Release Day Review!! Bending His Rules by Layla Hagen

Bending His Rules (The Clifford Brothers #2) by Layla Hagen
Genre: Adult Fiction (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: October 2, 2026
Publisher: Self

I run a global security company with my brothers and negotiate high-stakes deals without breaking a sweat.

But my daughter deciding she suddenly hates every outfit in her closet five minutes before school? That brings me to my knees every time.

Honestly, being a CEO is easier than being a single dad.

That’s why I have rules. Routines. Structure. My life runs a whole lot smoother when everything stays organized and under control.

Then my maintenance company bails on me again, and my house descends into complete chaos. Hiring help goes from unnecessary to essential.

Which is how Melody crashes into my carefully ordered life.

Suddenly, my daughter wants to cook with Melody every evening and runs to her for advice about dresses and hair clips. And I can’t stop thinking about the beautiful woman dancing through my kitchen like she already belongs in our lives.

She makes me want things I stopped believing I deserved a long time ago.

But after losing my wife, I swore I’d never give anyone the power to destroy me again.

Because if I let Melody become part of our lives, losing her would hurt not only me—but my daughter too.

The problem is, every time Melody smiles at me, I want to bend every rule I’ve spent years living by.

Bending His Rules is the second book in the Clifford Brothers series by Layla Hagen. First of all, I have to say that I love that his name is Heath Clifford. I'm a dork. You already know this. I haven't read the first book yet, but I really want to. I love the dynamic the brothers have. They're cute. 
 Heath has had a lot of loss in his life, so when Melody enters the picture, he doesn't want any involvement other than business. They have a pretty quick attraction to each other, but they don't act on it quicky, which is nice. He puts his daughter above everything, and Melody seems to too, once she becomes part of their lives. There's a lot of cuteness to this story. There's also a lot of steam! 

I thoroughly enjoyed Heath and Melody's story. Watching them come together as a family was written beautifully. It kept my attention. The characters were people you'd want to get to know. Now, I'll have to hop back and get my hands on the first book. 

The ARC of Bending His Rules by Layla Hagen was kindly provided to me by the author through Wordsmith Publicity for review. The opinions are my own.

Check out my reviews of other books by this author!

 

Layla Hagen is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She fell in love with books when she was nine years old, and her love affair with stories continues even now, many years later.
She writes steamy and romantic stories and can’t wait to share them with the world.

She is represented by fabulous Louise Fury (The Bent Agency)

To learn more about Layla Hagen and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, BookBub, and Twitter.

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Book Review!! Cross My Heart, I Hope You Die by Mallory Arnold

Cross My Heart, I Hope You Die by Mallory Arnold
Genre: Adult Fiction (Mystery/Horror/Thriller)
Expected Publication: July 14, 2026
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

One isolated cabin. One cheating boyfriend. One plan to get even.

When Nora, Ruby, and Cham discover that they've each been dating the same man, what starts as outrage quickly spirals into a plot for revenge. Together they hatch a plan to lure their boyfriend to a romantic getaway in a secluded cabin at the top of a snow-covered mountain.

Only what was meant to be harmless payback soon takes a chilling turn when their not-so-adoring boyfriend is found dead in the cabin. 

Stranded and snowed in, the women begin to look at each other with increasing suspicion. And as tensions rise, hidden motives come to light. To survive, each woman must confront her own demons as they fight to uncover if one of them is the killer, or if something else lurks in the freezing wilderness, waiting to pick them off one by one. 

Cross My Heart, I Hope You Die by Mallory Arnold pulled me in, in the beginning. I enjoyed getting the back story of each of the women with Jason. They each stood on their own as characters and had their charm. The setting was perfect once they got to the cabin. But, once they got to the cabin is also when things started to really change for me. It became harder to tell Ruby and Nora apart for whatever reason. A death happened way too soon. I wanted to hear more from that person. And, as things started happening, it was so much of the unlikely that it became a little too much to be realistic anymore. I was pleased with how the story wrapped up. Unfortunately, it seemed like there was a possible cliff hanger. I really hope it stays a stand alone. I say that, because I feel like adding any more to this story would take it way over the top.. not in a good way. I do think it'd make a fun movie, and I did enjoy this author's writing style. I'm curious about her other book. I'll have to check it out. This novel will be released on July 14, 2026

The ARC of Cross My Heart, I Hope You Die by Mallory Arnold was kindly provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley. for review. The opinions are my own.

Mallory Arnold is an editor and writer who resides in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and three cats. She's part of the Women's Fiction Writer's Association and enjoys writing drama, thrillers, and horror.

To learn more about Mallory Arnold and her books, visit her  on Goodreads & Instagram.

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Book Review: Rook & Rebel by Kate Crew

Rook & Rebel (The Mavericks #1) by Kate Crew
Genre: Adult Fiction (Dark Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: October 1, 2024
Publisher: Avon 

A dark revenge romance filled with tattooed bikers, hilarious banter, heat, and high speeds.

Regan Fletcher

I used to have big dreams: finish college, make beautiful art, all while taking over my dad’s business. He wanted a legacy, and I wanted to give it to him. But his illness wasn’t part of the plan. Neither was his sudden need to keep me locked up in our mansion, safe and isolated. I want more from life, but could only spend my days waiting. Until one night, I came face-to-face with a street biker from a world far different from mine. What starts as him stalking me, quickly spirals into something deeper, and more deadly. I’m falling for a man who’s everything I should fear, yet he’s the only one who’s ever made me feel truly alive. But loving him means risking everything—my heart, my future, and my father.

Rook Emberson

Revenge has been my driving force for as long as I can remember. Cameron Fletcher stole everything from me, and I’ve spent years plotting the perfect way to take it all back. When fate puts his daughter in my sights, I know I’ve found the key to his destruction. But from the moment I meet her, my plans begin to unravel. Regan is everything I didn’t expect and I can’t help but be drawn to her. What starts as a twisted game of vengeance turns into an obsession. I need her, but I also need to destroy her father.

The lines between love and vengeance blur, and I’m not sure where one ends and the other begins.

Rook + Rebel is the first book in the Mavericks series by Kate Crew. I liked the premise. It could go in a few interesting directions. It started off promising, but it's really hard for me to get into a story where I'm not a big fan of the main characters. Rebel didn't seem like much of a rebel to me for the most part, and she has no self preservation. In my opinion, stupid doesn't equal rebel. And Rook? I didn't like his personality, and he was sooo flipping wishy washy with his emotions for Rebel... to the point of being too repetitious. Yet, he typically has no remorse over just killing someone. So, it didn't match his personality at all. They are completely oblivious to each other’s intentions and emotions, and it drove me a lil crazy, but at the same time.. it's so them. I liked a lot of the tropes in this story. I feel like I could like it more if maybe these characters were a little more believable. It wasn't for me, but it seems to have some fans, so don't take my word for it.

Rook & Rebel by Kate Crew was kindly provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley for review. The opinions are my own.

Hey, I’m Kate! I write dark, humor-filled romances packed with tension, suspense, and lovable, morally grey characters. I live near the mountains with my husband and two dogs, drawing inspiration from the wild beauty around me, that and my obsession with fast cars and motorcycles. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me on the road, lost in a book, or spending way too much time in antique stores and bookstores. I’ve always been drawn to all things gothic and a little rebellious, and that passion fuels every story I write. My books are filled with broody antiheroes, sharp-witted heroines, and chemistry that crackles. If you love tension, banter, and just the right amount of chaos, you’re in the right place.

To learn more about Kate Crew and her books, visit her website. You can also find her on Goodreads & Facebook.

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Book Review! Here Lie All the Boys Who Broke My Heart by Emma Simmerman

Here Lie All the Boys Who Broke My Heart by Emma Simmerman
Genre: Young Adult Fiction (Mystery/Thriller)
Date Published: February 3, 2026
Publisher: Avon 

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder meets Tell Me Lies in this binge-worthy debut murder mystery about a college student whose senior year takes a deadly turn when her exes start turning up dead…

Every time a guy breaks my heart, I write him a eulogy in my journal. It’s kind of my thing—closure through creative mourning. They don't actually die... or, at least, they didn't.

Now? These guys aren’t just dead to me, they’re dead to everyone. And I’m the prime suspect.

With my senior year at Pembroke College—and my entire future—on the line, I’ve got no choice but to play detective. Unfortunately, that means teaming up with my long-standing frenemy, Asher, who is insufferable and somehow always there when I need him the least. We bicker, we banter, we occasionally almost hook up, but with the body count rising and my name all over the suspect board, there’s no time to get distracted.

