Category: New adult

The Witch Collector by. Charissa Weaks | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Witch Collector (#1)

Author: Charissa Weaks

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 343

Publication Date: 11/01/21

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, New Adult, Magic, Witches

Every harvest moon, the Witch Collector rides into our valley and leads one of us to the home of the immortal Frost King, to remain forever.

Today is that day—Collecting Day.

But he will not come for me. I, Raina Bloodgood, have lived in this village for twenty-four years, and for twenty-four years he has passed me by.

His mistake.

Raina Bloodgood has one desire: kill the Frost King and the Witch Collector who stole her sister. On Collecting Day, she means to exact murderous revenge, but a more sinister threat sets fire to her world. Rising from the ashes is the Collector, Alexus Thibault, the man she vowed to slay and the only person who can help save her sister.

Thrust into an age-old story of ice, fire, and ancient gods, Raina must abandon vengeance and aid the Witch Collector in saving the Frost King or let their empire—and her sister—fall into enemy hands. But the lines between good and evil blur, and Raina has more to lose than she imagined. What is she to do when the Witch Collector is no longer the villain who stole her sister, but the hero who’s stealing her heart?

Content Warning: violence

I have been eyeing this one for awhile and finally got it when it was $0.99 on Kindle! This is what did and didn’t work for me:

+ The cover is so pretty, it gives me winter vibes.

+ Raina is mute, so I love that she uses sign language and others around her (only a few) know how to sign with her too. Raina is also really brave and is a fighter even though her true skill as a witch is healing and scrying.

+ It’s an enemies to lovers romance but it’s one-sided. Raina’s plan is actually kill the Witch Collector, Alexus, but things don’t go as planned. Instead she reluctantly has to cooperate with him if they are going to save her sister and the Frost King. Alexus has been into her for a long time now, so it’s Raina who is fighting the attraction she is starting to feel with him. There are some sexy scenes between them and even one epic sex scene that was not just hot physically but emotionally (the thing that happened with the life threads). The two of them really grew on me.

+ World building is great! There is some back story about Alexus that shows the bigger picture of what they are dealing with. There are gods, evil princes and witches! The magic system is intriguing as well.

~ We get thrown into the story – we meet Raina and she wants to kill Alexus because he took her eldest sister years ago. But there is some backstory we are missing about Nephele (her sister) and the Frost King. I kind of wish maybe we knew their story first, because it seems very important to everything going on. That was my main issue. I felt like I was catching up to the story. And Alexus had to do a lot of explaining to Raina.

~ Raina does go from obsessing over killing Alexus to then sleeping with him. So…I thought it was a quick turn around. I think it was her sister at the end of the book that said Alexus knew Raina for only 2 weeks and he was ready to burn the world down for her! TWO WEEKS! 😅 He got through her defenses super fast but I guess all he really needed to do was explain the Nephele/Frost King situation.

Tropes: one-sided enemies to lovers, hiding great powers

Spice Level: 🌶🌶

Why you should read it:

  • a good romantasy read – it’s got equal parts romance and the fantasy world building is great
  • Raina is mute, great representation
  • entertaining – it has action and a fight with an evil prince

Why you might not want to read it:

  • slight pacing issues, a little slower in the middle
  • the romance happens in the span of 2 weeks, even though Alexus has been wanting her for longer than that

My Thoughts:

I think this was pretty enjoyable if you are looking for a romantasy to read. It’s got an enemies to lovers romance, a steamy scene or two, lots of magic and fighting against an evil prince, and I’m looking forward to reading book two, City of Ruin.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Frost by. C.N. Crawford | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Frost (Frost and Nectar, #1)

Author: C.N. Crawford

Format: ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 10/3/22

Categories: Fantasy, Fae, Romance, New Adult

On the worst birthday of my life, I come home to find my boyfriend in bed with another woman. Within hours, I’m drunk, homeless, and pledging to stay single forever. And that is when the dangerously sexy Seelie King rolls through town, looking for fae like me.

Every generation, the king holds a competition for Seelie queen. But for reasons he won’t explain, Torin is looking for a charade, not a real marriage. So when I drunkenly sling insults his way, I have his attention.

When Torin offers me fifty million to participate, I think, “What have I got to lose?” The answer turns out to be “my life,” because my competition will literally kill for the crown.

And the more time I spend with the seductive king, the harder it becomes to remember it’s all supposed to be fake. Now, my life—and my heart—are one the line.

Content Warning: violence

I am trash for fae books and this one has lots of tropes that are so much fun in a romantasy.

+ The tropes are many in this one: a girl who doesn’t know her past-she’s Fae but lived in the human world since she was a child and she was exiled from Faerie but don’t know why, a competition for the Seelie king’s hand, faerie is dying unless the king marries, and the king can’t fall in love because his love will kill. Oh and to top it off, the competition is like a reality dating show.

+ I like Ava a lot. She’s strong, she’s independent, and she’s not afraid of Torin and Faerie. She also has a fun friend Shalini by her side. I like Torin too! He seems like a good guy, just stuck with king responsibilities and a curse, of course!

