cwrose's reviews
400 reviews

Untethering Dark by Desirée M. Niccoli

dark hopeful mysterious medium-paced

5.0

This is a beautifully written and spicy monster romance set during the winter solstice! Perfect for a winter read. 

Astrid, our winter hag-in-training, is a relatable protagonist and I found it easy to root for her on her journey. I also loved the German folklore in this story. Most of all, I’m a huge fan of eco-fiction and I absolutely adored the themes of saving our forests. 

Will be looking forward to the author’s next release! 

City of Snakes by Mariet Kay

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is a fantastic spinoff to Born of Starlight (book 1 in this series), and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It’s spicy, it’s sweet, it’s dark, and it’s tense. Loved it. CoS focuses on Emmerick, Queen Sybilla and King Krait, characters we briefly met in the first installment. 

I connected with the sassy Sybilla immediately. I really enjoyed reading about her and Krait’s developing relationship, and how they come to accept and move on from their pasts to grow and love each other. The villain is truly evil, and that ending definitely left me wanting more! I’m excited for book 3. 

The Last Dragon of the East by Katrina Kwan

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

The Last Girl Left by A.M. Strong, Sonya Sargent

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

A thrilling story of survival, mystery, and healing after trauma. This kept me turning the pages, needing to know what happened next! And it had everything I loved - a woman healing from tragedy and finding her way in the world again, an eerie island, and a happy ending for our heroine. 

Pacific Tails by Michelle Sauer

adventurous hopeful fast-paced

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

5.0

A fun, fast-paced and action-filled read that doesn’t feel like it’s 500+ pages! As the title suggests, mermaids are the main mythological creature here, but we also have demons, werewolves, and ancient guardians in an urban setting.

The ending is a cliffhanger, as this is part 1 of a series. Overall, I enjoyed this! Perfect for fans of the found family trope, fast-paced new adult urban fantasy with romantic elements. 

Love and Other Alien Concepts by Catie O'Neill

emotional inspiring lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

I enjoyed so much about this book, as I’ve really been liking alien romances lately! I found this to be more of a cozy Sci fi romance, about a woman in her late 30s who’s all but given up on love until she meets a man from another planet.

I loved that the FMC was 37 and in STEM (she’s an engineer!). Elek is definitely book boyfriend material! And I really enjoyed watching Kate grow into her own, find herself, and learning about the new planet alongside her. 

I’d recommend this for anyone who enjoys urban sci-fi romance, lots of worldbuilding, cozy books, a faster-paced romance, and of course, STEM girlies and alien MMCs. 

Dishwasher Safe by M.J. Etkind

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

A sweet and cozy book about a mermaid restaurant owner and the human dishwasher she falls in love with! I loved this unique take on mermaids and the Pacific Islander rep. Alisi and Sean’s romance was so adorable and really made me root for them. To top it all off, it’s a great story about finding yourself and going after what you want :) I enjoyed this one a lot! 

Lost Crows and Fallen Stars by Abelia Sumpter

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

In the Name of Honor by Clarke Collins, Courtney Collins

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

I was lucky enough to not only read this beautiful epic fantasy not once, but twice. I had my first opportunity as an ARC reader and then again for a blurb/ARC copy, and I thoroughly enjoyed it both times! 

This is a modern-day LOTR, complete with a sweet human bodyguard x half-elf princess romance, epic battles between good and evil, fantasy creatures both familiar and new, and a truly despicable villain. The authors also did a wonderful job exploring themes of grief, friendship, found family, and betrayal. 

I’m looking forward to book 2, and fans of classic epic fantasy will find much to love with ITNOH! 

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

For those are familiar with the folklore of the Four Great Beauties of Ancient China and Xi Shi in particular, this is a very faithful adaptation of it. With beautiful prose and a deep dive into Xi Shi, Fanli, and Fuchai’s stories, I enjoyed this a lot, as a lover of Chinese mythology and folklore! There is a happy-ish ending.