Ivy’s Poison (Cavalieri Della Morte Series Book 5) by India R. Adams

Book Blurb:

Bors is hungry for revenge after one of his assignments spins out of control. Not only is he tortured by the man he was hired to murder, the president of a notorious and ruthless motorcycle club, but he’s also left in the care of the man’s deranged daughter, Ivy. And she knows exactly who is chained and at her mercy, the one she has wanted dead for three years.

During captivity, Bors witnesses what has become of Ivy’s life, and finds himself trapped between hatred and sorrow for his female tormentor.

“It only took one day for me to hate her more than my worst enemy.
Only took two to start planning her death.
And only three… to fall in love with her.”

Bors is an avenger. Especially Ivy’s.

*This book contains dark content, and triggers. Reader’s discretion is advised*

My Review:

This is the fifth instalment in the Cavalieri Della Morte Series focusing on a group of assassins that are led by their leader Arthur. As with the other instalments this book features a strong and sexy man who loves to kill and finds his romantic match. But this book has just that bit more grit and drama than the other books that I have reviewed in the series and I love it.

This instalment features Bors who lives a very solitary life. After growing up in lots of different foster homes and never fitting in due to his scary height and looks, he was left feeling lonely. Until one foster mother, a nun, took him in and gave him strength. She knew he had the potential to have a family and to lead a normal life one day. But Bors did not see it, which is why he joined the Cavalieri Della Morte. He is a great assassin because that is all he has in his life. Arthur allows him to own a home because he never had one growing up. But whenever Bors returns home in between the jobs he is reminded of how something is missing from his life. He thinks he doesn’t want a relationship or any commitment but deep down he no longer wants to be alone. His next job tasks him with taking out the president of the most deadly motorcycle gang in the area. Whilst doing the recon, his target walks into the same bar Bors is in, along with his gang and daughter. So imagine Bors surprise when the daughter turns out to be the crazy redhead he had sex with three years before, who blew his mind. The only woman he can’t stop thinking about.

Ivy has had a horrible upbringing. Being brought up by her father, alone in a motorcycle gang, is not easy. Her dad has been selling Ivy to his men and business associates for years. Allowing her to be raped, used and abused, while he pockets the cash from it. She has never dreamed of a better life because that would mean having hope and hers died a long time ago. But her life changes dramatically when she meets Bors, her priority switches but the dangers increase. That night with her mystery man, her Champ, has stayed with her and so when he reappears back into her life she is pleased. Until she discovers Bors deadly secret and it threatens to ruin everything forever.

I loved Ivy as a character. She is feisty, tough and extremely protective. But when you break through her walls you can see that she is actually a scared, broken, little girl who has been hurt in the worst way possible by the one person who was supposed to love and protect her. I loved the fact that she was a little crazy and quirky. It made her seem more relatable and I liked her so much more.

Bors was also such a great character. He epitomises the tall, dark, grizzly brooding man persona. He is focused on his work and is very task orientated. He lives for the kill and is constantly planning and thinking of back up plans for if things go wrong. But when he meets Ivy he finds a kindred soul. They are both a bit lost and a bit crazy, which is why they work so well together. I loved Bors protective nature and the way that he falls in love even though to him it means giving over his man card. But if you weren’t in love with him before then seeing the love and adoration that he has for Jade will make your ovaries explode.

I loved Ivy and Bors relationship. It was very turbulent, with lots of fighting and anger, but all of that was just their own weird version of foreplay. The chemistry between them sizzles and literally sparked off the page. I loved watching Ivy learn to trust Bors and then Bors learning to realise that letting women into his life and creating his own family is exactly what he wants. The sex between them is hot and dirty, but it also becomes slow and sensual when it needs to be for their bonding. They are both willing to share control in the bedroom and I think that not only showed mutual trust but a mutual love and respect too.

Overall, I loved this book so very much. It is a fantastic addition to the series and I know that this is a bold statement as we are only five books in, but this is probably my favourite so far. I liked Ivy’s strong will and the fact that she wasn’t a meek submissive. I loved Bors’ strong and beautifully caring personality. This book has lies, drama, deceit, murder, sex, love and a whole lot of knives. But I will say this book is not for the faint hearted. It features graphic discussion of child abuse and there are scenes of domestic violence and rape, which some readers may not enjoy. I would suggest that you read the disclaimer at the beginning of the book, which tells you which chapters to avoid so that you can still enjoy the book. I personally think that whilst the scene is very disturbing it did add a lot of context to the plot. This book adds so much to the series and it just shows that the series keeps getting better and better. As with all the books in the series that I have reviewed so far, I would definitely recommend Ivy’s Poison as it is a fantastic read that you will struggle to put down.

