Tag Archives: BB Hamel

MARRIAGE OF SIN (Crowley Family 1) by BB Hamel-a review

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MARRIAGE OF SIN (Crowley Family 1) by BB Hamel

 Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 7, 2023

He’s a violent gangster. My life’s at rock-bottom.

It’s the perfect time to make a baby.

Here’s where I’m at: boyfriend cheated with my roommate, stole all my money, skipped town, and to top it off, I got fired from my job.

My life is a total wreck, which is why I go home with a knee-shakingly gorgeous, insanely rich stranger named Finn Crowley.

I’m into his bossy-and-controlling-alpha-jerk vibe, at least for one night.

But things get worse a few weeks later when I realize I’m pregnant.

And Finn leaves his arranged-fiancee so he can marry me instead.

Which I definitely did NOT ask him to do.

I don’t even want to be married to this guy, but it’s either say the vows or remain broke and alone.

I’ll put up with his possessive and demanding attitude for the sake of the baby.

At least until I find a way to escape
.
•••••••••••

REVIEW: MARRIAGE OF SIN is the first instalment in BB Hamel’s contemporary, adult CROWLEY FAMILY erotic, Irish Crime family, romance series. This is businessman Finn Crowley and Dara Connell’s story line.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Finn and Dara) MARRIAGE OF SIN follows in the wake of a one-night stand between our leading couple. In an effort to secure a controversial government vote, Finn Crowley is forced to marry a member of a powerful family but Finn wants nothing to do with a marriage of convenience, a marriage that would be in name only. A woman in distress finds Finn claiming to be her boyfriend, a claim that will push our couple together, if only for one night. Enter Dara Connell, a young woman who has found herself without a job, soon to be homeless, and eventually pregnant with Finn Crowley’s child. Seeing an opportunity towards another direction, Finn proposes marriage to our story line heroine, a marriage that is about to threaten the woman with whom he is falling in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Finn and Dara, and the potential fall-out as Finn must take control to protect his new wife and child, a control that results in a show of power between Finn, his father, and the man who arranged the marriage between Finn and Robin McLaren.

The relationship between Finn and Dara begins as a one-night stand in which Finn all but ‘rescues’ our heroine from her aggressive boss. Six weeks will pass wherein Dara will discover she is pregnant, and with the help of her best friend Kathryn, goes in search of our story line hero. Dara does not want to be forced into a marriage for the sake of the child but our heroine is homeless and jobless, with no other prospects in sight. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate.

We are introduced to Finn’s business partner and best friend Genna; his mother Molly, father, and his brothers Carson, Nolan, and Liam; Dara’s ex-fiance Lucas; her best friend Kathryn; Irish Mafia soldier Shane, and Finn’s intended and manipulative fiancée Robin McLaren, and her powerful father Clive.

MARRIAGE OF SIN is a story of power and control, influence and authority, betrayal and vengeance, threats and manipulation, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The premise is intriguing, twisted and edgy; the romance is emotional; the characters are desperate, determined and spirited.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Beast in My Bedroom/Diamond Heart by BB Hamel-review

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Beast in My Bedroom/Diamond Heart (Atlas Organization 3-4) by BB Hamel-review

BEAST IN MY BEDROOM
Atlas Organization 3
by BB Hamel
Genre: adult, contemporary, dark, erotic, Mafia, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

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Release Date: April 28, 2023

He’s everything I don’t want . . . but my new bossy Greek mafia husband is going to make a real wife out of me.

My rock bottom is a dirty martini in a high-class bar, ten canceled credit cards, and nothing but the clothes on my back.

I managed to escape my abusive husband, but a snooty hipster bartender is about to get me arrested for being unable to pay for a drink.

That’s when Evander Kazan saves me. He’s massive, rippling with muscles, covered in dark tattoos, and looking for danger.

He buys me dinner and gives me an offer: marry him, and he’ll make sure my ex-husband never gets near me again.

This is crazy. I barely know Evander. But there’s something in the way he looks at me, and I’m desperate for any hope.

He’s darkness incarnate. Brooding, angry, brimming with restrained passion.

And after one night of sin in the gangster’s penthouse suite, I’m ready to take a chance.

