Review: Powerful by Lauren Roberts

Powerful by Lauren Roberts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Whyyyy WHY did I decide reading this book was a good idea??? I know how it ends and I still picked it up!!!!!  I was sad the WHOLE TIME Adena was with Mak just KNOWING what was going to happen at the end! Adena is the most precious person in the world and what she went through was horrible and cruel and just awful. And then to see Mak's reaction knowing he fell for her and seeing his future get blown apart after all the time Adena spent working her way into his heart????? This was a cruel book and I should have stayed away from it. I'm sure Mak will have a part in the future books but I didn't need to relive that awful scene again through two other viewpoints to utterly gut me.

Excuse me while I continue to cry in a corner...

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Review: The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from Edelweiss.  This is my honest review. 

I really really REALLY wanted to like this book!  I mean a librarian who hates people, loves books, lives in a library, goes to a remote cabin and gets to live a quiet life?  That's literally my life...  But I become so bored for most of this book and then got frustrated with the amount of repetition.  Maybe the life of a librarian is bored and I never knew until reading about it?  I'm not sure, but I'm pretty bummed I didn't devour this and love it as much as I thought I would. 

Kiela was a hard character to connect with.  She was very awkward and stilted making reading her story hard and slow.  I loved her love for books and spells and solitude, but being in her head, and then having what's in her head get repeated when she HAD to talk to people, really got a bit old after awhile.  I loved Caz, he was hilarious and the spark of life Kiela needed, but he wasn't enough to make me love the book more. 

Larran was a great character, you could tell he likes Kiela and he's just as awkward as her, but he's been more social than she has and knows how to be a nice, friendly neighbor.  But when he's presented with Kiela's awkwardness, their two awkward personalities at once?  It was a bit much and so cringy. 

So, I'm sad I didn't love it, but I am glad I read it.  I see a lot of great reviews out there that people adore this book and I'm so happy I'm in the minority with my thoughts. 

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Review: The Wren in the Holly Library by K. A. Linde

The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from Edelweiss. This is my honest review. 

I love a book with a library in it. I think it's my weakness haha.  So I was very intrigued to dive into this book with a library in the title!  And I enjoyed it.  There were a lot of twists and turns, secrets and reveals.  I called very quickly what Kierse is early in the book so I wasn't surprised by that. 

I loved that Grave made Kierse read so many books.  I mean he had a reason, but seeing a character thrust books at another and them talking about it? Love.  I don't understand why Grave had to keep so many things a secret from her.  I mean I do get it, I don't like or agree with it.  These two kept so many things from each other and kept themselves so distant from each other I just wanted to scream at them.  

I love Kierse's dedication to get friends, her found family.  She is so fierce when it comes to them.  But I'm also glad they will be more protected because of the reveal at the end.  I'm tired of them being collateral damage to Kierse. 

I'm very curious to see how this all ends and who Kierse ends up with. I have my team, but it's not a strong feeling yet so I could probably be swayed if needed for now.  I'm glad I got the chance to read this story and I'm excited to get the pretty deluxe edition when it releases! 

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Review: A Reign of Rose by Kate Golden

A Reign of Rose by Kate Golden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review. 

I devoured this book in just a few hours. I'm not even sure I moved once while reading it! I was completely entranced in Arwen and Kane's story and needed to see how this was all going to end. And I loved every stage of it. I swear Arwen is a cat with nine lives because this girl throws her whole being into saving everyone around her rather than herself. I dint know if I could be get friends going through that grief over and over again. 

Both Arwen and Kane have grown so much from when they first met and I loved seeing all of their changes throughout these 3 novels. And Arwen's brightness risking Kane's doom or gloom is quite comical. As is Griffin being super stoic. These characters have so many great quirks, its amazing. 

I love Arwen's animal and I totally called what it was at the beginning of this book. I'm so glad I'm right too! 

I'm going there might be a spin off series from this world in the works! Mari, Ryder, Leigh - they all need their story told and I'll be one of the first readers to read it if I'm allowed! Suvh a great series that I'm so glad I dived into and experienced! I wont be forgetting this world any time soon!

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Review: A Promise of Peridot by Kate Golden

A Promise of Peridot by Kate Golden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This ending!! Holy crap!

Okay, this book was still on a fast pace adventure with these characters and I'm so for it. Arwen did exactly what I would do when discovering what the prophecy said. Why bothering caring, right? I'm glad she had great friends in her life who snapped her out of it. And made her realize being an emotional husk isn't a great way to live.

