Naomi's Reading Palace

Review ~ Jersey Six by Jewel E. Ann

Jersey Six by Jewel E. Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jewel E. Ann has become a favourite author of mine, and I was enthralled by Jersey Six. I enjoyed the connection between Jersey and Ian, but was unsure of the direction it was going to go. I liked that Ian wanted to look out for her, but between Jersey and her friend Chris, they had their own agenda. I liked the support crew that Ian had, and the growth of Jersey. She had a lot to deal with in her past. The back story was heartbreaking for both Jersey and Ian, and getting more from each of them made my heart ache for them both.

Title: Jersey Six

Author: Jewel E. Ann

Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance

Published: June 13, 2019

How far would you go for revenge?

A hit-and-run accident leaves Jersey Six orphaned and homeless on the streets of Newark, shattering her dreams of school dances, pink nail polish, and a diploma.

Eight years later, a burn victim with amnesia wanders into Jersey’s barely-existent life. She resists his efforts to form a friendship until he reveals knowledge of the person responsible for derailing her future. Through their unusual friendship, she discovers a way to avenge the deaths of her foster parents.

All she has to do is destroy the world’s biggest rock star.

In the ultimate game of sex, lies, and manipulation, can Jersey discover the truth? Or will she be blinded by attraction, deceived by love, and destroyed by her past?

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Audiobook Review ~ Wicked Fall by Sawyer Bennett

Wicked Fall by Sawyer Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wicked Fall was a good book to listen to; I really enjoyed the narration by Kirsten Leigh and Lee Samuels. Sawyer Bennett's writing was superb, drawing me into the storyline. Woolf was such a strong and calculating character, knowing what he wanted and how to get it… including Callie. Having her back in town was just what he needed. She wasn’t the timid girl that he knew anymore. She wanted a piece of his world, despite him wanting to keep her out. They were so hot together, and some scenes were sizzling! I loved meeting Bridger and am excited to see more of him, as well as other characters that we were introduced to… with the next book being Cains!

Title: Wicked Fall

Author: The Sawyer Bennett

Series: Wicked Horse #1

Genre: Erotic Romance

Published: First published July 28, 2015

Never in your wildest dreams could you begin to imagine all the filthy and depraved things that go on inside The Wicked Horse. Step inside and Woolf Jennings will make every one of your dirty fantasies come true.

He’s covered in a facade of deception. An enticing blend of multi-millionaire and hot-as-hell Wyoming rancher, those that think they know Woolf Jennings admire his abilities to preside as CEO of his family’s cattle and oil empire. But only a privileged few truly understand what fuels the glitter of depravity in those gorgeous blue eyes. Only a few know he’s opened up a sinfully erotic and private sex club named The Wicked Horse right at the base of the beautiful Teton Mountain range.

Sweet Callie Hayes has returned home to Wyoming and is looking forward to starting her life over again. After a night of impetuosity, she’s managed to put herself right in Woolf’s line of sight… the man who she foolishly offered up her virginity to years ago and was flatly turned down.

Now Woolf is seeing that Callie is all grown up and has a kinky side to her that leaves him as confused as it does turned on. Worse yet, both Callie’s dirty desires and sweet heart are getting under his skin, and making Woolf question everything he’s ever believed about himself.

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Review ~ A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime by Monica Murphy

A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime by Monica Murphy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime was a nice read. I liked getting to know both Wren and Crew. Wren was quite polished and followed her beliefs, Crew was a bit of a badboy and came from a wealthy family. They didn't interact, until they had to work on a project together. Wren wasn't comfortable about it, but Crew showed her a softer side, which drew them together. I felt that part of the side story was wrapped up a little too easily. The million Kisses element was perfect... so beautiful. Wren and Crew were super sweet together.

Title: A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime

Author: Monica Murphy

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: March 10, 2022

Wren Beaumont is many things.

Beautiful.
Smart.
Sweet.
Innocent.

At Lancaster Prep, the girls love her. They all want to be her friend. Only I see Wren for who she really is.

A repressed little virgin who keeps her feelings locked up so tight she’s probably close to bursting. She thinks she’s above us all.

Even me.

I shouldn’t be drawn to her. She’s not my type.

Until we’re forced to work together in class and realize we might have more things in common than we originally thought. Soon enough I find myself completely obsessed. I will do anything for this girl to make her fall in love with me.

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Review ~ The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars

What can I say about Olive and Ethan… they were entertaining, had chemistry and the banter was hilarious. These two barely tolerated one another, but spending so much time together - without their family around - that they were able to get to know one another. They managed to get themselves into awkward situations and their connection continued to grow.

Despite Olive’s uncanny way of getting into weird situations, she was such a lovely girl and only wants the best for her family. Ethan began to open up and allowed his feelings to get out. These two together were perfect… and even with the hurdle, I had hope for them both.

