Tag Archives: romantic

Cooper (Warrior Security 3) by Josie Jade-review

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Cooper (Warrior Security 3) by Josie Jade-review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 6, 2026

Six weeks undercover. One wrong woman. Zero room for error.

Ryan “Coop” Cooper has spent weeks infiltrating a deadly militia running weapons through Montana’s backcountry. He’s one meeting away from bringing them down when Mia Thornton—the woman from his past—walks straight into his operation.

Now he has two choices: watch her die or claim her as his.

To keep her alive, Coop must convince a compound full of killers that she belongs to him. Every rough touch, every possessive threat is meant to sell the lie. But when the militia leader sets his sights on Mia, and members start questioning Coop’s loyalty, their dangerous charade becomes a deadly game of survival.

Mia never thought she’d need saving by Ryan Cooper. Now she’s trapped in his violent world, unsure if he’s protecting her or if he’s become the monster he’s pretending to be. Every bruising kiss, every possessive touch feels too real.

With enemies tightening the noose, Coop must risk his mission, his career, and his life…for the only woman he’s ever loved.

Some mistakes you can’t outrun. Some loves are worth dying for.

•••

REVIEW:COOPER is the third instalment in Josie Joanne’s contemporary, adult WARRIOR SECURITY erotic, romantic suspense series, a spin off from the author’s RESTING WARRIOR RANCH series. This is Ryan ‘Coop’ Cooper, and photographer Mia Thornton’s story line. COOPER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Coop and Mia) COOPER follows Ryan ‘Coop’ Cooper undercover with a underground militia group as they prepare for an upcoming arms sale but Coop never expected to come face to face with his past, the woman from who he walked away six years earlier. Photographer Mia Thornton was on assignment for a local realtor and found herself the prisoner of the man she once loved. In an effort to save her life, Ryan Cooper claims Mia as his own but the man in charge, Julian Oliver, has other plans for our story line heroine.

The world building focuses on protecting Mia Thornton. Ryan Cooper walked away six years earlier but the possibility of losing Mia to an assassin’s bullet meant Ryan must find a way to protect the woman whose heart he once destroyed.

The relationship between Ryan and Mia is one of second chances. Ryan had been struggling with the loss of his team, and believed he was unworthy of forever with the woman he loved. 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 colorful, familiar and dangerous secondary and supporting characters including the return of Beckett and Audra, tech specialist and recluse Travis Hale; Pawsitive Connections owner Lark Monroe, and Sheriff Lachlan Galloway (Montana Justice/ Resting Warrior Ranch 11). The requisite evil has many faces.

COOPER is a story of secrets and lies, power and control, family and friendships, relationships and love. The character driven premise is dramatic and intense;the romance is seductive and captivating; the characters are determined, dynamic and charismatic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Private Deal (Kings and Rivals 3) by Nana Malone-review tour

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Private Deal (Kings and Rivals 3) by Nana Malone-review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 9, 2026

They told me he was dead.

I watched them lower an empty coffin into the ground.

Now I’m alone, drowning in a world of enemies I never knew existed. The threats Lance shielded me from have found me, and without his protection, I’m more vulnerable than ever. I have to be strong. I have to survive. Even if my heart feels like it died with him.

But when shadows move in the night and impossible glimpses of a familiar silhouette haunt my dreams, I start to question everything. Am I losing my mind with grief? Or is something far more dangerous at play?

When a stranger with Lance’s eyes steps from the darkness, my world tilts off its axis. The man I mourned. The love I lost. The protector I desperately need.

He’s here. He’s real. And he’s very much alive.

The weeks of grief and terror should make me hate him for letting me suffer. Instead, when he pulls me into his arms, when his lips crash against mine, I remember why I fell for him in the first place.

Our enemies think they’ve won. They think Lance Lakewood is buried and his empire is crumbling. They have no idea what’s coming for them.

