Book Review: Brutal Intentions by Lilith Vincent

Brutal Intentions by Lilith Vincent
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Two tropes I hate: cheating and step-anything with step-anything. So why did I read this? The blurb made it sound a little too good to pass up. This book with two tropes I hate ended up being a high 4 (around 4.5, maybe 4.6) stars for me. Crazy…

Laz, the MMC is married to Giulia and the step-father to her 3 daughters. Mia, the MFC is the youngest daughter and still lives at home with her mom and step-dad. Laz is essentially being controlled by his brothers. He is also very juvenile in his behavior. I was put off by it at first but then equated it with him acting just as he’s treated. I feel like even his wife treats him like a juvenile.

I feel bad for Mia. She is treated so badly by… well, everyone. I love the relationship she has with her one sister, Rieta (and what's the story with Rieta and her husband? There is definitely a story there).

Ok, so on to the actual story. Mia is 18 and still in high school. Laz is 29. They have a hate/love relationship. Mia has a secret which Laz finds out and uses against her. The steamy scenes were great. Laz’s brothers have demands of him but he’s not interested… at least not the exact demands. He has his own plan. And it’s a doozy. He lost points with me with that plan.

The ending was perfect and a great conclusion to their story. The only reason I didn’t give this a 5 is because of how immature Laz was for about 85% of the book.


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Book Review: Mafia Rising by Sloane Peterson

Mafia Rising by Sloane Peterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mafia Rising is the second book in Sloane Peterson’s A Mafia Series. To be honest, I preferred Book 1 over book 2 but book 2 was also good.

This book picks up where Mafia Saints concludes. Mattia Mansolillo has been released from prison now that his father is dead. He goes to live with his sister Adelaide and her FBI fiance, Christian as well as their child. Adelaide and Christian are the ones who brought the Mansolillo family down and are now living a normal life. Mattia has no skills except the ones he learned from his mafia boss father.

Mattia decides to go behind his sister’s back and build the family up again. In the process, he meets Ella. She’s everything a man could want – unless he’s part of the mafia. When Mattia’s two worlds collide, he could lose Ella.

This book was good. I really liked Mattia and Ella’s relationship, even the lows of it. I like the complexity of Mattia’s relationships with everyone around him. There are some betrayals as well as some unlikely allies.

I can’t wait to see what Book 3 brings!


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Book Review: Veil by M.A. Foster

Veil by M.A. Foster
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Somehow this became one of my top reads in 2022. I didn’t go into thinking it would even come close to be towards the top but it was definitely a welcome surprise.

First, this was the perfect length for me. It didn’t seem too short or too long. I was kind of put off by the prologue, but as I continued to read I realized it was important to the story. When it came to Makayla, I felt her emotions as I read. I felt the betrayal, the excitement, the fear. I connected to this character, which tells you how well it was written. Was the male main character obsessed with Makayla. I would admit that he was a bit, but it was a “bad bit”. The book had some dark moments, but nothing too dark if that makes any sense. The age - gap romance was well written with good, fleshed out characters.

I hope there are more books written for this world because all of the characters intrigue me and I have questions about them that I hope to see answered one day.


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Book Review: The Dark Series Trilogy by Danah Logan

The Dark Series Trilogy by Danah Logan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Confession: I read book 4 of the series before this trilogy. I knew some things before reading this one.

I am so glad I got to read this as a boxed set because I could move straight from one book to the next. I don’t think I would’ve been able to patiently wait in between releases. I also finished this in 2 days… all 3 books in 2 days. I was up until 4:30 in the morning because I was not going to bed without knowing how it all ended.

You know it’s a good story when you are actually hoping the “criminal” gets away with their crimes. I actually felt bad for “Him”. I feel like he is just unequipped with real life skills to handle his situation properly. As for “Her”, I kind of guessed who it was but never saw that personality coming out.

At first, I had trouble handling Rhys and Lilly’s relationship. I eventually came around to it but it was a lot to think about at first. As far as “Psycho Barbie”, she got exactly what she deserved and to be honest I think Danah went a little easy on her when she wrote out the revenge storyline.

These books were full of secrets, thrills, angst, and romance.


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Book Review: Saving Vienna by Vikki Jay

Saving Vienna by Vikki Jay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Going into this, I never imagined Zane would become my favorite Teager brother. By the time I was finished with this book, he was hands down my favorite. This is the 4th book in a series and can be read as a standalone. However, to fully enjoy the Teager Family and their history, I suggest reading them in order.

Vienna is the perfect partner for Zane. The care and compassion he shows her touches my heart, even in those dark, cold places. The way that Vienna sees past all of Zane’s insecurities and only sees him as a person is all we could have asked for in a partner for him.

Watching their love story grow from a friends with benefits (money and insurance in this case) to married friends with the (other) benefits to an in love couple was amazing. I was relieved to see Zane confront his past as well as his relationship with his brothers due to that past.

I’m so happy Zane got his story. Can’t wait for whatever is next from this series.