Note: I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is available for Free on Kindle Unlimited or can be purchased here:

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2lkUoF0

The Dark Underworld (The Chosen Coven Book 2) by D.L. Blade

Book Blurb:

t’s been a year, and I can feel my powers growing stronger, but almost too strong, too fast. I’m having difficulty controlling them, and it’s hurting the ones I love. The ones who I forced to be free of me after I took away my feelings for them.

Caleb is relentless though; he won’t stop fighting for me. There’s also Dorian, who’s now back in my life, and vowing to help protect me when I need.

A shadow lingers again, an enemy from my past. He wants me back. He will kill the ones I love to have me back. There’s a darker, more sinister plan he and the traitors of our kind are brewing, and once I find out what it is, I’ll kill them.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“While the first book of this series introduced you to the characters and the fascinating world the author has created; this book brings the story to a whole new level.”

***

Mercy’s life changed forever when she discovered that not only is she a witch, but that she was born to rid the world of vampires once and for all.

After a year of intense training to hone her powers, she and her coven are pulled into a murder case in her hometown of East Greenwich. The coven, with the help of a friend with direct ties to the investigation, discovers that a vampire attack claimed the victim’s life. Mercy suspects the killer belongs to a new clan in town, The Black Horse, and goes undercover in the vampire underworld. There, she’ll discover dark, long-hidden secrets and face her father from her previous life, who she learns is the leader of this ruthless undead.

New relationships will develop, friendships will be tested, and lives will be lost.

As Mercy draws closer to finding the killer, a villain from her past creeps out of the shadows. Maurice, centuries-old vampire, is thirsty for revenge after her coven took down his clan.

The Chosen Coven will now have to combine the forces of the Universal Elements, to fight the darkness that falls on their city.

Author Notes & Disclaimer:

Violence, mild language, non-graphic intimacy scene and attempted rape scene.

This will be a three-book series. It is recommended to read book one, ‘The Dark Awakening’ before reading book two. Their final battle will conclude in book three, and will be released in the fall of 2019 or spring of 2020

My Review:

This is the fantastic follow up book to The Dark Awakening, book one in the Chosen Coven series and they must be read in order. If you loved the first book as much as I did then you will be blown away by this follow up. If you have read my review for the first book you will know the basic idea of the book and who the main characters are and this review will contain spoilers if you have not read the first review or book. This book contains even more drama, suspense and heartbreak.

The Dark Underworld is set almost a year after the events of the first book and everyone has moved on with their lives, after Mercy cast her spell to forget about her feelings for both Caleb and Dorian. She is no longer the innocent girl who is in the dark about her life as she was in the first book. She is now a cold warrior who is focused on her powers and getting revenge.

Riley is now dating his pack member Amber and they are at Brown University together but have promised Mercy pack support when needed. Cami has been left mentally effected after being possessed by Kylan and needs to be cared for full-time in an institution. Her other human friends have moved away for school after struggling with the idea that the supernatural world exists. Caleb lives with his family who have now been made human and he is trying to move on with his life by dating the medical examiner Melissa, who helps them with supernatural autopsies. While Caleb cares for Melissa it is obvious that his heart still belongs to Mercy and he is struggling to deal with her decision to cast the spell. Dorian is living with his shifter friend Noah and has no physical contact with Mercy, only keeping in touch by occasional text as she requested. But it is obvious that Dorian does not want to forget and move on. Mercy lives with the remaining members of her coven but does not let them in and tries to do everything by herself. Joel and his husband have moved nearer so that he can be there for Lily and Mercy and to help her with her training. Lily has also moved on and has found a new boyfriend Bradley. He is kind, cute and cares so much for Lily but he does not know anything about the supernatural world. However, can people be part of that world and not find out the truth?

Knowing that her blood can make vampires human, Mercy is on the hunt and gives bad vampires a choice; she will either turn them human or kill them. But the vampires who are not hurting anyone, they agree to form a truce and if the vampires do not kill then neither will Mercy. But the evil in the town and the killings continues and evidence leans towards the vampires again. Mercy suspects that Maurice, the evil vampire clan leader that they defeated in book one, is seeking his revenge and is responsible for the deaths. But is he really responsible for the deaths or is there another threat in their town.

