Aug15 Bksprt/ The Pakhan’s Accidental Bride Sins of the Bratva by Ariana Cooper

 Bksprt

 

I lied about having a fiancé.
Now I'm being forced to marry a Pakhan.

One desperate lie.
One crowded nightclub.
One dangerously handsome stranger.

To escape my abusive ex, I pointed at a man across the room.
Wrapped my hand around his arm.
And claimed he belonged to me.

I expected him to play along.
I expected him to walk away.
I expected a lot of things.

I never expected Emil Nikitin.

The most feared Pakhan in America.
A man built from violence and power.
A man nineteen years older than me.
A man who always gets what he wants.

And now...

He wants me.

One reckless lie turns me into the Pakhan's Accidental Bride.

My brothers are furious.
My stalker ex refuses to let me go.
And Emil refuses to let anyone near me.

He places guards outside my door.
Shadows my every step.
And looks at me like I'm already wearing his ring.

I should be terrified.

Instead, I'm falling.

For the dangerous man beneath the designer suits.
For the lonely soul hidden beneath the scars.
For the Pakhan who would destroy anyone who threatens what's his.

But loving Emil was never the real danger.
Trusting him is.

Because while I'm planning a wedding...

Emil is keeping secrets.

Dark ones. Violent ones.

The kind that could shatter everything between us.

And when I finally learn the truth about the man I'm about to marry...

Walking away may be impossible.
But staying could destroy me.

Author’s Note: A steamy standalone romance featuring a possessive Bratva Pakhan, a forced marriage, an age-gap romance, an abusive ex, protective hero vibes, family drama, danger, suspense, and enough obsession to make your heart race.
No cheating. No cliffhanger. Guaranteed HEA.

Mature

451 pages

English

Contemporary Romance Romantic Suspense Dark Romance bratva romance forced marriage age gap romance mafia romance alpha male forbidden romance organized crime arranged marriage marriage of convenience

Hosted by Ariana Cooper

Must review on:

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My 5 star review TITLED: Emil & Fiery Kiera

Keira's ex, Arnie is a dangerous stalker. He's been abusive, controlling in one of the reasons she left him. But he still won't leave her alone. So of course, she chooses Emil Nikitin not knowing who you really is. She was there at the bar dancing with her friends Jess and Sarah. They wanted to get her out of the awful way of life she been forced into while she was trying to avoid Arnie! 

I have to admit that I had a love hate relationship when it came to her brothers. They were so overprotective of Kiera get it almost made me want to scream!  Her brothers were really a buzz kill. Early in the chapters,  I said out-loud "I want to slap her in the head . she's so dumb!!" I threw my kindle down for awhile. So I can safely say yes, I got emotional involved. Her brother Jack is going to be a problem. He's a cop and he starts to work into the activity of Emil and the organization. He's been warned multiple times but this could get him , & the family killed. Emil is trying to protect them all. He's got his hands full, even though Luca, his right hand man is there for him, even when he's amused by some of the antics. I really liked Luca, he added a lot of the story!

The story is intense, emotional and Emil turns out to quite the surprise and I liked him and Kiera fighting to be together. Often fighting each other at times. Hot scenes between them too.

The ending is great as is the Epilogue.

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

Bksprt Aug 6/ Her Father's lawyer- Book 1 of The Daddy's Best Friend Club BY Alice Newgate

  Bksprt

 

He had me against the wall before I could say a single word about my divorce.

His hands were warm through my dress. His voice was low enough to make me forget why I was there.

“Eden.” Just my name. That was all it took.

 

Atlas Cain is the sharpest divorce attorney in Connecticut and my father’s closest friend. He’s been in every photograph from every birthday I’ve ever had.

He never looked at me. Until I walked into his office with a shattered engagement and a file that made even him go quiet.

He tried to keep this professional. Twice. I watched him lose that battle both times.

“You’re my client.”
“Then act like it.”
“I’m trying.”

He isn’t.

His son is in high school. My father plays poker with him every Tuesday night.

There are exactly zero reasons this doesn’t destroy everything.

We found every one of them. Then locked the door anyway.

 

He’s been off-limits her entire life.

Find out what happens when she stops letting him pretend otherwise.

Grab your copy of Her Father’s Lawyer — available now in Kindle Unlimited.

READER’S NOTE

A scorching forbidden romance between a powerful attorney and his best friend’s daughter. Expect dominant heroes, slow-burn tension, and heat that doesn’t quit. Age gap · daddy’s best friend · forbidden · single dad. Standalone HEA. No cheating. No cliffhangers.

Explicit

420 pages

English

Contemporary Romance Young Adult / New Adult Romance Inspired Romance single dad older man romance best friends dad romance novel steamy age gap romance books secret romance off limits man possessive older man romance Age gap Steamy romance New Adult Romance Older man romance

Hosted by Alice Newgate's Team

Review on at least 1:

Amazon

File(s) available:

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PDF (Send via email & download) 

 MY 5 STAR REVIEW TITLED: Her mother Eve, knew before anyone else 

 

 26-year-old Eden goes to lawyer 46-year-old Atlas to ask for his help and getting a divorce. Her husband Tristan Beauchamp cheated on her with her best friend. And she had caught them in act. They don't know yet that Eden had seen them! Eden's father the senator, with someone an Atlas had known for years and Atlas called him Chip. At least when they were in private. There are at least nine other men who gather at the Senator's estate where they have a time together and play over and drink some.  Eden has several sisters in a super sweet housekeeper that has known all of them since birth. She's watching what's going on and often smile secretly. Eden also starting to notice some things. What's going on with Hadley and Sterling? Aspen & Hawk? Sloane being watched by Cole? 
I absolutely adore her mother Eve and all the memories and her plans. In fact I loved the whole family & the extended guys too ! 
Tristan her soon to be ex & his family are a piece of trash. So is the opposing senator Vivienne and some of her staff. I loved how Foster digs deep and roots out all the deep betrayals.  I had questions about Atlas's ex Helena and her next husband. But that all gets sorted out but it takes a while. I absolutely loved the sweet careful romance between Atlas & Eden. And the year later Epilogue.

