Love is Heartless by Kim Fielding

Small but mighty—that could be Detective Nevin Ng’s motto. Now a dedicated member of the Portland Police Bureau, he didn’t let a tough start in life stop him from protecting those in need. He doesn’t take crap from anyone, and he doesn’t do relationships. Until he responds to the severe beating of a senior citizen and meets the victim’s wealthy, bow-tied landlord.

Property manager and developer Colin Westwood grew up with all the things Nevin never had, like plenty of money and a supportive, loving family. Too supportive, perhaps, since his childhood illness has left his parents unwilling to admit he’s a strong, grown man. Colin does do relationships, but they never work out. Now he’s thinking maybe he won’t just go with the flow. Maybe it’s time to try something more exciting. But being a witness to a terrible crime—or two—was more than he bargained for.

Despite their differences, Colin and Nevin discover that the sparks fly when they’re together. But sparks are short-lived, dampened by the advent of brutal crimes, and Colin and Nevin have seemingly little in common. The question is whether they have the heart to build something lasting.

Book 2
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Dreamspinner Press

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
Wow! This is such a fantastic story. Both a well-crafted murder mystery and a beautiful romance, this story manages to be exciting, sweet, sexy, and funny.

I loved Nevin. The suave detective appears to have it all together. He drives an antique car, wears hand tailored clothes, and he enjoys a new lover every night. No repeats. But he also comes with a whole lot of baggage. After his family abandoned him, he grew up in foster care, bouncing between difficult placements. It’s not that he won’t do relationships – he just can’t. But there is a softer side to Nevin. He loves his job protecting vulnerable adults. He cares for his friends.

In so many ways, Colin is Nevin’s opposite. As an adult, he is still uncomfortably tied to his parents. He works for his affluent father. He talks to his over-involved mother every day. He leads a very safe and sedate life after breaking up with his long-term boyfriend. Colin has a good reason for his caution and dependence which is hinted at, but not explained until late in the story. When he meets Nevin, Colin is miserable and just starting to develop an independent identity of his own. Volunteering with a seniors’ charity makes him happy, but it also draws him further into Nevin’s murder investigation.

The murder mystery is wonderfully complicated. The focus of the story is more on Colin and Nevin, but the underlying police procedural adds suspense and intrigue. I guessed the murderer’s identity too early, but it wasn’t until the very end that I was certain.

Nevin’s awkward dance around his first ever potential relationship is more comical than angsty. Colin responds to Nevin’s angst with calm understanding, which settles the relationship but also makes Nevin’s fear of commitment more amusing. I loved the way Colin draws out Nevin’s softer, more vulnerable side and I loved the many emotions this creates for Nevin.

This is the second story in a series. I haven’t read the first one, so while I didn’t completely understand the few references to Jeremy and Qay, it didn’t interfere with this story in any way. However, I enjoyed this one so much that I’m going straight back to read the first one. I loved this story and I recommend it highly.

KIM FIELDING is very pleased every time someone calls her eclectic. Her books have won Rainbow Awards and span a variety of genres. She has migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States and currently lives in California, where she long ago ran out of bookshelf space. She’s a university professor who dreams of being able to travel and write full-time. She also dreams of having two perfectly behaved children, a husband who isn’t obsessed with football, and a house that cleans itself. Some dreams are more easily obtained than others.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Love is Heartless (Love Can't Series #2) by Kim Fielding to read and review.

Bringing Nicky Home by Sean Michael

Can the magic Whip and Nicky found at the Gay Riders’ Carnivale continue when they return to their regular lives?

With the Gay Riders’ Carnivale over, Whip brings Nicky home with him to his converted warehouse condo in Ottawa with the hopes that what they started at the Carnivale will grow into something they can both live with forever.

All is going well, the two of them learning more about each other and playing hard between Whip’s returning to work as an EMT and Nicky finding a job at a coffee shop.

When Nicky’s former master, the abusive Dirk, steps back into Nicky’s life, it threatens their very lives.

Can Whip and Nicky survive both real life and Dirk?

Publisher's Note: This book is a sequel to The Biker’s Pup and contains characters from the first book. It can be read as a standalone story.

Book 3
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the third in the series, and you should definitely have read book one as this relates to the same pairing of Whip and Nicky. The Biker's Pup reveals how they meet and how instant their connection is – and now, as they leave Carnivale, they are going to try and make permanent the attraction that they feel.

