Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I’m literally obsessed.
I want to write a thorough review but in all honestly I exhausted because I stayed up late to finish this and my eyes feel like they have weights tied to the lids.
I love Kat. She’s funny, kind, smart, and powerful. Is she a little childish with her mannerisms? Yes. Although it grew on me as we got to know her and I realized she’s probably just a little insane and gives 0 fucks what people think of her. She is totally badass and selfless which I love.
Griffin is sexy. He’s seems like a classic broody asshole fantasy male lead, but if you’re looking for the man to fall first? To be totally and utterly whipped and obsessed with the female MC? That’s him. To a T. He’s fierce and possessive but in a way I didn’t find toxic.
I lived for the romance between these two. It was the lifeblood of this book for sure. HOWEVER. The other ingredient was pure magic and action! There was never a dull moment. Cat was constantly saving the day or dying. Usually both. But I was never tired of everyone fawning all over her on her death bed, she deserves all the love.
I know this series has so much plot to give in the next three books. Cat has so many secrets, some I can guess and others I probably can’t get! Griffin also has secrets. But his ambition is going to be a driving force. I can’t wait to see them conquer!
I can’t wait to get started on the next book. To see where these characters and the side characters (Beta Team boys in particular) grow! Also… Peire I’m watching you. Sus…
I absolutely loved the characters, Griffin and an Winn were honestly the best. I thought at first their conflict would cause more trouble, but it wasn’t overplayed.
Griffin was not cruel to her, he didn’t cause a scene, or shit talk her to the town. He gradually came to the conclusion that they were great together and they WERE.
Also, the mystery side of this book was great. That was a little different for me and I would definitely read another romance with mystery subplot in the future! I had an idea as to who the culprit was, while I was on the right track, I was still surprised!
The ending was AWESOME!
I will definitely be reading more from this author.
I’m giving this one three stars because I did enjoy it, but it also wasn’t completely me.
I can see why people like these books. But the writing just wasn’t really there for me. The characters were fun, if not a little silly. The writing was just kind of easy and amateur. The sex scenes were just, honestly I laughed.
However, I absolutely adored the connection between Willa and Luke. It was so precious and while I did kind of wish she spoke to him a bit more seriously sometimes, I just really enjoyed the way their connection grew.
Cade was okay. He served his purpose and was a grumpy dad and I liked that. You wouldn’t catch me called “woman” but it’s all cool.
Willa was a bit too unserious for me. The jokes in this book were very cheesy and the dialogue could sometimes take me out of it, but I liked that she didn’t have things figured out in life. I liked that she seemed go with the flow.
Overall, I would check out the other books in this series for a quick entertaining romance.
Edited: after much consideration dropping this to 2.5 for my own records. Again, I can see why people like this but it wasn’t for me.
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
My goodness.
I thought I’ve read spicy books with no plot but this kind of takes the cake. The pacing of this book was so silly, which I guess makes sense know that it was originally three separate books.
But still I just really struggled to find myself attached to any characters, especially Mina. She honestly had no chance to even develops a personality, she was merely a empty narrator.
The only character I really appreciated and liked was Wolf. He was the most interesting (despite the ridiculous wolf puns throughout). He was a bit unhinged and odd but definitely the most interesting character.
Idk the plot was a bit ridiculous but it also was so underdeveloped and anticlimactic. Mina did pretty much nothing in this book. She made no decisions, had no opinions, no talents. The only thing she really ever wanted to do is have sex with one or all of the men. Yet, even when she said she loved them it felt so empty.
I think this book really solidified that while I do love enjoy fantasy romance, I do not enjoy fantasy erotica. The lack of romance in this “fantasy romance” really does place it in a whole different category.
Anyway, I did read it fairly quickly and was entertained by the spice and amused by pretty much everything else.
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I AM LITERALLY SCREAMING!
My hands are shaking right now and I can barely type this out before I go starch the third book into my greedy hands!
Okay so I enjoyed this book immensely. I enjoyed all the characters points of view. If the first book was world building this book was character building at its finest. I was invested in every crevice of this book.
I loved the development of Ruhn’s character the most. I also loved for the delicate and dangerous romance between him and Lidia. Almost more so than Bryce and Hunt.
I will say I wished we got MORE of Bryce and Hunt in this one. I wish we saw more of Bryce’s training. I think there was tiny bit too much going on to really get that glimpse.
I LIVED for the build up though. I KNEW it wa going to be epic and while I figured out some of the plot twists, I enjoyed piecing it together and was still left shocked by more revealed.
I literally sobbed with joy and disbelief at that last line of the book. I don’t think any characters have ever effected me the same way Rhys and Feyre have. That’s all I’ll say.
I need book three immediately!! I need my poor bby Hunt and Ruhn to be SAFE! I NEED SOME MORE BRYCE AND REYRE AND RHYSAND!
Ruthless Vows was not quite as satisfying as its perfect predecessor Divine Rivals.
Divine Rivals was one of my favorite books, possibly of all time. So I think I was just slightly more disappointed than usual with its sequel. While I do love Ross’s writing, the almost lyrical tone of it, there was just something indescribably missing from the plot of this book.
It felt a bit aimless. A bit anticlimactic. Don’t get me wrong, I was on the edge of my seat waiting, practically begging for all my loves to get a happy ending. But most of the book felt like something was about to happen and then… it didn’t.
Still, everything was wrapped up. I cried, I love Roman so so much and I love Iris. And I LOVE them together!
I will definitely be checking out Ross’s other books to see if she should be an auto buy for me in the future.
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book is pure divine magic!
I love a soft, low fantasy where the magic is subtle and seems to creep along the lines of the world we know to make something powerfully compelling and surreal!
Divine Rivals drops you right into the magic, 1940-ish world that Iris Winnow is surviving in. There is little introduction or world building in the beginning as the reader is treated like someone who should know. While at first, this left me a little confused by the way the magic system worked and the history of the war between the gods, it also felt much more satisfying as the pieces finally began to come together.
I liked Iris from the very beginning. She seemed passionate and fierce and tangibly real on the page. It was clear she cared deeply about everything, her brother, her mother, her writing, the war, and Roman, even if she seemed to resist that heartfelt caring in the beginning.
I loved Roman and Iris’s dynamic from their first interaction on the page. Again, we joined their story a couple months into them knowing each other. Their professional rivalry had clearly already been blossoming into something more (albeit reluctantly) before the story started.
The romance is a preeclampsia part of this story, which is something I loved! It was beautiful to watch their feelings grow through words and face to face. I was totally enthralled by the sincere and tender way that Roman regarded Iris. Iris was able to encourage the gumption Roman has forgotten due to his past and his cloud of grief. And Roman I think also encouraged Iris to be more confident and fight for what she wanted, to believe she was worthy of love and joy.
They both helped each other grow so much!
Now, for that ending! The atmosphere of the war, traveling to the front lines and then the front lines coming to the characters, kept a nail biting high stakes plot to the story. My heart was pounding at times. The ending of this book swept me off my feet and I’m so glad I already have the second book at my finger tips!