2018 Wrap Up

Hey y’all! Whew what a year…

I hit my reading goal (150), branched out to a few new authors, attended my first Apollycon (can’t wait for 2019!), hit my first 1K on Instagram, and officially become and audio lover! But throughout out it all, I read some pretty amazing books. I wanted to share a new style of wrap up with you guys this year. Sort of like an awards ceremony. Not a top ten and no one better than the other; but stories that stood out to me outside of just the romance aspect. Whether they made me cry, laugh, swoon, or beg for more check out my 2018 Wrap Up Awards!

First some stats!

I read 35,942 pages across 152 books

get more details from my goodreads and check out all of my 2018 reviews/reads! And while you’re there, add me!

On to our winners…

All You Need Is Love

Light-hearted, drama-free romance

A sexy, slow-burning best-friends-to-lovers romance with a guaranteed HEA and no cheating. Dive in, and get ready to melt for Cam! The slow burn never fizzles out; it’s the perfect speed for two friends who discover they could be more. And then they have to discover how they feel about that revelation. For Cam, it’s been a deep desire he’s buried beneath that friendship. For Natalie, there’s more to love than just sex and she’s not sure of the risk of losing friendship of two men she’s known for years. All around heartwarming and entertaining. Filled with sexy, intimate moments and heartfelt relationships all around; you can find out more here!

Secret trysts and stolen kisses abound in this brand new, swoontastic novel from #1 NYT bestselling author Lauren Blakely. Starting off with a steamy fantasy scene between our hero and heroine allowed for a novel size tease the rest of the plot! This novel had a touch of old school romance. With lust and desires dripping off every page, you need to grab this read and begin to raise your expectations when it comes to love! Fond out more here!

A sexy, standalone forbidden romance about a sports star and the woman who’s off limits. There’s something about a forbidden romance that can give readers just the right amount if danger. Neither our heroine or hero want to risk their careers but can’t resist the pull against one another. And while some secret and forbidden romance can leave readers feeling secondhand embarrassment, I couldn’t help but find myself yelling at Jillian and Jones to just BE TOGETHER! Find out more about it here!

Heartbreakers

Break out the tissues and wine

He didn’t want to be bad. He just didn’t have a choice… We had crazy drama around Trouble & Wild and hilarious wit and sass with Legs & Loser; but with Shay & Stitch…..be prepared to have your heart MANGLED in the BEST POSSIBLE WAY. Not only does Daniels’ manage to tell the story of a broken and defeated man, she does it while painting him in the brightest light possible. I stayed up all night, sacrificing sleep, to finally read this story and I was not one bit disappointed. I cried so many times but with so many happy tears. Prepare to have your heart wrung out here.

An all-new second chance standalone romance by New York Times bestselling author Corinne Michaels and USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow, this story killed me and brought me back to life! After the young romance left her broken-hearted in the worst way she’s sworn off Ian for life. But tragedy strikes when Sabrina and her husband pass away and leave the children to Ian to raise. Prepare to have your heart ripped out of you chest as each of Sabrina’s children have to handle their grief alongside Ian and London. I love that Harlow and Michaels kept their reactions real. There’s no pretty crying or band aids over the wounds in this story, no. Now mix in the romance between Ian and London and this is one powerful read. Find out more here.

A forbidden stand-alone romance in A.L. Jackson’s Confessions of the Heart Series. How can I put in to words the way this book made me feel? Gripping and intense. Sexy and forbidden. Heartbreaking and yet filled with love and warmth that is key to any Jackson story. All of Me takes the darkest parts of two people’s lives and thrusts them in to the light in order to survive. I cringed, I gasped, I needed wine, and I had a happy cry. This book is downright AMAZING. No spoilers here, you’ll have to grab this amazing story for yourself to find out just what darkness dares to creep up on our hero and heroine. Prepare your tissues and buckle down for one hell of a romance! Find out more about Ian’s story here.

a brand-new novel about arson investigator, Anne Ashburn, who is consumed by her troubled past, her family’s scorched legacy, and her current case: chasing a deadly killer. A new branch back into the contemporary world, Consumed is not only intrigued and a standout novel, readers won’t be able to predict what will happen and become addicted to finding out the truth. This book is FILLED with twists and turns and new angles you won’t predict. Hooked from page one I had to know what Anne and Danny’s inner thoughts were. Ward does an incredibly job taking brutal, damaged characters and pulling those flaws right into the light, shoving them in to the face of readers and shouting “ACCEPT THEM”. Be consumed by this romance here.

Is it love, or is she just his good luck charm? New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Helena Hunting absolutely delights with this witty and fun standalone romantic comedy. Helena brings back the heavy in the best way with The Good Luck Charm. A young romance ended too soon. A woman with a second broken heart and a man with a second chance. The light-hearted humor and wit that any HH fan knows is definitely present in TGLC. Ethan and Lilah, whether they’re fighting or reminiscing, have the ability to outwit and go head to head with one another. But Hunting takes us back to her original romance feels of heavy story lines. Get lucky here.

Bad (BOY) Romance

Bad boys do it better

From New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Jay Crownover comes a standalone romance with a hero sure to keep readers up long into the night. Jay frickin Crownover. She continues to blow me away with her ability to create dark and gritty characters that have obvious faults but still endeavor you to feel hope for what may be. Cable and Affton’s story is filled with heartbreak, doubt, and somehow a sliver of hope, a light at the end of the tunnel. Crownover has delivered a character with a mysterious past that was painstakingly revealed over time (almost a year for us newsletter subscribers!). And as each peace of Cable’s puzzle finds it place, the picture of a boy becoming a man and finding his way to recovery was shown and hearts everywhere fell for the dark handsome boy. Find out more about Cable here.

