daniobsessivelyreads's Reviews (827)

adventurous emotional 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: Complicated

**๐‘จ๐‘น๐‘ช ๐‘น๐’†๐’—๐’Š๐’†๐’˜** ๐‘ฐ๐’“๐’๐’ & ๐‘ฌ๐’Ž๐’ƒ๐’†๐’“๐’” ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘ฏ๐’†๐’๐’†๐’ ๐‘บ๐’„๐’‰๐’†๐’–๐’†๐’“๐’†๐’“ (๐‘ป๐’‰๐’† ๐‘จ๐’”๐’‰๐’†๐’” ๐’๐’‡ ๐‘ป๐’‰๐’†๐’›๐’Ž๐’‚๐’“๐’“ #1 )

Release Date: January 28, 2025

5โญ๏ธ4๐ŸŒถ

This book sucked me in from the moment the lost princess turned assassin via going to school to become a full Alchemist who can poison or heal someone in a moment. Wren has only ever wanted to go to Drevenor school to hone her skills with herbs, poisons, and potions. Prior to the war, she had been an apprentice in Thezmarr to become a healer, but after the war her focus became revenge. In the five years since the war ended, she has spent her time tracking down and poisoning all those who took her friends and family. 

Torj is a Warsword who has been enamored with her since before the war when they were living in Thezmarr together, but her path for vengeance did not allow for love and romance. So, he watched over her from afar.

Torj and Wren are forced to work together when Torj is posted as her personal bodyguard after an attempt on another royals life has put all royals in jeopardy. Torj is not thrilled with this post, because he has been avoiding Wren since she ruined his mission two years ago with her plans for vengeance.  

Themes/Tropes:
๐ŸWarrior-Warrior relationship
๐ŸBodyguard Romance
๐ŸLost Princess Trope
๐ŸThrone of Glass vibes
๐ŸSnape vibes
๐ŸDark Acadamia Potion/Poison school
๐ŸHarry Potter/Hunger Games Vibes

TW:
โœจLoss of family members
โœจMurder by violence
โœจMurder by poisoning
โœจBattle Sequences
โœจPhysical Trials

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous challenging dark emotional
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

**๐‘น๐‘ฌ๐‘ฝ๐‘ฐ๐‘ฌ๐‘พ** ๐‘ถ๐’๐’š๐’™ ๐‘บ๐’•๐’๐’“๐’Ž ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘น๐’†๐’ƒ๐’†๐’„๐’„๐’‚ ๐’€๐’‚๐’“๐’“๐’๐’” (๐‘ป๐’‰๐’† ๐‘ฌ๐’Ž๐’‘๐’š๐’“๐’†๐’‚๐’ #3)

Release Date: January 21, 2025

5โญ๏ธ4๐ŸŒถ

This series gets more and more complex and emotional as it progresses, and it's delicious to read. Violet and Xaden continue to try and find a way to defeat the Venin without loosing all those that they hold dear. 

Andarna appears to be a seventh breed of dragon that may or may not exist, so they spend a good portion of the book trying to find them in order for them to help restore the wards. 

Venin continue to attack with increasing strength and frequency. Many civilians are lost to the Venin. Xaden's "problem" continues to grow worse, and he pulls away from Violet thinking that is what is best for her. 

By the end of this book, I have many more questions that I started with, and only a few answers to questions I had going into this book. However, I'm on this train for the long haul and can't wait for the next book in the series.

Themes/Tropes:
๐ŸEnemies-to-lovers
๐ŸDragon Riders
๐ŸCollege/Acadamia Setting
๐ŸHunger Games Vibes
๐ŸEnder's Games Vibes
๐ŸDragons-Wyverns-Sorcerers
๐ŸBad Boy with Good Intentions

TW:
โœจDeath
โœจViolence
โœจMurder
โœจTraining and Battle Sequences
โœจLoss of Parent (past)
โœจLoss in general
adventurous challenging emotional slow-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

 **๐‘น๐‘ฌ๐‘ฝ๐‘ฐ๐‘ฌ๐‘พ** ๐‘น๐’†๐’…๐’†๐’†๐’Ž๐’†๐’… ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘ณ๐’‚๐’–๐’“๐’†๐’ ๐‘จ๐’”๐’‰๐’†๐’“ (๐‘ซ๐’Š๐’“๐’•๐’š ๐‘จ๐’Š๐’“ ๐‘บ๐’†๐’“๐’Š๐’†๐’” #4

Release Date: January 23, 2021

5โญ๏ธ4๐ŸŒถ

This isn't as fast or furious as the first three books in this series; however, it totally makes up for it with emotional depth and trauma. Both the FMC and MMC have major trauma that they decide to work on separately and together in order to find their better selves. I highly recommend this book to all readers.

