Brooke (darkcoffeedarkerreads)

Delicious, dark, and spicy chaos

Revisado: 06-12-24 El oyente recibió este título gratis

4.5⭐ 5🌶️ 5🎧

Beatrix is my favorite paranormal chaos writer and this is just another grand slam in the game. I can’t believe I’ve waited so long to read it! It wasn’t what I was expecting going in (I’ll admit I did not read the blurb…if Beatrix writes it, I’m definitely going to read it so who’s keeping track?)–I thought I’d be getting two vampires, but what we got instead was vampire hunter x vampire–and the forbidden aspect combined with Tate’s stalking skills and some uncontrollable angst was one million times hotter. This was spicy beyond belief but Beatrix still somehow manages to give us a great storyline too. I loved the world building (how does Beatrix fit so many details into so few pages?!), secret societies, action, revenge, and the tender moments we still got glimpses at even through all the kinky moments, lust, and darkness. My only complaint is that I wish this was a full length book instead of a novella but as far as novellas go, this is one of my absolute favorites.

Michael Norman Johnson and Theo Sinclair brought these two hunks to LIFE and I think I enjoyed the audiobook even more than my first read through.

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Unpredictable and wildly entertaining

Revisado: 04-18-23 El oyente recibió este título gratis

4⭐ 2🌶️

Wow, what did I just read? …or listen to? Because I did pick up the audio of this one and I’m so glad that I did. Lacey Anthony and Stephen Borne were fantastic and I really enjoyed how they brought this wild and crazy ride to life. Alta is such a master of writing unhinged characters and by the end of this one, I was thoroughly convinced that everyone was batshit insane, maybe even including me.

I really enjoyed both of our main characters–Mr. D and Corrine were both intelligent, a touch off kilter (or a shove), and by the end, utterly obsessed with one another. Their chemistry was off the charts and while their romance progressed at warp speed, moving from off-limits to I’ll off anyone that thinks about coming between us (don’t worry, no one ACTUALLY gets hurt, though I wouldn’t have been shocked), I really appreciated how well they complimented each other and I understood their immense draw to one another. Corrine was in desperate need of someone to give her affection and protection and Mr. D just wanted to be that protector. Can’t fault a man for looking out for a damsel in distress, right? …right?

There’s really not much more that can be said without giving parts of the plot away but be warned, this is not your typical dark romance. There were elements of psychological thriller in this one and plenty of twists and turns that I absolutely did not see coming. This is a quick read and full of excitement so while there wasn’t an extensive plot or Earth shattering character development, it was definitely entertaining and I highly recommend picking it up if you’re in for an adrenaline rush.

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An epic ending to a vicious series

Revisado: 03-07-23

4.75⭐ 4🌶️

“Retribution, freedom, vengeance, peace. It means all of those things to me and more. With this, I’ll close this chapter of my life. I want to think that I’d burn the whole book, but there are lessons and outcomes that came from every single word in my story that I wouldn’t sacrifice, even for the chance at an easier go of it. I am who I am for a reason.”

This entire series was absolutely incredible and what a fantastic finish to wrap it all up! Everything fell so beautifully into place and the only thing I’m craving is MORE. I did want an epilogue showing some family reunions (and first unions) but Luna has assured me that there is more to come from this Saint brothers world and I’ll be anxiously awaiting it. Lennox and Sloane may be my favorite Saint brothers pairing to date and truly, that last little bit of closure is the only thing preventing this from being a 12 star read for me.

I listened to this one once again and truly, Luna found some phenomenal narrators to complete this series. I truly appreciated how well each of the narrators fit their respective characters and am blown away that we got eight unique voices for these couples. Aiden Snow and Michelle Sparks really brought Lennox and Sloane to life and I fell in love with the emotion they evoked in every scene. I’ll definitely be looking for more works narrated by them in the future.

