Tag: enemies to lovers

The Dagger and the Flame by. Catherine Doyle | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Dagger and the Flame (The City of Fantome, #1)

Author: Catherine Doyle

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 510

Publication Date: 10/1/24

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Categories: New Adult, Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Series, Enemies to Lovers

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

Thank you to Margaret K. McElderry Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

In the dark underbelly of a beautiful city, two rival assassins are pitted against each other in a deadly game of revenge, where the most dangerous mistake of all is falling in love in this searing young adult fantasy.

In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy the Cloaks and the Daggers—the thieves and the assassins. On the night of her mother’s murder, seventeen-year-old Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary with the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge. But are her secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city?

Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers. And Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farm girl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before. As the Cloaks and the Daggers grapple for control of Fantome’s underworld, Sera and Ransom are consumed by the push and pull of their magic…and the deadly spark and terrible vengeance that keeps drawing them back together.

Content Warning: violence, death, domestic violence, abuse, profanity

I was looking for an enemies to lovers romance and I got it with this book! Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

  • I’ve been craving for an enemies to lovers romance and this one has banter, violence, and sizzling chemistry that had me riveted. Now I say this is new adult because there was steamy scene. But I loved the cat and mouse between them – and the sending notes to one another scenes? Loved it.
  • I enjoyed the world building and how the Cloak (thieves) and Daggers (assassins) are rival organized crime groups. Central to these two sides is Seraphine who’s mother was basically a drug manufacturer (the drug being Shade) and was killed by a Dagger. Now Sera is out for revenge and I like the twists in the story. It doesn’t help Sera’s dreams of revenge that Ransom is tasked to kill her.
  • I love Pippin, Sera’s dog.
  • Both Sera and Ransom have found families but Sera’s found family is tighter and more trustworthy whereas Ransom’s is a little more cutthroat. I definitely felt for Ransom, poor guy.

Dislikes:

  • I wanted more interaction between Sera and Ransom in the first half but it’s a slow burn between them.
  • The beginning of the story is slow but I’m glad I stuck it out.

My Thoughts:

I found this story pretty entertaining and I loved that it was enemies to lovers with some blood involved. This story has action, found family, a lot of chemistry between two rivals, magic and some interesting twists. I was rooting for Sera and Ransom until the end, so we’ll see what happens in book two!

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Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books By This Author:

Cursed Crowns by. Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Twin Crowns by. Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review | The Storm Keeper’s Island ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Vendetta (Blood for Blood, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Inferno (Blood for Blood, #2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mafiosa (Blood for Blood, #3) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Hunted Heir by. Holly Renee | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Hunted Heir (The Veiled Kingdom, #2)

Author: Ashley Poston

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 242

Publication Date: 8/20/24

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series


From USA Today Bestselling Author Holly Renee, comes the second book in the scorching romantasy series with enthralling secrets, impassioned enemies, and luring tension.

Verena was the lost princess of Marmoris, the very thing we had spent our entire lives looking for, and I had let her go.

The lingering taste of her mixed with the deep ache in my chest over her betrayal haunted my days and nights. I knew she was hiding something, but her secrets were far more treacherous than I could have imagined.

Though I wished my own betrayal hadn’t been so bitter on my tongue.

Now my dreams are haunted with the way her deep blue eyes looked up at me in shock when I revealed I knew her truth.

The way I crave for her to look at me now as I hunt for her.

Me, along with half of the rebellion.

If my father finds her before me, there is no telling what he will do to her.

And even though she’s the little traitor I’d always thought she was, I couldn’t allow him to find her.

But his orders were clear. The princess is to be taken by the rebellion or she would be taken by the gods. I don’t know which is worse.

She is the heir to our kingdom, the daughter of the cruel king who was responsible for my mother’s death, and the key to winning our rebellion.

I vowed to my father that I would find her, the one person I wish I didn’t have to.

Verena is the hunted heir. But more than anything, she is mine.

Content Warning: violence

This was one of my most anticipated reads but it left me slightly disappointed because this is clearly a filler second book. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

  • There is a lot more spice in this one compared to book one where the enemies to lovers vibe was strong. In this book they are still enemies but Dacre especially has to figure out who’s side he is on – his dad’s rebellion or Verena’s side.
  • Because of how book one ended, there is some trust that Verena has to build again with Dacre.

Dislikes:

  • This was too short! I always find books being too long these days but this was under 300 pages so it felt like a novella to me and the ending is abrupt. I was like…that’s it?! I did not like how it ended, and didn’t like how it is rushed and short.
  • I think this was a typical filler book. Verena is on the run because of Dacre, and now he wants to find her and apologize? I actually wish Verena and Dacre got more time apart just so she could become stronger on her own before she met up with him again. Not a lot happens except for Verena hiding. Everything happens at the end of the book and then it’s a big cliffhanger.

My Final Thoughts:

I expected more from this sequel and the spice is spicy but the story was too short. There is a lot of traveling, then the spicy scenes and then the ending which leads to a cliffhanger. This is definitely filler and just wanted more from it because it’s such a bingeable series. I’ll still read book three but I hope it’s more developed and not rushed.

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Book Links:

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Other Books by This Author:

The Veiled Kingdom by. Holly Renee | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Veiled Kingdom by. Holly Renee | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Veiled Kingdom (The Veiled Kingdom, #1)

Author: Holly Renee

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 364

Publication Date: 3/19/24

Categories: Romance, Fantasy, Adult Fiction, Fae, Enemies to Lovers


From USA Today Bestselling Author Holly Renee, author of the Stars and Shadows series, comes a scorching new fantasy romance that ignites the pages with relentless danger, forbidden passion, and the intoxicating allure of enemies to lovers.

Fleeing my father’s cruelty, the wicked king who robbed me of a future, I face death in the streets, caught between a rebellion and a tyrant’s reign.

Captured by those sworn to kill me, the rebels remain blind to my true identity—the missing daughter of the despised king. Faced with an impossible choice, I stand before them: join the rebels or face their blades.

Yet, Dacre, the son of the ruthless rebellion commander, becomes torn between suspicion and a desire that mirrors my own. He allows no one to touch me, tries to protect me, yet threatens me at every turn.

As secrets are weaved beyond our hidden realm, a fierce battle unfolds within me. As I get closer to the rebels, and their cause, my loyalty to my kingdom clashes with my undeniable devotion to Dacre and the burning connection between us.

In a world where love and hate are two edges of the same blade, I find myself caught in a delicate dance between forbidden desire and my looming destiny.

Content Warning: toxic parental relationship

I went into this one blind – I saw the book cover, love the colors, thought the synopsis sounded pretty good and hit “read for free” since it’s on Kindle Unlimited. I read it in one night!

I wanted “enemies to lovers” and I got it. Nyra is a runaway princess – her father’s regime is ruthless and she had to escape him. There is a rebellion movement planning to take him down but they are in search of this so-called princess people haven’t seen in awhile. The son of the rebellion is Dacre and he is Nyra’s enemy…for now.

The chemistry between Nyra and Dacre is so good. He’s her captor, she’s the captive. He doesn’t trust her and treats her like she’s a pebble in his shoe but she doesn’t cower. Even when he’s disrespecting her, and insulting her while he trains her, always egging her on – she never cowers in front of him but instead takes it and I guess it even turns her on. I will say that there are qualities to Dacre that are admirable, like obviously he cares for his sister Wren and he is loyal to his people and the rebellion. He has an awful dad and his mom’s death traumatized him so he is hard edges and just – hard. 😅

There’s a lot of spicy scenes between Nyra and Dacre but it comes later in the book, which I thought was perfect timing. It didn’t happen so quick, but it definitely kept me seated and reading, waiting to see if something more would happen – and I was not disappointed!

As far as world-building, I just wanted a little more but because I’m used to it in other fantasy books. I felt like this one is one of those addictive reads with not as much world-building but maybe in comes in book two? A lot time is spent with Dacre training Nyra and the story is mostly set in the rebel city, so I’m hoping book two takes us back to Nyra’s kingdom and we get to actually meet this horrible father of hers.

I devoured this book but unfortunately now I have to wait for book two which comes out in July!

My Final Thoughts:

This hit all my romantasy cravings ~ enemies to lovers, captor/captive, one bed, alphahole and his dirty talk (naughty, naughty!), and this is a world of faeries which I also love but I need a bit more world-building. I want to know more about these fae kingdoms, more backstory and maybe more depth with Nyra (I’m thinking we get it with that cliffhanger ending!) but other than that, I’ll be waiting for book two. I’m addicted!

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Book Links:

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Blog Tour} The Catch by. Amy Lea | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Catch (The Influencer, #3)

Author: Amy Lea

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 379

Publication Date: 2/13/24

Publisher: Berkley

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!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Woke Up Like This by. Amy Lea | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Exes & O’s by. Amy Lea | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Author Bio:

Photo credit: Amy Lea

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.

Heartless Hunter by. Kristen Ciccarelli | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Heartless Hunter (#1)

Author: Kristen Ciccarelli

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 2/20/24

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Young Adult/New Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Witches/Witch Hunters. Magic

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

Thank you to Wednesday Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A steamy game of cat and mouse between witch and witch-hunter, played out against a backdrop of opulence, secrets, and bloody history.

On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe – a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution – who she can’t help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s Heartless Hunter is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch…is falling in love.

Content Warning: violence, blood magic, mentions of self harm, mentions of abuse, death, mentions of drug use

+ I went into this book not knowing what to expect and wow was I delightfully surprised at how engaged I was with this story. I loved the game of cat and mouse that Rune and Gideon play. Rune is a witch in secret and Gideon is a successful witch hunter. I didn’t want either of them to catch the either because I was rooting for them both at times – but they did entrap themselves with their attraction to one another which was intense. There was even a steamy scene between them which is why I mention this as a New Adult book because I did feel like the characters seem older.

+ I like how complicated this story was because of Rune’s background – she’s a witch and trying to survive by keeping that secret. She’s also the Crimson Moth, a witch going around helping other witches escape from prison. And then there is Gideon, who was abused by a which he had been in love with and when he set himself free and helped take down the witch Queens who ruled them, he became a changed young man – a hardened one. They both think they are doing their life’s purpose.

+ The twist in the story was so good, I only caught it 3/4ths into the book! I did not see it coming at all until it was too late but I love that it caught me off guard. I was so involved with Rune and Gideon’s game of cat and mouse that I didn’t question anything else happening around them.

+ The world building is great and I love the magic system. I like that we get the history of the Queens and the revolution. The killing of witches did get graphic especially when Rune recalls how her grandmother died.

+~ I personally love how this enemies to lovers, forbidden romance transpired. Gideon really hates witches and Rune really is trying to help any witch she can. I loved the cat and mouse but how could these two people ever be together? It seems doomed from the start because they are both pretending to get something from the other. There is a slight love triangle which some readers won’t like but I didn’t mind it because of what happens in the story. But Gideon is as hardened a character as I ever saw and with the way things end – is there a way the two of them could ever believe the other? But I so loved the way he softened towards Rune (even if it was at first pretend) and the things he did to woo her – I don’t blame her for falling for him!

My Thoughts:

I was really transported into this story and was riveted by the cat and mouse game between Rune and Gideon. I love the moments when they gave into what they were feeling but they have so much to work through. I love the world-building and the magic which was easy to follow. There’s a great tension that builds in the story because of Rune’s secrets, the cat and mouse game, the forbidden attraction and the twist in the story. I’m sad I have to wait for the next book!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Edgewood by. Kristen Ciccarelli | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Last Namsara by. Kristen Ciccarelli ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dance of Stars and Ashes by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Dance of Stars and Ashes (The Nightfire Quartet, #2)

Author: Nisha J. Tuli

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 379

Publication Date: 2/16/24

Publisher: Second Sky

Categories: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

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

Thank you to Second Sky for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A love that burns brighter than starlight. A gift that could leave her world in ashes. It’s time for Zarya to release the fire within.

In the jeweled city of Dharati, Zarya found passion and adventure for the first time. A mysterious stranger named Rabin helped to free the power within her—a dark, ancient magic that should not exist.

Now, Zarya learns Rabin’s true identity. A warrior prince, born to rule, he is as deadly as he is beautiful. He’s also insufferable. Arrogant and superior, with dangerous secrets of his own.

Zarya wants nothing to do with him. Terrifying demons are gathering beyond the walls and Zarya’s friends are rushing to complete a ceremony that will protect the city. Her mind is fixed on saving her home and finding the origin of her magic.

But every discovery and every dream pulls her back to Rabin. Does an enchantment bind them, or is it pure desire? Will opening her heart give Zarya the power to turn back the demons, or will it let the darkness to devour her?

Content Warning: violence

+ I really wanted to read this book after the ending of book one: Heart of Night and Fire, mostly because what happens at the end of the book when Rabin makes an appearance. Rabin is Vikram’s brother and the guy who Zarya has been seeing in her dream forest (in her dreams). The tension between them was enticing and I wanted to see where it took them in book two. It’s a continuous slow burn, with lots of tension but we get rewarded with some steamy action by the end of the book – so I’m glad we didn’t have to wait until book three. There is some drama again between Rabin and Zarya at the end, so we will see what happens there in the next book.

+ I still find this world-building so fascinating especially with Amrita’s position as queen and basically the tree of life. I’m still very curious about her and Vikram and their special roles and rituals they have to do to keep the kingdom thriving. This story is filled with monsters and magic!

+ I absolutely love Zarya’s platonic relationship with Yasen. It’s become one of my favorite parts of this series! Yasen and Zarya have become best friends and with her past of growing up isolated from the world, you can tell their relationship is special to her. They also bring humor to the story because their exchanges are so funny.

~ There is still more drama Rabin and Zarya have to work through because of what is revealed, even though they are finally together. I believe in the next book we get to learn more about her father. There is a lot still that we don’t know about Zarya’s family background so it’s going to be very interesting I think!

My Thoughts:

This was a great sequel and I think I liked this book better than the first one because Zarya and Rabin get to interact in real life. There are a lot of steamy moments between them after the initial slow burn in the first half of the book. Also, I just love the friendship between Yasen and Zarya. Will definitely be reading book three to see if we learn more about Zarya’s father.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Heart of Night and Fire by. Nisha J. Tuli | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Trial of the Sun Queen by. Nisha J. Tuli | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rule of the Aurora King by. Nisha J. Tuli | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Endless War by. Danielle L. Jensen | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Endless War (The Bridge Kingdom, #4)

Author: Danielle L. Jensen

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 552

Publication Date: 11/28/23

Categories: Adult, Series, Romance, Fantasy

Newly crowned as king, Keris has watched powerless as his forbidden relationship with Zarrah is revealed. But when Zarrah is imprisoned by the Empress, Keris knows there is only one way to save her: to ally with the kingdom he nearly destroyed.

Imprisoned on the dreaded Devil’s Island, Zarrah faces two choices: prove her loyalty to the Empress who condemned her or die a traitor. Yet as she struggles to survive among violent prisoners, Zarrah uncovers a third path: a rebellion to overthrow tyranny entwined with a destiny she must fight to claim.

While the Empress plots a war with devastating consequences, Keris and Zarrah must find their way back to each other. Yet their greatest adversary is the fiery passion between them. Unless they overcome the bitterness of betrayal, their love will not be the bringer of peace but rather the fuel that turns the Endless War into an inferno.

Content Warning: violence, war, death, cannibalism

+ This is book four of The Bridge Kingdom series (and I didn’t know there is going to be six of them) but the world building is fantastic as always. And there is a lot of action that keeps the story tense and moving. This is also part two in Keris and Zarrah’s love affair. There is a lot of politics involved in this story.

+ I totally love when Lara and Aren make an appearance since they are my first loves when it comes to this series. It started with their story and it’s just great to see them again. We also get to see Keris and Lara’s relationship grow somewhat and I like that for them. I found Aren and Keris’ brotherly relationship pretty funny at times!

+ Keris and Zarrah are an enemies to lovers romance. But in this book they are apart for the most part and Keris has to make amends. They try valiantly I feel to figure things out between them with all the chaos going on around them and for the most part it’s a struggle for the both of them. But it’s undeniable these two love each other – it’s about trying to be ruler of their own kingdoms (who hate each other) and deciding who to put first that they have to figure out. It’s a happy ending though!

+~ Zarrah learns a lot truths about her family and she has to learn to come into her own as a leader. I think she does a good job at it by the end. But I do feel like Keris’ character came out stronger in this book. Not that they were competing…but sometimes they were because she had to show her people that she could be a leader for them. Keris is a natural leader and sometimes the people deferred to his guidance naturally and it was just interesting to see how Zarrah had to deal with that – since she loves Keris so much. He had to pull back and let her shine and she had to step forward and believe in herself.

~ I wish Keris and Zarrah was together more in the story but they both had their own things to figure out. There wasn’t too many spicy scenes between them because they are struggling with their relationship and there is so many other things going on. I love the political drama but I thought this had so much at times it was hard for me to keep focus – or it could be I didn’t find Petra’s obsession for Zarrah very interesting. 

My Final Thoughts:

This is the perfect conclusion to Keris and Zarrah’s story. It is filled with lots of action, politics, relationship struggles, romance and just a tiny bit of spice. I loved seeing Lara and Aren make an appearance and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Inadequate Heir by. Danielle L. Jensen | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Traitor Queen |Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review | The Bridge Kingdom ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gilded Serpent (Dark Shores, #3) | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dark Skies | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review: Dark Shores ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Jasad Heir by. Sara Hashem | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Jasad Heir (The Scorched Throne, #1)

Author: Sara Hashem

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 523

Publication Date: 7/18/23

Categories: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Political Intrigue

Ten years ago, the kingdom of Jasad burned. Its magic outlawed; its royal family murdered down to the last child. At least, that’s what Sylvia wants people to believe.

The lost Heir of Jasad, Sylvia never wants to be found. She can’t think about how Nizahl’s armies laid waste to her kingdom and continue to hunt its people—not if she wants to stay alive. But when Arin, the Nizahl Heir, tracks a group of Jasadi rebels to her village, staying one step ahead of death gets trickier.

In a moment of anger Sylvia’s magic is exposed, capturing Arin’s attention. Now, to save her life, Sylvia will have to make a deal with her greatest enemy. If she helps him lure the rebels, she’ll escape persecution.

A deadly game begins. Sylvia can’t let Arin discover her identity even as hatred shifts into something more. Soon, Sylvia will have to choose between the life she wants and the one she left behind. The scorched kingdom is rising, and it needs a queen.

In this Egyptian-inspired debut fantasy, a fugitive queen strikes a deadly bargain with her greatest enemy and finds herself embroiled in a complex game that could resurrect her scorched kingdom or leave it in ashes forever.

Content Warning: violence, trauma, death

The Jasad Heir is an adult fantasy novel with wonderful world building and the slowest slow burn enemies to lovers romance ever. Maybe not EVER…but it sure felt like it. And it will probably be even slower in book two!

Sylvia is the lost heir of a kingdom that was ruled by magic. It’s a kingdom that is no longer one because the surrounding kingdoms put an end to their magic use. Now having and using magic is a crime, so Sylvia stays undercover because if people found out she was the heir to Jasad who supposedly died in the uprising, well – that wouldn’t be good news for the kingdom of Nizahl. I really enjoyed the world building and learning about the different kingdoms. I like that there was two sides to the story of Jasad’s demise. I also love the political intrigue.

I really liked the cat and mouse game between Sylvia and Nizahl’s own heir, Arin. He is cold, doesn’t show much emotion, always steps ahead everyone else and constantly planning traps. Sylvia is his opposite in every way. It’s hard for her to hide her emotions and she is constantly in conflict about her situation. Her people are looking for her, they want someone to lead them but she wants nothing to do with it. She also has powers that are hindered by the magic cuffs her grandparent put on her when she was younger. So she’s constantly questioning her role and responsibilities, if she has any, to her people. I like that she’s not perfect, and wonders if she is truly a horribly selfish person and how being a leader is not something she wants. She’s been traumatized and comes from a scary place of hurt and fear. She can’t even stand people touching her. There is growth for her in the book though as she remembers more of her past, hears recollections of the massacre from both conflicting sides and starting to care for people in her life.

The romance between Arin and Sylvia is such a slow burn. For an adult book, I was hoping for more steam but I can see they have a few things to work between them since they are from rival kingdoms. Arin abhors magic, but Sylvia has tons of magic – so where does this leave them? We’ll see in book two but I really love the tension between them!

It is a long book, coming in at 529 pages so sometimes when a new character’s name would appear I would try to remember who that was because there is a lot of information about the different kingdoms, and many names to know. I think there is some pacing issues also because there was also a lull in the middle and that’s when I put it down to finally go to sleep and picked it up the next day again.

Quotes from the Book:

“When you choose who you are willing to fight for, you choose who you are.” ― Sara Hashem, The Jasad Heir

“You think your mind is a blank slate, where you can build your own networks of information from scratch, through pure logic and reason. You ignore that each child enters a completely unique world, founded on different truths. We build our reality on the foundation our world sets for us. You entered a world where magic is corrosive and Jasadis are inherently evil. I entered one where turning a shoe into a dove made my mother laugh. Have you considered, in that infinite mind of yours, that the truly brilliant people are the ones who understand the realities we build were already built for us?”
― Sara Hashem, The Jasad Heir

Tropes: enemies to lovers, slow burn

My Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this debut book and I’m glad I picked it up. I was very much into the political intrigue, world building and characters. The enemies to lovers slow burn was full of tension and that is one thing I’m crazy about in a fantasy with romance is tension! There were some pacing issues but I was still entertained and am looking foward to book two!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Blood & Steel by. Helen Scheuerer | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Blood & Steel (The Legends of Thezmarr #1)

Author: Helen Scheuerer

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 504

Publication Date: 2/16/23

Categories: Fantasy, Romance

With her death foretold, Althea Zoltaire only has three years to become what she’s always dreamed of being: a warrior legend.

Women are forbidden to wield blades, so she has trained in secret her entire life. Now racing against the clock, she fights to secure her place in the elite guild charged with the protection of the five kingdoms.

The sparring and hazing of the new trainees border on deadly, but even more dangerous is her growing attraction to Wilder Hawthorne, her unwilling warrior chaperone.

All around them, schemes are afoot and darkness looms.

Will Althea pass the perilous initiation test and take her place as a champion of Thezmarr – or will the invading evil snatch away her dream before it starts?

If you like fierce sword-wielding heroines and brooding, tortured heroes, you will devour this sexy, addictive fantasy adventure.

Perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom, From Blood and Ash and The Witcher, BLOOD & STEEL is an epic romantic fantasy with enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn spice, found family, and a sprawling world of magic and monsters. Blood & Steel is the gripping first book in the heart-pounding, epic romantic fantasy series, The Legends of Thezmarr.

Content Warning: violence, bullying, hazing

I was in the mood for a romantic fantasy and saw that one of my must-read authors Helen Scheuerer came out with a new book series. So I borrowed it on KU and this is what I thought:

+ I enjoyed this author’s past series, but I still have to finish book 4 from the last one. I always enjoy the world-building and it’s no different with this one. Set in a world where kingdoms are trying to combat evil monsters coming through a rift in the Veil, there is action, legendary warriors, monsters and romance.

+ I like my romantic fantasy with all the tropes and this one has a few: enemies to lovers romance, girl with a secret past/power, sibling bond, found family, a young woman training among young men, mentor/mentee romance and I think it all fits nicely together. It’s what I look for and when I get it in one book, it’s wonderful. It may be predictable but that’s why I like it.

+ Speaking of romance. Althea or Thea is the young woman who wants to be a warrior but there is a rule that women are not supposed to carry weapons because of a prophecy. But she breaks the rules and who’s there to teach her how to fight – but reluctantly? The grouchy, cold hearted Wilder Hawthorne, one of 3 legendary Warswords, a menacing warrior who has no time to be Thea’s babysitter but can’t seem to stay away. It’s a slow burn, but it’s clear they are attracted to one another and they have one steamy moment.

+ I love the found family Thea has with Kipp and Cal, two guys she befriends in training. And I love that she also has her sister to help keep her on track at times even though they butt heads a lot.

+ Story-wise I am intrigued to see what happens after that cliffhanger ending. Will Thea learn more about her past and powers and learn to use it for good? I did love all the action and fighting scenes in this book, I think it is very entertaining.

~ Thea is a bit impulsive but I understand because of her fate stone and what it means. I can see why she wants all she can get out of life even if that means being reckless at times. But she does learn, especially because a lot of this book is about her training and honing her skills – she eventually learns some sense of control, which is good.

~ The romance is a bit of back and forth, push and pull plus it’s a slow burn, but Wilder keeps fighting it so we shall see what happens in the next book.

Tropes: enemies to lovers, special girl with past/undiscovered powers, found family

Why you should read it:

  • Thea’s goals of becoming a female warrior even if it is against the law
  • found family, sibling bond, lots of action fighting monsters
  • romantic fantasy, slow burn, enemies to lovers

Why you might not want to read it:

  • it feels young adult even though the MC is 24? Especially when she is training with everyone.
  • special girl trope

My Thoughts:

This one has everything I want in a romantic fantasy that is bingeable. It has found family, action, monsters, magic, fighting, a sister bond, and a special girl who now is finding out how special she really is to the kingdom. Now only if the other books were already published, that would’ve been much better for me lol. I enjoyed this one a lot and look forward to book two.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon

A Lair of Bones (Curse of the Cyren Queen #1) by. Helen Scheuerer | Book Review⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

With Dagger and Song by. Helen Scheuerer | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Fabric of Chaos by. Helen Scheuerer | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

The Sweetest Betrayal by. Natalie Mae | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Sweetest Betrayal (#3)

Author: Natalie Mae

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 394

Publication Date: 2/14/23

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Series, Magic, Adventure, Romance

In this heart-pounding conclusion to The Kinder Poison trilogy—which People magazine proclaimed a “delicious high-stakes adventure”—war looms over Orkena, but can Zahru save her people without losing herself?

War has come to Orkena.

Zahru has risen as Mestrah, and she is determined to peacefully end the escalating tensions with Wyrim, her country’s long-time enemy. Yet diplomacy proves to be futile, and when Zahru turns to Orkena’s allies for help, she finds that none are willing to come to her aid—not without Kasta ruling at her side.

As Wyrim advances on the capital, Zahru is desperate to protect her people, even if that means accepting Kasta’s help. But her enemy is merciless. And as ambushes and betrayals push Zahru to increasingly dark tactics, she wonders if perhaps Kasta had it right all along: maybe peace was never an option … and maybe she was never meant to do this alone.

Can Zahru spare her enemy without sacrificing her kingdom? Or will Orkena’s salvation only come if Zahru becomes the monster her people need?

Content Warning: violence, kidnapping

This is one of my most anticipated reads for 2023 and it did NOT disappoint. And the covers for these series – absolutely stunning. Simple and stunning and I will be adding this to my bookshelf for sure. Here’s what I thought:

+ Things carry on right away from the ending of book two and boy does Zahru have a lot to answer for and face in this last book of the series. She goes through some things! But she has to in order to grow. She has major trust issues especially when it comes to Kasta. But also she doesn’t know if she can even trust herself with this god-like power. Is she a good person? Is she bad? Is she a good leader? She has a lot of growing up to do if she wants to prove she can be Mestrah.

+ One reason I love this series? The characters! From our main ones like Zahru and Kasta to all her friends her found family of sorts, they are all different, complex and amazing. They fight, argue, have fun together, support one another – intervene if need be. I love this group of characters. Hen is my favorite! I want her as my bestie.

+ Zahru and Kasta are off the charts and I didn’t even know if they would make it in the end! I didn’t even trust him for most of the story. 😅They had me anxious, eyes wide, palm over my mouth when some things happen. But wow the tension between them is so good and then also wondering as a reader if they are even good for one another made me question a lot of things but honestly and I don’t know if it’s my hormones but I teared up in some places of this book. I love them so much. They are the perfect couple in all their imperfections and I love that ultimately it was about them finding their way to trust one another and forgive. I can go on but yeah…I found a new favorite couple. They have a few steamy moments but what I love about it is it’s quick, not super detailed but you still feel the heat, maybe because it’s a long time coming and it comes as a relief that they finally stop fighting one another.

+ Wonderful story telling! It has humor, romance (and not only between Zahru and Kasta), friendship, battles, danger, adventure and more. I read this in one day without expecting to! And I wrote this review after I finished because I was feeling so much things about this book.

+ A perfect ending to a great series!

~ Some of the young characters sounded like the spoke in modern day speech which sometimes threw me off but I went with it and laughed a lot when it happened because it was mostly between Zahru and her friends. I didn’t mind it at all but I don’t remember if the previous books had the characters talking this way. I’ll have to re-read the whole series and I most definitely WILL since I loved this conclusion so much.

Tropes: enemies to lovers

Why you should read it:

  • Zahru and Kasta 🥰 – angst, bickering, tension, enemies to lovers and a very happy ending
  • great cast of characters – Hen is amazing
  • great story-telling, action, adventure, politics, romance

Why you might not want to read it:

My Thoughts:

I loved this conclusion – it had everything I wanted and really exceeded any expectations I had. I just wanted it to be as amazing as the cover and I can say it did it’s job in making me happy and satisfied at the end. Great series that I will be re-reading again hopefully soon! I want Natalie Mae to be working on her next series now with more enemies to lovers please 😅. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Kinder Poison | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Cruelest Mercy by. Natalie Mae | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️