retrogirlreads's reviews
164 reviews

My Ruthless Obsession by Elyse Kelly

dark emotional tense fast-paced

4.0

“My Ruthless Obsession” is a short and spicy mafia romance written by author Elyse Kelly, and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Marco and Lyla’s story was a great, quick read, and I’m really glad I decided to read it. 

They had this amazing chemistry, and I was rooting for them to find happiness together the whole time. 

Elyse Kelly is a fantastic author, and I would definitely recommend this novella to fans of mafia romance and/or the kidnapping trope.

Winning Brynn by Maisie Myers

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This was my first time experiencing Maisie Myers’ writing style, and I have to say that while I was surprised at times, that’s not necessarily a bad thing! 

I think I was expecting a funny and adorable brother’s best friend romance. Which this was, but it was also so much more at the same time. 

Leo and Brynn’s relationship wasn’t just about them. Leo’s toddler, Salem, was a huge part of what brought them together and helped them bond, and I think it’s important to acknowledge that. 

They didn’t exactly start off on the right foot either, but I was really happy with how their relationship grew and developed over the course of the novel. 

All in all, I would definitely say that I enjoyed Leo and Brynn’s love story. I think fans of sports romance and the single dad/the nanny trope will love it too!

The Merger by Adriana Locke

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

Okay, so one of the reasons that I really love Adriana Locke’s writing style is because of the way she makes me fall in love with her characters every time. 

“The Merger” is the fourth book in The Brewer Family series, and it’s Gannon Brewer and Carys Johnson’s love story. Gannon and Carys had scorching hot chemistry, and I was totally here for it!

This book definitely included some of my favorite tropes, such as accidental pregnancy, boss/employee, age gap, and brother’s best friend. 

“The Merger” was a funny and lighthearted read, although it did have some angsty moments as well. I would definitely recommend this book to any contemporary romance fan!

Shift: Dragon's Bride by S.L. Thorne

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Oh. My. Gosh. I have completely fallen in love with this world and these characters that author S.L. Thorne has created. 

Lady Caelerys “Cae” Maral, our strong, feisty, and intelligent heroine, has grown so much since the first book. 

Cae is the kind of person everyone should strive to be. She’s beautiful inside and out, and she’s kindhearted and down to earth as well. 

As for Prince Valan, I truly felt like he was Cae’s perfect match. They practically gravitated towards each other, so their romance felt almost inevitable. 

Valan was serious and grumpy at times, but never with Cae. He worshipped the very ground she walked on, and I know he’d kill anyone who tried to hurt her. 

The Shift series was such a unique and original read, and I’m so glad I found it. I truly enjoyed everything about this series, and I will be looking into this author’s other works. I highly recommend!

Shift: Book 1: Stag's Heart by S.L. Thorne, S.L. Thorne

adventurous challenging emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

5.0

“Shift: Stag’s Heart” is the story of seventeen year old Lady Caelerys “Cae” Maral, who is Duke Maral’s only daughter. 

When the book starts, the reader discovers that Cae’s father has arranged for her to be sent to court, and that it is her first time going. 

I personally loved the way this book was set up, the world building was so intricate and the writing style was absolutely exquisite. 

I loved how complex these characters were, how intriguing the world is, and the unique way the court politics were set up. 

This book was absolutely wonderful, and such a nice change of pace from the kinds of books I usually read. 

For me, Cae was a really lovable heroine because she was truly one of a kind. She had so many good qualities that made her an interesting, well rounded character with a lot of layers. 

Cae was beautiful, yes, but she was also kindhearted, intelligent, and had the talent for hunting and archery, skills that the other ladies didn’t have. 

Cae was truly special, and since I also really loved her love interest, I really hope that they’ll get a happily ever after in the second book. 

To sum it up, this book was definitely a 5 star read for me, and I will also be reading the second part to find out how it ends.

The Emperor by Israh Azizi, Israh Azizi

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Author Israh Azizi’s “The Emperor” is the third book in the young adult epic fantasy series, Heroes of the Empire. 

In my opinion, Israh Azizi is an absolutely brilliant writer. Everything about this book was so incredibly well done, and I loved every second of it. 

This series captured my attention from the very beginning, and I know it’s the kind of story that will stay with me for a long time. 

This book had so many twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting. It was very action-packed and angsty as well. I honestly can’t wait to see what happens next for these characters!

Chaos' Accord: The Final Battle by Yvette Bostic

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This incredible conclusion to Yvette Bostic’s Call of the Elements urban fantasy was completely and utterly epic!

Our heroine is the extremely powerful Alisandra, otherwise known as AJ. She’s bold and snarky, but she’s also genuinely kindhearted and compassionate. 

AJ has honestly grown so much over the course of the series, and no spoilers, but I was actually really happy with how her story ended. 

This world is so unique, and that’s a huge part of the reason why I love escaping to it. I’m feeling bittersweet now that the series is over, but I’m glad I gave it a chance!

Sometimes You Fall by Harlow James

emotional funny hopeful tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“Sometimes You Fall” is the third book in author Harlow James’ small town romance series, Carrington Cove. 

Grady and Scottie’s love story was an amazing read! I thought it was swoony and spicy, with the perfect amount of angst. 

They had such fiery chemistry, and I loved watching their relationship grow and develop over the course of the novel. 

I have to say that I truly enjoyed Grady and Scottie’s accidental pregnancy romance! I would definitely recommend it to fans of small town romance novels.

The Love Destroyers by Angela Casella

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

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

5.0

Okay, so I’ve loved every single book in Angela Casella’s Unlucky in Love spicy romantic comedy series. 

However, there was something truly special about Seamus and Emma, the main characters in “The Love Destroyers.”

Part of the reason why I loved Seamus and Emma’s story so much was because they were both a little jaded. 

Even though things were super complicated for them, they somehow managed to fall in love anyway, and I was totally here for it. 

All in all, this was an amazing and hilarious read, and I’m very glad I read it and anything else written by Angela Casella.

Captivating by Bella Matthews

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“Captivating” is the fourth book in Bella Matthews’ Red Lips & White Lies contemporary romance series, and it’s Killian St. James and Lilah Ryan’s story. 

Killian and Lilah have a long, complicated history, but that’s why this book was so intriguing. I was hooked from their very first interaction with each other - it made me want to know more. 

Killian was broody, growly, possessive, and protective, and I loved that about him. He gave off serious “touch her and die” vibes, and I was totally here for it.

Lilah might have been known as a pop star princess, but she could definitely hold her own when necessary. She was smart and sassy and snarky, which made her really fun to read about. 

Killian and Lilah’s love story was emotional and heartfelt, with a decent amount of angst. I really enjoyed it, and I think their romance will appeal to a lot of readers. I highly recommend!