ARC DUE 2/17-23/ "Knit One, Purl a Secret" (Quillhaven Magical Cozy Mysteries Book 10) by Tessa Silver

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In Quillhaven, friends don't let friends face dangerous magic alone.

The Cozy Loopers knitting circle is more than a weekly gathering. It's a lifeline for six friends navigating love, loss, and second chances in the magical town of Quillhaven. When they decide to create a Valentine's afghan for the Hearts and Hands Charity Auction, they expect needles, yarn, and companionship. What they get is enchanted crimson fiber that reveals their deepest secrets in every stitch.

Nettie faces her wild past and a famous musician who wrote a song about her. Martin confronts the partner he left behind in Boston. Mabel wrestles with guilt over falling in love again after her husband's death. As the magic intensifies and the auction approaches, the group must decide whether honesty is worth the risk of exposure. Can their found family survive the truth woven into their creation?

Find out in Knit One, Purl a Secret, a cozy magical mystery about community, courage, and the threads that bind us together. 

General

Novel

Mystery cozy mystery paranormal witches magic small town found family

Hosted by ARC Team- Knit One, Purl a Secret

Note from the Author

This is Book 10 in a series, however each one can be read as a standalone.

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--------------- 

 My 4 STAR Review TITLED: Crimson Yarn Trouble? 

I loved the dedication by the author that said to Maryann who taught the left handed author to knit ! So sweet ! 

The Foundation:  

The story opens with the Wednesday meeting at the Yarn to Be Wild shop and the Crazy Loopers are meeting.  It's Nettie Silverloop's shop and she's getting tea ready for this favorite time with the group of knitters which includes gossip and companionship. It's an eclectic group:

Mabel Crispin comes next and she has big "news" which the talking cats Leo and Luna wonder about. They always seemed to be around which was a good thing ! Amelia and hubby Arthur Jenkins come in next. He's just there to make sure she got there okay ; they've been happily married for years.  Arthur heads to the hardware story to see Henry and his affectionate dog, Gus.  Greta Bell and then Olivia Sweetwater and within minutes Martin Fitzgerald trails in. 

And then : 

Suddenly after finding some unaccounted for strange but beautiful crimson yarn; they begin to use it for personal squares to add to a large Valentine's afghan.  That's when some REALLY strange things begin to happen. Is that yarn Alive? 

One of my favorite phrases is when Martin mentions that this town see to have a way of making you face things !! 

Great surprises and  heart warming conclusions.  

  I received an ARC from the author and this how I feel about it. P.S. Once again I loved the colorful eBook cover !

due Feb18/ Ruthless Protector by clara dunn

  Bksprout

 

I was sent to watch her. Now I’m sleeping down the hall… and daring anyone to touch what’s mine.

The Kozlov Pakhan doesn’t give assignments. He gives verdicts.

Mine is simple: move into Daria Kozlov’s apartment, track her movements, and prove she’s the leak before the feds freeze our accounts.

If she’s guilty, she disappears. Even if she’s family.

I expect designer clothes and a fake smile.
I find a piano teacher in a threadbare cardigan, a fridge that’s almost empty, and a five-year-old who drags me into a tea party like I’m not built for violence.

That first night, I clear the apartment.

A hidden camera is wedged in her daughter’s bedroom.

At that point, I stop watching Daria—and start hunting the man who put it there.
I don’t have his name yet. But I will.

Daria flinches at blocked numbers. She lies like it keeps her alive. And when I catch the bruises she hides under sleeves, something in me goes cold and final.

I came here to catch a traitor.
Instead I’m standing between a mother, her little girl… and the man who’s been terrorizing them for years.

If he comes for either of them, there won’t be negotiations.
There will be a cold body.

Explicit

Novel

Romance mafia romance dark mafia romance russian mafia romance enemies to lovers romance alpha male romance touch her and die forced proximity steamy contemporary romance action and adventure billionaire romance

Hosted by Clara Dunn Review Team

Note from the Author

To my wonderful ARC readers, Thank you so much for reading and reviewing my newest book! It’s part of a series, but it can absolutely be enjoyed as a standalone. You do not need to read the first books to enjoy this one! I’m still finishing up the final round of edits. If you spot anything that needs fixing (typos, formatting hiccups, etc.), please message me directly so I can get it cleaned up fast. Happy reading,
 Clara

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------------------- -------------

My 5 STAR REVIEW TITLED: Daria & Kira are caught in the middle

Pyotr Fedorov is a dangerous Russian who works for Dimitri Koslv his Pakhan. He goes where he is sent and he figures things out. Whatever needs to be done he checks it out and reports back.  He's been sent to figure out if Daria has been leaking information. If so, she's threat to the organization, she will be "eliminated."  He has a limited time to figure it out. He has to have proof if she is innocent or guilty. Time is quickly running out and there is twists, suspense and surprises along the way.

Daria Kozlov divorced her husband, Bodgan but he still calls and threatens her. He was extremely physically abusive and also emotionally abusive too !  They divorced but he still keeps coming at her. She's terrified out of her mind and just wants to keep her daughter , Kira away from Bogdon !  Kira is such an adorable 5 year old and almost instantly attaches herself to this huge scary man Pyotr. Sharing her dinosaurs and her sprinkles !! That made me smile ! Kira is so hilarious at times!

He's scary rightfully so with adults who cause trouble  but so gentle with her.  Daria doesn't open up to Pyotr right away but when she does it happens slowly until it becomes much clearer what she has endured.  She finally trust Pyotr physically and they do have some "hot times" but he was also very caring afterwords with her too ! I loved how he often called her Little Dove in Russian.  They start fiercely working together and want to put Daria's name in the clear and "take care of" her ex. 

 The suspense is tight, the emotions run high, and "JUSTICE" is finally served and Daria, Pyotr and Kira get their happy ever after,  which shows in the Epilogue.    Throughout the story, Daria is worried about her older sister, who is is in a high stress professional job. She's lost touch with her. At the end of story Dmitri shows her some information that shows she just might have reasons to worry about the new man in her sister's life! I want to read that story too !

