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5 stars, Book Review, romance

Damaged, The Dillon Sisters by Layla Frost REview

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I’m effed up. A hot mess. Haunted.

Damaged.

But he doesn’t think so.

He thinks my imperfectness is what makes me perfect. He loves my flaws. My quirks.

My scars.

He wants to protect me. See me happy. Make me alive. He wants to give me everything I need, no matter how twisted and wrong and depraved.

He needs me to need him.

Which makes me wonder…

Is he damaged, too?

Warning: Recommended for readers 18+. This beautifully damaged romance deals with seriously heavy topics, such as depression, anxiety, violence, and self-harm. Be advised. And be mindful and kind to your own mental health.

— Goodreads — Amazon — Bookbub —
Book Two in The Dillon Sisters series. See Deathly here.

Layla Frost has always been a rebel. A true badass.

Growing up, Layla used to hide under her blanket with a flashlight to read the Sweet Valley High books she pilfered from her older sister. It wasn’t long before she was reading hidden Harlequins during class at school. This snowballed into pulling all-nighters after the promise of “just one more chapter”.

Her love of reading, especially the romance genre, took root early and has grown immeasurably.

In between reading and writing, Layla spends her free time rocking out (at concerts, on the couch, in the car… Anywhere is a stage if you get into it enough), watching TV (the nerdier the better!), and being a foodie. Though she lives in NY (the state, not the city), she’s an avid Red Sox fan.

— Facebook — Naughty Cupcakes Group — Goodreads — Amazon — Website —
— Twitter and Instagram: @LaylaFWrites — Email: laylafrostwrites@gmail.com —

First and foremost, I’M SORRY I’M LATE WITH MY REVIEW. Second, major trigger warnings for everyone. This book deals with sensitive topics, including self-harm. There’s a trigger warning in the blurb, but it’s my duty as an authentic reviewer to make sure I reiterate that.

As someone who has self-harmed in the past, I can say that for me, Layla got it. Sometimes when reading a book with anxiety and depression, it can miss the mark. It’s a sensitive topic, especially as someone who cut themselves for years, to read a book where the author just doesn’t get it. Depression isn’t me crying all the time, it can be total apathy for life, surviving for the others around me. Anxiety isn’t always nail-biting, rocking in the corner, but the fear that you are never doing the right thing. Self-harm isn’t about hurting myself, or hating myself, but the relief you get from that one moment, that one cut.

Layla Frost absolutely gets it.

What else she gets? That no person can fix you. No man, no great, all consuming love will fix it. Briar struggles, and she goes to therapy, group therapy, hides her depression but still goes. It was refreshing not to have therapy seen in a negative light, to have Briar be the one who has to fix her self. But also have a man who will be by her side through it all.

Now, that’s not to say this book is a light, fluffy read. Cause it ain’t. Alexander’s got his own issues, his own darkness. But they work so well together.

Briar has had it bad. Eating disorders, physical abuse, parents that most definitely should not have had children. She’s got a sister she sees as the epitome of perfection (if you’ve read Deathly, WHICH YOU SHOULD HAVE, you know that’s the furthest thing from the truth). Briar is completely uninterested in male attention.

In comes tech genius, self-made billionaire Alexander. A mystery, an enigma, hot-as-hell. He stays out of the public eye for personal reasons, but from the moment he meets Briar is carefully laid plans blow up in smoke. He understands her pain, can feel it. He pushes Briar out of her box, while understanding her boundaries.

I loved him. I loved Briar. I loved everything about this book.

There’s not to much I can say without giving away the plot. It’s a difficult book to review. Layla once again weaved a tale that sucked you in, made you feel pain, fall in love, and kept you on the edge of your seat. Swiping pages to see what the next one would bring. The steam was off the charts, the character building was out of this world, and the darkness was just dark enough to pull you in without pulling your hair to hard.

Safe squad – you’re good on this one. Layla’s good for that.

I bow down to you, Queen of Cupcakes. Keep writing. Pls. For the love of God.

I mean, great work, pal. Keep it up.

5 stars, Book Review, Love, Mystery, romance, Uncategorized

Deathly: The Dillon Sisters by Brynne Asher Review

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I’m a fraud. Or an imposter. I’m certainly a hypocrite.

I offer advice for a living. Encourage my patients to make wise decisions—help them help themselves to walk through life stronger, healthier, happier.

Isn’t that the goal? To live our best lives?

If only I practiced what I preach.

I wasn’t always like this. Every move I make lately is the opposite of smart. These questionable life choices are a new development.

They started the day a certain Vitale barged into my life.

Brand Vitale might look like a hero to the rest of the world, but looks can be deceiving.

I’m driven by obsession for a man who’s turning out to be dark, dangerous, and downright depraved.

And I don’t care.

Because, sometimes, depraved, debauched—hell, or even deathly—is the only option.

— Goodreads — Amazon —

Brynne Asher lives in the Midwest with her husband, three children, and her perfect dog. When she isn’t creating pretend people and relationships in her head, she is running her kids around and doing laundry. She enjoys cooking, decorating, shopping at outlet malls as well as online and is always seeking the best deal. A perfect day in “Brynne World” ends in front of an outdoor fire with family, friends, s’mores, and a delicious cocktail.