+ I like the sexual tension between Ava and Torin and it will be interesting to see where it goes.

~ It’s short and moves quickly, a little rushed in the competition parts but that’s okay – I expect it with these series that drop releases more quickly than the bigger publishers.

~ I love Shalini and hopes she gets to do more in Faerie than just sitting in the room and reading books. What kind of an adventure is that?

Tropes: touch kills, love kills, a girl with a secret past, competition to marry king, reality dating show

Spice Level: 🌶

Why you should read it:

  • super quick read
  • lots of fun tropes and it’s a Fae story
  • Ava and Torin

Why you might not want to read it:

  • it’s a quick read but also scenes are rushed
  • the next book releases in a few months so maybe wait to binge the whole series

My Thoughts:

I was in the mood for a book set in Faerie and this author is definitely one I go to for a book with all the tropes I’m looking for and it’s New Adult. Also the wait for sequels won’t be long which also satisfies my craving. Overall a fun start to a new series, hopefully we get a little more depth to the story in the sequel.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Kingdom of the Feared by. Kerri Maniscalco | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Kingdom of the Feared (#3)

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 393

Publication Date: 9/27/22

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Categories: Romance, Fantasy, Series, Supernatural

Emilia is reeling from the shocking discovery that her twin sister, Vittoria, is alive. But before she faces the demons of her past, Emilia yearns to claim her king, the seductive Prince of Wrath, in the flesh. Emilia doesn’t simply desire his body, she wants his heart and soul—but that’s something the enigmatic demon can’t promise her.

When a high-ranking member of House Greed is assassinated, Emilia and Wrath are drawn to the rival demon court. Damning evidence points to Vittoria as the murderer and she’s quickly declared an enemy of the Seven Circles. Despite her betrayal, Emilia will do anything to solve this new mystery and find out who her sister really is.

Together Emilia and Wrath play a sin-fueled game of deception as they work to stop the unrest that’s brewing between witches, demons, shape-shifters and the most treacherous foes of all: the Feared.

Emilia was warned that when it came to the Wicked nothing was as it seemed. But, have the true villains been much closer all along? When the truth is finally revealed, it just might end up costing Emilia her heart.

Two curses.
One prophecy.
A reckoning all have feared.

And a love more powerful than fate. All hail the king and queen of Hell.

Content Warning: sex, violence

Okay everyone, they should have stopped marketing this as YA since the last book. If you thought that was steamy…oh boy…this one takes it to the next level. Let’s dive into this book and see what did and didn’t work for me:

+ Wrath and Emilia are back and forget all the teasing and tension in book two. This is a book of full on Wrath and Emilia smut. Now they get to release their passions on one another and they sure do! They are horny for one another and show it everywhere it seems. 😅 I do admit, at some later points of the book I was skipping the sex scenes to get to the story. I love them together though. This book is as sinful as these princes of Hell.

+ This is Wrath and Emilia’s story basically told by Emilia, but really, it involves so many other characters. It’s a tangled web of secrets, curses and betrayals. I love the reveals in the story, especially because yay, finally we know what the heck is going on with Vittoria, the werewolves, the curse, and Emilia’s powers. It is ALL revealed! There was so much to unpack and I think the story did a great job at tying up loose ends and leaving some open for a spin-off.

+ I love the different princes, and I think this series has the potential for so many spin offs. Now I want to know about Pride and Vittoria…and what about Envy? Greed also has potential for his own story with a certain werewolf/demon. So many characters, so many more stories to tell? But this time it can’t be marketed as YA…just give it to us straight NA or Adult Fantasy…and throw in all the sexy scenes you want. I doubt we could handle a book about Lust. 😅 I also want to know more about Claudia! There is just so much potential and that mostly happens because there are characters we care about in the book. And that series definitely made us care about the characters.

+ Emilia really grows in this final book. She opens her eyes to the truth, no matter how much it hurts (physically and emotionally) and she makes some really hard choices. But I did admire how she found a way to keep Wrath….and her sister. She wanted it to work for her blood family and her new family.

~ I enjoy smut but I feel like they marketed this whole series wrong. It started off YA in book one…but clearly isn’t been NA since book two. I’m glad they are together and have good sex. I knew they have their happily ever after so my mind wanted to just get to the other threads of the story like Vittoria! So if you like smut, you will love this book. If you don’t – you will not enjoy this book.

~ The truth made me kinda sad…especially about Emilia and Vittoria’s upbringing. I can understand why it happened but just knowing how a person in their childhood really feels about them. I felt like that resolved too quick (at least for me). It was a betrayal that is heartbreaking.

