Katherine

Oh god this is such a good book. SO FILTHY, so dark, so steamy, so good. Like, so so so so good.

I devoured Vengeful Gods like these men devoured Fox. It was the hottest book I think I have ever read in my entire life. I love a good kidnapping, hostage, and then wearing 3 hot ominous men down until they can’t resist you anymore.

Fox is a fantastic FMC – strong and fierce but also submissive and scared. She knows what she wants and when she finds her voice to tell them what she wants? OH MY. Also I love that she had purple hair, ran a tattoo shop, and was overall a super cool woman.

Then we have our MMC’s Ky, Ven, and Throne, who are the perfect captures/enemies turned lovers. Tall, dark, handsome, and violent, these 3 men swooped into Fox’s life with the intention to use her for her gain, and it was the BEST thing ever.

Not only was this story deliciously filthy and detailed, but the plot was also very well done. The secret society of Anguis was a really great setup for our story, it was rich and cruel and full of people even worse than the society its self. The details were well thought out, the story line was firm and really good, and I was hooked on the story just as much as I was hooked on the spice. There were many parts where I was shocked by the twist in the story, and did not know what would happen at the end.

Overall, Vengeful Gods by Elliott Rose is incredible and so good. I have an inkling about who the next book will be about, and I can’t wait for it! This book is at least 50% spice, if not more, and I loved it. If you like dark, filthy, MFMM romance, then this is for you!

A Kingdom of Blood and Magic is really good, I flew right through it! I was hooked from the beginning, and struggled to put it down and go to bed. It kept me pulled into the story, needing to see how everything played out.

The world building, character development, and plot were all excellent! I really truly enjoyed this story!

Mareina was such a good FMC! I love when the FMC is morally grey, it adds a layer of complexity to their character that I love. While she may not be morally grey by choice, she still is. together with her best friend and partner in crime Malekai, she is unstoppable and lives life alone – except for Malekai. He is the only person she has let inside her walls.

Nakoa was weird, wild, and unhinged, and I loved him for it. He was so handsome, interesting, powerful and dedicated to his goal, and I loved it. He was rough with Mareina, and it was so spicy!

The soulbound between them was a super good plot line driver throughout the story. It was so interesting to read about fated mates who kind-of-but-also-not-at-all into each other – it’s like the epitome of enemies to lovers. I really liked how they struggled with it, and fought each other the whole way.

I do wish someone, ANYONE, culminated some of these spice scenes – the scenes as is were oh so good but I wish we had more! I’m interested to see if this comes in book 2, or if we will just be teased through the series… and I am not complaining about that either!

All of the side characters were wonderful and added really well to the story, and I am interested to see how they play a part in the next book.

We end on one heck of a cliffhanger, and I am now dying for book 2! Can’t wait to continue on in this world with these characters.

Overall, I truly enjoyed A Kingdom of Blood and Magic by Chiara Forestieri, and recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy, romance, fated mates, and a darker more serious fantasy story.

Nights of Obedience is dark, twisted, f’d up and so good. This book is not for the faint of heart, you’d do well to read the trigger warnings. But for those of us who relish in reading trigger warnings, this book is a doozy! Non-con, voyeurism, forbidden romance, enemies to lovers, torture, exploitation, virginity, and so much more. Caution: it is imperative to read trigger warnings for this book – many of these things I just listed are detailed out in the scenes.

Emilie and Ladon are such good characters, the quintessential enemies to lovers pairing. What happens to them is horrible, horrifying, and terrible, and also steamy at the same time? I felt like the worst sort of person reading this book and loving it, but honestly worth it. Nights of Obedience is the dark twisted book I didn’t know I needed. I am SO glad I read it!

I always love when one character is completely closed off from everyone else, and the ‘enemy’ character manages to squeeze them out of their antisocial shell and pry their smiles from them. It is so endearing and makes me happy every time. Emilie desperately wants to be accepted by her new family, and Ladon is bound and determined to push her out before she even settles in. Then, they are forced to work together to get themselves out of this terrible situation.

Honorable mentions to the Harpy, I can’t wait to see more from her in book 2!

Overall, Nights of Obedience by Rachel Mays was so dark and twisted, but oh so steamy and good. I devoured this book in 1 day, finishing it at 1:30am. I recommend this book to anyone who likes the darker side of things.

