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Villain I'd Like to F...
Lady Viper and the Bastard by Eva Leigh
Lady Violet “Viper” Hampton is infamous for her ferocity in the ballroom and the bedroom, but her vicious reputation is nearly matched by her rakish rival, Ian “the Bastard” Molineaux. When Violet and Ian are separately hired by families seeking to tear a loving couple apart, the two enemies must work together. The bastard and the viper use every weapon in their seductive arsenal to emerge the victor, yet the passion between them is as explosive as it is dangerous...
Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson
As the jaded, lowborn owner of London’s most notorious gaming hell, Blake Evans relishes tormenting his aristocratic debtors. When an errant peer offers one night with his sister-in-law Estelle, Dowager Duchess of Tolwick, Blake counters with impossible terms: the oh-so-proper widow must spend a week in his bed, submitting to his every desire. Shockingly, she agrees. But far more surprises are ahead, for this young beauty has a wild heart, a taste for wickedness, and might just be the woman of his dreams. If only she wasn’t promised to another…
The Gangster’s Prize by Joanna Shupe
From a good upstanding family, Isabelle Kelly is dedicated to righting the city’s wrongs. Just like her father, who is one of New York’s most powerful men and currently leading a crusade to rid the city of its violent street gangs. But when her father goes missing, Isabelle knows who is responsible . . . and she will get answers from the devil one way or another.
As the leader of the Hell’s Kitchen Gang, Billy Baxter always gets what he wants. And he’s had his eye on the beautiful Miss Kelly for months. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s fallen into his world now.
And he has no intention of ever letting her go.
The Bootlegger’s Bounty by Adriana Herrera
Rosalía Ferrer dreams of leaving her island behind and sailing north to sing in a New York City nightclub. Unfortunately, the only way to escape her father’s suffocating clutches is to align herself with a man who is as ruthless as he is lawless. Putting her fate in the hands of a villain like the Rogue of Rum Row is a very risky gamble, but Rosalía will do whatever it takes to get what she wants…even if it means striking a deal with the devil himself.
After ten years, Camden McCullough is finally poised to pull off his last rum run. If he can keep the brown-eyed hellion he brought on to his schooner from getting them both killed, he might sail into the sunset with everything he’s ever wanted: the loot and the girl.
The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone
England is burning with Norman fires, and Tate—the youngest ever abbess of Far Hope Abbey—is determined to guard the abbey’s ancient secrets with her very life. Her life may be what it takes, however, for a Norman warlord known only as The Wolf is pillaging his way right to the abbey’s doors. But when The Wolf arrives, Tate finds not the brutal warrior she was expecting, but his even more brutal widow in his place, a cruel and beautiful woman who leads her dead husband’s men with a ferocity to rival that of her Viking ancestors. And after she sets eyes on Tate, it becomes clear that gold and silver aren’t the only things The Wolf wants to carry off into the night…
Lady Violet “Viper” Hampton is infamous for her ferocity in the ballroom and the bedroom, but her vicious reputation is nearly matched by her rakish rival, Ian “the Bastard” Molineaux. When Violet and Ian are separately hired by families seeking to tear a loving couple apart, the two enemies must work together. The bastard and the viper use every weapon in their seductive arsenal to emerge the victor, yet the passion between them is as explosive as it is dangerous...
Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson
As the jaded, lowborn owner of London’s most notorious gaming hell, Blake Evans relishes tormenting his aristocratic debtors. When an errant peer offers one night with his sister-in-law Estelle, Dowager Duchess of Tolwick, Blake counters with impossible terms: the oh-so-proper widow must spend a week in his bed, submitting to his every desire. Shockingly, she agrees. But far more surprises are ahead, for this young beauty has a wild heart, a taste for wickedness, and might just be the woman of his dreams. If only she wasn’t promised to another…
The Gangster’s Prize by Joanna Shupe
From a good upstanding family, Isabelle Kelly is dedicated to righting the city’s wrongs. Just like her father, who is one of New York’s most powerful men and currently leading a crusade to rid the city of its violent street gangs. But when her father goes missing, Isabelle knows who is responsible . . . and she will get answers from the devil one way or another.
As the leader of the Hell’s Kitchen Gang, Billy Baxter always gets what he wants. And he’s had his eye on the beautiful Miss Kelly for months. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s fallen into his world now.
And he has no intention of ever letting her go.
The Bootlegger’s Bounty by Adriana Herrera
Rosalía Ferrer dreams of leaving her island behind and sailing north to sing in a New York City nightclub. Unfortunately, the only way to escape her father’s suffocating clutches is to align herself with a man who is as ruthless as he is lawless. Putting her fate in the hands of a villain like the Rogue of Rum Row is a very risky gamble, but Rosalía will do whatever it takes to get what she wants…even if it means striking a deal with the devil himself.
After ten years, Camden McCullough is finally poised to pull off his last rum run. If he can keep the brown-eyed hellion he brought on to his schooner from getting them both killed, he might sail into the sunset with everything he’s ever wanted: the loot and the girl.
The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone
England is burning with Norman fires, and Tate—the youngest ever abbess of Far Hope Abbey—is determined to guard the abbey’s ancient secrets with her very life. Her life may be what it takes, however, for a Norman warlord known only as The Wolf is pillaging his way right to the abbey’s doors. But when The Wolf arrives, Tate finds not the brutal warrior she was expecting, but his even more brutal widow in his place, a cruel and beautiful woman who leads her dead husband’s men with a ferocity to rival that of her Viking ancestors. And after she sets eyes on Tate, it becomes clear that gold and silver aren’t the only things The Wolf wants to carry off into the night…
666 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 15, 2022
217 people are currently reading
1186 people want to read
About the author
Sabrina Darby
20 books192 followersSabrina Darby has been reading romance since the age of seven and learned her best vocabulary (dulcet, diaphanous, and turgid) from them. She started writing romance the day after her wedding when she woke up with an idea for a Regency; she’s been back in the early 19th century ever since.
She currently resides in California with her husband.
And for more historical romance fabulousness, join Sabrina at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ILove... for fun discussions led live every Thursday by a different guest co-host.
She currently resides in California with her husband.
And for more historical romance fabulousness, join Sabrina at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ILove... for fun discussions led live every Thursday by a different guest co-host.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
November 17, 2022
I enjoyed my time but compared to the other anthologies in this series, I gotta say this was my least favorite so far so 3⭐️s felt right. BUT I recommend reading because Adriana’s was so good and it was fun to read about villains!
The first half of this review has my individual thoughts and ranking of each novella. Each has a one sentence summary, gif association, and mini review.
I've ranked the novellas from 1-5, my favorite to least favorite. My steam scale is a bit different than usual. There were five novellas so the spiciest one gets five peppers and so on down until one pepper. One pepper doesn't mean there's no steam! It just means it was, completely subjectively, the least spicy of the bunch for me.
The second half of the review has my general thoughts of the anthology as a whole and other notes!
THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW THIS POINT
The Bootlegger’s Bounty, Adriana Herrera
Rank in Novella
1️⃣ - Most Favorite
Steam Ranking
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Hottest
One Sentence Summary
Even on a boat, she only gets wet for criminals.
Thoughts
Hands down my favorite of the anthology NO CONTEST. Adriana’s My Duke Makes Me Feel is another favorite in this series and I just love how she paints such a colorful picture on the page. Even her settings are lush and delicious. This one took place in 1927 and it felt super modern, but that wasn’t a deterrent at all.
It was by far the hottest in the collection as well. Little time was wasted getting right into the action which is exactly what I needed, since this was nearing the end of a 600+ page anthology. The story is MMF, with each pairing getting a scene or a partial scene and then a few of them all together. There was some hot face sitting, going down on the captain while he was steering, and a very good chair scene. God and a little bit of cum play and I- OOF. (There’s anal scene for one of the men, but she’s never taken that way during DP.)
Overall, I loved everything about the plot, the motivations, and the relationship. I’d read a full book of their escapades SO fast. I loved seeing Cam’s tough exterior crack, Enzo’s pining finally be requited, and for Rosalía to finally reach her dreams.
Gif Association
All hands and knees were really on deck:
Seven Sinful Nights, Nicola Davidson
Rank in Novella
2️⃣
Steam Ranking
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
One Sentence Summary
These two get their rocks off whilst torturing noblemen in private and fucking each other in public.
Thoughts
I’ve loved everything by Nicola I’ve ever read, and this wasn’t an exception! The overall story was right up my alley, and I loved Stella’s arc especially. I found it honestly so relatable of her to immediately be his mistress rather than a nursemaid.
I loved the sex scenes so much!! There was so much praise and it was doubly fantastic because that’s exactly what Stella needed after a life of being neglected. There were two public sex acts, an anal dildo, and a sizzling dom/sub relationship.
While being a novella, this one did feel a bit long by the end. Her self sacrifice was a bit of an eye roll, because it was so abrupt and random. By the time the epilogue rolled around, I was kind of surprised the story was still kicking lol. Overall, I still had a great time and hooboy this was HOT.
Note: I don’t really know how to judge the handling of the epilogue, so I’ll lay it out and you can decide if it would be a no-go for you! Basically, Stella had been barren for years of her first marriage and her inability to have children was constantly an insult hurled at her. She was only 21 at the time of her eventual conception and she was told frequent sex and less stress aided her. Neither character was opposed to having children, they just didn’t think it was a possibility.
Gif Association
Lady Viper and the Bastard, Eva Leigh
Rank in novella
3️⃣
Steam Ranking
🌶️
One Sentence Summary
If the Montagues and Capulets hired two villains (hot) to break up Romeo and Juliet (star-crossed), but they ended up just fucking (with abandon) instead.
Thoughts
It was a tale of alike not love. The story was a bit dry and most of Ian’s lines felt practiced and relatively generic. I liked the Romeo and Juliet-esque plot, but wasn’t the biggest fan of their mission. I think they read as villains, but it was almost cartoony or hyperbolical? The blackmail really didn’t need to happen at the end there; I skimmed the rest of the novella after I realized what was happening.
However, when he was confessing love and being heartfelt (not seductive), I felt a stronger connection to their relationship. The end was cute and made up for some of the duller moments. This was one of the longer novellas of the anthology, taking up 25% of the eARC.
The sex was hot but relatively vanilla in the grander scheme of the anthology. She had her hands tied in the first scene and then the second was teacher/student role play. (He kept calling her child though which maybe shouldn’t bother me bc I loved the good girls but it still had me cringing a bit because I can’t help but think of Dr. Janosz in Ghostbusters II and how he says “a chiiiiiild.”)
Gif Association
Ian and Violet to each other:
The Conquering of Tate the Pious, Sierra Simone
Rank in Novella
4️⃣
Steam Ranking
🌶️🌶️
One Sentence Summary
Father don’t know Sister’s getting hot at the abbey doing something unholy.
Thoughts
I don't know if the setting of this story was rooted in actual history, but I truly had zero clue what was going on. I knew none of the people mentioned and I couldn’t tell if I was supposed to know them? I really know nothing about the history of religion in this context (or any context). I’m not even sure I could summarize this because I just didn’t comprehend the context (but understood what was happening).
I also just think this needed to be a full book. I needed background information and in-depth explanations because it was very interesting but god was it fucking confusing. I would love to read the full book. Please give me the full book.
I still don’t really know why the nuns like to fuck. Why didn’t Wolf and Tate fuck in the sex cave??? Another scene was closed door in a confusing way and I definitely wanted more because the potential here was so hot!! However, the scene where the Wolf fucked the nun with her dagger hilt??? Icon. Legend.
Gif Association
And that hard object is a dagger hilt.
The Gangster’s Prize, Joanna Shupe
Rank in Novella
5️⃣
Steam Ranking
🌶️🌶️🌶️
One Sentence Pitch
The real gangster’s paradise was the mayor’s daughter he fucked along the way.
Thoughts
This one just felt pretty basic and the least original. It hit every major plot point that you’d expect, and a lot happened but most was surface level. Similarly, it was hot but had little emotion. Dare I say she felt too much like a good girl? Her begging him not to kill the guy was just very typical.
The narration felt like one of those old timey black and white movies with a fast talking New Yorker setting the scene in low light and ominous shadows. It was good in the sense that it provided a great atmosphere, but lord was it clunky and annoying. It kinda just proved why historical romances aren’t commonly written in first person POV. He also used the word “yeah?” SO MUCH it was alarming.
I also think the phrase good girl was used so much in quick succession it lost its impact. He got himself off while looking at her, he made a nice cocktail of cum and virgin blood, and got shot! in the name of love.
Overall, this one just wasn’t for me. Her father still got to be mayor I think?? But he sure did cut someone’s dick off though so I guess bonus points. The story wasn't bad and it's not like I didn't enjoy it, but for a villain anthology entry, it felt a bit generic.
Gif Association
IYKYK
_________
General Thoughts
- I don’t think I liked this very much. Adriana’s was the only one I’d read again because it was absolutely fantastic but the rest were kinda blah (Nicola’s was my second favorite so it’s kinda excluded but still some things). Even though they’re novellas, most felt too long. I mainly thought the relationships were good but the plots and pacing were just not all that interesting or engaging back to back.
- I think many of these stories probably could've benefited from being just a tad shorter. I think a final round of edits (I'm not talking about copyedits since this review is of an eARC) would make the final product feel a bit more polished.
- Ending the anthology on Joanna’s or Adriana’s would have made more sense than Sierra’s. Hers feels almost like a second story to me. There was a lot to process there and may have been a bit jarring for book one, but my mind was so fried from reading so many pages of this anthology that I think I lost steam and needed something easier to process.
- Please god, revoke the use of exclamation points from Davidson and "yeah" from Shupe. There were so many and it was distracting. I think if this was an audiobook, I'd have been able to ignore a lot of this natural repetitiveness.
- And also there was way too much talk about shit and farting and I’m sorry but I despise thinking about excrement. Personal preference, yes, but I suffered. The real villain was the poop they threw along the way.
_________
Thank you so much to the authors for an eARC! All opinions are honest and my own. I also preordered my own copy.
The first half of this review has my individual thoughts and ranking of each novella. Each has a one sentence summary, gif association, and mini review.
I've ranked the novellas from 1-5, my favorite to least favorite. My steam scale is a bit different than usual. There were five novellas so the spiciest one gets five peppers and so on down until one pepper. One pepper doesn't mean there's no steam! It just means it was, completely subjectively, the least spicy of the bunch for me.
The second half of the review has my general thoughts of the anthology as a whole and other notes!
THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW THIS POINT
The Bootlegger’s Bounty, Adriana Herrera
Rank in Novella
1️⃣ - Most Favorite
Steam Ranking
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - Hottest
One Sentence Summary
Even on a boat, she only gets wet for criminals.
Thoughts
Hands down my favorite of the anthology NO CONTEST. Adriana’s My Duke Makes Me Feel is another favorite in this series and I just love how she paints such a colorful picture on the page. Even her settings are lush and delicious. This one took place in 1927 and it felt super modern, but that wasn’t a deterrent at all.
It was by far the hottest in the collection as well. Little time was wasted getting right into the action which is exactly what I needed, since this was nearing the end of a 600+ page anthology. The story is MMF, with each pairing getting a scene or a partial scene and then a few of them all together. There was some hot face sitting, going down on the captain while he was steering, and a very good chair scene. God and a little bit of cum play and I- OOF. (There’s anal scene for one of the men, but she’s never taken that way during DP.)
Overall, I loved everything about the plot, the motivations, and the relationship. I’d read a full book of their escapades SO fast. I loved seeing Cam’s tough exterior crack, Enzo’s pining finally be requited, and for Rosalía to finally reach her dreams.
Gif Association
All hands and knees were really on deck:
Seven Sinful Nights, Nicola Davidson
Rank in Novella
2️⃣
Steam Ranking
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
One Sentence Summary
These two get their rocks off whilst torturing noblemen in private and fucking each other in public.
Thoughts
I’ve loved everything by Nicola I’ve ever read, and this wasn’t an exception! The overall story was right up my alley, and I loved Stella’s arc especially. I found it honestly so relatable of her to immediately be his mistress rather than a nursemaid.
I loved the sex scenes so much!! There was so much praise and it was doubly fantastic because that’s exactly what Stella needed after a life of being neglected. There were two public sex acts, an anal dildo, and a sizzling dom/sub relationship.
While being a novella, this one did feel a bit long by the end. Her self sacrifice was a bit of an eye roll, because it was so abrupt and random. By the time the epilogue rolled around, I was kind of surprised the story was still kicking lol. Overall, I still had a great time and hooboy this was HOT.
Note: I don’t really know how to judge the handling of the epilogue, so I’ll lay it out and you can decide if it would be a no-go for you! Basically, Stella had been barren for years of her first marriage and her inability to have children was constantly an insult hurled at her. She was only 21 at the time of her eventual conception and she was told frequent sex and less stress aided her. Neither character was opposed to having children, they just didn’t think it was a possibility.
Gif Association
Lady Viper and the Bastard, Eva Leigh
Rank in novella
3️⃣
Steam Ranking
🌶️
One Sentence Summary
If the Montagues and Capulets hired two villains (hot) to break up Romeo and Juliet (star-crossed), but they ended up just fucking (with abandon) instead.
Thoughts
It was a tale of alike not love. The story was a bit dry and most of Ian’s lines felt practiced and relatively generic. I liked the Romeo and Juliet-esque plot, but wasn’t the biggest fan of their mission. I think they read as villains, but it was almost cartoony or hyperbolical? The blackmail really didn’t need to happen at the end there; I skimmed the rest of the novella after I realized what was happening.
However, when he was confessing love and being heartfelt (not seductive), I felt a stronger connection to their relationship. The end was cute and made up for some of the duller moments. This was one of the longer novellas of the anthology, taking up 25% of the eARC.
The sex was hot but relatively vanilla in the grander scheme of the anthology. She had her hands tied in the first scene and then the second was teacher/student role play. (He kept calling her child though which maybe shouldn’t bother me bc I loved the good girls but it still had me cringing a bit because I can’t help but think of Dr. Janosz in Ghostbusters II and how he says “a chiiiiiild.”)
Gif Association
Ian and Violet to each other:
The Conquering of Tate the Pious, Sierra Simone
Rank in Novella
4️⃣
Steam Ranking
🌶️🌶️
One Sentence Summary
Father don’t know Sister’s getting hot at the abbey doing something unholy.
Thoughts
I don't know if the setting of this story was rooted in actual history, but I truly had zero clue what was going on. I knew none of the people mentioned and I couldn’t tell if I was supposed to know them? I really know nothing about the history of religion in this context (or any context). I’m not even sure I could summarize this because I just didn’t comprehend the context (but understood what was happening).
I also just think this needed to be a full book. I needed background information and in-depth explanations because it was very interesting but god was it fucking confusing. I would love to read the full book. Please give me the full book.
I still don’t really know why the nuns like to fuck. Why didn’t Wolf and Tate fuck in the sex cave??? Another scene was closed door in a confusing way and I definitely wanted more because the potential here was so hot!! However, the scene where the Wolf fucked the nun with her dagger hilt??? Icon. Legend.
Gif Association
And that hard object is a dagger hilt.
The Gangster’s Prize, Joanna Shupe
Rank in Novella
5️⃣
Steam Ranking
🌶️🌶️🌶️
One Sentence Pitch
The real gangster’s paradise was the mayor’s daughter he fucked along the way.
Thoughts
This one just felt pretty basic and the least original. It hit every major plot point that you’d expect, and a lot happened but most was surface level. Similarly, it was hot but had little emotion. Dare I say she felt too much like a good girl? Her begging him not to kill the guy was just very typical.
The narration felt like one of those old timey black and white movies with a fast talking New Yorker setting the scene in low light and ominous shadows. It was good in the sense that it provided a great atmosphere, but lord was it clunky and annoying. It kinda just proved why historical romances aren’t commonly written in first person POV. He also used the word “yeah?” SO MUCH it was alarming.
I also think the phrase good girl was used so much in quick succession it lost its impact. He got himself off while looking at her, he made a nice cocktail of cum and virgin blood, and got shot! in the name of love.
Overall, this one just wasn’t for me. Her father still got to be mayor I think?? But he sure did cut someone’s dick off though so I guess bonus points. The story wasn't bad and it's not like I didn't enjoy it, but for a villain anthology entry, it felt a bit generic.
Gif Association
IYKYK
_________
General Thoughts
- I don’t think I liked this very much. Adriana’s was the only one I’d read again because it was absolutely fantastic but the rest were kinda blah (Nicola’s was my second favorite so it’s kinda excluded but still some things). Even though they’re novellas, most felt too long. I mainly thought the relationships were good but the plots and pacing were just not all that interesting or engaging back to back.
- I think many of these stories probably could've benefited from being just a tad shorter. I think a final round of edits (I'm not talking about copyedits since this review is of an eARC) would make the final product feel a bit more polished.
- Ending the anthology on Joanna’s or Adriana’s would have made more sense than Sierra’s. Hers feels almost like a second story to me. There was a lot to process there and may have been a bit jarring for book one, but my mind was so fried from reading so many pages of this anthology that I think I lost steam and needed something easier to process.
- Please god, revoke the use of exclamation points from Davidson and "yeah" from Shupe. There were so many and it was distracting. I think if this was an audiobook, I'd have been able to ignore a lot of this natural repetitiveness.
- And also there was way too much talk about shit and farting and I’m sorry but I despise thinking about excrement. Personal preference, yes, but I suffered. The real villain was the poop they threw along the way.
