Assassin Scarlett Fletcher is supposedly dead. Lyssa intends to make it so. Just…not yet.

Lyssa, the Wolf of the Styx Syndicate, has a simple plan. Hide her enemy-turned-uneasy-ally, train her up, and use her to take down Grandmother. Then Lyssa will follow through on the kill order and end the assassin for once and for all.

But nothing to do with Scarlett has ever been simple.

As Lyssa and Scarlett work together to track down the elusive Grandmother, lines begin to blur. Every sparring session just brings them closer together, and it’s getting harder and harder for Lyssa to stay objective.

And when more secrets finally come to light, the Wolf must make an impossible choice.

Will Lyssa stay loyal to the family she swore allegiance to? Or will she protect the troubled woman who’s slowly been stealing her heart?

Wolves at the Gate is part two of the Red Rivals Duet, a twisty, steamy contemporary Sapphic mafia romance based (very) loosely on the Little Red Riding Hood fairytale. Reader discretion is advised for this enemies-to-forbidden-lovers story, and content notes are available on the Copyright page.

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Review by Twinsie Tenise

5 stars

…I told you I refused to accept the end of book 1! Now that I got that off my chest, I can carry on with my review.

Scarlet killed syndicate members, therefore she must die. Lyssa has known this from jump, it was a direct order from her boss, Hadria. However, the longer she waits, the harder it becomes to off Scarlett. Because somehow the woman has managed to quickly take possession over Lyssas mind, body, and soul. Scarlett has made the Wolf venerable. She’s making mistakes. Mistakes that could cost her literally everything.

This one may not have been all hearts and flowers but it didn’t bother me in the least bit. It was both thrilling and addictive. I read it in a day. There was blood, violence and mayhem throughout. These 2 are my favorite couple of the 3 we have met over the course of this trio of duets. I cannot wait to see what Persephone Black comes up with next. I’m addicted to all her words and I’m in it for the long haul!

Persephone Black likes Ice Queens who melt behind closed doors, Underworld Empresses who protect what’s theirs, and Bad Girls who stay bad to the end…but win the love of a good woman.

If that sounds enticing to you too, you should read her books. Villains are (anti)heroines and danger is an aphrodisiac in Persephone Black’s thrilling Sapphic Mafia romance novels.

Lyssa can’t resist a damsel in distress…but she’ll wish she resisted this one.

The ferocious Styx Syndicate enforcer and trainer known as “the Wolf” has always been the hunter, never the hunted. So when Lyssa sees the gorgeous Scarlett getting harassed by thugs in a dive bar she’s visiting for intel, she jumps straight into protective mode.

But Lyssa soon discovers that not every damsel needs saving.

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Review by Twinsie Tenise

4 Stars

My eyes burn from crying. This was a rough one. I was emotionally invested from the moment these 2 met. Despite knowing the inevitable was going to happen, I kinda just hoped for a miracle.

Lyssa and Scarlett are both bat shit crazy. Maybe that is what made them such a perfect pair. I mean, there’s no need to mince words, these women are both violent assassin’s. With that being said- violent assassin’s need love too.

Secrets and lies eventually catch up with you, no matter how much you try to ignore or outrun them. Well, Scarlett and Lyssa find that out the hard way. I guess I’m perfectly okay with them choosing the angst filled route to eventual happiness because, lez-be-honest, the craziness made the sexy time that much more hot!

These 2 are made for one another and I refuse to accept the ending. Lol I’m hilarious, like I have any control over it. This is not a choose your own lesbian adventure. I’m so happy book 2 is has been released. I shall start that now so I don’t sit here dwelling on things…

Persephone Black likes Ice Queens who melt behind closed doors, Underworld Empresses who protect what’s theirs, and Bad Girls who stay bad to the end…but win the love of a good woman.

If that sounds enticing to you too, you should read her books. Villains are (anti)heroines and danger is an aphrodisiac in Persephone Black’s thrilling Sapphic Mafia romance novels.

Meet two champion bull riders–macho, muscled Marlboro Men, confident, cocksure cowboys–from their struggle for survival in the rodeo arena, and 8 seconds of fame on the back of a 2000 lb bull to their most private encounters behind closed doors where their world is about to explode…

Levi Bond is a seasoned pro, competing for the World Championship. Bull riding is what gets his adrenaline pumping, his heart racing, and makes him feel like a million bucks. That, and the idea of getting it on with Curt Walsh, one of the up and coming stars of the bull riding circuit. Powerfully attracted, Curt’s confused and unsure which way he wants his life to go. Will Levi still be around, available and interested when the final decision is made?

Get set for a wild ride in this cowboy romance, sizzling with intense desire, unbridled passion, and unexpected emotion as Levi and Curt, drawn together like mega magnets, battle not only life threatening, white knuckled action in the arena, but cruelty and bias outside it. The prospect of falling in love is as terrifying as staying on the bull without it killing them!

