Book Review: Sucker Punch by Alta Hensley (The Riot Crew Book 1)

Author: Alta Hensley

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Why Choose, Reverse Harem, MMMF, Cage Fighting, Found Family, Forbidden Romance, High-Stakes Sports Romance, Sword-Crossing

Spice Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶 – Very spicy with explicit scenes

Format: eBook

Series: The Riot Crew Book 1

     Ari needs a cage fighter if she’s going to save Smiley’s. Freakshow can’t fight anymore, so she heads to a local match to scout talent—and instead runs straight into the infamous Bones Vega. Bones fights like a man possessed, but after throwing a high-profile fight, no gym will touch him. With his reputation in shambles, the question becomes whether Bones, his manager Lotto, Ari, and Freakshow can fix not only his career—but themselves.

    I have been on a RH (Reverse Harem)/Why Choose kick for a hot minute and I am loving it. We start with a spark between Ari and Bones. Then introduce the situationshop Ari is in with Freakshow. Then Lotto says whatever she does with Bones she does with him. Love it all. 

    This is a true MMMF dynamic—three men who engage with each other just as much as they do with her. The book is unapologetically smut-heavy, and I loved every second of it. That said, the spice never overshadows the story. There’s plenty of action, cage fights, emotional tension, and angst woven throughout to keep things engaging and impactful.

    Potential trigger warnings worth noting include: multiple partners, cancer, sword-crossing, open-door explicit scenes, cage fighting, gambling, and addiction.

    What really stood out was the group dynamic and how thoughtfully everything was handled. I wasn’t thrilled with how things ended with Cisco, but it was still preferable to the slow, painful outcomes I’m unfortunately familiar with. This book works well as a standalone within a series—there’s no cliffhanger—though it’s clear their story isn’t finished. 

⭐ You’ll like this book if you enjoy:

• Why Choose / Reverse Harem romance
• MMMF dynamics with sword-crossing
• High-spice contemporary romance
• Cage fighting or underground sports settings
• Found-family relationships
• Plot-heavy smut with action and angst

    This book is available on Kindle Unlimited or buy it on Amazon for $5.99 by clicking here. 

Book Review: Phantom by H. D. Carlton

Author: H. D. Carlton

Genre: Dark Romance

Tropes: Cheating, Abuse, Sexual Assault, Torture, Murder, Stalker Romance, BookTok

Spice Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶 — very explicit

Format: eBook

Series: Stand-alone set in the Cat and Mouse universe

    Gigi has been married to her husband for over a decade, and together they share a teenage daughter. Her life has never been particularly exciting, but it was comfortable—and she loved him. That stability begins to crumble when her husband’s drinking and gambling spiral out of control, threatening not only their marriage but their home.

    Enter Ronaldo.

    What begins as a routine job—collecting information on a debt owed to his boss—quickly turns into something far more dangerous. Ronaldo becomes obsessed with Gigi, and from that point on, the story descends unapologetically into dark romance territory.

    This book does not ease you in. It opens with torture, immediately setting the tone for what’s to come. The content includes cheating, abuse, rape, murder, and graphic violence. Please, genuinely—check your triggers. No matter how compelling a book may be, it is never worth sacrificing your mental health.

    That said, if you can handle the content, this was a gripping read. I found myself conflicted about the cheating aspect until the assault occurred—after that, all moral lines were erased. Ronaldo is a stalker who repeatedly breaks into Gigi’s home, and somehow… I still loved him. If that sentence alone doesn’t tell you whether this book is for you, nothing will.

    The story exists within the Cat and Mouse universe, and fans will appreciate the deeper lore. The grandmother’s journal entries belong to Gigi, and we get to experience both the moments as they’re written and the events unfolding around them in real time. It adds an unsettling, intimate layer to the narrative.

    This can absolutely be read as a standalone, regardless of where you are in the Cat and Mouse series. While still very dark, it is slightly less brutal than Haunting Adeline. The ending is bittersweet—I personally wanted more, but it fits the story Carlton chose to tell.

You’ll love this book if you enjoy:

• Stalker romance
• Extremely dark romance
• Mafia-adjacent storylines
• Morally gray (borderline black) MMCs

    This book is available on Kindle Unlimited or buy it on Amazon for $3.99 by clicking here. 

Book Review: Against the Odds by Mara Jacobs (Anna Dawson Book 1)

     Johanna is a professional gambler, and has done well for herself, Ben, and Lor in Vegas. Other than occasionally doing jobs for Vince to pay off a debt she has managed to stay out of trouble. That is until someone kills one of the Corporation, Jimmy. Poor Ben is beside himself, and with Gus being targeted next the police are in a race to find who is after the boys. Detective Jack is on the case and believes it is a revenge ploy. Between Anna and Jack can they solve this case before their demons get the best of them and those that remain of the corporation meet a similar fate?

    I got this book on impulse from Amazon in January of 2020. I didn't know this eBook was about gambling at the time as I have a bad habit of choosing books based on their covers instead of synopsis sometimes, but I really liked this book. I can't say that I understood half of the sports information as I don't know anything at all about sports. If I did it probably would have increased my enjoyment. As it was I mostly skimmed those parts of the book to get back to the murder mystery. 

    When we were getting more details throughout the story I have to admit that I suspected the reason why, but I didn't suspect the who. For some reason I thought the result knew one of them was the reason and was picking the Corporation off one by one as a result. The person I thought was the result wasn't either, instead they were just a random character in the story. I am glad it is who it is, but still. I am not sure if I will read more of this series in the future just because I don't understand sports. If I do I hope that I see more of Jack in the future. He was such a sweetheart and I completely understood where he was coming from. 

    He wasn't my favorite character, though. That spot is reserved for Ben. Who doesn't love the adorable old man who takes the younger generation under his wing? His "Hannah" would definitely have been lost over the years without him. I hope he finds out what we found out eventually. I think he will handle it well and it will give him something that he has always wanted. 

    If you are looking for a murder mystery filled with revenge and vices look no further. I seen some other reviews saying there were cliff-hangers, but I don't feel that way. It would be possible for the book to end where it is at and not be left wanting. Sure all of the characters don't know everything, but the same thing often happens in real life so it could end here without issue. This book is available for free on Amazon by clicking here.

Book Review: Wager of Death by Brian Peterson

     Walt, Bill, and Alex have built a large company that is on the rise with the help of their long-time friend and lawyer, Tony. Together they have created Triumvirate Technologies. They are even starting to bring in newer young partners to their company while they prepare to begin a contract with the Department of Defense. Everything was looking up for them, until Bill came in one morning concerned about the death of another Won Yoo in the general area.
      Since that day all of Walt's friends were dying and the young partner they have brought in has tricked him into an illegal bet for his company---and possibly more. Even his own daughter has turned on him. With his deadline to commit suicide approaching quickly can Walt find out who has murdered his friends and save his company?
     This book will capture you from the first murder and keep you wondering until the last chapter. Whatever ideas you think you have about who the murderer is, hold them close, but don't stop reading. This book is twisted and realistic. There is nothing in this book that could not happen and that is what makes it all the more scary. I can honestly say that I completely enjoyed this book and would suggest it to anyone with a love of murder, mystery, and sabotage. The way Brian Peterson is able to spin this physiological thriller will have you bouncing on who you think the murderer is even towards the end of the book.
This book is available on Amazon for $1.99 at https://amzn.to/36fwKgr.