originalbooknerd's Reviews (993)

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

โš“๏ธ๐“๐“ฒ๐“ฐ๐“ฑ๐“ฝ๐”€๐“ฎ๐“ช๐“ฟ๐“ฎ๐“ป โ€“ ๐“๐“ฒ๐“ฐ๐“ฑ๐“ฝ๐”€๐“ฎ๐“ช๐“ฟ๐“ฎ๐“ป #1 - ๐“ก๐“ฎ๐“ฟ๐“ฒ๐“ฎ๐”€โš“๏ธ 
 
โ€œ๐“ฆ๐“ฎ ๐“ช๐“ป๐“ฎ ๐“ช๐“ต๐“ต ๐“ซ๐“ธ๐“พ๐“ท๐“ญ ๐“ฝ๐“ธ ๐“ผ๐“ธ๐“ถ๐“ฎ๐“ธ๐“ท๐“ฎ,โ€ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ ๐“ข๐”‚๐“ต๐“ด ๐“ผ๐“ช๐”‚๐“ผ, ๐“ฒ๐“ฝ๐“ผ ๐“ฟ๐“ธ๐“ฒ๐“ฌ๐“ฎ ๐“ฏ๐“ช๐“ญ๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ฐ, ๐“ถ๐“ฎ๐“ป๐“ฎ๐“ต๐”‚ ๐“ช๐“ท ๐“ฎ๐“ฌ๐“ฑ๐“ธ ๐“ธ๐“ท ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ ๐”€๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ญ. โ€œ๐“ฃ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ ๐“บ๐“พ๐“ฎ๐“ผ๐“ฝ๐“ฒ๐“ธ๐“ท ๐“ฒ๐“ผ, ๐”€๐“ฑ๐“ธ ๐“ซ๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ญ๐“ผ ๐”‚๐“ธ๐“พ, ๐“ฌ๐“ฑ๐“ฒ๐“ต๐“ญ ๐“ธ๐“ฏ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ ๐“ผ๐“ฎ๐“ช?โ€ 
 
Author: R.M. Gray 
 
Couple: Violet Oberon with William Castor or Captain Malachi 
 
Tropes: pirate romance, hidden identity/powers, vampire themes, dystopian romance, love triangle, friends to lovers, dark prophecy 
 
Review: An enthralling pirate fantasy with hints of romance and political subterfuge. R.M. Gray delivers a world where things are not what they seem and enemies are lurking in the daylight. Violet Oberonโ€™s story is only just beginning but already leaves me wanting more of her tantalizing journey as she unravels the secrets of the Nightweavers and the infamous Pirate Captain Malachi. 
 
"๐“˜ ๐“ช๐“ถ ๐“ช ๐“น๐“ฒ๐“ป๐“ช๐“ฝ๐“ฎ, ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ป๐“ธ๐“พ๐“ฐ๐“ฑ ๐“ช๐“ท๐“ญ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ป๐“ธ๐“พ๐“ฐ๐“ฑ. ๐“˜ ๐“ช๐“ต๐”€๐“ช๐”‚๐“ผ ๐”€๐“ฒ๐“ต๐“ต ๐“ซ๐“ฎ." 
 
The way Gray weaves Violetโ€™s story after her family is caught is mysterious and intriguing. As Violet is immersed in the Castor household she begins to grow feelings for the younger Castor, Will. The entanglement of feelings she has confuses her since she has always prided herself in being independent. I personally, loved how she kept her independence and always had backup plans in place if she needed to escape. I loved how she was more of a wandering soul and was curious about the types of magic Nightweavers had even after she finds out Will was not telling her everything. 
 
"๐“œ๐”‚ ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ๐“ช๐“ป๐“ฝ ๐“ต๐“ฎ๐“ช๐“น๐“ผ ๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ฝ๐“ธ ๐“ถ๐”‚ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ป๐“ธ๐“ช๐“ฝ ๐“ช๐“ผ ๐“˜โ€™๐“ถ ๐“ถ๐“ฎ๐“ฝ ๐”€๐“ฒ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ ๐“ช ๐“ป๐“ฎ๐“ญ, ๐“ผ๐“ด๐“ฎ๐“ต๐“ฎ๐“ฝ๐“ช๐“ต ๐“ถ๐“ช๐“ผ๐“ด, ๐“ฒ๐“ฝ๐“ผ ๐“ฝ๐“ธ๐“ธ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐”‚ ๐“ผ๐“ถ๐“ฒ๐“ต๐“ฎ ๐“ฝ๐“พ๐“ป๐“ท๐“ฎ๐“ญ ๐“พ๐“น๐”€๐“ช๐“ป๐“ญ๐“ผ ๐“ฒ๐“ท ๐“ช ๐“ถ๐“ธ๐“ฌ๐“ด๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ฐ ๐“ฐ๐“ป๐“ฒ๐“ท." 
 
R.M. Gray introduces a plethora of characters that shape Violetโ€™s learning and opinions in t his book. While Will is important and the apparent love interest at first, there was something that I did not like about him. He appears at time to not care about Violet or to be withholding facts so she will always need him. The other character I was not a huge of was Owen. I feel like his character needs more expansion and after his brief reintroduction at the end, I think we will see more of him in book 2. Killian was a side character that I liked a lot since he and Violet have more of a familiar bond. I appreciated how he tried to give her information and induct her into the rebellion circle. I also LOVED how he opened her eyes to Willโ€™s deception. 
 