Whip is happy to share all he has with Nicky, and probably can afford to work and let Nicky stay at home, but given Nicky's past, that isn't going to work. So we see them working through the settling in and setting up of routines and work shifts. Through it all, the thing that grounds them is also that which makes them fly. For sure they have a very healthy sex life, even following a 12-hour shift as an EMT. I may have been both envious and exhausted for them! Of course, the settled atmosphere is disrupted, in this case by Dirk, Nicky's vengeful ex-master.

It was satisfying to get the fuller picture of these two men, especially Nicky, as he was very vulnerable. Whip proves to be the man that any reader would have wished him to be... and he even had a dedicated playroom, which the Carnivale had not revealed.

Also Available in The Biker’s Pup Series

Book 1
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For reviews & more info, check out our The Biker's Pup post.

Book 2
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For reviews & more info, check out our The Biker's Dom post.

Best-selling author Sean Michael is a maple leaf–loving Canadian who spends hours hiding out in used book stores. With far more ideas than time, Sean keeps several documents open at all times. From romance to fantasy, paranormal and sci-fi, Sean is limited only by the need for sleep—and the periodic Beaver Tail.

Sean fantasizes about one day retiring on a secluded island populated entirely by horseshoe crabs after inventing a brain-to-computer dictation system. Until then, Sean will continue to write the old-fashioned way.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Bringing Nicky Home (The Biker's Pup #3) by Sean Michael to read and review.

If You Want Me by July Hall

When you make the rules, you don't need to break them.

That's me: the one who makes the rules. I'm not a good man...I'm a hard one.

Anyone who gets in my way finds out what it means to defy Charles Magister. Ruthless in the boardroom, keeping an iron grip on everything around me—that’s the only way I know how to live. I get what I want, and since my wife died, absolute power is the only thing I’ve wanted.

Until I saw Sandra Dane. Since the moment I first looked into her blue eyes, watched her beautiful mouth, I've wanted something more than power. Now I want her. She's beautiful. Luscious. Enticing. She sets me on fire, and I want to show her what it means to burn.

But she’s forbidden fruit. She’s too young for me, too innocent, and for God's sake, she’s dating my nephew. Even I have my limits. Don’t I?

Who am I kidding? I've taken what I’ve wanted ever since I took Magister Enterprises away from my own father and made billions with it. I have no limits.

I want Sandra. And I’ll have her, no matter how wrong it is.

After all...I make the rules.

I'll show the good girl what it's like to be possessed by a hard man.

If You Want Me is the first novel in the four-book Magister Series. All novels follow the same couple. There are cliffhangers. The series ends with HEA.

Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 Stars

Sandra Dane is living her dream life. She is working at a well-known interior design firm in New York and dating a man from one of the richest families in New York. She hasn't met anyone in Bradley's family but his mother and she is beginning to think that he is hiding her from his uncle, who is the family patriarch. When she is finally invited to a dinner party at Charles Magister's house, she is both nervous and a little scared. But Sandra doesn't let much scare or knock her down, she is an independent woman and doesn't need anyone to speak or take care of her.

Charles Magister is the CEO of the family business and head of the family. He has taken care of Bradley’s bad decisions that might have landed him in places a family member should not be. When he finds out that his nephew has a girlfriend, he tells Bradley's mother to throw a dinner party so everyone can meet her. But what he didn't expect was Sandra Dane.

They both are drawn to each other, and that has not happened to Charles since his wife died 10 years ago. And for Sandra, she is just as lost in Charles' green eyes. But for Charles, who likes to have control with all things in his life, Sandra will test that because she doesn't like to give up control of her life to anyone.

Will Charles give in to the feelings he is feeling for Sandra? Can Sandra move past Bradley's betrayal and still redecorate the study for Charles? What will happen when Charles and Sandra spend time alone?

This is a first for me from July Hall and I love it and can't wait to find out what happens. This is more than a story about an older man and a younger woman, I found it a little suspenseful too.

July Hall lives in Atlanta with a head full of characters and one very pushy cat. She loves perfume, tea, spending rainy days under the covers, and really loud exotic sports cars. (Currently, she can only afford three out of four.) She can often be seen staring off into space and thinking about stories until she finally writes down the one that's yelling at her the loudest.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of If You Want Me (The Magister #1) by July Hall to read and review.

