After introducing the character in her previous The Dark Eyes Duet I have been very excited to read Karina’s take on Dracula.

Once there was a man who fell deeply in love with a woman he could never have. When their affair was uncovered she was brutally murdered in front of him, and he discovered he was cursed, doomed to live forever as a vampire.

Over the centuries, he found his love again, and lost her again, until he was so broken he gave up on love entirely, sinking into the depths of depravity, losing his humanity.

Then one day, she came back into his life. A student of music studying under him at the conservatory in Venice, Italy where he was a professor. But even though he found her beautiful and intriguing, he didn’t recognize his fated mate at all.

Because this time she had to hide her true self.

This time she came back as a witch, whose destiny wasn’t to love him…but to kill him.

Blood Orange is a modern-day Dracula retelling about the “real-life” Dracula that inspired Bram Stoker. This is a dark vampire romance with plenty of content warnings and while it is a spinoff of The Dark Eyes Duet, it is a complete standalone novel. It was previously titled “King of Darkness”

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Dahlia, talk about a morally grey heroine and I loved her! If you have read the synopsis then you will know Dahlia is a reincarnate of our male lead’s past loves. It was really nice to see how Karina built these three characters who were similar yet distinct from each other. They all felt very much of their time, while still having a bit of that rebellious spirit that is in Mina/Lucie/Dahlia. Dahlia was particularly interesting because she is a part of this larger Karina Halle fantasy world. If you have read Black Sunshine, you have seen what it is like being an outsider thrown into the vampire world. Instead, you have Dahlia, a witch and vampire slayer who is steeped in it, making this book super witchy. Valtu is Karina’s take on Dracula and I loved how self-aware he was. There are repeat swipes from Valtu at his friend Bram whose tale of Valtu’s life was not always an accurate portrayal. This was such an intriguing way to go about a retelling. Valtu feels unique in this vampire world, he is different from Karina’s other vampire-leading men like Solon. Valtu has this distinguished aspect to his character, and the best part was when some of that formality faded away when it came to Dahlia. There are so many good characters in this, some new faces and I was happy to see some familiar ones.
• Setting: What a magical setting, I am such a sucker (pun intended) for an Italian setting. Plus Karina is really damn good at writing these international settings. I am biased towards loving Venice as a setting, it is where my family is from. Venice is such a perfect place to build the mystery and mythical creatures inhabiting dark alleys and waterways.
• Pacing: I loved that this book was a tad longer than we see for most romance novels. Fantasy needs a bit more breathing room. It makes me even happier to say Karina has announced another book, love a duet! Throughout this book there are some passages told through flashbacks. I personally like how these sections illuminated the different iterations of Mina/Lucie.
• Romance: This romance started really flirty which was adorable to see but also a bit unexpected. I would still very much see this as a dark romance, but it has some lightness in and amongst it. I loved how throughout the story Dahlia has this push and pull between opening up to Valtu while still being incredibly secretive. This book is filled with so many incredible sex scenes, not just between Dahlia and Valtu. Because I have four words for you: Vampire BDSM Sex Club!! These scenes are not for the faint of heart, so check the content warnings before diving in. If you are willing to explore, this and all of Karina’s vampire romances are a dark romance fever dream.

Blood Orange receives five out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Amazon | Amazon Worldwide

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 Blood Orange ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I really enjoyed Reel, the first book in the Hollywood Renaissance series. I am very excited about this steamy novella. It features Takira from Reel with Naz a teammate of the men from the Hoops series. Talk about a dream Kennedy Ryan crossover!

“From Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Kennedy Ryan comes a new story in her Hollywood Renaissance series…

Those bright lights burn hot.

In Hollywood, the land of fairy tales and happily ever afters, a make-up artist to the stars finds herself entangled with the man of her dreams. Is the girl always behind the scenes ready for her close-up?”

