BOOK REVIEW: Compassion Fatigue by Emily Carrington #LGBTQ #contemporaryromance

ABOUT THE BOOK

Peter Campbell, a deaf man who teaches sign language classes, believes no one would ever love a bisexual man. When his new veterinarian, Dr. Abe Yoshida, shows him he’s wrong, Peter is left with the monumental task of coming out to his teenage daughter. Can his growing love for Abe give him the courage he needs?

The holidays are the worst time for Dr. Abe. He recently lost a patient, and the circumstances leave him struggling under a burden of guilt. Adding to his depression, as the COVID-19 pandemic worsens, he finds himself the victim of anti-Asian hate crimes. Then he meets Peter, a compassionate, partially in the closet bisexual man. Will Abe let love heal his heart, or will suicide’s sour music bewitch his soul?

Trigger Warning: Deals with Asian Hate Crimes, COVID-19, depression and suicidal thoughts in characters with disabilities, which may be triggers for some readers.

Preorder for July 30th

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MY REVIEW – 5 stars!

Compassion Fatigue is an emotion-charged, page-turning, quick-yet-satisfying read.

For lovers of LGBT fiction, this book has a diverse group of characters from male/male couples, to female/female couples, bisexual characters, and even a non-binary teen. It’s a story about acceptance, not only of yourself but others, and as such has scenes that may trigger some readers. The author handled the emotional pain of the characters, and the hate of the close-minded people around them, with a style that was both impactful and respectful.

Peter has fought the fact he’s bisexual even since his ex-wife threw him out. Not only did the woman who’d claimed she’d love him forever turn her back on Peter, but there were those in the LGBTQ community who did the same. He’s left feeling conflicted and struggles with self-loathing. Convinced no one will ever accept him, in either world, he battles loneliness and tries to keep people at arm’s length.

Dr. Abe Yoshida was a beautifully written character. His inner struggle not only over people being unaccepting of his being gay but also the hateful comments toward Asians as the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread, left a broken man who fought every day not to give in the demons whispering in his head.

Peter and Abe were clearly meant for one another, even though both themselves and others kept throwing obstacles in their way. Their moments together were sweet and at times more than a little steamy. Once I started reading their story, I couldn’t stop. I needed to see how it ended.

Compassion Fatigue will put you through the emotional wringer but will give you the satisfying ending we all crave when reading a romance. 

*Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchance for an honest review. The review above is only my opinion.

ABOUT EMILY CARRINGTON

Emily Carrington is a multipublished author of male/male and transgender erotica. Seeking a world made of equality, she created SearchLight to live out her dreams. But even SearchLight has its problems, and Emily is looking forward to working all of these out with a host of characters from dragons and genies to psychic vampires.

Cover Reveal: Debauchery (Dahlia Saga #6) and Malicious (Dahlia Saga #7) by Natalie Bennett #darkromance #newadult @AuthorNBennett

Title: Debauchery (Dahlia Saga #6)
Release: August 18, 2021
Title: Malicious (Dahlia Saga #7)
Release: August 31, 2021
Author: Natalie Bennett
Genre: Dark Romance/New Adult Dark Romance
Cover Design: Opulent Designs
 
 
 
Such carnal delights.

When you meet the right person, you’ll know.

Who cares if they’re vile, sadistic, and could burn down a church with the things that come out of their mouth?

I sure don’t.

Luca Andreou was meant to be mine long before we had a bloody rendezvous in the middle of the night. There’s just a few obstacles I have to work around to make him see I can be everything he needs.

Like the iron fortress he’s built around his heart.

His peculiar hobbies.

Oh, and his wife.

But you know what they say…

Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it sure as hell burned in one.

She may have loved him first, but I’ll be the one he loves last.
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
A hereditary madness.

There was always something not quite right about Julias Andreou. You’d never hear anyone say it out loud though. If his wealth and charm couldn’t convince the whole town to pretend otherwise, his last name did.

He and his friend’s deviant transgressions and daredevil antics always went ignored.

I had always been told me to stay away from him, which wasn’t that hard of a task despite him being my older brother’s closest friend.

One chaotic summer changed everything.

If the truth wasn’t such a bitter pill to swallow maybe I could readily accept what was to come.

Julias Andreou may have been the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, but there is something corrupt and sinister inside him.

His heart is black.

