♛ Destructive King (Mafia Royals #3) ♛Rachel Van Dyken ♛

 

 

 A mafia romance about love and loss by Rachel Van Dyken, the number-one New York Times bestselling author of the Eagle Elite series.

…When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.
— Mary Elizabeth Fyre

"I'm sorry for your loss." I would rather be tortured for an eternity than hear those damn words from one more person, as if Claire, my dead fiancé, was a cell phone or car keys.

How about, I'm sorry your life is over.
I'm sorry you want to die too.
I'm sorry you see her in your dreams and wake up only to relive the nightmare.

I'm supposed to be the strongest of them all. Ash Abandonato, ruler, assassin, made man, brother, friend—instead, I hurt everyone I touch in hopes that they'll feel even a sliver of the pain that bears down on my shoulders.
I didn't lose.

It was taken from me.
And it's all her fault, Annie Smith.

I daydream about her death.

And then I close my eyes, and I see her soft smile. I feel her touch, her kiss—it was a mistake what we did that night, but I can't take it back, and now she's under my father's protection—my protection.
My worst enemy.

The woman I'm the most attracted to.

I can't decide if I want to strangle her or kiss her, and now that she's stuck in my life, my only goal is to make her feel the same loss I do and destroy her in the process.

I'll trick her with my touch.
Seduce her with my kiss.

And in the end, when my enemy is at her most vulnerable—I'll bring down an entire Empire and continue my reign as King.

Bow down, I'll say as I bring the Five Families to their knees.

Blood in.
Never out.

Damned.

   

ARC received author for an honest review. 

 

The life of the father has become the life of the son.

 

Chase Abandonato has been my favourite RVD mafioso since I first read Elite.

 

Ash Abandonato has been the Next Gen kid that I have been jonesing for.

And Rachel Van Dyken has not disappointed.

Actually, what I should be saying is "holy f*&k RVD, what are you doing to me?"

We had seen what was going on in Ash's past, and now we get to see how he moves forward. And Annie is just the girl to do that with.  I adore her. Every last molecule of her. You are going to fall in love with her just as I did.

There is so much that you think you know about Ash's story, but I am here to tell you

 

Gah, there is so much I want to say about Destructive King, but I don't want to give anything away. You need to dive in to this story and let it take over your soul.

I love love loved seeing the OG EE, and my man Chase 😍

 

Now, I am bloodthirsty for the next installment in the Mafia Royals.

Blood In. No Out.

  

 

 

 

 

Rachel Van Dyken is the #1 New York Times Bestselling, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of over 90 books ranging from contemporary romance to paranormal. With over four million copies sold, she's been featured in Forbes, US Weekly, and USA Today. Her books have been translated in more than 15 countries. She was one of the first romance authors to have a Kindle in Motion book through Amazon publishing and continues to strive to be on the cutting edge of the reader experience. She keeps her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, adorable sons, naked cat, and two dogs. For more information about her books and upcoming events, visit www.RachelVanDykenauthor.com. 

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🚜💜🥨 Sarina Bowen 🏳️‍🌈 ROOMMATE 🥨💜🚜

 © ✰ Bianca ✰ Janeane ✰

 

  

• 12 January 2021
• Standalone M/M Romance
• It's a complete standalone, but it is slightly connected to the True North Series and the upcoming Vino & Veritas Series! It goes back in time to the moment between Bountiful and Speakeasy!

★★★★★

4.9 Stars

Wanted: One roommate to share a 3-bedroom house, split the rent, and ideally not be the guy I can’t stop thinking about.

I’m a man with too many secrets, so the last thing I need is a new roommate with a sexy smile and blue eyes that see right through me. Eight years ago, Roderick left town after high school. We’re not friends. I owe him nothing. But back then, I let one of my secrets slip, and he’s the only one who noticed.

Part of me knows I should run far, far away. But the other part wants him to come upstairs and spend the night. But if I let him in, I could lose everything.

Seeking: a room to rent in town. I’m tidy, have no pets, and I will feed you homemade bread.

I should probably add: Gay AF, and has no filter. It’s no wonder my new landlord is so wary of me.

A smarter man would ignore those hot glances from the broody lumberjack. He may want more from me than another fresh-baked pretzel. But if I push my luck, I’ll end up back on the street.

Too bad I’ve never been smart with my heart…

ARC received for an honest review

 

Yaaaaass b*tches! We're back in the Shipley-verse, and I can't get enough!

 

And not only are we in Shipley-land, we are back with Ms Bowen's M/M tales. woot woot!

Kieran and Roderick are both little boys (well, men) lost.  Both have had really sh!tty people around them, and they are hurting and I just want to hug them and squeeze them and call the George.

 

But there are also the AWESOME Shipleys to counteract the crappy ones, and I love them more than I have in the past True North books.

 

There are plenty of sexy and heartwarming times in Roommate, however there were times when I was reading through streams of tears, trying to cry quietly as to not wake the friends I am staying with lol.

 

It took me a few days to get through this story - not because it was dragging or anything, but because it was Christmas, and people kept on interrupting me!

Be warned - you will be craving baked goods as you read about Kieran and Roddy - I swear I put on 3kg reading it.

I need to find myself a Roddy to bake for me.

I need more, more more of these Vermontians! Please make this happen Ms Bowen!

We're back in Vermont in the Shipley Universe.
This time we read about cousin Kieran.

He's 25 years old and he still hasn't really started his own life. He always has to be home to do his big brother's work on the farm. His parents are not the most loving people, but they expect him to work the farm - for free. That's why he has two jobs in town. One ad job and one at the coffee shop. He dreams of using his savings to get his own house and to finally start some college art classes. And his private life could also use some magic. Or anything really. Nobody even knows that he's gay. He didn't know it himself for the longest time.

