Road to Ruin (New Orleans Nights Book 1) ~ Callie Hart and Jonny James

Malicious Destruction of Property.

Two counts of breaking and entering.

Two counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance.

Four counts of assault.

Three counts of illegal gambling.

Three years served in Orleans Parish Prison.

Tommy ‘Havoc’ Kendrick’s rap sheet reads like a recipe for disaster: one part mayhem to three parts chaos. There’s no arguing the matter; he’s a bad guy, or at least he used to be. For the past five years, Tommy’s been on the straight and narrow, keeping his head down and staying out of trouble. He left the French Quarter behind, along with the New Orleans crime syndicates and underground fights that used to pay his bills. Trading in the high-octane thrill of earning money with his fists to work in an auto mechanic’s was hard, and yet somehow, despite everything, he’s made it work.

Until now.

Tommy hadn’t planned on seeing his brother again. When David Kendrick turns up on his doorstep with a bag full of money and four broken ribs, Tommy finds himself heading back to the place he swore he’d never return. Back to the fights. Back to the drinking, the drugs, and the women.

Back to a life he thought he’d left behind for good.

Nikita Moreau has lived in New Orleans all her life. She learned to drive there, lost her virginity there, bought her first house there, and she’s damned if she isn’t going to die there, too. As a prison psychologist at one of the country’s most dangerous facilities, she runs the risk of dying in the state of Louisiana on a daily basis, and yet she wouldn’t give it up for the world. There’s nothing more satisfying than helping those everyone else has given up on. Nothing more rewarding than fixing something everyone said was broken.

The day she meets Tommy Kendrick, however, she learns a painful lesson: sometimes a person is too broken to be fixed. Sometimes a person is beyond reach and cannot be saved. The tall, dark and handsome, tattoo-covered devil is danger personified. She knows this. She knows he’s bad news. So then why can’t she stop thinking about him? Why can’t she stay away from him?

And, most importantly, why won’t she save herself?

 

When I saw the cover for Road to Ruin, I wanted to read the book. Holy Hotness Batman. I am just like Nikita...I love a man with tattoos. Tommy Kendrick is super hot and a complete bad ass! I was super disappointed that this read was so short and I would have to wait for the next one. I wanted more of these characters now!

The environment Nikita works in is not ideal. At first I think she is a meek, quiet psychologist, but she surprises me. She's passionate about her job and her patients. So much so that it could get her in to some trouble and puts her right in Tommy's path. After several turn of events it almost seems like she is walking right in to Tommy's path, which is not a bad thing in my eyes. 

Tommy does not need to get involved with a woman right now. He needs to have his head on straight to get through the past he has walked right back into. He's a scary man with scary enemies. While he tried to get away from it before, now he has no choice but to be right back in the thick of things. 

I really liked these characters and wanted to see what happens to them. I was super bummed that I have to wait to find out, but I'm sure it will all be worth it. Callie and Jonny wrote a good dark read that I cannot wait to get more of. 

Savage Things (Chaos & Ruin #2) ~ Callie Hart

Zeth

At the eye of a violent storm, everything is calm. It’s only when the storm shifts that your life explodes into chaos.

The $#*& is finally about to hit the fan for Zeth. After months of blissful quiet, the wolves are at his door, teeth bared and snarling, baying for blood, and the sinister elements of the Seattle underground are closing in tight. In other words, things are about to get bad. Real fucking bad.

Zeth Mayfair isn’t your average criminal, though.

If the New York mob wants his allegiance, they’re gonna have to force him to submit. If the cops want his ass in chains, they’re gonna have to catch him first.

He’ll kill the wolves. He’ll ride out the storm. He’ll make his enemies suffer. Zeth Mayfair is about to crown himself ruler of the city, and fuck anyone who dares to take on the king.

They will obey, or they will fall.

The choice is theirs.

Sloane

Death is a bitch.

Sloane Romera sees death every day, looks it square in the eye, and she does not flinch. When Mason Reeves brings his little sister into St. Peter’s emergency room, a dark cloud hangs over the kid—one Sloane recognizes all too well. Millie is gravely ill, but it's not too late. Sloane's determined to do everything in her power to help her, regardless of the cost, regardless of how many rules she must break in the process.

Mason’s struck a deal with the devil, though. A deal that has painted a huge target on Sloane’s back. There’s every chance she’ll be dead by morning, and the man she loves might not be able to save her this time.

If there’s one thing Sloane knows, it’s that you can’t cheat death. When the Grim Reaper demands a life, a life must be given. Bargaining won’t work. Begging is futile.

A life for a life.

The debt must be paid in full.

