Review: The Chosen

The Chosen by J.R. Ward
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have been a mega fan of the BDB for many years. The past few books have not been auto/preorder buys for me, but I have still enjoyed them later on when the price has gone down. This book was no exception.

Layla, a Chosen, and Xcor, the leader of the Band of Bastards that conspired to assassinate King Wrath, have been in love for a a while and their story is a long time coming. She is a new mother to twins she had with Qhuinn, a Brother, which brings in even more drama when he finds out about her relationship to Xcor. Xcor is a man reformed through his love with Layla, and their romance is very sweet. He can be very honorable and chivalrous with his old world charm. Layla, however, is becoming a modern woman and is a trained Ehros of the Chosen...she wants her man and she is tired of waiting for the D. I don't blame her!

Layered into this story is Throe, who defected from Xcor's Bastards when Xcor decided not to pursue the throne anymore. Also the Shadows are featured as a doppleganger of Selena shows up for a server job at their restaurant. Qhuinn and Blay have issues when Q loses his damn mind...that was a real wtf right there. And Lassiter has a new gig...

If you are a fan of the BDB this will be another hit. If you aren't familiar with the BDB don't start here! Start at the beginning, silly. Or at least start with Vishous's book.

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Review: Beautiful Redemption

Beautiful Redemption by Jamie McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you aren't familiar with the Maddox siblings, what you don't know is that they are a bunch of heartland hotties whose names all begin with T and they are as different as they are similar (even the twins.)

Thomas Maddox is a high ranking FBI agent, unbeknownst to his family. Because of some trouble that his little brother Travis got into (different book) Thomas has been trying to do his best to get him out of trouble. Liis Lindy is a linguistics expert in the FBI and new to the San Diego office run by Thomas. Somehow these two spies managed to have a one night stand before Liis's first day without knowing who the other was.

Liis was a badass, which I appreciated. I'm not sure how much FBI agents are sleeping together, with subordinates or colleagues, but it was a fun read. Thomas was sexy and a tad cranky, which floats my boat. The supporting characters were hilarious, but there was also a nice amount of intrigue and danger.



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ARC Review: Beyond Forever

Yes, we all know that the Beyond series is one of my faves.I love the full length novels as well as the novellas and this trip down memory lane is no exception. Beyond Forever takes us back to the beginning of Dallas and Lex, and if we thought they had a bumpy ride in their HEA Beyond Control, we were not ready for the chemistry, heat, and drama in Beyond Forever. This novella is a love letter to the fans of the series, and I'm blowing kisses at Kit Rocha to let Bree and Donna know I love them right back!

Lex knew who Dallas was when she robbed him. Dallas knew what he was getting into when he felt the attraction to the beautiful and confident thief, and decided to use her talents for his own ends. Pretty soon he couldn't function without her, despite the fact that they weren't together. The O'Kanes were a gang before Lex came to Sector 4, but she made them a family. Dallas fell fast and hard for Lex and I was devouring every page.

Complicated is too simple a word to describe the politics, stubbornness, and attraction that comprised the relationship between Lex and Dallas. In Beyond  Forever we learn about the King of Sector 4 and his rise, but we learn just how instrumental Queen Lex was to making the man, the myth, and the legend.  It was so much fun to see some of our favorite characters who have been with Dallas for so long, and watching them grow up into the people we know and love.

Fans will love and treasure this glimpse into the past, and appreciate the future of Sector 4 even more.

Buy it now! Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks

Review: Hate to Want You by Alisha Rai

Hate to Want You by Alisha Rai
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sexy and Intense

This book has been on my radar for a while and I devoured it in 2 days when I bought it. Nicholas and Livvy have a long complicated history, and despite family tragedies and small town drama they couldn't stay away from each other. Every year for the past 10 years they have had a standing appointment for a passionate encounter wherever Livvy has been in her travels. Now she is back home and that fire is burning brighter.

