en-US Mon, 09 Jun 2025 14:07:03 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 209480328 The gods have turned on us.


The man I love has been poisoned against me, his heart twisted by the gods he served faithfully for so many years.

Running feels like abandoning him but staying can only end in death. Time is slipping by like sand through grasping hands and no matter what choices we make, these wicked deities seem set upon our destruction.

I’ve changed so much from the frightened girl I used to be, but now that I know the most desperate desires of my feral heart, I will do whatever it takes to save the man I claimed for my own.

I only hope I can get to him before the forces at play break him for good.



This new life of mine was such a fleeting victory, the tainted love I’d found becoming something unimaginably pure.

The key to the curse seemed so close at hand but now all we had come to rely upon has been scattered to the wind.

Answers evade us like starlight in the clouds but the more we stones we uncover, the clearer our path becomes.

I only hope that we can find a way to follow it before the monster breathing down our necks sinks her ragged claws into us and all chance for salvation is lost.

***This is a dark, fantasy romance series by the authors of Zodiac Academy with all the enemies to lovers vibes �� don’t go expecting a sweet vampire with sparkling skin and a tendency to watch you sleeping. These vampires are savage and bloodthirsty, and the slayer who hunts them will stab first and ask questions later. This war-torn fantasy world is a brutal bi*ch and only those 18+ have a chance at surviving the darkness lurking between these pages. There’s no well-meaning vampires snacking on Bambies instead of babies, and if they get their teeth into you, you’ll be damn lucky to escape with your life and panties intact. So grab hold of your slayer blade (wooden stakes have too many splinters) and get ready to defy the gods, because this is going to be one helluva ride***]]> 462 Caroline Peckham R 2
I can't see how the storyline has been stretched for so many books. There's an awful lot of internal monologue between the twins, and it's too similar to each other to contribute anything to the story by hearing it again. Instead of being spellbound, characters seem to turn into totally different people using language so out of character it's laughable - and it's not meant to be funny.

Borderline dnf this series. This is a far cry from the quality writing of Zodiac Academy!]]> 4.29 2019
author: Caroline Peckham
name: R
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/06/09
shelves:
review:
So many positive reviews on this one, but I'm just bored with it. At 86% I'm just scrolling past the sex scenes to get on with the story; it really is too much.

I can't see how the storyline has been stretched for so many books. There's an awful lot of internal monologue between the twins, and it's too similar to each other to contribute anything to the story by hearing it again. Instead of being spellbound, characters seem to turn into totally different people using language so out of character it's laughable - and it's not meant to be funny.

Borderline dnf this series. This is a far cry from the quality writing of Zodiac Academy!
]]> 201017011 “I don’t need another kink.��

That thought pops into my head whenever I pull up my favorite social media app, but alas, every time I scroll, I learn something new about myself, and another one is born. And yes, I know I’m responsible for what the algorithm shows me, but I’m trying to ignore that fact.

Lately, my feed has been dominated by masked men. I’ve favorited videos with them dressed in full cosplay, decked out in futuristic military apparel, and wrapped up like ghouls.

But more than anything else, my FYP is filled with shirtless men wearing ghost masks. Bonus points if they’re heavily tattooed, wielding a knife, or covered in fake blood. At night, I dream about being chased by them, of them catching me and doing deliciously dark things to my more than willing body.

I never could have guessed that by sending one drunken text, those dreams would become my new reality.

Lights Out is a fast-paced dark romance with a morally grey male lead. Some themes and scenes may be disturbing to readers. Please check the TWs at the beginning of the book. ]]> 338 Navessa Allen R 3 4.14 2024
author: Navessa Allen
name: R
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/12/19
shelves:
review:

]]> 55453297 When Mum died, I inherited a lot more than a pack of lies.

I landed a $410,000 debt.
Discovered her previous surname.
And her real place of birth.

Desperate to uncover the truth, I drive to a tiny dot on the map called Deception Valley.

Coincidental name? Nope.

There, I find her secret family—because she had one of those too.

How many lies are we at? Honestly, I’ve lost count, but local gossip captures my attention. Apparently, Mum’s other family play laser tag every Wednesday. Not even joking. Laser tag.

What the hell is this place?

In hindsight, the massive guy with honey irises was my first major clue. Unusual eyes for a human, right?
Perfect eyes for a werewolf.

But sexy supernaturals, thongs, and mounting financial strain aside, Mum’s past is buried somewhere in this valley, and I need to dig up the truth or find a way to live with her lies.

What do you do when neither option will leave you unscathed?]]> 420 Kelly St. Clare R 4 favorites
Will definitely be looking at more from this author! ]]> 4.09 2020
author: Kelly St. Clare
name: R
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2021/04/07
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: favorites
review:
Genuinely couldn't put this down. I love shifter books but getting bored of the "fated mates", "instant love", "heavy sex" short stories that seem to be carbon-copied out the factories at the moment - and then I met this series! Sure it touches on fated mates, but that each party has to prove themselves worthy to the other before announcing whether they accept/deny the bond is a really well-thought twist and makes a much better read. Great storyline here, with well described events that pull you in (e.g. the saxophone playing, and I'm not a musician), some gripping surprises and original thinking on the wars between races.

Will definitely be looking at more from this author!
]]> 55582338 The pack of lies continues.

My mother isn’t my mother.
A werewolf wants me for his one-and-only baby mama
Oh! And I’m the new leader of a tribe I joined weeks ago.

Messed up doesn’t begin to explain it.

I’m more desperate than ever to uncover an explanation for Mum’s mounting betrayals. Because this time, I’m not sure forgiveness is possible.

But the mating meets with Sascha must continue if I want to escape our bond for good. An entire tribe is relying on me to win a centuries-old game against freakin�� shifters. And at this point, well�� I have a few secrets of my own.

Keeping them is the new game.

Would you confess the truth and risk forfeiting the one person you have left?


If you can’t get enough of books by Shannon Mayer, Jaymin Eve, and Laura Thalassa, or just anything paranormal romance, then enter this supernatural game and prepare to win everything�� or lose it all.

This book contains sexual scenes, language, and violence.]]> 364 Kelly St. Clare R 4 favorites
Will definitely be looking at more from this author! ]]> 4.20 2020
author: Kelly St. Clare
name: R
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2021/04/07
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: favorites
review:
Genuinely couldn't put this down. I love shifter books but getting bored of the "fated mates", "instant love", "heavy sex" short stories that seem to be carbon-copied out the factories at the moment - and then I met this series! Sure it touches on fated mates, but that each party has to prove themselves worthy to the other before announcing whether they accept/deny the bond is a really well-thought twist and makes a much better read. Great storyline here, with well described events that pull you in (e.g. the saxophone playing, and I'm not a musician), some gripping surprises and original thinking on the wars between races.

Will definitely be looking at more from this author!
]]> 210482187 New York Times bestselling author of Fourth Wing comes a new contemporary romance about the summer a celebrated dancer returns home and unearths years of family secrets with the Coast Guard rescue swimmer she never forgot.

Elite ballerina Allie Rousseau is no stranger to pressure. With her mother’s eyes always watching, perfection was expected, no matter the cost. But when an injury jeopardizes all she’s sacrificed for, Allie returns to her summer home to heal and recover. But the memories she’s tried to forget rush in and threaten to take her under.

As a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Hudson Ellis knows that hesitation can mean the difference between life and death. He’s always prided himself on being in the right place at the right time, especially when it came to Allie Rousseau…until the night he left for basic. After the biggest regret of his life, the secrets he keeps mean he can never be with the one woman he wants more than his next breath.

When Hudson’s niece shows up on Allie’s doorstep, desperate to find her birth mother, Allie finds herself in an unimaginable position. Allie and Hudson’s past and present might be endlessly complicated. The thread that tied them to each other all those years ago may have unraveled, but the truth could pull them back together, or drive them apart forever.]]> 459 Rebecca Yarros 1662514697 R 0 currently-reading 4.19 2024
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: R
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 199204540
As she prepares for the event, Caly finds herself haunted by the memory of Malum Mendax, the Unseelie Prince, always feeling eyes are on her when she's alone; shadowy silhouettes in her room and even touching him in her dreams.

What Caly doesn't know, is that it's more than just the memory of him that haunts her.

Malum Mendax has returned to punish his pet and those that took her away from him.]]> 376 Jeneane O'Riley 1962719006 R 3 3.71 2024
author: Jeneane O'Riley
name: R
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/12/16
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]]> 122447584 Unyielding family allegiance
Three deadly challenges

THE HUMAN.
    When a trip into the forest to collect a rare mushroom goes horribly wrong, I find myself falling through a fairy portal and straight into the arms of the Unseelie Fae prince. The dangerously unhinged and handsome Unseelie Fae prince.
   What could be more horrible than that? He thinks I'm an assassin sent by the humans to kill him, not a biologist.
   Determined to kill me first, and rid himself of the human he has unwillingly grown obsessed with, yet also needing to entertain his people, the villain challenges me to three deadly trials.
          If I survive, I gain my freedom. But if not...
The Fae.
    I've never felt anything but hate and loathing until my eyes found hers--the vile human assassin's. She is a parasite that has mercilessly latched onto my mind and won't let me free.
    My hand itches to be ungloved and feel her smooth skin, even though I would never. The Unseelie Fae royals would rather burn than touch a repulsive human.
     I fear that if I do not destroy the girl soon, she may be the only thing that's capable of truly destroying me.]]> 388 Jeneane O'Riley R 3 3.64 2023
author: Jeneane O'Riley
name: R
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/12/16
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review:

]]> 133938981 “You made a bargain...
Your soul for his―and now, you are mine.��

Cate Holloway knows the unspoken rule of New Orleans: avoid the powerful Gage crime family at all costs. Of course, that was before her brother got caught in their chaos. Now Cate has no choice but to confront the dark and forbidding prince of New Orleans himself and beg for her brother’s life.

But Lachlan Gage is as lethal as he is beautiful…and the only currency he’s interested in is her soul.

Because Lachlan isn’t just some ruthless criminal. He’s fae. And he has his own secret reasons for binding her to him.

Tricked and desperate, Cate is torn between humanity and the breathtaking Otherworld. A place filled with shadows and secrets, with members of each fae court plotting against her just as her captor’s motives for trapping her become more mysterious.

And if she can’t break this sinister bargain in the next thirty days, she’ll be bound to the inscrutable yet infuriatingly tempting fae prince and his deadly world…forever.]]> 364 Geneva Lee 1649375778 R 3 3.96 2024
author: Geneva Lee
name: R
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/12/16
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review:

]]> 208301504
The time has come to make one last stand against the forces of cursed men and monsters. But Thea’s enemies are only getting stronger. With allies divided and an outnumbered army, she must race against her own fate to secure the future of the midrealms �� or die trying.

A prophecy is looming, and Thea’s life is in the balance. Does she have the power to cheat death itself?

Love and loyalty will be tested. Bonds will fracture forever. But all must fight for a better world.

In the final war for survival, will Thea and Wilder emerge victorious? Or will the shadows consume them at last?

Fans of Fourth Wing, The Witcher and The Bridge Kingdom, brace yourselves for sizzling romance, found family and heart-pounding battles in Shadow & Storms, the epic finale to The Legends of Thezmarr.]]> 420 Helen Scheuerer 1922903183 R 3 4.21 2024
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: R
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/12/16
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review:

]]> 199057100 466 Helen Scheuerer 1922903175 R 3 4.30 2024
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: R
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/12/16
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]]> 123007281
But Thea’s world is turned upside down as she struggles to navigate her newfound magic and uncover the secrets of her past. Slowly, she begins to untangle the truth about her family, her powers and the evil that threatens to engulf the kingdom.

When Wilder Hawthorne returns to be her official mentor, everything changes. Dark forces are gathering, and he will stop at nothing to prepare her for the challenges to come, even if it means breaking her.

As war looms and their quest for answers leads master and apprentice deeper into danger, the undeniable connection between them intensifies �� defying all odds, but also threatening to tear them apart.

With secrets unravelling and evil closing in, Thea and Wilder fight to save the world, and each other. The fate of the realms rests in their hands �� will they emerge victorious, or will the darkness consume them both?

Full of action, adventure and steamy romance, Vows & Ruins is the second book in the spellbinding epic romantic fantasy series, The Legends of Thezmarr and is perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom, From Blood and Ash and The Witcher.]]> 536 Helen Scheuerer 1922903051 R 3 4.05 2023
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: R
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves:
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]]> 63905241
Women are forbidden to wield blades, so she has trained in secret her entire life. Now racing against the clock, she fights to secure her place in the elite guild charged with the protection of the five kingdoms.

The sparring and hazing of the new trainees border on deadly, but even more dangerous is her growing attraction to Wilder Hawthorne, her unwilling warrior chaperone.

All around them, schemes are afoot and darkness looms.

Will Althea pass the perilous initiation test and take her place as a champion of Thezmarr �� or will the invading evil snatch away her dream before it starts?]]> 550 Helen Scheuerer 1922903027 R 3 4.20 2023
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: R
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves:
review:

]]> 210966754 The dragons are lost.
The elements are at war. Enlisting isn’t optional.
And I’m falling for a man who wants me dead.

I’m a wielder of hearts and summoner of corruption. Heir to nothing and born to a fool in the wrong damn month.

But I’m also one of only two Fae in this divided land of hellions who might be starting to see through the lies we’ve swallowed for so long.

In the year we turn twenty-one, conscripts from across the warring nations of air, fire, earth and water are sent to Never Keep �� the only place in our besieged continent where our magic can be Awakened.

But something is wrong inside Never Keep. Something which might extend far beyond the reaches of this desolate fortress. Within the gothic walls of this frigid castle in the snow, we’re left to hold our own against the brutal Fae from the opposing lands.

The Reapers are merciless. The Royals are lying. The Werewolves run rampant and Vampires roam the wastelands in bloodthirsty covens. But even though death lurks in every shadow of the Keep, it’s the least of my worries.

I’m delving into secrets the stars don’t want me uncovering, making alliances with Fae born to be my enemy, falling for a sinner while promising my heart to a different heathen and somewhere amid it all, I’m supposed to win a war.

I thought the only thing I had to do was survive my magical instruction.