His soul is darker.

And now, he’s my fiancé.
 
 
 
 

 
 
With a penchant for (writing) villainous immoral men, and a tendency to deviate away from traditional happily ever afters, Natalie Bennett is an international bestselling author of twisted and unconventional love stories.
When she’s not slaying words she’s somewhere in the sunshine state, happily taking life one curve-ball at a time.
 
 

 

 
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BOOK REVIEW: Mine in Hell (The Rejected Mate #2) by G. Bailey and Scarlett Snow #reverseharem @gbaileyauthor

Now the world knows who I am.

I’m the first female alpha in history and every pack leader out there wants to claim me as their mate.
Including the Stormfire alpha who sent my life into a spiral after rejecting me.
While he and the others fight for the right to possess me, a new Demon Trial is created in honor of the Crescent Mother, and this time I’m the prize.
Or so they all believe.
I’ll stop at nothing to reclaim my freedom even if it means entering the trials myself, where the only way out is death and ruin. But I don’t plan on dying.
I plan on winning.

I’m going to make each of the alphas pay for what they did to me.

18+ Dark reverse harem romance full with a sassy and sarcastic heroine who finds her match.

Get it at Amazon

MY REVIEW – 5 stars!

I recently discovered Ms. Bailey’s books, and I think I’m hooked. Reverse harem is quickly becoming my new favorite genre, and while I typically dislike cliffhangers, I don’t mind it so much with fantasy books.

Lilith is still fighting for her life, for revenge, and for love. The three men she’s fallen for only make her stronger and more determined as one enemy after another tries to tear them apart and destroy the world’s first alpha female. There’s nothing she won’t do to take down the monsters and free those under their influence. Lilith is furious and she’s ready to protect the innocent.

Full of unexpected twists, and more than a little heat, Mine in Hell is a page-turning read I couldn’t put down. Love. Danger. Friendship… and so much more. I hope you’re ready for one hell of a ride (pun intended).

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Book Blitz: Broken Beginnings by J.L. Beck and C. Hallman #darkromance @AuthorJLBeck @CassyHallman

Broken Beginnings
C. Hallman & J.L. Beck
(The Moretti Crime Family, #2)
Publication date: February 19th 2021
Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Romance

The night I saved her eight years ago I knew a choice had been made.

Years later and I can’t manage to let her go.

She’s barely eighteen, virginal, and kind.

Touching her would be a sin, but letting another man have her would destroy me.

Every time I close my eyes I see her, standing there, afraid, scared out of her mind because of that one fateful night.

She doesn’t know the lengths I’ve gone to protect her.

The blood spilled, the words said.

Nothing deters my obsession… it’s wrong, immoral, to follow her, and watch her at every turn but I can’t help myself.

Her safety, her life. It’s the only thing of importance to me.

When an enemy lurking in the shadows challenges that I’ll do whatever I can to protect her, even make a deal with a devil, knowing the only way out is death.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

Lucca tosses the broken plate into the sink. The sound makes me jump but doesn’t scare me as much as when I look away from the sink and find Lucca advancing toward me. I take a hesitant step back.

Instantly, I’m the prey, and he’s the hunter.

Lucca’s chest brushes against mine, and sparks of desire form low in my belly. I lick my bottom lip, wondering what it would be like to kiss him or if he would kiss me back? I’m so caught up in him, in his scent, his body, what I want him to do to me, that I lose focus for a moment. I can’t let the lust drive me alone.

Dark blue eyes pierce my own, and I break the connection taking a step back, putting a breath of space between us. It’s hard to show him my anger when he’s this close.

“I will not be your prisoner here. I will not be trapped in that bedroom. I’m an adult, but more than that, I’m a human being, not an animal you can keep in a cage.”

“I don’t care how old you are and what you think is best for you…” His voice is deep and soft, causing me to look up from his chest and directly into his eyes. His gaze has softened to a dull knife, and for once, in all the time I’ve known him, I feel like I’m seeing him, the real him, for the first time. His thumb brushes against the apple of my cheek, his touch making my skin heat. “Your age doesn’t stop me from protecting you, nor does it stop me from locking you up in that bedroom and keeping you there until you learn to listen to me.”

Author Bio:

J.L. Beck is a USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR, she has written over fifty different romance novels. She started her journey of writing back in 2014 and hasn’t slowed down a second since then.