"๐“œ๐”‚ ๐“ซ๐“ธ๐“ญ๐”‚ ๐“ฏ๐“ฎ๐“ฎ๐“ต๐“ผ ๐“ช๐“ผ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ธ๐“พ๐“ฐ๐“ฑ ๐“ฒ๐“ฝโ€™๐“ผ ๐“ฌ๐“ช๐“พ๐“ฐ๐“ฑ๐“ฝ ๐“ฏ๐“ฒ๐“ป๐“ฎ ๐“ช๐“ผ ๐“ฑ๐“ฒ๐“ผ ๐“ญ๐“ฎ๐“ฎ๐“น-๐“ซ๐“ต๐“พ๐“ฎ ๐“ฎ๐”‚๐“ฎ๐“ผ ๐“ฏ๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ญ ๐“ถ๐”‚ ๐“ฐ๐“ช๐”ƒ๐“ฎ ๐“ธ๐“ท๐“ฌ๐“ฎ ๐“ถ๐“ธ๐“ป๐“ฎ." 
 
My favorite secondary characters though were Malachi Shade, the Prince of Eerie and Henry. This book briefly introduces Malachi Shade and it is apparent that him and Violet share some type of bond. As the book unfolds, his involvement in the story becomes mysterious and the parallels he has with the High Prince of Eerie became to much for me to ignore. The way Gray drops hints at who Malachi truly is drew my attention and I hope my theories pan out in the next book. I also found myself loving the Prince and his draw towards Violet. The sparks that fly between them are so obvious and I LOVED how it sent Will into a tailspin. Lastly, Henry was a shock to me since he begins as such an antagonist. However, once Will leaves the friendship, he and Violet strike is true and honest. I hope we see him become a bigger player in this book and that he continues to protect Violet from his brotherโ€™s obsession and deceptions. 
 
"๐“ข๐“ธ๐“ถ๐“ฎ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ฐ ๐“ช๐“ซ๐“ธ๐“พ๐“ฝ ๐“ฑ๐“ฒ๐“ผ ๐“ต๐“ฒ๐“ต๐“ฝ๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ฐ ๐“ฟ๐“ธ๐“ฒ๐“ฌ๐“ฎ ๐“ฒ๐“ผ ๐“ฏ๐“ช๐“ถ๐“ฒ๐“ต๐“ฒ๐“ช๐“ป, ๐“ฑ๐“ธ๐“ฟ๐“ฎ๐“ป๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ฐ ๐“ณ๐“พ๐“ผ๐“ฝ ๐“ช๐“ฝ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ ๐“ฎ๐“ญ๐“ฐ๐“ฎ ๐“ธ๐“ฏ ๐“ถ๐”‚ ๐“ถ๐“ฎ๐“ถ๐“ธ๐“ป๐”‚, ๐“ซ๐“พ๐“ฝ ๐“˜ ๐“ผ๐“ฑ๐“ธ๐“ฟ๐“ฎ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ธ๐“พ๐“ฐ๐“ฑ๐“ฝ ๐“ช๐“ผ๐“ฒ๐“ญ๐“ฎ." 
 
This book has bits of romance but is mainly as an adventure fantasy. Violet does seem to be in the middle of a love triangle at the end and I hope Will is not victorious. I also was ecstatic that Gray gives us parts of Violetโ€™s true origin at the end of this book. I cannot wait to see how it affects her character and romantic prospects as the book goes on. One thing I hope to see more of is her and Malachi and the Prince. Man the attraction she innately feels to them is something else! 
 
Rating: 100+, Violet Oberon comes in hot and lights the world on fire!
emotional funny fast-paced

The Cowboy Hitch โ€“ Canyon Spring Ranch #2 - Review 
 
Author: S.M. West & Kimberly Quinn 
 
Couple: Lacy Hallman & Ridge Kincaid 
 
Tropes: family saga, evil mother, small town, cowboy/western romance, love triangle, billionaire romance, surprise pregnancy romance, he falls first 
 
Review: A swoony cowboy romance that tests the bonds of the Kincaid family line. Ridgeโ€™s story was full of surprises that I did not see coming and I could not of expected better! I loved how S.M. West and Kimberly created the romance between Ridge and Lacy and wish we were getting more from these two! 
 
Ridge is the heir to the Kincaid legacy and this book tests him limits on what he puts up with. The tension he has with his mother over his inheritance and requirements to keep the title as heir was well written and full of animosity. His instant draw to Lacy also created a lot of tension within his family since his mother was trying to set him up with an heiress โ€œworthโ€ their family. I loved how once he found out about Lacy and his kid that he went all in and fought to support both of them. I also felt like his devotion to her showed just who he was as a man and felt bad that his reputation hindered his relationship with Lacy. 
 
Lacy is a complex FMC who has a complicated history and an overbearing brother. The way she bounces back after every upset really drew me into her story and I could not believe how strong she was after her backstory was explained. I enjoyed how she stood her ground against Ridge and was stubborn about being independent. Her strength and resilience are what made her the perfect counterpart to him. The position she finds herself in after she confronts Ridge is heartbreaking but the way she stood up for her child to his mother was epic! 
 
Lacy and Ridge share an intense attraction that is only strengthened as time goes on. The fact that Ridge falls fast and hard for her way before she accepts her feelings just add to this romance. I found Ridge to be the perfect mix of alpha male and cinnamon roll hero. His love and lust for Lacy add so much to their story and I appreciated how he never shied away from his feelings. The HEA they get is hard fought and I was blown away with the shocking ending we get. I cannot wait to see which Kincaid falls next! 
 
