Shadows of the Dragon | The Ashbourne Saga: Book 1

 

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This book is currently on Kindle, Paperback, and Hardcover.

By: Matt Mememaro

Publication Date: January 21, 2025

Rate: ♥♥♥♥

Read on: Kindle

Book Summary:

Destined for greatness, he must overcome insurmountable odds and break free from the suffocating curse of his family name.

With a burning desire to become a rider, Ayr Ashbourne becomes intertwined with a cerebral dragon named Azura. As a new rider and dragon pairing, they are thrown into the dangerous and prestigious Seminary of Fire and are forced to survive. But their challenges do not end there. With hostile recruits and their formidable dragons on their trail, Ayr and Azura must face one trial after another, to prove Ayr worthy of joining the rider’s ranks.

In a world where secrets run deep and death lurks in every shadow, Ayr and Azura find an unexpected ally in Elanor Sunfire, a seasoned rider with her own dragon, Evor who is promised to Azura. But time is running out, and the vengeful recruits will stop at nothing to see Ayr and Azura fail. Can Ayr bond with Azura before the deadly clash of dragons and riders becomes his ultimate demise?

Shadows of the Dragon is the first book in the Ashbourne Saga. If you like dragon rider fantasy with a slow burn romance where he falls first, you will love this fast-paced and gripping new epic fantasy by Matt Mememaro.

My Thoughts:

 

This was a quick easy read with dragons! I loved how the bonded dragon's growth depended on the bond forged with the rider. Ayr had to get to know his dragon for her to grow big enough to fly. Pretty cool. This is a YA book so you aren't getting any graphic spice but it is a slow-burn romance. It could have been more descriptive to draw you into the storyline. But I enjoyed the world and the characters. But be prepared for a cliffhanger ending.

If you are an author and would like to send me a book to review.

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If you would like to purchase a book on my wish list. The wishlist can be found HERE.

Goalie Goal | Indy Speed Hockey: Book 3

 

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This book is currently on Kindle and Paperback.

By: Siena Trap

Publication Date: January 21, 2025

Rate: ♥♥♥♥♥

Read on: Kindle

Book Summary:

As if spending hours waiting in the DMV wasn’t bad enough, I found myself detained in a back room after I flipped out on the guy who walked in off the street and cut in front of the line when it was my turn.

And who comes to bail me out? The smiling giant who was the source of my rage.

You’d think after I lost my sh*t on him, he’d give me a wide berth, but instead, he’s got it into his head that we’re together.

Like the guy is seriously unhinged, showing up at my house in the middle of the night, talking about our future children, and calling me Kitten.

In an attempt to get him to leave me alone, we strike a deal. I give him one date, and if I tell him to take a hike after that, he listens.

Too bad for him, this girl’s had enough men controlling her life. The world I ran away from was a dangerous one, but Sasha Gusev's smile might be even more deadly.

Too bad for me, this goalie only has one goal: making me his. And no is not a word in his vocabulary.

My Thoughts:

 

Sasha AKA Goose the MMC is a giant teddy bear. He knows what he wants and is ready to do anything to win the girl of his dreams. Gemma the MFC is a curvy spitfire who has escaped a messed-up family to start over. She isn't on board with Goose's plans to be an item before they have even had their first date. The storyline was great and the characters were fabulous. The puppy/cat relationship was off the charts and the spicy scenes were top-notch.

This is a stand-alone book, but characters from the other books are mentioned. You can't go wrong reading the first two in the series. I'm looking forward to Gemma's family's story in the next series Bellini Mafia.

If you are an author and would like to send me a book to review.

You can email it to me at: hhugginsgirl@hotmail.com

I post reviews where available on Amazon, Bookbub, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Audible, Kobo, Chirp, Instagram, Audiobook, and of course here on my blog.

If you would like to purchase a book on my wish list. The wishlist can be found HERE.

Beasts of Briar | Stolen Crowns: Book 5

 

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This book is currently on Kindle.

By: Tee Harlowe

Publication Date: January 16, 2025

Rate: ♥♥♥♥♥

Read on: Kindle

Book Summary:

Everyone sees him as a monster. Except her.

Bellamy’s brothers have been cursed for sixty years, stuck living as swans. She has only a short amount of time left to break the curse, or they’ll be trapped forever. Luckily, she’s finally discovered how.

