Legacy (Filthy Marcellos #4)…✎…Bethany-Kris

Legacy by Bethany-Kris

My rating: ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

Johnathan
I am looking forward to reading especially his story. Hopefully author this time will respect Mafia culture enough, cause so far she didn't really put the real facts there.

Catherine
Here you can see what I am talking about. Capo dei capi's daughter is dealing? Nope, doesn't matter if her mother did, because of her father she couldn't have done that.

Andino
Boss? While I really liked Giovanni, not the one in his book, but the one introduced to us in all the other books in this stories, I don't think this should have given to his son. I thought it was going to be John. And let's be honest, it should have been, since Lucian was supposed to be the Don's son and not Dante. Senior Johnathan was supposed to be the Don not Antony, so I liked that in Dante's book it was mentioned that Johnathan was going to be his successor. It kind of would have ben fair to The Sr. Johnathan and Lucian, even though the latest never wanted to be a Don, but his father surely did, or he would have stayed with his mother, and wouldn't have thought about keeping a mistress.

Lucia
I like her so far, let's see where will this go.

EDIT~A

Dante (Filthy Marcellos #3)…✎…Bethany-Kris

Dante by Bethany-Kris

My rating: ✮ ✮ ✩ ✩ ✩

“People like us, we’re not supposed to feel. We don’t get attached. It ruins us. Together, we’ll be the perfect pair. Together, we have nothing to lose.”

It was fun but I still was disappointed. I couldn't make myself to like Cat, I really don't know why she was fine after all, but I couldn't like her, something in her was pushing me away, and I guess that's why I didn't like the book itself.

“Feelings weren’t a part of the deal and I am sorry.”
“Dante—”
“I’m sorry because I love you.”

Second, future Dons actually, just Don's sons as well can't not marry outsiders. Yeah she was Italian, but she was not part of the mafia, so i couldn't see them as a good match. But even without it, she kind of annoyed me at times. However, Dante always surprised me in this book.

Moreover, I didn't like him bringing her to Commission, not because she was a female, no, she was not part of it. If he wanted to present her to them, he could have arranged a meeting before or after the commission. Moreover, she was disrespectful, polishing her nails? For real? That doesn't show power that shows arrogance, which is not power. Anyway, didn't like it much.

“Have honor,” Gio said.
“Love fiercely,” Lucian added.
Dante smiled. “Be filthy.”

Overall, I am happy that the series are over, since it never met my expectations. And I was anticipating so much from this family.

EDIT~A

Giovanni (Filthy Marcellos #2)…✎…Bethany-Kris

Giovanni by Bethany-Kris

My rating: ✮ ✮ ✩ ✩ ✩

“Because if I believe I have the right to take away a man’s life, then I should give him the respect of watching it as it goes.”

I don't know what I didn't like more, the fact that Giovanni, was not the Giovanny that we saw in the previous two books, and that he was molded into something average, while he wasn't and he was presented uniquely in the other books, or that cultural values were ignored all over again.

“I love you and you don’t even care, Tesoro. About me, you don’t. I keep thinking it’s there for us, and it’s been the only damn thing keeping me here, but you don’t care a bit.”
“Loving you is going to kill me, Gio.”

Females, especially Bosses' daughters, know everything, even the Omertà, so Kim being one of the Bosses' daughter, and not knowing much about it was a BS. Same what is up with girls and living in the dorms. I don't believe they are allowed to have so much freedom actually.

“I do want us,” Kim whispered against his cheek.
“I’m going to give you us,” he promised.”

It was hard to believe that she came from Mafia, and that she was going to become one of the Don's daughter-in-law. I didn't like her throwing herself at him, having sex and saying this was a mistake bye. I can't count how many times she said it.

“See, we’re Marcellos, Kim. We’re not dirty, we’re downright filthy.”