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Feb 16/ Bksprount/Kindle/ The Don’s Vengeance by Jasmin Song

  Bksprout

 

I fell for my sworn enemy's daughter while plotting to destroy her. 

Isabella Russo walks into the club and gives me the best one-night stand of my life. No names. 

The next day, she shows up across the table from me on the business deal of her lifetime. 

That’s when I realize who she is: the daughter of the man who killed my father. 

I'm his only surviving son, a Don raised in secret, trained for one purpose: vengeance. 

And the principessa just walked into my trap. 

She’s perfect for my plan. So, I seduce her. I make her believe I'm someone she can trust. Every dinner reveals a vulnerability. Every touch, another confession. 

But as I steal her secrets, she steals something too. My own damn heart.  

I’m supposed to destroy her deal and her family’s future. 

If I choose Isabella, my family starts a war, with my dead father rolling in his grave.

If I choose my vendetta, my enemies burn, with Isabella at the center of the blaze. 

Explicit

Novel

Romance mafia enemies to lovers one night stand forbidden forced proximity revenge

Hosted by Jasmin Song

Note from the Author

Please enjoy and leave your honest review when the book goes live on Amazon.

Review on at least 1:

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-------My  4 Star Review TITLED:  Deceitful Seduction/Romance   ---

Isabella Russo is the lawyer of her mob family. Her father is the Don; the head of this Italian family. She's brilliant, beautiful and she tries to stay on the legitimate side of the business. Oh, she knows that they are but she's trying to get things cleaner. She has a vision, a dream on how to go about that.  Her Uncle Marco is always trying to control her. Always putting her down and trying to make her "less". To thwart her. I didn't like him from the start.  It amazed me with how much her father put up with that. UNTIL, some hard truths come out MUCH later in the story.  That one night stand with fake names is going to cost her !  Her friend Mia is the only one who really has her back. Although she has a brother Leo who does show up. He's not in the "business" but loves her. She also has a sister who stays way far away from the family business and doesn't really show up in the story. 

It surprises Stephan Hale when Isabella Russo shows up in a meeting for competing for a contract and he soon discovers that although she is 13 years younger than him; she's sharp. Still beautiful but clever and skilled.  Wow,  the painful secrets that he is holding and his NEED for revenge is STRONG.  He's been training and been trained for years to exact the downfall of Isabella's father, Don Enrico Russo.  He's so attracted to her but if bringing her down publicly is the price of winning, he's going to do it ! And to him seducing her was not a problem at all ! Be warned though the scenes are explicit. He does end up having remorse so he isn't a psychopath ! Just ruthless !

Stephanos Petrakos and his mother Maria were the only survivors of the attack on their home in Greece . It happened  he was 13 years old. His father and older brother, Dimitris were both murdered.  Other people have hidden them, Nikos has been his main trainer on physical combat and how to stay alive. His mother entered into an American arranged marriage for her son's sake and the professor, Robert Hale adores her ! And he was thrilled to help by adopting and helped raise her son. Robert was very good and loving toward Stepahnos.  But Stephan was also becoming a brilliant lawyer as well !

All the painful lies come out of course with everything coming to a stunning confrontation between the two families and finally a well deserved HEA for the couple.  

 I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

jan27/HOOPLA/Wreck the Halls /A Novel Tessa Bailey

   HOOPLA eBOOK

 Amazon link

 368 pages 2023  HarperCollins 

 #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey delivers a sexy, hilarious standalone holiday rom-com about the adult children of two former rock stars who team up to convince their estranged mothers to play a Christmas Eve concert...

Melody Gallard may be the daughter of music royalty, but her world is far from glamorous. She spends her days restoring old books and avoiding the limelight (one awkward tabloid photo was enough, thanks). But when a producer offers her a lot of money to reunite her mother's band on live tv, Mel begins to wonder if it's time to rattle the cage, shake up her quiet life... and see him again. The only other person who could wrangle the rock and roll divas.

Beat Dawkins, the lead singer's son, is Melody's opposite, the camera loves him, he could charm the pants off anyone, and his mom is not a potential cult leader. Still, they might have been best friends if not for the legendary feud that broke up the band. When they met as teenagers, Mel felt an instant spark, but it's nothing compared to the wild, intense attraction that builds as they embark on a madcap mission to convince their mothers to perform one last show.

While dealing with rock star shenanigans, a 24-hour film crew, brawling Santas, and mobs of adoring fans, Mel starts to step out of her comfort zone. With Beat by her side, cheering her on, she's never felt so understood. But Christmas Eve is fast approaching, and a decades-old scandal is poised to wreck everything, the Steel Birds reunion, their relationships with their mothers, and their newfound love.

 ---My 5 STAR REVIEW TITLED: Melody stole the show Book 15 of The Mafia Don Series

The story opens with them at 16 years old.    The stuff she went through when she was younger was just so harsh !  I felt so sorry for her.  Her mother was absent, living the more hippy lifestyle now only showing up at certain times of the year. Beat was such a handsome, social guy that everyone loved from the start.  When they were younger, the few times that they met Beat became her hero because he did what he could to protect her feelings.  She had a MAJOR crush on him and still kinda does.  

Beat is torn about that Reunion between the mothers. He doesn't think that it will work but he's being blackmailed and has to try.  I felt bad that his mother  was absent most of his life. She had to be center stage all the time. With Melody at his side, he just might do it. He has a deep dark secret that he is hiding from Mel. It seems to be of a sexual nature too ! That kept me wondering as well. 

Unusual, Emotional, Quirky Story and I adored the NOW, hilarious Melody. She didn't even know why people loved her now. They think her honesty is funny and welcome. 

 I read this story through my HOOPLA Library App and I'm glad that I did. 

-------------NOT ADDED TO REVIEW- some spoilers-----

I loved how Beat calls her "Peaches".  Joseph the cameraman who follows them around as part of his job was a hoot. So was his non romance with the live stream producer who is hot for her. 