He says he’ll teach me how to please him. I think he’s everything I hate. But if safety is sleeping in his bed then I’ll deal with his massive body close to mine.

Because war is coming to Evander’s family, and my ex will stop at nothing to bring us both down.

••••••

REVIEW: BEAST IN MY BEDROOM by BB Hamel is a stand alone, contemporary, adult, Greek Mafia, dark, erotic, romance story line focusing on Lord Evander Kazan, head of the Kazan Greek Mafia in Chicago, and twenty-three year old, Camille Lanaro Conti.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Evander and Camille) BEAST IN MY BEDROOM follows the forbidden relationship between Lord Evander Kazan, head of the Kazan Greek Mafia in Chicago, and twenty-three year old, Camille Lanaro Conti. Camille Conti is on the run from her abusive husband but when she is unable to pay her tab at a local hotel, Evander Kazan steps in to help. Realizing Camille is running from something or someone, Evander offers one night together, a night that will end with Evander offering marriage in an effort to protect them both but Camille is still married, and her husband has criminal connections, connections that are about to place Evander in a war with the Italian mob. What ensues is the building but struggling relationship between Camille and Evander, and the potential fall-out when their time together comes to a close.

Evander Kazan ascended the Greek Mafia throne by force, a force that shattered his dysfunctional family but Evander and his mother were betrayed by the people at the top, and our hero is determined to destroy anyone who gets in his way. Camille Conti was sold to the Italian mob, forced into an abusive marriage, a marriage from which she is struggling to get away but Camille is desperate, with no money and no place to hide, and accepts Evander’s offer, an offer with conditions by which Camille refuses to abide. Camille is often TSTL (too stupid to live) knowing she is a target of both the Greek and Italian mobs but our heroine is determined to prove she can make it on her own, something that continues to place her and Evander in the direct line of fire.

The relationship between Evander and Camille is a marriage of convenience between warring factions of the Chicago Crime families. Camille’s life is in jeopardy but her place of refuge is both a prison and a sentence when she finds herself in constant peril from both outside and from within. The $ex scenes are intimate and provocative.

We are introduced to Evander’s right hand man Lycus; Evander’s sister Helen, and their mother Dimitra, Aunt Anissa and cousin Sophia, as well as Camille’s friend and co-worker Ophelia. The requisite evil has many faces including several members of the Greek, and Italian mobs.

BEAST IN MY BEDROOM is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, abuse and corruption, acceptance and love. The fast paced premise is intriguing and riveting; the romance is seductive; the characters are broken, desperate and determined.

Reading Order and previous Reviews

Beautiful Corruption
Ruined with a Promise

Reviewed by Sandy

________________

DIAMOND HEART
(Atlas Organization 4)
by BB Hamel
Genre: adult, contemporary, dark, erotic, Mafia, romance

ebook only 99¢ Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 17, 2023

My super-controlling boss saved my life. Now I’m his fake wife… and I owe him everything.Gareth Kane is the definition of bosshole: intense, picky, critical, stupidly handsome, and an overall pain in my behind.Too bad I need this job. My BFF moved away, my parents got into swinging (don’t ask), I’m drowning in student loans, and my apartment burned to the ground.

Hello, rock. I’m bottom.

But to make it even worse, I walk in on Gareth discussing some very illegal plans with a bunch of gangsters, and he says the only thing that’ll keep me alive: Don’t worry about Fiona. She’s my new wife.Sorry, what now? I would’ve remembered marrying a psychopath like Gareth.
After the shock wears off, he makes me an offer. We pretend to be married, he protects me from his crazy gangster clients, and I play the part to make sure they never find out he’s lying.

It’s a lose-lose situation, but I like being alive more than being dead, so I’m going with it.My new husband is a neat freak, insists on treating me like his actual bride, and loves to tease me mercilessly.He’s also gorgeous, sensual, caring, and makes sure I’m always looked after.I hate him, right up until I realize I don’t.

And then? Well, not all fake marriages stay fake for long.

