Katherine

The confidence War has that everything with Miriam (wife) will work out how he wants it sexy and I am here for it. I loved the way his expressions, feelings and experiences (especially the spicy scenes) were described, it really plops you right into the story.

While the spicy scenes aren't as descriptive as some other series, I gotta say i was more turned on throughout this book (and series as a whole) than I usually am LOL. I think the life experiences and newness/raw feelings are what did it - if you like that sort of thing, this is a good one for you!

The idea of the story is good but it feels overall a bit choppy to me, and it has just increased as I progress through the series. People are growling and snarling out of nowhere in a normal conversation, sprinting right up to other characters and doing the most basic conversational things, the feelings people are developing throughout the series kinda happen all the sudden, I don’t know. I feel like we are missing out on some description text and some adjectives and inner monologue or something.

Don’t get me wrong, I like it and will be continuing to see what happens but can feel a bit jarring at times

Captivating and interesting! I enjoyed this book and getting to know the main characters better.

Getting deeper into the courting process was interesting, although I wish there was more involved with that and Montana was able to spend more time with all of them. Would have added good tension and intrigue.

Montana Callie and their dad try to escape their realm, a place where humans are held like cattle for the vampires ruling the continent. They are caught, Montana being sent to the vampires and the clutches of the elite, dad sent to the blood bank, and only Callie remains free, although on the run.

The story is told from Montana and Callie's perspectives, one on the run with a mysterious man who calls himself a slayer, and one in a castle being forced to choose a vampire to be with.

I enjoyed this story and am going right to the next one! I like both perspectives and I am interested to see how it comes together in the rest of the series.

Giving the last book in this series a 3/5. Again, it was good but not great. There was a lot that happened at the end that I feel like was wrapped up very quickly. I didn't mind that Montana and Callie had to die because it was really impactful, but then Eric and Magnar died to find them in the afterlife, and THEN they all came back to life? It just wasn't my favorite. Either have a happy ending or have a bittersweet ending, you can't really do both.

Overall I enjoyed the series, but wish the writing was less choppy, and that there was more depth to the relationships. Going from hating each other to loving each other quickly, to feeling like you have to die because they don't exist was a little quick when you think about how it happened in a span of a couple months.

An action packed book in the series! Love, Betrayal, Death, Lust, and so much more. I really liked this book, it picked up so much more than the others and I’m excited to see what is next!

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!

Cruel Seduction is book 5 in the Dark Olympus series by Katee Robert. It follows Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Adonis, and Pandora in their convoluted journey towards each other. I enjoyed Cruel Seduction and thought the mixed POV’s throughout the book was really well done. The transitions were always smooth, and I LOVED the perspective of different people throughout a situation.

A couple of my favorite things:

• The enemies to lovers thing Aphrodite (Eris) and Hephaestus (Theseus) had going on. Sexy and rough and then vulnerable!
• The spice scene with Aphrodite, Hephaestus, and Adonis.. S P I C Y ! ! ! !
• The polyamory. Finally a greek mythology retelling series has non-monogamy. It has been scattered through the series already, but in Cruel Seduction it becomes much more apparent and goes into detail on what it is and why the characters are defining themselves as poly. I really loved this, and it makes me wish our world was more accepting of all different kinds of sexuality.
• Pandora. I was convinced in the last book that Pandora was somehow going to be evil, but she is actually a gorgeous angel desiring to take care of Aphrodite (Eris) and help her take care of herself.
• The toying with Zeus (Perseus) going off the rails and potentially leading the city with fear like his father. If he gets a book in the future, I can’t wait!! I loved his and Hera’s short story about the wedding, and would love more about them.

A couple of things I didn’t love:

• The stakes never really felt very high to me, so I wasn’t as invested. We should have gotten more of the assassination attempts, but they were not described in much detail.
• Hephaestus and Adonis… IDK, it didn’t make a lot of sense to me.
• The ending… everyone just falls in love after 5 days and moves in together to be a cohesive poly quad? Now I know this is fiction, but that was a bit of a stretch. You can’t make me believe you can go from absolutely hating someone and wanting to kill them, to having them move in and potentially loving them. None of them spent very much time together, not a lot happened, and all the sudden they are ready to commit to this poly quad?
• Aphrodite – she wasn’t a bad character, and when she started to show a bit of vulnerability I liked her more, but the first half of the book I didn’t really like her whole insult/bitchy facade.