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: If you read Reel, you will remember Takira Neevah’s bestie and makeup artist, now it is time for her story. I liked that we met her at a very pivotal point, back in high school the night she meets Naz. The night before the basketball state championship, in which Kira’s brother has to sit out and it is Naz instead that gets his shots in the big leagues. Then our story flash-forwards years later and now they may finally have a chance at being together. I loved that we now see them more confident in themselves and what they want. Any longtime Kennedy Ryan fan will get the most of the time in Italy with the huge cast of side characters. I loved all the cameos from all the Hoops and Grips characters.
• Setting: The Close-Up starts in Los Angeles but soon we have whisked away off to a yacht sailing off the coast of Italy. Talk about a swoony setting to rekindle love in. I adored the Italian vacation portion of the book.
• Pacing: This story just flew by. I was so sad to see it end so quickly.
• Romance: I adored this romance. The emotions were unmatched, these two were so deserving of their second chance. This book was even steamier than I expected. So many scenes were mind-blowing. Their sexual chemistry and the way they pushed boundaries were phenomenal. I loved it all.

The Close-Up receives five out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Amazon | Amazon Worldwide

Follow Kennedy on all her social channels…

Mailing List | Reader Group | Instagram | Facebook | Amazon | BookBub | Website

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

The post Kennedy Ryan’s The Close-Up ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

After the first instalment, I was very much looking forward to jumping back into the Finish Underworld.

“The next thrilling instalment in the Underworld Gods series. Perfect for readers who want high steam Hades/Persephone and Beauty and the Beast vibes with a dark Nordic folklore twist.

All Hanna Heikkinen wants is to be reunited with her father again. After all, that’s why she ventured into the dark and dangerous fantasy world of Tuonela, the Land of the Dead, in order to save his life. But this time her devotion to her father comes at a cost—her growing relationship with Tuoni, the God of Death himself, who held Hanna captive in exchange for her father’s life. The last thing she expects is to feel remorse at leaving Death at his castle of Shadow’s End without even saying goodbye, and yet he’s all she can think about.

Death has always prided himself on never trusting the living, but Hanna’s apparent betrayal has left a scar fathom’s deep. Vowing revenge on his future bride, and making sure she upholds her end of the bargain, Death sets out across his realm to steal Hanna back, which only fans the flames between them. But Death and Hanna aren’t just fighting each other—malevolent Old Gods are rising to power within the realm, magic is being poisoned, and buried secrets are brought to light, secrets that may cause Hanna to lose everyone she loves dear once again.” 

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: This is a sequel and you must read the books in order, especially if you want to really appreciate the character development from one instalment to the next. Hanna has sure gone through lots of development. We pick up with her as she is running away from the altar, running back to the Upper World and to her father. As the story progresses Hanna starts to embrace living in Tuonela and identifying as its queen. Death or Tuoni saw the most development though. We open our story with him feeling betrayed and humiliated once Hanna went off with Ramus. Once he has her back he wrestles between trusting and not trusting her, confiding and not confiding in her, and loving her and not loving her.
• Setting: This world is incredibly unique. There is nothing out there like it, even reading books based on Greek Myths, I have never read such a vividly depicted underworld. Tuonela is its own character in this story. The fantasy elements are really plentiful at the beginning when Hanna is running away you get to see some really cool things and meet magical and interesting characters. The pantheon of Finnish gods is explored much more in this instalment, readers will enjoy meeting these new characters.
• Pacing: Karina did a wonderful job pacing this. I’ll be honest I got more invested in the story once Death and Hanna were together again. The first chunk with Hanna and Ramus was interesting but missed the sexual tension and sensuality of the latter two-thirds. I am happy with the length of the story in which Hanna and Death were separated, it was not too long or too short. This book had a lot of revelations, some more surprising others kind of obvious, but what Karina did extremely well was pacing them slowly and not all at once.
• Romance: This couple sure is interesting. I do really like their energy together in bed, who would not? Each sex scene was incredibly hot. I can think of two scenes in particular that will join the ranks of the hottest scenes Karina has ever written. Probably one of the most iconic threesome scenes I would have ever read, and I don’t want to spoil it too much so that you’ll enjoy it. But the bedroom seems to be the only place these two get along, openly talk about things, or sort anything out. I initially thought this was going to be a two-book series so I was frustrated that this was not resolving, but fear not it is a trilogy so these two still have time to work on communication. What I loved about the more emotional aspect of the romance was how Death makes a pact at the beginning never to love Hanna. Over the course of the novel, he emotionally self-flagellates whenever she makes him feel happy. His point of view is incredibly honest, he was wounded and humiliated when she left and she needs to spend time mending that heart. He is mean to her because he is scared to lose her. Hanna also goes on her own journey of discovering the depth of her feelings for Death. I cannot wait to see this romance blossom even more in the third and final instalment coming later this year.

