Dear Ava - Ilsa Madden-Mills

" You can't go because I won't get over you! I won't ever find someone like you. I won't ever kiss a girl like you. I love you!"

Pages: 376

Published: February 1st, 2020

Kindle: 4, 99 €

Paperback: 17, 11 €

Available on KU and Audible

Plot

The rich and popular Sharks rule at prestigious, ivy-covered Camden Prep. Once upon a time, I wanted to be part of their world—until one of them destroyed me. The last thing I expected was an anonymous love letter from one of them.Please. I hate every one of those rich jerks for what they did to me. The question is, which Shark is my secret admirer? Knox, the scarred quarterback. Dane, his twin brother. Or Chance, the ex who dumped me. . . Dear Ava,Your eyes are the color of the Caribbean Sea.That’s stupid. What I really mean is, you look at me and I feel something REAL. It’s been ten months since you were here, but I can’t forget you. I’ve missed seeing you walk down the hall. I’ve missed you cheering at my football games. I’ve missed the smell of your hair.The truth is, I wanted you back then—but you had him.And then everything fell apart that night.Don’t hate me because I’m a Shark. I just want to make you mine. Still.

Conclusion

*TW:Rape, Slutshaming, Bullying*

Dear Ava is one of the few books that have made me cry and it is definitely a highlight of 2021.

Eventhough Knox is a pretty popular and a quarterback he isn't depicted as cocky and mean as they are usually. I loved that he believed Ava and even helped to get her the justice she deserved. I loved the fact that he likes Star Wars and that he was so nice to Ava's little brother. He was way sweeter than I was expecting him to be. Knox was a great book boyfriend.

Ava has been through a lot. I probably couldn't go through what she did. I would've given up and although this is pure fiction I'm proud of her for staying strong. One of the best parts of the story was that, unlike in real life where many boys and girls don't get the justice they deserve, Ava got hers.

Their chemistry was off the charts. The humor in 'Dear Ava' was great and the scenes with Ava's little brother were so wholesome. 

If you don't have triggers and want to read a wholesome story with a strong female character and a nerdy quarterback I would definitely recommend 'Dear Ava' to you.

5 out of 5 stars

Dangerous Silence - Audrey Rush

Pages: 217

Published: March 2rd, 2021

Kindle: 3,99 €

Paperback: 11,76 €

Available on KU

Plot

My father’s dying wish was for me to marry a monster.
Axe Adler. A brutal killer. An emotionless mafia enforcer.
A man who chooses silence over the sounds of life. 

When I look at him, I don't see my future husband.
I see a criminal. A murderer. A man with no soul.

With a callousness I’ve never known, he exposes my reality. It should be frightening. 
Instead, the truth is alluring. Everything changes.

So what happens when you finally realize that everything you believed in, is a lie? 
When the man who shows you the truth is an irresistible killer?

Suddenly, I can’t tell right from wrong,
pain from pleasure, 
hatred from desire.

His dark gaze leaves no doubt:
Axe would rather kill me than love me.
But he’ll never let me out of his cage. 

Conclusion

*TW for book: violence and abuse*

'Dangerous Silence' might be one of the most intense books that I have ever read. It was way darker than I was expecting it to be.

Demi (18), the heroine of the stroy, was very sweet and innocent. After her dad dies she is basically thrown into a world that is nothing like she is used to. Axel (33), the hero, made a promise to Demi's dad to take care of her after his death. He was a brutal charcter with a twisted mind.

'Dangerous Silence' had it all. The characters were well written. The pace of the story was good. Audrey Rush's writing style was phenomenal. It made it easy to dive into the story and it had me hooked. This might've been the first book ive read by her but it is not going to the the last. I'm excited to read her other books.

I would recommend 'Dangerous Silence' to you if you are a fan of age-gap, twisted stories and dark mafia romances.