Tropes: curses, good twin/evil twin, secret powers, fated

Spice Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶

Why you should read it:

  • you want some Wrath and Emilia smut
  • so many reveals about Vittoria and Emilia, the werewolves, and all the side characters are unique
  • an entertaining, solid conclusion that leaves the doors open to potential spin-offs

Why you might not want to read it:

  • not into smut

My Thoughts:

This whole series is entertaining and I think this is a great conclusion to this trilogy. I loved the world building, the characters and we get all the secret reveals! This book in particular has the smut we have all been waiting for and knew it was leading to. But I do wish this was marketed properly in the beginning of the series. I would have loved it too as a YA novel with less smut but strategically placed sexy scenes. But if you want spice – you get it in this book! Emilia and Wrath get their happily ever after and we get some things left open for potential spin offs. If that’s the case I need a few because there are many characters who deserve their own story. I look forward to seeing what this author writes next!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other books by this author that I have read and reviewed:

Kingdom of the Wicked by. Kerri Maniscalco – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kingdom of the Cursed by. Kerri Maniscalco – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You are kerosene. Volatile. Noxious.”

~ Kerri Maniscalco, Kingdom of the Feared

And he is her fate. ‘As above, so below’. They are the balance. Lights and dark. One fallen from above, and one created in the underworld below.”

~ Kerri Maniscalco, Kingdom of the Feared

Bad Girl Reputation by. Elle Kennedy | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Title: Bad Girl Reputation (Avalon Bay, #2)

Author: Elle Kennedy

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 10/4/22

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Categories: Romance, New Adult, Young Adult, Contemporary, Series

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

When former bad girl Genevieve West returns home for her mother’s funeral, she’s prepared to keep her distance from her ex-boyfriend, Evan Hartley. Their history is rife with turbulence. And passion. A heck of a lot of passion… which she’s trying desperately to forget.

But it’s impossible not to run into Evan in the small coastal town where they once ran wild. And the moment she sees her gorgeous ex again, it’s clear to Gen that Evan is still as unruly, sexy, and irresistible as ever. This time around, however, she’s resolved to walk a new path. No more partying. No more foolish mistakes. Her plan is to temporarily remain in town to help her father run his business, but the second he finds somebody else, she’s out of there.

Evan has other ideas. He knows they can be good together, but he just has to convince Genevieve of that, even if it means turning over a new leaf himself. But can a bad reputation ever truly be shed? Do second chances really work? Genevieve and Evan are about to find out.

Content Warning: sexual harassment, drug use, death of a parent

This is the second book in the Avalon Bay series, and I enjoyed the first one, Good Girl Complex, a lot so was definitely going to read this one. Sadly, I wasn’t into Evan and Gen’s story like I was with Cooper and Mac. Here’s what did and didn’t work for me:

+ The beginning of the story is good – we get to know Gen and Evan and their history. Obviously these two cannot stay away from one another as much as they try. The physical attraction is undeniable but then the feelings part is when the trouble begins. They both have issues.

+ Gen has a lot going on and I do see growth. Evan also has some things to work on when it comes to Gen and his mom, Shelley.

+ Cooper and Mac make cameos in the story. Cooper doesn’t like Evan and Gen together but the heart wants what it wants!

~ I think I got bored with the story. It’s repetitive. It’s a constant back and forth between Evan and Gen, and the sexual attraction is easy for them. Everything else is hard. I think it felt flat on the emotional side of their relationship. They are also a bit toxic for one another. So I wasn’t invested with the second chance romance. Gen tries to date someone else, but we all know who is end game, so it felt like a waste of time.

~ I didn’t connect to any of the characters.

Tropes: second chance romance

Spice Level: 🌶🌶🌶

Why you should read it:

  • you might like this better than the first one if you like second chance romances

Why you might not want to read it:

  • it hit a lull in the middle and never managed to suck me back into the story

My Thoughts:

This one was just okay. I did like Good Girl Complex more because it was the rich girl/poor boy trope. If you like second chance romances with a lot of spice, you will enjoy this one, because one thing is for sure and that is Gen and Evan can’t keep their hands off one another.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Good Girl Complex by. Elle Kennedy – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

For the Throne by. Hannah F. Whitten | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: For the Throne (Wilderwood, #2)

Author: Hannah F. Whitten

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 496

Publication Date: 6/9/22

Publisher: Orbit

Categories: New Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Twins

The First Daughter is for the Throne
The Second Daughter is for the Wolf…

Red and the Wolf have finally contained the threat of the Old Kings but at a steep cost. Red’s beloved sister Neve, the First Daughter is lost in the Shadowlands, an inverted kingdom where the vicious gods of legend have been trapped for centuries and the Old Kings have slowly been gaining control. But Neve has an ally–though it’s one she’d rather never have to speak to again–the rogue king Solmir. 

Solmir wants to bring an end to the Shadowlands and he believes helping Neve may be the key to its destruction. But to do that, they will both have to journey across a dangerous landscape in order to find a mysterious Heart Tree, and finally to claim the gods’ dark, twisted powers for themselves.

