SHE Was His Obsession – Fyre and Ash by Logan Fox #LoganFox #FyreandAsh

Posted on October 23, 2023 by fundinmental

I got a copy of the complete series of Fyre and Ash by Logan Fox through Booksprout. Thank you Logan Fox and Booksprout for the opportunity to read and review Fyre and Ash.

MY REVIEW

I am reviewing each book individually and the collection as a whole.

Healing was my obsession… until *she* walked into my classroom.

I must confess, I love a good villain as much or more than a good hero. I find them fascinating. Both characters Fyre and Charlotte Ash have tragic pasts, but once Charlotte is in Fyre’s sights…I love that she fought him, regardless of the attraction. She knew it was wrong as he forced himself upon her. There are many triggers, so…if you don’t like diving into the depths of depravity in an erotic thriller that has no boundaries, step aside. This isn’t for you.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 3 Stars

The action ramps up and the danger rises for Charlotte Ash. Fyre has enemies and will use any means necessary to draw him in. We meet Arrow, Fyre’s faithful companion, who takes an immediate liking to Charlotte. We come to a point where all hell breaks loose and, well, I can’t say much more or I feel I will give too much away. I will tell you, the ending of this novella had me screaming, “No, no, no, no, no,” at my ereader. Logan Fox, what are you doing to me? I am so glad that I have the rest of the story, sitting here, waiting for me to take the next step. First, a breath of fresh air to brace myself for what is to come.

Boy, did Under Fyre end on a low note, so I am eager to begin Catching Fyre. Definitely an appropriate name, because someone’s going to burn. We learn how and why Fyre becomes a serial killer and there is so much to his story. I begin to look at him like another ‘villain’ I love so much, Mr Mayhem, from Sue Coletta’s Mayhem series. Things are not always as they appear to be and the saying: Don’t judge a book by it’s cover applies to Fyre. I have grown to love him and Charlotte and I am shocked at where we end up. Well done, Logan.

MY REVIEW FOR FYRE AND ASH: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION

For those girls who openly root for the hero…while fantasizing about the villain.

Each book starts with a Playlist and I was very curious what music inspired Logan Fox for these novellas.

I love for an author to take me to the dark side and wallow in depravity. I find myself smiling and laughing, all too often, so I am glad this is fiction and not real life. What does this say about me? That I love an author that can take me out of my comfort zone, have me squirming in more ways than one. The perverse and twisted characters reach a climax that made me hate it when I read the last sentence…until I found there was a bonus epilogue.

I’m not sure why I didn’t give this a five star rating. I think because it felt rushed? Like something was missing, but I don’t know what. I don’t think it could have taken me to a deeper, darker place. And, as far as healing her…or himself…I will definitely be checking out more of Logan Fox’s work. Shee hits all my discomfort zones. LOL

GOODREADS BLURB

Healing was my obsession…until she walked into my classroom.

For years, my art therapy classes have provided solace to trauma survivors.
I’ve never questioned my motives before. Then her file crosses my desk.
Charlotte Ash.
Battered. Bruised. Broken.
The devil who kidnapped her put this girl through seven days of hell before she could escape.
The torture she suffered shows in her dead eyes. Eyes that brighten with hope when our gazes lock.
She’s drawn to me.
And I’m obsessed with her.
I’m her teacher, but instead of healing her, I’m stalking her.
Instead of distancing myself, I’m watching her sleep at night.
It’s for her protection. To keep her safe from harm.
I will kill for her.
But the only monster hiding under her bed…is me.

From USA Today bestselling dark romance author, Logan Fox, comes a deliciously dark and twisted stalker romance collection. Fyre and Ash contains all three books in the series, along with exclusive bonus content.
* Playing with Fyre
* Under Fyre
* Catching Fyre
* Bonus content from the Fyre & Ash world

Trigger: This book contains graphic sex, violence, assault, abuse, murder, stalking, voyeurism, exhibitionism, knife play, breath play, primal play, age-gap, a possessive/obsessive morally grey antihero, dub-con, torture, drugs, suicide ideation, bondage, captivity, humiliation and degradation, mental illness, somnophilia. Please proceed with caution.

For fans of Haunting Adeline, That Sik Luv, and the Mindf*ck series.

Genre: Erotica, Fiction, Romance, Suspense, Thriller
314 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 26, 2023
Series: Fyre and Ash novellas

ABOUT LOGAN FOX

Logan Fox writes deliciously dark and twisted romance with damaged anti-heroes and kick-ass heroines.

Subscribe to her newsletter by heading over to her website at https://authorloganfox.com

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Apocalyptic Excellence – Descension by Olivia Boothe @TheOliviaBoothe

Posted on October 10, 2023 by fundinmental

Olivia Boothe found me through Book Sirens and I cannot stress how happy I am that she approached me. Her Hell’s Angels series is MIND BLOWING! I can’t get enough of it!

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I LOVED this book soooo much I am sitting here, trying to think of a quick hook to share with you to express how much I loved it. I looked for synonyms for excellent: very good, outstanding, magnificent, exceptional. and fantastic are only some of them…and they still don’t fit the bill.

Descension: Knights Of The Serphim by Olivia Boothe is the second book of the Hell’s Angel series. I gave the first book, Afterworld: Road To Redemption 5 stars. I did the same for Descension, but if there were more stars, I would have given them. This may be my favorite book of the year, but you do need to start with Book I. It will be so hard to not spoil anything for you, so I can only tell you my feelings as I read.

It’s five months later. As Jax and the others are out scavenging, thoughts of The Walking Dead enter my mind. They need gas for the next push to Sanctuary. They don’t even know if it exists, but it is their best hope. They have gotten too comfortable in the quiet town…

The demons that attack are constantly changing, as Olivia Boothe uses her creative imagination to bring forth the creatures from Hell. Angels battle angels. I love that Samael holds a prominent place in Descension. So much is easier to visualize because I have watched Lucifer.

