When an American interning at a fashion house in Rome butts heads with her professor’s surly son, sparks fly!
With her thirties rapidly approaching and a mountain of student debt looming over her, Violet Luciano’s dream of finishing design school and working in fashion has cost her everything. So when she lands an internship at an up-and-coming fashion brand in Rome, she brings her A game to Italy. With nothing left to lose, Violet plans to win the competition among the interns for the ultimate prize—a job at a New York label.
But when a coffee run goes wrong and Violet accidentally destroys a stranger’s laptop, all of the apology Americanos in the world won’t help her. Because it turns out that the man from the café is Matteo, her professor’s eternally grumpy son, who thinks she’s a clumsy American…and maybe a stalker. Their animosity (and undeniable chemistry) grows as together they’re forced to face a summer of chic parties, adventures through Rome and sharing a home…with the person they can’t stand the most.
The more time she spends with him, the more distracted she finds herself. With her chance to win the competition slipping out of her grasp, Violet has to decide whether to say ciao to Matteo—or ciao to her dreams.
Content Warning:
This story takes place in Italy which is always a fun setting for a romance. Violet is an aspiring fashion designer and is chosen with two other students to go to Italy for a one-month internship. She meets Matteo/Matt, who is the son of one of her professors and it’s not the best first meeting. But over the course of the month, sparks fly, and I think you know what happens. So yes it’s predictable but still kind of fun. I especially love her friend Marco, who is younger than her but very supportive and funny.
As for the conflict between Matt and Violet, it’s all due to Violet and her self-doubt but they eventually work things out after some time apart. It wasn’t anything too dramatic.
My Final Thoughts:
I felt like this one was a quick light romance story which would be perfect for a beach or pool read. It’s set in Italy which is fun and perfect for a little romantic escape.
Categories: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Faeries, Series
The epic third novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas.
Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin’s actions and learn what she can about the invading king threatening to bring her land to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit. One slip could bring doom not only for Feyre, but for everything-and everyone-she holds dear.
As war bears down upon them all, Feyre endeavors to take her place amongst the High Fae of the land, balancing her struggle to master her powers-both magical and political-and her love for her court and family. Amidst these struggles, Feyre and Rhysand must decide whom to trust amongst the cunning and lethal High Lords, and hunt for allies in unexpected places.
In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the fate of Feyre’s world is at stake as armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy it.
Content Warning: violence, death, slut-shaming, war
My Goodreads review of this one was 4 stars at first read and I’m keeping it at that!
+ The best part of this book comes in the second half of it and this is quite a long book at 700 pages. So in my re-read it was kind of a slog to get through the first part. But once it hit the halfway mark and things start happening then it just goes off the charts. Just everything that happens in that major battle scene against Hybern is amazing. It’s emotional, it’s chaotic, everyone is on the verge of dying! So good.
+ Nesta. This is where my appreciation for Nesta grows even more and we know her story is going to be amazing because she is badass. That woman is feral! Her book is probably my favorite of the whole series. Elain – we get to see more of her personality and struggles but we REALLY need her book now.
+ That scene with the girls and their dad – ugh, it gutted me in the first read. I think I cried. This time I didn’t but that scene will always stick in my mind.
+ Everyone comes out of the woodwork in this one ti fight against Hybern. It gives me Lord of the Rings – the Battle of Helms Deep – vibes! Can you imagine if this was on screen?! Especially when they think they are going to lose and it pivots. Anyway, everyone puts aside their differences <looking at you Tamlin👀>
~ The first half is a lot of build-up, trying to gather allies, support and leading up to this big battle with Hybern. It wasn’t quite holding my attention, maybe because I knew what was coming but we get to see some things like Lucien and Elain try to be around one another. Some Nesta and Cassian interactions.
~ Tamlin. Man…what happened to you? Sometimes I feel bad for him though because he did love her. Like does he deserve his own happily ever after? I sometimes want it for him but also…he’s such an ass.
