Review – The Control by Elena Monroe

The Control; The 4 Horsemen #4
(#4 within a series)

Publication Date: May 4, 2021

Genre/Tropes: Dark/Secret Society/Arranged Marriage/Friends to Lovers Romance

Author: Elena Monroe

Review Rating: 5 Gold Stars

Review/Synopsis:

Review:
We have the fourth horseman!! Bowen has been a bit of a mystery coming into this book and with that mystery hanging over him this book was like a beautiful, dark flower blooming. BAM—you couldn’t take your eyes off it and it was glorious!

Each horseman is so different and Bowen is no exception to where he fits in the working cog of that machine. Yes, he’s a functioning alcoholic, but how and why he functions is so sad. I won’t give up his secrets, because like that blooming flower, it needs to be experienced personally, but Bowen isn’t who you think he is.

Eve is also someone quite different than I was expecting. She grew up with the horsemen before moving to Denmark, certainly not of her choice. Eve and Bowen were best friends, closer than best friends could be as they shared everything until she was ripped away. Her life in Denmark wasn’t glitter and horses and she has been dreaming of the day she was able to return, but nothing prepared her for the man she was returning to, but Eve will never give up on her dreams or her Bowey.

These two are beautifully heartbreaking and Elena does their story justice in the best way she knows how when it comes to these broken horsemen.  This particular story is so raw but pure at the same time and overall I am constantly amazed at how Elena combines the dark with the light where I’m enthralled until the very last page.

It’s hard to pick a favorite, especially as this crazy family has grown, I love them each for their own unique personalities. I won’t say much more, but prepare for a gripping story and don’t go in with any expectations as this couple will continually shock you.

Synopsis:

BOWEN ASTOR/EVE
She was immaculate and I was going to starve her until she begged to be dirty…

I was living on borrowed everything: time, feelings, motives, even these stale breaths.
I was expired in every way.
No saving me.
He should have lived instead.
He deserved to squeeze every drop out of life and rub it in my face the way he always did.
I was stuck here as half of a person and Eve expected me to be whole enough to fix her.
We were too shattered to ever be put back together again.
I was her demon…

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Review – The Virgin Rule Book by Lauren Blakely

The Virgin Rule Book; Rules of Love #1 
(A standalone within a series)

Publication Date: April 16, 2021

Genre/Tropes: Friends to Lovers/Sports/Contemporary Romance

Author: Lauren Blakely

Review Rating: 4.5 Gold Stars

Review/Synopsis:

Review:

A slow burn, with Blakely’s witty charm blended into this friends to lovers romance.

I will admit this was not my favorite Blakely book, it still held a lot of the elements I love reading in her books. The chemistry between Crosby and Nadia was off the charts, whether it was in or out of the bedroom this couple had it in spades. What didn’t hold my specific attention was some of the in between moments spent with the secondary characters. It wasn’t all of the time, but some of the time. I see great potential for spin offs, which is what I love about any secondary character, but this is just my opinion on this particular book.

Aside from that, I absolutely adored any time Nadia and Crosby were together. They were engaging, swoony, funny, all the things I love to see in Blakely’s characters. While this was a slow burn to the final ignition, they lit the fuse early in how they got there and watching the final countdown was rather exciting.

Crosby has called off dating all women and even though Nadia has been a friend since they were early teens, he never really considered her as more. Perhaps its because he’s always dated the wrong women and now that he’s detoxing he’s finally seeing her clearly. While he’s on the wagon it seems like the wrong time to start anything with Nadia, but it may also be the most perfect time ever.

Nadia is taking a break trying to find a good man to date. She’s never really had any luck…well ever. She’s still fully intact of her V card, but now that Crosby is giving her all of the perfect signals, it could be the perfect time to finally punch that card.

A 4.5 star read overall for all of the steamy, friendship, and worthy moments that fill the pages.

Synopsis:

A sexy, brother’s best friend sports romance from # 1 New York Times bestseller Lauren Blakely!

Let me make a few things clear. I didn’t go to the wedding intending to dance with the best man, to dare him to show me a very sexy pic on his phone, or to accidentally kiss him in the hotel elevator after the reception ended.

But you know how it goes. Things just happen at weddings…

The next day, Crosby and I agree to put all those shenanigans behind us. The fun-loving, stupidly gorgeous, all-star baseball player might be my brother’s best friend, but he’s my friend too and has been for years, so it’s easy to move on, especially because I have a high-profile business to run.

