"I can't let you go. I'll never do that. Not until I die."
WHAT TO EXPECT: ✨ paranormal romance ✨ he's a gentleman4 ⭐️ My favorite of the series (so far)
"I can't let you go. I'll never do that. Not until I die."
WHAT TO EXPECT: ✨ paranormal romance ✨ he's a gentleman Vampire warrior ✨ she's a flirtatious Valkyrie warrior ✨ insta lust ✨ captor x captive ✨ enemies to lovers ✨ he falls first and hard ✨ fated mates ✨ she's in denial ✨ forced proximity ✨ age gap (300 & 2000+) ✨ size difference ✨ 4/5 ...more
3.75 ⭐️ This was a fun yet gritty, dark paranormal romance
For more than a thousand years, he'd search for her. And he'd found her in what he despised 3.75 ⭐️ This was a fun yet gritty, dark paranormal romance
For more than a thousand years, he'd search for her. And he'd found her in what he despised with a hatred so virulent he couldn't control it.
WHAT TO EXPECT: ✨ paranormal romance ✨ beauty and the beast vibes ✨ he's a morally grey, tortured, aggressive Lykae (werewolf) king ✨ she's a tenderhearted, sheltered half vampire/ half Valkyrie ✨ enemies to lovers ✨ forced proximity ✨ hate to love ✨ fated mates ✨ age gap (70 & 1200) ✨ size difference ✨ virgin FMC ✨ 4.5/5 ...more
3.5 ⭐️ If you like fantasy romance and Ruby Dixon, then definitely pick this book up
He's a polite monk of a Fellian who just happens to be trapped in 3.5 ⭐️ If you like fantasy romance and Ruby Dixon, then definitely pick this book up
He's a polite monk of a Fellian who just happens to be trapped in a tower with a princess of loose morals who really, really wants to ride his c*ck.
WHAT TO EXPECT: ✨ fantasy romance ✨ feuding factions ✨ gods x humans x ‘monsters’ ✨ locked away in a windowless tower with your enemy ✨ she’s a spoiled, chronically ill, lusty human princess ✨ he’s a shy, celibate, bookish non-human prince ✨ virgin, cinnamon roll monster ✨ enemies to friends lovers ✨ forced proximity ✨ opposites attract ✨ nursing back to health ✨ he falls first ✨ 4/5 ...more
4.5 ⭐️ A heartfelt romance that took me by surprise
"Come on, Ali. I'm pretty sure every guy at Beechwood High thought you were the one." "Not even clos4.5 ⭐️ A heartfelt romance that took me by surprise
"Come on, Ali. I'm pretty sure every guy at Beechwood High thought you were the one." "Not even close." "Maybe it was just me then."
This book had me giggling and smiling like an idiot!!! ...more
WHAT TO EXPECT: ✨ sci-fi romance ✨ post apocalyptic earth ✨ human FMC and robot MMC ✨ forbidden romance ✨ evil robot3.5 ⭐️ An pretty enjoyable audioboook
WHAT TO EXPECT: ✨ sci-fi romance ✨ post apocalyptic earth ✨ human FMC and robot MMC ✨ forbidden romance ✨ evil robot warlord ✨ intriguing world building ✨ 2.5/5 ...more
2 ⭐️ I can see the charm but to me, it was an unrealistic story with very delulu characters.
"You know what I hate the most about you, Ford?" "What's th2 ⭐️ I can see the charm but to me, it was an unrealistic story with very delulu characters.
"You know what I hate the most about you, Ford?" "What's that, Rosie?" "That hating you is downright impossible."
WHAT TO EXPECT: ✨ small-town setting ✨ billionaire romance ✨ brother's best friend ✨ childhood frenemies-to-lovers ✨ boss x employee ✨ forbidden romance ✨ forced proximity ✨ opposites attract ✨ snarky banter / shit talking ✨ he fell first (always loved her) ✨ 2.5/5 ...more
5 ⭐️ Easily my favorite book in the Rebel Blue Ranch series! Lyla truly just keeps getting better and better.
I'd rather fight with Teddy than be happy5 ⭐️ Easily my favorite book in the Rebel Blue Ranch series! Lyla truly just keeps getting better and better.
I'd rather fight with Teddy than be happy with anyone else.
WHAT TO EXCEPT: ✨ cowboy romance ✨ Wyoming ranch setting ✨ sister’s best friend / best friend’s brother ✨ enemies to lovers ✨ hate to love ✨ single dad ✨ slight age gap (8 years) ✨ nanny x boss ✨ grumpy x sunshine ✨ sass and banter ✨ "baby" ✨ 3/5 ...more
5 ⭐️ The best book I’ve read this year! Y’all are sleeping on this series!!!!!!