~ I got even more tired of Rhys and Feyre calling one another “my mate”. Can’t they just use their names? lol…
My Final Thoughts:
The battle with Hybern is so epic and my favorite part of this whole book. I’m glad that part lived up to expectations. I think there are a lot of things in the first half that could have been cut out just to make the story move faster but I know there was a need to build up the tension of an epic war coming.
Title: All This Twisted Glory (This Woven Kingdom, #3)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Format: ebook (own)
Pages: 416
Publication Date: 2/5/24
Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Devil, Jinn
The highly anticipated third novel in the This Woven Kingdom series, full of explosive magic, searing romance, and heartbreaking betrayal, from the award-winning and bestselling author of the Shatter Me series. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sabaa Tahir, and Tomi Adeyemi.
As the long-lost heir to the Jinn throne, Alizeh has finally found her people—and she might’ve found her crown. Cyrus, the mercurial ruler of Tulan, has offered her his kingdom in a twisted exchange: one that would begin with their marriage and end with his murder.
Cyrus’s dark reputation precedes him; all the world knows of his blood-soaked past. Killing him should be easy—and accepting his offer might be the only way to fulfill her destiny and save her people. But the more Alizeh learns of him, the more she questions whether the terrible stories about him are true.
Ensnared by secrets, Cyrus has ached for Alizeh since she first appeared in his dreams many months ago. Now that he knows those visions were planted by the devil, he can hardly bear to look at her—much less endure her company. But despite their best efforts to despise each other, Alizeh and Cyrus are drawn together over and over with an all-consuming thirst that threatens to destroy them both.
Meanwhile, Prince Kamran has arrived in Tulan, ready to exact revenge…
Layered with exquisite tension and heart-stopping romance, All This Twisted Glory is the explosive third book in the captivating, bestselling This Woven Kingdom series.
Content Warning: violence, blood magic
I am kind of irritated that this is not the final book! I was assuming it was, which is my mistake.
+ I needed to read this just for Cyrus and Alizeh alone. I need them to have a happily ever after and this book was serving so much angst between them, and not even one real kiss – there is a spicy scene in the book but it was a dream?! I felt Cyrus’ anguish…like what more does this man have to endure? I need a full on real life spicy scene between them asap. 😅
+ What I didn’t expect was the found family/friendship happening with Kamran, Hazan, Huda and the rest of their crew. There were some funny moments between them and some growing animosity between Kamran and Huda which may turn into an enemies to lovers romance maybe? Anyway, I thought this group of characters together were kind of funny because the whole story is so angsty and filled with beautiful prose because of Cyrus and Alizeh and then Kamran and Huda will start fighting or Deen and Omid will interject with something so random.
+ I liked learning more about Cyrus, because he is more than what we know so far. And I cannot believe this man is going to risk it all for Alizeh – he is so in love but their story is so tragic right now.
~ Nothing really happens in this book, which is what I said about the previous book! Where is the plot?! How can there be two books about nothing but angst between Cyrus and Alizeh? And why am I eating it up? 😅 This book barely moves the story forward and yet it boggles my mind that I was fully invested in it so much that I couldn’t put it down and I will admit that investment was just to see if in any part of the book Cyrus and Alizeh would at least share a kiss. I felt as insane as Cyrus was feeling throughout the whole book. Still, I wish there was more to this story about maybe revealing a way to outwit the devil or something. Like was there really a need to make this book more than a trilogy?
~ There is something about Alizeh that I don’t quite totally love on her own, which has been my complaint since book two. I love it when she and Cyrus are together but as an emerging Queen to her people she is soft, not hardened at all, and maybe that’s a strength for her? But for me, I don’t see it yet, she is naive and maybe it’s just all due to character growth that is coming. I’d like to have seen some of that growth by now in book three though.
My Final Thoughts:
Did I devour this book? Yes I did and yes I admit it was all because of Cyrus. Or I kept reading to see if something more would happen between Cyrus and Alizeh. Kamran was a jerk, Alizeh at times was just too soft so Cyrus was my favorite. There is a spicy scene and every other scene between them is filled with so much angst and tension – which I really love and why this gets a 3.5 instead of a 3. Nothing happened to move this story forward which was how I felt about the last book so I was hoping this third book would have been finishing the series, but I was wrong. Am I still going to read book four, yes, because I need to see Cyrus and Alizeh be endgame but is it frustrating as hell? Yes. They better start trying take the devil down in the next book! Anyway, I don’t know what magic spell this book has put over me but I’m here for the romance.
The seductive and stunning #1 New York Times bestselling sequel to Sarah J. Maas’s spellbinding A Court of Thorns and Roses .
Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she’s now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people.
As her marriage to Tamlin approaches, Feyre’s hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms. She might just be the key to stopping it, but only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future-and the future of a world in turmoil.
Bestselling author Sarah J. Maas’s masterful storytelling brings this second book in her dazzling, sexy, action-packed series to new heights.
Content Warning: violence
This is another book I’ve re-read countless times but it’s been awhile since I did my last re-read. My Goodreads review of this one was 4 stars at first read but I’m bumping it up to 5 after this re-read.
+ What I appreciate about this book after time has passed and I’m a tiny bit older is I love Feyre’s growth as a character. She gave her all, risked her life because of Tamlin. She was so in love with that man- but did she really know him? Or like she says in the book, did she just attach herself to the first person who showed her any kind of affection? Feyre wasn’t whole to begin with, she never had a family that showed love, except for Elain who is just a sweet sister, and then Tamlin came along. But in this second book she’s even more broken after what happens Under the Mountain and this is her story about rebuilding herself into something broken, but strong. Someone who can live with what she’s done, someone who can accept herself as who she is.
+ If ACOTAR is beauty and the beast then ACOMAF is Hades/Persephone which is another favorite of mine!
+ I love Rhysand’s family and friends. For the supposed villain that he is, he’s been hiding a whole city that he loves and protects and family and friends that he’s sacrificed everything for. And they welcome Feyre, who is broken, they don’t pity her, they don’t coddle her – Cassian trains her. Feyre is around people that accept her as is.
+ Yes, she goes from Tamlin to Rhysand, but hey she’s a woman with her own mind. Tamlin wasn’t the right fit for her but I do love how her relationship with Rhysand transpires, it builds slowly with time, patience and friendship. He knows she’s suffering and he’s there for her as a lifeline but not as someone she’s madly in love with – just a person on the other side of the hell she’s in telling her, she’s not alone. I love that about them. It really is a beautiful love story between them. Also this is where the series gets spicy!
~ Tamlin’s character is just shredded in this story. He is way overprotective, too possessive – because he is afraid of losing Feyre and he loses her anyway! I honestly didn’t love how Feyre loved this man SOOOOOOOOO much, she did all of those things Under the Mountain, for HIM…and he ends up being a jerk in this book. Like come on, there has to be a reason why she felt all those things with him. He can’t be that awful?! I know…they are both broken after what Amarantha did to all of them but I had hope for Tamlin in this book and nope…he is tarnished in my eyes.
~ This is a longer book than the last one, as is SJM’s style so once more there is a lot of talking and explaining. Rhysand alone in the end giving Feyre his explanation for keeping the secret of them being mates is a few pages long! 😅 I don’t mind but seriously…oh and this is the part of the series where we start hearing the word “mate” repetitively and I am very used to it by now but still, it was this series that made me start rolling my eyes at the word “mate”. I also still laughed out loud when she starts glowing during their spicy scene…like what in the Twilight?! lol…
My Final Thoughts:
I love this book because of Feyre’s growth and we learn so much about Rhysand and Velaris. I love all the secondary characters like Cassian, Azriel, Mor and Amren. Are there issues that I found, sure I mean…there a lot of things that get repetitive like the whole mate thing but I’m in love with Feyre and Rhysand’s love. By the way, this is where Nesta captures my attention, she’s a very unlikable character in book one but her strength and not giving a crap is compelling regardless how bitchy she comes off – which is why her story is one of my favorites. Story wise we learn more about the King of Hybern and that intense ending again was awesome. But the romance between Feyre and Rhysand is where it’s at.
Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Sirens, Pirates
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Inkyard Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This world of sea and storm runs deep with bargains and blood.
On the remote isle of Rosevear, Mira, like her mother before her, is a wrecker, one of the seven on the rope who swim out to shipwrecks to plunder them. Mira’s job is to rescue survivors, if there are any. After all, she never feels the cold of the frigid ocean waters and the waves seem to sing to her soul. But the people of Rosevear never admit the truth: that they set the beacons themselves to lure ships into the rocks.
When the Council watch lays a trap to put an end to the wrecking, they arrest Mira’s father. Desperate to save him from the noose, Mira strikes a deal with an enigmatic wreck survivor guarding layers of secrets behind his captivating eyes, and sets off to find something her mother has left her, a family secret buried deep in the sea.
With just nine days to find what she needs to rescue her father, all Mira knows for certain is this: The sea gives. The sea takes. And it’s up to her to do what she must to save the ones she loves.
Content Warning: violence
+ I feel like this story started off strong. Mira and her friends and family on Rosevear are wreckers. When a ship wrecked on their shores, they pillaged the ship for survival. The world-building is interesting because it’s a world of survival in the seas and islands around Rosevear. There are pirates, magic and sirens.
+~ I liked the found friendship Mira has with the crew that takes her on her journey but again it would have been nice to get to know each of them more. The story needs more character building.
+~ The story moved quickly but at times I think too quickly. I wanted to learn more about the wreckers but Mira leaves the island right away into the story, so she can help save her friend and her dad who were caught by the watchers and are about to be hung. So she basically island hops in order to find this treasure her mother left for her and she thinks whatever this treasure is, can help her save her dad. I wanted to learn more about the Sirens but I just think we needed more world-building in general.
~ Mira was an interesting character until we had to follow her on this journey to find the treasure and she just came off so naive in so many situations. She falls for a boy she hardly knows – this story takes place in the span of one week – and her feelings for him puts her in the worst situations. Not to mention, he betrays her multiple times and she forgives him the first time! This girl had no business going on this journey without anyone she could trust, but she wanted to be a hero. And also she feels other things about another boy so yes there is a love triangle brewing. I was pretty frustrated with her as a character by the end.
My Thoughts:
This book had so much potential because I like a good pirate book but the more I read, the more Mira, the MC seemed so naive and clueless. I think she has a chance in book two to really embrace the side of her that will wreck vengeance on her enemies but yeah this book was just okay. I did feel like the writing is for a younger audience but there is a sex scene. Anyway, this was somewhat entertaining despite the love triangle, and the issues I have with the main character. I would love for more world-building and character building in the next book but I’m not even sure I want to read the next book!
Categories: Young Adult, New Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Faeries
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.
At least, he’s not a beast all the time.
As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.
Content Warning: violence, death, torture
I can’t say how many times I’ve read this book. But it’s been so long that I’ve done a re-read, I thought why not right now? In my initial review for this book in 2015 on Goodreads was 4 stars. So I’m bumping it up 1/2 a star because I loved it the more I re-read it.
+ Feyre is a fantastic character. She’s a survivor, she does makes mistakes, she’s not even the strongest person physically but she survives on her instincts and is always learning. I love her bravery even when she’s deathly afraid. I love that she took care of her family and has complicated feelings about her family.
+ I love that this first book in the series had a beauty and the beast vibe where Feyre goes to Prythian to live in Tamlin’s home as punishment because she kills one of his men, without knowing he was a faerie. I like that this faerie world of Prythian is dangerous and Feyre comes in contact with many different monsters while living there.
+ The world building is so good. And I loved how bad a villain Amarantha is. The ending of the book is what made my jaw drop about this book. What Feyre does for Tamlin and her bravery throughout it all made me admire her so much.