The action was at a fast pace, never letting me catch my breath. The danger surrounds us, I mean them. The characters will put their lives on the line, repeatedly, never wanting to lose one of their ‘family’. The romantic scenes were sizzling hot…adults only please.

Want to know why Samael fell? Has God forsaken them? Who will survive?

At page 2223 on my ereader, when the beast is stalking Jax, the descriptive writing of the step by step stalking, painted such a vivid picture, it was imprinted on my mind. Another outstanding moment was at 2254 when…well, I can’t tell you. It would spoil such a fantastic part of the story that caught me so off guard.

Fuck this. Sometimes when you needed to get shit done, you’re better off doing it yourself. Tightening my ponytail…

It’s writing like this that adds those personal realistic touches, that makes me love this book so much. That, and Kate is such a badass warrior.

I was a woman…..And the cursed demons who took my family were going to hear my roar.

That is the last line and it has me salivating…wanting the next book. I HAVE TO KNOW. I sure hope Olivia is writing fast.

BUT, there is a bonus chapter. I do love that. It tells Samael’s story.

Descension has all the good bits and pieces of novels I love. Add Supernatural, The Walking Dead and Lucifer together, do a little tweaking here and there, with Olivia Boothe laying her personal mark on it with her excellent writing and storytelling, and consider my MIND BLOWN!

I don’t think this review came close to telling you how much I love this story, this series. If fantasy, angels and demons, paranormal and supernatural, and apocalyptic, dystopian books are your jam, you gotta grab this series!!!!!!

GOODREADS BLURB

WE BELIEVED THE APOCALYPSE WAS THE END. WE WERE DEAD WRONG.
THE WAR FOR MANKIND HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN.

Five months ago, we won the battle for New York City, but the streets are once again overrun with the Damned, the zombie-like creatures carrying the deadly virus meant to wipe-out the world’s population. Except this time, they have evolved. They are no longer the mindless husks left behind by the infection.

Hungry, depleted of resources, and believing Mikha’el and his legion of angelic warriors have forsaken us, Jax and I lead a group of survivors to Albany in search of The Sanctuary, a community that promises protection and the hope for a new future.

But things quickly tip south when our group is ambushed by a brand-new enemy, and Jax and I are once again thrust into the fight to save humanity.

We may have defeated three of the four Horsemen and delayed Samael’s escape from his fiery prison, but Beleth, the Horseman of Death and the Devil’s mightiest lieutenant, is still at large, and he’s amassing an army far more dangerous than anything we could have conceived.

With a bounty on my back and a cadre of holy assassins on my tail, Jax and I are running out of time. We must collect all four Creation Stones and close the Gates before Samael escapes Hell and completely rips open the veil between our worlds, obliterating what remains of Earth’s last survivors.

Get ready for another action packed ride full of thrills and steamy romance as Kate, Jax, and their canine companion, Hank, return in this post-apocalyptic tale.

*For audiences 18 years+ Please check author’s website for full list of CW/TW

Genre: Adult, Angels and Demons, Apocalyptic, Dark Romance, Dystopian, Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatural
Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 10, 2023
Series: Hell’s Angels, Book II

ABOUT OLIVIA BOOTHE

REAL LOVE AS IT IS. MESSY, COMPLICATED & SINFULLY ADDICTIVE.

Born in Colombia and raised in New Jersey since the age of eight, Olivia always dreamed of becoming a story teller.

If you enjoy deadly-hot romance novels with deep, layered plots, she’s your gal. Because it’s not just about the first kiss and the happily ever after, it’s about everything in between.

In addition to writing contemporary and paranormal romance, Olivia is currently working on an adult contemporary fantasy.

Fun Facts: When not locked away in her writing tower at the wee hours of the night, Olivia works a government 9-5 job and manages a house full of males (a husband, three sons, and a doggo named Hunter). On occasion, she summons her tribe for a night of wine and shenanigans. Dark chocolate is her kryptonite, she hates/loves to ugly cry during movies, and is a die-hard Bon Jovi fan.

Don’t forget to subscribe to her newsletter to receive exclusive news and updates such as book releases, giveaways, sales, events, sneak peeks and bonus material for upcoming projects.

Website / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / Bookbub

MY OLIVIA BOOTHE REVIEWS

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Giveaway – Shattered Dreams by Abbie Roads @XpressoTours @Abbie_Roads

Posted on July 14, 2023 by fundinmental

Shattered Dreams
Abbie Roads
(Beautiful Nightmare, #3)
Publication date: July 11th 2023
Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Romance

A crooked cop. Corruption. A woman convicted of murder. A man determined to prove her innocence.

When Helena Grayse is released from prison, all she wants is to say a final goodbye to her old life. But when a man finds her trespassing on his property, instead of turning her in, he takes her in. Accepts her. Loves her.

But someone decides to serve Helena with a death sentence.

Shattered Dreams is the third book in Abbie Roads’ Beautiful Nightmare Series of dark romantic thrillers. It features a felon heroine who never thought she deserved love. If you devour true crime and romance novels then you’ll love a series that combines both in a roller-coaster ride of danger, mind games, and swoon worthy love.

Buy this dangerously dark romance today!

Trigger warning: Depictions of SA and violence.

Previously Published under the title Never Let Me Fall.

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order

EXCERPT

Thomas burst through the back door on a dead run. Each footfall a jackhammer of sound. Stealth didn’t matter as much as getting to Helen.

He didn’t remember running through the house and up the stairs, but suddenly, he burst into the bathroom she’d been using. He skidded to a halt. Helen lay in the bathtub, curled on her side. Water rained over her nakedness. She wasn’t moving. Didn’t seem to be breathing. A garish river of scarlet gushed from the massive wound in her chest, pooling as it waited to slip down the drain.

Her face was an abominable shade of blue and gray and devoid of life. Water rained over her, swirling the blood leaking from her chest in mesmerizing streams. The wound was massive. Destructive. Deadly. Something no one could survive.

Despair emptied him out. He became a shell of skin with nothing on the inside.

