2021 WOTR Attending Authors AJ Renee, Mary Martel, Lacey Black, Brandy Slaven, and Heather D’Agostino. Reviews listed in no particular order. THE NOT-OUTCAST by Tijan Cutler Ryder was everything I wasn’t. He was the hockey star. I was an outcast. He was best friends with my stepbrother, that same stepbrother who hated me. His two parents loved him. My mom was a junkie. My dad barely knew me. Years passed. I got my life together. Cut went onto NHL stardom. Then there was a text. I was drinking. There was a party. Cut was there… I loved Cutler Ryder since the first moment I saw him. The only problem? He never knew I existed. MY REVIEW: Goodreads ************************************************************************ CURSED LOVE by AJ Renee Demons. Witches. Curses. Brandy had no reason to believe in any of them, until things started getting weird after her birthday. Her powers surprise her, sending her life into a tailspin and painting a glowing target on her back. Every day, she crosses the path of the next unexpected thing, and there’s a handsome yet annoying stranger that has the information she doesn’t know she needs. She’s questioning everything she’s been raised to believe, but she’s running out of time. Can a secret family legacy help her hone her magic before it’s too late? Or will she join the other fallen witches and their curse? MY REVIEW: Goodreads ************************************************************************ WHAT YOU DESERVE by Mary Martel One half of a whole. That’s what I always thought I’d be. Being an identical twin, I always believed I had that to rely on. I thought wrong. Losing half of that whole left me feeling like I had nothing. It crippled me. Almost destroyed me. And left me with an aching heart, a slew of questions, and a need for revenge so strong I could almost taste it on my tongue. My name is Gem Stone. My twin’s name was Gin. We might have looked like the same person, but we were not. Divorce and a disgusting mother forced us apart at a young age, and a horrible family kept us that way. Still, we remained best friends—or so I thought. When you lose the other half to your whole, the other half of your soul, you lose everything. But I wasn’t ready to give up everything, even when I felt like I was dead inside. My twin kept a secret from me. One that changed everything and made me look at her in a whole different light. I ache for answers to my questions, and I find salvation where I shouldn’t. Mostly, I crave some type of vengeance. Something, anything, to make me feel better about what I’ve lost. What You Deserve is a 100,000+ word m/f/m contemporary book for readers 18 and up. MY REVIEW: Goodreads ************************************************************************ DOUBLE DOG DARE YOU by Lacey Black Quinn One simple text message can change everything. I found that out the hard way. One minute I’m complaining about a horrible picture of a guy’s you-know-what, and the next, I’m having conversations with a stranger. A gorgeous, rebel of a man who makes my heart skip a beat and does a number on my panties. The only problem is we’re not looking for the same things in life. I want stability and a family, while he always has his eye out for the next good time. Royce She may literally be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. Funny, it all started with an accidental text message. About unwanted male member photos, actually, and from that moment, I was hooked. She’s the perfect woman really, except for one tiny little flaw. She’s looking for the one thing that makes me want to run for the door. Forever. Yet, somehow, I can’t seem to let her go. She might be the one dare I actually fail. MY REVIEW: Goodreads ************************************************************************ THE RUSSIAN UNLEASHED by Red Phoenix I am a simple man. I love fine vodka, whips, and beautiful women. And I have a secret. At twenty-one, I’ve just inherited my family’s entire fortune. Young, rich, and powerful, I am a force to be reckoned with – in and out of the bedroom. But the streets of Russia are dangerous. When innocence is threatened, I risk my life to save a girl. Now the Bratva have their sights set on me. I did not ask to be a hero, but I refuse to back down. I will fight to the end to protect the honor of the woman I love. I am Rytsar Durov. They have no idea what they have unleashed! MY REVIEW: Goodreads ************************************************************************ DEAN OF VIPERS by K.A. Knight Ryder, Garrett, Kenzo, and Diesel—The