Antony of course didn't disappoint. I was happy to see the Marcellos at the end, especially Dante. He was so vulnerable, it made me sad kind of. However, I still didn't get into it, which was unexpected cause I was waiting for Giovanni's the most, it should have been the most exciting not the most disappointing.

EDIT~A

Cruel Beauty (Cruel Beauty Universe #1)…✎…Rosamund Hodge

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

My rating: ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✩

“We’ll both be foolish,” I said, “and vicious and cruel. We will never be safe with each other.”
“Don’t try too hard to be cheerful.” His fingers threaded through mine.
“But we’ll pretend we know how to love.” I smiled at him. “And someday we’ll learn.”

I liked this book, actually, it was nothing like blurb says and nothing like the Beauty and the Beast story. And even though it says that there is mythology, there is so little of it there, that you might say there is not that as well.

“Duty is bitter to taste but sweet to drink.”

I liked the characters. Nyx was strong, but she was so bitter inside, being a straightforward person, it annoyed me when she didn't express her true feelings instead acted like she was an ignorant girl.

“Though mountains melt and oceans burn,
The gifts of love shall still return.”

Ignfex, he was something. I liked him, he was kind of like Hades, well how I imagine him, or maybe Hermes. He was manipulative, yes, but he wasn't the villain, he was actually kind. I think he just didn't found the right person to show it. However I really liked how he said what he thought without ay shame.

“Water is born from the death of air, earth from the death of water, fire from the death of earth, air from the death of fire.”

I didn't like Shade, he was creepy, and I could see right through him. Actually I didn't suspected, no, I was SURE who he really was. It wasn't a twist or a surprise for me. And I couldn't believe how stupid Nyx was not nothing it herself cause it was obvious. And I really didn't like with chatting with him on Ignifex, even though she was forced to marry him, he was her husband.

“I do like a wife with a little malice in her heart.”

The events were interesting. I liked how author filled all the in betweens. I liked that characters were fighting together against the most dangerous demons, the they clearly saw what should have been done, and put their hatred aside.

“You’re a demon,” I said, staring at the ground.
“Most likely.”
“I know what you’ve done.”
“The exciting parts, anyway.”
“And I still don’t know your name.” My hands trembled as I undid my belt, then started to unclasp the brooches. It seemed forever since that first day when I had ripped my bodice open so easily. “But I know you’re my husband.”
The dress slid down to land on the ground about my feet. Ignifex touched my cheek very gently, as if I was a bird that might be startled into flight. Finally I met his eyes.
“And,” I said. “I suppose I do love you.”
Then he pulled me into his arms.
“I still might kill you,” I told him, much later.
He traced a finger along my skin. “Who wouldn’t?”

And well, they fell in love. This part happened slowly but at the same time suddenly. I saw it coming of course, but the events from this pointed were kind of rushed. it felt like author wanted to say something but she was so excited that she wrote so much but at the same time nothing, you know when you have so much to say but words never do you justice, well from this point to the end it kind of felt like it.

That the demon who ruled all our world was mine.

Overall, I liked it, I am glad I finally read it, cause it was interesting.
I am just grateful that they somehow managed to get their Happily Ever After.

EDIT~A

The Boyfriend Deal…✎…Charity West

The Boyfriend Deal by Charity West

My rating: ✮ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

“I was ready to give up and throw in the towel, but then I realized, if you weren’t giving up on me then maybe I shouldn’t either.”

I am so disappointed. The characters, especially the main female character, the plot were so boring.

The beginning was actually fun. But since the second chapter it shot straight downward.

Hadley was annoying me, they avoided talking which was annoying me, the parents were annoying me, like WTF was this. Plus sending jail one of the creeps, and then the second tried to kill her, it kind of went overboard, it really was not believable as well as the consequences.

“Hadley, I know that the world just became a much scarier place for you. I get that, I really do. But if you’ll let me, I’ll help you. If you can’t manage school, I’ll come see you every day when it lets out. If you can’t go to college, I’ll help you find something you can do. As long as we’re together, I don’t care where we go.”

