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shaykay's reviews
693 reviews
Empire of Desire by Rina Kent
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really liked the HEA in this one. It felt like a solid ending, and we got to see their lives down the road instead of just ending or leaving things open-ended. I initially struggled with the book but I'm not sure if that's entirely the book's fault or mine because when I circled back to it, I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. I was also bringing a lot of Kent's books back-to-back and although I love them, they do get repetitive at times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness, Violence, Medical content, Car accident, and Abandonment
Minor: Child death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy
Throne of Vengeance by Rina Kent
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Even though this wasn't a new favorite duology for me it was still a solid read. I loved HEA. I just feel like Kyle needed to grovel more. I think Rai would've been harder to make up with. Plus, I hope we got to see a little bit more of Asher and Reina in here. One of the things that I really love about the Rina Kent Universe is how connected it is and how many past characters appear in each book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Gun violence, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Abortion, Murder, and Pregnancy
Throne of Power by Rina Kent
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
We had a really solid start for this duology. But it did leave me wanting a little bit more and overall, it wasn't my favorite Rina Kent book but it's not the worst one either. There's a ton of potential and can't wait to see where we go from here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Cancer, Death, and Murder
Minor: Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Terminal illness
Sidetracked by S.T. Abby
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This one was just as addictive as the first book. It's so hard to put down. It is on the shorter side, but I think all 4 of them hover around the 150-page range. We still see Lana working on her mission some in here but we're more focused on Logan's work and his team while they are trying to find the Boogeyman. It does end on another cliffhanger, and I need to jump into that book ASAP. As for Lana's story, we have her POV still and like I said she's still working on her mission, just sidetracked in here, which kind of makes sense of the title. We do learn quite a bit more about Lana's past but there are still a lot of unanswered questions for the next book to clear up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content and Stalking
Minor: Child abuse, Infertility, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Car accident
The Risk by S.T. Abby
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I am obsessed! I get that these are super popular, and I see them come up a lot but honestly, the covers just kind of turned me away and I just never really looked into them. But since I'm trying to be more active on Fable, one of the clubs I'm in is reading the series for December so I picked up the first book and devoured it. They are on the shorter side, their easy reads, and the story is so addictive. They are dark, I mean we're following a serial killer as she is working out her revenge. I really can't wait to see what happens when Logan learns the truth. I hope it causes chaos, but I could also see him kind of jumping on her ship to help her. I think it just really depends on how he learns. I can't wait to read the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Stalking
Max and Frankie by Elizabeth Dear
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I love Max and Frankie. These two were some of my favorites from this world and I could not wait to see what was going on with them. I like the fact that we didn't spend the whole book recapping and filling things in, but we do go back to the first night that they meet, how they hooked up, and then see the aftermath of what happened between these two when Frankie learns who Max really is. It was so hard to put down and it was addictive. I just wish it was a little bit longer, so it could've been a longer slow burn. Then again at the end, I wish we had a little bit more of their HEA. But overall, I still really enjoyed this story and sad to be done with these characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Confinement and Kidnapping
Kill the King by Elizabeth Dear
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Although I didn't love the ending as much as I wanted to, it wasn't bad. I just wanted a little bit more in the end, especially with the HEA. It was a really addictive story. This last book does have the most steam of the 3 and I really missed the action/details/story from the first book. But overall, everything does get answered and settled in here. Plus, I really wanted to see the city after a couple years under this new setup away from the Families' rule.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, and Medical content
Minor: Body shaming, Homophobia, and Grief
Seize the Castle by Elizabeth Dear
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
We get the guys' POVS! I love Zach. Honestly, I thought he was going to be the one that would take forever to come around and forgive Jolie but he's the one pushing for his lady. He was always hers and I just love him so much. On the flip side would be Bennett. Bennett dug his heels in and is trying to fight that pull to Jolie. He remains conflicted between his feelings for her and loyalties to his family. I think a lot of it has to deal with the trauma that his father has inflicted over the years because I feel like out of all of them, he would be the first one on board to take the Families down but he's the one that kind of stood his ground in the middle the longest.
Outside of the main characters I really missed the details that we had in the first book. The first book lay the groundwork and was detailed heavily. This one had detailing, but it wasn't as heavy as the first book. Instead, here, we're working on their relationships rebuilding. I also really missed Max and Frankie. They still appear but not as much as Max did in the first book. I can't wait to get to their novella. Plus, I'm excited to see where the next book takes us while we wrap everything up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, and Rape
Storm the Gates by Elizabeth Dear
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
We had so much detail here! We're pretty much only in Jo's POV as she explains her past, her mission, the city, and how the college system runs. We also get to see her and Max go on missions so they can execute Jo's revenge plan. It's just so good! I loved what this one started and I loved how it ended. I thought for sure that wasn't going to happen until later books since this is a trilogy. Max was fun and stole the show whenever he appeared. There are 2 chapters, the first and last, in Bennett's POV. Since finishing the series I'm kind of glad that it's his POV because he is a pretty aloof character, especially in the second book. I did miss the guys and really wish we had their POVs sprinkled in a little more just because we have a lot of interactions with them, but we don't always know what they're thinking/doing, especially when it comes to Joanna. It was a solid start to this story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Torture and Abandonment
Let Me Love You by Siobhan Davis
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I feel like this book and the first book are right up there with like the Story of Us. There are a lot of ups and downs and the way the previous book ended made me so mad, but I needed to know what was going to happen. Although I liked how this one ended and that we get dual POVs in here it is a really heartbreaking story. It takes a lot of work to get to that happily ever after in here. It’s a very emotional story. It does make sense why the first book ended the way it did, and I love how it even came up here during one of their conversations. I just wish we had a little bit more because it is rough to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Car accident
Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Medical content
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence