book_lover_irl's reviews
454 reviews

All The Forbidden Things by Lesley Jones

emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Enjoyable. Emotional. Slow burn. I think I’ve decided I am not a fan of British accents in my narrated smutty novels. I tend to like them in movies but am just irritated by them in my spice. After reading quite a few accented novels, I will most likely avoid them in the future.

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

POV: Duet

HEA: Yes

Cliffhanger: No

Tropes: Age gap, rock star, independently wealthy

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really liked this book

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked this book

⭐️⭐️ Meh… bored or annoyed

⭐️ Seriously? Not worth it

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ INFERNO. P@nty melting

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Blazing hot

🌶️🌶️🌶️ Now we’re talking

🌶️🌶️ Meh… uninspired missionary

🌶️ Does weak foreplay count?

Content Warnings

Kings of Retribution MC: Riggs by Crystal Daniels, Sandy Alvarez

Go to review page

adventurous dark medium-paced

3.0

I enjoyed it once I got over the super thick accents the narrators gave the MMC. I like MC tropes and it was refreshing to read a story that didn’t treat club bunnies like complete prostitutes. I also liked that there wasn’t a bunch of cheating a-holes in the MC. My favorite part of the novel was the inclusion of a deaf FMC. It was great to see some diversity.

Overall entertaining read with a nice amount of action. Light spice that was relatively tame for a smut novel.

Won’t read again but will probably continue with the series.

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
POV: Duet
HEA: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
Tropes: MC, damsel in distress, former military

Goodreads: Book Lover IRL
Instagram: @Book.Lover.IRL

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really liked this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked this book
⭐️⭐️ Meh… bored or annoyed
⭐️ Seriously? Not worth it

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ INFERNO. P@nty melting
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Blazing hot
🌶️🌶️🌶️ Now we’re talking
🌶️🌶️ Meh… uninspired missionary
🌶️ Does weak foreplay count?

Content Warnings

Crave by Evelyn Sola

Go to review page

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Good story. Dislikable MMC with serious anger issues (NOT in a possessive, cute, relatable way). Loved the strong FMC with backbone and sass. Started out super angst-y and drawn out. Wrapped up strangely without much of a catalyst for the couple to overcome. Just didn’t quite work for me. Loved the narrators. Troy Duran is my all time fave male narrator and Mari (no last name?!) did an excellent job as the FMC.

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
POV: Duet / dual
HEA: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
Tropes: Upper class man / working class woman, interracial, instalove

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really liked this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked this book
⭐️⭐️ Meh… bored or annoyed
⭐️ Seriously? Not worth it

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ INFERNO. P@nty melting
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Blazing hot
🌶️🌶️🌶️ Now we’re talking
🌶️🌶️ Meh… uninspired missionary
🌶️ Does weak foreplay count?

Content Warnings

Kingston by Leila James

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Whoa! So much tension and anticipation. Keeps you guessing. You love to hate one of the MCs who can’t seem to get their head out of their arse. There is hot, smutty spice but I struggled with some parts because it’s consensual / non-consensual.

Story leaves off on a cliffhanger since it is book one of a trilogy. Can’t wait to read Cannon’s story next.

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
POV: Quad
HEA: Not yet?
Cliffhanger: Yes
Tropes: instalove, university brotherhood, emotionally damaged MCs

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really liked this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked this book
⭐️⭐️ Meh… bored or annoyed
⭐️ Seriously? Not worth it

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ INFERNO. P@nty melting
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Blazing hot
🌶️🌶️🌶️ Now we’re talking
🌶️🌶️ Meh… uninspired missionary
🌶️ Does weak foreplay count?

Content Warnings

No Place to Run by Maya Banks

Go to review page

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

4.0

Content Warnings

Down Shift by K. Bromberg

Go to review page

dark emotional funny reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Almost perfection. I adored the emotional, sweet, funny, reflective story. Both MCs had traumatic pasts that they were trying to work out separately. By opening up to each other they are hoping to find some peace of mind. The narrators were fabulous.

My only teensiest complaint was sometimes we were stuck in the FMCs head and inner dialogue a bit too much. It got repetitive every once in a while.

This was my first book by this author and first read of this series. I thoroughly enjoyed both. I now intend to go back and start the Driven series from the beginning.

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

POV: Duet, Dual

HEA: Yes

Cliffhanger: No

Tropes: Protective MMC, insta-lust

Goodreads: Book Lover IRL
Instagram: @Book.Lover.IRL

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really liked this book

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked this book

⭐️⭐️ Meh… bored or annoyed

⭐️ Seriously? Not worth it

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ INFERNO. P@nty melting

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Blazing hot

🌶️🌶️🌶️ Now we’re talking

🌶️🌶️ Meh… uninspired missionary

🌶️ Does weak foreplay count?