It was inconvenient, I decided, to be attracted to my husband. Unfortun5 ⭐️ The best book I’ve read this year! Y’all are sleeping on this series!!!!!!
It was inconvenient, I decided, to be attracted to my husband. Unfortunately, I was. Terribly.
WHAT TO EXPECT: ✨ sci-fi / fantasy romance ✨ he’s a dominating vampire-like alien lord ✨ she’s the eldest human daughter of his enemy ✨ arranged marriage ✨ enemies to lovers ✨ hate to love ✨ slow burn ✨ insane sexual tension ✨ 4/5 ...more
4 ⭐️ Burgess is THE definition of 'he falls first and hard'
"You could be wasting your time on me." "Time with you could never be a waste. Only a privil4 ⭐️ Burgess is THE definition of 'he falls first and hard'
"You could be wasting your time on me." "Time with you could never be a waste. Only a privilege."
WHAT TO EXPECT: ✨ hockey romance ✨ Boston setting ✨ he's a hockey legend known as Sir Savage ✨ she's a bubbly but cautious marine biologist student ✨ nanny x boss ✨ roommates ✨ grumpy x sunshine ✨ opposites attract ✨ he falls first and hard ✨ forced proximity ✨ age gap (11 years) ✨ single dad ✨ 3/5 ...more
"They say being given the blood of a god is a gift. But it is a curse."
WHAT TO EXPECT: ✨ viking romantasy ✨ 4.5 ⭐️ Officially in my Viking Fantasy Era!
"They say being given the blood of a god is a gift. But it is a curse."
WHAT TO EXPECT: ✨ viking romantasy ✨ norse mythology ✨ meddling gods ✨ prophecies ✨ chosen one ✨ arranged marriage ✨ bodyguard x ‘princess’ trope ✨ forced proximity ✨ insta-lust ✨ friends to lovers ✨ forbidden romance ✨ slow burn ✨ one horse ✨ touch her and die ✨ 2/5 spice ✨ action packed ✨ cliffhanger ✨ single POV ✨ TW: war, violence, loss of family, gaslighting
My Thoughts:
I am a HUGE fan of Danielle L. Jensen's The Bridge Kingdom Series, so when I found out she was writing another fantasy series based on norse mythology, I was so excited. And rightly slow because this first book was fantastic!
PS: If you loved the Netflix show and book series, That Last Kingdom, but wished there was magic and more romance, this story is PERFECT for you!
What I loved:
Freya and Bjorn. Both MCs were likable characters that only got more interesting as we got to know them more. Freya is incredibly selfless, and while sometimes her devotion to others drove me mad (because it was often at her expense), I respect the hell out of her for caring for so many people. I also liked that her thoughts, feelings, and actions seemed realistic for a 'Viking' woman during this 'era'. Bjorn was everything I love in an MMC - charming, funny, strong, loyal, protective, and hellbent on getting revenge. Oh, and he has powers from one of the gods. Because the story is in Freya's POV, it takes time to get his backstory and understand his motives, but even then, there's always a little mystery to him. These characters were well developed and I think we're going to see a lot of growth and change from them in the next book.
The romance and spice. From the moment they meet, Freya and Bjorn have insane chemistry and are clearly meant to be together. However, there is a forbidden aspect to the story that prevents them from making any moves, so there's so much flirty banter, tension, and longing - and I ate it all up! I love how they resisted at first but ultimately, cave to their desires. And those spicy scenes . . . ...more
3.5 ⭐️ A fast-paced romantasy set within an intriguing world.
***This review contains spoilers***
"It's not the times you don't need saving that I'm3.5 ⭐️ A fast-paced romantasy set within an intriguing world.
***This review contains spoilers***
"It's not the times you don't need saving that I'm worried about. It's the one time you'll need it, and there will be no one to do it."
WHAT TO EXPECT: ✨ forbidden romance ✨ witch x witch hunter ✨ enemies to lovers ✨ insta-lust ✨ best friend’s brother ✨ fake courting / dating ✨ he courts her because he suspects she's a witch ✨ she dates him for information to help free a witch prisoner ✨ brothers love triangle ✨ loss of virginity ✨ size difference ✨ .5/5...more
WHAT TO EXPECT: ✨ adult fantasy series ✨ mulan retelling ✨ badass FMC ✨ feminine rage ✨ hidden identity ✨ wartime ✨ mag2 ⭐️ It really just wasn’t for me
WHAT TO EXPECT: ✨ adult fantasy series ✨ mulan retelling ✨ badass FMC ✨ feminine rage ✨ hidden identity ✨ wartime ✨ magic ✨ love triangle (to be expanded on) ✨ classist and patriarchal society ✨ cliffhanger ✨ TW: domestic abuse, attempted r@pe, violence
My Thoughts:
I’m sitting here trying to formulate my thought, the only thing I can come up with is this: I just didn’t give a f*ck about this story.
