I think reading this back to back to back just made them feel too formulaic, but I still enjoyed t1.) Only for a Night ★★★★★ 2.) Only For Your Touch ★★
I think reading this back to back to back just made them feel too formulaic, but I still enjoyed this series! <3
this is the first book by ali that i haven't loved and i am really sad about it. i feel like everyone has beARC provided by the publisher via Libro.fm
this is the first book by ali that i haven't loved and i am really sad about it. i feel like everyone has been begging for her (and emily henry) to give us that dual point of view, but man oh man i wish ali never did. I think a lot of it is because one of our main character’s povs is 1st person, and then the other is 3rd person, and even though i did find a groove while reading, each time i picked up the book it was jarring getting to that groove again.
but the basic premise of the stem romance is that one of our main characters, rue, is a biotech engineer who has a passion for fermentation and extending the shelf life of foods because of immense poverty trauma in her past. she is currently working with a company she really loves and she is also working on her own patent for food preservation. after a night with an attempted app hookup that kind of goes really wrong (but also really right despite not hooking up), the next day she goes to work and realizes that this mystery guy, eli, is part of another tech company who is going to buy the loan contract of her current company and that leaves a lot of uncertainty for her and her coworkers/friend’s futures.
i see a lot of people disliking this one because of the more explicit sex, so please know that going in, but that truly didn’t bother me. well, maybe it did just because i didn’t love eli in this, so i always would want to be in rue’s head, even during the sex scenes. what i really didn't like (which i didn’t even talk about in the premise because it feels like the only time i was brought up was to further the mc’s love story), is a subplot with rue’s brother that just left a really bad taste in my mouth. i talk in a lot of reviews about how much my little brother means to me, so maybe i was just being extra sensitive, but it just felt really bad to read (and really bad to not really have a conclusion for). and honestly? i felt like the big storyline (view spoiler)[about mentor manipulation and lying (hide spoiler)] was done much better in love, theoretically, and felt a lot better for the reader, too.
i really enjoyed seeing rue realize that she doesn’t deserve bad things, and her healing and slowly feeling safe in her vulnerability, but besides that? i just couldn’t connect with the romance of this one, on top of the brother storyline not feeling good to read. I still will very much be picking up deep end , but i hope you all enjoy the reading experience of not in love more than i did.
content warnings from the author(please use caution for potential spoilers): I know genre definitions can be a bit blurry, but I consider Not in Love to be an erotic romance, so… lots of sex scenes, explicit and graphic. More than usual. An unnecessary amount, perhaps. It’s how these two emotionally constipated people communicate, at least at the start. Childhood poverty and food insecurity. Anxiety around food, mostly due to past food insecurity. Mentions of addiction (secondary characters). Social anxiety. Parental death (accidents, illness) (off page, in the past). Parental neglect. Power exchange (pre-negotiated, during sex. Attempted assault of the FMC by her brother (she is unharmed). Pregnancy of a secondary character. Cursing and vulgar language.
other trigger + content warnings i found while reading (ali's books really do have such good tws - i am always so thankful and impressed): grief, infidelity in past mentions (not mcs) but also a weird comment about cheating made my the mc once, childhood abandonment, one sentence mention of an animal dying during animal testing.
when i heard sapphic medusa reimagining with a dark academia setting, i knew i couldn’t resist reading this for tosalted pasta water is still crazy...
when i heard sapphic medusa reimagining with a dark academia setting, i knew i couldn’t resist reading this for too long. and this book is that! and i really loved the romance! and i will always love seeing women getting revenge and healing the way they want to heal against horrible acts committed against them!! but this is a dark book that really centers on sexual assault at this college, so please use caution and take care of yourselves while reading. (i would say just skip chapter 2 when the on page rape happens, but different assaults happen and are discussed throughout this entire story.)
after chapter two, we get to see lex almost a year later, back at the university that did nothing to protect her and everything to protect her rapist, and she is ready to get that revenge that she deserves. she is also ready, with the help of her sister, to take revenge for people who feel voiceless and put fear in the men who walk around campus feeling untouchable after making people feel voiceless. but when a girl who is supposed to be part of lex’s personal revenge starts to feel like something she has always wanted, things get a little more complicated.
