Katelyn Taylor: Locked in Season One

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/248315709-locked-in

Book Blurb:

Welcome to Locked In.

Where you have to fallen love like your life depends on it.

Our contestants will have to fall in love, lock in, and fight through a series of challenges to be the last couple standing.

The Reward? A wedding of their dreams and a grand cash prize.

The Catch? They don't just have to fall in love with each other. They have to make us fall in love with them too. Our Audience will be the ones to decide who stays locked in and whose journey is cut short.

Tropes:

*Dark Romance *Realty TV *Drama *Forced proximity *Spice *Strangers --> more

*Enemies --> more *Thriller *Unhinged *secrets revealed *Mysterious Island

*Trigger Warnings check them *insta lust/love *multiple POV *Dating game show

Thoughts:

I knew a little bit about this book going in and I would agree with the description of one of those trashy reality tv dating shows like Love Island meets a combo of Hunger Games and Squid Games.

Courtney (FMC) gets talked into going on a new reality tv show where contestants "Lock in" with a partner there is 1 winning team and at the end they will get married... even though she doesn't believe she will find a love match that quickly... what she does need is money and the winners will get 5 million dollars a life changing amount of money especially since she is working 3 jobs and the guardian of her teenage sister who has a lot of health problems.  Her sister is everything to her and she wants her to go and have fun.

Courtney arrives on an island (who knows where) after she's had a loss of memory... something happened between the airport and here... while she is raising questions immediately the other cast members are upset with her for wasting time... they want to get on with the fun, and the flirting... after signing an NDA they are basically told they are being recorded everywhere 24/7 even if the filming staff are not around.

There are an equal number of men and women and the beginning of this book starts exactly as you would expect a reality dating show to go everyone is hot, young and "fun" there are some mean girls and some people Courtney builds a fast friendship with she even has her eyes on one of the guys (which she didn't think would happen so quickly).

What starts out as fun party game challenges like different versions of Truth or Dare and pairing off to go on one on one dates with each other, people are starting to pair off and before too long it will be time to lock in with one person.  

Courtney is likeable (even if she makes some questionable choices at first) and you know she has a lot on the line with her sister's health concern.  Once you get to know her Lock in partner it's easy to want this pair to come out on top.  

Naturally with this many people living together in close proximity tempers flare, drama occurs and fights break out... but things get even worse for these contestants once the true eliminations come because these challenges turn into a true fight for their lives... and only one couple is coming out alive! 

Things you should know before going into this book:

*There are some plot holes 

*There are many characters and most of them are only known at surface level

*The premise is about a reality tv dating show ---> if you don't like those you might not like this 

*Some cringey dialog... especially with the skeezy host who thinks he's awesome when he's just creepy 

*insta lust (a lot of it) --> many hot people being hot together in close proximity

*it does get unhinged so check your trigger warnings

All that being said were there issues with this book --> yes, did I find myself binge reading every chance I could until I finished it because I had to find out what would happen next --> also yes

Did I figure out some of the "Plot twists" way early --> yes but I didn't mind I just went with it.

The pacing was a bit off at times and I would have liked the Thriller aspect to come into play earlier in the book it made for the end of the book feeling more rushed.  

Over all I enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to the next in the series.  

Have you read this one?  What did you think?  

Luna Pierce: Dangerous Haven

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/248218723-dangerous-haven

Book Blurb:

London Gardella is running; broken, bruised, and desperate for safety. When she arrives in New York City, she’s clinging to the last hope she has left; finding sanctuary with a stranger who wants nothing to do with her.

Archer Sin is a reclusive billionaire hacker—tattooed, brooding, and razor-sharp— he thrives in the shadows. He reluctantly agrees to keep her safe, but only if she follows his two rules:

No touching his computers.

No falling in love.

Archer’s inked fingers rarely leave his keyboards, but his eyes never stop watching London… stalking her every move, sparking a fire neither can ignore. Then comes a reckless, forbidden kiss.

Rules shatter. Walls crumble. Desire ignites.

Trust is a risk neither can afford, but survival means facing the truth: sometimes, the safest haven is the most dangerous place of all.

