Review for Make Me Your Villain by Lani Lynn Vale

 

Make Me Your Villain

Battle Crows MC, Book 2

Lani Lynn Vale

Release Date: March 8, 2022

About the Book

Flaws—he has them.

Laws? He breaks them.

Dues? He’s paid them.

Scars? He bares them proudly.

Lessons? He’s learned them.

Problems? He has one.

Her name is Iris, and she’s the one thing in his life that he can’t control.

Purchase Links

✦ Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BGYb1G

✦ Apple: https://apple.co/2X8l3Ie

✦ Nook: https://bit.ly/34joizK

✦ Kobo: https://bit.ly/3GdDBaL

✦ Audio: https://www.audible.com/pd/Make-Me-Your-Villain-Audiobook/B09TTW7FXR?srsltid=AfmBOopuS0iyen6IAHobyx1P3qdKi3daX9sqJWKgF26dQ3rLbaumjUfz

Add to your TBR: https://bit.ly/3aD6uzM

Lani Lynn Vale’s Make Me Your Villain is a delightful foray into contemporary romance, weaving together humor, chemistry, and vibrant character dynamics into an undeniably engaging read. Centered around Shine and Iris, this plot invites readers into a love story that sparkles not just with romantic tension but also with warmth and playful humor. Having spent time with several of Vale’s works before, I approached this book with high expectations—and was happily reminded why her storytelling continues to charm and captivate.

From the outset, the magnetic pull between Shine and Iris is impossible to ignore. Shine, with his poised possessiveness and unwavering devotion, complements Iris’s lively spirit and razor-sharp wit perfectly. Iris’s outgoing personality and sense of humor bring a refreshing lightness and joy to the narrative, providing not only comic relief but also depth to their evolving relationship. The chemistry between these two feels genuine and electric, creating moments that range from tender to laugh-out-loud hilarious. Vale excels at character development here—each protagonist feels fully realized and their compatibility rings true, making their romance feel earned rather than contrived.

One of the novel’s standout strengths lies in its balance of emotion and fun. The plot moves at a pace that keeps you hooked without ever feeling rushed or formulaic. The pacing allows the relationship to bloom organically, and the interactions between characters feel vibrant and authentic. For fans of romance who appreciate a couple whose connection is palpable from their very first encounter—and who delight in spirited banter and playful sparks—this story hits the mark gracefully.

It’s also worth noting that Vale’s prose, while accessible and light, never sacrifices heart. She manages to infuse the story with emotional resonance amid the humor, which helps anchor the moments of joy in genuine affection and vulnerability. This isn’t just a frothy romance; it’s a feel-good tale about finding someone who truly sees and complements you.

 The possessiveness portrayed by Shine, for example, is handled in a way that some might see as traditional or even borderline cliché, though here it feels more like a protective devotion than something darker. If you’re looking for a fresh take or a story that pushes genre boundaries, this may not be your first pick. However, for those who adore a classic, well-crafted romantic journey with laugh-out-loud moments and heartfelt connections, Make Me Your Villain delivers beautifully.

 This novel is a joyful celebration of love and lighthearted companionship that will leave readers smiling long after the last page. Shine and Iris are a brilliantly matched pair whose story is as entertaining as it is tender. I recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance looking for a feel-good, addictive read filled with intriguing characters and chemistry that’s truly off the charts. Do you believe in love at first spark? Vale’s story might just make you a believer.

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EXCERPT REVEAL for The Challenge by Penelope Ward

Title: The Challenge

Author: Penelope Ward

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Single Dad, Second Chance, Forced Proximity

Friends to Lovers, Small Town, Found Family

Release Date: August 30, 2026

Take a sneak peek of THE CHALLENGE...

First Edition

Copyright © 2026

By Penelope Ward

There was so much I wanted to know about his life. More than anything, I wanted to ask what he’d dreamed about when he called my name. I was also tempted to ask about Effie’s mother. He’d said they were divorced, but was she still in the picture? Why was Effie living with him full time?

But instead of unloading all my questions, I scratched my pounding head and asked, “Do you have coffee here, by any chance?”

Rather than answer, he stalked over to a cabinet above the fridge—the one place I hadn’t checked.

With my arms wrapped around my chest, I watched as he pulled out a filter and placed it in the machine before scooping some grounds. I admired how the muscles in his back moved with the motion of his arms, the way his jeans hugged his ass.

After he started the pot, the room filled with the bubbling sound of coffee brewing. Evan turned toward me, and we stared at each other in tense silence.

“How did you sleep?” he finally asked.

“Not bad, all things considered.”

“All things being me?” He arched a brow.

“I have nothing against you, Evan.”

“Oh really? Because that unhinged letter you wrote me says otherwise. It’s not like time could change all that. Especially when we haven’t been in touch since then. I never reached out. And you never called, either.”

“I was very emotional when I wrote that letter.” I gulped. “And drunk. I wasn’t supposed to send it. It was just meant to be a way to let out my feelings.”

“So, why did you send it?”

“I wish I understood…”

“You mean to tell me you don’t still feel that way, even a little?”

