(The Sacred Stones, #1) A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden review

 

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

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars
🌶️ 1 Spice

Well, that was unexpected. I was not expecting much when I started this book. I had been given the series a while back, and I had not gotten around to reading it. I am not sure why I never picked it up before now, but I am so glad I randomly decided to start reading it.

The book was super easy to get into and follow. It is told through a single POV from our FMC, Arwen. From the beginning, you are given a clear view of the world we are stepping into, but in an easy way. There was not so much information that you lost interest or your head wanted to pop. Nope, it was woven into the story and the introduction of our FMC and her life.

I found the writing style super easy to read and follow. It was clean, story driven, and not spice driven, which was FANTASTIC!! There is weight to the story, many layers, and lots going on.

For our MMC, we have Kane. He is a total sass bag, and seeing the two of them banter and get to know each other was a lot of fun. This is not a slow burn, but I also felt there was instant lust, even if our FMC wanted to put a pillow over his face while he slept. So I cannot really call it a slow burn, but it was not overly rushed either.

There was very little spice, so if you are hoping for a book filled with that, sadly this is not it. It definitely has the romantasy side covered with a little light spice, but the story always remained the main focus, which I was really happy about.

I felt like the book moved at a steady pace and was not rushed. The events had emotional weight, although it was not one of the more emotionally impactful books I have read. Overall, I was really impressed with the world, the story, and the characters.

I did have one moment where I was like, WHAT... hang on. I grabbed my book map and started trying to work out the travel times and how one character got somewhere a day after she did. I was trying to work out the locations and distances, but I just ended up confused and scratching my head.

I felt like a few of the side characters were a little flat, but that might simply be because they are side characters. I am also hoping the author develops them more in the next book.

Overall, I was really happy with this book and can honestly say I will be reading the next one.

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Haunt by Meg Alivien review

 

Haunt by Meg Alivien
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars
🌶️ 1 Spice

Achingly sweet and sad, I have to say that book three in this series had to be one of the more emotional ones. I really liked the storyline of the book.

What happens in the afterlife? When you do not move on and you are stuck with your own unfinished business or guilt? When it feels like all you can do is watch everyone else move forward while you are stuck in the same place?

There were many moments in this book where I felt grief and sadness. The story really tried to capture what life would be like for a ghost while also keeping the sweet, cozy romance that the rest of the books in this series have. I feel like with each book you get more of a sense that everyone is welcome, no matter what or who they are, which is so lovely. There was something really warm and heartfelt about this one that I could not help but like.

I found both leads really likeable, and even if the MMC, Theo, was a little prickly at times, he grew with each chapter, and it was so lovely to see.

I will say that I felt like there was some missing information that should have been in this book, but I cannot really talk about that without spoiling it. So all I will say is that without it, I was left wondering what happened to our FMC, Kennedy, to get her to this point. There were a few other small things as well.

I did feel this book had much, much less spice than the others, but it totally fit the story, so I was really happy with that. It was tasteful, fitting, and left me smiling.

Overall, a really good read.

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(Monster Boyfriends #2) Hunt by Meg Alivien review

 

Hunt by Meg Alivien
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐ 3 Stars (I was fighting between 3 and 3.5 stars.)
🌶️🌶️ 2 Spice

I read the first book in this series, I think, maybe at the end of last year, so I was happy to finally get my hands on book 2. I sort of remembered the basic story from the first book, so going into the second I already had a good idea of who everyone was. Even though this book follows two different characters, I already had a basic idea of them and what their personalities would be like.

This book has a cozy vibe, with a small town, supernatural elements, basic drama, and emotional moments. It’s an easy to read book, and it only took me a few hours to get through without any real stop start. The story is pretty soft, honestly. It’s not massively hard to follow. It’s a monster romance, but if you removed that aspect, it would very much just be a contemporary romance.

I loved the sass and banter between our FMC and MMC. It was amusing and totally gave an opposites attract sort of vibe. I really loved how hard working our FMC was and how much she loved her mum. I also loved watching the change and growth of our MMC. Aiden had a pretty big turnaround, and I loved seeing that.

I will say I did not like this one as much as I liked the first, but that was mostly because any real growth from our FMC happened right at the end, which felt a little bit like a copout to me. At times, the FMC really grated on my last nerve because of some of her behavior and the way she lashed out. Now, I love a sassy FMC and I love banter. I am totally there for it. But I dislike snapping at people and bullying them just because you feel bad inside. That totally left a bad taste in my mouth. If I had seen more growth before the 90 percent mark, I might have given her a little more leeway.

There also was not a clear reason for why our lead was the way she was. There was no rhyme or reason behind it, and it left me trying to work out why. Overall, I felt like I was missing a key piece of information.

The spice was okay but, honestly, a little underwhelming at times. I loved the moments where there was more emotional connection because they made your heart flutter and pulled you into what was happening. But most of the spice felt watered down and, at times, lacked that emotional connection.

Overall, not a horrible read, but not the best either.

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(DreamTogether Breeding Program #4) Bred by the Satyrs by Lyonne Riley review

 

Bred by the Satyrs by Lyonne Riley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 4 Spice

And the last book went out with a bang. Why choose, cozy, slice of life, and buckets of drama and spice.

I think this might be the longest of the four books in this series, which was a great idea because I do not think it would have been as fun if it had been shorter. One of the main problems with why choose books that have multiple MMCs is that they can all start to feel the same or come across a little flat. I found that I knew everyone in this book, and they all had clear personalities.

While it is not the best why choose book I have ever read, it was quick, fun, packed with spice and drama, and had a clear storyline, even if it was not especially deep.

I could easily eat this book up while drinking a cup of tea and eating a biscuit. Given the length of the book, I think the author did a great job of fitting so much into it. Sure, there were things I would have loved to see changed or expanded on, but overall it was an easy read.

If you like a quick, dirty, fun read with more than one monster love interest, then this might be the book for you.

The highlights for me had to be the upped stakes in this book. Everything felt more important, and the ending had a much bigger payoff. I also loved getting to see a different group of monsters in each book. That was one of my favorite parts of the whole series.

The only thing I really wished for was that the books had been longer. I would have happily read another hundred pages or so if it meant getting even more time with the characters and story.

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(DreamTogether Breeding Program #3) Bred by the Minotaur by Lyonne Riley review

 

Bred by the Minotaur by Lyonne Riley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3 Spice

And that's book 3 read in record time! The books in this series are pretty short so far, ranging from around 150 to maybe 250 pages at the most. They are simply drama filled monster romances with lots of spice.

I think this one might be my new favorite out of the three books. It has, by far, been the cutest and coziest in terms of overall feel, and I really loved Milo. Adorable!

The MMC was a total cinnamon roll, and I saw no red flags, which was a welcome change. I loved the family vibes and the way the relationship progressed. It had a sweetness to it that I really enjoyed.

If I was going to pick a hole in it, I would say it lacks the depth of longer books simply because it is so short. But for what it is, and for the length of the book, I really cannot be disappointed. It is quick, sweet, and packed with plenty of spice.



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(DreamTogether Breeding Program #2) Bred by the Dragon by Lyonne Riley review

 

Bred by the Dragon by Lyonne Riley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3 Spice

Spice heavy, monster romance, emotional, slice of life sort of read.

This happens to be the second book in the DreamTogether Breeding Program series. I would say I liked this one a touch better than the first due to one trope from the first book not being in this one. Thank heavens!

This book is shorter than the first, and honestly, it does not give me a lot to review apart from being a short, easy, spicy read.

If you are after something with a lot of depth or a strong storyline, this is probably not for you. But I do think these books, and the one before it, make great in between reads. If you have just finished something really deep and emotional and need a break with something fun, mindless, and easy to fly through, this series definitely gives you that.

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Bred by the Wolfman by Lyonne Riley review

 

Bred by the Wolfman by Lyonne Riley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐½ 3.5 Stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3 Spice

Quick, fun, and drama filled.

I would say this might be a monster romance book, but you also get a lot of real life relationship drama in books like these, and this one is no different.

It is a pretty easy read, and honestly, there is not a lot of focus needed to get through it. There were a few things I simply hated, but that is more down to me not liking those particular tropes. I know plenty of other readers who do enjoy them.

The story is pretty simple, and there is a lot of spice and relationship focused content in this book, but not a lot else really.

Overall, it was a quick, easy read that kept me entertained, even if it was not anything particularly groundbreaking.



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Games with the Orc by Kathryn Moon review

 

Games with the Orc by Kathryn Moon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3 Spice

Well... what can I say but... if you like your books to be 80 percent spice and the rest story, then this is for you.

Everything in me said I should dislike it, but here I am giving it 4 stars because it was quick, fun, and mostly dirty. I think if the book had been longer, there could have been a real story added, lol. But alas, I will have to live with just the smut.

I do not think this book will be for everyone. The spice leans more toward the softer BDSM side, and there are whole chapters dedicated to it. It is not just sprinkled throughout the story; it is the core of the book.

I think if you like the Cambric Creek series by C. M. Nascosta and books with a similar vibe, then you will definitely enjoy this one.

If you are looking for a short, easy, mindless, spice heavy read with just enough story to tie it all together, then I think you will have a great time with this book.

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(Naga Brides, #1) Viper by Naomi Lucas review

 

Viper by Naomi Lucas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐½ 3.5 Stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3 Spice

Do you like your flags red? Do you like your males monstrous? And still like a little story as well? Then you have come to the right place, my friend.

I started reading this book and kept rolling between liking it and disliking it, then back again. Here is the thing, maybe I like my male leads more on the cinnamon roll side and less on the "he sees a female, clubs her over the head, and throws her over his shoulder" sort of side.

I still stayed and read the WHOLE thing, and it was quick and super entertaining. It is a great book to kill some time with and mindlessly read if you want something fast, spicy, and packed with a few very big red flags throughout.

I use the word plot loosely because I would say the smut and the story sort of go hand in hand. So if you want something with a much stronger focus on the story, this might not be the book for you.

If you are after a cozy read with a soft, caring male lead... run. Run away. This book is totally not for you.

While it was quick and fun to read, I would say there were a few things that really ticked me off. So if you are anything like me, you are going to have to take a big breath, cover one eye, and pretend you do not see it... that your blood is not boiling. 😂

But honestly, it was a fun, quick read. I liked the overall idea of the story, and I hope it gets even better as the series goes on.

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Breathless Breathless by Cat Wynn review

 

Breathless by Cat Wynn
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

⭐ 1 Star
🌶️ 1 Spice

Ugh, I wanted to pull my own hair out and beat our FMC with it. I do not think I have ever met such an unlikable lead in my life. The fact is, it does not matter if you give her a heartbreaking backstory that is meant to pull at your emotions. If she acts like a complete butt hole, has the personality of a brat who always wants her own way, and constantly disregards what everyone else wants, that does not make for a good lead. She infuriated me to no end. I wanted to scream at her.

The fact is, she begins the book with a social disorder and trauma that stops her from going outside and interacting with the outside world. However, when the plot decides it is necessary, she magically overcomes all of this with no real character growth to support it. To make matters worse, later on, when she is faced with someone with a similar disposition, she instantly dismisses it in favor of her own feelings.

There were moments where I 100 percent felt for her. My heart genuinely bled for her. But she would immediately throw all of that away by making another awful decision or acting in a way that made her incredibly difficult to like.

The truth is, she was not too bad at the start of the book, but by the halfway point, I was just about ready to DNF and throw in the towel.

Sadly, here I am after finishing it instead, wondering... what on earth was this? The story could have been GREAT. I mean SOOO good. But instead, I got a patchy storyline where several moments felt like they had been thrown in randomly, with no rhyme or reason. It felt like the story was trying to patch over massive plot holes but only ended up making everything feel even less coherent. It left me with so many questions, and even by the end a lot of things were still unanswered. I was left confused, muttering, "What??" and scratching my head.

With there being more unlikable characters than likable ones, reading this book felt a bit like having my fingernails pulled out. I struggled not to skim read and had to force myself to keep going at every turn. Every time things started looking up, the rug was pulled out from under my feet, and I was right back to square one.

