Red Zone (Rock City Renegades #4) by C.L. Rose

 

I used to love being referred to as the bad boy running back - until my antics landed me in hot water. I didn't think life could get much worse than being released by the team I poured my heart and soul into, just to find out I'd be playing for the Rock City Renegades. They may have the league fooled into believing they've got a shot at a championship, but I see through the facade. They've a joke, and it's only a matter of time before the rest of the world catches on. With no other choice, I sign the contract and agree to let the owner's daughter help me clean up my image. If I play my cards right and put on a show, I'll be on my way to better team in no time. But when Sydney Grant walks into our first meeting, I realize I'm not working with a stranger at all, but the woman who had me crawling for her the right before. Can I keep it professional and do what it takes to fix my reputation? Or will I risk it all for another chance with the one person I should stay far away from? Red Zone by C.L. Rose was published on April 30th, 2026. This is the fourth book in the Rock City Renegades series. 

I was given this book for my honest review from C.L. Rose and The Smuthood. I have absolutely loved this series so far. Each of the books so far have their own plot that makes them unique. The characters in this book are amazing. This book had me laughing from the very beginning. I loved how the relationship between the two characters build through the book. This book made me squeal in excitement throughout the book. The conversation through the book is on point and helped push the story through the plot. The characters really helped with talking about things in the plot instead of reading it in the description. There are some turns in the book that will catch you off guard. It doesn't take over the plot but I don't know if it really fits in the book. Though, I highly recommend checking this book out. 

Rock City Renegades Series 

1. Mr. Irrelevant 

2. Bad Call 

3. The Interception 

4. Red Zone 

5. Clock Play (October 1st, 2026) 

Tropes 

Sports - Football 

BDSM 

Forced Proximity 

Enemies to Lovers 

He Falls First 

King of Sin (Ruthless O'Rourkes #1) by Stella Moore

 

One night. That's all I wanted. One night of passion, one night to taste the forbidden pleasures kept locked behind the doors of Charleston's most notorious kink club. He gave me that. And so much more. But then I learned who he really was. Killian O'Rourke. Just the name is enough to strike fear into the hearts of the strongest men. The gorgeous mystery man I gave my virginity to is the ruthless leader of the Irish mob. And one of my father's closest friends. It should have ended there. Except that one night tied me to Killian forever. Now, he'll stop at nothing to keep me and our child by his side. Even if it means burning the city we both love to the ground. King of Sin by Stella Moore was published on April 21st, 2026. This is the first book of the Ruthless O'Rourkes series. 

I was given this book for my honest review from Stella Moore and The Smuthood. I absolutely loved this book from the very beginning. You do not get a huge description of the two main characters which for me is fine. I like coming up with my own descriptions of the characters. This book had so much chemistry from the very beginning. I loved that you meet so many characters through the book. I really hope to get to know more about the background characters as the series goes on. While there is a pregnancy in the book it's really not the main part of the story. Just a reason that some of the things happen. This book had so much great dialogue throughout it. I highly recommend checking this book out. 

Ruthelss O'Rourkes Series

1. King of Sin

2. King of Secrets (09/29/2026) 

Troupes 

Dark Romance 

Mafia 

BDSM 

Enemies to Lovers

Virgin

Saving the Shortstop (The Good Girls of NE University #3) by Hannah Gray

 

As the daughter of a retired NFL player, college softball's number one ranked shortstop, and someone usually considered an all-around good time, I've never had an issue getting attention. But getting the attention of the person I most want it from? Now that's a different story. When Dallas Rivers, my brother's best friend who also happens to be one of my dad's players on the NEU football team, is struggling in school. I find myself volun-told to help. I should be thrilled with this arrangement. After all, I'm in school to become a teacher. Except, I've always made it a point to keep a respectable distance from him. Because the one person whose attention I've always longed for? Yep, you guessed it...It's Dallas Rivers. Saving the Shortstop by Hannah Gray was published on June 11th, 2026. This is the third book in The Good Girls of NE University series. 

I was given this book for my honest review from Hannah Gray and The Smuthood. Okay, now that has been said, I am absolutely enjoying this book series. I have actually had the amazing pleasure of being able to get all three of the books that are currently out to read. Hannah Gray knows how to create each book to be their own but yet, also have the same characters throughout the series. I absolutely loved the two main characters in this book. I love learning about Dallas and his past that has been hinted in the other books then there is Haven. This book has amazing trope of lifelong friends who finally realize that perhaps they love each other more then friends. These two are such opposites that really work. I love how they finally ended up together in the book. It was easy to see how their relationship shifted and changed on each page. The dialogue in this book is top notch. I cannot wait to read book four at the end of the year. I also need to check out the other books by Hannah Gray. She is becoming one of my favorite authors. 

Quotes that I Loved 

"It's just so funny that the guy half the team can't stand is the one you choose to turn into your fuck buddy."

 
"Years ago....He was drunk, and he didn't remember it the next day. I didn't bring it up. It was nothing."
"Or....he did remember but was embarrassed....This happens in my romance books all the time. They're friends. Lines get crossed. The MMC finds a way to cover it up." 
"Gigi, did you just compare Dallas to one of the male main characters in your spicy books?" 

"Because things went from, like, zero to sixty in about three seconds."
"Give me a little credit, Short....I lasted more like two minutes, for sure." 

"You can make it up to me when you sit there like a good girl while I paint your face with my cum....The cum you could have had inside you, if only you didn't act like a brat."  

The Good Girls of NE University Series 

1. Getting the Goalie 

2. Convincing the Catcher 

3. Saving the Shortstop 

4. Praising the Pitcher (TBA 12/31/2026) 

Tropes 

Sports Romance - Football & Softball

Friends to Lovers 

Forced Proximity 

Brother's Best Friend 

College Romance 

Childhood Friends 

Volik (Bonded Souls #1) by S.J. Tilly

 

Forget what you think you know. Forget the fairy tales and lore of old. Vampires are real. And for the past seventy years, they've walked opening among us. They're bigger and stronger than humans, with black eyes, horns, and powers that shouldn't be possible. Volik is one of these vampires. Living in the small town of Hemlock Hills, he spends his days locked in his office at Stailden University. Wasting time. Waiting. Until Nix, the new journalism professor, arrives...and changes everything. This is the story about the day they met. What happened after. And how their bond started a sequence of events that changed the world. Volik by S.J. Tilly was published on June 11th, 2026. This is the first book in the Bonded Souls series. 

I was given this book for my honest review from S.J. Tilly and The Smuthood. I used to read a lot of vampire books as a young adult. Though, lately I haven't read much about the paranormal world. But, I could not skip this book from one of my top authors that I love reading. Now that being said, I absolutely loved this book. S.J. Tilly was able to craft the world where vampires and other creatures live so quickly that it didn't feel like it was dragging. I absolutely loved how she created the meet of the two main characters. How it was created made it not feel so fast and that you can see how the two characters were getting together. The dialogue throughout the book made me feel so many emotions. S.J. Tilly knows how to use dialogue to help the readers understand what is happening with the ability to move the story along. I highly recommend checking out this amazing book. 

Quotes that I Loved 

"I'm telling you this to save your life. Do not touch that woman." 

"You cannot walk around like that." 

"My shirts do not fit."

"It's not........I cannot see your dick, Volik." 

"What are you thinking about, Mate?" 

"I'm wondering if I can still suck your cock with these fangs." 

I do not want that squished worm looking at me anymore. 

Bonded Souls Series 

1. Volik 

2. TBA (09/03/26) 

Tropes 

Paranormal 

Age-Gap

Forced Proximity 

Small Town 

Billionaire 

Virgin 

Depraved Devotion (Villains & Vices #1) by Morgan Bridges

 

My patient is stalking me...and he's a psychopath. I've dedicated my life to understanding the darkest corners of the human psyche, but nothing prepares me for him. Ghost. The man is brilliant, ruthless serial killer who thrives on chaos. Just like his cult following enrapt by his brutality and beauty, he's completely unhinged. And he's obsessed with me. So when Ghost turns himself in and demands to speak to me, I'm forced to confront the beautiful monster sitting across the glass. And the one inside - the one lurking in my own fractured soul. Ghost's rapt attention brings goosebumps to my skin and sends chills down my spine. I choose to believe my reaction is based in fear. When I'm alone in bed, it's harder to convince myself. As boundaries fade and the line between doctor and patient blurs. I'm faced with What am I willing to pay to unveil the truth about my haunted past? Because to Ghost, the price is me. All of me. Depraved Devotion by Morgan Bridges was published on December 9th, 2025. This is the first book in the Villains & Vices series. 

This was another book that I got over a weekend stay with my husband at a hotel. This book is intense from the very beginning. I am not much a fan of true crimes but I do have friends that are. This book is right up their alley. I loved the tension in this book from the very beginning. I could not put this book down as it just kept me hanging on. The sexual tension was there through the whole book. Though, I really wanted to shake FMC so much for not telling anyone about Ghost. I felt like the two main characters were real and I would hear about Ghost on the news. Sadly I never did hear the serial killer name Ghost being caught. The only thing that I didn't like was that this book ends in a massive cliffhanger. Also the next book is not out yet. At last though, I highly recommend checking this book out. Especially if you are into Dark Romance and serial killers it's up your alley. 

Quotes that I Loved 

"You may like to hurt women to gain a sense of control...but you only do it behind closed doors because you're a coward. So, either man up and hit me, or get the fuck out of my way." 

"Blood pressure, blood sample, etcetera...etcetera....You'd think I'd be thrown in a cell by now. Killing with style is mentally exhausting, you know? I really need some 'me time.'" 

"You won't be able to pull a disappearing act now, Ghost. After this assessment, we're throwing your ass in a hole so deep you'll never see daylight, or civilization again." 

"An introvert's wet dream. Can't wait." 

"Who. Fucking. Touched. You?" 

"That's my good girl." 

Villains & Vices Series

1. Depraved Devotion

2. Depraved Desires (06/23/26) 

Tropes

Dark Romance 

Stalker

Serial Killer

Slow Burn 

Enemies to Lovers

He Falls First 

Forbidden

Branded by Saffron A. Kent

 

It all began with letters. Every word he wrote etched itself into my mind, into my soul. I had no choice but to fall in love with him. Was it really so bad that the letters were part of a pen pal program, sent from a penitentiary? Or that they weren't really addressed to me? It's not as if he'd ever find out the truth. It's not as if I'd ever get to look those eyes that are as blue as the sky over his ranch he left behind. Or that I'd ever get to feel his work-roughened hands dominating my body as he does my fevered dreams. Until one afternoon when I find myself standing in front of him - pretending to be someone I am not. But the joke's on me because for all my pretenses, his deception is much crueler. The hardened, dangerous, impossibly beautiful man is nothing like the man in the letters. And it's too late for me to run. Branded by Saffron A. Kent was published on October 2025. 

This book was purchased while I was on a weekend trip with my lovely husband. So I finally got around to reading it and I am so happy that I made that choice. This book had me in all of the emotions. Through the book, I was trying to figure out what the hell was happening with the characters. Like what made the MMC do what he did to the FMC. The writing of this book is so top tier that every page and scene made you think and yet they flowed so perfectly. The smut scenes in this book are amazing and you will not want any distractions while reading them. I cannot wait to read more books by Saffron A. Kent. As if she writes more books like this then I know for sure she will become one of my favorite authors. 

Quotes that I Loved 

"Hands off her now or I'll kill you right here for touching my wife." 

"And cowboys may be the worst boyfriends but we make the best husbands." 

"What were you gonna do with my knife then.....swat butterflies in the meadow?" 

"So if I wanna keep you, I'm gonna let you ride." 
"Ride?"
"Uh-huh."
"What?" 
"My mouth." 
"I...what?"
"Now, shut the fuck up, hold on to that knife, and keep those legs open." 

Tropes 

Dark Romance 

Age-Gap

Small Town

Enemies to Lovers 

Grumpy Sunshine 

Virgin 

Marriage of Convenience 

Test of Time (Blossom Peak #3) by Harlow James

 

Falling for the single dad next door wasn't part of my plan when I moved to Blossom Peak. I accepted the teaching job for a fresh start, far away from the controlling ex I left behind. But Rhonan Hart is everything you could ask for in a man. Strong, dependable, helpful, an amazing father to his daughter, Ellis...and looks beyond Sinful in his sheriff's uniform. Except his daughter is my student, and he's determined to pretend like our connection doesn't exist. (I'm determined to pretend he didn't see me naked when my shower blew up, and he tried to save me.) But soon, he's sneaking over to my house at night - warming my bed, tearing down his walls, and making me want something I knew I couldn't have. My life is a mess, one I'm still trying to clean up. But this man and his child give me a glimpse of a future I want, no matter what the cost. Just when I think I'm on the path to moving on, fate decides to give us the test of Time. I just hope this is a test we both survive. Test of Time by Harlow James was published on April 10th, 2026. This is the third book in the Blossom Peak series. 

I was given this book for my honest review from Harlow James and The Smuthood. I have to say that this series has me in all the emotions of the world. I have cried, laughed, giggled, squealed, and swooned through out each book. This book was no different as the other two in the series. I absolutely love the way Harlow James writes each of her characters and how each book you see pieces of the characters that you haven't read about. I already knew this book was going to knock my socks off from the previous books when I met Rhonan. Then this book still blew me away when you get to meet the amazing Vienna. This book had so much chemistry between the characters. But not only that the friendship of Vienna and Rhonan's little girl. It's such an amazing book and I couldn't put this book down even for a minute. I highly recommend checking this book out. 

Quotes that I Loved 

"Are you not actually planning on getting your dick pierced, then? Did I just get manipulated with the threat of penis mutilation?" 
"I mean, the thought has crossed my mind, actually. New penis, new me."
"Your dick will still be the same."
"No, he'll be bejeweled."
"For the love of God, please stop." 

"Everyone go look outside. I think pigs are flying because Elliot and Dilynne just agreed on something." 

"Don't. Fucking. Think. About. It." 

"You look so fucking good on your knees." 

Blossom Peak Series 

1. All This Time 

2. On Borrowed Time 

3. Test of Time

4. It's About Time (07/10/2026) 

Tropes 

Single Parent

Small Town 

Forced Proximity 

Grumpy Sunshine 

Men in Uniform - Sheriff