City of Darkness was well worth the wait and got me all more invested in these complex characters and compelling world. This third book in a series of four has set up the ending extremely well and I cannot wait!

I am a Karina Halle review team member, but I remain honest and genuine in my reviews.

From the New York Times bestselling author of River of Shadows and A Ship of Bones and Teeth comes CITY OF DARKNESS the third book in the Underworld Gods series, a high heat dark fantasy adult romance series.

When mortal Hanna agreed to marry Tuoni, the God of Death, in exchange for her father’s life, the last thing she expected was to fall for the morally grey anti-hero. But it’s not only her heart that’s in danger now. As she navigates her new role as the Goddess of Death in the spooky and macabre underworld of Tuonela, Hanna discovers that Death has many enemies in his kingdom, none more powerful than his half-demon ex-wife, Louhi. With an uprising of Old Gods at her fingertips, and skeleton armies ready to do her bidding, Hanna and Death must work together to make sure the underworld isn’t lost forever, even if it means losing each other and all they hold dear.

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Hanna and Death continue to go on a masterful character journey. I really like the new challenges thrown at them in this one and how that forced them to grow not just as individuals but together. This story features a few more points of view, Death’s children specifically and I really did appreciate getting these looks into what is going on with the other characters. It began to feel like Death’s son and daughter, being more apart from Hanna and Death throughout the story are starting to grow as characters. I think most of my character highlights came from Death, he was so sure in himself and Karina messes that up a little bit and forces him to adapt. Making him all the much more complex and layered.
• Setting: Our story begins in Tuonela, the Finnish underworld and throughout the story you do get glimpses as to what the future of the underworld may hold, and it’s a wee bit terrifying. Karina is always so good at writing these immersive settings, but I do love that she threw in a curveball in this one. I do not want to give it away, but there is a shift in setting and I loved it. I was initially worried about this being four books rather than three, but I see why it needed to be and these are the scenes that made me happy for this third instalment. At the same time, I do see why many might feel a little let down in this instalment, but I always trust Karina when it comes to sticking the landing on a series.
• Pacing: I must shout out the amazing “previously in” section as it was comical and informative, the perfect way to guide readers who have been keeping up with the new instalments in this series. As much as I flew through this book, I love when I do that while reading. It did feel a bit on the shorter side, but I have a feeling that Karina has a lot planned for the final book. So this tonal-shifting almost novella-like bridge story was necessary to bridge books two and four.
• Romance: I love Hanna and Death together, and in this book, they really got to be just a powerhouse of a couple. The perfect team both in and out of the bedroom. Fear not readers the spice in this is great, nothing as bonkers as a certain scene from the previous instalment but still many fun ones. It felt as if their relationship really grew emotionally, and has hit a beautiful level of maturity. I cannot wait to see what this king and queen do to fight for their well-deserved happily ever after.

City of Darkness receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story here.

Follow Karina on all her social channels…

Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Facebook | Facebook Group | Instagram | Twitter | Bookbub

Thank you again to Karina and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Karina Halle’s City of Darkness ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

When Helena began to tease her triumphant return to hockey romance, I could not be more excited for her to kick off a new series. I adore her hockey romances and am so excited to have a Toronto-set hockey romance. This book is perfect for existing and new fans of Helena’s work alike who want their hockey romance scorchingly hot but also laugh-out-loud funny.

I am a Helena Hunting review team member, but I remain honest and genuine in my reviews.

A brand new standalone hate-to-love, brother’s best friend hockey romance.

My new roommates are two pro hockey players.
First, my manwhore older brother, and second, his seriously hot best friend (who I seriously hate).
This was a last resort.
No one should be sleeping on a futon that smells like Cheetos and ball sweat.
But here I am, trying to get my life together.

Tristan Stiles is the bane of my existence.
He never wears a shirt.
We can’t seem to stop fighting.
He’s an arrogant playboy with a filthy reputation.
Sure, I had a crush on him when I was fourteen, but that was a long time ago.
I know better than to trust him.