Now, if I overlook my raging dislike for several of the characters and cover one eye to ignore the massive problems with the story, I am still left with subpar spice that honestly might as well not have been there.

It is really, really hard to enjoy a book when almost everything is pushing you toward Dislike Town at breakneck speed.

There were a couple of things that were not totally horrible. The FMC's best friend was solid, even if I wish she had been developed more to feel like a real person rather than just someone who appeared when needed. Then there was the MMC. He was not totally horrible either... though at this point I feel like I am grasping at straws.

Sadly, to sum it all up... nope.

It was very nearly a DNF for me. I hardly ever give out 1 star ratings, but I genuinely struggled to find enough positives to rate it any higher.

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Sheer Cupidity by Raven Kennedy review

 

Sheer Cupidity by Raven Kennedy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐½ 3.5 Stars
🌶️🌶️ 2 Spice

This book does not follow directly after the original three books. Instead, it is a standalone spin off set in the same world, and I think it wraps up the overall series well.

I loved Belren in the original series, and I hated how things ended for him in book 3. I was honestly so upset. So getting to read book 4 and finally have the closure I wanted so badly was fantastic, and I was totally here for it.

There is still plenty of fun, sass, and banter, but there is a little less of it than in the first three books. I actually found that the slightly more serious tone mixed with the comedy and banter worked really well. I think the book balanced those elements nicely.

I will say I would have loved a bigger bang at the end and a little more wow, but overall, I found the book easy to read and enjoyed it as a standalone story.

I do think the book could have been a little shorter, as there were parts that felt like unnecessary filler, but otherwise it was a fun and super easy read.

There was a little spice, but it really did not do much for me. No need for ice water here, but overall it was a solid read.

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Crimes of Cupidity by Raven Kennedy review

 

Crimes of Cupidity by Raven Kennedy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐½ 3.5 Stars
🌶️🌶️ 2 Spice

It seems like Emelle's story has come to an end, and honestly, as the third book in the series, it had all the key things the previous books did. Banter, sass, and an easy story to follow.

That being said, I did have a few problems with this one, the biggest being our FMC. I felt like there were a few things she would have done FIRST, well before making some of the choices she did. It felt a little out of character for her. I also felt like she gave up at one point and just moved on like it was nothing, which pulled me out of my little happy reading bubble.

That said, it was still really fun to read and easy to follow. I never struggled to understand what was going on.

The spice throughout the series has never really wowed me, but I have been fine with that because I love the fun vibes. However, this book took a more serious turn, and I felt that the jokey nature of the series clashed quite hard with what was happening. Again, that pulled me out of the story a little.

Overall, I thought the series was a lot of fun. I think book 2 is still my favorite, with book 3 being my least favorite. I would have liked the humor to have been better placed at times. If you are going to create a unique, funny book but also include really heartbreaking moments and emotional pain, then I think you need to pull back on the jokes and sass during those heavier scenes unless they blend together naturally.

Overall, it was a solid read. I finished it in a short amount of time and would happily read it again.

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Bonds of Cupidity by Raven Kennedy review

 

Bonds of Cupidity by Raven Kennedy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars
🌶️🌶️ 2 Spice

Book 2 of this series was much bigger than the first one, and boy was I glad. There was so much more going on in this one than in book 1. It was still really easy to read and not too complicated. There were still lots of laughs, sass, and banter, but there was also so much more drama. There were even a few moments where I was genuinely worried about what might happen, so book 2 totally upped the stakes, and I was completely here for it.

The spice was definitely stronger in this one than in the first book, but it is not simply filled with smut. I would say the spice is still on the lighter side. It fits the story really well, but if you are after something that is spice heavy and enough to have you fanning yourself, this series is probably on the lower end of the scale.

I would say my favorite part was still the story itself. I loved seeing where it was leading and wondering what was going to happen next. As I said before, I have never read a book centered around a cupid before, so I am really enjoying the fun, cheesy uniqueness of it.

I do think book 2 took a much more serious turn and raised the stakes, so I cannot wait to see what book 3 has in store for me.

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