••••••

REVIEW:PRIVATE DEAL is the third and final instalment in Nana Malone’s contemporary, adult KINGS AND RIVALS dark, erotic, romantic, crime world, suspense trilogy focusing on fashion designer Morgan Becker -Lakewood, and billionaire businessman Lance Deluc Lakewood. PRIVATE DEAL should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up after the events and cliff hanger of book two HIGH STAKES and is set in the author’s KINGS OF THE BOARDROOM world.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Lance and Morgan) PRIVATE DEAL picks up after the events and cliff hanger of HIGH STAKES in which our hero, Lance Lakewood is presumed dead and buried but all is not as it appears to be, while his ‘widow’ mourns, there are people working behind the scenes to destroy her life. Determined to protect the woman he loves, Lance Lakewood, works under the cover of his ‘death’, in an effort to ferret out the people aiming for take back control.

The world building focuses on grief and recovery, and one man’s vengeance to take back control. Using inner dialogue and introspection, the characters reveal the psyche and emotional reactions to the world around them.

The relationship between Lance and Morgan continues to be erotic and intense but our heroine has been lead to believe her husband is dead, Morgan’s grief is often unbearable to the people in her life, a grief that would quickly turn to anger when the truth is revealed. The $ex scenes are erotic and provocative.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, familiar and determined secondary and supporting characters including Morgan’s sister Gwen and her husband Atticus (Kings of the Boardroom): fixer Silas McGill, Atticus’ brother Micah: Lance’s brother Hector, and their father Charles; fashion promoter Adele Beekman, and Morgan’s assistant Amber. The requisite evil has many faces, not all are whom they claim to be.

PRIVATE DEAL is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, greed and murder, loss and grief, family and friendships, forgiveness and love. The character driven premise is emotional and dark; the characters are desperate, determined and charismatic; the romance is passionate. PRIVATE DEAL ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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USA Today bestseller Nana Malone’s love of all things romance and adventure started with a tattered romantic suspense she “borrowed” from her cousin.

It was a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana, and Nana was a precocious thirteen. She’s been in love with kick butt heroines ever since. With her overactive imagination, and channeling her inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before she started creating her own characters.

While she waits for her chance at a job as a ninja assassin, in the meantime Nana works out her drama, passion, and sass with fictional characters every bit as sassy and kick butt as she thinks she is.

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Echo Burn/ Echo Line / Echo Dark by Delta James-reviews

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Echo: Burn / Echo: Line/ Echo: Dark (Men of Echo Ridge 1-3) by Delta James-review

ECHO: BURN
(Men of Echo Ridge 1 )
by Delta James
Genre: adult, contemporary. military, romance, suspense

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 17, 2025

I didn’t survive Delta Force by being soft. Fire burned me, missions hardened me, and now I live alone in a mountain cabin where no one crosses my perimeter. My world is fire, steel, and silence.
Until she crashes into it.
Willa Hart is a fugitive with haunted eyes and a past that could expose everything Echo Company has fought to protect. I should’ve sent her away the moment I leveled my shotgun at her. Instead, I made a choice I swore I’d never make again. I let her stay. In my cabin. In my bed. Under my protection.
Snow closes in. Her stalker circles tighter. And every day, the line I drew around my heart gets burned away. She sees the man behind the scars, the soldier I thought was long gone.
Now she’s mine.
And anyone who tries to take her will burn.

•••••

REVIEW: ECHO: BURN is the first instalment in Delta James’ contemporary, adult MEN OF ECHO RIDGE erotic, military romance series. This is former Delta Force commander Kane, and trauma nurse turned veterinarian Dr. Willa Hart’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 (Kane and Willa) ECHO: BURN focuses on survival. Dr. Willa Hart has unknowingly triggered a group known as The Committee, when she rescued an injured dog named Odin, a dog trained to sniff out dangerous chemicals. The Committee wants both Willa and Odin dead but there is military team hidden deep within the mountains of Montana, a team who are determined to uncover the truth. Betrayed by one of their own, the team fled the Middle East, setting up their own military compound known as Echo Base, Montana. Determined to protect Dr. Willa Hart, Kane mounts a rescue but a rescue that places a target on his people and team.