It was a good book, but I think it could have been better. I liked a lot of things about it, but it wasn’t nearly as good as the other ones in the series. 1-4 and 6 were all much better than this one in my opinion.

Overall, I enjoyed Cruel Seduction by Katee Robert and if you are reading the series through definitely give it a shot! It was entertaining, spicy, and full of hate and anger turned lust and maybe love?

I know there is a ton of hype around Fourth Wing, but I gotta admit, I think it is warranted. This book is fantastic, with incredible world building, character development, and a great plot.

Who doesn’t love a fantasy world where you bond with dragons and gain power (also called signets) that manifest as a combination of your power? Where you have to fight for your life every step of the way, and death is just a part of a normal day? Where you can challenge those you have issues with to fight and beat the shit out of them?

Basgiath War College is ruthless for those in the Riders Quadrant, and not for the weak. Which is why, with Violet Sorrengail as our FMC, it gets good right away. Violet is tiny, weak, and extremely smart. She was destined for the Scribe Quadrant and has grown up preparing to be essentially a scholar. So, it gets really interesting when she is thrown into the Riders Quadrant by her mother and expected to survive or die. We learn that Violet’s joints don’t work like everyone else’s, a condition in the real world known as ehlers danlos syndrome. So, you can guess that it won’t be a walk in the park for her to survive.

I love Violet as a FMC, thinks like a scribe and right away begins to come into her own strength and willpower, much to the chagrin of her oldest friend, Dain Aetos. From the moment he sees her cross the Parapet, Dain tries to get Violet to run away and hide from her mother in the scribe quadrant. At first Violet thinks it is sweet of Dain to try, but by the 239577365th time it naturally pisses her off… Who wants their best friend to continuously tell them they aren’t strong enough to be where they are? It really bothered me that her closest friend wouldn’t respect her decision and listen to her when she said she was staying, let alone reminding her that he thinks she doesn’t have what it takes.

Thankfully, Xaden enters the picture and while apparently Violet’s enemy, he seems to be doing a lot of advice giving and help for a person who supposedly wants to kill her. As they continue to interact and their chemistry grows, WHEW!! It is steamy and tense and oh so good.

Fourth Wing can boast a host of villains, all really well entwined in the story. General Sorrengail, Jack Barlowe, Xaden Riorson, Dain Aetos, The Venin, The riders, and a few sprinkled in I am sure I’m forgetting. for a book about your time at school it certainly doesn’t lack danger or death.

Both the villains and the rough-around-the-edges characters were brutal, sharp as a blade and tough as hell, and I appreciated that. There wasn’t a lot of gushy happiness or hiding behind fake smiles. It was all aggression all the time. You run from the dragons? Dead. You have an enemy? They will publicly announce they want to kill you. Someone hates you? You will sure as hell know. Scared? Well the leadership will not be telling you it is fine, that’s for sure.

The plot of Fourth Wing was great! I was interested in the story line the whole time, and was completely invested in everything happening. I love a good story of facing your weaknesses and bettering yourself, pushing your mind and body to the limits, and not letting any of your shortcomings hold you back. With fantasy, betrayal, spice, dragons, and magic sprinkled in? It makes for a great story.

My favorite characters were Tairn, Andarna, Rhi, Ridoc, Imogen, Obviously Xaden and Violet, and Liam. I don’t think I could pick from the crew who I liked best, because they all have a soft spot in my heart.

I loved all the dragons, the folklore, and how the bond works. Tairn and Andarna’s mental conversations with Violet were so interesting, and I loved the personalities they had. When Sgaeyl and Xaden were brought into the mix? it got even better. I loved the aspect of mind talking in ACOTAR, and love it just as much here in Fourth Wing! I think it was totally different but done just as good.

The signets were one of my favorite things in the book. There were so many different ones and we didn’t really see a repeat at all which I loved. With some of them being illegal, and the professor who helps hone your signet skills not appearing until the signets appear, it made for a very intriguing plot line. In general, the whole aspect of the school, classes, and professors was really interesting. Flight class, gauntlet training, challenges/sparing, battle review, signet training, history, etc. It all was interesting and a great way to weave additional world building into the story.

