El Santo (Saint-Sinner #1) ~ M. Robinson

I didn’t know darkness and evil lurked inside me until I had to murder in order to survive. Forced to become my own worst enemy. With so much blood on my hands, I was surprised I could still see my own skin.

I killed.

I tortured.

I loved…

I played God while I was rotting in Hell. Thriving on control and power was the only way I knew how to live. There were no other options.

If you weren’t my friend, you were my foe.

If you weren’t with me, you were against me.

Traitors, as I called them. There were no imaginary lines. I’d crossed them all. No boundaries. No second chances. No redemption.

Not for me.

For them.

For anyone.

Only for her…

She loved me. Always convinced I was a saint, never believing I was just another sinner.

A fucking monster.

Until it was too late.

Except, I didn’t choose this life. It. Chose. Me.

Damien, Damien, Damien. What are we going to do with you? He seriously makes me want to hate him, but at the same time I feel sad for him. It's true he didn't pick this life. His father lived a lie and expected his son to grow up different. Instead, Damien just became more ruthless. Trained as a soldier and scared at the age of 18, there was no turning back.

Amira....sweet, innocent Amira. She gave Damien everything she could.She defended him, admired him and loved him. Never did she fear him, even after he continuously broke her heart. Damien warned her, he was not a good man. He told her, he could never give her what she wanted. Yet, she held out hope and continued to love him. 

I can't even get in to Emilio, or I may give too much away. I will say this: He's a sleezy, scumbag. I hate him and everything he stands for. Once, you read the book, you'll understand what I mean. 

Amira brings out the best in Damien, but he knows she deserves better He continuously goes hot and cold since he is always at war with his emotions. The angst and suspense of their story had me flying through the pages. I really enjoyed it and I need to know what happens!!

Healing Hope ~ CA Harms

Hope Larsen is living each day of her life with a crippling guilt. 

The game of ‘what if’ has made it almost impossible to move forward from such a 

horrific event. In one life-changing moment, someone who meant so very much 

to her was taken. A man who once was her best friend. A man she fell in love 

with. 

She wanted to love him freely even though he was gone and not feel so 

immobilized by his absence. Relive the memories of times they shared without 

feeling broken and lost. 

Then he shows up. 

He waltzes right into her life as if he belongs, strong confident and determined to 

make her see him. 

When Travis Donovan crosses paths with the snarky blonde, he’s intrigued. Her 

dismissal of him and his antics doesn’t have the effect she’d hoped for. In fact, 

it’s just the opposite. He’s not one to run scared from a challenge, but instead, 

he's the type to fight even harder to conquer it. 

Though she tries to fight her attraction for the cocky electrician, she finds that his 

dedication fascinates her.  

Hope comes to the realization that there’s one thing that scares her the most. 

This man reminds her of the one she lost. 

That stride, that smile, even the way he torments her…it’s all the same. He could 

be the one to show her that it's okay to move forward. It’s okay to love again. 

Travis Donovan just might be the one to heal Hope

C.A Harms's books are #Oneclick worthy. Everyone of her books that I have read I loved. Healing Hope is no different. I immediately fell in love with Travis and Hope. The tragedy in Hope's past is heart breaking. I could feel her pain through the pages.  C.A.'s writing is emotional, fluid and just downright awesome.

As I said before, I loved Travis and Hope. Travis is such a good guy. He genuinely cares about people and it shows with his family and his company. He is persistent, dedicated and determined. He doesn't let Hope's fiery attitude get in his way. He blast right through it. 

Hope is struggling at the start. I almost wondered if she could ever recover from her loss and pain. It took Travis and his teasing to make Hope want to live again. He made her want to get back to the fun loving girl she once was. 

Travis's love for Hope is apparent in everything he does. While there are some hurdles the two have to face together, each decision they made was with good intentions. While the end result may not have been what either wanted, they both thought they were doing the right thing. 

There is that one evil character that I wanted to punch in the face and while I understand that the character was a necessity.....I still want to punch them anyway. 

I really love this book and all others by C.A. Harms. The characters are awesome and well written. They are complex and lovable. The story deals with love, loss, heartbreak and healing; Everything we could want. 

The Outliers (The Outskirts Duet #2) ~ T.M. Frazier

Sensual. Heartbreaking. Passionate. Overwhelming. Maddening. 

That’s the love Finn and I share.

It's the kind you can never recover from. 

The kind you never WANT to recover from. 

That's why we'll do everything and anything to protect it. 

When my past chases me all the way to Outskirts, we have to make a choice. 

Let the lies destroy our chance at future together or...bury them deep in the swamp where they belong. 

Got a shovel?

I'm a big fan of T.M. Frazier's and this conclusion to the Outskirts duet just re-confirmed that. It was everything I was hoping for when the last book ended on that cliffy.

I didn't think I could love Finn more but I was wrong. His sexy, possessive and protective side have me swooning.  The need to protect Sawyer is fierce and I know Finn will do all in his power to keep her safe. 

"I love you. Fiercely. Possessively. Crazily. Always."

Sawyer is so much stronger than she gives herself credit for. With all the crap her father put her through and then to deal with the past following her, it would have broken a lesser woman. She continues to fight with the help of her family in the Outskirts. 

 I laughed, got choked up, and had to fan myself a few times while reading this. I loved this duet and T.M.'s writing. I couldn't put it down. I love Finn and Sawyer! 

Wicked Torture (Wicked Nights (Stark World) Book 3) ~J. Kenner

Outwardly, Noah Carter is riding high as the tech world’s hottest new genius. Inside, he’s still reeling from the abduction of his wife and baby daughter eight years ago, and then the devastating discovery of his child’s body. For years, he kept up hope that his wife was alive, but now that she’s been declared legally dead, he’s thrown himself even more deeply into his work, cutting himself off from emotional ties because they just hurt too damn much.

Then he meets Kiki Porter, an eternal optimist with a killer work ethic and dreams of fronting a band. And everything changes. Even though he tries his damnedest to fight it…

Sexually, they are combustible together. But their true fire is emotional, though it is a slow to burn. But once it lights, it is all consuming. The relationship grows emotionally, the sex is hot, things are good.

But just when it’s looking like they might have a real future together, the past comes back to haunt them. And Noah’s going to have to decide what he’s willing to give up for love …

I was hesitant to pick this one up, because it is the third in the series, but it definitely can be read as a standalone. There are characters that I recognize from the original Stark Trilogy series with Damien Stark, but they do not steal focus from the main characters. 

J. Kenner's writing is always good. The story flows, even with flashbacks. You always know where you are at in the timeline. The characters are well written and you can't help but cheer for them. 

I did enjoy Noah and Kiki's possible second chance romance. Previous circumstances caused them to be apart, but once they see each other again, it's like the flame never diminished. While both are working on dealing with the past, they are thrust in to a situation where they have to work together. They come to realize all the things they missed over the years and rebuilding their friendship. 

Then, BAM, plot twist that threatens all they just rebuilt. While I didn't totally love each of their reactions, I understand why they reacted the way they did. I only wish real life could work in the way this one did.