Heart of a Valkyrie is unlike any book I’ve read in a long time. A historical esque fiction following Freydis through her albeit rough and somber life. In fact, the entire book was rough, somber, quite sad, and dark. A father who abandons her, slaves who care for her but are taken away, people who hate her for being her father’s daughter. This novel is a testament to Freydis’ strength and resilience as a person – she does not let any of these things get her down, and continues through life with her viking toughness to become a strong woman.

I will admit, I was expecting ‘serving the gods’ to mean something a bit different than training with the healers, but for a historical fiction, it makes sense.

Overall, Heart of a Valkyrie by Melanie Karsak was enjoyable and set us up very well for book 2. It will be interesting to see what happens in the sequel. If you like viking history and following a girl through many trials and tribulations, then this is the book for you.

Run, don’t walk, to read this book. And then agonize over the wait for book 2 with me!

A Veiled Kingdom was a fantastic read. I read it in a single sitting on a sunday afternoon, completely enthralled by the story and extremely invested in finding out what happens next after each twist and turn. It was written so well, and I truly loved reading it.

Nyra is such a great FMC! She is strong and resilient without being a trained fighter – I would call her more of a scrappy and sly FMC. She has a huge secret to hide, and a huge shame weighing her down, but still she perseveres and survives. Her dual hatred and attraction to Dacre is melt-worthy!

Dacre is such a good MMC. He is handsome, cruel, sharp, rude, and as much as he doesn’t want to be, attracted to Nyra so much. He hates that he is, but once again, the dual hatred and attraction is melt-worthy.

I loved the interactions of these 2, it was so tense, electric, and left me pining for more each time they separated. I also enjoyed the side characters, and have an inkling about one of them – but will keep that to myself to not spoil anything!

The plot was great, I feel fully invested in learning what happens next. Nyra has been through so much, and she continues to stand back up and keep moving forward. The rebels are ready to fight and take the kingdom away from the cruel king, and they just need the final weapon: the lost princess.

I was so shook by the ending of The Veiled Kingdom, I could not believe that is how we end. What a cliffhanger!!! Still so good, so heartbreaking, so raw and real, and I am so excited for book 2.

Overall, The Veiled Kingdom by Holly Renee was truly a fantastic book. I loved it so much, and would definitely recommend it to everyone who loves romantasy, fae, rebellions, enemies to lovers, hidden power, secret identity, and more.

Black Widow’s Bite by Bella Reves is so good. I trully enjoyed reading it, and loved all the quirky characters.

Addie is such a great FMC – she is strong but weak, fierce but scared, and resigned to a life alone in order to not watch everyone she touches die. Seeing her interact with the 4 guys is so good!

I think Austin was my favorite of the guys. His mannerisms, attraction to Addie, and the general oddness of him was so sexy, attractive, and also made you just love the guy.

Piper is the one you’d pick to get your freak on, and he has no qualms about being open with himself. Wyatt is our teddy bear, and Cain is our protector. All written so well, and all aligned perfectly with their unusual natures.

Black Widow’s bite is one of the sexiest books I’ve read recently. It didn’t have anymore spice than other dark romance erotica books, but there was just something so so so sexy and arousing about this book and the events that unfolded within it. Austin and Piper?? They will get your pulse thrumming. Of course Cain will too, but for me it was all Austin and Piper.

The way Addie goes about finding her place with these 4 misfit men is so good, I loved it. And the twist/ending? Wow – so dark, so depraved, so creepy, and so good.

Overall, Black Widow’s Bite by Bella Reves was an excellent read! I would recommend it to anyone who likes dark romance/erotica, dubious consent, why choose, torture, and more all wrapped up in a little black book.

Secrets of Euphoria was a good third installment for the Club Euphoria series. It follows Jade and Luke, who until now, had been keeping their relationship a secret. It was spicy, tense, dark, heartwarming, and full of Mafia trouble. I really enjoyed reading it!

I am glad we got to know Jade more, getting inside her head was super interesting. As the woman who knows everything going on at the club, I always thought there was more to her than meets the eye, and boy was I right! We get to see several different sides of her and I loved each one.

I also enjoyed reading the story from Luke’s perspective! He was humanized a bit more, and became less of the stoic #2 at Club Euphoria and more of a human being with feelings as well. It was so great to see him interact with Maddie and the other kids, definitely was pulling at my heartstrings!

The leveled up Mafia trouble was super good and interesting, and we are set up SO WELL for book 4! I can’t wait to get my hands on it. I have a feeling I know exactly who it will focus on, and I am here for it! I also can’t wait to learn more about Luxe (and get some spicy spice scenes in there as well!) and what that looks like.