Edge of Power by Megan Crane

The ultimate Viking warrior meets outlaw biker: Wulf, the Raider King. He rules a future, destroyed world with the force of his will alone. Now he will meet the one woman who will change...everything.

Wulf is king of his clan and the ruthless head of the raider brotherhood.

Every foe in his path surrenders to his will. But when his mortal enemy’s beguiling daughter gets under his skin the way no one else ever has, a whole new intensity from the Raider King is unleashed…the fiery strength of dark passion and hard-hitting lust.

Kathlyn is no fan of the life she’s been forced to live under her savage father’s unforgiving rule. But the bold and powerful barbarian who steals her innocence—and her heart—is a dangerous bet. There’s nothing safe about a man who wants to destroy everything she knows and burn it to the ground. Except if Wulf can set her free, maybe safety is overrated...

Will the overwhelming heat of her warrior-king lead to something more powerful than either of them can imagine?

Readers will tremble before the Raider King in Edge of Power.

*Full length romance, featuring a seriously dominating hero, graphic, steamy sex and an HEA.

Book 4
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela – ☆☆☆☆☆
Outstanding addition to the Edge series! Wulf has been a mysterious character from the beginning and my fascination with him has only increased with each book. Needless to say, I could not wait to get my grabby hands on Edge of Power. And Crane did not disappoint as she weaved the tale of the Raider King, the Western Highland Princess, and a love that neither ever expected to find, let alone with each other.

If you’ve read the series from the beginning – and I strongly recommend that you do because a major series arc comes to a head in Edge of Power – you know that while all the raiders in the brotherhood are fierce, there are none more so than Wulf, the Raider King. Which is precisely what makes his infiltration of King Athenian’s mountain compound so amusing because few men would walk right up to the front gate of the man who’s sent dozens of assassins to kill him. It also made being inside Wulf’s head riveting as he forced himself to tamp down his natural inclination to fight, as he forced himself to appear dimwitted, as he forced himself to bide his time and appear to play into the king’s games, and as he found someone who made him rethink is decision to live his life alone. As for that someone, watching Princess Kathlyn adapt to the new world she was thrust into as her blinders were ripped off and she began to see the darker side of the world she lived it was intriguing. That she was not nearly as pampered as one would expect a princess to be helped facilitate her growth and it enabled her to take hold of her own destiny, eschewing the rules of the “civilized” world in which she was raised, in order to claim the future she wanted for herself.

There was so much about Edge of Power that I enjoyed, but I think the scene that had me enraptured was when Wulf shared with Kathlyn how he came to be the Raider King. Even knowing how violent raiders could be, I was stunned by the brutality of it, and it explained so much about Wulf and the bond he shared with Tyr. Also, I could not help but wonder if Eiryn was aware of the part their father played in it because she doesn’t strike me as someone who would back that kind of move. However, what absolutely shocked me was the twist I did not see coming when the raiders descended upon King Athenian’s compound. I wasn’t surprised that the cowardly king attempted to hide and that several of his men laid down their weapons in surrender, not willing to die for the tyrant. I was surprised by who betrayed him and why. My only complaint about the book is that we didn’t get to see Lorna get her comeuppance, but I’m petty that way. The ending of Edge of Power was perfect because Crane wrote it in such a way that it can serve as the series end or set the stage for another installment – I know which one I’m hoping for because I would love to return to The Edge.

Megan Crane is a New Jersey native who had great plans to star on Broadway, preferably in Evita, just like Patti LuPone. Sadly, her inability to wow audiences with her singing voice required a back-up plan. Accordingly, she graduated from Vassar College and got her MA and PhD in literature from the University of York in England. She wrote her doctoral dissertation on AIDS literature, mostly so she could wallow in her obsession with the remarkable multimedia artist David Wojnarowicz and her idol, the bitter and hilarious David Feinberg. After many years in the rain and subject to the whim of seasons, she followed the sun to Los Angeles, where she lives with too many pets and an artist named Jeff. She is still plotting her Broadway debut.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Edge of Power (The Edge #4) by Megan Crane to read and review.

Deranged by Jacob Stone

Introducing L.A. investigator Morris Brick, a former homicide cop on the trail of a murderous psychopath who gives a terrifying new meaning to the word DERANGED...

They call him the Skull Cracker Killer. He drugs his victims. Breaks open their skulls with a hammer and chisel. The rest is inhuman.

Five years ago he terrorized New York City, claiming twelve victims before the killing stopped. Now he’s racking up victims on a fresh hunting ground. Where former LAPD homicide detective Morris Brick is working as a consultant on a serial-killer film. Where a desperate mayor pleads with Brick to take on the case. And where the only way he can stop the next wave of murders is by outsmarting a madman—before he strikes again, this time much too close to home...

Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars
M/F Murder Thriller
Triggers: Stalking, murder

Morris is a retired expert on serial killers. He is consulting on a movie when he is called back into the scene because the SCK (Skull Cracker Killer) has returned. Morris' wife is worried about his stress level, but he promises that he'll keep it under control. You get to see into Morris' way of conducting his investigations and see how he gets to the bottom of the mystery that is provided in this story.

Then you have the SCK. This is a twisted person, but not necessarily in the way most killers are. I think there is a manner of love that only another twisted person can feel, return, and cherish. I think that these are the ways that the SCK is able to continue killing.

While the killer is horrible, there are definite moments when you feel bad for SCK. I wanted to get SCK help – to have someone else, anyone else, see this and somehow reason with SCK. Obviously, I know this would have taken the story in a different direction, but there was so much hope that SCK could have been different and I think that's what I loved most about this story. The possibility, but inability to help SCK.

Stone creates a great story – it's developed, twisted, not super predictable, and then, when you get to the end, I felt that it was a very abrupt ending. Almost as if there was some page limit and it just needed to end. I think if the ending had been different, this would have been a solid 5-star story for me.

I can't wait for the second story – the teaser at the end has my interest piqued and I want to know more about Morris' way of finding the killers.

Jacob Stone is the byline chosen by award-winning author Dave Zeltserman for his new Morris Brick series of serial-killer thrillers. His crime, mystery and horror fiction has won top praise and has been translated into six languages. His novels Small Crimes and Pariah were both named by the Washington Post as best books of the year. Small Crimes topped National Public Radio's list of best crime and mystery novels of 2008 and is being made into a feature film. Dave lives in the Boston area.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Deranged (Morris Brick Thriller #1) by Jacob Stone to read and review.

Romancing Dr. Love by Rebecca Heflin Release Blast

Dr. Samantha Love says it’s all about the chemistry. A brainy psychology professor and researcher, Sam has based her entire academic career on the theory that what we call love is simply a chemical reaction. She is currently running a study to prove that her compatibility blood test reveals perfect matches—sort of like an organ donor, but for relationships. No romance required.

Along comes sexy literature professor, Dr. Ethan Quinn, who says it’s all about the romance. He thinks the pretty psychology professor has taken love and all its mysteries and reduced it to something as romantic as a cholesterol test, and he sets out to prove her theory wrong.

When Ethan signs up for her study, Sam discovers to her horror, that according to her compatibility test, they are a perfect match. Sam faces an existential crisis over her career and her research. If she believes in her science, shouldn’t it follow that she believes Ethan is her perfect mate? And if she doesn’t believe he’s her perfect mate, doesn’t that bring into question her research? Her compatibility test? Her reputation? And her very career?

As Sam struggles with her dilemma, Ethan pursues her with all the romantic tactics in his arsenal. Will Sam’s theories succumb to his challenge? Or will Ethan lose the battle for Sam’s heart?

Book 1
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“No, no, no. This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening,” Samantha Love muttered as she gently banged her head against the steering wheel.

She turned the key again. Nothing. Not even a wheeze. This was the icing on the cake of her otherwise craptastic day.

A bead of sweat trickled down her back. And another one between her girls. God, she hated boob sweat.

When she’d taken the research and teaching position at Sterling University in North Georgia last fall, she’d never have guessed the summer would be so hot.

Throwing open the door of her car to let in even more stifling heat, she searched for the lever to pop the hood. Finally locating it, she pulled it, then walked around to the front of the car. As if she knew what to do.

Just as she leaned under the hood to jiggle some wire thingies, she heard, “Dr. Love? Do you need some help?”

She let out a startled squeak hitting her head on the underside of the hood. “Ow!” Rubbing the offended spot, she turned and saw Ethan Quinn standing there looking all adorable. Not to mention manly.