i really liked the romance in this. going into this book, i was scared because i knew it had a revenge element, but i didn’t feel any weird power dynamics, there was no bullying towards one another, and i felt like both girls just truly liked each other from the very start. i also felt like luna’s journey in realizing she is bi was really thoughtfully done and realistic. and i also really respected and enjoyed lex’s portrayal for always knowing she is a lesbian. i know the salted pasta water is still crazy, but the sex scenes were actually extremely well done - maybe some of the best i've read. and i just really enjoyed watching this romance unfold.
i just really respected what this book and story is, and i wish we got more books like this. i wish we got more empowering books about women getting revenge on the people who have committed these acts that our broken systems don’t accurately punish them for. And i also wish we got more books of just girls falling in love, girls discovering their sexuality, and girls having all different kinds of relationships - some quiet, some loud, some slow, some fast, some light, some heavy. (i feel like some of the comments i am seeing about the romance/sex in this book… you all are not saying this to the 500 m/m romances we get every year. i really appreciate this story and what it is doing for so many reasons, but also the reason the baseline fact that we need more sapphic stories of all kinds.)
i also “enjoyed” (it feels weird to say that for this but…. i just think it's an important conversation) seeing the discussion on how men/society can treat lesbians because the world cannot fathom someone not being attracted to men in some shape or form or way. How people will say you're just confused, or you just haven't had a good experience with a man yet, because it is impossible for some people to wrap their minds around their own unimportance (and their misogyny). i am pan, but i really respected that being shown in this book, because i sadly do think that is a reality for so many people who aren’t interested in men romantically or sexually and it should be talked about (and unlearned) more.
overall, i just really am happy this book exists for many reasons. i loved the sapphic romance and seeing these two girls heal and realize that they deserve good and safe things, maybe even with the unconditional help and support from one another. and i also really respected what the author did with these darker themes and the helplessness people often feel. i'm not saying this was a perfect book by any means, but i am thankful for it and i really hope this author writes more sapphic romance in the future, because i will be preordering.
trigger + content warnings: rape and sexual assault (on page, many different depictions, and talked about through the entirety of this book), not being believed after sa, predatory behavior, drugging, vomit, misogyny, snakes, blood, bullying, child abuse mentions, abusive parents, graphic physical abuse, ptsd, nightmares, harry potter mentions, torture, gore, violence, homophobia (in a negative light always), use of slur for lesbians, suicidal thoughts in past, murder
i have loved a lot of tessa bailey in my life, but i think this is probably my least favorite. look, when i saw the mcs were named beat and melody i ri have loved a lot of tessa bailey in my life, but i think this is probably my least favorite. look, when i saw the mcs were named beat and melody i really should have taken that as a sign to just dnf quietly, but i actually did like the set up and i was intrigued to where the story would go.
basically, our mcs are connected by their mothers, who used to be in a popular band together. they met once when they were both around 15 and really liked each other, and now, 15 years later, when they are both 30, they are coming together once again because of a reality tv show that wants their moms to get back together at rockefeller center on christmas.
i just… hated all the parents in this book. even the ones that were deemed “the good parents” were still doing really shitty things and lying to their kids. i feel like that ultimately is what ruined the story for me, but also…. i just didn’t really like beat… which i feel bad saying, because i know he was going through some stuff, but his inner and outer monologues were always just so intense and over the top, it really hurt the romance for me.
overall, i only like melody, i didn’t like the romance, i didn’t like the lying/withholding information plots, and even though we got a december countdown - this book didn’t have christmas vibes.
trigger + content warnings: blackmail. anxiety, parental abandonment, emotional abusive parents, paparazzi / media invading spaces, hurtful and abusive media coverage, ptsd, talk of body image, a scene with a cult, a scene with police + a police station, a lot of talk of pregnancy
i feel like all my friends who also loved this one, were all by my side here on goodreads, back in the earlARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
i feel like all my friends who also loved this one, were all by my side here on goodreads, back in the early 2010s, reading all the paranormal romances known to man (or that our moms kept on their bookshelves). the nostalgia for books like riley jenson, black dagger brotherhood, kate daniels were so very felt. yet, this book completely stands on its own and is a really good book that i highly recommend.
and this book had so many of my favorite paranormal romance trope sets - forbidden romance, bonded fated mates, and of course a marriage of convenience between our two main characters:
➛ misery - vampyre who has been living amongst humans her whole life, but finds herself as the key component in an alliance that will keep the peace with her people, while also having her own human inspired agenda for this forced arrangement.
