Category Archives: Cartel/Mafia

#releaseDay #ageGap #Mafia – Fear Me, Love Me by Lilith Vincent

Fear Me, Love Me: A Mafia Age Gap Romance by [Lilith Vincent]

Tyrant Mercer doesn’t grant wishes. He collects debts, and he’s here to claim me.

All I wanted was my baby brother back from the man who stole him away. My family is in Tyrant’s debt, a man they hate, and they disown me when the devil’s eyes stray to me. Now there’s nothing and no one to protect me from the cruel man who runs this city from the shadows.

But Tyrant’s not going to drag me away by my hair just yet. He’s going to torment me first.

Tyrant demands that I play his twisted games. He thinks I’ll crumble for his amusement, but I’m carrying a secret that’s bigger than both of us. A secret that’s now in the hands of the worst man possible.

All he craves is me. All he demands is everything. Tyrant will give me everything I’ve ever wanted—all I have to say is I wish …

But a wish is a curse when it’s granted by the devil himself.

Author’s Fear Me, Love Me is a standalone MF romance with dark themes, forced breeding, somnophilia, an age gap, a jealous and possessive alphahole, and a sweet but strong virgin heroine. The story is dirty and delicious, so please read at your discretion. Please be aware that this book contains depictions of cutting and self-harm.

Goodreads

Lilith Vincent is a steamy mafia reverse harem writer who believes in living on the wild side! Why choose one when you could choose them all.

#NewRelease #Mafia #ArrangedMarriage – The Corsican Crime Lord Book 1 by Charmaine Pauls

Love Like Poison: Corsican Crime Lord, Book One by [Charmaine Pauls]

Every year on my birthday, my tormentor returns to claim one of my firsts.

A DARK MAFIA ARRANGED MARRIAGE ROMANCE
On my sixteenth birthday, a stranger from Corsica shows up at my party. Angelo Russo looks like an angel, but more the kind who decapitates dragons than the kind with soft white wings. He’s dark like the ocean and breathless like water. He says he wants all my firsts as if he already owns them, but my father orders me to stay away from this man.

No matter how hard I try, I can’t escape him. No one can keep me safe. Every year on my birthday, he brings me a gift, each one having a detrimental effect on my life with unimaginable consequences. With every gift he offers, he claims another one of my firsts. Before I know it, he’s taken control of my existence, turning me into a nervous wreck, because when I turn eighteen, I know what first he’ll come for next.

Note: Love Like Poison is the first book in the Corsican Crime Lord series and ends on a cliffhanger. Sabella and Angelo’s story continues in Hate Like Honey (Book Two).

Join Charmaine’s newsletter at https://charmainepauls.com/subscribe to be informed of new book releases.

Charmaine Pauls was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa. She obtained a degree in Communication at the University of Potchefstroom and followed a diverse career path in journalism, public relations, advertising, communication, and brand marketing. Her writing has always been an integral part of her professions.

When she moved to Chile with her French husband, she started writing full-time. She has been publishing novels and short stories since 2011.

Charmaine currently lives in Montpellier, France with her family. Their household is a lively mix of Afrikaans, English, French, and Spanish.

#NewRelease – Illicit Heir by Maggie Cole

Illicit Heir: A Secret Baby Enemies to Lovers Dark Mafia Romance (Mafia Wars Ireland Book 3) by [Maggie  Cole]

He won an hour with me from a stupid bet. We were several shots of whiskey and two pints of Guinness in when Devin suggested we play his game. That hour turned into the next morning. Then all hell broke loose. I ransacked his wallet to find his identification card. Our bliss disappeared into anger, hate, and accusations. When he rejected me in that room, he didn’t just leave me with a pounding headache and remorse. He left me with a forever reminder of that night—the mix of two enemy bloods. And now no one can ever know…including him. Illicit Heir is book three of Mafia Wars Ireland. It’s a one-night-stand accidental pregnancy, secret baby, forbidden love, enemies to lovers, dark mafia romance.