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC *Dark Romance *Billionaire Romance *starting over *Feisty FMC

*Reclusive MMC *Mafia *touch her and 💀 *enemies --> more *on the run *forced proximity

*Obsessive MMC *Posessive MMC *spice *Found Family  *Trigger warnings (check them)

*miscommunication/no communication  *State Challenge New York (repeat) *Morally grey MMC

Thoughts:

London (FMC) is on the run from her old life she is in her early 20s and has had a really hard life with her father who used and abused her, even though he has passed away she is still not safe because he decided to arrange a marriage with a man just as bad as he is... she can't do this, thankfully she was able to get some help starting a new life with just an address to go to she shows up at a strangers apartment looking for a safe haven.

Archer (MMC) is handsome, intelligent, and reclusive since the loss of the love of his life a few years earlier he has been a shell of a man just going through the motions but not truly living.  He really doesn't leave his home but can do everything he needs for his job from home, he and his family are in organized crime... but he wants out of that life and has made it known that he's doing the bare minimum... from home.  So when he gets a surprise on his doorstep in the form of an injured woman he doesn't know what to think.

Archer at first doesn't want London staying with him she has trouble written all over her, but after talking with their mutual aquaintance he agrees to keep her safe for now... what starts out as generally want to protect her turns into a bit of an obsession next thing he knows he is watching her every movement when she leaves their shared apartment and showing up where she is when she doesn't expect him.

London and Archer clash often and have a bit of a love-hate tension that simmers forever until it boils over and then it's fireworks.

Archer's family (his sister and brothers) are all dangerous but you can see the love that they have for each other... even when they are clashing.  It was also nice to see London make a true friend for possibly the first time in her life.

Archer finally feels alive with this tornado that has come into rock his world... but they both have their secrets and one that London is keeping could wreck everything that they have been building over the past few months.  

The narrators did a great job and it was easy to be swept away in this story it was action packed, there were secrets revealed, tension and so much drama!  I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.

Some negatives for this book:

London- was young and her attitude was attituding... she shows up on a strangers door step and instead of being thankful she's fairly rude to Archer, you have no where else to go girl why are you being so rude to this man who is trying to help you?

London and Archer were both giving each other mixed signals, it got repetitive after awhile Archer made a rule for London not to fall in love with him if she were going to stay with him... but then he is helping her wash and braid her hair, monitoring her at all times on his computer, and crashing her dates with other guys... like you can't be a no one else can have you guy when you said you didn't want her!  

When Archer and his family got together it felt like the group was a lot younger just due to the arguments they would end up getting into.  

There wasn't too much world building people were mentioned like we should already know them, I wonder if there is another series that should be read first before reading this series (?)

Miscommunication/no communication --> some things happen and instead of letting London tell her side of the story Archer cuts her off and says he never wants to see her again... don't you want to hear what she has to say??... later this happens again.

Archer --> sweet for her at times, but also anger management issues with her occasionally... definately a hot head leading to multiple break ups & make ups

Have you read this one?  What did you think?

Nicole Blanchard: Little Death

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242701279-little-death

Book Blurb:

I should have known better than to play games with dangerous men.

Crashing a masquerade party for the most elite members of New Orleans was supposed to give me answers, not put me in the sights of the Irish mafia’s most enigmatic enforcer, Aiden O’Connor.

But when one reckless gamble binds me to him for a night, I learn too late that some wagers can’t be won.

What begins as a game spirals into obsession, temptation, and ruin.

Because Aiden doesn’t just want control for one night—he wants to break me in ways I’ll never escape unscathed.

Little Death is a dark romance novella and a prequel to Until Death. Some themes and scenes may be disturbing to readers. Please check the TWs at the beginning of the book.

Tropes:

*High Gravity ALC *Irish Mafia Romance *Masked FMC & MMC  *Masquerade party

*Mystery *One night only *Obsessive MMC *Dark Romance  *Trigger warnings (check them) 

*Spice *Enemies --> more *Prequel Novella  *State Challenge Louisiana (repeat)

Thoughts:

I received this ALC from High Gravity audio and it's not my usual type of book and I knew it would be darker so at first I wasn't planning to listen to this one, but I saw a few reviews from my friends and saw it was a shorter listen so decided to give it a chance.  

To start with we have Catriona (FMC) she is sneaking into her former home after it's been sold to an Irish billionaire who she doesn't know much about but she is on a mission and he happens to be throwing a masked party... works out for her maybe no one will notice she's even there she can go in look for what she needs and hopefully leave without being seen.