Overall I enjoyed Secrets of Euphoria, book 3 in the Club Euphoria series by V.B. Emanuele and can’t wait for book 4. This book is for you if you like Mafia, spice, dark things, murder, gentleman’s club scenes, and more!

Overall I enjoyed the book, I loved the FMC Astra, she was great! Trained to be a royal guard and to pretend to be the princess, she is so cool! I enjoyed how Marlak was written, it was perfect for a boy who grew up mostly alone and on the run while also having to operate as a pseudo king.

I enjoyed this book and the plot, but struggled a bit with the miscommunication trope. if you are into miscommunication trope, then you will LOVE THIS. If you also like enemies to friends to lovers, forced proximity, and fae magic, then you will love it even more. I really enjoyed all these aspects as we went though the book, and enjoyed seeing our main characters interact and progress their relationship too.

I think this book sets us up extremely well for book 2, and there is so much potential! I can’t wait for it to come out and see what happens. It was a little slow at points, and there was a little too much miscommunication for me, but honestly it was still enjoyable!

Overall, A Cursed Son by Day Leitao was an enjoyable read, and I would definitely give book 2 a read when it comes out.

Okay, this was excellent. It is a quick read, I think I clocked about 4 hours to read it.

As a beauty and the beast retelling, I really liked the nods to the original story. I won’t list them out so you can experience them for yourself, but I really did like them. They blended into the story so well, P. Rayne did an excellent job slipping them in there.

The spice? yes puh-lease! So so so good, I loved their dynamic and the progression of the spice through the books.

The general dynamic of Asher and Annabelle was perfection. Lots of “young innocent confused-but-attracted-to-the-grumpy-man vibes” from Annabelle, which worked perfectly for her character. Asher had a lot of “she is too young for me but I can’t resist so I must be cold to her” vibes, and it worked so well for his character.

Throw in 4 brothers who are billionaires, who get everything they desire, who do some shady things, and also mix in a sex club? Literally there is no way this story could be bad.

Quick note: I did wish there was some more plot, and there were several things I felt were a bit abrupt, BUT this is a shorter novel so it is exactly what you expect. It did not take away, I just wished for more!

Overall I loved Moonlit Thorns by P. Rayne. It was a great blend of the beauty and the beast story retold with modern times and a lot of spicy spice. Definitely would recommend for a quick and dirty enjoyable read! Can’t wait for book 2!

In the Shadows by L.B. August was super good! We are set up so well for book 2, and I can’t wait for it to be released!

I really liked the plot of In the Shadows! An FMC who is dead as far as everyone knows, a MMC who is stubborn, loving, handsome, and oh so attracted to the FMC for reasons he can’t understand.

Lily is a great FMC. She is smart, beautiful, sneaky, powerful, and holding a huge dark secret. She is pining after Theo and suffering for it. Lily has gone through some major trauma but only come out of it super powerful, willing to take down those who wish to harm the innocent, and fiercely defensive of her people.

Theo is a great MMC counter for Lily. He is a gruff captain of the guard, super handsome, but mostly a loner. He used to have an Amari (fated mate) but she died and he can’t bear to find someone else. Theo is loyal to his kingdom and king, and until a sexy barmaid comes along, perfectly content with his life.

The spice scenes were great. Very sexy and very good. They made sense with the plot and I felt like it flowed so well!

The twists and turns as we get farther along in the story? So good! I was shocked several times and loved it.

I love the trope of a dark evil land shadowed in darkness, and the kingdom in the light, and the debate on which one is actually bad.

Overall, I loved In the Shadows by L.B. August! I definitely recommend it and can’t wait for book 2!

The spice is 5 stars hands down! It is SO GOOD and SO SPICY! James and Emma together in his playroom is just wow. I loved all of the spice scenes, they were exquisite.

If you are looking for a plot heavy book, this is not the one for you. If you want kink and playroom scenes, and why choose/RH, this is for you.

I love a good quick read that has less plot and more spice, and this did not disappoint in that aspect. There were parts of the plot I did not understand and was confused about, but my main focus was the spice which I enjoyed. overall I'd give this 3.5 stars.

Couple of notes on the plot:

• If she is not a vampire, how is she 200 years old? I was very confused on this.
• Her whole family died and she seemed upset but not THAT upset? She seemed annoyed at her sister from the very first page.
• When she sees her siblings again as vampires, she isn't shocked but just goes straight into hating them?? They hate her too??
• all of these men are obsessed with her? Is James just the most obsessed? I'm confused but not mad - I wish there was more RH/why choose scenes, and I can't wait for hopefully individual scenes with them in the future.

