Tag Archives: C.L. Matthews

BDSM, Dark Romance, Erotica, Promo, Standalone, Taboo, tattoo

#BookBlast #BookPromo – Music Lights & Never Afters by C.L. Matthews

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THIS IS A STANDALONE ROCKSTAR NOVEL.

Some blades cut deeper than others.

When I was younger, that saying never made sense. I was the child of a famous musician living my best life, learning talents of my own, and making the world my stage.

I had it all, until that very first cut.

Losing my parents was only a nick in the dumpster fire that became my life. Their death hurt, but not as bad as the betrayal I felt from Andy.

I admit I went a little crazy when they passed away. I isolated myself, pushed away everyone I could, and it worked.

I was free from the confines of expectations, but that high only lasted so long before the second cut came.

Andy gave me my space.

Even though I asked for it, it wasn’t what I wanted.

It was almost as if the connection we shared, all the late-night conversations, and laughs evaporated.

And now, five years later, when I feel at least halfway decent about my life and the music I create, she calls me, asking me to meet him—her new fiancé.

Some blades cut deeper than others, but that one completely bled me dry.

Bully, Dark Romance, M/F/M, M/F/M/M, M/M, M/M/F, M/M/M, M/M/M/F, Part of a Series, Reverse Harem

#REVIEW – Here Loves a Sociopath: A Dark Bully Academy Romance (Here Lies Book 3) by C.L. Matthews

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Here Lives a Corpse is book one of a five-book series. You do have to read all to understand. Each one ends on a cliffhanger.

Here Lives a Corpse – Oct 13th
Here Lies a Saint – Dec 8th
Here Loves a Sociopath – April 1st
Here Prays a Sinner – June 1st
Here Saves a Killer – July 20th

We all have demons, some of us know how to befriend them rather than defy them.
They always speak of me… whispers of a devil with a charming smile.
But they don’t know me, what truly lies beneath.
I’m a monster with the face of a boy, married to the darkness, harvested by the past, and saved by none.
My intentions aren’t clear, but the murky water my hopes died in is.
I’ll save her since no one else can.
She’ll hate the process.
They’ll run for their salvation.
The Vestige won’t take any prisoners.
Taking away her choices wasn’t intentional, tying her hands wasn’t permanent, but stealing every part of her that matters was always my goal.
In the end, I’ll demolish the meek castle they’ve built, proving that the fixer will always outwin the weak.
Screw princes and kingdoms.
The devil always played harder and smarter.
She’s mine, they’ve only forgotten their place.

Have you ever become so enthralled with a series and a group of characters, that you just feel like you know them and they’re your best friends and you just want to keep them safe from harm? Well that’s me with the characters in this series. While they are teenagers and I could be old enough to be their mother if I had them young enough, I just want to tuck them into my arms and hide them from all the crap they have to deal with. Like seriously.

When Cassie told me she was writing a reverse harem type series but with her own twist and spin on things, I was like okay. I don’t read a lot of RH books anyway but I knew that what she would write, would be beyond epic. And dudes, can we talk about mind being blown? I’m always in awe of Cassie’s writing. She grows with each book and this series, the way she paints the images in your head with her words, is something I strive for as an author myself. The details, although simple but smart and unique, leave you being able to see the scene likes you’re watching it play out on screen in front of you. I’m simply in awe right now.

I knew that by the time I was done book one that Bridger would be my favourite and I couldn’t wait for his story. So when Cassie said that his book was number three, I was beyond excited to read it and she didn’t disappoint.

You do have to read these books in order to get the full feel of the story as there are so many layers to each character that get slowly peeled away like layers of an onion as we get deeper and deeper into the story. I can’t wait for this series to be done and to read these books back to back.

While we learn more about each character in this book, we are of course left with more questions but I trust Cassie to give us all of the answers when her and her characters are ready. There are so many twists and turns and I can’t wait for the next book!

