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sarah_ae13's reviews
259 reviews
The Trials of Ophelia by Nicole Platania
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.75
My Rating: 4.75⭐️
Spice Details: Several Open Doors Scenes
Summary: Picking up from the devastating events at the end of The Shards of Ophelia, the crew is falling into different habits to cope with the losses. But old problems and new arise as Ophelia and her friends embark on journeys that will test the bonds between them and their faith in their world. Curses, budding romances, and legends swirl together as they try to keep the Mystiques together, find healing in their own lives, and move forward in an effort to take down a tyrannical queen.
My Thoughts: This series does not quit. I cannot get enough of this found family in Gallantia. Each book amidst the battles, quests, and romance we are immersed in a journey of self-healing and discovery. I have loved watching these characters grow! The new characters have continued to fold well into the group, and each book I have new favorites to root for--Trials was no exception. The swoony and spicy sides of these MMCs had me weak in the knees, and I CANNOT wait to continue to follow these incredible characters. Let's just say I need that next book now!
Read if you love:
⚔️Fierce Female Characters
💗Found Family
🫠Swoony MMCs
🎙️Multiple POVs
❤️🩹Journeys of Healing
Spice Details: Several Open Doors Scenes
Summary: Picking up from the devastating events at the end of The Shards of Ophelia, the crew is falling into different habits to cope with the losses. But old problems and new arise as Ophelia and her friends embark on journeys that will test the bonds between them and their faith in their world. Curses, budding romances, and legends swirl together as they try to keep the Mystiques together, find healing in their own lives, and move forward in an effort to take down a tyrannical queen.
My Thoughts: This series does not quit. I cannot get enough of this found family in Gallantia. Each book amidst the battles, quests, and romance we are immersed in a journey of self-healing and discovery. I have loved watching these characters grow! The new characters have continued to fold well into the group, and each book I have new favorites to root for--Trials was no exception. The swoony and spicy sides of these MMCs had me weak in the knees, and I CANNOT wait to continue to follow these incredible characters. Let's just say I need that next book now!
Read if you love:
⚔️Fierce Female Characters
💗Found Family
🫠Swoony MMCs
🎙️Multiple POVs
❤️🩹Journeys of Healing
Puck Pact by Kristen Granata
hopeful
fast-paced
4.75
My Rating: 4.75⭐️
Spice Details: Several Open Door Scenes (a couple involving the bike 🏍️)
Summary: Aarya loves her independence and is certain of one thing, men in romance books don't exist in real life. That is until she meets Alexander Krum. He believes in romance, wants her for more than one wild night, and wants to take care of her. They could not be more different. But Alexander has a problem and a proposition. A marriage between the pair can get them what they desperately want: Alex, his parent's villa, and Aarya, money to make her dream gallery a reality. Even after a secret Alex has held close to the belt comes to light, the line between charade and reel feelings begins to blur. Could a happily ever after--never thought possible--be possible for Aarya?
My Thoughts: I LOVED THIS BOOK!! Aarya is a fiercely independent woman, who knows who she is and what she wants. Watching her grow throughout the book was incredible as she became someone in a role she never expected to be in. Her nicknames she continued to make up for Alex--variations of his hockey nickname Krum Cake--had me laughing. Their witty banter back and forth was one of the many reasons I could not put this book down. And ALEXANDER!!! He is what dream book boyfriends are made of. The commitment and love that he has for the people he loves is heartwarming. His tattoo nearly made me tear up. The words out of his mouth were such a pleasant mix between swoony and spicy that had me wanting more. The way these two came together felt natural, and I loved every second of the book even if I was sitting on the edge of my seat at the end with a tinge of worry.
If you love hockey romances, add this one to the TOP of your TBR. It is now available on KU and paperback.
Thank you to The Author Agency and Kristen Granata for an eArc copy of this book!
Read if you love:
🏒 Sports Romances
🍩 Cinnamon Roll MMCs
🐈⬛ Black Cat FMCs
💍 Marriage of Convenience
🎙️Dual POV
Spice Details: Several Open Door Scenes (a couple involving the bike 🏍️)
Summary: Aarya loves her independence and is certain of one thing, men in romance books don't exist in real life. That is until she meets Alexander Krum. He believes in romance, wants her for more than one wild night, and wants to take care of her. They could not be more different. But Alexander has a problem and a proposition. A marriage between the pair can get them what they desperately want: Alex, his parent's villa, and Aarya, money to make her dream gallery a reality. Even after a secret Alex has held close to the belt comes to light, the line between charade and reel feelings begins to blur. Could a happily ever after--never thought possible--be possible for Aarya?
