Stolen By A Sinner by Michelle Heard

⚠ This book contain minor teasers! 

Original post from my IG @booksofthemuggleborn

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• BLURB •

Cinderella said to be kind, have courage, and always believe in a little magic.

She’s wrong.

To survive in my world, you have to be dead inside, be on guard at all times, and never dream of the impossible.

You never dream of anything because you don’t just get to stop working for the Polish mafia.

But you can be stolen from them.

Well, kind of.

When Gabriel Demir, head of the Turkish mafia, attacks my boss, I’m caught in the crossfire.

I’m taken captive, interrogated, and soon find myself in the position of maid again. Only this time, it’s for the Turkish instead of Polish.

This time it’s for a dangerously attractive man and not the insane one I’ve known all my life.

This time I find myself fantasizing about my boss instead of dreaming of ways to escape.

This time I’m not threatened with pain and death but with pleasure.

But can I step out of the maid’s uniform and into a ballgown?

Do I dare cross that line just for a moment in the spotlight?

•••

• MY REVIEW •

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“He might not be my prince, but he’s definitely my savior.”

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I am in love with Stolen By A Sinner! 👏👏👏 We’re only halfway through this series and it’s already phenomenal, and the two previous books have been addictive as hell… but this one just hits a little differently— it’s extra special.

Everything was on point, from the initial premise, to the expectations, to the overall execution of the storytelling! It may sound simple enough for a book to coincide with its synopsis but there’s plenty of cases where it ends up becoming a bit of a hit and miss, and you’re left with a story that headed in a completely unsuspecting direction. Heard had undertaken a Cinderella tale set in a modern Mafia world and ended up not only delivering but surpassing all expectations. I honestly cannot stopping re-reading it. The stories, the developments, and ugh… the characters have all but consumed my thoughts, and I don’t see it fading away anytime soon.

Right from the very beginning there’s already a vivid sense of uneasiness and fear as Lara takes us into her depressing, isolated world. Although it was still early days into the story, it was already such a pivotal period of Lara’s personal story, as it provides both an understanding of her circumstances, and ultimately the backstory to the main narrative between Gabriel and herself.

Such a winning pair of leading characters that complement each other so well. Gabriel is the next Mafioso in the series to share his story and believe me when I say he’ll leave his mark on your heart, but Lara’s character growth is utterly moving, to say the least. She’s very much the focal point, with the majority of the storyline revolving around her. With her youth, lack of life experiences and relationships, she’d been severely conditioned to accept her standing on top of constantly keeping her wits about her.

There’s nothing arrogant about Gabriel’s strength and authority, yet he’s undoubtedly a powerful, intimidating-as-hell hero who willingly (and effortlessly) slipped into a solid supporting role for his heroine. I found it to be such an intriguing dynamic getting to witness such a gradual, genuine relationship form between that two through patience, compassion, and acceptance. As the story progressed you can literally see trust building, that made their entire relationship all the more heart-warming and realistic as it evolved.

It’s a pretty harsh and emotional read. I’d lost count of how many times I either welled-up with tears or downright blubbered. You can’t help but be heartbroken for Lara and all that she’s endured. It’s such savagery and a deep sense of loneliness. It touches on mental health and wellbeing, and reflects on multiple societal and economic issues. Don’t take Heard’s warning of this book lightly, as it contains serious triggers and intended for readers 18+ only.

But in saying that, for readers who have no issues with sensitive subject matter, I cannot recommend this book enough. It’s my first ever Turkish Mafia romance, but what also attracted me to the story was the Cinderella-themed synopsis. So, if you enjoy any of the following romance sub-genres and tropes, I really think this one will be to your liking! 😊

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“If you want me to be your prince, I’ll be your fucking prince, baby.”