Crown of Crimson receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Amazon | Amazon Worldwide

Follow Karina on all her social channels…

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

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

The post Karina Halle’s Crown of Crimson ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I was floored to receive an ARC of Kennedy Ryan’s new story. I discovered her in 2019 after the buzz around the All the King’s Men series. Which if you had not read it is a must. Then I went on to read Grip and a bunch of her other books. If you had not read Grip it is another must! So basically I had been anticipating Reel for a very long time and I had very high hopes for this story. Well I am glad to say that Kennedy Ryan not only met my expectations but she blew them out of the water!

Check out the Goodreads synopsis…

“Award-Winning Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Kennedy Ryan launches a brand new series with a Hollywood tale of wild ambition, artistic obsession, and unrelenting love.

One moment in the spotlight.

For months I stood by, an understudy waiting in the wings,
preparing for my time to shine.
I never imagined he would watch in the audience that night.
Canon Holt.
Famous film director.
Fascinating. Talented. Fine.
Before I could catch my breath, everything changed.
I went from backstage Broadway to center stage Hollywood.
From being unknown, to my name, Neevah Saint, on everyone’s lips.
Canon casts me in a star-studded Harlem Renaissance biopic,
catapulting me into another stratosphere.

But stars shine brightest in the dead of night.
Forbidden attraction, scandal and circumstances beyond my control jeopardize my dream.
Could this one shot—the role of a lifetime, the love of a lifetime—cost me everything?”

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: We first meet Neevah Saint as an understudy on Broadway and this is her big chance to fill in for the lead while she is away. Neevah went to Rutgers for acting after fleeing her small-town life, after her sister slept with and was impregnated by Neevah’s fiance she really needed a fresh start. Neevah is a super talented actress and Canon Holt sees that in her. He is a famous director known for biopics and documentaries. He plucks Neevah off the stage after seeing her perform and begs the studio execs to cast her as the lead in his next movie. Canon was a fantastic male lead with a determination and fighter’s spirit that could only be matched by Neevah. Canon wants to tell important black stories and that is exactly what Kennedy Ryan set out to do in this story, and she achieved that and then some!
• Setting: The story is primarily set in Los Angeles. Neevah is whisked away from the Broadway stage to the soundstages of LA. The story really comes alive on set, as the various cast of characters who make up the crew really enriched the story. There was Neevah’s bestie and hairstylist extraordinary Takira, who was a great support to Neevah throughout shooting this movie. Then there were Canon’s supports like Monk, the composer and Verity, the scriptwriter. Those two definitely have a fraught history with each other and I cannot wait for their story to be explored in a future instalment.
• Pacing: The pacing of this story was super interesting. This might be the best place to mention that it really felt like I was getting two stories for the price of one. Canon’s biopic on the fictitious performer Dessi Blue is well developed throughout the story. We get segments of the script and that really helps to bring this movie to life. Like now I actually wanna see it cause it would be an epic tale. I know that Kennedy took inspiration from many unsung black female creatives who have never had their due. Dessi’s story of success that is then almost lost to history is indicative of the stories of real black creatives. Kennedy really wrote an empowering story that will make any reader not only acknowledge and learn about the performers of the past but also understand their legacy and how it informs black creatives in our present day.
• Romance: Kennedy will be the first to tell you that first and foremost this is a love story. What a powerful one it is. On its surface, it may seem to you like nothing more than an up-and-coming actor hooks up with her director. That may be what the outside world sees, but Kennedy brings us deeper. We see two people who have had never had a love like this in their lives. It is as simple as Neevah’s struggle with Lupus and how Canon supports her is something she had not experienced before. Neevah’s character for being outwardly open and loved by those around her. She is pretty damn secretive and it is not until Canon that she learns to break those patterns in herself. Not only is this romance emotional epic, but the scenes between these two in the bedroom were also flawless. There is so much emotional intensity that is brought into these scenes that I found myself tearing up even sometimes when they would come together. I could not recommend this story more, please go give it a read.

Reel receives five out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xwekW8
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/Reel
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3dWwUyG
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2QCKcHS
Nook: https://bit.ly/3nsKKfr
Google Play: https://bit.ly/3gHMDUc
Amazon Paperback:  https://amzn.to/2RpXgAe
Barnes and Noble Paperback: https://bit.ly/3nsKKfr

Follow Kennedy on all her social channels…

Text KennedyRyan to 797979 for release alerts!
Subscribe to Mailing List: subscribepage.com/kennedyryan
Reader Group:  http://bit.ly/2GY6eyb
TikTok: @kennedyryanauthor
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2TaYiAi
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2GUq0uF
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2Fvhqiz
BookBub:  bookbub.com/authors/kennedy-ryan
Website: http://kennedyryanwrites.com

Thank you again to Kennedy and the team at Social Butterfly PR for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Kennedy Ryan’s Reel ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

This is my first time reviewing for Kylie Scott. I have been a fan of some of her previous work including Stage Dive and Dive Bar. The premise of this novel really intrigued me and who doesn’t love the trope of the A-list Hollywood celebrity who needs to date a normal girl to better his reputation.

Check out the Goodreads synopsis…

“He walks the red carpet. She’s more familiar with vacuuming one.

When a scandal tarnishes the reputation of hot as hell A-lister, Patrick Walsh, he needs a reputation rescue, pronto.

Enter waitress Norah Peers–a nobody who’s average with a capital A. She’s available, dependable, and has sworn off men for the rest of her natural born life. In other words: the perfect match for a no-strings fake romance.

For the right amount of money, she can avoid waitressing and play the part of his dependable down-to-earth girlfriend. What she can’t avoid–dammit–is the growing steam between them.

But being hounded by the paparazzi and having your life dissected on social media is a panic attack in the making. And while Patrick might be a charming rogue on screen, in real life he’s a six-foot-two confusing, gorgeous, brooding grump, who keeps her at a distance . . . but also makes her feel like this bond between them might be more than just an act.

Being dumped on cue should be no big deal. Except being fake with Patrick is the realist relationship Norah has ever had. What’s a girl to do, but flip the script, and ask for a rematch made in Hollywood?”

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Patrick and Norah are the main characters. Norah is kind, hardworking, and incredibly selfless. She was a phenomenal heroine to start this series with. I could imaging being in her shoes, and how jarring it was to go from a waitress to the girlfriend of a famous actor. All of this was communicated very well by Kylie Scott. Patrick is that actor, embroiled in a recent scandal yet very much a kind, private, gentleman. While still being the protective, fun, charmer any romance reader would love to see in the hero.
• Setting: The story is set in Hollywood and features what I imagine are the realities of celebrity life. You really can attempt to understand these realities as Patrick has to live in seclusion, away from a stalker, the paparazzi and the media. I do not want to spoil the events of the story but Norah goes through something that vividly paints the paranoia that being a celebrity girlfriend can come with.
• Pacing: I loved the pace of this story. It does not occur over a long period of time, yet the relationship never felt rushed. Like when you think about it as a matter of weeks it seems quick but when you look at it like it took until the latter half of the novel for the characters to kiss (not for show). It was really a slow burn romance, pacing I often adore.
• Romance: This was just such an easy relationship that developed at a natural pace. They both had horrid dating histories and could not find their person. Literally, Paddy’s parents paint his love life as hopeless at one point. While Norah has focused so much on working her ass off. Now it is as if fate brought them into Norah’s restaurant at a precise moment. They may have been slow to get physical but once they did they sure made up for the lost time. They had such beautiful scenes together. Overall, this was a great love story and I am excited to hopefully see some future instalments with the other guys in the story like Paddy’s friends Jack and Cole.

Fake receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2P2liAJ
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/Fake
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2QfG54j
Nook: https://bit.ly/32pTdWT
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3v5gzh8

Follow Kylie on all her social channels…

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2XujcZh
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2GngiQq
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2OiXx3I
Twitter: http://bit.ly/391pjJM
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2EUrx11
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2Imusk3
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2S7cc32
Book+Main Bites: http://bit.ly/2ETz5RQ
Stay up to date with Kylie by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2TOOivT
Website: https://kyliescott.com/

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

The post Kylie Scott’s Fake ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I absolutely love any new release from my queen Melanie Harlow. These two characters in Call Me Crazy kept making appearances in previous instalments and I have been dying for their story.

I am a member of Melanie Harlow’s review team, but I stand by my reviews remaining honest and true.

Check out the Goodreads synopsis…

“It was the perfect plan.
I needed a wife—temporarily—in order to inherit the family business.
And she needed a favor—the kind that takes nine months to deliver.

We had it all worked out, from the no-touching policy on our wedding night (her rule) to the no-falling-in-love decree (mine). She’d marry me, I’d give her the means to have the baby she’d always wanted, and one year later we’d amicably part ways with no hassle, no demands, and certainly no regrets.

After all, Bianca DeRossi and I are experts at infuriating one another—we’ve been doing it since we were kids. Trouble is, she grew up gorgeous and feisty, and she still knows exactly how to get under my skin.

And that wedding night? Well, it doesn’t exactly go down hands-free.

Then she moves in with me, and I really start to lose my mind. From her sexy little pout to her wicked sense of humor to those meatball sandwiches she makes just because she knows they’re my favorite . . . I find myself wanting to break every rule we put in place.

Our story was never supposed to end with happily ever after.
But call me crazy, I just might be in love with my wife.” 

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Bianca DeRossi and Enzo Moretti are the main characters of this story. Enzo’s parents give him an ultimatum if he wants to inherit the family business he needs to be married. Enzo fears that his younger brother will beat him out for the business as he is already married and has three kids. Enzo has known Bianca since they were kids. Both families are fiercely Italian and very traditional. Bianca is an interior designer who also buys and flips houses on the side. Enzo does the same thing so he and Bianca often get competitive about it. Bianca’s personality is best described by the behaviour she exhibited in high school when Enzo’s parents and hers forced Enzo to take her to the dance. Bianca brought a copy of Twilight and refused to hang out with Enzo all night.
• Setting: Bellamy Creek is the small-town setting of this novel. It is such a cute little town, a classic Melanie Harlow setting.
• Pacing: The story was paced really well as Melanie treated the reader to an equal amount of character development and love story. As Bianca and Enzo stumble into this marriage they both grew as people as they were forced to come to terms with what they wanted in their lives.
• Romance: So Enzo obviously needs to find a wife to inherit the family business but Bianca was nowhere near his first choice. They have bickered constantly their entire lives. Bianca decides to take the risk of marrying Enzo because her biological clock is ticking. She has PCOS so she needs to get pregnant sooner rather than later. Bianca and Enzo sit down and over plates of pasta craft a master plan to fake date, get married and have a baby with a little help from a lab. The early books include so many cute scenes including when they were going to tell their parents they were engaged. They studied up on each other and Enzo even picked out the nickname “mia polpetta,” my little meatball for Bianca. The wedding night leads them to pursue getting pregnant in the bedroom instead. From then on the line between real and fake in their relationship begins to blur. They both have to face the fact that they may want to build more than a family together, they may want to build a life; a future together.

Call Me Crazy receives five out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tuhE1P
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/CallMeCrazy
Amazon Print: https://amzn.to/3k6tH1d
Amazon Audible: https://amzn.to/2ZzmVHO

Follow Melanie on all her social channels…

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2RPwr51
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1NPkYKs
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/36kL7yB
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2NW3UtA
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2sVOz55
Website:http://www.melanieharlow.com
Stay up to date, sign up for Melanie’s mailing list: http://bit.ly/2P7MATT

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

The post Melanie Harlow’s Call Me Crazy 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.

What can I say that has not been said about the epicness that is Giana and this series. It is an amazing series and I went into Dead Man Walking with high expectations. The last instalment, Inked in Lies was Giana’s best work yet.

Check out the Goodreads synopsis…

“From USA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Giana Darling comes a dark MC romance about a broken enforcer and the beautiful, innocent woman who shows him that light can exist even in the dark…

A killer. A criminal.
A psychopath.
The Irish enforcer for The Fallen Men MC is everything good girls are taught to stay away from.
Only, I found myself inexorably drawn into his dark gravitational pull. I wanted to know what it would be like to walk beside the human personification of Death and hold his hand, feel his kiss, and maybe even earn his undying love.
But Priest McKenna is older, cold as ice, and notoriously unfeeling.
So what are the odds that a dead man walking would come to life for little, insignificant me?
When a serial killer begins to target the women of Entrance, BC, and The Fallen suffers another terrible blow, Priest resolves to hunt down the killer himself.
And when the murderer sets his eyes on me?
My very own psychopath steps between me and certain death, thrusting us into an intimacy I prayed we would never recover from.”

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Priest McKenna and Beatrice “Bea” Lafayette are the main characters of this MC erotic romance. Bea is Loulou’s little sister, who you will remember as the heroine of Welcome to the Dark Side. Bea is the daughter of the former Mayor and the granddaughter of the town pastor. So she has grown up with the pressure to come across as the virginal, angelic, and pious daughter. In reality she has a much darker side and being welcome into the home of the Fallen MC once her sister married the club’s prez allowed for her to explore it. Priest was also welcomed into the Fallen when he ran away from home in Ireland when he was seventeen. Priest’s parents died tragically and he was taken in by the local church that scorned him for being born out of wedlock. Once taken in by the club he became their enforcer, meaning in most cases he was the one sent out to enact revenge. He had a traumatic childhood raised by the church’s Priests who emotionally and physically abused him. This is what shaped him into the “dead man walking” the psychopath that he is today.
• Pacing: The story pacing was extremely important to building both the romantic relationship and the mystery element. There is a serial killer loose in the town and once it sets it sights on Bea, Priest takes it upon himself to hunt them down himself. Giana did a great job building the tension in the mystery and while I had my suspicions the murderer reveal was still super satisfying.
• Setting: Entrance, BC. The fictional town, accessible in the world of the Fallen MC is off of the Sea-to-Sky Highway on the way to Whistler, BC. Not too far from Vancouver, allows for many characters like Bea to attend university there. I have always loved Entrance as it allows for such a clash between Conservative towns folk and the men and ladies of the Fallen. Yet the most corrupt people in this town are repeatedly the “morally pure.” Entrance is a town of dichotomy, with most of the town diverging away from the Fallen. Bea’s story is just another example of how found family or chosen family are those that are really their for you at the end of the day.
• Romance: Bea has been infatuated with Priest for awhile now, she’s obsessed with him. While Priest also felt these similar obsessive feelings. Yet he knew he could never provide the romance, the winning and dining, the cuddles that Bea deserved. All he could be is rough, tough, rude, and crude. It should as come as no doubt that after all this lusting after one another these two fall for each other hard. They have an electric first kiss, that leads to some pretty kinky scenes. This book is not for the faint of heart or the squeamish. Their sex included blood play on many occasions, so if that really ain’t your scene this book may not be for you. Bea and Priest often engaged in scenes together where the lines between pain and pleasure were quite blurred. The community around them was hesitant towards their relationship. Many were worried Priest would corrupt innocent Bea, not understanding that Bea already had a much darker side.

Dead Man Walking receives four out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Download your copy or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3aOkfg4
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/DeadManWalk

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 Social Butterfly for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!

The post Giana Darling’s Dead Man Walking ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

I am a member of Melanie Harlow’s Review Team, this does not affect the honesty and integrity of my review.

I am so excited for Mel’s next book. The characters Cole and Cheyenne were introduced in Drive Me Wild, so that is why they may be familiar to you. It was made abundantly clear that Cheyenne has always had a crush on Cole but is too scared to tell him. Those kinds of friends-to-lovers romances are so much fun so I am pumped!!

Check out the Goodreads synopsis…

“He’s my brother’s best friend.

The hot single dad next door.

And one accidental sext later, my massive crush on him is no longer a secret.

It’s my own damn fault. I’m thirty years old, for heaven’s sake. I’m a kindergarten teacher and a (reasonably) responsible adult. I should know better than to get tipsy and draft a fake text listing all the dirty things I wish Officer Cole Mitchell would do to me.

I wasn’t supposed to hit send.

He wasn’t supposed to see it.

And he definitely wasn’t supposed to text back telling me to go on . . .
Because after that, things escalate quickly.

Cole is everything I’ve ever wanted. He’s sexy and protective. A devoted father to his little girl. A dedicated cop the whole town adores. The kind of guy you can trust to keep his hands to himself, even when you’re desperately hoping he won’t.

I’m not the girl he thought he’d end up with, but after all this time, I might finally get the chance to say the words I’ve always dreamed of . . . make me yours.”

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…

• Characters: Cole and Cheyenne are the main characters of this epic romance from Melanie Harlow. Cheyenne is the sister of Griffin from Drive me Wild, she is the kindergarten teacher of the local elementary school. Cheyenne is a wonderful protagonist. I really like how Melanie formulated Cole’s character. He is a single dad, widowed upon the birth of his daughter. I really liked the way Melanie depicted him as he struggled years later with the loss of his first wife and his reluctance to seek help for it and how that affected all aspects of his life. It was a great depiction of how seeking mental health treatment needs to be destigmatized for men.
• Pacing: This is Melanie’s longest story yet and I was so grateful for that little bit of extra time with Cole and Cheyenne. The pacing was really effective as really allowed the reader the time to understand not only the ins and outs of Cole and Cheyenne but the importance of each side character. The importance of Blair as Cheyenne’s best friends and Cole’s squad with Griffin and the other boys. And of course just how important the role of Cole and Cheyenne’s mothers were to the story.
• Setting: Bellamy Creek is a wonderful setting. The small town feel is always appreciated and something Melanie just does extremely well. I also loved that we got to go back to Cloverleigh farms for Blair and Griffin’s wedding. I love any excuse to go back to Cloverleigh and see some of the Sawyer sisters again.
• Romance: Cheyenne has had a crush on Cole since she was a teen. She openly admits that she cried on his wedding day, when he married his now deceased wife. She has struggled in dating since because no man ever could stand up against her feelings for Cole. While Cole on the other hand has put in so much effort to ensure he never falls in love again. The poor little muffin was scared to and had written himself off as someone who would remain a single pringle for the rest of his life. For someone like Cheyenne to come into his life at the moment he needed her and to show him that it is worth taking the risk to fall head first into love. Another absolutely stellar couple from Melanie, honestly one of her best yet!

Make Me Yours receives five out of five stars.