Goodreads

Join Maggie Cole’s newsletter for exclusive updates and material: https://www.authormaggiecole.com

Hang out with Maggie in her reader group: https://bit.ly/3cGMxIw

Instagram: @maggiecoleauthor

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i5zmSk

TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@maggiecole.au…

Maggie Cole is committed to bringing her readers alphalicious book boyfriends. She’s been called the “literary master of steamy romance.”
Her books are full of raw emotion, suspense, and will always keep you wanting more. She is a masterful storyteller of contemporary romance and loves writing about broken people who rise above the ashes.
Maggie lives in Florida with her son. She loves sunshine, anything to do with water, and everything naughty.

Her current series were written in the order below:
All In (Stand alones with entwined characters)
It’s Complicated (Stand alones with entwined characters)
Together We Stand (Brooks Family Saga – read in order)
Behind Closed Doors (Read in order)
Mafia Wars
Mafia Wars New York
Holiday Hoax (November 2022)
Club Indulgence Duet (Spring 2023)
Mafia Wars Ireland (Fall 2023)

#MC #Dark #AgeGap #Mafia – Truly’s Biker, Royal Bastards MC:Reno, NV #2

Truly:

Blond hair, a chiseled body, and ice blue eyes.
All the features of a god that trick you into thinking he’s a savior.

But he’s not.
Roch’s a devil in disguise.
A contract killer, in a motorcycle gang,
and the man I’ve been in love with since I was eight.

Now that I’m legal, I’m not waiting any longer for him to realize it.
So I act out, I cause a scene, I try to make him jealous.
Except, I trusted the wrong person.

Now Roch and his club are in danger,
and it’s all my fault.

I really messed up this time.

Roch:

Truly thinks I don’t notice how she’s suddenly everywhere now that she’s an adult.
Getting into trouble, showing me what a brat she is, and
making me come rescue her.

But she’s my best friend’s daughter.
My dead best friend’s daughter.

No matter how she taunts me, it can’t happen.
The Royal Bastards are my brothers and my dogs are my world.
There’s no room for complications.

When one of her tantrums brings trouble to my door,
it’s not just her life at stake, it’s my entire club’s.
Now she has my full attention, and I’m realizing
Truly owned my black heart the entire time.

Will we be over before we’ve begun?

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Angie

I purchased this audiobook.

WOOF!!  Roch.  He has my attention from the beginning of book 1!!  I knew that dog loving mute would be the death of me and he sure was.

Truly.  She is the perfect person for him.  She understands his needs for control, quiet, peace, and accepts he is older then her even if her mom won’t be happy about it.  I mean do you really want your19 year old with a man mid 30’s?  Prolly not!!

Truly has always had a bond with Roch/Will.  She knew at a young age he was it for her.  She was doing everything in her power to MAKE him SEE the woman she was. Roch was starting to notice and was not happy with himself for it.

When she joins forces with Birdie to get him to SEE her, everything changes for him and her.  Truly is however thrust into club life when the enemy is causing problems, and little does she know her friend is the enemy.

I loved their story.  I loved all the scenes with Truly and her mom I felt they were a genuine reaction to how any mom would feel especially add on he is in a biker club with shady dealings.

I thought the naïve young girl thinking she can help/save everyone has her bubble burst a little but with Roch and Birdie there to guide her, I can’t wait to see where they end up.

Man Book 3 had me salivating.  This is soooo going to be good.

Misty Walker is a romance author with books in multiple subgenres, including gay, biker, and contemporary.

She’s been in the book and audiobook industry for many years, though she’s only been publishing since 2019.

Misty currently resides in the high desert of Reno, NV with her husband and two daughters. She enjoys camping in her comfy travel trailer, reading, and writing.

