Sarina Bowen strikes again with a perfect romcom in Moonlighter, the 1st novel in the Company book series

Five nights. Two adversaries. Only one bed in their hotel room.

I’m at the height of my athletic career. Yet my arrogant brother is always trying to recruit me into the family business: a global security company so secretive that I don’t even know its name.
Pass, thanks. I don’t need a summer job.
But the jerk ambushes me with a damsel in distress. That damsel is Alex, the competitive, sassy girl I knew when we were kids. Now she’s a drop-dead gorgeous woman in deep trouble.
So guess who’s on a flight to Hawaii?
It’s going to be a long week in paradise. My job is keeping Alex safe, while her job is torturing me with her tiny bikinis. Or maybe we’re torturing each other. It’s all snark and flirting until the threat against Alex gets serious. And this jock must become her major league protector.

Moonlighter is a stand-alone novel. No cliffhangers, no prior experience necessary. Expect: a growly hero, a lady boss with no time for his attitude, and a war of wills and hormones. Bonus: a hunk wearing a baby in a sling.

Release Date : October 22nd

Publisher : Tuxbury Publishing LLC

Price : 3.99 euros

Pages : 370 pages

My review : 

I'd like to thank Nina and Sarina for allowing me to read Moonlighter as an ARC in exchange of an honest review. 

Sarina Bowen is back with a new book series called The Company and the first novel, Moonlighter, has just been released. I had a great time reading it and I loved these new heroes and I'm sure Eric and Alex will move you.

Eric Bayer is a professional hockey player but since he is 34 he has to be more careful because old wounds could put a more premature end to his career. He isn't involved in the family business because hockey is his life but he is going to help the security company of his brother Max and his father Carl. We don't know much about Max but the little details we have on him makes us want to know more. Eric has a special relationship with his brother because the bickering is often present between but it's just a proof they love each other and can't help pranking each other. Using a subterfuge, Max will take advantage of the season break to make Eric take part in a mission. Indeed, they must protect a well-known businesswoman who is about to launch a revolutionary new product on the market and who must also manage an invasive ex who did not understand the meaning of the word "end of relationship". He will therefore be engaged against his will as the jealous boyfriend of our heroine.

He will take his role very seriously especially since she is not a mere stranger. Indeed, he and Alexandra Engels met when they were only 11 and 13 years old and they were friends. It doesn't bother him to play this role especially since the chemistry is always present. They came upon each other in the past and I laughed a lot discovering how their reunion took place. The tension will be palpable between them but we wonder if this man who dedicated his life to a sport that has always fascinated him could take the necessary distance and commit himself sentimentally speaking. I loved their interaction because Eric's character is charming, seductive and very interesting. He feels protective even if he will sometimes be hurt in his ego during some setbacks. Managing feelings and a more uncomfortable injury than others will not be easy, so we hope everything will end well.

Alex Engels is an accomplished businesswoman and she's only 32. She's now CEO of the family business but she has yet to prove herself especially with older members who still see her as a kid. She is a determined, passionate young woman who will put all her effort on successfully launching her revolutionary robot. She is obsessed with her work and therefore shares a common trait with our hero: indeed, she will always make her professional life a top priority. She must, however, resolve to ensure her safety in an intense period of her life where she will be more fragile. Not only does she want to avoid having Jared Tatum in her life again, but she also has to negotiate the biggest personal deal of her life. I liked this character because if she seems to show a strong facade in public, in the private sphere, we can see that she seems to have some flaws.

I laughed at her interactions with Eric because as I told you, they knew each other and shared the same jokes. Therefore she will have to apologize for a certain evening but after that, they will be on the same page again. She won't have to let go of anything and keep her course of action, leaving her happiness aside. Indeed, she doesn't want to let herself feel the slightest feeling about Eric and the golden parenthesis that they will live in Hawaii may well remain a good memory. We would like her to have someone by her side, who cares about taking care of her and who is with her not by interest but by real desire. She doesn't have any real friends or she doesn't have any friends at all and she would need wise advice. Will she be able to leave Eric out of her life? Will she be able to continue to manage everything head-on?

In short, I was completely into this first volume. I entered The Company universe with great pleasure and I can't wait to find out who the second volume will be about. Sarina Bowen is once again proving her talent by offering us an excellent romantic comedy as we love them with charming and endearing heroes and heroines that we also want to discover more deeply.

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Fallen Saint, the amazing sequel to Bad Saint, from All the pretty things series by Monica James

Just as this nightmare began, I once again find myself bound, destination unknown. However, this time, my kidnapper is the man who shattered my world beyond repair.

Aleksei Popov—Russia’s number one mobster, and the man I was sold to.

His intentions for me are clear—submit, obey him, and call him master—but I won’t surrender. I’m not like the other girls. Whether that’s a blessing or curse, I’ve yet to decide. The problem is, my disobedience intrigues my captor all the more.

When we arrive in Russia, the rules change.

Saint, the man who was once a sinner, is my only salvation. What was forbidden now gives me hope that there is light in the darkness. He will risk everything to set me free.

