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wendeedeedee36's reviews
249 reviews
Shadows of Ruin by Helen Domico, Anna Applegate
5.0
We have officially taken me past loving this series into being obsessed! We pick up right where Blooms of Darkness left off and go for a wild ride. Villains at every turn, vague prophecies, ALL the banter, and an expansion of what was already a fantastic found family.
As with BOD, Lana and Kade’s chemistry was 🔥 and I loved watching them work through all their secrets and betrayals. I also really enjoyed seeing Mysthaven and getting more insight into Kades life.
I love that the POVs expand in this story as well. Especially since we get Ian chapters! His story was heartbreaking and each time I thought the Brookmere situation couldn’t get worse I was proved wrong.
The ending absolutely gutted me and I don’t know what I am going to do without book 3 to make it better!
Thank you so much for the ARC opportunity!!!!
As with BOD, Lana and Kade’s chemistry was 🔥 and I loved watching them work through all their secrets and betrayals. I also really enjoyed seeing Mysthaven and getting more insight into Kades life.
I love that the POVs expand in this story as well. Especially since we get Ian chapters! His story was heartbreaking and each time I thought the Brookmere situation couldn’t get worse I was proved wrong.
The ending absolutely gutted me and I don’t know what I am going to do without book 3 to make it better!
Thank you so much for the ARC opportunity!!!!
Of Darkness and Ruination by Rachel Fallon
4.5
4.5⭐️ Rounded up
I’m putting my TLDR up top for this:
1. READ THIS BOOK!
2. Check the trigger warnings.
Okay so….I loved this story. Truly, it was fascinating. I love the world building and the shitty hierarchy of their society. I like the twists in their history and the general plot twists that come up (some of them are doozies).
This is a dark Romantasy, so I do recommend checking out the trigger warnings. Especially if you’re newer to dark romance in general. There is definite dubious consent, as well as sexual assault/attempted sa, voyeurism, and orgoes. That said, dubcon is the trigger that’s usually tough for me to get past and this didn’t quite go so far as to trigger my “ick” factor.
I like Asteria a lot. I think it’s fun to watch her struggle with whether or not she wants to let people instead of protecting herself from relationships. I love her relationship with Pris and eventually Eryx. Granted I just love Eryx in general. He’s a sweetheart. Calix is a great, misunderstood monster/brooding fae male, and I am all for it!
I am super stoked for Of Light & Freedom and I can’t wait to get my hands on it!
I’m putting my TLDR up top for this:
1. READ THIS BOOK!
2. Check the trigger warnings.
Okay so….I loved this story. Truly, it was fascinating. I love the world building and the shitty hierarchy of their society. I like the twists in their history and the general plot twists that come up (some of them are doozies).
This is a dark Romantasy, so I do recommend checking out the trigger warnings. Especially if you’re newer to dark romance in general. There is definite dubious consent, as well as sexual assault/attempted sa, voyeurism, and orgoes. That said, dubcon is the trigger that’s usually tough for me to get past and this didn’t quite go so far as to trigger my “ick” factor.
I like Asteria a lot. I think it’s fun to watch her struggle with whether or not she wants to let people instead of protecting herself from relationships. I love her relationship with Pris and eventually Eryx. Granted I just love Eryx in general. He’s a sweetheart. Calix is a great, misunderstood monster/brooding fae male, and I am all for it!
I am super stoked for Of Light & Freedom and I can’t wait to get my hands on it!
Blooms of Darkness by Helen Domico, Anna Applegate
5.0
I cannot believe how much I enjoyed this book. Tits and daggers it was AH-MAZING! I was sucked in from the very first page and it never let me go. We follow Eliana, the magic ales heir to the fae throne in a land where magic is strength and thus everything. Forced to hide her lack of magic to protect her position, she also has to hide everything about herself in order to be as unnoticeable as possible. Despite it all she is kind and genuinely seems to love her people.
Unfortunately, there’s a darkness spreading across the land and her father won’t tell her anything about it. To make matters worse, he seems to be progressively getting sicker and sicker.
Lana has found was to make her life have meaning while helping her people in secret, but her life takes a turn when her father tells her she is to marry and they will hold a set of trials to decide on her husband.
With the help of her two best friends, Ian and Kalliah, Lana struggles to deal with competitors of all types: condescending, friendly, indifferent, and even rude and broody. That is a far as I’ll delve into plot to avoid spoilers, but I promise you it gets even better after that.
Lana and Kade’s romantic tension is 🔥 He’s an almost annoyingly cocky for me at the beginning but I love how his character develops as the story progresses. Their banter also got better and better and I loved it.
I really like all the “secondary” characters as well, though I hate calling them that. Ian is wonderful and I adore his loyalty. Kalliah is fun and a good balance to Ian’s more serious manner. Storm is incredibly intriguing because I just know there’s a good back story out there for him. I even liked Corbin and Leif and I really hope we see them in Shadows of Ruin (which I will immediately be starting to read once I post this review 😆)
Unfortunately, there’s a darkness spreading across the land and her father won’t tell her anything about it. To make matters worse, he seems to be progressively getting sicker and sicker.
Lana has found was to make her life have meaning while helping her people in secret, but her life takes a turn when her father tells her she is to marry and they will hold a set of trials to decide on her husband.
With the help of her two best friends, Ian and Kalliah, Lana struggles to deal with competitors of all types: condescending, friendly, indifferent, and even rude and broody. That is a far as I’ll delve into plot to avoid spoilers, but I promise you it gets even better after that.
Lana and Kade’s romantic tension is 🔥 He’s an almost annoyingly cocky for me at the beginning but I love how his character develops as the story progresses. Their banter also got better and better and I loved it.
I really like all the “secondary” characters as well, though I hate calling them that. Ian is wonderful and I adore his loyalty. Kalliah is fun and a good balance to Ian’s more serious manner. Storm is incredibly intriguing because I just know there’s a good back story out there for him. I even liked Corbin and Leif and I really hope we see them in Shadows of Ruin (which I will immediately be starting to read once I post this review 😆)
My Demon Hunter by Aurora Ascher
4.0
I’m now addicted to this series and sad I can’t go straight into the audiobook for Demon with Benefits 😩 I think I like Mist even more than Ash! He gives very similar vibes to those of Ice Planet Barbarians. I also think the plot is higher stakes in this story and pulled me in more. I really like that it leads into book 3 with the questions of the prophecy and Meph’s past because I am SUPER interested in him.
Once again, Kristen Leigh does a great job with the narration. I loved that she was able to not only perform the Irish accent, but was able to make it a very slight, almost unnoticeable accent. I feel like that would almost be more difficult to do intentionally, and it was so perfect for Lily.
I look forward to continuing this series and we will have to see if I manage to wait for audiobooks to be released.
Thank you for this ALC opportunity! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Once again, Kristen Leigh does a great job with the narration. I loved that she was able to not only perform the Irish accent, but was able to make it a very slight, almost unnoticeable accent. I feel like that would almost be more difficult to do intentionally, and it was so perfect for Lily.
I look forward to continuing this series and we will have to see if I manage to wait for audiobooks to be released.
Thank you for this ALC opportunity! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
My Funny Demon Valentine by Aurora Ascher
4.0
This was really cute and fun! I am not as familiar with demon romance (in fact I think this might be my first) so I wasn’t sure how much I’d like it. I’m glad to report, I liked it a lot and am going to immediately jump into book two. The plot was actually quite interesting and the spice didn’t overshadow it at all. Oh and that spice was 🥵👌🏻
I loved the brothers and their entire energy, both with each other and individually. I cannot wait to learn more about them. Ash was like a sad little Eeyore demon and I kinda love him. Him and Eva bonding over musical was so cute and I love how the title played into it.
Kirsten Leigh does a great job with the narration. She’s easy to understand and has a very nice voice (that always feels like a weird compliment but 🤷🏻♀️) I liked how she was able to bring out the emotions for each scene and character.
I loved the brothers and their entire energy, both with each other and individually. I cannot wait to learn more about them. Ash was like a sad little Eeyore demon and I kinda love him. Him and Eva bonding over musical was so cute and I love how the title played into it.
