(To Capture A Viking's Heart) To Become The Berserker's Runaway Bride by Jenna Streety Arc review

 

To Become The Berserker's Runaway Bride by Jenna Streety
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐½ 3.5 Stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3 Spice

I came across this book while looking through all the books currently up on BookSirens, and something just called to me, so before I could second-guess myself, I clicked on it, and here we are. I would like to say thank you to the author and BookSirens for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own and given honestly.

The book has just over 250 pages, so it's not a super long book, but the book slips right into the drama pretty much from the start. You get a nice viewpoint of our lead female Estrid's family, home life and problems, and her current one is a massive mix of her really crummy father and, even worse, the Count, who is the slimiest slimeball of all creation, and that's putting it mildly. Our poor FMC, no matter what she says, her words fall on deaf ears.

I loved the opener, loved getting a great viewpoint of what the foundation of this book's story will be. The writing style was easy to follow and read, and the book overall was fast-paced and moved at a pretty fast pace.

While our FMC came across as pretty meek and sheltered from the world due to her background, over the course of the book she slowly showed more and more spine and grew in strength as a character.

Our MMC of this book is Kare. I loved that he was a strong and deeply skilled character but still had stuff he lacked in and worried about. Having a perfect character makes for boring reading. I loved that perfection was not plastered everywhere. I liked the imperfections of those in the book, and it made everything feel more relatable and easy to connect to.

I would say that due to the book being on the shorter side, the secondary characters at times could feel a little on the flat side. The story was clear-cut the whole way through, but I did feel like the book was more spice-heavy at times than story-heavy.

I felt like the writing was done in a way that made the romance in the book feel very rushed at times, along with the sudden ending events also feeling a little thrown at me. There was a lot of spice in the middle of the book, like so much spice that I felt like I was reading chapters of it, which, I am a spice fan, but I did feel like half of it could have been cut out and more story put in its place.

Overall, the spice was hot, the romance fun and the story there. I had a great time reading the book, so much so that I zoomed through the book within a few hours without any real hiccups or problems.

I had a few things that stuck out to me, but overall, it was a solid, enjoyable read.

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(Hart and Mercy, #1) The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen

 

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐¾ 3.75 Stars
🌶️🌶️ 2 Spice

Oh my god, I cried so hard it was no joke. I had to pause as I picked up the pieces of my heart that were all over the floor at one point. I don't think I've cried so hard before over a book.

When I started this book, I was not even sure what I was getting myself into, but I have to say this book was… more than I could hope for. It was strange and weird, but in the funniest ways.

I felt like the story, for one, was solid. There was stuff going on in this book that I have never seen done in other books I've read. Some confusing terms for things that I did find hard at first, so that I did not like, but I slowly understood what was going on.

I love the fact the story was both dark and super different. I felt like that story really had a lot going for it with its uniqueness, and let's not even get me started on the romance and spice that really added a new layer to the book.

But the book was not without its faults. As I said before, there was some wording I struggled with. I felt like the end needed much more closure to it. I sort of felt a little cheated.

The writing was fantastic apart from a few terms or words. I mean, I was sobbing, like ugly sobbing, so the writing got me good, but I felt like there could have been more, and some of the action in the book was sort of confusing at times, so I ended up having to reread over those parts, but I still really enjoyed the book.

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(Braided Fate, #2) Captive Traitor King by Brigid Kemmerer ARC Review

 

Captive Traitor King by Brigid Kemmerer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars (But I would give it more if I could!)
🌶️🌶️ 2 Spice (Close to 3!)

There are no words that can express how excited I was to get an ARC of this book. I have read the first book twice, and it was one of the few books I have given 6 stars EVER, and I loved it just as much on the second read. I have also got like three copies of the first book, just to give you an idea of how much of a fan I am of the book. So when I got book 2, I all but wanted to sob, and there was a little happy dance that followed as I hugged my Kindle. My dog was super confused. I also reread the first book to make sure I was going into book two with my mind fresh with the story and excited to jump into the book.

Before I forget, thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own and given honestly. Now let's get into it.

I did not think there was any chance of me liking this one as much as the first, but I so did. The book starts pretty much from where the first book ended, and I was so glad for that. While I did read the first book to refresh, I found that the author had started the book in a way that gave you a refresher itself, so I was feeling on top form.

The book eases into what is currently going on in the story and how our 3 leads are all dealing with each other. There are bumps and hurdles and, of course, problems, but I do love how they don't just let things linger. They all seem set to try and fix things when they know they did wrong, and I find that super appealing in a book when a lot of books draw out strife and miscommunication, and I hate it, but this book does not do that.

The story is always the main focus in this book, which is great when you have romance and spice to boot in the book. I love the direction the story is moving in. The clear ups and downs and shocking revelations and information I was getting throughout this book were top tier, and I feel fit to burst from the story, but this book had so much more than just a deep story.

One of the things I love best about this book and the series so far is the complex characters, not just our 3 leads, but slowly in the book you get to see more of others as well and get to feel them more as people. But keeping my eyes on our leads, Jory, Asher and Ky, all three have very different lives, different hardships, but it's the details of trauma and how each of them deals with that.

Their pain felt so on point and gripping that it hurt in a way that had me so lost in the pages that I could almost forget everything else outside of the book. I loved how each of them dealt with things differently, how they are trying to overcome things, and it just OOZES emotion on a whole different level than other books. There were moments in this book that had me hurting so bad I thought I would break too, and there were moments I smiled so hard it hurt, and the fact the book just evoked that sort of feeling from me makes it a brilliant read.

The spice in this book was much more than the first book, but it never overshadowed the story, never felt out of place and never once felt unneeded. I loved the spice and the relationships. I feel like each of them gets something from each other that is different, and I hope to see more of this in the next book.

The book has a great pace; I never felt rushed, but things moved well, and I never got bored or felt like this bit was filler. No, everything felt like it had a place. The book gives you room to breathe and start making up your own thoughts on things before some stuff becomes known, and there are moments of action and gore along with sweeter moments, and overall, it had everything I wanted.

But that ENDING.

The author drop-kicked my heart right out of my chest, I swear it. How am I going to live without the next book? How am I going to be able to move on and wait? It's like an impossible ask. It was a shocking end and one that will keep me awake at night and worrying, but I hope the author will not make me wait too long.

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Warrior Princess Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer Reread review

 

Warrior Princess Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (6 stars!)
🌶️ 1 spice (Slow burn, emotional, story-driven)

If I could give this book all the stars, I absolutely would. If I could magically make the next two books in the series appear in front of me, I would. And most of all, I wish I could unread this book just so I could experience it all over again for the first time. It is, hands down, the best thing I’ve read this year maybe ever.

Wow... the beginning hit me like a truck. I was pulled in immediately, and by chapter two I was already tearing up, wondering how I was crying this early on. What a fantastic opening absolute bravo! The writing gripped my heart and squeezed.

This book steamrolled me with incredible characters, a vivid realm, and clear details about the current state of Astranza and its royal family. The pacing was perfect. The emotional depth completely wrecked me in the best way. Nothing about this story bored me not even for a second. I was obsessed from beginning to end.

The POV switches between Jory, Asher, and Ky were handled beautifully, giving us layered insight into each of them. I loved the balance of strength and vulnerability in all three. The buildup was so gripping I was literally on the edge of my seat.

The last 150+ pages were absolute chaos in the best possible way shocking twists, emotional turns, and powerful moments. I could go on and on.

And the spice? If you’re looking for constant steam, this isn’t that. But if you love slow-burning tension that builds and builds until the payoff is both emotional and electric this is 100% for you. The spice matched the tone and story perfectly.

I usually list something I didn’t like… but I honestly can’t think of a single thing. This book was flawless to me.

What I liked:
EVERYTHING
The plot
The worldbuilding
The characters
The raw emotion and pain

What didn’t work for me:
Nothing. Seriously.

Would I recommend this book?
Yes. To anyone who will listen.

Would I reread it?
In a heartbeat.

How would I sum it up?
An epic, breathtaking start to a series. A book that made me cry, gasp, and fall in love with every page from the characters and world to the emotional highs and lows. Flawless.
----------
First Read: 6th October 2025
Reread: 23rd October 2026

This is my second time reading Warrior Princess Assassin, and I loved it just as much this time around as I did a year ago when I first got my hands on the book!

For me, the whole thing was absolutely amazing! It had the perfect balance of story, depth, emotion, spice and action. Everything just worked so well together, and even on a reread, I found myself completely hooked.

