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jessiereadsfantasy's reviews
22 reviews
Promise? by Allison Thompson, Allison Thompson
3.0
This is a wonderful debut by the author. A fast paced YA book with an interesting storyline. Our FMC, Madison, is hunted by a malevolent demon named Marcus who seeks to destroy her. Marcus is infamous for wreaking havoc and deeply affected both Madison’s and the MMC, Kyle’s, families. Madison and Kyle work together to eradicate him while navigating their quickly evolved relationship.
I’m a sucker for a good demon v. demon hunter story and I was very intrigued by how demons pursued their prey in this book. The storyline was engaging and there were a few plot twists that caught me off guard.
The downsides of this book can be attributed to its length. It’s 154 pages so everything happens quickly and I wish the characters’ backgrounds and their relationships had been flushed out. There are numerous time skips, which some are ill-placed, and those ill-placed ones made the story extremely rushed. I was also left wanting a larger final battle between Madison, Kyle, and Marcus especially because of the numerous nefarious acts Marcus committed leading up to it.
Overall, the book is an enjoyable read and I’d love to see what else this author has in store.
I’m a sucker for a good demon v. demon hunter story and I was very intrigued by how demons pursued their prey in this book. The storyline was engaging and there were a few plot twists that caught me off guard.
The downsides of this book can be attributed to its length. It’s 154 pages so everything happens quickly and I wish the characters’ backgrounds and their relationships had been flushed out. There are numerous time skips, which some are ill-placed, and those ill-placed ones made the story extremely rushed. I was also left wanting a larger final battle between Madison, Kyle, and Marcus especially because of the numerous nefarious acts Marcus committed leading up to it.
Overall, the book is an enjoyable read and I’d love to see what else this author has in store.
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
4.0
It's a fantastic YA book with a grumpy x sunshine trope wrapped in fantasy, family drama, "who done it" mystery, and chuckle-worthy humor.
Enter the world of Rennedawn, where a villain (in which he is named "The Villain" until later chapters and is our MMC) is running rampant, the king is up to his beard in attempting to stop him, and a mysterious ailment plagues various members of the land. Our MFC, Evie, is desperate for a job to support her sick father and school-aged little sister. She stumbles, quite literally, into the Villain who offers her a job. As one can imagine, working for a villain, particularly this one, consists of a lot of dirty work. To add to her already impressive workload, Evie learns that there is a traitor amongst the Villain's employees. The Villain and his ragtag team of employees must snuff out the traitor. And, to top things off, the Villain is very attractive, and Evie struggles to keep her mind out of the gutter.
The story is well-written enough (there are typos and an issue with a character's name changing between chapters) and consists of some chuckle-worthy humor. I found myself very engrossed in the story and came to love all the characters, even the side characters. For me, a sign of a good book is when the reader can get lost in the story and feel for the characters. I hoped everything would turn out okay for the FMC and MMC (and some of the side characters) at each twist and turn.
I loved seeing Evie's evolution throughout the story. As I described it to a fellow reader, even the sunniest of sunshine characters have their dark clouds. She has wit, courage, and above all else, desires to makeout with the Villain repeatedly (the tension was there, folks, but you won't find any spice). In all seriousness, above all else she is relatable. She is dealt blow after blow, but is able to recover albeit with an extra layer of emotional protection. She grows as a character, and you are taken through each step of her metamorphosis.
As for the Villain, my heart went out to him. His villain origin story is, like most villains, unkind. Each character in the book happened upon him differently, and each has their own memories of him pre- and post-villainy. This helps the reader see him from different lenses and helps develop his origin story.
This book does end on a cliffhanger so beware. The humor at times is a bit dry, but much of it is chuckle-worthy. The banter between characters is quite funny, particularly between the Villain and Evie. Like the grumpy x sunshine trope dictates, the Villain is seemingly annoyed at/confused by Evie 99% of the time, but secretly loves every second of it and will unalive anyone who even glances at her the wrong way. She, on the other hand, is trying to make everyone happy and not stare at the Villain's impressive figure.
4/5; outstanding: captivating and well-crafted, a few additional edits would have done it good. Would recommend.
Enter the world of Rennedawn, where a villain (in which he is named "The Villain" until later chapters and is our MMC) is running rampant, the king is up to his beard in attempting to stop him, and a mysterious ailment plagues various members of the land. Our MFC, Evie, is desperate for a job to support her sick father and school-aged little sister. She stumbles, quite literally, into the Villain who offers her a job. As one can imagine, working for a villain, particularly this one, consists of a lot of dirty work. To add to her already impressive workload, Evie learns that there is a traitor amongst the Villain's employees. The Villain and his ragtag team of employees must snuff out the traitor. And, to top things off, the Villain is very attractive, and Evie struggles to keep her mind out of the gutter.
The story is well-written enough (there are typos and an issue with a character's name changing between chapters) and consists of some chuckle-worthy humor. I found myself very engrossed in the story and came to love all the characters, even the side characters. For me, a sign of a good book is when the reader can get lost in the story and feel for the characters. I hoped everything would turn out okay for the FMC and MMC (and some of the side characters) at each twist and turn.
I loved seeing Evie's evolution throughout the story. As I described it to a fellow reader, even the sunniest of sunshine characters have their dark clouds. She has wit, courage, and above all else, desires to makeout with the Villain repeatedly (the tension was there, folks, but you won't find any spice). In all seriousness, above all else she is relatable. She is dealt blow after blow, but is able to recover albeit with an extra layer of emotional protection. She grows as a character, and you are taken through each step of her metamorphosis.
As for the Villain, my heart went out to him. His villain origin story is, like most villains, unkind. Each character in the book happened upon him differently, and each has their own memories of him pre- and post-villainy. This helps the reader see him from different lenses and helps develop his origin story.
This book does end on a cliffhanger so beware. The humor at times is a bit dry, but much of it is chuckle-worthy. The banter between characters is quite funny, particularly between the Villain and Evie. Like the grumpy x sunshine trope dictates, the Villain is seemingly annoyed at/confused by Evie 99% of the time, but secretly loves every second of it and will unalive anyone who even glances at her the wrong way. She, on the other hand, is trying to make everyone happy and not stare at the Villain's impressive figure.
4/5; outstanding: captivating and well-crafted, a few additional edits would have done it good. Would recommend.
Hooked by Emily McIntire
4.0
WARNING: If you are not into dark romance and/or mobsters, you may want to rethink reading this book. It contains very dark themes (detailed crime, unaliving, hand necklaces, references to substances, napping of people (if you catch my drift), etc.). Also, the villain gets a happy ending AND gets the girl. So if any of those things are triggering, please reconsider reading this book.
The storyline in this book is very clear and engaging. The writing is ok for the type of book it is. The book is a spicy read (highly descriptive and explicit scenes with many of the same lines) so I imagine one is here for the smut first and a decent story second. The plot twists were welcomed because it kept me turning the pages (and so did the smut, not going to lie).
The book is a retelling of Peter Pan only if everyone was in the mafia and Hook wins. Our FMC, Wendy Michaels, is a heiress who is trapped in her father's shadow. Que the daddy issues. While at a bar, she catches the eye of James aka Hook, our MMC, who instantly knows she is Peter Michaels's daughter. Hook decides to use Wendy as a cog in his plan to get revenge on Peter and seduces her, but falls for her which makes seeking revenge just a bit harder than expected. However, Wendy, though she appears to be the picture-perfect heiress, has her own darkness to grapple with, and that darkness becomes her ally as she comes into herself.
Evil is rampant in almost everyone in the book; however, the level of evil varies from character to character. You desperately feel for Hook as his origin story is revealed page after page and it is so incredibly dark, that you may find yourself, much like I did, justifying his less-than-legal actions. Sure, that does not make him a good person, but he isn't supposed to be. He is the villain after all. You would be hard-pressed to find someone who went through the same level of trauma that he did not to become a villain. Honestly, he was the only character I liked despite all of the red flags (which Hook is FULL of).
I did not like Wendy's character in the beginning, but I don't think one is supposed to like her until later on in the book. She is meek, often too consumed with what others think, and has random instances of a tough-girl attitude. This does play to the fact that she is 21 years old. I understand why the author developed her the way she did because it wouldn't make sense for the storyline otherwise. As the story progresses, had she remained as she was first presented, she would not have ended up with Hook. Both her and Hook's moral compasses become aligned and that makes their relationship work.
4/5; good storyline, good spicy read. Couldn't have wanted anything more from a spicy read. Would recommend and I am going to check out other books by Ms. McIntire.
The storyline in this book is very clear and engaging. The writing is ok for the type of book it is. The book is a spicy read (highly descriptive and explicit scenes with many of the same lines) so I imagine one is here for the smut first and a decent story second. The plot twists were welcomed because it kept me turning the pages (and so did the smut, not going to lie).
The book is a retelling of Peter Pan only if everyone was in the mafia and Hook wins. Our FMC, Wendy Michaels, is a heiress who is trapped in her father's shadow. Que the daddy issues. While at a bar, she catches the eye of James aka Hook, our MMC, who instantly knows she is Peter Michaels's daughter. Hook decides to use Wendy as a cog in his plan to get revenge on Peter and seduces her, but falls for her which makes seeking revenge just a bit harder than expected. However, Wendy, though she appears to be the picture-perfect heiress, has her own darkness to grapple with, and that darkness becomes her ally as she comes into herself.
