THIS WAS THE BEST ROMCOM/FANTASY I'VE EVER READ. If there's a "most unique and refreshing book" contest THIS IS THE WINNER FOR ME.
I HAVE NO WORDS FOR THIS WAS THE BEST ROMCOM/FANTASY I'VE EVER READ. If there's a "most unique and refreshing book" contest THIS IS THE WINNER FOR ME.
I HAVE NO WORDS FOR THIS. ZERO. I just pity the readers who are yet to meet Minnie and Marlowe.
Oh god HOW WAS THIS NEVER DONE BEFORE? HOW IS THIS SO PERFECT?
I LOVE YOU VERONICA LANCET. I mean, romcoms? I don't read them. Fantasy? Very rarely. MAKE THE HERO A SERIAL KILLER NEURODIVERGENT AND THE HEROINE A SUPERNATURAL BEING WHO IS HOMELESS WITH GORE AND MURDER AND YOU EXPECT ME NOT TO READ THIS??
Any book which makes me laugh this much is an immediate 5 star read. MOST FUN I'VE HAD THIS YEAR.
Dare I say that Marlowe beats Aaron Warner in terms of his delusion in every best and worst possible ways??? Oh dear lord, Marlowe is not just one in a million, there is nobody like him. ...more
I severely underestimated everything about this book. And I couldn't be happier about being proven wrong.
I've read a lot of sex-to-love, fuck-buddies-I severely underestimated everything about this book. And I couldn't be happier about being proven wrong.
I've read a lot of sex-to-love, fuck-buddies-to-lovers stories, and it's hardly ever that I see a well-constructed plot with proper character as well as story development for a romance. This was an extremely long book, sure. I even dropped it before 40%, but then picked it up again hours later, and this time I realized I was just lacking patience because to go from just being in a sexual, no-strings-attached contract to an actual, meaningful start of a relationship, you need hell of a substance. It doesn't happen magically overnight.
And there were lots of uniquely embedded ways that this buildup occurred. One such way was what I loved the most. It's the fact that Ruslan's (H) personality didn't do a complete 180 when he found the sex is amazing with the secretary. The changes in him, the emotional sparks inside him began igniting from the first time he saw her in her home, with the kids, something related to her personal life and from there on, more stuff began to happen which made him act in such unusual ways where he found himself not only getting deeply invested and involved into her life but actually being interested in something other than her, which was the kids, an extension of her.
I picked this book up from seeing a reel about the 2nd book of this duet and from that blurb, I was expecting a surprise pregnancy ending where she leaves after finding out he is the Bratva Pakhan so I was expecting to be disappointed in that regard, but actually, that didn't happen at all, the overall plot was just so meticulously woven that nothing went ridiculous or unnecessary....more
JFC I'm sorry for cursing so much but WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK
WHY the fuck wasn't I informed about tYes, I stayed up till 4am to finish this.
because WTF
OMFG
JFC I'm sorry for cursing so much but WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK
WHY the fuck wasn't I informed about there being a new magical realism book in existence? Why, oh why do i have to stumble upon the most important books randomly as a luck of chance.
jfc
I have scoured the earth to find all the romance books in existence consisting of my favorite fucking trope - magical realism and you're telling me it has been more than a freaking month since a new one came to the world and NOBODY TOLD ME??? It is already so freaking rare to find magical realism in romance books. It is 10x more freaking hard to find the books which does the trope justice and does it right.
Look at my all time fav shelf, look at the magical realism shelf, both contains common books, and unfortunately, the latter has only 21 books. My magical realism fav books. Obviously, Transcend duet is no.1
I can go on and on about this trope and the significance of it and how it should be done blah blah blah but this 524 paged books which kept me up all night with its absolutely heart-wrenching, breathtaking and beautiful story, deserves all the love in the world. This book became my fav not only because it has my fav trope. It's because this has another thing i look for which i rarely ever get. The childhood element. The one where one character is a kid and their whole childhood is shown not just a flashback of time. This story managed to remind me so much of Ren and Della: Boxed Set aka Ribbon duet and that book was other-worldly. So combine the two rarest finds of the romance book community and tell me how should I not consider this book special?
I knew that as long as she remained a little kid, she is never gonna be anything but honest, and those refreshing moments spent of her as a kid with Alex, is what i cherish the most.
And because i cannot talk about the book without giving spoilers and i love this book too fucking much to give spoilers, I present to you the quotes:...more
Not being a part of online book communities like bookstagram anymore really has its disadvantages huh? 2 years ago I read Lotus yearning for4.34 Stars
Not being a part of online book communities like bookstagram anymore really has its disadvantages huh? 2 years ago I read Lotus yearning for Gabe's story and it was yesterday that I realized Gabe's book was released in 2023. Welp, here I am now.
