🔖 REVIEW BLITZ 🔖 Falling for Trouble by Carly Phillips

Falling for Trouble by Carly Phillips

Release Date: February 5, 2026

Series: Dare to Fall #1

Pages: 198

Genres: Sports, Romance, Contemporary

Brother’s Best Friend • Forbidden Romance • Billionaire Protector • Miami Heat

He’s the bad boy my family warned me about—and the one man I can’t have.

I just landed the job of my dreams—planning the Miami Thunder football team’s 50th-anniversary celebration—and I can’t afford distractions. Especially not tattooed billionaire and reformed troublemaker Lucas Carras. He exudes alpha-hero intensity, but he’s been off limits for as long as I’ve known him.

But the kickoff party is happening at the nightclub he co-owns with my brother… and with my sibling out of town, I’m stuck working with Lucas.

Forced proximity ignites the desire we’ve both been pretending doesn’t exist. From bedrooms to storage rooms, the scorching tension causes us to cross every line we swore we wouldn’t. On paper, we’re complete opposites. In reality, the chemistry is undeniable.

This party is everything I’ve worked for—my moment to prove myself. Until the sabotage starts.

Orders vanish. Vendors back out. Someone is determined to ruin the anniversary… and my reputation along with it.

Suddenly Lucas isn’t just a distraction. He’s my protector, my anchor, and the only man I trust to stand by my side.

But when my brother finds out about us, family drama explodes. And I’m torn between being the good girl who plays by the rules... and falling for trouble.

Perfect for fans of Carly Phillips and high-heat sports romance, Falling for Trouble features a possessive hero, high-stakes suspense, and a guaranteed HEA. 

AVAILABLE NOW

My Review:

In Phillips’ latest release, she delivers a sizzling forbidden romance. Falling for Trouble is a great start to the Dare to Fall Series!

At the beginning of the story we are introduced to Rainey Dare, a corporate event planner who happens to co-own, Golden Palm Events with her best friend. Having grown up among her well-known footfall family, Rainey has made it very clear from the very start that she wants to earn the coveted spot of planning the Miami Thunder football team’s 50th anniversary— and not because of who she is related to. Getting the job will not only be good publicity, but it will give them the chance to brake free from the bad rep that they got from a disappointed client.

When they hear back that they got the job, Rainey is over-the-moon excited and ready to start working. But first, she has to convince her brother and his associates that throwing the party at their nightclub, Midnight, will be beneficial for everyone. With her brother out of town, Rainey has to work with Lucas Carras. As a reformed and handsome troublemaker, it’s hard to not be attracted to her brother’s best friend. Especially when he is clearly protective of her, making him off-limits to her. Yet, the longer they work together, the harder it becomes for her to not develop feelings for him.

Lucas Carras has worked really hard to get to where he is, as a wealthy entrepreneur his focus has been on making, Midnight, a success. When it comes to love, he does’t do relationships. Lucas has always been respectful of his best friend’s sister, Rainey Dare, but he can’t deny the chemistry that they have. He can tell that there is an attraction between them that makes it difficult to ignore when they have to work together. There are things about his past that he is not happy with, so learning to trust Rainey with his past is what ultimately brings them closer. This makes him realize that Rainey might just be it for him and facing her family could not end up working out.

I throughly enjoyed reading Falling for Trouble, the chemistry between the characters is off-the charts! It’s evident from the start that Lucas has been through a lot and that has shaped his view on love. He doesn’t want to repeat his parents’ past and we see him remain loyal to his best friend. Lucas doesn’t want to hurt those that have embraced him by following his feelings. Needless to say, falling in love with Rainey is what gives him a courage to follow his heart no matter what. He just hopes that she feels the same. All in all, I would highly recommend checking out this story as well as any others from Carly Phillips. :)

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

My Rating: 

Meet Carly Phillips:

Carly Phillips is the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of over eighty sexy contemporary romances featuring hot men, strong women, and emotionally compelling stories her readers have come to expect and love. She is happily married to her college sweetheart and lives in Westchester County, NY. She is the mother of two adult daughters and three crazy dogs who star on her Facebook and Instagram pages. She loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers. Way back in 2002, Carly’s book, The Bachelor, was chosen by Kelly Ripa and was the first romance on a nationally televised book club. Carly loves social media and interacting with her readers. For more information on upcoming releases, sign up for her newsletter (below) and receive two free books!

https://www.carlyphillips.com/subscribe-newsletter/

To learn more about Carly Phillips & her books, visit here! 

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🔖 BLOG TOUR 🔖 Forceful God by Michelle Heard {REVIEW}

Forceful God by Michelle Heard

Release Date: January 26, 2026

Series: Kings of Mafia #7

Pages: 238

Genres: Romance, Mafia

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

I was born into the Cosa Nostra, so I should be used to the blood, violence, and constant threat of death, right?
Wrong.

Every time one of the men I love gets hurt, another piece of me fractures beyond repair. But the moment I see the man who owns my heart fall, it annihilates me.

The fear of losing Christiano forces me to the edge of my sanity. I shut down and push him as far away as possible, convinced distance is the only way to keep myself from unraveling. Christiano is as cold and merciless as his father, raised to rule the Cosa Nostra with an iron fist. Obsession runs just as deep as power in his bloodline, so no matter what I say, he won't let me go.

Refusing to marry him doesn't drive him away. It changes him, making him an unforgiving and ruthless man who will use force to keep me exactly where he wants me. I hide my weakness behind lies, but they only seem to feed the darkness in him. Like the predator he is, he watches me, waits for me, corners me. Every explosive encounter strips away my resolve until there's almost nothing left.

The threat of the five families being torn apart is the only thing that finally makes me give in to his advances, but as I say my vows to Christiano, I know it's only a matter of time before he realizes I'm not the perfect mafia princess he thinks I am.

What will happen when the capo dei capi discovers I'm too fragile to be his Cosa Nostra queen?

AVAILABLE NOW

My Review:

As the seventh book in the Kings of Mafia Series, Michelle heard delivers a steamy second chance mafia romance with a twist. Forceful God will leave you wanting for more!

For Christiano Falco and Sienna Vitale, their lives have completely changed the minute they fell for one another. Although both have been raised within the mafia world of the Cosa Nostra. Their union would not only bring two very powerful families together, but it would also make Sienna, Christiano’s queen. Something that for Sienna is difficult to take, knowing that there is something that Christiano still doesn’t know about her. A secret that has been kept hidden in her family for a very long time. As Christiano takes his place as the head of the Cosa Nostra, it makes him even more powerful. Yet, there is no denying just how much he loves Sienna. An attack targeting the rest of the mafia families would ultimately separate them for a while. Sienna starts to question her ties to the mafia world, as Christiano sets his sights on making her his once and for all.

All in all, I liked the overall concept of the story. Heard does a good job explaining the sensitive topic in the book. I felt for Sienna as she navigated her way through wanting to be with Christiano and dealing with the consequences that come with being in the mafia.Christiano is ruthless and overprotective when it comes to Sienna. He is learning to be a good leader within his world and does’t want to lose the woman he’s loved for a very long time. There is not denying the sizzling chemistry between them, yet Christiano can sense that Sienna is hiding something from him and he will do anything to find out the truth. I would highly recommend checking out the book if you like a good mafia romance, be warned that there are some potential triggers that many or may not be for everyone.

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

My Rating:

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