Kirsten Leigh does a great job with the narration. She’s easy to understand and has a very nice voice (that always feels like a weird compliment but 🤷🏻♀️) I liked how she was able to bring out the emotions for each scene and character.
The Rivaled Crown by Holly Renee
fast-paced
4.0
This was such a great ending to the Veiled Kingdom Series! I thought the direction Holly took the plot in this final book was really interesting. The focus on internal strength was really well done and the bond between Verna and Dacre was everything. And Oh. My. God. Daddy Dacre is THE KING of worship and Verena was altar at which he knelt 🥵
I liked seeing more of Wren, and even Kai in this installment. Doran and Micah were also really great characters in their own way.
Overall, I loved the book and I loved the series. I’m a little sad it’s over but I also think it was the perfect length.
Holly, thank you so much for letting me be a part of your ARC Team for this series!
I liked seeing more of Wren, and even Kai in this installment. Doran and Micah were also really great characters in their own way.
Overall, I loved the book and I loved the series. I’m a little sad it’s over but I also think it was the perfect length.
Holly, thank you so much for letting me be a part of your ARC Team for this series!
Once the Skies Fade by Vanessa Rasanen
4.5
I have been looking forward to Matthias’ story since I first read UTSF and Vanessa did not disappoint! First and foremost, I ADORE Matthias. He is a cinnamon roll type MMC and also a badass general. He sees beyond the “monster” in Calla and gets to know her as a person too, even when he’s conflicted about her. And he always has a funny quip, masking emotions and pain with sarcasm. He’s basically what I call a “Cassian type” MMC and those are my favorites.
Calla was a little more difficult for me. She has an absolutely tragic life with the deaths of her family and husband so close together. (Fun fact: I’m crap with names so it didn’t click going in that “Calla” being widowed meant Brennan……and I was very sad.) Her sadness and rage are so real I wanted to cry for her. However, I really struggled with her attitude towards all humans afterwards, and I was a little surprised that this attitude continued as far as 75% through the story. She gets there though and I think her character growth is really important.
I really like Isa and Asher. I am super excited for Asher’s story next but I would also love to see more of Isa, and maybe her own book eventually.
Thank you so much for this ARC opportunity 🫶🏻
Calla was a little more difficult for me. She has an absolutely tragic life with the deaths of her family and husband so close together. (Fun fact: I’m crap with names so it didn’t click going in that “Calla” being widowed meant Brennan……and I was very sad.) Her sadness and rage are so real I wanted to cry for her. However, I really struggled with her attitude towards all humans afterwards, and I was a little surprised that this attitude continued as far as 75% through the story. She gets there though and I think her character growth is really important.
I really like Isa and Asher. I am super excited for Asher’s story next but I would also love to see more of Isa, and maybe her own book eventually.
Thank you so much for this ARC opportunity 🫶🏻
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
4.0
I missed this book when it was originally published and was only recently introduced to the series on Bookstagram. I’ll be honest, I had my reservations about starting this series now: I’m notoriously not a fan of high school setting/teen YA because it turns out I’m crochety old lady at heart with nm patience for teen angst 😅 However, a few people told me about really loving this series when they were younger so I decided to give it a chance. The very beginning had me texting my buddy about how very young the FMC is, but I was never truly put off by it. I think Cynthia Hand’s writing is strong enough to make you focus on the YA aspect less. The writing doesn’t feel immature so it offsets it. Plus, Clara grows on you as the story progresses.
The ending wrapped up the main plot in this story quite well, while also leaving SO many questions to be answered. I want to know more about her brother as well as what her mom is hiding. Obviously we need more information on Christian too. I truly wasn’t expecting to get as invested in this story as I did, and I’m not sad about it 🤩
The ending wrapped up the main plot in this story quite well, while also leaving SO many questions to be answered. I want to know more about her brother as well as what her mom is hiding. Obviously we need more information on Christian too. I truly wasn’t expecting to get as invested in this story as I did, and I’m not sad about it 🤩
Song of the Dark Wood by Sheila Masterson
5.0
I absolutely devoured this story (see what I did there? 😉) But seriously, I had to force myself to turn the audiobook off last night in order to get other things done and actually sleep. I wanted to just listen until I finished.
