Peak into book/ bkfunnel/ "Sweet Carnage" by Madison Juno

   madison@madisonjunoromance.com

He didn’t need love, only leverage. Until she ran, pregnant and broken

 

Five years ago, I made a deal with the devil.

Bratva heir Artyom Petrov.

Ruthless. Filthy rich. Fourteen years older.

 

“Everything has a price, little thief,” he whispered in that dim room. “This is what my mercy costs.”

His powerful touch made my breath hitch, raw and irreversible.

But when those two pink lines showed up, I ran — driven away by the hissing nest of vipers that surrounds him.

 

Now I’m back in the city and I thought he’d forgotten me.

Oh how wrong I was — he might have ruined me, but I consumed him.

He spent five years protecting me in the dark shadows of obsession.

 

And as the bullets fly around us, he puts a ring on my finger.

Shattering my doubts with his rough hands and possessive words.

I’m his.

 

Which means there’s a blood-soaked target on my back. But his twisted plan will protect us.

It has to.

Because our daughter’s life is at stake if he can’t win this battle…

-My Review Notes:

This was just a quick Prequel/sneak peak but it was a good one.   He was a handsome blonde dangerous man with one hazel eye and one blue one . Heterochromia,  which she quickly recognized and was fascinated by ! She's been working at his nightclub, The Demon and yes stealing from it for med school. Now she's well and truly  caught in HIS dangerous web !

Now I want to read the full book !!! 

done/ARC/Bkfunnel/December 18ARC/ My Off Limits Bodyguard by Roxy Pratt

   amazon

Fresh out of prison.
A brooding bad boy Ethan Donnelly wants nothing but
peace and invisibility.
His old friend asks him to protect his ambitious daughter.
Ethan is thrust into close quarters, who both incites his temper
and ignites his desire.
Charlene Monroe, a smart, stubborn city therapist with dreams of
healing her hometown.
The past collides as a storm traps them together, walls crumble,
and forbidden sparks turn into a blaze that neither is prepared to face.
When scandal rocks the town and danger draws near, Ethan and
Charlene must decide: risk their hearts, or lose their happily ever after
forever.

My 5 Star Review Notes Titled: Tough Love

It starts out with Ethan's release from prison with the warning from the guard,  don't return ! The whole town hates him and don't want him there and aren't shy about letting him know. So hurtful ! His old friend, Harold  makes me wonder just what kind of man is he?  He doesn't even meet him at the prison gates to pick him up in the rain ! Yikes ! Made me hate him right off the bat ! I'm not even sure he deserves him daughter Charlene. He's bossy, manipulative like a bully and bails on her when things get tough!  And things do go from bad to worse for both Ethan and Charlene. She's a lot tougher than anyone ever gave her credit for.  Even her her father; he's desperate to keep her safe. Often making things worse. But even afraid she will still stand by her man when things hit the fan.  

I adored this emotional romance and both the main characters giving their own ways of trying to protect each other.

I got this story because of an ARC from the author and will be reading it again ! 

ARC/ DEC 13, 2025/ "Twisted Justice With A Billionaire Don" by Helen Blume

   amazon Goodreads review

I come to Boston to bring down the mafia, not to fall into a stranger’s bed.

But on my first night in the city, a man with a dangerous smile pulls me into heat and darkness—
kisses that strip away sense,
hands that ruin every line I swore not to cross,
a night that leaves me breathless and nameless.

I tell myself it’s nothing.
Until I walk into court the next morning…
and he turns.

Nico Castellano.
Boston’s new don.
The kind of man my father died fighting against.

I should run.
But when danger closes in, he steps between me and the bullets like breathing.
When his guard slips, I see the man he never shows the world—
and somewhere in that unguarded moment, I fall.

Then the Irish mob takes me.
A grip too tight to fight.
My scream trapped in my throat.
Darkness closing fast.

And fear finally takes shape—

They know I’m carrying his child… and killing us is how they’ll break him.

MY 5 STAR REVIEW TITLED:  Intense Plots and Romance

This brother Nico is based now in Boston although he came from Chicago. He has his own ways and thoughts on how to run things here.  But so do others and they don't like what he is trying to do and will do everything that they can to stop his "progress."   

It seems like everyone is trying to get into Erin Callahan's "business".  And her one-night stand with a stranger explodes when she facing him as prosecutor in court ! Then more and more threats and more people know about her and Nico.   The story does have additional times of intimacy between Nico and Erin because they just can't stop !  Even though they both know how dangerous that can be ! Her deceased father's old partner Sean Gallagher is making me suspicious of his motives but things get clearer towards the end.  Other suspicions rise, are they traitors in their midst feeding info to their enemies?  Marco?  Aiden? Trusted men in Nico's  organization?

Things wind UP as the dangers do too ending with a smashing finish and a great epilogue ! I got an ARC of this book from the author and this are my thoughts about it.  