Evil is rampant in almost everyone in the book; however, the level of evil varies from character to character. You desperately feel for Hook as his origin story is revealed page after page and it is so incredibly dark, that you may find yourself, much like I did, justifying his less-than-legal actions. Sure, that does not make him a good person, but he isn't supposed to be. He is the villain after all. You would be hard-pressed to find someone who went through the same level of trauma that he did not to become a villain. Honestly, he was the only character I liked despite all of the red flags (which Hook is FULL of).
I did not like Wendy's character in the beginning, but I don't think one is supposed to like her until later on in the book. She is meek, often too consumed with what others think, and has random instances of a tough-girl attitude. This does play to the fact that she is 21 years old. I understand why the author developed her the way she did because it wouldn't make sense for the storyline otherwise. As the story progresses, had she remained as she was first presented, she would not have ended up with Hook. Both her and Hook's moral compasses become aligned and that makes their relationship work.
4/5; good storyline, good spicy read. Couldn't have wanted anything more from a spicy read. Would recommend and I am going to check out other books by Ms. McIntire.
My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine
4.0
*sigh* This book touched my little vampire-obsessed heart in all the right places.
Our FMC, Cassie Greenberg, is a cute, artsy, and kind individual looking to break into the art world and desperately needs a new apartment. She happens up a too-good-to-be-true-looking-for-a-roommate ad posted by our MMC, Frederick J. Fitzwilliam (or rather his "frienemy," Reginald) to help Frederick adjust to the 21st century post his century-long slumber. Cassie goes to check out the apartment and is instantly taken aback by Frederick and his frozen-in-time apartment. Cassie agrees to move in, and things are great until she stumbles upon Frederick's blood supply in the fridge. Once the bat is out of the bag (get it?) and Cassie recovers from the fact that her hot roommate is a centuries-old vampire, she agrees to help Frederick navigate the world through lessons in social media, how to catch public transportation, how to order ridiculously named coffee drinks from the nearby coffee shop, etc. Through their lessons, and a flirty encounter in a Nordstrom fitting room, they get closer and realize they have developed feelings for each other. However, lurking in the background are Frederick's mother and his potential in-laws who are desperate to marry Frederick off to another vampire through an arranged marriage.
I ADORED every second of this book. Frederick is the cinnamon roll vampire I need in my life and I don't blame Cassie for falling head-over-heels for him. He goes above and beyond to impress her (he buys her an entire expensive cookware set - I mean come on who doesn't want that??) and compliments her at all hours of the day (who wouldn't like that either??). Cassie is so lovely and I loved her character. I felt like I knew her and she felt relatable. I was also rooting for her the entire book in terms of her career goals. And, she is so kind to Frederick. I mean two soft people in love is so nice to read about. Also, I loved reading their letters to each other (yes - they write letters to each other and it's cute, ok? I will defend this hill of lovers writing letters to each other even if it's because Frederick hates using his cell phone).
One thing that surprised me about this book was the intimacy and spice. Yes, THAT scene and literally any time Frederick spoke live rent-free in my head. I wasn't expecting some spice with this book, but I welcomed every second of it. All I'm going to say about THAT scene is we love a man who loves to pleasure his partner first and a man who growls "Mine".
My only complaint is how the author seemed to rush to resolve the issues of the arranged marriage and the blood bank robberies. They were in the background throughout the whole book and they came to a head literally 40 or so pages before the end of the book. I braced myself for a cliffhanger because I wasn't sure what was going to happen. Luckily, no cliffhanger but I was left wanting more from the conflicts.
All in all, I enjoyed this book a lot. 4/5 - bravo Ms. Jenna Levine, and from the bottom of my cinnamon roll vampire-loving heart, thank you.
Our FMC, Cassie Greenberg, is a cute, artsy, and kind individual looking to break into the art world and desperately needs a new apartment. She happens up a too-good-to-be-true-looking-for-a-roommate ad posted by our MMC, Frederick J. Fitzwilliam (or rather his "frienemy," Reginald) to help Frederick adjust to the 21st century post his century-long slumber. Cassie goes to check out the apartment and is instantly taken aback by Frederick and his frozen-in-time apartment. Cassie agrees to move in, and things are great until she stumbles upon Frederick's blood supply in the fridge. Once the bat is out of the bag (get it?) and Cassie recovers from the fact that her hot roommate is a centuries-old vampire, she agrees to help Frederick navigate the world through lessons in social media, how to catch public transportation, how to order ridiculously named coffee drinks from the nearby coffee shop, etc. Through their lessons, and a flirty encounter in a Nordstrom fitting room, they get closer and realize they have developed feelings for each other. However, lurking in the background are Frederick's mother and his potential in-laws who are desperate to marry Frederick off to another vampire through an arranged marriage.