#Review #Mafia #Dark – Wicked Addiction,  Dark Mafia Romance, Angsty Triangle Duet Book 1 by Barbara Nolan

Wicked Addiction: Dark Mafia Romance, Angsty Triangle Duet Book 1 (Club Wicked) by [Barbara Nolan]

Samson is torn between the woman he wants to save and the woman he wants to love. Angsty Triangle—Dark Romance—First Love—Slow Burn Romance—Coming of Age Samson hasn’t had many breaks in his young life until local mob boss, Frank Barnett puts him in charge of the Oasis, a Brooklyn strip club used to wash the mobster’s dirty money. When Lisbeth walks into the Oasis desperate for a job Samson hires the leggy beauty, then finds himself helplessly drawn to her startling blue eyes and sweet smile. Their connection is electric—something Samson never experienced with a woman. Lisbeth never dreamed of falling for the rough, brutal, drop-dead gorgeous, Samson, but she can’t deny the attraction simmering between them. She’s a hit at the club and the cash rolls in fast. Everyone’s happy except Yvette, Samson’s wildly jealous coke-addict girlfriend. Samson and Lisbeth’s steamy, dangerous obsession grows until— A vengeful Yvette and a rival Russian mobster threaten to wreck Samson’s world forcing him to decide between Yvette, the woman he wants to save, and Lisbeth, the woman he wants to love.

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Angie

I was given this book by the author for an honest review.

I was obsessed with the 2nd book of this duet so when I was offered book 1, I jumped.

Sampson and Lisbeth were HAWT reads, and I was so excited to see how we ended up in book 1.

If you read book 2 when it was first released, we kinda “know” what happens when Lisbeth comes looking for a bartending job but ends up as a stripper at the club.  This book takes us through the whole story with the crazy, jealous other woman and the not so amazing boss.

I loved the in-depth story that allowed us to SEE the couple when they fell in love,

Barbara is an Amazon Bestselling Author, and a native of New Jersey.
She loves her emotional, passionate alpha males and the women who tame them. Her writing is sexy, steamy and seductive, and her goal is to have fun while taking the reader away from their world and into hers.
She is proud of this second act in her life and loves meeting and getting to know her readers, fans, and all the wonderful people in the writing community.
Her passion for reading and words make this a journey of love. She considers reading a luxury and writing a necessity.

#ReleaseDay #ARC #Mafia #SeriesStarter #2ndChance – Wicked Temptation, Club Wicked Book 1 by Barbara Nolan

Wicked Temptation (Club Wicked Book 1) by [Barbara Nolan]

When Samson opens Club Wicked in Vegas, he leaves behind his New York mob ties and the ghosts that haunt his dreams, but he never expects to see his past love celebrating her bachelorette. An old flame is rekindled, and all their steamy, uninhibited passion comes flooding back, making their attraction undeniable. When Lisbeth breaks off the engagement her financially powerful and vindictive fiancé terrorizes Lisbeth then threatens to close down Club Wicked and reveal Samson’s past. Lisbeth is everything Samson wants and needs and he refuses to lose her again. He vows to protect her, but if his destructive secrets are revealed, they can undermine their lives with deadly results. Despite Samson’s dangerous past, Lisbeth is willing to fight for what she wants especially since she can’t resist falling back into bed with the sexy bad boy, or the addictive pull of their love. Will Samson deny his love to keep Lisbeth safe or will he be forced to seek out the mob’s help—the very people he longed to escape?

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Angie

I received this book from the authors PR firm for an honest review.

I was super excited when I saw this was a spin off from an MC series.  I am always looking for an MC series so now I want to jump back and read that entire catalog especially after meeting the characters in this series. (Serpents MC Las Vegas if you are looking for one too.  But I also have my eye on Boa…just saying.)

I am also a HUGE lover of 2nd chance which this book has from jump.  Samson and Lisbeth are a bomb of chemistry from the first time we see them together …at her bachelorette party no less.  They are both transported in time to when he broke her heart.  She has no clue why and he keeps that secret close to the chest until toward the end of the story but que the AWWWW  When I read it.  Yes, Samson is a swoon worthy Alpha Male who will beat the crap outta a dude, wash off the blood his hands, and then attack your lips in his office 5 minutes later.  But that is why we love them.  AmIRight???

Samson and Lisbeth have A LOT to get through.  History, miscommunication, oh and that pesky douche bag fiancée.  That is kinda a big one for Lisbeth.  They also have to deal with people trying to destroy all that Samson and his partner Nick have built.

