BOOK REVIEW for "A Curse in Darkness (The Thornheart Trials, #1)" by Sherilee Gray

 

A Curse in Darkness

(The Thornheart Trials, #1)

by Sherilee Gray

Published: 28 September 2021

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance 

Willow

I once faced evil…and lost.

With the fate of my family—and our magic—suddenly in my hands, I vow to protect them no matter what. But the coven trials have claimed many witches, and vanquishing malevolent spirits, while hunting a possessed hellhound on a killing spree, is far more than I bargained for.

Now the hellhound’s domineering alpha is shadowing me. More beast than man, Warrick both tempts and terrifies. Still, I can’t resist our overwhelming attraction and when a twisted enemy makes their move and I’m faced with an impossible choice, I need him more than ever.

But fortune is fickle, and in a world full of monsters, falling in love can be hazardous to your health—and your heart.

~ BOOK REVIEW for A Curse in Darkness ~

***(4) out of 5 Stars

I was anxious to read Willow's story since first encountering her in the author's related Knights of Hell series, not to mention Warrick, and their obvious connection.  He is a hellhound, with all the subtlety and couth one would expect from a creature created by Lucifer.  And she, while a badass in her own right, puts way too much pressure on herself and has unbelievably high walls around her heart.  

Indeed, it seems very unlikely that these two will ever get together.  Despite the obvious attraction that they have for one another.  But they are extremely mismatched, him being a big alpha, eternal being made in Hell eons ago; and her being a young and mortal woman.  Also, communication is not the forte of either of them, and extreme outside circumstances keep getting in the way of them even giving things a try.  

Finally, though, some things align that push Willow and Warrick to work together, giving them some incentive to give the other a break, at least long enough to start to mesh.  Of course, nothing goes as one would expect it to, and many wrenches are thrown into the works.  

There's a whole lot of evil happening in this tale though, and much to wade through.  And even at the end of the book, there is still obviously much more to come for Willow, and her family, especially her sisters.  I look forward to reading the forthcoming volumes in the series.

I received a free eBook copy of this title from Wildfire Marketing Solutions,

and have willingly provided an honest review.

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Ttk4QL

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3cF0VSw

Apple: https://apple.co/3gmi0mv

B&N: https://bit.ly/3xi33rt

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2SsypwS

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3cFSlDl

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3vmuhLZ

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sherilee Gray 

Sherilee’s always had a big (some say warped) imagination, and as a kid scared herself conjuring up horror stories full of ghosts and other terrifying creatures. She never dreamed of actually writing down any of those wonderful imaginary people or places, not until many years later when her sister introduced her to the wondrous world of romance novels, and her very large book collection.

She’s pleased to say, she still has the big imagination… only now her characters are chasing their happily ever after.

Sherilee Gray is a kiwi girl and lives in beautiful New Zealand with her husband and their two children. When she isn't writing sexy, edgy contemporary and paranormal romance, searching for her next alpha hero on Pinterest, or fueling her voracious book addiction, she can be found dreaming of far off places with a mug of tea in one hand and a bar of Cadburys Rocky Road chocolate in the other.

Connect with Sherilee Gray:

Newsletter: https://www.sherileegray.com/subscribe.html

Website: https://www.sherileegray.com

Facebook: https://bit.ly/2Xrt1ZR

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherileegrayauthor/   

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sherilee-gray  

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3gqhmCd

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sherilee_Gray  

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/2Pn9LIG 

RELEASE BLITZ & BOOK REVIEW for "Awk-Weird (Ice Knights, #2)" by Avery Flynn

There’s more to me than just being awk-weird. I own my own flower shop, have some great friends, and I have my eye on adopting the most adorable kitten. But sadly, hot guys don’t tend to be blown away by my trivia-spouting, dorky self.

So, when a Thor-lookalike who happens to be a professional hockey player hits on me at my bestie's wedding rehearsal party ... You better believe I climbed that tree like a cat. And the face that it happened not once, not twice, but three times? Yeah, that's pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a woman like me. 

There's zero chance I'll end up ever seeing him again... right? 

Until the pregnancy test comes up positive. What happens next?

Oh, my God, I wish I knew...

~ BOOK REVIEW for Awk-Weird ~

****(4) out of 5 Stars!

Tess and Cole are both delightfully weird, broken, and adorable.  I loved their meet-cute, and thought it amazing how will they fit together.  Perhaps not what either would have chosen for themselves, the forced association of the pregnancy and close proximity of living together gave them much opportunity to discover how perfect they were for one another.  Despite themselves, they formed a real strong bond and were well on their way to developing a great relationship.  But since neither of them was truly honest with themselves, let alone each other, it was no wonder that they had so much difficulty.  I did get real tired of Tess professing ceaselessly who their situation was just temporary, and Cole always talking about his ex-girlfriend who was sure to come back.  There could have been half as much of that in the book and it still would have felt like we got hit over the head with them.  We could have entirely skipped the last couple of chapters and gotten the same result.  And I absolutely did not like the fact that the situation with Marti was never addressed between them.  But overall this was a darling tale, and I’d be interested to read others in this series and/or by this author.

