Twisted Lies – Ana Huang

He’ll do anything to have her…including lie.

Charming, deadly, and smart enough to hide it, Christian Harper is a monster dressed in the perfectly tailored suits of a gentleman.

He has little use for morals and even less use for love, but he can’t deny the strange pull he feels toward the woman living just one floor below him.

She’s the object of his darkest desires, the only puzzle he can’t solve. And when the opportunity to get closer to her arises, he breaks his own rules to offer her a deal she can’t refuse.

Every monster has their weakness. She’s his.

His obsession.

His addiction.

His only exception.

**

Sweet, shy, and introverted despite her social media fame, Stella Alonso is a romantic who keeps her heart in a cage.

Between her two jobs, she has little time or desire for a relationship.

But when a threat from her past drives her into the arms—and house—of the most dangerous man she’s ever met, she’s tempted to let herself feel something for the first time in a long time.

Because despite Christian’s cold nature, he makes her feel everything when she’s with him.

Passionate.

Protected.

Truly wanted.

Theirs is a love twisted with secrets and tainted by lies…and when the truths are finally revealed, they could shatter everything.

I am really sad that the twisted series is over, I became obsessed with these books fast and I do mean obsessed. I have been waiting for Christian and Stella’s book just because of the teasing we have had in the other books. BUT. The slow burn in this book was no joke! I did not know this book would have slow burn and damn it got me turning ever page so fast. Ana Huang does slow burn so well!!

Christian I love him. There is just something about a morally grey hero who doesn’t believe in falling in love and then bam love smacks him in the face and beats him down. There is a particular scene in this book with our trio of boys from the other books where they all tease him about fallen in love with Stella and I do think it is my favourite scene. I love a good bromance or lads group in books just because they are so wholesome.

Stella, I loved her character the way she was such a sweetheart in this book and she was so adorable. She was very focused on social media and making sure her brand reached followers and she built her brand, I also loved when she finally hit her followers Christian celebrated for her. Stella also throughout this book ends up with a stalker which she ends up moving in with Christian after her stalker manages to get into her apartment.

The betrayal in this book! I don’t mean the one where Stella finds out about Christian’s file and his little obsession we all knew that was coming, it didn’t surprise me. I mean the other betrayal. The stalker. Either I am thick as a broom or Ana is really good I did not guess who the stalker was but when it was revealed my mouth dropped open. I could not believe it. I was shook and shocked.

I loved their relationship although it says we were going to have some fake dating, we had a little bit but not enough to say like fully fake date I don’t think. I’d love to know more about Christian’s past well more than what we got.

I would have loved to see more of just them together but I loved this book and this series and I am really going to miss being in this world!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Twisted Hate – Ana Huang

He hates her . . . almost as much as he wants her.

Gorgeous, cocky, and fast on his way to becoming a hotshot doctor, Josh Chen has never met a woman he couldn’t charm – except for Jules f**king Ambrose.

The beautiful redhead has been a thorn in his side since they met, but she also consumes his thoughts in a way no woman ever has.

When their animosity explodes into one unforgettable night, he proposes a solution that’ll get her out of his system once and for an enemies with benefits arrangement with simple rules.

No jealousy.
No strings attached.
And absolutely no falling in love.

***

Outgoing and ambitious, Jules Ambrose is a former party girl who’s focused on one passing the attorney’s bar exam.

The last thing she needs is to get involved with a doctor who puts the SUFFER in insufferable . . . no matter how good-looking he is.

But the more she gets to know him, the more she realizes there’s more than meets the eye to the man she’s hated for so long.

Her best friend’s brother.
Her nemesis.
And her only salvation.

Theirs is a match made in hell, and when the demons from their past catch up with them, they’re faced with truths that could either save them . . . or destroy everything they’ve worked for.

Twisted Hate is a steamy enemies with benefits/enemies to lovers romance. It’s book three in the Twisted series but can be read as a standalone.

It contains explicit content and profanity. Recommended for 18+

So if you didn’t know I have been binging this series I read Twisted Love and Twisted Games and couldn’t wait to drive into Twisted Hate.

Jules and Josh’s story you just knew it was going to be a good one, I knew their story was going to be one filled with just all the feels and I was not wrong! So trope wise, enemies to lovers, enemies with benefits, best friend’s brother. It’s got all our tropes we all love. I loved how fiery Jules was and that she didn’t back down over anything, there’s a scene in the beginning of the back where she’s about to be mugged but instead takes the muggers gun and holds it on him which boss move! She put so much pressure on herself and I felt so bad for her.

Josh everyone loves him, everyone except Jules I loved seeing how fast he turned obsessive over her it was great. I loved their relationship and in the end how much he had to grovel. I do love a good grovel, and he definitely deserved to.

Bromance! I love any books with a good bromance and Josh finally forgave Alex and all was right again. I loved it, I just that was my one thing from Twisted Love that they didn’t get to fix it, but the fact it happened in Josh’s book I loved. It was sweet the bromance lived.

The twists and turns in this book there is a certain scene before our third act break up that made my mouth drop open. Like I could not fathom. I loved it through!

In terms of order of the twisted men so far it goes Alex, Rhys and Josh last and I do think he’ll stay last. As much as I loved him what he did was so brutal and harsh and damn it was I don’t actually have a word for it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Twisted Games – Ana Huang

Stoic, broody, and arrogant, elite bodyguard Rhys Larsen has two rules: 1) Protect his clients at all costs 2) Do not become emotionally involved. Ever.

He has never once been tempted to break those rules… until her.

Bridget von Ascheberg. A princess with a stubborn streak that matches his own and a hidden fire that reduces his rules to ash. She’s nothing he expected and everything he never knew he needed.

Day by day, inch by inch, she breaks down his defenses until he’s faced with a truth he can no longer deny: he swore an oath to protect her, but all he wants is to ruin her. Take her. 

Because she’s his. 

His princess. 
His forbidden fruit. 
His every depraved fantasy. 

***

Regal, strong-willed, and bound by the chains of duty, Princess Bridget dreams of the freedom to live and love as she chooses.

But when her brother abdicates, she’s suddenly faced with the prospect of a loveless, politically expedient marriage and a throne she never wanted.

And as she navigates the intricacies—and treacheries—of her new role, she must also hide her desire for a man she can’t have. 

Her bodyguard.
Her protector. 
Her ultimate ruin. 

Unexpected and forbidden, theirs is a love that could destroy a kingdom… and doom them both. 

Twisted Games is a contemporary royal bodyguard romance. It’s book two of the Twisted series but can be read as a standalone.

Warning: This book contains a possessive alpha hero, explicit sexual content, and profanity

So after reading Twisted Love I had to dive straight into Twisted Games and let me tell you all this book this book. It was everything. So far this is my favourite of the series. I knew it was going to be good when Bridget confronted Alex in the first book but I didn’t realise how amazing it was!

Bridget she is strong, feisty, wants to do her own thing and doesn’t like doing what she’s told. Bridget does so many boss moves in this book. I loved her character she was absolutely amazing. I loved how strong she was and willing to take on parliament after she realised she was going to be Queen (that’s not a spoiler).

Rhys. I need a Rhys in life. I loved him, you could tell from the beginning although they argued he cared so much about her and the bit where he does the indoor concert festival thing for her. ADORABLE. Costa Rica! Like all of it he was so sweet and just wouldn’t admit to it until he did. I loved his character, he was the fierce protector that’s for sure.

I loved their relationship seeing it grow and all the hurt and destruction between each other and then making up and the sex between them! I just loved everything about their book.

This book is set up in a way where it’s in 2 parts, so the first part starts from in the middle of Twisted Love where Bridget finds out she gets a new bodyguard. So we get to see all the tension between them and it was glorious. Then the second part is set in present time when it’s told that Bridget will becoming Queen after her brother abdicated.

We sadly don’t see much of the friendship group in the second half but the moments they are there are amazing and I just love Jules, Ava and Alex so much like the surprise visit!

My one picky thing with this is I’m really sad we didn’t get to see Bridget confront Alex in her book because I think that would have been interesting in to see her thoughts and feelings about it.

The smut and spice in this book was perfection honestly Rhys can take me anytime and a certain scene when he outs her out on the throne, that scene was perfect.

I did cry. Again. I didn’t cry when they had their 3rd act break up like I thought I would nope, I cried at Bridget and her granddad talking. I was sobbing like a baby.

THE PLOT TWIST. THE PLOT TWIST. Let me tell you that I did not expect that twist, I was snap chatting my friend at the time and my mouth literally dropped open. No exaggeration literally dropped.

I adored this book I think this has a high chance of being a favourite of the year. If you couldn’t guess I rated this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Twisted Love – Ana Huang

Alex Volkov is a devil blessed with the face of an angel and cursed with a past he can’t escape. 

