, the ride. Alison wasn't kidding when she said that this was the hottest book and Skolov brother yet. Woah boy!
A walking, talking, wet dream, she calls to every cell in Alexi’s messed-up, rule-breaking soul. Except she’s forbidden. Addictive. A distraction he can’t afford.
Not one for reading alien sci-fi romances, Alison is the soul exception to the rule for me right now and Broken Heir proves--as did Savage Prince--why if you're not a massive reader of this genre and its tropes, why you should be. Alison has written another gripping, action-packed, steamy as-all-get-out novel that still gives you the feeling of playing Sherlock Holmes while you read, trying to figure out the answer to the mysteries that are woven within the chapters before the answer itself is revealed. I myself tried to do this and once more I was delightfully unsuccessful in guessing what I tried to figure out before Alison decided it was time for us as readers to know. Brilliant stuff!
What’s the one thing a troublemaker can’t afford? More trouble. But Alexi Skolov is all that and more.
What is also brilliant, is the jaw-dropping, raw sensual steaminess that comes with Alexi and Kiera. I tell a lie, it's more than brilliant, it's out of this world. Pun fully intended. I know there's this topic of discussion going around in the book world about how an alien male with his larger than life ' other part can successfully mate with a human female, but I was not even remotely inputting my thoughts into that discussion here because--woah--there was no time to even think about it! Intense, raw, lip-bitingly good, I'm guilty and happily admitting so, that I did not just read those moments the one time. I went back and read them until I could read them no more which probably why it took me three days to complete this book. Like Alexi, I wasn't satisfied with just the once. If something is worth doing, it's worth doing well. Wink wink.
He’s beauty incarnate. Flesh and blood sin. Wild nights and dark pleasure.
Steam aside, you're getting a read well worth your time and money to invest in an author who puts her heart and soul into crafting a story that all can enjoy. When there were moments where Alexi and Kiera weren't doing the devil's tango, the storyline follows an extremely noble quest on both Alexi's and Kiera's parts, and the two joining forces to help each other complete their own goals they've worked so hard on before meeting, only shows that no matter if anyone is fated or not, there is a heart inside everyone no matter how much of a sinner or lost cause they think they are. There is hope and light at the end of every tunnel, and not only Alexi and Kiera prove that. The other characters we meet along the way show that as well, and have been written brilliantly to aid the overall journey of the storyline. There's no faulting Alison's talent for writing captivating, engaging and thrilling characters. Just one of the reasons I have come to love both her and her work.
It should be easy for them both: just stay away.
But running from temptation is hard. Avoiding trouble even harder—and sometimes it catches up to you, leaving you…
breathless,
begging,
Broken.
By the time I swiped the last page closed, I was by far ready to say goodbye to this latest novel in the series. Alexi and the gang were well worth the wait, and the reward at the end (you'll know when you get to it) was everything and more! The talent in the artist behind the creation did Alison's work so much justice, and captured exactly what I imagined that part of that scene to be like in my head. I've gone back to it several times to just marvel in it with zero shame.
Five brilliant stars for Alexi, Kiera and of course, Alison Aimes herself!
Thank you to Grey's Promotions for sending me an ebook Advanced Readers Copy for me to read and leave an honest review.
---------------------
Having joined in reading Alison's Ruthless Warlords series with book two, Savage Prince, I signed up as quickly as my fingers could glide across the keyboard to get a look at our next Alpha male and Ruthless Alien Warlord, Alexi Skolov.
What is the one thing a sinner can’t allow? Temptation. But Keira Sartin is all that and more.
If there's one thing we love when it comes to smouldering, towering, brooding alien Alpha males, it's one who thinks he's a sinner. And what's a sin without a little temptation? Cue, Kiera Sartin. Not the object of his mission's intention, she soon becomes that and he becomes something very forbidden to her in return. The pull is immediate for them both, and we were right there with them along for quite literally, the ride. Alison wasn't kidding when she said that this was the hottest book and Skolov brother yet. Woah boy!