••••••

REVIEW: DIAMOND HEART is the fourth instalment in BB Hamel’s contemporary, adult ATLAS ORGANIZATION dark, erotic, romance series focusing on four former college friends: Evander, Carmine, Ford and Gareth. This is thirty-five year old, billionaire attorney Gareth Kane, and legal assistant Fiona Kelleher’s story line. DIAMOND HEART can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from omniscient dual first person perspectives (Gareth and Fiona) DIAMOND HEART follows the building but fake relationship between billionaire attorney Gareth Kane, and his legal assistant Fiona Kelleher. Gareth Kane is hoping to work for Mafia boss Orin Crowley but a clandestine meeting with the Crowley Family, and threats against Fiona’s life, forced Gareth to claim his legal assistant as his new wife. Hoping to keep up the pretense, Gareth finds himself in a dilemma, a dilemma of marriage, a wife, a new job, and the possibility of losing everything when their secret is revealed. What ensues is the building relationship between Gareth and Fiona, and the potential fall-out when their time together comes to a close.

Gareth Kane never expected to fall for his legal assistant but a forced proximity aka marriage of convenience meant Gareth and Fiona were always together. A new job meant a new move across the county, and Gareth didn’t see a future with our story line heroine. In an effort to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love, Gareth is forced to push Fiona away, breaking both of their hearts in the process.

The relationship between Fiona and Gareth begins as employee and boss but quickly turns into a marriage of convenience. Gareth struggles between head and heart knowing he was placing Fiona in the direct line of fire but the heart wanted something it had never expected. Fiona was quickly falling for Gareth Kane but Gareth’s new job was dangerous, and the people he worked for, deadly and dark. The $ex scenes are intimate and provocative without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters include all of the previous story line couples aka Atlas Organization members, as well as Orin Crowley, and his sons.

DIAMOND HEART is a story of power and control, secrets and lies, acceptance and forgiveness, happiness and love. The fast paced premise is captivating, dramatic and edgy; the romance is impulsive and intimate; the characters are sassy, desperate and determined.

Copies supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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RUINED WITH A PROMISE by BB Hamel-a review

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RUINED WITH A PROMISE by BB Hamel-a review

 Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 3, 2023

I made a deal with a demon. Now I’m sleeping in his bed.
I hate Ford Arc. I can’t stand his quirky smile, his dark sense of humor, and his obsession with pain and domination.

He’s the ultra-wealthy son of a rival family and I was raised to find him repulsive.

I despise him, right up until I need his help.

My grandfather wants to marry me off to the first eligible man he can find or else he’ll pull support for my addict mother’s rehab clinic.

So I cut a deal with that demon: I agree to help Ford win control of his family’s business and he promises to make sure my mother gets the best help his endless money can buy.

Now I’m Ford’s and he’s more demanding than I ever dreamed: we will live in the same house, sleep in the same bed, shower in the same shower at the same time—

But he’s keeping a secret from me.

A secret that’s going to ruin everything.

••••••

REVIEW: RUINED WITH A PROMISE by BB Hamel is a stand alone, contemporary, adult, erotic, romance story line focusing on twenty five year old heiress Katherine ‘Kat’ Stockton, and thirty year old heir to the Arc Restaurant chain Bradford ‘Ford’ Arc. RUINED WITH A PROMISE is set in the same world as the author’s BEAUTIFUL CORRUPTION, and the group known as the Atlas Organization.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Kat and Ford) RUINED WITH A PROMISE follows in the wake of the demands by the Arc and Stockton patriarchs. The Arcs and Stocktons are bitter enemies, and as such Ford Arc is being blackmailed by his grandfather to marry Katherine Stockton. In the meantime, Katherine aka Kat is considered unworthy of the Stockton name, in the face of her mother’s addictions, and as such has been bullied by everyone including family and so-called friends. Forced into a marriage of convenience, Katherine opts to choose her own husband, accepting Ford Arc’s offer of proposal and marriage, a marriage predicated upon betrayal and lies. As Katherine begins to fall for the man who will destroy her heart, Ford quickly discovers that his place in the family has been usurped by someone else. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Ford and Kat, and the fall-out when the truth is revealed.