He reached for her, but even though he stood as close to the tub as he could get, she seemed so far away, as if miles and miles stretched between them. Water rained over his head, drizzling down inside his coat, but he barely noticed.

His hands didn’t seem like they belonged to him as he scooped her out of the tub. Her skin was slick and slippery. Her body limp and lifeless. “Helen.” His voice contained a vast desolation. Her head lolled awkwardly to the side, and wet strands of hair clung to her face in fat tentacles. Ribbons of blood leaked from the gaping wound over her heart, sliding over and around her breast, pooling in the bend of her stomach.

A sick sense of dread filled all his empty places. The wound should be gushing, not dribbling. He was too late. She’d lost too much blood.

No. No. No. Goddamn it. She couldn’t be dead. He wouldn’t let her die. Not now. Not when he’d just found her. Helen needed to be alive. Even though they’d just met, he couldn’t live in a world without her in it. Didn’t matter if they were together or not, she just needed to be alive. That would be enough for him.

His legs folded beneath him. He sat on the floor, leaned against the old tub, and held her. He grabbed her chin and shook her head gently, “Helen. Oh God. Helen, wake up.” This was wrong. So wrong. None of this should be happening. Not now.

Never taking his eyes off her, he reached into his coat pocket for his phone and then dialed the number he called the most. Work. He pinched the phone between his ear and shoulder while it rang.

“No news yet.” Lanning said when he picked up the call.

Thomas opened his mouth. Only one word came out. “Helen.” His brain had clogged up, allowing only a trickle of thought at a time.

“What?” Confusion dominated Lanning’s tone.

“Helen.” It was just a name to Lanning, but to Thomas, she was everything. “Helen’s been shot. I need an ambulance. The police.” He let the phone drop and distantly heard Lanning shouting.

Nothing in his whole life seemed as important as Helen. “You’ve got to fight.” A lump of some unnamed emotion rose in his throat. He struggled to swallow it back down. “You hear me? You have to fight to stay here with me. I know we just met. But you and me— there’s something between us. I knew it the moment I saw you. And you need to stay so we can explore this thing. Because it feels powerful. It feels destined. Like we are supposed to be together.”

His voice hitched, and he struggled to keep talking around the fear and grief bubbling up inside him. “Just listen to my voice.” He smoothed wet hair from her face. Chilled skin met his fingertips. She was too cold. The tang of her blood sickening in the damp air. “Follow my voice. Don’t let it go.”

Thomas shifted Helen’s body until she was settled in the crook of his left arm. Blood pooled on her stomach, seeping into his coat.

Without any reason or rationality, he pressed his hand over the bullet hole. A zap of static electricity blazed through him at the contact. Her body jolted, and then his hand suctioned to her chest.

Everything changed.

Inside his torso, a cool and pleasant sensation gathered, then rolled down his arm to his hand and poured into her. His eyes rolled back in his head under the waves of bliss pouring from him into her. Holy shit. Maybe he was losing his grip on reality, but some vital part of him—his essence, his strength, his soul—flowed into her. The ultimate act of giving. And it felt amazing. “You feel this? You feel me inside you? Making you better?” He sounded crazy. He’d worry about his sanity later.

Underneath her delicate eyelids, her eyes rolled. For the first time since he’d picked her up, he noticed the subtle rise and fall of her chest. Blood no longer trickled from the wound. He stared at his hand mashed against her chest. Were his eyes playing tricks on him? Making him see what he wanted to see instead of reality?

Did it really matter what was happening as long as Helen seemed to be improving? Everything inside him that had been so devastated perked up as if spring had arrived.

She wasn’t dead. He knew that now. Knew it as surely as he knew he was alive. He slumped back against the tub and sucked in a giant breath.

“You’re going to be all right. I’m with you. I’m inside you. I’m a part of you now.” His gaze traveled beyond his hand over her heart to her body. All the horror he thought was behind them reignited.

Her chest and stomach were covered in scars. Her body told a story of misery unimagined, of incomprehensible suffering. And from last night, he knew there were more on her back that he couldn’t see.

“Oh, Helen.” He hugged her tighter to him. What on earth had done that to her? “This is it. After this, all your pain is over. I won’t let anything hurt you ever again.” He kissed her forehead, sealing the deal.

In the distance, sirens sounded—a reassurance that everything was going to be okay. He just needed to keep his hand on her. Keep himself flowing into her. The sirens pulled into his driveway, then cut off midwail.

Thomas whispered to Helen. “You’re gonna hate this, but there’s no getting around it this time. You’re going to the hospital.” He paused, waiting for some reaction from her. But she kept breathing, and her heart kept beating, and that was enough for him. “But don’t worry. I’ll be with you the whole time. You don’t have anything to be afraid of. I promise.”

Footsteps sounded on the staircase, then treaded down the hallway toward them.

“In there,” he called.

Two EMTs entered the bathroom. Thomas didn’t look at them; he just kept his attention on Helen. Her color was better, and he knew in the way-down-deep parts of himself that she was going to be all right.

“Dddaaammmnn…” One of the EMTs stretched the word out long and low.

Thomas’s attention snapped up to the guy. What was he…

The guy had his gaze glued to Helen’s face. “That’s Helena Grayse.”

Thomas knew that name. Everyone in Sundew, Ohio, knew the name.

He looked back down at Helen. She looked so fragile and damaged. Nothing like a murderer.

Author Bio:

Abbie Roads is the best-selling author of the Fatal Dreams Series and the Fatal Truth Series. Her novels have been finalists in many prestigious contests including The Golden Heart, The Greater Detroit Booksellers Best, The Oklahoma National Readers’ Choice Award, The Write Touch, The Strut Your Stuff Contest, The Aspen Gold Contest, The Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, The Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award, The Midnight Sun, The Kathryn Hayes Contest, The Chanticleer, The Daphne du Maurier, The National Readers’ Choice Award, The New England Readers’ Choice Contest, The Beverly Award, and The Maggie Award. Her debut novel Race the Darkness was Publishers Weekly Top 10 Pick for Fall and Never Let Me Fall is an Amazon Editor’s Pick.