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• Modern-Day Fairy tale
• Age-Gap Romance
• Captive Romance
• Opposite sides of the tracks
• Workplace Romance
• Cross-Cultural/ Interracial Characters
• Romantic Suspense
• Dark Mafia Romance
• Slow-Burn Romance
• Enemies-to-Lovers

There’s such a well-written cast of characters included that seriously elevated this book to heavenly status! I haven’t loved an entire group of people (albeit, fictional) in a very long time. This is the type of support system dreams are made of. They brought about friendship, strength, loyalty, and also displayed a deep contrast between Lara’s and Gabriel’s worlds. And if that wasn’t enough, the additional light-heartedness and much needed (but surprising) comic-relief was the cherry on top of an epic fairy tale romance story!

What I’ve quickly discovered with each book in this series is that I really enjoy (and look forward to) getting to learn another language. It may just be a few words but the way Heard has incorporated diversity and culture into these books added another layer to the world-building and almost transports its audience to new travel destinations. It also makes her characters and their world a lot more fleshed out.

Stolen By A Sinner is journey worth experiencing for yourself. It’s an emotional rollercoaster— you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll swoon, and then you’ll cry some more. It’s a standalone novel in The Sinners Series but it’s a complete story—epilogue and all!

It’s easily one of my favourite reads of 2022!

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you Michelle Heard and Candi Kane PR for the opportunity to read an advanced copy! 🧡

🔔 Interested in reading Stolen By A Sinner? Grab your copy here: Amazon US  |  Amazon UK  |  Amazon AU  |  Amazon CA

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⌚ Start the Sinners Series!

Original post from my IG @booksofthemuggleborn

Original post from my IG @booksofthemuggleborn

Book One: Taken By A Sinner by Michelle Heard

Book Two: Owned By A Sinner by Michelle Heard

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⛪ Read the Saints Series!

Original post from my IG @booksofthemuggleborn

Original post from my IG @booksofthemuggleborn

Book 1-4: The Saints Series by Michelle Heard

Book Five: Tears Of Salvation by Michelle Heard

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Happy reading, guys! Catch you in my next one! Xo

The Glass Slipper by K. Webster

Original post from my IG @booksofthemuggleborn

•••

• BLURB •

Betraying the most powerful man in New York wasn’t something I ever envisioned when I first started playing games with Winston Constantine. But he’s engaged in far more dangerous games than ours, and his enemies are out for blood.

Winston has my heart, the Morellis have incriminating photos, and I’m left with nothing except three stepbrothers who want to hurt me and a future in doubt. I knew Winston wouldn’t be my prince charming, but that didn’t stop me from falling for him.

After all, the slippers fit, and I let myself believe I’d be dancing with Winston forever.

Until too much truth comes to light.

Until I realize instead of ruling the board, I was just a pawn.

In the end, I have only one question. When his game with me is over, will I be able to pretend as if the glass slipper wasn’t a perfect fit?

•••

• MY REVIEW •

Ahhhh! I recently finished reading the third and final book in Webster’s Cinderella trilogy and I am left reeling, feeling giddy-happy, and all around content with how Ash and Winston’s story wrapped up. This book started off strong and kept at it all the way through to the end. There was just so many things happening that it was hard to put down!

This was an action-packed third installment. A lot of things were left up in the air from the second book that I was itching to get to. Same as the previous books in this trilogy, it’s fast-paced storytelling and told in first person, dual points of view. Whilst it took some getting used to with the difference in age between Ash and Winston, I’m happy to say by this third book I was smiling at their dynamics. The cool, calm and collected mature personality of Winston and the youthful, carefree, and teenage rebelliousness of Ash. I’m late to the party, but for some insane reason I finally found their unique, taboo relationship adorable and just so well-suited now. After two books and a steady progression, Ash and Winston have rubbed off on each other and a somewhat balanced-out coupling has formed. The power and say-so is not all up to Winston anymore. Ash is finally getting some of her input and Winston is all but happy to entertain her wants and needs.

👋 So long to the cold-hearted façade towards Ash… (and to be honest it’s made him more personable in my eyes). You can see his transformation. The guy did not stand a chance against Ash’s drive and determination! 🤭 She’s opened him up emotionally and gave him something else to focus his time on other than the Constantine empire and who to destroy next.