The world building is detailed as the men of Echo Ridge are forced to mount both a defensive and offensive tactic in an effort to protect our story line heroine but Willa Hart has been trained in the art of military defense, and in this, Willa will become a valuable asset to Kane and his team.

The relationship between Kane and Willa begins as a rescue but quickly turns into something more. Kane is determined to protect the woman with whom he will fall in love but Willa is a force unto herself, and is just as capable protecting our story line hero. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Kane’s expert and specialized team at Echo Base, Montana: Alex Mercer, Khalid, Sarah, Tommy, Rourke, and Stryker, and chemical sniffing dog,Belgian Malinois Odin; mercenary Dominic Cray, and Karine Miles. Alex Mercer’s story line is next.

ECHO: BURN is an action packed story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, military operations and espionage, friendships and love. The character driven premise is detailed and intriguing; the romance is seductive; the characters are determined and charismatic. ECHO: BURN ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

______

ECHO: LINE
(Men of Echo Ridge 2)
by Delta James
Genre: adult, contemporary. military, romance, suspense

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 14, 2025

I was trained to profile killers.
Not fall for one.
When the Bureau assigned me to hunt Alex Mercer, a decorated soldier turned domestic terrorist—I expected a fanatic. Instead, I found a man bleeding out in a Wyoming safehouse… and saving my life when the hit team came for us both.
Now I’m on the run with the enemy.
Every file I trusted is a lie. Every badge I believed in has been weaponized. And the man I was ordered to arrest is the only one keeping me alive.
He’s dangerous. Controlled. Infuriatingly calm even with a gun in his hand and blood on his shirt.
But when his walls crack open, I see the scars no one else has touched, and the kind of loyalty that could burn the world down.
The Committee wants us silenced. The FBI wants me back in line.
But I’ve already crossed it… and the only person I trust on the other side is the man I was sent to destroy.

••••••

REVIEW: ECHO: LINE is the second instalment in Delta James’ contemporary, adult MEN OF ECHO RIDGE erotic, military suspense series. This is FBI profiler Delaney Ward, and former Delta Force soldier Alex Mercer’s story line. ECHO: LINE can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as there is an ongoing premise throughout. If you have not read book one, there may be spoilers in my review.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Alex and Delaney) ECHO:LINE picks up after the events of book one ECHO: BURN in which Alex Mercer had been captured following their last assignment. Alex Mercer was about to face FBI Profiler Delaney Ward but from the outset Delaney suspects not all was as it appeared to be, and within minutes of her arrival, Alex and Delaney are on the run, as the group known as The Committee takes aim at our story line couple.

The world building follows Alex and Delaney as they struggle to make contact with Alex’s team at Echo Base. Someone has set up our story lien couple, and Delaney is about to lose everything of which she has fought hard to achieve.

The relationship between Delaney and Alex begins as a rescue but a rescue predicated upon secrets and lies. Delaney is about to place her trust in a man she believes is guilty, while Alex struggle to survive the torture inflicted for days before. The $ex scenes are intimate and impassioned without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Once, again, we are reintroduced to the determined men of Echo Ridge: Kane and Willa (Echo: Burn), Khalid, Sarah, Tommy, Dylan Rourke, and Stryker. The requisite evil has many faces. Dylan Rourke’s story line is next

ECHO: LINE is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, espionage and corruption, friendships and love. The character driven premise is dramatic and edgy; the romance is passionate; the characters are desperate and dynamic.

_________

ECHO: DARK
(Men of Echo Ridge 3)
by Delta James
Genre: adult, contemporary. military, romance, suspense

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 12, 2025

The monster they sent to silence me… might be the only man who can save me.

I thought I was chasing the biggest story of my career; proof of a covert black-ops program called the Committee. Instead, I walked straight into their trap. One encrypted file, one analysis that got too close, and suddenly the Committee thinks I know where their enemies are hiding.
Echo Ridge.

Now every shadow operative I’ve been investigating is hunting me, because they believe I have coordinates to a compound that isn’t supposed to exist.

Including the man who finds me first… Dylan Rourke.

He was the Committee’s interrogator, the weapon they whispered about, the monster they built out of grief and violence. He should still be one of them. Instead, he was burned, chose to save one innocent life over following orders, and now he’s the only thing standing between me and the people who trained him.

Working with Dylan is the last thing I want. Trusting him is the last thing I should do.
But he’s also the only person who can keep me alive long enough to finish what I started.

And the more I learn about him, the harder it becomes to see him as the monster everyone fears. Because beneath the darkness and the scars is a protector who would burn the world to defend what’s his.

The Committee is coming. Echo Ridge is preparing for war.
And the only way to survive is to trust the man I should run from…

••••••

REVIEW: ECHO: DARK is the third instalment in Delta James’ contemporary adult MEN OF ECHO RIDGE erotic, military, romantic suspense series. This is former Delta Force soldier Dylan Rourke, and journalist Reagan Mitchell’s story line. ECHO: DARK can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as there is an ongoing premise throughout.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Dylan and Reagan) with a final chapter by Kane, ECHO: DARK focuses on six months of information gathering that has placed journalist Reagan Mitchell in the direct line of fire. Reagan is determined to uncover the whereabouts of a Black Ops groups located near Echo Ridge Montana but Reagan’s investigation has uncovered a secret organization known as The Committee, and in doing so, has threatened not only her life but everyone involved with Echo Ridge. Assigned to bring in Reagan Mitchell, Dylan Rourke finds himself falling for a woman who could unwittingly destroy their lives. As Reagan continues to gather information, now with the help of the team at Echo Ridge, The Committee begins to amass, targeting everyone involved.

The world building focuses on the gathering of information as The Committee prepares for war. The team is once again, in the direct line of fire, but in an effort to deflect, Reagan and the team release a barrage of information in the hope of destroying the people trying to destroy their lives.

The relationship between Reagan and Dylan begins when Dylan is assigned to stop Reagan’s investigation, an in investigation that is about to reveal the team’s membership, location and military history. Reagan is determined to finish the story she began but will slowly discover not everything is as it appears to be. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Once again, all of the original team members return : Kane and Willa, Alex and Delaney, Stryker, Sarah, Tommy, and Khalid. Stryker’s story line is next.

ECHO: DARK is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, military and hostility, friendships and acceptance. The premise is detailed, complex and captivating; the romance is seductive and energetic; the characters are desperate, determined and dynamic.

Copies supplied for review

Reviews by Sandy

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When He Guards (Protector & Defender 5) by Cynthia Eden-review

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When He Guards (Protector & Defender 5) by Cynthia Eden-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 30, 2025

He made a fatal mistake.

He lusted after the wrong woman. Let his need take over. Cassius “Cass” Striker knew that he should have never touched the sexy FBI agent, but he gave in to temptation and had the best one-night stand of his life with Agnes Quinn. It should have meant nothing. He should have been able to walk away…

He can’t walk away. If he does, she’s dead.

His enemies know about Agnes, and they plan to use her against him. He’s the leader of one of the most notorious motorcycle clubs in the US. His name stirs fear into the hearts of nearly everyone…and he has a giant target on his back. Those who want to bring him down have been looking for a weakness to use against him—they think they found that weakness in the form of Agnes. Now he either saves her or he watches her die.

She doesn’t need saving, but it’s super sweet of him to try.

••••

REVIEW:WHEN HE GUARDS is the fifth instalment in Cynthia Eden’s contemporary, adult PROTECTOR AND DEFENDER romantic suspense series. This is president of the Night Strikers MC Cassius ‘Cass’ Striker, and FBI agent Agnes Quinn’s story line. WHEN HE GUARDS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information form the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

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

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Agnes and Cass WHEN HE GUARDS follows FBI agent Agnes Quinn as she goes rogue searching for the man who destroyed her life. Believing she will find her target amongst the Night Strikers MC, Agnes goes in undercover only to discover not everything is as it appears to be. Working alongside Cass, Agnes becomes a target for who she is and what she knows, a target whose contacts are dangerous and dark. Meanwhile, Cass Striker has declared himself guardian and protector of our story line heroine, claiming Agnes as his own, a claim that doesn’t not go over very well with the Night Strikers MC.

