I have been excited about this book ever since Giana first teased it! All I have to tell you is that this is a dark academia, sapphic, Medusa retelling, that should be enough to get you to look at this twice. I loved this book, and even if you think it is not for you, trust me give it a try and get ready to be whisked away to Archeron University with Lex and Luna.

From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Giana Darling comes a sapphic dark academia Medusa retelling about a woman who was wronged by her idols and refused to pay the price without getting revenge…

I was born a woman.
Raised by women.
In love with women.
Until I enrolled at Acheron University, I’d never known much of men. I certainly didn’t know enough to fear them.
Then one stormy autumnal night, Professor Morgan tried to destroy me.
And when we were discovered by the university President, it was me who was punished for the unwanted seduction.
But they left me with two valuable lessons.
I would never let another woman be hurt by men again if I could help it.
And when someone hurts you, betrays you, and tries to rip out your soul, there is only one remedy for the pain.
Revenge.
And mine takes the form of the President’s very beautiful, very virginal, very straight daughter, Luna Pallas.
Before the end of term, I’ll destroy her innocence just as her mother and Professor Morgan destroyed mine.

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Lex and Luna are the main characters of this sapphic dark academia Medusa retelling. Lex Gorgon is Archeron University’s Medusa. Lex’s story is dark and heavy, warning everyone now that there is sexual assault depicted quite early on in the book and that assault along with many others are discussed throughout the story. Lex’s character has such a magnetism, with a rage that draws you in and has you cheering for her revenge journey. If you love a little feminine rage you will love Lex. Now Luna Pallas, when you meet her you think here is the goody two shoes headmaster’s daughter, and throughout the story, she grows more defiant, and I loved every moment of it. Her development is also a sexuality awakening story as she goes from someone confused about herself to growing into who she is, a bisexual woman. Both of the gals have their own unique strengths and vulnerabilities, I loved them individually but loved them even more together. Lex’s sisters are a perfect addition to this story too, loved the Man Eaters.
• Setting: The story is set in the world of Acheron University, with whisps of dark academia especially at the Gorgon house readers will find it easy to immerse themselves fully in this world.
• Pacing: The book is seamless with just how fluid and beautiful Giana’s writing is. For those who love retellings and literature (all the English majors), you will adore the reference and reverence shown throughout the story. I was hooked on the plot of the Man Eaters and their quest for revenge, and I really loved how Giana went about navigating it and how she brought so much care to how she wrote about sexual assault.
• Romance: Giana pulled off writing a relationship that was heartwarming, earth-shattering, and so damn filled with tension. Lex and Luna had me giggling over their banter, and then swooning as they read poetry to the other. But fear not this book is also incredibly hot, from their first interactions the sexual tension melts from the pages. There is so much emotionality, they are navigating so many roadblocks in their way from others’ homophobia to processing trauma to seeking revenge, many times I was brought close to tears by this relationship. This out-of-the-world attraction and chemistry are balanced against how they are perfect for each other, Lex brings a bit of darkness to Luna, and Luna is Lex’s light. Truly it is such a special sapphic romance and powerful story.

Serpentine Valentine receives 5/5 stars.

You can pick up the story here.

Follow Giana on all her social channels…

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

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

The post Giana Darling’s Serpentine Valentine ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

After waiting for this book for quite a while, I am so happy to say that Giana is back and better than ever. This book is top-tier and has so many elements of Giana at her best. My review is glowing because honestly, this book was just phenomenal and I never want to go almost three years without a Fallen Men book again!

From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Giana Darling comes an age gap, forbidden love story about a rebel soul and her best friend’s dad who wants absolutely nothing to do with her…

I fell in love with my best friend’s dad when I was seventeen.

He seemed like some kind of heathen god, big enough to kill a man with his bare hands, tattooed with bright, bold images, and weathered by time and a short stint in prison.

Blind to the consequences, I made a mistake that ran him out of town and ruined his life.

Now, he’s back after all these years––hating me more than the day he left.

What he doesn’t know is that I’ve been working to atone for my sins.

I’ve infiltrated the Vancouver Triad that killed his wife.

Always my protector, he decides it’s not safe for me to be in this alone, so he resolves to get me out of the Triad and out of his hair for good.

