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anacarter's reviews
1039 reviews
My December Darling by Lauren Asher
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
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
4.0
Veils And Vampires by Cee Bee Author
challenging
dark
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.0
╭ ✦ •
│
│ ⊹ 𝟹.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙, 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚘𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐! ⊹
│
╰ ✦ •
Veils and Vampires picks up right where we left off in the previous book, offering both a glimpse into the past to enrich the series' overarching plot and a return to the lives of Lexa, Sash, Caelin, and the others. This book is brimming with peril and adventure. I'm really loving this take on vampires and the intricately crafted universe within Veils and Vampires left me captivated.
Lexa's unwavering determination to care for her sister, Sash, drives the narrative. With Sash's health deteriorating rapidly due to her dwindling medication, Lexa embarks on a mission to save her. Her quest hinges on finding the enigmatic Gray Woman, the key to her sister's salvation. Lexa's journey is a perilous one, but she refuses to be deterred. I will say, I did like her character a lot more in this book.
Alongside her, King Caelin has his own mission—to lead an army in the rescue of his friend Hunter's fated mate, Fifeur, who's been cruelly imprisoned in a hidden dungeon.
Although, I did enjoy this much more than the first book, feel like there are so many unanswered questions, which isn't necessarily a bad thing! I'm hoping we get some of them answered in the next book which I'm eagerly waiting for!
If you're looking for a new twist on vampires, don't miss your chance to delve into this riveting tale!
_________________________________
Violins and Vampires | Review
Veils And Vampires | Review
Vixens and Vampires | TBR
Valor and Vampires | TBR
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│
│ ⊹ 𝟹.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙, 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚘𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐! ⊹
│
╰ ✦ •
Veils and Vampires picks up right where we left off in the previous book, offering both a glimpse into the past to enrich the series' overarching plot and a return to the lives of Lexa, Sash, Caelin, and the others. This book is brimming with peril and adventure. I'm really loving this take on vampires and the intricately crafted universe within Veils and Vampires left me captivated.
Lexa's unwavering determination to care for her sister, Sash, drives the narrative. With Sash's health deteriorating rapidly due to her dwindling medication, Lexa embarks on a mission to save her. Her quest hinges on finding the enigmatic Gray Woman, the key to her sister's salvation. Lexa's journey is a perilous one, but she refuses to be deterred. I will say, I did like her character a lot more in this book.
Alongside her, King Caelin has his own mission—to lead an army in the rescue of his friend Hunter's fated mate, Fifeur, who's been cruelly imprisoned in a hidden dungeon.
Although, I did enjoy this much more than the first book, feel like there are so many unanswered questions, which isn't necessarily a bad thing! I'm hoping we get some of them answered in the next book which I'm eagerly waiting for!
If you're looking for a new twist on vampires, don't miss your chance to delve into this riveting tale!
_________________________________
Violins and Vampires | Review
Veils And Vampires | Review
Vixens and Vampires | TBR
Valor and Vampires | TBR
Blog ಇ StoryGraph ಇ Instagram ಇ Twitter ಇ Facebook
Gifted To His Dad by J. Wilder
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
╭ ✦ •
│
│ ⊹ 𝟸.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜 ⊹
│
╰ ✦ •
short and smutty.. i mean it was okay... I guess?
sooo cringey though
────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────
⊹ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 ⊹
❥mf + mfm
❥stepdaddy
❥praise kink
❥dp + dvp
❥insta - lust
_________________________________
Blog ಇ StoryGraph ಇ Instagram ಇ Twitter ಇ Facebook
│
│ ⊹ 𝟸.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜 ⊹
│
╰ ✦ •
short and smutty.. i mean it was okay... I guess?
sooo cringey though
────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────
⊹ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 ⊹
❥mf + mfm
❥stepdaddy
❥praise kink
❥dp + dvp
❥insta - lust
_________________________________
Blog ಇ StoryGraph ಇ Instagram ಇ Twitter ಇ Facebook
Release You by Diana A. Hicks
This was a fun, exciting read that kept me on my seat!
~when grumpy (re)meets sunshine~
We follow Nikki Swift (formerly Hipolita Marrow) as she returns to Paradise Creek after 10 long years, with a mission: to clear her sister Lisa’s name after she was wrongfully accused of murder. Nikki is determined to uncover the mystery behind the death of Henry's father, James Cavalier, to hopefully exonerate her sister.