Content Warning: violence, self harm, rats and roaches

I finished this duology in one week, yay, so was it better than the first book? Let’s so what did and didn’t work for me:

+ The story is still told through different perspectives: Neve in the Shadowlands with Solmir trying to take care of the Kings, Red and company trying to figure out how to get Neve out of the Shadowlands and Raffe who brings in a new character to their crew, Kayu. Once again, where I was more invested in Red’s story in For the Wolf, I was now more interested in Neve’s in this volume.

+ We learn more about the Kings and what happened in the past. We get to try and decide if Solmir is trustworthy or not.

+ Neve is a strong character and she’s battling with some internal struggles. She’s trying to uncover who she really is – is she good? Or has her actions trying to save Red show that she’s bad? Is it so black and white? Will she embraced all parts of herself, good and bad? Neve held her own in the Shadowlands, she thrived alongside Solmir and killing beasts and taking their god powers. I liked Solmir – he knew he was an a-hole and didn’t try to hide it, basically Neve and Solmir got to know each other on a very real level – flaws and everything. They are morally gray characters.

+ I think the story tied up all the loose ends in the story. I liked more of the action in Neve’s story. I loved that there was a concentration on the love between the two sisters moreso in this book than the first one.

~ I feel like the different perspectives didn’t make this story flow. It started off good and then it fizzled out, then ended with a bang. The pacing was just off for me this whole duology, it moves to slow. This one had more action but only when it was Neve telling the story. She and Solmir get into some thrilling situations, some gross (killer rats and roaches anyone? ugh). I was more interested in Neve’s story but we get a new character Kayu who is helping Red and friends try and figure out who to contact or help Neve. Also the new character being a love interested for Raffe I’m torn about. I’m glad Raffe has someone new to fall for but I felt like it was rushed.

~ If book one was Beauty and the Beast, then I think the author tried to make this like Snow White. The story mentions apples and mirrors. But that’s all I got in reference to Snow White, which isn’t much.

~ We don’t get much more of Fife and Lyra except for the facet Fife is mad he’s still bound to Eammon (but he made that choice) and is is acknowledged that Fife and Lyra bring in an ACE relationship.

~ This happened to me in book one as well and again in this book where I had to pause and reread a sentence to make sure it made sense to me lol. There were times I was like oh, that’s deep and times I cringed and that was my experience with the whole series!

Tropes: monster boyfriend, morally gray characters, atmospheric setting, quest, villain redemption arc, good twin/bad twin, enemies to lovers, slow burn

Why you should read it:

  • you loved For the Wolf, or didn’t love it but curious enough to read about Neve and her character arc
  • it’s a romantasy (romance fantasy)
  • I feel like the sister relationship has more of a spotlight here and asks some interesting questions like what will you do for family or someone you love? Let the world burn to the ground to save her or not?

Why you might not want to read it:

  • Everyone in this book starts pairing up, not sure if Raffe’s pairing was needed but I thought Kayu was an interesting character. It made their relationship rushed though.
  • pacing issues like first book

My Thoughts:

So I’m done with both books and I can say I did love Red and Eammon together in book one but Neve and Solmir are more my speed. They faced crazy dangers in the shadowlands – psycho kings, scary godlike creatures, and beasts like rats and roaches (UGH yuck), and they had to kill to absorb power. Neve showed her mettle though and I liked seeing how she dealt with her internal struggle about goodness and evil. The sister love came through in this one and it was interesting to see how the roles were reversed. Neve wanted to save Red in book one and now Red was trying to save Neve and honestly…they both learned they could save themselves. They had to learn that lesson the hard way though. Overall, it was a series that took time to read because there were pacing issues and the books seemed too long. I was entertained enough to finish it through though.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes From the Book:

“May the next world be kinder, Beloved,”

― Hannah F. Whitten, For the Throne

“The two of you have overturned worlds for each other, Neverah. It’s hard to get more matched than that.”

― Hannah F. Whitten, For the Throne

Saving someone else was a wall you couldn’t scale unless they threw you a rope.

― Hannah F. Whitten, For the Throne

For the Wolf by. Hannah F. Whitten | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: For the Wolf (Wilderwood, #1)

Author: Hannah F. Whitten

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 481

Publication Date: 6/1/21

Publisher: Orbit

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Beauty and the Beast Re-telling, Twins

The first daughter is for the Throne.
The second daughter is for the Wolf.

As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose-to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he’ll return the world’s captured gods.

Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can’t control, at least she knows that in the Wilderwood, she can’t hurt those she loves. Again.

But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn’t learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wilderwood-and her world-whole.

Content Warning: self-harm

I got this book and the sequel on my online library so I read it right away before my borrowing period ended. I’ve seen good and bad reviews for this book, so let’s so what did and didn’t work for me:

+ This is story is a romantasy and those were the parts that I loved in the book. Redarys (Red) is the second the daughter, and if the first daughter is for the throne then the second daughter is for the Wolf. She gets sent as the sacrificial second daughter to the Wolf in the Wilderwood. No one knows much about him except from legend and lore being told from generation to generation. When Red meets Eammon, the wolf, she learns that his power is feeding the Wilderwood but he needs help and this is where she comes in to the picture.