_________
Thank you so much to the authors for an eARC! All opinions are honest and my own. I also preordered my own copy.
December 12, 2022
I’m beginning to think that this series of anthologies are not that great. 😭
November 19, 2022
I found this one a lot underwhelming. When you put villain on the title, I expect some gd villains 🙄 Unfortunately three out of the five would be morally grey for me and not outright villains.
Eva Leigh- Lady Viper and the Bastard. DNF. These two were not villains and who wants to read about two fools constantly evil chuckling and twirling their mustaches about the supposed dastardly deeds they've done 🙄 So much telling and zero showing so and none of interesting so next...
Nicola Davidson- Seven Sinful Nights- this one started out very promising with a proper villainous hero but then devolved into a series of steamy scenes without much coherence. The flow was so weird plus having the MC's fling horse shit at protestors was a CHOICE. In my humble opinion , excrement of any kind has no place in a romance novel. Also, anyone who has been around horses knows that smell doesn't go away. Even if you're wearing gloves to handle the turds, you'd stink to high heaven. These two went from flinging turds to being naughty 🤮
⭐⭐💫
Which brings me to the filling in this soggy pie:
The Gangster's Prize by Joanna Shupe. Finally a proper villain! The havoc that Joanna Shupe wreaked in me with such a small word count could be called sorcery. This is a throwback to old school but nicely mixed with modern sensibilities. Billy Baxter is a gangster who kidnapped her father but decided to keep that to himself and promise to help his daughter find him in exchange for her company 🥵 It's catnip heaven. My only complaints: I wish he didn't call her widow as a nickname. Especially when she wasn't. It was weird. But most of all I wish it had been full length 😭 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
The Bootlegger's Bounty by Adriana Herrera was the steamiest story. It's MFM and while one MMC was kind of villainous the whole thing was more erotica than romance. I loved the spicy scenes but relationship development was non-existent ⭐⭐⭐
The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone. I started this one with high hopes but there was way too much world building for a novella length and it dragged the whole thing down. I skimmed most of it. ⭐⭐
Eva Leigh- Lady Viper and the Bastard. DNF. These two were not villains and who wants to read about two fools constantly evil chuckling and twirling their mustaches about the supposed dastardly deeds they've done 🙄 So much telling and zero showing so and none of interesting so next...
Nicola Davidson- Seven Sinful Nights- this one started out very promising with a proper villainous hero but then devolved into a series of steamy scenes without much coherence. The flow was so weird plus having the MC's fling horse shit at protestors was a CHOICE. In my humble opinion , excrement of any kind has no place in a romance novel. Also, anyone who has been around horses knows that smell doesn't go away. Even if you're wearing gloves to handle the turds, you'd stink to high heaven. These two went from flinging turds to being naughty 🤮
⭐⭐💫
Which brings me to the filling in this soggy pie:
The Gangster's Prize by Joanna Shupe. Finally a proper villain! The havoc that Joanna Shupe wreaked in me with such a small word count could be called sorcery. This is a throwback to old school but nicely mixed with modern sensibilities. Billy Baxter is a gangster who kidnapped her father but decided to keep that to himself and promise to help his daughter find him in exchange for her company 🥵 It's catnip heaven. My only complaints: I wish he didn't call her widow as a nickname. Especially when she wasn't. It was weird. But most of all I wish it had been full length 😭 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
The Bootlegger's Bounty by Adriana Herrera was the steamiest story. It's MFM and while one MMC was kind of villainous the whole thing was more erotica than romance. I loved the spicy scenes but relationship development was non-existent ⭐⭐⭐
The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone. I started this one with high hopes but there was way too much world building for a novella length and it dragged the whole thing down. I skimmed most of it. ⭐⭐
November 14, 2022
Villain I’d Like to F is the latest anthology by 5 amazing authors: Joanna Shupe, Sierra Simone, Eva Leigh, Adriana Herrera, and Nicola Davidson. I have loved the previous 2 anthologies by these authors, Duke I’d like to F and Rake I’d like to F, and they just deliver every time! VILF was such a fun time, rooting for morally grey characters and their stories! I read and enjoyed all 5 but my favs were from Joanna Shupe and Adriana Herrera!
Lady Viper and the Bastard by Eva Leigh is set in England 1756. This romance is between a 40-something widowed countess, Violet aka “Lady Viper” and Ian “the Bastard” Molineaux (a by-blow of a Duke). The bickering and banter is so fun right away! Violet and Ian decide to work together to try and separate a pair of young lovers, while both wanting one another. We get a fun little roleplay scene of dance instructor and student. 🔥 “We villains don’t make the rules. We break them.”
Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson is set in London 1816 and it’s the romance between a gaming hell owner and a young dowager duchess! Estelle is a 20 year old widow now under her brother-in-law’s guardianship. He and his wife want to make her their nursemaid to care for their children as the dukedom is in financial peril. When a gaming hell owner shows up to collect on the debts, her in-laws offer up Estelle for him to “use” as a mistress for one week. Lots of fun toys, age gap, a sex debt, and praise kink! “As it turned out, the secret to joy was quite simple. All she’d needed was the love of a good villain.”
The Gangster’s Prize by Joanna Shupe is set in Gilded Age New York City is 1890. The mayoral candidate’s sheltered daughter goes to great length’s to find her missing father, a former city comptroller. Isabelle requests Billy Baxter’s help, he’s the leader of the Hell’s Kitchen Gang. Baxter says he will help Belle depending on what she’s willing to do for his help. Bax and Belle have amazing chemistry, Joanna always delivers on carriage scenes and this one was amazing! 🔥
The Bootlegger’s Bounty by Adriana Herrera is a Prohibition-era MMF between a rum runner, a gangster, and a jazz singer! This was a super fun romp set at sea that starts off in the Caribbean in 1927. Rosalía snuck on board a ship and is stowed away in the cargo hold when the story starts! She hopes to get to New York City, find her way to Harlem and secure a place as a singer in one of the city’s famed jazz clubs. Not even 24 hours in, she’s discovered and ends up with the gruff captain Cam and Enzo, one of the crew. The chemistry between every single one of this trio was fantastic, lots of separate and together times! 🔥
The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone is a medieval sapphic, morality chain romance between a Norman murder-babe and an Anglo-Saxon abbess! This one is set during 1068 and was so unique. Known as “The Wolf”, Adelais arrives ready to pillage when Tate offers up herself to keep the abbey safe.
Thank you to Candi Kane PR for an e-ARC, all thoughts in this review are my own! This anthology has a publish date of November 15, 2022.
Lady Viper and the Bastard by Eva Leigh is set in England 1756. This romance is between a 40-something widowed countess, Violet aka “Lady Viper” and Ian “the Bastard” Molineaux (a by-blow of a Duke). The bickering and banter is so fun right away! Violet and Ian decide to work together to try and separate a pair of young lovers, while both wanting one another. We get a fun little roleplay scene of dance instructor and student. 🔥 “We villains don’t make the rules. We break them.”
Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson is set in London 1816 and it’s the romance between a gaming hell owner and a young dowager duchess! Estelle is a 20 year old widow now under her brother-in-law’s guardianship. He and his wife want to make her their nursemaid to care for their children as the dukedom is in financial peril. When a gaming hell owner shows up to collect on the debts, her in-laws offer up Estelle for him to “use” as a mistress for one week. Lots of fun toys, age gap, a sex debt, and praise kink! “As it turned out, the secret to joy was quite simple. All she’d needed was the love of a good villain.”
The Gangster’s Prize by Joanna Shupe is set in Gilded Age New York City is 1890. The mayoral candidate’s sheltered daughter goes to great length’s to find her missing father, a former city comptroller. Isabelle requests Billy Baxter’s help, he’s the leader of the Hell’s Kitchen Gang. Baxter says he will help Belle depending on what she’s willing to do for his help. Bax and Belle have amazing chemistry, Joanna always delivers on carriage scenes and this one was amazing! 🔥
The Bootlegger’s Bounty by Adriana Herrera is a Prohibition-era MMF between a rum runner, a gangster, and a jazz singer! This was a super fun romp set at sea that starts off in the Caribbean in 1927. Rosalía snuck on board a ship and is stowed away in the cargo hold when the story starts! She hopes to get to New York City, find her way to Harlem and secure a place as a singer in one of the city’s famed jazz clubs. Not even 24 hours in, she’s discovered and ends up with the gruff captain Cam and Enzo, one of the crew. The chemistry between every single one of this trio was fantastic, lots of separate and together times! 🔥
The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone is a medieval sapphic, morality chain romance between a Norman murder-babe and an Anglo-Saxon abbess! This one is set during 1068 and was so unique. Known as “The Wolf”, Adelais arrives ready to pillage when Tate offers up herself to keep the abbey safe.
Thank you to Candi Kane PR for an e-ARC, all thoughts in this review are my own! This anthology has a publish date of November 15, 2022.
November 23, 2022
Lady Viper and the Bastard by Eva Leigh
When Violet, aka Lady Viper, and Ian Molineaux learn they have been enlisted to break apart the same couple, the two decide, albeit reluctantly, to work together to achieve their shared goal a bit quicker. Each is surprised to find the other to be a match for their ruthless reputation both in and out of bed, but the passion evoked by the enmity between them cannot be denied.
I'm so surprised by how much I loved this novella. Sure, Violet and Ian were a bit ruthless but they were also desperately concealing good hearts longing for love and they tried to use their villainous reputations to help the downtrodden. These two were a perfect match and it was pretty adorable seeing them cautiously open up to one another and establish a relationship that worked for them. I also loved the fact that they each fought for the other in their own way and learned how to communicate in a healthy way that neither of them had previously experienced.
Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson
Notorious illegitimate son of a nobleman and owner of one of London's most cutthroat gambling establishments, Blake Evans is jaded and ruthless and has a zero tolerance policy for aristocrats who are unlucky enough to find themselves in his debt. When one such indebted duke offers up a night with his sister in law, the Dowager Duchess of Tolwick in exchange for forgiveness of his debt, Blake raises the stakes. To meet the debt, he requires seven nights with the widow submitting to his every desire. To his shock, the lady agrees. Even more surprising is how well Stella fits with Blake and how little he wants to let her go when their time together is finished.
Despite its rather villainous hero, this was a very cute story. I loved that Stella met Blake with a fire he was wholly unprepared for and these two wound up being a good match, despite all the reasons it would seem that wouldn't belong together. It was actually really sweet to see Blake coping with developing feelings and bringing himself to admit them aloud as Stella would settle for nothing less. I also really loved that we got a satisfyingly permanent ending for these two, but it was still unconventional in a way that totally fit them.
The Gangster's Prize by Joanna Shupe
Isabelle Kelly is trapped in a gilded cage in her father's uptown house, told to stay there and keep out of trouble lest she damage his political career or his reputation for crusading to rid the city of violent gangs. She obeys like a dutiful daughter, but when her father goes missing, Isabelle has an excellent idea of who the culprit is and seeks him out herself.
