Tag Archives: Sandy’s Reviews

Hunted in Silence (Blackridge Detectives4) by JC Valentine-review

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Hunted in Silence (Blackridge Detectives4) by JC Valentine-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 8, 2026

Ten years after escaping a trafficker, Brynn Holt built a life saving others. Now he’s found her—and only a rule-breaking FBI agent can keep her alive.

Trafficked at fourteen, Brynn escaped at seventeen and never looked back. Until a terrified teenager arrives seeking help—and Brynn recognizes the methods. Her trafficker is still operating. Still hunting. And he’s been looking for the one who got away.

FBI Agent Cole Maddox has seen too many victims. Lost his sister to a predator. But Brynn isn’t just another case—she’s the strongest survivor he’s ever met. And falling for a woman under FBI protection violates every rule he’s sworn to uphold.

When her trafficker discovers Brynn’s location, the safe house becomes a battlefield. Cole must choose: his career or her life. Go rogue or play it safe. Risk everything for the woman who’s shown him what’s worth fighting for.

Because Andre Devlin doesn’t forgive. And loving an FBI agent who might lose everything to save her? That’s a risk Brynn never planned to take.

•••••

REVIEW:HUNTED IN THE SILENCE is the fourth instalment in JC Valentine’s contemporary, adult BLACKRIDGE DETECTIVES romantic suspense series focusing on the Blackbridge PD. This is FBI Agent Cole Maddox, and woman’s advocate Brynn Holt’s story line. HUNTED IN THE SILENCE 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 may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Cole and Brynn) HUNTED IN THE SILENCE follows the search and rescue of several missing girls. Approximately ten years earlier, Brynn Holt escape a human trafficker, and in the ensuing time opened a centre for the missing and exploited but when the hospital called about a possible SA victim, Brynn finds herself reliving the same nightmare that happened years before. The arrival of FBI Agent Colt Maddox pulls Brynn into a multi-layered investigation, rescue and take down of the man at the top.

The world building focuses on both the FBI and Blackridge PD working together in the face of limited time. From abandoned warehouses, and isolated locations, the team amasses a timeline wherein the danger increases at every stop.

The relationship between Cole and Brynn begins as a professional workplace relationship as FBI Agent Cole Maddox works alongside a woman who has more experience and insight than he could have ever imagined but when the trafficker targets Brynn, Cole finds himself guardian and protector of the woman with whom he is falling in love. The $ex scenes are all implied.

The secondary and supporting characters are determined familiar and energetic. We are reintroduced to Special Agent Olivia Delgado; Detective Dax Mercer and Quinn Barrett; Detective Silas Kane and FBI profiler Harper Sinclair; Detective Carson Black and Nora Bell; and Special Agent Olivia Delgado, as well as the introduction of photographer Finn Steele, several survivors, trafficker Andre Devlin and accomplice Patricia Voss.

HUNTED IN THE SILENCE is a story of power and control, trafficking and obsession, family and friendships, relationships and love. The character driven premise is intriguing, dramatic and edgy but the conflict resolution is barely acknowledged and mostly inferred; the characters are determined and desperate; the romance understated but mostly insinuated.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

J.C. Valentine is the USA Today and International bestselling author of the Night Calls and Wayward Fighters Series and the Forbidden Trilogy. Her vivid imagination and love of words and romance had her penning her own romance stories from an early age, which, despite being poorly edited and written longhand, she forced friends and family members to read. No, she isn’t sorry.

Living in the Northwest, she has three amazing children and far too many pets. Among the many hats she wears, J.C. is an entrepreneur. Having graduated with honors, she holds a Bachelor’s in English and when she isn’t writing, you can find her editing for fellow authors.

Sign up for J.C.’s newsletter and never miss a thing! http://bit.ly/1KxXWWB

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Tempest’s Torment (Saint’s Outlaws MC: Boston 3)by Brooke Summers

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Tempest’s Torment (Saint’s Outlaws MC: Boston 3)by Brooke Summers-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 16, 2026

Their connection was never supposed to exist. It wasn’t wanted, and it wasn’t safe.