Santiago Alatorre was on track to be the number one F1 driver in Europe, until a very damaging crash took his love of driving, his career, and his self-confidence away. After the fateful crash, he spends years hiding away on his property in Lake Como, Italy until fate takes another turn and a young woman breaks into his property.

Chloe Carter has lived in NYC her whole life in and out of foster care due to her mother's neglect. She's given her druggie mother more chances than she should have to come clean and have a positive relationship with her, but it never works out. Her best friend Brooke has taken care of her and she's done the same for her since they've been in foster care together. Brooke buys her a DNA testing kit, and Chloe finds out she has an immediate family member who lives in the Lake Como area. 

Sparks fly between Chloe and Santi. They agree to fake date each other, so that Santi's family will stop hovering so much and so Chloe has an in with her newly aquired family member. They say they're fake dating until they both realize that their feelings are very real.

Themes/Tropes:

๐ŸPhysical trauma to the body
๐ŸPTSD due to car crash
๐ŸFake dating
๐ŸGrumpy-sunshine
๐ŸComing back to racing after career ending crash

TW:

โœจPTSD
โœจNegletful, manipulative, and abusive mother 
โœจDepression
โœจSelf doubt

adventurous challenging emotional fast-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

**๐‘น๐’†๐’—๐’Š๐’†๐’˜** ๐‘พ๐’“๐’†๐’„๐’Œ๐’†๐’… ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘ณ๐’‚๐’–๐’“๐’†๐’ ๐‘จ๐’”๐’‰๐’†๐’“

Release Date: September 30, 2020

4โญ๏ธ3.5๐ŸŒถ

This is the third book in the Dirty Air series by Lauren Asher, and It's just as fast and hot as the first two! Racing bad boy Jax is feeling more alone and anxiety prone than ever. His tattoos and all black attire doesn't scare off Elena. 

Jax's boss has hired Elena to babysit him 24/7 due to his recent exploits with drugs, alcohol, and women that have landed him in the tabloids and not in a good way. Jax has been battling anxiety and panic attacks. His mother's declining health with Huntington's disease has only increased his overall anxiety. 

Elena is not easily scared off by his bad boy persona or snapping attitude. She sees that he's hurting underneath his hard exterior. Despite her best efforts, she's starting to have feelings for him. Plus, the large paycheck to babysit him helps her pay for her grandmother's care for her Alzheimer's. 

Themes/Tropes:
๐ŸBad boy with emotional issues
๐ŸRace car driving adrenaline seeker
๐ŸStraight lace girl w/ bad boy
๐ŸGrumpy-sunshine
๐ŸRacing hotties

TW:
โœจMurder 
โœจGang related violence (past)
โœจAnxiety
โœจPanic Attacks
โœจPrescription Drug Abuse
emotional hopeful lighthearted sad 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

**๐‘จ๐‘น๐‘ช ๐‘น๐’†๐’—๐’Š๐’†๐’˜** ๐‘ฉ๐’“๐’†๐’˜๐’Š๐’๐’ˆ ๐‘ผ๐’‘ ๐’‚ ๐‘ฉ๐’‚๐’… ๐‘ฉ๐’๐’š (๐‘พ๐’Š๐’„๐’Œ๐’†๐’… ๐‘บ๐’Š๐’”๐’•๐’†๐’“๐’” #3) ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘ฒ๐’‚๐’•๐’‰๐’†๐’“๐’Š๐’๐’† ๐‘ฎ๐’‚๐’“๐’ƒ๐’†๐’“๐’‚

Release Date: January 21, 2025

4โญ๏ธ4๐ŸŒถ

This book is 100% second chance romance. Poppy and Alistair were previously married when she was only 18, but unbeknownst to her Alistair was only dating/marrying her for her family's tea recipes. After their marriage, she found out about that twist in her contract with her father-in-law and immediately asked for a divorce. Alistair was doing all of this to Poppy to prove to his father that he is the better son.

After the divorce, Alistair realizes that his Father's approval will never happen and is not needed, and that he let go of the only person who's ever loved or cared about him for him. After a lot of therapy and soul-searching, Alistair attempts to right his wrongs with Poppy by going to battle with her against his father for her tear recipes. Somewhere along the way, Poppy realizes how much they have both grown and changed since their divorce.

This book has all the highs and lows, and there is plenty of spice to go with  it all. 