 

Dec 10/ARC/Bkfunnel/ Meatless Monday's by Elsie Grey

  amazon  Goodreads

But when a local butcher is found dead and a hidden room full of illicit mushrooms is uncovered, Lily is pulled back into a world she hoped she’d left behind.

As old family secrets surface and danger creeps closer to her own doorstep, Lily’s fears sharpen: someone knows where she lives, who she loves, and how to scare her. With Violet’s safety on the line and Lance doing everything he can to keep them both protected, Lily must confront a truth she’s been avoiding — solving mysteries is part of who she is… and it always comes with a cost.

But in a town she loves, surrounded by the people who believe in her, Lily leans into her courage, her instincts, and the comfort of a kitchen that has always grounded her. What she uncovers will test her heart, her resilience, and the thin line between protecting the people you love and losing them.

An intimate, heartfelt cozy mystery about family, fear, and the strength it takes to keep going — even when the next threat lands on your doorstep.

 

From the Author

Just popping in with a quick reminder— If you haven’t downloaded your ARC copy of Meatless Mondays yet, it’s ready and waiting for you! 

This is the fourth book in The Good Chef Mysteries, and I’m so excited for you to dive into Lily Good’s story of second chances, small-town secrets… and a mystery that’s about to boil over. 

And just a quick note: if you catch any typos or formatting issues while reading, or if this book is just not for you, please feel free to email my VA, Ramie, at ramiekerschenpa@gmail.com, and she will get you taken care of! 

Thank you again for being part of the ARC Team! Your support, reviews, and feedback mean the world to me—and help cozy readers everywhere find their next favorite mystery.

Happy sleuthing, Elsie Grey Author of The Good Chef Mysteries

-----My 4 STAR Review Notes:   TITLED: A Good Mystery

Lily Jane Good is a former smart detective who now owns a  great restaurant. She is also called up on as a civilian consultant and she's a good one too !  She's dating Detective Lance Phillips and make for a cute couple ! I liked the both of them !The police department was relieved when they saw the both of them; especially Lily! They need help to solve the unusual murder of the butcher, Michael Dirk. And surprise after surprise turns up in their searches ! Nikki is also a detective who is a BIG help to Lily and Lance. Even her mother Millie Good, jumps in to help in the investigation and to make sure Violet is okay.

I liked that both Lily and Lance do their best to protect Violet. And that there are a couple of recipes at the back of the book.

The story ends for now..with the hunt for SOLAC that WILL have to continue. An interesting concept. 

I got a ARC of this book and enjoyed it.  

 

Dec 6- Bkfunnel/ Mafia Don's Convenient Vows by Vira Black

  

 

Six months pregnant with the Don’s baby…and my uncle wants us dead before it’s born.

Luca Romano is six-four of trouble in suits.

Icy blue eyes. A voice that could make a nun renounce her vows.

He’s been trying to destroy my family for years.

When I ran from my wedding, he caught me.

His solution? A strategic marriage to stop a war.

Forget the bouquet—I threw myself at the don, and he devoured my body all night.

Now I’m trapped underground with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Deadly.

He’s ruthless to the world, gentle with me.

Weeks blurred the lines. Coffee at dawn. 

Every glance made me forget we were enemies. 

When he touched my stomach, he looked like I’d given him the world.

Between his growls and caresses, I fell for him.

But my uncle knows the truth.

This child could unite our families and steal his power.

He vowed to cut the baby out of me.

But Luca Romano doesn’t just protect what’s his—he kills for it.

------My 5 STAR Review Notes Titled:  Intense Story, even better Romance

Luca Romano served two years in prison having been betrayed by his so-called family. All for their desire for power. In the opening of the story, he catches Sienna Moretti in his carefully planned trap ! It was so smooth and she is SO furious. But she's caught and she just has to protect her 17 year old sister Isabella from being sold off into a marriage against HER will!  She runs from her wedding only to run into another one.  They get marriage with hatred burning in her eyes. That was so well written ! Luca sees her as brave and reckless but not stupid. He plans on using her to protect his empire and prevent a war.  I loved how he called her, "Principessa."  And the battles that they had as a couple, wow!

I liked BOTH of the main characters. It became pretty clear that her Uncle Giuseppe Mortetti had plans for her too. To use her for his good and not hers. 

Luca has several trusted men in his employ.  Marco his 2nd in command and Angelo. But there is a traitor in their midst ! Oops !

Dangers increase and dangerous choices will have to be made.  It gets even more intense as the mafia forces collide.  Luca is a fair but deadly man and no one is taking his wife and child or their future on his watch!

Great ending, Epilogue and hope for the future. 

 

 -----------------Spoiler_

Not included in review posted : Her father and Luca were in on the plan all along to have her escape the marriage and run to Luca. Sienna is now head of the Moretti family; a strong leader and she shares power with Luca on his mafia family. They now lead/rule together. And she is tougher and stronger than anyone else thought she could be. But Luca had suspected all along.   A daughter !  

