So Let Them Burn By. Kamilah Cole | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: So Let Them Burn (Divine Traitors, #1)

Author: Kamilah Cole

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 1/16/24

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Jamaica Inspired, Dragons, Romance, LGBT+

Whip-smart and immersive, this Jamaican-inspired fantasy follows a gods-blessed heroine who’s forced to choose between saving her sister or protecting her homeland.

Faron Vincent can channel the power of the gods. Five years ago, she used her divine magic to liberate her island from its enemies, the dragon-riding Langley Empire. But now, at seventeen, Faron is all powered up with no wars to fight. She’s a legend to her people and a nuisance to her neighbors.

When she’s forced to attend an international peace summit, Faron expects that she will perform tricks like a trained pet and then go home. She doesn’t expect her older sister, Elara, forming an unprecedented bond with an enemy dragon—or the gods claiming the only way to break that bond is to kill her sister.

As Faron’s desperation to find another solution takes her down a dark path, and Elara discovers the shocking secrets at the heart of the Langley Empire, both must make difficult choices that will shape each other’s lives, as well as the fate of their world.

“By turns hopeful and devastating, So Let Them Burn is a masterful debut with a blazing heart. I was captivated from beginning to end by Cole’s sharp, clever prose and by her protagonists—two remarkable sisters with an unforgettable bond.” — Chelsea Abdullah, author of The Stardust Thief

Content Warning: violence

I thought the premise of this book was very intriguing – Jamaican inspired and dragons?

I love the sister bond between Faron and Elara. Faron is the Child Empyrean – chosen by the Gods, and gifted with power. She is the chosen but is the younger sister and makes a few mistakes in this books showing her immaturity. Elara is the older sister and is always in her sister’s shadow but longs to shine on her own. The sister are apart for most of the book but I think it helps to see them apart because Elara grows a lot from her new situation, whereas I think Faron alone needed her sister’s guidance.

I liked learning all about the dragons and the world-building is great. I would have liked more about the dragon academy since I think the best thing about this book was about the dragons. There is an interesting plot twist that occurs and I can see how this is going to complicate things a lot for the sisters. There are two romances happening for each sister, I’d say I was more into Elara’s building romance than Faron’s. But with everything that happened in the end of the book, I’m now much more curious how it’s going to end up for Faron. I think Gael Soto’s character is very intriguing and it will be interesting to see what happens to him in book two.

I did feel like this is more for younger young adult audiences.

My Final Thoughts:

Overall this one was entertaining and you definitely like it if you are looking for a younger young adult novel with dragons in it.

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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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The Fine Print by. Lauren Asher | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Fine Print (Dreamland Billionaires #1)

Author: Lauren Asher

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 431

Publication Date: 7/8/21

Categories: Romance, Adult Fiction, Billionaire Romance, Workplace Romance

Rowan
I’m in the business of creating fairy tales.
Theme parks. Production companies. Five-star hotels.
Everything could be all mine if I renovated Dreamland.
My initial idea of hiring Zahra was good in theory, but then I kissed her.
Things spiraled out of control once I texted her using an alias.
By the time I realized where I went wrong, it was too late.
People like me don’t get happy endings.
Not when we’re destined to ruin them.

Zahra
After submitting a drunk proposal criticizing Dreamland’s most expensive ride, I should have been fired.
Instead, Rowan Kane offered me a dream job.
The catch? I had to work for the most difficult boss I’d ever met.
Rowan was rude and completely off-limits, but my heart didn’t care.
At least not until I discovered his secret.
It was time to teach the billionaire that money couldn’t fix everything.
Especially not us.

The Fine Print is the first book in a series of interconnected standalones following three billionaire brothers.

Content Warning: toxic parental relationship

I love the characters in this story – Zahra is quirky, but wholesome and comes from a good, loving family. She’s had a bad experience with an ex-boyfriend but overall, she’s strong, warm and people love her. She’s miss sunshine with a little bit of sass because she can definitely keep up with Rowan’s grumpy personality. I found their interactions and banter really fun!

