Blush by Helen Hardt ARC Review!

 

Title: Blush 
Author: Helen Hardt
Publish Date: January 24th, 2023
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Source: Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC for review!

What he wants from you will make you…Blush.

Amanda Thomas is hopelessly in love with Jackson Paris, but he will never see her as anything more than his sweet and innocent bestie. After being virgin-adjacent for too long, Mandy is officially ready to move on. She wants to learn about hot, dirty sex, so she joins an online dating app where the enigmatic Mr. Dark promises to fulfill all of her wicked fantasies...

Jackson Paris has been keeping secrets from his stunning, too-innocent best friend—like forbidden sexual proclivities and his membership at the exclusive Black Rose Underground club. But Mandy has decided she needs an education—the filthy kind. As Mr. Dark, Jackson can safely give her a taste of what she wants—and deter her from pursuing more—without revealing his identity.

But in the dim, provocative atmosphere of Black Rose Underground, there are no secrets. Here, every wicked appetite is satisfied. And for the first time, Mandy will discover who her best friend really is...just in time to shock him with a secret of her own.

Penelope's Review

This was such a steamy, sexy read! Surprisingly enough, this is my first Helen Hardt book and I can't believe I've been missing out on such a great author all this time. Definitely looking forward to delving more into her books. In Blush, we have Amanda and Jackson - best friends who know almost everything about each other... except the more intimate aspects of their lives. Jackson thinks Amanda is sweet and innocent, and much to naïve for his sexual proclivities. Amanda knows that Jackson is a serial dater but has no idea about his membership to the Black Rose Underground and his darker urges. 

This is a friends-to-lovers story which isn't usually my favorite trope, but I thought it was really well done here! I loved the contrast between the characters and felt like bringing them together only made them stronger. Despite the hot erotic scenes, this book remains a really sweet story, and I loved that contrast. Jackson could be a bit annoying with his back and forth inner mantra on whether or not to get with Mandy, but by the end of the book I was happy with where the two ended up.

Overall, a good read with great writing style. Looking forward to checking out this author's many, many other books!

Rating: 4/5 Devils!

The Dark King by Gina L. Maxwell ARC Review!

 

Title: The Dark King (Deviant Kings #1)
Author: Gina L. Maxwell
Publish Date: September 27th, 2022
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Source: Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC for review! 

For Bryn Meara, a free trip to the exclusive and ultra-luxe Nightfall hotel and casino in Vegas should’ve been the perfect way to escape the debris of her crumbling career. But waking up from a martini-and-lust-fueled night to find herself married to Caiden Verran, the reclusive billionaire who owns the hotel and most of the city, isn’t the jackpot one would think. It seems her dark and sexy new husband is actual royalty—the fae king of the Night Court—and there’s an entire world beneath the veil of Vegas.

Whether light or shadow, the fae are a far cry from fairy tales, and now they’ve made Bryn a pawn in their dark games for power. And Caiden is the most dangerous of all—an intoxicating cocktail of sin and raw, insatiable hunger. She should run. But every night of passion pulls Bryn deeper into his strange and sinister world, until she’s no longer certain she wants to leave…even if she could.

Penelope's Review

Oooh this was a good one. A smart, sexy fae king and a strong, independent woman... what more could you ask for?! This book will give you all the feels lol. 

Caiden Verran is a billionaire fae king ruling over Las Vegas when he spots a human in the lobby of his hotel and is inexplicably drawn to her. One thing leads to another, and the next thing he knows, he's waking up married to the woman. Bryn Meara receives an invitation for a free stay at Nightfall hotel and casino in Las Vegas and jumps at the chance to escape the difficulties of her every day life. Little does she know, her life is about to change forever.

Caiden is such an excellently written character - he's funny and charming, commanding yet respectful... he's someone you root for. And the sex appeal as a Dom... phew! So. Good. 

And then we have Bryn! Sweet, independent, sassy Bryn. She was also such a great character - though I wish she would have stood her ground a bit more in a couple of scenes when Caiden's being a dick.... but that was part of her character's development as the story went along so it ended up working!

Absolutely loved every side character we met - Caiden's brothers were fantastic and I can't wait to get Tiernan's story. This book is definitely character- / romance- driven which is great if that's what you love! As many readers before me have said, I would have loved to delve a little deeper into the world that Bryn and Caiden are in, but the worked well regardless!

Overall, great read for some sexy characters, and a great erotic novel with a steady plot! Looking forward to my next read by Gina Maxwell!

Rating: 4/5 Devils!

Wicked Beauty by Katee Robert ARC Review!

 

Title: Wicked Beauty (Dark Olympus #3)
Author: Katee Robert
Publish Date: June 7th, 2022
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Source: Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC for review!

*A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Helen of Troy, Achilles, and Patroclus that's as sinful as it is sweet.*

In Olympus, you either have the power to rule...or you are ruled. Achilles Kallis may have been born with nothing, but as a child he vowed he would claw his way into the poisonous city's inner circle. Now that a coveted role has opened to anyone with the strength to claim it, he and his partner, Patroclus Fotos, plan to compete and double their odds of winning.

Neither expect infamous beauty Helen Kasios to be part of the prize...or for the complicated fire that burns the moment she looks their way.

Zeus may have decided Helen is his to give to away, but she has her own plans. She enters into the competition as a middle finger to the meddling Thirteen rulers, effectively vying for her own hand in marriage. Unfortunately, there are those who would rather see her dead than lead the city. The only people she can trust are the ones she can't keep her hands off—Achilles and Patroclus. But can she really believe they have her best interests at heart when every stolen kiss is a battlefield?

Penelope's Review

I wasn't really sure what to expect going into this, as it's my first book by this author (this is one of those series that doesn't really need to be read in order) but I really enjoyed it! I liked the writing style, enjoyed the tropes, and loved the overall plot. The world-building here is great - lots of details are given but in a "show" rather than a "tell" way if you know what I mean. I am a sucker for any kind of competition in a book, so the fact that this was trial-based hooked me right from the beginning!

The sexual chemistry just FLIES off the pages - Helen is a gorgeous, layered character who fits into the story well, and fits in with Achilles and Patroclus even better! I've never read a book with a ménage à trois before, so again, wasn't sure what to expect but it ended up being SO HOT! The sex scenes are written well, you can feel the emotions and tension and it just works! Achilles is a man who knows what he wants and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals whereas Patroclus is the one with a head on his shoulders and a penchant for seeing 10 steps ahead of everyone. The two are complete opposites and yet they work so well together. With Helen thrown into the mix, who's personality is almost like a combination of the two, it just makes everything that much better.

I loved the trials that they had to go through to become Ares - though I will say that I thought there would be a bit more when it came to the two "outsider" competitors... maybe that will go somewhere in the next book?? But in this one, the villain aspect that I thought was going to play a larger role, sort of fell flat for me. Other than that though, really enjoyable read! I like the twist on mythology and look forward to trying the other books in this series!

Rating: 4/5 Devils!