Gotta say, this might be my favorite second chance/love-after-loss book considering I cannot recall a time I cried and felt so strongly for the dead ex.
Its also this author's marvelous ability to create an emotional turmoil of a story making it unique in the matters it generally isn't, which is more surprising than anything for me. Moving on doesn't mean forgetting, there is no need for comparisons between the lost and the new found love, it's so hard to write these kind of stories for this exact reason because one way or another somebody gets devalued by "letting go" becoming the step of "moving on''. And if nothing else, I can proudly say, there wasn't any of this till end, Matthew's presence throughout the book is something I'm so grateful for.
I just loved the connections in everything in her life connecting both Matthew and Gabe in one way or another. One man taught her to never look back and keep going. And the other taught her to never look down and keep flying.
Everything was so monumental.
----- My last read was a Jewel E. Ann book which prompted me to find authors similar to her who writes meaningful, heart-wrenching stories. There was no surprise Jennifer Hartmann was at the top of that list. And when I came across a profound quote shared in both these books, it felt like a happy coincidence and a poignant sign that I was meant to read and learn a timeless lesson that both the authors communicated beautifully.
“I don’t want someone who kills for me. I don’t want someone who dies for me.” Swallowing the emotion, she raises both palms and clasps my face. “I just want someone who will live for me.”
I know it was a twisted journey, where the end was the beginning and the beginning was the end. I know that, and I did i
Like the author said :
I know it was a twisted journey, where the end was the beginning and the beginning was the end. I know that, and I did it on purpose. I wanted to try to take you down a path where your mind wasn’t your own, just like Calla’s. It had to happen in order. And it did.
Ddlg in a dark romance? Sign me up. This was one of my favourite representation of the daddy kink because we don't often see it in a twisted dark way, Ddlg in a dark romance? Sign me up. This was one of my favourite representation of the daddy kink because we don't often see it in a twisted dark way, and it's always just a fun smut kinda thing, here it became more sensual, erotic with an attached significance and it somehow felt like watching a play.
Highly suggest checking the TWs/CWs before reading this book....more
Vi Keeland's latest book has officially become my favorite of hers. It stands out as the kinkiest and most explicit piece of smut I've come across in Vi Keeland's latest book has officially become my favorite of hers. It stands out as the kinkiest and most explicit piece of smut I've come across in her repertoire. With a Vi Keeland book in hand, I don't feel the need to dive into the blurb or sift through reviews beforehand. Regardless of the plot, I can always count on her work to be light-hearted, fast-paced, and devoid of unnecessary delays when it comes to the main characters' initial encounter. Her stories never fail to make me burst into laughter and provide the perfect escape when I'm in the mood for something entertaining yet not overly heavy or cringe-inducing. True to form, this story wasted no time in introducing us to Beck Cross and Nora right from the very first page.
Their first and many conversations (banter and bickering more like it) never ceased to make me laugh. Their arguments were foreplay for both of them. The fact that they never hid their lust from each other while also maintaining the no-acting-on-it policy was delightful to witness. When they did get together for their casual no-strings-attached relationship, it was unexpectedly delicious because i was not expecting this level of dirty-talk as well as kinkiness from Vi Keeland.
From the start, Beck wasn't entirely enthusiastic about their relationship being solely based on sex. If Nora had been looking for something serious and wasn't hell bent on it being casual, he would've no issues being serious with her. This aspect of their dynamic, seen through Beck's perspective, remained consistent throughout the story, which I found refreshing. It wasn't a typical casual-turned-forever story where its sex till 90% then out of the blue with minimal character development and relationship growth, they fall in love and head to the hea. No, this story was all about showing, not just telling.
What sealed the deal for me was the fact that it wasn't limited to just that, It became emotional, intense, and even ventured into uncertain territory, which left me feeling anxious. Yet, throughout their journey, Beck's personality surprised me. Despite his initial portrayal as a rich, handsome, and delightfully crude billionaire "alpha" male, he exhibited undeniable sweetness, care, and love like a cinnamon roll with a pleasant twist.
What's more wonderful about this story is that there's no third party drama and no unexpected ridiculous third act breakup. ...more
I love me some good ol' boss-assistant office romance. What sets this one apart is that, for a change, the hero is genuinely a nice guy. He's well-li I love me some good ol' boss-assistant office romance. What sets this one apart is that, for a change, the hero is genuinely a nice guy. He's well-liked and not your typical arrogant boss manwhore (not that I don't enjoy that).
