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Tag: adult romance

  • Romance Reviews: Samantha Joyce’s Not Today, Satan & H. Leighton Dickson’s Ship Of Spells

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    THP’s book team has been booked and busy all season, but we’re not complaining! From fall roundups to romance recommendations, we’ve got everything you need and then some. Be sure to check out all of our latest book reviews here!

    If you’ve been looking for a pair of complementary new romance novels to crack open, we got you! These two books will go on sale on the same day: November 4th. (Convenient for when you load up your shopping cart!)

    Set in Hell, Samantha Joyce’s Not Today, Satan is a YA romance between the devil’s daughter and a newly minted sinner. While H. Leighton Dickson’s adult romantasy, Ship of Spells, takes us to the high seas aboard a magical ship. We loved both these books, and here’s why!

    Book Overview: Not Today, Satan

    Not Today, Satan by Samantha Joyce
    Image Source: Entangled Publishing

    Content warnings: death, murder, graphic violence, gore, torture, poisoning, stabbing, hospitalization, serious injuries, guns, weapons (Please read at your discretion!)

    Summary: Think your life is hell?

    Try being the Prince of Darkness’s only daughter―a seventeen-year-old born and raised in Hell, destined to inherit the throne, and constantly enduring the (literal) eternal moans and screams of souls who had it coming.

    The only thing worse than ruling the Underworld is working here. Day after day, it’s me, a bunch of demons who are too intimidated by my dad to befriend me, and an endless lineup of sinners. Until Nathan Reynolds shows up, with a smile that could turn brimstone to butterflies, claiming he’s innocent.

    I don’t question the system; it’s never wrong. But Nate’s pleading eyes have me doubting everything I’ve ever known.

    So, I’m going to do the one thing I’m not supposed to do: I’m going to help him break out. Even if it means showing Nate exactly who I am. Metaphorical horns and all.

    Because if we don’t make it out of here?

    We’re not just damned. We’re doomed.

    Our Review

    Fate works hard, but the devil’s daughter works harder! Samantha Joyce’s Not Today, Satan absolutely charmed us from the get-go. With Devica set to inherit the throne from her father Lucifer, she faces so many conflicting thoughts. After a shocking discovery, she sets out to find her mother…on Earth. And the only person who can help her is Nathan “Nate” Reynolds, a sinner who’s convinced his judgement was a mistake. Their journey to escape takes them through the realms of Hell, facing punishments, demons, and too many near-death experiences. Though technically, Nate already died.

    We loved the budding romance between Devica and Nate. Nate’s cheesiness is endearing, and his kind nature eventually wins over Devica. Hell’s Princess still has a heart, after all. Her character development primes her for the throne just in time. And though we have yet to meet the devil himself, the cliffhanger ending tells us we might well be introduced in the next installment. We’ll keep our eyes out in the meantime!

    Not Today, Satan by Samantha Joyce comes out November 4th, and you can order a copy of it here!

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SAMANTHA JOYCE:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE

    Book Overview: Ship Of Spells

    Ship of Spells by H. Leighton Dickson
    Image Source: Entangled Publishing

    Content warnings: war, battle, perilous situations, blood, intense violence, brutal injuries, death, drowning, physical torture, and sexual activity (Please read at your discretion!)

    Summary: When Ensign Bluemage Honor Renn is rescued from the wreckage of her first naval post, she expects death or disgrace. Instead, she wakes aboard the Touchstone, a mythic vessel whispered of in dockside ballads and royal war rooms alike. With a crew of misfits. A mysterious, elven captain. And a mission tied to the Dreadwall, the crumbling barrier that has kept the Overland and Nethersea from open war for a hundred years.

    But the tragedy that sank her last ship didn’t just take lives―it left something behind.

    Now Renn carries a secret everyone wants. A magik that’s chimeric, arcane…and slowly killing her. But the captain’s mission may be her only chance to survive, even if he still doesn’t trust her.

    Caught between privateers, princes, and spies, Renn knows each choice could sink her future―or set the sea on fire.

    Our Review

    H. Leighton Dickson’s new adult romantic fantasy, Ship of Spells, completely transports us to the high seas! Aboard the Ship of Spells, or the Touchstone, mage-in-training Honor Renn must reluctantly sail under a captain who’s a sworn enemy of her and her people. She possesses a rare ability to channel an ancient magic, which she uses on a perilous mission to repair the Dreadwall.

