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maxarcreads's reviews
236 reviews
When God Had a Wife: The Fall and Rise of the Sacred Feminine in the Judeo-Christian Tradition by Lynn Picknett, Clive Prince
4.75
This is a 4.75 rounded up.
Going in I always knew the bible had been altered to fit the narratives, motives and times of the writers. So, listening to this book and the clues and actual facts of the state of things of when these stories happened as opposed to when they were written was very interesting especially when you string all of them together and start to see the picture form. I think the chapter I liked most was chapter 7 because I am not the most familiar with the Old Testament as I am with the New Testament, so this chapter was easier for me to grasp because the base knowledge was there. Plus, like so many other people in my generation it was the Brown's DaVinci Code that started us down the path of questioning the church and its teachings. Overall, it was interesting book, and I enjoyed listening to it and seeing all the clues laid out.
Going in I always knew the bible had been altered to fit the narratives, motives and times of the writers. So, listening to this book and the clues and actual facts of the state of things of when these stories happened as opposed to when they were written was very interesting especially when you string all of them together and start to see the picture form. I think the chapter I liked most was chapter 7 because I am not the most familiar with the Old Testament as I am with the New Testament, so this chapter was easier for me to grasp because the base knowledge was there. Plus, like so many other people in my generation it was the Brown's DaVinci Code that started us down the path of questioning the church and its teachings. Overall, it was interesting book, and I enjoyed listening to it and seeing all the clues laid out.
The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith
4.5
I really enjoyed this and gave it a 4.5. This book was a lot of fun with the marriage competition, Fae and a historical reimagining romantasy of England that was taken over by a Fae queen. Something I liked about this book was the marriage competition which is unusual for me as sometimes it can feel a little redundant at this point and all the other girls are just portrayed as backstabbing and catty. But this book while there is some competition and at the start some underhanded maneuvers by some of the girls what this book did was actually give you the POV of each of the competitors of which there was 6. This showed the motives and the through process and life of each other girls and made them into actual people who are trying to do the best that they can as it pertains to their circumstances. And the girls quickly realize that while they may be in competition, they need to work together to survive the competition.
This book actually focused on a lot of relationships. One being the relationship between all the competitors but also between Ivy our FMC and her sister. Ivy's sister who came out ahead of her has become a recluse and had dragged the family down socially due to her disappearing and not remembering where she was. So, elevating her family's status now falls to Ivy forcing her to grow up because she essentially relied on her sister to do the grown-up thing and marry so that she wouldn't have to and could continue living her life just under her sister roof. But you also see Ivy's sister later confront her about all the pressure her and the family forced on her and how she never had the chance to make mistakes and be a kid because she always had to be perfect. Overall, their relationship felt real because they both acted and treated one another throughout the book including their confrontation.
The romance in this book at times felt like a subplot but towards the end it pushed forward to the front, but I didn't mind because I was enjoying the competition and the competitors. The ending had a lot of surprises that I did not see coming and does leave on a cliffhanger that makes me excited for the next book.
This book is about Ivy who is coming out this season and she is not excited about it. She never really wanted to come out and had hoped that her sister would make an advantageous marriage so that she didn't have to. But during her sister's coming out debut she created a scandal when she disappeared without a trace only to turn up with no memory of where she was or what had happened to her. This plus her families dwindling fortune has made them social pariahs. But with their titles still in hand they hope to fix everything with Ivy being the one to make the advantageous marriage now. When she and the other debutants present themselves to the Fae queen in order to make their deals, (Here subjects can make deals with the queen to change their fortunes or themselves in exchange for whatever the queen wants, a finger, a tooth or whatever strikes her fancy) they find out that from their group of debutantes one of them will be the bride of her son the prince. So, she signs her name in blood to join the competition never thinking she really has a shot but surprisingly she ends up being the front runner catching the prince's eye. But to make sure she stays in the lead and wins the prince's heart she has an unexpected ally who is none other than the prince's brother Prince Emmett. But as the season progresses and she survives the queen's bloody and painful trials she starts to realize there is more at stake than marrying a prince and that while every deal has a price, she may not have truly understood the cost until it was too late.