OMG! Why, oh why do I do this to myself?! It’s because I love Zeth Motherfucking Mayfair!!! Gah Callie Hart does it again with another fabulous installment in the Chaos and Ruin series. I just can’t get enough of Zeth and Sloane. And Michael too!

I know Zeth is supposed to be the asshole of all assholes, but he keeps surprising me and I can’t stop loving him. He is a changed man since the first book of the Blood and Roses Series, but I love him even more. He is the Alpha Male personified, but he has his sweet spot for Sloane. Only for Sloane. Always.

Sloane is one bad ass bitch. To be able to work as a doctor, face death, destruction and pain every day, but still want to help others….that takes a special person. On top of that, she’s not afraid of Zeth. Well, she may be afraid of how he’ll react to things and afraid that someone may try to take him from her (kill him), but she’s not afraid to stand up to him. That takes some balls. Balls that some of the men that come in to contact with Zeth just don’t have.

"I know my life changed irrevocably when I met him. That change is burned deep inside my very being - in my mind, in my heart and in my soul." ~ Sloane

Mason....The twists that are happening with this kid, I just can’t even. The burden he bears by taking care of his sister Millie, coupled with the guilt he must feel….Well, I wouldn’t want to be those shoulders. I am hoping he starts to see clearer and not blame himself. I hope that he can find peace in where his life is at. My heart breaks for this kid, but if he pulls out of this mess, he will be that much stronger. He will be a force to be reckoned with.

I could read about these characters forever. And don’t even get me started on Michael. There are some things going on with him that I’m dying to know what they are, but he’s such a closed book. I need more. I cannot wait to read more about them. Zeth, Sloane and Michael are more of a family than they realize. Their love for each other is overwhelming and powerful. I hope, for Mason’s sake, he’s brought in to their fold. They all are going to need each other’s support.

I absolutely loved Savage Things. I cannot wait for the next one and for that matter; I hope I’m not waiting too long. Hint, hint. Callie Hart is definitely a go-to author of mine and Zeth and Sloane will always have a place in my heart. #ZMFM

Love Tap ~ M.N. Forgy

Amazon US/Amazon UK 

All I ever wanted was to be a female fighter.

It was in my blood to smack people around.

Some girls wore pink dresses and makeup, I wore sneakers and bruises.

I was a loner, stuck to myself because I was different, until Camden Steel moved next door.

I punched him in the mouth, and he saw me through rose colored glasses from that day on.

I had everything I ever wanted.

The boy next door, inspiring career… until I didn’t.

He hates me. I deserve that.

They say you have to fight for what you want… What they don’t tell you… is it’ll cost you more than you're willing to give to reach the top.

I love a good kickass heroine and Tate does not disappoint. I loved her tomboy-ish ways and her take no shit attitude. She’s hard as nails, but her one soft spot is Camden Steel.

I mean, with a name like Camden Steel, how can he not be hot!? He was a sexy fighter and totally head over heels in love with Tate. But she broke his heart and he hates her for it. Actually, they both harbor some pretty hostile feelings toward each other; Camden feels Tate ran away from him and Tate feels Camden is a total dick.

That being said, their chemistry is explosive. You can feel the tension as each of them train and watch each other. Their love is still there, no matter how much each of them denies it. I just loved their sexual tension and their rough sexual antics. Super Hot!

M.N. Forgy rocked this female fighter story. The characters had their own demons to overcome and trust issues they had to surpass. I loved their personalities and uniqueness. Their story was well written and I couldn’t put it down. 

Paradise Found: Cain (Paradise Stories Book 2) ~ L.B. Dunbar

“I hate that I love you,” she said. “You left me.”

“I lost you, there’s a difference. Now that I found you, I intend to keep you.”

Lost.

I’d tasted the sweetest fruit of temptation, and I wanted another bite. I had promised myself before, but once wasn’t enough. The savory flavor of her lingered long after I’d lost her. Contending with the pressure to return to the fight, in order to prove myself to my father and the world, I had to let her go.

Found.

It has been a year. Sofie Vincentia and I had played a dangerous game. For one night, we pretended, only to discover our farce was real. I’d lost her, but I hadn’t stopped searching, hoping for her return. I was used to getting what I wanted, so when she didn’t come to me, I had to go after her. This would be the greatest fight of my life.

This is a great follow up to Paradise Fought: Abel. We got a glimpse of Cain and the burdens he bears in Abel’s story, but in Paradise Found: Cain, we really see the demons he fights. His father, the man he killed, Abel, Sofie… all of them contribute to his burdens.

I really enjoy LB’s writing. The way she is able to take biblical references and turn them in to a modern romance is really impressive. I got hooked right in to the story line and fell for these characters.