    The Touchstone crew was one of our favorite things about Ship of Spells. From the kindhearted ship doctor Echo to the loudmouth quartermaster Smoke, we grew to love this found family of pirates. As for the romance of this book, it’s a super slow burn between Honor and Gavriel with so many “almost there” moments that get cut short. But the wait was worth it. The open ending got us good, and we can’t wait to read more about Honor and Gavriel’s nautical journey!

    Ship of Spells by H. Leighton Dickson comes out November 4th, and you can order a copy of it here!

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT H. LEIGHTON DICKSON:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE

    Did you enjoy our latest review duo? Which pair of books should we review next? Let us know on Twitter! You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram.

    Catch up on our latest audiobook recommendations here!

    Need some more book recs? We got them!

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    Julie Dam

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  • Review Pair: Last On The List & Honeymoon Phase By Amy Daws

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    As the weather starts to cool down, there is nothing we’d rather be doing than curling up with a cute and cozy read. Bonus points if they’re adult romances like Last on the List and Honeymoon Phase by Amy Daws that bring the heat!

    We’ve started our foray into Amy Daws’ universe of adult romance with these two new releases. And it’s safe to say we’re hooked! Here is what we love about Last on the List (out now!) and Honeymoon Phase (on sale November 18th).

    Book Overview: Last On The List

    Last on the List by Amy Daws
    Image Source: HarperCollins Publishers

    Content warnings: mentions of fatphobia, hospitalization, and divorce

    Summary: CEO millionaire Max Fletcher is a single dad in desperate need of a nanny.

    Cozy Barlow is in the middle of her self-appointed “gap year” and doing everything she can to detach from her past.

    But when her sister begs her to interview for the nanny position of a high-maintenance client, she doesn’t have a good enough reason to say no.

    And when Max locks eyes on the twentysomething in tie-dye who pitches the idea of daydreaming all summer, he prepares to give this bad nanny the boot.

    One problem: Max’s little girl thinks this “plus-size in body and spirit” nanny might be her new bestie, so she hires her on the spot.

    Now Max is stuck with a woman who hates everything he represents—corporate greed, money, status, power.

    But one stormy night when the power goes out, he discovers Cozy doesn’t hate him. In fact, he’s the leading role in her fantasies.

    Fantasies he would very much like to make a reality.

    Our Review

    We can’t believe this is one of the first books we’ve read with the single dad x nanny trope! Last on the List is the newest story in Amy Daws’ Wait with Me series. It follows a romance between CEO Max Fletcher and his live-in nanny Cassandra “Cozy” Barlow.

    We loved a lot of things about this spicy rom-com, namely the palpable tension and lovable supporting cast (especially Max’s daughter Everly). But one of our all-time favorites is how Cozy ultimately confronts her traumatic past and Max’s part in purging those negative memories as well. Because what else are millionaires CEOs good for than making things happen with money?

    We won’t spill too much, but their happy ending was well deserved and even alluded to the beginning of the Mountain Men Matchmaker series, which centers around Max’s younger brothers: Wyatt, Calder, and Luke. Speaking of Luke, we’ll get more into his love story in Honeymoon Phase below!

    Last on the List by Amy Daws comes out September 30th, and you can order a copy of it here!

    Book Overview: Honeymoon Phase

    Honeymoon Phase by Amy Daws
    Image Source: HarperCollins Publishers

    Content warning: themes of grief and trauma, deaths of loved ones, parental abandonment

    Summary: When Addison “Roe” Monroe tells me she’s going on a husband hunt at the local lumberjack competition so she can inherit her father’s lumberyard, desperate times call for desperate measures.

    She’s sworn off romance. Says she’s been through enough tragedy. So I offer myself as an alternative, ’cause that’s what best friends are for.

    But my stubborn friend, who would rather drive a forklift than get her nails done, refuses to accept my help, and now I find myself training to become a lumberjack.

    I refuse to let Roe hitch her wagon to some hulking ax wielder who might be a serial killer. She means too much to me.

    And I swear there are moments where she looks at me like I mean something more to her, too.

    On the surface, I’m offering a marriage of convenience to protect her. But the truth is…I’m hopelessly in love with my best friend.

    So if I have to marry her and move her up to Fletcher Mountain just to see if she could love me back, so be it.

    Because my only regret would be losing her forever, and that’s a fact.

    Our Review

    Hopefully you won’t have to wait too long in between reading Last on the List and the first two books in the Mountain Men Matchmaker series before getting into Honeymoon Phase by Amy Daws! Moving on to the youngest Fletcher brother, Luke’s romance features a marriage of convenience and the best friends-to-lovers trope (which we’re huge suckers for, by the way).