*A stand-alone novel in The Fallen Men Series.*

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: I very quickly adored both the main characters, Axe-Man and Mei have my heart. Mei might be one of Giana’s strongest heroines yet, she has such strength but at the same time vulnerability, she really stands out in a world of phenomenal female characters. I loved Mei’s friendship with Cleo and then the way over the course of the story she is brought into the fold of the found family that is the Fallen MC. Axe-Man was her perfect match, as he has such a dark history and a fraught backstory. Right away I felt invested in his happiness and him finding that with Mei. This book of course gives us so many amazing moments with the wider cast of characters, with great moments with Cressida, Nova, Bea, Kodiak, Cleo and Zeus. Plus there is a whole subplot of Danner and HR’s wedding which long-time fans will love.
• Setting: You do not realize how long you have yearned to return to a place until you have to be away from it for so long, and that is exactly how I felt about Entrance, BC. The clubhouse, the bookstore, and the tattoo parlour mean as much to fans as the colourful cast of characters.
• Pacing: This book is told in three parts, with the key back story elements of a much younger Mei, seventeen-year-old Mei, and then we catch up with her at twenty-five years old. I really loved this as I feel like I really got to know a character very well without having to rely on seeing them in the previous books. This book can really stand alone from the others for that reason. It is over 600 pages and it did take me a few more nights to read than I expected but I never wanted the return to this world to stop, so I made the active choice to slow down which is something I rarely do.
• Romance: Some of the best Fallen Men love stories are the ones with not just rich character backstories but deeply rooted and emotional pasts that are tangled up in each other. Mei and Axe-Man’s love story is probably in my second slot (nothing is going to beat my love for Nova and Lila), but what a triumph their story was. Warning it is a sixteen-year age gap, and he did know her when she was younger which I know is not everyone’s cup of tea. The journey from seventeen-year-old Mei’s crush on her best friend’s dad to her at twenty-five trying so desperately to reconnect and help carry his emotional burdens, was devastating to read. I found myself close to tears so many times throughout the book as I felt just how raw this couple’s relationship was. With that rawness came some pretty intense sexual tension, and some of the romantic scenes were simply some of the best Giana has ever written. What a triumphant return to the indie publishing world, I cannot wait to see what the future of the Fallen Men has in store for us!

Caution to the Wind receives five out of five stars.

You can pick up the story here.

Follow Giana on all her social channels…

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

Thank you again to Giana and the team at Valentine PR for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Giana Darling’s Caution to the Wind ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

After the delicious kickoff to this story, Dangerous Temptation I could not be even more excited for the second and final part of Tiernan and Bianca’s story.

I am a member of the Dangerous Press review team, but I stand by my reviews remaining honest and true.

“Bianca has finally found her rightful place amid the powerful Constantines. But all is not what it seems in this glittering new world. And Tiernan Morelli refuses to give up her up…”

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: This final instalment featured impressive character development for both Bianca and Tiernan. I loved how Bianca found her strength and to do that it was essential to take her away from Tiernan and the Lion Court. It sucked how they spent long stretches of this book apart but I see how it allowed them to grow individually. For Tiernan, I think Giana found a great way for him to both soften and keep his intensity. He does not lose his penchant for violence but he is the primary caregiver to Brandon during this book. Brought out a fatherly side to him that we had not seen before, and I am a sucker for the alpha male softening for those he loves. Side note I continue to love how Elena Lombardi was incorporated into this series, I gushed about that in my Dangerous Temptation review. But I had to mention it again, mostly so I could once again recommend When Heroes Fall. I also liked Carter’s character and would love to see either Giana or someone else tackle him in the future of Midnight Dynasty.
• Setting: Once again we spend the majority of our time around different points of Bishop’s Landing and the wider New York City area. Bianca moves in with Caroline Constantine and is determined to infiltrate and retrieve the information she seeks. While Tiernan and Brandon hold down the Lion Court. I love that setting as the Lion Court is one of the houses on Bishop’s Landing that has taken up the mantle of being its own character. My one setting wish would have been to have spent more time at Tiernan’s club. We are brought there quickly and I would have loved more time exploring it.
• Pacing: I had my reservations going into this story as it was the second book, but also the last. Most of the Dangerous Press books have been a part of a trilogy. Duologies are harder to pull off sometimes. Giana had quite a bit to wrap up and loose ends to tie. She did do a great job tying up the different plot lines and she did not leave us with any holes. The pacing going into the end worried me because so much was happening, but Giana is good at what she does and she wrapped things up eloquently.
• Romance: I love the chemistry Bianca and Tiernan have as a couple. The guardian and the ward falling in love is a great trope and I love how Giana handled it. Their scenes together were electrifying, I particularly loved a scene that had Tiernan breaking in somewhere to have his way with Bianca who was feisty as ever. Bianca became bolder in and out of the bedroom, a similar development that most of the Dangerous Press girls have gone through. Giana is a queen of writing sexy scenes so I would have liked even more worked into this book, but I am understanding of the limitations around that. It made every scene we did get delicious and devilish.

