Divine Heart by Garrett Leigh (Rebel Kings MC Book #8)

TITLE: ⟫ Divine Heart

AUTHOR: ⟫ Garrett Leigh

SERIES: ⟫ Rebel Kings Book #8

RATING: ⟫ 5/5

BLURB: ⟫ The bestselling Rebel Kings MC series returns with Ranger and Viktor’s long awaited love story. Expect: a damaged Russian mobster and grouchy nomad. Hurt comfort, second chances, forced proximity. Love ain’t true if it doesn’t hurt.

Viktor

The message from my brother lies bold and bright on the screen.

This will be it.

Four words that could mean the end or the beginning. And for many years, as long as my sister was safe, I hadn’t much cared which. But as my gaze falls on the woven thread knotted at my wrist and the rough diamond of a man sleeping beside me, I realise everything has changed.

Ranger.

I want more than a hot summer with him. A handful of stolen nights. I don’t deserve him—no one does. But true to the fear I’ve carried since I met him, I can’t give him up.

We survive together, or we die.

And if we live?

I will love his divine heart forever.

Divine Heart is the eighth book in the Rebel Kings MC series. A sizzling MM love story with all the trigger warnings you’d expect from a gripping biker romance.

REVIEW: ⟫ Oh my heart!! I have been saving this ARC for when I really and truly felt I could give it my full attention – COVID and an ear infection, followed by an eye infection has made reading a chore. But it was so incredibly worth the weight.

This wasn’t the action-based story that the last few stories in the Rebel Kings series has been – this was all about the heart, about trust, about making the people you love safe. Ranger and Vik wormed their way into my heart in much the way other characters by Garrett Leigh have done, and I shall keep them safe – rereading their time spent on Satsuma Island as they let down their guard, shared their fears and became one of the absolute best couples in this series.

We have the Russian mafia, Albanians, Alexei, Cam and Saint, children, the most perfect dog in existence and we have a love story that made me tear up more than once. I cannot believe what a stranglehold this book had on me – I began reading it at 11.30 am and finished it just after 2 pm. I feel like I have lived a thousand lives reading this. I was scared about who we might lose and how we might lose them; entranced by the lives that are being built by the Rebel Kings, and in awe of the family Garrett Leigh has written.

I know that there are a couple of stories still to be told – specifically what was happening in places other than Satsuma Island, and I have a hankering to see if Jake ever gets a happily ever after – but either way, this was a perfect, albeit bittersweet, ending to the Rebels’ saga. I’m listening to Sinead O Connor, Nothing Compares to U whilst I am writing this review and it is incredibly apt – I can’t think of another series out there that compares to this one.

I received an ARC from GRR.

His Mate By Vengeance by Mel Aitchess (Lunetti Pack Book #1)

TITLE: ⟫ His Mate by Vengeance

AUTHOR: ⟫ Mel Aitchess

SERIES: ⟫ Lunetti Pack Book #1

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ I have lived for centuries. I have used and been used. Had countless lovers. And I have never wanted more. Not once. Not until today. Not until you.

Angelo is a protector—head of the Lunetti Pack's security. He walks a delicate line avoiding the darker side of his mafia shifter pack's business, but there's no grey area in his hatred of vampires. Not after what they did to his family. When his Alpha orders him to keep one safe, it takes everything in him to obey. So, why is his wolf so intoxicated by the sassy vampire assassin's scent permeating the safe house? And did there have to be only one damn bed?

Vin doesn't know who's trying to frame him for the bombing targeting the head of the local vampire coven, but he's got the skills and ruthlessness to figure it out. When he called in a favour for somewhere to lay low, he hadn't intended it to come equipped with a wolf shifter bodyguard, but he isn't complaining. Angelo is as easy on the eyes as he is to rile up. Seduction is a game and Vin's always loved a challenge.

Until Angelo does something no one ever has before. He cares.

Now, all bets are off. Angelo is his.