    Luke offers to marry his best friend Addison “Roe” Monroe in order for her to inherit her family’s lumber yard. The only slight problem is that he’s been in love with and pining after her for ages, and she has no clue. Seeing the lengths that Luke goes to first get Roe to agree to marry him, then to avoid scaring her off by how much he (truly) loves and cares for her was maddening in the best way possible.

    Similar to Last on the List, Honeymoon Phase also balances the rom-com with heavier topics of grief and trauma. We loved seeing Luke and Addison work through their troubling past and not hiding huge parts of themselves from each other anymore. So, so swoonworthy.

    Honeymoon Phase by Amy Daws comes out November 11th, and you can preorder a copy of it here! (P. S. You can find out who the next main character in the series will be at the end of this book!)

    Are you excited for Amy Daws’ upcoming releases? Have you already read the other books in the Wait with Me and Mountain Men Matchmaker series? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

    Want to hear some of our audiobook recommendations? Here’s the latest!

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AMY DAWS:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE

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    Julie Dam

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  • Book Review: Wicked Believer By Kait Ballenger

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    There is nothing like an adult romance to refresh our TBR list! It may or may not be a guilty pleasure of ours. And we love sharing our wide range of book reviews with all of you. Wicked Believer by Kait Ballenger is a spicy, dark romance transforming New York City into the Seven Deadly Sins’ playground.

    Wicked Believer is the second book in the Original Sinners trilogy, picking up only days after the end of book one. As a new divine being, Charlotte must navigate her increasingly complicated relationship with Lucifer and her role in the pending war among the celestials.

    This sequel delivers even more drama, secrets, and spice, of course. Here are three things we love about Kait Ballenger’s Wicked Believer!

    Wicked Believer by Kait Ballenger
    Image Source: Amazon Publishing

    Book Overview: Wicked Believer

    Content warnings: heavy themes of religious trauma, religiously motivated hate speech, mentions of forced marriage, forced pregnancy, and emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, stalking, drinking, drug use, graphic violence, religious genocide, mass murder, swearing (Please read at your discretion!)

    Summary: I wasn’t always immortal. And I’m not sure I’ll ever get the hang of it. Not like Lucifer, a.k.a. Pride. He and the other seven deadly sins, the high-profile billionaires who run this city, make the divine life look easy.

    I came to New York a good, if damaged, Christian girl. Then Lucifer opened my eyes to the darkness. To the hunger burning inside me. To a world of pain and pleasure like nothing I’ve ever known. Now it’s all I crave. He’s all I crave.

    But as I grapple with this new existence―and the events that led me to it―unseen forces push me and Lucifer apart. Paparazzi track my every move, Lucifer’s family plays their wicked games, and I hardly know who I am anymore. Or who I’m meant to be.

    A celestial war is brewing, and Lucifer’s siblings are out for blood―and the dark power inside me calls me to join the fight.

    The Spice

    We’re not ashamed to admit that the spice in Wicked Believer is hot, hot, hot! Charlotte and Lucifer stay ready to jump each other’s bones, and we don’t blame them one bit! The tension, the BDSM scenes, and of course, the aftercare are top-tier. Charlotte even has wicked fantasies of her own, though she still grapples with the complicated feelings of shame that ensue. If you thought book one was steamy, then wait until you read the sequel!

    Lucifer’s Character Development

    While we loved Charlotte’s character development in the first book, Lucifer’s personal journey in Wicked Believer definitely stood out to us. He’s forced to rethink his possessiveness over Charlotte. Lucifer also struggles with an inability to confide in Charlotte, so as not to make her worried about him. But that only backfires and pushes the two of them apart. Lucifer must learn the importance of choice and truly fight for their relationship if they have any hopes of making it in the long run.

    A New Love Interest

    Another thing we love about Wicked Believer is the appearance of a new love interest. We won’t give away his name yet, though. He appears exclusively in Charlotte’s dreams and flashbacks in Original Sinner and the first quarter of the sequel. To sweeten the deal, he even has a long history with Lucifer. We were not expecting how obsessed we’d be over their three-way romance, but we can’t wait to see how their relationship develops in the next installment of this series.

    Packed with more drama, character development, and spice, we’ve become even more invested in Kait Ballenger’s brilliant new sequel, Wicked Believer!

    Wicked Believer by Kait Ballenger comes out September 9th, and you can order a copy of it here!

