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kavuyi's reviews
207 reviews
When Hearts Awaken by Victoria Lum
challenging
dark
medium-paced
4.0
When Hearts Awaken ARC Review
Thank you Victoria Lum for the opportunity to read this book.
Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
Who did this to you?
I'll burn the world for you
Billionaire
Slow burn
Trauma healing
Age gap
Goth ballerina and complicated hero
Found family
Mental health representation
Swoony text messages
Dark topics but romance isn't dark
Spicy and angsty
Dual POV
We meet Taylor, who is getting through a traumatic event that happened to her when she was 16, a ballerina, trying to be the principal dancer.
At the same time, we meet Charles who has demons of his own. I on top of that reputational damage in his company, family damage and he tries to fix one.
I loved how the first few chapters are. The characters are introduced apart from each other and when they meet, there’s obviously instant hatred, but then you see a link in the trauma. Sometimes the people who are the closest to you other people that create damage in other people’s lives.
There is heavy trauma in the book, it’s sad. Both MMC‘s face trauma differently and yet the same, behind a mask with secrets so deep you can’t tell which way it is up. I felt the FMC‘s pain, it was overwhelming, getting to understand the triggers which also explained her reactions and behavior. I was overwhelmed. The book broke me and healed me. Amazing.
Thank you Victoria Lum for the opportunity to read this book.
Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
Who did this to you?
I'll burn the world for you
Billionaire
Slow burn
Trauma healing
Age gap
Goth ballerina and complicated hero
Found family
Mental health representation
Swoony text messages
Dark topics but romance isn't dark
Spicy and angsty
Dual POV
We meet Taylor, who is getting through a traumatic event that happened to her when she was 16, a ballerina, trying to be the principal dancer.
At the same time, we meet Charles who has demons of his own. I on top of that reputational damage in his company, family damage and he tries to fix one.
I loved how the first few chapters are. The characters are introduced apart from each other and when they meet, there’s obviously instant hatred, but then you see a link in the trauma. Sometimes the people who are the closest to you other people that create damage in other people’s lives.
There is heavy trauma in the book, it’s sad. Both MMC‘s face trauma differently and yet the same, behind a mask with secrets so deep you can’t tell which way it is up. I felt the FMC‘s pain, it was overwhelming, getting to understand the triggers which also explained her reactions and behavior. I was overwhelmed. The book broke me and healed me. Amazing.
Black Rose by Karina Halle
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Tropes:
Dark fantasy romance
Dark retelling
Strangers to lovers (for him)
Reincarnation
Gothic vibes
Vampire x vampire witch reborn
Dual POV
Spice!!!!
Hidden identity
Found family
The cliffhanger that is part one all book one has brought me here to book 2.
I felt the pain of the MMC and the heartbreak of sorts of the FMC in book one. The epilogue of book one had me screaming in shock that this never ends until it is gotten right.
In book 2 we look at the fourth reincarnation and this time is different but she is the same. Book 2 is slightly different and I won’t lie, I am upset with the MMC because looking at book one where he was a good person or part of him was good but underlying he was just bad and the bad just came out in full force in this book. There was a point I was like if he died, I wouldn’t mind. He was that bad.
Around the love story is the aspect of what book one needed to accomplish. Killing the bad guys or getting revenge on what Dahlia faced. I loved how in as much as she came back to find and love Valtu, the plot was expanded and in all this, the love the FMC had for him was impressive. I was ready to throw hands. The 70% marker was a fresh of breath that I needed. I actually shed some tears. Full circle moment I cried. I love the main characters. Their love, story, passion, and everything in between was just amazingly written. I’m in love.
The ending was beautiful. It was perfect. It all worked out in terms of found family. It was just amazing just to read it. Karina did an amazing job with these books.
Blood Orange by Karina Halle
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
5.0
Tropes:
Dark fantasy romance
Dark retelling
Enemies to lovers (for her)
Forbidden love (Professor x student)
Reincarnation
Gothic vibes
Vampire x Hunter/witch
Dark academia
Dual POV
Spice!!!!
Karina Halle!!!!
What a story.
Get all my stars!!!
The story is about vampires and witches basically being enemies. The bad ass FMC is sent to kill Dracula while he is a professor at a music conservatory.
Backstory is Dracula once fell in love and lost the love of his life not just once, but twice in his long existence and he lived all these years basically existing, but according to the witches, he deserves to die. So our FMC, Dahlia is sent in to end his life and get a spell book. Shes so bad ass and guess what? She meets Dracula and sparks fly while in the background the city is changing and monsters are on the loose.
I love the idea of reincarnation how the FMC kept on coming back to him through time. Karina got me hooked!!!
Their connection was out of this world. I love that it transcends time.
I screamed in the end!!! Plot twist!!!! Twists. Cliffhanger!!!!Ahhhhhh I’m so reading part 2!!!!
I'll Always Be With You by Monica Murphy
1.0
Chileee this book was bad. Yo!!! Can’t believe it. I had to skim the ending. Everything after he found her in her studio I couldn’t take in. I was disappointed. After reading about Whit and Summer’s 600+ pages love story, reading this book was too much for me. So much childishness in the characters that could have been dealt with early on. THERAPY? Anyone? The chapters I read in this book had me talking to myself and trying to tell the character to go in the opposite direction. Nope. This book is not it.
I understand it’s fiction but no. NO!!!
I understand it’s fiction but no. NO!!!
From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata
5.0
Loved it. Slow burn romance, really slow burn. Loved the characters!!! Her family was beautiful. I loved the plot. The banter. Loved it. Was quite a refreshing book to read.
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
4.0
This book made me sad. Got me thinking about a lot of things. I think I cried at some point. I was ready to throw hands. First Collen book I read and I liked it.
It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover
2.0
I don’t know about this book. I loved it ends with us but this one seemed off. I feel like it was an unnecessarily book to write. The way it ends with us ended was enough. I get the point behind this one but it didn’t hit quite as good as she first one. I read it in a day but hmmm no.