By day Abbie Roads is a mental health counselor always focusing on the bright side. By night she writes on the dark side, putting her characters through the wringer before she gives them their happily-ever-after. She loves a good inspirational quote and is a fan of true crime.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

GIVEAWAY!
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Dark Romance Review – Lethal Sin by Jennifer Bene @jbeneauthor

Posted on June 30, 2023 by fundinmental

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

WOW. Intense. Hot. Not one, but two assassins. Buckle up because this is one intense and dangerous novel that is sure to test your limits.

Camille Devereaux is an assassin working for the head of the Irish Mafia, Patrick Callahan. Mateo Salvai’s boss wants information from her and Mateo is tasked to get it. Brutal, savage torture pushes her to her limits, and him to his too.

“Fucking kill her now! That bitch! That fucking bitch!”

His plan has went to shit. His options are few. He makes his choice. Any guesses?

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Lethal Sin by Jennifer Bene.

GOODREADS BLURB

The safest kind of love for Camille Devereaux has always been none at all. No attachments. No friends. No family. Nothing more than a one night stand whenever the itch got too strong to scratch by herself – and it always worked for her. She was one of the best free agents in the business. If you wanted intel on someone, she could get it. If you wanted a sticky situation resolved, she could fix it. And if you wanted someone to quietly disappear? Well, for the right price she could do that too.

It all worked perfectly until one of the biggest crime lords in the city decided he wanted her on the payroll full-time. Exclusively on his payroll. At first she had refused, but then he found a weak spot that even Camille hadn’t known about, and once she knew? There was no saying ‘no’ to Patrick Callahan.

That was how she found herself on the wrong side of the gun, in a sticky situation of her own, on her knees before the head badass from a rival criminal organization – Mateo Salvai. All he wants when he first meets Camille is to get the answers his boss wants from her, using his own devious methods, but once he meets this feisty, strong woman, all his plans go out the window. He’s fascinated by her, he craves her, and once he realizes she’s his perfect match he knows he can’t let her go.

Yet, the world they run in is dangerous and there are no easy options when they both report to powerful men bent on the other’s destruction. Will Mateo break his loyalties to protect Camille, and will Camille let go of her long-held rules to let him help her?

Jump in to the criminal underworld of these two assassins and get ready for a no holds barred, sexy, intense rush to the explosive conclusion of ‘Lethal Sin’, book one of the Dangerous Games series!

BDSM, Dark Romance, Erotica, Suspense and Thriller Fiction

206 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 25, 2016

ABOUT JENNIFER BENE

Jennifer Bene is a USA Today bestselling author of dangerously sexy and deviously dark romance. From BDSM, to Suspense, Dark Romance, and Thrillers—she writes it all. Always delivering a twisty, spine-tingling journey with the promise of a happily-ever-after.

Don’t miss a release! Sign up for the newsletter to get new book alerts (and a free welcome book) at http://jenniferbene.com/newsletter

Website

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Giveaway – Broken Dreams by Abbie Roads @Abbie_Roads @xpressotours

Posted on May 29, 2023 by fundinmental

Broken Dreams
Abbie Roads
(Beautiful Nightmare, #2)
Publication date: May 9th 2023
Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Romance

A stalker. A killer. A v!rg!n hero who will sacrifice himself to save the woman he loves.

FBI Special Skills Consultant Lathan Montgomery has a genetic anomaly that he uses to solve cold cases, but it forces him to live in seclusion. When he saves a woman from a roadside attack, instead of her presence causing him to lose control, she soothes him. For the first time in his life, he experiences love.

But someone is watching them and planning to make them both suffer.

Broken Dreams is the second book in Abbie Roads’ Beautiful Nightmare Series of dark romantic thrillers. It features a v!rg!n hero who never thought he’d find love. If you devour true crime and romance novels then you’ll love a series that combines both in a roller-coaster ride of danger, mind games, and swoon worthy love.

Buy this dangerously dark romance today!

Trigger warning: Depictions of SA and violence.

Previously published under the title Hunt the Dawn

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT

Psstt… Lathan is hearing impaired.

He opened the throttle on his Fat Bob and surged forward at a reckless speed, full concentration locked on navigating the twisting roads. Countryside blurred by him. Bad thoughts got left behind, replaced by the thrill.

A tow truck parked in the middle of the narrow pavement forced him to slow.

Vehicles rarely traveled this far out into the country. Probably horny teenagers, frantic for a place to screw, had broken down and needed a tow. He skirted the edge of the pavement and started to pass.

The lollipop-red Miata on the other side of the tow truck grabbed his attention for only a second, but the woman standing in front of the car, waving her shoes at him, completely captured him.

Her skyscraper legs ended in a pair of miniscule black shorts. The neckline of her shirt plunged to the valley between her breasts. And those shiny black shoes she gestured with were hooker-sexy in her hands—he didn’t dare imagine what they’d look like on her feet.

Pressure built inside his torso like a dangerous case of indigestion. The air flowing over his face stung like a charge of electric current. His grip on the handlebars faltered. The bike wobbled. He felt unsteady as a kid without training wheels.

When he drove by her, the pungent scent of garlic permeated the air. Fear. Fear always stunk.

Was she frightened of his appearance? Typical reaction. One he counted on to keep people away. He steadied the bike, and continued forward without increasing his speed.

Something was peculiar about her. Something felt peculiar within him.

He had to meet her.

He gripped the brake. Hard. His Fat Bob fishtailed around on the pavement. He turned the bike in a tight U-ey in the middle of the road and saw what scared her. A guy crouched in the ditch, nearly hidden by her car, creeping toward her as stealthy as a hawk stalking a rabbit.

“Behind you!” As he shouted the words—words he wasn’t certain she could hear over the roar of his bike—the guy sprang. Grabbed her arm. She whirled around, awkward in her movements, her limbs loose like a rag-doll ballerina. She pushed at the guy, tried to pull away from him, but the guy shook her, shoved her. She fell to the pavement, landed on her butt and elbows, shoes bucking from her hands. Pain hacked across her face.

Every muscle, every tendon, every cell inside Lathan clenched. Fury zipped along his neural pathways, then outward to his extremities. He shot forward on his Fat Bob, closing the distance between them in mere seconds. He didn’t even stop the bike, just dropped it and launched himself at the guy, tackling him, driving him back until the car stopped their momentum.

Underneath him, the guy’s muscles strained like a slingshot pulled back, ready to snap. Lathan tensed, bracing for the blow, the swing toward his ribs the only move open. “Go ahead. Try it.”

The guy punched. Lathan blocked, then mashed his fist into the guy’s ribs. Lathan stepped back, watched the guy fold over, clutching his side. A plug to the ribs hurt, but it wasn’t on the scale of a knockout. Someone who buckled from a simple rib shot probably only picked on women and the weak. When confronted with someone he couldn’t easily dominate, this guy wimped out.

Lathan turned to the woman sprawled on the road.

She didn’t quite wear the holy-crap expression he expected, but she gaped at him with wide doe eyes the color of the sky on a full-moon night. Flecks of gray twinkled in the irises. Her eyes drew him in, engulfing him in their depths. He swore he glimpsed a shard of heaven.

His heartbeat shifted to a lackadaisical rhythm. His breathing relaxed until the metallic mineral tang of blood mixed with the garlic of her fear. She was injured and still scared.

“Are you okay?” His gaze locked on her lips to read her words, but she didn’t speak. He’d read that telling a person your name put them at ease. “My name is Lathan.” He knelt next to her, careful to keep the guy in his peripheral vision, and held his gloved hand out to her.

She grabbed his hand with greedy strength. She sat up but didn’t release him. “I’m a funny.”

His eyes read her words, but his ears heard nonsense.

I’m a funny? Did she hit her head? Or was he not reading the words right? V’s and f’s looked exactly same. Vunny? Avunny? Didn’t make sense.

The guy lurched to his feet, reached into his shirt pocket, and removed a yellow paper. Stitched across that pocket was the name Junior. Great. Somewhere out there was a Senior, who was probably just as big a jerk as his son.

“She’s none of…business.” Junior’s volume was loud enough Lathan heard the essentials. He rose to his full height. He had at least four inches and fifty pounds on Junior.

Still clutching his hand, the woman scrambled to her feet and hid behind him. He had a solid hunch that if she could, she’d open a door on his spine, crawl inside, and hide until Junior left.

“She’s standing with me, holding my hand. I’d say she’s my business.”

Author Bio:

Abbie Roads is the best-selling author of the Fatal Dreams Series and the Fatal Truth Series. Her novels have been finalists in many prestigious contests including The Golden Heart, The Greater Detroit Booksellers Best, The Oklahoma National Readers’ Choice Award, The Write Touch, The Strut Your Stuff Contest, The Aspen Gold Contest, The Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, The Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award, The Midnight Sun, The Kathryn Hayes Contest, The Chanticleer, The Daphne du Maurier, The National Readers’ Choice Award, The New England Readers’ Choice Contest, The Beverly Award, and The Maggie Award. Her debut novel Race the Darkness was Publishers Weekly Top 10 Pick for Fall and Never Let Me Fall is an Amazon Editor’s Pick.

By day Abbie Roads is a mental health counselor always focusing on the bright side. By night she writes on the dark side, putting her characters through the wringer before she gives them their happily-ever-after. She loves a good inspirational quote and is a fan of true crime.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Giveaway – We Are All Villains Here by Quinn Blackbird @XpressoTours

Posted on April 29, 2023 by fundinmental

We Are All Villains Here
Quinn Blackbird
Publication date: July 1st 2023
Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Romance, Thriller

From the author of the DARK FAE comes this *dark slasher romance* in vein of our beloved 90s Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Sailors Bay has a bit of a problem… a serial killer problem.

What should be a sleepy old fishing town—a place so silent and forgotten that it slips off the map—has murder in the air and secrets poisoning the heart of the town.
Here… no one is safe when a masked killer starts terrorising the town.

Blood Hood is coming after them: Billie—from the wrong side of the tracks—and her friends… The ones who have a deadly secret of their own, one they kept for seven years… a dark secret that Blood Hood seems to know all about.

One by one, Blood Hood hunts them down to avenge the murder that started it all.

And Billie finds herself running from Blood Hood as well as the love of her life and ex, Dalton.

With slashed-up bodies piling up all over, Billie flees more than a masked killer… Dalton hunts her to every corner of Sailors Bay, intent on stealing her back… whether she wants him to or not.

Love is meant to flourish. Poison corrupts.
Poison is all I know.

We are all villains here….

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Preston’s lashes lower over coal-black eyes. His pink upper lip curls as he rounds on her.

Billie just watches him.

Her eyes are dead… or they should be, because that’s how she feels inside… but then she feels the warmth of a tear run down her cheek.

She doesn’t so much as swat at the tear.

It’s too late to try and hide it. He’s seen it—his gaze shifts to her cheek for a mere millisecond before he comes to a stop in front of her.

Her back presses a tad harder against the refrigerator as his hand presses against it, right next to her head. “So,” he repeats, towering over her, “why don’t you start telling me the truth, Billie? You owe me that.”

Billie’s lips twitch with a smirk.

Liquid courage? Pushing him away? She doesn’t know anymore.

And yet—

She smirks. “I don’t owe you shit, you rich entitled—”

It happens too fast for her to see it coming. But in a blink, his hand pulls back from the fridge, clenches into a fist, then smashes right into that same spot, right next her head.

Billie flinches. “What the fu—”

“You owe me everything!” he shouts down at her.

In this moment, his want to break her, it was more than a passing craving, a fleeting urge. Rather it was surging up inside of him, blood boiling and crashing like furious waves, an all-consuming need.

She could read it in his blazing eyes.

He adds darkly, “And I owe you everything I fucking have, you selfish bitch, you good-for-nothing alky.”

Her eyes widen, turn wild with the same rage that snarls her lips. If he braces himself for rotten, rancid words aimed his way, then he braces himself wrong.