I honestly can't wait to dive into the second book, and I'm keeping everything crossed that it's just as amazing as the first! ❤️

https://bestbooks89.blogspot.com/2025...


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Salt and Knot Salt and Knot by Ella Verso Arc review

 

Salt and Knot by Ella Verso
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 4 Spice

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own and given honestly.

Well, I was not expecting that… I feel like I need a cold shower and maybe to wash my eyeballs…. That was some freaky spice and a lot of spice. I mean, this book runneth over with the spice. It had me blinking and raising my eyebrows and my mouth full-on falling open at times that I could have caught flies in there, but I kept on reading like my life depended on it.

I'm not a fan of books that have no solid storylines, so with the book being so short, I was sure I was going to have a problem, but nope, I was swept up in a smutty sea and left unsure what I had just read. I mean, it's a short book. You would think there was not enough space to put in that much sexy time. Well, they proved me wrong, and I stand up and slow clap.

I have read a LOT of books, and there are very few Krakens. Like, I've read one maybe before, and that was TAME compared to this book.

I felt like, for a short book, the author got a lot of things in given the short page count, and honestly, I did not hate this book at all. I think this book was a great little pick-me-up; there was no overcomplication. It was mindless fun and spicy. What more could I want?

I would say I would have LOVED to see this book have 300 pages. I think the author would have spun me an epic monster romance with a great story to go alongside the smut and weird stuff.

I would say monster romance fans will eat this up. I know I did.

I don't know if the book had trigger warnings, maybe I missed them, but always remember to read them before going into a book.

If you're after a book with a deep storyline, fully fleshed-out characters, and more twists and turns than the motorway, then this book probably isn't for you!

BUT if you're after a fast, hot, spicy monster romance that you can devour in under an hour, then this bad boy is definitely for you!

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Faeries and Frost by Carly Spade Arc review

 

Faeries and Frost by Carly Spade
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐ 3 Stars
🌶️🌶️ 2 Spice

Thank you to the author and BookSirens for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own and given honestly.

So book two of this series follows Jack and Sylvie's story. Now, I have in fact read the first book, and I would have to say reading the first book is not needed, but you would be missing a lot of connections and meeting already established characters that you had met in the first book, so I would advise reading the first book just to have a better insight and grasp of people.

We meet Sylvie briefly in the first book, and she came across as sweet pretty much from the get-go, so I was excited to see more of her. While Jack I had not met before, so he was totally fresh coming in. There was a clear storyline coming into the book, which is always great. I don't want to be hunting for that when I start reading, but this book had it. There was more action in this book than the first, and I think the drama levels were upped as well. While the first book had this more mellow rom-com sort of feel, this one had way more fantasy drama sprinkled in, which I was very pleased about.

The book covers dual POVs, so you are getting a vantage point from both perspectives. I love books that do this because it does not leave me guessing about where everyone stands and their motives for their actions, but I struggled with this book where I had not with the first book.

There was 2 moments in the book that had me confused....An event happened in the first book, and I thought maybe it would get a little more unravelled in the second book, but again, apart from one passing conversation, nothing....

add then there was something that happened in this book that I was so sure that it would turn out to be another sort of thing that happened in the first book, but nothing was said about it at all.... Like, the event happened; it was CLEARLY weird, but that was it, so I was left sort of miffed.

But my biggest problem is I did not really feel the WOW between our leads. I'm not sure why, it sort of felt flat to me. I even tried rereading the parts again later to see if my thoughts had changed, but I felt the same.

I also felt how fast this one was moving. Like, I felt like I was zooming through it at breakneck speeds, and everything was one thing, next thing, and next, and I kind of struggled with that. I also felt like both characters needed a little more to who they are, more details of their pasts to really make them stand out as characters.

It was not a bad book, not at all. As I said, there was a clear storyline, a lot of funny moments and ANIMAL COMPANIONS!! Yeah, those guys had me grinning. All books should have 'em.

There was more action and drama and still that cosy found-family vibe with a sprinkle of spice to pull it all together. I read through the whole book with ease, but for me, this was not as grabbing as the first book, and personally, I had a few little problems, but overall, it was a fun read.



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The Belles of Wrath by Jaysea Lynn Arc review

 

The Belles of Wrath by Jaysea Lynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars
🌶️🌶️ 2 Spice

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own and given honestly.