His Mate By Vengeance is a steamy enemies to lovers, fated mates, MM paranormal romance between a grumpy wolf shifter and a murder sunshine vampire assassin. It features forced proximity, only one bed, and knotting. There is no mpreg in this world

REVIEW: ⟫ This was so much fun to read! Vin is witty, quick thinking, lethal and caring. Angelo is the definition of a grumpy marshmallow – even his position as enforcer doesn’t change the fact that he doesn’t kill without reason. Angelo has plenty of reasons to hate vampires, but what I absolutely adored about this book was the way his other half, his wolf, fell for Vin completely and utterly from the beginning and had no problems showing it. The tail wagging, head butting, providing food – all of it made me grin.

The background story was also interesting and I really enjoyed the world building as we learned about the vampires, witches and wolves in this new (to me) series. It was a very easy, quick read, enjoyable without too much angst, with some spicy scenes that were nicely written. The descriptors had this playing in my head like a movie and I very much enjoyed the scenery that was painted for us!

Have joined the author’s newsletter and looking forward to the next in the series. I received an ARC from GRR.

The Former Fake Boyfriend by Maya Jean (Sweet Southern Book #2)

TITLE: ⟫ The Former Fake Boyfriend

AUTHOR: ⟫ Maya Jean

SERIES: ⟫ Sweet Southern Book #2

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Beau

The strong one. The dependable one. Eldest son. Big brother. Now the family farm is mine to run. My entire life is centered around others. To keep the attention off me at my baby sister’s wedding, I impulsively hire a fake boyfriend to give the pretense of happiness. What I don’t expect is a man that seamlessly fits into my life. Trevor holds me up when no one else thinks twice about my needs or wants. And he keeps coming back for me. Again and again. Our relationship might be fake to Trevor, but I’m playing for keeps.

Trevor

Fake boyfriend. Good friend. Shitty son. Faking is my only real skill. The dark family secrets I carry inside remind me daily of my worth. Nothing. I’m only of value when I’m providing fake boyfriends a service. But when a sweet farmer hires me for a wedding weekend, everything slowly starts to unravel. Beau works his way into my battered heart with gentle smiles, shy looks, and profound steadiness. Safe with Beau, maybe it’s finally time to stop faking my way through life.

The Former Fake Boyfriend is the second novel in the Sweet Southern series. Expect a swoony fake dating romance between a city boy sex worker and a gentle giant farmer featuring an age gap, hurt/comfort, and second chances.

REVIEW: ⟫ When I say that this was easy to read, I mean that the characters draw you in pretty much immediately and it was very easy to enter the world of Beau and Trevor. However, the things that Trevor and Beau were handling weren’t easy and I really appreciated the thought and effort the author put into showing these two men being so vulnerable with each other. The strength that they both showed in such different circumstances was fascinating to read – with Trevor, it wasn’t always easy to understand why he did what he did – but the parallels between the two of them made it perfectly plain why they were so good for each other.

I read the Husband Experience previously so knew some of the background, but I didn’t expect to care as much as I did about these two.

The phone calls between them – the one word from Trevor – made me feel so sad for him. I can’t imagine going through what he did and could well understand his difficulty in accepting the love that was offered to him. The background characters were fun, touching and very real, and I very much enjoyed reading how these two men fought for their happy ever after.

I received an ARC from GRR.

Owed to the Billionaire by Medusa Stone

TITLE: ⟫ Owed to the Billionaire

AUTHOR: ⟫ Medusa Stone

SERIES: ⟫ Belonging to the Billionaire

RATING: ⟫ 3.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ MM/Dark Mafia/ Billionaire-Romance/ Hurt-Comfort/ Enemies to lovers

Michael-

The criminal underground wasn't something I had anything to do with. That’s until my brother's gambling got out of hand. Ryan owes a lot of money to the vicious Vincent Salvatore, and the man wants what's his. We can't pay, so Salvatore demands my brother works off his debt… and I'm the collateral.