Tempest is the enforcer for the Saint’s Outlaws MC. Control, violence, and distance are how he survives.

Lilah is the woman who moved in next door. Quiet, guarded, and always looking over her shoulder.

One night destroyed her life. Everything after has been about survival.

Tempest sees the danger before she ever says a word, and once he does, walking away is no longer an option.

She doesn’t belong in his world, and he knows better than to want her.

But when the past comes back hunting, Tempest makes one fatal mistake; he falls for her.

Because when someone threatens what’s his, Tempest doesn’t warn.
He ends it.

••••

REVIEW: TEMPEST’S TORMENT is the third instalment in Brooke Summers’ contemporary, adult SAINT’S OUTLAWS MC: BOSTON MC romance series. This is Tempest aka Kai, and flower designer Lilah Carter’s story line. TEMPEST’S TORMENT 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 may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Tempest and Lilah) TEMPEST’S TORMENT focuses on the protection of our story line heroine. Approximately three years earlier, Lilah lost everything, and in the ensuing time, found herself under the protection of the Kings of Anarchy MC but the past was always one step ahead, and Lilah Carter found herself on the move, now under the protection of the Saint’s Outlaws MC. Lilah suspects the demons from her past have tracked her to Boston, and her neighbor Tempest, a member of the Saint’s Outlaws MC,has declared himself guardian and protector of our story line heroine. As the club begins a deep dive into what has been happening and why, Tempest finds himself falling for a woman who struggles to trust.

The world building focuses on the hierarchy of the Saint’s Outlaws MC, as each member has an assigned duty including protecting our story line heroine, and following the rules and regulations prevents chaos when external chaos ensues. Working as a florist, Lilah will face down the memories when flowers are ordered as reminders of the past.

The relationship between Tempest and Lilah begins as neighbors but Lilah is unaware of Tempest’s protective watch. A potential threat, a possible stalker, and Tempest becomes Lilah’s live in guest, in an effort to make her feel safe in the face of an unknown foe. The $ex scenes are intimate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, energetic and familiar secondary and supporting characters many of whom we met in the previous instalments. We are introduced to Lilah’s co-workers, as well as prospect Jinx. The requisite evil has many faces.

TEMPEST’S TORMENT is a story of power and control, obsession and torment, grief and loss, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is dramatic and edgy; the romance is captivating; the characters are determined, desperate and charismatic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Bratva King (The Sokolov Empire 3) by Clara Dunn-review

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The Bratva King (The Sokolov Empire 3) by Clara Dunn-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 22, 2026

I ran from the Italian mafia with its heir. Then the Bratva king of Las Vegas found us.

I was eighteen when I married a monster. A year later, I watched him burn. I took his secret and ran.

For five years, I’ve been nobody. A dyed blonde. A casino uniform. A quiet life built around one thing: keeping my autistic son safe in a city that never sleeps.

Then Nikolai Sokolov noticed us. I know what his tattoos mean. He belongs to the same world I escaped. But Luke doesn’t fear him.

My son doesn’t trust easily. Nikolai learns his routines, understands his silences, and never once asks him to be different.

I know better than to trust a man like that. I trusted one once.

But the past I buried is clawing its way back, and Nikolai may be the only man who can stand between my son and what’s coming.

The problem is, he has no intention of letting either of us go. I escaped one monster. I’m not sure I’ll survive falling for another.