The Mothers are a hoot ! So different, so mad when they find out what's been happening AGAINST their kids and their romance ! They out the drummer on stage and he gets booted out again ! The show is a smash and their "kids" get their HEA

bkfunnel/ Cuffing His Bride (Glamorous Brides# 1)by Cassi Hart

  amazon

For any other questions, please contact:
Cassi Hart <cassi@cassihartromance.com>

 Amelia 

I’m having the worst day ever. My fiancé, a guy I didn’t even like to begin with, has left me at the altar. The only reason I was marrying him was to secure a trust fund from my late grandfather, and now he’s completely ruined my plans. Of course, I probably could have reacted better; assault and destruction of property are ill-advised, even on the worst of days. Now I’m being dragged away from my own wedding in the arms of the biggest, nicest-smelling cop I’ve ever met. I’m totally screwed. How am I going to buy my mom’s flower shop back now?

Hunter 

I’ve been on the force long enough to think I’ve seen it all, but some things still manage to surprise me. When I got the call about an altercation happening at the church down the street, I was expecting a real bride-zilla. Instead, I end up with Amelia, and she takes my breath away. I can’t help relishing how she feels against me as I drag her off her fiancé. I don’t know what’s going on, but I know she’s too good for a man like him. How did she end up with a jackass like him? 

------------My 4 Star Review TITLED: Swift, Funny, sweet and some Hotness 

I loved how sweet, desperate, 21 year old Amelia flies into a "smart" rage on her fink of a groom when Charles very publicly dumps her at the altar.  It's funny how this tiny usually sweet woman is trying to tear Charles hair out. She's got the wimp trapped ! Lol. 

Hunter is a by the book policeman saddled with a baby faced rookie who doesn't have a clue. Hunter usually works alone and he likes it that way !  He is fascinated when he sees Amelia refusing to loose her grip on her fiancee.  What he sees in his point of view is a tiny beauty; an enraged angel.

Hunter knows he shouldn't get involved with her personally. He's 10 years older than her.   But things do escalate pretty quickly between them and come to really good HEA. 

Review by Feb 21, 2026Bksprout/ ROBERTO: An Off-limits Surprise Pregnancy Mafia Romance BY Claire Kirby

  Booksprout

 amazon

I took my dream job in an Atlantic City casino—then discovered my boss is a mafia attorney whose baby I now carry.

When my college roommate hires me as Marketing Manager at Conti Enterprises, I see it as my ticket to the top.

What I don't expect is her uncle Roberto—the mysterious executive whose dark eyes strip me bare and whose quiet authority slowly exposes a raw hunger I didn’t know existed within me.

At forty-four, the widowed attorney is everything I shouldn’t want.

Grumpy. Closed off. Lethally magnetic.

Late nights revitalizing our marketing campaign blur into something far more primal as I’m introduced to soft restraints and whispered commands.

He touches me as if I already belong to him and unlocks something deep inside me, as I realize I have fallen for this enigmatic man.

Then I find it—evidence of money laundering buried deep in files I review daily. My hands shake. My world tilts.

 The man I'm falling for is a criminal.

The family that embraced me could destroy everything I've built.

Roberto's confession shatters me—they're the notorious Conti crime family, and he's their legal weapon.

I'm planning my escape when twoSo pink lines appear.

Now I'm trapped between the safe life I left behind and a dangerous man whose baby is growing inside me—in a world I never knew existed.

Mature

Novel

Romance surprise pregnancy mafia romance age gap romance off-limits romance office romance best friend's uncle

Hosted by ARC Team

Note from the Author

This is the third stand-alone in The Conti Family Series. Both the first and second books were #1 Best Sellers with stellar reviews. The books can be read in any order, and you will not need to have read books one and two before enjoying ROBERTO.

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----MY REVIEW NOTES TITLED:  Olivia gets tired of so many Lies and Secrets 

It starts out slow, building a good foundation with plenty of descriptive scenes of locations and systems.  And some of the people like Caterina Conti who is not only her college friend but also now her exacting but good boss. It got into too much information for my comfort when it came to setting things up  for the casino. But Caterina is keeping secrets !

Olivia Romano thrives in chaos so she can bring order. Roberto is farther in that category. He's an annoyingly controlling, neat nick who MUST have order and Quiet times to function.  His housekeeper knows what to do..coffee and food in the morning to keep his edge calm. Who is Maria and why does he keep shutting thoughts about her? It was a question that I kept thinking until it got cleared up. 

However, things got more interesting to me when Roberto and Olivia get stuck in an elevator when everyone has already gone home. She gets panicked.  Shes not good in an elevator on her good day according to her.  Things get incredibly sexually tense and includes rough play. 

I liked when the family members were included in more depth and it was shown that his brother, Antonio was the "charmer" of the group. Danger happens to a CLOSE family member but it does get "resolved."  The family pulls together and Olivia gets a closer look, a different view to this dangerous family. 

 Happy ending for Roberto and Olivia does earn a sigh and smile from me on how it all ends for them. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

bfunnel/ *Negotiating Love* by Nomaya Jax /?sample?

  For any other questions, please contact:
Nomaya Jax <Nomayajaxauthor@nomayajax.com>

I don’t make mistakes in business. Ever.

When my wife betrayed me to leak company secrets, I handled it like I would any hostile takeover—calculated, strategic, ruthless.

Then I met Amira.

Single mom. Beautiful. Tangled up with the wrong man.

I only meant to warn her. I didn't plan on hiring her. I didn’t plan on touching her—or kissing her—or imagining how she’d sound moaning my name. But I did.

Now the lines are blurred. She’s in my life, my bed… and somehow, always on my mind when I should be focused on anything else.

And the man she trusted before me? He’s not done causing trouble.

I thought I had everything under control… until protecting her becomes the only thing that matters.

-----MY REVIEW NOTES- This is just a cliffhanger sample

A good intro to the story that can be bought from the author for $2.99 But to be honest, this is just a taste ending on a cliffhanger. Too bad thought because it was starting to get interesting when it ended.

 Julian Carr and his friend and business associate Ryan are on a personal plane discussing Julian's business and Julian's unfaithful wife Sienna.  She has no idea that she has been caught cheating and there is proof. She thinks she's safe. No idea what's coming for her.  Brent Walker is her co-cheater.  And his beautiful girlfriend Amira Sterling has no idea either.   I love that name Amira.  She has a 3 year old daughter named Emma with this nasty guy and it's going to break their hearts.  Both of them are sweet and I'm not sure who Julian's going to fall in love with first but the daughter definitely looks good for it !

ARC/Mignon Mystery (The Good Chef Mysteries) by Elsie Grey

  amazon

 Book 7 of 8: The Good Chef Mysteries 

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GK56MVJ7

A61 pages

Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 11, 2026

A tender cut. A small-town secret. And a mystery that won’t stay off the menu.

When a respected local figure is found dead, the quiet rhythm of Pine Grove is thrown off just as Lily Good is settling into life as a chef once again. Between running her restaurant and nurturing the community she’s come to love, Lily hoped the past was finally behind her.

But old instincts don’t fade easily.

As whispers ripple through town and loyalties are tested, Lily finds herself drawn back into an investigation where nothing is as carefully trimmed as it appears. With the help of familiar faces—and a few carefully prepared dishes—she begins to uncover a truth that someone is desperate to keep hidden.

Warm kitchens, small-town charm, and a mystery simmering just beneath the surface, Mignon Mystery is a cozy culinary novella perfect for readers who love comfort food, clever clues, and a heroine who follows her intuition—both in the kitchen and beyond.

Each title in The Good Chef Mysteries is a binge-friendly cozy novella, ideal for curling up with one delicious mystery at a time.

------------ 

My 4 star Review TITLED: Wait for the Twist !

I liked the short dedication at the beginning of her book that was to her sisters and her readers. Nice touch. And this is a sweet, good, clean mystery. 

An unwilling group gathering meet at Lily's restaurant to eat and they aren't a happy group of relatives.   They are there to humor their mother/ grandmother  to appear as a getting along group. They actually can't stand each other. Lily and her boyfriend Detective Lance Philips are working together again and are clever as usual.  People lie but wait for the twist it's a good one.

Several good recipes are added at the end of the book.  I enjoyed this shorter story that I was given as an ARC.  It's mentioned that Lily's next adventure continues in "Kipper Killer." 

bkfunnel/ Death in Onsen by Ann Rose

   For any other questions, please contact:
Ann Rose <annrosetheauthor@gmail.com>

A struggling food show, a marriage on the rocks, and a dead influencer in the Japanese hot spring...

What do they have in common? Me.

 

When my soon-to-be-ex and I arrived in this beautiful Japanese spa village to film our YouTube food show, becoming a murder suspect wasn't part of my content strategy.

But after a famous influencer propositioned my husband and I told her where to stick her yoga mat, she turned up dead in the hot spring. Now I'm racing to solve the crime before I either become the next victim or star in "Japanese Prison Cuisine" for life.

Between faking marital bliss for our fans, a blackmail note, and my actor husband's TV-cop "expertise," this Japanese getaway has become my worst nightmare. (Okay, at least the sushi is to die for).

My grandma always said I had a talent for kneading myself into fine messes, but this might just be my masterpiece.

Death In Onsen is the delicious first course of An International Foodie Mystery. Perfect for fans who love their mysteries served with a side of snark, a pinch of romance, and a generous helping of international intrigue.

My 4 STAR REVIEW TITLED:  Megan deserves Better (Just a Taste)

As I was reading it I kept thinking, "Dump that handsome, entitled bum, Reed Prescott.!" Follow through on it. He really is a man-child like she said.  He played Detective Bennett on TV until he got killed off and now he's the main face on their Vlog together. He constantly complains and leaves her with all the work. He had one moment of thoughtfulness. 

Megan does get some good, funny digs in though. When Aurora Wynters  another Vlogger who is a fake, not nice lady, Reed goes all googly eyed ! Sure, she's a wealthy multi-millionaire from her work.  But she's fake from the ground up and makes her assistant work like a slave. 

The story though short had potential however: 

I liked that it was set in Japan and I got to read about different things abut the food and culture but it did end in a cliffhanger which I  don't like.  To be this edition was a bookfunnel one. Just not sure if I will be following up in:

The full book link is Amazon 

bkfunnel/ Surrender Your Tomorrow by A.L. Jackson

  For any other questions, please contact:
A.L. Jackson <aljacksonauthor@gmail.com>

 Redemption Hills

Taylor always knew she couldn't suffer the same fate as her sister. Being under the rule of her father and his corrupt regime couldn't be the story of her life. She aches for the chance to spread her wings. That chance comes when her sister asks for her help ending the reign their father has over them. Taylor is more than happy to step up to the challenge, and she knows exactly how to do it. Seduce the sexy, dangerous biker who has been charged with guarding the secret that will set them free... 

 

MY  5 STAR review TITLED:  Wild Biker & Wild Woman Meet

 

Taylor does not want to meet the same fate of her sister, Aster . Their father was an Italian Boss in LA and is greatly feared. He married Aster of to her cruel husband Jarek Urso. And Taylor only wants to get Aster out of the marriage and back with her first love. It's a hard task. Jarek is as dangerous as he is cruel.

Taylor is a hoot ! She finds it isn't that hard to want to seduce the dangerous biker that calls himself ,Unit.  He's hot, dangerous and she suddenly finds that she's tired of being the "good guy." He resists at first but not really that hard even though he knows the leader of his MC will not be happy with him either. They do enjoy each other a lot. Unit really has met his match and it leaves him smiling, as they run for cover. They do have a HEA for now and there is more in a full book called, "Never Look Back." (Book 3.) It has Aster and Logan's story.  Sounds good. 