Content Warnings

The Actress and the Aristocrat by Katie Ashley

Go to review page

emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

Solid rom-com. Narrators were okay. Female narrator kept switching between accents for the FMC and didn’t seem to know how to stay in character which made the story sound slightly disjointed. Enjoyable. Glad I listened to it for free through the Audible Plus catalog and didn’t use a credit for it.

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

POV: Duet / dual

HEA: Yes

Cliffhanger: No

Tropes: Royal and a commoner, enemies to lovers

Goodreads: Book Lover IRL
Instagram: @Book.Lover.IRL

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really liked this book

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked this book

⭐️⭐️ Meh… bored or annoyed

⭐️ Seriously? Not worth it

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ INFERNO. P@nty melting

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Blazing hot

🌶️🌶️🌶️ Now we’re talking

🌶️🌶️ Meh… uninspired missionary

🌶️ Does weak foreplay count?

Content Warnings

Playboy Pilot by Penelope Ward, Vi Keeland

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I enjoyed this emotional and hot drama. The angst was on par. Plot a bit far fetched but then again I read to escape so prefer spectacular vacations from reality.

Narrators did a great job. The MMC was a manwhore that I found pretty gross. However, he became more lovable as he changed his ways.

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
POV: Dual / duet
HEA: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
Tropes: Instalove

Goodreads: Book Lover IRL
Instagram: @Book.Lover.IRL

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really liked this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked this book
⭐️⭐️ Meh… bored or annoyed
⭐️ Seriously? Not worth it

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ INFERNO. P@nty melting
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Blazing hot
🌶️🌶️🌶️ Now we’re talking
🌶️🌶️ Meh… uninspired missionary
🌶️ Does weak foreplay count?

Content Warnings

The Darkest Hour by Maya Banks

Go to review page

medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Darkest Hour by Maya Banks is an emotionally tumultuous drama with lots of chaotic action. The plot kept me engaged and the pacing was great. The spice was a slow burn (necessary given the plot) and when it happened, it was deliciously sweet and emotional. Given what the FMC went through I was happy that the author didn't instantly make her "better" when she was stateside. The MMC was alpha male all the way, along with his amazing brothers whose stories I cannot wait to read next. His guilt and protectiveness could be overwhelming but made him an empathetic character.

Main pet peeve is the constant lying or omissions of the full truth by the MMC. He kept borrowing more and more trouble the longer he waited to be honest with the FMC. I hate when stories are centered on lies but I understand it's a commonly used plot driver / catalyst used by some authors.

My only suggestion for improvement to the audiobook would be to add a female narrator, so it is read by two narrators, instead of one. However, that is just a personal preference and I wouldn't let that deter you from enjoying the story.

I love the Kelly brothers and cannot wait to read more of their stories as I continue the KGI series.

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
POV: Multi-narrative (single narrator in audiobook)
HEA: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
Tropes: Ex-military, MMC rescues FMC, touch her & ☠️, strong family ties

Goodreads: Book Lover IRL
Instagram: @Book.Lover.IRL

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really liked this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked this book
⭐️⭐️ Meh… bored or annoyed
⭐️ Seriously? Not worth it

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ INFERNO. P@nty melting
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Blazing hot
🌶️🌶️🌶️ Now we’re talking
🌶️🌶️ Meh… uninspired missionary
🌶️ Does weak foreplay count?

Hidden Away by Maya Banks

Go to review page

adventurous emotional sad tense

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Loved the slow burn. Garrett’s patience and sweetness with Sarah… Insta-love stories aren’t my favorite but this one made my heart happy. This is the first book of the KGI series that I’ve read. Now I’ll be going back to read book 1 & 2 , then continue on with the series. These brothers and this family — LOOOOOVVEEEEE!

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
POV: Third person
HEA: Yes
Cliffhanger: Kind of
Tropes: I’m bad at picking out tropes. Ex military, innocent girl over her head

Instagram: @Book.Lover.IRL
Goodreads: Book Lover IRL

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really liked this book
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked this book
⭐️⭐️ Meh… bored or annoyed
⭐️ Seriously? Not worth it

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ INFERNO. P@nty melting
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Blazing h0t
🌶️🌶️🌶️ Now we’re talking
🌶️🌶️ Meh… uninspired missionary
🌶️ Does weak f0replay count?

Content Warnings

More...

book_lover_irl's reviews 454 reviews

book_lover_irl's reviews
454 reviews