An enemies-to-lovers romance where opposites not only attract, they ignite. Trying to think of a way to explain this romance isn’t easy. First of all, JB Salsbury is in her own genre when it comes to romance. They’re dark in a different way, with non-traditional heroes who are tough to love at first. And that can definitely be said with Jesse. Jesse is an ASSHOLE at the beginning of Playing by Heart. I hated him at first, but in the best way. Reading his level of dirty, you just KNOW there’s going to be an epic redemption of his soul. This love story is all a tale of what a person can handle when it comes to self-love before loving anyone else and Salsbury does it ABSOLUTE justice. Find out more here.

The Queen of Paranormal Romance, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter, stuns with SHADOW AND ICE, the first title in her scorching new paranormal romance series Gods of War Series. This story is about love. And sex and violence and power and control but beyond all that LOVE conquering all. A message conveyed in every caress from Vale. In every sacrifice from Knox.Filled with explicit and entertaining fights scenes to rival and blockbuster, this story will have on the edge of your city dying to know how Vale and Knox can overcome every obstacle that threatens to tear them and the world apart. Dive in and find out more here.

Talk about a powerful hero! Evans impresses with her latest alpha and brother to one of our past heroes. Cullen Carmichael is a magnetic and demanding poker player. When Wynn steps into his card game months later, single, Cullen knows its time to up the stakes and risk it all for the feisty redhead. I can’t explain just how much chemistry is between these two characters. The push and pull of Wynn’s ability to give it all to Cullen against his ability to show his hand sends a message about the lengths people will go to find their happy ever after. Filled with tense moments, secrecy, and one hot alpha this is one emotionally packed romance. Find out more here.

Prepare for a story that hits hard, digs deep, and holds tight. Unconscious Hearts is a powerful romance with an alpha hero and a magnetic heroine that you’ll immediately fall for. Covered in leather, dripping with sin, smelling like temptation. Thorn is made for lustful nights and stirs something in Ari she hasn’t felt for a long time. I love that Sloan slowly reveals the truth behind both Thorn and Ari’s past as well as why they initially fight their attractions to one another. There’s no huge history dump as you’re reading; you get discover why these characters are the way they are as if you were slowly learning about them as a friend in their world. I couldn’t put down this dark romance not just for the passion in each page but for how hard it pulls you in and has you begging for what comes next. Find out more here.

One More Chapter

Cliff hangers that left us begging for more

From New York Times bestselling author Meghan March comes a brand new saga of forbidden love and second chances. Heady, rich with passion, and rife with excess, the Sin Trilogy is brimming with drama. With flashes of the past mixed in with the current events of the Riscoffs and the Gables, readers will be in a whirlwind of emotions. Stolen kisses, secrets abound, and a doozy of a twist I GUAR-AN-TEE you won’t see coming, this romance will have you hooked from the start! Prepare yourself for more drama than any reality TV show and some steam scenes more risque than you’ve experienced!! Find more about the series three novels: Book 1, Book 2, Book 3.

She was brainwashed into believing she could save mankind. Now, she’s the one who needs saving. An original plot line, complex characters, and twists and turns to drag you in to the story, the Mercy Series is its own brand of romance and mystery. So unlike any other new adult romance, Ghostgirl pulled me in from the start and never let go. This slow burn was completely satisfying as their feelings developed alongside the story. Pieces of Mercy’s past slowly come out as the puzzle of what truly happened to her begins to form. Filled with moral quandaries and blurring the line between right and wrong, Saint delivers another powerful message about personal faith and fighting for the truth. Dive in to learn more about Milo and Mercy.

How do you put in to words a story that takes years of love, laughter, and pain and wraps them in a package under heartbreak and hope? The amazing duo that is Kennedy Fox saved the most detailed and heavy Bishop for last. Readers who have stuck alongside the series have openly waited for the tricky twin Jackson’s story behind his playboy ways. Now spoiler free here…but be warned that you will want quiet, wine, and something to bring yourself comfort when reading this romance. The supposed climax is right at the beginning and I LOVED getting to read the back and forth up to the pivotal day. KF definitely set the bar high with this tale, I swear they save the end of their series for the high stakes drama and it is WORTH IT! So sit down, stock up, and buckle up for one insane ride here.

The highly anticipated sexy, suspenseful stand-alone second-chance romance from NYT Bestselling Author, A.L. Jackson. Magnetic. Heart stopping. Filled with passion and suspense but brimming with hope. Jackson’s finale to the Fight For Me series is an amazing collaboration of regrets and second-chances. I could not believe how engrossed I became in this story! Ollie and Nikki have an obvious connection that no one can deny. Watching them gravitate towards and away from one another was such heartbreak. No spoilers for the truth about Sydney but I will say to read between the lines and come to your own conclusions as the truth will SHOCK you. I was not prepared at all for the twist ending but I could not have read any faster, turning page after page to see just what would happen. Find out more here.

What has a sexy, bad-ass veteran hero…
A feisty and independent heroine who won’t hesitate to stand up for herself. A forbidden, best friend’s younger sister conflict. And a forced-proximity roommates-to-lovers situation that creates all kinds of sexual tension? The second standalone title in New York Times bestselling author Laura Kaye’s Warrior Fight Club series! There’s a connection with Shay and Billy that sparks the minute the two characters come together. Kaye impresses with her ability to once again combine sexy heroes with rough pasts and even tougher walls to break through. Sexy, with a surprise twist you won’t see coming. add this new romance to your TBR!

Love Bites

Novellas and quick reads

From New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author K Bromberg, comes CONTROL, a new novella in her Everyday Heroes Series, brought to you by 1,001 Dark Nights! I love the 1001 Dark Nights series because it’s more than just a sneak peek into an author’s series, it’s a splash into that author’s voice and style. K Bromberg is stellar at writing drama mixed with sex and romance. Control is a stunning look into her Everyday Heroes series and shows how two lost people can find happiness with each other.

Now don’t judge me….but I’m a Kylie Scott fan that hasn’t finished the Stage Dive series at this moment. GASP SHOCK AWE. Now that that’s out of your system…let me introduce you to a quick and sexyyyyy novella from Scott and 1001 Dark Nights. Whoo lordy say hello to your newest naughty dream. Sam is H-O-T. He’s a rough and gruff silver fox with a smooth tongue for Martha. Filled with sweet and sexy, this novella is a great taste of the Kylie Scott world!

The perfect combination of sweet and sexy, Laura Kaye amazes again with her novella peek into the Raven Riders series. This story was a fun treat vote into existence by Kaye fans. I was hoping for my smooth talking charmer Phoenix to get his story but Caine took me by surprise. It’s the quiet ones that see and hold the most. Filled with more honesty and truth in a smaller format, Kaye delivers the heart-wrenching pain of a characters path while revealing the bright hope of their love filled future. Find out more here.

Aural Fixations

Who knew audio books were so addicting

Read Me Romance is a FREE podcast hosted by New York Times Bestselling Authors Alexa Riley and Tessa Bailey. Trust me when I say you WANT to be listening. These three slowly reveal an audio book EVERY SINGLE WEEK, with snippets each day. Add in their hilarious banter and it’s like hanging out with your own mobile book club. Get introduced to new authors, feed into your guilty, dirty reads, or like me discover you new found love of audio books and the worlds they open up. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss a single installment!

A standalone romance novel published by Montlake Romance: It all started with a mysterious blue note sewn into a wedding dress. The name embossed on the blue stationery: Reed Eastwood, thanks to a twist of fate, he’s my new boss. But that’s not going to stop me from discovering the story behind his last love letter. A love letter that did not result in a happily ever after. My very first full length audio book and I fell in love! Entranced by their voices, escaping into their worlds. This romance was filled with drama and twists I never saw coming. I loved every minute as Charlotte attempted to learn Reed’s truth. All while Reed harbored a shocking secret that threatened everything! Find out more here.

Be prepared to fall in love with Sara Ney and her captivating new adult romances! Being a well known jock-blocker gets Scarlett noticed for all the wrong reasons; just like that, she’s banned from Jock Row. Week-after-week, she visits Jock Row with her friends and is quarantined to the porch with one Sterling “Rowdy” Wade. As the weeks progress, the two find out how much they have in common and fall madly in love. Hilarious. witty, and filled with flirtatious fun, this audio was so uplifting and Scareltt and Rowdy’s romance is so real and honest. Drama free and filled with happiness!

Dark and Deep

Dark romance filled with deep emotion

It’s passionate and powerful; suspenseful and seductive. Kristen Ashley’s finale of the Honey series is an endless list of beautiful adjectives that add up to an explosive read. Stellan’s eyed the beautifully intriguing Sixx for longer than she could imagine. After waiting years for her to make a move he decides that only another Dom is willing to crack the shell of this mysterious femma fatale. What Stellan hadn’t planned on was not only culling the dominatrix but releasing the submissive inside. In KA’s distinctive voice, I found a new hero within Sixx. In addition to our final Honey couple, KA dives into more worlds of the exotic and risque. Find out more about them here.

How can I describe how amazingly sexy and sweet this book is? I’m new to Laura Kaye’s Blasphemy series but you can bet your sweet butts I went out and bought the the rest of the entire series after I finished this book in the late hours of the night. I couldn’t put it down, couldn’t look away from the sheer power this book holds. Not for the faint of heart, On His Knees is filled with raw sexuality alongside a man coming to grips with the reality of his sexual preferences. Kaye’s depiction is honest and real and truly makes you understand what it means to go through the struggle of discovery. Find out more about this M/M romance here.

Holy Jesus….this was my first “age difference” romance and I am SOLD! Kylie Scott has been killing the standalone game and this did not disappoint. Adele is stuck staying with her father’s friend and business partner, Pete. Bad news? She’s been terribly in love with Pete for years and now that she’s older, she’s not quite sure what their relationship will be like (especially considering how badly it ended 7 years before). When a night of high emotions turns an argument into one steamy night, their worlds change forever. Not only does Pete have to come to terms with his feelings towards Adele, he has to come face to face with a future he never planned for with her. Another real and relatable romance from Scott; find out more here.

A YA novel from USA Today bestselling author Sarina Bowen. I’m so glad she’s decided to branch out once again and she’s delivered a compelling YA story about love, loss, and the power of music. Rachel’s daydreamed about her rockstar father for years, despite her mother’s protests. Now, her mother’s passed away and left Rachel in his hands just as she’s to turn 18 and experience the world on her own. But the imaginations of a little girl rarely match up to reality. Her dads not all rock god; he’s just a man with imperfections. The Accidentals truly emulates the rag-tag combination of teenage heartbreak and over abundance of emotions. It had me crying, it had my heart breaking, but the power of Rachel’s love of music and her family pulls readers through in the end for a warm ending worthy of any story. Dive in here.

LOVE & LAUGHTER

Cry from laughing instead of heartbreak

I was honestly taken by surprise with how emotional this book made me feel. There’s no terrible past from Jean about her child’s father. There’s no cataclysmic event to force Eric to decide what he wants. This a story about two people (technically three with the baby lol) who fall for each other all out of order. But who are we to judge. You never know what a relationship looks like to the two people in it. And Chaser is the soothing balm after the rough and rich stories of Vaughn and Joe. Scott couldn’t have done a better job on Eric’s story! Find out more here.

an all-new standalone in the USA Today bestselling Rugby Series from Penny Reid and L.H. Cosway. I didn’t want this series to end; I’ve loved it since the moment I started to read it. But Cosway and Reid go out with an amazing story filled with a spunky heroine and a secretive hero. Will, one of our beloved rugby players, is caught amidst a sports scandal as his sexy secret comes to light: he’s a voyeur. But he’s determined to clean up his so called dirty act for the team’s image. In comes the klutzy and foot-in-mouth speaking Josey as his new roommate and pseudo-babysitter. These characters are just plain heartwarming and I found myself laughing hysterically throughout the whole book. A wonderful ending to an amazing series! Find out more here.

