This is a survival story, but whose survival should we truly be caring about?
To the Bone takes place in James Fort, Virginia, between the years of 16This is a survival story, but whose survival should we truly be caring about?
To the Bone takes place in James Fort, Virginia, between the years of 1609-1610. I’d tell you exactly how we know that, but it’s kind of a spoiler. James Fort was the first village established at what eventually would become the Jamestown Colony, the first complete English Colony in what would one day become America.
It’s here in James Fort that our protagonist, Ellis, has found herself in a quandary. She came to America as an indentured servant to the Collins family, knowing her father had already made the crossing some years prior, but he’s not in James Fort and she can’t simply go and find him. Her mistress is miserable, her master both intrigues her and makes her uncomfortable, she isn’t comfortable with the way her fellow Englishmen treat the indigenous peoples, and she knows there’s no way she can be with Jane, the girl she loves. Ellis only wants to be a good girl, but it seems every choice she makes only leads her further and further down paths of wickedness.
Bruzas uses the weather as an effective metaphorical storytelling tool to help move the plot along in this book: The story starts in summer, with long days, sunshine, and food to eat. There’s never an abundance of food, because they have to ration, but with the sun and the river and her friends Ellis is never too miserable. As the days grow shorter and colder, the characters and their circumstances change, bringing on the direst and darkest of circumstances toward the very end of the book.
What makes this book a five star read is not only Bruzas’ impeccable storytelling talent and her dedication to telling as authentic of a story set during the “starving time” winter as possible, but also in making the reader think of this philosophical quandary: was this survival story ever truly about Ellis? Or was this survival story about the indigenous people of America, whose lands were being raided, crops were being stolen, livestock were being butchered, families were being torn apart, and whole histories were being destroyed with every month that passed by and with every English ship that landed on the Atlantic Seaboard?
The ending of this book is very much up for interpretation. I have my own thoughts. The pacing in this book is implacable, just like colonization is. It’s merciless, just like genocide is. It pulls no patience for the young adult audience it's targeted to, and I’m glad, because someone has to tell young people the truth and they sure don’t teach it in school.
Horrifying, but beautifully written. An unexpected but satisfying five star read.
I was provided a copy of this title by the publishers and the author via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Body Horror/Historical Fiction/LGBTQ Romance/Literary Fiction/Standalone Novel...more
I’m going to convince you to read this book with just three tropes. Are you ready?
Forbidden romance Childhood crush They were roommates
I don’t know aboI’m going to convince you to read this book with just three tropes. Are you ready?
Forbidden romance Childhood crush They were roommates
I don’t know about you, but right there you have three tropes totally separate from “this is a hockey romance” that could convince any fan of LGBTQ romance to pick this book up. I’ll even give you this: it’s forbidden in two ways! Not only is it “brother’s best friend/best friend’s little brother”, it’s also “player/referee” (so you get a dose of conflict of interest there).
I love all the Puckboy novels. I wouldn’t have been an ARC reader for them since book two if I wasn’t obsessed with these dopey dorks. While I maintain no Puckboys book is a bad Puckboys book, I think this book suffered some from having to do double duty as not only its own romance novel, but also because it had to spend a good chunk of its first half as a vehicle for the charity hockey game the Queer Collective has been aiming at putting together over the last few books.
Narratively, it makes sense: Knox is one of the MMCs in this book and he’s the referee for the charity game, and Easton is the other MMC and is playing in the game.
Was it a good choice for the book as its own romance novel? I’m of the opinion that it wasn’t.
I’m not Eden or Saxon and I’m not sitting here saying I have a better idea or solution. What I am saying is that the Queer Collective is full of a lot of big personalities and energy, and it felt like all the energy in this book was used in the first half, leaving the last half lacking momentum and drive.
It’s still a Puckboys book, and I’ll never look down my nose at my Puckboys.
I was provided a copy of this title by the authors via Foreword PR. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed within are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
That’s what Riley and Danny are. Just two commitment-phobes who sleep around (one-night stands only, please and thank Do you have a platonic soulmate?