+ I did like the world building and story about five Kings, magic, and the Wilderwood. I think I had a good grasp of the world this is set it. I think we got a pretty good idea of

+ This being a romantasy means I was invested in Red and Eammon falling for one another. It has very Beauty and the Beast vibes except I was thinking it was gonna be Red Riding Hood vibes because of the cover? And Eammon is called the Wolf? So yeah…maybe a blending of the two stories? So yes, I did love their moments together – they have physical chemistry…as for the emotional chemistry? I think Eammon is just the type who doesn’t talk about his feelings much. I do feel at times this could be more New Adult than Young Adult (I’m reading book 2 right now and it is definitely NA).

~ This story is actually told between two perspectives and I was more into Red’s story because it starts with her. But her twin Neve is on the other side of the Wilderwood, she misses Red, she wants to rescue Red without knowing Red doesn’t want to be rescued. Neve does some things that has dire consequences to the Wilderwood, Red and Eammon and I believe book two is her story. I wasn’t as invested in Neve because of the romance taking place with Red and Eammon.

~ The pacing was off, I was into the story and then there was a lull because Red doesn’t know how to use her power, doesn’t understand it and no one is explaining it to her (looking at you, Eammon). Eammon eventually trains her to use her power but he won’t let her help him take care of the Wildwood so he is self-harming himself like crazy because he doesn’t want help. I wanted to shake him a few times. Like what is Red’s purpose then if not to help him? The both of them were hopeless and stubborn at times 🤦🏻‍♀️ but at least they had good kissing scenes!

~ There are side characters like Fife and Lyra but I didn’t feel like they contributed much to the story. It would be nice to get to know them a bit more. I do have to mention that Lyra is a ACE rep, at least from how Fife described her. Like I said, would be nice to get to know them more.

~ I said I think I got a good grasp of the world-building but I can also say I couldn’t really pin it down. It felt like a blur sometimes even though she went into detail describing it…does that make sense? 😅

Tropes: single bed, marriage/sacrifice, forced proximity, sentient forest, fairytale mash-up, monster boyfriend, girl with magic who doesn’t know how to use it, brooding male, slow-burn

Why you should read it:

  • Beauty and the Beast, Red Riding Hood vibes – seems like a bunch of fairy tales actually because the ending hints at Sleeping Beauty also
  • it’s a romantasy (romance fantasy)
  • twin sisters who care about one another a lot – but needing to learn how to let go of one another and be on their separate paths

Why you might not want to read it:

  • I should call it a romangstasy lol…because yes Red and Eammon = angsty – I was getting irritated when she wanted to help and he said no or when he asked her to use her power instead of blood and she said no. Like…come on….😂.
  • a slower read at some parts – mostly because of the repetition

My Thoughts:

I feel like I’m still processing this one but also I already started book two since it’s fresh in my head and this is definitely not a Young Adult series…I’m saying it’s New Adult because Red and Eammon have some sexy times right away. For the Wolf, was entertaining enough for me to stick it through. I do like fairytale mash-ups when they make sense. I was expecting Red Riding Hood but got more Beauty and the Beast instead. Red and Eammon have that angsty, non-communicative relationship which can be so frustrating but I liked when they stopped talking and kissed instead. So I have mixed feelings about this one to say the least. I also was more into Red’s story than Neve but now that I’m reading book two…Neve’s story seems already better than Red’s, maybe because Solmir is more talkative. So we shall see how everything turns out for both sisters.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes From the Book:

People with power resent losing it, and too much power for too long a time can make a villain of anyone.” 

― Hannah F. Whitten, For the Wolf

People created stories to fill the gaps they didn’t understand, and religion grew up around it like rot on a fallen tree.” 

― Hannah F. Whitten, For the Wolf

“She could count the number of people who loved her on one hand, and they all kept begging for the only thing she couldn’t give them.” 

― Hannah F. Whitten, For the Wolf

Lord of Embers by. C.N. Crawford | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Lord of Embers (The Demon Queen Trials, #2)

Author: C.N. Crawford

Format: eBook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 298

Publication Date: 1/15/21

Categories: New Adult, Romance, Demons, Urban Fantasy

Once, I was a broke college student. Now, it seems I’m destined to rule as the Lightbringer–queen of the demon realm. Except I have competition in the form of Orion, the Lord of Chaos. Like me, he has been marked as a leader. We can’t keep our hands off each other, even if he swore an oath to kill me.

It seems we both want the same thing–the crown. And in this battle of wills, only one of us will be left standing.

Content Warning: Violence

This is the sequel to City of Thorns and I really enjoyed this installment. It wasn’t quite what I expected after how book one ended but I liked the direction it took.

So in this book Orion is convinced Rowan is Mortana reincarnated and he has a vow to kill Mortana. Rowan is pretty sure she’s not Mortana, but not totally 100%, she needs proof and finds it. Orion is still bent on ruling the demon realm but he does need Rowan’s help, at least that’s what she makes him think so she can stay alive.

