Once Upon a Twilight!: book series

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ARC Book Review: Scarred Regrets by Adelaide Forrest

Scarred Regrets
Bellandi Crime Syndicate #5
Author:Adelaide Forrest
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Mafia Romance|Contemporary Romance
Released: 30/12/2021
Review Source: Provided by author

Broken men don’t fall in love.

We linger in the darkness, consumed by the sins that define us.

Irina is the sole reason my heart beats. She’s everything that matters in a world filled with evil that a woman so good and pure should never have to see.

She’ll add another scar to my collection — this one engraved on my heart.

When she’s taken by our enemy to use for his vengeance. Even knowing she can never be mine, I’ll stop at nothing to see her safe.

The Irina I rescue isn’t the same feisty woman they stole.

Her soul is broken. Her heart is hollow like mine, because of the things she’s seen. She needs me in a way I’ve never known.

And I will destroy the man who shattered what’s mine.

*check the trigger warnings for Scarred Regrets before reading*

Scarred Regrets is the fifth installment in the series and it was my favourite book yet. It was very different in comparison to the others but packed a punch in a way I feel the other novels lacked. It was an emotional journey and took us through the before, during and after of Irina's trauma and we experience every stage of Scar and Irina's relationship.

Both characters are battling their own demons. Scar come from a broken childhood and romanticly he keeps everyone at a distance. As a boy, he witnessed and went through things that nobody should ever experience in a lifetime and it left an imprint. Meeting Irina was not planned, and although he wants her, he keeps his feelings and emotions locked down.

You want things that I can't give you."

"I just want somebody to love me."

Irina is the sweetest, most selfless character. The things she experienced just to save other people? Like?! I love her and my heart broke at what she experienced at the hands of the enemies. It was hard to read in some places as Irina's journey was not an easy one but it was one that I'm glad the author explored.

As a whole, it was a great novel and Irina and Scar got the happy ending they deserved. We got to know so many sub-characters that I really hope get their own books. If you liked Calix then you can read his novel in Dreams of the Vengeful.

Book Review: Shielded Wrongs by Adelaide Forrest

Shielded Wrongs
Bellandi Crime Syndicate #4

Author: Adelaide Forrest
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Mafia Romance | Contemporary Romance
Released: 10/26/2020
Review Source: Provided by author

Every killer has a weakness.

She’s the one woman I can’t have.

She’s forbidden to the Bellandi men. Yet after one look in her honey eyes, I need to carve myself into her soul so deeply, Sadie will never forget she’s mine.

Nobody else sees through her facade.

She’s a mess of contradictions. Full of jagged edges that threaten to pull me apart at the seams and unleash the beast who lurks beneath my skin.

I’ll be her shelter through the storm.

I can’t resist her fire and rebellion. But when she’s threatened by my enemies, I’ll risk everything to keep her safe from the man who seeks to use her as a weapon against me.

Even if it costs me my humanity.

At a Glance: Knowing this is Sadie's book, I am very excited.

Cover: As always, Adelaide Forrest has amazing covers and this isn't any different.

Action: With a war brewing, there was more action in this book compared to previous books. Sadie became a victim to two attacks, however, I'm not really sure she can be called a victim since she doesn't need a man to defend her, she's more than capable of doing it on her own with her dog.

Romance: Out of this series, this had the nicest romance in my opinion. It was a lot less intense, Enzo gave Sadie more freedom, embraced her for who she is and didn't try to control every aspect of her life. *cough, cough* Matteo, Ryker... I'm talking about you. *cough, cough*. This was a lovely romance!

Something I Loved: Sadie. She is my favourite character in the whole series so far. She is funny, witty and does not care what anyone thinks of her. I thought she was hilarious and kick-ass and I could have read more of her.

Something I Didn't like: Nothing. I really enjoyed this one! It also set up a future couple nicely and I hope we get their book.

Would I Recommend: Yes. Although this could be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading the whole series for the proper experience.

Book Review: Grieved Loss by Adelaide Forrest

Grieved Loss
Bellandi Crime Syndicate #3

Author: Adelaide Forrest
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Mafia Romance | Contemporary Romance
Released: 07/16/2020
Review Source: Provided by author

This shadow always follows his Sunshine.

Her life is a carefully crafted lie.

For years, I only watch my Sunshine from the shadows; my loyalty to the Bellandis demands nothing less. When her husband is killed, the path is clear for me to step in and claim her for myself.I’ll give her a glimpse into the truth.

I give Calla and her kids one year to grieve their loss. When the year is over, I pluck them from the grey world she clings to and insert them into the vivid color of my Bellandi life.

Even when it hurts, and she rails against me.

Rising tensions in my world threaten to steal her away from me, but I won’t let anyone take what is mine. Instead, I’ll demand every piece of her: Her heart, her body. Her soul.

And I won’t stop until I’ve taken everything.

At a Glance:

I'm excited about this one! judging by the summary, I think this may be my favourite one so far.

Cover:

If there's one thing this series has, it is beautiful covers. Like, wow.

Action:

There wasn't much action throughout but there was a some action towards the end of the book.

Romance:

The romance was a different in comparison to what I usually read. Not bad different, but there are definitely some dubious concent moments. Sometimes (actually, a lot of the times) Calla has no choice but to go along with things because she's been given no choice in the matter.

Something I Loved:

How much Ryker loved Calla's kids. This wasn't just a blossoming relationship between Ryker and Calla, but a budding relationship with her two kids as well and I loved those moments of bonding.

Something I Didn't Like:

I thought Matteo from Bloodied Hands (book one) was intense....wow. Ryker is something else. Whilst I love him and his fiercely intense love and loyalty, it was also something I found quite intense, and I am not sure if I liked how it shaped the characters as a whole. It made Ryker seem dismissive of Calla, and Calla came across as weak and I don't know if it made their love feel a little unauthentic.

Would I Recommend:

Yes. Like the others in the Bellandi Crime Syndicate, Ryker is a very intense alpha male, however I still enjoyed the book despite his methods not being my favourite.

Book Review: Forgivable Sins by Adelaide Forrest

Forgivable Sins
Bellandi Crime Syndicate #2

Author: Adelaide Forrest
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Mafia Romance | Contemporary Romance
Released: 04/24/2020
Review Source: Provided by author

No one knows me like she does.

She’s the only one who has power over me.

I’ve loved Samara since I was a boy, since the moment I heard her sing and told her she would be my wife. I sacrificed that dream to keep her safe.

Our love is a secret, hanging unspoken between us.

Everything changes the night I find her beaten and broken by the man who should have protected her. What I have longed to do more than anything.

After all this time, the safest place for her is in my arms.

I’ve tried to be patient, to let her come to terms with the shift in our relationship, but soon I will make her mine. Time is running out for my Little Dove.

I won’t stop until she’s my wife.

Forgivable Sins is a friends to lovers story centered around Lino and Samara. It was a cute, easy read, and a nice addition to the series.

There was a scene where Samara's brother, Yavin, found out about Lino and Samara's relationship (and marriage) and he was not happy that his little sister married his best friend. This is what Samara said back to Yavin, and it's one of my favourite parts of the book.

"Who introduced you to Lino? Who used to sit inside with Lino when he wasn't allowed to go play sports outside?"

"Who hugged him? Who listened to his stories about his father and kissed his boo boos when his father hit him, even if he was ten f*cking years old and too old for that sh*t?"

They have cared about and loved each other for so many years and I love that they finally get their happily ever.

Book Review: Bloodied Hands by Adelaide Forrest

Bloodied Hands
Bellandi Cime Syndicate #1

Author: Adelaide Forrest
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Mafia Romance | Contemporary Romance
Released: 02/12/2020
Review Source: Provided by author

Ivory

Caught in a bank robbery and staring down the barrel of a gun was not the way I intended to start my day. When the masked man takes one look at my face and mutters my name in shock, my world stops.

And then he follows it with a plea for forgiveness from the devil himself.

Matteo uses the opportunity to invade my life, reclaiming me as if the past twelve years never happened. The boy I loved is gone, replaced by hardened cruelty and a dangerous reputation. But Matteo isn’t the only one who wants to make me a pawn in a game I never agreed to play, and freedom comes at a cost.

Matteo

Ivory comes strutting back into my life and making demands like she’s in charge. She doesn’t understand the games I played to keep her safe during our time apart. The sacrifice I made for her.

She’s an innocent, caught up in the games of men and unprepared to deal with the consequences of her actions. She should have stayed away, but fate brings her back to me. I won’t let her go again. After suffering in the cruelty of my world for too long, I’m ready to feel the light of my Angel in my life once more.

No matter what she has to say about it.

If you like a well-written mafia romance with controlling alpha males, read ahead. I think you'll like this one!

Ivory was Matteo's love once upon a time. Life happened and they broke up, but years later when there's a bank robbery and she's smack in the middle of it, she seeks Matteo out when his name pops up mid-bank rob. She comes to discover that all these years she has been under his protection and untouchable to everyone, and now, Matteo has no intentions of walking away from her again.

"I let you go twelve years ago, and it was the most difficult thing I've ever done. Did you really think I would do it twice?"

From there, Matteo inserts himself into her life and infiltrates every single corner and crevice of her life. Literally. Matteo is an off-the-charts controlling alpha male. Like, I have not read anyone like him before and I don't think it is possible to match his level of intensity. Every decision, every move is planned and executed with Matteo's stamp. He's a dangerous and powerful man, but Ivory is his kryptonite, and he will do absolutely anything to keep her safe and protected.

"I wore my bloodied hands like an armor, but I would never allow them to stain her."

I would have liked Ivory to have more of a backbone as for the most part, she accepted Matteo's control, even when he took things a little bit too far. That being said, I really enjoyed this one. The characters were different, enjoyable and I can't wait to read Lino in Forgivable Sins, book two.

Book Review: A Partridge and a Pregnancy by Willa Nash

A Partridge and a Pregnancy
Holiday Brothers #3

Author: Willa Nash
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Released: 4th November 2021

There are a lot of places I’d rather spend Christmas Eve morning than on a cold, snowy sidewalk outside someone else’s home. I’d kill to be sitting beside a fireplace, drinking cocoa, wearing flannel pajamas and reading a book.

Instead, I’m here, standing in front of my one-night stand’s house, working up the courage to ring the doorbell and tell him I’m pregnant. sitting beside a fireplace, drinking cocoa, wearing flannel pajamas and reading a book.

I hate that term—one-night stand. It sounds so cheap and sleezy. Tobias Holiday is neither of those things. He’s handsome and caring. Witty and charismatic. And once, a long time ago, he was mine. sitting beside a fireplace, drinking cocoa, wearing flannel pajamas and reading a book.

Our one-night reunion was only supposed to be a hookup. A fling with an old lover. A parting farewell before I moved to London and put my feelings for him an ocean away. How exactly am I supposed to explain that to Tobias that I’m having a baby? His baby? Maybe I could sing it. He always loved the silly songs I made up in the shower. sitting beside a fireplace, drinking cocoa, wearing flannel pajamas and reading a book.

Three French hens, two turtle doves. sitting beside a fireplace, drinking cocoa, wearing flannel pajamas and reading a book.

And a partridge and a pregnancy.

"Our first goodbye hadn’t gone so well. There’d been crying—me. There’d been angry silence—him. There’d been heartache—us."

Tobias and Eva have history. They find themselves having one last steamy night before she moves away to London, but things got messy quickly when she found out she was pregnant with Tobias' baby...and she has no plans of sticking around.

There were times (many times) where I wanted to shake Eva. There were times where it seemed like she forgot that the baby had other family than herself and for most of the novel, she planned to have her baby halfway across the world, by herself, without Tobias there. Whilst this was a great read, in all honestly, Eva was not a likable character.

That being said, I loved Tobias and I still enjoyed reading the last installment. It was a brilliant series that I devoured in under two days and I can't wait to read more from Willa Nash!

Book Sale: Beneath Series by Meghan March

Beneath Series
Beneath #1-3
Author:Meghan March
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Lose yourself in the French Quarter where nothing is ever really seems on the surface. Beneath Series Volume One includes first three books in the Beneath Series from USA Today bestselling author Meghan March.

A tatted-up bad girl on the run falls for a former Navy fighter pilot in Beneath This Mask. Tattoo artist Constantine Leahy gets his second chance at society princess Vanessa Frost in Beneath This Ink. Party girl Elle Snyder won’t let anything stop her from scoring pawn shop owner Lord Robichaux in Beneath These Chains. But nothing will ever be the same when they look beneath…

About Beneath This Mask:

He loves me, and he doesn’t even know my real name.

The limelight that follows him could expose everything I’m hiding. But even knowing the risks, I can’t force myself to stay away.

I’m going to break his heart, but mine will shatter right along with it.

Will we lose it all when I reveal what’s beneath this mask?

About Beneath This Ink:

I’ve always known she was too good for me, but that never stopped me from wanting her.

And then I finally had her for one night.

A night I don’t remember.

I figured I’d blown my shot.

But now she’s walked back into my life, and this time, I have the upper hand. I want my second chance.

Will she be able to see the man beneath this ink?

About Beneath These Chains:

I was raised on the streets, so I know things are rarely as simple as they appear—especially this rich girl showing up at my pawnshop demanding a job.

She’s the most tempting thing I’ve ever seen, and I’ll be damned if I can make her leave.

Shit just got complicated … but when it comes to her, I want complicated.

We’re both fighting our own demons, and our only chance at a future is to let go of the past.

But will we be strong enough to break free from beneath these chains?