OMG Sarina and Tanya deliver another hilarious five-star rom-com! Man Card features sassy, sexy Ash and hilariously metrosexual Braht as our hero and heroine. The two have spent months as “frenemies”; there’s chemistry (and one sexy time in a pantry!) between them but for some reason the attraction leads to an all out turf war as the two realtors love to one up one another. And of course one-upsmanship leads to some hysterical moments for them! Filled with riotous wit and endearingly flubbed sexy-times, Man Card easily slips into a five-star read status. Find out more here.

December 23, 2018 1

THE DARKEST CAPTIVE – A Gena Showalter Review

AH Finally Legion’s story! Now this was a precarious tale. Once a hellion a demoness extraordinaire, Legion is now a sheltered woman. A stint of torture in hell is bound to make any woman afraid of the outside world; and Legion has literally been to hell and back. She thought she had love for Aeron, another Lord, but his heart lies elsewhere. Now alone and frightened of the future, Legion is determined to fight her way back to the strong independent woman she was. There’s just one pesky former-villian that keeps trying to win her over; and she can’t stop thinking about him.

Galen is an frenemy to the Lords. As the keeper of two demons, he’s got a lot going on in his head at one time. Nothing can keep him from his goals, and he means NOTHING. He’s one determined man and he’s determined to win Legion. Don’t let the warrior exterior fool you; this villain turned dark hero will do anything to free Legion from her own personal shackles and help her overcome her past traumas. All while laying her enemies and deepest desires at her feet. Prepare to re-evaluate every thought you had about Galen in the previous LOTU books, he’ll win you over.

For new readers, this may be a hard book to follow as a LOT of the story deals with previous characters and events that’ve been happening for years in this series. But for longtime fans of the LOTU series, The Darkest Captive is a sweet blissful taste of the world and the happenings of other characters. Not every villain turned seemingly good guy gets a story and Galen’s is every bit as action packed and sexy as any fully fleshed out Lord’s novel. A sexy addition to the Lords and some hints at just what might be coming next!

The demon possessed beast wants his beauty back, and he’ll do anything to win her. Even war with a god king.

From New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Gena Showalter, comes THE DARKEST CAPTIVE, a new novella in her addictive bestselling Lords of the Underworld Series, brought to you by 1,001 Dark Nights! Be sure to grab your copy today

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter comes a new story in her Lords of the Underworld series…

For centuries, Galen the Treacherous has been the most hated immortal in the Underworld. With good reason! This bad boy of bad boys has lied, stolen, cheated and killed with abandon. Possessed by the demons of Jealousy and False Hope, he has always lived for a single purpose: destroy everything.

Then he met her.

Former demon turned human femme fatale — Legion Honey — sought to kill Galen, but ended up parting with her virginity instead. Afraid of their sizzling connection, she ran away…and ended up trapped in hell, tortured and abused in the worst of ways. Now she’s free, and a shell of herself, afraid of her own shadow.

Galen’s hunger for Legion has only grown. Now the warrior with nothing to lose must help her rekindle the fire that once burned inside her. But as desires blaze white-hot, will Legion run again? Or will the unlikely pair succumb to love at long last?

Grab your copy of THE DARKEST CAPTIVE today!

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Gena Showalter’s THE DARKEST CAPTIVE – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:

December 5^thBooknerd1107 – Review & Excerpt

Diane’s Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

Kaidans Seduction – Review & Excerpt

NallaReads – Review & Excerpt

Read more sleep less – Review& Excerpt

Under the Covers Book Blog – Review

December 6^thBout-a-Book blog – Review

Busy Bumble Bee Book Reviews – Review

Dirty Girl Romance – Review

Milky Way of Books – Review

Rantings of a Reading Addict – Review & Excerpt

That Transylvanian Chick Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

December 7^thBinding Addiction – Review & Excerpt

Ilovebooksandstuffblog – Review & Excerpt

Kick Back & Review – Review & Excerpt

Reading in Pajamas – Review & Excerpt

The Romance Rebels – Review & Excerpt

December 8^thCanadian Book Addict – Review & Excerpt

Dreamer’s Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

Family, Books and Food – Excerpt

Lo’s Lo-Down on Books – Excerpt

Nerdy Chic – Review & Excerpt

Sip read love – Review

December 9^th3 Degrees of Fiction – Review

NC 2 DC – Review & Excerpt

I Smell Sheep – Review & Excerpt

Mythical Books – Excerpt

The Book Branch – Excerpt

December 10^thA Book Nerd, a Bookseller and a Bibliophile – Review & Excerpt

Angela’s Opinion – Review & Excerpt

Declarations of a Fangirl – Review & Excerpt

Nerdy Dirty & Flirty – Review & Excerpt

PNR Book Lover Reviews – Review

Rainy Thursdays – Review & Excerpt

December 11^thCinta Garcia de la Rosa – Excerpt

Echoing Books – Excerpt

Feel the Book – Excerpt

Ginreads – Review & Excerpt

Romancing the Readers – Review

Smut Book Junkie Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt

December 12^thBook Lovers Hangout – Review & Excerpt

Cupcakesandbookshelves – Excerpt

Little Shop of Readers – Review & Excerpt

Ms. Me28 – Review & Excerpt

Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt

Ruby’s Books – Review & Excerpt

Shirley Cuypers – Review

December 13^thAll Things Dark & Dirty – Review & Excerpt

Avephoenix Naughty Readings – Excerpt

Book Addict – Excerpt

PBC – Excerpt

Reese’s Reviews – Review & Excerpt

Somewhere Lost in Books – Review & Excerpt

December 14^thBeneath The Covers – Review & Excerpt

Book Nook Nuts – Review & Excerpt

Clare & Lou’s Mad About Books – Review & Excerpt

My Book Filled Life –Review & Excerpt

Reads All the Books – Review & Excerpt

Shahla’s World – Review

The Reading Cafe – Review & Excerpt

About Gena Showalter:

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld series, two young adult series–Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles–and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series. In addition to being a National Reader’s Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan and Seventeen magazine, she’s been mentioned in Orange is the New Black–if you ask her about it, she’ll talk for hours–and her books have been translated in multiple languages. She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books at genashowalter.com

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December 5, 2018 0

THE DARKEST CAPTIVE – A Gena Showalter Excerpt Reveal

The demon possessed beast wants his beauty back, and he’ll do anything to win her. Even war with a god king.

From New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Gena Showalter, comes THE DARKEST CAPTIVE, a new novella in her addictive bestselling Lords of the Underworld Series, brought to you by 1,001 Dark Nights! Be sure to grab your copy today!

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter comes a new story in her Lords of the Underworld series…

Then he met her.

Grab your copy of THE DARKEST CAPTIVE today!

Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | Amazon AU

Download the Free Kindle App

Dear Legion,

First, thanks tons for going into hiding outside the mortal world. I got to hunt you down big, bad wolf style—my favorite kind of hunting. Even better, you shacked up in an ancient realm without Wi-Fi. Now I get to communicate with you via robo-pigeons. Yay for me. BTW, the birds are “priceless,” and weren’t built to help me “score” with my “adult-boyhood crush” blah, blah, blah, so please don’t destroy the mechanical flock in a fit of pique.

Decorating hack: repurpose the robo-pigeons as knickknacks to create a steampunk vibe. Not so I can watch you through the eye-cams. (Wink.)

Second, it’s sometimes impossible to judge someone’s tone in a letter. Since I’m anti-misunderstandings, I’d like to clear things up right from the start. TONE: dry as a desert mixed with a dash of frothing-at-the-mouth rage.

Clear as crystal? Or mud?

Third, I refuse to call you “Honey,” the name your friends are using. Babycakes, I’m not your friend, I’m your potential obsession. And, to be brutally honest about the matter, I’d rather call you Sugar Tits McGyna while having my wings ripped from my back (again) than refer to you as “Honey.” A name you like only because you hate the girl you used to be. News flash: I like the old Legion. (Leggie. Legs. <– I’m trying out new nicknames for you. Did we just find a winner?) The old you gifted me with your virginity in a bar bathroom five minutes after meeting me. Or was it four? I always forget. What’s not to like about that?

Sure, you only slept with me so you could savagely murder me after I got you off, thereby protecting Aeron, the man you truly desired. And yeah, okay, I probably deserve a couple dozen more murder attempts because I later abducted your pregnant friend in an unethical-ish power play. But every couple has their issues, right?

I’m willing to attend a counseling sesh with you. Can you say the same? Please?

FYI, my crew is on stand-by, ready to kidnap abduct borrow a world-renowned shrink at a moment’s notice. All I need from you is a yes.

Lastly, I know you’ve been to hell and back—literally. I know you were hurt and abused in the worst ways. TONE: soft as a damn feather. I’m sorry for everything you’ve endured. If you really want to hurt the ones who hurt you, embrace happiness. Don’t let the past ruin your future.

Please, give me a chance to get to know the new you. A chance to help you heal, if I can. I think about you constantly, dream about you every night, and crave you every second of every day.

Yours forever,

About Gena Showalter:

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December 4, 2018 0

SHADOW AND ICE – A Gena Showalter Review & Excerpt Reveal

It’s a royal rumble and the gods have come to play an all out war. Other realms, unknown to mankind, have been fighting for centuries in the All War. A Hunger Games meets Game of Thrones battle that pits the best of the best warriors from each realm against one another for total control of the new world. Reigning four time champion, Knox, is out for blood once more. He’s more than determined to win the world for his tyrannical king; he’s out to win for his freedom one and for all. Ready to battle it all against the fiercest competitors, Knox is prepared for every eventuality. Except for one human female.

Vale is just trying to survive the wintery cold of her current lost state, along with her sister, when fate decides the throw them a bone; more like a cavern out of the elements actually. But its not the cave that saves her, its the contents inside that alter her reality. Encased in ice are warriors from ages past and one in particular, dark and sensual catches her eye. When suddenly the ice breaks and the cavern erupts into a battle for the ages with Vale and her sister caught in the crossfire. Swept away by the dark hero (or villain?), Knox, Vale learns of past wars, other realms, and a fantasy that no one could dream of happening right in front of her. When fate deals a final blow and enters Vale into the war as a contestant and therefor granting her immortality. NOW Vale has to battle the world, Knox, and her destiny written in stone.

As Knox and Vale battle each other and other combatants, they each struggle with an internal battle as well. Fighting attraction and trust issues is no easy feat when your own instincts, and now powers, pull you in every direction. Vale has to battle past memories, a now side effect of her powers mixed with her synesthesia. All while trying to convince Knox to fight by her side as an ally rather than as her captor. A reverse Stockholm Syndrome occurs when Knox’s own internal and immortal instincts tell him the Vale is necessary to his survival, he just doesn’t know how or why. An ally is always a weakness and Knox has never possessed a weakness…since the death of his beloved daughter. But as Vale chips away at his defenses (internally and physically), Knox discovers a new side of himself, that’s stronger than anything he’s ever faced.

Love. This story is about love. And sex and violence and power and control but beyond all that LOVE conquering all. A message conveyed in every caress from Vale. In every sacrifice from Knox. In the lengths Vale and her sister will go to find one another again amidst battle. Not to mention those willing to die in this battle to protect the ones they love not even on the planet. Filled with explicit and entertaining fights scenes to rival and blockbuster, this story will have on the edge of your city dying to know how Vale and Knox can overcome every obstacle that threatens to tear them and the world apart. An amazing 5 star read from the genius fantasy mind of Showalter and I’m dying to hear just what comes next from the Gods of War.

The Queen of Paranormal Romance, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter, stuns with SHADOW AND ICE, the first title in her scorching new paranormal romance series Gods of War Series.

Check out the sneak peek below and pre-order your copy of SHADOW AND ICE today!

Gena Showalter, the New York Times bestselling author who brought you the Lords of the Underworld, introduces a scorching new paranormal romance series… Gods of War.