I ADORED every second of this book. Frederick is the cinnamon roll vampire I need in my life and I don't blame Cassie for falling head-over-heels for him. He goes above and beyond to impress her (he buys her an entire expensive cookware set - I mean come on who doesn't want that??) and compliments her at all hours of the day (who wouldn't like that either??). Cassie is so lovely and I loved her character. I felt like I knew her and she felt relatable. I was also rooting for her the entire book in terms of her career goals. And, she is so kind to Frederick. I mean two soft people in love is so nice to read about. Also, I loved reading their letters to each other (yes - they write letters to each other and it's cute, ok? I will defend this hill of lovers writing letters to each other even if it's because Frederick hates using his cell phone).
One thing that surprised me about this book was the intimacy and spice. Yes, THAT scene and literally any time Frederick spoke live rent-free in my head. I wasn't expecting some spice with this book, but I welcomed every second of it. All I'm going to say about THAT scene is we love a man who loves to pleasure his partner first and a man who growls "Mine".
My only complaint is how the author seemed to rush to resolve the issues of the arranged marriage and the blood bank robberies. They were in the background throughout the whole book and they came to a head literally 40 or so pages before the end of the book. I braced myself for a cliffhanger because I wasn't sure what was going to happen. Luckily, no cliffhanger but I was left wanting more from the conflicts.
All in all, I enjoyed this book a lot. 4/5 - bravo Ms. Jenna Levine, and from the bottom of my cinnamon roll vampire-loving heart, thank you.
The Awakening of Ivy Leavold by Sierra Simone
4.0
I'm a sucker for a good historical romance. Needless to say, I was excited to read this book. I'm in the middle of reading some of the author's more recent work, and I greatly enjoy her writing and storytelling style.
There are a few things that I had trouble with regarding this book, but they are all due to the book's length. It's criminally short. It's so short that there wasn't enough time to establish the characters. We're introduced to a horde of characters, particularly the house guests, and none of them, except Molly O'Flaherty, are given even a trace of a backstory. Especially in this particular period, a group of young bachelors and bachelorettes being freely intimate would be considered scandalous. I would have loved to have known more about them. I also would have liked to see a flashback or something of the like to show Julian and Arabella's marriage and Julian and Violet's marriage. Maybe that's part of the mystery of the book that we don't know much about Julian to begin with. Ivy doesn't seem to know much about him either as she states she had barely even known her cousin got married, so they most likely never met until Ivy moved in with Julain. I also want to know more about Gareth. He seems like an important character, and his interactions with the characters lead me to believe there is something going on with him. I think the lack of information about him and Ms. Brightmore will play a part in the next book as they may play a bigger role there.
Speaking of the house guests, the scene where everyone plays Blind Man's Bluff was so erotic. I felt myself blushing with every sentence. And I wanted a Silas x Ivy scene, but of course, Julian would not approve of his woman being touched by someone else. I also felt like there was something more to Julian and Silas's relationship, maybe some history, that went unsaid, and I would have loved to learn more. Again, the book is so short that it wouldn't have been possible to fit it in.
The spice scenes between Ivy and Julian were also very erotic. It was my kind of erotic. I felt his dom vibes, and I appreciated how he communicated with Ivy during the spice scenes. There is a darkness to him that I was attracted to, and I see why Ivy is attracted to him, but she fell hard and fast, which didn't make sense. He is her cousin's widower, and it seems from the story that her cousin died shortly before Ivy's arrival at the Markham house. She also seems to brush under the rug that he is the number one suspect in her cousin's death. If I were Ivy, I'd have some comments, questions, and concerns.
The book ends on a cliffhanger. The cliffhanger is predictable, and not many will be surprised by it. I'm interested to see where the next book in the series will go.
There are a few things that I had trouble with regarding this book, but they are all due to the book's length. It's criminally short. It's so short that there wasn't enough time to establish the characters. We're introduced to a horde of characters, particularly the house guests, and none of them, except Molly O'Flaherty, are given even a trace of a backstory. Especially in this particular period, a group of young bachelors and bachelorettes being freely intimate would be considered scandalous. I would have loved to have known more about them. I also would have liked to see a flashback or something of the like to show Julian and Arabella's marriage and Julian and Violet's marriage. Maybe that's part of the mystery of the book that we don't know much about Julian to begin with. Ivy doesn't seem to know much about him either as she states she had barely even known her cousin got married, so they most likely never met until Ivy moved in with Julain. I also want to know more about Gareth. He seems like an important character, and his interactions with the characters lead me to believe there is something going on with him. I think the lack of information about him and Ms. Brightmore will play a part in the next book as they may play a bigger role there.
Speaking of the house guests, the scene where everyone plays Blind Man's Bluff was so erotic. I felt myself blushing with every sentence. And I wanted a Silas x Ivy scene, but of course, Julian would not approve of his woman being touched by someone else. I also felt like there was something more to Julian and Silas's relationship, maybe some history, that went unsaid, and I would have loved to learn more. Again, the book is so short that it wouldn't have been possible to fit it in.