Dammit. Why did it have to be him? “No. I’m fine.” Yeah, right. For all her parents’ preaching on women and self-sufficiency, she didn’t know a dipstick from a spark plug when it came to cars. She turned back to the mystery parts under the hood.

“You need a jump.”

“I beg your pardon?” She spun, hand on her hip.

“Your battery.” He pointed in the direction of her open hood. “It probably needs a jump.”

“Oh. Right.” Of course he meant her battery. What else would he be talking about?

“I have jumper cables in my car. I’ll have you going in a few minutes.”

“He’ll have me going in a few minutes,” she mumbled under her breath as she watched him walk to the far corner of the parking lot. Tall, athletic build, dark-wash jeans, white button-down shirt. And that hair. Tousled espresso-brown waves just brushing the top of his collar. “He’s already got me going,” she said to herself.

He tossed his messenger bag in the car and climbed in. And, of course, his car started. Because that’s what cars did. They started when you turned the key. Then they blew cold air, so you didn’t have to stand in the mid-July Georgia heat. Unless they dated back to the Stone Age like hers. Another bead of sweat trickled between her breasts.

She released a wistful sigh. Bet the AC felt good.

He pulled his recent model American-made car around to face hers and then got out to pop the hood. Walking around to the trunk, he opened it and grabbed a set of jumper cables, looking like he knew what he was doing.

Good thing somebody around here did.

“It’s a hot one today,” Ethan commented, as he connected one of the clamp doohickeys to what she assumed was the car battery. His sleeves were rolled up over his forearms, displaying muscles with a light dusting of hair.

Clamping the other end of the cables to his own battery, he then returned to her car. When he walked past her, his cologne wafted to her nose, temporarily erasing her angst at being in his presence.

Then he touched his hand to her back. And the anxiety returned tenfold. “Stand clear.” He leaned into the gaping mouth of the car and attached the remaining clamp, throwing a spark.

“All right. Let’s see if we can get this baby going.” He climbed into the driver’s seat of his car and turned it on.

“Give her a try,” he hollered over the din of his car’s running motor.

Sam dropped into the front seat and turned the key. The older-than-dirt engine tried but couldn’t work up enough energy to turn over.

“Hold on,” Ethan called, then revved his car. “Okay, try her again.”

Her car wheezed then reluctantly cranked a couple of times before coming to life.

Ethan was at her door, leaning over, hands braced on the roof. “Great. Let her run a bit, then I’ll disconnect the cables.” A bead of sweat trickled down his temple. “My AC’s on full blast. Why don’t you sit in my car until yours is ready to go.” He stepped aside to give her room to get out.

Sam felt as wilted as week-old lettuce, so against her better judgment she took him up on the offer.

He opened the front passenger door of his shiny black Lincoln MKS—such a gentleman—and she sank into the leather seats and stuck her face in front of the vent. God, it felt good. The door closed with a solid thunk. Resisting the urge to wipe away the boob sweat, she settled for drying the perspiration on her face and neck.

The car dipped as Ethan took a seat on the driver’s side before shutting the door and closing out the rest of the world. Music played softly in the background—something popular. The intimacy of being alone in the car with Ethan washed over her.

“I’d offer you something cool to drink, but I don’t have anything.”

She realized she hadn’t said a word in the last five minutes. “Thank you.”

“No thanks necessary. You’d do the same for me.”

“No, I wouldn’t.” She smiled. “I don’t know a thing about cars.”

He nodded as a grin split his face. “Well, from the looks of your battery, you’re going to need a new one. I can follow you to Burt’s Automotive. He can have a replacement installed in fifteen minutes.”

She shook her head. “Thanks, but I don’t want to put you out in any further.”

“It’s no trouble. Besides, if you go straight home, I don’t think she’s going to start for you in the morning.”

“Oh.” That would not be good.

“She should be juiced up enough to get you to Burt’s. Stay here until I unhook the cables.” Ethan got out of the car and set to work.

She’d steered clear of Ethan Quinn since the day she was introduced to the rest of the college faculty. The moment they shook hands she’d felt a connection. And from the look on his face, he’d felt it too. That flood of adrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin one feels when there is a strong physical attraction.

Relationships were complicated, but getting situated at a new university was already complicated enough.

