Carnal Urges: Queens and Monsters Book 2 (Queens and Monsters, 2)

I DO NOT CONSIDER this as a stand-alone read. It begins where the first one ends, has reoccurring characters, and overlapping themes.

Contains subject matter that may be a trigger or offensive to some including adult language, steamy adult intimate scenes involving BDSM themes of restraints, sensory deprivation, spankings for punishment and pleasure, dominance and submission, and violence such as kidnapping / abduction, torture, rape, murder, betrayal, subterfuge, drugs, human trafficking, illegal activities, as well as mental, physical and sexual child abuse, etc.

⛔️ If you have not read the previous story in the series, the following will contain spoilers.

Last chance …

There are a few grammatical issues but not many and nothing difficult to interpret. The world building continues from the first, although all of it is in a different location; it is more about the criminal world in which the series exists.

The characters are evolved and Sloane’s personality is even better than in the first story, although not as outrageous in comments about sexual behavior / acts when compared to the dialogue with Natalie. I also expected a lot of scenes involving certain sexual acts of the “bottom” kind (again based on dialogue from the first story). I won’t tell you if the specifics, as I don’t want to spoil any scenes for you, but I think you will be surprised based on how often it was a topic previously.

I am honestly surprised how much I really enjoyed this story. It is written with a sense of humor and there were times I laughed until I cried. “Stravi” was also surprising. Nothing like the witty repartee and dry sense of humor wrapped into two intelligent characters like Sloane and Declan. If you like lots of action, hot sexy characters that are loyal, not afraid to give back what they receive, show no fear, or refuse to be a victim, all while still living by a code, then I can highly recommend this story and series.

This story begins after Sloane has been kidnapped after her arrival in New York to visit with her BFF Natalie. She has been drugged and hit her head when she was removed from the car, but she refuses to cower or be afraid. She stands up for herself and Declan the second in command of the Irish mafia isn’t sure what to make of her. Within the first hour of being wake she has most of the crew either pissed, frustrated, angry, exacerbated, or half in love with her “charming” self (the scenes on the plane are in my top 20 of all time faves).

Declan is wishing they had never captured her, but Diego, the head of their family wanted to speak with her. Sloane caused a war between all of the families and everyone was feeling the pinch since the ports, etc. were controlled by the Russians and they have all everything locked down since the shoot out at the restaurant in Lake Tahoe. Now everyone is after her, but Declan has her, even if he wants to strangle her with his bare hands, freaking Diego … then he gets a call that he is now in charge, which means that Sloane is now under his control …

What a WILD ride! Geissinger's books are always addictive, and her mafia romances have been particularly compelling - with this being no exception. These two were FIRE together, and I was absolutely hooked from start to finish. I'll openly admit that I had a little more trouble than usual getting behind this particular couple, not because they don't have exquisite banter and sizzling chemistry (they definitely DO!), but because the brand of steam in this one just isn't my flavor (we'll talk about that in a minute). But that is really my only complaint. The rest of this was so completely engrossing, I was perfectly fine with skimming through a couple of scenes that weren't my cup of tea. I binged this in one sitting, and stayed up way too late reading. And the audio? Well worth the wait.

Yes, this will technically read as a standalone. Do I recommend that? No, because the other books are fantastic. They're also somewhat interconnected, and I can't say how well this would read out of order. This story follows Declan and Sloane, two people brought together by... unusual circumstances. Declan has taken Sloane captive on the order of his mafia boss, and now they're stuck together - and neither one is excited about it. Declan is a broody and moody, coldblooded killer, and Sloane is a fierce and feisty, resilient woman. She probably should be afraid of the man (okay, she definitely should be), but Sloane refuses to cower. Her bubbly energy and upbeat attitude throw Declan off-kilter, and it's not long before she's getting under his skin. But Declan is a man who is always in control, and he'll have it one way or another.

So, let's get the part that I didn't like out of the way - the steam. Geissinger's books are ALWAYS smoking hot and the scenes aren't typically vanilla, but this story has a more pronounced submission aspect. There's a lot of "sir" and "master" talk, with one mildly disturbing steamy scene involving a tampon that I could not for the life of me find sexy. But, hey, different strokes for different folks, right? There were probably only about 25 pages in the whole book that weren't for me, and the rest was outstanding. It's definitely got an instalove feel, but it worked here since the chemistry is very, very obvious. I LOVED all of the banter, and there is such a playful feel to this otherwise dark (and potentially triggering) romance. Declan makes a great antihero, with a stern exterior and a secret marshmallow heart; the opposites attract vibe really worked for these two. This hits the ground running from the first page, and it kept me hooked from start to finish. And you can bet that I'm extremely impatient for the next couple in this series.

Audio note: The audio is great! It's got duet narration that is extremely well done, with both voices in every chapter. Loved that. The female narrator does a good job, but Troy Duran steals the show with his accent and deep voice. Sometimes I have trouble with accents in audiobooks, but this one was just sexy. And there's a lot of steam in this, so it's a scorching listen. DEFINITELY not safe for work, lol. Nope. The runtime is ideal though, under 10 hours and perfect for a one-day listen - which is good, because there was no way that I was going to sleep without finishing. The audio takes this story up another notch, and it's one that I'd recommend without hesitation. Just make sure that you have headphones in, because, yeah, it's blush-inducing.

✨Book Review ✨ Carnal Urges by J.T. Geissinger Book 2 of the Queens and Monsters series

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (spicy, smutty) ❤️‍🩹 (Level 1 angst)

If you've read book 1, you've met Sloane. She's so much more than the funny bestie. Sloane's intelligent, resilient, kind, and such a fighter. And literally the best book bestfriend. I love how the author did not sacrifice their friendship and overall character for the sake of "storyline".

