Tag Archives: Sensitive Scene/Issue

Dirty (Raw Family #2)

By Belle Aurora

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Synopsis

My marriage seemed perfect from the outside looking in.
People envied me. They wanted my life, wanted to be me.

Mrs Alejandra Gambino.
Wife of Dino Gambino. Daughter of Eduardo Castillo.
Respected. Loved. Mob royalty.

They had no idea of the horrors that lurked behind closed doors.
They didn’t know I was at the lowest point a person could reach.

Enter Julius Carter.
Aloof, handsome, blue-eyed Julius Carter.

He saved me.
I screwed him over.

Now everybody was after me. My life was forfeit.
It was only a matter of time. I was a dead woman walking.

The question was, who would get to me first?

Review

Firstly if you are disappointed with Dirty being Julius’s story you are in for an absolute cracker of a journey.  We actually get two stories that run parallel and then combine in an almighty finish that will leave you gagging for Raw: Rebirth. If like me you needed to know about Twitch (considering the way Raw ended !!) – I admit I went to the back of the book and yes I read “A note from Belle”.  I needed to hear from her and I felt happy after reading her message considering I had read Raw probably more than four times since 2014 keeping my love of Twitch, Lexi, Julius, Happy and my hate of Ling alive.

So much to say, so happy, tears for Twitch and Julius and their extended family, you think you knew everything, my god Raw touched the surface.  Dirty whilst dark, vicious and deadly was such an inspiring read for me with strong characters.  So many answers and knowing that more goodness is to come, I am simply so happy, Ana and Manda are two wonderful characters I want more of.  This tale is woven beautifully considering the harshness of Ana’s life and then we get the whole six degrees of separation, loves the twists and turns.

From chapter 45 take yourself somewhere quiet, ignore the world because you are in for one hell of a ride – its Raw and Dirty.  Chapter 47 with Twitch and Evander is one of my favourites.


Ana is my hero, how this beautiful woman could endure the Dirty life she was forced into, you need to put on your big girl panties dear reader to follow her life but the journey to the end is pure redemption.  Ana has so much to give to the Raw Family and I believe we have only touched the surface and that she has some redemption to be delivered.

Fantastic continuation of the Raw Family, how can I love another like Twitch well Julius stepped up to the plate big time, what a hero he is.  Learning more about Twitch and his family and all his connections, it was riveting and is a true mob style story.

Ling Ling I did not like in Raw but Dirty left me devastated – how Ling could be so deceitful, she is not right in the head, I do hope in Rebirth that Julius delivers pure justice.

Dirty (Raw Family #2)

My Rating: 5 Hearts

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Jester (No Prisoners MC #2)

By Lilly Atlas

Jester

Synopsis

Thrust into a world of danger and fear, first grade teacher, Emily, is forced to comply with a terrifying MC president’s demands in order to save her only brother’s life. Her only port in the storm is Jester, a member of a rival MC she’s supposed to use and betray. Jester proves to be the opposite of everything Emily expects, and before long she’s in his bed and he’s in her heart.

Jester would give life and limb for the No Prisoner’s Motorcycle Club. His sole focus should be on the impending attack against their enemies, the Grimm Brothers. Meeting sweet and innocent Emily wasn’t part of his plan, and falling for her is out of the question.

Can Emily save her brother’s life without destroying the man who opens her eyes and heart to an amazing world of pleasure? She’ll do anything in her power to help her brother while protecting Jester, but when Jester finds out she was sent by his enemy, she may lose everything she’s trying to preserve.

Review

So Jester is a standalone within the No Prisoners MC Series but I for one will be going back and reading Striker, there are so many great characters we meet and I want to know all their stories.
I also love both the covers of Jester and Striker.
Two characters I fell in love with were Striker and Lilly and I want to read their story. Lilly was a great supportive character for Emily and even Striker stepped up when Jester was struggling with betrayals.
So if Striker is anything like Jester, I am thinking I will not be able to put it down.
So onto Jester – I LOVED it and can happily say this is going to be a new favourite MC series for me.
I started reading this, could not put down, finished in two days (in between my day job). We got romance, suspense, drama and the all important kidnapping and her love coming to her rescue.
Jester and Emily are strong characters, I immediately connected with them, the flow of the story was perfect and all importantly their sex scenes were both physically passionate but then also really emotional at times.
Only thing that grated on my nerves was the constant thoughts by Jester that Emily was hiding something, then another drama would happen to stop him asking her and next thing we know the betrayal hits.
Acer was a character who played his part for supporting Emily and grew on me so I look forward to reading his story too.
There is an intense scene when Emily is taken by the rival MC gang and it had me shaking but we do get a HEA so no complaints from me.