+~ Ah, the romance. It’s so good when you don’t know what’s coming in book two! 😅 All my re-reads after reading it the first time made me look at Tamlin a different way of course. But here’s the thing, it was so good between Tamlin and Feyre. He was this gorgeous, scary beast and all he wanted to do was protect though we find out later there is an ulterior motive to having her in Prythian. She risked it all for him!
~ There is a lot of talking in this book, in this whole series actually because there is always explaining to do. There are stories that Feyre doesn’t know, faerie lore, there’s a lot she needs to catch up on and figure out so yes…sometimes it’s a lot of explaining happening.
My Final Thoughts:
I never get tired of re-reading this book, especially this first one because we see this human girl turn into a broken almost superhero at the end, all for the guy she loves. But also, this was the first book that introduces us to this amazing world of Prythian and I truly love all the adventures Feyre has capturing the Suriel, fighting the Naga and the worm, and helping to end Amarantha’s reign of terror. It’s a dark, sultry story without it being spicy. Of course I have my issues with it too but overall I love the story.
Categories: Adult, Shifters, Grumpy/Sunshine, Romance, Medical Romance
Two wolf shifters agree to be fake mates but unexpectedly find something real in this steamy paranormal romantic comedy by Lana Ferguson.
Mackenzie Carter has had some very bad dates lately. Model train experts, mansplainers, guys weirdly obsessed with her tail—she hasn’t had a successful date in months. Only a year out of residency, her grandmother’s obsession with Mackenzie finding the perfect mate to settle down with threatens to drive Mackenzie barking mad. Out of options, it feels like a small thing to tell her grandmother that she’s met someone. That is, until she blurts out the name of the first man she sees and the last man she would ever date: Noah Taylor, the big bad wolf of Denver General.
Noah Taylor, interventional cardiologist and all around grump, has spent his entire life hiding what he is. With outdated stigmas surrounding unmated alphas that have people wondering if they still howl at the moon, Noah has been careful to keep his designation under wraps. It’s worked for years, until an anonymous tip has everything coming to light. Noah is left with two options: come clean to the board and risk his career—or find himself a mate. The chatty, overly friendly ER doctor asking him to be her fake boyfriend on the same day he’s called to meet the board has to be kismet, right?
Mackenzie will keep her grandmother off her back, and Noah will get a chance to prove he can continue to work without a real mate—a mutually beneficial business transaction, they both rationalize. But when the fake-mate act turns into a very real friends-with-benefits arrangement, lines start to blur, and they quickly realize love is a whole different kind of animal.
Content Warning:
Two doctors, Mackenzie and Noah, who are both shifters pretend to fake date, or in this case, be fake mates to help hide the fact that Noah is an alpha and to help Mackenzie’s grandmother get off her back about dating.
This was a fun story because of the tropes: grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, and it’s a medical romance (so Grey’s Anatomy with all the co-workers in on the drama). I thought Mackenzie’s friends were fun! Now this is a shifter romance so there is mention of alpha, omega, lots of sniffing and claiming. And it’s quite smutty too! There is so much steam from the halfway point onward, it was definitely mating season between these two. Mackenzie even goes into “heat”, so yes, if you like a steamy rom-com, you will enjoy this one. Mackenzie really brings out Noah’s personality – he is the hospital’s grump, but she had enough personality for both of them.
Now because I listened to this as an audiobook there were times I couldn’t get into it especially when both narrators would have to go into their opposite voice – especially during the steamy scenes because it would make me laugh or roll my eyes. I thought I was versed enough in shifter romances before but then was confused at the word “knot”? Because I didn’t read this book and I was listening, I wasn’t sure if they were saying “nut” or “knot” 😂. And I was like oh…is that his like ejaculation?! Like he’s nutting in her? LOL oh my word. I had to google it. 🤭 I guess I learned something new about shifter romances then! Knotting is a thing and now I know.🤦🏻♀️
My Final Thoughts:
This was a light-hearted, but very steamy shifter romance. It’s funny and smutty, and has some fun tropes like grumpy/sunshine and fake dating. Also it’s romance between doctors which is always fun times in a hospital setting! I loved the drama and gossip at the workplace. I even learned something new. The narrators did a great job but there were just some parts I couldn’t handle listening to – especially with they had to speak in the the other character’s voice during a steamy scene but other than that I’d say this was an entertaining book!
