Tag: romance

Willing Prey ARC Review

~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

Willing Prey by Allie Oleander

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary/Dark Romance

Heat Level: 🔥🔥

Release Date: October 7, 2025

Publisher: Berkley Romance

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

I went into this Willing Prey not knowing much about the storyline, but ended up devouring this book! I read a majority of it in one sitting. It was right on the border of contemporary/dark romance, but actually so much fun!

SYNOPSIS

An exhilarating, primal summer fling reveals an intensely sexy, edgy romance, where anything goes in the woods—just remember your safe word.

Post-divorce and buried in student loan debt, Claire Collins eagerly enters a spicy business agreement with an acquaintance who wants to explore his primal desires. The deal is simple—thirty days as his sexual prey, $30,000 in her bank account. All she has to do is give Shane Underwood the hunt of his life.

Claire’s a physical education teacher and perfectly happy to spend her summer having wild, kinky sex instead of working her usual serving job. But once they cross the tree line, she realizes how little she knows about the corporate lawyer paying her to be his prey.

Shane is different in the woods. Brutal. Devastating. Feral.

That’s okay with Claire—she is, too. And she’s sinking her teeth a little deeper into Shane’s heart every time he catches her.

REVIEW

What you can expect to find in Willing Prey
-spicy scenes
-dual pov
-primal play
-he falls first
-fast paced

Claire needs some extra cash and she needs it now. Being a teacher doesn’t give her a lot of grace to pay off her student loans. And after a messy divorce – she’s left with a lot of debt. So when she receives an offer that she really can’t refuse – she accepts.

The offer in question? A grand a day to stay at Shane Underwood’s residence and be his prey for 30 days. If Claire makes it to the end of her contract she’s guaranteed 30 grand. Only problem? She doesn’t know Shane Underwood (the mutual acquaintance that works with her ex) well – only that he’s interested in her and specifically hunting her down in his woods. When Claire and Shane’s inevitably start to get to know each other and their hearts get involved, will they be able to walk away after 30 days?

I did not know what to expect when I started reading Willing Prey and I went in not knowing anything about this book. Once I started reading, I could not stop. I loved the chemistry between Claire and Shane. This book was spicy – right from the get go. But the interactions between Claire and Shane never felt forced. I enjoyed all of the secondary characters as well and hope we get more books from this universe.

If you’re looking for a fast paced, spicy romance I highly recommend Willing Prey.

King of Envy by Ana Huang – ARC Review

~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

King of Envy by Ana Huang

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Series: Kings of Sin #5

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥

Release Date: April 29, 2025

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher .

SYNOPSIS

He had everything he could’ve wanted…except her.

Dangerous. Powerful. Reclusive.

Vuk Markovic is notorious for shunning human interactions. The scarred billionaire rarely talks, and he has no interest in relationships outside his small but trusted circle.

His only exception? Her . The beauty to his beast, the object of his obsession.

He saw her first. He wanted her first. But now, she’s engaged to his oldest friend—and the closer the wedding looms, the more he’s torn between loyalty and desire.

She should be his…and he might just risk it all to have her.

***
Beautiful. Successful. Glamorous.

To the world, supermodel Ayana Kidane leads the perfect life. Her career has skyrocketed, and she’s engaged to one of New York’s most eligible bachelors.

What people don’t know is that the engagement is only a business arrangement. He gets his inheritance when they marry; she gets the money she needs to leave her abusive agency.

Pretending to be in love should be easy—until she finds herself increasingly drawn to her fiancé’s enigmatic best man.

Vuk thrills and terrifies her in equal measure. She knows she should stay away, but when her wedding is thrown into chaos, he’s the only person she finds comfort in…

Until his past catches up with them and threatens everything they love.

REVIEW

What you can expect to find in King of Envy:
-forbidden romance
-slow burn
-angsty/swoony
-he falls first
-forced proximity
-messy/complicated relationships
-broody, morally gray hero

I love love LOVE when Ana Huang writes a broody, morally gray hero. Those books are way up there as favorites from Ana Huang (ahem: King of King of Pride, King of Greed, Twisted Love) and King of Envy has moved way up the rankings as one of my favorite Ana Huang romance book.

I can’t help but really enjoy books that are on the messier side and King of Envy was definitely MESSY but in the best way. Vuk falling for his best friends fiancee?? Only he doesn’t realize it’s a marriage of convenience situation that isn’t out of love. GAH the angst in this book was on another level! I could not stop turning the pages.

Ayana and Vuk had so much chemistry. Right off the bat they were making me laugh with their banter. I loved how sensitive Ayana was towards Vuk. Their shared back stories/trauma made them a stronger couple and I loved that. And Vuk always putting Ayana’s needs first – yes, we love a man who YEARNS and Vuk was definitely yearning 🥹.

The suspense part of the storyline had me hooked. I never had a clue of who the “bad guy” was until I was to that part of the book! I’m not always big into suspenseful romance, but Ana Huang does it so well.