Unfortunately luck is not on her side and she ends up being witness to something she shouldn't... but now that Aiden (MMC) has seen her he's not going to let her go that easily.

Catriona's whole reason for being in the home was to find her mother's cell phone, her mother has recently passed away and even though as far as the police are concerned the case is closed... she feels something is off and maybe if she had her phone she could get them to re-open the investigation, she can't tell Aiden this information especially now after what she's seen tonight.

Knowing that Aiden is a gambling man she makes a bet with him, she loses and is now forced to spend the evening with this guy who is terrifying... and the most shocking part about it is she is drawn to this man in ways she can't explain, doesn't hurt that he's super hot (and Irish).

They have a night to remember... but it was just one night right?  

This has an amazing cast: Eric Nolan, Kasi Hollowell, Corvin King and Eboni Flowers.  Did I mention the MMC is Irish, that accent 💓.  

There really wasn't much plot or more than surface level info on our characters in this one as things got steamy pretty quick, and I didn't like some of the things our MMC said to the FMC during those times... but that could just be a me thing (also he is in the mafia... so there's that).  So low on plot but it does set up several things that we will hopefully find out more about throughout the rest of the series and I'm intrigued to find out more!  

Thank you to the author and High Gravity Audio for this ALC, I'm glad that I decided to listen to this one! 

Have you read this one?  What did you think? 

J.T. Geissinger: Penpal

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60192737-pen-pal

book blurb:

The first letter arrived the day my husband was buried. It was postmarked from the state penitentiary, and contained a single sentence:

I’ll wait forever if I have to.

It was signed by Dante, a man I didn’t know.

Out of simple curiosity, I wrote back to ask him what exactly he was waiting for. His reply?

You.

I told the mystery man he had the wrong girl. He said he didn’t. I said we’d never met, but he said I was wrong.

We went back and forth, exchanging letters every week that grew increasingly more intimate. Then one day, the letters stopped. When I found out why, it was already too late.

Dante was at my doorstep.

And nothing on earth could have prepared me for what happened next.

Tropes:

*Dark Romance *Strangers --> More *Grief  *Widower (FMC) *paranormal elements

*12 recs by 12 friends challenge book 2/12  *suspense *Mystery *Thriller *Spice

*State Challenge Washington (repeat) *unreliable narrator *protective MMC *he falls first

*Check your trigger warnings (there are several)  

Thoughts:

So if you read the blurb... forget the blurb -->

Kayla is dealing with a lot of stress her husband recently passed away tragically and since then between the leaky roof, trying to find funds to survive and getting limited responses from her inquiry's for a handy man... the first guy said there is nothing wrong with the electrical but if that's the case why do the lights flicker?  Why is the doorbell ringing with no one at the door?  Why is there a burning smell from the laundry room and why does the tv keep flicking on and then shutting off randomly?  Now to top all that off she has a grumpy roofer Aiden at her place... too bad he's so handsome she's lonely and a hot mess at the moment and random letter shows up from her very new inmate penpal named Dante who she doesn't know but apparently knows her (?)

Kayla decides to fire Aiden shortly after hiring him but since the universe seems to be working against her in all things she runs into him at a local bar in town... she's not sure why but she feels drawn to him anyways it's almost magnetic like it was meant to be even though they don't share too much she does find out he lives above the bar and she's not sure why she chooses to rush to his place and into his arms when she thinks someone has broken into her home but she's here now and he invites her in with open arms.

Aiden begins helping Kayla with some home repair situations and even gets his friend to come over and place in an alarm system for safety.  Kayla isn't sure why but lately the two people she feels safe to talk to are two people she doesn't even know... the brooding but hot AF roofer Aiden, and Dante her prison admirer who she shouldn't write to but keeps writing to anyways.  

Our FMC is an unreliable narrator and she discusses throughout the story that she feels that some of her memories are missing, could this be due to her current mental state, while she begins to feel that it might be wise of her to find a therapist she seems to have a bigger problem in the way that there are unexplained noises in her home and she feels like she's being watched a man and child she doesn't know keep appearing in her yard but disappearing before she can make contact, and the special coin that her husband always had on his person keeps moving around to different areas... what is going on?  

