Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Oasis Length: Novel Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: Third Person, FMC Series: Convenient Marriages, #2 Publisher: Harlequin Hero: Jake Tarrant Heroine: Kitty Colgan Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: September 14, 1990 Started On: October 14, 2025 Finished On: October 17, 2025
Lynne Graham’s An Insatiable Passion is a delicious throwback to everything I miss in classic category romance; raw yearning, combustible chemistry, and the sort of angst that coils tight in your chest and refuses to let go.
Kitty Colgan returns home after years away, now an internationally renowned actress with poise and polish. But all of that cultivated serenity crumbles the moment she comes face-to-face with Jake Tarrant, the man who once broke her heart and altered the entire course of her life. Their shared childhood was marked by sharp class differences and even sharper emotional wounds. Kitty, the unwanted child raised by cold grandparents, and Jake, the privileged boy who saw something precious in her long before she saw anything in herself.
Eight years earlier, one reckless night changed them forever. Kitty suffered through the aftermath alone; pregnancy, miscarriage and abandonment, while Jake ran headlong into marriage with another. When Kitty returns at twenty-five, elegant but hollowed by past pain, and Jake at thirty-three, now a single father, the spark between them reignites with the force of a wildfire. Every interaction, no matter how barbed, carries an undercurrent of longing neither of them can disguise.
The heart of the story lies in their entangled histories and the devastating misunderstandings that shaped their early choices. Jake had never stopped wanting Kitty, but the circumstances of their past and what he believed then made him flee when he should have fought. Kitty, meanwhile, has never been loved in the way she yearned for, and Jake’s betrayal carved deep wounds that time could not heal. Their reunion is therefore explosive in the truest sense: two damaged souls circling each other with equal parts desire, bitterness, vulnerability, and bone-deep familiarity.
What makes this novel shine is the sheer visceral intensity between Kitty and Jake. Their chemistry is elemental; magnetic, primal, and impossible to temper. Jake, in particular, is the kind of hero I miss in contemporary romance: confident, masculine, commanding in the way that makes your ovaries break out the pom-poms, and vulnerable only when it comes to one woman.
Kitty is Jake’s Achilles heel, and Graham writes that dynamic with addictive tension. Kitty too is a heroine molded by hardship, sweet, feminine, and painfully susceptible to Jake, but also stronger and more self-aware than the girl she once was. Their passion feels both inevitable and combustible, and Graham handles their emotional unravelling with sharp insight and heavy emotion.
I loved the revelations that come late in the story, particularly the truth about Jake’s mother and the tangled mess of lies, shame, and misplaced guilt that sabotaged their young love. The cycle they were trapped in becomes clearer and more heartbreaking, making their second chance feel both that much more precious and deeply satisfying. And the ending… pure perfection. Seeing Jake and Kitty unable to keep their hands off each other with a baby in their arms and another on the way encapsulates everything this book does best: love that burns hot, heals deep, and endures. Tina, Jake’s daughter, adds just the right amount of softness to balance the intensity. The only thing that could have made this book better? More insight into the Tina-Kitty dynamic. I would have adored some more of that.
Recommended for: readers who love old-school intensity, combustible chemistry, tortured pasts, childhood-to-adult second chances, and heroes who burn for their heroines with single-minded devotion.
Final Verdict: A gorgeously angst-ridden, sensual, and emotionally charged second-chance romance; An Insatiable Passion delivers everything the title promises in spades.
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Oasis Length: Novel Genre: Historical Romance POV: Third Person, Dual Series: Game of Dukes, #3 Publisher: Self-Published Hero: Adam Garrity Heroine: Gabriella Billings Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: May 23, 2019 Started On: February 21, 2025 Finished On: April 11, 2025
“A sensible man guards his heart; a smart man knows when to yield it.”
Regarding the Duke by Grace Callaway was my very first book from this author, and what an introduction it turned out to be. The third installment in the Game of Dukes series that features protagonists who blur the lines when it comes to the “right” side of the law, this is a book (as evidenced by my sheer enjoyment), that can be read as a standalone. This is a sweeping, emotional, and evocative romance that had me laughing out loud one minute and crying the next, the kind of story that lingers long after the final page.
The book begins with Gabriella Billings, who at the age of twenty-two marries Adam Garrity, the infamous Duke of the City. On the surface, he is a wealthy, powerful man whose fortune and shadowy empire makes him both feared and respected. She marries him for love, but Adam, hardened by his past and intent on revenge, marries her for reasons entirely different.
By the time the story continues eight years later, Gabby is thirty, the mother of two children, and still deeply in love with her husband. Adam, now forty-three, is every bit as enigmatic and controlled as he was the day he wed her. Their seemingly perfect marriage unravels in the wake of an accident that leaves Adam with amnesia and Gabby with shattering revelations about the truth of their relationship.
Adam is the sort of hero that I cannot help but swoon over. Scarred inside and out, his childhood was one of abuse, betrayal, and even being sold by his own father into horrors no child should endure. Everything about the man he became is tied to that past, his drive for vengeance and his obsession with control born from trauma. When amnesia forces him to relearn everything, it also gives him the rare chance to see his life without the filter of bitterness. It is here that his relationship with Gabby transforms, as he finds himself falling deeply and passionately in love with the wife he had kept at arm’s length for years.
Gabby is a heroine who resonated deeply with me. She struggles with anxiety, self-image, and the kind of constant overthinking that makes her feel wholly human. Sweet, feminine, and unassuming, she is exactly the kind of woman who makes a man like Adam whole, not by changing him, but by balancing his darkness with her quiet strength. She adores him even when she fears she was never truly loved in return, and it is her unwavering heart that grounds their marriage through the upheaval of secrets, betrayals, and rediscovery.
The steamy scenes of passion were a delightful surprise, written with sheer eroticism that lives rent free in my head. Since my first foray into Ms. Callaway’s stories, I have come to identify Adam Garrity as one of a kind. He is the man who smolders and delivers so spectacularly, every single time.
What I loved most about this book was how brilliantly this is written. Ms. Callaway has a gift for weaving in humor at just the right moments, lightening up scenes that are otherwise weighted with pain and longing. The emotional depth of Adam’s journey, paired with Gabby’s quiet courage, made for a romance that was both heartbreaking and healing. And the cover? Absolutely glorious, perfectly capturing the passion and beauty of this story.
Recommended for: readers who enjoy historical romances with antiheroes, self-made men, long marriages tested by secrets, and heroines whose strength lies in their femininity.
Final Verdict: Evocative, emotional, scorching hot, and utterly unforgettable; Regarding the Duke is everything I want in a historical romance.
Favorite Quotes
With a wave of his hand, Mr. Garrity sent the guards and widow retreating back to a discreet distance. Then he offered Gabby his arm. “You have my word that this will be a short, perfectly respectable interlude. Shall we?” “You think of everything, don’t you?” Gabby asked, bemused. “I want you to know that your reputation is safe with me.” The stars reflected in his eyes, which were darker than the sky and so deep that she had the sensation of losing herself in everlasting midnight. “That you, Miss Billings, will always be safe with me.”
“You need hide nothing from me, Miss Billings,” he said. “If we are to further our acquaintance, it would be best for us to be honest with one another.” Stunned, she came to a halt. “You wish to further your acquaintance with me?” His brows lifted. “Why does that surprise you?” “Because you’re…” Handsome as a prince. And rich and powerful. Why would you want to get to know me? “You’re my father’s business associate,” she finished lamely. He studied her. “Do you find me old, Miss Billings? Too old to be your friend?” The idea was laughable. He radiated virile energy, the essence of a man in his prime. “No,” she blurted. “Definitely not.” His lips gave a faint twitch.
“You’re mine. You belong to me,” he growled. “Say it.” “I…belong to you,” she moaned. “Then take me. All of me.”
“I want all of you.” The words welled up, unstoppable as her tears. “I want a marriage of hearts and minds and bodies, too. I want nothing between us. Nothing.” “Then we are in accord, my sweet wife.” In a lightning-fast move, he was by her side, thumbing away her tears. Then he scooped her up in his arms. Her hands landing on his rock-hard chest, she was captivated by the ferocity of his expression. “Because when it comes to our marriage, I won’t settle for less than everything.”
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Oasis Length: Novel Genre: Fantasy Romance POV: Third Person, Single Series: Standalone Publisher: Self-Published Hero: Azrael the Eternal Heroine: Lanachee Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: October 29, 2015 Started On: November 23, 2024 Finished On: December 09, 2024
I am almost afraid to even attempt putting into words what this book made me feel, because Land of the Beautiful Dead is exactly what I mean when I say I want a villainous hero, one who is ruthless, irredeemable, and yet someone you fall for hopelessly and helplessly. The amazing thing about this 500+ paged novel is that you dive in and lose yourself in the story. No two ways about it.
R. Lee Smith is the kind of writer who makes you feel at home from the very first page; there is no easing in, no slow build to trust; her prose simply takes you in, surrounds you, and refuses to let go. She writes with such richness and evocative beauty that you find yourself in this delicious tug-of-war, wishing you could devour the story faster while desperately wanting to linger and savor every line.
This is perhaps one of the longest books I have ever read, and yet not a single page felt wasted. Most romances fit neatly into a certain length, or are broken into installments, but Smith dares to go where few would; into the depths of truly dark romance, giving readers something substantial, immersive, and unapologetically intense to sink their teeth into. Perhaps I am only now dipping my toes into the romantasy genre so many rave about, but no author has ever tempted me into it quite like this one.
Land of the Beautiful Dead is an epic, hauntingly beautiful romance that defies genre boundaries and lingers in the mind long after the last page. Set in a post-apocalyptic world reduced to ruins under the rule of Azrael the Eternal, the story blends dark fantasy, dystopia, and romance into a narrative that is as unsettling as it is breathtaking. The world outside the walled city of Haven is plagued by the Eaters, undead creatures that devour human life, and while humans eke out a brutal existence, Azrael and his favored Children reign supreme behind the city walls.
Lanachee, or Lan, has only known this harsh existence, but she refuses to surrender to despair. Driven by the belief that the Eaters must be destroyed if humanity is to survive, she undertakes a journey straight into the heart of enemy territory, i.e., Azrael’s stronghold. Expecting death, she instead finds herself offered a bargain; convince the most feared being on earth to end the Eaters, and in the meantime submit herself to his chilling embrace. This is no light courtship; Lan is insignificant in the face of his power, a human among an immortal race that despises her kind. Yet her brashness, stubbornness, and refusal to bow to him catches Azrael off guard.
Azrael is embodies the very essence of a villainous hero; ruthless, irredeemable, and yet impossible not to love. Lonely despite being surrounded by his own kind, he has lived for centuries in a cycle of mistrust, violence, and cold survival. His Children are malicious and vindictive, but the deeper the reader ventures into their psyche, the more the reasons behind their cruelty come into focus.
With Azrael himself, Smith crafts a figure as magnetic as he is monstrous, a man who hires a tutor to refine Lan’s manners, who is undone by the simple fact that she kisses him without revulsion, who cannot decide whether to let her go or chain her to his side for eternity. His obsession with her wars constantly with the demons that have shaped him into what he is.
The dynamic between them is fraught with power imbalance. Lan is uncultured, brash, and at times infuriatingly shortsighted, yet she becomes the one person capable of offering Azrael comfort, even when she does not understand why she is compelled to do so. He likes her rebellious nature, her refusal to simply submit.
Their kisses alone tell a story of need and vulnerability, and as the narrative unfolds, they become each other’s solace in a way neither could have foreseen. There are moments when Lan frustrated me deeply, and yet she is exactly what this lonely, scarred man, reviled by all, needs.
This is not a romance of grand gestures alone; it is a slow, grinding evolution of two souls learning to navigate each other’s darkness. Azrael’s centuries of regrets over what he has done to protect his undead, Lan’s unwavering yet flawed mission to destroy the Eaters, and the impossible choice between their loyalties form the core of the tension.
Told entirely from Lan’s perspective, the depth of Azrael’s emotions must be pieced together from her observations, which makes his moments of vulnerability all the more shattering. The sheer scope of the novel allows this relationship to breathe and evolve, and a shorter work could never have done justice to its complexity.
By the time the ending comes, it feels not just fitting, but inevitable. Azrael, the scarred and feared monster no woman would touch, finds in Lan a passionate, protective love that is unconditional. And Lan, in turn, finds her place beside him, not as a pet or pawn, but as his equal in a way no one else could be.
This book deserves all the stars in the world!
Recommended for: readers who crave truly dark, villainous heroes; sprawling, immersive world-building; and romances that challenge the very concept of love and morality.
Final Verdict: A masterwork of dark romantic fantasy; unflinching, immersive, and unforgettable; Land of the Beautiful Dead is easily one of the best romances I have ever read.
Favorite Quotes
“Humans are such a contradiction in their very essence that I find I can neither wholly hate nor envy them, even after all these years and all the cause I have been given. Your capacity for destruction, terrible as it is, is as evenly matched by your ability to create and to imagine. I could never have built such a hall.” – Azrael
“How many have you got?” He looked at her in some surprise. “Swans?” “Dollygirls, I meant.” “Presently?’ Lan braced herself. “Yeah.” “Twelve, apart from you.” She supposed she should feel relieved it wasn’t more. She didn’t. But he was watching and even if she didn’t know what she was feeling, she was somehow sure he did. To hide it, whatever ‘it’ was, she tossed off a shrug and said, “Unlucky number, thirteen.” “Mm. There’s also Chloe, although we’ve not entered a true contract yet.” Yet. Dicky word, that. Yet. “Why not?” His smile twisted inward and became bitter. “Were I you, I would say you’d ruined me.” “Me?” “You. The mark by which I have come to measure the living.” He glanced at her. His eyes lingered, dimming, before they turned away. “And find them wanting.”
“I can’t help but feel you’re trying to get rid of me,” she said, trying to pretend she was joking. “No.” His eyes flickered. “No, Lan. I’m trying to keep you.”
Sometimes, Azrael would be there already when she returned to the just-a-house, but more often, she went to sleep alone in the overlarge bed that was hers for so long as she was here and he woke her as he slipped beneath the covers and took her silently into his chill embrace. He always tensed when she kissed him, but allowed it, even on those nights he did nothing but let it happen. He was more comfortable with sex than kisses. So was she, if the truth be known, but the kissing came naturally when she was with him. The fucking was almost an afterthought for her, the full stop at the end of a long and complicated sentence, but for him, it was everything—reward and punishment both.
He lifted her like it was easy, lay her down like it was natural and right. He hid nothing from her—not the chill of his flesh or the points of his claws, not ten thousand years and more of memories, or even the ghost of the girl she knew was still standing somewhere in his mind with her shirt open and her small body ready to be bought. He gave her all he was and she embraced him gladly and brought him home. It was too naked to be fucking, too desperate to be lovemaking. Sex was supposed to be something someone did to someone else, but whatever this was, they did it together. He hurt and she hurt with him. She was lost and he was with her in the dark. It was terrible and beautiful, shining with pleasure and clouded with pain, and that was how she came, torn open and full of light.
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Oasis Length: Novella Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: Third Person, Dual Series: The Romanos, #1 Publisher: Mills and Boon Hero: Matthew Romano Heroine: Susannah Madison Capital Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: January 01, 1998 Started On: July 10, 2024 Finished On: July 13, 2024
Sometimes you stumble across a romance that makes you grin, sigh, and want to hug the book to your chest when you are done, and The Sexiest Man Alive by Sandra Marton was exactly that for me. I picked it up while hunting for something that would give me the same buzz as The Bedroom Business (another Marton favorite that I have reread countless times), and it delivered in spades. I have to appreciate Amazon for doing such a swell job in recommending this title to me. Equal parts sexy, hilarious, and heart-tugging, this one had me smiling from the first chapter to the very last page.
The premise itself is fun and lighthearted. Susannah Madison, editor at Chic magazine, finds herself at odds with Matthew Romano, a ruthless and commanding businessman who wants to shut down her publication. Susannah, clever and determined, comes up with a scheme to save the magazine: a feature on the “sexiest man alive” for Valentine’s Day. What she doesn’t anticipate is Matthew’s decision to supervise her search, or the way sparks fly between them from the very beginning. Their encounters are deliciously combative, full of sharp banter and sizzling chemistry that neither of them can deny.
Matthew Romano is exactly the sort of hero I love; sexy, commanding, sensitive, and yes, stupid when it comes to matters of the heart. He is a man who has been steadfastly holding on to his bachelorhood, only to find himself helplessly drawn to a woman he once thought of as an adversary.
That push-and-pull is what makes him so compelling; for all his ruthlessness in the boardroom, he loses his cool spectacularly whenever Susannah is near. He pushes her buttons, makes her drop her armor, and forces her to embrace her femininity in ways that both terrify and exhilarate her. He makes her feel, and that is where the power of his character lies.
Susannah, for her part, is just as delightful. Strong-willed, independent, and determined to fight for what she believes in, she matches Matthew every step of the way. From the moment she literally falls into his arms and they kiss each other senseless, to their many fiery clashes where neither one will back down, she proves herself to be every bit his equal. The way she unsettles him, challenges him, and ultimately steals his heart is exactly why this romance works so beautifully.
This book was undoubtedly delicious. What really makes the novel stand out is the hilarity woven into the fabric of their story. The way both Susannah and Matthew tries to deny the elephant in the room, the combustible attraction simmering between them, leads to some truly laugh-out-loud moments that balance the sensuality perfectly.
The sexual tension between Matthew and Susannah is off the charts. Every encounter, whether it is an argument, a negotiation, or an accidental brush of hands, is charged with longing and fire. Their kisses are fiery, their stolen moments laden with passion, and the eventual culmination is everything you would want from an enemies-to-lovers romance, and the eroticism much better than any explicit erotic romance. Add to that a touch of angst, the kind that makes your chest ache in the best possible way, and you have a romance that checks every single box. This is old-school category romance at its best, reminding me of why these classic Mills & Boon romances still stand the test of time.
Recommended for: readers who love old-school Mills & Boon with a perfect blend of wit, humor, fiery sexual tension, and heartfelt emotion. If you enjoyed The Bedroom Business, this one should definitely be next on your list.
Final Verdict: A marvelous story that made my heart happy, with a hero who is sexy, and commanding, and and story that is hilarious and romantic in all the ways that matter. This is one I will be revisiting again and again.
Favorite Quotes
“Mr. Romano.” She licked her lips. “I may have been a little out of line, but—” “A little?” He closed the distance remaining between them and looked coldly at her as her shoulders hit the wall. “Fascinating, Miss Clinton, how cautious your use of the language has suddenly become. For a woman given to such interesting hyperbole, I mean.” His eyes, dark and deep, fastened on hers. “Once again, I’m asking you to tell me what you mean by that word.” Susannah swallowed hard. He was close. Too close. She could smell the faint scent of soap on his skin, see the shadow of stubble on his jaw and chin. His lashes were dark and thick. His nose was perfectly straight except for a barely perceptible tilt midway down its length. He looked cold and hard and angry. And studly. He was studly, indeed, she thought dizzily. Her heart did what felt like a somersault in her chest. If you liked the type. She didn’t.
“Suze?” Claire’s voice was shrill. “Suze, are you okay?” Matthew dragged one of Susannah’s arms from around his neck. “She’s fine,” he called. Susannah glared at him. “I’m not—” He clamped a hand over her mouth “You want them to see this mess?” he hissed, his mouth at her ear. “Do you have an explanation that’s going to keep everybody out there from figuring we just slugged it out?” Susannah threw a wild look around the room. Papers were strewn across the floor. The heavy conference table stood at an angle to the wall. The lamp had shattered, and the telephone was emitting a pathetic bleep. And on top of all that, here she was, sitting cozily in Matthew Romano’s lap.
“Susannah,” he said fiercely. She looked at him. His eyes were hot and dark with desire. A shudder raced through her. She knew that what was going to happen between them would change her life forever, would make any other lover impossible. “Yes,” she said, raising her arms to him, “yes. yes…” The door swung open, hitting the wall like a clap of thunder rolling over the canyons of the city. “Oh, my God! Susannah!” Susannah almost fell off the table. She sat up. Matthew stepped back. Both of them stared at the open door, where Claire and Eddie and Judy and, Susannah thought desperately, what looked like a million other CHIC staffers stood crowded together in stunned silence. It was like staring into a sea of disbelief. Mouths hung open. Eyes grew round as saucers. Heads swiveled, as if this were a tennis match, while everyone looked from Susannah to Matthew, from Matthew to Susannah…
Matthew’s gaze flew over her again, taking in all the details. A black suit had replaced the Beethoven sweatshirt and the baggy jeans. The suit was demure, even severe, but it couldn’t disguise the curves beneath. Black shoes had replaced the sneakers. Not just any black shoes. Matthew swallowed hard. The heels were high. Not outrageously high. They were surely some Fifth Avenue shop’s idea of dress-for-success shoes to match the dress-for-success suit, but high enough to show off the trimness of Susannah’s ankles and the luscious length of her legs. And they were cut low enough in the front so he could see…what did you call those little lines between a woman’s toes? Cleavage? He wanted to laugh—the word, the very concept, seemed so outrageous—but how could he laugh when he was busy concentrating on keeping his jaw from dropping again?
What kind of a man kissed a woman he didn’t like with such passion? A better question was, what kind of woman kissed him back? And she was kissing him. There was no point in pretending otherwise. Matthew was feasting on her mouth, and she was on fire for him, for his kisses and his touch. Some still logical part of her fought for sanity. “No.” she said, against his mouth, “Matthew, we can’t…” He tunneled his fingers into her hair, tilted her face to his. “Just kiss me,” he said thickly, “kiss me and stop thinking.”
“Well,” he said. “Well,” she said. “Good night, Susannah.” “Good night, Matthew.” He turned. She put her hand on the doorknob. He stepped into the hall. She began to shut the door… “The hell with this,” he growled, and swung toward her. “Dammit, Susannah,” he said, and before his heart could take another beat, she was in his arms. He lifted her, and she wound her arms around his neck as his hand tunneled into her hair. He kicked the door shut and kissed her without preliminaries, without gentleness. Why would there be wooing when they both knew that this moment had been inevitable?
“No more games, Susannah.” “No,” she whispered, stroking the tip of her tongue against his, reveling in the heavy beat of his heart against hers. “No more games, Matthew.” He tasted of danger and of darkness. Of the heady wildness of desire. She tasted of hunger and of need. Of the sweetness of passion. “I want—I want—” “Everything,” he whispered, and kissed her again.
“I’ll come by at seven. We can have drinks first.” “Matthew, I don’t—” “Yes. You do.” His eyes turned dark and smoky. “Shall I prove it to you the way I did this morning?” Color flooded her face. “Why?” she whispered. He laughed, a low, sexy laugh that made her blood sizzle. “I mean,” she said quickly, “why me? I’m not your type.” “No,” he said. He ran his finger along the back of her hand. Goose bumps rose on her skin. “You’re not.” He smiled again, right into her eyes. “You’re not blond. You’re not dumb—although many of the ladies I’ve dated would be very upset to hear you use that word in conjunction with them, Susie.” His smile tilted. “I remember Miss North Carolina… She said she wanted to become a physicist.” “Matthew, I’m serious.” “So am I.” His smile faded. “You’re right. You’re not my type. You’re stubborn and hotheaded. You have a nasty temper and you like things your own way.” “You’re a fine one to talk,” she said huffily. “And I’d bet I’m not your type either, Madison. I don’t think you like being with a man who reminds you that you’re a woman.” “Your ego is unbearable, Romano.” “I’m just being honest.” His eyes grew hot. “Tell me if Sam or Peter ever made you feel the way I make you feel.” Sam. And Peter. Oh, God… “I can see the answer in your eyes, Susie.” Matthew smiled. “Seven o’clock. Don’t keep me waiting I like my women to be prompt.” “I am not your—” He bent his head and kissed her lightly on the mouth. Then he sauntered away.
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Oasis Length: Novel Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: Third Person, Single Series: Standalone Publisher: Harlequin Hero: Rafaello Grazzini Heroine: Glory Little Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: November 02, 2001 Started On: June 12, 2024 Finished On: June 16, 2024
Lynne Graham’s Rafaello’s Mistress is a classic Harlequin romance brimming with passion, angst, and the kind of emotional intensity that makes Ms. Grahams’s books so addictive. The story revolves around Glory Little, a young woman whose past entanglement with the powerful and devastatingly handsome Rafaello Grazzini left her scarred in more ways than one. Years later, their paths cross again when desperation forces Glory to seek his help, only to find herself bound once more by the dangerous allure of the man she had once loved.
Rafaello is the kind of hero Graham excels at creating; commanding, arrogant, and emotionally complex. He is a man who wields control effortlessly, and yet beneath that steely exterior lies a vulnerability he refuses to admit. His reappearance in Glory’s life isn’t without an edge; he has long believed she betrayed him years earlier, taking money in exchange for ending their relationship.
That sense of betrayal has festered into a need for revenge, driving his low opinion of her and fueling his determination to assert control over their renewed connection. Layered over this are complicated family ties that adds another dimension to his mistrust and makes their entanglement even more fraught.
As such, it is not far fetched for their shared history to have resulted in misunderstandings and half-truths, and much of the conflict later on is fueled by the mistakes and manipulations of those around them. Rafaello’s belief in Glory’s supposed betrayal colors every interaction, creating sparks of both fury and passion.
What makes this story so compelling is not just the clash of wills, but the revelation of family secrets and the complex web of ties that bind them together. The more the truth unravels, the more layered Rafaello becomes as a character, moving beyond the archetypal alpha into something deeper.
I loved the humor woven into this story; it lightened the heavy emotions and gave both Rafaello and Glory moments of unexpected warmth. The sexual tension between them is electric, with explosive kisses and encounters that keep the pages flying. What stood out most was how nuanced his characterization turned out to be. Instead of a one-dimensional domineering hero, Ms. Graham delivers a man whose contradictions and vulnerabilities make him all the more magnetic.
Told entirely from Glory’s perspective, the book gives the heroine’s voice center stage, and I found that choice made the story even more powerful. Seeing Rafaello only through her eyes adds to the mystery of his emotions, making his actions all the more intense when his true feelings come through.
Recommended for: readers who love angsty, passionate romances with complex heroes, strong but vulnerable heroines, and a shared past that demands resolution.
Final Verdict: A fiery and emotionally charged romance, Rafaello’s Mistress is elevated by Rafaello’s surprisingly complex characterization, delivering the kind of layered love story that lingers.
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Oasis Length: Novel Genre: Historical Romance POV: Third Person, Dual Series: Standalone Publisher: Avon Hero: Major Baron Nathaniel Cain Heroine: Katharine Louise Weston Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: October 01, 1984 Started On: February 26, 2024 Finished On: March 01, 2024
For Kit, Cain no longer had a name. He was the quintessential man, fierce and demanding. And for Cain, the mysterious veiled creature in his arms was everything that a woman should be . . . but never was.
Set in the turbulent aftermath of the American Civil War, Just Imagine is a story that brims and boils over with grit, passion, and emotional conflict. It starts with revenge and resentment but blossoms into something profoundly moving anchored by two characters whose hearts are just as stubborn as their wills.
At its core is Katharine Louise Weston, known to most as Kit, an eighteen-year-old Southern firebrand determined to reclaim the only thing she has left in the world: her family’s South Carolina plantation, Risen Glory. Disguised as a boy, she travels to New York to kill the man who legally holds her inheritance; Major Baron Nathaniel Cain, a Union war hero with a guarded heart and secrets of his own.
From the moment Kit storms into Cain’s life, their dynamic crackles with tension. She is wild, unrefined, and utterly unrepentant about who she is. Having grown up neglected by her father and stepmother, Kit shaped herself into someone fierce and independent, more at ease in britches and boots than in silks and frills. Her resistance to femininity, and everything it represents, is both heartbreaking and empowering. And yet, over the course of the novel, to witness her reluctant and powerful awakening—not just into womanhood, but into self-awareness, vulnerability, and eventually, love gave this book the vivaciousness it delivers.
Cain is one of those heroes who walks into your heart, breaks everything in sight, and leaves you aching in the best way. A man who grew up emotionally starved, abandoned by his mother and brutalized by a broken father, Cain learned early on to mistrust love and to guard his emotions behind a wall of indifference. His war heroism, his reputation, and his past with women are all defense mechanisms masking a man starving for connection. Kit forces him to confront all the things he has spent a lifetime burying. He doesn’t want to feel, but she makes him feel—and that is what both scares and saves him.
Kit wants her land, her independence, and maybe even her place in Cain’s life; but she doesn’t know how to give love without turning it into a war. Cain wants Kit, but he is terrified of becoming his father; twisted by obsession and broken by a woman’s power over him. Theirs is not a romance of softness. It is a fierce, combustible thing, made up of sharp words, stolen moments, aching silences, and the kind of love that both wounds and heals.
What I loved most was how messy this love story is, in all the right ways. There is no instant transformation or neat resolution to all that takes place in the story as it evolves. From their initial clash of wits when Kit is a vulnerable eighteen to when she returns three years later, schooled on how to be a woman, but achingly vulnerable in a lot of ways and what ensues; all of it is real, raw, and unrefined in the best way.
Kit and Cain make mistakes as any headstrong couple is bound to do when they are “forced” into situations beyond their control. They lash out. They hurt each other. But underneath it all is a slow, undeniable shift: a giving way, a reaching out, and finally a surrendering of pride. Even their intimacy carries this duality; full of hunger, but ringed with emotional barriers they dare not cross. The tension simmers throughout the novel until it breaks with heartbreaking clarity and unexpected tenderness.
Another aspect that I also loved was the rich historical backdrop, the sharp social commentary, and the compelling secondary romance between Sophronia and Magnus, whose lives are intertwined with that of the main protagonists. Perhaps, the most shocking reveal of the story is related to that of Sophronia and that too added much richness to the story
Just Imagine is a story that made me cry, not just for the pain Cain and Kit carry, but for the beauty of watching them find their way to each other. It reminded me of why I fell in love with romance reading in the first place: for the epic battles between the heart and soul, the push and pull of strong characters shaped by a world that demands they give up their pride, and for the quiet, powerful surrender of love that changes everything.
Recommended for: Readers who love enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn historical romance, emotionally tormented heroes, wild-hearted heroines, post-Civil War Southern settings, and love stories where the angst is real and the payoff is ultimately worth it.
Final Verdict: A raw, passionate, and unforgettable romance; Kit and Cain burn with fury and longing making me ache, laugh, and cry. A true masterpiece by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.
Favorite Quotes
Their eyes locked, and he drew nearer. Even before he touched her, she felt the heat of his skin. “We both know this has been between us ever since the day you came here. It’s time we put an end to it so we can get on with the rest of our lives.” Temptation whickered. He brushed her cheek with his finger and spoke softly. “I’m going to have you now, Kit Weston.”
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Oasis Length: Novel Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: First Person, Single Series: On Dublin Street, #1 Publisher: Self-Published Hero: Braden Carmichael Heroine: Jocelyn Butler Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Published On: August 31, 2012 Started On: November 09, 2023 Finished On: November 10, 2023
“No human relation gives possession in another – every two souls are absolutely different. In friendship or in love, the two side by side raise hands together to find what one cannot reach alone.” ~ Khalil Gibran
On Dublin Street by Samantha Young is a scorching, emotional rollercoaster that pulls no punches. This book is the very definition of a “hot emotional mess,” brimming with heartache, hope, and sizzling tension. The romance here is intense and heart-wrenching, but it does not feel rushed or superficial. Ms. Young manages to capture the complexity of love and healing in a way that is raw, real, and undeniably moving which made this the five-star read it was.
On Dublin Street is evocative and character-driven in a way that perfectly captures the push and pull factor when it comes to personal demons, passion, and vulnerability between the main protagonists. Set in the heart of Edinburgh, the story centers on Jocelyn Butler, a guarded 22-year-old American woman who moves to Scotland to bury her past and escape the loss and pain that haunts her. But the past, as always, has a way of catching up, especially when Jocelyn meets the irresistible Braden Carmichael, a 30-year-old alpha hero whose magnetic presence draws her in despite her best efforts.
Braden is the kind of male protagonist that epitomizes the confident, sexy, bold, and determined hero. His deep attraction to Jocelyn from the start is undeniable and he refuses to accept her “no-strings” policy, igniting a power struggle between his relentless pursuit and the walls of iron that she has painstakingly built around her. Braden’s patient determination and unwavering pursuit set the pages ablaze, making him the kind of hero who is impossible not to fall for. He’s hot, hot, and hot; that classic mix of charm, intensity, and unexpected vulnerability, making me fall for him, hook, line, and sinker.
Jocelyn, or Joss, is a mess in her own right, struggling with PTSD after a traumatic event shattered her world years prior, leaving her walls sky-high and nearly impenetrable. The layers to Joss’s pain and her self-imposed isolation feel intensely real, making her a character who is easy to empathize with, even when she is frustratingly stubborn. Her journey towards healing is not glossed over or magically “fixed” by love; instead, Ms. Young’s sensitive approach sees Joss beginning therapy, a much-needed lifeline that helps her face the pain she has carried alone for so long. The story line does not treat her PTSD lightly, making her growth both believable and meaningful, especially as her connection with Braden deepens.
As their relationship develops, so too does the tension between them. The chemistry between Jocelyn and Braden is nothing short of electric, with each encounter intensifying their connection and blurring the lines of the boundaries Jocelyn tries so hard to keep intact. The Carmichaels—Braden and his family—break through Joss’s defenses in a way nothing else has in the past eight years. Braden’s relentless support and fierce love become the balm she didn’t know she needed, while the warmth of his family helps her feel something akin to the home she lost years back.
On Dubling Street does a marvelous job of drawing readers in, as the debut book in the series. Ms. Young’s prose is smooth, witty, and deeply emotional, pulling readers into the heart of Edinburgh with vibrant scene-setting and a keen eye for the subtleties of human connection. The supporting characters add richness to the narrative, providing moments of humor, insight, and warmth that enhances the main story line without detracting from Jocelyn and Braden’s journey
Ms. Young’s writing has an addictive quality that makes you feel as if you are hurtling towards an emotional wreckage from which you will never emerge the same. The romance is steeped in passion, pain, and powerful moments that left me breathless and definitely wanting more. This isn’t just a romance; it is a story about healing, letting go, and the bravery it takes to trust someone with your heart, especially as you continue to struggle with the demons of your past.
On Dublin Street is for those who love an emotional journey with complex characters, scorching hot chemistry, and a romance that is as heartbreaking as it is beautiful. This book is an unforgettable experience that will make you laugh, cry, and feel as if you have lived every moment with Joss and Braden.
Definitely recommended. Ms. Young’s remarkable talent shines through with the turn of every page!
Final Verdict: A scorching, beautifully messy journey of love and healing, On Dublin Street pulls you in with its raw emotion, unforgettable characters, and searing chemistry giving readers a most satisfying read.
Favorite Quotes
“I didn’t mean anything by it, Jocelyn. It was just a compliment.” No it wasn’t. You’re playing games with me. And if we’re going to be around each other all the time, I want it to stop. “Was it? Do you talk to everyone the way you talk to me?” “And what way is that?” “Like you’ve seen me naked.” Grinning, Braden’s eyes glittered with heat. “No. But then I haven’t seen everyone naked.” Frustrated, I shook my head. “You know what I mean.” I almost jumped at the warm whisper of his breath on my ear as he leaned down to murmur quietly into it, “I like the reaction I get out of you.”
His eyes narrowed. “I said, I don’t like to share.” I thought of Vicky. “That’s not what I’ve heard.” “Let me rephrase.” He took a seething step toward me. “When it comes to you… I don’t like to share.” There was no time to process that. One minute I was staring incredulously up at him, the next the soda can was hitting the floor and my ass was on the desk as Braden collided with me. The heat and strength of him overwhelmed me as his large hand gripped the back of my neck and his other tugged my left thigh up, allowing him to push in between my legs and position me over the desk. His mouth crashed down on mine and the desire my body had been harboring for him for weeks took control of me. I clung to him, my hands digging into his back, my legs climbing his hips as my lips parted on an exhalation of relief that allowed his tongue inside my mouth to tease mine. The smell of him, the taste of whisky on his tongue, the feel of his warm hands gripping me tight it… it all overpowered me and I made this throaty sound I couldn’t control.
“I’m having a problem with a few suppliers on this development and it put us back a few weeks. I don’t know when I’ll be free this week, but I guarantee the moment I get some time, I’m coming to see you.” “Braden, don’t do that.” “After last night, there’s no denying the promise of what’s between us. I’m not backing off, so rather than coming up with a new defense – which I’m sure I’d find highly entertaining – just give in, babe. You know you’re going to eventually.” “Have I mentioned how annoying and arrogant you are?” “I can still smell and taste you, Jocelyn. And I’m still fucking hard.” My stomach flipped and I squeezed my legs together. “God, Braden…” I breathed without thinking. “I can’t wait to hear you say that while I’m inside you. See you, babe.” And after that parting line, he hung up. I groaned, my head falling back against the tub. I was so screwed.
He shook his head, enjoying himself. “You’ve got great legs, Jocelyn. An amazing smile when you use it on occasion. And fantastic tits. And yeah, I usually date blondes. But you’re a blonde. I think.” He laughed when my glower turned full on glare. “Doesn’t matter about the color. You never wear it down, and I can’t get the thought of you beneath me, and that hair spread out across my pillow while I move inside you, out of my head.” Oh. God. “But I think mostly it’s your eyes. I want something from them no one else gets from them.” “And what’s that?” I asked, my voice low, almost hoarse. His words had affected me as deeply as any aphrodisiac. “Soft.” His own voice had deepened with the highly sexual atmosphere. “Soft the way only a woman’s can be after she’s come for me.”
“Then I guess we’re good to go.” The words were barely out of my mouth before Braden was standing above me, his large hand reaching out for mine, his face determined, serious. His eyes blazing. “What? Now?” I squeaked, totally unprepared. He cocked an eyebrow. “You want to wait?” “I just… I thought I’d have time to get ready.” “Get ready?” “You know… perfume, nice lingerie…” With a grunt of amusement, Braden took hold of my wrist and hauled me out of my chair. My small body slammed into his and his arms came instantly around me, holding me to him. A hand slid down my hip and around to my butt. He squeezed it lightly and pressed me against him, his erection hard against my belly. I stifled a moan, tilting my head back to meet his eyes. They glittered down at me. “Babe, nice lingerie is for seducing a man. I’m already fucking seduced.”
His eyes drifted from my chest to my face and suddenly he looked a little angry. I stiffened in surprise. “Do you know what it’s been like for me since that day in the flat? Sitting across from you in bars, at dinner, knowing that underneath all the attitude is every man’s fucking fantasy.” Oh, he was good. His eyes narrowed as he reached for the buttons and zip on his suit pants. The zip slid down loudly. “I’m going to make you pay for making me wait to have you.”
“Braden,” I growled impatiently. This only made him laugh. “What, babe?” “If you don’t hurry up, I’m backing out.” “Well we can’t have that.” He thrust hard inside me and I whimpered, stiffening at the flinch of discomfort I felt as my body struggled to accept his size. Braden’s whole body tensed, his eyes dark on me. “Are you okay?” I nodded, exhaling as my body relaxed around him. His grip on my wrists loosened, but he didn’t let me go. Instead he nudged forward tentatively, his jaw locking, his eyes closing as if he was in pain. “Jesus, Jocelyn,” he breathed hoarsely. “You’re so fucking tight.”
He lifted his head, his hand gliding between my legs. Pleasure shot through me as two fingers slipped inside me. “So wet,” he murmured, eyes bright. “Tomorrow after family dinner you’re coming back to my place and I’m going to fuck you in every room, in every way I can.” My eyes flew to his, my chest rising and falling rapidly at his words. “I’m going to make you scream there since you can’t here,” he promised softly, realizing this was also a reminder to be quiet since Ellie was down the hall. “But right now, I’m going to enjoy watching you bite your lip.” And I did. He pushed inside of me and I swallowed a cry by biting my lip, holding on for dear life as his earlier, slow gentleness disappeared, his groans and grunts against my neck sexy as hell as he pounded me into orgasm.
I shivered as Braden continued to caress me, his fingers sliding down the crease of my backside and then entering me from behind. I moaned, arching back into him as he pulled his fingers out and then slid them back in. “Braden.” He withdrew only to clasp me by the hips and press me back against him, his erection digging into my backside since I still had on the heels. “That’s all it takes to make me hard,” he told me softly, his lips brushing my ear. “You: saying my name.”
That’s when his slow, torturous control really snapped. I was tugged towards him as he moved back towards the door where a high side cabinet was positioned against the wall, and then I was spun around, pushed none-too-gently into it, his front at my back. My breath was coming out in frantic puffs now as I gripped hold of the unit. Braden’s hands came around to squeeze my breasts, forcing my body back into his as his tongue flicked my ear. “I’m going to take you like this. It’s going to be hard, Jocelyn, hard and rough. You ready?” I nodded, my heart spluttering a little. My panties were gone, whipped down my legs and I stepped out of them, kicking them to the side. The heat of him at my back, the sound of the zipper on his pants sliding down, sent a bolt of pure lust through my sex and my nails dug into the cabinet with anticipation.
With an animalistic growl I didn’t even know I was capable of, I threw my body towards his, my hands out as I shoved at him with enough might to make him stumble. Suddenly it was all there in my gut, the last six months of emotional upheaval, the dramatic changes he’d brought into my life—the uncertainty, the jealousy, the heartache. “I hate you!” I yelled, the words tumbling out of my mouth with a mind of their own. I spun away from him. “I was fine until you!” My eyes started to sting as I stared back at his stony face. “Why?” My voice broke, as the tears spilled down my cheeks. “I was fine. I was safe and I was fine. I’m broken, Braden. Stop trying to fix me and just let me be broken!” He shook his head slowly, his own eyes bright, and I stood frozen as he came to me. I closed my eyes at his touch, his hands wrapping around my arms to tug me close to him. “You are not broken.” My eyelashes fluttered open and I stared up into his beautiful face, his anguished beautiful face. “Yes I am.” He gave me an angry shake now. “No, you’re not.” He leaned his face into mine and I found myself caught in his pale blue eyes, mesmerized by the glitter of silver striations in them. “Jocelyn, you’re not broken, baby,” he whispered hoarsely, his eyes pleading with me. “You’ve got a few cracks in you, but we all have some.”