••••••

REVIEW:THE BRATVA KING is the third instalment in Clara Dunn’s contemporary, adult THE SOKOLOV EMPIRE erotic, Bratva romance series. This is Las Vegas Hotelier Nikolai Sokolov, and single mother / Blackjack dealer Gabby Collins aka Gabriella Castellano’s story line. THE BRATVA KING 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 may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Nikolai and Gabby) THE BRATVA KING follows single mother Gabby Collins as she battles to stay one step ahead of her past. Struggling to make ends meet, Gabby finds herself dependent upon her boss and Bratva King Nikolai Sokolov, a man whose lifestyle is familiar and dark. Nikolai Sokolov is a businessman who has been targeted by the Italian Mafia but his need to protect Gabby begins to overshadow all else, and Gabby’s secrets could destroy them both. Gabby is on the run, and her past is determined to take back what doesn’t belong.

The world building focuses on an impending war between the Bratva and the mob. Territory and geography in Las Vegas is paramount to the people in control, and Nikolai has been accused of crossing boundaries. The morally gray hero becomes guardian and protector of Gabby and her four year old son, who are caught in war not of their making.

The relationship between Gabby and Nikolai begins as employer and employee but Nikolai will discover that all is not well in Gabby’s life. Gabby is keeping her past a secret, and the threats against Nikolai may involved Gabby’s past. The $ex scenes are provocative and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters are energetic and familiar including the return of Nikolai’s brothers Sergei and Sofia (The Enemy Protector 1), Maxsim and Lila (The Bratva Sinner 2), as well as the introduction of Nikolai’s right hand man Pasha,and his daughter Lila, Gabby’s son Luke, and his nanny Kylie; and FBI Agent Greg Jones.

THE BRATVA KING is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, obsession and madness, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is dramatic, gritty and edgy; the romance is seductive and captivating; the characters are desperate and determined.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Mistletoe All The Way by Lauren Blakely-review

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Mistletoe All The Way by Lauren Blakely-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 6, 2026

Dr. Noah Lennox lives by three holiday rules—avoid his hometown, cheerful people, and Christmas itself.

But when his beloved grandfather announces he’s retiring and handing the cherished sleigh-ride farm to either Noah or his slick cousin Stephen, the first rule goes out the window. Back home in Evergreen Falls, the veterinarian vows to fight for the farm that means everything to him. The problem is the town doesn’t exactly welcome its resident Scrooge with open arms.

Except for one very charming holiday enthusiast. Eloise Langston, a sunny tourism bureau hopeful, needs a win to land her dream job. Her holly jolly plan? Turn the broody, broad-shouldered grump into a festive front-runner to help the town’s Mr. Holiday competition draw record crowds.

Soon, in this “warm, witty, and impossible to put down” (Library Journal) tale, Noah and Eloise find themselves tangled in twinkle lights, fake kisses, and one very real attraction. But with the farm’s future at stake, Stephen’s scheming, and Eloise’s career on the line, there’s a blizzard of reasons to put their feelings on ice.

Or will they fight to turn their holiday fling into forever under the mistletoe?

••••

REVIEW: MISTLETOE ALL THE WAY is the third instalment in Lauren Blakely’s contemporary, adult EVERGREEN FALLS erotic, Christmas holiday romance series. This is
Veterinarian Dr. Noah Lennox, and public relations agent Eloise Langston’s storyline. MISTLETOE ALL THE WAY 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 (Noah and Eloise) MISTLETOE ALL THE WAY follows in the wake of the return of Dr. Noah Lennox to his home town of Evergreen Falls. Noah’s grandfather is about to retire, and is hoping one of his grandson’s will carry on the family tradition including the horse farm and annual holiday sleigh ride but Noah struggles with the Christmas holidays, and an all too cheery PR rep who is offering up her services for the upcoming Mr. Holiday competition. As Noah reluctantly accepts Eloise’s help, our couple discover that Noah’s cousin Stephen is working behind the scenes in an effort to claim ownership of the farm.

The world building focuses on family and friendships, as well as dysfunctional family dynamics. Noah and his twin brother Chris struggle with their cousin’s hidden aspirations, while Eloise must face her parent’s disappointment for her chosen career. From a close knit holiday town to questionable behavior, Evergreen Falls takes care of the their, even if family don’t always see eye to eye.