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Review by Twinsie Angie

I received this book to beta read from the author.

I have read a ton of Sandy’s book and have enjoyed them all. However, I have to say, this book is my favorite of all. I love the story she created with Curt and Levi. I loved the fact we got to see this couple form a solid friendship while also developing a lasting love. I cannot wait for more from this series and to see where Curt and Levi go because at the end there will still one big lingering questions!!!

Levi is a very well respected bull rider. He is the older guy on the circuit that is kinda the “good guy”. He will help out anyone that needs it. He is also a loner and known to be gay on the circuit. He is ok with that but also doesn’t flaunt his sexuality in the faces of the guys who DONT approve with his lifestyle choices. Levi has watched from afar Curt. Curt is fun and easy going BUT he likes the ladies….or does he???

Curt had heard that Levi is into guys but wasn’t sure. Soooo what’s a guy do when he is interested? He asks to room with Levi. He figures , if he is GAY then he is super close to get to “knowing” him better!!

The guys really get to know each other while they are also “getting to know each other”. Levi is so strong but loves that Curt is super alpha. Curt who loves to take charge loves allowing this other man to sometimes spin on him and take over. The jealousy they each have over the other one having someone else liking them was great. I loved seeing them both get angry and claiming the other man….plus its super hawt right???

Levi is very shy and about his relationship with Curt. He doesn’t want to rock the boat or upset anyone. Curt on the other hand could care less about what people think about him and his lifestyle except when it comes to his parents. But Levi wants permanent and Curt isn’t sure he cant settle down with a guy since he also enjoys the ladies as well.

Their love story is wound through them riding the bull circuit and loving each other hard. When Levi asks for more Curt cant seem to make a decision. Then there is an accident and the men realize that they could lose it all with one bad ride. Decisions are made and choices are told……This falling in love stuff is really hard on everyone no matter who you choose to love.

Sandy Sullivan is a romance author, who, when not writing, spends her time with her husband Shaun on their farm in middle Tennessee. She loves to ride her horses, play with their dogs and relax on the porch, enjoying the rolling hills of her home south of Nashville. County music is a passion of hers and she loves to listen to it while she writes.

She is an avid reader of romance novels and enjoys reading Nora Roberts, Jude Deveraux and Susan Wiggs. Finding new authors and delving into something different helps feed the need for literature. A registered nurse by education, she loves to help people and spread the enjoyment of romance to those around her with her novels. She loves cowboys so you’ll find many of her novels have sexy men in tight jeans and cowboy boots

Nero Hunter is tired. He’s tired of early mornings chasing down skips. He’s tired of Shamu jokes and dealing with idiots. He’s tired of being alone. But agreeing to do one little favor for a friend turns the tide and brings Nero face-to-face with his destiny.

Felix White is unlucky. When his life is threatened and he’s hauled into police custody for safekeeping, the last thing he expects is to meet his fated mate. Especially when his mate is a giant killer whale shifter, who is also his new bodyguard.

But there is more to the plot against Felix than meets the eye, and Nero and his brothers have to work together to figure out who is after Felix before it’s too late…before Nero loses the mate he just found.

Black & White is book one in the Organization for the Return of Criminals and Assets (ORCA) series featuring an orca shifter art thief turned bounty hunter, a sea otter shifter hacker who might have pissed off the wrong people, and a group of orca brothers who will do anything—even if it’s not quite legal—to save the newest member of their family.

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Review by Twinsie Tenise

Nero and Felix– these 2 are opposite in every way shape and form. Literally. But fate gives zero Fs about that kind of thing. These 2 were fated mates and instead of insta-love, this was an insta-mate situation. I just loved how much Nero wanted to protect Felix from everything. They were perfect for one another. This book was so good. I loved meeting all of Nero’s Orca brothers; they are all amazing and made for an interesting cast of characters.
As with all of Vinni’s work, I went in blind. I was not expecting the suspense/thriller elements in the plot but I’m not complaining. If you’ve ever watched the police drama, White Collar, it gave off those vibes for me. I’m hooked as I know there is a whole lot more to the mystery within the story. ORCA is on the case though and I seriously cannot wait for the next book in the series. I have a feeling it’s going to be fire!

Vinni George has been a lover of romance novels (of all shapes, sizes, and colors) since she first got her hands on one of her grandmother’s Harlequins and has never looked back. She lives in Ohio with her two favorite guys (her husband and son) and, hopefully—one day—a dog. When she’s not writing, Vinni can be found working for her family’s business, which provides plenty of plot bunnies. In her spare time, Vinni is a soccer mom who dabbles in performance art, quilting, and various culinary pursuits and enjoys traveling.