That’s what Riley and Danny are. Just two commitment-phobes who sleep around (one-night stands only, please and thank you) and then spend almost all of their free time together. They have keys to each other’s places. They come and go as they please. They know one another better than anyone else on the planet. Riley’s even in the know about the supernatural world, despite being a human because he’s Matty’s best friend and Matty’s husband is a vampire…it’s all very complicated. But Riley wouldn’t have it any other way (except he hates his job). Danny certainly wouldn’t either (except he wishes he didn’t have the constant threat of his old pack hanging over his head). Yup, they’re just platonic soulmates.
Who had sex one time a few years ago before they became best friends. Unbelievable, mind-blowing, once-in-a-lifetime sex. Which they’ll never repeat. Nope.
I love Lark Taylor. Sometimes I forget I only heard of her and her books in January, because she’s now an auto–buy author and I can’t get enough of her books. They always feature captivating and endearing characters, are unspeakably hot, are well-plotted, and slot in well with her already-existing books. I love when an author’s books connect, even if it’s tangential, because it feels almost like an easter egg hunt when you start looking for the connections. (If you’re a Sadenverse reader then you know what I’m talking about.)
Danny’s story is the last in for the Damned Connections series, and it was a very loose thread that needed to be tied up from the second book in the series, Justice. Finally we get to see the pack Danny left behind, the reason he left, and learn what he needs to do to resolve that situation. I didn’t find this book as touching on an emotional level as Justice, but I did love the idiot x idiot trope. It’s another win for Lark Taylor and we’re off to visit the angels next!
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
The Dalton twins are so close they almost can’t exist apart from one another. One has a hangover, the other has a How close are you to your siblings?
The Dalton twins are so close they almost can’t exist apart from one another. One has a hangover, the other has a sympathy hangover. One’s depressed, the other feels it too. They know one another so well they can pretend to be one another; point in fact, they’ve been getting away with this very thing since middle school. Or, they were until Benny Dalton went and fell in love during the fall semester. Now it’s spring and Emmett Dalton is starting to feel like a frayed thread. He’s lonely, kind of lost, and can’t sustain pretending to be his twin anymore. He’s too full of secrets, even ones his twin doesn’t know.
We first met Emmett Dalton (in Franklin U 2) back in the second book, Saxon James’ A Stealthy Situation, with Emmett being the one to take Benny’s statistics classes for him since Benny isn’t good at math. While Benny was swooning over their classmate Harrison, it turns out Emmett was swooning over someone too: their stats professor, Jonah.
Twincerely Yours offers up a lot of great tropes, including some of my favorites:
The end of the world is upon us. What would you do?
Well, Major Atlas Brandt is going to get to work. He’s going to fight to protect his country, humanThe end of the world is upon us. What would you do?
Well, Major Atlas Brandt is going to get to work. He’s going to fight to protect his country, humanity, or he’s going to die trying. That was the plan, anyway, until one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse and an angel with black wings came and turned what was left of his world upside down. That’s only the beginning of what to expect from the first half of this companion duet to Moreau’s fan-flipping-tastic The Four Horsemen series.
Point of order: It is completely necessary to read the entirety of The Four Horsemen book series before starting this book. You will not understand anything going on in this book if you don’t read that series before starting this book. Atlas is not a whole story unto its own: it’s a companion story to a much larger and more complex story that begins and ends in The Four Horsemen series. Atlas is an entire story that happens within (and likely after) the main events of The Four Horsemen but is ultimately supplementary material borne of love for the character Atlas Brandt (at least that’s why I wanted it and have been excited for it) and wanting to read his side of the story. So if you start Atlas and are lost then don’t say you weren’t warned.
Atlas is finally here and I’m beyond excited. From the first time he was introduced in War, Atlas has been a completely transfixing character in The Four Horsemen series: A character that represented the human race in a story writ large for supernaturals. Atlas not only needed to stand out so his signal didn’t get lost in the noise, but we needed to be invested in him without seeing him as either a victim or villain. Sienna Moreau made him an advocate instead, and he is fierce. While he’s not my favorite character in this universe (that’s Paul, of course, iykyk), this book completely elevated him in my esteem.
Seeing The Four Horsemen story through Atlas’ eyes (this book covers the events of the series throughout War) is something I knew I wanted but didn’t know I needed this much. Atlas is somehow the best of what humanity should be, but he’s just so battered. He’s indefatigable. Resilient. Implacable. He’s also lonely. Desperate. Needy. Deep down, in the places sealed off from even himself, Atlas is terrified and so tired. What Atlas is the most, though, is angry. That’s what makes him burn so brightly and I’m here for it.