Declan and Sloane are so great together. Kinda toxic, just a tiny bit at first, but then their growth >>> I also loved the on page mafia dealings and different conflicts. Also their banter?!?! Omg Geissinger KNOWS what banter is and what it's supposed to be. Like their back and forth is so charged with actual disdain for each other and lots of tension as time goes by. Their first kiss FLOORED me!!!

This book was not that angsty, but still emotional on a few occasions.

There's a D/S type of dynamic between the MCs and that's all I'll say 🤫

Overall, great writing, loved it all. It's better if you read book 1 and then book 2, as you will understand Nat and Sloane's friendship better ❤️ Fully recommend!

Soloane Keller (28) Best friends with Nat and fiancé of the Russian mafia boss Kage…..Soloane is smart, funny, quick, witted, sassy, which makes any man drop to their knees and worship her 😏 she is an inspiring yoga teacher who wants to open up her own studio to help empower other girls like herself because of a traumatic experience that happened to her when she was a young girl….. because of this traumatic experience she has redeemed herself un worthy of true ❤️ and that is why she changes men as often as she changes her shoes👠…. Her world gets turned upside down when she gets kidnapped Bye the Irish mafia Who charges her mind, body and soul 🤭

Declon O’Donnell (42) Is the new head of the Irish mafia who kidnaps the best friend of the rushing mafia to try to get information out of her, but he never expected her to be more trouble than she is worth…. Well @ fist 😏 he finds her lack of obedience, a pain in the ass as well as interesting and desiring at the same time, as well as she is not just a pretty face, she is smart, sassy, and kind too…..

Soloane & Declon relationship is like….. I hate you for defying me …. I hate you for challenging me ….. I hate you because I love you ….

Their love is like beauty and the beast with Tinker 🔔 tantrums rolled up into one vibes 🤪

Carnal Urges book 2 of queens and monsters is a dark mafia romance that will take you on a bumpy ride of kidnapping /desire /need and wanting. The 🌶️ lvl for being 3/5 for me because of BDSM.

P.S. When will the marriage of Nat & Kage be? lol When will Soloane & Declon’s marriage be? lol Will the girls be able go to each others wedding ? lol Will Kage spill the beans on Soloane & Declon’s secret? 🤫 WHAT happened to STAVROS? Is he dead or alive? Or did he turn traitor?

😘

Genre/Trope: Grumpy/Sunshine, Age-Gap, Irish Mafia Romance Book Type: Standalone, but connected to a series. Book Length: Novel POV: Alternating Dual Setting: Boston Male MC: Declan O’Donnell is the new boss of the Irish mafia. He is powerful, ruthless, intelligent, sarcastic and fully exasperated with his new beautiful captive. Declan is 42 and has jet black hair and striking blue eyes. Female MC: Sloane Keller is a yoga instructor and has men falling at her feet. She’s whip-smart with a sassy comeback for everything. Sloane is 28 and has long dark hair and green eyes. Endearment: Baby Spice Level: Medium Frequency of Spice: Medium Angst Level: Low Cliffhanger: No Epilogue: Not for the MMCs. My Review: This was a super fun story of two very sarcastic and quick-witted people who can’t deny their attraction for each other. Declan and Sloane’s banter is amazing and I loved how funny they were. I don’t usually laugh out loud when I’m reading, but this book had moments that were absolutely hilarious. The wee camel story took me out for a while! I remember not loving Sloane’s character in the first book of the series, but her journey in this one was great and she totally redeemed herself in my eyes. She’s sassy and tough, but still soft and sweet that it took the edge off. Sloane just needed to find the right man to thaw out that frozen heart of hers. As for Daddy Declan…he is beyond amazing! So grumpy and hard, but once he falls for Sloane it’s game over for him. Their love was heartwarming and exciting to experience.

-mafia -forced proximity -Kidnapping

Hey, this is the second book in the series, but you can read them separately. The characters are connected, though.

This book is about Sloane, who was my favorite side character in the first book. She's smart, kind, loyal, and sassy. She knows her worth, especially after everything she's been through when she was younger. The problem is, she tends to take care of people who seem like they don't have anyone on their side, and she turns mafia members into puppies.

Declan is the no-nonsense head of the Irish mob, and he's not exactly thrilled to have Sloane as his prisoner. But Sloane is determined to make him fall for her. She has a real talent for breaking down people's barriers, and Declan is next on her list.

This book has humor, romance, and everything else you could want. You'll laugh out loud, and you'll wish Sloane was your real

I liked the first book a lot more, especially the spicy scenes. This book had a lot of BDSM in the spicy scenes, which I did not like and just skipped ahead to where there was an actual story. Both books have good humor in it. This one has a lot more, and it's absolutely amazing. If you like a strong, sassy, intelligent, and funny FMC, you will love this book.

This book is written well and is interesting as Geissinger books are but this book in particular was ridiculous. The majority of the book was the MFC going around and supposedly having this "power" to bewitch hardened killers with just a few words. They weren't even very inventive words, it was so ridiculous. It really painted men as simple, to the point of being feeble-minded. I don't care for that nor do I find that interesting. There are also subtle digs at groups of people based on their beliefs which isn't cool, either. But for the most part, if the author wanted to paint the MFC as a pied piper of men, then it should have been done in a believable manner instead of the "wtf, are you kidding me, are we supposed to swallow this" way it was given. It made the storyline boring. The epilogue was the best. Except the part about Stavros. This book has a completely different Stavros than the first book in the series. I really don't like it when books change characters personalities between books to suit the story as if the reader won't notice. While we don't get much from Stavros in book 1, he is portrayed as a man that is trouble, meaning don't cross him. In this book he's a blubbering, bungling idiot. This book has great parts, great moments but as a whole I can't recommend it. Geissinger should have done better. The story deserves it, readers deserve it.