— Facebook — Goodreads — Amazon —

Obsession: an idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person’s mind.

How deep can an obsession go? How far is too far? What lengths would go to, to protect the one you love? That’s the question you are going to ask yourself as you reads Deathly. There were many times, as I was reading, where I thought I knew what was going on but BOY I had absolutely no idea.

Deathly is the first installment of a duet, where the first one focuses on Dr. Aria Dillon, and Damaged(written by the one and only, Layla Frost) focuses on her sister, Bria Dillon. Their stories are very separate, featuring two damaged sisters running from their past.

And lemme tell ya, if Deathly is any indication, and if I know these two authors (which I do, devoured every book they’ve written) it’s gonna be a doozy.

Deathly starts with a meet-cute. Aria, the psychologist and therapist, goes to a charity event where they’re auctioning off dogs and dates with hot firemen and paramedics. (Enter heavy breathing and inappropriate panting here – also, side note, my husband was a volunteer firefighter for a LONG time and not one of them looked like those calendars, I feel lied to). Aria has ulterior motives in going to the event, and it’s not to get a hot date. It’s actually to avoid a date and a dog all together. She doesn’t have time for either it’s just to get out of her comfort zone, take her own psychological advice she’d give to any patient, and do something different. Something uncomfortable. She wants absolutely nothing to do with the glowering firefighter with the fluffy puppy he cannot control.

She’s also lying to herself.

Enter Brando Vitale, Jr. If anyone could top the sexiest name in all of history (Theo Amato, sorry to my book husband and actual husband) it would be Brando. *takes a sip of wine*. Brando is a broody firefighter, forced to participate in the stupid charity event, with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He has no time for aloof women or untrained puppies. In fact, he’s downright rude to the Doctor. He just wants out. But when the intriguing, dismissive woman who wants nothing to do with a date or a dog ends up spending $15k in a split decision (or potential mental breakdown, either is fine) he forces her out on that date. Not one of owing people anything, he makes sure Aria knows there’s nowhere she can run. As soon as the date is over, they can go their separate ways.

Brand is also a liar. At least they have that in common.

I have to admit that the “I hate everyone but my woman” trope is one of my faves. Brand tops the list for alpha-hole, without being a jerk, but also pushing boundaries of the good doctor. He has a freaking hurricane brewing and should not, under any circumstances, be going on a date with any woman. Aria also has way to much on her plate, with student loans, two jobs, and a full load of patients to worry about. So while Aria tries desperately to get out of her date, Brand is not letting her go. Despite literally everything that could and would go wrong, Brand’s obsession with the intriguing doctor is quick but no less addicting.

Both of these characters have scars that run deep. Scars that carry over from lives they were forced to live. While utterly different in motives, and different sets of morals and values, they begin to realize they have one other thing in common: both have seemingly unhealthy addictions to each other. While Brand is busy giving the middle finger to literally everyone, Aria is trying to move past her own fears and mental issues. I was as obsessed with these two as they were with each other.

Brynne Asher has a magical way of world and word building. She sucks you in from the very first moment. You find yourself biting your nails along with Aria, truly experiencing her anxieties as if their your own, while rooting for Brand to take a wrecking ball to the shields Aria has built to protect herself. It was so easy to get lost in the world Brynne created, full of lies and deception, addiction and obsession, twists and turns.

I can honestly say I had no idea what was coming until it happened. Had no idea how deep their obsessions ran, how far they would go to protect the other. And it was freaking amaze balls. This is one of those books where, once finished, I immediately wished I could read again just to experience it all over. I’m a big fan of rereading, so I can’t wait until I can open it back up to see if there’s any foreshadowing, though I doubt it. It was a wonderfully twisted book, edging the line of darkness without falling too deep, feeding my own unhealthy obsession with Brynne & alpha-holes.

While reading books for the first time, I love to save quotes. It started as a way to help create teasers for my reviews, to try to capture the essence of the book without spoilers and to help tease readers with what’s coming. Overtime, it’s helped me go back and look at couples I’ve fallen in love with, and remember what they say to each other that made me swoon. Usually I save 5 or 6 quotes I can use for teasers, or for personal reasons, but I went back and counted seventeen quotes I highlighted. Each one impactful, important to the story, and ones I want tattooed on my skin forever. Though if I did that for every quote I loved from every book I’ve read I’d end up looking like Travis Barker with boobs.

It was so hard choosing only three quotes from this masterpiece. So hard to choose which ones to help portray what an amazing book this was. It had everything. Mystery, romance, death, mafia associations, police interrogations, and steamy scenes that will have you reaching for your significant other. I cannot wait until I can read Damaged. If it’s anything like Deathly, which I know it will be, I’ll be left with another book hangover.

TL;DR download the friggen book right the heck now.

5 stars, Book Review, novella

Review of Holiday Heart-On By BJ Bentley

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I didn’t always hate Christmas.

But between the forced cheer and a cheating girlfriend, I was feeling pretty bitter about the whole farce.

So, when my boss insists that I not only make an appearance at the office holiday party but also help plan it, I’m fairly certain I’ve entered the ninth circle of hell.

To make matters worse, I’ve been saddled with my very own Christmas elf, hell-bent on spreading her special brand of holiday cheer in her tight sweaters and hip-hugging skirts.

