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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was cute and spicy, but I wanted more plot and adventure.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
Borrowed through Cloud Library!
It was quick, it was queer, it was spicy and I had a nice time!
There are cozy fantasies that have no spice, there are some that are mild and then there is this one which is spicy!! I don’t think I’ve read a book with a jeweler as the main character so that was a fun new plot point.
It was quick, it was queer, it was spicy and I had a nice time!
There are cozy fantasies that have no spice, there are some that are mild and then there is this one which is spicy!! I don’t think I’ve read a book with a jeweler as the main character so that was a fun new plot point.
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Look. It was bad. Elikki was impossible to like. Barra did not have enough development to make him interesting. The highlight was the dialogue line “Be more intimidatingly purple at me.” that made me cackle. But this was basically porn with a little bit of repetitive “character development” thrown in.
lighthearted
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It pains me to give this one a rating on the lower side because I loved Barra so damn much. But still, I had quite a few frustrations with that story.
Tropes
Cozy/Low-stakes fantasy
On the run
Forced proximity
Sweet big MMC
Independent badass FMC
Insta-lust
The premise of this story was a fun one, with putting our heroes on the run together and trying to hide away. It definitely created a lot of forced proximity with melting tension to it, which is always enjoyable. As the story went on, we could see our two characters opening up little by little and forming a friendship and more. There wasn't much world-building but things still went pretty smoothly and it served the cozy vibe well.
I'd say that the spice happened quite early on and quite often, which is far from being my favourite. It made everything feel a bit superficial for me. But what really got on my nerves was how Elikki was acting. I do love a strong badass woman who knows what she wants, but I cannot get on board with one that acts the way she wants no matter how hurtful it is to others. She was selfish and always trying to get into Barra's pants which got pretty annoying.
Barra was the most perfectly anxious big giant teddy bear and I freaking wanted to hug him all the time. He also was quite open about how he felt and even though he constantly tried to talk things through to protect himself, Elikki always brushed it away and went on with acting in such a poor way. Half of this book was just me being heartbroken for poor soft Barra, so I was not really having fun that much. They still reached their happy ever after but it was a bit hard for me to be happy about it or find it satisfying after all of that to be honest.
Overall it was an interesting world with just a twist of magic, a story with low stakes but still a bit of action, with a fait amoung of spice and the loveliest anxious MMC ever that you just want to protect.
Thanks to HBGCanada for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Tropes
Cozy/Low-stakes fantasy
On the run
Forced proximity
Sweet big MMC
Independent badass FMC
Insta-lust
The premise of this story was a fun one, with putting our heroes on the run together and trying to hide away. It definitely created a lot of forced proximity with melting tension to it, which is always enjoyable. As the story went on, we could see our two characters opening up little by little and forming a friendship and more. There wasn't much world-building but things still went pretty smoothly and it served the cozy vibe well.
I'd say that the spice happened quite early on and quite often, which is far from being my favourite. It made everything feel a bit superficial for me. But what really got on my nerves was how Elikki was acting. I do love a strong badass woman who knows what she wants, but I cannot get on board with one that acts the way she wants no matter how hurtful it is to others. She was selfish and always trying to get into Barra's pants which got pretty annoying.
Barra was the most perfectly anxious big giant teddy bear and I freaking wanted to hug him all the time. He also was quite open about how he felt and even though he constantly tried to talk things through to protect himself, Elikki always brushed it away and went on with acting in such a poor way. Half of this book was just me being heartbroken for poor soft Barra, so I was not really having fun that much. They still reached their happy ever after but it was a bit hard for me to be happy about it or find it satisfying after all of that to be honest.
Overall it was an interesting world with just a twist of magic, a story with low stakes but still a bit of action, with a fait amoung of spice and the loveliest anxious MMC ever that you just want to protect.
Thanks to HBGCanada for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a review of the audio ARC.
Short, sweet and spicy. The perfect blend of cozy fantasy and spicy romance!
Elikki and Barra are adorable and I will hear no argument. It's refreshing as hell for a plus size FMC to not be worried about how her partner will see her; El knows she's hot and is not afraid to confirm it. Pairing her with a semi-burnt cinnamon roll of a purple tree like Barra makes for a great time.
Things are a little insta-love, but El also knows what she wants. Even as a shameless flirt with a short fuse, she and Barra do have a spark that is easy to see from the start that grows from both sides. Many times the love interest can be bland or one-note in cozy fantasy, so it's just as nice to have an MMC who becomes as outgoing and is willing to fight in his own way for what he wants.
The world is interesting and has me asking questions, the writing is witty. The banter do be bantering and this stubborn pair are so fun to read! The narrators were also fantastic. I did find that a few of the voices were different for the same characters, but it's a very minor thing. Overall the pair did a great job!
This is a fantastic read for someone who needs something quick, a little (lot) spicy, and something that leaves you feeling uplifted after a sprinkling of drama.
Short, sweet and spicy. The perfect blend of cozy fantasy and spicy romance!
Elikki and Barra are adorable and I will hear no argument. It's refreshing as hell for a plus size FMC to not be worried about how her partner will see her; El knows she's hot and is not afraid to confirm it. Pairing her with a semi-burnt cinnamon roll of a purple tree like Barra makes for a great time.
Things are a little insta-love, but El also knows what she wants. Even as a shameless flirt with a short fuse, she and Barra do have a spark that is easy to see from the start that grows from both sides. Many times the love interest can be bland or one-note in cozy fantasy, so it's just as nice to have an MMC who becomes as outgoing and is willing to fight in his own way for what he wants.
The world is interesting and has me asking questions, the writing is witty. The banter do be bantering and this stubborn pair are so fun to read! The narrators were also fantastic. I did find that a few of the voices were different for the same characters, but it's a very minor thing. Overall the pair did a great job!
This is a fantastic read for someone who needs something quick, a little (lot) spicy, and something that leaves you feeling uplifted after a sprinkling of drama.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was such a disappointment. It felt so contrived and like something out of 2012 tumblr and the modern euphemisms were jarring and cringy. Some of the diversity felt forced and the fmc was preachy. Really? Mentioning two consenting adults while causing boundary issues? lol FMC is unlikeable and seems to be a variant of every sassy, nuisance girl with no boundaries plaguing romantasy. I felt bad for the MMC. 2 stars for the smut.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a delightful debut cosy romantasy that caught my eye because of so many of its catnip qualities. A bi x bi romance, chaos x serious couple, lots of delicious desserts 😏 and spice!
The book started off strong on the introduction of our two protagonists and at the core of the story is a romance between a relationship avoidant & heart-on-his-sleeve lover. I think hinging the biggest “why can’t they be together?” on their different perspectives on love drove the story forward through an interesting middle of the story. However my personal preference for the ending would have ended a little differently.
As much as the book was about restorative justice for every bounty hunter who threatened and injured our main characters. I do not believe the main antagonist deserved that from his brother rescuing him. I wanted to see that slime ball suffer! Even though my logic understands the author’s choice to not go that direction. It wasn’t very satisfying for me.
As my first reading of this book, I instantly saw the parallels made about Barra (our love interest) and views on the presence of Black men in society. There’s moments in the beginning of the book that indicates Barra has some internalised racism. This book happens over the span of two weeks and I can see an example of where Barra begins to change but I would have loved an extra scene to address this because I fell in love with Barra and I need the assurances that he’ll be okay.
Aside from this, I loved how Elikki was made so relatable even though her big flaw could have easily made her unlikeable in another author’s hands.
Overall, I had a good time reading this and a promising debut.
The book started off strong on the introduction of our two protagonists and at the core of the story is a romance between a relationship avoidant & heart-on-his-sleeve lover. I think hinging the biggest “why can’t they be together?” on their different perspectives on love drove the story forward through an interesting middle of the story. However my personal preference for the ending would have ended a little differently.
As my first reading of this book, I instantly saw the parallels made about Barra (our love interest) and views on the presence of Black men in society. There’s moments in the beginning of the book that indicates Barra has some internalised racism. This book happens over the span of two weeks and I can see an example of where Barra begins to change but I would have loved an extra scene to address this because I fell in love with Barra and I need the assurances that he’ll be okay.
Aside from this, I loved how Elikki was made so relatable even though her big flaw could have easily made her unlikeable in another author’s hands.
Overall, I had a good time reading this and a promising debut.