➛ lowe - werewolf alpha who is still asserting his new dominance over his people, while also trying to assess who he can trust or not, while also being an amazing caretaker for his little sister.
“I would take anything she chose to give me—the tiniest fraction or her entire world. I would take her for a single night knowing that I’ll lose her by morning, and I would hold on to her and never let go. I would take her healthy, or sick, or tired, or angry, or strong, and it would be my fucking privilege. I would take her problems, her gifts, her moods, her passions, her jokes, her body—I would take every last thing, if she chose to give it to me.”
and they had me truly rooting for them, unable to put this book down, after the very first scene of them together. but this also has a pretty big mystery plotline that took me by surprise, and also completely enthralled me. and ultimately this had such a big emphasis on found family and finding your own pack of people you love and trust unconditionally that i feel like i just ended up loving the entire cast of side characters too.
let’s just embrace the bullet points and quickly talk about other things i really loved: ➛ obviously vampires and werewolves ➛ arranged marriage but forbidden romance ➛ one bed scene(s) ➛ the cutest little sibling ever ➛ the sweetest brother and sister relationship x2 ➛ and also a really heartwarming found family / best friend relationship ⤷ It was truly giving bryce and danika but better ➛ a big appreciation of peanut butter ➛ an amazing epilogue that will hopefully set up a book two in this world
i will say that there was a very unnecessary and annoying third act conflict that just didn’t make sense to me (and made me side eye lowe a little), but i still really enjoyed this one and it was such a fast paced read that really tugged at my heartstrings in all the found family ways. i think i just really like ali hazlewood’s stories, and i always end up connecting with them on some level, and that just enhances my reading experience each and every time. i recommend this to all my romance friends, but i extra recommend it to all my pnr friends who want a little extra nostalgia on top of a really good story.
lastly, and least importantly, if i ever dated anyone named misery, i feel like i would have to send hayley williams or paramore royalties. because the way misery business was living in my head rent free while reading this was actually insane.
content warnings from the author(please use caution for potential spoilers): death of several people within the context of a war between different species (vampires, werewolves, and humans) is mentioned, several mentions of blood, kidnapping, mild violence, poisoning and attempted murder, attempted kidnapping/harming of a child (she is unharmed), death of a parent (off page in the past and off page in the present), explicit and graphic sexual content, knotting (the mmc’s apparatus is not quite human?), cursing and vulgar language
other trigger + content warnings i found while reading (ali's books really do have such good tws - i am always so thankful and impressed): missing friend, mention of sickness of child (she is fine), spider mentions, brief mention of death during childbirth, brief mention of loss of a partner in past, mention of vomit, parental abuse and neglect, and violence
[image] my amazing friend nadia gifted me this signed copy! i am so thankful and you'll never know how much i love ali's bat ...more
okay, i just love this world a whole lot. this book was even better for me, because we mostly got to stay in this little village that has completely stolen my heart. this second installment follows cin's best friend, brie, who is also a big lover of paranormal romance, get to live her best romantic main character life. but much like the first book, these also deal with some heavy themes. but there is also so much light, happiness, and laughter within these pages. oh and a lot of steam (view spoiler)[the way i was not expecting or prepared for the tentacles lol (hide spoiler)]!
i extra think this one would be perfect for the autumn season. and... i just cannot wait for more books in this series, but i truly never want to leave this world!
