This is a great book. I loved the characters and the whole relationship. It had some spicy moments, which is always fun. I love how the couple meets and how they are. The ending is sad, and I can't wait to read more to figure out what happens next. Great start to the series.

The writing here was good; and there were some creative tweaks on classic tropes.

My quibble here is this was a short-short, to me, rather than a novella as billed. More than a vignette, but not by much. And as such there was very little characterization offered, so I didn’t get a chance to care about either of them. For me, that drives the low rating.

The beginning was slower, then there was a sex scene, then the scary spooky part, then a snapshot of “the new normal”. The End. It was abrupt. And the central mystery (not mentioned in the book blurb so I won’t specify it here) is nowhere near to being resolved. So this was more like a teaser to get us to buy the next book.

Again, what is here was well written, and I’m sure the subsequent related volumes would be also. And the general premise and central mystery were intriguing. From what I can see in the title listings, the subsequent books in this series are complete unto themselves, so I will likely read more by this author.

I received this book as an ARC in return for my true opinion. all statements are my own and not swayed by anyone

A dark romance kind of book and its not for everyone. I enjoyed it however. Its a bit quick paced but thus author personally handled it pretty well. story line was well thought out. if you like haunting adeline and twilight give this book a chance. similar connections from both but its not an exact copy. the female main character can be dumb but who isn’t? she mates mistakes but it contributes to the plot. luke <3 love him. i shouldnt but i do

Crave Me Roughly is a fun, quick read with some heat, a bit of intrigue, and a dash of action. I enjoyed the twists on the average paranormal/vampire romance in that not all the vampire stereotypes hold true in this book; I also appreciated the introduction of other, new paranormal creatures with interesting powers (the Shades)! The fast pacing was what kept me invested in this novella; there weren't any scenes or conversations that lingered for too long. Although, some of the beats pertinent to Luke and Sara's romantic arc could have used a little more time to marinate. I found I wasn't entirely invested in the romance that unfolded after they slept together, and Sara's nature as someone who avoids connection changed very quickly and without much incentive. It felt like she fell too suddenly and too deeply for a character who seemed so logical and fearful of attachment in the beginning chapters. Overall, it was an entertaining read with some interesting worldbuilding and paranormal elements, but the character arcs and romance fells flat for me.

Absolutely loved this somewhat spicy novella and cannot wait to read the first book of the series that this has come from.

Vampires, demons and lawyers... oh my. The characters are well put together and the story is a fantastic introduction to the world that Kira James has created. You truly get a sense for who Luke and Sara are and the ending I can only assume is the perfect link to the first full length book in the series.

Right off the bat I don’t like the idea of a grown man developing feelings for a girl he’s literally been stalking since she was a kid. I dunno, maybe I’m just not a dark romance kinda gal and it’s just not my cup of tea but it just feels weird to me. That along with the insta-love made me DNF it, which is a shame because I actually really like Sara’s character. Her need for danger is questionable but I think she’s pretty badass!

Crave Me Roughly is an enticing and seductive paranormal romance. The Dark Alliance series starts off with the perfect bite.

Sara is a prosecutor who even after 20 years is ready to find her father's killer. She is good at her job and uses her pain in going after the bad guys. When she is feeling overwhelmed, she turns to men. A good time and a good way to release pent-up energy, but that's it. That is until she meets Luke.

Luke is a mysterious man. He has been following Sara in the shadows for many years and has fallen in love with her from afar. When he has to save her from trouble, their connection is palpable. Sara isn't used to feeling a connection with anyone, but one kiss makes her feel whole. Sara and Luke are getting hot and heavy and it's steamy! They have amazing chemistry and I want so much more.

I give Crave Me Roughly 4 stars. I love a good paranormal romance and I am hooked. I need more of this series and I can't wait to get my hands on the next books!

I enjoyed how quick paced and how to the point this book was, it was kinda hard to get my bearings in the beginning but I quickly recovered and enjoyed the book!

“Luke? She murmured as he gently stroked her hair.“
“Yes, my love?“
“You’re right, she whispered. I am yours”
Ugh swoon

What is it about a stalker romance that’s so addictive. I really enjoyed this book it was suspenseful and spicy. Insta love isn’t my favorite trope but it difficult to avoid in a novella. Suspense romance novels aren’t something I read often but I do enjoy the combination of the two genres.

As far as novellas go, this one fell a little flat for me. I did enjoy the idea of story, but it felt rushed... Even for a novella. HOWEVER, this is a prequel and after reading the first couple chapters of the 1st book in the series I must admit I am hooked, for at least 1 more book!

I really enjoyed this book!!

It had an opening storyline that grabbed my attention and then it was a pretty fast paced book with plenty of action which set the scene for things to come.

It was a completely captivating read that was romantic, unusual and sexy.

It is 5 stars from me for this one – very highly recommended!

Ok this was an intro/short story on the series to come, and yes I was hooked. He’s been watching/protecting her from the shadows since she was a child and has grown to fall in love with her. As she becomes aware of him and then the world he belongs to the storyline just opens and had me completely captivated. I will definitely be looking for this series and other work from this author.

