Carla ✨

This book got me out of a slump and put me back into a new one 😭

What I love most about reading books is going into them, zero expectations, just hoping to get into a cool new world, where the author has given everything to make it their own. And this is just what happened.

The world building has so much to offer still but this first book was an awesome introduction to everything.

Sabine? Love her, she is everything I was hoping for in a FMC and I can't wait to see what she'll do in the next book. The only thing I wish would have been different is how quickly she falls for people, but lets blame that on being kept from human contact all those years.

As for Wolf? Gods I love him. Give me a tortured MMC who's loyal to the wrong person because they never had anyone and I WILL EAT THAT SHIT UP.

I need the next book ASAP. That ending will be the death of me.

This book was hella raw and emotional, not gonna lie.

I've been debating for a while, whether or not to give it 5⭐️, because there was just one thing that made me want to go mad, but I decided it wasn't of enough importance overall.

It's my first time reading Talia Hibbert and I loved how she writes. Specially how she wrote Rahul. WHAT A BOOK BOYFRIEND Y'ALL. I need more writers writing men like that.

That boy lived and breathed for one person, and one person only. And honestly? Who wouldn't wish they were Jas, I definitely did.

The only perk I could find was that I couldn't stand people ignoring the fact that Jas had problems.

It's a pet-peeve of mine I've realised. I like to call people on their bullshit, and I hater, HATED, how all her friends were like, okay, dangerous territory, better not talk about that.

NO. MAKE HER TALK ABOUT IT, GODDAMNIT. Homegirl was drowning in all her unspoken thoughts, and all of them saw it, AND NONE OF THEM DID NOTHING. UGH.

That's it. That was the thing driving me mad. But then I remember Rahul and I just can't, I cannot give the book 5⭐️. So there you have it.

I'm not even sorry. I am giving it 5 ⭐️ .

I don't care I sometimes got lost or confused by the politics.

I don't care the third person writing made me lose my goddamned mind half of the time.

I don't care. I really. do. not. care.

It's all worth the 5 stars. You know why?

Because Alex and Henry's story was one of the most beautiful I've ever read.

Because Alex discovering his sexuality was as funny to read as it made me feel stressed and confused right along with him.

Because the way Alex describes feeling everything that happens was as confusing as it was relatable.

And because those emails. THOSE EMAILS. GOD.

I won't be able to forget those emails.

And lastly, I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry if you didn't enjoy this book the way I did.

Because, honestly? This has to be one of the most beautiful experiences I had while reading a book.

And I hope it's one I get to relieve in the future in other books.

I'm giving this 5 stars and no one can stop me.

This book was the vacation to Greece I've yet to book for myself. I've been binging Mamma Mia and Un Cuento Perfecto, both of them (OBVIOUSLY) happening in Greece and I had to start this book afterwards.

I loved Tessa and Myles. Both of them. I saw myself in Tessa way too much and the Myles was just perfect. Like, where can I find myself a Myles in real life?

The way their story developed and the third act breakup? Shall I say this was Meghan's best third act break up from all her books (that I've read)? If not the best, my favourite at the very least.

Family is always one of those complicated topics. We've been taught that family comes before everything but what about when family is costing you your happiness? This book I feel tackled that in such a beautiful way, I feel this is where my need to give it 5 stars comes from.

The tone of this book was quite different from all the other Meghan books I've read but still keeping the funny, laugh out loud moments.

When I tell you she is one of my favourite authors, I'm not joking.

Anyways, anyone wanna come to Greece with me? Looking for a friend :')

I think I enjoyed Hayes Farrow way too much. Like how can you not? That man is practically a lovesick puppy, turned ravenous beast in bed.

I don't think I need to add anything else to this. The banter at the start was gooood, and I wish it had lasted for a bit longer. But overall another great book by Meghan that got me out of the slump.

3.75⭐️

I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy this book. I was really invested at the start, because who wouldn't? As a fan of the Jonas' show, I was dying to read a book just like that. My 16yo self was really happy.

The banter between Ash and Kell was lovely, I was really rooting for them. To be honest I don't even know what she saw about Ryan, he was definitely as manipulative as they get. It was real funny to see the fakeness behind the reality show and I wish we would have seen more about Ash recording on film sets or on his auditions.

Unfortunately the ending of the book kinda feel through for me personally at the third act breakup.

I was expecting a more mature approach to the situation coming from Kell. Her actions felt rushed and nonsensical and then it took her all of two pages to get her life together and to get back to Ash.

I wished the ending would have been a little bit different, but overall this was a book I really enjoyed and a trope I haven't seen much of!