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

bksprout Aug 7-20,26/ Mafia Don's Inked Bride: An Age Gap Arranged Marriage Mafia Romance by Piper Raven

  Bksprout

My father always told me that ink never lies.

The day he finishes the championship tattoo on Miami's most celebrated MMA fighter, he places his battered sketchbook in my hands and tells me never to let it out of my sight.

By sunrise the next day, I'm a wife.

By sunset, my father is dead.

Now I'm married to Mickey Barbetti—the ruthless mafia don I've spent years trying to avoid. He's ten years older. Dangerously possessive. Relentlessly protective.

And bound by a promise he made my father long before I had any say in my own future.

I should hate him.

Instead, I'm trapped beneath the same roof, sleeping beside the same man, while trying to unravel the only thing my father left behind.

His sketchbook.

At first, the pages hold nothing but tattoo designs. Until I realize the ink is hiding something far darker.

A message. A warning. A death sentence.

My father uncovered a deadly conspiracy buried beneath Miami's championship fighting world—and someone will do anything to keep it hidden.

Now they're coming for the sketchbook. They're coming for me.

And the only man standing between me and the grave is the husband I never wanted.

But somewhere between Mickey's possessive protection, stolen kisses, and the dangerous secrets pulling us deeper into a world of blood and betrayal...

I stop pretending this marriage is temporary. Because Mickey Barbetti may have married me because of a promise. But now I'm carrying his heir.

And he'll burn Miami to the ground before he lets anyone take his pregnant wife from him.

And I'm beginning to realize... I might do the same for him.

Explicit

460 pages

English

Crime Fiction Contemporary Romance Dark Romance arranged marriage age gap surprise pregnancy forced proximity alpha male bad boy with a good heart protector kidnapping enemies to lovers touch her and die

Hosted by Piper Raven

Note from the Author

Sizzling Mafia Romance that will make your heart skip a beat. Plot driven and intense with twists and turns that will make you become a professional page turner. Reader discreation is advised! Note: You may receive a copy that contains unedited sections.

Must review on:

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File(s) available:

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MY 5 STAR REVIEW TITLED: Hot & Unexpectedly Tender often at the same time

Olivia Rossi's father Antonio has left her quite the legacy. In memories of a life time and the precious tattoo sketchbook. It holds untold mysteries. As of yet ! Miami is the setting and Mickey Barbetti is the one that enters the picture when Antonio wants Olivia protected.  Mickey has high regard to Antonio and doesn't know what's coming but promises to marry Olivia.  The best protection that he can offer. He meets a FURIOUS bride at the altar but they get married anyway.  I loved the dual P.O.V.'s and his family and staff were the best. His mother Isabella I fell in love with really quickly and his brother Rico the fighter was hilarious, loud and faithful to his family and his craft.  Olivia's best friend Chloe was a hoot and I enjoyed her part in the story as well. Toni is on his protection detail and Sophie is someone who works in the house. All great additions!

I loved the humor in the family especially between Olivia and Mickey; they develop into quite a team. And Mickey and Olivia quickly have hot times of marital scenes as well.

Victor is a very dangerous, clever, rich man who is moving Rico like a chess piece.  I was afraid Rico was going to be killed.

 The action is intense, the tattoos holding so much when it came to working out the hidden clues.  Great pacing, mysteries with an outrageously good ending and an even better Epilogue !

 P.S. I loved the whole idea of a story that surrounded so much around tattoos and the unique way the story ran. 

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

-------- 

Not in the review- His mother lets it slip on purpose that Mickey is actually named Michelangelo.

 

Jun 02 2026 Netgalley Read Now/Marion by Leah Rowan

  Netgalley Link

 Pub Date Jun 02 2026 | Archive Date Jun 16 2026

 St. Martin's Press

 General Fiction (Adult) | Horror | Mystery & Thrillers

 

A twist on Hitchcock’s iconic classic Psycho—where the leading lady doesn't die, but instead turns the knife on Norm, kicking off a crime spree that turns the silver screen victim into a heroine for our times.

NORMAN WAS HER FIRST.

Marion is in deep. She's stolen money from the Manhattan ad agency where she works in a desperate bid to help her sister escape an abusive marriage, but the bus breaks down before she can make it to Saratoga Springs. It's late at night, and the only place with vacancies is an old set of cabins on the outskirts of town. She pays for a room in cash, and ends up chatting with Norm, the young innkeeper who's handsome, charming and a touch hung-up on his elderly mother. Back in her room, she steps into the shower, scrubbing off the late-summer heat, when the curtain is pulled back...

Norm Billings is there with a knife. He raises his arm to strike, but before he does, Marion knees him in the balls, grabs the knife, and stabs the life out of him. Now, she's covered in blood, and she's a woman on the run—not just a thief, but a killer, too. Where will she go? How will she save both herself and her sister? And what mysteries will she uncover as she does?

In Psycho, Hitchcock shocked audiences when he killed off his protagonist. But what if the leading lady had fought back? Marion offers an alternate history of the most famous dead blonde to ever grace the silver screen. Only this time, the knife is in her hands—and she's no victim.

---

Available Editions

EDITION	Other Format
ISBN	9781250416469
PRICE	$29.00 (USD)
PAGES	336

My 4 Star Review TITLED: Odd, Tense Story

 I liked the eBook cover, it caught my attention. 

