Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Shattered {a review}

Shattered by Bella Emy is the latest addition to the Salvation Society series. It just released today, and if friends to lovers is your favorite trope, then you're going to want to read Shattered. Or if second chance romance pulls at your heartstrings, then this book will have you covered.

Lexi and Kalen met in high school, and Kalen knew he wanted a relationship with Lexi almost immediately. Lexi on the other hand made him wait. As time goes on, their relationship builds, and they start dating. Kalen and Lexi grew up in different financial situations. Lexi's parents were well to do, and well Kalen just had his dad and they struggled. It didn't matter though because Kalen and Lexi loved each other. Or so Lexi believed. Instead her world was flipped upside down in an instant. Not only did her dad leave, but so did Kalen. Flash forward many years later, Lexi's broken heart still isn't fully mended, and it is at a wedding that she runs into Kalen.

If you know me, you know that I love a good second chance romance. Add in the friends to lovers trope and there is a solid chance I'll love the book. Such is the case with Shattered. I found myself upset when everything happened. I felt the nerves that Lexi was feeling at meeting up with Kalen at the wedding. I felt the breath that was released when things shifted back. Only then to have my heart crushed again when their point of struggle happened. Of course it all ends with an HEA, so all is good.

At times I felt that too much time was spent discussing the past, but I can see why Bella Emy had that in there. It was to give us understanding as to why certain things happened. I do wish we would have been privy to the conversation between Lexi's Mom and Kalen. I do wish we had Kalen's explanation as to why he did what he did. I also felt the reconnection was a bit rushed, and there wasn't enough tension/groveling/emotion in that part of the book. Yes, we knew that Lexi was angry, but where was the fight between the two?

Still though, Shattered grabbed my heart. Kalen and Lexi are amazing together. I need to go look at other books by Bella Emy, because based on Shattered, I'm sure I'll enjoy her other books.

Thank you for reading my thoughts,

King's Conquest {a review}

Friends, this week Xavier Neal is releasing Wiz's Remedy, which is the fourth book in the Camelot Misfits MC series. So in preparation for that new release, I have decided to read the original three books. That's right, I'm diving in to King and Imani's story. If you would like to read my thoughts on King's Return, I shared that yesterday. (read it here)

Happy Tuesday!

So if you read my thoughts on King's Return, then you know that it ended in a doozy of a cliffhanger. King's Conquest picks up right where we left off.

Now I have to be careful about what I say since King's Conquest is a continuation.

We're back in the clubhouse and big things are happening. There is a traitor in the group and that person needs to be flushed out. Not only are the Misfits dealing with that, they're also trying to rescue Biz from her captive. Oh, and Imani just found out a family secret that has her world shaken.

This book, oh this book. It was so action packed. A bit graphic at times with the violence, but not so much so that I had to put it down. From the very beginning of King's Return I was hooked, and King's Conquest kept my attention. I had to know what was happening with King and Imani. I had to know what was going down with the club. Would they rescue Biz? What would happen with the traitor? How would Imani respond to the news? I just HAD TO KNOW! Oh, and don't even get me started on that little bit of info that was dropped toward the end of the book. I cannot wait to see how King responds to that!

Also, as I said in my King's Return post, I love how Imani continues to be passionate about her job, and what interests her. It is still a big part of the storyline, and I'm here for it. The fact that Imani is stepping into the Old Lady role also makes me smile. It's showing just how amazing of a woman she is. She's taking this new role and making it work for her.

I am loving the Camelot Misfits series, and cannot wait to see what happens next for King and Imani in King's Legacy! King's Conquest ends in another wild cliffhanger, and it will have you diving for book 3 so you can continue on.

Thank you for reading my thoughts,

Please scroll down a bit to read the teaser for King's Conquest. You'll also find links to connect with Xavier Neal, a link to add the book to your Goodreads TBR, and a link to purchase the book on Amazon. Now is the perfect time to start the series since Wiz's Remedy releases on May 13, 2021!

The cavalry is ready.

And they're riding steel horses...