As teenagers, Nikki and Lisa worked for Henry's family after losing their parents. During that time, Nikki and Henry formed a close, romantic bond. However, Henry's aunt treated the Marrow sisters terribly, and after the 'murder,' the entire town turned against them. The backlash was one of the main reasons Nikki decided to leave Paradise Creek.
I'll be honest, I felt like the whole "you left me" situation felt a bit unclear, perhaps not explained the best? There was this miscommunication of sorts—Nikki and Henry were supposed to meet at the Mesquite Tree. Nikki was late and assumed Henry wasn’t coming, but in reality, he had already shown up and was taken away by his uncle’s men?
When Henry’s father was murdered, his world fell apart. He found out his uncle had stolen his inheritance with an outdated version of his dad's Will. He's been full of rage and revenge for the last 10 years, and when Paradise Creek had a job to renovate the old downtown he jumped for the chance to win the bid with a plan in mind. His goal was to find all the secret tunnels beneath the town, hoping to find the evidence needed to reclaim what was rightfully his.
Ever since Nikki came back to town knows he can’t do it alone—he needs her help.
I really enjoyed their connection and ughhhh there was so much tension it was perfect! Ten years is a long time, and it’s clear that time has changed them both. Watching them get to know each other again was a highlight. They had undeniable chemistry and their banter added so much charm to their dynamic.
Overall, this was such an intriguing second-chance love story, that was action-packed and filled with secrets, unexpected twists and shocking revelations~
────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────
⊹ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 ⊹
❥sceond chance
❥hidden identity (kinda)
❥spicy
❥forced prox
❥touch her and d!e
❥protective mmc
❥grumpy x sunshine
❥bank heist
────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────
Goodreads Giveaway (US) -Ends Jan 1 - https://tinyurl.com/27xh6z44
Thank you for the ARC, Diana♡
_________________________________
Blog ಇ StoryGraph ಇ Instagram ಇ Twitter ಇ Facebook
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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 do love you, Nikki. But if you break my heart twice, I know I won’t survive it. Not this time.”
This was a fun, exciting read that kept me on my seat!
~when grumpy (re)meets sunshine~
We follow Nikki Swift (formerly Hipolita Marrow) as she returns to Paradise Creek after 10 long years, with a mission: to clear her sister Lisa’s name after she was wrongfully accused of murder. Nikki is determined to uncover the mystery behind the death of Henry's father, James Cavalier, to hopefully exonerate her sister.
As teenagers, Nikki and Lisa worked for Henry's family after losing their parents. During that time, Nikki and Henry formed a close, romantic bond. However, Henry's aunt treated the Marrow sisters terribly, and after the 'murder,' the entire town turned against them. The backlash was one of the main reasons Nikki decided to leave Paradise Creek.
I'll be honest, I felt like the whole "you left me" situation felt a bit unclear, perhaps not explained the best? There was this miscommunication of sorts—Nikki and Henry were supposed to meet at the Mesquite Tree. Nikki was late and assumed Henry wasn’t coming, but in reality, he had already shown up and was taken away by his uncle’s men?
When Henry’s father was murdered, his world fell apart. He found out his uncle had stolen his inheritance with an outdated version of his dad's Will. He's been full of rage and revenge for the last 10 years, and when Paradise Creek had a job to renovate the old downtown he jumped for the chance to win the bid with a plan in mind. His goal was to find all the secret tunnels beneath the town, hoping to find the evidence needed to reclaim what was rightfully his.
Ever since Nikki came back to town knows he can’t do it alone—he needs her help.
I really enjoyed their connection and ughhhh there was so much tension it was perfect! Ten years is a long time, and it’s clear that time has changed them both. Watching them get to know each other again was a highlight. They had undeniable chemistry and their banter added so much charm to their dynamic.