Sienna Moreau already built us a rich world for this book to take place in, but now we get to see her work with Conquest, Raziel, and Atlas down to a deeper, more emotional character level that wasn’t possible in The Four Horsemen series. Conquest is the shortest of The Four Horsemen books (not by much, but still), and it also had the job of introducing the series. That’s a tough job and doesn’t allow for the same amount of character-building that the other three horsemen received. Atlas part one clocks in at 411 pages, longer than any of the horsemen novels. This gives us a lot of time to get to know our trifecta, as well as lots of action and plot.
Let’s not forget the spice. All of the horsemen books are seriously spicy (I’d still say Famine is the spiciest and kinkiest) and Atlas doesn’t disappoint on that front. I don’t think it’s as spicy as the other horsemen books (it’s been a few months since I’ve read those), but it’s a rather fast burn and there are more than enough scenes. You’ll have to forgive Atlas for being human and not having the same…abilities as Con and Raz.
This book was totally worth the wait and I adored it. It ends on a mild cliffhanger but not an unexpected one given we know where the story is going. It was great spending time with familiar characters (PAUL) and I am just going to have to sit here and pout while waiting for part two.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Book Series/Dark Romance/Apocalyptic/Gay Romance/Kink Friendly/LGBTQ Romance/Romance Series/Polyamorous Romance/Spice Level 3/Supernatural Fantasy ...more
Popped is one of the strongest romance anthologies I’ve read in quite awhile, full of great first-time stories fWhat was the last anthology you read?
Popped is one of the strongest romance anthologies I’ve read in quite awhile, full of great first-time stories from some of my favorite LGBTQ indie romance authors working right now. Some dip into these authors’ existing universes and some look like they could be the start of something special all on their own in the future (I’m looking at you, Lily and Cora!).
My rating of this anthology isn’t rooted in anything more substantial than the quality of the anthology as a whole. I’m not looking to nitpick short stories included in a charity anthology that’s meant to go to a good cause. These authors donated their time, effort, and IP to this project, and others donated production materials and labor to put this all together. It’s an honorable project and I don’t think subjecting it to extended scrutinization is a worthy endeavor.
That being said, I’m going to go over the stories I loved best and tell you what I loved about them!
Have you ever gone into work and ran into someone you didn't expect to? Was it awkward?
Willow Dixon’s sixth book in the Crimson Club series follows JeHave you ever gone into work and ran into someone you didn't expect to? Was it awkward?
Willow Dixon’s sixth book in the Crimson Club series follows Jett, who works part-time at the Crimson Club as a bartender. His day job is construction and carpentry, which he learned from his former father in-law. Jett can only work so many hours, though, and he wants to try and get out and try to start living his life. So he goes out to a club, maybe looking to get a little action. He certainly finds it (in a series of scenes that are scorchingly hot). It just becomes a bit awkward when Monday rolls around and the same couple Jett unexpectedly and impulsively hooked up with over the weekend just happen to be his new coworkers (because this is romance and of course they are).
Willow Dixon’s cast of characters are just so endearing. They feel genuine without feeling cloying or cheesy. Their expectations of one another are realistic, their dialogue has a nice rhythm to it that doesn’t feel too practiced or overwrought, and there aren’t any speaking pieces that feel like a speech or soliloquy, which was a nice break from some books I’ve read recently. I loved the array of sexual preferences that could be found from other characters and how the main characters had tastes that were still developing and evolving.
The relationship between the core three characters in this book was sweet, and the growing pains all three went through were realistic when you consider all the angles. The spice was so, so hot. Some of my hottest hot buttons (exhibition, voyeurism, dirty talk) are included in almost every spice scene and I’m never going to complain about that. It was a fantastic book, and I highly recommend it for any MMM fan.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
The first book in this series, House of Omega, was one of my top indie romance of 2023 and remains one of my favorite omegaverse novels. Roxy Collins The first book in this series, House of Omega, was one of my top indie romance of 2023 and remains one of my favorite omegaverse novels. Roxy Collins is also one of my favorite omegaverse authors. So of course I was going to want to read The Alpha Club. I wasn’t going to miss it.
