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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Out-Houses by Kira Stone (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Specimen by C. Quince (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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REVIEW: Never Say Never by Brea Alepou & Skyler Snow
Vitale Brothers: Never Say Never – Brea Alepou & Skyler Snow
I’d do anything for my family. Even go undercover and devote my life to the FBI so they can continue to thrive. Everything I do is for the Vitale name. I just have to focus, complete my job, divert attention and stay out of trouble.
But trouble finds me.
Not just me, but York Washington. He’s my boss, but more than that he’s my friend. When he and his daughters are thrown into danger I have no choice but to step into the light. Finally, I get to go back home.
But home is a strange hellscape I no longer understand.
While a war wages on, I’m caught between who I am and who I was with a man I’ve betrayed. There’s no happily ever after for me.
The fourth book in the Vitale brother series. Each book can be read as a standalone but best enjoyed read in order. HEA guaranteed.
The Vitale Brothers is an all-time favorite series, and each brother is memorable in his own way. I thought this would be a trilogy, so learning Gin has a twin in the previous book, Say I Do, made my jaw drop.
Never Say Never finally unveiled Gianpaolo Vitale. Going undercover in the FBI for his family as Paul Gallow, he keeps tabs on cases and passes information to Benito, the only brother who knows about his mission. Paul is known as a man whore in his department, dating coworkers left and right and getting in trouble with HR.
But the man Paul is really crushing hard on is his boss, York Washington, an Idriss Elba of a hunk who’s good at his job and keeps his personal life private. And so he was pleasantly surprised to discover York in a gay bar and that he has twin daughters.
The plot highlights Paolo’s dual identity. In the first part, as Paul, I wouldn’t say there’s none of the darkness but mostly hints of a deeper obsession. You got to hand it to Paolo. The man buried his Vitale so deep it didn’t feel like a Vitale book at all. I was even borderline bored.
It took me a while to warm up to York. A 46-year-old widower and first-time gay, he’s still figuring out most things. Paolo is eager to lend a hand and I get that York doesn’t want to complicate things with a subordinate. At the same time, the older man wants to explore his sexuality.
The thing with York is that he’s hot and cold for almost the entire book and I wasn’t convinced he’s actually in love with Paolo. Also, his characterization lacks depth. It was only at the end that he stood out as a character.
My favorite in the first part is Paolo and York’s twin daughters. Paolo adored the girls from the get-go and would die to protect them. And being a twin himself, he knows all about the mischief the clever girls cook up, even taught them a trick or two.
And we all agree, we could do without the nanny. This character was terrible and unnecessary.
When York and the twins were in danger, he didn’t hesitate. When Gianpaolo shed the Paul Gallow persona, revealing his Italian heritage, his tattoos, and became a full-on Vitale, it was glorious!!! And this is where the real crazy starts! I wish we got to this part sooner because this is what I came for.
“Sanity was only a facade with me. I was born into chaos and I wielded mayhem freely.”
You can tell he and Gin are twins because Paolo is one fucked up motherfucker with fucked up thoughts and zero qualms dub-conning his boss into staying in the Vitale building for their safety. He has already declared the twins his daughters, whether York agrees or not. I loved how fiercely protective he is of those he loves.
My favorite in the second part is when the Vitales unleashed hell on their enemies. It was a spectacular free-for-all violence, gore, and mayhem with a dash of humor, usually involving a brother’s weapon of choice. All the known brothers were there, plus Benito’s beloved monstrizio, Harlow, because as the queen, he has to have the head of the enemy.
I have yet to meet a Vitale I didn’t love, and Gianpaolo stands rightfully beside Gin, finally completing the Murder Twins. Paolo was thrown in a unique position and showed his true colors much later, but he proved a Vitale through and through.
Overall, Never Say Never is a mixed-bag yet ultimately thrilling story of loyalty, trust, and family, where the mind says no, the heart says yes, and the blood screams vengeance.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Say It First
Artist: Sam Smith
Album: The Thrill Of It AllP.S.
Vitale Brothers is best read in order. Each brother is fascinating so go ahead and meet them all.