The narrators - Aoife McMahon and Dermit Magennis - are fantastic! I of course love their voices and their accents, but they also do such a fantastic job with the story. Aoife is so good at projecting emotions with her tones and volume. Dermit has the perfect voice for a dark and broody god and manages to inflect the insecure or manic-y moments too. Wonderful casting!
The story itself was captivating. I love their voices red riding hood retelling and the fact that there’s even a direct nod to the origin tale during one of the conversations. The added facet of Hades x Persephone took this up a notch and has me hooked.
I love Rowan and all her feminine rage. She’s stubborn, and blunt, but also sensitive and deeply loyal to those she care about. Her and Wolf are a very fun combination together and I love when Charlie is around to stir things up.
I am really excited for this to be a series of interconnected standalones because
1. I love those in general.
2. I have questions even though Rowan and Wolf’s story was resolved.
I want to know where the missing red cloak is hidden and what her story might be. I also would love to get more of Cade as well as Sarai in the coming books.
The narrators - Aoife McMahon and Dermit Magennis - are fantastic! I of course love their voices and their accents, but they also do such a fantastic job with the story. Aoife is so good at projecting emotions with her tones and volume. Dermit has the perfect voice for a dark and broody god and manages to inflect the insecure or manic-y moments too. Wonderful casting!
The story itself was captivating. I love their voices red riding hood retelling and the fact that there’s even a direct nod to the origin tale during one of the conversations. The added facet of Hades x Persephone took this up a notch and has me hooked.
I love Rowan and all her feminine rage. She’s stubborn, and blunt, but also sensitive and deeply loyal to those she care about. Her and Wolf are a very fun combination together and I love when Charlie is around to stir things up.
I am really excited for this to be a series of interconnected standalones because
1. I love those in general.
2. I have questions even though Rowan and Wolf’s story was resolved.
I want to know where the missing red cloak is hidden and what her story might be. I also would love to get more of Cade as well as Sarai in the coming books.
The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson
4.0
I really enjoyed this book! I first started it back in November when it first released, but ended up having to pause to catch up on some ARC’s that I had. Since then, Ive managed to continually procrastinate going back to finish it, in part because I was determined to read my physical copy. I finally caved and went with the audiobook, and I am very glad that I did. I really enjoyed Brittany Pressley’s performance as the narrator. She does a really good job of making it fun and exciting, pulling out the different attitudes of each character, and made it easy to sense the emotions and tones throughout the story.
I will say, the first third or so of the book is very slow. A lot of world building and plot development. It was not boring, just not super riveting. However, it really kicked up after that and the character relationships alone had me hooked. I love all the members of the squad and how they become a so tight knit. Bristol and Tyghan’s relationship was also very intriguing because it was never really in doubt it would get there, but I felt like it was pretty subtle in the buildup for along time, which I liked.
The ending was so noncliffhanger-y that it actually caught me by surprise. I was waiting for the next chapter when they started reading the credits. It wasn’t abrupt, I think I’m just so used to books ending when everything is awful, and this one instead ended on rather light and positive note. Definitely some questions left to be answered though and I cannot wait for The Last Wish of Bristol Keats.
I will say, the first third or so of the book is very slow. A lot of world building and plot development. It was not boring, just not super riveting. However, it really kicked up after that and the character relationships alone had me hooked. I love all the members of the squad and how they become a so tight knit. Bristol and Tyghan’s relationship was also very intriguing because it was never really in doubt it would get there, but I felt like it was pretty subtle in the buildup for along time, which I liked.
The ending was so noncliffhanger-y that it actually caught me by surprise. I was waiting for the next chapter when they started reading the credits. It wasn’t abrupt, I think I’m just so used to books ending when everything is awful, and this one instead ended on rather light and positive note. Definitely some questions left to be answered though and I cannot wait for The Last Wish of Bristol Keats.