On top of that, the heroine is ridiculously funny. She's so authentic in everything she does, says, and thinks. From the smallest matters to the big stuff, she's like the epitome of the perfect female main character you'd want to be friends with in real life. She's relatable, someone you connect with on a deeper level. The kind of person you can connect with, the one who says things that make you go, "I know, right! That's exactly what I've been wondering."
Few highlighted quotes for example :
This was a Fortune 500 company, and at this moment, I was trusted with the phone. Me, the person who was terrified to call the pizza place down the street to order delivery. But my phobia would have to take a hike, because answering the phone was an unfortunate requirement of the boss’s assistant.
I wanted to scream. He couldn’t just leave me hanging like that. Surely he had something insightful to say. Such as I want to throw you over my shoulder and take you back to my condo and do unspeakable, delicious things to your body, or I think your excessive babbling and breaking into my apartment is sort of cute and am glad I hired you. What dream world did I live in where CEOs of multi-billion dollar corporations doted on assistants? I really needed to lay off the office romances for a little bit because, much like Disney princesses, they were planting unrealistic ideas in my head, like the possibility that my boss could be smitten over me.
“Can I help you with anything?” I asked. The whole workplace fling was new to me, and I didn’t really know how it worked in terms of hook-up etiquette. Did we just get to the good stuff, or did I help out like a girlfriend would? Shove my hands in the butt pockets of his very well-fitting dress pants? Or remove his collared shirt, one button at a time? Decisions, decisions.
She's genuinely adorable in a relatable way. She's hilarious, intelligent, doesn't back down easily even after his apologies, straightforward about needing actions instead of mere words, and has those delightful, cringeworthy yet amusing moments with the hero throughout the book (the kind I absolutely enjoy reading). And her perspective is just perfect and her pov is just chefs kisses.
"Calling her beautiful was like calling the sun lukewarm. She’d blazed like the hottest part of a flame in that dress. And fuck me, I’d felt the he"Calling her beautiful was like calling the sun lukewarm. She’d blazed like the hottest part of a flame in that dress. And fuck me, I’d felt the heat."
When you throw the ultimate forbidden professor-student trope in a dark gothic romance AND promise some panty-melting smut, you know who you guaranteed as a reader? Me. Like can you think of a way to get me to read fantasy? This would be it. As a slooow burn hater, i couldn't give a fuck while at the same time was shocked to see this being a sloooooow burn i was hooked on from the very beginning till the very end.
“You’re the fever in my veins,” he said through clenched teeth, as he drove into me with furious determination. “An incurable madness I can’t shake. Fucking you is the only thing that keeps me sane, Lilia.”
I read this in a span of 2 days, and in those 2 days, i started this, went to see Barbie, came back and finished this. Was that information relevant to the review? no. Then why did i mention that? to waste your time because seeing as you're reading a review (granted, mine) instead of reading this book, you clearly love wasting yours.
If i had to describe this story in a sentence, it would be this :
A beautiful complexity that was as pure and thrilling as it was forbidden.
There's literally no element missing in this. We got tantalizing mystery, dark gothic academia, HUMOR, sexual tension that'll blow your mind (among other things worth blowing), gore (and don't take this lightly), a secret society, plot-building, character development, an enigmatic morally gray black professor and THE SMUT.
“Did you just threaten me? Like, with death that time?” He didn’t flinch beneath the accusation. “Don’t fuck with me, Miss Vespertine. You want to play hardball? Know that mine are made of steel.” “That sounds painful.” His lips twitched as if he were trying to hold back a smile.
Um wow. I was expecting the acknowledgement of this story being inspired by Daemon × Rhaenyra because this is exactly what it would be like if Daemon Um wow. I was expecting the acknowledgement of this story being inspired by Daemon × Rhaenyra because this is exactly what it would be like if Daemon × Rhaenyra were in a modern mafia romance.
Before reading the acknowledgment i had the whole list in my mind I'd be mentioning stating the similarities that i loved between the two– down to the character appearances. But now I'll just state what i loved in this story without comparing it to HOTD.
➺ him willing to bend the knee for her. AND kill anyone who refuses to do the same. Accepts her as the rightful heir and doesn't ever undermines her power just because she's a woman. Never once thinks she can't handle gruesome details about the business and actually shares with her these things like an equal. Is more than happy to be her supporter and her being the actual boss.
➺ Her being a mafia boss bitch which is so rare (infact Ruthless People by J.J McAvoy is the only time I've ever encountered one) where she not only isn't averse to violence but actively takes part in it, demands it and has been this way since she was a child.