I received an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book actually focused on a lot of relationships. One being the relationship between all the competitors but also between Ivy our FMC and her sister. Ivy's sister who came out ahead of her has become a recluse and had dragged the family down socially due to her disappearing and not remembering where she was. So, elevating her family's status now falls to Ivy forcing her to grow up because she essentially relied on her sister to do the grown-up thing and marry so that she wouldn't have to and could continue living her life just under her sister roof. But you also see Ivy's sister later confront her about all the pressure her and the family forced on her and how she never had the chance to make mistakes and be a kid because she always had to be perfect. Overall, their relationship felt real because they both acted and treated one another throughout the book including their confrontation.
The romance in this book at times felt like a subplot but towards the end it pushed forward to the front, but I didn't mind because I was enjoying the competition and the competitors. The ending had a lot of surprises that I did not see coming and does leave on a cliffhanger that makes me excited for the next book.
This book is about Ivy who is coming out this season and she is not excited about it. She never really wanted to come out and had hoped that her sister would make an advantageous marriage so that she didn't have to. But during her sister's coming out debut she created a scandal when she disappeared without a trace only to turn up with no memory of where she was or what had happened to her. This plus her families dwindling fortune has made them social pariahs. But with their titles still in hand they hope to fix everything with Ivy being the one to make the advantageous marriage now. When she and the other debutants present themselves to the Fae queen in order to make their deals, (Here subjects can make deals with the queen to change their fortunes or themselves in exchange for whatever the queen wants, a finger, a tooth or whatever strikes her fancy) they find out that from their group of debutantes one of them will be the bride of her son the prince. So, she signs her name in blood to join the competition never thinking she really has a shot but surprisingly she ends up being the front runner catching the prince's eye. But to make sure she stays in the lead and wins the prince's heart she has an unexpected ally who is none other than the prince's brother Prince Emmett. But as the season progresses and she survives the queen's bloody and painful trials she starts to realize there is more at stake than marrying a prince and that while every deal has a price, she may not have truly understood the cost until it was too late.
I received an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.
Magic In My Bones by Pepper Oakley
4.25
This is a 4.25 for me.
There are so many things I loved and enjoyed about this book. The love between Dorian and Ren was like getting a warm hug (but things definitely got hot and spicy between the two of them), I loved the celebration of queer love and joy in this book and acceptance and everyone striving to not only be their true selves but others accepting and celebrating that as well. I also adored all the animal companions/familiars and was glad to see something outside the usual mammal companions and how they in a way represented their person and their journey/magic. Like Grim I loved the representation of transformation and what you take in will affect who you become. The whole time I was reading I couldn't wait to see what Grim became. I loved Dorian and his love, acceptance and support of Ren who at times would be burden by self-doubt over a few things in his life, but he had not only Dorian but his roommate there are support as well.
There is also a mystery/adventure in this book which I enjoyed as well that added to the story and made it enjoyable.
Overall, I had a fun time reading it and exploring this new world/characters.
This book is about Ren who is a gifted necromancer and scholarship student at the prestigious Blackstone Academy. He is doing everything he can to fit in and excel at his new school but there have been some bumps and adjustments especially with his talents make him standout and catch the eye of his professor. Professor Dorian is filling in for one of his colleagues when one of his new students catches his eye with his talent, gentle heart and determination. But with their dynamic of professor and student the lines are clear no matter his feelings. Unfortunately, the spirits on campus are restless and angry and Professor Dorian is at a loss as to why. And when the spirits escalate and brand Ren for a dark ritual, he knows that time is of the essence to uncover whatever dark forces are at play not just so the spirits can be at peace but to also keep Ren safe.
I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
There are so many things I loved and enjoyed about this book. The love between Dorian and Ren was like getting a warm hug (but things definitely got hot and spicy between the two of them), I loved the celebration of queer love and joy in this book and acceptance and everyone striving to not only be their true selves but others accepting and celebrating that as well. I also adored all the animal companions/familiars and was glad to see something outside the usual mammal companions and how they in a way represented their person and their journey/magic. Like Grim I loved the representation of transformation and what you take in will affect who you become. The whole time I was reading I couldn't wait to see what Grim became. I loved Dorian and his love, acceptance and support of Ren who at times would be burden by self-doubt over a few things in his life, but he had not only Dorian but his roommate there are support as well.
There is also a mystery/adventure in this book which I enjoyed as well that added to the story and made it enjoyable.
Overall, I had a fun time reading it and exploring this new world/characters.
This book is about Ren who is a gifted necromancer and scholarship student at the prestigious Blackstone Academy. He is doing everything he can to fit in and excel at his new school but there have been some bumps and adjustments especially with his talents make him standout and catch the eye of his professor. Professor Dorian is filling in for one of his colleagues when one of his new students catches his eye with his talent, gentle heart and determination. But with their dynamic of professor and student the lines are clear no matter his feelings. Unfortunately, the spirits on campus are restless and angry and Professor Dorian is at a loss as to why. And when the spirits escalate and brand Ren for a dark ritual, he knows that time is of the essence to uncover whatever dark forces are at play not just so the spirits can be at peace but to also keep Ren safe.
I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas
5.0
This was such a different experience listening to the book than it was reading the book. I personally was able to notice the easter eggs listening to the story which would make me smile because having read the book a couple times I knew what they meant for the ending. I loved the narrators though I wish the male narrators could have been used a little more, but I get why it was done the way it was. I enjoyed the book and loved that I got to experience it through listening as it changed the experience and was a lot of fun.
Order of Swans by Jude Deveraux
Did not finish book. Stopped at 16%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 16%.
the author's writing style and the story are just not for me and I did not like the FMC.
It's a Love/Skate Relationship by Carli J. Corson
4.0
This book was cute. I will admit while I enjoyed the book for most of it, I was at a 3.75 but that ending got me all in my feels and it got a bump to a 4. It's a fun book that is very appropriate for the YA audience as it is fade to black with the 1 inferred romantic scene. Now I went into this knowing it was a YA book, and I love the occasional YA book, but not all YA books are the same and this book is definitely in the YA market that it took me back to being in high school a little and just made me feel a little old reading it. I think someone said in their review that it reminded them of the old Disney channel original movies and the ice princess movie and that fits the book so well. Nothing wrong with that at all and like I said I did enjoy the book I just felt a little old reading it.
I loved the two FMCs who are such driven girls in their own fields and how dedicated they are to their sports I really admired it. You also saw real growth in them as individuals with Charlie being plucked from her private school as a scholarship student and going to the public school which is her schools biggest rival that combined with wanting to make up for the consequences of her choices and how it affected others landed her as becoming part of a pairs ice skating team really pushed her out of her comfort zone. With Alexa you saw some real growth in her as well as being around Charlie forced her eyes open on a lot of different factors in her life making her want to change as well.
In the end I liked the characters, it was a fun story that is definitely appropriate for the younger markets and the plot was cute but sometimes a little unrealistic if it were to happen in real life.
This book is about Charlie whose life is going through some changes at the moment. After an unfortunate hockey loss her team suffered due to some cheating by the other team, she ended up starting a fight that ended up with her being suspended from her team and school which means not only will she not get to play the sport she loves so much but this means she will miss out on scouts seeing her play and hurting her chances of making it into a DIV1 school. And if that wasn't bad enough, she has been enrolled in the local public school which is none other than her schools biggest rival and who they just lost too. Its awkward to say the least but she just has to keep her nose clean and maintain her grades for 6 months and then she will be back where she belongs. However, the brawl didn't just affect Charlie and her life but also Alexa's as well whose figure skating partner got caught up in the brawl and got injured as a result. Which means she only has 4 months to find a partner before her next competition in order to qualify for nationals and let's just say the pickings are slim when it comes to partners who can lift her. So, a deal is struck between the two where Alexa will get a skating partner, and Charlie still gets ice time to stay in shape but also Alexa's mother an Olympian will put in a good word for her with some scouts. Now they just have to take powerhouse hockey player Charlie and turn her into a pairs ice figure skater with the elegant ice princess Alexa. But as they start to train together the frostiness starts to thaw and they start to wonder if they can be more than just partner on the ice.
I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the two FMCs who are such driven girls in their own fields and how dedicated they are to their sports I really admired it. You also saw real growth in them as individuals with Charlie being plucked from her private school as a scholarship student and going to the public school which is her schools biggest rival that combined with wanting to make up for the consequences of her choices and how it affected others landed her as becoming part of a pairs ice skating team really pushed her out of her comfort zone. With Alexa you saw some real growth in her as well as being around Charlie forced her eyes open on a lot of different factors in her life making her want to change as well.
