🔖 REVIEW BLITZ 🔖 A Reluctant Claim by Maxine Henri

A Reluctant Claim by Maxine Henri

Release Date: June 23, 2026

Pages:5 44

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

He planned to use me.
Not to get me pregnant.
Now he wants to claim us both.

One night. That’s all it was supposed to be.
Liam Stone walked into my life—and straight into my company—with an agenda I don’t trust.
Men like him don’t make moves without a reason. And they don’t play fair.

I didn’t build my career by falling for charm.
While the entire office swoons, I fight him where it matters. In the boardroom.

But my mind and my body are at war.
Because he’s arrogant. Calculating. And dangerously hard to resist.

Then that one reckless night catches up with me.

He came to New York for revenge.
I just didn’t know I was the leverage.

Now everything is more complicated than I ever planned.
I don’t need saving. But I do need control—because it’s the only way I know how to protect what matters.

And I won’t lose myself, no matter what he offers.

Even if a part of me wants to believe him.

Even if he’s determined to claim us both.

A RELUCTANT CLAIM is a spicy standalone billionaire romance featuring accidental pregnancy, workplace rivals, marriage of convenience, banter and a guaranteed HEA.

AVAILABLE NOW

My Review:

Henri delivers a steamy office romance in A Reluctant Claim. This enemies-to-lovers story will leave you wanting for more.

As Merged’s office manager, Roxy Moretti, had high hopes of eventually being able to buy stake in the company. After working there for the past two years, Roxy is regarded with respect among her co-workers. Yet, what she yearns the most is to prove that she can be their equal in the boardroom. Though there is an ulterior motive that keeps Roxy motived to achieve success on her own without the need to go back to her influential family. Little does she know that her life was able to take a different turn of events the minute Roxy meets Liam Stone. He walked into Merged ready to acquire his own stake in the company, ready to charm anyone to get his way with his looks and the power of the Stone name behind him. Neither of them expected to be put against each other, both have reasons for wanting to be partners at Merged. What they weren’t counting on was to develop feelings for one another, now they have to face the consequences of their time together or risk losing everything. 

A Reluctant Claim was a solid read, full of undeniable chemistry between the characters that turns into so much more. It’s the closeness at work that soon gives them a chance to get to know each other well. Roxy has her guard up, not ready to trust her opponent, yet the soon realize that they work together really well. Which helps solidify their connection and ultimately leads them to give into their feelings for each other. All in all, if you like banter and an office romance, I would suggest giving this story a try. :)

***I received an advanced copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.***

My Rating:

Meet Maxine Henri:

Maxine Henri is a contemporary romance author who infuses her stories with steamy passion and complex characters. When she’s not crafting stories that will have you swooning, she can usually be found sipping on a cup of black tea while reading a good book or traveling to new destinations.

Maxine believes that stories matter. They facilitate emotional journeys, inspire and entertain. And when it comes to books and fiction, stories are a great escape and probably the most beneficial addiction on this planet.

Her billionaire romances are the perfect escape, offering a taste of luxury and adventure. Maxine introduces heroes who may have a dark past, but are always balanced by a lighter side. And her leading ladies? They’re strong, independent women who may be a little broken, but always find their way to love.

Connect with Maxine Henri:
http://maxinehenri.com

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🔖 REVIEW BLITZ 🔖 Merciless Vow by Ines Johnson

Merciless Vow by Ines Johnson

Release Date: June 2, 2026

Genres: Romance, Mafia, Paranormal

A forced marriage. A fated bond. And an Alpha wolf who will give her everything —except his heart.

When Addie Vane's brother steals six million dollars from the most powerful werewolf family in New York, the Blackwoods don't want the money back. They want her. Vidar Blackwood is everything she ran from when she left her pack at eighteen: powerful, possessive, and completely certain the world bends to his will. He offers a simple trade: her hand in marriage for her brother's life.

Vidar Blackwood rebuilt his family's empire on one rule: trust no one outside your bloodline. Then Addie walked into his office smelling like lightning and looked him in the eye like she hadn't read the memo about who he was. She won't submit. He can't stop pushing her to knees. But Addie isn't the asset he planned for — she's sharper, more stubborn, and more dangerous to his carefully constructed world than any enemy he's faced.

For fans of dark romance, mafia romance, arranged marriage, possessive alpha heroes, and she-wolves who don't take orders — MERCILESS VOW is a steamy, slow-burn paranormal romance with explicit heat, pack politics, mafia power dynamics, and a love story that neither of them saw coming.

AVAILABLE NOW

My Review:

Not having read any other books by the author, I didn’t know what to expect before reading Merciless Vow. Needless to say, Johnson blew me away with this page-turning paranormal mafia romance that is a must-read!

For the past ten years, Addie Vane aka Addie O’Shea, has worked really hard to make a name for herself away from her powerful werewolf family. With no desire to be used as a pawn among the werewolf families, she decides to leave her family behind, including her younger brother. Without knowing when she’ll even see him again, Addie focuses on her career as a junior associate at Sterling & Associates. Yet, it’s her intellect and cutthroat business personality at work that her boss admires. But any future career plans are halted the minute Addie gets a call from her father, letting her know that her younger brother has been taken by the Blackwoods after stealing millions of dollars from them. They have made it very clear that they don’t want the money, the Blackwoods want her.

Suddenly Addie is taken back to the place she tried so hard to run away from, but the guilt of leaving her brother is enough to get her to go back to her old world. Meeting Vidar Blackwood completely changes the dynamic between them, he is possessive and wants to treat their marriage as a business arrangement. No feelings are supposed to be involved or so she thinks. Addie will have to decide if staying with helping her new family is worth it in order to save her brother or submit to her growing feelings for the man she vowed to hate.

Every move Vidar Blackwood has always made has been calculated and thought out. He prides himself on catching errors and when a shipment does missing, it’s an error that could cost him millions. So when he finds out that there has been a theft in the family business, he considers it war and Vidar knows exactly who is behind it. Elias Vane has taken from them and to settle the debt, Vidar’s parents want him to marry Addie Vane. He’s always known that one day, he’ll have an arrange marriage like his parents had, yet he wasn’t expecting to meet his match. Addie exudes confidence and power without apology that intrigues him right away. He could take her as an employee with her stellar resume, but it’s her fire that makes the decision for him. She’ll marry him or lost her brother in the process. Little does he know just how much his life was about to change forever.

I throughly enjoyed reading Merciless Vow. Although it was a bit confusing at the beginning, I wasn’t sure where the story was going, but it proved me wrong right away. The tension between the main characters is sizzling and their banter is what ultimately kept me reading. Their marriage might be a business arrangement, but what they don’t know is that they are the perfect match for each other. While Vidar is not interested in a love match, he wants loyalty from his wife. Something that it’s hard for Addie to give knowing the circumstances of their marriage. She guards her trust after the way her dad treated her growing up. It’s easier to focus on her career, but the minute she agrees to marry Vidar her eyes are open to new possibilities as a couple and what they could do if they learn to trust in one another. All in all, this was a great start to the series and I cannot wait to read what happens next. I would highly recommend it! :)

***I received an advanced copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.***

My Rating: 4.5/5

Meet Ines Johnson:

Lover of fairytales, folklore, and mythology, Ines Johnson spends her days reimagining the stories of old in a modern world. She writes books where damsels cause the distress, princesses wield swords, and moms save the world.

Ines writes books for strong women who suck at love. If you rocked out to the twisted triangle of Jem, Jericha, and Rio as a girl; if you were slayed by vampires with souls alongside Buffy; if you need your scandalous fix from Olivia Pope each week, then you’ll love her books!

Aside from being a writer, professional reader, and teacher, Ines is a very bad Buddhist. She sits in sangha each week, and while others are meditating and getting their zen on, she’s contemplating how to use the teachings to strengthen her plots and character motivations.

Ines lives outside Washington, DC with her two little sidekicks who are growing up way too fast.

https://ineswrites.com/

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🔖 BLOG TOUR 🔖 Vicious Devil by Michelle Heard {REVIEW}

Vicious Devil by Michelle Heard

Release Date: May 28, 2026

Series: Kings of Mafia #9

Pages: 286

Genres: Romance, Mafia, Contemporary

From USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Michelle Heard comes a new STANDALONE, full-length MAFIA ROMANCE novel.

At the lowest point in my life, I walk into the busiest club, hoping to get a job. Somehow, I end up on stage, being told to strip, and before I can even decide if I’m desperate enough, a terrifying man orders me to leave.

I do my best to ignore my fear as I follow him to his office, not knowing it’s about to cost me everything.

Turns out I’m more desperate than I thought, and I swallow my pride and beg.
But Adriano Rizzo doesn’t offer me employment.
Nope, he makes me a deal that’s hard to refuse.
I tell myself I can handle whatever he demands of me.
Boy, am I wrong.

Hidden in the fine print, I didn’t bother to read, is a clause I never saw coming.
Marry him. Or I walk away with nothing and end up back on the streets.

While I’m still trying to decide, he changes the rules, and before I know it, I’m saying my vows to a man I barely know. To make matters worse, just as we leave the church, he pulls out a gun and empties it into some poor soul. Right in front of me!
That’s when I learn the truth…

Adriano Rizzo isn’t just some heartless, filthy-rich club owner.
He’s a boss in the Cosa Nostra, and I’ve just married into a world that’s violent, ruthless, and deadly.

STANDALONE: A Standalone Mafia Romance.

AVAILABLE NOW

My Review:

As the ninth book in the Kings of Mafia Series, Heard delivers a steamy mafia romance in Vicious Devil. This new beginnings romance is filled with secrets and suspense to keep you wanting for more.

At the beginning of the story we get to meet Laurie Barners, she is a twenty-five year old who left everything behind to move to New York City. Hoping to start a new life, Laurie finds a job at Mitchell’s Construction as a bookkeeper. But what once brought her joy now brings her resentment and fear after dating the owner’s brother for quite some time. She knows that staying with Austin will only make her life more miserable, so Laurie makes a plan in order to leave him soon. Yet, it would a take a turn of events to leave her no choice but to turn to the club, Fallen Angels for a job. The only thing is that its owner, Adriano Rizzo doesn’t want her to strip for other men. He makes her a proposal she can’t deny, not realizing that Laurie would end becoming his wife. Now she has to face the truth of what it means to be in his world before it’s too late.

Once Adriano Rizzo took over as the head of his family within the Cosa Nostra, his only goal was to make his family even more powerful and successful. But at thirty-six, Adriano wants to get married, have what his parents have. He was’t expecting to be captivated by Laurie outside his club, but the possessive side of him wants to make her his for good. When he finds out that she is not doing well financially, Adriano maker her an offer in order to get her to be by his side, not mentioning that by signing the contract she’ll automatically be his wife. Being part of a violent world, he is used to dealing with anything thrown his way, but when their lives a threaten, the ruthless side of him must come out in order to keep her forever.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading Vicious Devil, Heard knows how to deliver a true mafia romance. The intensity between the characters is magnetic. It’s clear from the very beginning that Adriano really likes Laurie, even though she isn’t interested in a relationship. Not after leaving her ex, she has no one and when Adriano offers to help. There is a part of her that is hesitant, but she has no choice or she’ll risk bring homeless. With Adriano’s help, Laurie starts to trust him a bit more and as they get to know each other, she starts to fall for him. Though it’s he does for a living that it takes some getting used. Thankfully, his family and friends are ready to embrace her. Nothing compared to her family and that’s what brings them closer. The ending was perfect for them and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. I would highly recommend checking out this book and any others by the author! :)

***I received an advanced copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.***

My Rating:

About Michelle Heard:

Michelle Heard is a Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling Author who loves creating stories her readers can get lost in. She resides in South Africa with her son where she's always planning her next book to write, and trip to take.

Website, Facebook, FB Readers Group, Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, TikTok, Newsletter

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