The only reason why I didn’t give it full ratings is whilst it was a great ending to their story, the book itself felt a little rushed towards the end. There were a few roadblocks that Ash and Winston were trying to get through in the previous books that continued onto this one, yet they were all resolved relatively quickly in what seemed like in one fell swoop. You’re still trying to wrap your head around everything and next thing you know it’s already reached the end. It just seemed like a swift conclusion to all their problems before you get to the swoon-worthy happily ever after.

But in saying that, The Glass Slipper is my favourite from all three books. Overall, it was an absolute treat to read this trilogy. It’s definitely a different take on the classic tale of Cinderella, and it stands out from all other fairy tale retellings I’ve read in the past due to Webster’s distinctly twisted style of storytelling. Who would have thought Cinderella in this version is a maid highly paid to participate in indecent sexual acts that’s considered degrading, cruel, and oh-so taboo with the much older, uber rich, and unbelievably powerful “Prince Charming”?! It’s a total adult-rated fairy tale story! 

• Age Gap Romance
• Billionaire Romance
• Contemporary
• Light BDSM
• Opposites Attract

This story has a nice balance of light and shade. Whilst Ash’s and Winston’s story was cast in gloominess the majority of the time, there were still plenty of playful and upbeat moments weaved throughout from keeping it going too dark. Putting aside their quirky relationship, there’s also plenty of secondary characters that assisted in making this book more than a simple love story between two people from opposite worlds.

There’s no slowing down the drama, the copious amounts of devious characters, and dirty dealings going on in their world. I liked how easily the atmosphere changed depending on whichever character was presently in the forefront—whether it was a member of the Constantine family, or Ash’s family, or even those who worked for Winston, you can automatically sense the change in air… which I truly think has a lot to do with the fact that Webster created such lavish world-building that constantly keeps you intrigued.

This is only one story set in the world of the Midnight Dynasty. But I can only hope certain characters (those who don’t already have their own series) who’ve made appearances in this trilogy will eventually get their own book too… *cough* Perry *cough* 😜😉 (More details on the Midnight Dynasty below!)

And I have to say if you’ve read the other books in the Midnight Dynasty then you might agree with me that a certain Constantine has been shown in a slightly different light in these books. I actually liked the fact that in this particular case, this Constantine was shown to have a softer, more human side because they certainly were portrayed to be more ruthless in the other ones.

After reading the first two books, you’ll see how far Ash and Winston have come since their first encounter. It started out initially as a business transaction that turned into so much more. They are wrapped up in each other, and seeing how their story concludes was so satisfying. Team Constantine! ✊ These books introduced me to Webster and I’m looking forward to reading more of her work.

What can you expect from this book? Hot and heavy bedroom romps, declaration of love, suspense, plot twists, and ever-constant banter! A must read for dark romance readers and fans of dark fairy tales.

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you K. Webster, Dangerous Press, and Candi Kane PR for the opportunity to read an advanced copy! 💙

🔔 Interested in reading The Glass Slipper? Grab your copy here: Amazon  |  Apple Books  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Kobo  |  Google Play

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👑 Read my reviews for the Cinderella Series!

📘 Book One: Stroke Of Midnight by K. Webster

📘 Book Two: Prince Charming by K. Webster

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Midnight Dynasty is a brand new world where enemies and lovers are often one and the same.

Continue with the world of the Midnight Dynasty!

💻  Join the Facebook Group! Midnight Dynasty Reader Lounge

📱 Follow on Instagram! Dangerous Press

🔔 Get the latest news! Newsletter Sign Up

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Happy reading, guys! Catch you in my next one! Xo

Prince Charming by K. Webster

Original post from my IG @booksofthemuggleborn

•••

• BLURB •

Winston Constantine is no prince charming…

I crave him so badly I think I might be losing my mind. He’s right in front of me, but he’s just as remote as my dreams of getting away from my stepbrothers. I keep playing his twisted games, and I want to stay just as distant as he is. But I can’t. I never could. I’ve fallen for him. Hopelessly. Irrevocably.