The story starts o July 28, 2023  and starts out pretty normally. Marion has a big sister Lauren who is 5 years older who adores Marion even before she was born. And Marion adores her too and acts almost more like the older sister than Lauren. The phrase that repeats in Marion's brain and thoughts is to protect Lauren because she is the stronger sister.   And will she will ANYTHING that it takes to do just that especially when she finds out Rob is abusing Lauren.  Marion had always felt that Rob was like an older brother because things started out so well for years. Then suddenly Marion began to  see things about her sister's marriage that scared her.  Lauren could end up dead. Not on her watch !

But before things escalate, she does something stupid because her boss talks her into it. Now she's on the run with a lot of money !  Now people are after her for that money. Of all the worse times to meet Norm ! He's handsome, charming and helpful. But for me he gave me a creepy feeling like a Norman Bates feeling !!

Suddenly a woman named Hannah shows up in the story and I was wondering how does she figure in?   Turns out she's looking for a missing woman named Emily Stockton and this could be her big break if she finds her.  

This was a twisted, tense story with Marion's mother's thoughts in her head.  Turns out Marion is no beauty queen with no skills. She is clever and she plans on getting out clean.   The surprises just keep coming. I was a bit confused towards the end because things were a bit unclear on the timing until I realized the story was switching between time lines. That part I didn't like so much.

I read this book through Netgalley and it was a wild ride.  

 

ARC Bksprt Aug 1,2026 Ruthless Mafia Oath by Helen Blume

  Booksprout  

 

I witnessed a murder.
Now I'm under the protection of the only man I should fear.

Ava

One late-night shift at my neighborhood coffee shop changes everything. One terrified glance through the window leaves me face-to-face with Gianni Moretti.

The Family's consigliere.

I should hate him for destroying my life.

Instead, he slowly puts it back together.

Every stolen glance across the coffee shop. Every lingering touch that steals my breath. Every quiet moment when he lets me see the man beneath the consigliere everyone fears...

...makes it impossible to remember why I was ever afraid of him.

He stops being the man I should fear.

He becomes the only place I've ever felt safe.

Gianni

She was supposed to be a witness.

I've spent my life planning for every outcome.

I never planned for her.

Ava

Now the greatest threat isn't outside the Family.

It's already inside.

If Gianni chooses his oath to the Family over me...

The next murder I witness could be my own.

Explicit

289 pages

English

Contemporary Romance Romantic Suspense Dark Romance mafia romance forced proximity alpha romance books betrayal romance possessive alpha male romance touch her and die romance protector romance mafia romance book spicy mafia obsession mafia protector romance

Hosted by Helen Blume VIP Readers 

Review on at least 1:

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File(s) available:

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My 4 Star Review TITLED: The pursuit is slow but dangerous

 

Ava has worked as a barista for Marco Vitelli for about 4 years.  He became really ill and she has been the managing person for several years now. She's holding it all together beautifully.  She definitely doesn't expect the turn of events that happen.   It's pretty interesting how Ava and Gianni meet and interact. Turns out that they both have something in common. They observe carefully and take mental notes of things early that others often miss. Ava learned it through years of not belonging anywhere for long and Gianni learned it at 24 years old when he was captured and tortured. They both just want to be wanted for themselves. A permanent place. 

Gianni is a quiet, careful man who works for Don Enzo DeLuca. The Don's oldest son Benedetto is the heir but I could see early that he was going to be a BIG problem ! I loved that Gianni is a man who wears glasses and it isn't something you always see in these kind of stories.  

 Dante is the man that Gianni assigns to safeguard Ava and he's a man of few words but interesting all the same.  Sal is another man that adds to the story who benefits Gianni a lot.  Things move slowly, with plenty of emotions and purpose. 

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

 

___not included in review was the fact that Gianni lost two fingers during his capture and now has 2 ceramic fingers.  

aug 1, 2026 Bksprt/ The Bride The Don Chose The Bride The Don Chose by Sloane Blackwell

  Booksprout

 

I was never meant to be the bride.

I was only supposed to stand beside her.

Until Chicago's most feared Don looked past my cousin at the altar—and chose me instead.

"Her."

One word.

Everything changed.

Damiano Vitale doesn't negotiate. He commands.

Cold. Ruthless. Dangerously patient.

He ends wars with a single order and always gets what he wants.

Now he wants me.

I've spent my whole life proving every man who underestimated me wrong.

I never imagined the only one who would truly see me would be the man I was taught to fear.

But behind Damiano's ruthless reputation is a code—and once he decides I'm his, nothing will make him let me go.

When his enemies come for me, they discover exactly why Chicago fears the Don who chose me.

The Bride the Don Chose is an enemies-to-lovers arranged marriage mafia romance featuring a fiercely intelligent heroine, an obsessive Don who falls first, explosive chemistry, and a guaranteed HEA.

Explicit

2000 pages

English

Crime Fiction Contemporary Romance Dark Romance Morally Gray Hero Obsessive Hero Arranged Marriage Forced Proximity Enemies to Lovers Touch Her and Die Rival Families Dark Mafia Virgin Herione Strong Herione

Hosted by Sloane Blackwell

Review on at least 1:

Amazon

File(s) available:

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My 5 Star review review TITLED:  It kept me hooked all the way through 

 

What a great opening scene !! And the surprise on Lottie's face is priceless! She may be quieter, but she's a watcher and she's no pushover ! And she knows how to survive in a Mafia household, having grown up in a ruthless one !  Just one more time of others not asking her what she wanted and treating her like furniture ! The emotions in this book were off the chart and I loved it.   I already want to read it again.  

 Damiano had seen a grainy picture of her before the first altar and had been intrigued with her fierceness captured in that picture.  She was beautiful yes, but there was fire there and when he had her investigated? She came up clean. She was different from the rest of the family.  And he knew she wasn't going to like what was coming! Bingo! He was right on the money on that !

Damiano had 4 different faces as Lottie will say later in the story. And she was right. He was so much more and better than she had been told. Oh yes, there was violence in him when needed but he never used it on her.  She wasn't afraid of him, didn't trust him and didn't budge an inch.  He let her get away with a lot and Lottie was continually surprised by him.  The first big surprise after the wedding was when she said they wouldn't be sleeping together that night?  She got the bed and he slept in the room on the chaise.  For many nights.  His only demand was that she always be honest with him. And he would do the same.  He actually was also courting her if you look at it from a different angle. I loved how the two of them were together and the way they talked to each other.  The different, getting to know you  kind of seduction  finally works. When they do get together it is of course, hot !

Lottie's cousin Bianca was a different kettle of fish. Beautiful, clever and not to be trusted and Damiano doesn't and keeps digging into to her and Lottie's uncle Enzo.  Lottie does kind of trust Bianca for a while but also suspects that there is something cold shifting under all that sophistication.  Good call because Bianca and Enzo have some deep plans that aren't good for their family, Damiano's family and the Caruso family!  

The evil goes even deeper than I suspected and I loved how the truth gets unraveled.  It was also great to see the people who weren't on Bianca and Enzo's side. Lottie and Damiano have plans too and it's for the good of all the families and I loved how they start building a New Family. A New Empire. Great ending and great Epilogue ! Great eBook cover by the way. 

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

bkfunnel/ Duchess of Disaster by Izzy Roberts

  For any other questions, please contact:
Izzy Roberts <hello@izzyroberts.com>

 Daisy Hartley is a Boston greeting card heiress who can nail the perfect sentiment for any occasion. Her own life is a different story.

When her mother's outrageous "dying" wish lands Daisy in a solicitor's office signing a contract marriage with Crispin Wycliffe—Duke of Marchwood, master of the devastating one-liner, and a man who could lower the temperature of a room just by standing in it—she tells herself it's temporary. Just long enough to satisfy Margaux's dreams of aristocratic grandeur.

But Marchwood Hall has other ideas. The heating keeps failing at suspicious moments. The peacock hates her. And Crispin keeps leaving notes written in her own card-writing style, which is either very irritating or very romantic. She hasn't decided yet.

A witty, warm, slightly spicy romcom about a disaster-prone American, a very controlled Duke, and one magnificent estate that refuses to let them stay strangers.

My 5 Star Review-TITLED:So good that I just have to read it again !!!

Hilarious !!! I loved this book and absolutely adorable, unconventional, red haired American Daisy/Izzy ! And what a family she married into ! Crispin is like a stiff board; no sense of humor and never smiles or laughs. Oh dear.  But he does grow on me. And his Dowager Aunt ? Double oh dear ! Even stiffer.  When Crispin's sister showed up, she seemed to be a "real person". I liked her and Izzy's mom who is even wilder than just about anyone else. She was kind, funny and puts up with no guff from anyone, English royalty or not. The Dowager Aunt does try her luck though !!! The butler Halliday has to be another favorite of mine. Always there, quiet, efficient and rooting for Izzy in his own quiet way !

One of my favorite scenes  has to be the hilarious, Fox Hunt. It had me screaming with laughter. And the sarcastic notebook of potential greeting cards !!!Another winner. 

I loved how it all ended with such a good HEA. Also the author's writing style !

 

 

Review by Jul 23, 2026-bksprout/ Guarding the Billionaire Mogul by Nora Daniels

 

 Booksprout 

 My chief of staff hired me a bodyguard. Now she’s in my penthouse, in my bed, and under my skin. 

Sloane Bishop is ex-military, impossible to impress, and the only woman in Manhattan paid to order me around.

When someone from my rockstar past starts hunting me, Sloane moves into my penthouse.
She checks every exit, sleeps with one eye open, and looks criminally good in a fitted black suit.

She makes me laugh over cold takeout.
Sees the man beneath the mogul.

Then a hotel mix-up leaves us with one bed.
I pin her beneath me, feel her nails rake down my back, and forget I’m supposed to be the man in control.

She stands between me and danger like losing me would break her.
That’s when I realize I’ve fallen for her.

But what we’ve done could cost her career, and my past is closing in fast.
The more I love her, the more leverage I hand my enemy.

Because now he’s found the one thing I can’t afford to lose.  Her.

Explicit

345 pages

English

Contemporary Romance Romantic Suspense Female bodyguard Billionaire romance Forced proximity Only one bed Reverse grumpy sunshine He falls first Workplace romance Curvy heroine Romantic suspense Protective alpha hero

Hosted by Nora Daniels

Note from the Author

Thank you for joining my ARC team! I hope you enjoy Knox and Sloane’s story. When you’ve finished reading, I’d greatly appreciate an honest review on Amazon during release week. Your support means more than you know. ❤️ Release Day: July 23, 2026

Must review on:

Amazon

File(s) available:

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My 4 Star Reviewed TITLED: Lovely in its own way

 I really liked that the bodyguard was a woman and a red headed one at that ! She's tough, thorough and excellent at her job. She knows what shes doing.  Knox doesn't like that he has a bodyguard but when she moves him where he needs to go? He resists but he goes..finally. He's upset with Marlowe for going behind his back but soon sees Sloane's worth.  Toby is another great asset for the Knox team.  I liked both Marlowe and Toby !

A man named Cole takes awhile but shows up as a definite problem that won't be easily solved. He's steps ahead of Knox and has been lining up his position for months !

I liked both Sloane and Knox; also known as Elias before his fame.  They are such an interesting combination !  There's a tenseness to the story because I never knew what was going to happen next. It kept me rooting for Sloane and Knox until the very end. 