A walking, talking, wet dream, she calls to every cell in Alexi’s messed-up, rule-breaking soul. Except she’s forbidden. Addictive. A distraction he can’t afford.
Not one for reading alien sci-fi romances, Alison is the soul exception to the rule for me right now and Broken Heir proves--as did Savage Prince--why if you're not a massive reader of this genre and its tropes, why you should be. Alison has written another gripping, action-packed, steamy as-all-get-out novel that still gives you the feeling of playing Sherlock Holmes while you read, trying to figure out the answer to the mysteries that are woven within the chapters before the answer itself is revealed. I myself tried to do this and once more I was delightfully unsuccessful in guessing what I tried to figure out before Alison decided it was time for us as readers to know. Brilliant stuff!
What’s the one thing a troublemaker can’t afford? More trouble. But Alexi Skolov is all that and more.
What is also brilliant, is the jaw-dropping, raw sensual steaminess that comes with Alexi and Kiera. I tell a lie, it's more than brilliant, it's out of this world. Pun fully intended. I know there's this topic of discussion going around in the book world about how an alien male with his larger than life ' other part can successfully mate with a human female, but I was not even remotely inputting my thoughts into that discussion here because--woah--there was no time to even think about it! Intense, raw, lip-bitingly good, I'm guilty and happily admitting so, that I did not just read those moments the one time. I went back and read them until I could read them no more which probably why it took me three days to complete this book. Like Alexi, I wasn't satisfied with just the once. If something is worth doing, it's worth doing well. Wink wink.
He’s beauty incarnate. Flesh and blood sin. Wild nights and dark pleasure.
Steam aside, you're getting a read well worth your time and money to invest in an author who puts her heart and soul into crafting a story that all can enjoy. When there were moments where Alexi and Kiera weren't doing the devil's tango, the storyline follows an extremely noble quest on both Alexi's and Kiera's parts, and the two joining forces to help each other complete their own goals they've worked so hard on before meeting, only shows that no matter if anyone is fated or not, there is a heart inside everyone no matter how much of a sinner or lost cause they think they are. There is hope and light at the end of every tunnel, and not only Alexi and Kiera prove that. The other characters we meet along the way show that as well, and have been written brilliantly to aid the overall journey of the storyline. There's no faulting Alison's talent for writing captivating, engaging and thrilling characters. Just one of the reasons I have come to love both her and her work.
It should be easy for them both: just stay away.
But running from temptation is hard. Avoiding trouble even harder—and sometimes it catches up to you, leaving you…
breathless,
begging,
Broken.
By the time I swiped the last page closed, I was by far ready to say goodbye to this latest novel in the series. Alexi and the gang were well worth the wait, and the reward at the end (you'll know when you get to it) was everything and more! The talent in the artist behind the creation did Alison's work so much justice, and captured exactly what I imagined that part of that scene to be like in my head. I've gone back to it several times to just marvel in it with zero shame.
Five brilliant stars for Alexi, Kiera and of course, Alison Aimes herself!
Wicked Beauty by Katee Robert
5.0
'Wonderfully & wickedly beautiful. Katee Robert takes things to the next level with three unique characters who are put through their paces, with only one emerging victorious. Unique and unputdownable till the very last page' - The British Bibliophile
First and foremost, if you've not read any of the other books in the Dark Olympus series, I highly recommend you do so. Wicked Beauty is a standalone within this series but to get the true, full-force effect of this world and its characters, Neon Gods (book one) and Electric Idol (book two), are two serious must read novels that you immediately must one-click.
We're back in the Dark Olympus world with not one, not two, but three powerful players. Sit up and get ready to meet Helen Kasios, Achilles Kallis & Patroclus Fotos. Three names can only mean one thing and with this read, three is most definitely NOT a crowd.
If you're already familiar with the Dark Olympus series, then you will have crossed paths with these three at some point be they front and centre, or floating around in the background. Pluck them out of the world they and we both know, deposit them in a new world due to one's pre-planned circumstances and boom, we've got ourselves a novel full of all the good stuff. The drama, the mystery, steam-off-the-chart moments. You name it, Wicked Beauty has it.
