kn_cozy_bookworm's reviews
435 reviews

Poetry On Ice by Jesse H Reign

challenging emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

This one was a mixed bag for me. I have read and loved previous books by Jesse and I love MM hockey romance but I found this read a bit chaotic for me. Robbie and Ant’s relationship is very emotional and gave me whiplash at times. Especially with Robbie. His thoughts were fast, intrusive and very intense then once he figures himself out and that he wants Ant, it’s like a switch flips and that’s his sole focus. I think for some reason I just found Robbie to be too much. Maybe it was my mood or something, idk. I also was not into the dirty talk from Ant. His reference of female parts to describe Robbie’s parts was just ick for me. I’d never really ran into that to this extent in a book and I was not into it. 

But I will say, I did enjoy their dynamic later in the book once they kinda figure themselves out. It was humorous reading Ant try to resist Robbie. Their relationship ends up very sweet and devoted. I liked how the team reacts to them both when their relationship is revealed and Christmas with Robbie’s family was great. 

We get teased at the end for the next book and I do hope we see some Robbie and Ant shenanigans in book 2. 

Noel of Sin by Jodie King

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“Ebony isn’t just my sister. She’s my goddamn soulmate. She always has been. She always fucking will be.”

Rook brings the devoted, obsessive passion in this taboo, step siblings novella! This book is advertised as more spice than plot and while it does bring the unhinged heat we are used to seeing from Jodie King, there is an underlying story that causes the angst, the heartbreak, and ultimately the courage we see from Ebony that I hope leads to another book cause I am invested in Rook and Ebony and where this decision will take them and how it will affect their lives and relationships with their parents. 

The emotions run high with this one. I really felt for Rook. He definitely runs through the gauntlet of emotions and he does it loudly while Ebony was more of a suffer in silence girl. I liked their dynamic. While Rook was ready to go all in and damn the consequences, Ebony was more cautious, unwilling to face those consequence, afraid to break out of the prison that was her life.

Great, spicy novella to whet our appetites for more from Rook and Ebony (I hope)!

Reckless Love by Nyssa Kathryn

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Nyssa outdid herself with this one. My apologies to Kayden and Tilly, I still love you…but Lock and Callie overtook you with this absolute heartbreaker! Phew! This book was an absolutely brilliantly written second chance romance. 

The circumstances and timing of Lock and Callie’s end was so devastating, so traumatic, and so heartbreaking, the road back together seemed impossible. 

“He taught me what love feels like. Then he taught me what heartbreak feels like.” 

Nyssa really brought the feels with this one. What do you do when the person you need most, needs you far far away? 

Lock and Callie’s HEA is hard fought, the cloud of grief thick, casting a dark shadow over what was and what could be. Terrible, all consuming. It takes a tremendous amount of healing and trust for Callie to come back to Lock, but Lock was up for the challenge and never gave up, knowing him and Callie were forever. No matter what, it was always going to be them in the end.

And the end almost came prematurely with Callie’s admirer’s intervention. Nyssa not only brought the feels, she brought the mystery that concluded out of left field with this one. I loved the intricate storyline we found ourselves in with this read. The who done it. 

I am sad to see the end of this series. It is so good and it really ended with the best IMO. But the great thing is it never really ends and I am greatly looking forward to what comes next in Amber Ridge. 

A Hellish Christmas: Short story duology by Liana Valerian

funny lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

This was such great add on novella for the Rivers of Hell series. Loved the extra glimpses we got into the lives of Lana and Ash and Neph and Syrin. This little novella just makes you fall in love with the characters even more. 

Naughty and Nice: The Finch Benson Publishing Winter Anthology 2024 by Fionn Kelly

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

I love anthologies and how they expose you to different authors, writing styles, stories and themes. 

Naughty and Nice’s theme is Christmas and the holidays! Each story took me through a gauntlet of different feels and really satisfied some of my favorite tropes. While I have my favorite stories from this anthology, I can say I did enjoy them all. 

A few spoke to my more feral side while others, my more whimsical side. Love a book that can take me on different journeys between the pages. 

A big thanks to all the authors who contributed to this gem. If you are interested in getting lost in the magic of the holidays, this read will take you there! <3

Spectral Payback by Regitse Liljadorff

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

Loved the premise of this book. Accidental murder? I had to know. 

Nic and Mitch’s story is absolute ghostly fun. They are both so sweet, but oh so mischievous once they get together. 

Most people strive to find their forever person in life, but what if they are found in death instead? Nic was prepared to wait until Mitch lived a nice long life but fate had other plans when Nic accidentally kills Mitch. 

Most people would be po’d to find out they had been unalived, especially by accident, but Mitch? His life really begins in death and it was a joy to see Nic and Mitch’s relationship grow and what they get up to with their alive house tenants. 

I especially loved who moves in at the end and how much they were a part of Nic and Mitch’s afterlives. That journey was bittersweet for sure. 

I think this may be my favorite of Regitse’s so far, <3. 