Beautiful Nightmare receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Amazon | Amazon INTL | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play

Follow Giana on all her social channels…

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

Thank you again to Giana and the team at Dangerous Press for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Giana Darling’s Beautiful Nightmare ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

With such a talented group of authors attached who does not want to devour these sultry stories.

“On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me… TWELVE NAUGHTY DAYS

Cancel your plans, because twelve of the hottest romance authors have teamed up to bring you a delicious holiday treat: a series of never-before-seen short stories inspired by the 12 Days of Christmas.

Each of the authors will have an unforgettable, steamy story. Set to one of the twelve days in the popular Christmas song, it will be perfect for you to sink your teeth into this holiday season.

Including original works by New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors:

K.A. Linde
Skye Warren
Fiona Cole
Nana Malone
Claire Contreras
Nikki Sloane
Giana Darling
Sierra Simone
CD Reiss
Laurelin Paige
M. Malone
Angelina M. Lopez

On sale for a very limited time at just $3.99! All proceeds benefit suicide prevention and will be donated to the Trevor Project.”

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• K.A. Linde’s: One Cruel Wedding Night asks is if an arranged marriage equals no love. This story features Camden, the heir to a hotel fortune and Katherine who is now penniless. Her father committed fraud and now her only option is this arranged marriage. This villain romance had great sexual tension. I loved how it was set at their wedding and the hot scenes that came with it. 4 stars.
• Skye Warren’s: Two Turtle Doves features Gabriel and Avery fan favourite characters of Skye’s. I have not read any of her Endgame series, I feel bad that I could not appreciate all the character cameos. For those who have this is definitely going to be a treat for you. 3 stars.
• Fiona Cole’s: Goner is the best story in this anthology! Fuck I loved this story. First off I am a huge fan of Fiona and the world of Voyeur, so yes I am biased. There is a great cameo from a beloved couple. They get in the mix with the new characters and it is a super hot scene. I love the setting of blur and I could read like ten more books in this world. Amara and Atlas have great chemistry. This book has everything, F/F/M, F/F/F, and M/F. 5 stars.
• Giana Darling’s: Swan Song is about Finnegan aka Curtains of the Fallen MC. This story was pretty good but I expected more from Giana. I am a huge fan of her motorcycle romances and I wanted this to be steamier. I did really enjoy the characters and the mystery surrounding them. 4 stars.
• Claire Contreras’s: Five Golden Rings is Deliah and Rory’s story. This story was not very memorable. The sex was hot though. I loved how the rings referenced in the title were incorporated into the story. 3 stars.
• Nikki Sloane’s: On the Sixth Day is a story of a throuple. Clay, Travis & Lilith are from The Architect. I enjoyed this story so much, I plan to pick up their story. Their sex scene was incredibly hot. I loved the balance between the sex and plot in this story. 5 stars.
• Nana Malone’s: Four Calling Birds is Bryna and Lucas’ story. I did enjoy that this story had a heist aspect to it and how it led to a very hot hookup. But overall I did not get super invested in this story. 3 stars.
• C.D. Reiss’s: Nine Ladies Dancing was a bit of an odd story. It really did not click with me, as I did not like any of the characters. It took me forever to read and it had my putting the book down rather than devouring the story as I should be. 2 stars.
• Sierra Simone’s: My Present This Year is about step-siblings Nick and Nora. This story is so hot and well of course it is it is written by the queen of steamy smut Sierra Simone. This story was my second favourite in the anthology. With perfect pacing, the tension was built between step-siblings who have been struggling to keep their hands to themselves. You cannot help but buy into their feelings and start to cheer them on. 5 stars.
• Laurelin Paige’s: Ten Dirty Deeds exudes tension and oozed steaminess. I loved the concept of the 10 deeds and how it was incorporated. I know Laurelin has written about these characters before, but I have never read that story. Sabrina and Donovan are from Dirty Flirty Rich Men, and they seem like a very fun, hot and dirty couple. 4 stars.
• M. Malone’s: Gift Me is Noelle and Deacon’s adorably nerdy romance. I loved this romance of two people who have been pining for each other for quite a while. This story was one of the sweetest and most romantic ones in the anthology rather than something sexy or steamy. 4 stars.
• Angelina M. Lopez’s: Twelve Drummers is Sabrina Ramirez’s story. This story was really unique and its inspiration was super cool. This Aztec-inspired tale is one of the steamiest in the anthology. The hotness of this story is quite something, but its lack of plot keeps the rating a bit lower for me. 3 stars.

Twelve Naughty Days receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Amazon | B&N | Apple | Kobo | Google Play

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

The post Twelve Naughty Days ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I absolutely love love Giana Darling so I was so excited to see that she was joining the Midnight Dynasty world. I really thought she would fit in perfectly and she sure did.