Take Me Apart by Brea – Vitales like to live dangerously and Enzo did it by kidnapping a cop
Paid In Full by Brea – Gin found himself a twink he can’t let go
Say I Do by Brea – Benito don’t do things by halves so he married a complete psycho
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NEVER SAY NEVER: Kindle | Audiobook
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Earth’s Craving by Emily Carrington (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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SERIES REVIEW: Extradiction & Protection (Mobsters + Billionaires Books 1 & 2) by Kelly Fox
Mobsters + Billionaires: Extradiction by Kelly Fox
Fun fact: You can take the man out of the Mafia and put him in a fancy Manhattan high-rise, but that man’s always gonna have a little bit of mobster in him. Which probably explains why I told off my arrogant billionaire CEO, Rand Wolfe, in front of the entire company.
After our little exchange goes viral, I’m left with the choice of letting my father’s men toss Wolfe’s disrespectful ass into the Hudson or helping him escape. Long story short, I’m hiding out in the billionaire’s penthouse with my father’s extradition order hanging over my head.
Only…Wolfe’s nothing like I thought he’d be. This wealthy, powerful man is actually interested in what I have to say, and his alpha-hole façade falls apart completely when we’re alone.
God, he comes alive under my hands.
With other families getting involved and my father’s threats looming in the background, am I mob enough to save the man I’m falling for?
Extradition is a Manhattan romance that features an ex-mobster with a heart of gold, a billionaire with a tiny humiliation kink, and a snarky cast of criminals, reprobates, and other corporate types.
This is the first book in the Mobsters + Billionaires series. #dangerswoon
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitSoundtrack: The Wolf
Artist: Mumford and Sons
Album: Wilder Mind
Mobsters + Billionaires: Protection – Kelly Fox
I wait for the signal at crosswalks. I pay my taxes on time. And, despite my association with a certain Mafia family, I run a clean business providing security for Manhattan’s wealthy elite.
I don’t break the law.
Dr. Madhuban Laghari—Mads—is my newest protectee and my biggest problem. He fights his security protocols at every turn and makes me question all of my carefully crafted rules. Especially the one about not falling for the world’s most adorable billionaire.
Every time we go back and forth, I fall a little harder.
More dangerous than our sexy banter is the fact that the threats against him are starting to escalate.
He doesn’t want to face the reality that he’s got a stalker tracking his every move, not to mention the Russian government trying to steal his technology. The closer we get, the more I know I’ll do anything to protect him.
If his enemies dare to put a hand on my billionaire, they’ll discover how Mafia I can get.
***
Protection is a cameo-filled, globetrotting romance that features a reluctant mobster, a billionaire with questionable taste in fashion, and a found family made entirely of morally gray do-gooders.The books in this series are stand-alones, and the HEA is always guaranteed.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitSoundtrack: Worth Fighting For
Artist: The Movement
Album: Always With Me
The combination of mobsters and billionaires had never crossed my mind, but when author Kelly Fox put them together, I realized it was an obvious and unexpectedly intriguing pairing!
Also, who doesn’t swoon for dangerous, deadly men and their ‘touch him and die’ vibe when it comes to their adored boyfriends?!
Series opener Extradiction kicked off with a mic drop walk-out scene where Joe Portelli puts the posturing billionaire Rand Wolfe in his place. I’ll keep the details to a minimum because this is one of the best parts and started a series of exciting events that led to Joe living with Rand.
Rand quickly realized Joe was an asset, and working with him would improve the company’s image and more. The two started working closely to convince Wolfe Sr and other old school board members to improve work conditions for their employees. They met a brick wall but Joe and Rand were determined to make positive changes.
Rand also realized he could let himself be vulnerable around Joe, and Joe would instinctively give Rand what he needed. They don’t have much in common, but both men have complicated relationships with their fathers, and this impacts much of the story.
While BDSM isn’t my cup of tea, and Joe’s magic dick was a bit much, the evolution of their relationship and the undeniable soul-deep connection that formed was a joy to witness! This is such a fun and delicious read, the kind I found myself so entertained that I could ignore the inconsistencies.