But Winston isn’t a lover, he’s a business venture.

A way for me to pay for college.

A ticket out.

He’s never pretended to be anything other than that.

I can’t blame him for making me fall in love.

There can be no happily ever after between a maid and a prince, no matter what the stories say.

•••

• MY REVIEW •

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“I’m the villain and my story doesn’t end with a carriage ride into the sunset.”

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Okay. Okay. With the first book (Stroke of Midnight) I was a little skeptical, a little unsure if it was a book I could truly like or not… but after having read the second book? Yeah, I’m sold that yes this book is one hell of an acquired taste but hot damn not only did I binge read it, enjoyed it, but now I’m anticipating the conclusion to the series! Eeep! 🙉

I can undoubtedly say the I am invested in Ash and Winston’s twistedly cruel, yet somehow endearing screwed-up relationship. The constant banter between not only the two of them but with the rest of the Constantine siblings (especially Perry) had me chuckling to myself all throughout (and getting weird side-glances from people as they notice me smiling to myself). 😅

It certainly has a great balance of that light-hearted banter and uplifting moments to the darker, unsettling scenes that occur. As with the first book, this one has sensitive subject matter that may be triggering to some readers. Please be aware that bullying, attempted sexual and physical assault are present.

When I’m not smiling like a loon, I found myself holding my breath at times. Webster has brilliantly set the mood and atmosphere with every scene, making you feel like you’re right there alongside the characters. The build-up, the intensity of some situations had me digging my nails into my palms. It’s one of those stories where you know the pin is eventually going to drop but even though it does, it still takes you aback like you didn’t see it coming… *shakes head* 😲🙈

Such a juicy, entertaining continuance from Stroke of Midnight. It continues right from where it ended and goes straight to Ash and Winston’s full-out complicated kinky relationship. You must read the first book in order to read this one because the series is one whole continuous storyline. With the first book, Ash and Winston were still finding their groove and testing each other’s limits. In this one… they are completely comfortable in each other’s space and have fallen into somewhat of a routine.

As the title has most likely given it away, this book focuses more so on the anti-hero, anti-prince-charming himself, Winston Constantine. Whilst we get both protagonists’ points of view, Winston’s is ultimately what I got hooked onto seeing develop. He’s a businessman — powerful, intimidating, and always get his way. But the more he spends time with Ash, the more his second-guessing his feelings for her.

It’s an interesting contrast to Ash’s young, open book, and usually light-hearted personality. She’s a bubbly teenager, but she also has determination and backbone.

Besides the whole kinky, BDSM erotica weaved throughout this story (which I don’t usually go for in my romance reads), I can’t say an age-gap romance trope is another element I read a lot of. But in saying that, this book (and this entire series in general) has become an exception. I’m not familiar enough with Webster’s writing style, as she’s still a relatively new-to-me author, but based on the two books I’ve read, both of which are from this series, I can say her storytelling is easy to follow, the world-building creative, and the characters are intriguing. These books may be considered guilty pleasure reads, but there not at all fluff. There some depth and progression throughout the story and with the characters.

I adored the push and pull between Ash and Winston, and seeing them battling with their inner monologue. It reminds me somewhat of a soap opera with all the constant drama surrounding the Constantines and the amount of trouble that seems to pop up at every turn. But there are certain situations that are very much relatable that you can’t help but feel emotional about.

The secondary characters in this book are on point! Whether they’re fun-loving, goodhearted heroes, or vile, disturbingly sick villains… they definitely added layers to this modern fairy tale. You’ll either be giggling, or be in a murderous mood. And for those who cry easily like I do, you may just surprisingly get teary-eyed too. Who knows?! Besides the romance, there’s strong familial plot points as well. You get an insight to the Constantine family dynamics, as well as Ash’s one with her father, step monster mother, and (ugh barf!) step-brothers.