I love Orion and Rowan’s interactions. They clearly can’t deny the attraction between them, but they also both have a desire to rule – so who is it going to be? There is tension and humor, which I enjoy. There’s also a spicy scene which was fun while it lasted.

I liked Rowan’s growth and transformation as she learns about who and what she is. I thought the introduction of Tammuz, Lucifer’s twin, was pretty cool. Tammuz thrives on chaos. She gets some time to train with him near the ending of the book and I think it will set up a good showdown between her and Orion in the next book. I love when they fight and now she can really try and kick his butt haha, or sleep with him some more. We also get to know more about Orion and his time in the dungeon.

Story-wise this took an unexpected turn into the Puritan era. But it makes sense since Orion and Rowan are demons, why wouldn’t their hell be in the time when Puritans were hanging women for being witches. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I thought it was interesting and it did help Rowan’s transformation into a stronger demon. There were some funny parts, especially with a miss Goody Putnam lol.

Honestly I didn’t care for the part in book one where they thought Mortana could be Rowan. I’m just glad that part got cleared up in this book because I was over Orion accusing Rowan of something she can’t even control – but I see why he wants to kill Mortana so…it was a dilemma for him for sure. But that whole mistaken identity thing was done in another series I read from this author, so I just want something new.

Why you should read it:

  • enemies to lovers
  • Rowan’s transformation and growth
  • demons hiding among Puritans was kinda funny

Why you might not want to read it:

  • less action than book one
  • he’s an incubus and she’s a succubus, honestly I wanted more action between them

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one a lot and am so looking forward to see what Rowan does now after that ending!

📚 ~ Yolanda

Good Girl Complex by. Elle Kennedy | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Good Girl Complex

Author: Elle Kennedy

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 2/01/22

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, New Adult, College

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

She does everything right. So what could go wrong?

Mackenzie “Mac” Cabot is a people pleaser. Her demanding parents. Her prep school friends. Her long-time boyfriend. It’s exhausting, really, always following the rules. Unlike most twenty-year-olds, all she really wants to do is focus on growing her internet business, but first she must get a college degree at her parents’ insistence. That means moving to the beachside town of Avalon Bay, a community made up of locals and the wealthy students of Garnet College.

Mac’s had plenty of practice suppressing her wilder impulses, but when she meets local bad boy Cooper Hartley, that ability is suddenly tested. Cooper is rough around the edges. Raw. Candid. A threat to her ordered existence. Their friendship soon becomes the realest thing in her life.

Despite his disdain for the trust-fund kids he sees coming and going from his town, Cooper soon realizes Mac isn’t just another rich clone and falls for her. Hard. But as Mac finally starts feeling accepted by Cooper and his friends, the secret he’s been keeping from her threatens the only place she’s ever felt at home. 

I haven’t read an Elle Kennedy book in years and I think it was the hockey series, Off Campus, that I had read some of. Good Girl Complex is set in a much different scene, a beachside town, which I love and can relate to since I live in a touristy place. Mac is the rich girl, but the good girl who is yearning for something different. And Cooper is the rough around the edges, sexy local construction worker, good with his hands (and apparently other things) guy that runs his fists into Mac’s boyfriend, Preston. What starts off as a revenge plan to humiliate Preston, turns into something more for Cooper and Mac.

We get a feeling for Mac and Cooper right from the start. Cooper is making ends meet living in this coastal town where the rich come to play and go to school at Garnet college. He is a hot boy who all the girls drool over and he is confident about himself. Cooper has an interesting group of friends who are his chosen family. They are a tight knit group that looks out for one another but they also hate the rich people they basically work for. Mac is the rich girl with horrible, cold parents who don’t really care about her as a person, just as a prop. I love that Mac is self sufficient though. She created an app that has made her a millionaire in her own right and at only the age of 20! When Mac and Cooper meet the attraction is there from the start, but there are things in the way like Mac’s boyfriend and her plan for her future, or more like her parents’ plan.

There is a big cast of characters and I wonder if this will be like the author’s other books and become a series? I’m not sure. There are a lot of names to remember but I think each one was unique enough that they stood out on their own. I liked Steph a lot, she was cool. Evan, Cooper’s twin, grew on me though he has a lot of issues to deal with. He and Cooper had a rough upbringing so it’s only normal they would have issues.

I got emotionally invested in Cooper and Mac’s relationship and was rooting for them to work out. I liked how he was rough and intense but easy going as well. Mac, even though trapped by wealth, really did deserve someone who wasn’t condescending like Preston, he was awful. The happy ending was awesome because I really did love Mac and Cooper together. They had friendship, respected one another, yes they fought but you know Cooper wasn’t going anywhere – he was so into Mac and I thought that was so cute! Also the heat between them is perfect!

