Category / Scarred Hero

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Aurelia by S.M. LaViolette

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Oasis
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
POV: Third Person, Dual
Series: The Bellamy Sisters, #4
Publisher: Crooked Sixpence Press
Hero: Roland Montgomery
Heroine: Aurelia Bellamy
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: April 09, 2024
Started On: May 04, 2024
Finished On: May 06, 2024

With the fourth installment in The Bellamy Sisters series, S.M. LaViolette, aka Minerva Spencer, brings to readers the story of the eldest daughter in the Bellamy family. Having fallen into desperate times, each of the sister’s set out to do what they can to restore the family’s finances, at often perilous cost to themselves.

As is signatureS.M. LaViolette, Aurelia is a sensual, atmospheric historical romance that pulls the reader into its lushly detailed setting and makes you root for two unlikely lovers who could not be more different. Aurelia Bellamy, the ever-responsible eldest daughter of her family, is ready to finally step out of the mold that has defined her. When the chance arises to work as an artist for one of England’s most renowned naturalists, she seizes it, even if it means traveling to a remote island to work for Roland Montgomery, the Eighth Earl of Creew, a man infamous for his rakish past and rumored moral ruin.

Roland is a man both physically and emotionally scarred, carrying the ghosts of his two failed marriages and a cynicism that runs deep. He has long convinced himself that love is not for the likes of him. Aurelia, on the other hand, is a prim, spirited young woman whose innate curiosity, artistic eye, and quiet strength makes her stand out in ways Roland never anticipated. Their attraction, once sparked, builds steadily into something far more complicated than either expects.

While Aurelia represents hope, beauty, and a certain innocence of heart, Roland embodies the disillusionment of a man who has seen too much betrayal. It is this push and pull—the idealism of a woman who believes in love against the jaded certainty of a man who believes it only destroys—that fuels the heart of the story. Watching them slowly surrender to what grows between them is both tender and steamy, with an intensity that lingers long after the last page is turned.

I found Aurelia to be an engaging heroine; witty, brave, and determined to carve out a life beyond the quiet sacrifices expected of her. She is ambitious without being reckless, and her compassion shines even when Roland tries to push her away. Roland himself is undeniably sexy, though a touch tamer than I had expected for such a notorious rake. His inner struggles and scars were compelling, but at times I wished for a little more raw angst to heighten the emotional stakes.

As always, LaViolette’s prose is beautifully layered, and her take on historical settings is refreshingly modern (a bit too much at times perhaps). The sensuality is woven seamlessly into the narrative, the sex scenes passionate yet meaningful, and the chemistry between Aurelia and Roland undeniable. Still, I would have liked just a touch more bite to their conflict—it felt as if the story could have pushed further into the darker, more tortured depths hinted at in Roland’s past.

Recommended for: readers who love age-gap romances, heroines who are quietly daring, and rakes who discover that love may not be the ruin they fear.

Final Verdict: Refreshing, intimate, and quietly powerful—Aurelia proves even the most jaded rake can be undone by love.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Apple

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Sir, Yes Sir by L. L. Ash

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Oasis
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: First Person, Dual
Series: Sophisticated Seductions
Publisher: L. L. Ash Media
Hero: Ashton Joseph Kane
Heroine: Freya Gun
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: April 12, 2024
Started On: April 17, 2024
Finished On: April 22, 2024

Sir, Yes Sir by L. L. Ash sets up a tempting premise: a gruff, battle-worn Marine recovering from devastating injuries who finds himself under the same roof as his best friend’s now-grown up daughter. Having read similar May-December trope romances from Ms. Ash before, I was so psyched to see this little number get published, the expectations of which fell flat as I read on.

37 year old Ashton Kane has lost everything that once defined him—his career, his brothers-in-arms, and his sense of purpose. The only thing he has left is the discipline that has been drilled into him, and even that falters when faced with temptation in the form of 21 year old Freya Gun, his best friend’s daughter. Freya remembers Ashton as the intimidating family friend from her childhood, but the man who moves into her home for recuperation and recovery is more than the formidable man that she remembers. He is human, scarred, vulnerable, and dangerously irresistible.

Ashton is used to being a protector, not someone in need of shelter and definitely not ready to face the fact that his career in the military is effectively over. Suffering from PTSD, his pride clashes constantly with the reality of his situation, and that inner struggle makes it tremendously challenging and enticing for him to rely on Freya, which he resists with every fiber of his existence. Freya, who is at that stage of life where she is stepping into her independence but still deeply tied to family, is curious, kind-hearted, and willing to see the man behind the Marine, something Ashton does not make easy.

While Freya is daughter of his best friend, the man who invited Ashton to his home and gave him everything he needed to rest and recover, this is THE line that Ashton swears he will never cross. However, the undeniable attraction simmering between the two makes it extremely difficult, as such feelings grow and intensify given their close living arrangements.

And yet, despite the promising foundation of the book and my love for previous novels penned by Ms. Ash, I struggled with this book. It had all the makings of a passionate, angsty forbidden romance, but the execution felt bogged down. There were long stretches of unnecessary detail, mundane filler that made the pacing drag. Instead of sharp, sizzling sexual tension, the chemistry sometimes got lost in the mundane. Even the sex scenes—plentiful as they were—eventually dulled under the weight of repetition and overly drawn-out narration.

What I did appreciate was Ashton’s portrayal as more than a brooding alpha. His vulnerabilities, illness, and PTSD episodes added to his appeal, and Freya’s willingness and ability to take him as he is added depth to her character, a maturity that may not necessarily exist in most 21 year olds. It helped to show that their bond was not just about lust; it was about recognition, comfort, and finding something worth holding onto after loss. My only wish is for it to have been delivered with tighter writing and more focus on emotional build-up rather than tedious detail.

Recommended for: Readers who enjoy age-gap, best friend’s daughter romances with military heroes, and slow-burn setups.

Final Verdict: A promising forbidden romance weighed down by excess detail—Sir, Yes Sir has heat and heart, but loses momentum before it can truly ignite.

Favorite Quotes

“Ash?” I said instead.
He finally met my eyes, fingers gripping my hand tighter as he did.
“I know it feels so weird and unsure, but I wanted to make sure that I said it again. I love you. Not because you’re hot and I’ve always had a little crush on you, but because you’re a good man, and you’re strong, and you love so fiercely the people that you’re loyal to. I want to be one of those people. One of the ones you wear tattooed on your heart.

Purchase Links: Amazon

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Sanctuary by Claire Kent

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Oasis
Length: Novel
Genre: Post Apocalyptic Romance
POV: First Person, Single
Series: Kindled, #6
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Aidan
Heroine: Breanna
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: December 29, 2023
Started On: March 09, 2024
Finished On: March 18, 2024

With Sanctuary, the seventh book in the Kindled series, Claire Kent perhaps takes on the most challenging of tropes thus far in this series—writing about a female protagonist who has undergone unimaginable horror and trauma in her bid for survival in the new world order that emerges from the ashes of the asteroid that hit the Earth.

How does such a character find strength to go on? How do they move past the shame and guilt that must be a continuous loop in their minds? How do you put them in a situation where they are able to find love and experience physical intimacy that actually acts as a healing balm in the face of their nightmares? All this and more, Ms. Kent takes on as she writes about 25 year old Breanna, the elder sister that we come across in Citadel, the sixth book in the series.

Breanna as one can imagine, is a woman hardened by survival in a brutal world shaped by those that survived the aftermath of the Impact. Since then, for the first time, Breanna is no longer bound to protect her sister Del, who has found love, security, and a future with the man who loves her to distraction. For the first time in years, Breanna is free to make her own choices, to live for herself. But freedom in this new world does not come without danger, and her job as a courier pits her against another lone operative—Aidan—who threatens not only her livelihood but her careful emotional distance. What starts off as a clash of wills slowly reveals an intimacy neither of them expected.

Breanna is a fierce character. She has to be in order to survive the ordeals she has been put through. She is the woman who has endured every kind of pain, degradation, and dehumanization the world can dish out and emerged standing—if not whole, then unbroken. Her body was the currency she used to buy safety for herself and her younger sister, and though she has long since escaped that life, the shadows linger. She is determined to remain independent, never to depend on a man again, and never to relinquish the control she clawed back from a world that took so much from her. As a a result, I admired her strength, even when I couldn’t always feel her. Her trauma was heavy and deeply personal, and though I understood her, I failed to fully connect with her on an emotional level.

Aidan, by contrast, is a slow burn of a hero. Less overtly intense than others in the series, his strength is quieter, wrapped in dry wit and carefully concealed wounds. He is a widower, a father who lost everything, and a man who lives by his own moral code—even if that means taking on jobs others won’t. He is frustrating, charming, a bit cocky, and ultimately more tender than I anticipated, and what Breanna exactly needed. While I did not end up falling headlong for Aidan the way I did with Cole or Travis, I appreciated how well-matched he was to Breanna. A hero with too much intensity might have broken her spirit further, but Aidan—with his patience and understanding, gave her the space to heal on her own terms.

Their relationship is not a sweeping romance but a gradual, sometimes stumbling, reconciliation with their pasts and their own worth. The emotional intimacy builds slowly, cracking open Breanna’s defenses, allowing her to confront the shame and grief that she has buried for years. Ms. Kent writes trauma with unflinching clarity; never sensationalized and grounded in a way that makes it all too real. The conversations between Breanna and Aidan, especially about consent, submission, and power, are some of the most emotionally naked scenes in the book.

And yet, Sanctuary didn’t hit quite as hard as others in the series. While I respected Breanna’s journey and empathized with her pain, I found myself detached from most of the story. It was not just Breanna, it was Aidan as well. The pacing felt more muted, and the romantic connection, though believable, lacked the raw magnetism that defined Last Light or Citadel. It is not that the story lacked heart; it just did not punch me in the gut the way I had hoped.

That said, Ms. Kent remains unmatched in the world of romance writers. Her ability to create varied, distinctive characters across a shared world, each marked by different losses, hopes, and shades of resilience is what keeps me coming back. Sanctuary may not be my favorite in the series, but it is perhaps a necessary one.

Even though Sanctuary can be read as a standalone, I would advise reading Citadel first as they are loosely connected.

Recommended for: Readers who appreciate trauma-informed storytelling, fierce heroines who you can only admire, and romances built on earned trust with slow burn heroes!

Final Verdict: Sanctuary is a quiet, difficult, and necessary journey through trauma and healing. Breanna’s story deserved to be told—and more importantly, to be heard.

Purchase Links: Amazon

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Citadel by Claire Kent

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Oasis
Length: Novel
Genre: Post Apocalyptic Romance
POV: First Person, Single
Series: Kindled, #5
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Cole
Heroine: Delaney Elizabeth Rogers
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: June 28, 2023
Started On: March 01, 2024
Finished On: March 08, 2024

Set in the brutal, crumbling remains of a world transformed by cataclysm, the fifth book in the Kindled series by Claire Kent brings to us Citadel, a story of survival, sacrifice, and the kind of fierce, all-consuming love that burns even in the coldest ruins. Ms. Kent continues to deliver emotionally rich, raw, and atmospheric post-apocalyptic romances—and this one is right up there with Princess, my favorite from the series yet.

Delaney Elizabeth Rogers is just eighteen years old when she meets the man who would upend life as she knew it, a life that had been of quiet devastation since an asteroid hit the European continent when Del was just fifteen years old. Since then, she has only ever trusted one person in this brutal new world: her sister Breanna.

Since losing their parents and baby sister, the two have endured hunger, fear, and violence side by side, with Del consistently shielded from the worst of it by Breanna’s sacrifices. They have survived flooded cities, raiders, and years of uncertainty. So when Del comes across a grim, lone man with a gun, her natural distrust is temporarily overcome by the instinctive sense that he would not hurt her. That man is Cole.

Cole is everything I crave in a hero: big, brooding, intensely capable, and haunted. He has been on a lonely mission to find the younger brother he lost when the world collapsed, and he has never stayed in one place long enough to consider what he might need. He rescues Del and her sister from imminent danger and guides them to safety, but he never intends to stay—because men like Cole, shaped by loss and guilt, believe they are not allowed to want more. And yet, something about Del softens him, tempts him, and threatens to tether him, which scares him more than anything else.

What unfolds is slow, beautiful, and haunting. First in the aftermath of shared danger, and then again—two years later—when Del’s sister is taken, and it is Cole once again who guides them to find her. Their chemistry is explosive (which Breanna sees from the onset), but it is the emotional weight underneath that makes this story shine.

Cole is a man who does not believe that he deserves to be cared for, and Del is the first person who has ever made him question that belief. Del is one of my favorite Kent heroines—strong, pragmatic, quietly brave, and so perceptive. She understands that love in a world like the one that they live is not easy. It has to be chosen—over and over again. And Del is not going to let Cole make her feel like the second option in his life, for him to come back to her when he sees fit, and leave her just like that.

As always, there is something deeply compelling about the way Ms. Kent writes about intimacy. Every touch, every single look, carries weight that is at times inexplicable. The sex is hot, yes—but it is also layered with vulnerability, longing, and the ache of what’s unspoken. There was a scene out in the wilderness that takes place between Cole and Del, which truly depicts the kind of passion that exists between them, which will live rent free in my head. Watching Cole and Del slowly come together was gratifying as it was emotional.

Needless to say, I loved Citade; every minute of the story as it unfolded, from the bleak, gritty setting to the aching sweetness buried beneath Cole’s rough exterior. His savior complex, his reluctance to hope, his quiet desperation to protect—he made my chest ache in all the right ways. And Del’s growth—from someone shielded, to someone willing to fight for what she wants—was beautifully done. Ms. Kent once again proves how she can write heroes that rattle your cages, and Cole is right up there with her very best.

Recommended for: Fans of emotionally intense, survival-focused post-apocalyptic romance; gruff, protective heroes with a soft center; heroines who love and protect fiercely; and slow-burn angst.

Final Verdict: Citadel is raw, emotional, and unforgettable—a must-read for fans of gruff and fierce heroes and their heroines who love just as fiercely!

Favorite Quotes

When I reach him, I can barely stop my momentum. I fling myself at him, wrapping both arms around him in a tight hug.
I don’t think he expects such a greeting. He braced himself before I reached him so he doesn’t flinch or step backward at the force of my impact. But he just stands there as I hug him. Hard. Tense. Frozen for a few moments like he’s stunned. Like he has no idea how to respond.
Then suddenly his arms go around me in a crushing embrace. For a few seconds I can barely breathe, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“There’s your young man.”
I gasp and turn around to look before I can stop myself. Sure enough, Cole has just entered. His gaze finds me unerringly. He watches me soberly for several seconds before he walks over to the short food line.
“He’s not my young man.”
Theresa gives a shrug. “If you say so.”
“I haven’t even seen him in two years.”
“I know. But he still looks at you like a blessing come to life. He always did.”

I close my eyes, exhausted and worn and confused and scared and totally wired. The world feels like it’s whirling behind my eyelids.
“Just so you know,” I say into the silence. Even the fire isn’t crackling much anymore. “I am still into you.”
“I know you are, baby,” he murmurs. “But I get why you don’t trust me. Maybe you will again one day.”
“I… don’t know. I’d… I’d like to, but I don’t know if I can.”
“We’ll see. Don’t worry about it for now. I’m not going anywhere.”
For some reason, the low, gruff murmur of his voice settles me. I close my eyes again, and this time the world doesn’t spin.
I’m asleep in just a few minutes.

Purchase Links: Amazon

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Just Imagine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

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.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | eBooks | Apple

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Last Light by Claire Kent

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Oasis
Length: Novel
Genre: Post Apocalyptic Romance
POV: First Person, Single
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Travis Farrell
Heroine: Layne Patterson
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: November 13, 2019
Started On: February 08, 2024
Finished On: February 17, 2024

Claire Kent delivers another deeply human and achingly intimate post-apocalyptic romance with Last Light, a story that does not seek to rush nor dramatize what it truly means to end up in a world that is full of chaos. The setup is stark as it is for her books in this setting: the world as we know it ended years ago when an asteroid struck Europe, sending global civilization into freefall. Governments collapsed, infrastructures failed, and what is left now is survival in its rawest form—hunger, danger, and a constant threat from those preying on the weak.

Layne Patterson, just twenty, is one of the rare ones left trying to hold on to her humanity. When her grandmother—the last of her family—passes away, Layne makes the impossible decision to travel across what is left of three states to find the only people she might have left in the world. She has no vehicle, no protection, and few supplies. However, what she does come across is a man that her grandfather trusted in—Travis Farrell. A man who was the town’s mechanic. A man who like her is headed to Fort Knox to find family.

Travis is a revelation. A quietly gruff, emotionally guarded older man, he is at first glance the stoic survivalist archetype—but it quickly becomes clear that there is far more beneath the surface. He does not talk much, nor does he smile much, and he certainly is not equipped with flirting skills. But his actions always speak volumes. He offers Layne safety without strings, companionship without pressure, and a fierce kind of loyalty that is all the more moving for how understated it is.

What I adored about this story was how slowly and naturally their bond built—layered with silence, trust, vulnerability, and finally, need. Layne may be young, but she is grounded. She has lived through enough loss to know what matters. And despite the horrors of their world, she is still tender, curious, and emotionally brave. Watching her open up to Travis—and seeing him quietly unravel from the inside—was a slow-burn of the best kind. The heat between them is subtle at first, buried under caution and circumstance, but when it ignites, it is undeniably powerful.

Then comes the emotional gut-punch. The angst, when it arrives later in the story, doesn’t feel manufactured or forced—it is honest, raw, and so very human and moved me to tears. Not because it was dramatic, but like the rest of the story, the understated nature of it all just had me wanting to bawl my eyes out. That fear of loving someone in a world where everything is already lost. The fear of being left again. The fear of not being enough.

But again, it is Travis who makes everything alright. His love is quiet, constant, and devastatingly beautiful all because of the fact that he does not go around showing the world what his love is like, but rather proves it in every other way possible. The epilogue—set a year later was everything in the end. I totally loved it!

If there is one thing that Claire Kent does better than most, it is writing men like Travis. Men who aren’t perfect, but who love in that deep, undramatic, grounding way that makes them unforgettable. You won’t find grand declarations or sweeping gestures with them. Instead, these are men with whom you feel safe, desired, treasured, and protected at any and all costs.

Recommended for: Readers who love post-apocalyptic survival romances, May-December tropes, quiet heroes who love hard, and stories that make your chest ache in the best way possible.

Final Verdict: Last Light is aching, tender, quietly devastating—and Travis is the kind of hero that I would exactly hope for if and when the world ends.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Apple

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Burn for You by J.T. Geissinger

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Oasis
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: First Person, Dual
Series: Slow Burn, #1
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Hero: Jackson Walker Boudreaux
Heroine: Bianca Hardwick
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: October 17, 2017
Started On: January 27, 2024
Finished On: February 04, 2024

The first thing Jackson Boudreaux said to me was, “I don’t like to be kept waiting.”

A modern-day take on Beauty and the Beast with a twist of The Princess and the Frog as well, Burn for You, the first book in the Slow Burn series by J.T. Geissinger delivers a gorgeously layered, emotionally charged slow-burn romance between a reclusive billionaire heir and a strong, no-nonsense chef trying to keep her world from falling apart.

30-year old Bianca Hardwick is focused, fiercely independent, and determined to keep her struggling restaurant afloat. Her personal life might be a disaster, but the one thing she has going for her is her beloved restaurant, which she will fight with everything she has to keep. The last thing she needs is the grumpy, rude, infuriatingly hot 35-year old Jackson Boudreaux walking into her kitchen and turning her world upside down.

Jackson—aka “The Beast”—is heir to a world-famous bourbon empire and desperate to gain control of his inheritance before his toxic family tears it all apart. Forced by his parents to get married or face the consequences, Jackson comes up with a foolproof plan (or so he thinks), and proposes to Bianca to become his wife, in name only.

When Bianca refuses his initial proposal, little does she know that her life would be turned upside down when her mother gets diagnosed with terminal cancer. With little in the way of finances to be able to afford life saving treatment for her mother, Bianca finally gives into Jackson’s proposition, all the while knowing that Jackson was a man who could destroy her in a way that her ex could not.

And thus begins the fake marriage between Bianca and Jackson, with both of them determined to ignore the gigantic elephant in the room—the awareness that sizzled to life between them from the start, growing in leaps and bounds with every subswuent encounter. Before they know it, their disdain and fascination with each other slowly morphs into something tender, painfully real, and oh-so-heartwrenchingly romantic.

Jackson is the kind of hero that romance readers live for. He is tortured with a capital T, rough-edged, aloof, and scarred in ways that go beyond the physical. He carries a heavy load of emotional trauma tied to his tragic past and complicated family dynamics, which makes him all the more endearing.

Jackson is drowning in guilt, grief, and deep-rooted self-loathing—and it is Bianca who throws him the lifeline that he has been seeking all along. Bianca, with her strength, fire, and honesty, is the balm to his bitterness. She sees him, calls him out, and stands her ground—but she also gives in when it matters the most.

Their chemistry is undeniably explosive, simmering beneath every interaction, and when it finally boils over, deeply satisfying and filled with eroticism of the kind that wreaks havoc on your senses. Being my first novel by Ms. Geissinger, I would say I was pleasantly surprised and definitely moved enough to dig up her backlist for books with my name written on them.

When all was said and done, what I felt that the story deeply lacked was an epilogue. After the emotional ride readers go through with these two, we need more than just a fiery grand gesture. I wanted to see them in the aftermath—thriving, teasing, loving—some glimpse of forever.

Even with that critical factor, this book was still a win in many ways. Gritty, tender, and gorgeously written, with a setting that pulsed with atmosphere and characters that stayed with me long after I finished the last page. If Jackson is the Beast, Bianca is the woman who tames him—not with submission, but with strength and honesty.

Recommended for: Fans of grumpy/reclusive heroes, strong-willed heroines, fake marriage tropes, emotionally charged backstories, and Beauty and the Beast retellings.

Final Verdict: A modern Beauty and the Beast with Southern bite—fiery, emotional, and beautifully written. Jackson is definitely bound to break your heart.

Favorite Quotes

I gestured to his arm. “Why do you have a semicolon tattooed on your wrist? I noticed it when we were in the kitchen.”
Jackson turned his left hand up and gazed down at the simple black tattoo on the inside of his wrist. He was silent for a long time, then looked up and met my eyes.
He said, “You’re an avid reader. You know the meaning of a semicolon.”
I frowned. “It’s when the author could have ended a sentence but chose not to.”
“Exactly.”
“I don’t understand.”
Jackson looked deep into my eyes. His smile might have been the saddest thing I’d ever seen. He said softly, “I’m the author, and the sentence is my life.”

Who was the real Jackson Boudreaux? The Beast that snarled and snapped? The suave sophisticate at ease in front of crowds? Or the sad, lonely man with a mysterious tattoo and eyes full of bad memories?

“All right, Bianca, since you asked—no, you don’t look wifely.”
I stared at him, strangely hurt.
His voice softer, he said, “I’ve never seen anyone’s wife who looks as good as you do. You’re a fucking wet dream. Now stop fishing for compliments and buckle your lap belt, we’re about to take off.”

He reared up on his hands, threw his head back, and roared my name at the ceiling.
So this is what all those stupid love songs are about, I thought, just before I went supernova and exploded in a white-hot ball of fire into space.

“You’ve ruined me for anyone else,” he whispered hoarsely, beginning to lose himself. “Bianca. I’m ruined.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Apple

For the way you changed my plans
For being the perfect distraction
For the way you took the idea that I have
Of everything that I wanted to have
And made me see there was something missing, oh yeah

For the ending of my first begin
(Ooh, yeah yeah, ooh, yeah yeah)
And for the rare and unexpected friend
(Ooh, yeah yeah, ooh, yeah yeah)
For the way you’re something that I’d never choose
But at the same time, something I don’t wanna lose
And never wanna be without ever again

You’re the best thing I never knew I needed
So when you were here I had no idea
You are the best thing I never knew I needed
So now it’s so clear, I need you here always

by mvbookreviewer

Review: The Lovely Return by Carian Cole

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Oasis
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: First Person, Multiple
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Alex Fox
Heroine: Penny Rose
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: November 29, 2023
Started On: January 20, 2024
Finished On: January 27, 2024

A soul-deep, time-defying love story wrapped in themes of loss, reincarnation, and evocative, The Lovely Return is one of those books that reads more like a fever dream than a conventional romance. The story begins in a most lighthearted fashion, with Alex Fox and his wife Brianna, deeply in love, happily married, and on their way to the hospital to welcome the arrival of their first child. Tragedy strikes in a way that sucker-punches the reader and then some, and the story continues some years later with Ms. Penny Rose coming into the picture.

Penny has always been a child who doesn’t seem to quite fit in—tormented by dreams and visions of a life she had not lived but feels intimately tied to. As a little girl, she draws pictures of a red-doored house and a faceless man who lives there. Her mother chalks it up to an overactive imagination. But the older she grows, the more impossible it becomes to dismiss.

Following the tragedy that befalls him, the new Alex is the broody, reclusive artist; the kind of man who seems frozen in time. Six years following the tragic accident that upended his life, he remains suspended in a private world of grief, clinging fiercely to his stubborn refusal to move on. But everything begins to shift when a wide-eyed, curious little girl wanders up to his house—and recognizes it. From there, a quiet and rather strange connection builds between Penny and Alex that defies logic and grows deeper with time.

Told in multiple perspectives—Alex, Penny, and her mother’s—this story does not shy away from the impossible. The story navigates through the huge age difference between Alex and Penny (a 21-year gap), the disorienting nature of past life memories, and the complicated journey of finding their way back to each other—which is obviously easier said than done.

There is much to admire in Carian Cole’s lyrical writing. I am a fan because she has proven how well she can write, especially when it comes to the May-December trope. This story is no exception to that rule, with the tone almost poetic at times, the emotions visceral, and the bond between Alex and Penny that builds slowly—from companionship, to friendship, to undeniable longing shaking you to your very core. The simmering awareness that develops between them is electric in its restraint—those near-touches, memories that flicker to life, and emotions they cannot or dare not put into words. Some scenes sizzle without a single explicit act, simply because of how known and felt their connection is.

That said, I am not entirely sure how I feel about this book. There is a part of me that was completely swept away in the aching romanticism of it all. But there were moments where I wished Alex had been more assertive in his love—especially when Penny, newly 22 and emotionally fragile, needed him the most. The one character that perhaps I understood, was Penny’s mother—her wisdom and open hearted nature is the one reason why Penny escaped being institutionalized for life. I for one cannot fathom how society would react, if this were to actually happen—I know that I would probably believe that person to be cuckoo and I would not be alone in that way of thinking.

The story is one that definitely demands suspended disbelief—and if you give yourself to it, it works. It IS haunting, tender, weird, and just shy of magical realism, and somehow, Ms. Cole makes it work. It is definitely not for everyone, but for the romantics who believe that souls find their way back—again and again.

Recommended for: Readers who love emotionally complex, deeply romantic stories with a twist of the metaphysical; fans of reincarnation tropes, brooding artist heroes, and age-gap dynamics that are handled meticulously.

Final Verdict: Haunting, lyrical, and boldly unconventional; The Lovely Return is a second-chance romance that transcends lifetimes and lingers long after the final page.

Favorite Quotes

“I’m not sure I know how to love anymore,” he admits quietly.
I look up into his tormented face. “Yes, you do. You love perfectly.”

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N

by mvbookreviewer

Review: If I Loved You Less by Noelle Adams

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Oasis
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Third Person, Dual
Series: Pemberley House, #2
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Ward Knightley
Heroine: Em Woodson
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: April 30, 2019
Started On: January 18, 2024
Finished On: January 19, 2024

A modern twist on Emma by Jane Austen, If I Loved You Less brings together two people who have always been in each other’s orbit but never imagined the quiet, familiar thread between them could ignite into something far more intense.

26 year old Em Woodson, is a vibrant, compassionate, and fiercely loyal daughter to her dependent father, and quite used to managing everyone’s lives—except her own. In contrast, 39 year old Ward Knightley, her longtime neighbor and her father’s close friend, has always been the calm in the storm—blunt, steady, and somewhat aloof and a rather critical presence in her life at times. But everything shifts when the low thrum of awareness between them begins to rise into something neither can ignore.

Neither Em no Ward start off pining for each other—this is no case of unrequited love on either side. Rather, it is a slow build-up of awareness between the two that seemingly springs out of nowhere, forcing them to confront their burgeoning feelings for one another. Em, who has sworn off marriage because it is not for the likes of her, but still hangs a wedding dress in her room, and Ward who has never thought beyond his failed marriage to moving onto greener pastures—neither is ready for the avalanche of feelings that catches them unawares.

While Ward is older, controlled, and more mature when it comes to Em, who at certain times comes off as rather bratty in my opinion—beneath that restraint is a man who has been waiting, even if he did not know it. He does not fall in love with Em because she has been in his life since childhood, but rather because of the woman she became: generous and thoughtful—even though at times, her meddling nature does more harm than good. Even if Em feels as if he does nothing but criticize her for her life choices, in truth, Ward has admired her long before desire entered the equation.

Em, for her part, is one of those heroines who gets under your skin without even trying. She’s loving but not naïve, self-aware but not jaded. Though she tells herself that she is not spoiled, there is a part of her that is, and seeks to get away with what she wants—the way she wants it. She may have never broken free of her family’s grasp, but she has carved out a life full of purpose for herself as much as she can under the circumstances. Her relationship with Ward feels like a natural extension of who she is—it grows organically from admiration, banter, comfort… and then something hotter and far more dangerous.

The real tension when it comes to how Em and Ward’s relationship evolves lies in the emotional shift—the moment they start to see each other differently for the first time. Neither of them pursues the other outright; instead, the tension builds through shared moments, moments in which they are caught unawares, which blooms slowly and then there is no forcing back the tidal wave that hits. It’s restrained, but thrilling—and somehow more electrifying for that matter.

I enjoyed the second installment in the Pemberly House series on so many levels. I loved both Em and Ward individually and together — how they both just fit right in with each other as if they had been waiting to call each other their home. I loved that both Em and Ward got the emotional space and attention they deserved. Their connection wasn’t a lightning bolt—it was the kind of slow ignition that feels inevitable and completely right.

Ward was definitely the highlight of the story. He was a man who had put his romantic life to sleep and suddenly found it stirred awake by a woman who had always been there. I loved that Ms. Adams did not try to fix Em’s family situation to make her more “available.” Instead, Ward fit himself into her world, accepting and embracing what mattered to her, and offering his love without conditions.

And the heat? Subtle, steady, and so well-done. That quiet, simmering sexual tension was better than many full-blown steamy scenes—it pulsed under every conversation, every look. And when it finally boiled over? Perfection.

Recommended for: Readers who love slow-burns that truly burn, age-gap romance done with emotional depth and maturity, and heroes who fall in love with the woman as she is, not as he wants her to be.

Final Verdict: Simmering tension, emotional richness, and a quietly magnetic hero who didn’t know what he was missing until she lit the spark. Ward makes this one unforgettable.

Favorite Quotes

He dropped his hand. “Why do you try to lie to me? I’ve known you since you were in diapers.”
She scowled since she hated being reminded of that fact. “Your being thirteen years more ancient than me doesn’t mean you can read my mind. There are things about me that you’ll never know.”
He stared at her, and there was something full and deep and slightly conflicted in the gaze.
Something that left her breathless.
“What don’t I know?” he asked in a low, rough voice.

Instead of turning the knob, he stood like a statue for several seconds.
“Ward?” Em prompted, confused by his behavior.
“I don’t always find fault with you,” he said, not turning around. “I think you’re amazing. The most amazing person I’ve ever known. And nothing is ever going to make me feel differently.”
Em’s mouth dropped open, and she stared at his stiff back. She couldn’t make her voice work, and she had no idea what to say anyway.
After another moment, Ward opened the door, stepped into the hall, and closed it behind him—leaving Em alone with a flurry of emotions that weren’t anything like she used to feel for Ward.
At all.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Apple

by mvbookreviewer

Review: In Want of a Wife by Noelle Adams

Format: E-Book
Read with: Kindle Oasis
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Third Person, Dual
Series: Pemberley House, #1
Publisher: Self-Published
Hero: Vince Darcy
Heroine: Liz Berkley
Sensuality: 🔥🔥🔥
Published On: March 26, 2019
Started On: January 13, 2024
Finished On: January 18, 2024

In Want of a Wife pairs two rival antique buyers in a slow-burn romance where business, family legacy, and unexpected emotional baggage complicate what should havebeen a straightforward competition.

25 year old Liz Berkley is determined to save her family’s struggling antique business. Meanwhile, 29 year old Vince Darcy, recently returned home after the death of his father, is equally determined to honor his own family’s legacy by stepping up for their antique shop. Their shared passion for the trade ignites sparks of both rivalry and attraction—and when a steamy fling starts to feel like something more, neither is quite prepared for what follows.

Liz is the type of character who is sharp, observant, and quietly anxious, always carrying the weight of responsibility for her family’s store. I think we can all relate to how that can be. She thrives in the world of estate sales and flea market deals, driven by both passion and necessity.

Vince, on the other hand, is the more stoic of the two. With a finance background and an analytical mind, he left a promising corporate job to help his mother and take care of the store in the wake of his father’s death. Beneath the surface, he grapples with grief—which also harbors a deeper pain, a shadow that lingers over much of his emotional journey.

While Liz and Vince begin with mutual attraction and business tension (as do most protagonists), their attempt to keep things physical and casual quickly falls apart as real feelings surface. Vince’s reticence—rooted in past trauma and a naturally reserved personality—clashes with Liz’s expectations and emotional needs, creating a rift that requires honesty and courage. Their professional rivalry and tangled family connections (including a complicated link through Liz’s sister) makes things messier.

I really enjoyed the setting—antique sales and estate auctions added a fresh flavor to the usual small-town romance backdrop. Liz was easy to root for, and Vince’s brooding, wounded energy made him a compelling, if not always easy, hero. Their chemistry was believable, especially once they dropped the pretense of it being “just sex.”

That said, I didn’t enjoy this as much as I had hoped to. The dual POV, while offering insights into both characters, seemed to drain some of the emotional punch. I found myself less invested than I usually am with heroes as crafted by Ms. Adams. Vince’s introspection was necessary for his arc, but it made the pacing feel uneven at times. Also, I remember picking this up before and abandoning it partway, which tells me it did not hook me as strongly as her best work does.

That said, Ward and Em’s story teased in the background seems like one I would really enjoy!

Recommended for: Readers who enjoy rivals-to-lovers, quiet heroes with emotional depth, family business dynamics, and stories where casual flings turn into something deeply meaningful.

Final Verdict: From antiques to affection, this is a warm, slow-burn romance between two guarded hearts who weren’t looking for love; but then again, isn’t that the best kind?

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N | Apple