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pagepixie's reviews
152 reviews
Beneath Black Sails by Clare Sager
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Pirates, romance, magic, and swashbuckling action? What’s not to like about Beneath Black Sails?
I had a lot of fun with this read. I just ordered this author’s major hit and didn’t even realize I was already reading a book by her! Overall, I’m pleased and excited to read more of her work.
I really liked our FMC in this book. She’s fierce, powerful, and kind. Vice is also sexy and sex positive. This was refreshing as I feel like I’ve had a streak of blushing violets recently. Not that spice was the main focus of this book, we had one main spicy scene. Which is perfect for me.
I also liked Knigh’s character. I liked that his character was so wound right, a rule follower not a bad boy, and enjoyed seeing him come to terms with the fact that his strong moral compass can also lead him astray.
There was some great betray in this book and while it was predictable it still brought me to tears while I anticipated it’s buildup. I can’t wait for the groveling!
I hope we get to see more of the side characters develops in the next book as I enjoyed the glimpses we got. I’m also interested to see how the world building continues. There are a few side plots I’m interested in seeing develope. I think we will have some real villains come into play in the next few books.
Can’t wait!
I had a lot of fun with this read. I just ordered this author’s major hit and didn’t even realize I was already reading a book by her! Overall, I’m pleased and excited to read more of her work.
I really liked our FMC in this book. She’s fierce, powerful, and kind. Vice is also sexy and sex positive. This was refreshing as I feel like I’ve had a streak of blushing violets recently. Not that spice was the main focus of this book, we had one main spicy scene. Which is perfect for me.
I also liked Knigh’s character. I liked that his character was so wound right, a rule follower not a bad boy, and enjoyed seeing him come to terms with the fact that his strong moral compass can also lead him astray.
There was some great betray in this book and while it was predictable it still brought me to tears while I anticipated it’s buildup. I can’t wait for the groveling!
I hope we get to see more of the side characters develops in the next book as I enjoyed the glimpses we got. I’m also interested to see how the world building continues. There are a few side plots I’m interested in seeing develope. I think we will have some real villains come into play in the next few books.
Can’t wait!
Shadow & Storms by Helen Scheuerer
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
I loved the conclusion to this epic fantasy romance!
This series is one of my all time favorite and already I’m planning on when I will give it a reread.
In this final installment for Thea and Wilder’s story we finally face the war that has been building in Thezmarr. But we start with a BANG at the Scarlet Tower rescuing Wilder. While I was glad they were reunited quickly I did think this was pretty fast. But again, I didn’t mind!
I thought the fighting and battle scenes were really well done. It was exciting and nail biting! In fact that really felt like the focus of this book.
Secondly, we have the romance. Wilder absolutely worships Thea and the ground she walks on. She love him fiercely. I love how often they said they loved each other in this. We had a lot to make up for following book three! The spice scenes were great as well.
With regard to the side characters, Cal and Kip had their banter but I wish we saw more of them. I loved the growing dynamic between the three sisters. It brought me to tears. Of course, the twist at the end there was crazy! I sobbed!
I loved the glimpses of Due and Tal and Ryland. I need to read Tal’s book so bad! I loved seeing his relationship mended with Wilder.
My favorite part was the way the prophecy played out. It melded together to well, the final show down gave me chills.
There are some unanswered questions at the end but of course, that’s because we’re not done with the world of Thezmarr! This book clearly sets up Wren and Torj’s story and I can not wait for it!
This series is one of my all time favorite and already I’m planning on when I will give it a reread.
In this final installment for Thea and Wilder’s story we finally face the war that has been building in Thezmarr. But we start with a BANG at the Scarlet Tower rescuing Wilder. While I was glad they were reunited quickly I did think this was pretty fast. But again, I didn’t mind!
I thought the fighting and battle scenes were really well done. It was exciting and nail biting! In fact that really felt like the focus of this book.
Secondly, we have the romance. Wilder absolutely worships Thea and the ground she walks on. She love him fiercely. I love how often they said they loved each other in this. We had a lot to make up for following book three! The spice scenes were great as well.
