i LOVED THIS BOOK. obsessed mmc from page one, hes always loved her, childhood friends to lovers, grumpy bull rider fmc, hockey4.75 stars rounded up!!
i LOVED THIS BOOK. obsessed mmc from page one, hes always loved her, childhood friends to lovers, grumpy bull rider fmc, hockey player single dad mmc, and such a cute little found family. i loved the side characters as well and will definitely read their books when they come out i wasnt sure what to expect from this book as i read the first one and it wasnt very memorable, but this was so good. def recommend!...more
I DID IT EVERYONE I FINISHED IT. this book was still really good it just that i am nottt built for that many pages of complex fantasy back to4.5 stars
I DID IT EVERYONE I FINISHED IT. this book was still really good it just that i am nottt built for that many pages of complex fantasy back to back. there were sooo many things going on at once and i was barely comprehending what was happening
BUT LIKE IM NOT SAYING IT WAS BAD IT WAS SO GOOD!! it just took me longer than normal to finish this bc i had to keep taking mind breaks so i could actually understand. i usually read low conflict romance books that require little to no real brain power and this was a nice switch up!!
the characters and world building are amazing as always and there were some truly shocking plot twists that ACTUALLY had me gasping. that never happens to me!! even though there was a lot happening it all connected and made sense eventually. it is always so crazy to me how well thought out her books are. everything is there for a purpose. and i knew what was going to happen at the end of this book as i saw a spoiler but it was actually a huge motivator for me to continue reading. i cannot WAITT to read the next one (even though that one is literally almost 1000 pages ...more
this book was genuinely insane. i fully expected to hate it. but im giving it six stars. (my unofficial rating for books that surpass five stars in mythis book was genuinely insane. i fully expected to hate it. but im giving it six stars. (my unofficial rating for books that surpass five stars in my eyes)
the character development was so so well done, and while the first 200 pages were maddening watching her grow was so worth it. it was slow, but it was realistic.
i also very much resent everyone who has ever presented this book as “just spice, no plot” because thats literally not true at all. the fantasy plot and worldbuilding was CRAZY and so interesting. it sucks you right in and feels unbelievably real
the female sisterhood and friendships were so good. everything about this book was perfect. (except i didnt love the newest feyre/rhysand development. im not upset about it exactly but its not what i would have hoped for,, yk...more
theres literally nothing i love more than an ice queen x wild child/reverse grumpy sunshine book and this was soo good <3
sloan and xavier w4.25 stars
theres literally nothing i love more than an ice queen x wild child/reverse grumpy sunshine book and this was soo good <3
sloan and xavier were literally everything, and they renewed my faith in ana huang !! not that i ever REALLY doubted her but i have kind of lost interest in her books recently.. but im BAACKKKK and i forgot how much i loved her writing. all of the cameos made me emotional ...more
i wish that i could put voice notes in reviews because i am fully incapable of of putting my thoughts into words for this book - RTC maybe but maybe ni wish that i could put voice notes in reviews because i am fully incapable of of putting my thoughts into words for this book - RTC maybe but maybe not...more
4.5 stars - I love reading about violent, angry women <33
Ryan is the pseudo-daughter of the leader of the Los Muertos Cartel. She's angry, she's tired4.5 stars - I love reading about violent, angry women <33
Ryan is the pseudo-daughter of the leader of the Los Muertos Cartel. She's angry, she's tired of being underestimated, and she's ready to prove herself. She was bloodthirsty and a killer but still feminine. I liked the way she dealt with the misogyny that she faced day to day, taking it in stride until they turned their backs, waiting until they least expected her. I saw some reviews complain that she was a "not like other girls character" and while I guess I see where you could get that from, I don't agree. There were a lot of different types of female characters in this book, like her best friend, and they were never made to seem less than because she was "better." She also faced a wide range of emotions and allowed herself to feel and take her guard down around Gunner. She's the arms dealer for the cartel, and she's now in charge of a deal between the cartel and an up-and-coming motorcycle club, the skeletons of society.
Gunner is in charge of dealing with the cartel, and going into the meeting he fully expects this "Ryan" to be a man, and when he meets her, he think shes there to take his drink order. The way that Ryan cut him down was BRUTAL and amazing to watch. I loved watching them all eat their words after she consistently proved them wrong for thinking she was weak. It had a bit of an enemies-to-lovers vibe, but around 30-40% it did get a little insta-lovey. I honestly didn't mind that thought because this was the first book I have read in forever that made me literally giggle and kick my feet as I was reading it.
I swear this author had to have had a history of writing fanfiction because she KNOWS what the people want. It was so funny. At the beginning of each chapter, there was a little note from her about that chapter and it was so fun. It felt like she was reading the book right along with me. There were lots of "touch her and die," AND "touch him and die." MORE TOUCH HIM AND DIE IN BOOKS PLEASE!! Just soo many good tropes and I could not stop giggling. Some of the plot twists had me literally gasping!! I didn't see them coming but when they did it was like everything clicked and they made sense.
This was a great no brain cells just vibes book. I had so much fun reading this and I can't wait to finish this series!! Would recommend :))
Quotes: "I realized that darkness didn't equal evil. Good intentions often needed to be accomplished with what someone had determined were sins."
"I wanted to bear witness to her brutality while letting her know she didn't have to do it alone."
"Seemed she liked me violent. Noted. Bring her the heads of men who offend her."
"She was so beautiful with her scarred, caring heart and attitude as sharp as the blade she wielded. We were one and the same, she and I."
"She reminded me of a lioness stalking down her prey. There was no question Ryan was an apex predator, and this man was about to be eaten alive.
"Gunner showed me a man shouldn't demand you chain yourself to their feet. I didn't know what Gunner felt for me, but I knew he didn't keep me caged."
