There are a few books, which just by reading the synopsis, you know that you are going to love every bit of it. Scaran Nights was one such book for me, and below is my review on it.
"Sacara is decaying. The dead walk the streets, fungi light the night, and Dagner must fight to keep the rot at bay."
Legacy is everything in Sacara. Those few who inherit live only to keep theirs alive, protecting the ghosts of their ancestors from the corruption seeping into every corner of the city.
Dagner longs to leave - to create a legacy for himself and see the world beyond - but he is trapped by an inheritance that was never meant to be his. When a figure from his past returns to claim the legacy Dagner has sworn to protect, he must decide if he will forge his own path, or stay and make the sacrifices needed to save the city of the dead.
Review
Sacaran Nights is sort of a mix between Avatar the movie (with respect to the kind of aesthetics of Sacara) and Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (but told through a male perspective). Sacara is such an immersive and beautiful world. I love how apart from the story, this book has a pictorial representation of all the different kinds of fungi that grow in Sacara and their uses. By fungi I don't mean the icky kind, these are beautiful, and one of my personal favorites was the fallen stars. They are so pretty.
This story is super creative and captivating. The storyline is one that I have never really read ever before. It is unique in every aspect, be it the world or even the elements of the story. It is fast-paced and well-written. Sacaran nights has a dark YA fantasy feel to it.
The characters in this story are well developed and have a very interesting arc. It was easy to connect with these characters, especially with the protagonist, Dagner. He goes from something considered spare to somebody who I really respect a lot. Apart from Dagner, I also enjoyed the character Merany. She is a strong-willed lady, who always has her friends back. I thoroughly enjoyed their friendship.
Coming to the world-building in this story. It's a little complex world, but since it has been written in a clear and concise manner, as a reader I found it very easy to imagine and fall in love with. Sacara is very nuanced and is immersed in very different cultures. These cultures are at times a little infuriating, and somewhere you can very easily connect them to the reality around you.
With Sacaran nights, you sort of hit the ground running. Initially, it is a little confusing, but after almost the first 10% of the novel is done, you understand each aspect of the story. I am super excited to read the second installment in this duology. And would highly recommend it to other readers of dark YA fantasy.
“Cora Reilly is a master at forbidden and dangerous love... Maddox and Marcella are a fierce force together and part two can't come fast enough”! – Sophie Lark, bestselling author
By Sin I Rise: Part 1, an all-new action-packed dark romance from USA Today bestselling author Cora Reilly is available now!
Maddox – Mad Dog – White hates everything the name Vitiello stands for, after he witnessed his father and his men getting butchered by the Capo of the Italian mob in their territory. Raised by his uncle, the president of the Tartarus MC, Maddox is destined to follow in his footsteps. Now their chapter is on the rise again, but for their ultimate triumph they need to destroy the Vitiello empire. And what better way to do it than to steal the spoilt Vitiello princess and break her piece by piece until her father begs for mercy.
Known as the spoilt princess of New York, Marcella Vitiello grew up in a golden cage. If your father is the most feared man in New York, people gift you with reverence.
Destined to marry the boyfriend approved by her father, Marcella is sick of being treated like an untouchable porcelain doll.
She resents the life forced upon her by her family until everything she took for granted is ripped from her. Where she’s now, her name doesn’t bring awe, only pain and humiliation.
If you’ve grown up in a high castle, the fall is all the deeper.
Sins of the fathers have a way of catching up…who’s going to bleed for them?
Review
Before we get into the review, By Sin I Rise is a dark romance and has some
scenes that might be triggering.
This book has been subject to a lot of mixed reviews. And somewhere, while
reading the book, I had the same kind of feeling. I didn't exactly know whether
I liked it or not. But let me tell you the way this story ends (on a
cliffhanger), changed my opinion for the better.
Let me start by telling you what exactly I liked about this book. The
setting of the entire story is truly dark. It is a proper dark romance and will
make you feel a little uncomfortable at times, due to the scenes in it. It is
full of violence. You will understand the level of violence from the manner in
which this book starts off. This was the first time when a story for me was
more than its characters. It was actually the plot and how well mafia along
with the motorcycle (MC) club world has been handled. Nowhere does the story
derail from its plot. It is an intense story, where the two protagonists, have
a lustful relationship rather than romance. By sin I rise, starts off slow, and
only picks up after 18% of the book is done. But after 18%, I bet, if you are
into the dark romance genre and don't have any kind of triggers, it would be
hard to let go.