It’s too heavily inspired by Disney’s Mulan that for the first 40% all I could imagine was Mulan. The characters are not fully fleshed out. The MC isn’t really even likable. The love triangle romance (which will definitely play a larger role in book 2) came out of nowhere and it’s pretty obvious which one she’s going to choose. There’s too much telling vs showing and so much non-dialogue. The story feels more YA than Adult (which this is marketed as). And the actual writing was pretty basic.
I do actually think the premise is interesting, but the execution of the story made it a challenge to get through. If I hadn’t gotten this as an ARC, I would have DNFed at 15%. But thanks to my determination and skimming abilities, I was able to finish.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ace Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own. ...more
3.5 ⭐️ Not as good as the first one but I still enjoyed it!!!!
The king knew, in this moment, that his greatest love would also be his ruination, and t3.5 ⭐️ Not as good as the first one but I still enjoyed it!!!!
The king knew, in this moment, that his greatest love would also be his ruination, and that both would come in the unlikely form of a young human woman.
*SPOILERS AHEAD if you have not finished The Serpent and the Wings of Night*
WHAT TO EXPECT: ✨ dark fantasy romance ✨ humans x vampires x gods ✨ enemies to lovers ✨ marriage of convenience ✨ reverse grumpy x sunshine ✨ "she's mine" ✨ 2/5 spice (three-ish open door sex scene) ✨ action-packed ✨ high stakes ✨ continued world building ✨ dual POV ✨ HEA ✨ TW: violence, discussion of sexual assault and rape, and slavery
My Thoughts:
I'm going to wait to write a full review once this book is re-released by Tor (06/04/24), but in the meantime, I'll leave a few quick thoughts.
I did enjoy this story! Where the first book is a nice combination of romance and plot, this definitely was a lot more plot heavy. I don't usually mind this, however, sooooo much happens and sometimes it was a bit slow, so the story started to blend together and got a bit tedious for me towards the end. BUT I will say, it was entertaining, the world-building was well done, Oraya and Raihn are everything, and it was a good story overall. I definitely recommend reading!
I would always regret this. Breaking Oraya. that was a sin that I'd never be able to atone for. _______
Vincent had ruined me. He had saved me. He had loved me.He had stifled me. He had manipulated me. He had made me everything that I was. Everything that I could be. Even the greatest parts of my power, the parts he never wanted me to find, were his. . . And I missed him too much to hate him the way I wanted to. And I hated him most of all for that. _______
"To die, rather than killing you? Yes. That would have been worth it. Even I had to draw the line somewhere. And you are the line, Oraya." _______
"Your sarcasm is so subtle, princess. Elegant and refined. Like fine wine. Or this beer." _______
"There's no one to kill." "You sound so disappointed, my murderous queen." _______
"It's stupid of you to let me go." "Some people have been saying it was stupid of me to keep you alive at all. I guess I'm a stupid man." _______
"I've got to believe in love, Raihn. The world is sad enough." _______
They looked at me like I was an actual threat, and I liked that. _______
"The dress is an act of war. But you've always looked fucking fantastic in blood." _______
"I'd spend a lifetime at the tip of your blade, and it would have been worth it." _______
I was everything I was meant to be. My father's daughter. Victim and protégée. Greatest love and ruination. _______
Power hurts. It requires sacrifice. Do you want to change this world, little serpent? Climb the bars until you're so high no one can catch you. _______
"I'd tell you to go become something fucking incredible, Oraya, but you already are, and this place doesn't deserve you. It never has. And I sure as fuck don't. _______
"You have nothing but me. And yet, you'd let me go." "I have nothing but you. So I am letting you go." _______
"Let me make you the queen that you are. Let me guard your body, your soul, your heart. Let me spend the rest of my fucking pathetic life at your mercy. If I need to die, then let me do it by your hand. Please." _______
"Let met worship you, Oraya. . . And let me taste you when you come. Please." _______
I hate you because I let you hurt me. I hate you because I grieved you. I hate you because I don't. _______
"You have destroyed me. And I have hated every moment of it, too." _______
My blood. My body. My soul. I had given her all of that a long time ago. I even had given her my life. And I'd do it all again. _______
"Loving someone else is a dangerous thing . . . even for vampires. More dangerous still for a king." _______
"Men and their secrets. We spend a lifetime trying to unravel them, and once they're gone, we're still at their mercy." _______
"I am not going to fuck you over." "Again, you mean. Fuck me over again." "Never, Oraya. Never again. And not just because I don't have a chance in hell of taking Sivrinaj back without you. But because I wouldn't want to, anyways." _______
"Just want you to know, Oraya, that you were the best part of it. The best part of all of it." _______
Raihn. My downfall and my most valuable supporter. My weakness and my strength. My worst enemy and the greatest love I had ever known. All of that in one name. One person. One soul I knew as well as my own, just as confusing, just as flawed. _______
Loving Oraya was terrifying. It required me to see things I didn't want to see. Face things I didn't want to face. Allow another soul to witness parts of myself I didn't even want to acknowledge. _______
Bloodshed and ballgowns. They really went together. _______...more
2.5 ⭐️ Started out strong but by the end, I just didn’t like it.