Christina Lauren delivered another fantastic read. I enjoyed the journey from start to finish.

Title: The Unhoneymooners

Author: Christina Lauren

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: First published May 14, 2019

For two sworn enemies, anything can happen during the Hawaiian trip of a lifetime . . .

Olive is always unlucky; her identical twin sister Ami, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. About to marry her dream man, her entire wedding has been fully paid for by winning a series of competitions. Meanwhile, Olive is forced to play nice with her sworn enemy: the best man, Ethan.

But Olive's luck may be on the turn . . . When the entire wedding party - except for Olive and Ethan - gets food poisoning, there's an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs. Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free holiday, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him threatens to spiral out of control.

Forced to play loving newlyweds, she and Ethan find themselves in much closer proximity than they ever expected . . . The problem is that soon, Olive finds that maybe she doesn't mind pretending. In fact, she's beginning to feel kind of . . . lucky.

THE UNHONEYMOONERS is a heartwarming and hilarious romance perfect for anyone who has ever felt unlucky in love.

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Review ~ What Lovers Do by Jewel E. Ann

What Lovers Do by Jewel E. Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I LOVED this read! Sophie was such a sweet and caring person. She was probably too nice for her own good. She was trying hard to get her life back on track and then meeting Shep made it extra complicated. Shep was such a nice guy and the connection with Sophie was instant. I liked watching their banter and the sparks fly! They had so much in common, tried to keep the friendship light, but the feelings ran deep.

Jewel E. Ann has quickly become a must read author for me. She seems to build such amazing worlds and characters I can't get enough of.

Title: What Lovers Do

Author: Jewel E. Ann

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: March 24, 2022

From bestselling author, Jewel E. Ann, comes a hilarious secret lovers story that redefines the meaning of friendship.

Shep’s found the female version of himself … and he thinks she’s perfect—perfectly unavailable.

Everyone loves Shep, the charismatic employee at Scottsdale’s newest pet store. He has shared custody of his two dogs with his annoying ex-wife and a smile that can disarm most women.
Except … Dr. Sophie Ryan.

What starts out as a disastrous first meeting, involving a coffee catastrophe and mistaken flirting, turns into an unconventional friendship.

Fake phone sex.
Dog park dates.
And eighteen holes of golf.

The problem? Sophie’s taken herself out of the dating pool for a mysterious reason, imprisoning Shep in the friend zone for eternity.

As their competitive personalities hit a boiling point, the gloves come off and so do their clothes. When Sophie’s “real” life threatens their relationship, can Shep let go of his past to chase the one that might get away?

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Review ~ Makarova Bratva Duet by Nicole Fox

Shattered Altar (Makarova Bratva Duet, #1)

Shattered Altar by Nicole Fox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a good start to the Makarova Bratva Duet. I liked seeing Olivia and Aleks interact from the beginning. I felt that I could see the direction of the story before it happened, and it was intriguing to see how Olivia would survive in Aleks world. I enjoyed the suspense and wondered how bad Aleks might be, but to me he seemed like the big bad wolf. They had an intense connection and tried to deny their feelings, but were happy to give into lust. Some twists I was able to guess easily, but overall I really enjoyed it!

Title: Shattered Altar

Author: Nicole Fox

Series: Makarova Bratva Duet #1)

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: April 28, 2022

It started with the mile high club.
It ended with a fake marriage and his baby in my belly.

I thought it was just a hookup on an airplane.
Let’s be cute and call it a “one-flight-stand.”
Or we could be more accurate and call it what it really was:
The day that ruined my life.

Aleksandr Makarova sure looked the part of the knight in shining armor.
Tall, rich, with eyes that promised all kinds of delicious things.
Not to mention, a body that delivered on those promises.

It was the craziest moment of my life.
But when the flight landed, Aleks disappeared.

I tried to pretend it didn’t hurt my feelings.
Back to my boring old reality, right?

The problem was, Aleks wasn’t really gone.

And when I stepped one toe in my house and saw what he’d done to my family, I realized… He wasn’t going away anytime soon.

Shattered Cradle by Nicole Fox

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I jumped into Shattered Cradle immediately after reading the firstbook, Shattered Altar. I felt that this book was a bit repetitive as we were given some of the same arguments that happened in the first book. It felt like there was no growth for either Olivia or Alexs. The lust was still there, but neither character would admit their feelings. I figured who the bad guys were early, and it took a long time to get to the point, with both characters still bickering, not sharing feelings and not being able to trust one another. In the end I skimmed a lot of the book just to see how the book would wrap up.

Title: Shattered Cradle

Author: Nicole Fox

Series: Makarova Bratva Duet #2

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: April 28, 2022

I joined the Mile High Club and ended up pregnant.
If only the story stopped there.
But no—it gets worse.
It gets so much worse.