Billie jerks her head forward—not with a headbutt, with a spit.

She spits right at him, and the gloss of it catches his cheek.

Preston’s lashes lower, his eyes shut.

He’s still for a beat, a statue with a fist pushing into the refrigerator door, his other hand fisted at his side, and a wad of spit on his cheek.

He lifts his hand.

Slowly, he opens his eyes—and looks right into her fucking soul with the kinda promises, the kinda threats that only the devil can make.

This time, she can’t fight her tremble. It runs up her spine, but she lifts her chin and meets his stare dead-on.

Bring it.

Instead, he touches his fingers to the spit… He wipes it away in one swift move, then brings it to his mouth.

Their eyes stay locked.

Her jaw tenses—

And he licks his fingertips.

Billie and Preston have had fights before. Some real nasty shit. Wouldn’t be a lie to say she’s hit him with a vase or two before. Or tried to clip him with her truck.

Some real nasty shit, she’s never denied that.

But never… never before… has she been afraid of him.

Not like this.

She swallows, hard. A lump in her throat, swelling. Tears in her defiant eyes, flowing.

Billie flinches with a yelp—

Preston snatches her by the neck.

With one hand, he pins her against the refrigerator. His body shoves against hers, his other hand grabbing the meat of her thigh, hard. Her skin screams in protest, but before she can utter a word, he’s hiking her leg over his hip and crashing his mouth down on hers.

Her shout is muffled, almost silenced, by his mouth. A kiss that tastes of her tears and his rage—of their poison.

A poison she’s so fucking addicted to.

Teeth aching, and the back of her head pulsating against the hard, dented refrigerator, Billie hits out at him. One hard fist to the side of his head.

It doesn’t stop him. He only shoves her up the cold door, off the floor, and his mouth twists against hers.

“I fucking hate you,” he growls and—hand abandoning her thigh—reaches down for her pajama shorts. With a single tug, he rips them apart, between her legs, right at her core.

And jolts of electricity fire through her.

Billie gasps something breathy into his mouth.

Tell me again.

Tell me how much you hate me.

Tell me anything but love.

Author Bio:

Quinn Blackbird is a dog-mum, full-time cog in the machine and full-time book lover.

When not writing and daydreaming, Quinn is snuggling on the couch with her three doggos.

If her love of literature could be matched, it would be by film.

Ask her about her list of underrated films… you’ll be there all night.

She has always been fascinated by the anti-hero, and often found herself rooting for the villains (their speeches are making a lot of sense, don’t lie).

Creepy dreams (nightmares at times) are the cause of a lot of Blackbird’s books – thanks to overactive imaginations!

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Giveaway – Sea Of Snakes by Heidi Stark @XpressoTours

Posted on January 29, 2023 by fundinmental

Sea of Snakes
Heidi Stark
Publication date: January 26th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Dark Romance, Reverse Harem, Romance

Zeke, Skyler, Dom and Rake—they grew up on this island and are in charge of protecting its various interests. They’re used to being in control of everything here. Including the surf. I’ve been kidnapped by a dangerous man, and am being used as collateral while my father comes up with the funds to pay off his debt (sadly not the worst thing he’s ever done although it’s up there), and if he doesn’t come up with the cash soon I’ll be auctioned off to the highest bidder. In the meantime, these four men are tasked with keeping me in their control and protecting me, and they take their role very seriously.

But they’re not the only people to be concerned about. I’m tough in my own way. I can tell that they want all of me, to take me over like they do everything else. But five can play this game, and I’m not good at losing.

**This is a Dark Reverse Harem/Why Choose Romance. 18+. Warning: this book includes graphic violence and sex scenes, and references of abuse/assault that some readers may experience as triggering.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“It’s a protection job,” says the clipped voice. “We need you to hold her for us. She’s collateral for a debt.”

“What does that entail, exactly?”

“Like I said, we need you to hold her for us.” The voices pauses. “You can do whatever you like with her while she’s with you.”

“Oh, really?” Now he has my interest. “How long do we need to keep her for?” I wonder what the other guys are going to think of this.

“No more than ten days,” says the voice. “That’s how long our associate has to repay his debt.”

“How is this associate connected with this girl?” Skyler’s been teaching me to ask more questions rather than just accepting information at face value. I’m trying.

“You ask too many questions. But it’s her father.”

“How old is she? An adult, I am assuming? We’re not babysitters.”

“Yes, an adult. Not that it’s any of your business, but he crossed a contact back on the mainland and is here on what he believes to be a business trip. His debt has been on-sold to us, and he’s evidently having a little trouble accessing funds, as his primary asset source has been frozen.”

“I see.” I need to know more. There must be an end game to this. Tane wouldn’t ask us to help if he didn’t have a grand plan, or if he simply intends on disposing of her after the time is up. “And if he doesn’t repay it? What happens then?”

“She’ll be auctioned off to the highest bidder. And I have a feeling she’ll attract a high price. Maybe higher than the value of the debt. Even if the debt is repaid, we might reassess our next steps.” His tone is clinical.

Jesus, these guys are ruthless. We make sure to do just enough to stay on their good side, but we try to avoid getting involved with the human trafficking and hard drugs that they also control across the island chain.

“Oh, so she’s attractive?” He’s really piquing my interest here. Numerous buyers bidding on a woman. I wonder how someone determines the price to purchase a human.

This isn’t something we’ve done before, harboring a captive, and it’s definitely on the cusp of what we’re prepared to do.

I wonder what Zeke will have to say. Skyler is slightly more mellow than him, but they both tend to be overly cautious. Whereas I’m usually up for anything. And, well, Rake is up for anything involving a woman.

“You’ll see.” The voice on the other end lets out an icy chuckle, causing a shiver to creep up my back.

I have no doubt that Tane’s men are evil, just like him. I’m no angel myself, but my soul is just dark, whereas his simply doesn’t exist.

“Do you expect anyone to come looking for her?” I glance at my free hand again and crack my knuckles.