"Every male in there will want to fuck you, and every woman will want to be you." "Beca2.5 ⭐️ Started out strong but by the end, I just didn’t like it.
"Every male in there will want to fuck you, and every woman will want to be you." "Because I'm with you?" "Because they know you're mine."
WHAT TO EXPECT: ✨ urban paranormal romance ✨ san francisco setting ✨ vampires, humans, witches/familiars ✨ Julian: billionaire vampire who's being forced to marry ✨ Thea: struggling artist (cellist) and human ✨ forbidden romance ✨ insta-lust ✨ fake dating/engagement ✨ age gap (22 and 400+) ✨ virgin FMC ✨ 2.5/5 ...more
1.5 ⭐️ Did we all read the same book? How does this have such a high rating?
WHAT TO EXPECT: ✨ psychological thriller ✨ mystery ✨ plot twists ✨ TW: infide1.5 ⭐️ Did we all read the same book? How does this have such a high rating?
WHAT TO EXPECT: ✨ psychological thriller ✨ mystery ✨ plot twists ✨ TW: infidelity, domestic abuse, torture, toxic relationship, murder, death (this is not a complete list, so be sure to research the trigger warnings before)
My Thoughts:
What a fucking waste of my time. I am annoyed I read this book and cannot believe it came so highly recommended. There's so much I can say but I'll keep this review short since I don't want to spend more time thinking about this book than I have to.
I hardly ever read thrillers yet I was able to predict everything. I honestly wish I DNF'd but I decided to keep going for the big plot twists that I was told would completely surprise me; but alas, they did not. The author basically tells you what's going to happen next by making the narrator have internal dialogue that panders to the reader. Here are a few examples.
1. The FMC, Millie, enters the room she will be living in and goes, "There was something about that room that was very scary." Oooooo, I bet something terrible happened there. *I say this sarcastically*
2. Millie meets the gardener and she notices, "There's something in his expression that sends a chill down my spine. And then he shakes his head, almost imperceptibly. Almost like he's trying to warn me." And then he tells her it's dangerous and she should leave. Huh, I wonder why the gardener would tell a random woman she's in danger living in this rich suburban home as the maid. What could possibly go wrong?
3. Millie meets the husband and immediately notices how hot he is. "It's hard not to notice that he is several levels more attractive than his wife." And throughout the story she constantly comments on how handsome he is. I wonder what's going to happen between the super hot maid and her super hot employer. . .
4. Millie's bedroom door locks from the outside and she notices there are scratches on the door, "Like somebody was scraping at the door. Trying to get out." Cue the Cardi-B viral sound "That's suspicious. That's weird." We all know she's getting locked in that room at some point.
There's a lot more but again, I don't want to spend more time on this book so, moving on to my next point.
The writing was juvenile. Along with the author's penchant for pandering to the reader, the book was just so average written. It felt like someone in high school wrote it. Simple writing. Basic characters. Unrealistic development.
Millie was an unbearable FMC. She's a recently released convict and has had a hard time keeping a job. She's desperate, which is why she overlooks all the red flags about this new job as a maid. But for fuck's sake, it's like she has zero self preservation. I absolutely hated her and the choices she made throughout the story. The only redeeming thing about her was how she handles everything at the end.
But that ending has me laughing because of the sheer stupidity of it all. You're telling me Millie has been a dud for the entire book but somehow she comes out on top at the end? I don't believe it but whatever.
Overall, this book was a miss and I do not recommend it. I should be giving this 1 stars because I legit didn’t like anything about it. But it was readable and even if predictable, there was a cohesive plot. . . so I’ll give it 1.5 stars....more