Whilst I overall found myself needing to know what happens next. I did get inklings to certain characters and situations that I’m predicting will play out in the third and final book. I don’t want to blurt out names and spoil it for you guys wanting to read this, but a certain friend is looking awfully dodgy that I’m keeping my eyes peeled! *narrows eyes* 🤔        

If you love the classic tale of Cinderella told in a dirty, raunchy retelling — that I wouldn’t recommend reading out in public, then you have got to read this one! If you haven’t read Stroke of Midnight, start with that one first. Grab some good grub and some booze, and discover the world of the Constantine family, of secrecy, deception, and devious plotting.

A dark, contemporary romance that’ll have you reading until the wee hours!    

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you K. Webster and Candi Kane PR for the opportunity to read an advanced copy! 💙

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Read my review for the first book in the Cinderella series!

Original post from my IG @booksofthemuggleborn

📘 Stroke Of Midnight by K. Webster

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Happy reading, guys! As always, catch you in my next one! Xo

2020 Favourite Reads

*pheeeeeew*

We’ve been saying “I can’t wait for 2020 to be over” constantly throughout the year and it’s fiiiiinally here! 🙌 In just a few short hours we can officially say adios to the crap-stick that is 2020 and ring in the New Year!

I’m sure plenty can relate that this year was a tough mudda (more so than usual) to get through. But I hope everyone at least found some goodness in between. Books and reading has always been some form of sanctuary and escapism for me. It’s partly why I can easily prefer reading books to spending time with company. 😅

Weird thing is with having been at home for the majority of the year, you’d think it’d be easy to knock out book after book but nope! With work, general adulting, life slumps, and the occasional I’m-not-going-to-do-shit-today mood swings, I’ve not read as much as I would have wanted to. 

But in saying that… I did so happen to be fortunate enough to have read some unbelievably soul-shaking stories that completely had me in stitches, and/or ugly crying… which then resulted in either a hangover, rereading, thinking about day and night, and/or all of the above. 

I won’t be including old faves I’ve reread this year. This compilation is strictly all new books I discovered in 2020. And surprisingly (probably to me more than anybody else, really) they’re not all five star reads. But I can’t stress this enough… they are all loved, and ones I would happily recommend to friends (FYI that includes YOU!) 😊

In no particular order (mostly because I’m too lazy to chronologize the shit out of it lol). But I have at least sorted them into sub-genres because I know not all romance readers read all romance, amirite? 😉

So here we go! 

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• Contemporary Romance •

📖 Kiss To Forget by Anna B. Doe

(Hate to Love, New Adult Romance)

📖 Wicked Idol by Becker Gray

(New Adult, Bully Romance) 

📖 Pretty When She Cries by A. Zavarelli

(New Adult, Hate to Love, Bully Romance) *Trigger Warnings*

📖 One Moment Please by Amy Daws

(One Night Stand, Hate to Love, Adult Romance)

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• MC Romance •

📚 Blood Fury MC series by Jeanne St. James

(Dark MC) *Trigger Warnings*

📖 Tempting the Biker by Glenna Maynard

(Dark MC, Age Gap Romance) *Trigger Warnings*

📚 Devil Kings MC series by Nicole James

(Dark MC, Opposites Attract) *Trigger Warnings*

📚 The MC Sinners series/ MC Sinners Next Generation series by Bella Jewel

(Dark MC, Second-Chance Romance) *Trigger Warnings*

📖 Fury by Marie Jordan

(Second-Chance Romance) 

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• Mafia Romance •

📚 Unholy Union Duet by Natasha Knight

(Arranged Marriage, Hate to Love)

📖 Birdy by Dee Garcia

(Love Triangle, Dark Romance)

📚 Ties That Bind Duet by Natasha Knight & A. Zavarelli

(Forbidden, Dark Romance) *Trigger Warnings*

📖 Sweet Temptation by Cora Reilly

(Arranged Marriage, Age Gap Romance)

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• Paranormal Romance •

📖 Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh

(Shifter Romance, Fantasy, Hate to Love)