The spice scenes between Ivy and Julian were also very erotic. It was my kind of erotic. I felt his dom vibes, and I appreciated how he communicated with Ivy during the spice scenes. There is a darkness to him that I was attracted to, and I see why Ivy is attracted to him, but she fell hard and fast, which didn't make sense. He is her cousin's widower, and it seems from the story that her cousin died shortly before Ivy's arrival at the Markham house. She also seems to brush under the rug that he is the number one suspect in her cousin's death. If I were Ivy, I'd have some comments, questions, and concerns.
The book ends on a cliffhanger. The cliffhanger is predictable, and not many will be surprised by it. I'm interested to see where the next book in the series will go.
The Coven by Harper L. Woods
4.0
The book starts with placing the reader at the funeral of the mother of our FMC, Willow Madizza, and her half-brother, Ash. Upon her mother's death, Willow becomes increasingly aware that the life her mother guarded from her will soon come knocking at her door in the form of an invitation to Hollow's Grove University as one of 13 select students. And no, this is not your Hogwarts invitation, as the actions that occur within the school would set anyone into a frenzy. Willow's goal is to come into her powers fully as her bloodlines are mixed with green magic and black magic. Once at the school, Willow meets her (very) great (and skeletal)-grandmother, Suzannah Madizza, who is one of the heads of the school. However, she and Headmaster Thorne, a Vessel (they require the blood of witches to live), has his own agenda, and Willow is the missing piece to both of their plans of revenge.
Let me start off by saying that the hold this book had on me was borderline criminal. I mean, I told EVERYBODY about this book. I loved the world the author built from connecting it to a real-world event (Salem Witch trials), to having the Vessels who needed witches' blood to survive, and the family drama and secrets. All great with me. However, the plot, though good, was choppy. Even as I wrote my little spoiler-free summary above, I felt like I didn't write about half of the plot because there was so much plot, and a lot of it did not get much story time in the book. I don't want to spoil the book, so I'll try to list the conflicts as best I can.
1. Willow's relationship with her father and him seeking revenge against the Coven. It isn't until mid-way-ish through the book that we learn how terrible the relationship with her father had been. It's so bad it made me wonder why she even insisted on listening to him and following his plan was beyond me. If I were her, I would not have done anything my abuser told me to do, even if I wanted to regain my birthright. I understand he had raised her to be a weapon against the Coven, but I feel she had many opportunities to go about things in her own way. And the fact that he insisted that she seduce her way to the goal was wrong. It was an afterthought for Willow because it felt forced whenever she tried to use her seduction. There were many awkward instances between her and the other characters that just felt weird, and maybe that was the point because she felt weird even doing it.
2. Willow's quick lack of concern over Ash. In the first few chapters, Willow is all about protecting her brother. You would think she'd be the same way throughout the book. And you'd be wrong if you think that is the case. It's not until the end that all of a sudden she is concerned again and that's because he's there in the room with her. Even when he's taken away again (not going to spoil by who, when, where, and why), she lets him go so easily. She made protecting him a huge part of her personality, but she let him go so easily in the end that I feel like she didn't truly care as much as she seemed to.
3. Headmaster Thorne invoking dominium. Ok so the term is used a total of 6 times in the book and I still have no idea what it truly means. I'm assuming it's about the connection he and Willow forge by sharing each other's blood and the resulting events that came from it, but I'm not sure. But if that were the case, I feel like Susannah would have stepped in to stop it because of all the issues it causes later (not going to spoil what those issues are). Maybe it'll be explained in the next book, but I find it weird that the author chose to explain something in great detail, but left this one with little detail.
Let's talk about the main characters. Our FMC is a baddie in every sense of the word. Though she was cringe at times, she exuded power, sass, and a whole lot of great magic. Headmaster Thorne... what can I say, but he is morally very dark grey. Possessive? Check. Demanding? Check. Uncaring at times but there's an agenda to that? Check. Double-crossing? Check.
Now, the supporting characters. Meh. Some of them weren't very thought out and I didn't even know why some of them were even introduced to be honest. I see why the author tried to give Willow friends/allies at the school, but I don't think they added anything to the story and I could easily see Willow navigating things on her own.
Final words: be cautious with the book if you are not into blood and gore. The descriptions are specific and may be unsettling for some readers.
3.5/stars; level 3 spice (explicit details but nothing too far-fetched). I would definitely recommend it because the hold it had on me was very extreme and I still don't quite know why lol. Also, the book does end on a cliffhanger, but one would expect it to.
