Abbie Keller thought that Richard Bartholemew Benson the Third would be her forever. In their four years of dating, she never doubted that she would end up with his grandmother’s engagement ring on her finger. Sure, she had to change a few things about herself to fit that mold, like dyeing her hair, dressing more conservatively, and finding golf enjoyable (honestly the most difficult of the changes), but she was sure that at the end of it all, it would be worth it.

That is, until he leaves her crying outside her apartment wearing a Halloween costume, having broken it off with her because she’s just not serious enough. She was just fun, he tells her – and now that Richard has becoming a partner at his law firm in his sights, he needs to focus on work.

So she does what every girl does when she’s broken up with: she calls her friends, gets drunk, dyes her hair, and formulates her plan for revenge. It just so happens that the universe supports her efforts and gives her the perfect match to prove to her ex that he made a huge mistake: his boss.

Abbie starts dating the founding partner of Richard’s law firm, Damien Martinez, with one thing in mind: convincing him to invite her to the huge annual Christmas party as his date.

But when the relationship starts to become something more than casual dating and Abbie sees that the tough New York lawyer has a soft side, will she be able to follow through with her plan of deceit?

My thoughts…

Imagine thinking your about to be proposed to, that wedding bells are in your near future, only to be dumped while wearing a bunny costume on Halloween? Well, that’s pretty much what happened to Abbie. After invest 4 years to the man she thought she would spend the rest of her life with, he dumps her… and he’s not nice about it. She’s spent this entire time changing who she is and molding herself into what HIS perfect match would be, so that she could make him happy. So, when that all blows up in her face, she’s not only sad, she’s pissed. She downloads a dating app and is ready to find someone to take her mind off of it all. And while the old saying goes “the quickest way to get over someone is to get under someone else,” Abbie takes it one step farther. She matches with her ex’s boss, and decides to start dating him. What better way to stick it to her ex, than to show up at the Christmas work party, on the arm of his boss, whom he hates.

This story was a mix of sweet and spice. I loved the way that Damien was so supportive of Abbie. He’s the founding partner to a law firm, and she works at a makeup counter at a department store. She’s gotten used to people looking down on her job. However, Damien refuses to allow her to put herself down in any capacity, and shows her how much her work means, by bringing a domestic abuse victim in for a makeover before she had to go into court and testify against her abuser. In that small action he’s able to help two women by giving his client the confidence she needs, and showing Abbie just how much her work helps people. He was constantly pulling her out of that dark place of doubt, and showing her just how great she is as she is. With that being said, when they were behind closed doors, he cranked the dial up on the spice and took charge.

Honestly, my favorite part was just seeing Abbie untangle herself from 4 years of emotional abuse. So many people think domestic abuse is only on the outside, but it’s so much more than that. I really appreciated that the author didn’t gloss over that and focus solely on the romance. She spent that time unraveling everything and we were there to watch Abbie come back to herself.

This may be my first time reading this author’s work, but this will not be the last. If all of her books are this deep, but fun, then she may just earn herself a spot as one of my must read authors!

When overworked department store manager Izzy Russo downloads an AI boyfriend app to fill the emotional void left by her inattentive real one, she thinks she’s just venting to a harmless chatbot named “Caleb.” In reality, she’s been pouring her deepest, dirtiest fantasies into the ears of Callahan Knight—her store’s brooding new head of security.

Because Cal? He’s been listening. The moment he saw Izzy, he knew she was his. Did he hack her phone? Absolutely. But who could blame him? A woman like Izzy deserves to be cherished by someone who truly knows her worth—and he’ll do anything to be that man.

So when Izzy finally sees her boyfriend for who he really is, and the danger she’s unknowingly been caught up in, Cal is ready to protect her, no matter the cost. Even if it means revealing the truth.

She might not have meant to build the perfect man. But he’s here now. And he’s never letting her go.

My thoughts…

This was so interestingly written that it was hard NOT to like Cal. Even though you know that he immediately hacks into her phone and for all intents and purposes, stalks her. He finds out that she just installed a simulator boyfriend app, and decides to override the system so that her interactions go to HIS phone and not to the app. So that he can pretend to be the AI she’s talking to. Now, that could have just been it, but, oh no. He continues to put cameras up at her house, AND listens into her private conversations both via cameras AND her cellphone itself. He tracks her whereabouts at every turn, and is ALWAYS away of where she is, and who she is with.

