The Undercover Billionaire by Jackie Ashenden

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The Undercover Billionaire by Jackie Ashenden is part three of the Tate Brothers series. I have not read the other two books in this set. It was clear some characters had further background detailed in earlier books, but that lack of detail in no way hindered my enjoyment of this installment.

Olivia de Santis has been in love with Wolf Tate since they became friends as teenagers. While keeping her feelings hidden, Olivia continued a correspondence with Wolf during his time away with the Navy Seals. When his father Nate dies, Wolf is instructed to take down his father's enemy Cesare de Santis before Wolf can retrieve the mother he thought he lost from hiding. Having spent most of his teenage years as a spy in de Santis's household, Wolf attempts to use his friendship with de Santis's daughter Olivia to further his goal.
I am a sucker for a good unrequited love story. This story had a way of making the dream of love come true without emotional manipulation. Olivia had feelings for Wolf, but she was not a pushover. Even though she kept protecting Wolf when logic might have dictated she stop, she still made smart choices. She was in a terrible position and dealt with the unfortunate circumstances in the best way possible. The right decisions took a bit longer for Wolf to make. Wolf was blind to his worth due to the mental abuse by his father and de Santis. Olivia had to drag him out of that, eventually leading him to realize he loved her as she did him. It felt organic and moving, and it was wonderful when Wolf was finally able to believe in himself. The dynamic between Wolf and Olivia worked well and also worth noting is their physical chemistry was very sexy.

Undercover Billionaire was a great read for me. It has been awhile since I was so attached to the main characters in a contemporary erotic romance. I was glad they were able to be together after the terrible things they had to go through. All opinions are my own and may not be identical to others. I urge all readers to come to their own conclusions. I voluntarily received an ARC copy of this book through NetGalley.

Gaslight by Dannika Dark

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Gaslight by Dannika Dark is the newest installment in the Crossbreed series.  The focal point told mainly from the perspective of Raven Black, is on the investigative group Keystone. The group connects evidence to potential suspects so the Higher Authority can deal justice as swiftly as possible. There are several subplots and personal elements that piece together throughout the series. I recommend reading the Crossbreed books from the beginning for this reason.

Raven is a strong protagonist. Dissatisfied with life, Raven paid dearly for her decision to become an immortal. After finding Keystone, Raven found a purpose that helped her deal with the abuse she suffered at the hands of her Creator. Raven has kept her humanity, her ability to love, to make friends and a semblance of conscience. The events in this book threaten these things, and I was shocked by and sympathetic to what occurred.

I have been hit before by a plot point I didn't see coming in this series, mainly ones that have to do with character connections, and I love it. To me, this shows a great deal of care in the craft of the narrative. Witnessing moments that seem innocuous in book one later turn out to be a harbinger of things to come.  These are the types of plots that I crave. I want to be kept on my toes, looking around every corner for a revelation.

I always enjoy the members of Keystone. Their relationships with each other continue to solidify, and their trust continues to build. The hopes I had at the end of the last book are coming to pass. And Chaos/ Houdini, I am torn on how to feel. He retains his charm and seeing him through Raven's eyes amplifies that. The best antagonists convince us they are not all bad. He is the type of character I get fleeting moments of hope they may be redeemable. But Houdini is not good, and I see a tense resolution coming from his presence here.

Raven and Christian continue to struggle with their romance. Outer forces are now deliberately trying to keep them apart, which will certainly test their dedication to each other. I still believe they are a perfect match and as the old saying goes what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. Here is hoping for them it does.

One observation I want to make, and it may be a slight spoiler, it seems the biggest evil done is always in the hands of a Mage. Not all of them are bad, but I feel soon I am going to stop trusting them. Which leads me to this warning, anyone who has a sensitive trigger should be cautious. This world can be dark at times, and horrific things transpire in this story. It is not exploitative, and there is hope after, but the torture at the hands of a Mage is not sugar-coated.

I have yet read a book by Dannika Dark I did not like, also look for the Seven series and the Mageri series, but some of my favorite characters are in these books. Christian, Raven, Niko, Wyatt, Shepard, Claude, Blue, Gem, Viktor ... Okay, so Keystone rocks and I like spending time with all of them. All opinions are my own and may not be identical to others. I urge all readers to come to their own conclusions.

Collision Point by Lora Leigh

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Collison Point: A Brute Force Novel by Lora Leigh is an excellent romantic thriller, one I highly recommend. Amara has spent six months with the realization she lost a year of her memory after a brutal attack that should have ended her life. When Amara is not having horrible nightmares, she is dreaming of erotic encounters with the same man, one she suspects she knows. Amara goes on a desperate search that leads her to Riordan, whom she finds was a part of her life during the year she lost.