Billy Baxter is the leader of the infamous Hell's Kitchen gang and he knows how to get what he wants. He's long had his eye on the angelic Miss Kelly and now that she's made her way to his world, he intends to make her his.
Baxter was the ultimate bad boy hero but I utterly adored him. It was vastly amusing to me how quickly Isabelle wrapped him around her finger and his reaction to her calling him by his true given name of William was surprisingly endearing and humanizing. She completely wrecked him and his being so far gone on her, willing to do anything to prove himself to her, even though he'd hidden things from her made it impossible not to root for him. His devotion to her was complete and once he revealed his truths, his actions made more sense and just made him into the ultimate protective hero, which is something I'm a sucker for. The only thing I didn't much care for was Isabelle's reaction. Though she was justified in her upset, I think she punished Bax a bit too long and it made me question the depth of her feelings for him, in addition to tearing down his villainous façade quite a bit with how elaborately he pined for her. Otherwise, this was an excellent novella that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The Bootlegger's Bounty by Adriana Herrera
When it becomes clear to Rosalia Ferrer that her brother is unstable and a threat to her safety, she ceases the first chance she has to leave her island and follow her dream of going to New York and finding a place as a jazz singer. Unfortunately her plan quickly hits a snag and she is forced to put her fate in the hands of a ruthless man known as the Rogue of Rum Row, but Rosalia is prepared to do anything necessary to get what she wants.
Camden McCollough has been rum running for ten years and is just about to complete his final job. He just has to keep his unexpected stowaway from getting them both killed and he may be able to retire with the girl and the goods.
This was an mmf story with a very unusual threesome but they all brought something different and vital to the relationship. Rosalia, Vincenzo, and Camden all carried scars and pain from their varied but traumatic pasts and they were able to find comfort and peace together. Cam was tired of the ruthlessness and lack of peace after ten years of rum running and wanting an out, a way to make a new life for himself, but unable to see beyond the obvious to grasp the nuanced obstacles in his way. Rosalia and Enzo showed him potential issues he might face and helped him surmount them, bringing out a softer side of him that was very endearing since he was otherwise incredibly surly and full of anger. In turn, Cam provided the safety and structure both Rosi and Enzo craved and they were extremely hot together, with chemistry that fairly leapt off the page. I loved the fast pace of their relationship and how Enzo was the one who was bold enough to go after what he wanted and bring them together. We got a low angst yet still exciting, sexy novella, with a satisfying HEA that I loved.
When Violet, aka Lady Viper, and Ian Molineaux learn they have been enlisted to break apart the same couple, the two decide, albeit reluctantly, to work together to achieve their shared goal a bit quicker. Each is surprised to find the other to be a match for their ruthless reputation both in and out of bed, but the passion evoked by the enmity between them cannot be denied.
I'm so surprised by how much I loved this novella. Sure, Violet and Ian were a bit ruthless but they were also desperately concealing good hearts longing for love and they tried to use their villainous reputations to help the downtrodden. These two were a perfect match and it was pretty adorable seeing them cautiously open up to one another and establish a relationship that worked for them. I also loved the fact that they each fought for the other in their own way and learned how to communicate in a healthy way that neither of them had previously experienced.
Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson
Notorious illegitimate son of a nobleman and owner of one of London's most cutthroat gambling establishments, Blake Evans is jaded and ruthless and has a zero tolerance policy for aristocrats who are unlucky enough to find themselves in his debt. When one such indebted duke offers up a night with his sister in law, the Dowager Duchess of Tolwick in exchange for forgiveness of his debt, Blake raises the stakes. To meet the debt, he requires seven nights with the widow submitting to his every desire. To his shock, the lady agrees. Even more surprising is how well Stella fits with Blake and how little he wants to let her go when their time together is finished.
Despite its rather villainous hero, this was a very cute story. I loved that Stella met Blake with a fire he was wholly unprepared for and these two wound up being a good match, despite all the reasons it would seem that wouldn't belong together. It was actually really sweet to see Blake coping with developing feelings and bringing himself to admit them aloud as Stella would settle for nothing less. I also really loved that we got a satisfyingly permanent ending for these two, but it was still unconventional in a way that totally fit them.
The Gangster's Prize by Joanna Shupe
Isabelle Kelly is trapped in a gilded cage in her father's uptown house, told to stay there and keep out of trouble lest she damage his political career or his reputation for crusading to rid the city of violent gangs. She obeys like a dutiful daughter, but when her father goes missing, Isabelle has an excellent idea of who the culprit is and seeks him out herself.
Billy Baxter is the leader of the infamous Hell's Kitchen gang and he knows how to get what he wants. He's long had his eye on the angelic Miss Kelly and now that she's made her way to his world, he intends to make her his.
Baxter was the ultimate bad boy hero but I utterly adored him. It was vastly amusing to me how quickly Isabelle wrapped him around her finger and his reaction to her calling him by his true given name of William was surprisingly endearing and humanizing. She completely wrecked him and his being so far gone on her, willing to do anything to prove himself to her, even though he'd hidden things from her made it impossible not to root for him. His devotion to her was complete and once he revealed his truths, his actions made more sense and just made him into the ultimate protective hero, which is something I'm a sucker for. The only thing I didn't much care for was Isabelle's reaction. Though she was justified in her upset, I think she punished Bax a bit too long and it made me question the depth of her feelings for him, in addition to tearing down his villainous façade quite a bit with how elaborately he pined for her. Otherwise, this was an excellent novella that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The Bootlegger's Bounty by Adriana Herrera
When it becomes clear to Rosalia Ferrer that her brother is unstable and a threat to her safety, she ceases the first chance she has to leave her island and follow her dream of going to New York and finding a place as a jazz singer. Unfortunately her plan quickly hits a snag and she is forced to put her fate in the hands of a ruthless man known as the Rogue of Rum Row, but Rosalia is prepared to do anything necessary to get what she wants.
Camden McCollough has been rum running for ten years and is just about to complete his final job. He just has to keep his unexpected stowaway from getting them both killed and he may be able to retire with the girl and the goods.
This was an mmf story with a very unusual threesome but they all brought something different and vital to the relationship. Rosalia, Vincenzo, and Camden all carried scars and pain from their varied but traumatic pasts and they were able to find comfort and peace together. Cam was tired of the ruthlessness and lack of peace after ten years of rum running and wanting an out, a way to make a new life for himself, but unable to see beyond the obvious to grasp the nuanced obstacles in his way. Rosalia and Enzo showed him potential issues he might face and helped him surmount them, bringing out a softer side of him that was very endearing since he was otherwise incredibly surly and full of anger. In turn, Cam provided the safety and structure both Rosi and Enzo craved and they were extremely hot together, with chemistry that fairly leapt off the page. I loved the fast pace of their relationship and how Enzo was the one who was bold enough to go after what he wanted and bring them together. We got a low angst yet still exciting, sexy novella, with a satisfying HEA that I loved.
November 15, 2022
Buckle up, readers; the villains have come to town! This is the third anthology in the “…I’d Like to F…” series, following first the Dukes and then the Rakes. November is always sweeter with the addition of a new collection from these five awesome authors…but this time things are about to go badly for the anti-heroes and anti-heroines who think they have hard hearts…
The novellas kick off with an entry from Eva Leigh, who gives us not one villain but two! Lady Violet “Viper” Hampton and Ian “the Bastard” Molineaux are hired by feuding families to split up a romance between their children. The two decide to work together, outside and inside of the bedroom.
Nicola Davidson delivers next, with my personal favorite story of the anthology. When an idiot lord gambles and loses to gaming hell owner Blake Evans, he offers up his brother’s young widow as a debt payment.
Joanna Shupe tries something new with a first-person narration. Isabelle Kelly tells the story of searching for her missing father and needing the help of Hell’s Kitchen Gang leader, Billy Baxter.
I loved the set up of Adriana Herrera’s prohibition era ship-trip romance, as a Caribbean wannabe jazz singer stows away on ship and is discovered by a rum runner and a mouthy crewmate. What and who is Rosalie going to have to do to convince the men to take her to the US.
And Sierra Simone rounds out the collection with the first sapphic romance. She goes medieval with a pillaging female warrior and a young abbess desperate to protect the abbey’s ancient secrets with her very life.
😈 Lady Viper and the Bastard by Eva Leigh
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, widow, forced proximity/house party, match-breakers
😈 Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson
Tropes: Auctioned/gambled/sold/settle-a-debt, widow, class difference, ruined
😈 The Gangster’s Prize by Joanna Shupe
Tropes: class difference, revenge
😈 The Bootlegger’s Bounty by Adriana Herrera
Tropes: Runaway, road trip romance, held captive, sex wager
😈 The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone
Tropes: Soldiers/war, sex wager, opposites attract
* I received an ARC and this is my honest review.
The novellas kick off with an entry from Eva Leigh, who gives us not one villain but two! Lady Violet “Viper” Hampton and Ian “the Bastard” Molineaux are hired by feuding families to split up a romance between their children. The two decide to work together, outside and inside of the bedroom.
Nicola Davidson delivers next, with my personal favorite story of the anthology. When an idiot lord gambles and loses to gaming hell owner Blake Evans, he offers up his brother’s young widow as a debt payment.
Joanna Shupe tries something new with a first-person narration. Isabelle Kelly tells the story of searching for her missing father and needing the help of Hell’s Kitchen Gang leader, Billy Baxter.
I loved the set up of Adriana Herrera’s prohibition era ship-trip romance, as a Caribbean wannabe jazz singer stows away on ship and is discovered by a rum runner and a mouthy crewmate. What and who is Rosalie going to have to do to convince the men to take her to the US.
And Sierra Simone rounds out the collection with the first sapphic romance. She goes medieval with a pillaging female warrior and a young abbess desperate to protect the abbey’s ancient secrets with her very life.
😈 Lady Viper and the Bastard by Eva Leigh
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, widow, forced proximity/house party, match-breakers
😈 Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson
Tropes: Auctioned/gambled/sold/settle-a-debt, widow, class difference, ruined
😈 The Gangster’s Prize by Joanna Shupe
Tropes: class difference, revenge
😈 The Bootlegger’s Bounty by Adriana Herrera
Tropes: Runaway, road trip romance, held captive, sex wager
😈 The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone
Tropes: Soldiers/war, sex wager, opposites attract
* I received an ARC and this is my honest review.
November 14, 2022
Fun and steamy 🧖♀️
Best steam: Nicola Davidson
Best hero: Joanna Shupe
Best plot: Eve Leigh
Best steam: Nicola Davidson
Best hero: Joanna Shupe
Best plot: Eve Leigh
August 5, 2023
The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone
5/5 stars
This was possibly my favorite story out of the three I read. It is no surprise that I am a huge fan of Sierra Simone and thankfully this didn't miss. I really enjoy how steamy her sapphic romances are and boy was this steamy.