Themes/Tropes:
๐ŸSecond Chance Love
๐ŸBad boy energy
๐ŸJealous Boyfriend
๐ŸFake Marriage

TW:
โœจMental breaks (yelling, punching objects)
โœจTherapy for Anger Management
โœจManipulative Parents
โœจBetrayal
adventurous emotional lighthearted 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

 **๐‘จ๐‘น๐‘ช ๐‘น๐’†๐’—๐’Š๐’†๐’˜** ๐‘ฎ๐’Š๐’—๐’† ๐‘ด๐’† ๐‘ฉ๐’–๐’•๐’•๐’†๐’“๐’‡๐’๐’Š๐’†๐’” ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘ฑ๐’Š๐’๐’๐’Š๐’‚๐’ ๐‘ด๐’†๐’‚๐’…๐’๐’˜๐’”

Release Date: January 21, 2025

5โญ๏ธ5๐ŸŒถ

I absolutely loved this Rom Com with all the feel goods and heart warming characters. Millie works at a Natural History Museum in the "Butterfly House" essentially and she's applying to become a Director within the Museum. The Director position has been her dream job for a while now, and she's doing everything in her power to do well with the interview process. 

Finn also works at the Natural History museum, but in the Astronomy department. Millie accidentally runs into his car in the parking lot on the morning of her first interview. She sees him and this his a brooding dark lord straight out of the Star Wars franchise. She has a minor panic attack when she goes inside and realizes he's on the panel of people that are interviewing her for her dream job. 

Millie meets the Kylo Ren double again when she finds out he has twin 5 year old girls in her Summer Camp program, Avery and Eloise. They're absolutely adorable, and she finds out that their mother died due to cancer and Finn is actually their uncle who adopted them. 

Millie finds herself going to Finn's house every Friday to hang out with his girls to bake cooks, make pizza, and general teach Finn how to not burn the kitchen down. There friendship turns from grumpy and sunshine to sunshine and sunshine. But she doesn't want their relationship to be anything more than friends, so it doesn't put her dream job in jeopardy. They just can't seem to stay away from each other.

This is definitely in my top 5 rom coms ever! I'm going to be recommending this to every rom com reader I know!

Themes/Tropes:
๐ŸNerd-nerd couple
๐ŸEnemies-to-lovers
๐ŸBoss-sub-employee relationship
๐ŸGrumpy-sunshine

TW:
โœจVerbal abuse and gaslighting (past)
โœจLoss of a parent
โœจLoss of a sibling via cancer
โœจEmotionally distant and manipulative parents
โœจAnxiety symptoms and attacks
emotional

**๐‘จ๐‘น๐‘ช ๐‘น๐’†๐’—๐’Š๐’†๐’˜** ๐‘พ๐’‚๐’•๐’†๐’“ ๐‘ด๐’๐’๐’ ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘บ๐’‚๐’Ž๐’‚๐’๐’•๐’‰๐’‚ ๐‘บ๐’๐’•๐’•๐’ ๐’€๐’‚๐’Ž๐’ƒ๐’‚๐’

Release Date: January 14, 2025

3โญ๏ธ

This book is not for me, so I DNFed it. There are people out there that love the "what if" books where you go down a rabbit hole of "what if" I never got on that bus (or whatever it is), then the MC wakes up at the end of the book and realizes none of it was real. 

I feel like that's where this book is going. There is a Pawn Shop in Tokyo where anyone who has made a choice in the past that they regret and cannot get past it, they can come to this Pawn Shop and "trade their choice away." So, they essentially forget they ever made that choice and they can move on with their lives. The FMC is inheriting the pawn shop from her elderly father, who has mostly lived inside a Sake bottle since his wife left. 

Themes/Tropes:
๐Ÿ"what if" rabbit hole
๐ŸBlack Box Magic


TW:
โœจAlcohol Abuse
adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-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

**๐‘จ๐‘น๐‘ช ๐‘น๐’†๐’—๐’Š๐’†๐’˜** ๐‘พ๐’๐’“๐’Œ ๐’Š๐’ ๐‘ท๐’“๐’๐’ˆ๐’“๐’†๐’”๐’” ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘ฒ๐’‚๐’• ๐‘ด๐’‚๐’„๐’Œ๐’†๐’๐’›๐’Š๐’†

Release Date: January 14, 2025

4.5โญ๏ธ2.5๐ŸŒถ

This book is so heartwarming and real! It was exactly what I needed this week to lift my spirits! I have to thank Kat Mackenzie for making me want to go on a bus tour of Scotland....right now! This book was so magical and whimsical with its adorable little bus full of adorable older ladies. This book gave me all the wanderlust for a country that I've always longed to see. I think I'm going to have to move Scotland up on my bucket list!

