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mandy_bookingchaos1's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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? No
3.5
maja3687's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
3,5 sterne! das buch war ganz ok. vibe mäßig interessant und spannend zu lesen. es hat sehr sehr slow gestartet, was mich aber eigentlich garnicht gestört hat. allerdings hat es das buch extrem in zwei geteilt, weil man nach dem langen start die richtung des buches garnicht einschätzen konnte und die sich natürlich um 180 grad gedreht hat. ich mochte amira bzw lu sehr gerne, am anfang also im camp sogar noch mehr als am ende, allerdings hat mich das love triangle gestört. ich war von anfang an tram graylen und ich fand’s bisschen nervig das sie die ganze zeit zurück zu adrian ist. vorallem stört mich aber das sie ligit ih. gechosen hätte, hätte er nicht seinen vater umgebracht in einem lächerlichen attempt sie so für sich zu gewinnen. der plot twist hat mich tatsächlich kalt erwischt. ich hatte mehrere theorien aber das war tatsächlich keine, obwohl es garnicht soo abwegig war. mal schauen wie das jetzt weiter ausgearbeitet wird im zweiten teil. was ich tatsächlich sehr schade finde ist das linnick sterben musste. er war tatsächlich einer meiner favorits und ich finde es schade was sie aus lus und opals freundschaft gemacht haben. ligit die sind zusammen aufgewachsen und haben soviel zusammen durchgemacht. ich hätte irgendwie liebe gelesen das deren freundschaft da stärker rauskommt, als sie ist.
angrim712's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
5.0
This book had me going back and forth. Oh my goodness it is so good. Very fantasy forward and a dash of romance. My heart is still processing Linnick, but I love that his tree was essential. I'm so curious about this allergy she has now. And more importantly, was Ramsey really who he says he is. The soldier somehow knew and it'll bother Lu. I'm loving all the layers of Graylen. I fear for Opal. I'm disappointed in Adrian, but I also feel subconsciously Lu knew who was truly the safe place. Can't wait for book 2.
pixiebelle24's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
Really good!! A very easy read. I enjoyed it. Currently looking forward to the second book!
atrailofpages's review
3.0
Amira lives with her controlling father and has only ever wanted freedom. However, she relies on her father for her medicine that she does not know where he gets it from. And being the Royal Merchant’s daughter does not allow her to have many friends. She meets a beggar boy at the market one day named Adrian and they become friends. Then, one evening, their camp is attacked by another kingdom. After, their king states they need to build alliances within the kingdom. To do this, they are having several high-born women brought to the castle to be matched to a suitor. And Amira is one of them. So, dreams of freedom are now gone, until she meets the prince and realizes she knows him.
So, I have very mixed feelings about this book. I enjoy slow paced books because I love to learn about the world and the characters. However, there does need to be balance. For now, I will say that I enjoyed some of the slow pace of the story. I enjoyed really getting to know Amira and learning about her world.
We get to learn about the other characters really well too, like the prince and his advisor Graylen. And a few others.
I love the fake-dating trope, and this one has a fake-engagement trope, which was great and we get wonderful banter between the two of them, although I think Amira is so blind and naive to what is in front of her that she was a bit disappointing as a character for me.
The only reason I gave this 3 stars is because of Graylen. He is a fantastic and amazing character! He’s such a dark horse and morally grey and yet has higher moral standards than expected for someone who is morally grey. The entire story I’m trying to figure this guy out and who he really is because there is clearly more to his story. And I got to the point that I was like “you know what? I love him regardless of who he is!”. He deserves all the stars!
I couldn’t give this more than three because the story went no where until 70% into the book. That’s…a LONG time for something to happen. And I do enjoy slow paced books, but I didn’t understand the point of the story, which maybe that was the point, but I got bored
So, I have very mixed feelings about this book. I enjoy slow paced books because I love to learn about the world and the characters. However, there does need to be balance. For now, I will say that I enjoyed some of the slow pace of the story. I enjoyed really getting to know Amira and learning about her world.
We get to learn about the other characters really well too, like the prince and his advisor Graylen. And a few others.
I love the fake-dating trope, and this one has a fake-engagement trope, which was great and we get wonderful banter between the two of them, although I think Amira is so blind and naive to what is in front of her that she was a bit disappointing as a character for me.
The only reason I gave this 3 stars is because of Graylen. He is a fantastic and amazing character! He’s such a dark horse and morally grey and yet has higher moral standards than expected for someone who is morally grey. The entire story I’m trying to figure this guy out and who he really is because there is clearly more to his story. And I got to the point that I was like “you know what? I love him regardless of who he is!”. He deserves all the stars!