No. Being in close proximity to Ethan Quinn was a bad idea. So as much as she hated to leave the cool comfort of his car, she jumped out and got in her rolling oven before he could say otherwise.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is a really fun read and I am definitely going to be looking out for future installments in the series. Having worked in academia, I couldn't help but chuckle at the politics and the posturing, but loved the way that a solution was found.

Samantha Love has to be living every offspring's nightmare – her parents are world renowned sex therapists – and in the light of their less than perfect relationship behind the scenes, she has sworn off the idea of love. In fact, she has made an amazing scientific discovery of a way of testing whether people are compatible using just a blood test. (This test really appealed to me, as it turns out I am a terrible judge of the perfect man. 😉)

Also an academic at Sterling is Ethan and he, as a professor of English literature, is well versed in all things love and sets out to prove it to Sam. The fact that he finds her blindingly attractive is a huge factor in this decision.

We get to watch them fall into... compatibility and it is full of fun, heat, and promise. Give this a read and see what I mean!

Rebecca Heflin is an award-winning author who has dreamed of writing romantic fiction since she was fifteen and her older sister snuck a copy of Kathleen Woodiwiss' Shanna to her and told her to read it. Rebecca writes women's fiction and contemporary romance. When not passionately pursuing her dream, Rebecca is busy with her day-job as a practicing attorney.

Rebecca is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Florida Romance Writers, RWA Contemporary Romance, and Florida Writers Association. She and her mountain-climbing husband live at sea level in sunny Florida.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Romancing Dr. Love (Sterling University #1) by Rebecca Heflin to read and review for this tour.

Ashwin by Kit Rocha Is Now Available & Reviewed

The first book in the follow-up to Kit Rocha's bestselling BEYOND series...

Lieutenant Ashwin Malhotra is a Makhai soldier—genetically engineered to be cold, ruthless. Unfeeling. His commanding officers consider him the perfect operative, and they're right. Now, he has a simple mission: to infiltrate Gideon's Riders, the infamous sect of holy warriors that protects the people of Sector One.

He's never failed to execute an objective, but there's one thing he didn't anticipate—running into Dr. Kora Bellamy, the only woman to ever break through his icy exterior.

When Kora fled her life as a military doctor for the Makhai Project, all she wanted was peace—a quiet life where she could heal the sick and injured. The royal Rios family welcomed her like a sister, but she could never forget Ashwin. His sudden reappearance is a second chance—if she can manage to touch his heart.

When the simmering tension between them finally ignites, Kora doesn't realize she's playing with fire. Because she's not just falling in love with a man who may not be able to love her back. Ashwin has too many secrets—and one of them could destroy her.

Book 1
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He moved slowly. Precisely. It was everything she’d ever known of Ashwin—his seriousness, his meticulous attention to detail—distilled into the gentle glide of his hands as they traced down her arms and over her sides.

He didn’t strip off her dress all at once. He took his time, gathering the soft blue fabric in his fists and coaxing it up inch by inch. It tickled over her skin, an unending caress that he dragged out until the breath she was holding escaped on a moan.

“I have a plan,” he murmured as the dress cleared her head, sending her tousled hair cascading around her face. Ashwin dropped the dress and smoothed the locks back from her cheeks, his fingertips lingering to caress the shell of her ear. “I formulated it when you came to me last night, but I’ve been revising and refining it all day.”

“All—” Her voice broke, and she swallowed—hard. “All day? Surely it’s not complicated enough to warrant that.”

“It’s not about being complicated.” He brushed glancing, maddening touches over her back and the line of her spine on his way to the clasp on her bra. One efficient twist of his fingers and the fabric went loose, one strap slipping from her shoulder. “It’s about being thorough. A man who wouldn’t be meticulous in devising the best way to give you pleasure is a man who doesn’t deserve to touch you.”

“Really?” Another moan built in her throat, and she released it on a shaky sigh. “I think figuring it all out should be part of the fun.” She touched his face, drawing a line from his cheekbone to the corner of his mouth, and smiled when he sucked in a breath. “See?”

Something dangerous burned in his eyes as he turned his head to nip at her fingers. It almost hurt, and the sensation zipped along her nerve endings like an electric shock.

She was trembling now, so she dropped her hand to his shoulder and pulled at the soft cotton of his shirt in silent demand.

He answered by lifting his arms.

Kora didn’t have his patience. She jerked at the fabric, and it caught on his chin and tangled around his arms. He helped her by stripping it away and letting it fall to the floor.