Categories: Adult, Romance, Small Town Romance, Social Media Influencer, Contemporary
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Berkley for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
A grumpy lobster fisherman tosses a fashion influencer’s impeccably curated life overboard in the next romantic comedy from international bestselling author Amy Lea.
In a last-ditch effort to rescue her brand from the brink of irrelevance, Boston fashion influencer Melanie Karlsen finds herself in a rural fishing village on the east coast of Canada. The only thing scarier than nature itself? The burly and bearded bed-and-breakfast owner and fisherman, Evan Whaler—who single-handedly disproves the theory that Canadians are “nice.”
After a boating accident lands Evan unconscious in the hospital, Mel is mistaken for his fiancée by his welcoming yet quirky family, who are embroiled in a long-standing feud over the B&B. In a bold attempt to mend family fences, Mel agrees to fake their engagement for one week in exchange for Evan’s help with her social media content.
Amid long hikes and campfire chats, reeling in their budding feelings for each other proves more difficult by the day. But is Mel willing to sacrifice her picture-perfect life in the city for a chance at a true, unfiltered love in the wild?
Content Warning: mention of parental abandonment, parental death, depression
+ I didn’t read the first book in this series yet but I read book two and loved it. So when I was offered to join the book tour for this book I was excited to do it. Amy Lea is fast becoming a must-read author for me.
+ Evan is grumpy and I can’t say Mel is actually miss sunshine but she is confident, she’s a go-getter and the two of them do not hit it off at first. Which makes this story so fun! The story is set in a small fishing town where everyone knows everyone but the people are nice and it’s the first time Mel gets to feel a sense of community and family in her life. Evan’s family drama is a big part of the story which leads to a fake dating/engagement scenario.
+ The romance is fun because Evan and Mel do not get along but there is something brewing underneath the surface of their arguments. When they finally do something about it, the scenes are sweet and spicy. I like that Mel is a social media influencer and we get to see her perspective on her job – which people thing isn’t a job, but through Mel we do see it is work, no matter how frivolous some people find it to be. I also like that Mel isn’t perfect but is always striving for perfection because of her job to be on social media and how Evan shows that he likes her even in her most natural state.
~ It’s insta-love. Evan and Mel barely know one another and she’s at this airbnb for only a week.
~ I felt like Julian’s story wasn’t really complete. He is Mel’s brother and mental health and depression are tied to his story. He gets introduced to us in the beginning and then barely anything throughout the story, except for Mel’s thoughts about him, then everything is okay for him at the end. I did like the themes about family – for Mel it was Julian and Evan has his close cousin, Lucy and then his family drama.
My Thoughts:
I thought this was a cute, small town romance with grumpy and sunshine characters who start off as enemies and move onto lovers…kind of fast! There romance is a bit spicy and sweet which was nice. I liked the themes of family and Mel finding a place that she could experience family and community and I also appreciated her confidence. Overall, I didn’t love this as much as Exe’s and O’s but it was still an entertaining read. I look forward to reading more from this author!
Amy Lea is the international bestselling author of romantic comedies for adults and teens, including Mindy Kaling’s Book Studio selection Woke Up Like This. Her acclaimed works have been featured in USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Cosmopolitan, Elle Magazine and has been long listed as a CBC Canada Reads finalist. They have also been optioned for film and sold to over a dozen foreign territories.
When Amy is not writing, she can be found fan-girling over other romance books on Instagram (@amyleabooks), eating potato chips with reckless abandon, and snuggling with her husband and two goldendoodles in Ottawa, Canada.
The stunning third book in the sexy, action-packed Crescent City series, following the global bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath.
Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she’s going to need all her wits about her to get home again. And that’s no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust.
Hunt Athalar has found himself in some deep holes in his life, but this one might be the deepest of all. After a few brief months with everything he ever wanted, he’s in the Asteri’s dungeons again, stripped of his freedom and without a clue as to Bryce’s fate. He’s desperate to help her, but until he can escape the Asteri’s leash, his hands are quite literally tied.
In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt’s world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.
Content Warning: violence
I had to process this book for a day or two and still there is so much to think about.
+ I have so many thoughts and let’s see if I can get to all of them. This is book three in the Crescent City series but if you’ve read Sarah J. Maas books then in this book you will find that all her books have interconnected in THIS one book. It’s wild, it’s crazy with the world-building – like I just want to see her white board with all the notes and all the lines connecting this character arc to this character…etc…it was pretty genius and maddening at the same time because if you don’t remember who is who from a certain book, you kind of have to wing it and go with the flow which is what I was doing since I did nor do a re-read at all before this book. But yes…the world-building is fantastic. Also, I was getting some sci-fi feels in this book because the Asteri being intergalactic parasites, definitely not what I was expecting!
+ With a world-building as large as this series and the other series combined since it did crossover here…there are SO many names to remember. I kept trying to figure who was who and why they were important in the series. 😅 I think I did pretty good considering how many characters there are. My favorite characters? Lidia/the Hind. Nesta and Azriel in their parts of the book were outstanding because I love them and ACOTAR is my first love compared to Crescent City so I loved seeing them in the book.
+~ My favorite parts of the book were when Bryce was with Nesta and Azriel. I loved everything to do with Lidia also! She is so badass. The ending had some pretty good action and something was finally happening against the Asteri. But books this large lose me in the middle, which kind of sucks. Act 1 was fantastic – I was so into it. Act 2, I was struggling through (this happened in the last book also)…seriously, my interest dropped when Bryce left Velaris. I could not for the life of me care about the wolves for some reason, and then Tharion? I don’t know what happened with him. I was like…can we go back to Velaris which made me acknowledge that my love for the ACOTAR series is way stronger than this Crescent City series.
+ I’m happy the “my mate” overuse was really cut down in this one. I felt like the romance really took a backseat in this one which was kind of nice? And that’s weird for me to say since with SJM books, the romance is what I’m usually there for. I did love Lidia and Ruhn’s story though there was a lot of drama between also but totally understandable after what they both went through. I think they deserved their own book!
~ Bryce was frustrating me throughout the whole book and I was questioning a lot of her decisions. When she asked something from Nesta I was like, no Nesta, don’t even entertain Bryce’s request because I didn’t even trust her lol. She was arrogant and I just didn’t like her. But after reading book two I think I knew I was just not a Bryce girlie. And also Bryce and Hunt do nothing for me! Maybe because their love is pretty set and there was nothing to really fix? That’s why I loved Lidia and Ruhn, because there was a love growing there and it was beautiful to see them find happiness together after the stuff they went through individually.
~ The way it’s written with it jumping from POV’s in one chapter, but not having a line or something indicating it’s switching to another POV kind of ruined the reading experience for me because I had to go back and see if I missed a section or something. I did read this as an ebook so I don’t know if I would have had that problem reading the hardcopy. I do feel like with it written this way it was building up suspense, which is great because this big chunky book needed to have something motivating me to read, but something to indicate a change in POV would have been just helpful! To be honest I skimmed some of the parts with Tharion, Ithan and the other boys because I was not interested or maybe I forgot who they were?