I received a free eBook copy of this title from Wildfire Marketing Solutions,

and have willingly provided an honest review.

Get Your Copy NOW:

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Add on Goodreads

USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling romance author Avery Flynn has three slightly-wild children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping someone invents the coffee IV drip. Avery was a reader before she was a writer and hopes to always be both. She loves to write about smartass alpha heroes who are great with a quip and relatable heroines who are feisty, fierce and fantastic.

Follow Her Here:

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RELEASE BLITZ & BOOK REVIEW for "Sin for You (Rocktown Ink, #2)" by Sherilee Gray

🔥🔥 HOT NEW RELEASE 🔥🔥

Sin for You by Sherilee Gray is LIVE! 

My best friend's sister is back in town, and while she’s here, she's under my protection. Quinn Parker had her heart broken, and I'll make sure no one hurts her again.

But when she starts looking around for a hot, no-strings distraction, I can’t stand back and do nothing. No one is touching this vibrant beauty... but me.

She’s the woman of my dreams, but Quinn wants a good time, not a long time. We play by her rules: no one finds out, no one gets hurt.

I have to keep it casual because an ex-con like me can't offer her forever… even if I want so much more.

~ BOOK REVIEW for Sin for You ~

****(4) out of 5 Stars!

I adored Bull when we first encountered him in the preceding novel, Sin for You.  There we got just a few glimpses of his big, growly, overprotective, hot self.  And there was so much more of him to admire here.  Plus, since this is an alternating point-of-view tale between Bull and Quinn, we get some insight into his thoughts as well, not just his actions.  The poor guy has got some serious baggage, the after effects of having a horrible, verbally and emotionally abusive mother.  Not to mention his low self-esteem after having done time when younger, from making some bad choices while trying to provide for his cousins Cal & Dane and their grandma.  But despite all that, he just comes across as a big sweetheart, in part from many of the present day things he does to help Quinn, not to mention some of her first memories of him from their childhood.  And he is totally smitten with Quinn, even before he realizes it himself.

Quinn is even more of a hot mess than is Bull, if that's possible.  She just got off the latest of a series of bad relationships with total losers, blaming herself for all of them.  She comes home to lick her wounds, and hide out from her "real" life.  But also to be close to the one person in the world who makes her feel safe: Bull.  Even though she is convinced that he thinks of her only as an unwanted and annoying little sister.

This is most definitely a slow burn love story!  The two have harbored feelings for one another for ages, from months to years even; and it is several chapters in before they even get together.  Once they decide to consumate their non-relationship, they then face any number of unusual circumstances that thwart their attempts to get frisky.  When they do get together finally, it is hot and heavy and oh so sweet.  

I really didn't like the extreme yo-yo aspect of their relationship, however.  First one was in, then the other, but rarely at the same time.  I know it is all part of the angst to build the drama and suspense, but come on!  They went back and forth so much in their feelings and intentions that I felt as though I got whiplash just from following their story.  I would much rather have seen them together a whole lot more.  Just get on the same page already!  Still, the end was definitely a good one though. 

It was nice to see Cal and Cassy a bit again in this tale, as well as Dale, to at least hear some about Everly, and to meet Quinn's brother Mason.  I did think that his break-up was an unnecessary distraction though.  And the epilogue wasn't even about Bull & Quinn!  Yeah, sure, it is setting up the next book for Dale and Everly's story, which I am definitely excited to read; but I wanted more Bull & Quinn still!  All in all though, another great addition to one of my recent favorite series.

I received a free eBook copy of this title from the Author and Wildfire Marketing Solutions, 

and have willingly provided an honest review. 

Add Sin for You to your Goodreads TBR: http://bit.ly/31wKxvE.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2YWTRHn

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2MRPdbf

Apple books: https://apple.co/2KR7DXd

B&N: http://bit.ly/2YBJ0Y5

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2YTXygR

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2M8DBRy

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2YR70BK

Purchase Beg For You, the first book in the series: 
https://www.sherileegray.com/beg-for-you.html

Check out my 5-Star Review for Beg for You:
https://sofewbooks.blogspot.com/2019/07/book-review-for-beg-for-you.html

GIVEAWAY

Sherilee Gray is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card! 

Head to her Facebook Author Page to enter: 
https://www.facebook.com/SherileeGrayAuthor/

Excerpt:

Quinn

I turned the handle and let the heavy wood swing open. Bull looked up from whatever he was working on, and, yeah, he looked surprised to see me at his door. He hadn’t expected me to seek him out today, definitely wasn’t expecting me to apologize or try and make things right between us. And didn’t that just make me feel like the biggest jerk in existence.

I stepped over the threshold. “You got a minute?”

“Kinda busy,” he muttered.

Yep, he was pissed with me. “This won’t take long.”