Thankfully, Roxy delivered a great novel about Jasmine, the omega who was resigned to having to bond to Grace’s psychotic stepbrother Kayden from the first book. In House of Omega, every time Grace tried to help Jasmine escape Kayden, the omega reluctantly told Grace she was staying where she was. Did Jasmine have good reasons for staying with Kayden? Yeah. She also had a plan. But you make plans and the universe laughs. Especially in romance novels.
This book has so many things I consider to be some of my top-tier omegaverse tropes: two omegas who are involved with one another, some serious spice, why choose with LGBTQ content, disability representation, polyamory, and a twist on designation. The choice to write both omegas and one of the alphas as disabled (yes, I am counting mental illness) was something I didn’t know I needed but was very welcome. I like the acknowledgement that it’s not only omegas that can have issues, and I like that it’s not only one character that has issues.
I always love Roxy’s characters, spice, stories, and writing style. There was only one issue with this book, and that was the plotting. The first half was even, but the second half felt very rushed. I actually feel like the book could’ve been longer (I wouldn’t have minded at all) in order to give the characters and relationships more time to interact, integrate, and develop. In the end it didn’t affect my overall enjoyment all that much, but it did affect the overall quality. I love everything Roxy Collins writes and I’ll always read it, though. That hasn’t changed!
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I discovered the Dark Witch Academy series late in 2023, gobbled up all three existing books in less than three days and have been waiting with baitedI discovered the Dark Witch Academy series late in 2023, gobbled up all three existing books in less than three days and have been waiting with baited breath ever since for the fourth book. I got myself a spot early on for the ARC team because I knew I wanted to read Gemini Wicked as soon as it was ready. It didn’t disappoint!
This installment picks up as Zara and her court (as it exists) head to her birthday celebration on a superyacht moored in the harbor outside the academy. The opening chapters of this book are tense and full of action, because of course they are. Nothing ever goes according to plan when a crown is up for grabs in a fantasy novel! (Plus, that’s kind of the major plot arc for the entire series, so we’d be without a story without a precipitating event, right?)
This disaster of a birthday celebration is only the start of a raucous set of events that stand between Zara and the crown. The pace of this book is fast, interspersed with action, lots of spice, and intimate conversations.
One of the things I love most about Laura’s Navarre’s writing in this series is her inner narrative for Zara. Most of the time I can’t stand first-person POV that breaks the fourth wall and has an extreme amount of slang. Somehow it just really works for me in these books. It fits the character, somehow. I can’t imagine Zara Gemini without her charming, cheeky inner voice.
Oh, and if you love breeding kink? Trust me, you’re not going to want to miss out. All of the Dark Witch Academy books are spicy af, but Gemini Wicked takes spicy af and adds a hefty dose of breeding kink on top for maximum effort. It’s giving ghost pepper levels of spice and I'm here for it.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
There’s a huge thrill that comes with being a long-time fan of both Saxon James and Eden Finley and their “Sadenverse”, and that’s when you get blastsThere’s a huge thrill that comes with being a long-time fan of both Saxon James and Eden Finley and their “Sadenverse”, and that’s when you get blasts from the past as your new main characters and get to watch the new generation fall in love. In A Stealthy Situation we’re getting a call from the CU Hockey series in the form of Benny Dalton, one of the Chaos Twins from both Line Mates & Study Dates and Puck Drills & Quick Thrills (don’t worry, Emmett’s in here too).
The Chaos Twins fell out of love with hockey before they could be drafted and fled to California in order to get away from the pressure that had surrounded them all their lives. The pair of them still love to sow a little chaos, which is why they take great pains to make sure no one in San Diego knows the Dalton Twins exist. They each go to a different school, they keep their appearances identical, they dress similarly, and don’t go out in town at the same time. They rely on each other to get through anything and everything, which is why things start to go awry when Emmett is suddenly expelled from his university and takes to crashing on a mattress in Benny’s bedroom at the DIK frat house.
A Stealthy Situation is cute and sweet, with a great sense of humor to it. I love a good cinnamon roll and snark monster dynamic, and that’s exactly what Harrison and Benny have. Benny has a deliciously morbid sense of humor that I adore and insults being used as a love language is something I myself use on an everyday basis, so I can totally be book bffs with him.
I thought the supporting cast really came in clutch here for comic relief and emotional support, and I thought the disability rep was very well done.
I can’t wait for Twincerely Yours (which comes at the end of FU 2) so I can read Emmett’s story!
