Jake by Olivia Sinclair

April 2, 2026 By Leave a Comment



Jake by Olivia Sinclair
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday, Erotic Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A military secret crush / fake fiancé holiday romance

Jake

Nobody but me gets to be her fiancé, fake or otherwise. I’ve been waiting for years to finally show her how I feel, tell her that I know how her eyes always find me in the background. Looks like it’s finally time to claim my spot by her side.

Valentina

I need a fake fiancé for Thanksgiving to finally escape the kids’ table in the garage. So I hired one. Not the silver-eyed hunk I’ve been crushing on for the last ten years. That guy is standing in front of me saying he plans to make my deception all very real. Very, very real. I seem to be having trouble remembering why I should say no…

For years Jake has quietly sat back and waited while his army buddy, Scott’s, younger sister finished her education. Now in her mid-twenties and finished with school, Valentina is determined to fake a fiancé for her Nonna’s Thanksgiving dinner table and move up from the kids table to the grown-ups. When Jake hears about this, he’s determined Valentina has no one except him in her sights – even if it might be fake.

I stumbled on this fun and sexy short story totally by accident. Curiously hooked by the blurb I eagerly dove in and found the story sassy and fun, with just a nice amount of spicy romance. I thought the chemistry between Valentina and Jake was both believable and a steady build and Jake’s determination was a lovely thing to read.

Readers looking for a twisty or convoluted plot should be aware that this is a quite short story, so everything is fairly straightforward. While Jake and Valentina didn’t jump immediately into bed, again with the short length there wasn’t a huge build up and the spice was delightful once we reached it.

I’ve never read anything previously by this author – but was already purchasing some of her other works before I got halfway through this book. I was really pleased with this new-to-me author, and I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read. Sexy and fun, lighthearted and festive I enjoyed it a lot. Recommended.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Blowback by Peter May

March 31, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Blowback by Peter May
Publisher: Hachette UK
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

The penultimate chapter in the Enzo Files, sees Enzo enter the volatile and – now, it appears – violent world of haute cuisine.

PUY-DE-DÔME, FRANCE.

A Silenced Man.

Footprints in the snow lead to the murder scene of Marc Fraysse, France’s most celebrated chef – brutally shot before he could make the revelation of his career.

A Determined Man.

Seven years on and the mystery still raw, Enzo Macleod, forensic investigator, forays into the heated world of haute cuisine to uncover bitter feuds and a burning secret.

A Hunted Man.

The Fraysse family history is as twisted as Enzo’s own. And in his pursuit of truth, the depths of deceit threaten to consume Enzo – and that which he cherishes most.

Seven years ago, local celebrity and world-famous, Three Michelin star chef, Marc Fraysse is murdered under suspicious circumstances. Despite heavy police investigation, the case never went anywhere and was eventually left to grow cold. Now, forensic investigator Enzo Macleod is looking into the case. With the stakes higher than ever, and deeply personal, can Enzo solve this long-cold case?

A family member gave me this book and while I’ve heard of Peter May I had never previously read any of his work. I was intrigued to give him a go and – after the first few chapters hooked me easily in – delighted at this new-to-me author.

I was a little surprised that this book is set in France. While I feel the author did an amazing job with this I’d had the idea this was a UK/British based book so that took a minute to readjust in my mind. Also, I was surprised but really happy to find this is a restaurant/cooking based murder mystery. As such there is a lot of time spent on food/wine/cooking and so readers who aren’t keen with heavy detail along these lines might not feel it’s the right story for them. Personally, I found it interesting and quite easy to read – but I can understand if this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

Additionally, this is absolutely a slow-burn kind of murder mystery. I did not find this a fast paced or action-orientated type of mystery. While I wouldn’t quite put this down as a police procedural style of mystery – Enzo is not a police officer and so the usual procedural trappings or team environment and regular police aspect is not heavily involved in this story, this does have that sort of slower, collecting the clues/evidence type of system to it and therefore is not an espionage or action/adventure pace of book.

I loved that there were some good twists and turns to this mystery, and I greatly enjoyed Enzo’s character and all the other main characters in this story. This is a middle book in the series but I easily followed along having never read anything prior by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and found it a gripping read. I’ll absolutely be checking out other books by this author and found it a solid mystery and read. Recommended.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Demon’s Delight by L. Alexander

March 30, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Demon’s Delight by L. Alexander
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical, Paranormal, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Summoning a demon may be my only option for survival.