The little tinsel terror is convinced that she can resuscitate my shriveled heart with her cocoa, cookies, and carols.

She thinks she can make me love Christmas.

But what if Christmas makes me fall in love with her?

— Goodreads — Amazon — Bookbub —

I’m a psychic medium, romance author, and cat mom. I shamelessly based my character, Sabrina Rhodes, on myself (write what you know, and all that.) Weaknesses include alpha males and badass babes.
The Intuitive series is a collection of rom-com novellas, and I’m also working on a full-length dark romance novel.
I’m very active on social media, so feel free to stalk me! (Please stalk me, this is a cry for attention.)
Follow me!

—  Facebook — Twitter —  Instagram —  Website — Amazon—  BookBub  —

Me: I am definitely not a Grinch
Also Me: OMG another Christmas novella *eye roll*
Also Also Me: *reads it*

So fun fact. every Christmas novella I’ve read with the Grinch and the one who loves Christmas? Turns out I’m the Grinch. This is not only shocking but unbelievable. How did I not know this about myself? Sure I don’t decorate for the holiday, and yeah I may fake gag at all Christmas music, and sure I lament all things about getting together to eat food I don’t even like, but that doesn’t mean I’m the GRINCH. Ok yeah, whatever. Maybe I am. Which, honestly, ironic since I was proposed to on Christmas Eve.

Anyways, my friend BJ asked the Twitterverse the other week if any one wanted an ARC of her new book and I was like YES please. I have time for a review I’ll read it! Jokes on me I’m like 2 weeks late. But that just means I gotta write an extra nice review (the book was so worth it BTW – but we’ll get there).

I read the blurb, started reading the first few pages and I was like OMG Oliver is such a mood. I mean my girlfriend never cheated on my at a holiday party or anything but the whole idea of the company x-mas party is barf-inducing. And the decorations around the office? ew, no thx. And after 2 chapters I had to put the book down because that’s when me “turns out I’m the Grinch” epiphany hit me. Thanks, BJ. This ones on you.

Unlike Ollie, I do not have a Holly Manchester to help me like the holiday again. My man lets me wallow in self pity all month long, hold out on decorating for Christmas, and lets me have my goth Christmas Tree. Then again, Holly (a.k.a. Holiday) is more than just into the holiday… She’s into Oliver.

With the classic mixture of BJ Bentley humor & enough spice to keep your hot cocoa warm, Holiday Heart-On is the perfect novella for Christmas. It has the one-liners, witty office emails, absolute avoidance for anything having to do with the “L” word (that’s love, not lesbian, unlike the show that I watched when I was 12 because I thought it meant love and it soooo didn’t) and obviously, the eventual succumbing to love because what else do you do for Christmas?

It also has the slight nerd/alpha who is like “MINE” while also being a tad insecure about relationships. Cause ya know, the cheating gf above.

So if you’re looking for a book that will make you giggle under the mistletoe with a gingerbread house sitting in front of you, and also need a glass of wine, this is definitely the novella for you.

And if you’re a grinch, you’ll get a kick out of it too.

5 stars for you BJ. All the stars.

5 stars, Book Review, Love, romance

Loving Kate Becket, CC Monroe Review

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I couldn’t find the “official” blurb on Goodreads. This is the second book in “The Loving Series” and follows the story of Kate Beckett, best friend of Sadie McCallister. See my review of “Loving Ben Cooper” here. Also, in my defense, I think I was using Photofiltre for those teasers so just like… don’t look at them. Maybe I should remake them? Whatever. They’re awful.

GoodReads | Amazon Coming Soon

Author CC Monroe is from the hottest city in the world, Phoenix, Arizona. She spends her days working in fashion and her nights with her face in her laptop telling the stories of the voices in her mind. She left Arizona a few years back and now lives in the beautiful snow state of Utah, where she married her true love!

When she isn’t writing or working, she is making people laugh with her mad sense of humor and tip of the tongue one liners.

Facebook  — Instagram — Readers Group — Goodreads — Amazon

Who told WordPress they could change EVERYTHING on me?? I’ve only been on hiatus for… well… nevermind. Maybe they could change things but it’s annoying. Just throwing that out there. As much fun as reading is, creating the teasers is a form of torture I TRULY enjoy, so having WordPress just mess up all my pretties is HIGHLY annoying.

In case you were wondering I am as dramatic as ever.

In my time off many things have changed. My job is stressful and I work long hours, a freaking pandemic happened (???), I got married through it, and I’m still breathing. One thing that hasn’t changed is my love for reading and writing. Unfortunately for my favorite authors, and the new ones starting out, due to my anxiety and depression it’s been a year of mostly re-reads. Rereading all of Alexa Riley, Cambria Hebert, Layla Frost, CM Steele, and a few others. They’ve gotten me through some of the toughest times in my life this year.

You know who I’m not rereading? This bish Monroe. Yeah, we’re on a last name basis now. Why don’t I reread her? Because my personal belief is that she enjoys tearing us apart, spitting us out, and then putting tape over our hearts like “TADA ALL BETTER”. I’m kidding (mostly) since I know she cries just as much as her readers do when she’s writing.