📖 Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

(Shifter Romance, Fantasy, Age Gap Romance, Enemies to Lovers)

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• Dark Romance •

📖 The Danger You Know by Lily White

(Stalker Romance) *Trigger Warnings*

📖 Guts & Glory: Brick by Jeanne St. James

(Fake Relationship, Military-Type Romance) *Trigger Warnings*

📖 Stealing Cinderella by A. Zavarelli

(Modern Day Fairytale Retelling) *Trigger Warnings*

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Aaaaaaand there you have it! 😁 Not sure if this will become a yearly thing for me so this could very well be the one and only. Hehe.

If you want to see all my reads for the year, don’t forget to check out my Monthly Wrap Ups. My December one will be posted shortly so keep an eye out for it! Happy holidays! I sincerely wish everyone a safe but happy New Year’s Eve/ Day! 💙 

Thank you for the support you’ve all given me for my reviews and my book blog in general! I’m in awe of the amazing people I’ve met through this bookish community and the copious amounts of books I’ve discovered over time. I’m truly thankful for the friendships I’ve made. As well as the opportunities I’m fortunate enough to be a part of.

Happy reading, and as always catch you in my next one! Xo 

Snow White & The Biker by Glenna Maynard

Original post from my IG @booksofthemuggleborn

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— BLURB —

She’s an heiress and he’s the outlaw hired to kill her.

She’s supposed to be an easy target. One bullet and done. All I have to do to earn my Original Seven MC patch is pull the trigger. It sounds easy enough until I make the mistake of falling for her. When the time comes, I will have to do what I was born for and end her life. Only I can’t stop thinking about her red as blood lips and how good they taste or her dark as night hair wrapped up in my fist. It’s either kill her or take her place six feet under. In this life you can either ride or you die.

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— MY REVIEW —

My fourth book from Glenna Maynard… annnnnnnd I may just be a little obsessed! 😅 She was a newly discovered author for me late last month and since then I’ve been on a Maynard kick and loving it! 🙌

The funny thing is when I started reading Snow White & The Biker a few days ago, I had total deja vu until it clicked that I had read something of Maynard’s long before and just hadn’t realized until now. A sample of this very book was included in the MC anthology Love, Loyalty and Mayhem (which I read earlier in the year). Stupid me read it, loved it, remember thinking I gotta read the rest of the book, but well… life got in the way and I completely forgot about it.

Fast forward to the present, I’m reading this book, indeed realized I had already read the first few chapters of it, and now even more excited to what happens. 

Now that I’ve finally finished it, was it all that I hoped? Hmm…

A modern day fairytale retelling of Snow White set in a dark MC world? Let’s see… I uhh yeah…. effin’ loved it!

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“Violence. Death. Blood. Betrayal.”

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I adore me some fairy tale retellings (the darker the better), and I’m a daily MC romance fiend! Combining these two in one resulted in brilliant chemistry! I don’t know why I’ve never encountered fairy tale retellings set in MC romance backdrops until now. This was a treat and just another example of why I can’t seem to get enough of Maynard’s books right now. 

She has a knack for writing books that have a way of sucking you in instantly within the first chapter. The characters are immediately intriguing and the storytelling is relatively easy pacing from the get-go. Here, Snow White is modern and goes by the name Sybil — and yes there’s still the wicked stepmother who’ll have you clenching your jaw. But let’s be real here, it’s all about the hero… or in this case, the modern day huntsman, the anti-hero Diego who just so happens to fall for the fairest of them all and is willing to go to such extremes (and I do mean EXTREMES) to ensure he gets a happily ever after!

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“Love doesn’t come without pain and sacrifice.”

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I should mention to you folks who are interested in reading this little baby — if you can’t hack graphic details, I suggest you suck it up and just deal because if you skip out on this book, you’ll regret it. But no seriously, kidding aside, there are a few scenes here that are a little detailed, a little gruesome, and a little shocking. So keep that in mind.

