Katherine

Quick little spicy kidnapping novelette.

It was an enjoyable read, and the spice was written so well!! It was very steamy and enjoyable. The rest of the story was quick, but being a short novelette that is to be expected.

If you are looking for a fast spicy kidnapper read, then pick this one up!

This is my first dip into HEA witchy romance and it will not be my last.

I LOVED this story! Lucinda and Benedict have the most heartwarming story, and I loved being a part of it alongside them. Lucinda is a great FMC, full of knowledge, goodness, pranks, and wanting the best for those she loves. Benedict puts the town first even though they don't all deserve it, he is handsome and smart, logical and kind even when he tries to hid behind his put together professional facade.

Watching them come together against all odds, and put their prank rivalry aside for something more powerful was so heartwarming. I loved watching them learn more about each other, push each other to be better, and care for one another when vulnerable (this trope gets me every time!).

Honorable mentions go to Rosie, Grams, and Chaos the cat.

I cannot wait for the next book in this series, and would definitely recommend!

Threads of fate is such a unique concept, I was sucked into the story right away and unable to stop thinking about it until I finished... and then have continued to think about it afterwards.

I absolutely loved the premise of the secret garden door in-between worlds, and a shadow daddy who doesn't open up to people on the other side. Except you know, for the girl who literally walked into him from another world. I am dying to learn more about the world - I want to see all the lands, learn about them all, and see what they are like. I also need to know what happens in book 2 because I am not dealing with what happened in book 1 until I make sure it all actually turned out OK.

One of my favorite parts was the slow burn. It was super realistic that she was resistant to falling for someone she most likely would never see again, and I liked that. I also hated it because I wanted them to get together sooner, but it was good writing.

I also loved the training with Jes. This whole story line of her getting stronger and working on her powers, working through her trauma, it was just fantastic. I am a sucker for an FMC who wants to take control of her life, get strong, learn her powers, and kick some butt.

The ending was a lot, and I didn't particularly like it (for obvious reasons once you read it), so I hope we get to undo or change what happened - otherwise I may never recover.

Overall, I feel like we are set up for so much action and plot and twists in book 2, and I cannot wait to see what happens.

Shattered Vows is book 2 in the Midnight Manor series, and I am so glad we got to Kohl's story!

This is a loose modern dark retelling of Rapunzel, and I enjoyed it. Their backstory is so sad, and SO full of miscommunication and lies.

Controlled/Abused girl meets military boy, whirlwind romance, she leaves him at the altar.

My favorite part of this story was watching Rhapsody come out of her shell. She was clearly severely controlled by her mother and emotionally manipulated and abused, and oh man does it show. It hits really hard reading these types of parent/child relationships, but it is so therapeutic and enjoyable to read at the same time. I loved seeing her finally get to experience life on her terms, and realize how things are with her own thoughts. Kohl thought he would be able to resist her for the ultimate revenge, and obviously that failed, but wow I loved him getting to experience her firsts alongside her. It was so sweet, and I loved watching them fall for each other.

The twist at the end was a bit obvious knowing the story of Rapunzel, but I still loved it! I can't wait for Nero's story next!

This book is excellent. I am so glad I got the opportunity to arc read Bespelled, and I cannot wait for it to come out!

We start off following the huge cliffhanger Laura left us with in book 1, and things just keep going from there. Selene's memories are back, Memnon has realized maybe he shouldn't be the worst person ever to the woman he loves, and the stakes are much higher. There is a darker take to Bespelled compared to Bewitched, and I really enjoyed it. We delve into dark magic, disappearing witches, and supernatural trafficking. It really added to the larger plotline and I am excited to see where it takes us in book 3. I think the author did a great job handling the supernatural trafficking, it was written very well.

In this book, Selene is having to adjust to life without losing her memories, and also trying to not fall in love with Memnon - although you can imagine how well that goes. She gets mixed up in some trouble, and our morally grey MC swoops in to support her and help however he can. It helps that his whole motto this book is 'grovel and worship her however much she lets me', because how can you resist that? His character arc as a whole was fantastic and I loved it.

That was my one thing in this book - how on earth did Selene resist him so much? I wanted her to accept him faster, but at the same time I understood where she was coming from. Also, the times she did give in like Samhein??? SPICE ALERT. So good!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next one in the series. I liked that we took a darker turn and raised the stakes, and I hope we get to see more in book 3 - although I would love to see Selene and Memnon united as a couple and figuring something out together. Also, I am curious if Selene's parents will play a larger role?

I love Laura Thalassa's books, and Bewitched is no different!

