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hawaiirican808's reviews
344 reviews
Huddle Heat by Emily Klepp
4.0
Another spicy novella by Emily.
This isn't a regular Emily Klepp book, but she hasn't disappointed me yet so I jumped into reading "Huddle Heat" and I can say, I want her to write more of it. It was a quick read, filled with lots of spice and I really liked reading Melody's and Chase's story. The true act of caring and wanting to protect her really warmed my heart. I would hope to see it become a series with each of her guys getting their own little story! :)
This isn't a regular Emily Klepp book, but she hasn't disappointed me yet so I jumped into reading "Huddle Heat" and I can say, I want her to write more of it. It was a quick read, filled with lots of spice and I really liked reading Melody's and Chase's story. The true act of caring and wanting to protect her really warmed my heart. I would hope to see it become a series with each of her guys getting their own little story! :)
Ranchers Pride by Bonnie Poirier
4.0
Rancher's Pride was my first book by Bonnie Poirier & I really did enjoy it.
I love a good small-town romance and enjoyed the storyline she written for Nash and Fallon.
The storyline had great plot twists and was a smooth pace. It wasn't fast or slow, but the perfect pace for the way that the storyline unfolded. The two of them had great chemistry and you can see how much Fallon's character grew from the beginning to the end. I will say, I enjoyed the story itself and that there was a lack of spice. It really allowed me to hone into Nash and Fallon, know more about them on a deeper level and see how their chemistry bloomed. I would read another book by Bonnie in the future.
I love a good small-town romance and enjoyed the storyline she written for Nash and Fallon.
The storyline had great plot twists and was a smooth pace. It wasn't fast or slow, but the perfect pace for the way that the storyline unfolded. The two of them had great chemistry and you can see how much Fallon's character grew from the beginning to the end. I will say, I enjoyed the story itself and that there was a lack of spice. It really allowed me to hone into Nash and Fallon, know more about them on a deeper level and see how their chemistry bloomed. I would read another book by Bonnie in the future.
Ruthless Desire (Art of Ruin Book 1) by Fortuna Lux
5.0
FORTUNA F*****G LUX Ladies and Gentlemen NEEDS to be on your TBR.
You can thank me later.
I've had the privilege of reading every single book she has written and not once has she disappointed me with a book. But this one right here, BY FAR has to be my favorite book she has ever written yet. When she said she was writing a mafia romance, I was SALIVATING for its release date. One thing you get to learn with Fortuna is that her writing style is something out of this world. Truly. She puts in those little details that are often overlooked, has you falling in love with so many descriptive quotes and takes you on a WILD ride with her characters.
I read Mafia romances like it's the Bible. I have seen every played-out storyline to come with the troupe that I love so much. But Fortuna wrote something so unique with Ruthless Desire. She gives you a refreshing mafia storyline that will have your mind spinning. She gives you an insanely demented and twisted Mafia man in Dante, will have you wanting to break your Kindle while taking you on the mind-f**k read of the century. Like, "Ruthless Desire" and Dante is gonna be the reason why I need therapy. While it was an absolute thrilling and straight insane ride of a read, you see so many facets under the surface when it comes to Dante. You get the ruthless and absolutely insane, morally gray of the mafia side of him, but also this sweet, possessive and dominating side to him with Natalie. She took this storyline and really had you dive head first against your will on the most exciting mafia read I've ever read. It was so good, that halfway through reading it on KU, I brought the paperback to grace my physical library shelf. If that doesn't sell you on how good this book is, I don't know what will. You will NOT be disappointed in her work. Her heart and soul goes into each story.
As always check your trigger warnings. It's dark, demented, absolutely psychotic, and aren't meant for those who aren't true dark romance fans. But if you're a lover of smut, THIS ONE RIGHT HERE WILL DO IT FOR YOUUUU!
You can thank me later.
I've had the privilege of reading every single book she has written and not once has she disappointed me with a book. But this one right here, BY FAR has to be my favorite book she has ever written yet. When she said she was writing a mafia romance, I was SALIVATING for its release date. One thing you get to learn with Fortuna is that her writing style is something out of this world. Truly. She puts in those little details that are often overlooked, has you falling in love with so many descriptive quotes and takes you on a WILD ride with her characters.