Unluckily, it involves traveling to the deadly shadow court and harvesting the thorny nettle weed that grows in the castle gardens, which Bellamy must use to knit sweaters. One sweater for each of her seven brothers—and she cannot utter a single word until the curse is broken.

When the fearsome and mysterious shadow king catches her and offers a safe haven, she doesn’t know what to think. She’s hated him her entire life for the atrocities he committed against her people. Yet there’s something alluring beneath his shadowy exterior, and she finds herself drawn to him against all better judgment.

But a bigger evil looms over her, one that doesn’t want this curse broken. One that’s not just a threat to Bellamy but the entire world. And she may be the only one who can stop it.

My Thoughts:

 

Another 5-star read from Tee Harlowe. This Beauty and the Beast's vibes story has a host of wonderful characters. Some are from previous books in the series and some are new. Bellamy the MFC is strong-willed nothing will stop me from saving my family kind of girl, while also being vulnerable and insecure. The MMC Kairoth, the god of death, is covered in shadows and has been hurt before. So of course he has trust issues. The slow-burn diet spice was perfect for this storyline and the twists and turns of the plot kept me reading long into the night. 

It was excellent!

If you are an author and would like to send me a book to review.

You can email it to me at: hhugginsgirl@hotmail.com

I post reviews where available on Amazon, Bookbub, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Audible, Kobo, Chirp, Instagram, Audiobook, and of course here on my blog.

If you would like to purchase a book on my wish list. The wishlist can be found HERE.

Haunted Prey | Unmasked Duet: Book 2

 

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This book is currently on Kindle and Paperback.

By: Lora Darc

Publication Date: January 13, 2025

Rate: ♥♥♥♥♥

Read on: Kindle

Book Summary:

Eve

I fell for the one person I should have run from—the one who destroyed everything. My world. My sanity.

He stole my life…and then he stole my heart.

Now I’m broken. Lost. Haunted.

Even hidden away, I can’t escape him. His voice whispers in the dark, his shadow follows me everywhere.

This asylum holds secrets even darker than him. In this place, monstrous deeds don't stay buried. And the devil never lets go.

Emery

I held heaven in my hands, and the world ripped her from me.

Now there’s nothing left of me but obsession and vengeance. I’m a broken man—a dangerous man—with nothing to lose.

Except her. My Eve. My salvation. My undoing.

Even death can’t stop me. Eve is mine. She’ll always be mine.

This time, I won’t just take her back—I’ll burn the world to keep her.

And together, we’ll finish what we started.

My Thoughts:

 

This was the perfect conclusion to the Unmasked Duet series. It's dark intense and has an emotional storyline. Eve the MFC finds herself in an institution to recover from Emery's the MMC influence and death. Only it's not all it seems at the institution. Eve finds herself seeing and hearing things that are not there. Is she so traumatized from losing Emery that she is broken? Or is it something else?

Emery is still the dark, unhinged character he was in Book 1, but now he has to pull it together for Eve and help her get through her ordeal and figure out what is real and what is not. The storyline draws you in while breaking your heart at the same time. It truly has a happy sad ending.

If you are an author and would like to send me a book to review.

You can email it to me at: hhugginsgirl@hotmail.com

I post reviews where available on Amazon, Bookbub, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Audible, Kobo, Chirp, Instagram, Audiobook, and of course here on my blog.

If you would like to purchase a book on my wish list. The wishlist can be found HERE.

Her

 

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This book is currently on Kindle, Paperback, and Hardback.

By: DV Fischer

Publication Date: December 17, 2024

Rate: ♥♥♥♥

Read on: Kindle

Book Summary:

I have something to prove.

My weight. My worth. My life.

Not only am I a woman fresh out of the police academy, but because of my father’s reputation, I must prove I’m worthy of my badge.

And then an opportunity arose, one I couldn’t pass up. Men and women are being abducted from another country to be trafficked for horrific purposes. I have every intention of going undercover to bring down the entire operation.

I just hadn’t expected to get in so deep. I hadn’t expected to be targeted because of my body. It had become idolized and monetized by those in the shadowed, dark web and those with deep pockets and malicious secrets.

I certainly hadn’t expected to fall for one particular deep, dark secret, coiled so tightly in the stunning Nix Blaylock. But he’s the key, he’s my way into the top, and in the end? I just might have to take him down too.

This book is heavy on explicit content. Please check the author's website.