With regard to the side characters, Cal and Kip had their banter but I wish we saw more of them. I loved the growing dynamic between the three sisters. It brought me to tears. Of course, the twist at the end there was crazy! I sobbed!
I loved the glimpses of Due and Tal and Ryland. I need to read Tal’s book so bad! I loved seeing his relationship mended with Wilder.
My favorite part was the way the prophecy played out. It melded together to well, the final show down gave me chills.
There are some unanswered questions at the end but of course, that’s because we’re not done with the world of Thezmarr! This book clearly sets up Wren and Torj’s story and I can not wait for it!
The Only One Left by Riley Sager
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I’m not very well versed in the thriller/mystery genre so I’m not sure how reliable my rating for experience with this book is. Never the less I’ll do my best.
This book is definitely filled with a lot of small clues, twists, turns, and to that end I did find it very engaging. To a certain extent I did not expect the killer to be who it was.
However, I found there to be a lot going on in this book and yet not enough actually happened. Most of the lies did come together at the end but I was left a little unsatisfied. Specifically, I found the truth about the murders to be anticlimactic.
In addition, the deterioration of the house added a bit of a fantastical element to the story that took me out of the mystery aspect of things.
I found almost every character to be unlikable. Especially our narrator, Kit, who claims to be paranoid and convinced she’s going to the next victim. And yet trusts almost everyone one she bumps into with whatever new tid but of information she has discovered. Despite being pretty dumb throughout this novel, non of that even catches up with her. I’ll leave that to you to decide whether that is fortunate or not!
Overall, this is definitely a page turner that keeps you guessing to the end. Whether you like that end or not is what may cause you to enjoy it better or worse than I did.
This book is definitely filled with a lot of small clues, twists, turns, and to that end I did find it very engaging. To a certain extent I did not expect the killer to be who it was.
However, I found there to be a lot going on in this book and yet not enough actually happened. Most of the lies did come together at the end but I was left a little unsatisfied. Specifically, I found the truth about the murders to be anticlimactic.
In addition, the deterioration of the house added a bit of a fantastical element to the story that took me out of the mystery aspect of things.
I found almost every character to be unlikable. Especially our narrator, Kit, who claims to be paranoid and convinced she’s going to the next victim. And yet trusts almost everyone one she bumps into with whatever new tid but of information she has discovered. Despite being pretty dumb throughout this novel, non of that even catches up with her. I’ll leave that to you to decide whether that is fortunate or not!
Overall, this is definitely a page turner that keeps you guessing to the end. Whether you like that end or not is what may cause you to enjoy it better or worse than I did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Grief, and Classism
A Court This Cruel and Lovely by Stacia Stark
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I’m not usually one to be too brutal in a review and I’m going to try my best.
Let me start with, I WANTED to like this book. In fact, going into this I thought I was the perfect target audience for this book. I love fantasy romance books. I’ve read a fair amount of them. On top of that I have seen this book around a lot. I have seen it on lists next other titles I LOVED such as Trials of the Sun Queen, Blood & Steel, The Bridge Kingdom, etc.
But this book just did NOT do it for me. I will say I’m partly to blame because I felt it in the first few chapters but I thought to myself, “Hey, it’s the first book we’re just meeting these characters and everything is warming up. Keep going.” So I did. And I had to force myself to finish.
To be fair I’ll start with the pros. There was potential with this plot line. I see the merit of the ideas. In this world humans are born with magic but it is taken from them at birth as “sacrifices” to the gods and a tiny kernel of magic is returned to them once they turn 25. Sometimes babies retain their magic and they are considered “unworthy” by the gods and should that magic be discovered (at any age) those people are executed. Of course, we have a currupt King and everything is not what it seems. And our FMC is a “chosen one”.
The FMC has time magic, she can freeze time. I really liked this power. I haven’t seen it before so that was cool. And there was some found family vibes at one point.
However, despite the potential the writing felt dry. The characters felt empty. The plot felt like bullet points rather than a story.
Our FMC, Prisca, was just a shadow of some of the greatest fantasy romance protagonists out there. She was trying to be badass, and vengeful, and sassy, but came across irrational, naive at best and stupidly rash at worst. And yet every mistake she made ended up playing out for her and even fixing the biggest problems she was facing? She faced almost no consequences for the poor decisions she made because they ended up benefiting her in the most ridiculous ways.
Her entire world and identity and faith system is upended and a lie and she asked no questions. So we got no answers. But she does think about killing people a lot?
Our MMC. Not much to say. He’s a big, grumpy jerk who apparently fell in love with our girl because she killed two people? I guess. To be fair, he kind of puts up with a lot, but so did I.
The ending was pretty fun I guess. It’s a cliff hanger but I’m pretty sure I won’t read the next one. Unless I’m bored and just too curious XD
Anyway, unfortunately I could keep going with this, but I’ll leave at that.
Let me start with, I WANTED to like this book. In fact, going into this I thought I was the perfect target audience for this book. I love fantasy romance books. I’ve read a fair amount of them. On top of that I have seen this book around a lot. I have seen it on lists next other titles I LOVED such as Trials of the Sun Queen, Blood & Steel, The Bridge Kingdom, etc.
But this book just did NOT do it for me. I will say I’m partly to blame because I felt it in the first few chapters but I thought to myself, “Hey, it’s the first book we’re just meeting these characters and everything is warming up. Keep going.” So I did. And I had to force myself to finish.
To be fair I’ll start with the pros. There was potential with this plot line. I see the merit of the ideas. In this world humans are born with magic but it is taken from them at birth as “sacrifices” to the gods and a tiny kernel of magic is returned to them once they turn 25. Sometimes babies retain their magic and they are considered “unworthy” by the gods and should that magic be discovered (at any age) those people are executed. Of course, we have a currupt King and everything is not what it seems. And our FMC is a “chosen one”.
The FMC has time magic, she can freeze time. I really liked this power. I haven’t seen it before so that was cool. And there was some found family vibes at one point.
However, despite the potential the writing felt dry. The characters felt empty. The plot felt like bullet points rather than a story.
Our FMC, Prisca, was just a shadow of some of the greatest fantasy romance protagonists out there. She was trying to be badass, and vengeful, and sassy, but came across irrational, naive at best and stupidly rash at worst. And yet every mistake she made ended up playing out for her and even fixing the biggest problems she was facing? She faced almost no consequences for the poor decisions she made because they ended up benefiting her in the most ridiculous ways.
Her entire world and identity and faith system is upended and a lie and she asked no questions. So we got no answers. But she does think about killing people a lot?
Our MMC. Not much to say. He’s a big, grumpy jerk who apparently fell in love with our girl because she killed two people? I guess. To be fair, he kind of puts up with a lot, but so did I.
The ending was pretty fun I guess. It’s a cliff hanger but I’m pretty sure I won’t read the next one. Unless I’m bored and just too curious XD
Anyway, unfortunately I could keep going with this, but I’ll leave at that.
Silver Wings Golden Games by Evie Marceau
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I liked this book, possibly even more than the first book!
I really loved how much description we got for the romance. How much growth we got of Basten and Sabine’s love as well as their own internal growth. Dare I say I’m obsessed with Sabine. She’s awesome!
I will say I was hoping to get more from Rain’s character. I wish we could have had his POV in this book because he’s such a hard nut to crack but I really like his character and think there is a lot of potential there.
The ending STOLE MY BREATH AWAY! I’m so excited for book 3 I can’t WAIT to see where this goes from here! I’m crying!
I really loved how much description we got for the romance. How much growth we got of Basten and Sabine’s love as well as their own internal growth. Dare I say I’m obsessed with Sabine. She’s awesome!
I will say I was hoping to get more from Rain’s character. I wish we could have had his POV in this book because he’s such a hard nut to crack but I really like his character and think there is a lot of potential there.
The ending STOLE MY BREATH AWAY! I’m so excited for book 3 I can’t WAIT to see where this goes from here! I’m crying!
White Horse Black Nights by Evie Marceau
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A Snow White retelling with a Lady Godiva spin to it.
