Category: After Dark

Categories
After Dark Contemporary Fiction Romance RomCom Spicy🌶️ Thick Babes

FUNDAMENTALS OF BEING A GOOD GIRL

By Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone. Pub Date 1/13/2025

Rating: 4*s

PUBLISHER’S SYNOPSIS

Maddie Kowalczk is ready to be a bad girl. When the rookie lecturer lands at Astra University, she’s looking to start fresh after a messy breakup. But her first night in town takes a twist when she bumps into Bram Loe—a reserved but incredibly handsome single dad she (not so accidentally) stole a parking spot from earlier that day. The unspoken chemistry as he locks eyes with her while she gets a birthday spanking at a local bar is hotter than a Bunsen burner at full flame.

Bram is looking for a break from his hectic life as an ecology professor and dad to rambunctious twins and a busy teenager. So when his college friend’s divorce celebration brings him face-to-face with the same delectable brat who stole his parking spot, he’s ready for a night to remember. But the next morning, Bram’s world turns upside down (and that’s not just the hangover talking). His new nanny? None other than Maddie, who also happens to be the new poli-sci adjunct at the university where he teaches.

Maddie is desperate and broke, so when Bram offers her a raise and the chance to set some ground rules, she can’t say no. As the two settle into their new roles, the normally unruffled Bram finds that no one riles him up like Maddie does, which is a problem when every argument feels like foreplay. Of course, Bram is an educator first and foremost, and he very quickly finds he can’t resist the temptation of instructing Maddie in the fundamentals of being a good girl.

And it turns out Maddie’s a hands-on learner…

REVIEW

I cannot express how excited I was to see the Murphy/Simone duo back together again!

The A Christmas Notch series was amazing and one of my favorite series and most highly recommended spicy book trilogies, and after reading The Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl, I have a feeling that the Academic Affairs series is going to be skyrocketing to the top, too.

This book is deliciously spicy, with complex and complete characters, beautifully described settings, and all the right kinks. I loved Bram and his family and friends and I thought Maddie was a great character. Very strong, and her struggles to find the right future for herself after spending so many years with the wrong person felt very reminiscent of my own experience, and the way Bram went from buttoned up dad to feral daddy? So hot.

I am psyched for the next book. If it’s about who I think it’s about–well, let me put it this way: I’ve been searching for a bully to lovers romance and I have a feeling that’s exactly what is coming.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Categories
After Dark Romance Spicy🌶️ Thick Babes

LOVE ME STALK ME

BY Laura Bishop. Pub Date 12/2/2025

Rating:

PUBLISHER’S SYNOPSIS

When overworked department store manager Izzy Russo downloads an AI boyfriend app to fill the emotional void left by her inattentive real one, she thinks she’s just venting to a harmless chatbot named “Caleb.” In reality, she’s been pouring her deepest, dirtiest fantasies into the ears of Callahan Knight—her store’s brooding new head of security.

Because Cal? He’s been listening. The moment he saw Izzy, he knew she was his. Did he hack her phone? Absolutely. But who could blame him? A woman like Izzy deserves to be cherished by someone who truly knows her worth—and he’ll do anything to be that man.

So when Izzy finally sees her boyfriend for who he really is, and the danger she’s unknowingly been caught up in, Cal is ready to protect her, no matter the cost. Even if it means revealing the truth.

She might not have meant to build the perfect man. But he’s here now. And he’s never letting her go.

REVIEW

This was a good introductory Stalker romance. Morally Grey, but we’re talking LIGHT gray. The stuff that happens to Izzy because of her ex is a different story. That’s definitely the darkest part. I really enjoyed the relationship development between Izzy and Cal, and all of the other characters were also well fleshed out. Amanda has a story of her own coming and Izzy’s family probably isn’t going away soon, and that’s a good thing. Their banter is hilarious and I LOVED Nonna.

The spicy scenes were fantastic. You would expect something dark from the description regarding the AI, and maybe I’m desensitized, but I thought the MMC used it in the most wholesome way given how dark romances like this tend to get. Don’t get me wrong, the sex scenes are still explicit and petty hot, but the overall lead up and motivations from our “stalker” are a romantic dream.

I recommend this for those who enjoy a dark romance but really want that white (gray) knight vibe as a change of pace.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Categories
After Dark Fantasy Spicy🌶️ Survival

PSYCHO SHIFTERS

BY Jasmine Mas. Now Available from Harlequin Trade Publishing!

Rating 4*

PUBLISHER’S SYNOPSIS

These alpha males think they own me.
After growing up with nothing, I’ve finally found my path to freedom: I’m a shifter, a warrior who transforms into a monster.
All I have to do is survive bootcamp.