The premise for Bewitched is so so interesting. Selene is a witch who has the unusual side effect of losing memories each time she loses her magic. She wants to attend this specific school, but has to prove herself extra hard to get accepted. In doing so, she awakens a sorcerer named Memnon and all hell breaks loose in her life.

I really enjoyed this story. Selene and Memnon are quite the pair, going at each other over and over. I love watching Selene work to figure out what his deal is, and try to live a normal life with her condition. I also enjoyed watching Memnon navigate life in the modern world and stumble here and there - it was endearing when he didn't understand something.

Don't get me wrong, he is ruthless and cruel and not really a good person, but he has a softer side he reserves for Selene when her guard is down.

It was so so delicious watching Selene resist Memnon but also want him as the same time. She wanted to get with Kane but it felt wrong. She didn't want Memnon, but she also desperately wanted him. I loved the push and pull!

I also loved Kane, and quite honestly he can bite me and I wouldn't mind one bit! While Kane and the rest of the shifters weren't the focus of the story, it really awakened my enjoyment of shifter possessiveness and I am quite obsessed with it. You know who else is possessive? Memnon and WHEW I love it so much.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! The ending was a major cliffhangar and I am so glad I was able to start book 2 as an arc immediately after so I didn't have to agonizingly wait for it. I recommend!

It's like Clue but with Multiple Personality Disorder.

This book was.... interesting. I am glad I read it, but I am not sure if I would actively recommend it to others.

I think my main issue was that it went on too long for me personally. I felt like we could have done a heavy edit round and still not lot the essence of the story - in fact, I think we would have gained more from this. I kept getting confused and a little bored throughout the story. Not because the story was uninteresting, but because we had way too much detail, and I can only read the same scene so many times before it gets to be overkill. I think we could have experienced it with less detail each time and it would have kept my interest longer.

The other issue I have is that the women in the story are either described as meek, petite, and good to their men, OR they are super bad people. We did not get an intelligent neutral woman, and none of the hosts were women. I personally felt this took away from the story for me - and maybe this means I am not the right audience for the book.

Finally, I did not like the ending. Personal preference, but it wasn't for me.

NOW, there was plenty of things that were for me.

I liked the hosts and how he navigated the story with them - it was very interesting to see how your mind and physical state affect the outcome so much. I enjoyed the mystery aspect and felt that the plot was awesome. I liked the plague doctor as a character, and I enjoyed how the events unfolded.

Overall, it was a good book, it just went into too much unimportant detail for me, and I wish it ended differently.

I do have a few theories about the prison though - My favorite coming out of my book club discussion this past month. We thought it might represent purgatory - and now that they are 'out' they get to suffer through what comes next. We also considered it to be a simulation style prison, which was interesting!

Blood on the Tide is a great sequel to Hunt on Dark Waters, and quite honestly, I liked it way more than the first one! Lizzie is cruel and wicked and ruthless, and she really needed to be toned down by someone soft but mentally sharp and able to stand up to her. And Maeve is perfect for that role.

I really enjoyed the relationship building for Lizzie and Maeve - we got to see them develop individually and also together. I love a good reluctant dark and broody character who is pulled out of her shell via a give and take question-for-a-question banter with the soft fmc.

A sapphic romance is always refreshing and this one did not disappoint! And adding in an orgasmic vampire bite, pirates, selkies, and other mystical creatures? Super interesting.

I enjoyed their relationship progression a lot more than the one in the first book, with Evelyn and Bowen... Something about it felt more genuine and natural - it seemed like it was the perfect match and the progression was done really nicely. I was totally invested in them, and melted every time Maeve stood up to Lizzie and made her take down her walls... so good!

There were high stakes, murder, lust, love, personal growth, and so much more. I am interested in seeing what happens next, and will definitely go back and read Katee Roberts other series about the bloodline vampires to get a deeper level of understanding in Lizzie's background.

Overall, I enjoyed Blood on the Tide by Katee Robert, and can't wait to both read the next one and dive into the other connected series!

I enjoyed this book, but I enjoy a lot of Kate Robert's other books a lot more.

This one felt forced to me. I liked the story, but the push and pull, and enemies to lovers didn't really hold up very well. It was a halfhearted resistance, and I just was not super into the storyline. I liked both of the characters, and loved Lizzie, but idk, there was something about it that didn't immerse me. The spice was good, and I enjoyed the world it was set in, and already have read book 2 (which was great!). I think this book set us up nicely for the rest of the series for sure!