Captured.
Exploited.
Bonded to a Demon Prince.

After being taken from the forest near my home, I’m tormented in the name of research, and forced to use my healing gift for my captor’s profit.

Desperate to escape, I risk it all. I steal a spell book, and summon a demon for aid.

I’m prepared to beg a creature that’s vicious and cruel for help, but a Prince of Hell arrives instead. One that’s devastatingly charming. Kind. It’s easy to forget he’s a demon at all.

Though the contract demands he travel with me on my journey back home, I start to wonder if our bond is more than just obligation. I can’t resist his charm or his thoughtfulness, and his protective flirting seems genuine.

What awaits me back home will test not only our connection, but everything I know about myself and my magic.

Have the fates forsaken me altogether, or have they given me the greatest gifts of all?

Hailon is a healer, but having been captured and sold, trafficked and experimented on these last few months for her powers and gift, she’s on the edge, utterly desperate. When she manages to steal a small notebook she discovers in it enough knowledge to piece together how to summon a demon. Seir is the demon prince from Hell who answers her call. Both of them embark on an adventure, one that neither of them had ever expected.

After picking this up on a whim I discovered it’s the third in the series – but having never read anything previously by this author I found this book stood very well on it’s own. I found Seir to be an enjoyable and amusing main lead character – totally different to the “demon prince” I was half expecting – and I thoroughly enjoyed how he simply relished experiencing everything on Earth. Hailon was in many ways a far more normal and relatable character to me and one I could empathise with for much of the story.

Readers should be aware that while this book does have romance and “fated mates” and a bit of spice – for much of the first ha;f of the full length novel it’s primarily Seir and Hailon getting to know each other and travelling. Readers looking for a “dark romance” novel or something heavily erotic might not enjoy the pace of this story. I greatly enjoyed the almost epic traveler/fantasy sort of style and thought it was quite well written. The fact Seir and Hailon were interesting characters and learned to trust each other was well worth the time and read to my mind.

Once the action kicked off I felt the pace of the book really did speed up a bit. Admittedly a number of secondary characters also appeared (like Seir’s brothers and their wives, whom I presume are from previous books). There is some spicy romance scenes in this but I strongly feel the book is predominantly a paranormal/adventure style of book. While the romance is present it felt very much “in addition to” the plot and actual progress of the book – not front and center or taking up an enormous portion of the storyline.

An interesting blend of paranormal, alternate reality and romance, this was a fun and enjoyable full length novel and a book I really enjoyed. There appears to be two connected series with this book and I’ll be looking into both of them. Recommended.

Filed Under: Other, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Armored Hearts by Angela Knight

March 19, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Armored Hearts by Angela Knight
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Captivity makes the heart grow kinkier…

When interstellar mercenary Captain Nick Rand rescues a beautiful enemy from his own men, he thinks she’s the answer to his vampire prayers. On the verge of starvation thanks to the destruction of his hemosynther, he’s in desperate need of a female blood donor.

Lieutenant Zara Tahir needs Nick Rand as badly as he needs her. Without Nick’s blood, Zara’s overactive immune system will kill her.

But Zara has no intention of embracing captivity. While she’s willing to exchange blood for blood, maybe even play a kinky game or two with the handsome vampire dominant, he’s still the enemy. She can’t allow herself to see him as anything more.

Then Rand’s enemies make things a lot more complicated…

Interstellar mercenary Captain Nick Rand rescues a woman from his own crew, and he thinks this might be the answer to his vampire prayers – broken equipment meaning he’s quite literally starving to death. The tasty female blood donor could make all the difference. Only Lieutenant Zara Tahir has a few secrets of her own, and she’s not likely to admit she needs Rand as much as he needs her. Can these two enemies find some common ground when they each need what the other can provide?

I have enjoyed a number of Angela Knight’s previous books – though I do admit it’s been a while since I’ve caught up with anything from this author. I enjoyed this story, finding it reminded me of why I have previously enjoyed this authors work. Smoking hot with a good amount of kink, I found this to be an interesting and hot read.

White the growing emotional and sexual relationship between Rand and Zara is absolutely front and center in this erotic romance story, I was pleased that this wasn’t the only plot in the story. Readers who enjoy some light sci-fi should find this an enjoyable read. I’m not a big sci-fi reader and personally I was pleased that this side of the story while present didn’t overshadow the relationship and BDSM bedroom games between our two protagonists. But I did greatly appreciate that the sex wasn’t the only aspect to the book and this helped the whole story feel a lot better rounded to me.

