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: The Tearsmith by Erin Doo

The Tearsmith by Erin Doom
Genre: Young Adult Fiction (Dark Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: December 20, 2020
Publisher: Dell

Growing up in a ghastly orphanage run by an abusive matron, Nica coped in the only way she could—by retreating to her imagination, where she lived out fantastical stories, especially about the Tearsmith, the man who makes tears, a terrifying figure who forges all the fears that dwell in people’s hearts.

When she’s finally taken in by an adoptive family at seventeen, Nica thinks she’s leaving the group home, its torments, and her prison of otherworldly tales behind her. That is, until Rigel—a young man raised from birth in the same dreadful orphanage—joins her new family.

Rigel is as mesmerizingly handsome as he is troubled, and he and Nica have a long history of distrust and hostility. But as they come to live together again under one roof, the deep shared trauma of surviving such vicious circumstances sparks something magical, and Nica begins to fall for Rigel’s forbidden love.

Before any relationship can become reality, though, they’ll have to face the darkness of their past . . . and the dangerous stakes of pursuing a future together.

I went into this one thinking there was going to be some kind of supernatural/fantasy aspect to it. Like the Tearsmith was going to jump out at any second, or Rigel was going to be a vampire. And, I thought for sure Nica was something with all of her quirky ways. Nope. It ended up being about mental health and abuse. Both big issues. But, after reading the blurb, I was expecting something Supernatural, so that was one thing that disappointed me.

I actually liked Nica. She was immature for her age, but I loved her love of all things living. 

I keep seeing people saying that it was incestuous… ummm. I have many issues with their relationship, but it’s not incest. They aren’t related. The adoption isn’t official. Sure, they grew up in an orphanage together, but they didn’t hang out. They weren’t even friends. The relationship was extremely cringy and toxic. I wasn’t a fan of the whole dynamic, but it wasn’t even close to incest. Many people grow up together and fall in love when they get older. What makes that ok and this not? So.. no, the love wasn’t incestuous or forbidden. Just toxic. 

 

Erin Doom is an Italian author whose debut novel Fabbricante di lacrime (The Tearsmith) shot to the top of the charts in 2022 and has since sold over half a million copies. Her second and third novels, Nel modo in cui cade la neve (The Way the Snow Falls) and Stigma (2023), are also bestsellers. Doom studied Law and currently resides in Italy.

To learn more about Erin Doom and her books, visit her on Goodreads & Instagram.

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Book Review: Hooked by Emily McEntire

Hooked (Never After #2) by Emily McEntire
Genre: Adult Fiction (Dark Fantasy Romance)
Date Published: September 5, 2021
Publisher: McIntire Publishing, Co.

He wants revenge, but he wants her more…

James has always had one agenda: destroy his enemy, Peter Michaels. When Peter’s twenty-year-old daughter Wendy shows up in James’s bar, he sees his way in. Seduce the girl and use her for his revenge. It’s the perfect plan, until things in James’s organization begin to crumble. Suddenly, he has to find the traitor in his midst, and his plan for revenge gets murkier as James starts to see Wendy as more than just a pawn in his game.

Wendy has been cloistered away most of her life by her wealthy cold father, but a spontaneous night out with friends turns into an intense and addictive love affair with the dark and brooding James. As much as she knows James is dangerous, Wendy can’t seem to shake her desire for him. But as their relationship grows more heated and she learns more about the world he moves in, she finds herself unsure if she’s falling for the man known as James or the monster known as Hook.

Hooked is a dark contemporary romance and the first complete standalone in the Never After Series: A collection of fractured fairy tales where the villains get the happy ever after. It is not a literal retelling and not fantasy. Hooked features mature themes and content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Reader discretion is advised. 

Hooked is the first book in the Never After series by Emily McEntire. This is a dark reimagining of Peter Pan where Peter is the bad guy. I mean, they're both pretty much bad guys.One is just worse than the other. Wendy is caught between their feud. James and Wendy were pretty spicy. I was a little surprised at how innocent, little Wendy wanted things in the bedroom. I felt like that wasn't entirely realistic to her character.. at least not right out of the gate like that. I wasn't expecting all the naughtiness in general. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Yes, it was a little much at times, but the story itself was intriguing and fully kept my attention. It's essentially about revenge. James wants Peter to pay for a wrong in his past. These characters are flawed, and the author developed their histories quite well. I felt like I really got to know them. I love a good fractured fairy tale, and I'm definitely interested in reading more.

Emily McIntire is a #1 New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author whose stories serve steam, slow burns, and seriously questionable morals. Her books have been translated in over a dozen languages, and span across several sub-genres within romance.

A stage IV breast cancer thriver, you can find Emily enjoying free time with her family, getting lost in a good book, or redecorating her house depending on her mood.

To learn more about Emily McIntire and her books, visit her website. You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, BookBub, YouTube, and Twitter.