But when she messaged me saying “CHECK YA KINDLE” I ran. I think I might have stubbed a toe to get to my phone too. Cause I knew what was waiting for me… Ms. Kate Beckett. Hot damn. I have been waiting for this book for 2 years… less time than other people but still waiting anxiously. if it weren’t for the acrylics on my fingers I’d have no nails left. I loved, loved, LOVED Ben Cooper. Cried with Sadie, laughed with her, fell in love with her. And throughout Sadie’s story, you see snippets of this beautiful girl trying her damndest to fix a broken man.

I think at some point or another we have all felt our love could fix someone. Family, friends, lovers, whoever. We wanted to be the person that could change them, fix them, love them enough they would see how worthy of life and love they were. Maybe there’s someone out there reading this saying “that’s me! I was that person! I loved them and they changed!” but in my experience, that doesn’t happen. I have loved someone though they were toxic, dragging me down with them, so I was living through their hell. I had to make a choice, as does everyone when loving a manipulative, broken person. Stay or go?

For four years, Kate Beckett chose to stay. She stayed through the abuse, the cheating, the lies, the drugs. Choosing to be a martyr, would rather destroy herself then leave the man she loved. Eric charmed her, slowly revealed pieces of himself in the most sober moments, gave Kate a high to look forward to, just to rip it away with the next needle in his arm. The highs were great, but the lows, those destroyed her.

So she began dreaming of another man, began falling in love with another man, but still refused to leave. Turned her back on everyone and everything, to stay with the toxic man she’d chosen all those years ago. Why? Well… why does anyone stay?

Then there’s Nick. The man who loved her despite herself. When all he wanted to do was rip Kate out of Eric’s arms, watched her break down all of her broken pieces, watched Eric grind them into the ground, all while hoping and praying that this time would be the last. She would leave him for good, walk out the door.

I mean really… who had the addiction? Kate, Eric, or Nick?

There’s so much I could say about this book… watching Kate withdrawal from her drug of choice, watching Eric destroy and break her down, watching Nick try to bring her out of the sludge Kate had found herself in. I really felt like I was watching a movie unfold in front of my eyes. (A Lifetime movie some would say… READ THE BOOK YOU’LL GET IT). I. Felt. Everything.

And feelings are gross just throwing that out there. (Ironic coming from a cancer, hm?)

It was so different from Ben Cooper in the best of ways. Ben wasn’t so deep into his addiction he couldn’t back out. He didn’t change for Sadie, but for himself. So he could be a man worth of her and Melody. In many ways, Eric is Kate’s addiction. She knows it’s unhealthy, that she is not the best person she could be when she’s with him. And it’s not for Nick that she tries to be that person. It’s for herself. She knows she can be happier, better, without Eric. But how do you leave the last 4 years of your life? How do you get out of it? Kate Beckett is not the same girl she was when she fell into the pits of Eric.

Would life be different if only she had met Nick first?

Yes. But then the story wouldn’t have had the twists and turns it did. And trust me, if you didn’t hate Eric from the Prologue (which you absolutely should) then you will hate him towards the end of the book.

Here’s the part I curse and send CC voice messages of me screaming again. Yes, again.

Anyways. Read the book. It’s so damn good. Now, I’m going to drink another bottle of wine while I cope with the fact Nick & Kate are finally together and I have nothing left to live for.

(I did say I was dramatic didn’t I?)

5 stars, Book Review, novella

Once Upon A Time by KL Donn Review

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verb – bully:
use superior strength or influence to intimidate

Have you ever:
Wondered the thoughts of the bullied?
Wondered what happened when they left?
Cecilia Marks is bullied.
Bullied her entire life over an accident she had no control over, Cecilia begins college hoping for a fresh start. She’s faced with the same bullies, only with crueler taunts, and words that can slice deeper than the sharpest of knives. A short run in with a stunning man had her world turning upside down in ways she never expected.

Did you know:
He is her white knight?
He is relentless?
Landon Powers is possessed.
Walking into a college ten years after he’d left, Landon didn’t expect to fall for the gorgeous brunette he runs into. But there she was, soft spoken, meek, the strongest woman he’d ever met. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her. Including making it known she wasn’t to be bullied. 

— Goodreads — Amazon — Bookbub —

Krystal is a proud Canadian girl, hailing from Sherwood Park, Alberta. She has a strong dislike for the winter, and a love for spring. Married to her husband Steve, for 13 years, they have 4 beautiful red headed spawns ranging in ages 6-13. She has a strong love of coffee, sarcasm, and wine. (Not necessarily in that order either.)

She has been a published author for over 3 years now. With over 20 books under her belt.

Krystal loves to write about instalove between couples looking for love. She has a passion for contemporary romance and springs into menage as often as she can.

Currently, she is working on a new series about bad boy brothers who don’t know what hits them as they fall for their girls.​

FACEBOOK | FRIEND HER | READER GROUP | TWITTER |INSTAGRAM | AMAZON | WEBSITE | BOOKBUB | D2D RELEASE

Once upon a time (heh) I found out Kindle Unlimited was a thing. Before this moment (about two years ago now), I hadn’t known KU had a plethora of romance novels on it… Now, finding a romance novel was pretty hard. I bounced around from full length to novellas, from the ones that needed serious editors and lessons in anatomy, to amazingly well written. I went from dark to fluffy, from safe to unsafe, from satisfying to unsatisfying.

