Asia

I really liked it. Though I was wondering ‘where is her lady's maid' every time she went to call on her friends, or went shopping with them. Come on! Also, DID SHE FINALLY BUY HERSELF A NEW WARDROBE? She should!

3/5

I've got mixed feelings about this book.

The descriptjon promised something else entirely. It said that Jess would find out that Derrick was lying to her but she would be forced to team up with him to save her town.

And it seemed like he would be the enemy.

Instead, the big secret was only that Derrick was a son of goddess Gaia, and THAT'S IT. And we (and Jess) didn't learn of it until 80% of the book.

Also, the fact that main character readily believed the woman who hated her was laughable.

Amd she wasn't forced to team up with him, not at all. She forgave him literally the next day.

So really, the description promised something entorely else and it spoiled a part of the book in the process.

And the scary demons that would destroy the town? Defeated by a 16 year old girl's speech? Oh, come on. That was ridicullous. Why did she had to train her powers then? The book and decription was preparing us for a big battle and what we got was a letdown. Honestly, I'm disappointed.

The romance is cute though. Derrick and Jess are a cute couple but I just didn't care enough. And the change in perspective - Jess's in first person and Derrick's in third person was jarring to say the least. I would have preferred them to be both in the same person and for more chapters from Derrick's point of view.

Speaking of characters, I'm not sure what was the deal with Billy. Half of the book seemed like he was still in love with Jess and tried to win her back, part of the book seemed like he wanted to avoid her, and another part that he was deeply in love with Rosalie and dodn't care about Jess. It was a mess, honestly.

Overall, the book was cute and the vibes were also,just like the romance. But it wasn't wbat I was expecting based on the description which I'm dissapointed in.

3.75/5

That was so cute, I loved that! Though ngl ,I was convinced it was a full-length novella instead so I was disappointed by the epilogue at 51% lol.

The characters were cool and I liked them! And Greta Green elopement is one of my favourite tropes!

4/5
That was so cute!! I loved that!!!

The characters were well-written with depth. Teddy and Jack were the best, definitely stole my heart. I loved Nate and Beth and their relationship too. While they got off the wrong foot, determined to judge one another, they slowly melted their frozen walls and let the other in.

The grovelling!! Yes, I loved that! Nate's Mother had a good idea haha. And I'm glad that people stood up for Beth at that party too.

The writing was beautiful. I loved it. I will definitely read more from that author soon.

2.5/5

A cute little novella but nothing special. I don't know why there was even a lie about the fellowship when nothing came of it. I really thought there would be some conflict about it, but nothing happened.

Steph is a grumpy grump who picks fights with children (don't blame her tbh) while Thad is her opposite. There was no depth to the characters at all which sucked. Everything felt superficial tbh.

2/5

There was nothing Christmasy about it. I'm quite disappointed. With the title like that I was expecting more focus on Christmastime... From which we got exactly one chapter that took place during the ball where FMC talked to her family about securing their future, nothing else.

I hate when there are letters or diary entries written in a font that looks like handwriting, because it's always so difficult to read. And there were a lot of them here.

I didn't like jumping through povs within chapters and the fact that they only met at 30% for the first time?? Come on.

I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters and I wish the book would focus more on romance between Georgiana and Edward, as well as Georgiana's job as a governess. But we didn't even see one lesson at all which was disappointing to say the least. The book focused more on Georgiana trying to stop the Viscount from pursuing her tbh.

I didn't like it very much and the writing didn't help matters. The book dragged on and on tbh, despite being less than 200 pages long.

3,5/5

decent book. nothing spectacular, but not bad either

3.5/5

It wasn't my favourite but it wasn't horrible either. Tbh I'm kinda ambivalent about this whole thing.

It was obvious who Ollie was since the beginning but I loved him, he was so sweet to Grace and so respectful! Ngl, Grace made me laugh with “close your eyes while you're taking my shoe off, you cannot see my ankle” lmao.

Grace's cousin was sweet, I liked her. I don't care how much Grace's father loved her, he still gave her hand o an earl 20 years older than her with no hesitation. And then he thanks her for her “doing her duty because her sisters deserve happiness”? What of Grace's happiness? Seriously, fuck that dude, you don't do that to someone you love. period.

DNF 62%

God, I hated this book. Beck was so toxic, I've wasted so much time trying to read it, forcing myself to finish it but I couldn't. I hated both characters but especially Beck.

2/5

The book was boring and predictable, the only good thing about it was that it was short.

And even then what I really wanted to know wasn't answered. Did she continue her job with the agency? What happened to her Aunt's apartment? Did she find another job? Or is her partner sponsoring her life?

1/5

What a shit show. And not in a good way. The dirty talk was boring and cringy, the writing was horrible as if written by a teenager and the spicy scenes were over the top and overdramatic. Okay, they're both insatiable but who the fack comes 15 times in a row with no breaks and then isn't tired or sore even a little bit? Come on.

The whole Kitty thing was cringy, I hated that. Especially the exaggerated “Heyyyyyyyy” Did this book have no editor? The dialogue was either stilted or over the top, there was no in-between. And the weird drama with her pedophilic ex-boyfriend? Yeah, CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNING: her ex has a child p*rn on his computer AND he installed a program that recorded her in ber without her knowledge. That was COMPLETELY out of nowhere and wasn't even addressed afterward, just that he was arrested. Like what? You dump this problematic shit and then don't even deal with it properly? Ugh.

Another scene that stuck with me which was so weird: she puked and then he kissed her. Almost immediately after. She didn't even wash her teeth or even drink water or anything! They just went straight to kissing? What the heck?

And don't even get me started on romance. So they're online ‘friends” who know nothing about each other's lives because THEY DON'T TALK, NOT REALLY but they're suddenly in love, and after 3 days of non-stop sex they suddenly move in together? What the hell.

If I could 0 points I would. But I actually finished this horrible book and I always give the finished book 1 star. Though this wattpad like writing doesn't deserve that.

4/5
This was such a good book. I've only read Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen before and I wasn't sure about this paranormal romance with curses and magic, but boy, I have loved it.

When he was thirteen years old, King stole from the witch who cursed him and the two of his friends. Now at age 30, the witch is back and gleefully awaits his punishment. And the curse works: King loses his house, his title, and his wealth, and his estranged father is accused of treason. He has nowhere to go while everyone invades his house to reclaim the money he owes them.

One of the people is Violet, the owner of the tavern King destroyed the evening prior. He not only started a fight, but in the battle, her employee was hurt, and her supplies and furniture were destroyed. oh, and she has two little brothers to take care of, whi;e the gang leader demands taxes as well. King, hoping to escape everyone, goes with her.

Boy, I loved the chemistry between Vi and King. He was lazy, demanding, whining, and thought himself better than everyone else, and I LOVED his transformation into a caring, dependable man who was willing to risk his life to keep Violet and the boys safe. Violet was resourceful, witty, intelligent, and hardworking and I loved how much she bossed King around. He needed to humble himself before her and boy, did he deliver.

And the amazing nickname he had for her too!! So good!

While the witch and her sister weren't as prevalent in the book as I hoped for, I liked it. And the witch's sister was a surprise too, one that I hope will be continued in the sequel. I hope we get to see the sequel again from King and Violet's perspective (somehow, I don't think I can read Rory's story and not cry), especially because he was the one who received the note (though maybe his friends received next parts as well? Who knows?) and I would love to see more adventures from King and Violet's perspective.

Joshua and Georgie were so cute too! They are precious and I love them.

I cannot wait to read the sequels, I know they will be amazing as well.

Thank you, NetGalley and Draginblade Publishing for providing the ARC in exchange for the honest review.

5/5

I loved it!! It was so wholesome!! Very well-written and poetic, I love this type of narration in a historical romance. The setting was delightful, the characters were amazing and the dialogue was clever.

The ending!!! I had a stray thought early on in the book “Imagine if...” but I ignored it immediately! And yet, here we are!

Simon is so stubborn but I loved him. I loved his realization that he loved Jane. And I loved that Jame realized while she was playing cards! And he wasn't even there! I LOVE it when the characters are doing something completely ordinary, something that has nothing at all to do with the other love interest and that's when the realization hits. It's so good, always.

Jane was so good too. Her humour and wit was amazing and I can see how she could charm Simon so well, without even trying.

THE RING!!! THE RING!!!! AGSVGSDFSGDBD I was hoping this would happen!! I loved it!!

I enjoyed this book and I loved it.

4/5

Wow. Okay. I didn't expect that.

The first 40% or so was very slow and boring for me. I usually love the tension and longing, but it was getting boring quickly. Especially that constant anxiety over potentially getting fired if they gave in. I didn't like that. But then, Zanders and Stevie finally hooked up and the plot started picking up.

I liked this book more and more with each chapter. I was forcing myself to read the first half but I was excited later! The characters were more likable and I could finally root for them!

Ngl, Zanders annoyed me at the beginning with his arrogance but I liked him the more I learned about him, like Stevie. I loved their “You following me?” joke, it was cute. We see him getting intrigued by Stevie once he realizes that she doesn't give a shit about his celebrity status, which then turned into a genuine interest and then obsession (in a good way!) And when Stevie finally gave in and they hooked up, Zanders became the boy obsessed. I LOVED THAT.

He lost all chill he has ever had and he was just so in love with her! And what was amazing was to see that he was aware that he was falling for her and he didn't try to escape or run away from it - he was emotionally mature enough to know what was happening and to recognize it as a good thing. He didn't want her to know him only for his reputation as the bad boy, he wanted her to know the truth - and he wanted her to choose him. because he chose her.

That's another thing I loved. He constantly chose her first, something that nobody but her brother had ever done. The way Stevie's ex treated her was horrible and it gave her many insecurities, but I LOVED that Zanders took time and effort to teach Stevie to love herself and to be confident in herself in her body, to have faith that someone loves her and chooses her first. And the way he praised her and worshipped her was hot and incredible. Stevie deserved it and I'm glad that Zander realizes what was going on and BELIEVED what he was saying, he was so horny for her, it was hilarious.

And I loved how much Stevie loved Zanders too and taught him that she was there and he deserved to be loved.

ZANDER ADOPTING ROSE WAS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS. It was just so sweet and thoughtful! And he bought her clothes in a few different sizes, it was so sweet of him! And he protected her from her ex-boyfriend, loved that! He was so sweet, obsessed, horny, unhinged, all because of, and for Stevie. ANOTHER THING that I loved: at the beginning he had notes of every girl he hooked up with in each city, reminding him who they were and how good they were in bed. And the INSTANT Stevie gave him a chance, he deleted them all to write only about Stevie: what happened between them in each city and how much he appreciates her. Even the mundane things like her wearing his t-shirt to bed. IT WAS SO SWEET I MELTED.

All the spicy scenes were well-written, I enjoyed reading them. Tey were both so into one another, it was both hot and adorable at the same time.

I knew Rich was playing Zanders since the beginning. I knew that he was a lying piece of shit and I was so frustrated with Zanders for keeping him for so long. Thank God for Maddison for having Zanders's back and firing Rich as well. He was such a good friend! Someone Zanders needed!

Ella was so CUTE AND ADORABLE! I loved her relationship with Zanders!

But the real MVP was Ryan for me. He was such a good brother! He helped Stevie get the job and moved her to his apartment, HE WAS SO SUPPORTIVE ALL THE TIME! The decision he made regarding their mother after learning how she treated Stevie, his absolute hatred towards his former friend (Stevie's ex) after he learned what happened between them, his support of Zanders and Stevie's relationship - even when he didn't like Zanders AT ALL at the beginning, his faith and belief in Stevie and his infinite love and support - he's the best brother there is and I'm super excited to read his book next. I can hardly wait.

Overall the book was good though it had a few bad things. One, the length - it was too long for me. two, the first half was so boring. Three, the third act breakup. Sure, Zanders was trying to protect Stevie but it was still a shitty move. Though the ending was so sweet and amazing that I can almost forgive i. But four, and I think it was the worst thing about this book was the representation. or a lack of it.

I forgot that Zanders and Stevie were supposed to be Black/mixed race all the time. Usually when I'm reading a book with diverse characters, I always remember their ethnicity or race, whether because of their name or cultural things being referenced or something. The books are just full of those little details that are subtle, but still there, reminding us of who those characters are. But in this book? i don't want to say too much since I'm white and I don't want to step on someone's toes and I' trying to be as respectful as I can. But I forgot about Zanders and Stevie's race all the time. I only remembered when Stevie's skin was specifically described as light brown and when Zanders jewelry - golden his rings and chain - were described again and again. Honestly, the story wouldn't change AT ALL if the characters were white instead, or any other ethnicity/race. Which is a shame.

4/5

That was a heartwarming story, I quite enjoyed it.

We have Charlee and Oliver, two souls brought together by a school project. They start writing letters and let it turn into something more. So they plan to meet. Unfortunately, the circumstances prevent them from doing so. Now years later, they have another chance.

I liked this story. I loved the description of nature and how appreciative of it they were. But I also loved how both Charlee and Oliver were affected by one another and tried to move past what happened but they couldn't just forget. Although I think the reason why Oliver couldn't meet her remained a mystery for too long. I understand what the author tried to do but for me it dragged on for a bit. I hate the miscommunication trope and while it wasn't bad here, I was hoping for something better.

The reasons why they couldn't write later... I don't like it lol. This whole Emilio issue was so dumb, it's like the author tried really hard for the characters to have obstacles on purpose but this but was forced. I didn't like it.

I enjoyed the story though and how much they reconnected after years. The spice was good but there was some tenderness in Oliver toward Charlee and I loved it. He was so gentle and amazing!! A cinnamon roll here is much better than an alpha man imo.

I received the ARC via NetGalley.

3,75/5

Why is the person on the cover white if Bianca is a Black woman?? Where's sense or logic???

I enjoyed this story and all the changes the author made to the fairytale. Instead of 7 dwarfs we have 7 friends, the Huntsman is the Prince, and the talking glass is a parrot. I liked it.

4/5

I liked it but I wish Rich was more obsessed with Phoebe. lmao I need more romance!! The mystery is all great and fun but I keep hoping for more scenes between Phoebe and Rich. I mean they didn't even kiss yet!

3.5/5

That was cute. Not great but definitely cute. They were adorable. I love man obsessed and boy, the way he followed her like a puppy was awesome.

4/5

So. I didn't know it was the THIRD BOOK IN THE SERIES when I started to read it. Admittedly, I didn't read the whole description, but Goodreads didn't tell me that either. And then I saw some hints about Rich, a guy she was supposedly dating but not really, and some allusions to what happened previously and I was 20% in but decided to look it up. And wouldn't you know, there are more books about Phoebe.

I just wish Goodreads included this bit of information before I started reading this book lmao.

So yes, I had to read “Something Wicked” and “Spell Bound” first. Ugh. Okay. Onto this book!

After reading the previous two books, I actually appreciate the characters more.

It was fun to see Phoebe being invited to be a part of investigation since everyone knew she would just try to solve it on her own. And her partnering with Rich was amazing because it gave them more opportunity to spend time together. But I wish it was ore focused on romance, you know? The plot was all and good but I was hoping for more Rich/Phoebe content. At least their first official date. And we didn't get it.

But they FINALLY kissed??? And it was amazing. Too bad nothing else happened haha.

Overall, the book is well written but the plot of the murder mystery was confusing and over the top. And I think the author forgot a few things from her previous books - for example, Rich already knew that Phoebe was a witch, because he told her that Eudora asked him to keep an eye on her. But in this book Phoebe suddenly didn't know about that? And was shosked when she found out? She already learned about it in the previous book! A little consistency, please.

Also, there are some stylistic choices I would have done differently. For example text messages I would have preferred them to be in cursive, or even in quotation marks to differentiate them from the narration. And put them in separate paragraphs. There's nothing like this here, which makes it hard for the reader to figure out that they're part of the dialogue.

But the book was good although I wa disappointed in the lack of romance. And the fact that NetGalley didn't advertise this book as the third one in the series. It can't really be read as a standalone imo, and the marketing should have reflected it.

1/5. If I could give a 0, I would, but on the principle, all finished books are getting 1 at least star.

God, it was so bad, I'm disgusted.

Like seriously what the fuck was that?? The FMC has NO spine whatsoever. None. Her boss introduces her as her fiance? She goes with it. His mother invites HER mother even though she didn't want that? She hugs her. Their mothers are planning their wedding according to what they want, disregarding Preston and Eliza's plans? She goes with it because “oh she can't disappoint their mothers” GROW A SPINE.

If anyone, ANYONE started to plan my wedding and invite my best friends to have this wedding take place within the next 3 weeks, I'm leaving. I'm packing my suitcases and getting the hell out of dodge. I don't wait around and I don't stand silent. So what is my mother would be disappointed? It's not her fucking day. She has no say in it. God, I was hoping for Eliza to finally tell them to fuck off, but noooooooooo, because that wouldn't be polite...

The writing was so bad too. Not just the plot, which was bonkers, or a character development, but writing. When Preston went to the pharmacy to buy condoms the sentence was “he went to buy reinforcements, condoms”. Yes, we know! You don't have to say condoms, reinforcements would be enough!! During sex scenes, the word “pussy” was used 4 times... In 6 sentences. Come on, this is a wattpad lever of writing. The author needs to graduate to ao3 before publishing a book, because it was just bad.

“Eliza moved up the bed, but Preston captured her ankle and pulled her back down until she was a little further onto the bed than the edge.” THIS IS A SENTENCE FROM THE BOOK. I mean, really? Just say he pulled her back down and THAT'S IT. YOU DON'T NEED ANYTHING ELSE.

Or the explanation here:

“When she arrived back home after being with Preston the first time, she'd changed into the shorts as they felt more comfortable in the heat of summer. It didn't matter what she was wearing. With Preston removing her clothes, they were soon on the floor with her panties.” IF IT DIDN'T MATTER THEN WHY DOES IT SAY WHAT SHE'S WEARING, SAM? WHY?

That book was so bad. Oh my god, never again.

“The sex they shared had been good. Not groundbreaking, but it was nice.”

I need to sit down, I think I'm having a stroke.

4.25/5
This book was delightful. I loved Mariel and her character, I related to her a little in terms of her lack of self-confidence. But I love how much she grew into herself and settled into her powers with Oz's help. And I really related to ger struggling with the language of power, I hated learning languages at school, especially Latin was horrible and impossible for me to learn.

Oz was AMAZING, I loved how grumpy he was at the very beginning and as he and Mariel grew closer he was more open and allowed himself to be happy no matter the consequences.

Calladia was the best friend anyone could ever hope for, I adore her! The way she just marched up to Astaroth and punched him for destroying Mariel's garden was brilliant! I want to be her when I grow up, ngl. Can't wait for her book!

THE WAY MARIEL STOOD UP TO HER MOTHER, HELL YES. YES, I LOVED THAT MOMENT SO MUCH, I WAS CHEERING FOR HER! YOU GO, GIRL!

I also loved the old tiny warlock (I forgot his name, I'm sorry!), he was a great mentor to Mariel and I liked that he FINALLY had her back.

The ending was pretictable but that didn't take my enjoyment away. I loved that it ended this way, despite being able to predict it and I'm very happy for Mariel (and Oz!).

4/5
That was cute. I loved their banter. Too bad it was so short though!! I'd love to read the whole book about them

4/5

I liked it! It was so cute actually. I didn't realize who David was at first but then I remembered he's Marianne's brother right before I started reading the book. I love how Bell accepted him so early. I wish we saw more of Rhys and Julianna but that's okay. I also wish that their wedding was described in more detail instead of just one sentence. It was surprising to learn that the six of them decided to have a joint wedding but at least they're married.

Anabelle pissed me off halfway through the book. She refused to tell David the truth about the Marquess, she pushed David away and acted all standoffish and then she had a gall to be annoyed with him? Come on. Also, yes, she's a coward. She seduced David let him believe they were going to marry, only to turn it around and leave. Ugh.

Also, as much as I loved her conversation with Bell, one talk will not fix the entire childhood trauma and convince her to have a husband and children. Honestly, that conversation should have happened at the beginning of the book and she should be reminded throughout the book about it so that it would at least make sense when she decided to give David a chance. Trauma can't be fixed by one overdue conversation, Valerie!

Though I'm glad that they have their happily ever after.

3.75/5

I love it when I'm right. I knew this girl would be an old friend and who the real villain was. It was fun to be right about it!

It was a fun read although I had to force myself to focus on the book at times. I liked the characters and their relationship, although the plot dragged on, and then too rushed at the very end to tie loose ends. I didn't like it.

It was a fun idea and I didn't hate the book, but I didn't love it either. I don't know, I guess it wasn't really my thing even though I love a good old fake dating trope.

I realized (around 25%) that it was the second book in the series (shame on you, Goodreads for not letting me know beforehand - I mean you have the option to assign books to the series. And this is book 2!) but I didn't feel the need to read book 1. Even if I liked Harry and Kay.

Although now I really want to know if there are any mentions of Samantha or forgetting someone in the first book. But not enough to read it.

Amazing. I love Lina and Aaron, they're such a great couple! It ticked all of my favorite tropes: fakes dating, enemies to lovers (though here it was more rivals to lovers, which is awesome too), forced proximity, and only one bed. Good writing though I usually don't like 1st person pov - they're very limited and I enjoy dual pov in 3rd person the most, but I still like it and recommend the book.