Up in Smoke: A King Series Novel ~ TM Frazier

Amazon US 

I’m a man without a conscience. 

I deal in murder and mayhem.

I’m the best at what I do. 

Frankie Helburn is supposed to be an easy job. 

A means to flush her father out of hiding.

Simple. 

Except there isn’t anything simple about Frankie or the secrets she’s keeping. 

She’s stubborn as hell and the sexiest god damn thing I have ever seen, sending dark, dirty animalistic desire coursing through my veins. 

She’s cocaine with legs. A f*cking addiction that makes me question things I’ve never questioned before. Want things I’ve never wanted before. 

I might have her, but she isn’t mine to keep. 

If her father doesn’t show his face, she will be mine. 

To KILL.

 I was super excited to read about Smoke. How he left in "All the Rage" had me asking, what happened to him? Don't get me wrong. I get why he left, but I still wanted to know about him. He is definitely a force to be reckoned with .

Smoke is ruthless and lawless. She is the judge, jury and executioner when it comes to getting his revenge. Frankie was something he never saw coming. Smoke's sole focus was to find the person who wronged him. The one that took from him. Using Frankie to get to Frank was supposed to be easy. This book shows, with a strong and smart woman, it's definitely not easy. 

I love how smart and defiant Frankie is. She stands toe to toe with Smoke. She's not afraid of him. Well, she is, but she's not going to show him. While she's trying to hate Smoke, she can't deny the electric current that sparks between them. Her mind says "no," but her body says "hell yes!" 

These two are electric together. They are both stubborn and hard headed, which makes for some fun adventures. The angst building up to where Frankie's father is and the lies leading up to that point are nerve wracking. The end result is bloody, explosive and glorious. 

Remember Me When (The Unforgettable Duet #2) ~ Brooke Blaine

My worst nightmare and your greatest fear became a reality:

You don’t remember me.

You don’t remember the accident, or the weeks afterward.

You don’t remember my bed as your safe place,

or when, against all odds, you fell for me.

You remember me only as the casual acquaintance you saw as you grabbed your daily coffee.

Three sugars, two creamers.

Perhaps an acquaintance is all I’ll ever be to you now.

Maybe I can shoulder the heartbreak and the loss of you, if it means you’ll be happy.

Unless…

You remember me when.

Remember Me When is the second and final book in The Unforgettable Duet and should only be read following Forget Me Not.

I just love Reid and Ollie. So much so, that I didn't want their story to end. The angst and heartbreak, along with the love and emotion hit me right in the feels. I'd say the only downside to this book was that it was the end. 

I have always been a fan of Brooke's and the Unforgettable Duet did not disappoint. The flashbacks and memories were easy to follow and you could understand the timeline. Even though Reid suffered memory loss, his "visions" replayed had me gushing all over again at how sweet these two characters are. 

I was so proud of Reid's mom and her cry for help. It takes a lot to try to do what was best for your child, but really not know what that is. She always had his best interests at heart, even if she wasn't sure what would make Reid's confusion better. 

I was pissed at Ollie a bit, but of course he redeemed himself. He truly is one of the good guys. He is someone that should be snatched up and held on to, to mirror Holland's words. ::wink wink:;

I can't say enough about these two. I wish their story didn't wrap up so quickly. I wanted more. Great characters and a great finale to the duet. 

Gentleman Nine ~ Penelope Ward

Growing up, the three of us were friends.

He was the nerd.

I was the playboy.

She was the beauty.

Deep down, I only ever wanted her. I kept it inside because Rory and I made a pact that our friend, Amber, was off-limits.

He lied.

I went off to college, and he got the girl.

Amber never knew how I felt.

They were together for years—before he broke her heart.

Through it all and across the miles, she and I casually stayed in touch.

When my job sent me to Boston for a three-month contract position, Amber let me stay in her spare room.

Still reeling from her breakup, she’d sworn off men.

One night, I opened her computer to find the shock of my life. She’d hesitantly contacted a male escort company. Afraid to date and get her heart broken again, she was looking for sex with no strings.

Every emotion imaginable ran through me: protectiveness, jealousy—curiosity.

Amber had chosen Gentleman Number Nine and sent him a message.

She opened up to him, confessing, among other things, her physical attraction to her friend—me. But she considered me off-limits—and she thought I was a manwhore. (Ironic, considering the circumstances.)

Eventually, she set up a date to meet Gentleman Nine at a hotel. 