5 out of 5 stars

*ARC provided in exchange for a honest review*

Mafia Prince - Vi Carter

Pages: 481

Published: December 18th, 2020

Kindle: 3, 26 €

Paperback: 14, 82 € 

Available on KU

Plot

Jack

I’m the son of Liam O’Reagan, next in line to wear the crown.
And when I prove myself worthy, I will RULE over the Irish Mafia.
I don’t have time for distractions—much less time for a woman who has always been the bane of my existence.
When Maeve comes back into my life, I fight like hell to resist the pull she has on me.
An attraction that has only grown stronger with time.
But, when trouble lands her at my feet, I take the opportunity to have what I truly want.
I offer her a deal. I’ll help her, but the cost will be one night in my bed.
One night of submission.
One night to have her completely at my mercy.
If only I had known my battle with Maeve would start a war.

Maeve

Jack is the only one who can help me.
Too bad, he hates me.
But I have no choice but to go to him.
It turns out, hate is a powerful motivator, and I just handed him a way to punish me.
He offers me his help—for a price. Everything in his world has a price.
One night in his bed.
He’s everything a woman would want, so this should be easy. Only, I’m a virgin, and he terrifies me.
I should run, but I won’t.
I can’t.
I just pray this one night doesn’t destroy us both. 

Conclusion

First of all, the cover looks amazing! 

Mafia Prince by Vi Carter is an irish mafia/ dark romance / enemies-to-lovers book.

The plot was amazing. I really enjoyed the whole debt paying part of the story. Jack and Maeve really made the sparks fly in this book. 

I won't say too much because I don't want to risk writing any spoilers in here but the characters and their developement thorughout the story was amzing,the plot was great, there were some surprises and all in all it was an amazing book.

This might have been my first book by Vi Carter but it's not going to be my last. Her writing style got me hooked immediatly. 

If you like enemies-to-lovers and dark/mafia romance I'd recommend it to you.

5 out of 5 stars

*ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Twisted Cravings - Cora Reilly

"QUOTE"

Pages:

Published: March 16th, 2021

Kindle:

Paperback:

Available on 

Plot

As the youngest brother of the notorious Falcone clan, Adamo grew up surrounded by blood and violence. Drugs soon became his way of coping. 

Becoming a Made Man like his brothers was his destiny, but never his passion. When he becomes the organizer of his family’s successful illegal street races and one of their thrill-seeking drivers, he finally asserts his own path in the harsh mafia world. 

His purpose isn’t the only thing Adamo discovers on the fuel-soaked roads he calls home…

Dinara Mikhailov is one of the few female race drivers and hard to ignore. Not only because of her flaming red hair and ruthless driving style, but also because the Bratva princess is allowed to drive in enemy territory. 

Soon Adamo and she find themselves entangled in a passionate game that goes beyond the racetrack. Yet, both haunted by events of the past, their dark cravings put everything on the line.

As what they crave the most comes with a brutal price.

Conclusion

Twisted Cravings was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021 and it did not disappoint me. I was really curious about how Adamo would be as a grown-up in comparison to how he acted like a teenager in the other books in the Camorra Chronicles. 

Adamo wasn't as cruel as I thought he would be. Don't get me wrong, he's not an angel but he is definitely not as bad as his brothers are. I really enjoyed the scenes when he went home to his family.

Dinara was really sassy and the fact that she enjoyed racing as much as Adamo brought me a lot of joy. They complete each other. One of my favorite things was that neither Adamo nor Dinara needed overly romantic gestures to show their love to each other. They are unique in their own way. 

There really isn't much to say except that if you've liked the other books in the Camorra Chronicles and you want to read about the youngest Falcone brother you should. Cora's writing style is amazing and it makes it really easy to love her characters and their stories.

This was a bittersweet ending for a great book series and although I am sad that it is over now, knowing that the Sins of the Fathers (the series will be about the new generation) is coming is making saying goodbye a little easier. 

*ARC in exchange for a honest review*

5 out of 5 stars

The Devil Wears Black - L.J.Shen

Pages: 363

Published: March 9th, 2021

Kindle: 4,49 €

Paperback: 9,99 €

Available on KU

Plot

Maddie Goldbloom stitched up a plan to ensure everything in her life was perfect—from a career in fashion to a chic NYC apartment to a pediatrician boyfriend.