Knox of Iviland has spent his life competing in the All Wars, where vicious warriors with supernatural powers fight to the death to claim new realms. One winner takes everything—and all losers die. Enslaved as a child for his ability to control shadows, the most ruthless champion in history will stop at nothing to kill his king. But first he must win the battle for Earth. When a fearsome weapon imprisons every combatant in ice, centuries pass without progress…until she walks in.

Vale London craves a fun arctic getaway with her foster sister before settling down to open a bakery. Street-tough but vulnerable, she is unprepared to find ancient gods escaping a frozen cave—merciless beings who target her when she inadvertently enters their war.

Though Vale is now his enemy, Knox is consumed with lust and a fierce need to protect her. But only one combatant can prove victorious, and he will have to choose: live for freedom, or die for love.

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“I love this world…this is Gena Showalter at her best!”—J.R. Ward, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Present Day Somewhere in the Arctic Circle

“Heads are going to roll.”

Sore, tired and chilled to the bone, Vale London dropped a ten thousand pound backpack, leaned against a wall of ice and scanned her surroundings—a sea of snow broken up by mountains and seracs that made her fancy that ocean waves had flash-froze just before they’d come crashing down.

Frigid wind howled, the sound of it somehow more glacial than the below zero temp, screams of pain and helplessness seeming to echo within.

“Are we talking literally or figuratively?” Her beloved foster sister Magnolia “Nola” Lee dropped her pack as well, sat atop it and drew a thick flannel blanket around her shoulders. “With you I never know.”

Vale savored the flavor of sweetened brown butter that coated her tongue. At some point in her childhood development, wires had gotten crossed in her brain, leaving her with a severe case of synesthesia. She heard sounds, just like everyone else, but she tasted them, too. Letters also registered as colors, and numbers appeared as a three-dimensional map inside her head.

The more nuanced the sound, the richer the flavor.

“Figuratively…maybe,” she replied. “The next time I see our absentee guide, he’ll be lucky to walk away. Or even crawl.” She wasn’t known as a street-tough scrapper for nothing! And the POS had ruined what was supposed to be the vacation of a lifetime, so he had to pay.

Dang it, Nola hadn’t needed this kind of stress, or danger. She’d needed a break. The girl worked two full time jobs. If she wasn’t baking and selling the goods at local office buildings, she was writing How To copy for her dating column in Oklahoma Love Match magazine. And Vale… Vale had needed a break from everything. Had hoped to enjoy one last hoorah—or maybe a first hoorah—before she and Nola settled down and opened a fancy-schmancy gourmet donut shop slash catering center slash speed dating and bachelorette party hub, with Vale on paperwork duty and Nola behind the oven and the counter.

Vale’s biggest mistake? Booking each extracurricular activity with the cheapest company possible, in order to do more stuff on a limited budget. Quality beat quantity; she understood that now. So how about a break, world?

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“The Gods of War series is my new obsession.”—Christine Feehan, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Gena Showalter’s SHADOW AND ICE – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:

October 22^nd

All Things Dark & Dirty – Review & Excerpt

Beneath The Covers – Review & Excerpt

Diane’s Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

Evermore Books – Review & Excerpt

It’s All About the Romance – Excerpt

Little Red Reading Hood +1 – Excerpt

NallaReads – Review & Excerpt

Read more sleep less – Review & Excerpt

October 23^rd

A Book Lover’s Dream Book Blog – Review

Book Reader Chronicles – Review & Excerpt

Ceres Books World – Review

Declarations of a Fangirl – Review & Excerpt

For The Love of Fictional Worlds – Excerpt

Little Shop of Readers – Review & Excerpt

Moonlight Rendezvous – Review & Excerpt

October 24^th

@reads_romance – Review

Bout-a-Book blog – Review

Crazii Bitches Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

Lo’s Lo-Down on Books – Review & Excerpt

Milky Way of Books – Review

Romancing the Laser Pistol – Review & Excerpt

Somewhere Lost in Books – Review & Excerpt

October 25^th

Bambi Unbridled – Review

Caitlin’s World – Review & Excerpt

Feel the Book – Excerpt

Jen’s Reading Obsession – Excerpt

Kay Daniels Romance – Review & Excerpt

Reading in Pajamas – Review & Excerpt

Reese’s Reviews – Excerpt

October 26^th

Cinta Garcia de la Rosa – Excerpt

Feeling Fictional – Review & Excerpt

Incidental Inspiration – Review & Excerpt

My Book Filled Life – Review & Excerpt

Nicole’s Book Musings – Review

Sip Read Love – Review

The Ink Spell – Review

October 27^th

Another Book Hangover – Excerpt

Bookgasms Book Blog – Review

Booknerd1107 – Review

Family, Books and Food – Excerpt

Rantings of a Reading Addict – Excerpt

The Reading Cafe – Review & Excerpt

October 28^th

Bingeworthy Book Blog – Review

Clare & Lou’s Mad About Books – Review

Jax’s Book Magic – Excerpt

Ginreads – Review & Excerpt

Mother/Gamer/Writer – Review & Excerpt

NC 2 DC – Review & Excerpt

Red’s Midnight Readers – Review & Excerpt

October 29^th

3 degrees of fiction – Review & Excerpt

Avephoenix Naughty Readings – Review & Excerpt

Books 2 Blog – Review & Excerpt

Just Reading Book Blog – Excerpt

Sharing Inspired Kreations – Review & Excerpt

The Book Dutchesses – Review & Excerpt

October 30^th

Dirty Girl Romance – Review

Nerdy Dirty & flirty – Review & Excerpt

Reads All the Books – Review & Excerpt

Romancing the Readers – Review

Sassy Book Lovers – Review & Excerpt

Total Book Geek – Excerpt

Writes Forward – Review

October 31^st

Book Lovers Hangout – Review & Excerpt

KDRBCK – Review & Excerpt

Mean Girls Luv Books – Review & Excerpt

Movies, Shows, & Books – Excerpt

Reviews from the Heart – Review & Excerpt

Shameless Book Club – Review & Excerpt

November 1^st

Book Nook Nuts – Review & Excerpt

Busy Bumble Bee Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt

Dreamer’s Book Blog – Excerpt

Jeri’s Book Attic – Review

Romance Schmomance – Review & Excerpt

Smut Book Junkie Book Reviews – Excerpt

Up All Night w/ Books Blog – Review & Excerpt

November 2^nd

Book Addict – Excerpt

Fundinmental – Review

Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt

Ruby’s Books – Excerpt

Southern Vixens Book Obsessions – Review

The Book Maven – Review & Excerpt

About Gena Showalter:

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld and Angels of the Dark series, two young adult series–Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles–and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series. In addition to being a National Reader’s Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan (Red Hot Read) and Seventeen magazine, she’s appeared on Nightline and been mentioned in Orange is the New Black–if you ask her about it, she’ll talk for hours…hours! Her books have been translated in multiple languages.

She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books at genashowalter.com or Facebook.com/genashowalterfans

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

October 22, 2018 3

SHADOW AND ICE – A Gena Showalter Excerpt Reveal

The Queen of Paranormal Romance, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter, stuns with SHADOW AND ICE, the first title in her scorching new paranormal romance series Gods of War Series.

Check out the sneak peek below and pre-order your copy of SHADOW AND ICE today!

Gena Showalter, the New York Times bestselling author who brought you the Lords of the Underworld, introduces a scorching new paranormal romance series… Gods of War.

Though Vale is now his enemy, Knox is consumed with lust and a fierce need to protect her. But only one combatant can prove victorious, and he will have to choose: live for freedom, or die for love.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

“I love this world…this is Gena Showalter at her best!”—J.R. Ward, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Add to Goodreads

“The Gods of War series is my new obsession.”—Christine Feehan, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Wearier by the second, Shiloh scrubbed a hand down his face. “This is my first All War. I knew it would be tough, but I am my home’s strongest competitor, and I believed I could do…anything. I was wrong.”

“You sound as if you’re eager to die. Good news. I’m happy to help.”

“I’m sure you are, but I don’t want to die. I don’t want to kill, either.”

“Ah, I see. You’d rather make your people suffer.”

Shiloh glowered.

For the “privilege” of participating in an All War, a realm’s sovereign had to give the High Council thousands of children. The exact number depended on a combatant’s order of elimination. The faster you were eliminated, the more your realm had to pay. But in order to forfeit a war entirely, sovereigns had to hand over even more children.

From infancy to the age of eighteen, boy or girl, children were chattel, commodities raised to be Enforcers.

Only the winning realm was exempt.

“My people already suffer,” Shiloh said. “Our realm is overcrowded.”

Iviland was overcrowded as well, more and more immortals born or created every day. New realms were desperately needed.

In the beginning, whenever a new one was discovered, multiple armies invaded at once. Battles raged, the trespassers hoping to seize control. Violence spread far and wide, ultimately destroying everything, leaving the lands uninhabitable.

Under the guise of saving future domains, ruling factions created the High Council and All War—an ongoing battle between a single representative from each otherworld, the new realm acting as the arena.

In the past few months, the people of Terra had begun fighting back and setting traps. Not a first, but definitely a problem on days like today. The citizens weren’t bound by assembly rules. But then, they had no supernatural abilities and were no match for immortals.

Knox had seen no sign of a human army today. Maybe they’d fled in fear? To them, combatants were gods.

Knox, they’d nicknamed Loki, the “evil trickster.” A moniker he bore with pride.

“When I killed a woman I respected, a part of my soul died,” Shiloh said, pulling him from his thoughts. “Why can’t the realms reach terms without bloodshed?”

“Greed.” Why else?

Movement at the side of a mountain. Knox slid his gaze across the ice—at last. Zion. A man of six and a half feet, like Knox, with dark hair, wide shoulders and a body honed on the most savage battlefields with no hint of softness. Also like Knox.

But unlike Knox, he refused to use the weapons he won. Reasons unknown. The choice angered Knox, even though it aided his cause. Such a waste.

He tightened his grip on his most prized possessions—the daggers he’d taken from his first victim. The blades were serrated, hooked at the tip, and had brass knuckle hilts. With a single blow, he could slice, dice and pulverize.

Zion reached the check-in point and spread his arms, all Here I am, come and get me. Embedded in his arms were jewels, each one set in specific patterns, as bold as the man himself. On his hands, a pair of spiked metal gloves able to punch through anything.

I want. I take.

Locked on tonight’s target.

Anticipation resurged and redoubled, burning inside Knox, and growing hotter by the second. Zion was a warrior he would gladly slay.

“Come.” Knox jumped from his perch, falling down, down, landing a few yards away from the check-in point. Though the impact jarred him, he walked forward without a hitch in his step, boots crunching in the snow.

Shiloh jumped, as well, and hurried to catch up.

As they passed the invisible wall that sealed them inside the clearing, Knox experienced a familiar and abhorrent vibration from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. His ability to control shadows had just been neutralized.

“So nice of you to join us,” Bane said, his tone as smug and condescending as ever.

Like most Adwaewethians, he had pale hair, golden eyes—and a beast trapped within. When the creature took control of his body, his appearance changed. He became a monster, hideous beyond compare, strong beyond compare, and developed an appetite for blood. No one and nothing was safe.

About Gena Showalter:

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October 19, 2018 0

SHADOW & ICE – A Gena Showalter Teaser

The Queen of Paranormal Romance, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter, stuns with SHADOW AND ICE, the first title in her scorching new paranormal romance series Gods of War Series.

Check out the sneak peek below and pre-order your copy of SHADOW AND ICE today!

Gena Showalter, the New York Times bestselling author who brought you the Lords of the Underworld, introduces a scorching new paranormal romance series… Gods of War.