Jester (No Prisoners MC #2)

My Rating: 4 Hearts

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Trapped

By Amanda Lance

Trapped

Synopsis

On the way to investigate a fugitive sighting, 21-year-old news intern Aubrey Kent is injured when an unexpected storm destroys the newscopter—along with the rest of the crew.

Now, stranded in the Canadian wilderness and on the brink of death, Aubrey is rescued by a handsome stranger whose cold disposition is as frightening as the remote cabin in which he lives. With no way to reach civilization before spring, Aubrey becomes Jack Gordon’s unwanted roommate. Her hope for rescue is much more desperate when she sees his hostile attitude and violent behavior.

Aubrey and Jack wait out the winter, they grow closer—their delicate friendship blooming into feelings neither of them could have anticipated. But the weather and the wolves aren’t the only dangers in the mountains. As Aubrey uncovers the reason for Jack’s self-imposed isolation, she realizes she’s closer to the story than she imagined—a story that might cost her life.

Review

Firstly love the cover.

This is going to be short and sweet as I do not want to give away any of the moments of pure suspense this story takes the reader on.  I am so surprised as to how this story evolved and the two characters emotional tug of war.  The ending left me shattered beyond belief and I walked around in a daze thinking what did I just take part in.

This is told from Aubrey’s point of view and is perfect and flows just right, the build up to some really intense scenes left me on the edge of my seat, I simply could not put this down.

Jack is perfect as the troubled recluse and although we do not get into his head my god he wears his emotions on his sleeve.  Jack and Aubrey provide some really light moments of humour and then within moments a darkness prevails.  Reading this I could literally feel the cold seeping into my bones, the environment I could picture in my head, the descriptions were just spot on.

I was shattered beyond belief with the way this story evolves and the ending WOW – major heart wrenching, tear jerking, spit the dummy, break my heart moment which really left me needing a major hug.   I honestly did not see the ending coming – I was surprised which is a refreshing change.

Quote: Just like his smile, Jack’s laugh was like potato chips: I couldn’t stop with just one

Trapped

My Rating: 5 Hearts

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Raw (Raw Family #1)

By Belle Aurora

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Synopsis

***Author Note: This is not a love story. This is a story of love gone wrong.*** Growing up the way I did, you’d think I’d be more screwed up than what I actually am. Soon as I turned sixteen, I left that bump in the road I called home and took my chances on the street. Best decision I ever made. Now, at the age of twenty six, I’m educated, employed and damn good at my job. My friends have become my family. Like me, they know what it’s like to grow up unloved. But the saying is true. The world makes way for those who know where they are going. That’s me. I know where I’m going and I’ll get there eventually. On my own terms and at my own pace. But then there’s him. I feel his eyes on me. I see him hiding in plain sight. He watches me. He makes me feel. It’s unconventional. But it’s real. I’m sure you’re wondering how a person falls in love with their stalker. So am I. This isn’t a story. This is my life. ***This book includes situations that some may find uncomfortable.

Review

Quote: There’s something about Twitch.  He’s just … raw.  Everything about him is raw.  And Gritty. And Unbound.

I have to be honest, this is the fourth time I have read this book – Twitch will cut you apart, break your heart and fracture your soul. Alexa and Twitch have such an incredible journey to travel and it’s not over by a long shot.

I first read Raw in 2014, then twice in 2015 whilst I patiently waited for the next instalment of the Raw Family.  I am sorry, I was not prepared to share my thoughts, I was not prepared to review until Dirty (Raw Family #2) was going to be released.  Once you finish this book you will understand, try being me like so many other readers and waiting since 2014.  The author has received such passionate pleas for the next instalment, you will understand when again you turn that last page.