She’s captivated by real romance, and loves reading about strong “ALPHA” males, as well as sassy heroines that know or may not know what they want. She is best known for delivering a happily ever after but has ended things on a cliffhanger a time or two.

When she’s not typing away at her next book you can find her being a mom to her two adorable kiddos and wife to her high school sweetheart.

She’s obsessed with Starbucks, social media, and is definitely more of a dog person than cat.

Author links:
Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Born and raised in Germany, Cassandra moved to the United States when she was eighteen. She always had a love for reading, that love slowly transpired into writing. She put fingers to the keyboard and started writing about the dark side of romance.

Cassandra is one half of the international bestselling author duo Beck & Hallman, who are most knows for the writing the Northwood University series.
The pair also write under the pen name Jenna Reed.

Author links:
Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Bookbub / Instagram

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Taken by the Bratva by Paige Warren & Harley Wylde #MafiaRomance #darkromance @AuthorPaigeW @HarleyW_Writer

Cover Art by Jessica Coulter Smith

She’s been used. Broken.

Scarred inside and out, she tries to hide. But I see her.

There’s a fire burning deep inside. One they haven’t extinguished.

Imogen Byrnes is going to be mine.

I’ll show her there can be pleasure with pain. Freedom in submission.

I’m a monster. Her monster.

I’ll bend her to my will.

Break her in new ways.

Then I’ll put her back together.

My beautiful, broken girl will be in my bed, and she’ll wear my ring.

Once she’s mine, I’m never letting her go.

Taken by the Bratva a stand-alone short novella with a limited plot, lots of steamy sex, and a guaranteed happily-ever-after. No cheating and no cliffhanger. Please be warned there are some scenes that may trigger sensitive readers.

Preorder for February 23rd

EXCERPT

©2021, Harley Wylde & Paige Warren

The day Pavel had taken his wife in payment for a debt, things had changed. He still ruled with an iron fist, but he’d grown soft when it came to women. Which was why he’d put me in charge of the brothels. He no longer had the stomach for using women who hadn’t volunteered. Most of our stable contained young women who’d been taken to cancel a debt, much like his wife Rianne. Except she’d never graced the halls of our brothels. No, Pavel had wanted her for himself.

I checked over the books one last time before getting up from the desk in the small office. I made my way to the front, admiring the women lounging in various rooms. We catered to all types in our establishments, which meant our women varied in age, size, and race as well. At the end of the day, it didn’t matter. They were all whores. Even if they hadn’t been in the beginning, it’s what we’d made them.

Normally, I’d partake of a little entertainment after working so hard, but I had places to be. A few debts hadn’t been paid and the men were dragging their feet, which meant I needed to see what leverage we could find. Most responded to pain, or rather they did anything they could to avoid it. Some didn’t care one way or the other.

Sean Byrnes was my first stop. I wasn’t sure which category he fell into, but I’d learn soon enough. I’d had men watching him and now knew his every move. The man was nothing if not predictable.

By the time I reached my stop, I was wishing I’d delayed long enough to at least have one of the whores suck me off. Too late now, but I could always go back later. For the moment, I leaned against a brick building and watched the restaurant across the street. Byrnes sat at a table with a young woman and two men who I knew were part of the Mancini Family. It seemed Byrnes owed more than the Bratva.

The way he motioned at the woman, and the vacant expression on her face, I knew exactly what he’d done. He’d brought her as a bribe, or a way to cancel his debt to them. I was curious if they’d accept. I couldn’t let them hurt Byrnes before I got my hands on him. The man was neck deep with the Bratva, and there was no way Pavel would let him walk without paying in cash or blood.

When they’d concluded their business, Byrnes stood and shook the men’s hands. I noticed the woman remained as he walked off, but two of his men stayed behind. Thne Mancini’s men stood and gripped the woman’s arms, leading her from the restaurant. They shoved her into a limo and drove away, with Byrnes’ two men following in a black car.

It seemed she was his get out of debt card, which meant chances were good he’d offer Pavel the same deal. I hadn’t gotten a good look at the woman, but what I’d seen intrigued me. There’s been no passion, no fire or anger. Just… nothing. What would it take to make her break? To make her fight back?

I smiled, hoping I’d get the chance to find out. One way or another, she was going to be mine.

