Book Review: Losers: Part 1 by Harley Laroux

Title: Losers Part 1

Author: Harley Laroux

Series/Standalone: Losers Duet (Book #1)

Genre: Adult, Smut, Why Choose Romance, Dark

Pages: 594

Publisher: Indie Published

Year Published: 2022

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

"I was supposed to have it all.

I'd been Prom Queen, Cheer Captain- high school's most savage Queen Bee. I could have everything I wanted. Except them. The freaks, the weirdos, the school's ultimate losers; Manson, Jason, Lucas, and Vincent. our hatred for each other couldn't keep us apart, not even when my own mistake got Manson expelled and made me the ultimate villain to the rest of them.

One night was supposed to be enough.

I couldn't resist forever. For one night I gave myself over to the men I wasn't supposed to want and satisfied the darkest parts of my soul. But some things are meant to stay in the dark. One night, and it was over.

Nothing more than a game.

Now, with college behind me, our worlds collide yet again. Four men, all willing to share me as their plaything until my debt to them is paid. Another game to satiate my dark cravings, the twisted rules of which bring us all even closer than before. but games aren't meant to last.

When the debt is paid and the game is done, what if I don't want to walk away?"

My Rating: 3.75/5

This was such a wild read. I've read some other dark romances, so I was somewhat prepared going into this, but I don't think that I had a clue what I was getting into. The smut is insane, the plot is fun, and the characters are all very unique. I'm curious to see where the rest of the series goes, and I look forward to reading more by the author. While the writing style isn't my favourite, it is entertaining.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Carnage by Shantel Tessier

Title: Carnage

Author: Shantel Tessier

Series/Standalone: L.O.R.D.S. (Book #5)

Genre: Dark Romance, Adult

Pages: 628

Publisher: Indie Published

Year Published: 2023

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

"A PUPPET

The men in the secret society known as the Lords think they rule the world. And in a way, they do. Each has sold their soul to the devil at a young age in exchange for power and wealth. Like anything else, they have different levels of success. The more they're willing to serve, the more power they have.

Among them are the Spade brothers, who run Carnage. It's where the Lords who have not held up their oath go to live out the rest of their lives in shackles. Tucked away from the world as if they never existed.

I VOW. YOU VOW.  WE VOW.

I once belonged to a Lord- Saint Beckham Carter. Although nothing was holy about him, I still kneeled as if he could grant me eternity in a world where only evil existed.

At the time, I willingly vowed to be his and allowed him to share me with his "brothers." But things changed. And what I thought couldn't get any better got exceptionally worse. So I did the only thing I could and ran from him, knowing I could never return.

Now he's found me and dragged me back to his hell, where he will make me his pet. The world already thinks I'm dead, so no one will miss me. And I'm just another name on a long list of those who will never know freedom.

What he doesn't know is why I ran from him in the first place. A Lord doesn't listen to reason, so it's not like he'd care anyway. Saint was born a Lord, and he will die as one.

If life has taught me anything, it's that we all pay for our sins. And Saint will never let me forget that my place is at Carnage, serving him on my knees until death is granted."

My Rating:5/5

This was so over-the-top, crazy, and intense, as most of the books in this series are. But if you wanted to see Shantal Tessier take the series to a whole new level, I would highly recommend. Seeing what caused Saint to be the character we see in the first half of the series was super interesting, and then getting more context for the subplot that has run through all the other books so far. I'm looking forward to continuing the series soon.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

Title: Butcher & Blackbird

Author: Brynne Weaver

Series/Standalone: The Ruinous Love Trilogy (Book #1)

Genre: Adult Fiction, Romance, Dark

Pages: 360

Publisher: Little Brown Book Group

Year Published: 2023

Format: Paperback Copy (Own It)

"Every serial killer needs a friend.

Every game must have a winner.

When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers, Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive- the friendship of a like-minded, pitch-black soul. From small town West Virginia to upscale California, from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country. But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love. Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out fo a game of graves? Or have they finally met their match?"

My Rating: 5/5

For me, this was a 5/5 for vibes alone. Somehow Brynne Weaver made a dark romance that gives romantic comedy vibes while giving love to those who enjoyed the premise of Dexter. I'm not sure how she came up with this concept. But this spice was great, the romance was fantastic and the plot was extremely entertaining. I would recommend reading the triggers before reading this book, but if it sounds like it would be for you and you want a good time; go for it!

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Savage Lover by Sophie Lark

Title: Savage Lover

Author: Sophie Lark

Series/Standalone: Brutal Birthright Series (Book #3)

Genre: Romance, Adult Fiction, Dark, Mafia

Pages: 338

Publisher: Indie/Self-Published

Year Published: 2020

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

"Two people who believe they're unworthy of love.. until they meet each other.