I am loving the series and the characters in it.  Jax has me looking at him saying HEEY you.  He might be broken on the outside with is scary scars buuuut those are the yummiest of men IMO.  Nick.  I don’t know about him.  His heart is so broken.  It is going to take a special lady to open him up.  Perhaps Willow????  I mean her free spirit could be that woman.  But not Daria please and thanks.  #SayNoToSkanks

I am waiting for book 2 and cant wait to see who is the next alpha to fall.

Barbara is an Amazon Bestselling Author, and a native of New Jersey.
She loves her emotional, passionate alpha males and the women who tame them. Her writing is sexy, steamy and seductive, and her goal is to have fun while taking the reader away from their world and into hers.
She is proud of this second act in her life and loves meeting and getting to know her readers, fans, and all the wonderful people in the writing community.
Her passion for reading and words make this a journey of love. She considers reading a luxury and writing a necessity.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3dO8jus
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/barba…
Instagram :https://www.instagram.com/bnolan26/?h…

#WOTR23 #2ndChance #Mafia – Grizz, Grumpy Mountain Men Book 1 by KL Ramsey

Grizz (Grumpy Mountain Men Book 1)

Grizz knew that Brooklyn was too good for him. He had proven that every time he left her because he didn’t want to screw up her life any more than he already had. They had been through a lifetime together already, and now, she was standing on the porch to his cabin, asking him for help. He’d give it because it was Brooklyn, but then, he knew she’d walk away again, and that would gut him. Brooklyn’s life was in the city now and he knew she’d go back when the danger passed. He’d lose her again and there was no way that his heart would be able to take it.

Brooklyn was torn between two worlds—her love for NYC and her love for Grizz, her grumpy mountain man. They had been through so much together, even the loss of a baby, but she still hoped he’d find his way back to her. It felt like a lifetime ago that he had left the city to move up to his cabin in the Catskills, taking her heart with him. He’d show up in NYC now and again, to beg her to come live with him up on his mountain, but that wasn’t a move she was ready to make. She wouldn’t give up her job; she loved being a lawyer, even if it did put her in danger sometimes. When she found herself in trouble, her only thought was to get to Grizz. She knew that he’d protect her, even if it meant showing up to the one place she swore she’d never step foot again—his cabin.

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Angie’

I purchased this book.

I am a super fan of the 2nd chance story/opposites attract.  Grizz and Brooklyn were college sweethearts who had a falling out…not a falling out of love so much as changes in life directions.

Grizz hasn’t stopped trying to win Brooklyn back but she is very driven.  She has goals for her career and that is her priority now.  When some bad stuff happens, she runs to the only man who can keep her body safe from harm…but maybe not her heart.

Grizz and Brooklyn are stuck in a confined space for awhile and start to sort out their issues because the love is so strong. They both want to make it work this time, but both need to compromise to make it happen.

I loved seeing a strong female character like Brooklyn.  She knows what she wants and has the drive to fulfill it.  But I also love her realizing she can have her career and the man she loves at the same time.  Grizz is just such a grumpy man.  LOL  I loved him. He is aggressive with his pursuit of Brooklyn which made my heart love him so much.  I think each time she said no to him, made him even the more determined to have her back!!

Romance Rebel fighting for Happily Ever After!
K. L. Ramsey currently resides in West Virginia (Go Mountaineers!). In her spare time, she likes to read romance novels, go to WVU football games and attend book club (aka-drink wine) with girlfriends.
K. L. enjoys writing Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance, and Sexy Ménage! She loves to write strong, capable women and bossy, hot as hell alphas, who fall ass over tea kettle for them. And of course, her stories always have a happy ending.

#WOTR22 #Audio #Rereads #Contemporary #Mafia #Suspense #Series – Tangles in Texas Series by Alison Bliss

Tangled in Texas

Rules of Protection, Book 1- 
It’s rule breaker Emily Foster’s birthday, and like everyone at The Jungle Room, she just wants to get some action. Unfortunately, she stumbles on the wrong kind, witnessing a mob hit. To protect her, she’s entered into the Witness Protection Program with by-the-book Special Agent Jake Ward as her chaperone.

