Maya
Updated a reading goal:
Read 100 books by December 31, 2024
Progress so far: 100 / 100 100%
💬:N/A
📖Genres: shoujo, romance, humor, manga, graphic novels, comics
📚Page Count: 192
🎧Audiobook Length: N/A
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5
TW - <spoiler>adults having crushes on teens, stalking</spoiler>
My Love Story!!, Volume 8 by Kazune Kawahara is mostly lighthearted like the other volumes in the series. There were definitely some laugh out loud moments, but I didn't like this as much as I liked the other volumes. I tend to not love the volumes with the character Ai in them, because the author likes to focus on that the fact that she, as a college adult student, has a crush on the main character, high schooler Takeo.
In the first part of this manga, Takeo meets Yamato's family, finally! The second part of the manga is about Ai being followed home for the summer by her college peer, Oda. (I get creepy vibes from Oda, it feels like he's stalking Ai. He definitely won't take no for answer either.)
The third part was about Takeo and Yamato getting summer jobs.
Overall, this manga was okay. It wasn't my favorite, I'm giving this 3.5 stars out of 5.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I read this manga for free on [Libbyapp.com]
💬:N/A
📖Genres: shoujo, romance, humor, manga, graphic novels, comics
📚Page Count: 192
🎧Audiobook Length: N/A
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5
TW - <spoiler>adults having crushes on teens, stalking</spoiler>
My Love Story!!, Volume 8 by Kazune Kawahara is mostly lighthearted like the other volumes in the series. There were definitely some laugh out loud moments, but I didn't like this as much as I liked the other volumes. I tend to not love the volumes with the character Ai in them, because the author likes to focus on that the fact that she, as a college adult student, has a crush on the main character, high schooler Takeo.
In the first part of this manga, Takeo meets Yamato's family, finally! The second part of the manga is about Ai being followed home for the summer by her college peer, Oda. (I get creepy vibes from Oda, it feels like he's stalking Ai. He definitely won't take no for answer either.)
The third part was about Takeo and Yamato getting summer jobs.
Overall, this manga was okay. It wasn't my favorite, I'm giving this 3.5 stars out of 5.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I read this manga for free on [Libbyapp.com]
Answered a promptWhat are your favorite books of all time?
💬: “And the next thing I knew, one of them grabbed Thalia and me, the other grabbed Zoë and Grover, and we flew straight up, over the dam and the river, the skeleton warriors shrinking to tiny specks below us and the sound of gunfire echoing off the sides of the mountains."
Riordan, Rick. Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book Three: The Titan's Curse (p. 219). Disney Book Group. Kindle Edition.
📖Genres: mythology, action, adventure, middle grade
📚Page Count: 313
🎧Audiobook Length: 08h 48min
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Percy Jackson - The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan is the third book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians middle grade series. In this book, Anabeth goes missing at the beginning with a mission that had just gone wrong. Percy, Annabeth, Thalia, and Grover are tasked with helping two new half-bloods back to Camp Half-Blood. Will Percy and the gang be able to save Annabeth?
The Titan's Curse has a lot of action and adventure, this series is really a joy to read. This book was really entertaining, I'm really starting to love the growing cast of characters. There are honestly so many new characters in this book and reading about them and seeing their personalities and reactions to certain things is really exciting. There was a nice cliff hanger at the end of this, it makes me want to read the rest of the series immediately.
Overall, this book was exciting and entertaining just like the previous books in the series. I'm giving this 5 stars out of 5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/5
I listened to this audiobook for free on [Libbyapp.com]
💬: “And the next thing I knew, one of them grabbed Thalia and me, the other grabbed Zoë and Grover, and we flew straight up, over the dam and the river, the skeleton warriors shrinking to tiny specks below us and the sound of gunfire echoing off the sides of the mountains."
Riordan, Rick. Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book Three: The Titan's Curse (p. 219). Disney Book Group. Kindle Edition.
📖Genres: mythology, action, adventure, middle grade
📚Page Count: 313
🎧Audiobook Length: 08h 48min
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Percy Jackson - The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan is the third book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians middle grade series. In this book, Anabeth goes missing at the beginning with a mission that had just gone wrong. Percy, Annabeth, Thalia, and Grover are tasked with helping two new half-bloods back to Camp Half-Blood. Will Percy and the gang be able to save Annabeth?
The Titan's Curse has a lot of action and adventure, this series is really a joy to read. This book was really entertaining, I'm really starting to love the growing cast of characters. There are honestly so many new characters in this book and reading about them and seeing their personalities and reactions to certain things is really exciting. There was a nice cliff hanger at the end of this, it makes me want to read the rest of the series immediately.
Overall, this book was exciting and entertaining just like the previous books in the series. I'm giving this 5 stars out of 5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/5
I listened to this audiobook for free on [Libbyapp.com]
💬: "Miles is sophisticated. We do the art shows, wine tastings. When I can’t sleep, he’s a phone call away. Deacon is funny and sweet, flirty and creative. And, well, Cassidy…” “Is bending you like a pretzel!” interrupted Alisa. Her response made Nadine cackle and give her a high five. Tatum rolled her eyes. “If you must know, yes, the sex is phenomenal. He’s aggressive, commanding, but he’s also really brilliant. If something is broken, he fixes it. My gas tank is always full because he fills it. He reads NK Jemisin with me, for God’s sake.” Tatum looked at her friends who said nothing. Alisa was wide-eyed, and Nadine simply stared, rocking EJ in her arms. “What is it? What did I say?”
Richardson, T.M.. The Oath: A WhyChoose Novel (The Secrets Series Book 1) (p. 223). TM Richardson . Kindle Edition.
📖Genres: romance, contemporary, contemporary romance,
📚Page Count: 280
🎧Audiobook Length: 06h 23min
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4.5/5
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TW - <spoiler>Sexual content, Cancer, Cursing, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Death, Grief, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment</spoiler>
The Oath: A WhyChoose Novel is a novel by T.M Richardson about a widow named Tatum who's husband has recently passed away from losing his fight with cancer. One of his dying wishes was that his wife, Tatum lean on and seek love from his three best friends. Miles, Deacon, and Cassidy along with Tatum agree to try the new arrangement after her husband's death.