Vipers. They run this town and everyone in it. Their deals are as sordid as their business, and their reputation is enough to bring a grown man to his knees, forcing him to beg for mercy. They are not people you mess with, yet my dad did. The old man ran up a debt with them and then sold me to cover his losses. Yes, sold me. They own me now. I’m theirs in every sense of the word. But I’ve never been meek and compliant. These men, they look at me with longing. Their scarred, blood-stained hands holding me tight. They want everything I am, everything I have to give, and won’t stop until they get just that. They can own my body, but they will never have my heart. The Vipers? I’m going to make them regret the day they took me. This girl? She bites too. *18+ Reverse Harem Romance. Warning this book contains scenes and references of abuse/assault that some readers may find triggering. Along with graphic sex scenes and violence. This is a dark book* MY REVIEW: Goodreads ************************************************************************ FREESTYLE by Bea Paige From the gutter to the stars… Dance is in my blood. It’s what keeps me sane, out of trouble. It used to keep them out of trouble too. A group of boys I grew up with. Xeno, York, Zayn and Dax. We were a crew once and we ruled the clubs. Separate we were insanely good, together we were unbeatable. F*&ing on fire. I was their girl and they were my Breakers. Until they did something they promised they never would; break my heart. We were sixteen when they left me. You see, for kids like us, dance was all we had. Growing up in a rundown housing estate in London with no prospects can make you view the world differently. It can make you choose the wrong path. I chose dance, and they chose crime. Three years later I’ve won a scholarship to Stardom Academy. I try to forget my past. But how can I do that when the four boys who hurt me are back? And this time they won’t walk away even when I ask them too. Freestyle is book one of this new gritty, contemporary reverse harem academy trilogy for 17+ readers and deals with adult themes and some subjects you may find upsetting. If you love dance, your men on the criminal side, alpha hot holes and the enemies-to-lovers trope, this is for you. Contains foul language and sexual scenes. MY REVIEW: Goodreads ************************************************************************ ZOMBIE QUEEN by Brandy Slaven and Mary Martel SUNKEN EMPIRE by Brandy Slaven When Rubi finds herself out on a singles cruise headed for the Bahamas, she can’t help but to wonder how her life has gone so horribly wrong. Many speed dates later and one drunken night on the deck sends Rubi head over heels, literally. She finds herself in the cold water of the Atlantic watching the boat she was cursing not long ago, sail off into the distance. Stranded in the middle of the ocean, she knows it’s only a matter of when she dies, not if. When three gorgeous identical strangers show up out of nowhere, Rubi is certain she is drunk and hallucinating. As they whisper dark promises in her ear and drag her into the dark abyss, she says goodbye to her pathetic life. Little does Rubi know, she is about to be thrust into a world full of magic, centuries old prophecies, sea monsters, and mermaids. MY REVIEW: Goodreads ************************************************************************ THE SURVIVOR’S DUET by Heather D’Agostino VANISHING ACT Have you ever wondered if things could be different? What would your life be like if you chose a different path? Would everything still be your fault? Would he still hate you? Would it be better or worse? Would he love you then? My name is Brooke Ellis. I’ve spent the last five years asking myself these questions as I try to survive my marriage. Some things don’t change, and some people don’t want to. Sometimes the only answer is to disappear. MY REVIEW: Goodreads ____________________________________ ENDURING ACT Ever have a dream that’s so vivid you believe that it’s real? All the things you’ve wanted are in your grasp. You’re happy and free. You believe that you’ve finally made it, and then you wake up. The nightmare you know as your life is back. No one understands what you’re going through, and no one believes the things you tell them. He has them all fooled. He’s convinced them he’s perfect. He tells them he loves you, and they believe the lies. How much must you endure before they see? How far can you bend before you break? How long must the nightmare last before you escape? MY REVIEW: Goodreads