Kayla and Aiden have a fast paced hot and heavy (like can't keep their hands off of each other) relationship but most of their interactions don't involve deep discussions this also adds to the element of mystery to the story as this story is told from Kayla's side and we don't fully know Aiden's story we do know he spent some time in prison in the past and he has a dream of building his own home but due to limited time and funds the project hasn't gotten far.  

Kayla's world continues to spiral further out of control and the only time she feels safe is with Aiden but he has decided to keep his distance until she can get "clarity" about what she wants and who she is, he is falling for her and fast but doesn't want to continue if she doesn't know what she wants, she is still wearing another man's ring and if she still has feelings for her husband he doesn't want to interfere.  Kayla is keeping secrets still as she hasn't told Aiden that her husband passed away only that he is gone.

Kayla receives help from some surprising sources her inmate penpal, a random tarot card reader and her housekeeper who has continued to come to clean weekly and has helped her begin to see that maybe she doesn't need a therapist... but probably needs some kind of ghost whisperer or something... she no longer is ruling out ghosts being in her home there is too much going on to not believe she is being haunted at this point but what do they want from her? Is it her husband?  How can she help him to move on?

As Kayla begins to find out what is happening in her life and the puzzle pieces fit into place will she be able to handle it?  Or will this cause her to life to spiral further into chaos?  

This book takes you on a journey through Kayla's life as she knows it after the loss of her husband, it has a mystery element, paranormal, and a romance that if she would let herself have it could last through her entire life and into the next one.  

I enjoyed this story over all but some of the spicy scenes were over the top (for me) (and the nick names were questionable) I would have liked to see the relationship build in other ways between Kayla and Aiden it seemed to be mostly intense spicy time chemistry. There were a few triggers that were harder for me to read through so make sure that you check yours prior to reading. 

This book had some twists and kept the eery feeling throughout it reminded me of a few movies I've seen in the past (I won't name them but if you've read the book you probably know the ones I'm talking about) which led me to kind of see things were leading to the conclusion that it had but even though I was kind of expecting it I still got emotional anyways.  

This has been on my TBR list for awhile and when my friend recommended it for my challenge I was excited to get to this one (finally).  I do think that you should go into this book with an open mind if you decide to read it as it does twist around a bit before landing on a more solid ground.  

Have you read this one?  what did you think?  

Reese Wilder: Our Little Ruin

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/253041683-our-little-ruin

Book Blurb:

ROWAN

My life hasn’t been the easiest. I’ve got a past. Everyone does.

I just prefer to bury my face in my books and disappear into another world.

Then someone breaks into my house and leaves behind a black feather.

After that, the feeling of being watched follows me everywhere.

Declan is the police officer on my case. Quiet. Broody. Protective. The kind of man who makes me feel safe.

But he isn’t the only one watching me.

One stalker hides in the shadows, leaving black feathers behind like warnings.

The other wears a mask and threatens anyone who gets too close.

And somewhere between fear and obsession, I stop knowing whether I should run from them…

or let them ruin me.

DECLAN

Rowan thinks I’m here to protect her.

That’s the lie I let her believe.

She looks at me like I’m safe, like I’m the man standing between her and the monsters hunting her.

But I was never the hero in this story.

I watch her sleep.

I follow her home.

I know the sounds she makes when she comes undone.

The closer the black-feathered stalker gets to her. The closer I get to losing control.

She thinks the masked man wants to scare her.

He doesn’t.

I want her to run straight into my arms.

Black-feathered stalker

I saw her first.

Long before the cop started circling her like a starving dog.

Rowan was always going to be mine. She just didn’t know it yet.

The problem is Declan thinks he can claim her before I do.

But obsession makes monsters out of men.

And I’ve never been afraid of becoming one.

Tropes:      

*Indie Author  *ARC 2026  * Masked Stalker  *Morally Gray MMCs *He falls first 

*Posessive MMCs  *Touch her and 💀  *Police officer MMC *Therapist FMC *why choose

*Dark Romance  *Found family  *Unhinged characters *Dark family secrets  *Danger

*Trigger warnings-->  lots check your triggers prior to reading  *Why Choose  *Suspense

Thoughts:

I'm going to be honest... I'm newer to Dark Romance reads and they are not usually my go to but I have been branching out and trying new things especially when I know it's from an Indie Author.  Since this isn't my usual read I wasn't sure what to expect, if you are newer to this genre (like me) please first check your trigger warnings there are a lot of darker elements in this book.

