I think Helen Hardt fans are going to thoroughly enjoy "Bloom" Book 2 in the Black Rose series. While it can be read as a standalone I would recommend reading Book 1 "Blush" also, it will give you the backstory (love story) of two side characters in this book.

This story begins with Francesca or "Frankie" learning of her sister's engagement on what was suppose to have been her wedding day. Unable to control her emotions she leaves dinner and heads to a bar to drink her feelings. While there she meets Phantom, a man who conceals his identity with a costume and prefers to keep his play partners at arms length refusing to even give his real name. His sexual preferences are unfamiliar to Frankie, she doesn't understand the world of BDSM but can't deny the chemistry she feels with this masked man. So she begins to explore and learn about the community. If you want to know more about the plotline you'll have to read "Bloom" because I don't want to spoil anything, there are some twists.

A few notable things I thought the author did well was making sure the MMC did not take things too far on the first night and when they did go further he asked and received express consent. Both I think are important when writing about this subject matter.

On a lighter note I also personally enjoy multiple POVs in a story so I liked that we had both the FMC and MMC's narration. I think it helps the story feel more immersive and in some instances it helps form a strong connection to a character's storyline.

Overall I think this book will do well with it's intended audience.

Thank you Helen Hardt, Net Galley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book.

In "Bloom", we jump into Frankie's world as a newly single gal. She's very intrigued by this mysterious man called the Phantom (he dresses as the lead character for the storied musical), who's all about keeping things private. Things get spicy as he introduces her to the world of BDSM while insisting that he keeps his true identity under wraps.

Some seriously steamy scenes definitely add some flavor to the reading. But here's the issue: the book's nearly-there cool vibes get tripped up by the character's constant inner thoughts, Frankie being all about herself, and the general craziness of the plot. I'm usually pretty good at going with the flow, but this novel had me firmly planted in reality. It feels like the story's in a hurry, leaving all these loose ends just hanging out there.

Unfortunately, this one did not do it for me.

Bloom by Helen Hardt is an enticing erotic romance that follows Francesca Thomas, a junior editor, who meets the mysterious Phantom on the day of her supposed wedding. Drawn to each other's raw chemistry, they explore their deepest desires at the exclusive Black Rose Underground Club. Despite Phantom's secretive nature, Frankie is determined to uncover his true identity.

The novel masterfully weaves a seductive dance between the protagonists, delving into the world of BDSM and the complexities of desire. While facing minor flaws, such as several far-fetched moments, the book remains captivating, offering an unforgettable and steamy reading experience that will leave readers eagerly turning the pages.

My first time reading Helen Hardt. The story flowed very nicely and you pull for the characters to find their ever after. I"ll continue to fallow this author in the future. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Helen Hardt writes wonderful stories. This an erotic romance that provides magnificent entertainment value. Phantom is a dominant who is very protective of his identity. Francesca is a junior editor at a lifestyle magazine. There interaction is a sexy dance to watch. From their first meeting to the end of the book, readers will eagerly turn the pages as they uncover all the details. It is vastly entertaining and worth every minute you will spend between the pages.

This was my first Helen Hardt novel and boy was it steamy! I was worried when I realized Bloom was the second book Hardt's Black Rose series, but quickly learned this book can easily serve as a standalone. Francesca aka Frankie is a magazine editor who recently broke off an engagement to her cheating fiance. Coincidentally, on the day that was supposed to be her wedding day, her sister Mandy announces her engagement. Overwhelmed by the news and her family's lack of compassion, Frankie stops at the nearest bar to have a drink and clear her mind. It is here where Frankie meets a tall, dark and mysterious man in a mask who goes by the name, Phantom. Will Phantom reveal his face and identity? I encourage you to read this book and find out! Can't wait to read the next book in the series!

Thanks to Helen Hardt, Entangled Publishing LLC and NetGalley for the ARC and opportunity to read and review this book! #Bloom #NetGalley

I’ve read in this genre before, and I am not uncomfortable with the subject matter. The characters were relatively well developed, though a tad one dimensional. The spice level was moderate, nothing too wild but enough to keep you interested. The conflicts felt genuine and believable, though the last quarter of the book flew with not as deep of development. It ended how I had hoped, though those final moments made me bunch up my face in disappointment. Overall, a nice read in the genre, not sure I will seek out books 1 or 3.