Driven by a tragedy that has haunted him for most of his life, his ruthless pursuits for success and vengeance leave little room for matters of the heart. 

But when he’s forced to look after his best friend’s sister, he starts to feel something in his chest:

A crack.
A melt.
A fire that could end his world as he knew it.

***

Ava Chen is a free spirit trapped by nightmares of a childhood she can’t remember.

But despite her broken past, she’s never stopped seeing the beauty in the world… including the heart beneath the icy exterior of a man she shouldn’t want. 

Her brother’s best friend. 
Her neighbor.
Her savior and her downfall.

Theirs is a love that was never supposed to happen—but when it does, it unleashes secrets that could destroy them both… and everything they hold dear.

Twisted Love is a brother’s best friend/opposites attract romance with a hint of suspense. It’s book one in the Twisted series but can be read as a standalone.

WARNING: This book contains a possessive alpha/antihero, explicit sexual content, and profanity. No cheating or menage, but if you’re looking for a traditionally sweet, loveable hero, this is not the book for you. Recommended for 18+.

So if you’ve been on booktok, twitter anywhere this book has been everywhere. So I started reading this as a buddy read with my bestie. Let me tell you this book did not disappoint. Again whether I’m just easily pleased I don’t know. (I definitely am).

Tropes in this book that I absolutely adore, brother’s best friend, grumpy/sunshine.

So this book follows Ava and Alex on their romantic journey together and oh my god this had twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, I mean I totally saw who actually ordered his family dead but I didn’t see who he thought it was coming. If you’ve read this book you’ll understand what I mean.

I really liked Ava’s character, she was sassy, fierce and brave. I expected her to just basically roll with the punches when they came but our girl didn’t. She didn’t let anyone stop her. Ava has a tortured past when it comes to her family other than her brother she loves but she grows up thinking that her mum didn’t want her and tried to drown her. So she has a lot of issues and trust becomes a big thing in this book.

Alex, many times during this book he is described as a psycho with no emotions and in fact Ava and her friends try and get him to force emotion but obviously that doesn’t work. He falls hard for Ava and spends a lot of time conflicted over loving her and his plans.

I loved their romance, it was sweet, he would literally do anything for her and he does. If you don’t like the third act break up, I’m not sure how you’ll feel about this book because it has it. I personally loved it and in that time she leaves and travels and really enjoys living her life and the grovel in this book was perfection. Some people didn’t really like the fact there was like a year gap, he grovelled for a long time and then it ended they were just together. I personally loved it.

Josh, he is Ava’s brother and a certain betrayal in this book really hits him and it made me so sad. I love Josh, I can’t wait to read his book with Jules (currently reading) I just know it’s going to be banging and hit the right spot. I love how supportive he is with Ava.

Bridget, our girl is a Princess and so wholesome I loved her, she may be my favourite, she is my favourite book so far (finished that one yesterday). I loved her. I loved that she went and kicked Alex up the butt and told him to stop stalking/protecting her and go and apologise and stop moping. Our girl was really boss move in this book. I loved her. Also her arguing with Rhys it set up her book really well. This book ends with the announcement that she is going to be queen.

The spicy scenes, I loved them, honestly they were perfection. That’s all I am going to say on that.

Also honourable mention: Leather the bird. He was great.

If you couldn’t guess I did rate this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am back…

Hello guys, it’s been a hot minute. I did not mean to disappear for like a year and I was very rubbish before that. I figured this would be a reintroduction post.

My name is Samantha, I have been reading for years and years and always loved, I started blogging a few years ago and life meant I had to stop and pause everything. I am now 27. I just finished getting my teaching degree (hence the absence). I am now a fully qualified primary teacher which is amazing and I cannot believe I did that.

Reading preferences, I love romance obsessed with romance so a lot of my reviews are probably going to be romance. Or any kind of story with romance in. I do TikTok a lot that’s more author journey and currently reading. My review system has changed a lot, I don’t do it based on the author’s writing or anything I do it on how much I loved that book which if you looked at my Goodreads, it’s like I’m a 5 star hoe. But if I love the book you’ll hear about it, if I don’t it’ll just be a not for me and move on. There will be no bad reviews on this blog, there will be no tagging authors. I am not about that negativity.

I have a dog called Missy. She just turned 8.

