Love Me in the Dark by Mia Asher

Synopsis

Two strangers in Paris ...
One passionate, earth-shattering kiss. 

He was the artist upstairs 
with the tantalizing smile and laughing eyes.

He was the devil inviting me to sin, 
seducing me to dance in the bright moonlight.

He was desire and need.

When he touched me, my body sang. 
My soul came alive.

But I belonged to another man, 
and he didn't want to let me go.

BOOK LINKS

Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK 

ABOUT MIA

My name is Mia Asher.

I'm a writer, a hopeless romantic, a wanderer, a dreamer, a cynic, and a believer. And, oh yes…I might be a bit crazy - but who isn't?

LINKS: Goodreads / FB /Twitter / Website

4 Stars

Love me in the Dark is a tale of two souls, meeting in the city of love...Paris.

A woman who poured her heart and soul into loving her husband. Being the perfect wife, friend and lover, and her reward was betrayal and deceit.

“Somehow, somewhere along the line, I forgot who I am, what I like and what I don’t. I’ve been so focused on pleasing my husband, fitting in his world, that I forgot about me.” 

A man lost in the memories of the past, surviving one day at a time. Longing and yearning for what he never knew he needed.

“But I chose to live in the dark, because the dark was safe and it hid the truth and gave me temporary happiness.” 

Valentina and Sébastien's tale is captivating from start to finish. The perfectly matched lovers traverse the throes of passion while teetering on the precipice of right and wrong.

A truly romantic tale of one woman's fight and a man's journey, to finding peace and love.

Once again! Mia Asher amazes me, with her wonderfully romantic tales of love, lost and anguish. And her happy endings are what fairy tales are made of.

I didn't go too in-depth into this review, I thought it was a lovely read, and as always I love Mia Asher's writing and stories. Her love triangles are worth the read.

Dirty (Dive Bar #1) by Kylie Scott *ARC REVIEW, NETGALLEY*

Synopsis

The last thing Vaughan Hewson expects to find when he returns to his childhood home is a broken hearted bride in his shower, let alone the drama and chaos that comes with her.

Lydia Green doesn't know whether to burn down the church or sit and cry in a corner. Discovering the love of your life is having an affair on your wedding day is bad enough. Finding out it's with his best man is another thing all together. She narrowly escapes tying the knot and meets Vaughan only hours later.

Vaughan is the exact opposite of the picture perfect, respected businessman she thought she'd marry. This former musician-turned-bartender is rough around the edges and unsettled. But she already tried Mr. Right and discovered he's all wrong-maybe it's time to give Mr. Right Now a chance.

After all, what's wrong with getting dirty?

Purchase Links

Amazon UK / Amazon US / Kobo

About the Author

Kylie Scott

Kylie is a long time fan of erotic love stories and B-grade horror films. She demands a happy ending and if blood and carnage occur along the way then all the better. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and one delightful husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet.

Kylie is represented by Amy Tannenbaum at the Jane Rotrosen Agency, New York.

Stalk Kylie Scott: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

4 'Crazy' Stars

Dirty is one of those books, which engages you from the get go. It's a slow building inferno, with hysterically sarcastic and intriguing characters, that had me rolling with laughter, quirking my eyebrow and even WTF! moments. The realistic story telling kept me on the edge of my seat and bubbling for more at the ending.

Our heroin Lydia has played the Runaway Bride as Julia Roberts did in Pretty Woman. Only she wasn't a scared bride, she was more of jilted lover. Abandoned not on her wedding day but from the start of her relationship with her soon to be husband. Now on the supposedly happiest day of her life, her wedding day. Lydia's unnerving relationship becomes clear. An intense and intimate video reveals lies, betrayal, and a secondary life; unbeknownst to Lydia.

Decidedly making a run for it. Lydia escapes the altar, with her wedding dress hiked up and climbs a fence that no woman in a dress should ever be found climbing. All in her plight to escape. In a bath tub, in an old house, with a cranky neighbour, Vaughan; Lydia finds herself.

“Things as I knew them were just props.My happiness needed to come from me.I could build my own home,make a future for myself.Not rely on someone else to come along and magically make me feel like I had worth,as if I belonged.I could be strong on my own.” 