The relationship between Kat and Ford begins twelve years earlier when Ford takes aim at the people bullying our story line heroine. Always on the outside looking in, Kat finds she is guilty by association because of her mother’s troubles, and as such, is often dismissed by her family including the grandfather whose care is contemptuous and unsympathetic. Betrayed and emotional abused, Katherine is willing to sacrifice herself for the good of the family. Bradford Arc has never known love, having grown up at the knee of his abusive grandfather. Told he would inherit the mantle of CEO of Arc Enterprises, Ford quickly discovers that his grandfather’s control extends beyond his immediate future. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Kat’s grandfather, her vindictive cousin Sara Lynn, and her mother Jackie: Ford’s grandfather, as well as Ford’s friends and members of the college club the Atlas Organization-Carmine and Brice (Beautiful Corruption); Gareth, Evander and Lanzo.

RUINED WITH A PROMISE is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, forgiveness and love. The premise is twisted and edgy; the romance is spirited yet tender; the characters are desperate, broken and determined.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Beautiful Corruption by BB Hamel-a review

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Beautiful Corruption by BB Hamel-a review


ebook only 99¢ Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January

My family sold me to a gangster.

And all he wants to do is corrupt me.

The first time we met, Carmine rubbed my face in the dirt.

The second time, I found out my family was selling me to him.

And the third time, he promised to drag me down to his filthy level and expected me to like it.

Carmine is a gorgeous billionaire with dark mob ties and wickedly twisted taste, and my family is horrible financial trouble. They’re desperate enough to take his money in exchange For my life.

Now I’m stuck engaged to a man that represents everything I hate. A man that wants to smear me with mud for his own sick pleasure. A man that thinks I’m too clean—and wants to make me dirty.

I’m nothing but a pawn to my family and a toy to Carmine.

But I have my own goals and I refuse to let my future husband ruin me.

I won’t survive to see my wedding night. But neither will Carmine.

••••••

REVIEW:BEAUTIFUL CORRUPTION is the first instalment in BB Hamel’s new stand alone contemporary, adult, erotic, Mafia dark, romance series. This is Mafia don Carmine Scavo, and oil heiress Brice Rowe’s story line.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Carmine and Brice) BEAUTIFUL CORRUPTION follows the arranged marriage between Mafia don Carmine Scavo, and oil heiress Brice Rowe. Seven years earlier, while attending the prestigious Blackwood College, Brice Rowe would be the victim of Carmine Scavo’s bullying, for no apparent reason than she was the daughter of a very wealthy man. Fast forward to present day wherein Rowe Oil is nearly bankrupt, and Brice’s father has been arrested for theft and fraud. With only one possibility to save the family business, Brice is sold to the highest bidder, Mafia don Carmine Scavo, the man who has haunted our heroine for as long as she can remember. With a promise to help save Rowe Oil, Brice is ‘gifted’ to Carmine Scavo, a gift that comes with a price but all is not well with the Rowe family dynamics, and Brice quickly discovers she is a pawn in a much larger game. What ensues is the tumultuous but building romance and relationship between Carmine and Brice, and the potential fall-out when the truth is revealed, forcing Brice to make a choice between family and love.

The relationship between Carmine and Brice begins as a business deal. Brice is a pawn; fodder in a much larger game, a game in which her father has chosen to sacrifice his only daughter. Carmine Scavo, now the new head of the Scavo family finds himself focusing on saving the woman that has starred in all of his fantasies and dreams but Brice struggles with her attraction to a man who has caused her so much heartache and pain; and Carmine knows it is only a matter of time before Brice discovers not all is at it appears to be. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense.

The secondary and supporting characters include Brice’s father Perry , and grandfather Graham Rowe; Greek mobster Stephen Panagos; Brice’s best friends Robyn, Sara and Cassidy, as well as several members of the Scavo Mafia family.

BEAUTIFUL CORRUPTION is a story of family, relationships, betrayal and vengeance; acceptance and forgiveness; love and happily ever after. The fast paced premise is twisted and tragic but not as dark as some other Mafia romances; the romance is provocative; the characters are determined, dynamic and animated.