Mercy was a very difficult character to understand in this book. After taking away her feelings she was obviously very cold towards both Caleb and Dorian, but she could not understand why they were so hurt by her actions. She came across very irrational at times and it was very much her way or the high way. Despite being the most inexperienced and part of a very powerful coven, she is very set in her opinions and jumps into things by herself without thinking things through. But I think it is obvious that she is going through a very rough time and struggling with the power that she has and her erratic actions are as a result of her pain.

One of the things that is did struggle with when reading this book is that there seemed to be lots of different creatures and characters being introduced. At times I found it difficult to keep up with all the different introductions, but maybe that was just something that I found when reading. I think to create a whole supernatural world, a lot of characters are needed to make it realistic so this may have been an unavoidable problem.

Overall, this is a fantastic book that is filled with lots of drama, angst, violence and lust. What I loved is that no matter how much I read, I do not know which of the boys Mercy will end up with. I literally change my mind constantly and that is a true talent created by D.L. Blade. It is obvious that Mercy shares a strong bond with Caleb and that their love is very strong. But with Darian they are full of heat and passion. Even after casting the spell to forget her emotions, their chemistry is still palpable and cannot be erased. I hate to pick sides because I love them both but if I am being honest Dorian gets my vote. He is brooding, kind and incredibly sexy. He cares for Mercy and wants to be with her but most importantly he treats her as his equal rather than telling her what to do.

I know that there is going to be a third book in the series, so I knew there would be some unresolved issues. But, my word, I cannot express how much D.L. Blade killed me with this cliff-hanger. It literally left me with my mouth hanging open and grasping for more, so I hope I don’t have to wait too long until book three is available. This whole series has been fantastic so far and I have loved being dragged into the supernatural world of the Chosen Coven. But there is no denying how great this book is and that it has left me twisted up and desperate for the next book!

Note: I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is available for Free on Kindle Unlimited or can be purchased here:

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2jKU1Dl

The Dark Awakening (The Chosen Coven Book 1) by D.L. Blade

Book Blurb:

The Dark Awakening has hit #1 in Amazon’s Top 100 Best Sellers for Vampire Suspense!

I loved her once, but then the town of Salem hung her on Gallows Hill.

Now that she’s been brought back, she struggles to remember who and what she is.

She’s afraid.

She’s afraid of me.

A dark force is also stalking her, but I will do whatever it takes to protect her from whoever is lurking in the shadows.

★★★★★

“This book had me in another world without realizing I’d left my own.”

***

Just as Mercy pieces her life back together after a vicious attack, she notices a stranger lingering in the shadows, and watching her every move.

Mercy isn’t certain if what she’s seeing is real, but when Mercy crashes her car on the side of the road, she’s rescued by a handsome and mysterious man named Caleb, who she finds herself both drawn to, and afraid of.

Caleb reveals to Mercy that she’s strongly linked to an ancient coven; the roots slowly dragging her back to Salem. He also claims to be in love with her, but can she trust him?

This story takes you on a journey of magic, secrets, betrayal, and abduction, in a world filled with witches, vampires and werewolves, which Mercy and her friends never knew existed.

Mercy must discover who she truly is, and find the powers within her to save mankind.

Author Notes & Disclaimer:

Violence and mild language.

This will be a three-book series. This is the first book in The Chosen Coven Trilogy. Book two is called The Dark Underworld.

My Review:

This is the first book in a fantastic paranormal series. It is full of witches, vampires, demons and werewolves. This book will pull you in to a whole new world and leave you craving so much more. You are guaranteed to be taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions as you dive further into this fantastic paranormal world.

Up until recently Mercy’s life was completely normal. Her best friends Shannon and Cami are cheerleaders along with Mercy and they are popular at school. Riley is her best friend and has had feelings for Mercy for a long time but they are taking things slowly. Until one day Mercy’s life is turned upside down when her mum tries to kill her and everything changes. She goes to live with her Aunt Lily but is left crippled with anxiety, struggling to allow anyone near and refuses to let Riley touch her. She is trying to hold on until she graduates in two weeks’ time. Meanwhile, her nights are stolen by a gorgeous boy who she cannot stop dreaming of, but she is falling in love with him the more she sees.

After feeling like she is constantly being followed Mercy ends up in a car accident and is pulled out by a gorgeous young guy who doesn’t stick around long afterwards. But what is equally as strange is that Mercy was sure the car accident resulted in her leg being broken, and yet by the times she realises the boy has left, she doesn’t even have a scratch on him. When the mystery man finally introduces himself as Caleb he opens Mercy’s eyes to a whole world that she didn’t even know exists.

Mercy discovers that she is a witch, but not just any, she is a Chosen One. In the past an angel blessed five families in Salem with a child who could wield their family element of earth, air, water, fire or spirit, better than anyone. Then other witches could draw strength from the Chosen ones. Their destiny is to band together as a coven and become immortal to give witches their power for all eternity. But before they could be joined as immortal Mercy died leaving the coven incomplete. Caleb, another Chosen One, has loved Mercy for centuries and will stop at nothing to bring her back. He tried with all of her past blood relatives but was not able to succeed until now.

Mercy’s mother knew her child was a powerful old soul and promised to raise Mercy and teach her how to harness her powers. Caleb promised to stay away until her 18^th birthday, which is when a witch comes into their true powers, as it is not safe for a child to have that level of power. But Mercy’s mum could feel the power and that became addictive until she decided to keep the powers. But when Mercy experiences her awakening on her 18^th birthday her mum will automatically lose the powers as they return to Mercy. So her mum will go to extreme lengths to make sure the awakening doesn’t happen.

Not only does Mercy have a whole new world and a murderous mother to live with, there is also vampires, werewolves, her current human life and a whole set of past memories to deal with. Mercy has to figure out who she was and who she is now, then work out how to combine that to make her someone strong enough to defeat the evil that is rising.

But on top of all the supernatural drama runs a very normal teenage love story, or rather a love triangle. Mercy has been in love with Caleb for years but in the past their parents objected to their relationship and they had to stop seeing each other. Caleb obeyed their parents and didn’t fight for Mercy. The same day this happens she meets a young, gorgeous vampire called Dorian, who also happens to be the guy who is haunting modern Mercy’s dreams. Dorian is kind and loving and he does not want to be a vampire. The more time that they spend together the more they fall in love and it develops into a strong and powerful love. But in this lifetime, Mercy is confused by her feelings and is unsure who she loves or who she should choose. She feels like her job in this life is to keep her loved ones safe and rid the world of the evil that threatens them. But can she do this and fall in love at the same time?

Overall, I really loved this book. It is very different from what I normally read but its dark, dangerous and gripping. As new characters, species and timelines are introduced, it is done in a very impressive way. Sometimes when reading paranormal books it is difficult to follow the plot and character species, but not this book. The writing style is clever and easy to follow. The characters are interesting and thoroughly unique. It is very clear there are more books in the series and this book ending definitely sets up the start of the next book. But I still finished the book with my mouth wide open in shock and I cannot wait to read the next book. I am sure it will be a fantastic sequel but this book has set an extremely high standard for it to follow.

Note: I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is available for Free on Kindle Unlimited or can be purchased here:

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2JngWyd Amazon UK:

Kiss Me Tonight (Put a Ring On It Book Two) by Maria Luis

Book Blurb:

★ A TOP 50 AMAZON BESTSELLER ★

I had it all.
The Super Bowl rings.
The hot shot TV gig.

Then I got fired.

Now I’m living in middle-of-nowhere Maine, playing assistant coach to the woman of my nightmares.

Did I mention that she and her son are my new neighbors?

If you talk to the locals, they’ll tell you Aspen Levi is the queen of high school football.
But if you ask me, my new head coach is a pain in my left nut sac.

She’s too blonde.
Too peppy.
And way too sexy for my peace of mind.

Only, one minute we’re fighting, and the next I can’t keep my hands off her. One hot kiss. One forbidden touch. I don’t do love but . . .

What I want, I take, and what I want is Aspen Levi.

KISS ME TONIGHT is a steamy slow burn romance. It’s the second book in the highly anticipated series, Put A Ring On It, and can be read as a standalone.

My Review:

This book is without a shadow of a doubt one of the easiest that I have ever reviewed, in fact my only problem is that giving it five stars just does not seem high enough. I thought that I would prefer book one in the series because I loved the Big Fat Greek Wedding aspect of Hold Me Today. But the further I got into this story the more it grew on me and took over everything, making me fall in love. This book is hilarious, heart-breaking and so incredibly sexy. I have said it before and this without a doubt confirms it, Maria Luis is the Queen of Banter!

Dominic DaSilva is an ex-NFL God who turned his hand to presenting, working as a football host on TV. But he has recently been fired from that post after the unwanted attention he receives after participating in the reality show Put A Ring On It. Dom is unhappy with his current lifestyle and he has always felt like he is alone, like there is something missing in his life. After suffering through a tough childhood filled with pain and abandonment, Dom doesn’t know what it feels like to be loved or accepted. Feeling like his life is being invaded by the recent press releases and constant attention he is receiving, Dom agrees to take a coaching job in a small town, in the middle of nowhere. What he doesn’t realise until he actually arrives is that he will actually be working as the assistant coach. The role of head coach has already been filled by the town’s football legend, who has just returned home after fifteen years away. The problem is that Dom’s new head coach turns out to be the gorgeous blonde woman he turned down in the pub the night before he starts his job and he has regretted turning down ever since.

Aspen Levi was an up and coming football star playing college ball and was on track to be the first female player to get drafted by the NFL. But all of that changes when she is wooed by much older football agent Rick Clarke, who promises to give her the world. They end up married and have a baby boy called Topher. Levi moves to be with Rick, leaving her friends and family behind, giving up her dream and losing her spirit. For fourteen years she is emotionally abused and manipulated by Rick, but she stays so that Topher can have parents who stay together. However, when Topher catches his dad in bed with two other women, Levi immediately files for divorce and together with Topher, she moves back to her home town. On a rare night out to try and fit back in to small town life, Levi ends up in the local bar drinking by herself, when she meets a handsome stranger dressed all in black. Part of his face is obscured by his baseball cap and the alcohol she has consumed but it is still obvious he is hot. They talk and have some amazing banter together. Levi makes it clear that she would be up for more but he turns her down. She gets a taxi home feeling embarrassed, so imagine her surprise when she sees the man who turned her down pulling into the newly bought house next door to hers. It is also very clear without his cap that not only is he a very handsome man, he is actually drop-dead gorgeous bad-boy Dominic DaSilva. Her new neighbour is also her new work colleague. But after such an embarrassing start, how can they possibly get along?

Levi and Dom’s relationship was absolutely beautiful. Levi taught Dom how to be less reckless and to just accept life for what it is and encourages him to find the beauty in the everyday. Whereas Dom taught Aspen how to find her old self that she had lost while she was with Rick. She learnt to take risks and believe in herself again. They genuinely brought the best out in each other. Their banter is so hilarious and their love shines so bright. The chemistry that they have together is off the scale right from the first meeting and it only gets hotter. If gorgeous bad-boy Dom wasn’t already sexy enough, we then finds out he is a dirty talker who likes to take charge in the bedroom. Well if I wasn’t sold before I can safely say I was then. But I was Team Dom right from the very beginning. He was so beautifully broken and I wanted to hug and mother little lost boy Dom, as my heart broke for him! As a character, Dom knows his flaws, but when he learnt he was capable of more I was so pleased. But I wasn’t just a Dom fan, I also loved Aspen. She is fierce, protective and loves with her whole heart. She mothers everyone and it was so lovely. But watching her overcome her past and with Dom’s love she learns to take risks and starts to believe in how beautiful she really is, which was so gorgeous to witness.

I was so pleased to see that we got to catch up with Nick and Mina because they are such an awesome couple. I also liked the little hints we got about the third and final book in the series featuring reality TV star Savannah Rose, the female star of Put A Ring On It. We will finally get to hear her story and see how she finds her happily ever after, but have we already met her match? I cannot wait to read this book and Maria Luis will never be able to write it quick enough for me!

Overall, I absolutely loved this book so much. I wanted to prefer the first book because I loved it so much but actually you cannot compare them against each other. This book took over my life and I literally lived and breathed Levi and Dom’s relationship. Dom is up there as one of my all-time favourite characters. The all-black wearing, bad boy, cocky, smooth talking gorgeous man will stay with me for a long time after I have finished reading, as will Aspen. There are very few books that I know I will read over and over again and I already know that this is one of those. I want to shout about how good this story is from the rooftops. You have to read this book.

Note: I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is available for Free on Kindle Unlimited or can be purchased here:

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2XojwrC