I'm going to start off by saying I read the first book a while ago and was wondering if I should have reread that one first before reading this ARC of book 2, and I can tell you, hand on heart, there is no need. It was very clear that this is interconnected with the first book but can happily be picked up and read all on its own without you feeling like you are missing part of the information. I would say, as someone who has read both, it's TOTALLY worth reading the first book even if you don't need to because Lilly's story is a fantastic start to this series. Now back to book 2.

This book, much like the first, makes me feel some sort of feelings that I have never felt with other books. It totally holds up to everything I want as a reader. Is there a storyline? Yes. Are there good characters? Yes. Is it easy to read? Yes. Is it emotionally impactful? Yes. And will it stay with you after reading it? Yes. But there is something about this book that just gets you.

What happens after we are gone.... We have all thought about this.... We all have different ideas and theories, but none of us know for sure. But this book gives you a world of what could be there.... a system and deeply detailed world and a beautiful idea of the beyond once you've taken your last breath. I can't help but find myself pulled in and enraptured by the idea and hoping maybe that would be waiting for me. I found the world comforting and something I would have never even thought up myself in my wildest of dreams, but when you are reading about it and getting to see the full scope of this world, it seems so real that I hope it was fact for those moving on.

Death in books is normally the end, where you as a reader are left hollow inside.... crying and totally torn up because the character you loved is gone and the book is just about done. But with this book, death is the start, the place it begins and takes you, which is so unique.

The story has so many layers, and I think a lot of lessons can be learned about pain and trauma, how someone can lose themselves in it and cut themselves off. The book gives great examples of letting people in, talking to friends and seeking help from professionals, taking little steps to try and work through stuff, that it's OK to not be perfect and just take it one day at a time, and that was pure gold to me.

Now, I would like to note this book has all the heart and feels of a cosy monster romance, but the book has many places and times where it can be dark. Our lead is carrying a lot of the weight of her life and trauma with her, and you see, as you follow the story, her working through some of the hardest things that can happen to a person. You see her at her worst, where her thoughts are so painful that it will make your own chest ache, to slowly learning her worth and working through her trauma.

She had such a strength to her, but I think sometimes, as readers, when you think of strength, you think of someone able to fight or sass, but her strength is so much more than just that. She had weathered so much, and she was still trying to put one foot in front of the other, still trying even when it was so hard, and I think she was so amazingly strong, even knowing she could not see it. She was so likeable, and I just wanted to wrap her in a hug and make everything right. Penny, for me, was a great FMC.

The story in this book was very clear. I loved the corporate take on one of the things going on in the book and how this affected all those within the pages of the book, and the slow unfolding of it over the course of the book. The romance side ran side by side with that, with a sprinkling of tasteful but hot spice nearer the end that really did top the whole thing off.

While the book had a lot of impactful stuff going on with the darker stuff and stuff going on in Hell, the book was not just doom and gloom and pain. No, it was overwhelmingly funny at times and had more heartwarming moments than pain. The found family in this book is top class, and the great unfolding love story made me smile so hard it ached.

I would say that I would have loved more happening in some parts. There were a few patches where it felt too drawn out and would make me have to pause and start again, and there were a few times I felt there might have been too much information given at one time when it needed a little breather in between. But other than that, for me, it was a really great read.

I would say, going into this book, if you are after something with more action and blood and gore, this is not for you. I would say this is more cosy with a side of dark than a full dark read.

I would say, for me, it was monster romance (or demon romance) with a cosy slice-of-life feel, with massive emotional depth and a sprinkle of spice and a bucket of trauma and darkness.

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(The Mythical Mates of Arcane Cove, #1) Witches and Wine by Carly Spade Arc review

 

Witches and Wine by Carly Spade
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3 Spice

This was a fun, cosy, small-town monster romance with a very cool mythology spin that I haven't seen in my usual monster romance books.

Thank you to the author and BookSirens for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own and given honestly.

Now, going into this book, we are introduced to Dion, aka Dionysus. I love his clear Jake the Lad feel; it's clear how everyone who knows him sees him as carefree, brash, all about pleasure and less about responsibility. Honestly, while reading this book, he was totally the life and fun of the book. More than once, he had me laughing, but you totally see a massively different side to him that he clearly is not used to.