So, that should raise every single red flag there is to known to mankind. However, aside from it being an insane breach on her privacy, he’s weirdly protective of her and seeks to build up her confidence… not just creep on her. He uses the app as a way to better understand her and her struggles, and helps her find self confidence and strength while pretending to be an AI boyfriend. So, he’s there for her mentally and helping her grow as a person. Then, he’s there in person to better protect her from any threats to her person. So, the fact that he used this stalking as a way to give her the tools to be more secure and strong mentally, really gave his stalking a twist.

I will be honest, I thought this would be a creepy stalker romance that would have me side-eyeing the guy the entire time… but something about this just worked. Now, I’m not condoning what he did because we can all agree that it was wrong. But the fact that I have a “but” is indicative to the author’s writing ability to make someone who is supposed to turn you off, and make you see them as something more. Or, maybe I’m just messed up in the head and need to see a shrink… that could be it, too.

If you’re looking for a romance that has a morally grey character, a lot of steamy texting, and a romance that will have you both weirded out and intrigued at the same time, then give this book a read.

Fate doesn’t exist.
But try telling that to the growling wolf shifter who thinks I’m his mate…

This is not my week.
Or month.
Or year.

My now-ex-boyfriend cheating on me with my best friend?
I’d get over it eventually.
Pretentious chefs who looked down on me because I never went to culinary school while I was raising my little sister?
Screw ‘em.
Finding out my sister has Lycan wolf DNA and I have hours to get her out of the city before she’s locked away in a government research facility?
I definitely didn’t see that one coming.

To save my sister’s life, we take off in the middle of the night following cryptic instructions from our late father to what was supposed to be the toxic wastelands.

Imagine my surprise when we stumble into a fairy tale civilization of wolf shifters where magic is real and a frustrating, but ruggedly handsome pack enforcer has serious plans for me.

The big, bad, and hungry wolf thinks I’m his fated mate and he’s not taking no for an answer.

That’s just the icing on the metaphorical cake.
But this isn’t some magical bedtime story.

Real danger exists in the Cerberus pack. There’s a poison in the ranks. Shifters are leaving. My sister isn’t safe.

And a blood-thirsty Alpha murders anyone that challenges him.
Which I may–or may not–have accidentally done…
Did I mention today is not my day?

My thoughts…

When Sage’s sister is revealed as having lycan blood, Sage knows what that means. Her sister will go into a facility to be a “lab rat” for the rest of her life. Instead of allowing that to happen, they flee and head for a location that is supposed to be a toxic wasteland. However, when they get there, it’s a running town full of werewolves. The same pack of werewolves that her sister apparently belongs to. If that wasn’t chaotic enough, the enforcer immediately sees her as his mate, the Alpha of the pack is a drunken psycho, and she finds out that she’s apparently a witch.

I really enjoyed this story. We get both of Maddox’s and Sage’s side of the story. So we are there for Maddox fighting his basic instinct to claim his mate, because he knows she’s not a werewolf and therefor doesn’t feel the same pull that he does. Unfortunately for him, his wolf is there every moment of the day chomping at the bits to be let out and claim his mate and make her happy. Meanwhile, Sage is in a new place, learning about what her sister is, what that means for them, navigating pack customs, and coming to terms that she’s a witch with powers. The two dynamics really helped paint the picture as a whole.

I loved that the story didn’t just revolve around Sage and Maddox in the cottage only interacting with each other. As enforcer, Maddox is dealing with everyone in the pack, especially his brother who is the current Alpha. Sage’s sister and Maddox’s niece hit it off immediately and become fast friends, so they are always in the picture. Then you have all the shifters who pop in to talk to Sage, and Maddox’s mom who is a half wolf, who takes Sage under her wing to help her navigate her new powers. With all the characters coming in and out of the story, it really made it feel like a town of people and not such a bubble story of two people.

This is the first time I have read this author, but I don’t think it will be my last. I really enjoyed her take on werewolves and the pack dynamics she worked into the story.