The ending though, WOW. I had no words. I will not spoil it for you, you will have to read it for yourself.

Overall, I LOVED Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. The plot, characters, romance, character development, all of it was fantastic. There were so many twists and turns, it kept me on my toes the entire time! This was my third time re-reading it, so I could prepare for Iron Flame, book 2 in the Empyrean series. I would definitely recommend Fourth Wing to anyone who loves good world building, great sexual tension, and high stakes in a tough world to live in.

Legends & Lattes is phenomenal and such a kindhearted found family read, perfect for a gloomy day.

I normally read things that are much heavier than this, but I have to say Viv and her crew were exactly what I didn’t know I needed. Viv was such a good FMC, she had such big hopes and dreams, and was determined to start her new life no matter what. I loved how she gathered her found family, each interaction was so perfectly timed and wonderful, It warmed my heart so much! I normally read high stakes, dark, high action reads, but this cosy fantasy book was great for my soul. It didn't have a lot of action, but painted a picture of Viv's story so well that I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Anyone else read this and feel the urge to open their own coffee shop?

Honestly this was so happy and cosy and I loved it so much! Definitely recommend everyone give it a read!

Radiant Sin is the 4th installment in the Dark Olympus series, and this series continues to show up and provide a fantastic read. It felt like a twisted retelling of the game Clue, and for all the right reasons.

Once again, the stakes were high, the spice was spicy, the characters were well developed, and the emotions ran deep.

Cassandra is a feisty and feral FMC and I love her all the more for it. She is intelligent, sharp, prickly around the edges, gorgeous, plus size, fashion forward, and still interacting with the very people who would love to strike her down for what her parents did. Which by the way, was attempt to murder one of the Thirteen to take their seat. She holds her true emotions close and her trust even closer, and will do everything she can to get a 1 way ticket for herself and her sister out of Olympus for good.

Apollo is handsome, intelligent, and so professional around Cassandra it is painful. Reading his POV and realizing he fell for her so long ago is devastating and also so chivalrous of him for trying to keep the power imbalance out of play.

When the only way for them to try to get info on Midas involves posing as a happy couple, things get steamy quick and I was all here for it. Cassandra and Apollo can’t keep their feelings from each other and it quickly devolves into a wild passionate whirlwind behind closed doors – and in closets, sitting rooms, etc.

I loved Radiant Sin, and the POV from both Cassandra and Apollo was utter perfection. Katee Robert did a fantastic job describing the events from each perspective and I really felt like I was in each of their heads.

The plot of Radiant Sin was great! I love an unnervingly charming villain who plays with people like they are dolls. It was so creepy and interesting, even when nothing particularly bad was happening. The suspense was perfect.

I loved how it turned out at the end, and can’t wait to continue on in the series.

Overall, Radiant Sin by Katee Robert is an exercise in lust, affection, murder, spying, trust, and more, so get ready for a wild ride because it sure was one. Definitely would recommend this book and the whole series!

I really enjoyed the Stone Heart prequel novella of the Dark Olympus series! It was quick and captivating, and I loved learning more about Medusa and Calypso. I really liked the angle of Medusa not being able to go through with assassinating Calypso and them seeing the beauty in each other, even in a situation like this.

The way Medusa and Calpyso were described was great, and I loved how it panned out.

Overall, I really enjoyed the Stone Heart Novella by Katee Robert and am excited to continue on in the Dark Olympus series!

Wicked Beauty is book 3 in the Dark Olympus series, and I swear this series is exactly what I was looking for recently. Interesting retellings set in a modern day Olympus, lots of spice, high stakes, romance, character development, and plenty of drama.

It was simply a masterpiece. I loved this retelling of Helen of Troy, Achilles and Patroclus. It was extremely well done and I loved the plot taking place in the form of a hunger games-style tournament for the rights to the title of Ares. Everyone loves a good FMC who is undervalued and overlooked coming in to kick some ass while dealing with the inner trauma of her life. Everyone also loves that same FMC meeting 2 smoking hot men and them inserting her into their relationship for some steamy action. I personally did.