➺ The moments where we get to know he is actually the one who has always taken her on this wild life and never shielded her from the brutal side of the mafia business. As an example, he gives her a present which she loved. The present was their enemy's eyeballs ...more
This was so much better than AngeloRory story which i DNFed around 16% and even knowing how their story turns out from this book, i have no intention This was so much better than AngeloRory story which i DNFed around 16% and even knowing how their story turns out from this book, i have no intention of ever picking it up again either.
➺The heroine in this book is just chefs kisses really. I had my doubts about her personality when from the prologue we got to know there was going to be a "queen of hearts" who'll bring Rafe "to his knees" and let's be honest, it wouldn't be the first time a meek heroine is labelled as such.
Imagine my surprise when i not only found Penelope to be a wild firecracker, but also found myself loving the fact that even though she is averse to mafia violence and stuff which isn't anything new but she makes up for it by being such a fucking trickster. The amount of times she took me by surprise along with Rafe and manages to shock me by her boldness dissolved any doubts i had about her being his doom card.
➺Rafe, he is a made men who is a gentleman but not a gentle man. That about sums him up and the sexual tension between these two were not hot because it was written masterfully but rather how both of them were equally dominating. This is those rare mafia romances where i encountered an equal couple and not another Intimidating-killer-H & meek-submissive-h.
➺The length of these books bothers me because i don't see any point of a romance which isn't a fantasy being more than 350+ pages. Especially when this isn't even a standalone.
Can't believe I have rated this 4 when this deserves more than 10 stars. Proves I hadn't read it properly before. Because this? ThRe-Read : 16 Feb 2024
Can't believe I have rated this 4 when this deserves more than 10 stars. Proves I hadn't read it properly before. Because this? This is heaven. This is comfort. This is home. The minute I finished this today. I automatically went to Amazon and ordered the paperback. Changing my rating now.
As a reader who one-clicks every grovel-promising book, I firmly believe in the fact that the grovel can only be great if the receiving party lets the other one repent. And half of the times whenever I've encountered books where grovelling has failed to deliver, it's often due to the lack of resistance from the heroine.
Penny here? She is the "queen" in every sense of word. The perfect candidate to receive and make a grovelling epic because hell will freeze over before she'd back down.
The fact that I cried. like legit cried here???? And there wasn't even a character death. Jesus. This story. Penny. Rafe. Them together. Their words. Their scenes. Their unspoken actions. They brought tears in my eyes. And to think this was a reread. This is when you know you've discovered a true gem of a book.
------------------------- Initial review :
This did not disappoint! I'm interested to see how Gabe and Wren's story will unfold considering their dynamic might be the most unique one yet. What's with their polar opposite personalities and all. While i don't like to read about that kinda thing, i sure would give it a chance.
Anyways, my fav quotes/scenes from this :
“Since when did you start drinking vodka?” “Since you said you wouldn’t kiss me if I drank whiskey.”
♡♡
“I don’t want you, Penelope.” Before his omission has time to sting, he brings his hand to my jaw and grips me there. “But I’m going to take you anyway, and then I’m going to ruin you.” “Why?” I breathe. He doesn’t miss a beat. “Because it’s only a matter of time before you ruin me.”
♡♡
“Whose pussy is this, Penelope?” “Mine.” A growl rises up my throat, and I catch her garbled, “But we can share!” as my belt whistles through the air and breaks over her ass.
I love to see these rare kind of heroines who protects, defends, stalks the mmc, rather than the mmc doing that, for a change. The fact that Autumn thI love to see these rare kind of heroines who protects, defends, stalks the mmc, rather than the mmc doing that, for a change. The fact that Autumn thinks she is Declan's guardian angel and thus, does everything in her power to stop him from any harm and that's why she stalks him, is so fucking adorable and probably the first time this concept has been written....more
I have no qualms about the story. It's just the length of the book which bothered me.
This might be my fav boss-employee romance since I love this tropI have no qualms about the story. It's just the length of the book which bothered me.
This might be my fav boss-employee romance since I love this trope but don't really like most of the books featuring this. And it's rare to see a hero who is obsessed with the heroine in a non-stalkerish way. Needy, desperate heroes are fun to read. Specially when the FMC is Zelda who is brutally honest with no boundaries and really puts him in his place, knows how to handle him AND doesn't misinterprets the situations.
If she left, then I'd lose my fucking mind because—because I would and there didn't need to be a reason.
If she left, then she might never come back and I'd never know why this woman mattered and that was unfuckingacceptable.
If she left, then I'd find her. Then I'd bring her back, which made fine sense to me even if it did sound like an abduction plan.
If I brought her back, then I'd never let her out of my sight again and that also made fine sense while sounding rather criminal.
If she stayed at my apartment, then I'd want to touch her because she was a living, breathing magnet.