--------------------Amazon link Book 3   -----

ARC- kindle bought/ Claimed By My Family's Rival: An Enemies to Lovers Forced Proximity Romance by Lainey Skies

    AMAZON  my amazon review

My father sold me to his enemy as collateral, and now I'm falling for the man who owns me.

I hate Raffaele Moretti. The cold-blooded enforcer who dragged me from my home in handcuffs, who locked me in his penthouse like some prized possession.

My father traded me to save his own skin. Now I'm collateral for a debt I didn't owe, trapped with a man whose ice-gray eyes see straight through every wall I build.

I fight him on everything. Every rule, every command, every attempt to break me.

But then he takes a bullet meant for me. Then he whispers my name like a prayer when he thinks I'm asleep. Then he holds me through the nightmares, his hands gentle for the first time in his brutal life.

I'm not supposed to want the man who stole my freedom. I'm definitely not supposed to fall in love with him.

Now there's a hit out on my life, and his father demands my death to keep the peace.

 

 MY 5 STAR REVIEW

5.0 out of 5 stars There is Betrayal all around them !

Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2026

 Sofia Romano wakes up in the middle of the night. There are unfamiliar voices and shouting !So she sneaks downstairs in her silk pajamas and gets caught listening ! She gets furious at the men threatening her father and burst into the room where armed men point guns at her. Raffaele Moretti is one of them. Although he is both amused and surprised by her courage, he's been planning this and takes her right then ! He is a 6'3" man who is an enforced and son of Don Moretti. She was taken for leverage, collateral for the $2 million debt that her father owes them. This has been well planned and when she gets to her new luxurious "suite", there are clothes, shoes, makeup and toiletries all tailored to her style. She's furious once again. She is fierce, and unafraid to confront Raffaele although he often tells her she should be. She's also smart and sassy.
Raffaele was told by his father..I know that she's pretty and I know you as a man but she's to be untouched until I decide what I'm going to do with her. Yeah, good luck with that. Raffaele is often impressed with Sofia and after awhile he realized he's in deep trouble already with his attraction for her. Thing is she is fighting that same attraction too ! It cracked me up when his friend and also good man in organization would often, call out through their door, "Urgent ! Boss, we have a situation!" It happened usually when Rafffaele and Sofia were in the middle of their own "heat" of a situation. Nothing in that area of sexual heat happens until a while later. Their sweet, sassy romance was one I enjoyed.
Matteo was also a good guy when it came to having Raffaele's back even when he had some doubts from time to time. Especially when dealing with Sofia. But Matteo is loyal to the end.
They have treachery coming at them from every corner and the battles are intense. Who can they trust?
Great surprises towards the end and I loved how it all ended. Especially the phrase that came about AFTER they became enemies and then they weren't. They were both trying to survive especially after finding love together. The Phrase? "Together. Always." They fought TOGETHER til the end.

bkfunnel/ Auctioned to the Russian Bratva by Alessia Reid

  amazon

I bought her at auction. She became the pregnant obsession I'd kill for.

 

I am the Enforcer of the Kashkin Bratva—the most feared man in San Francisco. Violence is my currency. Mercy is a word I've never learned.  

Then I saw her on that stage. 

Dark hair like spilled wine. Plus-size curves that made my hands ache. Eyes full of terror and defiance that cut straight through me. 

She was being sold by her own father to clear his debts—auctioned off to the highest bidder. I told myself I was paying five million dollars for leverage. To destroy the Benedetti empire. 

But that was a lie. 

I'd been obsessed with her since the night we met two years ago—a charity gala, a few hours of conversation, and a woman who talked about the human heart like it was holy. I walked away because wanting a Benedetti was suicide. 

But watching another man bid on her? Hearing him describe what he'd do to break her?

 My control shattered. 

Now she's my wife. My prisoner. My little sun who hides her gorgeous body in oversized clothes. Monster—that's what she calls me. She fights me at every turn, and looks at me like I'm both her captor and her salvation. 

When I discover she's carrying my child, I finally accept what I've been denying: 

I don't just want to own her. 

I need to worship her. Burn down everyone who threatens her and our baby. 

She believes I bought her as a possession. 

What she hasn't realized yet:

She's my redemption.

------ My 5 STAR REVIEW TITLED: Painful Surprises for Bianca

The story opens with Misha at an event and he's there for Carmine Benedetti.   His brother Dmitri wants intel on the man.  He's up to something. But that's also when Misha spots Carmine's daughter Bianca and he's enchanted the longer he gets to speak with her. 

She's 20 years younger than him but as I read the story I tended to forget that fact.  She is studying to be a doctor and is fascinated with cardiology.  She's been kept away from her family's "business".  And it's way for evil than she ever could have imagined! It's so emotional and painful for her when she realizes her own father sold her and her two brothers delivered to the auction ! She's angry with Misha because of all the lies he told her when they met and "dated" for four months and then dumped her.  Misha later tells her that he did it to save her life.

Misha, I couldn't help but like him and how torn up he had been about Bianca. He doesn't tell her that he was ordered to end their relationship but he obeyed his brother's demand. After all, he is the head of the family.  He protects his family his brother and his sister, Anna who is one spunky lady. Anna helps Bianca more than once just not to escape.  Misha loves Bianca just doesn't have the words, he's not that lighthearted, laughing boy that he once was.  He tells Bianca often that he's not a good man. But she begins to see more than just a Killer.

Sergei Morozov  is really the one behind all her troubles. He's the one who was supposed to get her publicly at that auction. Her father set the whole thing up and when Misha messed it up? He's furious and he's coming to get her and to kill Misha.  That's not going to be as easy as he things even with all his plans and forces but he does try.

Great encounters and the best ending.  

 

 

bookkspt ARC FEB 5/ The Billionaire's Forbidden Arrangement by Nora Daniels

  Booksprout

 Amazon

One bed.

One fake relationship.

And she has no idea I’m the man she kissed years ago.

I don’t believe in love, then Lena Carter walks back into my life; smart, curvy, stubborn and completely forbidden. 