When the location of their safe house is compromised, Jake stashes Emily deep in the Texas backwoods. The city-girl might be safe from the Mafia, but she has to contend with a psychotic rooster, a narcoleptic dog, crazy cowboys, and the danger of losing her heart to the one man she can’t have.

Jake’s as hot as he is infuriating, and she can’t help but push all his buttons to loosen him up. Their mutual, sizzling sexual attraction poses a dilemma: Jake’s determined to keep her safe and out of the wrong hands; she’s determined to get into the right ones—his.

Each book in the Tangled in Texas series is a standalone, full-length story that can be enjoyed out of order.

Playing with Fire, Book 2-

Nothing ignites a fire like the perfect match…

Anna Weber is every inch the proper librarian–old-fashioned, conservatively dressed right down to her tightly clipped flaming red hair. She’s just moved to a small Texas town, and is determined to spend time with her friend before she has to disappear. Relationships aren’t easy for her. She knows too well what it means to be burned. And the last thing she ever wants to do is fall in love…

Especially not with a fireman who’s hot enough to set the entire state of Texas on fire.

Cowboy can’t resist the fiery little librarian, and he’s determined to make her his. Beneath that prim-and-proper exterior is a woman he very much wants to know–if she’d let him. She’ll test his patience. His control. Hell, his very sanity. And for the first time, Cowboy wonders if he’s found the one fire he can’t control…

Law of Attraction, Book 3-

For single mom Bobbie Jo Weston, finding a husband is not on her to-do list. She’s focused on turning a run-down chicken farm into a Bed & Breakfast. She agrees to let a friend’s nephew stay with her in exchange for his handyman skills, but she wasn’t counting on the super sexy Seth Landry being that guy.

Seth has a special skill-set, all right, but it has nothing to do with hammering nails. As a retired member of The Resistance—an elite group of ex-military soldiers—his dark, unsettling past haunts him. He needs a place to lay low, and an out-of-the-way B&B is nothing short of perfect. The blonde beauty doesn’t trust men, and he doesn’t plan on sticking around long enough to change her mind.

The closer they get, the more they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. And while Bobbie holds on to her fear of watching another man walk out of their lives, Seth’s mere presence has put them all in jeopardy. The only way to ever be free of his dangerous past is for him to accept one last mission…

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Angie

Book 1 –

I received this book from the author for an honest review.
Two author friends, who go by the name Elizabeth Hayley, tagged me on Facebook about possibly reading their friends new book. Hey, I love those ladies and their books crack me up so if THEY are in love with someone then I will love them too, Right?? I reached out to the author and asked for an advanced copy. OMG am I glad I did. I was laughing soooo hard at some many different lines in the book. I was even texting my friend/blogger/bestie Melinda with lines saying “you have gotta read this book”……
So this story begins with our main character at the bar with her besties Gina and Dale celebrating her birthday. She sees a hottie checking her out but decides against it. She strolls to the bathroom when said hottie finds her annnnd is not so hot….more slimey gross. Well she tries to shake him but he won’t take the hint so a Southern Gentleman plays the part of her “boyfriend” to make slime ball take the hint. Well another situation arises and Mr. Southern Gentleman needs her help again so she ends up lip locking him AGAIN!!!! Well Gina and Dale dare our girl to follow Mr. Southern Gentleman down the hallway to jump his bones but instead she sees slime ball getting killed. Well she runs and gets attacked by Jake, the Southern Gentleman but escapes him. She goes to the police station to report the murder but GASP Mr. Southern Gentleman appears and GASP he is a FEDERAL AGENT!!!!
SOOO Jake and our newly named Emily go into the Witness Protection to help take down Slime Balls killer. Well the chemistry between the two is awesome and she pretty much pouts and offers a no strings attached night but dang it if the bad guys don’t find them. So Jake and Emily go off radar. Jake is hiding Emily without the FBI’s approval. He takes her in to Deliverance country to hide out with his family. They are supposed to be boyfriend/girlfriend…… Which is news to Emily because they fight NONSTOP!!! Which makes the book insanely funny and fullllllll of sexual tension.
So while hiding out Emily and Jake fight over her jealousy of his ex, his jealousy of her flirting, her not being able to be domestic at all, him being overly alpha at every turn of the second hand on your watch, her only thinking about herself, him not taking her feelings into consideration, and on and on and on!! Now sometimes when I read a book like this I am like “seriously, enough already” but not once in this entire novel did I feel bored with them. I was in love with the characters and the story. I was shocked at how fast I flew through this book. I was so busy reading that when I hit 45% I was stunned and then next thing I knew I was at 88%. I mean WHERE DID IT GO!!! The story was just flying by and I wanted to know what would happened but I didn’t want the story to end.
The epilogue made me really happy and laught a lot. The epilogue had everything about the story you wanted to know…like about the boys, the ex, Junior, Henry and Floss and the rest of the town you have come to love.
The story has so many twist and turns. It is soo full of sexual innuendo and sexual chemistry. I yelled at both characters while also yelling with them at the other person. I have to tell you I CANNOT wait for more from this author and this series.