Camille Rivera is drowning. Her father's sick, her brother's in deep with a dirty cop, and her mechanic shop is failing.

Nero Gallo is the neighborhood psychopath. As vicious as he is gorgeous, Camille has watched him burn through every girl in a ten-mile radius, breaking hearts and never, ever getting attached.

Which is why she can't believe it when Nero saves her from a seriously sticky situation. They've lived next to each other all their lives- is it possible she never really knew him at all?

Camille is about to learn that the only thing more dangerous than trusting Nero is falling for him."

My Rating: 4/5

I really enjoyed the start of this book. Sophie Lark does an amazing job of making each character feel unique and different from one another, which is saying something when you're reading a companion series one after another. I liked the smut, I liked the plot, but some parts of the book just felt disjointed to me. There were almost pieces missing, or parts that I thought would be expanded on that just weren't. I look forward to reading the rest of this series, but I am going to take a little break. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Sabotage by Shantel Tessier

Title: Sabotage

Author: Shantel Tessier

Series/Standalone: L.O.R.D.S (Book #4)
Genre: Dark Romance, New Adult, 

Pages: 229

Publisher: Self-Published

Year Published: 2022

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

"COLTON

Raylee Lexington Adams is my stepsister and the one woman in the world who can make my blood boil.

She's vindictive, a lot of crazy and absolutely stunning.

I hate everything about her except for when she's on her knees begging me to use her as my own personal toy. 

We've been playing a game of cat and mouse for far too long. We have used each other for our own sick pleasure.

I've ruined every relationship my little princess has ever had. A sure way that she'll come crawling back to me, begging me for what only I can give her when another man fails her.

But I'm tired of watching others get a piece of what is mine. So, I did what any rational man would do- I staked my claims, showed the world that she belonged to me, and I'm going to do whatever it take to make her believe it too.

RAYLEE

Colton Remington Knox is a man I despise but can't say no to.

He's what any girl would call a walking red flag. But I've never claimed to be a smart woman when it comes to men. Why should he be any different?

I've always managed to hold my own against him. But this time, he's gone too far. Posting a video of me on my knees for him, for what? To brag? Embarrass me? He's acting like he doesn't know me very well.

Colt wants to play a game? I'll do whatever it takes to make sure I win. No matter what it costs me.

People already think I have no dignity, so why let them down?"

My Rating: 2/5

After realising the starting plot points, I wanted the start of this, but there was something about how certain things were handled at the end that just disappointed me. I wanted a little more thoughtfulness towards a certain trigger warning, but that's why trigger warnings exist right? It wasn't my favourite in the series, but I look forward to the next one.

Sidny

Book Review: The Sacrifice by Shantel Tessier

Title: The Sacrifice

Author: Shantel Tessier

Series/Standalone: L.O.R.D.S. (Book #3)

Genre: New Adult, Dark, Romance

Pages: 644

Publisher: Self-Published

Year Published: 2023

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

"HIS LADY

A Lord is to marry after he graduates from Barrington University, an elite college for the rich. A Lady's job is to help him fit into a world unaware of his secret society. The Lord does not get to choose who he spends the rest of his life with. But there is always an exception to the rule. And I just so happen to be his.

I VOW. YOU VOW. WE VOW.

I was to wed a Lord of my parents' choosing. Wealth can't buy you everything or I would have had freedom years ago. Instead, my strict parents made sure I lived a dull life in a mansion resembling a prison.

But on my wedding day, I was handed over to another man- an even more ruthless Lord that my family hated.

Tyson Riley Crawford only wanted me for his revenge. I'm nothing more than a debt to be paid. I didn't have a say in the matter. So when I said my vows before the congregation, I knew I'd break them. Consequences be damned.

Too bad I underestimated my husband and didn't realize he was more determined to punish me than I was to succeed at escaping. He'll make me choke on those words I used to bind myself to him.

Yet even he couldn't have seen what our future held. Ultimately, we're all just pawns in a game that none of us can win unless you're willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice... and even that may not be enough."

My Rating: 4.5/5

Before we get into it, this is a dark romance. It's messed up and has a lot of things that may not be for everyone. I highly recommend reading a trigger warning list before you start any books in this series. This one was my favourite so far in the series. It leaned into our main character's life story and after seeing Tyson in the first two books, it was exciting to see within his world with the Lords. The plot twists in this one were exactly the overtop thing I needed and the smut was insane.

