THE PAWN (War of Hearts 2) by Natasha Knight-review tour

THE PAWN (War of Hearts 2) by Natasha Knight-review tour

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 29, 2025

I rule a kingdom built on blood.
Brutality is my legacy.
The moment I saw Allegra Moretti, I knew I had to have her.
The night I planned to make her my wife, my enemies attacked.
They took her from me.
They did not know the monster they unleashed.
I burned the world down to bring her home.
Now, I’ll go to war for her.
I will tear our families apart and I will deliver her enemies to her in pieces.
Allegra is my queen and I will destroy any man who dares hurt her.

••••••

REVIEW: THE PAWN is the second instalment in Natasha Knight’s contemporary, adult WAR OF HEARTS dark, erotic, Mafia romance duet focusing on twenty year old, Mafia princess Allegra Moretti, and thirty year old Cassian Trevino. THE PAWN should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the events of book one THE VILLAIN. If you have not read THE VILLAIN, there may be spoilers in my review.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Cassian and Allegra) THE PAWN focuses on the search and rescue of our story line heroine who found herself at the mercy of someone she once trusted. A pawn and a prisoner, Allegra discovers the truth about her past, her family and the possible future for a woman who is now caught between family and love. Cassian Trevino is determined to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love but at every turn betrayal, treason and a fight for power become the precipitating factors in a war for control.

The world building continues to follow the tempestuous and caustic relationship between our story line couple as Cassian fights for control of his future. Betrayal from all sides including the people he trusts, pushes Cassian to become guardian and protector wherein he struggles to keep his promise.

The relationship between Cassian and Allegra caustic and hostile. Cassian is keeping secrets that affect our story line heroine, and Allegra struggles to trust a man who is battling not only his own demons but the demons from our heroine’s past. The $ex scenes are aggressive and provocative with some scenes of voyeurism and exhibition.

Similarly to THE VILLAIN, the cast of secondary and supporting characters is questionable, untrustworthy and problematic. We are reintroduced to Allegra’s troublesome brother Michael, her late father’s power hungry consigliere Malek Lombardi and his daughter Amal, as well as Cassian’s step brothers Severin and Jet Blackstone; Cassian’s right hand man and cousin Enzo, uncle Angelo, and several members of both the Moretti and Trevino crime families. The requisite evil has many faces. I am hoping the author has plans for Cassian’s step brothers.

THE PAWN is a fast paced, character driven story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, greed and double cross, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The premise is dark, dramatic, gritty and edgy; the romance is fiery and heated; the characters are desperate, determined, violent and over the top.

HEED the trigger warnings-there are many and graphic.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one THE VILLAIN

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance, Natasha Knight specializes in dark, tortured heroes. Happily-Ever-Afters are guaranteed, but she likes to put her characters through hell to get them there. She’s evil like that.

Website: https://natasha-knight.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natashaknightauthor
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheKnightSpot
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NatashaKnight13
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natashaknight13/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/natashaknight13/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6478732.Natasha_Knight
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/natasha-knight
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2DWdlEu
NL Signup:https://natasha-knight.com

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The Villain (War of Hearts 1) by Natasha Knight-review tour

The Villain (War of Hearts 1) by Natasha Knight-review tour

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 22, 2025

My life changed the moment I saw Cassian Trevino standing in the shadows of my father’s study.

A ruthless villain in a suit, he’s the head of a rival mafia family.

I should have been safe.

Instead, I was trapped by the man my brother betrayed.

Cassian came for blood.

But he took me instead.

Now I’m his possession.

His obsession.

He demands my surrender. He wants my body, my heart and soul.

And the most dangerous part? My heart has already betrayed me.

But the truce between our families is fracturing. We stand on the brink of a mafia war.

Loving my enemy isn’t only forbidden. It could be the deadliest betrayal of all.

••••••

REVIEW: REVIEW:THE VILLAIN is the first instalment in Natasha Knight’s contemporary, adult WAR OF HEARTS dark, erotic, Mafia romance duet focusing on twenty year old, Mafia princess Allegra Moretti, and thirty year old Cassian Trevino.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Cassian and Allegra) THE VILLAIN focuses on payment for a debt. In the wake of their father’s death, Allegra Moretti’s brother Michael claimed the seat for the Moretti family but there is a debt to be paid, and Allegra will find herself collateral to the Trevino family, but most especially Cassian Trevino.