Book 2-

I received this book from the author for an honest review.
OK SO I freaking love this author. Her books crack me up. Her characters are loveable and at the same time you wanna smack them or kick them for being total jacka$$es. Now this is book 2 of the series but you don’t have to have read book 1 to understand but if you missed book 1, you will soooo wanna read it after reading this one.
We met Cowboy in book 1 when he was giving Jake a hard time about Emily. We loved his charm and flirty ways so I was really excited to finally get his book. He is suuuuch a “love ‘em and leave ‘em” guy that we can’t believe he has eyes for the uptight librarian. I mean I love Anna but she is a total shy, nerdy girl that everyone sees but doesn’t really see. Well Anna has had eyes for Cowboy for EVER but knew he never SAW her. When he does see her, she is floored and thinks he is looking for a notch on his bet. When she turns him does, he is FLOORED. Cowboy gets what he wants UNTIL Anna.
Anna is hiding in plain sight from Cowboy but also from her dark past. She won’t be in town for long but wanted to connect with her friend Bobbie Jo. Cowboy and Anna begin a dance of will they or wont they. Cowboy is all about claiming her but then freaks out about her innocents. Anna is all about keeping her guard but then Cowboy kisses her and BOOM forgets her hatred of him…..some seriously funny scenes are when she is yelling at him using “big words”…..
I loved these characters and I love the twists and turns regarding who is stalking Anna. I am really excited about who I think the next book will be abut. I really hope its Bobbie Jo because she really needs her own HEA after all that “germy” has done to her.

Book 3-

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

GUUURL!! Bobbie Jo you know I was not your friend in Book 1 right?? You know I was plotting with Emily to have some disfiguring accident happen or that you would get run over by Flossy’s tractor?? Something bad would happen!! THEN, like Emily, I warmed to you and saw the real you…not the superficial one that everyone else sees. The more I read about you and being a single mom, the more I felt bad for being so awful to you. I have been PATIENTLY waiting for this book….for your book because if ANYONE needs an HEA, it is YOU!!

Bobbie Jo has had a DRY SPELL…..no play since her little accident with her sperm donors little gift was received. So, she has finally decided to give a one night stand a try. When she spies a tall glass of water she is hopeful he can help her out buuuut as usual Jeremy screws that up or did he???? After yet another confrontation Bobbie Jo and said tall glass of water start to get hot and heavy and he walks away?? WHU??????

Bobbie is like PFFT with men and that is when her life changes forever….ya see Mr. Tall Glass of Water happens to turn up at her door and is her new Guest Boarder at her house…yes friends que to intense sexual chemistry!! Oh yeah Mr. Tall Glass of Water just happens to be Bobbie Jo’s boss’ nephews, Seth. Seems Seth needs to settle for a few weeks and clear his head.

Seth is like WTF when he sees Bobbie. He is then super confused when he is thinking his summer of clearing BOTH his brain will include a little bed hopping with Bobbie when he little Boy, Austin, comes home. Seth kinda freaks but sees how the 2 adore each other. Plus Austin us a super cool little kid!!!