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Book Review: The Initiation by Nikki Sloane

The Initiation (Filthy Rich Americans #1) by Nikki Sloane
Genre: Adult Fiction (Dark Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: May 28, 2019
Publisher: Self

No one knows how new members are selected to the board of Hale Banking and Holding. But there are rumors of a sordid rite of initiation.

Whispers how one woman and nine men disappear into a boardroom.

This time, that woman will be me.

The Hale family owns everything—the eighth largest bank in the world, everyone in our town, even the mortgage on my parents’ mansion. And now Royce Hale wants to own me.

He is charming. Seductive. Ruthless. But above all, he’s the prince of lies. My body may tighten with white-hot desire under his penetrating gaze, but I refuse to enjoy it.

I’ll make a deal with the devil to save my family and sell myself to the Hales. But Royce will never own my heart.

Initiation is the first book in the Filthy Rich Americans series by Nikki Sloane. I’m not sure what I just read, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. I wasn’t completely sold on any of the characters, and the story seemed more about shock factor than plot. Sometimes a story can be saved by a main character, except I don’t find Marist to be all that believable. This one just wasn’t for me.

USA Today bestselling author Nikki Sloane landed in graphic design after her careers as a waitress, a screenwriter, and a ballroom dance instructor fell through. Now she writes full-time and lives in Kentucky with her husband, two sons, and two super destructive cats.

She is a four-time Romance Writers of America RITA® & Vivian® Finalist, a Passionate Plume & HOLT Medallion winner, a Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist, and couldn't be any happier that people enjoy reading her sexy words.

To learn more about Nikki Sloane and her books, visit her website. You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and Twitter.

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Release Day Review! Red Kingdom by Rachel L. Demeter

Red Kingdom (Fairy Tale Retellings #2) by Rachel L. Demeter
Genre: Adult Fiction (Fractured Fairy Tale/Fantasy Romance)
Date Published: April 10, 2024
Publisher: Self

Little Red Riding Hood reimagined with a dark and realistic twist.

Princess Blanchette’s world shatters when the Black Wolf tears apart her castle and everything she holds dear. All she clings to is the vow she made to her grandmother on her deathbed.

Hailed as the people’s champion, Sir Rowan Dietrich liberates the capital in a quest for vengeance. He takes Winslowe Castle with an army at his back and his wolf, Smoke, at his side.

United by a shared cause and powerful attraction, Rowan and Blanchette embark on a journey of self-discovery and redemption—a path filled with loss, transformation, and ultimately, the healing power of love.

Can Norland’s resplendent princess, with her captivating beauty and spirit, tame the fabled Black Wolf?

Inspired by the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Red Kingdom is a passionate, slow-burn historical romance about the enduring quest for love and the longing for a world at harmony.

*Red Kingdom is a standalone installment in a series of reimagined fairy tales.

Disclaimer: This is not your grandmother's Little Red Riding Hood. Red Kingdom is a dark historical romance set in a war-torn kingdom. As such, it contains graphic content and mature themes, including grief, strong violence, offscreen rape and suicide, and animal/human death. Reader discretion is advised.

Red Kingdom by Rachel L. Demeter is the second book in the Fairy Tale Retellings series. I just had to pause and recoup after reading this one, because so many horrible and wonderful things happened. It kind of left me a bit in awe. This is a dark one. It's brutal with a lot of death. Don't get attached to anyone. And, I hate deaths of favorite characters! I mean, we all do. Right? But, these deaths had purpose at least. It wasn't for shock value. I still don't like it, but they had meaning. That brings me to the characters in general. They were fleshed out very well. You really got to know them and all their layers, and you didn't get it all at once. It was a process throughout the reading experience. I love a good enemies to lovers romance, and this was definitely that. Red Kingdom was well thought out from start to finish, and I can't wait to see what's next for us in this series.

Th ARC of Red Kingdom by Rachel L. Demeter was kindly provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.

Have you read the first book yet?

Rachel L. Demeter lives in the beautiful hills of Anaheim, California with Teddy, her goofy lowland sheepdog, and her high school sweetheart of eleven years. She enjoys writing dark, poignant romances that challenge the reader's emotions and explore the redeeming power of love.

Imagining dynamic worlds and characters has been Rachel's passion for longer than she can remember. Before learning how to read or write, she would dictate stories while her mother would record them for her. She holds a special affinity for the tortured hero and unconventional romances. Whether crafting the protagonist or antagonist, she ensures every character is given a soul.

Rachel endeavors to defy conventions by blending elements of romance, suspense, and horror. Some themes her stories never stray too far from: forbidden romance, soul mates, the power of love to redeem, mend all wounds, and triumph over darkness.

Her dream is to move readers and leave an emotional impact through her words.

To learn more about Rachel L. Demeter and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, and Twitter.

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