I am a member of the Dangerous Press review team, but I stand by my reviews remaining honest and true.

“He arrives all dressed in black. Diamond cufflinks. A watch on his tanned wrist that cost more than we would ever see in a lifetime of work. He carries a single red rose for my mother.

Months later, Tiernan Morelli lays red roses on my mother’s grave. That same day, he tells me that he is my new guardian.

I should have known from the very start that he had more in common with the thorns than the rose. Now I know the truth: I’m a pawn in his dangerous game of revenge. I was too young and naive. Now it’s too late to save myself from his clutches.

Now I belong to him.”

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Bianca is incredibly headstrong, and determined. I loved how much of a fighter and hard worker she was. She was a great bigger sister to her younger Brandon. I loved their sibling relationship. She was incredibly caring and protective of him. Brando was the light and innocence not only this book but the Midnight Dynasty world needed. I loved Tiernan’s character. He is the black sheep of the Morelli family. The one who bore the brunt of his father’s abuse, the one who gets along the least with the other siblings. He has never ever been anybody’s first choice. I loved the little callback we got to Elena, as Tiernan’s lawyer. If you are just here as a Dangerous Press fan and you have never read any Giana Darling. You gotta read the Anti-Heroes in Love duet!
• Setting: The story is set in Bishop’s Landing. Our classic setting for all these Midnight Dynasty books. Specifically at the Lion Court. Tiernan’s home, with its gothic architecture, sure delivered us some spooky vibes. It was his maternal grandparent’s place and now it is his sanctuary away from the prying eyes of the other Morellis.
• Pacing: The pacing is quite good. The book felt a bit short, but all that did was make me excited to read the sequel hopefully very soon. I have been a fan of Giana for years, I knew she would compliment this world and she sure did. The intensity of her writing, from Kiernan’s characterization to some relationship-changing intimate scenes between Kiernan and Bianca.
• Romance: This book is big enemies-to-lovers vibe. Tiernan stormed into Bianca’s life when he was dating her mom. After the events of the prequel novella included in this book. Bianca and Brandon become Tiernan’s wards. Tiernan offers Bianca a good education and nice clothes, but in return, she must follow his rules. I loved the sexual tension that permeated every scene they had together. As the book progressed Bianca softened the cruel side of Tiernan. A man who had never really been loved with such innocence before. All of the characters in this book are not clean-cut good or bad, there is so much grey area. One of the things I love most about all the Dangerous Press books.

Dangerous Temptation receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Amazon | Amazon INTL | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Kobo | Google

Follow Giana on all her social channels…

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

Thank you again to Giana and the Dangerous Press team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Giana Darling’s Dangerous Temptation ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

If you love the Morellis and Constantines as much as you do, I bet you are also over the moon to be whisked away to a Christmas ball with all our favourite characters. Dangerous Press kicked off with a short story anthology, Dark Fairy Tales. So it is lovely to return to the kind of storytelling we started with. Now though we all know the world and will appreciate checking in on our favourite characters. Along with introducing some new stories to come next year!

I am a member of The Dangerous Press review team, but I stand by my reviews remaining honest and true.

“Brand new holiday stories for bestselling authors! This boxed set contains powerful alpha men and heroines who bring them to their knees…

Enter the world of dark mansions and mysterious heroes. The notorious Morelli family hosts their annual Christmas ball. And you are invited to experience the sensual feast.

MEET ME UNDER THE MISTLETOE is an exclusive anthology of scorching hot NEW holiday stories. Download your copy and tell a book-loving friend, because it won’t last long.”