I just need to survive long enough to find a new job and get a new place.
And not accidentally let Tristan rail me into next week.

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Beatrix and Tristan are the lead characters and when we meet them they hate each other. Tristan is a hockey player on the same team as Beatrix’s brother Flip and the boys are also roommates. Beatrix, or Trix ends up moving in when she needs to get out of her unsafe apartment the only problem is that she and Tristan hate each other. The early part of the book has them bickering and playing tricks on one another, but over time the facades they put up melt away. Tristan has such a sweetness in him and I loved when Trix brought that out. It would be rude to not mention how many wonderful side characters Helena introduces from the other hockey players to the group of girls Trix befriends, it is the girls, especially with their heartwarming found family that will have readers begging for future instalments.
• Setting: I was ecstatic to start this and see Helena set a book in Toronto! She lives in the GTA and rarely writes about her home, even rarer for us to get hockey romances set in Canada so I loved the Canadian touch this one had.
• Pacing: I did find the beginning of this book a little slow and it took me a few characters to be invested in why Trix and Tristan hated each other. Warning you as well that it is decently chunky so it did take me quite a few hours to read, but at the same time, I was having such a wonderful time with all the characters and having a longer book did set up many potential future books to look forward to.
• Romance: Helena announced a while ago that this was the spiciest book she had ever written, and after reading the vast majority of her backlist I was super intrigued to see what she was going to throw at us readers. All I can say is after I read Chapter 12 (winky face and I am never looking at a cucumber the same way again) I understood why this was Helena’s steamiest yet! I adored all of it from the crazy spice to the Helena Hunting signature sometimes out-of-pocket banter. It is hard not to cheer on Tristan and Beatrix as they sneak around her brother and deny the depth of their feelings for each other. For all the talk of spice and banter, this book is quite emotional and I welled up at times when Trix and Tristan were navigating how they could be together. The tension, sparks, and chemistry are off the charts so this is an essential read for hockey romance fans everywhere!

If You Hate Me receives 4.5/5 stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Amazon | Paperback | Audio

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Thank you again to Helena and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Helena Hunting’s If You Hate Me ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

When Bloom announced they were picking this up I took it as the sign I was waiting for to dive into this series finally. I love a good why choose story every once in a while and I was ready to be whisked away into the world of Madison Kate and her boys.

“Madison Kate Danvers was murdered tonight.” Those words changed my life, and not for the better. They were wrong, of course. I wasn’t dead. But I was set up. After being framed for a deadly riot, charged with a string of offences, and being made into an example by my politically minded father, I’m eventually released back into Shadow Grove. I could keep my head down, but I only have one thing on my mind. Hate. The boys who framed me are going to pay for derailing my carefully laid-out future. They’re going to catch the full force of my revenge. Except when I arrive back in town, thanks to my father’s shiny new girlfriend, I find all three of them living in my house, right down the hall. Archer, Kodiak, and Steele are secretive. Untrustworthy. Dangerous―and dangerously magnetic, too. But I’m not falling for their games. Not after what they did to me. Archer D’Ath and his boys messed with the wrong chick, and they’re about to learn just how cold Madison Kate’s hatred can run.