Reviewed by Sandy

Copy supplied for review

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Sinful Promise by BB Hamel-a review

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Sinful Promise by BB Hamel-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 14, 2022

I’m in his bed learning the limits of my body.
Peter Calimeris. Greek mafia son, monster in a perfect suit, and the only man keeping me alive.
He’s supposed to be my bodyguard, but he barely notices me.
At least until Peter gets involved in a business deal with my half-sister.
I use my family connections to forge a pact between us: if he teaches me how to fight and survive, I’ll help him win a lucrative contract.
It’s a deal neither of us wants but both of us needs.
He’s a brutal teacher. Firm but honest and fair.
And one night, after I give out as many punches as I get, we find there’s something more between us.
It’s a mistake that feels too good to ignore.
Now the world is crashing down and a rival Greek mafia wants to stop this business deal with my half-sister from going through.
But all I can think about is whether Peter will break me, and whether I want him to.

•••••

REVIEW: SINFUL PROMISE by BB Hamel is a contemporary, adult, stand alone dark, erotic, Greek Mafia romance set in the author’s Valverde Mafia world. This is Greek Mafia heir Peter Calimeris, and Adrienne Holloway’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Peter and Adrienne) SINFUL PROMISE follows after the events of PROTECTIVE VOWS wherein our heroine found herself the victim of an abduction and torture at the hands of the Russian mob. Recovering under the disdainful watch of Greek Mafia heir Peter Calimeris, Adrienne struggles with her life going forward. Peter has been tasked with ‘babysitting’ Adrienne Holloway but the timing is wrong for our story line hero. Peter is looking to venture off on his own, without the knowledge of the Calimeris family but at every turn Peter finds that he is cut off from the support or partnership of the other Mafia families. As Peter struggles to take control, he quickly realizes that his relationship with Adrienne has placed our heroine in the direct line of fire. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Peter and Adrienne, and the potential fall-out as Peter is forced to push Adrienne out of his life in the hopes of saving the woman he loves.

Peter Calimeris can no longer trust his father, Yiannis Calimeris, in the wake of the murders, deaths, secrets and lies that surround the man wherever he goes. Peter is determined to take control of his life, setting into motion his own plans for starting over but Peter never expected to fall in love with our story line heroine, a woman who is single-minded in helping the man with whom she is falling in love.

The relationship between Peter and Adrienne begins acrimoniously as Peter wants nothing to do with ‘babysitting’ our story line heroine. Adrienne has been used and abused, recovering from the abduction and torture by the Russian mob but Adrienne tenacious and strong willed, learning to fight to protect herself and the man that she loves. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate.

The secondary and supporting characters include Peter’s father Yiannis, Adrienne’s half-sister Reina, as well as the return of Luca and Kacia Valverde (Protective Vows). The requisite evil has many faces.

SINFUL PROMISE is a story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, determination and manipulation, acceptance and love. The premise is gritty, captivating and engaging; the characters are broken, charismatic and determined; the romance is seductive and provocative

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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THESE BROKEN HOURS by BB Hamel -a review

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THESE BROKEN HOURS by BB Hamel

ebook only 99¢ USD Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 23, 2022

Betray me. Break me. Leave me wanting more.

Nolan Vandello turned my life into a smoking ruin the day I sent him to prison.

He’s the source of all my fear and mourning: the reason my mother’s gone, the reason I’m stuck in a dead-end town, and the reason I hate myself as much as I despise him.

But the longing is deep in my bones, and when I need his help again seven years later, it’s like our horrible past never happened.

Nolan is still the gorgeous boy that stole my heart and made me feel safe, only now he’s taller, broader, devilishly handsome, and exceedingly dangerous.

We strike a deal: if he fixes my little sister’s blackmail problem, I’ll solve the mystery of who really betrayed him all those years ago.

One last job together and then we’ll never speak again.

But nothing’s ever simple with Nolan and it turns out what he really wants is a lot bigger than the truth.

I’ll give him so much more than I ever imagined, and that won’t be enough to quiet his darkest hunger.

