ARC Kindle/Billionaire's Bad Bargain: An Enemies to Lovers Second Chance Romance byRemy Vail

 Goodeads

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5 Stars Tilted:  Cat & Mouse Romance

Matías is there to TRY to meet with a big wig Robert Vanderlyn and that doesn't work out for him. But he does spot his daughter Cassandra. His friend Ethan who is there at this big event warns his against approaching the beautiful woman known as the Ice Queen. But does he listen? That would be a Big Fat, No ! And when he manages to talk to her, she's icy but also a bit intrigued. Now, the chase is on ! He's not used to losing and she's not used to letting others win either. Matias is a successful, rich man from Argentina but educated in some ivy league colleges that poor parents helped him get into. I liked him a lot ! I was also beginning to warm to Cassandra as the story went on. There does seem to be a human woman under all that ice ! Although, they do have challenges because of their businesses and She wants to be seen as a valuable woman. Someone not always taking second place in men's push for more. Her father is a prime example of using any and every person to get ahead; even his daughter. I warmed up to her pretty quickly as i began to see who she really was and what she needed !

I liked the dance of cool and hot between them although for me it felt like it went a bit longer than I would have liked ! But I took heart because then it really took off in the story. Cassandra is going to have to stand up to her father and Matias is going to have to put his priorities in the right order. Even his father on their home farm tells him that when he visits.
On a last note I really enjoyed when Cassandra and Matias go down to Matias home, Argentinian farm. He visits his family and Cassandra seems to fit right in.
I loved how the story ended and was grateful that I got an ARC from the author.

June 30 archived/audioNETGALLEY/ Love, Unscripted by Denise Hunter -Narrated by Kathleen McInerney

 

Listen to an Audio Excerpt

Pub Date Mar 12 2024 | Archive Date Jun 30 2025

HarperCollins Christian Publishing | Thomas Nelson Fiction

General Fiction (Adult) | Romance | Women's Fiction  

 Talking about this book? Use #LoveUnscripted #NetGalley

 

Description

The perfect boyfriend only exists on paper…doesn’t he?

Fresh off the heels of a bad breakup, Chloe Anderson poured her heart into penning the perfect boyfriend—and the result was an off-the-charts debut beach read that resonated with women worldwide. Now, Chloe’s scripted hero is headed for Hollywood, with her book destined to become a major motion picture.

When Chloe gets wind that silver screen bad boy Liam Hamilton has been cast as the ideal-in-every-way hero of her novel, she’s horrified by the film director’s choice. How could a player like Liam possibly do Chloe’s perfect hero justice? Unafraid to speak her mind, Chloe lets her executive producer know she’s one hundred percent opposed to the casting. And oops—the call is on speakerphone, where the annoyingly attractive Hollywood star hears Chloe’s unbridled outrage firsthand.

With Liam’s reputation already on the rocks, his agent concocts a PR plan to upgrade Liam’s image while putting the story—and the film—in the spotlight. The catch? During the movie’s filming in Chloe’s cute hometown of Stillwater, North Carolina, Chloe and Liam will fake a wholesome, committed relationship. Both stand to gain something from the arrangement. Liam’s fans will see him in a new light, while Chloe can boost her struggling social media following and further her writing career. What could possibly go wrong?

As author and actor navigate the waters of the PR relationship, they’re unpre­pared when their professional agreement turns into an actual friendship. And when serious sparks start to fly—well, that’s an unread chapter for both of them.

---

Available Editions

EDITION	Audiobook, Unabridged
ISBN	9780840716675
PRICE
DURATION	9 Hours, 28 Minutes, 46 Seconds

Available on NetGalley

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____________My 5 Review titled: They don't get off to a great start

Chloe Anderson is a hard-worker, a dreamer, a romantic and someone who has been hurt and deserted time and again by men who don't stick by her.  Evan was one of the worst. Shes 100% Team Family and Friends.  Well, scratched her cheating, unfaithful loser father though. It's her mother and her genius brother, Shawn.  Her mother now owns a restaurant that they run. She works upfront and runs everything to do with the running of staff and etc. Her brother,  comes up with ingenues recipes which Chloe also test tastes before they agree if it goes on the menu or not.  Chloe is one busy woman !

