AUTHOR: Brandy Hynes

Debut novel what?!

I was not prepared for how great this debut novel was going to be. I absolutely loved all these characters and their relationships with each other. So good!

Ivanna (Ivy) has her life thrown off by a surprise development when she’s told she has to be married soon in order to actually get her inheritance. But really that’s just the tip of the iceberg. A chance encounter with a stranger leads to an impromptu engagement because she’s determined to have a say in her future instead of choosing from a list of potential suitors her mother has picked out. All while dealing with the devastating illness her father is facing.

Ivy never could have dreamed the family she would find with Wells and his friends – a new found family that feels like home almost immediately. She finds a connection with Wells through his dominating yet romantic and book loving ways. Fun movie talk with Ty who feels like a brother. Flirty banter and hacking with Liam. And she finds the way to grumpy Gage’s friendship through food and yummy baked goods.

While Ivy connects with Wells and the rest of her found family, secrets about her real family start coming to light. Dangerous people are after her for reasons she never could have imagined. Good thing she’s got a hot group of soldiers of her own now. But it turns out that this book loving, artistic woman with unique ways of thinking is a total badass in her own right.

Be prepared for a story of love and family, secrets and mysteries, danger and excitement, plus plenty of great spice mixed in. Oh and that trippy twist that will have you rethinking things right alongside Ivy. Such a great read! I can’t wait to read more from this new series. And if there ends up being a few spin offs I’m totally happy with that too.

I swear this series just keeps getting better…

Book two in the KORT series picks up just a little bit after where we left off in book one. Celeste has come to stay with Ivy and the guys for a bit. She’s stuck between finding her own path and the pressure to follow the path her family is pushing her down. Unfortunately that path is pushing her to find a nice, boring politician to settle down with. Meanwhile she’s finding it harder and harder to ignore her growing feelings for Liam.

Liam is so sure he knows exactly who Celeste is and what she wants out of life. The other guys in their tightknit, found family are finding ways to learn more about Celeste as a person and connecting with her in their own unique ways. This definitely goes a long way to get Liam to open his eyes and actually see her past the mask she puts on for everyone.

Along the way they try to unravel the mystery of who is after Celeste and her family and what’s so important that it puts her in constant danger. Liam is determined to get Celeste to break free and stand up for herself while she’s determined not to let her family down. Their journey is so intense, emotional, spicy, and just fantastic.

This book was so good! The nontraditional family they’re all building is so amazing. I’m sitting over here making a wish list of potential books in this world. I want all their stories including the Noires and anyone else we collect along the way. Such a great world to dive into. Just two books in and it’s definitely a series on my list to re-read later on down the road when I can binge them all when it’s complete. I can’t wait for Ty’s story next.

AUDIOBOOK UPDATE: This was done in a duet style narration with a couple of great narrators bringing this story to life. The audiobook was a re-read for me and just made me fall in love with this story and this world as a whole all over again. So good!

Falling more and more in love with this series…

Ty has been one of my favorite characters in this series from the very beginning, so I was super excited to learn more of his backstory. And Brandy did not disappoint. Ty and Rena’s journey just made me fall even more in love with this series and this amazing world Brandy is creating.

As one of the top officials in KORT, Ty leads a dangerous life. That is just one of the excuses he makes for keeping his distance from Rena. It’s clear to everyone in his found family that he has feelings for the young Noire princess. But his tortured past is another reason he doesn’t want to make a move and bring Rena into his dark world.

Rena has had a major crush on Ty for years and has been secretly hoping he will one day finally make his move. After a moment of vulnerability from Ty, she starts to wonder if the attraction is not one sided after all. But when she discovers secrets that rock her foundations, she makes a run for it to get some space.

Ty is desperate to find Rena and keep her safe. When she drops some clues he’s ready to chase her no matter what. The danger in their interconnected worlds can no longer be avoided and decisions have to be made fast. Those decisions set things in motion that can’t be stopped. It’s a fight to prove themselves and a fight to stay alive.

Every time I think I know who my favorite couple in this series is Brandy throws me for a loop. So I’m refusing to choose. I loved Ty and Rena’s story so much. They fought their attraction for so long and deserved to be happy and heal. That’s exactly what they do for each other in their own special ways. I love this whole found family and their crazy, fun, and slightly twisted but fiercely loyal and protective dynamic. I just want more and more.

AUDIOBOOK UPDATE (re-read): This was another great addition to The KORT collection. I love how well these narrators brought Ty and Rena’s story to life. And the duet style narration is so good. Oh I love this series so much!! The audio just brings a whole new element to this world that just enhances how great it is.

What a way to end a series…

Gage gets a blast from his past when he discovers the most recent woman rescued and protected in their shelter is none other than the woman who betrayed him in his past life. Before he was Gage, the KORT enforcer, he was Josh the mafia soldier. And Ainsley was the mafia princess he fell in love with. She’s also the reason he hasn’t been able to trust woman with very few exceptions.

Ainsley thought Gage had died while away in the military years ago. So imagine her shock when she see’s him again years later. Calling it a tense reunion would be a mild way of putting it. She’s been battling her own struggles all alone while trying to find a way out. She’s tired of being used and abused.

Both of them are harboring quite a bit of hard feelings, guilt, betrayal, injustice, and a begrudging love for each other even after all this time. They are all trying to get to the bottom of who is out to get her after what she did to get free. Gage and Ainsley have a long way to go to work through all their issues to get to the other side in whatever way that may be.

These two were intense and I loved every minute of it. I loved seeing how it all started with them, how things went so wrong, and how they faced their feelings to find the truth of what really happened. I’m not ready to let this series go because it’s just so good. But at the same time is wrapped up in such a great way with looks into where everyone ended up years down the road. I can’t wait to see where this world will go with the Noire brothers next. And I can totally see myself reading this series over again.

AUDIOBOOK UPDATE (re-read): Jacob and Samantha did such a great job bringing out the emotion and intensity of Gage and Ainsley. It just took the story to another level. And I’m a sucker for duet narration. So great!

Champagne and Second Chances…

Ryker, along with his brothers, runs La Lune Noire. It’s the dark, sexy, and mysterious resort and casino that calls to those in the criminal underworld. They are the kings of New Orleans. Fierce and loyal, obsessive and protective, elusive and powerful.

Mercy was his closest friend and someone he would do anything and everything to protect. Even if that meant letting her disappear into hiding to keep her safe. Even if it tore him apart to be away from her for three long years. In that time his obsession grows to the point he can’t live without her any long and tracks her down to bring her home where she belongs.

Ryker proposes a contract that means she gets to come back and use her law degree working with his family. But it also means she comes back posing as his future wife to discourage someone who just can’t take a hint. Only this fake relationship is never really fake to him. Ryker is determined to show Mercy what life with the Noires can really be like again. He’s ready to protect them from any lingering threats and give her and her little boy the life they deserve.

I absolutely loved the KORT series and craved seeing more of the Noires. So I was super excited for the start of this new series and was not disappointed. Their story was so good!!! They were clearly meant to be and meant to heal together, not apart. I love this whole world and can’t wait for more.

Funny, sassy, and little bit crazy…

I absolutely loved these two. They’re are quite the dynamic duo. Maddox and Tessa were most definitely made for each other. Theirs is a sort of love / hate scenario with no real hate involved underneath it all.

A couple years ago Tessa called on Maddox in her time of need, and it was the perfect call to make. The only problem was Maddox held it over her in a way to keep her close. Maddox is crazy and fun, loyal and protective. And Tessa is a sassy little badass. She doesn’t want to have to choose between her family and the Noires. Only the Noires have been a better family to her than her biological one ever was.

Maddox and Tess together are perfection. And with the Noires she finally gets the loving and loyal family she deserves. I love this series so much, and I can’t wait for the next book.