The relationship between Noah and Eloise begins acrimoniously. Noah doesn’t do Christmas, having too many heart breaking memories from the past, whereas Eloise is all about the celebration and decoration.Our heroine is about to pull Noah into the spotlight, in an effort to make new memories and celebration but Noah’s time in Evergreen Falls is coming to a close, and with it, the close of their building relationship and growing love. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, energetic and sometimes questionable secondary and supporting characters. We are introduced to Noah’s twin brother Chris, their cousin Stephen, as well as their grandparents; Eloise’s father Charles, and her grandmother Penny.

MISTLETOE ALL THE WAY is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and heart breaking, family and friendships, relationships and love. The character driven premise is captivating and entertaining; the romance is seductive; the characters are determined a dynamic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy\

A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than eighty times, and she’s sold more than 2 million books. In October she’ll release HARD WOOD, a sexy, standalone romantic comedy. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter! laurenblakely.com/newsletter

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter ** Goodreads

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Faultline / Claimed by the Wolf Heir by Delta James-reviews

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Faultline / Claimed by the Wolf Heir by Delta James-reviews

FAULTLINE
Whitewater Junction 1
by Delta James
Genre: adult, contemporary, romantic suspense

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 2, 2026

Someone wants Whitewater Junction. And I’m getting too close to finding out why.

Women offered fresh starts are disappearing. Landowners are being pressured to sell. Property lines are shifting, equipment is being sabotaged, and every trail leads back to the same corporation.

Then someone breaks into my office. Liam Stoddard has one response. I’m staying with him.

The massive, stubborn mountain man already refused to sell the land his family has owned for generations. Now he’s just as determined to keep me safe as I uncover who’s targeting his town.

His cabin. His mountain. His rules. Forced proximity would be easier if I hadn’t wanted Liam long before danger put me under his roof.

Or if every possessive hand at my back didn’t make me want him even more. But the closer we get to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes. Someone wants me to stop digging. Someone wants Liam off his land.

They’re about to discover that neither of us backs down.

••••••••

REVIEW:FAULTLINE is the first instalment in Delta James’ contemporary, adult WHITEWATER JUNCTION erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on the people and town of Whitewater Junction, Alaska. This is former army combat engineer Liam Stoddart, and women’s shelter advocate Rebecca ‘Tosh’ MacIntosh

Told from dual first person perspectives (Liam and Tosh) FAULTLINE focuses on a group known as the Cascade Mineral Partners who have send in a survey crew, taking aim at the town of Whitewater Junction, a town still recovering from a human trafficking ring. When several women, connected to the Aurora Covenant shelter go missing, Tosh begins a deep dive into the Cascade Resource Group, a company connected to the Cascade Mineral Partners.Liam Stoddart suspects not all is right in Whitewater Junction including questionable recruiters, missing women, break-ins, an illegal land survey and appropriation, fire and sabotage. Working alongside Tosh, our couple finds themselves pulled together, hoping to save the land and people of Whitewater Junction.

The world building focuses on the search for the truth as the most vulnerable are targeted, in a small isolated town whose people are struggling to survive. A clear threat is enveloping the people and infrastructure of Whitewater Junction, the power dynamic between the have and have nots is threatening to implode when the lure of money takes aim. The land in Whitewater Junction holds a secret, a secret revealed years before.

