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Everything to Me (Playing for Keeps Book 2) by Lauren Fraser – Review by Tori Werkheiser

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Everything to Me (Playing for Keeps Book 2)Everything to Me by Lauren Fraser
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book sounded so promising. I love a good brother’s best friend forbidden romance. This story follows Kendall who stays at her brother’s best friend Pete’s house, who she has crushed on since she was 12, for a week while she’s in town for work. One of the reasons she agrees to stay with him when her brother recommends it is that she sees this as an opportunity to play out her fantasy and sleep with him that week to “get him out of her system” after years of silently loving him. This is where things went south for me. It was just a few pages in, and she was immediately propositioning him with sex and trying to convince him to sleep with her even though he was declining it. I did not like the way she kept pushing it and did not seem to take no for an answer. If the roles were reversed and the man was pushing the subject it would NOT be okay. There was no romance between them and there were no reasons for us to understand why she has loved him since she was 12 besides his good looks. Nothing he did was swoon-worthy and their relationship was so surface level. I enjoyed Kendall’s work-life storyline, her love of sports, and her relationship with her friends, but I was really missing a lot in the romance department. There was also a lot of miscommunication and misunderstandings. Neither of them was completely honest with the other, which caused all their issues. The back and forth with emotions and miscommunication was very confusing and disappointing for me. This had decent moments but was overall a miss for me. It lacked genuine romance and substance for me to cling to.

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Depending On You by Jessica Aiken-Hall – Review by Tori Werkheiser

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Depending On YouDepending On You by Jessica Aiken-Hall
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book starts off with the knowledge that one of the main characters murdered someone but we don’t know who, how, or why. I was immediately hooked by the synopsis but the first two chapters I honestly hated and thought I would end up hating this book but man was I wrong. This book is really about the friendship of two women Cate and Patti and it flips back from the present-day to the year of the murder as we learn about the girls friendship, their personal lives and the night that lead to the murder. The two best friends once attached at the hip separated as most friendships do with time and distance but the one thing bringing them together again could also be the thing that tears them apart. This book is full of twists and secrets and honestly really had me hooked after the first 20%. There was a lot of love, heartache, sacrifice, secrets, and true genuine once-in-lifetime relationships. This was absolutely worth the read and I’m so glad I stuck with it because the ending was crazy.

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Savage Secrets (Mafia Elite, book 4) by Amy McKinley – Review by Tori Werkheiser

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Savage Secrets (Mafia Elite, #4)Savage Secrets by Amy McKinley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book follows Marco and Elena and is another Arranged Mafia Marriage romance. I blew through this book in one day! This book was packed with drama and excitement and the twist at the end OMG I was blown away. I did wish that there was more of a build-up and insight into the romance between Marco and Elena. You knew they were right for each other and had some history and angst but I wanted to fall in love with them and watch it unfold a little more but just like in the previous books from this series there was some good amount of spice and I truly love the world this author has created with these characters and I adore how they all intertwine in each book and I can keep watching new developments from previous book characters roll into this book along with the main characters of this. She does a really great job at incorporating old characters and continuing their story while also introducing a new story with Marco and Elena and I really love that. I look forward to reading book 5!

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Unlikely to Stay (Parker Lake) by Olivia Sherwood – Review by Tori Werkheiser

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Unlikely to Stay (A Parker Lake Novel Book 3)Unlikely to Stay by Ashlie Knapp
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5/5
This book is the third in a series that takes place in a small town in Oklahoma where everyone knows you, your momma, and your grandma. It has that feel-good heart-warming vibe that I adore reading about. This story being the third in a series opens up with a lot of characters in the first chapter and since I did not read the first two books I honestly was very confused. The author did give some backstory to the characters as she introduced them but it did take me about 2 to 3 chapters to understand the dynamics and all the characters. I was worried I wouldn’t get the big picture of the book having just read this one in the series but that turned out to not be the case at all. As the book progressed, I really understood the people and the relationships and the way this little town worked. I immediately liked CC and knew I would connect to her.
This book follows CC, a townie and the only hairstylist around, and Brant, the new to town guy who has run the health clinic for the last two and half years with the plan to make it 3 years in the small town to have his student debt relieved and then get back to his life in the city. It all takes a turn when the town helps CC raise money, she needs to finish renovating the gym she wants to open and CC’s friends buy her a date with the handsome Nurse Practitioner. She has spent the 2 and a half years he’s been in town avoiding him and he’s been admiring her from a distance. After their date based off the auction things start to look up for these two. They bond over shared stories of their childhood and learn they might not be so different from one another as they begin to fall for each other.
The slow burn of this romance was a good one. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time with angst just waiting for them to give in to each other. The way CC tried to push away her feelings and the longing Brant had was everything I love in a romance. Then you add in the drama and plot twist which I did not see coming that leads to some heartache for both characters and you had me turn page after page until I finished this book in less than two days. I could not stop reading this I just had to watch them fall in love and then the fighting and making up I was dying to see how this would turn out because when they were hurting I felt like I was hurting as well. I was so invested. This couple was so beautiful and funny and easy to relate to on so many levels. This was such a good book I now am wanting to read the other books in the series even though I know the way they end just to get more out of the little universe here and read all there is about Parker Lane and this tiny town in Oklahoma