When her ex, Chase Black, storms back into her life with an outrageous request, her immediate reaction is to refuse him. But he only wants to fulfill his father’s last wish. So even though he’s the man who broke her heart, playing his fiancée shouldn’t be hard, especially if it means she gets to watch the arrogant devil squirm a bit.

What ensues is a chain of events that detonates Maddie’s life—and when Chase’s walls come down, they both are forced to face reality.

They say keep your enemies close. But what if your enemy is also the man you love?

Conclusion

The Devil Wears Black is an enemies to lovers, fake fiance, and kind of a second chance romance. I really enjoyed that although it seemed like Chase would be a jerk because of the teasers he was not as bad as I thought he would be. (He has a tendency to be a jerk tho.) 

Maddie did not act like a doormat and stood up for herself most of the time. I really loved the letters her mom wrote. They were a nice addition to the beginning of each chapter.

Although The Devil Wears Black was a good book it wasn't anything special and it wasn't any different from other billionaire /fake fiancé romances I`ve read before. 

Since Shen still hasn't addressed the accusations this will be my last review for any of her books. 

3.5 out of 5 stars

Raise Hell - Ashley Gee

Pages: 324

Published: October 23rd, 2020

Kindle: 3,28 €

Paperback: 11,93 €

Available on KU

Plot

Once upon a time, I was innocent — and then they destroyed me. Left me for dead. The boys of Havoc House don’t think I remember what they did to me. But they’re going to pay for all of it. People like to say that revenge is a dish best served cold. But it takes planning and patience to seek true vengeance when you’ve been wronged. And the best revenge takes time. You have to smile when you want to scream. Laugh, when you want to cry. Play nice, while you dream of going for the jugular. For that, you need boiling hot rage. I am the cleansing fire that will burn out every bit of the evil at St. Bart’s College. I’ll cross each of the Havoc boys off my list until I’m the last one standing. One by one, they will fall. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to see that happen. Even pretend to fall in love. Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord. But I can’t wait on heaven, so instead, I’ll raise hell.

Conclusion

Raise Hell was definitely not what I expected it would be. It's an intense story, fast-paced, and a quick read. I really did not see that plot twist coming. It was a huge surprise for me. 

Olivia is a strong character and always held her head up high. I don't know what it was but I just could not warm up to the male protagonist in this story.

Unfortunately, this book ends in a cliffhanger so if you don't like those you should wait until the trilogy is complete.

If you enjoy college bully romances, enemies-to-lovers, big surprises, and a little mystery in your books and you also don't mind a huge cliffhanger you should read Raise Hell by Ashley Gee. This was my first book by her and let me tell you, her writing style is amazing and it makes the story even better. 

5 out of 5 stars

The Hate Vow - C.Hallman

Pages: 232
Published: January 21st, 2021
Kindle: 3,25 €
Paperback: 8,80 €
Available on KU

Plot

Penny

I used to think that I was better than him. I thrived at a private school for gifted children, and he barely made it through the public school system. I was smarter, and I didn’t miss an opportunity to let him know it. Then, I told a lie to get him in trouble and out of my way. Turns out, karma is a bitch.Five years later, my once oh so promising life is nothing more than a fading memory. I’ve hit rock bottom. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, fate has one more cruel twist in store for me.

Ryder

I hated her from the moment we met. My hate has only grown over the years. I lost everything because of her, went to jail, and became the man I am today. So, when she shows up at my club, unable to repay her debt, I can’t believe my luck. She owes me more than the five grand, and I’m going to enjoy making her pay.

Conclusion

C.Hallman's writing style is really engaging and made it easier to read Pennys' and Ryders' story. I really liked that Ryder took care of Penny when she was beaten because it made him a little more likeable. I also liked how their story developed from only having sex with each other to falling in love.

The first scene was disturbing and all the men in the MC disgusted me in this book.

If you have triggers such as dub-con, non-con and sexual assault you should not read this book. 

If you don't have any triggers and you're a fan of the dark romance genre and enemies-to-lovers storiea then this might be a good book for you.

4 out of 5 stars