It was a quick read for me, and I really enjoyed it! The main plot line of Tori’s story is her poisoned skin, and I found that to be super interesting! Not only is she having to navigate the sudden change in life, but she also has to make sure she doesn’t kill her sister, her mate (Legion), and anyone else just by her touch. Can you imagine?

I love the push and pull of Legion and Tori. They both simultaneously don’t want the mate bond and do at the same time. They each need to overcome and work through their blaring trust issues and trauma, but it is really enjoyable to watch them do so.

I also liked the Tartarus and ‘regular world’ with a portal world building. The estate and town Legion lives in was described so well! In addition, the general story line of the Crimson Roses adding on to this? Kept me engaged in the story.

This book does have a HEA, and there is romance, danger, death, tension, betrayal, action, and mystery all bundled up in this book.

Overall, I enjoyed Hunt Me, book 3 in the Shadow Shifter Bonds series by Heather Hildenbrand, and will be reading the rest of the series as well!

I loved this book! The characters were interesting, the plot was intriguing, and the slow burn was slow but oh my gosh such perfection. Of Blood and Aether is a classically perfect example of how to do slow burn!

We follow 2 wonderful MC’s: Arken is our strong but quiet, introverted and secret keeping FMC, and Kieran is our perfection of a shadow daddy – playboy and grumpy on the surface, thoughtful and passionate and witty inside. The connection between the 2 of them throughout the story? Oh so good. Kieran is one of my favorite types of morally grey and shadow daddy MC’s. He plays tough and stoic, reserved and ruthless, but man does he have a soft spot. He pretends he is a lone wolf, but he has friends and a blooming ‘something’ with Arken. It reminds me of Nyktos in Blood and Ash – and that’s saying something, considering Nyktos is my ultimate favorite shadow daddy!

It is one heck of a slow burn, with angst and pining and trying-and-failing to be friends. I normally like to get down to it, but Of Blood and Aether did the slow burn so well I might be converted. And having them resist for a good reason? It made their agony even more delicious.

Not to mention, the fantasy elements of this story were magnificent. The plot was strong and I did not feel like the story was pushed to the side in favor of the romance – it was blended seamlessly.

I loved the city of Sophrosyne, Arken spreading her wings and living on her own, and truly enjoying life. It reminded me of how freeing it felt to go to college and be truly on my own as an adult. Even her befriending Laurel and balancing their differences in a unique friendship that would never have happened had they not both traveled to Sophrosyne. It was so wonderful to see a strong female friendship blossom and grow! They pushed each other in different ways, and comforted one another when needed. It was so special, and again reminded me of the friendships I gained when I went away to college.

What I didn’t experience during college (ans wished I lived in a magical realm to do so) was magic. I LOVE how magic in this world works. Mastering the different elements; water, fire, air, earth, shadow and light? So wonderful. The history of the Gods, the Fae, the Aether, and the city overall? It really drew me in and kept me interested for the whole story. I loved how it all worked, where each student chose their own path for the future and classes as well.

Overall, I LOVED Of Blood and Aether, book 1 in the Harbringers series by Harper Hawthorne, and I cannot wait for book 2! I recommend this book to, well, everyone! Especially I recommend it to those who love a steamy romance coupled with a wonderful fantasy.

Zodiac Hybrids is the epitome of paranormal dark academia romance.

Its a quick read, spicy, intriguing, entertaining, and overall great!

I enjoyed Lila our FMC a lot. She was confused at times, frustrated, self consious but also intelligent and willing to seek out information about the creatures and situations she is dealing with.

Love a good age gap, a monster romance, and multiple men! The college atmosphere is great because it generally is seen as a time of exploration and discovery, and what better way to do that than to get intimate with several different kinds of monsters and learn about how relevant astrology is to your life?

I started reading this late in the evening when I was headed to bed, and all of the sudden I was finishing the book at 2am. Oops! I tried to set it down 2 separate times, but I was just laying there thinking about Aidan and Marcus and what would happen next.

This is a great quick and spicy, paranormal dark academia romance read! I recommend it to anyone who likes paranormal romance!

Overall, Zodiac Hybrids by Leann Belle is a great spicy book. Leann continues to show up with some great spicy stories that also have an interesting plot.

A Tether Through the Rift is a captivating story about memory loss, hidden power, and the journey to find yourself again.

Our FMC, Hazel, is terrorized every night with terrifying nightmares. Not only that, she lost all her memories a year ago and has been a shell of herself ever since. Scared to live, traumatized by her experiences, she is just trudging through life when we meet her.