But since he’s newly single and I’m always single, it turns out we both desperately need plus ones. We agree to “publicly date” over the next two weeks of galas, parties and events before his baseball season begins.

The only trouble is the more time I spend with Crosby, the more I keep imagining how much I want him to take my V-card.

And when I broach the possibility with Crosby, his answer surprises the hell out of me.

Preorder this standalone :

✦ Kindle ➜ https://blkly.pub/VirginRuleAmazon
✦Apple ➜ https://blkly.pub/VirginRuleApple
✦Kobo ➜ https://blkly.pub/VirginRuleKobo
✦BN ➜ https://blkly.pub/VirginRuleNook
✦Google ➜ https://blkly.pub/VirginRuleGoogle
✦Audible ➜ Sign up for an alert for this Teddy Hamilton & Erin Mallon audiobook: subscribepage.com/LaurenAudio

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Blog Tour – Brightly Burning Bridges by Ivy Wild

He wasn’t my friend until he became my enemy.⠀

Brightly Burning Bridges, an all-new enemies to lovers romance from Ivy Wild, is available now!

𝙎𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙨⠀
He wasn’t my friend until he became my enemy.⠀
His center is freezing cold,⠀
and his edges burn me when I get too close.⠀
He is everything I want and nothing I am.⠀
They say not to burn bridges,⠀
but he burned ours to the ground.⠀

𝙎𝙠𝙮𝙡𝙚𝙧⠀
She is the girl who wants to be seen,⠀
but hates being noticed.⠀
She was my friend, my tease, my confidant.⠀
She is pure light against all my darkness.⠀
The reason you burn down bridges,⠀
is to build them up stronger.⠀

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vKA2os
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Excerpt

“And just where do you think you’re going?” a deep voice slurred from somewhere near the door. I didn’t need to look up to know who it was.

“I’m going home, Silas,” I said, fighting back the tears that were threatening to run down my face as I tried to fit too many textbooks into my backpack.

“Like fuck you are,” he said, making his way toward me.

I stood to my full height and looked at him. My heart dropped at seeing him this way. “Silas, you’re drunk.” I could smell the marijuana coming off of him in waves. “And probably high. You should call it a night.”

I didn’t know why I was trying to give him advice. I should have told him to go fuck himself and be done with it.

“I’ll call it a night if you call it one with me,” he drawled, moving in closer to me.

“Get away from me, Silas,” I said, trying to feign confidence but he just laughed.

“You don’t want that, Sky. I saw the way you looked at me. The way you looked at her. You wanted that to be you, hm?”

I didn’t think his comment warranted a response. Either that or I was too choked up to say something back. I picked up my backpack and tried to lift it onto my shoulders, but even in his inebriated state he was quick. The bag tumbled to the floor as he pushed it away and I felt my back press into the wall behind me.

“Admit it, Sky. You. Want. Me.” He was so close to me now. His lips were ghosting against my neck and his hand was pressing against my hip. 

I hated this.

I hated him.

I hated the way he made me feel.

And I hated the way he smelled like someone else’s perfume.

“I can smell her on you,” I seethed at him through grit teeth. 

He pulled back, lifting his face so that his eyes were even with mine. His fingers moved up, making me shiver on their ascent before pinching my chin. I grimaced as I wondered whether it was the hand that had, minutes before, been knuckle deep in another woman’s cunt.

“You wish it were you, don’t you?” he drawled.

“No,” I bit back, but I was a fucking liar. Truth was, I wanted Silas. I wanted him bad. And I wanted him all to myself. I didn’t want to share him. Not with some bimbo. Not with anyone. I loved the way him and I had developed our study routine. I loved that out of everyone in his life, except for maybe his mother, I knew him the best.

He had hot edges and a frozen center, but at least I knew all the secrets he kept hidden there were for me and me alone. But I didn’t know how to say any of this. Worse than that, I didn’t know how to admit any of this. I hated and wanted him at the same time. He said I was a contradiction but that was only because he tore me in two.

Read Kay’s Review: Brightly Burning Bridges

About Ivy
Writer of all things untamed, romantic and free, Ivy Wild never planned on becoming a romance novelist. In fact, she hated romance as a kid and was quite proud of that fact. Basically, life is weird.

Married to her own alpha hero, she currently lives in various places of the world at various times thanks to his military career.

Her current side hustle is being a lawyer.

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Website: https://ivywildromance.com