♥ ♥ ♥ 5 STARS ♥ ♥ ♥

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“Zaal Kostava, you've stolen my forbidden heart."

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When I read Raze, I loved it. It was dark and crazy, but so good. When I heard there was a second book in the series, I was ecstatic but I was also really scared that this one wouldn't be as good. I am so glad that my worries were for nothing because I actually enjoyed this one a lot more.

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'Talia Tolstaia. My Talia Tolstaia.
I tried to find hate. I tried to despise.
I only found warmth.
It was her warmth. She was mine.
She had cleansed me. Cared for me. Cried for me. She was...for me.'

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Zaal Kostava has been 221 for as long as he can remember. He knows nothing about his past, he only knows that he has to kill for Master. Luka Tolstaia feels like he is indebted to Anri Kostava, because of him he survived. Now Luka will do whatever he can to pay him back and get revenge for him. After finding out that Anri has a brother in the same situation they were in, he will not stop until he saves him too. When Talia wants a bit of an escape from the Bratva life, she heads to their home in the Hamptons. Only for her time away to be disturbed when her brother Luka shows up with a savage man being hauled into their basement. She can't believe that the man is a Kostava, he is from the family her family hates. She needs to stay clear of him. But, every time she sees him through their security cameras, the more she seems to be drawn to him. The heavy drugs he was on are wearing off, and the true man he is begins to resurface. No matter what she tells herself, there is no way she is leaving him alone.





This story was beautiful and captivating. I found myself not being able to stop turning the pages. I absolutely loved Zaal. He made me swoon and melt so damn hard. It was hard to see him struggle with his memories since he seemed to be stuck in a fog after the drugs left his system. He was vulnerable but strong and possessive. He was just so awesome. Talia was a pretty strong heroine as well. She was patient and caring towards Zaal, something that was so novel to him since he has only been hurt by his Master. It was so heart warming to see them grow closer to one another. I could feel the connection between them so strongly that I couldn't get enough. I also really liked how Talia stood up for Zaal, when no one ever had.

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“You are… for me. No other male. Just me. And me… for you. This is my ‘I love you.’ These are my words from my scarred soul. They are not borrowed words, but words from my full heart, and my heart only.”

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This book was so great. It wasn't as dark and raw as Raze, but it wasn't fluffy either. It was a gritty emotional read, but the heaviness was elevated by the heart warming romance between Talia and Zaal. The story line was very interesting and the turns it took made it only so much better. I highly recommend this one. I just can't say enough how much I loved it. The ending has left me craving the next installment. I already have some theories of who that mystery woman could be, so I can't wait. I really hope that the next one will be as good the previous two.



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♥ ♥ ♥ 3 STARS ♥ ♥ ♥

Well this was a highly anticipated book for me. I love this series, so when I found out Painter was getting a book, not gonna lie, I was freaking excited.

The book started off in a good way. It started with Painter getting really angry at seeing Melanie with a biker guy. I didn't know what the hell was going on but I knew one thing, Painter was ready to claim his woman. The book then goes back in time to when Painter was in prison. The only way he seemed to survive the time he was there was by reading the letters Melanie wrote to him. But once he is out, he decides that Melanie deserves a better man so he ignores her. Melanie tries to do just that but every time she does Painter ruins it.

Eventually Painter gives into his feelings and wants to try to make something work with Melanie. However his decisions ends up costing him everything. He just hopes Melanie will stay by his side after he screwed up.

The book continues on with time passing into years. We see how the characters change and become a bit more grown up. I really enjoyed the start of this book. I liked the chemistry between Painter and Melanie. Yes, Painter could at times be a jackass but the way he started to fall for her made me melt. I loved that these two started out as friends, then watching that tension between them grow and explode was so awesome. I liked Melanie, but there were also things that slightly annoyed me about her. Still, I didn't mind her and really appreciated the lengths she would go to protect her loved ones. Painter I also liked, but he wasn't without flaws. There were many times I wish he would have just man up already. He did improve in that aspect later on, which I was happy about.

Unfortunately though, I was hoping something would happen that would solidify them as a couple for me. Because if you add up all the time they actually spent together, it wasn't much. So I wanted more of them getting to know each other, or something that would strengthen their connection. I just didn't feel like it happened until the very end, and that left me a bit disappointed because then the book was over. They got together too fast in the beginning and then time was passing by as well. I guess I just wanted more romance between them. The sex was hot and all, but I wanted more scenes where you could see them emotionally connected. The story line involving the Reapers was pretty good though. It definitely made things a lot more interesting. Overall, I did enjoy the book despite it all. I thought it was a good read. I didn't love it like I was hoping but that's okay, it happens. I'm still very much excited to read Gage's book. I seriously cannot wait.