I may be held in a luxurious prison, but it's still a cage. So why am I developing feelings for the man who holds our future in his hands?

Vincent-

I don’t give a damn about some gambler's brother. I want my money, and Ryan's debt is a noose tightening around his neck. My world doesn't tolerate failure. But then I see Michael—the innocent collateral. The moment our eyes lock, everything shifts.

I should be focused on getting my money back, but Michael's got this quiet strength that gets under my skin. Suddenly, it's not just about the debt. It's about keeping him close, protecting him. Anyone who dares to touch him will face my wrath.

I didn’t plan for this. But now, there's nothing I won’t do to keep him safe—even if it means breaking all my own rules.

All books in “Belonging To The Billionaire” series are standalones.

REVIEW: ⟫ This is a short novella – approx 12.5k words – and as such, the author makes sure to warn the reader that there isn’t a lot of room for backstory or build-up. Nevertheless, from the beginning, you do get a very good sense of the depth of the caring between Ryan and Michael, and just why Michael is prepared to do anything to keep his brother safe, and vice versa. It also quickly becomes clear that Vincent is confused by the emotions that Michael engenders in him – he is far more used to delivering pain, manipulating people into owing him fealty, and running the darker side of things than he is to gentle emotions. I liked how the men who collected Michael were made to pay for their actions – they didn’t have permission for the things that they did so were reprimanded – a sharp reminder that Vincent is in charge of all of it.

I don’t recall reading any Medusa Stone prior to this but would be interested in reading what could come from a story with the space to go into more detail – whether in building the relationships, the backstory, or even the resolution. This was a quick, interesting read and I will probably look for more stories by this author, and particularly in this series as the next title sounds interesting.

I received an ARC from the author but the views are my own.

Shots on Net by J.J. Mulder (SCU Hockey Book #1)

TITLE: ⟫ Shots on Net

AUTHOR: ⟫ J.J. Mulder

SERIES: ⟫ SCU Hockey Book #1

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ Carter Morgan III hates everything about South Carolina University except for one thing: hockey. As the starting netminder for the team, he lives for those moments when he can step onto the ice and between the pipes. Unfortunately, his time at school and on the team is slowly coming to an end; although he’d love nothing more than to pursue a career in the NHL, he knows better than to get his hopes up.

Zeke Cassidy needs a place to live. When he answers an advertisement for a roommate, he’s not sure what he is expecting except that it isn’t Carter Morgan III. Carter is unfriendly, aloof, and they have nothing in common; even so, the pair hit it off immediately and become friends.

Carter knows Zeke isn’t interested in being anything beyond friends and roommates. Unfortunately, knowing this doesn’t stop him from hoping for more, no matter how much he tries to convince himself it’s impossible.

REVIEW: ⟫ This book completely crept up on me and I am so pleased to have found a new author to read! Zeke was an absolute delight – just so upfront and honest, open and caring – exactly what Carter needs. And Carter! Oh my, I just wanted to give him the biggest hugs and hold on tight – that boy deserved so much better than he had gotten before Zeke turned up! The fact that Zeke could read through his grumpy exterior, treasured every single one of his smiles, and made Carter begin to realise that he could have more – really brilliantly done!

I haven’t read anything from this author before but you can bet I’m hitting up everything on their back catalogue after this – Coach Mckensie needs to be read, obviously!!

The Night I Lost Him by Calliope Rhys

TITLE: ⟫ The Night I Lost Him

AUTHOR: ⟫ Calliope Rhys

RATING: ⟫ 2.5/5

BLURB: ⟫ Caden Conner had never planned on coming out of the box he’d placed himself in long ago, the one he’d carefully crafted to look like everyone around him wanted it to. He had determined to be what they all expected. He’d decorated it with hockey and parties and girlfriends. No one was ever supposed to find him there, but then Jamie came along and ripped him right out of it.