"Being in love with Gunner made me deadlier, not weak."
"I was a chained man living for nothing, and you came and changed that. Your soul isn't damaged, Ryan. You're strong enough to face what others won't, to do things others aren't willing to do to save the lost. I see your soul, Ryan. I love you, all of you. Every part."...more
This is possibly my first military romance and while I can't say I'll be seeking out the genre in the f4 stars !!
Maggie Gates I am your biggest fan <3
This is possibly my first military romance and while I can't say I'll be seeking out the genre in the future, I did enjoy it a lot more than I expected. My favorite thing about this author is the way she writes characters. They feel so real, with human flaws and imperfections and that's what makes them so loveable. And this book was no exception!!
Rebecca, Becks, is going to a base for her first stint as a military correspondent, basically someone who goes to war zones and reports what is happening to America. She is a fiery redhead who lives for the thrill and does her job well. In the middle of the Afghan desert, she meets grumpy soldier Nathan Griffith. They're each determined to get under each other's skin, as he believes she's just a media barbie and her being there will cause issues, and she believes he's got the world's biggest chip on his shoulder.
Nathan just wants to have a quiet deployment and get his military career over with so he can return to the ranch his family lives at and owns (which you can read about in a dust storm!!) When Becks shows up, his entire world shifts. She puts him on edge and gets under his skin in a way he can't quite shake off. He tries his hardest to make her want to leave, pulling childish pranks over the first few months she's at the base, but nothing works. If anything, it only steels her resolve to prove him wrong and show how resilient she really is. As the months pass, things change. They begin to respect each other and suddenly that animosity they once had suddenly feels like chemistry, like tension.
I loved the side characters of this as well, Charlie has my whole heart. There were a lot of secrets in this book that kept them apart while simultaneously drawing them together. The chemistry between the characters was great and I really enjoyed reading a setting I hadn't before! It was also nice getting some background on the characters you met and love in dust storm!!
Quotes:
"Becks and half of America thought that was was just an armed conflict between two opposing sides, but that wasn't all of it. There are always people caught in the middle. People like Zala. People who have no control over the country they were born in, the religion they were born into, or the beliefs that were pressed on them. The real horror of war is that the people who lose the most are the people who don't want to be involved in the first place."
"My girl looked like a pheonix. She was covered in dirt and soot. Blood streaked her face, but the steal in her eyes and fire in her hair only made her majestic."
"I like messing with you and uh- I don't like sharing." "So you're the definition of doesn't play well with others?" "Not when it comes to you."
"No one messes with my girl but me."
"He was Midas. I knew his touch would hurt. It would paralyze me. Still, I wanted it. No. I craved it. I wanted to know what it would be like to turn to gold."
"You can do this. You're not some damsel in distress." "Then what am I?" How did she not see it? She didn't walk through fire; she was fire. I cracked a smile. "You're the dragon."
"Dammit. Who am I gonna fight with now?" "Still me, baby. Always me."
"You didn't have to-" "I know I didn't have to." "Then why did you?" "Because no one touches my girl."
"This view- there's nothing like it." "This is my favorite view." And he wasn't looking at the stars.
"There was so much love out there. So much life left to be lived. None of it mattered without her. I looked back down and realized that I held the world in my arms. She was it for me."...more
this is so ridiculously cute and funny. i was smiling and laughing the whole time!! black plus size fmc who is hilarious and a demon/dragon go on a4.5
this is so ridiculously cute and funny. i was smiling and laughing the whole time!! black plus size fmc who is hilarious and a demon/dragon go on a trip together to destroy an evil false goddess
i would have loved 200 more pages of this tbh, but for how short it is it didnt feel rushed at all!! the fantasy plot was well thought out and while it didnt overpower the romance, it was a big part of the book!!
im so excited to binge the rest of the series ...more
edit: and if i told yall i re-read this in the hours of 3-7 am after bingeing the entire beaufort poker club series in a week?? what then??)
tall (6ftedit: and if i told yall i re-read this in the hours of 3-7 am after bingeing the entire beaufort poker club series in a week?? what then??)
tall (6ft), cold and "heartless" city girl who had bad relationship and doesnt believe in love x small town girl dad with a heart of gold and more importantly EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE. need i say more?? she has never had a home and he gives her a place to belong, a place to return to. she just wants to be loved and he loves her like breathing. the lines had me GIGGLING like a preteen girl with a crush and i am now going on a maggie gates binge also, he was not ripped with an eight pack and i LOVED THAT. strong dad bod lovers RISE UP. ...more
4.5/5 stars - this was definitely my fav of the off campus series!! i LOVEE the boy obsessed/reformed playboy trope. and something i really like about4.5/5 stars - this was definitely my fav of the off campus series!! i LOVEE the boy obsessed/reformed playboy trope. and something i really like about this author is how funny her books always are.
dean was so charming it was almost nauseating. im pretty sure if i met him in real life i would hate him soley on principle. the principle being, you cannot be hot and charming and funny AND down to earth, its not fair to the rest of us. calm down. but seriously i loved dean. hes so cute and obsessed and i loved watching him get past all his denial to realize all he really wanted was her.
allie was also lovely. she avoided dean like the plague (which clearly only egged him on). she knew who she was and what she wanted and she was NOT going to be tempted. except for the part where she was indeed tempted. but like.. cant blame her. i would also be tempted.
they had such great banter, their love story holds my heart. i would go to war for them <3
small spoilers ahead, but they honestly could be seen as incentives to read the book more than anything bc they dont ruin anything!!
the scene where she breaks down and asks hannah (who previously did not know about their relationship) to call dean, and then dean practically breaks down the door to come get her. when i tell you i ATE THAT UP. and hes a wonderful wonderful salsa dancer ;)...more