Title: Mermaid of Sicily Author: Jincey Lumpkin Genre: Fantasy Romance
The glamorous Gia Acquaviva struggles to maintain her freedom and hold onto her business empire. A Sicilian mob boss nips at her tail, hoping to lure her into his sick fantasies. Meanwhile, the global media hunts Gia, attempting to hold her accountable for a string of murders. Can the world’s most famous mermaid escape their net, or will she be caught?
Dive into the extremely glamorous life of Gia Acquaviva, an ultra-rich Venetian mogul with a portfolio of clubs and casinos around the globe. Gia harbors dark secrets––and an underwater graveyard filled with the bones of her former lovers.
Her family’s roots descend from the mythological sirens of ancient Greece, but she’s taken every precaution to protect her anonymity and the existence of other mermaids. Gia lures in men with a beguiling façade, but inside lurks a deeply troubled soul, severely damaged by a mysterious past.
Fans of Killing Eve and Big Little Lies will love Mermaid of Sicily, a sexy psychological thriller with lush fantasy elements. The chic mystery and European hot spots of Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley with a juicy splash of the lavish lifestyle in E. L. James’s 50 Shades series. This is not the Little Mermaid you grew up with. Gia’s out for blood
Gia arrived at the base of the Eiffel Tower in disguise. An auburn wig, a pair of large sunglasses, and a wooly cap hid her identity. She approached the brown awning of the Jules Verne restaurant with supreme caution, hyper vigilant of her surroundings and potential threats. It was then that she was met at the front door by two of Q’s men.
“Are you here for Signor Mosca?” one asked.
“Unfortunately,” Gia chirped, sarcasm thick in her voice.
“This way.”
As they entered the restaurant, Gia discovered that Q had paid enough money to clear the place out completely.
How much had that set him back?
People waited months for a reservation—it couldn’t have been easy to compensate all those angry patrons overnight. The men escorted Gia into the glass elevator. As it rose, they passed through level after level of the brown iron that Mr. Eiffel had twisted himself.
The men took Gia all the way to a table that was situated in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows.
“Thank you gentlemen,” Q said, patting them on the back. “I have asked the chef to set up a table for the two of you in the kitchen. Please enjoy your meal. We will come to you when we are ready to go.”
He shuffled toward Gia and took her hand in his. Gia resisted the urge to pull away, her stomach lurched in revulsion to his touch.
“Signorina Acquaviva, I have been looking forward to spending time with you since we met in Athens…”
JINCEY LUMPKIN is a writer and creative director in Luxury Beauty. She is the author of the Mermaid of Venice fantasy thriller series. Recognized as a thought leader on women and culture, Jincey has written more than 50 columns for the Huffington Post and Playboy. She headlined Sex Week at Harvard and gave an infamous TEDx talk, “Are Robots the Future of Sex?” She has been profiled by Dateline NBC, Vice, and GQ, among others. Out Magazine listed her in its “OUT 100”, naming her as one of the world’s most influential LGBTQ+ people, alongside celebrities like Laverne Cox and Ricky Martin.
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Three Reasons You Should Read This Small Town Contemporary Romance:
Accidentally Perfect by Marissa Clarke is a great story with happy endings all over the place in just the right ways. Even the characters I never expected to see get one.
Lillian is more than a workaholic – she eats, breaths, and sleeps her job. And watching her learn there’s more to life (and work won’t completely collapse without her) was a lot of fun.
The handful of houses that make up Blink, Maine are charming (but on the verge of running down), and you can see the spark come back to the place as the chapters go on.
Workaholic Lillian Mahoney has given everything to her job. The hugely popular lifestyle show she helped create monopolizes her time, energy, creativity, and anything remotely resembling a life. But all it takes is the show’s womanizing, egomaniac star throwing a massive hissy on live TV to utterly implode Lillian’s career in a New York minute.
Now Lillian’s hiding out in the gorgeous and completely unknown seaside village of Blink, Maine. Out of gas. A stolen wallet. A broken heel. And worse, she’s somehow managed to completely piss off the town’s resident hunk, Caleb Wright. She’ll show that hot, grumpy single father exactly what she’s made of.
But Blink isn’t quite what Lillian expects—and neither is Caleb…or his feisty teen daughter she can’t help but love. And while her entire life and career are in shreds, Lillian might just discover what happens when she gives her bad first impression a second chance…
The characters in Accidentally Perfect by Marissa Clarke had me from the very beginning. Even the annoying co-worker that screws up everything – ya, I loved him too. He was the unexpected star of the book. But not so much of a star that he takes away from Lillian and Caleb’s romance.
Lillian’s introduction to Blink, Maine, was not the best. And it set up the one conflict I just didn’t quite believe. Caleb instantly dislikes Lillian, and even though the author tried to explain why – it just didn’t add up to me. It set up the whole “I can never trust a person like that” trope, but the mistrust seemed very misplaced. I just didn’t get it.
The residents of Blink were a good mix of people. A few that you would expect to see in a small-town romance, but there were also a few fresh personalities and family histories. They were a diverse mix and seemed to genuinely care for and look out for each other. And they welcome Lillian into their community, and she finds her way to contribute and help make Blink a better place.
As a person that reads both open and closed-door romances, it didn’t even occur to me that this was closed-door until it was all over. There is so much passion and so many sparks flying between these two, that I don’t think anyone will be disappointed. This was a fantastic story, with lots of great characters and plots that I really enjoyed.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
Title: #Blayde Author: Even Monroe Series: Rich City Boys #4 Genre: Contemporary Romance
Control is something I exercise all day, every day, in my job and personal life.
My walls have been up for years, and it’s taking its toll.
Will I ever find someone I can be myself with?
Blayde has moved up the ranks in the police force in record time due, in part, to his dedication and focus on the job. His precision and cool head leave most in awe of him, but behind the uniform and tall walls lurks a man at war with his desires and baser instincts.
Victoria knows a lot about desire, anticipation, excitement, and seduction. Despite a disastrous first meeting, there’s definitely a spark between her and Blayde, but can she break her way through the steel fence around him?
And if she does, will she be able to cope with what she finds? Or will she be biting off way more than she can chew?
Smoothing a hand over my skirt and taking a deep breath, I step back and open the door wide. Light from the store hits his face, and I get my first proper look at Officer Sexy. He’s a freaking hunk, like movie-star-cop-hunk. Wow, he really is in the right profession. I bet he makes a fortune with tips and everything. He couldn’t look the part more. The uniform is perfect, the way he stands and the air about him, it’s so commanding.
And his face. Panty-melting good looks—dark blond hair, firm lips, and a jawline I want to run my tongue over. Finishing my appraisal of him, I meet his eyes, and that’s the end of me. I’m done.
This is the moment I decide. I truly know that I must have this woman. My reservations and self-preservation desert me, and I can’t think of a single reason not to pursue this woman to the ends of the earth. She pushes my buttons like nobody ever has, and when I withdrew, she fired up like a hellcat.
She wants this. She wants me.
“Take it off,” I say, motioning to her with my chin. I want her standing in the middle of my bedroom completely naked.
“Sorry?” “You heard me. Take it off,” I growl. Even to my own ears, my voice is gruff and harsh. She moistens her lips with her tongue and swallows. There’s nowhere to hide, no room for being a bit coy or for shyness.
