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lexisreadingagain's reviews
375 reviews
Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli
5.0
This was one of the best RomComs I’ve read in ages. Tris speaks to my soul as a brown woman working in corporate America. I feel seen. I feel heard. I feel less alone after reading this. Rafe was a secret cinnamon roll under a slightly burnt crust. All he had to do was scrape off that first layer, and this man was ooey gooey and delicious. These two were so thirsty (lovingly) for each 😂 I loved their banter. Equal parts steamy and funny, and in general this book was just SOOO much fun!
Thank you to Nisha J. Tuli, Forever and NetGalley for the eARC.
Thank you to Nisha J. Tuli, Forever and NetGalley for the eARC.
Spark the Flames by Ivy Asher
5.0
I've unlocked a new author. Seriously, I can already tell this is going to be a favorite for the year.
I was hooked immediately in the first chapter. We're dropped right into the thick of the action with our kickass and hilarious fmc Ever. She's survived the decimation of her kind and family, spending the majority of her life in hiding from the Horde, the dragon shfiters that rule over all other species. She's a fighter who doesn't take shit from anyone, and I absolutely love her!!! And when she's finally caught by her enemy, the grumpy and broody dragon shifter Commandar, Prince Aeson Noctis things take a drastic turn in her life. Y'all I could write a dissertation length explanation of why he's pure perfect. The mouth on that man 🤌🏼 The tension and banter between these two was steamy. The way they snark and snipe at each other, struggling to fight the inevitable pull they're feeling is everything I could've asked for.
This is one of those books that made me want to ignore my adult responsibilities and binge it in one sitting. It's go, go, go, without ever feeling rushed. And the combination of futuristic tech and magical fantasy elements was something I've yet to encounter so far, and it was blended so seamlessly. Often with a first book, I find myself wanting more world-building and lore incorporated, but this was the perfect amount to leave me feeling like I had a good grasp on the story, but still full of questions for what's to come.
I'm already looking up Ivy's entire backlist to read more of her books because there is something so addicting about her writing.
Thankful to Ivy and her PA Sav for providing an advance reader copy to review!
I was hooked immediately in the first chapter. We're dropped right into the thick of the action with our kickass and hilarious fmc Ever. She's survived the decimation of her kind and family, spending the majority of her life in hiding from the Horde, the dragon shfiters that rule over all other species. She's a fighter who doesn't take shit from anyone, and I absolutely love her!!! And when she's finally caught by her enemy, the grumpy and broody dragon shifter Commandar, Prince Aeson Noctis things take a drastic turn in her life. Y'all I could write a dissertation length explanation of why he's pure perfect. The mouth on that man 🤌🏼 The tension and banter between these two was steamy. The way they snark and snipe at each other, struggling to fight the inevitable pull they're feeling is everything I could've asked for.
This is one of those books that made me want to ignore my adult responsibilities and binge it in one sitting. It's go, go, go, without ever feeling rushed. And the combination of futuristic tech and magical fantasy elements was something I've yet to encounter so far, and it was blended so seamlessly. Often with a first book, I find myself wanting more world-building and lore incorporated, but this was the perfect amount to leave me feeling like I had a good grasp on the story, but still full of questions for what's to come.
I'm already looking up Ivy's entire backlist to read more of her books because there is something so addicting about her writing.
Thankful to Ivy and her PA Sav for providing an advance reader copy to review!
A Lesson in Thorns by Sierra Simone
5.0
AHHHHHHHH. I fear I’ll be screaming about this book for the foreseeable future. Holy shit this is so good!!!
Dark, mysterious, alluring, ominous, sexy. Literally all of the things I love wrapped in one book. Six people connected to each other through ties even they don’t understand. A well of grief and longing and an aching desire to love and be loved that runs deep into their cores. A grand manor with history and secrets, trapped in its own little antiquated bubble in a forgotten past, that leave its inhabitants with more questions than answers.
It’s no wonder I ate this up. Sierra weaves yet another deliciously sensual and emotionally layered story here, sucking you in immediately. I can feel the temptation, the yearning, the awakening that our little band of misfits sift through so viscerally. Hot hot hot HOT.
Book two was downloaded immediately.
Dark, mysterious, alluring, ominous, sexy. Literally all of the things I love wrapped in one book. Six people connected to each other through ties even they don’t understand. A well of grief and longing and an aching desire to love and be loved that runs deep into their cores. A grand manor with history and secrets, trapped in its own little antiquated bubble in a forgotten past, that leave its inhabitants with more questions than answers.
It’s no wonder I ate this up. Sierra weaves yet another deliciously sensual and emotionally layered story here, sucking you in immediately. I can feel the temptation, the yearning, the awakening that our little band of misfits sift through so viscerally. Hot hot hot HOT.
Book two was downloaded immediately.
Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis
4.0
Thank you to Tor for this eARC!
this was adorable and cozy and enchanting. I giggled my way through the whole thing 🤭 Hidden identity, a hot and nerdy librarian, an “evil Queen” who has a soft spot for her motherly housekeeper, a crow sidekick, trolls and ogre castle staff? all of it was delightfully fantastical.
I loved the slow budding romance between Queen Saskia and “Fabian.” they were both reluctant to give into the attraction they felt, each for their own reasons, but their chemistry was undeniable. the poetry? swoon. her “silencing him” (iykyk)? hot.
the romance doesn’t overtake the plot and is paced so well. it’s easy to follow and jump into this magical world without feeling overwhelmed. and while the ending took me surprise, it wrapped up so well without feeling rushed. overall, a perfect low stakes romantasy!
this was adorable and cozy and enchanting. I giggled my way through the whole thing 🤭 Hidden identity, a hot and nerdy librarian, an “evil Queen” who has a soft spot for her motherly housekeeper, a crow sidekick, trolls and ogre castle staff? all of it was delightfully fantastical.