The relationship between Tosh and Liam is one of immediate attraction as our couple work together to uncover the truth-the corporation behind the threats to the people of Whitewater Junction, to the land, and to the history of everyone who came before. In an effort to protect our heroine, Tosh moves in with Liam Stoddart, wherein the pull is greater than they could have ever imagined

The secondary and supporting characters are desperate, and tenacious. We are introduced to Cascade Mineral Partners front man Phillip Zieglar, recruiter Denise Stahl; hardware store owner Hank, police officer Rhys Blackwater, former army CID Sheriff Marc, recruiter Denise Stahl, fire investigator Brody Oakes.The requisite evil has many faces

FAULTLINE is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and manipulation, power and control, money and greed, relationships and love. The fast paced premise is detailed, dramatic and captivating; the romance is seductive and impassioned; the characters are determined, tenacious and charismatic. FAULTLINE ends on a bit of a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

__________

CLAIMED BY THE WOLF HEIR
Dark Paranormal Omegaverse 3
by Delta James
Genre: adult, contemporary, omegaverse

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 17, 2026

For years, my secret has kept me alive.Saving one wounded alpha may cost me everything.

I’ve spent years making certain no one discovers the truth. I’m the Northern Pack’s healer—calm, controlled, untouchable. Because I have to be.

The day anyone discovers I’m an omega is the day I lose everything I’ve built. Then a dying alpha crashes into my mountain cabin. I should have let him die. Instead, every wound I heal tears another crack in the walls I’ve spent a lifetime building.

Eirik Valdisson is everything I can’t survive. A packless alpha. My patient. The heir to a stolen territory. And the one wolf whose scent makes my carefully crafted suppressant start to fail.

The longer we’re trapped together, the harder it becomes to separate duty from desire. He swears he’ll never use my secret against me. But a packless alpha needs an omega to reclaim his birthright. And I no longer know if he wants me… or the future only I can give him.

Because once my secret is exposed… there will be no hiding again.

••••••

REVIEW:CLAIMED BY THE WOLF HEIR is the third instalment in Delta James’ adult CLAIMED erotic, paranormal, romance series. This is Alpha wolf shifter Eirik Valdisson, and healer Signe’s story line. CLAIMED BY THE WOLF HEIR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalments is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Signe and Eirik) CLAIMED BY THE WOLF HEIR follows in the wake of the ‘arrival’ of our story line hero, an alpha wolf who has been running for his life. With the murder of his father, Eirik Valdisson is the heir but a killer is determined to take control, taking aim at our story line hero. Signe is an Omega wolf, but has been struggling for years to keep her heritage a secret. The sudden arrival of Eirik, and his need for a healer brings Signe’s Omega to the surface, and every wolf within miles is determined to claim our story line heroine. With the help of Signe’s pack leader and alpha Stellan, the Northern Pack prepares for war in an effort to aid Eirik in his rightful claim.

The world building focuses on several plot points including Signe’s Omega stature, the wolves demanding our story line hero, and Eirik’s fight for his father’s position in the wake of the ultimate betrayal.

The relationship between Signe and Eirik begins as a rescue, of a sort but Eirik bides his time claiming our story line heroine, and in doing so, makes her a target of every available male. Eirik’s lack of a claiming mark, and his compulsion to push her away finds Signe struggling with perceived rejection in the face of what may happen in the future. The $ex scenes are provocative and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic, language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful,energetic and supernatural secondary and supporting characters including Signe’s alpha Stellan, and iron forger Leif.

CLAIMED BY THE WOLF HEIR is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and death, power and control, dysfunctional family trauma, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is detailed, dramatic and entertaining; the romance is limited but impassioned; the characters are determined and dynamic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Breached (Stonewall Trilogy 3) by JL Drake-review tour

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Breached (Stonewall Trilogy 3) by JL Drake-review tour

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 6, 2026

Agent Paul thought he understood sacrifice. He was wrong.

One second. That’s all it takes for everything to change.

With ears still ringing, Paul is forced to confront one unbearable truth: the people he swore to protect are paying the price for a war that was never meant to reach them. Now they all must face the aftermath of his choices.

The deaths. The carnage. The pain.

Nicole spent her career documenting wars that belonged in someone else’s world. Until now.

Now the lines between truth and deception have never been more dangerous. Yet the greatest betrayal may not come from the enemy closing in—but from the man she thought she knew.

Bruno is done playing defense.