When I’m not reading, I am of course writing, if you didn’t know I have 2 published books the first one being Escaping Reality and the second one being The Selective Mute Princess. I am currently working on my third book which should hopefully be out in the beginning of 2024.

When I’m not doing either of those things, you’ll find me either at work (most of the time) but otherwise I love doing diamond Art and gaming! As well as planning (I do have YouTube channels for this).

Devil You Know – L.A. Fiore

Damian Tate. One look into his sad green eyes and I was hooked. I wanted to be the one to make him laugh, to make him smile. I hadn’t expected him to be the one to make me blush, to make me hot…to make me fall in love. He was my first kiss, my first love, my first everything. I wanted forever with him, but life got in the way.
He enlisted, I went to college, and for years we were never in the same place long enough to pick up where we left off.
Thirteen years after he left, tragedy brings him home. The stoic boy I fell in love with grew into a quiet, dangerous and wildly sexy man. He still tugs on all the right strings for me, but he seems determined to keep me at arm’s-length.
However, when trouble comes knocking at my door, he is the one to put himself between that trouble and me.
Spending time with him might drive me insane, or it might be our second chance at first love.

I would like to thank L.A Fiore and The Next Step PR for sending me an ARC to this book, I am very happy to have received one! And I absolutely love this book! L.A Fiore never fails to bring me loads of emotions in her books and she did just that in this book! It was beautiful and I cried twice. (That’s not normal but it is with her books).

Ah to start with I loved everything, this book was amazing, I fell in love with it and I love L.A. Fiore’s writing and it just flows beautifully and makes me feel things! Oh, the feels! I really loved Thea just her whole attitude made me smile, and how she loved food, I think her reaction to food is one of my favourite things in this it makes me laugh how she tries and tries to cook and bake and it just doesn’t happen when she’s younger and it finally does when she is older. It was so cute and adorable. I loved her sarcasm and how she would make up stories and jokes and her relationships with the other characters in the book I loved and how they all cared for each other and they fitted in like a family. I really loved all the scenes and how they blended with each other. Beautiful.

Damian, it was so refreshing to see a male character, who although had a bad childhood did NOT use it as an excuse to be a doosh bag. Instead, he was like the opposite and he was amazing, we see him through various points of his life, and we see him at 17 as well as later on in life. It was so interesting watching him change and at 17 how restraint he was with Thea when he loved her, and yet it was exactly the same when it came to the present but that was for a whole different reason. I loved how it showed how much he cared for Thea and her family. It was lovely and amazing, one of my favourite parts of the book is seeing him interact with Thea, Cam and Rosaline and how he just fits in so well with them as a family.

Their relationship was quite funny although they both knew they wanted to be together at times Damian would push her away because he didn’t want to lose focus and some harm may come to her, which was so sweet and yet irritating when he would become silence because of this. But I love how they eventually open up to each other and how they both worked together. I am a sucker for romance like this and I would read it over and over and over. It was just perfectly amazing.

I feel like Cam needs a mention he is Thea’s sister and friends with Damian, and although the story had brother’s best friend thing, it wasn’t brought up. It never felt like that, it was very open and it was the fact they were all friends rather than just one-sided. So I did love that too. Cam is so sweet to his sister and Damian there’s a scene near the end that is absolutely one of my favourite scenes and it involves protective big brother mode. I loved his attitude and how much he cares about everything.

I do have to mention I LOVED the mention of the men from the Beautifully series 😉 I loved it, it was nice seeing and hearing their names again.

I loved the plot I don’t really want to go into it because I don’t want to spoil it but it was amazing, like not just the romance but the other thing. I liked how they both interlinked with each other and it worked how the events. As I say I loved this book so much and I honestly just want to read it again and again and again it was just perfect.

Christmas As We Know It – Sarah Sutton

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

Christmas as I know it is blown away with the winter wind when my mom drops a bomb the size of the Rockefeller Tree—we’re going to Florida for winter break, AKA the land of no snow. And since this is the last Christmas season of my high school career, my last chance to spend the holidays with my friends before we all go off to college, the news is anything but merry and bright.

There is one silver lining, though. Bentley, the sweet and kind guy I’ve been crushing on for years, is in my volunteer group for the annual Winter Festival. And did I mention his love for Christmas just might rival my own? Even though I’ll be missing out on the Winter Festival, being paired with Bentley almost makes it worth it.