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I’m a big fan of Elena Lawson’s (writing as E. J. Lawson) omegaverse novels. I think I’ve read and reviewed every single one. Her Wild Heat series is I’m a big fan of Elena Lawson’s (writing as E. J. Lawson) omegaverse novels. I think I’ve read and reviewed every single one. Her Wild Heat series is no exception. Salvation is no exception to this rule. I mean, come on: hunters versus hunted? Professional alphas being hired to hunt down a runaway omega who no one can seem to track down? Right away I’m thinking feral, I’m thinking primal, I’m thinking down and dirty. I’m catching rut and heat vibes. I’m catching, “Mine!” vibes.
I was totally right.
If you like strong, independent FMC omegas, this is the book for you. If you like books where the pack doesn’t come pre-made, this is the book for you. If you like your why choose with a splash of sword-crossing but not full-on scenes, this is for you. If you like outdoor romances and don’t mind your spice coming with some dirt, then you’ll like this.
I wouldn’t read this if you’re a fan of nesting or bites in your omegaverse. If you like your omegas soft or pampered in any way, this may not be right for you. If you’re the triggering type you will want to check the TW/CWs for this one because there are darker elements.
I do think this could’ve maybe taken one more pass with a beta reader and editor, because there were a lot of grammar and spelling mistakes and I did feel like it was a bit too long, but otherwise it was another great omegaverse romance from Lawson.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Bubblegum Pop is author Abigail Hunter’s (writing as Abby Hunter) debut omegaverse novel in the Suck It Up omegaverse series, set in the town of KnottBubblegum Pop is author Abigail Hunter’s (writing as Abby Hunter) debut omegaverse novel in the Suck It Up omegaverse series, set in the town of Knottinghill. As such, the series itself is labeled “Suck It Up”, while the universe is known as “Knottinghill”. (I’m noting this because at first I was a little confused, so I thought I would un-confuse it for anyone else that might be in the same position).
I’ve recently begun to assess the light to dark scale of omegaverse romances based on a 6-point scale that was inspired by a coffee roasting chart. 1 is a light omegaverse, and 6 is a pitch black omegaverse. Bubblegum Pop falls at about a 4 on the omegaverse roast scale: The story itself isn’t too dark, but the way it’s executed (along with some story elements that could be very triggering to some, so watch your TW/CWs) could be considered dark.
In the teasers and promos for this book, Hunter told us to expect a lot of smut, heats, knots, and nesting. The first thing is true: There is a huge amount of smut in this book. Now, I love a smutty book, and since this book is about a sex worker and her bodyguards working in a huge brothel I don’t think the amount of smut written into this book is invalid or out of character. Also, The way Hunter has chosen to write her omegaverse (sometimes authors write their omegaverses with a little tweak here and there) means that the fast burn and hypersexuality are completely in character for alphas and omegas in this universe.
Are there heats? Yes, but most of them aren’t on page. Are there knots? Yes, so many. Is there nesting? Yes. There’s also a lot of trauma (both on and off page), angst, violence, mental health issues, manipulation, coercion, extortion, and blackmail.
It was interesting, hot, and entertaining. I’m curious about where Hunter’s going with this and what she’s going to do next.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Franklin University is back, and The Hook Up Mix-Up reminded me right away of how much I loved this series and how I wasn’t wrong to look forward to iFranklin University is back, and The Hook Up Mix-Up reminded me right away of how much I loved this series and how I wasn’t wrong to look forward to it returning this summer. The authors behind FU and FU 2 definitely saw the success that came with the first season of these books and understood the assignment: Take all of that, rewind it back, and build on this universe in an interconnected, tangential way.
Riley Hart decided to build The Hook Up Mix-Up on top of the foundation of her FU book from 2023, Playing Games (the story of Brax and Tyson, who feature heavily in this book). In Playing Games we were introduced to Perry, Tyson’s half-brother, who is one of the MMCs in this book. The other MMC is Theo, a student at Franklin U.
This is your pretty standard bi-awakening, friends-to-bed buddies-to-lovers plot, but that simply doesn’t matter one bit, no matter how much I’m almost always down to read those two tropes combined, because the thing that makes this book worth reading is THEO.
