liaareads's reviews
204 reviews

Empire of Lust by Rina Kent

emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

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

4.75

“not only are you my match and the woman who gave me gwen, but you also make me a better man, sweetheart.” - kingsley shaw

literally ate up every page of this book. the hate-love relationship between kingsley and aspen was just so 😘🤌🏽 like yess gimme more. i definitely shed a few tears in relation to aspen and gwen's relationship, and i honestly gotta say that their relationship had to have been my absolute favorite part of the book altogether.

king is just so... mhmmmm. another blonde man for the books! seeing his relationship with gwen from his pov just made it all the better after reading his relationship with gwen from her pov in empire of desire. the way he didn't necessarily hate aspen, but was just more so confused as to why she would ever 'give up her child,' but then to find out that it wasn't by her own will or knowledge... then to realize that he wanted aspen far longer than having his child... i loved how protective he was over aspen, for more reasons than one (and for very valid reasons too other than his own selfish, and huge ego lol).

then aspen has to be, again, one of my favorite rinaverse fmc's. she went through a lot in her teenage years, and the way she held on to the resilience of being better than she was brought up, just made her character that much better. she went through grief and loss at barely fifteen, and that alone just shows how strong she is, 20 years later. to go through the past 20 years mourning and grieving, just to find out, that that person you thought was missing from your life forever, was there the whole time, it can be so overwhelming and emotional, but i absolutely loved how she tried her absolute hardest to be in gwen's life when she found out her daughter was indeed alive. aspen deserves so much more in life, and i just know king and gwen would give her everything she could've ever wanted and more.

Empire of Sin by Rina Kent

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

oh rina, how you NEVER fail me. i ate this one up. i did. i really did.

knox van doren.... the reason i have high standards. this man said he would give up his entire multi-billion dollar inheritance FOR ANA?? me next 😃!

oh and then i already loved ana from the throne duet, but in here?? oh i love her even more. miss prim and proper wasn't so prim and proper, hmm.....

yup, rina's men have truly ruined me.

Throne of Vengeance by Rina Kent

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Throne of Power by Rina Kent

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The Red Room by Lexi Gray

dark fast-paced

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

2.0

Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Wicked Desires: A Dark Mafia Arranged Marriage Romance by Cora Kent

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

wicked desires follows saverio castiglione and lucia terlizzi in their (forced by saverio) arranged marriage and their story about coming to love one another. at first while i was reading this, i was like “oh yeah saverio…. he’s definitely why us women choose the bear.” because that man is UNHINGED to say the least. he claims that he’s loved her since she was 18, but sir, i think you’ve had your eye on her just waiting before then, and that definitely threw me off a littlle—lot a bit. HOWEVER it wasn’t constantly reminded throughout the book, so i was able to kind of look past it. also, the fact that he’s not afraid to show his soft spot for lucia at any given time >>> *cue debbie ryan meme* as the unhinged, damn near—if not morally black mafia boss of his family, it definitely hits different when they only have eyes for their woman, and becomes a little soft puppy around her 🤭. but yeah, nevertheless, the man is batshit crazy (and i’m hear for it 98% of the time iykyk).

lucia terlizzi, i actually liked her character a lot, too. i think cora does a great job of creating female characters that have personality to them, especially one like lucia, as she wants nothing to do with the dark world that her brothers and family leads. being the baby of 4 older brothers (including a twin), means that she literally has protection at all times, as her brothers would stop at nothing to protect her, and it definitely has shown time and time again throughout the book. and even though she tried to be defiant against saverio, she loved him too much to truly stand on business (girl same i can’t be mad at her lmaoo) but one thing i do have to say, is that i wish that there was more into their past (like from when she was 20 or so with saverio) like there were bits and pieces here and there, but i wanted more, you know? but other than that, i definitely had a good time reading this one, and i can’t wait to read the next one (because the fmc is sooo unhinged omg i want it rn)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Blood

Moderate: Stalking

Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Between Desire and Denial by Shain Rose

lighthearted tense 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

4.5

this man. this man, dimitri hardy is SO unhinged. and the way he’s unhinged is only attractive in the fictional world. oh but i had a time with this one. book 2 will always be my favorite in the series, but this one is a very very close second. from start to finish, olive is a very lucky woman, cuz chile the things i would do to that man.

Hexed by Emily McIntire

adventurous tense slow-paced

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

5.0