Chelsea is our FMC. She has just moved to Arcane Cove and is restarting there. She comes across as someone who is put together and tightly wound, who struggles to let her hair down.

Getting into this book was pretty easy, honestly. The writing style is smooth and has a great flow to it, covering dual POVs. There is a very clear storyline from start to end with a clear progression. I would say the speed of the story is fast due to the book not being huge, so some events have less weight and depth, and the reactions are shorter. Showing the events' effects on a character does not seem long enough or just seems too short overall. I would have loved a little more reaction from our FMC to one of these events.

That being said, this also means you are not stuck in a bind of misunderstanding or groaning about being stuck in a moment for too long; everything kept moving.

I loved the fun lightness of the book, the direction the book went in and the sprinkling of drama, but what this book had a lot of was spice. Clearly descriptive and fun spice! It was a little more on the vanilla side, and only one spice scene was a little more adventurous, but I love my warmer, fun spice when inside my cosy town monster romance books, so I was totally all in for it. It was clear and fitting and also did not totally take over the book.

I liked the ending, but I was surprised to feel that the ending was fun, yet it might have left a little open-ended part. So I am not sure if that will follow into the next book, but that really left me excited too.

Overall, a small-town monster romance hit for me!! Magic, wine and horns all the way, thank you very much

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Rifting Hearts and Roars by Katie Gabbert Downey review

 

Rifting Hearts and Roars: A Cozy Monster Romance by Katie Gabbert Downey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3 Spice

Thank you to the author and BookSirens for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own and given honestly.

I am a sucker for a cosy, spicy monster romance, so the moment I saw this on BookSirens, I was like, yep, sign me up, please....

The book starts off nice and slowly, introducing us to our FMC, Lir. She comes across as someone who is not tied down and is emotionally uninvested in complicating her life with romance and, well, people if she can help it. At first, she comes across a little bit like a porcupine in a way. The writing style is easy and uncomplicated, which made reading the book fast and easy, all the things I love when looking for this sort of book.

This book has a clear story from the get-go. It's what throws our FMC into the main story of the book, and soon you are introduced to a whole new alien world, beings and dangers. I felt like our female main character, Lir, struggled with choice-making, and at one time I did think a choice she made was epically stupid, but I think, given I was in her place and in her frame of mind, I don't think I would really make the best choices when scared either. I felt like she became more likeable as the story went on, and I really loved the exchanges between Lir and Somnus. The playfulness and differences between the pair really made this book fun.

For over half the book, you are mostly getting to grips with this alien planet, and you are really getting to see more of Lir and Somnus, her getting to grips with how her life has turned upside down and what of her future, and him working out what to do with her and his own confusing feelings. It really held up to the cosy side of the book.
There was a time skip that threw me off, as for a moment I had not known there was one, and when it said it, it felt a little jarring. There was one more moment of transition in the book that also felt a little like that too, but other than that, I had no problems with the writing.

The book really picked up after the halfway mark, and I'm not talking silly stuff that feels like fluff. I'm talking about action, gore and seeing a side of what this alien race is like in the main city, and it really picked the book up and the tempo. You meet new characters, and it made the book feel bigger, and our girl Lir got to really see what sort of environment she was in and how different it was from her home.

I loved the action and seeing a different side of Somnus and getting a bigger idea of the political workings of his people. The author was not shy about the gore, and I felt like there was a great balance of story, gore, spice and action that left me feeling totally pleased, zooming through the book in only a few hours. I normally know how much I like a book by how fast I read it, and I ate this book up. I think any reader who loves monster romance will find this one a totally enjoyable read.
If I was to nitpick, I would say I would have loved more at the end. I felt like there was a feeling of openness to the end, like there was this want for Lir to be happy in her choice and... closure, but I felt like while I loved the ending, there was this... what now? Rather than a "The End" sort of feel.

Anyway, to sum up, I found this to be a unique, spicy monster romance with a sprinkle of gore and a solid storyline. I finished reading thinking about what I think would happen now, and that for me is always a sign of a good book.

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Crowned by Roses by Elizabeth Helen review

 

Crowned by Roses by Elizabeth Helen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3 Spice

You have no idea how much I have been waiting for this book and also dreading this book all at the same time. The Beasts of the Briar series has been one of my favourite series to read, and getting my hands on the last book was like both a blessing and a joy to know how it finally all ends, and an epic curse because, oh my god, how can it all be about to end!! Noooo was my mindset the moment I got my hands on it. That said, massive thank you to the authors for giving me an ARC. You have no idea how happy I was to get it.