Because the man who swept me off my feet thirty thousand feet in the air didn’t pick me at random.
He chose me for a purpose.
A very specific purpose.

And when Aleksandr Makarova decides he wants something…
He gets it.
No matter what—or who—he has to break in the process.

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Review ~ Stone Cold by Winter Renshaw

Stone Cold by Winter Renshaw
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Stone Cold was a good read, but not one that blew me away. I found it difficult to connect to the characters and their story wasn’t overly exciting. The story alternated between the past and present, so that we could understand the connection between Stone and Jovie.

Stone had lost everything and was lucky to have Jude and his friendship. They were like brothers. However, Stone hid his feelings for Jude's ex Jovie, despite their common interests. I liked seeing the relationship between Stone and Jovie grow and that they realised that there were real feelings between them.

I thought Jude was selfish, and Stone should’ve stood up to him years ago. Jude really was a bit of a jerk, and tried to make everything about himself. The story seemed unfinished, ending pretty abruptly and that a thread wasn’t closed properly. But overall it was a nice relationship and the ending was sweet.

Title: Stone Cold

Author: Winter Renshaw

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: May 14, 2022

The most humiliating moment of my life begins with an early morning message from my ex’s notoriously heartless best friend.

Jovie—

In no way does this mean my opinion of you has changed.

I’m reaching out because sometime in the middle of last night you tagged yourself in Jude and Stassi’s engagement photo.

I don’t care if you were drunk or it was unintentional. I suggest you remove it immediately since the wedding is in two months (which I’m sure you know since you were clearly FB stalking them). The damage is done, but no reason to make things more awkward.

You’re welcome.

Stone

I waste no time removing my accidental tag before the sharp-tongued novelist in me fires off a response to the man who harbored extreme and inexplicable hatred of me during the three years I dated his best friend in college.

Only I didn’t expect him to respond.

And nothing could have prepared me for what he would say …

… or for all the ways this gorgeous villain with cruel icy blues would become the biggest plot twist my life had ever known.

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Review ~ The Darkest Temptation by Danielle Lori

The Darkest Temptation by Danielle Lori
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s been a while since I read the first two books in the Made series, and I thought it was about time that I dived into Ronan’s book. I'm so excited to say that it was exactly what I hoped! I was sucked into the story and Milas adventure to Russia. Oh my ... The danger, the lust and the twists! It wasn't long before Mila realised her world was not what she thought it was and that she’d been sheltered her whole life.

I liked the change in Ronan through the story and how Mila got under his skin. Mila was defiant at times and it really pushed Ronan’s buttons. Mila was able to build a strong relationship with Albert, one of Ronan's trustworthy men, which was nice to see. I liked seeing Christian and Gianna again too. The ending of Ronan and Mila's story felt a little rushed, but overall I loved it.

Title: The Darkest Temptation

Author: Danielle Lori

Series: Made #3

Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance

Published: December 10, 2020

A fortune teller once told Mila she’d find a man who would take her breath away. She refrained from telling her it would be literally while Mila ran for her life.

Having always done what is expected of her, Mila dresses the part, only dates college boys with exemplary backgrounds, and doesn’t ask questions. Not about her papa’s absences or his refusal to let her set foot in her birthplace—Russia.

Suffocated by the rules and unanswered questions, Mila does what she’s always wanted to. She boards a plane to Moscow.

She never expected to fall for a man on the way. One with unexplained wealth, tattoos on his hands, and secrets in his eyes. But it doesn’t take long for his caress to become a rough grasp muffling her screams.

Revenge is a dish best served cold. Unfortunately, a Russian winter is the coldest of them all, and Mila soon learns the only way to escape intact is to do the impossible and thaw her captor’s heart.

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Review ~ Because I Need You by Claire Contreras

Because I Need You by Claire Contreras
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've read a few of Claire Contreras' books in the past, so I was keen to get into Because I Need You. It really wasn't a bad read, but didn't hook me like previous books by this author. I enjoyed meeting both Gio and Isabel - they were kind of thrusted together and had chemistry from the beginning. They had a lot in common despite being from different worlds. Both had parental issues and I could see they were willing to make an effort to understand one another. I felt that the suspense element seemed rushed, that there were threads left open and the whole book could do with another round of editing.

Title: Because I Need You

Author: Claire Contreras

Series: Because #2

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Published: June 8, 2022

From New York Times best-seller Claire Contreras comes a new, sexy stand-alone mafia romance novel . . .

Isabel Bonetti –

One minute I’m mourning the sudden death of my father, and the next, I’m getting calls from a lawyer saying they needed to read me my father’s will.