I read many, many novels and novellas, never reading a review, and most of the time not even really paying attention to who I was reading. Eventually, I started to take note (thank you goodreads), but some of the earlier novels I’d read were lost among the newer ones I’d devoured. I found many amazing authors and books, and many I’ve followed over the years.

One day, I read this novella about a girl who was bullied for years. It was my first foray into the truly alpha male romance I’m now obsessed with. I could remember the details, but not the names of the characters or the author. A young woman in college falls in love with her tormentor’s brother, and learns not only that she can be loved, but also to love herself. The guy was super growly, possessive, protective, and I ADORED it.

Fast forward about a year, and now I’m fully engrossed in this type of novel. I look for them, read them, review them. I’m in ARC groups, pimping groups, and more. I start thinking of the book I read so long ago, one I’ve thought about before but could never find again, because I suck and don’t remember what I ate for breakfast yesterday. So, I do what any good book nerd does… I turn to google.

I think the words I googled were “Romance novel, girl who’s bullied in college and the guy sees her and falls in love.” There were probably more details in there but, again, I don’t remember. LOW AND BEHOLD, what do I find? It’s called Bullied by KL Donn. I immediately start searching because at this point, I’m utterly obsessed with KL’s words. Turns out, I’ve loved her for longer than I thought I did. But it’s nowhere to be found!! I immediately go to KL’s book club and go “EXCUSE ME???” But she says “Don’t fret, my crazy stalker! It’s being reworked”… or something along those lines.

This was a really long way to say that Once Upon A Time is the reworked version of Bullied. Cecilia Marks is just as strong as I remember her being, and Landon Powers is just as growly. Cecilia, who was in an accident when she was young that left her with scars all over her body, has been bullied and tortured for as long as she could remember.

Her tormentor? Ashley Powers… Landon’s younger, spoiled, bratty sister. Why does she torment this young woman? WHO KNOWS BUT WE’LL FIND OUT SOON. Landon, who hasn’t had much to do with his very younger sister, is horrified to find out that the girl he thought of as spoiled, but harmless, has made a girl’s life living hell. Not only is this some random girl, but a woman he has fallen madly in love with.

I honestly wasn’t sure what I was expecting with the rework… was it going to be the same, just edited? What was going to be added? Taken away? Was this going to change my perspective on the book? The short answer is no. The long answer is that the parts that were taken away were reworked to give it more depth. More emotion. More feeling of helplessness and love. It was a book I quickly devoured!

So TL;DR this book is worth more than 5 stars. And KL, I’m not sorry for stalking you.

5 stars, Book Review

Stoned by Layla Frost Review.

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Once upon a time, there lived a witch. A kickass, brilliant, dope as hell witch whose magicks inspired fear and envy. Like all classic fairy tales, her story had the usual goodies. 

Destiny. 

Adventure. 

Missing souls. 

Unfathomable evil, the precarious fate of the entire universe, blah, blah, blah. 

But let’s get back to that witch with the awesome hair… 

Fine, it’s me. I’m the all-powerful witch. And, okay, maybe my story isn’t a classic fairy tale. Not unless I missed the part about Little Red delivering comic books and munchies in her basket and Beauty sleeping off two-for-one margarita night. But I do have a soul mate—my very own Charming. 

Except he’s no prince. He’s a level-headed, by the book, insanely sexy detective. 

And me? 

Well, I’m Stoned. 

— Goodreads — Amazon — Bookbub —
Book Two in The Four Series. See Styx here.

Layla Frost has always been a rebel. A true badass.

Growing up, Layla used to hide under her blanket with a flashlight to read the Sweet Valley High books she pilfered from her older sister. It wasn’t long before she was reading hidden Harlequins during class at school. This snowballed into pulling all-nighters after the promise of “just one more chapter”.

Her love of reading, especially the romance genre, took root early and has grown immeasurably.

In between reading and writing, Layla spends her free time rocking out (at concerts, on the couch, in the car… Anywhere is a stage if you get into it enough), watching TV (the nerdier the better!), and being a foodie. Though she lives in NY (the state, not the city), she’s an avid Red Sox fan.

— Facebook — Naughty Cupcakes Group — Goodreads — My Amazon Store — My Site —
— Twitter and Instagram: @LaylaFWrites — Email: laylafrostwrites@gmail.com —

This book was…
I LOVED EVERY FLGHAHGRT
Layla Frost is…

Write, re-write. Write, re-write. That’s how this review has been going for me. It’s only when I’m just about to go to bed that I think of the perfect words to explain Stoned. Of course, by the time I wake up and sit down ready to write the magical words I’d thought of the night before, it’s like I don’t even know how to English.

I’ve been supremely struggling with words for this. Normally, I do a pretty OK job with them. I mean, I’m not special and English is the only language I know, so I should be able to string together words and write a review that does some sort of justice for this book, this series.

But since I’m apparently English-Deficient, wordy-intolerant if you please, I’m going to do my best… (and since I’m crazy obsessed with all things Nightmare Before Christmas, I 100% said “I’m going to do my best” in Oogie Boogie’s voice. Out Loud.)

Stoned is the continuation of the crazy fantastic The Four series. It’s the second in the hysterical, gut wrenching, original, sassy new take on The Four Horseman Apocalypse tale. It’s filled with steamy sex scenes, prematurely expired ghosts, troubling realizations about fate and our destiny, and an OTT alpha cop to top it all off.

