Kayleigh Cunningham
I'm just going to say it, I think Carissa Broadbent is my favourite romantasy writer.
I thought this book was beautiful and it's made me want to devour the rest of the crowns of nyaxia series and I fully intend on doing so once I have my planned reads out of the way.
Lilith is probably the most relatable FMC I've ever came across, her struggles with connecting with people, people misunderstanding her intentions and her frustration at the world is something I'm so familiar with as an AuDHD girlie.
THIS was everything. I originally read books 1 & 2 towards the start of the year so I confess I can't really remember Vale or Lilith as much as I'd have liked too but oh boy will I remember them now.
I'd give this 6 stars if I could
IDÉE FIXE by C.J. Riggs – Review
First things first: ✨ check the trigger warnings ✨. I'm serious. This book goes dark, taboo, and unapologetically intense, and protecting your mental health is far more important than diving in blind. That said... if you are in the right headspace? STRAP IN.
Because this book was
Madness in Tandem by R.J. Powell – Review
This is now the fifth book I've read by R.J. Powell, and honestly? They just don't miss for me. Madness in Tandem was a complete mind-bend from start to finish and an easy five-star read.
I genuinely thought I had the plot figured out. I was so sure of myself and I couldn't have been more wrong. The way this story unfolds is incredibly well done, with twists that feel earned rather than thrown in for shock value. Every time I thought I was a step ahead, the book proved me otherwise.
It's dark, disturbing, and deeply unsettling in that slow, creeping way that keeps you constantly questioning what's real and who you can trust. The tension never lets up, and the psychological aspects are handled with real skill it kept me hooked and guessing right until the end.
As with all of R.J. Powell's work, check the trigger warnings and be mindful of your own limits. This one goes to some heavy places, and your mental health always comes first. But if you're in the right headspace? It's absolutely worth the read.
Dark, clever, and brilliantly executed. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book took me an age to get into, I really struggled to care for any of the characters and I honestly found the FMC BEYOND frustrating, I get it, her memory is gone but she has it practically spelled out for her so many times and I swear it's like she has her fingers in her ears shouting FALALALA.
nothing happened for most of this book and then suddenly everything happens and it becomes a confusing mess
I did enjoy parts of it, and I might continue with the series one day but this was a slog
Dove by Paisley Hope – ARC Review
Thank you to Evermore Publishing and Paisley Hope for the ARC and the opportunity to review Dove.
I rated this one four stars. It's very much ✨ smut-heavy and plot-light ✨, which I went into fully expecting and it delivered exactly that. The chemistry is strong, the spice is hot, and it's an easy, addictive read.
I really enjoyed exploring both Sean's and Layla's traumas. There's a solid emotional base to their story, and I liked how their pasts influence their connection. I do wish it had gone a bit deeper emotionally, because there was definitely potential for something more hard-hitting there.
I did find the overall structure and major plot beats quite similar to Wolf.E, which made parts of the story feel familiar. That said, it didn't stop me from enjoying it.
Tropes you'll find:
Wolf.E was my first ever motorcycle romance and honestly? I had a damn good time with it. I rated it four stars, purely based on vibes, heat, and the sheer chaos of it all. There is a plot, but let's be real, this book is smut-heavy in the best, filthiest way.
The whole MC (motorcycle club) world was addictive: gritty, dangerous, and soaked in tension. And Wolf? Yeah... he can run me over with his bike at this point.
Brindley was hard work for a lot of the book; stubborn, prickly, frustrating, judgemental etc but she actually grew on me. You can see why she is the way she is, and by the end I found myself rooting for her just as much as I was rooting for Wolf to drag her back to bed.
It's sexy, messy, fast-paced, and completely unhinged at times... but that's exactly what made it such a fun ride. A perfect introduction to MC romance, and I'm absolutely diving into more.
Another five-star read from Lucy Alice, and honestly? Frost Bites had me giggling, tearing up, and feeling every emotion in between. I didn't want the story to end at all, it's one of those books you wish you could experience for the first time all over again.
The tropes were absolute perfection:
❄️ Winter Romance
❄️ Second Chance Vibes / Reconnection (light but definitely there)
❄️ Dual POV
❄️ Slow-Burn with Soft Tension
❄️ Found Family Elements
❄️ Comfort + Chaos Energy Mix
❄️ Black cat x Golden Labrador
Lucy Alice has a way of writing characters who feel cosy and chaotic at the same time, and this book was no exception. The emotional moments actually hit, the funny moments had me snorting, and the chemistry was just so easy to fall into. It's sweet, heartfelt, and full of those little scenes that stick with you long after.