She looks at me like I’m just another grumpy boss, not the man who still remembers her mouth.

A PR disaster dumps me in a love-obsessed town I loathe.

One photo turns into a fake romance.

One promise turns into nonstop proximity.

I hold her hand for the cameras.

She laughs like she already trusts me, and I hate how badly I want it.

We dance under string lights.

A burst pipe leaves us stranded.

One bed.

Every rule on the floor.

Her nails dig in, my restraint snaps, and the kiss I never forgot crashes into the present.

That’s when I realize I’m already screwed.

The problem is my empire can shut down the town she loves.

And if I choose business over her, I won’t just lose the deal…I’ll ruin the only woman who ever made me believe in love.

Explicit

Novella

Romance Billionaire Romance Fake Reletionship One bed Grumpy Sunshine Secret past connection small town romance forced proximity steamy contemporary romance Billionaire protector Kindle unlimited romance

Hosted by Nora Daniels

Note from the Author

Thank you so much for reviewing! This is a grumpy billionaire / one-bed / fake relationship romance with spice and a guaranteed HEA. Reviews are due during launch week (Feb 5–12), and you’re welcome to copy your Booksprout review straight to Amazon once the book goes live.

Must review on:

Amazon

File(s) available:

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---my 4 Star Review TITLED: 2nd Chances

 Lena Carter is with her friend Tasha on a rooftop Valentine's Day celebration 6 years ago. She doesn't want to be there but her friend convinced her. Lena doesn't like Valentine's Day celebrations but she does meet the mysterious stranger on the rooftop and she boldly kisses him and wishes that it could have gone further.  The stranger is into it too until Tasha suddenly interrupts them. Her brothers Malik and Andre would freak if they knew what almost happened !

 6 years later Lena is back in her hometown of Rosebend working at City Hall for Mayor Chen. She really likes her job and feels like it's a worthy job that's trying to help people. 

Lena is shocked when the man she has to work with is the handsome stranger,  a billionaire named Grant Whitlock !!!  Everyone thinks that they look good together but she's had enough of entitled billionaires. The dual points of view are great !

 Of course a major problem arises for the community project but also creative solutions meets it head on. 

Great Epilogue with a HEA 

 

 

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. 

  

bkfunnel/ Frost Mark (novella) by Seren Wilder

  For any other questions, please contact:
Seren Wilder <seren@serenwilderauthor.com> 

THE MAKING OF THE ICE HUNTER

A Karis Frost Origin Story (Exclusive Novella)

Karis Frost was raised to hunt the monsters the world pretends don’t exist.
Silver-haired. Ice-eyed. Armed since childhood. She’s spent her life tracking vampires, Weres, and anything else with claws and a warrant.

But when the Bureau flags her genetic scan as “anomalous,” everything she knows about herself fractures. Vamps hesitate when they smell her. Weres flinch. And the Bureau wants answers they won’t explain.

Then her closest friend—another hunter—is found brutally murdered in the woods, her heart taken with surgical precision.

The Bureau blames a rogue Were.
The local pack swears innocence.
And Karis knows a lie when she hears one.

Now she’s alone, armed to the teeth, and hunting something that shouldn’t exist… something that smells like her.

If you love gritty heroines, vicious mysteries, and supernatural worlds with sharp edges, meet Karis Frost—before she becomes the legend known as The Ice Hunter.

My 5 Star Review TITLED: It Begins 

Interesting start to this book and as I continued to read it, I was hooked when it kept coming up that Kris didn't smell right !!! Especially the supernaturals picked up on that. And a few others that seemed to be on her side, told her to watch her back.  What an unusual bounty hunter story and it's about a woman. That's something else that I liked about it ! And the woman Bureau Agent Marques proved to be interesting as well, in her warnings to Kris. The man she knew as her Grandad, protected her and taught her from an early age to prepare to hunt bounties.  Everyone seems to recognize her as a FROST without any introduction. Weird !

I loved that phrase The Ice Hunter ! What a great start before going into the full novel !

February 5th)ARC/ Faking It with the Mafia Protector BY Willa Wilde

  Booksprout   Amazon

 Part of: Vegas Vows + Vendettas (5 books)

---

I agreed to a fake marriage with a mafia enforcer.
Falling for him was never supposed to happen.

One spilled coffee turned my world upside down.
Rushing to work, I collided with Matteo Rossi.

His strong, tattooed hands caught me before I fell.
His gun caught my eye before I could breathe.
I ran.
But men like Matteo don’t let go that easily.

He noticed me.
The bruise on my neck.
The fear in my eyes.
The mark left by my violent Bratva ex, his enemy.

That night he’s waiting at the bar where I work.
And his solution is as ruthless as it is protective: marry him.
Fake vows, real protection, and a way for him to get revenge on his rival.

Matteo’s hatred is cold and consuming.
But the moment he touches me, it’s clear revenge isn’t the only thing he craves.

His grip is possessive.
His control is absolute.
I should be terrified. Instead, I’m unraveling.

My Bratva ex won’t back down.
What started as protection has painted a target on everyone I love.

Now Matteo is ready to start a war.

And once a man like him decides you’re his…
There’s no escape without blood.

Explicit

Novel

Romance mafia grumpy/sunshine forced proximity marriage of convenience

Hosted by Willa Wilde Mafia Lovers

Note from the Author

Thanks so much for reading and reviewing 🖤

Must review on:

Amazon

Optionally review on:

Goodreads

Bookbub

File(s) available:

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----------------MY 5 STAR REVIEW  TITLED: is there more for Matteo & Sierra ? 

 

I loved this story. Yes, it has well written explicit scenes between the main characters and yes there is violence. But still ! Matteo is the violent Enforcer for the Andretti Mafia.  But there is still so much good in him and the Andretti Mafia leader  Don Lorenzo really cares for his people; like family ! Especially his weapon, Matteo Rossi. 