The chemistry between Tate and Adelaide was off the charts. This was so hot yet so tender as the two heroines opened up to each other. There's not much to say because it is a 100-page novella but it was hot, tender, and had all the Sierra Simone feels. I love Sierra Simone talks about religion in this too because Tate is technically a nun. The way she was able to interweave the plot, religious aspects, and romance together was just amazing.
The kink element in here was also something I loved. It felt a little bit like primal but also the non-con/con kink (I don't know how to explain but iykyk). Also the knife scene?! Stunning. I haven't read any streamy scenes like this so it was a very pleasant surprise. It was so fun to watch Tate explore some of her hidden fantasies and how Adelaide was perfect in not only helping those fantasies become true but how she was always checking in and reminding Tate of their safe word. Adelaide was just so smitten with Tate and I love how sweet they were together. Also, I am pretty sure that Thornchurch is the same as Thornchaple so that was a nice hidden surprise.
But yeah, I absolutely loved this, and was my favorite. I need more sapphic historical romances from Sierra Simone, please.
Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson
4/5 stars.
I am a huge fan of Nicola Davidson and know that I can rely on her if I am wanting a steamy, short, historical romance and this one delivered. But y'all...this might be Nicola's hottest one yet? Like I was blushing!!! It was just so hot and the sub/dom kink was just amazing. I haven't read a dynamic like this in a while and I was just so in love with how it was used and handled. Especially because it is a pleasure sub/dom dynamic. Especially because the hero is teaching the heroine how to have more fun in bed.
Not only that but these two were so freaking cute. I love how we had this super stern hard surfaced hero but how he absolutely melted for the heroine. But also I love how brazen she was and how she was so open to everything and wanted to go outside of her comfort zone and stop living as someone who needs to be on the sidelines. I will say too this gave dark romance vibes (not super dark but a nice surface dark) and so if you are a dark romance reader I think you will definitely enjoy this anthology.
Now, there were a couple of scenes in here that made me deduct a star. The first is the horse-throwing poop scene. Now, I saw other reviews mentioned it but it was for sure something. I understand what Nicola was trying to do but like....did it have to be that? The other thing was the huge public steamy scene. It got to a point where I was just so uncomfy and found it hard to be believable but also I just hated reading it. But this is more of a personal preference.
Other than that I think this is a solid novella from Nicola Davidson and she doesn't disappoint!
The Gangster’s Prize by Joanna Shupe
2/5 stars.
Now what did disappoint me was this right here. I am a huge Joanna Shupe fan but what even was this?
The writing was terrible and I felt like an editor didn't touch it, there was no chemistry between the two characters, the steamy scenes were just fine, and I didn't even like the hero or heroine. This novella was just not it. Something that really appalled me was just how bad the writing was and how uninteresting the main characters were. I really hated reading it and I find it hard to believe that Joanna Shupe wrote this. I don't have much to say other than I didn't like it and am confused by what I read. It doesn't help that I've read novellas by her before and absolutely adored them so I know it isn't a novella issue.
Overall, I love these anthologies and hope they throw a surprise volume at us soon!
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.
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Thank you to the author(s) for gifting me an advance reader copy. All thoughts are my own
5/5 stars
This was possibly my favorite story out of the three I read. It is no surprise that I am a huge fan of Sierra Simone and thankfully this didn't miss. I really enjoy how steamy her sapphic romances are and boy was this steamy.
The chemistry between Tate and Adelaide was off the charts. This was so hot yet so tender as the two heroines opened up to each other. There's not much to say because it is a 100-page novella but it was hot, tender, and had all the Sierra Simone feels. I love Sierra Simone talks about religion in this too because Tate is technically a nun. The way she was able to interweave the plot, religious aspects, and romance together was just amazing.
The kink element in here was also something I loved. It felt a little bit like primal but also the non-con/con kink (I don't know how to explain but iykyk). Also the knife scene?! Stunning. I haven't read any streamy scenes like this so it was a very pleasant surprise. It was so fun to watch Tate explore some of her hidden fantasies and how Adelaide was perfect in not only helping those fantasies become true but how she was always checking in and reminding Tate of their safe word. Adelaide was just so smitten with Tate and I love how sweet they were together. Also, I am pretty sure that Thornchurch is the same as Thornchaple so that was a nice hidden surprise.
But yeah, I absolutely loved this, and was my favorite. I need more sapphic historical romances from Sierra Simone, please.
Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson
4/5 stars.
I am a huge fan of Nicola Davidson and know that I can rely on her if I am wanting a steamy, short, historical romance and this one delivered. But y'all...this might be Nicola's hottest one yet? Like I was blushing!!! It was just so hot and the sub/dom kink was just amazing. I haven't read a dynamic like this in a while and I was just so in love with how it was used and handled. Especially because it is a pleasure sub/dom dynamic. Especially because the hero is teaching the heroine how to have more fun in bed.
Not only that but these two were so freaking cute. I love how we had this super stern hard surfaced hero but how he absolutely melted for the heroine. But also I love how brazen she was and how she was so open to everything and wanted to go outside of her comfort zone and stop living as someone who needs to be on the sidelines. I will say too this gave dark romance vibes (not super dark but a nice surface dark) and so if you are a dark romance reader I think you will definitely enjoy this anthology.
Now, there were a couple of scenes in here that made me deduct a star. The first is the horse-throwing poop scene. Now, I saw other reviews mentioned it but it was for sure something. I understand what Nicola was trying to do but like....did it have to be that? The other thing was the huge public steamy scene. It got to a point where I was just so uncomfy and found it hard to be believable but also I just hated reading it. But this is more of a personal preference.
Other than that I think this is a solid novella from Nicola Davidson and she doesn't disappoint!
The Gangster’s Prize by Joanna Shupe
2/5 stars.
Now what did disappoint me was this right here. I am a huge Joanna Shupe fan but what even was this?
The writing was terrible and I felt like an editor didn't touch it, there was no chemistry between the two characters, the steamy scenes were just fine, and I didn't even like the hero or heroine. This novella was just not it. Something that really appalled me was just how bad the writing was and how uninteresting the main characters were. I really hated reading it and I find it hard to believe that Joanna Shupe wrote this. I don't have much to say other than I didn't like it and am confused by what I read. It doesn't help that I've read novellas by her before and absolutely adored them so I know it isn't a novella issue.
Overall, I love these anthologies and hope they throw a surprise volume at us soon!
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Thank you to the author(s) for gifting me an advance reader copy. All thoughts are my own
November 22, 2022
So disappointing, considering how good the first two anthologies were.
Eva Leigh, Nicola Davidson, Sierra Simone - 2 stars. Adriana Herrera - 1.5 stars. Set-ups are dark and dirty, but I was just kind of bored and vaguely annoyed with these. Ending up skimming most of all four of the stories.
Joanna Shupe — 3.5 stars. Started off so good, but loses a lot of its edge near the end. In the space of this novella, I don’t think the separation after the climax (when she discovers her father’s hypocrisy and Bax is injured) was necessary. This story was the best of the lot (despite lots of repetition and maybe being the most conventional story) but still nowhere near as good as her novellas in the previous two collections.
Color me cranky and dissatisfied. Naming this “villains” sets up the expectation for characters much more exciting than this.
Eva Leigh, Nicola Davidson, Sierra Simone - 2 stars. Adriana Herrera - 1.5 stars. Set-ups are dark and dirty, but I was just kind of bored and vaguely annoyed with these. Ending up skimming most of all four of the stories.
Joanna Shupe — 3.5 stars. Started off so good, but loses a lot of its edge near the end. In the space of this novella, I don’t think the separation after the climax (when she discovers her father’s hypocrisy and Bax is injured) was necessary. This story was the best of the lot (despite lots of repetition and maybe being the most conventional story) but still nowhere near as good as her novellas in the previous two collections.
Color me cranky and dissatisfied. Naming this “villains” sets up the expectation for characters much more exciting than this.
November 17, 2022
An anthology of five historical novellas with a villain theme; I will write individual reviews as I read, found below, in the order they appear in the book.
Lady Viper and the B@stard by Eva Leigh
1%-24%
3.75 Stars
Lady Hampton (aka Lady Viper) and Ian Molineaux (aka The B@stard) each have reputations in society that paint them as mild villains, and both have been engaged by the parents of young loved ones to instigate a break-up, using their so-called dastardly ways. The pair are enamored of each other, however, which distracts them from their goals. Most of the story and interactions are well-trod upon fare, although we don't always see the sort of interactions between nobility and staff that this pair has, and I couldn't decide if I liked that or not. The novella was elevated for me personally by a scorching hot role play scene toward the end, otherwise I would have felt it was good but nothing super exciting.
Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson
25%-45%
4.5 Stars
I was really into this one and its young dowager duchess who is open to and desiring of a life outside the aristocracy that has been such a disappointment to her. The side characters were super cute and I loved their interactions with the hero, a gaming hell boss with a chip on his shoulder regarding peers. I would have happily read an entire book that really went into detail on this entire plot and the main couple's fun and steamy encounters, but it is good as-is, though the ending wasn't quite as good as the rest.
The Gangster's Prize by Joanna Shupe
46%-65%
3 Stars
An innocent young woman first accuses- then asks for help from- a local crime boss, while looking for her missing politician father. There is a kind of, sort of deal for suggestive favors as repayment for his assistance. I liked that the heroine had a secret dream to design and sell scandalous lingerie, and that she wore some that she bought on the sly as the one rebellion in the boring aristocratic life her father traps her in. Some of their interactions were entertaining, but overall I was not really into their romance or story, it was a little on the tame side for me personally, and a little too been there, done that of a story line.
The Bootlegger's Bounty by Adriana Herrera
66%-80%
3.75 Stars
This MMF novella had some scorching love scenes and story elements that all fit together like perfect puzzle pieces. I enjoyed the heroine's sex positivity as well as the grouchy captain as well as the irreverent but kind Enzo. There was something missing in the flow that I can't quite put my finger on, but the positives were enough to overcome that. Of note, there were over 100 errors in this story, however, since I received an ARC copy I am not changing my rating, presuming they were corrected in the published version. If they were not, I would reduce my rating by a full star because there were enough to disrupt the reading experience.
The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone
81%-99%
4.5 Stars
Once again, the lushly beautiful writing from this author just takes me to another place as I am reading. This medieval sapphic romance had plenty of steam but the beauty of the setting, situation the characters were in, and the way it connected to one of my favorite series of all time (Thornchapel) were what brought it all together into an amazing read for me.