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Skye Warren’s Halleluiah: I love Eva Morelli and I am so excited to get a full story about her very soon! This short story introduced us to Finn, Eva’s love interest. I loved seeing Leo be a super protective brother. All this story does is keep me excited for Skye Warren’s future book and for more Morelli secrets to be revealed. 4 stars.
• Amelia Wilde’s O Come All Ye Faithful: Fuck I love this couple so much! I love how Haley’s character strikes the perfect balance between insecurity and confidence. The sexy scenes were hot fire in this one too. 5 stars.
• Giana Darling’s Baby It’s Cold Outside: I was so excited to start this story and see that it was Elena and Dante. It was so rewarding to read more of their story. Their sex scene was phenomenal. If you are not excited about Dangerous Temptation after reading this story, well you should be! 5 stars.
• Theodora Taylor’s This Christmas: This one is the most mysterious of the bunch. But I just did not get really invested in this one at all. 3 stars.
• Sam Mariano’s Wrapped in Red: I was very enthralled with this couple. This was an office romance, which is always a fun trope. I could have seen myself reading a whole book about Georgia and Lee. 4 stars.
• Pam Godwin’s O Holy Night: Time for two of my faves, Tinsley Constantine and Father Magnus. Swoon! I just love the way they do everything from loving to fighting to fucking. I loved seeing Tinsley meet Elaine and Lucian. Plus there was a scene that may have involved a church altar and it was hot fire. 5 stars.
• Clare Contreas’ Santa Baby: This one was an interesting premise. Of two individuals living their lives apart but were meant to live them together. I loved getting to read two sides of a love story coming back together again. I was glad to see a male character display so much emotion. 4 stars.
• Katee Robert’s Last Christmas: I was excited to see an O’Malley show up. I am a huge fan of all of Katee’s work and this story is no exception. This story is about Carrigan’s nephew Cael. I loved how this one is an older woman and a younger man. Falling in love with a Senator’s wife, how scandalous. I loved this short and sexy, yet still sweet. 5 stars.
• M. O’Keefe’s Little Drummer Boy: This story is about Zilla, Poppy’s sister. I love that this one featured an unconventional friend with benefits relationship. The sex was hot but I wanted to be more invested. They may have worked better with a longer story. 4 stars.
• Jenika Snow’s It Came Upon a Midnight Clear: Gallina and Arlo are a couple of Jenika’s from a previous book. A book I have never read so I did not have any prior investment in them. I found them a riveting couple with incredibly hot sex. 4 stars.
• Maria Luis’ Carol of the Bells: Laela Donna is being a recluse but a sexy mystery man is attempting to seduce her. I really loved this one and all the twists in it. 4 stars.
• Sienna Snow’s Silent Night: Greek mafia! I love the change from it always being about Italians, Irish or Russian mobsters. This was an interesting relationship dynamic. 3 stars.
• Jade West’s Away in a Manger: Yes! It is time for Lucian and Elaine. I loved getting to see them as parents. Lucian is such a softie with his kid and I adore how he melts for Elaine. The sex scene was hot of course! 5 stars.
• M. Robinson’s All I Want for Christmas Is You: Jax is an all-star quarterback and has no interest in settling down. At the Morelli ball, he is immediately attracted to this mystery woman. The story ends abruptly and I would have loved a sexy scene and a longer story. 3 stars.
• Alta Hensley’s Silver Bells: Lyriope is the Morelli’s sibling’s secret half sister. Nick Hudson catches her eye at the Morelli Christmas Ball. He is the owner of the Wonderland Club, an exclusive mysterious sex club. I cannot wait for their trilogy so we readers can jump headfirst into wonderland. 5 stars.

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below for free!!

Amazon | Amazon INTL | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple | Google Play

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

The post Meet Me Under the Mistletoe ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I cannot even describe how much I was anticipating this sequel. Outside of Inked in Lies, which remains my favourite Giana Darling novel. This duology is a very close second. Giana has blown me away with the depth of this story.

Check out the Goodreads synopsis…

“From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Giana Darling comes the conclusion to the Anti-Heroes in Love duet, a gripping mafia romance about the capo who will risk everything to keep the woman he loves safe…

I am the hero no one wanted…

I was a murderer.

One of the cruelest and wealthiest men in New York City.

Dante Salvatore, capo of capos.

Yet I had one weakness.

Elena Lombardi.

Cold as ice, sharp as the edge of broken glass, and more beautiful than any woman should have the right to be, she stormed my defenses and razed my life as I knew it to the ground. For her, I would once again play the hero and prove myself worthy of her unconquerable heart.

For her, I would change everything.

I could have left her to the enemies hounding me, but instead, I made the unforgivable decision to take her with me to the old country. Now, there is no other option. In order to keep both of us safe, Elena Lombardi must become my wife”