The Misfits MC is known for maintaining the balance.

Providing common ground.

Protecting the innocent.

However, when Adonis "King" Arthur embarks on the conquest to completely destroy a rival club, he unfortunately realizes the cost of victory may be too high....

*WARNING: This book ends on a CLIFFHANGER.

Goodreads: King's Conquest

Amazon: King's Conquest

About

Xavier Neal is a best-selling romance author who enjoys hopping from sub genre to sub genre like a game of Hopscotch she can't resist. In between writing, she loves to read (everything from romance to self improvement books), watch movies (old and new), eat too much Tex-Mex (her Chuy's t-shirt collection is out of control), and watch AHL hockey games LIVE (preferably against the glass whenever possible).

She currently resides happily in Texas with her bearded husband "Lumberjack" and her rather lazy dog, Missy.

Connect with Xavier

Monday, May 10, 2021

Guardian {a review}

Friends! I'm not going to waste any time before I tell you that Guardian by Stacie Santoro was a FIVE STAR READ!

This is the second book from the Salvation Society that I have read, and I'm hooked. Give me all the books in this series. Seriously. Hand 'em over.

Guardian is a paranormal romance! It has been SO LONG since I've read a PNR, and I honestly forgot how much I tend to enjoy them. Aarabelle just accepted a job at Valor-Reed Security, and she has been teamed up with Lorcan. Lorcan is also new to Valor-Reed, but really he's undercover. Lorcan is a Warlock, and he's on a mission from the King to track down an item that is extremely important.

I FREAKING LOVED THIS BOOK! From the beginning I was all in. Witnessing the work relationship quickly blossom into a friendship, and then them being a couple, was everything. I loved the suspense. I loved the entire storyline. Guardian reminded me of a few Nora Roberts trilogies that I had loved. I want to talk about the scene toward the end of the book when Lorcan was off fighting, but spoilers. SO GOOD! I want more of these characters. I want more PNR featuring a human and a Warlock.

I feel like I haven't said enough about the book, but it's so hard because I don't want to ruin anything. Just know that this book gives you the romance and the suspense/action that is needed with a PNR.

If you are a fan of paranormal romances, work place romances, instalove, and/or the Salvation Society, then GO READ GUARDIAN!

Thanks for reading my thoughts,

Guardian by Stacie Santoro

Featuring Aarabelle

ALL heroes

Genre/Trope: legacy trope and paranormal

Add to Goodreads: Guardian

Salvation Society Author Page: Stacie Santoro

NOW AVAILABLE!

FREE IN KU!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2Q7zoRW

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3evahBO

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3hkbsFQ

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3h9dfOd

She lives her life in the light.

Aarabelle Gilcher-Dempsey grew up wanting to make the world a safer place. So, when she leaves the FBI to be closer to her family and start her new career back home at Valor-Reed Security, she is both settled and excited. And she’s ready for her first assignment, investigating suspicious break-ins at the homes of the security firm’s exclusive art-collecting clients. But she didn’t expect a distraction in the form of her new colleague or the intense attraction she feels for him.

He’s lived most of his life in the shadows.

Lorcan Ryder, an elite guard for the Warlock King, is sent into the human world to find the exclusive painting holding the Crown Zenith, one of three power zeniths in existence and the source of power for all magicals. And he must find it before it falls into the wrong hands.

When Aarabelle and Lorcan are teamed up at Valor-Reed, their connection is undeniable and more powerful than either can resist.

Aarabelle is about to learn how unsafe the world can truly be.

Lorcan is about to realize that his mission finds him more than he was looking for.

When their worlds collide and danger surrounds them, difficult choices will have to be made.

And a guardian will have to rise.

About the Author

Stacie Santoro lives with her family in New York, in the town where she was born and raised. She is the mom to three amazing boys and wife to a great man (who swept her off her feet with his basketball skills).

When she's not running with her family, you can find her enjoying a glass of wine or cup of tea, reading a book or daydreaming about a million things; like stories to write, putting her toes in the sand or owning every lip gloss created. Or maybe having one created just for her.

She's also smiling big from the release of her debut novel, The Real Devil; Journal One, and a firm believer that it's never too late to make your dreams come true.

Connect with Stacie

King's Return {a review}

So if you know me, you know that I love 1) a good series, and 2) suspense in a romance novel. What you might not know is that I also have a thing for the King Arthur and the Camelot story. Which is why I liked the Guinevere Deception so much. But that's for another day. What does that have to do with this MC series? Well it is a King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table based! Clearly I had to read it!

King has been away from Camelot for a long time. He was pretty much forced out years ago, and it was in his best interest not to return. That is until Wiz appears and tells him he's needed. A few days later tehre is a party at the clubhouse, and it is there that King and Imani meet. Their attraction is instant.

Imani is so sassy in the beginning of the book. I loved her rant to King when he takes her to the clubhouse after the ordeal at her work. So many times throughout this book I found myself chuckling. Of course then there were also those occasional scenes where I gasped or said "that did not just happen!".

Something else that I really appreciated about King's Return was that Imani is an intelligent woman who has a job she adores. She is confident in who she is and what she likes. All of that held up through the story! So many times I read a book that features a strong, successful woman, and midway through all of that disappears.

I absolutely loved King's Return. I knew going in that it ended in a cliffhanger, so I was prepared for that. Thankfully King's Conquest is already available, so there's no need to wait.

Trust me when I say, you should go read the Camelot Misfits MC series!

Thank you for reading my review of King's Return,

Please scroll down a bit to read the teaser for King's Return. You'll also find links to connect with Xavier Neal, a link to add the book to your Goodreads TBR, and a link to purchase the book on Amazon. Now is the perfect time to start the series since Wiz's Remedy releases on May 13, 2021!

Chivalry isn't dead.

It just rides a motorcycle now...

The Misfits MC is known for maintaining the balance.

Providing common ground.

Protecting the innocent.

However, when Adonis "King" Arthur is forced to return home to help rescue a fellow member's sister from a rival club, he quickly realizes the place he held in his memory as a haven is anything but....

*WARNING: This book ends on a CLIFFHANGER.

Goodreads: King's Return Amazon: King's Return

Meet

Xavier Neal is a best-selling romance author who enjoys hopping from sub genre to sub-genre like a game of Hopscotch she can't resist.

In between writing, she loves to read (everything from romance to self improvement books), watch movies (old and new), eat too much Tex-Mex (her Chuy's t-shirt collection is out of control), and watch AHL hockey games LIVE (preferably against the glass whenever possible).

She currently resides happily in Texas with her bearded husband "Lumberjack”.

Where to find Xavier Neal

The One I Want {a review}

Happy Monday romance readers!

Today is the day that The One I Want by S.L. Scott is released!

The One I Want starts with a random meeting in a park at 9:17am. It is there that our main characters first interact, and a spark is ignited. From that point on they keep running into each other. At one point Juni realizes that they both live in the same building. But she never tells Andrew that. Neither of them know the other's last name, and one day they run into each other at CWS (also known as the company Andrew runs). Juni was just brought on as a temp, and is rocking the job. And from that point on their story blossoms.

I adored The One I Want. I loved the meet-cute in the park. I loved the awkward moments between the two. I loved seeing Andrew start realizing there is more to life than just work. I will admit that I was a bit confused about Juni's story. There is still a bit of mystery surrounding her, and I don't feel her story was given enough of a focus. The ending though was everything I wanted. So worth it.

If you love opposites attract, work place romances, neighbors to lovers, or the friends to lovers trope, then go download The One I Want!

Thanks for reading my thoughts,

Release Date: May 10

Narrators: Sebastian York & Summer Morton

Tropes: Unforgettable Meet-Cute, Opposites Attract, Office Romance, Neighbors-to-Lovers, Friends-to-Lovers, Perfect Spring Read.

💗

She was everything he never knew he needed.

He was everything she avoided.

💗

It's not the first time I've been called a stalker.