I saw this book ready to be reviewed and was capitivated by the blurb. I am glad I picked this prequel up. The story of Luke amd Sara. Sara, has no idea she is being watched from afar. After her fathers death, Luke was assigned to watch over her and make sure nothing bad happens to her. The story see,s to me to quickly progress when a threat is made towards Sara, and Luke won’t stand for that. The follow up story of Sara and Like is called Embrace me Darkly. I can’t wait to read the continuing story..

The characters are great and their chemistry was believable. It’s a good taste of what is to come in the full length novels and gets the reader accustomed to the world that these characters are a part of.

This was a fun, quick and steamy prequel! I loved the chemistry between Luke and Sara. The ending left me in shock and I can’t wait to start the next book in the series! I NEED to know what happens next!!

I’ll give this prequel novella to the Dark Alliance series a 3.5 stars. It’s good and really keeps you wondering what’s going to happen next. Sara have no idea that everything her father tells her as bedtime stories are truth. And she gets involved with those who her father tell her, and those who kill him when she was 8. Not only that Sara is in the middle of investigating, she is very attracted since the beginning to Jake, they fell for each other but is not as easy as it sound. Secrets and decisions are to told and to make, and maybe this change the course of their story. This gave us an introduction of what happened before, but keeps some things that you will have to read on the next one. It finishes on cliffhanger, so if you want to know what’s going to happen to them as a couple you will have to read the next book.

I mostly like it, but I feel like something was missing, or like I don’t felt to convince to keep reading. I’m sure interested in their story, but no so much to go right when I finish here to buy the next one, at least not for now.

First off huge thanks to NetGalley and Kira James for the chance to read Crave Me Roughly.

I went into this book blindly. It was one of those "Oh this cover is beautiful. I need to read it!" situations. The cover tells you that it's a Dark Alliance Novella, which gave me some insight into what to expect.

I immediately got a Haunting Adeline meets Twilight vibe from this book and right down to the very end, it fulfilled that vibe.

Sara was smart but did dumb things that put her in troubling situations. She was out to get justice for her father's death and would stop at nothing to do that, even if it meant her being killed.

I loved Serge and Luke. Their protectiveness, banter, brotherly relationship.

I don't want to give anything away, so I'll keep this short and sweet. If you liked Haunting Adeline and Twilight, read this novella!

I've already added the complete series to my TBR!

Crave Me Roughly by Kira James
(A prequel Novella)
⭐️⭐️ (Two Stars)
This review does not include anything about the sneak peek for the first book or any spicy scenes!
I really wanted to give this book 3 stars. But I can’t do that without feeling like I’m lying to myself. I feel like this book had a lot of potential. This Novella is only 96 pages long, I know there is not much room for a lot of development. However, I felt as though the story took off too fast. One of the main characters had a bit of an introduction. But the second main character I felt like I didn’t know anything about until the end. I understand that this is a short fantasy novella and it’s about vampires, so calling unrealistic would be silly. But I feel as though a lot of what I read was unrealistic, even for a fantasy world. I will say that I think this prequel set up a lot of possibilities for the rest of the series. I tend to not read spicy scenes in books, because I feel like it doesn’t add that much to a storyline. But skimming over it, Does make me think That those of you who are looking for a short spicy read involving vampires would like this novella!

SPOILER ALERTS AHEAD!!!!:
I had a hard time with how fast Sara jumped into bed and fell in love with Luke. if I read correctly, this novella only took place over the span of 2 to 3 days. We are introduced to Sarah as somebody who really has no interest in love, and only does one night stands or random hook ups. When she meets Luke, she originally just wants to have a one night stand, but in the matter of ours. They are professing their undying love for each other, and that just confused me.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that I recommend this book if you are into a lot of character development and storyline. But if you just love vampires, and want a short smutty read than this might be for you!

The book is a prequel to a following story called embrace me darkly. It tells the tale of Sara and Luke. Luke being someone who was tasked to protect her from the dark. The story progressed very quickly with switching pov‘s. Definitely a recommendation if you like Vampire story’s 18+.

Luke has been looking after Sara since her father was killed when she was a kid. But Sara had no idea that someone was looking out for her. Over the years Luke has gotten to know her really well and has fallen in love with her even though Sara doesn't know him at all. She only knows him as a creepy stalker that she spots in the shadows every once in a while. The fact that she thinks she has a stalker doesn't freak her out the way it should, in fact she kind of likes the fact that she spots him following her around at times.

Luke wasn't supposed to let her see him but he's slipped up a time or two and doesn't realize that she's seen him. One night when she puts herself in danger, Luke has no choice but to save her and they finally come face to face.

From that point forward he can't stay away and she doesn't want him to until she finds out he's a vampire. Then she's not sure what to think but she knows she's not scared of him because she knows he'd never hurt her.

This is the prequel to the Dark Alliance series and so we get a little back story as to what her father was into that got him killed. She had no idea about any of it so some family secrets come to light which I always like. It was a good setup for the next book but it ended a little abruptly, which I didn't like. But I am willing to read the next book and see how I like that because anyone who knows me, knows I love a vampire romance.

Disclosure: I was given an e-book copy of this book via NetGalley but all opinions and thoughts are my own.