My gaze fell to the floor. “It’s been a decade. Like I told you, I’d been drinking, so I don’t entirely remember what I wrote.”

Evan scratched his chin. “I don’t know if I believe that.”

I looked up. “Regardless of what unkind words I expressed in a drunken, regrettable moment…I’ve moved on.”

“Doesn’t seem like you’ve moved on given the way you raced out of here yesterday to find another place, just so you didn’t have to look at me.”

“Well, you weren’t exactly welcoming.” He was right that I’d raced out of here. But his assumption that I didn’t want to look at him? No. After all these years, it was still hard not to look at him.

The coffee gurgled to signal the end of its cycle. Saved by the gurgle.

Evan opened the cabinet. To my surprise, he set down two mugs and began preparing my coffee just the way I liked it: two sugars and heavy cream. He stirred and then handed it to me.

“Thank you.”

I didn’t have to ask how he knew the way I took it. Back when he’d been living with us, Evan and I had often caught up over coffee in my family’s kitchen before the crack of dawn while everyone else was asleep. So this was far from the first time he’d prepared a cup for me. Little did he know, I’d actually had my very first cup of coffee with him. When I’d started getting up early to join him, I hadn’t tried coffee yet. But I’d pretended to need the caffeine just as much as he did, though the only morning jolt I’d wanted back then was Evan. The smell of coffee right now, the smell of him... I was drowning in nostalgia, tinged with a bittersweet knowing that so much had changed.

We stood across from each other, silently sipping our coffees as if this was some sort of duel—who could drink it the fastest without saying anything?

Eventually, Evan set his mug down. “There are fresh towels in the linen closet off the hallway. Effie has some girly bodywash in the shower, if you need it. Pomegranate scent or some crap.” He lifted his mug again and added, “You look like you could use a shower.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Thank you. I guess I’ll take a shower before I head out to look for a place. I’ll let you know if I find one, so I can get out of your hair.”

He took a sip and saluted me with his mug. “Good luck with that.”

It was embarrassing to think I hadn’t taken a shower since I left Chicago. I grabbed a couple of towels from the closet and headed into the small bathroom.

After sliding the shower curtain open, I smiled at the sight of both masculine and “girly” bodywash side by side. As the warm water rained down on me, I squeezed pomegranate shower gel into my hand and thought about how cute and honest Effie had been last night when she’d come into my room. Closing my eyes and trying to relax, I took my sweet time lathering my body and massaging my neck. After I finished what turned out to be a twenty-minute shower, I stepped out and wrapped myself in a towel. But a loud crash just outside the door caused me to jump. “Is everything okay?” I called.

PRE-ORDER LINKS

Special pre-order price of $3.99

(price will go up after release)

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Will be free in Kindle Unlimited

DUET AUDIO

SPECIAL EDITION PAPERBACK

ADD TO GOODREADS

The current paperback preorder is for the alternate cover only.

A model-cover paperback will be live on release day.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

SINGLE DAD

SMALL TOWN

FRIENDS TO LOVERS

SECOND CHANCE

FORCED PROXIMITY

FOUND FAMILY

BLURB

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE contemporary romance…

Nothing says welcome home like accidentally moving in with your first heartbreak…and his little girl.

Coming back to my small Wyoming hometown was supposed to be temporary. I only planned to stay long enough to help my ailing mother and sort through the mess of my family’s old belongings.

Instead, I somehow ended up living in Evan Ricci’s house. The single dad now owned a bunch of properties and one of them was the place I’d rented. He’d taken it off the market and moved in before I got there. I just never got the memo. Unfortunately, there was no other place in town available, so Evan let me stay.

Evan—the guy my parents took in years ago after his mother died.

The same Evan who used to dare me into ridiculous challenges that somehow always made me stronger—a game we’d dubbed The Challenge.

The same guy who ultimately rejected me before I left for college after I’d finally garnered the courage to shoot my shot.

Now Evan was a rugged single dad with an eight-year-old daughter, a cocky attitude, and a dangerous ability to make me forget every reason I should still hate him.

Sharing a house with him should’ve been unbearable. Instead, it felt dangerously familiar, nearly making me forget that I had a life and a job to get back to in Chicago. I realized the biggest challenge wasn’t surviving living with Evan Ricci.

It was not falling in love with him all over again.

AUTHOR BIO

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over forty books. Her novels have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

AUTHOR LINKS

FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK GROUP

INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK

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OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE WARD

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Book Blitz & Giveaway for Reign of Silver & Stardust by Diana A. Hicks

Reign of Silver & Stardust

Diana A. Hicks

(Stardust Trilogy, #1)

Publication date: August 27th, 2026

Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Romance

My twin sister was murdered. To find her killer, I had to die.

CATALINA

I was never supposed to exist.

As the mortal spare to an immortal sister, I lived in the shadows

until Ry was murdered by a weapon that shouldn’t exist.

Now, justice is all I want.

To find her killer, I must take her place in the Queen’s Elite Cadre

and become the very monster everyone fears.

But becoming a weapon means losing my humanity…

and losing the one man I can’t resist.

VALOREK

The immortals bleed my world dry while my sister rots from the inside out.

I swore to burn their reign to the ground,

until I met her.