I also love Zahra’s sister, Ani, who has down syndrome – she was so funny, cute and cool! I loved that she had her own little sass too and could keep up with Rowan. Rowan is the typical rich, handsome, grumpy guy trying to live up to family expectations but he has quite a past himself and is dealing with his mother’s and grandfather’s passing.

I thought the romance progressed really good from their first meeting and then all their interactions in between up until their conflict. I do think the story went on a bit too long and Rowan was being a jerk with ending things and then wanting her back right away. Like come on man, you are seriously stringing this nice girl along and she really didn’t deserve that. Yes, he has commitment issues and needed to work on them but yeah…even I was getting tired of it.

It did have a cute ending but it could have come sooner for sure!

My Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a cute one and I do love Zahra and Rowan together – he just needed to get his stuff together earlier so this could be a nice 350 page book. 😅 I don’t think we got a good feel of either of his brothers in this book but I’ll be reading their stories for sure.

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Fate & Furies by. Helen Scheuerer | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Fate & Furies (The Legends of Thezmarr, #3)

Author: Helen Scheuerer

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 431

Publication Date: 2/22/24

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

“I always knew you would be the end of me.” With darkness cursing the world around her, Althea Zoltaire is desperate for vengeance. But as she hunts Wilder Hawthorne across the kingdoms, brutal secrets begin to unravel. Not knowing what – or who – to trust, Thea and her companions find themselves entwined with a destiny far greater than one man. Together, they must navigate the haunting revelations that could shatter the very foundations of the midrealms. Yet it’s not only the world at stake, but Thea’s heart too. As everything teeters on the verge of destruction, her fate collides once more with Wilder’s. Will their reunion ignite the fiery passion between them amidst the ashes of betrayal? Or will it end in a heartbreaking, deadly showdown? In a journey fraught with danger, where the lines between enemies and allies blur, Thea must decide where her loyalties lie, and who will stand at her side against the looming evil. Get ready for an epic adventure brimming with steamy romance, and a sprawling world of magic and monsters. Fate & Furies is the penultimate book in the spellbinding epic romantic fantasy series, The Legends of Thezmarr and is perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, The Bridge Kingdom, and The Witcher.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue with this series because I thought book two was okay but I guess I’m back because it was in my library and I’ve been trying to read all the books I haven’t in my kindle library so I picked this up and was determined to finished it and I did it in one sitting. This was much better than book two!

+ Thea and her traveling buddies, Kipp and Cal (who I love), are trying to find Wilder Hawthorne, to arrest him, but he’s the guy who broke Thea’s heart and now she’s adamant to never forgive him or fall for him ever again. But that’s hard when he’s basically her soulmate. I’m glad it doesn’t take too long for them to find him because this book is better when Thea and Wilder are together. Now mind you the story states it’s been a year since Thea and Wilder had seen each other so he’s been missing her badly but she’s been turning her heart into stone the whole time. I really like how they have to face some things about their relationship. Their desire for one another is undeniable and I’m glad they don’t lean on that to make their relationship work – they actually do the hard part and confront the issues between them.

+ Speaking of confronting issues, which I loved about this book, Thea gets a chance to finally talk face to face with her long lost sister, who was supposed to be the enemy. It’s a hard talk, but it’s the beginning of healing which is so awesome for them. Now just waiting for Wren to come around to it all and then this sisterhood will be complete. I love that about this book that even though it’s a romance, Thea has so many other important relationships in her life that she has to fix – especially everything going on with her sisters.

+ Thea grows so much from learning to have the hard talks with important people in her life. It’s not always so easy to forgive the people that hurt you but she does it even if it hurts some more. Also, her friendship with Cal and Kipp, is what friendship should be about. She has two people that is close to her who will talk to her and tell her when things don’t look right. And she was mature enough to listen. Oh and I really love when she has to go through the Great Rite to finally become the warrior she’s always wanted to be. It’s a mental and physical trial and doesn’t take up a lot of time in the book but I thought the Furies were just so cool.

