Upgraded By Abby Millsaps | When Your Ex Cheats and Karma Delivers

 

Title: Upgraded
Author:  Abby Millsaps
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.5⭐
Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon

My initial thoughts:

While the racing aspect kept things exciting, & Alaric was a complete dream. Evandeline's journey kept me locked in

Read This If You Like:

Sports Romance, Age gap, Forbidden Romance


Review:

I don't think I've ever picked up a Formula 1 book before this. In fact, if you had asked me a year ago whether I'd be interested in reading about racing, my answer would have been a very confident absolutely not.

But somewhere along this sports romance journey, my tastes have apparently expanded as I found myself genuinely invested in both the racing world and the people in it.

I connected with Evangeline almost immediately. After discovering her boyfriend has been cheating on her, she's forced to rebuild her life from the ground up. What I appreciated most was that her journey wasn't just about finding a new romance. It was about finding herself again, her voice.

As someone who loves seeing mental health represented in books, I absolutely loved how authors are bringing these stories to life. As someone who has worked in the mental health field, people dealing with mental illness are treated as if they're broken or need to be fixed.
In this story, for example, Evangeline was allowed to be successful, capable, loved, and deserving of happiness exactly as she was. I would love to see more authors give characters with mental health challenges the empowerment they deserve.

And then there's Alaric.

Listen...

When your ex cheats on you and his daddy decides you deserve better... and then proceeds to prove it.. That's a level of karma I can fully support. The things this man did for her... my heart was swooning. 🥰🥰

The connection between Evangeline and Alaric wasn't built on him swooping in to save her. What stood out to me was the way he respected her, accommodated her needs, and genuinely saw her as a person. After everything she'd endured, those moments carried a lot of weight.

Overall, this was a story about healing, self-worth, second chances, and discovering that sometimes the end of one chapter can lead you exactly where you're meant to be.

4.5⭐

Synopsis:

If your ex can’t get you across the finish line, his dad probably can…

I’ve always been “too much.”
Too sensitive. Too picky. Too clumsy. Too dramatic.
As a result, I’ve mastered the art of masking.

But that doesn’t stop Alaric Steele from truly seeing me when he finds me flat on my back in his driveway, mid-meltdown.

As Team Principal of Granata Racing, Alaric is control personified. He’s almost twenty years older than me and happens to be my ex-boyfriend’s dad.

Out of desperation, I accept a new job with Granata.

Which means Alaric is also my new boss.

The most surprising part of my role working in Formula 1 isn’t the intense travel schedule or the fear of seeing my ex around the paddock: it’s navigating the surprise encounters and secret rendezvous that launch Alaric and I into a high-speed forbidden romance neither one of us ever saw coming.

But with Alaric’s career on the line, and my fear of being too much growing louder by the day, is the risk of crashing and burning worth falling for my ex-boyfriend’s dad?

Bone deep By JP Joseph | Spencer built his walls to survive. Ryan showed up with a sledgehammer.

 

Title: Bone Deep
Author: Jp Joseph
Genre: MM Romance
Rating: ∞⭐
Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon


The vibe:
Coming out & self-discovery, Sexy banter, Sports romance, Emotional healing


Initial thoughts:

Going into this story, I expected a romance. What I didn't expect was to become so invested in these two men and their journey.


Review:

Spencer is guarded, stubborn, and determined to keep everyone at arm's length. Considering everything he's been through, those walls make sense. Ryan, on the other hand, is persistent as hell. This man simply refused to accept being kept out, and watching him slowly chip away at Spencer's defenses became one of my favorite parts of the story.

The chemistry between these two was immediate, but it wasn't just the attraction that kept me turning pages. Their banter was everything. Ryan's constant teasing mixed with Spencer's sharp comebacks had me smiling more than once. Even the smallest interactions felt important. A touch, a look, their moments of vulnerability..everything carried weight.

Several moments hit hard emotionally, especially when Spencer finally allowed himself to be vulnerable. Ryan's injury also forced both men to confront feelings neither of them could ignore anymore, and those scenes packed an emotional punch.