The push and pull between Sofie and Cain made me want to throw my kindle. They both want each other, but through a series of misunderstandings and some legal documents, Sofie is super reserved and Cain is ready to do anything to have her back. He feels like he lost her once and never wants to lose her again. Sofie, feels that Cain left her once, what’s stopping him from doing it again. Gah!

I really liked Cain and Sofie. Even though, Cain is supposed to be a snake, I mean he is the Cobra, he has a romantic side and is completely in love with Sofie. Sofie is tougher than she gives herself credit for. I don’t know if I would have been able to hold off this sexy fighter the way she did.  Sigh.

Game ~ London Casey and Ana Fawkes

Amazon US
Amazon UK

To save her life, I had to win the fight. To keep her alive, I'll have to get her pregnant. The second I see Shayna, I know she doesn’t deserve to be mixed up in this world. Innocent, beautiful... being used as a prize. She’s looking for answers in all the wrong places and I have to get her out of there. So I do what I do best: I fight and I win. When I take my prize home, my boss is waiting for me and gives me an ultimatum: get Shayna pregnant. If I don't, we both die. If I do it, he's going to snatch the baby away to replace his own lost grandchild. We aren’t supposed to fall for each other...but our time together becomes something more powerful than I could ever imagine. And when Shayna tells me she’s pregnant, I know one thing for sure… no one's taking our child away.

ARC Received in Exchange for an Honest Review. 
While I enjoyed the characters, the plot line was a little difficult for me to hold on to. The idea that there are these two Mafioso types that are at war, so one takes his prized underground fighter and demands that he knocks up a woman who he thinks is connected to his enemy. While the Boss was a little off due to a recent loss of his own, the reasoning fell a little short for me.

That being said, Finn and Shayna have so hot, sparking chemistry. I mean it is insta-lust from the moment their eyes meet. The sex scenes definitely get you hot and as long as you’re not thinking of why they have to get it on, you can really enjoy their romps.

I love me a good fighter and Finn proves to be one time and again. He’s extremely loyal and that hurts his and Shayna’s connection for a bit, due to tragedy in his past. His best friend, Cormac is another sexy man with fierce loyalty and while he is “clean”, he would do anything for his brother. That Irish accent is sexy as hell too!

Shayna was in a bad situation due to her past which led her to the underground.  In the time she’s saving Finn, she holds a gun to him and we can tell she’s putting on a brave face, but she ends up making matters worse. All hell breaks loose and they have to get away from the underground fight and Finn's Boss's enemy, Zander. 

The writing of the story is good, but the plot just left me wishing for more. I liked the characters, the action and sex scenes. Overall, the story was written well and was a quick read. 

Killer ~ Heather C. Leigh

UnthinKable. UnimagInable.  UndeniabLe.  UnforgivabLe.  SalvageablE.  Redeemable.  

Ten years ago, their lives shattered to pieces...

And he's the KILLER that has to live with it.

Two people. One incident. Interwoven between two damaged souls in ways they don't understand.  

***

"The fact I feel anything should let me know I’m headed in the wrong direction, headed down a path of darkness, destruction, and failure. A path that will dig out memories so painful I’ve created an entire persona to avoid dealing with them. Yet I know—I’m going down that path headfirst no questions asked, no matter the outcome.

I might be a monster, but I’m a selfish one."—Keller Keating

"When his strength envelops me, every wrong becomes right, every anxiety melts away, every doubt disappears. I feel calm, safe, whole. The spark of life that’s been missing inside burns bright, lighting me up like a solar flare, sizzling white-hot through my veins. Keller brings me out of the darkness and into the light."—Britton Reeves 

OMG! I loved Killer. So, initially I wanted this book to be a standalone, but I loved the characters so much that now I want more.

Keller (Killer) I know was supposed to seem like a total dick, but he was in pain. He was suffering and that was the only way he knew how to cope. His guilt overwhelmed him and I could actually feel it coming off the pages. He hated himself so much that he would never believe he could deserve anything as good as Britt.

Britton is one kick-ass chick!! The battle she went through, not just with the incident, but with the recovery and her narcissistic mother, was something not many can overcome. I was filled with pride when reading all the things she accomplished and the other goals she set for herself. She is a truly beautiful person inside and out.

How, you ask, is it that two opposite ends to the spectrum collide? They both have this pull towards each other, while not really even realizing how interwoven their lives are. Well, not realizing until everything come crashing in and they are both left to deal with their pasts. Both pushed it aside for their own understandable reasons, but it could now push the two of them apart.

This book is about the victims of a tragedy; how they cope and deal with whatever life it is they have left. Many times the victims are forgotten about and the suspects are glorified. It drives me crazy. The way Heather was able to capture how the victims and their families moved forward got to me and hit me right in the feels. This book was written beautifully and I liked Heather’s move into a little darker of a story. Absolutely Excellent!