Yeah, sorry, but I hated it, it was awful.

EDIT~A

Lucian (Filthy Marcellos #1)…✎…Bethany-Kris

Lucian by Bethany-Kris

My rating: ✮ ✮ ✩ ✩ ✩

The kiss is to love what lightning is to thunder.

I am disappointed, while I really liked Jordyn, and Lucian, the Don's son, a Capo, is not allowed to marry an outsider, plus, non-Italian. There are some rules that shouldn't have been changed.
As a true Mafia book fan, and even outside of Mafia, you can research all this and find, that even nowadays these rules are not changeable.

Except that part, other parts were ok, I can' say I really enjoyed it, but the book and the story itself were ok. I was glad to finally see what "The Marcello way" that I saw so many times in The Chicago Wars, actually meant. How close the brother were, and how Italian the family was. However, I am still disappointed with breaking this core values if this culture.

EDIT~A

Antony (Filthy Marcellos #0.5)…✎…Bethany-Kris

Antony by Bethany-Kris

My rating: ✮ ✮ ✮ ✩ ✩

“My job as their mother isn’t to judge them, it’s to love and support them.”

I really enjoyed this book, since the unwritten rules of mafia world, was mostly saved in this one.
I know that this books was published later, but since I started the series when it was fully finished and published, I though I should start from this one. And I didn't regret it. I liked all the three of them and Cecilia of course. I knew that John was going to die, but I was saddened. Antony was an asshole to him to be honest, and he regretted it later, and while he adopted Lucian and raised him as his own, I don't forgive him for John.

It was an interesting read, definitely, and I am glad that the cultural values were somewhat saved in this one.

EDIT~A

Hidden Magic (Dragon's Gift: The Huntress #0)…✎…Linsey Hall

Hidden Magic by Linsey Hall

My rating: ✮ ✮ ✮ ✩ ✩

(Source: I received an ARC of this book for free. Thanks to Linsey Hall.)

We’d never had friends before. Or a place of our own. Or freedom.
Now, we had all three. And I couldn’t wait to see what we’d do with it.

It was a short, fun read, where after showed us how they got to do their business, how they came to it, how they started it, where the idea came from. How they met their friends and how they started their lives in their current city.
It was an interesting and a nerve-wracking read, as always, but still I enjoyed it very much.

EDIT~A

Playing the Player…✎…Lisa Brown Roberts

Playing the Player by Lisa Brown Roberts

My rating: ✮ ✮ ✮ ✩ ✩

(Source: I received an ARC of this book for free. Thanks to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, LLC, Entangled: Crush and Lisa Brown Roberts.)

Spontaneity isn’t bad. It might even be…epic.

I am disappointed, this book didn't come even close to my expectations, I liked it, but not very much.

It was unnecessarily stretched, half of it could have been edited out. BUT I seriously cried once or twice for her, cause author did an amazing job expressing and presenting the events and emotions of the characters.

He chuckled next to me. 

“Watch it, BB. Don’t forget we’re going to Jungle Fever next time. You’d better be nice to me so I’ll catch you if you fall.”

Too late, I wanted to say. I’ve already fallen.

Overall, it was fun, and I liked it, but again, I was expecting for more.

EDIT~A

Breathless & Bloodstained (The Chicago War #4)…✎…Bethany-Kris

Breathless & Bloodstained by Bethany-Kris

My rating: ✮ ✮ ✩ ✩ ✩

This man made her breathless.
They were damn dirty, bloodstained by his own hands, and by hers.
Perfection was a myth.
Beauty was in the flaws.

I was expecting so much more, actually the most from these two, from this book, from their story, and what I did get? NOTHING!!!

Where was my funny Tommaso? Where was his easygoing character, I understand that there was so much on his shoulders, but he was molded into any other average mafioso character. No, that man wasn't introduced to me like that in the previous books, even when the situation got the best of him.

“My fascination got worse, but you got so much better. Worship is not a good enough word for what I felt.”
“Like a religion.”
Abriella’s tongue peeked out to sweep her bottom lip. “Yeah. Just like that.”
“Do you still feel like that about me?”
“Everyday.”

Same foes for Abriella, where was that carefree girl? Where was the girl that risked everything for her life, for her happiness, who was this shallow woman in this book? This wasn't her. Even when they got back together that wasn't her, that wasn't them.

We never actually saw them together-together, but we heard that no one gets them, no one knows what they have. I don't really get what was that? I didn't understand the whole concept, the meaning behind this words. I didn't see anything except the fuck. So, she liked to be called slut, but she hated to be compared to her mom. I really don't get it. So what? She wanted to be like her mom so she acted like her behind the doors? Or she hated it, but she got off of it? I didn't get it really. Author wanted to tell us something, but apparently I didn't get the message. All I got is that she had a mommy issues.

“But I don’t ever want you to stop making promises,” Abriella added after a quiet moment. “Because you always keep them, and you’re the one thing in my life that I can count on for that.”

Pressure much? He already was the core character of the book, but putting him under so much...
Whatever, I was disappointed, since this book should have been the most exciting one, not the most annoying. After all, we waited since the first book to finally see the couple that we heard so much about.

EDIT~A

Scarless & Sacred (The Chicago War #3)…✎…Bethany-Kris

Scarless & Sacred by Bethany-Kris

My rating: ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✩

He was the guy who used her to get what he wanted. She was the girl who let him do it to get what she wanted.

I was waiting to read about this couple. In the first book when Theo said that he had his eyes on someone, and then the date was cancelled, and after some hints from Eve, I knew that the date was her. And I am glad that in this book we got to see how that episode actually happened.

“You don’t even notice the taste anymore because you learn to like the bite it leaves behind and how it wakes you up.”

Never a conversation about coffee left me so breathless for the characters, there was a huge sexual frustration between these two, that I have never ever seen between any other characters, in any other books. I just loved Eve, since the first book, she was the link between the girls. and Theo, I really was mad at him and Lily, and still am, but I liked him, however I certainly didn't know how dark he actually was. Behind his easy going character, which was missing in this book unfortunately but understandably, was hidden an angry man who was ready to avenge his brother.

“Go on and come at me on the streets like any good made man would do to defend his territory, Joel. Put that mouth of yours to action and actually do something instead of talking about it. Give me a reason to put you down. I dare you. Come at me.”

Being used, and used by none other than his brother's death really made him to push everything and everything aside and start to do the right thing. In some way I think it was also his way to say sorry to Dino, for hearing but not listening to him, however I don't believe in apologies when the person is dead, so yeah, it was late, but I was glad that he was doing whatever he thought was right, for Dino.
Even giving up Eve.

I started to like and respect Tommas more, for the choices that he had to make and that he made. However, fighting for all other's benefit, he lost the one thing that was meant everything to him, that he was actually fighting for. I loved that twist in this book.

I really loved their story, especially since there was lots of reminiscing of Dino.

EDIT~A

Reckless & Ruined (The Chicago War #2)…✎…Bethany-Kris

Reckless & Ruined by Bethany-Kris

My rating: ✮ ✮ ✮ ✩ ✩

“I didn’t think …”
“That I would come?” Adriano asked.
“Yeah.”
“Well, I did.”
Alessa laughed, but even the sound was sad. “You always do, right?”
“Run after you while you push me away and leave me behind? Yeah.”
“Ouch, Adriano.”
Adriano shrugged. “It is what it is, Lissa.”

I was looking forward to reading next books in the series, since all were about my favorite characters. I enjoyed this book, it was a nice read about true love. I honestly never suspected that anything was happening or had happened between these characters, but they suited each other.
Alessa, was a totally new character here, not like in the first book. And Adriano, he was troubled, between protecting his sister, staying loyal to his father, fighting for his lover and going against his morals, he stood strong, really strong.