Watching Ryan's struggle with living authentically and the expectations placed on him made this hit harder. His coming-out journey felt meaningful and important because it was such a huge part of who he was.

Mr. Joseph balances the heavier moments with humor. The banter kept me from drowning in my feelings, and some of Ryan's antics had me laughing when I least expected it.

Although I haven't read King of Pain YET, I had no trouble connecting with these characters. I was completely invested from the beginning and genuinely struggled to put this book down.

Bone Deep is messy, emotional, sexy, funny, and surprisingly tender. More than anything, it's a story about choosing vulnerability, choosing love, and choosing to be your authentic self. In the world we live in today. This is the most important element of this story.

This is one of those stories that should be read by everyone.

∞ ⭐

I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review



Synopsis:


SPENCER STARK
I have three rules.

No kissing.
No sleepovers.
And absolutely, positively no catching feelings.

The rules exist for a reason. I don’t do relationships, I don’t do attachments, and I definitely don’t do straight men looking to take a walk on the wild side.

Cue Ryan Buterbaugh walking into my life. A hot, relentless, slutty short-wearing golden retriever of a man that's entirely too good at getting under my skin.

He’s everything I avoid. And worst of all? He doesn’t scare off. No matter how many lines I draw, he keeps stepping closer—completely unaware or simply not afraid of what will happen if I let him in.

But I know better. I should have known better. Because the second I start breaking my rules for him, I don’t know if I can survive it.

What I do know for certain…if anyone hurts him, I will end them.

–––––
RYAN “BUTTERS” BUTERBAUGH

From the outside, my life is one most men would dream of.

America’s number one quarterback with two championship rings. Senator’s son. A respected family dripping in old money.

I’m the guy who always says the right thing, does the right thing, is the right thing.

But behind the scenes? I’m hiding my true identity.

I’ve managed to keep it separate. Anonymous. No strings. No complications. Because no one can know.

It works.

Until Spencer Stark.

He doesn’t care who I am. Doesn’t want anything from me. Keeps me at arm’s length with rules that should align with my own—except I don’t want to follow them.

I told myself I could handle it. That I could be near him without revealing too much. But the more he pushes me away, the more I want in.

And for the first time…I couldn’t care less if my whole life implodes.

As long as I can have him.

To Have & to Stalk By Mary Catherine Gebhard | Dear Dark Romance Readers, This One's For Us

Title: To have & to stalk
Author: Mary Catherine Gebhard
Genre: Dark Romance
Rating: 3.5 ⭐
Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon


My initial thoughts: 

Dark, obsessive, emotional, and surprisingly thoughtful. This story balances danger and healing in a way that kept me invested from beginning to end.

Read this if your vibe is:

Morally gray MMCs, Stalker romance,Trauma healing journeys, Chronic illness representation, Protective obsession, Touch-her-and-die energy

Review:

This is what happens when you read too many dark romance books, decide to explore your desires, and of course attract a masked stalker. As someone who immerses themselves into dark romance, I was here for all of it.

Shay Adder is stubborn as hell and like many of us she carries enough emotional baggage to fill an airport carousel. 🤭
After escaping an abusive engagement, she creates an anonymous dating profile looking for something simple and uncomplicated.

What she gets instead is a masked stalker. Quite literally.

Who is first introduced as Void. A mysterious, obsessive, literal walking red flag.

Void is later revealed as Calder, a man living a double life. By day he’s a forensic accountant. By night he’s delivering his own brand of justice to people who hurt others. Beneath all of that darkness is someone who genuinely sees Shay, respects her boundaries, and becomes fiercely protective of her.

The closer Shay gets to Calder, the more complicated everything becomes. The lines between danger and comfort begin to blur, forcing her to confront both her fears and her desires.

Shay’s past abuse continues to affect how she views herself, her relationships, and her own worth. Her chronic illness is also woven naturally into the story rather than treated like a personality trait. Watching her slowly learn to trust herself again was just as compelling as the romance itself.