Raw is one book that has simply stayed with me forever.   I have now read Raw again in preparation for Dirty (Raw Family #2) and I still am emotionally shattered upon finishing this story, it is not over by a long shot.  You will pick up Dirty (Raw Family #2) in the hope that you are given more.

Fair warning, you are not given a HEA however you are given hope.

Alexa and Twitch are explosive, passionate and sensual, you know when you read a book and you get that tingly feeling in your belly, you feel a little bit sick because you just know it is going be hard.  Raw is definitely gritty and will devastate your soul but in the end you will love it – Life is not easy, Love is not easy but sometimes the journey is what makes you appreciate what you have.

Raw (Raw Family #1)

My Rating:  5 Hearts

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Savior (First to Fight #4)

By Nicole Blanchard

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Synopsis

II thought I put my past behind me.

I lost everything when I testified against my fiancé for the murders of five women. After the jury delivered a life sentence, I ran. I hoped if I could disappear, maybe the horror he caused would, too.

When I return to Florida for the first time after his conviction, I’m determined to face my fears and get my life back. Then, a woman is murdered and I’m the only one who believes her death features the same signature as those I’m trying so hard to forget.

Instinct tells me to run again, but local cop Logan Blackwell has never let a suspect–or a woman–get away. He’s made it his own personal mission to solve the case and he needs my help to do it.

I have no choice once we learn I’m the next target, but I’m not interested in getting close to another man, especially not a sexy former Marine who has secrets of his own.

This is a FULL-LENGTH, STANDALONE, with NO CLIFFHANGER.

Review

Savior is book 4 of the First to Fight series and I really thought I would have loved it more – sadly no – I am left unsatisfied upon finishing.

My favourite two books of the series remain as Warrior and Survivor.

I am sorry but twenty chapters of mystery and it is all over in two pages that end chapter twenty and then we are given a Epilogue kind of left me flat with too many questions in my head for a STANDALONE.

What I loved – the connection between Logan and Sienna was just immediate and I felt it to my bones.  Logan was perfect for Sienna and the Epilogue simply ended beautifully for the characters, thank you for giving Sienna the gift you did, it was like a full circle.  I did find it a bit weird that Logan next caught onto the “secret” considering how alpha and protective he was.

Grandma Rose and Aunt Diane were two characters I loved from the start and their world of B&B made a safe haven for Sienna.  To watch these two women circle Sienna and give her a safe place was a beautiful thing to read and their humour gave light to sometimes dark moments.  Their banter with Logan being the overprotective Aunt and Grandma was fantastic, love seeing a grown alpha man brought to hell by two overprotective loving women.

What left me unsatisfied was the pace which towards the end was too fast in order to wrap up the whole drama and suspense, especially the motel scene.  I mean it was like “wham bam thank you ma’am” and it was all over.  We got no further information.

I have so many questions about  Joseph and Gavin.  Did the killer think Paige was Piper?  Why did he kill off her friends? Was he trying to get rid of them all so she would need him?  I wanted to know more about that fateful night at the nightclub, I was dying to know his side of the story?    After finishing this book I actually went back to the when she was at college and checked some paragraphs in case I missed something as the whole ex Fiancee Gavin was not sitting right with me.

Saviour (First to Fight #4)

My Rating: 3 Hearts

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Pull Me Close (The Panic #1)

By Sidney Halson

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Synopsis

Welcome to Panic, a sultry Miami nightclub where bodies and hearts move to a beat that doesn’t stop at sunrise—the setting for an emotionally charged series from the bestselling author of the Worth the Fight novels.

When Katherine Wilson passes out in the arms of the hottest man she’s ever seen, it’s not because of the lights, the pulsating music, or the crowded dance floor. It’s because she can’t enjoy a night out like a normal person, not with her debilitating anxieties. These panic attacks are going to destroy her life unless she takes control—or gets a helping hand. So after the club’s bad-boy owner personally escorts her home, Katherine feels something urgent and primal awaken inside of her.

Nick Moreno doesn’t need a headache like Katherine. A drug bust has put his father behind bars and forced Nick to take over the daily business of his family’s South Beach nightclub. His head tells him to walk away—but his body has other ideas. Katherine’s vulnerability, her grace and courage, compel him to reach out. And when they kiss, Nick is overcome by desire: to pull her close, and promise that his embrace will always be the safest place on earth. 

Review

I simply cannot tell you my favourite scene – it is impossible – this story is a woven patchwork of having that one person to Pull You Close, cocoon you in their love – simply to be your warrior.

Sidney Halston has managed to combine two events in our history into a romantic story of repair, resolve and romance.  One minute I had tears in my eyes and the next I was fist pumping for Katherine taking another step in her recovery.

Katherine is my saviour, my warrior and beautiful and I immediately connected with her on such a personal level.   I have anxiety and depression and the way this author describes the thought processes of those who suffer this and measures you take to lead a normal life was simply spot on.  The personal desire of Katherine to not want to take medication, to lead a healthy and fulfilling life – this is not a depressing story it is one of rebirth and renewal.

Nick is judgemental and abrupt at the start however as soon as he stayed the night to make sure Katherine was okay – well right there I knew he was a keeper.

Matt who is Nick’s brother is an amazing character and he saw what his own brother could not right from the start and I am very happy to see he is getting his own story.

This story flowed perfectly, had the right amount of humour at times which gives the reader some lightness in a story that touches on the dark.  The sexual scenes and chemistry between Nick (Nico) and Katherine were simply sensual and will not disappoint the reader at all – I was left satisfied!

I love the cover and the ending was perfect.  We get a glimpse of the what is in store for Matt and I do hope that Nick and Katherine play a part in the next story as their journey is not over.

Looking forward to returning to Panic.

Quote: “I read once that if you don’t use your cock, it just falls off.  Poof, Just falls right the fuck off, and then all you’ll have left is a vagina.  Just putting that shit out there, man” 

Pull Me Close (The Panic #1)

My Rating: 5 Hearts

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Keepsake (True North # 3)

By Sarina Bowen

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Synopsis

There’s a first time for everything.

Lark Wainright used to be fearless. Her life was a series of adventures, each one more exhilarating than the last. But her recent overseas adventure was one too many. Now she’s home and in one piece. Mostly. But her nights are filled with terror.

When her best friend offers her a stay at the orchard in exchange for help at the farmers’ markets, Lark jumps at the chance to spend fall in Vermont. But her nightmares don’t stop. Desperate to keep her fragile state a secret, she relies on the most soft-spoken resident of the Shipley Farm to soothe her when her dreams prove too much.

Zachariah is a survivor, too. It’s been four years since he was tossed aside by the polygamist cult where he grew up. He’s found a peaceful existence on the Shipley’s farm, picking apples and fixing machinery. But getting thrown away by your own people at nineteen leaves a mark on a guy. He doesn’t always know what to make of a world where movie quotes are the primary means of communication. Before hitchhiking to Vermont, he’d never watched TV or spoken on the phone.

Actually, there are a lot of things he’s never done.

Zach and Lark slowly grow to trust one another. One night they become even closer than they’d planned. But Lark may still be too broken to trust anyone. When she pushes Zach away, he will have to prove to himself that he’s good for much more than farm labor.

Review

KEEPSAKE is the third and possible final book in the True North series, and Zach’s story is one I’ve been waiting for since BITTERSWEET⎯the first book in the series⎯came out.

Zach is an absolute sweetheart.  He’s kind, caring and hard-working.  He spends most of this book living in fear that his time is running out at Shipley Farm and he will soon be kicked out, just like he was from the polygamist cult he was born in to.  He’s not used to being given anything, whether it be gifts or affection, so it was endearing to see his reactions when being given those very things.  Lark used to be fearless, but now fear is her constant companion after an overseas adventure went wrong.  She has a lot of healing to do and she hopes that spending the picking season at Shipley Farm will help her do that.  But the memories won’t be denied and come out in the form of nightmares, and only Zach can calm her down after every episode.  What I liked most about Lark was that she tried so hard to put the past behind her, to get herself back to the woman she used to be.

KEEPSAKE is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone.  Despite a couple of sensitive issues, this was a mostly light and easy read.  There were a couple of scenes that were chuckle worthy, like the Shipley’s joyful response to Zach finally getting laid, and Griff’s story about how he once tried to give the twins the condom talk.  Is this the last we’ll hear of the Shipley farm?  I certainly hope not because there are plenty of other characters that could get their own books.  I’d love to read about Zara, her little girl and the father who remains a mystery.  KEEPSAKE ends with a nice HEA where we see Zach feeling the most settled and accepted he’s ever been.

Keepsake (True North # 3)

My Rating:  4 Hearts

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True North Series

Ghost Maker (Ghost Seer Series Book 5)

By Robin D. Owens

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Synopsis

Clare Cermak has a gift for speaking to ghosts of the Old West, but in the latest from the author of Ghost Talker, she may soon join their ranks…

With Clare’s health fading, she and her partner—the love of her life—detective Zach Slade, head to Manitou Springs, Colorado, in search of the only healer who can help them: the ghost of Sister Juliana Emmanuel, whose healing skills live on in the afterlife.

Unfortunately for Clare, the nun’s ghost is elusive, and the town is teeming with spirits who all want to speak with Clare—newer ones, street kids who’ve been killed and want their bodies found and their murders avenged.

Now, with the help of Zach and Sister Juliana, Clare must find the killer before he strikes again. But to do so, she will face an evil that could destroy everything she and Zach hold dear—including their love…

Review

Ghost Maker is the continuation of Clare and Zach’s story.  Clare has settled into her role as someone who can aid the ghosts who have not transitioned yet.  Zach is also settling into his role as her love and protector, even when that means protecting her from herself.

This addition of the Ghost Seer Series finds that Clare still has her spectral wound that isn’t getting any better so she is having trouble completing her duties.  She is slowly dying and Zach will do everything in his power to prevent that from happening.  They find themselves looking for a specific type of ghost who can help Clare.  This ghost just happens to be a nun who is still tormenting herself for her actions when she was alive.

Enzo also returns in Ghost Maker.   I love what Enzo adds the innocence and wide eye optimism.  He makes a great friend to both Clare and Zach and adds humour where the story needs it.

The Other also adds another dimension to this story because of his unwillingness to see Clare as anything more than a means to an end.  He never shows real compassion for anyone unless they can help him get to the next level of existence.

This story was very touching.  Clare continued to help spirits even at the risk of her own health. Zach was by her side every step of the way.  When the case he was working on intersects with Clare’s tormented nun, the story offers an emotional punch.  I found this story felt a little long in parts but the ending gave the emotional balance that I was looking for in the story.

Ghost Maker

My Rating:  4 Hearts

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Slow Burn (Colorado High Country # 2)

By Pamela Clare

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Synopsis

Victoria Woodley is done with men. Fresh off a dating nightmare, she flies from her home in Chicago to Scarlet Springs to take part in her best friend’s wedding. Who picks her up at the airport? Eric Hawke. Of course. She made a fool of herself over him last time she was here. He’s cocky, charming, and sexy as sin. But the fact that she’s attracted to him is all the proof she needs that he’s bad news. She would ignore him if she could. But he’s the best man, and she’s the maid of honor. She can’t just tell him to jump in a lake—especially not when her lips are locked with his.

Eric isn’t looking for a relationship. Between running the firehouse and volunteering for the county’s search and rescue team, he has enough on his plate. He doesn’t need to get tangled up with a woman from the big city, especially one whose idea of roughing it is going without designer coffee. Yet from the moment he looks into Victoria’s big brown eyes, the attraction he feels is too strong to deny. Faster than he can imagine, the spark of desire that has smoldered between them since the first day they met will flare into full-blown passion. 

But can Eric convince Victoria to set aside her doubts and trust him with her heart before their time together runs out?

Review

I enjoyed SLOW BURN, which is the second book in the Colorado High Country series.  The prologue is a unseen scene from the first book, which shows us how Eric and Vic first met.  After that, the story starts back up again one year after their first encounter and mostly takes place in the span of a week.  Because of that timeframe, I’d classify this as an insta-love.

I liked Vic, who is a smart and generous woman.  She’s also beautiful and rich, which are the two things that ended up causing her a lot of pain and suffering throughout the past year.  She’s struggling to overcome the fear that now plagues her, while learning to trust men again.  I think what I liked most about her was that she didn’t bend over backwards to win her family’s approval back.  I prefer to see a person cut toxic people out of their lives rather than clinging on to hope, so I loved that when she needed her family the most and they let her down, she cut them out of her life.  As with the first book, this story focuses more on Vic than on Eric, so I can’t say too much about him, other than he’s a really nice guy who is very good to his mother.  Oh, and he’s a firefighter. Do you really need to know anything else?

SLOW BURN is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone.  It also comes with a nice HEA for Eric and Vic.  Thankfully, there wasn’t anywhere near the amount of technical talk as there was in the first book, but there are still a lot of characters running around that are hard to keep track of.  As with the first book, there are a couple of I-Team character cameos, but again, you don’t need to read their stories.  At this stage, I have no idea who will get the next book, but I’ll be keeping an eye out for it.

Slow Burn (Colorado High Country # 2)

My Rating:  4 Hearts

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Colorado High Country Series

Sugar Free (Sugar Bowl # 3)

By Sawyer Bennett

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Synopsis

Sela and Beck’s deliciously sinful tale of sex, lies, and vengeance reaches its explosive conclusion in the final chapter of Sawyer Bennett’s Sugar Bowl trilogy, which began with the novels Sugar Daddy and Sugar Rush.
 
For years Sela Halstead dreamed of revenge, but the quest for payback has been anything but sweet. Now, once again, she finds herself at the mercy of Jonathon Townsend, his hands crushing the very breath from her body. And even though she escapes with her life, Sela fears she may never recover. In desperate need of shelter and comfort, she runs to the one man she can trust. Beckett North has stood by Sela since the beginning. But can he handle the brutal truth?
 
Beck will do anything to protect what is his—and make no mistake, Sela belongs to him, heart and soul. The passion between them runs hot, even as their world begins to unravel. With the legacy of his ruthless business partner hanging in the balance, Beck stands to lose everything: his fortune, his family, his freedom. But each touch of Sela’s mouth on his skin, her nails down his back, makes it harder to let her go—and it might not even be his choice to make.

Review

SUGAR FREE takes place immediately after SUGAR RUSH, with Sela telling Beck about JT’s latest attack, a scene that was pretty rough to read.  Beck and Sela have to make a choice about what to do next, and that choice quickly leads them towards an uncertain future.  The lengths these two are willing to go to, just to protect the other, shows you how much they love each other.  While Beck has been a pillar of support for Sela in all three books, it’s Sela’s chance to return the favour because the secrets revealed and the events that transpire in this story are soul crushing.  Thankfully in the end, Sela gets justice, JT gets what he deserved and Beck and Sela get their HEA.

“What you and I have, Sela…no one will ever comprehend it.  No one will ever come in between it.  But it’s real and it’s ours, and I’m never letting it go.”

SUGAR FREE is told in dual POVs and is the final book in the Sugar Bowl trilogy.  All three books are connected by a single story and cannot be read as stand-alones.  I was very happy with how this series concluded, although I was scared there for a little while because I thought the book would end in a way I was not going to like.  But then I got to chapter 25.  A chapter so good that I read it not once, not twice, but three times.  That chapter was fantastic and deserves a mic drop at the end of it because it was that good.

What else can I say about SUGAR FREE?  Honestly, not much because to do so would give away all the scary and awesome things that happened in this book.  The twists and turns from beginning to end had my head spinning, and I never knew where the story was going to take me next.  As with SUGAR DADDY and SUGAR RUSH, this was another amazing read that was impossible to put down.  I FUCKING LOVED IT!!!

Sugar Free (Sugar Bowl # 3)

My Rating:  5 Hearts

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Sugar Bowl Series