I look forward to continuing the series and learning more about Carnage. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Sinner by Shantel Tessier

Title: The Sinner

Author: Shantel Tessier

Series/Standalone: The L.O.R.D.S (Book #2)

Genre: Dark Romance, Adult Fiction, 

Pages: 640

Publisher: Self-Published 

Year Published: 2022

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

"LITTLE DEMON

I was raised in a world where money and power are at your fingertips. My father is a LORD, a very respected member of a secret society that knows no bounds. When tragedy struck my family, we discovered we weren't untouchable. Just when I thought life couldn't get any worse, I was shown what hell is really like. Then he came and saved me. The devil disguised as my personal hero. But of course, nothing is for free. Not when a soul is up for grabs.

I VOW. YOU VOW. WE VOW.

Easton Bardley Sinnett- Sin- uses his power for his own sick pleasure. Like a typical Lord, he never thought about the consequences of his actions. I grew up with him, obsessed over him, craved him. He was who I pictured when I imagined doing things my body shouldn't want.

One day, I realized he was not who I thought he was. It didn't change anything, though, because I was already too far gone. If anything, I fell for him harder.

Every now and then, someone enters your life who flips it upside down. Sin wrecked me in the worst way, and I thanked him for it by serving on my knees.

As they say, nothing lasts forever. Men like him never stay with a woman like me. I'm what they use, not keep. So when he threw me away, I shouldn't have been all that surprised.

My body had always craved the darker side of love. The kind that left bruises and scars. I was what most would call unholy. And when the devil whispered in my ear that he loved me, I was more than determined to show him just how devoted I could be.

My Rating: 4/5

These books are not for the faint of heart. You definitely have to know what you're getting into if you're picking up a dark romance of any kind please check the trigger warnings. For me, this was fun and shocking but it did what it set out to do. The plot twists were outrageous in the best way and I can't even count how many times I said, "What the fuck?" I am excited to see where the series goes from here, now that the author has expanded the universe. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Ritual by Shantel Tessier

Title: The Ritual 

Author: Shantel Tessier

Series/Standalone: The L.O.R.D.S Series (Book #1)

Genre: Dark Romance, New Adult, Fiction

Pages: 628

Publisher: Self-Published

Year Published: 2021

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

First Line: "A Lord takes his oath seriously."

"THE CHOSEN ONE

I vow. You vow. We vow.

Barrington University is home of the Lords, a secret society that requires their blood in payment. They are above all- the most powerful men in the world. They devote their lives to violence in exchange for power. And during their senior year, they are offered a chosen one.

People think growing up with money is freeing, but I promise you, it's not. My entire life has been planned out for me. I never got the chance to do what I wanted until Ryat Alexander Archer came along and gave me an option for a better life. He offered me what no one else ever had- freedom.

I chose to be his. He made me believe that anyway, but it was just another lie. A way that the Lords manipulate you into doing what they want.

After being sucked into the dark, twisted world of the Lords, I embraced my new role and allowed Ryat to parade me around like the trophy I was to him. But like all things, what started out as a game soon became a fight for survival. And the only way out was death."

My Rating: 3.75/5

This book has trigger warnings a mile long so please before you read any dark romance find a trigger warning list and make sure that the content is something you feel safe to consume. That being said this book was really fun for a dark romance, the plot went so many different directions, the spicey scenes were insane, and the world was fascinating. Was it a literary classic, probably not. Would I read it again? Absolutely. I will be continuing on with the series. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Credence by Penelope Douglas

Title: Credence

Author: Penelope Douglas

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: New Adult, Smut, Taboo
Pages: 470

Publisher: Self-Published

Year Published: 2020

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

First Line:  "It's strange."

"Tiernan de Haas doesn't care about anything anymore. The only child of a film producer and his starlet wife, she's grown up with wealth and privilege but not love or guidance. Shipped off to boarding schools from an early age, it was still impossible to escape the loneliness and carve out a life of her own. The shadow of her parents' fame followed her everywhere.

And when they suddenly pass away, she knows she should be devastated. But has anything really changed? She's always been alone, hasn't she?

Jake Van der Berg, her farther's stepbrother and her only living relative, assumes guardianship of Tiernan who is still two months shy of eighteen. Sent to live with him and his two sons, Noah and Kaleb, in the mountains of Colorado, Tiernan soon learns that these men now have a say in what she chooses to care and not care about anymore. As the three of them take her under their wing, teach her to work, and survive the remote woods far away from the rest of the world, she slowly finds her place among them.

And as a part of them.

She also realizes that lines blur and rules become easy to break when no one else is watching.

One of them has her.

The other one wants her.

But he....

He's going to keep her."