I didn’t count on my three 6’5 roommates-slash-trainers. Covered in tattoos, jeweled, and horned, these are like no men I’ve ever dealt with before.

They don’t think I belong.
They don’t think I can fight.
They don’t think I’m strong enough for war.
They don’t think I can shift.
I’m about to prove them wrong.

Jax, Ascher, and Cobra are going to be devastated when they discover my truth…just wait until they see my shifted form.

REVIEW

This reverse harem fantasy is wild. I really liked this book. The world is massive, with the first three books covering three different realms.

But we’re here to talk about the first book, even though I immediately moved on to the 2nd and 3rd. There is a lot of spice (not with the MFC) and tension. It’s 100% the kind of read you want if you’re looking for something that is a guilty pleasure. It’s the reality TV of reverse harem fantasy romance. We don’t get the full characterization of any of the characters. You like them, but not really love them. It’s all lust, nothing deep, but again: guilty pleasure. If you want some hot quick trashy fantasy, read this. Again, I immediately read the rest of the series as it was available on KU, so this did scratch an itch for me. It’s a compliment. However, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook. It’s PACKED with excellent voice talent reading you to filth.It honestly MADE the first book for me and gave me a deeper appreciation for the rest of the series. Honestly, without the audiobook setting the scene for me, I would have struggled with this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade for the advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Categories
After Dark Contemporary Fiction Romance Spicy🌶️

HE SEES YOU WHEN YOU’RE SLEEPING

BY Alta Hensley. Pub Date 9-16-25

Rating:

PUBLISHER’S SYNOPSIS

“It’s the night before Christmas and I’m alone in the house…

Popular jewelry influencer Chloe Hallman is steeling herself to spend another holiday on her own. Instead, she finds herself drawn to two different guys… a smoldering hot fan of her secret, seductive online persona, and a sexy fireman named Jack who looks out for her in their NYC neighborhood.

She has no idea that I know her better than she knows herself. Her deepest secrets, her darkest desires—she’s careful, but I’ve been watching, never leaving footprints in the snow outside her home.

Jack was the first responder to the accident that stole a beautiful young woman’s family two Christmases ago, and he’s been quietly guarding her ever since. When Jack uncovers Chloe’s secret account, his obsession only grows. Both he and Chloe are drawn to the darkness that mirrors their own.

She’s my Christmas wish come true. And I’m hers. She just doesn’t know it yet.“

THOUGHTS

Stalker romances have become a real “thing” lately, and some of them are super dark, some of them are less dark. This one falls into a less dark category. I liked both characters. I think this is a good introductory romance into this specific trope, because it would be irresponsible to jump directly into the deep end of stalker romances.

The spicy scenes have a sweet kinkiness to them, and you can easily see this beckoning an after dark Lifetime type movie. The MMC is a very protective guy who knows what he is doing is creepy and actually cares about it. The FMC has a hidden side and there are real life consequences she is trying to avoid. They also meet one another and like one another in the wild, which, again, adds a sweetness to the story.

Highly recommend for those curious about the trope but not wanting to go into darker territory quite yet.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for the advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Categories
After Dark Contemporary Fiction Romance Spicy🌶️ Supernatural

KNOT THEIR BURDEN

By Melissa Huxley. Audiobook. Pub Date 10/21/25

Rating 3*

PUBLISHER’S SYNOPSIS

“Sage was perfectly content in her little bubble, working and living as a Beta at a large company. Keeping in her own lane and not making any waves.

Until the universe decided to give her an abrupt status change.

When a far from ideal development occurs and throws everything in her life into utter chaos, Sage is forced into an unforgiving world of Alphas, brutality, and pack politics.

She is nothing like the Omega they imagined, and they are far from the Alphas she pictured.

Can four alluring Alphas give her back some semblance of her life and give her the freedom she fears is slipping through her hands? Or will she be stuck in a world where she is destined to be owned and destroyed?”

REVIEW

If you are looking for a trashy reverse harem werewolf romance this is a good, quick read to fill that need. When I say trashy, I mean that in a good way. The way that some reality TV is bad for you but it’s a guilty indulgence. This has a ton of spice (obviously), and the narrators do pretty well, although I’m not a huge fan of the breathy drama ‘sexy’ voice. It makes it feel a little cheesy, although it kind of is. The characters don’t have a lot of depth, but that’s part of the charm. It was a nice “Brainbreak” from the normal dark romance subject matter that I’ve been injecting into my brain lately, but just as many chili peppers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the advanced Audiobook copy in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Categories
After Dark Contemporary Fiction Spicy🌶️ Thick Babes

COME OUT COME OUT

By Alexia Onyx. Pub Date 8/26/25

Rating 3.5*s

PUBLISHER’S SYNOPSIS

“She’s creeping slowly toward death. He’s determined to keep her alive.