For example, we can totally ignore the elephant in the room, a.k.a. Joe “there’s no such thing as an ethical billionaire” Portelli is also Joe mooching off and being okay with said billionaire spoiling him with designer suits and thousand-dollar VR games.
Forced proximity did its magic, creating a spectacularly sizzling chemistry between Joe and Rand! Add to that the swoony alpha protectiveness of Joe, tapping deep into his mafia soul to save his beloved billionaire from the bad guys! Also, lots of cuddles and pasta dinners!
Coming full circle is the squee-tastic closing scene where I squee-ed so hard!!! It was the perfect happy ending for this power couple!
The series also introduces us to lots of unforgettable characters, pairings for the succeeding books, and secondary characters who made their mark. The couples from each book come together to play poker every week.
Aside from Joe, the mobsters are could-be-could-be-not-actual brothers starting with security specialist Edgerton, mob boss Luca, and unhinged psycho Hopper. The billionaire contingent and Rand’s friends are money geek Ford and tech genius Mads.
There’s also a mysterious RICO agent stalking Hopper. Adding their snark and good sense to the mix are Greyson, the butler, and Sherry, Rand’s PA.
Protection is about security specialist Anthony Edgerton assigning himself to protect tech billionaire Dr. Madhuban Leghari from a stalker. Mads is fighting hard to keep his invention away from people with malicious intent. It has gotten so bad, that there were even kidnapping attempts.
This is narrated by Declan Winters, and unfortunately, his voices for Mads and Anthony were so similar that it took me a while to realize the POV changes.
The story opens with a rather manic internal dialogue by Mads, and the rest of the chapter is chaotic because Mads’s energy is on hyperdrive. At first, he came off as a horny teenager, then just a horny adult, but he was amusing, and he was a ray of sunshine.
Mads made it well-known from the get-go he was crushing on Anthony. Tried as he might to resist, the immovable, taciturn Anthony stood no chance against the unstoppable force that is Mads.
This has the size difference and opposites attract tropes in play. Anthony is Captain America, while Mads is a scrawny 5’7, tall in Asia, chibi in the US. Anthony is also a rule-follower, a code he has because of his complicated family history. And protecting his loved ones, especially the sunshine-y Mads, is making him break his rule.
While I liked the first book more, I couldn’t help but be charmed by Mads and his loyal bodyguard, Anthony. Sure, the love declarations were cheesetastic, and there were plenty, but they were heart melting too!
The cameos certainly piqued my interest. Couples from the author’s Wrecked: Guardians series contributed their skills and crazy in the action-packed rescue scene. It was quite a treat, even though I haven’t read their series yet.
I’m also hoping the author would write a story about Olga, the spy secretly helping Mads, and Ryder, Mad’s goth tech expert. Loved how Olga kicked ass as Ukrainian spec ops while Ryder kicked ass with her keyboard.
The books are in dual first-person POVs. Expect action and some violence, plenty of humor and steam,
Extraction is narrated by Blake Lockheart who did a fabulous job! The rest of the books are narrated by Declan Winters. He’s one of my top narrators so other than the point mentioned above, his narration was very engaging.
Mobsters+Billionaires should be read in order. Ethical mobsters and billionaires might be a myth but they sure fall in love for real.
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MOBSTERS + BILLIONAIRES: Kindle | Audiobook
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REVIEW: Elixir of Strife by Nazri Noor
Stolen Hearts: Elixir of Strife – Nazri Noor
Water, water, everywhere.
Leon Alcantara and Maximilian Drake have barely caught their breath after saving the city from an untimely fate. Now the Jade Spider has a new assignment. A local magical plant shop has requested a strange elixir, the liquid essence of purest water.
In pursuit of the ocean potion, Max stumbles upon a tormentor from his past. Leon faces the challenge of hosting a second dragon, a legend much closer to home. And the mysterious Masques are more watchful than ever, shadowing the boys at every turn.
But strangest of all is a fresh spate of elemental anomalies in Dos Lunas. Life or death, sink or swim, Leon and Max must rise to the challenge — or drown under a tide of wicked magic.