I love a good mental health rep! She has amnesia, severe PTSD, anxiety, trauma, and depression. This all mixes together to create a horrible concoction that she spends the rest of the book working on. I feel very passionate about reading books with mental health rep, and this book did it so well!

Even with Vander, his mental health struggles and unhealthy coping mechanism was so well done. The scene with the wisps and the lake? It had my heart in a twist. I really felt for Hazel so much. When you have dark thoughts in your head, sometimes they just seem true. It was heartbreaking but also written so well.

I enjoyed watching Hazel try to figure herself out, especially once back through the rift. She is confused, scared, weak, and dealing with her mental health issues, but she tries to push through. I felt like this was a pretty accurate representation, because she really struggled through the entire book. Mental health issues are super hard to overcome and you can see this manifest in Hazel’s journey. We see the glimpses of happiness when they happen, and we also see the lows when she experiences them.

I loved Vander as her counterpart. He pushes her, and as much as she doesn’t like it, she needs it! He is dealing with his own issues too, but continues to not coddle her, and push her to be strong and overcome her issues.

Arlo was an interesting character. I didn’t love him very much, and was convinced he was nefarious in some way. I won’t say if I am right or not so I don’t spoil, but his overbearing protection and coddling did not sit well with me. He is written so well as a character this way!

The plot was very interesting, and I look forward to the next installment to see what happens! It ends on a cliffhanger which doesn’t bother me, but omg the cliffhanger! Unexpected.

Overall, I really enjoyed A Tether Through the Rift by Lindsey Rhoden. It was a great depiction of mental health struggles, a healing journey, and was in general a great story.

Awakening the Dark Throne is a wonderful book full of elves, light and dark magic, unknown powers, secrets, torture, and so much character development.

I loved our FMC Genevieve. She is half alfar (elf) half human, and should be dead. In her world, she is not allowed to exist, but has been hiding in the shadows to get by. We meet her right at the beginning and see how motherly, strong, caring, and selfless. Willing to do anything to protect those around her.

After giving herself to the light alfar as her only chance to save her sister Lily from the dark alfar, she encounters a very different life. Kings, castles, and being dubbed a mistress of the future king. Life is hard even though he is kind, although she makes a friend in Levos.

While she has to endure a lot of things at the castle, I really loved seeing all her character development and growth throughout the book. The things she has to go through in the book are heartbreaking at times, and while they are so extremely terrible, the description of the mental turmoil was so well done. The development of her powers is really interesting, and I can’t wait to see them further develop!

Her relationship with Gaelin is interesting, and I enjoyed it almost as much as I enjoyed watching her come to her own conclusions about it. Same with the Dark alfar and Lyklor. She is told they are the worst, but our wonderful FMC comes to her own conclusions.

The plot in Awakening the Dark Throne sucks you in and keeps you wondering how its going to pan out. This really set us up for book 2, and I think big things are to come!

Overall, Awakening the Dark Throne by Jessica Ann Disciacca is a riveting twist on fae and powers, with a great FMC, high stakes, and and interesting plot/ group of characters. I can’t wait for book 2!

Darkness Comes Again by K.M. Davidson is a wonderful read. The characters are great, the plot is interesting, the stakes feel high, and the overall story was just so good! Normally I am all in on romantasy, or even romance first, but this fantasy with romance as the second plot? *chef’s kiss*

Reva makes a great FMC, with a knack for healing, and a huge secret to keep. She is brave, smart, caring, and determined to do what she needs to do to save Clint. Who, by the way, I love. He is one of my favorite characters, and I hope we see more of him in a different way in book 2! Reva is written so realistically – full of self doubt and anxiety like you and me. She doesn’t let it stop her though, and pushes through to do what she needs to.

I love all the side characters, from Flynn, Elly, even Pax is great at being the character he needs to. Like I said above, Clint is my favorite closely followed by Elly. The character we meet at the end of the book?? Definitely rooting for him in more ways than one…

The plot line with Clint is devastating but so good. Even better? The trio (Reva, Elly, Flynn) working together to figure out Reva’s powers and how they can be used. For such a big secret, it is heartwarming to see some semblance of found family Reva can rely on.

I wonder if / hope we see her original friends/family again, and I am super interested to see in what manner they come together. Also can’t wait to see how the Abyss/ Darkness plot line pans out and what happens! I think it is going to me much higher stakes in book 2 and I am here for it!

Overall, Darkness Comes Again By K.M. Davidson is a wonderful novel about a woman with a secret, and a desire to help. It is the first book in the Sirian’s series and I cannot wait for book 2!