New to the scene!

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💚💜🖤
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎🌍
Character development: 😠🙃😍😘🥰

The heroine: Francesca (a.k.a. Frankie) - she is a junior editor at a women’s magazine and is twenty seven years old. A month ago she broke up with her fiancee Penn when she found out he was cheating on her. Today, on the day that should have been her wedding, her sister announces her engagement. Frankie takes off and stops at the nearest bar to have a drink.

The Hero: Phantom - he is a businessman by day, and has an alter ego at night. He goes to a BDSM club called the Black Rose Underground to enact scenes in which he indulges his darkest and innermost fantasies. Many of the women he is with want to know him more, but the name Phantom is all he gives them and he wears a mask similar to the phantom of the opera. He doesn’t do relationships anymore, he only does scenes.

“This is separate from my other life—the life where I make a living, do my work.
Here, I dive into the deepest and darkest parts of my desires with willing partners.
And I never tell them my name.
Nor do I ask theirs.”

The Story: Frankie meets Phantom at the nice bar where she ended up for a drink and they get to talking. He shares his favorite drink, then they share a meal together, each of them promising to find out the others secrets. They meet again and he asks her to meet him a third time and go to a place where all her fantasies can come true.

“I want to find out who I truly am,” I say. “Because the person everyone knows? The person I know? I don’t think that’s really me.”

Meanwhile, Frankie’s magazine was looking for story ideas and Frankie said she would start investigating the BDSM scene in New York. It is hard to find information since everyone has to sign non-disclosure agreements at clubs like that. They can’t tell anyone where the club is, who they see there or what they see. Phantom is used to the club and has never gotten personal with any of the women he meets there or brings to the club. Though he finds himself wanting to be real with Frankie, though he can’t.

Of course this book is super steamy, though it doesn’t happen too quick, which I like, they get to know each other a bit, as much as they can anyway without knowing names. I like that Phantom introduces Frankie to the lifestyle slowly. I like that Phantom feels different about Frankie from the start than any of the other women he plays with. I think that is why I like the playboy Heroes so much. As a woman, you always want to be the one that changes them, the one that stands out from the crowd. So I like to read those types of stories.

There were some side storylines that got quite good as the book went on, with things happening in their lives. I liked the part about the story Frankie was working on and was glad that it all happened in a different way than what I expected at the beginning.

I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

This book has just the right amount of spice. While Frankie tries to uncover who the mysterious phantom is she’s also working on an article about an underground club that the phantom brought her to. A one night hook up leads to an amazing love story.

I never met a Helen Hardt book I didn’t like. This is no different. This is book two in the Black Rose Underground series. We meet Frankie and Phanton. Frankie is nursing a wounded soul and Phantom is the mysterious man in a mask. They meet and sparks fly. Phanton has singular tastes and no room for commitment but he wants Frankie. Frankie is over being the person everyone thinks she is and takes a chance with Phantom. We don’t find out who Phantom is immediately and it adds to his allure. Frankie is every 20something girl trying to figure out her life when things don’t play out they way she thought they would. This book brings heat and their chemistry is off the charts. The story gives us angst, great bedroom scenes and a tour of the BDSM lifestyle. It was well written and the ending did not disappoint. I am waiting impatiently for the next book in the series.

If you want people to love you for who you are, take off the mask...

Someone call the Fire Department as this story is so hot I'm surprised my Kindle did not burst into flames. When Frankie's sister announces her engagement, it is bittersweet as it is also the same day Frankie would have been married. Well that did not happen and she was gutted. She decides to go to a bar to drown her sorrows and she meets a man who has disguised his face with a Phantom of the Opera mask. Frankie finds him sexy and mysterious She also discovers the man behind the mask is more than he appears to be.

You will experience an array of emotions, romance, steam, passion and self-discovery.

I like the mystery surrounding the book. I thought I had it right with the clues about who Phantom is but I wasn't. Phantom and Frankie had some spicy scenes but I'd say this book wasn't as spicy or full of spice as I thought. It had some dramatic moments as well.
I do think that some scenes or dialogues were rushed. And while Phantom and Frankie had some great chemistry, I felt like Frankie was judgmental in relation to her sister (some observations of hers sounded like she thinks she's better than her sister) and also like she didn't respect boundaries (seen at the end when she blurted out a secret Phantom wanted to keep hidden in his public life).
As a book, it reads well but there were some scenes that just felt unnecessary to read (such are the interviews Frankie had with club members for her article. They took the whole chapter and then some. She only used some words and sentences in her article but I skimmed reading it altogether because I just wasn't interested).