Rating: 4/5, the second Kincaid falls and comes back swinging!
challenging dark emotional mysterious fast-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: Complicated

๐Ÿ–ค๐“—๐“ธ๐“พ๐“ผ๐“ฎ ๐“ธ๐“ฏ ๐“–๐“ธ๐“ญ๐“ผ โ€“ ๐“ก๐“ธ๐”‚๐“ช๐“ต ๐“—๐“ธ๐“พ๐“ผ๐“ฎ๐“ผ ๐“ข๐“ฎ๐“ป๐“ฒ๐“ฎ๐“ผ #4 โ€“ ๐“ก๐“ฎ๐“ฟ๐“ฒ๐“ฎ๐”€๐Ÿ–ค 
 
Author: K.A. Linde 
 
Couple: Kerrigan Argon & Fordham Ollivier 
 
Tropes: dragons, fantasy romance, PNR, morally grey MMC, rebel FMC, fae/dragon/magic, shadow powers, slow burn, enemy to friends 
 
Review: Kerrigan takes on the Gods in the penultimate book in this riveting series! Her and Ford are back and ready to fight for their kingdom as they battle the high and mighty powers of  Kerriganโ€™s origin story. This book is packed full of magic, mystery and mayhem as Kerrigan travels through a new realm in search of Ford and her parentage! 
 
Kerrigan is once again the slayer of odds in this book and her tenacity does not diminish at all in this part of her story. I LOVED the way she took on the loss of her magic and decided it would not weaken her. I also thought that K.A. Kinde did a wonderful job with creating the tense atmosphere she faces upon landing in a realm she is unfamiliar with and learning that Ford seemingly disappeared.  The world that was created in this book was phenomenal and I felt like it really elevated this part of Kerriganโ€™s story since this book centers around her learning about her origins and where she came from. I loved seeing the parallels between this world setting and the Olympian Gods with Greek and Roman themes. It made me curious how this realm will play into future series and characters after Kerriganโ€™s story ends. 
 
A huge part of this book was Kerrigan dealing with the loss of her magic. I thought the way K.A. Linde broached the matter was unique and intriguing since it led to the bond, she and her mother ended up forming. I also loved how Ford was there supporting her throughout it all. The book takes on a unique turn on the Cauldron aspect of Fae lore and how magical powers are bestowed and I felt like the scene where Kerrigan meets the Goddess was a pivotal point in this story. 
 
This book also showcases the strength of Kerrigan and Fordโ€™s mate bond. The way the two were drawn to each other across a foreign realm after it was ripped away from them showed just how fated this couple is. I enjoyed how neither of them are overly touchy feely but still encompass a feeling of everlasting love. The challenges and battles they both faced in this book makes me hope they get the epic HEA they deserve and I am anxious for the final part of their story! 
 
Rating: 100+, the battle is on and Kerrigan is ready to play!
dark emotional mysterious fast-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: Complicated

โœจ๐“—๐“ธ๐“พ๐“ผ๐“ฎ ๐“ธ๐“ฏ ๐“’๐“พ๐“ป๐“ผ๐“ฎ๐“ผ โ€“ ๐“ก๐“ธ๐”‚๐“ช๐“ต ๐“—๐“ธ๐“พ๐“ผ๐“ฎ๐“ผ ๐“ข๐“ฎ๐“ป๐“ฒ๐“ฎ๐“ผ #3 - ๐“ก๐“ฎ๐“ฟ๐“ฒ๐“ฎ๐”€โœจ 
 
Author: K.A. Linde 
 
Couple: Kerrigan Argon & Fordham Ollivier 
 
Tropes: dragons, fantasy romance, PNR, morally grey MMC, rebel FMC, fae/dragon/magic, shadow powers, slow burn, enemy to friends 
 
Review: Things heat up in this book and Kerrigan finally steps into her role as a rebellion leader. K.A. Linde delivers a masterpiece in this book and opens the  doors for a new uprising as Kerrigan faces off with the Red Coats in an epic battle that shakes the realm. 
 
Kerrigan embraces her half-fae heritage fully in this book and begins to actually learn all of her powers. I loved seeing her begin to harden herself against all the forces trying to cull her strength and found her tenacity a huge draw in. This book also expands on her bond with Ford and I adored how he stood valiantly by Kerriganโ€™s side and made sure to always bring her up instead of tear her down. One area I found intriguing  in this book was the knowledge of finally learning what Kerriganโ€™s magic is. The soul magic she has and the trainer she finds to teach her drops; so many hints for what is to come that it left me ion edge as she dives deeper into her magic. 
 
This book also adds a few chapters from otherโ€™s POV. I found the added POVs to be crucial to the plot since they allow us to see the unrest and events occurring in the human lands and within the rebellion. Fordโ€™s sister also makes a play in this book and I loved her character arc in this story and her attachment to the King of the Wastes. I am anxious to see how their relationship grows in the final few books. 
 
This book is darker than previous books in this series and has a lot of war time scenes that I found exhilarating. K.A. Linde did a wonderful job with developing the tension between Kerrigan, the humans and the Red Coats. I was surprised with the secrets that unfolded surrounding who was in charge of the Red Coats and could not believe how much he was integrated within Kerriganโ€™s life. I also felt like the fighting and attacks developed at a natural pace and were built up appropriately. 
 
K.A. Linde explores the mate bond between Kerrigan and Ford in this book as well. It is the first book where Kerrigan truly gives into her growing attraction and feelings to Ford. I enjoyed the added spice in this book and the love they each had. I only wish we could get some of Fordโ€™s POV. The ending to this book shocked me and I could not believe the twist at the end and am looking forward to the next chapter of Kerriganโ€™s story! 
 
Rating: 9/10, a huge cliffhanger for Kerrigan and Ford!
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: Complicated

๐Ÿ–ค๐“—๐“ธ๐“พ๐“ผ๐“ฎ ๐“ธ๐“ฏ ๐“ข๐“ฑ๐“ช๐“ญ๐“ธ๐”€๐“ผ โ€“ ๐“ก๐“ธ๐”‚๐“ช๐“ต ๐“—๐“ธ๐“พ๐“ผ๐“ฎ๐“ผ ๐“ข๐“ฎ๐“ป๐“ฒ๐“ฎ๐“ผ #2 - ๐“ก๐“ฎ๐“ฟ๐“ฒ๐“ฎ๐”€๐Ÿ–ค 
 
Author: K.A. Linde 
 
Couple: Kerrigan Argon & Fordham Ollivier 
 
Tropes: dragons, fantasy romance, PNR, morally grey MMC, rebel FMC, fae/dragon/magic, shadow powers, slow burn, enemy to friends 
 
Review: Kerrigan is back and ready to tackle the Shadow House in this book and man what an adventure it is. Fordham becomes a bugger player in this book and his ever changing feelings for Kerrigan drive him to claim her under his house name. This book is still more YA but does heat up as the two get closer! 
 
Kerrigan is gaining traction as a rebellion sympathizer in this book and I loved seeing her become fiercer and more protective of the fellow half-fae in her kingdom. As she travels to Fordโ€™s home we begin to see how rigid his families beliefs are. I loved seeing her stick it to his family and prove that she was no worse than them but actually better than they were. Her journey in this book is more about learning to connect with her dragon, and free the Shadow House from corrupt rule. 
 
Ford starts to open up to Kerrigan in this book and I found his character to have the most growth in this book. I loved seeing him open up to her and come to depend on her steadfastness. I also loved how Ford had the desire to become a better ruler than his parents and wanted to bring his house to current times. Even though we do not get his POV, Fordโ€™s journey in this book is intense since it is all about his viewpoints being challenged and him having to open up to others and ask for help. 
 
This book introduces a ton of new characters that will play bigger roles in the series. Fordโ€™s cousins and sisters are all villains in this book and try to sabotage his plans. I found the way Ford was able to figure out the betrayals to be maddening since it occurred too late but I did appreciate how he always trusted Kerrigan and never kept her out of the loop. This is the first book were the Red Coats and the Rebellion clash and ignite the war thatโ€™s been brewing and it is INTENSE. I am looking forward to how Kerrigan accepts her role in that final battle scene and moves on from the bloodshed to stop the Red Coats in the next books! 
 
Rating: 10/10, Kerrigan and Fordham embark on another journey that brings them closer together!
dark emotional mysterious slow-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: No

House of Dragons โ€“ Royal Houses Series #1 - Review 
 
Author: K.A. Linde 
 
Couple: Kerrigan Argon & Fordham Ollivier 
 
Tropes: dragons, fantasy romance, PNR, morally grey MMC, rebel FMC, fae/dragon/magic, shadow powers, slow burn, enemy to friends 
 
Review: I love this series. It is a terrific YA fantasy series that is from one POV. The book begins with Kerrigan rebelling against the society she was raised in and we quickly learn she has many reasons to. 
 

K.A. Linde does a phenomenal job chronicling Kerriganโ€™s journey in this first book. I enjoyed how she refused to back down from Fordham when she was assigned to show him around the trials. I also liked how she pushed all his buttons and made him question his beliefs. Kerriganโ€™s character in this first book is more on the silent rebellion spectrum and she has yet to really push boundaries with half-fae rights but I loved how we can see her taking tiny steps to be a huge figure on that area  in the book. 

 

This book has so many layers and I appreciated how K.A. Linde created the dragon bonds and how she included the dialogue between Kerrigan and the dragons. I was also curious about Kerriganโ€™s past and the true reason why she was left at the mountain by her father. I found myself hoping we saw them resolve the history and then build a bondโ€ฆbut that does not happen here. I also enjoyed how her prophetic powers were slowly revealed throughout this book. The sly way she helps Fordham continue on and win his trials shows how much she trusted him when when she did not know him. 
 
My favorite areas in this book always included the wit and banter between Fordham and Kerrigan. I loved how she engaged with him and brought him out of his shell. I also found myself liking how he began protecting her and never truly realized it until the end. The bond between them in this book takes precedent over any heat or spice and I was all for it when he gave her the option at the end to join his house. 
 
K.A. Linde tackled the main conflict well in this book too. After Kerrigan is passed over on her clan claiming night we begin to learn about how corrupt the dragon rider society is. I appreciated how it was revealed slowly and how she introduced new and old characters that continue to build in this book. 
 
Rating: 9/10, a great first book is this fantasy series!
dark emotional fast-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: Complicated

๐Ÿ–ค๐’œ ๐’ฉ๐‘’๐“Œ ๐‘…๐‘’๐’พ๐‘”๐“ƒ - ๐’ž๐’ฝ๐’พ๐“๐’น๐“‡๐‘’๐“ƒ ๐‘œ๐’ป ๐“‰๐’ฝ๐‘’ ๐น๐’ถ๐“๐“๐‘’๐“ƒ #๐Ÿฆ, ๐’œ๐’ป๐“‰๐‘’๐“‡ ๐“‰๐’ฝ๐‘’ ๐น๐’ถ๐“๐“ ๐’ฎ๐’ถ๐‘”๐’ถ #๐Ÿจ โ€“ ๐‘…๐‘’๐“‹๐’พ๐‘’๐“Œ๐Ÿ–ค
 
โ€œ๐“ค๐“ท๐“ญ๐“ฎ๐“ป ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ๐“ป ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ๐”‚ ๐”€๐“ฒ๐“ต๐“ต ๐“ช๐“ต๐“ฒ๐“ฐ๐“ทโ€”๐“ธ๐“ท๐“ฎ ๐“ฏ๐“ป๐“ธ๐“ถ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ ๐“ผ๐“ฝ๐“ช๐“ป๐“ผ, ๐“ช๐“ท๐“ธ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ๐“ป ๐“ฏ๐“ป๐“ธ๐“ถ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ ๐“ผ๐“ด๐”‚, ๐“ช๐“ท๐“ญ ๐“ธ๐“ท๐“ฎ ๐”€๐“ฒ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ ๐“น๐“ธ๐”€๐“ฎ๐“ป ๐“ธ๐“ฏ ๐“ฏ๐“ฒ๐“ป๐“ฎ.โ€ 
 
Couple: Neve with Declan, Luca and Kai
 
Author: D.M. Simmons
 
Tropes: PNR, immortal romance, why choose, dark romance, hidden plots, found family, primal play, alter ego, best friends to lovers, Greek gods reimagined, Norse mythology, daemons/demigods/angels
 
Review: The boys are back and ready to play! Neve, Luca, Kai and Declan come back with a vengeance in this book and I have no words for how well D.M. Simmons knocks the final battle out of the park! The way the Norse and Greek pantheons are interwoven in this fourth book added a layer of whimsical fantasy since we finally got that final part of the ancient prophecy about Neveโ€™s rise to power,. I enjoyed how each male had to travel into his own realm and claim his seat to gather the supreme power Neve needed to overthrow Luke.
 
โ€œ๐“—๐“ฎ ๐“ฒ๐“ผ ๐“ถ๐”‚ ๐“ต๐“ธ๐“ป๐“ญ, ๐“ช๐“ท๐“ญ ๐“˜ ๐“ช๐“ถ ๐“ฑ๐“ฒ๐“ผ ๐“บ๐“พ๐“ฎ๐“ฎ๐“ท, ๐“ช๐“ท๐“ญ ๐“ฝ๐“ธ๐“ฐ๐“ฎ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ๐“ป, ๐”€๐“ฎ ๐”€๐“ฒ๐“ต๐“ต ๐“ป๐“พ๐“ต๐“ฎ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฒ๐“ผ ๐”€๐“ธ๐“ป๐“ต๐“ญ. ๐“™๐“พ๐“ผ๐“ฝ ๐“ช๐“ผ ๐“ฑ๐“ฒ๐“ผ ๐“ซ๐“ป๐“ธ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ๐“ป๐“ผ ๐“ช๐“ท๐“ญ ๐“˜ ๐”€๐“ฒ๐“ต๐“ต ๐“ป๐“พ๐“ต๐“ฎ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ๐“ฒ๐“ป๐“ผ. ๐“”๐“ฟ๐“ฎ๐“ป๐”‚๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ฐ ๐”€๐“ฒ๐“ต๐“ต ๐“ฌ๐“ธ๐“ท๐“ฝ๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“พ๐“ฎ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ ๐”€๐“ช๐”‚ ๐“ฒ๐“ฝ ๐“ซ๐“ฎ๐“ฐ๐“ช๐“ท, ๐”€๐“ฒ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ ๐“ช๐“ต๐“ต ๐“ธ๐“ฏ ๐“พ๐“ผ. ๐“ž๐“ท๐“ต๐”‚ ๐“ท๐“ธ๐”€ ๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ผ๐“ฝ๐“ฎ๐“ช๐“ญ ๐“ธ๐“ฏ ๐“ฏ๐“ธ๐“พ๐“ป, ๐”€๐“ฎ ๐“ช๐“ป๐“ฎ ๐“ฏ๐“ฒ๐“ฟ๐“ฎโ€
 
Neve blew my mind in this book with how much she grew into a mature and fearsome FMC. I loved how the relationship she had with her parents evolved into one of respect and mutual understanding since she is now facing the same threats they had decades prior. I loved seeing her darker side come out to play and really enjoyed how she and Kai knew about Hydeโ€™s true fate the whole time. D.M. Simmons did a phenomenal job with creating the final twists to Neveโ€™s story as she journeyโ€™s into Olympus, Valhalla and H3ll to claim her crown. I did not see her ascension to heaven and the shocking twist of who tags along with her at the end but was happy with the events that led her to her resolution.
 
โ€œ๐“•๐“ธ๐“ป ๐”‚๐“ธ๐“พ, ๐“ถ๐”‚ ๐“ฝ๐“ฎ๐“ช๐“ป๐“ผ ๐”€๐“ฎ๐“ป๐“ฎ ๐“ป๐“ฎ๐“ช๐“ต, ๐“ถ๐”‚ ๐“ณ๐“ธ๐”‚ ๐“ผ๐“ฝ๐“ป๐“ธ๐“ท๐“ฐ, ๐“ช๐“ท๐“ญ ๐“ต๐“ธ๐“ฟ๐“ฎ ๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ฏ๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ฒ๐“ฝ๐“ฎ.โ€
 
I was not prepared for how much I would fall for Luca in this book. I had loved him and Kai the most out of the three throughout the whole series but I truly fell in love with Luca and his journey in this book. I felt like he had the most development and revelations in this book and at times my heart hurt for him! The power shift between him, Kai and Declan also evolved a ton in this book and WOW D.M. outdid herself with the natural progression of Luca and Declanโ€™s boiling tension! 
 
โ€œ๐“•๐“ฒ๐“ป๐“ฎ ๐“ฒ๐“ผ ๐“ท๐“ธ๐“ฝ ๐“ฝ๐“ธ ๐“ซ๐“ฎ ๐“ฏ๐“ฎ๐“ช๐“ป๐“ฎ๐“ญ. ๐“˜๐“ฝโ€™๐“ผ ๐“ฝ๐“ธ ๐“ซ๐“ฎ ๐“ฎ๐“ถ๐“ซ๐“ป๐“ช๐“ฌ๐“ฎ๐“ญ. ๐“—๐”‚๐“ญ๐“ฎ ๐“ฝ๐“ช๐“พ๐“ฐ๐“ฑ๐“ฝ ๐“ถ๐“ฎ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ช๐“ฝ, ๐“ช๐“ท๐“ญ ๐“ท๐“ธ๐”€ ๐“˜ ๐”€๐“ฒ๐“ต๐“ต ๐“ฝ๐“ฎ๐“ช๐“ฌ๐“ฑ ๐”‚๐“ธ๐“พ.โ€
 
Kaiโ€™s story also had a lot of growth and I adored how he persevered. His origin and parentage broke my heart since you could tell how he began to resent himself and pull away from the group. I loved how Neve did not let him however and was there for him for everything. The sneaky way D.M. brought Hyde back into play also added a lot to his story and I was so happy Hyde and Kai were both granted their HEAs. The best friend bond he had with Neve also warmed my heart since she was always his truest supporter. 
 
This book is HAWT. DM ramps up the spice in this book and wee see more group activities and some MM between the guys. I loved how this book truly encapsulates the bond between all of them and felt like it was a full circle by the end. This book ends on a huge tease for the upcoming series and the next generation of the Fallen world for which I CANNOT WAIT! 
 
Rating: 100+, Kai/Hyde and Luca are my boys!.
emotional funny fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

๐ŸŽธCrescendo โ€“ Wild Heart #1 - Review๐ŸŽธ
 
Author: E.J. Lawson
 
Couple: Josie with Jax, Dylan, Asher & Holden
 
Tropes: why choose, RH, rockstar romance, omegaverse, found family, interconnected series, one-night stand romance
 
Review: Get ready to meet your new favorite rockstars in this all new omegaverse romance! EJ Lawson introduces a new cast of characters in this interconnected spin off from her Knot Their Omega series! 
 
Josie is a Beta when we meet her and I think she was my favorite character in this book! I loved how she took no bull from anyone and stood her ground to achieve her goals. Lawson did a terrific job with creating her story and resilience throughout all the shocks that came her way. This is the first omegaverse book I have read where the FMC starts as a beat and becomes an omega after meeting the alphas and I cannot say I was disappointed with the natural progression of events. Josie is a strong willed FMC who was much different than omegas we normally get in books like these and I appreciated how Lawson added the dilemma she faced in regards to her freedoms and rights as she began the transition.
 
The men in this book. Oh. My. GAWD! Jax and Dylan are the dynamic duo I fell in lust with right off the bat and I loved the meet cure they had with Josie. The dynamic all four alphas had with her was also unique and I liked how Lawson took the time to build the bond between Josie and each of them. Jax was probably the MMC that had the most growth and the way we learn about his past was tragic since he almost loses Josie in the process. Other than that, I was drawn towards Ash and Holden the most. I liked how both of them were not what I expected for a MMC in a rockstar romance. Ash was a more sedate playboy and I found his POV to be the most enlightening. Holden was just the MMC who was the quiet and broody one but once he began to open up I was lost to him since he was one of Josieโ€™s fiercest protectors. 
 
This is a very spicy book. It has more spice than the prior omegaverse series Lawson wrote and there was a LOT of buildup, angst and sparks between all of them. I enjoyed how this book was a twist on a one-night stand and why choose. I liked the frenemies to loverโ€™s vibe Josie had with Dylan and Jax after meeting them again as her bosses. I also enjoyed how each of the males were very different with their steam. Ash was the most hesitant in my opinion and I felt like he kept his head the best however, Holden is the one who shocked me at the end! The HEA they got was well deserved and the way the band fought for Josie to stay was the best part of the book!
 
Rating: 9/10, a terrific spin-off E.J.โ€™s original omegaverse series!
dark emotional mysterious slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

โžฟ๐”๐”ฌ๐”ฏ๐”ก๐”ฐ ๐”ฌ๐”ฃ ๐”ฑ๐”ฅ๐”ข โ„Œ๐”ฒ๐”ซ๐”ฑ โ€“ ๐”š๐”ฆ๐”ฉ๐”ก๐”ข ๐”‰๐”ž๐”ข #1 โ€“ โ„œ๐”ข๐”ณ๐”ฆ๐”ข๐”ดโžฟ
 
โ€œ๐•น๐–”, ๐–‘๐–Ž๐–™๐–™๐–‘๐–Š ๐–’๐–”๐–“๐–˜๐–™๐–Š๐–—. ๐•ด ๐–ˆ๐–”๐–’๐–Š ๐–‹๐–—๐–”๐–’ ๐–† ๐–‘๐–”๐–“๐–Œ ๐–‘๐–Ž๐–“๐–Š ๐–”๐–‹ ๐–›๐–Ž๐–‘๐–‘๐–†๐–Ž๐–“๐–˜. ๐•ด๐–‹ ๐–™๐–๐–Š๐–—๐–Š ๐–†๐–—๐–Š ๐–†๐–“๐–ž ๐–๐–Š๐–—๐–”๐–Š๐–˜ ๐–Ž๐–“ ๐–™๐–๐–Ž๐–˜ ๐–˜๐–™๐–”๐–—๐–ž, ๐–™๐–๐–Š๐–ž ๐–˜๐–๐–†๐–—๐–Š ๐–“๐–” ๐–‡๐–‘๐–”๐–”๐–‰ ๐–œ๐–Ž๐–™๐– ๐–’๐–Š.โ€
 
Author: Kate King
 
Couple: Lonnie with Prince Scion and Prince Bael
 
Tropes: why choose, RH, dark romance, dark fantasy, Fae/human romance, enemy to lovers, fated mates, hidden prophecy/powers, royal romance, forced proximity 
 
โ€œ๐•ฌ ๐–œ๐–”๐–—๐–‰ ๐–”๐–‹ ๐–†๐–‰๐–›๐–Ž๐–ˆ๐–Šโ€ฆ๐•น๐–Š๐–›๐–Š๐–— ๐–—๐–š๐–“ ๐–‹๐–—๐–”๐–’ ๐–’๐–”๐–“๐–˜๐–™๐–Š๐–—๐–˜. ๐•ด๐–™ ๐–”๐–“๐–‘๐–ž ๐–Š๐–“๐–™๐–Ž๐–ˆ๐–Š๐–˜ ๐–š๐–˜ ๐–™๐–” ๐–ˆ๐–๐–†๐–˜๐–Š ๐–ž๐–”๐–š.โ€
 
Review: Enter the Hunt and play the games if you dare. The fae are fickle, wicked thingsโ€”and the worst thing a human can do in their presence is to be interesting. Kate did a wonderful job creating a darkly enthralling romance that takes a twist on the infamous Fae Hunts. Lonnie is a FMC that defines fiery and rebellious. The mystery surrounding her powers and secrets sucked me in from the first chapter and kept me guessing long after I finished this book.
 