This is the first in a series but this book ends in an hea so the next book must be about someone else. Can't wait for that one! *Update* It's about Livvy's twin Jackson. YESSSS

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Review: Dirty Boxing

Dirty Boxing by Harper St. George
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In Dirty Boxing, the first book in the Blood and Glory series by Harper St. George and Tara Wyatt, we meet a commitment-phobic workaholic and an MMA athlete in a sexy second chance romance.

Go to Heroes and Heartbreakers for the full review!

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Review: Dust and Shadow by Lindsey Pogue

I love a good post apocalypse drama, even better when there are romantic elements and intrigue, and Dust and Shadow delivers on all fronts. Set in the dystopian presentish (!), the advent of the Industrial Revolution  brought about climate storms called the Shift. As a result, the small desert town that Jo lives in has depended on her family's farm to survive for generations. The Marshal, the leader of the town, and his cronies keep law and order in the town, but Jo is certain that the evil Marshal killer her mother 11 years ago, and she wants revenge.

There are so many secrets and lies and twists and turns, this was a delight to read.  Sometimes things aren't as they seem, and sometimes they are, and figuring out which is which was so much fun. Jo defied convention as a woman still living in Victorianesque times. She wore pants and tinkered with machines and had tons of ideas about everything - and wasn't shy about sharing them.  Coming from a family of healers on her mother's side, she was also a huge reader and healer herself. Jo's life was turned upside down when she discovers a huge secret and when the Marshal decided that she should marry his son, Clayton, then things were never the same again.

Despite his lineage, Jo is drawn to Clayton but she won't allow herself to act on her feelings to anyone in that heinous family, which means Clayton has lots of work to do, and as he moves from a free-wheeling playboy to a young man with a Marshal title to inherit from his father, he discovers that the town he knew is full of many secrets.

The chemistry between Jo and Clayton is a yearning thing; you root for Clayton and Jo and want them to give in to each other despite the distance, the secrets, and the lies that push them apart. Lindsey Pogue does an amazing job of weaving fantastic storytelling full of twists and turns and romance in a post-apocalyptic landscape. I can't wait for the next installment!

Review: Defending Their Mate: Part One

Defending Their Mate: Part One by Moira Rogers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Having read the first trilogy in this series, I was excited to get back into this world and see how Grace was doing. Grace was kidnapped by a bad group of wolves, and luckily for her, she was discovered by the same pack that found Ashley, the heroine of the Protecting Their Mate Trilogy.

Grace is more in touch with her wolf, but she is afraid of her. Having had to defend herself to the death, she is starting to feel comfortable with the wolves but uncomfortable with the fact that she may be a danger to them. She is drawn to Mac and Connor, which makes sense since they are used to having threesomes.

This is classic hot erotica - lots of steamy scenes with super hot guys (wolves!) and a plus sized heroine, which I love. There is a story here, as well, and I can't wait to read the next installment to see what happens. Enjoy!

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The Scoop on Passionflix's Hollywood Dirt

Passionflix is a shiny new on-demand channel that shows romatic movies from all genres and time periods but the most exciting thing about Passionflix is that this service is turning popular romance books into quality movies by authors we love!

The first movie, based on Alessandra Torre's Hollywood Dirt, was released this week on September 20th. I'm familiar with Alessandra Torre, but I had not read Hollywood Dirt, so this past summer when I heard it was the first film in production by Passionflix, I decided to check out the audio book and I really enjoyed it! It's a great fish out of water, enemies to lovers romance.

Cole Masten is THE Hollywood "It" man. He has won numerous awards, is super attractive, and has a seemingly perfect marriage with America's sweetheart...except Cole comes home early and finds her screwing someone else. Summer Jenkins lives in Quincy, Georgia, where Cole's new project is being filmed. After a tense first meeting where Summer threatens to shoot him, Cole decides that Summer is just the woman to play his leading lady in the film. Hijinks, sexy times, and country politics ensue. It was a fun book.

