jaywhygeereads's reviews
661 reviews

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

4 ⭐️/5

3 🌶️/5

 

Great chemistry and friendship between Josephine, the number one fan turned caddie for Wells Whitaker, golf’s bad boy.

 

This is a rom-com with lots of angst, but man is the spice spicing! Do I know anything about golf other than what I learned from Wii? Absolutely not, but will I read about Wells and Josephine on the road to the Masters? Most definitely!

 

This is for you if you love a great friendship build-up between two people who are just so physically drawn to each other, there is heat emanating off the page. Tessa Bailey knows how to do some great in the moment naughty talk 🔥😈

 

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for the ARC. My thoughts/opinions are my own and my review is voluntary. 

Dance of Stars and Ashes by Nisha J. Tuli

4.5

4.5 ⭐️/5

2.5 🌶️/5

 

Dance of Stars and Ashes picks up right after the events of Heart of Night and Fire. I had such a great time reading this book, and let me just say I cannot wait until the next book in this series! 

 

We get:

✨Slow burn

✨Deception

✨Found family

✨Sacrifices 

✨Secrets 

✨Magic training 

✨Forgiveness 

✨New quest ahead 

✨Broken trust 

 

I love how Zarya is discovering her magical abilities and just staring to grow into her powers. She is cautious about trusting people in her life after so many truths have been revealed. It is so relatable to me how Zarya navigates between hurting and learning how to forgive even when you’re so angry at those who lied to you. 

 

One of my favorite aspects of this book is how horny Zarya is for the guys in her life. Even while struggling through her feelings, betrayal, and difficult situations Zee is going to take a moment to appreciate a good looking rakshasa. 

 

There is an amazing slow burn, adversaries to lovers between Zarya and Rabin. Get ready for the heat 🔥what’s hotter than a powerfully magical broody and mysterious love interest with gorgeous tattoos? (Trick question, because that’s my weakness). 

 

This is for you if you want a magical fantasy universe with a strong FMC who is coming into her own power and freedom. 

 

Thank you to Nisha J. Tuli for the ARC. My thoughts/opinions are my own and my review is voluntary. 

 

Intense Feelings by Nomi Palmer

fast-paced

4.0

4 ⭐️/5

2 🌶️/5

 

⚠️CAUTION: this book may cause a lot of INTENSE FEELINGS⚠️

 

I had no idea what to expect going into this read, and this was a wild ride! I’ll say the first 25% of the book I was kind of disoriented with all the character names and figuring out who was doing what. This is an ensemble cast in book form, described as a soap opera vibes. To me it was giving 90s Cruel Intentions movie mixed with all the Pennyroyal Green books (minus the historical element) plus Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. 

 

Somewhere between 40% and 50% all the individual characters and storylines came together and I couldn’t put this down. 

 

There are rival families, established founding families of the town,  mysterious new comers, someone gets shot, there is vengeance, there is history between enemies, enemies to lovers, paranormal, sacrifices for  love, mystery and murder. It is SO MUCH! 

 

If you want a multi-character storyline with everything I just described, this is for you. And steam, did I mention steam? There are several couples to track, so buckle up!  

 

Thank you to Sunny Babe PR for the ARC. All thoughts/opinions are my own, and my review is voluntary.

Valentine's Day With A Vampire by Tabitha Lovelace

fast-paced

4.0

4 ⭐️/5
3 🌶️/5

Vampire vs Vampire Hunter, what could go wrong? Fun forbidden romance quickie 🤗 

Attention all monster lovers! For this Valentine’s Day, if you are looking for a fun novella featuring a vampire hunter and a vampire who are naturally at odds but forced to work together to save the world from an apocalyptic battle, Valentine’s Day with a Vampire is the story for you. 

I love the film noir aspect - a leggy dame walks into my bar - and the forbidden romance between a human vampire hunter and her vampire mark is so steamy. I love a competent and kick butt FMC. I love a tall dark and fangy MMC.  This has humor and angst and spice. 

Thank you Tabitha Lovelace for the ARC. All thoughts/opinions are my own and my review is voluntary.

When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

4.5 ⭐️ 

3.0 🌶️ 

 

Delightful and heartfelt. But don’t forget the steam 🔥

 

☀️Single pov 

☀️Grumpy/sunshine

☀️Fake dating 

☀️Banter 

☀️Kissing for paparazzi 

☀️Slow burn

☀️One bed 

☀️Grand gesture 

 

Gosh I loved this book. The banter between Mabel and Alfie was absolutely hilarious. I really felt the awkward moments, the silly moments, and the steamy moments between these two. It’s reading about two strangers meeting but it feels like they’ve known each other for their whole lives. I truly related to the insecurity of both characters, who are fighting to break out of the mold they’ve placed themselves in for so long. 