I read Mafia romances like it's the Bible. I have seen every played-out storyline to come with the troupe that I love so much. But Fortuna wrote something so unique with Ruthless Desire. She gives you a refreshing mafia storyline that will have your mind spinning. She gives you an insanely demented and twisted Mafia man in Dante, will have you wanting to break your Kindle while taking you on the mind-f**k read of the century. Like, "Ruthless Desire" and Dante is gonna be the reason why I need therapy. While it was an absolute thrilling and straight insane ride of a read, you see so many facets under the surface when it comes to Dante. You get the ruthless and absolutely insane, morally gray of the mafia side of him, but also this sweet, possessive and dominating side to him with Natalie. She took this storyline and really had you dive head first against your will on the most exciting mafia read I've ever read. It was so good, that halfway through reading it on KU, I brought the paperback to grace my physical library shelf. If that doesn't sell you on how good this book is, I don't know what will. You will NOT be disappointed in her work. Her heart and soul goes into each story.
As always check your trigger warnings. It's dark, demented, absolutely psychotic, and aren't meant for those who aren't true dark romance fans. But if you're a lover of smut, THIS ONE RIGHT HERE WILL DO IT FOR YOUUUU!
Princess of the Mafia by Sophia Raz
5.0
I was very lucky to read book 1 "Nanny to the Mafia" in The Shadows of Cosa Nostra series and was excited to see Lorenzo & Daria get their story told in book 2 "Princess of the Mafia".
I had my own thoughts of the two of them from book 1, but can say that book 2 definitely changed my mind about them because we get a deeper history of how the two of them became a couple. Daria went through a lot of trauma and things from her past that I was glad were shared in this storyline so that way we can understand better on why she is the way she is. Lorenzo did everything to gain her trust and eventually have her open up more, given her past. Their banter was hilarious, the slow-burn aspect of the book was so good and really added to their storyline. Sophia Raz knocked this second book out of the park perfectly! :)
I had my own thoughts of the two of them from book 1, but can say that book 2 definitely changed my mind about them because we get a deeper history of how the two of them became a couple. Daria went through a lot of trauma and things from her past that I was glad were shared in this storyline so that way we can understand better on why she is the way she is. Lorenzo did everything to gain her trust and eventually have her open up more, given her past. Their banter was hilarious, the slow-burn aspect of the book was so good and really added to their storyline. Sophia Raz knocked this second book out of the park perfectly! :)
Shattered Pinky Promise by B. Shytle
5.0
"Shattered Pinky Promise" is book 4 to "The Mafia Promise" series.
Compared to the first 3, this was more of angst/emotional rollercoaster of a read. It wasn't your regular mafia romance, this book pulled my heart out and ripped it into a million pieces a few times as I read it. As someone who don't mind a heavy read or have triggers, this book really impacted me HARD. Definitely don't skip those trigger warnings.
B. Shytle really put her heart and soul into getting those emotions across the pages of this story in a beautiful and organic way that makes sense with Heidi and Leo. You feel everything, not just skipping through a story. It was raw, full of depth, and was probably the most unexpected mafia romance I read this year. It's beautiful when I can see an author take a troupe and do their own thing with it, making their storyline unique. Grief and mental health are hard to go through, but you see her characters overcome in this series in an amazing way. If you haven't read this series, you need to. SO GOOD.
Compared to the first 3, this was more of angst/emotional rollercoaster of a read. It wasn't your regular mafia romance, this book pulled my heart out and ripped it into a million pieces a few times as I read it. As someone who don't mind a heavy read or have triggers, this book really impacted me HARD. Definitely don't skip those trigger warnings.
B. Shytle really put her heart and soul into getting those emotions across the pages of this story in a beautiful and organic way that makes sense with Heidi and Leo. You feel everything, not just skipping through a story. It was raw, full of depth, and was probably the most unexpected mafia romance I read this year. It's beautiful when I can see an author take a troupe and do their own thing with it, making their storyline unique. Grief and mental health are hard to go through, but you see her characters overcome in this series in an amazing way. If you haven't read this series, you need to. SO GOOD.
Brutal Savage by Lilian Harris
5.0
The way Lilian will forever be TAKING MY MONEYYYYY with these mafia romances that absolutely will be on my personal library shelves.