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Paperwhite Length: Novel Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: Third Person, Single Series: This Time, Forever, #1 Publisher: Harlequin Hero: Cesare Falcone Heroine: Mina Carroll Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: September 01, 1995 Started On: March 01, 2023 Finished On: March 02, 2023
Entirely focused on him, she felt light-headed. ‘I didn’t know—’ ‘Didn’t know what?’ Cesare whispered unevenly, dropping his hand to the bedspread wrapped beneath her arms as he coiled fluidly up so that their eyes locked. ‘That wanting like that is rare? That most people go all their lives without ever feeling like this? It’s a hunger so strong it has to be satisfied…and it’s bound to rage out of control.’
A Savage Betrayal by Lynne Graham, first published in September of 1995 is told in the third person from the heroine’s perspective. The story begins with the heroine, Mina Carroll, who while working alongside her boss at the charity benefit that her workplace organized, runs into none other than Cesare Falcone, the man who broke her heart years ago.
Four years back, a freshly graduated Mina found herself at the receiving end of a cutthroat job interview, after which Cesare hires her as his executive assistant. Two months in, Mina realizes that she was head over heels in love with her boss, and by the end of the third month, Mina is sacked rather unceremoniously, and that too without a reference.
Discovering that her one night of passion with Cesare right before she was sacked had borne its fruit, Mina finds herself in the tough position of having to juggle being a single mother and making ends meet in a world that is frightful for women who do not have the kind of support systems that prevent them from falling into utter destitution.
Coming to the realization that the spark that has always existed between her and Cesare burns even brighter than before, and that she is just as vulnerable to the heat between them, makes Mina wary, especially in light of the revelations that Cesare believes her to be a deceitful tramp, perhaps the only woman who has ever made a fool of him in the worst way possible.
Cesare’s belief that Mina committed a criminal offense four years back is an ironclad one, citing that he is in possession of irrefutable proof with which he could send her to jail even now. While Cesare continues to believe the worst about Mina, the way he is helplessly ensnared in the web of desire that clouds his judgement is something he perhaps despises about himself.
Cesare definitely drives a hard bargain, expecting Mina to be his and only his satisfying his every carnal desire, and in bed, Mina knows that she is able to drive him just as wild as he does her. When the truth of her conception four years back comes to light, Cesare is of course livid and devastated, and what ensues leading up to the climax of this delectable story was just unforgettable.
A Savage Betrayal is a novel that is evidence of Ms. Graham’s remarkable talent in weaving a story that would have required so little to completely unravel. At certain points, I was left wondering as to how Ms. Graham would be able to turn things around, to show to readers why Cesare was worth all the heartache, grief, and pain that Mina goes through, even as she struggles with her enduring love for a man who sees very little of worth in her.
The story is one that is brilliantly executed, with the sexual chemistry and heat between Mina and Cesare off the charts hot and steamy. Perhaps the one reason the story got to me so much is the fact that the reader has to discover how Cesare feels about Mina through her perspective of his actions. The hero who comes off as ruthless and says often the cruelest things (which Mina is perfectly capable of handling), is unable to bear it when he witnesses Mina being hurt, in pain, or in tears. That is how the reader knows just how deeply that Cesare feels for her. And there is of course the red blooded alpha male whose possessive streak rears its head whenever he feels that what is his is in danger of being claimed by another, and the red hot jealousy that courses through him every single time!
I loved how Cesare meets his daughter who is just as temperamental as he is which gave me a couple of good chuckles that broke the never ending tension that is consistent throughout the story. This book had such good verbal warfare happening alongside all that sizzle, which made Mina and Cesare highly entertaining. The way Ms. Graham managed to make Cesare so arrogant, powerful, sexy, and vulnerable was nothing short of amazing, paving the way for everything to just click into place when all was said and done.
Recommended for fans of Lynne Graham and those who love explosive love stories between two protagonists whose verbal warfare just adds to the spice factor!
Final Verdict: A Savage Betrayal is a novel that is fierce in the way it consumes all your emotions. Those who love a good angst-fest; this one is for you!
Favorite Quotes
Her breath hung suspended and then he pressed his mouth hotly to the tiny pulse flickering wildly above her collarbone. Every bone in her body melted in a burst of feverish heat. Her head fell back, her throat extending. She trembled violently, an upswell of sensation suddenly released with devastating force. Her hands flew up of their own volition, one finding his shoulder, the other spearing into his hair, and just touching him again felt so good that she ached.
‘Move, Cesare!’ Cesare continued to stare at her as though he was mesmerised, brooding golden eyes intently fixed on her. Outraged by his lack of response, Mina planted a small hand against his broad chest to thrust him out of her way. A lean hand whipped up and unexpectedly trapped hers, preventing her from withdrawal. ‘What the heck are you—?’ she began. Without the smallest warning he grabbed her right there in the middle of the street. Two strong hands clamped to her waist as he lifted her up against him and brought his mouth smashing down on hers with an explosive sexual hunger that travelled through her like forked lightning.
The first day when you walked into that interview I decided I could not possibly employ a woman whom I wanted to strip and fling onto the nearest bed!’ Helplessly her head flew up. She couldn’t believe her ears. ‘I gave you a nightmare interview…and you took it,’ Cesare condemned with lingering disbelief at such unfeminine strength of will and staying power. ‘You were trying to scare me off?’ Mina questioned in a tone of revelation. ‘I was a fool. I gave you the job.’
‘You’re mine,’ Cesare muttered thickly, one strong arm closing fiercely round her to stress the assurance, and he simply shifted his hand smoothly from beneath hers and slid it beneath the parted edges of her bodice, slowly curving his fingers over the firm thrust of one unbound breast. It had been so long since she had known such intimacy that her teeth clenched on the sweet pleasurepain of her own helpless excitement, and in the interim her hand fell away. He tugged the dress open, exposing the smooth pale flesh he sought, discovering the delectable curves she had tried to conceal. With an unashamed groan of hunger he caressed a pouting pink nipple with almost worshipping fingers, watching the bud bloom into aching prominence.
On some other level she was aware of the cooler air that brushed her skin as her dress fell away entirely and then he was laying her flat, crushing her mouth under his with raw, unashamed hunger. Her hands swept over his silk-clad back in sudden frustration, instinctively seeking the satin-smooth skin she remembered. His muscles rippled as he tautened and broke the connection of their mouths. Her glazed eyes opened on that shock of separation. He was ripping off his shirt, and she remembered that from before, but she heard no warning bells. Past and present had merged indistinguishably. The pectoral muscles of his lean, golden torso were hazed with a sprinkling of ebony curls. Like someone in an hypnotic trance, she focused on the blazing gold of his eyes and sank ever deeper into his power.
He pulled her to him with strong hands and instantaneously attempted to sink into her with one powerful thrust. There was a flash of momentary pain that made her bite down on her tongue and taste blood. Cesare muttered something in Italian, settled his hands on her hips and drove into her again, making her tender flesh yield more fully, and the sensation was so unbearably pleasurable that she moaned in shock and delight, for she had worked so hard at forgetting, had made herself forget, that most intimate moment.
Cesare had turned pale at one glimpse of her Caesarean scar. ‘You’ve had surgery,’ he breathed as she sat bolt upright, grabbed clumsily at her discarded dress and concealed herself behind it as best she could. ‘Major surgery—’ ‘No, only a little female thing,’ Mina lied in desperation, evading his shocked gaze. ‘It looks much worse than it is.’ ‘What was the matter with you?’ he demanded tautly. ‘I told you, something female and private—minor.’ ‘It doesn’t look minor—’ ‘But it is and I’m sorry you find it so offensive,’ she said wildly, ready to say or do anything to throw him off the subject. ‘Of course I don’t find it offensive but naturally I was disturbed,’ Cesare asserted stiffly, ‘and if that is the result of some minor female problem you must have had a third-rate surgeon!’
‘It doesn’t even have to be my best,’ Cesare murmured thickly, dense black lashes screening his gaze to a sliver of hard gold as he scanned her feverishly flushed face and unwittingly pleading eyes. ‘The one thing you ever gave me that was honest…why? You can’t control it. But I can—’ ‘Can you?’ Mina was in another world, one where she felt far more than she thought. Her hand lifted of its own volition, shyly smoothed along his strong, clean shaven jawline, fingertips softly brushing a high cheekbone. Her nostrils flared on the warm maleness of him. That close, it would have been sensory deprivation not to touch. He dipped his dark head and trapped her fingers with his mouth before she could reluctantly drop them again. Her eyes squeezed shut on a wave of unbearable excitement as he sucked first one finger and then another and her breath rasped in her dry throat, liquid fire running through her quivering body, melting every bone to boiling honey. She was poised on the edge of an erotic anticipation so intense, it consumed her.
Cesare tensed, momentarily holding himself back, and then her tongue flicked against his in an enticement that was entirely instinctive and, with a raw groan of need, he ravaged her reddened mouth with potent hunger. Suddenly she was no longer upright but lying back. His hand slid up one trembling thigh, wrenching the dress out of his path. She was out of control, her breath sobbing in her throat, her heart racing. She clung to any part of him she could reach, her fingers clutching at his hair, the back of his neck, splaying against the silk-clad heat of his taut abdomen, scratching down his long spine, clothes, always clothes getting in her way, driving her mad with frustration.
‘Get out of here, Cesare!’ ‘But this is our wedding night, cara.’ Mina’s teeth clenched. She wanted to leap off the bed and thump him but she was afraid that the bedspread would fall off. ‘The answer is no!’ A winged ebony brow elevated. ‘Did I ask a question?’ ‘You need it spelt out to you?’ Mina intoned, quivering with fury. ‘OK. I am not prepared to share a bed with a man who thinks I’m a gold-digging, dishonest tramp!’ ‘Why not?’ Cesare enquired softly. ‘If I’m prepared to sacrifice my principles—’ ‘Yours?’ Mina flared in disbelief. ‘Who else’s? If I could keep my hands off you, don’t you think I would?’ Cesare murmured with grim satire. ‘Do you really think that it was my secret ambition to take a wife who could be described as a gold-digging, dishonest tramp?’
He leant over her, nibbled erotically at the reddened fullness of her lower lip, and as she trembled, he uttered a strangled groan and shuddered, every muscle tautening with whipcord tension as he lifted her against him, searching out the moist heat between her thighs. She writhed, cried out, unbearable sensation rising to a sudden shattering peak that was pure torment. ‘I can’t wait.’ He brought her down to him with aching slowness and agonising control, forging his entry little by little, and it was so staggeringly exciting that she somehow wanted to faint with delight and scream with frustration at the same time.
He took her by storm and she felt possessed, driven, inflamed by the feeling that he was out of control. All honeyed pliancy and complicity, every fibre of her body pitched to an unbelievable height of anticipation, she let herself go, lost herself entirely in the thunder of her own crazed heartbeat and the fevered tension coiling ever tighter inside her. With every driving thrust he took her higher, and then suddenly the whole world went multi-coloured, her back arching, her teeth clenching as she sobbed, ‘I love you…I love you!’ on the peak of a shuddering and ecstatic wave of drowning pleasure.
‘Why do you think Steve hates you so much? Steve and I dated for four years and we were never intimate, never even partially intimate! But I only knew you for three months and he actually dared to tell me once that that was the hardest thing of all for him to accept…and I thought at the time, To hell with fragile male egos—and I still think it!’ ‘Mina—’ ‘So if you want to go on thinking that I bounced straight out of bed with you into bed with him, go ahead! I’ll phone and tell Steve…he would be absolutely delighted to know you think that! But how dare you try to drag me down to the level of a slot on some pathetic male sexual score card?’ A dark flush of blood had highlighted his hard cheekbones. ‘That was not what I was doing,’ he told her rawly. ‘That’s exactly what you were doing! All that sophistication on the surface, and underneath what are you?’ Mina splintered tempestuously. ‘You’re so primitive you haven’t even made it on to the bottom rung of the evolutionary ladder!’ ‘Whatever turns you on, cara,’ Cesare murmured, eyes a sliver of flaring gold below his black lashes.
‘This time…you really are mine,’ Cesare murmured roughly, framing her hectically flushed face with hard, possessive hands as he looked down at her, eyes of molten gold alight with desire and primitive satisfaction. But those hands weren’t quite steady and that big, powerful body trembled in the circle of her arms. On a very female level, she was fully attuned to that awareness. ‘Absolutely mine,’ Cesare savoured, lowering his dark head to her breasts, circling a taut bud with the tip of his tongue and then hungrily engulfing her achingly tender flesh with the raw heat of his mouth.
‘We should have made better use of last night,’ Cesare muttered raggedly. ‘I want you so much, I ache…’ Without warning, he pulled back from her and communicated with the chauffeur. ‘What are you doing?’ ‘It’ll take over an hour in this traffic to reach the town house…’ Minutes later he was tugging her out of the limousine in front of a well-known hotel. Ten minutes after that they were standing in a luxurious bedroom. ‘This is crazy,’ Mina protested weakly. ‘Everything I do with you is crazy,’ he muttered thickly, hauling her into his arms.
She lost herself in him. Her heart hammering, her slender body writhed beneath his, desperate for the completion that only he could give. She clutched at his hair, scored the satin-smooth skin of his back and then arched and sobbed as he sank into her in one powerful thrust. ‘Nobody is going to take you away from me,’ he said savagely, scanning her with glittering golden assurance. ‘Nobody!’
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Paperwhite Length: Novel Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: Third Person, Single Series: Standalone Publisher: Self-Published Hero: Sean Heroine: Megan Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: January 02, 2006 Started On: February 10, 2023 Finished On: February 11, 2023
“How did you reach the point of,” she searched for a polite way to phrase the question, “considering prostitution as a source of income?” “Some of the kids I knew were whoring, but I wouldn’t at first. I was sure I could find a job. But the days went on and I had no money. This kid, Donnie, convinced me sucking c#ck was a pretty simple way to make fifty bucks. So one night I did it.” Megan swallowed. “How did you feel about it?” “I didn’t feel anything. He was right. It wasn’t such a big deal and I had enough money to eat for a few days.” His voice was perfectly steady and emotionless.
Finding Home, written by Lauren Baker and Bonnie Dee, published in January of 2006, is a story that is beautifully crafted. It is a story about finding love in places that you least expect, of how society often seems to fixate on the wrong issues instead of righting the grave injustices inherent, and how love of the truest kind will always persevere.
Written in the third person, told solely from the heroine’s perspective, Finding Home brings to readers the story of 23 year old Megan who works as a copy editor at a weekly LA paper, with dreams of becoming a reporter. To speed things up on making that transition, Megan decides that a freelance expose was in order, and sets out to tackle the issue of male prostitution.
When Megan meets 17 year old Sean (known as Mouth on the streets), she is fascinated by how self possessed he appears and how nothing seems to faze him. Quickly befriending him, Megan finds out that the story that she started out to write in an attempt to advance her career is not for the faint of heart, and that she cannot detach herself from the lived realities of the young adults who are forced into prostitution for one reason or the other.
As Megan finds herself in over her head when it comes to Sean, and a sequence of events culminates in Sean requiring time to heal from injuries inflicted, Megan offers him room and board at her place, at least until he is better able to take care of himself. Megan’s offer comes without any expectations on her end, and it is heartbreaking to come to the understanding that for a young adult like Sean, his life which has been an endless series of being taken advantage of by other people, trust is the hardest commodity to come by.
As proximity gives room for the awareness that has always existed between the two of them to grow in leaps and bounds, Megan finds herself in the unenviable position of having to deny her heart when it comes to Sean, as the feelings that she harbors for him increases by the day. Things come to a head and when Megan finally gives in, it is not without self-recrimination, doubts, and being self-conscious about society’s perception on the relationship which buds to life between them.
Sean’s story is not a unique one, but nevertheless a heartbreaking one. A deadbeat mother who was more concerned about where her next fix would come from, Sean had abandoned ship as soon as he was able to, with the knowledge that he could take better care of himself than his mom ever could. Being homeless and bunking with other kids who were of the same fate, Sean had found himself bartering away his body for cash to make ends meet.
The lifeline that comes in the form of Megan is one that Sean doesn’t realize that he needed. Megan, with her soft heart and bleeding emotions for the boy she gets to know and the man she comes to love, rescues him from a life of continued destitution and poverty, and gives him that needed chance to be independent, find himself, and find his way back to her. His home.
That was in essence what was so moving about the story. This was why it was such an emotionally gripping tale that turned out to be a riveting read in many ways. Even though Megan is older of the two in terms of age, it is Sean who seems to be emotionally more mature, perhaps as a consequence of having shielded himself for so long from the realities of childhood trauma.
The chemistry between Megan and Sean from the onset, sexual and otherwise, was an intriguing aspect of the story. Megan’s warmth towards Sean is evident from the start, and even when their relationship crosses all those lines it rightfully should not, somehow it makes sense because Megan and Sean fits in a way that is indescribable.
Megan truly does try to resist giving in, and I believe if the positions were reversed, even I, as the reader would not have felt the need to explain how much she tried to resist. It is the norm to read about and hear about older men succumbing to much younger women, or getting into a relationship with a woman in a vulnerable position. But because it is the woman who holds the long end of the stick in this dynamic, I guess we needed “more assurance” than we usually would under the circumstances. Which is telling in itself about the inherent bias that we harbor.
Society perhaps, will always reserve judgement about cases such as Sean and Megan, and it is with good reason, I admit. But there are also those rare happenstances when two people just fit, and age becomes just a number. Fact that it was Sean who took the needed time to start on a path that would allow him to start healing, to face the demons of his past, showed the kind of maturity that I would expect from an older character. His declaration of love for Megan was all the more meaningful because he comes to that conclusion on his own terms, and that, was just beautiful.
The fact that the story was written solely from Megan’s perspective was another reason why this story made such a huge impression on me. I am a sucker for stories where it is hard to read what the hero is feeling except through the heroine’s often biased perception. And that, is a treat to my senses!
Definitely recommend this gem of a romance to readers who can set aside their preconceived notions and give Sean and Megan the chance they truly deserve!
Final Verdict: Finding Home is the kind of novel that invades your heart with stealthy determination, until absorb all of it, one must. Therein lies the true beauty of this story!
Favorite Quotes
She wondered what, or who, he was thinking of to make him so hard, and hoped it was her. Megan felt caught in a trap, unable to move, her senses on overload, and while every brain cell screamed at her to get out, step back into the corridor and ignore what she’d just seen, her animal instincts wanted her to move closer. Her body betrayed her. She felt hot and wet and melting to the core of her being, her sex aching for his touch.
He started slow, holding back and building the pressure with light, controlled strokes, driving Megan into a frenzy until she grabbed his ass with both hands, pulling him deeper inside her. Her gesture seemed to shatter his self-control and he started really fucking her, hard and fast. His mouth slipped down from hers to her neck, biting her, until she reached her peak again, and much to her surprise, because Megan wasn’t usually a screamer, she swore and cried out, overwhelmed by the strength of the climax which ripped through her.
Megan turned her mouth into her shoulder to stifle her moans. She gripped the edges of the sink as she was carried on a wave of pleasure that seemed to crest ever higher, triggering spasm after spasm in her. This was so hot, so wild, and so not her. She wanted to scream or sob. Sean leaned forward and his hand snaked over her hip and onto her clit, rubbing and circling. He continued to slam into her hard and rough. Their harsh breaths and the slap of flesh on flesh were the only sounds in the room. Megan whimpered as her whole body contracted and released in an amazingly powerful orgasm.
A faint trail of hair led toward his chest. She examined the hard planes of his chest, his peaked nipples, the sharp lines of his collarbones and his broad, muscled shoulders. The curve of his neck led to his face. Sean looked down at her, lips slightly parted, his wet hair messy on his forehead, his blue eyes caught between arousal and amusement. As their eyes locked, he ran his tongue across his lips. Megan sighed. “Jesus, Sean,” she breathed. “You’re beautiful.”
Format: E-Book Read with: Kindle Paperwhite Length: Novel Genre: Contemporary Romance POV: Third Person, Single Series: Standalone Publisher: Harlequin Hero: Nikos Cozakis Heroine: Olympia Manoulis Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥 Published On: January 01, 2000 Started On: September 02, 2022 Finished On: September 03, 2022
‘Are you insane?’ he questioned rawly. ‘You must be out of your mind to come to me like this! How could you think for one moment that I would marry an avaricious, brazen little tramp like you?’
The Cozakis Bride by Lynne Graham is one of those novels that swept me off my feet on a journey of angst, heat, and love of the kind that reaffirms my faith in my commitment to remain a romance reader for life. First published in 2000, Ms. Graham brings to readers the story of 29 year old Nikos Cozakis (Nik) and 27 year old Olympia Manoulis, whose entwined past ten years ago makes them the bitterest enemies.
If anyone had asked Olympia just an year ago if she would ever consider going back to Nik, the man who had left her heart and pride in tatters when she was just seventeen years old, quite naive and wholeheartedly in love with her fiance Nik, she would have probably told them to shoot themselves in the head. But circumstances force Olympia to do just that, where she is forced to “barter” herself in marriage in exchange for much needed medical treatment and security for her mother.
If Olympia resents Nik for what had happened a decade ago, Nik himself loathes the very existence of the woman who made a fool of himself and his family’s unsoiled reputation. The way Nik sees things, Olympia, his doe-eyed supposedly virginal bride-to-be had betrayed him in the worst way possible, and there is no way he was going to forgive or forget what happened, no matter how much he may lust after the woman he is going to be legally bound to as a husband.
Thus begins the battle of wills between Nik and Olympia being tied together in holy matrimony, each unwilling to look beyond the wounds that had scabbed over and never truly healed from that fateful night when everything had gone so horribly wrong. For Olympia, she had been judged and found guilty of a sin she had not committed, and for Nik it had been all too easy to believe what he was led to through machinations of those who had their own agenda.
What neither can deny is the flame that sizzles, burns, and roars to life whenever they are together, something that they are both helpless to turn away from. Nik may pretend that for him it is about getting what he wants out of Olympia, both in the short and long term. Olympia may likewise act as if the passion between them is inconsequential at best, but the truth is far from it.
I loved how The Cozakis Bride commandeered all my senses and did not let up from the minute I plunged into this heady tale. I adored the story for how it was chock-full of excitement from the get go, even when you are hyperventilating through scenes and wanting to slap some sense into Nik, and being gleeful about how all the feels knotted up my insides. There is nothing better that a romance reader can ask for than to be emotionally invested in a story, to feel as if you are going through train wreck, and yet still root for the main protagonists and their happily ever after.
There were times when Nik was unbelievably cruel in the story, times when I thought, boy, I hope this man has to grovel a lot to get the girl in the end. I must confess that I actually loved how cruel that Nik was at times because it showed the depth of his unresolved feelings towards the heroine. If Nik had not cared as much and if it was just his ego that had been bruised back then, the reactions from him would have been altogether very different. Nik made me fall in love with all that he is; from the sex-in-a-suit male specimen personified he is, to the ruthless side of him, and to the very vulnerable man that lies underneath all of that.
I loved Olympia for being feisty where needed, for being able to see how her naivety all those years back had played its role when those she had trusted had taken advantage of her, and for being self-aware and honest enough to face the ultimate truth when it came calling; that she loved Nik with everything she was and if she wanted a future that was worth living, it would have to be with Nik, and that fight she would for his love.
The fact that the story was told purely from the heroine’s perspective made it all that much better in my opinion. While Nik was quite the forceful character, seeing the shades of vulnerability on his part towards the end was enlightening and went a long way towards making this a well rounded romance.
Definitely recommend this gem to fans of Ms. Graham and fans of ruthless heroes with that core of vulnerability that we all love!
Final Verdict: The Queen of Harlequin romance seldom disappoints. Being older and better able to understand the complexities & nuances of human emotions makes this read all that more wonderful to the senses in every way that matters.
Favorite Quotes
‘You owe debts, and through me you will settle those debts.’ ‘What are you t-talking about?’ ‘What you did ten years ago cost your poor mother any hope of reconciliation with her father. What you did ten years ago savaged your grandfather. And what you did to me, you can find out the hard way,’ Nik concluded darkly. Stabbed to the heart by that reminder about her mother, Olympia dropped her head, tears springing to her eyes. ‘It wasn’t my fault…what happened…I was set up—’ ‘You’re embarrassing me,’ Nik slotted in with contempt. ‘Lies and fake shame are not going to protect you.’ ‘You’re scaring me…’ Olympia condemned tearfully. ‘You are really scaring me!’
‘Let the light of reality in here. Ten years back, while you played Miss Prim and Proper Prude and brandished your innocence at every opportunity, I was in absolute agony…in the grip of overpowering lust and unable to do anything about it!’ Nik’s lean, powerful face hardened. ‘Did that give you a kick, Olympia?’ ‘A…a kick?’ Eyes huge pools of enquiry, she stared back at him, struggling to absorb his assurance that he had found her sexually attractive in those days. That claim ran against everything she had ever believed, and she was paralysed by a sense of sheer disbelief. ‘You kept me in a constant state of arousal. I never slept after I was with you. My fantasies about what we were going to do when we got married even embarrassed me!’ Nik admitted grimly. ‘I wasn’t used to going without sex…it was torment; it was seriously painful.’
He came back to her with a driving kiss that consumed her. He was rough, and she had never known him rough before, and he excited her beyond belief. She was out of control, but so was he and she loved that. It answered the wildness leaping through her. He was hard and hot and full, and he sank into her tender welcoming flesh with a forceful maleness that made her sob out his name in ecstasy. Her back arched as the blinding excitement peaked on a shivering storming tide of mindless pleasure. In the aftermath, she opened her eyes and blinked. For a split-second, as Nik stared down at her, she saw a shell-shocked look in his stunning dark deepset eyes that could only have mirrored her own. Rolling off her without a word, he headed for the bathroom. She lay there immobile, struggling to breathe again, feeling ravished, feeling the sweet, heavy satiation of her own body with shattered recognition.
A Maldivian's Passion for Romance 