Sterling is the enemy,

a silver-blooded soldier of the regime that destroyed my family.

But the electricity between us is undeniable.

We are on opposite sides of a brewing war,

and falling for the enemy is a dangerous mistake

neither of us can afford.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

The simulation brings me back with a jolt. I land on the floor on all fours, choking on the saltwater burning my throat. Like before, once my brain catches up with reality, all the pain goes away. I hang my head and breathe easy.

If that isn’t a miserable attempt, I don’t know what is. Ry passed this level on her first try. This military stuff came naturally to her. When we were kids, the placement test put Ry and me in the Military Sector, but I never belonged or excelled the way she did.

The sleek white walls shine bright around me. Seconds later, Captain Weston’s boots come into view. When I glance up, he cocks an eyebrow at me with both hands braced on his hips. He blows out a breath, and I swear a tinge of pity flashes across his face.

“I didn’t pass your test.” I sit back on my ankles, shaking uncontrollably.

“Everyone dies in the simulation. You did better than I expected.” He scratches the stubble on his chiseled jaw. “But I do have my work cut out for me.”

“Am I in?” I meet his gaze.

“Have you talked to anyone since the accident?”

The accident? My jaw clenches.

“No.” I assume he means cadets from my unit. To Captain Weston, Valorek and his friends didn’t count.

“Good.” He clears his throat. “Because I have a proposal for you.”

When I open my mouth to speak, he brings his index finger to his lips and shakes his head once. Of course, he doesn’t want to hear about how Ry’s death wasn’t an accident. We have been doing the same song and dance for weeks. This time, I do as he asks and keep quiet, but only because it looks like I am about to get what I want—an opportunity to join the Queen’s immortal army, where I’ll have the ability to look into Ry’s murderer myself.

“You need something from me.” I meet his gaze.

“We need you to take your sister’s place as a lieutenant in the Queen’s army. You still need a lot of training before you can join Ry’s unit, but we have a bit of time.”

“Wait. What?” I gape at him as my heart thrashes in my ears. “That is not what I wanted at all.”

“I gave it some thought.” He swallows. “It’s all I can offer. It’s the only solution, really.”

“Do you have any idea how insane this sounds?” I scoff. “Ry told me everything about the QEC simulator seven years ago. This was the easy part and I still died. How am I supposed to be her when I know nothing about her world? She had her own life outside of me.”

“That’s why I’m here. I’ll be your guide.” His eyes soften.

“So what, Captain Weston? Do I now get to call you Cap or Eli?”

“You can call me whatever you want.” He offers a crooked, sexy smile. “In fact, I think that if you call me Eli in private, the transition will be easier for you.”

“Eli?” I meant to be sarcastic, but he is completely serious with his answer.

Author Bio:

Diana Hicks writes dark, emotional romance where obsession runs deep, secrets cut sharp, and love always comes at a price.

Her books blend steamy billionaire drama with forbidden marriages, high-stakes betrayal, and antiheroes who will burn the world to protect what’s theirs. Best known for The Empire Trilogy, Diana’s stories deliver heart-pounding romance with morally gray men, strong heroines, and just enough heat to leave you breathless.

When she’s not writing about power and passion colliding, she’s probably sipping coffee like it's a love language, sweating off a plot twist at yoga, or posting angsty book teasers on TikTok.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok

GIVEAWAY!

Reign of Silver & Stardust Blitz

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🖤--🖤NEW RELEASE🖤--🖤 for Hearts & Embers By Susan Horsnell – USA Today Bestselling Author

 🔥--🔥NEW RELEASE🔥--🔥

Hearts & Embers

Firehouse 99

By Susan Horsnell – USA Today Bestselling Author

Goodreads: 

𝑱𝒂𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒕 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒔.

1-Click on Amazon

US | UK | CA | AU

Kindle Unlimited.

Blurb:

Jasper Cartwright has learned to live in the quiet spaces between alarms.

At thirty-six, the firefighter–paramedic of Rescue Truck 3 keeps his head down at Firehouse 99, lets his actions speak for him, and saves his energy for the moments that matter—when lives hang in the balance and trust is everything. He doesn’t chase connection. He survives on loyalty, routine, and the steady brotherhood of the station.

Aurora Brown’s life is built on structure too—lesson plans, early mornings, and the small comforts of her downtown loft. At twenty-eight, she’s independent, dedicated, and used to standing on her own. Until one brutal winter morning, when a blizzard steals control of her car and slams her world into a steel pole.

Jasper is the one who pulls her from the wreckage.

What begins in flashing lights and freezing wind doesn’t end when the sirens fade. As Aurora heals, Jasper finds himself drawn into a life warmer and brighter than the one he’s carefully maintained. And Aurora begins to see the man behind the turnout gear—the one who listens more than he speaks, who carries embers of loss and devotion deep in his chest.

But loving a firefighter means loving someone who runs toward danger, who may not always come home.

In a city forged by fire and winter, Hearts & Embers is a tender, slow-burning romance about quiet courage, second chances, and the kind of love that grows strongest after the flames die down.

For more about Susan Horsnell and her books:

HERE

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