I couldn’t give this more than three because the story went no where until 70% into the book. That’s…a LONG time for something to happen. And I do enjoy slow paced books, but I didn’t understand the point of the story, which maybe that was the point, but I got bored
novelnchill's review
adventurous
hopeful
slow-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? Yes
3.5
“How is it that your words are so sharp, when you manage to leave a trail of flowers in your wake?”🥀
The first thing that drew me to this book was the beautiful cover. I also like how the plant motif extends to the chapter titles. The second thing that caught my attention is that the FMC is incredibly capable and a fighter.
The FMC, Amira, is shackled to her horrible father because she requires daily medicine to stay alive. I instantly hated Amira’s father for how he belittled her and exercised control over her at every opportunity. He’s just an awful person and seems to have reasons for selfish gain, but I wondered if something larger was at play.
Amira feels as if she’s written on a deeply personal level. Her struggles, thoughts about her situation, and reactionary actions show her flaws, but make her real.
There are some lovely side characters that Amira meets after her circumstances change due to some forced political machinations. I absolutely enjoyed the banter between Amira and Greylin, but also liked the sweet moments with Adrian.
The ending of this book is crazy. The breadcrumbs dropped throughout the book start to connect and then leave you on a cliffhanger!
What I didn't love:
- Sometimes the pace was a bit slow for me and some scenes didn't seem meaningful
- I would have liked more magic, but I'm optimistic we'll see that in the next book
- Some of the characters were very surface level and I didn't even realize I should be paying attention to them
The first thing that drew me to this book was the beautiful cover. I also like how the plant motif extends to the chapter titles. The second thing that caught my attention is that the FMC is incredibly capable and a fighter.
The FMC, Amira, is shackled to her horrible father because she requires daily medicine to stay alive. I instantly hated Amira’s father for how he belittled her and exercised control over her at every opportunity. He’s just an awful person and seems to have reasons for selfish gain, but I wondered if something larger was at play.
Amira feels as if she’s written on a deeply personal level. Her struggles, thoughts about her situation, and reactionary actions show her flaws, but make her real.
There are some lovely side characters that Amira meets after her circumstances change due to some forced political machinations. I absolutely enjoyed the banter between Amira and Greylin, but also liked the sweet moments with Adrian.
The ending of this book is crazy. The breadcrumbs dropped throughout the book start to connect and then leave you on a cliffhanger!
What I didn't love:
- Sometimes the pace was a bit slow for me and some scenes didn't seem meaningful
- I would have liked more magic, but I'm optimistic we'll see that in the next book
- Some of the characters were very surface level and I didn't even realize I should be paying attention to them
riri_bookshelf's review
4.0
Thank you Kara Douglas for this ARC in return of an honest review.
"Twenty-year-old Amira Ramsey has lived her entire life desperate to explore her kingdom freely. Stuck beneath the controlling thumb of her father, she’s forced to be a puppet on a string for what best suits him and his greed for power.
Amira’s monotonous life is filled with the same daily tasks. Her only friends consist of a childhood friend, a dog, an old man, and a homeless boy from the market. But an unexpected series of events thrusts her into the center of life in the last place she wishes to the castle.
From a life of loneliness, she's now pressed into the view of those vying for power, and of course, the Prince - and the dangerous but alluring attention of his right-hand man."
This YA fantasy is perfect for anyone who wants to get into fantasy since the world-building is easy to understand and the fantasy elements aren't heavy or complicated! Also, the character development is well done. The beginning is a bit slow but I feel like it's usually the case in fantasy books.
This story has the found family trope which I LOVE!! Amira builds beautiful friendships and learns that love can be found with people outside your family and she strongly needed that since her dad isn't the most loving person, to say it politely.
eded that since her dad isn't the most loving person, to say it politely.
This book is also a love triangle. I am usually not a fan of the love triangle because it's usually predictable with who the MC will end up with but I genuinely did not know who it will be. I did have my preference though, morally grey for the win!!
For a debut novel, Kara did a great job! The reason why I don't give it 5 stars is that I needed more fantasy elements and because of the slow beginning. I am still very interested to see where the story will lead us in book two!
Available on KU!
3.5⭐️
Tropes:
- Love Triangle
- Fake dating
- Friends to lovers
- Enemies to lovers
- Strong FMC
- Slow burn
- Forced proximity
- Royal Setting
- YA
"Twenty-year-old Amira Ramsey has lived her entire life desperate to explore her kingdom freely. Stuck beneath the controlling thumb of her father, she’s forced to be a puppet on a string for what best suits him and his greed for power.
Amira’s monotonous life is filled with the same daily tasks. Her only friends consist of a childhood friend, a dog, an old man, and a homeless boy from the market. But an unexpected series of events thrusts her into the center of life in the last place she wishes to the castle.
From a life of loneliness, she's now pressed into the view of those vying for power, and of course, the Prince - and the dangerous but alluring attention of his right-hand man."
This YA fantasy is perfect for anyone who wants to get into fantasy since the world-building is easy to understand and the fantasy elements aren't heavy or complicated! Also, the character development is well done. The beginning is a bit slow but I feel like it's usually the case in fantasy books.
This story has the found family trope which I LOVE!! Amira builds beautiful friendships and learns that love can be found with people outside your family and she strongly needed that since her dad isn't the most loving person, to say it politely.
eded that since her dad isn't the most loving person, to say it politely.
This book is also a love triangle. I am usually not a fan of the love triangle because it's usually predictable with who the MC will end up with but I genuinely did not know who it will be. I did have my preference though, morally grey for the win!!
For a debut novel, Kara did a great job! The reason why I don't give it 5 stars is that I needed more fantasy elements and because of the slow beginning. I am still very interested to see where the story will lead us in book two!
Available on KU!
3.5⭐️
Tropes:
- Love Triangle
- Fake dating
- Friends to lovers
- Enemies to lovers
- Strong FMC
- Slow burn
- Forced proximity
- Royal Setting
- YA
emeliaisreading_'s review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book has so much potential and it was a fun read once I got into it. The pace was a little slow at the beginning but that's to be expected with many fantasy novels.
Amira can be frustratingly naive which I feel is common in YA FMC, so I'll let it slide (it leaves a lot of room for incredible character development in book 2!!) she doesn't have an easy life and works hard to learn to protect herself which authomaticlly helps (girl power!). I love our morally grey MMC, Graylen, and the banter between them is just great! There's also a little love triangle!
There were times I was confused about dialogue because of how it was set up, but nothing a little reread didn't clear up💞
I am excited for book 2, to see where the relationships go and the maturation of Douglas' writing, I'm already a fan! Overall, I think Lunaria is a great debut YA fantasy and I'm grateful for the opportunity to read and share it with y'all!🫶💞
Amira can be frustratingly naive which I feel is common in YA FMC, so I'll let it slide (it leaves a lot of room for incredible character development in book 2!!) she doesn't have an easy life and works hard to learn to protect herself which authomaticlly helps (girl power!). I love our morally grey MMC, Graylen, and the banter between them is just great! There's also a little love triangle!
There were times I was confused about dialogue because of how it was set up, but nothing a little reread didn't clear up💞
I am excited for book 2, to see where the relationships go and the maturation of Douglas' writing, I'm already a fan! Overall, I think Lunaria is a great debut YA fantasy and I'm grateful for the opportunity to read and share it with y'all!🫶💞
cait_reads13's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Oh.My.Goodness. This book 😍!
Book dragons, I knew I would probably enjoy Lunaria by Kara Douglas after reading the list of tropes and the blurb. What I wasn’t prepared for was to devour this book in less than 2 days! I don’t think my kindle left my hands as long as I was awake, which is basically the highest praise I can give 😂.
I had such a fun time following FMC, Amira Ramsey, as she traded life as the only woman in a soldier’s war camp, for the opulent castle and The Matching (basically the marriage market for eligible nobility). Although Amira has no intention of marrying and is really just using the opportunity to escape her awful father, she finds that life at the castle is different than she expected.
Trust me when one say that I could not stop turning pages! From masked balls, to couples games, to surprise proposals, to political intrigue, to midnight runs through the castle gardens, to missing best friends, a terrible father, and two men vying for her attention (ok, one was being more subtle about it, but you get my point 😎), this book was utterly unputdownable. If you enjoy romantic fantasy, please do yourself a favor and read Lunaira. 📖
If you’re the type of reader who doesn’t like to wait for the next book, fear not! Book 2 in the series, Illuminance, is due to be published on March 21, 2024! I know I’ll be picking it up ASAP!
In the pages, you will find:
🥰🪄New Adult Fantasy Romance
💪 A strong FMC that knows her mind.
🫣 Hidden identities
🎭 A masquerade
👑 Royality
❤️ Slow burn enemies-to-lovers
📺 Reign meets the Bachelor
🪢 Forced proximity
🤯 Shocking twists!
📕 A book you can’t put down!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
growmealibrary's review
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Oh my goodness this book was such an unexpected surprise for me. It was seriously such a fun read. It has all of my favorite things from a slow burn romance, morally gray mmc, strong fmc, to castle setting. I mean come on.
I absolutely loved Amira and her growth through the story. I think this was a great start to a series and leaves me itching for book two!! I have so many questions left unanswered but I’m in no way upset about it.
I absolutely loved Amira and her growth through the story. I think this was a great start to a series and leaves me itching for book two!! I have so many questions left unanswered but I’m in no way upset about it.