Kane is amazing as always and we get his point of view in this book!! I loved seeing his thoughts and reactions, especially when it came to Arwen! But these two are so oblivious with each other, I just wanted to lock them in a room and make them talk about their feelings, ha.

I am really enjoying this series and I'm so glad I decided to wait until all 3 books are in my hands! Now time to dive into the finale and see how much Arwen obliterates Lazarus!

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Review: A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden

A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book surprised me by how much I liked it!  There was so much adventure, a ton of mystery, tension out of the wazoo, and a lot of self growth.  Arwen is an amazing character and she sacrifices everything to save her family in the heat of the moment.  She's just a normal girl with a unique gift, and she has such a soft heart wanting to help everyone around her.  But I loved seeing the fire get sparked inside of her the longer she had to be on her own in enemy territory.  She started to realize that she is important and she needs to start defending herself and I love seeing her go through that process!

Kane.  I so wish we had his viewpoint, but with the amount of secrets he was keeping, I can understand why we couldn't get that.  He's such a mystery and with every little bit he lets escape around Arwen, the more I fell for him like Arwen did as well.  He is in a really tough spot so I definitely see his struggle, and he's about to be in even more of a struggle now that all the secrets are in the open and he's not on board with what he's been wanting to happen for a very long time. 

Mari is a delight and I love every scene with her chaos.  Arwen definitely needs a Mari in her world and I'm glad they've become best of friends.  Leigh is also going to be a spitfire and I can't wait to see what shenanigans she gets into soon!

I'm very very glad I decided to jump into this story with not a lot of information and I'm very intrigued on what is going to happen next, since there are at least two more books to go!  I'm sure a ton of adventures and hopefully more intense moments.  Also I cannot wait to see Arwen practice her power more!

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Review: Reckless Love by Hannah McBride

Reckless Love: A Wife for Hire Novella by Hannah McBride
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC from the author.  This is my honest review. 

Whhyyyy is this so short??  I need more!  Hannah McBride is a fantastic author and she ENSNARED me with such a short story and I was so immersed in this book that I didn't realize it was done until the last page!  

Sia and Wick are great characters.  I can't imagine being in Sia's shoes and being so scared of what tomorrow will bring.  I'm not sure if I could have made the same decision she did, but desperation calls for some strange decisions in life, I know that much is true.  But she still took charge of her own life and I love that she was strong enough to do that to save what little she had left from her parents and grandparents. 

Wick?  WICK??  Swoon.  He may have his moments of unconventional, but this man does not slack when he wants something.  And when he focuses that attention on Sia?  Wowzas, I was not ready for that intensity!

I absolutely loved this short story and would love to see more, maybe a future spin off?  I'm not sure, but no matter because I adore everything Hannah McBride writes and will be waiting with baited breath for her next masterpiece in 2024!

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Review: Corrupted Heart by Jagger Cole

Corrupted Heart by Jagger Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC from the author and Valentine PR.  This is my honest review. 

Every single book Jagger Cole writes, I say that these characters are my favorite.  Because everything this author writes sucks me in and completely takes over my life until I finish the book.  Kratos and Bianca's story did not disappoint me at all!  I loved the dynamic of this story, I loved how the characters first met, and I love how they continue to live the lifestyle that best fits for them, even though the people around them wouldn't understand their choices.  I love that Kratos and Bianca experienced so many firsts with each other.  The scenes where they are just kissing?  Why does that make me swoon so so much??

There are so many moving pieces happening in the background of this story, so many past characters popping up where you least expect them, and so much mafia-esque that this book is just fantastic!  I think I would have liked to have seen Bianca do a dance performance and Kratos go completely mad afterward with how amazing he thought she was, but I guess we see that on just a normal day, so it's not too important to have. 

And discovering who the next book is about???  I cannot wait to see what female is going to make HIM fall to his knees!  So excited!  So glad I read this and will continue to collect all books by this great author!

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Review: Matilda by Roald Dahl

Matilda by Roald Dahl
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I used to love watching the movie Matilda because I was a fellow book nerd who loved to read, and what kid wouldn't want super powers to stop mean, bully people from doing bad things?  But I never actually read the original book and decided it was time!

And I still adored this story, but discovered that the third person narrative threw me off a bit and I had a bit of trouble staying focused.  I didn't think that would bother me, but it did.  Also?  How are these adults so freaking awful??  Her parents are just nasty and Miss Trunchbull should have been put in jail for how she treated the students.  I knew this watching the movie, but it's a much different situation reading this as an adult and I'm honestly a bit horrified by the actions taken by the adults in this book!!