Though Vale is now his enemy, Knox is consumed with lust and a fierce need to protect her. But only one combatant can prove victorious, and he will have to choose: live for freedom, or die for love.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Add to Goodreads

About Gena Showalter:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

October 17, 2018 0

THE DARKEST WARRIOR – A Gena Showalter Review & Excerpt Reveal

This was going to be a tough one for me. Everyone has read for YEARS how Gillian was in love with William. Prince of Hell no less, but beautiful and deadly. Gillian grew up with the biggest crush on our dark hero. But fate is fickle and another heroes creeps in to win her heart. Puck the Undefeated is trapped by the Oracle’s fate to love and die by Gillian’s side. But fighting fate, his future, and his family is a tough task even for an undefeated warlord.

Gillian is nearing 18 and has decided to put her foot down with William; lover her or leave her, it’s about time she took hold of what she wanted. When a trick goes awry to turn her immortal, Gilly nears death and it seems there’s nothing left to save her. Puck has spent eternity denying his brother Sin’s betrayal. Fate has told that one of them would fall in love and destroy the other. But a new fate has arisen when the Oracles tell him that the small human Gilly can be bound to him and help him save his brother and his people from turmoil. An unbreakable bound is formed between them that leave Gilly stranded in Puck’s world for hundreds of years. As she grows and trains to become her own warrior-ess, Puck attempts to resist the temptation of falling in love with is own wife.

I was leery of Puck, but ooooh lordy did he WIN ME OVER! I though maybe, JUST maybe William would finally see the light and stop being an idiot immortal. But no, I have officially switched teams! Puck, while alpha-male and domineering is downright sexy and sweet at the same time. He may be gruff and silent but he obviously cares for his little Gilly and I loved their interactions. Watching Gillian finally grow up was an experience. I loved her Shawazons and the women she built and supported alongside her in Puck’s home realm. In true Showalter fashion this book is filled with amazing paranormal action and lore. I can’t imagine the brains it takes to build such wonderfully curated worlds! Though the book could’ve been a tough sell for the Gilly/William fans, i think she did and amazing job pushing an alternative to Gilly’s future. Can’t wait for more!

The Queen of Paranormal Romance, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter, returns with THE DARKEST WARRIOR, a searing Lords of the Underworld tale featuring a beastly prince and the wife he will wage war to keep. THE DARKEST WARRIOR is now available where all fine books are sold. Grab your copy today!

THE DARKEST WARRIOR Synopsis:

He is ice…

Puck the Undefeated, host of the demon of Indifference, cannot experience emotion without punishment, so he allows himself to feel nothing. Until her. According to ancient prophecy, she is the key to avenging his past, saving his realm and ruling as king. All he must do? Steal her from the man she loves—and marry her.

She is fire…

Gillian Shaw has suffered many tragedies in her too-short life, but nothing could have prepared the fragile human for her transition into immortality. To survive, she must wed a horned monster who both intrigues and frightens her…and become the warrior queen she was born to be.

Together they burn.

As a rising sense of possession and obsession overtake Puck, so does insatiable lust. The more he learns about his clever, resourceful wife, the more he craves her. And the more time Gillian spends with her protective husband, the more she aches for him. But the prophecy also predicts an unhappily-ever-after. Can Puck defeat fate itself to keep the woman who brought his deadened heart back to life? Or will they succumb to destiny, losing each other…and everything they’ve been fighting for?

Grab your copy of THE DARKEST WARRIOR here!

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Pain seared Puck, shoving a roar past his lips. A demon had entered his body, and now tore into his organs. It bit and clawed, too, and yet he experienced no outward signs of injury.

Frantic, he dropped his sword to rake his nails over his chest, slicing skin and muscle—to no avail. The creature remained inside him, a dark presence, howling with a toxic mix of hate and pleasure.

The blood in Puck’s veins might as well have been fuel; every cell in his body seemed to catch fire, melting him from the inside out as he…changed? Two rings of fire erupted on the crown of his skull, as if circles had been burned into the bone. He reached up and felt…horns?

Breath wheezed through clenched teeth as he yanked at hanks of brown fur sprouting on his legs. Next, a hard shell grew over his feet—hooves?—as his leather boots ripped apart at the seams.

Changing shapes wasn’t new to him, but this transformation had control of him, not the other way around. He couldn’t stop it.

Jagged black lines appeared on his chest, small rivers of lava burning as they spread. An image formed. A butterfly with wings as sharp as shattered glass. Different colors shimmered in the firelight, one after the other, altering as various emotions flooded him.

Mostly, panic grabbed Puck by the neck and held firm, choking him. Was this a hallucination, caused by smoke?

Or was he becoming a monster for good?

His knees gave out, unable to support his weight. As he lay on the ground, panting, the panic died. His gaze landed on the sword, and the pride he’d experienced only moments before faded before disappearing altogether. The devotion he bore for his realm and people…gone. He felt nothing. The sword was a scrap of finely honed metal, the realm a meaningless lo- cation, its citizens a nonentity.

Puck searched for emotion, any emotion, hidden anywhere. There! Love for Sin, a shining beacon.

He would protect the younger male from this…whatever this was. But, as he attempted to reach for his brother, muscle locked on bone, holding him immobile, and panic returned.

“Sin!”

Sin wouldn’t meet his gaze.
Something’s wrong…

A terrible nothingness began to creep through Puck a second time—this one directed at his brother. Precious Sin. Treasured Sin. Puck’s reason for…everything. But an invisible dagger cut into his heart, affection draining out…draining…

Still he fought. “Love you,” he rasped. Can’t lose Sin. Can’t… But even as he spoke, his heart emptied.

One moment his love blazed, a light inextinguishable by war, persecution or travesty, the next it was nothing but a snuffed-out torch.

Puck blinked up at Sin and felt…nothing. He hadn’t forgotten their past, or the many ways his brother had aided him throughout the centuries, or everything Sin had given up on his behalf, but he cared not at all.

Muscles unlocking from bone at last, he stood. Silent, he backed away from his brother. He would go for a walk, think about what had happened and what he should do next.

“Puck—”

He strode out of the tent, never once glancing back.