Bloom is part of the Black Rose Series but is meant as a stand-alone.
Following the journey of Phantom (Hunter) meeting his match in Frankie (Francesca) who pushes his limits while finding her own.
Aside from a few quirks (like Frankie being shallow & Hunter giving in to a scandal), I thought this was a great read.

This book Bloom by Helen Hardt was the second in its series. I read the first one before reading this arc so as not to miss anything important. But this book can be read as a stand-alone and not have you left in the dark not knowing what’s going on so that definitely a huge plus.

I think the spicy scenes were spot on and I ate them up like I couldn’t get enough! I had a very hard time connecting with and liking Frankie. I almost wish this book could have been more focused on “Phantom” and had Frankie in it less. I couldn’t relate to her as much as I tried. She came off a self centered spoiled brat to me and I just do t care for characters with those characteristics one bit. But I wanted to know more about phantom but was left still wanting to know more by the end of this book. I’m rating this three stars because it is a well written book and easy to follow, but my bond with the main character was lacking and like I said I was left with many unanswered questions about the MMC.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Mourning what was to be her wedding day, Francesca met a mysterious man only known as Phantom who was about to change her life in so many different ways. I liked the premise and the characters yet at times, I felt I was missing something. As I read and delved deeper into what the Phantom was and brought Francesca into his world, I saw lonely two people, both hurt from their past and when their private lives came to seek them out, while stumbling and finding they can survive together.

Thank you Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. WOW WOW WOW I just love this series. Frankie and Phantom meet at a bar on the day she was supposed to be getting married. The alluring conversation and the sexual tension between them lead to a very intriguing relationship. I do not want to give too much away. READ THIS BOOK.

Absolutely amazing! Even better than the first book. As a fan of the Phantom of the Opera, I couldn't imagine incorporating the them into such a contemporary book! MUST READ!

Helen Hardt came in clutch! I had been in a bit of a reading slump with everything going on in my life. Work, family, etc. I just couldn't compel myself to focus on a book for more than 10 minutes. Everything I read wasn't enjoyable. I am freaking glad Netgalley exists and Helen Hardt decided to write another story after Blush. Just like its predecessor, Bloom is gonna make you blush! I've never been one to fantasize about professors but I may just be thinking of picking one myself up one. Now I just gotta find an excuse to hang around colleges, not that I am 3 years out. On another note, I love Helen Hardt's empowerment of women in the bedroom! We deserve the chance to explore our likes and dislikes. Frankie and Phantom are the perfect examples of that. THIS IS A MUST READ. Maybe just don't read this in public where you might actually turn tomato red during some of these S P I C Y scenes. Thanks NetGalley!!!

5/5⭐
4.5/5🌶


Thank you Netgalley for this Advanced Readers Copy. Bloom is Book 2 in Helen Hardt's Black Rose series.

Bloom is a thrilling, mysterious, steamy, eye-opening story. It takes place in the follow me series world and it gives a more in-depth look into the black rose Underground club. If you've read book one which is blush you've met Frankie. She is the sister of Amanda who is the main character in blush.

Frankie meets a mysterious man in the bar of the hotel that Braden black owns. She's never seen his face because he's dressed and almost a masquerade costume reminding her of Phantom of the Opera. And he calls himself Phantom. You can tell from the get-go that there is a connection, spicy steamy hot attraction to each other. Frankie is on the rebound, and just needs to explore what is out there for her after the Heartbreak that she suffered.

Phantom sees Frankie and he is immediately drawn to her. He wants to get to know her, and can't stop thinking about her no matter what. He keeps his identity a secret throughout half of the book and that is so intriguing all on its own. He takes Frankie into a world where she can let go, or she can explore things she's never dreamed of. And he breaks all his own rules

What's supposed to just be casual and mysterious turns out to be so much more. When Frankie finally realizes who Phantom is it brings a whole new feel an atmosphere to the story. Phantom has reasons for wanting to keep his identity a secret, and they are not horrible reasons. He wants his personal life completely separate from his professional one and I can't say I don't blame him. So he gets that uncomfortableness and is put in a tough predicament. He wants to explore everything with Frankie but he just doesn't feel comfortable right from the get-go about mixing his personal life with his professional one.