So I definitely went for a ride revisiting this story but also getting a better picture of the original story.  I loved seeing it the way the author wrote it and I'm glad I dived into it to experience all over again!

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Review: Awk-Weird by Avery Flynn

Awk-Weird by Avery Flynn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun and quirky book with great characters.  Tess and Cole are both so unique in their own way and seeing them accept work no judgments is amazing.  In a world full of man spirited people I'm glad they both found each other and showed that the right person is out there for each person even if they are complete opposites of each other. 

I loved all of Cole's teammates and I loved all of Tess's friends. All the side characters were amazing including Kahn the kitty cat.

I'm glad I decided to dive into this rom com and get to meet these characters! 

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Review: Death by Laura Thalassa

Death by Laura Thalassa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm honestly so sad this is overwith!  I knew I was going to be an emotional wreck but the way this book ended has my heart all twisted up and I'm happy and I'm sad and I'm just all over the place!

Death, Thanatos, is so not what I expected.  Seriously, I thought he would be worse than Famine with the unfeeling, not caring, despises humanity, but the second he saw Lazarus and ran away, I saw his true self.  He knew she was going to be his downfall and he ran.  But once he realized that he liked having a person around who couldn't die?  And then his DETERMINATION to make her his?  When he realized that he enjoys being around her and the feelings she made him feel?  I was a goner for Death.  Watching him learn everything for the very first time and his excitement, his enjoyment, his amazement??  I absolutely loved seeing him discover everything and I really truly thought he would be the one to fall the fastest.  But it took something horrible drastic to see him finally realize the truth: he wants to be human with Lazarus and live a full life with her.  

Though his insistence that Lazarus was going to be his forever and his EAGERNESS for EVERYTHING to do with her?  Oh boy, those were the best parts about this book, not gonna lie. 

And Lazarus.  LAZARUS.  She is a spitfire.  She is determined.  She never gave up her hope for humanity to be saved.  No matter how much she was attracted to Thanatos, she was always keeping humanity front and center in her mind.  I'm honestly so amazed at her determination to ignore her attraction and kept holding off falling for him and kept in perspective of how much she wanted him to change to save mankind.  Usually it's the girl fall first, the guy takes forever to see what's right in front of him, but this book completely destroyed that stereotype and made it the opposite for these characters. 

I absolutely, 100% completely fell for this series.  I honestly can't tell you which book I loved the most.  I really thought it was going to be War, but it's a 4 way tie and I won't give any other answer.  And as much as I love the men in these books, I have a huge appreciation and love for all four of these women who were able to bring each horsemen to their knees and keep them human to save mankind.  These women went through SO MUCH in their lifetimes and then to have the will to handle a horsemen shows me that they are the ones to not mess with.  Horsemen be damned, it's Sara, Miriam, Ana and Lazarus we should be worried about!

Loved, loved loved!!!  So glad I finally read it and I am looking forward to revisiting these characters again in my future!

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Review: Famine by Laura Thalassa

Famine by Laura Thalassa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Each Horsemen gets better and better.  Seriously, I don't know how Laura does it but each one I fall in love with harder than the previous one, and I have loved all 3 so far, FIERCELY!!!!  So to say I was surprised by Famine is a big reveal because I didn't think anyone could top War.  And there were so many great parts in this book that had me swoon (Famine and Ana dancing???), laugh hysterically (Famine saying cheese smells like death and he's intrigued), and just so many other emotions from Famine getting brutally tortured to Ana saving Famine over and over again.  Oh, and Ana's insane amount of conversation revolving around sex to make Famine uncomfortable haha. 

Each of these human women are insanely brave and are seriously the characters I love just a little bit more than the horsemen.  They are determined to stick to their beliefs and Ana does just that over and over again.  Watching her trust her intuition with men because of her life for the past year shows that women are powerful and observant.  I can't get over how amazing and strong these female characters are from start to finish. 

I also loved how often we got Famine's point of view in this book.  Not a lot, but more than the previous horsemen and I loved getting inside of his head!

I'm so excited to see who Death falls for, but also to see if Ana can stab him again like she did at the ending of this book!  I'm also severely sad that I'm going to start the last book in this series because I will miss all of these characters SO MUCH!!!