The world building is detailed and complex as the MC find themselves at odds with one another; betrayal has been building for a very long time, and vengeance is about to place our couple in the direct line of fire.

The relationship between Cass and Agnes begins as a seduction but Cass knows immediately that Agnes is not whom she claims to be. Agnes wants to find a killer, a killer with a specific tattoo, a tattoo that continues to give Agnes nightmares and tears. Cass considers himself a monster but a monster who has fallen for our story line heroine. The $ex scenes are passionate and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of questionable, secretive and dangerous secondary and supporting characters including the return of Agnes Quinn’s boss Grayson Stone (When He Defends), FBI Agent Malik;  Agnes’s brothers Ryan and Nash; several members of the Night Strikers MC, and a host of game players, taking aim at everyone involved.

WHEN HE GUARDS is a story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, power and control, madness and mayhem, obsession and murder, family and love. The character driven premise is action packed, detailed and dramatic; the romance is seductive; the characters are desperate and determined.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Avenging Angels 4: Bad Medicine by Kristen Ashley-review tour

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Avenging Angels 4: Bad Medicine by Kristen Ashley-review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play / Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 15, 2025

Willow Knightley has just been through it with her ex-mooch of a boyfriend. But sadly, he’s just the latest in a long string of men (starting at birth) who didn’t treat her right.

She decides her only recourse is to give up on men forever.

The problem is, her friend/acquaintance/one-time bodyguard, member of the Nightingale Investigations & Security team, Gabriel Stark, has targeted her as His One.

Gabe’s been through it at the hands of women too, so he knows exactly what he wants. And he wants Willow.

Willow states her case against them being an us, but she doesn’t count on the fact that not only does Gabe love a challenge, he lives for them.

Up against an onslaught from a man who rinses his own whiskers out of the sink, Willow might not stand a chance.

But then, while the Angels are trying to figure out what’s got one of their informants very jittery, she gets a hint that there are demons in Gabe’s history, and she has to know. The bets are on…

And luck favors a Stark.

••••

REVIEW: BAD MEDICINE is the fourth instalment in Kristen Ashley’s contemporary, adult AVENGING ANGELS erotic,romance series, a spin off, set in the author’s ROCK CHICK worlds. This is thirty-three year old, former police officer Gabriel ‘Gabe’ Stark, and twenty-eight year old baker Willow Knightly’s story line. BAD MEDICINE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion.

SOME BACKGROUND: There is a small group of enterprising women who call themselves the Avenging Angels. With the help of a mentor named Arthur, as well as Nightingale Investigations and Security (Rock Chick #1), the women go in search of those unable to help themselves including the missing, the abused and the lost.

Told from first person perspective (Willow Knightly) BAD MEDICINE focuses on the building romance and relationship between our story line. Swearing off men since her last bad breakup, Willow Knightly struggles with her attraction to our story line hero but an early morning visit by one of the team’s confidential informants finds Willow with a guardian and protector in the guise of Gabriel Stark. Like Willow, Gabriel has had his fair share of disastrous and questionable relationships but Gabriel is determined to not let the past control his life.

The world building follows the Avenging Angels as they search for a woman they believe is missing but all is not as it appears to be, and with the help of guys of Nightingale Investigations, the truth will reveal betrayal and greed.

The relationship between Gabe and Willow is a friends to lovers but Willow continues to struggle with prior betrayal and humiliation, and battles between head and heart as it pertains to the man with whom she will fall in love. Gabe knows Willow is the woman to claim his heart, but convincing Willow may take more time than he bargained. The $ex scenes are provocative and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Once again there is a large ensemble cast of colorful and familiar secondary and supporting characters including the return of the Rock Chicks, members of Nightingale Investigations, and the Avenging Angels and their partners,as well as both Gabe and Willow’s parents.

BAD MEDICINE is a story of family and friendships, relationships and acceptance. The character driven premise is captivating and engaging; the characters are charismatic and dynamic; the romance is seductive and passionate.

 

Reading Order and previous reviews
Avenging Angel
Avenging Angel: Back in the Saddle
Avenging Angel: Tenderfoot

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

 

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Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn’t taken her first breath!).

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.

 

 

 

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Lethal Torture (Lethal Legacy 4) by Paula Walshe-review

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Lethal Torture (Lethal Legacy 4) by Paula Walshe-review

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 6, 2025

ZINAIDA

My world is too dark for love. Which is exactly why Luke Macarthur is the wrong choice to protect me. But I have a leak. And that means hiring from outside. I expect him to turn down the job. I want him to turn it down. He’ll have your back. I hate how dangerously seductive I find those few words. Sooner or later, people either betray me, or become a weakness to be used against me. It’s the price I pay for being Zinaida Melikov. So why doesn’t Luke run the first time he sees what he’s dealing with? But keeping a poker face for half an hour is one thing. Living in the murky darkness of my world for months on end is quite another. There’s only one way a good man like Luke leaves my world: in a body bag, buried by forces much darker than he will ever be. Luke Macarthur might well be the killer Mak says he is, but he’s also as wholesome as apple f***ing pie. And a wholesome man has no place beside damaged goods like me.

LUKE

There’s no way I should take this job. I don’t sleep with clients. Ever. And Zinaida Melikov is the most dangerous smokeshow I’ve ever laid eyes on. But someone is definitely trying to kill her, which is the kind of mystery I can’t resist. And I need danger the way some men need to breathe. She’s a renowned psychopath. Except I know she isn’t. I saw her mask slip. It was barely a split second, the briefest loss of control. Most men wouldn’t have noticed. But I’m not most men. I’m trained to see what other men don’t. And in that moment, I saw past the dead eyes. Past the performance, the mask, and the game. I caught a glimpse of the woman who lives behind the masquerade. And now I can’t stop thinking about her.

•••••

REVIEW:: LETHAL TORTURE is the fourth instalment in Paula Walshe’s contemporary, adult LETHAL LEGACY dark, erotic, Mafia romance series. This is thirty-nine year old, former British SAS (Special Forces) agent turned private contractor Luke Macarthur, and business woman Zinaida Melikov’s story line. LETHALTORTURE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Luke and Zinaida) using present day and memories from the past, LETHAL TORTURE follows in the wake of several assassination attempts against our story line heroine. Zinaida Melikov’s life has been anything but easy, and she fights to save those unable to save themselves but the latest attempt on her life forces Zinaida, a stubbornly independent and dangerous woman in her own right, to seek outside help, eventually and reluctantly contracting with former SAS agent Luke Macarthur. Luke is a man on a mission, determined to protect the woman with whom he will fall in love but an internal review reveals both a professional and personal betrayal.

The world building is, once again, dark, detailed and multi-layered as our couple, along with several members of Luke’s business partners and board members on the Mercura Crypto Platform, most of whom of are connected to the Russian Bratva or former Special Forces operatives, begin a deep dive into people associated with our story line heroine.

The relationship between Zinaida and Luke begins as a professional arrangement but from the outset Zinaida is determined to unbalance our story line hero. Zinaida owns several high end, private $ex clubs, and the elite of society depend upon our heroine to keep their secrets. Luke refuses to cross the invisible line with his client but their attraction is immediate and strong. The $ex scenes are erotic, provocative and intense.

There is a large ensemble cast of thought provoking, questionable, dangerous and twisted secondary and supporting characters including the return of Roman Borovsky, and his wife Darya, Ofelia, Alexei, and Dimitry Stevanovsky. We are introduced to Makari ‘Mak’ Tereschenko; specialist Paddy; Luke’s sister Liana; as well as Zinaida’s security team(Charlie, Anatoly, Enzo), employees, survivors, and several business acquaintance, competitors, and political powers. The requisite evil has many faces.

LETHAL TORTURE is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, jealousy and obsession, family and friendships, relationships and love. The character driven premise is dark, edgy and dramatic-heed the trigger warnings. The characters are desperate, charismatic, determined and often tragic; the romance is spicy and passionate.

Reading Order and previous reviews
Lethal Legacy
Lethal Alliance
Lethal Abduction

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Embedded (Stonewall Trilogy 2) by JL Drake-review tour

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Embedded (Stonewall Trilogy 2) by JL Drake-review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Apple / Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK:Release Date November 18, 2025

Nicole Winter has many facets—a war correspondent, a protector, a mother in all but blood.

But those are just titles.

Nicole’s relentless drive for the truth was forged in war zones and honed by years of experience. Her instincts catch the shifts others overlook, and what whispers now is clear— the Cartel is gathering strength, and war is coming. Once, she would have chased the story, but for the first time, she is in a position more dangerous than she has ever faced.

A secret.
A bond.
A betrayal.

Paul is recovering from his wounds, but the scars no one can see cut deepest. He can’t forgive Nicole for putting his son in the spotlight, yet the child he never claimed is bound to her. She’s a risk he can’t afford, yet the only one who can protect his future.

Fueled by vengeance and ambition, Bruno Perez’s recklessness gives Nicole the chance to do the unthinkable and return to the viper’s pit, even if it costs her life.

As the team closes in and loyalties fracture, the green light unleashes the unimaginable. Blood is shed in the most unlikely places, and no one is beyond the line of fire.

••••••

REVIEW:EMBEDDED is the second instalment in JL Drake’s contemporary, adult STONEWALL romantic, military suspense trilogy set in the author’s WORLD OF MAYHEM focusing on war correspondent Nicole Winter, and Stonewall Agent Paul. EMBEDDED should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up after the events of book one EXTRACTION. If you have not read book one, there may be spoilers in my review

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

Told from three first person perspectives (Paul, Nicole and Bruno) EMBEDDED follows in the aftermath of the rescue of Nicole Winter, and Chase, a small child she rescued from the Mexican Cartel.Having eluded the Cartel, with the help of the agents from the dark Ops group known as Stonewall, Nicole will come face to face with a man she thought was dead but upon their return to the US, and a debrief by the man in charge, Nicole is forced to reveal her own secrets, secrets that will see our heroine poised on the precipice of returning to the scene of the crime. Paul is a man with secrets of his own, secrets of which very few people are aware, and in this, Nicole struggles to trust the man with whom she will fall in love but against Paul’s objections, Nicole is sent back to the Cartel in an effort to retrieve information she left behind.

The world building is detailed, complex yet slow as the agents at Stonewall, as well as our story lie heroine find themselves journeying towards danger as the Mexican Cartel is determined destroyed them all.

The relationship between Paul and Nicole continues to be contentious as Nicole struggles to trust a man she does not know, a man whose secrets are dangerous and dark. As Nicole battles between head and heart, the truth may be something she is unable to believe. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters including many crossing over from the Broken, Blackstone and Blackwater series, as well as several members of the Mexican Cartel.

EMBEDDED is a story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, power and control, family and friendships, relationships and love. The character driven premise is detailed, complex and dramatic; the romance is edgy; the characters are desperate and dynamic. EMBEDDED end on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Click HERE  for Sandy’s review of book one EXTRACTION

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

J.L. Drake is a bestselling author with multiple series published in several different countries. The Broken Trilogy is her best seller, and her next series, Quiet Mafia, has the same kind of homey feel sprinkled with some yummy darkness.

She was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, later moving to southern California. Though she loves the weather in Cali, she would sell her left kidney for a good rainstorm. Jodi’s love of the seasons back home in Canada definitely put in an appearance in her books.