The world building follows the acrimonious relationship between Allegra and Cassian, as Cassian struggles with the spiral of blood family, and the fight for power with his step family. Not all is as it appears to be, someone is taking aim, vying for a seat at the top, and Allegra will once again become a pawn in a war not of her making. Cassian’s secrets are threatening the future of the Trevino family, and in this, our hero struggles with the reality of the world he once knew.

The relationship between Allegra and Cassian is tempestuous and turbulent. Cassian has claimed our heroine as his own, and anyone who disagrees becomes a target. Allegra is determined to free herself from her current captor but from the proverbial frying pan into the fryer, our heroine will find that the enemy is closer than she could have possibly imagined. The $ex scenes are provocative and intense,as Allegra pushes all of Cassian’s button.

There is a large ensemble cast of questionable, determined and problematic secondary and supporting characters. Allegra is unable to trust the man with whom she is falling in love but trusting someone else is a threat to our story line hero. We are introduced to Allegra’s inept brother Michael, her late father’s power hungry consigliere Malek Lombardi, as well as Cassian’s father Samuel; step brothers Severin and Jet Blackstone, their mother Sybil Blackstone-Trevino; Cassian’s right hand man Enzo,

THE VILLAIN is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, murder and madness, greed and despair, determination, desperation and family. The character driven premise is dark, dramatic, and thought provoking; the characters are twisted, deviant and controlling; the romance is limited as Allegra is more of a prisoner and pawn. THE VILLAIN ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance, Natasha Knight specializes in dark, tortured heroes. Happily-Ever-Afters are guaranteed, but she likes to put her characters through hell to get them there. She’s evil like that.

Website: https://natasha-knight.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natashaknightauthor
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheKnightSpot
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NatashaKnight13
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natashaknight13/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/natashaknight13/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6478732.Natasha_Knight
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/natasha-knight
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2DWdlEu
NL Signup:https://natasha-knight.com

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War of Hearts (True Immortality ) by S. Young-Review & Excerpt tour

War of Hearts (True Immortality) by S. Young-Review & Excerpt tour

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 1,2019

Thea Quinn has no idea what she is. All she knows is that her abilities have been a plague upon her life since she was a child. After years of suffering at the hands of a megalomaniac, Thea escaped and has been on the run ever since.

The leadership and protection of his pack are of the utmost importance to Conall MacLennan, Alpha and Chief of Clan MacLennan, the last werewolf pack in Scotland. Which is why watching his sister slowly die of a lycanthropic disease is emotional torture. When Conall is approached by a businessman who offers a cure for his sister in exchange for the use of Conall’s rare tracking ability, Conall forges an unbreakable contract with him. He has to find and retrieve the key to the cure: dangerous murderer, Thea Quinn.

Thea’s attempts to evade the ruthless werewolf are not only thwarted by the Alpha, but by outside dangers. With no choice but to rely on one another for survival, truths are revealed, intensifying a passionate connection they both fight to resist. At war with themselves and each other, Conall and Thea’s journey to Scotland forces them to face a heartrending choice between love and betrayal.

•••••••

REVIEW: WAR OF HEARTS is the first instalment in S. Young’s (aka Samantha Young) contemporary, adult, TRUE IMMORTALITY paranormal romance series focusing on thirty year old, Alpha and Chief of Clan MacLennan Conall MacLennan, and twenty-five year old, Thea Quinn.

Told from dual third person perspectives ( Conall and Thea) WAR OF HEARTS follows the building relationship between thirty year old, Alpha and Chief of Clan MacLennan Conall MacLennan, and twenty-five year old, Thea Quinn. Conall Maclennan has been tasked with bringing in a killer; a young woman of unknown supernatural origin but a woman who has been identified as the killer in a series of deaths across Europe. Unbeknownst to Conall, Thea has been targeted by someone from her past, someone who is desperate to bring Thea under his control. What ensues is the continental journey of Thea and Conall; the building relationship between Thea and Conall; and the potential fall-out as Thea finds herself facing her own mortality.

Thea Quinn lost her parents at an early age and therefore has no idea as to her natural heritage. Raised by an abusive and sadistic man, Thea’s escape from imprisonment meant our heroine must remain under the radar without relationships or friends. Conall MacLennan is about to discover that the woman he has been contracted to bring under control is his fated mate. Unaware of the truth, Conall must come to terms with the possibility that his mate is a killer, and unable to control.

