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811 reviews
Arcanum by Ashlyn Drewek
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5⭐️ 3.5🌶️
MOOD: challenging, dark-ish, emotional, hopeful, tense
TROPES: boy next door, bi-awakening, miscommunication-lite
GENRES: contemporary, fantasy, small-town, lgbtq romance
FAV QUOTE: "I've never kissed a guy." "I've never kissed a cop." "Why does that matter?" "Why indeed?"
MAIN CHARACTERS: Greyson Darkholme and Chris Brandt
TAROT CARD: Temperance
THE GOOD: I normally don't read books with cops as main characters so I'm not sure exactly what had me adding this to the list besides K9 and gay witch but I'm glad I picked it up because I couldn't put it down. The banter in the beginning of the book between Greyson and Chris as they get to know each other is amazing and even as they move into the friendly-neighbor zone before their relationship develops they carry that with them. Watching both of them find their place in this town, where Greyson is new but Chris has been is whole life, was also a great trip. Not to mention the whole murder mystery-type aspect to the plot line. I could definitely see myself reading this one again. I'm not sure about the police stuff but even the witchcraft stuff felt very grounded in reality which made everything else, no matter how fantastical, feel real and have weight to it. Did I cry a little? Yes. Was it worth it? Also, yes. This was the first Ashyln Drewek book that I've read.
THE NEUTRAL: This is the most grounded in reality of the series (of the books of read) as such, even The Owner is more of a person than usual and I didn't really like that but I understand why it was necessary.
THE MEH: I kind of wanted to see Greyson cook chili in his cauldron. :( But seriously there is a mention of a name in chapter 17, that isn't mentioned before (it's paired with a name that has been mentioned) and then isn't mentioned again until WAY later. It was confusing because it's placed as if the reader knows who the person is and we don't at that point and by the time we do, I forgot about this - it wasn't until I was looking at my notes/highlights that I saw my note about this.
CW: death, domestic violence, cheating, attempted suicide, violence, stalking, alcoholism
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
MOOD: challenging, dark-ish, emotional, hopeful, tense
TROPES: boy next door, bi-awakening, miscommunication-lite
GENRES: contemporary, fantasy, small-town, lgbtq romance
FAV QUOTE: "I've never kissed a guy." "I've never kissed a cop." "Why does that matter?" "Why indeed?"
MAIN CHARACTERS: Greyson Darkholme and Chris Brandt
TAROT CARD: Temperance
THE GOOD: I normally don't read books with cops as main characters so I'm not sure exactly what had me adding this to the list besides K9 and gay witch but I'm glad I picked it up because I couldn't put it down. The banter in the beginning of the book between Greyson and Chris as they get to know each other is amazing and even as they move into the friendly-neighbor zone before their relationship develops they carry that with them. Watching both of them find their place in this town, where Greyson is new but Chris has been is whole life, was also a great trip. Not to mention the whole murder mystery-type aspect to the plot line. I could definitely see myself reading this one again. I'm not sure about the police stuff but even the witchcraft stuff felt very grounded in reality which made everything else, no matter how fantastical, feel real and have weight to it. Did I cry a little? Yes. Was it worth it? Also, yes. This was the first Ashyln Drewek book that I've read.
THE NEUTRAL: This is the most grounded in reality of the series (of the books of read) as such, even The Owner is more of a person than usual and I didn't really like that but I understand why it was necessary.
THE MEH: I kind of wanted to see Greyson cook chili in his cauldron. :( But seriously there is a mention of a name in chapter 17, that isn't mentioned before (it's paired with a name that has been mentioned) and then isn't mentioned again until WAY later. It was confusing because it's placed as if the reader knows who the person is and we don't at that point and by the time we do, I forgot about this - it wasn't until I was looking at my notes/highlights that I saw my note about this.
CW: death, domestic violence, cheating, attempted suicide, violence, stalking, alcoholism
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence and Stalking
Minor: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
Guarded by the Snake by Layla Fae
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Drug use, Gun violence, and Death of parent
A Study of Blood and Ichor by Katia Black
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4⭐️ 3🌶️
MOOD: tense, emotional, funny
TROPES: enemies to lovers,
GENRES: fantasy, dark-ish romance
FAV QUOTE: "And yet you still hesitate," he said on a whisper. "Is that because perhaps you are beginning to realize that I'm not the villain you first took me for?"
MAIN CHARACTERS: Ava Helacourt, Rory Masters, and Vain
THE GOOD: This book made me cry. I enjoyed the world-building and the dynamics between the characters - particularly Rory and Vain. It is a slower burn which works given the setup characters. I also liked the cover - which just feels important to say cause I do pick books by cover and title.
THE NEUTRAL: Not sure how to explain this but it felt like the ending (last 20%) was written first and then the rest of the book was created to get to the ending. There is an organization that is never spelled out - D.A.R.C. - I thought I missed it at first, maybe I did, but it's introduced early on and I have not idea what those letters stand for. There were character facts introduced that didn't seem to matter, to the plot or other characters, so then I was confused as to why they were introduced. This feels a little spoiler-y, even though some of it is in the CWs so I'll place it further down in a spoiler section.
THE MEH: I didn't like Ava for a good 70% of the book. Maybe I'm too trusting, maybe I read too much monster romance but her hard stance on not trusting Demons got old fast. Even more true after Demons give her facts that were previously hidden from her and are true.
CW: (provided by the author, summarized) demonic possession, violence and gore, torture, death, sexual content, explicit language, abandonment, depression, suicide attempt, emotional abuse, mentions of infertility
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
*
*
*
*
POSSIBLE SPOILER: Ava's infertility is first presented as if it matters for her family and their line so I expected that to go somewhere. It doesn't - not because it's a red herring or anything but because her family sucks and would have abandoned her anyway so it's kind of irrelevant to the story. I can see where it can be refreshing for something like infertility to be in a story and not the main focus of the plot but the way it was presented here just felt off.
MOOD: tense, emotional, funny
TROPES: enemies to lovers,
GENRES: fantasy, dark-ish romance
FAV QUOTE: "And yet you still hesitate," he said on a whisper. "Is that because perhaps you are beginning to realize that I'm not the villain you first took me for?"
MAIN CHARACTERS: Ava Helacourt, Rory Masters, and Vain
THE GOOD: This book made me cry. I enjoyed the world-building and the dynamics between the characters - particularly Rory and Vain. It is a slower burn which works given the setup characters. I also liked the cover - which just feels important to say cause I do pick books by cover and title.
THE NEUTRAL: Not sure how to explain this but it felt like the ending (last 20%) was written first and then the rest of the book was created to get to the ending. There is an organization that is never spelled out - D.A.R.C. - I thought I missed it at first, maybe I did, but it's introduced early on and I have not idea what those letters stand for. There were character facts introduced that didn't seem to matter, to the plot or other characters, so then I was confused as to why they were introduced. This feels a little spoiler-y, even though some of it is in the CWs so I'll place it further down in a spoiler section.
THE MEH: I didn't like Ava for a good 70% of the book. Maybe I'm too trusting, maybe I read too much monster romance but her hard stance on not trusting Demons got old fast. Even more true after Demons give her facts that were previously hidden from her and are true.
CW: (provided by the author, summarized) demonic possession, violence and gore, torture, death, sexual content, explicit language, abandonment, depression, suicide attempt, emotional abuse, mentions of infertility
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
*
*
*
*
POSSIBLE SPOILER: Ava's infertility is first presented as if it matters for her family and their line so I expected that to go somewhere. It doesn't - not because it's a red herring or anything but because her family sucks and would have abandoned her anyway so it's kind of irrelevant to the story. I can see where it can be refreshing for something like infertility to be in a story and not the main focus of the plot but the way it was presented here just felt off.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Violence
Minor: Suicide attempt
Gotten By The Gator by Lizzie Strong
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5⭐️ 3🌶️
MOOD: lighthearted, emotional
TROPES: instalust, age gap, grump/sunshine
GENRES: contemporary, fantasy, monster
MAIN CHARACTERS: Aurora and Yuri
THE GOOD: This a cute and sweet monster romance.
THE NEUTRAL:
THE MEH: Yuri's physical description seems inconsistent. How much of a gator is he? Is it just that he's over-critical of his appearance? I didn't think much of this until someone from out of town just calls him ugly - granted he's kind of in the shadows during this scene but no one is running away from the local cryptid.
CW: mentions of bullying, death of parents (off page), emotional abuse
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
MOOD: lighthearted, emotional
TROPES: instalust, age gap, grump/sunshine
GENRES: contemporary, fantasy, monster
MAIN CHARACTERS: Aurora and Yuri
THE GOOD: This a cute and sweet monster romance.
THE NEUTRAL:
THE MEH: Yuri's physical description seems inconsistent. How much of a gator is he? Is it just that he's over-critical of his appearance? I didn't think much of this until someone from out of town just calls him ugly - granted he's kind of in the shadows during this scene but no one is running away from the local cryptid.
CW: mentions of bullying, death of parents (off page), emotional abuse
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Emotional abuse
Spooky Level Up by J.F. Miev, Aria Clark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
4⭐️ 2🌶️
MOOD: lighthearted, funny
TROPES: second chance, brother's best friend, nerd/jock
VIBES: low angst, Halloween
GENRES: contemporary, lgbtq+
MAIN CHARACTERS: Charlie and Ben
THE GOOD: This was a quick, low-angst read. Charlie and Ben are extremely cute together no matter how much Charlie, who has given up on love, tries to fight against it at first. The story has a little bit of everything - an asshole ex, a Halloween haunted house, brother's best friend, and a plan for revenge.
THE NEUTRAL: The epilogue. It wasn't bad it just seemed a little out of left field since nothing similar was mentioned in the rest of the story.
THE MEH: I could have done without the additional info on Charlie's ex. I didn't need to know how much of an ass he was and I didn't need more of a reason for Charlie/Ben to get him out of their lives.
CW: emotional abuse, sexual content
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
MOOD: lighthearted, funny
TROPES: second chance, brother's best friend, nerd/jock
VIBES: low angst, Halloween
GENRES: contemporary, lgbtq+
MAIN CHARACTERS: Charlie and Ben
THE GOOD: This was a quick, low-angst read. Charlie and Ben are extremely cute together no matter how much Charlie, who has given up on love, tries to fight against it at first. The story has a little bit of everything - an asshole ex, a Halloween haunted house, brother's best friend, and a plan for revenge.
THE NEUTRAL: The epilogue. It wasn't bad it just seemed a little out of left field since nothing similar was mentioned in the rest of the story.
THE MEH: I could have done without the additional info on Charlie's ex. I didn't need to know how much of an ass he was and I didn't need more of a reason for Charlie/Ben to get him out of their lives.
CW: emotional abuse, sexual content
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Emotional abuse
The Angel's Kiss by Nicholas Bella
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4⭐️ 1🌶️
MOOD: dark-ish, adventurous, tense
TROPES: enemies to lovers, slow burn, fated mates, age gap
GENRES: contemporary, fantasy, supernatural w/ religious-themes
MAIN CHARACTERS: Rai Harrington and Azazel
TAROT CARD: The Hanged Man
THE GOOD: I enjoyed this. It was an interesting read. The world-building was good but it took a few chapters to get into this world of Guardians, Champions, Guards, and Demons. This is a slow burn so even the introduction of the Rai and Azazel takes time so you have to be in it for the long haul but it's worth it to see how the characters work together and how they, especially Rai, overcome their fears. There are times when Rai is really sanctimonious BUT Azazel calls him out on it - if he didn't that could have gotten really annoying really fast. The whole idea of the Angel's Kiss was an interesting idea that I didn't expect to get further developed so that was a nice surprise.
THE NEUTRAL: It's enemies to lovers in the broad sense - as in the forces of good vs evil since it's not really anything personal just Azazel is a demon. While reading, the timeline bothered me but after the fact, it doesn't.
THE MEH: As with any age gap that involves one character being immortal there's a time period where the other character is a child - I just could have done without Azazel calling a 12 year old Rai pretty and interacting with a 16 year Rai.
CW: violence, death, mentions of sexual assault, sexual content
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
MOOD: dark-ish, adventurous, tense
TROPES: enemies to lovers, slow burn, fated mates, age gap
GENRES: contemporary, fantasy, supernatural w/ religious-themes
MAIN CHARACTERS: Rai Harrington and Azazel
TAROT CARD: The Hanged Man
THE GOOD: I enjoyed this. It was an interesting read. The world-building was good but it took a few chapters to get into this world of Guardians, Champions, Guards, and Demons. This is a slow burn so even the introduction of the Rai and Azazel takes time so you have to be in it for the long haul but it's worth it to see how the characters work together and how they, especially Rai, overcome their fears. There are times when Rai is really sanctimonious BUT Azazel calls him out on it - if he didn't that could have gotten really annoying really fast. The whole idea of the Angel's Kiss was an interesting idea that I didn't expect to get further developed so that was a nice surprise.
