Spitting Off The Edge of The World By Courtney W. Dixon

 

Synopsis:


I found you just when I thought my life was over.

Julien Kendrick

Not only am I a recent high school graduate from a prestigious school, but I also come from money—a lot of money. So why am I miserable? No, it’s more like apathy. I crave to escape this life, while others are desperate for it. I want to feel again. To feel something, anything. The decision to leave my horrible parents and friends to spend two weeks doing what I want to do is meant to be my last hurrah, as the old saying goes. I don’t want to spend it alone, though, so I hire a prostitute I find on the street. Not only is he stunningly beautiful, but his pain calls to me.

He’s the one I want to spend my last two weeks with.

Romeo

No kissing. No holding. And no loving. Ever.

Those are the rules. They’re simple when I need life to be easier. But then along comes Julien, who pays a small fortune to have me for two weeks. This is my chance to escape my hell—a life I’ve known for as long as I can remember. My only memories are of being used and abused. I don’t even know my birth name, having lost it somewhere in my past. When our two weeks are up, I plan to run, but Julien is derailing that plan. He’s so kind to me. Gentle. I’m not used to it, but I’m greedy for it. Now, I’ll do anything to keep him.







Review:

Thank you, Courtney Dixon, for providing me with this arc.

This story opens with raw, traumatic moments, and some scenes were hard to read.

Julien decides to take control of his life.. on his terms. When he meets Romeo, their connection is instant. As their relationship develops, it becomes clear they share more than just chemistry. They both carry similar wounds and histories. Through each other, they start to find what they’ve both been missing: stability, understanding, and a chance for healing. Before the end of this book, I was a blubbering mess! lol so be sure to keep those tissues handy for this one.

This story reminded me of a mix between an M/M  version of Pretty Woman and the emotional weight of Me Before You. It’s tender, intense, and it's beautifully written. It captures what it means to rebuild yourself while allowing someone else to come into your life.

Watching Julien and Romeo move from merely surviving to finding something to enjoying the possibilities of a beautiful life together was incredibly powerful.


I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next in this series.


That said, this book tackles some heavy themes. I recommend checking the trigger warnings before diving in.

5 ⭐

Daggermouth By H.M. Wolfe

Synopsis:


Set in a corrupt surveillance state ruled by the masked elite, this true enemies-to-lovers dystopian romance that’s Conform meets V For Vendetta follows a mercenary who botches the assassination of the president’s son and ends up forced to marry him.

The first thing you’ll learn in New Found Haven is that mercy doesn’t exist. The second thing is that, from the highest glass atrium in the Heart to the windowless slums of the Boundary, the Veyra are always watching.

The last lesson is the hardest, but you must remember it: Love outside of your ring is a death sentence.

The city is carved into rings of privilege and poverty, ruled by the masked elite who will do whatever it takes to hold onto power. Obedience is demanded. Rebellion is crushed.

Greyson Serel has spent his life caught between two worlds. Publicly, he’s the flawless heir to the presidency. Privately, he’s entangled in secrets that could topple the regime. But when he’s forced into a political marriage meant to bind him tighter to the government’s brutal laws, he finds himself shackled to a bride as lethal as she is unwilling.

Shadera Kael is a mercenary raised to kill, not to wed. Yet when her bullet misses its mark, survival leaves her tied to the very man she was sent to eliminate. Trapped inside the corrupt heart of the city, she becomes both prisoner and wife, her every step watched, her every move tested.

Their union is no love story—it’s a battlefield. As secrets come to light and betrayals fester within the walls of power, Greyson and Shadera must decide between annihilating each other or burning the city to the ground together.

In a world where passion has consequences and loyalty is paid for in blood, their forced bond may be the spark that ignites a revolution. Or the fire that consumes them both.

Review: 

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

First, I can't express how excited I was when I got approved for this ARC!  

I'm sorry, I know this isn't about me... on to the review..


"Beautiful things are often built on ugly foundations."

Daggermouth feels like the ugly road we're already on.

Greyson is controlled and precise, unraveling in silence under the weight of power. While Shadera is lethal and defiant, forged into a weapon, unwilling to be anything else until survival forces her to change.

What happens between them isn’t just romance; it’s an ideology clashed with instinct. Trauma competes with desire.

Watching them shift from enemies to uneasy allies and then to something more dangerous felt like seeing a war unfold in slow motion.

Every interaction is charged. Every moment seems ready to explode... The writing hits hard. You feel every emotion and the overwhelming weight of injustice.

Then there’s the ending. It didn’t just surprise me...it shattered me, leaving me to figure out what TF just happened!

Visually, it felt cinematic, full of moments that need to be seen as much as read. It screams adaptation. I can't wait to see this on the big screen! Trust me, I will be there!

4.5

Bonds of Slavery by Charley Mayne

Synopsis:


Ryan’s Story Begins.

OBEDIENCE IS SURVIVAL
RESISTANCE IS PAIN

In a future where freedom has a price, how far would you go to survive?