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Let’s first dive into the titular Madison Kate, back in town after her father exiled her to Cambodia and she’s ready to re-enter, no actually to reclaim her life. She’s a character you’ll love if you like to embrace rooting for a morally grey leading lady. She’s violent and vengeful, and I loved every bit of it. She has this magnetism about her, which no doubt lures her three boys in. In a why choose story it’s hard to make sure all the love interests are well-defined and separate characters. Archer, Steele, and Kodiak are very different from each other. Archer is the possessive asshole type, the classic I hate you but am wildly attracted to you, type of character. Kodiak is the sweetest of the guys for sure, while Steele definitely brought his own swagger, having the balls to really put the moves on MK first. For sure though it’s these main characters that have me intrigued to keep reading.
• Setting: Shadow Grove is the setting for this story, and I feel like I have yet to understand this town. This is understandable because this is the first book, not all the secrets are going to reveal themselves just yet. It does lead to a few frustrations while reading as it is hard to believe an entire town let MK be the scapegoat for Riot Night.
• Pacing: The first few chapters took me a bit to get into, but I felt way more invested in what was happening once the plot picked up. The story improves as we get more information, I do not really like how left in the dark we are as readers. It ends with quite the cliffhanger, which did have me diving into the second book Liar, basically right away.
• Romance: It’s hard to really rate the romance in this one, as this first instalment is very much more the boys lusting over Madison Kate, and her denying that she is lusting after any of them. The spice in this book doesn’t really hit for me, but I really do hope as the series continues we get longer scenes, basically most of the scenes in this book did not last nearly long enough. I am invested in seeing how each of the relationships grow, especially Kodiak and Steele, but I trust that Tate James will even have me rooting for Archer by the end.

Hate receives 3.5/5 stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Shop Local | Indigo | Amazon

Thank you again to Bloom and Raincoast for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Tate James’ Hate Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I love a little hit of taboo from K. Webster and this series delivers both a steamy romance and a bit of a surreal emotional experience. The time the Park family is delivering an M/M romance with Jude falling for his therapist Tate.

I am a K. Webster review team member, but I remain honest and genuine in my reviews.

He’s a mysterious recluse with an unhealthy obsession with his therapist.He doesn’t want help… He just wants him.

Love is for those who deserve it. I certainly don’t. The person I loved most in this world died in my arms decades ago and I am to blame. I’ll forever be tormented by what-ifs where I was Mom’s hero instead of this repulsive, mask-wearing beast I’ve ultimately become. All that’s left of my heart is black smoke—suffocating and toxic. I’m nothing but a shadow of a man, locked in my dark fortress of a home, away from people and hidden in my carefully walled-up world. My family is all I have to live for. Somehow, they look past the fact I survived when Mom didn’t. Like it’s not my fault. It’s also why I’ll protect them with every single fiber of my being. Even from him. Tate Prince has been paid by my father to infiltrate our family. Invited not just into our homes, but into our past, our heartaches, and even our minds. Dad thinks this young man—a therapist with a captivating grin—is the key to repairing all the damage we’ve sustained over the years. But I know better. I can see through Tate’s friendly disposition and easygoing nature. In his eyes are dark secrets that haunt him like ghosts from another life. He’s not as perfect as he seems. Underneath his mask of smiles are ugly truths I’m desperate to uncover. And I will uncover them. If that means keeping him under lock and key where I can watch his every move, I will. It’s not captivity if he’s being paid, right? However, when I start unraveling his life, I learn there’s a lot more to Tate than meets the eye. The more I discover, the more obsessed I become. My heart, the dusty, charred, still-smoking useless organ sparks to life making me come to a startling realization. I want him. I’m not the only one who feels this way, though. Tate’s biggest secret is he already has a monster in his life. A terrible, spiteful monster—one who’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants. But I’m uglier, nastier, and a hell of a lot more vicious. I may have failed to save my mother, but I will not fail this time. Tate is mine.