Let me start off by saying that the hold this book had on me was borderline criminal. I mean, I told EVERYBODY about this book. I loved the world the author built from connecting it to a real-world event (Salem Witch trials), to having the Vessels who needed witches' blood to survive, and the family drama and secrets. All great with me. However, the plot, though good, was choppy. Even as I wrote my little spoiler-free summary above, I felt like I didn't write about half of the plot because there was so much plot, and a lot of it did not get much story time in the book. I don't want to spoil the book, so I'll try to list the conflicts as best I can.
1. Willow's relationship with her father and him seeking revenge against the Coven. It isn't until mid-way-ish through the book that we learn how terrible the relationship with her father had been. It's so bad it made me wonder why she even insisted on listening to him and following his plan was beyond me. If I were her, I would not have done anything my abuser told me to do, even if I wanted to regain my birthright. I understand he had raised her to be a weapon against the Coven, but I feel she had many opportunities to go about things in her own way. And the fact that he insisted that she seduce her way to the goal was wrong. It was an afterthought for Willow because it felt forced whenever she tried to use her seduction. There were many awkward instances between her and the other characters that just felt weird, and maybe that was the point because she felt weird even doing it.
2. Willow's quick lack of concern over Ash. In the first few chapters, Willow is all about protecting her brother. You would think she'd be the same way throughout the book. And you'd be wrong if you think that is the case. It's not until the end that all of a sudden she is concerned again and that's because he's there in the room with her. Even when he's taken away again (not going to spoil by who, when, where, and why), she lets him go so easily. She made protecting him a huge part of her personality, but she let him go so easily in the end that I feel like she didn't truly care as much as she seemed to.
3. Headmaster Thorne invoking dominium. Ok so the term is used a total of 6 times in the book and I still have no idea what it truly means. I'm assuming it's about the connection he and Willow forge by sharing each other's blood and the resulting events that came from it, but I'm not sure. But if that were the case, I feel like Susannah would have stepped in to stop it because of all the issues it causes later (not going to spoil what those issues are). Maybe it'll be explained in the next book, but I find it weird that the author chose to explain something in great detail, but left this one with little detail.
Let's talk about the main characters. Our FMC is a baddie in every sense of the word. Though she was cringe at times, she exuded power, sass, and a whole lot of great magic. Headmaster Thorne... what can I say, but he is morally very dark grey. Possessive? Check. Demanding? Check. Uncaring at times but there's an agenda to that? Check. Double-crossing? Check.
Now, the supporting characters. Meh. Some of them weren't very thought out and I didn't even know why some of them were even introduced to be honest. I see why the author tried to give Willow friends/allies at the school, but I don't think they added anything to the story and I could easily see Willow navigating things on her own.
Final words: be cautious with the book if you are not into blood and gore. The descriptions are specific and may be unsettling for some readers.
3.5/stars; level 3 spice (explicit details but nothing too far-fetched). I would definitely recommend it because the hold it had on me was very extreme and I still don't quite know why lol. Also, the book does end on a cliffhanger, but one would expect it to.
Unhinged by Vera Valentine
3.0
.... Bookstagram made me do it.
I mean... the cover tells you what it's about. A woman bangs her front door and the door changes into a man after the deed is done. I won't spoil how that came to be. I do give the book props for being straightforward. The storyline wasn't hard to follow. There weren't any big plot twists. Overall, it was a quick and interesting read. Now I can say I read the book about the door.
2.5 stars and 2.5 spice because things were done and many kinks were put out there.
I mean... the cover tells you what it's about. A woman bangs her front door and the door changes into a man after the deed is done. I won't spoil how that came to be. I do give the book props for being straightforward. The storyline wasn't hard to follow. There weren't any big plot twists. Overall, it was a quick and interesting read. Now I can say I read the book about the door.
2.5 stars and 2.5 spice because things were done and many kinks were put out there.
Satan's Affair by H.D. Carlton
3.0
I wasn't sure what I was reading when I started this book. Luckily, I was reading Haunting Adeline at the exact point where Sybil is brought up and it all clicked. However, that didn't make me any less confused and intrigued. It dumps you straight into the blood and gore, so if that's not your cup of tea, you'll want to get out of this book because it becomes more graphic by the page.
Quick summary: Sibel escapes her father's cult and joins a traveling haunted house attraction, vowing to rid of the world of evil. With her self-proclaimed ability to smell evil, she lures and waits inside of the haunted house to trap and kill who she believes to be evil. Think of her as the judge, jury, and executioner. She also has the help of her henchmen, who go along with her every wish and reward her sexually for her successful killings.
She is very much a morally black character. She's also very chaotic and childlike, but I liked that. I mean, the whole book is just off-the-wall crazy (in a good way). It will live rent-free in my mind, and to me, that means a book did its job. It's not the most well-written book, but the story is there, and it is impactful. If I were being honest, the epilogue of the book was my favorite part of the entire book. I gasped. I was gagged. I had to sit silently with my thoughts and my cold coffee mug afterward.
