bookreviews – Page 36 – Sincerely Karen Jo

Happiest Book Release Day to Sinister Love by T.L. Smith, the heartwrenching conclusion to Ryken and Saskia’s tumultous and twisted love story! I really enjoyed this dark and deliciously addictive series and cannot wait to share my review of the finale with you all. So let’s get to it!

Sinister Love (Dark Intentions Duet #2)

T.L. Smith

5 ★ – Satisfyingly Sexy, Deliciously Dark, and Amazingly Addictive

Genre: Romance Suspense

Release Date: April 24, 2018

He was a drug I couldn’t kick. I’d overdosed on him before. It didn’t turn out well.

I was stupid enough to let him crack my heart, in hopes we would fall off the same cliff together.

No matter how much my idiotic heart wanted to love him, my head knew better.

He didn’t choose me.

He chose her.

That’s where the problem started.

Maybe that’s how it should end.

Distorted Love by T.L. Smith messed with my emotions like no other. I didn’t think it was possible to have so much hate and love for a series, but that’s exactly how I feel about this duology. And Sinister Love… Mannn it was EVERYTHING AND MORE. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better ending.

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As excited as I was to read Sinister Love, a part me of didn’t want to find out what was happening to Saskia. I knew I was in for another excruciating twisted emotional ride and my heart was definitely not prepared. But… I was hopelessly addicted and insanely obsessed with Ryken and Saskia’s story and I needed to know what would happen to them. No matter how much ugliness and pain I experience with this book, I was determined to get to the end. And, I’m so damn glad I got the closure I needed. This was such an agonizing but wonderfully affecting story — distorted, sinister, but so real and beautiful in its own way.

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Sinister Love was dark, exciting, intoxicating, and satisfyingly amazing! Even when I figured out the main plot twist in the end, I was not expecting T.L. Smith to drop another bombshell. I just love stories that do that. You think you have it all figured out and you’re feeling pretty good… then bam — the author sneaks in one more crazy surprise that you never saw coming. I don’t want to spoil anything about what happened, but I will say this – there was never a dull moment in this book. Everything moved really fast – it was fun, steamy, thrilling, emotional, and sad. I don’t think I’m ever going to be completely comfortable with the love story and it’s far from the usual light hearted romance I’m used to, but as I’ve said, there was something so real and beautiful about this series that had me ridiculously hooked from the very beginning. SO FREAKING GOOD!!!

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Love is different for everyone. It’s complicated, always changing and sometimes ugly. What works for some may not be the case for others. Sinister Love was a wonderful bittersweet ending to an intense and twisted love story. T.L. Smith’s writing is incredibly affecting and so real that I am officially a fan and will definitely be checking out her other books. This series may not be for everyone, but if you dare to read outside your comfort zone then add this to your TBR. You might just be surprised and end up falling in love just like I did.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from Enticing Book Promotions in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

READ MY REVIEW FOR DISTORTED LOVE HERE

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Have you read this book/series? What did you think? Any recommendations on other dark romances? Leave your comments down below.

Thanks for stopping by loves! Hope you enjoyed reading this review. Until next time… Have a wonderful day everyone!

sincerelykarenjo2

Hello lovely bookish friends! Welcome to my Blog Tour Stop for Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody hosted by The Fantastic Flying Book Club. Don’t forget to stay until the end for the giveaway!

aceofshades

4 ★ – SINFULLY EXCITING AND FUN

PUBLISHED BY HARLEQUIN TEEN APRIL 10, 2018

GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, FANTASY

PAGES: HARDCOVER 416

ADD ON GOODREADS

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON – BARNES AND NOBLE – KOBO – BOOKDEPOSITORY

iBOOKS – INDIEBOUND

synopsispic

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets…and secrets hide in every shadow.

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted.

Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn’t have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne’s offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems.

Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi’s enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city…

And she’ll need to play.

review

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody was a fascinating and entertaining read. It’s sinfully exciting, quite unique, and wonderfully magical.

I had such a great time reading this book. The world building intrigued me from the very beginning. It was creative, mesmerizing, and whimsical! Although there were a few confusing parts here and there, I really enjoyed reading about the different kingdoms, gangs, talents and basically just everything that existed in the City of Sin. The writing style was descriptive and easy to read which made it so much easier to get lost in the story and I loved that about this book. The plot was interesting, fast-paced, and thrilling. There were a few unexpected twists here and there that caught me off guard so that was definitely fun. I loved the romance — it was one of those slow-burn types and the pining on both sides were so heartfelt, believable, and well-developed. I really rooted for the Enne and Levi and cannot wait to see where their relationship will be in the next installment.

I have to be honest and admit that I had quite a difficult time with one of lead characters. Enne Salta just got under my skin and annoyed me throughout most of the story. She was naive, stubborn, arrogant, and just not someone I would want as a heroine. I thought there was no way I would like her, BUT — towards the end of the story, I did go through of big change of heart. Her character development was not an easy one, but in the end, I definitely thought Enne was one badass heroine. Levi Glaisyer was an interesting character and I liked him a lot from the very beginning. He’s complex and broken, but also very caring, protective and sweet. He’s definitely my favorite and I loved his POV. The other characters and villains were pretty awesome and I enjoyed getting to know them all so I’m really excited to see where everyone will be in the sequel.

All in all, this was an amazing beginning to a thrilling new fantasy series. There were a few things that weren’t explained as clearly as I would want, but that didn’t really affect my reading experience. I still had a great time spending a few hours in the City of Sin and I definitely will be coming back for more.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

abouttheauthor

Amanda Foody has always considered imagination to be our best attempt at magic. After spending her childhood longing to attend Hogwarts, she now loves to write about immersive settings and characters grappling with insurmountable destinies. She holds a Masters in Accountancy from Villanova University, and a Bachelors of Arts in English Literature from the College of William and Mary. Currently, she works as a tax accountant in Philadelphia, PA, surrounded by her many siblings and many books.