What it also has, is competition. Helen, Achilles & Patroclus although are all on the same side to some degree--which in Olympus, is a rare thing--are all jockeying for the same position with the same result. One winner. Achilles and Patroclus might have double the odds compared to Helen, but are they in their favour?. The prize that all three are competing for, however, is a far cry from something immaterial and/or unimportant, it is something that comes up once in a lifetime as once someone has it, it's theirs until it's not. How all three are to go about getting what they want, therein lies the challenge. Literally. The prize, though worth its weight in gold, won't leave any scrapping and vying for silver or bronze, its get the gold or go home. But who will be going home out of these three? There's only one way to find out.
Let the games, begin.
It's time for Helen to take back her life, her fate, and what she wants as hers. Zeus may have been the one to throw her fate into hands other than her own, but this competition is going to be her own way of taking it--and the reins--back in her control. Helen is the metaphorical middle finger not only to Zeus, the system in Olympus, but to anyone who dares doubt anyone who dares to go after what they want because of anything that is seen to set them at a disadvantage.
Alas, there are those who would rather not see Helen seek out what not one, but thirteen are all eying as their prize for them and them alone. There are only two people on the same side as Helen whom she can trust. Achilles Kallis & Patroclus Fotos. They also happen to be two people she cannot seem to keep her hands off. It's not within the rules of the game to look and not touch, but how long before it goes from touching, to feeling, to embedding within the heart. Only, in this game, there is no room for considering what the heart wants, but what the head leads them to. Helen's head is being drawn in their direction, but her heart is screaming to claim the prize her eyes are set on. Who will come out victorious, Helen's head or heart? And who will get both once the competition comes to a close? Only time will tell.
Blatantly hot and scorching between the sheets, Wicked Beauty takes the reader on an adventure right alongside the trials of the characters within the pages. Katee Robert shakes up the norm with Helen, Achilles and Patroclus, making cheeks blush and delicious shivers zing up and down your spine whenever the three are left alone in a room together, among many things.
If you're looking for a book that will not only make you scream to others that its a 'must read', but will also make a top read of your year, Wicked Beauty is the book to hit up both lists and more. Action-packed, unputdownable, unforgettable, the ride you will be taken on will have you devouring the pages while screaming for more of these three and the world they were born into. Wicked Beauty is a book that everyone simply and absolutely must pick up this year!
It's time to go back to Olympus, are you ready?
First and foremost, if you've not read any of the other books in the Dark Olympus series, I highly recommend you do so. Wicked Beauty is a standalone within this series but to get the true, full-force effect of this world and its characters, Neon Gods (book one) and Electric Idol (book two), are two serious must read novels that you immediately must one-click.
We're back in the Dark Olympus world with not one, not two, but three powerful players. Sit up and get ready to meet Helen Kasios, Achilles Kallis & Patroclus Fotos. Three names can only mean one thing and with this read, three is most definitely NOT a crowd.
If you're already familiar with the Dark Olympus series, then you will have crossed paths with these three at some point be they front and centre, or floating around in the background. Pluck them out of the world they and we both know, deposit them in a new world due to one's pre-planned circumstances and boom, we've got ourselves a novel full of all the good stuff. The drama, the mystery, steam-off-the-chart moments. You name it, Wicked Beauty has it.
What it also has, is competition. Helen, Achilles & Patroclus although are all on the same side to some degree--which in Olympus, is a rare thing--are all jockeying for the same position with the same result. One winner. Achilles and Patroclus might have double the odds compared to Helen, but are they in their favour?. The prize that all three are competing for, however, is a far cry from something immaterial and/or unimportant, it is something that comes up once in a lifetime as once someone has it, it's theirs until it's not. How all three are to go about getting what they want, therein lies the challenge. Literally. The prize, though worth its weight in gold, won't leave any scrapping and vying for silver or bronze, its get the gold or go home. But who will be going home out of these three? There's only one way to find out.
Let the games, begin.