The year is 2045. America’s war on drugs has turned into a war on its own people. Overcrowded prisons and a ruthless new administration give rise to the Chainmark Act – a brutal solution to prison population control, cloaked as justice.

Ryan Murphy, sixteen and already hardened by life on the streets of New York, becomes one of the first minors “offered” into the program. Sentenced for a crime he didn’t fully understand, Ryan is sold to Brad Wilkins, a sadistic Texas rancher who sees obedience as the only law.

As Ryan grapples with pain, isolation and control, he must learn the rules of survival in a system designed to break him. But even in the darkest corners of captivity, hope flickers – because Ryan knows that survival isn’t enough.

He wants to live.
And he wants to be free.


Review:

“One hundred and eighty years after slavery was abolished in the United States… it was brought back.”

I’ve always been the type to test my limits. You don’t really know what you can handle until something forces you to find out.

This book?
Yeah… it found mine.

Set in 2045, we follow Ryan—just sixteen—who makes one mistake. A stupid one. The kind most people would expect a slap on the wrist for.

That’s not what he gets.

What he’s forced into is brutal, dehumanizing, and honestly hard to even process at times.

I’m not exaggerating when I say this book broke me. I had to stop reading more than once just to breathe. Just to reset.


“Stay quiet. Stand still. Stay quiet. Stand still. Stay quiet. Stand still” 

This line still sits on your chest. 😭

The writing is raw and immersive in a way that doesn’t let you look away. I didn’t just read Ryan’s story, I felt every second of it. Every ounce of fear, pain, and helplessness.

Sleep didn’t exist for me.
Peace of mind was nonexistent. Not til i finished it

By the end, I wasn’t just emotional..I was gutted.

This is not an easy read. It’s not supposed to be. And it’s definitely not for everyone.

But if you can handle something heavy..something dark, suffocating, and brutally honest...this is one of those books that stays with you long after you finish it.

Just do yourself a favor...

Check the trigger warnings. Seriously.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Yes Chef By Grace Reilly

Synopsis:

If you can’t take the heat…get out of the kitchen.

After a public meltdown in the dining room of one of Manhattan’s most elite restaurants, Chef Jack Hartman is back in his South Florida hometown. Angry, grieving, and saddled with the unwanted storefront his late mentor left him, his life is spinning out of control. And that’s before Poppy Winfield, the blond, bubbly, utterly infuriating daughter of his former boss, shows up at his dock.

Poppy needs to escape. From her disapproving family, her horrible ex-boyfriend, and her reputation as someone who has never taken anything seriously. But more than that, she wants to prove herself—and she has just the plan to do it. Unfortunately, that plan involves Jack Hartman, the most arrogant, prickly, intimidating man she’s ever had the pleasure of throwing a shrimp at.

She knows Jack is desperate to come back from his unceremonious firing, so she proposes a deal: working together to open a revamped version of his mentor’s restaurant. He’ll handle the menu, and she’ll use her skill as a social media influencer to sell the hell out of its grand opening. If she and Jack can make the restaurant a success, it’ll be an accomplishment no one can deny—and a ticket for them both to return to New York.

Jack is intrigued, but only on his terms: if Poppy’s going to work for him, she must learn the ropes of the entire business. Including how to cook. From him.

As sparks fly both in and out of the kitchen and tensions reach a boiling point, Poppy and Jack are left wondering--could they be a perfect pairing? Or is this whole experiment a recipe for disaster?

My Review

Poppy, a successful lifestyle influencer seeking her family's approval, meets Jack, a talented chef dealing with the loss of his mentor and the shock of losing his job. As Jack takes on the challenge of reviving his mentor’s dying restaurant, he’s forced into an uneasy alliance with Poppy for the exposure he desperately needs.

What begins as an unwilling partnership soon evolves into a thrilling enemies-to-lovers type romance, filled with tension and undeniable chemistry.

I truly enjoyed this story. It offers strong summer vibes, charming side characters, and a heroine who is easy to cheer for. Though Jack can be frustrating at times due to his rough edges, his character growth and the sizzling dynamic he shares with Poppy made this an enjoyable and engaging read.

4⭐

Thank you, Netgally, for providing this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Madly Driven by Tiye

Synopsis:

Kensie Garrett turned her worst heartbreak into a bestselling brand. As a social-media influencer and author of a hit self-help book teaching women how to find love without losing themselves, she’s built a career on staying in command. But one reckless night threatens everything she’s created when she gives in to the magnetic pull of Canaan Jackson, the infuriating race car driver she’s despised since college.

When a private video from that night leaks, Kensie’s credibility and Canaan’s shot at racing glory are suddenly on the line. To save them both, he does the announces their engagement during a live press conference. What begins as damage control quickly spirals into a dangerous chemistry neither can contain.

Thrown together under the scorching Miami sun in the months leading up to his first Formula One race, Kensie and Canaan must outmaneuver paparazzi, past betrayals, and a passion that refuses to stay off camera. But as lies blur into truth and old wounds resurface, Kensie has to decide whether protecting her image is worth losing her heart to the one man who may know her better than she knows herself.