Can I just say Theo is so cute and sweet I wanted to reach into the book, drag him out, and adopt him? I was like that gif of Kristin Bell fawning over a sloth while reading this book the entire time. I almost spent the entire book wondering how anyone could possibly not fall in love with him (before I remembered not everyone loves a people pleaser and that being a people pleaser isn’t always the healthiest thing for your mental wellbeing).
It’s not like Perry is a slouch. It was funny watching how oblivious to how in his deep in his feels he was long before he actually realized it. The boy was done for long before he knew it and it was absolutely adorable to read.
This book does have its hot and spicy moments, but not as spicy as some other authors’ books in this series might end up being. I didn’t find that upsetting in this instance because I was too busy loving Theo and Perry and their burgeoning relationship. Definitely a stellar start to FU season.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Jade isn’t a mafia princess in hiding or on the run from a cruel alpha. No, Jade ended up at the High Roller Club the way most omegas probably do: SheJade isn’t a mafia princess in hiding or on the run from a cruel alpha. No, Jade ended up at the High Roller Club the way most omegas probably do: She didn’t a safe place to go or anyone to turn to and at least at the High Roller she had choices, safety, and money of her own. She doesn’t take on clients (except one that comes around every now and again that she just couldn’t say no to), she just serves drinks and dances. She loves the club, her co-workers, and her job. They are the family who filled in most of the hole left behind when her foster siblings (and alphas she fell in love with) forgot all about her after they left her behind to become huge rock stars.
Only, nothing is as it seems, as both Jade and the three alphas who stole her heart when she was a teenager find out during a chance run-in at the High Roller one night. It seems like someone conspired to keep them apart. But who?
I’m not going to lie, this book isn’t really what I thought it would be. It’s not truly friends to lovers, in my opinion: it’s closer to a second chance romance. There’s not really an age gap except with one character. And as for slow burn? Yeah, I don’t even classify this book as a slow burn and I don’t like waiting long for my spicy scenes to begin.
What does this book have for us? Two possessive, more than a little unhinged alphas (which is a trope I love), an omega who is more than a little turned on by that (which I love), and an established all-male alpha triad within the pack that is hotter than hot throughout the book.
There are weak spots in the plot and execution, but the story itself is solid. I loved the book as a whole and the spice is so nice. A solid read.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Marie Mackay writes some of the best omegaverse out there right now and it’s like the woman has a direct wire to exactly what gets my engine revved whMarie Mackay writes some of the best omegaverse out there right now and it’s like the woman has a direct wire to exactly what gets my engine revved when it comes to spice, because Queen of Diamonds is full of some of my absolute favorite tropes, subtropes, and microtropes (I don’t care if that’s not a thing because I’m making it a thing).
For those not aware of the plot for Queen of Diamonds, this is the story of Glade, the bartender at the High Roller Club. Turns out, Glade has a lot of secrets and a lot of scars (both internal and external).
Where Queen of Hearts and Queen of Spades were both distinct mafia romances (and Queen of Clubs is a rockstar romance), Queen of Diamonds is a gang romance, despite Glade being born a mafia princess. Her being mafia-borne isn’t all that germane to the plot. All of the alphas in this book being born into gang families and the gang life is completely germane, because they’re all absolutely psychotic and violent. (Don’t worry, Glade digs it a lot). If they’re not busy being walking, talking red flags, they're busy being scary-brilliant or completely primal in either their rage or lust. Really, it’s hot either way. (There is more than one scene of primal spice between two alphas that’s beyond hot and I need more of it in my omegaverse romances, please and thank you).
There is a good deal of bullying in the first half of this book. There’s a very valid plot reason for this. It lightens up some around the halfway point, but doesn’t let up completely until maybe out 65% of the way through. The groveling wouldn’t nearly be up to par in a traditional bully romance, but for this subgenre of omegaverse romance, the grovel is totally apropos.
Glade is a touch-starved omega, so when she finally gets to actually indulge her omega a little, she gets possessive and feral about it. I loved it. Reading about how feral omegas nest and how their mates watch them with dopey gazes like their omegas are the cutest creatures in the world is one of my favorite things. The nest that Glade builds toward the end of this book is one of my favorite ones now. I adored it.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
What are we hoping to see when we look in a mirror?
Neither Lucy Westenra or Iris Goldaming had the pleasure of thinking for themselves what they hopedWhat are we hoping to see when we look in a mirror?