This is my first read from this author but it won't be my last.  To start with we have Rowan (FMC) she is a therapist and deals with a lot of personalities in her line of work, she works hard and when she gets home she loves nothing better than getting cozy and reading a book... her favorites happen to be dark romance and even though she doesn't realize it right away she's about to be in her a dark romance all of her own since she has not just one stalker... but two.

Rowan is strong and brave... when she realizes she's being watched and her stalker breaks into her house, how did he get in without setting off the alarm??  instead of being scared she feels safe with him, maybe she's just as unhinged as he is?

Where Rowan's first stalker makes her feel safe, the second leaves mysterious gifts in the way of Black feathers... what does this even mean?  It's creepy! 

Even though this isn't my usual type of book the book flows well from one event to the next and had me wondering what would happen when Rowan found out who was watching her.

Declan (MMC #1) has two sides one side he is protective, strong, caring and hot (all the things) and he is a police officer (💓).  Declan's other side is still all of these things he's just a little (or a lot) obsessive, morally gray and isn't afraid to take what he wants... and he wants Rowan all of her even to the point of setting up scenarios her dark romance loving heart would love like being chased in the woods. 

This story had me hooked, I had to find out what would happen next and there were a lot of twists that kept me second guessing things that I thought might happen.  

Our Black Feathered MMC helps to keep the tension going throughout the book.

Some of the things that happened in this book were a bit on the too dark for me side but over all this was an enjoyable read I liked seeing how the lead characters developed a beautiful relationship (which was surprising to me considering how it all started) and I'm looking forward to reading more books from this author! 

I think that if you enjoy dark romance with morrally gray men, smart female leads, secrets revealed, twists and a lot of chaos you would enjoy picking up this one!  

Have you read anything by this author?  What would you recommend next?  

 

Eve Moore: Of Venom & Vengeance

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/245717752-of-venom-vengeance

Book Blurb: 

Elijah Washington may look like cold calculated murder but, that's only until the dimples come out. His smile could melt even the coldest of hearts. It has to be said however...don't touch that which belongs to Eli. People aren't always what they seem. Eli doesn't share and he believes second chances are for the afterlife.

In this second installment of the City of Legends series, Elijah Washington grapples with a devastating loss. He struggles to reconcile the future he had planned....the future they had planned together, with the grimness of his current reality. When he stumbles into a gorgeous, tattooed, motorcycle riding bartender right here in Austin he starts to think there may be a path he hasn't considered. Can he take it? Will he be able to leave his old life behind and forge a new ending? Or will he only end up taking the feisty high heeled bartender down with him?

Of Venom & Vengeance is the second book in the City of Legends series comprised of interconnected stand-alone dark spicy romances. Every book in this series is dual POV and ends in an HEA.

Of Venom & Vengeance is a spicy dark romance intended for a mature audience. This book features explicit sexual content and graphic violence.

*High Gravity ALC 2026  *Dark Romance  *Rom-Com  *touch her and 💀 *Protective/Possessive MMC 

*Fierce FMC  *Special Forces MMC  *Spice  *Banter  *Action *Strangers --> More *Broody MMC  

*Teddy bear for her  *Bikers (both leads) *State Challenge Texas (Repeat) 

Thoughts:

Our story starts with Eli Washington (MMC) in the middle of a mission that goes sideways and now he is beating himself up for the outcome.  Several months after the incident while he is out drinking at a local bar he finds himself entranced by the beautiful bartender Vaughn.  

Vaughn (FMC) is fierce she doesn't take crap from anyone... she is guarded due to her past history and doesn't know what to think about Eli who kind of barges into her life like a wrecking ball... but in all the best ways.  Vaughn feels like she can't trust herself to make wise decisions after some recent choices didn't go well and what if Eli is another bad decision.  

Eli is a man of honor and he goes after what he wants and Vaughn was meant to be his... only their initial encounter doesn't turn out as planned... thankfully they both are willing to give each other a do-over no rush on his side he is willing to take his time good things are worth the wait.