I really liked this book. I was honestly shocked at how much of the story and growth we witnessed with characters in only about 400 pages. Sometimes I feel like emotions form too quickly in romance books that it’s hard to believe and enjoy it but that was not the case here.
I actually thought the pacing was spectacular. It was fast paced but not too busy. And while some moments had me cringing I enjoyed it overall.
I’m the beginning I really did not like Wolf. He was giving major asshole vibes that did not suit my tastes but somewhere around 30% in I started to lean into him a little more and by the end, I really enjoyed his character.
I also really enjoyed Sabine as a female lead. I thought she was an interesting mix of softness and kindness while also being ruthless when the time called for it. Despite having no fighting skills of her own, she used her brains and magic to try and one up those around her. I think with the way this plot line went, she has so much potential to grow into an even more fascinating and complex character.
Throughout the whole book I was very eager to meet Rian. And interestingly enough, I’m also very excited at the potential of his character as well. It’s clear to me he is a morally grey character with some abi guilty to him. It seems like he cares about Basten as a brotherly figure, or simply a kind of kindred spirit. Despite their different backgrounds they both grew up alone in their own ways. I’m interested to see how his character interacts with Sabine and the path he takes in the next book.
Overall, I enjoyed the romance, the plot, and I’m excited for the next book!
Spice wise, there are a few open door scenes. I’d give it a 3/5 maybe.
However, I would check trigger warnings for this book before reading.
I really liked this book. I was honestly shocked at how much of the story and growth we witnessed with characters in only about 400 pages. Sometimes I feel like emotions form too quickly in romance books that it’s hard to believe and enjoy it but that was not the case here.
I actually thought the pacing was spectacular. It was fast paced but not too busy. And while some moments had me cringing I enjoyed it overall.
I’m the beginning I really did not like Wolf. He was giving major asshole vibes that did not suit my tastes but somewhere around 30% in I started to lean into him a little more and by the end, I really enjoyed his character.
I also really enjoyed Sabine as a female lead. I thought she was an interesting mix of softness and kindness while also being ruthless when the time called for it. Despite having no fighting skills of her own, she used her brains and magic to try and one up those around her. I think with the way this plot line went, she has so much potential to grow into an even more fascinating and complex character.
Throughout the whole book I was very eager to meet Rian. And interestingly enough, I’m also very excited at the potential of his character as well. It’s clear to me he is a morally grey character with some abi guilty to him. It seems like he cares about Basten as a brotherly figure, or simply a kind of kindred spirit. Despite their different backgrounds they both grew up alone in their own ways. I’m interested to see how his character interacts with Sabine and the path he takes in the next book.
Overall, I enjoyed the romance, the plot, and I’m excited for the next book!
Spice wise, there are a few open door scenes. I’d give it a 3/5 maybe.
However, I would check trigger warnings for this book before reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Animal death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Torture, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
Here I am, coming back to write a thoughtful review for this 5 star read.
This is a cozy fairytale romance set in a magical regency England. Perfect for anyone’s summery, Bridgerton era.
Firstly, I found it to be beautifully written. It flowed so well, created beautiful imagery, and conveyed emotions with ease and tenderness.
I really loved our main characters. The FMC’s inability to feel “instant emotions” such as embarrassment and fear could have potentially made her difficult to connect to, but I found it to be the opposite! Overall, the characters grew in depth so smoothly it was like watching the sun set.
The romance was wholesome and charming, but one of my favorite parts was that this book also touched on real issues of the era and flaws of humanity.
Finally, the Fearie Realm is much more traditional than what is found in many popular fantasy romances. It reminded me of The Hazel Wood and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries.
I totally recommend this book!
This is a cozy fairytale romance set in a magical regency England. Perfect for anyone’s summery, Bridgerton era.
Firstly, I found it to be beautifully written. It flowed so well, created beautiful imagery, and conveyed emotions with ease and tenderness.
I really loved our main characters. The FMC’s inability to feel “instant emotions” such as embarrassment and fear could have potentially made her difficult to connect to, but I found it to be the opposite! Overall, the characters grew in depth so smoothly it was like watching the sun set.