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ABOUT HARLEY WYLDE

Harley Wylde is the International Bestselling Author of the Dixie Reapers MC, Devil’s Boneyard MC, and Hades Abyss MC series.

When Harley’s writing, her motto is the hotter the better — off the charts sex, commanding men, and the women who can’t deny them. If you want men who talk dirty, are sexy as hell, and take what they want, then you’ve come to the right place. She doesn’t shy away from the dangers and nastiness in the world, bringing those realities to the pages of her books, but always gives her characters a happily-ever-after and makes sure the bad guys get what they deserve.

The times Harley isn’t writing, she’s thinking up naughty things to do to her husband, drinking copious amounts of Starbucks, and reading. She loves to read and devours a book a day, sometimes more. She’s also fond of TV shows and movies from the 1980’s, as well as paranormal shows from the 1990’s to today, even though she’d much rather be reading or writing. 

You can find out more about Harley or enter her monthly giveaway on her website. Be sure to join her newsletter while you’re there to learn more about discounts, signing events, and other goodies!

Harleywylde.com

ABOUT PAIGE WARREN

Paige Warren is a contemporary romance author who believes in happily-ever-after for everyone. Sexy, steamy stories about mobsters, cowboys, inked bad boys, and interracial couples… sometimes with a bit of kink. If you like alpha heroes and strong heroines, then you’re in the right place! No matter the odds, in a Paige Warren book, true love conquers all. Watch for Paige’s new MC Romance series Reckless Kings MC with International Bestselling Author Harley Wylde.

When her husband, children, and furbabies aren’t demanding her attention, she’s typically either writing or reading. Paige enjoys reading a variety of genres from young adult books, to general fiction, and of course, romances! But when it comes to movies, she’s a big-time horror fan — especially the ‘80s slasher flicks. That being said, ghostly movies are her favorite regardless of when they were made, like Rose Red or The Amityville Horror.

Paige-warren.com

BOOK REVIEW: Dead Man Walking by Giana Darling #MCromance #darkromance

From USA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Giana Darling comes a dark MC romance about a broken enforcer and the beautiful, innocent woman who shows him that light can exist even in the dark…

A killer. A criminal.
A psychopath.
The Irish enforcer for The Fallen Men MC is everything good girls are taught to stay away from.
Only, I found myself inexorably drawn into his dark gravitational pull. I wanted to know what it would be like to walk beside the human personification of Death and hold his hand, feel his kiss, and maybe even earn his undying love.
But Priest McKenna is older, cold as ice, and notoriously unfeeling.
So what are the odds that a dead man walking would come to life for little, insignificant me?
When a serial killer begins to target the women of Entrance, BC, and The Fallen suffers another terrible blow, Priest resolves to hunt down the killer himself.
And when the murderer sets his eyes on me?
My very own psychopath steps between me and certain death, thrusting us into an intimacy I prayed we would never recover from.

*A standalone book in The Fallen Men Series.*

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MY REVIEW

4 stars

A minister’s granddaughter and the club’s enforcer – a man who thinks of himself as a psychopath, a killer, a man without a heart or conscience. If dark romances are your thing, with an MC theme, you’ll enjoy Dead Man Walking.

Bea has long been the good girl, doing what’s expected — on the outside. Inside, she feels the pull of the darkness, and the man called Priest. Like a moth to a flame, she can’t keep away, looking beyond what everyone else sees to the lonely man who hides in the shadows. While her family wants to keep her from Priest, fearing he’ll hurt her, there’s another man stalking her. Someone worse than the monster she loves – or so he thinks. But once Priest claims Bea, there’s no going back. He’ll walk through fire for her. Die for her. And he will damn sure protect her at all costs.

Be warned, there’s knife play and Priest has a certain fascination with Bea’s blood. If that’s a hard pass for you, this may not be the right book for you. But if you like the thought of a good girl who’s not so good, not trying to tame the beast but live in the darkness with him, go one-click! You won’t be disappointed.

*Disclaimer: The review above is only my opinion. I purchased a copy at Amazon. The author did not request a review.

BOOK REVIEW: Tormenter Mine by Anna Zaires #DarkRomance

About the Book

He came to me in the night, a cruel, darkly handsome stranger from the most dangerous corners of Russia. He tormented me and destroyed me, ripping apart my world in his quest for vengeance.