But behind these opulent walls, things aren’t what they seem, and when the fine line between pleasure and pain begins to blur, only one thing matters—saving my soul.

I will lie.
Cheat.
Steal.

I was once an angel, but now…I’m a fallen saint, ready to inflict my own pain and burn this hellhole to the ground.

FALLEN SAINT is a DARK ROMANCE containing mature themes that might make some readers uncomfortable. It includes kidnapping, captivity, strong violence, mild language, and some dark and disturbing scenes.
This twisted tale is not intended for the faint of heart…it will steal your soul.


“Sinful and compelling, Bad Saint takes you on a darkly romantic, emotionally tense ride that will leave you aching for more” - New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy

Release Date : July 14th
Publisher : Monica James
Price : 3.99 dollars
Pages : 250 pages

My review :


I thought I was baffled by the first volume of this dark romance series Bad Saint because the level of this novel was excellent but I must say that Monica James provided a higher plot in this new volume . I thought that my heart was going to burst out due to the various twists. I became more and more attached to these two tortured heroes, dealing with their own demons, while discovering another character who will manage to surprise us.

Willow Shaw will have to fight again to stay alive while being once again held prisoner. Despite the epics she experienced in the first volume, she must now face Aleksei but not only him. The latter reigns over a sort of Russian mafia and Saint will have to adapt his plans to try to save the one girl for whom he now seems to have deep feelings. I am always so admirative of this female character because she will try to fight with the means she has while trying not to give in to darkness. Once again, she will be torn due to the boundaries between Good and Evil, but she knows that she can always rely on Saint to help her leave this cage. She will also discover a new enemy with Zoey Hennessy whom I wanted to slap continally.  The tension between them will be strong but she will try to defend herself as best as she can. She didn't choose the position in which she is and she is only a puppet in the hands of a man she can't control. She will also have to show how intelligent she is by deciphering the help that Saint tries to bring her. Fate seems to take pleasure in making fun of her and she will once again have to grit her teeth and try to survive these new ordeals. Who can she really trust?

Saint Hennessy is a character I absolutely adore. Even if he will be less present than in the first volume, we feel that his presence remains in everyone's minds. He will have to play his part without making the slightest mistake that could cost them a lot. He knows a lot of secrets about the world surrounding Aleksei Popov and it's like he's holding a grenade in his hand, ready to blow everything up. This man is so full of resources that we will be surprised more than once by the way things are going on. I have often been stressed throughout this novel because I feared for his life many times. He obviously has a sense of sacrifice and he has only one goal in mind: we will be aware of it from the beginning but we hope that it can lead to a positive outcome. He thinks he no longer deserves to be loved and he lost his "humanity" . However ,  in Willow's eyes, it's not true. We will also have a closer look at his relationship with his sister Zoey and it seems like he has to make a crucial choice at some point.

Aleksei Popov is also a character who will be highlighted in this new volume. I would have liked to tell you that I really hate him but I'd lie. Like Saint, he has "circumstances" that seem to explain why he is whoever he is. Either he is a wonderful manipulator, or he is really sincere about what he will reveal us. The doubt is obviously very present and I still can't decide on him. I want to believe he is really sincere but at the same time does he deserve some redemption? He has dirty hands as Saint has and yet my forgiveness would be more easy for the latter. So I'm wondering what the future holds for him given the conclusion of this volume and I hope that we'll be able to trust him.  The complexity of this character is very interesting and I really want to know more about him.

Thus, the intensity of this dark romance goes up a notch and Monica James offers us a second volume even more awesome than the first one. I enjoyed my reading and I was very very afraid for our heroes. The questions are still very important, the doubts intensify and trust becomes more and more rare. This ending is just amazing and the twists in the plot are very well adapted.

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Mon avis sur l'excellent second tome de la saga All the pretty things, Fallen Saint de Monica James

Alors que ce cauchemar ne faisait que commencer, je me retrouve une fois de plus attachée, destination inconnue. Cependant, cette fois, mon ravisseur est l'homme qui a brisé mon monde irrémédiablement.

Aleksei Popov - le gangster numéro un en Russie et l’homme à qui j'ai été vendue.

Ses intentions à mon égard sont claires: me soumettre à lui, lui obéir et l'appeler maître- mais je ne me soumettrai pas. Je ne suis pas comme les autres filles. Que ce soit une bénédiction ou une malédiction, je n’ai pas encore décidé. Le problème est que ma désobéissance intrigue encore plus mon ravisseur.

Lorsque nous arrivons en Russie, les règles changent.

Saint, l'homme qui était autrefois un pécheur, est ma seule planche de salut. Ce qui était autrefois interdit me donne maintenant l'espoir qu'il y ait de la lumière dans les ténèbres. Il va tout risquer pour me libérer.

Mais derrière ces murs opulents, les choses ne sont pas ce qu’elles paraissent, et lorsque la fine frontière entre plaisir et douleur commence à s'estomper, une seule chose compte: sauver mon âme.