Obsessions of the Heart by Kira Stanley

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I picked this book up via BookSirens as a read and review opportunity. Welp. I learned a lesson with this one and that’s to check if a book is a duet before picking it up! Cause now I gotta fit the second book into my ARC TBR pile because I am invested! Gotta finish and see how this all turns out. Thank goodness it’s on KU, lol. 

This was a great dark romance read that will check your boxes. 

Obsessive and protective MMCs (um identical triplets?!?) that each have their own specialties that allow them to totally protect (or stalk?) the FMC at all the times? ✔️

Special drawers and closets that have dedicated items that remind them of the FMC that they keep locked up cause it’s a bit (a lot) unhinged? ✔️

Secret Society with rival families? ✔️

A beginning childhood meet cute that changes everyone’s lives forever? ✔️

A strong bad ass FMC that can take care of herself and doesn’t need the MMCs but really wants them and can tell them a part at a glance? ✔️

I loved the different personalities of the triplets. We get golden retriever and psycho vibes. The story has a great beginning.  Roux, Rion, Ravi and Layrin meet as children and form a bond that stands the test of time. They only have a year before they are forced apart for a decade but through sleuthing and perseverance Layrin is brought back to the boys.

There are secrets, intrigue, and betrayal. It ends on a cliffhanger but the good news is both books are out now and on kindle unlimited! I’m looking forward to reading the second book, Fixation of the Mind. 

A Very Stalker Christmas by Layla Fae

funny lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

What a great Christmas novella this was! It made me smile and laugh loud.  This is a total romcom with sweet and spicy stalker vibes. It’s an easy, funny,  entertaining low angst read that you can finish in a day. 

Logan is absolutely devoted to making sweet scatterbrained Emma’s life easier. His obsession starts on just outside tasks but he graduates to breaking and entering to…clean house? Do laundry? Stock essentials?  From the matter of fact way Logan just makes his Emma to do lists to the way Emma just takes it in stride that someone is cleaning her house, stocking her fridge, decorating her house for Christmas?? Delightful.  And I think we all need a secret helper right? 

The added twist of Logan’s traumatic mutism just adds to the story IMO. From how they have their meet cute to a very good and spicy, dreams to reality scene that it plays into. 

While you wouldn’t think so, Logan’s extreme need for neat and tidiness is a perfect match  Emma’s messy and chaotic personality and I absolutely loved the epilogue where this is shown  and explained. And the Logan and Emma artwork at the end is amazing! Captured them perfectly! 

Til Def by Jodie King

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

3.0

This is my second Jodie King book. My first was Hollow Hellion which I loved. While Til Def fell short of my love of that first read, it was still a pretty good dark romance read that I think most will enjoy. 

I liked Ty a lot. He portrayed himself as an unfeeling psychopath but he was anything but. I loved learning his back story, the why behind his actions that landed him in the asylum and also what was driving him when he got out to do what he did. He was actually very emotional on page and I ate that up. Especially when he was unaliving. He was completely unhinged in the best way. 

I had a little trouble getting behind Raven. Not sure what it was but I had trouble getting invested in Ty and Raven as a couple as a result their relationship development was slow and dragged for me. I was feeling more for Ty and Midnight (the adorable kitten who becomes his partner in crime) than Ty and Raven.

BUT…the last 20% of this read was very good. There were some surprising and amazing twists, some good suspense and a surprise I was very excited to see that gives me some inkling we may see Ty again. 

I’m still looking forward to what comes next from Jodie.

Gambler's Conceit by R. Phoenix, Adara Wolf

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.0

If you like your books with a why choose theme and crossing swords with some dark themes and a traumatic past thrown in, this book is for you. This read is a dark MMMM mafia romance with a diverse cast of characters. I really enjoyed the diversity and how the personalities of all the men worked in support of Seven. Our main guy. The one who steals the hearts. I cannot remember the last time I read such a strong yet utterly broken character like Seven. He really got to me. He is such a product of his circumstances and you really see that in his forced captivity at the hotel and casino. It is very difficult for him to trust in Caleb, Vortex and Havoc, despite them giving him what he needs and what he wants. Well mostly, cause you know, the whole forced captivity thing, lol. Seven ensnares them, making them so utterly devoted to him, but he can’t see their loyalty and devotion. His past and everything he has been through makes him blind to it. His emotions are a total rollercoaster and it makes his character intriguing.
 
The men, Caleb, Havoc and Vortex embody such different personalities and characteristics, you will find at least one you like. Caleb is hard and unyielding, yet he is very intuitive when it comes to Seven and what he needs. Vortex is the teddy bear. Don’t get me wrong, he will mess you up, but he is the gentle giant for Seven. Havoc is the unpredictable storm who works perfectly in tandem with either Caleb, whom he shares a violent streak with, or Vortex, who he shares a gentle side with. 

The dynamic of all of these men was well written. Intermixed in the evolution and progression of the relationships is the mystery of Seven’s past and how it is catching up with him. We find out some secrets but not all. And there is still a lot to unravel with Seven and his trauma. Book 1 just scratched the surface and I was very glad to see this groups story continues in book 2.