Ever have a dream that’s so vivid you believe that it’s real? All the things you’ve wanted are in your grasp. You’re happy and free. You believe that you’ve finally made it, and then you wake up.
The nightmare you know as your life is back. No one understands what you’re going through, and no one believes the things you tell them. He has them all fooled. He’s convinced them he’s perfect. He tells them he loves you, and they believe the lies.
How much must you endure before they see? How far can you bend before you break? How long must the nightmare last before you escape?

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Melinda

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

This is part 2 of the Survivor Duet. It is not a stand alone and you need to read Vanishing Act First.

At the end of Vanishing Act I was left in a state of confusion and I needed more immediately. Enduring Act picks up where Vanishing Act ended.

Brooke wakes up in the hospital confused and disorientated. Did she get away form Warren and now she is back or was all that a dream. Brooke is trying to figure out what is real and what was a dream. Watching her journey of fighting her demons and trying to move on. I loved how patient and understanding Blake was with Brooke. I also liked Cal and Donna relationship with Brooke.

This book pulled me in and kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed seeing Cal give his brother a hard time. I liked Blake but there is something about Cal that I just need more of that man.

Heather D’Agostino is an avid reader turned Bestselling Author of the Contemporary Romance Series The Broken Series, The Shattered Series, The Second Chances Series, The Cook Brothers Series, and Romantic Suspense series The Witness Series. She attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Elementary Education with a minor in Mathematics. She currently lives in Central New York with her husband, two children, two dogs, and three cats. When she’s not writing she can usually be found at the dance studio, soccer field, or one of the many other places that she plays ‘Supermom’.

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When Alexandra’s older brother dies the night of his graduation, it changes everything for her. No longer is she the party girl. No longer does she care about being popular, and no longer is her family the happy unit she always thought existed. The only person who can help her heal is the same person who loved her brother as much as she did, his best friend. She only hopes to keep her heart from breaking when Jesse moves on, and she knows he will.

After Ethan dies, Jesse focuses on basketball, partying, and girls. He uses it all to turn his emotions off, but the irony is that Alex is the only person who can do that for him. She helps him forget, but she is the one person he shouldn’t be with because the secrets he knows could shatter everything. They could shatter her.

Contains mature themes.

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Goodreads

I purchased this audio book.

This is defiantly the right title for this book…both Alex and Jesse are truly Broken and Screwed.  My emotions were going up and down through this whole book. The narrator, Jillian Macie, drew me in and was difficult to press that pause button.   

Alex lost her brother, Ethan, in an accident and Jesse lost his best friend.  Alex knew Jesse could not stand her but they would get together when things were too hard to deal with on the anniversary and birthday of her brother and his best friend.  Jesse was the schools star athlete and the hottie of the school.  Alex loved Jesse but he only came around on her brother’s birthday, anniversary of his death, and whenever he needed her.   

My heart goes out to Alex her parents are awful to her before and after her brother died. Can I just say her friends or should I say so called friends were not much better than her parents. I have to say Jesse was not my favorite in the beginning but toward the end he started to redeem himself.  The chemistry and tension between Alex and Jesse is extreme.

I really don’t want to give to much away but the ending I was floored. I’m telling you I had to do a quick amazon search and was pleased to see the second book was out.  I downloaded that thing as fast as my fingers would let me hit 1-click.  I need to know what happens next and NOW. 

Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She’s written multi-bestsellers including the Carter Reed Series, the Fallen Crest Series, and Ryan’s Bed among others. She is currently writing to her heart’s content in north Minnesota with an English Cocker Spaniel she adores.

The Not-Outcast and all-new emotional slow burn romance from New York Times bestselling author Tijan is available now!

Cutler Ryder was everything I wasn’t.
He was the hockey star. I was an outcast.
He was best friends with my stepbrother, that same stepbrother who hated me.
His two parents loved him. My mom was a junkie. My dad barely knew me.

Years passed.
I got my life together.
Cut went onto NHL stardom.

Then there was a text.
I was drinking.
There was a party.
Cut was there…

I loved Cutler Ryder since the first moment I saw him.
The only problem? He never knew I existed.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon:https://amzn.to/2KJ1q2S
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/TheNotOutcast
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3lmAgeM

Add The Not-Outcast to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/37njNSW

Excerpt

“Stars. You made me meet them.” 

I was still seeing them. His eyes. So smoldering. 

He continued to stare at me, as if seeing me for the first time. 

I tensed. 

Maybe he was regretting this? Was my one-night stand a one-night finger bang instead? 

I tried to stem the disappointment, but… Okay. 

A girl had coping mechanisms. I could pull mine up, if I needed to. I was hoping I didn’t need to. I didn’t know how I’d handle that either. Then he must’ve made his decision. 

He readjusted his hold on me, standing back from the door and his mouth twitched. “One rule.” 

“Yeah?” 

I was about to see stars again. 

“Don’t call me dude again.”

TWINSIE MELINDA’S REVIEW

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished this and all I can say is I absolutely loved Cheyenne and Cutler. The struggles that Shay went through no kid should go through that. All she wanted was to be loved and not discarded. Cut was amazing but he was all about the hockey well until Cheyenne caught his eye.