As if the rumors and whispers from the people of her seaside town, Oceanbrook, weren’t bad enough, 17-year-old Sarah D’Antonio is troubled by the whispers from the forest. It’s not her fault that she hears voices, that she sees auras, and that she has been sleepwalking along the shore. The townspeople, and Sarah’s parents among them, claim that it is all in response to stress, including her chronic migraines and panic attacks. They believe that she can’t come to grips with the fact that her cousin, Lena, is dead. But Sarah knows that the things she is experiencing are real and not something she is bringing on herself. She also knows that Lena is not dead, only missing. She believes that there is something more supernatural going on and that the town is hiding secrets.

Sarah’s feelings are validated when she suddenly becomes thrust into a world in which she has always sensed but never seen. A world of fairy witches, shape-shifters, and legendary creatures. The world of the astral plane. And now, it will be up to her to form alliances to save the magic, fix the astral plane, and most importantly, to bring her cousin home.

Excerpt

Meet the author

Jessica Natalie Reino is a multi-genre author with a soft spot for sweet romance and the supernatural. Inspired by her Italian heritage and growing up in New England, she is constantly developing new story ideas that not only raise awareness for those with invisible illnesses, but also promote kindness and the importance of physical and mental health. When she is not working on her own writing, Jess can be found helping other writers achieve their goals, spending time with family and friends, or out on the Zumba® dance floor.

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Giveaway

Coming Up for Air Blitz

Welcome to Nocturne Falls, the town where Halloween is celebrated 365 days a year. The tourists think it’s all a show: the vampires, the werewolves, the witches, the occasional gargoyle flying through the sky. But the supernaturals populating the town know better.

Living in Nocturne Falls means being yourself. Fangs, fur, and all.

After seeing her maybe-mobster boss murder a guy, Delaney James assumes a new identity and pretends to be a mail order bride. She finds her groom-to-be living in a town that celebrates Halloween every day. Weird. But not as weird as what she doesn’t know. Her groom-to-be is a 400-year-old vampire.

Hugh Ellingham has only agreed to the arranged set up to make his overbearing grandmother happy. In thirty days, whatever bridezilla shows up at his door will be escorted right back out. His past means love is no longer an option. Not if the woman’s going to have a future. Except he never counted on Delaney and falling in love for real.

Too bad both of them are keeping some mighty big secrets…

My thoughts…

This is a cute RomCom set in a place called Nocturne Falls, which may as well be Halloween Town for all the paranormal beings that live their normal lives there. Now granted, the general public doesn’t know they are rubbing elbows with gargoyle or vampires. This tourist location is themed for Halloween year round, and the public views it as a tourist attraction with a fun theme. I’m getting ahead of myself though, let’s get into the actual story a bit.

You see, Delaney just saw her boss whack someone and he knows that she saw something. Due to the fact that he’s clearly not someone to mess with, and has connections on the police force, she decides her best bet at survival is to take off somewhere. When she dips into the first storefront that isn’t locked, she comes face to face with the organizer for match making. When the owner isn’t looking, she snatches a file for an arranged marriage to some guy, and sets off to pretend to be his intended bride. Which is how she ends up in the house of a vampire, living in a town filled with supernatural creatures. Only, just like the general public, she doesn’t KNOW they are anything other than human.

Like I said, this is a cute RomCom. It’s nothing ground breaking, but the characters themselves were nice to read about. I think Stanhill (Hugh’s rook) may have been my favorite. He was clearly loyal to Hugh, but also old enough to be sassy and not really feel the need to tiptoe around him. I thought their dynamic was perfect. Delaney was also a good character to read from. She’s not a damsel in distress, but she’s also not rushing head first into every dangerous situation because she’s full of herself. She’s just your average person who’s just trying to stay alive and lay low. Now I will say, that I was worried about the whole trope of Hugh getting roped into an arranged marriage to keep his grandmother off his back. I mean, the man is over 300 years old and that would just be incredibly weird to have someone that old bending to their grandma like that. However, the grandma (his Sire) actually threatens to deactivate the amulet he wears which allows him to go out in the sun during the day. So, with her threatening his ability to be out during the day, I could see him playing along in order to keep her from taking away his ability like that.

If you’re looking for a cute, quick read with a sprinkle of Halloween flair, I recommend giving this one a read.