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

Jul 14 2026 -Netgalley/ Killer Vibes The First Peter Key Mystery by Jack Friday

  Netgalley link

 KINDLE 

Part of Peter Key Mystery Series

Pub Date Jul 14 2026 | Archive Date Jul 28 2026

St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books

You Like Them

General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers

 A wild and wickedly funny series debut, introducing readers to the irresistible and irrepressible private investigator, Peter Key.

"Everything you want in a great mystery."—Steven Rowley

"Peter Key is my new favorite amateur sleuth."—Elle Cosimano

Meet Peter Key: self-proclaimed “laziest private investigator in Texas” (it’s harder than it looks), unapologetic bisexual, dedicated stoner, and the surprised recipient of a windfall inheritance from an uncle he barely knew. Peter’s life was a mess before, but now— as the owner of a dilapidated house in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Austin—he has a mountain of debt to deal with and pressure to sell from every side.

But Peter doesn’t like to be pushed around. And when he discovers a bag full of cash, he starts to suspect his uncle’s death wasn’t an accident. He soon finds himself pulled into a lethal game where not everybody plays by the rules.

Fortunately, Peter’s never been good at following rules.

Sexy, suspenseful, and packed with Austin’s quirks, Killer Vibes is a wild and wickedly funny romp that introduces us to the irresistible and irrepressible PI, Peter Key.

 My review Notes 3.5 Stars TITLED: I had mixed feelings on this one

What a dismal life Peter (Petey) has been living.  He can't even decide whether he likes women or men better when it comes to spicy actions personally. That I didn't like so much.  But then it seems like his life is starting to turn around.  

I had a hard time getting into this story and wasn't sure I was going to make it all the way through to be honest.  

 I was given a copy of this book through Netgalley and this is my honest feelings about it. 

ARCJul 9-Bksprout/ The Bratva Sinner by Clara Dunn

  Booksprout

 clara@claradunnromance.com

I was sold to a monster… then claimed by his Bratva enemy.

I know better than to trust dangerous men.

Especially men like Maksim Sokolov.

Rich. Ruthless. Tattooed. Miami's most notorious playboy. Bratva by blood, outlaw by choice.

When he finds me, he doesn't offer mercy.

He puts me behind locked doors and tells me I'm his to protect.

I want to hate him for it — his smooth smile, the possessive rules, the way he calls me princess like I'm already his.

But Maksim isn't the monster who bought me.

He's the one standing between me and the man who thinks I still belong to him.

I keep waiting for the mask to slip.

A monster shouldn't make me feel this safe.

He doesn't just want to save me.

He wants to keep me.

And when the men hunting me come to collect, Maksim will have to decide how much of his empire he's willing to burn.

For the girl he was never supposed to keep.

This a standalone Bratva romance for an HEA.

Explicit

412 pages

English

Contemporary Romance Romantic Suspense Dark Romance dark mafia romance Russian bratva romance forced marriage romance age gap romance touch her and die alpha male romance mafia romance possessive alpha male age gap mafia romance forced proximity romance

Hosted by Clara Dunn Review Team

Note from the Author

Thank you so much for reading my book and for your support! The Bratva Sinner can be read as a standalone and includes a guaranteed HEA. If you notice any grammatical errors, please message me directly and I'll get them fixed right away! -- Much love, Clara

Review on at least 1:

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MY 5 STAR Review TITLED:   She's a fighter. He's a rescuer. 

I'm probably going to ramble a bit because I really loved this book so much! The main characters are broken in their own way. But Maksim is so gentle and patient when he needs to be. But he also knows how to be violent when he needs to be!  People misunderstand that about him. Cinder is a woman who is his right hand. Lila & Cinder butt heads right off the bat! Cinder is tough and gentle also with the women of the different houses. The Albanians keep coming for Lila & they are brutal & relentless. 

I loved Lila. She's not used gentleness or  to be hugged. She knows how to throw a mean punch which Maksim learns the hard way. Lila & Maksim together made me laugh more than once! 

I loved how tender Maksim was with Lila even when her hair trigger temper erupted !  There's betyals right & left. I kept yelling internally, " give that woman a hand gun!!!

This is a deep, emotional story with tender, sometimes rough hot scenes between Maksim & Lila. But love is underneath it all. It just takes them awhile to understand it !

I read this story through Booksprout and you can see how much I loved it ! 

 

 

Review by Jul 11, 2026-Bksprout/ Bad Boy I Can't Resist

  Bksprout link

 

Book 6 of Moonrise Bad Boys

I slept with a stranger.

Weeks later...

I found him standing on the land where my daughter is buried.

Galveston was supposed to be one reckless night that didn't count.

No names.

No promises.

Then I came home to Moonrise...

And discovered the stranger from that motel room owns the land where my daughter is buried.

His name is Jax Rowe.

Rough hands. Storm-dark eyes.

He says the land isn't for sale.

I'm not leaving.

He fixes what I didn't ask him to fix.

He shows up before I even know I need him.

The closer I get, the more he looks at me like I've become his to protect.

I should walk away.

Instead, I'm falling for the one man standing between me and losing the last piece of my daughter.

A developer wants the land paved over.

Jax just declared war to stop him.

If he finds out what I've been hiding...

I won't just lose the land.

I'll lose him too.