The Savage Kings series will be an all time favorite of mines and "Brutal Savage" was worthy of being devoured. We follow Tynan Quinn's and Elara's unconventional story through this book. While it was spicy, it wasn't too spicy, more focused on the genuine relationship building between Tynan, Elara and Tynan's son Brody. Elara was the PERFECT FMC for this book. She has this sweet and caring side with Brody, and really was super sassy with Tynan. The flow of the book with all of the plot twists was pretty smooth and just the right pace. The last 10% THOUGH. MY JAW WAS ON THE DAMN FLOOR, HOLY PLOT TWISTS. I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING AT ALL. I really loved how Tynan and Elara really fights through a lot (and Elara has been through so much) to become the most amazing blended family. I loved every member of the Quinn family and how open they were to Elara. It was just another amazing read by Lilian! I need book 3 STAT.
The Savage Kings series will be an all time favorite of mines and "Brutal Savage" was worthy of being devoured. We follow Tynan Quinn's and Elara's unconventional story through this book. While it was spicy, it wasn't too spicy, more focused on the genuine relationship building between Tynan, Elara and Tynan's son Brody. Elara was the PERFECT FMC for this book. She has this sweet and caring side with Brody, and really was super sassy with Tynan. The flow of the book with all of the plot twists was pretty smooth and just the right pace. The last 10% THOUGH. MY JAW WAS ON THE DAMN FLOOR, HOLY PLOT TWISTS. I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING AT ALL. I really loved how Tynan and Elara really fights through a lot (and Elara has been through so much) to become the most amazing blended family. I loved every member of the Quinn family and how open they were to Elara. It was just another amazing read by Lilian! I need book 3 STAT.
Cardinal by Rose Chase
5.0
One of my favorite mafia romances this month!
Seriously. Rose's writing style kept me glued to my Kindle as much as I could be (adulting struggles). I fell in love with Luciano's and Juliet's chemistry. She's been through so much trauma, and he really came in and was an angel that protected her and helped her to try and overcome that trauma, while still being the ruthless mafia devil that everyone makes him out to be. The BDSM dom/sub aspect of the storyline was added in tastefully while still helping Juliet to overcome her trauma and enjoy this new aspect to their relationship. I loved the plot twists and the addition of side characters (especially Leah!). The banter was a 5/5. Juliet was a brat A LOT and Luciano was ready to put her in her place LOL. Such a great mafia romance !
Seriously. Rose's writing style kept me glued to my Kindle as much as I could be (adulting struggles). I fell in love with Luciano's and Juliet's chemistry. She's been through so much trauma, and he really came in and was an angel that protected her and helped her to try and overcome that trauma, while still being the ruthless mafia devil that everyone makes him out to be. The BDSM dom/sub aspect of the storyline was added in tastefully while still helping Juliet to overcome her trauma and enjoy this new aspect to their relationship. I loved the plot twists and the addition of side characters (especially Leah!). The banter was a 5/5. Juliet was a brat A LOT and Luciano was ready to put her in her place LOL. Such a great mafia romance !
The Offering by Layla Moon
5.0
I'm a fan of Layla Moon's books and "The Offering" is definitely a DARK romance (definitely keep that in mind if you are not a regular dark romance reader and READ the trigger warnings.
This was one book that I went into completely blind (I like to live life on the edge). It was thrilling with plot twists and messed with my mind at some points. She knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat and will have you really not knowing what is coming next. In typical Layla fashion, I absolutely devoured the DARK aspects of the book. She knows what she's doing with her dark romances and really made it spicyyy. I will say I would have loved to read it from more than one singular character POV. I feel like the storyline perspective would have added a bit more depth if we could perhaps have a dual POV story. But as it was, it was a really good read.
This was one book that I went into completely blind (I like to live life on the edge). It was thrilling with plot twists and messed with my mind at some points. She knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat and will have you really not knowing what is coming next. In typical Layla fashion, I absolutely devoured the DARK aspects of the book. She knows what she's doing with her dark romances and really made it spicyyy. I will say I would have loved to read it from more than one singular character POV. I feel like the storyline perspective would have added a bit more depth if we could perhaps have a dual POV story. But as it was, it was a really good read.
One Wealthy Wedding by Sophia Travers
5.0
First, Sophia is one of the BEST indie authors when it comes to billionaire romances. I have been extremely lucky to read her books (and have her entire backlist at this point), she does not miss one single detail in her stories. "One Wealthy Wedding" will be my next paperback that will grace my trophy shelf of indie author books.