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Jude and Tate are the leads in the latest Park saga. Jude is the Park, a member of the most influential and well-off family in town. This family is struggling though, with an eclectic group of characters really in need of a neutral party to talk to, enter Tate. Callum, the lead from The Teacher of Nothing hires Tate to help him, his student-turned-wife Willa, and the throuple from The Tangle of Awful: Aubrey, Hugo, and Spencer. Jude may be the most troubled of them all though, keeping his face behind a mask after sustaining damage in the housefire that killed his mother. Tate may have been hired to help the family, but in turn, it is the family that helps Tate begin to heal after he escapes an abusive relationship. As Tate is everyone’s therapist, there are lots of character cameos that will make fans of this series happy. Warning everyone that this family and its taboo tropes are not for the faint of heart, make sure you are ready before you dive in. There are times I love the taboo of it all while I am reading it, but at least in this book it really feels the least taboo of them all. I also loved all the teases for Dempsey’s book, give me another age-gap romance!
• Setting: Park Mountain is the town in which the story takes place, but really the central location is Jude’s home. He’s a recluse and so much of the story takes place in his bedroom and all of this contributed to the surreal emotional reading experience of these two boys in desperate need of each other’s comfort.
• Pacing: I flew through this book in about two days. As the stakes in the story rose so did my desire to just keep reading. I loved the pacing of the relationship too. I was on the edge of my seat in the latter third of the book when Jude and Tate’s inner and actual demons had to be battled and how they fought for each other and themselves.
• Romance: Now for Jude and Tate’s love story which I was emotionally invested in quite quickly. What starts as Jude being a bit sinister and destructive morphs into how he heals himself by caring for Tate. Then Tate is going through a similar journey, as he’s never had anyone he can trust to help him carry his burdens. Don’t get me wrong this book is still quite steamy, maybe not as taboo as the previous two instalments, but this one for sure pulls on the heartstrings.

The Heart of Smoke receives 4/5 stars.

You can pick up the story here.

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Thank you again to Kristi and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post K. Webster’s The Heart of Smoke ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

Did I just about drop everything I was doing when this ARC hit my Kindle? Yes, I did! Melanie Harlow returns to her latest world of Cherry Tree Harbour, with a marriage of convenience, forced proximity, a fake relationship, enemies-to-lovers, and a one-night stand. This book had everything and more!

I am a Melanie Harlow review team member, but I remain honest and genuine in my reviews.

Fall in love with my enemy? No way. Marry him to save my family’s struggling ski resort? That’s a different story… Getting hitched is the only way I can inherit Snowberry Lodge, and I’ll do anything to spare my childhood home from the wrecking ball–even wear Devlin Buckley’s ring on my finger. Not that I’ll enjoy it. Sure, he’s charming and handsome, and that no-last-names one night stand we shared ended with a fantastically big bang (I saw stars I hadn’t seen in six months, if you catch my drift). But I’ll never trust him–he was working for the company trying to bulldoze my life. Right up until the day he knocked on my door with an offer I couldn’t refuse. Marry him, and he’ll help me restore my family’s crumbling resort to its former glory–and get revenge on his ex-boss in the process. Once our goals are achieved, we’ll go our separate ways. It’s temporary. Strictly business. Purely for show. Until I realize how much I like it when he says “my wife.” Once we’re sharing a last name–and a bed–our make-believe match starts to feel a little too real. And if I’m not careful, I could lose everything… my home, my dreams, and my heart.

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: The main characters are Lexi and Devlin. As we meet Lexi she is ready to inherit her family’s ski resort except her grandmother failed to mention that her in will it stipulates that only a couple can inherit. Enter Devlin, who works for the development company dead set on buying Snowberry Lodge. I fell for Lexi hard, she is a firehouse and never let Devlin get away with anything. I loved all the side characters so much, from Lexi’s grandmother to her friends who will be familiar faces to fans of Melanie’s other books. Along with the other Buckleys of course! I loved an excuse to see these characters again!
• Setting: This small-town romance happens mostly at the Snowberry Lodge and I loved it there! But also gotta love a little side trip to Las Vegas and a Vegas wedding!
• Pacing: I devoured this book and how could I not?! It’s electric right from the start and never slows down. You just want to root for Lexi and Devlin so easily. I could not wait to see what the fake, turns into real so I just kept reading and reading fast.
• Romance: The tropes just made for the perfect amount of sexual tension! The book starts off with a bang literally and never slows down. The characters struggle to keep their hands off each other, and what is supposed to be all for a show to protect Lexi’s inheritance devolves into way too many “my wife” moments from Devlin. Very soon he is giving his all to Lexi and you cannot help but be swooned by him too. Plus of course, this book is hot just like all of Melanie Harlow’s books as she has been a top-tier smut writer for me for a long time.