Vaughan is a musician trying to make it big. Recently home on vacation, to his bewilderment, and in a most compromising position, he discovers Lydia in his bathtub.

“Damn, he was hot. The kind of hot that only got better with age and experience.”

From this point the story really takes off, and we see the interaction between Lydia and Vaughan. I loved Vaughan's take no bullshit answers and his lack of pity POV. His cynical demeanor gave way to Lydia's strength and I saw her flourish under Vaughan's guidance or rather lack thereof.

“Life is hard. Terrible things happen. We all have feelings. We're all just flesh and blood, trying to do our best.” 

Dirty is a most apt name for this story. It was so raw, open and realistic, dirty and to the point. A well written and engaging tale. When one door closes, a window opens.

*ARC provided via Netgalley on behalf of the author for an honest review* Thanks!!

The Bad Ones by Stylo Fantome *RELEASE BLITZ, GIVEAWAY and REVIEW*

Happy Release Day to Stylo Fantome and her new book THE BAD ONES! Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card too - good luck! #ConnedIntoBeingBad

♥ Buy the Book ♥

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

Love isn't always bright and shiny.

Sometimes, it's dirty and wrong, buried six feet deep in a secret place where only wild things dare to go. Hidden behind a big black curtain that covers things no one should ever see.

Sometimes it happens between two people who should never be allowed to come together. One who is a match, and the other who just happens to be gasoline.

One strike is all it takes to burn the whole world down, and that's exactly what they plan on doing.

Even if it kills them.

warning: this book contains graphic sex, extremely brutal violence, bad language, and people repeatedly and knowingly breaking the law.

Con finally unlocked the doors and she hefted herself into the massive vehicle. They sat in silence for a while, their breath fogging up the glass. Then he opened his mouth. “Did he touch you?” Dulcie knew he wasn't asking about the homeless man. “Not in any way that counts,” she replied, turning to look at him. His hands had moved to grip the steering wheel. “So he has touched you.” “Jared was just an experiment, I wanted to see if -” “You let him fucking touch you.” “You fucking left me!” she was suddenly screaming. He didn't even flinch, just gripped the steering wheel harder. “You fucking left me in this fucking town, without a goddamn goodbye! Without a goddamn word! God, you have no idea what it's been like. That fucking camera, all those drawings. And there's all these people, and talking, and feeling this way, and all the blackness, and I don't even know what's wrong with me, and nothing. You come back, and it's like nothing to you. Oh hey, Dulcie. Where's your sketchbook, Dulcie. Come to a party, Dulcie. Let me just fuck this chick in the woods, Dulcie. So you know what? Yeah, he fucking touched me. I let him fucking touch me. And I hated every minute of it, and I would pretend it was you, and I would hate you, and I would hate myself, and I just let it happen.” Con lunged across the seat, and absurdly, her first thought was “wow, he's really fast” before his fingers wrapped around her throat. She wasn't fazed, though, and she pushed right back, slapping him across the face. This only caused him to clench both hands around her neck and he yanked her forward, dragging her to him so their faces were only inches apart. “Stupid little Dulcie,” he whispered, his breath hot against her lips. She held onto his wrists and glared at him, but didn't try to pull away. His fingers got tighter. “So scared of the big bad wolf.” “I'm not … scared of you,” she managed to gasp out, but then his grip grew so tight he completely cut off her oxygen. “Of course you aren't scared of me. I'm not the wolf. You are.” So that's what was hiding behind the curtain. I wish you'd told me sooner, Con. We could've reveled in our darkness together. It felt like a weight was lifted off her back. She'd been pretending for so long, and she hadn't even realized it. Had conditioned herself to do it. It was easier to believe Con was the darkness, and she was simply drawn to it. Basking in his wake. But it was all a lie – she was every bit as dark as him. They were the same animal. She'd just been better at deceiving herself. And now they'd evolved into something else, into a new, higher being. Her lungs were throbbing, screaming for oxygen. She could feel her pulse pounding behind her face. Her mouth was open, but she couldn't make a sound. Black spots danced in front of her eyes, yet still they stared at each other. Recognizing each other, maybe for the first time ever. Maybe for the last time. What a way to die, looking into the face of this beautiful boy. What a gift.  