 

Definitely recommend if you like romcoms, fake relationship, adult characters (37 & 33), cheeky humor, social media and gossip, dirty talk, and the grandest of grand gestures.

 

ARC from NetGalley; all thoughts/opinions my own. My review is voluntary.

Dance with the Dragon Duke by S.L. Prater

5.0

5 ⭐️/5

2 🌶️/5

 

Sigh my heart is happy ♥️🤗 the entire Fae Trickster Series makes my whole heart happy. Dark and Tomorrow immediately embedded themselves into my heart and I’m gonna be sad to let them go. 🥲

 

Here’s what we get:

🧚‍♀️Dual POV 

🧚‍♀️Fake courtship and engagement  

🧚‍♀️Unseelie Dragon Duke

🧚‍♀️Seelie Fae Duchess on a mission and with a secret

🧚‍♀️Dragon hoards

🧚‍♀️Will kill for her

🧚‍♀️Mating bond 

🧚‍♀️Tail play

🧚‍♀️Returning characters from previous books

🧚‍♀️Disgruntled murderous family

🧚‍♀️Angst  

🧚‍♀️HEA 

 

Tomorrow needs to cement a claim for her duchy inheritance and she needs a duke to marry as part of the claim, so enter Dark the Dragon Duke and I am in love. 🥰 

 

Tomorrow’s a nervous talker and has a sweetness and vulnerability that endeared her to me immediately. I love how her history unfolded. She’s the daughter of a duke and his mistress so she’s grown up always feeling less than around the gentry, and the feeling of being on the outside looking in is too relatable. She’s the type of sunshine that ferocious things are drawn to, and maybe that’s another reason why I adored her so much 🥰

 

Dark has his own tragic backstory and is trying to escape his inner turmoil and guilt. He’s a big handsome dragon, gruff and intimidating on the outside but considerate and empathetic on the inside. He hoards treasure and has an affinity to lost souls, and I love his protective tendencies. He recognizes the mating bond first and then he has to figure out how to deal with feelings deeper than a bond and how to win Tomorrow’s heart. 

 

The characters from the previous Fae Trickster series are  interwoven in story, and it warms my soul to see them living their lives after their HEAs.

 

Recommend this book if you love cozy gaslamp fantasy romance, want a couple that has enough angst that you question if they’ll be able to be together, and you like romance with a spicy side. Tail play! 😅🐉

 

Thank you to SL Prater for the ARC. All thoughts/opinions are my own and my review is voluntary. 

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

5 ⭐️/5
2 🌶️/5

🥹🥹🥹🥹 deep breaths…. I just finished House of Flame and Shadow, and I need to calm down from the non-stop action. I flipping loved this book, and it did not disappoint after the long wait after HOSAB.

No spoilers - my heart is happy, I’m happy. The whole book I was on edge because all my beloved Crescent City characters were scattered around Midgard in various but constant levels of danger. It’s over 800 pages of pure anxiety and adrenaline and it kept me on edge of my seat the entire time.

I’m gonna have to go back and reread without all the anxiety of the unknown, just so I fully appreciate all of HOFAS without the nail biting. I’m gonna have to do a whole SJM universe reread actually, and Bryce may have made herself my favorite FMC of SJM universe….?  

And fire sprites are just my favorite period. 
🔥♥️🔥♥️🔥♥️🔥♥️🔥♥️🔥

On the Care and Keeping of Orcs by Kass O'Shire

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

5 ⭐️/5

4 🌶️/5

 

There are some covers that I see and immediately want to read. On the Care and Keeping of Orcs is one such book for me, hello, Torsten the Orc 🔥😅🥵. And this book most definitely lived up to its cover.

 

Have you ever been so mortified and embarrassed that you want to disappear or just shrink down into a small fluffy cuddly snowshoe hare? Yes? Same! Precisely why I found Catrin so charming and relatable. She’s our shifter snowshoe hare and single mother of two darling half-orcling children. The only person in her life who’s been by her side is her brother, Berne (book 1 polar bear shifter 🐻‍❄️) and when Torsten, his best friend and her childhood crush comes back into her life she’s forced to break down the walls that have protected her heart all these years.