A perfect winter read that delivers all the feels, I adored it. ❄️
Ice Burns was such a vibe for me. I rated it five stars on feelings alone because it had me laughing, smiling, and literally kicking my feet in the air. It's the kind of winter romance that just wraps you up like a cosy blanket.
The tropes? Perfect.
❄️ Winter Romance
❄️ Dual POV
❄️ Insta-Love
❄️ Grumpy x Sweet (my honorary trope because Aiden absolutely qualifies)
❄️ Opposites Attract
Amber is such a sweetheart, warm, caring, and so easy to root for. And Aiden? I loved how vulnerable he is beneath that cold exterior. Their dynamic felt so wholesome and addictive, and even though the romance moves fast, the chemistry makes it work.
It's light, funny, and full of heart-warming moments. Just genuinely adorable from start to finish. A total winter comfort read. ❄️❤️
I devoured To Have and To Hold and honestly? Hazel Black needs to answer for the way she writes taboo tension because I was ✨ hooked ✨. This book is deliciously messy, addictive, and just the right level of “I probably shouldn't be enjoying this as much as I am.” And yes, I absolutely loved every second of it.
The chemistry? Off the charts. The taboo element?
Beyond Boundaries might be a small book, but it definitely isn't short on content. I was surprised by how much story, tension, and character development George Carter managed to squeeze into such a quick read. It never dragged, and every chapter added something important.
The plot twist was the standout for me,I didn't fully see it coming, which for me is huge cos I normally work them out quite quickly, and it tied everything together in a way that made the whole book feel even more satisfying. For such a compact story, it packed a lot more depth than I expected, and I found myself quickly invested.
A solid, cleverly layered read that delivers more than you think it will.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a quick, unsettling erotic horror read that did exactly what it promised. Shelly is eerie, tense, and just twisted enough to keep you hooked without dragging anything out. Frankenstein retelling....but weirdly hot????
I liked how the story dropped me straight into the discomfort no slow build, no wasted pages. Shelly as a character is equal parts fascinating and disturbing, and the author leans into that in all the right ways. The horror elements were sharp, the erotic elements were intentionally uncomfortable, and the whole thing left me with that lingering ‘okay, that was messed up... but I LOVED IT' feeling.
For a short story, it delivered atmosphere, creepiness, and a memorable ending. If you enjoy erotic horror that embraces the darker, stranger side of the genre, this one's worth the read.
I Need Your Help Burying a Body by K.J. Reed – Review
✨ Available on Kindle Unlimited ✨
This book was such a ride. From the title alone, I knew I was in for something juicy, but I did NOT expect to love it as much as I did. It gave me serious Pretty Little Liars vibes (without the shit ending) small-town secrets, messy friendships, lies layered on top of lies and I was obsessed
The pacing was perfect. It hooked me straight away, and I found myself flying through chapters because I just had to know who to trust and what was really going on. The friend dynamics were chaotic in the best way you never quite know who's telling the truth, and that tension kept me guessing the whole time.
And that ending. Oh my god, that plot twist was just
The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas – Review
Okay, I'll be honest , The Assassin's Blade, wasn't the easiest book for me to get into at first. I struggled a bit with the pacing, and it didn't immediately grip me the way I expected it to, especially knowing how loved this series is. But I'm so glad I stuck with it, because by the end, I could see just how important these novellas are for understanding Celaena, who she was before, and everything that shaped her into who we meet in Throne of Glass.
These stories give a proper glimpse into her life as an assassin, her relationships (that one in particular, oof), and just how much she's already lost before the main series even starts. It added so much depth and context to her character. Suddenly all those little hints she drops in the later books start to carry more weight and hurt a little more too.
What surprised me was how emotional some parts of this book were. There's real heartbreak here. Real loss. You see her pride, her recklessness, her strength, and her vulnerability and it makes her arc in the main series hit so much harder.
Tropes / themes:
Releasing 10 by Chloe Walsh – Review
This book hurt the most. Like, left-me-reeling-for-days kind of hurt.
As someone who lives with bipolar disorder, I was terrified to read Releasing 10. I'd seen the trope done poorly before, painting mental illness as dramatic, dangerous, or demonised. But Chloe Walsh nailed it. This book didn't shy away from the dark, uncomfortable parts. It showed the spirals, the shame, the fear but always with empathy and care. No sensationalism. Just raw, emotional truth.
Lizzie has always felt too much. Too intense, too unpredictable, too different. Her diagnosis is part of her journey, not her identity, but watching it impact her everyday life her relationships, her self-worth, her stability was deeply relatable. Some scenes made me pause, because they hit so close to home. That's the sign of writing that matters.
And Hughie. Quiet, steady, loving dealing with his own trauma in silence. His patience and attempts to anchor Lizzie without trying to “fix” her? That loyalty gutted me in a good way. Their dynamic isn't perfect it's messy, fragile, and emotionally honest. Watching love happen amid breakdowns and misdiagnoses felt real.