••••••

REVIEW: THESE BROKEN HOURS by BB Hamel is a contemporary, adult, dark, erotic, romance story line set in the author’s Valverde Mafia world. This is Valverde capo, thirty year old Nolan Vandello, and twenty-five year old Cora Stone’s story line. THESE BROKEN HOURS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous storylines is revealed where necessary.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Nolan and Cora) following two separate paths, THESE BROKEN HOURS focuses on the second chance relationship between Valverde capo, thirty year old Nolan Vandello, and twenty-five year old Cora Stone. Several years earlier Nolan Vandello was sentenced to three years in prison for a crime he did not commit and upon his release worked his way up thought the Valverde Famiglia until returning to his home town where it all began. A visit from the woman who broke his heart, finds Nolan threatening the members of the Open Road Brothers MC (ORB) on behalf of Cora’s sister Kady, a threat that is about to start a war between the bikers and the Valverde Famiglia. Cora blames Nolan for everything that went wrong including the death of her mother by an unknown assassin but as Nolan digs deeper into ORB and their connections to Cora’s sister Kady, Cora continues to struggle with the yet to be solved murder of her long-suffering mother. What ensues is the rebuilding romance and relationship between Nolan and Cora, and the potential fall-out as the Open Road Brothers target our story line heroine.

Cora and Nolan grew up on the proverbial wrong side of the tracks having suffered at the hands of the people in charge. Cora has looked after her troubled younger sister but in an effort to protect the sister she loves, Cora runs without looking back.

The relationship between Cora and Nolan is one of second chances; a rekindling romance between two people destroyed by secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense.

We are introduced to Nolan’s right hand man and best friend Eric, as well as Cora’s sisters Kady, and her boyfriend Jaxson.

THESE BROKEN HOURS is a story of power and control, betrayal, secrets, lies and vengeance; family, relationships, forgiveness and love. The premise is dramatic and intense; the romance is provocative; the characters are desperate, destructive and determined but saying that Cora and her sister Kady were often immature, demanding, rude and troubled, something of which I struggled to enjoy.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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PROTECTIVE VOWS (Valverde Mafia 1) by BB Hamel -a review

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PROTECTIVE VOWS (Valverde Mafia 1) by BB Hamel -a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 25, 2022

I crave freedom and his marriage bed.
But I can’t have both.

I’m all that’s left of the powerful Greek Florakis mafia. My father and my older brothers were murdered in a yacht explosion off the coast of Crete, and now my family is in tatters.

That’s when Luca Valverde comes for me. He’s six-foot-four, covered in scars and muscles, a hardened killer, and my sworn enemy.

But instead of finishing the job, he takes me home and gives me a choice: a bullet or his wedding ring.

I accept marriage and decide to bide my time until I can put a knife in his back.

When we return to New York, things get complicated. He needs to prove himself to his family after taking a Greek bride, and I’m stuck trying to help my hated husband while also waiting to escape.

Every second I spend in his marriage bed is another second I spend forgetting about my freedom.

His touch is a poison flower and his lips are like honey.

But I’m playing the long game, and in the end, I’m going to win.

•••••••

REVIEW: PROTECTIVE VOWS is the first instalment in BB Hamel’s contemporary, adult VALVERDE MAFIA dark, erotic, Mafia series. This is heir to the Valverde Mafia throne Luca Valverde, and twenty-three year old, Greek Mafia princess Kacia Florakis’ story line.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers

Told from dual first person perspectives (Kacia and Luca) PROTECTIVE VOWS follows in the aftermath of the murder of Kacia Florakis’ entire family. Three months earlier, Kacia’s father, and two brothers were murdered in a yacht explosion blamed on the Italian mob. Hiding in Greece, with her father’s one-time guardian, Kacia quickly discovers not all is at it appears to be when she becomes the prisoner of the heir to the Italian mob. Sentenced to death for the sins of her father, Kacia has a choice to make- a bullet or marriage- and our heroine is quickly leaning to one side more than the other. Marriage may protect her from immediate harm, but there are others waiting in the wings, to destroy what’s left of the Florakis family, in an effort to take control of everything left behind. What ensues is the building but forbidden romance and relationship between Kacia and Luca, and the fall-out as the fight for control leads to a potential war with the Russian Bratva.

Luca Valverde has his orders, and his order are to kill Kacia Florakis but something about Kacia begins to melt the ice around Luca’s heart, a heart that has been frozen since the murder of his younger brother. Wanting revenge against the Greeks for destroying his family, Luca takes aim at our story line heroine only to discover she is an innocent in a war between Mafia families. Kacia has no idea as to the extent of her family’s sins, and our heroine is about to pay the price for the darkness that has followed wherever she goes. Choosing to live, Kacia is forced into a marriage of convenience, a marriage that is seen as both good and evil within the families fighting for control.