Oh and that certain scene with the 5 of them…wow. Just wow. I won’t go into details but trust me, you all need to read this series. This is hands down my favourite series of Cassie’s and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.

Bully, M/F/M, M/M, M/M/M, Part of a Series

#Review – Here Lies a Saint: A Dark Bully Academy Romance by C.L. Matthews

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Being rich is great until you become the saint of Arcadia.
Gentleman.
Charmer.
All-star.
They call me a saint, but if they knew the lies, the fallacies,
and what truths I hide, I’d be labeled a proclaimed sinner.
I lie, do all the bad deeds, especially if it does right by her.
She’s the darkness but also the light.
He’s my downfall but also my redemption.
Two opposites, but somehow everything I’ve fought for.
Earning her, saving him, it’s all I can think of.
Saint or sinner, I’ll win her.
Death or life, I’ll protect him.
Truth or lie, I’ll save them.
Arcadia isn’t prepared for the war its wrought.
Good thing I’m a fighter.
No one said I’d bow down to an unworthy king.

This series is insane! This book is insane! Just when I thought I knew what was happening and who was the bad guy and so on, boy was I wrong! I think the only person I trust is Colt.

When I started this series, I hadn’t read a lot of reverse harem type books. Maybe one or two but this series is hands down my favourite. And we still get three more books!

This is book 2 in the Here Lies Series and I definitely recommend reading the first book. I personally don’t think it should be read on it’s own, so grab book 1!

There is so much lies and deception in this book, it’s unreal! And can we talk about the hotness as well? I first started writing this review before I was completely done the book. I was actually going to say that book one has way more sexy times in it but…I think they’re both equal. There’s a scene close to the end of the book, in a woods that is beyond hot. CL Matthews definitely knows her way around a sex scene.

I find that the more questions that get answered, the more we’re left with unanswered questions just the same. Which I’m loving! There’s secrets, a kind of who-dunnit feel and you’re left not knowing who you can trust.

By the ending of the book, I was holding my breath through the last couple of chapters, trying to figure out what was going to happen and hoping for the best that nothing would happen to the characters I had fallen in love with.

Definitely an amazing read and I can’t wait for book 3!

Bully, New Release, Part of a Series, Reverse Harem, Review

#Review – Here Lives A Corpse (Here Lives #1) by C.L. Matthews

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Here Lives a Corpse is book one of a five-part series. You do have to read all to understand. Each one ends on a cliffhanger.

Here Lives a Corpse – Oct 13th
Here Lies a Saint – Dec 8th
Here Loves a Sociopath – March 2nd
Here Prays a Sinner – April 20th
Here Saves a Killer – June 1st

Life doesn’t promise anything but existence.
Losing Cass proved that.
Everyone thinks I’m crazy.
Corpse.
Freak.
Vampire.
They called me the one who never overcame the loss of her brother, the outcast, the least likely to succeed.
But what about their lies?
He jumped. He wanted to die. He killed himself.
When will they stop?
Unraveling the secrets they founded this town with seems impossible.
Detangling the bloodlines that weave the very essence of Arcadia Crest might actually kill me.
Forgetting the little details I’ve erased from my memories as a result of love could be the catalyst of my entire story.
Death brought me hatred.
Hatred drove me to them.
They touched me only in secret.
All stories end in blood, but an oath was never part of that equation.

Twinsie Jo’s Review:

I seriously don’t even know where to begin with this review. This book is everything. EVERY SINGLE THING. If you love reverse harem and bully romances that teeter on the dark side of things, this book is for you. I am chomping at the bit for book 2! Like seriously. This book is definitely in my top 5 books of 2020! Now for my review:

I read the blurb but still had no idea what I was getting into with this book. It’s a bully reverse harem but oh so much more than that too. I was trying to predict through the whole thing. I wanted to know why the boys were bullies. I wanted to know why Colton was the way that she was. I wanted to know everything. There are five books in this series and I have a feeling that we won’t know every thing until the very last book. I don’t want to give too much away but if you love the bully trope and reverse harem trope, you have to read this book. This is by far CL’s best writing to date. I’m so proud of her.