She’d seen him half naked more times than she could count. Most of their interactions had involved his partial nudity. It was different now that she was undressed, too, and that look in his eyes—

Kora slid her arms around him, traced the scratches she’d left on his shoulders the night before, then stepped back until her legs hit the edge of the mattress.

He followed her, looming over her for a dizzying moment before sinking to his knees. He smoothed his thumb over the edge of her simple black panties as his gaze drifted up to hers. “You’ve touched yourself before, haven’t you?”

The question surprised her—and it shouldn’t have. The fact that he wasn’t sure he could feel emotion had no bearing on his sexual experience. He’d mentioned other women, and he must have had domestic handlers.

He’d had sex before. Probably lots and lots of it. She was the inexperienced one here. “I have.”

“Show me.” He caught one of her hands and pressed it to her abdomen, her fingers spread wide beneath his. But instead of guiding her down, he slid their hands up. When she was cupping her breast, he let his touch fall away.

Her cheeks heated, but she didn’t look away as she squeezed her fingers together, pinching her nipple between them. She shivered at the sudden spike of pleasure, more intense because he was watching her so closely.

“You don’t mind it either, do you?” The sudden warmth of his breath on her abdomen kept her shivering. He soothed her with an open-mouthed kiss and the gentle brush of his tongue, so sweet she wasn’t ready for the sudden shock of his teeth closing on her skin. “A little bit of pain.”

Her voice failed her, so she shook her head.

“It’s all right.” He hooked his fingers under her panties and dragged them lower. His mouth followed, hot against her hip and so, so soft. “Sometimes pain is a warning. But like this, with someone you trust…” She anticipated the jolt this time, but she still swayed when his teeth sank into her skin. “It’s a different kind of sensation.”

Her knees would barely hold her. “Ashwin…”

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shelby – ☆☆☆☆
I am so happy to continue reading about the life in the Sectors!

Ashwin and Kora were introduced in the Beyond series (Sector 4), both are from Eden, and they have their own jobs/objectives in Eden.
Ashwin is a Makhai soldier whose main objective is Efficiency. He is an elite soldier who has been trained to not feel. Emotions do not cloud his judgement, neither do friends or relationships. If he does start to feel an attachment to anyone, he will quickly be "recalibrated" on the Base. Throughout his life, people have come and gone, but Kora has been a constant.

Kora has been relocated to Sector 1 and has been able to use her skill as a doctor in the aftermath of the Sector Revolution. Gideon has taken her under his wing and has declared that she's his sister – providing the family she's always craved.
Kora's previous life revolved around the Base and administering healthcare to the soldiers. She's never really had the relationships she's craved and has been a loner most of her life.
She's a bit overemotional and the total opposite to Ashwin's stoicism, but together they make it work.

The story was slow-building – there's just so much to explore in this sector and characters to discover. We see the dynamic between Sector 1 leader, Gideon, and his Riders. We see how they live in Sector 1, and how they play.
The budding relationship between Ashwin and Kora was drawn out at times, but super hot at others. He was hard to like, but she was easy to love.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am excited to read more in this series!


Kris – ☆☆☆
3.5 stars

I absolutely loved the Beyond series. Rocha wrote such an awesome world that, every time I picked up a new book I was instantly immersed in the O'Kanes and their fight with Eden. When the series ended, I was very sad but fulfilled. I had high hopes for the spin-off as we were assured we'd get glimpses into the O'Kane gang and all our beloved characters with a fresh new view point from Gideon's Riders. Unfortunately, I felt Ashwin fell short of my expectations. I found the story just a bit dry and Ashwin hard to identify with. Kora was a nice balance of empathy to Ashwin's clinical elite, Makhai soldier, but still something lacked for me. Things did get much better two-thirds into the story as Ashwin came into his emotions and he and Kora were finally able to connect physically. But just not quite enough for me to really love it. Solid first book in a new series, but maybe a bit drawn out? I'm unsure. I found myself easily distracted and not 100% vested.

Kit Rocha is the pseudonym for co-writing team Donna Herren and Bree Bridges. After penning dozens of paranormal novels, novellas and stories as Moira Rogers, they branched out into gritty, sexy dystopian romance.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Ashwin (Gideon’s Riders #1) by Kit Rocha to read and review for this tour.