Mimi

It was so promising - dark and spicy but then the plot became dominant and the plot/writing was really weak. The epilogue especially was unsatisfying.

DNF 50%. This story is just way too long. I felt it dragged, kept putting it down, picking it up only for it to be unable to hold my interest. I was indifferent to all characters except Caspen but then Caspen started frustrating me with his unwillingness to answer Temp's questions.

I also didn't dig how Temp's relationship with Leo worked - Leo holding affection for someone else, Temp holding affection for Caspen, Temp holding back from Leo and technically cheating on Caspen with him.

What was holding the book together was the romance but when the romance started frustrating me too, I decided to DNF this forbidden romantasy with love triangle

A great ending to the duet - the epilogue was perfect. The MMC was not washed into a good guy which I really liked.

The drop in star was because I was confused about the ending. Why does the FMC remember nothing after receiving the gun? Who shot the MMC?

DNF 51%. MMC inflicts physical abuse on the FMC and tortured her to the extent she pisses herself - way too dark for me

Forced marriage and mafia is normally my jam and it had so much promise starting with the female lead hanging upside on the barbed wire fence. The writing style wasn't for me though - I found it too choppy.

There is so much giggling from the female lead despite hating or fearing the male lead. And the insta just from the female lead didn't work for me

I really loved this - torn on 4 or 5 stars. 5 stars for the writing and spice. 4 stars for the characters and plot.

The MMC was so unhinged and obsessed with the FMC and I loved every bit of it. I read a comment online about a cantaloupe scene and when I actually read it, my jaw dropped because wow, just wow. The chemistry and the smut in this was so good. I'd definitely read more by this author.

I liked the characters and plot though they weren't mind blowing.

I was so stuck on whether to rate this 1 or 2 stars. This book really couldn't hold my interest - the writing, the plot, the characters.

There was so much unnecessary side character pairings.

And the writing couldn't hook me so I wasn't a fan. I almost DNF 20% in and a few other times after. The only thing that kept me going is I do like a manipulative MMC and I wanted to see how dark he goes. He was a bit stalkerish where he researches the FMC and schemes to get her by his side but he's not really that dark. The smut was also okay though it wasn't spicy enough to hold my interest either.

It took 50% of the book to even cover what's in the blurb.

Wouldn't reread. I don't think this author's writing style is for me.

DNF 84%. The rating of this book really fluctuated as I was reading. The first 15% was 1 star - it was a really traumatic read with no romance: non-con between the FMC with male and female characters and really brutal physical assault.

Things improved when the MMC showed up at the 15% mark once you got past the MMC making the FMC urinate on the floor - the FMC's innocence was endearing and watching the MMC try and fail to resist her charms then become possessive and jealous whenever her attention is directed at someone else was an enjoyable read, especially all the jealousy scenes with the FMC and a new protective friend of hers, Mahari. The MMC followed her on surveillance, kept her by his side at all times and got rid of all other women he had by his side because of how obsessed he was over the FMC. I was even thinking about giving this 3 stars despite how much I was disturbed the first 15% because I liked reading about the FMC and MMC together.

But then the MMC's stubborn insistence at pushing the FMC away to prevent himself becoming too attached to her became way too much - he forced her to have sex with another side character to the extent she vomited, he felt guilty after seeing her so traumatised to want to suicide, only to then send her away for months, where she was trafficked and tortured again. Those scenes was hard to read again and at this point I no longer was interested in reading about the FMC and MMC anymore - the MMC doesn't deserve her. He groveled but to me it was no longer enough and the FMC should not have forgiven him instantly as she did. I like doormat FMCs but even she was too much for me.

The two epilogues were the perfect 5 star ending however the rest of the plot I didn't like

A lot of physical abuse - I just could not root for the MC couple. DNF 37%

The love story between the main couple was really cute - I liked both the male and female lead and rooted for them. I loved how bubbly and random the female lead was and how exasperated and adoring the male lead was of her antics.

However the plot and writing overall in this book was just OK.

The time jumps back and forth for the first 30% drove me mad as any momentum the story was building was immediately destroyed with a time jump.

There were also way too many side characters introduced at the start that I couldn't get my head around who was who for the first 50%.

I wish there were more scenes of the main couple together after they became official.

There weren't any scenes in the book that really stood out or was that memorable. I felt there just wasn't enough romance in the book.


Settled on 3 stars. 2 stars is too low given I did like the main couple and their dynamics but Bride was more enjoyable than this book overall.

DNF 31%. I got bored reading this. Hate every single side character. Snow particularly aggregated me and I can see the author is trying to pair her with Uriah... felt really forced.

MMC and FMC are apart the whole time and any chemistry built in the previous book is gone. Just feels like the separation is being unnecessarily dragged out to the extent I stopped caring about the main characters too

4.5 stars if not 5 stars. Spicy story with a possessive, manipulative MMC with a FMC who never finds out exactly how manipulative he was. Breeding kink, smutty with great pacing.

I could have done without the Noelle/Alex hint though - seemed forced and came out of nowhere at the end

DNF 47%. This book wasn't for me unfortunately, there wasn't anything I liked about it. It's a dark thriller not a dark romance, so the scenes between the main couple were miserable to read - the female lead hated the male lead and the male lead was a religious psycho. The smut wasn't spicy, again it's a thriller not a romance.

I thought the plot dragged as well so I couldn't keep reading anymore, even though I was curious how it'd end.

I did skim through the last two chapters and I didn't really like it either so I don't regret not finishing it.