Vinni’s debut novel, Hold the Door, was a finalist and runner-up in Contemporary Gay Romance in the 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards.

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Persephone Black likes Ice Queens who melt behind closed doors, Underworld Empresses who protect what’s theirs, and Bad Girls who stay bad to the end…but win the love of a good woman.

If that sounds enticing to you too, you should read her books. Villains are (anti)heroines and danger is an aphrodisiac in Persephone Black’s thrilling Sapphic Mafia romance novels.

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Goodreads

My 5 star review for Her Mafia Queen

https://www.persephone-black.com    https://www.instagram.com/authorpersephoneblack/   https://www.facebook.com/authorpersephoneblack

Juno Bianchi: Ruthless. Deadly. Glacial.
And oh, she makes me burn.

When my Mob Boss father forces me into an arranged marriage with the billionaire heiress to the Bianchi Family, everything changes.

At first I resent being treated like a bargaining chip, but Juno captivates me in ways I’ve never known. Her Ice Queen facade hides a simmering volcano just waiting to be unleashed, and her commanding touch sets my body on fire.

But loving Juno could destroy me…

There are people out there who are just as dangerous as she is, and they won’t hesitate to use me to get to her.

With enemies closing in around us, can I trust my Mafia bride to keep me safe?

***

Opposites attract in this enemies to lovers romance as the reckless street-racing daughter of an Irish Mob Boss finds a way to defrost her Mafia Ice Queen wife.

This is a steamy F/F Mafia romance with some dark elements and a lot of angst. Content notes are available on the Copyright page.

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Review by Twinsie Tenise

Juno’s father has arranged for a marriage between his Juno and Caitlin the daughter of the head of the Irish family.
Caitlin is recklessly drifting trough life with zero fs given for her own personal safety at times but she is good at what she does and she’s making bank winning these races. Now she finds out that is all over because her father has arranged for her to marry Juno.
This is going to be terrible for Caitlin as she is such a free spirit. With no other choice– she marries Juno– but adamantly refuses to submit to the Crime Queen.
Junos main focus is family. As such when she is told she must marry Caitlin FOR the family, no matter what, she knows she must do this. After all it is for the family.

Neither woman can deny the chemistry that builds to a fever pitch during their honeymoon. Juno convinces herself that she needs to get the woman out of her system while Caitlins vow to not submit seems to wane a bit the more they get to know one another. Things aren’t meant to stay this way though, it’s the honeymoon after all. Just the 2 of them with no distractions, what happens when they return to the real world is the real test…
At home things happen that change the game for both women. But in this world nothing lasts forever and it’s best to never develop feelings for another as love can make you weak and theres no room for the weak in the violent world of crime. Juno has an empire to run and has vowed to keep Caitlin safe. Even if it is at the expense of her own heart.
This book had me on the edge of my seat and don’t even get me started on the perfection of that ending. I know, some will argue with me on that but I love a good cliffy and this book did not disappoint. It’s been 2 weeks since I finished Her Mafia Bride and I’ve yet to start another. I’m ready for book 2 now so I’m off to finally start it after this extremely long hiatus.

Persephone Black likes Ice Queens who melt behind closed doors, Underworld Empresses who protect what’s theirs, and Bad Girls who stay bad to the end…but win the love of a good woman.

If that sounds enticing to you too, you should read her books. Villains are (anti)heroines and danger is an aphrodisiac in Persephone Black’s thrilling Sapphic Mafia romance novels.

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Vinni George has been a lover of romance novels (of all shapes, sizes, and colors) since she first got her hands on one of her grandmother’s Harlequins and has never looked back. She lives in Ohio with her two favorite guys (her husband and son) and, hopefully—one day—a dog. When not writing her own stories, she can be found helping to polish other people’s novels. In her spare time, Vinni dabbles in performance art, quilting, and various culinary pursuits and enjoys traveling.

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I figured the best review for me to share today is the one that changed my mind about an entire genre. Thanks for opening my eyes to a whole new world, Vinni!

Unlikely fated mates buuuut I guess stranger things have happened. One being that I even picked up this book to read. Lol. Nothing against the book OR the author. I’m just not into shifters and definitely not into mpreg…
ANNNND now I’m basically lying to your faces! Its because of this book I’m obsessed. Like is the next book out? Did I only like it because it was written by Vinni George and I love all her words? Well YES BUT that is not the ONLY reason. I enjoyed all the other things too such as the plot, the genre, the cute af love story between 2 different shifter species that was both adorable and addictive. Give me more. I’m hooked. Thanks for helping me branch out because I’m not sure that I would have had it been any other authors words. I’m glad I did because now I’m open to a whole new world of romance.

No matter how much you try, you can’t outrun the past.

Opening old wounds is the last thing Ignacio Lupita wants to do. He’d literally and figuratively shed his blood, sweat, and tears to pull himself out of the darkness and open an auto shop in Boston. At last, business is picking up, so he’s working with a local pack to keep his life moving forward.

Pepper Michaels is living her best life in Vermont. One of her best friends has returned after three years in captivity, she’s working on her teaching degree, substitute teaching, and life on Malite land has been carefree to say the least. She thought she couldn’t be happier, but then she spotted him, her mate.

When the past is thrust before Ignacio, Pepper witnesses a side of him she can’t ignore. She knows she only gets one chance at a mate, but she hadn’t expected she’d need to be so careful around hers. Meanwhile, someone or something has been lurking on pack grounds. Can Ignacio confront enough of his demons before everything closes in?

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Review by Twinsie Melinda

I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.

I love this series and was so excited to get this one in my hands.  Each book draws me in more and more to the pack.  This story is all about Ignacio and Pepper and what a story it is.

Ignacio has lived his life alone and family always leaving.  His sisters ran away and his parents left him. He was left to those that should have protected him but didn’t. Ignacio had to fight his way to where he was and was able to make things work for him.  He was even branching out and working with a pack. While visiting one day he thought he found his mate, Carrie. But soon figured out he was wrong about her being his mate.

Things were going good for Pepper. She had her best friends Carrie and Kim, going to school and had a job substitute teaching. When her mating mark made its appearance, she realized it was the guy Carrie was on a date with and she would not get in Carrie’s way of happiness. The mate pull was too strong and Pepper realized Carrie was not interested in Ignacio oh man did the sparks start to fly for Pepper and Ignacio.

Things were going well for these two in the matting department but they really didn’t know anything about each other and their pasts.  Ignacio’s finds his past staring him in the face and reacts a way that scares Pepper so much so she is not sure about the mate that was fated to her.  Will Ignacio be able to explain his past and everything that lead up to his reaction or will Pepper be lost to him forever.

This series has me hooked and I cannot wait to see this pack grow.  There is not one matted pair I have not liked.  I enjoyed all their stories and seeing them come together when things go astray.  This story had me flipping the pages like crazy.  I could not put this one down.

AJ Renee is a military wife and mother of three. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with her Master of Science in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.

She loves to read and write steamy romance with a happily ever after. When not working, you can find her playing World of Warcraft, board games, or outdoors for a run or hike.

The queen of Chicago’s criminal underworld, Hadria “Hades” Imperioli, is no stranger to power and danger.

When she set Aurora Verderosa free, Hadria thought she was doing the right thing—for once in her life.

But now the only light in her dark world has been ripped from her, and Hadria faces a vulnerability she never knew.

As Hadria frantically searches the city’s underbelly to save her lover, the Syndicate she leads becomes fractured, with some questioning her right to lead.

Hadria is forced to confront the idea that saving Aurora might mean giving up her criminal kingdom. But the crime queen is determined to reclaim her love—whatever it takes.

Can Hadria save Aurora and claim her forever?

Or will the darkness she revels in overtake her at last and destroy any chance at love?

Consort of the Crime Queen is the thrilling conclusion to the Underworld Duet, a steamy contemporary Sapphic mafia romance based (very) loosely on the myth of Hades and Persephone. Reader discretion is advised, and content notes are available on the Copyright page.

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Review by Twinsie Tenise

The light to Hades darkness has been stolen from her and she will not rest until the Sunshine returns to Elysium.
The foolish men in Hadrias family thinking they can get away with the things they do without repercussions are sorely mistaken. Hadria is out for blood! She will get what belongs to her back and she vows to never lose sight of her light again.

Hades has surrounded herself with a group of mercenaries for the majority of her adult life. I mean she is a cold blooded killer so I’m thinking, probably not many swoon-worthy moments would happen. Well I thought wrong. I was ooohing and ahhhing over all the super cute couple-y moments throughout the duet.

Poor Aurora she hasn’t felt a sense of family really ever, despite the fact she grew up in a home with both of her parents. The longer she is at Elysium a found family starts to form around her. There within the walls of the dark castle, she finds a purpose in life for the first time ever.

I cannot say enough good things about this duet. I’ve been recommending it to all of my reader friends. I’m so happy there are another 2 books by this author I still haven’t read and it is almost spring break which means I will have extra time to read them. Thanks to the author for giving me my reading groove back!

Persephone Black likes Ice Queens who melt behind closed doors, Underworld Empresses who protect what’s theirs, and Bad Girls who stay bad to the end…but win the love of a good woman.

If that sounds enticing to you too, you should read her books. Villains are (anti)heroines and danger is an aphrodisiac in Persephone Black’s thrilling Sapphic Mafia romance novels.

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