The relationship between Kacia and Luca is predicated upon duty; a forced marriage that will hopefully save Kacia’s life but a marriage based on blood and death. Luca knows that to force Kacia could mean a life without love, without the support of his family, and the possibility of facing his own mortality at the hands of his father but Luca sees an opportunity to take back control, and gain the power the Valverde family needs. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate and seductive.

We are introduced to Kacia’s guardian Perico, and her best friend Adrienne; the Valverde capos Tony, Nicolla and Fio,Mafia security forces; Luca’s father, Don Roberto Valverde; as well as head of the Greek Mafia in America Yiannis Calimeris: Russian Damir Novalov.

PROTECTIVE VOWS is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, obsession and retaliation, secrets and lies, acceptance and love. The fast paced premise is gritty and intriguing; the romance is captivating; the characters are determined, desperate and dynamic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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ICE KING: (A Dark Romance) by BB Hamel-a review

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ICE KING: (A Dark Romance) by BB Hamel-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 26, 2022

I can’t handle the cold.
Notorious businessman Ansell Drake feels nothing and wants only money, power, and pleasure. He’s called the Ice King for a reason: nothing penetrates his frozen heart.
When my fiancé William Crawford cheats on me, I blow up both our lives in a spectacular and public fashion.
Ansell’s the one that shows up when I need someone the most. He gives me a place to stay and promises to keep me safe from my stupidly wealthy, aggressive, and rabidly angry former-fiancé.
But Ansell does nothing for free. He’s got a price, and I’m not sure I can afford it.
The Ice King terrifies me. He’s beautiful and mysterious but there’s danger lurking behind those emotionless blue eyes. He asks too much, demands even more, and if I refuse to obey then I’ll face the wrath of my former-fiancé all on my own.
I’m stuck between a frozen monster and a white-hot devil, and I don’t know which will tear me to pieces first.

•••••••

REVIEW:ICE KING by BB Hamel is a stand-alone, contemporary, adult, dark erotic romance story line focusing on thirty-five-year old businessman Ansell Drake, and music promoter Marie Pearce.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Ansell and Marie) ICE KING follows in the wake of a series of images and emails sent to our story line heroine, images that reveal her fiance’s betrayal with a number of women. Confronting her soon to be ex-fiance in public, and sending the pictures to a local online gossip site, was only the beginning of Marie’s plan to out her cheating boyfriend but Marie never expected the repercussions that followed including threats against her livelihood and her life from some expected and unexpected sources. Having stepped in to help our story line heroine, businessman and all-around ice-king Ansell Drake, offers his support, eventually claiming Marie as his own. What ensues is the building relationship between Ansell and Marie, and the potential fall-out as secrets reveal a possible betrayal from the man with whom she is falling in love.

Ansell Drake is a man who sets into motion the make or break deals for up and coming musicians and bands. Marie has discovered a group she believes is worthy of Ansell’s help but never expected to need Ansell to save and protect her from herself. Marie is determined to fight her ex-fiance and his powerful family on her own but she is clearly at a disadvantage when more than one potential ‘fixer’ is hoping to take her down. Naïve to the reality of the possible death, our heroine is determined to fight the fight, alone.

The relationship between Ansell and Marie is one of immediate attraction but Ansell is a cold, heartless and powerful man who has shut himself off from everyone else. Meeting Marie and professing to protect the woman who now controls his heart places Ansell at a possible disadvantage when he finds himself threatened by the same people aiming for our story line heroine. The $ex scenes are aggressive, intense and erotic with some scenes of spanking.

We are introduced to Ansell’s right hand man Baptist Tomkins; Marie’s ex-fiance William, and his father Magnus Crawford; Marie’s friends and online gossip blogger Bella Baby; as well as Marie’s father Geoffrey Pearce, most of whom have an agenda using our story line heroine.

ICE KING is a story of betrayal and vengeance, mistrust and dysfunctional family values, power and control, acceptance and love. The premise is dark and dramatic; the characters are dangerous, charismatic and powerful; the romance aggressive and impassioned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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