Between college parties, messy exes, suspicious deaths, and a murder investigation I never asked to be a part of—one thing’s for this is not how I thought my last year would go.

Here’s to hoping I can find out who the real killer is... before someone ends up writing my eulogy.

Here Lie All the Boys Who Broke My Heart by Emma Simmerman is a stand alone book that had that I Know What You Did Last Summer / Scream feel to it. Basically, all her exes in her journal of obituaries keep getting murdered. It was a fun mystery. Who did it? The answer wasn't as obvious as some stories out there, which I enjoyed. I wasn't too keen on many of the main characters though. Asher was as the blurb said... insufferable. I have no idea how someone could fall for him. You eventually got his sob story, but it wasn't good enough for me to excuse his brand of mean. And Sloane? She has no sense. On top of that, she clearly has a drinking problem. Every single one of her friends enables her and then get mad at her when she acts like a drunk. Even sober, she makes bad decisions. I liked the premise a lot, because I love these kinds of horror/mysteries. They're just plain fun! And this one was fun too, despite my frustration towards Sloane. I hope this debut author writes more.

The ARC if  Here Lie All the Boys Who Broke My Heart by Emma Simmerman was kindly provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley for review. The opinions are my own.

Emma Simmerman is a debut author with an advertising degree from Kent State University. She is a Youngstown, Ohio, native who now resides in Cleveland with her husband Nick, and her two cats Kitty and Cleo. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, crocheting, and drinking overpriced cocktails with her friends.

To learn more about Emma Simmerman and her books, visit her on Goodreads.

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Book Review: We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark

We Who Will Die (Empire of Blood #1) by Stacia Stark
Genre: Adult Fiction (Paranormal/Fantasy Romance)
Date Published: December 30, 2025
Publisher: Avon Books

From the bestselling author of the Kingdom of Lies series comes a slow-burn romantasy set in a Roman-inspired world ruled by merciless vampires. Filled with breathtaking combat, vengeful gods, and magical creatures, We Who Will Die is the epic first installment in an enthralling new series perfect for fans of Carissa Broadbent, Jasmine Mas, and Rebecca Yarros.

Life in the perilous Thorn district is a constant battle for Arvelle and her younger brothers. And the vampire standing on her doorstep is about to turn their world upside down.

Faced with an unthinkable choice, Arvelle makes a magically binding vow to do the impossible: kill the emperor, an ancient vampire created by the god Umbros. But first, she must enter the Sundering—an arena where only the fastest, strongest, and deadliest survive long enough to be selected for the emperor’s elite guard.

She quickly draws the ire of the Primus, the powerful figure charged with protecting the emperor. But the vampire under the armor is the last person Arvelle expects to encounter in the emperor’s court.

With her brothers’ lives in the balance, Arvelle has no choice but to ally with the man who once shattered her heart… and with the emperor’s sadistic son, Rorrik—two vampires whose motives are impossible to pin down. Rorrik holds the key to understanding the powers Arvelle is developing—abilities that would put a price on her head if discovered by the emperor.

To survive the arena and complete her mission, Arvelle must get to the bottom of a conspiracy that will change everything she thought she knew about herself—and the two vampires who are deeply entwined with her destiny…

We Who Will Die is the first book in the Empire of Blood series by Stacia Stark. This is a gladiator like story with lots of supernatural ans fantasy elements and creatures. I love this mix. Add the fact that there was nonstop action and a touch of romance. I was pretty hooked. I enjoyed Arvelle. She was an excellent character who will do anything to keep her brothers safe. She’s not your typical innocent girl.. this girl has already lived through a lot. The supporting characters are significant and really add to the story. They have meaning. I feel like there may be a love triangle on the horizon, and I think I may be rooting for the wrong guy. Is there such a thing in fiction? 

"He thinks I’m weak. Broken. Easily manipulated. He’s going to learn otherwise."

The ARC of We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark was kindly provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley for review. The opinions are my own.

Check out another book by this author!

Stacia Stark is a fantasy romance author who loves writing about found families, self-reliant heroines, and brooding, grumpy heroes.

Originally from New Zealand, Stacia spent over a decade traveling and living in various countries around the world as a freelance copywriter, and attributes both her wanderlust and creativity to those adventures.

When not traveling or writing, Stacia is usually lost in the pages of a good book.

To learn more about Stacia Stark and her books, visit her website. You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook Group &, Instagram

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