In the end I liked the characters, it was a fun story that is definitely appropriate for the younger markets and the plot was cute but sometimes a little unrealistic if it were to happen in real life.
This book is about Charlie whose life is going through some changes at the moment. After an unfortunate hockey loss her team suffered due to some cheating by the other team, she ended up starting a fight that ended up with her being suspended from her team and school which means not only will she not get to play the sport she loves so much but this means she will miss out on scouts seeing her play and hurting her chances of making it into a DIV1 school. And if that wasn't bad enough, she has been enrolled in the local public school which is none other than her schools biggest rival and who they just lost too. Its awkward to say the least but she just has to keep her nose clean and maintain her grades for 6 months and then she will be back where she belongs. However, the brawl didn't just affect Charlie and her life but also Alexa's as well whose figure skating partner got caught up in the brawl and got injured as a result. Which means she only has 4 months to find a partner before her next competition in order to qualify for nationals and let's just say the pickings are slim when it comes to partners who can lift her. So, a deal is struck between the two where Alexa will get a skating partner, and Charlie still gets ice time to stay in shape but also Alexa's mother an Olympian will put in a good word for her with some scouts. Now they just have to take powerhouse hockey player Charlie and turn her into a pairs ice figure skater with the elegant ice princess Alexa. But as they start to train together the frostiness starts to thaw and they start to wonder if they can be more than just partner on the ice.
I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
My Funny Demon Valentine by Aurora Ascher
4.25
This was such a fun book I am giving it a 4.25. I will admit, it did start a little slow for me but only the first 25%. As the book progressed, it just got more and more entertaining. It had action, betrayal, steam, comedy and heart not just with the main characters but the side characters as well. I think the part I enjoyed most was how these demons are obviously evolving and don't really recognize it but are still trying to change but it really made for some funny moments that showed them how clueless they are. Like when Asmodeus starts to feel well feelings and he is trying to describe them to Evangeline and reading to him describe them and how clueless he was something I found really funny. Like this group of demons who call each other brothers but say we r demons so we don't actually have feelings for one another, but you can see they obviously care for one another and are a real family was funny and heartwarming. I also liked the author's message is that art can affect the soul of people and just like art evolves so can people and that the author didn't limit what could be termed "art" such as one of the demons talks about how he likes cooking but that isn't art but was corrected by Eva's mother that it was.
This is a book with a lot of POVs but it didn't feel overwhelming but rather really added to the story and my liking of a lot of the characters that makes me really excited for future books because I want their stories too because I am really invested in them as characters.
I really liked the chemistry and relationship between Eva and Asmodeus because even when his curse was lifted in his overwhelmed moments of other women he turned to her. All he really wanted when his curse was and was not in effect was to be with his brothers (though he denies it) and to be with Eva especially if they could be making music together and the fact, they had that to bond over was really sweet.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, the characters (the side characters almost stole the show especially at the end) and I am excited for the next book as well.
This book is about Eva who goes one night to a bar for a night out and meets a really hot guy, Asmodeus. But things get crazy, and they have to run out of the bar but then Asmodeus goes back to help his brothers. Well Eva decides to follow him back inside to make sure he is okay. And what she sees gives her the shock of a lifetime because there is no way what she saw is real. She has to be hallucinating right....?
The thing is that there is more to Asmodeus than what meets the eye. He is actually a Prince of hell and a lust demon who has escaped hell because he is just done with it all because the rules and expectations to being a demon just don't feel right anymore. So off to earth with his brothers to live without the rules of hell and discover who they really are. Which for Asmodeus, all he wants is to be left alone and just play music in peace, jazz music specifically. But then he is dragged out to a bar by his brothers he meets a beautiful violinist, who surprisingly sees him and wants to be around him as well. Why is that surprising for a lust demon? Well, he is under a curse that makes it impossible for him to experience his senses fully as well for other people to really see him. Makes for a lonely existence so you can imagine his Suprise when this little human can not only see him but likes him as well. While it may seem too good to be true, you can bet he is not letting this chance go even under the looming threat of hunters coming for them and dragging them back to hell.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review
This is a book with a lot of POVs but it didn't feel overwhelming but rather really added to the story and my liking of a lot of the characters that makes me really excited for future books because I want their stories too because I am really invested in them as characters.
I really liked the chemistry and relationship between Eva and Asmodeus because even when his curse was lifted in his overwhelmed moments of other women he turned to her. All he really wanted when his curse was and was not in effect was to be with his brothers (though he denies it) and to be with Eva especially if they could be making music together and the fact, they had that to bond over was really sweet.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, the characters (the side characters almost stole the show especially at the end) and I am excited for the next book as well.
This book is about Eva who goes one night to a bar for a night out and meets a really hot guy, Asmodeus. But things get crazy, and they have to run out of the bar but then Asmodeus goes back to help his brothers. Well Eva decides to follow him back inside to make sure he is okay. And what she sees gives her the shock of a lifetime because there is no way what she saw is real. She has to be hallucinating right....?
The thing is that there is more to Asmodeus than what meets the eye. He is actually a Prince of hell and a lust demon who has escaped hell because he is just done with it all because the rules and expectations to being a demon just don't feel right anymore. So off to earth with his brothers to live without the rules of hell and discover who they really are. Which for Asmodeus, all he wants is to be left alone and just play music in peace, jazz music specifically. But then he is dragged out to a bar by his brothers he meets a beautiful violinist, who surprisingly sees him and wants to be around him as well. Why is that surprising for a lust demon? Well, he is under a curse that makes it impossible for him to experience his senses fully as well for other people to really see him. Makes for a lonely existence so you can imagine his Suprise when this little human can not only see him but likes him as well. While it may seem too good to be true, you can bet he is not letting this chance go even under the looming threat of hunters coming for them and dragging them back to hell.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review
The Empress by Kristin Cast
3.0
I gave this a 3 because I finished the book. If this had not been a netgalley book I probably would have DNFed it. No shade to anyone who loves this book. If you love it, I am happy for you, but this was not the book for me and remember reading is subjective.
I was so excited about this book as it sounded like a really interesting concept. I mean I haven't seen many books inspired by tarot elements, so I was excited for something new. I will admit I am not familiar with tarot and tarot cards so maybe there was more elements inspired by it, but I could not identify them at all. I saw three things that made me thing of tarot cards, the name of the two kingdoms and one character was called four so that made me think that was an important element in tarot. In my opinion when you are going with something like tarot that is nuanced and not widely understood when you use the elements, they have to be a little more in your face otherwise for readers like me it just felt like throw away elements put into the book. Also, this a plot where she is supposedly like the chosen one to save this kingdom but as I was reading the book I completely forgot that was the plot and this was a fantasy magic book because there was little magic or fantasy. If this was a time travel book to the past, I could have equally believed that and the fight to save the kingdom felt like an afterthought at the last 25% of the book and it just felt like a book where this girl is trying to get back to her own time.
I will also say I didn't really like any of the characters except for 2. The butler and the best friend but then the best friend did something in the book that I didn't like but she later apologized for but at the time I was upset because I was like great another unlikable character. The FMC at the start everything just seems to have everything growing wrong with her, but her personality makes her a little grating and desperate especially when she goes to this other realm, and it clashes with her modern mentality and behaviors that come annoying and make her stand out when she is supposed to be trying to fit in so as not to be caught.
Then the MMC Kane his interactions at the start with Hannah just felt so awkward to me with all his come Ons and innuendos. It just reminded me of middle school when middle school boys try to be "clever" and talk about their penises and how horny they are. I just didn't feel the chemistry at all, and their interactions just always felt awkward to me.
Then you combine that with a husband of a character who every single sentence out of his mouth was always had to include a way to put down women. Every single sentence always turned around to demean women, like he could talk about the weather and turn it into talking down to women. Like I get the point you're trying to make but that was a point made by other elements in the book so he added nothing to the book other than to be a douche and if he wasn't in the book that point would still have been made. Also, then out of nowhere he starts sexually harassing the FMC and when she goes to his wife her best friend who I liked up to this point she then turns it around and blames the FMC! Later she apologizes but the whole marriage dynamic between the couple was weird and then for her to blame the FMC like that just turned me off to her at the moment and I just kept thinking damn I don't like a single character left in this book other than the butler who was sweet and funny.
Overall, this was not the book for me.