Nazri Noor’s stories are full of cocky but lovable magical boys and their misadventures. Stolen Hearts is another urban fantasy series featuring two witches, Max Drake of the prominent Brilliante clan and Leon Alcantara, son of a Filipino immigrant and last of the long line of Alcantara bruhas. They partnered to work as finders of magical artifacts in Dos Lunas.
In the second book, Elixir of Strife, the two witches were commissioned to find the Essence of Water. This magical elixir can be added to a potion, making it more potent while multiplying it infinite times. Their clients were Daniel de Lion from the de Lion clan and a demon hag who called herself Edelweiss. The two were agriculturists or, in Edel’s case, “hagriculturist.”
Dan de Lion is the more difficult of the two, arrogant and impatient. I thought he might be connected to Leon since their names are too similar. Edel turned out to be a potential ally. She’s growing the “evil olive,” a magical olive so potent that a drop of its oil could have some interesting, if dire, results.
This part piqued my interest, and I really thought the evil olive would have a more significant effect on the proceedings. Sadly, it was underutilized. I’m hoping it will reappear in future books because some events and characters from the first book were referenced or made their reappearance.
The humor is one of my favorite aspect of the writing. The internal dialogues, particularly Leon’s, amused me to no end. Leon, like many Filipinos, is extra scrappy and resourceful, able to repurpose any handy material for his magic. Most of his education came from his late bruha mother and, not born with a silver spoon, learned to be exceptionally creative with limited magical ingredients.
I loved how the author incorporated Filipino culture and lore into the story. There were moments when Leon would be reminded of his native country, and his reflections were often both nostalgic and humorous. It was also fitting for him to finally acquire a water dragon from the Philippines.
In the original Filipino lore, Bakunawa is a dragon who swallows the sun or moon, causing the eclipse. In this context, he becomes a powerful water dragon who swallowed the ocean. I’m excited to see more dragons in future books! I’m living for the anime vibes!
Max is no slouch either with his badass diamond-based magic. So far, he relies on his tried-and-tested spells, but I’d love to see his magic evolve. This rich boy knows he has looks, power, and resources, and while he’s not pretending to be humble, he isn’t one to brag unnecessarily. As one of the old magical families, Max has connections and friends he shares with Leon.
Guillotina is Max’s bodyguard and best friend. She packs one heck of a punch! Johnny Slivers is a bar owner and music geek. Loved his powers! He can manifest deadly pins, hence the name. Roscoe is Johnny’s boyfriend and is equally powerful, able to create hexes.
The most intriguing characters will always be the Jade Spider and the Mask. Spiders are information mongers, and there are several kinds. The ones we know are the Quartz Spider, who was a bad guy, and the Jade Spider, who is currently a sort of handler for Max and Leon. She may be allied to them now, but she pinged my “spidey senses.”
The Masks are magical police, seemingly omniscient and always mysterious. Their masks have a crescent design, and they appear and disappear like the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland. They have taken a particular interest in our boys. I want a book about the Masks!
I have always loved that the author’s works are action-packed, as they remind me of anime fight scenes. This installment is more subdued in terms of action and the plot was a bit too expected, but there was enough spells and sass to satisfy my otaku self.
Elixir of Strife explores the intriguing world of liquids, encompassing everything from water manipulation to perfumes, potions, cocktails, salt water, and even urine. While the author’s style is already recognizable, leading to a sense of predictability, one thing’s for sure: it’s hella fun and solidly entertaining!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Something in the Water
Artist: Kami Kehoe
Album: Something in the WaterP.S.
Even if each book has a different mission, Stolen Hearts should be read in order. Dos Lunas is where it’s at and Max and Leon’s (mis)adventures start in Hex and the City.
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Elixir of Strife. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
ELIXIR OF STRIFE: Kindle | Audiobook
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Trust is Sacred by Emily Carrington (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Only The Small Bones by C.P. Harris
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: The Winner Takes It All by Ivy L. James (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Trust is Fraught by Emily Carrrington (Excerpt & Giveaway)