Explicit

389 pages

English

Contemporary Romance Inspired Romance Small Town Romance Grumpy/Sunshine Forced Proximity Opposites Attract He Falls First one night stand Slow Burn Alpha Protector

Hosted by Mia Amour ARC Team Group

Note from the Author

Welcome to Moonrise! ❤️ Thank you for being part of my ARC team. Jax & Nora's story is especially close to my heart, and I'm so excited to finally share it with you. When you've finished reading, I'd truly appreciate an honest review—whether it's a few words or a longer one. Your support helps independent authors more than you know. I hope you fall in love with Jax, Nora, and the entire Moonrise family. Thank you again! Love, Mia Amour

Review on at least 1:

Amazon

File(s) available:

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My 5 Star Review TITLED: The Bullies won't win 

Nora spent 7 years with the oil rich monster Stanley; the bully. And now he's traced her down and thinks that he can use her to get what he wants. Oh boy, it's so much more comp0licated than he thinks and it's just about to get worse for him.  Especially when he threatens Nora's sick father Arthur !  But Aunt Iris is there now too. She may be small but she is formidable in her own way. I loved her !

When Nora shows up in Moonrise after their one night stand demanding that he sell part of the property tom her; he's furious ! Has it all been a scam?  For awhile, he actually turns into a bully for a while until he starts asking the right questions.  His 5 faithful family of men who are not of his blood are suspicious at first too. They think she is the enemy too. But soon they see that Jax is still gone on Nora and band together to help the both of them . They are unstoppable when they make u0p their minds. 

 The story is emotional and I loved both of the MC's and Jax's team.  And the outcome? Sensationally perfect !

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

ARC June 29-bkfunnel/ A Marchioness for the Beast by Elizabeth Everly

   For any other questions, please contact:
Elizabeth Everly <elizabeth@elizabetheverly.com>

 

"They call him the mad marquess. The new neighbour across the stream calls him by his name."

Arabella Thorne is twenty-four, a confirmed spinster, and entirely content to be one. She has spent the best years of her youth at her mother's bedside, and what she wants now is what the world has never quite known what to do with: a country cottage, a sketchbook, and the freedom to spend her afternoons studying the birds along a Derbyshire stream.

She does not expect to find anything else there.

She certainly does not expect the man on horseback who appears on the opposite bank one quiet afternoon, large and dark and visibly haunted, the kind of man the village whispers about and crosses streets to avoid. She knows who he must be. Everyone in Derbyshire knows. The mad marquess of Alendale Manor, returned from the Peninsular War a different man than the one who went, with a leg that no longer works the way it should and nightmares that wake the household.

She does not flinch from him. She does not avoid his gaze. She offers him a small, polite smile across thirty feet of water, the way one ordinary person greets another ordinary person on an ordinary afternoon.

It is the kindest thing anyone has done for Jasper Ainsworth in six long months.

Slowly, against every careful wall he has built since the war, the marquess begins to seek her out. Notes left with a returned sketchbook. The location of a rare bird he thought she would want to see. Quiet, deliberate gestures of a man who does not yet trust himself to ask for what he wants, finding ways to give her something instead.

And Arabella, who has been overlooked her whole life, begins to discover what it means to be seen.

But not everyone in the marquess's life is pleased to see him return to the world. Someone has been watching the two of them from the edges of the wood, with a smile too pleasant and eyes too still. And when the danger Jasper survived in the Peninsula finds him again, much closer to home, it will not be the marquess who saves them both.

My Review Notes 5 Stars TITLED:   Arabella & Jasper; friendship first

Arabella is a quite, kind, loving woman who keeps her family going.  Her sister Phoebe is beautiful, sweet and kind also. She sometimes comes out with unexpected insights. Their father is kind of like an absent minded professor who9 is deeply entrenched as a scholar of history and other similar things.  He loves his girls but only as time goes on does he come out of his fog and notices what's doing on with them and their attractions. Arabella is a scholar herself of sorts especially when it comes to birds.  And her drawings are exceptional; almost like a scientist.  I really loved her easy going manner and how she quietly notices everything.   Her sister has meets the new pastor and they are immediately smitten with each other. 

Jasper is such a lovely bunch of contradictions. He's so lonely but also afraid. And his charming cousin Victor often slides in like a snake making seemingly innocent remarks. They are like a blade against Jasper's growing confidence.  I loved Jasper's mother who lets him be for a while like he asked but then says Okay that's enough ! She begins to see what Victor is doing and doesn't like it a bit ! She loves her son so much and quickly sees Arabella's worth. 

This is an emotional story, with a sweet slower romance, and danger does come for Victor !  Great ending though.

I received an ARC from the author and really enjoyed it ! 

bkfunnel/ Lights Out by Carly Gain

   For any other questions, please contact:
Carly Gain <info@carlygainauthor.com>

The Founders Lantern Festival didn’t go as planned. Instead of canapes and hobknobbing, the gala is riddled with a leak, a lantern, and the festival’s biggest donor face-down in the rosemary.

Welcome to the Harborview Inn. 

Ruby Bradshaw is back in Gull Harbor to take over the inn from her parents after fifteen years away. The festival was supposed to double as the inn’s grand reopening gala. Instead, Ruby finds herself a suspect in a murder investigation.

Sixteen-year-old Emmy is her mom’s sidekick and the level-headed one in the mother/daughter amateur sleuth duo. She carries a notebook and notices everything.

As clues pile up, the evidence points more and more toward Ruby. Ruby knows she’s being framed. Emmy knows they’re running out of time. 

If they can’t solve the mystery quickly, the next light to go out might be theirs.

My 4 Star Review TITLED: Cute Mystery

I liked Ruby the ho9nest but overworked owner of the Inn. At the opening o9f the grand opening of the Inn for the Festival, she goe4s out into the herb part of their garden and stumbles across the dead body of Calvin Hargrove.  Chief Tolland gets called to the scene. But Ruby's very sharp, efficent 16 year old daughter, Emma has been keeping notes throughout the evening and hasn't liked what she's noticed. And she notices EVERYTHING ! I l loved that girl !  She always had a small spiral notepad on her person all the time. 

Many people look to Nate Pike as the person who killed Calvin. But not so fast ! There are several other people to take a closer look at. I really liked how it was all solved. 

 I was given a copy of this book by the author through Bookfunnel. 

June 28/ Bksprt/ The Don's Requiem Book 3 by Jasmin Song

  Bksprt

amazon 

I just learned that my estranged wife had a secret sister… the woman I shared one night with the day before I buried my wife.  

She’s now in my home because she needs protection from my wife’s killer.  

Touching her again is dangerous and forbidden. 

So I make the rule: no physical contact.  

She doesn’t know what she’s part of. That her sister’s murder is tangled with her secret origins. That being with me puts a target on her back.  

So of course, she’s dancing in front of me half naked. Trying to get me to break my own rule. Because she still wants me. And damnit, I want her too. 

I’m a man known for extraordinary willpower. 

But she’s a siren, a songbird, a soprano who breathes music into my soul…  until she… breaks… me. 

When I surrender, my enemies will come. 

To eliminate me, they’ll try to get to her first.

They can try. I dare them. 

But I'll burn the world down before anyone silences her voice. 

Explicit

370 pages

English

Contemporary Romance Romantic Suspense Dark Romance mafia romance dark romance age gap romance forbidden romance slow burn romance forced proximity

Hosted by Jasmin Song

Review on at least 1:

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My 5 Star Review TITLED: 

The Mystery starts out with a bang 

Amina Carter pretends to be a young woman named "Camille" By the way, what a pretty name Amina is. Anyway she is on a date with a young man named Ethan who is mesmerized by her. Even while not understand much as she raves about the opera.  A VERY attractive, distinguished  40 year old man comes into the restaurant and his presence catches everyone's eyes' especially the women. Amina is NOT immune. Leon (the other main character) can't keep his eyes off her either; especially when he hears her speaking flawless French ! Things progress from there !!!

Marguerite Lefevre wants Leon to take Amina under his wings for protection ONLY !  He doesn't want to do it but then he's out for good !  Marguerite is so manipulative,controlling and holding so many dangerous secrets !  Leon has known her for so long and doesn't trust her but does it anyway!  Marguerite is always trying to get her way. It's her way or or the highway ! Often with pain included, fee of charge. All the time Leon keeps look for his "Little songbird" (Camille)  But he also retaliates against Marguerite in his own for Amina's sake. Very creatively ! Marguerite is so good at telling lies and it turns out that Amina is pretty good at that too ! It takes a long time for Leon to sort through all of the lies !

Rene Rendard is as bad guy working for Marguerite but also working his own game. He's a contractor. There are plenty of bad guys to go around. 

This was such an emotional story. with heat and LOTS of surprises. I fell in love with both Amina and Leon and towards the end cried real tears for them.  And the ending with a great Epilogue made my tears even sweeter; totally satisfied. 

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

Bkfunnel ARC/ Hot Scot Summer (Thistle Glen) by Beatrice Bradshaw

  amazon

 ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GZ72SKS6

• 301 pages
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 30, 2026

Part of: Thistle Glen (1 books)

 Connect with me:

https://linktr.ee/beatricebradshaw 

Sleeping with your enemy is one thing. Needing him to write is another.

Cleo Sullivan is broke, blocked, and one missed deadline away from tanking her writing career. Her plan: pet-sit in a remote Highland cottage, finish her novel, and get back to the US.

Scottish singer/ songwriter Lucas Kincaid has no address. He also hasn't written a tune in years. But if he doesn't finish an album in three months, his label is going to drop him. So he drives to his late gran's cottage for peace, quiet, and inspiration.

Hard fail.

Cleo is already there. She chases him with a toilet brush. He throws her in the loch. It's hell. But neither of them is willing to leave.

Crammed into the cottage for one summer, their hatred turns into reluctant attraction. Until a night by the bonfire leads to a hormonal error in judgment – and a creative breakthrough. So they make sleeping together a professional arrangement. Just to save their careers. Strict boundaries. No feelings.

But as summer is ending, Cleo and Lucas have to decide: Is this love – or just the best work they've ever produced?

My 5 Star Review TITLED: More than I was expecting !!

26 year old Cleo Camille  Sullivan is totally disillusioned after one failure after another; especially with boyfriends.  Her last one was Epically the Worst yet  ! Enter Lucas Aiden Kincaid, 31 year old rock star in Scotland; a song writer singer who is also not a fan of romance. Even though he writes them and sings them.  Their first meeting at the cottage is hilarious !!! So is may encounters after ! Boy that girl's temper is epic when riled which Lucas does may times ! And her cursing at him is hilariously funny as well as brilliantly creative ! So is there, "solution" to writers/composing blocks ! Hilarious and Hot !

I loved that Lucas calls her, "Hellcat" and "Squatter" many times in anger until it becomes their form of bantering back and forth affectionately. Unfortunately both of them are "runners" when cornered.  But Cleo has friends that just won't let her sit and vegetate when she runs home early.  That causes a hilarious interruption in her home which being kept occupied until her return by Carl.  one of her friends people. Lucas has a person or two who just won't let him as they say, "Sit on his arse about Cleo".  I also loved Lucas's tattoo "Still here: and the reason why it was there. 

The goat and the cat were delicious additions that she was sitting for and the cat had a surprise of it's own.  I loved the conversions that Cleo had with the goat and sometimes called hm, "Satan" in  one form or another.  The cat loved her but the goat not so much !

There are trigger warnings about this book, most probably about the many spicy scenes.  But I adored Cleo, her clumsiness, she spunk and her attitude of "Mess with me and although I'm short, I'm gonna mess with you in your face !" 