    What did you need of Kait Ballenger’s new sequel, Wicked Believer? Are you as hooked on this series as we are? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

    Want to hear some of our audiobook recommendations? Here’s the latest!

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT KAIT BALLENGER:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | WEBSITE

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    Julie Dam

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  • Spend Your Vacation With Noué Kirwan’s Frequent Fliers

    Spend Your Vacation With Noué Kirwan’s Frequent Fliers

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    The adult romances this summer have been checking all our boxes! We at THP love to explore rich stories and characters, and today’s no different. We’re excited to review Noué Kirwan’s latest novel, Frequent Fliers.

    Frequent Fliers by Noué Kirwan follows Melanie “Lanie” Turner, a woman who somehow becomes the best mate/maid of honor at her cousin Gemma’s wedding. Oh, and Gemma’s marrying Lanie’s lifelong crush Jonah. As Lanie travels between New York City and London to plan the wedding, she repeatedly runs into a handsome, no-nonsense seatmate named Dr. Ridley Aronsen.

    Can Lanie make things work with Ridley? Or will they just barely miss the right timing? We won’t keep you waiting too long. Here are three things we love about Frequent Fliers by Noué Kirwan!

    Cover: Frequent Fliers by Noué Kirwan
    Image Source: HarperCollins Publishers

    Book Overview: Frequent Fliers

    Content Warnings: parental abandonment, parental neglect, anxiety, and panic attacks, mention of partner death, mention of terminal disease, divorce, mention of cheating

    Summary: Lanie Turner has some loose ends:
    – A     nearly complete PhD.
    – A job she     basically enjoys.
    – And a lifelong crush…that she’s     almost gotten over.

    On a trip to reunite with her family in England—and said crush, Jonah—Lanie intends to take care of one of those items. Her favorite cousin, Gemma, is engaged…to Jonah. And they want Lanie to be both their maid of honor and best “mate” at the wedding. It’s the perfect opportunity to prove the pitying gazes wrong: she’s over Jonah. Really.

    As Lanie travels between New York City and London to help with wedding prep, she befriends her handsome seatmate. Dr. Ridley Aronsen—a widower and single father—is prickly at first, but feisty Lanie reminds him of a more carefree time in his life. And after a steamy layover in Iceland, the pair take a direct flight from seatmates to lovers. Ridley even agrees to be her plus-one for the wedding. For once, everything seems to be falling into place.

    But Lanie’s used to getting hurt, and Ridley finds opening up difficult. How will a long-distance relationship even work once Lanie’s back in NYC permanently? It’s easy enough to let one more loose thread unravel…after all, life’s problems seem tiny from thirty-five thousand feet in the air.

    Tough Conversations

    We absolutely love Frequent Fliers for the way it addresses finding love after loss. It’s been almost three years since Ridley lost his wife, Thyra. Then, when he meets Lanie, he hesitates to open up about his family and reveal the truth about his late wife and 14-year-old daughter, Beatrix. But Ridley starts to care for and love Lanie faster than he can tell Bea. And the reality is this: introducing a new partner to his daughter takes a lot more difficult conversations, parenting, and breakdowns than he could’ve expected.

    Lanie’s Development

    The main character’s development is our next reason for loving Noué Kirwan’s Frequent Fliers. Lanie’s past relationships have taught her not to expect the good in people. She’s gotten used to people finding any reason not to be with her anymore. But Lanie learns that she needs to love and value herself and be the most important person in her life before committing to someone else. Lanie’s romance with Ridley shows that someone loves her enough to stay and find her no matter where she goes.

    The Wedding

    Are we suckers for big wedding celebrations in books? Yes, and we have no shame in admitting that! Gemma and Jonah’s wedding in Frequent Fliers comes and goes with minimal issues, thanks to Lanie being at the helm. But the whole time, she’s anxiously awaiting Ridley’s response after she confessed her love in a drunken voicemail. We love that the author didn’t skip to the end immediately after the wedding and actually took more time to develop Lanie and Ridley’s relationship and find its true happy ending.

    Noué Kirwan’s Frequent Fliers offers us a unique, emotional, and relatable story about showing up for loved ones and finding love after loss.

    Frequent Fliers by Noué Kirwan is out August 13th, and you can preorder a copy of it here!

    What do you think about Noué Kirwan’s Frequent Fliers? Do you have it on your TBR? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

    Want to hear some of our audiobook recommendations? Here’s the latest!