Crazy woman living in an undisclosed location in Alaska (where the need for a creative mind is a necessity!), I have been writing since ..., forever? Yeah, that sounds about right. I have been told that I remind people of Lucille Ball - I also see shades of Jennifer Saunders, and Denis Leary. So basically, I laugh a lot, I'm clumsy a lot, and I say the F-word A LOT.

I like dogs more than I like most people, and I don't trust anyone who doesn't drink. No, I do not live in an igloo, and no, the sun does not set for six months out of the year, there's your Alaska lesson for the day. I have mermaid hair - both a curse and a blessing - and most of the time I talk so fast, even I can't understand me.

Yeah. I think that about sums me up.

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Stylo Fantome's THE BAD ONES Release Day Blitz

 5 Stars

A tale of the football hero falling for the girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Unfortunately for everyone else, looks definitely can be deceiving.

This was was a whole new take on a story from Stylo. I fell in love with this author from the Kane Trilogy. Her impeccable and dynamic writing skills, drew me into the depths of sin and I have been wallowing in the shallow after the Kane Trilogy. Just waiting for something just as delicious. And, the wait was well worth it. 

An enticingly dark and erotic read, bathed in blood and inner turmoil. Where two teenagers fall in love, not because opposites attract. But because the Darkness  in their souls calls to the other. 

Dulcie and Constantine are two lost souls looking for meaning in their lives. They each know that there is something missing and that they are not what people would consider "normal" individuals. Not because of there circumstances but due to their personal feelings about the world. Their need for despair, pain and utter chaos. Sees them both reveling in the darkness.

This story is filled with turmoil, and yet, it's so emotive. The destructiveness of both Constantine and Dulcie as individuals is amazing, but together. It's simply masterful. A work of art created from pain.

Dulcie's character was one of vulnerability. Yet, her strength in lieu of her vulnerability, shone through.

The Bad Ones is simply a must read. Intoxicating, dark and gritty and filled with so much promise.

*ARC provided by the author for an honest review* Thanks!!

3 Breaths by L.K. Collins *GIVEAWAY, BLOG TOUR, ARC REVIEW)

Slumped on the floor of the New York City subway, I watched my fiancée take her final 3 breaths. In that moment, everything changed. The Krane Hensley I’d become because of Zoë vanished. My life instantly shattered to pieces. Now, I live on a mission to survive each day and it’s become my greatest struggle. I take my vengeance out in the cage, fighting anyone and everyone that will stand up to me. It gives me fleeting relief, but soon the pain crashes back down around me. So I’ve turned to Ivy, my salvation from the agony that is my life. The problem? Ivy is Zoë’s sister. Can Ivy and I move past the heartache that connects us to find a future together? Buy Now Amazon US Buy Now Amazon UK Buy Now Amazon CA Buy Now Amazon AU 2 Signed Paperbacks & 5 eBooks Giveaway Review 3 Breaths Trailer & Playlist Poignant and powerful, 3 Breaths will have you hugging your loved ones close and deciding to live each day as it might be your last. -BOOKS & BOYS BOOK BLOG 3 Breaths brought me to my knees in more ways than one.This beautiful and heartbreaking love story hit every single one of my emotional buttons and made everything around me disappear. -Shayna Snyder, Shayna Renee's Spicy Reads Emotional...yet a beautiful story that brought two people together in the most unlikely way.  -Karrie, Panty Dropping Book Blog Bestselling author, LK Collins, writes emotionally and sexy gripping Erotic Romance novels. She's a lover of the oxford comma and everything in the writing world. Her stories are compelling and will draw you in from page one, and with twists and turns, she always keeps her readers enthralled 'til the end. When LK's not lost in the minds of her characters, you can find her on the beach with her family, where her husband and writing partner, "The Prezident," are sure to be plotting out her next tale. 4 Stars Nothing is guaranteed in life, everything could end tomorrow.  This one quote has epitomized the essence of this book. That change, is ever constant and time waits for no one. 3 Breaths is an emotional tale of turmoil, rage and heartbreak. One that will have you fighting to survive yourself. After the untimely death of his fiance, Krane Hensley became a shell of a man. Fighting to survive, to breath, while surviving to Fight. His dreams became a brutal reality of inner war, that he unleashed upon his opponents. My life is plagued with the images of Zoe dying in front of me in my arms. Krane battled daily with the death of his one true love, going through the motions of each day, grieving and months later, he still cannot come to terms with Zoe's death. He cannot even see himself moving on. Finding someone else to ease his pain, is a difficult pill to swallow. No one seems to understand his grief, definitely not his family. They can not understand why he keeps wallowing in self pity. Each moment, each breath, each second is all I can focus on moving through.  Zoe's sister, Ivy is the only person that helps Krane through his grief. They help each other. Because Ivy is having the same turmoil running though her. Coming to terms with her sister's death is even harder for her, and she found many different reasons to 'beat' herself up about. Not being a good enough sister. Not keeping in touch more. Being too busy to hang out. Ivy was slowly self destructing and her twin partner in grieve, Krane, was barely hanging on. Together, Ivy and Krane found love through devastating circumstances, and while they will never forget Zoe, they learnt to move on and to cherish her memory. Ivy and Krane's coupling wasn't easy. These two, mostly Krane couldn't understand why he had these feelings for Ivy. For Zoe's sister. She would have been his sister - in- law. But, faith had another plan for them. It was as if Zoe was looking over them from above. This was such a bitter sweet tale of love lost, and a connection formed through grief and heartache. *ARC provided by the author for an honest review* Thanks!!