Now he’s back, but he’s no longer after my secrets.

The man who stars in my nightmares wants me.

Get your copy here: Amazon | B&N Nook | Apple Books | Kobo

My Review

4-stars

I stumbled across this intriguing book through an Amazon ad on my Kindle. I almost swiped it off my screen, but something made me hesitate. This was my first time reading this author so I downloaded a sample — and I was hooked!

Let me say this book does have a cliffhanger. I despise cliffhangers when I don’t know they’re coming (which is a large part of why I deducted 1 star). But the writing was very well done, and the story just sucked me right now. When I got to the end, I was disappointed their tale was unresolved. Normally, I’d refuse to move forward if I hadn’t been warned about the cliffhanger, but this book… this one is different. I had to know! Needed to find out what hapened next. So I one-clicked book 2.

This is a darker romance with violence, bloodshed, and stalking. If any of those are triggers for you, pass this one by. But if you love an anti-hero, a book with twists and turns, heartbreak and love, then you definitely need to this one a try.

*Disclaimer: The review above is merely my opinion. Neither the author nor publisher requested a review. I purchased a copy through Amazon.

Book Blitz: Dance with Death by Brynn Ford #RomanticSuspense #DarkRomance @XpressoTours

Dance with Death
Brynn Ford
(The Four Families, #2)
Publication date: September 15th 2020
Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Suspense

Holding onto hope was dangerous, but letting go of it would be fatal.

We’d made the worst mistake of all—we had fallen in love. But all the love in the world couldn’t save us from our captivity. Just when we thought we would be okay, a future we never should have hoped to have was taken from us.

Our master was preparing to hurt us in his rage against our love. The only thing worse than the physical pain of the injuries he gave me was the ache of knowing what was to come.

He was going to tear our love apart.

I thought my life was hell before, but my master was prepared to teach me that I was wrong. Dead wrong.

I was about to learn the true definition of torture, of torment, of despair. I could only dream about the man I loved, hope that he might someday fulfill his promise to find a way to save us both. But I had already learned the hard lesson that hoping only made reality harsher.

The harsh reality was that my love was lost, my hope was gone, my life was over.

And I was forced to learn the steps for this slow dance with death.

CONTENT WARNING: This book contains explicit sexual content, violence, and mature themes including scenes where consent is not sought or given. The author in no way condones such heinous acts, but rather seeks to immerse the reader in the true horror of the characters’ experience. This book also contains suicidal themes. This is your trigger warning – reader discretion is advised.

SERIES NOTE: “Dance with Death” is book two of three in the Four Families trilogy. It is not a standalone and the books must be read in order. Book one—“Counts of Eight”—is available now. The author plans to release book three by early 2021. The cliffhanger ending may leave you gasping and desperate for the finale in book three. Best of luck to you, daring readers.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

EXCERPT:

I’m happy to let her think that I am the only place she will ever be able to turn for comfort.

She should turn to her master to fulfill that need.

I have every intent to take advantage of her fragile state.

Boldly, she lifts her head and slowly meets my eyes. There’s fear there behind the sapphire blue—fear and desperation and longing.

“I want you, moy khozyain.

I grip her waist with both hands and turn her, backing her up to the marble countertop. She swallows, her eyes locked on mine as I stare and press myself against her. I loom above her, my breath steady but heavy, exhaling my internal flames over her, reminding her that I was born from hellfire.

A reminder that she’s come to the devil asking to be burned.

Her features have softened from her normal cold as ice stare. Her eyelids seem heavier as they droop to hang a sultry frame over her blue irises. Her eyebrows are relaxed from the way they usually slant toward her nose, wrinkling her forehead sternly. Her lips are parted and rosy in color, and I feel her shallow breaths puffing against my throat.

“You want me…to do what?”

This question is her test.

Will she back down, afraid to speak her truth?

Will she prove herself to be a rebellious slave and demand rather than ask?

Or will she tell me what she thinks she needs and sweetly ask her master to oblige her?

Author Bio:

Brynn Ford is an independent author of romance in all of its beautiful and sensually taboo forms. She is a lover of the dark, twisted, and playful and strives to bring the unmentionable aspects of passionate romance into her stories.