+ This is a romantasy – romance/fantasy and yes we get some spice between Wilder and Thea. But I love that it doesn’t come until later while they are trying to figure things out because like he said – it needed to be figured out! He wanted her whole, not just for sex and distraction, and he wanted her only when she was ready to be in it 100% with him. I love them together.

My Final Thoughts:

I believe I still have Slaying the Shadow Prince in my kindle library as well so I will read it next because it’s about an important character in this world. But Fates & Furies was really an enjoyable read filled with themes of family, friendship, love and forgiveness. I love how much Thea has grown from book one and I can’t wait to see what happens in book four! This series has everything I enjoy in a romance fantasy!

Book Links:

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Blood & Steel by. Helen Scheuerer | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Vows & Ruins by. Helen Scheuerer | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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 Prisoner’s Throne by. Holly Black | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Prisoner’s Throne

Author: Holly Black

Format: hardcover (owned)

Pages: 359

Publication Date: 3/5/2024

Categories: Young Adult, Politics, Faerie, Series, Romance

An imprisoned prince. A vengeful queen. And a battle that will determine the future of Elfhame.

Prince Oak is paying for his betrayal. Imprisoned in the icy north and bound to the will of a monstrous new queen, he must rely on charm and calculation to survive. With High King Cardan and High Queen Jude willing to use any means necessary to retrieve their stolen heir, Oak will have to decide whether to attempt regaining the trust of the girl he’s always loved or to remain loyal to Elfhame and hand over the means to end her reign—even if it means ending Wren, too.  

With a new war looming on the horizon and treachery lurking in every corner, neither Oak’s guile nor his wit will be enough to keep everyone he loves alive. It’s just a question of whom he will doom.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black comes the stunning blood-soaked conclusion to the Stolen Heir duology.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ This is Oak’s side of the story, whereas The Stolen Heir was Wren’s story. Oak is such a complicated character. He’s gifted with tongue to persuade people to do whatever he wants which is dangerous but also makes it difficult for him to know who really knows him. He is charming, and acts so unaffected. His family has sheltered him all his life, well except for his dad, but behind the scenes he was making things happen in ways they were unaware of. Oak has killed, manipulated, lied, deceived, done things he didn’t want to do but would do for his goals. And Wren saw through his disguise of charm – straight to the imperfect parts of him.

+ Oak and Wren’s relationship is as real as it can get when both people come from messy backgrounds. They both came from dysfunctional families, though there is love in those families, there was a lot of feelings of fear and not being safe also. That’s what I love about their love for one another. They are both broken in their own way but together…everything will be alright even with their imperfections.

+ I love Cardan – he is too funny with his sassy self. His quips were just classic Cardan and nice to see in the story. Jude is in this story too and I liked that it shows her power as Queen but also her role as Oak’s sister and how she needed to learn to let him go and make his own mistakes.

+Tiernan and Hyacinth’s love story was a nice addition. They actually had the tension I was hoping Oak and Wren would have.

~ I do miss the tension that was present in The Folk of the Air series. I just love how dark, tense, and cutthroat it was whereas The Stolen Heir duology almost feels cozy. It might be because of Oak’s oozing charm haha, and his perspective being different than Jude’s of course.

~ The beginning was a bit slow but it picks up after the halfway mark.

My Final Thoughts:

Is this the end of this series? Because I swear once they mentioned the Undersea I was like…hmmm…Nicasia? Is there a story there waiting to be written? I wouldn’t mind because I love this world. Overall, I enjoyed this book though the second half was more action packed than the first.

Book Links:

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The Stolen Heir by. Holly Black | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by. Holly Black | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book of Night by. Holly Black | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Heart of the Sun Warrior by. Sue Lynn Tan | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Heart of the Sun Warrior (The Celestial Kingdom, #2)

Author: Sue Lynn Tan

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 480

Publication Date: 11/10/2022

Categories: Fantasy, Series, Sequel, Chinese Mythology, Romance

After her perilous quest to free her mother, Xingyin thrives once more in the tranquility of her home. But her fragile peace is threatened by the discovery of a strange magic on the moon and the unsettling changes in the Celestial Kingdom as the emperor tightens his grip on power. While Xingyin is determined to keep clear of the rising danger, the discovery of a shocking truth spurs her into a treacherous confrontation.