I wouldn’t mind an excuse to use my fists, maybe curry a little favor with our captive to give her reason to be grateful to me. Nothing like a damsel in distress who owes you their life.

“That’s for you to worry about,” says the voice. “But again, she’s yours to do with as you please while she’s with you. Just don’t do anything that will… lower her market value too much, if you catch my drift.”

“That leaves a lot of options.” I can’t help but grin.

The person at the other end of the phone directs me to stay tuned for further instructions, and then they click off the call.

It’s been a while since I’ve been around a woman. I tend to avoid them. Sure, I’ll have a little casual fun with a random woman every now and then. No strings attached, a one-time event where nobody catches feelings.

But that’s where I leave things. Because ultimately women are dangerous, and from my experience, they inflict nothing but pain.

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Cover Reveal for The Mistress Contract by Evelyn Austin @XpressoTours

Posted on December 5, 2022 by fundinmental

The Mistress Contract
Evelyn Austin
(Filthy Billionaires, #1)
Publication date: January 2nd 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Dark Romance

When college student Madeline Swanson stumbled into the wrong job interview, I immediately wanted her…on her knees.

My offer is simple–I’ll cover her tuition, living expenses and a generous shopping budget. In return, she signs a contract, making herself available at my request–on my arm or in my bed, fulfilling all my darkest desires.

She says no now, but I’ll pursue her relentlessly until she signs the contract. Then, not only will I make her mine, I’ll own her…

Accidental Mistress
Evelyn Austin
(Filthy Billionaires, #2)
Publication date: February 2nd 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Dark Romance

Lexi Anderson snuck into my hotel room and slipped into my bed, thinking I was someone else…

My first taste of her is explosive, and I immediately decide to make the naive, young college student mine, no matter the cost. Only then will she be under my control. Only then will she submit to me completely…

But she doesn’t know my darkest secret, and if I have anything to do with it, she never will.

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order

Author Bio:

Author of steamy dark billionaire romance. The higher the heat , the better!!

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You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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Giveaway – A Beautiful Lie by Coda Languez @XpressoTours

Posted on November 28, 2022 by fundinmental

A Beautiful Lie
Coda Languez
(Birth of a Sin, #1)
Publication date: June 1st 2022
Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Mafia, Romance

Could the love between a Sinner and a Saint only end in flames?

Ira owned the city. As the head of the Dante family, she had the law in her pocket and her red manicured nails in every criminal enterprise.

But when she met Tristan – a man with ocean blue eyes and an angelic smile – it was love at first sight. It didn’t matter that he owned nothing to his name and lived in the worst part of her city. Anything he could desire, she could give him.

There was just a tiny problem.

Tristan was a vigilante. A partner of the hero whose mission was to take down Ira’s empire.

Will their relationship, built on pretty promises and beautiful lies, unravel under his secret, or does that really matter?

Either way, Ira had her eyes set on her prize and she always gets what she wants. Damn his feelings on the matter.

Originally on Kindle Vella!

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT

His lips pressed against her neck, kissing her heated skin, leaving wet petals of heat. She tried hard to fight against the sensation, her fingers gripping an unfinished glass of wine. When he moved to nibble her ear, his breath sending sparks along her nerves, causing a few drops of wine to hit her cherry wood floors as she shivered. She bit her lip, preventing a gasp. “I still need to punish you.”

Tristan cooed softly into her ear, his hand stroking her muscular thigh through that tight skirt. “Why?”

That breath was leaving goosebumps on her skin. She took a deep breath, her eyes shifting to the side, trying to look dismissive. “Because I still waited. All alone, gazing with deep emptiness out into the night…”

He couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking his head as he pressed his forehead against her shoulder, his hand drifting up that skirt, fingers leaving a burning trail against her thigh. “Babe, I’m wounded. Literally. Forgive me?”

She finally released a low moan that time, unable to help it when his touch made her toes twitch. His black shirt clung to his skin, barely hiding that lithe form she currently aching for. He was really distracting. “I will after you are punished.”

He surrendered, kissing her shoulder before giving a little smile. “Okay. What is my punishment, Ira?”

She smirked, setting the glass of wine down on the table before turning to him, her hand pushing his away from her legs. “You can’t touch me.”

He flinched, his brow furrowing as he pouted. “That’s not fair.”

“Now, now, I can touch you. I can do whatever I want to you and trust me there are…” Her eyes looked him up and down, “So many things I want do to you. You just have to lie there…” She leaned her body against his, pushing him down against the couch, his head resting on the soft leather arm, “And let me.”

Some cuts along his back caused him to release a hiss as his shirt rode up. However, looking up into those bright, warm eyes, Ira’s body firmly pressed against him, her powerful hips holding him down. He could not protest. In fact, he was finding her terms more than agreeable. “I can do that.” He moved his hands behind his head, his hips jerking against hers. “I’m your prisoner. Punish me as you see fit.”

Oh, he had to do that, didn’t he? Had to say those words in that husky tone of voice, hips pressing against her. She shuddered, looking forward to the banquet underneath her. Her lips pressed against his, kissing him hungrily, forcing his mouth opened. He groaned in return, kissing her back as deeply as he could, their tongues and taste mingling together. He clasped his fingers tightly together, his face flushed against that messy and passionate kiss.

She cooed as his hips shifted up a bit against hers again. She pulled back from those soft, delicious lips to bite down on his earlobe in a warning, “Don’t move like that. It’s really distracting.”

He flinched at that little of pain before giving a wink, “A beautiful woman is on top of me. I can’t help it.”

She frowned, her mouth moving from his ear to his neck, her teeth pressing down at against the pale skin, “Behave…”

There was more than the pain in that bite, a whimper escaping his lips, “O-Okay…”

That was quite the reaction. Tristan’s voice weakened, a tinge of vulnerability mingling with concern and undeniable lust. She pulled back from his neck, gazing at that hint of red left on his porcelain skin; a tiny rose, budding from a most welcoming place. She moved forward, giving that small bud a lick.