It’s a paranormal romance, bringing the extra-ness of this to the extreme. Between seeing someone and just knowing down to your bones you’re supposed to be with someone, hiding some extraordinary truths, and angels and the devil playing a major role in Juno’s life, falling for the sexy cop who could arrest her for something she had no part in, is not part of the plan.

The calm to her rage, the protective to her wild, Stellan is thrust into a world he didn’t even know existed. Jealousy, possessiveness, thrown into the mix, emotions he’d never felt before, bubble up and over. He’s forced to navigate a world he couldn’t’ have ever imagined. Instead of running for the woods, he embraces it and Juno.

Like with Styx I can’t really discuss too much of the plot without giving away the meat of this story. I guess it could be read as a standalone, since it’s a different couple, but you would understand Juno and the plot-line more by reading Styx first. And then, you can suffer with me when you read the last line and see it’s a FREAKING CLIFFHANGER YOU EVIL EVIL WOMAN.

5 stars, Book Review, novella

Enzo by K. Webster Review

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From USA Today Bestselling Author K Webster, comes a new taboo romance standalone novel!

Jenna’s grown up in the system.
Forced to be tough, wary, and hard.

She’s only been able to count on herself. 
Until Enzo.
He’s much older and responsible for looking after her.
What should be a job to him, evolves into much more.

Late night phone calls. 
Lingering touches. 
A forbidden fire that burns brighter each day.

Everything about him exudes strength. 
His will to protect her is more than she could ever ask for.
Sadly, though, even heroes have their limitations.

But she doesn’t need a hero.
She just needs him.

— Goodreads — Amazon — Bookbub —

K Webster is a USA Today Bestselling author of over sixty romance books in many different genres including dark romance, taboo romance, contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, and erotic romance. When not spending time with her supportive husband and two adorable children, she’s active on social media connecting with her readers.

Her other passions besides writing include reading and graphic design. K can always be found in front of her computer chasing her next idea and taking action. She looks forward to the day when she will see one of her titles on the big screen. 

You can easily find K Webster on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads! 

Can’t find a certain book? Maybe it’s too hot for Amazon! Don’t worry because titles like Bad Bad Bad, This is War, Baby, The Wild, and Hale can all be found for sale on K’s website in both ebook and paperback format.

— Goodreads — Amazon — Facebook — Website —

Ah, sweet, sweet taboo love. K Webster DE-LIV-ERS in this ultra sweet and sexy novella. It’s jam packed with forbidden love, an age gap, a potential power struggle, and heartbreak, and as an added bonus, alpha yumminess.

I don’t have much experience with K. Webster. I’ve read only one or two books of hers, but I’ve read none from the Taboo Treat series. It’s a standalone novella series, so if you are into naughty novellas and, if Enzo is any indication, original, you’ll end up like me wanting to devour the rest.

Jenna’s live has been fraught with pain. Bounced around from foster home to foster home, she’s lived a tough live. Between bruises and potential abuse, she’s kept up her guard…

Until her social worker Enzo comes along.

Enzo knows his own pain. He was also part of the foster care system until he was one of the lucky ones that was adopted. Yearning to make a difference, he becomes a social worker. Instead of feeling useful, he’s become almost…. jaded. He becomes attached to the children he can’t always help.

But it doesn’t explain the way his feelings for the battered young woman grow. They morph, from innocent social worker to love.

Novellas are hard. How do you pack in love and raw emotion into something so short? How do you show true, unbridled love between two people that shouldn’t have seen each other in the way they did? How do you write a review without giving away all the gritty details?

Well one, you could fangirl because OH MY GAWD THIS WAS SO GOOD. Or, you can say, more “professionally” that there is so much happening in this short romance, that I couldn’t possibly explain it without giving away all the reasons this novella is so amazing.

Jenna is real. I’ve never been in foster care, but I felt connected to her. I’ve never been adopted, but I felt the struggle he did, trying to come to terms with the fact he couldn’t save every child the way he was saved. I’m not in love with a man twice my age, haven’t found someone fifteen years younger than me (ok, but that would make them ten so I REALLY HOPE NOT) attractive, and yet, their love was real to me.

If you’re looking for a heart-wrenching novella, one that will tear you up but still keep you smiling, this is the novella for you.

5 stars, Book Review

In Too Deep by Dr. Rebecca Sharp Review

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From International Bestselling author, Dr. Rebecca Sharp, comes the new standalone in the Winter Games series…
Nick

My life had been a series of unfortunate events:
Some of them out of my control, some of them entirely my fault.
I was only weeks away from being able to take my daughter and finally be free from the past that had imprisoned us.
And then Tamsin Lucas showed up on my doorstep, looking every inch the innocent angel yet begging to be ruined.
I told myself I could live not knowing her secrets or the reason for her hurt.
And I swore I could survive never touching her again.
Until I needed her to homeschool my daughter.
Now, I’m fighting to rein in my desire for the woman who’s always been perfect and protect her from those who are out to destroy me.
Tammy was too good to want someone like me.
But what if I was too bad to care to stay away?