Secrets Evergreen is a YA fantasy following Ivy Rune, a wonderful girl in a difficult position. I loved following her throughout the story, and had so much empathy for her. Her development and growth in the story was well done, and I can't wait to see more in book 2. There is so much more development she can have and I can't wait! I really enjoyed her anxiety and dread about her profession. It was so relatable and was giving off imposter syndrome vibes which is something a lot of people struggle with, including myself. It was nice to see it written in a character!

I loved the relationship/friendship between her and York. Are they friends, are they more? Will they stay in each others lives? It was cute. They clearly care for each other a lot and want to stay in each other's lives. I am also excited to see what is in store for him in book 2!

The side characters were all well done, and I liked the differences they brought to the story. The mean girl, the selfish friend, the mysterious benefactor, the scary leader, the kind of strange teacher, the wonderful and kind smart friend, etc.

The main plot following her father's clues and the magic forest was great! I loved the magic element, and the notes her father left behind were so interesting and intriguing. All the world building was wonderful and I felt like I could really envision being in the forest with Ivy, and experiencing what she experienced.

We had a heck of a cliffhanger and a few tense chapters at the end, and it left me excited for the next installment of this series.

Overall, Secrets Ever Green by Sara Knightly was a wonderful coming of age story full of magic, mystery, character development, and following your instincts. I will definitely read book 2 when it comes out.

Legacy of Temptation by Larissa Ione was so good! I love that this series is going the way of the children of the four horsemen of the apocolypse, it is such a good angle!

I really loved the characters in this book – the 2 main characters as well as most of the supporting characters. Eva is beautiful, strong, intelligent, capable, and ready to get this project over with so she can keep working towards her promotion. Logan is handsome, dangerous, strong, and a loyal DART worker.

When their worlds collide, the attraction is insanely strong, almost too strong to resist. While both of them want nothing to do with each other, they can’t help but simultaneously want everything to do with each other, and that sexual tension is so good!

I enjoyed the 2 organizations swapping people and the experience we get to see of the Aegis team in the DART homebase. It gives a lot of themes of racism/species-ism? and prejudice, and general close mindedness from the Aegis team. It was really interesting to see how these feelings and interactions played out, and then how the organizations dealt with everything as it happened.

The plot was great, the stakes were high, and it held my interest the whole time! I read this book on a 5 hour flight and did literally nothing else the entire time except read.

It was giving political government espionage + monsters + racism and I was here for it! Then we had the spice with Logan and Eva and I really enjoyed that. I am interested to see where the series goes from here! While this was my first dip into this world, it is only the beginning… I am so ready to fully dive into the universe and read everything else there is!

Overall, Legacy of Temptation by Larissa Ione is fantastic and I can’t wait to read more! I highly recommend.

Leo Cesari can come into my life and solve all my problems any time he wants! I love a good age gap + grumpy x sunshine + arranged marriage romance, and to tie it all up into a mafia romance? Yes please!

I really enjoyed The Fixer by Tara Crescent. It was spicy and sweet, heart breaking and heart warming, and overall captivating! I really liked both main characters, Leo was perfect for his role, and Rosa was so sweet but also strong. The ideal coupling for a grumpy x sunshine.

Leo was grief stricken from his previous marriage, and no matter how attracted to Rosa he was, he tried to remain distant from her. Obviously, that fails miserably and I am here for it! Rosa is the ultimate family player and agrees to marry him to save her brother and family with no reservations. She is so sweet and strong, and while I cannot relate to the arranged marriage, mafia, age gap or anything, I still relate to her as the oldest child and the non-golden child.

This book poked at my deep feelings on older children taking responsibility for the younger children, and the family dynamics when you are not the golden child and watch the golden child do whatever the hell they want and it still be praised, while you work so hard and are constantly criticized. Genuinely I wanted to smack her mom on the head several times! I am glad Leo started standing up for Rosa, it showed his loving nature.

I also loved seeing how the trauma and anxiety Leo had from his past manifested. He definitely was overbearing and overstepping, and it was interesting to see how he dealt with everything.

The spice: YES!!! Okay the spice was so good, from the nip slip all the way to the sex club and everything in-between. It was so steamy and good, I loved it! I also enjoy a willing/wanting virgin trope, and that scene was great too. when a virgin is wanting to make that leap, I think those scenes can be so sexy!