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: I really do not want to spoil you much so if you have not read the first instalment. Please stop reading this review and go pickup When Heroes Fall. If you read When Heroes Fall you should need my review to incentive you to pick up the next instalment but nonetheless my thoughts are all incredibly positive. The big standout for me is just how much character development Elena (and to a lesser extent Dante) went through. Elena was so much in her element. Turning into a mafia donna was the best goddamn thing to happen to her.
• Setting: I loved getting to run off to Italy in this instalment. For as many Lombardi world books Giana has written, none have really spent that much time in Italy. Which makes sense as the Lombardis had to flee Napoli. This story really showed the beauty of the grittiest place in Italy. The Villa with it’s lemon groves just sounded gorgeous. I may be very biased but I am Italian, so I just find it to be one of the most gorgeous settings in the world.
• Pacing: The pacing was perfect. Not too long, or too short. I read it quickly but I loved that I could just engulf this story. I am jealous of all of you guys now who can binge the two books back to back. I really love having this story be broken up over two instalments because one would not have been enough to fully flush out these characters. Yet three would have dragged the story along, the problem I found with Giselle’s trilogy. I want to give Giana a shout out here for the release schedule. Having the books close together but not too close together was absolutely perfect. I felt like excitement and momentum did not decrease, yet the stories coming out closer together helped me remember everything I read in the previous book. While also making the cliffhanger a lot more bearable.
• Romance: The romance in this story is nothing short of epic. This may be one of my favourite romances ever. The connection these two had and the way they made each other better and stronger was just immaculate. Dante did not impose new characteristics onto Elena, he helped her embrace her true self. As she opened up to him while also embracing the darkness within her, she learned to balance living in a world where she can be both a hero and a villain. These two have an electric chemistry, their kisses could start a three alarm fire. This romance made me feel every emotion possible, it had me crying, laughing, swooning and hot and bothered.
• I want to give a quick shout out too to all the Italian in this book. I absolutely adored the nicknames and as someone with an understating of the language it was nice to have a better understanding of some of the idioms Giana used. Granted I did not know much of the bedroom language, so it was also fun to learn some new naughty words. Brava Giana!

When Villains Rise receives five out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

https://t.co/aR0DT1h8SB?amp=1

Follow Giana Darling on all her social channels…

Website: https://gianadarling.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gianadarling/
FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GianasDarlings/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GianaDarling
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gianadarlingauthor/
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2lI2UNn
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2hpAHaX
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2eGspdJ
Subscribe to Giana’s Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2Ejqln2

Thank you again to Giana and Candi Kane for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Giana Darling’s When Villains Rise ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I have been so incredibly excited to get this book on my eReader. First off I knew it as Dante’s story and after getting to know him better in the Enslaved Duet. We did not know for the longest time that Elena would be his love interest. After Giana Darling revealed that I wanted this story even more. Elena had always fascinated me, from her cold, bitter portrayal in The Evolution of Sin. I am so ready to dive into her head, head first.

Check out the Goodreads synopsis…

“I am the villain of my own story…

Jilted by my fiance.
A disappointment to my family.
Haunted by my childhood traumas.
I felt so much all my life that I resolved to feeling nothing at all.

Until I met my match.

As the most infamous mafioso of the 21st century, Dante Salvatore was madly passionate, unequivocally bad, and entirely too dangerous to know. He was everything I abhorred, yet I found myself representing him in the biggest criminal trial of the decade.

I was so focused on winning and achieving the success I deserved that I didn’t notice the gorgeous black-eyed man’s effect on me until it was too late. My icy heart had been held too close to his flame and now I wouldn’t let Dante go down without fighting with everything I had in me.

Even if the cost of a new life with him meant the loss of my old life and everything I thought I held dear.”

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Elena Lombardi has a reputation as a lawyer, standoffish, ice queen. She is still a junior partner trying to prove herself. I have preconceived notions about Elena from reading about her in Giselle and Cosima’s story. There is so much more to her character than I ever thought possible. I found that I had this internal battle with Elena myself. I am so proud of being of Italian heritage and I strive to hold onto every morsel of it. I related more to Dante in that way. I totally understand based on Elena’s childhood that she wanted to leave Italy in the past. She rejects the roughness of her upbringing and goes out of her way to be poised. She has really interesting relationships with her siblings as she is the eldest and claims that she was the only one who remembers the true horrors of life in Napoli. Her fertility issues are written about in such a great way. This explores the combo of how her issues are both psychologically crippling and anti-Italian cultural expectations. To switch gears to Dante, if you read Cosima’s story you would know him as Alexander’s younger brother. Elena gets brought into his orbit as he is standing trial for murder, illegal gambling, racketeering, and money laundering. Dante did not murder this man, rather he is protecting Cosima. He ran away from the Davenports and was taken in by Amadeo Salvatore in his youth, the mafia boss became his pseudo father. I loved how Giana depicted Dante’s loyalty to those around him and how they respected him in return.
• Setting: The story is set in New York City. Quite early on in the story, Dante has his bail hearing and he is sentenced to house arrest. So the vast majority of the story takes place in Dante’s apartment. It was a wonderful setting as it set the stage for awesome scenes. You had them laughing and cooking together in his kitchen. Cuddling and watching TV in bed. Along with all the fun and unique places they had their way with each other.
• Pacing: The story was paced really well. I knew going in this would be a duet and I am very satisfied with the ending to this story. Yet I am super duper pumped to be getting its sequel in just a few weeks. Thank you to Giana who writing these books back to back. I also loved how she weaved Italian into the story. There were very few times the Italian was not translated right away and yet it never felt instructional. It felt as natural as thoughts in Elena or Dante’s head. As someone with a basic knowledge of Italian, it was also fun to try to figure out what they said to each other before Giana translated it.
• Romance: I loved this relationship between the modern-day New York mafioso and his lottatore, his fighter. These two had such wicked chemistry. After getting a peek into Elena’s life with Daniel, in Giselle’s story, it became increasingly clear that she never had the same spark with Daniel Sinclair that she has with Dante Salvatore. He makes her adventurous and pushed her limits in a really refreshing way. I would love to see her one day apologize to Sin and Elle for seeing their relationship as something depraved, now that she has opened her eyes more to sexual pleasure. My heart absolutely aches for Dante and Elena as I adored their personal journeys of discovering just how in love with each other they are. This story is the best one Giana has ever written about a Lombardi and that just makes me so much more excited for the conclusion to Elena and Dante’s story coming in June!