My Thoughts: I LOVED THIS BOOK!! Aarya is a fiercely independent woman, who knows who she is and what she wants. Watching her grow throughout the book was incredible as she became someone in a role she never expected to be in. Her nicknames she continued to make up for Alex--variations of his hockey nickname Krum Cake--had me laughing. Their witty banter back and forth was one of the many reasons I could not put this book down. And ALEXANDER!!! He is what dream book boyfriends are made of. The commitment and love that he has for the people he loves is heartwarming. His tattoo nearly made me tear up. The words out of his mouth were such a pleasant mix between swoony and spicy that had me wanting more. The way these two came together felt natural, and I loved every second of the book even if I was sitting on the edge of my seat at the end with a tinge of worry.
If you love hockey romances, add this one to the TOP of your TBR. It is now available on KU and paperback.
Thank you to The Author Agency and Kristen Granata for an eArc copy of this book!
Read if you love:
🏒 Sports Romances
🍩 Cinnamon Roll MMCs
🐈⬛ Black Cat FMCs
💍 Marriage of Convenience
🎙️Dual POV
The Closer by C. Aimee Hyde, C. Aimee Hyde
medium-paced
3.5
My Rating: 3.5⭐️
Spice Details: A Couple Open Door Scenes
Tytus Hayes Jr. is an MLB closer on the rise and doesn't date during the season. Sarah Dalton is making a name for herself on Broadway and doesn't date professional athletes. Neither is looking for love. But when their best friends are getting married to each other this throws a curveball colliding them together and opening them up to the possibility of something more between them. Will they be able to overcome past trauma, learn to trust, and fall in love?
Tytus Hayes Jr. for one is an incredible name for a pitcher and two he definitely stole this girl's heart. His fierce love for his family and friends combined with his thoughtfulness was almost enough to make this girl a Yankees fan even momentarily. I loved being able to watch his journey of healing and working through past trauma. Unfortunately the same could not be said of Sarah, I was not a fan. I struggled to empathize with her as she seemed immature throughout the book in how she reacted to certain situations. The pace of the book was quick thanks to switching between the dual POV, which kept a fresh perspective on the scene.
Read if you love:
⚾️ Sports Romances
🖊️ Unique Writing Styles
❤️🩹Stories of Healing
🎙️Dual POV
Spice Details: A Couple Open Door Scenes
Tytus Hayes Jr. is an MLB closer on the rise and doesn't date during the season. Sarah Dalton is making a name for herself on Broadway and doesn't date professional athletes. Neither is looking for love. But when their best friends are getting married to each other this throws a curveball colliding them together and opening them up to the possibility of something more between them. Will they be able to overcome past trauma, learn to trust, and fall in love?
Tytus Hayes Jr. for one is an incredible name for a pitcher and two he definitely stole this girl's heart. His fierce love for his family and friends combined with his thoughtfulness was almost enough to make this girl a Yankees fan even momentarily. I loved being able to watch his journey of healing and working through past trauma. Unfortunately the same could not be said of Sarah, I was not a fan. I struggled to empathize with her as she seemed immature throughout the book in how she reacted to certain situations. The pace of the book was quick thanks to switching between the dual POV, which kept a fresh perspective on the scene.
Read if you love:
⚾️ Sports Romances
🖊️ Unique Writing Styles
❤️🩹Stories of Healing
🎙️Dual POV
In the Shadows by L.B. August
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Lilith Clarke has spent years living in the shadows. She lost her name and old life but eventually gained a new title—the Queen of Umbra. Bound to King Asher, she rules in the dark fearing that one day she will lose herself to it. Her fate of darkness seems inevitable until the captain of a rival kingdom stumbles into hers. Theodore Kincaid is determined to find justice for his lost men and the Kingdom of Lux. Trapped in Umbra with no way out, he believes death is his fate as it is the end of all captives caught by King Asher. That is until Umbra's Queen proposes an offer he can't possibly refuse. As the two spend more time with one another and understand each other better, can either of them resist the plans the fates have for them?
Um... wow. WOW!! It is hard to put into words how incredible this book is. The world-building is perfection and not overwhelming. Lily is a fierce FMC, and I love her tenacity and undying love for the family she gained and her kingdom. Her close relationship with Nyx was a perfect mix of snarky and loving as these two would do ANYTHING for each other. Theo! He is a new book-boyfriend favorite for so many reasons and I will leave it at that. I am unwell in all the best ways after that ending, so I am desperate for book 2 and cannot WAIT to get my hands on it.
Read if you like:
🫠Forced Proximity
⚔️ Fierce FMCs
❤️🔥Slow Burn
🌶️Enemies to Lovers Spiciness
💗Found Family
Um... wow. WOW!! It is hard to put into words how incredible this book is. The world-building is perfection and not overwhelming. Lily is a fierce FMC, and I love her tenacity and undying love for the family she gained and her kingdom. Her close relationship with Nyx was a perfect mix of snarky and loving as these two would do ANYTHING for each other. Theo! He is a new book-boyfriend favorite for so many reasons and I will leave it at that. I am unwell in all the best ways after that ending, so I am desperate for book 2 and cannot WAIT to get my hands on it.
Read if you like:
🫠Forced Proximity
⚔️ Fierce FMCs
❤️🔥Slow Burn
🌶️Enemies to Lovers Spiciness
💗Found Family
Pucking Revenge by Brittanée Nicole
medium-paced
4.75
Brooks Langfield is the Saint of professional hockey and is in love with his best friend. Sara Case loves her job, can't get enough of her best friend, and is finished with her boyfriend, the coach of the team she is the PR Manager for. She knows she deserves better and this is only further confirmed when she is blindsided to learn that the man she'd been dating is married. Brooks is furious with his uncle for hurting the woman he loves and comes up with a little revenge plan, he and Sara will start fake dating and drive Coach out. Now the Saint is lying, stealing, and fighting to keep his chance at dating Sara for real alive. She's the only person he wants calling him a good boy and needs to show her this is so much more than pucking revenge.
GOAL!!! This book might have been the ultimate hockey romance for me. It was a perfect combination of revenge, fake dating, and best friends discovering a deeper love. And thanks to this one I'll never look at a Lisa Frank notebook the same again. I fell for Brooks initially, and my love only grew as I read. How can you resist a man who can cook and would lasso the moon for the people he loves? Sara was feisty and awkward and the absolute best! Her dedication to her work and her family and friends made her a character you want to root for! The mix between blood family and found family ties was strong in this book. The connections they both had to their families and the families they made along the way were heartwarming, especially when we saw that the Bolts teammates would do anything for each other. I appreciate how well Brooks and Sara communicate with one another, as miscommunication is my least favorite trope and their open communication avoids this issue. I cannot wait to follow the series with the next Langfield brother!!
Read if you like:
🫠He Falls First
🏒Hockey Romance
❤️🔥Slow Burn
🥰Friends to Lovers
🌶️Spicy
Thank you to the Author Agency and the author for an eArc copy of this book!
GOAL!!! This book might have been the ultimate hockey romance for me. It was a perfect combination of revenge, fake dating, and best friends discovering a deeper love. And thanks to this one I'll never look at a Lisa Frank notebook the same again. I fell for Brooks initially, and my love only grew as I read. How can you resist a man who can cook and would lasso the moon for the people he loves? Sara was feisty and awkward and the absolute best! Her dedication to her work and her family and friends made her a character you want to root for! The mix between blood family and found family ties was strong in this book. The connections they both had to their families and the families they made along the way were heartwarming, especially when we saw that the Bolts teammates would do anything for each other. I appreciate how well Brooks and Sara communicate with one another, as miscommunication is my least favorite trope and their open communication avoids this issue. I cannot wait to follow the series with the next Langfield brother!!
Read if you like:
🫠He Falls First
🏒Hockey Romance
❤️🔥Slow Burn
🥰Friends to Lovers
🌶️Spicy
Thank you to the Author Agency and the author for an eArc copy of this book!