The book picked up a little while after the last book, and you feel it, the heavy weight and gloom, the after-effects of what just happened and its ripple effect throughout the characters. The writing was, as always, impeccably written, easy and smooth like butter, so that you almost glide through the pages, even as the characters try and work themselves out and pick themselves up. That weight really gives you that feeling, really gets you in the mindset of the moment and the edginess of what happens now.

Then the book starts really moving, which, as always, is where even more magic happens. The whole book from the start had this massive question mark over it, so as you read it, that weight of are we going to do this, are we going to be OK, are we going to make it, all but sits on your chest as you read.... It gives the book depth and you a feeling you can't shake off the whole way. At this point, I did not think I would see much growth in the characters anymore because we are on the last hurdle, but I was so totally wrong because even at the end, they improve and strive to try and be more than they are, try and keep hold of themselves and hope, and it was honestly really beautiful.

The world inside this book had slowly, and I had thought, been totally detailed and explored to me, but I might as well have thrown that idea out of my head because coming into this book, the places we knew are dark and harsh and not at all how we had them before. You get to see a world holding onto the edge and about ready to be turned into a true hellscape for all, and we got to see a place never seen before so far in this series, and I was.... breathless and so shocked by it that there was still so, so much I could be taken in by and given by this book.

I was not left feeling like I was rehashing or reliving the same thing over and over that might have happened in other series this long that I have read, where the WOW has gone, where storylines felt like they had been put in the washing machine on repeat. Nope, this book was like slipping into the series, but nothing was nailed down. It was all topsy-turvy and so new.

The books, over the course of reading them, had grown darker, and in our great journey to get here, we had gained and lost people we loved. We had given pieces of ourselves and sobbed and cried, laughed and loved, been scared, begged and pleaded, and most of all, we have been whisked away from our lives into this world and felt things that moved us. This book and series had all that, so much so it oozed from the words and pages.

This book was a masterpiece of light and dark and holding out hope, and I felt like I had earned that ending. I had bled and cried for the ending, and it was oh so worth it.

The book had a perfect level of action, story, love and spice, and the ending gave me goosebumps and tears and a warm feeling. I would have loved more, but I think I would have loved more no matter how much the story gave me because I never wanted to reach the end of it.

I wanted a never-ending story to just slip into and stay in. I have no doubt that this will stay in my number one all-time favourite series for a VERY long time. It gave me magic, gave me both heartache and love, gave me loss and gain, and most of all, gave me a world to lose myself in, to find comfort in.

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Dustwalker Dustwalker by Tiffany Roberts review

 

Dustwalker by Tiffany Roberts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3 Spice

OK.... wow, I was not expecting that. Where do I start? So, I don't read a load of dystopia/post-apocalyptic books, so I was excited to give this one a read. I kind of felt like I wanted to mix it up, have something different, and boy, did I get what I was asking for.

Honestly, to start off, the story seemed pretty simple. Our lead Lara's life is a hard one, and her only family is Tabitha, but she has gone missing. I sort of thought that was the scope of the story, her mission to find her sister, but nope, that was simply a drop of water in the sea. The book's story was WAY more than that. I found the story to be rich and layered.

There were moments where I was in tears and other times so mad I thought I was going to combust into flames. I loved the dark and gritty nature of the story and the little glimmers and pockets of happiness that seemed even brighter given the state of this horrible world we are given. The details and descriptions of the world really did make everything just pop out. There were a few patches that were a little draggy, but otherwise, I was happy.

The shiny amazingness of this book should have been the amazing storyline, which I LOVED, but it was Ronin. He was such an amazing character, and watching the change in him and the interactions with Lara, I felt moved and warm in such a dark place. He really uplifted the whole book.

Romance in this book was so different from what I expected, but it was amazing. The spice was there but never once overshadowed the story. It never became the focal point, and honestly, a few times I felt like the spice in the book was saying something in that moment, which made it so meaningful.... I'm in pain.... make me forget, or.... no matter what you are, I love you. There was a level to it that I rarely see, which made the spice a hit for me. I felt like the story had a lot of underlying lessons to learn as well, which made it more impactful.