Jamie Bryant was an enigma. He did what he wanted, wore what he wanted, and never apologized for who he was. He had plenty of whispers swirling around him, side-eyes and some outright hatred, but he seemed to simply ignore most of it. Caden had been watching, though, and he’d always hated it when people picked on Jamie. One moment would change everything between them, but Caden still had one foot in that box, torn between being who he truly was and holding onto the reputation he’d worked for.

Caden wasn’t the only person who could see that Jamie was beautiful. Jamie had plenty of his own admirers, and one of them was more dangerous than anyone realized until it was too late. No one thought that he would take it as far as he did, but by the time they understood, Jamie was already missing.

Caden realized he’d lost everything that truly mattered in his life when he’d lost Jamie. The regret and guilt swirled with fear and pain. And he would do whatever it took to get him back.

REVIEW: ⟫ I wanted to love this book so very much – the premise was fascinating and it started out incredibly well. The pain Caden was going through was palpable and the initial flashbacks were introduced in such a way as to fill in the backstory well. But then things went on. And on. Constant pages of Caden going over and over the same thing.

By the time we got to court, even the flashbacks that told their love story couldn’t save it. I was so aggravated by so many things that it got to the stage where I was almost hate reading it. I just wanted to get to the end so that it was over.

The characters were interesting, the premise was well thought out – this was let down by the lack of someone to tell the author to move the heck on with the story. Sometimes I actually felt like I was literally taking the same footsteps as Caden and it was just taking too darn long.

I hesitated on what to rate this as, but for the sake of Caden and Jamie, the excellent meaning the author was working towards, and the friends who proved to be worth their weight in gold, I decided on 2.5, rounded up.

I understand that this is a debut novel (I think) and I will look out for more by this author.

Passing Through Purgatory by Nikole Knight (Passing Through Cafe Book #1)

TITLE: ⟫ Passing Through Purgatory

AUTHOR: ⟫ Nikole Knight

SERIES: ⟫ Passing Through Cafe Book #1

RATING: ⟫ 4/5

BLURB: ⟫ When Oliver applied for a job in the Hell dimension on a whim, he didn’t expect it to turn his whole world—or his heart—entirely upside down.

Recently graduated at twenty-six, and two months behind on rent, Oliver Barnes is desperate. So desperate, in fact, that he applies for a job in the Greed district of Hell’s Pentagram. But when he misses his train and, subsequently, his job interview, he stumbles, instead, upon a strange little coffee shop in the middle of Purgatory’s barren desert—and into an unexpected opportunity.

It isn’t the job he came to Hell for, but maybe it’s exactly the job he needs.

As he navigates the demon dimension and tries to survive the ridiculous shenanigans of his unholy co-workers, Oliver soon falls head-over-ass for a tentacled lawyer with electric fingers and a deadly-sharp grin. Together, they discover that, sometimes, love and happiness can be just a train ride away.

REVIEW: ⟫ Initially, I struggled to connect with this book. Everything sounded so alien, sometimes in what felt like an unnecessarily alien way as if to emphasise how different everything was, and I thought I wouldn’t get over that aspect of things. It didn’t help that we didn’t meet Liel until what felt like over a third of the way through the story.

However, once I began to distinguish between the different characters/demons Oliver was working with and Liel was introduced, I fell in love with this book. The banter from Gem – utterly deranged, completely inappropriate, but laugh your socks off funny; Rus with his description of something between a pink raccoon and a Care Bear; Willow with her empathy – each of them had their distinctive characteristics and role to play in this found family.

Oliver and Liel were so sexy together – both lacking confidence on occasion, yet open and honest with each other, and the lack of judging from both of them on their differences in physiology was lovely. The sex between them was hot, but ultimately it was all of them together on the trip back to Montana that brought a smile to my face that didn’t leave until I finished the book. I will definitely be looking out for more books about Purgatory and can heartily recommend this one.

I received an ARC from GRR.