Overall, I loved The Fixer by Tara Crescent and thought it was a unique look at a Mafia Romance! I would definitely give this one a try.

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!

Daughter of Sherwood was a great twist on the story of Robin Hood! I really enjoyed it, and will definitely pick up book 2 when it comes out. It is a darker, steamier twist to the original story, complete with a female portrayed as Robin Hood instead of a male.

I liked Robin as our FMC, she had to be tough to survive her life and even tougher to survive with the Merry Men. Her father was horrible to her, her mother was sick, and she didn't have many people in her life to care for her and keep her safe. When she was thrown in with the Merry Men, she had to adjust to their way of living and learn the in's and outs of being in a nomadic group who steal for a living.

This book was very spicy and I loved that aspect. There were solo scenes, couple scenes, and group scenes, and all of them were super hot! I loved the reverse harem trope of the story, it makes sense for a group setting to take place in a group like this, and from the way Robin was thinking, she was the perfect candidate to have multiple partners.

The plot was good, I liked it a lot and felt like the story moved along well. The only thing that felt rushed for me was the contest. there was like 1 hour left in the book and we hadn't started the archery contest yet. It felt rushed for me and I spent most of the book thinking the contest would be book 2. It ended up being fine, just I think could have been expanded on.

I enjoyed the ending and 100% am excited to see where book 2 takes us!

Overall Daughter of Sherwood by KC Kingmaker was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it! I will absolutely be reading book 2 when it comes out.

The Veil of Violence by Marilyn Marks is book 2 in the Fae of the Roaring Age series. The first thing I have to say is just WOW. This book was so so so good. It continued closely to where we left off in the first book, and picked right back up and continued the story. We left The Prince of Prohibition with Adeline being immortal, being something but not knowing what she is, just that she isn't a druid or fae. We know the Morrigan is after her. She feels betrayed by Jack based on what the Morrigan said to her in the field.

We start The Veil of Violence with the crystal Estheria gave Adeline containing Jack's memories. Getting the dual POV of Adeline and Jack in current time, and then Jaevidan and Annwyl in the past was so powerful. I loved loved loved this. It gives us insight into him as a character and how he was made into the man he is today. It was heart warming, horrifying, devastating, beautiful, charming, rage-inducing and so many other emotions, and it was all written perfectly. As we got through the memories, it was a great addition to the story to break up what was happening real time and also to ponder his past with how it affects the decisions he is making now.

Truly the Veil of Violence is a masterpiece. I enjoyed this book so much.

The continuation of the plot and the higher stakes we now have are incredibly interesting and suck you right into the story. I read the entire book in 2 days because I was so invested in what was happening that I could not put it down. Racing around trying to figure out what Adeline is, repairing her and Jack's relationship, dealing with the Morrigan and the Knights. Then, dealing with all the other stuff once we learn about it....SO GOOD.

We went from enemies to friends to lovers now back to enemies sort-of? You'll have to read to find out where we leave them at the end. The relationships Adeline cultivated and continue to cultivate with her found family are just so special. I love seeing them all interact in their own special ways, whether they be arguing, fooling around, scheming and plotting, or just sitting together feeling defeated. They continue to be there for each other time and time again, and that was such a wonderful image to see portrayed in the book.

I continue to love Violet and Lillian and Will and the rest of them, and continue to dislike Tommy even though I know he means well. He is an ass and I hate how he treats Adeline like she isn't capable of handling herself now. Violet was weird this book - still amazing but weird and when we find out why, it is INSANE!! total twist I did not anticipate at all.

The tension of Jack and Adeline is incredible in this book. I was so upset at how their relationship took a turn, but I was living for how it panned out throughout the book. I was living for how everything panned out in this book honestly.

Overall, The Veil of Violence by Marilyn Marks as book 2 in the Fae of the Roaring Age is a Must-Read in 2024. It will make you feel as though you are right there in the 1920's with them, dealing with normal human issues and fae issues all wrapped up together. Run don't walk to buy and read this book!

The Prince of Prohibition by Marilyn Marks is book 1 in the Fae of the Roaring Age series. It immediately rose to my top read of 2024 so far this year. I loved this book so much. I was captivated throughout the story and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.

Adeline is a great character to follow. She starts off as a child who people think is crazy, with a father who teaches her to never interact with the ‘devil-folk’ and a brother who came back from war a changed man. We right away get this vision of Adeline as weak, submissive, taught to do what the man says and never argue. We see her starve herself, go crazy, and feel tormented by what only she can see.

