Title: And Hell Followed Author: Beckett Riley Genre: Dark, Western Romance
We all have our demons
My parents thought emigrating from Germany to the American frontier was going to be a good thing for everyone. But it seems that a darkness is doomed to follow us wherever we go.
Life can be harsh and unforgiving in this world, especially for a woman. Luckily, I have my brother, Thomas, to watch out for me and protect me. He can only do so much, though, and after that vile attack, I find myself in need of protection more than ever. It was then I realized that festering darkness came from within.
Although society won’t take kindly to it, we have forsaken God and embarked on an unholy life, but just as things finally began to calm down, the past reared its ugly head and came back to tear us apart and destroy and everything we’ve built.
But as Thomas once told me, I would ride my steed through the fires of hell to salvage the only thing worth living for, and if the devil himself gets in my way, he will beg to God for mercy.
Beckett Riley resides in the sunshine state where she writes in between taking care of a four-year-old daughter, three dogs, six chickens, a grumpy barn cat, and a husband (sometimes in that order according to him). She loves writing erotic stories as much as she enjoys reading them. Dark romance and happily ever afters with hot, possessive, guys bring tears of joy to her eyes so please excuse the alpha males roaming her pages, they know not what they do.
Title: Blackbird Author: Mia Kerick Series: If I Fell #2 Genre: LGBTQ+ Contemporary Romance
Sequel to Hide Your Love Away (IF I FELL Series, book 2)
Last year, in Timmy Hale’s junior year at Edgewater University, he set his romantic sights on Colton “Cole” Ledger—a burly and sometimes over-protective dormitory maintenance man. Cole soon had it bad for sleek and snarky Timmy too, and—despite a bumpy road (a frenzied stalker and an uncooperative son)—before year’s end they’d found love. Now, in Timmy’s senior year, the couple has left the dormitory behind. Cole is back to running his own custom construction company, and they’ve turned an antique Victorian home into a love nest. For a while, life is good.
But insta-love comes at a cost, and for Timmy and Cole it’s steep. Cole’s doubts haunt him: he’s almost certain he’s too old for Timmy, and that he’s pushing him into a life he’ll eventually resent, keeping him from spreading his newfound wings and taking flight toward his best future. Acting on his fears, Cole pressures Timmy to accept an internship in Manhattan—far from the home they’ve built together. He means well, but Timmy feels like a baby bird kicked out of the nest too soon.
Tensions rise until fear, resentment, and desire draw Timmy and Cole into explosive conflict. When the dust settles, will Timmy wing away like a young blackbird, or return to nest with Cole in their happy garden home?
Stay tuned for Book 3 in the IF I FELL Series, Come Together, coming in winter 2022.
About Mia Kerick
Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children–all named after saints–and five nonpedigreed cats–all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.
Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young men and their relationships, and she believes that sex has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press for providing her with an alternate place to stash her stories.
Mia is proud of her involvement with the Human Rights Campaign and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.
My themes I always write about:
Sweetness. Unconventional love, tortured/damaged heroes- only love can save them.
Mia Kerick focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young men within the boundaries of blossoming, supportive relationships. She believes that sex has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. And Mia’s stories are centered around a certain theme: even heroes can be sweet. Sweet, but not completely innocent.
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Three Reasons You Should Read This Sweet Western Romance:
A Lock of Death by Beena Khan is an incredibly dark romance that takes you deep into human psyche and trauma.
Both the lead characters really take a deep look inside themselves trying to understand their darkness which gave a very unique perspective to their actions and thoughts.
There’s a good mafia romance that leads the story and drives a lot of the action.
I am Number Nine, and I serve at the pleasure of those who come knocking at my door.
Once upon a time… I was locked in a skyscraper in New York City with eight other girls.
I can’t belong to no single man because I’ve belonged to all. No identity, no friends, and no life outside the gilded door of this tower. When I’m not working, I paint the wall every day, the outside sun I’ve imagined that I’ve never felt on my skin.
One day, the Bratva Brotherhood comes for me. Sociopath. Barbaric. Inhuman. The merciless man, Dimitri Nikhaelov wears no smile on his face as he barges into my room. No greetings. No words of assurance.
Imagine my surprise when he says, “You’re being delivered.”
Now I’m on a road trip across the country with the deadly Russian man to my final assignment. I thought he was my prince charming, that he might be my savior, but I was so wrong. I didn’t know my freedom would come at a high price.
A Lock of Death is one of the darkest romances I’ve read. While many mafia-based romances tend to lean that way, this one dives straight into the deep end without looking back. There are also very few side characters to distract from the leads. They are put under a microscope for the reader to see, and all of their darkest sides are exposed.
Nine – known only by her number and never really by her name – was deeply traumatized by life. There were many things I never really understood about her at the beginning. Her past remains a mystery until the very end of the book, and when it’s finally revealed, I wish I had known it sooner. It would have made her a more sympathetic character. I would have fallen into her mindset and believed a little more readily.
Dimitri seemed to be your typical mafia sociopath through most of the book. He was a lot more extreme than most, but I pictured him as his family’s enforcer and all-around bad guy for the bad guys. He takes everything to the extremes and then takes it even further.
Don’t go into this book expecting any particular thing, because it will surprise you all along the way. Their journey together – both physical and emotional – was quite the rollercoaster and I found it fascinating.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