Turns out, fate doesn’t favour the wicked.]]> 636 Caroline Peckham R 4 favorites 4.07 2024
author: Caroline Peckham
name: R
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> 55504599
Once upon a time, there lived a girl named Fallon who was taken far away from home shortly after she was born. 
A home that held more than strange traditions and bizarre superstitions.
Twenty-four years later, she returned to Weeping Hollow, a town she’d only heard about in stories during restless nights under a marble moon, in the middle of the night to take care of her last living relative. 
They called the nosy mortician a freakshow–a ghastly thing.
They said I couldn’t go near her.
Still, there was this aching pull to Fallon Grimaldi that I couldn’t escape.
A nostalgic pull as if we’d been here before.

Once upon a time, there lived a mysterious boy named Julian with a curse as old as centuries wrapped around his soul. 
He was one of the four Hollow Heathens, the very dark creatures who caused the town’s people to live in fear. 
And the Blackwell name was stained with darkness and death.
They called him a monster. Cold and hollow.
They said I shouldn’t go near him.
Still, there was this aching pull to Julian Blackwell that I couldn’t escape.
A nostalgic pull as if we’d been here before. ]]> 475 Nicole Fiorina 1735204722 R 3 3.84 2020
author: Nicole Fiorina
name: R
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/12/16
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]]> 123164084 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐝.

To my beloved black sea,
It was full dark when I snuck out of the castle to meet you.

You wore those ripped black jeans and your new friend’s boots, with sleet from the forest still in the grooves. You moved awkwardly in your new clothes because you were still creating yourself, like one of your drawings.

We drank vanilla cola from glass bottles and listened to a song about how fast the night changes over and over. Two adults frolicking as youths, French kissing in secret to hide from winter and distract ourselves from the town crumbling around us. The way we touched each other was equally punishing and artful, painting a world where we could be together on each other’s skin.

For a while, we pretended. For a while, I was the kind of woman you could be loyal to and fight for, and you weren’t the lost, forbidden Heathen.

Now, it’s been days since I’ve seen you. I’ve decided long ago, and this is my last letter. Everything I’ve worked so hard for—before you came along—will carry on as if our time together never happened.

Don’t bother stopping me. As I once said, the tremor between us will only lead to carnage.

But as I plunge a knife into the chest of the man I once desired to marry, I’ll think of all those foolish nights when we pretended, our time on Bone Island, vanilla cola, our stupid song, and you.

Yes, my beloved black sea.

I’ll think of you.

xx, a

Bone Island can be read as a stand-alone or within the interconnected series. For a better reading experience, read books in the order they are published.]]> 680 Nicole Fiorina R 4 4.30 2023
author: Nicole Fiorina
name: R
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves:
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]]> 136288670 “Neither magic, nor time, can keep us apart. We are like the stars. Eternal.��

No one told witch Selene Bowers having a soul mate would be so difficult. Nor did they warn her that he might be a vengeful, ancient sorcerer who would frame her for murder, force her to remember a past life he swears she lived, and then coerce her into an unbreakable marriage pact. But that’s exactly what happens the night of the Samhain Ball, when Selene finds herself in a jail cell.

After waking from enchanted sleep, Memnon swore to discover why Selene betrayed him long ago. But when his soul mate’s memories return, the truth reveals something else entirely. Horrified by his own actions and desperate to make amends, Memnon offers Selene the unthinkable: a magic bond that will give her full control over his will. And Selene is desperate enough to accept it.

But other enemies still haunt Henbane Coven, Selene’s magical academy, and they’ve taken a keen interest in her. If she wants to stop them, she’ll need Memnon’s help. But partnering with the sorcerer is a tricky business, especially when he’s dead set on winning her heart. And that can’t happen…because the bond controlling him will break the moment she falls in love with him.]]> 544 Laura Thalassa R 3 4.10 2024
author: Laura Thalassa
name: R
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/12/16
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]]> 60225993 Come to me, Empress ��

At age twenty, Selene Bowers desperately hopes to be accepted into Henbane Coven, an academy for young witches. Since one of the requirements for entry is to connect with her powers via a quest through the wilderness, Selene books a trip to South America. When a nefarious supernatural force tries to drag her plane from the sky, Selene's magic awakens to save her life―at a cost. Using her powers devours her memories, one by one.

Worse, when Selene braves the jungle and discovers the source of the attack, she finds herself awakening an ancient evil, Memnon the Cursed, who mistakes Selene for his long-dead wife. The wife who betrayed him. Selene manages to escape and begin her studies at Henbane, but when Memnon turns up at the coven and witches are found dead across campus, Selene becomes entangled in a dangerous plot. Accused of the murders on the basis of her memory loss, Selene must rely on Memnon's help for answers―and his plans for her will change everything.]]> 443 Laura Thalassa R 3 3.83 2023
author: Laura Thalassa
name: R
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/12/16
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review:

]]> 217536270
In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn't much a girl wouldn't do for a glass of water.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen's reservoirs for as long as she can remember.

But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently re-opens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares... but it turns out they're real, and Saeris has landed herself in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist's magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him . . . or her.

Death has a name. It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. His past is murky. His attitude stinks. And he's the only way Saeris is going to make it home.]]> 624 Callie Hart 1538774194 R 4 4.26 2024
author: Callie Hart
name: R
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/12/15
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review:

]]> 209741142 A spellbinding gothic dark fantasy about a shunned woman who is forced beyond the mortal realm's forbidden boundary, into a terrifying world of cursed souls and grotesque creatures.

Only the banished know what lies beyond the woods ...

There are whispers about what lurks in Witch Knell—the forest where sinners go to die. The villagers call it The Eating Woods because what’s taken is never given back. Only those who’ve lost their senses would dare to go near it.

Or the banished.

Maevyth Bronwick knows better than to breach the misty labyrinth of trees, but a tragic turn of events compels her beyond the archway of bones, to a boundary no mortal has crossed before. One that cloaks a dark and fantastical world that’s as dangerous as it is alluring.

It’s there that he dwells, the cursed lord of Eidolon. The one tasked to keep her hidden from the magehood that seeks to crucify her in the name of an arcane prophesy. Zevander Rydainn, known to his prey as The Scorpion, is the coldest, most calculated assassin in all of Aethyria and he’d sooner toss his feisty ward to a pack of vicious fyredrakes than keep her safe.

If only he could.

Maevyth’s blood is the key to breaking his despised curse and vanquishing the slumbering evil in Witch Knell. Unfortunately for Lord Rydainn, fate has other plans for the irresistible little enchantress. And his growing obsession with her threatens to destroy everything.

Including himself.

Anathema is a full-length, gothic dark fantasy, the first book in The Eating Woods duology. Perfect for readers who enjoy a plot-heavy and atmospheric story with a unique magic system, a slow-burn romance and a touch of horror.]]> 688 Keri Lake R 4 favorites 4.13 2024
author: Keri Lake
name: R
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> 204593914 Welcome to Phantasma. There are only two rules to the game: Stay alive. And don’t fall in love.

When Ophelia’s sister disappears, there is only one way to save her. Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a deadly contest inside a haunted mansion, and claim its prize—a single wish.

Phantasma is a maze of twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, of demons and temptations. Ophelia will face nine challenges, each more dangerous than the last. There can only be one winner, and the other contestants will stop at nothing to eliminate their rivals.

Every day the house creates new monsters. But just as Ophelia’s fears threaten to overwhelm her, a mysterious stranger offers her a bargain.

Charming, arrogant and infuriatingly attractive, Blackwell claims he can guide her through the lethal trials ahead. All he asks in return is ten years of her life.

Ophelia knows she shouldn’t trust him. Blackwell doesn’t seem dangerous, but appearances can be deceptive. Worse still, she feels a dark and irresistible attraction drawing them closer and closer.

Her life is on the line. But in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart . . .]]> 497 Kaylie Smith 1538769255 R 2
The author fell into many of the predictable traps and stereotypes when reaching for "Romance". Young beautiful good-girl who's had bad sex one time but has had a very sheltered life, meets much older bad-boy who's very sexually experienced and loves to go down on a girl. MFC was a damsel, who lost sight of her purpose because she was too lost in the MMC, very dependent on the big, powerful man and was regularly unable to succeed without his help. Although the MMC was interesting at first, he became too repetitive to stay interesting. Of course - they were in love after just a few days.

I did enjoy the storyline of the book, capturing the darker side of fantasy with psychological impact, mind-games, gothicism, violent themes used throughout the trials; but sadly it felt that the storyline came second to the sex. Most of the book is made up of very repetitive sexual encounters with a little storyline to break between each; "We mustn't"... but they do ... "These are the rules" ... but are shocked by consequences when they break the rules. The trials themselves were generally short and the author could have gone much further with and around them, but the story was just too keen to get back to the bedroom. ]]> 4.05 2024
author: Kaylie Smith
name: R
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/15
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves:
review:
This book had a lot of hype from folks who'd enjoyed similar books to me, but in short: I found it an average read, predictable, and I won't be continuing the series.

The author fell into many of the predictable traps and stereotypes when reaching for "Romance". Young beautiful good-girl who's had bad sex one time but has had a very sheltered life, meets much older bad-boy who's very sexually experienced and loves to go down on a girl. MFC was a damsel, who lost sight of her purpose because she was too lost in the MMC, very dependent on the big, powerful man and was regularly unable to succeed without his help. Although the MMC was interesting at first, he became too repetitive to stay interesting. Of course - they were in love after just a few days.

I did enjoy the storyline of the book, capturing the darker side of fantasy with psychological impact, mind-games, gothicism, violent themes used throughout the trials; but sadly it felt that the storyline came second to the sex. Most of the book is made up of very repetitive sexual encounters with a little storyline to break between each; "We mustn't"... but they do ... "These are the rules" ... but are shocked by consequences when they break the rules. The trials themselves were generally short and the author could have gone much further with and around them, but the story was just too keen to get back to the bedroom.
]]> 40884349 kami—the gods—are good, and yokai—the earth spirits—are evil. But when she saves the life of a fox shapeshifter, the truths of her world start to crumble. And the treachery of the gods runs deep.

Red Winter: The Complete Trilogy includes three breathtaking novels that follow Emi as she grows from an uncertain shrine maiden to a divine warrior who must choose whether to bow to duty or fight for her life.

The trilogy also features 30 full-page illustrations by award-winning artist Brittany Jackson.

"An enchanting tale of fantastical magic, supernatural creatures, mysterious heroes, and forbidden romance, [set] against a wildly gorgeous and exotic backdrop." - Flylef Reviews

"Red Winter was full of magic, action, romance, a whole lot of intrigue and an amazing set of characters ... honestly one of the books that I will read again and again." - Chaotic Reader

Keywords: Contemporary fantasy, romantic fantasy, Asian mythology

--
Red Winter (Book 1):

Emi has spent her entire life hiding from the creatures that hunt her. The savage earth spirits are determined to kill her before she can become the living host of a goddess, so she stays hidden—until the day she saves the life of a kitsune.

Shiro isn't the harmless fox spirit she thought he was. He's mysterious, cunning, unpredictable �� and now hers to command. He's sworn to pay his debt to her, but he doesn't know who she is. If he finds out, he'll kill her.

But she can't send him away—not yet. Her future isn't what she thought. The lies surrounding her fate have begun to unravel, and she needs answers before time runs out—answers that lie in the spirit realm. Shiro can take her there �� if she dares to trust him.

And only then will she find out how deep the gods' treachery runs.

--
Dark Tempest (Book 2):

Emi has dedicated her life to becoming the perfect vessel for the goddess Amaterasu, but the insidious betrayal of another deity has changed everything. Now Amaterasu has charged Emi with an urgent mission: to find and free the earthly gods before mankind is brought to its knees beneath divine tyranny.

At her side is Shiro, the mysterious fox spirit. When she first saved his life, she could never have imagined that behind his cunning and confidence, he was lost—his power bound by a devastating curse and his memories obscured. His veiled history is somehow tied to the missing gods, but he can't remember how or why.

As their search leads them into the murky depths of the spirit realm, the shadows of Shiro's past begin to emerge. With each brief awakening of his true self, she loses a little more of him. The fate of the heavens and earth rest in her mortal hands, and she must find the missing gods before time runs out for her world—and for Shiro.

--
Immortal Fire (Book 3):

Once, Emi believed the heavenly gods were righteous and wise, while the earthly yokai spirits were bloodthirsty and evil. But with a traitorous deity poised to destroy her world, and the yokai standing as humanity's only defense, the lies of her upbringing have toppled to reveal a far more terrifying reality.
��
Despite the looming threat, Emi can't escape her greatest distraction: Shiro, the fox yokai who has so deftly claimed her heart for his own.]]> 1156 Annette Marie 1988153212 R 5 4.71 2018
author: Annette Marie
name: R
average rating: 4.71
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 33414893
Three unruly friends.
A wedding we shouldn't have been invited to.
Two unexpected romances.
A scoop of sexy.
And a double scoop of chaos.

Lydia is a good girl who is above revenge. Good thing she has us. No one cheats on our best friend and rides off into the sunset with his new bride.

What was supposed to happen? Unleash hell like two badasses. It was a simple plan, but we failed to anticipate a few things. A rogue prosthetic, an accidental exorcism, and dominatrix strippers willing to take things way too far, just to name a few.

What actually happened? As usual, nothing went as planned, especially when two sexy distractions popped into the mix. We were there to avenge our friend, not to get entangled with two cocky, arrogant men, who don’t like to hear the word no. I was sure we could resist.

I mean, it was only a week, right? What could happen in a week?

Not intrigued enough? There's totally a duck in this story.

