No Matter the Cost by Anna Hackett [Review]

No Matter the Cost (Unsanctioned #2) by Anna Hackett
Format: paperback
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: February 3, 2026

Unsanctioned
1. Burn the World Down
2. No Matter the Cost - Paperback | Special Edition | Kindle

Related Series:
(Find all the reviews for the series under the 1st review)
Team 52
1. Mission: Her Protection

Anna Hackett
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

I’ll make her mine, if she doesn’t kill me first.

Bastian

I came from nothing and became known as the Reaper. The most feared CIA assassin in the business. Then I retired, faked my death, and now spend my time running my casino.

But there’s one part of my past I can’t let go—the tiny female assassin who’s vowed to kill me.

We were mentored by the same man, a man we both considered a father, but there’s nothing brotherly about what I feel for Lark.

Now, we’re enemies and she won’t rest until I’m dead.

I won’t rest until she’s mine.

Lark

I have one mission—kill Bastian Thorne.

I lost everything when my parents were murdered. Until a grizzled CIA agent took me in and molded me into a deadly assassin.

Then Bastian executed him.

My plan: infiltrate Bastian’s luxurious life and take him down. But he proves hard to kill and forces me to face an ugly, tangled truth.

Secrets from my past collide with my blood-drenched present. I find myself in the sights of a dangerous killer. One with twisted reasons for wanting me dead.

Now, the only man I can trust is my enemy.

But I know getting close to Bastian is the biggest risk of all.

Thoughts on No Matter the Cost: We're back with the second of the ex-assassins and Bastian definitely has his hands full with Lark. Her past is as dark and dangerous as his and she's determined to kill him for killing her mentor. Look, theirs is a complicated relationship with lots of fighting and knives.

To say that Bastian has his hands full with Lark might be an understatement. She keeps trying to kill him and he needs to explain why he did what he did. But explaining will hurt Lark and he doesn't really want to do that. So they're caught in this push and pull against one another, but Bastian knows he has to step up and give Lark the explanations she deserves.

As Lark grapples with the bombshell Bastian dropped on her, she also has this inconvenient (at least in her eyes) attraction to the sexy ex-assassin. Plus, there's this serial killer who just might be targeting her for reasons that tie back in to why she had been gunning for Bastian in the first place.

Yeah, these two are complicated.

The fight. They have sexy times. Lark has a tough time realizing she can rely on anyone. Bastian is a little bossy. These two plus Bastian's crew of deadly friends work to make sure no one else will die at the hands of the person targeting Lark. I must say I like these deadly men and the women who fall for them. PLUS! We got to see a familiar face or two (Team 52!) and I always enjoy that!

RtP's Week in Review (06/07/26)

Reading the Paranormal's Week in Review

• Beast Business by Ilona Andrews [Review] - Augustine! Diana!
• The Mermaid in the Shot Glass by Hailey Edwards [Review] - Shapeshifting love!
• Guarded by the Nightmare by Cassie Alexander [Review] - Monster love!
• Second Act Romance by Julie Soto [Review] - A second chance at loooooove!
• A Play for Love by Trilina Pucci [Review] - Another second chance!!
• Saved by my Demon by X. Callisto [Review] - Demon love!

Bookish Delights

• Books added to the pile
• Lover Forbidden (Black Dagger Brotherhood #23) by J.R. Ward
• Currently reading
• Wild Fire by Ilona Andrews

Saved by My Demon by X. Callisto [Review]

Saved by My Demon (Demon Fated Mates #2) by X. Callisto
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: February 4, 2026

Demon Fated Mates
1. Possessed by My Demon
2. Saved by My Demon - Kindle
3. Deal with My Demon
4. Sacrificed to My Demon
5. Bound to My Demon
6. Summoning My Demon
7. Falling for My Demon
8. Snowed In with My Demon

X. Callisto
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

I inherited my grandmother's house and her enemies. Demon hunters want me dead, convinced I've gone dark. Problem is, I can't control the magic I inherited, and "I'm just untrained, not evil" isn't much of a defense when they're holding blessed blades.

Desperate, I used Grandma's rosary to summon a guardian angel for protection. What I got was Kayne—fallen, dangerous, and pissed about being bound to protect me despite his banishment from Heaven.

He fell for lusting after mortals. One touch and I understand why. His touch is divine ecstasy, and when his black wings wrap around me, I feel both corrupted and saved.

The hunters want me dead. Heaven cast him out. But together? We're unstoppable.

"You summoned a fallen angel, little witch. Let me show you why I fell."

I asked for divine protection. I got a fallen angel with black wings and a glowing... y'know. Sometimes prayers are answered better than expected.