So Bobbie and Seth have come to an “understanding” of no sex because she is his boss wile he is doing repairs on her farm…friends we ALL know that is so not gonna last. THE CHEMSITRY is crazy and then when he think they WILL…cock blocked …then we think they might and again more tension. Lets just say when they finally do…its was on like Donkey Kong!!

Now as we are beginning to see hearts growing and love forming, Seth’s past comes back and causes trouble as does Bobbie Jo’s sperm donor. This causes all kinds of complications for the two. They are so confused over what to do and what to say at times that that further causes issues.
So my favorite part of the book is when Seth gives Bobbie Jo a certain code word. Now I cant tell you the code word because when they pick the code words it was hilarious as hell but when he uses it……Lump in my throat friends….huge lump.

I have got to say, I loved this story. I loved seeing everyone together again and the epilogue was THE ABSOLUTE BEST EVER!!! It ties everything together for all the characters in the series.

Alison Bliss is a best-selling, award-winning author of humorous, contemporary romances. A born and raised Texan, she currently resides in the Midwest with her husband and her two kids. The youngest of five girls, she has never turned down a challenge or been called by the right name. Alison believes the best way to know if someone is your soul mate is by canoeing with them because if you both make it back alive, it’s obviously meant to be. She enjoys writing fun, steamy love stories with heart, heat, and laughter. Something she calls, “Romance…with a sense of humor.”

#WOTR22 #Mafia #dark – Almanza Crime Family Duet by Chelsea Camaron – Cartel B!tch and Cartel Queen

Almanza Crime Family Duet

Cartel B!tch – 

There was a fine line between love and hate, we walked it together.

Unforgiving.
Relentless.
I’m to be feared.
When your family is as much a friend as an enemy, there is no one to trust.
I am Javier Almanza.
Cartel kingpin.
No one can touch me.
No one can hurt me …
Except her.

Mari Belle Dominguez.

He was raised as family.
My brother’s best friend, my first kiss, and my first betrayal.
He planned to make me his Cartel Bitch.
The joke was on him; I’d never break nor would I bend.
I would fight until the end for myself.
My will was stronger than his want.
He would soon see.

This is book one in the Almanza Crime Family Duet and a full-length standalone romance. This is a dark, edge of your seat romantic suspense novel featuring an antihero, so there is a level of violence inside that may not be suitable for some readers. This is not meant to be an actual depiction of life inside a Cartel but rather a work of fiction meant to entertain.

Cartel Queen-
Hardened.
Persistent.
I refuse to break at the hands of a man.
My situation makes me his.
He’ll never really have me.
I’ll never let him hurt me.
Until he claims more than my house, my body, and my life.
When Javier Almanza claims my heart, I’m no longer his cartel bitch.
No, I’m the queen.

Goodreads

Amazon – Both Book Link

Review by Twinsie Angie

Cartel B!tch –

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

Sweet Baby Jesus!! Javi, is so bad but also so good. He lives by a moral code or compass in this evil world which is his downfall or is it?

Mari has been tricked by her family and is broken but her love of her enemy is over powering through all the years of the book.

This couple….the book…..this story line. Oh man I seriously don’t know where in the heck to start. I mean the young, sweet, innocent love that Mari and Javi have is soooo pure in an evil world. When he is forced to marry her, will wont disrespect her that way. He wants her to freely choose him like he as done with her in his heart all those years ago. What kinda bad guy does that?? Bad guys take what they want much like her brother and Paco, their associate.

When Mari’s brother is involved in a coup to take over the leadership, she is forced to look at Javi through dirty lenses thanks to her brother. The heart ache I felt for her and Javi because they were both pawns in the drug cartel. Javi is destroyed when his heart is gone, and he hardens because no one will ever have this effect on him every again.

Seeing the years they two are apart and their struggles to handle life was hard but when everything is spilled and the secrets are revealed by her bother to Javi and Mari….OMG I seriously was broken. I hurt for HER. I mean I felt back for Javi but damn Mari is PISSED OFF!! I mean this woman is bad ass and she is going to kick some serious cartel ass. I feel for ANY MAN or WOMAN who TRIES to stop her. I cannot wait for Cartel Queen to drop!!!