Some weapons are born. Others are made.
She is the perfect operative.
A discarded orphan, remade by the very hands that broke her.
Trained to seduce. Conditioned to kill. Reborn as Elara Everhart.

They gave her new names. New faces. New identities—whichever the mission required.
Now, they call her Raina.
And they’ve sent her into the lion’s den.

Her Axel Voss. Billionaire. Powerbroker. Threat.
He’s everything she was trained to dismantle.
But he sees too much. Speaks too little.
And when he touches her, he wakes something she was never meant to feel.

She is the weapon they created.
But he’s the variable they never planned for.

What begins as a mission spirals into obsession.
And survival will cost more than her cover.
Because the most dangerous thing isn’t failing the mission—
It’s forgetting who the real enemy is.

Excerpt

Meet the author

Frances Paul is an author of emotionally charged, high-stakes fiction that captivates readers with its mix of psychological suspense, romance, and intricate plotting. Her work explores the fine line between love and survival, delving into themes of resilience, sacrifice, and the secrets we keep.

She is the author of Sea of Scars, a moving story of loss and redemption, and The Black Rose, a gripping psychological thriller that draws readers into a world where trust is dangerous and every choice carries lasting consequences.

With a distinctive voice and a cinematic style, Frances creates unforgettable characters and layered narratives that linger long after the final page. Her passion for storytelling comes from a lifelong fascination with the human heart and its capacity to endure even in the darkest of circumstances.

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Giveaway!

The Black Rose Blitz

When Ophelia’s sister disappears, there is only one way to save her. Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a deadly contest inside a haunted mansion, and claim its prize—a single wish.

Phantasma is a maze of twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, of demons and temptations. Ophelia will face nine challenges, each more dangerous than the last. There can only be one winner, and the other contestants will stop at nothing to eliminate their rivals.

Every day the house creates new monsters. But just as Ophelia’s fears threaten to overwhelm her, a mysterious stranger offers her a bargain.

Charming, arrogant and infuriatingly attractive, Blackwell claims he can guide her through the lethal trials ahead. All he asks in return is ten years of her life.

Ophelia knows she shouldn’t trust him. Blackwell doesn’t seem dangerous, but appearances can be deceptive. Worse still, she feels a dark and irresistible attraction drawing them closer and closer.

Her life is on the line. But in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart . . .

My thoughts…

I have to be honest, I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book. The idea of entering a mansion that changes every night and there are trials inside of it just seemed like a chaotic mess to me. Plus, I was really bored at the beginning of the book when Ophelia was just living her life. However, once she signed up to take part in Phantasma and things started to happen, my interest got piqued.

The trials were by far the most interesting part. Each one was deadly with people either tapping out or dying left and right. The rest of the story, however, was just meh to me. For a necromancer, I expected more necromancy stuff…. but there was nothing, zero, zilch. I felt betrayed by that because it would have added an extra element. However, her necromancy seems to just be brought up as a cool party trick rather than an actual skill.

In the end, I enjoyed this. The trials kept me entertained, and the hunt to figure out how to save the phantom Blackwell kept me interested between trials. With that being said, I do not care to read about Ophelia’s sister who I really didn’t care for to begin with.

A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis.

Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again…

Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was….

Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she’s ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.

My thoughts…

This story was refreshing to read. Why? Because there was no push/pull the entire time. Misery falls into life with the werewolves easily and quickly, even if the were population is suspicious of her. Her new husband, the Alpha, seems distant, but it’s clear that he takes Misery’s safety very seriously. It’s evident from the beginning why that it, but like any good story, you need to let things play out to build up to it.

It did take me a moment to get into the story since it kind of jumps around in timelines but I understand in the end why that was. Misery has kind of been this throw away child over her father’s, who is head of the vampire council. You see, to “keep the peace” they do collateral swaps between the humans, werewolves, and vampires. Lucky for Misery, she keep pulling the short straw. As a child she was sent to the humans to live with them as a show of good will from the vampires. Only, her life was threatened left and right from humans who were not as accepting of her kind. Then when a werewolf alliance is needed, Misery is AGAIN used as collateral to marry the Alpha. So yeah, Misery has been passed around and unwanted her entire life. Which plays a role in who she is TODAY and what drives her. So, in the end, while it was jarring at the beginning, as a whole, I understand why the author did it.

