The Lost Siren by Raven Storm review

 

The Lost Siren by Raven Storm
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️½ stars
🌶️🌶️ spice

I slipped into the book pretty quickly — the writing style made it easy to fly through, and I finished it within just a few hours. Overall, I really liked the storyline. It was a fun, easy read, and I found characters I liked and wanted to read more of… and others I would’ve happily thrown into a pit of sharp, pointy sticks 🗡️😤.

It was a nice read. Was it the best I’ve read? No — but that might be because the story felt a little rushed in places. There were moments where I felt like more detail and explanation could’ve really elevated it. I disliked a certain male character’s behavior and actions at times, but I let it slide as I kept reading.

Right now, I sort of liked Kieran best throughout the book, mostly because he was just… it 💁‍♂️. His behavior and kindness stood out.

I do feel there could’ve been more to the book — and that would’ve made a good book truly great. But honestly? It was a solid OK/good read. Would I reread it? Maybe not. But am I glad I read it? Yes, absolutely 😊.

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Tusk Love Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon review

 

Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars
🌶️🌶️½ spice

Sweet with a touch of heat and a whole load of adventure.

So, I wanted to read this book before it was released, but I hadn’t gotten the book yet. One of my closest friends read it and was like, “ANN, READ IT.” Clearly, my friend has amazing taste — and the moment I could, I dove in.

From the first page, the book was super easy to get into. The writing made reading feel effortless, and I flew through the pages once I started. While the writing was amazing, it was the characters that truly hooked me. I loved the detail and history we learn about Guinevere and Oskar. I adored watching their interactions, how they viewed each other, and how that shifted over time — it had me totally gripped.

I was worried when I saw the book wasn’t super long — would I have loved a 500-page version? Hells yes. But the author wove something truly magical, and every page impressed me.

I don’t want to give too much away, but there were two big moments in this book that had me in tears. They related so deeply to my own life — to loss and growing up with a troubled family — and it always shocks me when a book can pull something from inside you like that. It made me feel even more connected to the characters.

I'm a massive fan of D&D and Critical Role, but honestly, even if I had never heard of either, I would have still loved this book entirely on its own merits.

This story is about growth and becoming your truest self — about not hiding, not performing, but simply being who you are. It’s about freedom, and not being afraid of it. It was so beautiful. Yes, there is spice, but it’s not overdone or there just for the sake of it. It blends perfectly with the story and adds depth, not distraction.

If I had to sum this up, I’d say it’s a sweet and spicy read full of heart, soul, and adventure. 💫📚

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A Witch and Her Dragon by Emberly Wyndham review

 

A Witch and Her Dragon by Emberly Wyndham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3 spice

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

Ok, where do I start? First off, I really like the writing style — how it was written was smooth and easy to read. It really surprised me when I started how easily I just slipped into the book, and I loved getting to see the two POVs in the story. Sometimes when I’m reading a book and there are too many POV switches, it can get confusing and frustrating, but nope, that did not happen here. There were only two POVs, and it was so amazing getting a clear view and understanding of who you were reading about. It was just so easy to read that honestly, I zoomed through the book within a few short hours. I normally know how much I’ll like a book by how fast I read it, and I ate this book up like I was starving.

Now, the storyline in the book is easy to follow and not overly complicated like some books where you have to reread parts and take notes. Not this one! It was beautifully clear and had me totally invested in what was going on, feeling emotional and even sad for the characters. If a book makes me feel things, I know it’s good. The world is great — not over-detailed to the point where it’s complicated and makes you dizzy trying to follow, but still so nicely done that my brain could visualize it and get swept up in the story.

If I had to pick something that really made this book outstanding, it has to be how the author wrote family. I have read many books where the family part is either barely touched on or just a few words between characters, but this author really outdid themselves and gave me such warmth and a big smile with the interactions and how loved ones dealt with things. I was left feeling overwhelmingly happy. ❤️👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Overall, I could not have asked for a better book. I loved everything about it, and in truth, I normally try to find things I don’t like, but it was really hard. There was detailed spice, but it did not overtake or overshadow the storyline. There was a mix of different elements going on that added to the story without bogging it down. If I had to be really nitpicky and find one thing I didn’t like, it might be the time jumping, but even that was so well done and clear that I knew what was happening, so I can’t even complain about that. So, I totally have to give this book 5 well-earned ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!! 🎉🎉

Anyone who likes a smooth, easy read that has enough going on to keep you gripped and smiling like a fool at 3am, and kicking your feet while blushing over breakfast — this is for you! 😍📖☕️

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Tipori: A Tale From Dessos by Cindy L Sell review

 

Tipori: A Tale From Dessos by Cindy L Sell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️ to 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ spice — it’s hard to really put a level, really lol

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

Let me start by saying I have not read any other books by this author before, so I had no idea about the world it was based in — it was all totally new to me.

To say this book was dark would be an understatement. I love a dark read and morally grey men like a lot of readers do, but DAMN, this was dark. I hate, with a deep hate, the mistreatment of people — it’s a massive off-putting thing for me as a reader. So I was shocked to find that not only was this book well-written enough to keep me reading and wanting to learn more about this well-detailed, horror-filled world I found myself in, but the layers and everything going on left me both intrigued and rage-filled.