Until something happens with Jason, my best friend since elementary school. Something that may or may not involve an almost kiss. Jason’s the opposite of jolly, the Grinch to my Mrs. Claus, and though every year I have to drag him along for the Yuletide ride, this December, he’s grumpier than ever about the holidays.

But the closer I get to Bentley, and the more it looks like Jason and his ex are getting back together, the more unsure I am about who I want to ring in the new year with.

Maybe all I need is the magic of a mistletoe kiss to make up my mind. Or better yet, a Christmas miracle… 

I’d like to thank the lovely Sarah Sutton for sending me an e-arc of this book it is very much appreciated. That being said it has no effect on this review and as always completely honest.

I first found Sarah Sutton on YouTube sharing her publishing journey and this is the first book I’ve read by her. All this made me want to do is dive into her other books faster because I loved this. It was the perfect Christmas romance. If you watched her vlogs you’ll know she had to scrap half of this book and change love interest and I’m very glad for her that it paid off. Jason was the perfect love interest for  Mimi (Amelia) so much better than Bentley for sure. 

I loved her Christmas spirit and how excited she was. Hilarious over how dramatic she was about going to visit her grandma and miss out on all the fun festivities at home. And the people close to her. 

Mimi and her sister I loved their relationship it basically was shown as a normal sister relationship always arguing for that small odd time they actually get along. 

Bentley I don’t know what it was about him but I felt his character just felt off like this guy was not the person for Mimi. It felt forced like she liked the idea of a relationship and he just weren’t it. 

Jason on the other hand was perfect. The grumpy to her sunshine. I loved their relationship the way she was always there for him even when maybe he didn’t want to. When it came to his home life and she actually gave his dad a talking to I was like yassss you tell him girl spend it with his son. I loved their bond and when she finally started to have feelings for him and the jealousy she had over him spending time with his ex. 

I really enjoyed this book it had so many fun and heartwarming moments and it is the perfect read for Christmas I would highly recommend this! Top Christmas read of the year so far. 

Beautifully Decadent – L.A. Fiore

Avery Collins has just landed her dream job, pastry chef for the posh-Manhattan restaurant, Clover. Her new boss, Trace Montgomery, even helped with securing her an affordable place to live: a beautifully restored carriage house owned by his friend, Rafe McKenzie—a man that makes her catch her breath and stirs her imagination. Trouble is, he’s involved with someone, his father is being released after 25 years in prison and Avery is just his tenant. Exploring the attraction that sizzles whenever they’re together would be the icing on the cake, but Avery knows all too well that you can’t have everything. Of course, what’s cake without icing?
Rafe McKenzie’s world shattered at nine when his father Liam—the only parent he knew—was arrested and convicted for armed robbery. Growing up in the system, Rafe managed to survive his childhood and now has a job he enjoys, a house he’s restoring and a tight circle of friends. He’s even working on reconciling with his dad, both eager to put the past in the past.
Happy for the income a tenant would bring, Rafe agrees to rent his carriage house to Clover’s new pastry chef. When Avery Collins pulls up his drive, she’s not at all what he’s expecting. Funny, sexy and as sweet as her desserts, it doesn’t take long for things between them to heat up. Just when it seems as if they’ll have their cake and eat it too, the past comes back with deadly intent leaving Rafe to figure out who’s pulling the strings before his world shatters again.

I would like to say a huge thank you to The Next Step PR company for providing me with an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I have read all of the books from the Beautifully series, they include Beautifully Damaged, Beautifully Forgotten and now the final book Beautifully Decadent. As I have heard from the author before I was jumping at excitement to get to have an arc of this book. And it did not disappoint what I thought about the book and it only just made me realise how much more I love the author. I will definitely be getting the book in paperback to finish my collection!

This book did not disappoint me, the writing did not disappoint me, LA Fiore’s writing is beautiful and it makes me fall in love with her writing so quickly, something about it just draws me to it and before you know it the story is truly over and it’s sad. The plot of the story was brilliant and draws you in, I wish I could re-read this story for the first time again. A truly magical contemporary romantic story. 

Avery Collins is a very loveable character, she can be very goofy and the things she does in the book really does just make you smile. I don’t know how she manages to make such loveable characters but I have not encountered a character I hate. Other than you know the bad guys in the story. Avery is pastry chef it’s so nice as we watched her create so many treats and how she got lost in the process of making them and the creativity. She cares so much about her friends and family and it shows, we also see Avery facing challenges to do with her father and how she copes with it. Avery really felt like a 3D character which is always a good thing, her interaction with Rafe how it grew from friendship to crush to love it was beautiful to read.