Helen is a really wonderful and relatable FMC. She was taught to hide behind a mask of the playful rich princess girl and hide all her true feelings and vulnerabilities from everyone. She was betrayed by an ass of an ex boyfriend who emotionally abused her and cut her down so far inside her head she struggles to believe in herself, while also not being able to trust/open up to anyone else. Aside from all this, she is strong, intelligent, crafty, and a general bad-ass while looking sexy as hell. While I can’t relate to her struggles, I really truly felt for her and everything she went through. It was described really well, and make me feel strongly invested in her as a character.

Achilles and Patroclus were great together, and I definitely preferred Patroclus over Achilles, but I personally did not love the way things started off with Helen and their blooming jealousy and mistrust of one another. It was weird to use Helen, and then a little weird that they all the sudden were both fine with it? IDK, that doesn’t foster good relationship foundation vibes to me, even though they have been together for 10+ years.

The spice was great in Wicked Beauty. It was intense and seductive and hot and sexy and 10/10. I really liked how it was different between Achilles and Patroclus, Patroclus and Helen, Helen and Achilles, and the 3 of them together. Each coupling had a different vibe and energy to it and it was all fantastic while being totally different. We had the long term lovers, the passionate, the hate fuck, and the sexy triad.

I wished there was a little more of the challenges in the book, but what was there was written very well and added to the plot wonderfully. I just enjoyed the scenes and wish it drug out a bit more.

Overall, I really enjoyed Wicked Beauty by Katee Robert. It was empowering, sexy, tense, and I struggled to put it down until I was done. I would definitely recommend it and can’t wait to continue reading the rest of the Dark Olympus series.

I really loved this book. I’m a sucker for FMC having to pull herself out of rock bottom and emerge as a strong badass, and that is exactly what she has done. I am a sucker for the love interest and the friends being there to support her along the way, and that is exactly what happened.

This book hit me deep in my emotions, and I truly loved it. Their time in Deadwell was so powerful, my heart was aching the entire time I read it. Poor Auren has had to go through so much pain, suffering, and abuse, and I wish she did not have to deal with the loss of her ribbons and the trauma she faces knowing Midas did it to her to try and force her back under his thumb.

Some people may not like the slower pace of this book in the series, but I LOVED it. the character development of Slade, the healing of Auren, the side plot with Queen Malina?? And then the Rissa in the 4th army sub plot? Loved those little cheeky chapters. I really enjoy books that showcase trauma, mental health issues, and healing/growth. This book was mostly that, and for that I love it. It gives me a sense of comradery with the characters who deal with their struggles, and I can so relate to that feeling. I also can relate to a tall dark and handsome inserting themselves into my life and being the push of growth and healing I need, so that was really special to me to see.

Slade pushing Auren to talk about her trauma was SO moving. I also really enjoyed the background we got on Slade. Even though it is book 4 and we are just now learning his past, I still think it is relevant and will become relevant in book 5 & 6? It HAS to be, I just have a feeling.

Once we left Deadwell and went to Brackhill (the castle), it was wonderful in a whole other way. Auren basking in the sunshine? Enjoying life during the day? Friendships? It was wholesome and touching, and I loved it. I personally think this break from the tense trauma plot was great and we still got plenty of that by the end!

The ending…. I have no words and have no idea what to write here. I am appalled, horrified, happy, sad, shocked, distraught, heartbroken, excited, and more. Book 5 I need you now!!

Glow by Raven Kennedy was a perfect book 4 in the Plated Prisoner series, and I cannot wait to read book 5. I have a feeling big things are happening soon!!

Electric Idol is the 2nd book in the Dark Olympus series, and did not disappoint! Psyche is amazing and I love her so much! I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book and the FMC. Normally I am not interested in books where the FMC or any characters are influencers in the modern day, but Psyche won me over with her charm and intelligence.

I enjoyed that she was a successful influencer, daughter to one of the most powerful women, incredibly intelligent, and also plus size. As someone who is plus size myself, I feel like Katee Robert did a really great job handling this trope. Psyche was confident and beautiful, but not without her insecurities. It was very relatable to see her nervousness getting naked in front of Eros, giving her measurements to him at one point, and for him to pick her up and carry her. These are all things I can very easily relate to.

