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178 reviews
The Road Sometimes Taken by Ambar Cordova
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
review and rating to come
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Violence
War by Brittanée Nicole
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
“he didn’t play by the rules in order to win me, and i sure as hell threw the rules out the window when it came to our marriage. but let’s be honest: all’s fair in love and war.“
i battled so many emotions during my time reading this book. i was shocked, nervous, happy, sad, confused, and giddy, sometimes all at the same time. ava and tyler’s story isn’t one that i’ve read before, so that made it all the more exciting. josie, scarlett, and brayden were absolute angels, and i found myself laughing at the dialogue from all three of them so many times. you can feel just how much ava and tyler love each of their kids as you’re reading, which is nothing less than what they deserve. my heart broke for ava as she shared information about her past, and i’m so glad she found what she deserved after quite literally living for someone else. as for tyler, i appreciated that he stood his ground and fought for what he believed in, even when other people seemed willing to give up.
definitely going to look into this author’s other works!
thank you so much to love notes pr and brittanee nicole for the e-arc of this book! 💌
i battled so many emotions during my time reading this book. i was shocked, nervous, happy, sad, confused, and giddy, sometimes all at the same time. ava and tyler’s story isn’t one that i’ve read before, so that made it all the more exciting. josie, scarlett, and brayden were absolute angels, and i found myself laughing at the dialogue from all three of them so many times. you can feel just how much ava and tyler love each of their kids as you’re reading, which is nothing less than what they deserve. my heart broke for ava as she shared information about her past, and i’m so glad she found what she deserved after quite literally living for someone else. as for tyler, i appreciated that he stood his ground and fought for what he believed in, even when other people seemed willing to give up.
definitely going to look into this author’s other works!
thank you so much to love notes pr and brittanee nicole for the e-arc of this book! 💌
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Medical content, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Misogyny, and Pregnancy
Bloodlust by E.L. Lewis
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
“a promise is a nightmare masquerading as a dream.“
thank you so much to e.l. lewis for the e-arc!
this was such an interesting read. we follow camilla as she takes her father’s place as a mafia boss, how she manages the responsibility and the stress of such a role. there are a few twists and turns that left me staring at my phone with my jaw open because i wasn’t expecting them. i will say, i wish this was dual pov because i wanted to see more from hayden, especially since he had such an important role in camilla’s life. all in all, i really enjoyed this book and i’m crossing my fingers that there’s a second one!
thank you so much to e.l. lewis for the e-arc!
this was such an interesting read. we follow camilla as she takes her father’s place as a mafia boss, how she manages the responsibility and the stress of such a role. there are a few twists and turns that left me staring at my phone with my jaw open because i wasn’t expecting them. i will say, i wish this was dual pov because i wanted to see more from hayden, especially since he had such an important role in camilla’s life. all in all, i really enjoyed this book and i’m crossing my fingers that there’s a second one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Animal death and Death
Apples Dipped in Gold by Scarlett St. Clair
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.5
“samara was so used to horror, i did not want to become another monster in her eyes.”
i originally read this on ku when it first released, but decided to do a reread with the paperback! i will say that i loved the experience of reading the paperback much more than reading it on ku, as per usual when i read anything. originally, i rated this book 4 stars, but after reading the paperback, i am altering my rating to 4.5 stars.
i absolutely love samara and lore, and their journey was a tough but necessary one. lore believes he is cursed, and that he only loves samara because of that curse. it’s been seven years since first they met, and he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about her since. samara has loved him ever since that day, though lore doesn’t know this. he wrongfully assumes that samara hated him for seven years, and the answers to all of his questions lie within the book. read this to follow samara and lore on an adventure that will have you hooked from the first page!
i originally read this on ku when it first released, but decided to do a reread with the paperback! i will say that i loved the experience of reading the paperback much more than reading it on ku, as per usual when i read anything. originally, i rated this book 4 stars, but after reading the paperback, i am altering my rating to 4.5 stars.
i absolutely love samara and lore, and their journey was a tough but necessary one. lore believes he is cursed, and that he only loves samara because of that curse. it’s been seven years since first they met, and he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about her since. samara has loved him ever since that day, though lore doesn’t know this. he wrongfully assumes that samara hated him for seven years, and the answers to all of his questions lie within the book. read this to follow samara and lore on an adventure that will have you hooked from the first page!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Cursing, and Vomit
Minor: Death and Death of parent
So Long, Honey by Aubrey Taylor
emotional
medium-paced
5.0
“it felt like there had never been enough hours in the day to love her.”
god, i don’t even know where to start with this one. this little novella was everything that i didn’t know i needed until finishing it. in fact, i put it off just to savor it, but now i’m wishing i didn’t finish it so quickly. in this book, you figure out why ryan cody does what he does and what he went through for lorraine as a seventeen year old kid that kept being told he didn’t deserve her. lorraine and ryan deserved each other and each of the stars between them, and it was time that wasn’t on their sides.
thank you so very much to aubrey for the arc of this novella. i will forever cherish it. two steps at a time.
god, i don’t even know where to start with this one. this little novella was everything that i didn’t know i needed until finishing it. in fact, i put it off just to savor it, but now i’m wishing i didn’t finish it so quickly. in this book, you figure out why ryan cody does what he does and what he went through for lorraine as a seventeen year old kid that kept being told he didn’t deserve her. lorraine and ryan deserved each other and each of the stars between them, and it was time that wasn’t on their sides.