Ah yeah. Now we have your undivided attention. Enjoy our chaos.
#WorthIt]]> 312 S.M. Shade R 5 4.42 2017
author: S.M. Shade
name: R
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2020/08/01
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves:
review:
Two sweet romances (cute but still very funny), outrageous pranks and so much sarcasm (if you're British you're gonna love this!) - a few laugh-out-loud moments causing strange looks on the bus. An adult, feel-good read (no "coming of age" or teens "in love" thank God). Don't take this book seriously - put away your prude and unleash your cheeky. It's reminded me to enjoy life's moments a little more - can't wait for my next date!
]]> 32862986 yokai spirits were bloodthirsty and evil. But with a traitorous deity poised to destroy her world, and the yokai standing as humanity's only defense, the lies of her upbringing have toppled to reveal a far more terrifying reality. Despite the looming threat, Emi can't escape her greatest distraction: Shiro, the fox yokai who has so deftly claimed her heart for his own. Soon--too soon--she will have to break the curse that binds his magic and memories. And once the ancient power inside him awakens, the yokai she loves will be changed forever. As the earthly gods gather to wage war against the heavens, Emi and Shiro must gamble everything to turn the tide against their immortal, all-powerful foes. Together, they will find a way to save her world--even if it means losing each other.]]> 367 Annette Marie 1988153115 R 5 4.58 2017
author: Annette Marie
name: R
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2020/08/01
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves:
review:
A really well written series - if you're a fan of anime, Japanese culture or fantasy these are a great read. Well written female MC; naive without being idiotic; knowledgeable without being useless; disheartened and regretful without 3 books of self pity for every bad decision. They aren't short stories - a generous amount of detail gives plenty of character development and power descriptions for fans of fantasy and magic. The detail is needed though to really immerse you in the story and it's not unnecessary detail, it all becomes relevant; I only found myself rushing to find out what happens! Lovely romance; I got quite emotional reading.
]]> 32605659
At her side is Shiro, the mysterious fox spirit. When she first saved his life, she could never have imagined that behind his cunning and confidence, he was lost—his power bound by a devastating curse and his memories obscured. His veiled history is somehow tied to the missing gods, but he can't remember how or why.

As their search leads them into the murky depths of the spirit realm, the shadows of Shiro's past begin to emerge. With each brief awakening of his true self, she loses a little more of him. The fate of the heavens and earth rest in her mortal hands, and she must find the missing gods before time runs out for her world—and for Shiro.

DARK TEMPEST includes 10 full-page illustrations by award-winning artist Brittany Jackson.]]> 350 Annette Marie 1988153107 R 5 4.51 2017
author: Annette Marie
name: R
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2020/08/01
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves:
review:
A really well written series - if you're a fan of anime, Japanese culture or fantasy these are a great read. Well written female MC; naive without being idiotic; knowledgeable without being useless; disheartened and regretful without 3 books of self pity for every bad decision. They aren't short stories - a generous amount of detail gives plenty of character development and power descriptions for fans of fantasy and magic. The detail is needed though to really immerse you in the story and it's not unnecessary detail, it all becomes relevant; I only found myself rushing to find out what happens! Lovely romance; I got quite emotional reading.
]]> 31829155
Shiro isn't the harmless fox spirit she thought he was. He's mysterious, cunning, unpredictable...and now hers to command. He's sworn to pay his debt to her, but he doesn't know who she is. If he finds out, he'll kill her.

But she can't send him away—not yet. Her future isn't what she thought. The lies surrounding her fate have begun to unravel, and she needs answers before time runs out—answers that lie in the spirit realm. Shiro can take her there...if she dares to trust him.

And only then will she find out how deep the gods' treachery runs.]]> 346 Annette Marie 1988153085 R 5 4.27 2016
author: Annette Marie
name: R
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2020/08/01
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves:
review:
A really well written series - if you're a fan of anime, Japanese culture or fantasy these are a great read. Well written female MC; naïve without being idiotic; knowledgeable without being useless; disheartened and regretful without 3 books of self pity for every bad decision. They aren't short stories - a generous amount of detail gives plenty of character development and power descriptions for fans of fantasy and magic. The detail is needed though to really immerse you in the story and it's not unnecessary detail, it all becomes relevant; I only found myself rushing to find out what happens! Lovely romance; I got quite emotional reading.
]]> 43685000
A big freaking problem, that’s what.

I was supposed to take on my first real mission as a spy. I was supposed to go find my missing mate and discover who our real allies are for the war that’s brewing in the fae realm.

Instead, I’m thrown back to where I was first created. Cupidville. And, judging by the look I’m getting from the Head of all Cupidity, and the big Terminate button that he's holding, this problem is about to get much worse.

The thing is, I’m more of a lover than a fighter, but when it has to do with staying with my mates, this cupid might just cut a bitch. I’ve waited my entire existence to find love, and now that I have it, I’m not going to give it up without a fight.

A Fantasy Reverse Harem Story.

Author's note: This is the third book of the Heart Hassle Series. This is a reverse harem story and includes sexually explicit scenes and mature language. Intended for ages 18 years and older.]]> 350 Raven Kennedy R 2 4.20 2019
author: Raven Kennedy
name: R
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2021/09/25
shelves:
review:
So many missed opportunities for a great series, it was a great concept and I laughed throughout the first book. Yet what started out as naiive but funny and witty has now devolved into a very unintelligent MC "winging" her way through the story (geddit?) with no development, unnecessary sex scenes and more characters falling for her beauty. Not for me - sorry.
]]> 55957637 An Arranged Marriage Mafia Romance

Alliances are made. Loyalty is owned. Love is taken.

Little did I know my love and freedom would be taken to form a new alliance.

Brutal, possessive, and dangerous, Lucian is feared by all. Including myself.
When his father is assassinated, Lucian takes his rightful place as head of the Cotroni family. They rule the Mafia with an iron fist, and he’s set his sights on my family.
Until now, we’ve been the only threat, but when a new one emerges, my father is forced to arrange a marriage between Lucian and myself.

He might be handsome but he’s not the kind of man who loves. He takes what he wants and right now, it’s my body.
I might belong to him in name, but the question remains �� will our union be consummated in blood or love?

STANDALONE: Romance Suspense full-length novel.
WARNING: This book contains subject matter that may be sensitive for some readers. There is dark and triggering content between these pages. 18+ only. Please read responsibly.]]> 388 Michelle Heard R 3
Consistent - MC was abused, hidden and released into a world she didn't want to be a part of. The author stuck to this throughout, there were no sudden inserts of content that didn't make sense "because it made a good storyline". I was frustrated, sad, scared and intrigued right along with her. Well done author = tick.

Suspense - OK a little predictable. An almost-virgin, young, beautiful daughter that the bad-boy must have - yeeaahh ok, cheesy, but I still enjoyed going along with it

Romance - Some cute moments. I'm not a fan of insta-love, for me a story is far better when either party has to earn it, so although the review didn't get top marks from me that's not to say it wasn't enjoyable. I think the focus was more on the romance; the story touches on the mafia violence and the "dark world" he's a part of, namedropping "shipments" and "guns". Although it explains some of the altercations and resources he had available, it felt like the emphasis was on "damsel in distress" and the desperation around saving her.

All-in-all a good read to kill some time. Go for it! ]]> 4.06
author: Michelle Heard
name: R
average rating: 4.06
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2021/09/04
date added: 2021/09/10
shelves:
review:
I actually enjoyed this one. I was a bit sceptical having read the reviews, but I found it a pretty good read. I haven't read others by this author though, so I do wonder if her books are carbon copies of each other. I'll have to read another to find out - any recommendations are appreciated!

Consistent - MC was abused, hidden and released into a world she didn't want to be a part of. The author stuck to this throughout, there were no sudden inserts of content that didn't make sense "because it made a good storyline". I was frustrated, sad, scared and intrigued right along with her. Well done author = tick.

Suspense - OK a little predictable. An almost-virgin, young, beautiful daughter that the bad-boy must have - yeeaahh ok, cheesy, but I still enjoyed going along with it

Romance - Some cute moments. I'm not a fan of insta-love, for me a story is far better when either party has to earn it, so although the review didn't get top marks from me that's not to say it wasn't enjoyable. I think the focus was more on the romance; the story touches on the mafia violence and the "dark world" he's a part of, namedropping "shipments" and "guns". Although it explains some of the altercations and resources he had available, it felt like the emphasis was on "damsel in distress" and the desperation around saving her.

All-in-all a good read to kill some time. Go for it!
]]> 52323468
They took me from my mates and threw me into a cell with a monster.

But they should have known I’m the biggest monster of them all.

With more and more females disappearing, I need to find out who is really behind all the kidnappings and experiments. But what I discover will test my mates and me…and from the betrayal...hate will bloom.

I have new allies, new enemies, and a whole lot of bodies piling up.

Are you scared of me? You should be.


*18+ Reverse Harem Romance. Warning this book contains scenes and references of abuse/assault that some readers may find triggering. Along with graphic sex scenes and violence. This is a dark book*
]]> 432 K.A. Knight R 1
* "I'll kill everything if they hurt her" ... he gets there and she's been taken ... "GRRR who's got Jeremy Kyle so I can calm down?!"
* Absent for hundreds of years - but can straight away use a mobile?
* "I'm an ancient, terrifying dragon that destroys and rules all ... he has a stick, damn I need to be careful here, he might kill me."
* Random and out of place "lust" comments just thrown in for no real reason - "we went to the shops, I bought a chicken sandwich, must remember to buy more deodorant, my c**k is hard".
* "what's your plan?" "To destroy his love life, his finances and finally kill him." I was impressed by her well-thought-out plan. (Ermm what plan?!! That's not a thought-out anything!)
* So much inner monologue it's head-spinning, yet there's no real explanation or progression to take from any of it.
* Everything is p***y, c**k and covered in c** to the point it's ridiculous. All. The. Time.
* Every "big bad" creature is a fated mate, no story here they just "are", and they just keep getting bigger and badder. I thought book 1 was busy, then book 2 just keeps on going! We've got a God, a Minotaur, the Devil gets involved. It's like every chapter the author is constantly trying to one-up herself.
* Whole book based on an MC who was heavily abused in book 1, controlled, punched, life torn apart, yet every mate is violent to her and so dominating it's abusive ("mine" claims by everyone (hang on, she just said she wouldn't be owned again?) choking, dropping from the sky, throwing her into a sink in book 2, anal sex to the point she's bleeding and it hurts, and apparently this all turns her on?! Consistency?!)

Honestly, this book is bad. Just... don't.]]> 4.11 2020
author: K.A. Knight
name: R
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2020
rating: 1
read at: 2020/09/07
date added: 2021/09/10
shelves:
review:
Smutty, badly written, frustrating, ridiculous. I'm annoyed I fell for the reviews - DON'T DO IT. I couldn't get past 35% of book 2.

* "I'll kill everything if they hurt her" ... he gets there and she's been taken ... "GRRR who's got Jeremy Kyle so I can calm down?!"
* Absent for hundreds of years - but can straight away use a mobile?
* "I'm an ancient, terrifying dragon that destroys and rules all ... he has a stick, damn I need to be careful here, he might kill me."
* Random and out of place "lust" comments just thrown in for no real reason - "we went to the shops, I bought a chicken sandwich, must remember to buy more deodorant, my c**k is hard".
* "what's your plan?" "To destroy his love life, his finances and finally kill him." I was impressed by her well-thought-out plan. (Ermm what plan?!! That's not a thought-out anything!)
* So much inner monologue it's head-spinning, yet there's no real explanation or progression to take from any of it.
* Everything is p***y, c**k and covered in c** to the point it's ridiculous. All. The. Time.
* Every "big bad" creature is a fated mate, no story here they just "are", and they just keep getting bigger and badder. I thought book 1 was busy, then book 2 just keeps on going! We've got a God, a Minotaur, the Devil gets involved. It's like every chapter the author is constantly trying to one-up herself.
* Whole book based on an MC who was heavily abused in book 1, controlled, punched, life torn apart, yet every mate is violent to her and so dominating it's abusive ("mine" claims by everyone (hang on, she just said she wouldn't be owned again?) choking, dropping from the sky, throwing her into a sink in book 2, anal sex to the point she's bleeding and it hurts, and apparently this all turns her on?! Consistency?!)

Honestly, this book is bad. Just... don't.
]]> 49990621
For my entire life, I avoided magic at all costs. Now, I'm responsible for a demon who wields magic more powerful than the toughest mage or sorcerer.

Demons are evil.

That's what my textbooks say. That's what I see. He's ruthless, he's temperamental, he's cold. But he protects me without fail. I wonder if he's hiding a heart behind his hostility.

My demon is a monster.

Whether he's heartless or not, my contract with him is illegal and beyond dangerous. Together, we must find a way to return him to his own world before anyone discovers our secret. If that wasn't bad enough, I've come to realize something else:

My demon isn't the only monster I should be worried about.]]> 327 Annette Marie 1988153387 R 2
"MC: I can escape through this hole"
"please don't go that way"
"MC: but I can fit"
"please don't go that way"
*goes through, gets captured*

"MC: I want to come with you"
"stay here and be smart"
"MC: No I'm coming, I'll be quiet"
*follows, stumbles, talks the whole time, distracts the demon protecting her*

Still can't work out if the author was going for "funny" but the constant fumbling around. squealing, childlike reactions and obviously foolish decisions becomes irritating. Maybe I just prefer more quirk, or badass-ery, or wit, or savagery, or intelligence to my heroines. On the upside, she has progressed to a kiss in book 2; I'm genuinely waiting to turn the page "And then they got married"... right... Continues to be a mature pokemon game as "adult" summoners unleash their pocketed demons to battle against each other.]]> 4.34 2019
author: Annette Marie
name: R
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2021/09/10
shelves:
review:
A continuation of book 1 really. A good description of characters and events and an interesting concept. The stupidity and uselessness of the MC continues to unimpress; she's meant to be 20, not 6. For example:

"MC: I can escape through this hole"
"please don't go that way"
"MC: but I can fit"
"please don't go that way"
*goes through, gets captured*

"MC: I want to come with you"
"stay here and be smart"
"MC: No I'm coming, I'll be quiet"
*follows, stumbles, talks the whole time, distracts the demon protecting her*

Still can't work out if the author was going for "funny" but the constant fumbling around. squealing, childlike reactions and obviously foolish decisions becomes irritating. Maybe I just prefer more quirk, or badass-ery, or wit, or savagery, or intelligence to my heroines. On the upside, she has progressed to a kiss in book 2; I'm genuinely waiting to turn the page "And then they got married"... right... Continues to be a mature pokemon game as "adult" summoners unleash their pocketed demons to battle against each other.
]]> 54971784
It's time for answers. Time for vengeance. And time to finally unmask the notorious V. There's no going back now.