Lennox is our darkest Saint brother and if you ask me, the hottest. I loved his domineering energy and the lengths he went to in order to claim and protect what is his, both with Sloane and his brothers. The sacrifices that Lennox made over the years for those he loved were heart wrenching and I was crying happy tears watching his relationship with Henry grow, along with seeing his acceptance and appreciation of the role Grayson played in Sloane’s life. For a morally charcoal man, he has a heart of gold and is truly a fantastic human.

Sloane was also wonderful. Strong, resilient, resourceful, and intelligent…I loved watching her grow into acceptance of the two men she loved and the roles they both have and will play in her life. Her internal struggle with the role her parents played in her life, as well as the role she would play in Henry’s and wanting to avoid the same mistakes was so relatable and really gave her some depth. Externally sunshine, seeing the darkness Sloane has been subjecting herself to for years was difficult to read about, but it made her HEA with Lennox so much more rewarding once we finally reached it.

As with any of the previous Vicious Empire books, the suspense, action, mystery, and twists were fantastic yet again. Watching everyone come together to take down Sebastian and seeing the eventual allies (as well as how they were tied to one another) and the way he final moments played out was utter perfection and Luna really brought everything full circle. I’m still craving more of this world–the brothers finally living as such, more of our MCs with their kiddos, and more of our side characters (spin offs, perhaps?)...I want it all. In the meantime, I’ll be diving into Step Darkly and enjoying more of Luna’s beautiful writing as I anticipate the release of Cry Wolfe.

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I cannot get enough of the Saint brothers

Revisado: 02-16-23

5⭐️ 4🌶️

“I’ve searched for her for five years to claim my retribution and I will. But first we need to get out of this alive, and for that, temporary trust needs to be put in place. If we don’t work together, then we are both as good as [gone].”

WOW. I keep saying I need a Saint brother in my life but they just KEEP. GETTING. BETTER. I’m utterly obsessed with this series and Luna Kayne’s writing. I was on the edge of my seat with suspense, tearing up with the warm and fuzzies, and entranced with lust the entire book. From start to finish, I was hooked by Dagen and Nyla’s story.

I listened to this on audible, as I did the first two, and I’m not sure how Luna is pulling it off but she’s knocked it out of the park yet again with her choice in narrators. Each book/couple has gotten their very own voicing and each has so perfectly matched the characters’ personalities. Lance Greenfield and Rose Dioro were absolutely incredible here and I could feel every emotion so vividly through their rendition.

“Because you hold everything I am in your hands. I will topple worlds to protect you, or I will [depart] trying, and that is both terrifying and liberating all at once.”

Nyla and Dagen’s story was such an incredible play on enemies-to-lovers second chance romance and I love that we also got thrown some forced proximity and a secret baby to really keep us on our toes. Bested by her the first time around, Dagen swears to get the upper hand this time…although I think in the end, it’s Nyla that bested Dagen once again and has him wrapped right around her finger, though truly the feeling seems mutual. Nyla was so smart, strong, and fierce and I loved how quickly she could think on her feet and how well she showed off her survival skills. And Dagen…yes, PLEASE. He was so protective of Nyla while still allowing her to show off her strength and support her rather than placating or trying to dominate. I loved his recognition of how she was crucial to their survival and that he never once questioned her once they established they’d be working together and how he gave her a chance to explain herself whenever there was a chance for miscommunication to sneak in.

I loved this book from start to finish and was utterly entranced from page one to the final word which left us in a cliffhanging stunner. While a ton of the excitement came from watching Luna and Dagen make it back to civilization, once they resurfaced, things got even crazier and the answers we’ve been craving (and some we didn’t even know we needed) were flying at us at warp speed. I can’t wait to see how this all plays out in the final installment and I’m SO looking forward to (and shamelessly begging for) some family reunion time to finish this series out.

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The Saint brothers just keep getting better

Revisado: 02-08-23

5⭐️ 4🌶️

The Saint brothers just keep getting better. I absolutely loved this one from start to finish–it picked up a touch before Cruel Saint ended, giving us Cole and Harlow’s perspectives leading up to the previous cliffhanger, and was full of action and suspense throughout. The story just keeps getting deeper and as secrets are revealed and questions answered, more sprout up and keep me desperate for more.