I laughed throughout this book and Eli reminded me a bit of Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool with his humor, Vaughn's friends at the bar are quirky and fun and I really loved how supportive they were.  

I did wonder where the story was going for a bit while I wasn't disliking the story at least half of it was just 2 hot people hanging out with not much back story for either of our lead characters (maybe I would have known more already if I had read the first book).  

This story was spicy, action packed and funny the narrators did a great job bringing these characters to life.  Vaughn and Eli are couples goals!  

This is a dark romance so please check your trigger warnings prior to reading.  I got an ALC from High Gravity and I almost passed on it because I'm usually not a darker reader but I'm so glad I gave this a chance I plan to go back to read the first one at some point.  Thank you to High Gravity & the author for this early listen copy!  

Have you read this one?  What did you think?  

J.L. Beck: Sinner & Saint

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228349717-sinner-saint

book blurb: 

I’ve always been the good girl. The preacher’s daughter. The town’s saint. The one who never strays from the rules.

Until one reckless night changes everything.

Calder Bishop is the monster I’ve been warned about my entire life. Heir to the most feared family in Black Hollow Creek. Rancher by day, enforcer by night. His touch carries ruin, his name carries blood, and his gaze makes my prayers falter.

When I stumble into Bishop business, Calder is left with a choice: end my life or claim it. Killing me would be mercy. Keeping me could start a war.

But Calder Bishop has never been a merciful man. And if there’s one thing he wants, it’s me—all to himself.

Now I’m trapped in his world of violence and vengeance, my innocence colliding with his sin. I search for a way out but there is none. Only Calder. It’s when he claims me—branding me with his soul—I learn the truth: the only thing more dangerous than a Bishop’s wrath . . . is his love.

**This is book one in the series and is a complete standalone with a happily ever after. Certain scenes within this book may be triggering to some readers. Please review the trigger list at the beginning of the book before reading.**

*Netgalley ALC 6/12  *Preacher's Daughter x bad boy  *dark romance *Small town romance 

*mafia style family *touch her and 💀 vibes  *enemies to more  *crush --> enemy --> more 

*Forced marriage  *forced proximity *trigger warnings --> check them before reading  

*State Challenge Montana  *dysfunctional family  *old time "family values"  --> like medieval times 

Thoughts:

Saint the preacher’s daughter has a crush on Calder Bishop he is older and part of the family that is feared in the community they own a lot of land and are basically like a cowboy/rancher type mafia mixed with a bit of cult like behaviors.

Saint late one night witnesses something she wasn’t supposed to see and in order to “take care of it” Calder decides that the best way to fix the issue is a forced marriage… and Saint’s father is going to be the one to marry them one way or another even if Calder has to force him to do it (which he doesn’t want to have to do)

Saint goes along with this plan because she is scared at this point no longer the naïve young girl with hearts in her eyes over this guy she sees him for who he is… his father’s enforcer if someone crosses their family he ends it… permanently

Saint is feisty she isn’t used to this kind of lifestyle and doesn’t adapt to it willingly she still has her spirit… one that Calder’s father won’t approve of to him women are property like his own wife (calder’s mom who is now an empty shell of whoever she used to be). 

Calder married Saint to save her from his father but he knows he can’t protect her from everything and he’s running out of time to figure out how to make things right for her again… he doesn’t want to break her spirit

With everyone asking too many questions about their union including Saint’s father and her best friend Calder’s poorly thought out plan to save Saint might just lead to the end for both of them…

Calder’s father is a cruel man… like almost to the extent where he seems like a cartoon villain… there were times in the book where I was feeling kind of squeamish and I think the book was supposed to be like Cowboy mafia but almost seemed like some kind of cult with how The father Roman has everyone under his thumb.

I liked Saint’s spirit even when all odds were against her she was still trying to be brave.  Calder felt like a door mat a lot of times just doing whatever his father wanted him to do while internally he didn’t like his father, his family “traditions” some of which were barbaric and who he was becoming. 

I think Calder would have been a much stronger MMC if he had started pushing back earlier on in the book especially since he was described as an enforcer… I really wanted the brothers to band together and give their evil dad the boot   

It was Duel Narration and I thought they both did a good job with the characters and the story kept me interested enough to read the next book. 

This is again darker than I normally read and a lot of stuff that happened in this book were way out of my comfort zone so I’m sure that others might feel the same way.  I’m sure that plenty of people will enjoy this book. 