When Heroes Fall receives five out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

FREE IN KU!!! https://geni.us/WhenHeroesFall
PREORDER WHEN VILLAINS RISE TODAY!!! https://geni.us/WhenVillainsRisePO

Follow Giana Darling on all her social channels…

Website: https://gianadarling.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gianadarling/
FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GianasDarlings/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GianaDarling
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gianadarlingauthor/
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2lI2UNn
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2hpAHaX
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2eGspdJ
Subscribe to Giana’s Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2Ejqln2

Thank you again to Giana and Candi Kane for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Giana Darling’s When Heroes Fall ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

Giana’s debut trilogy is getting a new look and some new content! I was so grateful to be granted a copy of the re-release so that I could have the perfect opportunity to re-read this trilogy before we get Elena and Dante’s story in When Heroes Fall.

Check out the Goodreads synopsis…

“It started with an affair. A seven-day affair with a mysterious French billionaire on the beaches of Mexico.

I didn’t know anything about him except his name.

Sin.

He was older, dominant in ways I’d never known, utterly romantic, and taken by another woman.

He shouldn’t want me.

I shouldn’t let myself want him.

After the most passionate week of my life, I never believed I would see Sinclair again when I moved to New York City to begin my next chapter.

I certainly never expected to find him in my mother’s kitchen.

Now, I’m faced with an impossible choice.

Safeguard my burgeoning career, my reputation, and my family by sacrificing the only man I’ve ever loved.

Or follow my heart into the cold, dominating hands of the man I shouldn’t crave but do with every inch of my soul while condemning those I love to misery as a consequence.”

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• The Affair: Giselle grows so much over the course of just one instalment in this series. She starts as this young, inexperienced, virgin who has spent her life running away from her problems. The reader cannot help but find Giselle likeable, there are aspects of all of us in her really. Which makes it so awesome to see her begin to find her voice and ask for what she wants. The reader cannot help but question this affair as Sinclair never hides that he’s in a relationship, meaning that Giselle makes the choice firmly to be the other woman, to be a homewrecker. The way Giana writes this story almost makes you excuse the cheating, you cannot help but be torn apart as you really begin to see how Sin and Elle bring out the best in each other. Elle is bolder and Sin is happier. Their chemistry is off the charts, their scenes together are just delicious! – 4/5 stars
• The Secret: The second book has this air of sadness over it, it sits on Giselle and the reader’s shoulders. You go from the bold and bright Mexico version of Elle, to the Bambina of the Lombardi family. In a way, her family almost stunts her, as if she is a butterfly with her wings clipped. New York is definitely better than it was in Italy but there is a reserved and restricted nature to Giselle in The Secret. From Giselle’s perspective, she really does seem like the odd one out in the family. But perspective can be telling. It is super interesting to read her relationship with Cosima and how Giselle sees them as extremely close. While us avid Giana Darling readers know just how much Cosi is keeping from Giselle. If you don’t know do yourself a favour and read The Enslaved Duet. Sinclair and Giselle have an attraction unlike anyone else. Which made their relationship really frustrating in this book. To watch Sin stay in a relationship that makes him unhappy makes you as a reader want to pull your hair out. – 4/5 stars
• The Consequence: I genuinely think this is a really interesting series but I do lose some of my love for it in the third and final instalment. And most of my issues stem from Mr. Daniel Sinclair. Sinclair does some extremely questionable overly protective and controlling things. I’ve read this twice, with a lot of life experiences in between and yet I cannot get behind some of the things he did. Reading The Consequence makes me so excited for an Elena redemption arc. It became even more and more obvious as the story went on that she had no spark with Sinclair, and I am so freaking excited to see her fall for Dante.