Jack is handsome, successful, wicked, and utterly obsessed with Adeline. She was plucked from rural Georgia and relocated to downtown New York in the height of the prohibition, where everyone drinks behind closed doors.

I truly loved the setting of this book. the roaring twenties? Fae in the roaring twenties? It was beautiful and quite honestly a masterpiece. The premise of prohibition is an interesting one, as well as everyone's involvement in their rag tag group of friends. The way Marilyn Marks wove fae live into bustling New York City was perfect. I felt like there was a perfect blend of it being a fantasy while also being set in the city.

The plot was magnificent. Weak woman, strong man. Incredible pulsing attraction warring with the knowledge that this would be a terrible idea. Woman having to pick herself up and become strong on her own. Massive character development. The dark and light sides of each main character.

I really grew to love the characters and was invested in them and their well being. At first I was sad for Adeline but a little annoyed by her, but as we watch her grow, she grew on me too.

The attraction between Adeline and Jack is incredible! I loved the sexual tension they felt for each other and how much tensions we got throughout the book. The anticipation of them finally getting together and then getting to read that? Whew!! Worth every agonizing second waiting for it.

I also enjoyed the way the author flirted with a back and forth between attraction and obsession. It was a great theme through the book and I liked seeing it from the perspective of the Fae as well as the humans.

Finally, the characters in The Prince of Prohibition are all wonderful. Violet being a complete bitch made the book. She did not pity Adeline when she was fighting her past beliefs and accepting what was happening in front of her. Violet called her out and hung her out to dry, and that is something that really helped Adeline grow. It also helped me because while I love Adeline, she was a bit of a wet towel sometimes.

Overall, The Prince of Prohibition by Marilyn Marks is a fantastic start to the Fae of the Roaring Age series. I cannot wait for book 2, this was an immediate 5 stars for me! If you like the Great Gatsby, Fae fantasy, fated mates, found family and so much more, this is the read for you.

Hollywood Comes Home is another steamy, quick and enjoyable read by V.B. Emanuele as part of the Club Euphoria series. It is book 2, and focused on the story of Chance (aka Hollywood) and Amber.

I really liked this one! I wasn’t sure how I was going to like reading from Chance’s perspective based on his personality in the first book, but I was pleasantly surprised. I knew I would like Amber and her perspective, and that was exactly what happened.

Poor Amber, her chapters were so sad! She was heartbroken and mopey and wary of people… I wanted to wrap her up in a hug and tell her everything was alright. As far as Chance goes, as much as I want to tell him he brought it upon himself, it was really powerful to read his drinking struggles and and despair at the situation. I couldn’t help but feel bad for him.

The spice in Hollywood Comes Home was magnificent. I love that they were more kinky than Ian and Jenna, and I loved them playing rough. It was spicy and sexy and everything you want from a kinky scene.

I am really enjoying the Club Euphoria novels and can’t wait for book 3! The ending in Hollywood Comes Home was crazy and brought the mafia twist back in full force. Interested to see what comes next!

Overall, I really enjoyed Hollywood Comes Home by V.B. Emanuele as part of the Club Euphoria series. It was spicy, heart wrenching, anguishing to read, and a really great read!

If you are looking for a steamy mafia-meets-strip-club romance, look no further. Just Business and the Club Euphoria series has got you covered!

Just Business was so steamy, spicy, sexy, and hot! It pulled me in right away and kept me there through the bulk of the story. I picked it up on a Saturday afternoon and was 85% done by the time I went to bed; my entire afternoon/evening was me focused on Jenna and Ian.

I really enjoyed the Mafia angle as well as the strip club angle. It was great to read both parts of Ian’s business, and see them from both his and Jenna’s perspectives. I’m a sucker for a Dark Mafia Romance, and this was a perfect one!

Jenna is a very strong FMC, willing to do anything to keep herself afloat. She does not wallow in sadness for all the things she went through, but picks herself up and says ‘ okay world, I am going to take care of my self one way or another’. It just so happens that she ends up working at a strip club where she meets Ian Knight.

Ian is the perfect Mafia boss main love interest. He is sexy, broody, dark, serious, scary, and dominant… the perfect combination. His interest in Jenna is riveting, and the scenes between them in the beginning? WHEW! so SPICY.