Thank you negalley and the author for this early listen copy!

Tylor Paige: Good For Her

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/235992431-good-for-her

Book Blurb: 

Falling in love with her first love wasn’t part of her plan. Helping her kill the Hollywood elite wasn’t part of his. 

Hollywood loves a comeback. Too bad Evie Reyes didn’t come back to play nice.

Five years ago, she watched her mother—an iconic Final Girl—die on the set of Simon Says. Now, she’s back on the same studio lot, cast as the lead in the reboot no one asked for. But Evie’s not here for fame. She’s here for revenge—and she’s got six names on her list.

Sebastian Shaw is Hollywood’s golden boy, a walking six-pack with just enough charm to disguise the fact that he’s a professional liar. He also happens to be Evie’s ex. When he finds out why she’s really back, he doesn’t try to stop her. He offers a he’ll get her access to each of the men she wants to confront—in exchange for six chances to sleep with her.

No feelings. No strings. Definitely no dates.

As bodies pile up and the on-set accidents get harder to explain away, Evie walks a razor-thin line between staying alive and getting justice. And Sebastian? He might be the only person who sees her clearly—and the one person she can’t afford to trust.

This Final Girl isn’t just surviving—she’s stealing the whole damn show

*Netgalley ALC 3/12  *State Challenge: California (Duplicate)  *second chance for romance 

*revenge thriller, slasher  *Morally Gray MMC and FMC  *darker romance  *Dark Rom-com 

*slow burn  *spice *found family  *Frienemies --> more  *Voyeurism

*Trigger warnings (not sure if there is a list for the book but the ALC didn't mention them and there was a lot of darker stuff in here including serial unaliving in multiple different ways, SA, death of parent, and questionable consent related scenes)

Thoughts:

Evie Reyes and Sebastian Shaw are teenagers in love they have grown up together from a young age on movie sets as Sebastian was a child star of a hit slasher series and Evie is the daughter of Scream Queen Lita Reyes.  Only when they had their whole lives in front of them Evie's world crashes when she finds her mother dead... worst thing is that she sees someone fleeing the scene of the crime but instead of the police actually investigating they help cover up the evidence.  

Evie left Hollywood a few days later with a broken heart in more ways than one she lost her mother but also lost Sebastian as well.  Moving in with family she builds a large following doing a channel that focuses on all things horror movies when she's called to Hollywood to pick up the movie series that her mother was working on when she passed she takes this as the opportunity to get revenge she knows that her mother was meeting with a group of high up men in Hollywood and she now has a list of names they will pay for taking her mother from her.

Sebastian has grown up a lot over the years but he's never forgotten his first love, the one that got away, now he's a hardened actor who has had to do some questionable things at the encouragement of a shady agent (who he has fired) and now that the project that he's resurrected is on track the 6th movie in the series things are going great in his world... until things come crashing down when he realizes that one of his possible love interests for his character is Evie the one who wrecked him so many years ago... what is she doing here now?

Evie and Sebastian quickly pick right back up where they left off even having their own secret language involving movie quotes.  This threw out dark rom-com vibes as there were dangerous things happening but our lead characters were sloppy and inexperienced with everything and tended to do things without fully thinking anything through.  There are a lot of famous horror movies brought up in this along with some famous lines so if you enjoy movie trivia you will probably enjoy that aspect.  

What starts out as Evie on her own focusing on revenge plan quickly turns into a group effort as Sebastian agrees to help her in exchange for 5 chances to win her over and have her want to stay with him (the 5 chances being spicy times... whenever he wants and some of these events take place in front of an audience).  Two of their other co-stars figure out what is happening as well and offer to help Evie with her revenge quest leading to now 4 people who don't really know what they are doing developing messy scenes they have to figure out how to clean up from.

Throughout the book Evie begins to unravel more of what happened to her mother, the fact that Hollywood really does a number on young starlets (and the males too from what has happened to Sebastian).  There are a few mysteries involved that our characters are trying to work through and it kept me wanting to find out what would happen next.