The mutiple POVs included gives this book more dimension. It provides the reader insight to almost all the main and secondary characters’ mindset and displays the dynamics between the characters and their relatiionships with one another well. It’s a refreshing change from the romance reads that usually only contain dual POVs. Here, you get the twisted minds of the antagonists too!

If you’re a fan of Snow White, love a juicy character-driven storyline full of revenge, game-playing, and heated banter, then you have got to add this one to your TBR. For a relatively quick standalone read, the world-building and gritty atmosphere was created right off the bat and gradually expanded the further the characters’ lives are delved into.

I would’ve liked to have seen more individual character development from both Sybil and Diego, but it’s no dealbreaker. Understandably the plot and with things unraveling relatively quickly between the two, there wouldn’t be much growth with either one of their personalities with the timeline they had. Fortunately, the constant push and pull in their relationship is an entertaining upside to watch unravel that any issue I had with the little character development faded into the background. 

Besides the revenge plotting, the chemistry between Sybil and Diego is what I clung to the most. Not wanting to admit crushing on the bad boy but when said bad boy reciprocates those feelings and is not willing to let you go? Well… I don’t know about you romance readers, but that’s going to get my attention. I didn’t even factor the ruggedly handsome good looks and charm in! Hehe.

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“I’d kill for you, baby. Bleed for you. Die for you.”

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Overall, a cool balance of MC elements and romance. I enjoyed this twisted Snow White retelling. It’s definitely a different take from all the others I’ve read in the past. Maynard is fast becoming one of my auto-buy romance authors with the rate of how many books of hers I’ve been reading lately. 

The suspense was constant from start to finish with some unpredictability thrown into the mix.

Sybil and Diego are likable lead characters, especially if you like seeing spunky, determined heroines who may or may not be completely innocent, and stubborn, alpha-esque heroes who are a little twisty in the head.    

If you haven’t read anything of Maynard’s yet, this is a great book to start off with as you’re not committing to a book series. If you enjoy reading MC romance books, then this is also a recommended book not to be missed. 

RATING: ♥♥♥♥/5

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Read more of my reviews of Glenna Maynard’s books!

📚 Royal Bastards MC: Charleston, WV 

The Biker’s Kiss by Glenna Maynard

Lady & The Biker by Glenna Maynard

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Happy reading, guys! Catch you in my next one! Xo

His Royal Highness by R.S. Grey

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— BLURB —

I’ve spent eight years wishing I’d fall out of love with Derek Knightley. Blowing out birthday candles, chasing after shooting stars, making it rain spare change into mall fountains—every time it’s the same wish: forget about Derek.

But the day he walks back into my life, I realize there are two things time has yet to soften: my feelings for him and his chiseled jawline.

It’s infuriating that my heart still races when he walks into a room. I refuse to fall prey to old unrequited love, so I decide the less I’m around him, the better. Avoidance is key.

Unfortunately, Derek isn’t going to make it easy. As a teenager, I would have crawled on my hands and knees to attract his attention. Now I can’t seem to escape it.

I’m not sure why he’s bothering. He’s not just out of my league—he’s out of my tax bracket. As the sole heir to the Knightley Company, he’s as close to American royalty as you can get. As for me, I’m just a part-time princess at Knightley’s flagship magical theme park.

I spend my days playing make-believe, but Derek has no use for fairytales. His unwavering confidence makes it clear he thinks I’ll surrender in the end.

He’s just biding his time.
Making me sweat.

His Royal Highness always gets what he wants.
And he wants me.

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— MY REVIEW —

I’m always excited to read a new one from R.S. Grey. Why? Because her books always have a way of making everything light and airy, happy and stress free (even if it’s only for a few hours) — Instant mood boosters, I tell ya! I always find at least one relatable character in her books, along with hilariously embarrassing scenes I can picture myself starring in in real life. And His Royal Highness is no different.

Ever since Rachel mentioned that this story was somewhat of a She’s All That-esque scenario where the male lead finally notices the shy girl and now wants a chance with her.. Ugh I knew I wasn’t gonna miss it!