Kindle ARC/NOV 30/You Only Live Nine Times (Homer Whodunit: Bk #1) by Gwen Cooper

  

Author Prefers A Review On

Goodreads, Amazon, or BookBub

Sun-splashed Coacoochee, Florida—just ten minutes up the road from South Beach—is coming into its own in 1998. It’s the new favorite playground of models, millionaires, and workaday transplants like thirty-year-old Rachel Baum, who’s starting over with her three cats and a job at the town bookstore following a recent heartbreak. When Coacoochee’s beautiful people start turning up murdered, Homer and his feline friends sniff out clues the cops have missed. Meanwhile, Rachel’s following her own leads, unaware her cats are one step ahead. If only they could tell her what they know, they might be able to keep Rachel from becoming the killer’s next target.

---

From the New York Times bestselling author of Homer’s Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale comes a charming, sun-kissed mystery where the best sleuths have paws. The perfect treat for longtime Homer fans and cozy mystery lovers alike, You Only Live Nine Times is sharp as a claw, twisty as the classic whodunits, and even more mischievous than a basket of kittens.

My review Notes- 5 Stars Titled: will Homer be able to save the day?

I loved the author's introduction to this book. This is my first time reading and I liked the way she introduced the story saying that the cats are the same as her other stories, Scarlett, Vashti and Homer.   I loved how those cats communicated with each other and they adored and helped Rachel as much as they could ! After all she saved their lives, literally !! 

Rachael is 30 years old and she's getting things ready to host a book signing. She had been in a relationship with Cuban, Henry for three years.  Only to find proof that he was cheating. That proof came by the help of her cat friends. 

Rachel Baum is the manager of the only Bookstore, Title Wave Books and she has a one an adorable year old bind, black cat named Homer. And Vashti a two year old white clever cat. Also Scarlett her three year old gray tabby. Rachel's story shows a cat calendar that said Friday October 2, 1998.

There is a also a great list of the other "characters" in the story with their own bios. Very enjoyable ! Hot Mike, the failed police German Shepherd had to be one of my all time favorites in this book ! Everyone loves Sweet Rachel. But she does have an enemy or two. Brock Winfield, the egomaniac tops the known list- he wants her and her cats GONE !

I really liked the possibility of romance between Rachael and Evan Kirschner .  He's attracted to her and she sparkles when she spends any time around him. Even the cats notice but they just can't seem to catch a break !

On a side note some of the names of the people, wow so different ! And tuxedo cat Kotik and the street cat, Samkhat?  Such difficult names to type in a review, lol ! Unique, though. 

This was a great, intense story with surprise after surprise. More than one person dies but I never saw the the real killer coming ! Loved that and how the whole thing ended. 

I also liked that the next book coming out June 2026 is called "The Cat Wore Black". I'll be looking for that one ! 

 I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

BKFUNNEL/ The Pelican Hotel BY JACEY BICI

  

Jacey Bici EMAIL: <authorontheloose@jaceybici.com> via n.convertkit.com 

 

In the luxurious Pelican Hotel, Dr. Nassrin Fahadi finds herself at a crossroads. Once a dedicated physician, she dreams of a simpler life with the charming bartender, Tallahassee. But as she prepares to resign, a lavish dinner hosted by her formidable boss threatens to change everything. When the opportunity to become the medical director arises, tensions flare among her ambitious colleagues. As secrets unravel and ambitions collide, Nassrin faces a pivotal choice. Will she choose the safety of her career, or will love guide her towards a future she never dared to envision? In a world where every decision counts, Nassrin learns that sometimes, the bravest choice is simply to embrace who you really are.

 ---My 5 Review TITLED: Careers and Love Clash 

She is a doctor at Ocean Hospital and she's a blend of Palestinian and Puerto Rico heritage. I loved how the author wrote that she was a "blend". What a great way to put it ! She desperately loves Tallahassee, her blonde, boyfriend who is a bartender. He's working to become a lawyer but seems to run into problems about that goal! 

This is such a well written story. So I'm going to put some people in categorizes. Here are the Hated Ones: 

-Dr. Aberdeen, the man who was previously a surgeon but is now the Big Boss at the hospital. He was arrogant and blustery.  He makes people skidattle to do whatever he wants !

 - His wife Isabelle, is manipulative and power hungry to get her way at all costs. 

- Now we get to the one that should be #1 on this list: Karen. She's a lazy Diva who has schmoozed her way into trying to be director of the hospital. Everyone HATES her..

Now my Love List: 

 -Nassrin- she's caught straddling between two worlds and having a hard time trying to do that. 

- Tallahassee- great guy who deserves better than what he's getting. 

- Let's not forget Opal either. She is a Native American woman with grit trying to keep many plates in the air spinning. She even admits she's not doing that great of a job. I really liked her a lot and she's getting her own store in,  "That Kind of Girl"  on Amazon

I loved how the story ended with a HEA for now.