Killer by Heather C. Leigh *BLOG TOUR, GIVEAWAY*

Ten years ago, their lives shattered to pieces...

And he's the KILLER that has to live with it.

Two people. One incident.

Interwoven between two damaged souls in ways they don't understand.

#DarkRomance #Fighter

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Book Trailer

Blurb

UnthinKable. UnimagInable.  UndeniabLe.  UnforgivabLe.  SalvageablE.  Redeemable.   

Ten years ago, their lives shattered to pieces...

And he's the KILLER that has to live with it.

Two people. One incident. Interwoven between two damaged souls in ways they don't understand.  

But now, they must fight the same war--a past that wrecked them both--destroyed the two people they used to be. With a hurricane of love, hate, anger, fury, and fear, can two broken lives find a way to let it all go for a chance at happiness?   

Excerpt:  Britt freaks out

Britt and Gabriel are waiting for me in his office so we can start our meeting. After my interaction with Wolfe, I’m seething and frustrated. All I want to do is jump into the cage and beat the fuck out of something, release this shit building up inside. Confusing new emotions like jealousy are dueling with my usual focused, raw fury.

The dark, hollow place in my chest isn’t equipped for this. I fight, I fuck, I exist. Nothing more, nothing less.

Furious, I walk over to Gabriel’s office and shove open the door. It bangs against the wall with a loud crack, causing Gabriel to frown and Britt to cry out. Just like that, she drops to the floor, curling into a ball and covering her head with her hands.

Gabriel leaps to his feet, hurrying around his desk to crouch next to a huddling, quivering Britt. Stunned, I stand at the door frozen, unsure what is going on or what I should do.

“Meu filha! Britt! What is happening?” Gabriel’s voice hitches as he tries to pull Britt out from under his desk. His head whips around to face me. “Killer! ¡Venha aqui e ayudar!” (Get over here and help..)

I cross the space in two quick steps, approaching Gabriel’s desk from the opposite side. Britt’s tiny frame is tucked into a tight ball, her knees pulled to her chest, head ducked, and arms curled protectively over her head.

Protecting her from what?

“Britt,” I say in as composed of a voice as I can manage, which at this moment, isn’t saying much. Not a lot freaks me out, but right now, watching Britt fall to pieces, has me struggling to keep calm. “Please, come out.”

Britt is quietly sobbing, her body shuddering in fear. Watching her in such obvious distress sends a stabbing pain through my chest. Not sure this is the best thing for her, but not knowing what else to do, I crawl under the desk. Being as large as I am, I can only get my head and shoulders in next to her.

Gabriel slides into nervous, staccato Portuguese. “I will leave you to take care of her. Let me know when she’s feeling better and I will return.” He stands and leaves the room, gently closing the door behind him.

He left me with her?

What the fuck am I supposed to do? At a loss, I do the only thing that comes to mind. It worked to relax her before, so why not? I gather her tiny, trembling body up in my arms, and hold her. Britt immediately unwinds her arms, clutching me tight, burying her face into my shirt, her tears dampening the fabric.