Average rating: 3.9 Stars
Lady Viper and the B@stard by Eva Leigh
1%-24%
3.75 Stars
Lady Hampton (aka Lady Viper) and Ian Molineaux (aka The B@stard) each have reputations in society that paint them as mild villains, and both have been engaged by the parents of young loved ones to instigate a break-up, using their so-called dastardly ways. The pair are enamored of each other, however, which distracts them from their goals. Most of the story and interactions are well-trod upon fare, although we don't always see the sort of interactions between nobility and staff that this pair has, and I couldn't decide if I liked that or not. The novella was elevated for me personally by a scorching hot role play scene toward the end, otherwise I would have felt it was good but nothing super exciting.
Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson
25%-45%
4.5 Stars
I was really into this one and its young dowager duchess who is open to and desiring of a life outside the aristocracy that has been such a disappointment to her. The side characters were super cute and I loved their interactions with the hero, a gaming hell boss with a chip on his shoulder regarding peers. I would have happily read an entire book that really went into detail on this entire plot and the main couple's fun and steamy encounters, but it is good as-is, though the ending wasn't quite as good as the rest.
The Gangster's Prize by Joanna Shupe
46%-65%
3 Stars
An innocent young woman first accuses- then asks for help from- a local crime boss, while looking for her missing politician father. There is a kind of, sort of deal for suggestive favors as repayment for his assistance. I liked that the heroine had a secret dream to design and sell scandalous lingerie, and that she wore some that she bought on the sly as the one rebellion in the boring aristocratic life her father traps her in. Some of their interactions were entertaining, but overall I was not really into their romance or story, it was a little on the tame side for me personally, and a little too been there, done that of a story line.
The Bootlegger's Bounty by Adriana Herrera
66%-80%
3.75 Stars
This MMF novella had some scorching love scenes and story elements that all fit together like perfect puzzle pieces. I enjoyed the heroine's sex positivity as well as the grouchy captain as well as the irreverent but kind Enzo. There was something missing in the flow that I can't quite put my finger on, but the positives were enough to overcome that. Of note, there were over 100 errors in this story, however, since I received an ARC copy I am not changing my rating, presuming they were corrected in the published version. If they were not, I would reduce my rating by a full star because there were enough to disrupt the reading experience.
The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone
81%-99%
4.5 Stars
Once again, the lushly beautiful writing from this author just takes me to another place as I am reading. This medieval sapphic romance had plenty of steam but the beauty of the setting, situation the characters were in, and the way it connected to one of my favorite series of all time (Thornchapel) were what brought it all together into an amazing read for me.
Average rating: 3.9 Stars
November 14, 2022
It’s my favorite time of year… Not Thanksgiving or Christmas…. It’s when the most amazing five bada$$ lady writers release the hottest anthology. This year it’s The Villain I’d Like to F…!! It’s like they took the hotness up 100 notches because who doesn’t love a villain!! Here are just a few sentences on each novella but basically go buy this anthology.
My absolute favorites were from Joanna Shupe and Eva Leigh!
#LadyViperandtheBastard by Eva Leigh: Lady Violet (Lady Viper) and Ian are both villains, hired to break up a young couple but can’t help falling for each other. We’ve got perfect sexual innuendo, a teacher / student role play scene and super hot dirty talk!!
“At the age of three and forty, widowed, notorious and feared, she was at the height of her powers.”
#SevenSinfulNights by Nicola Davidson: This one has everything I love! Gambling hell owner, s*x debt, teach you s*x, toys, theatre exhibition and a food play scene! My kindle almost caught fire with how hot Blake and Stella are.
#TheGangstersPrize by Joanna Shupe: Exactly what I expect, love and adore from the Queen of S8xy Carriage Time Joanna Shupe. Baxter is a quintessential Shupe hero - bold, brash, New York Mafia king who is holding the mayoral candidate of New York hostage. Isabelle will trade herself for her fathers release but it turns out he’s really a teddy bear that loves her naughty undies. “I will burn down this entire city to keep you safe.”
#TheBootleggersBounty by Adriana Herrera: A stowaway jazz singer, a boat captain who wants to open a jazz club in Harlem and a mafia kingpins righthand man are on a boat looking for stolen rum, what could happen? Well, this MMF has serious chemistry as a trio and as couples, a scene on the deck of the boat will live rent free in my head.
#TheConqueringofTateThePious by Sierra Simone: Only Sierra Simone can take an abbey that is about to be invaded by the Normans in 1068 and make it sexy. This one has a bloodthirsty Norman seducing an abbess set in a place where orgies happen. Also a mention of Thornchapel for the Sierra Simone fans!
Thank you to the authors for an e-ARC. All thoughts are my own. The Villain I’d Like to F.. has a pub date of November 15, 2022.
My absolute favorites were from Joanna Shupe and Eva Leigh!
#LadyViperandtheBastard by Eva Leigh: Lady Violet (Lady Viper) and Ian are both villains, hired to break up a young couple but can’t help falling for each other. We’ve got perfect sexual innuendo, a teacher / student role play scene and super hot dirty talk!!
“At the age of three and forty, widowed, notorious and feared, she was at the height of her powers.”
#SevenSinfulNights by Nicola Davidson: This one has everything I love! Gambling hell owner, s*x debt, teach you s*x, toys, theatre exhibition and a food play scene! My kindle almost caught fire with how hot Blake and Stella are.
#TheGangstersPrize by Joanna Shupe: Exactly what I expect, love and adore from the Queen of S8xy Carriage Time Joanna Shupe. Baxter is a quintessential Shupe hero - bold, brash, New York Mafia king who is holding the mayoral candidate of New York hostage. Isabelle will trade herself for her fathers release but it turns out he’s really a teddy bear that loves her naughty undies. “I will burn down this entire city to keep you safe.”
#TheBootleggersBounty by Adriana Herrera: A stowaway jazz singer, a boat captain who wants to open a jazz club in Harlem and a mafia kingpins righthand man are on a boat looking for stolen rum, what could happen? Well, this MMF has serious chemistry as a trio and as couples, a scene on the deck of the boat will live rent free in my head.
#TheConqueringofTateThePious by Sierra Simone: Only Sierra Simone can take an abbey that is about to be invaded by the Normans in 1068 and make it sexy. This one has a bloodthirsty Norman seducing an abbess set in a place where orgies happen. Also a mention of Thornchapel for the Sierra Simone fans!
Thank you to the authors for an e-ARC. All thoughts are my own. The Villain I’d Like to F.. has a pub date of November 15, 2022.
November 13, 2022
An excellent collection of historical novellas that expand on villainy and the pleasures therein.
SEVEN SINFUL NIGHTS by Nicola Davidson ////.
Blake Evans and Estelle Barclay, Dowager Duchess of Tolwick, come to an arrangement where she spends seven nights as his, to pay off her family’s debt.
Stella never imagined the pleasures that Blake provides such a passionate introduction to, and Blake never would have seen what joy the untarnished Stella would reveal.
An utterly entertaining journey on the road to ruin! Only villains (and villainesses!) need apply!
THE BOOTLEGGER’S BOUNTY by Adriana Herrera ////
Rosalia Ferrer is discovered as a stowaway aboard a yacht that pirate captain Camden McCollough and crewman Vincenzo Capistrano overtake. Enzo comforts Rosi and pushes Cam toward the future the three of them had barely even thought to dream about.
Hot and sweet.
LADY VIPER AND THE BASTARD by Eva Leigh ////.
Violet, also known as Lady Hampton or more suitably, Lady Viper, doesn’t suffer fools. Ian Molineaux isn’t one.
It is a delight to watch The Bastard and Lady Viper circle each other, recognizing they are in the presence of a worthy adversary, and consider what they could accomplish beside someone so formidable.
Loved this joining forces of a well-matched pair with a reputation for villainy to uphold!
THE GANGSTER’S PRIZE by Joanna Shupe ////
Isabelle Kelly is the daughter of a politician. William “Billy” Baxter runs the criminal underbelly with an iron grip.
When Belle comes to Bax for help finding her kidnapped father, they make a deal that ultimately benefits them both. What wickedly enjoyable benefits indeed!
THE CONQUERING OF TATE THE PIOUS by Sierra Simone ////.
Tate the Pious is the young abbess at Far Hope who hopes to protect the abbey from King William’s Wolf and army. But who will protect Tate from The Wolf?
Sierra Simone deftly explores piety, honesty, and truth in this well-written and fiery story.
SEVEN SINFUL NIGHTS by Nicola Davidson ////.
Blake Evans and Estelle Barclay, Dowager Duchess of Tolwick, come to an arrangement where she spends seven nights as his, to pay off her family’s debt.
Stella never imagined the pleasures that Blake provides such a passionate introduction to, and Blake never would have seen what joy the untarnished Stella would reveal.
An utterly entertaining journey on the road to ruin! Only villains (and villainesses!) need apply!
THE BOOTLEGGER’S BOUNTY by Adriana Herrera ////
Rosalia Ferrer is discovered as a stowaway aboard a yacht that pirate captain Camden McCollough and crewman Vincenzo Capistrano overtake. Enzo comforts Rosi and pushes Cam toward the future the three of them had barely even thought to dream about.
Hot and sweet.
LADY VIPER AND THE BASTARD by Eva Leigh ////.
Violet, also known as Lady Hampton or more suitably, Lady Viper, doesn’t suffer fools. Ian Molineaux isn’t one.
It is a delight to watch The Bastard and Lady Viper circle each other, recognizing they are in the presence of a worthy adversary, and consider what they could accomplish beside someone so formidable.
Loved this joining forces of a well-matched pair with a reputation for villainy to uphold!
THE GANGSTER’S PRIZE by Joanna Shupe ////
Isabelle Kelly is the daughter of a politician. William “Billy” Baxter runs the criminal underbelly with an iron grip.
When Belle comes to Bax for help finding her kidnapped father, they make a deal that ultimately benefits them both. What wickedly enjoyable benefits indeed!
THE CONQUERING OF TATE THE PIOUS by Sierra Simone ////.
Tate the Pious is the young abbess at Far Hope who hopes to protect the abbey from King William’s Wolf and army. But who will protect Tate from The Wolf?
Sierra Simone deftly explores piety, honesty, and truth in this well-written and fiery story.
November 11, 2022
I read Sierra Simone's story in this set. It's like, a historical sapphic romance set during times of war. These two women should be enemies- one is the Wolf and the other is the prey, who barters herself for the abbey's safety. And there are some steamy moments in there. If you like cat and mouse situations, being chased, or um, using an object, read this. I don't read a lot of historical stuff, but I was entertained, and the storyline was as interesting as the heat.
November 25, 2022
I adore these collections of novellas from some of my favorite historical romance authors. I love the pacing and the unique spin on the stories. The villian perspective makes those of us who love a bad guy (or sometimes a bad girl) main character so happy. I really enjoyed getting to slowly savor one story at a time over the first few cold days of the holidays and can't wait to reread my favorite parts.
November 26, 2022
Lady Viper and the Bastard by Eva Leigh - meh 🫤 3 stars
Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson - better! 4 stars
The Gangster’s Prize by Joanna Shupe - definitely the best of the bunch. 4 stars
Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson - better! 4 stars
The Gangster’s Prize by Joanna Shupe - definitely the best of the bunch. 4 stars
December 11, 2023
#makevilliansevilagain
Here we have an assortment of bad dudes and one lady who really aren’t that bad they just haven’t met the right lady yet and who can excuse murder, kidnapping and torture, but draw the line at sexual assault (I need to stop quoting community but this kind of trope in romance also makes me laugh).
Everyone falls in love very fast in these, but they are novella’s so whatever. Idk maybe I’ve become desensitized by bodice rippers where the male mc’s are actually villains and horrible dudes but all of these guys + gals felt pretty tame to me.
Almost all of these explore forms of CNC and sub/dom stuff so check ur trigger warnings.
1. Lady Viper - this was the best one IMHO. I loved the setting (I need more Harlots era London romance books) and I loved the attention to the language used by the characters. Obviously it’s not always doable to have period accurate speech in HR, but I liked the clear effort made by the author in this. Also nice to read a HR where the female mc is older and experienced. Also nice to see why these two like each other beyond the sex.
2. Seven Nights- this was good. Don’t really get why these two like each other besides the banging. Could not have cared less about the male mc. I think I knew sex toys have been around forever, but never thought of seeing them in an HR, so good for Nicola in educating me I guess?
3. Gangster’s prize - I really did not like this one, I’ve read Schupe’s holiday novella’s and like them, so idk why I kind of hated this - I can’t speak for her novels, but maybe she just doesn’t do the bad boy stuff well? The heroes in her holiday stuff are pretty starchy from what I remember. Billy was pretty one note, and I did not care about either of these two. Also very gross licking thing that happens that I won’t spoil but 🤮🤮. Like not to shame anything or be a prude, bodily fluids are normal and should be written about, but something with this just made me 🤮🤮 everything felt very wooden and one-note, and Belle does the “don’t kill him please, for meeee” thing that I hate when the male MC is supposed to be a bad guy, like I am not interested in a reformed bad guy story I want a villain.
4. Bootlegger’s Bounty- this also is pretty good, I get why it’s a lot of people’s fav. It is a MMF romance fyi. The plot for this worked for me, but holy shit does Herrera like to go on and on with her exposition. Characters will begin dialogue and then exposition with start and NOT STOP and I will completely forget what the fuck they were talking about to begin with. Also please have translations for Spanish, yes I’m a dumb American but it’s a bit off putting when idk what the characters are saying and I have to break from reading to google it. Nothing wrong with having non-English in books, but it breaks the experience for me when I have to stop reading to google. But I will say, the spice was SPICY in this one, so if that’s what ur here for, you will like this the best, had me clutching my pearls the whole time.
5. Tate - overall I’ve really enjoyed Simone’s Far Hope books, and this started strong, I still think it’s one of the best ones in here, but there’s some historical stretching done here that doesn’t work for me personally (very funny reading this after reading “The Conqueror”) and I thought the mid conflict was silly. But I always enjoy Simone’s writing when it comes to mixing faith in God and sex (best part about The Priest) and again there is just this overall feeling of Gothic coziness with her historicals that I’m obsessed with.
Here we have an assortment of bad dudes and one lady who really aren’t that bad they just haven’t met the right lady yet and who can excuse murder, kidnapping and torture, but draw the line at sexual assault (I need to stop quoting community but this kind of trope in romance also makes me laugh).
Everyone falls in love very fast in these, but they are novella’s so whatever. Idk maybe I’ve become desensitized by bodice rippers where the male mc’s are actually villains and horrible dudes but all of these guys + gals felt pretty tame to me.
Almost all of these explore forms of CNC and sub/dom stuff so check ur trigger warnings.
1. Lady Viper - this was the best one IMHO. I loved the setting (I need more Harlots era London romance books) and I loved the attention to the language used by the characters. Obviously it’s not always doable to have period accurate speech in HR, but I liked the clear effort made by the author in this. Also nice to read a HR where the female mc is older and experienced. Also nice to see why these two like each other beyond the sex.
2. Seven Nights- this was good. Don’t really get why these two like each other besides the banging. Could not have cared less about the male mc. I think I knew sex toys have been around forever, but never thought of seeing them in an HR, so good for Nicola in educating me I guess?
3. Gangster’s prize - I really did not like this one, I’ve read Schupe’s holiday novella’s and like them, so idk why I kind of hated this - I can’t speak for her novels, but maybe she just doesn’t do the bad boy stuff well? The heroes in her holiday stuff are pretty starchy from what I remember. Billy was pretty one note, and I did not care about either of these two. Also very gross licking thing that happens that I won’t spoil but 🤮🤮. Like not to shame anything or be a prude, bodily fluids are normal and should be written about, but something with this just made me 🤮🤮 everything felt very wooden and one-note, and Belle does the “don’t kill him please, for meeee” thing that I hate when the male MC is supposed to be a bad guy, like I am not interested in a reformed bad guy story I want a villain.
4. Bootlegger’s Bounty- this also is pretty good, I get why it’s a lot of people’s fav. It is a MMF romance fyi. The plot for this worked for me, but holy shit does Herrera like to go on and on with her exposition. Characters will begin dialogue and then exposition with start and NOT STOP and I will completely forget what the fuck they were talking about to begin with. Also please have translations for Spanish, yes I’m a dumb American but it’s a bit off putting when idk what the characters are saying and I have to break from reading to google it. Nothing wrong with having non-English in books, but it breaks the experience for me when I have to stop reading to google. But I will say, the spice was SPICY in this one, so if that’s what ur here for, you will like this the best, had me clutching my pearls the whole time.
5. Tate - overall I’ve really enjoyed Simone’s Far Hope books, and this started strong, I still think it’s one of the best ones in here, but there’s some historical stretching done here that doesn’t work for me personally (very funny reading this after reading “The Conqueror”) and I thought the mid conflict was silly. But I always enjoy Simone’s writing when it comes to mixing faith in God and sex (best part about The Priest) and again there is just this overall feeling of Gothic coziness with her historicals that I’m obsessed with.
January 18, 2023
Lady Viper and the Bastard by Eva Leigh (m/f)
A fun historical story featuring a female and male villains - or are they just misunderstood? Nope, they are unapologetically nasty. And attracted to each other, though they try to deny it.
Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson (m/f)
Features an evil brother-in-law and his unpleasant wife, who are basically making the widow of his brother work for free. They are really vile people. The brother-in-law trades the widow to the gambling den owner. And, of course, they fall in lust and love.
The Gangster’s Prize by Joanna Shupe (m/f)
I liked this one. Features a sweet, young virgin and the head criminal of the city. There is certainly an element of TSTL to the heroine, but it’s ok.
The Bootlegger’s Bounty by Adriana Herrera (m/f/m)
An atypical historical, with a liberated, ambitious woman, and two men on the ship she stows away on. The men are attracted to each other as well as her. There is some quality dirty time in the story, and I loved the unabashed sensuality of the heroine. She has experience (positive) with sex with men and women, and is definitely flexible. There is some suspense and action, but it’s pretty minor.
The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone (f/f)
Another completely new plot for me - the kind that only Sierra Simone could write. A nun, the head abbess of a remote English abbey faces invasion from the conquering Norman king. There are some interesting secrets here, and some suspension of disbelief is required. A delightfully kinky Ms. Simone story.
KU.
A fun historical story featuring a female and male villains - or are they just misunderstood? Nope, they are unapologetically nasty. And attracted to each other, though they try to deny it.
Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson (m/f)
Features an evil brother-in-law and his unpleasant wife, who are basically making the widow of his brother work for free. They are really vile people. The brother-in-law trades the widow to the gambling den owner. And, of course, they fall in lust and love.
The Gangster’s Prize by Joanna Shupe (m/f)
I liked this one. Features a sweet, young virgin and the head criminal of the city. There is certainly an element of TSTL to the heroine, but it’s ok.
The Bootlegger’s Bounty by Adriana Herrera (m/f/m)
An atypical historical, with a liberated, ambitious woman, and two men on the ship she stows away on. The men are attracted to each other as well as her. There is some quality dirty time in the story, and I loved the unabashed sensuality of the heroine. She has experience (positive) with sex with men and women, and is definitely flexible. There is some suspense and action, but it’s pretty minor.
The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone (f/f)
Another completely new plot for me - the kind that only Sierra Simone could write. A nun, the head abbess of a remote English abbey faces invasion from the conquering Norman king. There are some interesting secrets here, and some suspension of disbelief is required. A delightfully kinky Ms. Simone story.
KU.
January 22, 2023
“I’m going to keep you forever and fuck you whenever I want, and your God can come to England and fight me for you himself, because I’m not giving you up.”
3.5 stars. This review is just for Sierra Simone's f/f novella, The Conquering of Tate the Pious. I was really intrigued by the teaser for it, and so I skipped straight to the end of the collection to read it, and now that I'm done, I don't really wanna go back to read the other novellas. If Simone ever releases this on its own, I'll move my review.
This was great! Not exactly what I expected from a story about a female warrior and a nun, but I'm glad that it did away with my expectations. One heroine is determined to protect her small, secretive abbey; the other is determined to conquer it. It gets smutty pretty quick, and I do like how the steaminess paralleled the themes of what is taken, versus what is freely given. No chaste heroines here, and the kink is written with a frankness and caring that honestly sorta melted my heart. It's as instalust and instalove as can be expected for something this short, but it still gave me the romantic yearning I needed. And I love reading about female warriors. Adelais was wonderful, and I love how her almost delicate beauty was juxtaposed with her height and breadth and fierceness. Gotta say, I was a little underwhelmed by the abbey's secret; it didn't seem as monumental as it was meant to. Or at least, this would have had to have been longer for it to have impacted me that way. Or maybe the author could have given the characters more reasons to be invested in it? We were told why Tate was, but I honestly didn't feel that emotional connection.
But hey, it was really hot and it's supposed to be a smutty novella, so that's what counts. Didn't love all the language choices but this still gets an A+ from me.
Content warnings:
November 12, 2022
The Gangster’s Prize: ★ ★ ★ ★
Joanna Shupe
”You are the air I breathe and the blood in my veins. I’ll spend my life giving you the fucking world, if you let me.”
Short & spicy. Classic Joanna Shupe!
*ARC provided by author for an honest review.
Joanna Shupe
”You are the air I breathe and the blood in my veins. I’ll spend my life giving you the fucking world, if you let me.”
Short & spicy. Classic Joanna Shupe!
*ARC provided by author for an honest review.