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♥ ♥ ♥ 3.5 STARS ♥ ♥ ♥

I'm not going to lie, that cover and that blurb totally got me that I just had to read this one. While in the end I did like the book, I unfortunately did not love it as I had hoped that I would.

Elizabeth is a preschool teacher that comes from a wealthy family. She is quite the introvert and uptight. She dreams of finding the man of her dreams and settling down to start a family. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened for her yet. In the beginning of the book, she goes to a strip club where her friend is having her bachelorette party. Right of the back she lets you know how much she hates being there. She doesn't find anything remotely sexy about scantily clad men grinding around and on women. She can not wait to get out of there. And that right there, was what put me off of Elizabeth. I thought she was too prudish for my taste which is why I just couldn't connect with her.





Then she sees Matt across the room, and she is instantly consumed by lust for him. There is something different and mysterious about him that lures her in. She resists, however, and tries to ignore what she feels. Matt notices her as well, and ends up challenging her to give the club a second try. She is to come to his club Bare Assets twice a week for a whole month so she can watch all the shows from start to finish. Elizabeth doesn't like backing down from a challenge so she agrees. Each moment she is in his club, the attraction between them seems to grow in intensity until they can't hold back. Matt isn't her dream man, but she will allow herself to loosen up a bit and enjoy him. Meanwhile, Matt knows he will never be good enough for someone like Elizabeth, but he too will let himself have her, even if their time is limited.





I'd say this was a good easy read. There wasn't an over abundance of drama, but there were a few scenes. I never really got to connect to Elizabeth, but I was pretty happy with her growth, and how she began to accept herself as she was without always thinking what others would think. Matt I was able to connect more with through his POV. I felt bad for his upbringing and hated how he viewed himself. He was a pretty great guy and had done well for himself considering. He was also really freaking sexy, not point denying it. I had a bit of trouble feeling a real chemistry between these two that was beyond lust, though. When they got together, it was explosive. They were going at it like bunnies. There was just so much sex, and it was hot don't get me wrong, but I wanted more focus on their relationship. It almost seemed like every chapter had to have sex in it which I think is why it sometimes felt like the book was dragging on a bit. I didn't care for any of the secondary characters, well except for Robbie, he was awesome. I hated Elizabeth's friend Melissa the most and I felt like her story line was pretty unnecessary. The last part of the book was definitely a lot better for me. This is where I began to enjoy it. Overall, it was a good read and worth reading to meet Matt and Robbie. They were the best part of the book for me.





Thanks to Sultan for the wonderful Buddy Read.

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♥ ♥ ♥ 3 STARS ♥ ♥ ♥

I must be in a funk or something. I am so upset that I didn't love this one as much as everyone else did. I really liked the start of this. Loved the banter between Sam and Levee. I even really liked their sexual chemistry. But, for some reason, I started to slowly lose interest and I have no freaking idea why. I loved Aly Martinez's On The Ropes series, but this one just didn't completely do it for me. I guess I just couldn't connect with the characters or story maybe, even though I did like them. The story was okay, but I just didn't feel it emotionally like I would have liked considering what it was about. I don't know what happened. I liked the book, but I unfortunately did not love it. I hope I will love Henry's book better.


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♥ ♥ ♥ 3 STARS ♥ ♥ ♥

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“We met in a nightmare, loved in a prayer. We gave everything until both were laid bare.”

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Wasn't a bad read, but it wasn't a great one either, at least to me. The story line itself was pretty unique. I enjoyed it in the beginning and thought it was very interesting, but the middle to near the end just dragged on way too much for me that it was hard to keep interest. I also didn't care for the way he treated her sometimes. But the flashbacks were awesome. I loved those and all those sweet moments were really great.

The steam was really hot, but I did think there was a bit too much of it. I know..."how could there possibly be such a thing?", well there is. It seemed like there were doing too much of that instead of figuring out solutions or finding answers.

The ending itself was pretty good until the freaking cliffhanger happened. I might have to read the next book to find out what exactly it is she found out. I'm really curious about it.




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