Make Believe-Match receives five out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

✦ Kindle Unlimited/Amazon ✦ Alt Male Paperback ✦ Paperback

Follow Melanie on all her social channels…

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Thank you again to Melanie and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Melanie Harlow’s Make-Believe Match ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I was super intrigued to dive into a new series from Lauren Asher. Once I had the ARC in my hands I was worried about the length. but I am here to tell you don’t dismay! Lauren Asher is so damn good at writing a quick, compelling yet chunky book.

Julian
If I ever caught on fire, Dahlia Muñoz would fan the flames with a smile.
So, when she returns to Lake Wisteria, I fully intend to avoid the interior designer.
At least until my meddling mother exploits my savior complex.
The faster I help Dahlia find her creative spark, the sooner she will leave town.
But while I was busy getting rid of Dahlia, I overlooked one potential issue.
What happens if I want her to stay?

Dahlia
People say the devil has many faces, but I know only one.
Julian Lopez—my childhood rival and family frenemy.
I vow to steer clear of him while recovering from my broken engagement, but then the billionaire makes an irresistible offer.
Renovate a historic house together and triple our profits.
Our temporary truce becomes compromised as we face years’ worth of denied attraction and mixed emotions.
Giving into our desire is inevitable…but falling in love?
That isn’t part of the plan.

Love Redesigned is a steamy, small town romance about two family friends-turned-childhood rivals. It is the first book in the standalone Lakefront Billionaires series and has a happy ending.

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Dahlia and Julian are the lead characters of Love Redesigned. Let’s start with Dahlia who I found intriguing from the first few pages. She had this quiet tenacity about her, no wonder she went from small-town girl to designer with an HGTV-like show. I loved how determined she was, which is what made Julian her perfect match. He puts the billionaire in Lakefront Billionaires and has done mighty well for himself while sacrificing his wants and desires. Both the characters lost their fathers and it shaped who they are as people, and Lauren did such a good job showcasing how that can affect people in two very different ways. Another character that stood out to me almost right away was Julian’s brother, Rafa who I clocked as the hero of the next instalment the minute he walked on the page as a single dad, with a new nanny.
• Setting: Lake Wisteria is the setting for this book and it felt one part gossipy small town with both the Muñoz and Lopez families playing a large role in cheering on the romance. This was balanced with the whimsical nature of the founders’ homes and the renovation of such historic houses. If you’ve read the Dreamland Billionaires then Lake Wisteria will ring a bell, and do not fret Lauren found some great ways to weave a few cameos. I like this town and I cannot wait to read future books set in it.
• Pacing: I read most of this book in about a day as within just the first few chapters I found myself hooked and had no desire to let go. I alluded to just how terrifyingly a brick this book looks but everyone who I have talked to who has read it had a similar experience where it just flew by. I have never seen a romance novel with footnotes before and I loved this! It was awesome to include lots of bits of Spanish, from the terms of endearment to the insults I loved this little touch.
• Romance: Yes this is childhood friends to rivals to lovers, and yes I ate up every second of tension. Most of this book is filled with our couple pranking each other and getting into tizzies but then it just makes those heartwarming quiet moments so impactful. It is a slow burn but I loved every second from the early embers to when the spark burst and the characters could not keep away from each other.

Love Redesigned receives five out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Shop Local | Amazon | Indigo

Thank you again to Bloom Books and Raincoast for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog.

The post Lauren Asher’s Love Redesigned ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

It still doesn’t feel real that this is a real book! My favourite thing about this story was just how nostalgic the reading experience felt. But that nostalgia was balanced with an original story that all hockey romance fiends are going to love!