I liked that the author didn’t just make the story about Lowe and Misery. It also wasn’t your typical “captive” romance where the male is moody and the female is sulky and petulant the entire time. There are more elements in this story that make it interesting, but I won’t go into that so I don’t give anything away. This story doesn’t just take place at Lowe’s compound either. They travel and come in contact with various characters throughout the story. Which helps build this whole world versus a small bubble.

If you’re looking for a steamy romance that deals with mortal enemies becoming lovers… give this a read. I really enjoyed my time reading it and it honestly helped rejuvenate my interest in reading and broke me out of my reading funk.

Do not touch the sword. Do not turn the key. Do not open the gate.

In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn’t much a girl wouldn’t do for a glass of water.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen’s reservoirs for as long as she can remember.

But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently re-opens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares… but it turns out they’re real, and Saeris has landed herself in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist’s magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him . . . or her.

Death has a name. It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. His past is murky. His attitude stinks. And he’s the only way Saeris is going to make it home.

My thoughts…

Y’all, I tried. I really did. This book was recommended to me and so many I talked to about it thought it was a really good book. So I was excited to dive in when my local book club chose it for the month. However, I struggled hard with this. At first I thought it was just a slow build, but at the halfway mark and 299 pages in, I realized it was just slow all the way around. I couldn’t connect with the characters or the main story line.

Everything just fell flat for me. The characters were one-dimensional. It was is the author was like “a sassy strong heroine and a broody male counterpart… that is the recipe for success!” Except Saeris was not all that badass, and Kingfisher was just a psychotic aggressive maniac. Their dialog did not illicit any deeper insight as to who these characters are. Usually when you have a mean character who is the love interest, you see fissures in their character, you understand why they operate this way, and you see their outer shell start to thaw. Fisher did not have this. We are told he was “mentally broken” by the quicksilver during his imprisonment, and that is the excuse for him being the way that he is. Which is like a 15yr old boy going through puberty when in fact, homeboy is over ONE THOUSAND years old. One thousand years old and he acts like an aggressive pervert with a short fuse. No thanks

A “Cinderella”-inspired slow-burn historical romance with a paranormal twist set in Taisho-era Japan!

A browbeaten and mistreated daughter is cast out of her home and sent to audition as a bridal candidate for the heir to one of the most powerful families in the land…

For failing to inherit the boon of unusual power that is the Saimori birthright and bringing shame to the family name, mistreated Miyo is cast out to become another’s problem.

Sent to the Kudo clan—itself preternaturally powerful—as a potential bride for its heir, Kiyoka, Miyo is surprised to experience kindness for the first time in her thus far sad life.

Though the rumors make him out to be cold and haughty, Kiyoka Kudo quickly warms up to the Saimoris’ eldest daughter. Intrigued by the girl who stands worlds apart from the spoiled, social-climbing women who usually vie for his hand, Kiyoka soon comes to regard Miyo with affection.

But though Miyo has found a place—and warmth—in the Kudo household, the fact remains that she is untouched by the power that defines both the Saimori and Kudo clans, making her a failure as a bridal candidate.

Will the small happiness Miyo has found with Kiyoka end as soon as it has begun?

My thoughts…

In this volume we are shown a more softer side of Kiyoka as he tries to show Mio that she has nothing to fear. He knows what her upbringing was like, and he is determined to help her heal from that and grow to be a more confident person. Which is why he’s decided to officially start their engagement.

It’s always so hard reviewing manga because it’s so short and you never want to give anything away. However, what I can say is that you can definitely see Mio start to feel like she is worth something. She starts to brighten up a bit more. With that being said, all it takes is one encounter with her family to knock her back down. She battles a lot with her place in life and the cruelty she was shown from a young age. I like that in this volume we started to see her stand a little taller and feel like she could in fact play a role in Kiyoka’s life as his wife.

Obviously, there are obstacles they need to overcome. Nothing is quite that easy. What with a scheming half-sister that doesn’t want to see Mio be happy, and a power hungry man who wants Mio’s bloodline for himself, there’s bound to be some adventures along the way. However, I think for me, the real draw is just seeing Mio grow as a person and become confident for the first time in her life.

Previous reviews from My Happy Marriage
Vol 1