Getting into it, Cat and Theo are my end game. She really could not put two better characters together for a billionaire romance. Cat was a refreshing FMC, one that had so much sass and independence, and she really made the story come to life with her personality. Theo was your typical bad boy but was a different man when Cat was in his presence. I loved that Sophia gave background history to how Cat and Theo grew up together, and gave them a second chance at figuring out their feelings through a fake marriage agreement (one of my favorite troupes ever). Their character growth from beginning to end was awe-inspiring, leaving me in complete awe once again with Sophia's writing and how she can really write her novels from a full-circle perspective. The banter, the storyline, the spice (GOOD LORD THE SPICE WAS A 10/10), the angst, that chemistry, the tension. This book was incredible and so good! Thank you Sophia for allowing me the privilege of reading a book by you again! :)
Getting into it, Cat and Theo are my end game. She really could not put two better characters together for a billionaire romance. Cat was a refreshing FMC, one that had so much sass and independence, and she really made the story come to life with her personality. Theo was your typical bad boy but was a different man when Cat was in his presence. I loved that Sophia gave background history to how Cat and Theo grew up together, and gave them a second chance at figuring out their feelings through a fake marriage agreement (one of my favorite troupes ever). Their character growth from beginning to end was awe-inspiring, leaving me in complete awe once again with Sophia's writing and how she can really write her novels from a full-circle perspective. The banter, the storyline, the spice (GOOD LORD THE SPICE WAS A 10/10), the angst, that chemistry, the tension. This book was incredible and so good! Thank you Sophia for allowing me the privilege of reading a book by you again! :)
Dreams and Desires: A Plus-Size Enemies-to-Lovers Romance by Sephyrra
5.0
Sephyrra, Sephyrra, Sephyrra.
The Small Town Sweethearts series has been my favorite series to read this year. I was very lucky to be able to read Passion & Promises by her in January and RAN when I saw that Cora (a side character in Passion & Promises) got her own book in "Dreams and Desires".
First, Sephyrra really has a great gift for picking perfect titles for her stories. In this book, we get to read Jupiter's and Zade's story. I loved Jupiter in book 1 and how she has this very feisty personality, being unapologetically herself in a room where she was constantly judged for her looks and shunned for her past. She didn't let the hate and nonacceptance of her family affect her as an adult. I loved her drive to fight for what she believed in and that Sephyrra really gave Jupiter so much justice and strength as a plus-size character. The representation alone was a 5/5 for me. She makes her FMCs feel seen, love themselves in their skin and that really resonated with me so much with this series. Her heart of gold was another reason I loved Jupiter. She loved hard and really cared for so many people, especially her brother Jacob.
Zade was a complete douche at times, but I loved the angst and built-up tension between him and Jupiter through the story. Their banter with each other (especially when Jupiter was being a sassy thing was HILARIOUS). The storyline really moved smoothly and the character development with Zade and Jupiter was obvious by the end. They really brought out the best in each other once they got over the "enemies vibes". I really appreciated that Sephyrra wrote such a beautiful and realistic story with characters that really grew on you & showed that everyone deserves love and to be accepted for who they are on the inside, and not to be judged based on what is on the outside. This series will always be a favorite of mine and I hope to see Sephyrra continue to write beautiful stories with some of the best representation! :)
The Small Town Sweethearts series has been my favorite series to read this year. I was very lucky to be able to read Passion & Promises by her in January and RAN when I saw that Cora (a side character in Passion & Promises) got her own book in "Dreams and Desires".
First, Sephyrra really has a great gift for picking perfect titles for her stories. In this book, we get to read Jupiter's and Zade's story. I loved Jupiter in book 1 and how she has this very feisty personality, being unapologetically herself in a room where she was constantly judged for her looks and shunned for her past. She didn't let the hate and nonacceptance of her family affect her as an adult. I loved her drive to fight for what she believed in and that Sephyrra really gave Jupiter so much justice and strength as a plus-size character. The representation alone was a 5/5 for me. She makes her FMCs feel seen, love themselves in their skin and that really resonated with me so much with this series. Her heart of gold was another reason I loved Jupiter. She loved hard and really cared for so many people, especially her brother Jacob.
Zade was a complete douche at times, but I loved the angst and built-up tension between him and Jupiter through the story. Their banter with each other (especially when Jupiter was being a sassy thing was HILARIOUS). The storyline really moved smoothly and the character development with Zade and Jupiter was obvious by the end. They really brought out the best in each other once they got over the "enemies vibes". I really appreciated that Sephyrra wrote such a beautiful and realistic story with characters that really grew on you & showed that everyone deserves love and to be accepted for who they are on the inside, and not to be judged based on what is on the outside. This series will always be a favorite of mine and I hope to see Sephyrra continue to write beautiful stories with some of the best representation! :)