Je vais mentir.

Tricher.

Voler.

J’étais jadis un ange, mais maintenant… je suis une sainte déchue, prête à infliger ma propre douleur et à réduire en cendres cet enfer.

Date de sortie : 14 juillet 2019
Editeur : Monica James
Prix : 3.57 euros
Pages : 250 pages


Note :   

Avant de vous donner mon avis le plus complet, je tiens à dire un grand merci à Monica pour sa confiance , pour m'avoir permis de faire partie de sa Review Team et m'avoir permis de lire en ARC ce nouveau tome. 

Mon avis : Je pensais que j'avais eu un coup de coeur pour le premier tome Bad Saint car le niveau de cette Dark Romance était excellent mais je dois dire que Monica James a mis la barre encore plus haut dans ce nouveau tome et j'ai cru que mon coeur n'allait pas supporter les divers rebondissements. Je me suis encore plus attachée à ces deux héros torturés , au prise de leur propre démons, tout en découvrant un autre personnage qui va nous réserver quelques surprises. 

Willow Shaw va donc de nouveau se battre pour rester en vie en étant cependant une nouvelle fois prisonnière. Malgré les épopées qu'elle a vécues dans le 1er tome , elle doit désormais faire face à Aleksei mais pas que lui. Ce dernier règne en maître sur une sorte de mafia russe et Saint va devoir déjouer ses plans pour tenter de sauver celle pour qui il semble désormais avoir de profonds sentiments. Je suis toujours aussi admirative de ce personnage féminin car elle va tenter de se battre avec les moyens dont elle dispose pour ne pas céder aux ténèbres. Une fois de plus , elle sera tiraillée entre les limites entre le Bien et le Mal mais elle sait qu'elle pourra toujours compter sur Saint pour la faire passer avant tout autre chose. Elle va aussi se découvrir une nouvelle ennemie en la personnage de Zoey Hennessy qui est une sacrée tête à claques. La tension entre elles sera vive mais elle tentera de se défendre du mieux qu'elle peut. Elle n'a pas choisi la position dans laquelle elle se trouve et elle n'est qu'une marionnette dans les mains d'un homme qu'elle ne peut pas maîtriser. Elle devra aussi faire preuve de toute l'intelligence dont elle est capable pour déchiffrer l'aide que Saint tente de lui apporter . Le destin semble prendre un malin plaisir à se moquer d'elle et elle devra une nouvelle fois de plus serrer les dents et tenter de survivre à ces nouvelles épreuves. A qui pourra t-elle réellement faire confiance? 

Saint Hennessy est un personnage que j'adore définitivement. Même s'il sera moins présent que dans le premier tome , on sent que sa présence reste dans tous les esprits. Il va devoir avancer ses pions petit à petit sans faire le moindre faux pas qui pourrait leur coûter très très cher. Il connaît des tas de secrets sur le monde entourant Aleksei Popov et c'est comme s'il tenait une grenade à la main , prêt à tout faire exploser. Cet homme est tellement plein de ressources que nous allons être surpris plus d'une fois par la tournure que vont prendre les choses. J'ai souvent été sur le qui vive tout au long de ce roman car j'ai craint pour sa vie à de nombreuses reprises. Il a évidemment le sens du sacrifice et il n'a qu'un but en tête : nous en aurons conscience dès le début mais nous espérons que cela pourra aboutir de manière positive. Il ne croit plus mériter le moindre sentiment à son égard et il perd son "humanité" alors qu'aux yeux de Willow, il n'en est rien. Nous aurons aussi un regard sur sa relation avec sa soeur Zoey et il semblerait qu'il doive faire un choix crucial à un moment donné. 

Aleksei Popov est aussi un personnage qui va s'inviter sur le devant de la scène dans ce nouveau tome. J'aurai aimé vous dire que je ne peux que le détester mais ce ne sera pas le cas. Tout comme Saint, il a des "circonstances" qui semblent expliquer pourquoi il en est arrivé là. Soit il est un merveilleux manipulateur, soit il est réellement sincère sur ce qu'il va nous révéler. Le doute est évidemment très présent et je n'arrive toujours pas à me décider sur lui. J'ai envie d'y croire mais en même temps , mérite t-il une certaine rédemption? Il a les mains sales comme Saint l'a et pourtant mon pardon irait plus facilement pour le dernier. Je me demande donc ce que l'avenir lui réserve étant donné la conclusion de ce tome et j'espère que la confiance sera de mise. La complexité de ce personnages est très intéressante et j'ai très envie d'en savoir plus à son sujet. 

Bref, l'intensité de cette dark romance monte encore d'un cran et Monica James nous offre un second tome encore plus génial que le premier. Je me suis régalée tout au long de ma lecture car j'avais très très peur pour nos héros . Les interrogations sont encore très nombreuses, les doutes s'intensifient et la confiance devient une valeur de plus en plus rare. Cette fin est juste incroyable et les retournements de situations sont très bien calibrés. 

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