The romance was wholesome and charming, but one of my favorite parts was that this book also touched on real issues of the era and flaws of humanity.
Finally, the Fearie Realm is much more traditional than what is found in many popular fantasy romances. It reminded me of The Hazel Wood and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries.
I totally recommend this book!
Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage
lighthearted
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
2.0
It’s not that I didn’t like this book at the end of the day. It’s just that for there wasn’t necessarily anything to like about it. I commend the author for sitting down and writing a book because that’s something amazing in itself.
However, the plot, romance, and writing style just felt like bare bones. It seemed like when you’re jotting down a scene really quickly to get it out of your head but then you forget to go back and add any depth or details later. There was a LOT of telling and not a lot of showing.
For example, instead of the FMC describing her best friend and friendship, she simply said: Teddy is my best friend. Over and over. Like yeah. I can get that from context clues I don’t need to me reminded verbatim every time she’s on the page.
Basically, everything could have been expanded upon. The plot, the characters, the back story, the romance. Everything felt half done. Unfinished. Nothing surprised me. Even little things that I hoped would be foreshadowing of something to come like Emmy being reminded to always shut the front door, or her relationship with the riding industry, or her ex-boyfriend who she left in Chicago at the drop of a hat and we can sentence saying he was mildly controlling, none of this came to to any fruition or had any significance.
I’m the end. It was fine. I’m sure other people can enjoy it and I wish the author the best of luck with her future books! There is definitely potential.
However, the plot, romance, and writing style just felt like bare bones. It seemed like when you’re jotting down a scene really quickly to get it out of your head but then you forget to go back and add any depth or details later. There was a LOT of telling and not a lot of showing.
For example, instead of the FMC describing her best friend and friendship, she simply said: Teddy is my best friend. Over and over. Like yeah. I can get that from context clues I don’t need to me reminded verbatim every time she’s on the page.
Basically, everything could have been expanded upon. The plot, the characters, the back story, the romance. Everything felt half done. Unfinished. Nothing surprised me. Even little things that I hoped would be foreshadowing of something to come like Emmy being reminded to always shut the front door, or her relationship with the riding industry, or her ex-boyfriend who she left in Chicago at the drop of a hat and we can sentence saying he was mildly controlling, none of this came to to any fruition or had any significance.
I’m the end. It was fine. I’m sure other people can enjoy it and I wish the author the best of luck with her future books! There is definitely potential.
Bonded by Thorns by Elizabeth Helen
adventurous
funny
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? Yes
4.5
I stayed up will 4 am on a Tuesday to finish this.
Forged by Malice by Elizabeth Helen
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I won’t lie. This book disappointed me.
I didn’t enjoy it like I did the other two. It was much darker and sadder that the others. At the end of the second book I was left with a feeling of contentment and suspense. I felt like we had so much growth for the characters and the mate bonds.
At the end of this book we are worse than we’ve ever been. I felt there was character regression for almost everyone individually but also as a team.
I was destroyed and annoyed and angry for the last 30% of this book. I was disappointed by Rose and found her to make a lot of dumb mistakes. Can’t blame her too much before everyone made dumb mistakes (looking at you Ez).
Normally I would be more understanding, but I also was not surprised by any of these “twists” either. Wrenley was right about one thing, it is a ignorance contest between this group in this book.
Honestly. It was good. I think I’ll like this better maybe once I read the next book.
I didn’t enjoy it like I did the other two. It was much darker and sadder that the others. At the end of the second book I was left with a feeling of contentment and suspense. I felt like we had so much growth for the characters and the mate bonds.
At the end of this book we are worse than we’ve ever been. I felt there was character regression for almost everyone individually but also as a team.
I was destroyed and annoyed and angry for the last 30% of this book. I was disappointed by Rose and found her to make a lot of dumb mistakes. Can’t blame her too much before everyone made dumb mistakes (looking at you Ez).
Normally I would be more understanding, but I also was not surprised by any of these “twists” either. Wrenley was right about one thing, it is a ignorance contest between this group in this book.
Honestly. It was good. I think I’ll like this better maybe once I read the next book.