Gigi Graham has exactly three goals: qualify for the women’s national hockey team, win Olympic gold, and step out of her famous father’s shadow. So far, so good, except for two little things. Fine–a little thing and a big, grumpy thing. She needs to improve her game behind the net, and she needs help from Luke Ryder.

Ryder is six-foot five, built, opinionated, rude…and sexy as hell. But he’s still the enemy.

Briar’s new hockey co-captain has his reasons, though. The men’s team just merged with a rival program, leaving Ryder with an angry roster where everyone hates one another’s guts. To make matters worse, the summer coaching spot he’s angling for with the legendary Garrett Graham is out of reach after he makes the worst possible first impression on his hero. So, really, this compromise with Gigi is win-win. He helps her make the national team, she puts in a good word
with her dad.

The only potential snag? This bone-deep, body-numbing, mind-spinning chemistry they’re trying to ignore. It’s a dangerous game they’re playing, but the risks just might be worth it.

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Gigi Graham and Luke Ryder are the main characters of The Graham Effect. Gigi is the daughter of Hannah and Garrett the main characters from The Deal, the first book in the Off-Campus series. Gigi is just a mini-Garrett Graham, and I loved her for it! She’s got his sass and I loved how she held her own in every situation this book threw at her. Her determination is commendable too, as throughout this book her quest for a spot on the Women’s Olympic Ice hockey team is unmatched! Ryder is her love interest, and you won’t be able to help it he’s so easy to fall for. Another hockey player which I loved as both characters could bond over their shared love. Now I must say the cameos are one of the best parts for the loyal Elle Kennedy readers out there! I loved seeing Hannah and Garrett as parents, along with meeting Gigi’s brother Wyatt and a few of the other characters at Briar U.
• Setting: It felt so nostalgic to return to Briar University! I have such a soft spot for hockey romances with college settings, they are probably some of my favourite college romances to read. There is an additional setting near the end of the book that takes the plot on a sharp left turn, I’d say you have to read it for yourself because Elle sure takes the entire Graham family on a journey.
• Pacing: Fans will be delighted that you will have a sizeable Elle Kennedy hockey romance to escape into. For being a slightly larger book, it is paced incredibly well, and the plot never slows so I was hooked into the story at all times. I found the ending a tad rushed, but that did not deter from the fact that I loved the pacing of the buildup just so much.
• Romance: Gigi and Ryder hate each other when our story starts, but their undeniable chemistry has them catapulted into a friends-with-benefits arrangement. From that FWB dynamic to them being unable to keep their feelings to themselves. Fear not this is not a situation where neither of them share their feelings for a while, rather they are so communicative, and I loved that! Now in the past, I would not have added Elle Kennedy to a list of best smutty scene writers, I always enjoyed her spice, but she did not write the kind of scenes you go read again and again. In this one though there are so many iconic scenes from the shower to the library that will live on in this fandom for infamy! Needless to say, if you like your college hockey romance with spicy heat but also heartwarming you will love this.

The Graham Effect receives five out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Shop Local | Amazon | Indigo

Thank you again to Bloom and Raincoast for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Elle Kennedy’s The Graham Effect ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I am all about honesty so I will let you know I have liked, but not loved the previous installments. Then I read Things We Left Behind, and wow this one is amazing. Lucy Score sure left the best couple for last and this book is a triumph!

There was only one woman who could set me free. But I would rather set myself on fire than ask Sloane Walton for anything.

Lucian Rollins is a lean, mean vengeance-seeking mogul. On a quest to erase his father’s mark on the family name, he spends every waking minute pulling strings and building an indestructible empire. The more money and power he amasses, the safer he is from threats.

Except when it comes to the feisty small-town librarian that keeps him up at night…

Sloane Walton is a spitfire determined to carry on her father’s quest for justice. She’ll do that just as soon as she figures out exactly what the man she hates did to—or for—her family. Bonded by an old, dark secret from the past and the dislike they now share for each other, Sloane trusts Lucian about as far as she can throw his designer-suited body.

