Xii
DNF @ 25%
the beginning was solid, but around chapter 6/7 it started to read more like a not well written fanfiction... the spice was trying to spice, but it just got more cringy the farther in I got.
I really dislike DNFing books - but this one just wasn't for me
Highlights
- college football boys
- insta-lust/love
- unhinged golden retriever
- chronic illness rep
- she is bent & beaten but never broken
Mind the content warnings!
there is mention of a toxic power-imbalance relationship in the FMC's past that (at least for me) can bring up some very visceral emotions
that being said - I always enjoy stories by CR Jane, and Jace/Riley are no exception.
Jace & the No Drama Llamas are as unhinged as the Circle of Trust - and the text threads are always a hilarious good time.
while the story itself was fine - there are enough "Hades/Persephone" references that I started using drinking game rules (take a drink @ every reference, chug @ a double reference)
it's one thing to want to get your theme across to your reader -- but you do not need to beat your readers over the head with it.
highlights
- actual enemies-to-lovers
- fated-mates
- deadly trials
- political intrigue (it's a tertiary plot point, but it's there)
if it weren't for a few instances, I'd consider it to be a solid YA fantasy -- and honestly it makes me wonder if it was originally supposed to be if not for how rabid the New Adult Romantasy sector grew.
I enjoyed the story and am mildly intrigued by all the characters - but I don't think I'll be continuing the series.
I think this is more of a "not right now" DNF
though not sure I have much interest in continuing, tbh. the FMC is a bit ... I hate to use the word "boring" but she reminds me of a boy obsessed 15 year old girl, not a grown woman (iirc she's supposed to be 20)
Part 2 of a dualogy (though honestly it could have probably fit into a standalone with some editing & dropping of a villain or 2)
the smut was smutty - and yet it got a little repetitive a couple times... there were a couple scenes that (while admittedly spicy) could honestly have faded to black and still have the same impact.
while the premise of the book is interesting, and I get it's supposed to be an insta-lust thing.... the lead characters were just ... boring.
like, I guess the kink is there and it has the potential - but I honestly think I've read bad!fanfic that was more interesting 😥
highlights:
- runaway bride (fiancé cheated with best friend/bridesmaid)
- golden retriever football player guy friend
- interesting inclusion of a hard-of-hearing main character
- guy friend helps her escape and suggests Vegas cause he knows she's always wanted to go
- drunken shenanigans leads to a Vegas wedding
- reverse age gap (7 years/35 & 28)
- friends to lovers
- he fell first, but respected her previous relationship
- lots of “my wife” vibes
Highlights::
- Bratva (set in Russia, not the USA)
- Age-gap (13 years)
- Virgin FMC
- Bodyguard MMC
- “who hurt you?”
- “mine”
it's an enjoyable love/lust-at-first-sight - just gotta mind the age gap. the gap is a little wider than I'm usually comfortable with (19 & 42) but the personalities and maturity of the main couple help make the gap easier to navigate.
the plot is thin, but it's evident enough to have an impact
highlights
- adversaries to lovers
- Irish mob
- virgin FMC
- alpha MMC
- very strong “my woman/my wife” vibes
- Hook-up app shenanigans
- stalking
- mask play
- some dubcon/CNC (experimented with but not exactly enjoyed by either partner)
the book is good, the characters are funny and realistic.
I'm not usually a fan of age gap - especially a 24 year age gap - but the FMC has had a difficult life that definitely matured her beyond her she
First and foremost: MIND THE CONTENT WARNINGS
this book deals with a number of dark and potentially triggering topics, so make sure you are in the correct headspace before diving into this book (and the series in general);
I've often struggled with queer romance for one reason or another - it can be a minefield - but this story handled it well. Writing an Ace/Demi character is not easy, so having a main character experience what many who identify with Ace-spec have is refreshing and oddly validating.
highlights:
- age gap (12 years)
- OTT possessive MMC
- Irish Mafia
- interconnected stand alone
- surprise pregnancy
0.5/5 ⭐
I was intrigued by the premise of the book - but the execution of the story was like nails on a chalk board. the FMC is Schrodinger's shifter - she's both a shifter and a human; until the story looks at her too long and she has to be one or the other, but it's never consistent
is this a post-appocolyptic world where modern technology is known of but no longer functions? or is it a fantasy world? again, it's unclear
I think the FMC is trying to come across as a strong, independent woman - but she comes across as a judgmental, misandrist b***h
Right before I DNF'd - the one thought that I kept circling back to was “it's as if the author took the top 5 most popular tropes and is trying to shoe horn all of them into one story”
I've read some Bad!Fanfic that is more internally consistent than this published book
absolutely check the content warnings before diving into this particular enter to the Royal Elite series - I enjoyed it, but man oh man are there some really rough emotional scenes that are very triggering if you're not in a good place. (I'm on my own healing journey, so there were a few moments I had to step away to breathe before continuing)