Dangerous Contemporaries

Books about lives spicy in AND out of the bedroom

I want to read more sexy romantic suspense, and while these three books, like my danger bang roundup a while back, scratch the itch, I’m still feeling itchy. What are your favorite romantic suspenses that I haven’t read yet, that do not involve FBI agents or cops? The more heart pounding, the better! Especially if they’re contemporary.

Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura. For as long as she can remember, archaeologist Dr. Socorro “Corrie” Mejía has been preparing for a journey to a remote Mexican jungle to search for her ancestor, Chimalli, an ancient warrior of the Aztec empire. She’s had her share of setbacks (ah, academia and racism and misogyny), but finally, things are looking up in the form of a fully-funded dig… that, upon arrival, she learns isn’t her dig. It’s her long-time nemesis’s dig, Dr. Ford Matthews.

Ford is in over his head about a lot of stuff and straight up not having a good time, and though he’s loathe to admit it for a lot of reasons, he needs Corrie. She’s the foremost expert, after all, and, frankly, should be in charge, but he’s not letting a little thing like fairness get in the way of a career-defining opportunity… because, again, in over his head, lots of reasons, secrets, etc.

A shaky peace is struck because this opportunity is undeniable for both of them… and the peace gets stronger when they realize they’re being sabotaged and must learn to work together to save their reputations and the sanctity of this dig.

I thought this book was not only stunningly fun and exciting to read, but also a great rewriting of a lot of old tired tropes that saw white men traipsing through cultural areas and stealing artifacts for white museums.

How hot? 🔥🔥🔥

Mafia Target by Mila Finelli. The third couple in the Kings of Italy series finally sees Giulio, the exiled gay son of Fausto from book 1, get his happily ever after!

Giulio may have willingly been exiled from his home because of the homophobia of the mafia culture (though his father, eventually, came to accept him), but rebuilding a life away from what you’ve always known, especially when your life is in danger, is no easy task. But he’s determined to make his own way in crime (what, you thought he was going to move to Prague and manage a department store? PLEASE) elsewhere in Europe… if Europe’s most dangerous assassin doesn’t take him out first.

Because of stuff that happened in book 2 (irrelevant for a recap), Alessio has been hired to kill Guilio, but the time is just never right. First there’s anonymous head at a nightclub, then there’s watching him from rooftops, then there’s an extended vacation on a remote Scottish (maybe Irish?) island where they kinda try to spy versus spy each other but then end up in bed. These men are so fucking messy and it’s a delight. Alessio’s totally gonna kill him at any minute, though. For sure.

There’s other stuff but all you really need to know is these messy messy crime men want to kill each other but moreso want to kiss each other and do crime TOGETHER. And that… that’s amore.

How hot? 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

The Most Wanted by Annika Martin. I’ve written about this series before but how could I do a danger round up without returning to this chaotic bank robber bunch? Read the first recap for a bit of context (this is book 4, I previously reviewed book 1), but in THIS one, the third to last of their grand adventures through the underworld while also, surprise, clearing their names from the original crime they were targeted for that they DIDN’T do!

In book 4 they start a private detective business that’s mostly an extended bit of set dressing for them doing horny noir workplace stuff, but that also leads to them investigating a crime more dangerous than any they’ve been involved in so far. There’s also some potential trouble in paradise as Isis explores a particular kink that Zeus is unsure of, leading to a hilarious final sex scene that involves their dogged FBI tail (but not in that way, in a different, crazier way).

If you want to read an absolutely wackadoo series that takes itself exactly as seriously as it should (which is: not at all) with tons of inventive group sex, spend a weekend with this series. You won’t regret it.

How hot? 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

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Next week, I’ll be recommending a full supernatural roundup of fated mates books just in time for Halloween!

What should I be reading next? Let me know in the comments!

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