โ€œ๐•ณ๐–Š๐–‘๐–‘๐–”, ๐–‘๐–Ž๐–™๐–™๐–‘๐–Š ๐–’๐–”๐–“๐–˜๐–™๐–Š๐–—. ๐•ดโ€™๐–›๐–Š ๐–‡๐–Š๐–Š๐–“ ๐–๐–š๐–“๐–™๐–Ž๐–“๐–Œ ๐–‹๐–”๐–— ๐–ž๐–”๐–š.โ€
 
Lonnie is a โ€œhumanโ€ girl who takes her sisterโ€™s place at the annual Hunt, even when she knows she has a certain allure to the High Fae. I enjoyed her character immensely and loved how independent she was in the face of adversary. I also could not help but wonder if her mother lied about her past in order to keep her wings clipped since as the plot unfolds Lonnie finds it harder and harder to keep her powers and anger in check. The rebellious nature Lonnie had also added to her growth since she proves the Princes wrong when she claims the crown for herself and thus places herself in the middle of an age old prophecy. 
 
โ€œ๐•ด ๐–†๐–’ ๐–‡๐–Š๐–Œ๐–Ž๐–“๐–“๐–Ž๐–“๐–Œ ๐–™๐–” ๐–—๐–Š๐–Œ๐–—๐–Š๐–™ ๐–Š๐–›๐–Š๐–—๐–ž ๐–‰๐–Š๐–ˆ๐–Ž๐–˜๐–Ž๐–”๐–“ ๐–™๐–๐–†๐–™ ๐–‘๐–Š๐–‰ ๐–’๐–Š ๐–™๐–” ๐–™๐–๐–Ž๐–˜ ๐–’๐–”๐–’๐–Š๐–“๐–™. ๐–„๐–”๐–š๐–— ๐–˜๐–™๐–š๐–‡๐–‡๐–”๐–—๐–“๐–“๐–Š๐–˜๐–˜ ๐–ˆ๐–”๐–š๐–‘๐–‰ ๐–’๐–†๐–๐–Š ๐–†๐–“ ๐–Ž๐–’๐–’๐–”๐–—๐–™๐–†๐–‘ ๐–œ๐–Ž๐–˜๐– ๐–‹๐–”๐–— ๐–‰๐–Š๐–†๐–™๐–.โ€
 
The biggest areas of the book centered around the intense draw Lonnie feels towards Scion and Bael. I enjoyed how Bael took her under his wing and became enraptured in everything Lonnie was. Bael and Lonnieโ€™s relationship is the least contentious in this book and I felt like they both needed the resilience the other offered to make it past the challenges they faced in the Hunt where Lonnie is Queen. I adored how Lonnie had an innately curious nature and how it drove Bael insane since she could not help but wonder about everything. I also appreciated how Kate did not gloss over Lonnieโ€™s hatred towards the Fae but slowly worked the animosity downโ€ฆat least between her and Bael. I also loved getting to learn about Bael and how his powers affected him. I felt like his powers of foresight showed him events that influenced his actions and I cannot wait for them to come to pass.
 
โ€œ๐•ฟ๐–๐–Š ๐–œ๐–†๐–ž ๐–๐–Š๐–— ๐–’๐–Ž๐–“๐–‰ ๐–œ๐–”๐–—๐–๐–Š๐–‰ ๐–œ๐–†๐–˜ ๐–๐–ž๐–˜๐–™๐–Š๐–—๐–Ž๐–ˆ๐–†๐–‘ ๐–†๐–“๐–‰ ๐–‹๐–†๐–˜๐–ˆ๐–Ž๐–“๐–†๐–™๐–Ž๐–“๐–Œ. ๐•ฌ๐–‘๐–‘ ๐–ˆ๐–”๐–“๐–˜๐–š๐–’๐–Ž๐–“๐–Œ.โ€
 
Scion on the other hand is the dark prince. He was also my favorite character in this story besides Lonnie. His character is the epitome of a tortured soul in this book and I loved how the prophecy surrounding his fate, family and mate bonds begins to unravel when he meets Lonnie. While we do not learn the whole prophecy in this book, I was enthralled with what we do learn about it since it hints at a dark ending for Lonnie and her mates. I also loved how Scion was more of a broody alpha male and cannot wait until the tension between him and Lonnie over flows. The intense animosity between them drew me in and made me want to know what happened to each of them to make the hate so strong. 
 
This book is a SLOOOOW BURN romance. Lonnie and her men have very little spice in this book but are full of angst, tension, chemistry and overflowing emotions. This book sets up stage for the forming of mate bonds and uncovering Lonnieโ€™s secret powers. The intense push and pull between Lonnie and each male made me want to push them together yet I also loved how Kate let the tension buildโ€ฆ.especially between Lonnie and Scion. I cannot wait to see how each of Lonnieโ€™s males continue to fall in the next book and will anxiously await to continuation of her story!
 