The Evolution of Sin trilogy receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xi67EW
Apple: https://apple.co/32Bj5zu
Nook:https://bit.ly/2RUxEfl
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3enDWeS

Follow Giana on all her social channels…

Website: https://gianadarling.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gianadarling/
FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GianasDarlings/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GianaDarling
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gianadarlingauthor/
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2lI2UNn
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2hpAHaX
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2eGspdJ
Subscribe to Giana’s Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2Ejqln2

Thank you again to Giana and the team at Candi Kane PR for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Giana Darling’s Evolution of Sin Re-Release ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

For over a year I have been getting sneak peeks at these stories through the Queens of Darkness and Sin Facebook group. If you are a fan of any of these lovely ladies or steamy sexy stories in general, you gotta join the group. I was super excited to see these ladies compile the stories they have co-written together in an package tied up in a nice little bow.

Check out the Goodreads synopsis…

“From 16 bestselling authors comes seven never-before-released dark and forbidden co-written short stories with HEAs and sneak peeks of upcoming releases. Tales of Darkness & Sin is only available for a limited time so pre-order your copy now!

Bestselling authors include: Aleatha Romig, A Zavarelli, Ashley Jade, Cora Reilly, Giana Darling, Isabella Starling, Jade West, K Webster, Lucia Franco, Lylah James, Natasha Knight, Parker S Huntington, Pepper Winters, Sam Mariano, Sierra Simone and Skye Warren.

All royalties from this anthology will benefit the National Women’s Law Center which represents a variety of issues from women’s rights to LGBTQIA issues. We aren’t affiliated or endorsed by these charities. We are simply authors who want to support an important cause.”

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Aleatha Romig and Skye Warren’s Sold to the Highest Bidder – 3 stars: I was slightly disappointed by this story. The title got me really excited for an auction. And yes there was one and I loved the dynamic of brother versus brother. But there were not enough steamy scenes.
• A. Jade and A. Zavarelli’s Stalker – 4 stars: This one had a fun premise of the stalker being the quiet boy from her high school that always liked her. This one had some sexy scenes and a super fun twist.
• Parker S. Huntington and Giana Darling’s Poisoned Hearts – 4.5 stars: I absolutely adore Giana’s mafia stories and this felt a lot like the world of the Lombardis. This one I would have engulfed as a full-length novel. The perfect levels of sexual tension and such a fast-paced plot. Loved it!
• Lylah James and Cora Reilly’s Dirty Bargain – 4 stars. Continuing with the Italian mafia and including the Russian Bratva. This one was intense, but that is what you get when the man is called Killer. Another steamy tale, full of dirty talk and another untouched virgin. Who doesn’t love trading your virginity for a hitman to kill someone for you?
• K. Webster and Sam Mariano’s Mr. Foster – 4 stars. Time for an office romance, and who doesn’t love it when the employee falls for the boss. To make it even more forbidden the boss is her father’s best friend. This one is quite a classic tale with a huge age gap so if you are into that this one will for sure be right up your alley.
• Giana Darling and Sierra Simone’s Not a Dirty Little Secret – 4.5 stars. A little M/M romance with the British Prime Minister! I absolutely adored this story as I am a sucker for a good M/M romance. This story is the only one where I have read pretty much the entire backlist of the two authors writing it so suffice to say I love Giana and Sierra to death. There was a little added taboo element to this book that was thrown in partway through so I loved the pacing of this. The guys had such chemistry and a wonderful connection. This may be my fave of the anthology.
• Jade West and Lucia Franco’s Her Christmas Present – 4.5 stars. And now for a little Christmas story. This one was a classic daddy-esque age gap tale between a high school senior and her teacher. The Christmas twist of him playing Santa and her sitting on his lap was such a fun way to start off a story really about an older man showing this younger girl pleasure for the first time.
• The final three pieces were previews for full-length stories: Pepper Winters’ Forbidden Flaws, Natasha Knight’s With This Ring, and Isabella Starling’s Tyrant Stalker – all 4 stars. I definitely plan to look more into these as I found myself getting hooked into these previews. All of these really engaged me and made me want to know what was happening next. It was an interesting choice to include these at the end, don’t really think it was that necessary and instead it made the book really really long. They felt out of place not being co-written shorts. That being said still enjoyable reads.

Tales of Darkness and Sin receives four of out five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

A reminder that the royalties will go to the National Women’s Law Center.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/35sEFaY
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/TalesofDarkandSin
Nook: http://bit.ly/3sbzZQG
Apple Books: http://apple.co/39kYHpa
Kobo: http://bit.ly/3nv91Qn

Thank you again to Social Butterfly PR and the ladies of Queen of Darkness and Sin. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Tales of Darkness and Sin ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.