Overall, this was such an intriguing second-chance love story, that was action-packed and filled with secrets, unexpected twists and shocking revelations~
────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────
⊹ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 ⊹
❥sceond chance
❥hidden identity (kinda)
❥spicy
❥forced prox
❥touch her and d!e
❥protective mmc
❥grumpy x sunshine
❥bank heist
────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────
Goodreads Giveaway (US) -Ends Jan 1 - https://tinyurl.com/27xh6z44
Thank you for the ARC, Diana♡
_________________________________
Blog ಇ StoryGraph ಇ Instagram ಇ Twitter ಇ Facebook
Devil's Thirst by Jill Ramsower
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
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
4.0
Fight by Nikki Rome
inspiring
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? N/A
4.0
Breed by Nikki Rome
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Stalk by Nikki Rome
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Can you take it? by S.C. Arlette
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
3.5
╭ ✦ •
│
│ ⊹ 𝟹.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜, 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚘𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐! ⊹
│
╰ ✦ •
Hmmm, I have mixed feelings about this one. I loved that it reminded me of Criminal Minds, it was different and intriguing but I'm a little disappointed. The story wasn't THAT bad but some parts felt very repetitive and unclear; half the time reading I was confused as to what was happening. Usually with thriller/crime books clarity is key, but the lack thereof hindered the build-up. From the description, I expected more.
Can You Take It? by S.C. Arlette follows, Izel, a strong and determined protagonist whose life is overshadowed by the secrets she’s desperate to keep buried. From the start, I was captivated by her resilience and complexity. She’s no spineless heroine; instead, she carries an air of mystery that hints at a past she’s fighting to protect.
I'll be honest, Izel started getting annoying in the last 40%, I found myself practically yelling at her to spill all the secrets already! I was so eager to learn more, but the pacing of the revelations was excruciatingly slow.
Now for, Richard, our MMC, FBI profiler whose skill lies in uncovering people’s deepest, darkest truths. His mission is to unravel Izel’s secrets.
I liked the dynamic between these two! Their interactions were brimming with tension, suspicion, and undeniable attraction. But also, I couldn't help but feel like their relationship was missing something, felt very surface-level, and needed more development. I wish we had gotten more intimate or even everyday moments between them as a couple.
The storyline itself was intriguing enough for me to continue. At one point I did want to DNF because it felt overly drawn out and I just wanted to get to the point. I did skim some of the sex scenes, but it got to the point that it was too much sometimes. There were a lot of filler scenes, which didn’t seem to contribute much to the story. Honestly, I felt like it could have been at least 150 pages shorter without taking too much away from the overall story. As I was reading I was itching for the story to make sense and not be predictable. But that wasn't the case, I often felt confused and had to pause to recall what was happening, trying to piece together everything that was told. Also, around 70% ish I did predict who the Ghostface Striker killer was.
Also, I want to mention a 'wtf' moment around 58% where they brought her in for interrogation, and Richard.... just started fingering her during the so-called 'interrogation,' calling it 'torture.' Honestly, around this time, I thought the book was just getting ridiculous, especially since FMC became increasingly frustrating with all her secrets (most of which the reader barely knows) and her confusing backstory.
I only stuck around to see how the author managed to wrap up the story and if everything actually got explained. 😭
Overall, this wasn't a bad debut! It was different and intriguing, filled with action and lots of plot twists. I did enjoy parts of it even though it was a little confusing at times. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!
────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────
⊹ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 ⊹
❥serial killer
❥crime/thriller
❥romance
❥spicyyy
❥enemies to lovers
❥fbi agent x suspect
❥forced prox
❥forced confessions
❥interrogation room sex
Thank you for the ARC, S.C Arlette!
_________________________________
Blog ಇ StoryGraph ಇ Instagram ಇ Twitter ಇ Facebook
│
│ ⊹ 𝟹.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜, 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚘𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐! ⊹
│
╰ ✦ •
Hmmm, I have mixed feelings about this one. I loved that it reminded me of Criminal Minds, it was different and intriguing but I'm a little disappointed. The story wasn't THAT bad but some parts felt very repetitive and unclear; half the time reading I was confused as to what was happening. Usually with thriller/crime books clarity is key, but the lack thereof hindered the build-up. From the description, I expected more.
Can You Take It? by S.C. Arlette follows, Izel, a strong and determined protagonist whose life is overshadowed by the secrets she’s desperate to keep buried. From the start, I was captivated by her resilience and complexity. She’s no spineless heroine; instead, she carries an air of mystery that hints at a past she’s fighting to protect.
