The Ever Queen By. L.J. Andrews | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Ever Queen (The Ever Seas, #2)

Author: L.J. Andrews

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 452

Publication Date: 1/26/24

Categories: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Series, Pirates, Fae, Elves

The Songbird:
Captive. Challenger. Queen.

Enemies took her from the man who holds her heart. They might see her as weak, as a pawn in wicked games, but they’re no match for the first Ever Queen.

Let them think they’ve won. Her heart belongs to a beautiful monster, and she will never stop fighting until she’s back in his arms.

The Serpent:
Captor. Villain. King.

His enemies stole the woman who claimed his soul. They betrayed him out of greed and desire for the crown, but they won’t die for that betrayal. No.

They’ll die for touching her.

His heart belongs to a stunning little bird. He will never stop searching for her light across the skies. Not until the blood of his enemies spills at her feet, and his queen wears their bones around her neck.

Welcome back to the world of the Ever Kingdom where pirates collide with Vikings in passionate romance, brutal battles, and an unforgettable dark fantasy world. This book concludes the love story between Erik and Livia, but new, standalone romances with other favorite characters will continue to build the world. Readers are encouraged to check the TW inside the book for their reading comfort.

Content Warning: death, torture, violence, kidnapping, sexual assault

I started book two of the Ever Seas series since book one ended in a cliffhanger. But it picks up right away from book one and this time Erik has beg help from Livia’s family if he wants to find her fast. I enjoyed getting more backstory about Erik’s past with the Earth fae and seeing how they would mend their rift to save Livia. I thought it was fun to see both sides finally put aside their differences and get along.

Interestingly enough, Livia’s capture has opened the story up to include elves! She is trapped on an elvish island but the woman she meets, Skadi, is very mysterious and kind of vague which was a little frustrating at times. We do learn more about her and the elves near the end of the book.

Like book one, there is a lot of action – these pirates have to travel the seas to find Livia and Erik is as violent as ever to the people who are his enemies. But he is going to find Livia even if it kills him. Since this is called The Ever Queen, Livia does get a moment to shine, she is separated by Erik who is her constant protector and she goes through some scary situations alone. But she digs deep and uses her power to help herself get free.

There is more steamy scenes between Livia and Erik, lots of love expressed between them which is always so fun and sweet but also repetition with them always saying how they will follow each other through the skies and seas. A few times is okay but all the time can get kind of too much but it definitely fits the romantasy genre and I’d rather have that than them calling one another “mate” all the time.

I love all the secondary characters, all the family themes which I feel adds a heartwarming aspect to this whole series. Livia has such a great support system and I love that they have welcomed Erik into their fold even with their past.

My Final Thoughts:

I think it took a little longer for me to read this one but it is a tad bit longer than book one. I also had to take a break from binging because some things became a little repetitive. But I did love Livia and Erik and all the family themes. I’ve already started on book three which is Jonas’ story and will post a review when I am done with it.

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The Ever King by. L.J. Andrews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Ever King By. L.J. Andrews | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Ever King (The Ever Seas, #1)

Author: L.J. Andrews

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 408

Publication Date: 9/16/23

Categories: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Series, Pirates, Fae

They stole his crown, so he stole their daughter…

For years Erik, the scarred king of the Ever Kingdom, has thought of nothing but vengeance against the man who killed his father and trapped him beneath the waves, making him a prisoner in his own realm.

Until his enemy’s daughter unintentionally breaks the chains on the Ever, and Erik makes her the unwitting pawn in his vicious game of revenge.

She’s innocent. He’s vicious. But he will take back what he lost, no matter the price.

Unless she steals his heart first.

Welcome to the passionate world of the Ever Kingdom where pirates, sirens, and fae collide with Vikings in a dark fantasy romance between a villain and the innocent princess who holds his heart.

*Please note: This series is set in the same world as the bestselling Broken Kingdoms series, but can be read independently, and readers are encouraged to read the list of triggers inside*

Content Warning: death, torture, violence, kidnapping

I tried to read a book by this author I think maybe sometime last year but I never finished the book and I can’t remember why. I think I just wasn’t feeling the writing. But I’ve been seeing The Ever King all over BookTok and I always see it when I’m scrolling through Kindle Unlimited books so I decided to give it a try.

I don’t know what it was about the writing this time but it worked! I was addicted right away because of the Ever King, Erik Bloodsinger, who is a villainous rascal, and out for vengeance against the Earth Fae King who killed his father. He is ruthless but inside his black heart was something only Livia could see. Speaking of Livia she is the daughter of his enemy and the sunshine of everyone’s life. She was raised in a loving home with loyal friends and just the opposite upbringing from the violence Erik endured. So their love story is one I really, really rooted for because I loved their banter! Livia might have been soft, but I like that when she knew she wanted him, she wasn’t afraid to tell him! The two of them had so much chemistry, I love that they both maybe hated one another but they were so drawn to one another they are inevitable.

This one is a series and I’m already addicted to it and the characters! I can’t wait to see more of Livia’s friends as the series unfolds because I got attached to them in the beginning of the story but the moment she gets kidnapped, we don’t see them at all. Another thing, there are a list of content warnings in the beginning of the story and the way Erik kills some of his enemies are so brutal. But I think that captured the “pirate” character so perfectly! He was rough, tough, ready to defend his people and cull anyone who stopped him.

My Final Thoughts:

I can’t wait to read the next two books that are out! I’m hoping each of her close friends gets a story because I’d love to see a story for Celine, Mira, Jonas, and even Aleksi. I’d also like one for Tait even though he’s a mystery. I think this book had everything I wanted in a romantasy – there is adventure, revenge, romance, family, friends, politics, and we’ll see what happens next.

Quotes From This Book:

“I didn’t want a match because that was expected. I wanted passion, the burn that if my love didn’t touch me soon, I’d burst. I wanted heat, and mess, and obsession.”
The Ever King by. L.J. Andrew

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The Dixon Rule by. Elle Kennedy| Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Dixon Rule (Campus Diaries, #2)

Author: Elle Kennedy

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 526

Publication Date: 5/14/24

Categories: Romance, Series, Sports Romance, New Adult, Hockey

Diana Dixon has a lot going on this summer. She’s rehearsing for a ballroom dance competition, juggling two jobs, and dealing with an ex-boyfriend who can’t take the hint it’s over. Yet despite all that, she still has plenty of time and energy to tell Shane Lindley to screw off.

Shane just moved into her apartment building and seems dedicated to sleeping his way through her entire cheerleading squad. Sure, he’s a tall, gorgeous hockey player, but he’s messing with her turf. This calls for some ground rules: no parties in her apartment, leave her teammates alone, and—most importantly—leave her alone.

What Diana doesn’t realize is that Shane’s sick of hookups and tired of being on the rebound after his long-term girlfriend called it quits. He wants a relationship. And when his ex comes back into the picture, he pretends he has one to make her jealous…and who better to play the girlfriend role than his sassy new neighbor?

Despite Diana’s reluctance to break her rule, a fake relationship is the perfect solution for her own ex issues, and soon she can’t deny something is sizzling between her and Shane. Something hot and completely unexpected.

And it might just be getting a little too real.

Content Warning: stalking, physical abuse, death of a parent, grief

This is book two in the Campus Diaries series and I think I like this one more than the first one minus the kinky sex scene which works for some people but for me was an ick.

I like Diana Dixon a lot and I liked her when she was in the first book also. She’s got a good head on her shoulders, she’s independent, hard working, sassy with the guys and a good friend. As for Shane, he’s one of the hockey guys but I like how he’s a girlfriend kinda guy. He’s been trying to get over his ex and has a bad reputation for hooking up with the cheer team, which Diana’s is on. He misses being in a relationship which is opposite of his friends who are so big into hooking up constantly.

The two of them together with their different personalities really appealed to me. There was fun banter between them and lots of chemistry. I thought their interactions with one another at their apartment complex was so funny especially with the HOA meetings and their little community! As for the spice – there is some kink in this book and I’m not judging but that was a scene I could have done without. They are definitely a friend group that is not shy with each other but it’s a no for me! I wanted to close my eyes lol…and I don’t usually feel like that when reading a book.

The conflict comes with both their exes. Diana is dealing with Percy who is becoming a stalker. Her story takes a darker turn with Percy being physical and I didn’t expect that at all. Whereas Shane deals with his ex coming back into his life and wondering how he feels about her. There’s a dark turn to his story also when it comes to his family, which was also unexpected.

I like the Campus Diaries stories so far but I feel like there is a common theme with them. Despite their cartoonish book cover designs that make you think it will be a spicy new adult romance – they actually have some heavy themes and usually it’s thrown in at the end of the book. I don’t know if I like that format, because I feel like things get rushed at the end. Also, the two books I’ve read are 500+ pages long and I don’t think it needs to be. But at least this one was a quicker read because I love Diana and Shane and there was less hockey in this one compared to the first book.

My Final Thoughts:

I liked this one better than The Graham Effect except for that one scene that I wish I could have closed my eyes on lol. For the readers who like kinky sex, you’ll love this one. I usually like angst between two people but Diana and Shane didn’t need it. I love how they are enemies or maybe more frenenemies turned into lovers. Their romance progression was fun and they were both funny together. Like I really believe they are the most solid couple after everything they went through together and know they’ll be together forever. I just wish the books weren’t so long and things get thrown in at the end making some things feel rushed. I’m afraid to read Beckett or Will’s book because it’s definitely going to be kinkier and I can’t with the friends watching one another having sex.😅 So we will see if I read the next book in the series, depends who it will be about!

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The Graham Effect by. Elle Kennedy | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Misfit by. Elle Kennedy | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Bad Girl Reputation by. Elle Kennedy | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️

Good Girl Complex by. Elle Kennedy | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When the Moon Hatched by. Sarah A. Parker | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: When the Moon Hatched (Moonfall, #1)

Author: Sarah A. Parker

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 718

Publication Date: 1/13/24

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Dragons, Fae

The Creators did not expect their beloved dragons to sail skyward upon their end. To curl into balls just beyond gravity’s grip, littering the sky with tombstones. With moons.

They certainly did not expect them to fall.

As a valued Elding Blade of the rebellion group Fíur du Ath, Raeve’s job is to kill. To complete orders and never get caught. When a renowned bounty hunter is employed by The Crown to capture a member of the Ath, Raeve’s world is turned upside down. Blood spills, hearts break, and Raeve finds herself at the mercy of the Guild of Nobles—a group of dual-beaded elementals who intend to turn her into a political statement. Only death will set her free.

Crushed beneath a mourning weight, Kaan Vaegor took the head of a king and donned his melted crown. Now on a tireless quest to assuage the never-ebbing ache in his chest, his hunt for a moonshard lures him into the belly of Gore’s notorious prison where he stumbles upon something that rips apart his perception of reality. A shackled miracle with eyes full of rage and blood on her hands.

The echo of the past sings louder than the Creators themselves, and even Raeve can’t ignore the truths blaring at her from a warmer, happier time.
However.
There’s more to this song than meets the eye, and some truths …
They’re too poisonous to swallow.

When the Moon Hatched is a fast-paced fantasy romance for fans of witty banter and strong, sassy protagonists. Beneath the cover is an immersive, vibrant world with mysterious creatures, a unique magic system, and a love that blazes through the ages.

Content Warning:

I saw this book all over booktok and wanted to try it but honestly the first few times I tried to start it, I wasn’t feeling it and put it aside. It was actually going to stay as a DNF but five months later, I decided to pick it up because I needed a long book to kill time and I finally pushed through 700+ pages to finish it and I have a few thoughts. At least once I got into a rhythm it read, fairly quick for 700+ pages.

Raeve has a past that she’s buried deep inside her because it’s so traumatic. She’s a cold assassin who is trying her best to survive but in her past she’s lost a lot of people she loved, including a dragon. Her lost is really heartbreaking when the story pieces everything together. Did I get frustrated when she pushed away the truth? Yes, I did but Raeve is going to come to terms and heal on her own time.

Kaan is a king who is trying to rebel against his ruthless brothers. He’s the good guy. I did like the banter between them because Kaan is an alpha male minus the a-hole tendencies which is nice. The two of them have chemistry but without revealing too much, there is much to unravel between them. There are some steamy scenes between them, but not a lot. They have some things to work out between them.

Story wise it’s pretty much Raeve trying to take down a ruthless regime who is oppressing the people. She finds out Kaan has the same goal also but she has some major personal issues to work out. The magic system and calling on different gods is interesting. I really loved the story about Raeve’s past, the people she lost and the dragons, that part did get me emotionally.

But I had a few issues with this book. First off, because the beginning is the story of creation about this world, I was already not connecting to the story because the info dumping, so did I skim it? I did. So for awhile I didn’t understand why the dragons became moons and then the moons would fall. Also – I don’t like the alternative spelling of words like Ma being Mah and Pa being Pah. Or day being Dae. There is a lot of world-building and it took me awhile to immerse myself in this world and learn about it.

My Final Thoughts:

I’m actually surprised I finished this book. I think there was an even amount of things that I liked and didn’t like. I did think it was too long and there is a lot of world building to get through. The way it starts didn’t catch my attention right away and it was almost a DNF for me but I pushed through and did enjoy Raeve’s story. I like the dragons a lot. I don’t know if I will continue the series though only because I’m not sure I have the motivation to read another 700+ pager in this series.

quotes from the book

“How can someone you love so much be here one moment, gone the next?”
When the Moon Hatched by. Sarah A. Parker

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Heavenbreaker by. Sara Wolf | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Heavenbreaker (#1)

Author: Sara Wolf

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 5/21/24

Categories: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Series

Bravery isn’t what you do. It’s what you endure.

The duke of the powerful House Hauteclare is the first to die. With my dagger in his back.

He didn’t see it coming. Didn’t anticipate the bastard daughter who was supposed to die with her mother—on his order. He should have left us with the rest of the Station’s starving, commoner rubbish.

Now there’s nothing left. Just icy-white rage and a need to make House Hauteclare pay. Every damn one of them.

Even if it means riding Heavenbreaker—one of the few enormous machines left over from the War—and jousting against the fiercest nobles in the system.

Each win means another one of my enemies dies. And here, in the cold terror of space, the machine and I move as one, intent on destroying each adversary—even if it’s someone I care about. Even if it’s someone I’m falling for.

Only I’m not alone. Not anymore.

Because there’s something in the machine with me. Something horrifying. Something…more.

And it won’t be stopped.

Content Warning: grief, violence, murder

This is one of my most anticipated books this year and I bought the hardcover because it’s really gorgeous with the sprayed edges. Now, I did go into this book with a little bit of caution because it’s a space opera and I sometimes love that genre or I just don’t connect. With this book, my feelings landed in the middle.

I love the violent and full of rage main character, Synali. Yes, she should be angry that someone killed her mother and almost killed her. Yes, she should be raging against the injustice of the wealthy houses who don’t do anything to help the poor – she grew up poor and had to do all kinds of things to survive. And yes, she wants to take down her father’s house even if she dies trying.

I found the world-building really creative and I was hooked in the beginning of the story. There is a futuristic jousting tournament every year where riders, ride a steed – but the steed is not a horse. It’s a huge (compared to a tall tower), alien like robotic body of some sort – even in my own mind, I had a hard time imagining it and was wishing this was a graphic novel. Anyway, the rider, rides the steed into the biggest jousting tournament of the year and the winner gets a favor from the king. Synali, is not a rider but she’s chosen to become one for a house that is not her own, all for the goal of revenge and hopefully destruction. The world that is created is really fantastic and there is a lot of history to learn about these steeds and what happened to Earth.

The secondary characters are very interesting like Dravik who has an ulterior motive and we don’t totally know how much of a villain he is yet but Synali is working with him because they both have the same goal in mind. Mirelle, who is Synali’s cousin and enemy, is an interesting character that shows us a little bit of what Synali longed for in a family. Synali sees what could have been if she wasn’t born a bastard. Rax, is her rival but so opposite in nature to her rage, yet Synali hasn’t scratched the surface of him yet. I think there is so much more to learn about all of these characters and I hope we get to see that develop in book two.

Some things that maybe disconnected me from the story? The sci-fi elements, because sci-fi does that to me haha, but I pushed through. The writing – and I usually like her writing because it’s straight to the point but this one was too much being straight to the point at times. The chapters are short, and sometimes the sentences are too, which for the most part I understand because Synali is just walking rage, no feelings except for mostly rage and grief for her mother. The short chapters does help move the story quickly though.

The romance between Synali and Rax has so much potential to be an amazing enemies to lovers but I felt like there wasn’t much emotion between either of because Synali is all about revenge and Rax is all about winning to survive his situation.

My Final Thoughts:

I read this book in one day because I was riveted by the world-building and Synali’s character. I felt like my attention waned a bit as I was rushing through to the end but maybe because I was hoping the romance would develop more but it’s definitely not the main focus of this story. I had my issues here and there with the story but it’s because I’m not a big sci-fi reader. Overall, I was entertained and I’m looking forward to book two and hoping for more development in some of the characters and their relationships.

quotes from the book

“I have my memories. The past isn’t pain – not all the time.”
Heavenbreaker by. Sara Wolf

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Book Review | The Unfairfolk (Valenbound, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Send Me Their Souls | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review | Find Me Their Bones (Bring Me Their Hearts, #2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review | Bring Me Their Hearts ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Curious Tides by. Pascale Lacelle | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Curious Tides (Drowned Gods, #1)

Author: Pascale Lacelle

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 544

Publication Date: 10/3/23

Categories: Academia, Romance, LGBT+, Witches, Series, Fantasy, Young Adult

Ninth House meets A Deadly Education in this gorgeous dark academia fantasy following a teen mage who must unravel the truth behind the secret society that may have been involved in her classmates’ deaths.

Emory might be a student at the prestigious Aldryn College for Lunar Magics, but her healing abilities have always been mediocre at best—until a treacherous night in the Dovermere sea caves leaves a group of her classmates dead and her as the only survivor. Now Emory is plagued by strange, impossible powers that no healer should possess.

Powers that would ruin her life if the wrong person were to discover them.

To gain control of these new abilities, Emory enlists the help of the school’s most reclusive student, Baz—a boy already well-versed in the deadly nature of darker magic, whose sister happened to be one of the drowned students and Emory’s best friend. Determined to find the truth behind the drownings and the cult-like secret society she’s convinced her classmates were involved in, Emory is faced with even more questions when the supposedly drowned students start washing ashore— alive —only for them each immediately to die horrible, magical deaths.

And Emory is not the only one seeking answers. When her new magic captures the society’s attention, she finds herself drawn into their world of privilege and power, all while wondering if the truth she’s searching for might lead her right back to Dovermere…to face the fate she was never meant to escape.

Content Warning: grief, violence

This one has a slow start but I didn’t give up on and I’m glad I didn’t.

I love the world-building where magic is based on when a person is born and under what moon. It had the dark, gloomy academia vibes which was nice. I love the secret societies intrigue. We have two POVs from Emory and Baz. Emory survived a ritual that killed a bunch of her classmates, but she wasn’t even supposed to be there. Baz is the older brother of her best friend, Romie, who was lost in the ritual. They are both back at Aldryn College – a college for magic users, but this time Emory has new powers and she and Baz are trying to figure what went wrong during the ritual that went bad and they uncover so many things about magic, lies they were told, and secrets about other worlds.

My favorite characters so far are Baz, Kai, and Vera. Emory, I didn’t love because she kept making mistakes and trusting the wrong people. I didn’t see her as a good person, especially with how she treated Baz! She leads him on for her benefit and he deserves better. I hope there is growth for her in book two – there was some at the end of this one, but she really needs to do much more to win me over.

The beginning was too slow and repetitive at times but it picks up at the halfway mark and from then on it gets good mostly because of Kai, who I love but it just moves faster and has more action. There is a love triangle which infuriated me because I could tell from the start that Keiran wasn’t trustworthy but Emory had to learn the hard way I suppose, because she is so stubborn.

My Final Thoughts:

I definitely wanted to read this one because of the beautiful cover and I love the whole moon magic concept. It’s also an academia book and I was in the mood for it. I didn’t love Emory, the love triangle, or the slow beginning and the repetitiveness of some things that could have probably been cut to shorten this 544 page book. But once it picks up in the middle, I really couldn’t put it down! I love Baz, Kai, and Vera. I love the world building and magic system. I do hope there is growth for Emory in book two because I do not think she deserves Baz at all. I am looking forward to reading book two because of how this one ended. I’m curious to see these other worlds that have been hinted at!

Quotes From the Book

“The dead move on and so must we.”
Curious Tides by. Pascale Lacelle

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Just for the Summer by. Abby Jimenez | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Just for the Summer (Part of Your World, #3)

Author: Abby Jimenez

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 432

Publication Date: 4/2/24

Categories: Romance, Series

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.

Emma hadn’t planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It’s supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they’re suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?

Content Warning: dysfunctional family, family trauma, grief

I am so out of it that I was seeing this title everywhere and wanted to read it but didn’t even know it was a series until right now as I’m in Goodreads getting the book information to add to this blog post. I’m such a dope. 😆 Because I didn’t read any other books in this series, just this one!

Maybe that’s why I felt so disconnected from the characters? And maybe I’ll have to go read the other books in the series and then maybe look at this book with different eyes – not sure.

I thought the meet-cute between Emma and Justin was really cute but for some reason I felt no chemistry between them at all. Maybe because they really were just nice to one another. Yes, both of them had mom issues to deal with and I’m usually reading about characters who have problems with one another and I like it 😅. I like tension!

Emma’s mom was out of her life and that left her with abandonment issues. How will she know how to commit to anyone when the one woman in her life, her mother, never stayed put? As for Justin, his situation with his mom is just sad. I love how he stepped up for his family though reluctantly which is understandable. He basically is now the parent of his siblings! Both of them have tough situations, so much trauma, but eventually things work out.

So I think my problem is that I wanted a little more tension between Emma and Justin but they are not the tension type of couple. They are wholesome characters who deserve the best and a happy ending. They are two good people who needed to work some things out before getting together in the end. There is nothing wrong with that at all…but the thing is I got bored at the halfway mark and kinda skimmed to the end – which I wasn’t expecting since so many people are raving about this book. But I think I just wasn’t in the right mood for it or maybe I need to read the other books in the series? Not sure. I felt like didn’t have any connection to any of the characters except for Maddy, she was my favorite.

My Final Thoughts:

I’m bummed that this one turned out just okay for me since I went in with high expectations. Also this was the first book I read from this author but maybe I can read the ones before this and see this series in a new light.

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The Hemlock Queen by. Hannah Whitten | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Hemlock Queen (The Nightshade Crown, #2)

Author: Hannah Whitten

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 4/9/24

Categories: Fantasy, Series, Love Triangle

In the second installment of New York Times bestselling author Hannah Whitten’s lush, romantic epic fantasy series, a young woman who can raise the dead must navigate the dangerous and glamorous world of the Sainted King’s royal court.

The corrupt king August is dead. Prince Bastian has seized the throne and raised Lore—a necromancer and former smuggler—to his right hand side. Together they plan to cut out the rot from the heart of the sainted court and help the people of Dellaire. But not everyone is happy with the changes. The nobles are sowing dissent, the Kyrithean Empire is beating down their door, and Lore’s old allies are pulling away. Even Prince Bastian’s changed. No longer the hopeful, rakish, charismatic man Lore knows and loves, instead he’s reckless, domineering and cold.

And something’s been whispering in her ear. A voice, dark and haunting, that’s telling her there’s more to the story than she knows and more to her power than she can even imagine. A truth buried deep that could change everything.

With Bastian’s coronation fast approaching and enemies whispering on all sides, Lore must figure out how to protect herself, her prince, and her country before they all come crumbling down and whatever dark power has been creeping through the catacombs is unleashed.

Content Warning: violence

+ I did how everything get messier with the Gods and how they were inhabiting different people. It is the worse for Bastian who is being possessed by Apollius. So it changes him a lot because Apollius is sinister.

+ I do like the supporting cast and the political intrigue happening as Bastian tries to make allies with enemies, or so he says. There is a lot that is unveiled and explained where it comes to the Gods. The world-building is great and shows

~ But this story is too slow. I didn’t even realize it was only 400 pages because it felt like more and took me a few days to finish. I did like the beginning, there is a lull in the middle and then it finishes off strong. Getting to that strong ending though took awhile.

~ I don’t mind love triangles but I do not like this one. I hate that Lore is so indecisive between Bastian and Gabe. I think by the end she decides she loves both of them so what is this going to be? A throuple? I don’t think Bastian or Gabe want to share her. So this romance frustrates me a lot and I don’t feel connected to either of them.

My Final Thoughts:

This one was okay. I think it was just too slow in some parts and too much of Lore trying to figure out which boy she really loves and wants to be with which got tiring. I wanted romance in this but this isn’t it. I think the world-building is great and the politics but I’ll go into book three a little more reserved I think – we shall see what happens!

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Book Links:

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The Foxglove King by. Hannah Whitten | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

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

King of Sloth by. Ana Huang | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: King of Sloth

Author: Ana Huang

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 466

Publication Date: 4/30/24

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Series

He’d never wanted anyone enough to chase them…until he met her.

Charming, easygoing, and rich beyond belief, Xavier Castillo has the world at his fingertips.

He also has no interest in taking over his family’s empire (much to his father’s chagrin), but that hasn’t stopped women from throwing themselves at him…unless the woman in question is his publicist.

Nothing brings him more joy than riling her up, but when a tragedy forces them closer than ever, he must grapple with the uncertainty of his future—and the realization that the only person immune to his charms is the only one he truly wants.

***
Cool, intelligent, and ambitious, Sloane Kensington is a high-powered publicist who’s used to dealing with difficult clients.

However, none infuriate—or tempt—her more than a certain billionaire heir, with his stupid dimples and laid-back attitude.

She may be forced to work with him, but she’ll never fall for him…no matter how fast he makes her heart beat or how thoughtful he is beneath his party persona.

He’s her client, and that’s all he’ll ever be. Right?

Content Warning: grief, death of parents, strained family relationships

+ This one started off really good. I always thought Sloane was a strong character from book one – she’s the publicist who works hard and is good at her job. She kind of has a reputation as cold and an “ice princess” which is interesting because I felt she was fiery and somewhat of a machine that a princess. Also she doesn’t have a good relationship with her family. But I always found her a good friend when she appeared in the first two books of this series.

+ Xavier is charming, handsome and caring but kind of lacking direction. He also has some demons he’s struggling with along with a strained relationship with his father. He’s an heir to a billionaire fortune he doesn’t want so he tries to find his own way. Sloane is basically his “babysitter” trying to rehab his party boy image and I thought her being hard of him was kind of funny because he didn’t seem bothered by it at all. But with his party boy image I was assuming he would be a “bad boy” but he really wasn’t. He’s actually a sweet and nice guy, not ruthless at all which was not what I was expecting.

+~ I feel like the romance started great but sort of lost steam after the midway point only because they are both dealing with some challenges in their own separate lives. Obviously they don’t lose feelings for one another and only get better the longer they date, but I wanted more angst maybe but they are more of a comfort to one another which is nice – I just wanted some tension. Maybe because they got together so soon in the book and I wanted their back and forth to be drawn out a bit longer?

~ I really wish this was under 400 pages because I was losing interest at the 60% mark and that makes me wonder if I just didn’t care after they started dating because I knew they would be okay. The rest of the book was about Xavier trying to start his own business and Sloane dealing with family drama, because her family is awful. But I was skimming some of these pages at the end.

My Final Thoughts:

I really liked how this book started off but then it fizzled out for me in the second half. I think Sloane and Xavier are a cute couple, I just wanted more tension to build between them before they got together. I do like how they are there for each other though. I think I had this misconception that Xavier would be ruthless and be a real bad boy but in actuality Sloane is the ruthless one and she has to be in order to whip him into shape! Overall, I enjoyed the first part of the book but I kind of got bored with the second half.

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Book Links:

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King of Greed by. Ana Huang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️

King of Pride by. Ana Huang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

King of Wrath by. Ana Huang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Fire Endless by. Rebecca Ross | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Fire Endless (Elements of Cadence, #2)

Author: Rebecca Ross

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 512

Publication Date: 12/6/22

Categories: Fantasy, Series, Adult Fiction, Magic

East and West. Humans and Spirits. Breccans and Tamerlaines. The Isle of Cadence has always held itself and its residents in a tenuous balance. But now Bane, the spirit of the North Wind, has pushed everyone and everything in his path off-kilter in a bid to claim dominion over all.

In the West, Adaira struggles to adjust to the more brutal, bitter ways of life among the Breccans. Striving to find her place in the clan, she swiftly realizes that it just might be the last role she desires to hold. And while magic blooms effortlessly for the Breccans in the west, the spirits continue to suffer beneath Bane’s harsh power, felt in every gust of wind.

In the East, Jack is adrift without Adaira until he sings to the ember-weak fire spirits, acquiring a dangerous mission he never expected. One that is destined to lead him westward. Likewise, Torin and Sidra are consumed by a new mystery as sickness spreads first amongst the crops, and then to the people of the Tamerlaine clan. While Sidra desperately searches for a cure, Torin dares to strike a bargain with the spirits—a precarious folly anytime, but especially now as the days grow darker.

With the island falling further out of balance, humans and spirits alike will need to join together to face Bane, and Jack’s gift with the harp will be called upon once more. Yet no one can challenge the North Wind without paying a terrible price, and the sacrifice required this time may be more than Jack, Adaira, Torin, and Sidra can bear to pay.

In the stunning conclusion to the Elements of Cadence duology, A Fire Endless finds the delicate balance between the human and faerie realm threatened by Bane, the spirit of the North Wind, whose defeat can only come through fire, song, and heart-rending sacrifice.

Content Warning:

The narrator for this audiobook did such a good job with the voices and the accent, combined with the author’s awesome storytelling I was swept away into the story.

I didn’t re-read the first book in the series, so it did take me awhile to find my footing in the story. But I remember loving Torin and Sidra’s love story and it continues in this book though they have so many challenges. There is also Jack and Adaira but they are apart a lot in this book which is sad. There is blight ravaging the East and spirits to deal with on both sides.

It is a 500 page book and I felt like it moved slowly, especially it being in audiobook form. I don’t know if I would have the same feeling is I had read the book but it is consistent with book one, which was slow also, but I still enjoyed it.