Thoughts on Saved by My Demon: When you're being hunted for something outside your control, you're a lot desperate, and you attempt to summon a guardian angel and get a fallen angel instead, I guess you just have to throw caution to the wind, say Screw it and accept that you got the better end of the deal. Especially if the summoned sexiness ends up being your fated mate.

So. Rebecca is dealing with a slight case of being hunted. She's at her wit's end, doesn't expect to live much longer with the way the hunters are escalating, and ends up with a fallen angel as a guardian. A fallen angel who REALLY likes human ladies. Seeing as he's all the physical things Rebecca could want in a male, she's game to get frisky with him.

So they frisk. And then they frisk some more. There is so much frisking and glowing and knotting that they're actually caught in the act when the hunters arrive. Which is maybe great timing on the hunters' part. I don't know. That said, Rebecca and Kayne aren't thrilled with being interrupted.

Enjoyable overall and pretty much what I was looking for when I picked it up.

A Play for Love by Trilina Pucci [Review]

A Play for Love (The Improbable Meet-Cute: Second Chances #4) by Trilina Pucci
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: February 4, 2026

The Improbable Meet-Cute: Second Chances
1. Accidentally Yours
2. Time Will Tell
3. Second Act Romance
4. A Play for Love - Kindle
5. Death to Valentine's Day
6. Valentine's Slay

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
The Improbable Meet-Cute
1. The Exception to the Rule

Trilina Pucci
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Years ago, during a college production of Romeo and Juliet, Rory and Oliver shared one unforgettable stage kiss before fate pulled them apart. Now, while drowning her Valentine’s Day sorrows at brunch, she spots him: her former Romeo, wearing nothing but gold shorts and wings, playing Cupid for the lovelorn masses. Their chemistry still sizzles, but even with the stars finally aligning, these former leads will need more than Shakespeare’s guidance to turn their second chance into a true romance.

Thoughts on A Play for Love: I'm genuinely enjoying this set of improbable meet-cutes and Rory and Oliver totally hit the spot. They both had crushes on one another in college, but felt like the other was WAY out of their league and so just admired from afar. Then they got teamed up (VERY unexpectedly) for a scene that involved a swoony kiss before going their separate ways.

Fate smiled on them, however, when they both ended up at an oddly themed Italian/Chinese restaurant on V-Day years later. Oliver was bamboozled by his BFF into a pair of gold lame shorts (that sounds just as bad as it probably was) and Rory was on what she thought was a going-away party. Except it wasn't. It was a terrible, horrible, no good date with a guy she had no interest in who'd tricked her by telling her it was a group thing. Dude. No. Just no.

Fortunately, the two of them managed to save one another from what could have been a really bad evening. Seeing as this was Rory's last night in New York, Oliver set out to give her all the touristy fun her little heart desired. And these two? They hit it off. BIG TIME. So when Rory left for California the next day, they kinda sorta did the long distance thing. Until long distance wasn't enough.

A fun, flirty, and star (or maybe comet?) crossed romance! *thumbs up*

Second Act Romance by Julie Soto [Review]

Second Act Romance (The Improbable Meet-Cute: Second Chances #3) by Julie Soto
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: February 3, 2026

The Improbable Meet-Cute: Second Chances
1. Accidentally Yours
2. Time Will Tell
3. Second Act Romance - Kindle
4. A Play for Love
5. Death to Valentine's Day
6. Valentine's Slay

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
The Improbable Meet-Cute
1. The Exception to the Rule

Julie Soto
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

When food poisoning takes out the lead in their Valentine’s Day production of Oklahoma!, TV sensation Colby J. Turner swoops in to save the show. But for leading lady Bex Hardgrave, this last-minute casting is more drama than she bargained for. Eight years ago, their onstage chemistry sparked real-life fireworks—until a misunderstanding brought down the curtain on their budding romance. Now they’re sharing the spotlight again, and their old connection is threatening to steal the show. As showtime approaches, Bex and Colby will have to decide if their second-chance romance deserves its own standing ovation.

Thoughts on Second Act Romance: Shrimp tacos are most definitely on my no-fly list after reading this. I mean, those shrimp tacos almost completed derailed an entire performance. On the other hand, it did bring Colby and Bex back into each others' orbits. So, you know, maybe the shrimp tacos were a force of good disguised as a terrible, terrible experience for most of the cast.

Anywho. Bex and Colby had a moment years before and things could have turned out differently, but circumstances worked against them. Now they're acting with one another in the show that brought them together (thanks to those horrifying shrimp tacos) and...the chemistry's still there.