“The stoic barmaid and flirtatious orc. I'd read that romance novel any day.”
other cw/tw that i wrote down while reading: drinking, harassment, attempted drugging, mention of vomit, kidnapping, human trafficking, threat of heart attack/fear of heart attack, talk of abandonment in past, self harm to get blood for magic, cults, mention of plague + sickness, insufferable incels lol
this is such a delightful cozy fantasy, but it also does have some higher stakes at play, while also talking about some, and having some, heavier themthis is such a delightful cozy fantasy, but it also does have some higher stakes at play, while also talking about some, and having some, heavier themes and topics. (please look at some content warnings down below!) but i really enjoyed this one, especially the first half and set up. this also is a four part quest storyline, and you all know how much i love watching characters travel to their adventures! i was so impressed with this, and i promise it is a very high three star, but i just didn't love how... intense.. the love interest was towards the last half of this book. but i very much do not think that will be an issue for many readers, especially romance readers! plus cinnamon is just the absolutely best main character, and she is so effortlessly funny! i am so excited to continue on in this world!
other cw/tw that i wrote down while reading: drinking, loss of a loved one in past, grief depiction, threat of sexual violence, violence, abuse, slavery, blood, torture, vomit, animal death (alligator haha), mention of kidnapping, fatphobic comments that are in a negative light + immediately challenged/shut down
listen, i am always and forever going to love a bodyguard romance. And this second book in this series follows a best friend from 1.) Twisted Love ★★★
listen, i am always and forever going to love a bodyguard romance. And this second book in this series follows a best friend from book one, who also happens to be a princess, and she is getting a brand new bodyguard. things get even more complicated when her life truly takes an unexpected twist with her royal duties and obligations that she was very much not prepared for. oh, and someone might also be trying to sabotage her family’s throne, too!
our main character, princess bridget, was so easy to love and just be endeared by from the very first page. yet, the reason this book is getting three stars is because the love interest and new bodyguard, rhys (i should have known from the name lol) was just so immensely hard to root for. Obviously i felt empathy for him and his past, but my gosh he was just insufferable in the present for me. but the wild thing is, even though i didn’t like him, oh my gosh the sex scenes were really good. like really good. that throne scene was 11/10 (and iron flame is currently shaking) !!
overall, i had fun most of the time and i am happy i read this. and i really can’t wait to read even more from ana huang.
trigger + content warnings: talk of loss of parents in past, brief mention of losing a mother in child birth, paparazzi / unwanted photos and videos being taken (including a sexual video), abandonment, talk of time in military, ptsd, talk of loss of friends in past, kidnapping, mass shooting, gun violence, blood, hurt child, talk of overdose in past, hospital setting, talk of heart condition, alcohol consumption, child abuse in past / parental abuse in past
“Your enemies are my enemies, your friends are my friends, and if you wanted, I would burn down the world for you.”
Let me first say that i really
“Your enemies are my enemies, your friends are my friends, and if you wanted, I would burn down the world for you.”
Let me first say that i really did enjoy reading this and i could not put it down, but this was just not what I was expecting. Which is completely on me, but you’re going to see the trigger warning below and… I truly thought this was going to be a light little romance with a girl and her brother’s bestie and, again, there is no one to blame but myself for not looking at any reviews first, but whew this book got pretty heavy so many times. I still enjoyed it, I can’t wait to read more from this author, but I just don't know if I loved reading this first installment. But I also could not stop reading this and read it pretty much in two sittings, back to back, so I feel happy giving this a good three star rating. But this book heavily puts the childhood trauma for both of our main characters at the forefront of this story, so please use caution and make sure you're in a good head space.
trigger + content warnings: severe aquaphobia (fear of water), blood depictions, abuse/parental abuse, gaslighting, attempted murder, attempted harm to a child, death, murder, grief depiction, depression depiction, ptsd depiction, mention of ex cheating in the past, mention of marital infidelity, divorce, brief mention of sexual assault (not main character), harry potter reference, stalking, assault, unwanted touching, panic attacks, kidnapping, torture, suicide mention/overdose mention, bad nightmares, and loss of loved ones/family members.
“One more deal I struck with a disinterested universe: If I’m good enough, I’ll be happy. I’ll be loved
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
“One more deal I struck with a disinterested universe: If I’m good enough, I’ll be happy. I’ll be loved. I’ll be safe.”