thank you so very much to aubrey for the arc of this novella. i will forever cherish it. two steps at a time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness and Grief
Sacked and Sleighed by Aurelia Knight
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
“you’re the only person to ever take a hit for me, snowflake, and i have never stopped watching you.”
dark and twisted, just the way i like it. i will never look at candy canes the same after reading this book, i fear. klaus most definitely has some screws loose, but that’s what made this book so fun (and festive). i’m most definitely intrigued by the psychiatrist in the epilogue, so i’ll be looking into aurelia knight’s other works, and i can’t wait!
definitely a book you’ll want to read trigger warnings for before reading!
dark and twisted, just the way i like it. i will never look at candy canes the same after reading this book, i fear. klaus most definitely has some screws loose, but that’s what made this book so fun (and festive). i’m most definitely intrigued by the psychiatrist in the epilogue, so i’ll be looking into aurelia knight’s other works, and i can’t wait!
definitely a book you’ll want to read trigger warnings for before reading!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Physical abuse
Minor: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent
Hunted for the Holidays : A MMF Captive Christmas Romance Novella by Darma Day
Did not finish book. Stopped at 67%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 67%.
dnf @ 67%
i was vibing with this until they started being weird about her being a virgin. not to mention how derek instantly started fantasizing about getting her pregnant in such a nasty way. even though i only read 67% of this book, i can tell that wyatt really only wants derek (and is using charlotte to get him), but derek wants both wyatt (sort of) and charlotte. they also made her draw her own bath after a really rough sexual encounter, and i hated that. i don’t feel like either of them respect her or care about her at all.
i was vibing with this until they started being weird about her being a virgin. not to mention how derek instantly started fantasizing about getting her pregnant in such a nasty way. even though i only read 67% of this book, i can tell that wyatt really only wants derek (and is using charlotte to get him), but derek wants both wyatt (sort of) and charlotte. they also made her draw her own bath after a really rough sexual encounter, and i hated that. i don’t feel like either of them respect her or care about her at all.
Hunted in Holly by Leann Belle
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
“will you fight me to the bitter end, dove?”
sexy, smutty, short. this was a dark fantasy romance with a christmas twist that i didn’t know i needed. the whole hunting/cat and mouse situation? i ate that up. if you’re looking for a quick, smutty read, you’re in for a treat with this one. i will say, i wish nicholas was more of a developed character, and that we got to see more of his pov throughout the book, but all in all, this was a great read!
make sure to read trigger warnings before reading this book!
sexy, smutty, short. this was a dark fantasy romance with a christmas twist that i didn’t know i needed. the whole hunting/cat and mouse situation? i ate that up. if you’re looking for a quick, smutty read, you’re in for a treat with this one. i will say, i wish nicholas was more of a developed character, and that we got to see more of his pov throughout the book, but all in all, this was a great read!
make sure to read trigger warnings before reading this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Death and Grief
Minor: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury
Sugar & Sin by Nova B Quinn
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
4.0
“and there goes my heart again, racing to a dangerous beat from the heat swirling in her eyes as she looks at me, her smile capable of turning hell into a heavenly place.“
this was definitely something. i went in blind, really not expecting to love it, but boyyy did i enjoy the hell out of this.
cherise doesn’t remember her past, only that a demon, the saint as he is known, murdered her family, and stole christmas from the entire world. on his journey to mark souls for death, the saint notices that cherise’s soul cannot be marked for reasons unbeknownst to him, and when he finally finds out, the answers to his questions bring him to his knees for death herself, adorned with a candy cane patterned scythe.
this was crazy, dark, smutty, and full of the type of rage only one other character could compete with. cherise bates is so incredibly sibby (satan’s affair by hd carlton) coded that they’d probably be best friends if they ever met.
this was definitely something. i went in blind, really not expecting to love it, but boyyy did i enjoy the hell out of this.
cherise doesn’t remember her past, only that a demon, the saint as he is known, murdered her family, and stole christmas from the entire world. on his journey to mark souls for death, the saint notices that cherise’s soul cannot be marked for reasons unbeknownst to him, and when he finally finds out, the answers to his questions bring him to his knees for death herself, adorned with a candy cane patterned scythe.
this was crazy, dark, smutty, and full of the type of rage only one other character could compete with. cherise bates is so incredibly sibby (satan’s affair by hd carlton) coded that they’d probably be best friends if they ever met.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Rape, and Death of parent
Mistletoe Misconduct by Giuliana Victoria
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
“leonora bardot is about to ruin me for every woman i’ll ever be with, and i haven’t even seen all of her yet.“
a short and smutty holiday read! although this is a novella, there are so many important topics embedded within the story, and i think this is one of very few reads i’ve had this year where the bipoc representation and focus on mental health are big parts of the plot (i appreciated this so much). definitely pick this up if you’re looking for something short, sweet, and spicy! definitely going to look into this author’s other books!
a short and smutty holiday read! although this is a novella, there are so many important topics embedded within the story, and i think this is one of very few reads i’ve had this year where the bipoc representation and focus on mental health are big parts of the plot (i appreciated this so much). definitely pick this up if you’re looking for something short, sweet, and spicy! definitely going to look into this author’s other books!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer and Chronic illness