Shay and Calder’s chemistry is intense from the beginning. Their exploration of power, trust, vulnerability, and control felt connected to their emotional journeys rather than existing purely for shock value. Every interaction pushed them closer to confronting the things they had spent years trying to outrun.

Overall, this dark romance gave me obsession, suspense, emotional healing, and a morally gray man that will burn the world for you and ask questions later .. this one is worth adding to your TBR.

3.5 ⭐️
I received this arc from Sumthood in exchange for my honest review



Synopsis:

He was all my twisted, dark book boyfriend fantasies come to life. Masked. Tattooed. Dirty talking—and totally unhinged.
Morally grey? Check.
Stalker? Check.
A very illegal, very bloody hobby? Check.
Possessive, obsessive, and calls me a good girl? Check. Check. Check.
I should probably call the police.
I definitely shouldn’t take dirty selfies because I know he hacked my phone.
But what’s a girl to do?
It’s my very own stalker romance.

Wrecked By Bree L Mina | Soulmates, Survival, and Emotional Damage

Title: Wrecked
Author: Bree L Mina
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.5 ⭐
Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon

My initial thoughts:

This story is beautifully tragic. I knew early in this story.. this one was gonna hurt.

The Vibe:

Second-chance romance, Forced proximity, slow burn

Review:

Wrecked is the perfect title because my heart is exactly that… wrecked.

This story is about young love, soulmates, survival, heartbreak, and the cruel little games fate likes to play when it clearly has too much time on its hands. I knew early in this book that this one was gonna hurt.

Ellie and Nate’s story was beautiful, painful, messy, and completely devastating. These two loved each other in a way that felt deep, desperate, and unforgettable. From the beginning, you could feel that their connection was not something either of them could just walk away from, no matter how much time passed or how much pain sat between them.

Nate was the kind of man romance readers dream about. Despite everything he endured, he was protective, loyal, and willing to do whatever he had to do for the people he loved. His love for Ellie never felt small. It felt like the kind of love that stays with you, even when life does everything possible to tear it apart.

Ellie went through so much in this story. Her pain, her choices, her grief, and the way she tried to keep moving forward even when she was clearly still carrying so much broke my heart. She was not perfect, but she felt real, familiar.

This story does have a lot of flashbacks, and if you’ve read any of my reviews, you already know how much I “love” those. I understood why they were needed, but some of them did feel a little long-winded for me. There were also multiple POVs, and while Ellie and Nate’s made sense, one of Kate’s chapters threw me off for a second. I had to go back and check whose POV I was reading.

But once the survival part of the story begins, the entire book shifts emotionally. I just knew what was ahead. It was painful, romantic, stressful, and strangely beautiful all at once.

Ellie and Nate are forced to face the truth about their past, the years they lost, and the feelings that never really went away. Their love on that island felt raw and desperate in a way that made my chest hurt.

And yes, the spice was spicing. I did have a few moments where I was like… y’all are in survival mode, but okay, romance logic. I’ll allow it. Because the emotion behind it made it work.

What I was not prepared for was how deeply this book would hurt me.

This is not a light romance. This is not a read the story you read when you want to escape your life... This is the kind of book that slowly breaks your heart and then has the nerve to keep going. By the end, I was a sobbing mess. Like full-on emotional damage.

I will never hear Can’t Help Falling in Love the same way again. That song now belongs to this book.

Read this if you want a romance that will hurt your feelings, ruin a song for you, and leave you emotionally unavailable for the rest of the day.

Just know this one is heavy, and please check content warnings before reading.
4.5⭐️




Synopsis:

Fate is a fickle thing.

It can lead you down a path of pain, or it can take you on a journey toward happiness.

There is no equity in the unpredictable.

Fate is inevitable.
Not everyone is destined for a happy ending.
Not every story will work out in the end.
Not every love is meant to survive.

Some believe we are in control of our destiny. That we determine the outcome of our lives, the people we love, and the path we walk.

But I didn’t choose to survive a plane crash.
I didn’t choose to be trapped on an island with the man who once crushed my soul.
I didn’t choose to reopen my heart to a love so powerful that the end of it would be unsurvivable.

I didn’t want to fall in love with my sister’s fiancé. To feel the insurmountable pain that followed my rescue. Or let go of a man that would own my heart until the day I die.

But I am no longer allowing fate to decide my future.

This next path is mine.

Second First ates by Gabriella Gamez | A Cute, Chaotic Romance with One Messy Setup

Title: Second First Dates
Author: Gabriella Gamez
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 3.5 ⭐
Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon


My initial thoughts:

Cute, chaotic, and painfully relatable. This book had such a fun setup, and Leti’s dating life truly had me stressed on her behalf.


Read this if your vibe is:

Read this if you like messy dating app disasters, forced proximity, second-chance energy, meddling family dynamics, and romances that are funny but still relatable.


Review:

Dating is already hard, but Leti really got hit with the deluxe package.

This woman finally decides to come out of her four-year dating retirement, swipes right, goes on what should have been a regular-degular date, and then realizes she has already been on this terrible date before. With the same man. Years ago.

I would have deleted the app, changed my name, and joined a monastery because absolutely not.

But Leti does not get that luxury because Julian is suddenly everywhere. In her building. Near her mailroom. Around her brother. Accidentally involved in her life, like the universe had a checklist. lol

While this was a cute, funny, and relatable story, the last few chapters dragged for me. It got to the point where I almost didn’t finish, which was disappointing because I was having such a good time before that.

Overall, I do recommend this if you’re looking for something fun, messy, and relatable.


⭐ 3.5 stars

I received this arc from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review


Synopsis:

A librarian swipes right on a charming high school teacher, only to realize that she’d already dated him once—and it ended in disaster.

Leti Maldonado has heard all the dating horror stories, but she never expected to be part of one after coming out of a four-year dating hiatus. When she matches with Julian Gutierrez, she doesn’t think much of how familiar his profile picture looks. But when the date goes awry, it unlocks the terrible first date memory that made her quit dating in the first place—because she’s been on this date before. And it’s just as bad the second time around.

To make matters worse, at the end of the night she discovers Julian lives in the same apartment building as her and his roommate is her younger brother. From then on, he’s inescapable. In the mailroom. In the stairwell. Outside her door with a takeout mix-up. He’s even a witness to yet another of Leti’s terrible first dates.

When Julian suggests taking over her dating accounts, he makes a surprisingly convincing case. If Leti’s proved anything, it’s that she sure doesn’t know how to pick ‘em. How much worse can Julian be at picking dates for her? It’s a terrible idea, but at this point he might be her only hope of finding real, lasting love. If they don’t fall for each other in the process, that is…

Twisted Pawn by L.J. Shen Review | Dark Mafia Romance with Betrayal & Obsession

Title: Twisted Pawn
Author: L.J. Shen
Genre: Dark Mafia Romance
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon

My initial thoughts:

I knew from the moment we met Tierney that her story was going to hit, and I was not wrong. This was violent, obsessive, emotional.

Read this if your vibe is: 

Enemies-to-lovers

second-chance romance

Bad ass FMC

Unhinged MMC

Touch her and die

Review:

I knew from the moment we met Tierney in Bad Bishop that I was going to love her story, and I was not wrong.
Tierney is exactly the kind of FMC I love. She is sharp, sarcastic, fearless, and every bit the badass she claims to be. But underneath all of that fire, her backstory was honestly heartbreaking. Seeing what shaped her made me love her even more.

Achilles. That man talks a very dangerous game, but Tierney has always been his weakness. No matter how brutal, cold, or terrifying he tries to be, when it comes to her, there is no denying she gets under his skin in a way no one else can.

"Because I wanted much more than her body. Always had. I wanted every piece of her heart and every last crumb of her soul."

Their dynamic had me hooked. Tierney’s sarcasm and dark humor mixed with Achilles’ ruthless behavior made this impossible to put down. The tension, the violence, the obsession, the history between them… everything just worked.