What I loved the most about this was that it was the go to insult for Aphrodite, and it was seen as a weak insult to Psyche. She isn’t surprised she is fat, she knows she is and makes the best of it and wishes people would come up with a better insult.

Eros was our dark, dangerous, beautiful love interest we never knew we needed. Traumatic childhood, dark and bloody past, in desperate need of any sort of love or kindness… I would have fallen for him just as quickly as Psyche. I loved the chapters from his point of view, they were *chefs kiss* perfect. is descriptions of his budding feelings and emotions, the cracking of his cold calculated mask, his absolute desire and amazement and lust for Psyche…. whew! If those chapters don’t make you fall for him, I don’t know what you are doing.

I liked the high stakes in the first book more, but I LOVED the marriage of convenience trope in Electric Idol. It was oh so good to watch them both resist and struggle and still end up happy in each others arms.

My favorite part of the entire book (aside from the spice) was the epilogue. MY HEART!! It was so sweet and happy and I loved it so much.

Overall, Electric Idol by Katee Robert is the epitome of the marriage of convenience trope, and a fantastic read if you want to feel the ache of their growing love and resistance alongside them. And the spice is pretty damn good too!

A Shadow in the Ember is one of my favorite reads of 2023. There is something about Sera and Ash that bring you into their story and keeps you rooting for them both throughout the whole book. Sera is strong, feisty and temperamental, beautiful, and desperately wishes her family would love her – especially her mother. Being the outcast allows her to explore the city on her own, but it comes with a high price: a hefty dose of depression and despair, and the belief that no one really cares for her.

Ash is strong and caring, quiet and passionate, and is constantly drawn to Sera’s spirit and strength. He has been through a lot of horrible things in his lifetime, a lot of them leaving their mark. But Sera seems to see straight through to his center and bring a warmth and peace to him he was unable to achieve before she came into his life.

Together they are a force to be reckoned with. A fiery passionate pairing, both trying and failing to resist each other, which makes the spice oh-so-good each time.

I loved that the book touched on Sera’s depression and emptiness, and mentioned the incident with the sleeping draft. Sera doesn’t seem to value her life and is so unhappy that she doesn’t mind that her outcome in life has always been death. Ash however takes great offense at this and constantly confronts her about her lack of will to live. I love that the book touches on these themes of mental health issues. It is relatable and helps normalize that people have these issues and are still worthy of a good life.

The dynamic between Ash and Sera is amazing, but so is the dynamic between Ash and his friends – Nektas, Ector, Belle, Saion, Aios, Raihn, etc. It is snarky and full of funny quips and pushing each others buttons and I love it.

The angle of Ash being the Primal of Death but working very hard to save people is really interesting. You’d think this was another bad guy who has a soft spot for a beautiful woman, but then you meet him and time and time again he proves how good he is. He cares for his people very much and it quickly becomes obvious we are dealing with a new type of tall dark and handsome – and I am here for it!

The storyline and plot in A Shadow in the Ember was really interesting and kept me hooked the whole time. I cannot wait to find out what happens next in book 2.

Overall, A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer Armentrout was a fantastic book and quickly became one of my favorites for the year. At this point in time writing this review, this is my 3rd time reading it in 2023. Does that say enough?

Raven Kennedy just keeps making the Plated Prisoner series better and better as the books go on. Gleam is incredible, and I love it so much. I’m glad we picked up the pace in book 2, because this new plot pace is perfect for the story.

Our characters are now all together and interacting and I AM HERE FOR IT! King Ravinger vs Midas in a battle of who can out wit the other? Yes, 1000x yes.

I really wanted to focus on the growth of Auren in this review, because she made a lot of progress in book 2, but it is blown out of the water in proportion by the progress in Gleam. She is not going to take Midas’ shit any longer – she will NOT be in the cage, she will NOT be controlled, she will be allowed to LIVE or she will live on her own accord.

It simply was beautiful watching Auren deal with everything Midas threw at her, and he threw a lot to say the least. She stood up and took it and played the game just enough to have freedom to do what she needed, but she still stood up and went toe to toe with Midas on the big issues… and for the most part, won. She is amazing! For a woman who has been through this much abuse and trauma, it is incredible to see her stand up for herself against her abuser.