I'll be honest, Izel started getting annoying in the last 40%, I found myself practically yelling at her to spill all the secrets already! I was so eager to learn more, but the pacing of the revelations was excruciatingly slow.
Now for, Richard, our MMC, FBI profiler whose skill lies in uncovering people’s deepest, darkest truths. His mission is to unravel Izel’s secrets.
I liked the dynamic between these two! Their interactions were brimming with tension, suspicion, and undeniable attraction. But also, I couldn't help but feel like their relationship was missing something, felt very surface-level, and needed more development. I wish we had gotten more intimate or even everyday moments between them as a couple.
The storyline itself was intriguing enough for me to continue. At one point I did want to DNF because it felt overly drawn out and I just wanted to get to the point. I did skim some of the sex scenes, but it got to the point that it was too much sometimes. There were a lot of filler scenes, which didn’t seem to contribute much to the story. Honestly, I felt like it could have been at least 150 pages shorter without taking too much away from the overall story. As I was reading I was itching for the story to make sense and not be predictable. But that wasn't the case, I often felt confused and had to pause to recall what was happening, trying to piece together everything that was told. Also, around 70% ish I did predict who the Ghostface Striker killer was.
Also, I want to mention a 'wtf' moment around 58% where they brought her in for interrogation, and Richard.... just started fingering her during the so-called 'interrogation,' calling it 'torture.' Honestly, around this time, I thought the book was just getting ridiculous, especially since FMC became increasingly frustrating with all her secrets (most of which the reader barely knows) and her confusing backstory.
I only stuck around to see how the author managed to wrap up the story and if everything actually got explained. 😭
Overall, this wasn't a bad debut! It was different and intriguing, filled with action and lots of plot twists. I did enjoy parts of it even though it was a little confusing at times. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!
────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────
⊹ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 ⊹
❥serial killer
❥crime/thriller
❥romance
❥spicyyy
❥enemies to lovers
❥fbi agent x suspect
❥forced prox
❥forced confessions
❥interrogation room sex
Thank you for the ARC, S.C Arlette!
_________________________________
Blog ಇ StoryGraph ಇ Instagram ಇ Twitter ಇ Facebook
The Devil's Pawn by Tracie Delaney
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
╭ ✦ •
│
│ ⊹ 𝟹.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙, 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚜𝚘𝚘𝚗 ⊹
│
╰ ✦ •
WHAT!? The ending with Nickolas' chapters?? shocking but also WHAT?? it felt random to have his POV
Overall, I enjoyed this, it kept me interested and on the edge of my seat.
I liked their banter and chemistry but holy shit he was such an asshole for most of this (one of the reasons why I want to rate it lower + Imogen was so annoying the last 30% of this)
The whole Will situation wasn't really explained good? So he was that the only reason? idk i feel like it could have been explained better?
I did like how they came together and talked about all their issues, etc
────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────
⊹ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 ⊹
❥arranged marriage
❥enemies to lovers
❥billionaire
❥age gap
❥jealous/possessive hero
❥touch her and d!e
❥morally gray
❥alpha male
❥v!rgin heroine
Thank you for the ARC, Tracie!
_________________________________
Blog ಇ StoryGraph ಇ Instagram ಇ Twitter ಇ Facebook
│
│ ⊹ 𝟹.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙, 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚜𝚘𝚘𝚗 ⊹
│
╰ ✦ •
WHAT!? The ending with Nickolas' chapters?? shocking but also WHAT?? it felt random to have his POV
Overall, I enjoyed this, it kept me interested and on the edge of my seat.
I liked their banter and chemistry but holy shit he was such an asshole for most of this (one of the reasons why I want to rate it lower + Imogen was so annoying the last 30% of this)
The whole Will situation wasn't really explained good? So he was that the only reason? idk i feel like it could have been explained better?
I did like how they came together and talked about all their issues, etc
────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────
⊹ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 ⊹
❥arranged marriage
❥enemies to lovers
❥billionaire
❥age gap
❥jealous/possessive hero
❥touch her and d!e
❥morally gray
❥alpha male
❥v!rgin heroine
Thank you for the ARC, Tracie!
_________________________________
Blog ಇ StoryGraph ಇ Instagram ಇ Twitter ಇ Facebook