Rating: 100+, Lonnie you sly humanโ€ฆor are you?
emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

๐Ÿ’๐“ค๐“ท๐“ญ๐“ฎ๐“ท๐“ฒ๐“ช๐“ซ๐“ต๐“ฎ โ€“ ๐“‘๐“ช๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ซ๐“ป๐“ฒ๐“ญ๐“ฐ๐“ฎ ๐“ค๐“ท๐“ฒ๐“ฟ๐“ฎ๐“ป๐“ผ๐“ฒ๐“ฝ๐”‚ #4 โ€“ ๐“ก๐“ฎ๐“ฟ๐“ฒ๐“ฎ๐”€๐Ÿ’
 
โ€œ๐“˜ ๐“ต๐“ธ๐“ฟ๐“ฎ๐“ญ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ช๐“ฝ ๐”‚๐“ธ๐“พ ๐”€๐“ฎ๐“ป๐“ฎ ๐“ถ๐”‚ ๐“ผ๐“ธ๐“พ๐“ท๐“ญ๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ฐ ๐“ซ๐“ธ๐“ช๐“ป๐“ญ, ๐“ถ๐”‚ ๐“ผ๐“ช๐“ฏ๐“ฎ ๐“ผ๐“น๐“ช๐“ฌ๐“ฎ. ๐“‘๐“พ๐“ฝ ๐”€๐“ฑ๐“ช๐“ฝ ๐”‚๐“ธ๐“พ ๐“ญ๐“ธ๐“ทโ€™๐“ฝ ๐“ฐ๐“ฎ๐“ฝ ๐“ฒ๐“ผ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ช๐“ฝ ๐“˜ ๐”€๐“ช๐“ท๐“ฝ๐“ฎ๐“ญ ๐“ฝ๐“ธ ๐“ฝ๐“ช๐“ด๐“ฎ ๐“ฌ๐“ช๐“ป๐“ฎ ๐“ธ๐“ฏ ๐”‚๐“ธ๐“พ ๐“ฝ๐“ธ๐“ธ.โ€
 
Author: Andi Burns
 
Couple: Booker & Ian
 
Tropes: MM romance, forbidden romance, TA/student, college romance, found family, hockey romance
 
Review: The final book in the Bainbridge University series and the one we have all been waiting for! Bookerโ€™s romance is one that will leave you in the feels. There was not a page where  I did not feel some type of way for the oppression he felt or for the incensed anger I had that he was afraid to be himself. Andi did a wonderful job with writing his story and giving us the last HEA we needed for the four alpha males in the Chapel on the Hill.
 
โ€œ๐“‘๐“ฎ๐“ฌ๐“ช๐“พ๐“ผ๐“ฎ ๐“ฒ๐“ฏ ๐“˜โ€™๐“ถ ๐“ซ๐“ฎ๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ฐ ๐“ฑ๐“ธ๐“ท๐“ฎ๐“ผ๐“ฝ, ๐“˜ ๐“ญ๐“ธ๐“ทโ€™๐“ฝ ๐”€๐“ช๐“ท๐“ฝ ๐“ฝ๐“ธ ๐“ซ๐“ฎ ๐“˜๐“ช๐“ท ๐“œ๐“ฌ๐“‘๐“ป๐“ฒ๐“ญ๐“ฎโ€™๐“ผ ๐“ฏ๐“ป๐“ฒ๐“ฎ๐“ท๐“ญ. ๐“˜ ๐”€๐“ช๐“ท๐“ฝ ๐“ผ๐“ธ ๐“ถ๐“พ๐“ฌ๐“ฑ ๐“ถ๐“ธ๐“ป๐“ฎ.โ€
 
Booker is the โ€œmachoโ€ hockey guy in the house but looks are deceiving since he is actually very insecure. I thought Andi making him insecure added to his character and story since it gave us insight into his person. I loved how he was the peacemaker in the house but also a force to be reckoned with when pushed to far. The way he begins to explore his feelings with Ian was also unconventional and I was there for it! I enjoyed the TA/student forbidden aspect and how the content of the class Ian was teaching made Booker open his mind up to who he was. 
 
โ€œ๐“˜โ€™๐“ฟ๐“ฎ ๐“ช๐“ต๐”€๐“ช๐”‚๐“ผ ๐“ซ๐“ฎ๐“ฎ๐“ท ๐”‚๐“ธ๐“พ๐“ป๐“ผ, ๐“‘๐“ธ๐“ธ๐“ด๐“ฎ๐“ป. ๐“˜ ๐“ณ๐“พ๐“ผ๐“ฝ ๐“ต๐“ธ๐“ผ๐“ฝ ๐“ถ๐”‚ ๐”€๐“ช๐”‚ ๐“ฏ๐“ธ๐“ป ๐“ช ๐“ถ๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“พ๐“ฝ๐“ฎ. ๐“‘๐“พ๐“ฝ ๐“˜ ๐“ท๐“ฎ๐“ฟ๐“ฎ๐“ป ๐“ผ๐“ฝ๐“ธ๐“น๐“น๐“ฎ๐“ญ ๐“ต๐“ธ๐“ฟ๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ฐ ๐”‚๐“ธ๐“พ.โ€
 
Ian was the softie I did not know I needed. I enjoyed his character in Nox and Willaโ€™s story and loved him even more in this one. His softer side for Booker and his understanding of what he was going through made me fall in love with him more than I already was and I loved his bond with his family. The way he stood up to Bookerโ€™s father also another check in the box for me since that was the most pivotal part in this story. Andi did a phenomenal job with creating the tension and emotional pull between the two MCs and I wish we got more of Ian after this!
 
I enjoyed the steam in this book. It was not over the top and added a layer of angst to the story. It was a romance of finding oneself and accepting who you are. I appreciated how Andi broached the topic of coming out and accepting yourself in this book, especially since Booker struggles in this book to accept who he is. I loved this story and it was a great way for this series to end and I cannot wait for the hockey boys to get their stories. 
 
Rating: 9/10, Booker took me on an emotional roller coaster that left me in tears of joy!