🔖 REVIEW BLITZ 🔖 Brutal Bargain by Laurelin Paige

Brutal Bargain by Laurelin Paige

Release Date: October 9, 2024

Pages: 530

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

She needs a husband. He won’t let anyone else have her.

Ax Morgan has played many roles in my life: My brother’s best friend. The most notorious member of the Sebastian News Corp executive team. My enemy with benefits.

But my husband?

No thanks.

Our after hours scenes are simply a convenient way for me to blow off steam while I plot my exit from my toxic family’s company.

But when I need a groom so I can claim my inheritance, he presents me with a choice that’s more like blackmail—marry him, or he’ll sabotage me. So between the devil and the deep blue sea, I let the devil put a ring on it.

Turns out this is the role he plays best of all.

The worst part of pretending with Ax is how real it's starting to feel.

Now my future is in his hands. And if he finds out what I'm planning, he'll be the one with the impossible choice. Who loses everything—his best friend or his fake wife?

Amazon

My Review:

In Paige’s latest sizzling romance, Brutal Bargain, a marriage of convenience between enemies is about to change their lives forever.

As the head of HR for the Sebastian News Corp, Adly Sebastian has grown up surrounded by wealth and antiquated mindsets. It does’t help that her family’s company is stuffed with traditional men, including her dad who doesn’t give her the chance to move up like her other male relatives. The company doesn’t have the most female-friendly environment, so when Adly gets the chance to get out of the company, she can’t wait to run her own. But that soon changes when Adly finds out that to access her trust fund she’ll have to get married. The list of potential suitors is short, leaving her with no choice but to agree to marry her brother’s best friend and her enemy, Axel Morgan. He is infuriating, constantly taunting her, but also happens to be a really good kisser. What starts off as marriage of convenience it turns into so much more the longer they spend together. Leaving them questioning their motives as we as their future together.

I really enjoyed reading Brutal Bargain, the chemistry between the characters is off-the charts no matter how much they want to deny the attraction towards each other. We have two individuals who have similar backgrounds, ready to go against those that have wronged them in order to create their own futures. Ax is ready to help Adly gain access to her trust fund as long as she marries him, he’ll keep her future plans quiet. There is a part of him that has always wanted her and now he has the perfect way to keep her close. While Adly is not looking to start a relationship until Ax starts to break some of her walls. He is everything that she wasn’t actively looking for, now she just hopes that he doesn’t break her heart. All in all, the story is swoon worthy and the ending will leave you wanting for more!

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

My Rating:

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🌟 Freebie Tuesday (Edition #293) 🌟

Welcome back! As always I will be tweeting random freebies that I can find on any given day so if you're looking for more free books make sure to follow me on twitter @JackieBookWorld. :) 

***Note that there will be some books that will be free for limited time only, so make sure to download them as soon as you can. Also if there is any specific genre that you guys would like me feature, let me know in the comment section below. Enjoy! 

Off Limits 
by Sawyer Bennett
Release Date: April 14, 2013
Series: Off #2
Pages: 256
Genres: Romance, Contemporary
Author's Links: Goodreads, Website, Twitter, Facebook

“There is a vulnerability there, hovering just below the surface. And I want to pick at it until I expose it. Then I want to kiss it." 

Two years ago, Emily Burnham, had an epiphany about the shallowness of her life. And she made it her mission to become a different person…a better woman. Out from under the controlling thumb of her mother, Emily is tasting the real world for the first time. And she likes it.

Nixon Caldwell has served his time in the Marine Corps, surviving two brutal tours in Afghanistan. He is back home, surrounded by what he likes best…isolation. It's certainly the best way to avoid confrontation of the consuming guilt that is weighing him down.

When an accident brings Emily and Nix together, he soon learns he is not the master of his own fate. Struggling with his own pain, Nix tries to guard himself against Emily’s charms. He wants her in his bed, but he doesn’t want her in his heart. 

Having grabbed life by the horns, Emily wants it all. But is she willing to accept just the small part of himself that Nix is offering? Can she reach the part of his soul that he has deemed to be Off Limits?
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

         

Sweet Liar 

by Laurelin Paige

Release Date: February 26th 2019

Series: Dirty Sweet #1

Pages: 142

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

Author's Links: Goodreads, Website, Facebook

British ad exec Dylan Locke isn't looking for love. He isn't looking for fate. He's definitely not looking for Audrey Lind. She's pretty, far too young, and overly romantic--in short, exhausting.

But when the girl, young enough to be his daughter, literally lands in his lap and asks for his expertise, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't interested. In her body, in her innocence, in her philosophy.

In the kind of kismet that starts with kisses.

But Audrey isn't looking for love either--she's looking for lessons, and she's certain Dylan knows everything she needs to learn. 

If he agrees to play the teacher can he keep his heart? 

Of course he can.

Then again, he might be lying.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

         

🍂 Happy Reading! 🍂

✯REVIEW & EXCERPT TOUR✯ Dirty Filthy Fix by Laurelin Paige

Dirty Filthy Fix by Laurelin Paige

Release Date: November 21st 2017 by Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated

Series: Fixed #5.5

Genres: Romance, Novella, Contemporary

I like sex. Kinky sex. The kinkier the better.

Every day, it’s all I think about as I serve coffee and hand out business agendas to men who have no idea I’m not the prim proper girl they think I am.

With a day job as the secretary to one of New York’s most powerful men, Hudson Pierce, I have to keep my double life quiet. As long as I do, it’s not a problem.

Enter: Nathan Sinclair. Tall, dark and handsome doesn’t come close to describing how hot he is. And that’s with his clothes on. But after a dirty, filthy rendezvous, I accept that if we ever see each other again, he’ll walk right by my desk on his way to see my boss without recognizing me.

Only, that’s not what happens. Not the first time I see him after the party. Or the next time. Or the time after that. And as much as I try to stop it, my two worlds are crashing into each other, putting my job and my reputation at risk. 

And all I can think about is Nathan Sinclair. 

All I can think about is getting just one more dirty, filthy fix.

Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Amazon AU

My Review:

Dirty Filthy Fix was such an addictive and sexy story that will most certainly leave you wanting for more. Not having read other books by the author before, I didn’t know what to expect before reading the book, needless to say I was impressed with the characters and how the story was executed. Now, I’ve read other novellas in the 100 Dark Night series but this one took my by surprise. 

In the book we get to meet Nate and Trish, two strangers who meet unexpectedly one night and whose lives changed forever after spending the night together. Though neither of them want to get into a relationship, the both still want to have fun in the sex department. As two consenting adults, they both embark in a wild ride at a club who caters to those that want something more than just plain sex. Their identity was supposed to be kept a secret, but neither one of them expected to meet again the following day. When Nate arrives to his appointment, he wasn’t expecting to see Trish again, but even though they didn’t reveal themselves completely he could still recognize her right away. It was all supposed to be an arrangement for Trish, but seeing Nate again has brought her completely different feelings and the more time they spend together the more she wants to be with him. The only thing is that neither of them expected a relationship, and telling him how she feels could end up breaking her heart. 

I loved the overall story, it was different to me and hot! This is not your average romance story, it is steamy and full of feels that will leave you swooning an rooting for the characters in the end. Nate is kind and a total alpha male. He knows what he wants and takes care of Trish. On the other hand, Trish is confident and is not afraid of getting what she wants as well. She doesn’t do relationships, but we get to see her grow and change her mind the more time she spends with Nate. Aside from the characters having an explosive chemistry, the author did a great job bringing everything together in the end. We get our happily-ever-after in this book and I enjoyed it. I would highly recommend checking it out. I will most certainly be reading more from the author in the future. :)

***ARC provided for the blog tour purposes in exchange for an honest review.***

My Rating:

{EXCERPT}

I set down my champagne flute, untouched, and waited, my arms folded across my chest.

But what he said next surprised me. “What kind of life do you envision for yourself? What’s your dream future?” Instead of immediately hounding me about my utter disrespect for the sanctity of marriage, he wanted to listen.

This...was new.

I wasn’t prepared, which sort of pissed me off. Not only because it occurred to me that I could have misjudged Nathan Sinclair, but also because I didn’t exactly have a checklist of plans for myself. I just had things I liked doing that I wanted to continue doing, uninterrupted.

“What is it I want from my life?” I repeated back to him, buying time to think about it.

And then when I did think about it I realized I didn’t need the time. I knew exactly what I wanted. “My own stuff, my own space, steady kinky sex in different locations. Happy? I’m leaving.” I spun on my five-inch heels and walked toward the exit. Irritated.

I didn’t know why I was so worked up, maybe because the whole topic was a sore spot. Maybe because even though he hadn’t given the speech yet, I knew it was coming eventually. I didn’t fit into the traditional world with my viewpoints about happily-ever-afters. I already knew that.

Or, maybe I was worked up because people rarely believed it about me when I told them. They always thought that I was lying to them or lying to myself, but I really didn’t want what society believed I should want in the way they thought I should want it, and I didn’t want to have to argue about it with Nate, because I did truly like him. And I didn’t want to have this conflict. But liking him didn’t mean I wanted to give up who I was just to make him happy.

Instead of talking it to death and arguing my side, it was easier just to go. Get it over with. I could cut the ties now before I liked him even more. Before the string didn’t just tug me back from the clouds, but let all the air out of me, too.

I rushed out into the lobby, assuming he’d let me go, but he followed. And really, that’s what I probably should have expected. He’d already proven he was the kind of guy that chased. Shoe or not, Nate Charming liked his fairytale kink.

And I’d just performed the most cliché move of all for a sexed-up Cinderella—I’d run from the freaking ball.

About Laurelin Paige:

USA Today and New York Times Bestselling Author Laurelin Paige is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She is represented by Rebecca Friedman.

                                              Website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads

Thanks for stopping by! :)

✴ Freebie Tuesday (Edition #169) ✴

🌠 Happy Tuesday! 🌠

Thanks for stopping by! As always I will be tweeting random freebies that I can find on any given day so if you're looking for more free books make sure to follow me on twitter @JackieBookWorld. :)

***Note that there will be some books that will be free for limited time only, so make sure to download them as soon as you can. Also if there is any specific genre that you guys want me to find books of, let me know in the comment section below. (:  Enjoy! 

*Older Editions will be linked on the menu section (above) under Freebie Tuesday:)

Free Me
by Laurelin Paige
Release Date: December 8th 2014 by Paige Press, LLC
Series: The Found Duet #1
Pages: 400
Genres: Romance
Author's Links: Goodreads, Website, Twitter, Facebook

Her story started long before she started working at The Sky Launch... 

Screw fairytales. The only reward Gwen Anders got from her rough childhood was a thick skin and hard heart. She’s content with her daily grind managing a top NYC nightclub—Eighty-Eighth Floor. So hers isn’t a happily ever after. She doesn’t believe in those anyway.

Then she meets J.C. 

The rich, smooth talking playboy is the sexiest thing that Gwen has ever encountered, but she’s not interested in a night-in-shining latex. But when a family tragedy pushes her to the brink, it’s J.C. who’s there to teach her a new method of survival, one based on following primal urges and desires. His no-strings-attached lessons require her to abandon her constant need for control. Her carefully built walls are obliterated.

Gwen discovers there’s a beautiful world outside her prison. Freedom is exhilarating—and terrifying. When she starts to feel something for J.C., she fears for her heart. Especially as she realizes that he has secrets of his own. Secrets that don't want to set him free.
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

       

Lost Library 

by Kate Baray

Release Date: April 22nd 2014 by Catherine G Cobb

Series: Lost Library #1

Pages: 260

Genres: Paranormal, Romance

Author's Links: Goodreads, Website, Twitter, Facebook

Lizzie led a normal life...until the Book arrived. 

Author Kate Baray begins her new paranormal romance series with Lost Library, a tale of werewolves, magic, adventure and romance. 

John Braxton arrives unannounced on Lizzie’s doorstep. Little does she know that when she invites him for a drink on the porch, Lizzie opens the door to a secret world of Lycan, magic, spelled books, and a power hungry mastermind. Caught up in one man’s search for power, Lizzie soon begins to uncover surprising secrets about her own past and powers—but not before stumbling upon a library like no other. And romance with a serious but sexy Lycan? It might just happen… 

Take a romp through the life of the quirky and well-meaning Lizzie as she discovers exactly what it means to live with magic.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

      

Play Me 

by Katie McCoy

Release Date: January 27th 2016

Genres: Romance

Author's Links: Goodreads

Recipe For:

A Roll In The Hay Hot Crossed Buns Love

Ingredients:

1 Chef (equal parts sexy and carefree)
1 Pianist (equal parts uptight and endearing)
1/8 inch of drywall between their apartments
2 opinions on everything

Combine all ingredients, mix vigorously, and be prepared for an explosion of heat.

Pianist Ella Thomas is training for the competition of her life. Finally in an apartment of her own, she can practice from dawn till dusk.
But she didn't bet on the sexy and frustrating neighbor keeping her up all night - even if he does cook like a maestro and kiss like it’s his job.

Jake Matson is living his dream as Head Chef at one of the most popular restaurants in San Francisco. He's easy going, flirtatious and not looking for love. He didn't expect to be completely distracted by the girl next door, whose buttoned-up appearance hides the seductive firecracker underneath.

What happens when opposites attract? As their tension fires up, can they create a new kind of music together or will everything boil over?

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

     

Happy Reading! ;)