Andie
I loved this story so freaking much! It was sweet and funny, emotional and steamy! The slow-burn almost killed me. Chloe Liese is a new favorite author to me. Can't wait to read the next one.
This was so much fun!
A little too instalove on Erik's part. But these two were so cute together.
The chemistry was definitely there and the emotional connection made sense and was well established.
The miscommunication stuff was predictable, but it didn't bother me that much.
I liked how the author chose to write the dual timeline.
Overall, entertaining, sweet, and steamy.
A fun, quick, entertaining read. I had fun reading about Rolfe and Celaena first interactions.
Not really interested in Celaena and Sam's dynamic though.
Jay and Zara are freaking perfect for each other.
I laughed out loud a lot while listening to the audiobook. I had a lot of fun.
Some of it was a little over the top, but I loved these characters!
3.5 stars
Books, Coffee & Passion
The Righteous is book 3 in the Beautiful series. Bastien and Celine were the main characters in the first two books. I was surprised by Renée Ahdieh's choice to switch the main characters, whose story wasn't wrapped up yet, in the third book. That was interesting.
In my opinion, it worked because, even though the world really opened up in The Damned, book 2, having Arjun and Pippa as the main couple led us to a closer look at the fey world. I loved the world-building and the fey stories and tales. I enjoyed Arjun and Pippa's POVs. Their chemistry was well written and they're both interesting characters.
However, Bastien and Celine were stronger main characters and they stole the show when they were on page. The pacing wasn't the best, not much happened during the first half of the book. It picked up though and the ending... lots of action and a very, very interesting last scene. I'm so curious about what's going to happen in the last book!
Overall, I enjoyed it, but it wasn't as good as the first two books.
This is a very unique, disturbing story.
This society is racist, misogynist and obnoxious. The society quick acceptance of a stranger white rich dude speaks for itself.
The writing was captivating and I was intrigued by the plot. It had its slow moments but overall I enjoyed the progression of the plot. It was hard to read at some points because these characters were so freaking annoying.
If you're looking for a inclusive, well balanced society and likable characters, this isn't the book for that.
I think it was interesting and disturbing how the author chose to portray the society's racial and social class dual standards.
It's gory and creepy and it made my skin crawl. There are a lot of trigger warnings.
TW:racism, rape, sexual abuse, murder, misogyny, suicide, domestic violence, gaslighting
Books, Coffee & Passion
This was a very sweet book.
Daisy was sweet and funny but Jordan was the star of the story. I loved him! He was not what I expected. I loved his layers. I liked his friendship with Liam and Gavin a lot.
Daisy and Jordan's interactions were great. I enjoyed how their relationship progressed and the way both of them acted when they were together. It was easy to see how great they were together.
The conflict was very predictable and a little overdramatic but I enjoyed the groveling afterward.
A very easy, entertaining, sweet read. I'm curious about Gavin's story. I'll definitely read his book.
I read The Wedding Crasher in one day. I just couldn't put my Kindle down!
The chemistry between Solange and Dean is off the charts. I loved so many moments in this book: the karaoke moment (Dean's performance was EPIC), the moments with Solange's tias, the food descriptions (I was hungry while I was reading it! I wanted salgadinhos too!), the Brazilian culture (I've been to Brazil and I loved it so much!), Dean and Solange's steamy scenes, their connection, Dean's relationship with his mother and Solange's relationship with her mother, Max and Lina interactions, Brandon (I loved how manipulative he was in the ending scenes and almost gave Dean a heart attack, hahah it was so hilarious! He was such a great friend.)
This review is all over the place, I'll probably edit it coherently in a few days... I think! But in case you couldn't tell, I just wanted to say I loved EVERY SINGLE MOMENT of this story. So good! All the stars!
Books, Coffee & Passion
3.5 stars
An entertaining novella.
Mara unexpectedly inherits half of a house from her mentor that passed away. Considering the location of the house and that Mara isn't in a good position financially, she decides to move in temporarily. However, there's a catch. The other owner of the house also lives there: Liam.
I read the 3 novellas out of order, so this one was the last one I read and my least favorite. I was expecting to love this one more, because of the forced proximity. However, I'm not sure why, but I think Liam just wasn't my favorite hero. The ending was also a little abrupt.
It was cute, though. I had fun listening to it.
Books, Coffee & Passion
A fast, sweet, cute, and fun read! I loved Hannah and Ian! They were great characters.
Hannah always wanted to work at NASA, for a PHD assignment she interviews Mara's very distant cousin, Ian, that works at NASA. They have an instant, intense connection. However, Hannah isn't interested in a relationship and Ian is interested in one. They don't speak for a few years until Hannah lands a job at NASA. However, after a misunderstanding, the dynamics between them change...
Ian was an amazing hero. I loved him! Hannah was a great heroine too. The conflict was very similar to the second novella, but it didn't bother me. I really enjoyed it.
This didn't really work for me, that's why it took me this long to finish the audiobook.
The world is somewhat interesting but it was too much like From Blood and Ash.
The characters were okay. It was slow, the world was underdeveloped and the plot was all over the place. I was thinking I might enjoy the romance at least, but there was no pining at all in it. I mean... they were enemies... And then BAM they were in bed. No pining, no longing, nothing. It was just weird.
It was slow paced and nothing interesting really happened in the middle. There was mention of a hunting, but I still don't understand what exactly it was and what was the point.
The ending only reiterated what I didn't like in it. The final scenes made no sense at all and only served the purpose of a second book.
Isolde's father was ready to go to war with Adrian for Isolde's sake (everyone would die!) and then he tries to kill her, because Adrian would die too, in the end? Whaaaat? Way out of character. Made no sense at all.
Additionally, I don't usually like the trope used to forge a connection between Isolde and Adrian, and the foreshadowing was so heavy-handed that I could see it coming from a mile away.
Books, Coffee & Passion
3.5 stars
The themes in this one were intense and I was rooting for Freya and Aiden so hard! It was super emotional to follow Freya and Aiden's marriage struggles and their lack of communication.
I loved these characters and Chloe Liese's writing. Freya's brothers were hilarious throughout this story. They were really trying to help Aiden and that led to several funny moments. I enjoyed it a lot, until the final conflict. Here's the thing, in a romance book the final conflict can miss the mark sometimes but it's even harder to get it right when the MCs are married and going through a rough patch. I just don't think it was handled well at all in this story. It felt unnecessary and I was annoyed with Freya and Aiden's behavior at that point.
Overall, I still enjoyed it. I love the Bergman family. Really excited to read Alex and Rooney's story next.
I loved this!
A fantastic friends-to-lovers romance. The pining, the chemistry, the slow burn... PERFECT!
Loved every second of this one.
2.5 stars
Very middle-of-the-road story to me.
It was entertaining, I'll give it that. The mystery was interesting but it became repetitive, the pacing was off, and Hannah's stupid decisions started to annoy me from a certain point and I started to lose interest. The twist was interesting, but the motives were lacking.
I was expecting much more from this one.
I had a lot of fun reading it.
Violet was a great character! She was funny, stubborn, and unapologetic about putting herself first.
I also enjoyed her relationship with the prince. Their interactions were hilarious, and the banter was so good! The romance was my favorite part.
I enjoyed the mystery too, especially trying to figure out Violet's visions. The ending was a little rushed, though, and some things weren't wrapped up smoothly. It might have been on purpose, considering it's not a standalone book.
I'll definitely read the next one.
Whoa. This one was a rollercoaster!
House of Curses is the third book in K.A. Linde's Royal Houses series. First of all, the second book in the series was released a year ago, so I'm thankful that Linde managed to insert a few recaps of certain events very cleverly at the beginning of this book. Secondly, I couldn't put my Kindle down as soon as I started reading it.
At the start of the book, Kerrigan and Fordham are dealing separately with different things in their lives. Fordham is trying to break his curse after being forced to leave Kerrigan behind to protect her, while Kerrigan is struggling with an unwanted wedding, dealing with her father and their house, and her new position in the Society. However, as if all of that wasn't enough, she's also being pushed into an unexpected election.
The pacing of this book was insane. A lot was unpacked, everything was happening with EVERYONE, and I was glued to my Kindle. I love all of the characters, so I wanted to read from everyone's POV at all times. However, this is my personal preference. I tend to enjoy multi-POV books. However, because of all the stuff happening with Kerrigan, and since Fordham was MIA for 50% of the book (but very much present in Kerrigan's thoughts, dreams, and visions), the book was better balanced in following different events and POVs during the first half. In the second half, we didn't get much time to follow what was going on with Clover, Hadrian, and Darby, for example. Even though we had a few other POVs, following the same pattern of the first part, the pacing increased even more and some of the characters didn't pop up as much as I wished. I wanted more Dozan and scenes in the Waster! I wouldn't mind if we had gotten more pages to explore the secondary characters and locations.
There were a few details that I didn't enjoy as much as I wanted. The identity of the main villain was a little obvious from a certain point, I wish it had kept the suspense going a little longer. I also didn't enjoy a certain detail regarding the romance between Kerrigan and Fordham (it's a Fae detail... if you know, you know). I don't think it was necessary at all. And this book features a trope I dislike in fantasy books, one that was used a lot in YA Fantasy. I'm not going to disclose it because it's a spoiler. However, it didn't bother me as much because this is not the final book in the series. I'm pretty sure that Linde is going to turn it on its head. Fingers crossed
As I said before, the cast of characters is very strong in this series. I won't say I loved all the POVs because I honestly didn't care about Harbor (Fordham's cousin). However, I really enjoyed Isa, a villain, and Wynter, Fordham's sister, POVs. Kerrigan was, once again, a great character to follow. She had a lot going on: bonding with her father, learning more about her spirit magic while practicing, studying magical artifacts, enduring March and the boatload of social mandatory events, dealing with the discrimination and the Red Masks, the anti-human and anti-half fae terrorist organization, etc. The political intrigue was at its peak in this installment of the series.
I also enjoyed the mystery surrounding Kerrigan's mother. I'm very intrigued about it! And don't even get me started about the ending! The cliffhanger was brutal! Can't wait to read the next one!
Overall, I had a lot of fun reading House of Curses. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Fae fantasy romance, dragons, magic, political intrigue, fast-paced action, and interesting fantasy worlds.
Thank you to Wildfire Marketing for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I don't usually enjoy poly romances, so I was prepared to struggle with this one even though I really wanted to read it. Guess what? I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it!
Helen is tired of being used like a pawn, by her family, in the Olympus game. However, Helen's brother after assuming Zeus' mantle is doing it again. But now, for once in her life, she stands up to Zeus and the Thirteen by going after what she wants: Ares' role. However, that puts her competing against others that will do anything to win. Achilles has wanted a bigger role since he was a child. As soon as Ares' spot is available, he doesn't hesitate. Patroclus, his boyfriend, enters the competition too, but he only wants to help Achilles win. When Zeus announces that he'll offer the new Ares Helen's hand in marriage, after the competition ends, everything gets a little convoluted, particularly because there's a powerful attraction between all three of them. But when Helen enters the competition too... everything goes up in flames!
It was heartbreaking to see Helen dismissed as a potential candidate during the first half of the book, even by Achilles. Patroclus, as the true strategist he was, saw way more in her than her beauty. Their connection was immediate from the start. Achilles caught up, eventually, and started to see the fierceness in Helen. Even though Patroclus and Helen had a deeper connection from the beginning, it was interesting how Achilles was the one that could read her so effortlessly and understood deeply how badly she was dismissed and mistreated by others. It was fun to see how their dynamic slowly changed and deepened. Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus complemented each other perfectly! I also loved the forced proximity aspect of the story. And one of my favorite aspects in this was how the trials ended: pure GOLD!
These 3 characters had me hooked as soon as we got their first interaction. I was invested in the story, plot, character's goals and fears, and chemistry between all three of them... hot, hot, hot!
The pining, the angst, and the steamy scenes made this story a fantastic read. I also really enjoyed the trials and the Olympus politics.
I'm enjoying this series a lot. Super interested to see where it's going to go next.
Please, don't go into this book expecting a retelling, it's very loosely inspired by greek mythology (hence it doesn't feature Briseis and Paris takes an entirely different role here).
You can check this review and other stuff @ Books, Coffee & Passion
I think I read too many Hazelwoods novellas this year. Or my expectations were too high. IDK.
So, take this review with a grain of salt.
Honestly, I had fun listening to it but the repetitiveness ended up being too much. Too much tall/huge or small/tiny physical descriptions, over-the-top stuff happening that made me cringe (seriously, that ending...), and some of the dialogue was just cheesy. LOTB made me glad TLH only had one steamy scene. And I like steam in romance, so that says a lot on its own.
I still liked the science in it, the banter, and the slow burn. There were some funny characters and moments too.
I might need a break from Hazelwood's stories for a while.
3.5 stars - rating based on enjoyment
I enjoyed this one less than the first book in this duology, mostly because Brie gave whiplash during this one. Her feelings regarding Sebastian and her inner monologue about herself were mostly annoying and contradictory, throughout the story.
Finn and Misha were my favorite characters in this one. There were some interesting elements regarding the bond between Fae that I enjoyed. The world opened up significantly in this one. It was heavily Acotar and Throne of Glass inspired.
Entertaining and enjoyable, but it had its flaws and left some character arcs behind.
House of Gods is the fourth installment in the Royal Houses series.
We continue to follow Kerrigan, a half-Fae, half-human heroine while she ventures into a new world of magic and a very different society. Kerrigan and Fordham face some expected challenges in this new world we're introduced to and some very unexpected ones too. Their mission is very clear, however nothing goes as planned. The society has a very distinct structure, women are treated as slaves, and Kerrigan is thrust into a number of perilous situations while trying to get her magic back and save her world from the Red Masks.
K.A. Linde's world-building really shines in this book, marked by rich details that immerse readers in a fascinating and well-crafted universe. The intricate details add depth to the narrative, making the new world truly intriguing and captivating. I wouldn't mind to read another series set in this crazy world.
While romance plays a significant role in the story, in my opinion, it is lighter compared to previous books in the series, mainly due to Kerrigan and Fordham's own struggles and the fact that they get separated in the beginning of this story. However, the deep connection between them is truly undeniable. I wasn't a fan of their separation at first, but I enjoyed Fordham's journey a lot and how it deepened his understanding of Kerrigan's life events in their own world.
I expected more from the gladiator tournament, it was fun and entertaining, but I didn't think the stakes were high enough. Also, it served a very specific purpose which was convenient to the plot.
House of Gods might not be my favorite in the series, but I sure did enjoy the top-notch world-building, the cool new characters, and catching up with my favorite ones in this intriguing new world. It's a page-turner that left me eager for the next book. This series is perfect for fans of Fourth Wing.
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3.5 stars
It's a classic, so I expected it to be slow. But this was even slower than what I expected.
However, the mystery kept me interested and the gothic vibes were great.
I really liked the ending!