Review:


Kensie and Canaan hated each other. Until one unforgettable night in Jamaica..Then, they suddenly couldn't keep their hands off each other.

This book started strong... but the miscommunication & holding on to past trauma between these two went on for far too long for me..

The story itself was good, I kept wanting to scream at these two, wake up and see beyond their own nose..

If you're looking for fake dating & messy romance.. this one's for you.

3 ⭐

*I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*

3000 Reasons to stay By Jaime P. Bradley

Synopsis:

When a workaholic hotel manager and a Marine with big dreams collide, will she check him off her to-do list before he opens her heart to new possibilities?
Delaware single-mom Carrie Waller can’t seem to be enough. She juggles custody issues and never-ending parental demands while working at her ex-in-laws’ hotel, determined to deliver another flawless wedding even though her own love life is more neglected than a VHS rental card. The people-pleasing divorcee is so used to putting fun on the back burner that it takes crashing headfirst into a handsome guest to awaken all her dormant desires.

With retirement looming, Marine Ryan Duran is in desperate need of stability. Stress nips at the reserved thirty-seven-year-old’s heels when he attends his best friend’s wedding across the country, and he welcomes the distraction of the cute, quirky hotel manager. But when he gets back to California and his grandad offers to fund his dream business—if he’ll settle down with a wife—Ryan can’t shake the memory of near-kisses with the East Coast beauty.

When a new job gives Carrie a chance to tackle her freshly written to-do list for fun—and reconnect with the fling that got away—she breaks the safe confines of her planner and takes it. She knows their passion is temporary because her loyalty will always lie with her daughters. But as the weeks pass, Ryan becomes harder to let go. And while Ryan can’t help falling, he needs to lock down his future with a woman who’ll fulfill his meddling grandfather’s stipulations to secure funding for the veterans’ fitness center.


My Review:


Carrie has one mission: to give her best friend the perfect wedding. It seems simple if you ignore the nightmare ex-husband, his even worse parents, and the fact that her personal life is nonexistent.
She’s playing it safe, keeping her world small and manageable until she literally crashes into one of the groomsmen, which throws that plan out the window.

Enter Ryan, a Marine fitness instructor and the embodiment of San Diego sunshine, temporarily stuck in snowy Delaware. He’s there to support his friend and keep everything running smoothly. That’s the plan, right up until Carrie collides with him, making “smooth” no longer possible.
These two fight it. Hard. The tension is ridiculous. The slow burn feels almost torturous. It’s the kind of drawn-out, will-they-won’t-they drama that makes you want to yell at the pages.

But when they finally give in, it’s worth every moment.🤩
Completely worth it. This is exactly what a romance reader lives for

4.5 ⭐

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

The Rules by Kora Nyx

Synopsis:

She’s my stepsister. The one girl I shouldn't want... and the only one I can't resist.

Five minutes earlier she was just the new girl in class—
Chaos in human form with her sharp tongue and those scuffed combat boots,
Calling me a coward in front of everyone.
Then we were alone in the parking lot.
She stepped close.
Wrapped her arms around my neck.
And kissed me like she meant it.
Then she stole my wallet.
I was still trying to figure out what the hell just happened when my dad tackled her as she was sprinting away.
“I see you’ve already met your new stepsister.”
Stepsister.
She stares at me. I stare at her.
“Oh, you have got to be forking kidding me,” she sighs.
Because now the girl who kissed me like my life depended on it…
is living in my house.
We should stay away from each other.
But neither of us has ever been very good at following the rules.



Review:

In the history of reviewing books, I don't think I've ever clapped for any book that ends on a cliffhanger. If you've ever followed along with any of my reviews, it's quite the opposite. Although this book ends on a major cliffhanger, I'm sooo excited to read the second book in this series.

I'm so excited, I'm getting ahead of myself.

We start with Harper, stuck in East Texas with a mother who cares more about her next fix than her own daughter. Survival mode is all Harper knows. Her only real lifeline? Z—her best friend, her escape plan, her way out. They’re ready to do whatever it takes to break free… even if that means making reckless, life-altering decisions.

But before Harper can choose her own future, it’s taken from her.

Enter Silas—the father who’s been absent her entire life—suddenly deciding to play hero. He uproots her and drops her into a brand-new life in Dallas… complete with a picture-perfect home, a stepmother… and stepbrother Caleb.

Harper is a strong and fierce young woman who's dealt with a boatload of trauma in her life.

While Caleb is a sweet, controlled, structured, rule driven. His world runs on order, routines, and a rulebook he doesn’t break. Ever. That is, until he meets Harper.

"She just called me cute.... Does she mean puppy-dog cute or handsome cute?"

What starts as curiosity turns into something neither of them is prepared for. Because Harper doesn’t just challenge Caleb..she unravels him. And Caleb? He makes Harper feel something dangerously close to safe… which might be the most terrifying thing of all.

But that ending you never see coming oooh chileeeeee

Caleb's next move is gonna be one for the books. I can feel it!!!

This was a 6 star read!

I received an arc from Booksprout in exchange for my honest review