Easily a 5⭐️ read for me! I truly cannot wait for the next book (eek!).

p.s. I love that even though this was one of Ana’s angstier romances – the classic humor was still there and there were moments that literally had me laughing out loud!

ARC Review – Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

~ Tej ~ 1 Comment

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Sports Romance

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥

Release Date: February 4, 2025

Publisher: Berkley

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and audiobook from prhaudio.

Deep End (aka Whet) by Ali Hazelwood releases in less than 2 weeks! I loved this spicy, swoony and angsty romance. As with all of Ali’s books I ended up reading this book in less than 2 days. I could not put it down once I started it. It was a bit messy 👀 and definitely much spicier than her previous books, BUT I loved it and clearly could not get enough. I could happily live in the Ali-verse and look forward to her next book 🥰

SYNOPSIS

A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself.

Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline. It’s how he wins gold medals and breaks records: complete focus, with every stroke. On the surface, Lukas and Scarlett have nothing in common. Until a well-guarded secret slips out, and everything changes.

So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water…

REVIEW

What you can expect to find in Deep End:
-diver x swimmer
-he falls first
-new adult college romance
-sports romance x STEM
-🌶🌶🌶 (BDSM)
-he speaks another language
–messy drama (which I loooove)
-cameos from a past favorite couple

Scarlett Vandermeer loves her life at Stanford. She’s a collegiate diver and loves her team and her coach, but she can’t seem to get past the yips she’s been experiencing since a diving accident. Between diving and applying to med schools, Scarlett doesn’t have time for much else – especially not a relationship.

Lukas Blomqvist thrives on control and discipline. Scarlett hasn’t shared more than a few words with him and couldn’t imagine having anything in common with the world champion. When Scarlett happens to run into Lukas Blomqvist and hear a well guarded secret she realizes they might have more things in common that she never would have guessed. Things like their love of science, getting ready for med school and their shared tastes in the bedroom.

What starts out as temporary soon starts to become something more. But their relationship involves people they love and care about and soon it’s not so cut and dry. Will they find a way to make their complicated relationship work?

As with other Ali Hazelwood books, I finished this book within a matter of two days. I couldn’t stop reading about Scarlett and Lukas. And not only Lukas and Scarlett, but their relationships with their friends and teammates was such a huge part of this book. As usual there were some hilariously funny scenes that had me cracking up. I loved how much Scarlett grew as a character in Deep End – those scenes were so relatable.

This book was definitely one of Ali’s spicier books 🌶🌶. Ali knows how to bring the heat and I loved how intimate Lukas and Scarlett were. Yes there was physical intimacy, but also their emotional intimacy.

I highly enjoyed Deep End and rated it 4.5 stars!

Cannot wait for all the special editions with WHET💦

Spotlight – Accidentally Amy by Lynn Painter

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Accidentally Amy by Lynn Painter

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: January 14, 2025

Publisher: Berkley

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher

Lynn Painter writes the cutest rom-coms and I am excited to read the re-released Accidentally Amy.

SYNOPSIS

IT STARTED WITH A CUP…

Isabella Shay is usually a very honest person.

But when she’s running late for her first day at a dream job and the barista yells for “Amy” 3x with no answer, she does the unthinkable.

Izzy takes that PSL.

It’s the exact drink she ordered and paid for, only waaaay further ahead in the line, so she mutters “I’m Amy” and grabs the cup.

But when she turns around and runs directly into the most attractive man she’s ever seen, spilling the drink all over his GQ shirt and tie, she ends up having the ultimate meet-cute. Sparks fly and things feel beyond promising until he says the words, “See you tomorrow, Amy.”

Uh, oh – she’ll definitely have to straighten him out the following day.

Only when she gets to her new office and meets the VP of her department, it is none other than Blake Phillips – the hottie from Starbucks. And the man might’ve been charming to “Amy,” but he is an arrogant grump to Izzy, an arrogant grump who dos not find her explanation funny at all.

MEET CUTE + GRUMPY/SUNSHINE + FRIENDS-TO-LOVERS = ACCIDENTALLY AMY

Favorite Books of 2024

~ Tej ~ Leave a comment

2024 was a great reading year. But it was also a year filled with quite a few reading slumps. While I did read a lot of new books, I also ended up reading backlists and quite a few re-reads as well.

I ended the year having read a total of 103 books. I didn’t do a top 10 or top 20 list this year, but rather a compilation of my favorite reads based on sub-genre. I did include 2 arcs {thank you Berkley Romance for the gifted copies} that aren’t released until 2025 – Deep End by Ali Hazelwood and First-Time Caller by BK Borison. I loved both and highly recommend them!