When she’s not writing, you can often find her sitting somewhere along the coast of Huntington Beach, reading, or at home curled up on a couch with her two children and husband, binge watching Marvel movies.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Website / Goodreads / Facebook /  Instagram/

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ICE COLD CHRISTMAS (Ice Breaker Cold Case 15) by Cynthia Eden

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ICE COLD CHRISTMAS (Ice Breaker Cold Case 15) by Cynthia Eden-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 14, 2025

She’s coming home for the holidays…and there’s gonna be hell to pay.

Last Christmas, Melody Mage vanished without a trace. The wealthy socialite was presumed dead by her loved ones. But on the anniversary of her disappearance, Melody appears on the doorstep of her family’s estate. Her memories are fractured, her past shrouded in fog and confusion, but she knows one thing—someone attacked her. Left her for dead. She just has to figure out who the guilty culprit is. Then she’ll make the person pay.

In other words, Melody has to solve her own cold case mystery. And she’s going to do it—no matter what it takes. No matter how many skeletons she has to drag out of her wealthy family’s closet. And no one will get in her way. Not even her father’s intense—and dangerously attractive—protégé, Victor Alexander. Victor has just taken over as the company’s new CEO. He’s driven, powerful, and he stares at her with eyes that glitter with far too much…longing?

He ripped apart the world looking for her, and the love of his life just casually knocked on the front door.

Except Melody doesn’t know that Victor had his heart carved out of his chest when she vanished. Their relationship had been secret. On the outside, he and Melody had appeared to barely tolerate each other. In private, they’d touched—and ignited. She’d been his obsession. He’d been her personal attack dog. Now she’s back, saying she’s looking for justice, and he’s going to give it to her. He will give her anything. Unfortunately, Melody has no idea that she once promised to love him forever—or that when she vanished, she was wearing the engagement ring he’d given to her.

He never stopped loving her. Too bad she believes he’s the enemy.

Victor has been working with the Ice Breakers, a cold-case solving crew, and he suspects that Melody’s attacker is someone in the family’s inner circle. He also knows that there is no way on earth he will ever let Melody vanish again. He’ll protect her, he’ll win her heart once more, and he will see to it that the person who hurt his Melody is buried in an icy grave before the new year dawns.

•••••••

REVIEW: ICE COLD CHRISTMAS is the fifteenth instalment in Cynthia Eden’s contemporary, adult ICE BREAKER COLD CASE romantic suspense series. This is heiress Melody Mage, and CEO Victor Alexander’s story line. ICE COLD CHRISTMAS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Melody and Victor ICE COLD CRHISTMAS follows one year after the disappearance of heiress Melody Mage. Newly engaged, and looking forward to Christmas, Melody would disappear without a trace. Fast forward one year, our heroine returns to her father’s estate, a shell of her former self, a woman whose memories are lost but for a few snippets of betrayal at the cost of her life. Victor is determined to reclaim the woman who owned his heart but first our couple must search for the truth, in the face of continuing betrayal, greed and lies.

The world building follows Victor and Melody as they begin an investigation of their own. As Melody’s memories slowly return, bits and pieces reveal a possible connection to the man whom she loves, and a betrayal by the family to whom she returned.

The relationship between Victor and Melody is one of second chances. Engaged one year earlier, Melody disappeared sending Victor into a spiral. Determined to find the woman he loves, Victor never stopped searching for the truth, a truth that would destroy the a family already torn apart. 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 energetic, questionable and desperate secondar and supporting characters. We are introduced to Melody’s ailing father Sebastian Mage’ step brother Dario Mage, Melody’s best friend Olivia Hatcher; Ice Breaker security specialists Hunter McQueen, Calista Connors, Luis Ortega; and Detective Angus Clinton.

ICE COLD CHRISTMAS is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, greed and madness, family and relationships, forgiveness and love. The character driven premise is action packed, dramatic and edgy; the characters are determined and dynamic ;the rekindling romance is fated and seductive.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Frozen in Ice
Falling for the Ice Queen
Ice Cold Saint
Touched by Ice
Trapped in Ice
Forged From Ice
Buried Under Ice
Ice Cold Kiss
Savage Ice
Locked In Ice
Brutal Ice
Cruel Ice
Forbidden Ice
Ice Cold Liar

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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