Maralla — I love her strength and the light she shone on this book. I felt like she was so, so needed, and it made swallowing all the harshness of this world a little easier, really. I wanted to burn the whole world down 🔥 and my list of people I wanted to watch die was so long I might need to invest in a notebook 📝. But that being said... there was so much going on and a clear view of the horror of this world, its views, and how it treated its people — I was horrified and wishing I could just eliminate the problem and make it all better.

I felt conflicted about Mascha as a person, and it made me feel dizzy 🤯, but it was so, so, so well written and put together that I could only imagine the time and thought put into it. I would say the ending left a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth — mostly because I wanted a massive turnaround or something — but that being said, it was not a bad ending at all.

To sum up the book, I would say it’s dark and deeply rich in the world it weaves. It will have you pulling at your own hair, wishing you could push your own will into the book and bring a little light for those that should have it. I feel like some people might have trouble with a LOT of the content, so checking trigger warnings is a must ⚠️. But clearly, the book was a massive labor of love on the author’s part, and while it’s not sunshine and rainbows, it does pull you in and make you question everything.

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Phantasma (Wicked Games, #1) Phantasma by Kaylie Smith review

 

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️3 stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️3 spice.

I know a LOT of people totally love this, and while the premise of the story is really great, I really struggled at first to get into the book. I normally devour books quickly, but starting this one, I struggled—like, really struggled. I wasn’t sure if it was the writing style or just that it didn’t grab me, but I worked through it. I started to like it a little more as the story progressed, and the spice was definitely there. However, I didn’t love the book; I liked it, but I didn’t feel really connected to it, if I’m being honest. It’s sad because there were lots of layers in the book, lots of mystery, and interesting things going on, but ugh... I just couldn’t, for the life of me, get into it. It’s sad, but it happens. I didn’t dislike the book at all, but I don’t think I would choose to reread it.

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Direbound by Sable Sorensen review

 

Dire Bound by Sable Sorensen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Holy moly! 😳 What a fantastic read! 👏 Where the hell should I start? I feel totally lost for words. The story in this book is just spectacular!! I love the struggles and the desire to push forward and protect. The view of family life that is not always conventional, family comes in many forms and dynamics. The strong female lead was super enjoyable, but she was by no means perfect and made rash and stupid choices that had me pulling out my hair.

I had feelings for a person in the book, and I felt like I was going mad, wondering if maybe I was being mean because I felt distrust and icky about them, but that’s what good books are about: reading, getting lost in its words and its world, questioning everything you thought was true, and being left speechless and wanting more.

I absolutely 💯 was gripped by this book and its characters for better or worse. The things I didn’t like about this book didn’t make me dislike it; they were told in such a way that they added to the big wow at the end. The spice in this book is sprinkled throughout, but honestly, I was more in love with the story and what was going on than the smut side, which really shocked me.

I absolutely love the direwolves in this world 🐺, and enjoyed learning about the world the author wove and created into such a lush and brilliant fantasy realm. I would have loved to see more use of power and more combat scenes ⚔️. I felt the book had so much to give, and it hit all the right spots for me, even my epic rages and screaming at the lead seemed worth it for such a great start to a series.

Fantastic! I don’t know how I’m going to wait for the next book. 😍🔥

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Dragon's Gift by Jasmine Walt review

 

Dragon's Gift by Jasmine Walt
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

It’s a pretty short first book, so it didn’t take long to read. While the premise of the story is really cool, I felt like it sort of missed the mark. There were parts I liked more than others, but I had major issues with the pacing. The way our lead did some things felt too fast — I expected more internal thought or hesitation, which left me feeling kind of meh about it. 😕

There is spice, but again, I didn’t really feel much for it — it was like going through the motions without any real emotional pull. Maybe it was the way it was described? I’m not sure. It just didn’t draw me in the way I hoped.

I did enjoy a few moments, but sadly, there were more things I didn’t like than things I did. I’m still deciding if I’ll read the next one or not. 🤔

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A Soul to Keep (Duskwalker Brides, #1) A Soul to Keep by Opal Reyne review

 

A Soul to Keep by Opal Reyne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I was recommended this book by a friend, and I was a little unsure at first—but wow, I am so glad I read it.

To start with: what a hell of a story! A world of humans and demons can be hard to make feel fresh after so many books portray it this way and that, and honestly, I thought there were no new ways left to make it unique. But this? This was fantastic. I was sucked in pretty much from the first word.

I really loved learning and getting to grips with everything going on. While the book is on the darker side and pretty open about it… it didn’t feel that dark while reading, which is kind of wild considering what actually goes on in the story.

The SPICE in this book was GIVING inferno—I honestly thought I might catch on fire! But weirdly, despite how many spicy parts there were, it didn’t feel like that was all there was. There was a great balance of story and spice.

Call me crazy, but I couldn’t help but feel for the characters—seriously, I got butterflies of my own. Orpheus? I couldn’t help but totally love him. It was easy to fall down that rabbit hole… and before you knew it, you were too far gone to turn back.

If you love monster spice books, this is a big must-read. Fantastic read, and I’d totally read it again in a heartbeat.

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Bound (The Spider's Mate, #3) Bound by Tiffany Roberts review

 

Bound by Tiffany Roberts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Wow, what an epic ending!!! I ate this series up like it was my first meal in days. This is the last book in the series, and I was not disappointed at all. There was a really cool story throughout all the books, but the last one truly captured so much more giving you a real look not only at the current problems, but also a glimpse into the Vrix people at the heart of the whole thing.

I was totally pleased with how much was packed into this book the action, the growth and it left a warm feeling inside. Watching the struggles and changes unfold, I felt it in my own heart. I was gripped totally gripped!

And yes, of course, there’s spice in the book three longer scenes dotted throughout but honestly, while I loved the spice, I was completely enthralled by the story itself. Book 3 is by far my favorite of the trilogy, and it just left me really wanting more.

The ending was just chef’s kiss!! Loved it. I would totally recommend this series to others with the same easygoing taste in books as I do.

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Enthralled (The Spider's Mate, #2) Enthralled by Tiffany Roberts review

 

Enthralled by Tiffany Roberts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Oh my gods!! I mean, I was sort of worried this wouldn’t be as good as the first but shockingly, I was totally wrong. Not only that, but now that I know the layout of the worlds and their people, I felt like I could understand more and get a better grasp on the story.

The ending had me twisted up, sobbing, screaming, and so ticked off like why?? But I know why… and it was amazing and heartbreaking. I just wanted to slap a Vrix across the face and murder another, but wow it had me on the edge of my seat, pulling at my hair, wide-eyed.

There’s spice dotted throughout the book I think about three longer spicy parts and they’re really good! It fits with the story and is just so well done. I honestly didn’t think I’d become this invested in the series, but I am so ready to run to the third book!

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Ensnared (The Spider's Mate, #1) Ensnared by Tiffany Roberts review

 

Ensnared by Tiffany Roberts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

🌟🌟🌟🌟
🌶️🌶️🌶️

I am not a fan of spiders in fact, they scare the hell out of me. It's an ongoing joke in my house that I would throw a match at my house to kill a spider rather than get near one. So, I was totally unsure and a little apprehensive about reading this book at all.

That being said, going into the book was a little overwhelming at first. There was a lot of worldbuilding happening right away, and I felt a bit out of my depth with so much thrown at me at once. But I think around the 10% mark, I found my footing and from there, I was sailing.

I really enjoyed the story and the interactions between Ivy and Ketahn, and seeing this world unfold I all but ate it up. I also hated the queen with a fiery passion that had me grinding my teeth and silently wishing she'd fall into a death pit. But honestly, it all worked to make the book that much better.

There were moments I was holding my breath and groaning, and others times where It was just the MML and FML, and i was completely giddy, biting my lip, and full of hope.

I’d say the spice isn’t the main focus, but there’s a steady undercurrent of tension throughout the book. The real spice hits around the 80% mark, and while it doesn’t overwhelm the story, it’s definitely not lacking or short.

Overall, I really liked the book and would absolutely read it again. I’m planning on diving into the second book soon though I’m a little worried about what’s coming next.

Totally surprised and super pleased with this one! 🕷️ (even with the spiders... shudders)

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Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver review

 

Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5 stars
Second-half spice: 🌶️🌶️ or maybe even 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Audiobook – listened to.

Damn!! Damn!! Let’s start with the fact that Lucy Rivers and Joe Arden did an amazing job performing this. Joe’s voice had my heart racing wow, bravo!

This book had me howling with laughter one moment from all the banter, then clutching my heart at the longing and tension. I was on the edge of my seat, completely unable to stop listening. And then… the spice. The spice doesn’t really kick in until the second half of the book, so you’d think it might feel rushed or flat but NO. Lords, no! The spice had my heart pounding, my face blushing, and my fan working overtime. Absolutely amazing.

I loved the storyline it was just so much fun and totally enjoyable. I listened non-stop all night and well into the morning until I passed out, feeling blissfully satisfied.

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Fated to the Warrior Wolf by April L. Moon review

 

Fated to the Warrior Wolf by April L. Moon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

🌟🌟🌟 (3 stars)
🌶️🌶️ (2 peppers)

Book 3 of The Hunted Omegas series.
I don’t think I liked this one as much as I liked book 2. Right now, book 2 is still my favorite. I’m not really sure where to start, so here goes...

I didn’t enjoy the back-and-forth dynamic in this book it got old pretty fast and left me feeling kind of meh at times. While there was a lot happening story wise and in terms of overall plot progression, I felt like the romance in this one just left me feeling... off. Something about it felt confusing and borderline dysfunctional.

Instead of feeling excited or getting that fluttery-stomach feeling, I was left uneasy and kind of underwhelmed by the relationship aspect, which is surprising because I’ve liked all the characters across the series so far.

What I did enjoy was the action and how the story continues to grow. With each book, more pieces of the puzzle fall into place, and I love watching the characters grow and become stronger. That said, I can’t give this book more than 3 stars, mainly because I don’t think I’d ever reread it.

But I’m really glad I got through it!

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