 I loved the whole book! Especially how things get figured out !  I'm so glad that I got an ARC from this author !

june 18 Bksprout/ The Billionaire's Imposter: A Small Town Second Chance Romance by Nelly Adler

 Bksprout

 Book 3 of SALT BAY: BILLIONAIRE'S BOSSES AND SMALL TOWN ROMANCE

The look on Alexander Hendrix’s face when he saw my son told me one terrifying thing: he knew exactly who the little boy belonged to.

Alexander.
The billionaire who left Salt Bay behind without looking back.
The man I swore I would never survive loving twice.

Then he walks into my restaurant, sees our little boy, and everything between us detonates.

Now we are sharing late nights above The Catch while the entire town watches us like a scandal waiting to happen.

I try to keep my distance.

Instead, he keeps showing up.
And somewhere between small-town rumors, stolen touches, and the way my son already adores him, I fall straight back into the one mistake I never recovered from.

Then I discover why Alexander really came back to Salt Bay.

And if Salt Bay finds out what he really came here to do, it won’t just destroy us.

It will destroy our son too.

Mature

216 pages

English

Contemporary Romance Small Town Romance billionaire secret child vibes second chance small town gossip emotional angst possessive hero protective alpha single mom energy slow burn tension reunion romance

Hosted by Nelly Adlers Team

Note from the Author

Hi everyone! I’m so excited to finally share this story with you. This ARC is an early draft currently in the editing stage, so you may still spot a few typos, continuity issues, or small errors before final publication. I truly appreciate kind feedback so I can fix it before final printing. Thank you so much for reading early and supporting my books. Your reviews and feedback mean more than you know! I hope you fall completely into Salt Bay and enjoy Alexander and Maren’s story. 💕

Must review on:

Amazon

File(s) available:

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---My 5 Star Review TITLED:  Surprises are a coming !!!

Alexander Hendrix gets the surprise of his life when he comes back 3 years later and opens the door to The Catch. It's THE restaurant in Salt Bay. Maren Brooks is the woman that he left behind and she owns The Catch.  And that little boy, Finley Owen is HIS son. One glance into that small face that he just KNOWS it !  Alexander has lost so many years with that little boy! But he's back now and you just know that he's not leaving. At least not for awhile !

There is a mysterious man who has been in Salt Bay for 3 weeks; claiming an alignment with Alexander.   He doesn't have it. It's a good thing that Alexander figures out pretty quickly who it has to be.  An ex-short term partner who had somehow got a hold of his notes on this town. He shouldn't even have been able to get them. His name is Zachary Ryan.  Things are about to get sticky.

Maren doesn't trust Alexander anymore but when he goes to The Catch to tell her; her group of people who have supported her through everything from very young til now are there. Yikes !  But she listens and then Alexander tells her about the pretender and that he's after her restaurant.  The gem that sits in the whole plan. One that Alexander had never planned to use against her !  But Ryan will try !

I loved how everyone came together. Especially her friends "The Six!" I loved that phrase & the people in that group of Maren's life long supporters. 

Beautiful ending & sweet epilogue.

I read this book through Booksprout & I loved this sweet emotional romance. 

 

June 18/Booksprout/ My Billionaire’s Accidental Family by Nora Daniels

  Bksprt

 Amazon

 Part of: Hale Dynasty (4 books)

How the hell do I end up fake-engaged to my billionaire boss... and helping raise the daughter he never knew he had?

Jake Hale is my brother's best friend, my infuriating boss, and the one man I've spent years refusing to want.

Then one argument goes viral.

One photo, and the whole city thinks we're engaged.
The donors love it.
So I put on the fake ring and set the rules: no feelings, no attachment, clean exit.

Then he starts showing up.

He remembers my coffee order.
He keeps my hair ties in a drawer.
The nights we spend tangled together stop feeling like pretend.

Just when wanting him stops being the problem, one phone call changes everything.

Jake has a four-year-old daughter he never knew existed.
She has his eyes, nowhere else to go, and somehow she's reaching for me.

Suddenly the fake family is the realest thing I've ever had.

But when Jake's past threatens everything we've built, the truth catches up with me:
Somewhere along the way, they became my whole world.

And if this falls apart, I lose them both.

Book 4 in the Hale Dynasty series. Each book can be read as a standalone.

Explicit

377 pages

English

Contemporary Romance fake engagement brother’s best friend surprise daughter single dad romance found family billionaire boss fake relationship workplace romance forced proximity accidental family

Hosted by Nora Daniels

Note from the Author

Fake engagement. Billionaire boss. Surprise daughter. One accidental family too real to walk away from. Thank you so much for joining the ARC team for My Billionaire’s Accidental Family! I hope you enjoy Jake and Emilia’s story. Reviews are incredibly appreciated and I’d be so grateful if you could leave yours on launch day, June 18, 2026. Happy reading!

Review on at least 1:

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File(s) available:

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My 5 Star Review TITLED: He falls first; hard !

I absolutely adored this story. It opens with Emilia waiting for Jake at a huge function and it she is trying to hold everything together as Jake is late as usual.  He's the main speaker and his carelessness is getting on her last nerve. Her brother Mason owns the hotel where the event is being held.  It's amazing how many people in her family and his are connected in getting this foundation more funding !  I loved the individuality of each of the people on both sides. of the family.   And how they all meet for dinner on Sunday at 6pm each week; no excuses.  And had been doing it for years.  It's a group that are LOUD chaotic, and fun when they all get together.  I love that it was said that when they gather No One uses inside voices. That made me laugh !  

It soon becomes clear that charming, make a room lean into him Jake is terrified when he finds out her has a  4 year old daughter, Poppy.    About those inside voices? When shy Poppy gets more comfortable with Jake and Emilia, they soon find she doesn't have one either!! I loved her. She fit right in with the chaos realm.  Lol. 

This story was emotional, Hot and Perfect !  Although I loved the ending I didn't want it to end !

 

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