My Thoughts:

 

If you love dark, spicy, and really twisted stories this may be it for you. But definitely read the trigger warnings first. 

Charlie the MFC is a curvy rookie cop, out to prove herself. So she goes undercover to bust a s*xtrafficking ring. In comes the MMC Nix, he is dark, dangerous, and has a hidden past. They fall for each other right from the start and things heat up quickly. The story is full of twists and turns and keeps you guessing as to who the bad guys are. This was a great standalone story.

If you are an author and would like to send me a book to review.

You can email it to me at: hhugginsgirl@hotmail.com

I post reviews where available on Amazon, Bookbub, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Audible, Kobo, Chirp, Instagram, Audiobook, and of course here on my blog.

If you would like to purchase a book on my wish list. The wishlist can be found HERE.

Firebond | Book 1

 This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and decide to buy, I will make a small commission to refer you. This helps me make a few cents for doing what I love.

This book is currently on Kindle.

By: Lina Ravenhill

Publication Date: January 5,2025

Rate: ♥♥♥♥♥

Read on: Kindle

Book Summary:

Tynan

When I received a mission to retrieve a dangerous prisoner from a failing fortress, I did not know that events would spiral out of control and turn everything I thought I knew upside down. We had to fight endless herds of crawlers to get to the prison, where another surprise awaited us.
She is just a girl. Too young, too innocent, or so she seems.
Her life cannot be as important as the lives of the others in my group.
Yet, every time I look at her, something aches deep in my dragonborn soul.
And I do not know how to make it stop.

Alina

I used to be the only dragon shifter among humans, but now I am in the land of dragonborns and this world proved to be my worst nightmare. Monsters are roaming free in the cities of Talman, and yet, surprisingly, my existence threatens powerful people I have never even met.
My guard is unpredictable and lethal, but even he has no idea that I am ready to lie, cheat, steal, or even seduce him to get my freedom back.

He has no idea what I am capable of.

My Thoughts:

 

I couldn't read this fast enough... Every time I put it down I wondered what was happening with Alina. And the whole zombies and dragon shifters was a definite plus. I mean they can turn into dragons! How cool would that be? The characters were all great and you can picture the world they live in. I loved every minute of it until the end. I saw book two in the future, but the ending. Oh, man... So good!

If you are an author and would like to send me a book to review.

You can email it to me at: hhugginsgirl@hotmail.com

I post reviews where available on Amazon, Bookbub, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Audible, Kobo, Chirp, Instagram, Audiobook, and of course here on my blog.

If you would like to purchase a book on my wish list. The wishlist can be found HERE.

Hunting Pretty | Lovely Broken Dolls: Book 1

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and decide to buy, I will make a small commission to refer you. This helps me make a few cents for doing what I love.

This book is currently on Kindle and Paperback.

By: Sienna Blake

Publication Date: January 8,2025

Rate: ♥♥♥♥♥

Read on: Kindle

Book Summary:

Watch her. Crave her. Covet her.

I’m the monster in the shadows—but she’s addicted to monsters.

She looks so pretty when she cries out in her sleep. I’m obsessed with her gasps when she hears me coming for her. I'm hooked on how she fights me when I pin her down.

When she starts investigating the wrong missing girl, I have to punish her to keep her from digging—or her dark past will swallow her whole.

Chase her. Taunt her. Torment her.

No matter what I do, she won’t back down.

Now it’s too late… I’m not the only monster hunting her. But will I be the one to claim her?

If you crave possessive 'touch her and die' anti-heroes like Zade Meadows in a dark college world like Rina Kent's, then you’ll be obsessed with this sexy dark stalker.

My Thoughts:

 

Before reading check the triggers...

I loved that the MFC Ava had to solve the mystery of her past. Throughout the story, she learns new pieces that bring everything into focus by the end. Then there is Shadow AKA Scath. The morally grey MMC loves a good game of cat and mouse and has a touch her and die vibe. 

The mystery and suspense were intense but left you wanting more right up to the cliffhanger at the end... Now the wait for book 2 is coming in February.

If you are an author and would like to send me a book to review.

You can email it to me at: hhugginsgirl@hotmail.com

I post reviews where available on Amazon, Bookbub, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Audible, Kobo, Chirp, Instagram, Audiobook, and of course here on my blog.

If you would like to purchase a book on my wish list. The wishlist can be found HERE.