Enter Roderick.

He left town right after highschool. His parents did not accept his gayness. They're way too religious and stubborn. Now he's sleeping in his car and he desperately needs a job. He's a professional baker. And it just so happens that Kieran's cousin's coffee shop is hiring.

LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN!!! ☺



 
So adorable!
But also so very heartbreaking with those unloving parents. Ugh. I hate those. I want my book parents to be amazing - at least one pair of them. But here both sucked most of the time!

But all the other family people were great. Aunt Ruth. Audrey, Griff, Zara. All the good Shipleys.

And Kieran and Roddy are so adorable.

Both are still those sweet little broken lost boys. Still so confused about life and love. Well. Roddy always knew what he is and what he wanted, but he still didn't have the perfect life.

And poor Kieran. He doesn't know what to do. People in small towns can be horrible. And his family is really big - he hates being the center of attention - he doesn't want to be stared at and judged by everyone. Plus there's another family secret that he's not ready to share.

But of course it's not all sad and dark.

We have adorable and funny and sexy moments. Lots of food and bread and cooking and baking. So sweet and warm and comfy. I wanted to move in with them!

I really loved reading this and now I so NEED Roddy to come and bake me some pretzels!

I could read these kinds of books every day for the rest of eternity!

I also wouldn't mind seeing this on Netflix one day!

Can't wait to get more Vermont soon!

ROOMMATE was such an adorable + funny + sweet + heartbreaking coming-of-age-finally-finding-your-tribe love story!!! I loved reading it! Run to your nearest amazon for your own K & G - they'll be sold out in no time - and these two are MINE! And all the other Shipleys too!

♥ EXCERPT ♥

Back at home, I do all the chores and then some.

 

First I put the cows in the north pasture. Moving cows is easy enough in good weather. It only requires me to move the portable fence and wave them through the opening. “Go on, enjoy,” I say as they file past me eagerly. Our herd is grass fed, and they don’t need to be asked twice. The long, seedy grass and corn stalks I’m offering are like a recently freshened, all-you-can-eat buffet.

 

Let’s face it—the cows are easier to handle than any of my family members. They go where they’re needed, no questions asked. But my dog—Rexie—gives the cows a nice loud woof just to pretend he’s working hard.

 

After the cow parade, I close up the fence and turn the electricity on. After that, I spend forty-five minutes raking cow shit out of the lower farmyard in the dark.

 

It’s boring drudge work, and my mind starts to wander. And, fuck, it wanders right to Roderick Waites—the guy who climbed out of a blue Volkswagen and right back into my brain.

 

I wish I could say I haven’t thought about him since high school, but that would be a lie. And if I were a more spiritual person, I’d probably interpret Roderick’s reappearance in town as a sign. A wakeup call.

 

Nobody knows all the tangled things in my brain, but for a split second when I was a teenager, Roderick came close to learning one of my biggest secrets.

 

The first time I saw him on his knees in front of another guy, it was an accident.

 

It was autumn then, too. I’d been at a high school football game. It was chilly that night and, last second before leaving for the game, I’d grabbed my dad’s jacket from the hook by the door. After shoving my hands into the pockets while standing on the windy sidelines, I’d found a flask of whiskey. My father must have last worn the jacket when he was sitting out in the deer blind with his pals. Bonus.

 

But, of course, I’d had to sneak around to find a place to take a taste.

 

Leaving the crowd and the game, I ducked inside the door to the school’s gym. Under the cover of the bleachers, I drew out my dad’s flask, and unscrewed the top. Just as I raised it to my lips, I froze at the sound of whispered voices. Whoever was speaking had entered the gym at the other end of the bleachers.

 

Their shadowy figures weren’t easily visible. But I guessed it was a couple looking for a little privacy for a make-out session. And since a couple sneaking off together wasn’t a threat to me, I stood my ground.

 

I took a swallow of my father’s hooch. My first sip wasn’t life-changing—it burned going down and made my eyes water—it’s what happened next that changed everything.

 

After screwing the lid on the flask and pocketing it, I ducked out of the gym and into the hallway. Feeling nosy, I walked toward the gym’s other entrance, noiseless in my Nikes. When I reached the door, I eased into a position that allowed me to spy on the couple I’d heard whispering to each other. They were silent now, and I wanted to know why.

 

When I saw who it was, I swear my heart almost stopped. A varsity soccer player—Jared Harvey—stood beneath the bleachers, bracing his hands on a tread overhead. Roderick Waites knelt in front of him, unzipping Jared’s jeans.

 

You can bet I didn’t even blink for the next five minutes…

↓ LINKS TO THE BOOK & AUTHOR ↓

🏳️‍🌈 Wes & Jamie 🏳️‍🌈

Good Boy

The Company Book #1

  

Book #2

 

Hockey #5

  

Hockey #6

  

🍎🍏🍎 True North Book #1 🍎🍏🍎

YA Rockstar Romance-ish

   

Sarina Bowen writes steamy, angsty Contemporary Romance and New Adult fiction from the wilds of Vermont.

She is the author of The Ivy Years, an award-winning series set amid the hockey team at an elite Connecticut college.

Waiting for more Ivy Years? You can read more about upcoming volumes in the four book series at http://www.sarinabowen.com/theivyyears

Also, the Gravity series.

Sarina enjoys skiing, espresso drinks and the occasional margarita. She lives with her family, eight chickens and more ski gear and hockey equipment than seems necessary.

To be kept abreast of new releases, please feel free to sign up for the mailing list at http://www.sarinabowen.com/contact.

Or visit the her Facebook page, or tweet her @sarinabowen.