The relationship between Conall and Thea is one of immediate attraction but begins acrimoniously as Conall finds himself battling between head and heart as it pertains to the job at hand. Thea is not what she appears to be, and when the truth is revealed, Conall must protect the woman with whom he will fall in love. 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 secondary and supporting characters many of whom are members of Conall’s Pack. We are introduced to Conall’s sister Callie and her soon to be husband James; hunters Grace and Angus MacLennan vampire Vik; North American Alpha Peter Canid, and his children Richard and Sienna; Jasper Ashforth, and his son devon.

WAR OF HEARTS is a story of family, responsibility, power and control. The premise is fast paced, engaging and entertaining; the character are energetic and dynamic; the romance seductive and captivating. WAR OF HEARTS is an exciting, imaginative and inventive tale of fated mates and happily ever after.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

Stepping back inside the motel room, Thea halted as Conall came out of the bathroom. His height caused a logistical problem for her next move.
Although his color hadn’t fully returned to normal, the wolf was looking much stronger. She didn’t know if she could take him in a fight when he was at full strength, which was more than a little concerning. As if he’d read her mind, he cut her an expressionless look. “You should have left me to die, lass.”
“Probably. I guess I’m just going to have to take the chance you were bluffing.”
He frowned and opened his mouth to question her, but Thea had already made her move.
Before he could comprehend it, she was on the bed behind him and reaching for his head before his weakened reflexes could catch up.
The crack of his neck echoed around the room, causing a sick lurch in Thea’s stomach.
For some reason, stupid tears stung her eyes as she watched his body hit the ground with an almighty thud. Why should she care? It wasn’t like he was dead. She’d knocked him out. For … however long he took to heal.
And he had stuck her with that goddamn injection.
Speaking of …
Thea jumped off the mattress, avoiding Conall’s body. Earlier when she’d been treating his wounds, she’d spied the syringes in the first aid kit. Grabbing them, Thea hurried out of the motel room and toward the fields beyond. Quickly she dug a hole with her bare hands and buried the syringes. Hurrying back, she avoided staring at Conall because he looked very much dead.
She grabbed his wallet and as she took his money, leaving him his credit cards, a folded-up photograph caught her attention. Curiosity got the better of her and she pulled it out. Smoothing her fingers across the picture, she spotted who she thought was Conall only to realize it wasn’t. The man who looked like him was standing next to a much younger Conall, and Thea deduced it was his father. The younger Conall had his arm around the waist of a small, redheaded girl buried into his side. And beside the man she’d mistaken for Conall was a beautiful redheaded woman.
Was this Conall and his family?
They were standing on a rocky beach, a beautiful lake and mountains behind them.
Thea wondered which one of them was sick. Which of these people was he willing to sacrifice her for?
Memories of her own parents swelled in her throat, burning and screaming to get out. But Thea shoved them back down as she shoved the photograph into his wallet.
There were times she pulled those memories out and let herself swim in the pain because it was worth it to remember the happy moments.
But now was not the time.
With a ruthless supernatural sure to wake up from a broken neck wanting to kill her, and some unknown entity out there hunting her too, now was very much the time to go.

 


 

Samantha Young is the New York Times,  USA Today  and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of adult contemporary romances, including the On Dublin Street series and Hero, as well as the New Adult duology Into the Deep and Out of the Shallows.  Every Little Thing, the second book in her new Hart’s Boardwalk series, will be published by Berkley in March 2017. Before turning to contemporary fiction, she wrote several young adult paranormal and fantasy series, including the amazon bestselling Tale of Lunarmorte trilogy. Samantha’s debut YA contemporary novel The Impossible Vastness of Us was published by Harlequin TEEN in ebook & hardback June 2017. Play On is an adult contemporary romance and the first in a brand new series set in Scotland. Villain is a companion novella to the New York Times bestselling romance HERO.

Samantha has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award 2012 for Best Author and Best Romance for On Dublin Street, Best Romance 2014 for Before Jamaica Lane, and Best Romance 2015 for HeroOn Dublin Street, a #1 bestseller in Germany, was the Bronze Award Winner in the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2013, Before Jamaica Lane the Gold Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2014 and Echoes of Scotland Street the Bronze Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2015.

Samantha is currently published in 30 countries and is a #1 international bestselling author.

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