My Final Thoughts:
Could this have been made into 2 books? Yes…or 3? Make it a 6 book series! But for the most part I was entertained by the first and last parts of the book. The middle was where I struggled. I loved Lidia and Ruhn, they were my favorite in the book and of course, Nesta because ACOTAR is my first love. I didn’t care for Bryce at all. I will say I was amazed as usual by the world-building and cross-over. SJM always does a fabulous job luring us into these amazing worlds that she creates and having it cross over just makes it really cool. If you loved the series already then you will love this one. It’s not my favorite of her series so my rating may seem a bit lower and I think my expectations for this one was super high, especially after the long wait for the book, but I did enjoy the book!
A Court of Thorns and Roses by. Sarah J. Maas {Goodreads rating: 4 stars at first read} – after a few re-reads over the years, I need to bump this to 5 stars
A Court of Mist and Fury by. Sarah J. Maas {Goodreads rating: 4 stars at first read} – after a few re-reads over the years, I need to bump this to 5 stars
A Court of Wings and Ruin by. Sarah J. Maas {Goodreads rating: 4 stars at first read} after a few re-reads over the years, I need to bump this to 5 stars
A Court of Frost and Starlight by. Sarah J. Maas – 4 stars
A Court of Silver Flames by. Sarah J. Maas – 5 stars
Throne of Glass by. Sarah J. Maas – 3 stars (surprising but I just thought this first was okay when it came out in 2012)
Crown of Midnight by. Sarah J. Maas – 4 stars
Heir of Fire by. Sarah J. Maas – 4 stars
Queen of Shadows by. Sarah J. Maas – 4 stars
Empire of Storms by. Sarah J. Maas – 4 stars
Tower of Dawn by. Sarah J.Maas – 2 stars (wow I did not like this book huh? lol - I wish I wrote reviews on Goodreads back then so I could remember why I didn’t like it!🤦🏻♀️. My guess is it was super long and by the 6th book and waiting for the book my interest had waned or I grew out of this series? Not sure but I do know I loved Manon. That’s all I remember lol.
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Del Rey for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.
Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.
Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.
Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.
Danielle L. Jensen is an auto-read author for me and now she’s going in a different direction with this new series A Fate Inked in Blood. What I love about her books is her writing. I am always immersed in the worlds she builds and the characters in her books that I start to care about.
This book takes us to the northern hemisphere where the setting is brutal and the lifestyle is harsh. Here, the Norse gods are revered and they call for blood. Freya is married to a man, who is blessed by a god, but that doesn’t make him a good person. But then she runs into a handsome young man who awakens something inside of her, more than what she bargained for. Events take place beyond Freya’s control and she reveals that she is blessed by a god too, though a minor one. Freya is now the one every man wants to own or kill because it is prophesied that the Shield Maiden is a king maker. This is a story about the battle between power hungry men, the Gods, and one woman who is trying not to be a pawn in this game – or lose herself to the power also.
I like Freya. She’s beautiful yes, but she’s fierce and not afraid to get her hands dirty. I hate that she’s married to a horrible man, and I hate what happens next to her but she endures. Freya endures everything. Bjorn is charming and powerful in his own right since he is also blessed by a god. The two of them have chemistry right away but their circumstances are unfortunate – especially Freya’s. So theirs is a forbidden romance for most of the book, which I didn’t totally love. I know her marriages were just a union with no love in them but I really wish she could flirt with Bjorn without being a married woman. I hope it gets better for Freya in book two.
I’d say this is the darkest book from this author because there is no nice feelings between anyone in this environment. Freya can’t even get trust and affection from her own family. Bjorn definitely doesn’t get it from his own family either, but his background is very intriguing and I think we’ll get to learn more about it in the sequel. There are no friendships in this book either except between Freya and Bjorn. So I felt like it was void of the usual things I come to love about DLJ’s books but I still look forward to book two because I know this is just the beginning.
Tropes: slow burn, forbidden romance
I read this one the moment the arc hit my NetGalley shelf and I was immersed in an adventure with battles, harsh surroundings, hard characters and forbidden romance. I didn’t love it as much as The Bridge Kingdom but I am looking forward to seeing what happens to Freya and Bjorn in the next book.
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