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elle_lit_zabeth's reviews
587 reviews
When Lies Unfold by R.C. Boldt
5.0
❤️/5🌶️4/5 🌻13/20📚115/240
I’ve been obsessed with R.C Boldt’s work since I read An Armored Heart and spent an entire year promising myself that I’d read more of her books. It’s now a promise kept thanks to Valentine PR and the author with this ARC (but yeah, I still need to read more of her books!).
And just like I did with An Armored Heart, I fell for this book. HARD.
Let me tell you that I’m not a huge mafia romance girl but boy, did this book change my mind.
What you’ll find: perfect writing. Amazing character development. Hot as sin tension. A true enemies-to-lovers story. Danger all around. The vibes in this book are immaculate. We are in Costa Rica. We’re lost in the jungle. We’re afraid of the monsters lurking in the shadows.
I felt so deeply for the characters! Lola is a hell of a woman. Strong. Brave. Smart. So resilient and resourceful. I absolutely loved her.
I felt so deeply for the characters! Lola is a hell of a woman. Strong. Brave. Smart. So resilient and resourceful. I absolutely loved her.
Somehow, even though they’re drastically different, she and Santiago fit so perfectly. They’re opposites and complementary in every way. They’re the missing pieces of each other and the very meaning of the word fate (that last flashback broke me!).
I won’t even talk about the spice because I melted at every turn with these two. Some of the things that man says, PHEW.
I also loved little Alma so, so much. She’s a breath of fresh air and won me over immediately, just like the other side characters did. The way they all form this family and make sense together made me swoon.
I absolutely loved this book! A masterpiece of the genre.
The Perfect Fit by Sadie Kincaid
3.5
🇺🇸A very good start. Very appealing characters who immediately make you want to know more, to read more. The audiobook is absolutely brilliant and gives an almost real dimension to the characters. I really liked the relationships between the various characters. The fact that the three men in this why-choose are life-and-death friends and lovers even before Lily meets them is a real plus. The spicy scenes involving them are incredible, so much so that including Lily in their trio almost felt like too much at times.
Unfortunately, what was well on the way to being a 5-star read fell apart in the last 10% with a pseudo-Mafia plot twist that (in my opinion) came out of nowhere and added nothing to the story. I really didn't understand the author's choice to base three quarters of the story on the characters, their relationships, their inhibitions and their sexuality, only to do a 180° turn and end the novel on that.
A shame, but a very good read all in all.
🇫🇷Un très bon début. Des personnages très attirants qui donnent immédiatement envie d’en savoir plus, d’en lire plus. Le livre audio est absolument génial et donne une dimension presque réelle aux personnages. J’ai beaucoup aimé les relations entre les différents personnages. Le fait que les trois hommes de ce why-choose soient amis et amants à la vie à la mort avant même que Lily les rencontre est vraiment un plus. Les scène spicy les concernant sont incroyables, si bien qu’inclure Lily dans leur trio m’a presque semblé de trop par moment.
Malheureusement, ce qui était bien parti pour être un roman 5 étoiles s’est écroulé dans les 10 derniers % par ce plot-twist pseudo mafieux qui (à mon avis) sort de nulle part et n’apporte rien à l’histoire. Je n’ai vraiment pas compris le choix de l’auteur qui a basé les trois quarts de son histoire sur les personnages, leur relations, leur inhibitions et leur sexualité, pour ensuite faire un virage à 180 et terminer le roman là-dessus.
Dommage, mais malgré tout un très bon moment de lecture dans l’ensemble.
The Summer I Destroyed You by Elizabeth O'Roark
5.0
⭐️5/5🌶️4/5 🌻9/20📚112/240
🇺🇸By now you all know how much I love Elizabeth O'Roark's books. This series is unlike any she has written to date.
While Luke & Juliet's story remains by far my favorite, I have to admit that Emerson & Liam are not far behind. In this 4th opus, we follow the vengeful journey of a heroine who was scorned, mistreated, and mocked as a child because of her weight. So I'm not going to lie and tell you that her inner speech and past history were easy to read.
On the contrary, it was very trying. In the end, we understand why Emmerson has come to this point and, as the story unfolds, all we want to do is help him set fire to the town that has witnessed so many horrors without ever doing anything about it.
Fortunately, Liam brings his share of lightness, although he too carries his own wounds. His outlook on life, his big heart, his loyalty, and the fact that he's so protective of Emmerson, while constantly pushing her forward, confronting her about her actions and choices, and questioning the promises she's made to herself, turn him into one of the best book boyfriends of the year.
We'd all like a Liam in our lives, in my opinion. All the stages of their romance are wonderful to read, and some scenes still make me hot just thinking about them. In short, a painful but cathartic novel in its resolution and character development.
While Luke & Juliet's story remains by far my favorite, I have to admit that Emerson & Liam are not far behind. In this 4th opus, we follow the vengeful journey of a heroine who was scorned, mistreated, and mocked as a child because of her weight. So I'm not going to lie and tell you that her inner speech and past history were easy to read.
On the contrary, it was very trying. In the end, we understand why Emmerson has come to this point and, as the story unfolds, all we want to do is help him set fire to the town that has witnessed so many horrors without ever doing anything about it.
Fortunately, Liam brings his share of lightness, although he too carries his own wounds. His outlook on life, his big heart, his loyalty, and the fact that he's so protective of Emmerson, while constantly pushing her forward, confronting her about her actions and choices, and questioning the promises she's made to herself, turn him into one of the best book boyfriends of the year.
We'd all like a Liam in our lives, in my opinion. All the stages of their romance are wonderful to read, and some scenes still make me hot just thinking about them. In short, a painful but cathartic novel in its resolution and character development.