As far as I know, my father didn’t have much to leave. He was a blue-collar worker, through and through.

Or so I thought.

Everything topples down at once, the inheritance I’m left with and the truth about what my father did, but the biggest shock of all was finding out he’d married me off to a complete stranger without my consent.

By the time I show up at my supposed husband’s nightclub, I’m determined to leave with divorce papers signed, but nothing can prepare me for the man that awaits me on the other side of those doors.

Giovanni Masseria –

My father has done a lot of messed up stuff, but marrying me off to Charles Bonetti’s daughter, a complete stranger, may take the cake. I didn’t even know old Bonetti had a daughter and I want nothing to do with her or this marriage, until I’m told what staying married to her would mean for the empire I’m slowly trying to build. There’s no harm in staying married a little longer if it means I’ll cash out on those promises. I decide that I’ll cut ties with her as soon as that’s done.

That is, until barges into my office demanding a divorce.

I wasn’t sure what I’d expected her to be like, but it certainly wasn’t . . . this.

A week ago, I didn’t know of her existence, and now, I can’t seem to escape her presence anywhere I go.

She doesn’t belong in this world and I know this won’t end well for either of us, but I can’t seem to stop reminding her who I am.

Her husband.

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Review ~ Empire of Lust by Rina Kent

Empire of Lust by Rina Kent
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Empire of Lust was a really enjoyable read. I loved getting to know both Kingsley and Aspen; understanding the type of characters they were, being able to delve into their pasts and realising how much they both had suffered. These two were destined to be together, despite the hate/love relationship they had. Their connection grew deep, the chemistry was strong and the passion between the sheets was scorching! Kingsley was definitely the domineering type, however Aspen loved it. Aspen was such a kind and patient woman, who had lost so much and was trying he best to make up for the years she had lost.

I was easily swept away with Empire of Lust. I had read another book in this series which I found hard to connect to the characters, but this read hooked me - both the characters and storyline!! I felt that Rina Kent did a fabulous job of building this world and the characters. I definitely want to read more from this series!

Title: Empire of Lust

Author: Rina Kent

Series: Empire #4

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: May 5, 2022

My Boss. My hell.

When I slept with a faceless jock as a teen, I didn’t think I would become pregnant.
I also didn’t think I would lose that child.
Several years later, I find out that my daughter is alive and I’m given a second chance.
One problem, though.
The faceless jock isn’t so faceless anymore.
He has a name everyone fears; Kingsley Shaw.
A ruthless bastard. A heartless devil. And most importantly, my daughter’s father.
Oh, and he hates me as much as I hate him.
We’re out to destroy one another with all methods available.
Including a dangerous game of lust that might lead to our downfall.

Empire of Lust is a complete STANDALONE. No book should be read prior to this.

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Review ~ Sidecar Crush by Claire Kingsley and Lucy Score

Sidecar Crush by Claire Kingsley and Lucy Score
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I jumped into Sidecar Crush immediately after finishing Whiskey Chaser. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first book. I actually found Jameson and Leah Mae’s story a bit boring. We were told a lot of details instead of getting to experience them. There was alot of inner dialogue from both characters too. I did like how passionate Jameson was in regards to his art and that Leah was at a crossroads in her life and was unsure what she wanted to do next.

Although this read wasn't as good as the first, I will definitely continue the series. This book still slightly touched on the series story arc, so I am keen to see where it goes from here.

Title: Sidecar Crush

Author: Claire Kingsley and Lucy Score

Series: Bootleg Springs #2

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Published: May 11, 2018

“I tried to think of something—anything—to calm my raging hard-on. One wrong move and Leah Mae would rub up against it and that was liable to kill me dead on the spot.” — Jameson Bodine

Model turned disgraced reality TV starlet, Leah Mae Larkin, crash lands in her hometown of Bootleg Springs to lay low while a scandal threatens her career. She can’t shake the feeling that her agent—and supposed fiancé—manipulated her into the role of made-for-TV homewrecker. Connecting with her roots is just what she needs, and Bootleg Springs is home to her father, moonshine, and her childhood best friend, Jameson Bodine.

Only there’s nothing childlike about Jameson—a man who turns scrap metal into art and isn’t afraid to throw down on a rowdy Friday night with his brothers and hellcat sister. He might not say much, but still waters run deep. Seeing the ring on his crush’s finger? He doesn’t like it, but he can’t wish it away. No more than he can wish away the trouble his family is in, with evidence pointing to his late father in the cold case disappearance of Callie Kendall.

Jameson and Leah Mae are just two friends reliving their summers together, blowing off steam, and having fun for the first time in a long time. But Leah Mae is realizing what’s really important in her life, and it isn’t what she thought.

And sometimes steam turns into sparks—hot as molten steel—and friends aren’t just friends.

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