Coming to the characters, in By sin I rise, we follow, Maddox and Marcella.
Marcella initially comes across as this spoilt brat, who is only concerned
about shopping and her studies. She is someone who lives in a very suffocating
world. Suffocating in the sense that, her life entirely is dominated by her
father. She will marry who her father chooses for her. She can't work or be
financially independent. Maddox, on the other hand, is a part of an MC. He has
had a very messed up past and will stop at nothing to exact his revenge. He is
not an alpha male. But dangerous all the same.
Few things that I felt made the reading experience a little slow for me, was
the manner in which the story starts. It is a little irritating. I instantly
disliked Marcella because of it. I don't know whether that was the intention of
the author or not. But Marcella is such a frustrating character. However, I
loved how Marcella's character evolves over the entire story. She became
exactly what she should have been. Apart from this, there were some scenes in
this story that were cringe-worthy. I don't generally get uncomfortable with
violence in books, but these scenes were upsetting.
In conclusion, I am excitedly looking forward to reading the next
installment in this series and becoming a little more uncomfortable. Because
this book is worth becoming uncomfortable for. I would rate this book a 4
out of 5 stars.
From the very first moment I spotted Snow White, she’d burned herself into my brain. Every fucking night, the image of her naked body tortured me in maddening detail. Sometimes I woke with the remnants of her taste in my mouth, half convinced I’d actually buried my tongue in her undoubtedly pretty pussy. Fuck, I hadn’t seen an inch of that legendary body yet, much less touched her. Oh, but I would, even if it took a poisoned apple. A guy like me would never be allowed near Snow White. I wasn’t a fuckin’loser, far from it. I was going to become the president of the Tartarus MC, following in my uncle’s footsteps, the current prez. Of course, that made me the lowest scum on earth if you asked Snow White and her fuckin’father, Luca Vitiello, the Capo of the Italian mob on the East Coast. I was a little boy, barely five years old, when the life I knew was ripped from me. As the son of the president of the New Jersey chapter of the Tartarus motorcycle club, I had watched many disturbing things at my young age. Club brothers getting it on with whores in the middle of the clubhouse in broad daylight, brutal fights, shootings…but nothing had left quite a mark like the night the Capo of the Famiglia brutally killed my father and his men. The murderous bastard had slaughtered an entire chapter of our club—alone. Strike that. Not alone—with a fuckin’ax and a skinning knife. The screams of my dying club family still haunted my nights, an echo of a memory I couldn’t shake unless I drank enough booze to kill an elephant. Those images were the fuel for my hunger for revenge. And revenge I would finally get, with the help of the spoiled princess of New York: Marcella Vitiello.
About Cora
Cora Reilly is the author of the Born in Blood Mafia Series, The Camorra Chronicles and many other books, most of them featuring dangerously sexy bad boys. Before she found her passion in romance books, she was a traditionally published author of young adult literature. Cora lives in Germany with a cute but crazy Bearded Collie, as well as the cute but crazy man at her side. When she doesn't spend her days dreaming up sexy books, she plans her next travel adventure or cooks too spicy dishes from all over the world. Despite her law degree, Cora prefers to talk books to laws any day.
Is a happily-ever-after on the cards when the ‘after’ isn’t even promised?
The Lady, the stunning conclusion to the must-read The Oath Duet from Serena Akeroyd, is available now!
I’ve spent a lifetime avoiding the various factions of the mafia in NYC, yet somehow I’m in it up to my eyeballs. I should be scared. I should want to run. Yet the city quivers in fear with every designer-clad footstep I take, because the Valentinis have ascended, and I’m the Don’s Lady. It’s intoxicating. However Luciu comes with vendettas and a craving for vengeance that could get him killed. With my allegiance tied to the Irish, can I say yes when he wants me to take an oath to the Sicilians? Is a happily-ever-after on the cards when the ‘after’ isn’t even promised?