This one is going to be hard to review, but please know I am for sure in the unpopular opinion with this book - so do not let my review deter you! And I did really love a lot of elements of this book! and the set up? 11/10 – a group of college roommates turned best friends, all returning back, summer after summer, to the same cottage where they will spend a magical week away from the realities that are their current lives. This book is told in alternating chapters of present day of the week, to the same day of the week from the past! I thought this was really cool and really added to this book being a fast read!
I loved the discussion on how we always will be nostalgic for the past and view those memories through a lens that romanticizes everything. I always do this while thinking about college, so seeing this group of friends talk about this this (and do this) was something that i just think about (and do) a lot. I also really loved the discussion on how friendships change! Sometimes people do grow apart, for so many reasons… time, location, and just because people change and what they like changes too! But it doesn't mean that the friendships have to end negatively, or that they ever have to end - they just are different, and even though that can be scary, different is not bad.
Also, not to get too personal, I really did have a lot in common with the main character and wanting nothing more than to make your parents happy and proud. My parents are nothing like the parents in this book! But I still felt a lot while reading how the main character put so much of her worth, and value, into how much she is pleasing the people she loves. I still very much struggle with choosing paths in life completely because of what i want - so it felt impactful reading this additional central theme as well!
But if this book was solely about the friendships and all these other elements I connected with, I think this would have been a new favorite book. But sadly, I hated the romances of this. Well, specifically, I really disliked the romantic lead in this. The romance in this is second chance and fake dating, so I had high hopes, but the more I read, the more I just didn’t like this. I also want to say that mental health and not being on medication obviously can impact lives and impacts relationships – and that is a very important discussion in this book, that I am happy was included and discussed! But the present day romance didn’t feel good to me either. And in case you need someone to say this to you: you never need to fight with someone to prove that you love them. Ever. but especially if you are living with childhood trauma that involves constantly seeing people fight.
Okay, I don't want to say anymore or get into spoilers, this review is all over the place already, but basically everything in this really worked for me, but the romance. Again, I am the unpopular opinion of this upon release in april 2023, but the friendships, and discussion of friendships and how they can change, were really impactful to me and the reason I am giving this book three stars!
trigger + content warnings: anxiety, depression, grief, parent with illness, lots of food mentions, lots of alcohol consumption, drug use, mentions of throwing up, talk of parent divorce, talk of unhappy marriages between parents, mention of loss of loved one in past, claustrophobia, panic attack
This fall i have been loving and adoring this author and all their stories (shout out to betty jo). But the reviews on this novella had me giggling buThis fall i have been loving and adoring this author and all their stories (shout out to betty jo). But the reviews on this novella had me giggling but unable to not read it. I also read this at a perfect time seasonally, because it is set during the night of a halloween party!
This isn’t going to be for everyone, but if you like it – i think you'll really like it. And i feel like this author is doing a lot of the romance genre and just expressing your desires without shame. While also always putting an emphasis on the importance of consent! And also always highlighting the power of reclaiming things and healing from things - the way you want to reclaim and heal, when you want to reclaim and heal.
I recommend reading goodreads reviews for this one, and if you’re curious, give it a try. I truly really loved it and was very into 90% of it, clowns included.
Also, dare I say.. Best bullying romances i’ve ever read? I think so.
Kinks/Fetishes within from the author: erotic humiliation, fearplay, painplay, knifeplay, consensual non-consent (CNC), orgasm denial, boot worship, spanking, crying, blowjobs, clowns, group sexual activities, spit, bondage, public play, bloodplay.
cw/tw i found while reading: Bullying, bullying in the past, blood depiction, drinking, brief mention of unwanted recording (not the mc doing it to the other mc),talk of trauma in the past, talk of child abuse in the past, clowns, and… i know the author said it above but like EXTREME edging/orgasm denial hahaha
"His imperfection made him sacred, his strength made him holy. But the lust he inspired in me made him wicked, and the ease with which he bent me to his will was the closest thing to divinity I could imagine."