I can’t blame Andrew Christiansen for thinking that since we keep crossing paths, especially when I pop up in the most unexpected of places—his office.

We’re opposites in every way. Not the kind that attract.

I’ve been called a ray of sunshine. He’s been called a grumpy workaholic that needs an attitude adjustment. By me.

Somehow, we become friends, the teasing, flirting, and kissing kind. But this thing blooming between us threatens to turn this relationship from friends-to-lovers into a full-blown office romance.

That's the least of my worries because one or two, little, okay big, secrets I've been keeping may turn him from the one I want into the one I can't have.

Grab your copy here!

Excerpt

I hear a familiar bark and turn back. The woman from the park rushes toward the nearest shop as if I didn’t just bust her for following me. “What are you doing?” I ask. “Are you stalking me?” I might be jumping ahead of myself, but better to settle it now. A lot of weird stuff was happening at the park. Is she to blame?

Despite Rascal’s joy to see me, obstinance stiffens her shoulders, and she scoffs. “You wish.” Her hand flies out. “It just so happens that I’m walking in the same direction. So what?”

“Defensive,” I reply, analyzing her body language. Crossed arms. Straight line across her lips. Half-mast eyelids as she glares at me.

“I’m not defensive. I’m offended. You just called me a stalker.”

“My bad.”

“You’re bad, all right.” She angles her chin up, and adds, “You can go about your day now.”

I’m tempted to chuckle, but I’m thinking it’s wise to restrain myself. “I will. Good day.”

“Good day, sir,” she says to my back as I walk away.

I stop again, but this time, I don’t look back. Forcing myself to walk forward, I continue through the upscale neighborhood to the next block. I busy my attention on the architecture until I hear Rascal bark again.

I knew I shouldn’t have talked to a stranger. She may be hot, but she could also be deranged, using her dog as a ploy to trick her next victim to her lair. What am I even talking about?

When I turn back this time, she sidles quickly up to a coffee shop window, pretending to know the people sitting on the other side.

By how they turn their backs to her, they don’t reciprocate. “Nice try,” I tease.

Glancing at me, she huffs. “I’m walking in the same direction. It’s no big deal, for God’s sake.” She punctuates the words with an epic eye roll as if I’m putting her out. Huffing, she grabs Rascal, clutching him to her side.

“His feet have—”

“Shit.”

“Exactly.”

Anger fills her chest, and she shakes her head, exhaling it loudly with a foot stomp. “Ugh! I’ll go this way.”

As. If. I’m the nuisance.

Me?

Why am I even sticking around to have this conversation? Why am I bothering? Going in different directions—that’s us. She crosses the street, and I turn the corner, both of us heading back to our own lives and hopefully never seeing each other again.

I continue toward the building up ahead alone. I’m good. I’m fine. Alone is how I thrive. I’ll be here a year or two. That’s nothing. I have plenty of work to keep me busy.

Work.

I’m here for work. That’s it. I have a plan in place, and nothing and no one will keep me from achieving my goals.

Meet S.L. Scott

New York Times and USA Bestselling Author, S. L. Scott, was always interested in the arts. She grew up painting, writing poetry and short stories, and wiling her days away lost in a good book and the movies.

With a degree in Journalism, she continued her love of the written word by reading American authors like Salinger and Fitzgerald.

She was intrigued by their flawed characters living in picture perfect worlds, but could still debate that the worlds those characters lived in were actually the flawed ones.

This dynamic of leaving the reader invested in the words, inspired Scott to start writing with emotion while interjecting an underlying passion into her own stories.

Living in the capital of Texas with her family, Scott loves traveling and avocados, beaches, and cooking with her kids. She's obsessed with epic romances and loves a good plot twist. She dreams of seeing one of her own books made into a movie one day as well as returning to Europe. Her favorite color is blue, but she likens it more toward the sky than the emotion. Her home is filled with the welcoming symbol of the pineapple and finds surfing a challenge though she likes to think she's a pro.

Connect with S.L. Scott

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