It's time for Helen to take back her life, her fate, and what she wants as hers. Zeus may have been the one to throw her fate into hands other than her own, but this competition is going to be her own way of taking it--and the reins--back in her control. Helen is the metaphorical middle finger not only to Zeus, the system in Olympus, but to anyone who dares doubt anyone who dares to go after what they want because of anything that is seen to set them at a disadvantage.
Alas, there are those who would rather not see Helen seek out what not one, but thirteen are all eying as their prize for them and them alone. There are only two people on the same side as Helen whom she can trust. Achilles Kallis & Patroclus Fotos. They also happen to be two people she cannot seem to keep her hands off. It's not within the rules of the game to look and not touch, but how long before it goes from touching, to feeling, to embedding within the heart. Only, in this game, there is no room for considering what the heart wants, but what the head leads them to. Helen's head is being drawn in their direction, but her heart is screaming to claim the prize her eyes are set on. Who will come out victorious, Helen's head or heart? And who will get both once the competition comes to a close? Only time will tell.
Blatantly hot and scorching between the sheets, Wicked Beauty takes the reader on an adventure right alongside the trials of the characters within the pages. Katee Robert shakes up the norm with Helen, Achilles and Patroclus, making cheeks blush and delicious shivers zing up and down your spine whenever the three are left alone in a room together, among many things.
If you're looking for a book that will not only make you scream to others that its a 'must read', but will also make a top read of your year, Wicked Beauty is the book to hit up both lists and more. Action-packed, unputdownable, unforgettable, the ride you will be taken on will have you devouring the pages while screaming for more of these three and the world they were born into. Wicked Beauty is a book that everyone simply and absolutely must pick up this year!
It's time to go back to Olympus, are you ready?
Mr. Notting Hill by Louise Bay
5.0
'Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived at our destination. Notting Hill. The temperature is a balmy 'steamy' degrees, and the time is here to meet Tristan Dubrow.' - The British Bibliophile
Thank you to Wildfire Marketing Solutions for sending me an ebook Advanced Readers Copy for me to read and leave an honest review.
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It's been a hot minute since I've been able to dive into a read in this series--since Mr Mayfair, to be exact--so I'm over the moon to have read another Louise Bay novel. Louise is one of those authors that everyone simply must read! Her work is enjoyable and who doesn't love a sexy, suave, British Book Boyfriend? I know I do.
It’s the most embarrassing night of my life. Not only did I literally run into the hottest guy I’ve ever laid eyes on in a hotel lobby, but the ice-cold water and whipped cream I’m carrying (don't ask) end up all over me.
What are you in for when you're starting to read Mr. Notting Hill? Let's talk tropes and you'll soon see! The tropes we were treated to this time around were:
✔ Strangers To Lovers
✔ Billionaire
✔ Forced Proximity
✔ Slow Burn
✔ Roommates
✔ Fake Relationship
✔ Heroes With Accents
✔ Protective Posessive
✔ Romance After Marriage
If any one or more of those tropes are your thing or get those interests piqued, then you're in for a treat! You're going to love Tristan, Parker and their story. I did.
If that wasn’t enough, that same guy -- the hottest one of all time -- donates twenty-five thousand pounds during a charity auction... to win a date with me.
Tristan and Parker have a very easy-going, friendly and chemistry-fuelled connection from the very beginning, it was clear that they would be an easy pair to both like, love and enjoy reading. Tristan, of course, does have Alpha tendencies here and there--no complaints here--, but other than the brutish bookish things we love about him and other book men, he was a very easy man to get to know and love. He only has Parker's interests and wellbeing at heart right from the start without knowing who she is, and who she's connected to in his world, going above and beyond to be an absolute sweetheart. He certainly charmed me.
Parker, by contrast, is not what you would think for someone in her social standing to be like. Genuine, hard-working and passionate about what she can do for those who need a helping hand, she is much like Tristan in their beliefs and the two are very much indeed two half of the same whole.