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Book Review: Rookie's Regret by Gina Azzi

Rookie’s Regret by Gina Azzi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rookie’s Regret is probably my favorite of the series thus far. I was just invested from the moment I started reading.

Cole is the rookie of the Thunderbirds trying to prove his worth in the big league. Beatrice “Bea” is Cole’s teammate’s sister. When Cole first sees her he is immediately smitten not knowing who she is.

I really enjoyed this book. The relationships between Bea and her brothers were amazing. I also enjoyed the relationship between Cole and his uncle and cousin. I also actually laughed at some of Cole’s corny jokes. And Bea’s Granny? She’s the best!

The best part of the book? Cole being accepting of Bea’s dreams and pushing her to be true to herself. Who wouldn’t want a man like that? Did Cole make some bad choices at times? Absolutely. But as the title suggests, he has his regrets and it was emotional reading him dealing with them.

Did the two fall for each other fast? Yes but as some say: “When you know, you know.”


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Book Review: The Exception by Eva Winners

The Exception by Eva Winners
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

NOTE: This is a republished story about Kristoff and Gemma. Changed from single to dual POV and story revised. I did not read the first version so I cannot compare the two. I can only give my thoughts based on this version.

As I was reading the prologue, I started thinking “Could it be possible that Eva has written something I won’t enjoy?” But, that thought was completely gone within the first few actual chapters.

Kristoff is a billionaire ex-special ops turned businessman. Genevieve is a widow with three daughters.

The prologue gives a back story into Genevieve’s first marriage. The rest of the book is Kristoff and Genevieve’s story. Kristoff needs a new administrative assistant; Genevieve, also called Gemma, needs a job to support herself and her daughters. Gemma interviews for the position without knowing that the job entails much more assisting than of the administrative kind. She turns down the job on that principle alone. Kristoff the hottie talks her into a 2 month trial period of just administrative assisting work; she accepts for the paycheck.

The rest of the book? These two fighting their attraction… and giving into their attraction. Repeat. A couple of Ashford brothers are involved in this book (brothers of Aurora from Alexi) and a Nico mention! I love how these worlds interconnect with each other.

Gemma has scars from her first marriage. Kristoff has a b!tch of an ex-wife and before it’s over you want her to “disappear”. But, Gemma and Kristoff are perfect for one another. After I got past the initial “The audacity of this man…”, I was like these two belong together. I truly believe they went through some messed up years so they could appreciate each other when they found each other. If they ever pulled their heads out of their… you know where long enough to see it.

I cannot wait to read the next book since this book is an intro into the Billionaire Kings series.


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Book Review: Key Lime Killer by Molly Maple

Key Lime Killer: A Small Town Cupcake Cozy Mystery by Molly Maple
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A cute little mystery book + a cupcake recipe. What could be better?

This is the 10th book in the Cupcake Crimes series. I have not read the previous 9 books so I don’t know all the back story of the characters.

Charlotte is a baker in the town of Sweetwater Falls. She lives with her great - aunt and is best friends with the local librarian. She’s also dating Logan the cop. It’s time for a charity donation drive and Charlotte volunteers to help her best friend organize the items. A cookie jar falls and out comes a… hand.

Charlotte wonders who the hand belongs to and exactly who put it in the cookie jar. One resident is missing and Charlotte’s suspect goes missing. Charlotte also needs to come up with her cupcake of the month (cough…cough… the book title) and decides to help a town resident in distress. It sounds like a lot, but I promise it’s not!

I love the Live Forever Club ladies, old and young. I love how they embraced Janet and helped her through her crisis.

The whodunit? I didn’t even see that one coming…

I can’t wait to read more of this series, old and new.


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Book Review: Amor in the 305 by Shelly Cruz

Amor in the 305 by Shelly Cruz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book! From the beginning to the end I was completely invested in these characters and their stories.

Sol had finally broken free from a horrible relationship and thought about moving away from Boston. During a girls trip to Miami, she decided that Miami would be the perfect place for a fresh start. During her last night in Miami she meets Amaury and the two seemingly hit it off. But, Sol has trust issues (rightfully so) and isn’t looking to start a new relationship with a man she doesn’t know.

Months later she moves to Miami. While shopping for a scooter, she runs into Amaury at the scooter shop he runs with his best friend. He slowly starts breaking down her walls and she learns to love again.

Then both of their pasts come back and smacks them in the face. Sol doesn’t trust Amaury anymore. Amaury has to save Sol from her trauma.

It sounds all kinds of messy. But, trust me it’s not. It’s an amazing story. Their individual stories have you in your emotions. I even shed a few tears when Amaury talked about escaping Cuba. This book tackled some issues (domestic violence, Cuba) in a factual way. I also loved the use of “Spanglish” in the book. I know enough Spanish that I could have understood all of the Spanish as written but loved that the spanglish was there to make it easy for those who have no understanding of Spanish. I also loved the authenticity of Amaury having trouble translating his Spanish thoughts into the English language. It made this book that much more real.

Be sure to read the note at the end. It explains so much behind this book and will have you in your emotions again.

This is easily one of my top books of the year.


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