shaykay's reviews
523 reviews

Beautiful Thorns by Jaymin Eve, Tate James

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 60%.
I wanted to finish this series and see where everyone ended up, but I just got bored with the book. I picked this one up because I needed to know where we went from that cliffhanger, and we kind of quickly cleared that issue up, but then it was just dragging for me. It turned very steamy and focused on the same problems with the criminal side of things, and I just needed more suspense/action. I still want to read Madison Kate, but I lost interest in finishing this one. 
Shattered Dreams by Jaymin Eve, Tate James

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dark emotional tense 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? Yes

3.5

This was book 3 of the series, and overall, I'm ready for it to wrap up. I liked the first one, and even the second one was alright. But we have so much going on to string it out, and I'm curious to see where we're going. But mostly, I'm just ready to wrap the story up. I'm still curious about other books by James, especially Madison Kate. I don't think this series was really for me in the end.  
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Black Thorns by Rina Kent

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dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

Although I didn't end up loving this book as much as I loved the first one, I still love this couple. I also get why they would only be able to be in Legacy if they popped in with one of the Americans, but I think they still need to do so. They were not even mentioned at all. Anyway, I missed the tone from the previous book and wished we had that back a little bit. This one was darker, though. I wish we focused more on the suspense side since we had some massive components here that I don't think we fully got to wrap up. 

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Red Thorns by Rina Kent

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dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I LOVED Naomi in the previous books and just needed her book. I wanted to know what happened between her and Seb, and I wanted to know how these two were even going to make up. But really, I just loved Naomi. She was just such an angsty lady, and I loved her arc in Reina's books. She didn't disappoint. I don't get how this book isn't more popular. I always see the Royal Elite and Legacy of Gods talked about. But these two are wild! It does end in a crazy cliffhanger! But we go back in time and start with how these two even got together, and we end this book with the bet. The bet reminded me so much of After, and I wish it was a bigger deal all throughout the book, but it felt like it was forgotten. It happened a year or two before Reina's book, but the timeline showed that the dare was maybe a month or two before Reina's accident. That was weird. I really wish we had seen their kid in Legacy, and I'm just curious how they will come back after this ending, but these two are flipping crazy, and he likes to chase her. 

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All the Truths by Rina Kent

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

I could not wait to get into this one because I wanted to get the answers, and I was so sure that the Reina from the past was actually Rai. I also thought that the little sister was the ultimate big bad of the story. Still, I didn't realize that Reina actually really loved her. It was crazy. But overall, this book kind of fell a little flat for me because the tone shifted. We weren't really a bully romance in this one. I wanted that tension back and to focus more on the suspense angle from which the first book started. But I still enjoyed this one more than Jonathon's, so I count this duet as a win.
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All the Lies by Rina Kent

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I hesitated to pick this one up, and it took me a minute to return to the Rine Kent universe. Honestly, I suck at reading only one author back to back without getting a little burnt out. But what really pushed me out was that I didn't love the previous duet I had read, and it took forever to read that duology. It was Johnathon's book. I am trying to decide if I like Kent's standalone reads/interconnected standalones more than duologies because so far, I always leave them wanting more or feeling like they are just dragging out and wishing it was just one book. But I'm happy this is the duology I returned to. It was so good. These characters were amazing. I loved seeing Reina! I have yet to read many books with the amnesia trope, but I loved seeing this play out. She was determined to discover her past but also wanted to improve. It was a chaotic good time, and I can't wait to see Rai's book. 
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Welcome to the Dark Side by Giana Darling

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challenging dark emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I have been curious about this book since finishing the first book. I read them back to back since I'll be posting my TikTok/Instagram reviews back to back, but there was actually an almost 2-month gap between these two reads. We kind of go into this one already knowing the main couple, and I'm fine with an age gap. But things get a little complicated for me when the older character is like a parent figure throughout the younger character's whole life. Granted, Zeus is a complicated man in prison for much of this. And he isn't a parent figure but a pen pal with Lou. Then, the second she takes things a little too far, he cuts contact with her. He also brings up a lot that she's the same age as his kids, there shouldn't be any relationship with her, and then when she's a teen, he talks about how he shouldn't feel this way towards her or even think about crossing that line. But Lou is obsessed with this man and knows that this is her soulmate from the second he saves her. There were moments I loved in this thing, and I was obsessed, but the book gets a bit steam-heavy, and I wish we had more of the MC. I am curious about later books in this series. Still, I'm not rushing to pick up book 3 because it's another age gap, and I need more of the MC. I know from the epilogue of this book that Zeus refuses to let Harleigh in the MC. She ends up with the cop, so I know I'll eventually pick it up, but I need a break from it now. I'm curious about other Darling books, so what was your favorite book that Giana Darling read?

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Dirty Truths by Jaymin Eve, Tate James

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dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

 
We're starting to get more answers, and the relationship is beginning to solidify. Still, some big things are starting up, too. For example, the band isn't the main focus anymore. But I still had a lot of fun with this book. A lot was going on. It also leaves us on another cliffhanger. How will we get back into the band stuff, and how will we go 2 more books? 
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Poison Roses by Jaymin Eve, Tate James

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dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 
I keep seeing the Tate James series, and I've been needing to pick up Madison Kate and The Guild, but instead, I picked up this one. The whole rockstar, reverse harem, and second chance gave me Bitter Sweet vibes! I really liked this book. It was wild, and I felt like every corner had some new reveal, and I just could not put this thing down!  
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Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

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adventurous emotional 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? Yes

4.0

 
The way the previous book ended, I really needed this next installment ASAP. This one was a little bit slower. We had a lot going on, but I wanted the pace to pick back up. Plus, I missed Zayden so much in the first third/half of the book. Eventually, the book picks up, and I love this story. But it does end on another cliffhanger. But the bigger kicker is the next book doesn't come out until 2025. We got 2 books in 2023 and then almost a year and a half later until book 3 comes out. I hate that wait so much, so I wonder if I'll continue with these books. I want answers about this cliffhanger, but on the other hand, I'm going to forget what happened in these first two books, and I'm going to need to reread these first two books.   
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