Forced to flee her home once more, Xingyin and her companions venture to unexplored lands of the Immortal Realm, encountering legendary creatures and shrewd monarchs, beloved friends and bitter adversaries. With alliances shifting quicker than the tides, Xingyin has to overcome past grudges and enmities to forge a new path forward, seeking aid where she never imagined she would. As an unspeakable terror sweeps across the realm, Xingyin must uncover the truth of her heart and claw her way through devastation–to rise against this evil before it destroys everything she holds dear, and the worlds she has grown to love… even if doing so demands the greatest price of all.

The stunning sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess delves deeper into beloved Chinese mythology, concluding the epic story of Xingyin–the daughter of Chang’e and the mortal archer, Houyi–as she battles a grave new threat to the realm, in this powerful tale of love, sacrifice, and hope.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ What a gorgeous book cover! This whole series has some of the most beautiful book covers I’ve ever seen.

+ The story continues with Xingyin living on the Moon with the people she loves but she finds out there is a way to save her dad, who she thought was dead. Also another storyline happening is there is a traitor in the Celestial Kingdom who is making moves trying to usurp the Emperor, but Xingyin and her mother gets caught in the drama. I love the story about her parents and I’m glad there is a happy ending there.

+ I think the world of the Celestial Kingdom is so magical and ethereal. I was transported into the story with these celestial characters riding on their clouds, fighting with magic and there are even dragons.

+ Apparently I didn’t think too much of Wenzhi in the first book, which is surprising, because I liked him a lot in this book! I like how he’s trying to show Xingyin that he has changed, that he feels regret and remorse for doing what he did to further his goals. He doesn’t give up on her but also gives her space to figure out how she feels. I like how he helps her with what she needs even if he doesn’t agree with some of her plans. The ending gutted me though, I hated what happened to him.

~ The love triangle…I dislike it because I like both men. And she loves them both in their own ways also, which makes it even worse when it comes time for her to choose one of them. In the end I was rooting for Wenzhi but I was sad that things couldn’t work with Liwei because I loved their friendship turned into love. Unfortunately, his life as Emperor wasn’t what she would have been happy with. But I didn’t like how long it took for her to figure things out.

~ And speaking of the love triangle, this makes me want to point out that Xingyin was impulsive at times. She made frustrating choices. I know she wanted to save Liwei, and she wanted to save her family – she really didn’t have to always be the heroine. There were so many people who wanted to help her.

My Final Thoughts:

At times reading this book I thought that this didn’t have to really be a series and that Daughter of the Moon Goddess stands pretty good on it’s own. And though I didn’t love the love triangle situation, I’m curious to see what the ending means – since on Goodreads it says there is a third book to this series! Overall, this was entertaining, despite the little issues I had with it here and there. Also, the writing and the world building is beautiful. I’ll definitely read book three.

Book Links:

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Daughter of the Moon Goddess by. Sue Lynn Tan | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Last Bloodcarver by. Vanessa Le | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Last Bloodcarver

Author: Vanessa Le

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 3/19/24

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Science, Medicine, Romance, LGBT+

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

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

The tantalizing romance of These Violent Delights meets the mechanical wonders of Cinder in The Last Bloodcarver, the first in a two-book debut — with a riveting medical magic system and lush Vietnam-inspired fantasy world.

Nhika is a bloodcarver. A cold-hearted, ruthless being who can alter human biology with just a touch. In the industrial city of Theumas, she is seen not as a healer, but a monster that kills for pleasure.

When Nhika is caught using her bloodcarving abilities during a sham medical appointment, she’s captured by underground thugs and sold to an aristocratic family to heal the last witness of their father’s murder.

But as Nhika delves deeper into their investigation amidst the glitz of Theumas’ wealthiest district, she begins to notice parallels between this job and her own dark past. And when she meets an alluring yet entitled physician’s aide, Ven Kochin, she’s forced to question the true intent behind this murder. In a society that outcasts her, Kochin seems drawn to her…though he takes every chance he gets to push her out of his opulent world.

When Nhika discovers that Kochin is not who he claims to be, and that there is an evil dwelling in Theumas that runs much deeper than the murder of one man, she must decide where her heart, and her allegiance, truly lie. And — if she’s willing to become the dreaded bloodcarver Theumas fears — to save herself and the ones she’s vowed to protect.

Content Warning: death of animals, violence, death of parents, medical horror

I went into this book with no expectations and once I started reading, I could not stop. Nhika posses a gift to heal people, but with that same gift she could hurt and kill them as well. She is what is knowm as a bloodcarver and it’s generally a bad thing to be. But in her upbringing she was called a heartsooth, and someone who took pride in her abilities. Nhika finds herself alone now, and bought to help a family who is grieving the lost of their father who they think was murdered. They need Nhika’s help to confirm this though and she agrees, only to find herself in a dire situation.

I like Nhika even though she doesn’t seem like someone anyone can easily connect to. She’s not warm or kind, she’s had to survive on her own for years – she’s been alone. Nhika lost her whole family and she’s trying to stay alive in a heartless world who looks down upon bloodcarvers. I like that she isn’t polished and I especially love that her heart always wants to do the right thing, even when people don’t seem to deserve her help. I connected with her through her love of the family she has lost. I love her memories about her mother and her grandmother teaching her the craft of heartsoothing. It reminded me of my own grandmother and so my heart ached for Nhika even if she didn’t have time to dwell on her feelings about grief.

There is also a found family trope in this story although at times I felt not so happy about it because Nhika was on the outside looking in and at one point they didn’t trust her.

The world building is interesting because it mentions Theumas being a technocracy and yet they used rotary phones. I did read that this was Vienamese-inspired and the politics going on in the story shows that. The magic system is great because it blended science and magic! I love all the medical stuff and anatomy and everything about the healing craft that Nhika learned through her grandmother. Also this story is part murder mystery but I felt like it never really slowed down, which I appreciate it, since mysteries always move too slow for me. The story moves quickly and I liked the actions scenes we do get, even if the last one is a bit gory!

There is even an enemies to lovers romance happening with Nhika and Ven, a doctor’s assistant. For the most part of the book Nhika is trying to figure him out and what his motives are. But when more information in reveal it’s a big twist in the story and makes them see one another with different eyes. I didn’t mind the romance, for me I think it works – may seem to fast for some people but I totally get how Nhika was so lonely and finally she finds someone who she doesn’t have to hide from. I love them together and it made me tear up at the end because everything happening was unexpected and I just wanted the best for Nhika who really deserved some happiness in her life after everything has been taken away from her.

I didn’t even realize it’s a duology but I can’t wait to see what happens in book two!

My Thoughts:

There was so much to love about this book – the world-building, magic system with magic/science/healing, the romance, the murder mystery and a good plot twist. The ending was unexpected, especially with how intense it was and it left me heartbroken. I can’t wait for book two!

Book Links:

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Ciao For Now by. Kate Bromley | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Ciao For Now

Author: Kate Bromley

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 316

Publication Date: 6/6/2023

Categories: Romance, Fashion Design, Italy, Contemporary

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.

Book Links:

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BLOG TOUR } Talk Bookish to Me by. Kate Bromley | ARC Review + Excerpt ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BLOG TOUR} Here for the Drama by. Kate Bromley | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A Court of Wings and Ruin by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review | Re-read

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Court of Mist and Fury

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 703

Publication Date: 5/2/17

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.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

House of Flame and Shadow by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

House of Sky and Breath by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review | House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Court of Silver Flames | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Court of Mist and Fury by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review | Re-read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Court of Thorns and Roses by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review | Re-read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

All This Twisted Glory by. Tahereh Mafi | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

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.