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all_plot_and_bothered's Reviews (89)
Oh, Twisted Sisters, you make it hurt so good
Fate of a Royal is the first co-write between Meagan Brandy and Amo Jones and (I believe) each author's first foray into fantasy romance. And I think that shows. There a lot of great things about this book, but it definitely could have used more world building. The reader is often left to fill in the gaps with regard to the magic system, the supernatural beings themselves, and their world. I believe part of this was to maintain some mystery, but it did make for a sometimes confusing and disjointed read. However, on the whole, this was I book I enjoyed and would recommend.
The story is told in dual, first person POV, and centers around London, an orphan who was raised by her uncle and claims only one true friend, and Knight, a dark lord of Rathe with no love for humans or light magic users. Knight and his brothers, along with all "gifted" are forced by their counsel to attend Rathe University in the human realm after graduating high school. While Knight is bored, entitled, and resentful that he is being forced to spend time in the human or "giftless" world, London is struggling to find herself and figure out why she can't seem to connect to others or set a path for her future. When London follows her best friend Ben to a neighboring university, the stage is set for their paths to cross. When they do, there is no meet cute, just mutual attraction and dislike. London and Knight have a magnetic connection from first sight, which Knight can't wrap his head around because London is giftless. Both continue to try fight the draw toward the other, resulting in a deliciously tense push and pull.
Despite the world building issues, the authors gave us a confident, if a little lost, FMC, a morally black MMC, tension, angst, spice (I'd rate 3.5-4/5), mystery, and suspense. There were twists and turns. Some were expected. Others were not, including the big one that I thought I had figured out but did not see coming. And that ending! Ahhh! I was broken, I was engaged, and I was ready for Book 2! But be warned, this book is on the darker side, so check for trigger and content warnings.
The story is told in dual, first person POV, and centers around London, an orphan who was raised by her uncle and claims only one true friend, and Knight, a dark lord of Rathe with no love for humans or light magic users. Knight and his brothers, along with all "gifted" are forced by their counsel to attend Rathe University in the human realm after graduating high school. While Knight is bored, entitled, and resentful that he is being forced to spend time in the human or "giftless" world, London is struggling to find herself and figure out why she can't seem to connect to others or set a path for her future. When London follows her best friend Ben to a neighboring university, the stage is set for their paths to cross. When they do, there is no meet cute, just mutual attraction and dislike. London and Knight have a magnetic connection from first sight, which Knight can't wrap his head around because London is giftless. Both continue to try fight the draw toward the other, resulting in a deliciously tense push and pull.
Despite the world building issues, the authors gave us a confident, if a little lost, FMC, a morally black MMC, tension, angst, spice (I'd rate 3.5-4/5), mystery, and suspense. There were twists and turns. Some were expected. Others were not, including the big one that I thought I had figured out but did not see coming. And that ending! Ahhh! I was broken, I was engaged, and I was ready for Book 2! But be warned, this book is on the darker side, so check for trigger and content warnings.
Solid 3.75 ⭐️. Claiming Her Alpha is a shifter romance with fated mates, rival/enemy packs, and forbidden love. I liked the strong female lead in Kendra. She is smart, caring, and a natural leader. The MMC, Ryker, was sweet but strong in his own right as well. The author gave us two MCs we can root for and a story that, while fairly simple, had tension, heart ache, spice (3/5
3.5 ⭐️ Kingdom of Ash and Bones is the follow up book to Kingdom of Flames and Flowers. It is also, apparently, the final book in a duology, which surprises me. I didn’t feel like all of my questions were answered, and the book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, which leads me to assume it is being used to set up another series. I don’t like when authors do this; I’m all for a spin off series, but at least make me feel like all of the main issues for our MCs were clearly resolved.
Kingdom of Ash and Bones picks up with Mari having fled the castle and made her way into the hidden tunnels that run underneath the kingdom. There she sees old friends and new faces, and begins to learn a little more about the effects of the curse and the Queen’s actions to dilute it. It was here that I felt like quite a bit of information was given to us without us actually learning much. We learned a little more about the origins of the curse, but not a lot. Things pick up when Mari is reunited with Zariah and Zion, and the princes did redeem themselves in my eyes. There are some predictable twists and turns and some surprises. And Mari continues to be a likable heroine overall. Her naivety and seemingly inability to figure things out until the answer is right in front of her did begin to get annoying, but her big heart and passion for helping her people kept me rooting for her.
We do see a resolution to most of the big issues, but it felt like things with the Queen and ending the curse were glossed over and resolved too quickly and easily. The final confrontation was pretty anticlimactic, and again, we’re not given much explanation as to why/how things worked the way they did. And while things work out for MCs in the end, it seems we are left with more questions than answers.
As far a spice goes, I’d rate this book as a 2.5-3, as there are a few open door scenes.
I’m a bit sad because I thoroughly enjoyed Kingdom of Flames and Flowers, and I don’t feel like Kingdom of Ash and Bones met the standard set by the first book. That being said, it was a quick and enjoyable read, and despite the aforementioned issues, the premise of the book is interesting and kept me engaged. If some things were a little more fleshed out, this would’ve been a solid 4 star read for me.
I received a free, advanced copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my review.
Kingdom of Ash and Bones picks up with Mari having fled the castle and made her way into the hidden tunnels that run underneath the kingdom. There she sees old friends and new faces, and begins to learn a little more about the effects of the curse and the Queen’s actions to dilute it. It was here that I felt like quite a bit of information was given to us without us actually learning much. We learned a little more about the origins of the curse, but not a lot. Things pick up when Mari is reunited with Zariah and Zion, and the princes did redeem themselves in my eyes. There are some predictable twists and turns and some surprises. And Mari continues to be a likable heroine overall. Her naivety and seemingly inability to figure things out until the answer is right in front of her did begin to get annoying, but her big heart and passion for helping her people kept me rooting for her.
We do see a resolution to most of the big issues, but it felt like things with the Queen and ending the curse were glossed over and resolved too quickly and easily. The final confrontation was pretty anticlimactic, and again, we’re not given much explanation as to why/how things worked the way they did. And while things work out for MCs in the end, it seems we are left with more questions than answers.
As far a spice goes, I’d rate this book as a 2.5-3, as there are a few open door scenes.
I’m a bit sad because I thoroughly enjoyed Kingdom of Flames and Flowers, and I don’t feel like Kingdom of Ash and Bones met the standard set by the first book. That being said, it was a quick and enjoyable read, and despite the aforementioned issues, the premise of the book is interesting and kept me engaged. If some things were a little more fleshed out, this would’ve been a solid 4 star read for me.
I received a free, advanced copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my review.
3.5 ⭐️. Cute, quick read with wolf shifters, a swoony MMC, insta-love, forbidden love, and a clear villain. I did feel like there was a lot of build up to the obstacles keeping the MCs apart, only for them to end up getting resolved fairly quickly and easily. There were also some inconsistencies with descriptions (e.g., the FMC’s eyes were referred to as green, then brown, then green again), but it was nothing that really detracted from the book. There was some spice, which I’d rate at
Omg, this book! So good! I had my heart ripped out and sewn back together, and found one of my all time favorite book boyfriends. This was my first Meagan Brandy book, but it most certainly won’t be my last.
4.5 stars. I love Meghan Quinn, and this is one of my favorites of hers. I don’t know if I’ve ever laughed so hard while reading a book. There is one bathroom scene that is pretty crude and, to me, didn’t serve to advance the story or add to the humor; that being said, it is easily overlooked in light of a really good book. But there is more than just humor to this book. It is also sweet, emotional, and heartwarming. This is Meghan Quinn at her best.
I’m a sucker for a fairytale retelling, and Mirror of Malice is a fun, clever mix of Snow White and Robin Hood. It’s a quick and easy to read fantasy romance with a slow burn, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, humor, secrets, and political and magical intrigue.
I struggled to like Liliath, the FMC, in the beginning. She came across as judgmental, a little snooty, and pretty much willfully naive. However, despite her shortcomings, she truly desired to be the queen her court needed and never wavered in her commitment to help her people. As Liliath was forced to face more and more hard truths, she realized the errors she had made. Her character growth was hard earned, and she won me over.
Whereas it took me some time to root for Liliath, I loved Penn, the MMC, pretty much from the start. He was broody and gruff, but Liliath brought out a lighter, more playful side of him. He was brave, protective, and delightfully morally grey, and his unfailing belief in his “Lilypad” was seriously swoon worthy.
The spice is pretty light (
I struggled to like Liliath, the FMC, in the beginning. She came across as judgmental, a little snooty, and pretty much willfully naive. However, despite her shortcomings, she truly desired to be the queen her court needed and never wavered in her commitment to help her people. As Liliath was forced to face more and more hard truths, she realized the errors she had made. Her character growth was hard earned, and she won me over.
Whereas it took me some time to root for Liliath, I loved Penn, the MMC, pretty much from the start. He was broody and gruff, but Liliath brought out a lighter, more playful side of him. He was brave, protective, and delightfully morally grey, and his unfailing belief in his “Lilypad” was seriously swoon worthy.
The spice is pretty light (
The title of this book is so very appropriate because I am down for the count after finishing it. Down for the Count is a dark, gritty standalone with mafia, suspense, forbidden love, forced proximity, a medium burn, and high spice. I was drawn in quickly and, while I did feel like there was a little too much internal dialogue at times, I remained engaged throughout the book.
Sawyer is a single mom struggling to make ends meet while caring for her daughter, Hadley, who suffers from selective mutism. She is protective, feisty, and puts her daughter above all else. Kingston is a former boxer whose injury during a fight derailed his dreams of going pro. Now beholden to two shady brothers, “Dom” and “Dutch,” Kingston is a postal worker by day and a fighter in the brothers’ illegal underground fight club by night. A chance meeting between Kingston and Hadley while Kingston is delivering mail results in an instant connection between the two and sets the course for our MCs to meet. An initial confrontation between Kingston and Sawyer leaves them both rattled and struggling to fight the pull each feels toward the other.
This book is pretty intense. There is a running theme of being trapped that ties the characters together in a really compelling way. Kingston is trapped by his debt to Dom and Dutch; Sawyer is trapped by the powerful and controlling father of her child; and Hadley is trapped by her body’s reaction to her trauma and anxiety. Their struggles and perseverance in the face of those struggles made me form an emotional attachment to these characters. I hurt for them, I rooted for them, and I kept them with me after I finished reading. I thoroughly enjoyed Down for the Count and would highly recommend it!
Warning - This book is dark and has content that may be triggering for some, including domestic violence, attempted SA (not by MMC), and off page dubious consent via threat/coercion (not by MCs). None of these scenes are graphic, but check your triggers if you may be sensitive to these things.
I received a free, advanced copy of this book, and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
Sawyer is a single mom struggling to make ends meet while caring for her daughter, Hadley, who suffers from selective mutism. She is protective, feisty, and puts her daughter above all else. Kingston is a former boxer whose injury during a fight derailed his dreams of going pro. Now beholden to two shady brothers, “Dom” and “Dutch,” Kingston is a postal worker by day and a fighter in the brothers’ illegal underground fight club by night. A chance meeting between Kingston and Hadley while Kingston is delivering mail results in an instant connection between the two and sets the course for our MCs to meet. An initial confrontation between Kingston and Sawyer leaves them both rattled and struggling to fight the pull each feels toward the other.
This book is pretty intense. There is a running theme of being trapped that ties the characters together in a really compelling way. Kingston is trapped by his debt to Dom and Dutch; Sawyer is trapped by the powerful and controlling father of her child; and Hadley is trapped by her body’s reaction to her trauma and anxiety. Their struggles and perseverance in the face of those struggles made me form an emotional attachment to these characters. I hurt for them, I rooted for them, and I kept them with me after I finished reading. I thoroughly enjoyed Down for the Count and would highly recommend it!
Warning - This book is dark and has content that may be triggering for some, including domestic violence, attempted SA (not by MMC), and off page dubious consent via threat/coercion (not by MCs). None of these scenes are graphic, but check your triggers if you may be sensitive to these things.
I received a free, advanced copy of this book, and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
A Kingdom of Venom and Vows is the final installment of the initial Stars and Shadows trilogy (Book 4, A Kingdom of Fire and Fate, focuses on 2 supporting characters from the first 3 books). It is a fast paced and engaging conclusion to Evren and Adara's story. As we've come to expect in this series, the spice is heavy and the action is packed.
I have loved Evren and Adara since we first met them in A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows. Adara has always had a fire in her, but in A Kingdom of Venom and Vows, we get to see her really come into her own. Once she finally accepts her power, she takes control of her own destiny and proves herself worthy of the crown and adoration of the kingdom. And Evren continues to be the strong, possessive, filthy mouthed, touch her and be unalived, burn the world down for Adara, morally grey antihero that we have swooned for throughout the series. He will forever be one my favorite shadow daddies and my favorite part of this series.
While there was some repetitive moments as some other reviews have mentioned, I was not bothered by them and found A Kingdom of Venom and Vows to be a solid and satisfying conclusion to the first three books of the Stars and Shadows series. If you're a fan of romantasy, the chosen/blessed one, arranged marriage, betrothed’s brother, enemies to lovers, fated mates, and filthy mouthed shadow daddies, then I highly recommend this series!
I have loved Evren and Adara since we first met them in A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows. Adara has always had a fire in her, but in A Kingdom of Venom and Vows, we get to see her really come into her own. Once she finally accepts her power, she takes control of her own destiny and proves herself worthy of the crown and adoration of the kingdom. And Evren continues to be the strong, possessive, filthy mouthed, touch her and be unalived, burn the world down for Adara, morally grey antihero that we have swooned for throughout the series. He will forever be one my favorite shadow daddies and my favorite part of this series.
While there was some repetitive moments as some other reviews have mentioned, I was not bothered by them and found A Kingdom of Venom and Vows to be a solid and satisfying conclusion to the first three books of the Stars and Shadows series. If you're a fan of romantasy, the chosen/blessed one, arranged marriage, betrothed’s brother, enemies to lovers, fated mates, and filthy mouthed shadow daddies, then I highly recommend this series!