3/5 stars because you have to love an off-the-wall FMC and 5/5 spice because there was plenty of it, and the themes surrounding it were spray-yourself-with-holy-water worthy.
Quick summary: Sibel escapes her father's cult and joins a traveling haunted house attraction, vowing to rid of the world of evil. With her self-proclaimed ability to smell evil, she lures and waits inside of the haunted house to trap and kill who she believes to be evil. Think of her as the judge, jury, and executioner. She also has the help of her henchmen, who go along with her every wish and reward her sexually for her successful killings.
She is very much a morally black character. She's also very chaotic and childlike, but I liked that. I mean, the whole book is just off-the-wall crazy (in a good way). It will live rent-free in my mind, and to me, that means a book did its job. It's not the most well-written book, but the story is there, and it is impactful. If I were being honest, the epilogue of the book was my favorite part of the entire book. I gasped. I was gagged. I had to sit silently with my thoughts and my cold coffee mug afterward.
3/5 stars because you have to love an off-the-wall FMC and 5/5 spice because there was plenty of it, and the themes surrounding it were spray-yourself-with-holy-water worthy.
Bonded by Thorns by Elizabeth Helen
4.0
I literally could not put this book down. There's something magnetic about it despite its flaws.
If you are familiar with and a fan of the story of Beauty and the Beast, you already know the general makeup of the characters and the storyline. Mix in fae, fated mates, and a villain who is probably the most interesting character in the book, and you have Bonded by Thorns. I do want to say that any story that is a retelling of a well-known story is subject to harsher criticism because if a well-loved and well-known adaptation of the story exists, people will undoubtedly compare the retelling to it. So, I consciously tried to separate the two adaptions in my head, which was difficult.
Our FMC, Rosalina, is very frustrating in that she has these moments where she's extremely confident, and then the next moment, she's docile and meek. From Disney's adaptation of the story, Belle has moments like this as well, so it only seemed fitting for Rosalina to have the same traits since this is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Her interactions with Lucas, the Gaston of the book, are super uncomfortable, but they should make you uncomfortable. Lucas treats Rosalina as a prize, is a massive prick, carved his name into her arm, and comes back to town randomly to ask for her hand in marriage. Oh, and he leaves her while fleeing an army of goblins trying to kill them. Needless to say, I don't blame Rosalina for choosing four fae princes over Lucas.
In terms of the princes, they each have their quirks. However, like Rosalina, their inconsistent personalities are a bit confusing because nothing in the book justifies their ups and downs in personality. I know the shift is due to their awakening care and love for Rosalina, but the book doesn't talk about that shift in feeling in much depth. Again, in Disney's adaptation, the Beast was hot and cold with Belle a lot, so it makes sense, but in the movie, the audience gets more insight into the Beast's thoughts than the reader does for Bonded by Thorns.
Overall, my chief complaint, as stated above, was the characters in that they lacked something. I felt as though they could have been flushed out more. I know the princes are harboring secrets, but as the reader, I think we should be made privy to them and then watch Rosalina uncover them. That's just my personal opinion. Overall, the book is good, and I couldn't put it down once the story picked up (a bit of a slow start at the beginning).
3.5/5 stars because I enjoyed the story even though the main character frustrated me, and 3/5 spice because it got pretty spicy with the FM and MM (and fantasized MFM) action.
If you are familiar with and a fan of the story of Beauty and the Beast, you already know the general makeup of the characters and the storyline. Mix in fae, fated mates, and a villain who is probably the most interesting character in the book, and you have Bonded by Thorns. I do want to say that any story that is a retelling of a well-known story is subject to harsher criticism because if a well-loved and well-known adaptation of the story exists, people will undoubtedly compare the retelling to it. So, I consciously tried to separate the two adaptions in my head, which was difficult.
Our FMC, Rosalina, is very frustrating in that she has these moments where she's extremely confident, and then the next moment, she's docile and meek. From Disney's adaptation of the story, Belle has moments like this as well, so it only seemed fitting for Rosalina to have the same traits since this is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Her interactions with Lucas, the Gaston of the book, are super uncomfortable, but they should make you uncomfortable. Lucas treats Rosalina as a prize, is a massive prick, carved his name into her arm, and comes back to town randomly to ask for her hand in marriage. Oh, and he leaves her while fleeing an army of goblins trying to kill them. Needless to say, I don't blame Rosalina for choosing four fae princes over Lucas.
In terms of the princes, they each have their quirks. However, like Rosalina, their inconsistent personalities are a bit confusing because nothing in the book justifies their ups and downs in personality. I know the shift is due to their awakening care and love for Rosalina, but the book doesn't talk about that shift in feeling in much depth. Again, in Disney's adaptation, the Beast was hot and cold with Belle a lot, so it makes sense, but in the movie, the audience gets more insight into the Beast's thoughts than the reader does for Bonded by Thorns.