3.75⭐

3🌶️

After Venom & Lace all I wanted was answers, answers to the craziness that book 1 was.

Lucky for me book 2 didn't turn down on the craziness but it did turn up the mafia, and I am not even mad about that.

This book felt like a bridge between book 1 and whatever Dani has planned for us in the upcoming books. It felt like Nova was closing a chapter in her life in some unconventional ways (but then again, the mafia will do that to you) and I loved how we got to see a more badass look from her.

I have nothing to say about Cian. I love him, you love him, we all love him. The spice? Chef's kiss 🤌🏻. I'm gonna put this out into the universe but... I need NEED a whole book in his POV. I think it would make for a great action book specially if his siblings are involved. I really enjoyed their dynamics and I hope they make an appearance in the upcoming books, because ... 👀

I need a Thora and Kaviathin book ASAP and AND a Juliet and Eros book. No buts, I need it. Dani, I need them.

Anyway, I want to thank Dani for providing me with an ARC of her second book, even though as always I ended up reading from KU (gotta give back to authors as much as you can). But as always, my opinions are always my own!

I really wished I liked this more than I did.

The start of the book felt endless. Elsie's thoughts were so jumbled up I got lost so many times. I ended up deciding it was best for my simple brain to just keep reading till it was over.

That was not the best start for me, honestly. Add this to the fact that I didn't connect much with the characters (which usually isn't a problem for me).

Either way, I kept reading because I am a sucker for science nerds romance, and i needed to know what would happen.

I don't think it was Ali's best novel to date, and that might be my inner IT girlie complaining about how much she hates physics and how hard they are to comprehend.

But right now I just want to make an official request to Alli for a male perspective book featuring Kirk and Cece, because I need it. I crave STEM themed books as if they were the air I need to breathe.

ps: not me complaining about Elsie's jumbled thoughts when I mostly do the same in my reviews 🤦🏼‍♀️ must be why i hated it 😂

Are you looking for a book that will be full on cozy cottage-core magic vibes? Well, this is your book. Rachel Griffin never disappoints.

Sometimes it's hard to explain what you liked about a book and what are the things you didn't enjoy as much. For me, Bring Me Your Midnight was a love letter to the sea, foraging and crafts. Nature, in general, but more specifically how to be gentle with it while also taking what we need from it.

Rachel's writing on this book was so evocative of stepping barefoot onto a grassy field at dusk. That's the only way i'd be able to describe this book. And the romance felt like spending a cold winter day at the beach and then going home to a blanket and a hot beverage.

I loved every single part of the way this book was written, from the wording to the referencing to past events as little clues being left behind. But when words weren't enough that's when i realised "not everything that shines is gold".

Even though the chemistry between Wolfe and Tana felt instant, it also felt rushed, as if with just one look both of them already knew they'd be it for each-other. Unfortunately, insta-love is not my trope. And another moment where everything felt so rushed, was in the "third-act breakup" if i am allowed of calling it that. It happened so fast I had to reread twice to understand what was going on (because sometimes as a Spaniard, English can be difficult, okay?).

Overall this was a beautiful book and the nostalgia it gave me and the feels and vibes of it all, it was definitely worth it. So if you need a book to feel those cozy witchy vibes? Rachel's books are what you're looking for.

Again I would name it a 4.5 but imma give it 5 stars.

It wasn't as heart wrenching as Pestilence but the end still got me.

And let me tell you something. Of course the cover should be self explanatory enough for you to know what to expect in the book. But aside from that, Laura makes one of the most clear scenes I've ever read. It feels so easy for me to picture what she is writing and in this books is what ends up breaking me.

So aside from sex on a stick War, be prepared for some difficult to diggest scenes.

Massive trigger warning for fully detailed SA on this one.

This is gonna be hard. My hopes for this book were so high, you don't even understand. I was so excited for this Once Upon a Time inspired book.

For starters, I felt like the book had no end goal.

I was hooked at the start by all the science like explanations of the magic and then after that, I felt like I was reading the version of a dating tv show where they dress you up nicely, give you a makeover, and start placing you in random dates with people you don't know. I was entertained at the very least, so I kept reading.

After all of that (which was basically the first 50% of the book), the SA happened. I cannot explain to you how disturbing it was to read that as a woman who fortunately has never been in that situation. I am not one to like when SA is implemented into stories but I feel the amount of detail that was included on this one was distasteful. A fade to black would have done the same job if the SA was really necessary for the story (which I personally think it wasn't).

(It gets spoilery in the next paragraphs, beware if you want to read the book, I won't give names though)

Afterwards, it was just pure chaos. The FMC "ends up" with another character with which she barely talked or knew. Said character came out as gay later on, and the author used a premise I did not like at all. You can not make a gay character say, "it's okay, i'll be in this heterosexual relationship with you, the magic will just make me straight" and be okay with it. I refuse to believe you can be okay with that.

Also... the ace rep was sketchy at best. I know sexuality is fluid but as someone on the ace spectrum it just didn't feel right.

But lo and behold, this wasn't over. I have to say I sped read through the last 25% just to know who the FMC would end up with and I was not surprised it was the first MMC that was introduced into the story.

I actually liked their relationship at the start but then when the other MMCs started appearing, he started disappearing, and therefore I thought he'd just be in the sidelines. But no. The FMC decides she needs him to get her tale finished and so they end up in bed. Yup. It is NOT a happy ending, there is no couple happening in the end, just what seems to be an open ending for the next book.

I am really sad I didn't enjoy this book as I hoped to. And unfortunately I don't see myself picking up the next instalments.

Thank you NetGalley and Auden Llyr for the ARC, even though I ended up reading the book through Kindle Unlimited because it had already released.

DNFd at 55%.

While the cover and the premise of the book did entice me, I found the overall story a wanna be Young Adult trying way too hard at being New Adult.

As a 25yo I felt uncomfortable reading about a minor (at the start of the book) and later on an 18yo adult (legally speaking), talk about and experience sexuality in such a way. Obviously teens nowadays have done all that and more at that age, but considering I thought I was reading a New Adult book, realising what the main character's age was it felt... weird.

Apart from that, the story felt repetitive at times and although the world-building had potential and was interesting enough, the characters and their journeys did not do it for me and led me to eventually abandon the book.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley & Lara Buckheit but all opinions are my own!

4.5⭐️

I loved it. I devoured it.

At this point, I don't think there's any Meghan Quinn book I won't like.

You can tell when I was obsessed with the book based on whether it's a 5⭐️ or not.

But really, thats just me being picky, I'd give all of them 5⭐️ , really.

I usually don't like insta love kind of relationships, but when they are done correctly i really enjoy them. And this one is proof of that.

I don't know what else to tell you. Like sports romance? This one is hockey! Also, girl in distress finds herself on a mountain cabin during storm, and said cabin has like 5 of the sexiest men to ever exist. Sign me up, I want to be her 😩.

I was blown away by this book.

Stem didn't make it full 5⭐ because I'm a bitch for sexy, angsty tension, and this book... this book brought it back from Bloom, and I L O V E D it.

All the questions that got answered and all the new ones that popped up... Oof, this series is one of those I wish I could talk about with bookish friends, spoilers and all but I can't, I just can't. So much of why I like and enjoy this book is because of the intrigue and how you can theorize about everything. And spoiling that? It would mean spoiling the expirience of the book, and that is more unforgivable than spoiling the plot.

And... I don't know what else to say 😂 This book broke me in so many ways... and I loved it so much for it 🥹🫶🏻

4⭐️

well, this was a wild ride

i came here thinking: yes, another billionaire fake fiancé book, my favorite 😈

and when i finished i was like: what in hell just happened 🤯

don't let this book fool you, you are getting more than that fake relationship drama

there's blackmail, dubious intentions, cheating, stalker subplot, grudges that have been held for way too long, and manipulation

loooots of manipulation

i felt manipulated as a reader to the point that i was like, i don't know who to fucking trust 🤬

i don't know what else to tell you... let me sum up the main characters so you get a whif of what to expect...

we have ryzen, he will 100% confuse you, but in my personal opinion... he is as two faced as they come 🤡

then there's nova, our fmc, who's this boss ass bitch, smart as hell when business is involved, but also... i would be lying if i told you i didn't think about slapping her a couple of times... specially towards the end 😂

and then theres cian, broody, tattooed cian, who despite being the one i would trust the most, is also hiding plenty of secrets, therefore making me doubt myself every goddamned time i kept reading

did i tell you this was a wild ride yet? because it was 🥵

anyways this started as an arc from net galley and turned into me downloading it from kindle unlimited, because you gotta support indie authors when you can 💖 so know that my opinions are my own always 💪🏻

1st read: DNF 73% Reading block got the best of me, but we are picking it up again in 2023 💪🏻

2nd read: 3.75 ⭐️

Welp, after finishing the book this time around, I actually know why I DNFd it the first time.

The thing is, I LOVE how the book starts, the adventure, the characters. I really saw myself in Sky.

