Vicious - Vi Carter
This is the first book in the Wild Irish series and follows 2 brothers in the O'Reagan crime family. The first 25% of the story follows Finn as he quickly meets and falls for Siobhan. The rest of the story follows Shane and Una. I'll admit, this structure was not my favorite and it really felt like there were 2 romances shoved into one book but since Finn's story was only 25%, it really didn't feel like it belonged. I initially thought the book would maybe hop between the two brothers more, but in Shane's 75%, Finn almost doesn't show up at all. Finn's story was extremely underdeveloped for my liking (it was only 100 pages at most) and I really think it would have been better off being a separate book in the series. I thought Shane and Una's story was much more developed and better explored. They are step siblings but their parents have been divorced for years. Una comes back to the O'Reagan's house to escape her life and figure out what she actually wants to do and not just what her mom is telling her. We know from both their POVs that they've been crushing on each other for years but Shane had always kept Una an arms length away. The two eventually grow closer after Shane rescues Una numerous times and they admit their feelings for each other. There was pretty good chemistry between the two of them, but I think the book was overall light on characterization and the relationship development. I think this book does introduce the reader well to all the members of the family but there are a good number of characters so they are all sort of developed to the same level.
Mercenary - Bella Di Corte
This is the third and final book in the Gangsters of New York series and follows Corrado and Alcina. Corrado is determined to find and kill the last remaining member of the family that killed his biological father and to do that, he first needs to find a woman in hiding and trade her for information. Alcina is in hiding after defending herself from her abusive husband and his family wants revenge. Corrado and Alcina have a lot in common and a lot of chemistry. The two fall in love quickly and get married. As they return to New York so Corrado can take over the family business, his determination to find this mysterious man is driving a wedge in his marriage and if he isn't careful, he'll lose Alcina forever. I thought this was a really nice wrap up to the trilogy and we get some interaction with all 3 couples. The mob side of the book wraps up some loose ends and ties everything together nicely. There is a crash course family tree type thing at the beginning of the book with all the different connections, but I really would recommend reading the books in order and in fairly quick succession unless you have a really great memory. I really liked the different stages Corrado and Alcina's relationship went through during their romance. This book takes place over a few years so we really see them go from that honeymoon phase to a more realistic relationship that has struggles and complications. I think a lot of romance books end while still in the honeymoon phase and it was nice to see a really solid depiction of how relationships can be hard work after all the newness has worn off.
Dark Russian Angel - Odette Stone
This story follows Andrusha and Olivia. He's a Russian crime boss, she's a down on her luck dancer who happened to witness a murder by the biggest baddest crime boss in the area. After the police fail to keep her safe, Olivia ends up under Andrusha's protection until she can testify. Of course, the two end up falling in love and when the time comes to fight against the baddest crime boss in the Vancouver area, they hope their love can weather the storm. This book was pretty much my perfect mafia romance. It felt like a pretty even split between the romance and the crime elements. I do wish we got a little more information on exactly what sort of crime boss Andrusha is and how he runs his operation, but we do see him interacting with a number of his own men as well as meeting with the local friendly crime bosses to figure out how to handle threats. He's the definition of reluctant hero, but once he decides to listen to his gut and protect Olivia, he's all in. I found their chemistry really well built and the two seemed almost like equals despite the fact that he's technically keeping her captive until the trial. I thought the cast of side characters were also well developed and helped show more of the Andrusha or Olivia's character through these side characters.