See what happens in the epic conclusion of the Made of Steel series.]]> 352 Ivy Smoak R 1
1) Absolutely 0 reason to drag this out for 3 books, it could have gotten through all the points in a one-off story easily (wouldn't have made the story any better, but would've wasted less of my time). I skim-read the last half of book 3 as it STILL wouldn't get to an end.

2) Predictable, waffley, eye-rolling-ly boring. Every "twist" is expected; my sarcasm got a good workout when... dun-dun-dunnn... three chapters later... "Oh look, I was right. Again." You've already worked out who V is at the start (I haven't marked this as a spoiler, it's not a spoiler, the book spells out at the beginning who it's going to be and somehow made 3 books out of her catching up. She worked it out in book 1 then spent 2 books going in circles before bringing it back around).

3) Too many spoofs. How have her contacts stayed in with all the crying? How does she keep them in if she's rarely at home and always sleeps in them? She's never had to dye her hair in any of the books. How did she leave V in the apartment, to find him walking around with another girl? How was he playing a starring role in a football game, only to pop out of the trees when she leaves before they're even off the pitch? He's a friggin' teenage vigilante, not Batman.

4) Terrible character builds. MC with 0 social skills, makes sense as she's been locked up, right? Yet everyone wants to be her bestie or have fallen in love with her. Interactions between characters are uninspiring, e.g. a sudden love interest between Eli and Liza for no reason whatsoever (was that a "damn I need to get MC back with V, maybe I should give Liza a happy ending" moment for the author?) And don't get me started on the 8yr old's monologue (which was absolutely not what an 8yr old would be thinking).

5) Everyone has worked out who she really is. The story in this book: she loves someone, she's betrayed, she makes a plan to get stronger, she doesn't get strong, she makes a plan with help, she screws it up and gets others hurt, screams and cries until she gets included in the next plan, she screws it up and others get hurt. Rinse & repeat. For 3 books. Yawn.

No intelligent writing, no plot twist, no excitement, the sex-scenes were lacklustre, the character builds were "meh" and the book's already given you the answer so there's nothing to figure out.]]> 4.19
author: Ivy Smoak
name: R
average rating: 4.19
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2021/09/10
date added: 2021/09/10
shelves:
review:
I'll get straight to the point; I don't recommend this series at all, it was awful.

1) Absolutely 0 reason to drag this out for 3 books, it could have gotten through all the points in a one-off story easily (wouldn't have made the story any better, but would've wasted less of my time). I skim-read the last half of book 3 as it STILL wouldn't get to an end.

2) Predictable, waffley, eye-rolling-ly boring. Every "twist" is expected; my sarcasm got a good workout when... dun-dun-dunnn... three chapters later... "Oh look, I was right. Again." You've already worked out who V is at the start (I haven't marked this as a spoiler, it's not a spoiler, the book spells out at the beginning who it's going to be and somehow made 3 books out of her catching up. She worked it out in book 1 then spent 2 books going in circles before bringing it back around).

3) Too many spoofs. How have her contacts stayed in with all the crying? How does she keep them in if she's rarely at home and always sleeps in them? She's never had to dye her hair in any of the books. How did she leave V in the apartment, to find him walking around with another girl? How was he playing a starring role in a football game, only to pop out of the trees when she leaves before they're even off the pitch? He's a friggin' teenage vigilante, not Batman.

4) Terrible character builds. MC with 0 social skills, makes sense as she's been locked up, right? Yet everyone wants to be her bestie or have fallen in love with her. Interactions between characters are uninspiring, e.g. a sudden love interest between Eli and Liza for no reason whatsoever (was that a "damn I need to get MC back with V, maybe I should give Liza a happy ending" moment for the author?) And don't get me started on the 8yr old's monologue (which was absolutely not what an 8yr old would be thinking).

5) Everyone has worked out who she really is. The story in this book: she loves someone, she's betrayed, she makes a plan to get stronger, she doesn't get strong, she makes a plan with help, she screws it up and gets others hurt, screams and cries until she gets included in the next plan, she screws it up and others get hurt. Rinse & repeat. For 3 books. Yawn.

No intelligent writing, no plot twist, no excitement, the sex-scenes were lacklustre, the character builds were "meh" and the book's already given you the answer so there's nothing to figure out.
]]> 54971777
And I'd be lying if I said I haven't started to fall for the New York City vigilante. He's the only other person that knows what it's like to live behind a mask. There's a darkness in him that mirrors my own. He embraces my broken soul.

But I'm tired of all the secrets, masks, and lies. I don't need a man to save me. I'm the superhero of my own story. And all I need to focus on right now is Don Roberts - a monster far worse than I ever imagined - before he unleashes the mafia on this city and ruins any chance I have at a new life.]]> 327 Ivy Smoak R 1
1) Absolutely 0 reason to drag this out for 3 books, it could have gotten through all the points in a one-off story easily (wouldn't have made the story any better, but would've wasted less of my time). I skim-read the last half of book 3 as it STILL wouldn't get to an end.

2) Predictable, waffley, eye-rolling-ly boring. Every "twist" is expected; my sarcasm got a good workout when... dun-dun-dunnn... three chapters later... "Oh look, I was right. Again." You've already worked out who V is at the start (I haven't marked this as a spoiler, it's not a spoiler, the book spells out at the beginning who it's going to be and somehow made 3 books out of her catching up. She worked it out in book 1 then spent 2 books going in circles before bringing it back around).

3) Too many spoofs. How have her contacts stayed in with all the crying? How does she keep them in if she's rarely at home and always sleeps in them? She's never had to dye her hair in any of the books. How did she leave V in the apartment, to find him walking around with another girl? How was he playing a starring role in a football game, only to pop out of the trees when she leaves before they're even off the pitch? He's a friggin' teenage vigilante, not Batman.

4) Terrible character builds. MC with 0 social skills, makes sense as she's been locked up, right? Yet everyone wants to be her bestie or have fallen in love with her. Interactions between characters are uninspiring, e.g. a sudden love interest between Eli and Liza for no reason whatsoever (was that a "damn I need to get MC back with V, maybe I should give Liza a happy ending" moment for the author?) And don't get me started on the 8yr old's monologue (which was absolutely not what an 8yr old would be thinking).

5) Everyone has worked out who she really is. The story in this book: she loves someone, she's betrayed, she makes a plan to get stronger, she doesn't get strong, she makes a plan with help, she screws it up and gets others hurt, screams and cries until she gets included in the next plan, she screws it up and others get hurt. Rinse & repeat. For 3 books. Yawn.

No intelligent writing, no plot twist, no excitement, the sex-scenes were lacklustre, the character builds were "meh" and the book's already given you the answer so there's nothing to figure out.]]> 4.15
author: Ivy Smoak
name: R
average rating: 4.15
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2021/09/08
date added: 2021/09/10
shelves:
review:
I'll get straight to the point; I don't recommend this series at all, it was awful.

1) Absolutely 0 reason to drag this out for 3 books, it could have gotten through all the points in a one-off story easily (wouldn't have made the story any better, but would've wasted less of my time). I skim-read the last half of book 3 as it STILL wouldn't get to an end.

2) Predictable, waffley, eye-rolling-ly boring. Every "twist" is expected; my sarcasm got a good workout when... dun-dun-dunnn... three chapters later... "Oh look, I was right. Again." You've already worked out who V is at the start (I haven't marked this as a spoiler, it's not a spoiler, the book spells out at the beginning who it's going to be and somehow made 3 books out of her catching up. She worked it out in book 1 then spent 2 books going in circles before bringing it back around).

3) Too many spoofs. How have her contacts stayed in with all the crying? How does she keep them in if she's rarely at home and always sleeps in them? She's never had to dye her hair in any of the books. How did she leave V in the apartment, to find him walking around with another girl? How was he playing a starring role in a football game, only to pop out of the trees when she leaves before they're even off the pitch? He's a friggin' teenage vigilante, not Batman.

4) Terrible character builds. MC with 0 social skills, makes sense as she's been locked up, right? Yet everyone wants to be her bestie or have fallen in love with her. Interactions between characters are uninspiring, e.g. a sudden love interest between Eli and Liza for no reason whatsoever (was that a "damn I need to get MC back with V, maybe I should give Liza a happy ending" moment for the author?) And don't get me started on the 8yr old's monologue (which was absolutely not what an 8yr old would be thinking).

5) Everyone has worked out who she really is. The story in this book: she loves someone, she's betrayed, she makes a plan to get stronger, she doesn't get strong, she makes a plan with help, she screws it up and gets others hurt, screams and cries until she gets included in the next plan, she screws it up and others get hurt. Rinse & repeat. For 3 books. Yawn.

No intelligent writing, no plot twist, no excitement, the sex-scenes were lacklustre, the character builds were "meh" and the book's already given you the answer so there's nothing to figure out.
]]> 54971770
Ten years after Summer lost everything, she's given a fresh start in the witness protection program. The only rule: don't speak to anyone from her past. A rule that's hard to follow when she finds out that the boy next door is living right down the hall. Unlike him, she never forgot. But she knows that the future she once dreamed of is no longer an option. And if she reveals her identity, she could get them both killed.

Miles fell in love with the girl next door when he was eight-years-old. When she disappeared in the foster care system, it felt like a piece of him was missing. So when she shows up in his life again with a different color hair and a new name? It doesn’t fool him. And this time he'll do whatever it takes to keep her.]]> 319 Ivy Smoak R 1
1) Absolutely 0 reason to drag this out for 3 books, it could have gotten through all the points in a one-off story easily (wouldn't have made the story any better, but would've wasted less of my time). I skim-read the last half of book 3 as it STILL wouldn't get to an end.

2) Predictable, waffley, eye-rolling-ly boring. Every "twist" is expected; my sarcasm got a good workout when... dun-dun-dunnn... three chapters later... "Oh look, I was right. Again." You've already worked out who V is at the start (I haven't marked this as a spoiler, it's not a spoiler, the book spells out at the beginning who it's going to be and somehow made 3 books out of her catching up. She worked it out in book 1 then spent 2 books going in circles before bringing it back around).

3) Too many spoofs. How have her contacts stayed in with all the crying? How does she keep them in if she's rarely at home and always sleeps in them? She's never had to dye her hair in any of the books. How did she leave V in the apartment, to find him walking around with another girl? How was he playing a starring role in a football game, only to pop out of the trees when she leaves before they're even off the pitch? He's a friggin' teenage vigilante, not Batman.

4) Terrible character builds. MC with 0 social skills, makes sense as she's been locked up, right? Yet everyone wants to be her bestie or have fallen in love with her. Interactions between characters are uninspiring, e.g. a sudden love interest between Eli and Liza for no reason whatsoever (was that a "damn I need to get MC back with V, maybe I should give Liza a happy ending" moment for the author?) And don't get me started on the 8yr old's monologue (which was absolutely not what an 8yr old would be thinking).

5) Everyone has worked out who she really is. The story in this book: she loves someone, she's betrayed, she makes a plan to get stronger, she doesn't get strong, she makes a plan with help, she screws it up and gets others hurt, screams and cries until she gets included in the next plan, she screws it up and others get hurt. Rinse & repeat. For 3 books. Yawn.

No intelligent writing, no plot twist, no excitement, the sex-scenes were lacklustre, the character builds were "meh" and the book's already given you the answer so there's nothing to figure out.]]> 3.94 2017
author: Ivy Smoak
name: R
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2017
rating: 1
read at: 2021/09/04
date added: 2021/09/10
shelves:
review:
I'll get straight to the point; I don't recommend this series at all, it was awful.

1) Absolutely 0 reason to drag this out for 3 books, it could have gotten through all the points in a one-off story easily (wouldn't have made the story any better, but would've wasted less of my time). I skim-read the last half of book 3 as it STILL wouldn't get to an end.

2) Predictable, waffley, eye-rolling-ly boring. Every "twist" is expected; my sarcasm got a good workout when... dun-dun-dunnn... three chapters later... "Oh look, I was right. Again." You've already worked out who V is at the start (I haven't marked this as a spoiler, it's not a spoiler, the book spells out at the beginning who it's going to be and somehow made 3 books out of her catching up. She worked it out in book 1 then spent 2 books going in circles before bringing it back around).

3) Too many spoofs. How have her contacts stayed in with all the crying? How does she keep them in if she's rarely at home and always sleeps in them? She's never had to dye her hair in any of the books. How did she leave V in the apartment, to find him walking around with another girl? How was he playing a starring role in a football game, only to pop out of the trees when she leaves before they're even off the pitch? He's a friggin' teenage vigilante, not Batman.

4) Terrible character builds. MC with 0 social skills, makes sense as she's been locked up, right? Yet everyone wants to be her bestie or have fallen in love with her. Interactions between characters are uninspiring, e.g. a sudden love interest between Eli and Liza for no reason whatsoever (was that a "damn I need to get MC back with V, maybe I should give Liza a happy ending" moment for the author?) And don't get me started on the 8yr old's monologue (which was absolutely not what an 8yr old would be thinking).

5) Everyone has worked out who she really is. The story in this book: she loves someone, she's betrayed, she makes a plan to get stronger, she doesn't get strong, she makes a plan with help, she screws it up and gets others hurt, screams and cries until she gets included in the next plan, she screws it up and others get hurt. Rinse & repeat. For 3 books. Yawn.

No intelligent writing, no plot twist, no excitement, the sex-scenes were lacklustre, the character builds were "meh" and the book's already given you the answer so there's nothing to figure out.
]]> 58177762
He left another heart behind, too—his.

I know it's wrong. I shouldn't be contacting the recipient of my husband's heart. I don't even expect him to reply...
But there's a desperate, twisted part of me that hopes he will.

No names.
No personal details.

Just a conversation.

The only thing I have left of my husband is inside him.

***

'The Wrong Heart' is an angst-filled contemporary romance standalone. This book deals with heavy themes, such as loss of a loved one and self-harm/suicide.]]> 394 Jennifer Hartmann R 3
A couple of stars docked for a couple of big fails for me. The first "big revelation" when he takes his shirt off is such a big reveal it's ridiculous. The other fail was a big inconsistency that I can't mention without spoiling the book, although I wonder how many others pick this up. Let's just say overall there were a lot of coincidences that make up the story, and although I don't mind one or two and a hint at "fate", there were so many it became too much by the end of the book.