Perhaps a dark thriller reader might enjoy this though

I really liked everything about this but the writing unfortunately. Breeding kink, spicy scenes spicing, even the non con and MMC keeps FMC captive. But I just didn't vibe with the writing style. The last chapter almost bumped the star rating up but then the story ended so abruptly the star rating went back down

I couldn't even continue reading for the smut unfortunately. The writing wasn't great and the smut bored me

I wanted to like this but this AJ Merline book couldn't hold my interest at all. The friends were annoying and didn't really add anything.

The male lead is a serial killer but we rarely saw his dark side - we didn't encounter anyone he killed in this book, he didn't even kill the other male interest. The female lead wasn't doing anything except getting harrassed by her neighbour about HOA matters and occasionally pining after the male lead.

There was little romance and spice development either.

There was a plot arc about the female lead's family but that went nowhere.

The sticky note scene would have been such a great scene if it wasn't fade to black

Unfortunately I didn't like this. This is a suspense book with a romance subplot. Serial killer MMC who fails to kill the female lead so he kidnaps her.

The suspense was too straight forward. The characters were just OK.

And the cliffhanger ending just ruined it. I would have preferred if the author stuck to tying up the main couple nicely in the epilogue instead of advertising for the next book

Wouldn't reread.

DNF 30%. The plot has all the tropes I typically love reading - obsessed hockey player, love at first sight, touch her and die, but I didn't find myself caring about any of the characters in the book. The male lead's sister was especially just confusing - her personality seemed to flip flop all the time.

I also felt like the female lead lacked the fight/resistance I typically like in a dark hockey romance.

Didn't care about either of the leads. Colette was actually real unlikeable.

Only skimmed through to catch glimpses of Mia and Mateo. Otherwise it would have been a DNF 1 star.

There were such cute moments - Mateo drinking coffee with cream just because Mia made it, him shutting down the human trafficking part of his business because Mia wanted him to donate to an anti human trafficking charity, Mateo tracking her location via the phone he bought her, him pulling Mia away from colette when she was threatening her and him getting fired up when when questioning Dante why Mia was spending time with him

This book had promise but DNF 85%. The start of this book was a fun read 3 stars - Rafail was absolutely furious at being jilted on his wedding day, then he chases the FMC upon finding her, the FMC gets amnesia and the MMC uses that as an opportunity to manipulate the FMC tricking her into believing they're already married.

But that's where the good ended. Despite the FMC realising she is actually Polina not Anissa, she doesn't try and escape and find out more, she just contentedly stays by the MMC's side despite knowing she's being lied to. And the MMC despite being told multiple times by the FMC she has memories of being Polina, doesn't even think about looking into it. Despite manipulating the FMC into thinking she's his wife and knowing her memories are returning, doesn't think about marrying her for real or doing anything to actually bind her to his side. It just doesn't make sense.

The whole Gleb arc seemed too simple and Rafail really lost his Pakhan vibe as soon as they were under Poplov's protection. And it makes no sense the secondary exits are not guarded by Poplov's guards at all or that a smoke grenade could get into the safe house at all.

Polina's brothers were also way too accepting of Rafail and it was cliche they arrived just in time to help the MCs

The smut wasn't really spicy and I felt like scenes were cut off too early so I found myself going back to reread to understand what actually happened.

DNF 22%. The plot bored me. The FMC and MMC had no chemistry

DNF81%. Started dragging at the 70% mark where the MMC was becoming cliche and was going to become good because of his love for the FMC

I've seen this book recommended a lot online so face it ago looking for a dark captive romance. I didn't like or dislike the FMC. But I really didn't like the MMC - he was creepy, weird and he physically hit the FMC. The Japanese plot was also weird. Most importantly, I wasn't seeing any chemistry between the two.

DNF 10%

Funny fantasy with a manipulative male lead who is utterly obsessed with the female lead. I reread bits and pieces of this book immediately after finishing because I enjoyed it so much. The male lead is slightly dark but not super dark that it'd be classified as dark romance.

Overall, this book started off slow but promising the became good, then very good then disappointed at the end.

This book was slow to begin with but gradually picked up when the FMC is taken captive by the MMC. From there it was a solid 3 stars and I couldn't stop reading. Although I didn't like how the FMC was instantly lusting and daydreaming over the MMC instead of being absolutely terrified - it didn't make realistic sense to me and returning the MMC's obsession was so abrupt. The dark romance just wasn't dark enough.

Then omg from the jealousy scene at the market the book got so good, the MMC absolutely losing his mind that the FMC smiled at another guy, their first insanely hot kiss, the MMC kissing her belly while the FMC is entirely clueless and all the smut where he's just so obsessed with her. I was even thinking of upgrading it all to 4 stars.

Things all went downhill however from the FMC running away to the wasteland and the FMC demanding marriage. The demand for marriage came out of nowhere and I would have loved the FMC to genuinely want to leave the MMC, proving she can live fine without the MMC - she was almost giving off lovesick puppy vibes instead of independent protective mother. There was no satisfying chase scene when the MMC pursued the FMC, the MMC anticlimatically gave up his throne, then epilogue with the FMC's daughter - all of it was so unsatisfying I had to downgrade the book to 2 stars.

There were so many introduced yet unresolved plot points like why was Sira suddenly mad at the FMC?

The FMC being a kinta came out of no where. The FMC is of royal lineage but to who? How did the MMC's entire Royal family even find out the FMC was a kinta?

Why was light being introduced to the waste land?

Why did the dark fae prince even visit the FMC's home every year?

What is an evate? Does it only affect men? Why was the FMC unaffected?

Why was it so important the MMC and FMC's child wasn't born to the Illra? We saw no consequences to the royal family at all

Why was it guaranteed the FMC would die during childbirth?