Dark Thoughts by Cynthia Sax

Rating -
Book 1 of the Refuge series
Genre - Scifi Romance / assassin
POV - dual 3rd person
Heat - descriptive
Source - Amazon ebook
Length - 232 pages



This was such a great read! It was darker than I'm used to from this author, but I loved every moment I spent with Kralj and Dita.

Kralj was a unique being, possibly the most deadly being in the universe, and he thought he was destined to live his long life alone, protecting those in his refuge with a code of honor and deadly intent. Then Dita makes her presence known, constantly crawling up the wall of his oasis, a human assassin determined to keep her word and take revenge against three men who reside in the refuge. She's immune to his most lethal power and suddenly his life doesn't seem so lonely.

I enjoyed both the dark and light elements of their relationship. The author did a wonderful job of capturing their lethal beauty and their vulnerabilities. My only real complaint was that I wanted to spend more time with these two.

Knowing Zip

dual pov, explicit heat, 42 pages

Knowing Zip is a short companion story in the Cyborg Sizzle series and is meant to be read after Seeking Vector. It is also a BBW Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes violent universe.

Surrounded by his brethren, their females, and their offspring, all Zip wanted was a female of his own. A future like the ones he had to bear witness to. When he finally finds her after diligently searching every database he had access to, he immediately sets off to find her. Lucky for him, Ryssa had always dreamed of being kidnapped by a cyborg. This book definitely had tons of instalove vibes and with an edge of danger, it was very entertaining.

Dark Arsenal

dual pov, explicit heat, 65 pages

Dark Arsenal is a short companion story in the Cyborg Sizzle series and is meant to be read after Taking Vengeance. It is also a Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes violent universe.

Arsenal has seen himself as disposable. He's got no female, no offspring, no future. He signs up for dangerous missions, taking risks that those with families should avoid, and almost invites death. His future starts looking up when his latest mission brings him in close contact with the one woman meant for him. Vicuska is beautiful and determined and the perfect match for him. Their adventure together was scary and fun. I wonder if the Nora A.I. will feature in any other books?

Sin Undone by Larissa Ione

Rating -
Standalone - Demonica #5
Genre - Paranormal Romance / assassin
POV - Multiple 3rd person
Heat - explicit
Source - library ebook
Length - 433 pages



This just might be my favorite of the series so far!
It's not to say that I didn't love the previous books, because I did as evident with all of my five-star ratings.
But I found so much growth of character in this book, for all of the characters, and the plot has reached a peak that is heralding the apocalypse and I'm truly excited to keep reading.

Unlike Lore, Sin hasn't found her place with her Seminus brothers. She's now leader of the assassin network and finds herself at odds with pretty much everyone but her family. People are out for blood, her blood, and luckily Sin lives for a good fight. It doesn't hurt that the one man who has sparked anything within her, Con, is on her side too.

Previously, Sin was ordered to take out a warg. Her Seminus gift allows her to create disease so she gave him one. This disease took on a life of its own, infecting the world's population of wargs at a rapid pace. It was an accident, obvious to us and not so obvious to others. When Con, a dhampire (half-vamp and half-warg), realizes the truth of her actions, he helps her and along the way, finds all of that beautiful hidden depth behind Sin's cold and detached face.

These two together were so freaking beautiful. I was in awe of the cracks in her facade that Con caused and the way it freed her to finally feel and embrace all that she was. The lengths these two would go to for each other were enviable and I'm fervently wishing to see more of them in the books to come.

I'm off to read about the Lords of Deliverance and I hope to see you there!




Air Force veteran Larissa Ione traded in a career in meteorology to pursue her passion of writing. She has since published dozens of books, hit several bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today, and has been nominated for a RITA award.

She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case.

She lives in Wisconsin with her retired U.S. Coast Guard husband, her son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhounds, a King Shepherd named Hexe and a Belgian Malinois named Duvel.

Visit https://www.larissaione.com for more information

Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione

Rating -
Standalone - Demonica #4
Genre - Paranormal Romance / assassin
POV - multiple 3rd person
Heat - slow burn and explicit
Source - library ebook
Length - 433 pages



Lore is an assassin and we met him back when he was being paid to kill the Seminus brothers. Who also happened to be HIS brothers, but he didn't know that at the time. It's all water under the bridge... sorta. Because his latest task is to kill Kynan — you know, the guy he saved in the last book. Doing so will alienate his newfound family, but not doing it will see his sister destroyed. Oh, and Kynan is protected in more ways than anyone knows. How is Lore to complete his mission when a gorgeous angel is standing in his way?