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Review: War by Laura Thalassa

War by Laura Thalassa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have been intrigued by War since the second I heard about him and I was so not disappointed by his story! The second he saw Miriam and called her "wife" I was done for. 

When she chose death over allegiance? Probably my favorite part of this book. That shows just how determined she is, how strong she is, and why she was the one to change War and stop the fighting. 

At every turn, Miriam was finding someway to defy all that War stood for and watching him NOT punish her for her defiance was so great. Because you know he was enamored with her from the moment his eyes found her and he was losing his battle and his war every day. 

So many moments surprised me during this book but one thing that didn't? Miriam's amazingness to accomplish her goal. No matter what that goal was, she was being brave and seeing it through.

So yes this series is quickly becoming a top favorite for me!!!

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Review: Pestilence by Laura Thalassa

Pestilence by Laura Thalassa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have been SITTING on this series for so long because I just knew deep down I was going to love these books way too much. And going from my intense reactions and emotions during Pestilence, I predicted correctly because I was a mess from start to finish! 

The way Pestilence had no human emotion at the beginning of this book. He legit was there to spread disease and kill human kind and had no other thought besides that. But then his initial reaction to Sara shooting and burning him? I could instantly see he was obtaining human feelings by wanting to make her suffer instead of just ending her like how previous attempters. Was Sara the first female that attempted this? I'm not sure but he was definitely intrigued by her even if he didn't know what he was feeling at the time. 

Sara went through so many emotions that it showed her struggle through everything. She is such a good and kind and PURE person and she was definitely the perfect match to make Pestilence fall for her. And to see him fall first but having to get information from Sara to know what was happening to him?  Swoon.

I absolutely, 100%, wholeheartedly am in love with this book and probably this whole series. I'm binge reading so fast but trying to take my time and failing that miserably because I need each of these horsemen's story in my soul now! I'm so glad I finally read these and that this book lived up to my expectations. I'm so excited to see the rest of the Horsemen fall for humans! 

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Review: Skies Over Caledonia by Samantha Young

Skies Over Caledonia by Samantha Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author. This is my honest review. 

Allegra and Jared!!!!! I really really loved this story! I can't believe it's been 5 years since the day they met - I remember that meeting so vividly for some reason and I'm so excited that we got their story! 

Jared is such a grumpy, isolated person so it's very sweet yet comical that he ends up with Allegra, who is the star of the party when she around. I love Jared's love to his farm and his grandpa and his life. He truly loves all of that and is very content with his lifestyle.

And Allegra has been through so much in her short life. I can't imagine having to bear those secrets and not able to talk to anyone about her feelings and emotions while going through some pretty heavy situations. I'm so glad she opened up to Jared and was able to have a person help her. 

These two are amazing for each other and I'm so glad Samantha Young was able to write their story to share with us readers! It's definitely one is my favorite and can't wait for more! 

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Review: Wrath of the Damned by Ella Fields

Wrath of the Damned by Ella Fields
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I cannot believe the absolute HOLD this series had on me.  I literally read more than I ate or breathed, I swear!!  I have no idea why and I had no forewarning that this book, this series, was going to overtake my life for 3 days.  I'm not mad about it, but just a bit floored by this sudden, random series I picked up because of a book box!

Tullia is honestly an amazing character.  The amount of character growth she has gone through from page one, book one to the end of this book?  Insurmountable with the events she had to bare. I am so glad she survived everything and that she grew from it, even though I loved the hopeful, questionable girl we met on page one.  And I loved that she didn't right away forgive Florian and really trusted her mind and her body to inform her where she was at in life instead of diving head first into things like she used to.  She really took caution and had a lot of trust issues and I'm glad the author didn't make her love life again right away after everything she went through. 

The best part of this book?  WE GOT FLORIAN'S VIEWPOINT!!!!!  Seriously, I NEEDED his viewpoint in book one and was so devastated when we didn't get that, so to have that in this book was amazing and fantastic and I loved every chapter of his!  For a fae with no feelings, he sure fell hard and fast for Tullia and I loved that so very much.  

Seeing both Florian and Tullia at each other's throats, both in fun and in emotion, was just amazing and I held my breath so much during this series because the intensity these two have is off the charts.  Even though the way they met and the reason things happened the way they did because of deceiving and untruthfulness, I'm very glad Tullia got the chance to go to her home and to learn who she was because that meant she met Florian.  It was a long journey to get to their ending, but I'm glad I was there for every rocky road that they took. 