Overall Rating: 3/5

SMUT Rating: 5/5

This shit was taboo as hell. I should have known going in but I just didn't anticipate it to go so far so fast. If you are into threesomes, open relationships, or taboo shit this will be for you. The plot was there, but not really. I didn't read it for the plot, I was here for the spice and HOLY SHIT! This was porn and it was fun to read, shock value and detailed. If that's what you're looking for, go for it. If you like fade to black sex scenes, RUN! This is not for you. Also, this treads the line on gross shit. Dark romance for sure! Has this inspired me to read more age-gap yes, has it inspired me to read more by Penelope Douglas... ummm not sure yet, ask me again after I've read a New Adult Fantasy.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Gleam by Raven Kennedy

Title: Gleam

Author: Raven Kennedy

Series/Standalone: Plated Prisoner Series (Book #3)

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, New Adult

Pages: 613

Publisher: Self-published

Year Published: 2021

Format: Ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

First Line: "The sky doesn't sing here."

"King Midas made me the woman I am today. Notorious. Unattainable. His.

The thing about being confined is that you believe it's to keep the bad out... Until you realize it's about keeping you in.

I'm now in a strange kingdom surrounded by liars, with no allies of my own, but I won't sit idly by and let myself wither. No, there's something that's bloomed from the pit of my repression. Something dark. Something angry.

But the last thing I expected was for my anger to call out to him. King Ravinger.

He's sinister and powerful and entirely too seductive. I've learned my lesson with trusting manipulative kings, so why does my chest constrict every time he's near? I need to tread carefully, or I'm at risk of losing much more than just my freedom.

Regret and revenge war inside of me, and I need to figure out a plan fast before I get tangled up in the schemes of kings and queens.

Because I won't be caught in a cage again. No, this time, it'll be me setting the trap... I just hope my heart comes out of this unscathed."

My Rating: 5/5

This series just keeps getting more intense, even though this book was quite long I loved every minute of it. I would find myself being drawn in when I picked it up and rarely read less than 50 pages a night, even nights when I should have been in bed early for work. But we all know how that goes. If you are looking for a series that mixes tropes, new adult spicy scenes, fantasy and dynamic characters I would strongly recommend. If you don't like a slow burn though, this might not be for you. You've been warned.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Glint by Raven Kennedy

Title: Glint

Author: Raven Kennedy

Series/Standalone: The Plated Prisoner (Book #2)

Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Pages: 441 

Publisher: Self-Published

Year Published: 2021

Format: Kindle Unlimited

First Line: "Gold, as far as the eye can see."

"For ten years, I've lived in a gilded cage inside King Midas's golden castle. But one night changed everything. 

Now I'm here, a prisoner of Fourth Kingdom's army, and I'm not sure if I'm going to make it out of this in one piece. They're marching to battle, and I'm the bargaining chip that will either douse the fire or spark a war.  

At the heart of my fear, my worry, there's him- Commander Rip.

Known for his brutality on the battlefield, his viciousness is unsurpassed. But I know the truth about what he is.

Fae.

The betrayers. The murderers. The ones who nearly destroyed Orea, wiping out Seventh Kingdom in the process. Rip has power sizzling beneath this skin and glinting spikes down his spine. But his eyes- his eyes are the most compelling of all. 

When he turns those black eyes on me, I feel captive for an entirely different reason.

I may be out of my cage, but I"m not free, not even close. In the game of kings and armies, I'm the gilded pawn. The question is, can I out maneuver them?"

My Rating: 4/5

This was almost as enjoyable as the first one, especially because there was no Midas throughout most of this story. I also loved that this book did a lot of flashbacks and different points of view. I liked that we spent time with our main character changing and evolving as a person. I also enjoyed learning more about the world and how the magic system works. All and all it was really entertaining but not everything I wanted. I plan to continue the series, but I will be taking a quick break because the next book is 600+ pages.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny 

Book Review: The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

Title: The Shadows Between Us

Author: Tricia Levenseller

Series/Standalone: The Shadows Between Us Companion Series

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Pages: 326

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Year Published: 2020

Format: Audiobook

"Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:

1) Woo the Shadow King

2) Marry him.

3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.

No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King's power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she's going to do everything within her power to get it.

But Alessandra's not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen- all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?"

My Rating: 5/5

This was the villain story that I needed. If you're looking for a sex-positive main character, a dark romance and a morally grey love interest this is the book for you. I've loved Tricia Levenseller's work in the past and this was no exception. I plan to read the companion story to this book, but I'm not sure how it could possibly hold up to this one. I can't wait to read more by the author and jump into more delicious fantasy romances that toe the line of YA and New Adult.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny