Her Saint by Harmony West
Her Saint is the first installment of the Saint and Sinner Duet. Harmony West offers a college-set dark romance with professor-student erotica elements. Briar is an assistant professor, but when her student starts to stalk her her life gets turned upside down. Saint de Haas is smart. He follows Brair around campus, to her car, and even to her house. He insists that she is his muse and wants her all to himself. When Briar’s date turns up dead, she knows immediately who is responsible. All she has to do is prove he is stalking her and get him thrown behind bars. What she doesn’t know is that Saint is improving her life. He killed her date, who is hiding a few girlfriends and a few venereal diseases. Not to mention her boss, who keeps groping her in class. He is following her around campus for a good reason. Saint believes he can make all of Briar's dreams come true if she stops running and gives in. But Briar is sure she will not fall for her stalker.
Another BookTok recommendation that did not disappoint. Saint is the guy every girl wants, besides the murdering and stalking part, but how obsessed he is with Briar would make any girl jealous. I also love how witty and mouthy Briar got with him throughout this book. The banter was great for a stalker-dark romance. The character being stalked should not just give in right away; that’s unrealistic. Not to mention, Saint buys Briar her whole TBR, who wouldn’t want a man who does that for her! The storyline is thrilling and fast-paced. It leaves with a cliffhanger and many questions still need answered.
His Sinner by Harmony West
His Sinner is the last installment of the Saint and Sinner Duet. West picks up where book one’s cliffhanger left us gripping the pages. Saint and Briar are at a secluded writing retreat for winter break at Saint’s gothic manor. Saint brought her to prove that she was not just his muse but his soul mate. Blair thinks he will lock her up forever, but she can’t leave her life behind. No matter how much he makes her want to stay, even when they find out that Blair seems to have another stalker, not just Saint.
All of our questions are answered in this book. The twists, turns, and drama along the way kept me on my toes, never wanting to put the story down. The spice scenes in this installment blow the first book out of the park. Saint remains ever devoted to Briar throughout it all. Saint is poetic and says the most romantic things ever, that we will never hear from a normal guy's mouth. As he does turn out to be her favorite author, St. Nicholson and all his books have been inspired by Blair. In this book, we do see more of the side characters such as her best friend Mack, a work friend Trevor, and Briar's father. We were given glimpses into these characters in the first book, but they were truly built up into the storyline through this final book. Mack is an absolute badass and so strong. My favorite part of this final installment was the epilogue. It wrapped up the creation in a sweet bow with a happily ever after.
King of Wrath by Ana Huang
We are introduced to Dante Russo, a billionaire CEO who thrives on control professionally and personally, who never plans to marry until someone blackmails him into a marriage with a woman he barely knows. Enter Vivian Lau, the jewelry heiress and daughter of his newest enemy. She's the wife he never wanted and the weakness he never saw coming. Vivian is the perfect daughter. She is elegant, ambitious, and well-mannered—her family's ticket into the highest echelons of high society. Marrying Dante means opening doors that would otherwise remain closed to her new money family. Dante is not her idea of a dream partner, but she agrees to the arranged marriage out of duty to her family. Craving his touch was not part of the plan, and neither was falling in love.
As someone who loved the Twisted series, I could not wait to dive into this series by Ana. Ana Huang did not disappoint with this first instalment of the Kings of Sin series. The dual point of view is not just chapter by chapter, there are a few where we get both in one chapter, which is refreshing to have both viewpoints of the same scene. The characters are more mature than those of the Twisted series. Vivian is 28, and the relationship unfolds more delicately than we saw in the past series as well. Huang doesn’t stay away from her intriguing plot moments and scorching hot sex scenes. Which made me fall in love with her writing in the first place. I can’t wait to keep reading on with the series and see what other contracts and connections are made.
King of Pride by Ana Huang
The second book in the Kings of Sins series follows Kai Young. A reserved, controlled, and proper-to-a-fault billionaire heir with his family’s company CEO vote looming. He has no time for chaos or interruptions. Isabella Valencia is chaos if you looked it up in the dictionary, her photo would be there, with her purple hair and inappropriate jokes. Isabella is bold, impulsive, and full of life. Never has there been a party she didn’t like or a man she couldn’t charm. That is till Kai Young. It shouldn’t matter. He’s not her type. The brooding man translates classics into Latin for fun, and his membership at the exclusive club where she bartends means he’s strictly off limits.
But she can’t deny that, beneath his cool exterior, is a man who could make her melt with just a touch. Kia knows it, too. She is everything he shouldn’t want, but with every look and every touch, he’s tempted to break all his rules and claim her as his own. No matter how hard they try, they can’t resist giving in to their forbidden desires. Even if it costs them everything.
Kai Young has become a new book boyfriend after this read. He's an intellectual, but also so witty. He's supportive but possessive. Not to mention can bring Isabella to her knees. He is the total package. I loved every second of this book. It was such a quick read because I could not put it down. This is a very different character and relationship dynamic for Haung, but she wrote it out wonderfully and had me eat it up. I loved how this book had a cameo from the Twisted series! I hope she puts more of those in further along in the series. I love it when all the series interconnect into a masterpiece of their universe. King of Pride is so far my favorite book in the series, and I will hear no once of criticism.