Close Quarters - Kandi Steiner
This story follows amateur photographer Aspen and her boyfriend's billionaire boss, Theo. Aspen's boyfriend got a job as a member of the crew on Theo's yacht for the summer sailing around the Mediterranean Sea. Aspen was going to be touring around Europe on her own this summer when Theo invites her to stay onboard as his personal photographer. It is an offer too good to refuse. Theo and Aspen grow closer and her and her boyfriend grow apart. She's an introvert, he's out all night partying with the crew. But when Aspen and Theo finally get together, there's a chance it could all go down in flames. Kandi Steiner really manages to pack so much emotion into her books - it is really incredible. I'm not usually someone who likes much angst at all in my romance books and Kandi is the queen of angst so I pick my books from her carefully. This had lots of mutual pining, but I wouldn't call it a heavy angst book. The backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea was incredibly romantic and who wouldn't love a summer-long vacation on a luxury yacht? My favorite part, hands down, is Aspen. She's a true, textbook level, introvert who tries her best to blend into the background. Theo is the first person to see her - really see her, and it is obvious how much that means to her. The same can be said for how Aspen treats Theo - like he's an actual person and not just a bank account. The two come together in the most perfect puzzle piece sort of way that they just work together so well they can't imagine coming apart.
Mr. Nice Guy - Belinda Williams
This is the first book in the Pierce Brothers series and follows youngest Tom and his friend's little sister, Chelsea. Chelsea moved in with Tom after moving away from home 3 years ago. After Chelsea's latest boyfriend turns out to be yet another jerk, her friend says Chelsea needs to find a nice guy to date. Tom agrees to be her 'trial nice guy' for a week. For seven days, he'll show her how dating an actually nice guy can be in hopes that she'll give nice guys a chance. As the week progresses and both start to see the other in a new light, this nice guy might be naughtier than expected. This story was basically just one big checklist of tropes I love - brother's best friend, friends to lovers, only one bed, fake dating! I really liked Tom's character and how he proved the nice guys aren't boring doormats, but rather considerate partners. He and Chelsea had great chemistry, even when they were talking more so as friends in the beginning of the book. I really loved Chelsea and her character growth throughout the book and that, while Tom encouraged some of that growth like going back to school, she pursued it all on her own. I thought Tom's main conflict was interesting, especially because that's a flaw I've seen before in heroines in romance books, not so much the heroes. Both Tom and Chelsea have some bad relationship habits to break in this story, luckily they are perfect for each other. I do wish we would have seen a bit more of their dynamic before the fake dating arrangement (which gets set up in the first few pages). I was a bit confused at times at just how close they were before because they grew up together and have been living together for 3 years, but there were some lines that indicated they didn't interact much and both kept to themselves.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for review. Expected publication date is June 28, 2021.
Heart of the Steal - Avon Gale and Roan Parrish
This story follows FBI Art Crimes agent Will and billionaire art thief Vaughn. The two meet at a party and the attraction is instant. Vaughn steals a painting from the party and leaves it at Will's door with an invitation to meet again. Will plays life by the books, most things to him are either black or white, good or bad. Vaughn lives his life in the grey area of bending rules and using his money and influence for good. The two have an undeniable connection, but with conflicting jobs and life outlooks, can they find a way to be together? I was expecting this to be more along the lines of Catch Me If You Can but as a M/M romance. It was that for about the first 30% and then it was a pretty standard billionaire romance after that. I still enjoyed the story, but I was hoping for a bit more of the sexy cops and robbers element. This was pretty much the definition of opposites attract which I really liked, especially how the characters just worked together so well despite their differences. I think the authors did a great job of showing Will and Vaughn both compromising on some things and understanding the other person's view point. The chemistry was burning hot but there were still a ton of sweet moments of them just being together.
It Happened One Summer - Tessa Bailey
This story follows Piper - a Los Angeles socialite who got into trouble one too many times so her step father sent her away to a small coastal town in Washington state where her father left her a bar after his death. There, she meets local fisherman captain Brendan who seems to think she won't last a single night in town. But the two keep running into each other, Brendan unable to keep from helping her out of any sort of trouble and able to see through her defenses. The longer she stays in town and the more time she spends with Brendan, the more Piper starts to wonder if going back to LA is really what she wants and if maybe she's found her true self in Washington instead. This book was perfection. This is my first Tessa Bailey read and I'll be picking up more for sure. My absolute favorite trope is grumpy vs sunshine and it is *chefs kiss* done so well in this book. Piper does come across in the very beginning as a little shallow and spoiled but we are quickly shown she is more than that though her interactions with her more down-to-earth sister and her determination to prove everyone wrong. Along the same lines, Brendan is very rude during his initial interaction with Piper, but we see from his POV chapters that he was instantly attracted to her and doesn't know how to handle his feelings. He has routines for his routines but she doesn't fit neatly into any of the boxes he's built himself a life on. Their chemistry is electrifying and while Brendan leans into being a possessive alpha hero (which I love!), he is also very upfront and clear about his feelings and intentions and the two talk through their concerns. That talking also extends into the bedroom with some of the best written dirty talk I've ever read.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for review. Expected publication date is July 13. 2021.