So, how was the movie you ask? It was a fabulous adaptation of book to movie. This was so well done, and all of the pivotal moments that you expect from the book to be there were pretty much there. The movie had a two hour run time, my girl Mindy Cohn from the Facts of Life was in it, and Johann Urb and Emma Rigby had the kind of chemistry that makes you smile stupid while watching it. They also had a lot of heat and the sexy times scenes were hot without being lewd (and the perv in me was wondering how far those scenes would go!) I think the passion on screen matched the book perfectly, so I have high hopes for Jax and Gia in Passionflix's next venture, Sylvia Day's Afterburn/Aftershock.

The Passionflix subscription is only 5.99 a month, and the original programming combined with the old favorites like Moonstruck and Overboard makes it worth the small cost. Congrats to the women who started Passionflix - this freshman effort is making me look forward to more!

First Look: Breaching the Contract

Hey! I read Breaching the Contract by Chantal Fernando and loved it. Check out my post over at Heroes and Heartbreakers to see what I had to say!

Review: Burning to Ride

Burning to Ride by Michele de Winton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Burning to Ride contains two novellas: Burned by Lust and Burned by Blackmail. Both of these novellas seemed more like the slice of life extras that one would read after they know and care about the characters that are featured. As far as expectations of an MC book, they are both more MC adjacent. You get peek into the world but the novellas don't live there. The novellas live at Wilde's Hotel bar, which is just fine, but it's not the club's actual clubhouse or place of business. It's a place they go to in order to drink and have fun but there is 75% of the MC lifestyle missing for those of us used to reading MC books.

In Burned by Lust, we meet Hade and Lee. Lee is running from her past and ends up hooking up with Hade. They quickly fall for each other, but Hade's MC has this rule that the President can't have an old lady...and Hade is next in line. On one hand, I enjoyed the randomness of their relationship. Lee was this nomad that showed up and ended up never leaving. On the other hand, I never got the chance to really be invested in their relationship.

In Burned by Blackmail, I actually was able to be more invested in the relationship, but the premise was a little silly. Briony, the owner of Wilde's Hotel, is being pressured to sell her hotel. The developer, Cole, come into the bar and they end up having a steamy one night stand. Neither of them knows who the other is somehow. Briony takes the advice of the MC President and decides to blackmail him into marriage, as part of their one night stand gets caught on camera in the hotel garage. Moving past that premise, and I do love a marriage of convenience or other circumstances, and Briony and Cole grew on me.

If you are looking for an MC read, this isn't really it, but if you are looking for a couple of stories about some rough people who fall in love, these two novellas might be what you are looking for.

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Review: Deacon by Kit Rocha

Kit Rocha has done it again with Deacon, the second book in the Gideon’s Riders series. This sexy, smart, and action packed read will have you flipping the pages in anticipation of all kinds.

Set in the dystopian landscape we know as the Sectors, Gideon’s Riders are the personal guard of the Rios family, the sacred family of Sector One. Deacon is the leader of the Riders, personally appointed by Gideon himself. While his past demons give him plenty of torture material, his present torture comes as the result of his attraction to fellow Rider, Ana. Meanwhile Ana is dealing with the pressure of being not only the sole female and a legacy Rider to boot, but the ramifications of acting on her attraction to her superior Deacon, which could ripple uncontrollably through her life.

When it looks like Deacon’s past is coming back to haunt him and the other Riders, he has some serious decisions to make. On top of all of this, Ana is working closer to Deacon than ever and their chemistry is boiling out of control.

This was so good. It was everything you come to expect from Kit Rocha: Steamy scenes, ridiculous action, the perfect amount of angst, and an HEA that the characters deserve. It’s always nice to get a glimpse into what’s happening in other storylines and other sectors; we get to see Six and Bren (yay!) and even get a little taste of the chemistry between the couple in the next book. Of course, I can’t wait.  I have said it before but I have to say it again: one of the many things I love about reading a Kit Rocha book is that their world is so diverse. The time is taken to have characters from all walks of life, all cultures, and quite often people who don’t look the same fall in love, just like in real life! Keep it up, and I will keep reading!

Links

• Amazon Global Link: http://viewbook.at/Deacon
• Apple: http://krocha.link/deacon-apple
• Barnes & Noble: http://krocha.link/deacon-bn
• Kobo: http://krocha.link/deacon-kobo
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30529717-deacon
• Kit’s Website: http://www.kitrocha.com
• Kit’s Twitter: http://twitter.com/kitrocha
• Kit’s FB: http://facebook.com/thebrokencircle

Ana has trained most of her life to achieve one goal: to prove that anything men can do, she can do better. Now she’s Sector One’s first female Rider, and being the best is the only way to ensure she won’t be its last. Distractions aren’t allowed–especially not her painful attraction to the reserved but demanding leader whose stern, grumpy demeanor has already gotten into her head.

Deacon has spent the last twenty years trying to atone for his past, but the blood he spilled as a mercenary and assassin will never wash away entirely. If his Riders knew the extent of his sins, he’d lose their trust and respect. It’s easier to keep them all at arm’s length, especially Ana. But his newest recruit’s stubbornness is starting to crack his defenses.

And their sparring matches are driving him wild.

The passion sparking between them can’t be denied, but neither can the vengeance barreling toward Deacon. When his old squad comes back to punish him for his betrayal, Ana and the Riders are squarely in the line of fire. The only way to save his people may be to make the ultimate sacrifice.

But first, he has to convince Ana not to follow him straight into hell.

Review: Protecting Their Mate: Part One

Protecting Their Mate: Part One by Moira Rogers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ashley, our plus sized heroine, is locked in her parent's basement when she is rescued by the huge and hunky Blake. Ashley's family shunned their werewolf lifestyle to live among humans and Blake was sent to find her, and when he did their connection was a perfect mix of hot and sweet.

This is part one of a trilogy; a quick and dirty (literally and figuratively) read that promises so much more in the coming novellas. Very well written, as we have come to expect from Moira Rogers, and the story is great. I'm excited to finish the trilogy!

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Review: Undeserving

Undeserving by Madeline Sheehan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This will be a spoiler free review.

I have been huge fan of the Undeniable series since the first book. Undeserving was beautifully written; full of all the love, heartbreak, joy, and and tragedy that we have come to expect from this series. Going back in time and seeing the younger versions of the patriarchs and matriarch we have come to know and love was mind blowing, and even getting to meet people we have only heard about was so well done.

Debbie and Preacher's story, like all the others in the series, are not tales of love going to easy way. Debbie was a runaway and ran right into Damon "Preacher" Fox literally, when he caught her trying to pick his pocket. Their connection was instant but wary, and as their story unfolds and careens to its conclusion I couldn't put the book down. In the gritty MC world portrayed in this series, every love match has a hard road to haul; each book reminds me why this is one of my most re-read series.

Also, I cannot WAIT for ZZ's book!!

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Review: Beyond Doubt

Beyond Doubt by Kit Rocha
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We all know I am a huge fan of the series, and this slice of life novella was just what the doctor ordered as I wait for Deacon to arrive in August (YAY!)

We check in on Six and Bren in Sector 3, post winning the war against the evil forces in Eden. Now, the cleanup is underway and as with all wars, the most vulnerable of the victims need assistance: the street children. Six and Bren both know what it's like to live the hard life on the streets and encounter a group of kids who may make them feel even more complete that they already do.

You can count on Kit Rocha to make room for sentimental moments, hot sexy time moments, and hints of what is to come in the O'Kane world. Another wonderful read!

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Review: Wrong

Wrong by Jana Aston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book was a dirty piece of filth, and I predict that I will devour the rest of the series this week. A virginal college co-ed finally decides to go all the way with her boyfriend and it turns out that the gyno she sees to get her bc pills is the older hottie that comes into her coffee shop on Tuesdays. Luke is indeed a rich, hot dirty talking doctor, a specialist with exclusive clientele, but he volunteers every Tuesday. Sophie is young, a little annoying, but their chemistry and downright dirty sexy times made me smile. A lot.

Also, as a Philly chick, it's always nice to see someone writing about Philly that gets geography/landmarks right.

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Review: The Last True Vampire

The Last True Vampire by Kate Baxter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book as part of the Heroes and Heartbreakers Book Club and loved it. I hadn't read Kate Baxter before, but I will be reading more from now on.

Mikhail (Michael) is the last vamp on earth. After barely surviving an encounter with the mortal enemies of vampires, the Sortiari, he has laid low for hundreds of years...until he discovers professional hustler and amateur server Claire. A vampire knows when they have found their mate because their soul is returned to them. It's fate. But could his mate be this human? And despite their seriously hot chemistry, could he convince her of that, all while keeping her safe from his enemies?

This book gave me shades of Dark Lover by JR Ward, but when I say that I mean despite some superficial similarities this book stands alone in it's world building, but it reminds me of why I love vampire romances in the first place. Off to grab the second in the series since it looks like I'm behind!

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Review: Shade's Lady

Shade's Lady by Joanna Wylde
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Shade's Lady is a welcome addition to the Reapers MC series. Shade is all the broody, alpha, sexy man that we have come to enjoy in this world and Mandy is all the quirky, clever, and sexy woman we have come to expect as well.

Mandy doesn't have good luck with men, as proven when the biker she was dating traded her to Shade for a motorcycle. This storyline gave me the good feels from Reaper's Property, and reminded me how much I enjoy this series. It's a novella, but a long read for a novella. As usual, I can't wait to read more. In fact, I went back and reread the series after reading this novella!

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Review: More Than Want You

More Than Want You by Shayla Black
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Check out the full review and First Look at Heroes and Heartbreakers!

More Than Want You by Shayla Black tells the story of a tightly wound arrogant and power hungry realtor who meets his polar opposite, a meditating/yoga bending/karaoke singing free spirit. Take the opposites attract trope and mix it with a dash of a harebrained scheme trope and none of this should work! But damnit, it does and now I’m going to be super impatient until the next book comes out.

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ARC Review: Ashwin (Gideon's Riders #1) by Kit Rocha

If you know me you know that I am a huge Kit Rocha fan. Honestly it’s not a secret. Like at all.

When news broke that the Beyond series was ending, I was so happy to learn that we would be hearing more stories about the sectors, and specifically moving to Sector One with Gideon’s Riders. 

We have met Ashwin before; he is a Makhai soldier, genetically altered elite of the elite in Eden’s ranks. Makhai are raised from birth to be super soldiers. Every soldier needs a good nurse, and that’s where Ashwin met Kora. His conditioning isn’t designed to accommodate romantic feelings, and at the fall of Eden, when Ashwin’s infatuation with Kora scares her and puts her in danger, he decides to go back to the Base and be re-conditioned. Before he leaves, he makes his old friend Cruz promise to hide Kora from him.

At the beginning of Ashwin, we find out that Kora has been hanging with the royal family in Sector One, The Rios family, and in fact has been adopted as a sister by Gideon himself. She is adjusting to the religion of Sector One, as well as adjusting to life as a royal. Image her surprise when the man she thought was dead, Ashwin, shows up with some of Gideon’s riders! The Base wants Ashwin in the Riders; Gideon is clever enough to know that, but is betting that Ashwin’s feelings for Kora could keep him loyal to the Riders.

The relationship between Kora and Ashwin is so sweet, yet so damn sexy. They both have this innocence about them, but they produce so much heat together. No spoilers here, but I will say that Ashwin is a giver, and I was pleasantly surprised! The road to an HEA is not easy for a man who thinks that feelings are a result of his faculties destabilizing and a woman who has abandonment issues, but you will be cheering them on. Kora is a woman that is driven to heal and help, and of course a man like Ashwin is drawn to her like a moth to a flame.  I fell in love with these two and with Sector One as a whole! The beautiful landscape, the ceremonies, the camaraderie of the Riders, and the love the Rios family has for their people has drawn me in. I can’t wait for the next book. I know, I’m greedy! 