On the other hand Viktor Ilyin is a super duper evil man who is working hand in hand with a Russian Bratva trying to take over the Andretti territory.  They don't care about anyone at all ! They will use whoever they want, even sacrificing their own people.  They are inhuman ! Sierra Dixon was duped into Viktor's net because he was so charming and attentive but after he became abusive and she began to see that he was in a violent Bratva; she dumps him.  But soon learns that no one EVER dumps him and he begins to stalk her because he has always wanted her from the first time he saw her at that bar where she worked.  He turns even  more violent when she continues to resist him.  He sees her with Matteo and becomes enraged !

Sierra is confused and refuses marriage until she can no long when she realizes how dangerous the threat is from Viktor.  Sierra has such a loving family, who are afraid for her especially after Viktor and they don't know all of what she went through. The fun starts when they both start to "caught feelings" for each other. Because they really don't want to get marries..at first.  There are times when Matteo lets her get closer and then shuts her out because he's afraid to put a bigger target on her back.  I loved how tender  he is with his only family; his Ma:Mrs. Rossi. One of my favorite phrases was about how he hated for her at Chemo thinking great he's waiting for poison to cure poison. So true ! Matteo wants Vikto dead in the worst way. He tried to kill him before and is making a new dangerous brain destroying drug that kills. He's killed many of their men and now Matteo just has to wait and draw him out. 

I loved how there was not only dangers but passion, surprises, unexpected betrayal and a smashing finish. All leading up to a Sweet ending.  

 I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

kindle/ Claimed by the Outlaw By Rica Lane

  amazon

Book 1 of 7: Broken Halos Motorcycle Club  

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GHPKVC3L

152 pages

Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 19, 2026 

 He’s a scarred ex-soldier.

I’m the city girl he found freezing in the mountain.

He carried me to his bed and told me he’s never letting go.

I thought owning a cabin meant freedom. I didn’t realize it meant staking a claim on Gunnar’s land—and on Oliver himself.

A mountain of muscle and ink, he speaks in growls and lives for the hunt. When he found me lost in a blizzard, he saved me from death… then made it clear: I belong to him now.

And God help anyone who dares cross the line.

He finds me in a blizzard, drags me to safety, then tells me he owns me. No romance, no patience—only possession.

He’ll fix my porch with jagged spikes. He’ll mark my neck so his brothers know I’m taken.

He’s the Vanguard: battle-ready, relentless, dangerous. But when it comes to me, he becomes a different kind of monster—the type who would burn the world to keep me safe.

He calls himself the wolf of the ridge. I’m the only thing he refuses to share.

This is a dirty, high-heat MC mountain man novella you can devour in two hours or less—perfect for a late-night binge, a stolen afternoon, or when you crave all the good stuff (one-bed forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine instalove) without any slow build or filler.

No cheating, no filler drama, just an obsessive MC Alpha Male that will do anything for her.

This Motorcycle Club love story is a stand-alone romance set in Rica Lane's interconnected small town of Pine Valley, which is the perfect place to find your next book boyfriend

 

 

My 5 STAR REVIEW TITLED: Little Bird & Oliver   

 Avery Nolan starts out the story as an orphan who has inherited a cabin in the mountains. Actually it's more like a lean too shack.  It's barely standing as she tries to use ancient, rusty tools she finds. She's freezing but won't give up.  It's the first place she's ever owned. 

Oliver Gunnar is a Vanguard in the motorcycle club  and refused to let her freeze to death. He's a mountain of a man and can see her lips are turning blue. So off to his cabin, his fortress, his sanctuary they go.  He's not happy about it but he won't let her freeze to death.  I loved that at times he called her, Little Bird. That is when he wasn't being gruff with her.  Avery doesn't take long before she isn't afraid of the man, that everyone else fears !

There is another danger developing on the mountain and Gunner and the whole  Motorcycle Club will not stand for it.  He's not the Prez but he is the enforcer for the club. 

Avery ad Oliver get their HEA but there will be more stories about this Club and the danger that is trying to be included on THEIR mountain ! 

bkfunnel/ Still the One by Jem Johnson

  For any other questions, please contact:
Jem Johnson <jemjohnsonwrites@gmail.com>

amazon 

In the second act of life, will she finally come first?

After decades of holding everyone else together, Celia Hart returns to Stillwater Springs burned out and broken-hearted. Her marriage is over, her grown son still needs mothering, and her father’s slipping memory means he needs more help than she can give. The hometown that once felt too small now feels too full of ghosts—especially Bo Porter, the boy next door turned man she never stopped wanting.

Once upon a time, Bo and Celia were inseparable. Until high school turned him into the golden boy: football star, prom king, and boyfriend to the head cheerleader. Celia was the quiet one, the fixer, the friend who faded into the background. And even now, with Bo widowed and her own husband long gone—run back to his first love, no less—she can’t shake the feeling that she’s always been someone’s second choice.

Surrounded by old girlfriends with their own unfinished business, Celia wonders if it’s not too late to choose herself. To love without losing. And to stop surviving long enough to actually live.

Heartfelt, sexy, and full of bone-deep truth, Still the One is a story for every woman who thought she had to earn rest, prove her worth, or carry it all alone. Sometimes, coming home isn’t about starting over—it’s about finally letting yourself belong.

 My 5 Star review TITLED: Living in Celia's Life

Celia Hart is a 44 year old woman who always felt like she was second choice. We get to see her P.O.V. She loves driving and she doesn't want to answer any calls as she does. It's her peaceful time. Besides, she' trying to sneak back into her home town. She's an author and has sold MANY books and is well known just about everywhere as a skilled author.  Most people realize her book series is talking about her hometown. She's driving and listening to a romance fantasy book;  comparing notes in her head, thinking this one was kind of cheesy. She gets pulled over by a policeman after throwing her phone. He claims she was TALKING on her phone and doesn't believe her.  So much for a quiet entrance just her look.