The MMC and FMC were both still young (early 20s) and were true to their age at times appearing to be more naive (especially the FMC... girl why did you not prepare yourself with a better plan)  

I listened to an advanced copy of the audio book and felt both narrators did a good job with their parts.  Some of the sections in the middle dragged a bit and I wonder if it could have been better if it didn't drag out to being over 400 pages.  I've seen this book labeled as horror but I would put it more in a slasher rom-com and not so much in the horror (other than the fact they were on set of a "horror" movie sequel).  

If you enjoy a dark rom-com that try to make things lighter than they are with slasher rom-com vibes you might enjoy this one.  

Have you read this one?  What did you think?  Have you read anything else by this author?  What would you recommend? 

Sadie Kincaid: The Auction

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239453876

Imogen never had a choice with how her life has gone her parents lost their lives when she was young after her father "betrayed" the "brotherhood" a secret society of wealthy men who do depraved things including collect women to auction off to the highest bidder.  Her grandfather trying to spare her life talks the brotherhood into allowing him to keep and raise his grand daughter to the age of 21 where he willingly will hand her over to the brotherhood to auction off.

Imogen is naive in... pretty much everything she lived a very sheltered life at her wealthy grandfather's estate where she was not allowed to watch tv, listen to music, leave the estate grounds or have any friends her own age, she was tutored at home and had "training" by a housekeeper on what to expect to happen after she was given over for the auction.

Lincoln is a scarred and very reclusive billionaire he keeps to himself, he doesn't get out much and most people don't know the true him... in fact the real him "died" years ago in an accident.  While he actually might be the monster that most people believe him to be he has his reasons and he's finally found what he's been looking for... Imogen.  He does it to protect her and takes her to his home going against what he should do by setting her up in another safe location.  

Imogen after finding out who her highest bidder was should be scared... even she has heard about how dangerous he is... but if this is the case when she's taken to his off the grid home in the middle of no where why does she feel so safe... and even more so why does she feel even safer in his arms.  Once all she thought of was surviving long enough to find a way to escape but soon she's feeling there is no where she'd rather be.  

*Dark Romance *Beauty and the Beast vibes  *touch her and 💀 *ALC  *2026 read  

*Masked MMC  *Forbidden romance  *Age gap  *sassy FMC  *spice *secret society

*Trigger warnings --> check them  *gothic mansion  *many Secrets (MMC) *hidden identity  *Netgalley

Thoughts:

Imogen is a sweet but sheltered girl who has spent most of her life fearful raised to believe that when she's turned over to "the brotherhood" she will be living in terrible conditions... and for most of the girls in this auction that is the case, she's been taught to be obedient and to do whatever the "buyer" wants... but Lincoln is unexpected she doesn't feel like an object that is owned he makes her feel special, cared for, maybe even loved. 

Lincoln is a hardened man once a part of the very brotherhood he is looking to take down he now has big goals and they arn't what most people think, he never wanted to have to keep Imogen safe by "buying" her from the auction but if that's what keeps her safe he's fine with that (kind of).  He's torn with his growing feelings towards Imogen considering who he is to her and his past.  

Lincoln tries to keep himself distanced from Imogen as best he can often taking many "work" related trips and leaving her on her own with his friend and butler Pierre who was also wronged by the brotherhood and develops a friendship with our FMC.  It's nice to see Imogen step out of her comfort zones of being submissive throughout the book and even get a bit on the sassy side towards the end.

While I didn't dislike the story and found it enjoyable enough to keep listening I never felt a true connection with Imogen who was so sheltered she was almost childlike at times and it got old kind of quick she didn't know who Bruce Springteen was and spent many days watching the marvel movies with Pierre and only wanted plain oatmeal because "it's nutritious".  Lincoln is as I previously said hiding so many secrets that we only get to know him on a surface level and I get that his cause is kind of "noble" but tell your girl already!!  It also didn't help that we as the reader were constantly reminded of how wrong Lincoln feels his changed relationship status with Imogen is.  

Lincoln was out of the house a lot on his secret missions where he is trying to find and "take care of" members of the brotherhood and other missions.  It seemed to me for a majority of the book Imogen had a better relationship with the butler... but she was super drawn to the hot older brooding man and once the spice happened it was all the time and some of the stuff was a bit over the top for me... especially the tampon situation 😬

I do plan to read the next in the series and hopefully we will get more backstory on Lincoln and the brotherhood in the next one and I need to know what happens next since it ends in a cliffhanger.