Rafe McKenzie, I feel like when we were first introduced to him back in the first book of Beautifully Damaged he was going to be a complicated character, so when I heard he was getting his own book I was happy. You know to hear his story and I know I’ve said this a lot through this review but it was brilliant and it truly did not disappoint me. Rafe’s story was so powerful, learning about what his mother did and then his father being released from prison. So many emotions from him and they were expressed wonderfully through the writing. Rafe from the outside seems like a hard nut in the sense he doesn’t open up to many people, proven at the start with his girlfriend Melody. To his friends, Lucian, Trace and their wives and some other of their friends you can see he truly cares and only lets them in on his terms, but once they are let in there doesn’t seem to be any getting out. Watching him let Avery into his life and how she slips into his life so easily it made my insides warm the fact that someone who has been through what he has been through can still bring himself to trust the outside people.

The secondary characters of this novel did a wonderful job in making the story light-hearted where it needed to be. Although some serious topics in terms of Liam McKenzie’s past (Rafe’s dad) the lightness works and they surround a lot of those topics around what Avery bakes. That seems to be an ongoing theme throughout the novel about Avery and her baking and in a really weird way, it brings them all together. It was fantastically written.

I want to go into so much detail but I also don’t want to spoil anyone, there is so much more I could gush about this story. As I said this is the 3rd book in the Beautifully series but it can be read as a standalone.

Book #1: Trace and Ember’s story Beautifully Damaged. 

Book #2: Lucian and Darcy’s story Beautifully Forgotten 

Book #3: Rafe and Avery’s story Beautifully Decadent. 

Collecting The Pieces – L.A. Fiore

At fifteen I fell in love. His name was Jake Stephens and he took the abandoned, lonely girl I had been and made me whole. His love was a pure and unconditional love that made every day better than the last…a fairy tale of my very own.
But this story isn’t about Jake. It’s about Abel Madden; the man I meet after the fairy tale goes to hell. A cocky, arrogant man who says what he wants, does as he pleases, and makes no excuses for it. He irritates me—downright pisses me off at times—but he also brings me back to life.
My name is Sidney Ellis and this is my story of finding love twice—the first when I needed it most and the second when I never saw it coming.

I would like to thank The Next Star PR for sending me an ARC of this book. So thank you Kiki! Oh my god, what can I say about this book it’s perfect amazing there are not enough adjectives in the world to describe my love for this book. This is like the 4th L.A. Fiore book I have read and she has done it again. She created something so perfect and amazing and honestly she has topped the bar this time. I honestly don’t know how she’ll do it again but I know she will.

When I started reading this story we start with Sydney age 10+ with the meeting of her foster family and in the first chapter we see her meet Connor her foster brother this relationship it was so sweet and then it went downhill on that front. But whilst Connor was spiralling out of control we see Sydney meeting Jake her husband and that whole relationship was so cute and sweet. For the first 20% I was like this is so sweet and oh my god it’s perfect, then tragedy struck… I cried my eyes out I was like nooo how could this happen. This isn’t a spoiler so I’m going to say it, he died and it fucking crushed my heart, I had to stop reading for like 5 minutes to continue because it hurt that much.

Luckily that heartbreak didn’t last the entire book although we see the repercussions of Sydney losing Jake. After the accident, we skip 3 years where Sydney and Rylee have moved to a new town and tried to restart their life. This is where she meets Abel and sex begin along and eventually both of them fall in love. I don’t really want to go into much more detail about the plot and everything because that will just give it away and honestly you guys should read this because it’s fantastic.

Sydney, I really loved her character. Fiore did a perfect character of one still stricken by grief and trying to move on with her life and not be stuck in a rut. Everything this character felt I felt it too and she was written so amazing and perfectly. Her sarcasm and quick wit were also written amazingly, she was a brilliant character and I loved her. As you can tell this is just a big massive gush it was just so perfect.

Abel, he was one cocky son of a bitch but I fucking loved it! His character he was totally what Sydney needed and that came across perfectly and honestly they both really did need each other not just she needing him. We saw multiple sides of Abel and although he was cocky each one of those sides were all sweet and caring regardless.