“Just remember, the worst gift might be exactly what you wish for, my boy.”

I didn't like Riley much, in the first book I really believed that he loved his wife, but apparently all this was for the show, for the power, for the throne, which wasn't his. He would have been an amazing boss I would give it to him, but he was too selfish.

“Fear and respect walked hand in hand.
This was the mafia way.”

I liked the story, the characters, I kind of felt sorry at the end for them, but still their love story was an interesting one to read.

EDIT~A

Falling for the Girl Next Door (Creative HeArts #5)…✎…Tera Lynn Childs

Falling for the Girl Next Door by Tera Lynn Childs

My rating: ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

(Source: I received an ARC of this book for free. Thanks to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, LLC, Entangled: Crush and Tera Lynn Childs.)

Home isn’t a place or a house or even a familiar city. Home is wherever Tru lives.

I just can't help but love the Creative HeArts series, maybe the fact that I am an artist myself affects it, but still I love it.

At first, I should admit that I was scared that there is going to be a love triangle, which luckily didn't happen, but when I saw that the third boy was Finn I was shocked but actually intrigued, cause I love him the most, and I want him to reach his dreams and goals.

This feeling, he thought, is better than any high I’ve ever felt.

The book had a deep and serious meaning, it was about families' disorders, and about obsessive addictions. I hope that many teenagers read and see how to overcome these kind of problems. I was glad to see how True took the wheel and decided to make it right, how he faced his problems, and wanted to become a better person for himself, and the people that he loves.

I LOVED it!

EDIT~A

Taming Chloe Summers (Grover Beach Team #7)…✎…Anna Katmore

Taming Chloe Summers by Anna Katmore

My rating: ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✩

“You’ve got your plans. Get on that plane, do your year abroad, live your life, and enjoy every minute of it.” He pauses. “I only ask for one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Let’s keep in touch. Email, WhatsApp, texts, whatever you want. And when you come back next summer”—his hands moves up to my cheeks once more, and his thumb skims over my bottom lip—“go for coffee with me.”

I think this couple was my favorite one, or their story maybe.
I can't say how much I liked Justin, we saw glimpses of him since the first book, we saw how amazing as a friend he was, but here he showed how amazing boy and asa person he really is. When he told her not to give up on her dreams ad follow them, and just be with him after, I melted and fell for him myself.


Chloe was a character that again was introduced in the first book of the series, she was into a villain, into a victim, and finally to the heroine, and survivor. I am glad that she got back to her feet and showed that she was strong and she was not done, even though life wasn't the best for her. I don't know what went south in her life to make her make the decisions that she made in the high school but I am glad that this time, when she was couple of years older she made the right ons.

Hopefully, author won't ruin this amazing story by writing one of her her usual second books.
Since, I really, really loved it!

EDIT~A

The Trouble With Dating Sue (Grover Beach Team #6)…✎…Anna Katmore

The Trouble With Dating Sue by Anna Katmore

My rating: ✮ ✮ ✮ ✩ ✩

“I do like the exciting tingle. I just don’t want the heartache that comes with it.”

I just want to say to the author that this is getting old. I didn't want to read this one, but I had, cause I am like that, I have to finish the series, no matter how awful it is, if I have started it. Luckily this is not an awful series, but this 2 book each story book is annoying, since both books are old from 2 POVs, if it was 1POV per book, I would understand but this?? Not really! It rally drops the actual value, meaning of the story, so I hope after will respect her work enough to stop this nonsense.

The couple was cute as I said in the previous review, but since I already knew story it was not interesting, and I found many things to do just to not read this book.

EDIT~A

The Girlfriend Request…✎…Jodie Andrefski

The Girlfriend Request by Jodie Andrefski

My rating: ✮ ✮ ✩ ✩ ✩

“I wish I had just kissed you like I wanted to.”

Again after many heavy plot reads, I went to Entangled to disengage it from me, however this time it didn't quite work that way.