Overall, my chief complaint, as stated above, was the characters in that they lacked something. I felt as though they could have been flushed out more. I know the princes are harboring secrets, but as the reader, I think we should be made privy to them and then watch Rosalina uncover them. That's just my personal opinion. Overall, the book is good, and I couldn't put it down once the story picked up (a bit of a slow start at the beginning).
3.5/5 stars because I enjoyed the story even though the main character frustrated me, and 3/5 spice because it got pretty spicy with the FM and MM (and fantasized MFM) action.
Gothikana by RuNyx
4.0
OMG OMG OMFG OMFGGGGG
I cannot stress enough that the vibes of this book alone are just... amazing. The book is haunting, mysterious, spicy, and dark. I cannot stress how dark and mysterious this book is, and I found myself feeling chills at times. I felt like I was there with Corvina and Vad, and I love when a book makes me feel like I'm in it.
Speaking of Corvina and Vad, they are our FMC and MMC, respectively, and their characters are beautifully written. Corvina's witchy persona and Vad's devilish charm (note: their nicknames for each other are witch and devil, which I ate that sh*t up) complement each other so well. And their chemistry... yes, all day, I want it all the time. The sexual tension between the two is palpable, and they get it on a lot (and at times when I was like, "Um... I think your priorities are a bit skewed, but carry on"). Vad's dirty talk? Yes. Corvina literally only being able to think about what's in his pants? Yes, again.
Moving onto the plot, it's straightforward. A mysterious school has students missing during the Black Ball. A new student (Corvina) arrives at the school and catches the eye of a devilish professor (Vad) who students believe killed a missing student. Tension fo the sexual nature between the two ensues. Corvina is able to see and hear ghosts who plea for her help. She teams up with Vad to solve the mystery. In terms of plot twists, there are a few, but the only one I wasn't prepared for was the last one. I should have seen it coming, but I think I was blinded by the spice so... yeah.
In terms of writing, it is well written, but there are repetitive proses. I started to glance over the sentences that sounded similar, but I kept a mental tally of them. For me, the unsettling/scary scenes of the book were written extremely well. I actually read the bathroom mirror ghost scene to my partner because I wanted him to also get the creepy crawlies with me.
Final thoughts: This book made me so happy to be a reader. All throughout the book, there are numerous haunting scenes that are so beautifully described that you feel uncomfortable and spooked. Any author that can make a reader have a visceral reaction while reading has successfully done their job. So, I applaud you, RuNyx, for making me feel all the emotions while reading this book.
4/5 because I felt every emotion RuNyx wanted to convey to us readers and 3/5 for spice because it got spicy but nothing that you would need to spits holy water over.
I cannot stress enough that the vibes of this book alone are just... amazing. The book is haunting, mysterious, spicy, and dark. I cannot stress how dark and mysterious this book is, and I found myself feeling chills at times. I felt like I was there with Corvina and Vad, and I love when a book makes me feel like I'm in it.
Speaking of Corvina and Vad, they are our FMC and MMC, respectively, and their characters are beautifully written. Corvina's witchy persona and Vad's devilish charm (note: their nicknames for each other are witch and devil, which I ate that sh*t up) complement each other so well. And their chemistry... yes, all day, I want it all the time. The sexual tension between the two is palpable, and they get it on a lot (and at times when I was like, "Um... I think your priorities are a bit skewed, but carry on"). Vad's dirty talk? Yes. Corvina literally only being able to think about what's in his pants? Yes, again.
Moving onto the plot, it's straightforward. A mysterious school has students missing during the Black Ball. A new student (Corvina) arrives at the school and catches the eye of a devilish professor (Vad) who students believe killed a missing student. Tension fo the sexual nature between the two ensues. Corvina is able to see and hear ghosts who plea for her help. She teams up with Vad to solve the mystery. In terms of plot twists, there are a few, but the only one I wasn't prepared for was the last one. I should have seen it coming, but I think I was blinded by the spice so... yeah.
In terms of writing, it is well written, but there are repetitive proses. I started to glance over the sentences that sounded similar, but I kept a mental tally of them. For me, the unsettling/scary scenes of the book were written extremely well. I actually read the bathroom mirror ghost scene to my partner because I wanted him to also get the creepy crawlies with me.
Final thoughts: This book made me so happy to be a reader. All throughout the book, there are numerous haunting scenes that are so beautifully described that you feel uncomfortable and spooked. Any author that can make a reader have a visceral reaction while reading has successfully done their job. So, I applaud you, RuNyx, for making me feel all the emotions while reading this book.
4/5 because I felt every emotion RuNyx wanted to convey to us readers and 3/5 for spice because it got spicy but nothing that you would need to spits holy water over.