This is the second part of ‘The Oath’ duet in The Valentini Family series. THE DON must be read first.
Review
What an amazing finish to the oath duet. After loving the first book, The Don, I was eagerly waiting to dive right into the second book. The cliffhanger kept me guessing. So as soon as the lady was delivered to my kindle, I knew I had to stop all the other distractions and focus on this amazing mafia romance.
Firstly, the mafia world, or the Sicilian mafia world, is just soo detailed and seems true. Secondly one of the main things about this story is that the author tries to put forth the emotional aspect of the characters rather than just violence or smut. Luciu is a very different mafia don, he is emotionally mature, knows how to treat his women and love her, super dangerous when it comes to his work and when he says Cara mia, it's just epic. Jen is a smart, compassionate yet knows how to give it back, lady who is still trying to understand herself. Both the characters are very beautifully written and are a treat to read about.
Coming to the plot, there are several subplots in the story, multiple twists, and turns that will surely keep you on the edge. There is humor too. I loved the inclusion of Sicilian words.
However, while reading the lady there were times when I felt the story dragged a little. This at times makes the reading a bit cumbersome. Hence, I would rate a 4 out of 5 stars.
My review on the first book in the Oath duet, The Don, can be accessed here.
I stared out onto the city, well aware that even if it were daylight, no one would be able to see in here. It made me feel our isolation more, and I loved it. Wanted it. Craved more. Needed like I’d never needed before. Then, everything changed. It was quite accidental. A sharp turn around a bend had us jostling into each other. Nothing crazy. But our hands slipped, and the edge of mine brushed against his crotch. He had a hard-on. He had a hard-on, yet he wasn’t pawing at me. Wasn’t treating me like I was a whore. Was holding me as if I were the opposite, in fact. His control was lust-inducing. His arousal was inspiring. And I wanted both. I wanted his control ruptured. His arousal burned off. On me. I turned my face to the side, letting my lips press against his throat. His pulse bobbed as a result and as I let my tongue dart out to play, he groaned, and I felt the soft vibrations. Encouraged, I sucked down, nipping and teasing as I made my way up, soft kisses dancing against the line of his jaw where I could feel the slight bumps of stubble that would begin to grow soon. Finally, I found his mouth. Reaching up with my free hand, I encouraged him to tilt his head downward so our lips could meet. A whimper escaped me when they did. It felt as if I’d been waiting a lifetime for this moment, for the meeting of our mouths, for this kiss. Time stopped still, everything in me freezing as my body processed the rightness of the connection between us.
About Serena I’m a romance bookaholic and I won’t touch a book unless I know there’s a happy ending. This addiction is what made me craft stories that suit my voracious need for raunchy romance. I love twists and unexpected turns, and my novels all contain sexy guys, dark humor, and hot AF love scenes.
I write MF, Menage, and Reverse Harem (also known as Why Choose romance,) in both contemporary and paranormal. Some of my stories are darker than others, but I can promise you one thing, you will always get the happy ending your heart needs!
Rich. Vicious. Vengeful. Forbidden. The Boys of Clermont Bay had always been untouchable.
The Taste of an Enemy, the first angst-filled new adult romance in The Taste of an Enemy Duet from Holly Renee is available now!
Rich. Vicious. Vengeful. Forbidden. The Boys of Clermont Bay had always been untouchable. And Carson Hale was the worst of them all. He was pretentious and a player, and he had hated me for so long I forgot that we were ever anything more than enemies. Brutally beautiful and savagely heartless, his only plan was to ruin everything I loved. But dares were made, and even though I had no business saying yes, I found myself in trouble and forced to work with my rival to get us out of it. He had always been cruel, but something changed. The lure of him was too much. The way I craved his touch was unbearable. Just as I fell for him, he proved himself to be exactly who he had been all along.
Review:
After reading the first two books in the Boys of Clermont Bay series, I was eagerly looking forward to Taste of an enemy. Throughout the first two books, you can feel a tension between Carson and Allie, and I was soo curious to know the reason for the tension. So the day this ARC landed in my Kindle, I was super excited to dive in.