Riordan has a strong bond to Amara, one slightly otherworldly that intrigued me immediately.  Amara shares this bond with Riordan, indicated by dreams that were too vivid to be her subconscious mind, and her ability to find him when her memory loss should have made it impossible. Riordan is aggressive, both in and out of the bedroom. I enjoy a good alpha male. Riordan fits well into this category and is one of the better ones I have run across. Riordan's personality is well balanced with the tenderness he expresses for those he loves. Amara is vulnerable but not subservient to her male counterparts, which is important for me to embrace the heroine of the story. From the start, Riordan and Amara have fantastic chemistry which invested me in their relationship.

The tension resulting from Amara's missing memories begins immediately. With the realization that Riordan is actually from Amara's past to Amara's missing memory holding the identity of her old captors still hunting her, I was on the edge of my seat at times. Unwrapping this story's mystery was a welcome addition to the love story. Having enjoyed Collision Point immensely, I will be trying more stories from Lora Leigh. All opinions are my own and may not be identical to others. I urge all readers to come to their own conclusions. I voluntarily received an ARC copy of this book through NetGalley.

Dark Alpha's Night by Donna Grant

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I was graciously given an ARC copy of Dark Alpha's Night from NetGalley and St Martin's Press in exchange for my honest opinion. Dark Alpha's Night by Donna Grant is book five in the Reaper series. Dark Alpha's Night could be read as a stand-alone as all past information is summarized but I would not suggest it. These books take place in conjunction with the Dark Kings and have crossed over characters on occasion. The Reaper series is worth the experience and should be read in its entirety if possible.

The Reapers are Death's secret executioners of the Light and Dark Fae. Reaper Bran broke Death's rule of secrecy when he told his fae lover of their existence. Bran attacks and kills his fellow Reapers following his lover's execution for his transgression. Death imprisons Bran, but centuries later he escapes. The current Reaper faction is trying to thwart Bran's attempts to gain influence and steal Death's magic.

The latest Reaper installment reveals things on the continuing subplots, and I read in part for these insights. Rhi is again confirmed to have great significance in the wars going on. Death finds herself facing a choice that will affect not only her but her Reapers as well. I enjoy plots about a bigger world, and Donna Grant's Dark World is one of the best. 

Daire has been on a side mission for Death for most of the Reaper series. I worried Daire would get too attached to the one he was sent to observe during this assignment. Thankfully this story alleviated the concern I had for Darie's affections, and I am pleased how things ended for him. 

The seductive power of the Reapers, or any fae for that matter, is intense and Daire is no exception. Each romance in the Reaper books gets right to the point, partly I think due to their novella status. I typically have an issue with declarations of love expressed only days after the couple meets. These books don't bother me too much when this occurs. These characters have been alone for so long they should take the opportunity for love when it presents itself. And I am invested in their lives so wish it for them as much as I hope they can find what they need to defeat Bran.

I enjoy how Donna Grant writes her fae. The Reaper series continues to hold my attention and I suggest giving them a try. All opinions are my own and may not be identical to others. I urge all readers to come to their own conclusions.

The Darkest Night by Tara Thomas

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The Darkest Night by Tara Thomas is a modern romantic thriller and part one of the Sons of Broad series. I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest review.

This story follows Tilly weeks before her college graduation. She reunites with her childhood love Keaton, one brother of three belonging to the Benedict fortune, and her life begins to unravel. When Tilly's life is in danger, Keaton moves her into the Benedict mansion to keep her safe. Not only do Tilly and Keaton have to deal with a killer, but they have obstacles within their circle that could prevent them from being together.

Lovers reunited is an endearing premise, and Tilly and Keaton are sweet together. When things started to go wrong, especially during the threat from a childhood friend of theirs, I was rooting for them. The other Benedict brothers were engaging as well. I assume the rest of the Sons of Broad series will follow them and I would be interested in their stories based on what I read here.

The focus in this story was off for me. I found myself uninterested in the thriller aspect of it. I did not find the bad guy intimidating, and I think a fear of him was necessary to keep my concern for the main characters. I just wanted it over so we could get on with the rest of the story. With the ruining of Tilly's family's reputation when she was young, to the reuniting of Tilly and Keaton, through to the threat of extortion to Keaton and his family, I think there was too much to include a murder mystery.  I like a good murder mystery, but here I did not want it or need it, which is unfortunate.

There are aspects of this story I enjoyed. As stated, I would be willing to give another book in this series a chance. All opinions are my own and may not match that of others. I urge all readers to come to their own conclusions.