Idess is that angel. She's an almost-angel tasked with protecting her primori and Kynan is one of them. But someone out there is targeting her charges and there is so much more to this plot than even I expected. I was thrilled with the forbidden element to what Idess and Lore shared and I was entertained by this book right up until its last page.

Ever get so distracted by the story that when a twist comes up that you should have predicted but didn't, all you can do is shake your head and laugh at yourself? Well, that was me. I knew something was coming, but the author wrote this story in such a way that I was wholly enamored with the characters and forgot to suss out the twist that knocked me on my ass.

In the end, and I'm sorry if this spoils it for anyone else, but I'm glad Roag got just what he deserved.

Guest appearances: all of the seminus demons and their mates (and Sin), Reaver, Azagoth, other angels, other demons.

Previous books in the series:
Pleasure Unbound * Desire Unchained * Passion Unleashed

I also read the companion novella of the series, Demonica #3.5 (which takes place before Ecstasy Unveiled):

Eternity Embraced

Demon slayer Andrea Cole has always taken down the demons and vampires she hunts without mercy. But when a fellow slayer is captured and turned into a vampire by a sadistic monster, she must choose between loyalty to her family and the man she loves.

Kaden Quinn has dedicated his life to slaying vampires, so when he is turned into one, his greatest nightmare comes to life. And when the woman he loves is thrown into a dungeon with him ― as food ― he must battle new instincts and old desires, and choose between his life, and hers.

I gave this 4 stars. It was a really quick read (maybe five minutes) and gave us more insight into the lives of the Aegi and the prejudice they have against demons and the like. On a mission, Kaden was turned into a vampire, but the love of his life, Andrea, doesn't care. She loves him still and wants to be with him and the safest place for them is with Tayla's cell. She and Eidolon make an appearance. The End.


Air Force veteran Larissa Ione traded in a career in meteorology to pursue her passion of writing. She has since published dozens of books, hit several bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today, and has been nominated for a RITA award.

She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case.

She lives in Wisconsin with her retired U.S. Coast Guard husband, her son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhounds, a King Shepherd named Hexe and a Belgian Malinois named Duvel.

Visit https://www.larissaione.com for more information.

Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon

Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

Rating -
The Ruinous Love Trilogy #1
Genre/Trope - Dark Romance / friends to lovers / killers
Release - October 23, 2023
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - explicit scenes
Source - ebook from NetGalley
Length - 355 pages







Sweet baby geezus! Who knew a killing game among serial killers could be so hilarious, endearing, sexy, and ewww?

When you're a serial killer who kills serial killers, it's hard to develop a good romance with someone. What happens when you meet someone who is just. like. you? Who sees you? Who truly understands you?

You get the fun adventures of Butcher and Blackbird. Rowan was an absolute sweetheart and Sloane was a total darling. Togther, they were magnificent!!

I'm not going to rehash the story. I am going to tell you that if you don't mind a bit of gore, accidental cannibalism, and a connection that grows throughout years of pushing and pulling, with Rowan walking a delicate balance not to scare Sloane away, you're going to LOVE this story as much as I did. Five stars doesn't even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this read.


Brynne is a fan of velociraptors, the Alien movies (well, most of them), red wine, and wild adventures.

She can relate nearly anything you say to a line from the movie Hot Fuzz. She has been trying unsuccessfully for years to convince her husband that they should acquire a pet mink to add to their menagerie of animals (what could possibly go wrong with that plan?!).

Brynne has been everything from an archaeologist to a waitress, a deep-sea core analyst to an advertising account executive. For the last several years, she has been working in the field of neuroscience clinical research. Brynne has been writing since childhood and has published a non-fiction book under her real name, but she won’t tell you what it is unless you provide a live, fully trained velociraptor.

When not busy at her day job or writing, Brynne can be found working with her husband and their son on their family farm in Nova Scotia, Canada, or enjoying her other passions which include riding horses, reading, and spending time with family and friends around a raclette and a bottle of wine.

Visit brynneweaverbooks.com for more information