Taste of an enemy was such a tumultuous ride, which is full of drama and swoon-worthy romance. It will pull at your heartstrings. At one point I was laughing and loving the feelings that Carson and Allie had for each other, on the other hand, I was so frustrated with Carson. Carson is beautiful, handsome, a jerk most of the time, caring, frustrating and challenging. Allie on the other hand, is soft, strong, beautiful, a person with the utmost amounts of patience, and an amazing human.
This is not an easy book to let go of. The writing in this book is so amazing. Even though the entire story is told from a dual perspective, the manner in which it is written, makes the reader feels as if they are witnessing the entire story firsthand.
I loved the variety of characters in this series. With each subsequent book, the series just gets better. My only complaint about this book was that it ended way too early. I wasn't ready to let go of the book so soon.
All in all, the taste of an enemy is an amazing story where Holly Renee has done a complete justification to the enemies to lovers trope. Will surely recommend it.
My rating for this book is 4 out of 5 stars.
This book can be read as a standalone. But I would highly recommend you to read the first two books in the series. You can read my thoughts on the first book - The touch of a villain, here, and my thoughts on the second book - The fall of a god, are available here.
I walked into Wings and Things and spotted Eli as soon as I made it through the door. He smiled before standing and coming to meet me. I couldn’t tell if anyone else was already at the table, and I tried to remind myself that I shouldn’t care. Tonight was about having fun and getting to know Eli. Carson didn’t matter for either of those things. I would just drown him out and pretend he wasn’t there. That was what I was used to doing. That was what the two of us had been doing for years. Even though I was already a little but irritated that Eli hadn’t offered to pick me up. My dad was irritated by that fact too. “You look beautiful.” Eli grinned before pulling me into a hug. “Thank you.” I breathed in the scent of his warm cologne, the smell familiar and calming. “You look nice as well.” I looked up at him as he let me go. He was much taller than me, although shorter than Carson, and he had a smile that made me feel comfortable. He grabbed my hand in his and led the way back to the table. I fixed my hair while I was still blocked from view, and I planted the best smile I could manage on my face as he pulled out the chair for me that was directly across from Carson. “Thank you.” I settled into my seat and tried to avoid making eye contact with Carson. “Allie, this is Kimberly. Kimberly, Allie. I think you all might know each other.” I looked across the table at Kimberly, and of course I knew her. We had gone to school together since grade school, and I had hated her almost as long. She was popular, conceited, and a perfect fit for Carson. “Of course.” I nodded and pulled out my menu. “How are you, Kim?” “I’m perfect.” She giggled and looked over at Carson. His hand disappeared under the table, and even though I couldn’t see it, I knew that his hand probably rested on her thigh. I wanted to rip it off. “Awesome,” I mumbled and tried to focus on the menu. Carson laughed under his breath, but I ignored him. “What are you getting?” I looked to my right where Eli sat. “Do you want to share some wings?” “Oh.” He looked up from his menu. “I was thinking about getting the burger.” “A burger at a wing place.” Carson scoffed and tossed his menu down on the table. “I’ll share an order with you, Allie. Kim’s getting a salad.” He didn’t give me time to answer. As soon as the waitress came to our table, Carson opened his mouth. “My girl Allie and I are going to share a large order of wings, extra ranch for both of us. No carrots. She hates those.” I looked at him like he had lost his mind because I was pretty sure that he had. “What can I get you to drink?” The waitress was now looking at me. “Um, just a Coke, please.” Everyone else ordered their food, and I fidgeted with my hands under the table. “So, Allie, how is school going for you?” I looked up at Eli. I had almost forgotten he was there. “It’s all right. I’m so ready for fall break, though.” “Me too.” He nodded. “Are you going anywhere? My family is taking a trip to Europe.” “No.” I almost choked on the word. Sometimes I forgot just how far apart my family was from those who went to Prep. They were made of money, old money to be exact, and guys like Eli had never had to think about working or how he’d pay for college. “We typically stay home and do a Thanksgiving meal at our house. It’s real low-key.” And my dad would still be working every day except for Thanksgiving, and my small house would be busting with people. My grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. We were always