If I wanted to touch her, then she'd let me because she needed it as much as I did.
If she let me touch her, then I couldn't have her work for me because there was a limit to the number of complications I could supervise at any time.
If she couldn't work for me, then I'd lose my fucking mind. And I still didn't need a damn reason.
That'd pissed me off to no end, right up to the point when she'd stood in my entryway, looking like she didn't know where she belonged. Right here, I wanted to say. You belong right here.
I've always loved this story of Sophie×Neil mainly because how refreshing and different it is in such a common boss-assistant trope.
I mean where else I've always loved this story of Sophie×Neil mainly because how refreshing and different it is in such a common boss-assistant trope.
I mean where else would you see :
Age gap of 25 years, heroine who doesn't want kids and doesn't ever change her mind either ; had an abortion, hero who is bisexual, they have done threesome, they are into BDSM, have an open relationship, heroine who actually uses the billionaire's money, H is also a single dad, he has battled cancer, H and h are in couple's therapy. AND MANY MORE THINGS..
Surely you have seen one or many of the above things in books but to have ALL of them in a same story??? Tell me where else can I find it???...more
or by it's title either if that's whats making you reluctant to read it.
BECAUSE THIS IS SOME TOP-TIER MASTERPIEDO NOT JUDGE THIS BOOK BY IT'S COVER!!
or by it's title either if that's whats making you reluctant to read it.
BECAUSE THIS IS SOME TOP-TIER MASTERPIECE UNDERRATED YET UNIQUE PIECE OF DIAMOND.
➺This features not only a neurodivergent heroine but a fucking rich one at that. Scratch that, a filthy rich billionaire heroine. The hero is a mechanic and this is a marriage of convience story which is something i don't like to read. Because of reasons such as misunderstandings, misinterpretations and miscommunication.
Reasons which are NOT HERE.
➺ My fucking god. the communication is chefs kisses. The way they are so fucking open and honest (from the beginning mind you) with each other about little things like doubting each other's feelings and where do they stand MAKES ME WANT TO GIVE THEM A FREAKING MEDAL.
There's literally no trace of misunderstanding because even if it occurs it gets resolves quickly because THEY TALK. THEY FUCKING TALK PEOPLE. LIKE FULLY GROWN ADULTS!
Do you know how fucking rare that is? And how frustrating it is to not see these basic things in romance?
➺ Anyways, Audrey (h) who schedules fucking everything, can't lie so she prefers to either be blunt or remain silent, takes everything literally, doesn't like to be touched, can't tolerate pain makes me so freaking happy because it leads to things like the hero sputtering because of her replying seriously to his very sarcastic remark and that one role-play scene, fucking HILARIOUS in ways you'd die from laughter.
➺ And if this doesn't convinced you enough, want to know something else? : THE SMUT IS OFF THE FUCKING CHARTS.
Ugh. This deserves to be popular.
Istg if this was a little less expensive here i would buy the paperback right this very second.
*sigh* back to reading romance books about adults who don't act like adults....more
This was one of those refreshingly unique gem i love to come across randomly. Reminded me so much about Midnight Valentine by J.T Geissinger yet was noThis was one of those refreshingly unique gem i love to come across randomly. Reminded me so much about Midnight Valentine by J.T Geissinger yet was not at all same....more
I have a test tomorrow and I apparently deemed today best to read 2 books. I have excuses. And reasons. They are both the same. I just cannot resist. I dI have a test tomorrow and I apparently deemed today best to read 2 books. I have excuses. And reasons. They are both the same. I just cannot resist. I do not have self-control. I love amnesia trope. And i love the perfectly imperfect series.
This story was pleasingly predictable. To the point that if anything other than what you have predicted, would've happened, you'd hate it.
Fortunately, it did not. And i feel like i have been saying this everytime i read Neva Altaj's mafia books – you never have to worry about meeting yet another doormat, squeamish, docile heroines when you're reading these books.
I love this unrequited love trope specifically because I yearn to see FMCs taking it upon themselves to seduce the guy, go after him, make him see you. And i have read many books where the execution fails to deliver because in doing so, the FMC becomes a doormat.
Again, fortunately – and just as I thought – here it did not happen. Even more perfect she becomes such a boss always ready to take action, it's just chef's kisses really.
I might be in love with him, but it doesn’t mean I’ll allow him to treat me like a doormat.
“You’re so damn stubborn,” I whisper, “but I will keep banging at this fucking wall you set between us, Luca, until it crumbles into dust.”
“You are”—his hand tugs on my panties, sliding them down—“playing with fire, tesoro.” “I will enjoy burning with you, Luca,” I rasp, kicking my panties from around my ankles.
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