Triggers: parental neglect, toxic relationship

One thing I had a problem with – and yes this is a ME problem and maybe I’m just a prude or just old but I was not feeling the friends with benefit relationships in Cooper’s circle. I get the whole “friends with benefits” thing but wow it happens a lot in Cooper’s circle of friends! It gets so complicated when someone catches feelings in a friends with benefits deal as we see with Cooper and Heidi.

The parents in this story are awful. The only kind family figure was Levi who is Cooper and Evan’s uncle.

Why you should read it:

  • craving for a good New Adult contemporary romance book
  • lots of feels between Cooper and Mac – from friendship to all kinds of heat in the bedroom
  • complete book where loose ends are tied up nicely, good pacing

Why you might not want to read it:

  • rich girl/poor boy trope – predictable

My Thoughts:

This whole book is predictable with it’s rich girl/hot poor boy trope but for me it ticked all the boxes I was looking for in a New Adult contemporary romance book. I love opposites attract and wow was there attraction between them. It’s been awhile since I’ve read a New Adult book and I devoured this in one sitting! I enjoyed it from start to finish with Cooper’s bad boy rep, and Mac on the verge of breaking free from her rich girl plans. I was smiling when they got their happy ending because Cooper and Mac are a good couple together and deserve love.

📚~ Yolanda

Mad World by Hannah McBride | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Mad World (#1)

Author: Hannah McBride

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 520

Publication Date: 10/14/21

Categories: Bully Romance, New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Alpha Male, Prep School

I’m Madison.
I spent the last seventeen years in a trailer with my mom as she rolled from one addiction to the next. All I wanted was to survive high school and get out of this place. Finding out I had a long lost twin sister on the other side of the country seemed like something out of a movie.

Too bad I didn’t realize it was a horror movie.

Now I’m Madelaine.
We were only supposed to switch lives for a summer. But then the unthinkable happened and now I have the chance to be my twin for the rest of my life. I get the fancy house, the rich father, and the elite school.

But all of those things come with a price I don’t think I can afford.

Maybe taking over my dead twin sister’s life isn’t as easy as I thought it would be.

Mad World is the first book in a new series by Hannah McBride . It contains dark themes (including bullying) that may be triggering for some readers.

Well this was unexpected and I borrowed this book on KU because of the cover – I went in knowing nothing but came out pleasantly surprised.

This is a bully romance – it has many triggers, it has a few alpha males but compared to other bully romance I’ve read in the past (and took a break from reading) this one is pretty tame. I wish more bully romances were as mild as this one!

I enjoyed the plot – twin sisters, separated at birth, find each other. They swap lives for what is supposed to be only the summer, but when Madelaine doesn’t come back…Madison continues to impersonate her because there are some business deals on the line that would affect her dad’s wealth among other things. Her dad has also agreed to take care of her mother who has a drug problem. But it’s not easy impersonating the twin she barely knew – when she reaches Pacific City she finds out Madelaine is reviled, and hated for very good reasons. Madison also learns some crazy dark, f’ed up secrets that Madelaine was keeping. The story isn’t original but it was very entertaining.

The small circle around Maddie is her ex best friend, Bex, and her fiance, Ryan and his friends. I actually liked seeing this group come together. Bex is there for Maddie when she finds out the truth, and out of Ryan’s friends, my favorite is Linc who is that goofy, funny guy who can’t keep his mouth shut. Ash is intriguing too but only because you don’t know much about him. I liked getting to know all of them.

Ryan is an alphahole but so mild compared to some other bully romances I’ve read. And this is a new adult so if you want heat, you can find it here. Ryan can be a jerk, jealous and possessive but you can tell Maddie is his soft spot. I liked seeing them do the fake dating, even more so when he knows she’s not Madelaine and they really get to know one another. He has his issues though, don’t these alphas all have them? This is the kind of bully romance I can handle because it’s enemies to lovers with just a tiny slight edge, and I’m addicted to enemies to lovers romances.

Content Warnings: sexual abuse, bullying, drug abuse, physical abuse, sexual assault, attempted rape, pedophilia

Bully romances are dark – it’s why I tend to stay away from them but I was intrigued by the synopsis and I usually don’t like twin stories either but I wanted to see if Maddie could pull off the switch. And engaged at 17? What is THAT about? I had to know. I do wish they were just all in college because she is underage and engaged to Ryan who is 19 I believe? Of course in bully romances they defy all rules – usually the alphas are so filthy rich that they can do whatever they want. I always think it’s crazy in these romances that these rich kids rule their little worlds with money and power. And they are barely even legal, it’s a bit ridiculous but super entertaining!

So much abuse – drugs, physical, sexual – it’s all there. Some of these characters are vile. But I’m going to continue reading the series just to see Maddie get revenge (I HOPE). I think she needs to gain a little bit of Madelaine’s ruthlessness to survive this though…will she toughen up? I hope so. And take these guys and some girls down. 😠

There were some typos in the beginning of the story so I hope it’s more cleaned up in the sequel.