Neither Lucy Westenra or Iris Goldaming had the pleasure of thinking for themselves what they hoped to see in a mirror while they were growing up, yoked to overbearing and exacting mothers who plucked, prodded, pinched, squeezed, and tried their best to mold their daughters into an ideal meant to uphold the family honor and name.
You can trim all the thorns and burrs off of a person, but you can’t take away their dreams if you don’t know they’re there. Or their nightmares. You can’t see what they think of while alone in bed in the middle of the night or hear the secrets they whisper to animals while on a walk. People will always have their secrets. Lucy and Iris both had their own while growing up. Perfectly polished on the outside, perfectly furious on the inside.
Lucy Undying was not only the best book Kiersten White has written yet (and I’m a big fan), but it was better than I could’ve hoped and nothing like what I thought it would be. White’s novels Hide and Mister Magic fall solidly and comfortably into the world of genre fiction, but there’s something so ethereal, even otherworldly about this book that it feels almost half literary fiction. (I had some passages highlighted but this morning the passages aren’t highlighted anymore so I’m bummed.)
This book is marketed as gothic, but I disagree with this move (this was a poor move on the part of the publisher, in my opinion). I have an opinion they wanted to use the term “gothic” because people expect books associated with Dracula to be gothic, but gothic implies isolation and darkness, and there’s very little of that here. If anything, this is a vampiric trip of self-discovery over time: Lucy Undying is not only a title for the book but the overall theme for the book. The Lucy Westenra of Bram Stoker’s Dracula is naught but a footnote in the story: she is dispatched and that’s it. She’s dead and we’re not to think of her again. In this book, Lucy Westenra is dying a little every single day until the day she wakes up in her crypt after being turned and a one of Dracula’s brides says her name. With that seemingly simple act, the bride has given Lucy back her identity and memories from her human life that otherwise would’ve been lost like Dracula’s other brides. Brides of Dracula are supposed to think of him, only him. They are supposed to always wait for him, always long for him. He is supposed to be their entire existence. But Lucy has her name back, and with that she can start fresh and find out who Lucy Westenra really is.
Lucy is Undying because there are three (plus two) Lucys in this book: The Lucy prior to turning inside a journal that Iris finds inside the mansion she’s inherited, the Lucy who’s telling her story post-turning to a psychiatrist, and two others that would be spoilers. Lucy is undying because her story never stops. Her human self dies, but is revived and she is given back her name. She travels the world, meets other people and other vampires, and tells them her name. Her name is repeated. Vampires don’t forget her. And one day Iris Goldaming finds the journal from her teenage years and reminds her of that Lucy too. That Lucy never truly died either. She’s somewhere too. The only thing both Lucys have in common is they always just wanted someone to love them for who they were. For everything they were. Without reservation.
I’d like to say I thought a lot about Iris while thinking overnight about writing this review, but I didn’t. Iris is a great character, and I love her dearly, but she’s not the point of this book and I feel she’s best understood as not only a modern-day Lucy Westenra simulacrum but also as Lucy’s mirror, the one Lucy needs to look into to finally see who she really is after all these years and after all she’s been through. Also, one of the main themes in this book is Lucy’s queer identity, and we need a queer love interest for Lucy to root for. After all, vampires are about desire. After all this time, Lucy deserves to get what she’s always desired most.
I haven’t touched my favorite other themes in this book: f*ck the patriarchy, MLMs are cults that prey on desperate women just like vampires do, the wellness industry is predatory and relies on fear to get you to buy their products, some women don’t want to be or can’t be saved from their choices, and organized religion is a scam.
Did I miss anything? Because I could go on and on about how awesome this book is.
Go read it. Go go go go go go.
I was provided a copy of this title by the publishers and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
We’re almost at the end of this delicious series and we get a call back to book one in the form of Caleb, the first person to make friends with JT wheWe’re almost at the end of this delicious series and we get a call back to book one in the form of Caleb, the first person to make friends with JT when he came to study at Astor. You may recall him warning JT about the Park Avenue Princes, and it turns out that knowledge was direct insider information since he used to be one of them. He’s Travis McKinney’s stepbrother.
I love forbidden romances, especially of the stepbrother variety. Salacious Park Avenue Prince is enemies-to-lovers, with a bi-awakening, forced proximity, a secret romance, and a manwhore who falls fast, first, and hard. (Then there’s pining. So much pining). This installment is spicier than the last one, but not as spicy as Scandalous Park Avenue Prince (book 3, and still my favorite one).