Now that I have? All I can say is.. do you like The Little Mermaid? Yes? No?

Because it gave me such strong Ariel and Eric vibes, I’m not even kidding! (Minus trading one’s voice to have legs, and having a villainous octopus named Ursula getting in the way, of course). Luckily for me The Little Mermaid is one of my all time fave Disney movies so I was literally picturing Ariel and Eric’s facials as I was reading this. Lol. 😄

Like, for example:

This is legit how I pictured Whitney at the beginning whenever she’d see Eric… oops I meant Derek. 😉 That excited, giddy, yet anxious look about her. How self conscious she’d get whenever he was around. Ahhh young love. Hehe.

You can’t have that witty banter without having the guy jokingly mock the girl, or make a comment (knowing she’ll get embarrassed) just to drop the subject because he’s gotten the reaction he’s wanted from her. Ah yeah, she likes ya! #Cheeky

I like to call this the “why-don’t-things-go-the-way-I-want-them-to?!” reaction. Don’t forget to include that little huff in there too lol. And trust me, there were plenty of moments throughout the book where this reaction was called for (by Whitney. Even I found myself reacting the same way at times). *Huff*

And who doesn’t love when the guy your crushing on gives you one of these looks, after you’ve said or done something that did. not. come. out. right?! Anyone? Yeah…

Either that. Or this reaction.

Ugh. Tell me which is worst: The raising of the eyebrow, or the poorly half-hidden chuckle? Hahaha…

Hide me.

Okay. This one is probably the image that popped into my head the most. Due to the out-of-nowhere lines that made my eyes bug out. The things Whitney said or did. Yeah. This image summed up a lot of my feels throughout the book. And I’m not gonna lie.. there were a few scenes that made me wince, thinking why oh why, Whit. Why oh why?! Would you look at Eric’s face? I can only imagine it to mirror Derek’s…

Aaaaaaand finally— whenever they had a moment together… yeah this image came to mind! Would you look at that kiss?! Swoon…

His Royal Highness had all the right things included in its storyline to keep you reading. Yes, it did have a few things I felt dragged on a little, and I wasn’t always a fan of Whitney’s actions and reactions–and at times she still seemed like an immature teenager instead of the adult that she is. What matters is it didn’t deter me from wanting to see Whitney and Derek get together. Yes, she’s blossomed in some ways, but I would’ve liked to have seen more maturity from Whitney throughout the book and not just towards the end.

In my opinion, HRH is somewhat of a coming-of-age story. Whitney is first introduced at 18 years old, introverted, comes across quite lonesome, but who’s also dealing with some deep personal issues. After several years, you get to see her as the woman she is in the present, the changes in her life, and the path she’s chosen for herself and why.

The side characters in this story were a support group to Whitney, adding extra oomph and lightness, especially during scenes that could easily have been real downers. But that’s just the magic that is Rachel’s writing. She always seems to have the perfect one liners strategically placed that’ll have you unexpectedly snort-laughing. (Or maybe it’s just me).     

Nevertheless, without a doubt, an enjoyable read!

A teenage crush. ✔

Some heartbreak. ✔

A chance meeting years later. ✔

A double take from the guy who she had said teenage crush on. ✔

A bit of playing hard to get, and a bit of banter. ✔

A second chance romance. ✔

Funny one-liners. ✔

Lots of swooning. ✔

And of course— a HEA (Happily Ever After)! ✔

Fudge yeah! 😁😁

If you love feel good rom-coms, then you have got to check out His Royal Highness, along with the rest of R.S. Grey’s books! Perfect for hopeless romantics (like myself)— who love to swoon over adorable, smexy AF characters who can absolutely charm the pants off you! 😉

RATING: ♥♥♥♥/5

Thank you to R.S. Grey for the opportunity to read an advanced copy! 💗

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His Royal Highness by R.S. Grey!

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Thank you for reading, guys! Hope you enjoyed it. Catch you in my next one! Xo