So yes a good read, I enjoyed it, all the feels, would read another by this author quite happily. ]]> 4.47 2021
author: Jennifer Hartmann
name: R
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2021/08/26
date added: 2021/09/03
shelves:
review:
Overall a good read if you like romances. Traumatic and upsetting storyline, well-written twists that brought me close to tears, some really touching moments and great character development. If you like heart-breakers with a happy ending, this one's for you!

A couple of stars docked for a couple of big fails for me. The first "big revelation" when he takes his shirt off is such a big reveal it's ridiculous. The other fail was a big inconsistency that I can't mention without spoiling the book, although I wonder how many others pick this up. Let's just say overall there were a lot of coincidences that make up the story, and although I don't mind one or two and a hint at "fate", there were so many it became too much by the end of the book.

So yes a good read, I enjoyed it, all the feels, would read another by this author quite happily.
]]> 58257676
Finally free from decades of captivity, Annalise, a high elf, is on the run.
Moving from refugee camp to refugee camp, she keeps to herself. These places are dangerous, especially for an elf. One night, the camp is attacked by strange, ferocious beasts. She should flee, but when she stops to save a human, she alters her fate forever.

Stolen and taken to a new land, she discovers there is so much more going on than she first thought. A great darkness is about to descend on the Fae Lands and she might be the only one who can save them all.

Can Annalise rise from the ashes of her past and become the person she was born to be?

This is slow burn reverse harem and is aimed at readers 18+. There are some scenes that some readers may find upsetting.]]> 318 Erin O'Kane R 2
*Edit: Book 2 completely flopped for me. I won't be reading the rest of the books and I wouldn't bother getting started with the series."

What's with the guys in this book? Ok so we've found a mate, but it seems every good-looking guy with a certain level of power is instantly attracted to her. Are we heading into reverse harem territory? She of course is continuing with the "woe is me, I'm so abused and hungry and life is hard", "I need protecting", "cry, sob, help me" but is still totally useless and dependent on "the handsome prince saving her" fairy tale which is not my cup of tea at all. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I like to read some kind of strength, wit, sass, spark of independence, SOMETHING inspiring to get me on board with my heroines but this one has none. Nada. Not a sausage. Zilch. Just more men falling in love and wanting to save her. Honestly if she was written in as a virgin I'd have closed the book and walked away immediately.

]]> 3.91 2021
author: Erin O'Kane
name: R
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2021/06/03
date added: 2021/09/03
shelves:
review:
A very average book, some decent parts and the potential for a good story at least so I will read book 2 when it's out.

*Edit: Book 2 completely flopped for me. I won't be reading the rest of the books and I wouldn't bother getting started with the series."

What's with the guys in this book? Ok so we've found a mate, but it seems every good-looking guy with a certain level of power is instantly attracted to her. Are we heading into reverse harem territory? She of course is continuing with the "woe is me, I'm so abused and hungry and life is hard", "I need protecting", "cry, sob, help me" but is still totally useless and dependent on "the handsome prince saving her" fairy tale which is not my cup of tea at all. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I like to read some kind of strength, wit, sass, spark of independence, SOMETHING inspiring to get me on board with my heroines but this one has none. Nada. Not a sausage. Zilch. Just more men falling in love and wanting to save her. Honestly if she was written in as a virgin I'd have closed the book and walked away immediately.


]]> 58785412

Liberated from the Master’s castle, Annalise is finally free. At least that’s what she keeps being told. Fabien, one of the rebels, saved her. However, does she really know the kind fae who wears many faces. Has she just gone from one form of capture to another?

Having left behind her mate that she never wanted, she tries to adapt to this new life. Only she can’t seem to get him out of her mind. Trying to keep busy, she begins to learn to use her power, refusing to ever be weak again.

When fae start disappearing across the land, rumours of a great evil start to circulate. All eyes turn to Annalise as the true promessa, the Chosen One.

Finally learning to embrace her powers, she’s the spark of promise the rebels so desperately need. Only the role of the promessa is so much more than she understands it to be, and ultimately could cost her life.



*This is a slow burn fantasy reverse harem book, meaning our leading lady won't have to choose at the end of the story. Aimed at readers 18+, this book contains scenes that some might find distressing.]]> 360 Erin O'Kane R 1
Uninspiring writing throughout
MC: *panicking* "I can't put my shield down!"
Man: "Take a deep breath, calm down, pull it back into yourself"
MC: (wow he's so knowledgeable about magic, and how does he know so much about mine?)
Oh for goodness sake that's not showing overwhelming knowledge of anything, that's telling someone to calm the F down.

Totally ridiculous scenarios that the MC was already well-prepared for
"The body-building, sumo-wrestling sharks are heading this way!"
MC: "My dad's, cousin's, friend's uncle was a champion shark wrestler, I knew my watching would come in handy one day!"
"The bees! With AK-47's! They'll wipe us out!"
MC: "I can make my anti-bee, bullet-proof shield! I got this."

The one time she leaves the sanctuary to have training in a nearby clearing she meets... well, meets everyone. She finds powers she didn't have before. Someone "who's been looking everywhere for her" just happens to be stood around the corner. A creature not seen by anyone ever, and has been alive for 500k+ years, pops up to say hi. And the hideout is supposedly in a secret location that they journeyed to while she wore a blindfold? Where did they go, they bad-guy's back garden?!

Lack of consistency with character bios, actions totally out of sync
MC: "I'm so scared, ashamed, embarrassed, I've had it so hard, always trapped and looked down on, I can barely make a spark look, pew... pew."
Man: "You're pathetic and I'm sending you to your room"
MC: "How dare you! Who do you think you are? I won't be spoken to like that! I don't deserve this treatment! KerPOW!"

And don't get me started on all these "fated mates" that keep popping up! Absolutely ridiculous.

Book 1 wasn't great but at least there was the potential for a decent storyline. Book 2 completely flopped for me. I won't be reading the rest of the books. ]]> 4.13
author: Erin O'Kane
name: R
average rating: 4.13
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2021/09/02
date added: 2021/09/03
shelves:
review:
Wow, so many positive reviews for this book but I cannot understand why! I found the writing to be really lacklustre and a little childish and don't recommend this series at all.

Uninspiring writing throughout
MC: *panicking* "I can't put my shield down!"
Man: "Take a deep breath, calm down, pull it back into yourself"
MC: (wow he's so knowledgeable about magic, and how does he know so much about mine?)
Oh for goodness sake that's not showing overwhelming knowledge of anything, that's telling someone to calm the F down.

Totally ridiculous scenarios that the MC was already well-prepared for
"The body-building, sumo-wrestling sharks are heading this way!"
MC: "My dad's, cousin's, friend's uncle was a champion shark wrestler, I knew my watching would come in handy one day!"
"The bees! With AK-47's! They'll wipe us out!"
MC: "I can make my anti-bee, bullet-proof shield! I got this."

The one time she leaves the sanctuary to have training in a nearby clearing she meets... well, meets everyone. She finds powers she didn't have before. Someone "who's been looking everywhere for her" just happens to be stood around the corner. A creature not seen by anyone ever, and has been alive for 500k+ years, pops up to say hi. And the hideout is supposedly in a secret location that they journeyed to while she wore a blindfold? Where did they go, they bad-guy's back garden?!

Lack of consistency with character bios, actions totally out of sync
MC: "I'm so scared, ashamed, embarrassed, I've had it so hard, always trapped and looked down on, I can barely make a spark look, pew... pew."
Man: "You're pathetic and I'm sending you to your room"
MC: "How dare you! Who do you think you are? I won't be spoken to like that! I don't deserve this treatment! KerPOW!"

And don't get me started on all these "fated mates" that keep popping up! Absolutely ridiculous.

Book 1 wasn't great but at least there was the potential for a decent storyline. Book 2 completely flopped for me. I won't be reading the rest of the books.
]]> 20645941
"Georgia Rae, when we made love you used to cry" ... He waits for me to sing my bit. I try to swallow down a sob but I just end up singing through it...
"I said I love you like the stars above, I'll love you till I die"

Carnage is an edgy coming of age love story that breaks all the rules and transcends the decades. Georgia and Sean's story will stay with you long after you read the final word.
An emotional, smoking hot, gut wrenching read.


NOTE: This is part #1 of a 2 part story but can be read as a stand alone.]]> 406 Lesley Jones R 4 favorites 4.16 2014
author: Lesley Jones
name: R
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2021/08/29
shelves: favorites
review:
Passionate, painful, a great read set at a good pace. I felt sick at the twist at the end and had to immediately start the next book! Very emotional reading these and torn between whose side I was on. I didn't support the MC all the time - she pissed me off regularly, I was annoyed for the guys, I was annoyed at the guys, but I couldn't stop reading.
]]> 30166123 B00HG05AZC0


When life crashes down around us, how hard are we willing to fight for the one thing we can’t live without, each other?

Life is full of moments.
Big moments.
Little moments.
And none of them are inconsequential.
Every single moment prepares you for that one instance that defines your life. You must overcome all your fears, confront the demons that chase you, and cleanse the poison that clings to your soul or you risk the chance of losing everything.

Mine started the minute Rylee fell out of that damn storage closet. She made me feel. Made me whole when all I thought I could ever be was incomplete. Became the lifeline I never knew I needed. Hell yes, she’s worth the fight…but how do you fight for someone you know you don’t deserve?

Love is full of ups and downs.
Heart stopping highs.
Soul shattering lows.
And none of them are insignificant.
Love is a racecourse of unexpected twists and turns that must be negotiated. You have to break down walls, learn to trust, and heal from your past in order to win. But sometimes it’s the expected that’s the hardest to hold on to.

Colton has healed and completed me, stolen my heart, and made me realize our love’s not predictable nor perfect—it’s bent. And bent’s okay. But when outside factors put our relationship to the test, what lengths will I have to go to prove to him that he’s worth the fight?

Whoever said love is patient and love is kind, never met the two of us. We know our love is worth it—have acknowledged that we were meant to be—but when our pasts crash into our future, will the repercussions make us stronger or break us apart?]]> 350 K. Bromberg R 4 favorites 4.35 2014
author: K. Bromberg
name: R
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2020/08/18
date added: 2021/08/29
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> 30164950 9780989450218

From New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg comes the first book in an unforgettable series about lust, love, redemption, and healing . . .

Colton Donavan lives on that razor thin edge toward out of control. Whether it’s on the track or off of it, everything he wants is at his fingertips: success, willing women, media attention.

Everything that is, but me. I’m the exception this reckless bad boy can’t seem to win over.

My heart is healing. His soul is damaged. We both know the two of us could never work. But he crashes into my life without apology—disrupting my world, testing my boundaries, and uncovering the darkness of my past.

Our chemistry is undeniable. Our attraction is magnetic. Our ability to help each other heal obvious. And even though he won’t let me in, there’s something about Colton I can’t walk away from.

This is the beginning of our story.
Our fight.
Our perfectly imperfect love.]]> 320 K. Bromberg R 4 favorites 4.08 2013
author: K. Bromberg
name: R
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2020/08/16
date added: 2021/08/29
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> 30166117 9780989450232

What happens when the one person you never expected suddenly happens to be the one you’ll fight the hardest to keep?

Colton stole my heart. He wasn't supposed to, and I sure as hell didn't want him to, but he crashed into my life, ignited feelings within me that I thought had died forever, and fueled a passion that I never knew could exist.

Rylee fell out of that damn storage closet and into my life. Now I don't think I'll ever be the same. She's seen glimpses of the darkness within me, and yet she's still here. Still fighting for me. She is without a doubt the saint, and I am most definitely the sinner.

How is it the one thing neither of us wanted—neither of us anticipated that fateful night—has us fighting so hard to keep?

He steals my breath, stops my heart, and brings me back to life again all in a split second of time. But how can I love a man who won't let me in? Who continually pushes me away to prevent me from seeing the damaged secrets in his past? My heart has fallen, but patience and forgiveness can only go so far.

How can I desire a woman who unnerves me, defies me, and forces me to see that in the deep, black abyss of my soul there's someone worthy of her love? A place and person I swore I'd never be again. Her selfless heart and sexy body deserve so much more than I'll ever be capable of giving her. I know I can't be what she needs, so why can't I just let her go?

We are driven by need and fueled with desire, but is that enough for us to crash into love?]]> 324 K. Bromberg R 4 favorites 4.27 2013
author: K. Bromberg
name: R
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2020/08/16
date added: 2021/08/29
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> 30166135
One moment. Six years ago.

The night she made the world around me so much more than just a blur. Now it's the catalyst that threatens to tear us apart.

Our happily was supposed to be ever after. So why do I feel like it's slipping through my fingers?

How can one moment, when our world seemed so right, resurface and cause our perfect life to spiral out of control?

I can't lose her.

She's my checkered flag.]]> 300 K. Bromberg R 4 favorites 4.26 2016
author: K. Bromberg
name: R
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2020/08/19
date added: 2021/08/29
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> 52892240 𝙰 𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚛𝚊 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚖𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚍𝚎𝚌𝚎𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗.
𝙰 𝚂𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚐𝚘 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚜.

Santi Carrera is the war I never saw coming.
A beautiful liar.
Ruthless.
�䲹��پ������پ��Բ���
The architect of my own undoing.

He twisted my loyalty into an ultimatum.
He chained me to his side with a vow of deceit.
I should despise him for all he’s done to me...
But behind those dark eyes, I see his pain.
I recognize his conflict because it’s ours to share.

Now, I’m a pawn in a new war.
Stolen by a stranger, I’ve been taken to a foreign land.
My fate rests in the fragile truce between our families.
They will tear this world apart to find me.
But he's the only man who can save me.