The spice was incredible. It was VERY good, and I was very into it (lol). Even the non-sex spice, the initial teasing spice, the initial build up and sexual tension – it was so well written, I could not stop reading it. I loved the push-and-pull between them, and before they had sex it was full of so much sexual tension it was insane!

Overall, Just Business By V.B. Emanuele as book 1 in the Club Euphoria series was a great steamy mafia romance with a HAE – if this is your vibe, then definitely pick it and the rest of the series up!

*sigh*

I continue to be infatuated with Slade. I think he is solidly and forever in my top 5 book boyfriends. He is out of his mind trying to find Auren, and it broke my heart over and over reading his chapters. I really feel for him, and have so much respect for his dedication to finding her again and making sure she is safe. He is doing this all while dealing with his own struggles, which is literally insane.

The revenge Slade took for Auren’s trial was written so well, and I could feel every emotion he and everyone involved felt. It was like you were transported to the scene, and as horrifying as it was, I could not put the book down. If Gold was written purely from Slade’s perspective, I think it might just have been my favorite book of all time.

Gold was written from the perspective of 4 people: Auren, Slade, Queen Malina, and Osrik. Osrik had a few chapters, but the rest was focused on the main 3. Auren, as she deals with falling through the rip to Anwyn. Queen Malina as she deals with the fallout of fixing the bridge to Annwyn. Slade, as he tears through Orea trying to figure out how to get back to Auren.

As much as I want to give Gold 5 stars because of how much I love the series, it unfortunately fell flat for me. Book 4 was a filler book in its own way, and for some reason Gold felt like even more of a filler book – but with less exciting filler content. I loved the content of book 4 with Auren learning her powers, being at Deadwell and the Brackhill, etc. Gold was filled with Auren in Annwyn doing things that didn’t make sense to me. It didn’t give me the angst of her missing Slade, the frantic desire to get back to him.

I didn’t have as much investment in Gold as I have in the other ones, and I think Auren in Annwyn was the main reason why. I just didn’t care about that part of the story, it didn’t fit, and it came out of left field. I understand why Raven Kennedy wrote this, because how else were we going to tie in the things that happened at the end of Gold with where we left off in book 4? I just didn’t personally love it.

Now what else did I love other than Slade’s perspective? Queen Malina’s story. She is a whiny, self-centered, annoying, horrible woman, and I am here for it. She gets knocked down a peg (or 20) throughout the story by the assassin, who doesn’t take any of her shit. This was a really great part of the story, and I was invested in her redemption arc. She is not 100% there yet, but she made a lot of progress. I can’t wait to see what role she plays in Goldfinch.

Overall, the Slade plot and the Queen Malina plot points were great, and I loved them! If Gold was only those 2, I think it would be 5 stars. Unfortunately, I just did not vibe with where Auren’s storyline went in Gold. I think it could have gone in several other directions, OR there should have been more of an emphasis on her desire to get back to Slade. He was frantic and out of his mind, while she what? Looked up at the sky occasionally?

I will say I did like her using her powers more confidently, and watching those grow while she fought with them. That was awesome!

Now, the ending? WOW. Wow, wow, wow, wow. SO MUCH stuff happened in the last 15% of the book, and it was a lot to process. You learn so many things, lots of twists are revealed, and we are set up for the last book. Who captured Auren and took her to Orea? Where did the people of Deadwell go? What are we going to do about Annwyn? There was one twist I did not like at all, and it has to do with Una. Once you read it, you will understand which one it is. I did not think it was necessary.

I think Gold by Raven Kennedy was a good addition to the Plated Prisoner series. I would read it again as part of the series re-read, though mainly for Slade and Queen Malina. Honestly, I would recommend it solely for the Slade chapters.

This Novella is excellent. I love the portrayal of Melinoë and Helios, and their back and forth. It is such a good showcase of mental illness and also what support looks like from those around you.

Supporting someone with mental illness, or someone who is the goddess of nightmares is tough work, but it doesn’t make the person any less lovable – and that is exactly what we see from Helios. He is her sunshine and he will be the light in the darkness always for her.

I teared up so many times reading this novella – the vulnerability, the despair, the tough relationship. It was all so much and so good.

Their dirty rough spice is amazing and while not my cup of tea in real life, was perfect for the 2 of them. Who new ‘sunboy’ was so dark and depraved?? We love it.