After years of watching his empire crumble, he’s learned exactly where to strike. He isn’t waiting for Blackstone to cross the border.

For Blackstone, this isn’t just another mission. It’s the fight for everything they’ve built—and everyone they love.

Because the war isn’t raging south of the border. It’s coming home.

••••••

REVIEW:BREACHED is the third and final instalment in JL Drake’s contemporary, adult STONEWALL romantic, military suspense trilogy set in the author’s WORLD OF MAYHEM interconnected series (Broken, Blackstone and Dark Water worlds), focusing on war correspondent Nicole Winter, and Stonewall Agent Major Eric Paul. BREACHED should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up after the events of book two EMBEDDED. If you have not read the previous instalments, 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.

SOME BACKGROUND: Weeks earlier, journalist and war correspondent Nicole Winter, escaped the Mexican Cartel, and with her, the abduction and rescue of a young child with blood connections to the Cartel. Having eluded the her captors , and 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.

Told from three first person perspectives (Paul, Nicole and Bruno) BREACHED picks up immediately after the events and cliff hanger of book two EMBEDDED. Paul is a man with secrets of his own, and in this, his building relationship with Nicole is hanging by a proverbial thread. Raising the young child as her own, Nicole finds herself at the mercy of the Stonewall Group, some of whom are determined to throw our heroine into the fire but the Stonewall Group may have a mole or two, and at every attempt to take down the Cartel, someone is always one step ahead.

The world building is detailed and follows several pathways including the protection of the team at Blackstone and Stonewall. From Mexico to the US, the team encounter questionable forces, betrayal and the unwritten rules of engagement. Conflicts arise between agents and the military, tactical plans go awry when the stakes get higher.

The relationship between Paul and Nicole began as a rescue, but is often tempestuous as Paul struggles to protect a woman who is determined to stand her ground but Paul’s secrets is about to destroy Nicole’s world, secrets that change the course of Nicole’s life going forward. The $ex scenes are limited but mostly implied.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of colorful, familiar and military secondary and supporting characters many of whom were introduced in the interconnected WORLD OF MAYHEM romantic suspense world.

BREACHED is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, obsession and madness, family and friendships, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is action packed, gritty and dramatic; the romance is limited but seductive; the characters are desperate, tenacious and determined.

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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Jingle Bells, Wedding Vows (Hollow Reign 3) by Paula Dombrowiak

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❤️Jingle Bells, Wedding Vows (Hollow Reign 3) by Paula Dombrowiak-review❤️

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 6, 2026

He’s the uptight rockstar directing the music for my burlesque Christmas show, and driving the grumpy maestro to throw his sheet music is my favorite hobby.

Then we wake up married, and he can’t remember a single thing about our night together.

Theo Mercer is an arrogant control freak in rolled-up sleeves and glasses who thinks he can tame my headlining act. But on my stage, I call the shots. Beneath the falling stage snow, the friction between us is hot enough to burn the theater down.

When our accidental Vegas wedding explodes across the tabloids, Theo swallows his pride and drops to one knee to propose a holiday charade: play blissfully wedded—which means moving my insufferable new husband into my cramped studio apartment.

Forced proximity beneath the mistletoe turns our backstage feud into breathless passion, and behind closed doors, our fake marriage starts to feel dangerously real.

Except our vows have an expiration date. When the tinsel comes down on New Year’s, Theo has to leave.

He swears he’s coming back.

But I stopped believing in Christmas miracles a long time ago, after a string of men who never kept their word. If I let down my walls only to get burned by my fake husband… I won’t survive the fall.

•••••

REVIEW:JINGLE BELLS, WEDDING VOWS is the third novella in Paula Dombrowiak’s contemporary, adult HOLLOW REIGN erotic, rock star, romance series. This is composer and Hollow Reign guitarist Theo ‘Maestro’ Mercer of Hollow Reign, and Las Vegas Burlesque dancer Mara Delaney’s story line. JINGLE BELLS, WEDDING VOWS 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 (Theo and Mara) JINGLE BELLS, WEDDING VOWS follows in the wake of the Vegas marriage between our story line couple. A night he doesn’t remember ends with Theo, guitarist for Hollow Reign married to his current nemesis, burlesque showgirl Mara Delaney. Theo wrote the music for Mara’s Las Vegas show but their back and forth bickering clearly hides a sexual attraction that will culminate in a Vegas wedding no one remembers but when our couple think about getting an annulment, their current marital situation is a positive for both of their careers and their lives, until a perceived betrayal threatens to end it all.

The world building focuses on preparations for Mara’s Christmas burlesque show: the music, the dance, the costumes and the anxiety. The marriage becomes front and centre as paparazzi and fans begins to track our couple’s movements, a marriage predicated upon secrets and lies, and two broken souls.

The relationship between Mara and Theo begins acrimoniously but their mutual attraction is rife with ongoing animosity and anger. A Las Vegas wedding, preparations for a show, and a growing love that is threatened by a well-meaning intention. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters are energetic and fun. We are reintroduced to Theo’s bandmates Phoenix, Liam, and Casey; costume designer Ava Ramirez; and Mara’s eccentric neighbor Birdie and fellow dancer Ruby.

JINGLE BELLS, WEDDING VOWS is a familiar story of secrets and lies, perceived betrayal and heart break, family and friendships, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is fast paced, entertaining and engaging; the romance is seductive; the characters are desperate and dynamic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Dive Bar At the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong-review

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Dive Bar At the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong-review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 6, 2026

A forested road at night, slick from the pounding rain and eerily illuminated by flashes of lightning. Just before midnight, a car swerves to avoid something—or someone—mysteriously standing in the road, only to slam into a fallen tree instead. In the pitch black, four more cars follow in a pileup no one can seem to avoid.

Stumbling out of the wreckage, soaked from the rain and nursing various injuries, five strangers find themselves in a backwoods dive bar, waiting for daybreak and hoping for cell service. But as tensions rise and the storm rages on outside, the occupants of the dive bar start to notice that not everything is as it seems. Time is moving differently, and they quickly learn that going outside—whether to assist another accident victim or to hike for help—is a very bad idea.

There’s something in the woods, something that isn’t natural. Could the figure in the road have been a warning? Or something more sinister? None of this is normal, and they’ll need to work together to figure out what’s happening if they have any hope of surviving the night.

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REVIEW: DIVE BAR AT THE END OF THE ROAD by Kelley Armstrong is a contemporary, adult, psychological, supernatural thriller focusing on a group of people, caught in a rain storm, arriving at a dive bar in the middle of nowhere.’

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

Told from first person (Ellie) and several third person perspectives including paramedic Henry, Noemi and Caleb, Raymond, Ravi, Maggie and the bartender, DIVE BAR AT THE END OF THE ROAD follows in the wake of a downed tree and a series of car accidents wherein all of the passengers and drivers find themselves seeking shelter at a questionable bar, a dive bar whose lone occupants carry too many secrets, secrets only known by the man in charge. Each new arrival will be faced with a choice, a revelation, a repentance and acknowledgement about events from the past, and in the end, one man declares himself judge, jury and executioner, forcing the new arrivals to acquiesce and recognize what was and what should never have been.

The world building is complex as perception and reality are skewed. Locked together in a questionable location, emotions and tension are pulled tight as buried secrets will be revealed, and the inevitable will come to fruition at the hands of a betrayer. The environment is dark, as the characters begin to question one another’s arrival in the wake of an unnatural storm.

The cast of characters is diverse and questionable yet their very existence is questioned, debated and contested.

DIVE BAR AT THE END OF THE ROAD is a supernatural story of conflict and commentary, secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control. The premise is dark, dramatic and gritty; the characters are desperate-their fate is no longer under their control.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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