THE NEUTRAL: It's enemies to lovers in the broad sense - as in the forces of good vs evil since it's not really anything personal just Azazel is a demon. While reading, the timeline bothered me but after the fact, it doesn't.
THE MEH: As with any age gap that involves one character being immortal there's a time period where the other character is a child - I just could have done without Azazel calling a 12 year old Rai pretty and interacting with a 16 year Rai.
CW: violence, death, mentions of sexual assault, sexual content
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content
Found in Obscurity by A.M. Rose
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
5⭐️ 1🌶️
MOOD: lighthearted, emotional, mysterious
TROPES: hurt/comfort-lite, grumpy/sunshine-lite, Fated mates
GENRES: Fantasy, Contemporary, Paranormal - Romance
FAV QUOTE: "All the answers you seek are within yourself. "How can they be when I don't know them?! I asked for guidance."
MAIN CHARACTERS: Lorin and Kit
TAROT CARD: The Hermit
THE GOOD: I loved this book and I'm sad it's over. Lorin and Kit work well together but more importantly for their characters, they work well apart. They each have their own stories and struggles and growth which helps them work together. The take on witches and familiars and shifters was an interesting one. While you don't get to explore much of Oak Hollow the characters you do meet are interesting and unique and could have stories of their own. This was the first A.M. Rose book that I read and I would definitely read more. Oh, and the Tarot Card message works and comes across clear which I have found isn't the case for all the books I've read in this series.
THE NEUTRAL: Since I read an ARC, I think there was a typo in the prologue and the wrong name was on the POV
THE MEH: The descriptive language in the 🌶️ scene made me laugh. sorry. It wasn't bad or cringe it was very lovely and matched the tone of the book but it took me out of the story for a second.
CW: emotional abuse, physical abuse, kidnapping/abduction, death of parents
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
MOOD: lighthearted, emotional, mysterious
TROPES: hurt/comfort-lite, grumpy/sunshine-lite, Fated mates
GENRES: Fantasy, Contemporary, Paranormal - Romance
FAV QUOTE: "All the answers you seek are within yourself. "How can they be when I don't know them?! I asked for guidance."
MAIN CHARACTERS: Lorin and Kit
TAROT CARD: The Hermit
THE GOOD: I loved this book and I'm sad it's over. Lorin and Kit work well together but more importantly for their characters, they work well apart. They each have their own stories and struggles and growth which helps them work together. The take on witches and familiars and shifters was an interesting one. While you don't get to explore much of Oak Hollow the characters you do meet are interesting and unique and could have stories of their own. This was the first A.M. Rose book that I read and I would definitely read more. Oh, and the Tarot Card message works and comes across clear which I have found isn't the case for all the books I've read in this series.
THE NEUTRAL: Since I read an ARC, I think there was a typo in the prologue and the wrong name was on the POV
THE MEH: The descriptive language in the 🌶️ scene made me laugh. sorry. It wasn't bad or cringe it was very lovely and matched the tone of the book but it took me out of the story for a second.
CW: emotional abuse, physical abuse, kidnapping/abduction, death of parents
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual content
By Rude Strength by K.L. Hiers
adventurous
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4⭐️ 2🌶️
MOOD: adventurous, hopeful, sad, tense
TROPES: friends to lovers, grumpy/sunshine
GENRES: fantasy, monster - romance
MAIN CHARACTERS: Lawrence "LA" Holmes and Cassander "Cas" Ducky
TAROT CARD: Strength
THE GOOD: This is definitely a cozy monster romance and I enjoyed every minute of it. It does deal with some toxic people and relationships so be aware of that but it works with both the characters and the plot. If you were also disappointed when the Beast turned into Prince Adam then you'll probably like Cass too.
THE MEH: Since the plot revolves around LA getting his inner strength back, the Tarot card works but I'm finding that the further I get into the series the less the connections between the cards make sense. Maybe it's just because The Cleric of Desire card connection made so much sense to me that a lot of the others feel lackluster.
CW: emotional abuse, sexual content
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
MOOD: adventurous, hopeful, sad, tense
TROPES: friends to lovers, grumpy/sunshine
GENRES: fantasy, monster - romance
MAIN CHARACTERS: Lawrence "LA" Holmes and Cassander "Cas" Ducky
TAROT CARD: Strength
THE GOOD: This is definitely a cozy monster romance and I enjoyed every minute of it. It does deal with some toxic people and relationships so be aware of that but it works with both the characters and the plot. If you were also disappointed when the Beast turned into Prince Adam then you'll probably like Cass too.
THE MEH: Since the plot revolves around LA getting his inner strength back, the Tarot card works but I'm finding that the further I get into the series the less the connections between the cards make sense. Maybe it's just because The Cleric of Desire card connection made so much sense to me that a lot of the others feel lackluster.
CW: emotional abuse, sexual content
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Sexual content
Pucking Vamps by J.F. Miev
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
4⭐️ 4🌶️
MOOD: lighthearted, funny, adventurous
TROPES: one night stand, fake dating, age gap, fated mates
GENRES: Fantasy, Contemporary, College, Sports - Romance
MAIN CHARACTERS: Hayden Johnson (human) and Leander Adetu (vampire)
THE GOOD: This is an enjoyable and quick read that takes a bunch of standard tropes, wraps them up in a slightly different take on Vampire lore and coats it in a healthy dose of humor.
THE NEUTRAL: There are a few odd choices and underdeveloped plot points (maybe those are for the next books) like Leander being a substitute guitar teacher but also the CEO of a pharmaceutical company OR the behavior of some of Hayden's teammates.
THE MEH: There were a lot of things that are teased but not really delivered - like Hockey, it's mentioned and Hayden does play it but if you're looking for a Hockey Romance this isn't it. Same with the student/teacher dynamic - it's teased but that's not here, there's really only one scene where they are in the environment and maybe another where it's discussed.
CW: sexual content, blood, death of a parent, homophobia
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
MOOD: lighthearted, funny, adventurous
TROPES: one night stand, fake dating, age gap, fated mates
GENRES: Fantasy, Contemporary, College, Sports - Romance
MAIN CHARACTERS: Hayden Johnson (human) and Leander Adetu (vampire)
THE GOOD: This is an enjoyable and quick read that takes a bunch of standard tropes, wraps them up in a slightly different take on Vampire lore and coats it in a healthy dose of humor.
THE NEUTRAL: There are a few odd choices and underdeveloped plot points (maybe those are for the next books) like Leander being a substitute guitar teacher but also the CEO of a pharmaceutical company OR the behavior of some of Hayden's teammates.
THE MEH: There were a lot of things that are teased but not really delivered - like Hockey, it's mentioned and Hayden does play it but if you're looking for a Hockey Romance this isn't it. Same with the student/teacher dynamic - it's teased but that's not here, there's really only one scene where they are in the environment and maybe another where it's discussed.
CW: sexual content, blood, death of a parent, homophobia
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Homophobia and Death of parent
Across Space and Time by Kit Barrie
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
4⭐️ 2🌶️
MOOD: adventurous, mysterious
TROPES: fated mates
GENRES: fantasy, mystery
FAV QUOTE:
MAIN CHARACTERS: Hugh Danuby and Spring Heel Jack
TAROT CARD: The Lovers
THE GOOD: The setting, characters, and mystery were all really intriguing in this one.
THE NEUTRAL: The romance might be the least favorite part of the book for me which is kinda funny since the tarot card is The Lovers.
THE MEH: The ending felt a little abrupt.
CW: sexual assault, murder, torture, cannibalism, homophobia, sex work, sexual content, death of parents, drug use
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
MOOD: adventurous, mysterious
TROPES: fated mates
GENRES: fantasy, mystery
FAV QUOTE:
MAIN CHARACTERS: Hugh Danuby and Spring Heel Jack
TAROT CARD: The Lovers
THE GOOD: The setting, characters, and mystery were all really intriguing in this one.
THE NEUTRAL: The romance might be the least favorite part of the book for me which is kinda funny since the tarot card is The Lovers.
THE MEH: The ending felt a little abrupt.
CW: sexual assault, murder, torture, cannibalism, homophobia, sex work, sexual content, death of parents, drug use
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Torture
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual violence, Violence, and Cannibalism