This book deals with secrets, lust, passion, love, betrayal, heartache and more. So so much more. Every new character mentioned, I wasn’t sure if I could trust. Even after finishing the book, I don’t think I can trust anyone. Except for Colt.

Bottom line: Do not trust anyone.

Now live! → https://books2read.com/hlac

Add HLaC to your TBR → http://bit.ly/hlacclm

Erotica, Insta-Love, Instant Love, M/M, Novella

#REVIEW – Loveless: A Male-Male Forbidden Romance by C.L. Matthews

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I lie to everyone my entire life.
Hiding.
Lonely.
Loveless.
Then he came along.
The light to reveal me, casting my shadows away.
The partner to be here for me, who never allows me to be lonely again.
The man to prove I’m worthy, promising to show me I’m not loveless after all.
My little prince.
My savior.
My happy ending.
Mine.

Oh this little story was delicious!! While it was short, I didn’t feel like it took away from the story at all. I do wish there was more, just like an update kind of thing but alas, I’ll have to wait for Cassie to give us more MM fun.

Prim and Texas are best friends. After Texas has a horrible run in when his father catches him in the middle of something, Texas runs to Prim for help. Little did he know that he would meet a secret person in the mean time.

After a delicious encounter at a bar, super super hot scene by the way, Texas lets Prim help him.

And when he meets Prim’s father…well…you’ll just have to read to find out. 😉

Amazon – https://amzn.to/34Aa5fT
C.L. Matthews lives in lala-landia with her husband and invisible friends. She wants to riot the lack thereof authentic Mexican food in her state, but she’s an introvert at heart. She enjoys tacos, Red Bull, and warm water, because she’s crazy. She’s an oddball, and realizes it’s been mentioned before, just go with it. Her joys in life consist of writing unconventional romances, making book covers, causing havoc to her reader’s hearts, and genre hopping when she needs a change of scenery. She’s a special kind of weird and enjoys every moment of it. https://www.facebook.com/clmatthewsauthor

Part of a Series, Taboo

#REVIEW – Firsts (Cape Hill #1) by C.L. Matthews

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She’s forbidden.
Too young, too pure, and not mine.
I’ll break all the rules to be with her.
She belongs to me, even if she doesn’t know it yet.

He’s taboo.
Too old, too experienced, and my stepfather.
I’ll cross every line to be with him.
He’s not mine, and never will be.

It’s not about the danger of what’s forbidden,
it’s about the pleasure we get from it.

All consequences be damned.

Twinsie Jo’s Review

I’m a huge fan of the taboo, the forbidden. The whole “I want her/him but I shouldn’t”. It’s delicious and exciting.
We first meet Leia and Sy when she’s nothing more than a mere child. Thirteen to be exact. When they first meet, the tension and attraction is off the charts. It seeped through the pages and hits you right in the pit of your gut. But you know that she’s too young. He’s too old. But it doesn’t stop the attraction there. Leia becomes older. But that age difference will always be there. The attraction grows until neither of them can control their undying need for each other.
The chemistry is hot. Like insanely hot. It starts as a slow flame until the end of the book when it finally bursts into a raging inferno.
This is the first book to a series. There’s secrets, passion, drama, a triangle of sorts and more. If taboo stories are your thing, then this series is definitely for you.

Part of a Series

#REVIEW – Breathe (Hollow Ridge, #2) by C.L. Matthews

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Blurb:
You’d think five years would be enough time to cope and move on.
It’s not.
If anything, it’s given me more unrealistic ways to deal with my loss.
More pain.
And even worse, a woman I don’t love.
A woman that isn’t her.
I hate her.
She hates me, too.
My life’s a mess.
My heart’s nonexistent.
My soul was lost long ago.
Worst of all, I no longer have any fucks to give.
They say you find your true love after you lose your first one.
I call bullshit.

Amazon Universal ⇢ mybook.to/breathe
Books2Read ⇢ https://books2read.com/u/38ZMRa
Add to your Goodreads TBR ⇢ http://bit.ly/39y0Jkh

Twinsie Jo’s Review

I knew going in that this book would be brutal. But I had no idea just how much. Inhale, Exhale was rough. I wanted to bash some character’s heads in and then some. My heart hurt for Lo, Toby and yes, even Jase. But Breathe…Cassie, you upped your game with this one. While this only the second book I’ve read of hers, it definitely won’t be the last.

Breathe…man, I don’t even have any words really to describe the pain in this book. The ache, the broken characters striving for that certain thing they’re missing. I’m not an emotional reader. At all. But there’s just something about Cassie’s writing that hits home with me. There were parts of this book that I had to read quickly due to them affecting me on a personal level. I can’t gush enough about this book/series.

Toby…oh my boy. He’s so broken and tortured. After a misunderstanding, everything goes down hill from there. It’s just heartbreaking.

If you love books with an age gap, angst – so much freaking angst -, pain and love and everything else, you have to grab this series.

Anthology, Taboo

#NewRelease – Forbidden Anthology

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Title: Forbidden: A Romance Anthology
Author names: Yolanda Olson, Abigail Davies, C.M. Radcliff, Alexandra Silva, Michelle Brown, J.M. Walker, C.L. Matthews
Genre: Forbidden Romance
Release Date: April 6, 2020
Cover designer is Pink Elephant Designs
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52229978-forbidden
Blurb:
Seven authors bring you seven forbidden romance stories with a twist.
Prepare for the ride of your life.
This gripping collection of angsty tales will have you turning the pages non-stop.
Get lost in this set of brand-new, never before released, deliciously ILLICIT romances where the DECEIVED are revealed.
The SIN KEEPER will be exposed and ENFORCE HER to abide by the LOVELESS rules where LOLITA is ALL WE KNOW.
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://geni.us/ForbiddenAntho
Wide Universal: https://geni.us/ForbiddenAnthoWide
iTunes: https://apple.co/2xK25uH
B&N: https://bit.ly/2wdmWpL
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3dWcHqD

Contemp. Romance, Part of a Series

#REVIEW – Inhale, Exhale by C.L. Matthews

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“I do.”
Two words woven in love.
In sickness and in health.
For better or for worse.
Til death do us part.
And death dragged us apart.
We both said those vows.
But neither of us kept them.
This is not one of those happy stories.
Life isn’t made of simple choices
and happily ever afters.
It’s a dark place.
It’s not easy.
It’s full of mistakes and lessons.
It hurts.
And in the end, those two words said in love,
are the same ones said in hate.
“You want a divorce?”
“I do.”

Twinsie Jo’s Review:

I read the blurb, followed Cassie through her time writing this and I still wasn’t prepared for what I read.
I’m not an emotional reader but when I have to take a break and go do something else, you know the book has hit me. These characters…so messed up and beautifully broken…their love is unconditional. Even though it took quite a while for them to get back to each other, I was happy with how things turned out in the end.
Jase drove me crazy. Lo drove me crazy. Ellie? We don’t talk about her. Toby? sigh
So many things could be said about this book. The characters. The rawness. The love. The pain. The heartache. The misery. But while this happened, they grew. Together and a part.
This book will forever hold a special spot in my heart. It wasn’t an easy read and while I didn’t enjoy every moment of it (which I’m sure is what the author wanted and was rooting for), it was wonderful. I love the stories that hurt. Life isn’t all roses and puppies and kittens. Life is hard. It’s brutal and unfair. Life sucks sometimes. And we are human and make mistakes. I think through Jase and Lo’s mistakes, it was the only way they could find their way back to each other. Bravo, Cassie. Bravo. Now I really can’t wait for Breathe. xx