*𝑇ℎ𝑖�� 𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 2 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑘 𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑑𝑢𝑒𝑡. 𝐵𝑎𝑑 𝐵𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑑, 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑘 1, 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑛 𝐴𝑚𝑎𝑧𝑜𝑛.
**𝑇𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝐵𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ�� 𝑆𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑟𝑎 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑𝑠, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑣�� 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑒𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑒�� 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒ℎ𝑎𝑛��.]]> Cora Kenborn R 3
The female MC - dun dun dunnnn - is a virgin

SHOCK, HORROR, SHUT THE FRONT DOOR - am I right? I mean for goodness sake, HEY AUTHORS - girls like sex too!! Sure we get it - she's young, beautiful and somehow untainted as the daughter of a mafia boss, but my god my eyes hurt with the power of the eyeball roll this "revelation" triggered. Totally unnecessary, big yawn, she could have been smart and beautiful and have still had sex by the age of 19 and it killed an otherwise quite interesting storyline. If there was a "totally dumb but it's ok cos she's pretty" heroine I'd have put the book down at that point.

Ultimately yeah, it's fine, you'll probably enjoy the read. But you won't be writing home about it.]]> 4.02 2021
author: Cora Kenborn
name: R
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2021/08/27
date added: 2021/08/29
shelves:
review:
Decent read but it wasn't mindblowing. Very stereotypical; enemy-to-lovers theme, bad-boy who cares about his family, drinks too much, likes rough sex, she's the young, naïve daughter of the opposing group, he's not gentle with her, yada yada. Guess at what's in the book and it'll likely be featured somewhere. That said, a good rhythm, decent pace and easy to keep up with, and a decent twist to get you onto book 2. However, for me the author fell into the biggest pitfall...

The female MC - dun dun dunnnn - is a virgin

SHOCK, HORROR, SHUT THE FRONT DOOR - am I right? I mean for goodness sake, HEY AUTHORS - girls like sex too!! Sure we get it - she's young, beautiful and somehow untainted as the daughter of a mafia boss, but my god my eyes hurt with the power of the eyeball roll this "revelation" triggered. Totally unnecessary, big yawn, she could have been smart and beautiful and have still had sex by the age of 19 and it killed an otherwise quite interesting storyline. If there was a "totally dumb but it's ok cos she's pretty" heroine I'd have put the book down at that point.

Ultimately yeah, it's fine, you'll probably enjoy the read. But you won't be writing home about it.
]]> 50999683 From Cora Kenborn and Catherine Wiltcher comes Corrupt Gods, a brand new arranged marriage mafia duet.

A Santiago is a lesson in ruin.
A Carrera bleeds for revenge.

Thalia Santiago is the daughter of my enemy.
A beautiful rebel with a single cause.
Impulsive.
Fearless.
And ripe for her father’s undoing.

I recognized her the moment she stepped into my casino.
I watched her start the fires that burned her pretty fingers, and then I poured gasoline on the flames.
Now she’s in my debt, and her dues are a shiny gold ring and a vow of deception.

I’ll bend her.
I’ll break her.
I’ll turn our mockery of a marriage into a battlefield.
And that river of bad blood that flows between our two families?
I’ll make it an ocean of hate.

*This is book 1 of a new dark romance duet, releasing May 12th. Tainted Blood, book 2, releases June 9th.
**Bad Blood is set in the Santiago and Carrera worlds, but it is not necessary to have read either trilogy beforehand.]]> 252 Cora Kenborn R 3
The female MC - dun dun dunnnn - is a virgin

SHOCK, HORROR, SHUT THE FRONT DOOR - am I right? I mean for goodness sake, HEY AUTHORS - girls like sex too!! Sure we get it - she's young, beautiful and somehow untainted as the daughter of a mafia boss, but my god my eyes hurt with the power of the eyeball roll this "revelation" triggered. Totally unnecessary, big yawn, she could have been smart and beautiful and have still had sex by the age of 19 and it killed an otherwise quite interesting storyline. If there was a "totally dumb but it's ok cos she's pretty" heroine I'd have put the book down at that point.

Ultimately yeah, it's fine, you'll probably enjoy the read. But you won't be writing home about it.]]> 3.93 2021
author: Cora Kenborn
name: R
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2021/08/26
date added: 2021/08/29
shelves:
review:
Decent read but it wasn't mindblowing. Very stereotypical; enemy-to-lovers theme, bad-boy who cares about his family, drinks too much, likes rough sex, she's the young, naïve daughter of the opposing group, he's not gentle with her, yada yada. Guess at what's in the book and it'll likely be featured somewhere. That said, a good rhythm, decent pace and easy to keep up with, and a decent twist to get you onto book 2. However, for me the author fell into the biggest pitfall...

The female MC - dun dun dunnnn - is a virgin

SHOCK, HORROR, SHUT THE FRONT DOOR - am I right? I mean for goodness sake, HEY AUTHORS - girls like sex too!! Sure we get it - she's young, beautiful and somehow untainted as the daughter of a mafia boss, but my god my eyes hurt with the power of the eyeball roll this "revelation" triggered. Totally unnecessary, big yawn, she could have been smart and beautiful and have still had sex by the age of 19 and it killed an otherwise quite interesting storyline. If there was a "totally dumb but it's ok cos she's pretty" heroine I'd have put the book down at that point.

Ultimately yeah, it's fine, you'll probably enjoy the read. But you won't be writing home about it.
]]> 56552407
I finally have the life I always dreamed of. So why does it taste like ash on my tongue?

Growing up in Torma, the strongest of the shifter packs, I wanted nothing more than to find my true mate and live my best life. Of course, that dream existed before my father betrayed the pack and turned me into their punching bag.

I’d all but given up, until a quirk of true mate genetics gifted me a true mate like no other.

It seems my childhood dreams were finally a reality. Funny how quickly dreams turn into nightmares.

I’m being lied to and missing weeks and months of time. Someone messed with me and no matter how often I’m told to forget it and move on as Torin’s mate, there’s no way I can. Whoever did this to me should have known I’d pick at it until it bled. It’s my nature after all.

As I search out random growls, flutters in my chest, and a suspicion that there’s so much more going on than I could even imagine, I sense that I’m racing against an unknown clock.

I need to get to the bottom of this mystery.

And when I figure out who stole my memories, they’re going to wish they never messed with Mera Callahan.

Game on.

*If you like sexy, dark paranormal romances, with humor, steam, action, a tough heroine and an antihero, this is for you.
Reborn is full length (115k) words, and is the final in the Shadow Beast Shifters series, and does NOT end on a cliffhanger. It's recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual situations.]]> 440 Jaymin Eve R 1
*Internal waffle/monologue, sex, more monologue, more sex, monologue while horny, sex... 70% book where not much happens other than her thinking about life, or how horny she is.
* I find him annoying - I will kill him.
* She looked at me the wrong way - she must die.
* Who touched my stuff - I will make them suffer for eternity.
* Ultimate form... ultimate ultimate form... ultra super ultimate form (you get the point).
* I will kill everyone until I find my missing memories (is this the same person from book 1, who couldn't speak to people for fear of bullying, torture? Consistency?)
* Aggressive sex with clawing (drawing blood), "tearing", violence (I just don't find this hot at all, sorry).
* This is it/No other way/Have to.../No other choice/End of the World/End of the entire life system/End of everything we know (honestly I'm exhausted).
* We were both rejected by our fated mate - we're fated ride-or-die besties! (urgh.)

Is the author just bored of writing this series? There really seems to be a lack of depth, substance and to be honest a lack of overall thought for this book. Very little story, just bigger and bigger evolutions of MCs and rage... so much anger!

I'm going for a lie down, this book has really stressed me out.]]> 4.28 2021
author: Jaymin Eve
name: R
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2021
rating: 1
read at: 2021/04/08
date added: 2021/04/08
shelves:
review:
Wow this is... erm... aggressive? The last book ended with a really unexpected cliffhanger and I was looking forward to what the next book made of it. Sadly MC knew straight away something had happened and the entire book feels like a giant tantrum made up of extremes:

*Internal waffle/monologue, sex, more monologue, more sex, monologue while horny, sex... 70% book where not much happens other than her thinking about life, or how horny she is.
* I find him annoying - I will kill him.
* She looked at me the wrong way - she must die.
* Who touched my stuff - I will make them suffer for eternity.
* Ultimate form... ultimate ultimate form... ultra super ultimate form (you get the point).
* I will kill everyone until I find my missing memories (is this the same person from book 1, who couldn't speak to people for fear of bullying, torture? Consistency?)
* Aggressive sex with clawing (drawing blood), "tearing", violence (I just don't find this hot at all, sorry).
* This is it/No other way/Have to.../No other choice/End of the World/End of the entire life system/End of everything we know (honestly I'm exhausted).
* We were both rejected by our fated mate - we're fated ride-or-die besties! (urgh.)

Is the author just bored of writing this series? There really seems to be a lack of depth, substance and to be honest a lack of overall thought for this book. Very little story, just bigger and bigger evolutions of MCs and rage... so much anger!

I'm going for a lie down, this book has really stressed me out.
]]> 56220780 They all made a terrible mistake. One they will pay for.

For the past ten years I’ve been a victim. A victim to my pack. A victim to my true mate, who rejected me in the most brutal of ways. And a victim to Shadow Beast, who used me for his own gains.

Or did he?

The beast of mystery never reveals his whole hand, but one thing is for sure�� in my time with him, I've changed. Now I will no longer walk the path dictated by the powerful men in my life. Never again will I let my strength be taken from me.

I must evolve or die.

And we all know, with a choice like that, there’s really only one answer.]]> 386 Jaymin Eve R 3 4.34 2021
author: Jaymin Eve
name: R
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2021/03/07
date added: 2021/04/07
shelves:
review:
I will keep reading this series, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. Sometimes I'm drawn in but MC is just too annoying and I struggle to connect with her at all. Great cliffhanger at the end, I did not see that one coming!
]]> 55189382 #1 in the entire Kindle Store.

A new paranormal romance from Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller Jaymin Eve.

My father made a terrible mistake. One I’m left paying for.

As a wolf shifter growing up in a strong pack, I should be living my best life. But after my father tried to kill our leader, I’m labelled an outcast, traitor, less than dirt.

When I can't take pack life any longer, I run, but apparently they don't like losing their punching bag. Torin, the leader’s son, drags me back before my first shift... a shift that will reveal my true mate. I never could have predicted who mine would be, but the moment my wolf looks upon him, I’m filled with hope for a brighter future.

Afterall, no one ever rejects their true mate, right?

Wrong. Very wrong.

When the wolves attack, my soul screams for vengeance, and somehow I touch the shadow world.

Somehow I bring him to our lands.

The Shadow Beast. Our shifter god. The devil himself.

Turns out being rejected by my mate was only the beginning.

*If you like sexy, dark paranormal romances, with humor, steam, action, a tough heroine and an antihero, this is for you. Rejected is full length (100k) words, is book one of three in Shadow Beast Shifters series, and ends on a cliffhanger. It's recommended for 18+ due to language and sexual situations.]]> 399 Jaymin Eve R 3 4.16 2020
author: Jaymin Eve
name: R
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2021/04/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 55610618 Deception Valley is living up to its name.

Exiled from my tribe.
Living with a pack who hates me.
In bed with a werewolf I can’t ignore.

Things were simple when I just had to win the game. Yet now, even winning means I’ll end up the loser. Big time.

The mysteries surrounding my mother might be solved, but I’m haunted by her lies and sorry end. As if walking in her footsteps, I feel a breath away from sharing her fate.

Because Grids must be played. I must decide which side I’ll play from. And that choice grows more difficult by the second.

Would you win the game if it meant losing the man you love?]]> 414 Kelly St. Clare R 4
Will definitely be looking at more from this author! ]]> 4.26 2021
author: Kelly St. Clare
name: R
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2021/04/06
date added: 2021/04/07
shelves:
review:
Genuinely couldn't put this down. I love shifter books but getting bored of the "fated mates", "instant love", "heavy sex" short stories that seem to be carbon-copied out the factories at the moment - and then I met this series! Sure it touches on fated mates, but that each party has to prove themselves worthy to the other before announcing whether they accept/deny the bond is a really well-thought twist and makes a much better read. Great storyline here, with well described events that pull you in (e.g. the saxophone playing, and I'm not a musician), some gripping surprises and original thinking on the wars between races.

Will definitely be looking at more from this author!
]]> 23637440 A full-length, standalone romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Archer's Voice.

Dirt poor. Hillbilly. Backwoods hick. Mountain folk.

Tenleigh Falyn struggles each day to survive in a small, poverty-stricken, coal mining town where she lives with her sister and mentally ill mother. Her dream of winning the college scholarship given to one student by the local coal company and escaping the harshness of her life, keeps her going.

Kyland Barrett lives in the hills, too, and has worked tirelessly—through near starvation, through deep loneliness, against all odds—to win the Tyton Coal Scholarship and leave the town that is full of so much pain.

They're both determined not to form any attachments, but one moment changes everything. What happens when only one person gets to win? When only one person gets to leave? And what happens to the one left behind?

Kyland is a story of desperation and hope, loss and sacrifice, pain and forgiveness, but ultimately, a story of deep and unending love.

THIS IS A STANDALONE SIGN OF LOVE NOVEL, INSPIRED BY TAURUS. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.]]> 264 Mia Sheridan R 2 4.31 2015
author: Mia Sheridan
name: R
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2015
rating: 2
read at: 2021/04/04
date added: 2021/04/07
shelves:
review:
Easy to read and an overall feel-good book. If "meant to be together" sickly sweet, heavy romance reads are your thing you'll love this. However, incredibly corny and some real eye-rolling moments: a 17yr old who's been working 4 years towards a way out of poverty, gives it up "because I love him/her": never-kissed-a-boy virgin taming the boy who's been with everyone "because he's lonely": both parties sacrificing everything for the other. Come on now! I guess I wanted more substance, realism and development of stronger characters. Meh!
]]> 33285994
But that's never happened to me...

I've never felt conflicted on any case. Right is right and wrong is wrong. It's simple. Black and white. There's no such thing as a gray area.

But fuck this case. I don't even know what side I'm on anymore. I don't understand how this town can continue to function without breaking under the weight of all the lies they've spun and lived.

Every time I find a shard of truth, my gut twists, my heart beats faster, and I hate this place a little more. Every time I think I've heard the worst, another truth is dug up from the ashes of more burning lies.

Worst of all, I don't even know who to trust anymore. My head is all messed up.

I pride myself on being impossible to fool.
I'm an expert at knowing when someone is lying to me.
I never believed in being blinded by love...until Lana.