Now Midas is the ultimate perfect villain, and I say this because I was cringing with disgust several times throughout the book at what he did. the emotional abuse, attempted manipulation, drugging, physical abuse, needless murdering, torture, mind games, the fake golden happy facade… and I am sure I am missing stuff!! He was written so well, and I hated him so much.

Then we have King Ravinger – can he take me away to his rotted kingdom? I am ready. His persistence with Auren and his willingness to push her to her own conclusions was so heartwarming.

You’re not the villain in my story.”

“I am,” he says without remorse, his sharp jaw tight with tension. “But I’ll be the villain for you. Not to you.”

MY HEART <3 Now that is just the most dark romantic thing I have ever heard!! He is sexy, smart, caring, strong, kinda broody, and cares for Auren so much it is adorable.

I am SO GLAD we got to have the Ravinger + Auren pairing finally!! It took way too long for me, I wanted it so much sooner. I feel like it was written perfectly, but I am impatient and the angst and build up drove me wild! Their scenes were so spicy and sexy and I loved it so much.

The ending? Fabulous. Wonderful. Perfect. Amazing. OMG.

Let’s just say Auren is a badass and while I am crying I am also shouting ‘Fuck yeah go Auren’! This girl let’s nothing stop her and I am here for it. I can’t wait for what happens in book 4!

Overall, Gleam by Raven Kennedy as part of the Plated Prisoner series was an inspiring, amazing, intriguing, heart wrenching novel and I recommend it to everyone!

Glint is book 2 in the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy and it is G O O D.

A much different speed/ storyline in book 2, as we follow Auren during her time with the Fourth Kingdoms army. She is petrified they will hurt her in more ways than she could imagine, but does that happen? Or does being around Commander Rip and the several kind people in camp crack her ideas of what ‘safe’ and ‘protected’ mean?

I really felt for Auren in this book, she is scared, she is essentially alone, she doesn’t know what is going to happen to her, and she doesn’t know how to protect herself. The other saddles don’t like her and don’t want to see her. She is not allowed to see the Sixth Kingdom guards. She has to sleep in the commanders tent, but he hasn’t made a pass at her yet so she is on edge.

I really enjoyed Glint. It was focused on Auren’s character development and poking holes in her previous ideas of what it is like to be treated well. There was also the dual POV from Queen Malina which was amazing.

Queen Malina was overshadowed and looked as lesser just because she was a woman. King Midas stripped away all the heritage and history of the castle, and now that he is gone in Fifth Kingdom, she is tired of being under his thumb and is going to make some much needed changes. She has so much anger pent up inside about how her life has changed the past 10 years, and she is done.

The Dual POV was great! While I enjoyed Auren’s POV more, I thought the twist in the story to focus on Queen Malina was really intriguing. I will be excited to see what happens next with her.

Honorable favorite character mentions go to Lu, Rissa, Keg, Hojat, Rip, Judd, Orsik.

My least favorite character is Midas (obviously), but I think that is what makes him a great character. He is clearly going to be a bigger villain for Auren as time goes on, and the author does a great job writing him as such.

Overall, Glint by Raven Kennedy was a riveting installment in the Plated Prisoner series, and I can’t wait to jump into book 3! I would recommend this book and the series as a whole so far to everyone.

Gild is book 1 in the Plated Prisoner Series by Raven Kennedy. It is wonderful and horrifying all at the same time. Wonderful because the world building and character development was great. Horrifying because Auren literally lives in a cage. The more I read, the more horrified I became for Auren, and I think that is part of what makes this a great book.

I really felt the despair and hopelessness coming off Auren in waves throughout her time in the cage. It was such a good depiction of emotional abuse and an extremely controlling relationship. I mean, the book starts off with Auren being made to watch Midas have an orgy with his royal saddles (another term for harem)!! What a fucked up guy he is, and I love it so much.

Midas was written so well, another golden man who appears wonderful but is actually horrible inside. Hidden behind his golden persona lies an absolutely wretched man, thriving off manipulating and controlling a woman for his gain and her capture (aka protection in the book).

I mean her nickname is his favored, his precious. He has people travel from far and wide to look at her and he parades her in front of them like a prized trophy.. like holy shit I am offended for her. Poor Auren doesn’t even know how bad this is, she has been manipulated so much.