But after a while, I guess unconsciously I realised there was a recurring theme. Travel, action, drama and repeat. And although the drama is what kept me hooked I guess I needed a change of scenery after the third time it happened.

And don't get me wrong, this time I finished the book, and I am actually excited to see what will happen to Sky next. But buddy reading it now, gave me perspective and made me realise some stuff that the characters outshined in my first read.

This is also the author's debut novel, so I can't wait to see her improve in upcoming books!

4.5⭐ It was a close 5⭐, not gonna lie.

This book had my heart from the start. I am a sucker for mythology. I don't care where it comes from, I don't even care if I've never heard of it or if you twist the lore to mesh it better to the story.

In this case it was Nubian myths come to life with a dash of enemies to lovers, a healthy amount of slow burn with fated soul mates and chosen one trope. All of this tied by Ra's sexiest thoughts about the woman of her life. Like come on, it's *chef's kiss*.

STOP! You might want to skip this part if you are going to read the book. Possible spoilers 🙆🏼‍♀️.

The world building was beautifully described and I actually loved the fight scenes. (view spoiler). That scene will live rent free in my mind for the rest of my days.

The fact that it didn't make it to 5⭐ is, because as the story starts developing itself at the Hall (the main location), the feeling of emotion, surprise and adventure kinda fell through. I'm not gonna lie, I was expecting a big ass cliffhanger at the end, but unfortunately my wishes didn't come true 🥲.

But, let us talk a bit about our MCs, shall we?

Onia was such a fearless and strong character from the first moment she appeared on the page. We LOVE a determined woman in this household, and the fact that we also see that even when she appears strong, she also has a vulnerable side to her... had me in pieces and crying of happiness. I feel it is rarely shown in fiction that the strongest characters can also break down. That weight on someone's shoulders has to tear you apart at some point.

And Ra, my love, my life. I was pinning for him with Onia throughout all the damned book. Compared to Onia, I feel we got to see so little of his story, despite the most important bits, which were heart-wrenching. He is protective of what he loves, a born leader to their house and a lover. Because as Keanu Reeves said once, to be a lover you have to fight for what you love. And I feel that describes Ra perfectly.

Still, it's worth mentioning his protective demeanour never came across as alphahole to me. He was respectful, sweet, and knew exactly what Onia needed at her side. Which is what made their relationship so wholesome. (I'm gonna turn a blind eye to the fact that he lied by omission to her... but it was for the sake of the story, so I won't complain 👀)

The chemistry between them both was awesome. Basically what a good slow burn needs to be: endless pinning and a bunch of "I want to touch you, but I can't"s.

To narrow it down, this book got me out of a reading slump that was killing me. And I feel like, books that can get you out of that headspace, are the ones worth giving a chance! Now I'm gonna go back to meddling my friends with this book so that they read it too 😂

I want to thank RA Moreau for opening the ARC up to everyone who wanted to give it a go! As a first timer in NetGalley, getting ARCs is hard enough and the fact that I could start with this awesome book has been priceless 🙈

1st read: 4.5⭐

2nd read: 4.5⭐

that missing .5 has nothing to do with the book, it's just this one was more info dumping than the first one, specially at the start when it felt slower, and i don't do well with that after my emotions have been played with 🥲

so it's a purely personal .5, disregarding that, its a fucking 5⭐ masterpiece.

wow was this a ✨ R I D E ✨

5 ⭐️ & 2 🌶

where do i even start? 🥲

let me just say, when i filled that form to get an arc from ray, i was hoping for a book that promised exactly what the blurb said, the story about a maiden destined to find her soulmate, with a reincarnation subplot and a broody mmc... but boy oh boy was i (kinda) wrong 🥹

let's refresh the tropes, shall we?

🪡 reincarnation

👩‍❤️‍👨 fated mates

💔 grief recovery

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 found family

with a healthy af Plus size MC and LGBTQIA+ rep, what else can we ask for?

the first chapters paint a beautifully well plotted world building, the delicate writing about grief and the journey it takes you through, and then, when you least expect it, the story of the weaver-blessed and the warrior 💔 i've never read such beautifully tragic tale, it was heart breaking, and i loved every moment while reading it ❤️‍🩹

long story short...

i'm obviously not explaining the whole legend to you, it's not a spoiler but the author does a better job than i could ever do so 🤷🏼‍♀️

the weaver (our godly being in the story) threads people's fates into the tapestry of life

when you die, your thread gets rewoven into the tapestry and you begin a new life, another pass on the loom

this might be one of my favorite faiths built into a book, i really need the author to explain how that came to be (really Ray, if you are reading this, i'd love to know how it happened)

the angst of our fmc towards the divinity due to her grief, the way it is a powerful being but are we sure it is the most powerful it exists?

so many thoughts where thought at this point, and obviously, after the legend had been explained and everything started to make sense, i realised i was only 30% in... suspicious 🧐

that meant that there was more to the book that a sad story of two lovers fated to find each other on the loom every time... that had me like mhm 👀 tell me more, and god damn was there more to tell :')

at this point, i do not want to spoil you more about the story itself, but i want to tell you about the characters 💖

Derica is our mmc, striken by grief after loosing her mother and everything she had left in her small village, only left with her best friend Reid and his family.

she decides decides she can't keep going on like that and next to Reid they both pack up and go to their next adventure

i've got this nagging feeling that we don't see her full growth on this book, but of course we see her overcome, or more exactly, learn how to live with her grief and explore the kind of live she wants to have, and whats more important, towards the end we se her standing up for herself and making decisions on her own for what she believes in <3

then on the other side we have our mercenaries 🥹

Commander Hadrian is our mmc and oof, hot damn 🥵 (i'm sorry, but this man's description on the second chapter had me screaming and hyperventilating 😂)

he is broody, serious, with a heart of gold and the most "touch her and you die" attitude you will ever see 🙆🏼‍♀️

his angst at the start of the book towards anything Derica related is jksndcjdfni SO GOOD

i love myself some angst and sassy jealousy, sorry not sorry 😂

poor baby is so split between wanting to save his heart from the pain and also wanting to feel love once more, BUT IT'S SO PAINFUL TO WATCH, i suffered for him, a LOT, and i don't thin it's over 😭

also, theres nothing more sexy than Derica being all straightforward with him, and him having to stop brooding and giving in, like GIVE ME THAT EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK ❤️‍🔥

and then we have the Nyle and Maz 🥹

Nyle is me, i am Nyle 💖 he is a words before fists kinda guy, which is weird for a mercenary tbh :') he is the one that has the calm demeanor the others lack and that scares me, i'm not gonna lie, i hope nothing happens to him on the next books, because i will scream 🥲

and Maz, oh Maz, i had some real good laughs with them 😂

- they are hilarious

- they know too much

- they know that they know too much, so they are cryptic as shit

- and they take no bullshit from anyone

if they like you, good for you, if not, they won't even acknowledge you 😂 i need more stuff about them and i can't wait to see what's in store for them in the next book :')

let's end this review here because i got to excited writing everything and i already made a real effort not to spoil anything :') gotta say that Ray made a beautiful job with her first book and i know it will only get better from here 😌

also, thanks to Ray for the opportunity to read her book before it was out <3 still, bare in mind, my opinions are my own whenever i review anything, and i hope i made you want to pick up this book or at the very least, made you curious about it 😉

it will probably not go down as the best book I've read this year but hey, it really is the best short story i think I've ever read

it had plot, it had spice, and it had everything nice

everything was well tied, there was nothing missing, as it should be right?

a good all round short story...

yeah, i don't know what else to say😂

Another 4.5 that's a 5, and omg I can't wait to see how Death's book will go. It looks so promising.

I don't have words for a review. I just read it for the second time and even if the world building was equally confusing or even more than it was the first time, I hella loved this book.

So yeah. It gets 5* from me.

...

3rd time reading it... still 5⭐.

I have no words. Fable's story was moving and a rollercoster of emotions all along the book.

I really loved how the love story happend to be. No rushing, not a sugar coted one either. While reading you can pin point those scenes. Those where you are like, yes it is happening.

Ugh, I don't know how to explain it, but this book is definitely on my top reads of this year, and I can't wait for part two!

I will keep giving this comic 5* throughout all the volumes cause it just has my heart in a tight grip.

It's 3.5 stars (please Goodreads let me add halves😭) for me.

I really enjoyed the story, it felt quite like a 2016 Wattpad story, although much better written. But it brought me back to those times where I didn't care as much about an amazing book as I wanted to get absorbed by the story.

I gotta say this kind of light reads always get me out of reading slumps, which was where I'd been when I started reading it. And now I'm hooked and will keep reading the rest of this series 😂

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

*FOR REAL, STOP READING, THERE'S SPOILERS AHEAD*

I swear, in the last 40 pages, Scarlett, did you really have to pull a After? (Bear in mind I don't know which story got out first, but damn) Everything was good and smooth until the "we fell in love because of a bet" trope made an appearance 😭 I think that and Hades always waking Sephy up to get sex without even letting her fully awaken, like dude... I don't know it's one of the things that made me cringe each time🤷🏼‍♀️