friends, i am sad because i wanted to love this so badly. especially because i loved the prequel novella so very much! But please believe that i really do love these characters, and the writing, and i love everything that this author is doing in the book world and i really respect and adore them a lot. sadly, i just didn't love the plot of this one, which i know is a funny thing to say with a book like this, and maybe my rating just has to be with the timing in which i picked this book up. but I really did enjoy a lot about this, and it is a high three star from me that i totally still recommend if you are in the right headspace and interested in the story! also, the found family and polyamory in this is very beautiful and truly some of the best (and most healing + hopeful) in the romance genre.
author content warnings at the start of the book (which i really appreciate): Subjects include mental illness, trauma, childhood abuse (physical and emotional), body shaming (by a parent to their adult child), parental rejection, bullying, instances of homophobia/biphobia, and discussions of suicide. This book contains graphic sexual scenes, intense sequences of BDSM, graphic violence, and strong language. This book should not be used as a reference or guide for safe BDSM practices. Some activities depicted herein contain significant risk of injury and bodily harm. While all sexual scenes depicted are consensual, some scenes depict consensual non-consent (CNC) roleplaying. Other kinks include erotic degradation and humiliation, bondage, electrostimulation, domestic discipline, impact play, knife play, bodily fluids (including blood), public play, pain play, voyeurism, and pet play. Please be aware that this list is non-exhaustive. If you have any questions pertaining to these warnings, please contact the author, Harley Laroux.
cw/tw i found while reading (i am sure some repeat from the author's): bullying, infidelity in past mentions, child abuse in past mentions, child abandonment in past mentions, abuse, homophobia (always negative), homophobic parents, mention of outing in past, drinking, drugs, anxiety depiction, ptsd depiction, a lot of trauma depiction - both past and present, loss of a parent mention, sick parent in past mention, panic attacks, blood, fighting, unwanted pictures/videos being shared, mention of murder, unwanted touching, talk of parent monitoring child’s food intake that i think could potentially be triggering, and cutting/self harm in sexual situations (this a hard tw to write, i'm sure the author + other reviews have done a better job than me, but please know something like this is in this book and use caution!)
I really wanted to love this one the way i did the first book, but sadly that just was not the case. I still adore this au➽ 1.) Her Soul to Take ★★★★★
I really wanted to love this one the way i did the first book, but sadly that just was not the case. I still adore this author and everything they are writing to make people feel more empowered and showing lots of different ways to reclaim things. I really think they are doing really important things in romance and i have a lot of respect for them.
This story is told mostly at the same time as book one, just with two side characters from that book, and i feel like stories like that never really work the best for me. Even though this completely stands on its own, and has its own very different plot points and points of view of what is going on during this time!
Again, just the themes of reclaiming and healing from your trauma in different ways is really powerful and i can’t wait to read everything from this author. <3
Content Warnings from the author: This book contains sexual scenes, kink/fetish content, horror elements, drug use, scenes of trauma, anxiety, and PTSD, and depictions of "hard" kink/edgeplay.
other cw/tw i found while reading: Murder, death, cult depiction, a lot of blood depiction, a lot of bad parenting in the past with abandonment and neglect, panic attacks, loss of a loved one, human sacrifice, use of plan b, hospital settings in the past, talk of medical debt, talk of needles, unwanted touching, assault, talk of cannibalism, torture, drugging, vomiting, and grief and depression depiction.
Whew, okay this was for sure a ride. I really did like the apocalyptic setting (and the mention of an abandoned las vegas) and just the premise of theWhew, okay this was for sure a ride. I really did like the apocalyptic setting (and the mention of an abandoned las vegas) and just the premise of these four horseman who all went missing, until one random day when one came down and started said apocalypse. But that’s about all i did like. I found the banter and just situations in general to be so uncomfortable, with our main character making questionable decision after questionable decision. But truly, the thing that bothered me the most was the very heartbreaking depictions of children and families slowly dying because of the love interest i am supposed to eventually root for. I truly think this is the first book i’ve ever read that centered around a traveling quest/situation that i really didn't enjoy.