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Blood Oath (Mafia Elite, book 2) by Amy McKinley – Review by Tori Werkheiser

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Blood Oath (Mafia Elite, #2)Blood Oath by Amy McKinley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Are you kidding me??? This book was a whirlwind of emotions. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and I have so many questions I am so happy I already have the next book in the series because I absolutely need to know what happens to this group of people next. I NEED MORE ASAP. I was so engulfed with this book that at one point my boyfriend was like “hey can you stop reading and pay attention to me” I literally couldn’t put this book down it was THAT good. I am so deep into this world that I couldn’t get out even if I wanted to. I feel fear and worry and intense love it makes my own heart swell just reading about the love that these two share. I am excited but also terrified by these characters all while falling in love with each of them.
I do recommend reading the first book in the series as there is a lot to unfold within this Mafia world and the backstory of each character is so intense and deep you just gotta read the books to fully get it all. I have a feeling each book will just get better and better cause I thought I loved the first one but this one I devoured faster than my Christmas cookies after I officially end a diet. There was no stopping myself once I got into it. I may or may not be in love with Enzo myself. The way Mckinley writes these characters there is just no way to not fall in love with them. The men are passionate and strong and overprotective and there is just something so compelling about a man who loves you so hard and will die fighting for you and rescue you in any situation that is just irresistible. And don’t even get me started on these firecrackers of woman in this world. The ladies are strong yet gentle and beautiful. They band together in times of need, fight hard and love harder. I am in awe of these ladies. This series is a must read in my opinion.

Reviewed by @toriwerkheiser
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No Way Out (Mafia Elite, book 1) by Amy McKinley – Review by Tori Werkheiser

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No Way Out (Mafia Elite, #1)No Way Out by Amy McKinley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

O.MG. This book captivated me from the very beginning. I was sucked in so fast it made my head spin. The writing was so beautifully done, descriptive, and flowing that it all played out like a perfect movie in my head. I felt like I was there witnessing everything in real-time. There were so many characters to keep up with but I loved every minute of learning about each new character and seeing how they all fit in to create this absolutely chaotic mafia world.

I haven’t gotten too much into mafia romance before but this series is gonna make me want more of it I can already tell just from this first book.

This book was very much a fast-paced page turner with twists I did not see coming which was nice cause I love a good surprise and they just kept on coming. I felt so many emotions while reading this from fear to rage and worry to even love. This book was so good I adored the way the relationship unfolded so genuinely and perfectly. It is one of those relationships where it is just meant to be no matter how you look at it and I cannot wait to devour the rest of the books in this series. Amy Mckinley has a way of writing intense fight scenes that actually scared me then turning it around and write an equally captivating romance scene that makes me feels all the angst and as if im the one fighting to fall for the sexy mystery Mafia guy. Uhhh this was just so good. If you want fight and fury read this. If you want passion and power read this. If you want true love that you’d go to the ends of the earth fighting for read this. Its got it all.

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Born in Darkness (Mafia Elite Book 3) by Amy McKinley – Review by Tori Werkheiser

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Born in Darkness (Mafia Elite, #3)Born in Darkness by Amy McKinley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Born in Darkness (Mafia Elite Book 3) by Amy McKinley – Review by Tori Werkheiser

Oh, sweet heavens this book was just as good as the first two which are a must-read for this series. The intensity, fear, love, drama I loved it all. I have loved getting to know more characters in this world Mckinley has created. I had suspicions of who the rat would be and watching everything unfold was thrilling and totally captivating. I was not sure how things would work out I was genuinely nervous reading it all go down. I felt like I was in the middle of this circle of the Mafia Five Families and I ate up every second of it. The forbidden romance in this was so touching yet steamy. The stolen kisses and touches ugh had me weak in the knees and when they finally get together it feels like all is right in this world. This series is making me want to find a Mafia Boss of my own. 5/5 Cannot wait to devour the rest of this series as it releases this year.

Reviewed by @toriwerkheiser

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