I loved the slow budding romance between Queen Saskia and “Fabian.” they were both reluctant to give into the attraction they felt, each for their own reasons, but their chemistry was undeniable. the poetry? swoon. her “silencing him” (iykyk)? hot.
the romance doesn’t overtake the plot and is paced so well. it’s easy to follow and jump into this magical world without feeling overwhelmed. and while the ending took me surprise, it wrapped up so well without feeling rushed. overall, a perfect low stakes romantasy!
The Elf Witch by Jacquelyn Gilmore
3.25
this one is hard for me to rate honestly. The first 25-30% of this book had me fighting for my life. there was so much information and lore dumped at my feet, with little to no time to digest it all. you jump right into the action and it feels like you should already know things by chapter 3 that you don’t learn until later. I stuck it out because I was curious enough about our fmc Imani and wanted to see where this journey took her, and I’m mostly happy with where this book landed.
she’s been a bit of an outcast her whole life, even in her own family, because of her lack of magic. so when she finally discovers she’s had magic this whole time and has the opportunity to learn more about it and herself, she takes it. even if it means going undercover and entering a deadly trial held by the witches of the court of her kingdom that’s designed to weed out the weak. her morally grey mindset and determination were my saving graces for most of the story. she makes allies and enemies alike, using whatever she can to her advantage, including her supernatural beauty. the competition aspect of this was interesting despite the odd pacing of the story. She’s deadly in her own right and truthfully I’m rooting for her to take everyone out and just rule the world by herself because screw it lol. no one deserves her imo.
for reasons I’m still unclear on, two princes from an enemy kingdom show up to help run these trials, and here’s where I grow more conflicted. the youngest and most powerful prince, Kerin (the Serpent Prince) is drawn to Imani, and manipulates her for his own agenda. Kerin is untrustworthy, secretive, unhinged, dangerous and oh soooo hot. but even I’m on the fence about their potential “romance.”
this book ends on a crazy note, and I actually have NO clue what will happen next for either of the mc’s. but I truly hope that my precious Imani is able to catch a break for five god dang minutes (doubt it but oh well!!!) lol. I also hope the pacing slows a bit and that we get to see a bit more character development for both, because they really carried this book for me. the plot just felt a little rushed for me to get as invested as I’d have hoped.
I received an eARC of this book from Luna Literary Management to review.
she’s been a bit of an outcast her whole life, even in her own family, because of her lack of magic. so when she finally discovers she’s had magic this whole time and has the opportunity to learn more about it and herself, she takes it. even if it means going undercover and entering a deadly trial held by the witches of the court of her kingdom that’s designed to weed out the weak. her morally grey mindset and determination were my saving graces for most of the story. she makes allies and enemies alike, using whatever she can to her advantage, including her supernatural beauty. the competition aspect of this was interesting despite the odd pacing of the story. She’s deadly in her own right and truthfully I’m rooting for her to take everyone out and just rule the world by herself because screw it lol. no one deserves her imo.
for reasons I’m still unclear on, two princes from an enemy kingdom show up to help run these trials, and here’s where I grow more conflicted. the youngest and most powerful prince, Kerin (the Serpent Prince) is drawn to Imani, and manipulates her for his own agenda. Kerin is untrustworthy, secretive, unhinged, dangerous and oh soooo hot. but even I’m on the fence about their potential “romance.”
this book ends on a crazy note, and I actually have NO clue what will happen next for either of the mc’s. but I truly hope that my precious Imani is able to catch a break for five god dang minutes (doubt it but oh well!!!) lol. I also hope the pacing slows a bit and that we get to see a bit more character development for both, because they really carried this book for me. the plot just felt a little rushed for me to get as invested as I’d have hoped.
I received an eARC of this book from Luna Literary Management to review.
The Rivaled Crown by Holly Renee
4.25
First of all, Dacre is top tier book boyfriend material. I’ll be taking no questions on the subject.
Just WOW, what a conclusion to this trilogy. After everything that Verena and Dacre have been through in TVK and THH, I'm so content with how this played out for them. Holly loves to leave us biting our nails and end on cliffhangers, which is exactly what happened in THH, so we pick up here in an incredibly tense place for both the mc's with them yet again separated. The fight back to each other was painful and emotional, and I was ready to sob at several moments (literally FUCK Verena's dad!!!). And the battle isn't quite over when they do finally reconnect. Secrets and revelations pop up left and right, leaving me gasping!!! Both of these characters growth is lovely and epic. We stan a man who kneels (and worships) his woman. And Verena gave serious Queen energy as she stepped into her power. Everything came together full circle & honestly, I just wish I could experience their story for the first time again.
As always, I'm so grateful to Holly and her team for providing me with an eARC!!! 🩷
Just WOW, what a conclusion to this trilogy. After everything that Verena and Dacre have been through in TVK and THH, I'm so content with how this played out for them. Holly loves to leave us biting our nails and end on cliffhangers, which is exactly what happened in THH, so we pick up here in an incredibly tense place for both the mc's with them yet again separated. The fight back to each other was painful and emotional, and I was ready to sob at several moments (literally FUCK Verena's dad!!!). And the battle isn't quite over when they do finally reconnect. Secrets and revelations pop up left and right, leaving me gasping!!! Both of these characters growth is lovely and epic. We stan a man who kneels (and worships) his woman. And Verena gave serious Queen energy as she stepped into her power. Everything came together full circle & honestly, I just wish I could experience their story for the first time again.
As always, I'm so grateful to Holly and her team for providing me with an eARC!!! 🩷