I love how the book acknowledges the real effects of childhood trauma. It doesn't sweep things under rugs, it shows what happens when untreated pain echoes into adulthood. And while so much of it was painful to read, in its own strange way it felt healing. After finishing, I fell into a total reading slump nothing else could reach the emotional weight of this one.
Themes / content:
Taming 7 by Chloe Walsh – Review
I genuinely don't even know where to start with this one. Gibsie has been my favourite character from the very beginning, the comic relief, the one who always made me laugh when everything else was falling apart. But Taming 7 made it heartbreakingly clear that his humour wasn't just for show it was his shield. And when that shield finally started to crack? I was NOT ready.
His story was the most surprising and honestly the most harrowing. It gutted me. The trauma he's been carrying in silence, the guilt, the way he covers it all up with jokes and big energy it's something I relate to so much. It hit way too close to home. The class clown who's breaking on the inside? That's a kind of pain that's easy to miss... until it's not.
And then there's Claire. My sweet sunshine girl. I adored her in this book. Her energy, her loyalty, her ability to see Gibsie when no one else really looked, she was everything. Fiercely loving, endlessly patient, and absolutely unwilling to let him fall through the cracks. The way she showed up for him, again and again, even when he tried to push her away... that kind of love was so soft and so powerful. She never tried to “fix” him, she just stood beside him, light in all his darkness.
Their relationship felt real. Messy and complicated, but full of so much tenderness. It wasn't about saving him it was about being there, even when it hurt. And Claire? She was the quiet strength Gibsie didn't even know he needed.
Chloe Walsh handled this story with so much care. It didn't tie everything up with a bow, and it left me with SO MANY QUESTIONS but that's what made it feel real. Because healing isn't linear. And some stories don't end neatly. Some just keep going.
Themes / tropes:
Saving 6 by Chloe Walsh – Review
This book broke me. I knew going in that Saving 6 would hurt, but I honestly wasn't prepared for just how much. Joey's story is one I thought I understood from the glimpses in the previous books but this pulled everything into sharp, painful focus. It was devastating, unflinching, and yet somehow still beautiful.
Joey is so much more than the cocky lad we first meet. His trauma runs deep, and this book doesn't shy away from it. It's heavy. It's dark. But it's real. Seeing everything he's been through, the family pressure, addiction, violence, poverty, guilt it was like watching someone drown in slow motion while you're screaming for someone to save him.
And then there's Aoife. My whole heart. I adored her. She's fierce, loyal, funny, and completely refuses to let Joey's pain push her away. Her tenacity?? Unreal. She sees him not just the broken parts, but the boy beneath all that grief. She doesn't back down, even when it would be easier to walk away. I loved how she gave him space, but also refused to let him disappear.
This book is definitely slower in pace it's not heavy on plot, but it doesn't need to be. It's a character study. A raw, intimate unraveling of a boy who's been let down by everyone, trying to claw his way out of the dark. And Chloe Walsh writes it with such honesty. There's no sugar-coating, but there is hope, and that balance is what makes it so powerful.
Themes / tropes:
So, if Binding 13 pulled me in - Keeping 13 absolutely shattered me. I went into this one already emotionally fragile from book one, but nothing prepared me for how deep this would cut. Shannon's story completely broke me. I mean that in the most sincere, I-read-through-tears kind of way.
The trauma, the healing, the silence, the moments where she couldn't even find the words, it was written with so much care and realism that it didn't feel like fiction. It felt lived in. I don't know how Chloe Walsh does it, but the way she writes pain, and quiet strength? Unmatched.
And then there's Johnny. The weight he carries, the love he tries to give, even when he doesn't feel like he deserves anything for himself, I just wanted to hug both of them and never let go. Their relationship isn't perfect. It's messy, complicated, full of miscommunication and raw emotion but that's what makes it feel real. And when they do let their walls down, it's everything.
The writing is still very descriptive some scenes felt like I was sitting right there in the room, eavesdropping on something too personal to witness but that's what makes these books hit so hard. You feel everything. No emotional stone is left unturned.
Tropes / themes:
This book sucked me in so deep I barely came up for air. The very very slow burn between Pae and Kai is killing me, but so delightful.
It's similar to hunger games in some ways in my opinion, I'd say it's definitely inspired by hunger games but not in a bad way, the similarities made it feel like a warm fluffy blanket that welcomes you back after a shitty day.
I laughed, I cringed, I swooned, I gasped and went without sleep.
Oh Kai Azer, the man you are.
I'm interested to see where the story goes next, I just can't believe I waited so long to read it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