Cartel Queen-

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

Holy Crap on a Cracker!! This book!! Mari is some kinda FIERCE woman!! Javi is not supposed to be the man you love and yet….I. LOVED. HIM!! #AntiHeroLover

When book 1 of this duet ended, I was devastated much like Mari was. Her entire reason for being was dead by her horrible brother’s hand no less.

Seeing the fire and passion burning in her eyes and also in Javi’s, I knew this was going to be amazing!!! Granted they need to clear the air on what happened in the past. Javi is so lost as to WHY she left, and Mari Belle is so conflicted as to WHY she believed Javi really cared for her when she was “just a Cartel order”.

These two have traveled some roads to finally be together. Their passion is only fueled by the hatred for Mari’s brother. Dude has no clue what he has unleashed in his sister, but she is not going to be the passive Mari of the past…helllllla no. She is going to rise and be a new and improved Mari.

Javi is so possessed by his love for this woman yet so destroyed by her. The chemistry of their first kiss after all the years apart….HOLY HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don’t get me started on their fist of their things after being part *Wink*

I loved seeing the conflict they both feel over loving the other when so much has happened and so many lies have ruined what could have been. But man, both characters stand out for so many reasons. Mari is just FIERCE. I mean you just don’t mess with a momma bear or her cubs…you just don’t if you want to live. Javi is so hard but gets so squishy for the woman who has owned his heart since he was a teen.

Such an amazing duet and the cross overs by the Hellions and Devil’s Due was perfect for any fan of Chelsea’s books.

USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Chelsea Camaron is a small town Carolina girl with a big imagination. She is a wife and mom chasing her dreams.

She writes contemporary romance, erotic suspense, and psychological thrillers. She loves to write blue-collar men who have real problems with a fictional twist. From mechanics to bikers to oil riggers to smokejumpers, bar owners, and beyond, she loves a strong hero who works hard and plays harder.

#WOTR22 #TwinsieforthedayPam #Mobster #Mafia – Appointed by Fate by Skye McNeil

One of Iowa’s most prominent criminal attorneys, Joci Dorous is ruthless and devoid of emotion in the courtroom. It’s what makes her the best. Her most recent client allegedly committed murder and, despite a rocky start, Joci is determined to win Cameron Shearer’s case.

Since this is her first homicide, she has the support of a second-chair attorney—her ex who wants her back. To make things more complicated, her hunky cop of a booty call, Cameron’s arresting officer, isn’t quite ready to let her go either. Who knew being surrounded by three hot guys could be so deliciously exhausting?

As the mystery of the case unravels, she soon discovers the true reason behind Cameron’s impromptu visit to Iowa. It’s this knowledge that endangers all those she holds dear. Caught up in confusion, chaos, and criminal law, how will her heart survive the final verdict?

Goodreads  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36002336-appointed-by-fate

Amazon  https://amzn.to/3hRQUoL

Review by Pam

4****
 Romantic Suspense

This book kept me guessing. There is Quinn, the sexy cop. There is Adrian the sexy ex. Then there is Cameron the childhood friend she is defending for murder. Joci is a criminal lawyer. She needs to find a defense to help her client. OMG this book kept me on the edge of my seat. It’s a great Romantic Suspense. Who framed Cameron? Who is the crooked lawyer? Who will Joci choose? Y’all really need to get this book and start reading. From a New Fan… Pam James.

Award-winning author Skye McNeil began writing at the age of seventeen and has been lost in a love affair ever since. During the day, she moonlights as a paralegal at a law firm favoring criminal law.

Skye enjoys writing contemporary and suspense romance novels that leave readers craving more and falling in love over and over. She writes contemporary and historical novels ranging from sweet and sassy to steamy and sultry.

Her constant writing companions two cuddly Australian Shepherds, a purring cat, and her daughter. When she’s not writing, Skye enjoys spending time with family, photography, volleyball, traveling, and curling up with a cup of coffee and reading.