Sin City Lights by Leigh Iversen
Adam Larssen is power and masculinity personified as an airline owner-CEO; women want the handsome billionaire pilot. No one can have him. He has sworn off romantic entanglements and exclusively hires escorts. That is about to change when his path crosses with Eve Layton. Not only is she beautiful and enigmatic, but also the most sought-after escort in Las Vegas. Within their first night, the chemistry between the two leaves Eve bewildered and Adam wanting more. Adam finds himself relentlessly pursuing Eve despite his romantic reservations. Eve is also resolute in keeping emotions detached from clients. She is determined to follow her chosen life path, but Adam tips her world off its axis and challenges her. Their mutual attraction repeatedly draws them together as they break their own rules. Physical attraction leads to a deeper connection, and the vows and plans they previously set for themselves begin to shift and crumble. Can they resist the temptation or surrender to a passion they can not deny?
This is the first installment of the Sin City series and my first read of Leigh Iversen. I immediately fell in love with the storyline and characters from chapter one. Adam and Eve have so many layers, but their chemistry is undeniable. The play on names is so cute, too! Their attraction was fast, but the burn is slow. Which, normally, I can’t stand a slow burn, but I ate this one up. There was a touch of drama that was a surprise, which led to more twists in turns. Not to mention the spice scenes. Iversen does so well with every aspect of this debut series. From emotional moments, delicious tension, and a fantastic family dynamic, I can not wait to read more of her work in the future.
Thank you, Leigh Iversen and Valentine PR, for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Why Don’t You Save Me? by Rae Knight
Tori has been taken by Nico right from under her men’s noses. They will get her back no matter the cost. They have spent years fighting for her, trying to prove that they are who she deserves, and just when they managed to have their way, Nico takes her. He is using her against them. Telling her to say she hates us and never loved us. We can’t let that stand. Tori is theirs and always has been. Nico will pay for playing with fire. He will regret the day he ever thought he could own her.
Why Don’t You Save Me? picks up right where Why Don’t You Make Me ends. I don’t think there is a why choose that I didn’t LOVE, but have Rae Knight write it and it’s PERFECTION! The character growth and development are off the charts in this book. Tori discovering her dark side was a phenomenal twist, and watching the Iron Triad set the world ablaze to reach her was everything I needed. I felt bad for Alicia in book one, but in this book, she had me wanting to strangle her. Between her and Nico, they had everything coming for them. Just like Why Don’t You Make Me, I could not put this book down and read in one sitting, or should I say night. Book three anticipation is through the chart! Thank you, Rae Knight, for the advance copy. I look forward to reading more of your work!
Carnival Series by Selena Winters
A seven-book series that follows a carnival crew full of misfits who turn into a found family. Each book is the love story of a new couple within the carnival. The carnies' way of finding and keeping their women is not the traditional romantic way. There are dark themes in each book.
Carnival Nightmare - Book #1 follows Cade and Lilly.
Carnival Obsession - Book #2 follows Lars and Alice.
Carnival Monster - Book #3 follows Gage and Aurora.
Carnival Stalker - Book #4 follows Phoenix and Tilly.
Carnival Master - Book #5 follows Tyson and Sophia.
Carnival Mayhem - Book #6 follows Colt, Nash, and Flora.
Carnival Shadows - Book #7 follows Remy and Eden.
I would recommend reading the books in order above because the characters do repeat in other stories. As I read each book, I was left needing more and could not put them down. Each carnival man is dark in their twisted way. My favorite was Carnival Stalker and Carnival Mayhem in the series. I loved how Winters finished the series with Carnival Shadows. The ending in that book put the whole series together with a bow. I will be looking into further works of Selena Winter after this series.
Psychotic Obsession by Leigh Rivers
LOVE IS DANGEROUS
TRUST IS A WEAKNESS
POSSESSION IS A TOXIC GAME
Sweet and gentle.
Calm and collected.
Nervous and inexperienced.
He was death cloaked in the form of a handsome man, and instead of running the other way at the first chance she got, she fell for him. Aria Miller is a scientist searching for the cure for a rare genetic disease when her world turns on its head – she collides with Tobias Mitchell. When she takes him on as her assistant, he becomes infatuated with her in ways he knows he shouldn’t be. Then, reality hits, and Aria is forced to leave the country. Faced with the thought of losing the object of his obsession, Tobias’s mask slips, showing her his true self for the first time. Aria is his, and he’ll do anything to make sure she stays that way.
This is an interconnected standalone set before The Edge of Darkness Trilogy. I recommend reading the trilogy first before diving into this story! The highly anticipated story of Tobias and Aria. This book wrecked me. I mean crying crocodile tears at 2 AM on a Tuesday. Leigh Rivers writes complex characters so well. She effortlessly captures his mental illness accurately while still making readers love him. He will always be Daddy Tobias, no matter what he has done in my eyes. What I did not expect coming out of this book was to fall more in love with Ewan. We got to see him in the trilogy, but in this story, we get to see him in all his glory. I knew going into this book that Gabriella was going to die due to the side comments in the trilogy. But when that scene came to the waterworks started and never stopped till the last page of the book. The one piece that I’m lacking is how Aria and Tobias find each other again to the relationship they had at the start of the trilogy. The epilogue showed us five years after the twins were born, but that leaves such a large gap! I need more! Rivers has many new works coming down the pipeline, and I, for one, can not wait!