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NOUÉ KIRWAN:
    INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE

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    Julie Dam

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  • We’re Falling For The Next Best Fling By Gabriella Gamez

    We’re Falling For The Next Best Fling By Gabriella Gamez

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    It’s no secret that one of our biggest weaknesses is a swoony adult romance. Gabriella Gamez’s debut novel, The Next Best Fling, may just be our favorite one this year! And we can’t think of a better time to read it (or re-read it) than now, just before the peak of the summer.

    The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez follows Marcela Ortiz, a plus-size, Latina librarian who’s been secretly in love with Ben Young, her best friend from college. When Ben gets engaged, she realizes it’s time to move on. But what she doesn’t realize is how much Theo Young, Ben’s older brother, will change her life with a rebound relationship.

    We read this book in one sitting, so we can tell you just how much we’re obsessed with this debut! Here are three things we love about Gabriella Gamez’s The Next Best Fling!

    Cover: The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez
    Image Source: Hachette Book Group

    Book Overview: The Next Best Fling

    Content Warnings: fatphobia, parental abandonment, divorce, codependent/toxic friendship, emotional manipulation

    Summary: Librarian Marcela Ortiz has been secretly in love with her best friend for years—and when he gets engaged, she knows it’s long past time to move on. But before she gets the chance, she has a bigger problem to contend with in the form of Theo Young, ex-NFL player and older brother of the man she’s in love with. When she discovers Theo’s plans to confess his feelings for his brother’s fiancée at their engagement party, Marcela is quick to stop him—despite how tempting it is to let him run away with the bride-to-be. She manages to convince Theo to sleep off his drunken almost-mistake at her place and when they arrive at a family brunch the next day together, everyone wrongly assumes they hooked up.

    Since Theo needs a cover for his feelings for the bride and Marcela needs a distraction from her unrequited feelings for the groom, they decide to roll with the lie. Until one late night at a bar, they take it a step further and discover a layer of attraction neither realized existed. Soon, they find themselves exploring the simmering chemistry between them, whether in library aisles or Marcela’s bed. There are no boundaries for the rebound relationship they form—just a host of complicated feelings, messy familial dynamics, and uncovered secrets that threaten to tear them apart before they can even admit to themselves that their rebound is working. Maybe a little too well.

    Marcela’s Relatability

    We love when a book makes us feel seen, and The Next Best Fling does exactly that! The main character, Marcela, has a lot of baggage. But who doesn’t? Her father left her when she was 12, and she’s been pining after her best friend Ben for years. She’s dealt with dating and hooking up with people who have treated her terribly for being plus-size. Marcela’s character is so relatable, both in how she copes with trauma and in the growth she goes through. And it helps that she’s a huge bookworm like us, even starting a YA book club at her library. We want to be her when we grow up (we say as if we aren’t around the same age).

    Theo’s Green Flags

    If we ever met someone who treats us the way Theo treated Marcela, we’d fold immediately. Because we fell in love with the way he communicates with Marcela and is as honest as he can be, given his past trauma. Theo respects Marcela’s boundaries, making sure she initiates the intimacy she’s most comfortable with. He took two weeks to plan a proper date with a super sweet surprise at the end of the night. And he pays attention to so many details about Marcela that even we forgot about. Theo’s just a 10/10 love interest. We want to know how to find someone like that ourselves.

    Their Chemistry

    Okay, we need another section just to talk about Marcela and Theo’s chemistry because hello?? We can honestly say we’ve never giggled this much reading an adult romance before! Their flirting and banter checked off all our boxes. We can feel the passion radiating off our main characters. Not only that, but they make each other better people when they’re together. They share so much patience while figuring out their complicated relationship. And there’s a perfect balance between the sweet romance, the emotional angst, and, of course, the spicy scenes!

    Good news! The Next Best Fling is only the first in Gabriella Gamez’s Librarians in Love series, so we’re already excited for the next installment. Will it be Marcela’s best friend Angela exploring her asexuality? Or will it be the mysterious managing librarian Erica? Either way, we hope this isn’t the last time we’ll see Marcela and Theo!

    Gabriella Gamez’s debut captures the perfect blend of a swoony and spicy romance, combined with an emotional plot that will have you crying, laughing, and everything in between!

    The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez is out July 9th, and you can preorder a copy of it here!

    Have we convinced you to read The Next Best Fling yet? Are you giving this debut romance a try? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

    Want to hear some of our audiobook recommendations? Here’s the latest!

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GABRIELLA GAMEZ:
    INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE

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    Julie Dam

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