Cheyenne’s mother was a drug addict and Shy had to learn how to survive at a young age. Never knowing if she would have something to eat that day or even if she would be able to sleep in her bed or house for that matter. Things got bad and Cheyenne had to got stay with her dad for a while. With a dad that didn’t know her, a step mom who didn’t want her, and a step brother that hatted her. But that step brother had a best friend that caught Cheyenne’s eye at school and that is what she held onto. Cutler is who kept her going day after day even if he never knew her.

Cutler is a big time NHL Hockey Player, has a loving family, two brothers and a best friend. All he has ever thought about was hockey this is what he was and never wavered. He locked on to Cheyenne one night and that was all it took. He didn’t know that Cheyenne was his best friend, Chad, step sister and definitely didn’t remember her from high school or short time in college. Hockey remember that was all he lived for.

Shy and Cut were made for each other. Cut could calm her when she was overloaded on sensations. Even though Shy would freak out or try to scare Cut away he was there always there. He was never the one to army crawl out of the room to run and hide in bushes but Cheyenne sure would. I have to say although I loved Cheyenne and Cutler together, I also loved the relationships she had with her other family. Shy, Melanie, and Sasha made a great trio always there when the needed each other and knew what the others were saying even if no one else did. But my favorite was seeing the relationship between Cheyenne and her brother Hunter (aka: Koala Boy) unfold.

I was introduced to so many new characters and loved them all. I would not be heart broken if we got more of any of them Sasha, Hendrix, Melanie, Cassie or Hunter…heck even Chad would love to see some redeeming qualities for him to shine through there.

Here are a few of my favorites from The Not-Outcast:

** He wasn’t real. Getting a boyfriend in school was supposed to make things right? But it wasn’t about getting a boyfriend, it was about someone loving me, even just liking me, because so many of them didn’t like me.

** There were so many different uses for toilet paper. The obvious wiping your ass use. Toga use. Bridal party use. General party decoration use. Apocalypse panic-buying use. Then, you know, the whole rolling it and stuffing it somewhere and everyone’s imaginations can fill in the blank for those places. Bulging penises. Bras. Maybe just the use of wiping sweat from under the boobs. But today, no, tonight. Tonight the toilet paper was being used to make a statement: to be a pain in someone’s ass.

** The idea of him had been the foundation holding those walls up, and now it was gone.
And shortly, so would he.
Because I knocked all of them over in one swift move.

** I wanted someone to love me. My mother never had. I had no dad, then I had a dad, but I still
didn’t have a dad. I had no one, so I created him in my head. He got me through until I found Sasha, then we found Melanie and it’s been us three since. Only us three. But damn, I just wanted to be loved.

** I heard the yelling, then a wave of everything else hit me. And it hit me hard. The smells of the club rose up swiftly. The techno music, the hard bass, the neon lights flashing flooded me. Sweat. Grime. Beer. Perfume. Cologne. And other smells that I didn’t want to identify. It was jarring, and I sucked in my breath, remembering to fortify my walls.

About Tijan
Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She’s written multi-bestsellers including the Carter Reed Series, the Fallen Crest Series, and the Broken and Screwed Series among others. She is currently writing a new YA series along with so many more from north Minnesota where she lives with a man she couldn’t be without and an English Cocker she adores.

Connect with Tijan
Amazon: https://amzn.to/30oxe0f
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2vreAub
Facebook Reader Page: https://bit.ly/32hsdsq
Twitter: http://bit.ly/2Vx4DpD
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2PyLhwy
Reader Group: http://bit.ly/38bz8nQ
Audiomen Group: https://bit.ly/3bFFKgB
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2EcGBqB

The Not-Outcast and all-new angst filled sports romance from New York Times bestselling author Tijan is available now!

Cutler Ryder was everything I wasn’t.
He was the hockey star. I was an outcast.
He was best friends with my stepbrother, that same stepbrother who hated me.
His two parents loved him. My mom was a junkie. My dad barely knew me.

Years passed.
I got my life together.
Cut went onto NHL stardom.

Then there was a text.
I was drinking.
There was a party.
Cut was there…

I loved Cutler Ryder since the first moment I saw him.
The only problem? He never knew I existed.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KJ1q2S
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/TheNotOutcast
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3lmAgeM

Add The Not-Outcast to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/37njNSW

Celebrate the cover reveal with this amazing giveaway→ https://bit.ly/3llWVrB

About Tijan

Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She’s written multi-bestsellers including the Carter Reed Series, the Fallen Crest Series, and the Broken and Screwed Series among others. She is currently writing a new YA series along with so many more from north Minnesota where she lives with a man she couldn’t be without and an English Cocker she adores.

