Release Blitz & Review: Insolent (Crimson Elite #4) by T.L. Smith

Title: Insolent

Series: A Crimson Elite Novel

Author: T.L. Smith

Genre: Romance

Release Date: June 4, 2019
Cover Design: RBA Designs

Love had cut me in so many ways I wondered if my heart could take any more.

But then I saw him.

He was my boss.

A single father.

And to top it off he was insolent.

I didn’t intend to want him, that wasn’t my objective. But somehow I couldn’t say no.

We shouldn’t have worked, but like witchcraft, I was under his spell.

My heart’s been destroyed before, I’m not sure it can handle heartbreak again.

REVIEW

Disclaimer: This review MAY contain spoilers. I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the author. All opinions expressed in my review are my own. 

This was such a fun read! I was very impressed with the author's voice. The way that she was able to fill this story with so many emotions was delightful!

I found the plot of this story very compelling. I sat down and read this in a single sitting because I just had to know what was going to happen. I needed to connect all the dots in this story before my brain could move on to something else. I liked the flow of the story. I liked the foreshadowing embedded in the story. I enjoyed the overall themes of confronting and conquering personal demons as well as opening yourself and your heart up to love in all forms. 

I loved getting to know these characters. I think that my favorite thing was the dynamic between the Crimson Elite guys. Their friendship is deep and they are more like family than business partners. The chemistry that they had was riveting. I seriously adored the scenes where those four men were together talking shit with one another. I kind of had a love and hate relationship with the two main characters. There were some things about each of them that I both liked and disliked, but in all honesty, I think that made them feel more real. I understood Darby's motives and his state of mind, but I didn't overly connect with his character. Sometimes I thought that he was a little too closed off and a little too much of an asshole without any real reasoning for it. I felt that Olympia's character was a little more fleshed out. I definitely connected with her more because of her great backstory. 

The romance was hot, it was. There was sexual tension and I honestly liked that Olympia wasn't shy about her feelings for Darby. She wanted him and she wasn't going to beat around the bush about it. Darby was a little more cautious and reserved with his feelings for Olympia, but that just made the tension sizzle. 

Overall, this was a quick, satisfying read that kept my attention and left me wanting more. I enjoyed the epilogue and the way that the story played out. I will definitely be checking out the other books in this series. I loved getting to know the other men at Crimson Elite and I can't wait to read their stories!

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Cover Reveal, Excerpt & Giveaway: Breaking the Habit (The Breaking Series #4) by Ember Leigh

Today we have the cover reveal for BREAKING THE HABIT by Ember Leigh! Check out the beautiful cover and pre-order your copy today!

Title: Breaking the Habit

Author: Ember Leigh

Genre: Sports Romance

Release Blitz: June 18^th

He’s on a war path to fame.

And Levi Swain doesn’t care who knows it. The more people that know him, the better. As the hottest MMA rising star, opportunities are materializing out of thin air. When a wealthy sponsor approaches him, looking to have Levi cause a tabloid-worthy scandal, Levi only knows how to say yes. He didn’t come to war to lose.

Except he never counted on meeting Riley. The glam-shy bombshell who won’t touch fame with a ten-foot selfie stick. Levi planned on her ending up another notch on the bedpost, where every girl ends up. Instead, Riley is everything he wasn’t looking for. The artistic dark angel who can knock him out faster than a middleweight champion with just one glance.

Out here in Hollywood? He can have fame, or he can have true love.

But he can’t have both.

Pre-Order Your Copy Today!

Catch up on the rest of the Breaking Series!

BREAKING THE RULES (Book #1)

CHANGING THE GAME (Book #2)

BREAKING THE SINNER (Book #3)

Riley blinked at the swirls of her name freshly inked on a contract that she and Travis and Levi had drawn up. She wanted it to cover her ass. She trusted Travis, but Levi was a wild card. She could see it in the molten glint in his eye, the undercurrent of lust or mischief or something that set her on edge faster than an errant grope in the nightclub.

Her body responded to him way more than she wanted. She was on a self-imposed hiatus from men, ever since her shitty ex had made her private life go viral. It took time to recover from deception like that. Like maybe an entire lifetime.

Which meant Levi, the epitome of a Hollywood newbie hungry for the spotlight, couldn’t get anywhere near her. No matter how much those abs whispered sweet nothings to her.

“We’re legit!” Levi raised his fists in the air. “Welcome aboard, Riley. My professional MMA photographer.”

She could only manage a small smile. At least he was wearing a shirt today. Hiding his body from view helped things slightly, but the white tee clung to his shoulders and biceps in a way that only reminded her of the sculpted expanses below. And dammit, she wanted to see those freckles again.

“You’ve got to be at least a little excited,” Levi said.