Mr. Notting Hill didn't travel much outside of the area the book is named after--which is by no means a bad thing--, giving us a more centralised look at the life that both Tristan, Parker, their families and friends lead and the world around them. No outside forces coming in to complicate the storyline. If you like your stories without them travelling from here, there and everywhere every five minutes, this is the novel for you. Simple yet very sweet (and sexy in places. oof!)
The story itself is as uncomplicated as its characters. You'll all soon get to read what its all about, but it's a storyline that could go anywhere and be told a million times over by the same or other authors and it would be engaging and enthralling every single time. The mystery around Parker and her situation--again, left me guessing as to who it could possibly be and admittedly, I didn't get it right. Which is good! We love to solve mysteries, but a victory for the author if they can outfox us as readers means they've done a good job crafting their stories. Louise certainly did that!
Overall, Mr. Notting Hill hit all the right places. I knew from the beginning that regardless, I was going to have a good time reading a Louise Bay book and I did here. Now, only one question remains. Where can I find me a Tristan?
4.5 stars!
Thank you to Wildfire Marketing Solutions for sending me an ebook Advanced Readers Copy for me to read and leave an honest review.
-------------------------
It's been a hot minute since I've been able to dive into a read in this series--since Mr Mayfair, to be exact--so I'm over the moon to have read another Louise Bay novel. Louise is one of those authors that everyone simply must read! Her work is enjoyable and who doesn't love a sexy, suave, British Book Boyfriend? I know I do.
It’s the most embarrassing night of my life. Not only did I literally run into the hottest guy I’ve ever laid eyes on in a hotel lobby, but the ice-cold water and whipped cream I’m carrying (don't ask) end up all over me.
What are you in for when you're starting to read Mr. Notting Hill? Let's talk tropes and you'll soon see! The tropes we were treated to this time around were:
✔ Strangers To Lovers
✔ Billionaire
✔ Forced Proximity
✔ Slow Burn
✔ Roommates
✔ Fake Relationship
✔ Heroes With Accents
✔ Protective Posessive
✔ Romance After Marriage
If any one or more of those tropes are your thing or get those interests piqued, then you're in for a treat! You're going to love Tristan, Parker and their story. I did.
If that wasn’t enough, that same guy -- the hottest one of all time -- donates twenty-five thousand pounds during a charity auction... to win a date with me.
Tristan and Parker have a very easy-going, friendly and chemistry-fuelled connection from the very beginning, it was clear that they would be an easy pair to both like, love and enjoy reading. Tristan, of course, does have Alpha tendencies here and there--no complaints here--, but other than the brutish bookish things we love about him and other book men, he was a very easy man to get to know and love. He only has Parker's interests and wellbeing at heart right from the start without knowing who she is, and who she's connected to in his world, going above and beyond to be an absolute sweetheart. He certainly charmed me.
Parker, by contrast, is not what you would think for someone in her social standing to be like. Genuine, hard-working and passionate about what she can do for those who need a helping hand, she is much like Tristan in their beliefs and the two are very much indeed two half of the same whole.
Mr. Notting Hill didn't travel much outside of the area the book is named after--which is by no means a bad thing--, giving us a more centralised look at the life that both Tristan, Parker, their families and friends lead and the world around them. No outside forces coming in to complicate the storyline. If you like your stories without them travelling from here, there and everywhere every five minutes, this is the novel for you. Simple yet very sweet (and sexy in places. oof!)
The story itself is as uncomplicated as its characters. You'll all soon get to read what its all about, but it's a storyline that could go anywhere and be told a million times over by the same or other authors and it would be engaging and enthralling every single time. The mystery around Parker and her situation--again, left me guessing as to who it could possibly be and admittedly, I didn't get it right. Which is good! We love to solve mysteries, but a victory for the author if they can outfox us as readers means they've done a good job crafting their stories. Louise certainly did that!
Overall, Mr. Notting Hill hit all the right places. I knew from the beginning that regardless, I was going to have a good time reading a Louise Bay book and I did here. Now, only one question remains. Where can I find me a Tristan?
4.5 stars!