Frankie is having a rough day and stumbles upon a bat where she meets phantom.


Intrigued she agrees to explore the bdam life to review for her magazine. Bonus if she gets to explore phantom too

Bloom is the second book in the Black Rose series by Helen Hardt. It's a series of standalones set in an underground leather club where your deepest or darkest fantasies can come out to play. I didn't read the first book yet and I didn't feel like I missed anything.

This novel takes a little Phantom of the Opera role play and twists it with a little BDSM. Francesca is still feeling the sting of her ex's betrayal and when a family dinner triggers hurt feelings, she finds herself in a bar talking to a masked stranger.

This was a fast and fun read. The chemistry is quick and runs the gambit of insta-love/lust. The BDSM is more introductory since Frankie is new to Phantom's world and the scenes are limited. It left more time for the author to build the story between the two. I would've even enjoyed a longer book with more build, Frankie coming into the lifestyle and a slower connection.

I wasn't a huge fan of Frankie at certain moments. She had a selfish and childish side to some of her reactions. However, I loved when she had her proverbial world rocked by Phantom. I also loved the bookish quotes and references from the classics. There are themes of overcoming hurt and grief, being able to find comfort in someone new and being open to your own wants and desires. I liked that healing was a focal point for both characters.

Thank you Entangled Publishing for the gifted digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

Bloom is forbidden/hidden/mystery type romance book. Francesca meets “Phantom” on the day she was supposed to get married. He is gorgeous and wears a disguise. These two have a lot of chemistry. Francesca has to learn and agree to the Phantoms rules in order to be allowed to enjoy time with him again. He protects his identity at all costs. The rules are no names and no personal information. She doesn’t love the mystery and she definitely doesn’t love secrets but she can’t seem to get enough of him.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
This was a great book and I'll be purchasing it for the library.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I'd heard great things about this author but this is the first of their books I've read
I will definitely be looking for more

Absolutely loved this

Shew, I thought I loved the first one was good but wow this exceeded all expectations. Helen really knows how to hook you in and keep you reeling for more.

I had a hard time getting into this book the first time that I tried to read it. However, I tried reading it a second time and was able to get into it much better. At times, the characters felt a little mismatched and would have loved more build up on their relationship. I did find Frankie to be annoying and selfish at times which caused me to struggle to like her. However, I did enjoy the book overall and the sex scenes were amazing. I would probably recommend it to others but mainly just for the smut.

In this romantic tale, Frankie, a junior editor recovering from a cheating fiance, met Phantom. Initially seeking a casual arrangement, they quickly find themselves entangled in a deeper connection. Phantom introduces Frankie to the world of BDSM, and she immerses herself in the experience, respecting his emphasis on privacy and trust. Despite facing obstacles, their relationship evolves with thrilling and sensual moments. However, the reader might find it challenging to connect with Frankie, who, post-breakup, appears self-centered and seeks sympathy rather than expressing gratitude for dodging a cheating partner. The story navigates the complexities of trust and emotions, offering an exploration of passion and obstacles in a BDSM context.

Everything in this book - the characters, the dialogue, the plotline - was just so cringe and ridiculous. Not for me.

This was another amazing book by Helen Hardt. The characters were amazing. The storyline kept me hooked the whole time. Definitely a 5 star must read.

I loved this second book in the series. Frankie and Phantom’s chemistry is beyond steamy. They delve into their deepest fantasies together. The mystery of Phantom was what Frankie was first drawn to. But he awakens something in her and now she wants no more secrets. They both discover what they want and need in each other, and their ride together is exciting. I loved every minute of this book. This author knows how to keep her readers glued to the pages.

The continuation of a story with a new character in the spotlight is definitely a favorite of mine. This time, we follow Frankie's introduction to the lifestyle, and the air of mystery that surrounds the Phantom she meets at a bar. Little does she know, her life is about to completely change.

Phantom realizes that his life is about to completely change as well, when he starts to want more from Frankie than simple submission. I feel like this one did a better job of addressing some of the messy situations people can find themselves in with any relationship, not just BDSM ones.

A great plot with sizzling chemistry. I loved the characterization.
Many thanks to Entangled and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

As always I have adored Helen Hardt's books and this one too is steamy/spicy as usual!! There are just some scenes that are pretty repetitive for me. The plots are crazy and wild in a good way, as it is a dark romance and of course who would never dig for some strangers to lovers trope? I love how it's dual POV. Gives me better view of the characters.

This has left me needing more, Helen. Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for this ARC!

I’m a fan of Helen’s writing, but also it gets a bit repetitive with most scenes. The spice is there, but it usually feels like the same stuff. I will still buy all her books because even though it’s the same it’s spicy and her plots are wild! In a good way haha they’re crazy and keep me on edge.

Bloom – Black Rose Book 2 - Review
 
Author: Helen Hardt
 
Couple: Francesca Thomas & Phantom
 
Tropes: dark romance, interconnected plots, strangers to lovers, dark Phantom of the Opera reimagining, BDSM themes
 
Review: A deliciously dark and taboo romance! Helen creates an imaginative and steamy reimagining of Phantom of the Opera in this new romance! This is a dual POV romance that focuses on Francesca, the older sister of the FMC in book 1.
 
Get ready to dive into the dark and taboo with Frankie and Phantom! I loved how Helen created the chemistry and mystique between the couple from the meet cute to the last page. Frankie is a go-getter but also a woman who is reeling from her engagement that fell apart. The evolution of her character in this story was phenomenal and I enjoyed how she never gave into Phantom, even when he wanted to hide from her. The perseverance she had about learning his real name and figuring out who he is made me fall in love with her spunk and sass. I also enjoyed how she was inquisitive and strong willed.
 
Phantom is a mysterious MMC and Helen created a thrilling air around him. The fact that he wears the mask and cape to keep his identity a secret made me want to unravel his secrets all the more. I enjoyed how he was a tortured MMC whose past was given in snippets. I felt like it added to his mysterious persona more and kept me enthralled with the feelings we could tell he was developing for Frankie. I did want to have more from his POV though. I was hoping to see more about how he felt seeing Frankie at first and about his personal life and friendships.
 
This book is HAWT. It has taboo themes and BDSM themes in regards to spice. I enjoyed how Frankie was investigating the clubs she began going to with Phantom and how she fell deeper into the world. Frankie and Phantom are chalk full of tension and romance as well. The fire we see when they go head to head was blazing and I loved how it eventually boiled over and led to her wanting to know the man behind the mask. I also enjoyed the true meet cute where she meets him randomly in person without his costume.
 
Rating: 5/5, a darkly spicy romance that will leave you needing more!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have devoured Hellen Hardt books before but this one I just couldn't get into. The MC was too whiny and self absorbed for my liking. The writing style was her typical fast paced style that I absolutely love, but I just couldn't get past the MC.

This had potential, but the whole Phantom of the Opera bit got old really fast for me.

If we took that part out and just focused on the dom/sub relationship I would have enjoyed it a lot more, but instead I kept cringing whenever someone called him Phantom.

This is a DNF for me.

I really enjoy Helen Hardt's style of writing. I get hooked from the beginning. Frankie and Phantom are my favorite characters in this series so far. The exploration of BDSM and the underground clubs that exist for those with an appetite for something other than a "vanilla" lifestyle is what drew me to this series. I found this to be intriguing to read about I feel that Helen Hardt has done the research to portray these topics in a great way. I would recommend this series. I can't wait to read the next book,

This book was by far my favorite read. It was different, I didn’t expect the things to happen when it did, the fact that the main male character had a double life and got the main female character to join him in his double life was crazy. Plus she loved it. Definitely a good read. Contained spice and twists.