Alice is nearing 30 and has just lost her job and her fiancรฉ. What better time to travel to Scotland? She books a super affordable last minute flight to Edinburgh and signs up for a Literary Bus Tour of Scotland (specifically for female tourists). Except go off the rails, starting with her flight to Edinburgh. At the end of the harrowing 36 hour flight, she meets a man at the baggage claim counter that will do nothing but get in her way, who later turns out to be the one and only tour guide for her 3 week long trip.

Alice slowly warms to the bus full of older ladies, and the handsome tour guide also starts to grow on her. From sharing her story with a group of experience women, she realizes that no ones life is perfect and many things happen for the better. While her ex was very good on paper, she comes to realize that she didn't have any real passion with him. But she may have found real passion with the Scottish, worldly tour guide.

I ate this book up, and left no crumbs!


Themes/Tropes:
๐ŸRom Com
๐ŸContemporary Romance
๐ŸTraveling to find yourself
๐ŸScotland
๐ŸTrip of your dreams
๐ŸEnemies-to-lovers
๐ŸFinding your passion

TW:
โœจCheating
โœจLoss (past)
adventurous challenging emotional 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

**๐‘จ๐‘น๐‘ช ๐‘น๐’†๐’—๐’Š๐’†๐’˜** ๐‘ป๐’‰๐’† ๐‘ฌ๐’Ž๐’‘๐’“๐’†๐’”๐’” (๐‘ป๐’๐’˜๐’†๐’“๐’‡๐’‚๐’๐’ #1) ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘ฒ๐’“๐’Š๐’”๐’•๐’Š๐’ ๐‘ช๐’‚๐’”๐’•

Release Date: January 7, 2025

4โญ๏ธ4๐ŸŒถ

Hannah is just a normal girl trying to make it in the cut throat world of fashion and publishing world. However, she's not assertive enough to beat out her co-workers. She's made a list for herself to try and spice up her life. Including visiting a tarot card reader, as "doing something spontaneous." The tarot card reader goes into a trance and forces her to take a blank tarot card. That doesn't stay blank forever...

She loses a big deal with a client, and then has a very unpleasant encounter with her current boyfriend, when she slips on the ice at a bus stop and smacks her head. When she wakes up, she seems to be in a full scale medieval village like from a movie set...except it isn't a movie set. A dark hooded figure whisks her away to safety when the villagers proclaim her as a "WITCH!". 

She finds out that she's been transported to a parallel world and landed in the Kingdom of Pentacles. Where she's needed to overcome the evil in order to be transported back to her own world, with the help of her broody male sidekick who seems to know way to much about magick.

Themes/Tropes:
๐ŸAlice in Wonderland
๐ŸTime Travel
๐ŸModern Girl in Medival Times
๐ŸGrumpy-Sunshine
๐ŸFake dating/marriage
๐ŸShadow Daddy
๐ŸDark Broody MMC

TW:
โœจCheating
โœจMurder
โœจFighting with swords/knives
โœจBetrayal
adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

**๐‘จ๐‘น๐‘ช ๐‘น๐’†๐’—๐’Š๐’†๐’˜** ๐‘จ ๐‘บ๐’Œ๐’š ๐’๐’‡ ๐‘ฌ๐’Ž๐’†๐’“๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐‘บ๐’•๐’‚๐’“๐’” ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘จ. ๐‘ฒ. ๐‘ด๐’–๐’๐’‡๐’๐’“๐’…

Release Date: December 24, 2024

5โญ๏ธ3๐ŸŒถ

Ms. Mulford continues to deliver with this second installment in the Golden Court series. This book picks up right where A River of Golden Bones left off, and Calla and Grae have plenty on their plate. Calla is now responsible for the Golden Kingdom, and must try and right the wrongs that the previous Evil Queen has done to her people. In addition, she must find allies to support her claim to the Golden Throne. Grae's father hasn't lost his ambition to hold Calla's Kingdom as his own. He plans to overthrow her and place one of his own puppets on her throne.

Sadie Rauxtide is still reeling from Navin's betrayal during the battle for Calla's throne. She doesn't understand why he would choose his traitor of a brother over her IN BATTLE. Come to find out, he has quite a few secrets that Sadie and Queen Calla don't know about. When Ora is captured by Grae's father, Sadie and Navin must find a way to work together again for the good of the Golden Court.

Themes/Tropes:
๐ŸFriends-Enemies-to-lovers
๐ŸWarrior Shifter BA FMC
๐ŸSoft MMC
๐ŸWolf Shifter Pack meets Princess Story
๐ŸFairy Godmother
๐ŸShifters-humans-sorcerers

TW:
โœจFight Scenes
โœจBig Monsters
โœจAbusive Father
โœจChild Abuse (past)
โœจMurder
โœจBetrayal

Expand filter menu Content Warnings