I listened to this one via Audible and the narrators were again top notch. I’ve never heard anything from Eric Micahel Summerer or Summer Morton before but they were absolutely excellent and brought Cole and Harlow right to life. I loved the range of emotion they gave these characters and their performance really brought a little something extra to Luna’s already fantastic writing.

“I love a challenge, and as soon as I finish this job, I’ll track her down. I’m good at tracking things. It runs in the family. Especially things that belong to me, and I recall her claiming she did.”

I was enthralled with Cole and Harlow from the very beginning and just kept falling harder as the story progressed. Their chemistry was off the charts and I loved how their relationship had such a full range of emotion–from the punishing spice to the need to protect one another to Cole’s sweet and goofy nickname for Harlow, they really built a full relationship. While it developed at warp speed, it didn’t feel like instalove and still had so much depth. Harlow was a fantastic FMC. She’s full of spitfire, independence, and rounded off with a vulnerability of craving someone to care for her that was perfectly complemented by Cole’s protective and possessive nature.

“I have a feeling that once we find Nyla, Dagen will be more than happy to be the one to go and retrieve her, and I can’t wait to see how that [storm] plays out.”

I’m glad we saw a return of our favorite characters from Cruel Saint and got the benefit of some added bonus characters in James and the bigger role Lennox played in this one. It was unexpected but such a perfect tie in and resolution to the angst we first felt. I loved the continued intrigue regarding the heir’s identity and all the added questions we had as this came to a cliffhanging close. It was such a perfect lead up to Wild Saint and I can’t wait to get my hands on Nyla and Dagen’s story next.

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We all need a Saint brother in our lives

Revisado: 02-05-23

4.5⭐️ 4🌶️

Well, where can I get my own Saint brother? And how long were y'all going to let me sleep on Luna Kayne? I'm so excited that this is only book one of four because I love this world. Luna's writing was fantastic and I really enjoyed all of the mystery, secrets, action, and taboo and forbidden love aspects of this book. It checked so many boxes for me and I can't wait to see what the rest of the series has in store.

I listened to the audio version of this and I was really impressed with the narrators. Charlotte North brought Amara to life and was superb with all the nuances of her personality--from the submission to fear to humor to boss betch energy, I felt it all. And Stephen Dexter? Fantastic. His deep voice was so good during the spicy scenes and he brought range to Ryder's emotions that I really enjoyed.

R: "Now, you can be brave and place yourself in my control--and trust me, I will take complete control--or you can leave now and never return."
A: "Do your worst."
R: "I intend to."

I really loved this second chance yet still enemies to lovers vibe going on between Amara and Ryder. Separated from their love four years prior, Amara has shut herself off to feeling any attachments and Ryder is finally back to break down all her walls and regain her trust while working through some secrets of his own. Their dom/sub relationship was so incredibly hot and even the scenes that weren't meant to be spicy had me blushing--hello, Ryder, you can punish me anytime. Overall, I really enjoyed these characters both together and separately. Ryder showed a lot of growth with being able to let his guard down and share his secrets, as well as his emotions and who he truly wanted to be with toward the end which was really satisfying for me. Amara started out a touch too naïve for me, which is the only reason this didn't earn a full five stars from me, but she really came into her own and by the end I was cheering her on. She really was such a strong FMC who could handle her own and I loved that about her. I truly hope we see a lot more of these two as the series progresses.

A: "So, is everything good now?"
R: "God, no. It's all gone to [crap]."
A: "But you're smiling. You look happy."
R: "You know what? I am happy. I'm really happy. Everything can burn down all around us, and I'll be right here with you for the rest of my life, grinning like an [jerk] because I have everything I will ever want."

The overarching mystery and plot was so interesting to me and while I'm a little sad we don't get a resolution here, I'm chomping at the bit to dive into book two and find out more after that cliffhanger had my mouth gaping. The last 15% or so flew right by and was filled with so much suspense and action, as well as some jaw dropping reveals that had me right on the edge of my seat. I can't wait to see how this all plays out and what more is in store for the Saint men.

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