trigger + content warnings: suicide ideation, a plague setting, death, murder, graphic violence, scenes with fire, blood depictions, abduction, loss of a loved one, animal injury + death, alcohol consumption, ptsd, gun violence, threat of rape, abuse, human trafficking, torture, crucifixion, and many mentions and scenes of children dying that really impacted me as a reader - so please use caution.
ooof, okay this one is gonna be hard to talk about, but i was in love with the first half of this, and it really felt extra amazing because i went intooof, okay this one is gonna be hard to talk about, but i was in love with the first half of this, and it really felt extra amazing because i went into it not expecting much. but i was so intrigued, and i thought everything was set up so smartly, and the writing was great, and the main character's love and protectiveness for her sister meant so much to me (i actually shed a couple tears, truly)! but basically, once the characters started getting together, the book just took a nosedive - which feels bad always but it feels extra bad when reading romance. and emerson became the most obtuse character in existence. like, my dude, what was your end game plans the whole first half of the book? and then things just kept coming and kept not feeling good and... here we are, with a two star rating.
i really hated the scene at the club with eden, and like... she was my favorite character and i still will happily read a book all about her (view spoiler)[ and sapphic scenes that aren't only for male consumption... for a 41 year old dude to learn a life lesson... in the year 2022... gives me the ick like no other! (hide spoiler)]
tw/cw: very brief scene with blackmail, transphobic parent, a harry potter reference, parental abandonment, anxiety depiction and mention, mention of cheating in the past, and an abusive parent.
“All the time you've spent playing in the dark — is this what you were waiting for?”
this was the best romance i've read... in years. it can be a b“All the time you've spent playing in the dark — is this what you were waiting for?”
this was the best romance i've read... in years. it can be a bit darker at times, so please make sure you check out the authors warnings below, but this book just completely worked for me. i loved the main characters, i loved the set up, i loved the queer rep, i loved the steamy scenes, i loved the spooky setting, i truly just loved it all. i cant wait to read everything by this author now.
Content Warnings from the author: This book contains graphic sexual scenes, violence, kink/fetish content, horror elements, and depictions of hard kink/edgeplay. This book is strictly fictional and is not meant to represent realistic expectations of BDSM or kink. Kinks/Fetishes Within: consensual non-consent (CNC), breathe play/choking, bloodplay, spit, needle play (body modification fetish), pain play, fear play, public play, bondage, restraint, spanking/impact play.
other cw/tw i found while reading: captivity, enslavement, death, murder, human sacrifice, self harm to get blood for magic, needles, mention of insects, mention of cannibalism in past, anxiety depiction, trauma depiction, gore blood depiction, drugging, vomiting, scenes that i believe could be trigging for claustrophobia, torture, and cults.
i enjoyed the second installment in this modern day, dark and gossip thriving, olympus romance series so much more than the first! i loved both psyche and eros so much and both of their stories were so compelling and so powerful together. i truly adored them both and their chemistry and dynamic from their very first impromptu meeting. and i really believe the author did an amazing job with the fake romance trope in this story! and i think this book really left the reader wanting the third book, which is always good thing!
both main characters are queer (pan or bi or no/all labels - no words used on page), psyche is fat and talks a lot about how society perceives her regardless of her loving her body, and i thought it was very well done. and there is a constant plot of parental manipulation and how that can impact a child who only wants to be loved, regardless of age.
trigger and content warnings: blood depictions, parental abuse and manipulation in past and present, grief depiction, brief mention of suicide, a shooting, themes of murder and death in the past, and violence in general.
sadly, this just wasn't for me - but there was a lot of good and healthy things in this book that i really appreciated! maybe i'm just being a little sadly, this just wasn't for me - but there was a lot of good and healthy things in this book that i really appreciated! maybe i'm just being a little more harsh because i'm such a hades and persephone fan, and i just thought this fell a little flat. and truthfully, this just didn't do much for me romance wise. but i really did enjoy the aspect of the greek gods and seeing the 13 rule this version of olympus! i would love to read another book by this author in the future - so please let me know if you have a better place for me to start! (or even if i should go on to book two!)
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