This book is about Hannah who is having a rough go at it. She didn't get the promotion she hoped for, she just found out her BF was cheating on her and she can barely make rent. It can't get any worse right.... that is until she finds a tarot card in the snow, and it transports her to another realm in a kingdom where some of the first people she meets try to kill her! She is able to escape with the help of a warrior named Kane who takes her to his hideout to heal. While he is nice and hot she isn't sure she can trust him, but she needs his help to get back home as the card that brought her to this place was lost in the castle and the only way in is with his help. Which is perfect as he is trying to get back into the castle himself to carry out his own mission to help save the kingdom, he loves but seems to be rotting from within. So, win win right, but how to get in??? Well, a fake marriage and assuming the identities of foreign dignitaries seems to be their best bet, and it works. Now if they can just stay on task and keep their hands off one another while they figure out how to save the kingdom and get Hannah home while keeping up their charade. Should be easy right???
I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was so excited about this book as it sounded like a really interesting concept. I mean I haven't seen many books inspired by tarot elements, so I was excited for something new. I will admit I am not familiar with tarot and tarot cards so maybe there was more elements inspired by it, but I could not identify them at all. I saw three things that made me thing of tarot cards, the name of the two kingdoms and one character was called four so that made me think that was an important element in tarot. In my opinion when you are going with something like tarot that is nuanced and not widely understood when you use the elements, they have to be a little more in your face otherwise for readers like me it just felt like throw away elements put into the book. Also, this a plot where she is supposedly like the chosen one to save this kingdom but as I was reading the book I completely forgot that was the plot and this was a fantasy magic book because there was little magic or fantasy. If this was a time travel book to the past, I could have equally believed that and the fight to save the kingdom felt like an afterthought at the last 25% of the book and it just felt like a book where this girl is trying to get back to her own time.
I will also say I didn't really like any of the characters except for 2. The butler and the best friend but then the best friend did something in the book that I didn't like but she later apologized for but at the time I was upset because I was like great another unlikable character. The FMC at the start everything just seems to have everything growing wrong with her, but her personality makes her a little grating and desperate especially when she goes to this other realm, and it clashes with her modern mentality and behaviors that come annoying and make her stand out when she is supposed to be trying to fit in so as not to be caught.
Then the MMC Kane his interactions at the start with Hannah just felt so awkward to me with all his come Ons and innuendos. It just reminded me of middle school when middle school boys try to be "clever" and talk about their penises and how horny they are. I just didn't feel the chemistry at all, and their interactions just always felt awkward to me.
Then you combine that with a husband of a character who every single sentence out of his mouth was always had to include a way to put down women. Every single sentence always turned around to demean women, like he could talk about the weather and turn it into talking down to women. Like I get the point you're trying to make but that was a point made by other elements in the book so he added nothing to the book other than to be a douche and if he wasn't in the book that point would still have been made. Also, then out of nowhere he starts sexually harassing the FMC and when she goes to his wife her best friend who I liked up to this point she then turns it around and blames the FMC! Later she apologizes but the whole marriage dynamic between the couple was weird and then for her to blame the FMC like that just turned me off to her at the moment and I just kept thinking damn I don't like a single character left in this book other than the butler who was sweet and funny.
Overall, this was not the book for me.
This book is about Hannah who is having a rough go at it. She didn't get the promotion she hoped for, she just found out her BF was cheating on her and she can barely make rent. It can't get any worse right.... that is until she finds a tarot card in the snow, and it transports her to another realm in a kingdom where some of the first people she meets try to kill her! She is able to escape with the help of a warrior named Kane who takes her to his hideout to heal. While he is nice and hot she isn't sure she can trust him, but she needs his help to get back home as the card that brought her to this place was lost in the castle and the only way in is with his help. Which is perfect as he is trying to get back into the castle himself to carry out his own mission to help save the kingdom, he loves but seems to be rotting from within. So, win win right, but how to get in??? Well, a fake marriage and assuming the identities of foreign dignitaries seems to be their best bet, and it works. Now if they can just stay on task and keep their hands off one another while they figure out how to save the kingdom and get Hannah home while keeping up their charade. Should be easy right???
I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
She's an Anchor by Tember Sapphire
4.5
this is a 4.5 for me. I really enjoyed this! The author wrote a really fun well-rounded story that had my heart pounding during one of the races, me getting choked up during some of the family moments and overall, I had a fun time reading it. I loved the MCs with Marie-Louise and Alexandre who were complex individuals. You had Marie-Louise who is a single mother from a one-night stand trying to balance being an athlete and trying to rise back to the top in her field after having to take time off from having a kid while also trying to be a mother to her daughter. You have Alexandre who has his own issues after being abandoned as a teen by his mother and it has really affected him and his life, but he falls hard for Marie-Louise, and she ends being the one that gets away. But the moment he sees her again he is not letting her get away. But the whole time Marie-Louise is struggling with the fact that she had their child, the man she also can't forget is right in front of her and this is all during the most important races of her career. I just really enjoyed Tember's writing of these characters as they seemed very real, and I enjoyed reading the story and seeing it all play out. This is part of a series, and each book is a standalone and I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not reading the other books, but I am curious about their stories that I will probably check out the rest of the books.
This book is about Marie-Louise who is about run in some of the most important races of her career after having to take time off for personal matters. So, the question is can she do it... She thinks she can as long as she stays focus and not let anything distract her. Like her biggest rival's coach for example who is none other than the exotic dancer who she had a one-night stand with a few years back. She never forgot that night for a couple of reasons one being the insane chemistry the other the positive pregnancy test she had a few weeks later. She never meant to keep his child a secret from him, but he never responded to her emergency message so what was she to do? Well all these later their chemistry is still there, and he wants to pick up where they left off, but she can't afford any distractions right now and is there really a future for them when he finds out the truth that he has a child?
I received an ARC Copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book is about Marie-Louise who is about run in some of the most important races of her career after having to take time off for personal matters. So, the question is can she do it... She thinks she can as long as she stays focus and not let anything distract her. Like her biggest rival's coach for example who is none other than the exotic dancer who she had a one-night stand with a few years back. She never forgot that night for a couple of reasons one being the insane chemistry the other the positive pregnancy test she had a few weeks later. She never meant to keep his child a secret from him, but he never responded to her emergency message so what was she to do? Well all these later their chemistry is still there, and he wants to pick up where they left off, but she can't afford any distractions right now and is there really a future for them when he finds out the truth that he has a child?
I received an ARC Copy in exchange for an honest review.
A Soul To Touch by Opal Reyne
4.25
This is a 4.25 for me. As always, I love the Dust walkers the Opal writes, but I think Faunus is my favorite of the ones I have read so far. Faunus was so sweet but still possessive and overprotective. I mean he was willing in what he thinks are his last days to just watch Mayumi and keep her safe without her ever knowing. He just never thought especially since she was a demon slayer than she would even be receptive to talking to him let alone letting him live though I am sure if anyone was too unalive him, he would have been fine if it was Mayumi. Then when you read how excited he was to just talk to her and be around her and even play games was just so sweet.
I will say I liked Mayumi at the start of the book. I liked how unapologetic and brash she was. She was who she was, and she made no apologies. I admired that about her. But at about 50% of the book, she did something that really turned me off to her. Up to that point in the book Faunus had verbally and non-verbally (by moving her hand away) to not touch the crack in his skull that it hurt and to not do it. While he is sleeping, she touches it, and it triggers his fight or flight response, and he fights. How she reacted really pissed me off as Faunus set a clear boundary and then she pushed and pushed and eventually it came to bite her in the butt, and he reacted and then she blames him and tells him essentially to get out unless he tells her exactly what happened. NO ONE OWES YOU AN EXPLANATION FOR THEIR TRAUMA BEFORE THEY ARE READY TO SHARE IT AND THEY DON'T EVER HAVE TO SHARE IT ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY SET A CLEAR BOUNDARY. Yes, he is a Dust walker, and he reacted violently and is a dangerous creature but how he reacted is not his fault and the way she treated him was really poorly in my opinion because then she is like I will not become someone's punching bag for their trauma when that isn't what happened and is not how their relationship is. Maybe it's because I relate to Faunus in this way as I have a similar trauma and if someone violated my boundary like that, I would be reconsidering my relationship with THEM as opposed to them reconsidering their relationship with me because maybe I am not safe with them. But that is maybe a me thing. I will say all that she goes through in the end and what she does for Faunus redeems her in my eyes but at one point I did not like her at all.