**BE WARNED: Some flashbacks can get intense to readers with a sensitive trigger. Skip the blocks in italics if that's the case.]]> 128 S.T. Abby R 4 4.67 2016
author: S.T. Abby
name: R
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/09/07
shelves:
review:
Great read, a different perspective for a change! Really gets you rooting for the killer. A great series to read, I couldn't put them down! Characters are established well, plenty of detail. Only the last book slightly let me down, but other than that a great read.
]]> 33152387 Or at least I was...until her.

****
LOGAN

I've had tunnel vision for one main goal for so long, that I forgot there was a whole other world just outside. Until Lana.

She's everything I never expected, and I love the fact I can never guess her every move or reaction. It's part of the reason I keep falling. But I also know she shuts me out, hides things from me she feels she can't share.

One day, I hope she trusts me enough to share.

It isn't until my job puts her at risk that I realize just how fierce she is, but it doesn't stop me from doing all I can to protect her. I should walk away to protect her better, but I can't. Instead, I'm forced to find other ways to keep her safe.

I just hope it's enough.

Though she is fierce, she's still fragile...

Right?]]> 98 S.T. Abby R 4 4.59 2016
author: S.T. Abby
name: R
average rating: 4.59
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/09/07
shelves:
review:
Great read, a different perspective for a change! Really gets you rooting for the killer. A great series to read, I couldn't put them down! Characters are established well, plenty of detail. Only the last book slightly let me down, but other than that a great read.
]]> 33285941
Logan Bennett makes me want to have a future not tainted by the constant hunger for revenge. Doesn't mean I can stop. Doesn't mean I want to stop. It just means I want more... one day.

But how do you make a good man love the monster inside you without stripping his soul away as well? He is all the best parts of me right now, resurrecting bits of my heart I forgot could even exist.

He makes me feel something other than cold.

He also thinks I'm weak and fragile. Something I laugh about to myself, while secretly soaking in all his protectiveness and concern.

If anyone touches him, harms him, or even threatens him, then they should probably run. Because his girlfriend is a little bit crazy. They just don't know it yet.

**BE WARNED: Some of the flashbacks in this one do get a lot more intense and detailed than the ones prior to this book. Anyone with sensitive triggers should skip the flashbacks.

**Graphic
**Sexual content
**Language]]> 118 S.T. Abby R 4 4.61 2016
author: S.T. Abby
name: R
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/09/07
shelves:
review:
Great read, a different perspective for a change! Really gets you rooting for the killer. A great series to read, I couldn't put them down! Characters are established well, plenty of detail. Only the last book slightly let me down, but other than that a great read.
]]> 33131867 Left too little.
I had nothing to lose...until him.

**

~Lana~

I didn't expect him.
I didn't want to fall in love.
But I can't let him go.

Logan Bennett makes the world a safer place.
He's brilliant.
He's a hero.
He locks away the sick and depraved.
But while he's saving lives, I'm taking them. Collecting the debts that are owed to me.

Ten years ago, they took from me. They left me for dead.
They should have made sure I stayed dead.

Now I'm taking from them.
One name at a time.

I've trained for too long.
I've been patient.
I can't stop now.

Revenge is best served cold...

They never see me coming, until I paint their walls red.

Logan doesn't know how they hurt me. He doesn't know about the screams they ignored. He doesn't know how twisted that town really is.

He just knows people are dying.
He doesn't know he's in love with their killer.

No one suspects a dead girl.
And Logan doesn't suspect the girl in his bed.

They're looking for a monster.
Not a girl who loves red.
Not a girl in love.

I'm a faceless nightmare.

At least until I tell them the story they've pretended never happened.

But in the end, will Logan choose them? Or will we watch them burn together?

**Graphic
**Adult language
**Some triggers could be too much for the easily disturbed reader
**Sexual content
**Fucked up moral compass; read at your own risk.]]> 132 S.T. Abby R 4 4.21 2016
author: S.T. Abby
name: R
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2020/09/07
shelves:
review:
Great read, a different perspective for a change! Really gets you rooting for the killer. A great series to read, I couldn't put them down! Characters are established well, plenty of detail. Only the last book slightly let me down, but other than that a great read.
]]> 45358074
Mack Donovan has always kept a careful distance from Erin. She’s sweet, beautiful, and innocent - way too young and too good for him. After a career in the military and a stint as a mercenary, he’s done things he's not proud of. He thinks his hands are too dirty to touch her. When he rejects her invitation to attend a New Year’s Eve party, the unthinkable happens. A sexual predator drugs Erin and steals not just her innocence, but her sense of self. Mack will stop at nothing to find him and end him. In the meanwhile, he’s not giving up on Erin. He will show her that not all men are monsters.]]> 416 April Wilson R 2 4.49 2019
author: April Wilson
name: R
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2020/05/31
date added: 2020/09/07
shelves:
review:
A decent read if you're looking for a short book. It feels like this could have been a series in itself however, so there isn't enough depth from just 1 book. In 3 days she's gone from never touching a guy to second base, the next night it's third then sex, so it's a bit rushed. But it's a nice read.
]]> 45310070
Then he screwed his way through the city, the only problem? I didn’t stay dead. It seems killing me woke something deep inside, something so dark and buried so deep I never knew it was there.

I don’t know what I am, I don’t really care. All I can think about is revenge, even as the monsters in the dark start to surround me. Their horns and black eyes, mouths filled with fangs claiming I am theirs.

My monsters will have to wait, he will regret the day he crossed me.

Are you scared of the dark? You should be.

*18+ Reverse Harem Romance. Warning this book contains scenes and references of abuse/assault that some readers may find triggering. Along with graphic sex scenes and violence. This is a dark book*]]> 364 K.A. Knight R 1
* "I'll kill everything if they hurt her" ... he gets there and she's been taken ... "GRRR who's got Jeremy Kyle so I can calm down?!"
* Absent for hundreds of years - but can straight away use a phone?
* "I'm an ancient, terrifying dragon that destroys and rules all ... he has a stick, damn I need to be careful here, he might kill me."
* Random and out of place "lust" comments just thrown in for no real reason - "we went to the shops, I bought a chicken sandwich, must remember to buy more deodorant, my c**k is hard".
* "what's your plan?" "To destroy his love life, his finances and finally kill him." I was impressed by her well-thought-out plan. (Ermm what plan?!! She just admitted she hasn't gone one and that's not a thought-out anything!)
* So much inner monologue it's head-spinning, yet there's no real explanation from any of it.
* Everything is p***y, c**k and covered in c** to the point it's ridiculous. All. The. Time.
* Every "big bad" creature is a fated mate, no story here they just "are", and they just keep getting bigger and badder. Thought book 1 was busy, then book 2 just keeps on going! We've got a God, a Minotaur, hell even the devil gets involved. It's like every chapter the author is constantly trying to one-up herself.
* Whole book based on an MC who was heavily abused in book 1, controlled, punched, life torn apart, yet every mate is violent to her and so dominating it's abusive ("mine" claims by everyone (hang on, she just said she wouldn't be owned again?) choking, dropping from the sky, throwing her into a sink in book 2, anal sex to the point she's bleeding and it hurts, and apparently this all turns her on?! Consistency?!)

Honestly, this book is bad. Just... don't. ]]> 4.09 2019
author: K.A. Knight
name: R
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2019
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2020/09/07
shelves:
review:
Smutty, badly written, frustrating, ridiculous. I'm annoyed I fell for the reviews - DON'T DO IT. I couldn't get past 35% of book 2.

* "I'll kill everything if they hurt her" ... he gets there and she's been taken ... "GRRR who's got Jeremy Kyle so I can calm down?!"
* Absent for hundreds of years - but can straight away use a phone?
* "I'm an ancient, terrifying dragon that destroys and rules all ... he has a stick, damn I need to be careful here, he might kill me."
* Random and out of place "lust" comments just thrown in for no real reason - "we went to the shops, I bought a chicken sandwich, must remember to buy more deodorant, my c**k is hard".
* "what's your plan?" "To destroy his love life, his finances and finally kill him." I was impressed by her well-thought-out plan. (Ermm what plan?!! She just admitted she hasn't gone one and that's not a thought-out anything!)
* So much inner monologue it's head-spinning, yet there's no real explanation from any of it.
* Everything is p***y, c**k and covered in c** to the point it's ridiculous. All. The. Time.
* Every "big bad" creature is a fated mate, no story here they just "are", and they just keep getting bigger and badder. Thought book 1 was busy, then book 2 just keeps on going! We've got a God, a Minotaur, hell even the devil gets involved. It's like every chapter the author is constantly trying to one-up herself.
* Whole book based on an MC who was heavily abused in book 1, controlled, punched, life torn apart, yet every mate is violent to her and so dominating it's abusive ("mine" claims by everyone (hang on, she just said she wouldn't be owned again?) choking, dropping from the sky, throwing her into a sink in book 2, anal sex to the point she's bleeding and it hurts, and apparently this all turns her on?! Consistency?!)

Honestly, this book is bad. Just... don't.
]]> 33361549
Will Logan choose them? Or will we watch them burn together?

It's time to fuck with their minds.
It's time to finish it all.
It's time to paint it all red...

Monsters don't usually wish for happily-ever-afters.]]> 177 S.T. Abby R 3
A) A predictable "meet on the boat" ending. Kind of guessed that once the idea was introduced in an earlier book. I thought there'd be more substance here once she'd completed her mission given point B below.

B) Lana's reaction when they realise it's her. She's dealt with the most horrific sexual assault, is now on a murder rampage to get her vengeance and this is supposed to be her first, proper relationship since. However, when there's "angry sex" because he worked it out she almost forgives him instantly?! Sure, I get the emotional turmoil and just wanting it to be over, even letting him cuff her to the bed to take a sort-of punishment, but after that it's "I'm sorry" "oh that's ok, kiss kiss make up" the first time they interact again. Sorry, no, that totally goes against the bad-ass, strong-willed, vengeance-maker that the whole of the series has built up, not even an "how dare he", acting cold towards him, even a "make him suffer a bit". It's a complete wallflower response: very disappointing.]]> 4.56 2016
author: S.T. Abby
name: R
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2020/07/24
shelves:
review:
Great series, definitely worth a read, a different perspective for a change! Really gets you rooting for the killer. HOWEVER the last book dropped a couple of stars for me because of

A) A predictable "meet on the boat" ending. Kind of guessed that once the idea was introduced in an earlier book. I thought there'd be more substance here once she'd completed her mission given point B below.

B) Lana's reaction when they realise it's her. She's dealt with the most horrific sexual assault, is now on a murder rampage to get her vengeance and this is supposed to be her first, proper relationship since. However, when there's "angry sex" because he worked it out she almost forgives him instantly?! Sure, I get the emotional turmoil and just wanting it to be over, even letting him cuff her to the bed to take a sort-of punishment, but after that it's "I'm sorry" "oh that's ok, kiss kiss make up" the first time they interact again. Sorry, no, that totally goes against the bad-ass, strong-willed, vengeance-maker that the whole of the series has built up, not even an "how dare he", acting cold towards him, even a "make him suffer a bit". It's a complete wallflower response: very disappointing.
]]> 52165111
My parents taught me that magic attracts equal danger, and everything I've seen since becoming a demon contractor confirms it. I've witnessed how power twists and corrupts--and I've tasted power no human should wield.

I thought I knew greed.

Ambition and avarice drove my family into hiding. My parents died for someone else's greed. I've never hunted anything in my life, but now I'm hunting their killer--with my demon's help.

I thought I'd seen evil.

But with each step closer to my parents' murderer, I'm uncovering a different sort of evil, piece by hidden piece. I've stumbled into an insidious web that silently, secretly ensnares everything it touches. My demon and I came as the hunters...

...but I think we might be the prey.

--
Author's Note: The Guild Codex includes two series, Demonized and Spellbound, which can be read and enjoyed all on their own; however, this book contains spoilers for Demon Magic and a Martini (Spellbound #4). If you were thinking about giving Spellbound a try, I recommend reading it first.

--
THE GUILD CODEX

Demonized Series:
Taming Demons for Beginners (#1)
Slaying Monsters for the Feeble (#2)
Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped (#3)

Spellbound Series:
Three Mages and a Margarita (#1)
Dark Arts and a Daiquiri (#2)
Two Witches and a Whiskey (#3)
Demon Magic and a Martini (#4)
The Alchemist and an Amaretto (#5)
Druid Vices and a Vodka (#6)]]> 336 Annette Marie 1988153425 R 2 4.40 2020
author: Annette Marie
name: R
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2020/07/24
shelves:
review:
Still an interesting (albeit "Pokemon") storyline with a good description of characters and events at a decent pace so you can keep up easily. However, it really is like reading about a 6 year old in charge of her pokemon with her level of intellect, skillset, stamina, magical knowledge and emotional reactions. I just can't find this funny and it's no longer "adorable" or "cute". The relationship scenes have progressed and were really quite lovely - the chocolate scene was well written, the kitten interactions are cute (even if predictable) and the admittance of why she blushes followed by the interruptions make a good suspense story. HOWEVER - this should have happened in books 1 and 2 and not stretched for 3 books before a kiss. This really is "teenage trainers making friends with their pokemon". I will read the next book when it's out, but am quite happily moving on to another series in the meantime without missing this.
]]> 41796280
Yeah. Total downer.

I have a body now and I don't intend to lose it. I also don't intend to lose the genfins that I've grown so attached to. So it's time to return to the kingdom island and hope like hell that my guys make it through the royal trials of the culling. I also have to hope that the prince of the realm doesn't spot me. If he does, I'm pretty sure I have imprisonment and torture to look forward to.

But we can make it through this. I know we can. I'm at least 70% sure we can, anyway. Okay, maybe it's more like fifty-fifty. But after we do? Well, my to-do list is long, but convincing my genfins that they belong with me is pretty high up there. So is dessert. And trying some fairy wine. And skinny dipping. Also sex. Lots and lots of sex.