However, I wanted Snow to be a beastly wolf protecting Tullia by ripping throats and that didn't happen, so I was a little bummed about that. 

Also?  Liliatha?  That was a shock I didn't see coming!

So glad I got to read this series and one day soon I'm diving into more books by this author because I have a feeling I'm going to love all of her books!

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Review: Nectar of the Wicked by Ella Fields

Nectar of the Wicked by Ella Fields
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am so glad Fairyloot decided to do this book for their Romantasy book box because it got me to read it and LOVE IT!!!  I had no idea what was going to happen when I dived into this book, but Flea/Tullia (which name do I use?!) took me on a, quite awful honestly, adventure and I'm reeling with everything she has been through.  

I understand completely on why she needed to know who she was and she was willing to do WHATEVER it needed to get there, and nothing was going to stop her, but the amount of torture and agony and abuse she has gone through to finally understand why she was abandoned as a baby?  I just wish someone could have told her more about why the fae land is an awful place to go to.  They just said it's bad but that was it, no details, no reasoning.  Give the girl more information so she can better stop herself from putting herself through that torture. 

I honestly can't believe that her father did that to her.  That he tortured her with no care in the world.  He said she was no daughter of is, so I guess in his mind he was just treating her like a spy, and since Flea/Tullia's mother wasn't his mate, he didn't have any emotional connection with her since she looked just like her mother.  But all she wanted was a family and a home.  

And instead she was used as a pawn not just by her true blood family, but also by Florian who started this mess in the first place.  Lying to her, deceiving her, but also caring about her WAY more than her father did.  I wish someone was just open with her and told her what was going on.  I think now, after the torture she went through, she will be far more demanding and controlling of her life, as much as she can by being married to Florian. 

So, yes, this book got my blood pumping not only because of the spice between her and Florian but also about the way she was treated and used.  This book will be permanently in my brain because so much happened and I'm just stunned by all of it.  This book definitely has triggers so please be mindful of that before diving in. 

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Review: Powerless by Lauren Roberts

Powerless by Lauren Roberts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book seems to be very popular so I decided to read it and find out what it was all about. At the beginning, I honestly wasn't that impressed. It just felt like a mash-up of The Hunger Games and Divergent. But around 50%, I'm not sure what happened but I started to get more entranced into the story. And after finishing, I really want to see what book 2 brings. 

Paedyn is an amazing FMC. She's so confident and resourceful. Being an Ordinary in an Elite driven world. Being able to take care of herself when she was a kid and homeless after finding her father dead in her home? With no powers to rely on? Just her self defense and the "psychic" ability she attuned herself to learn? That takes amazing skill and determination. Because I wouldn't have had it in me to fight that long and that hard, not gonna lie. 

I loved seeing Pae open up to Kai and Kitt on different levels. She wasn't faking all of those moments. She was finally getting a chance to open herself a little bit. Not all because being Ordinary would have meant she would die. I, of course, am Team Kai. Malakai. Swoon. The moments between those two were fantastic and I just kept wanting more. Kitt, I feel for after Pae's betrayal. He went from carefree and sweet to hard and cold. I hope he finds out everything his father did to Pae specifically and can learn not to hate her for killing the king, his father. But considering the king had PAE's father murdered? Karma's a bitch. 

Adena? That was awful how she was tortured. Killed. All because she knew Pae. The king was cruel and nasty and I'm glad he's dead. I'm sad no one is on Paedyn's side right now because she wasn't in the wrong and I need people to realize this. She ridded the world of an evil man and I'm glad. 

So now I'm here in agony having to wait for the next book. I thought I was in the clear but then got ensnared by this storyline and I need to know what happens next. What will Kai do when he sees Paedyn again? How will she sway him that she had to do it? That being Ordinary isn't a crime? I need this information haha.

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Review: Shattered Vows by P. Rayne

Shattered Vows by P. Rayne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this free eARC novel from the author and Valentine PR. This is my honest review. 

Kol and Rhapsody!  I love these two! Their origin story is amazing and then them reuniting? Swoon! 

Poor Rhapsody though. Her life up to this point sounds awful. I'm glad she was finally able to get out of that situation and finally live her life, experience so many firsts that she's wanted to. And I'm glad Kol is the one to help her experience these moments! 

The twist at the end I honestly didn't see coming. And the Easter egg was really cool too see! 

I'm so glad to have read this book and cannot wait to get a copy to put on my shelf! 

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