Aiden

My little wraith torments herself in a desperate attempt to escape from the pain that runs deep in her veins. I could be that escape if she’d only let me. I will own her pain, her suffering, and her pleasure. I just need her to see me.

Skye

Every day is a burden that pushes me closer and closer to my end. I always found the notion of death romantic; I never could have predicted how right I would be.

Contains mature themes.”

REVIEW

I was pretty psyched to receive this audiobook as an ARC. Grayson Owens is one of my top masc audiobook readers. I also read that this was a super dark romance with a thick lady main and I’m all about that representation.

The premise was interesting, the narration was great, and the story was very spicy. I saw the pattern for Aiden’s corporeal visiting hours almost right away. I also like Skye, though there is a good reason for the self harm trigger warnings, so if they bother you I advise either skipping this one or proceeding with extreme caution.

I am into the cat and mouse thing that has been a recent trend in erotica romantic fiction and this story had plenty of that in it and Aiden’s obsession with Skye was at the exact right pitch. It was mostly fantastic.

I really enjoyed this up until the very last scene, which left me in existential crisis mode a little. It was super great until that point, but it kind of felt like it was trying to one-up similar books and sort of overshot it from enjoyable and hot f*##$% up to disturbing. Again, I loved it up until the end. It was so nice having a bigger body represented in one of these obsessive romances, but I feel like the HEA could have ended better. I wish I could say more, but I don’t really want to spoil it. Some people may find it to be very Romeo and Juliette coded, so if you’re into that you would probably really like this, but R&J has never really been my cup of tea. I will definitely be going back to listen to a few scenes again because it is good and although I didn’t like the ending, the rest was worth the listen.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Media for the advanced audiobook copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Categories
After Dark Contemporary Fiction Cozy Mystery Paranormal Spicy🌶️ Supernatural Thick Babes

LOVE AT FIRST FRIGHT

By Nadia El-Fassi. Pub Date 09-16-25

Rating

PUBLISHER’S SYNOPSIS

Rosemary Shaw’s ability to see the dead has never scared her. In fact, it’s secretly inspired most of her horror novels. Now at twenty-nine, Rosemary is an acclaimed author, and her most successful book is about to be a blockbuster movie. The film set is in a beautiful manor house in the English countryside, and it’s no surprise there are ghosts hanging around. But ghosts are something Rosemary can handle; she’s not so sure how to deal with her infuriatingly handsome leading man, who is all wrong for the role.

Ellis Finch is a longtime Hollywood heartthrob with a secret of his own. He’s tired of playing the action movie hero and would much rather be gardening with his sweet dog, Fig. Frankly, he’s getting too old to maintain the industry’s standards of what a man should look like. Starring in a historical horror movie will be perfect for his new image, until he finds out that the author tried to get him kicked off the project, but Ellis won’t go down without a fight.

Amidst filming the movie and the chemistry-filled feuding between Rosemary and Ellis, Hallowvale manor comes alive, literally. Trying to balance the mayhem of her writing deadlines, an adorable ghostly dog, and a pair of Regency-era women who are definitely nothing more than friends, Rosemary is at risk of telling Ellis her secret, or worse—falling for him.

REVIEW

I really love a good paranormal romance and this had a very interesting premise, but when it came to executing it? NAILED IT. 

I loved the enemies to lovers trope and how well executed that relationship was and how realistically the author executed Rosemary’s ability to see ghosts. They presented it much like how you would expect it would in real life with having to mask that you’re chatting with people others can’t see. The side plot involving Ellis and his struggles with being who he is authentically also felt very much borrowed from real life.

But I can’t leave this review without talking about the romance piece. Honestly, I just expected a somewhat basic contemporary feel good supernatural romance type vibe, but holy sh** did I get so much more. This book is super hot. It trussed me up and ROASTED me with how deliciously spicy it was. I definitely discovered things about myself. It explores a few kinks in a very consenting way. You may want to make sure you’re not in a public place while reading (unless you’re into that).

Overall, definitely one of my FAVORITE books of 2025!

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Categories
After Dark Fantasy Mystery Romance Spicy🌶️ Survival Witchy!

ECHOES OF NIGHT

By Caitlyn MacFarland. Pub Date THIS TUESDAY,  04-15-2025!

Rating: 4*s

PUBLISHER’S SYNOPSIS

“She didn’t expect to survive the night…

To satisfy the terms of a treaty between her pack and the Alpha who murdered her brother, twenty-four-year-old Selene Beaumont finds herself taking the place of her spoiled sister as a sacrificial bride. Powerless as a wolfless pack servant, what chance does she stand against a monster like Killian Darrow, the only living heir of the depraved Alpha King?

But something happens when he touches her, something that echoes in her soul. Changed from monster to a man, a mysterious transformation is revealed, throwing all that is known about the murderous Alpha into doubt.

He’s looking to break a monstrous curse…

Killian prefers to keep others at a safe distance, but after Selene unlocks the mystery of his affliction, he has no choice but to keep her close. Skin-to-skin close. Or risk the monster rearing its ugly head.

But soon it becomes clear that not everyone wants him to be free, or see a wolfless woman married to the most powerful Alpha in a generation. As allies turn to enemies and old secrets stir, they will learn that nothing and no one is what it seems.“

THOUGHTS

This book scratched an itch for me in a completely satisfying way. I really wanted a spicy, angsty werewolf romance and this one dug deep into it with its claws and tore if up from the root. It’ll definitely grow back in time for the next installment.

There was plenty of plot, pack intrigue, political finagling between warring packs and other supes, and hidden origin story to keep this interesting throughout all 513 pages.

Not sure when we can expect the next one, but there will by 8 books in the Daughter’s of the Shattered Moon series including ECHOES OF NIGHT!

Thanks to NetGalley and Oliver Heber Books for the advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review

Categories
Adventure After Dark Fantasy Mystery Romance Spicy🌶️ Survival

A FIRE IN THE SKY

By Sophie Jordan. Now Available from Avon and Harper Voyager!!

Rating 4.5*s

PUBLISHER’S SYNOPSIS

“Dragon fire no longer blisters the skies over Penterra, but inside the lavish palace, life is still perilous…especially for Tamsyn. Raised in the glittering court alongside the princesses, it’s her duty to be punished for their misdeeds. Treated as part of the royal family but also as the lowliest servant, Tamsyn fits nowhere. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard…though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship.

When Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, descends on her home, Tamsyn’s world becomes even more dangerous. To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, she is commanded to don a veil and marry the brutal warrior. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she’s ever known, behind.

The wedding night begins with unexpected passion—and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride…but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors—secrets buried so deep even she doesn’t know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone. 

Magic is not dead…it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.”

THOUGHTS

I honestly slept on this one. I did not expect it to be as good as it was. I don’t know what I was expecting, however–I LOVE Sophie Jordan’s historical romances and she’s one of my instabuy authors in that genre, but I guess it’s dragons? I’m relatively new. Late adopted to The Empyrean. I really need to stop being so hesitant to enjoy and indulge in less than cozy fantasy. This was dark fantasy at its finest, and so very spicy. I really love a good bonded couple and Fell and Tamsyn were delicious together. If I had to describe this book in food terms, I’d say it’s a dark chocolate lava cake with a dash of strong, spicy cinnamon. But that cliffhanger is going to kill me…

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Categories
Adventure After Dark Fantasy Romance Survival

A Fate Inked in Blood 

Saga of the Unfated, Book One

by Danielle L Jensen. Pub Date 2/27/2024

FIVE. GLOWING. STARS. Best enjoyed when you want high adventure and a broken heart.

Publisher’s Synopsis

“Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.

Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.

Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.”

REVIEW:

One chapter into this book and I knew it was going to break my heart. The writing was absolutely fantastic, the settings incredible, and the emotion seeped into every word. I can’t tell you how much it pains me that I have to wait more than a year for the next one and I can only pray I get a Galley for it, because there is a distinct broken feeling in my chest when I think about it, and I think about it often. It both broke my reading slump and caused another one that could only be served by lighthearted romance, which feels like the exact opposite of this. 

This book has mystery, adventure, romance, angst, war. I’m a sucker for a good Viking fantasy, and this was top tier. From the mundane to the magical, it was all described in such great ways. I fell into it so easily and coming up for air was like entering into a completely different world, familiar yet altered in some way. That’s the best part about a really good book.

Freya’s feelings of being trapped and finding her powers, exploring her honor and duty while in fear of assassination and always being a prisoner of her own making were palpable. The relationships she develops feel so very real as does the moments of love and betrayal both in turn. Of course, with as deeply expressed as the other emotions are, the romance and spice was also top tier. The spicy scenes throughout were incredibly hot. 

Bjorn is also an awesome character and the will they won’t they continually reached a frantic pitch throughout the book, amping up the tension and the stakes continuously. Honestly, the way he’s described? I don’t know how anyone could resist a warrior Viking with a touch-her-and-die vibe. It was pretty hot—and I’m not just talking about his fire magic. 

The end of this story left a bit of a cliffhanger, but one that had a ton of promise for the next book. So excited to see what happens!

Thank you to Netgalley, Danielle L Jensen, and Random House for the advanced copy in exchange for this review.