I was expecting more fun, more cuteness, but it was push pull push pull, and playing other characters, which never does work for me. In other words I was disappointed. However, I could see many teenage girls including me when I was one as well, in Emma, she resembled real, unconfident, teenagers, that start to experience their first crushes, loves, attractions, get used to changes of their bodies, minds, ideas, tastes, make-ups even, the time when we all start to become US, when we made our own characters. And yes, some of us might have made mistakes, maybe same as Emma's, hopefully we all got her outcome our Happily Ever After.

EDIT~A

Last Ride (Wind Dragons MC #5.5)…✎…Chantal Fernando

Last Ride by Chantal Fernando

My rating: ✮ ✮ ✩ ✩ ✩

We’re the WDMC, and we don’t do defeat.
We triumph, always.

While I was happy to getting back to the original couple for this short read, there were many factors that didn't please me.

Ranger's and especially Talon's joining Wind Dragons, he was the president and he shouldn't have left, not when there were problems there, he should have fought for his club and not give up.
Who was the traitor was obvious since Talon's book. It was bittersweet to see Sin's leave, but I understand the reason behind it. This book wasn't what I wanted to see, as Sin's Last Ride as a president.

EDIT~A

Wolf's Mate (Wind Dragons MC #5)…✎…Chantal Fernando

Wolf's Mate by Chantal Fernando

My rating: ✮ ✮ ✮ ✩ ✩

Again the character was molded into something else to match the common beliefs. So, the book already lost the points there.

Wolf, Vinnie for me, was judgy kind of, but with Shay's attitude couldn't blame him much, could we?
And let me say, how much I love Talon, and his manipulative skills, and how much I can't wait to see the hottest guy in the crew after Tucker of course, Ranger, in the future.
I liked Vinnie's growth, but I didn't like the changing of his characteristics when it came to Shay.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read, but could have been better.

EDIT~A

Wild Ride (Wind Dragons MC #4.5)…✎…Chantal Fernando

Wild Ride by Chantal Fernando

My rating: ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✩

“You’re the only woman on the back of my bike, the only woman in my bed, the only woman in my fuckin’ head. . . . Tia, what do you think an old lady is? You’re already my old lady.”

First of all, I have to say I don't like the cover. While abs are nice, the man has black hair, at least it should have been photoshopped, since it's another guy on Talon's book, basically.

Well, unlike the previous book, I enjoyed this one, cause we got the Talon that we knew, fun, easygoing, flirty, he was no changed and made to something knew like Rake. He was the same as he was presented before.

I liked this book, the fact that it was shorter was a bonus. Since when erotica is long it gets annoying.
I liked Tia, I liked them together, I liked how he fought against the attraction, and she fought for the attraction.

Overall, I really enjoyed it.

EDIT~A

Rake's Redemption (Wind Dragons MC #4)…✎…Chantal Fernando

Rake's Redemption by Chantal Fernando

My rating: ✮ ✮ ✮ ✩ ✩

I didn’t want to tell him, I didn’t, but now it’s done. He knows. The thing is, no matter what, he knows one fact about me. One fact that was always true, from the day he met me, to the day I’ll die.
I never lie.

While I love this bikers, I was waiting for this book and my favorite was Rake, I didn't enjoy this book really very much. Yeah I liked it, but not as much as I would have loved to. I had high expectations.

I don't like when authors present characters in some way, and then when they get their own book, they present them as common male character. And that is what happened here. While Rake was the funniest, he became like Sin here, kind of boring compared to his old self. I don't know why authors think that funny guys can't be hot, and possessive, why they have to be dark, cause they can, and if authors can pull t off, then they are the best. I can most of them make this change, cause they are not able to mic the fun and the hotness.

I liked Bailey, she was a good character, however I would have gone without half of this book. It was too stretched. She could have told the secret sooner, and he could have gotten over it sooner. Anyway, I enjoyed it, but it didn't meet my expectations, since I wanted the Rake, not this Rake that wasn't him.

EDIT~A