Readers looking for a hot and heavy book with elements of space should find this a strong and good read. I’d definitely keep a cool drink on hand and give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the shenanigans.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Murder Never Retires by Faith Martin

March 16, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Murder Never Retires by Faith Martin
Publisher: Joffe Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Hillary Greene returns to Thames Valley Police HQ, acting as a consultant for the Crime Review Team, looking into murders which the police have never been able to solve.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to go back. But solving crimes is irresistible for Hillary Greene. And it doesn’t hurt that her new boss is devastatingly handsome.

Twenty years ago, mother-of-three Anna McRae was found beaten to death in her kitchen with a rolling pin. She’d been having an affair with her brother-in-law, so the prime suspect was Anna’s sister Debbie. But the evidence never added up.

However as Hillary digs deeper, more secrets and betrayals emerge. Who wanted Anna dead and can Hillary finally bring her justice?

Meanwhile, Hillary is distracted by an unknown admirer, who quickly seems to be going from suitor to stalker.

Can Hillary solve a fiendishly complex case from the past while fending off unwanted attention?

Retired DI Hillary Greene has spent the last year and a half enjoying her life, cruising the Oxford canals and taking life as it came. While Hillary wasn’t convinced she wanted to come back to her old job, solving crimes and doing her work still sang strongly in her blood. When she returns to Thames Valley Police HQ it’s only to look at the lay of the land, but she is immediately captured by a cold case and soon has to admit she might not be quite as ready for the quiet life as she’d assumed.

Hillary has somewhat returned from early retirement, and I found this a greatly enjoyable story. With a new section, new team and a bunch of new characters I thought this was an excellent way to continue the series but give it a new and fresh feel.

Readers should be aware the meat of the book – the cold case murder investigation Hillary and her team are given – runs along very similar lines to the earlier books in this series. The tone and style of the book is enjoyable and a British police procedural style of novel. Even though this book is well into the series the fact the mystery stands very well alone and virtually all the cast and characters are new and freshly introduced means I feel this book would be an excellent point for anyone to jump in if they had been curious or not discovered this author and series before.

With a solid plot and a few threads left hanging clearly for future books this is a great murder mystery and a series I strongly enjoy. Recommended.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Colton by Jenna Myles

March 9, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Colton by Jenna Myles
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Love men who fall first? Like strong curvy heroines? How about I throw in a high rise full of billionaires and a hero with some serious golden retriever energy?
Evie did the right thing, she saved a life, and it cost her almost everything. I’m going to make damn sure she’s made whole again.

So I’ve been carrying her picture around with me for a couple of months.
So I argued with the guy at the hardware store over glitter paint for her little girl’s bedroom, a bedroom in an apartment I want to give them.
So I’ve been checking on that empty apartment every night for months.

That doesn’t mean anything though. I’m not obsessed.

When I finally get the call she’s ready for our help, I hop in my jet and go get her.

I expected to find a worn-out, exhausted woman. And I did. But she also called me Conan (as in barbarian) and didn’t tolerate any of my bullshit. And that little girl, well she has me acting like an idiot just to make her smile.

Ok, so maybe I am obsessed.

Colton Brash has been focused on Evie and her toddler daughter Mia for months now. A nurse and good friend of his sister-in-law, Evie’s living situation is dire after she risked everything to help Holly out of her abusive relationship. Colton and his brothers desperately wanted Evie and little Mia in the safety of their apartment high rise, with a secure job and plenty of safety. Can Evie accept their help, and can Colton be patient enough to wait things out?

I picked this book up on a whim and found it an enjoyable romance. With a slow burn and Colton absolutely the first to fall in love, I found this a fun and enjoyable story. I loved the strong cast of secondary characters – mostly Colton’s eight brothers and the two partners (presumably from the two previous books in this series). Having not read anything prior to this I can absolutely state that this book stands well on its own and I found it a fun and steamy book.

I will admit towards the halfway point I was getting a bit tired of Evie’s distrust and her unwillingness to rock the boat or admit to her growing feelings for Colton. While a part of me understood I think some of her choices began to grate on me a bit. While in real life there is sense in being cautious and hedging your bets, and some of that needs to drip into books for reality’s sake – I personally feel there really comes a time when you need to just throw caution to the wind and go with the plotline and enjoy the fact it’s a book and not real life. Evie held out a bit too long for my personal tastes. And while Colton is not blameless here (he could have just as easily expressed his feelings more clearly to Evie) I’m willing to grant him the fact Evie was the vulnerable one here and so it was up to her to make the first move and show Colton she wanted more and allow him to take those steps.

When Evie finally pulled her head out and she and Colton finally admitted their feelings to each other the rest of the book moved well and I enjoyed it. The romance was spicy and fun, and the huge cast of family just made the whole read even more enjoyable to me.

Readers looking for a spicy romance with a slow burn and a seriously smitten hero should find this to be a fun and enjoyable read. I’ll be interested in some of these other brothers and books in the series. Recommended.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,

Secret Places by Heather Peck

March 6, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Secret Places by Heather Peck
Publisher: SilverWood Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A body in a bunker: a secret buried for decades…

When a skeleton is discovered in a long-abandoned WWII bunker, goat farmer Tristan Smith’s quiet life on the Yorkshire moors shatters overnight.

DI Greg Geldard takes the case, uncovering a tangle of lies that reach far beyond the moors. Each clue draws him closer to a truth someone is still desperate to hide.

As another victim disappears, past and present collide in a deadly pattern. Will Geldard expose the killer before history repeats itself?

DI Greg Geldard and his team is called to investigate when a human skeleton is found among other sheep remains in an abandoned WW2 bunker. Very few people knew about the bunker – though the current farm owner had been told by the previous owner that the shaft was a waste disposal site used for normal deaths of the various farm animals. Who was responsible for the remains, and can DI Geldard and his team uncover what really occurred?

This was a new to me author and while I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and plot it was a refreshingly different manner of the story being told. The author regularly moved the perspective from the current investigation back to the previous owner and slowly pieced together what occurred in some of the lags as the investigators dug deeper into the story. I often find perspective shifts – and time shifts in particular – quite jarring but I have to admit I found the author did a smooth and excellent job with this. I do admit I don’t think this will suit all readers, and in particular the reader is exposed to some of the story that the detectives aren’t privy to – which I did find unusual.

I thought the characters were well drawn and interesting. I also found the setting of rural York gave a good atmosphere and was different to a lot of the more city or London based police procedural stories. The pace of the mystery was a little slow – but that was mostly as the investigation moved along actually trying to uncover what had happened. Readers eager for a fast-moving plot might not enjoy this book as much as I did, but I thought the writing and pacing was really quite good.

Fun and fresh, I found this an interesting book and a good first read – for me – of this author. A good story and a series I hope to continue with. Recommended.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Dirty Deal by Mira Lyn Kelly

March 4, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Dirty Deal by Mira Lyn Kelly
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

I’m not exactly “Daddy” material…

Fatherhood blindsided me.

There I am, working to get a rise out of my cranky little rule-following, fun-wrecking, soon-to-be ex-neighbor when my one-night stand from last season shows up… in labor.

Next thing, I’m a single-dad begging for a crash course in caring for this tiny miracle from the neighbor who loves to hate me.

Turns out, Nora raised half her siblings.

She knows things.

And I know my son needs her.

Unfortunately, she’s not impressed by my NHL career, my legendary charm, or the rumors surrounding the size of my stick (all true btw).

But I’m not trying to impress her. Not anymore. I can’t.

I’m asking her to help me out, because my son deserves better than some player who hasn’t even had a chance to read the manual yet.

Which means no matter how hot I find her spitfire mouth and those rules she doesn’t break… Nora is off-limits.

Axel is a star player on the Slayers Ice Hockey team and loves his carefree life. Until the day a one night stand from the previous season literally goes into labor on his front doorstep and Axel’s life is turned upside down. With a brand new son and zero knowledge, Axel turns to his neighbor Nora in desperation. The situation is far from idea for them both – but with tiny baby Otto acting as the glue, can these two find a way forwards?

Having never read anything previously by this author I was a little uncertain whether it would enjoy this first-for-me ice hockey romance novel. I was pleased that while Axel’s work on the hockey team has a good amount of time in the book – the sport and team itself doesn’t overshadow either the plot of Axel as a new father nor of the slow blossoming romance between Axel and Nora. I really felt the author did a good job with both the pacing and layout of the plot here and this made the book really enjoyable to me.

I found this book to be modern and somewhat light. I could easily see myself reading plenty more of them with a fun drink and a long weekend ahead of me. These are the story of steamy romance books where the relationship builds and grows at a logical, realistic and enjoyable slow pace and then finally culminates in a wonderful spicy series of sparks. More than the romance though I found this to be a strongly emotional and supportive book. Both Axel and Nora have their baggage and drama, and each have their own hang-ups and issues. Neither are perfect and I found them both so much more engaging and relatable because of this.

If you’re wanting an emotional and heartwarming slow build for a romance book, one with an adorable newborn baby front and center and a fun set of secondary characters in the side lines this is absolutely an excellent book. While it’s mid-way through the series I haven’t read anything previous to this and found it easily pick upable and I had no problems following along and I got strongly invested in Otto, Axel and Nora. A wonderful book and a great read. I’ll be looking into more of these.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,

Impulse Caught by Emily Carrington

March 2, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Impulse Caught by Emily Carrington
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, LGBTQ
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Riku takes charge in bed, but will he have any control over the day-to-day decisions of a marriage?

Money and status differences challenge Riku and Theo to find a middle ground. Their passion is white-hot, but their ideas of living comfortably are at odds. As their wedding nears, driven forward by Theo’s parents’ sense of guilt, Riku feels the old urge to run.

Riku refuses to give into this impulse at first, but as the comparison between his emotional scars and the mountains of Theo’s familial expectations grow, Riku fears running will be the only less-than-honorable course left to him.

Theo isn’t blind to Riku’s struggles but he doesn’t understand what’s wrong. Each time he reaches out, Riku reaches back, yet they never quite connect. Will their need for each other overcome their differences, or will their passion be subsumed by a wave of conflicting desires?

Riku and Theo are passionately in love, planning their wedding. But money and status differences continue to challenge them both. While their love is strong, they still struggle to trust and connect with each other. Can they work through these conflicts and find each other again?

I found this to be an interesting and emotional love story. Riku and Theo both have a number of challenges – physical and emotional – and it was deeply interesting to see them try to navigate everything between them. While it was clear they loved each other, this didn’t immediately help them fix all the problems that came between them. I found this both realistic and interesting to read.

I admit I haven’t read any of the previous books in this series, so I did have to play a bit of catch-up on the history between the two men. While I found this fairly easy, I have to admit this might irritate some readers. I also didn’t enjoy the characters Theo’s parents too much. I found them a bit too controlling and overbearing and while I expect this was the point, a part of me doesn’t really understand why Theo didn’t limit his interaction with them more or be a bit firmer in setting boundaries. That irked me a bit with this book.

Overall, I found this a deeply interesting and refreshingly different story. While there is some very steamy sex between the men there is a huge amount of plot and conflict and that really helped carry the book to my mind. I’ll definitely be looking into other books by this author.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Box Of Chocolates by Sean Michael

February 26, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Box Of Chocolates by Sean Michael
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Holiday, LGBTQ
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

As a single guy, Dorian isn’t a fan of Valentine’s Day, but he loves chocolates and when someone brings in a box for the office to share, he falls in love with the heart-shaped truffles he tastes and decides to get himself a box or two at the new-to-him chocolatery before treating himself to a supper out.

Smoke owns Smoke’s Chocolates and Valentine’s Day is his busiest time of year, between making the chocolates and helping to sell them at the front counter, he’s putting in long hours. When the last minute rush slows down, though, Smoke goes out for dinner only to encounter the also flying solo Dorian. The two men get to talking and sharing appetizers and discover a mutual attraction.

Can they both come to love Valentine’s Day for a reason that has nothing to do with chocolate?

Dorian is buying some chocolates for himself as a treat for Valentine’s day and while his eye is caught by chocolatier Smoke, their interaction is brief and the shop is slammed. When they bump into each other later that evening at a bar, they’re able to sit and talk for a while, and both men realize there is attraction sizzling between them. Can they each have a very special Valentine’s day?

I enjoyed this fun and sexy short story. I liked that while Dorian and Smoke weren’t shy with each other, they didn’t jump immediately into bed. The author did a good job of balancing the sexy shenanigans with some semblance of “getting to know you” and reality. Readers should be aware this is an erotic short story – so there is not a complicated, in depth plot outside of the growing relationship between the two men. For a short, erotic story, it is a delightful and enticing quick read.

With two interesting and believable characters and a whole lot of sizzle, this is a fun and engaging read by an author I really enjoy. Recommended.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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