When she showed up several nights later to meet him, she was stunned to see me standing there—with an offer I hoped she wouldn’t refuse.

Channing is the stereo-typical womanizer. Or at least Amber thought he was. Their past had a lot of feelings, emotions and "pacts" that neither seemed to know about. Whether it was one was totally oblivious or the other tried so hard to hide their feelings, they both wanted each other, but neither never knew it. 

I wasn't sure how Rory played in to this little "friendship" until I read the entire backstory. Penelope did a great job of having the characters discussing the past or having a flashback, while maintaining my interest. I didn't become bored and each look in to the characters's past had to do with their future or possible future. 

I give major props to Amber for even thinking of meeting with Gentleman number nine. I completely understood her inner turmoil, but hey! A woman has needs too.  I mean what's the motto? Get over a man by getting under another, right? Just sucks that she had to tip-toe around that with a man she had wanted since she was younger, but was always "off-limits." 

The twists of this story are things I definitely didn't see coming. While Channing called one of them, the reason behind it shocked me. The other, well I had hoped for some type of clarity of Amber, but I didn't want her getting hurt to have it. 

I'm doing my best to not include spoilers, because I want you to read it and have the same surprises I did. Gentleman Nine was well written and had developed characters with content that hits you right in the feels. As well as some super sexy and hot sex scenes. Wow. Definitely one-click worthy.  

Forget Me Not (The Unforgettable Duet, #1) ~ Brooke Blaine

Three sugars, two creamers. 
That’s how you took your coffee every morning at Joe’s Grab ’N Go.
But you don’t remember that. 
You don’t remember anything. 
Anything, that is, except me…
That day…
And the tragedy that catapulted us together. 

This book was amazing! I absolutely loved Ollie and Reid's story....or the beginning of their story. Because I definitely need more of these two. They are just lovable and so much fun.

I instantly fell in love with Ollie. He's a sweet and sexy paramedic that has a huge heart. While his past influenced why he became a paramedic, he is nothing short of a hero. The tragedy that threw Reid and Ollie together is scary and heart wrenching. Emotional overload. 

Reid is so much more than what Ollie was lusting after. Watching the two of them grow close just melted my heart. Reid is adorable and sweet while trying to find his way. Unfolding pieces of his past tugged at my heart strings and made me hurt for him. I'm glad that Ollie was there to help him heal. This hit me right in the feels. 

I love Brooke's writing and her characters. I have been a fan for a while and this story did not disappoint. I did want to beat her with the ending that she gave us, but knowing I don't have to wait too long for the continuation of Ollie and Reid's story definitely helps. 

Devastate (Deliver Book 4) ~ Pam Gowin

“What is the price you’re willing to pay?”

“Money isn’t an issue.”

“I’m not talking about money.”

Tate is on the hunt to find his best friend’s sister.

Eleven years ago, Lucia Dias was abducted. Presumed dead. He never met her, so why does he care?

Some might call his efforts noble, but his motivation is more perverse, bordering on obsession.

When he follows a chilling lead to Venezuela’s Kidnap Alley, what he finds is neither a corpse nor a captive.

Amid poisonous lies and crippling depravity, the price of love is devastation.

And he pays.

With his body, his blood, and her life.

DELIVER series (HEAs with no cliffhangers - must be read in order):

Deliver #1

Vanquish #2

Disclaim #3

Devastate #4

This whole series is just awesome. These books are dark, twisted and emotional. The whole sex slave trafficking aspect hits you right in the gut. I mean, how does this still happen in the modern world? Unfortunately, it does and these books take an excellent spin on them. 

Devastate is a dark, emotional read. This is not for the faint at heart. I agree, that these books need to be read in order to get some of the back history of the characters. As much as I liked Tate before reading this book, my admiration for him increased ten fold. He is truly a dominate and a protector. While his initial intention for his quest were for one reason, Lucia becomes his new reason.

The devastation and depravity that Lucia lives in is horrible. Unfortunately, that is her normal. The way she was corrupted in to this life is heart breaking. The abuse she suffers is gut wrenching.  The fact that she thinks her work is a step down from the torment her boss inflicts is a sad realization. Tate is her light in all the darkness, but he is something she cannot have. The finality in her depression is that she will never get out of this situation alive. 

Tate never looses hope and the help he receives from his "friends" is amazing. The pain and desolation he goes through, the nightmare of a situation these two get stuck in.....I can't even express. Pam wrote this story so well, I could not put it down. I had to find out if they both make it out alive and together. I needed them to find each other again. So, so good.