But mostly, I just want what I've always wanted—to have love of my own. Wings crossed that the genfins get on board with that plan. This cupid has her work cut out for her.]]> 384 Raven Kennedy R 2 4.23 2018
author: Raven Kennedy
name: R
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2018
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2020/07/24
shelves:
review:
OK this series is losing it for me - the author has opted to make the MC "stupid" who completely relies on the other characters to make the story. Not for me - sorry.
]]> 41451010
You'd think being in charge of love would be an epic job, right?

Wrong.

Sure, I’m a cupid, so I can blow Lust into people's faces and watch the show, but I can't actually participate. It gets old, trust me. Same goes for love. I can pass it out like sugar-free lollipops at a dentist's office, but I can't get any for myself.

I'm stuck in this never-ending afterlife where I'm invisible, lonely, and bitter. And yeah, I'm probably responsible for some terrible matchmaking out there. But can you blame a girl?

Apparently, my cupid bosses can, because I get exiled to the fae world. And while I’m here, I accidentally attack a fae prince with Love Arrows. But hey, he deserved it.

What I didn't expect was for him to retaliate and that I’d be pushed into the physical realm.

That's right. This cupid just got a real body. And you know what that means. Now, it's my turn to get some.

Love, I mean. Wink, wink.

Author's This is a slow-burn why choose fae-fantasy romcom, where the FMC will end up with multiple mates. It includes explicit language and sexual situations. Intended for audiences 18 years and older. This series is complete.]]> 178 Raven Kennedy R 3 4.12 2018
author: Raven Kennedy
name: R
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2020/07/24
shelves:
review:
Good fun, funny, looking forward to book 2!
]]> 21920584
Death without dying is not only the most painful kind of death, it's also the most painful kind of life and I don't know if I'm strong enough to live it.

I spend my lonely days and nights trying to make sense of what my life has become. Do I have the strength to move forward into the light, or should I just let the darkness take me?

I'm Georgia Rae Layton McCarthy and this is the story of me, just me.

I'm no longer a part of an us, it's just me.
Alone.

By myself.]]> 372 Lesley Jones R 3 4.34 2014
author: Lesley Jones
name: R
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2020/07/24
shelves:
review:
Really enjoyed the read but the ending was a little disappointing for me after all that so docked a point. Very emotional reading these and torn between whose side I was on. I didn't support the MC all the time - she pissed me off regularly, I was annoyed for the guys, I was annoyed at the guys, but I couldn't stop reading.
]]> 44932446
When I arrived at my uncle's house, I expected my relatives to be like me—outcast sorcerers who don't practice magic. I was right about the sorcery, but wrong about everything else.

Rule two: Don't listen to the demon.

My uncle chose a far deadlier power. He calls creatures of darkness into our world, binds them into service contracts, and sells them to the highest bidder. And I'm supposed to act like I don't know how illegal and dangerous it is.

Rule three: Don't talk to the demon.

All I had to do was keep my nose out of it. Pretend I didn't find the summoning circle in the basement. Pretend I didn't notice the shadowy being trapped inside it. Pretend I didn't break the rules.

But I did, and now it's too late.

--
From the author of The Guild Codex: Spellbound comes a new series that will plunge an unprepared young woman into the darkest magic of the mythic world.

--
THE GUILD CODEX: DEMONIZED
Taming Demons for Beginners (#1)
Slaying Monsters for the Feeble (#2)]]> 315 Annette Marie 1988153360 R 2 4.23 2019
author: Annette Marie
name: R
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2020/07/24
shelves:
review:
I mean, it's fine ... it's a read with an interesting storyline, a good description of characters and events. I understand she's a bumbling, nervous nerd who doesn't understand what's going on, but what annoys me is the stupidity and uselessness of the MC; and it really bugs me when authors resort to the main woman character being stupid. I can't work out if the author was going for "funny" but the constant fumbling around becomes irritating. We have a nerdy bookworm with no knowledge or understanding, she can't stay on her own 2 feet for long (think "can't use a ladder without slipping on a wrung") and the constant "crashing against his chest" suggests a sexual tension but there's no "romance" concept evolving in the story. Her decisions are annoyingly selfish or stupid, and ultimately the story becomes a pokemon game as summoners unleash their pocket demons to battle against each other (but certain demons are more stubborn at being told what to do - much like the old pokemon films). I'm 30% way through the 2nd book and am equally unimpressed. "Fine" ... it's the best word I've got for this book, sorry.
]]> 51841062 "Vampires don’t exist. At least, not anymore..."

I celebrated when vampires were declared extinct.

Those beasts had preyed on humanity for millennia, committing senseless, brutal murders. Like the rest of my colleagues at the Occult Bureau, I looked forward to a world where we could all sleep at night—where constant cover-up jobs were no longer required to keep the public calm and unaware.

But the end of vampires wasn’t the end of our problems. It was only the beginning.

Other blood-sucking creatures began to lurk in the night. As soon as I turned twenty-one, I became a ground agent at the Bureau because I wanted—no, needed—to join the fight.

And then Dorian Clave burst into my life—turning everything I thought I knew into quicksand. Vampires like him were killers who devoured humanity’s inner darkness until shadows danced beneath their skin. Yet there was more to him than that.

He showed me that light cannot exist without the dark, and that trying to fight this balance would have consequences our human minds couldn’t even comprehend.

Because sometimes darkness needs to exist.]]> 404 Bella Forrest R 3 3.79 2019
author: Bella Forrest
name: R
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2020/05/16
date added: 2020/06/01
shelves:
review:
Decent introduction to the series. It's lengthy but there is a lot to build up on the characters so it does make sense. A refreshing take on the Vampire - I quite enjoyed it! Looking forward to the next book.
]]> 51236019 Continue the journey in DARKBIRTH.

Pre-order now.

*Beware of spoilers in the reviews below that are without spoiler alerts.*]]> Bella Forrest R 1 4.24 2020
author: Bella Forrest
name: R
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2020
rating: 1
read at: 2020/05/22
date added: 2020/05/22
shelves:
review:
This series is really becoming a headache. Book 2 was awful and took 80% of waffle before anything actually happened. The last 2 books were ok, with a lot of progression on the war between the worlds and interesting developments on "curing" the curse. This book however - a complete diversion from the storyline for absolutely no reason. No progression to the original story, no advancement to the relationship apart from now they're engaged virgins (a whole book for a confession and a proposal?! Really?!) and the only clue to the curse is that humans/vampires were made that way and it's down to the original creators to remake the bond. Wow. Good job we're in isolation and have time to kill. Skim-read the last 50% of this one and still picked up on the key points that could have been covered in one chapter as part of the last book. If you skip this one, you won't miss anything heading into the last book.
]]> 48613684 What lies beyond the tear?

After achieving sanctuary in Scotland, Lyra, Dorian, and their clan have earned a much-deserved reprieve. But they cannot sit still for long.

Darkness rises, unchecked, in both realms, while the tear continues to widen. With Alan’s chilling words ringing in their ears, it is time to face what Dorian has put off for so long: a return to the Immortal Plane.

Lyra remembers her small glimpse into that world, but this time, she will be on the ground, along with a small human-vampire team led by Dorian and Kane. It would be treacherous enough without Dorian’s attraction for her causing near-lethal heartburn... but maybe this journey will help them with that, too.

Together, the team must search for the truth to end the madness.

And discover just how deep the darkness lies.

Buy now.

*Beware of spoilers in the reviews below that are without spoiler alerts.*]]> 406 Bella Forrest R 2 4.23 2019
author: Bella Forrest
name: R
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2020/05/19
date added: 2020/05/22
shelves:
review:

]]> 49125087 "The next stage of our journey stretched out before us, menacingly beautiful, glittering with the light of a hundred thousand souls..."

The Immortal Plane's capital is as dazzling as it is lethal. Without the security of a safe house or their Hive allies, Lyra, Dorian and their team must find sanctuary wherever they can - even if it comes from unexpected quarters... They must unearth the secrets of the forces threatening the balance of the universe - whatever the cost.

Lyra can't forget the potential solution to her and Dorian's problems, either. But when the perfect opportunity to attempt it arises, the question remains: will the rewards outweigh the risks?

Continue the journey.

Buy now.

*Beware of spoilers in the reviews below that are without spoiler alerts.*]]> 448 Bella Forrest R 3 4.40 2020
author: Bella Forrest
name: R
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2020/05/20
date added: 2020/05/22
shelves:
review:

]]> 50400898 Continue the journey in DARKTIDE.

Pre-order now.

*Beware of spoilers in the reviews below that are without spoiler alerts.*]]> 231 Bella Forrest R 3 4.40 2020
author: Bella Forrest
name: R
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2020/05/21
date added: 2020/05/22
shelves:
review:

]]> 52870524 “Without us, evil will continue to grow. In the end, it will consume everything. Everyone.��

Sink deeper into the enthralling world of Darklight...

Pre-order now.]]> 488 Bella Forrest R 1
Bored of this review? Then don't bother with this series, it will destroy you.]]> 4.16 2019
author: Bella Forrest
name: R
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2019
rating: 1
read at: 2020/05/22
date added: 2020/05/22
shelves:
review:
My God this is a boring and frustrating read. Book 1 was lengthy, but I understand; it's an introduction to a series so let's spend time on the characters and their background. Book 2 goes absolutely NOWHERE! 50% through and nothing has happened. They go out on a mission, things kick off, they slump home tired and injured - rinse, repeat. Over. And over. A refreshing change to the normal "vampire" books but that's about it. In one word? Whiny. MC is supposed to have lead some elite military group but every fight someone is injured, she's so emotional she's running around flapping and the humans collectively are basically useless. Vampires only feed on darkness - and it took 50% book 2 to confirm they clean the soul when people die, which didn't deserve the looong build-up and isn't a surprise when it had already been hinted at - yet every bad-guy showdown it's "no please don't hurt him!" and, surprise, they come back. And romantic interest? Please. MC spends almost the entire book "oh I love him, but I shouldn't love him, it hurts when I'm near him, I'm passing out, no don't hurt the evil people killing innocents, ooo I slept next to him and didn't hurt, oh now I hurt again, I'm so tired, waaaa waaaa". You want vamps on your side, who feed on evil and keep the balance in the world, but don't want them to eat because that's "barbaric". No room for Dorian - this book is made up of MC's conflicting and repetitive thoughts. Praying for this book to give SOMETHING and for MC to grow a pair of lady-balls.

Bored of this review? Then don't bother with this series, it will destroy you.
]]> 32603703
Kiera Pierce has been through hell and back, but she’s still standing and fighting. She’s in big trouble, and is being hunted by one brutal pride of lion shifters. When she seeks sanctuary in Kane’s Mountains, she doesn’t expect a scar-faced behemoth to be her hero. Oh, she’s heard of Beast, and knows the rumors about him, and if they’re true, he’s a ruthless killer in a sexy package. Perhaps that’s the kind of protection she needs. But the more she gets to know the quiet and dangerous Beast, the more she thinks he might be able to save more than her life. He just might be able to save her heart as well.


Content Warning: Explicit love scenes, naughty language, and piles of sexy shifter secrets. Intended for mature audiences.]]> 288 T.S. Joyce R 2 4.49 2016
author: T.S. Joyce
name: R
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at: 2020/05/13
date added: 2020/05/17
shelves:
review:
I mean, it's ok. Essentially a trilogy of pairs coming together for love and babies. If you're looking for a quick romance read then this trilogy will be for you; steamy, passionate with a real "aww" factor. Not a lot of content though; the fights are short so there isn't much action, the books are about each pair joining the crew and not much more so by #3 I was flagging, with predictable plot twists and overall a bit "meh". Dragons are a bit rubbish too - they just fly overhead, burn corpses and roar a lot. Promising moments but fell flat for me on #3.
]]> 31866258
Logan is decisively deadly when it comes to protecting the fledgling Blackwing Crew, but the grizzly in his middle is a monster. He’s here for one reason, and one reason alone �� to go out fighting. But the quiet beauty, Winter, has him wishing he could be saved. When the alpha of the new crew, Dark Kane, finds out what Logan really is, the choice of life and death may not be up to him anymore. And now he and Winter will have to go to war if they want a chance at forever.


Content Warning: Explicit love scenes, naughty language, and piles of sexy shifter secrets. Intended for mature audiences.
]]> 251 T.S. Joyce R 3 4.36 2016
author: T.S. Joyce
name: R
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2020/05/12
date added: 2020/05/17
shelves:
review:

]]> 32182123
Emma is a human on a mission: make it onto the Blackwing Crew. So when Dustin Porter, sexy werewolf with one helluva sense of humor, suggests they pretend to fall for each other, she’s pretty sure he has the worst ideas on the planet. That is, until his plan works a little too well, and now Emma is in way over her head. Dustin hasn’t been honest with her, and what she doesn’t know could get her hurt, but as she gets to know the witty werewolf, she begins to realize there is more to Dustin than meets the eye.

She’s falling hard for a man destined to betray the crew she loves, and now all that stands between him and oblivion…is her.


Content Warning: Explicit love scenes, naughty language, and piles of sexy shifter secrets. Intended for mature audiences.]]> 271 T.S. Joyce R 3 4.48 2016
author: T.S. Joyce
name: R
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2020/05/14
date added: 2020/05/17
shelves:
review:

]]> 50735307
Aleksandr “Alex�� Devereaux detests being bullshitted, but he’s been lying to himself for years—pretending he thinks of Bree as extended family; that he doesn't want her so bad he aches with it; that he can't feel himself weakening against her pull. The night they spend together changes everything. He's done fighting himself on what he wants. Someone isn't happy about that. Possibly the same 'someone' who's playing mind games with Bree, trying to scare her. They're succeeding, because too many leads point to the possibility that the culprit could be the one person that she's determined to believe is dead.]]> 276 Suzanne Wright R 4 3.88 2020
author: Suzanne Wright
name: R
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2020/05/15
date added: 2020/05/17
shelves:
review:
Really good read, I couldn't put it down! Slightly more than your typical romance, the love scenes are quite intense, BUT this book actually has a good story to support the romance. Good descriptions of shifters and their interactions which some books can just gloss over, which I really liked. Good plot twist that I wasn't expecting too!
]]> 36675924 314 Susan Kauffmann 1570768536 R 5 horse 4.79
author: Susan Kauffmann
name: R
average rating: 4.79
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/05/14
shelves: horse
review:

]]>