**I read a majority of these books as advanced reader copies courtesy of the publishers. Thank you Berkley Romance, Bloom Books, LibroFM, PRHAudio, SimonTeen, Dutton for the gifted copies**

I read quite a few amazing rom-coms this year! The Risk was a re-read, but I ended up loving it more the second time around. The Love of my After Life was amazing on audio {thank you PRH Audio for the gifted copy}. First Time Caller and Deep End are releasing in 2025 {thank you Berkley for the gifted arcs}.

If there’s one thing about me – it’s that I absolutely love a good book that makes me cry, especially when the story resonates with my own experiences and emotions, drawing me into its world and leaving a lasting impression on my heart. LOVED these books!

I read so many good fantasy books this year and these were a few of my favorites. Overall a great romantasy reading year.

This was the year I started reading more dark romances and I enjoyed them! Definitely not a sub-genre for everyone, but I’m looking forward to reading more dark romances.

So many amazing books that I read in 2024 and I can’t wait to see what books will make my favorites list in 2025.

Did we happen to read any of the same books? What were your favorite books of 2024?

God of Malice by Rina Kent Review

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God of Malice by Rina Kent

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Series: Legacy of Gods #1

Genre: Dark Romance

Heat Level: 🌶🌶🌶

SYNOPSIS

I caught the attention of a monster.
I didn’t ask for it.
Didn’t even see it coming.
But the moment I do, it’s too late.
Killian Carson is a predator wrapped in sophisticated charm.
He’s cold-blooded, manipulative, and savage.
The worst part is that no one sees his devil side.
I do.
And that will cost me everything.
I run, but the thing about monsters?
They always chase.

This book is not a conventional romance and contains themes that aren’t to everyone’s liking. Please check the author’s note before reading.

REVIEW

I started God of Malice without reading Rina’s backlist. There are a lot of characters and I was a bit lost. This book is super intense & the opening scene alone left me 😳. I definitely had to put it down because I wasn’t ready for it. That being said, I went back to the beginning and read God of Malice and fell in love with Killian + Glyndon.

YES, Killian is absolutely unhinged. But also – I found myself laughing out loud a lot. And his gradual fall for Glyndon – gah! I loved how gone he was for her when initially he just wanted her for the sake of having her. And Glyndon – she’s so tough and was going through so many emotions over her relationship with Killian. I adored the way these two tried to fight their feeling for one another and ended up falling so hard.

I have so many scenes throughout this book highlighted! The banter between Killian and Glydon was *chefs kiss* I was constantly laughing or had a huge grin on my face.

No, these books aren’t for everyone. Know going in that there are a lot of content/trigger warnings. That being said – I’m really enjoying Rina Kent and can’t wait to read more of this series!

ARC Review – Business Casual by B.K. Borison

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Business Casual by B.K. Borison

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Series: Lovelight #4

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Level: 🌶🌶

Release Date: July 16, 2024

Publisher: Berkley

I received a complimentary copy from Berkley.


SYNOPSIS

Two opposites decide to test their chemistry with one steamy night together. But will once be enough?

Nova Porter isn’t looking for love, and she certainly has no explanation for her attraction to buttoned-up, three-piece-suit-wearing investment banker Charlie Milford. Maybe it’s his charm? Or maybe it’s his determination to help her fledgling business however he can. Either way, she’s distracted every time he’s around. With her new tattoo studio set to open in her hometown of Inglewild, she doesn’t have time for frivolous flirtations. 

In an effort to get Charlie out of her system once and for all, Nova offers a proposition. One night. No strings. They’ll kick their uncomfortable attraction to the curb and return to their respective responsibilities. But their explosive night together scatters their expectations like fallen leaves. And with Charlie in town as the temporary head of Lovelight Farms, Nova can’t quite avoid him. 

And Charlie? Well, Charlie knows a good investment when he sees one. He’s hoping he can convince Nova he’s worth some of her time.

REVIEW

What you can expect to find in Business Casual:
-golden retriever hero
-grumpy heroine
-friends to lovers
-“let’s get this out of our system”
-🌶🌶
-he takes care of her
-no third act breakup
-he falls first
-found family
-small town shenanigans

I first read Lovelight Farms last year and immediately became obsessed with the small town charm of Inglewild. As soon as Charlie was introduced I knew that I was going to love his book because I immediately loved his character. A bit goofy and funny but definitely hiding some vulnerabilities.

Business Casual had so many of my favorite tropes – friends to lovers, found family and of course “let’s just get this out of our system” because when does that ever work out 🤭. The chemistry between Nova and Charlie was so good. Their tension made for a delicious slow burn. Charlie and Nova were both so patient with one another – not letting them hide behind their feelings and always facing hard things together. I love that for them so much.

I’ll be honest – I’ve been loving books that are on the angsty side lately and (unpopular opinion) I don’t mind a third act breakup. BUT BK Borison did a wonderful job with this rom-com that didn’t have a third act breakup. There was still some angst, but it was the perfect amount for this book.

Overall, I highly enjoyed Business Casual. Definitely taking second place in the series after Lovelight Farms