My favorite characters in Gild are Digby and Sail, hands down. I love them so much! I really loved the interactions between Auren and each of them as the book went on, it was so sweet.

Gild has a lot of misogynistic, horrible, disgusting men, and while it was awful to read about what they said and did, I think it added another layer to the book that made it better. The differences between the awful men and the good men were starkly obvious. While I wish no person ever had to endure SA of any kind, I think Auren’s fear of it upped the tension in the book and made me more invested. I did not want that to happen to her or any of the characters, and when they were in danger of it I could not put the book down.

Finally, towards the end we meet the Fourth Kingdom’s army, along with Rip – the commander. Can’t wait to read more of him….

Overall, Gild by Raven Kennedy was a great start to the Plated Prisoner series, and I am diving straight into the next one. I would recommend this book for sure!

Neon Gods is the first book in the Dark Olympus series and so good! It is a perfect broody x sunshine trope, filled with lots of banter, sexual tension, sexual release, and ultimately lots of caring for one another. A Persephone/Hades retelling is my favorite type of retelling and I was not disappointed.

Hades was dark, broody, handsome, mysterious and serious, but ultimately not a bad person. He opened up to Persephone and showed vulnerability as they went on and he honestly made me swoon. Persephone appears as the sunshine happy girl but underneath the facade lies a woman waiting for a chance to be her own strong person. Together they bring out the best in one another and show each other snippets of happiness each did not believe they would achieve.

I enjoyed the plot of Neon Gods, it made sense and was interesting. The stakes were high, the tensions were high, and the lust was high. What more could you want? The king of the city and Persephone’s mother hunting her down and starving out a city to bring her back to an arranged marriage to a known wife-murderer?? It was insane and also made so believable through the runaway scene and the messages sent by Zeus.

Katee Robert did a fantastic job describing everything from the surroundings, characters, emotions, thoughts. and anything else you could think of. Hermes and Dionysus were a fun addition, with Hermes being one of my favorites.

I LOVED the kink club angle. Of course that is perfect for Hades, and I loved that underneath the sunshine act, Persephone was just as into it. In general I think the kink club was super sexy and I really enjoyed those scenes.

Overall, Neon Gods by Katee Robert was a spicy, sexy, broody x sunshine trope wonderful book and I am so glad I read it. It is one of those books I would pick back up on a rainy cozy day and plow through in an afternoon because I enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend it!

So much crying.

First off, I loved Feyre in this book - unercover boss b*tch, sly cruel High Lady of the Night Court, so powerful and hell bent on stopping the war and Hybern as a whole.

Second, I was heartbroken watching everything with her sisters. It is devastating seeing it from her perspective.

The war was written so so so well, and again, so.many.tears. This is my third reread and I still cried through like half of this book. It was so powerful, so full of emotion, it just got to me every single time.

We got to see the Suriel again, we saw war, we met with the high lords, we loved and lost, just so many things and emotions happened in this book.

Ill say it again in this review, but I think Tamlin deserves a redemption arc. I also think Lucien deserves so much more than he has now.

I would absolutely go feral for novellas about the other high lords, especially a super spicy one about Helion! Can we please have this?

This book has so much packed into it I don't even know how to coherently write my review.

The one negative thing I have to say about this book is that I hated that Rhys died and we did the kernel of power thing to bring him back. I don't think he should have died at all! It could have been Feyre putting it back together and loses a bunch of her powers, or Nesta and Elaine come help her, or all the high lords work together with her to close it. I just think he was 1 person to many to die and come back to life. I don't want him to sacrifice like that, and it was unnecessary. The dad coming and then dying was enough sadness.

Everything else was oh so good!

This is my favorite book in the ACOTAR series. I dream about Rhys and the way he helps Feyre, it is genuinely the most beautiful thing. She doesn't want to admit she needs help, but he does it anyways. She pushes back and is a bit cruel, he takes it in stride and makes her write "Rhysand is the most handsome High Lord" over and over again until she can read.

I loved this book not only for their relationship progression, but also for the depiction of depression, trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and healing. Both of them are struggling, and I thought Sarah J Maas did such a great job depicting these feelings and thoughts in the book. It is so powerful to read experiences like this in a popular book, because it helps normalize mental health issues and bring recognition to what it can look like from the outside.