In the end I did enjoy the plot and Faunus and got all my monster needs met and I loved the little surprise at the end with Faunus's father being introduced. I have always been curious about him. I am excited to see where the story and next book goes. With the FMC I liked her at the start, lost my faith in her in the middle but she earned it back in the end. It was a fun ride.
This book is about Mayumi who after being discharged from the demon slayer guild is a little lost as all she has ever wanted to do was hunt demons. In response she has isolated herself living in her family's cabin in the middle of the forest, but this is perfect as it allows her on a smaller scale to hunt demons even if she doesn't have the support of the guild anymore. Because in the end one less demon is one less demon and that is all that matters. That is until when her baits draw in not just a regular demon but a dust walker one of the most dangerous types of demons. But as she prepares her arrow to take a shot, she sees he is the skull feline faced one and she recognizes it as it is the one who rescued he as a child a moment that while blurred in her mind until now has always stuck with her. But it wasn't just her who was impacted by that moment but Kitty as well who has always remembered her and kept watch over her whenever he was nearby. Which is why after suffering a horrible injury from the demon king that left his skull damaged to where is life is shortened; he wants to spend what time he has left watching over the girl now woman who means so much to him. When he made the choice to watch over her, he never imagines revealing himself and that she would not only befriend him but DESIRE HIM! While his time left is short, he can think of no better thank than spending it with the fiery woman he wishes he could have as his bride but would never doom her to his fate.
I will say I liked Mayumi at the start of the book. I liked how unapologetic and brash she was. She was who she was, and she made no apologies. I admired that about her. But at about 50% of the book, she did something that really turned me off to her. Up to that point in the book Faunus had verbally and non-verbally (by moving her hand away) to not touch the crack in his skull that it hurt and to not do it. While he is sleeping, she touches it, and it triggers his fight or flight response, and he fights. How she reacted really pissed me off as Faunus set a clear boundary and then she pushed and pushed and eventually it came to bite her in the butt, and he reacted and then she blames him and tells him essentially to get out unless he tells her exactly what happened. NO ONE OWES YOU AN EXPLANATION FOR THEIR TRAUMA BEFORE THEY ARE READY TO SHARE IT AND THEY DON'T EVER HAVE TO SHARE IT ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY SET A CLEAR BOUNDARY. Yes, he is a Dust walker, and he reacted violently and is a dangerous creature but how he reacted is not his fault and the way she treated him was really poorly in my opinion because then she is like I will not become someone's punching bag for their trauma when that isn't what happened and is not how their relationship is. Maybe it's because I relate to Faunus in this way as I have a similar trauma and if someone violated my boundary like that, I would be reconsidering my relationship with THEM as opposed to them reconsidering their relationship with me because maybe I am not safe with them. But that is maybe a me thing. I will say all that she goes through in the end and what she does for Faunus redeems her in my eyes but at one point I did not like her at all.
In the end I did enjoy the plot and Faunus and got all my monster needs met and I loved the little surprise at the end with Faunus's father being introduced. I have always been curious about him. I am excited to see where the story and next book goes. With the FMC I liked her at the start, lost my faith in her in the middle but she earned it back in the end. It was a fun ride.
This book is about Mayumi who after being discharged from the demon slayer guild is a little lost as all she has ever wanted to do was hunt demons. In response she has isolated herself living in her family's cabin in the middle of the forest, but this is perfect as it allows her on a smaller scale to hunt demons even if she doesn't have the support of the guild anymore. Because in the end one less demon is one less demon and that is all that matters. That is until when her baits draw in not just a regular demon but a dust walker one of the most dangerous types of demons. But as she prepares her arrow to take a shot, she sees he is the skull feline faced one and she recognizes it as it is the one who rescued he as a child a moment that while blurred in her mind until now has always stuck with her. But it wasn't just her who was impacted by that moment but Kitty as well who has always remembered her and kept watch over her whenever he was nearby. Which is why after suffering a horrible injury from the demon king that left his skull damaged to where is life is shortened; he wants to spend what time he has left watching over the girl now woman who means so much to him. When he made the choice to watch over her, he never imagines revealing himself and that she would not only befriend him but DESIRE HIM! While his time left is short, he can think of no better thank than spending it with the fiery woman he wishes he could have as his bride but would never doom her to his fate.