The last 40 percent of the book was outstanding and action-packed as we drew to the end. There was a lot going on, but it was the last 10 percent of the book that had me all but bouncing in my seat, gasping and crossing my fingers, and I loved it....

Then that ending....

I was emotionally destroyed. It was so flipping good, but it really hit me in the feels, and I was all but sobbing. My daughter had to come over to see if I was OK, I was crying so hard. But I think the ending made total sense, and I understood it and, in a way, loved it even as I was crying ugly tears.

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(DreamTogether Breeding Program) Satyrs Ever After: A Bred by the Satyrs Sequel by Lyonne Riley review

 

Satyrs Ever After: A Bred by the Satyrs Sequel by Lyonne Riley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 4 Spice

This is a super short novella, but after rereading the original book again, I went on to read this one to see how it held up to the first book, which I liked, and it's quick, fun, and spicy. It was really easy to fly through in one sitting, and because I had just reread the original, everything was still fresh in my mind, which made jumping back into their lives even more fun.

I would say it was more on the cozy sort of side, giving us a glimpse into the lives of Bree, Arthur, Jack, and Bennett from the original book. So we see what their lives are like a few years later and their family, while also introducing Danny. I really enjoyed getting to see where everyone had ended up and how their relationships and lives had changed since the original book.

I have to say, it was fun and a sweet, light read. I would have loved more, but with it being such a short novella, I knew there was only so much it could give. There was a story here, and it was wrapped up well with all the spice and the lives they are all living. It felt like a nice little extra for people who enjoyed the original book and wanted to spend a bit more time with the characters.

I also liked seeing how Jack had grown since the original book, which was probably the biggest surprise for me. Seeing that change in him and where he is now was something I really enjoyed.

Overall, I really liked the book. It's short, cozy, VERY spicy, and a fun little return to characters I already enjoyed. I just wish it had been a little longer because I would happily have read more.

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(Rose Falls, #1) Our Monstrous Hearts by Delilah Thorne review

 

Our Monstrous Hearts by Delilah Thorne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐ / ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 3 or 4 Stars, I'm stumped!
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3 Spice
⚠️ Please check the trigger warnings!!

If you're looking for cute, cozy monster smut with a super sexy monster lead.... leave now!... No, turn and run, like full speed, because this, my friend, is not for you.

If you're after horrifying, monstrous, and horrible, stomach-turning acts and descriptions, then stay. This book is.... well, not for the faint of heart or the sane, I think (I know it says a lot about me lol). I was not really sure when I started what I was going to get, which was my first mistake, bypassing the page and a half of trigger warnings because BOY did I need to read them.

The book opens right up into just gag-worthy information about what is going on, and I was, well, surprised to say the least. But that then moved into getting an idea of our main female lead, Cassandra, and the horror of what her life is, and I was like, well, I started the book now, might as well sit comfy on the ride.

The book, for starters, is short, so it moves at a quick pace. Do I like that? No, but I understand it due to the limited number of pages, and it was clear the author worked hard to try and make it feel much longer than it was.

The story is DARK. Not like, oooh, look, it's a shadow. NO, I mean I fell into a void of dark and could not find the light switch. There was never a moment where I was like, "Oh, look, so sweet," that didn't have to stop as I realised that due to the dark nature of the book, even a little tenderness or less horror was still dark. But due to the content and story of the book, it made those pockets seem so much brighter, but clearly it was a ploy and a good one.

Also, do not get me started on the spice in this book.... It's there alright.... just hanging around with the gore and darkness lol.

There was a storyline, but I think the shock factor made it really hard to see much else but that at times. But I was not moaning, well.... maybe gagging, but hey, I was reading at lightning speed, so I can't say it was BAD due to the fact I stayed glued to it the moment I picked it up.

I will say, due to it being a short book, it makes the characters feel less fleshed out and flat. Some of the wording at times felt choppy, like picking words out of a dictionary and throwing them in, but otherwise the book was easy reading. There were 2 times I felt confused by a transition within the pages too.

I can honestly say this book was not really built to make you like anyone. It felt like... I do wonder what it would have become if it was 400 or 500 pages and not 140. I do feel that for such a short book, there was a lot in it.

In truth, I don't even know what to rate this at all.

I'm a little stumped.

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