When bickering accidentally turns to foreplay, these two find themselves not quite regretting their steamy one-night stand. Once those flames are fanned, it seems impossible to put them out again. But with Sloane ready to start a family and Lucian refusing to even consider the idea of marriage and kids, these enemies-to-lovers are stuck at an impasse.

Broken men break women. It’s what Lucian believes, what he’s witnessed, and he’s not going to take that chance with Sloane. He’d rather live a life of solitude than put her in danger. But he learns the hard way that leaving her means leaving her unprotected from other threats.

It’s the second time he’s ruthlessly cut her out of his life. There’s no way she’s going to give him a third chance. He’s just going to have to make one for himself.

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: From the first few pages of Things We Never Got Over I wanted to be in Sloane’s and Lucian’s heads. Sloane, I just adored her and her sexually frustrated librarian vibes. Lucian is most definitely my favourite leading man that Lucy has written. He has a bit of the grumpiness of the Morgan men but mixed with a heart of gold especially when it comes to Sloane. I really enjoyed the chapters that looked back at their past as teenagers, I enjoyed them so much I would have loved even more.
• Setting: Knockemout, Virginia is a town that has been growing on me over the course of the three books. I was not as invested in previous instalments about the everyday people around town, or the wider mystery that was afoot. In this book though I was happy to read the conclusion of the mystery plot line, along with loving all the time we get with the previous couples as side characters.
• Pacing: I must admit that I do find Lucy Score’s stories to be a bit long. This time I enjoyed the ride as I was more invested in the characters and the relationship so that helped with the length, it did not feel as daunting. I recommend reading these stories as eBooks if you find looking at a block of pages quite daunting.
• Romance: Sloane and Lucian’s childhood friends to enemies to lovers story hit exactly right. Their chemistry was electrifying, I loved all their scenes together whether it was their bickering or their hot sex scenes. I was so attached to the idea of these two together before the story even started, which was definitely a strategy to get me to read through all three. I was even brought to tears a few times as I just wanted them to work out so much through every hardship thrown at them throughout the story.

Things We Left Behind receives five out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Shop Local | Amazon | Indigo

Thank you again to everyone for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Lucy Score’s Things We Left Behind ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I am so excited to help celebrate this book re-entering the world in this pretty pink package. I liked Flawless my first time though, the second time through just hit different. Maybe knowing the characters and this world better just made me appreciate this story even more.

The rules were keep his hands off his agent’s daughter and stay out of trouble. But now he’s stuck with her. There’s only one bed. And well, rules are made to be broken. Rhett Eaton is the face of professional bull riding. The golden boy. Or at least he was until it all blew up in his face after a public brawl. Now his agent says he has to clean up his image, and sticks Rhett with his ball-busting daughter for the rest of the season as “full-time supervision.” But Rhett doesn’t need a goddamn babysitter―especially one with skin-tight jeans, a sexy smirk, and a mouth she can’t stop running. A mouth he can’t stop thinking about. And he quickly learns that Summer Hamilton isn’t just another conquest. She sees the man behind the mask, and she doesn’t run―she pulls him closer, even when she shouldn’t. She says this means nothing. Rhett says this means everything. She says there are boundaries they shouldn’t cross. That Rhett’s reputation can’t take any more hits…and neither can her damaged heart. Rhett says he’s going to steal it anyway.

