📚 Lara Loves Lit 📚August Reviews Part 2
12 of my 15 Reads from August
The Devil in Disguise(ARC)
by LO Gold
“You’re going to run and we’re going to chase you.”
Full of twists you don’t see coming, this dark tale reminds you that if you play with the Devil, you might not come back from hell. Garett is obsessed with Celeste and determined to have her. Celeste wants to experience the dark side and have fun, so she takes a chance on a masked man only to find out he might be the devil in disguise.
Garrett’s character is unhinged and his obsession with Celeste is so singularly focused that you know she doesn’t stand a chance. When his friend, Luke, becomes equally enthralled with her, a dynamic of lust, jealousy and possession threatens to interrupt their original plans.
Suspenseful, thrilling and super spicy, this was a read that had me guessing until the end- and still left me with so many questions! Now, I can’t wait to see what happens next. If you love these tropes, this will not disappoint! As always, do head the CW.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oath of Betrayal (ARC)
Book 1 of The Broken Bonds: Slavic Romantic Fantasy with Dragons
by Oleana Nikitin
“I’m delighted, Little Flame. The world is so much brighter with the light of your soul within mine.”
About: Beginning with Annika’s heartbreak, we follow her journey through grief and loss as the world around her moves closer to war. As she finds a soul connection with an unlikely beast, she also finds her broken and lonely heart beginning to yearn for more connection again. Her soul is calling out to the Lord Commander of the Dragon Riders who wants to use her as his ultimate weapon, and a dark fae who makes her magic feel calm, but hides a dark secret. As the last conduit mage, she is being hunted by the Lich King and has to hone herself into a weapon to try to save the kingdom.
My Thoughts: With this FMC being in her 30’s, I found I could easily relate to her. Her grief helps shape her character, and I thought the author did a great job incorporating her healing into the storyline. I cannot get enough of Annika and Vahin, the dragon. I want a relationship with a dragon like this! The slow burn romance and banter between her, Ormond and Alaric creates great sexual tension, and you can’t wait for them to deliver on their passions.
The plot is intriguing, and the world building is done in a way that doesn’t take away from the story. At times, I wanted the pace to be a bit quicker for me, but I do feel the pace felt right for the characters and plot development. Ending on a cliffhanger, I am anxious to see what happens next.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Closer Than You Think (ARC)
by Taura King
This is not your ordinary stalker romance. I mean yes, Silas is a killer and a walking red flag. He is obsessed with and stalks, Hallie, an innocent school teacher, but it’s not just an obsession, he has fallen hard in love with her, making their romance just hit differently. “She’s not just a light in the dark; she’s the dawn breaking over a bloodstained horizon.”
Starting off immediately with Silas doing his bloody work, it doesn’t let up from there. The mystery and suspense keeps you guessing, and even after Silas kinaps Hallie, the twists keep coming. The pace keeps you quickly turning the page to see what happens next.
I love spice, and Taura King writes it so well! Hallie and Silas come together with intensely heated passion that does not disappoint. Although dark and forbidden, Silas and Hallie’s steamy love story delivers a gritty romance not often found in this genre. I would ignore all the red flags and have a new book boyfriend in Silas Thrasher!
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
The Book of Cin
by H.M. Wolfe
Honestly, the author, @hmwolfe had me at the dedication:
“For my readers. For the ones who suffer silently. You will not break.”
About: The Book of Cin takes us on a heart wrenching and inspiring journey of love, betrayal, self discovery and healing where everything Hyacinth thought she knew about the realms - and herself - is turned upside down. As she learns about her own dormant magic, she must also find her courage and make sacrifices to protect her friends as the threat of war hangs over them.
My reactions: Holy smokes, this was amazing! First off, I have to say that the trauma Hyacinth experiences from the emotional and physical abuse of her narcissistic boyfriend hit hard for me. As a victim of this type of abuse myself, it was written so realistically, and I especially appreciate the author’s accurate betrayal of what this type of trauma does to ones self-esteem and character. Her healing journey and growth throughout the story is paced with perfection, and I found myself cheering Cin on every time she reclaimed a bit of herself and discovered newfound strengths.
The sexual tension and attraction between her and Landers is the kind of slow burn you crave, and it delivers on making you more than ready for the tension to break. “The only time I want to see you on your knees,” he whispered with a low rumble, “is when those beautiful lips are wrapped around me.” How hot 🔥 is that?!
“You are mine.” He said the words not with possession, but in devotion. “You do not belong to me, but I . . . I belong to you.”
If you love epic adventures with found family, a morally grey MMC, magic, and an FMC coming into her own power, this needs to be added to your TBR. Oh, and did I mention, they’re dragons?!?
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Be My Sinner: A Dark Stalker Romance
(Brotherhood of the Sacrament, Book 1)
by Al Maruga
“The mistook me for a sheep, when, in truth, I was a lion. They underestimated me, just as they had underestimated my female ancestors for centuries, in the end, the only way to combat a predator is to transform into a great one.”
About: The Sinner seeks to claim revenge for all those who created the world of hell she lives in by eradicating those that are part of the Order of the Brotherhood of the Sacrament. The Protector is determined to keep her safe while he aids her in her need for blood and vengeance. The Forsaker and the Liar are princes of the order and they take what they want. The Sinner is their’s - always has been, and they will take her too.
My Reactions: This book begins in a blood bath and doesn’t let up on the suspense, spice and action from there. Sammy and NIghtstar’s dynamic is on fire, and their forbidden and depraved love creates the centerpiece of the story’s dystopian plot. The sexually deranged actions of Ezekiel and Abe as descendants of men of the order and next in line to rule make them a stark contrast to the violent but protective nature of Sammy. I loved the secret society and dystopian backdrop where women are nothing more than possessions to be used as the catalyst for the FMC becoming a true bada$$, the Unholy Ghost. The cliffhanger left me reaching for the next book immediately, and I cannot wait to see how this concludes!
If you love enemies to lovers, age gap, stalker with a twist, morally black characters in a gothic romance with no heroes, then this read is for you.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Pact
by Helena Sage
Book 1 Wolf Creek Duet
After leaving an abusive long term relationship, Thea starts over in the small town of Willow Creek. Finally, letting herself date again, Thea thinks she’s might have found the perfect man, Cole. Only thing is he has three brothers, Damian, Sutton and Wes, and they share literally everything.
While coming to terms with this new relationship dynamic and being stalked by her ex, Thea works to build her trust with the brothers and defy convention by going beyond what society accepts as normal to pursue what makes her happy. As she begins to fall for all the brothers, events keep undermining her security and happiness. When she starts to uncover lies and secrets, she realizes that things are not what they appear to be, but is her discovery too late to save not only her new found family but her own life.
This RH dark romance has intriguing characters, strong plot, suspense and excitement - along with a lot of spice. It does leave you impatient for what happens next. Cannot wait to find out in Book 2’s conclusion.
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
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