My only small issue is the same one I had with Bad Bishop: the third-person flashbacks. I’m not sure if there is a specific reason for them, but they didn’t fully work for me. At the same time, they didn’t take away from the overall experience.

Even with that, this was still an all around 5-star read for me. Tierney and Achilles delivered everything I wanted from their story, and now I cannot wait for Fallen Rook.

Synopsis:

Tierney

There’s a bullet with my name on it.

And Achilles Ferrante is the man who’ll pull the trigger.

I’d always known one of us would kill the other. I’d just hoped to do the honor.

Twice I betrayed him.

First, I broke his heart. Then, I sold him out to the Feds.

Even if I hadn’t, I doubt he could spell mercy, much less spare me any.

The Camorra prince promised he’d make a spectacle of my death when he caught me. Let him try.

He could chase me until the end of Earth.

I will always run faster.

Achilles

To love is to destroy, and I’d loved Tierney Callaghan far too long, and far too much.

She’s a fatal weakness, but unlike the Greek mythology warrior—I will remain undefeated.

My little flame can run fast, but my bullet is faster.

Once upon a time, she was the only person who saw my humanity.

She’s about to meet the monster everyone else is scared of.

To Catch A Sinner By Lucy Wilson-Tagoe l A Slow Burn Romance Wrapped in Secrets & Lies

Title: To Catch A Sinner
Author: Lucy Wilson-Tagoe
Genre: Romantic suspense
Rating: 3.5 ⭐️
Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon



My initial thoughts:

A suspense romance filled with family secrets, stolen artifacts, and a slow-burn romance that kept me turning the pages.

Read This If You Like:

Read this if you like slow-burn romance, Suspense romance, Family secrets, & Secret relationships

My Review:

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Sin and Kwame and the way their relationship developed. The slow burn was full of tension, and I loved how their families were unknowingly connected long before either of them realized it.

Now I love a good mystery, and this one definitely kept me on my toes.

This is going to sound like a double-edged sword, but one of the things I loved most about this book was the short chapters. Some chapters were simply a character's thoughts on a situation, while others served as a setup for what came next. The quick chapters made it easy to keep turning the pages.

With that said, my biggest struggle was the pacing. While I understood the purpose of many of the slower moments, some sections felt drawn out and took longer to get where they were going.

That ending completely caught me off guard. Just when the investigation finally uncovered something substantial and the stakes reached their highest point, the story ended on a cliffhanger that left me with many questions. I finished the book both intrigued and frustrated, because I immediately wanted to know what would happen next. Well played, Ms Wilson-Tagoe 👏

I received this arc from the author in exchange for my honest review

3.5 ⭐️

Synopsis:

Who gets to tell this story?
The sinner who lived it?
Or the saint who stole it?

Sin Sackey is driven by the same hardwired need as every eldest first-generation daughter—to make her family proud. And she built her career and chose her partners with that single goal as her north star.

Everyone said she had it all. And for more than twenty years, Sin let herself believe they were right.

Until a near-death experience makes the truth impossible to deny.

Her relationship is on life support. Her journalism career is in freefall. And the city she thought she’d conquer has chewed her up and spit her out.

With everything to prove—and everything to lose—Sin moves back home to Washington, DC, determined to start over. No more chasing shadowy criminals. And no more men who look too good to be true.

But on the eve of the first day of the rest of her new life, the saying about old habits proves painfully accurate.

A new lead falls into her lap, and Sin dives back into the story that nearly cost her everything.
Then, when a man who is all the things she’s sworn to avoid invites her to dinner, she says yes.

After everything she’s been through, it’s reckless.

But this story could resurrect her career—and take down an entire black-market empire. She’s closer than ever to catching its elusive leader, and she can’t let go now.

And this man—who makes her blush, makes her laugh, and understands things she usually has to explain—could be the one. So, she lowers her walls just enough for him to climb over.

But just when it seems her gamble might pay off, her lead starts to feel more like a trap. And the man she’s let herself love appears to be the one who set it.