A lot of the animosity in this book is based on miscommunication and what feels like willful misunderstanding, which isn’t a trope I like all that much no matter who’s involved. I did enjoy the chemistry between Travis and Caleb a lot, but that’s probably because I just enjoy Travis as a character a whole lot (I have throughout the whole series). I can’t put my finger on what exactly feels off about the character development in this book, but it feels like the relationship evolved but the characters didn’t evolve with it. I don’t know if that makes sense to anyone else but me, but there it is.
The spice is absolutely excellent, with dirty talk I love, lots of physicality, voyeurism, solo play, and a touch of exhibitionism. The romantic bits were exactly what I wanted to see, which is always nice. There was also no third-act break up, which isn’t an easy feat to accomplish when the miscommunication trope is in play. I was absolutely grateful for that.
As always, a great read from Ella and Brooke, and now we get a handful of months to wait before we finally get East’s story.
I was provided a copy of this title by the authors. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
We’re Sara Cate readers, so of course we love our good girls and good boys; however, we also love it when our good girls and boys go bad, too. That’s We’re Sara Cate readers, so of course we love our good girls and good boys; however, we also love it when our good girls and boys go bad, too. That’s exactly what The Home Wrecker has in store: A sweet married couple with a silly daughter who live in the suburbs and have gotten caught in a very big rut (not that kind of rut, get your head out of the omegaverse). What do these two happy marrieds need? A bit of a shake up. And if that shake up just happens to come in the shade of tall, dark, tattooed, sexy, and working at the local sex club? Well, they’re good people and he needs a place to stay. Charity begins at home, right?
Did I like The Home Wrecker as much as The Anti-Hero? No. Does that mean it isn’t good? Absolutely not. Sara Cate is just as amazing as always. I don’t know what it was about this book that just didn’t make it hit 100% with me, but it had nothing to do with the quality of the book or the writing. I just couldn’t vibe with it all the way. It happens with the best of authors, and Sara’s an auto-buy author for me anyway.
I did love just about every character in this book, especially Caleb with his need to please, his daddy issues, his protective instincts, and his endless well of love. I also adored Dean for every interaction he had with little Abby, because sometimes adults who’ve never interacted with kids have some of the most honest interactions with them.
I’m excited for this series to continue because this family is so interesting and I love seeing them learn, love, and grow.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. No compensation was offered or accepted in exchange for this review. Thank you.
I could just leave this review at, “It’s Onley James, it’s in the Necessary Evils universe, of course I gave it five stars do you even know me?”, but I could just leave this review at, “It’s Onley James, it’s in the Necessary Evils universe, of course I gave it five stars do you even know me?”, but I made a promise to myself that this year I’d try and post more reviews for ebooks I read and love and not just leave star ratings for them online. This task got away from me for most of February because I had more titles to read than days in the month, but this is the first Onley James title of 2024, so I’m taking the time out to write a review for Rogue because it simultaneously reminded me of why I fell in love with Onley’s work in the first place and why I’ve grown so obsessed with how the Necessary Evils universe has grown and expanded into the wonderful, violent, slutty three-headed creature it is now.
Rogue is about Levi, one of Jericho’s boys, and Shiloh, a seemingly terrified bunny of a boy who was sent by his older brother to kill Levi. But this is the Necessary Evils universe–attempted murder ranks up there with kidnapping as a courting ritual. Poor bunny Shiloh can’t pull the trigger, Levi takes it from him when he pulls him in to kiss him to cover up the attempt from the security cameras, and you just know the two imprinted on one another like duckies.
Levi and Shiloh aren’t as cute as Arsen and Ever (from Paladin), but they’re so sweet to one another. My heart broke for Shiloh time and again because no one had ever had the time or capability to take care of Shiloh beyond basic necessities before. It was so obvious that underneath all of that trauma there’s a huge heart waiting to love everyone. Definitely a plus for the Feelings Faction, and a great bestie for Ever.
One of my favorite parts in the whole book was watching the Feelings Faction take care of Shiloh when Levi didn’t know how to and Levi trusting them to do it. It’s okay to admit that you might not have all the answers for your partner’s problems and letting people you love and trust help you.
I don’t need to talk about the spice, do I? I mean, it’s Onley James.
All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.