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Review: Nothing But Trouble by Lindsey Pogue

The second book in the Saratoga Springs series brings the right amount of drama, romance, and angst to keep you flipping the pages. I think I actually liked it more than the first novel, which I happened to enjoy quite a bit. I relate to Mac and Colton a lot, so that explains the connection.

Mac has been taking care of the men in her family since her mother walked out on them when she was a tween. When she meets Colton, a new hire at her family garage, she thinks she knows all about him from one glance, but she couldn't be more wrong. Also, they have a very embarrassing meet-cute that was entertaining for me, at least! The funny thing is, when Colton meets Mac, he thinks he has her figured out as well, and despite his opinion of her, he is attracted to her in a major way.

As these two navigate their attraction and preconceived notions, they find out that life, work, and love is a lot more complicated than they expected. They have more in common than they think, as their lives start to entwine and push their boundaries. No spoilers here, but Saratoga Falls is a small town with a lot of secrets and I'm actually really excited to read book 3!

Review: Perv and Filth by Dakota Gray

I'm reviewing these two books together since I binge read them pretty close to each other. 5 star reads, both of them, just to get that out of the way. I'm surprised I feel that way about Filth, but when we get there I will explain why.

In Perv we meet Nate. Nate is a kinky, dirty guy with southern charm and good looks and a serious devotion to the most intimate part of a woman. The problem? He meets a mysterious woman at a bar who rings alllllll of his bells. Then she cuts him down and walks away without a second glance, in the name of revenge.

Nate can't get her out of his head, and pursues her like a mad man. Over the course of the book we learn that Robyn is the name of the beautiful, mysterious woman, and her best friend fell in love with Nate despite his honesty in telling every woman he is with that he isn't the settling down kind of guy.

Their courtship, as it were, is angry, kinky, pervy, but heartfelt and actually very sweet. In a landscape of formulaic romances, a subversive read like Perv stands out in the best way. Kudos to Dakota Gray for such a well written sexy but sweet series. I'm a new fan! Nate and Robyn both have more layers and depth than one would think at first glance, which brings me to Filth.

As a rule, I am not a fan of "tell it from the other person's POV" stories. Typically it's rehashed information, and my investment in the characters demands new insight, new angst, and new scenes of interest. While Perv is Nate's story, Filth is Robyn's. I one-clicked it without reading the synopsis, and I'm glad I did. Nate's world is vastly different than Robyn's, and their story was big enough that they deserved separate treatments.

Robyn's conflict in falling for Nate and breaking the "girl code" among other spoilery things I won't mention here are so well addressed and written beautifully.

The best part is that we are getting more books from Dakota Gray in the Filth series! Nate's friends get the HEA treatment, and my review for Hardcore is coming soon. 

Review: Whatever it Takes by Lindsey Pogue

This review is criminally late, but I promise that is not a reflection of the captivating story told in Whatever it Takes.

Sam has been living life by going through the motions; between dealing with a tragic accident that takes her father's life,  learning to live with her new stepmother and dealing with the haunted memories of her complicated romantic life, Sam has literally gone numb over the past several years. There is only one way she can allow herself to feel, and that way is damaging to her body and her mind. Luckily she has her father's farm and her two best friends, Nick and Mac, to keep her grounded.

Until...

Reilly comes back to town. Firmly entrenched in those messy romantic memories, at one time Reilly was the love of Sam's life, but his life had it's own complications, and in order to get away, he went to the military. Feeling abandoned, Sam moved on but several years later, he has come back and his presence has thrown Sam for a huge loop.

This second chance new adult romance is as always beautifully written by Lindsey Pogue, messy and complicated in the way real life is, and enthralling, the way true love is. Sam isn't perfect, and is perfect because of that; in fact sometimes she frustrated me to no end and I realized it was because I liked her and wanted her to make different choices. That in itself is very telling of how much I was pulled in to the story, and how realistic the storytelling is here. What a great read, especially if you are a fan of the new adult genre!