These three men sound like a dream! Someone to read Octavia E. Butler and N.K Jemisin with, someone you could call at all hours if you couldn't sleep at night, and someone who's creative and funny. Wow, Tatum hit the jackpot with these three guys. They protected her against that <spoiler>nasty and pushy student!</spoiler> and they took care of her in all aspects possible!
There were two things I didn't like about this novel, <spoiler>the sexual harassment scene when the adult college student corners Tatum in her classroom and how the three men keep calling Tatum "mama".</spoiler>First, during and after the scene with the student, Tatum says <spoiler>she got "wet" during the sexual harassment, just because that happens doesn't mean you're not being sexually harassed. I don't know what the point of including that was. Tatum clearly denies the student's advances and is uninterested. Why emphasize to herself and her friends that it was a turn on to be harassed? </spoiler> Second, I HATED when the three male lovers called the main character "Mama". It was so distracting and annoying to me.
The audiobook narrator was okay, sometimes their voice was a bit off putting when they tried to read as one of the men but everything else was okay. I'm happy I finally got to enjoy this book on audio, that's my main way of consuming novels.
The spicy scenes were fantastic, and there were plenty of them and they ALL had varity!<spoiler>The group sex scene was so damn sexy! Whew, I was sweatin'!</spoiler> I'm giving the spicy scenes four point five chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5 out of five chilies
Overall this was spicy, romantic, delicious, and overall a great time. I'm giving this 4.5 out of 5 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4.5/5 Stars
I own a copy of this audiobook, I didn't rent it from the library.
💬: "Miles is sophisticated. We do the art shows, wine tastings. When I can’t sleep, he’s a phone call away. Deacon is funny and sweet, flirty and creative. And, well, Cassidy…” “Is bending you like a pretzel!” interrupted Alisa. Her response made Nadine cackle and give her a high five. Tatum rolled her eyes. “If you must know, yes, the sex is phenomenal. He’s aggressive, commanding, but he’s also really brilliant. If something is broken, he fixes it. My gas tank is always full because he fills it. He reads NK Jemisin with me, for God’s sake.” Tatum looked at her friends who said nothing. Alisa was wide-eyed, and Nadine simply stared, rocking EJ in her arms. “What is it? What did I say?”
Richardson, T.M.. The Oath: A WhyChoose Novel (The Secrets Series Book 1) (p. 223). TM Richardson . Kindle Edition.
📖Genres: romance, contemporary, contemporary romance,
📚Page Count: 280
🎧Audiobook Length: 06h 23min
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4.5/5
----
TW - <spoiler>Sexual content, Cancer, Cursing, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Death, Grief, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment</spoiler>
The Oath: A WhyChoose Novel is a novel by T.M Richardson about a widow named Tatum who's husband has recently passed away from losing his fight with cancer. One of his dying wishes was that his wife, Tatum lean on and seek love from his three best friends. Miles, Deacon, and Cassidy along with Tatum agree to try the new arrangement after her husband's death.
These three men sound like a dream! Someone to read Octavia E. Butler and N.K Jemisin with, someone you could call at all hours if you couldn't sleep at night, and someone who's creative and funny. Wow, Tatum hit the jackpot with these three guys. They protected her against that <spoiler>nasty and pushy student!</spoiler> and they took care of her in all aspects possible!
There were two things I didn't like about this novel, <spoiler>the sexual harassment scene when the adult college student corners Tatum in her classroom and how the three men keep calling Tatum "mama".</spoiler>First, during and after the scene with the student, Tatum says <spoiler>she got "wet" during the sexual harassment, just because that happens doesn't mean you're not being sexually harassed. I don't know what the point of including that was. Tatum clearly denies the student's advances and is uninterested. Why emphasize to herself and her friends that it was a turn on to be harassed? </spoiler> Second, I HATED when the three male lovers called the main character "Mama". It was so distracting and annoying to me.
The audiobook narrator was okay, sometimes their voice was a bit off putting when they tried to read as one of the men but everything else was okay. I'm happy I finally got to enjoy this book on audio, that's my main way of consuming novels.
The spicy scenes were fantastic, and there were plenty of them and they ALL had varity!<spoiler>The group sex scene was so damn sexy! Whew, I was sweatin'!</spoiler> I'm giving the spicy scenes four point five chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5 out of five chilies
Overall this was spicy, romantic, delicious, and overall a great time. I'm giving this 4.5 out of 5 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4.5/5 Stars
I own a copy of this audiobook, I didn't rent it from the library.
💬: N/A
📖Genres: sci-fi, fiction, adult, fantasy, space, robot, space opera
📚Page Count: N/A
🎧Audiobook Length: 02h 33min
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5
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All Systems Red written by Martha Wells produced by Graphic Audio is the dramatized adaptation of the first book in the Murderbot Diaries series of the same name, All Systems Red. This is the story of an android SecUnit named Murderbot who's hacked their governor module so they can watch their favorite show, or serial. Murderbot wants nothing more than to be left alone but when a mission goes sideways, they have to get involved with the humans they're there to protect.
I enjoyed the original novella, All Systems Red by Martha Wells. It was really interesting and a bit funny, I instantly liked Murderbot. The dramatized adaptation gives each character a voice actor and that adds so much charm to the story and the characters. I really enjoyed the story and the characters, it kind of makes me sad that <spoiler>Murderbot decided to leave and journey to a new place alone, even though I understand the idea of them wanting to be free and not controlled in any way. I was just growing to like the crew of characters, but I know we'll meet new characters down the line.</spoiler>
Overall, the dramatized adaptation was entertaining, action filled, and funny. I enjoyed the time I spent listening to Murderbot and their crew of specialists. I'm excited to hear about what they get into next. I'm giving it 5 stars out of 5.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5 Stars
I listened to this for free on [Hoopladigital.com]
💬: N/A
📖Genres: sci-fi, fiction, adult, fantasy, space, robot, space opera
📚Page Count: N/A
🎧Audiobook Length: 02h 33min
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5
----
All Systems Red written by Martha Wells produced by Graphic Audio is the dramatized adaptation of the first book in the Murderbot Diaries series of the same name, All Systems Red. This is the story of an android SecUnit named Murderbot who's hacked their governor module so they can watch their favorite show, or serial. Murderbot wants nothing more than to be left alone but when a mission goes sideways, they have to get involved with the humans they're there to protect.
I enjoyed the original novella, All Systems Red by Martha Wells. It was really interesting and a bit funny, I instantly liked Murderbot. The dramatized adaptation gives each character a voice actor and that adds so much charm to the story and the characters. I really enjoyed the story and the characters, it kind of makes me sad that <spoiler>Murderbot decided to leave and journey to a new place alone, even though I understand the idea of them wanting to be free and not controlled in any way. I was just growing to like the crew of characters, but I know we'll meet new characters down the line.</spoiler>
Overall, the dramatized adaptation was entertaining, action filled, and funny. I enjoyed the time I spent listening to Murderbot and their crew of specialists. I'm excited to hear about what they get into next. I'm giving it 5 stars out of 5.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5 Stars
I listened to this for free on [Hoopladigital.com]
💬:N/A
📖Genres: poetry, poems
📚Page Count: 104
🎧Audiobook Length: 01:32
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5
woke up no light: poems is a poetry collection by Leila Mottley, the author of "Night Crawling". This poetry collection is raw, amazing, and it honestly blew me away. The poems are about being Black in America, most are about being a Black woman in America. The author talks about race, social justice, police brutality, misogynoir, sexual assault, and much more. Mottley writes some painful truths in such an elegant and gritty way.
There are too many individual works that I liked or that resonated with me to list them all, but I particularly liked the poems in the two sections "girlhood" and "womanhood". The "neighborhood" section made me cry, I'm still processing what I've read overall.
Overall, this collection was moving and it was written with such grace. I definitely resonated with most of the poems in this collection.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 Stars
Thank you [NetGalley.com], Leila Mottley (the author), and Knopf (publisher) for the arc (advanced reader's copy.)
💬:N/A
📖Genres: poetry, poems
📚Page Count: 104
🎧Audiobook Length: 01:32
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5
woke up no light: poems is a poetry collection by Leila Mottley, the author of "Night Crawling". This poetry collection is raw, amazing, and it honestly blew me away. The poems are about being Black in America, most are about being a Black woman in America. The author talks about race, social justice, police brutality, misogynoir, sexual assault, and much more. Mottley writes some painful truths in such an elegant and gritty way.
There are too many individual works that I liked or that resonated with me to list them all, but I particularly liked the poems in the two sections "girlhood" and "womanhood". The "neighborhood" section made me cry, I'm still processing what I've read overall.
Overall, this collection was moving and it was written with such grace. I definitely resonated with most of the poems in this collection.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 Stars
Thank you [NetGalley.com], Leila Mottley (the author), and Knopf (publisher) for the arc (advanced reader's copy.)
💬:N/A
📖Genres: humor, manga, comics, shojo
📚Page Count: 217
🎧Audiobook Length: N/A
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
TW - <spoiler>Toxic friendship</spoiler>
My Love Story!!, Volume 11 by Kazune Kawahara was so good, it made me feel so many emotions and it's one of the few volumes that made me cry. In the first part of this manga Sunakawa has befriended the new transfer student but Takeo gets word from an old friend that the new transfer student is not what he seems. The manga starts off with Takeo on his way to confront the new transfer student, in an effort to protect Sunakawa. In the second part of this manga Yamato has a secret that will change the course of her relationship with Takeo, how will they navigate the issue together? In the third part of this manga Sunakawa heads to a bookstore with Takeo to pick up a "practically sold out" rare book. In the fourth and final part of this manga Takeo and Sunakawa talk to their guy friends at school about "dark pasts" and who's had one.
This manga made me feel a range of emotions, from sad (I mean I was literally crying) to straight laughing the tears out of my eyes. I won't say too much, for fear of spoiling your reading experience, but I will say that I really enjoyed this volume. I'm nervous about the last volume, I honestly have no idea how the story is going to end.
Overall, volume 12 was amazing, like the earlier volumes of this manga. It was everything I want in a manga and more. I'm giving this 5 stars out of 5.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5
I read this manga for free on [Libbyapp.com]
💬:N/A
📖Genres: humor, manga, comics, shojo
📚Page Count: 217
🎧Audiobook Length: N/A
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
TW - <spoiler>Toxic friendship</spoiler>
My Love Story!!, Volume 11 by Kazune Kawahara was so good, it made me feel so many emotions and it's one of the few volumes that made me cry. In the first part of this manga Sunakawa has befriended the new transfer student but Takeo gets word from an old friend that the new transfer student is not what he seems. The manga starts off with Takeo on his way to confront the new transfer student, in an effort to protect Sunakawa. In the second part of this manga Yamato has a secret that will change the course of her relationship with Takeo, how will they navigate the issue together? In the third part of this manga Sunakawa heads to a bookstore with Takeo to pick up a "practically sold out" rare book. In the fourth and final part of this manga Takeo and Sunakawa talk to their guy friends at school about "dark pasts" and who's had one.
This manga made me feel a range of emotions, from sad (I mean I was literally crying) to straight laughing the tears out of my eyes. I won't say too much, for fear of spoiling your reading experience, but I will say that I really enjoyed this volume. I'm nervous about the last volume, I honestly have no idea how the story is going to end.
Overall, volume 12 was amazing, like the earlier volumes of this manga. It was everything I want in a manga and more. I'm giving this 5 stars out of 5.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5
I read this manga for free on [Libbyapp.com]
[ The Drifting Classroom
💬:N/A
📖Genres: horror, sci-fi, manga, graphic novels, comics
📚Page Count: 188
🎧Audiobook Length: N/A
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
TW - <spoiler>Car accident, Death, Kidnapping, Torture, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Confinement, Cursing, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Child death, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Gore</spoiler>
The Drifting Classroom by Kazuo Umezu is a horror manga from the 70's about an entire elementary school disappearing to a seemingly abandoned place in the middle of a desert. The only thing left in the school's place is a hulking crater. Will the inhabitances of the school be able to make their way back to their loved ones? Will they figure out where they currently are? When people start to lose their minds and thoughts to madness, can the others find ways to protect themselves?
This volume was wild! I didn't expect things to start happening the way they did. Like my last review, I don't want to say too much to spoil the story because this is a good story to go into blind.
Overall, The Drifting Classroom volume two was action filled, suspense filled, with wild horror-filled story telling. I'm giving this 5 stars out of 5.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5
I read this manga for free on [Libbyapp.com]
💬:N/A
📖Genres: horror, sci-fi, manga, graphic novels, comics
📚Page Count: 188
🎧Audiobook Length: N/A
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
TW - <spoiler>Car accident, Death, Kidnapping, Torture, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Confinement, Cursing, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Child death, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Gore</spoiler>
The Drifting Classroom by Kazuo Umezu is a horror manga from the 70's about an entire elementary school disappearing to a seemingly abandoned place in the middle of a desert. The only thing left in the school's place is a hulking crater. Will the inhabitances of the school be able to make their way back to their loved ones? Will they figure out where they currently are? When people start to lose their minds and thoughts to madness, can the others find ways to protect themselves?
This volume was wild! I didn't expect things to start happening the way they did. Like my last review, I don't want to say too much to spoil the story because this is a good story to go into blind.
Overall, The Drifting Classroom volume two was action filled, suspense filled, with wild horror-filled story telling. I'm giving this 5 stars out of 5.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5
I read this manga for free on [Libbyapp.com]
💬: "“I would take anything she chose to give me—the tiniest fraction or her entire world. I would take her for a single night knowing that I’ll lose her by morning, and I would hold on to her and never let go. I would take her healthy, or sick, or tired, or angry, or strong, and it would be my fucking privilege. I would take her problems, her gifts, her moods, her passions, her jokes, her body—I would take every last thing, if she chose to give it to me.”
Hazelwood, Ali. Bride (pp. 201-202). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
📖Genres: adult, spicy, romance, paranormal, paranormal romance, urban fantasy
📚Page Count: 402
🎧Audiobook Length: 12h 47min
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - 4.5/5
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TW - <spoiler>Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail</spoiler>
Bride by Ali Hazelwood is a paranormal romance about a Vampyre named Misery who is sent to be in an arranged marriage to an Alpha wolf named Lowe. Misery doesn't just agree to the arranged marriage only to ensure continued peace between the Vampyres and Weres, she also does it because she's determined to get back what's been taken from her. Even if that means being the only Vampyre in Were territory.
I've never read anything by Ali Hazelwood until now and I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! I think it started a little slow and the world building felt a bit jarring at first because the setting is not exactly explained until around 25% of the way through the book (if I remember correctly). I was feeling very impatient during the first 25% of the way through and the main reason why I continued the book is because it was a buddy read between myself and a best friend. I'm so happy I convinced myself to finish it. I'm not big on political romance stories but this hooked me in once I hit that 25% mark. I think it also helps that this book unfolds into somewhat of a mystery on top of all the politics, romance, and the "enemies to lovers" themes.
I want give this book five stars but there were two things I didn't like. I only liked the first half of the last spicy scene, I didn't like what happened after the stuff I liked (LOL 😂😂). Another thing I didn't like was how the "enemies to lovers" trope was really based on a continual misunderstanding. I honestly don't think this book is "enemies to lovers" at all.
I don't want to spoil anything so I'll just say that the spicy scenes were enjoyable in some parts and then they became "interesting" in other parts. I'll say that I've never read an intimate scene like the last scene, but I'm very hopeful that it'll be the last I read of it's kind. I'm giving it three chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️ out of five chilies.
"Bride" is my first Ali Hazelwood book and I was not disappointed, I really enjoyed this book and it was honestly so fun to read. I'm giving this book 4.5 stars out of 5.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - 4.5/5 Stars
I listened to this for free on the library app [Libbyapp.com]
💬: "“I would take anything she chose to give me—the tiniest fraction or her entire world. I would take her for a single night knowing that I’ll lose her by morning, and I would hold on to her and never let go. I would take her healthy, or sick, or tired, or angry, or strong, and it would be my fucking privilege. I would take her problems, her gifts, her moods, her passions, her jokes, her body—I would take every last thing, if she chose to give it to me.”
Hazelwood, Ali. Bride (pp. 201-202). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
📖Genres: adult, spicy, romance, paranormal, paranormal romance, urban fantasy
📚Page Count: 402
🎧Audiobook Length: 12h 47min
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - 4.5/5
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TW - <spoiler>Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail</spoiler>
Bride by Ali Hazelwood is a paranormal romance about a Vampyre named Misery who is sent to be in an arranged marriage to an Alpha wolf named Lowe. Misery doesn't just agree to the arranged marriage only to ensure continued peace between the Vampyres and Weres, she also does it because she's determined to get back what's been taken from her. Even if that means being the only Vampyre in Were territory.
I've never read anything by Ali Hazelwood until now and I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! I think it started a little slow and the world building felt a bit jarring at first because the setting is not exactly explained until around 25% of the way through the book (if I remember correctly). I was feeling very impatient during the first 25% of the way through and the main reason why I continued the book is because it was a buddy read between myself and a best friend. I'm so happy I convinced myself to finish it. I'm not big on political romance stories but this hooked me in once I hit that 25% mark. I think it also helps that this book unfolds into somewhat of a mystery on top of all the politics, romance, and the "enemies to lovers" themes.
I want give this book five stars but there were two things I didn't like. I only liked the first half of the last spicy scene, I didn't like what happened after the stuff I liked (LOL 😂😂). Another thing I didn't like was how the "enemies to lovers" trope was really based on a continual misunderstanding. I honestly don't think this book is "enemies to lovers" at all.
I don't want to spoil anything so I'll just say that the spicy scenes were enjoyable in some parts and then they became "interesting" in other parts. I'll say that I've never read an intimate scene like the last scene, but I'm very hopeful that it'll be the last I read of it's kind. I'm giving it three chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️ out of five chilies.
"Bride" is my first Ali Hazelwood book and I was not disappointed, I really enjoyed this book and it was honestly so fun to read. I'm giving this book 4.5 stars out of 5.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - 4.5/5 Stars
I listened to this for free on the library app [Libbyapp.com]
💬: N/A
📖Genres: romance, sci-fi, sci-fi romance, aliens, fantasy romance
📚Page Count: 93
🎧Audiobook Length: 02h 00min
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - 4.5/5
----
TW - <spoiler>Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail</spoiler>
*I read this story because it was recommended by romance author, Katee Roberts*
Exiled from Nobu by Elizabeth Stephens is the first novella in the Xiveri Mates series and it's chronologically book 2.5 in the series. Lisbel has been exiled from Nobu with her Xiveri Mate Jaxal but does she actually love him? Does she even like him? He seems brutish and even though she wants to hate him, she can't. When Lisbel finds herself in the position of protecting someone, she's impressed to watch Jaxal protect her. Maybe they can grow to really love each other, if they truly are Xiveri Mates.
This novella was cute, fun, and it definitely redeemed Lisbel from her previous actions in the 2nd Xiveri Mates book, "Take to Nobu". Book 2 needs to be read before reading this book, book 2.5 to fully understand what's happening in the background of the story. I think the only thing I didn't like about the story is how Lisbel slaps Jaxal in the face over a misunderstanding, <spoiler>she believed that Jaxal was cheating on her with several other women.</spoiler> Other than this scene, the rest of the novella was enjoyable and I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series.
I enjoyed the audio narration of this novella just as much as I liked the narration of both of the pervious full length books. Blaire Leblanc returns to voice Lisbel and a few side characters and Marquis De Sade voices Jaxal and a few other side characters as well. They both continue to do a wonderful job. This and the previous Xiveri Mates audiobook were published by Vitruvian Sound and so far I've liked all three of the audiobook narrations, they did a wonderful job with producing this.
The spicy scenes in here were short but they were still really nice. I'm giving the spicy scenes three point five chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5 out of five chilies
Overall, this novella was really enjoyable. I did have a problem with Lisbel slapping Jaxal when she got mad, but other than that it was a good story. I'm giving this 4.5 out of 5 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - 4.5/5 Stars
I listened to this audiobook for free on [Libbyapp.com]
💬: N/A
📖Genres: romance, sci-fi, sci-fi romance, aliens, fantasy romance
📚Page Count: 93
🎧Audiobook Length: 02h 00min
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - 4.5/5
----
TW - <spoiler>Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail</spoiler>
*I read this story because it was recommended by romance author, Katee Roberts*
Exiled from Nobu by Elizabeth Stephens is the first novella in the Xiveri Mates series and it's chronologically book 2.5 in the series. Lisbel has been exiled from Nobu with her Xiveri Mate Jaxal but does she actually love him? Does she even like him? He seems brutish and even though she wants to hate him, she can't. When Lisbel finds herself in the position of protecting someone, she's impressed to watch Jaxal protect her. Maybe they can grow to really love each other, if they truly are Xiveri Mates.
This novella was cute, fun, and it definitely redeemed Lisbel from her previous actions in the 2nd Xiveri Mates book, "Take to Nobu". Book 2 needs to be read before reading this book, book 2.5 to fully understand what's happening in the background of the story. I think the only thing I didn't like about the story is how Lisbel slaps Jaxal in the face over a misunderstanding, <spoiler>she believed that Jaxal was cheating on her with several other women.</spoiler> Other than this scene, the rest of the novella was enjoyable and I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series.
I enjoyed the audio narration of this novella just as much as I liked the narration of both of the pervious full length books. Blaire Leblanc returns to voice Lisbel and a few side characters and Marquis De Sade voices Jaxal and a few other side characters as well. They both continue to do a wonderful job. This and the previous Xiveri Mates audiobook were published by Vitruvian Sound and so far I've liked all three of the audiobook narrations, they did a wonderful job with producing this.
The spicy scenes in here were short but they were still really nice. I'm giving the spicy scenes three point five chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5 out of five chilies
Overall, this novella was really enjoyable. I did have a problem with Lisbel slapping Jaxal when she got mad, but other than that it was a good story. I'm giving this 4.5 out of 5 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - 4.5/5 Stars
I listened to this audiobook for free on [Libbyapp.com]
💬: "Sinsar Dubh1: a Dark Hallow belonging to the mythological race of the Tuatha Dé Danaan. Written in a language known only to the most ancient of their kind, it is said to hold the deadliest of all magic within its encrypted pages. Brought to Ireland by the Tuatha Dé during the invasions written of in the pseudohistory Leabhar Gabhåla3, it was stolen along with the other Dark Hallows and rumored to have found its way into the world of Man."
Moning, Karen Marie. Darkfever: Fever Series Book 1 (p. 66). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
📖Genres: fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, paranormal romance, Fae
📚Page Count: 343
🎧Audiobook Length: 08h 57min
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️ - 2/5
----
TW - <spoiler>Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail</spoiler>
Darkfever is the first book in the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. MacKayla, more commonly known as Mac, is grieving because her older sister was murdered while abroad in Ireland. Mac's sister left one clue, one enigmatic voice message. So when the criminal murder investigation halts, Mac decides to travel to Ireland to find out who murdered her sister and why. As Mac digs deeper she finds maybe an enemy or ally in the peculiar Jericho Barrons, who happens to be shadowing her. Eventually Mac discovers that she's a sidhe-seer (she-seer), someone who can see and sense the monsters on the other side of the veil. V'lane, an alpha Fae who glamours women into wanting sexual intercourse from him, also has his sights set on Mac. The one thing that Mac discovers is that she needs to get her hands on the Sinsar Dubh, a one of a kind Dark Book that has the power to control both the human world and the fae world, before anyone else finds it.
The first part of the book was really boring, things don't pick up and get more interesting in the book until after the 50% mark. This book also had some inconsistencies as well as several scenes not being explained at all. It felt like nothing relevant was happening in the first 50% of the book. We get world building when Mac learns more about the Fae world and she writes the information down in her notebook, I suppose that's okay? It feels a little like lazy writing. The first time Mac finally sees a monster up close is at the 31% mark and that felt like the story was going too slowly. When Mac sees the monster she notices that it is naked and has a large "member", for some reason the monster stares back at her and begins to stroke itself?!This was never explained "why". To be fair, I think it's okay if some things weren't explained because I understand that this first book is meant the be the beginning of a long series. I just don't understand why the monsters want to stroke themselves when they see her and that is not explained. There are a few inconsistences but I'll just share the first one I found.
"then turned out the light and fell almost immediately into a deep, dreamless sleep. Someone knocking at my door awakened me. I sat up, rubbing gritty, tired eyes that felt as if I’d just shut them seconds ago. It took me a few moments to remember where I was—in a twin bed in a chilly room in Dublin, with rain tapping lightly at the window. I’d been having a fantastic dream."
Moning, Karen Marie. Darkfever: Fever Series Book 1 (pp. 48-49). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
So Mac starts off saying that she "fell almost immediately into a deep, dreamless sleep." only to say at the beginning of the next paragraph, "I'd been having a fantastic dream."
(TW - mention of physical assault)
I don't think the relationship between Barrons and Mac is really possible without Mac continuing to accept Barrons' physically and verbally abusive behavior, at this point. Within the first few days of knowing each other, they get into one of their many arguments. Only this time, Barrons decides to "snatch" Mac up off the couch she's sitting on, by grabbing her by the hair and neck and shoving her against a wall.
He was on me before my brain processed the fact that he was coming for me. It was the third time he’d pulled such a stunt and it was getting darned old. The man was either an Olympic sprinter or, because I’d never been jumped before, I just couldn’t get a grasp on how quickly it happens. His lunges were way faster than my instincts to react. Lips compressed, face tight with fury, he dragged me up off the couch with a hand in my hair, grabbed my throat with the other, and began walking me backward toward the wall.
Moning, Karen Marie. Darkfever: Fever Series Book 1 (pp. 77-78). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
This is not described as consensual non-consent OR romantic behavior at all. This is described as the abuse it is. Barrons is supposed to be the main love interest but he physically attacks Mac several times in the beginning of their acquaintanceship. Towards the end of the book Barrons saves Mac and for some reason the author sort of paints this idea that it's okay to forget or that we should forget that Barrons was physically abusive towards Mac almost every time they were in each other's proximity. Barrons saves Mac and so the character is expected to be redeemed of his earlier behavior. Well I still don't like him, he's awful and abusive, I want Mac to get far away from him.
The audiobook narrator was okay, I didn't love their performance but I could stand it. Mac, the main character, is supposed to be from the United States South and so the narrator tried to use a "Southern" accent and sometimes the narrator would lose the accent for two sentences just to pick it back up in the third sentence. It was a bit distracting and took me out of the immersion of the story almost every time it happened. Someone gifted me every audiobook in this series (there was a sale at $2.99 per audiobook) so I plan on finishing this series. I think I don't mind that the book's narrators changes to new narrators starting in book 4, Dreamfever.
There were no spicy scenes in this book. All the scenes having to do with arousal had to do with monsters, fae, and creatures of the night being sexually aggressive and even almost sexually assaulting the main character by using fae glamour to make her think she "wants it". Nothing happened but I don't want to read about "almost sexual assaults" in my paranormal ROMANCES. I'm giving the spicy scenes zero -🌶️ chilies out of five chilies
Overall, I think the beginning of this book was not good, though the premise was interesting. The ending of the book is where the action and the full story started to come together, it was definitely the most interesting part of the book. I don't understand the "slow burn romance" in here because Barrons is terrible to Mac and even physically abusive to her in the days following their first meeting. That's not romantic at all. Some of the writing was also inconsistent. I'm giving this 2 out of 5 stars.
⭐️⭐️ - 2/5 Stars
I listened to this audiobook for free on [Libbyapp.com]
💬: "Sinsar Dubh1: a Dark Hallow belonging to the mythological race of the Tuatha Dé Danaan. Written in a language known only to the most ancient of their kind, it is said to hold the deadliest of all magic within its encrypted pages. Brought to Ireland by the Tuatha Dé during the invasions written of in the pseudohistory Leabhar Gabhåla3, it was stolen along with the other Dark Hallows and rumored to have found its way into the world of Man."
Moning, Karen Marie. Darkfever: Fever Series Book 1 (p. 66). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
📖Genres: fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, paranormal romance, Fae
📚Page Count: 343
🎧Audiobook Length: 08h 57min
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️ - 2/5
----
TW - <spoiler>Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail</spoiler>
Darkfever is the first book in the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. MacKayla, more commonly known as Mac, is grieving because her older sister was murdered while abroad in Ireland. Mac's sister left one clue, one enigmatic voice message. So when the criminal murder investigation halts, Mac decides to travel to Ireland to find out who murdered her sister and why. As Mac digs deeper she finds maybe an enemy or ally in the peculiar Jericho Barrons, who happens to be shadowing her. Eventually Mac discovers that she's a sidhe-seer (she-seer), someone who can see and sense the monsters on the other side of the veil. V'lane, an alpha Fae who glamours women into wanting sexual intercourse from him, also has his sights set on Mac. The one thing that Mac discovers is that she needs to get her hands on the Sinsar Dubh, a one of a kind Dark Book that has the power to control both the human world and the fae world, before anyone else finds it.
The first part of the book was really boring, things don't pick up and get more interesting in the book until after the 50% mark. This book also had some inconsistencies as well as several scenes not being explained at all. It felt like nothing relevant was happening in the first 50% of the book. We get world building when Mac learns more about the Fae world and she writes the information down in her notebook, I suppose that's okay? It feels a little like lazy writing. The first time Mac finally sees a monster up close is at the 31% mark and that felt like the story was going too slowly. When Mac sees the monster she notices that it is naked and has a large "member", for some reason the monster stares back at her and begins to stroke itself?!This was never explained "why". To be fair, I think it's okay if some things weren't explained because I understand that this first book is meant the be the beginning of a long series. I just don't understand why the monsters want to stroke themselves when they see her and that is not explained. There are a few inconsistences but I'll just share the first one I found.
"then turned out the light and fell almost immediately into a deep, dreamless sleep. Someone knocking at my door awakened me. I sat up, rubbing gritty, tired eyes that felt as if I’d just shut them seconds ago. It took me a few moments to remember where I was—in a twin bed in a chilly room in Dublin, with rain tapping lightly at the window. I’d been having a fantastic dream."
Moning, Karen Marie. Darkfever: Fever Series Book 1 (pp. 48-49). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
So Mac starts off saying that she "fell almost immediately into a deep, dreamless sleep." only to say at the beginning of the next paragraph, "I'd been having a fantastic dream."
(TW - mention of physical assault)
I don't think the relationship between Barrons and Mac is really possible without Mac continuing to accept Barrons' physically and verbally abusive behavior, at this point. Within the first few days of knowing each other, they get into one of their many arguments. Only this time, Barrons decides to "snatch" Mac up off the couch she's sitting on, by grabbing her by the hair and neck and shoving her against a wall.
He was on me before my brain processed the fact that he was coming for me. It was the third time he’d pulled such a stunt and it was getting darned old. The man was either an Olympic sprinter or, because I’d never been jumped before, I just couldn’t get a grasp on how quickly it happens. His lunges were way faster than my instincts to react. Lips compressed, face tight with fury, he dragged me up off the couch with a hand in my hair, grabbed my throat with the other, and began walking me backward toward the wall.
Moning, Karen Marie. Darkfever: Fever Series Book 1 (pp. 77-78). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
This is not described as consensual non-consent OR romantic behavior at all. This is described as the abuse it is. Barrons is supposed to be the main love interest but he physically attacks Mac several times in the beginning of their acquaintanceship. Towards the end of the book Barrons saves Mac and for some reason the author sort of paints this idea that it's okay to forget or that we should forget that Barrons was physically abusive towards Mac almost every time they were in each other's proximity. Barrons saves Mac and so the character is expected to be redeemed of his earlier behavior. Well I still don't like him, he's awful and abusive, I want Mac to get far away from him.
The audiobook narrator was okay, I didn't love their performance but I could stand it. Mac, the main character, is supposed to be from the United States South and so the narrator tried to use a "Southern" accent and sometimes the narrator would lose the accent for two sentences just to pick it back up in the third sentence. It was a bit distracting and took me out of the immersion of the story almost every time it happened. Someone gifted me every audiobook in this series (there was a sale at $2.99 per audiobook) so I plan on finishing this series. I think I don't mind that the book's narrators changes to new narrators starting in book 4, Dreamfever.
There were no spicy scenes in this book. All the scenes having to do with arousal had to do with monsters, fae, and creatures of the night being sexually aggressive and even almost sexually assaulting the main character by using fae glamour to make her think she "wants it". Nothing happened but I don't want to read about "almost sexual assaults" in my paranormal ROMANCES. I'm giving the spicy scenes zero -🌶️ chilies out of five chilies
Overall, I think the beginning of this book was not good, though the premise was interesting. The ending of the book is where the action and the full story started to come together, it was definitely the most interesting part of the book. I don't understand the "slow burn romance" in here because Barrons is terrible to Mac and even physically abusive to her in the days following their first meeting. That's not romantic at all. Some of the writing was also inconsistent. I'm giving this 2 out of 5 stars.
⭐️⭐️ - 2/5 Stars
I listened to this audiobook for free on [Libbyapp.com]
💬: "The thought has the corners of my mouth twitching in the makings of a carefully repressed smile and just like that, hate slips so easily away. Love weighs so much less. Nothing at all. It is pure buoyancy."
Stephens, Elizabeth. Taken to Nobu: A SciFi Alien Romance (Xiveri Mates Book 2) (p. 294). Kindle Edition.
📖Genres: romance, sci-fi, sci-fi romance, aliens, fantasy romance
📚Page Count: 358
🎧Audiobook Length: 09h 15min
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - 4.5/5
----
TW - <spoiler>Body horror, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail</spoiler>
*I read this story because it was recommended by romance author, Katee Roberts*
Taken to Nobu by Elizabeth Stephens is the second book in the Xiveri Mates series. Kiki is on Nobu, a snow consumed planet, where she's stuck with no escape. The leader of the colony that she's on is Va'Raku and he claims that she is his Xiveri mate. She isn't sure what that is but she wants no part in mating with an alien and she definitely doesn't want to participate in "The Hunt", an event where she will be tracked and hunted with little to no options to save herself from the mating event. She knows one thing for sure, she's going to fight anyone who tries to touch her. Va'Raku knows that Kiki hates him but he also knows that she is without a doubt, his Xiveri mate, he's determined to win her over during "The Hunt" so she'll finally be his mate and rule the colony beside him. He's never met a warrior woman like her and while impressed, he suddenly realizes that Kiki is fighting him out of fear and not out of honor. Kiki has been hurt by an alien before and Va'Raku is willing to do anything to make that man pay, will Kiki trust Va'Raku enough to help get her revenge?
(TW - mention of sexual assault, rape, grey sexual consent lines)
I enjoyed this book as much, if not more than the first book in the series. The main character, Kiki, is a character we followed at the beginning of book one briefly, in this book we finally get to read about what happened to her after the events of book one. Kiki is a sexual assault survivor (the events are not shown on page, as they happened before the events of the first book, they are just referred to) and so at the beginning of the book when she gets the news that she'll be participating in "The Hunt" (where alien men chase and pursue woman so they can find their mates and produce children while fostering a relationship.) She goes into defense mode, she doesn't want to be forced to mate an alien against her will so she decides to fight. After defeating a few of these alien men, eventually, Kiki meets Va'Raku and Kiki's body and soul decide that they want Va'Raku (like fated mates, sort of). Kiki then changes her "No, I don't want to be touched" to a "Yes, touch me now Va'Raku".
I really enjoyed the narrators of this audiobook, just like I enjoyed the narrators of the first book in the Xiveri Mates series. Blaire Leblanc returns to voice Kiki and some of the other characters and she does a fantastic job, just like she did with the first book. Marquis De Sade voices Va'Raku and he does a really good job as well. This audiobook was published by Vitruvian Sound and overall, they did a nice job.
All but one of the spicy scenes were nice and enjoyable to read/listen to on audiobook. The first scene where the couple are together intimately for the first time is hard to judge because there is a misunderstanding between the Kiki and Va'Raku because of cultural differences. <spoiler>At first Kiki is determined to not be physically intimate with anyone, even though she is being perused by several alien men in "The Hunt". That changes when she meets Va'Raku. </spoiler> The rest of the spicy scenes were wonderful. I'm giving the spicy scenes three point five chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5 out of five chilies
Overall, I think this story was really enjoyable. I did have issues with the one part in the book that depicted "grey or blurred consent lines", but other than that issue, it was mostly good. I enjoyed most of the characters, in fact, there were only two characters (out of a cast of about 10 main and background characters) that I didn't like. I also enjoyed the growing romance between Kiki and Va'Raku. I'm giving this 4.5 out of 5 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4.5/5 Stars
I listened to this audiobook for free on [Libbyapp.com]
💬: "The thought has the corners of my mouth twitching in the makings of a carefully repressed smile and just like that, hate slips so easily away. Love weighs so much less. Nothing at all. It is pure buoyancy."
Stephens, Elizabeth. Taken to Nobu: A SciFi Alien Romance (Xiveri Mates Book 2) (p. 294). Kindle Edition.
📖Genres: romance, sci-fi, sci-fi romance, aliens, fantasy romance
📚Page Count: 358
🎧Audiobook Length: 09h 15min
👩🏾🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - 4.5/5
----
TW - <spoiler>Body horror, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail</spoiler>
*I read this story because it was recommended by romance author, Katee Roberts*
Taken to Nobu by Elizabeth Stephens is the second book in the Xiveri Mates series. Kiki is on Nobu, a snow consumed planet, where she's stuck with no escape. The leader of the colony that she's on is Va'Raku and he claims that she is his Xiveri mate. She isn't sure what that is but she wants no part in mating with an alien and she definitely doesn't want to participate in "The Hunt", an event where she will be tracked and hunted with little to no options to save herself from the mating event. She knows one thing for sure, she's going to fight anyone who tries to touch her. Va'Raku knows that Kiki hates him but he also knows that she is without a doubt, his Xiveri mate, he's determined to win her over during "The Hunt" so she'll finally be his mate and rule the colony beside him. He's never met a warrior woman like her and while impressed, he suddenly realizes that Kiki is fighting him out of fear and not out of honor. Kiki has been hurt by an alien before and Va'Raku is willing to do anything to make that man pay, will Kiki trust Va'Raku enough to help get her revenge?
(TW - mention of sexual assault, rape, grey sexual consent lines)
I enjoyed this book as much, if not more than the first book in the series. The main character, Kiki, is a character we followed at the beginning of book one briefly, in this book we finally get to read about what happened to her after the events of book one. Kiki is a sexual assault survivor (the events are not shown on page, as they happened before the events of the first book, they are just referred to) and so at the beginning of the book when she gets the news that she'll be participating in "The Hunt" (where alien men chase and pursue woman so they can find their mates and produce children while fostering a relationship.) She goes into defense mode, she doesn't want to be forced to mate an alien against her will so she decides to fight. After defeating a few of these alien men, eventually, Kiki meets Va'Raku and Kiki's body and soul decide that they want Va'Raku (like fated mates, sort of). Kiki then changes her "No, I don't want to be touched" to a "Yes, touch me now Va'Raku".
I really enjoyed the narrators of this audiobook, just like I enjoyed the narrators of the first book in the Xiveri Mates series. Blaire Leblanc returns to voice Kiki and some of the other characters and she does a fantastic job, just like she did with the first book. Marquis De Sade voices Va'Raku and he does a really good job as well. This audiobook was published by Vitruvian Sound and overall, they did a nice job.
All but one of the spicy scenes were nice and enjoyable to read/listen to on audiobook. The first scene where the couple are together intimately for the first time is hard to judge because there is a misunderstanding between the Kiki and Va'Raku because of cultural differences. <spoiler>At first Kiki is determined to not be physically intimate with anyone, even though she is being perused by several alien men in "The Hunt". That changes when she meets Va'Raku. </spoiler> The rest of the spicy scenes were wonderful. I'm giving the spicy scenes three point five chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5 out of five chilies
Overall, I think this story was really enjoyable. I did have issues with the one part in the book that depicted "grey or blurred consent lines", but other than that issue, it was mostly good. I enjoyed most of the characters, in fact, there were only two characters (out of a cast of about 10 main and background characters) that I didn't like. I also enjoyed the growing romance between Kiki and Va'Raku. I'm giving this 4.5 out of 5 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4.5/5 Stars
I listened to this audiobook for free on [Libbyapp.com]