Tamsin

Making the right choice was the slogan for my life and the motto for my soul, until all the right decisions led to a very wrong result.
In the moment when life felt like a catastrophe, 
I ran to him. Nick Frost.
The callous man who was colder than the mountain and possessed more secrets than it did snowflakes.
For one night, I traded sense for sensibility
and my well-kept order for his comfortable chaos.
I thought one night and one wrong choice would be enough until he became my boss and wrong began to look a lot like right.
With every day that passes, I learn there’s more to his story than the world knows and more to the unquenchable desire being written between us.
Nick was too bad to want someone like me.
But what if what we had was too good to keep me away?

IN TOO DEEP is the fourth standalone in the Winter Games series…

— Goodreads — Amazon — Bookbub (coming soon) —

**Healing Heartaches One Alpha at a Time**
I’m a dentist by day and author by night!
Dr. Rebecca Sharp is an International Amazon Best-selling author of contemporary romance. By day, she is also a doctor living in Pennsylvania with her husband. Growing up, she always loved a good love story and let’s face it, when you include a romance novel on your 8th grade summer reading list just to see if the teacher would notice (she didn’t!), she was bound to give writing one of her own a go. She also enjoys traveling with her husband, snowboarding, and cooking.

Website — Facebook — Instagram — Goodreads

AY DIOS MIO, PAPI. In Too Deep was the Snowmass Holes book I’ve been anxiously awaiting. I’ve loved all of the books in the series so far, but Nick Frost has always been the one guy I’ve wanted to know more about. Each of the books revealed another layer of the Ice King, but he was always cold and aloof. Tamsin Lucas was the last of the women in the group, who was carrying around so much pain it was easy to read and feel throughout the novels. How could someone so cold help a woman recover?

WELL LET ME ESPLAIN SOMETHIN’ TO YOU. Nick’s chaos perfectly balanced Tammy’s structure. They compliment each other so well, and underneath Nick’s coldness, there’s a huge heart buried, really freakin’ buried, underneath all those layers of snow. And when Tamsin needs someone to fall apart with, her first call is to Nick.

I think there’s the idea that love should be perfect. I read a lot of romance novels, I’ve read reviews, and I’m in a happy, loving relationship. I’ve read books where the women are vulnerable and try hard not to depend on their men too much. I’ve read novels where the men force those women to show them who they really are. I like to read fluffy novels, where the hurt and pain someone shows their partner is usually skin deep.

Dr. Rebecca Sharp loves to massacre me in every freaking way, but one of the reasons I love the way she wrecks me is because both parties are suffering bone deep, and the only people they can share that burden with is the one person they tried to hide it from. They end up falling apart, breaking, only to mend their pieces back together in such a way, they are inevitably tied to the person that understands them the most.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the softer parts of Frost, watching him fall so hard there was no coming back. His story is all hard edges, coating him in the thick blankets of ice that created the biggest a-hole I think I’ve ever read. The only moments he shows who he could have been without the circumstances he had to face, are around the people he cares about the most. And even when he’s the BIGGEST jerk you’ve ever met, it’s clouded with sincere caring that gets confused since it’s been so long since he’s been shown kindness.

Tamsin Lucas is one that thrives on her rules. She’s followed them her whole life, felt comfort in them, so she can have the future she’s always wanted: to be a mom. Her rules have left her in her time of need. Tamsin is left broken, shattered, and she turns to the man who promised to help her fall apart. With her life spiraling into chaos, she finds comfort in the chaos that Nick brings. A caring woman by nature, the “mom” friend of the group, it was an absolutely beautiful combination of people.

Her order to his chaos.

SOUNDS GREAT TO ME. BOOM! Story over. LOL JK. While these two struggle with life, there’s a lot of potential triggers for readers. Message me for them, I don’t want to give them away in the review. There’s a lot to read, to feel, and if I write too much, I’ll give them away and it won’t be as powerful.

So 5 deliciously dirty stars to you Rebecca. You broke me, put me back together, SHATTERED me again, and just when I started stitching my pieces back, YA DID IT AGAIN. In Too Deep was everything I was hoping for and more. NOW GIMMIE THE NEXT ONE.

4 stars, Book Review

Teach Me Sweetly by Abby Gale Review

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When I accepted the teaching position in a town the size of my thumb, 
all I cared about was making some money until I was ready to pursue my dream. 

My time here was supposed to have an expiration date. 
My plan was simple.

Until her.
The girl with a cupcake and fascinating sadness.
Her beauty got my attention first, then her loneliness and melancholy captivated me. 
Her words and pain fed my interest, but it was her heart that sealed my fate. 

I came to this town with no expectations. 
But I didn’t know my dream and muse was waiting for me in a school uniform. 

— Goodreads — Amazon — Bookbub —


Abby Gale is an international author. She is an avid reader, former blogger, and a pharmacist. She writes whatever storyline sucks her in, but mostly her books will be erotica with some darkness in it.

— Goodreads — Amazon — Facebook — Newsletter — Website —

Oh Lord, guys. I gotta tell ya, this one got me. It hooked me into its depths, but it wasn’t from the first pages. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. Maybe that’s why it took me a little longer to get into the book than some others. It’s taboo, but that initial “OMG HE’S IN A POSITION OF POWER IDK HOW I FEEL ABOUT THAT” is completely and utterly destroyed when you realize just how much sway Eva has over Elijah.