Megan is her best friend who owns the Beachfront Bookstore, Chloe helps out in the store when she can. Megan has not better luck with men. Her divorce had just been finalized but I suspect that there just might be a spark in her eyes when it comes to Shawn. I hope so. Even though he goes through a lot of women, he seems to be looking for love too ! 

Liam Hamilton is the worst choice for the movie adaptation of her now famous, first book ! It's a best seller and she's sure Liam can't pull it off. Not with his womanizing reputation !  Or has she misjudged him ? It's possible because I really liked getting both of the main people's points of view.   Also really good secondary characters. 

 This is a great book and I enjoyed it a lot as well as the narration !

I listened to this book through Netgalley and was glad that I did ! 

BKSPROUT/December 19, 2025 ARC/ LUCA (The Conti Family) by Claire Kirby

  Booksprout  amazon Goodreads Bookbub

After eleven years in prison, Don Luca is everything I should hate—ruthless, dangerous, and completely off-limits.

At thirty-two, I'm the federal prosecutor transferred to Atlantic City to argue against Conti's release and keep organized crime's most feared don locked away.

But the judge rules against me and orders Luca’s freedom, and my mission changes to finding a way to send him back to prison and curtail the mob’s activities.

But when Luca finds his way into my bedroom in the middle of the night, his hands are gentle despite his reputation, and the way he shields me from danger awakens needs I’ve denied my entire career. 

When he opens up about his daughter’s betrayal, I see the wounded man beneath the monster everyone fears.

I’ve fallen for the enemy I’m supposed to destroy. 

Then rival families make me their target, my career crumbles, and everything I’ve built shatters around me.

I’m preparing to walk away from his dangerous world when two pink lines appear.

Now I’m carrying the child of Atlantic City’s most feared crime boss—and choosing him means betraying everything I’ve sworn to uphold, including the oath that once defined my entire existence.

---------------- 

MY 5 STAR REVIEW-  titled: Dark Romance with plenty of feels

The story opens with Luca is standing in a courtroom after 11 years in prison waiting to find if this is the time that he will finding get out ! His brother Roberto stands with him as his very smart attorney.  His sons, 28 year old Vito, 26 year old Nico, and his daughter Caterina who wants to be an account which surprised Luca.  She's whip smart but it still surprised him.  Of course his oldest daughter Lucia, the one who betrayed him and put him in prison isn't there. Nor is her husband Nick Dixon, who Luca hates with a passion. Rich Nick bought up the prison and made Luca's life a living hell. Luca wasn't even there for his wife when she was dying of cancer. That was so emotional !! In fact, the whole story was highly emotional  and kept me engaged! 

And Elena, the federal prosecutor? Wow, what a woman !  She's fiercely devoted to justice, the law ! Now, she has a HUGE problem. Not only is she so attracted to Luca but she's surprised when she starts to like some of his family ! They all become fiercely protective of her and their future sibling.  That pregnancy was a potential end of her career.  It sure made me wonder how all of this was going to work out. And what about her boss, Miles Hart? What does he know? Is he really as honest as he seems? 

The story has a great ending and I'm so glad that I got to read this book through Booksprout.  

----extra notes Vito was the son who couldn't stand still, always wanting action and violence. Nico, was the quiet one but also smart; always watching, observing. 

Elena and Luca outsmart everyone-  she keeps her lawyer's license and more !

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

   madison@madisonjunoromance.com

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

 

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

Bratva heir Artyom Petrov.

Ruthless. Filthy rich. Fourteen years older.

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

Shattering my doubts with his rough hands and possessive words.

I’m his.

 

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

It has to.

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

-My Review Notes:

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

Now I want to read the full book !!! 

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

   amazon

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

My 5 Star Review Notes Titled: Tough Love

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

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

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

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

   amazon Goodreads review

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

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

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

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

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

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

And fear finally takes shape—

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

MY 5 STAR REVIEW TITLED:  Intense Plots and Romance

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

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

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

 

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

  amazon  Goodreads

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

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

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

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

 

From the Author

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

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

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

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

Happy sleuthing, Elsie Grey Author of The Good Chef Mysteries

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

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

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

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

I got a ARC of this book and enjoyed it.