together on holidays, and I loved it. It may not have been Europe, but it was ours. “That’s cool.” He nodded and turned his chair to where he faced me better. “We’ve been going to Europe for years now. My parents love it, and they take us about every other year. Have you ever been?” “To Europe?” I shook my head, and suddenly I felt ridiculous. “No. The farthest I’ve been is Disney World.” I didn’t mention that had been almost ten years ago. I could hear Carson and Kimberly talking across from us, and I hoped he was too enthralled with her and her perfect face to even consider listening to our conversation. Eli laughed like I had just told a joke, but I hadn’t. “That’s too bad. I bet you would really like Europe.” “What makes you think that, Eli?” Carson was leaned back in his chair with his arm resting on the back of Kimberly’s. Eli laughed nervously and looked between me and Carson. “It’s Europe.” He shrugged his shoulders. “But you don’t know anything about Allie specifically that would make her love Europe, correct?” Eli opened his mouth, but Carson continued. “Like you have no clue that she’s been dreaming of going to Paris forever, and she has this little Eiffel Tower key chain that she’s had on her set of keys since she’s had them. Or that she thinks she’s part Irish because she has a little bit of green in her eyes.” “I didn’t realize you knew so much about her.” Eli was no longer aloof. He was sizing Carson up, and I wasn’t here for a pissing contest. “Well, now you do.” Carson stared back at him with the same unrelenting gaze, and I felt like I was going insane. Carson hadn’t given a shit about me since that night he needed me and I wasn’t there. If he wasn’t ignoring me altogether, he was making me wish he was, and now all of the sudden, he wanted to share wings and spew facts about me like he was my best friend. “Stop,” I hissed. “You’re being an ass. Aren’t you supposed to be on your own date?” I looked over at Kimberly, and she looked uncomfortable. I couldn’t blame her. I felt uncomfortable too. The waitress arrived back at our table with food in hand, and we were spared from whatever Carson was going to say next. He looked down at the food, and his bright eyes looked so hollow. He scrunched his brow, something he always did when he was upset, and his jaw stiffened. I didn’t know if he was angry with me or with himself. But I didn’t want to find out. I quickly grabbed a wing from our plate and took a huge bite. Sauce dripped down my chin, but I didn’t stop. The food was a distraction. If we were eating, then we weren’t talking, and I couldn’t stand to hear anything more from Carson right now. Not after everything he just said. Not with the way he had brought up memories of me like it wouldn’t mess with my head. “This is good.” I wiped at my mouth with the back of my hand. “Do you want a bite?” I looked over to Eli, and he shook his head as he looked at my half-bitten wing. “Nah. I’m good.” “Suit yourself.” I shrugged as I looked down at his measly-looking burger. “I’ll take one.” Carson reached forward, his fingers wrapping around my wrist, and he stood in his seat enough to bring my hand to his lips. I stared at him, shocked by what he was doing, but there wasn’t an ounce of shame in his gaze. He didn’t look away from me for a second as he bit down into the wing I was still holding, and I couldn’t stop myself from holding my breath as his lips met my fingers. Carson Hale wasn’t just taking a bite of my chicken. He was causing a scene, and part of me wondered how he had gotten so damn good at it. He ran his tongue over the edge of my thumb, licking up the sauce that had dripped there, and I felt like he had just used his tongue on parts of my body that no one else ever had. I pressed my thighs together as I watched his mouth, and I couldn’t bring myself to care that Eli was watching me as Carson finally let go of my hand and settled back into his seat. “You’re right, Allie. That’s absolutely delicious.” He licked his lip before picking up a wing of his own, then began eating like that display hadn’t just happened. I picked up my napkin, quickly dropping my gaze to my lap as I wiped my hands, but I couldn’t get the feel of him off. And I didn’t know if I wanted to.
About Holly
I’m Holly Renee, a small-town east Tennessee girl who is obsessed with all things romance. I love bringing flawed, sassy, and real characters to life in a way that makes you feel like you’ve been best friends with them for years. No two Holly Renee books are the same, but if you love real, relatable, fun female characters and swoon-worthy heroes, I’m your girl. When I’m not writing or reading, you can find me momming so hard, being disgustingly in love with my husband, or chilling in the middle of a lake with my sunglasses and a float. #lakelife I have a 2-year-old adorable little man who is as wild and sweet as they come and a baby girl on the way.