You can pick up the story below…

Free in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/363yARV
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/Makemeyours
Audible: https://bit.ly/3m140PO

Connect with Melanie…

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2RPwr51
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1NPkYKs
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/36kL7yB
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2NW3UtA
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2sVOz55
Website:http://www.melanieharlow.com
Stay up to date, sign up for Melanie’s mailing list: http://bit.ly/2P7MATT

Thank you again, Melanie, for the opportunity. Thank you for reading this review and supporting my blog.

The post Melanie Harlow’s Make Me Yours ARC Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.

This is a bit of a different review from me. I had an opportunity to watch a screener of this documentary. A documentary all about the ups and downs of the genre we all love.

NAUGHTY BOOKS: A Documentary directed by Austen Eleanore Rachlis and starring Kelli Maine, Laurelin Paige, Kristen Proby, CJ Roberts, Aimee Garcia, Allison Tolman and Aisha Tyler is available now!

“No one was prepared for the success of Fifty Shades of Grey. Originally written in 2010 as a piece of Twilight fan fiction and posted online, it eventually sold over 100 million copies, taking erotica mainstream. But women didn’t only read erotica in large numbers; they also wrote it. In the aftermath of Fifty Shades a cottage industry emerged around self-published romance novels. Once women who worked forty-hour-a-week jobs, living paycheck-to-paycheck, many of them are now New York Times bestselling authors with their own merchandise lines and die-hard fans. Naughty Books follows three such women: an Air Force vet, a telemarketer, and a hospital administrator who became millionaires in under a year by using pen names to sell erotica online. They garnered thousands of fans and secured lucrative book deals with major publishing houses by writing about good girls and bad boys finding love and having steamy sex. However, as more and more people saw writing erotic romance as a quick path to money and fame, the market became saturated with hundreds of romance novels published every month, making success difficult to maintain…”

A Few of My Personal Thoughts…

• What I Loved: I loved the way they showed off our community. The documentary showed bloggers, book clubs, and conventions. It showed how we are all in this together and we love what we love and that is more than okay. My favourite cameos were the owners of The Ripped Bodice, the bookstore in LA that I have always wanted to go to. The way they talked about the industry in such a knowledgeable way was amazing. They said some of the things I have been screaming from the rooftops for years, that this genre is written by women, edited by women, marketed by women, reviewed by women, for WOMEN! Expert voices were really great too, this was well researched and overall a great exploration of the romance genre.
• What I Was Only Okay With: First off I was let down by who the documentary chose to focus on. I gather based on the events of the documentary that this was filmed a while ago, so who was dominating the genre was a different story back then. I was really let down because I initially signed on to review this because of Colleen Hoover’s involvement, I love her and wanted to get some more insight from her. I swear she was barely in this and when she was in it, it was so valuable I really think they lost an opportunity to feature her way more in this documentary. I have not read any books by any other author that got the most speaking time. I understood looking at someone like Kristen Proby, but it made me wish they could have spent more time on what is going on today like how she not only writes but is publishing other authors. CJ Roberts really did demonstrate the burnout and demand the genre asks of you, so I valued having that perspective somewhat. I really did not understand why Kelli Maine was so focused on, she bugged me quite quickly honestly. It was the insinuation that the genre was not allowing her to write what she wanted and how she wanted it. And maybe that was more of the story when this came out but I would say today there is way more respect from fans when it comes to pushing boundaries and breaking the genre contract. I would also say that these fans are loyal, I read and review every release for the authors I love to death. When they are writing what they are truly passionate about it shows in the quality of their story. I have been through numerous experiences where books get pushed back or another book takes precedence and I have always never abandoned the author because of it. I don’t “forget” authors like how Kelli stated it, and it was her sections that made me feel as if the fans who to me are some of the best in the book world were not represented fairly.

You Can Watch the Doc at The Link Below…

https://geni.us/NaughtyBooks

I want to thank Social Butterfly and 1091 pictures for this opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog. Stay safe!

The post Naughty Books Documentary Review appeared first on ClaryNathanWill.