Bloom is a wild ride of different emotions for me. In the first book I honestly could not stand Frankie. In this book I was hesitant, I was starting to get worried that I wouldn't be able to connect with the character at all because of how she was in the first book. However the queen Helen has a way of taking a character that you really didn't care for much and turning them into a character you can sympathize with and you actually want better things for them. Frankie may not be my favorite character still but her story is a story of growth, self-reflection, compromise, and mostly Love after heartbreak.

5 glorious stars for Bloom!

I love Helen Hardt' books. Absolutely awesome story and characters. The story flowed very easy. You kind of get lost in the story

2/5. Releases 8/22/2023.

After a failed engagement, Frankie meets a mysterious man who wants her to call him the Phantom. At the Black Rose Underground Club, they have near-anonymous meetings, fulfilling her every fantasy. But as Frankie's feelings deepen, she wants to know the man behind the mask--but he may be more complicated than she expected.

Okay, so. I thought this was going to be a fun, ~modern~ spin on The Phantom of the Opera. Not exactly. It's more a standard contemporary BDSM romance with a bit of flare for the phandom. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me.

Quick Takes:

--This story feels quite rushed. And like, I didn't expect anything other than a fun, kinky romance, but just... the book feels very literally rushed off the last page, and it leaves the reader feeling dissatisfied.

--Frankie overhears that this man is called Phantom, like by other people, like in public, and she recognizes his mask as a Phantom of the Opera mask, and she acknowledges POTO is something that exists in this universe, and he implies this is nOT A COSTUME and perhaps something he wears all the time, who knows? And her response is "intriguing".

I just can't buy that. I can't. This is not an alternate universe. This is our world. There is no way an adult woman who has had enough life experience to get engaged at some point, would go "oh tell me more" about that situation without having some questions. Even in a kink setting, there would be questions, setting a scene, clarification. Even an extreme POTO fan would have at least internal questions, you know? Beyond "intriguing".

--I should add.... I'm not going to act like an expert in kink, and the portrayal of kink in romance doesn't have to be accurate. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't, I've enjoyed books in both contexts. Here, however, it felt surface level in a way I don't think it should have as it was (apparently) an integral part of the novel. It's not the side dish, it's the main course, and it didn't feel authentic here.

--In his first two POV chapters, Phantom quotes two different novels. One is POTO, which I expected. One is The Great Gatsby. There was no damn reason why this man needed to be quoting multiple novels that early in his own personal monologue.

--I think that in order for all of this to feel emotionally plausible, Frankie would've needed to be a massive Phantom Phan. Like, not casual. She has these little musings about floating to his lair or whatever, and I'll be honest, I'm not 100% sure I bought it. No, this woman needed to be like--sobbing about the show closing on Broadway, a Phantom-related account on every social media platform possible, downloads of multiple bootlegs on her hard drive, several of which she filmed herself, a contributor to a Phantom-related publication, Ramin Karimloo's autograph tattoed on her ass, card-carrying STAN. That is the woman who I can buy randomly hooking up with this man in what was not a pre-negotiated (for her) scene.

Like, she's just acting as if this is NORMAL, and again, while kink is in this book, this is not someone she met and formed a connection with outside of kink who's like "hey, I REALLY like to do POTO scenes with my partners, would you be the Christine to my Phantom?" This is just some guy she met at a bar who wears a half mask and talks about haunting an opera house, though I will add, he is not actually the Phantom of the Opera.

I'm super into camp, but I think that when you do not properly acknowledge certain things in a contemporary romance, you cross the line from camp to just distracting, and that's where I was. I couldn't get into the book because I was so distracted.

The Sex Stuff:

The sex is... fine even if I did have my issues with the feeling that the kink wasn't... lived in, somehow? I also have a problem with an adult woman who seems to have a reasonably public, non-sheltered life being shocked when a man uses the "c-word", as she put it (she also doesn't know what a strap-on is, among other things), but that's me. It's not especially kinky, and there was a dialogue moment that really took me out of it, but. It is what it is.

I wish I'd like this more, as I do enjoy POTO, but I just couldn't get into the story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Entangled: Amara for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.