On the floor in my trainer’s office, lying half under a desk, a tiny shard of my black soul becomes human again.

About the Author:

Heather C Leigh

Heather C. Leigh is the author of the Amazon best selling Famous series. She likes to write about the 'dark' side of fame. The part that the public doesn't get to see, how difficult it is to live in a fishbowl and how that affects relationships.

Heather was born and raised in New England and currently lives outside Atlanta, GA with her husband, 2 kids, and French Bulldog, Shelby.

She loves the Red Sox, the Patriots, and anything chocolate (but not white chocolate, everyone knows it's not real chocolate so it doesn't count) and has left explicit instructions in her will to have her ashes snuck into Fenway Park and sneakily sprinkled all over while her family enjoys beer, hot dogs, and a wicked good time.

Stalk Her: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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5 'Survivor' Stars

Killer is a story about survival. A horrifying tale that we have seen prominently in the news. Heather Leigh has taken these tragedies and made it about the victims. The path they travel to regaining a semblance of their selves. The journey is what matters the most. In Killer, I was able to see two torn and broken individuals, who both thought they had their entire lives ahead of them. However, in an instant, dreams are shattered, bodies are damaged, minds are destroyed and the heart turns black. I can't put my finger on why I loved this story so much. It made me feel. I felt so much pain and grief. The anger was fierce and determined. The hatred was so palpable. With all these emotions unfolding page by page, it became clear, that sometimes, life deals you a crappy hand. And, all you need to do is fight to stay on top. Human beings basic instinct is survival. Keller and Britton, they SURVIVED.

Ten years into the past, an unthinkable tragedy shatters the community and the lives of two young adults. Keller was well on his way to drowning himself in alcohol and ignorance. The ultimate party bad boy. While fourteen year old Britton, was simply lusting after the most popular boy in the school. Neither knew at that moment, both their lives would change forever. Neither realized how close to breaking each other they would get.

Keller and Britt both lived ten years in their own self proclaimed purgatory. Each fighting their own inner demons and those nuances around them. Small reminders of the past; the grief of love and lose. The disappointment of self indulgence and the ultimate toll that had to be paid.

Britton works at an MMA gym, where she is the Physical Therapist, in charge of monitoring the fighters and studying their fighting styles, to ensure there isn't any wrong moves made that could cause harm. Britt lives in constant fear, succumbing to panic attacks and memory lapses. She is skittish and hates when people sneak up on her. She pledged her life to helping others, in lieu of her own devastating past. 

When the gym starts to train, Killer, a new up and coming MMA fighter, with an enigmatic personality, Britt becomes flustered. From the start, Killer and Britt had this sizzling chemistry. It burned the pages a I read.

I was ruined long before Keller Bishop came into my life. The only thing he did was show me I could live a different way. Without fear, without being numb without succumbing to the tidal waves of anxiety.

Killer's undeniable rage coupled with his grief, has turned him into a stone cold, fighting machine. But when he sees Britt for the first time, something inside him melts. He wants to be her protector, his fierce need to keep her safe, and her constant staring at him, slowly breaks down his defences.

Britt is my weakness, my kryptonite.

I don't do angelic. I don't do sweet. And I sure as fuck don't do innocent.

There is an undeniable connection, something I believe in as faith. Thrown together, to help each other heal. It wasn't an easy path traveled, even their romance was difficult. There was so much that was unknown. Each hiding their demons from the other. It was only when they truly shared their pasts, that we see the true meaning of survival. It's never easy to admit defeat, or to accept your own weaknesses. It's even harder to admit them out loud to others.

Ruined by a madman's bullet tearing through my skull. Ruined by a brain that refuses to keep the memories buried, showing them to me one by one, haunting me twenty-four hours a day. Ruined by the pressure from my mother to be someone I'm not. Ruined by my inability to feel safe, to stop the panic attacks, to not lose myself to fear whenever I'm alone.

Ruined.

Heather C. Leigh has truly put me in a tailspin with this story. It's one I have spoken about, cried about and felt too and soo much about. My heart and my prayers go out to all survivors.

*ARC provided by TRSOR on behalf of the author for an honest review*