November 26, 2022
Read so far:
The Conquering of Tate the Pious - Sierra Simone
This is the year of the Sierra Simone sapphic romance and I am here for it. And a sapphic rom set in the Norman English conquest period (yes my history knowledge is immaculate why do you ask)? Yes please. Tate, reluctant abbess of Far Hope, the meeting place of unholy delights (more depraved Far Hope content please), meets William the Conqueror’s fierce General, the Wolf, Adelais, and what can one do but offer oneself to the wolf in exchange for mercy for her abbey of sin? The villain is more than happy to accept, and teaches even Tate a thing or several about the pleasures of the flesh. Mild non con, but make it hella consensual.
The Gangster’s Prize by JoAnna Shupe
Holy dirty talk, Batman! 10/10, A++ on the erotic conversation. Someone give this man and his filthy mouth a goddamn award 👏🏼 Bax and Belle melted my eyes and ears and their sheets. I don’t think this needs further review or discussion. Go forth and feast thine eyes on the filth. In the sexiest way.
*I received an arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine alone*
The Conquering of Tate the Pious - Sierra Simone
This is the year of the Sierra Simone sapphic romance and I am here for it. And a sapphic rom set in the Norman English conquest period (yes my history knowledge is immaculate why do you ask)? Yes please. Tate, reluctant abbess of Far Hope, the meeting place of unholy delights (more depraved Far Hope content please), meets William the Conqueror’s fierce General, the Wolf, Adelais, and what can one do but offer oneself to the wolf in exchange for mercy for her abbey of sin? The villain is more than happy to accept, and teaches even Tate a thing or several about the pleasures of the flesh. Mild non con, but make it hella consensual.
The Gangster’s Prize by JoAnna Shupe
Holy dirty talk, Batman! 10/10, A++ on the erotic conversation. Someone give this man and his filthy mouth a goddamn award 👏🏼 Bax and Belle melted my eyes and ears and their sheets. I don’t think this needs further review or discussion. Go forth and feast thine eyes on the filth. In the sexiest way.
*I received an arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine alone*
November 28, 2022
Paperback 3.5 🌟 overall.
Lady Viper And the Bastard - Eva Leigh- 4 🌟
Seven Sinful Nights - Nicola Davidson 3.5 🌟
The Gangsters Prize - Joanna Shupe- 3.5 🌟
The Bootleggers Bounty - Adriana Herrera
The Conquering of Tate The Pious - Sierra Simone
Lady Viper And the Bastard - Eva Leigh- 4 🌟
Seven Sinful Nights - Nicola Davidson 3.5 🌟
The Gangsters Prize - Joanna Shupe- 3.5 🌟
The Bootleggers Bounty - Adriana Herrera
The Conquering of Tate The Pious - Sierra Simone
November 28, 2022
I adored the rakes and the dukes and I do like the bad boys/girls too.
The Conquering of Tate The Pious by Sierra Simone.
If you say there is an author who writes better books about priests, monks and nuns than Sierra Simone, I’m going to say liar, liar pants on fire. No one can write about religious people getting a good fucking better than Sierra (Tiffany Reisz is equally good).
As a British person, I’ve been indoctrinated with the history of the battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest. It actually makes me really sad to think that I probably won’t be alive in 2066 to celebrate 1000 years since the famous battle that changed our country. I love that period of history so I was delighted that Sierra was taking me there.
Tate, the Abbess of Far Hope Abbey, goes to beg The Wolf not to pillage her abbey. The Wolf is a representative of William the Conqueror and has a fearsome reputation. The Wolf insists that the little nun spends three nights in their company. I hope my love of nun fucking won’t send me to hell.
I absolutely love how Sierra ties her books together. Descendants of The Wolf will appear in the future at Far Hope and I’m fairly certain that some of my favourite Thornchapel friends probably have some Adelais of the Maine DNA in their blood.
Edited to add, I think aggressive farting might be my new favourite war crime.
Lady Viper and the Bastard by Eva Leigh was a DNF for me.
Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson I liked a lot.
The Gangster’s Prize by Joanna Shupe was meh. I didn’t understand why Billy Baxter (the gangster) called Belle Kelly widow. She wasn’t a widow, she hadn’t been married and therefore her husband wasn’t dead.
The Bootlegger’s Bounty by Adriana Herrera.
The Conquering of Tate The Pious by Sierra Simone.
If you say there is an author who writes better books about priests, monks and nuns than Sierra Simone, I’m going to say liar, liar pants on fire. No one can write about religious people getting a good fucking better than Sierra (Tiffany Reisz is equally good).
As a British person, I’ve been indoctrinated with the history of the battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest. It actually makes me really sad to think that I probably won’t be alive in 2066 to celebrate 1000 years since the famous battle that changed our country. I love that period of history so I was delighted that Sierra was taking me there.
Tate, the Abbess of Far Hope Abbey, goes to beg The Wolf not to pillage her abbey. The Wolf is a representative of William the Conqueror and has a fearsome reputation. The Wolf insists that the little nun spends three nights in their company. I hope my love of nun fucking won’t send me to hell.
I absolutely love how Sierra ties her books together. Descendants of The Wolf will appear in the future at Far Hope and I’m fairly certain that some of my favourite Thornchapel friends probably have some Adelais of the Maine DNA in their blood.
Edited to add, I think aggressive farting might be my new favourite war crime.
Lady Viper and the Bastard by Eva Leigh was a DNF for me.
Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson I liked a lot.
The Gangster’s Prize by Joanna Shupe was meh. I didn’t understand why Billy Baxter (the gangster) called Belle Kelly widow. She wasn’t a widow, she hadn’t been married and therefore her husband wasn’t dead.
The Bootlegger’s Bounty by Adriana Herrera.
February 23, 2023
3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Not as strong as the other anthologies, but still enjoyed it. Be ready for some big time, unabashed villains!
Adriana Herrera’s MMF entry was my favorite.
Not as strong as the other anthologies, but still enjoyed it. Be ready for some big time, unabashed villains!
Adriana Herrera’s MMF entry was my favorite.
March 7, 2023
Another good anthology with super sexy villains (and a few villainesses).
Nicola's story, Seven Sinful Nights stands out the most. A crazy, Bonnie and Clyde type couple and I loved every minute.
Nicola's story, Seven Sinful Nights stands out the most. A crazy, Bonnie and Clyde type couple and I loved every minute.
November 17, 2022
I am not huge on histrionical romances but knew I’d have to read this anthology full of some of my favorite authors and it definitely didn’t disappoint!!
March 10, 2023
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I had high hopes heading into this anthology but, unfortunately, I was disappointed. ☹️
Individually:
DNF Lady Viper and the Bastard - Eva Leigh
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Seven Sinful Nights - Nichola Davidson
⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Gangster’s Prize - Joanna Shupe
⭐️⭐️ The Bootlegger’s Bounty - Adriana Herrera. Too many editing errors.
DNF The Conquering of Tate the Pious - Sierra Simone
Individually:
DNF Lady Viper and the Bastard - Eva Leigh
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Seven Sinful Nights - Nichola Davidson
⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Gangster’s Prize - Joanna Shupe
⭐️⭐️ The Bootlegger’s Bounty - Adriana Herrera. Too many editing errors.
DNF The Conquering of Tate the Pious - Sierra Simone
November 16, 2022
Though I am excited to read the entire anthology, I am initially reading The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone and it was a captivating sapphic romance I loved! This was about a female warrior and the woman she wants. When faced with the destruction of a place she loves, Tate will bargain to safeguard it. But at what cost? What a hot and steamy book with an unexpected villain and great interactions!
Happy reading!
Happy reading!
December 28, 2022
Overall, this was a fantastic collection from some bombshell authors! This is the first time I've read an anthology and 100% enjoyed each story!
Lady Viper and the Bastard by Eva Leigh
Lady Viper is a vibe. I honestly enjoyed this story as it eases us into the more villainous characters from the other short stories. It's definitely lighter than the other stories but just as sexy.
Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson
Out of the anthology, this one was my absolute favorite. I was ridiculously thrilled each time Stella surprised Blake. Super sexy, a little dark (but I appreciate a solid revenge), and a little sweet.
The Gangster’s Prize by Joanna Shupe
I've enjoyed Shupe's Uptown Girls and it was delightful to return to the era for some old-fashioned gangsters, upstanding folks that are secretly crooked, and the lady stuck in between. Isabella was a delight and I loved that we experienced a bit of growth and independence from her before the end of the story. She was absolutely delightful and I loved William/Billy with her.
The Bootlegger’s Bounty by Adriana Herrera
MMF pairing that was ridiculously hot. This is one of the short stories that absolutely deserves a full length novel.
The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone
This one was downright sexy and somehow one of the more heart-warming stories which surprised me since it was Simone.
Lady Viper and the Bastard by Eva Leigh
Lady Viper is a vibe. I honestly enjoyed this story as it eases us into the more villainous characters from the other short stories. It's definitely lighter than the other stories but just as sexy.
Seven Sinful Nights by Nicola Davidson
Out of the anthology, this one was my absolute favorite. I was ridiculously thrilled each time Stella surprised Blake. Super sexy, a little dark (but I appreciate a solid revenge), and a little sweet.
The Gangster’s Prize by Joanna Shupe
I've enjoyed Shupe's Uptown Girls and it was delightful to return to the era for some old-fashioned gangsters, upstanding folks that are secretly crooked, and the lady stuck in between. Isabella was a delight and I loved that we experienced a bit of growth and independence from her before the end of the story. She was absolutely delightful and I loved William/Billy with her.
The Bootlegger’s Bounty by Adriana Herrera
MMF pairing that was ridiculously hot. This is one of the short stories that absolutely deserves a full length novel.
The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone
This one was downright sexy and somehow one of the more heart-warming stories which surprised me since it was Simone.
December 25, 2022
3,5
DNFed the first story, so it didn't start well.
I loved the second story! It was my favorite one, and I gave it 5 stars.
The third story was interesting, but I gave it 4 stars.
The fourth story was meh... 3 stars.
The last one was interesting and unique... 4 stars.
Overall, it had some good ideas, but some lacked emotional development. I only believed that two couples fall in love with each other... the others seemed just to be horny.
DNFed the first story, so it didn't start well.
I loved the second story! It was my favorite one, and I gave it 5 stars.
The third story was interesting, but I gave it 4 stars.
The fourth story was meh... 3 stars.
The last one was interesting and unique... 4 stars.
Overall, it had some good ideas, but some lacked emotional development. I only believed that two couples fall in love with each other... the others seemed just to be horny.
January 9, 2023
Who should read this book? Read this if you like historical romances with a ton of spice, and a lot of deception.
Who should avoid this book? Avoid this book if you dislike female protagonists with a lack of agency (par for the course with historicals, really).
What is the spice level? 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 Explicit and plentiful (multiple and adventurous scenes)
Who should avoid this book? Avoid this book if you dislike female protagonists with a lack of agency (par for the course with historicals, really).
What is the spice level? 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 Explicit and plentiful (multiple and adventurous scenes)
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