Why you should read it:

  • enemies to lovers romance, and you like to see an alpha male fall in love
  • entertaining as heck – if you like chaos, rich people drama, school drama
  • to see if Maddie can pull it off

Why you might not want to read it:

  • bully romances turn you off
  • dark topics – see content warnings

My Thoughts:

I needed to get out of my reading slump so I read something out of my comfort zone and it worked. I was entertained by this story a lot and I was invested to see if Maddie would pull off being her sister. There are so many ways I think the sequel could go after that cliffhanger of an ending and I’ll be here waiting patiently for book two.

📚~ Yolanda

Kingdom of the Cursed by. Kerri Maniscalco | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Kingdom of the Cursed (Kingdom of the Wicked, #2)

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 10/26/21

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Categories: Fantasy, New Adult, Romance

From #1 New York Times bestselling author of Stalking Jack the Ripper Kerri Maniscalco comes the sizzling, sweepingly romantic sequel to Kingdom of the Wicked!

One sister. 
Two sinful princes.
Infinite deception with a side of revenge…Welcome to Hell.

After selling her soul to become Queen of the Wicked, Emilia travels to the Seven Circles with the enigmatic Prince of Wrath, where she’s introduced to a seductive world of vice.

She vows to do whatever it takes to avenge her beloved sister, Vittoria…even if that means accepting the hand of the Prince of Pride, the king of demons.

The first rule in the court of the Wicked? Trust no one. With back-stabbing princes, luxurious palaces, mysterious party invitations, and conflicting clues about who really killed her twin, Emilia finds herself more alone than ever before. Can she even trust Wrath, her one-time ally in the mortal world…or is he keeping dangerous secrets about his true nature? 

Emilia will be tested in every way as she seeks a series of magical objects that will unlock the clues of her past and the answers she craves…

We are in HELL! Finally….lol…

Emilia is in the Seven Circles with Wrath and she doesn’t know what is going to happen when she is delivered to Pride, but she doesn’t go there right away. Wrath doesn’t seem to want her to leave his side and hello…if I was Emilia I wouldn’t want to leave either!

I got my fill of Emilia and Wrath in this one. And wow, are they hot! 🔥❤️‍🔥 This is straight up new adult so beware if that isn’t your thing. I expect nothing less since they are in hell. I love their chemistry and how you know they want each other but something is holding Wrath back. There are secrets he is hiding and Emilia wants him but she’s engaged to marry his brother. This is how I want my enemies to lovers romances to be like, full of conflict and tension.

Emilia is still on her quest for revenge. She wants to know who was responsible for her sister’s death, hence her marriage contract to the King of Hell, Pride. She’s getting somewhat closer to some answers but she also has to deal with being in Hell and being at the mercy of these Princes.

As for other characters – Prince Envy is such a trouble maker! Haha, I kind of wanted to know more about the other princes but I also wanted most of the time spent reading about Emilia and Wrath and I got my wish.

There are a few twists in the story but I was suspecting one of them from the beginning so it wasn’t much a surprise, still it was a nice reveal. The other was a cliffhanger!

Content Warnings: mind control/consent

I thought that it was interesting that when there were scenes that Emilia left Wrath’s home, I wasn’t as interested. lol…I just really loved Emilia and Wrath together. I know the story had to move forward but I also didn’t think it moved all that much. She’s trying to find out who was responsible for her twin’s death but she’s also trying to appear worthy to be Queen of Hell. Also her feelings for Wrath are distracting her. We get more information about her sister near the end of the book.

The one thing I missed in this book was the family she was around in book one and the cooking and food! Speaking of family, I’m bummed that Emilia is finding out that Nonna hasn’t told her the truth about many things. I just feel like she’s breaking from her family and family was what I loved about Emilia and book one. 😔 Of course her twin has added to the secrets as well…

There is a training scene between Emilia and Wrath that gets out of hand. Wrath compels Emilia to help train her in case one of his brothers tries to harm her but it becomes quite humiliating. 😒 I’m glad Emilia stood up to him but he should have groveled in apology a bit more haha. I had to keep reminding myself look – he isn’t some angel, he literally is a DEMON PRINCE and they are in HELL. According to him, he was being tame in comparison to what his brothers could do to her. He always says she has a “choice” but in this scene, he disregards it and controls her. Wrath was definitely being his pure demon, dangerous self in that moment.

Why you should read it:

  • steamy action between Wrath and Emilia 🔥
  • good story twist
  • we learn more about Wrath and his domain, Hell

Why you might not want to read it:

  • it’s New Adult now and you aren’t into super sexy scenes
  • felt like nothing much happened with the story (though a lot happens between Wrath and Emilia) until the end

My Thoughts:

I love when Wrath and Emilia are together, minus that humiliating scene but she stood her ground. Would have like to see Emilia do more in regards to exploring Hell and getting to know the other brothers. This one is steamy, and filled with enemies to lovers tension, which I enjoy a lot but I definitely wanted more of the story to move forward. This one definitely felt like a filler book but what filler it is! lol…I still sped through it. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I look forward to reading book three.

📚 ~ Yolanda