Brynn resides in the Midwest with her husband and sons, whom she expects will someday be embarrassed by their mom’s books. When she isn’t obsessively writing, you may find her binge watching favorite shows while eating far too much junk food or fanatically reading, always seeking to lose herself in the emotional roller coaster of a damn good story.

She is quite the idealist, despite her fascination with the wicked and warped aspects of humanity. Some of her stories may run out of words before a happily ever after, but she’s a firm believer that her characters continue to live on outside the pages in the minds of her readers. Stories don’t end just because there aren’t anymore pages to turn.

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Stolen Wide by Carina Blake #RomanticSuspense


Title: Stolen Wife
Author: Carina Blake
Genre: Romance Suspense w/ Dark Elements
Release Date: June 30, 2020

 

I’ll do whatever it takes to get her in my arms, even kill my brother.
I’ll do everything in my power to destroy all who came between us.
The second I held the wedding photo of Giada with my brother, my revenge became tainted with possessiveness so profound that I grew colder. Calculating. Obsessed.
I’d do anything to get my desire. To taste her.
Giada is mine, and it didn’t matter the how or why, because she just is. I’ll play her name in my head—my sirens song—as I remove her from my brother’s grasp and take her for my own.
One by one, I’d get my vendetta on those who sent me away while claiming what was never theirs.

 

 

 

I wake up groggily with my head fuzzy, but from the looks of it unharmed. Maybe last night had all been a dream. Did I really dream about Santino kissing me? I’m glad Rafael didn’t come in and hear me if I did. I roll over onto my back when I hit a large frame. A frame much larger than Rafael’s. I reach out and feel a muscular chest. I open my eyes and see Santino with his elbow propping him up as he looks at me.

“Good morning.” The smile on his face almost makes me forget the danger we’re in.

“Good morning? Are you nuts? What are you doing in my bed? Rafael will kill you. Oh my goodness. I wasn’t dreaming.” My heart’s racing as fast as my mind is. I can already picture Rafael and his goons busting down the doors and shooting up the place on principle alone. Or maybe they’ll just torture us to death. I look into his eyes and all I see is mirth, which pisses me off as much as it turns me on.

“You thought you dreamed of me, baby?” He slides his hand over my hip and under my nightgown. My skin tingles from the gentle grip he exerts. God, how am I getting turned on?

It makes me mad how hot he is, and I become flustered with his touch. I shove his hand away and glare at him. “That’s not what I meant.”

“It doesn’t matter. You’re not in your bed at the compound. You’re in our bed in my home.”

“What?” I flip around and look. This isn’t my room. The room is made of clean lines, greyish-blue walls with a large television mounted to the wall. I’m confused and taken aback by this. Slamming my eyes shut, I take several deep breaths and then pinch myself.

“You’re not dreaming. I took you, and you’re here. End of story.” He sits up in the bed, and it’s the first time I notice that he’s ripped from his shoulders down to his…oh my goodness. He’s extremely hard right now. I turn to look away. “Are you hungry?”

“I’m not sure,” I respond with a barely audible whisper. My confusion has only grown. I stand to get some space between us and then it dawns on me that I’m not in my nightgown anymore. Instead, I’m in a big tee shirt with my hard nipples pressing against the letters.

“You took off my clothes? Are you trying to get us killed?” I cover my chest, like it does me any good. The man took off my clothes last night. Did he do anything else to me?

“I’m not afraid of any of them. And yes. Do you think I’d let you wear something my brother probably has fucked you in? I don’t want anything of his tainting my home.” I’m seeing a change in his mood. His temper’s slipping past that cool, calm, sexy façade. It’s as if my heart’s breaking, which makes absolutely no sense since I’ve never had a chance for love to come and tear it apart.

I glare at him and test his actions. I have to know who I’m dealing with. “Well, then, I should go, since I’m his.” He jumps off the bed and crosses the distance between us. Unable to stop myself, I flinch, waiting to feel the sting. He’s much larger than his brother and father, and I know this will hurt more, and not only physically.

“I’m not him and you’re not his,” he growls, dragging me with one arm around my waist and the other in my hair. His mouth slams down on mine. God, that kiss had been real. Before I can melt into him, he pushes off of me.

“That was wrong,” I say as I watch him get dressed. Santino slips on a white undershirt and a pair of grey dress slacks before sliding on a crisp white dress shirt.

He turns around to face me with the shirt still wide open. I’m amazed by the feral look in his eyes. From head to toe this man is perfection, but his mouth on mine was the most insanely sexy thing in the world I’ve ever experienced.

He stalks toward me, but this time I don’t flinch because I’m ridiculously hoping for another kiss. He tips my chin with his thick thumb, pulling my bottom lip from under the grip of my upper teeth. “Felt fucking right to me.” My body heats up and I breathily look up into his eyes that are trained to my lips, waiting for more. Instead, he steps back and says, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a call to make. Please eat.” He points to the trays on the table that’s in the middle of the room.

“So you’re going to leave me up here locked away?” I ask, changing one cell for another.

“Damn right,” he growls, nodding his head as he grabs his phone and gun.
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Book Blitz: Counts of Eight by Brynn Ford #darkromance

Counts of Eight
Brynn Ford
(The Four Families, #1)
Publication date: May 31st 2020
Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Romance

All of my choices had been stripped from me except for one. Dance or die.

Three years ago, I was taken, stolen away, far from the world I knew, far from civilization. I became a slave, forced to serve one of the four families with my talent.

I’d been abused, battered, tortured in isolation. My Master brought me men, partners for performance, but they failed to live up to the high standard of dance my Master required.

Until one day, he brought me a new man. A blonde-haired, green-eyed, dreamy new man who had no idea what was coming.

The men before him had disappeared. I presumed they were dead. I couldn’t afford myself the luxury of hoping they’d made it out alive because that would give me hope that I might someday do the same.

Hope was a dangerous thing and this new man’s spirit still thrummed with that electric spark of lightness. I would be the woman to strip that hope from him piece by tiny piece until he had none left. Only then could I control him, use him. Only then could I even consider the possibility of a predictable, complacent survival in this nightmare life.

And until that time came, I would make the only choice I was given the liberty of making.

Dance or die.

CONTENT WARNING: This book contains explicit sexual content, violence, and mature themes including scenes where consent is not sought or given. The author in no way condones such heinous acts, but rather seeks to immerse the reader in the true horror of the characters’ experience. This is your trigger warning – reader discretion is advised.

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EXCERPT:

This woman wishes to own me, to do me harm, for what reason, I still don’t know. But the sight of her talent in motion gives me goosebumps, makes my heart thump and my thigh muscles twitch to be in motion with her on the dance floor.

A dancer always dances.

The song comes to an end and so does her movement. Her eyes immediately lock onto mine and again comes the glacier from the icy blue, scraping slowly but steadily across the space between us.

She strides across the floor toward me with all the poise of a dancer exiting the stage after a performance.

She sighs. “I wasn’t expecting you today. You’ve interrupted my rehearsal.”

“I hate to break it to you, princess, but this has interrupted my whole life. So why don’t we just cut ties now and get out of each other’s hair?”

“No one leaves once they’re brought here.” Her eyes shift away, then back to pierce mine again.

I let my tired head fall over onto my arm. “Please spare me the cryptic bull crap. What am I doing here?”

“You’re here to dance.”

“To dance?”

“I require a partner for our annual performance. My last didn’t live up to my master’s expectations…” She steps closer, invading my personal space. “That partner is gone now, and you are here to replace him.”

“Gone?”

“Yes, that’s what I said. Why do you keep repeating me? My English is excellent, can you not understand me through my accent? I lived in New York since I was eleven. Perhaps I’ve developed another accent that you have trouble understanding.” She tilts her head as her words drip with sarcasm.

The side of my mouth curls up. I might have found her interesting if it weren’t for the circumstances.


Author Bio:

Brynn Ford is an independent author of romance in all of its beautiful and sensually taboo forms. She is a lover of the dark, twisted, and playful and strives to bring the unmentionable aspects of passionate romance into her stories.

Brynn resides in the Midwest with her husband and sons, whom she expects will someday be embarrassed by their mom’s books. When she isn’t obsessively writing, you may find her binge watching favorite shows while eating far too much junk food or fanatically reading, always seeking to lose herself in the emotional roller coaster of a damn good story.

She is quite the idealist, despite her fascination with the wicked and warped aspects of humanity. Some of her stories may run out of words before a happily ever after, but she’s a firm believer that her characters continue to live on outside the pages in the minds of her readers. Stories don’t end just because there aren’t anymore pages to turn.

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