Keeper of Scarlet Petals by A.N. Skye
3.0
A nice story overall. The universe is interesting in the way it separates those born with powers from those without. Jasmine does her best to make a place for herself, relying above all on her strength, endurance and fighting skills. She really doesn't expect to be thrust ahead of her time into the position for which she trains tirelessly, and yet here she is, in charge of protecting a nobleman she knows a little too well.
I loved the tenderness and obviousness of this romance. Despite the fact that the two characters are rivals, they obviously care about each other.
Despite these positive aspects, something bothered me about the writing style. Perhaps this story would have been more natural written in 1st person, as the change of point of view between the narration and the characters' thoughts lost me a little (but maybe that's also due to the Audio version?).
The audiobook is very pleasant to listen to and the narrator is great.
I'm curious about what happens next after this clifhanger, so I'll probably read Volume 2.
I loved the tenderness and obviousness of this romance. Despite the fact that the two characters are rivals, they obviously care about each other.
Despite these positive aspects, something bothered me about the writing style. Perhaps this story would have been more natural written in 1st person, as the change of point of view between the narration and the characters' thoughts lost me a little (but maybe that's also due to the Audio version?).
The audiobook is very pleasant to listen to and the narrator is great.
I'm curious about what happens next after this clifhanger, so I'll probably read Volume 2.
The last war we ever fought by Wendy Heiss
5.0
🇺🇸I fell in love with Rowan. She’s so strong, resilient and deeply honest and genuine. The way she feels everything so deeply, her intelligence and kindness made me so, so invested in her character. Her love story with Elijah was so pure and also completely heartbreaking.
No Place to Hide by Harper Ashley, Wren Hawthorne
🇫🇷Une lecture tout feu tout flammes qui m’a, malgré ses tout juste 100 pages, m’a donné très très chaud. La tension entre Blair et Jackson est instantannée, si intense que j’ai eu l’impression qu’ils s’étaient déjà rencontrés et étais persuadée d’avoir su deviner le plot twist lol.
4.5
🇺🇸It's a scorching read that, despite being just 100 pages long, left me very, very heated. The tension between Blair and Jackson is instant, so intense that I was convinced they'd met before and had guessed the plot twist lol.
What follows is a twisted journey into a world of passion and taboos, and a night of breaking rules and pushing boundaries to dig beneath Blair's smooth exterior.
In the end, the only plot twist here is this night of wildness that binds them together in a way neither of them had anticipated.
Impeccable writing style and one hell of a smut. I absolutely loved it. Thanks Pauline!
🇫🇷Une lecture tout feu tout flammes qui m’a, malgré ses tout juste 100 pages, m’a donné très très chaud. La tension entre Blair et Jackson est instantannée, si intense que j’ai eu l’impression qu’ils s’étaient déjà rencontrés et étais persuadée d’avoir su deviner le plot twist lol.
S’ensuit alors une plongée tordue dans un monde de passion et d’interdits et une nuit qui brise les interdits et repousse les limites pour aller creuser sous le vernis bien lisse de Blair.
Finalement, le seul plot twist ici, c’est cette nuit de folie qui va les lier l’un à l’autre d’une manière qu’aucun des deux personnages n’avaient anticipée.
Style d’écriture impeccable et spice d’enfer. J’ai adoré.
If You Give a Single Dad a Nanny by Ann Einerson
4.5
The things you need to know about me before reading my review are :
- I don't really like small towns because everyone is always meddling in the main characters' business.
- I don't really like books that include children, because the (inaccurate) way they're written often disturbs me.
So when I'm told 'read this small town romance about a single dad who falls in love with his daughter's nanny', you'll understand I'm a bit hesitant.
But when a book is well written, it changes everything. And here, it does. The small-town vibes are present, but without being stifling, because it's full of kindness. And yes, the FMC is a single dad, but his daughter, and the bond she and Marlow (the nanny) create, is truly sincere and adorable.
In short, a truly cuddly-soft romance with very touching characters. I can't wait to read the next book of the series.
Wild River by Laura Pavlov
5.0
Laura Pavlov is an author I've wanted to read for a very long time, and I'm really pleased that Valentine PR has given me the opportunity to do so by offering me this audiobook.
I was immediately won over by the writing style. It's fluid and easy to follow, and I was drawn straight into Magnolia Falls. What I love most about series is tight-knit groups of friends, and this one didn't disappoint. I loved every one of their interactions and their exchanges are hilarious and really made me want to learn more about each of the characters.
Now River and Ruby. Undeniable tension and overheated exchanges. Their first time together was explosive and didn't leave me indifferent. Watching their relationship slowly evolve from 'we can't stand each other' to 'let's do something about all this sexual tension' to 'oops, having feelings for each other wasn't in the cards' was really great and ticked all the boxes expected when reading this kind of romance.
For all fans of Chestnut's Springs and Elsie Silver, I recommend you give it a go.
I was immediately won over by the writing style. It's fluid and easy to follow, and I was drawn straight into Magnolia Falls. What I love most about series is tight-knit groups of friends, and this one didn't disappoint. I loved every one of their interactions and their exchanges are hilarious and really made me want to learn more about each of the characters.
Now River and Ruby. Undeniable tension and overheated exchanges. Their first time together was explosive and didn't leave me indifferent. Watching their relationship slowly evolve from 'we can't stand each other' to 'let's do something about all this sexual tension' to 'oops, having feelings for each other wasn't in the cards' was really great and ticked all the boxes expected when reading this kind of romance.
For all fans of Chestnut's Springs and Elsie Silver, I recommend you give it a go.