 

Here’s what we get:

🤍Dual POV

🤍Single mother of two 

🤍Brothers best (orc) friend 

🤍Childhood crush broken heart

🤍Magical world with dwarves, shifters, orcs, and more 

🤍Returning home after 15 years 

🤍Road trip! 

🤍One horse 

🤍Angst

🤍So much spice 🔥🔥🔥🔥

🤍Praise, nicknames, light breeding 

🤍Overcoming deep insecurities 

🤍Best bro & sis-n-law 

🤍Orcling twins 🥹🥹

 

I loved loved loved this book. At first I was confused because it’s a book within a book,  the “original” author (sis-in-law Sirin from book 1) is documenting the story of Cat & Torsten. But once I figured out who was doing the storytelling, I was so pleased with the footnotes and side anecdotes that our “original” author included.

 

Cat and Torsten are on a fun road trip adventure, because of romance reasons, and after 15 years apart they are reconciling who they were as kids with who they are today. And as adults, they have to dig through all the baggage they’ve accumulated through life. They’re both so into each other but also have to overcome the insecurities that make them think they don’t deserve an amazing life partner. So at first they’re just “friends with benefits” 😉 they’ll deal with the realities of life after the trip. Their self-doubt threatens their happiness, and I really related to their inner thoughts and didn’t mind any miscommunication they had with each other because I wholeheartedly believed their reasons for being two adorable dummies in love. 🤍🥰

 

Look I could go on and on but won’t - I recommend this  if you love a cozy magical world with magical beings and want romance and spice, but also want adults finding their way home. Oh and Torsten is so considerate and caring and adorable and sexy that he’s made it to my book boyfriend list! Congratulations, Torsten 🍾🥂🎉

 

Thank you to Kass O’Shire for the ARC. All thoughts/opinions are my own and my review is voluntary.

 

The Wiener Across the Way by Amy Award

4.0

4 ⭐️/5
2 🌶️/5

Y’all - this is such a charming romance that gave me all the happy feels 🥰 Where can I get a Declan Kingman type, because I need a big ol linebacker who appreciates the curvier things in life 😅🥰🤗

The premise is that sunshiney pop super star Kelsey Best might be tempted to enter into a PR relationship with Declan Kingman, pro defensive lineman, who is up for the football league’s meanest player award and is in need of a little image rehabilitation.

What we get:
🩵PR Showmance Situationship 
🩵Gruff on the outside, sweet on the inside, protective MMC with big “no one better be mean to Kelsey or else” energy.
🩵Super sweet singer songwriter mega star FMC who is a workaholic with people pleasing tendencies.
🩵Huge Football family legacy - lots of brothers, one dad, and one baddie sister.
🩵Weiner dog 🤗🥰 
🩵One cabin, one bed 
🩵Good girl!
 
Recommend if your looking for a modern day romance that has lightness and fun and sweetness without lots of angst. Is there a bit of instalove? Yes, but will it give you warm fuzzy feelings? Also, yes! I loved how not only was Declan was a fan of Kelsey’s music & totally into her physically from the START, but he truly respected her as a human and understood how hard she worked. We stan a supportive partner. I love the Kingman family and can’t wait to see who is next in the series. 

Thank you to Amy Award for the ARC. All thoughts/opinions are mine and my review is voluntary.

The Billionaire Orc by Lilith Stone

4.0

4 ⭐️/5 
3 🌶️/5

Motham City Monster Series from Lilith Stone is one of my favorite series from this past year and The Billionaire Orc is such a fun addition to the group.

We have Tor, the self-made billionaire orc, and Shona the human realtor who is amazing at what she does. Tor enlists the services of the best realtor in Motham City so he can buy a whole island (he's working through some things, let's say). That realtor is of course Shona, and the they are so into each other that they struggle to maintain a professional relationship from the start.

What do we get:
💚Orc Billionaire  
💚Immediate Chemistry
💚One cave while stranded overnight on an island 
💚Knotting!
💚My girl
💚Menses realness
💚Ex who can’t take a hint  
💚Mate
💚Coming home again  

I definitely recommend this series to anyone who loves a modern day monster/human world. Motham City has humans, vampires, orcs, gargoyles, minotaurs, wolf shifter, and more. There are cameos and callbacks to characters from previous books and I love how intertwined the stories are but they are still standalone books. 

Thank you to Lilith Stone for the ARC. My thoughts/opinions are my own and my review is voluntary.