Starla’s July 2021 Reviews

Fall
(Stratham Knights #2)

By N.V. Roez

Book Links:

Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance, Reverse Harem
Triggers and content warnings: Sexual violence, dark themes, and cliff-hanger ending.
POV: 1st Person, Present Tense
Heat gauge: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5/5)

Surrounded by enemies plotting her downfall, Evie can’t seem to get a break. At least she has a couple of steadfast friends to help her traverse the dark and twisted halls of Stratham University.

Roez has really upped the drama and intrigue in the second instalment of this series, creating a page-turner I just couldn’t put down. The characters continue to grow and come to life, enriching the story and the setting. My only complaint is that there was too much word repetition.

If you enjoyed the first Stratham book, you’ll love this one. I highly recommend it for all reverse harem readers.

The Hate Vow
By C. Hallman

Book Links:

Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance, MC Romance
Triggers and content warnings: Sexual violence, minor BDSM, dubious consent, dark themes.
POV: Dual 1st Person, Present Tense
Heat gauge: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 (5/5)

When Penny’s parents fostered Ryder, she hated the boy out of jealousy. That was why she lied to the police, to get him locked up. That was then. Now she has fallen from grace and is at the mercy of the man she betrayed. Ryder has the power to do what he wants with Penny. Rather than leave her to work off a debt with the rest of the MC club, Ryder claims her for himself. Neither of them expects hate to morph into love.

This dark, gritty story hooked me from the get-go. I loved watching the flawed protagonists grow and learn to love one another. The action and intrigue are gripping, and the bedroom scenes are scorching hot.

I recommend this book for anyone who can handle dark themes.

Stolen Crush
(Lost Daughter of a Serial Killer #1)

By C.M. Stunich

Book Links:

Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, Reverse Harem, Taboo (Stepbrother) Romance
Triggers and content warnings: Violence, pseudo incest, dark themes, cliff-hanger ending.
POV: 1st person, present tense
Heat gauge: 🔥🔥🔥 (3/5)

Mia (ahem)… I mean Dakota was kidnapped at the age of two and raised ignorant of her situation until her sophomore year when she is reunited with her biological mother—a narcistic best-selling crime writer.

Wow! This book was impossible to put down. The use of language is evocative and Stunich has injected a good dose of humour amidst the dark, twisted story. The characters jumped from the page and the chemistry between Dakota and her love interests is incredibly hot.

I highly recommend this book for all lovers of the dark romance genre.

A Clever Sacrifice
(Wicked Fortunes #3)

By AJ Merlin

Book Links:

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Magical Realism, Reverse Harem
Content warnings: m/m and f/f
POV: 1st Person, Past Tense
Heat gauge: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (4/5)

After reading the second book in this series, I had to start on this third instalment straight away. If you thought A Little Wicked was good (like I did), the next two books will not disappoint. The mystery and mayhem continue to captivate, there are still plenty of laughs, and the steamy relationships are even more titillating. I was also fascinated by the vibrant setting and learned a lot about the voodoo faith while reading these books.

I highly recommend this series for anyone who enjoys the paranormal reverse harem genre.

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