The Sweetest Oblivion - Danielle Lori
This story follows Elena, first daughter to a mafia boss, and Nico, boss of another group. Due to some transgressions on her part, eldest daughter Elena was deemed by her father to be not marriage material so her younger sister is chosen to marry Nico. They'd both heard rumors of the other, but once they meet in person, Elena and Nico butt heads as their hearts pound. Nico is suddenly around all the time and, despite knowing better, Elena can't help but push his buttons. The attraction and flirting is fun, but both know he's marrying the other sister. This was a fantastic mafia romance and I can't wait to continue in the series. I've found with most of the mafia romances I read that the couple usually gets together pretty quickly (arranged marriage, captor/captive situation, etc). But since Nico was arranged to marry Elena's sister, it gave them time to sort of get to know each other like a couple in a contemporary romance. The sexual tension because of the premise and the marriage situation was fantastic. It also allowed them to get to know each other in a more informal way where Elena wasn't too concerned with keeping up appearances with Nico since he was sort of off limits. Of course, this meant that when they actually got together, that they went from 0 to 60 in no time. Usually the relationship in these mafia romances is the type where the couple gets married for business but falls in love after the fact. In this case, Elena and Nico start falling when they couldn't have each other which just makes the payoff when they get together so much better.
I Bite She Sucks - Penelope Bloom
This story follows Riggs and Sylvie. Sylvie is immunocompromised and pretty much stays in her bubble of her apartment she shares with her older sister. Riggs is an ex-werewolf alpha that just wants to be left alone and out of the conflict brewing between vampires and werewolves. However, when Sylvie's sister is turned by a rogue vampire in the hopes of later turning Sylvie to cure her, the vampires want the sisters dead and Riggs volunteers himself as their protector. Learning about these secret supernatural societies as well as being exposed to all the germs of the world suddenly leave Sylvie pretty sick and Riggs steps up to nurse her back to health. As the two grow closer, they have to plan not only how to handle the vamps that want Sylvie dead, but also how to handle their relationship - especially if Sylvie turns vampire and Riggs as a werewolf. While this isn't a direct sequel to Bloom's first paranormal romance (Kiss Kiss Fang Fang), it does take place in the same world a little while after the first book. I do think this book does a good job with the world building and working in the backstory to the overall conflict so reading the first book isn't strictly necessary (although, I do recommend because it is just really cute and fun). This is grumpy vs sunshine the paranormal version and I really enjoyed it. I loved how optimistic and sharp Sylvie is and how grumpy and protective Riggs is and their dynamic together is just perfect. There are a lot of characters in this book and I did have a hard time keeping everyone straight in my mind at times. They get introduced pretty quickly and the names are a bit too similar for my brain to separate. I also thought Sylvie's sister was more underdeveloped than I would have liked considering the sisters are supposed to be pretty much inseparable. I also want to point out that our main character has some sort of un-named genetic condition that weakens her immune system. Her sister gets turned into a vamp specifically with the goal of then being able to turn Sylvie so she is cured of her condition. While this isn't the exact route the plot takes, Sylvie does end up being turned and thus cured of her genetic condition. At the end of the day, it is her choice and she readily accepts the change but it did feel like it was edging a little into the 'magical cure' area that might bother some readers so I wanted to point it out.
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