Watching Feyre heal slowly and find joy again with Rhys is incredible, and I will never not love this book. It is an always must read each year, if not more than 1x in a year.

I feel for Rhys and can only imagine what he is going through on his own, but admire him and can't believe he pushes his own issues aside to help her with hers.

Thankfully we get another interaction with the beloved Suriel, and unfortunately, we get to see a desperate and horrid part of Tamlin. I do not like Tamlin, but I will say I do think he deserves a redemption arc.

The end of the book brings me to tears every damn time, and I love it so much. This book and series as a whole is a must read!

ACOTAR follows Feyre, a young woman who cares for her family until she kills a wolf (fae) and is captured by a beast who turns out to be an incredibly handsome but moody/grumpy fae named Tamlin. As she goes through her new life in the Spring Court, she begins to fall for Tamlin, while also realizing things around Spring Court are a bit off - something isn't right. Romance blossoms, problems grow, and she must figure out both what she can do to help and what she is truly feeling for Tamlin.

This was my first dip into fantasy-romance books and it ended with me diving full force into the deep end. I could not put it down, it was fantastic!

I really enjoyed the strong, stubborn, feisty FMC Feyre, she was great! I loved going along with her through her journey. Sarah J. Maas did a great job with world building and descriptions of everything, I felt like I was in the spring court and could visualize it perfectly, as if I was part of the book itself. Tension grew and I was sucked into the story, dying to know what happened next!

Reading ACOTAR opened me up to a whole world of books I never considered and I am so glad I gave it a chance.

If you like world building, fae, heated romance, strong FMC, and general fantasy, this is a must-read!

Not my favorite, not my least favorite.

Still not sure how this is going to pan out but this first book was really hard for me to get through. I was about 60% of the way through before I felt like it picked up enough to hold my attention.

I will probably read the next 2 in the series just to see what happens, because the last 20% of the book started to be more interesting. The inner monologue and introductions to all 4 main characters was not the most riveting content, but I am interested to see where this goes.

Honestly, A Light in the Flame ascended me to primalhood. SO GOOD. It is hard to write a review because all I want to do is gush about how much I love this book. I will attempt to be coherent in this review, but you have been warned.

While some readers may criticize A Light in the Flame for being slow and too much in Sera/Ash’s heads, I personally loved it all the more because of that. Their story is devastatingly beautiful, and wrecked me more than I care to admit. If you have a tendency for empathy, get prepared now because I felt every single emotion from Sera throughout this book. I left longing, heartbreak, I felt devastation, shame, joy, love, lust, happiness… just wow. My heart was in constant ache for her and Nyktos, never getting on the same page and always just out of reach. The insecurity she feels throughout the book is so sad was presented stunningly, as is her anxiety. I have never felt more seen in a book than I have in A Light in the Flame and the Flesh and Fire series as a whole. Not many books go into detail on these kinds of emotions and thoughts for as long as this one did, and I loved it.

The chemistry between Sera and Nyktos/Ash was insane and left me heated after every interaction. Their spice is simply perfection, and SO GOOD.

Moving into the world building and characters, Jennifer Armentrout blessed us with plenty and for that I am so happy. We learn a lot more history, we meet a lot more primals and gods, we get to know some wonderful and some horrible gods. There are feuds and battles, we visit multiple lands within Iliseeum, and watch Sera and Nyktos/Ash do lots of things. I have come to love Nektas, Jadis, Reaver, Aios, Belle, Rhain, Ector, and Scion so much.

The dynamic of Sera’s secret being out and the Shadowlands group disliking her was a very interesting and captivating angle. I really enjoyed watching her win them back over with everything she did.

We meet the Arae, learn about a prophecy, realize some terrible things, and see what people are truly made of.

I am not sure how to put everything I am thinking about this book into words. It left me emotionally exhausted in the best of ways, with one hell of a cliffhanger and a lot of heartbreak but also hope. I feel slightly betrayed by the book ending this way, but love it nonetheless.

Overall, A Light in the Flame by Jennifer Armentrout is a fantastic read, and I LOVED this second book in the Fire and Flesh series.