Maddox’s face darkened. He stepped closer, crowding into my space and pushing me back against the wall.
“Maddox-” I started but he cut me off with a low snarl, his chest vibrating with the cruel sound.
My chest cracked, open wide and the fissures of my broken heart scattered on the ground at our feet.
His eyes blazed with rage and… raw pain. “I’m self destructing every time I look at you, every time my eyes seek you out when we’re in the same room. You make destruction and melancholia taste like sweet, sweet fucking poison.”
I have a shelf in my Goodreads that is for ‘Fav Locale NOLA.’ It’s a compulsion for me to read stories set in the Big Easy. And it’s a delicate balance between loving and hating books set in NOLA because the city has such a strong personality. I am a gray-area-girl in everything except for New Orleans, coffee, and how many humans I can deal with within one day. I got hard limits there. It’s crucial writers treat the City that Care Forgot really well.
The Zombie Year 2099 series has been giving me joy for weeks now, and Nala Kingsley’s Voodoo Sector delivered up for me some hottie fairies killin’ zombies. In 2099 the city has been laid waste by the undead. These aren’t your comic book brain-eaters; they are excellent hunters with a taste for blood. They can scent humans, so it’s hard to hide, and since NOLA is an abandoned city, it’s not like you can lose yourself in the crowd. Calliope LeBlanc has the losing hand in this game called life; all bets are against her.
I think the thing I most loved about Calliope is Nala Kingsley writes her as a warrior — as Talen would say, she’s a Zombie Warrior Princess. I enjoyed her never-say-die attitude. And more than that, I loved that Calliope was so very pragmatic about her survivability.
Oh Lord in Heaven. This book has me in love with every one of the characters except for the hero — and it’s not like he sucks. Truth is Thatch is just not as impressive as the others. And boo-hoo for him. I guess that might be a backhanded compliment to A.D. McCammon. I love all her Westbrook peeps, but the hero is Laa-aime.
“We’re told as little girls when a boy is mean to you, it means he likes you, but that’s total bullshit. There must be another explanation. Here’s to hoping it’s not one that makes me want to be homeschooled.” – Violet
Violet is a wallflower, in every way you could mean the word. The only person who appears to be able to see her is her bully, and she wishes she could drop off his radar.
And Thatcher Michaelson is an insecure King of a Crap-pile he’d instead not rule. Wealthy, entitled, and feared, if not respected, because he’s certainly earned his reputation, he is more regretful about it than he is proud. Sadly, someone has to take on the dirty jobs; Thatcher and his best friends: Cole and Arwen have been meting out punishments for years. But Violet is mistaken in thinking Thatcher has it out for her, sometimes you gotta be cruel to be kind.
“‘I’m fine, mom. Jesus.’
‘Oh shit … did I interrupt you? You know that’s nothing to be ashamed of. A little self-exploration is healthy.’
‘Oh my god, mother! Boundaries!’”
The thing I loved most about When the Saint Falls is A.D. McCammon empowers the females in this damn book. Violet is no shrinking … well, violet. Her mom Josie is endearing as hell and seeing her struggle to do the correct mom-thing with a girl who, until the present, never needed a mom figure was sweet and often hilarious. It is hard when the shift happens, and you stop raising your parents.
Title: I Dare You (Truth and Dare Duet #2) Author: Lylah James Genre: Romance Release Date: January 30, 2020
Summary:
Enemies to best friends and now lovers. Maddox Coulter. Was my enemy. Now my best friend. You know him… Popular jock, rich enough to buy a town and a modern day Casanova with a dirty smirk. He’s every girl’s wet dream. But he wants me. Maddox needs me. One night of untamed passion has us dangling over the edge of something dangerous and it could forever break us. Our hearts are on the line. Maddox is keeping secrets. I vowed to never give up on him but I’m not sure he’s the same man I fell in love with anymore. I’m scared he’d leave my heart bleeding at his feet. But worst, what if we go back to… … hating each other?
The Andorra Sector is my new favorite shifter region. — And this new shifter world is my new treasured special place. And, well hell, this book is my most beloved book of the entire year so far. And that is saying something because I’ve already read finished eleven books, and we are only half-way into January.
But why the hype, Ali? Yeah, with all that endorsement, I’d be suspect. When looking to buy a book, I’m always cautious when seeing too pretty covers. They don’t always mean a great story. Just trust me here; if you like growly, rapacious, horn-dawgs who are subject to the demands of their baby mommas, here you go.
The X-Clan is screwed. The Andorra Sector has every technology this barely surviving existence could want. The wolves are safe from most threats allowing the pack to focus on scientific advancement. And who doesn’t want an edge when facing a post-infection world?
But no amount of research, design, and development is going to give the Alphas of the X-Clan what they need most: mates. The Alphas are currently outnumbering Omega mates by 30:1. And the only mate and Alpha can mate with is an Omega; biologically, they are perfect together.
X-Clan is at a disadvantage in this way, Ander Cain has a revolution brewing, and his wolves are hungering for blood or pleasure.
Title: Baiting Him (How to Catch an Alpha #2) Author: Aurora Rose Reynolds Genre: Romance Release Date:January 14, 2020
Summary:
Chrissie doesn’t have time for guys, hot or otherwise; most days, she barely has time to sleep. With a thriving bakery that demands her attention and plenty of proof that relationships aren’t worth the trouble, she’s content to go it alone. Too bad she’s unwittingly baited Mr. Tall, Dark, and Way Too Gorgeous—and he’s just waiting for a chance to bite.
Gaston is used to getting what he wants, but he also knows nothing good ever comes easy. From the moment he meets Chrissie, he realizes that this woman who makes him laugh, smells like cupcakes, and looks like a tasty snack is going to be his greatest challenge. And if he’s lucky, she’ll be his biggest reward. But someone else wants to catch Gaston at all costs—even if it means endangering the lives of the people he loves. Somehow Gaston must thwart danger and convince Chrissie that he’s the perfect catch.
Title: Credence Author: Penelope Douglas Genre: New Adult Romance Release Date: January 14, 2020
Summary:
Credence, a New Adult romance by New York Times bestselling author Penelope Douglas is LIVE!
Tiernan de Haas doesn’t care about anything anymore. The only child of a film producer and his starlet wife, she’s grown up with wealth and privilege but not love or guidance. Shipped off to boarding schools from an early age, it was still impossible to escape the loneliness and carve out a life of her own. The shadow of her parents’ fame followed her everywhere.
And when they suddenly pass away, she knows she should be devastated. But has anything really changed? She’s always been alone, hasn’t she?
Jake Van der Berg, her father’s stepbrother and her only living relative, assumes guardianship of Tiernan who is still two months shy of eighteen. Sent to live with him and his two sons, Noah and Kaleb, in the mountains of Colorado, Tiernan soon learns that these men now have a say in what she chooses to care and not care about anymore. As the three of them take her under their wing, teach her to work and survive in the remote woods far away from the rest of the world, she slowly finds her place among them.
And as a part of them.
And she also realizes that lines blur and rules become easy to break when no one else is watching.
Title: Sex and Other Shiny Objects (Boyfriend Material #2) Author: Lauren Blakely Genre: Romantic Comedy Release Date:January 13, 2020
Summary:
The second the test-the-sexy-scenes offer landed in my lap, I said yes.
After all, I’ve been damn curious about a few things I’ve read in romance novels. Do buttons truly go flying across the floor when you rip off a guy’s shirt? Is staircase sex hella hot or does it leave you with a big old bruise mark on your back? And don’t even get me started on all that panty shredding, and whether it even works.
Time to find out as I embark on Project Sexy Scenes Research, at the request of my hotshot book editor bestie.
All I need is a willing scene partner. Enter Tristan, my best guy friend. The witty, tell-it-like-it-is, bearded hottie volunteers for the experiment.
He’s also the guy who gave me the most devastating, toe-curling kiss of my life ten years ago. But nothing has happened since then.
And nothing will come between my panties and our friendship now since we have a plan to keep it PG.
But once the buttons start flying, all bets are off…
Title: Stranded at Night (California Express #1) Author: Rebekah Dodson Genre: Adult, Romance, Suspense Release Date:January 04, 2020
Summary:
Two days after Christmas, two in the afternoon, two passengers must face the storm to prevail against the darkness.
Maggie Espinoza needs to get away from Portland, Oregon, from a blown out past and a bleak future. She figures taking the Express train to balmy Southern California to start over is just what she needs. Two days after Christmas while everyone is preparing for the New Year, she makes her escape during the worst blizzard the state has ever seen.
Jesse Cabot senses a darkness in fellow passenger Maggie when he sits next to her on the train.
Why is she so haunted and broken?
When the train suddenly stops in the middle of the blizzard weird things start to happen.
Random disappearances, an assault, a body in the snow.
It becomes clear it’s up to Jesse and Maggie to find the culprit or face the music on the stranded California Express.
Title: Man Crush Monday Author: Kirsty Moseley Genre: Romantic Comedy Release Date: February 03, 2020
Summary:
Perma-single Amy Clarke prides herself on three things: her pink hair, her Converse collection, and her ability to drink copious amounts of margarita without puking. She isn’t looking for love. She’s perfectly content with her simultaneous love affairs with Netflix and both Ben and Jerry. The trouble is, sometimes, love finds you.
Five months ago, he climbed aboard her train, and nothing has been the same since. Fast-forward to now, she still doesn’t know his name, but she knows she wants his babies.
Her crush—this tall, dark, and handsome dork who gets on her train every other Monday—has no idea he brightens her day with his panty-wetting smile and laugh that makes her pulse quicken.
When a chance encounter outside of work forces them to have their first proper conversation, things quickly go from loving him from afar to up close and very personal. With a string of disastrous exes in her past, has Amy finally found her Mr. Perfect? Or does fate have other plans?
A new stand-alone romcom from Kirsty Moseley, best-selling author of The Boy Who Sneaks in My Bedroom Window and Nothing Left to Lose.