“This is going to be interesting. And very different from what I normally do.” She paused, drumming her nails against the table. “I hope I can, you know?”

“Riley, we just met, but I believe in you one hundred percent.”

Levi’s sincere tone made her pause. She dragged her gaze up to his. What was this guy’s deal? He was some sort of inspirational, happy-go-lucky hunk. “Thanks.”

“But if you need help on anything, let me know.” He leaned back in his chair, resting his palms behind his head. It made his shirt stretch tighter over those biceps. Knocked the wind right out of her.

“I appreciate that.”

“I’m available for…anything, really.” And there it was. The smirk that promised so much more. Frustration burbled hot inside her.

“I do have one consideration so far, during my first day on the job. Did you or did you not hire me because you want to fuck?”

Levi’s eyes widened, and he slammed his chair back to the ground with a loud thud. “Fuck?” The fake astonishment pushed his voice to a falsetto. It was almost funny. Almost. “Like…the two of us having sex?”

“You heard me.”

“It hadn’t even occurred to me.” He paused. “Today.”

“That’s quaint. But please know—this is a job for me. You need to keep your hands to yourself.” She jabbed her index finger toward him for good measure. Made her feel like she was driving the point home. “Got it?”

Levi raised his palms in submission. “Never thought otherwise.”

The way his cinnamon gaze settled on her was the only sign she needed.

No matter how badly she’d been burnt the last time around, if she gave her heart an inch, it would take a mile.

Levi wouldn’t even get a millimeter.

Ember Leigh has been writing erotic romance novels since she was far too young. A native of northern Ohio, she currently resides near Lake Erie with her Argentinean husband, where they run an Argentinian-American food truck. In addition to romance novels, Ember also writes travel memoirs and occasionally updates a couple of blogs. In her free time, she practices Ashtanga yoga, hops around the world, and eats lots of vegetables.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Author Goodreads | Amazon

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Review: Lightness Falling (Lightness Saga #2) by Stacey Marie Brown

Title: Lightness Falling

Series: Lightness Saga #2
Author: Stacey Marie Brown
Publisher: Twisted Fairy Publishing
Published: June 01, 2017
Pages: 411
Genres: New Adult, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Source: Ebook
~~~~~

In gaining the crown, Kennedy lost friends, her first love, and her heart. 
And now her throne is being threatened. 

In this time of turmoil, radical groups surface trying to kill her and take down the kingdom. Kennedy is forced to go undercover and penetrate one of these groups with the help of the one person she has sworn against ever seeing again. 

Lorcan Dragen. The one man she let in, but cannot have. 

What she has to do to save her falling reign is dangerous, foolish, and impossible. That doesn’t even come close to the truth she discovers along the way. 

Kennedy’s world is flipped upside down with heartbreaking discoveries, betrayal, secrets, lies…and a darkness Kennedy won’t be able to fight. 

Herself. 

When lightness falls, darkness rises. Which side will win? Find out in the conclusion of Kennedy’s story.

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW

DISCLAIMER: This review MAY contain spoilers. 

This book, this book, this book!! OMG! I thought that The Crown of Light was incredible, but this book was an overload of awesome! I am truly glad that I stumbled upon this fascinating world that Stacey Marie Brown has created. I want to live here. It's official, I want my own cabin on the Dark Dweller property so I can loiter here forever amongst these characters that have taken my heart.

The romance in this book is very emotional. Kennedy and Lorcan are struggling with their separation from the last book and it is really affecting each of them. They try to fight against their need and love for one another thinking that it is best for all involved, but love isn't so easily brushed aside. They both struggle with their feelings, but deep down their love and devotion shines through. I loved their journey and I am glad that they found their happy ending. 

Kennedy and Lorcan's characters really grow even more in this book. A lot of it is from the romance, but not all of it. Kennedy has learned to be the Queen that she needs to be. Lorcan is learning to open back up to Kennedy since closing himself off again after they separated in the last book. Their love for each other brings out the best in them. I loved seeing West in this book. And I loved seeing more of Fionna. The additional new characters from the Druid base were amusing, though I wished I could have gotten to know them more. 

The plot in this book comes at the heels of the conclusion of the Darkness series. All of the events in the Darkness series impact this one and this book builds upon those plot points. It really does get thicker in this one. I loved the plot twists in this one, though I was able to guess them ahead of time because of the foreshadowing in the previous books. I think that Brown does an excellent job of weaving the plot through all of the books in the Darkness series, Collector series, and the Lightness Saga. Everything flows beautifully. 

There is some more great world-building in this book while still building from the previous books. There are plenty of visual details and descriptions to make you feel like you are living in the scenes. 

Overall, I was blown away by this book! Before I read The Crown of Light I was unsure if I could latch on to Kennedy's story. Brown really made her character come alive in The Crown of Light and she kept on shining in this book. The same goes for Lorcan. I think that he is among one of my favorite characters in this world. This book will latch on to you and refuse to let loose. I recommend this series along with the Darkness series and the Collector series. This entire world is awesome and you will want to settle down here and make it your home.

Check out my reviews for the other books in this series!

The Crown of Light (Lightness Saga #1)

Find my review here.

After reading the Darkness series, the Collector series, and the Lightness Saga series from Stacey Marie Brown, she has become one of my top auto-buy authors. What was the last new-to-you author that you took a chance on and won the jackpot? What books have you recently finished?

Top Ten Tuesday: My Top Twelve Favorite Fantasy Series

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was created by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there is a different question for book bloggers to ponder over. 

This week's topic is Books From My Favorite Genre, so I'm going with:

MY TOP TWELVE FAVORITE FANTASY SERIES

~~~~~

What are some of your favorite books of the past ten years? Feel free to leave the link to your Top Ten Tuesday post!

Review: The Crown Of Light (Lightness Saga #1) by Stacey Marie Brown

Title: The Crown Of Light

Series: Lightness Saga #1
Author: Stacey Marie Brown
Publisher: Twisted Fairy Publishing
Published: February 12, 2017
Pages: 479
Genres: New Adult, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Source: Ebook
~~~~~

A war is brewing. 

Kennedy is one of the last known Druids. Wanted dead by the Seelie Queen and as a coveted asset to defeat this cruel ruler, Kennedy has become a mark. Especially by a sexy, merciless Dark Dweller, Lorcan Dragen. 

Kidnapped and taken prisoner, Kennedy’s life takes a dramatic turn, down a path she never imagined. Spending time with a man who killed her best friend’s mother and her friend, she knows he is not someone she should care about. But the longer she spends with her enemy, the more her feelings blur the line between what is right and wrong, what is true and what is not. 

As her magic grows, so does the shy, nerdy girl, and she soon realizes nothing on a list or in a book will prepare her for what is ahead. 

Even her own feelings.

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW

DISCLAIMER: This review MAY contain spoilers. 

I am going to be very blunt about this. When I read the Darkness series I liked Kennedy's character, but I had never imagined her in a main character role. She is not the type of female lead character that I gravitate towards. I love the feisty, unruly, loudmouthed, takes-no-shit, badass, tough, could-kick-your-ass female protagonists. Kennedy is not this at all, but I still loved this book. 

While Kennedy's character isn't quite as tough as Ember or Zoey, she still had her own defiance and strength. I loved seeing her grow as a character. The timid, cute, well-behaved girl from the Darkness series is gone. The new Kennedy was a pleasure to see unfold. Lorcan's character growth was even more extreme and incredible. I may have liked it even more than Kennedy's. Lorcan comes across as a villain in the Darkness series. This series really paints the picture that there are always two sides to every story. Nothing is black and white. Lorcan is all gray area. I love that Brown was able to warp my opinion of his character from something negative to absolute adoration. I honestly love his character just as much as Eli's. 

This is Kennedy's story and this book actually takes place during the same timeframe as the Darkness series. We are just getting to see Kennedy's story this time. I loved seeing things from her point of view. The plot from the Darkness series continues in this book since it occurs at the same time, but it feels more intimate since now we are seeing things from other points of view. We have more information this time around. The plot is very strong and the additional viewpoints add so much more to the story. More emotion and more urgency.

I loved the world-building in this. Brown adds enough details to really make you visualize the surroundings of the story. The world-building does build off of the Darkness series though. 

The romance in this book in incredible! I think that I almost liked it more than Ember and Eli's romance. At least, when I was reading this book it felt stronger. The chemistry between Kennedy and Lorcan was electric. I definitely loved the way that Kennedy and Lorcan came together. Yes, he kidnapped her and she was his prisoner, but they were able to grow close and get to know each other over the months they were together. The fact that Lorcan's motives are pretty misunderstood throughout the series plays a big part in Kennedy softening to him. Lorcan isn't good or evil and he is able to open up to Kennedy when no one else has been able to see that part of him. Kennedy was also able to feel more herself around him. The way that they fell in love was the perfect slow-burn hate-to-love romance and one of the best I've read in a while. 

I think that it is worth saying that this series is a continuation of the Darkness series by Stacey Marie Brown. If you have not read that series first then I can't imagine that you would get any of the references or have any clue what is going on. The scope of what is happening in the book is based off of things already discovered in the previous series. 

Overall, I was beyond impressed with this book! I wasn't sure that this book was going to surpass or live up to the Darkness series. I honestly wasn't sure that would like this book because I didn't connect with Kennedy's character as much in the Darkness series. I was sure that this book would fall flat for me, but it did not! I loved this book just as much, and for parts of me maybe even more, as the Darkness series! It was really an addictive read. I couldn't separate my eyes from this book. I devoured it! I highly recommend reading this book along with the Darkness series and the Collector series. This world is so captivating and you will love being sucked into it. With only a few more books left in this world, I am starting to feel anxious about ending it. I wish it could go on forever!

This book is the first book in a new series that is a continuation of a previous series. Do you enjoy book series that have different parts but connect? What books have you added to your TBR recently?

Review: West (Darkness #5) by Stacey Marie Brown

Title: West

Series: Darkness #5
Author: Stacey Marie Brown
Publisher: Twisted Fairy Publishing
Published: October 12, 2016
Pages: 408
Genres: New Adult, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Source: Ebook
~~~~~

Sexy, alluring, ruthless, and oh so complicated.

West Moseley is known as the “charming” Dark Dweller. With his cheeky grin and southern drawl, he can charm anyone, especially women. And does.
But after being held prisoner and tortured by the cruel Seelie Queen, West’s past comes back to haunt him. His memories of a tragic event and the truth of what happened on the Light side goes deeper than anyone realizes. Things he wants no one to know about.

Struggling with his own demons, he battles the very essence of what he is—a Dark Dweller—a terrifying beast from the Otherworld designed to hunt and kill.
When the Unseelie King sends him to Ireland to uncover a dangerous artifact, West’s entire world takes a dangerous turn.

When a treasure lands in his hands, one he never suspected, nor wanted, he learns one crucial thing: you don’t steal from the Demon King . . . not if you want to live.

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW

DISCLAIMER: This review MAY contain spoilers. 

I really enjoyed this book a lot, but it was quite different from the rest of the Darkness series. I loved getting a better glimpse of West, his past, and his inner turmoils. I always loved his character and it was awesome to see him as the star of the show. That southern accent of his melts my heart. 

The thing about the Darkness series that I always loved was the characters. The characters really bring this series to life more than anything else. At least to me. All of them together have so much incredible chemistry. I think that is the reason why this book, as well as the first book of the series, fell a little bit short while books 2 through 4 were ballpark knockouts. It is the only thing that is different about those two books and the other books in the series. I think that if all of the characters were present throughout the entire book then it would have added more to the book. The chemistry between the characters in this series cannot be overlooked. Once West reconnects with the rest of the Dark Dwellers at the end of this book I felt like I was back in books 2 through 4. The spark was back. 

I felt that the plot was good. It does have a fairly self-contained plot of its own while stemming off of events and themes from the first four books in the series. It definitely had a different feel to it. I like that the plot in this book leads into what will happen going into the Lightness Saga. 

The world building was detailed and easy to comprehend. West travels to Ireland in this book and I loved all the details specific to the different villages and places in Ireland that he and Rez traveled. It was quite atmospheric and very easy to visualize. The descriptions were great. I could feel the freezing ocean water and cold wind that was described in the book. It was easy to see and feel the surroundings described in the book.

The characters are the same from the rest of the Darkness series with a couple more new additions. We have already gotten to know most of these characters. The character development for West and Rez was incredible. We get to dive into the pasts and see the things that have formed their identities. We get to see and experience the demons that haunt them and it really makes you appreciate their character growth. Most of the characters in this series do not have happy pasts by any means, but I felt especially drawn to West and Rez's sad pasts. 

I liked the romance between West and Rez. I liked that it was a forbidden type of romance since she was technically the Unseelie King's mistress. The fact that Rez and Lars didn't love one another really made me feel guiltless about repping the romance. I am not usually into the cheating aspect. I did feel that West talked a little too much about how horny he was over Rez. It was almost a little overpowering. But I liked that their romance was gradual. They got to know each other on their trip and fell in love along the way. I liked that West's beast claimed her. It was kind of perfect. It does make me want to see all of the Dark Dwellers claim their mates as well. 

Overall, this was a great addition to this series. I loved reading about West's story. If you are a fan of this series then I would highly recommend reading this book. It does add a lot to the overall story. Especially if you are going to continue on to the Lightness Saga from here. If you haven't tried this series then I greatly recommend you read it!

Check out my reviews for the other books in this series!

Darkness of Light (Darkness #1)

Find my review here.

Fire in the Darkness (Darkness #2)

Find my review here.

Dwellers of Darkness (Darkness #3)

Find my review here.

Blood Beyond Darkness (Darkness #4)

Find my review here.

This book is a standalone story within the Darkness series. Do you like when authors include standalone stories like this in addition to the core books of a series? Do you tend to stick to the core books or do you enjoy reading novellas and additional short stories along with a series? What books have you recently finished?