Author Bio:

Coda Languez is a Software Engineer by day and an Artist/Author by night. She is lover of all things anime, horror, and comic related, making her a true geek in all aspects. Heavily influenced by the works of Satoshi Kon, Kouta Hirano, Francesca Lia Block, and Clive Barker, Coda mixes black comedy, horror, magic realism, and dark romance into her works, creating an ‘it’s complicated’ relationship between readers and her anti-heroic, even villainous protagonists.

When she is not programming in her day job or writing psychological terrifying romances and dark action comedies in the night hours, Coda often binges on anime, fantasy, and sci-fi sagas and indulges in competition reality tv (a guilty pleasure). She is the mother of an adorable toddler and his Pembroke Welsh Corgi brothers, and wife to an awesome and often exasperated husband.

For information on Coda’s latest works, visit codemonkeyarts.com or connect with her on social media via @codemonkeyarts.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok

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Giveaway – Spark Of Madness by Brynn Ford @XpressoTours

Posted on July 24, 2022 by fundinmental

Spark of Madness
Brynn Ford
(Ember Glen, #1)
Publication date: July 21st 2022
Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Dystopian

In Ember Glen, men purge under the full moon. It’s the duty of women to serve them. When Mercy refuses to serve, Arlo will force her to find absolution through three brutal trials. But will their forbidden romance destroy their world?

Mercy
Neglecting my duty to serve is a sin, and during the last full moon, I became a sinner.

He saw me run from my duty, chased me, and caught me.
He promised me that I would be punished.

But I never could have imagined the hellish fate that would be chosen for me. More than that, I never could have imagined the maddening lust that would spark between me and the man who caught me.

This passion is forbidden…and it might set us on fire.

Arlo
It’s my role to catch the sinners, and Mercy sinned gravely.

I saw her and I chased her, drawn to her inexplicably.
She sparked something within me, but she had to be brought to judgment.

Her punishment is coming in the form of an archaic ritual we’re bringing back to make an example of her. I’ll be her warden, her keeper, the man to ensure she stays alive between her torturous trials.

Something within her brings out the worst of me…and the worst of me wants to ruin her.

AUTHOR NOTE: This is a dark romance series that involves many triggering elements which may be upsetting for some readers. A complete list of tropes and triggers can be found on the author’s website at brynnford.com/triggers.

SERIES NOTE: Spark of Madness is book 1 of 3 in the Ember Glen series and it ends on a cliffhanger. The author plans to publish all 3 books by the end of 2022. The trilogy follows Mercy and Arlo and must be read in order.

READING ORDER
Book 1: Spark of Madness (July 21, 2022)
Book 2: Blaze of Misery (October 20, 2022)
Book 3: Embers of Mercy (December 29, 2022)

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

I sinned.

I ran, and I hid.

I rebelled from my soul’s purpose, and I was promised punishment.

He’s come to punish me.

As soon as the realization hits me, I scramble, kicking against the earth to push myself backward and crawl out from beneath him. He ignores me as I awkwardly rush to my feet and back away; instead, he bends to pick up my mother’s journal.

No!

I lunge for it, but he jerks his hand away, holding the journal beside his head.

“Give that back.”

“No,” he says plainly.

He slowly lowers it in front of him, thumbing open the pages.

I lunge again to snatch it, but he only steps back, narrowing his eyes at me with his head tilted toward the pages. “Stop. Your property is my property now.”

“What?”

What is he saying?

I’m entitled to have my own things.

Except, the Control has license to take authority over the personal property of sinners.

And I’m a sinner now.

I feel frozen as I watch him flip through the pages, reading a sentence here and there. A shiver runs up my spine despite the warmth of the sun, and I hug myself, running my hands up and down my arms. Movement in the distance catches my eye; standing at the tree line, at the edge of the meadow, are the other six members of the Control.

Watching.

Waiting.

The notion of my death claws through my mind, scratching away all other thoughts.

Have they come to kill me?

Will I die today?

How will they do it? Burned at the stake like my mother?

“What is this?” Arlo asks, closing the journal and holding it up. “Is this your mother’s?”

I hear him, but I struggle to respond. The very essence of my being is trapped behind a thick wall of ice inside my mind, frozen and paralyzed to thoughts of punishment and death.

“Forget it,” he says with exasperation. “Come with me.”

He holds out his palm, covered with a black leather glove, and I stare at it as if it’s the strangest thing I’ve ever seen, as if it’s the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen…because it is.

If I take his hand, he’ll lead me away, only I don’t know where to and I don’t know what will happen then. I don’t know if I’ll be hurt or tortured, or if I’ll be killed immediately.

I lift my gaze from his hand to meet his stare. “Are you going to kill me?”

His eyes are blue—bright blue, like the clear sky above. They sparkle as he watches me, waiting for me to take his outstretched hand.

I think it’s the first time I’ve ever really looked at him. I’ve only known him by name and in passing before the other night in the forest. I knew of him; I’d seen him and could identify him easily. But looking at him now, I know I’ve never truly seen him before.

“Not personally, and certainly not today,” he offers. “Come along now. We have things to discuss.”

“What things?”

He takes a step closer, and instinctively, I step back.

“Mercy.”

“What’s going to happen to me? Please. Can’t you just tell me now?”

“I’m not going to ask you again.” His offered palm twitches with threat. “We will drag you away if you insist on resisting.”

Part of me wants to resist. If my fate has already been decided—and I suspect it has—then resistance won’t change the outcome. Resisting might make me feel like I did something, that I at least tried. That part of me makes my knees bend with the urge to run.

Author Bio:

Brynn Ford writes dark romance for daring readers. She is a lover of the dark, twisted, and playful, and strives to bring these elements into her stories.

When she isn’t obsessively writing, you may find her binge-watching favorite shows while eating far too much junk food or fanatically reading, always seeking to lose herself in the emotional roller coaster of a damn good story.

She’s a firm believer that her characters continue to live outside the pages in the minds of her readers. Stories don’t end just because there aren’t any more pages to turn.

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