Her ex Greg Naulty is a sleaze, always making her full small with every success she gets !  She finally has had enough and when he runs back to his first love, she says good riddance and gives him the divorce he wants. She realizes once again she was never the first choice !The only good thing that came of that marriage is Zac her half white son.  He always turns to her for help, because his dad was never there for him either. She the one that EVERYONE turns to when something needs fixing ! No wonder she's exhausted !

Her first, true love was Bo Parker, who to her way of thinking ran off and married the snooty, smug, entitled, cunning cheerleader Billie . She maneuvered him and sweet, humble, handsome Bo NEVER saw her coming.  They had some good years together but now she died many years ago.  Bo resents the fact that Celia never came back til now. 

This story was emotional, I could feel Celia's turmoil.  And Bo's as well. It was a great read that just pulled me in !  It also had some surprises too !

 By the way, the eBook cover caught my attention and I'm glad that it did !.

kindle/ Savage Lies: A Bratva Enemies to Lovers Romance (The Empire of Vows #1) by Clara Dunn

  amazon

 Book 1 of 4: The Empire of Vows 

 ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FRYLMW89

391 Pages

Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 4, 2025

I’m falling for the Bratva king I was trained to destroy.

I wake up in a penthouse with no memory, a stranger in my bed, and a husband I don’t remember marrying.

Dmitri Kozlov says I’m his wife. That I was in a terrible accident. That he’s here to protect me.

But the man calling himself my husband is nothing like the gentle partner he pretends to be.

He’s cold. Controlling. Deadly.

And every instinct I have screams run.

But my body doesn’t listen.

It obeys him.

Hungers for him.

Even when I catch glimpses of the truth—the weapons, the violence, the lies—I can’t stop wanting him.

Because underneath the possessive alpha who watches me like I’m his next breath… is a man who’s already mine.

Only I don’t remember why.

Every day brings me closer to the truth.

And when my memories return, I’ll have to decide:

Do I destroy the man who stole my life?

Or stay with the one who might be the only person who ever truly loved me?

Savage Lies is a dark mafia/amnesia romance with a possessive husband, forced proximity, and a heroine torn between revenge and the only man who has ever truly loved her.

Book One in The Empire of Vows series of interconnected mafia romances. Each one follows a new couple and delivers its own HEA, with recurring characters and ongoing world drama that’s best enjoyed in order.

MY 5 STAR REVIEW TITLED:  Revenge or Love?

For one year FSB Agent Katya "Kotyonok" Sidorov  is undercover as Andrea.   She's an art appraiser and her handler Viktor warns her that her target is getting too close to knowing who she is.  It's aleady too late because 6'3' Dmitri Kozlov already knows. He kidnaps her and intends to make her pay. It starts out as revenge but will it stay that way? It does make for a thrilling start and continues to be thrilling and intense.His personal doctor Mikhail Orlov is a former military medic who sure comes in handy for Dmitri and Katya.  

I kept thinking shouldn't they be suspicious of Pavel? I sure was.  He just kept pushing his way in more than he needed to. And Dr. Vikto Petrov? I kept shaking my head at Dmitiri because for a smart Bratva  boss man he sure was careless at times.  But I also know that he cares about Katya even though he doesn't want to.  And what about the memory Dr. Anya ?  Some surprises lay in wait especially about her. 

Katya does some dumb emotional stuff  which irked me but hey she's trying to figure things out !   I get it. .

I liked how everything played out because it really kept my interest all the way ! Dual Points of View get me every time. 

 

 

Review by Feb 07, 2026/Arc Bksprout/ Bound by the Mafia’s Code by Nina Costa

  Booksprout    Amazon

 Hosted by Nina Costa

 Elena Rossi, fiercely loyal daughter of Sicily’s most feared Mafia Don, protects her family’s legacy with more than tradition—she’s the secret hacker known as “the ghost,” locking down their operations from digital threats. In her father’s opulent mansion, Elena’s intelligence and confidence are matched only by her devotion to family. But a new threat is closing in, and this one is far closer than she dares imagine.

Enzo DeLuca, the ambitious Don of New York’s most powerful syndicate, has been on the receiving end of the ghost’s cyber warfare for months. 

Determined to put an end to the attacks, Enzo uncovers her identity and orchestrates a bold extraction. Under the pretense of interfamily business, he infiltrates the Rossi estate just as Elena slips from the opulent meeting room to her hidden tech sanctum. 

With lethal efficiency, Enzo and his men seize her, spiriting her away through concealed corridors to a waiting car. The Rossi family’s security is no match for Enzo’s planning—within hours, Elena is aboard his private jet, drugged for safety, and flown into the glittering unknown of New York City.

Must review on:

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My 5 Star Review TITLED: Caught me off guard

Elena Rossi (The Ghost) is playing the role of the Don's sweet, compliant daughter at the event.  Enzo DeLuca from New York enters the ballroom not impressed with the Sicilian party. But people see him and make way instantly for him; most without realizing they recognize his authority. But Enzo doesn't care because he's on a carefully planned mission to snatch Elena.  He and his team work smoothly and get her out of there and back to his place in New York. She's not happy when she waked from being drugged but she's already plotting ! She's dangerous too. And she's tired of being underestimated, controlled, contained and of people trying to make her smaller. She's not. She's dangerous too !  

Enzo is a man of few words. He isn't aftaid of silence; he know that it holds power of it's own. And he's holding a lot of secrets from Elena and she just won't stand for that for long. . He can already see her mapping the room, the house, exits, cameras.  I really liked Enzo he was a different kind of Mafia Don. A lot different that her father the Don.  It still takes a LONG time for any trust to develop between them. But they need to hurry up about that because they have a clever enemy inside the works. I don't trust her cousin Marco, who is close to her father. He's almost like the son he doesn't have and influencing him more than he should be able to. 
What caught me off balance for a while was all the computer speak. It made me  uncomfortable at first because I didn't understand what was going on. Well at least at first !

But the story was really good and I got used to the writing style of this author and things began to get really intense with betrayals, the precision and alignments.  

I really enjoyed the dual points of view and how the story worked out in the end. 

 I  received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.