One thing I can say about their relationship is that it was amazing how they didn’t even realise they were falling in love until one of them said it. Their relationship was so sweet especially at first as they were just using each other for sex and how he was so protective over her it really made my heart melt. I loved the relationship so much. It was honestly so amazing and I loved how the dynamic of their relationship worked.

Obviously, it wasn’t all smooth sailing they had their issues and problems that occurred trying to keep them away and apart from each other. I really want to go into more detail but oh my god I really don’t want to spoil you guys! I think I may do a gushing post because I can’t stop myself. I really really don’t want to spoil you haha.

Red Handed: An Enemies to Lovers Mafia Romance – Kate King & Jesse Wilder

“I need her. Name your price.”

At twenty-three, you would think I could say no to being traded to the enemy, but that’s not how life works when you grow up in an organized crime family. I consider myself lucky to have grown up at all.

Ten years ago, my brother was murdered in the gang war that split the city of St. Adrian down the middle. My family took the South Side, and the North Side went to them. The Gentlemen.

Now the leader of the Gentlemen is asking for my help and my father has been nice enough to agree to his terms. In exchange for my sister’s protection, I need to cross the divide and live with the family that killed my brother.

Too bad I’ve never been great at playing nice.

Nico, Beck and Rush are the enemy. The leaders of the Gentlemen. They’re conceited, lying, murderous assholes and they’re the reason I’ve been trained all my life to cheat, steal, and shoot my way to the top.

I’m ready to take them down from the inside. I just hope they don’t get to me first. After all, a truce between two enemies is a promise waiting to be broken.

Red Handed is an enemies to lovers contemporary mafia romance where the female main character will end up with multiple love interests by the end of the series. All the characters are in their mid-twenties. There are dark themes and graphic violence, but no bullying or violence toward the main character. This is book one of three. 

So I first saw this book on tiktok and the author was like go download an arc and I was like damn this looks good so off I went to go download the arc and I was not disappointed with what I got.

So it’s been a while since I’ve read a mafia romance and the fact multiple love interests which is going to turn into a reverse harem. I was there. This has been my kick lately. TikTok be the place with all the good recommendations. The story is full of twists and turns and this is only the first one in the series. We are instantly thrown into the story it’s written fast paced and god did I love every minute of this. Once I started I couldn’t put it down. It was addicting. I’m kind of sad I have to wait until 2022 to find out how it all ends because that’s going to be longggg.

So our main character Rae (Raegan) she is a spitfire, sassy, strong and the girl knows how to defend and protect herself she doesn’t need no man which she shows more than a few times through this book. I loved her she was such a breath of fresh air from our usual easily agreeable heroines that we sometimes end up seeing in this genre. I loved her. I loved her interactions with everyone.

Our three boys, well men. Nico, Beck and Rush. God they are all assholes. But we like an asshole. To be honest I love it, I love fiercely protective alpha asshole males because when they show their soft side it’s sweet and cute and honestly. I live for it. Each of them are so different yet so similar at the same time and in a way they all start to fall for Rae, especially Beck and Rush where Nico is trying to push her away as much as possible.

So much happened in this book not just with the romance and the love interest but in the actual plot. Oh my Lordy this book took me places I did not think was possible but it did. It took me there. It wasn’t all serious gang stuff we did have some fun scenes in this book but I think I loved the serious ones just that little bit more. Watching how Rae reacted to Nico, Beck and Rush especially when there was a certain torture scene that she watched. She had some of the best reactions. Also fighting Nico at every turn was hilarious.

Sophie was Rae’s sister and the pampered mafia princess and she is slightly annoying but hilarious I loved how she was teasing Rae about which of the men she’s going to get down with and her reaction when she told them she was with two of them was just hilarious. We all need someone like Sophie when it comes to dating.

Connor. I don’t like him. I don’t know if we’re meant to but from the minute he rocked up on your page as their security I was like nope. Hate him. Don’t trust him.

The ending. Be prepared. There be a cliffhanger. I was taken by complete surprise I did not expect it to end how it did. That being said it makes sense. It’s not a cliffhanger that came out of nowhere you sort of see little hints dropped and by the end of it, you’re like yeah makes sense. I cannot wait to see Rae’s reaction to this!

So to round this ramble review up, I loved this book it was everything that I didn’t realise I needed and wanted it was fantastic. I loved all the characters, the plot and the world building. I really enjoyed these two authors writing together and you couldn’t even tell it was two different authors to be honest. I adored this book and I cannot wait for the next one. I think this may be my top read of 2021 so far. Which is saying something.