Another sparkling connection with a dynamite performance by two people who might have missed the boat the first time around, but they're DEFINITELY not going to let it pass them by again. *thumbs up*

Guarded by the Nightmare by Cassie Alexander [Review]

Guarded by the Nightmare (Monster Security Agency #7) by Cassie Alexander
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: January 16, 2026

Monster Security Agency
1. Guarded by the Golem
2. Guarded by the Snake
3. Guarded by the Spider
4. Guarded by the Kraken
5. Guarded by the Leshy
6. Guarded by the Vodnik
7. Guarded by the Nightmare - Paperback | Kindle
8. Guarded by the Reaper
9. Guarded by the Phantom
10. Guarded by the Krampus
11. Guarded by the Yeti
12. Guarded by the AI
13. Guarded by the Symbiote
14. Guarded by the Steel Seraph
15. Guarded by the Clanker

Cassie Alexander
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

No one survives hiring me. Not even her.

I’m a Nightmare, a creature that feeds on fear, and I’m capable of boundless cruelty—which is why my services come at a steep price: the life of the person who hired me. As such, the only people who hire me on are those brought to me by fate, like Mina, a woman so desperate for revenge that she’s willing to spend her own life to get it.

I don’t usually care why I’m hired. Human affairs don’t matter to me. Food is food, and a job is a job.

Mina’s enemies will get what they deserve—and I’ll get what’s mine.

Her beating heart.

Thoughts on Guarded by the Nightmare: I must say I enjoy seeing how these monsters and their special someones end up making things work. I mean, Sylas is a literal Nightmare whose payment is the life of the person who hires him. So, you know, that's ominous and seems like a hard thing to get past in a relationship. Buuuuuuut they somehow make it work. You know, eventually and after a few speedbumps.

But first! Mina steps into MSA to see if she can find out anything about the Hourglass Killer and ends up hiring the monster himself. Well, hire might be a misnomer. Sylas knew Mina was there for him as soon as she stepped through the MSA doors. And his price for helping her is set in stone. Or set on her skin, I guess. Mina has some very specific things she needs to happen and Sylas is more than capable of bringing all her desires to life. Or, uhh, death, I guess. You see, Mina needs a few people killed and she's willing to do anything that needs to be done to make sure it happens.

Sylas is...complicated. He's a Nightmare. He needs to feed. He knows Mina's life is his once he does what he's been hired to do. But she makes him feel things. Things he hasn't felt in a long time. If ever. And she's not AT ALL put off by his darker tendencies. She understands what he is (as much as a human is able to) and she wants to be with him. Which throws Sylas because he's never met someone who wanted him for him, not as a means to an end.

A murderous group of terrible individuals, a best friend in a bad situation, twisted magic, some truly inspired deaths, a Nightmare who is willing to attempt to thwart fate itself, and a lady who had nothing left to lose until she suddenly did. *thumbs up*

The Mermaid in the Shot Glass by Hailey Edwards [Review]

The Mermaid in the Shot Glass (Groom & Doom #3) by Hailey Edwards
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: February 1, 2026

Groom & Doom
1. The Vampire in the Potting Shed
2. The Goblin in the Sink Drain
3. The Mermaid in the Shot Glass - Kindle
4. The Pixie in the Pickle Jar
5. The Ghost in the Pole Barn

Hailey Edwards
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

The time has come for Ana to conquer her doubts about her heritage and discover her inner dragon. Her lessons begin with summoning fire on the shore at Lendman Park, placing a buffer between her fledgling powers and town. Her flames prove eager to please, leaping to her fingertips, but a sudden burst of magic topples her and Rían into the lake. A lake one of the locals swears is inhabited by a mermaid.

Too bad the mermaid lore isn’t the only story making the rounds in Brentwood. Rumor has it that Mercer Bates has challenged Carmichael Sartori for control of the Sartori pack. Ana doesn’t want to care whether Carmichael lives or dies, but our hearts don’t always listen to our heads. And that proves doubly true when someone Ana considers a new friend reveals her true loyalties in an explosive betrayal that shakes the foundation of the Walsh clan.

Thoughts on The Mermaid in the Shot Glass: Oh my goodness. Rian is trying SO HARD to rein in his protective and possessive streak when it comes to Ana because he wants her to have the choice to choose him. Not feel constrained by gratitude or guilt or any of those other pesky emotions that aren't straight up want.

To be fair, Ana does feel the want, but she was treated so terribly by Sartori and his pack that she's having a hard time accepting that the people around her want her for her. Rian liking her throws her. Heck, having Sloane as a friend she can count on throws her, so those deeper emotions she has toward Rian really have her reeling.

On top of all these feeeeelings, Ana and Rian are also dealing with potential changes to the Sartori pack leadership and betrayal from within for the Walsh clan. Oh, and Ana is finally coming into her dragon-ish abilities. Sort of. I mean, they're there. She's having a bit of a struggle controlling them, but they're proof (along with that lovely single scale) that she really is a dragon.

A couple of matchmaking family members, a explosion of power, and some answers to questions Ana was too polite to ask. Things are moving forward for this couple and I'm enjoying their journey A LOT!