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Rhett Eaton lassoed my heart and I was not expecting it. I mentioned this was my second time though and initially, he came across as just some stubborn bull rider. But he is so much more. He falls first and falls fast and hard. It is so interesting to know that from the beginning and see the cracks in his grumpy exterior. I already loved Summer and didn’t need more convincing to love her more. Also, this should go without saying this story is riddled with amazing side characters, who get even more amazing stories. I still wish that the other Eaton’s weren’t so against Rhett’s career choices.
• Setting: Chestnut Springs is a small fictionalized town located outside Calgary. I love the Canadian setting so much! The Wishing Well Ranch feels like a home away from home. I love the dynamic of Summer with all the Eaton boys navigating life together on the ranch. I did find it fun when Summer and Rhett were away on the rodeo circuit, especially when they were forced to share a hotel room.
• Pacing: I read almost three-quarters of this in one sitting. I love the pacing and it is such a perfect length. I guarantee you that when you pick this up you will fall hard for this story and let the wild ride just take you.
• Romance: Damn Rhett and Summer are so hot and I love them so much. Their tension was just so great. I already alluded to some really fun scenes, thank god the heat stopped working in Summer’s hotel room. Rhett is definitely more of the alpha-protective type and if that is not for you, you probably won’t want to ride that cowboy.

Flawlesss receives five out of five stars.

You can pick up the story here.

Thank you again to Elsie and Raincoast for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog.

The post Elsie Silver’s Flawless Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

While I was reading Brutal Prince I was so excited to get in Nessa’s head. Once I found out that this installment was about her I was ecstatic. I was even more interested to get to read Sophie’s take on the classic mafia romance trope, kidnapping.

They Murdered My Father, So I Stole Their Daughter…

She’s my captive, my little ballerina who dances only for me.

Nessa is sweet and innocent. She doesn’t deserve any of this. But that’s how our world works – the wolves eat the lambs, no matter how gentle they may be.

I’ll use her to get my revenge. Unless I give in to my hunger first…

“Stolen Heir” is the dark and gothic second act of the “Brutal Birthright” series. It’s a stand-alone Enemies to Lovers Romance, complete with HEA and no cliffhangers. It contains blazing hot bedroom scenes for mature readers only!!!

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Nessa is the only daughter of the Griffin Irish mafia family, and she’s been kept out of the business until now. She is kidnapped by Mikolaj, or Miko the head of the Polish Bratva. His character is dark, and it stems from some messed-up familial losses. Like many mafia men, he is fiercely loyal and the Polish Bratva had more of a found family vibe than the Gallo and Griffin families did which I enjoyed. When we meet Nessa she is struggling to advocate for herself and has been fading into the background. Being locked inside Miko’s house actually helped Nessa fly free. Her confidence grew after getting out from under her overbearing family. I do love that family of hers very much though. Throughout this book, we got snippets of Aida and Callum as a married couple and that warmed my heart. Along with little teases of some of the Gallo boys to come and I am so excited for Nero next.
• Setting: This mafia romance is set in Chicago, where different families are vying for dominance in the windy city. This time we got a deeper look at the Polish and Russian bratva which make the Irish and Italian mafia families look super chill in comparison. I love how this world expands, more characters get drawn in, and more people join the extended Gallo/Griffin crowd.
• Pacing: I cannot help but engulf these stories, the first half in particular I just could not stop reading. I did find the story started to wrap up too quickly at the end, I would have especially loved a bit more time for our characters to fall in love. It’s natural though in these shorter novels that a few things are rushed to ensure you get a nice bow at the end.
• Romance: This romance is structured as a Beauty and the Beast retelling, with Stockholm Syndrome and all. I love Beauty and the Beast retellings in any form, and a mafia kidnapping romance was the perfect setting. Nessa and Miko were hot together, and I want to ensure potential readers that Nessa makes the first move and Miko never threatens to touch her without her permission. Sophie writes mafia with a bit of an edge but keeps consent as key in this one. I felt pity for Miko from the opening pages, I am so happy his ballerina could sweep him off his feet and show him that he deserved love in his life. For Nessa, I loved that her relationship brought out the best in her, helping her grow into a strong woman in a chaotic mafia family.

Stolen Heir receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story here.

Thank you again to Bloom and Raincoast for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Sophie Lark’s Stolen Heir Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.