Connect with Tijan

Amazon: https://amzn.to/30oxe0f
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2vreAub
Facebook Reader Page: https://bit.ly/32hsdsq
Twitter: http://bit.ly/2Vx4DpD
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2PyLhwy
Reader Group: http://bit.ly/38bz8nQ
Audiomen Group: https://bit.ly/3bFFKgB
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2EcGBqB

One half of a whole.
That’s what I always thought I’d be.
Being an identical twin, I always believed I had that to rely on. I thought wrong.
Losing half of that whole left me feeling like I had nothing.
It crippled me.
Almost destroyed me.
And left me with an aching heart, a slew of questions, and a need for revenge so strong I could almost taste it on my tongue.
My name is Gem Stone. My twin’s name was Gin. We might have looked like the same person, but we were not. Divorce and a disgusting mother forced us apart at a young age, and a horrible family kept us that way.
Still, we remained best friends—or so I thought.
When you lose the other half to your whole, the other half of your soul, you lose everything.
But I wasn’t ready to give up everything, even when I felt like I was dead inside.
My twin kept a secret from me. One that changed everything and made me look at her in a whole different light.
I ache for answers to my questions, and I find salvation where I shouldn’t. Mostly, I crave some type of vengeance. Something, anything, to make me feel better about what I’ve lost.

What You Deserve is a 100,000+ word m/f/m contemporary book for readers 18 and up.

Goodreads

I received this book from the author for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book. Franks stole my heart from the start. Riley took a little more to grow on me. I have a bit of a girl crush on Gem. Mary did an amazing job on this one.
Gem never had it great. She was a twin and things were great. Until her mother separated Gem and Gin when they were little. Causing Gem to lose a piece of herself. Gem found Franklin, her BFF, and boy did she need him. At 17 Gem and Gin were making plans to be together when they turned 18. Gem was once again left alone and heartbroken when Gin died. Franks is there to help her though it.
The lies that are told or maybe things unsaid have my heart torn apart here. This book really took me on a crazy ride. Gem is dealing with the death of her sister and learning so may secrets about her family. Riley, Gin’s BFF, is also learning things he had no idea about and trying to figure out what Gem means to him. I am just stunned with all the lies that are exposed in this one. I was hanging on to the cliff by my fingernails.
I need so much more of Gem, Franks, and Riley. Franks especially please, I cannot get enough of that man. I feel there is so much more going to go down with everything we have learned so far. There are so many that need to get what they deserve for hurting Gem and Gin.

Mary Martel was born in West Michigan and spent the majority of her life there. She currently resides in North Dakota with her husband, and her two beautiful daughters. She’s an avid reader, and when not writing she can be found with her nose stuck in a book.

Mason Kade is not known to be nice. He is ruthless, manipulative, and unforgiving. Most will say that he is an a**hole and he is to those that cross him or cross his loved ones. However, he does not want to be who he is. He does not enjoy hurting others, but there is no limit to the lengths he will go to protect himself and his brother.

This is the story of how he came to be and this is why so many love Mason Kade.

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Melinda

Audio review of book I purchased.

What a great lead into a series.  We get to know Mason and Logan Kade.  After listening to this story I can understand why these boys are the way they are.  After all the heartbreak they have had they fell they need to protect their hearts. Even though each take a different approach to protecting it they are doing what they need to not to be heart again.

Mason and Logan dad is an ass bringing women home night after night. Then his wife leaves him which I don’t blame. These boys loved her and cared about her. They felt sorry for the way their dad treated her and made her cry all the time. So yes, I do have a bit of resentment towards their mom for packing up and leaving.

WOW did these boys have some girl drama. I can see some of these girls causing issues for them in the future. These girls are some of the most deceitful and cut throat girls I have read in a while.

I’m ready to jump into this series. I need to find out the rest of the story about Sam and how she jells with the Kade boys.

I enjoyed this audio book narrated by Graham Halstead. He kept my attention and pulled me into this story.

Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She’s written multi-bestsellers including the Carter Reed Series, the Fallen Crest Series, and Ryan’s Bed among others. She is currently writing to her heart’s content in north Minnesota with an English Cocker Spaniel she adores.

To find what to read next of hers, go to www.tijansbooks.com
WALLSTREET JOURNAL, NEW YORK TIMES, AND USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR