Alex
BOUND was a great conclusion to a series I never thought I would read but I guess I like spider heroes now (or Vrix as Kethan would insist). Ivy and Kethan, along with their tribe, are on the run from the evil Queen and I never would have predicted how things turned out but I really enjoyed the way it did. I'm not going to spoil things but hell yeah Ivy! That was a pulse pounding ending for sure.
We also got to learn a bit more about each of the humans in the group and I'm really excited for the spin off series featuring Lacey, Callie, and Ahmya. And Will and Diego having feelings for each other? Loved it!
This was a fantastic series that I know will stick with me for awhile. It's so well paced, with interesting characters, a wild and lush setting, and a enduring romance between it's lead characters.
Content Warning: pregnancy and child birth
ENTHRALLED was an apt name for this book because I read it one sitting and couldn't put it down. After book one I was so curious to see how waking the other humans would go and what would happen when Ivy met Kethan's friends. I loved seeing all their interactions and how the dynamic shifted as the humans gained confidence and comfort with the Vrix.
Kethan's friends were instantly fascinated with the other humans and I loved the hints of future human/Vrix pairings that we got. Also, maybe something between Diego and Will...?
I'll keep this review short because I don't want to spoil anything but this book had me invested from the beginning and it was an intense read. Emotions were high, the scenes with the Queen were horrific, and after that ending I immediately started book 3 because I have to know how it all ends.
Content Warning: assault and death
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Favorite Quotes:
"Fate brought me to you, my heartsthread, and even if it tried to turn me away, I would defy it. Nothing will come between us. So long as the sun, moons, and stars make their treks across the sky, you will be mine, Ivy."
I can't believe I'm writing this, but ENSNARED had me falling for a giant spider alien. I've read a lot of monster and alien romances over the years with all manner of shapes, colors, and appendages. But this was the one that had me questioning if I'd finally gone too far. I mean come on, spiders?! But I was barely halfway through the book and I was already really enjoying it -- from its attention to detail, to its wild setting, to it's strangely beautiful spider hero.
One moment Ivy was being put into cryosleep for a journey to colonize a new planet and the next she's waking up an unknown amount of time later to a giant spider man carrying her through the jungle. Talk about a rude awakening! Ivy might not have had a lot of confidence, due to her upbringing and past, but she embraced her new life with a lot of inner strength and resilience. I loved seeing her self worth grow under Kethan's gentle care.
That's right, this giant 7 foot spider was practically a gentleman in the soft way he treated Ivy, taught her how to survive in the Tangle, and protected her from danger. He even cuddled her during thunderstorms and made her a silk dress! He might be a spider man but how is my romantic heart supposed to resist that? And when Kethan learned about Ivy's past and made it clear she deserved so much better? Heart absolutely melted.
Kethan and Ivy's relationship was a super slow burn but I truly appreciated seeing them work through their language barrier and come to understand the differences between the Vrix and humans. That culture clash is often missing in alien romances but it was done so well here! I also liked that they weren't instantly lusting for each other; they each individually had to come to terms with their attraction to someone who wasn't their own species. There was a little bit of dubious consent early on before they could understand each other and because Kethan didn't really know what Ivy was but it was resolved quickly.
ENSNARED was tightly focused on Kethan and Ivy surviving alone in the Tangle but we did get some scenes of other Vrix when Kethan would bring meat back to his people's underground home. The scenes with the Queen, who wants Kethan as a mate even though he's not interested, were intense and I have no idea how this will get resolved but I'm ready to jump right into book 2 to find out! I also loved Kethan's friends and I can't wait to see their reactions when they finally learn about Ivy.
Content Warning: threats of a forced mating (not between MCs); some dubious consent because Kethan doesnt understand human anatomy and language; parental abandonment; past manipulation from a partner
FEAR THE FLAMES was a great debut fantasy romance and I loved the chemistry and banter between Elowen and Cayden. They're not quite enemies but Elowen is the missing Princess from Amirath and Cayden is the ruthless Commander of an opposing kingdom. They strike up an alliance to benefit each other -- Cayden will help Elowen free her dragons from her evil father and Elowen will use them to fight in Cayden's war.
Together these two are a formidable pair and they understand each other in ways no one else does. They both have horrible trauma in their past and have been living for vengeance for a long time; I know morally gray MMCs are popular right now, but I loved that Elowen was equally bloodthirsty and badass. While they do have a lot in common this was still a slow burn and while I liked the tension I was getting tired of how delusional Elowen was about their relationship. It was so obvious that Cayden wanted her for more than the alliance but she kept taking one step back for every two steps forward. That got frustrating, especially after 70% into the book and of course the ending smashed any progress they made. I won't spoil things but it's a somewhat soft cliffhanger and barely an HFN so we'll have to wait for book 2 for Elowen and Cayden to get their crap together.
Outside of the romance, the world-building was simple but felt complete and easy to understand. The pace did drag a tiny bit in the middle and nothing really happened in between the small missions but for a debut this was really strong and impressive. The side characters were also really great and I loved Finnian, Saskia, and Ryder and I'd love to get more of their stories in future books. The dragons are minimal in this first installment of the series but what we got was fun and I'm looking forward to a lot more of them in book 2.
Content Warning: past child abuse and torture; on page graphic torture
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Favorite Quotes:
Oh gods, I kneed the most feared warlord on the continent in the balls.
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“I hardly recognize you when you look civilized.”
“I can take my clothes off if it’s too confusing for you.”
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"If you are to be my damnation, it's an end I'll happily meet."
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The man who bows and kneels for no king or god doesn’t hesitate to do so for me.
DNF @ 30%
I was really hoping HANDS OFF would be an exciting and fun bodyguard romance but alas, it's pretty boring and Aurora and Devon have very little chemistry. Aurora also makes some really dumb decisions regarding her safety and while there's nothing wrong with a woman pursuing a guy, Aurora really needs to learn what "no" means; seriously leave the man alone, he's said no multiple times.
Content Warning: recent death of a brother