Overall, The Nightmare & the Daydream Novella as book 3.5 in the Love and Fates series by Alexis Rune & Jeannette Rose was excellent and I loved it so much. I companion read it with The Queen and The King (book 3) and it was so perfect together like that. I would love to get a special edition of the book where this and book 3 are combined.

Okay, so we definitely bounced back from book 2! This book was really good, I loved it. I companion read it with the Nightmare and the Daydream novella, and it was so so so great!

We begin with Persephone losing all her memories and being taken back with her mother. Demeter (mother) is cruel and abusive, verbally and physically. She loves the idea of Persephone, but not who Persephone really is.

Hades is healed but has another issue with the shadow tattoos on his body growing. He is also in despair because Persephone was taken from him and he isn’t sure how to get her back.

Once he realizes she has lost all her memories, he starts to date her again and OMG it is so good and mushy and I teared up so many times. There is so much emotion in this book, and I am here for all of it. The poor guy is suffering so hard trying to figure this issue out, and his one saving grace, his spring, his comfort, his queen, is not only not there, but also doesn’t remember who he is.

It is DEVASTATING.

But genuinely this book was so so good following Hades and Persephone and their journey falling for each other again. We got to see another side of Persephone, and also got to witness them formally dating – which was the sweetest most wonderful thing ever.

Watching Persephone come into her power was something we did not get in book 1, and it was a very good plot point in this book. Wavering back and forth between succumbing to her mother and embracing what she feels inside, it is really powerful writing. For anyone out there who has struggled with an abusive parent or abusive anyone, this might sit really heavy – I know it did for me. Not in a bad way, just in a ‘wow this is so nice to see this personified in literature’ way.

This book had tragedy, love, hate, betrayal, war, power, magic, fate, and so much more. It was amazing companion read alongside the Nightmare and the Daydream!

I have so many things I want to say, but want to keep this spoiler free! Overall, The Queen & The King is a wonderful third novel in the Love & Fate series by Alexis Rune & Jeannette Rose. Cannot wait for the next installment!

So I did not love this one. I LOVED book 1, but book 2 focused on Hades being trapped in a tree, and Persephone being thrown into queen-hood and having to figure it all out for herself. Then it focuses on them essentially not understanding each other and not listening.

It just wasn’t a good plot in my opinion, nor was it believable.

I will say that I love Hades so much. We got to learn more of his backstory via his nightmares, and I really felt for him. We also continue to see how much he loves Persephone and how vulnerable he is. The poor guy tried to be good to her in book 1 but finally gave in to sealing their curse, and what does Persephone do? Be pissed at him once she gets him back… smh.

I love Persephone from book 1, and bits and pieces of her from book 2, but overall she missed the mark for me. Her connections with Berry and Mellie, and her exploration of her new home were so good! But honestly it triggered me how she was with Hades. I get that she needed him to let her make choices for herself, and honestly I totally get it that she was abused as a child and so her perception is skewed. But, he is her mate and partner, and they should really talk it out. You can’t be with someone and refuse to deal with your problems to the point where you aren’t sharing rooms.

Overall, If you like the miscommunication trope, and want to see 2 people push and pull and have makeup sex and then continue to fight and not listen to each other, maybe you will love this one. It was not for me.

The Maiden & The Unseen is Book 1 in the Love & Fate series, and so good!!

I am a sucker for a spicy Hades x Persephone retelling, and this did not disappoint.

We meet Persephone living in New York away from her oppressive mother (Demeter) and having become an independent and strong woman. She is sexy, smart, has a job, and is trying to live life as best she can in the Mortal Realm.

Hades is our typical tall, dark, handsome, rich, broody benefactor and head of Plutus Industries. He has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and is quite the cranky broody man.... until Persephone walks into his life - or rather his apartment unannounced and uproots everything.

The chemistry and building tension between the 2 of them throughout the book is INSANE and so good! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, praying for a bit of relief and for them to stop being so stubborn and admit they like each other.

I really enjoyed their banter, back and forth, push and pull - it was so sweet and wonderfully painful to watch. And dealing with the fact that Persephone had a mortal boyfriend?? Sweet Jackson never stood a chance against Hades.

If you are looking for a plot heavy book, this isn't it. If you are looking for a Hades x Persephone erotica, you have come to the right place. I think this is very important to keep in mind. If I had to judge on plot my review would be very different, but knowing what this is, I can say it is literally so good and spicy, steamy, boiling hot! I could not put it down.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Maiden & the Unseen by Alexis Rune and Jeannette Rose. It was the perfect Hades x Persephone erotica retelling set in the modern day.