He sighed, dropped his pen, and sat back in his seat, all big and gorgeous—and surly. I wanted to climb in his lap and wrap myself around him.

Stop it!

“Look, Bull…what I said last night…” What?How could I make it right? I hadn’t really planned this out, I just knew I hated the way we’d left things. Yes, I needed distance from him, but I never wanted to hurt his feelings. Or make him feel shitty for being protective of me, no matter how misguided at times. It was the last thing I wanted. God, I’d felt sick about it since he walked out of the gallery. “I shouldn’t have said what I did, not like that.”

“All good, Quinn. Message received,” he said, expression going utterly blank.

I hated that look on his face. Hated it. I closed the door behind me and stepped farther into the room. I had to be honest with him, to make him understand. I couldn’t bring myself to leave things as they were, and I couldn’t bear to have him think badly of me.

I took a steadying breath. “Look, it’s no secret that I’ve had some… well, shitty luck where men and relationships are concerned. Like really shitty.” Luck had nothing to do with it, but I didn’t want to dig up all my dark, painful truths right then, not with Bull, not with anyone. I crossed my arms. “I’m done with relationships, with finding that perfect someone crap. Like, so done.” I made myself meet his gaze. “But I’m the kind of girl who likes affection, being close with another person.” I shrugged. “I like sex.”

Bull shifted in his seat, his frown deepening.

“Yes, I’m extremely… attracted to you, obviously.” I lifted my hands, stopping him before he could say anything, before he could reject me all over again. “It’s fine. I know you don’t feel that way about me. But you need to know that eventually, I will find someone to meet my… needs.” I motioned to him. “I’m sure you have women lined up when you need… that.” Yep, this was awkward as hell. “Well, I’m a one-man kind of woman, even if it’s just a sexual thing, you know? Even if it’s just some fun. The reason I’m telling you this is I respect you, as a friend, but I will meet someone, and I need you to be okay with it because you’re important to me.”

His graze had grown insanely intense, but I pushed on.

“So I guess I’m asking you to trust me to take care of myself, and to trust that if I’m in over my head, or need help, I will come to you. Are you cool with that?”

Bull made a weird sound and stood suddenly, his chair scraping on the wooden floor. That’s when I noticed how heavily his chest was rising and falling.

His nostrils flared, and he shook his head just once.

I blinked at him. What now? “No?”

“No,” he repeated on a near snarl. “I’m not fucking cool with that.”

“What do you mean no?” I said, shock clear in my voice.

“Come here,” he said instead of answering my question. “Now.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sherilee Gray is a kiwi girl and lives in beautiful New Zealand with her husband and their two children. When she isn't writing sexy, edgy contemporary and paranormal romance, searching for her next alpha hero on Pinterest, or fueling her voracious book addiction, she can be found dreaming of far off places with a mug of tea in one hand and a bar of Cadburys Rocky Road chocolate in the other.

AUTHOR LINKS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SherileeGrayAuthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherileegrayauthor/

Pinterest: https://pin.it/mkgldpbpsnlvkc

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sherilee_Gray

Website: https://www.sherileegray.com

COVER REVEAL for "Sin for You (Rocktown Ink, #2)" by Sherilee Gray

🔥🔥 Check out Sherilee Gray’s hot cover! 🔥🔥

Sin for You (Rocktown Ink, #2)

is releasing on September 5th! 

See links below and preorder today!! 

My best friend's sister is back in town, and while she’s here, she's under my protection. Quinn Parker had her heart broken, and I'll make sure no one hurts her again.

But when she starts looking around for a hot, no-strings distraction, I can’t stand back and do nothing. No one is touching this vibrant beauty...but me.

She’s the woman of my dreams, but Quinn wants a good time, not a long time. We play by her rules: no one finds out, no one gets hurt.

I have to keep it casual because an ex-con like me can't offer her forever…even if I want so much more.

Add SIN FOR YOU to your Goodreads TBR: http://bit.ly/31wKxvE.

PREORDER LINKS

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2YWTRHn

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2MRPdbf

Apple books: https://apple.co/2KR7DXd

B&N: http://bit.ly/2YBJ0Y5

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2YTXygR

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2M8DBRy

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2YR70BK

If you haven't read Book #1 in the series, Beg For You, 

check it out here: https://www.sherileegray.com/beg-for-you.html.

See my 5 Star review of "Beg For You" here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sherilee Gray is a kiwi girl and lives in beautiful New Zealand with her husband and their two children. When she isn't writing sexy, edgy contemporary and paranormal romance, searching for her next alpha hero on Pinterest, or fueling her voracious book addiction, she can be found dreaming of far off places with a mug of tea in one hand and a bar of Cadburys Rocky Road chocolate in the other.

AUTHOR LINKS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SherileeGrayAuthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherileegrayauthor/

Pinterest: https://pin.it/mkgldpbpsnlvkc

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sherilee_Gray

Website: https://www.sherileegray.com

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