Eva: rich girl, with a tragic past. Adrift in the midst of high school and coming of age alone in the world, she’s looking for something she hasn’t had at home or school for as long as she can remember. She’s heartbroken, looking for someone to show her she’s not broken.

Elijah: struggling writer (I think there’s a majority of us out there that can relate) who falls back on a job he doesn’t want. He comes in to sub in a high school classroom as an English teacher. He doesn’t want the job, but he’s got bills to pay. Bills that won’t get paid at a diner in Seattle.

Eva and Elijah don’t meet at school, but they do see each other again there. They met once, though nothing transpired of it. Eva’s already got a bad reputation around town, one she hasn’t earned, but one she wraps around her like a second skin in the hopes her parents will notice her. Elijah wants to peel back her layers, but uh… he’s her new teacher.

Throughout the novel, despite their initial attraction, there’s a push and pull between the two. Elijah, because he can’t mess this job up. Eva, because she thinks she’s not worth it, that Elijah is like the rest of the people in her life. But the two are inevitably drawn together. With tender, gentle moments that will make you swoon, mixed with rough, dirty, naughty “adult time” that proves that love can be raw and sweet at the same time.

Teach Me Sweetly was raw and emotional. Eva had bits and pieces of the hormonal teenager outlook, but it felt real. It wasn’t over the top or dramatic. She had reasons for every thing she did and felt. Elijah struggles with his attraction, like any grown male in his position would do, but he genuinely loves Eva and wants to help chase the shadows from her eye. He protects her in an alpha way, but shows her the tenderness and affection she’s missing.

I gave this four stars because there were a lot of tense changes that made it hard to follow. That might change with editing if there’s still some left to do, and I fully understand this is an ARC, but still, it threw me off. (I’m also not an English major or editor. So it’s possibly just me.) I’d love a second in this series, showing them struggle through the next part of their lives together.

Ultimately, this book was gripping. I loved every second I devoured this. Once you’re in it, you’re in it. And there’s no getting out.

4 stars, Book Review

Taking Shelter by BJ Bentley Review

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Welcome to Medicine Wheel, Montana.

Would her first love still want her after she’d slept with the enemy?

Pretty and popular, Emma Jean was the belle of the ball in high school, but while waiting for her prince to make a move, she fell in love with the beast. 

Beaten down, battered, and broken, Emma Jean has finally had enough.
Cutting the ties that bind won’t be easy, especially when the enemy comes looking for her. 

Noah fell in love with his sister’s best friend in high school, but his hesitation cost him, and he lost his first love to a monster.

Determined to keep her safe, can he prove to her that belonging to him means peace instead of pain and love instead of fear?

— Goodreads — Amazon — Bookbub —

From her Amazon: I’m a psychic medium, romance author, and cat mom. I shamelessly based my character, Sabrina Rhodes, on myself (write what you know, and all that.) Weaknesses include alpha males and badass babes.
The Intuitive series is a collection of rom-com novellas, and I’m also working on a full-length dark romance novel.
I’m very active on social media, so feel free to stalk me! (Please stalk me, this is a cry for attention.)
Follow me!

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Love is a fickle thing. It’s hard work, and it’s a lot of work. Sometimes, we find someone we think is worthy of our love. We put so much time and devotion into this person, we can ignore the signs. We may see that darkness in them, but we believe we can fix someone, help them get better; We can be the person that chases away the clouds from their eyes. Be the light to their dark. And then they change. Something in them flips. The person we fell in love with wholeheartedly is someone different, and scary.

This is what happened to Emma Jean. She long ago fell in love with the football superstar. She pushed her feelings for long time crush Noah away, and went on a date that sealed her fate. Almost seven years later, she escaped the hell that had become her life before she even realized what was happening. What once was love became bitter hatred and fear.

Noah has long harbored feelings for his Sunshine. At one time, he believed he’d have his chance when Cody showed his true nature, but by then it was too late for his Emma and their love. Seven years later, he never let that love go. Never found someone who could encompass the love he felt for Emma. When the opportunity presents itself to not only save Emma from her hell, but also give their chemistry a chance to blossom, Noah takes it.

Emma has a long road ahead of her. Not only does she need to learn to love herself, she has to discover who she is. The path she was on long ago was deviated, so what did she do with her path suddenly wide open again? Her friends don’t let her hide, and neither does Noah. But does loving Noah mean losing herself? Again?

Noah’s road is more like a mountain to climb. He has to show Noah she’s worthy of love from those surrounding her, as well as worthy of being the woman she would have been had Cody not lured her into his clutches. He’s a determined alpha, possessive, but understanding of her plight. He may be a crazed man when it comes to his girl, but he knows she needs her independence, and doesn’t try to put her in the “victim” box.

This book was emotional, with the same blending of past and present the first in the series, Coming Home, had. It was full of sweet, tender moments, as well as ones that allowed Emma Jean to take back her life and sexuality.

This was four stars instead of five for me because ultimately, I would have liked to have seen more of Emma’s past with Cody. She had no money, no job, no way to get out. But why did she fall in love with him? What drew her in? We saw few of the interactions between the couple, but I felt left out of Emma’s personal bubble and I wanted more of it.

Though that’s really no different from any other book. I always want more, and a book with a woman who suffered from abuse? You could write a whole book just on that.